Midas Touch ➸ Taekook

- Thirteenth -

No one had yet really got used to Jungkook's presence at the Institute, Taehyung first and foremost. Usually, the mutants they took in were lost and even broken teenagers, terrified of possessing a power that would make them different from the others. Jungkook was... quite the opposite. He was mature and confident, and everything seemed to go right over his head. Namjoon was clearly suspicious of him, and didn't mind letting him know it. Jungkook didn't seem to care at all. Taehyung even thought it amused him greatly.

They had all gathered in the meeting room, the same as the day before, because Professor Xavier had had all day to search the minds of the mercenaries they had captured. Despite his best efforts, Taehyung couldn't help glancing at Jungkook in what he hoped was a discreet way, only to realise that the man was already watching him.

Taehyung felt his whole body warm up. No matter what the situation, whenever the two of them were in the same room, Jungkook always seemed to be looking for him. It was as if the man could see nothing but Taehyung. The teenager wasn't used to so much attention. Especially after their little motorbike trip this morning, when Jungkook had taken him to school. Taehyung had loved it. Feeling the cool wind on his face while the rest of his body was pressed up against the Cajun's... And Jungkook had never tensed up, as if he had no fear of Taehyung hurting him with his power. Taehyung had found that moment... natural. And he'd loved it.

Which terrified him even more. They hadn't even known each other a day, and Taehyung was already getting attached. He was drawn to him like a magnet. It was terrifying. Because he knew that it would never be possible between them, for so many reasons that he refused to name them. One of them was that a man would never stay by his side, nobody wanted a partner they couldn't touch. Anyone would eventually get bored and leave, Jungkook being the first. Taehyung could see that this was a man who needed contact. The sexual tension emanating from him spoke for itself.

The door to the meeting room opened, drawing all eyes to a grim-faced Charles Xavier. His wheelchair stopped in the centre of the room, and he scanned every face, pausing a little longer on Jungkook, before lowering his eyes and sighing. This worried everyone. The news was apparently not good.

"Is there a problem, Charles?" Auroro asked, stepping towards him and placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

The professor's features softened at the woman's kindness, but he still found himself unable to smile.

"Yes, and no." he confessed. "In fact, I don't really have any news for you."

Namjoon frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"As we agreed, I spent the day probing the mercenaries' minds with my psychic power, but... it didn't work. It was as if their minds had closed completely to me. Something that hadn't happened to me for a long time."

There were murmurs in the room. Professor Xavier was known as one of the most powerful telepaths in the world. Thanks to a machine that he and Hank had created, the Cerebro, which was designed to maximise his powers, he was able to find almost any mutant on the planet as long as he knew their identity. In other words, a mere human mind was no match for him.

"But how is that possible?" interjected Jin, whose psychic powers were similar to Xavier's, although less powerful for the moment. "Even when I erect a mental barrier with my powers to prevent you from penetrating my mind, you manage to do it in the end! How can mere humans stop you?"

The professor sighed, shaking his head.

"I've no idea..."

At that moment, Jungkook cleared his throat, drawing all eyes to himself.

"I think I know why". he said, with a seriousness that until then no one had ever suspected. "In fact, I know a hostage who managed to escape."

Everyone's eyes widened.

"What, seriously?!" Taehyung couldn't contain himself and immediately covered his mouth when he realised he'd spoken, embarrassed that he'd literally shouted. His cheeks flushed red.

Jungkook gave him a charming little smile, having honestly found Taehyung's little intervention adorable.

"Hm, but the CIA doesn't know. And that's for the best. Anyway, this hostage explained that the traffickers have a substance they inject by syringe, which protects them from certain mutant powers. Psychic powers are one of them. They only have a little quantity of this product, so not every mercenaries can have it. You didn't really think they'd start trafficking mutants without protecting themselves, did you?

"But how did they get their hands on such a product?" Logan spat, apparently furious at the idea that such a substance existed.

Jungkook shrugged nonchalantly.

"I've no idea. In my opinion, they didn't develop it themselves, but I have no idea who could have supplied it to them. All I know is that the effects take time to wear off. In my opinion, you won't be able to get anything out of them for at least a month."

"We don't have that long..." muttered Jin.

"Anyway," intervened Professor Xavier, "I've given them to Hank. They're now in the hands of the CIA, so they don't concern us anymore."

He turned to Jungkook.

"Now, Mr Jeon, you're our last option. Can you tell us what you know about this traffic?"

The man didn't answer immediately. He was probably hesitating, and Taehyung understood that. He'd probably spent months gathering this information, perhaps even risking his life, and he didn't even know if he could completely trust the X-Men.

"They have a dozen hideouts." he finally explained, after a moment's reflection. "But I only know the location of two of them. I haven't been there yet. In my opinion, they haven't grouped the hostages in a single hideout, but spread them out."

"That makes sense." asserted Namjoon. "At least if one of the safe hideout falls, all the 'merchandise' isn't compromised."

Jungkook nodded, while Taehyung couldn't help but shudder at the word 'merchandise'. This was what some of his kind were reduced to, 'merchandise'? It was disgusting and, above all, terrifying. He could have been one of those people. His power was powerful and he was certain that it could have interested many people.

"So we're going to have to act quickly." Said the professor.

"And find another way to interrogate our prisoners." Logan added, referring to the uselessness of psychic powers.

Yoongi smiled in amusement.

"That's your thing, isn't it, Logan?"

"I can't wait."

"Well, since everyone seems to be on the same mindset," said Namjoon, not wanting to hear those two sordid hobbies, "go and get ready. We leave in thirty minutes."