Chapter Text
Hoseok inwardly groaned as he saw yet another new customer enter the shop. He was working the night shift today and it was half an hour until closing. Who needed caffeine this late at night on a weekend?
“Decaf Americano coming right up.”
He glanced around the cafe as he prepared the espresso, pressing it into the filter and sliding it into the espresso machine. He noticed only a few customers still sitting in the store--a small young man in the corner, whose bleached-blonde fringe was covered by a black beanie, another man near the window who looked to be a gym rat, and this recent customer who was leaning next to the pickup counter, almost short enough to not be able to reach, and with a stocky body that contrasted his height. Hoseok returned to his work as the espresso finished brewing, grabbing a cup and filling it with hot water. As soon as the espresso was done, he dumped it into the cup and walked over to the pick-up counter, setting it next to the man.
“Your decaf Americano, sir.” Hoseok tried his best to muster up a pleasant face. Even though he was annoyed that he would probably have to kick people out to close, he had the decency to continue his good customer service.
The man took his drink and turned to the condiment station, stirring creamer into his coffee before exiting the shop. Not long after, the bigger man near the window left as well, leaving just Hoseok and the blonde man in the shop. Hoseok glanced at the clock and sighed--eight minutes till closing. He figured he could start cleaning up and that maybe the young man would get the drift. So, he began shutting down the coffee machines and wiping down tables, straightening the chairs until he approached the man in the corner.
“Excuse me sir, but we close in a few minutes.”
The blonde man stared at him for a few seconds before pushing himself up from the table, trudging slowly to the door. Hoseok watched him on his way out, as the man turned crossed the street and disappeared into an alleyway. He looked back to the table and noticed a small slip of paper in the space where the other man was sitting. He picked it up and opened it, deciphering the handwritten message.
“Be careful,” it said. That’s a weird thing to write, Hoseok thought. Was that for me?
Hoseok didn’t waste any time in straightening up the coffee shop, having done his fair share of night shifts to have the closing routine memorized. He took notes for whoever opens in the morning, and made sure to leave an encouraging message, sticking it to the cash register. He did a once over and made sure everything was done before collecting his things and locking up.
Finally on his way home, Hoseok ran through a list of what he needed to accomplish for the weekend. There was a book he needed to read for his dance history class, and he had to choreograph something for his dance group. So many things needed to get done, but his mental list was broken when he heard steps behind him. He froze, ears sharp and eyes darting everywhere before continuing his trek, picking up his pace and trying to distract himself.
It’s all in your head, idiot. Shadows don’t move, dumbass.
He continued to chastise himself in his head in order to keep his sanity on the trek home. He lived in an apartment by himself close to the train station. It was perfect for his daily commute to college, but because his job was in the same vicinity as his apartment, he typically walked to save money. When he worked during the day, the walk in broad daylight didn’t cause him much anxiety. But on the rare occasions where he worked night shifts at the bakery, that was a different story.
Ok, just a few more turns and you’re home free. You can do this…
As he slowed around one corner that signaled how close his home was, he heard the footsteps quickly approaching behind him again. Trying not to panic despite the screaming in his head, Hoseok ducked behind the wall of the corner he had just turned, grabbing hold of a plank of wood he found with shaking hands and hiding behind it as if it were his savior. He waited with bated breath as the footsteps slowed, still increasing in volume until...
“Take THAT!”
Hoseok swung the plank hard like a baseball bat, stepping into the swing and letting his arm take the lead. He definitely hit something--heard a grunt and a mumbled curse, felt the impact of the plank against bone, except…
“...the fuck?”
There was nothing to be seen. The alleyway appeared to be empty save for Hoseok, yet he was sure he had hit something solid; if the cracked wood wasn’t proof of that he didn’t know what else could be.
“Wh-Who’s there?”
Hoseok’s voice shook as much as his hands were trembling. When there was no response he tried again, raising his plank of wood back in front of his face and sliding his heels against the brick wall behind him. I’m not going crazy here, am I?
“I don’t know what’s going on, b-but I know someone is here right now and if you d-don’t show yourself in the next five seconds, I’m g-gonna call the police!” Well that was lame. Lame Hoseok strikes again.
