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Tick tock .

Tick tock .

Every minute that passes, the purge creeps ever closer to Jungkook's life. He can see its presence everywhere. Purple flowers in front gardens, barricaded houses, news broadcasts blaring in his school's corridor. Back in the day, he, his brother and their mum would hide out in the basement, dad's shotgun grasped in his mother's hands. It was one of the only things he'd left them after dying in a raid three years ago. Their life was never the same after that.

It's easy to support this when you can afford to keep your family safe. Simply block off all the entrances and watch the live streams with a cup of coffee in your hand. But Jungkook's family wasn't lucky enough to afford metal shutters for the doors and windows. No, they had to make do with blocking the door with the sofa and nailing wood panels to the window, as if they were hiding from zombies and not bloodthirsty killers.

But this time it will be different. 

Jungkook has kept his ears open for a while now, and this is the first year that politicians won't be granted immunity. Countless of his classmates, and even random people he overheard on the streets, or strangers on the internet, are planning a raid. On the night of the purge, everyone will gather in the city centre and march to the newly built, expensive sub-urban settlement, and raid the houses of the politicians that tried to tweak some major laws recently.

It's the most popular talk amongst the crowd.

Usually jungkook would just barricade himself in the dorm's basement, with other students who weren't planning to go on killing rampages. But soon he won't be able to afford that luxury. Every day he's stashing even more and more debt and his bank account is slowly being sucked dry of all his hard earned money. His three part time jobs won't support him anymore, and cheap houses won't be able to protect him during the purge. They're the most targeted.

His mother has enough trouble supporting his younger brother and paying back the loans and other debt their father left behind. He simply can't throw another burden on her.

So this time Jungkook will have to risk his life to... well, save his life from becoming any worse. If he dies, then fuck it, he won't have to worry about debts anymore. It'd be nice to live until graduation though.

But tonight, when everyone's eyes are on the politicians and everyone's weapons aren't pointed at him, Jungkook will do the most stupid fucking thing he has ever done in his life.

He will go rob a bank.

"Masks?"

"Check!"

"Pocket knives?"

"Check!"

"Two mini guns?"

"Check!"

"Lockpicking set?"

"Check!"

"Hmm what else...oh yeah have you filled up your scooter fuel?"

"Yep!"

"I can't believe that our getaway vehicle is a silly scooter."

"Hey! Marv is my baby, you can't insult her! I worked months to pay her off."

"I know Tae, I know. But I also feel like our bags won't be enough to...yanno, fund everything we need to."

"I'm sure NASA will appreciate a lil bit of extra change for their budget, no matter how small."

"What will you do with it if they, I don't know, won't accept it?"

"...I'll build my own."

At that Jimin bursts into a fit of giggles making Taehyung pout at him. "Yeah, good luck with that!"

After a few minutes of Taehyung's sulking, he speaks up again after seeing news headlines pop up in his notifications.

"Are you sure the roads won't be blocked?"

"Yes Tae, I've checked every single possible scenario so there's absolutely no way that anything could go wrong."

"But what if...we meet others?"

A brief silence falls between the pair as Taehyung looks deeply into Jimin's eyes, an unusual seriousness in his demeanour.

"If that happens then...we get the fuck outta there. Legal or not, I don't want any sort of blood on my hands. I won't be able to sleep at night."

"But what if we get attacked?"

"Well if running away doesn't work then either way we got those guns to... yanno , keep us 'safe'".

"I'm worried."

"We could still cancel? We got about two hours left before it starts, maybe we can block up the house in time-"

"Nah. We spent weeks planning this. There ain't no going back now."

"...Good. Can you check that handgun for me? I can't remember if I loaded it or not."

A deep sombre melody fills the empty corners of his house as Yoongi sharpens his weapon. It's a machete he found lying rusted in a garbage pile near that abandoned apartment block where everyone dumps their trash. It took a good while of solid research to find out the best way to restore it, but it's looking shiny now. And sharp.

He's been polishing and sharpening it for almost an hour, routinely repeating his movements to quell the adrenaline pulsing through his veins. A playlist of piano compositions he collected over the years plays in the background, drowning out the news broadcast playing on his thrifted TV. By now his coffee has gone cold but he can't bring himself to drink it. If he so much as stops polishing for a second his brain might go haywire from anxiety.

But deep down he knows he's been thinking about this for a while. Ever since last year, when almost all their precious equipment has been stolen, his uni barely provided enough replacements, meaning that Yoongi may not pass his course. Two years he's been working his ass off, making every piece of work top quality. But now that his equipment is limited and everyone has to share over short periods of time, Yoongi won't be able to reach his previous quality like he used to. In fact, he might even fail. This course is no joke, and they won't accept half-assed work. 

So now he has to take matters into his own hands.  

The raid that everyone has been babbling about will definitely be the main attraction of the show, and this is his only chance to stick his neck out both for himself, and other students.

A machete won't protect him against guns but Yoongi isn't stupid. He will opt out if the situation gets too dangerous. But if push comes to shove...the machete will become useful tonight.

"Babe, are you sure we're doing the right thing?" Namjoon shouted down the corridor, to his boyfriend who was last minute hiding all their important stuff in hidden safes.

"Joonie...of course not! This is the purge Joon, it's not as if we're waltzing in there to take out a loan! We're stealing. Committing theft . Robbing. But we've talked about this millions of times, and you can't persuade me anymore. If no one will protect them, I will."

"I know, I know. But you're a softie Jin, are you sure you'll be prepared to, you know-"

"To kill someone?" This time Jin's voice was loud and clear instead of echoing through the corridor, and something about it struck a chord in his soul. Yet before Jin even spoke, Namjoon already knew the answer.

"That's right Joon. Neither of us are prepared for this. We never will be! We aren't, murderers Joonie. But you know very well that in this society during these hours-"

"It's kill or be killed."

"Yes. That's right."

A silence fell between them as Namjoon made sure to check that their guns were loaded. He got them off his neighbour that one time he saved them from some purgers, by helping him install multiple traps on his lawn that kept people away from reaching his front door. But the thing is, he has never used them. He did try to practice, here and there, shooting at cardboard targets. (He'd never shoot at ducks or other animals of course, because they hadn't done anything wrong, and he has been vegan for three years.) But he had never considered using them against a human.  

