Midas Touch ➸ Taekook

- Fifty-first -

"What the fuck..."

Jungkook crouched, breathless, behind the massive trees that lined the Institute. His fingers closed around a broken branch at his feet, his gaze riveted on the chaos unfolding before him. The Institute, which he had always seen as an unshakeable home, was now a roaring inferno, flames licking at the windows and crumbling walls. The muffled roar of SWAT helicopters echoed through the air, their searchlights flooding the ground with a harsh, cold light. Dozens of black vehicles circled the area, uniformed men armed to the teeth busily controlling the situation.

When he had come some minutes ago, hoping to reunite with Taehyung and apologize for everything, he was far from imagining he would find the place like that.

Then he saw them. The students. Some, still in their pyjamas, were being dragged out of the building, their hands tied behind their backs. Some were staggering around injured, their faces covered in soot and blood. Others, less fortunate, lay unconscious, carried like dead weight by the merciless agents. Jungkook's stomach tightened. Every scream, every groan of pain made him want to leap out of his hiding place.

Then his gaze fell on Taehyung. His precious Taehyung. The boy lay motionless on the ground, his two white locks half masking his pale face. A SWAT officer grabbed him by the arm and dragged him away like a disjointed doll. Jungkook's fists clenched. A visceral rage was boiling inside him, stronger than his fear. He was only a heartbeat away from stepping out of the shadows and intervening.

But a strong hand came to rest on his shoulder, holding him firmly back.

"Don't, Cajun."

He turned abruptly to find Logan, his eyebrows furrowed and his face tense. Around him, a dozen children, some of the youngest in their community, were huddled together, their faces marked by panic. Some were crying silently, others staring wide-eyed at the burning Institute.

"Get off me!" growled Jungkook, his voice hoarse with anger. "They've got Taehyung! I can't just stand here and do nothing!"

Logan stared at him intently, his eyes shining in the half-light.

"Listen to me. We can't face them now. Look around you. They've got weapons, reinforcements, and we're out in the open. If you go in there, you'll be captured too."

Jungkook gritted his teeth as, out of the corner of his eye, he saw agents putting Taehyung into a van.

"So what now? I should just sit back and abandon him? I don't know what's going on here, but I won't let him down again."

A growl echoed in Logan's throat, immediately calming the agitated Cajun.

"I'm not giving up on anybody. But we've lost this battle. The only thing we can do is run. Run, to fight back later."

Jungkook stepped back, his heart pounding in his chest. He wanted to scream, tear off the hand that was holding him back and run straight into the fray. But Logan's words echoed in his head, painful but real.

He looked down at the children gathered around Logan. They were living proof that they hadn't lost everything. If Jungkook launched a suicidal attack, he wouldn't be saving Taehyung, and he might be condemning those innocent people to a tragic end. He inhaled deeply, shaking with frustration.

"So where are we going?" he finally asked, in a hoarse voice.

Logan nodded, relieved to see Jungkook back in control.

"Charles had set up a safe house in case anything happened to the Institute. We'll go there and prepare for what comes next."

Jungkook took one last look at the Institute. An explosion sounded, throwing debris into the air and lighting up the night as if it were day. But the vans and the SWAT were already long gone. He looked away, feeling an acid burn in his chest.

"All right." he said reluctantly." But there's more to come. I have every intention of saving Tae."

"Don't worry about that." Logan replied, his voice deep. "We'll come back and get them all."

They set off, Logan leading the way, his senses alert, and Jungkook watching over the children at the back. Every sound, every shadow startled them, but they moved on in silence, blending into the forest. Jungkook was clenching his fists so tightly that his fingernails were almost piercing his skin. His anger and pain bubbled beneath the surface, fuelled by the powerlessness of the situation.

Taehyung. He saw his face again, peaceful but lifeless, dragged along like an object. He had promised himself to protect him, never to let him suffer again. And yet, this night, he had failed. He had failed again. He gritted his teeth. This feeling of failure would gnaw at him, haunt him. But he would also use it. He would channel that rage to strike where they least expected it.

Because Logan was right. It was only a battle. The war was far from over. And he would not back down.

***

Logan led the group to a disused warehouse in upstate New York. The building looked as if it had been abandoned for decades, its tagged walls and broken windows giving the impression that time had forgotten it. But inside, Hank was waiting for them, his usually serene face marked by a grave, almost desperate expression.

Jungkook, his hands in his jacket pockets, glanced at Logan, who moved towards the beast.

"Hank, what the hell's going on?" he asked.

Hank heaved a heavy sigh, his shoulders slumping slightly under the weight of the news he was about to announce.

"The government has crossed a line we thought was impassable." he began hoarsely. "I tried to stop them, but I had no power, and I had to flee just as much as you did."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Jungkook said impatiently.

"They've passed an anti-mutant law. The aim is to lock up all the mutants on the list in a prison specially designed to neutralise our powers. And they're going to start with the students and teachers at the Xavier Institute."

An icy silence fell over the room, cut only by the sound of the wind whistling through the cracks in the walls. Jungkook felt his stomach knot. He imagined his poor, frightened Tae being torn from his home and locked up in such a hostile place.

"What about the professor?" asked Logan, finally breaking the silence. "Where is he in all this?"

Hank shook his head.

"I don't know. He left several weeks ago and hasn't been reachable since. And his absence has given them a free hand."

Logan clenched his fists, a dull growl emanating from his throat.

"Those bastards..."

Hank raised a hand to ease the rising tension.

"We're not out of options yet. I've managed to get my hands on the plans for the prison where they're planning to lock us up. It's a fortress, but not invulnerable. With the right resources and the right timing, we could free everyone."

This statement seemed to restore hope to the two mutants, whose tired faces lit up a little.

"And what's the plan?" asked Jungkook immediately, his voice tinged with a mixture of determination and apprehension.

Hank placed a map of the prison on the table and unrolled it in front of them.

"While I try to convince the President to repeal this inhumane law, you two will infiltrate the prison to free the captives. It won't be easy, but I must at least try. If I succeed, it could limit the damage and prevent further arrests. And if I fail..."

"We'll have, at least, freed everyone."

Logan raised an eyebrow.

"And what happens next? If you can't convince him, what happens to the mutants?"

Hank sighed.

"Well, I suppose we'll have no choice but to hide."

Logan wasn't too happy with this answer, but he had no power of decision in the matter. As for Jungkook, he just stared at the map, memorising every detail. He knew their mission was risky, but there was no choice. It was his only hope of seeing his Taehyung again. To protect him.

"All right. He finally said. "When do we start?"