Crimson Redemption {K.TH} | BTS Mafia AU/FF {On Hold}

Chapter 7

Chapter 7
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From across the giant blue training mat stood Caleb, where his posture remained rigid in a defensive and combative stance. Though he looked to be physically drained and tired, he still had the energy to fuel his pose with an unmistakable energy of confidence. The way he carried himself through our earlier brawls, it spoke volumes about how he felt about finally getting to spar with me once again. The two of us were having so much while we trained, so much so that we lost track of time, and we have been at it since late morning. The adrenaline that came through us was a breath of fresh air, and it was addicting and an utterly wonderful feeling to feel. 

I will admit, however, that my body was not used to this level of intense physical activity. My chest rose and fell rapidly, and a chain of deep pants flew from my lungs in quick succession. An intense heat radiated from my muscles, causing a thick layer of sweat to sheen my skin in an attempt to cool me off. Although I was quite tired, a small smile was present on my face and I wanted to keep going. The progress I’ve made in the past few weeks was outstanding and the others are extremely proud of me. It was only six months ago where I was unable to sit up on my own. However, with how I’m able to move now, no one could even tell that I was previously unable to walk. With this new-found light filtering into my life, I feel like a new person and a new Cheshire Cat. 

In the spur of the moment, carrying on with the training session was well-thought-out. Unfortunately, while my heart was pestering me to keep going and surpass my limit, the exhaustion pounding at my brain begged me to stop and collapse. I gave in to the latter, as I was unable to keep myself upright any longer and fell to the mat. An intense wave of fatigue hit me and I couldn’t push myself anymore. 

“You okay?” Caleb asked, immediately running over to me. 
“Yeah, I just need a breather.”
“Let’s stop. You’re exhausted.” 

Caleb and I dragged ourselves upstairs after doing a set of recovery exercises. We were both panting pretty heavily as we made our way up the stairs, wanting nothing more than to throw ourselves into bed. The moment we got up to the second floor, we were greeted by a large number of people gathering in the space. 

“You guys are here,” MaeLin acknowledged, noticing us at the top landing. “I was just about to come down and get you.” 
“What’s going on?” I asked, making eye contact with Erika and Hyungsik. 
“We have a problem,” he announced. 

MaeLin placed a hockey puck-shaped disc onto the central table and the lights dimmed at her command. Using her tablet, she transformed the disc into a projector, generating a three-dimensional projection. Currently, a blue, holographic map of Incheon appeared, followed by hundreds of red dots clumped together, several kilometers outside our borders. Everyone gasped at the sight, and a feeling of dread emerged in the tense air. 

“Is that…” Eden gulped. 
“That kids… is what we’re facing,” Hyungsik answered, unable to tame his despise.

The same expression washed over everyone’s faces, even Hyungsik who was the first to learn of this cursed development. It was here when we all realized the true extent of Robyn’s power and influence, and the building chances of us losing everything. Even with the help of Erika’s and Caleb and Eden’s family, there was still a chance that we may not make it out unscathed, much less alive. Bangtan warned us of what we could face, we just weren't ready for it to escalate this quickly. 

“Over the past year or so, Robyn has been gathering like-minded individuals and groups to overthrow Bangtan. Now that Crimson and Sakurai's are involved, all of our enemies are taking the opportunity to take us down. You can only imagine the number of people that want to see us fall,” he continued, folding his hands together.

It was difficult to trace Crimson’s long history, but evidence in our personal library suggests that this name has outstanding and honorable longevity. The women of Crimson’s past has always worked in the shadows, masking their movements and destroying any evidence of their existence. However, since future generations needed guidance, Crimson's history was scribed by its members, archived and entrusted to a loyal keeper. In this archive, it also details the names of any groups that Crimson has had tensions with, spanning hundreds of years. Some gangs were eradicated completely, leaving no opportunity for anyone to continue its original legacy. However, some remnants manage to sneak by and bring about the rise of newer and stronger resistances. These groups eventually grow in numbers and try to hunt down the mysterious force that brought about their previous downfall. Until now, they have had no success. 

Perhaps, an alliance with Bangtan has doomed Crimson secretive existence, but it was too late to turn back. Robyn has our scent, and he won’t stop at anything to rule Korea.

“We need more information,” Erika suggested. “Who Robyn’s allies are and how they are going to attack. MaeLin ah, could you send this information back to the boys? They need to see this.”

MaeLin nodded firmly and began to work with the aid of her tablet. The next order of business was arranging a meeting with Bangtan back in Seoul. All of us have been busy with our own individual mafia work, so there was no doubt that new information had arisen during this time. We needed to compile all the information we had and come up with a battle plan. To be honest, I was not looking forward to seeing Namjoon, but it had to be done. 

Once the meeting was finished, everyone broke from the second floor, leaving to do their own thing. Just as I was about to head upstairs and take a shower, Hyungsik came up to me, holding a small brown envelope. I noticed the look in his eyes, and in an instant, I knew what it was. Both of us headed to my room with the need for privacy so we could discuss the envelope’s contents. My hands were shaking uncontrollably as I stared at the envelope; I knew what was inside, but at the same time, I was terrified. 

Hyungsik pulled me to my bed and urged me to get comfortable. 

“Daegu,” he said as I stared at a blurry picture. “He’s in Daegu.” 
Before I knew it, tears were streaming down my cheeks. The longer I stared at the photo, the more I could recognize Taehyung in the snapshot. Taehyung’s profile was etched into my mind as a vivid memory, there was no way I could ever forget it. His facial features were partially blurry, but at the same time, my heart reminded me of the man I fell in love with. 
“He’s been keeping a low profile, but I managed to find him through the killings. There are a few more of Robyn’s men in that city, so we have some time.” 

I knew what I needed to do, there was no question about it. Hyungsik turned to me, mirroring the conviction in my eyes.