Killing is the last thing on his mind, but if there's one thing that's keeping him sane, then it's the responsibility to keep his boyfriend safe. He might not raise a gun for self defense but if anyone dares to so much as try to approach the love of his life,

Then shots will be fired.

Beep.

Beep.

Beep.

Hoseok has been staring at the heart monitor for so long now that the lines are burned into the back of his eyes. By now that nauseous chemical smell of cleanliness that he associates with his mother has long faded out and it's a smell as common as freshly cut grass or baked bread in a pastry shop or your grandmother's home. 

The gun concealed in his coat feels like a heavy weight on his soul and despite the few hours left before the start, Hoseok can't stop his foot from tapping anxiously on the floor. There's a faint sound of hurried footsteps and blurred voices beyond the door, probably moving any serious patients deeper into the safer wards or backing up any electrical equipment. If any power goes out, those on life support would be out like a light. 

But Hoseok doesn't care about anyone else. He came here to say a final goodbye before he sets out into the darkness of the night, possibly never coming back again.

"Hey mum. You probably can't hear me right now...you've been deep in sleep for a month. But I came to say goodbye anyways. I'll be gone for a while, probably won't be back till tomorrow - if I live that is - because I'm going out. I know what you'd think. That I'm being an idiot and I should stay within the safety of this hospital. If I go out now and get hurt, no one will be out there to save my ass. But this is my only chance. If I'm able to take enough money from the bank, we'll finally be able to afford the best treatment for you, so that when you wake up...it won't be to a massive hospital bill. And hopefully not to a dead son either. I can't promise you anything of course but...wish me luck. I gotta head out now before they close up all the doors so goodbye. For now."

The night is pretty chilly. Actually, fuck that, it's fuckin freezing . No one has come for his ass so far but there were bone chiling moments when he had to hide behind a car or in a dark alley to avoid any remaining crowds making their way to the city centre. Luckily, Jungkook's campus is very close to the bank he's targeting but either way, he needs to take multiple detours to avoid all the maniacs in their halloween or custom made masks, making their way to the cathedral, that has been decided as the meeting spot. 

Jungkook has no clue why'd they choose that over any other damn place but it might be the horrific act they're about to do that makes a holy place absent of sins so appealing. 

It's pretty nerve wracking, watching different people stroll in the same direction, some marching in matching attire whilst others wearing comfortable clothes, even costumes , on their way to a raid. He's pretty sure that some of his classmates are right there in that crowd right now, and that thought alone makes him want to avoid classes for a week. Maybe even a month. He couldn't bear looking at other's faces knowing they could've been splattered with blood the night before.

But right now that doesn't matter. He needs to get to the bank before anyone else does.

The bag he brought with him is an insanely large camping bag, filled with extra reusable shopping bags that he could use to stuff the money into. He's not entirely sure how much he'll be able to carry, but hopefully he'll make it there and back in one piece, with enough money to leave him debt free without worry. On the side of his bag he has a large hand held battery powered tool, that he'll use to cut through any metal, and in both hands he has a tool box and a large metal bat.

Not the best weapon of course, but it's good enough for him. He's too broke for anything else and he doesn't want to be lugging any extra weight with him.

About 15 minutes later, after making sure that the coast is clear, Jungkook finally makes it to the bank.

He doesn't know if it's more reassuring to have empty surroundings or purgers lurking about but he decides not to worry about it for now.

As he expected, the front of the bank is covered in shutters, but he luckily brought the right tool for that, so as soon as he reaches it, he immediately begins cutting through it with his tool. You're probably wondering where Jungkook, who is practically broke , got this expensive tool from? Simple. He 'borrowed' it from his university's engineering department, from one of the workshops where they frequently make prototypes with metal. It was just before the school went into lockdown but technically if he returns it after the purge he probably won't get punished for it.

Probably.

He's done a pretty good job so far, of cutting a human sized shape through the metal, and as soon as he meets up with the last corner, the metal awkwardly snaps off and clutters to the ground, with a sharp sound that was probably heard by the whole neighbourhood.

After the most anxious few minutes of waiting in fear of someone jumping out at him, Jungkook decides not to waste anymore time and takes a peek inside through the exposed window.

The whole place is completely dark, except for some light from a computer screen at the main desk, behind which is the key to his debt free future. He quickly picks up his bat, gripping it tightly in his hands, and makes a good swing at the window.

Except the bat fucking bounces back, sending intense tremors through his arms.

Great. Now what?!

He tries a few more attempts at bashing the window, but to no avail. The glass remains untouched, safe for a few scuffs on the surface as if to mock his weakness.

But before he can consider another option, the sound of a scooter echoes behind him, and Jungkook nervously turns around, to face the two freaks pulling up in behind him.

One's in a dumb hello kitty mask.

And the other is in a spiderman mask.

The same fucking one as his.

As soon as they pull up to the bank, Jimin already wants to quit.

There is already someone attempting to break into the bank, but they only seem to be armed with a bat, compared to Jimin and Taehyung's small guns. It still fills Jimin with anxiety, and he reflexively reaches into his jacket that's hiding his gun. Whether it's to calm his nerves or potentially aim it at the other robber, Jimin isn't sure. But even from where they've stopped, he can see how strongly that man is gripping his bat. 

Sure they may have the upper hand with their guns, but neither of them had enough time to practice aiming properly, and the other robber has muscles for days . One wack with that bat and they'll be knocked out cold. Maybe even dead…

But before Jimin can consider driving off, Taehyung clambers off the scooter prompting Jimin to scramble after him, and what happens next makes his heart drop down to his gut.

Taehyung, all of a sudden, yells in recognition and points at the robber's mask, and then back at his, gesturing at how they have the same one.

Jimin feels as if he's about to die , but the other robber seems to have loosened his grip on his bat, and his posture loosened as well. However, when he starts approaching them, he trails his bat behind him like some sort of serial killer , and Jimin has half a mind to escape on the scooter by himself, because Taehyung instead of stepping back or threatening him or something, starts approaching him too!

The following moments felt like a blur in Jimin's mind, because he was scared shitless and Taehyung was casually strolling up to someone who could potentially kill him. But before anything evil happens, somehow they shake hands?! And exchange some words and suddenly both are slightly taking their masks off to  show their faces to each other and then Taehyung is dragging this random stranger towards him with a stupid grin on his face.

