The Gang In High Heels | BLACKPINK AU

5: Fracture

Lisa watched as Jisoo opened the door, bumping into Sylvia, whose hand was still raised to knock on her door. "Oh, excuse me very much, Miss Kim." Sylvia belatedly took a step back and bowed as Jisoo stopped in the door frame.

"No, no. That was my fault, Soo-young. I should have been more aware." Jisoo assured the older woman, "Did YG call for the meeting?"

"Yes ma'am. I was given orders to show the group to the 51st floor." Sylvia said before bowing again.

"Soo-Young please," Jisoo said with a light laugh, "Just Jisoo is fine."

Sylvia looked aghast, "I could never, what if YG hears me refer to you like that?"

"Ah... that's a good point. Well, Jisoo when you're around just us then?" Jisoo smiled warmly at her as she knocked on the barrier leading to Rosie and Jennie's room then opened the door for Sylvia.

"I'd like that... Miss Jisoo." Sylvia said with a small smile and Jisoo rolled her eyes playfully.

As Sylvia walked into the room and began talking with the girls, Jisoo finally caught sight of Lisa standing further down the hallway. Her smile faded and she shifted her weight back and forth, Lisa could tell that her friend was unsure of whether or not to address all that had just happened between them. Sylvia walked out of the room with the other girls in tow, and the moment passed. Jisoo bit her lip, as if knowing that she'd lost her chance to make amends before the meeting. Lisa turned on her heel as Sylvia passed her, electing not to walk alongside Jisoo as she so often did in the past. Jennie and Rosie shared a look as they walked side by side and Jisoo eventually slowed down to keep pace with them.

The four girls followed Sylvia around the outskirts of the Square, moving counterclockwise until they reached a new hallway that contained an elevator, almost exactly diagonal across the way to the first elevator that they had taken. However, this time instead of a set of elevators, there was a single gold plated elevator and its doors were already open as if a great shiny beast was awaiting the sacrificial lamb. Lisa gave a dry chuckle to herself and shook the dark thoughts from her head as the group entered the giant elevator. They rode in silence, with Sylvia in front of the four girls who instinctively lined up in formation: Lisa, Jisoo, Rosie, Jennie. Every time the thought of Jisoo crept into her head, Lisa shoved it down viciously. She was no longer uncontrollably angry about it but she couldn't afford to be distracted now.

The golden maw opened silently on the 51st floor and the comfortable warmth of the previous floors was blasted away and replaced by a heavy chill in the air. Sylvia came out first and stood to the side, holding a deep bow as they stepped out. Out past the elevator hallway, Lisa could see a dark figure seated in a high chair. The figure sat alone in the vast room but was flanked by two guards, looking for all the world like a ruler seated in a throne. Only YG has such a flair for dramatics, Lisa thought with a scoff. The girls suppressed their shivers and Lisa could feel her mask slipping into place as they continued down the black marbled hallway. Years of harsh training had taught BLACKPINK many things but the most valuable thing they could use in a place like this was the training that taught them how to mask all signs of emotions and pain. Anything could be used against them by a master manipulator like YG.

As they entered the throne room proper, Sylvia stopped and stood against the cold marble entrance. Lisa glanced back and Sylvia returned her a nervous smile and mouthed Good Luck Lisa. Lisa's emotional mask was already in place but she gave the woman a wink before turning her gaze to YG.

YG remained seated as the girls approached and knelt before the throne. Lisa's eyes quickly flicked around the room before she knelt. To either side of the throne was a guard. To her right stood a tall guardswoman, her muscles looked as if they were trying to tear their wear through her suit. To the left was a much shorter guard, who also wore a form fitting suit, but rather than bulging muscles, this guard was built more like a dancer. Lisa assigned them the names of Muscles and Dancer. She looked down at an object in the shorter guard's hand to find that Dancer was holding YG's cane. She processed all this information in an instant before, as one, the kneeling girls looked up and recited "BLACKPINK" is grateful that you would honor us with a meeting."

Finally, YG stood up from the throne. Dancer rushed forward to present the cane at YG's side and YG took it without looking before taking a step down towards the girls. YG's body still cut a striking figure and YG's face exuded confidence and allure that not even Lisa could deny. Yet, she despised everything about the President and Ruler of YGE and it took a strong focus to prevent her mask from cracking as YG circled around them with the thumping sound of the steel cane, analyzing and judging.

YG spoke, a low tone that felt as though the frozen winds themselves had come alive, "Jisoo?"

Lisa tilted her head ever so slightly and could see Jisoo straighten a bit more but stayed knelt and looking down. "Our actions sent the Japanese underworld into an uproar, but we left no traces of our involvement or loose ends. Mission complete, YG."

"YG am I? Come now, daughter. Surely, I haven't done anything to deserve such a cold response." YG stopped circling and stood in front of Jisoo, as if taunting her. "I've given you everything you could have ever wanted." YG stepped back and motioned towards the other girls with the cane. "These ones right here? Why do you think they're still working for me? I would have disbanded any other group long ago. As if your predecessors would have considered it 'mission complete' if they had sent an entire country into an uproar", YG parroted back the last words, mocking Jisoo. "But.... I've allowed these failures to stay, to live. Because they make you happy."

Lisa felt her rage begin to boil, she knew YG was trying to bait an emotional response out of them but all the same, her hatred was difficult to contain. BLACKPINK had been ordered to infiltrate some of the most dangerous and highly guarded sectors in the industry with only their idol group status to use as a thin simulation of cover. As a result, each of the girls had nearly been caught or killed multiple times but YG continued to pick and gnaw any time they made a mistake, even though the contract had been successfully completed.

YG began to rant, "You cried as a baby, so I had them buy you toys. Then you grew up and were still unhappy with toys, and no matter how much wealth you had access to, you still cried like a baby. So I let you travel the world." YG's voice began to boom throughout the throne room, the frozen voice becoming an ice storm. "Then you came back to me. Broken and jaded by what the world had done to you. I healed you. I brought a team for you to lead. But you didn't want to lead. You shied away and whined like you have always done. So now your team is aimless, sloppy, and lazy." YG jabbed the cane at Rosie, Lisa, and Jennie in turn. Lisa dug her nails into her palm and grit her teeth.

"I think I deserve some gratitude for allowing such worthless members to live. Don't you think so?" She turned slightly towards Muscles. The tall guard did not respond and YG continued on as if a response was never expected. "See? She agrees. And I'm sure the failures you call friends want you to thank me as well." Silence filled the room as YG pointed to each girl in turn, none of them responding or even looking up, before flashing an arrogant smile at Jisoo.

"So my sweet daughter... what do you say?"

Slowly Jisoo raised her head, and as YG grabbed her face, Lisa could almost hear her teeth grinding. "Thank you, for continuing to let my friends live despite all of our failures. Mother."

The cold laughter of YG filled the throne room and Lisa watched as Jisoo's mother released her daughter's face. "Ah, I do so enjoy seeing your face as you grovel." YG spoke these last words slowly before walking over to stand in front of Lisa.

"And you..." YG spoke slowly, as if contemplating something.

Lisa defiantly met the gaze of YG, refusing to keep her head bent in front of the woman she hated most. Her mind seemingly made up, YG smirked at the fierce eyes of Lisa. Then YG pulled out the dagger attached to her cane handle and plunged its tip into Lisa's chest. The speed of the attack and the sharpness of the blade was so stunning that Lisa felt nothing, even as YG pulled it out of her chest. The only thing Lisa could feel as she slumped to the floor was the calming sensation of her body slowly being drained of all its energy. As her vision faded, the last thing Lisa saw were the tears in Jisoo's eyes as she sprang at her mother.