All things considered, what with the fate of the galaxies up in the air for the general time being... Jung Hoseok was feeling a touch more optimistic than he had been that morning.

Thanks to the team's stirring presentation, he had fully convinced Jeon Jungkook to join his special ops team.

Thus, Jung Hoseok was leading the way weaving between tents a with Jungkook hot on his heels. Jungkook was sharp, trying to take in the fullness of the camp's surroundings and find the method of order hidden somwhere beneath the madness of it all.

"Where...did all of these people come from, anyway?" Jungkook asked over Hoseok's shoulder.

The combat specialist-turned-military general of sorts replied casually, "Mostly from victim planets. Though you could say that a few of them came along... simply for the thrill of it."

"Huh?"

Hoseok gave a casual wave of his hand. "Don't worry too much. It's only natural that a rebel alliance like ours would attract a few outliers. And outliers can be useful."

Jungkook considered this statement carefully.

Their final destination was a nondescript tent. Hoseok swept the front flap aside and led Jungkook inside. This one was for living quarters, with four bunk beds stacked in the back and a mess of dirty plates, open boxes, clothes strewn about, and a very messy table with toothbrushes and deodorant sticks scattered about.

"First things first: welcome to your new living quarters."

Jungkook stuttered. "E-excuse me?"

Hoseok nodded. "Units share a living space. This is ours. No more sleeping with Tae. ...At least not when you're on-call."

"How many people sleep in here?"

"You'll make eight. Eight men sleep in here."

Jungkook didn't think any surface in that tent space was safe enough for his own stuff, his own body, let alone seven other men.

Just then, a man in black slunk from the shadows. He was running a few fingers through the back of his black mullet and looking slightly amused.

"The hell is he doing in here?" Jungkook asked.

Minghao answered, sly as a minx, "I live here. It looks like...now you do too. How amusing."

Jungkook wanted to revoke his offer to Hoseok then and there. To say, No, he wouldn't be taking part in any special ops task force in any near future. But something in the suaveness of Minghao's tone irked him too much to give in.

Hoseok asked brightly, "Oh, so you know each other? Well, I guess that's one less new name you'll have to try and memorize, huh?"

Hoseok beamed between them, slapped Jungkook on the shoulder once more, and said, "We should head out to the sand pit to do some combat training soon. There, you can meet the rest of our team."

Jungkook thought to himself, The only thing I want to know right now is why there's a cold blooded killer standing in front of me and Jung Hoseok doesn't even care.

--

"Too slow, Kookie. You'll lose your eye that way."

Minghao was taunting Jungkook from across the sandy training pit. The long, dark young man had the back of his black mullet pulled into a ponytail, with a thin black headband pushing the flyaways out of his face. He was crouching, a hand on each leg, and he was smirking his taunts in Jungkook's direction.

Jungkook lay fallen forward in the sand. He brushed the back of his hand against the side of his cheek, where a faint red mark had appeared.

Minghao let a small bean-shaped pink trinket flit over the tops of his fingers in a waterfall motion. He started circling Jungkook, who pushed himself up off the sand and started squaring up again in Minghao's direction to continue their sparring once again.

The dark, minxy man said, "I thought you remembered this trick of mine. But I guess not."

Jungkook growled out the word, "Bastard," and charged blindly.

Just as Minghao knew he would.

In a few seconds, Jeon Jungkook was face-down in the sand again, and Minghao had the heel of his black boot pressing down just barely on the back of Jungkook's neck.

There was a rush of red hair and Hoseok's voice echoed over the sandy arena space, "Okay, okay, that's enough for now."

Minghao stepped off of Jungkook, then made his way over to where his water bottle rested on the sidelines of the sandy pit. There were several other paired partners of the special opps team who ceased their sparring in the sand as well, also wandering to gather up their water bottles and spare towels.

Hoseok was shaking his head with his hands on his hips as Jungkook rushed angrily towards him.

The red headed combat specialist barked, "He beat you, Kookie. He keeps beating you, and HE knows why but I don't think you're getting the hint."

Jungkook fumed, "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"It means, you're not over whatever shit went down between the two of you, and either you need to deal with that...or I can't in good concious let you work with my unit. I'd rather it be the first option." Hoseok practically shoved a towel into Jungkook's angry chest. "Because I could use you on my team. But not if you keep this up."