"Jiminie! Don't worry about this one, he's safe."

Huh? How!?

"What do you mean-"

"This is Jungkook. I asked him what he's here for and he told me it's to pay off student debts and stuff. Also, he doesn't wanna hurt anyone and seems to be struggling with entering, so we'll try to help him!"

"O-ok"

"Oh yeah, and this is Jimin. Why don't you show him your face eh?"

Jimin considers declining, but after taking a look at the robbers surprisingly handsome face, and not seeing any hidden hostility, he decides to take off his mask and give him the most friendly smile he can manage.

"N-nice to meet you."

"Yeah, you too. Don't worry, I won't hurt you."

"Uh, thanks. You can trust us too! I'd personally hate to kill anyone tonight so, yeah."

"Yeah."

A moment of silence passes during which Jimin can't think of anything else to say, so thankfully Taehyung intercepts to continue the conversation.

"I see you're a man of good taste, Kook. Oh, is it alright if I call you that?"

"Yeah, it's chill. I was actually planning to wear a deadpool mask but uh, decided against it in the end for some reason."

"Well that's good you did! Because now we match~"

"Haha, yes we do. By the way, what are you here for, Jimin?"

The sudden attention switch makes Jimin want to fidget, but he tries his best to hold the man's gaze.

"Ah, you see, when my pet got sick a few weeks ago I couldn't afford the treatment. So I want to sponsor the local shelters so that the prices are cheaper and less pets die in their hands."

"That's...really kind."

"Thanks. Some shelters also struggle to feed theirs and such since many end up in their cages every day, so I want to help them with that too."

"Yeah. By the way, you got any ideas on how to get through that glass?"

"Um-"

"We're gonna blast through it with our guns! That should be enough to break through!"

An awkward silence passed between them during which Jimin prayed that they haven't just lost the minimal trust they just built up with the robber, but he simply nodded and stepped off to the side, to wait for Taehyung to 'blast' the window open.

Except that doesn't happen.

As soon as they shoot a few bullets, it becomes apparent that all of them are idiots.

Because what bank wouldn't have bulletproof windows?

"...Shit." 

Jimin almost laughs at the absurdity of the situation. No matter how many bullets they'd shoot, they wouldn't be able to break through with smaller guns. 

A bat is also useless and Jimin wonders why the robber brought it with him altogether.

But they don't get much time to ponder their dumb choices.

Because as soon as Jimin turns around towards the scooter, he's met with a chilling view.

A man, dressed all in black, with a black face mask covering his lower face,

And a machete in his hand.

Yoongi doesn't know what he was expecting, but seeing three dumbasses firing guns at the window of a bank definitely wasn't on his list. However stupid they seemed, Yoongi had to be cautious as it was essentially gun vs knife, and three vs one.

He considers waiting until they break in somehow but before he can even consider hiding, one second he's stood facing a weirdo in a Hello Kitty mask,

And the next he has a gun pointed at him.

"Woah, woah, Chim! You're not gonna shoot him are you?"

"H-he sneaked up on me, V! I'm just being careful."

Yoongi can see in the way the man's hands shake that he never held a gun before. Especially against someone else. But before he can get a bullet through his head, Yoongi does what he considers surprising to himself,

And slowly drops the machete on the ground, bringing his arms back up in the air.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to scare ya."

Yoongi can tell the man is eyeing him suspiciously through the ridiculous mask, but in the end he slowly lowers his gun.

He doesn't put it away though, which still makes Yoongi nervous.

"What are you here for?"

"Same thing as you."

"No, I mean why?"

"Because I need money."

"For what?"

"Personal reasons."

Yoongi can see his hand clench tightly on the gun, but surprisingly he pockets it in the end as the other two join him.

"What's your name?"

"Suga."

"Sugar?"

"No. Su-ga. No 'r' in there."

"Oh-"

"I'm V! Nice to meet you!"

"Hey! You can't be that friendly to everyone." Hello Kitty tries scolding him, but spiderman Nr1 doesn't seem to care as he suddenly stretches out his hand towards him.

Yoongi eyes the hand suspiciously but eventually shakes it, which elicits a giggle from the other.

"We're only here to take a portion of the stash, so hopefully you won't mind sharing with us."

"That's fine. I see you're struggling with um, getting in."

"Ah yes, the window is impenetrable so now we're kinda stuck."

"Have you tried the door?"

"Huh?"

"The door. If you cut a bit of the shutter out for the door, we could maybe get in easier."

"...Oh!!" 

Yoongi almost facepalms. 

"Hey Kookie!" 

Spiderman Nr2 comes up to him, and Spiderman Nr1 asks him to cut an opening for the door. Spiderman Nr2 nods and goes up to his bag to take out an impressive handheld saw.

"This might take a sec, so keep an eye out for anyone else."

A short while later, another hole is cut in the shutter to reveal standard automatic doors.

"A bit anticlimactic to be honest." Says Spiderman Nr1 making Yoongi snort.

"How do we get in now?" Asks Hello Kitty, standing the farthest away from Yoongi.

"Any of you got some sorta lockpicking tools?"

"Oh! We do!" Replies Spiderman Nr1 as he quickly moves over to an attached luggage part on his scooter and takes out a relatively sized bag.

Yoongi stretches his hand out and takes the bag from him, unravelling it to see what he's got to work with.

Hm, good enough.

He confidently walks over to the door and begins fumbling about with the different tools underneath the whole frame. Luckily they were long enough to reach past the thick bulletproof glass and within a few minutes he unlocks the door.

A chorus of awe and joy erupts behind him, and if he had long hair he'd definitely dramatically swish it over his shoulder.

"Wait, but these aren't push doors, how do we open them?" Hello Kitty suddenly speaks up a couple metres away from Yoongi.

Yoongi turns around, looks him in the eyes and says "'Easy" before picking up his machete and stabbing it into the space between the doors, and physically prying them open. When there's enough space to fit his fingers, he gestures to muscle spiderman to pull the doors apart and they're finally able to enter.

Yoongi can't see it but Hello Kitty is definitely gaping at him right now.