When there was no response, Hoseok pulled in a shaky breath. Maybe he really was hallucinating. He went to reach for his phone as he continued to inch down the alleyway, eyes alert, when he heard a foot scrape against the concrete next to the dumpster across from him and felt a pressure on the end of his weapon, guiding it down gently to the floor. A hand appeared then, pale and slender, as an entire human started to materialize in front of him-- slowly--as if trying not to scare him away. Hoseok was too startled to move as the young man who stayed until closing appeared before him--blonde hair peeking out from under a black knitted beanie settled above dark, piercing eyes. The smaller man was slender, dressed in an oversized black pullover, black distressed jeans, and a set of black Doc Martens, the black a big contrast to his stark pale skin.
I’m fucking hallucinating…
Next thing Hoseok knew, he was being pushed against the wall behind him, staring back into eyes that pierced straight through his brain, immobilizing his lips from moving to form anything that makes sense.
“Don’t speak, and don’t move.” The man’s voice was rough, spoken more as a hiss than a whisper, and the man’s body disappeared again, twice as fast as it had appeared. This time, parts of Hoseok disappeared as well, piece by piece until the wall could be seen through both of them. “C’mon you can fuckin’ do this Yoongi.”
“What the fu-” Hoseok’s words were cut off quickly, as an invisible palm shut his mouth.
“Do you want to be kidnapped? Shut up and stay still.”
Hoseok’s lips glued shut then, eyes wide as he heard voices echoing down the alleyway, closer than before when he thought he had psyched himself out.
“I swear, he walked down this way!”
“You can swear all you want, but I don’t see anyone here. If you led us down a false trail, I’m sure Boss will absolutely love you for that.”
Two men appeared around the corner he had just turned, and Hoseok’s eyes widened when he recognized them as the other two customers who had appeared during his closing shift--one short and stocky and the other tall and muscular. Hoseok could see panic rising in their eyes as they realized their situation; except Hoseok couldn’t figure out why they were panicking. He held his breath as he felt Yoongi push harder on his chest.
“Boss,” the taller one was talking into a cell phone, “Axe lost him.”
“I did not!” the shorter man, Axe, he assumed, looked panicked. “Five foot seven, chestnut hair, and he was wearing a white snapback, gray sweater, black jeans, and white tennis shoes, right? I swear he went down this alleyway!”
Hoseok couldn’t help but squeak at what they said, earning even more pressure from the grip that Yoongi still had over his mouth. Shit, that’s my description. What the hell? Who are these guys? Why are they after me?
“Yessir. Roger that. Tonight. Right. Got it.” The taller man tapped the phone’s screen to hang up and clicked the lock button, shoving the device into his pocket. “Axe, we should be in transport with him by tonight. Are you sure he went this way? And are you sure he wasn’t with anyone?”
“I’m positive! And there wasn’t anyone with him. Nobody’s gotten to him yet, we’re the first!”
First? Hoseok panicked as he attempted to slide farther down the alleyway, failing to do so as he was caged by the man who was currently making them both invisible. For such a scrawny guy, he sure has a lot of strength.
“Yeah, well we don’t even know his powers yet. He could have invisibility like that stupid rogue kid for all we know. What’s-his-name, Sweetie?”
“Shit.” Hoseok heard Yoongi breathe, a little below his ear. “Okay when I tell you to, run as fast as you can in the direction you were heading. I can’t keep you invisible the whole time--I’m struggling as it is, but I’ll try to as much as possible. I’ll tap on your shoulder to tell you which way to go. Got it?”
Hoseok nodded, bile rising in his throat and muscles tensing in preparation. The pressure that was on his mouth and chest were carefully replaced by one on the shoulder. He wasn’t sure what the hell was going on or if he could trust this Yoongi guy, but he seemed to be the best option for getting out of this alley alive, so he took it.
“On three.”
“Axe, we have to check this alleyway. Run along the walls. There’s no way the kid got out of here that fast. That group of rogues must have gotten to him. If that’s the case, that’s the third one we’ve lost this week.”
The two burley men split up then, kicking at the brick alley walls with their feet and swiping their fat hands in the air.
“One.”
“We know you’re here!.”
“Two.”
“Show yourself!”
“Three!”
