"Huh, my science professor told me that there is a high probability of other beings, besides humans, to exist in the universe. I guess he was right."
You and Yoongi had explained everything to Jin and now the three of you were standing around a waiting shed, drinking bubble tea, which was bought with Jin's pocket money.
Jin, to be precise, was sitting on his motorcycle, one leg folded, his foot resting on the seat, and the other hovering above the pedal. He was wearing his helmet (he wanted to conceal his face and his identity from the public, since he had faked his own death), blonde strands of hair sticking out just above his eyes. He had changed back into his all-black leather get-up, the same clothes he wore when you first met.
You were on the bench, swinging both of your legs, your hair tied into a bun and hidden under your hoodie. Your katana had shrunk back into a knife, so you conveniently placed it in your pocket. Since you were on the watchlist, you had to hide your face as well.
Yoongi, the only one who didn't need to hide his face, was doing tricks with Jin's skateboard, which was found rotting away in his huge garage. The older's words made him scrunch his eyebrows in both disgust and confusion. "Please don't speak in college-student, not all of us graduated from high school, you know."
Jin side-eyed Yoongi before he scoffed loudly. You could still feel tension between the two bearers and you knew that their gems being polar opposites contributed to this. "I'm just saying that I'm surprised about the existence of aliens."
"Funny," You smirked a bit and continued to sip on your bubble tea, the minty flavor tingling your taste buds. "That's what Yoongi said too."
"What's that supposed to mean, Cloud?"
"Nothing, flame-boy."
"Yah---"
"Sorry to interrupt your little quarrel," Jin coughed loudly, crushing the empty plastic cup in his hands and tossing it towards a trash can, which went in perfectly. "What should we do now? Sky said that we've got a few months to find the rest of the wonders, so where do we start looking?"
You turned silent and shook your cup of bubble tea, the ice clashing together and making noises inside. Jin was obviously implying that the three of you should make a move instead of calmly drinking bubble tea next to the road, and you knew he was right.
However, you had no idea what your next move should be. K disappeared once again, not answering to any of your calls. You wondered why she was gone so often, since she was a spirit living in your mind. What the hell do spirits do?
"...I think we should keep looking around the city," You said after a while, remembering what K told you when you found out you were a Guardian. "I know that most of the wonders are here, but I can't pinpoint where and who they are exactly."
You hadn't told Yoongi and Jin about K, since you thought that the two of them believing that you spoke to a spirit in your head was a long-shot. Even though so many crazy things have been revealed (super powers, aliens, etc.), you still thought it was a crazy idea.
Yoongi glanced at you for a while, staring at your face, his expression blank. He didn't know why he had the strong urge to just stare at your cheeks but he instantly looked away when you turned towards him, after you felt his glares boring into your head.
To protect himself from embarrassment, Yoongi pretended to sniff his shoulder but was taken aback by how smelly it was. "Damn... why does my jacket smell like sweaty socks?"
"Well, you've been wearing that jacket for days and you refused to use any of Jin's clothes," You shrugged, your words making Jin smirk triumphantly, Yoongi rolling his eyes at him.
However, Jin's smile faded when he realized something. He snapped his fingers, catching the attention of both you and Yoongi, his mouth forming into a oval as he let out a small ah. "We need to head to the mall."
Well, that was a random statement. "Uh, no offense Jin, but I don't think we should waste time shopping."
"Sky, didn't you mention that you and Yoongi lived in a run-down apartment for a while, before you met me? You two obviously need new clothes and items. Besides, with a mall as big as what's here, maybe we might find a wonder there," Jin temporarily took off his helmet, ruffling his blonde hair with his hand before putting it back on. He crossed his arms and stared at you both with a smirk, knowing that his suggestion won't be refused.
"...Blondie's right," Yoongi said before you could reply, Jin frowning at the nickname given to him. He stepped on the skateboard, flipping it, landing perfectly in his hands. He threw the empty cup, intentionally making it bounce off Jin's head. "He's got a good point, Cloud. Maybe we could get some grub too. I mean, we weren't even able to eat breakfast before all the shenanigans happened. Also, we shouldn't waste any time. The quicker we find the other wonders, the better."
You glanced up at Yoongi, a small smile forming on your face, then you glances at Jin, who was still anticipating your reply. "Well... I guess you guys are right. Jin, you and I need to be careful, since we can't show our faces to the public. Yoongi is fine because he isn't---"
"Wanted?"
