Glorious [1/2]
Title: Glorius [1/2]
Author: FloweryMisha
Pairing: slight!KaiSoo
Warning: BoyxBoy love. Enough said.
Summary: Because winners, in order to achieve what they want, should never quit.
Author’s Note: failed Jumper!au. This is one of my last fics ;; and when I reread it, I can assure you that this is awful and confusing orz pardon the grammar mistakes and the horrible plot twist. I’m so sorry, but if you still want to read this, then I hope you like this one T___T and please, no translations allowed!!
Yesterday is not ours to recover, but tomorrow is ours to win or lose.
--Lyndon B. Johnson
“Mr. Byun?”
Baekhyun glanced up from the folder in his hands at the mention of his name. His eyebrows quirked slightly. He expected to see a middle-aged man with wrinkled eyebrows and thick moustache, but the person before him was far from it.
“Yes.”
The male was still young, perhaps no older than him. He had a pair of long legs, something that Baekhyun was actually willing to kill for. His long, blond hair was combed backwards. The style was pretty boring in Baekhyun’s sense, but at least it was tidy. And for someone who worked for the government, he was very, very good-looking.
He should be a model instead, Baekhyun absently thought as he cleared his throat.
“You are…?”
“Oh Sehun,” the male politely introduced himself as he offered his hand. Baekhyun stared at the proffered hand for a few seconds before finally accepting it. “Thank you for waiting. It’s almost time, Mr. Byun. Shall we go now?”
“Oh. Uh…” Baekhyun dropped his gaze to the folder on his lap. “Sure.”
“I assume you’ve read all the files we give you?”
“I have.”
“Good,” Sehun commented nonchalantly. “Then I’m sure we can proceed immediately.” The blond-haired agent was about to turn around when Baekhyun called out his name.
“Wait, Mr. Oh,” Baekhyun stood up hastily and he almost dropped the file from his lap. “Before we even get to that…I need to make sure about some things first. I hope you don’t mind…”
Sehun looked a bit confused-or annoyed, Baekhyun wasn’t sure-at first, but then he shook his head.
“Great, thank you. Then let me be blunt. First, all of these things…” Baekhyun motioned the folder that was still in his hand. “…all of the stuffs that I’ve read. They are…confidential, correct?”
“…that’s right.”
“So let me get this straight, you-that means the government, too-want me to interrogate a guy that’s going to secret trial tomorrow, which no one will realize there is even one. So this is strictly…confidential.”
“Classified.” Sehun simply narrowed his eyes. Baekhyun got the impression that he was bored. “Yes.”
“Will I…will I be safe, then?”
There was a pause. “What do you mean by that?”
“What are the chances that I might still be alive after the interrogation?”
Sehun frowned. He seemed disagree. “Why would you not be alive?”
“I don’t know. You know how government works.” Baekhyun shrugged coolly, although he was kind of worried. “One moment you say you need my help, the next moment I’ll be dead when you have everything you need.”
It was obvious that Sehun did his best not to smile. “That’s not going to happen.”
“I’m not so sure,” Baekhyun crossed his arms on his chest defensively. “I’m not going inside until I know I’m safe.”
Sehun exhaled in resignation. He thought he had seen this coming. “Very well. What is it that you ask for, Mr. Byun?”
Baekhyun stared at Sehun in a serious manner. His tone was laced with a hint of uncertainty when he said,
“I want no recording.”
Jongin’s first jump happened when he was five years old.
He had no idea how.
All he could remember was that he felt utterly sad and brokenhearted when his parents told him they wouldn’t be living together anymore. His parents told him that from that moment, Jongin was going to live with his father and Junmyeon was going to live with his mother.
Junmyeon.
Sure, Jongin was sad that his parents weren’t going to be together anymore, but Junmyeon…his brother was different.
His brother was his.
And no one, no one, could take him away from him.
Not even his mother.
Jongin cried loudly, bawling his eyes out as he begged Junmyeon to stay. Junmyeon, unable to do anything, could only return his brother’s hug with a voiceless sob. He was just as powerless as Jongin. No matter what they did, the decision was final, and they didn’t need to be adults to understand it.
When the car Junmyeon was in drove away and disappeared from his peripheral vision, Jongin ran into his room angrily. He ignored his father who was calling out his name and slammed the door as hard as he could as a sign of protest before locking it.
Jongin buried his face into the pillow with mixed feelings.
Starting tomorrow, his brother would be around no more.
What did he do so that he deserved this?
What did he do…?
No, it wasn’t him. It was his parents. It wasn’t him…
…right?
It hadn’t been a day since Junmyeon left, but Jongin already felt lonely.
The boy clenched his pillow tightly and gritted his teeth, wondering why the anger just wouldn’t go away. His pillow was already wet with tears, but he didn’t care. In order to calm himself down, his mind flew to the places he used to go with Junmyeon.
The playground by the park.
The library.
The river near the highway.
Jongin whimpered. Right then, he just kind of wanted to be there. He wanted to be at one of his favorite places with Junmyeon. Laughing around, playing together… Jongin took a deep breath and he put a lot of effort imagining the places in his mind-as if he didn’t, his memories with Junmyeon would disappear. Jongin just wanted to be there so badly…
The river.
All of a sudden, his surrounding was shaking and he felt hard wind gushing to his face.
The next thing Jongin knew, he was by the river with his pillow.
“Are you sure about this?”
Sehun’s voice jerked Baekhyun out of his reverie.
“He’s a dangerous person, you know,” Sehun said as he tucked his phone away. “If you really want to save yourself, don’t you think it would be better if the recording is on? That way, if anything happens to you while you’re inside, we can still find out what. And someone should be able to do something about it.”
