Resolving Conflict | Ateez Superhero AU

Decision

Yunho barged into Kim's office without knocking. He came alone, knowing Kim would just use his friends - target his weakness - to get the upper hand.

Kim merely glanced up from her laptop, as if people randomly rush into her room on a daily basis.

Yunho took big strides past the startled guests sitting on the leather couches and went straight up the woman behind the desk. For a second he was just standing there, ears red with anger, wondering what he needed to say to get his message through to a heartless person.

"You sent someone to hurt my friends. You did it." Yunho had to force the words out. They were filled with venom and hatred, but only bitterness was left inside his mouth.

Kim sighed, looked past Yunho to her guests, and gestured for them to leave. When the door closed, she said, "What would you do if I did?"

"I'm not asking if you did it. I know you did it."

Yunho couldn't believe it when she saw a smile play on Kim's lips. She found this amusing. "Okay, detective. I'm just doing my job."

"Your job?!" cried Yunho. "Is it your job to hurt people?"

Kim frowned. Yunho could tell she was upset, maybe offended, but that wasn't enough for him. He wasn't leaving until he got a reasonable explanation.

"I'm one person working among hundreds of others. Do you think I know everything? I'm just doing everything within my ability in order to finish the task my boss has given me."

Yunho stared down at Kim, trying to find even a hint of remorse, guilt, or shame in that stony face. But there was only indifference. Perhaps even annoyance, that she was being scolded by a person with no status.

There were so many ugly things Yunho wanted to say. So many words and phrases inside his lungs that were making it hard to breathe. But he wasn't here to waste time. "What's your task, then?"

"What I told you yesterday." Kim stood up, tried to regain some dignity. To show that she was in charge. "We want a clairvoyant."

"He has a name. It's Seonghwa." Yunho wasn't afraid of Kim. She was just a normal person. He had powers. "We're not assets."

Kim didn't say anything. She didn't show her assent, but she didn't object either.

Yunho kept going. "I already told you I'm going. Why did you have to do this to ruin things? Seonghwa will never come now. Why would he go to people who tried to hurt them?!"

Kim frowned. Her judgemental glare betrayed her thoughts. Quiet down. You're too loud. But she didn't voice out her thoughts. She didn't say anything.

Something smashed against the wall. A high pitched whine of glass shattering. Hard thumps as pieces land on the carpet. Both of their ears rang from the noise, but neither one was fazed. Or at least they were pretending to be calm.

"Breaking my lamp doesn't help you."

Yunho's breaths were heavy. Breaking the lamp without touching it wasn't hard. Controlling himself - holding himself back from doing more damage - was harder.

"You know what I have to do if you don't bring us what we want. It's not a fun job. Arresting people is a lot more than putting them in handcuffs. And I'm sure you're smart enough to know running isn't an option."

The breathing slowed down. Yunho had power. But not the right kind.

"I know what you're thinking. But we're not the bad guys. I'm just trying to help you and your group. If we cooperate well, you can go back to doing what you like. With all 8 members."

Yunho bit his lip. His heart and mind was torn by the decision he had to make. He couldn't let the influx of emotions overrule his logical thinking, but he couldn't let rationality take away his basic morals of being a human and a friend. Which one should he choose? Did it matter? After all, he had already made one decision by staying here. And it had since defined what kind of path he was on.

"Well? What's your answer? Can I trust you to do what you have to do, or do I have to make preparations?"

Yunho forced his muscles to relax. He displayed a look of resilience, but hid his insides. The part that was breaking apart. "Give me time. At least for them to calm down from the incident."

Kim looked like she might sigh, but sat down instead. She had made her point clear. She didn't have to stand to show what authority she had. "You have time. But let me tell you one thing. The sooner you bring him here, the sooner you'll be able to help in the police force."

Yunho scoffed. " That doesn't help me. Wooyoung, San, and Yeosang are already helping in some way or the other. I'm just not confident enough yet."

"I'm talking about all of you," said Kim tersely. She got the answer she wanted and the conversation no longer interested her, so she returned to flipping the documents on her desk.

Yunho narrowed his eyes. That was definitely too good to be true. "Is this some kind of trick? You're making it sound to so nice, but we'll all be under someone else's control. We'll be told what to do. When to do it. How to do it. That's not us." He didn't know why he was explaining their group's ethics to someone who would never have the heart to understand, but he felt the need to do it.

The busy woman ignored Yunho. "Something big is planned for you. But you have to prove you can follow orders." She flipped another page.

Yunho's eye twitched. "What do you mean you have something planned? Are you going to arrange a huge crime just to let us work?" Then something clicked in his head, and he didn't think twice before saying it. "Oh. I see. You're going to arrange everything to make it look like the police is finally bringing commendable service to the citizens."

"Your opinion and speculations are none of my business. But it's your choice whether to believe in us or not. And if I'm not mistaken, you've already made that choice." The flipping continued. "Now, if you have no more questions, please leave. I still have to continue the meeting you interrupted."

Yunho licked his lips, gave Kim a long hard stare, and then stormed away.

Wooyoung, Yeosang, and San were waiting in their living quarters. "What did she say?" asked Wooyoung.

The lie came naturally.

"He was an agent gone rogue. He hated us."

Yunho couldn't bring himself to admit that he was using the three friends in front of him to his advantage. They were stuck here partly because of him - but no one knew the dire situation they were in except for Yunho - so he would keep it to himself.

"So that's why he was alone," said San.

Wooyoung punched the air, incredulous that one selfish person caused so much damage.

Only Yeosang seemed disappointed or underwhelmed by the answer. "Are you sure she's not lying?"

"Why would she lie?" Yunho didn't let himself get flustered. "She didn't deny it. She admitted it was their fault. For not looking after her employees."

"Exactly." Wooyoung nodded to himself. "What happened to him?"

"He probably ran away."

"Another problem solved. We just have to explain it to Mingi now. He had no right to accuse you." San scrunched up his face as he recalled their visit just hours ago.

Yunho smiled weakly. "I think I'm going to get some rest. It's been a long day for me."

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It has been a long day indeed. Yunho thought he didn't really have a choice but to follow Kim's orders until he regained freedom for the whole team. How will things play out when different people in the same team knows different things?

- KCGG_Goddess