one
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The site of destruction was completely in ruins. The skeleton of the coffee shop was barely standing, most of it on the floor in piles of broken cement and rubble covered with dust. A few local construction workers were at the scene, moving larger pieces of debris into dumpsters, doing as much as they could to help with the wreckage of the once-popular cafe. The nearby streets and shops were closed off to the general public but two more cars pulled up to the site, parking across the street where the road wasn’t completely destroyed.
Out of one came multiple SHIELD agents, men and women alike carrying silver cases and scanning devices as they scattered the area, setting up their equipment with haste to begin examining the area. Out of the other car came the head of SHIELD, Nick Fury, eyepatch on his left eye while his right-hand man, Kim Namjoon, came out of the passenger side, glasses pushed up the bridge of his nose.
“Nick, this is the fourth incident in just the last two months, all at different locations around New York City,” Namjoon stated, walking beside Fury through the rubble, taking in the damage around them. “The government has been telling the news it’s due to faulty gas lines or malfunctions in the equipment, or even freak accidents, but that’s only because they can’t admit they don’t know what’s going on without sending the public into a frenzy.”
“The government’s responsibility is to keep their people calm. As long as they’re doing that, we can focus on figuring out what the hell this is.” Fury said, approaching the group of SHIELD agents that were huddled over a pile of debris, their devices set up on some larger pieces in front of them. “Talk to me, doctor.”
One of the agents, Min Yoongi, stood from his crouched position to stand, turning to Fury with his arms crossed. “It’s the same energy patterns we’ve seen at the last three sites, sir. Space matter.” He replied casually.
Yoongi was a world-renowned astrophysicist who had been working for SHIELD for the last three years, a large help in making sure that the relationship between earth and space was, for the most part, safe and undisrupted. But he also understood more about extra-terrestrial business than anyone else on the team.
“You’re saying we’re dealing with aliens again,” Fury asked, unamused.
“Not exactly,” Yoongi replied and then he turned back to his laptop, typing something quickly before he scooted over so Fury and Namjoon could take a look at what was on the screen. “The energy patterns we’re reading aren’t found in average pieces of debris that come hurtling into earth’s atmosphere, like meteors or asteroids. The potential energy we found at this particular site resembles space matter we’ve identified before, but this one just confirmed it- it’s coming from an infinity stone, sir. The Mind Stone.”
“That infinity stone hasn’t been in our possession for the last twenty years,” Namjoon noted. “We didn’t keep track of it once it left the earth- at least not in any records we keep at headquarters. Why would it suddenly be making its way back to earth now?”
Neither Fury nor Yoongi responded immediately and Yoongi looked just as bewildered as Namjoon. Fury’s eyes lingered on the image of the glowing yellow stone on the screen for a moment longer before he let out a short sigh and inclined his head towards Yoongi.
“Thank you, doctor. Bring all the information and necessary evidence back to headquarters. We’re gonna need a briefing,” Fury replied. Yoongi nodded once and then he turned to the rest of the team as Namjoon and Fury made their way back towards the car. “Pull up every file we have on agent 4B, our undercover recruit.”
Namjoon slid into the passenger seat, eyebrows furrowing as he paused before questioning. “Is that really our concern right now?” He asked, but began pulling the Ipad out of the center console anyway as Fury hopped into the driver's side.
“When our agents return to headquarters, we’ll go over what needs to happen next. The infinity stone has a history at headquarters, one that we’ll need to let everyone in on. And what we learned before was that the energy in that stone has enough power to wipe out a planet, which means that whoever has it is a threat. Best to do something sooner rather than later,” Fury explained casually. “So, yes, agent Kim - as of right now, I am concerned with bringing in our guy, because we’re gonna need him.”
Namjoon nodded and began swiping across the Ipad screen to access the files as he read the information aloud. “He still works at the cafe down in the East Village and his address hasn’t changed - should I input the directions?” Namjoon asked, motioning towards the GPA at the front of the car, but Fury shook his head, glancing down at the picture of the young man that was on display on the screen.
Years ago Fury had seen the same face, smaller, younger, and he already knew exactly how to bring him in.
“Call the kid.”
---
Up Up & Away by Kid Cudi
The streets that surrounded Central Park were as busy as ever, congested with taxis and cabs and cars that impatiently honked their horns the second a street light changed from red to green. In the middays of August, the weather in New York was still nice enough for people to take advantage of the sunlight and cool temperatures, which only meant that the sidewalks were just as crowded, lined with people carrying briefcases and backpacks, hastily trying to get to work before the sun reached its peak in the sky.
“Woah-shit,” Jungkook gasped, momentarily losing his balance in the one-handed handstand he was currently doing on the edge of the San Remo Hotel, startled by the sudden ringing of his phone. He braced his other hand and then dropped his feet back onto the roof, hastily grabbing his backpack from beside him and pulling out his phone as he swiped open the incoming call from Kim Namjoon. “Hello?”
“Jungkook,” Namjoon greeted cheerily. “Where are you?”
“Uh, Central Park,” Jungkook replied, slightly breathless as he sat down and swung his legs over the edge of the building, the buzz of the crowded city below still ringing in his ears. “Why? Is everything okay?” He asked, concerned.