Baekhyun hesitated momentarily, but then he shook his head. “No recording. And besides, I’m not alone. You’re going to be in the room with me.”
“…if that’s what you want, then.”
Jongin then learned how to control his power after countless efforts.
It was hard, very hard, considering that he was still just a kid. To make it worse, he couldn’t tell anyone about it-it wasn’t like teleporting was a normal thing to do. He kept it a secret, because he didn’t want to be considered as a freak.
He wasn’t one.
The power he had, it was…a gift.
Yeah. A gift.
If Junmyeon was there, he would’ve said so.
The thought of Junmyeon always made Jongin feel a bit better.
They still talked through the phones sometimes, but it wasn’t enough. Jongin felt like Junmyeon was avoiding him, or was the timing just not right every time he made a phone call? They were brothers, but even Jongin could tell they grew apart and apart.
The younger of the two thought of telling Junmyeon about his ability, but…what if the latter rejected him? What if Junmyeon thought it wasn’t a gift, that it was a curse instead…? He wouldn’t be able to live with it if it ever happened… Jongin was so scared about losing Junmyeon more than he already had, so he kept it to himself-at least until he was strong and brave enough to tell his brother.
Eventually, Jongin managed to control it. The river where he used to play with Junmyeon was the most often place he teleported to. The first few times after he teleported, Jongin took a bus home, but then he learned that he could teleport anywhere he wanted to, as long as he was able to imagine the place perfectly.
His bedroom.
His school.
Even the shopping centre.
Jongin was never too brave to try someplace far, simply because he told himself that he was just a kid.
He should wait until he got older.
When he was seventeen years old, Jongin considered that he had enough experiences and decided to teleport to Junmyeon’s dorm. His brother was already in college at that time, and it had been years since they last met. Jongin felt like it was time for him to be free and travel the world.
And preferably, it was time to tell Junmyeon.
Junmyeon’s jaw dropped involuntarily like he just saw a ghost when Jongin suddenly appeared in front of him. Jongin was so happy he made it there safely that he could only laugh at the older male’s dumb expression. He pulled Junmyeon into a tight hug before the latter got to say anything, hastily telling him that he would explain everything later.
“J-Jongin? How did-”
Jongin pulled away for a moment only to examine his brother’s face.
“Jongin-”
His brother had always been beautiful, but he was far more beautiful right then.
“Yes, Hyung, it’s me. I swear, I’ll explain everything later…”
There was a lot of explaining to do, but right now, all Jongin wanted to do was to hug Junmyeon close and never let go.
He missed Junmyeon too damn much.
Baekhyun didn’t think he had ever seen that many guards before. There was at least one in every corner, and it got him to wonder if the guy they held captive was really dangerous. He was tempted to ask Sehun about it, but then he changed his mind.
The trip on the elevator was quiet.
Too quiet, in fact.
Baekhyun shifted his weight to his other foot while holding the folder close to his chest. “Mr. Oh?”
“Please. You can call me Sehun.”
“Mr. Sehun,” Baekhyun repeated, ignoring the look Sehun gave him. “This guy that you want me to interrogate… Is he really that dangerous?”
Sehun looked bored for the umpteenth time. “I don’t have to tell you that. It’s all in the files.”
“Yes, I understand that, but what exactly was his crime? I only read that he killed one of your agents, but other than that, there was nothing.” Baekhyun stubbornly flipped the folder open. “He never robbed a bank, he never hurt anyone…”
“…we never found out.”
“Huh? What do you mean by that?”
“Mr. Byun,” Sehun said sternly. “I understand your confusion, but I’m not the one you should be asking questions at. You’re only here because of your famous title in Criminal Psychology and you’ve been recommended to us. If it hadn’t been for that, we wouldn’t have called you. You had time to decline our offer, so now that you’re here, I’m sure you’ve had your reasons. So do us.”
The elevator made a sound when it arrived at the pointed floor. The door slid open, but Sehun didn’t move from his track. He turned to Baekhyun with a serious expression.
“I became a Paladin, Mr. Byun, because…well, let’s just say that I feel like I have to. Jumpers-who would’ve thought they exist? But that doesn’t mean they can use their powers as they want. Hurting people, robbing banks, these are what Jumpers usually do. Most of these Jumpers became villains because they think they have the power of God. Can you imagine that? Mocking the police department because they cannot be found? Because they have the ability to jump anywhere they like?”
Baekhyun bit his inner cheek. He didn’t mean to make anyone angry, especially not Sehun.
“We were confused. Hopeless. But when Chen came along…our hope was starting to rise.”
Baekhyun tightened his grip on the folder.
“So it’s your job to find out why he was killed.”
Sehun then stepped out of the elevator. Baekhyun waited for a few seconds before following closely behind him. The elevator door closed softly with a sound and Baekhyun cleared his throat to catch Sehun’s attention. The agent seemed to snap back to reality as he turned to Baekhyun.
“I’m sorry,” Baekhyun apologized.
“No, it’s…” Sehun sighed. For a moment, he seemed exhausted. “It’s nothing. I’m sorry, too.”
“I promise I’ll do my best,” Baekhyun said. “And oh, you can call me Baekhyun.”
Sehun blinked before snorting into a small smile.
“Mr. Baekhyun.”
If there was one thing that Jongin was grateful for in his life, it was Junmyeon.
If it was any other person, they might’ve freaked out about it. But Junmyeon was not any other person. He was different. He was his brother. His family. Junmyeon’s shock slowly subsided and he dared himself to touch Jongin’s cheek as he told him to be careful about his ability.
