Unrevealed Threads & A Mission at Risk

The tension in the lab was thick, the silence only broken by the hum of old machinery and the occasional creak of shifting bodies. Lisa stood at the center, her arms crossed as she faced the weight of everyone's stares. The rest of the team stared at Lisa in a mix of shock and disbelief. The air carried unspoken questions, confusion, and more than anything—frustration.

Namjoon, his face unreadable, was the first to break the silence.

"How the hell did you even get in there?" Namjoon finally broke the silence, his voice calm but edged with authority. "And how did you get Jennie out?"

Lisa raised an eyebrow. "I walked in, charmed the guards, carried her in my arms like a hero, and walked out." She smirked.

Jungkook, still brimming with anger, scoffed. "You think this is funny? You could've gotten yourself killed, Lisa."

"Fine," Lisa sighed. "I sent a drone ahead to scout the paths. Unlike you guys, I actually used my brain."

Before another argument could break out, Yoongi, clearly more intrigued than upset, tilted his head. "Wait. How did you even reach High Quarter without us noticing?"

Lisa, with a smug expression, leaned against the metal table. "Oh, that was the easiest part. I borrowed your old transport from the basement."

A moment of silence.

Yoongi blinked. Then twice. Then— "You WHAT?!"

Lisa chuckled, waving her hand dismissively. "Relax, grandpa. I brought it back in one piece. Mostly."

Yoongi groaned, muttering curses under his breath. He dramatically clutched his chest. "I swear if that thing gets scratched—"

Before the conversation could derail further, BIBI stepped in, her sharp eyes scanning the room.

"Enough. You're all injured, and instead of screaming like children, you should be treating your wounds before worrying about Jennie."

Yeonjun spoke in a stunned expression. "Lisa, what exactly did you do to Jennie?"

Lisa stretched her arms. "I disconnected her from the High Quarter, so the Overseers can't track her. And, well… I disabled her for now. She won't wake up until I fix her again."

Kai, who had been silent, winced as he pressed a hand to his ribs. He had taken a bad hit during the fight, and it was catching up to him now. "That's great! But can we discuss it when my ribs aren't trying to collapse!!?"

Namjoon sighed. "Everyone, take care of your injuries first. We'll deal with Jennie after that."

With that, the team dispersed, each finding a place to rest.

Kai let out a groan as he leaned against the lab wall.

BIBI sighed. "Sit down. I'll treat your injuries first."

---

Treating Wounds and Unspoken Tension

The old lab barely had proper places to sit, but exhaustion made anything seem comfortable. Lisa, struggling with her injured leg, quietly slipped into the inner room to fix her bandages. Her clothes were slightly torn, and she preferred to treat herself alone, her torn clothes barely covering the bruises underneath.

BIBI, armed with a medical kit, started tending to the team one by one. She treated Kai first, carefully wrapping his ribs while he gritted his teeth. Then Yeonjun, Yoongi, and Namjoon.

Meanwhile, Lisa struggled to tie her bandage properly. She hissed as the fabric pressed against her wound.

Before she could finish, the door suddenly burst open.

Before she could make much progress, Jungkook stormed in. "You're unbelievable."

Lisa barely had time to react before Jungkook grabbed the medical kit and knelt before her. Without another word, he started treating her leg—not gently, but harshly.

Lisa winced. "Yah! Are you trying to fix me or break my leg?"

"Shut up." Jungkook's voice was low, controlled, but his grip was firm. "You don't get to be reckless and expect me to be fine with it."

Lisa scoffed. "Oh, so you're my guardian now?"

Jungkook tightened the bandage just a little more than necessary, making her yelp. "I said shut up."

Lisa glared but didn't pull away. She let him finish, though she occasionally hissed when he was too rough.

She let out a sharp yelp when he pressed too hard on a particularly nasty wound.

Lisa pressed her lips Trying to stop another painful yelp. "Could you at least pretend to be gentle!!"

Jungkook shot her a glare but didn't respond. Instead, he continued dressing her wounds, his movements still a little too forceful.

Finally, when he was done, Lisa snatched the kit from his hands and scowled. "You're such a brute. My turn."

Jungkook frowned. "What?"

Lisa rolled her eyes. "You're injured too, idiot."

Before he could protest, she grabbed his chin and turned his face, inspecting the cut on his forehead. Then she applied ointment to his neck, his shoulder, and finally, his forehead.

Lisa's smirk widened. "Oh? Does it hurt?"

Jungkook rolled his eyes but didn't pull away.

Jungkook tensed under her touch. She was annoyingly gentle now, the opposite of her usual reckless behavior.

Outside the room, BIBI had just arrived with more bandages, but the second she saw them, she quickly backed away.

BIBI slipped out of the room, bumping straight into Yoongi.

"Did you treat Lisa's injury?" Yoongi asked.

BIBI grabbed his arm and dragged him toward the door. "Look for yourself."

Yoongi peeked in, and his lips curled into a knowing grin.

