Agent Choi knew it was an emergency when he was yanked from his task to sit in front of a desk of messy paper and smouldering cigarette butts. No matter how many times it happened, Agent Choi always felt his stomach toss in every direction.

"Hello sir."

"Choi," the man said gruffly, waving a cigarette. "Hope you didn't have anything that's important."

"Actually sir, I was working on -"

"It's already been moved, I was just asking to be nice." A thick sheath of papers were dropped in front of Seungcheol with a red stamp emblazoned on the cover. "This is your briefing. From this point onwards, this mission will be your sole focus. Tap into your resources - everything we have is readily available for you, and nothing is out of your reach. Considering you knew many of the subjects at one point or another, you'll just need to track them down."

"Yes sir."

"You know the consequences if you fail. Dismissed." Seungcheol nodded as he was thrown back into his time, the robot blinking at him.

"Welcome back Mr. Choi. Operatives -"

"I know," Agent Choi replied, already grabbing his bag, shoving the briefing into it. The robot nodded, him smiling at her. "I'll catch you some other time. Thank you CARAT."

She nodded again, and the agent waved his hand in a rectangular pattern about the size of his body. Quickly, the air seemed to fold on itself, distorting the view of the world beyond the door. Agent Choi stepped through the distortion, feeling his insides scramble then rearrange as he stood in an office bathroom, no one else to be seen. It was the same time, he realised as he checked his watch before turning to the mirror to fix his suit. Sometimes when his boss pulled him into his dimensional hole of an office it messed with the timing, but he'd only been there for a minute.

Walking out of the bathroom, Seungcheol nodded at a few of the workers before entering his office, closing and locking the door. This office was one of many that the agency had, meaning he had a nice shielded office for his needs. Now, the need was to see what this mission would be, and how quickly he could get it done. Agent Choi had other priorities, like long lasting missions that had been dragging for the better part of a year.

Breaking the seal and opening the folder, Agent Choi's eyebrows raised immediately at the first page in handwritten code. It was one he knew, he'd developed it, but only he knew it. He'd always put his encrypted files like this - but that wasn't his handwriting.

He started on his decoding process, humming softly to a song as he did so. When he was finished with the first page, he reread the code to make sure it wasn't wrong, then read the translation again.

Cheol,

It's me. Well, when you read this, you won't know me. But you taught me this code to write in case I needed it - and I need it. Project SVT is a mistake. Plain and simple, it's a mistake. I don't know if I can trust you enough to tell you that, but I'm hoping that I can reach you in an universe that you'll listen to me. If you succeed, you'll still fail. So fail. Do everything in your power to fail this mission - I know you've never failed one before, but I promise you, this needs to be the first. And now I know you're wondering who I am, why should you trust me, and what is going on.

You trusted me enough to teach me your code. Let that be a testament.

Signed,

Yours.

Agent Choi read it over again, frowning. He'd learned to not take future notes without some suspicion, but this one had seemed to cross dimensions too.

"Interesting," he muttered, setting the paper aside to see a regularly typed paper instead with his mission name.

Emblazoned in big red Hangul and English in the middle of the page were the words "Project SVT." It was then followed with a top secret stamp. Taking off the cover page unveiled a mission briefing the agent was much more comfortable with, about the mission.

Agents assigned: 1.
Expected duration: infinite.
Refusal: invalid.

Agent Choi raised an eyebrow at the refusal statement, realising it meant no matter what, he had to see this mission through.

Statement: Project SVT is a team of seventeen subjects the agency has traced since an early age. These subjects have various assets to offer to the team. At the signal, Agent Choi Seungcheol (Subject 01) will begin team assembly. Subject 01 will find the other subjects within three months. Then a training period of six months begins - however, after that period, at any time, they can be called to begin their final mission.

As decreed by article 2015.05.26, SVT will be a group of mutually assured mass annihilation - a suicide mission within itself. SVT's final task is to eliminate humanity after chosen ones have evacuated the planet - including themselves.

Subject 01 will be the only one privy to this knowledge and will be the executioner of the other members.

Seungcheol felt his stomach turn over as he read those words, something telling him this was very wrong. Something also told him he'd read these exact words before, he'd done this before, and he knew this sinking feeling all too well.

When he tried to grasp it so that he could figure out why he felt this, it just slipped past him. "Of course," Seungcheol muttered, turning past the briefing page to his own profile.