That it would be dangerous if someone else found out.
Jongin didn’t really understand at that moment, but yes, it would be dangerous.
His brother just wanted him to be safe, that much Jongin knew. And all these years, he had always been careful. He had never teleported sloppily. The tan male always made sure the situation was secure before jumping someplace else.
Don’t worry, Jongin said calmingly. I will be careful.
Junmyeon only smiled in response. It was clear that he wasn’t entirely worried, but he wasn’t relieved either.
But it didn’t matter to Jongin.
As long as Junmyeon was beside him, everything was going to be okay.
His relationship with Junmyeon was starting to bloom again. It was like they both were trying to patch the holes in the years they were separated. Jongin didn’t tell his father about his meetings with Junmyeon, and it seemed like Junmyeon didn’t tell their mother either.
It was their dirty little secret.
Not that Jongin minded.
Jongin teleported into Junmyeon’s apartment like usual that day.
There was nothing wrong.
Except for the fact that Junmyeon wasn’t alone.
It was like everyone turned into stones at his appearance, because no one moved.
Jongin would never forget Junmyeon’s shock expression when he showed up all of a sudden. It was a mix between shock and…fear? His eyes shifted to the person who was beside his beautiful brother. He had never seen him before…but not that Jongin had ever met Junmyeon’s friends.
Confused of what to do, Jongin held a hand up in the air apologetically, hoping that by the time he disappeared, Junmyeon would laugh dismissively and tell his friend that it must’ve been just a dream (“Who was that? He must’ve had the speed of light!”). He was about to teleport to someplace else when all of a sudden, a huge wave of electric shock hit his body.
“Jongin!!!”
Jongin felt like his brain stopped functioning altogether as he dropped painfully to the floor. He could hear Junmyeon screaming his name and running to his side to make sure that he was okay.
“No, Jongin!!”
“Hyung, get the fuck out. I have to kill him.”
“What are you talking about, Jongdae? Don’t hurt my brother!!” Junmyeon cried as he protected Jongin behind him. “Don’t do this!”
Jongin winced in pain. What were they talking about…?
The male named Jongdae looked stunned at Junmyeon’s words. “Your brother…is a Jumper?”
Jumper…?
“To have a Jumper for a brother and you haven’t killed him…that’s…sad, Hyung.”
“Don’t, Jongdae,” Junmyeon whispered pleadingly. “Please, don’t.”
“Family or not, unfortunately, I have to kill all Jumpers,” Jongdae said, grimacing. “That includes your brother. Step aside, Hyung.”
“Jongdae, please…”
“I don’t want to hurt you, Hyung. I will ask nicely of you, please, step aside.”
Jongin didn’t understand a bit, but he knew something bad was going to happen. He wrapped an arm around Junmyeon’s chest and with all the strength he could muster, he focused his mind on a place and teleported out of there. He didn’t care where, as long as it was someplace far. His safety was the last thing on his mind right then-Junmyeon was his number one priority.
The two of them landed with a loud thud. Fortunately they didn’t land on something hard.
“Did we just-“ Junmyeon sounded scared as he looked around. “Oh my goodness, where are we?”
Jongin was still too dizzy from the electric shock earlier that he wasn’t able to open his eyes wholly. Dammit. What exactly did Jongdae do to him? The voltage must’ve been really high that it sent him unfocused like this.
“Jongin!” Junmyeon crawled to his brother’s side, shaking Jongin’s shoulders worriedly. “Jongin!”
“I’m okay,” Jongin grunted heavily. He cracked an eye open but soon closed it back because the sun was too bright. “More importantly, who was that?”
“He’s my junior,” Junmyeon explained with a shaky voice. “Jongin, are we…are we in Egypt?”
“Sahara Desert, to be exact. Sorry, it was the only place I could think of.” Jongin groaned when Junmyeon helped him get back on his feet. “Why did your junior-“
“-try to kill you?”
Both Junmyeon and Jongin froze on their tracks. They slowly turned their heads to the source of the voice, and Junmyeon blanched when he saw Jongdae.
“How…?” Jongin unconsciously said that out loud.
“Your jump scar, of course,” Jongdae jerked his thumb over his shoulder. “I’ve been in this field for so long that I could calculate the angle of your…” He trailed off when Jongin’s expression clearly showed that he had no idea what Jongdae was talking about. “Wait a minute. You know nothing about this, do you?”
Jongin took a step back, his grip tightening on Junmyeon’s arm.
“In that case,” Jongdae held up his hand and it started sparkling with electricity. “I’m just gonna have to show you.”
Baekhyun wordlessly followed Sehun into a room.
He stole a glance at the two guards who were standing in front of what seemed to be a very thick, impenetrable door.
All these securities just for one person, perhaps the guy was really dangerous…
“After this, there will be no guards. Once you’re inside,” Sehun said suddenly, startling Baekhyun a bit. “You’ll start the interrogation and I’m not going to interfere. I’ll be sitting behind you, but I won’t say a word or do anything, unless of course, the situation becomes dangerous.”
“O-okay.”
Baekhyun tried not to show it, but he was certain Sehun knew that he was nervous.
“Oh, and you might want to stay away from the bars. Better be prepared than to be sorry.”
“Can-can he get closer to us?”
“…he’s chained to the wall.”
“But what if he attempts to jump?”
“Impossible. Like I said, he’s chained to the wall, and it is electrocuted once every few seconds.”
Baekhyun went pale upon hearing it. “Electrocu…wait, is that really necessary…? He’s…human, right?”
