Until We Drown : Vhope

【パート5】

His name is Kim Taehyung, alias V, and everything else he claims to have forgotten. Age unknown, weight unknown, height unknown, family unknown.

They’d spent the better half of the day interrogating him, asking questions about the Syloe and why they chose Seele of all cities for hunting.

Apparently the Syloe chose cities based on specific people and specific blood types, preferably blood type A, and from there, they didn't move on to others cities until it was necessary. They were like any other civilization that searched for environments and fitting conditions for their people, similar to a pack of wolves. The most his gang had ever stayed at a city was fifty years, the least being a month because of a sickness that had spread like wildfire throughout the small population, leaving too few to feed on.

Observing from the side, Hoseok could tell Taehyung was easy to answer anything they were going to ask him, laying on his back casually with an arm thrown over his eyes to shield the light.

It didn’t make sense how compliant he was being, and something about it all was off, almost mocking, and it was grating on his nerves.

Hoseok abruptly speaks up, “Why are you answering everything so honestly?” His tone is slightly bitter, and he doesn't care that at he’s just cut Namjoon off.

Taehyung glances over at him calmly, “They’re not going to come find me, you know.” Hoseok watches as his line of vision falls to his neck for a split second, “Syloe don't waste their time
looking for missing members. Once they've lost one, it’s enough of a threat to push them to another region to  feed.”

“Bullshit. It can’t be that easy,” Namjoon retorts.
Taehyung doesn’t falter, “Suit yourself. You can complicate this as much as you humanly want.

The fact of the matter is that my gang has probably already started relocating without me.”

“Why would they go through so much trouble if they've only lost one  person? Why wouldn't they try to get you back?” Seokjin comments, confused.
Taehyung glances at all three of them carefully, calculatingly, and settles his line of vision on Hoseok, “Losing a member of your gang is like running on one leg. It cripples everything we
have, our teamwork, our hunting strategies, our bond, everything. We’re here for one thing andone thing only, and that’s to feed to keep us alive. That doesn’t include fighting and risking any ofour other members if we don't need to. We can’t af ord risking anymore of us. Don’t forget thatSyloe are nothing like you.”

Hoseok looks away first, and Seokjin shakes his head, says, “We can’t trust him, not this easily. Ifwe let our guards down, we could be risking our lives.”
Namjoon nods at Seokjin, “You’re right.” He runs a hand down his face tiredly, “Anyway let’s stop here. We’ve done enough questioning for today.”
Hoseok uncrosses his arms and straightens up from his position on the desk, “So who's turn is it to
keep watch tonight?”

“My squad is on guard tonight, and Seokjin did it last night. So that leaves it to you, man,”
Namjoon claps him lightly on the shoulder.
Hoseok sighs, “Alright, I’ll see you guys later then.”
He watches Namjoon and Seokjin retreat through the sliding door before turning to Taehyung.

He’s laying on his side now, still pressed close to the glass of the cell, head resting on the floorand dark brown hair splayed out like ink spilt on white. He’s staring out and watching his everymovement, as if melting himself against the wall like a fingerprint smeared on the glass, and
Hoseok thinks he looks calm and gentle and lifeless.

Hoseok yanks his sweater off and throws it on the floor near the glass cell for cushion, taking his usual seat against the wall to keep watch. He closes his eyes and breathes, letting hours pass blindly before him with thoughts of flashing lights and crisp air. Taehyung doesn’t speak a word
the entire time, but Hoseok doesn't expect to hear movement or breathing anyway. He doesn’t
think they have anything to say to each other, and it’s the first time Hoseok has ever felt so out of place  and different.

When the sun peeks shyly out of the horizon the next morning, Jimin arrives to switch places with him. He stands and grabs his flattened sweater off the floor stiffly, glancing at Taehyung’sunmoving form. It’s the first time he’s seen his eyes closed, grey orbs concealed and for once, he
doesn’t feel threatened or guarded
.
He thinks Taehyung looks peaceful like this, almost human if human could be just short offlawless, but he realizes he’s staring when Taehyung opens his eyes to stare intently back at himwith cloudy skies.

Hoseok leaves without another word.

*-*-*

Yoongi is throwing their supplies and belongings into a backpack rigidly, Jungkook following suit along with the others. Yoongi’s hands are shaky and his mind isn’t exactly there. He thinks he’s left it at the bottom of the ocean or on the highway, but he feels unstable. He knows the littlest of things can set him off.

Jungkook has a pained expression on his face, looking around carefully as if thinking twice about what they were doing and maybe we should stay, or we can still get Taehyung back, but Yoongiwasn’t having it, not tonight. He was the alpha of the group, and they always stuck with the golden rule of putting the entire gang before the individuals. It was too risky, and they were already known amongst the others as the smallest Syloe gang with just barely nine members, now
only eight, putting them at a huge disadvantage.

But it was Taehyung, and he was one of the originals of their small little pack. He was family.

Losing him was like losing part of the whole, and Yoongi doesn't know how to deal with it. He couldn't sacrifice the entire group for one, and as a leader, he just didn’t have the time to create new strategies and plans, and he definitely didn't have enough experienced and combat-ready
members to handle the Divenire to rescue Taehyung. They weren’t trained to fight, only to feedand survive. The worst they could do was start a battle with their stationed hunting ground, riskingthe chances of keeping their primary food source.

The fact of the matter was that they couldn’t take on the Divenire with just eight members, one oftheir strongest injured. They were lucky if they could get everyone fed in a large city with such a small, unorganized pack of Syloe. The best and most logical plan of action was to relocate, andYoongi was adamant with the idea, no matter how difficult and personal the circumstances.

And eventually, he’d have time to think things through.

And eventually, he’d have them straightened out.

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