PERSONA ✓

33.

1 week later.

"It'll be awesome," Seokjin had said.

Jimin really, really wished he hadn't jinxed it like that.

The ceremony started at 7 PM. The auditorium was full of people. There were people standing in line at the tables filled with food, and others sitting in their seats as they waited for the ceremony to begin.

Jimin, confused but happy that he got to wear a tuxedo, drifted over to Jungkook.

"What are we supposed to do?" He whispered in Jungkook's ear.

Jungkook shrugged. He slipped his glasses off and rubbed the lenses on his pants before putting them back on and squinting. "The ceremony starts in a few minutes. I think we're supposed to get seats."

Taehyung was standing with Seokjin, grinning proudly at his older brother. Seokjin had a graduation gown and cap on just like all the other graduates, but he shined with some different type of brightness. Jimin was happy for him.

He and Jungkook slid into some seats next to Namjoon and Hoseok. While Namjoon was wearing a suit, Hoseok was wearing a dress shirt tucked into some black jeans.

"No suit, Hoseok?" Jimin asked.

Hoseok looked surprised for a second. "Ah, don't have any. I made do with what I had."

"I offered him a blazer," Namjoon grumbled.

"Where's Yoongi hyung?" asked Jungkook. Namjoon pointed to where Yoongi stood, a few feet away from Seokjin, in his own graduation gown and cap.

The lights darkened and the ceremony started. Seokjin had disappeared from where he was before, and Taehyung had taken a seat up front with his parents to watch.

The graduates were called up and received their awards. When Seokjin's name was called, the crowd cheered very loudly. He earned 6 awards all at once, and he struggled to get down the stairs with his hands full.

Taehyung was cheering the loudest, and though it was hard to make out with all the other sound, Jimin heard him yell "Go hyung!"

When all the graduates were finished receiving their awards, Yoongi returned, having discarded his graduation gown, and he slipped into the seat next to Jimin. The MC then called up Seokjin for his valedictorian speech. Cheers erupted again as Seokjin made his way up onto the podium. Lights fixed on him.

Seokjin opened his mouth to speak, and then the roof collapsed.

-

Yoongi wasn't expecting it.

As soon as Seokjin opened his mouth to speak, the roof collapsed. Not all of it, but the spot right above Seokjin. Seokjin dived to the side, as someone else landed in his place.

Yoongi recognized the green and red suit Namjoon and Hoseok described.

Ego.

He grabbed Seokjin by the collar and lifted him up. Seokjin's graduation cap fell off and he kicked the air, trying to get free. Eventually one of his kicks landed right in Ego's sacred baby-making nether regions, and he dropped Seokjin. Seokjin threw a right hook at Ego's face and stunned him before jumping off the stage and making a run for his family.

Everyone screamed and jumped out of their seats, getting out of the building. Namjoon and Hoseok ducked under a table to transform.

Jungkook, Jimin, and Yoongi ducked behind their chairs. They weren't about to leave just yet. Not that they could, anyways---the exits were blocked by people pushing their way out.

Seokjin, Taehyung, and their parents hid behind the stage. Yoongi peeked above his seat, glad to see that his parents were making a run for it. They probably thought he was already outside and were trying to find him.

Namjoon and Hoseok emerged---now as Persona and Shadow. Ego grinned and he rose from the ground, flying.

"I did say we'd meet again," he said smugly.

Yoongi couldn't pay attention to the details of the fight. Everything was moving too quickly and there were beams and bright lights and lots of sounds. He was happy he wasn't in that commotion---he wouldn't be able to do anything useful.

On the other side of Jimin, who was also crouched down beneath the seats, was Jungkook. He was tampering with something he had pulled out of his pocket.

"What's that?" Yoongi whispered.

Jimin nudged Jungkook to get his attention.

"Electrocution ropes." Jungkook clenched his jaw. "I need a few minutes to get it right..."

There was yelling coming from the fight. Yoongi couldn't hear the words clearly.

He watched as Persona got thrown into a crowd of people who were trying to get out. They screamed and there were some gasps and shouts of "Namjoon?"

Yoongi's heart jumped into his chest. He stood up and saw that Namjoon's mask and shades had been torn off.

Shadow stood against Ego, deflecting his green beams with his swords skillfully. Ego used a gust of wind to knock Shadow's sword out of his hand and pull him closer.

Then he did what Yoongi was afraid of---he pulled back Shadow's hood and ripped off his mask, throwing him full force into the crowd. Though most people had dispersed, there were still some left---mostly students who got their parents out of the building before themselves---and they watched with bated breath as Shadow's identity was revealed as Jung Hoseok.

There were shouts and yells of outrage. Hoseok got up, grabbing his sword again and lunging for Ego. Ego flicked his hand and Hoseok slammed into a food table.

"Do you see now, that you cannot defeat me?" He shouted. "I will save the world, not you, and I will be credited for it!"

Out of context, that confused Yoongi. But he didn't have time to dwell on it.

All the people had left through the exit, save for Seokjin and Taehyung's parents.

"Yoongi, you do basketball, yeah?" Jungkook shoved a glowing cube-like contraption into Yoongi's hands. "Three pointer, now!"

Yoongi threw the cube, and it flew towards the sky to an unsuspecting Ego. The cube exploded within a foot of him and ropes coiled around his body, electrocuting him. He yelled in pain and thrust his arms outward, breaking the ropes off. Jumping into the air, he flew away through the hole in the roof, leaving behind an unmasked Persona and Shadow. It seemed he'd gotten what he came for---chaos.

Yoongi, Jimin, and Jungkook all left their spots and rushed to the scene. Seokjin took this as a cue to get his parents and Taehyung out of the building, despite his parents yelling at him for "associating himself into superhero nonsense."

Jimin stared at the hole in the roof. "He... he unmasked you guys in front of half the student body..."

Namjoon pulled himself upwards, his outfit dissolving back into his suit. "This is bad."

Hoseok sat defeated under the rubble of the food tables, his back slouched and his eyes on the ground.

"They saw my face," he muttered quietly. "And they yelled at me. They... they know it's me, who caused all that crime, they're going to hate me---"

"We'll fix this," Yoongi said. It was an empty promise. He knew everyone in the room could feel it. Still, he repeated, "We can fix this. We can try."

"We should..." Jungkook cleared his throat and grabbed his broken contraption from the ground. "We should get back to HQ. Regroup. Find a way to... to undo this, or at least suffer the aftermath without a busted roof over our heads."

In the distance, police sirens blared.

Yoongi hesitated, but offered his hand to Hoseok. Hoseok stared at it before taking it and letting Yoongi help him up.

A tentative hand on Hoseok's shoulder, Yoongi said, "C'mon, we've got a lot to do."