Sehun looked away. “It can’t be helped. He’s dangerous. By electrocuting him, he wouldn’t be able to focus. Unable to focus cause them unable to jump. Now, are we ready to go in or do you feel like having a cup of afternoon tea and a jar of cookies?”
Baekhyun exhaled softly before nodding.
There was no turning back now.
“I’m ready.”
Junmyeon died protecting Jongin from Jongdae.
It all happened so fast that Jongin didn’t even manage to teleport.
All he knew was that Jongdae attacked them mercilessly, that the male really wasn’t giving them a chance to escape. Every time Jongin got hit by Jongdae, it was like his mind was frozen and he was unable to think. He was unable to focus.
So when Junmyeon stopped breathing when Jongdae’s attack hit him instead, Jongin felt his world shattering.
Jongdae seemed to be stunned, too, because for a few seconds, he did nothing.
Jongin quickly pulled Junmyeon into his arms and he took the opportunity to teleport to a lot of places. He didn’t care if Jongdae would be able to follow him through his jump scar, but he just wanted to get out of there.
So Jongin jumped and jumped until he was certain he was safe, until his strength was drained, but he didn’t care. Junmyeon’s body got colder and colder in his arms as he teleported from place to place. Jongin’s lower lip trembled as realization dawned upon him. Once he felt Jongdae wasn’t following him anymore, he stopped.
Jongin stopped teleporting when he arrived someplace outside a temple in Osaka and fell weakly onto the grass. He was exhausted, but it was not the time to worry about his condition. Jongin got up and he shook Junmyeon’s body slightly, hoping that the latter was just sleeping. Minutes passed by and Junmyeon was still not responding. The younger of the two shook him harder and harder until he realized…
…that it was already too late.
Junmyeon was dead.
Jongin broke into a mournful sob as he buried his face into his brother’s neck. Apparently, if it was Jongin, it wouldn’t do that much damage to him, only that he was unable to focus and jump. But because it was Junmyeon, who was merely human, who had no superpower…
The tan male felt like he had lost the will to live. Still with tears running down his cheeks, he gazed at Junmyeon’s beautiful face for one last time.
I’m sorry, was what Jongin kept on saying. I’m sorry, Hyung…
Junmyeon died because of him.
Baekhyun gulped nervously as he stepped into the room.
Sehun beckoned him to step forward and Baekhyun obeyed.
The room was bright, very bright that Baekhyun had to shut his eyes momentarily as soon as he walked in. He finally cracked his eyes open when Sehun gave him a comforting pat on his shoulder.
“I’m sorry,” Baekhyun instantly apologized, feeling a bit sheepish about it.
“It’s your first time,” Sehun shook his head. “And you’re doing it better than me. The first three times, I keep on cursing.”
Baekhyun smiled, grateful at Sehun’s comforting words. “Thank you.”
“Whenever you’re ready.”
Baekhyun nodded, but he could feel his hands were getting cold. All of a sudden, he had no idea why he had agreed to do this in the first place. In a few more steps, he would meet Kai, the one who they said was dangerous, the one who they said was heartless, and the one that was going to trial tomorrow.
The one he had to interrogate.
Sehun started walking again and Baekhyun followed closely behind him, not wanting to get separated, even if the room wasn’t that huge. Baekhyun could see something sparkling at the end of the room, but he shrugged it off. But as they walked closer and closer to the spark and in the end, he realized what it was.
It was a jail, but the bars were covered in electricity. They must’ve been extremely high voltage that it caused the colors to be visible. They were blue. The colors were beautiful, and yet very deadly. Baekhyun had never seen something like that before, but what he understood was that it was made to prevent anyone inside from getting out.
Kai.
Baekhyun felt terrified.
Sehun gave way to Baekhyun and he mutely patted the latter’s back, as if to say that it was his turn now. The taller of the two then took a few steps backward, not too far, but not too close either. It had been in the agreement that Sehun could not say a word or interfere with the interrogation.
He was on his own now.
There was a chair in front of the jail, and Baekhyun dared himself to approach it.
Is it him…?
Kai…?
Baekhyun shuddered.
What he saw before him broke his heart.
He felt a pang at the view because the male…looked totally weak. He had tan skin and was thin, very thin, in fact. There were obvious bags under his eyes, like he hadn’t slept for days. And as if it wasn’t enough, just like Sehun had said, something flowed through his chains, and the crackling sound made Baekhyun shudder once again. He peered over his shoulder to look at Sehun, but the latter only nodded encouragingly at him.
You’re here to interrogate him, Baekhyun mentally told himself. Not to pity him.
With his eyes still fixed to the chained male, Baekhyun carefully sat on the chair. He noticed how the tan male visibly stiffened at Baekhyun’s presence, like he was afraid. Baekhyun became speechless momentarily.
He almost didn’t know how to start. What was he going to ask…?
Baekhyun hesitated for a second before finally uttering,
“Hello.”
The other male feebly lifted up his chin, but before their eyes made contact, he threw his gaze back at the empty spot beside his naked feet. It was a sign that he didn’t trust anyone.
“You’re Kai…right?”
Jongin still didn’t look at him.
“Hello, Kai. My name is Byun Baekhyun,” Baekhyun introduced himself with a soft voice. “You must be wondering why I’m here. Well, I don’t know if they’ve told you, but I’m here to…” He trailed off for a second. “…I’m here to hear your stories.”
Yes.
“You know, to see if you’re innocent.”
Jongin still didn’t react.
“I’m going to ask you a couple of questions, is that okay?”
Baekhyun waited for several minutes for an answer-even a small sound was okay-but when Jongin still didn’t say anything, he glanced at Sehun a bit helplessly. The blond-haired male simply stared back at him.
Baekhyun felt like it was going to be a long day.
