UNTILL I MET YOU || JIKOOK

41

JUNGKOOK POV

Jungkook's frantic work was punctuated by updates through the touchstone.

On the battlefront, not much happened for the first while with no sign of the coming armada.

But there was activity all over the island as the guards took up key positions and the people took shelter.

He found the frequent interruptions distracting so it was with reluctance that he silenced the touchstone.

If Jimin wanted to contact him, he could but he would be free to focus on his work until then.

He'd been repairing seams for days finding the points where pieces of inert metal had been hammered into the rock to disrupt the signal.

The metal had to be removed without disrupting the seam and a silver patch created.

It was exhausting work, taking every bit of his attention.

When he started, only five of the sixteen spokes lit up when the machine was activated.

Hours later, when he tested it again, that number had gone up to eight. Half, but not the critical mass Jimin said they needed.

Jungkook wasn't sure how many it would take. Ten? Fourteen? All?

The time passed too quickly, hours racing by in what felt like it should have been minutes.

When the quiet got too much for him, he activated the touchstone again.

There was far less chatter over it now, every message purposeful and short.

Until the words he'd dreaded but had always known were coming.

"Engaging the armada now."

"Just south of Eylin Island."

Jimin's voice sounded strong and determined.

Jungkook couldn't but feel proud of his husband.

The King answered, strength meeting strength.

"Godspeed, my son. We await word of your victory."

But it wasn't their job to turn the tide of this fight.

It was Jungkook's.

He worked harder, pushing himself to the limit, and ran to the chamber to test the machine again.

Thirteen. Thirteen spokes and still nothing.

The noise from the touchstone gave a horrible window into what was happening out at sea.

They were fighting the battle of their lives. And they were losing.

The charm on his neck warmed and then he heard Jimin's voice through the touchstone.

"Baby?"

He scrambled for it, almost dropping it in his haste.

"Alpha?"

"If we're going to pull this off, it'll need to be soon."

"I still have three to go," he told him, almost in tears.

"I don't know why..." It should be working.

They were far past half, past what should have been critical mass, so why wasn't it working?

"Which three, Baby?"

He thought quickly.

"Um... west-northwest, west-southwest, and south-southeast."