Strip

September 21st, 7:49 A.M.

Namjoon stared in shock at the chained boy before him.

The boy smiled weakly at him, showing off matching dimples. His soft dragon eyes shone even in the dark room, and Namjoon was struck by their similar builds.

This was his brother.

"Joon..." Seojoon's voice was hoarse, like he hadn't had any water in a while. "I knew it...I knew you weren't dead. He told me you drowned, but I had a feeling you were still alive."

"Seojoon," Namjoon quickly crawled over to him. He didn't know what to say, but when he saw his brother shivering in the cold basement, he shrugged off his hoodie and wrapped it around Seojoon.

The boy had a heavy looking chain around his waist, bolting him to the wall. There were numerous cuts, bruises and red marks over his arms, legs and face, all in various stages of healing.

"Did he do this to you? Wohan?" Namjoon whispered, holding Seojoon's hand delicately to examine the cuts.

"He wants our money. I wouldn't sign it over." Seojoon said. "So he got angry. Finally, he realized that hurting me wouldn't get him what he wanted, and threatened to kill Yoongi, so I signed the paper that released my share of the money to him. But he still can't get it unless you sign as well."

"Money?" Namjoon recalled how the man had said something about becoming a millionaire earlier.

Seojoon cocked his head. "Don't you know?"

"I don't know anything." Namjoon confessed. "I just know that he tried to drown me when I was two, and I was saved by a couple who took me in. I only recently found out that you existed."

"Oh, Joon." Seojoon grabbed him, pulling him in for a tight hug.

Namjoon could feel how thin and frail the boy was and tears pricked his eyes.

"I missed you so much." Seojoon whispered, tears of his own running down his cheeks. "I wanted to do everything I could to protect you, but I wasn't strong enough. I'm sorry, my baby brother."

"Are you kidding me?" Namjoon pulled back with a teary smile. "You're the strongest person I know. And you were only four at the time, there's no way you could have stopped him."

"Our parents..." Seojoon whispered, looking away.

Namjoon looked down at the ground. "They're dead, aren't they?"

Seojoon nodded regretfully. "He killed them that night."

"Makes sense." Namjoon murmured. "I had a feeling...but I didn't think about it because either didn't want it to be true."

"I'm sorry." Seojoon cried. "I shouldn't have signed that stupid paper, the last thing we have of them is the funds they set up for us for our futures, but I gave that away!"

Namjoon looked up at his brother. "I don't give a shit about money, I thought for days now that you were dead. Yoongi thought you were dead for years. I'm just glad you're alive. He can have the money, I don't care. I just want you to be safe, and back at home."

"You know Yoongi?" Seojoon's eyes were wide.

Namjoon chuckled softly. "Yes, I know the tsundere detective very well. And he loves you, a lot."

"He's going to save us, isn't he?"

Namjoon smiled, pulling his brother in for another hug.

"You already know it, big bro."

-

Yoongi floored the Impala down the road, the engine roaring loudly as he swerved around the slower cars that were doing their morning commute.