“Everything’s fine, one second-” Namjoon requested, and Jungkook could hear shuffling over the phone, so he waited patiently, swinging his feet against the ledge. Kim Namjoon was a leading commander at SHIELD, Nick Fury’s second in command, and along with his extensive martial arts and marksman skills, he was also extremely intelligent, and acted as a researcher and sort of intermediary between agents when a job was being assigned to them. It was the middle of the afternoon - early enough for Namjoon to call in case there was an emergency somewhere that they needed Jungkook to help with. But Jungkook didn’t recognize any panic or urgency in Namjoon’s tone, and he wondered what he was being called for in the first place. “Okay. Yes, I’ll tell him-“ Namjoon mumbled, his tone lowered like he was speaking to someone else before Jungkook heard his voice more clearly. “Jungkook?”
“Yes.”
“We need you to bring someone in, someone Fury’s been keeping an eye out for a while now. His name is Park Jimin. He works at a cafe down in the East Village called ‘Coffee Project’ and should be pretty easy to track and bring in,” Namjoon explained, quickly and clearly. “We’re sending another agent to meet you there and he’ll drop off the car as well as a folder with the information you might need. Look over it quickly and try not to rely on the picture provided, it’s a bit outdated. When you’re done, bring him back to headquarters. Preferably today. Please.”
Namjoon paused as if expecting Jungkook’s immediate reply, but Jungkook was barely processing the request.
“Wait. Why-why me?” Jungkook asked instinctively, shifting on the ledge so he was facing the roof, his back towards the street.
“Fury thinks you’re the best guy for the job,” Namjoon replied good-naturedly and Jungkook could imagine the dimpled smile he would give him if he was speaking to him in person. “Jimin is around your age, and coincidentally from Busan, like you. Fury said he’s relatively harmless and would like him here as soon as possible.”
“Relatively?” Jungkook asked, ignoring the slight interest he had in hearing that Jimin was also Korean.
“He won’t hurt you,” Namjoon assured, and Jungkook could tell by the sound of his voice that he was busy working on something else, trying to brief Jungkook as quickly as possible. “The driver is already on his way, but he has his own business with someone just down the block from the cafe so they’re leaving you the keys and the car.“
“How exactly am I supposed to convince a stranger to follow me back to headquarters?” Jungkook questioned, leaning over to swoop up his backpack and threw it over his shoulder as he stood.
“You work for SHIELD,” Namjoon stated as if it was obvious. “If he gets wary of you just show him your badge, tell him his experience and education will be useful for our agents and we’d like to meet with him.”
“Is that true?”
“Partially,” Namjoon replied airily, and Jungkook closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose for a moment before Namjoon continued. “It’s simple. Worst case scenario we’ve given the agent a tranquilizer.”
“You what ?” Jungkook repeated, his eyes shooting open and he heard Namjoon let out a low chuckle over the phone, obviously amused.
“Worst case scenario, Jungkook-ah,” Namjoon said and Jungkook sighed. Like Yoongi and Jungkook, Namjoon had once lived in South Korea where he worked as a scientist at the U-GIN Genetic Research Lab in Seoul, another large SHIELD facility. Four years ago, Namjoon had picked up everything and made the move to New York, wanting to be more involved in the administrative and combative parts of his job and he instantly settled into the grand Avengers Facility like it was his home away from home. It only took a few weeks for Fury to recognize his abilities and intelligence before he promoted Namjoon from a level three administrative agent to level nine, now Commander and Deputy Director of SHIELD. Despite the big change, however, Namjoon’s native dialect occasionally slipped out when he was being humorous or casual, and Jungkook always heard it.
“Right,” Jungkook said, letting out a breath as he climbed back onto the ledge. “Okay. Okay. Yeah, I’ll head to the cafe now. Is the agent there?”
“He’ll be there soon.”
“Okay, got it. I’ll see you at headquarters then,” Jungkook said and Namjoon thanked him before he said his goodbye and hung up.
There were very few moments Jungkook could think of since he had begun working at headquarters where he had been able to refuse a job he was assigned. Most of them had involved on-hand combat, fighting, rescuing, etc. Recruitment, however, had always been Nick Fury’s job. As head director of SHIELD, one of his main jobs was finding and choosing new people to bring in, someone to join the team for necessity or assistance. He was the one who had first approached Jungkook, and though he was rather intimidating, there was an assertiveness to him that made Jungkook feel a bit reassured about joining.
Jungkook, however, had never been assigned a job that involved meeting or bringing in someone new, which was why he didn’t completely understand why suddenly Park Jimin was his responsibility. But even as he walked across the roof, his nerves on edge at the thought of having to be in charge of, essentially, another human being, he was determined to follow through on his assignment.
Looking down at the streets which were still as busy as ever, Jungkook pulled his hood and mask up further, relieved that he had decided to go out wearing his casual clothes - a black zip-up jacket with a pair of light ripped jeans. He had learned early on that wearing his suit in public always drew a crowd, even if he was just swinging around the city for fun, and the last thing he wanted to do was scare off the new recruit with eyes all over him if he was seen flying around the city with Spider-Man. His web slingers were still attached to his wrists, hidden under the sleeves of his jacket but his suit was folded neatly inside of his backpack, only worn underneath all of his clothes if it was necessary.
