CODE:JK97 | Taekook

CH6: Exclusive

Taehyung starts dreaming once again. His dreams have a reoccurring event happening over and over again. He dreams of reuniting with Jungkook in many different ways. How he craves being able to touch the boy once again, like the first time.

Taehyung is woken up at an ungodly morning hour by a phone call. He rubs his tired eyes before picking up the phone call. "Hello?"

"Taehyung, they've taken everything!" A perplexed Hoseok shouts on the other side of the line.

Taehyung's eyes widen in shock as he drops the phone.

The journal. Taehyung left the journal on his desk.

"Shit!" Taehyung curses, picking up the phone, "what did they do with our stuff?"

He hears muffling before the phone line runs dry.

Taehyung launches himself out of bed and throws on whatever he can find. The day has finally come—more abrupt than he initially thought. He can't let this happen.

He rushes to the lab, potentially getting a speeding ticket on the way. On arrival, he sees a crowd gathering around the entrance—news reporters and cameras, everywhere.

He barges past the reporters to the door.

"Kim Taehyung!"

"What are your thoughts about the program being cut!"

"Is it true JK97 is a hoax?!"

Taehyung blocks his ears as he enters the building.

"Taehyung! You're here," Jimin runs up, pulling him into an embrace. "They came in this morning and confiscated everything."

Taehyung is on a thin line. He is close to having a mental breakdown. "Jungkook... I never got to say goodbye."

Jimin tightens the embrace as Taehyung cries onto his shoulder.

"I can't believe they would do this. They gave us no warning," Taehyung says between hitched breaths.

Yoongi and Hoseok come into sight as they are pushed out of the lab by two security guards.

"And I will see you in court!" Yoongi growls.

"Yeah! You hear that?!" Hoseok joins in. He turns to see a crying Taehyung. "Tae!"

Hoseok runs up to Taehyung as the boy breaks away from his hug with Jimin.

"Hobi—" Taehyung's lips tremble as he is pulled into a second embrace by Hoseok.

"Don't worry, everything will be fine," Hoseok says, running a hand through Taehyung's hair.

"The reporters are still here?" Yoongi asks, to which Jimin nods in reply. "Morons. We need to lawyer up, guys. Be prepared for the fight of our lives."

🤖

The team gathers around a table in Yoongi's makeshift office. They had confirmation that they had destroyed any evidence of JK97's ability to showcase human-like emotion. An ultimatum was given; they must choose between being sacked and charged for conspiring against the government—because apparently making a robot capable of making its own decisions is a threat to humankind—or be silenced and placed in different departments in the Space Program. They, of course, chose not to be silenced, and that is why they are here today.

"Do you think the systems will still be working? Maybe I could sneak in?" Jimin suggests.

"No, don't do that. It will look bad on us if we are caught," Yoongi says.