Resolving Conflict | Ateez Superhero AU

Spark

The 8 members sat around the dining table. The scene was strikingly  similar to the last time they had a problem to discuss about.

For a second nobody knew where to start. They simply occupied  themselves with the food in front of them, whether they were hungry or  not. It was almost like a twisted version of a game to see who would be  the first crack under the tension and give in.

Eventually, Yunho couldn't bear the weight on his shoulders anymore.  He needed someone to share his burden with, even if it meant  distributing it to the ones he loved. He told himself that the people  around him would be happy to help solve the problem, but that thought  didn't make it any easier to say it aloud.

"Two people visited this afternoon. They work for the government,"  Yunho began, though he knew everyone who weren't at the scene could  probably already guess what happened. He quickly went through what the  officials told him and Hongjoong, trying hard not to leave out any  details. His mind wouldn't stop drifting back to the intense glare the  woman gave him, and it was giving him a hard time keeping track of what  he was saying.

Finally, he emphasized the point of discussion, "We have to decide  whether to 'join' the government or completely stop what we're doing. I  suppose we can run too, but I don't think that option would work for  long."

A mixture of shock, anger, frustration, and despair covered the  members' faces. The unfinished plates of food on the table were long  forgotten. No one had an appetite anymore. They were too busy digesting  the new information to feel hungry.

Mingi was the first to find his voice. "Do we even have to think  about it? It's clear that the only way to do this is to stick to our  beliefs and continue doing what we're best at doing. We have to show  them that a bunch of high-status officials can't do anything to stop  us."

Mingi stopped and huffed angrily. "They intruded our base. They tried  to take San. They can't be good people. We can't trust them. And we  won't listen to them." He was holding a fork in his hand as he spoke.  His grip tightened subconsciously with every sentence that came out of  his mouth, and he would've bend the metal if it wasn't for Jongho  rubbing his arm to relax his muscles.

A few people agreed, but their minuscule nods were barely noticeable.  They shared the same distrust towards the government as Mingi did, but  their eyes reflected the sense of fear rooted in their hearts. No one  knew what consequences were waiting for them if they were bold enough to  ignore the officials completely.

"I certainly agree with what Mingi said," Hongjoong commented. His  voice was raspy and strained. "There is no way we can trust them. What  if they're not from the government at all? What if they're part of a  secret organization that hates paranormal activities and wish to get rid  of us?"

The 7 members sat in stunned silence. They had never seen their  leader being so paranoid he was close to going hysteric. Hongjoong tend  to overthink because he loved his members so much he wouldn't risk  making a mistake that could definitely hurt them. His first priority is  always the benefit of the team. His strong sense of righteousness would  never let anyone break the purpose and the beliefs of the team, either.

And despite all those things, he knew he had to respect everyone's opinions.

"I understand that you're angry," Yeosang said. His thoughtful tone  showed that he had carefully chose the words he was going to say. "and I  understand that you want to protect the team and show that we're not  weak people who just listens to the higher class. But there's a risk to  consider, too. We don't know what will happen if we rebel and move on as  if nothing ever happened. They might find our base again."