When Jungkook planned to rob the bank, he definitely wasn't planning to run into three interesting individuals. So far, almost everyone contributed something to the break in, and if it wasn't for the black clothed stranger, they definitely wouldn't have gotten inside.

To be honest, all of them are strangers to him, but Jungkook already feels more comfortable with Taehyung than he did with anyone at college. Somehow, it's comforting to know that someone else other than him was reckless enough to rob a bank during the purge, and didn't kill him for having the same idea. Not being killed during the purge is definitely a strong contender for liking them. 

He also realises, quite randomly, that he definitely finds Taehyung handsome. As soon as he saw the man lift his long legs over the scooter and stroll over to him like a model down the runway, he knew that he was basically fucked. Also, had the stranger not pointed out the fact that they have similar masks like that damn meme then maybe he'd have used his bat for something else by now. But the moment he knew they had guns, he realised he was practically powerless against them. 

Despite the whole absurdity of the situation, it's quite amusing to watch how optimistic and dangerously friendly Taehyung is. Jimin is also nice but he still looks a bit on edge, even as they enter the bank together, as if Jungkook would put a dent in his head with his bat or something. Of course he'd never do that, or his newly found friendship with Taehyung will end as soon as it started.

But despite the possible danger, Taehyung remains oddly cheerful and Jungkook is digging every moment of his friendliness. Also the fact that he's here to sponsor space exploration is unbelievable and it leaves him wondering how such a dork ended up robbing a bank during the purge.

Needless to say, their conversation during the wait for the door to be unlocked was... interesting.

"So uh, why space travel?"

"Well you see, Kookie, we as a species are so lonely. Every animal has a variation of their kind you know? Different birds, different cats, different dogs. But us? The animals closest to our kind are apes and it's not the easiest to, socialise with them and stuff. So my dream is that one day, mankind could embark on a journey to find life beyond earth, and maybe one day come back with friends . It doesn't matter what they look like, as long as we could communicate and show them the beauty of our kind, then that would be enough."

"Damn."

"Do you have any big dreams kook?"

Jungkook takes a moment to think about that before something lights up in his mind.

"I know you said that you wanna explore space and stuff, but I think that our ocean is still vastly unexplored. I don't know what we'd find there, in those dark depths of the sea but maybe if we figured out mysteries like mermaids or gigantic squid and sharks then we could one day leave the earth for exploration with the fact that we've seen all that there is to see here and we can finally move on…"

"Oh, good point!"

Jungkook found himself smiling, and even if they were both wearing masks, he could tell the other was smiling too.

Soon enough they make it inside and the whole place lits up with automatic lights. 

Jimin feels absolutely on edge. Taehyung is getting rather chummy with the Jungkook guy and there's a mysterious black clothed man with deft hands and common sense, who if it weren't for him,  they'd probably still be standing around like lemons. However, despite his help Jimin still feels suspicious of him. 

Maybe it's his cat like eyes that look as if they could see through all of Jimin's layers or maybe it's the large machete held in his veiny nimble hands. Something about his relaxed posture gives off extreme confidence and the enigmatic way he'd provide little to no information about himself made Jimin extremely wary of him. Everything about him was secretive and Jimin couldn't tell if he was scared of him,

Or attracted.

"I'm gonna stay at the entrance and make sure no one gets in." 

"Alright, I'll call you over if we get in!"

If he's gonna be so paranoid he might as well make sure that no one else suddenly shows up to scare the shit out of him. The constant anxiety isn't doing good for his health, but this is what I signed up for. I need to be prepared for anything.

Suddenly he feels as if there are eyes staring at the back of his head, and he turns around to face the evasive stranger, that was leaning nonchalantly against the wall.

"Aren't you supposed to be helping them?"

"I'm not supposed to be doing anything . I'm here to steal not get friendly."

"Alright then. Suit yourself."

"You're suspicious of me."

"I have every right to be! You came in here with a  machete ."

"But you have a gun. I should be the one suspicious here shouldn't I?"

"What's your problem?!"

"I don't have any."

Jimin feels like he's about to rant away at the stranger when he hears a chuckle that stands all his hairs up.

"I'm just messing with ya. What do I call you again, Mr Hello Kitty?"

Jimin almost forgot the mask he was wearing and although it was supposed to be a joke at first, it now feels extremely embarrassing in front of the cool stranger and he feels a rush of heat in his face.

"Chim…"

"That's cute. It suits you."

This time Jimin feels hot for a different reason.

"Why are you called, what was it again...Sugar?"

"I told you there's no 'r' in it."

"You should call yourself salt instead." Jimin jokes half heartedly but something about the dead stare that he receives from the man makes him burst into giggles.

"So original."

Jimin continues giggling until the man sighs and suddenly reaches into his pocket. Jimin is about to recoil as far away as possible when the strang- Suga , pulls out a phone.

A pretty crappy one.

"Is that a...flip phone?"

"I don't need your fancy iphones or whatever to manage. I only use this to call and message."

"But then what do you do? Don't you get bored?"

"I work. Or study. Or make music."

Jimin was about to comment on how boring his life was until he heard the last comment. 

"Do you play an instrument?"

"...piano."

"Ooh that's cool."

Something about the way the man looks at him makes Jimin think it's a smile, but then he watches as his eyes widen in surprise,

And suddenly his face is buried in his chest as he's pulled towards him, a strange whistle of the wind passing by the back of his head.

He later realises that the stranger saved him from having a dagger embedded in his head.

As he got off the last bus he may ever take in his life, Hoseok stood for a moment, breathing in the cold night air, free of harsh cleaning chemicals. Silently, he walked through the city centre, listening to the combined chatter of the crowds, hearing this and that about the upcoming purge. 

There was a gun hidden in his chest yet he didn't feel like an outcast. Multiple people were probably preparing for today and he won't be the only one tonight to commit a crime.

As he walked through, he could already see groups of people hanging out together in fast food stores, wearing combinations of matching clothes. He stood looking at them for a second, wondering why he couldn't take his eyes of them but then he suddenly remembered,

He'd need a mask to rob the bank.

It probably wouldn't matter if they saw him or not but there would be multiple live streams showing off people going rabid and if he showed up to the same bank a few days later, he'd doubt they would ever trust him. He definitely doesn't want his face plastered everywhere on the internet either. 