Subject 01 - Choi Seungcheol.
Location: Seoul, South Korea.
Power(s): manipulates the time-space continuum.
Occupation: Agent.

What followed was entirely miscellaneous information, at least to himself.

Then he turned the page to see a page with a huge red stamp across it that read "deceased." Under the ink was about the deceased member, including how he was killed.

Seungcheol didn't pay much attention to that, besides the fact his name was Doyoon, he'd had indestructible digestion (pretty useless if anyone asked Seungcheol), and he'd been killed in a car crash.

Flipping over to the next page, his eyebrows went together as he saw a face that was usually all over tabloids.

Subject 03 - Yoon Jeonghan.
Location: Tokyo, Japan.
Power(s): Self-given powers of turning suggestion into reality and limited thought reading - he can see suggestions that haven't been voiced.

Self given? Seungcheol had never heard of that, but also, he didn't even know that Yoon Jeonghan had any powers.

A known playboy and multi-billionaire, Yoon Jeonghan is perhaps best known for his flamboyant attitude, love of fine things, and presence on the nightclub scene. An absolute wildcard in every way emotionally, mentally, and physically, he is something unpredictable.

"They're really keeping these brief huh," Seungcheol muttered as he saw that was all they had on Yoon Jeonghan. "A tabloid could tell me more."

Next was no picture, but a number.

Subject 04 - Hong Jisoo (Name not confirmed).
Location: 34.030376,-171.947834. Yeoubi Isle.
Power(s): suspected deity worker and traditional witch doctor.

The Hong family of Yeoubi Isle has lived there since the late Goryeo/early Joseon period. Completely cut off from anything we have, the last person to leave the island was 500 years ago. However, they are known to be the most powerful witch doctors in the world. It is suspected they have one child on the island born in 1995, matching him with our time.

Seungcheol made a note he would probably be hard to get, so he put him to the side for a minute.

Subject 05 - Wen Junhui.
Location: China (specifics unknown).
Power(s): intangibility and death touch. Any touch of bare skin to bare skin as he is solid is immediate death.

Wen Junhui avoids cities and large populations in order to prevent any accidents. More often than not, he spends his time on farming land, working with the harvests as a drifter. One would see him immediately due to the fact no matter the season, he will always be in long sleeves and gloves. Cautious of those around him, but loves animals. Has one cat that follows him around dutifully.

Seungcheol looked at the man's picture in the corner, taking a look at him. He had a smirk on his face and bright eyes, looking nothing close to deadly. But Seungcheol knew he didn't look deadly either, so he really shouldn't be judging.

Subject 06 - Kwon Soonyoung.
Location: Unknown, thought to be somewhere in the mountains of West Bengal.
Power(s): Duplication of self & shifter. Can shift into anything he's ever touched, animate or inanimate.

No one has ever made direct contact with the original Kwon Soonyoung. He can control his duplicates from his base over mass amounts of miles, and the duplicates carry his power. However, no powers can be copied over that we know of. As far as we know, he is approachable and not too much of a threat, but wishes to stay away from society.

Seungcheol put that paper on the same pile as Jisoo's, noting that this person would probably be just as hard to get in contact with - but at least he could just drop onto the island Jisoo was on.

"How am I supposed to do this in three months," Seungcheol muttered, seeing he was just halfway through.

Looking at the next page, at least it seemed to be more manageable.

Subject 07 - Jeon Wonwoo.
Location: Changwon, South Korea.
Power(s): Light manipulation.

Jeon Wonwoo is a library worker at the Changwon National University Library, and rarely uses his powers, however still has basic control over them. While his control is not the best, he manages small things to avoid suspicion. He also stays home much if he is not working - making him easy to find.

Finally, someone easy to find. Seungcheol put him in a new pile, mentally marking as the 'in the same country' pile so he could get him earlier.

Subject 08 - Lee Jihoon.
Location: Seoul, South Korea.

Mentally, Seungcheol cheered. Even closer, thank goodness.

Power(s): electric manipulation.

Lee Jihoon is extremely regulated and rather boring. At 5:30AM every day, he wakes up and goes for a run. He arrives home at 6:15AM, takes a 5 minute shower, gets dressed, and leaves his apartment at 6:45AM. He gets a coffee at Starmorks, always a grande iced latte, then commutes to work on the train. He arrives at 7:15AM, works until 12PM when he takes a thirty minute lunch break. He gets off work at 8PM, goes to Henggarae Bar, orders a 500ml of their house sansachun, drinks it and does work at a table in the corner until 9:30PM, commutes home on the train, and then goes to bed.

