When Taehyung stepped inside the store room, he was awed by the number of files, folders and books piled around him. Some, he noticed were arranged alphabetically in metal drawers. 

Holding the end of the torch with his teeth, Taehyung pulled out one of the drawers which had a yellow 'E' stuck on it and began going through its contents. 

The ravenette felt like applauding himself now. He really can't believe him being inside Valkyrie's Headquarters, snuffling in their store room. Maybe it was his luck that favoured him to slip past the guards unnoticed. 

Valkyrie had been a branch family of Azure Nation, working alongside them since their foundation. But all that changed right after a conflict over a drug ring between the two. Valkyrie's Head, a woman twenty years older than Taehyung was feared by Namjoon himself.

"If you see a Valkyrie, steer clear Taehyung. No engagement. You aren't ready to deal with them."

Namjoon's old warning rang in this ears as he opened one file in particular which caught his eye. 

To be honest, Taehyung's first suspect after he found out about the rekindling of the Operation was Valkyrie but the sudden reminder towards the stance against Eclipse Operation cleared all doubts. 

Ever since the beginning, Valkyrie was one of the few organisation's to protest heavily against the operation as majority of their members were Gifted along with the Head herself. 

"You look like you're in need of help." 

Taehyung almost jumped as he faced towards the source of the voice, throat drying to see a woman keeling beside him, eyeing the documents warily. He froze when he realised that she was the Head herself. Taehyung was sure he wasn't mistaken. He knew those infamous eyes really well. A deep, rich purple. 

She smirked before sitting cross-legged and picking up one of the papers herself. Taehyung gulped. 

"I knew you would come." Her voice was raspy and deep, full of authority and importance. A chill ran down his spine. 

"Mundane recklessness, just like your mother. No wonder you are his child." 

Taehyung felt like he was dumped with cold water as he whipped his head towards the female, eyes alarmed. 

"My..mother? You knew her-" 

The Head rolled her eyes. Up front, she looked younger than she actually was. Flowing dark hair with streaks of mauve and what seemed like a black silk inner adorned her whose right sleeve slipped off the shoulders, baring her collarbones and soft skin. Taehyung felt his face flush furiously. 

"You didn't have to break in like that, Taehyung. A simple asking would've done the thing." 

Taehyung furrowed his eyebrows. 

"But, you said you knew my mother. How did you-" 

"That's for some other day, Taehyung." She smiled, which made Taehyung shut up as he nodded slowly. 

The Head stood up as she looked at him with an unreadable expression before leaving the room, closing the door behind her. 

In the silence of the room, it felt like she wasn't even here, everything happened to quickly and suddenly, there it was again, a searing pain in his head that almost knocked his breathe away as Taehyung gritted his teeth and cradled his head. 

As he closed his eyes, a number of fast moving images crossed his mind in infinite speed. Blood, rotten corpses, his mother standing at the background, something very familiar billowing at the back and two new newborn kids wailing. 

Taehyung was breathing heavily as he braced himself on the floor of the store room. 

What?

Sweat beads lined the back of his head and confusion in his head as he slumped against the wall. Taehyung had faced similar headaches before but these images weren't a part. And that too, his mother, who had left both him and Jennie at ripe ages, coming home all bloodied and teary, begging them to never look for her. 

For now, Taehyung tried to calm himself down, taking deep breathes and clenching his fists. 

« »

Jeongguk had simply done what he was told to. 

An hour before he was supposed to meet Taehyung to search for their "suspect", a dark shadow loomed in the floor. 

"Don't accompany him."

Jeongguk whirled, leaning against the dressing table and facing a stern Yoongi sitting on the window-sill. 

"What?" 

Yoongi clenched his jaw. 

"I know he's acting on his own and, yes, I know about the Operation. Hoseok told me-"

"Why would he tell y-" 

"That's not the issue right now." 

Jeongguk sighed heavily, shaking his head as he watched Yoongi let himself in. 

"The idea is, you don't go where Taehyung's taking you." 

"And why not?" Jeongguk crossed his arms across his chest. 

"There's a high chance he's going to sneak into Valkyrie and I want him to go in there alone." 

"Oh? So that he can die?" 

Yoongi let out an exasperated sigh. 

"That is not what I meant, Jeongguk. If he goes in there alone then, of course, he will depend on his Ability if he get's into trouble which he will." 

Jeongguk's face cleared as he gaped at the older. 

"The fuck, Yoongi? What if he doesn't use his Ability and gets killed instead? Will you take responsibility for his death?" 

The older shrugged.

"I said what I had to. Now, its up to you to follow." 

And Jeongguk did follow. He left Taehyung standing there looking so helpless that his heart clenched. He himself was scared, if the other didn't return then he would never be able to forgive himself (or Yoongi). 

So, he was surprised to find an intact Taehyung returning back towards the Headquarters. 

"What are you doing here?" 

"Checking to see whether its your head or your own body that's returning." 

Taehyung scowled, shoving a thin file on Jeongguk's chest, making him flinch a bit at the sudden contact. 

"I got the documents, without you. And I also met the Head-"

"You what?" 

And Taehyung had the fucking audacity to grin. 

"Yeah, Jeon. I met her and we talked. She was hot though." 

Taehyung laughed at Jeongguk's disgusted expression. 

"You should be happy that I am not killing you right here, you asshole." Taehyung said, poking his finger on the other's forehead, "You left me like that, all defenseless. I had to make a new plan cause it was to be done by me alone."

Jeonggul cleared his throat, shifting back from the other and shoving his hands in his pocket.

"Yeah whatever." he mumbled. 

The night wind blew softly, the streets empty and the moon now hiding behind the clouds.

Jeongguk had been pacing outside for a long time and he could feel the drowsiness slipping in. 

"I haven't seen your face, till now." Taehyung chirped, looking at the other, expectantly. 

"And?" Jeongguk quirked an eyebrow. 

Taehyung frowned. 

"And I want to see it." 

Jeongguk sighed, waving his had dismissively. 

"Its nothing special, so quit it." 

Jeongguk chuckled softly as the ravenette groaned, complaining. 

Even under the semi-darkness, Taehyung looked beautiful, face bathed in moonlight as he exposed his neck column and laughed, those bright, sparkling eyes and warm words.

Jeongguk was genuinely glad that Taehyung had returned back in one piece. 

== 

so i was having my exams, hence i couldn't update, lol. 

what do you think about the head? And how does she know about taehyung's mother? 

a tiny bit of taegguk moment but more are about to come ;)

i hope you all are keeping well. stay hydrated and wear your masks!

lots of love.

cassandra.