Trepidation

Chapter 34: Recovering and Old friends

The sun had begun to set in the cold forest and my legs had begun to grow numb from remaining in the same position for hours on end.

My hazy mind couldn't help but drift off into thoughts of what had happened to my companions?

Had they gotten lost? Maybe they were caught? Perhaps as I sat here like an idiot they were being tortured? Maybe it was already too late and they had been-

I cut off my thoughts with a shake of my head. They were stronger than that. Remembering Hoseok's words I shakily stood up on my aching limbs. He said they'd be here for me, so I had to be there for them.

The window on the passenger side of the van was cracked open a little bit and I braced myself to force my hand through the window.

I slid it through the gap with a pained groan, scratching my arm against the glass. I carefully extended it down as far as it would go, peering through the glass to see that I was ever so close to the unlock button.

I stretched my finger, letting out a satisfied grumble when the car clicked open.

I hurriedly slid into the front seat of the car, reaching into the back to pull out a first aid kit.

I winced, pulling up my shirt to reveal the wound on my stomach caked in dried blood, the skin around it already beginning to turn blue and black.

I pulled a capsule of water out of the box pouring it over the wound. I then gently applied the antibiotics with a hiss before dressing the wound in gauze.

I then dug around in the pocket of the back of the car, sighing in relief when I found my phone.

A knock on the window startled me and my eyes widened in shock when I saw the tired male.

"Jimin," I exclaimed in surprise slamming open the door to envelop the blond in a hug.

"You're ok!"

He wrapped his arms around me. "Just barely I managed to get out just before the lights turned on, but then I got kind of lost."

"What about the others?" I questioned, leaning away to look at his face.

I wiped a smudge of dirt off his cheek feeling uneasy at his expression.

"They were caught, Namjoon sent me one last message through the earpiece a couple of hours ago before I'm assuming it got destroyed.

He said that Exo, Red Velvet and I*ZONE were all compromised and are being held in different parts of the council's hideout. Wonwoo is keeping them safe for now in hopes that you'll return."

I sighed, sucking back the tears that were threatening to fall.

"So he has a ton of hostages, he's expecting us coming, he's way too strong and we're outnumbered."

Jimin nodded grimly. "I guess it does sound pretty bad."

"I honestly can't think of what we can do," I muttered softly, trying to ignore the dread hanging onto my shoulders.

Jimin's shoulders dropped. "Me neither I was never in charge of the planning."

A sudden rustle from the bushes had me alert and I paled when I saw an unknown woman stumble through the foliage.

I got in a defensive stance being wary of the wound in my side.

"Woah calm your tiddies." The girl pulled some twigs out of her hair, pushing the strawberry blond locks out of her face.

"Chaeyoung?" I asked, narrowing my eyes at the frazzled teen.

"That's me," she grinned, strolling closer to us.

"Stop," I ordered. "Chaeyoung lives in Australia so how could you be here, in Korea?"

The female rolled her eyes. "A plane of course."

"It could be an illusion," Jimin whispered in my ear, staring hard at her nonchalant demeanour.

I nodded, having the same suspicion. Why would my best friend from Australia be here, in a forest infested with council members in a time of distress?

"Prove your Chaeyoung," I stated calmly, watching the strawberry blondes next moves carefully.

"Well," She began crossing her arms over her chest. "I know that when you were 5 you thought that trees were giant mushrooms and when you were 10 we both fell off a tree and broke the exact same arm, renaming them Timmy and Timothy."

It really was her?

"How are you here?" I muttered, confusion crashing down on me.

"Well long story short the Australian council heard that the Korean council was up to no good, so my Father sent me to investigate and I was led to this place. I didn't expect to find you here."

"Wait so you know about imperium and partum and all that shit?" Jimin questioned.

"Yup I am one myself, the future leader of the Australian council."

"Does that mean your plotting to eradicate the human race as well?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.

"What no! Where did you get a crazy idea like that," she exclaimed.

I assumed it was safe enough to inform her of the council's plans and she was left gaping afterwards.

"This is more screwed up than I thought, I'll notify the Australian council immediately," she muttered, fishing in her pocket for her phone.

"We also have to rescue your friends, who knows how long that psychopath will keep them alive."

"Umm just to make sure that your 100% sincere do you think we could do a blood bond."

She looked surprised but carefully nodded not looking too offended by my lack of trust. "You've been through a lot of shit, it makes sense to be wary."

I smiled gratefully and Jimin went and grabbed a scalpel from the first aid kit.

I winced as the sharp metal pierced my flesh and I awkwardly held her own bloody hand as she muttered weird voodoo words.

"I promise to help you," she stated.

I smiled, feeling her honesty through whatever strange bond had been made.

Now we had a trump card.