Apocalypse | BTS

Chapter 13

After completing their plans and eating a little food, they finally set off in the direction of the nearby valley. It was now late in the morning, the air crisp and the sun's rays becoming more penetrating by the hour, casting a yellow glow into the RV. Hobi sat in the driver's seat with Jungkook by his side, considering they didn't need a navigator just yet, and Yoongi and Leanne sat in the back, entertaining Kwan who was enjoying having a bit of time off-duty.

"She's lovely." Leanne chuckled, petting the dog's head and giggling as it licked her hand contentedly. Yoongi smiled and called for Kwan to come over, the canine obeying immediately and sitting at his side.
"How long have you had your service dog for?" Leanne asked out of curiosity, and Yoongi squinted his eyes as he thought back.

"Five years I think, and she's about eight. I got her when I first became a police officer. She's a trained police dog, but was also given extra training to... you know... help me." Yoongi said in a mumble, booping his dog's nose. Leanne frowned and looked up at Yoongi, who was clearly avoiding eye contact.

"Oh? What does she help with?" Leanne asked, and Yoongi sighed a little before explaining.
"My social anxiety. I get fainting episodes, like when you found me in that ditch after I got attacked by the cynoids. Honestly, it's a topic I'd r-rather not talk about. It rarely happens, but... it happens." He said, trailing off a little towards the end of his words. Leanne just smiled warmly and nodded.
"That's okay, I understand. I'm sorry for asking." She said, watching the dog that sat by Yoongi's ankles, the mint-haired man sitting on the sofa above her.

Kwan could sense that Yoongi was anxious simply from the little conversation, and jumped up onto his lap, laying down with her head on his chest as a form of deep pressure therapy. Yoongi just smiled and stroked the dog's head.
"It's okay pup, I'm fine." He whispered, taking a deep breath as Kwan did her job at calming him down. The whole thing just fascinated Leanne, and she couldn't help but stare a little. The way that Yoongi was so soft and caring around his dog showed that the intimidating and cold man truly did care, and there was a heart somewhere in there, he just barely ever showed it. Or perhaps found it hard to show it.

A laugh erupted from the front as Hobi casually cracked a joke, Jungkook chuckling beside him. Leanne had been checking out some of the weapons kept in the RV when Yoongi caught her attention.
"Your friend, this Hobi guy, is he always like this?" Yoongi asked with a raised eyebrow, speaking to Leanne and signalling to the front where the other two males sat.

"He's positive as much as he can be. It can be a bit much sometimes, but you get used to it. He's a great guy you know." Leanne said, and Yoongi just chuckled and rolled his eyes.
"I don't get where he gets his energy from. Honestly, I get tired just from watching him." Yoongi said, and Leanne laughed a little.
"It's admirable really. I wish I was as sunshiny as him." Leanne said, and Yoongi looked down at his lap where his dog lay.

"Yeah, it is admirable." He mumbled inaudibly under his breath, realising that he'd taken a liking to the bright stranger. He shook himself out of his thoughts with a scowl as the RV began going downhill into the valley, travelling from the dirt track and onto uneven grass and rock. The valley stretched quite far out from every angle, dipping down with slanted rocky surfaces that formed its shape.

It was not a stereotypical grassy valley, but a rocky and volcanic one which displayed a stream of lava rather than water running down its middle. Natural structures like this really showed how apocalyptic the world had become, and how dull and dangerous harmless places could be.
"Watch where you're stepping, this place is teaming with small lava pits." Jungkook said, earning an unamused chuckle from Yoongi behind him.

"Oh I'll try." Yoongi said mockingly, stepping out of the RV with Kwan at his side.
"I'll take the rock flats up the top. I'm not having Kwan get anywhere near that lava stream, and I sure as hell ain't locking her in the darn vehicle again." The mint-haired male said adamantly, and Jungkook sighed but allowed him to do so.
"I'll go with you." Leanne suggested, Yoongi accepting her offer as the two walked up the steep rocky slopes.

"I guess that leaves you and me to explore the lower area then." Jungkook said to Hoseok, who had placed his axe on his back, prepared to begin their search. He brought a hand up to his forehead in a salute and puffed his chest out.
"Sir yes sir." He chanted, the raven-haired male shaking his head at his actions, but not failing to hide and small, amused smile. Sanberries were only located in volcanic areas as only there was the soil fertile enough to support their fragile forms and promote growth. A lot of the inland areas had become volcanic after impact day, but there was a catch.

Not only were sanberries solely located in the most dangerous natural areas, but they were small, scarce, and incredibly hard to spot if you didn't know what you were looking for.
Luckily for their little squad, both Hoseok and Leanne had some expertise in locating such plants, and so they held a little hope that they might be lucky today. Still, the valley wasn't far from the city, meaning that other camps and groups may have already harvested any plants available due to their high and important medical demand.

"I'll check down here. You can have a look past that rock pile over there." Jungkook said to Hobi, who nodded and did as he was told. Walking across the rocky valley, only then did they realise how loose the footing was. The precarious positions of boulders meant that all four of them had to be on guard at all times.
Jungkook wandered alongside the lava river as he scanned for the rare fruit, far away enough so that he wasn't at risk of the lava being too close for his health, but close enough to be in the right place for his search. Yet as his gaze fell upon a mound of boulders...

He noticed something that he wasn't at all expecting.