Hoseok pushed off the wall as hard as he could and hit his feet to the pavement, feeling the weight of Yoongi flinging himself onto his back after he ran a few steps. The change in position caused Hoseok to be visible once more, only as long as it took to get to the end of the alleyway before he turned the corner. Yoongi grunted in effort and Hoseok disappeared once again.
“Shit, there they go! Axe, hurry!”
Hoseok heard the shorter man’s footsteps chase after him, so he readjusted Yoongi’s weight and continued running. Another alleyway crossed perpendicular to the one he was currently running down, and as he approached it he felt a tap on his left shoulder.
“Are you incapable of running or do you enjoy piggy-back rides from complete strangers?”
“Shut it. The more we talk the easier they find you. I know you can run faster than this, now move!”
He felt another tap, this time on the right shoulder, and kept moving as fast as he could without tripping over his own feet. He could hear the other men approaching rapidly behind them.
“Try and head toward the train station.” Yoongi’s voice wasn’t more than a breath in his ear. “We shouldn’t be too far from there and it will be busy. I think we can lose them in the crowd.”
Hoseok grunted, gritting his teeth and threw everything he could into running in the direction of the train station. The brick walls started to fly past as he focused all of his energy into getting out of the maze of alleys, only responding to the gentle taps on his shoulders and hearing an occasional curse from Yoongi.
“That’s it, straight ahead.”
At the end of the alleyway, Hoseok could see the train station expand in front of him, brightly lit and crowded even for the late hour. He felt Yoongi slide down his back as he slowed to a jog and he reappeared with the loss of contact.
“Shit, that was fast.” Hoseok hears a voice coming from his right side, and cocks his head toward it. “You’re quick, kid. I think we lost them but we should probably wander around in the crowd, just in case. I don’t want us to be the idiots to blow our cover.”
Hoseok bends forward and put his hands on his knees, pulling air into his lungs to try and calm his racing heart. Yoongi reappears, leaning against a wall and typing something furiously on his cell phone. No footsteps can be heard behind them, but Hoseok gets the feeling that the other two were not far behind them.
“What the hell was that?” Hoseok catches his breath quickly for someone who had just ran the equivalent of a marathon, and his brain catches up as quickly as his breath did.
“Those were very bad people that I’d very much like to stay away from. And we can do that by walking in the crowd.” Yoongi impatiently turns toward the station. “You should know, though, normal humans don’t just run that fast and catch their breath in five seconds.” He disappears into the crowd then, still visible by his black beanie bobbing through the crowd.
Hoseok blinks in surprise and follows in Yoongi’s wake, trying to shrink down to his size in an effort to not be seen.
“Will I get any answers or do I have to yell it from the rooftops? What the hell is going on?”
Yoongi continues walking.
“First, walk normal, you look like an idiot. Second, I don’t want to talk about it in public. But long story short, you’re a potential, and there are some very bad men coming after you because of it.”
“I’m a what.” Hoseok feels like he might pass out. A potential?
“A potential. Now follow my lead, or else you’re gonna get shot or something worse.” Yoongi focused on a point ahead of him and weaved through the crowd, walking fast enough to cover ground, but not enough to draw attention to themselves. Hoseok stumbled after Yoongi, his mind racing with unanswered questions and determination to get out of this alive. Yoongi led the way to a ticket kiosk on the wall, and after briefly looking at the map overhead, he turned to Hoseok, pulling out his wallet from his back pocket.
“Do you have a train pass?”
“Yes, why?”
“Perfect. Do you have enough for a ticket to get to Seoul Station?”
Hoseok freezes, staring at Yoongi with incredulous eyes.
“We’re in Gwangju. Even on the bullet train that will take almost two hours.”
“Yes, but it gets you away from these guys, and considering that that’s my job, I suggest you follow my directions.” The machine beeps as Yoongi drops some coins into the slot and taps at the screen, pulling the ticket out of its slot and holds it out for Hoseok to take. Hoseok pushes Yoongi’s hand away from him, refusing to take the ticket until he has answers.
“And if I don’t follow them?”
Hoseok didn’t mean to be so defiant, but he felt scared and confused, a combination that could see even more trouble. He stared into Yoongi’s piercing gaze, locking onto each other’s eyes in a battle of wills until somebody’s resolve gave in.