Yoongi stared at his feet, a sentimental expression on his face, and you were pained by how he had grown up with such a bad childhood, to the point that he thought of himself as worthless. Even Jin, who naturally despised Yoongi because of his gem, felt pitiful towards the younger boy, especially because he could feel the sadness seaping from him like a leaking pot.
The atmosphere instantly darkened, so you coughed, thinking of how you could brighten up the mood. "J-Jin, how much money do you have left?"
Jin had sensed your intentions, so he immediately shoved his hand in his pocket, feeling the rough bills brushing against his fingertips. "Considering the bubble tea that we bought, we have around ten dollars left. However, no need to worry, because I---"
Jin paused when he realized that his other pocket was empty. He furrowed his eyebrows, unsure if it was really empty. He took off his jacket, shaking it, merely a few specks of dust falling out of the pockets.
You and Yoongi watched in silence as Jin groaned in frustration, pulling off his helmet and running a hand through his hair. Finally, you spoke: "...Jin, what's wrong?"
"I usually keep a credit card with me in case of dire emergencies," Jin swiftly strapped his helmet back on after he realized the risky action he did. "Unfortunately, I left it at home."
"...So we don't have any money?"
"We can buy some chains? I mean, they are worth three dollars."
Yoongi stared at the frustrated Jin in silence, both his hands inside his jacket's pockets. Slowly, he walked towards him, swiping something out of his pocket, the item nearly touching the tip of Jin's nose.
For a while, Jin just stared at Yoongi's blank face, before he carefully took the item out of his grasp. "Tell me, Yoongi, why do you have my credit card?"
"I can't help it," Yoongi shrugged, taking a lollipop (which he had bought along with his bubble tea) out of his pocket and unwrapping it, placing the green candy in his mouth. "I'm a natural thief."
You chuckled a bit, amused by how Yoongi still managed to steal something during all the chaos. Despite how slow he was (especially when he was half-asleep), he was still very sneaky, which was definitely a good trait.
Jin, on the other hand, did not looked impressed at all. He narrowed his eyes at Yoongi with crossed arms, his lips curled down, turning into a frown. You noticed that their heights matched, even though Yoongi was standing and Jin was sitting, which almost made you burst into laughter. "What else did you steal?"
Yoongi casually sucked on his lollipop and took out something else from his other pocket. "You spoiled rich kids and your credit cards. Was a duplicate really necessary?"
"It's not a duplicate," Jin hissed, taking his other credit card from Yoongi. "A ghost account is registered on that credit card. Since I'm a politician's son, I've received a lot of threats, so I use that to prevent them from tracing my whereabouts."
"...For once, Yoongi, I'm glad that you stole something," Jin gave you a look after you said those words, Yoongi smiling widely at your compliment, almost genuinely. "Come on, Jin, you should be glad. If he didn't, we wouldn't have any money."
Jin sighed, holding back his urge to form a water ball and drown Yoongi on the spot, and put on a face mask, which covered his face from his nose to his chin. He started the engine of the motorcycle and gestured at you to sit behind him. "Hop on, Sky. Fortunately, the mall is close, so we'll be there in about ten minutes... That is, if Yoongi here can catch up with that skateboard of his."
"You underestimate me," Yoongi placed the skateboard on the ground and stepped on it. He held the lollipop in between his fingers, licking his lips, a small smirk on his face. "Watch me outrun you before you can even inhale."
Jin smirked back as you sat behind him and tightly held his waist, knowing what was coming. "It's a race then."
-
Despite the chaotic race that took place (and nearly puking on Jin's back), Yoongi and Jin arrived at the same time, the race ending in a draw. You were surprised by how Yoongi was able to match with Jin's speed but you were still glad that there was no winner. At least, nobody had the right to be cocky.
Yoongi and Jin entered the mall with no problem but you had to hide your knife in the compartment of Jin's motorcycle, since the metal detectors would definitely pick it up, and you didn't want the guards to think that you were carrying a weapon with you. You just hoped that no hostile enemies would attack you, since you were defenseless.
Since it was near October, the mall was decorated with Halloween items, making you stare in awe. Plastic bats hung from the ceiling, supported by thin nylon wires, cobweb stickers adorning the boutiques' glass windows. Some of the employees were even wearing a different variety of costumes, making you feel the aura of Halloween even more.
