Resolving Conflict | Ateez Superhero AU

Disappeared

Yunho's final words floated inside the four members' heads - But I'd rather go back knowing for sure you'll be safe here.

"What did he mean-" Mingi started, but got cut acutely by Hongjoong.

"That doesn't matter right now. Go after Yunho."

"What?"

"There's no time for questions! You're the most capable to sneak  behind him. Find out where he works - maybe you'll see something."

Mingi blinked at Hongjoong, who was already waving him away with his  left hand. His mind was going too slow to catch up with the leader's  reasoning. "Okay, fine, I'll go."

Mingi peeked outside the front door before stepping out completely. He turned left, walked past the window, and disappeared.

An awkward silence fell between Hongjoong, Seonghwa, and Jongho.  Broken glass, food, and silverware were scattered all over the floor,  but it was the least of their worries. A heavy sense of dread washed  over the three of them, and suddenly they all wanted to sit down.

"Are you okay, Jongho?" Seonghwa navigated carefully around the  remains of their breakfast and squeezed Jongho's hand. His skin was  rough and dry, and the rigid muscles took a bit of kneading before it  finally relaxed into Seonghwa's palm.

"Yes," said Jongho, even though it wasn't the truth at all. Was that  really his brother? If it was, then he felt like he never knew Yunho  well enough. "But we have to do something."

"You should get some rest." Seonghwa lifted Jongho's hand gently  towards the direction of their rooms, but Jongho's legs were rooted to  the floor.

"Hyung, we have to do something." Jongho looked up at  Seonghwa, but his choice of words made it clear that he was talking to  Hongjoong. Pleading the leader to make a decision, give an order, demand  him do something so he could keep pushing himself up the surface to  breathe. Because if he didn't, he was afraid his guilt, regret, and  despair would flood into him and weigh him down, down, until he drowned  in the depths of the sea.

"Seonghwa," said Hongjoong, with a firmness in his voice that set  forth a sense of order and security in the mess they were in. "I saw  what you wrote in your notebook, but do you have any idea when the  smuggling operation would take place?"

Seonghwa released Jongho's hand. "Hongjoong, are you saying...?"

"Do you know or not?"

The answer was just about to roll out of Seonghwa's tongue when a  huge migraine hit him, forcing him to crouch and curl himself into a  ball as he held his head. Panic washed over him, his shallow breaths  becoming more frequent, more rapid. He heard a distant voice telling him  to lie down, another asking him if he needed the ambulance. He tried to  listen but he couldn't with the explosion of colors and pictures in his  head, and as the blurry edges sharpened to clearer details he felt as  if his skull was about to crack from the cascade of foreign images.

And then a pair of hands grasped Seonghwa's and the sensation was  somehow enough to sooth his nerves, or perhaps the migraine attack was  simply wearing off, and finally it was over.

"27th April, 8pm." Seonghwa's mind went blank as soon as the words  left his mouth. He stood up, grabbed the cup of water Jongho was holding  out and downed it in 3 gulps. His headache subsided, but all that left  behind were a blur of colors, and the things he just said.

"Are you...are you ok?" Jongho was shaken terribly.

"What happened?" asked Hongjoong. He didn't want to push Seonghwa, but he also couldn't dare to waste any more time.