Catalyst

Part 16

I didn't bother taking off my makeup when we finally got home. After changing into my pajamas, I crawled in bed and shut my eyes. 

I had done everything I was instructed to do. I flirted with Blake and Yoongi. I ordered a drink with a straw and got Blake to drink off it. I giggled at their jokes. I kept Blake occupied while Yoongi went to the bar for more drinks. I smiled and nodded at everything that was said. I fought back the urge to scream. 

I always thought I was a decent judge of character, but now I was questioning that. The sudden change of plan made me feel uneasy. All of the conveniently logical answers I was being fed didn't make me feel any less uncomfortable. 

Something was off. They weren't telling me everything. 

I felt the mattress sink under Jimin's weight as he climbed in beside me. 

"Go sleep with Hoseok if you don't want to be alone." 

We hadn't spoken to one another since dinner. 

The drive home from Jin's place after the bar had been silent. Hobi kept glancing over at me, but I refused to meet his gaze. I didn't give him a chance to say good night after we got out of the car, but he didn't make much of an effort. 

"Jimin." I rolled over on my side, my back to him. "Leave." 

Jimin pulled me against him. "We need to talk," he whispered, and tried to nuzzle his face in my neck. His words and actions not quite matching up.

"I know you're mad, and you should be."

I leaned over to the bedside table and turned on the lamp. I rolled over to face Jimin, and pushed against his chest to make him give me some space. 

"Go on," I urged him to continue. 

"You're smart enough to know you haven't been given all of the details of our situation. I think the other guys are just hoping you won't ask too many questions." Jimin tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, letting his fingers graze my cheek. I rolled my eyes at him. "They think it's safer for you if you don't know everything about us." 

"And you don't agree?" I scooted back to the edge of the bed, trying to give us more of a buffer. Jimin was being weirdly affectionate. 

"I think you should know exactly what you're getting into," he said and gingerly placed a hand on my hip, which I quickly removed. 

"Jimin, just tell me. Is the whole story with Kronos even true?" I narrowed my eyes at him. 

I could have sworn Jimin smiled before he flopped onto his back. He stared at the ceiling for a few moments before rolling onto his side to face me once again. 

"I can't tell you. The hyungs made me promise." A sheepish smile spread across Jimin's face. "But, Yoongi said that if you were to guess something correctly, I could confirm your suspicions." 

Idiots. They should have just been straight with me from the beginning. What did they really even need my help for? I don't even know what's going on anymore!

"Jimin, I'm your guys' Patsy, aren't I?" 

Jimin furrowed his brow, "I don't understand what that means." 

"If something goes wrong, you're all going to pin the blame on me."

"Potentially. Yes." 

Of course. 

"Taehyung and Jungkook, are they even real?"

"Yes, and we really are trying to get them back from Kronos." Jimin reached out to touch my check again, but I swatted his hand away. 

"But the plan isn't just to break them out."

"No." 

"Is this all some corporate espionage plot?" 

"That's a question." Jimin booped my nose with his finger, and quickly pulled his hand back. The rage I was feeling shooting from my eyes directly into his. 

"Okay. Kronos does have your friends and we really are trying to get them out. But you guys are also planning on doing something else with or within Kronos. You all knew each other before coming to the US because you were in the military together. You're all working towards degrees in math or scientific fields. You've worked together in the past to do some shady shit, like breaking into people's homes and/or vehicles. Jin's parents used to work in the city and own a home that half of you guys live in together."

"Actually, we all lived there together at one point. I used to share a basement bedroom with Hoseok-hyung." Jimin gave me an encouraging smile. "Go on, you're doing great." 

I closed my eyes and tried to piece everything together. What could they want from Kronos? Were they actually students, or was that just a cover and a way to gain access to Kronos? What was I missing? 

Jimin lightly traced his finger tips up and down my arm. I tried to ignore him, but failed. Opening my eyes to glare at him, my gaze landed on two fuzzy orange cat ears sticking out of Jimin's hair. 

"Ji-Jimin..." I stammered, mentally kicking myself for not thinking of it sooner. 

"Yes, Y/n?" He purred. Not just his words, he was actually purring like a cat. 

"Kronos didn't do this to you. They didn't turn you into an animal-person hybrid, shape-shifter, whatever." 

"No. They did not."