Exes and Superher-o's

Part 21

He kneels, arms bound behind his back on the floor. When you enter, he lurches forward, but the cuffs hold him back. Blood trickles from a cut on his forehead, his dark bruises visible even from here.

"Y/N," Seokjin breathes, squinting through his swollen eye. "Run."

You refuse to move. There's no way in hell you're leaving him like this. Dimly, you realize Yoongi has been caught as well. He lies, unconscious and bound, on the floor behind Seokjin.

A soft chuckle comes from behind.

Whirling around, you reach for your power and find – nothing. Titanium weighs upon you from every angle. Its presence is suffocating, making your head throb and pound.

Between you and the door stands the Head Agent, the barrel of his gun trained on your heart. In your peripheral, you see two more agents step from the shadows. Their guns remain fixed on Seokjin, helpless without the aid of his powers.

The Head Agent looks the same as the last time you saw him. Barely older than yourself, he walks across the room in an immaculate suit.

"That won't work here," he says, observing your raised hands. "Titanium walls. Cost a fortune to put in. Pity they don't work on the made supers, but we've found a way around that."

Keeping his gun steady, the Head Agent comes to a stop.

"Potent stuff, this serum," he muses. "It allows someone else to make a decision, only to then interject and send a new command to their body. You'd think you were about to do one thing, only to find yourself doing something completely different."

All around, the gentle woosh of the AC continues, uninterrupted. Each passing second circulates new serum through the vents. Desperate for a way out, you scan your surroundings but find nothing useful.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," the Head Agent comments.

"Do what?"

"If you try and free him" – He removes his safety – "one of my friends, here will have to shoot him. I image without his superpowers WWH will bleed out fairly quickly."

Immediately, you see red, but you refuse to react. Not with Seokjin's life on the line.

"What do you want," you grind out.

The Head Agent smiles. "To talk, that's all."

A bitter laugh leaves your throat. "I think our time for talking went out the window the second you called me a villain."

He makes a soft, tutting noise. "Not so. You, of all people, should understand the lure of a good comeback story. It'd be so easy for ISA to clear your name. We could say someone framed you – Ava, perhaps. I know you two have a history."

"You'd... betray Ava like that?"

"Ava does as she's told," he says simply. "Which can be useful, but not as useful as someone like you. With you on our side, the program could be unstoppable."

"Oh, please," you snap. "You can't seriously expect me to believe you'd take me back. I'm not stupid, and neither are you."

His lips twist in a smile, as though you've given him exactly what he needs. "Suit yourself." With a snap of his fingers, screens come to life. "But whether you choose to join us by force or coercion, that's up to you."

Mouth going dry, you stare at the screens. Livestreams of what's happening right now in the building stare back at you. In the hallway you left, more made supers have joined. Zephyr, Rowan, Hoseok, Katie, Jungkook and Siobhan continue to fight, but find themselves outnumbered.