Anyways, he doesn't have much change on him but he needs at least something to hide his identity, so he enters the main shopping mall and finds the nearest costume store.

The store has multiple discounts on, probably for the freaks who want to terrorise others with creepy getups, but Hoseok doesn't want to look like an idiot or a serial killer. 

Unfortunately, with the small amount of money he has on him, the only mask he can afford is a black lace fox mask with sequins and glitter all over it. 

I'll be wearing all black anyways so I suppose this ain't that bad…

As he walks up to the checkout, the girl looks at his mask, then looks him up and down, and gives him a smile. "Good choice! You going to a party tonight?"

Hoseok looks into her eyes, covered in makeup and hidden behind contact lenses. He wonders if she knows. Knows that whatever he's doing tonight won't exactly be the definition of a party .

"Yeah. Thought it'd go well with the black."

"Oh, yes, definitely! Enjoy your night mister, and happy purge!"

"Happy purge…"

Some hours later of waiting with a coffee from Starbucks, Hoseok sits back on a bench to the side and enjoys the show. Swarms of different people, carrying weapons or concealing their identities walked in a large parade towards the main cathedral. Girls, boys, older men, people in suits, people in onesies, students, all walked in unison as if celebrating a form of freedom. 

Soon enough Hoseok joined them, donning his cheap fox mask, and walked amongst them, for he too won't be the same Hoseok tonight. Occasionally, he'd see people in windows waving as the parade walked past, brave enough to not cover it up in fear. Sometimes the crowd would split into different directions but eventually they would join back again. Loud music was blaring in the background somewhere and some people were holding signs and proudly displaying them for everyone to see. A random stranger in an anonymous mask roughly patted Hoseok on the back and handed him a beer, so he could clink his with him and chug it down in celebration.

Hoseok didn't dare touch it and threw it away when the stranger was out of sight.

Eventually he slipped away from the crowd into an upcoming alleyway, and made his way through the darkness before he emerged into an empty street, litter from the parade scattered everywhere and tall yellow street lamps casting weird shadows on the ground as Hoseok walked beneath them. 

He turned a few corners and eventually made it to the bank, the gun weighing a tonne on his chest.

But before he could mull over the plan, he realised that someone already broke into the bank.

And someone else wasn't exactly happy about it.

Petrified, Jimin turned around in Suga's grasp to see who would've attempted to take his life and was met with a trio of cosplayers. An intimidating man wearing an Assassins Creed costume, a girl dressed up as Harley Quinn with a customised bat and another guy dressed as a crappy Hulk. Who was carrying an automatic rifle.

Before Jimin could even reach for his gun, his body was yanked across the room and tossed over the reception desk as a flurry of bullets ripped through the bulletproof glass, making shatters fly everywhere like crystal rain.

He could hear the pair in the back yelping in surprise and called for them to stay behind the wall.

As quickly as it started, the wave of bullets was over and Jimin heard the crunch of glass as their assailants entered the store. Jimin knew that soon enough he would either be dead or taken hostage, and he definitely didn't want to be there right now.

Before he even had the chance to consider escaping, he saw Suga reach into his pocket and with the sound of a click, 

he watched as he pulled off the trigger of a grenade and tossed it over the desk.

Jimin was expecting a huge explosion, but what he was met with instead was a burst of white.

Blinding light enveloped the entire room and Yoongi, without hesitation, took out the knife that was previously embedded in the wall near Jimin's head, and threw it as soon as the light died down,

Piercing Hulk's hand.

The gun clattered to the ground, and before anyone could pick it up again, Yoongi hurled himself at the Hulk and tackled him to the ground, knocking him out. He dug his machete into his suit to keep him stuck to the ground and then swiftly rolled away before Harley could bash him with her bat.

To say the least, Jimin was incredibly impressed at how well Yoongi was handling them, but before he could even consider becoming a possible murderer and taking out his gun, a loud splintering sound brought his attention back to the assassin, as a dagger landed right before his face.

Jimin had no idea how to handle him, and every time he popped his head up another knife would be thrown towards him.

Where does he get all these knives?!

Jimin has to think fast before he gets chopped up by the assassin, and sees a wheeled chair right next to him. He waits until the assassin throws one more knife and then as quickly as he can, shots up and hurls the chair at him.

The wheels of the chair hit him above the chest, one busting his nose and he falls to the ground with a muffled groan as he gingerly cups his nose. 

Jimin climbs over the desk, ready to help Suga, but is instead met with his body, that knocks him to the ground blocking his breathing. There is glass beneath him and Jimin is certain some of it cut through his clothes, but he can't get up. The impact of Suga's body was too painful for Jimin to even lift the body off him, and the mask on his face was becoming extremely uncomfortable, and was obscuring his view of Harley.

"You're so fucking annoying you are! Just give up already and let me kill you. "

Jimin hears a familiar sound and realises that Harley picked up the gun on the floor. He hears footsteps clicking towards him and to be able to see her better, he finally pulls out his arm from under Suga, and rips off his shitty mask, feeling a rush of cold air to his sweaty face after exposing it.

When he looks up he's met with the end of the gun pointed straight at them, and a despicable grin beneath smeared make up is leering down at him

"Hey, you're pretty cute. I'd feel bad for killing you." He hears her whine, with a disturbing pout on her face. "How about I spare you instead and kill the others but we have a lil fun after this eh? You'd like this, wouldn't you? Pretty boy."

Jimin is beyond disgusted, but no matter how much he values his life, he has fucking standards.

"Uh, no thank you."

Harley gapes at him in surprise, which soon morphs into offence from turning her offer down, but before she can pull the trigger,

A metal bat hits her head with such force that she immediately blacks out, dropping the gun on the floor.

"JIMIN." Taehyung's yell was so loud it could be heard across the street, making Jimin wince.

Soon enough Jungkook comes into view and pulls Suga off of Jimin, who seemed to be awake but unable to move off of him. For the first time Jimin noticed that at some point he took off his face mask, and the view was definitely worth the pain of the fight. 

When the two looked at each other for the first time, both couldn't help grinning at each other at the ridiculousness of the situation, and when Taehyung came up with his mask off,  looking on the verge of tears, Jimin let out a small giggle and patted his hair.

