21 - RESCUE: AGENT S & AGENT P -

"Shit," Hoseok whispered, staring blankly at one of the monitors that now had a straight line instead of a zigzagging one. "Suga's heartbeat stopped."

Moments later, Jin's as well.

Everybody was silent, and not a sound was heard inside the van.

Jimin didn't know what to feel. He didn't know if he should be angry, or sad, or go crazy with all the shit that's happening. It's like his very soul left his body. He felt nothing, and at the same time, he felt everything.

A tear dropped.

Then another.

And more.

His trembling hands were fisted and his tears continued to fall but he was just there, sitting idly and staring at the floor of the van, not speaking a word.

This is not happening, he tried convincing himself. This is just a dream. I'd wake up soon and Suga-hyung will be there beside me, alive and sleeping peacefully just like the last time we slept beside each other.

This is all just a bad dream.

Even to his own mind, Jimin sounded desperate.

"Does that mean that they both..." he heard someone whisper. It sounded like Jungkook.

Jimin was too preoccupied with his own thoughts that he had not noticed that Jungkook and Taehyung were already in the verge of tears, having just realized what happened to the two agents who risked their lives to save them.

Jungkook's lips were wobbling as he held on Taehyung tightly, feeling dread all over him.

The whole van was still quiet, but Jimin's mind was not. It was full of thoughts at once. The happy memories, the irritating memories, the regrets. All of it. And everything was about his Suga-hyung. His Suga-hyung who was always there to comfort him. His Suga-hyung with the mischievous smirk and gummy smile. His Suga-hyung who always argued with him.

This is not happening.

Jimin was drowning, he was drowning in all his emotions, in all his thoughts.

He almost did not hear it when Hoseok suddenly spoke.

"Wait. Something's happening."

Jimin's head snapped up so quickly. His hyung's voice was serious, and his face even more so, as he stared at the monitor displaying the status of Suga's and Jin's pulse rate. From where Jimin was seated, he couldn't see what was displayed there.

"There are weak heartbeats coming from them. They're...they're alive..."

Jimin hadn't been faster in his life as he stood up and walked over to where Hoseok was.

"But I don't think they're conscious," Hoseok explained. "It looks like even the receiver in their lapels are confiscated so we can't communicate with them. I can still track them though. The enemies haven't noticed the tracker behind their ears."

Jimin blinked.

They're still alive.

"We should save them!" were the words that came out from Jimin's mouth. He sounded so determined, even to his own ears.

Hoseok looked unsure at the suggestion. "I don't really think that's a good idea, Jimin. The main mission here is to keep you safe. I can't leave you be and save them. It's either I try to ask another agent to help or I would try to contact Y. Those are the only options I've got."

Jimin shook his head. "You can't contact any other agents! There's no one you can trust, that's what Uncle Ta-, I mean what Y said. Also, it's impossible to contact Y now. Hyung, we have to save them."

This made the other boy look confused. "If I go and save them, where would I leave you to keep you safe. The situation will just get worse, Jiminie."

"Who said you'll be leaving me?"

Hoseok narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "What do you mean?"

"We'll save them. The three of us will go with you! We can help!"

"What?! No way-"

"Jiminie is right!" This time, it was Jungkook who spoke. "I know martial arts, and Taetae is good with his reflexes and had once learned professional wrestling. We can help!"

Taehyung nodded solemnly, eyes wide and mouth agape.

Just how Jimin missed these two dorks.

Looking conflicted, Hoseok stared at them. "You know that this is a really bad idea, right?"

"But hyung, you're good at making gadgets and whatsoever. I'm pretty sure you have something there that the three of us can use to protect ourselves. Also, you specialize at disguises! We can just disguise so that they will not know it's me or something," Jimin said quickly, saying just about anything that came to his mind to persuade Hoseok.

Hoseok stared at the three hopeful faces, all full of youth yet determined to die just to save Suga and Jin.

It was a long stretch of silence and Jimin thought that his hyung would decline.

"S would kill me for this. I know he would," his Hobi-hyung said in utter defeat, making Jimin smile so widely his cheeks hurt.

Jungkook blinked his two doe-like eyes. "Does that mean you're letting us help?"

"Please say yes, please say yes, please say yes," Taehyung muttered as he stared at Hoseok, rubbing his palms together.

Hoseok sighed. "Yes, I will. But you should go by my rules or we're not doing it."

The three nodded enthusiastically.

-+-+-+-

Hoseok opened a large trunk that was conveniently placed under the couch inside the van. The three unsuspecting young lads blinked.

"These are special suits," Hoseok explained, pointing at what was inside the trunk. "It's made of a special material that's light and at the same time, can minimize the impact of bullets if you are shot from a long-range point. You will be wearing these."

They all nodded in unison, peeking inside the trunk.

"That's daebak..." Taehyung commented in wonder, blinking his two wide eyes.