[2]
Author: FloweryMisha
Pairing: slight!KaiSoo
Warning: BoyxBoy love. Enough said.
Summary: Because winners, in order to achieve what they want, should never quit.
Author’s Note: failed Jumper!au. This is one of my last fics ;; and when I reread it, I can assure you that this is awful and confusing orz pardon the grammar mistakes and the horrible plot twist. I’m so sorry, but if you still want to read this, then I hope you like this one T___T and please, no translations allowed!!
Yesterday is not ours to recover, but tomorrow is ours to win or lose.
--Lyndon B. Johnson
“Mr. Byun?”
Baekhyun glanced up from the folder in his hands at the mention of his name. His eyebrows quirked slightly. He expected to see a middle-aged man with wrinkled eyebrows and thick moustache, but the person before him was far from it.
“Yes.”
The male was still young, perhaps no older than him. He had a pair of long legs, something that Baekhyun was actually willing to kill for. His long, blond hair was combed backwards. The style was pretty boring in Baekhyun’s sense, but at least it was tidy. And for someone who worked for the government, he was very, very good-looking.
He should be a model instead, Baekhyun absently thought as he cleared his throat.
“You are…?”
“Oh Sehun,” the male politely introduced himself as he offered his hand. Baekhyun stared at the proffered hand for a few seconds before finally accepting it. “Thank you for waiting. It’s almost time, Mr. Byun. Shall we go now?”
“Oh. Uh…” Baekhyun dropped his gaze to the folder on his lap. “Sure.”
“I assume you’ve read all the files we give you?”
“I have.”
“Good,” Sehun commented nonchalantly. “Then I’m sure we can proceed immediately.” The blond-haired agent was about to turn around when Baekhyun called out his name.
“Wait, Mr. Oh,” Baekhyun stood up hastily and he almost dropped the file from his lap. “Before we even get to that…I need to make sure about some things first. I hope you don’t mind…”
Sehun looked a bit confused-or annoyed, Baekhyun wasn’t sure-at first, but then he shook his head.
“Great, thank you. Then let me be blunt. First, all of these things…” Baekhyun motioned the folder that was still in his hand. “…all of the stuffs that I’ve read. They are…confidential, correct?”
“…that’s right.”
“So let me get this straight, you-that means the government, too-want me to interrogate a guy that’s going to secret trial tomorrow, which no one will realize there is even one. So this is strictly…confidential.”
“Classified.” Sehun simply narrowed his eyes. Baekhyun got the impression that he was bored. “Yes.”
“Will I…will I be safe, then?”
There was a pause. “What do you mean by that?”
“What are the chances that I might still be alive after the interrogation?”
Sehun frowned. He seemed disagree. “Why would you not be alive?”
“I don’t know. You know how government works.” Baekhyun shrugged coolly, although he was kind of worried. “One moment you say you need my help, the next moment I’ll be dead when you have everything you need.”
It was obvious that Sehun did his best not to smile. “That’s not going to happen.”
“I’m not so sure,” Baekhyun crossed his arms on his chest defensively. “I’m not going inside until I know I’m safe.”
Sehun exhaled in resignation. He thought he had seen this coming. “Very well. What is it that you ask for, Mr. Byun?”
Baekhyun stared at Sehun in a serious manner. His tone was laced with a hint of uncertainty when he said,
“I want no recording.”
Jongin’s first jump happened when he was five years old.
He had no idea how.
All he could remember was that he felt utterly sad and brokenhearted when his parents told him they wouldn’t be living together anymore. His parents told him that from that moment, Jongin was going to live with his father and Junmyeon was going to live with his mother.
Junmyeon.
Sure, Jongin was sad that his parents weren’t going to be together anymore, but Junmyeon…his brother was different.
His brother was his.
And no one, no one, could take him away from him.
Not even his mother.
Jongin cried loudly, bawling his eyes out as he begged Junmyeon to stay. Junmyeon, unable to do anything, could only return his brother’s hug with a voiceless sob. He was just as powerless as Jongin. No matter what they did, the decision was final, and they didn’t need to be adults to understand it.
When the car Junmyeon was in drove away and disappeared from his peripheral vision, Jongin ran into his room angrily. He ignored his father who was calling out his name and slammed the door as hard as he could as a sign of protest before locking it.
Jongin buried his face into the pillow with mixed feelings.
Starting tomorrow, his brother would be around no more.
What did he do so that he deserved this?
What did he do…?
No, it wasn’t him. It was his parents. It wasn’t him…
…right?
It hadn’t been a day since Junmyeon left, but Jongin already felt lonely.
The boy clenched his pillow tightly and gritted his teeth, wondering why the anger just wouldn’t go away. His pillow was already wet with tears, but he didn’t care. In order to calm himself down, his mind flew to the places he used to go with Junmyeon.
The playground by the park.
The library.
The river near the highway.
Jongin whimpered. Right then, he just kind of wanted to be there. He wanted to be at one of his favorite places with Junmyeon. Laughing around, playing together… Jongin took a deep breath and he put a lot of effort imagining the places in his mind-as if he didn’t, his memories with Junmyeon would disappear. Jongin just wanted to be there so badly…
The river.
All of a sudden, his surrounding was shaking and he felt hard wind gushing to his face.
The next thing Jongin knew, he was by the river with his pillow.
“Are you sure about this?”
Sehun’s voice jerked Baekhyun out of his reverie.
“He’s a dangerous person, you know,” Sehun said as he tucked his phone away. “If you really want to save yourself, don’t you think it would be better if the recording is on? That way, if anything happens to you while you’re inside, we can still find out what. And someone should be able to do something about it.”