"Don't worry Tae, it's all good now. Jungkook and Suga saved me-"

"Yoongi."

"Huh?"

"The name's Yoongi."

"Ohh. Yeah, nice to meet you. I'm Jimin."

"Yeah I know. You're Tae?"

"Tae hyung , and this is Jungkook." As soon as Taehyung says his name Jungkook properly takes off his mask to show his face to everyone.

"We make a pretty decent squad." Jimin spoke up after checking for injuries.

"We don't even know each other." Yoongi blurted out with a chuckle. "But hey, nothing bonds men better than a good ol' bank break-in, amirite?"

Everyone does a tired cheer which then erupts into laughter.

No one sees the blur of someone running up to them in time, 

And no one expects him to be shot soon after.

Hoseok watches in fascination as a trio of freaks gun down the bank and enter inside, startling those who were already there. He was expecting to see them get dragged out or see some blood splatter on the ground, but instead was almost blinded when a huge flash erupted inside.

Immediately afterwards he saw a small guy dressed in black tackle one of them and from then on he continues to watch in silence, waiting for the outcome.

By some kind of luck, the group that was there first managed to beat the trio and Hoseok decided to take a closer look out of curiosity, to see what kind of people can beat a trio with a rifle.

He crept up to the scooter stupidly parked outside, and peeked around the front of it. The rifle lay on the ground next to the body of Harley Quinn, and at first look he thought Hulk was stabbed, but the machete seemed to be holding his body down by the fabric. However the third one that was lying in the back, wasn't finished off.

The group that now sat against the desk, masks off and all, were sat grinning like idiots unaware of the Assassin waking up behind them. It would be kinda funny, if the assassin killed someone without them noticing him, like an assassin. Hah, get it?

But when Hoseok took one last look at the group crowding around on the floor, he felt fear rise up in his chest, at the view of Yoongi's smile, not knowing they didn't finish off the last guy.

Hoseok can't let him die. He doesn't care about the others but he can't leave Yoongi endangered. 

He can't watch his best friend be hurt.

Suddenly the gun concealed in his jacket feels as light as a feather and as the guy makes a run for the man closest to him, Hoseok points his gun,

And shoots him in the shoulder.

Truthfully he's not ready to kill, but the shot should be enough to stop the man from reaching the others, or Yoongi. 

The man crumples to the ground with a loud cry, and Hoseok soon rushes in, pointing his gun at the man in case he dares to move any further.

He hears a gasp to his side and realises that Yoongi recognised him. So much for a disguise.

Suddenly a voice speaks up amongst the groans of the man.

"Is he…is he gonna die?" Said the blonde next to Yoongi, looking like a scared puppy.

"...He won't. I think. Unless he bleeds out."

Said man suddenly stands up again and Hoseok fires another shot, but is instead pushed to the side, and the man simply runs away leaving his partners behind. 

Needless to say it was kinda anticlimatic.

But at least no one was hurt.

At that moment Hoseok realises that he should probably introduce himself before any of the others possibly attack him, so he pockets his gun and puts on a bright smile. Only partially fake.

"So uh...nice to meet you! I'm-"

"Hoseok."

His smile drops when Yoongi speaks his name, and with a sigh he pulls his mask off.

"What are you doing here? I thought you'd stay with your mother?"

"You know I can't do that Yoongs. Her life is in danger and I can't exactly afford that right now. Who are these guys though? I don't think I ever saw you with them before."

"Well...that's true."

"Did you- did you actually pair up with strangers?!"

"I mean, I did only just met them but," Yoongi takes a look at them, specifically the blonde next to him, "They aren't bad. They're here for the same reason as us. Because we're all fucking broke."

At that everyone laughs together, even Hoseok, and for the first time he's surprised at what Yoongi did.

He never trusted strangers before.

"Um, I'm Jimin by the way. And this is Taehyung and Jungkook."

"You guys came here together?"

"Actually, Jungkook was first. Me and Tae showed up afterwards."

Hoseok is speechless. Somehow these four men, most of which don't know each other, already bonded over the fact that they all want to rob a bank. Amazing.

"Oh. Well that's great then huh? Everyone made some good friends and nobody died. Yet . It's sure going great!" Hoseok jokes optimistically, walking over to the group.

"You guys alright though? You seem a bit tired."

"Yeah, I'm fine I just need a bit of rest and then I'll get up again. You good Jimin?"

"Just a few cuts from the glass but overall nothing serious."

"We managed to avoid any injuries."

Incredible. They fought someone with a rifle and survived with minor injuries! Some God must've blessed them.

"Why don't you two join me then and we'll see if we can crack that safe open?"

The pair nod and stand up in unison, brushing off any glass or dust from their legs, and follow Hoseok behind the desk.

We are fucked .

As soon as the trio reach the back area where the vault of money is, they soon realise that to open it, they would need a special form of identification, like a card that would prove they're an employee of the bank.

"-and it says here that if it's not given and an attempt is made to open it then the bank will go into immediate lockdown. Although the shutters are already down and destroyed so I guess the only thing it'll do is send a signal to the police and blare an alarm or something, which either way is rather inconvenient. "

Inconvenient my ass Jungkook thinks whilst glaring at the huge vault door. He has attempted opening it by pulling at the handle in the middle but it's impossible. The vault entrance is an enormous hunk of metal and his puny handheld saw won't do shit.  

"Oh by the way, Hoseok, how do you know Yoongi?" Taehyung suddenly spoke up, from where he was sitting on the floor out of boredom.

The trio have decided to put their masks back on, just for the sake of any other people showing up or to hide their identities from any cameras, and Jungkook could tell, even beneath the mask, the way Hoseok tensed.

"...Uni. We're in different departments but we met in the campus cafe. I work shifts there sometimes."

"What are you studying?"

"How about this. If we get out of here alive and with money, I'll tell you all about me alright?"

"Okay. Why the lace mask though?" 

At Hoseok's sigh, Taehyung giggled and Jungkook enjoyed that sound very much.

"...It was the cheapest."

"Great choice!"

"Same thing that the checkout lady said." Hoseok replied, sarcasm in his voice. But there was a smile playing on his lips.

"How come you two are matching then? You look like couples." Hoseok joked poking Taehyung's mask.

For the first time in a while, Jungkook felt his face burn and if it weren't for the masks, they'd definitely notice his blush. At least he hoped they couldn't tell from his voice when he replied, "It was a, uh, coincidence."

"A coincidence huh. It's a bit amusing, how all of us came here with at least a mask and a weapon and neither came here with any sort of skill or tool to actually open the vault!"

"I know right. It's a good thing I'm here."

Spoke up a voice that definitely wasn't either Taehyung, Jimin or Yoongi.

A chill ran down Jungkook's spine as he slowly turned around to face the stranger,

Wearing a cliché smiling theatre mask.

"I'm a baaaaaaad guy…DUH!" Jin exclaimed, making Namjoon jump. It's about an hour or so after the purge began and they're making their way to the bank in Namjoon's truck, as late as ever after Namjoon misplaced his car keys. They spent about half and hour looking for them, and in the end had to take a detour so that Namjoon could get fuel for his truck after forgetting to do it beforehand.

Jin like the rebel he is, copied a scene from a game and stole some from a car parked outside on a deserted street. Namjoon was stressing that it might've had a bomb placed in it but Jin just waved a hand and stole some fuel anyways, a Cheshire grin on his face from the joy of doing something rather illegal. Namjoon has known this man for two years now, and oddly enough,

The purge was Jin's favourite 'holiday'

Not because of the possibility of murders or any form of violence.

But because he could do random illegal things whilst recklessly risking his life.

Last year he graffiti'd a bunch of buildings and the year before that he broke into a Gucci store and replaced a bunch of their merchandise with fakes.

Chaotic is what Namjoon would call his lovable boyfriend, but this year Jin wanted to go all out and rob a damn bank. He said he was doing it for the homeless and such, even though unemployment was extremely low. 

"It doesn't matter how many there are Joon, it's the act that counts." He'd repeat multiple times whilst helping Namjoon clean their guns.

Either way, Jin already had his mind set on it and whether Namjoon agreed or not, Jin would likely rob it without him, and that is something that Namjoon can't let happen.

I suppose I could donate it to plant trees or something. He thought whilst carefully avoiding a gang of purgers walking down the road.

Everytime he drives past anyone his heart starts pounding in his chest. No one has attempted to attack their car so far but Namjoon isn't trying to be optimistic. Anything could go wrong, but no matter what,

He must protect Jin.

Soon enough they drive up to the bank, and Namjoon isn't surprised to see that someone has already attempted breaking into it. However what he doesn't expect to see is a couple sitting on the floor, talking amongst two bodies lying on the floor. From where he's parked the car, Namjoon can't see any blood, but there's a large knife stuck in one, and a large gun next to the other.

"Do you think they battled it out or something?"

"Probably. I don't know why those two are sat there though."

"You think they're injured?"

"I don't know. But don't point the guns at them yet. Maybe we can attempt to be civil."

Namjoon reaches for the glove compartment, and takes out their masks. Jin's marvellous masquerade one, adorned with sparkly feathers and wild colours. And Namjoon's theatre one.

He was supposed to pick the tragedy one but Jin persuaded him to grab the smiling one.

"It looks way cooler!"

Even if he disagreed he'd still buy the mask. He can never argue with Jin.

As soon as they don the masks, Namjoon gets out first and grabs the guns in the backseat, and passes one to Jin who's also carrying his laptop case. They sling them carefully onto their backs and make their way towards the entrance.

To greet the couple that has a gun pointed at them.

An awkward silence fills the room as Yoongi sits with Jimin, looking everywhere around the room but his face. His incredibly handsome face. As soon as he saw Jimin smile at him a while ago, all he could think about was those plump lips of his, and the way his cheeks blushed.

Yes, it's not really healthy to fall for a stranger you just met during a bank robbery, but Yoongi doesn't care. He hasn't met anyone this hot in a long time and he hopes that maybe the man could slip him his number after they get away with some money.

Of course, the fact that Yoongi hasn't met anyone significant in a few years also means that he has absolutely shit experience in romance.

Like, what do you even do to someone who in your first meeting pointed a gun at you? And now you're smiling at him? Who do you think you are-

"Hey Yoongi."

"Yeah?" Yoongi's voice was hoarse and it made him cringe when it echoed around the silent room.

"You never told me why you came here."

"Oh. Its a bit dumb really."

"No, no, I'm sure it's really important to you. Otherwise you wouldn't be here would you?"

"Yeah...you know what, I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours first. Then I'll decide if mine is too dumb to say."

"Fair enough." Jimin chuckles and Yoongi felt like he just heard the voice of an Angel speak to him from Heaven.

"I want to sponsor the local pet shelters. So many of them are dying everyday, and some of them can barely afford food for them. In recent years, the purge increased the amount of strays and pets given up to shelters and it breaks my heart knowing they're in these tiny cages, dying of some illness that the shelter can't accord to treat. So yeah, that's why I'm here."

"Damn. You seem really passionate about that."

"Yeah, my uh, my pet died in a shelter. So I don't want the same to happen to someone else yanno?"

"Yeah, I understand. Well my reason isn't as cool as yours but I guess it's only fair that I tell you now."

"Ooo go on. I'm very curious."

"Some of my university's music equipment got destroyed and stolen in the previous purge and the university has paid for the bare minimum . There isn't enough for all of us, and I'm missing something to complete my final project. I absolutely cannot fail it, and I guess I don't want the others to fail either. So I'm here to steal some so that I can buy all the equipment back with my own money."

"Awe, I hope it works! Speaking of which, they're taking a while aren't they?" Jimin suddenly points out, looking behind him.

But Yoongi can't answer him. 

He can't because a large car just pulled up outside and two freaks in crazy masks just stepped out of it, each holding a large gun. Not only that, but one of them is holding a case, which looks extremely suspicious from afar.

"Jimin get up."

"W-what?"

"There's a pair outside with large guns. They're not pointing them at us yet but we don't know what they're thinking. Take yours out and point it at them."

"B-but what if I have to shoot it?"

"...You'll be fine. Aim for the legs or something. And don't hesitate Jimin. Our lives are on the line."

"I'll...I'll try my best."

"Alright hurry, they're walking up."