They peeked in, watching Lisa and Jungkook in the middle of their usual bickering—except this time, Lisa was carefully tending to Jungkook's wounds, and Jungkook wasn't stopping her.

Yoongi smirked. "Interesting."

BIBI gave him a look. "Do they always fight like this, or is there something else?"

Yoongi chuckled. "Oh no. This is different. This is entertaining."

---

Meanwhile…

Namjoon frowned, noticing the absence of certain people. He turned to Kai and Yeonjun. "Where's BIBI? Jungkook? Yoongi?"

Kai shrugged. "No idea."

Yeonjun furrowed. "And what about Lisa? She is more injured!!!"

Namjoon sighed. "She might be resting. Forget it. Let's focus on what comes next. We need to figure out what to do with Jennie."

---

Meanwhile, A Brewing Storm at High Quarter

Far away, in the depths of the AI-controlled city, the High Quarter was in chaos. Screens flickered as Overseers scrambled to retrieve any trace of Jennie.

Yeji stood at the center of the command room, her holographic interface flickering with failed attempts to locate Jennie. Her expression was unreadable, but the storm in her eyes was undeniable.

The other members of ITZY—Ryujin, Chaeryeong, and Lia—stood behind her, their expressions neutral but observant.

"You mean to tell me," she spoke slowly, dangerously, "that a group of fugitives—wounded, unprepared, and completely outmatched—just walked into our High Quarter, took one of our own, and walked out?!"

No one dared to speak.

Lia, standing beside her, frowned. "They are useless!!! Should we send a retrieval team?"

Yeji narrowed her eyes. "No. We don't know their location yet."

Ryujin smirked. "If you ask me, I think Namjoon's team is more capable than you guys."

The Overseers stiffened at the insult.

Chaeryeong spoke up, her voice calculated. "We're taking over from here."

One Overseer hesitated. "But—"

Yeji turned her piercing gaze toward him. "Do you want to be erased?"

The Overseer fell silent.

Yeji's expression was unreadable, but her rage was clear. "Find them. Now."

Chaeryeong nodded. "Shall we initiate a full scan for energy signatures within our reach?"

Yeji exhaled slowly. "Do it. No more waiting. We need to find them before they get any further."

The Overseers had failed. ITZY was taking over.

And they weren't going to be as forgiving.

---

Back at the Lab: Unwanted Attention

Namjoon, Kai, and Yeonjun had been preparing to check on Jennie when they noticed Yoongi and BIBI still lingering outside a room.

Namjoon frowned. "What are you two doing?"

"Shhh." Yoongi simply grinned and gestured for them to come closer. "See for yourself."

The three of them peeked inside.

Lisa and Jungkook were now bickering again—Lisa scolding Jungkook for being too rough, while Jungkook accused Lisa of being reckless. But despite their words, they were still tending to each other's wounds, their concern evident in their actions.

Kai smirked. "This is entertaining."

Yeonjun chuckled. "Should we place bets on who snaps first?"

Lisa was leaning in close to Jungkook, applying ointment to his neck while they bickered.

Jungkook looked intensely at Lisa but held back.

Namjoon, Yeonjun, and Kai exchanged glances.

Yeonjun smirked. "Are we watching a romance drama?"

BIBI chuckled. "Feels like it."

Kai whispered, "Lisa is dangerously close to Jungkook's face…"

Lisa, mid-sentence, suddenly paused.

She turned her head sharply towards the door.

Jungkook followed her gaze.

Lisa narrowed her eyes. "Are you guys seriously watching us?"

Silence.

Then—

Jungkook exploded. "YOU GUYS WERE SPYING ON US?!"

Yoongi grinned. "Oh, don't mind us. Continue."

Lisa's eyes darkened. "Jungkook was being harsh to me before because I was injured. So it's only fair I take revenge since he's also injured now."

Yoongi dodged it easily. "Aww, don't be shy, Lisa."

Lisa scowled. "I swear, I'll—"

Before she could finish, Yeonjun smirked. "Lisa, you said Jungkook was too rough with your treatment, right? Maybe you should return the favor."

Lisa's eyes gleamed mischievously. "Oh, good idea."

Jungkook's scowl deepened. "Don't you dare—"

Too late. Lisa pressed a little too hard against his wound, earning a sharp glare.

Yeonjun laughed. "Go Lisa! Get your revenge!"

Jungkook turned his glare to Yeonjun. "You wanna die?"

Kai and BIBI quickly stepped in to stop Jungkook from launching at Yeonjun, while Yoongi simply leaned back, enjoying the chaos.

Yoongi laughed. "Ah, young love."

Finally, Namjoon sighed, rubbing his temple. "Can you all be serious for once?"

Yoongi grinned. "We are. This is just more fun."

Namjoon rolled his eyes. "Enough. We need to focus. The Oversheers won't stop until they find us."

Namjoon sighed. "We have a mission. This isn't a joke."

The laughter faded, but Yeji's hunt had just begun. The room grew tense once more.

The battle was far from over. And their next move would determine everything.

---

Continue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .