Road to Utopia - NCT

24 - 127 Squad

"So, tell me again, how did you lose Jisung?" Taeyong asked calmly, but he was anything but that. He was currently sitting in his office (which was actually clean thanks to Winwin) interrogating Taeil and Mark.

They looked sheepishly towards the ground. "Well, we heard him ask for other pills so he could bring them back and then there was a high pitch ringing noise so we turned off comms for a minute." Mark started.

"We tried to reconnect, but it wouldn't work so we tried to call him. Went straight to voicemail."

"I know you said not to make ourselves known but I had to make sure he was OK, so I wore a mask, went inside and asked for him."

"And then what happened?" The leader asked.

"The stupid receptionist said he left a couple of minutes ago, but the camera footage says otherwise. He never left." Mark paused. "Which makes me think they knew about his involvement with us and took him."

"Took...him." Taeyong paused and pinched his eyebrows. "I trust you with one small task of protecting our youngest and you let them take him!"

"It's not my fault! We didn't know they would catch on!"

He slammed his palms on the desk. "Obviously we didn't know that but that doesn't mean we don't do our job properly!"

"He was! I think they cut our connections somehow and we don't know where he is anymore." Taeil defended him.

"This is why I wanted you all microchipped or something." He sighed. "We need to get him back without worrying the others."

"Wouldn't it be better for everyone to know? Then we have more heads working on the problem." Mark offered.

"Or we can let some of them know. Definitely not Chenle or else he'll either go ballistic or depressed." Taeil countered. They all nodded.

"OK, I think we let 127 and Kun know." The leader decided. "That way, we have the most experienced people working on it."

"All of 127? Isn't that too much?"

"Let's just do it." Mark agreed. "We really do need as many people as possible to help us get Jisung back."

"Gather them now, we need to find him before they do something to him."

~~

"We are gathered here to mourn the loss-"

"He's not dead, Mark." The leader rolled his eyes.

"Who's not dead? And I thought we don't have a meeting until Friday?" Doyoung asked.

"And why's Kun here? Yuta asked.

"Wait, someone's dead?" Jungwoo gasped, eyes widening. Murmurs of concern filled the room.

"No one's dead! Shut up!" Taeyong yelled, instantly silencing the room because it's leader power. "The leaders set up a small mission for Jisung to retrieve a drug sample."

"Why not Haechan and I? We're literally the drug people." Jaehyun commented.

"It required some past information that only Jisung could know and access," Mark replied.

"Wait, did something happen? I thought we removed all incriminating evidence!" Kun asked.

Taeyong took a sharp intake of breath. "He...got caught. We're still trying to figure out why and how to get him back."

"And that's where we come in." Yuta finished.

"Right." The youngest leader confirmed. "We need you to use all your resources to find him but the information that Jisung is missing stays in here."

"As far as you are all aware, he is on a solo mission in China to receive a weapons supply," Taeyong added. "You must not in any condition tell Chenle."

"Why not? He deserves to know his best friend is missing!" Haechan asked.

"Because he's the most likely to react the worst to the news," Johnny answered. "What we need to do is scout the area he went missing at, create a floorplan and the owner of the building and any other possible locations they own."

"Wow, I'm still not sure why you never went for a leadership position because that's actually a good plan." Kun complimented.

"Oh my God!" Mark gasped. "His necklace, I forgot to take his necklace off him!"

"What?" Taeyong asked confusedly.

"You said to be careful but I didn't remove his necklace. So when he got caught-"

"It must have been because of the necklace!" Taeil and Mark chorused.

The leader facepalmed. "I've had enough reasons to get mad at you two. Find him or I'm burying you six feet under." He stalked towards the exit and slammed the door.

"Jeez, you must have really pissed him off," Doyoung muttered and leant back on his chair.

"I don't think I've ever seen him like that, not even when I got injured," Yuta stated.

"No one cares about you, Yuta." Haechan countered. The older member scoffed.

"Well, since general leader and leader of our unit gone, I'll take over."

"Woah, woah, woah, Mork, who said you could lead us?"

"I'm literally your leader in Dream, Haechan."

"Oh yeah." He grinned. "Carry on."

"As I was about to say before I got rudely interrupted." He glared at the youngest. "Doyoung, please get as much information from your job as possible and in 5 days report your findings. You will then take 3 days off to help us.

"Haechan, please find out any buildings owned by the government and the address I give you afterwards. Yuta, please help him since you're still injured."

"Ew, you're putting us together?"

"Shut up and stop complaining. No other job is suitable for your condition and Haechan is our only hacker." He paused trying to regain his thoughts. "Jungwoo and Jaehyun need to plant cameras and possibly microphones in the therapist's office-"

"Hold on, you made him go to therapy?" Jaehyun asked incredulously.

"It was part of the mission. Unfortunately, life isn't all smooth sailing so we need to adjust our sails or something."

"Mark, please," Kun sighed. "Stop trying to be poetic."

He shrugged. "Whatever. That leaves me, Kun, Johnny and Taeil to research the places once Haechan and Yuta find the places and infiltrate once we have a confirmed location. Any questions?" He finished.

Three hands went up.

"No? OK, good. Report to any of us once you find something and we'll hold another meeting on Friday." He dismissed them. "Just remember: my life is on the line."

"Shut up, Taeyong would just kick you lightly at the most. He's too soft for you." Johnny called out as he made his way to the door.

"Hey, Mark." Taeil cornered him after the meeting. "Are you forgetting that Jisung's therapist knows of his involvement with NCT and how we could get ambushed at any moment if he tells them?"

"He won't, he knows not to say anything, and he's strong."

END

Highly unsatisfied with this chapter but I wanna post something and I can't just timeskip straight to Jisung's POV, so enjoy my filler chapters whilst we wait for Jisung.