Hoseok cleared his throat, seeming a bit embarrassed at being awed by the three. "Other than that, we'll also be wearing masks. This is mainly to hide our identity, especially Jimin."

He then fished a plain-looking black mask that can cover the whole head. Jungkook looked like he wanted to touch it so badly, Jimin looked like he was about to touch it, and Taehyung, well, he just poked it curiously and then went ahead to smell it.

Hoseok gave him a weird look before continuing. "The special feature of this mask is that it can't be taken off unless willed by the user. That means even if the enemy has the opportunity to uncover the mask, he would not be able to."

Jungkook gasped. "Will it like...stick to our skin? Be one with our skin? BECOME OUR SKIN?"

Hoseok gave another weird look. "I...honestly don't know how to react, but no, it won't. It has a special lock that can detect if the user wants to take it off or not. In simple terms, I placed a special chip that can read simple brain instructions. Somewhat like how we recognize a stimuli that passes our nerves. Do you understand?"

Jimin shook his head.

Jungkook shook his head.

Taehyung nodded. "It can read miiiiiiiiiiinds!"

"What? No, it can't really do that. It can just detect if- You know what, never mind."

"So it doesn't stick to our skin like in The Mask movie?" Jungkook inquired, hopping on his feet.

Hoseok sighed. "It doesn't do that. The lock is strong, but it can still be taken off. It would just take them long to do it. Now, since doing this mission is like feeding Jimin to them, we need to make sure that he will not be recognized...even if the mask gets taken off. Just in case."

"Mmm," Taehyung said seriously. "Should he wear a mask under the mask then? And if in case they will still be able to take it off, should Jiminie wear another mask under the mask that is under the main mask?"

This made Hoseok blinked. And blinked again. And blinked again.

Jungkook elbowed Taehyung. "Jimin-hyung wouldn't be able to breathe that way. There should be only two layers of mask!"

"But we have to make sure! There should be a way to breathe properly..." Taehyung insisted.

"I can handle four layers of mask! I'll try," Jimin put in, eyes hopeful and seeming ready to do anything just to save his two hyungs.

"Your nose will become flat!" Jungkook said rapidly, his hands flying in the effort to emphasize his words. "Plus, the mask will become one with our skin-"

"No, I did not say that-" Hoseok tried to insert, but his qualms were unheard by them.

"-and it will probably be very weird to have four layers of mask sticking to your skin!" Jungkook finished.

Jimin frowned, seemingly trying hard to think of another way.

The eldest in the group stared at them tiredly. Hoseok sighed for the tenth time. These kids were too excited for their own good.

"It's not like that. Jiminie doesn't need to wear many layers of mask and once again, the mask won't stick to your skin. I've just known you Jungkook-ah and you seem to be really cute and adorable, but nope, a mask sticking to the skin is real damn creepy. I can just imagine taking it off and the skin will be peeled away with it. You've got quite the imagination, child."

Hoseok then faced Jimin. "And as for you, I've got a special set of make-up and prosthetics here. I can easily change your appearance, I don't know, maybe change your hair as well and skin tone."

The three widened their eyes in amazement. They started arguing about Jimin disguising as GD or Taeyang from that famous KPop group that Hoseok was not that familiar with. He just shrugged his shoulder and focused on the more important thing.

"There's one more thing, though."

The three went silent almost immediately and turned to him.

Hoseok calmly fished out a pen from his pocket and slowly turned it over and over. And then, without a warning, he threw the pen towards Taehyung's left shoulder in a fast jerking motion in such a way that he knew even a person that's good at reflexes couldn't manage to catch the pen.

Taehyung caught it.

Without even blinking an eye.

Without even exerting any effort at all.

Hoseok gasped loudly.

"H-How did you...?"

Seeing what happened, Jungkook beamed a smile, looking so proud. "I told you. He's really good."

Well, that was surprising, but Hoseok recovered fast from the shock and did not waste time to suddenly attack Jungkook by throwing a jab at his stomach in a speed as fast as lightning. The younger boy who was about to speak more awhile ago widened his eyes, but he was able to dodge the attack and locked Hoseok's arm under his armpit.

Good, Hoseok thought.

That was close, and if Hoseok took it more seriously, he would've easily landed a punch, but damn, the kid has talent. Jungkook seemed to be skillful in martial arts just as he had said.

"Whoa, hyung!" Jungkook shouted.

Hoseok flashed him a blinding smile and pulled back his arm from the younger's hold. "I have no problem with you Jimin since you were trained by S, but I needed to test you two if you could really survive. Turns out you're way better than I expected."

The oldest then tilted his head, contemplating these three kids that he needed to babysit and bring with him in the mission. The idea was surreal, even stupid. He knew he had a big chance of being kicked by S in the ass, especially that he would be endangering Jimin's life.

But these three were determined, and they had guts.

And Hoseok didn't really think he could refuse them for so long, he's too soft for cute young lambs.

"Should we start planning our rescue operation now?" Hoseok asked.

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