Jungkook walked to the opposite corner of the building that pointed towards the direction of the East Village, having lived in New York long enough to know which roads would lead him to the coffee shop. Along the street were plenty of high-rise buildings and other hotels, their bright windows reflecting the rising sun. Jungkook marked out a path in his head, his eyes darting from one to the other before he stepped onto the ledge and towards the edge of the pavement. He took a deep breath, his stomach already anticipating the drop, and then looked both ways, making sure the sky was clear so he didn't swing into any pigeons (which had happened before). And then he surged forward with his breath held until he was falling.
The thrill of swinging was something that never got old. Jungkook had been Spider-Man for a little more than a year now, and still hadn't been able to grasp the incredibility of it entirely, especially when he was swinging. It was a skill that came naturally now, his ability to cut through the air with agility and grace, and whenever he grazed the corner of a building with his legs tucked in or he tugged himself to shoot upwards, it was like pure adrenaline, pushing him to go faster and farther. The short journey took no more than ten minutes, and as soon as he saw the cafe, he shot his hands in front of him and aimed towards a high rise that was across the street. With a flick of his wrist, he pulled himself forward until he landed on the roof with a small grunt, light as air.
Breathless, he crawled towards the back edge, peeking down at the alley below and made sure it was empty before he jumped down, landing on his toes, and then stood, dusting himself off. He gave himself a few seconds to catch his breath, and then he pulled down his hood and mask before joining the crowded sidewalk, which felt even busier as he tried not to get caught up in the traffic. He slipped through people until he could get to the corner. Across the road, he caught sight of the black SUV and an agent from headquarters who was leaning against the opposite side, one hand in his pocket while the other was on his phone. Jungkook crossed the road quickly, and the agent looked up as Jungkook approached, slipping a hand into his jacket to pull out a white folder.
“Agent Jeon,” he said, inclining his head with a small smile as Jungkook mirrored him, recognizing him. He was an elderly man who worked on the second floor of the main building, an international communication manager who had worked for SHIELD for years. “I assume you have all the necessary information?”
“Yes. Mr. Fury and Mr. Kim have already informed me. Thank you,” he added when the driver nodded and then handed him the keys and the folder. “Uh, sir, how will you get back to headquarters?”
“I have been assigned a job of my own not too far from here, Agent Jeon. Mr. Kim will send someone once my time here is done.” He replied and Jungkook nodded in understanding and thanked the agent again before he turned and walked off, cutting through the crowd in the opposite direction as Jungkook turned towards the cafe behind him which was between a small clothing store and an alley. There was a glowing sign on the front glass door that read ‘OPEN’ and underneath was the outline of a coffee cup with the words “COFFEE” handwritten across it.
Jungkook blew out a breath, tucked the folder under his arm, and opened the door to the shop, his senses immediately picking up the strong scent of coffee that surrounded him and the sound of a bell ringing somewhere overhead as the barista called out a cheery ‘Hello, welcome!’ Jungkook bowed his head slightly in return, trying not to draw attention to himself as he made a beeline for a table near the back, deciding it would be best to look through the documents with as much privacy as possible.
Once he settled though, he realized privacy wouldn’t be an issue. The cafe wasn’t particularly large, and it had a dark-themed minimalistic interior with short square tables and dim lighting. It was mostly quiet, save for the hum of other guests who were busily working, too caught up in their own work to even spare him a second glance if he were to spread the files all over the table. Everyone had their faces buried in their laptops, an iced coffee sitting beside them while others had headphones on as they held textbooks inches from their eyes, and when Jungkook’s senses felt at ease knowing no one would disturb him, he shrugged off his backpack and began flipping through the folder.
Like Namjoon had said, sitting in the pocket of the folder was a small syringe, small enough to fit in Jungkook’s fist and he hastily grabbed it and stuffed it into his backpack, keeping his head down. That was his last option.
But besides the tranquilizer, the folder also included every piece of information on Park Jimin that Jungkook could even imagine. At the top of the first page was Jimin’s name and beneath it, the words Agent 4b - Undercover Recruit and then Status - In progress . On the next few pages was tons of information that Jungkook completely disregarded, mostly because he felt awkward reading about who Jimin's parents were and where he went to primary school before he had even met the man himself. Instead, Jungkook thumbed through the pages as quickly as possible, skimming through and trying to pick out what information seemed most important and useful.
He learned that Jimin had been working at the cafe since he graduated college, and had experience in various forms of martial arts - taekwondo, karate, krav maga, jiu-jitsu, judo, boxing, and fencing. He graduated in the top ten of his class at New York University, had multiple first place awards in past gymnastics and acrobatic competitions, spoke five languages - Korean, English, Japanese, Spanish, and French - and had been invited to attend multiple graduate schools for all kinds of different studies, but had, surprisingly, turned them all down. When Jungkook finished reading, he turned to the last page where a photo was attached, and he immediately understood why Namjoon had said not to rely on it too much.
The photograph was black and white, fuzzy around the edges and old, like something that had been scanned out of a high school yearbook. The picture was of a young man with thick black hair and straight bangs that covered almost his entire forehead, wearing a pair of rectangular glasses, the lenses making his eyes appear ten times larger and Jungkook found himself smiling softly. Jimin’s face was neutral in the photo, but the corners of his plump lips were curved upwards just enough to suggest that he was trying to suppress a smile. Instinctively, Jungkook looked up, leaning over the table a bit more as his eyes darted around the cafe and scanned each of the individuals as he tried to match their faces to the one in the picture. But Jimin wasn’t wandering the cafe or waiting tables.