Yoongi was approached by a vampire, making him step back, his back hitting Jin's chest. "Hello! Would you like to try these blood tarts? They're bloody delicious!"
Yoongi was about to spit fire (figuratively not literally) at the salesman for making him jump in his skin, but Jin stopped him, stepping in between the two with a smile on his face.
The salesman smiled, his fake fangs exposed. Somehow, this reminded you of the darkness gem bearer, making you wonder where he was. "Would you like to try one, sir?"
Jin wordlessly took a tart from the tray and ate it in one bite. You were about to protest, since you didn't trust random food sample salesman, but stopped when he hummed, his eyes wide because of the explosion of strawberry and chocolate in his mouth. "These are good."
"Would you like to buy a half-dozen set? They're only five dollars!"
"Did you really have to buy it?," Yoongi slurred, the lollipop balanced in his mouth, as Jin munched on the second tart he was eating. "We've only got a limited amount of cash and you spend some on stupid blood tarts."
"Didn't you say you were hungry, Yoongi?," Jin said with a full mouth, handing you the box of tarts. You carefully took one, examining it, before slowly taking a bite. Your eyes widened because of how good it tasted.
"You should try one, Yoongi," You swallowed the tart and took another one from the box. "This tastes unbelievably good."
"...No thanks," Yoongi eyed the tarts as Jin handed him the box, his eyes glued to the red frosting, which, for him, was just too red.
"Suit yourself," Jin shrugged, handing the box to you. "More for Sky and I."
Yoongi just stared at the two of you marvelling over the tarts, the lollipop twirling in his mouth. He felt a bit suspicious towards the salesman, especially because he had disappeared after selling some tarts to Jin (unfortunately, only Yoongi noticed), as if that was the only thing he needed to do.
But what was Yoongi supposed to tell them? That those tarts might be poisonous? He was sure that the two of you, especially Jin, would just think of him as paranoid.
Maybe Yoongi really was over thinking. Maybe the employee was just taking a break and maybe there was nothing more to the tarts but it's strawberry filling and chocolate base.
"Hand me one, blondie," Yoongi said, sticking out of his hand with a gesture, the other one holding his lollipop. He had heard his stomach grumble, which made him change his mind.
"Took you a while to decide to go with your well-being," Jin said cockily and handed the box, which had only two tarts left, to Yoongi.
Yoongi took the pastry in between his fingers, raising his eyebrows at the gooey red frosting as he inspected it. He shrugged, opening his mouth to take a bite, his stomach going wild at the idea of food.
However, before Yoongi could eat the tart, someone crashed into him, causing him to drop the box and the tarts, which landed frosting-first on the floor.
Yoongi was fuming as he adjusted his butt, which was in the air, because he had just lost the only food he had. He was so angry that his eyes glowed orange for a split-second and his palms started to warm. "Are you blind?! You stupid little fu---"
"I'm terribly sorry about my friend," Jin bent down on his knees, shooting a glare at Yoongi for his words, before looking back at the stranger with a smile. "Are you alright?"
You took this moment as an opportunity to scan the stranger. He was wearing a black jacket, his hood concealing half of his face, only revealing his thick lips. From where you stood, you could only see one of his eyes, which was wide open. He was wearing dark blue pants paired with expensive-looking Nikes.
Something rolled on the floor and hit the tip of your foot, making you look down and see the jar of pickled strawberries. You then the noticed the plastic bag in the stranger's hands, the contents spilling out.
You instantly kneeled down to pick up the items, gathering them in your hands. You picked up the jar, a tissue roll, a screwdriver and lastly, a magazine.
The magazine, to be precise, caught your eye, since its cover was colorful, almost too colorful. On the cover was man in a tuxedo, standing out because of all the colors in the background, a top hat tipped over his orangey blonde hair, covering one of his eyes. He held a cane in his hand, while the other held a vintage microphone. His smile was cheeky and genuine, his cheeks round like two oranges.
The name of the man was written at the bottom left corner of the magazine, just below some featured article previews, in bold yet small letters: Park Jimin, singer and actor.
You flicked your eyes towards the stranger, who was standing up, his head bent low, concealing his face even more. Then, you saw something glow in the corner of your eye.
It was your watch.
"He's a wonder," K suddenly whispered, making you jump since it was so silent.
