PERSONA ✓

42.

Hoseok peeled his eyes open slowly. The first thing he noticed was the silence. His vision was blurry and he could feel that his suit was wet with blood, but he stayed on the ground. He slowly angled his head so he could see a wider view of the room.

All of his team members were unconscious. The mind controlled people were tying them up. Hoseok noticed the handcuffs they put around Namjoon's hands specifically---probably some sort of power dampening cuffs. No one paid attention to Hoseok on the ground. Everyone must've thought he was dead.

Of course Doyoon was attempting to kill Hoseok out of the entire team. Hoseok was his pawn that had defied him: it was a blow to Doyoon's pride, if anything.

Fuck you, thought Hoseok. I lived.

When he saw Doyoon re-enter the room, he closed his eyes quickly and willed himself to slow his breathing.

With his eyes closed, he was only able to hear the monotone voice of one of Doyoon's henchmen who was under control: "What do we do with Shadow?"

Hoseok heard footsteps approach. He continued to play dead. He didn't move when he felt the tip of Doyoon's shoe nudge his head.

"Is he really dead?" asked one of the henchmen.

Doyoon hummed. Hoseok almost screamed when he felt Doyoon's shoe nudge his wound. His side burned with pain, and even with his eyes closed, Hoseok saw stars. He thought he might have passed out from the pain.

"He's dead," said Doyoon. "I almost feel bad. Young one, huh? Well, it's not like anyone even wanted him around. Persona, though... that kid would have caused problems. And same with the glasses one."

"What do we do with Shadow?" the voice repeated. It seemed that, under control, they only wanted their next instructions.

"Leave him for now. Go and make sure no one in Seoul is evading mind control. If they are, bring them to me. Then return here for further instruction."

There was a large thunder of footsteps as the citizens left, and then only Doyoon was left. Hoseok heard his footsteps head over to the other side of the room, where the windows were. Then he heard something that sounded like a drink being poured into a glass---he was celebrating.

Then Hoseok heard light music begin to play. Some type of classical music, but Hoseok didn't know it.

Hoseok opened his eyes again. Doyoon's back was turned and he was looking out the window at the city he'd destroyed. Now was Hoseok's chance.

Before he began to move, he saw Jungkook's leg twitch. He was awake as well.

Hoseok crawled over to him, not making a noise even though his body felt like it was tearing apart with every movement. He rested a hand on Jungkook's leg and shook it gently.

Jungkook flinched. He was tied up, but still in the same position he was in when Doyoon had slammed his head against the table. His suit was still on, but powered down, and his forehead was bleeding.

Jungkook was looking at Hoseok with teary eyes. Hoseok just squeezed his leg and then pointed at the large mind control machine. Jungkook rolled over a bit and revealed a small contraption in his hand. It looked like it would latch onto the machine and somehow destroy it. He must've worked on it in the few minutes before Doyoon knocked him unconscious.

Jungkook, though tied tightly, put the contraption on the ground and nudged it towards Hoseok, and then pointed at the machine. Hoseok grabbed it and crawled to the machine. He could feel himself leaving a trail of blood behind as he moved. When he reached a hand out to latch the contraption to the machine, he winced, but he continued.