Musen 11 ✔

Chapter Seven:

The ride was quiet. Cha Won's sniffles had died out a long time ago as he passed out into slumber. No one had it in them to talk, the thought of Minho and all that happened to him still fresh in their minds. Especially Seokjin's since he was only a few inches away from the boy when he was turning.

The only sound was the rumbling car as it drove over potholes and dirt. Jungkook spotted many mirages in the distance. Smoke filled the air from an ever burning . . . something. They didn't know what was burning but they knew the sky was dark and had been for a couple of days.

Taehyung sat with his brother in the passenger's seat, Yoongi had Hoseok on his lap, Namjoon had Jimin, Jungkook had Sonya and Cha Won was given the liberty to sit alone. He would've sat with Minho. . . if he were here.

Jungkook felt his throat close in at the thought.

A couple of hours ago, everything had seemed normal. Well as normal as it all could be. They'd huddled together and they were close and Minho was alive but now he was one of the mindless Hosts and it scared Jungkook that anyone of them could become that at any time. He could lose his friends, the people he'd come to love and trust, himself.

Over the course of a few days, Yoongi had somewhat attained the role of a leader in the group and anything he said sort of went because they knew he had their best interest at heart and Jungkook was more than grateful. Yoongi put himself in the front line, risking his life just to make sure they were safe. Something an eighteen year old shouldn't do. They were all the same age, different months, what made it okay that Yoongi had to be the one to suffer?

He had a boyfriend and nine other people to take care of along with Dong-in. Namjoon, Seokjin and Sonya were amazing, too. They were risking themselves as well.. And what was Jungkook doing? Sitting around and waiting for people to protect him. Huddled in Jimin, Cha Won and Taehyung's arms as the prayed for their front liners to he safe. He was tired of doing nothing, standing in the sidelines. These people were not obligated to protect him, he had to defend himself.

And even if he couldn't fight for himself, he had to be there for them individually. Where was he when Minho, Yoongi, Seokjin, Namjoon, Dong-in and Sonya wrestled and killed three Hosts all by themselves? Right, hiding in the bathroom like a coward. No more.

Yoongi, Dong-in, Seokjin, Namjoon and Sonya were the muscles. Taehyung was the brains. Jimin was the realist and somewhat mother bird (other than Jin, he worried the most about their health and disinfected their wounds from training). Cha Won was the observer. He was usually quick to tell them all they had missed in a situation. Individually, Yoongi and Namjoon were also the strategists, Sonya was the reliable ally and Hoseok was the caregiver. Along with Jimin and Seokjin, he usually fretted over them. Their group dynamic was what was keeping them together.

Jungkook was going to have to be something to contribute.

"Are we going to talk about the fact that he was never bitten?" Jungkook asked, somewhat getting sick of the heavy silence in the car.

Namjoon scratched the back of his head. "I was thinking about that, too," he admitted.

"It's a little strange. He wasn't bitten, he was scratched." Sonya said.

Hoseok wondered how they even had the strength to talk about him after witnessing the incident an hour or two ago.

"Is that why it took longer for him to get infected?" Taehyung asked from the front with wide eyes.

"Could be. I mean an open wound is an open wound, prone to infection." Dong-in inputted. "I also noticed something. They've gotten faster,"

"What, the Hosts? They weren't this fast before?" Hoseok asked, lips pressed in confusion.

Dong-in shook his head.

"Do you think they're. . .mutating?" Namjoon asked, worry clearly etched in his tone.

"It's the only plausible explanation, isn't it?" Dong-in chewed on the inside of his cheek and drummed his fingers on the wheel.

Namjoon muttered something under his breath before speaking up. "Humans evolve," he said, "it's only natural that Zombies do, too,"

"These aren't Zombies, though. They're something way worse. How is it even possible to evolve when you're dead?" asked Yoongi, eyes darkened and narrowed in anger.

"I don't think it's the Host's that are mutating. I mean, they're merely a vessel," Namjoon's statement was clear as day yet Taehyung still had to clarify.

"It's the parasites,"

That was enough to freak everybody out.

"As if infesting the Hosts wasn't enough!" Sonya declared with an audible waver in her voice. "Talk about greedy,"

"I just want to say I openly regret being born into this generation," Taehyung spoke with all seriousness.

"We're gonna die! I know it!" Jimin cried.

"Calm down, guys! Talking over each other isn't going to help us survive," Jungkook said, "I assume with their movement enhanced, it's only a matter of time before all their other features are too,"

They all looked at him with wide eyes and he nodded knowing he had their attention.

"Look, we need to get to Building 63 alive and with these things developing, we'll need to up our skills, as well. We're gonna have to adapt to being inhumanly quiet at all times and quick on our feet. And I know this is a very short inspirational speech but just imagine upbeat music playing behind me and we're good,"

They all cracked a smile and agreed with him. Jungkook felt it inappropriate to smile after everything but he did feel a little better. He'd found his place in the group. He finally knew what he'd be.

In every successful apocalypse group, there had to be the one person who could steer them clear from self depreciation (because apparently mental health doesn't take a break even with the world ending), guide the group together gently and help them always keep their head above water. He was going to be that person.

He was going to be the voice of reason.

And believe it or not, a stable state of mind actually helps a whole lot with surviving an apocalypse. They world as they knew it was in ruins and shambles but hell if that was going to stop them from getting to Building 63.

They were going to survive and the Hosts were just going to have to live with it.

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barawo by ajebo hustlers on repeat all day everyday. also, this wasn't one of my best chapters. x KJ.