"No shit, K," You pocketed the items and approached the stranger, your watch glowing even more. Jin was still apologizing and Yoongi was still fuming behind him. "Um, excuse me sir, you dropped---"
"I-I'm sorry," The man's high-pitched voice squeaked before he ran off, not even bothering to take the items he dropped. Jin just stared in confusion, while Yoongi calmed down, finally.
"Wait!," Too late. The man was already out of sight, so you tugged on your head in utter and complete frustration. "Shit."
"Sky, what's—," Jin paused when he caught sight of your glowing watch, his eyes slowly widening like two ceramic plates. Yoongi looked over his shoulder, tip-toeing to do so, and gasped lightly when he saw it as well. "Oh no."
"Oh yes," You said with gritted teeth before sprinting. For sure, the man would still be in the mall by now, and you just had to be quick enough to find him again. "We have to find him!"
"Sky, wait for us!," Jin sprinted as well, disappearing into the crowd, leaving Yoongi standing alone with an empty box of tarts.
"Why do they have to be so quick?," Yoongi grunted and tossed the box towards a trash can, not even bothering to run, and walked calmly in the crowd. He stopped when he felt something slimey under his shoe, and looked down to see the tart. "Fuck, really?"
When Yoongi bent down to scrape the tart off his shoe, he noticed something very strange about the pastry. The strawberry filling was glowing... purple?
Yoongi took a while but he had finally connected the dots. However, you and Jin were already out of sight. "Damn it!"
-
"What's his name?"
You were currently running through the crowd, trying to catch sight of the man, which was hard since black was everywhere, due to it being close to Halloween.
"Running off without a wonder was too hasty of a move, Sky," K said, her voice strained, which honestly made you a bit worried. She was gone for a while, did something happen to her? "Oh, and his name is Park Jimin."
You paused, glancing back at the magazine in your hands, which you had unconsciously brought with you. "He bought a magazine... with himself on the cover?"
"Ah, so this wonder is... what was it? I did study this term in school... Ah, yes, arrogant. An arrogant move," Again, K spoke as if humans were a subject to study, which just frustrated you. "Sky..."
"Yeah?"
"I can sense... a strong energy of darkness from you. Did you consume anything questionable?"
"What do you—"
You were cut off by a sharp pain in your head, which was so powerful and unexpected that it made you collapse. You could hear K speaking but you couldn't make out her words, since there was a loud screeching in your ears.
Your eyes shook and everything turned into a blur. You tugged on your hood, flinching when you saw figures approaching you. Monsters, monsters everywhere.
You took out the screwdriver from your pocket and stood in a fighting stance. The letter engraved on your hand glowed, your eyes becoming glazy white, the screwdriver glowing as well and turning into a sword.
No thoughts entered your mind. With sharp breaths, you kept swinging your weapon, screaming at the monsters to get away. The figures shuffled around, some screaming, others running, and you furiously swung your sword.
Finally, you understood one of K's screams: "Sky, why are you attacking people?!"
-
Jin stopped running when he realized that he had separated himself from both you and Yoongi. He sighed and pulled off his helmet, running a hand through his hair. Since he was wearing a face mask, he didn't really need to wear it.
Suddenly, Jin felt dizzy, so he leaned on the wall for support. Some of the people passing by asked him if he was in need of assistance but he told them he didn't, saying it was just a mild headache.
Fortunately enough, the bathroom was near, so Jin bursted into the room, nearly breaking the door in the process. Now he was really dizzy, wobbly, and held onto the sink for support.
Jin looked at the mirror, his eyes burning, and noticed that he was alone in the bathroom. Well, not exactly alone. He was the only human inside, the rest of them being monsters, similar to Sam.
It was strange, Jin admitted, since everything but the monsters were a blur in his eyes. He didn't question this, however, and decided that he had to exterminate the monsters quietly, to prevent them from attacking civilians.
Jin bent his head downwards to hide his eyes, which were now blue. He glanced behind him to make sure that none of the monsters were looking, before making a motion with his fingers, water flowing out of the faucets.
However, before Jin could attack, he suddenly had the urge to puke. The water gem was a healing gem, so it could naturally heal its bearer.
Jin coughed loudly, a mixture of red and purple sludge slipping out of his throat. Once it was all out, his vision cleared and all the monsters, who turned black to humans.
It only took a matter of seconds for Jin to realize that he was hallucinating and that the strange sludge was from the tart he ate. He gritted his teeth, mad at himself for his over-politeness, then he remembered that you had eaten the tart as well.
