• Mastermind • | NamJin || BOOK 3#

Twenty-One. Explaining the upgrades

"The reason I don't want you to be an Altered yet, is because I have a more specific plan for you" Namjoon informs pouring a glass of wine. Jin takes it, quietly thanking him. "Between that, is that you're going to be very, very different from them. An Altered, but a completely new type that, as far as I know" he clarifies with a glass in his hand, leaning on his desk as he faces Jin, "no one has done." He points at him and Jin cocks his head.

"I-in what way? An Altered is an Altered, there's no other way-"

"My plan is this," Namjoon sits down in front of Jin, who holds the cup in both hands. "I'm going to place a series of implants in your head. They will be multiple high-end, high-frequency processors in order to make your head become, to put it simply, a computer. The most powerful one that can exist."

"b-but... but it sounds..."

"It's less critical than you think" Namjoon interrupts, rolling his eyes. "And just think: Why go everywhere with a computer in your hands? If you can have it here" He taps his head, "you'll be the most effective security method on the planet. I'd put some other things like readers in your eyes, maybe some port on your neck or wrist so you can connect directly to computers..."

Namjoon continues to rant on about it and Jin has a concern: will he still be human if he does all that with his body? Will he still feel? Will he still be Jin? He is frightened by the idea of losing himself, of no longer perceiving himself. Namjoon realizes that uneasiness. "I'm testing on other people. I'm rehearsing and testing myself to make sure it's safe for you."

"Will it still be me?" asks Jin quietly, uneasy, scared like a child, without even having taken a sip of the wine.

Namjoon smiles at him, taking him by the face with one hand and pulling him close for a kiss on the forehead.

"If not, I will consider that I failed and lost the person I trust the most in life."

Jin lets out a deep breath and nestles his face in Namjoon's hand, smiling softly. Flattered and comforted by this. Namjoon for his part feels reassured, from the beginning he feared Jin was uneasy about the proposal. His acceptance brings him a great deal of calm.

As well as excitement to go to his new project. The most ambitious one so far.

┈ ⋞ ⟨ ✷ ⟩ ⋟ ┈

Jin gives a snort, trying to accommodate everything needed for the new shelter. Namjoon is going to keep his house, as usual. It's also a facade. However, if his plan to make more Altered comes to fruition, besides Jimin coming and going in and out carelessly, a more discreet place is needed.

Immediately, Jin felt the best alternative is to have it underground. From the little he has discovered about Hoseok, he is not entirely comfortable with being cornered. The pressure forces him to have a slight survival instinct. That is, he's not going to try to burn anything.

It's not like he can at the moment. They have Hoseok sedated and frozen in one of the secret labs in the house. For safety and punishment. Namjoon already ruled that he'll come out when they have the new place or if necessary a high destruction arsonist. Jin gives a sigh, resting his cheek on his palm.

"I saw a pretty boy today" Jin looks to the right, where Jimin is sitting. He wears a full black suit with some white lines. "He has a little thing on his lip. He shines a lot and His eyes are beautiful too!" He shrugs with a smile and Jin smiles faintly, touched by his excitement, "but I don't think I can meet him again."

"Maybe you can. Fate is a curious thing. Namjoon and I found each other despite how unlikely it would be. As well as he'll notice me" Jin rambles with that happy and in love gesture of his that Jimin is used to see him as soon as the subject is Namjoon. That is to say: almost all the time. "Or that he would consider that I'm useful to him.... There are so many possible things! So many! Maybe you can see that cute boy again."

"He looks like a puppy."

Jin laughs and shakes his head. Jimin compares everything to animals. He's very similar to Namjoon in that. Jimin presses his cheek with Jin's, watching what he does.

"It's a blueprint for the new house" Jin informs and Jimin pulls out his lip. "I made your room big and if you want any specific thing, Namjoon told me you can ask for it, I plan it." Jimin gives a squeak, shrugging his shoulders excitedly.

"Are we moving because someone saw me go out the window?"

"No, but it's likely to happen."

Jimin stretches and leans against Jin, checking the floor plan. Jin thinks he doesn't understand. How is he going to do it? Jimin didn't even finish high school. He's virtually harmless. On the same level as Hoseok. At least that's how he and Namjoon play it.

Jimin points to a room on the screen.

"If you leave Hobi's room near the lab or the kitchen, he's going to blow up as soon as he decides to smoke in his room. Throw the butts anywhere, break a wall enough and it all goes pandemonium" Draw a line to the exit. "And we're all too far from the main entrance or exit, even the secondary exit and this one you've got hidden. You're going to kill us all. I don't think that's the point... I assume that's the point of these explosives here."

Jin turns sharply towards him and Jimin takes off with a few jumps. Jin looks at his blueprint and then at Jimin's back, who has just left the room. "How do you know what each line means if it doesn't have the names on it!?" he asks.

"BECAUSE I FUCKED LEESEUNG!"

Jin brings his hands to his face Did Leeseung seriously teach him about these things? "Sure~, because if he doesn't get lost when he has to infiltrate.... oh no" He covers his face with his hands. Namjoon that very specific: Jimin is already a danger with how cocky and intuitive he can be. Better not to give him too many tools.

"It's Leeseung's fault, not mine, not mine... it's his fault for thinking with his penis, not my fault for trusting that others won't do his job right. I did everything right. I did everything right" Jin squeezes his eyes shut and turns back to the computer, taking a breath before continuing with the blueprint. "I love my job, I love my job..." says Jin to himself.

Because of course he loves babysitting two people as unstable as a nuclear power plant.

Yes, he loves it.

┈ ⋞ ⟨ ✷ ⟩ ⋟ ┈

"Royal Pharmaceutic has a plan to create a protective drug for whatever is causing trouble lately" Seokjin gets up from his seat. Namjoon endures as best he can the teasing about it: the problem is Smiley Face. Everyone has become addicted, but it hasn't reached the authorities' ears that it's a drug. They think it's a disease or a new obsessive-compulsive disorder. "I am perfectly aware that you are one of the most important and capable genetic engineers in this country."

"Not one of them, I'm the only one," clarifies Namjoon swinging his leg. "After all, if you were any different, you wouldn't be asking me for help, you'd be recruiting everyone who thinks they can do it."

"If that's the way you want to put it, go for it" Seokjin demurs with disinterest and Namjoon squints his eyes, irritated. "The only thing that's certain is that I need your help."

"How nice of you to admit it." chirps Namjoon with a hand on his chest.

Seokjin gives a snort, looking away. Into the office enters a person with a folder. Namjoon takes a look at it. It's someone cute. The almost anomalous closeness with Seokjin gives him to know what the relationship is between the two. "So you have a boyfriend? Now that's a surprise to me." admits Namjoon with a cynical smile.

"Taehyung, leave" The employee leaves silently, not even looking at Namjoon properly. "What I do or don't do is not your problem. What is, is this. This is an outline of possible alternatives, also all the tests we've been able to run on the victims."

Namjoon stands up and leans back on the desk, taking the papers and leaning toward Seokjin, who furrows his eyebrows. "You're still a scared little boy, why don't you look me in the eye?"

Seokjin freezes in place, bristling and nervous. Namjoon gives a chuckle, bristling and looking over the documents he's just been handed. Inwardly, he keeps shuffling the idea that, perhaps, he can use this to his advantage. More than he initially had in mind. Especially considering that Seokjin came to him so willingly.