SOLDIER // VKOOK

Chapter 26

Jung kook held onto the shield as he was being checked out of the hospital. The smell was bothering him, attacking his nose as he swung his legs off the bed. The tubes were finally off his body and the pain was fading away slowly. His fingers curled around the edges of the shield, the ridges were scratched and the black paint was spotted on the metal. He was on the hospital bed for about a week, in that week, he had received documents on multiples things. The search of Taehyung was still futile, Hoseok returning to keep Jung kook updated on the conditions of the rubble. And Jimin coming by to check on Jung kook as a friendly gesture, the speedster was bringing him food made by Seokjin and brought newspaper for Jung kook to read. Of course, Taehyuung's best bud knows what Jung kook can handle.

Yet, every page of the newspaper was reporting on the accident. He could not stop thinking about it, the falling rubble was getting him on edge, the thought of how his fingers are unable to touch Taehyung's hand again.

"Why must it always be like this?" Jung kook asked, his voice was barely a whisper as his grip on the side of the shield harder. He puts the shield away, the metal thumping against the bed sheets. He shuffled towards the other end of the room, grabbing his fresh new clothes from the chair. He pulled off the hospital gown, the rigid material was finally off his bruised body and he slipped into his shirt and vest, the warm vest was feeling very familiar on his body. He looked down, the tags were glinting on around his neck. The silver and gold tags were too painful to look at. Jung kook laced his fingers in between the chains. Jung kook quickly changed into the new clothes and grabbed his shield, turning it over in his hands and finally deciding on putting the shield on his back, receiving his new position as the soldier that everyone once had depended on.

He had the new weight on his shoulders, the weight of carrying on the legacy of the soldier. He walked out of the room, noticing how the nurses and doctors were rushing beside him, ready to get to their patients. Jung kook got to the main lobby, his footsteps echoing down the marble ground. He found Seokjin waiting for him at the hospital lobby, Jung kook messed around with his pockets, pulling out two finger-less gloves and fixated onto his hand, the leather was warm on his hand. Seokjin came up to him and folded his arms, brushing a few strands of hair away from his face. He forced out a nice smile, his lips twitching upward slightly.

"You are up and ready to go?" Seokjin asked. Jung kook shrugged a little, his shoulders shaking, the straps used to support the shield's weight was pressing his flesh. Seokjin turned and walked out of the hospital, Jung kook followed suit, walking slowly behind the assassin. The older man climbed into a black Impala, the car seemed to be very vintage, Jung kook had some recollections on the black car. Jung kook slipped into the padded seat of the Impala, the orange seat was soft and Jung kook cocked his arm onto the open window, letting Seokjin take the wheel.

"What do we have to do?" Jung kook asked, noticing his mask sitting on the dashboard. He reached out and took it from the dash, he turned it around in his hand, he noticed how the paint job on the mask was brand new, it was shiny and the scent of blood and musk was gone. It was better refined than he had once remembered.

"Taehyung helped you repair your mask... after finding out how he ripped it off your face." Seokjin supplied.

"Just get to the objective, Widow." Jung kook demanded, his voice a little raspy after unconsciously holding his breath for an answer or statement. He brought the mask to his face, and hesitated, knowing that it was like a brand of everything than a symbol of freedom and peace.

"We have to scour the area of the rubble still. Now that the project was shut down, Namjoon demands to see the bodies of the enhanced soldiers. Or at least, the serum that turned them like that." Seokjin said. "He said something about knowing how the formula works, and create machinery to protect the citizens."