When he felt like he had enough information, Jungkook closed the folder, slipped it back into his backpack as he stood with a short sigh, and made his way towards the opposite side of the shop where the register was.
“Hello, what can I get you today?” The barista asked when Jungkook was at the front counter, and Jungkook almost didn’t respond right away, a bit taken aback at how stunning the man at the register was. He looked around Jungkook’s age, his hair a soft pastel orange and he wore thin-framed glasses that were pushed up his nose and a name tag buttoned high on his black apron that read ‘Taehyung.’
“Uh, I’m not...I’m actually looking for someone who works here - Park Jimin,” Jungkook stuttered, his voice quiet. Taehyung dropped his hands from the register, a look of surprise flashing across his face before he eyed Jungkook up and down and then crossed his arms.
“Who’s asking?” Taehyung questioned with one of his perfectly shaped eyebrows raised.
“Oh, I-I’m…,” Jungkook trailed off, realizing he had no plan on how to approach anyone besides Jimin. He barely had any plan at all.
“Tae, I’m going on my break. Do you need anything?” A voice called from behind Taehyung, and when Taehyung looked over his shoulder, Jungkook saw the door that led to the kitchen swinging open as another young man walked out and Jungkook recognized him immediately, suddenly feeling breathless.
It was Park Jimin - there was no doubt.
He had the same delicate features from his photo; a small straight nose with high cheekbones and full lips that were smiling softly at Taehyung as he approached, his hands wiggling behind his back as he untied the matching black apron. He no longer had glasses and instead of the thick black bangs, his hair was pastel pink, styled gently around his head and Jungkook stared in awe. He was beautiful.
Jimin stood right beside Taehyung, giving Jungkook a polite smile before he slipped off the apron and tucked it somewhere under the counter.
“Actually, this is Jeon Jungkook,” Taehyung said, tilting his head in Jungkook’s direction as Jimin followed his gesture, his eyes narrowing for a split second before he turned his attention towards him completely. “He says he’s looking for you.”
“Oh, can I help you?” Jimin asked, his voice gentle.
“Um…I’m-I’m Jungkook. Jeon Jungkook. I’m-I just-are you Park Jimin?” Jungkook stuttered, wanting nothing more than for the ground to open up and swallow him entirely. Social skills had never been his strong suit. He did what he had to to communicate with strangers and other agents at headquarters, but felt most comfortable when he was around people he knew, and now that he was standing in front of Jimin without a single idea on how to approach the situation, he wondered why Fury would even consider him for this job at all.
“I might be,” Jimin replied warily, crossing his arms. “I got it,” Jimin added softly, speaking to Taehyung who was still standing by protectively. Taehyung hesitated, but then Jimin gave an almost imperceptible nod to Taehyung and Taehyung mirrored him, tapped a few things on the register, peeking over his thin-framed glasses at Jungkook as he stood there smiling awkwardly, hoping he didn’t come across as a total creep. Then, after a moment he turned and disappeared behind the brown door that Jimin had come out of just a few moments ago.
“How can I help you, Jeon Jungkook?” Jimin asked, scooting over to the empty side of the counter as Jungkook followed, tapping his fingertips against the polished wood.
“Uh…'' Jungkook paused, licking his lips nervously and trying not to focus on the way Jimin had pronounced his name in perfect Korean, something that people in New York got wrong more often than not. Jimin was blinking at him curiously, and Jungkook could hear his heart beating steadily. “Could we grab a table?”
Jimin’s eyes widened for a moment, but then he glanced over Jungkook’s shoulder, and when he saw that there was no line, gave Jungkook a thin close-lipped smile and nodded just once. Jungkook led them back to the small table near the corner where he had sat when he first entered, deciding that the little privacy would be better than none. Despite the steadiness of Jimin’s heart, Jungkook could sense his nervousness in the way he kept darting his eyes around the cafe, and the way he was following two footsteps slower than Jungkook as they walked, so as soon as Jimin was seated, Jungkook slipped off his backpack and rummaged through it until he found his badge, laid it on the table, and slid it over to Jimin.
“I’m here on behalf of SHIELD,” Jungkook began, his voice lowered as Jimin leaned closer to the table to get a better look at the ID. Jimin lifted it towards himself with one hand, his eyebrows furrowing as he read the information that was displayed and Jungkook watched anxiously, eyes darting around the cafe to make sure no one else was listening as Jimin traced the metal pin that was attached to the bottom half of the leather wallet with his thumb, mouthing the acronym that was engraved onto it.
“Field Officer,” Jimin read quietly. “Level six clearance.” And then he looked up, one eyebrow raised as he blinked at Jungkook. “You didn’t have an eyebrow piercing.”
“Yeah, I-I took that a year ago. And then I just got the piercing recently so it-it...yeah.” Jungkook explained awkwardly, gesturing towards his newly pierced eyebrow as Jimin nodded along. He laid the badge back onto the table, letting out a short breath as he leaned onto his elbows and then clasped his hands under his chin.
“Right. So, what does SHIELD want to do with me?”
“We-we want your help,” Jungkook replied, trying to sound as confident as possible. “We have reason to believe that your education and experience would be useful for our team.”