"I'm so stupid... Sky!"
-
"Sky, stop it!," Yoongi screamed as he bent his knees to dodge your sword, the blade knocking his beanie off his head. "It's me, Yoongi!"
In your eyes, every other living creature was a monster, which was a hallucination caused by the enchanted blood tart.
Since Yoongi had no idea how to help, he knew that his priority right now was to get the people to safety. Seeing that you had exposed your abilities, he didn't think exposing his own would make a difference, so he summoned flames in his hands, making a circle of fire around you and him. "Everyone, stay away!"
All the people shuffled backwards and you stopped, confused because all the figures were gone.
"Yoongi!," Jin had entered, using water from the fountain's mall to slide quickly into the circle of fire, without breaking the flames. He landed right next to the other bearer, staring at you, who was still in a confused state.
"You weren't affected by the tart?," Yoongi had his eyebrow raised, slightly hoping that Jin was.
"I was," Jin glanced at Yoongi through the corner of his eyes. "But I kinda... puked it out."
"I told you buying those blood tarts was a bad idea."
"Shut up, Yoongi."
Yoongi smirked a bit, which faded when he remembered the seriousness of the situation."How do you think will we cure Cloud?"
"I have an idea," Jin cracked his knuckles and formed a water ball over his palm. "Grab Sky and make sure to pin her limbs. I'll be using the water to take the tart out of her stomach."
"...What?!," Yoongi nearly breathed out flames, due to what she just heard. "You'll drown her!"
"I won't," Jin made eye contact with Yoongi, his blue orbs meeting with Yoongi's orange ones. "Trust me."
Yoongi knew he had no other choice. He gritted his teeth, saying two words before sprinting towards you: "Two percent."
-
Meanwhile, the hooded man, whose name was Park Jimin, was hiding in an abandoned warehouse just outside the mall. On his way out, a fan had spotted, so the news of him being outside spread like wildfire, and he had no choice but to hide, for the sake of his own life.
Jimin pulled down his hood, running a hand through his dyed hair after he realized that he had mindlessly ran off and left all the stuff he bought. He sat down and leaned on the stack of boxes, listening to the screams and clicks of cameras outside.
Sometimes, Jimin regretted becoming a celebrity, but what other choice did he have? Yes,, he did enjoy his job and yes, he did have a passion towards music and acting but he couldn't help but think, was it really worth exchanging his freedom for fame?
Since it was dark, Jimin almost dropped his cellphone, which he took out of his pocket. He pressed the number that was on speed dial, anxiously whispering for the person to pick up his call, his knees close to his chest. The ringtone of the other person was one of Jimin's songs, Lie, and the singer couldn't help but crack a small smile.
"Manager Kang," Jimin sighed out in relief after his manager picked up the call. However, he only heard breathing through the other side, and he knew what was coming. "I'm sorry---"
"I know, Jimin. It's all over the news," Manager Kang's words made Jimin tense up, since he was obviously pissed. "Don't worry I won't rat at you for sneaking out, just... Where exactly are you?"
"Warehouse across the mall," Jimin flinched when the cheers outside worsened and he could hear his name being chanted. "I'm surrounded."
"Of course you are," Manager Kang sighed, obviously stressed out by the situation. "Stay where you are."
The call ended and Jimin sighed, banging his head on the boxes multiple times. He glanced at his hand, which was adorned with accessories, since he loved collecting those little items he wore on his fingers.
To be precise, the ring on his pinky finger was handed down to him from his father. It had the biggest stone among the others, although it was grey, lacking any color.
Jimin smiled at the memories made with that ring, unkown to him that a powerful force was hidden inside the gem, just waiting to be unlocked.
-
A/N - Ayeeee Park Jimin in da house! He's literally an angel have you guys seen how much he supported the other members when their short films were released omg ;;;
On another note, #HappyNamjoonDay! Our leader is 22 years old! Always remember that mistakes and flaws don't matter and what's really important is that you've inspired (insfired) lots of people with your compositions! ARMYs love you! <3
Also, since my updates will be slow, I decided to make long chapters yay! What do you guys think is Jimin's gem? ;)
Thanks so much for the support of T7W and Enigma! If you huns liked this chapter, please vote, comment and a follow would be loved! Please anticipate Chapter 12~