Baekhyun hesitated momentarily, but then he shook his head. “No recording. And besides, I’m not alone. You’re going to be in the room with me.”
“…if that’s what you want, then.”
Jongin then learned how to control his power after countless efforts.
It was hard, very hard, considering that he was still just a kid. To make it worse, he couldn’t tell anyone about it-it wasn’t like teleporting was a normal thing to do. He kept it a secret, because he didn’t want to be considered as a freak.
He wasn’t one.
The power he had, it was…a gift.
Yeah. A gift.
If Junmyeon was there, he would’ve said so.
The thought of Junmyeon always made Jongin feel a bit better.
They still talked through the phones sometimes, but it wasn’t enough. Jongin felt like Junmyeon was avoiding him, or was the timing just not right every time he made a phone call? They were brothers, but even Jongin could tell they grew apart and apart.
The younger of the two thought of telling Junmyeon about his ability, but…what if the latter rejected him? What if Junmyeon thought it wasn’t a gift, that it was a curse instead…? He wouldn’t be able to live with it if it ever happened… Jongin was so scared about losing Junmyeon more than he already had, so he kept it to himself-at least until he was strong and brave enough to tell his brother.
Eventually, Jongin managed to control it. The river where he used to play with Junmyeon was the most often place he teleported to. The first few times after he teleported, Jongin took a bus home, but then he learned that he could teleport anywhere he wanted to, as long as he was able to imagine the place perfectly.
His bedroom.
His school.
Even the shopping centre.
Jongin was never too brave to try someplace far, simply because he told himself that he was just a kid.
He should wait until he got older.
When he was seventeen years old, Jongin considered that he had enough experiences and decided to teleport to Junmyeon’s dorm. His brother was already in college at that time, and it had been years since they last met. Jongin felt like it was time for him to be free and travel the world.
And preferably, it was time to tell Junmyeon.
Junmyeon’s jaw dropped involuntarily like he just saw a ghost when Jongin suddenly appeared in front of him. Jongin was so happy he made it there safely that he could only laugh at the older male’s dumb expression. He pulled Junmyeon into a tight hug before the latter got to say anything, hastily telling him that he would explain everything later.
“J-Jongin? How did-”
Jongin pulled away for a moment only to examine his brother’s face.
“Jongin-”
His brother had always been beautiful, but he was far more beautiful right then.
“Yes, Hyung, it’s me. I swear, I’ll explain everything later…”
There was a lot of explaining to do, but right now, all Jongin wanted to do was to hug Junmyeon close and never let go.
He missed Junmyeon too damn much.
Baekhyun didn’t think he had ever seen that many guards before. There was at least one in every corner, and it got him to wonder if the guy they held captive was really dangerous. He was tempted to ask Sehun about it, but then he changed his mind.
The trip on the elevator was quiet.
Too quiet, in fact.
Baekhyun shifted his weight to his other foot while holding the folder close to his chest. “Mr. Oh?”
“Please. You can call me Sehun.”
“Mr. Sehun,” Baekhyun repeated, ignoring the look Sehun gave him. “This guy that you want me to interrogate… Is he really that dangerous?”
Sehun looked bored for the umpteenth time. “I don’t have to tell you that. It’s all in the files.”
“Yes, I understand that, but what exactly was his crime? I only read that he killed one of your agents, but other than that, there was nothing.” Baekhyun stubbornly flipped the folder open. “He never robbed a bank, he never hurt anyone…”
“…we never found out.”
“Huh? What do you mean by that?”
“Mr. Byun,” Sehun said sternly. “I understand your confusion, but I’m not the one you should be asking questions at. You’re only here because of your famous title in Criminal Psychology and you’ve been recommended to us. If it hadn’t been for that, we wouldn’t have called you. You had time to decline our offer, so now that you’re here, I’m sure you’ve had your reasons. So do us.”
The elevator made a sound when it arrived at the pointed floor. The door slid open, but Sehun didn’t move from his track. He turned to Baekhyun with a serious expression.
“I became a Paladin, Mr. Byun, because…well, let’s just say that I feel like I have to. Jumpers-who would’ve thought they exist? But that doesn’t mean they can use their powers as they want. Hurting people, robbing banks, these are what Jumpers usually do. Most of these Jumpers became villains because they think they have the power of God. Can you imagine that? Mocking the police department because they cannot be found? Because they have the ability to jump anywhere they like?”
Baekhyun bit his inner cheek. He didn’t mean to make anyone angry, especially not Sehun.
“We were confused. Hopeless. But when Chen came along…our hope was starting to rise.”
Baekhyun tightened his grip on the folder.
“So it’s your job to find out why he was killed.”
Sehun then stepped out of the elevator. Baekhyun waited for a few seconds before following closely behind him. The elevator door closed softly with a sound and Baekhyun cleared his throat to catch Sehun’s attention. The agent seemed to snap back to reality as he turned to Baekhyun.
“I’m sorry,” Baekhyun apologized.
“No, it’s…” Sehun sighed. For a moment, he seemed exhausted. “It’s nothing. I’m sorry, too.”
“I promise I’ll do my best,” Baekhyun said. “And oh, you can call me Baekhyun.”
Sehun blinked before snorting into a small smile.
“Mr. Baekhyun.”
If there was one thing that Jongin was grateful for in his life, it was Junmyeon.
If it was any other person, they might’ve freaked out about it. But Junmyeon was not any other person. He was different. He was his brother. His family. Junmyeon’s shock slowly subsided and he dared himself to touch Jongin’s cheek as he told him to be careful about his ability.
That it would be dangerous if someone else found out.