Seungcheol blinked, realising it was a whole schedule. Was this person this regulated to the point the agency knew everything? That seemed like an uneventful life. But he was close, a definite plus.

Subject 09 had a deceased stamp over their page as well, so Seungcheol just noted his name was Yao MingMing and he'd died in a boating accident. His power had been liquefying matter, but honestly, it didn't matter anymore.

Subject 10 - Lee Seokmin
Location: Suji-gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea.
Power(s): Molecular manipulation.

The product of a rough childhood in a more sketchy neighbourhood, Lee Seokmin is surprisingly positive. His sister was able to get him out and into an art boarding school when he was 13 - he returned to be an art teacher and bartender.

A bartender. Seungcheol raised an eyebrow at how mundane that was, but who was he to judge. As far as anyone knew, he was just another office worker.

Subject 11 - Kim Mingyu.
Location: Busan, South Korea.
Power(s): Power manipulation on physical contact, and extreme empathy at eye contact, to the point he can see why you feel the way you feel. However, he can also reflect it onto someone else.

Once he touches you, he can use your power until he touches someone else. He can copy attributes from powerless individuals - something like their handwriting, or their ability to sing. As far as we know, he can control if he takes a power or what he wants. Very compassionate no matter what, would make an expert diplomat under proper circumstances.

Another in South Korea. Seungcheol nodded to himself, putting Mingyu in the pile of people in the same country as him.

Subject 12 - Xu Minghao.
Location: Unknown.
Power(s): Heightened reflexes and senses.

Xu Minghao, otherwise known as THE8, is a ruthless assassin from somewhere in China. Skilled in multiple weapons, he's also known for his catlike burglary, lockpicking, and for being one of the most wanted men in the world. His execution style is quick and nearly untraceable.

Great. Seungcheol had to track down two men somewhere in China, maybe, which had a population of one point four billion. This was not going to be fun.

Subject 13 - Boo Seungkwan
Location: Jeju, South Korea.
Power(s): Technopathy.

Boo Seungkwan is considered an internet menace. A hacker who can get through any defense the system has put up, Seungkwan mostly stays in his residence and rarely answers the door. He has hacked multiple governments and high security systems, just for fun.

Just for fun, he hacks random systems. It would make sense though, Seungcheol had heard of someone hacking government files and then doing nothing with it. Like it was some sort of joke to play - which he guessed was to this person.

Subject 14 - Chwe Vernon Hansol
Location: Ketchum, Idaho
Power(s): Gravity and density manipulation.

Chwe Vernon Hansol lived in South Korea until he was 10 years old, having been born in New York and moving back to America after his powers emerged with his family to help hide him after they realised he could not control it. Both him and his sister have powers - however, his sister is less powerful than him.

The only one in America so far. At least it seemed like he wouldn't be moving from America for a while, so that was good.

Subject 15 - Lee Jungchan.
Location: Seoul, South Korea.
Power(s): air manipulation.

Lee Jungchan is technically a college student, but he may prefer the term 'vigilante.' For some reason, his vigilante name is 'Dino' and he is most active at night. Overall, he does not disrupt the peace too much, but he does get over enthusiastic at times.

The last two papers were stamped with deceased stamps, so Seungcheol put them aside. Then he looked at his piles, groaning as he re-sorted them.

One in Japan, one on some island, one in West Bengal, one in China, one in America, six in Korean, and one unknown.

Starting in Korea would be easiest, specifically Seoul. He went to throw out the folder the papers came in, but stopped when he felt something inside of it still.

Pulling out a tiled metal ball, he frowned as he looked at it. If it was in the file, it had to be important. So he put it down on his desk, letting it roll a little before it seemed to stop itself.

Seungcheol shrugged before grabbing the two Seoul profiles, shoving the rest into his bag and hoping they wouldn't get lost.

Then, on second thought, he grabbed the little ball to shove into his backpack. It felt important.

✇

inspired by fairy_hansol on tiktok! I have their permission to use their tiktok as inspiration for this story, please go check them out <3

credits also to my editor @spicy_flowers27 for helping me with literally everything. you're the best.

started july 18th, 2021
ended