PERSONA ✓

37.

Hoseok hadn't really expected anything to change over the course of one week. It would be wishful thinking to expect that anyone would brush over the fact that he was---or, used to be---Seoul's most terrifying supervillain.

Though, people did back off after hearing that Yoongi had punched someone and broke their nose to defend Hoseok.

Taehyung still sort of ignored Hoseok, but not in the way that he did before. Now, it just seemed like Taehyung was used to hanging around Seokjin, Jungkook, and Yoongi more than he did the others. He never made any more jabs at Hoseok, which Hoseok was grateful for. It seemed he was serious about his apology.

Hoseok could feel the threat looming over their heads of not knowing what Doyoon was going to do next. There was obvious tension in everyone's shoulders; they were fighting an enemy who was unpredictable, who might make a huge next step that would put Seoul---and then the world---underneath his control.

As the team sat at lunch that day at school, Jungkook had cleared his throat. The librarian hushed him aggressively and he winced, nodding sheepishly. When she was finally gone, Jungkook said in a whisper, "Guys, guys. I made something for all of you." Then he paused and corrected himself. "Well, I made something for everyone but Namjoon and Hoseok. Sorry, you two, but you already have superpowers, so get in line."

Namjoon raised an eyebrow, taking a drink of the coffee he'd gotten from the mall---it was a hassle to get it, because he had been crowded by adoring Persona fans. Even now, the only way that they had privacy in the library was because the librarian was strict and refused to allow the loud crowd of fans inside, and because Yoongi had threatened to punch anyone who tried to force their way into the library. No one wanted to mess with Yoongi.

"What could you have made?" Taehyung asked curiously.

"Well, you'll see after school. Make sure you come by our house, okay?"

"I'm surprised no one has broken into your house yet," Jimin said. "Y'know, looking for Namjoon or something."

"Our parents did threaten to sue anyone who tried to get onto the property," Namjoon chimed in. "I doubt anyone wants a case like that on their hands."

"I'm kinda worried about what you have planned for us, JK." Seokjin straightened in his seat and took a piece of chocolate from Taehyung's lunchbox. He split it in two, leaving the bigger half in Taehyung's lunchbox, before munching on the smaller half. "I mean, you're like one of those mad scientists. For all we know, you could be initiating the beginning of an insane prank war."

Jungkook made a face like he was considering it. "Y'know what, once we beat Doyoon, I'm definitely going to start a prank war. Thanks for the idea, Seokjin hyung!" When Seokjin groaned, Jungkook just continued, "You're gonna love my surprise, though. They're literally custom made."

"This is too vague," Jimin muttered. "If you got me the answer key to my Chem final, I would love you forever."

"I could easily hack into---"

"Jungkook, no," said Namjoon.

Jungkook wilted. "Fine. No answer keys. For now."

"Or ever," added Namjoon. When Namjoon wasn't looking, Jungkook stuck his tongue out at him.

-

They were at HQ, and Jimin couldn't believe his eyes. All he could let out was a small, "Dude..."

"You made us... suits?" Taehyung asked slowly.

It was true. In front of the members of Team Persona (excluding Namjoon, Hoseok, and Jungkook himself) stood 4 suits. They were metal ones, like exoskeletons. They reminded Jimin of Iron Man suits, sort of. They had blasters on the hands and everything. Knowing Jungkook, they probably had some kind of jet boots or something crazy like that.

"My biggest project yet!" Jungkook said proudly, his hands on his hips. "I made you guys tech suits! They're made for both offense and defense and have different capabilities. Jimin, yours is the blue. Taehyung's is the purple, Seokjin has the orange one, and Yoongi has the black one."

"What are these written on them?" Yoongi leaned in to inspect the arm of his black suit. "T.E.A.R.? Is that some acronym?"

Jimin glanced at his. It said Serendipity.

Jungkook gave a sheepish smile. "I was about to give them boring names, like A-2 or B-13. I decided to go for some cool sounding words instead."

"Mine says Epiphany." Seokjin grinned at his orange suit. "It sorta suits it, I guess. Haha. Suits it.'

Taehyung ignored the wordplay. "Mine is Singularity," he said.

"What does T.E.A.R. mean?" asked Yoongi. "Why do I have an acronym?"

Jungkook rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, yours was the first one I made, so I just called it the Technological Exoskeleton Artificial Reconnaissance." At the blank stares he got, Jungkook held up his hands. "Hey! It was hard to make a cool acronym, okay? And the suit's original purpose was, in fact, reconnaissance, but I upgraded them all to have a wider range of abilities."

"Do you have one?" asked Jimin.

"Mhm. It's not here right now, but mine is Euphoria. It's the colour yellow."

"And you worked on these when?" asked Seokjin.

"Yeah, when did you have the time?" Chimed in Namjoon. "I didn't even know you were doing this."

"They look so advanced as well," murmured Hoseok, looking at Jimin's suit with curious eyes. "Amazing..."

Jungkook shrugged, trying to act like he wasn't bursting with happiness at the validation. "Y'know, I worked on them here and there..." When he got a skeptical look from Namjoon, he added quickly, "I may have pulled a few all-nighters butit'sfinethesuitsarecoolhahaha---"

"Jungkook---" Namjoon began, exasperated and ready to berate the younger about how important sleep was. But Taehyung interrupted with a question that resulted in pin drop silence.

Taehyung said, "You made these because we are in a life or death situation."

Jimin counted the seconds of silence that came after Taehyung's surprisingly calm observation. Then, meekly, Jimin spoke up. "Hey, I don't think this is life or death. Isn't Doyoon's plan just global mind control? I---I mean, that's bad, very terrible, but not death."

Taehyung shook his head. "No. Team Persona is the only thing standing in Doyoon's way of complete control. For his plan to work, he'll need to eliminate us completely. Or at least subdue us until he gets us all under mind control as well. Judging by how determined he seems, I wouldn't put murder past him."

"...That's great," Yoongi muttered. "Fuck, I miss basketball."

Jungkook didn't answer Taehyung's prediction. Instead, he motioned to the suits. "I'll show you how to use them. By the end of the day, you'll be experts."

And that was where they left the conversation. Jungkook taught them how to use the blasters and how to fly (Jimin was right, there were jet boots). He showed them how to turn on the comms and access all the other features. The team had actually laughed when Namjoon transformed into Persona and tried to fight Seokjin's Epiphany, a fight which resulted in Seokjin doing cartwheels in mid-air.

They laughed, ignoring the sword hanging above their heads.