Jongin didn’t really understand at that moment, but yes, it would be dangerous.
His brother just wanted him to be safe, that much Jongin knew. And all these years, he had always been careful. He had never teleported sloppily. The tan male always made sure the situation was secure before jumping someplace else.
Don’t worry, Jongin said calmingly. I will be careful.
Junmyeon only smiled in response. It was clear that he wasn’t entirely worried, but he wasn’t relieved either.
But it didn’t matter to Jongin.
As long as Junmyeon was beside him, everything was going to be okay.
His relationship with Junmyeon was starting to bloom again. It was like they both were trying to patch the holes in the years they were separated. Jongin didn’t tell his father about his meetings with Junmyeon, and it seemed like Junmyeon didn’t tell their mother either.
It was their dirty little secret.
Not that Jongin minded.
Jongin teleported into Junmyeon’s apartment like usual that day.
There was nothing wrong.
Except for the fact that Junmyeon wasn’t alone.
It was like everyone turned into stones at his appearance, because no one moved.
Jongin would never forget Junmyeon’s shock expression when he showed up all of a sudden. It was a mix between shock and…fear? His eyes shifted to the person who was beside his beautiful brother. He had never seen him before…but not that Jongin had ever met Junmyeon’s friends.
Confused of what to do, Jongin held a hand up in the air apologetically, hoping that by the time he disappeared, Junmyeon would laugh dismissively and tell his friend that it must’ve been just a dream (“Who was that? He must’ve had the speed of light!”). He was about to teleport to someplace else when all of a sudden, a huge wave of electric shock hit his body.
“Jongin!!!”
Jongin felt like his brain stopped functioning altogether as he dropped painfully to the floor. He could hear Junmyeon screaming his name and running to his side to make sure that he was okay.
“No, Jongin!!”
“Hyung, get the fuck out. I have to kill him.”
“What are you talking about, Jongdae? Don’t hurt my brother!!” Junmyeon cried as he protected Jongin behind him. “Don’t do this!”
Jongin winced in pain. What were they talking about…?
The male named Jongdae looked stunned at Junmyeon’s words. “Your brother…is a Jumper?”
Jumper…?
“To have a Jumper for a brother and you haven’t killed him…that’s…sad, Hyung.”
“Don’t, Jongdae,” Junmyeon whispered pleadingly. “Please, don’t.”
“Family or not, unfortunately, I have to kill all Jumpers,” Jongdae said, grimacing. “That includes your brother. Step aside, Hyung.”
“Jongdae, please…”
“I don’t want to hurt you, Hyung. I will ask nicely of you, please, step aside.”
Jongin didn’t understand a bit, but he knew something bad was going to happen. He wrapped an arm around Junmyeon’s chest and with all the strength he could muster, he focused his mind on a place and teleported out of there. He didn’t care where, as long as it was someplace far. His safety was the last thing on his mind right then-Junmyeon was his number one priority.
The two of them landed with a loud thud. Fortunately they didn’t land on something hard.
“Did we just-“ Junmyeon sounded scared as he looked around. “Oh my goodness, where are we?”
Jongin was still too dizzy from the electric shock earlier that he wasn’t able to open his eyes wholly. Dammit. What exactly did Jongdae do to him? The voltage must’ve been really high that it sent him unfocused like this.
“Jongin!” Junmyeon crawled to his brother’s side, shaking Jongin’s shoulders worriedly. “Jongin!”
“I’m okay,” Jongin grunted heavily. He cracked an eye open but soon closed it back because the sun was too bright. “More importantly, who was that?”
“He’s my junior,” Junmyeon explained with a shaky voice. “Jongin, are we…are we in Egypt?”
“Sahara Desert, to be exact. Sorry, it was the only place I could think of.” Jongin groaned when Junmyeon helped him get back on his feet. “Why did your junior-“
“-try to kill you?”
Both Junmyeon and Jongin froze on their tracks. They slowly turned their heads to the source of the voice, and Junmyeon blanched when he saw Jongdae.
“How…?” Jongin unconsciously said that out loud.
“Your jump scar, of course,” Jongdae jerked his thumb over his shoulder. “I’ve been in this field for so long that I could calculate the angle of your…” He trailed off when Jongin’s expression clearly showed that he had no idea what Jongdae was talking about. “Wait a minute. You know nothing about this, do you?”
Jongin took a step back, his grip tightening on Junmyeon’s arm.
“In that case,” Jongdae held up his hand and it started sparkling with electricity. “I’m just gonna have to show you.”
Baekhyun wordlessly followed Sehun into a room.
He stole a glance at the two guards who were standing in front of what seemed to be a very thick, impenetrable door.
All these securities just for one person, perhaps the guy was really dangerous…
“After this, there will be no guards. Once you’re inside,” Sehun said suddenly, startling Baekhyun a bit. “You’ll start the interrogation and I’m not going to interfere. I’ll be sitting behind you, but I won’t say a word or do anything, unless of course, the situation becomes dangerous.”
“O-okay.”
Baekhyun tried not to show it, but he was certain Sehun knew that he was nervous.
“Oh, and you might want to stay away from the bars. Better be prepared than to be sorry.”
“Can-can he get closer to us?”
“…he’s chained to the wall.”
“But what if he attempts to jump?”
“Impossible. Like I said, he’s chained to the wall, and it is electrocuted once every few seconds.”
Baekhyun went pale upon hearing it. “Electrocu…wait, is that really necessary…? He’s…human, right?”
Sehun looked away. “It can’t be helped. He’s dangerous. By electrocuting him, he wouldn’t be able to focus. Unable to focus cause them unable to jump. Now, are we ready to go in or do you feel like having a cup of afternoon tea and a jar of cookies?”