“A government branch that deals with international affairs thinks I can help?” Jimin repeated, eyebrows furrowing. “I moved to New York from another country when I was younger but I don’t have any experience in this field.”
“There’s a lot more that goes on at SHIELD than just international business and our agents at headquarters would like to meet you. They-they can explain a lot more.” Jungkook said carefully, feeling the way he was smiling crookedly. He was trying to sound as casual as possible so he didn’t scare Jimin off with such an outlandish request, but part of him felt guilty because he was practically lying.
When Fury had first approached Jungkook about joining the team, Jungkook hadn’t been completely surprised, considering Yoongi had already been working for SHIELD for two years at the time and he knew more about what they did than most people. But Jungkook assumed Jimin didn’t have any connection with SHIELD, which meant he knew as much about SHIELd as the general public did. To most people, SHIELD was another branch of the government that dealt with international and global safety matters and handled affairs across the nation, which included terrorism, war, etc.
It was partially true, but SHIELD also held an immense responsibility in keeping the earth safe from otherworldly forces, protecting and working with superhumans, and dealing with sciences and technology that were considered too powerful and advanced for public knowledge.
“Me?” Jimin repeated. “I don’t-I graduated years ago. I don’t even use my degree. I-I don’t see how I could be of any help.”
“The education that you have is enough,” Jungkook replied, remembering everything Namjoon had told him over the phone. “Our agents back at headquarters have sent me to request your presence because we think you could be of use.”
"And you’re sure I'm the guy you're looking for? I don't-I mean no disrespect, Mr. Jeon, but you-I don't think I'm the right person." Jimin said, shaking his head.
"You're the right person," Jungkook reassured, his mind almost going blank at being addressed as Mr. Jeon. He was certain he had heard it before, but coming from Jimin made him feel like he was losing it. "Um...our agents have made sure to gather the right information. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't you that we were looking for."
Jimin blinked at Jungkook, quiet for a moment before he replied.
“What if I say no?” He suddenly asked, sitting back in his chair as he crossed his arms, lifting his chin slightly. But Jungkook heard the way his heart skipped nervously. He was testing Jungkook. “Is the government going to track me down until I agree?”
“N-no,” Jungkook shook his head. “That’s why I’m here now. My job is to convince you.”
“And you’re Jeon Jungkook. 24 years old, 5’10, level six clearance in SHIELD, and I’m assuming Korean just based on your name.” Jimin listed casually and Jungkook opened his mouth to respond but then closed it, shocked (and mildly impressed) at how quickly and easily Jimin had memorized the information he had learned about Jungkook in the short amount of time.
His voice was soft but firm, and Jungkook struggled to say anything because Jimin looked rather delicate, but he had the aura of someone stronger than they looked, and Jungkook figured that if this was the man Fury was recruiting, he probably was. Jimin seemed to notice because his lips twitched into a slight smirk. “You work for the government and came all the way down to a tiny coffee shop in the middle of the East Village to find me. I don't know if I trust you but at least I have some information on you.”
“Understandable,” Jungkook replied slowly, blowing out a breath. He was surprised, to say the least. Jimin didn't seem very willing, and he was speaking in a way that told Jungkook he wasn't afraid or worried, just testing the waters. Jimin was looking around the cafe, his lips twisted to the side as he ran a hand along the collar of his shirt.
For a moment, Jungkook worried Jimin wasn’t going to agree and the tranquilizer felt like it was burning a hole in Jungkook’s mind, a reminder that it was there if he needed it. Worst case scenario, he thought. But if Jimin wasn’t convinced, he couldn’t show up at headquarters empty-handed, especially if Fury was requesting that he be brought in as soon as possible. The thought made Jungkook shift nervously in his seat, his hands fiddling on the table. But then Jimin leaned closer, his hands clasped on the table as he spoke up.
“You see that guy over there,” Jimin asked, tilting his head in the direction of the register and Jungkook turned to see that Taehyung was back at the front counter, taking orders as more people came into the cafe and he nodded, confused as he looked back at Jimin. “That’s my best friend. I’m going to tell him everything I just learned about you. Your name, age, and that you work for SHIELD. Don’t worry, he won’t tell anyone.” Jimin added when Jungkook opened his mouth to protest. “But I need to tell someone just in case I go missing or you turn out to be a serial killer, he’ll know who to look for.”
“I’m not-I’m…I won’t-“
But Jungkook didn’t even know what to say, and his nervous laughter faded quickly when he saw that Jimin was being completely serious, blinking at him with wide eyes. And the more he thought about it, the more Jungkook realized he couldn't even come up with a good enough argument to disagree. In fact, he was impressed at how fucking clever it was.
The idea of following a complete stranger, regardless of who they worked for, was a terrible idea in any city, let alone New York. Jimin telling someone close to him everything he knew about Jungkook was a way to keep himself safe, which he figured was the only way to convince Jimin to agree. So, Jungkook pursed his lips, glanced at Taehyung, and decided to do one better. He pulled his badge back out of his backpack and slid it back over to Jimin.
“Take a picture. Send it to your friend,” Jungkook suggested and Jimin raised an eyebrow, skeptical. “We’re not going to hurt you. But if trust is what I need to get you to come back to headquarters with me, then you can tell him whatever you need to.”