“Then I’m not stopping you. To be honest, I don’t really care about bringing you in safe, but my leader does and I care about my well-being.” He glanced behind them then, making sure they weren’t being followed, before returning to meet Hoseok’s eyes once again. “Plus, I think it’d be stupid, considering the other side wants to use you as a slave.”
Hoseok rolls Yoongi’s words in his mind, as if he were sampling a food for the first time. He didn’t know much about his current situation, but he did know that whoever was chasing him was very bad. He also knew that even though this man who turned invisible sometimes was an emotionless asshole, he seemed to have better intentions than the former.
“Can I get anything from my apartment first? I get the feeling I’m leaving here for good.”
Yoongi shifts his weight--he looks on edge.
“No. They’ve probably got people there. I’ll send someone over there later. Now let’s go before we lose the lead that you so graciously gained for us.”
Yoongi pushed Hoseok toward the gate, taking Hoseok’s ticket and feeding it into the ticket slot to open the doors. Once Hoseok was ushered through and his ticket reclaimed, Yoongi pulled out his own pre-paid card and swiped it along the scanner. Just as he was entering the platform, Hoseok looked over his shoulder and spotted the tall man from earlier amongst the crowd. He grabbed Yoongi’s wrist and pulled him through.
“Yoongi they’re here. Shit what do we do?” Hoseok’s voice shook. Even though he didn’t know what the others could do to him, he very much did not want to find out.
“They haven’t spotted us yet, have they? Just keep heading to the platform for Seoul. The sooner we’re on the train, the better.”
With that, they both shut up and walked, briefly glancing at a sign that let them know their train would be leaving in five minutes. They followed the rushing crowd to their own platform, and stepped onto the train. Despite the crowded station, the train wasn’t close to being full, so they found two open seats and sat in them, Yoongi taking the window seat and Hoseok taking the aisle. The train still had a few minutes before it departed, so Hoseok took advantage of those minutes to turn on Yoongi.
“Okay. Answers. Now.”
Yoongi sighed as he tapped nervous rhythms onto the windowsill, eyes darting around to make sure they were still safe.
“Fine. I can’t tell you much. But what I can tell you is that no normal human can run the equivalent of five miles in three minutes.”
“What? I went that fast? Since when was I able to do that?”
“Since recently. Someone found out about you somehow, even though you developed pretty late, and now they’re after you. This happens a lot, mostly to people who don’t show signs of powers until later on. Now, can you stop shaking your leg? You’re shaking the whole damn train!”
Hoseok adjusted his position in his seat, eyes darting around the train car and to the platform outside of the window. They still had a minute before departing and he really wanted to see the train move before he saw the two who were chasing him.
“Okay. So I’m a potential with super speed? And you turn invisible…”
“Well, kind of yes. You’re a potential, which means you are showing signs of having powers, which seem to be leaning toward super speed. I’m a transition--I’m almost at my full potential but I’m still working on getting there. Then there are definites, which means they are at their full potential--in full control of their powers. I’m taking you to a place that houses a bunch of us trying to stay away from the bad guys. There’s six of us right now--most are definites, but there are a few transitions--and we’ve been trying to be...somewhat normal.”
Hoseok nods as he processes this new information, still keeping an eye out for anything unusual. Only when the door finally shuts does Hoseok let out his breath, sinking further into his seat as the train lurches forward.
“You should get some sleep,” Yoongi says looking out the window. “You used your power a lot today, and that takes a lot of energy, considering you’re not used to it.”
Hoseok nods as he finds a more comfortable position in his seat. He still has a lot of questions, and is still unsure if he can fully trust the man who saved him, but right now his limbs feel heavy and getting some rest sounds like the best choice in this scenario.
“Are you going to sleep at all?” Hoseok lulls his head to look at the side of Yoongi’s face. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but causing two people to stay invisible at once is quite a workout.”
Yoongi chuckles at this, the slightest smile appearing on his face before shaking his head in reply.
“I’ve gotta keep watch, just in case. I’ll wake you up if anything goes wrong.”
Yoongi’s eyes flash with something Hoseok could almost identify as fondness before they return to their typically brooding glare. As Hoseok’s eyes drift shut and his vision starts to fade, he thinks that for a man who tries to be so emotionless, he sure has a nice smile.