Baekhyun exhaled softly before nodding.
There was no turning back now.
“I’m ready.”
Junmyeon died protecting Jongin from Jongdae.
It all happened so fast that Jongin didn’t even manage to teleport.
All he knew was that Jongdae attacked them mercilessly, that the male really wasn’t giving them a chance to escape. Every time Jongin got hit by Jongdae, it was like his mind was frozen and he was unable to think. He was unable to focus.
So when Junmyeon stopped breathing when Jongdae’s attack hit him instead, Jongin felt his world shattering.
Jongdae seemed to be stunned, too, because for a few seconds, he did nothing.
Jongin quickly pulled Junmyeon into his arms and he took the opportunity to teleport to a lot of places. He didn’t care if Jongdae would be able to follow him through his jump scar, but he just wanted to get out of there.
So Jongin jumped and jumped until he was certain he was safe, until his strength was drained, but he didn’t care. Junmyeon’s body got colder and colder in his arms as he teleported from place to place. Jongin’s lower lip trembled as realization dawned upon him. Once he felt Jongdae wasn’t following him anymore, he stopped.
Jongin stopped teleporting when he arrived someplace outside a temple in Osaka and fell weakly onto the grass. He was exhausted, but it was not the time to worry about his condition. Jongin got up and he shook Junmyeon’s body slightly, hoping that the latter was just sleeping. Minutes passed by and Junmyeon was still not responding. The younger of the two shook him harder and harder until he realized…
…that it was already too late.
Junmyeon was dead.
Jongin broke into a mournful sob as he buried his face into his brother’s neck. Apparently, if it was Jongin, it wouldn’t do that much damage to him, only that he was unable to focus and jump. But because it was Junmyeon, who was merely human, who had no superpower…
The tan male felt like he had lost the will to live. Still with tears running down his cheeks, he gazed at Junmyeon’s beautiful face for one last time.
I’m sorry, was what Jongin kept on saying. I’m sorry, Hyung…
Junmyeon died because of him.
Baekhyun gulped nervously as he stepped into the room.
Sehun beckoned him to step forward and Baekhyun obeyed.
The room was bright, very bright that Baekhyun had to shut his eyes momentarily as soon as he walked in. He finally cracked his eyes open when Sehun gave him a comforting pat on his shoulder.
“I’m sorry,” Baekhyun instantly apologized, feeling a bit sheepish about it.
“It’s your first time,” Sehun shook his head. “And you’re doing it better than me. The first three times, I keep on cursing.”
Baekhyun smiled, grateful at Sehun’s comforting words. “Thank you.”
“Whenever you’re ready.”
Baekhyun nodded, but he could feel his hands were getting cold. All of a sudden, he had no idea why he had agreed to do this in the first place. In a few more steps, he would meet Kai, the one who they said was dangerous, the one who they said was heartless, and the one that was going to trial tomorrow.
The one he had to interrogate.
Sehun started walking again and Baekhyun followed closely behind him, not wanting to get separated, even if the room wasn’t that huge. Baekhyun could see something sparkling at the end of the room, but he shrugged it off. But as they walked closer and closer to the spark and in the end, he realized what it was.
It was a jail, but the bars were covered in electricity. They must’ve been extremely high voltage that it caused the colors to be visible. They were blue. The colors were beautiful, and yet very deadly. Baekhyun had never seen something like that before, but what he understood was that it was made to prevent anyone inside from getting out.
Kai.
Baekhyun felt terrified.
Sehun gave way to Baekhyun and he mutely patted the latter’s back, as if to say that it was his turn now. The taller of the two then took a few steps backward, not too far, but not too close either. It had been in the agreement that Sehun could not say a word or interfere with the interrogation.
He was on his own now.
There was a chair in front of the jail, and Baekhyun dared himself to approach it.
Is it him…?
Kai…?
Baekhyun shuddered.
What he saw before him broke his heart.
He felt a pang at the view because the male…looked totally weak. He had tan skin and was thin, very thin, in fact. There were obvious bags under his eyes, like he hadn’t slept for days. And as if it wasn’t enough, just like Sehun had said, something flowed through his chains, and the crackling sound made Baekhyun shudder once again. He peered over his shoulder to look at Sehun, but the latter only nodded encouragingly at him.
You’re here to interrogate him, Baekhyun mentally told himself. Not to pity him.
With his eyes still fixed to the chained male, Baekhyun carefully sat on the chair. He noticed how the tan male visibly stiffened at Baekhyun’s presence, like he was afraid. Baekhyun became speechless momentarily.
He almost didn’t know how to start. What was he going to ask…?
Baekhyun hesitated for a second before finally uttering,
“Hello.”
The other male feebly lifted up his chin, but before their eyes made contact, he threw his gaze back at the empty spot beside his naked feet. It was a sign that he didn’t trust anyone.
“You’re Kai…right?”
Jongin still didn’t look at him.
“Hello, Kai. My name is Byun Baekhyun,” Baekhyun introduced himself with a soft voice. “You must be wondering why I’m here. Well, I don’t know if they’ve told you, but I’m here to…” He trailed off for a second. “…I’m here to hear your stories.”
Yes.
“You know, to see if you’re innocent.”
Jongin still didn’t react.
“I’m going to ask you a couple of questions, is that okay?”
Baekhyun waited for several minutes for an answer-even a small sound was okay-but when Jongin still didn’t say anything, he glanced at Sehun a bit helplessly. The blond-haired male simply stared back at him.
Baekhyun felt like it was going to be a long day.
[2]