Jimin paused, seemingly thinking it over for a moment and Jungkook swore the sounds of the cafe grew louder as he held his breath and waited, the tranquilizer all he could think about. But then Jimin reached into his back pocket and pulled out his phone, snapped a picture of the ID, and slid it back to Jungkook.
“Give me a minute,” Jimin said quickly and then he stood from the table and made his way towards the register as Jungkook put the badge back into his bag, relieved.
Jimin spent more than a minute talking to Taehyung, and Jungkook waited outside patiently after sending a quick message to Namjoon to tell him he and Jimin would be there soon. He could have easily waited inside and eavesdropped on the conversation, but Jimin was already skeptical. So Jungkook, with his backpack already thrown into the backseat and his phone in his hand, waited until he heard the bell ring from the front door and Jimin walked out wearing a denim jacket over his plain white shirt, pink-tinted sunglasses on and a bag slung on his shoulder.
“Is this your car?” Was the first thing he asked, pointing a finger at the large vehicle, his wide eyes peering over his glasses as Jungkook nodded slowly, opening the passenger door and Jimin stepped towards it, letting out a small ‘wow.’ Jimin dropped his bag onto the floor of the car and lifted one leg, but just as he was about to sit, he paused and whipped his head back towards Jungkook. “Can I take a picture of the license plate?”
For the second time that day, Jungkook couldn’t come up with a good enough argument to deny Jimin’s wish. And now, Jimin was sitting in the front seat of the car, his hands typing away on his phone as he sent the photo of the license plate to Taehyung while Jungkook drove them back through the crowded streets of New York to get to headquarters.
“This might take longer than thirty minutes,” Jungkook said quietly when Jimin dropped the phone back onto his lap, trying not to act like he had no idea what he was doing.
“It’s fine. I told him everything I knew, and just clocked out early. I was going to get out in a few hours anyway.” Jimin explained, and Jungkook hummed in understanding. “But...in hindsight, this might be one of the worst decisions I have ever made,” Jimin mumbled when they stopped at a red light, his tone airy as he used a single finger to trace over his bottom lip. “That’s what my friend said. He’s probably right, and I’m only now realizing this because I’m sitting in the passenger seat of a car with a total stranger.”
“Well, I’m not a total stranger,” Jungkook said, shrugging. “You know my name.”
“Oh, I know more than your name.”
“This is weird for me, too," Jungkook quickly mumbled as he glanced at Jimin, worried he would suddenly panic and demand that Jungkook stop the car. "I don’t-I’m not the one who usually...I’m just-it’s weird for me, too. But we’re not going to hurt you.”
Jimin was quiet for a moment, and Jungkook could practically hear his mind working as he decided whether or not he wanted to continue. But then he let out a small sigh and shifted until he had one leg tucked under him and was staring out the window, his glasses folded in his lap and his heartbeat surprisingly steady.
“Okay. So, what exactly do you do at SHIELD?” He wondered. “Besides recruiting, I guess. Your badge said ‘field officer,’ but that sounds like someone who just watches, someone who keeps an eye on things. You don’t really look like the ‘watching’ type.”
“What does that mean?” Jungkook asked, turning down another street.
“I mean you obviously fight,” Jimin stated. “Or train, or something. You’re a few inches taller than me, and you walk like your guard is up - alert and all that. It looks like you have experience in some sort of martial arts. I only recognize it because I have experience, too. Plus, I’ve considered that, if need be, I could probably kick your ass. Or, at least put up a good fight,” Jimin said, glancing quickly at Jungkook with a small smirk before he went back to staring out the window. “You don’t look like the type to stand on the sidelines. So, what do you do at SHIELD as a field officer? And what does level six clearance mean?”
“Um…” Jungkook hesitated, undecided on whether or not he should tell Jimin right then and there that he was the Spider-Man, the web-slinging superhuman who hung around New York City in his free time and worked for a government agency that wasn’t exactly who they said they were. He decided against it. “Field officer is-is someone who goes out to fulfill a job, like to communicate, or talk to others and handle business somewhere else. M-most of my assignments are outside of headquarters, usually, like somewhere I have to travel to. So, it’s like an officer...just-just on the field.”
Jimin hummed, nodding along, and Jungkook hoped he wouldn’t see right through the terrible lie he came up with on the spot, but then Jimin continued. “Okay. That makes sense, I guess. I’m assuming you won’t tell me about the other assignments you’ve been given because…well, confidentiality reasons, but what about level six clearance? What does that get you?”
“Basic intel I need to do my job,” Jungkook replied simply. Jimin stared at him unblinking for a solid few seconds as if expecting something more, until he let out a huff, disappointed.
“That was a boring answer,” he said, frowning with his head back towards the window. Every now and then Jungkook heard him whispering under his breath, and it wasn’t until they were almost halfway there that he realized Jimin was reading the names of every street they turned on, memorizing their route. “How old are you?” Jimin suddenly asked.
“24,” Jungkook answered, surprised that Jimin wasn’t asking more questions about SHIELD.
“Mm. 26,” Jimin replied, completely unaware that Jungkook already knew that. “And you’re Korean?”
“Yes.”
“I figured. Where are you from?”
“Busan,” Jungkook answered and Jimin hummed again, this time more enthusiastically, and Jungkook already knew what he was going to say.
“Me, too. How’d you get a job at SHIELD at 24 years old?”
“I…I did really well in school,” Jungkook lied. It wasn’t entirely untrue, except for the fact that the reason he worked for SHIELD at his age was more because of a biological factor, not intelligence. Jimin hummed.
“So did I. What’s so special about you?” Jimin questioned, but Jungkook heard the tease in his voice.
“Is this an interrogation?” Jungkook mused, raising an eyebrow as he looked at Jimin when they were stopped at a light.
“No,” Jimin sighed, shaking his head. “But, like I said; you showed up out of nowhere saying you work for the government and that you’re looking for me. And for some reason, I came with you. You obviously have some information on me because you knew where to find me. So, in case you turn out to be a murderer, I’m hoping if I know a little bit more about you and you know a little bit more about me, you’ll feel less compelled to go through with the job.”
“I’m not going to murder you,” Jungkook sighed, dropping his head against the wheel for a second as Jimin let out a bubble of laughter, leaning against the window as Jungkook tried to get himself to focus on the fact that this was his job, that bringing Jimin in was just an assignment. But he was failing miserably, smiling at the sound of Jimin’s laugh, his stomach feeling strangely light.
When they turned down another street, however, Jimin’s laughter slowly faded and Jungkook immediately knew why. The street had a large sign off to the side that stated it was closed to the public, and trespassers would be fined, but it was also a stark difference from the cityscape streets, instead lined with large trees and thick hedges that made the road look darker and shaded, secluded.
“I hope not…” Jimin said quietly, his laughter dying down as he flipped a piece of hair out of his face and looked out the window again. “Where-where are we?”
“Um...it’s the way to headquarters,” Jungkook answered, but he could hear Jimin's heartbeat increasing slightly, even though he didn’t look very nervous on the outside. “This road is closed to the public. Only SHIELD agents are allowed in it.” Jungkook explained as Jimin stared out the window, most likely thrown off because there were no more street signs to read.
From the road, the cameras tucked into the greenery weren’t visible, but they were what kept unauthorized people from accidentally coming down the street. It was a short drive from there, only about five minutes from the actual entrance to the driveway that was in front of headquarters, but Jimin was starting to look as if he was ready to jump out of the car if he needed to.
“Mm. Strange,” Jimin whispered, running a hand across the neckline of his shirt as his heart rate slowed. “What…”
Jungkook made a small right turn, stopping at a large two-door iron gate that led further up the gravel road, shrouded by trees and more bushes so that the huge facility that lay beyond it wasn’t visible. On both sides of the car were two short brick walls, about the height of the bottom of the window that connected to the front sides of the gate like a perimeter surrounding the vehicle.
Jungkook rolled down his window, and then turned to glimpse at Jimin who was watching him quietly, his eyes wide and skeptical, but also intrigued and Jungkook suddenly felt nervous as he reached his arm out of the window and ran his hand along the brick wall until his fingers felt the small smooth button that was hidden along the cracks of the wall. He pressed it lightly and immediately a small portion of the bricks on the wall split open and a flat device slid out of the top. It was about the size and shape of an Ipad and stood straight on top of the wall, the screen dark as an automated voice spoke up.
“Voice recognition required.”
Jungkook cleared his throat. “Jeon Jungkook.”
“Jungkook Jeon,” the device repeated in an English accent, and Jungkook heard Jimin let out a small amused noise as it continued, the screen lighting up and displaying a blue glowing image of Jungkook’s ID picture, rotating on the screen. “ Level six agent. Facial scan required.”
Jungkook unbuckled himself and then shifted so he could face the window completely as a laser-like beam of light came out of the top of the device and scanned up and down Jungkook’s face for a few moments before the machine-made two beeping noises and a message appeared on the screen in green that read “Facial Recognition Complete.”
Jimin made a noise as if he was about to ask a question, but the device's screen went black and it slid back into the wall, the bricks sealing as if nothing had been there at all and there was a creaking noise that came from the gate as the doors began to swing forward. Jungkook put his seatbelt back on and then looked at Jimin who was leaning back in his seat, his head turned towards Jungkook, eyes narrowed.
“Are you like the Men in Black,” he questioned as Jungkook began driving, and Jungkook let out a small laugh, shaking his head.
“No. I’m not,” he laughed, but Jimin still had his eyes on him, as if he was expecting an alien to appear and prove him right. “I swear. I’m not.”
“Okay,” Jimin said, dragging out the word like he still didn’t believe Jungkook. “But that was a little excessive. With the face and the...Woah. Wh-what…”
Jimin trailed off, sitting up abruptly because as Jungkook continued driving, the trees became less crowded and the view opened up so the entirety of headquarters was now in sight.
In front of them was a massive green lawn, surrounded by huge buildings that were wide and long, stretching far behind themselves and another one-way street that went the opposite direction. The small street they were driving on looped the entire area, circling the main lawn and connected to several small turns that led to each of the different buildings, circled around most of them, and gave them access anywhere.
They passed the large airplane hangar on the right, busy with SHIELD agents walking around and working, and Jimin was practically glued to his window, eyes wide as he caught sight of the airplanes, helicopters, jets, and other advanced aircrafts that were sitting inside of the hangar. Past that building was a smaller garage, transparent and filled with SHIELD agents’ vehicles that they drove into work. The main facility had plenty of rooms for living spaces, separated enough for privacy and on a higher floor, but some agents lived at home with their families and chose to drive in.