Yoongi watches as Jimin frantically takes his gun out and points it at the strangers with shaky hands. He suddenly remembers the rifle behind them, but before he can reach for it, the man in the theatre mask speaks up.

"We come in peace...please don't shoot as us."

Yeah sure. Yoongi thinks, eyeing the large guns on their backs.

"M-maybe they're friendly?" Jimin whispers, voice shaking as much as his hands.

"My dear fellow purgers," suddenly speaks up the man in the ridiculous feathery mask. "I come here in hopes to take some money out for the poor. Every year they're defenseless against all kinds of dangers, and I'm determined to save the few of them that still struggle till this day."

Yoongi turns to face Jimin, who in return nods at him and speaks up to them.

"We do not want to hurt you. We won't mind sharing as long as you take those guns back to your car. I'll put mine away too if you do so."

Yoongi watches as the pair turns to each other, and whispers something, and then the theatre man hands his gun over to the other, who slowly walks backwards to the car, checking that Jimin won't fire at him.

As soon as they're inside, Jimin lowers his gun with a nervous exhale, and gestures for them to take their masks off.

"Tell us your names, and we'll tell you ours. It's how we build a little trust between each other." Jimin explains as the pair approach them.

"What do you think? Should we do it?" Masquerade whispers to his partner, who takes a look at Yoongi and Jimin and whispers back to him, "I think it's fine. We can see their faces already, so I suppose it's fair."

A few seconds later, the pair take their masks off. Both turn out to be equally handsome, one particularly looking like a damn model.

It's constantly a bunch of pretty people here. Yoongi thinks to himself with a smirk.

"My name is Namjoon, and this is my boyfriend Seokjin."

"You may call me Jin!"

"I'm Yoongi and this is Jimin. Are you both here for the same cause?"

"Mostly. Joonie is mostly here to help me but he'll probably donate the money somewhere. What about you two?"

"Fund my uni."

"Sponsor local shelters."

"Oh! Not bad. It's nice to know neither of you are some sort of meanie gang members here to get money for drugs or something!" Jin jokes, making Jimin giggle.

"Of course not. But I think we're struggling a little."

"What do you mean?"

"Our... friends, seem to be taking a while with getting past the vault at the back."

At that the couple share a look between each other and grins simultaneously spread on their faces.

"Don't worry. That's what I'm here for." Says Namjoon, a glint in his eye.

Jimin watches in fascination, as Namjoon takes out his laptop, and plugs it into one of the computers at the main desk. 

"It'll take me about 20 minutes minimum to complete this, so you guys sit tight."

Rather than sitting down or chilling somewhere, everyone crowds around the man, watching him curiously until his boyfriend shoo's them away.

Taehyung and Jungkook decide to drag the unconscious bodies to the side and Hoseok busies himself by plopping down on one of the decorative sofas in the bank, and tapping away at his phone.

Suddenly he speaks up amongst the general silence, filled mostly by Namjoon's intense keyboard tapping, and the pairs grunts of effort as they drag the bodies through shards of glass.

"We have about an hour left until the raiders from that huge event will be coming back. I'm watching the live streams and things are getting pretty intense. We should probably get out of here before they reach us."

Jimin thinks about the immense crowds, possibly full of murderers and violent individuals, that could pass through their street. A shiver goes down his spine.

"Don't worry guys, I'm almost done. This bank has done a crappy job of protecting their software. I just need to do this...and click here and...done!"

It's amazing. The sound of the vault slowly creeping open at the back is like music to Jimin's ears. And when everyone rushes to take a look inside,

A chorus of loud cheers erupts through the room.

Jin hugs his boyfriend, possibly suffocating him with the strength of his arms, Hoseok and Yoongi shriek at each other in celebration and Taehyung…

Taehyung kisses Jungkook's cheeks in triumph, who's eyes widen like a deer caught in headlights, and face flushes like a bright red tomato. 

Suddenly music blasts out loud from somewhere, and Jimin realises that Hoseok turned on a spotify playlist on his phone.

"LETS GET THIS BREAD FUCKERSSS"

"YEAH!!!"

As Bad Romance by Lady Gaga blares in the background, Jimin can't seem to get his hands full enough of the multiple stacks of money. Both his and Taehyung's bags are completely full and Jungkook filled up extra shopping bags as well. 

At some point Namjoon interrupted the music to tell everyone that to thank them for letting them get a share of the money, he can give three people a ride to his father's mansion in his truck, whilst the remainder use Taehyung's scooter. Taehyung and Jungkook decided to share the scooter so Jimin, Hoseok and Yoongi would join the couple in their car.

"Its complete with the latest protection technology. My dad is out right now on a holiday, so we can use the house for the night. It'll be completely safe. Oh and you can use my truck to load in extra money-"

At that multiple cheers erupt again, and the music is turned back up, as everyone runs back and forward to Namjoon's truck.

However, at some point, Jungkook bursts into the room looking very alarmed and says, "I just heard faint sounds of loud crowds and music outside. They're coming!"

Its crazy from that point. Everyone is shoveling last minute money stacks into their bags and crashing into each other as they run back and forward.

Namjoon almost drops his a bunch of times and Taehyung almost loses his scooter keys.

But eventually everyone crams into the truck and the pair onto the scooter, and they ride off into the night, just as the crowd began spilling into the street.

It was an extremely close call, but at the realisation that everyone successfully got to steal a shit ton of money,

Hoseok shrieks so loud that everyone's ears burst, Namjoon honks his car as Jin yells out the window, Taehyung flashes his scooter lights at the back of the car

And in a rush of adrenaline,

jimin grabs Yoongi's face and kisses him in celebration.

It was the best damn kiss Jimin ever had. Even if it was accompanied by Jin's hollering and Hoseok's noises of disgust.

As Jimin recalls the night many days, weeks, months later, he firmly believes that it's what brought the whole squad together. Yoongi rather quickly became Jimin's boyfriend and Jungkook began dating Taehyung too. Till this day, Jimin still tells the wild story of how he met Yoongi, and how he almost shot him out of fear. Everyone managed to reach their goals and even had some spare left over, which they kept to look after each other.

And most often, every time he tells the story to someone, he repeats the same damn phrase that Yoongi said on that very special night,

"Nothing bonds men better than a good ol' bank break-in."