Jeongguk was panicking hard. Fatigue was slowly climbing up his skin, stretching fast towards every inch of his body. 

The wind user and the alleged bird summoner were slumped face front on the asphalt, blood pooling around their bodies. 

Everything was a blur in Jeongguk's mind. For over a year he had been trying to put Euphoric Revelation's Stage Four into play, but all results were futile. The brilliant white, pink and red dimension appeared half finished around him, leaving him coughing on the ground with no support anywhere. It was a surprise to him, of course, that he was able to pull off such an impossible move while being pushed to an edge, Maybe it was the adrenaline. 

His partner was sitting, leaning against the brick wall, hand still clutching around the bleeding wound. Brown feathers were stuck on his hair and the bloodstained overcoat. Taehyung seemed like he was barely breathing. 

Jeongguk gritted his teeth, pushing his feet towards Taehyung, crouching down to face him. 

"Hey, you awake?" 

Taehyung groaned lowly, making Jeongguk relax slightly. 

"Sorry...couldn't..do-" Blood oozed out of the wound as Taehyung bit his lip, pressing his leg tighter. 

"Don't speak you idiot." Jeongguk snapped, shoving the other's hands away as he examined his wound. 

It indeed was bad. A large gash extending from his mid calf to the ankle. It was bleeding profusely. If nothing was done to stop the blood then the situation may turn dire. 

Jeongguk pulled open his gloves and pressed one of them hard over the wound. 

"The fuck?" Taehyung hissed, glaring at his partner. 

"Shut up. We wouldn't have been here if you were quick enough to use your Ability." 

Jeongguk felt an uneasy chill go down his spine as he felt blood on his hands and pressed against the wound making the other yelp in pain. 

The entire street was deserted, not a single soul in sight at this point of the night. Jeongguk was sweating profusely, jaw locked in place. Taehyung looked closely to find Jeongguk's hands shaking slightly. Shifting backwards, he managed to sit straight, looking straight at Jeongguk's panicky eyes. 

"What are you doing?"

"Having the time of my life, Taehyung." Jeongguk glared,"What do you think?" 

"Well, I had mentioned before that it was going to be dangerous-" 

"If only you had used your goddamn Ability." 

Jeongguk gritted his teeth as more blood oozed out, staining his hands ruby red. 

Taehyung was leaning heavily against the brick wall, face pale and barely breathing. He seemed to be seconds away from losing cousciousness. Jeongguk cursed mentally, breathing coming out in short puffs, heart beating so loudly that it seemed like it was echoing all around them. The blood was showing no signs of stopping and both of their phones were all the way in the car. 

"You know." 

Jeongguk looked up. Taehyung's eyes were half lidded, chest rising with each breathe. 

"I think I asked you to not speak. I'll carry you to the car, bear with me till then." 

The glove was soaking beyond measure and Jeongguk pressed the other pair over it. 

Suddenly, Taehyung leaned forward, hands grasping the front of Jeongguk's shirt, faces inches apart. Jeongguk's eyes widened, reeling back but the ravenette held him in place, grip tight on the shirt. 

"I'm sorry." 

"What?" 

"I think I am dying Jeongguk, so let me just-" 

"You ain't dying. Stop saying shit." 

"I don't think I can use Stigma under normal conditions. It usually responds when I am at an emotional edge. Its..its" Taehyung took a large gulp of air, fingers tightening, "This Ability isn't mine, Jeongguk."

Jeongguk froze. 

"You are out of your mind, Taehyung. Let's get you to the car then we can resume." 

"No no. You..you have to hear me out." Taehyung bowed his head down, chin almost touching his chest, stray hair tickling Jeongguk's nosebridge. 

"Our..mother. She died when Jennie and me were mere kids, leaving this overcoat and asking me to take care of my sister." 

Taehyung's hands were shaking as Jeongguk slowly wrapped his bare wrists around his partner's ones, blood coating yet another layer of unblemished skin. 

"Jennie had shown signs of succesfully using Whistle but I couldn't even control Stigma properly." Taehyung's shoulders were shaking, tears falling on his lap,"The only thing Ma left us and I can't even-" 

Jeongguk pulled off his mask, freeing one of Taehyung's wrist in the process and pressed his forehead against his. 

"Look at me, you dipshit." 

Taehyung sniffed, gazing up towards his partner, eyes widening at the proximity and the exposed face. 

"First of all, you aren't dying cause I am going to save you even if it means I will die in the process. Second of all, even if you weren't born with an Ability, even if you were a Normal, it doesn't make sense since Stigma's true power isn't just in that overcoat." 

"How.." 

Jeongguk smiled and for the first time ever Taehyung felt a thousand butterflies swarming in his stomach, all beautiful purple and blue tiny creatures leaving trails of gold behind. He felt warm inside and out. He was beautiful. And Taehyung wondered why he was hiding himself behind that hideous cloth before. 

"Its not the first time you're seeing me." Jeongguk smirked, making Taehyung more flustered then before. 

"Its the first time I am seeing you without your mask." Taehyung mumbled. 

"Come on, let's get you up." 

Jeongguk leaned back, wrapping his arm around Taehyung's shoulders and hoisting him up. The bleeding has stopped for the time being, which was a relief but Taehyung wasn't looking too well. 

The duo trudged towards the vehicle, the sun getting ready to rise in the oblivion. 

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"You know, I really envy your Ability."

Yeonjun turned to look at the blonde who was freely kicking off stones on the sidewalk. Cars zoomed past them, and some early risers were out for their daily morning jog. The sky was a brilliant blue with a fresh breeze. 

"Why? Its not really pleasant." 

Hyunjin chuckled, eyes squinting under the rays of the sun. 

"My Ability isn't the harmful kind, it mostly just making people lost kinda thing. Yours is pretty badass." 

"Pretty bad, you mean. The side affects are really harmful for my body." 

"Still. Should be better than my useless one" 

Yeonjun shook his head, falling into steps with his partner. 

It was their first time out for a mission. There have been weird sightings of hooded people around the northern area where the city ends and they were headed to check any nearby cameras or witnesses. 

Being pretty much indoors all the time, Yeonjun had slowly adapted himself with the ways of the mafia. Their routines and their work. He still isn't accustomed to the ruthless killing but after his grandfather's death, it seems like he has become adjusting. Maybe it was the intense bloodthirst to find the elusive killer that's driving him forward. Maybe it was something else. Whatever it was, was beneficial. 

"Did you notice something unusual while we were receiving the orders?" 

Hyunjin hummed.

"Yes. It was given by Yoongi and not by your Head as it usually is done." Hyunjin said, shoving his hands inside his pocket,"It was also Yoongi who is said to have supervised the area by himself." 

Yeonjun merely responded to the words. He too had the same thought. Why was it that his own members too were not interacting with their Head. Those afternoon meetings in the dark sweltering room had stopped too. 

As Yeonjun walked side by side with this partner, he wondered what was going on.

==

ayee, new update as promised.

what do you think is going on? and what do you think about taehyung's ability? 

hope you all liked this chapter. next update sooonn

lots of love

cassandra.