On the opposite side of the hangar was another garage for SHIELD cars and vehicles, as well as other miscellaneous buildings that filled the space between. Some were multiple levels, others were short and wide and stretched from one side of the area to the other, but the place was organized and spaced out, big enough that driving was more ideal than walking from most buildings to another.
As Jungkook approached the center of the road, he stopped the car directly in front of the main building. It was the tallest structure on the site with an upper level made mostly out of windows that stuck out a little over the entrance, allowing the directors and higher classified agents who worked on that floor a full view of whoever or whatever was approaching and entering the facility. Carved into the side of the building was a large and obvious “A,” and, as Jungkook stepped out of the car, he took a deep breath, preparing himself for Jimin’s reaction. But when he went to open Jimin’s side of the car, Jimin already had the door open with his whole body turned, eyes wide open and staring at the short staircase at the front of the building, or, most likely, the two men who were standing at the top of them.
“Mr. Park,” Fury began, his authoritative voice stretching across the distance between them as Jimin slowly stepped out of the car.
“He knows my name, too?” Jimin whispered to Jungkook as Jungkook reached into the car to grab his bag and then Jimin’s, and he nodded quietly, suppressing a small smile as he slung his backpack over his shoulder and Jimin grabbed his own from Jungkook, slinging it across his chest.
“Yes, Mr. Park, I do," Fury answered as he began taking a few steps down. "I also know where you were born, where you work, and where you live.”
“That’s...terrifying,” Jimin replied honestly as Fury let out a low chuckle, stopping when he was about halfway down the short staircase. Jimin and Jungkook stood there, and Jungkook noticed the slow but steady increase in Jimin's heart rate as he crossed his arms defensively, but he didn't make a run for it. “Who are you?”
“Nick Fury, Director of SHIELD,” Fury answered, and then he turned to look over his shoulder at Namjoon who was standing at the entrance and nodded, and Namjoon disappeared into the building without a word as Fury turned back around to look straight at Jimin. “There are some things I’d like to discuss with you.”
“So I was told,” Jimin replied calmly.
Fury tilted his chin downwards, peering at Jimin from where he stood higher up on the staircase, his face unreadable, and Jungkook began wondering what knowledge Fury had on Jimin that Jungkook didn’t know yet. But then Fury tilted his head towards the entrance and clasped his hands behind his back. “You might want to have a seat for this.”
As Jungkook and Jimin followed Fury inside, Jungkook stuck by Jimin’s side the entire time, listening as his heart beat rapidly, even though Jimin appeared completely unfazed on the outside.
Jungkook was half worried that Jimin would try to make a run for it, but something about the way he was walking through the building suggested that he felt more shock than fear. His eyes were drawn to every detail in the open space, darting around as they turned down hallways and walked into elevators, passing other agents along the way, and Jungkook was certain he heard Jimin whisper ‘wow’ at least four times to himself by the time they reached the second floor, and Jungkook bit back a smile every time.
The inside of the facility wasn’t anything luxurious, but it was so minimally and aesthetically designed that it appeared grand and sleek. The color scheme of the entry floor consisted of dark greys and blacks, with mostly tile and silver - except for specific rooms that required otherwise- and Jungkook had to walk slower just to make sure Jimin was keeping up.
“Agent Jeon, you are free to go,” Fury said, stopping when they reached the end of the hallway on the second floor, his hand on the doorknob to one of the conference rooms. “Your assignment was to bring in our new recruit and you did. We’ll need you back here in a few hours for the scheduled briefing. Agent Kim and I will take it from here.”
“Oh. Right, okay,” Jungkook muttered. He hadn’t even realized that at some point he was going to have to leave Jimin to talk to Fury alone, but now that he was here, he felt dumb for even thinking otherwise. Fury inclined his head and Jungkook took that as his signal to leave, but when he turned to walk away, Jimin gripped his arm before he stepped away completely.
“Wait. Jungkook,” Jimin hissed, leaning towards Jungkook. Jungkook turned, and then the both of them glanced at Fury who was watching them expectantly. Fury glanced between the two of them, clearly understanding the shared looks they gave him, and then he let out a tired sigh and rolled his one visible eye before he walked into the room and left the two of them. “I’m not...I’m not in trouble, am I?” Jimin asked quietly, and Jungkook was surprised to see that Jimin looked genuinely concerned.
“Not at all,” Jungkook said, shaking his head. “N-no. You’re not...they just want to talk to you.”
“I’m not here because I did something wrong years ago that I’m suddenly going to find out when I walk into that room?” Jimin continued, and though his question seemed like an exaggeration, Jungkook could hear the worry in his voice and noticed the way he was biting his lower lip nervously.
“No. Everything I said was true. You’re-you’re here because we think you can help us. You’re not in trouble,” Jungkook reassured him, hoping it would help even though he didn’t completely know everything about why Jimin had been brought in. Jimin blinked slowly, quiet as he stared at Jungkook.
“Okay,” he mumbled, letting out a breath. “Okay. Then I should...I’ll go inside.” Jimin stood up straighter, releasing the grip he had on Jungkook’s arms, and then turned towards the door, giving Jungkook one last nervous glance before he opened it and headed inside.