Jungook threw the towel in his hands into the sand. "You don't know what he is."

"I know more than you do." Hoseok walked forward and shoved Jungkook hard in his chest.

Jungkook stumbled backward, angry and surprised.

Hoseok stepped closer and closer the more he spoke in an authoritative, slightly threatening voice. "I was there. I saw Minghao's throwing stars drive right past the tip of my nose and slice our fellow Noon Mool trainee's throats open at the jugular. I saw him kill three people in one fucking throw."

Hoseok pressed his sweaty forehead threateningly into Jungkook's, his voice low and sharp and full of masculine challenge.

Hoseok went on, "You weren't even there. When Yoongi, Joon and I were fresh from training and we had to handle our first assault on Noon Mool Fortress' home turf against Minghao and his poisonous vipers, you weren't even THERE. I was. And I dealt with it. Because this isn't about how I feel about the past."

Then he shoved Jungkook in the chest so hard, the young man really did fall—mostly from the weight of his shock at the words coming out of Hoseok's mouth. Jungkook landed heavily on his butt into the sand.

Hoseok said in a commanding voice, all hint of the red head's typical good humor nowhere to be seen: "This is about the greater good. So sort out your shit, Gwangju Ai. Or leave."

Jungkook felt wounded. Jaded. His fists tightened around sand as he jumped to his feet and shouted through a snarl, "You realize who you sound like, don't you?!"

...Joon.

Hoseok's frown deepened. He said nothing.

Jungkook's glare for Hoseok shifted. He found Minghao's smiling face on the arena sidelines, all pleased condescension. The slinky man sipped delicately on his water bottle, wordless and watching.

"Screw this." Jungkook had had enough training for the day. He shoved himself up from the sand and stormed towards the sea of tents beyond the arena.

Hoseok sighed as he watched Jungkook storm off. "And here I thought I had won one for the home team this morning." He muttered to himself, "I hope he figures things out fast. Because I still need his help."

Jungkook let his feet find their way to what was sure to become his place of refuge in the entire camp. He slipped beneath the massive tent covering and pressed a code into the hidden building's security panel. The heavy metal door slid open.

"...never be as good as the green ones!" Vernon's froggy voice echoed accusingly through the metal inventory room.

From another direction of the giant storage space, Tae's voice answered back. "You're delusional, kid. The blue starkisses are the very best candies in this or any universe and you just need to accept this fact."

"You have the weirdest taste," Vernon answered with a sigh.

"You're really one to talk," Tae's voice grumbled back.

"GUYS." Shae's amused yet slightly annoyed voice echoed from the main counter, where she was typing numbers into a keyboard and shaking her head. "It's just candy."

"IT IS LIFE," Vernon answered.

Shae rolled her eyes and clicked on at the keys in front of her.

Jungkook breathed a sigh of relief.

This kind of chaos, he could handle.

He walked up to the counter space and plopped down onto a metal stool that was propped up next to it. Shae paused her typing and looked finally looked up.

"Kookie? What happened, what are you doing here?"

Jungkook folded his arms onto the counter and slumped his entire face into them. "Why are we even here?"

"You know why. You heard the schpeal," Shae answered delicately. "But... you don't look as convinced as you did a few hours ago, Kook."

"I mean the cause, sure. The method? I'm not so sure." Kookie grumbled into the countertop.

Shae reached out a hand and placed it delicately on Jungkook's arm. She didn't know what to say.

Then he burst upright, his auburn hair fluttering around his face, and he said in a rush, "I just don't understand how they can let that guy be here! Or even fucking LIVE. Hobi and Yoongi went on about how they want to be seeking out the real bad guys, the people we can't trust, and then they let the scum of the earth like Minghao roam free in our ranks! I just! I...just...!"

Jungkook's hands slid angrily through his hair.

Taehyung appeared at his shoulder, three boxes stacked too-high in his arms. He slid them onto the counter space with miraculous grace, then he leaned over at the same level as Kookie with his arms propped into the counter space—even though Tae had no stool to sit on. He looked over at Jungkook with empathetic eyes beneath his crinkled silver hair.

Tae said in his smooth voice, "I'm sorry you have to deal with that guy. I know his deal and... he's really something."

"Yeah, Tae," Jungkook growled. "Something awful."

Tae, like a distracted puppy, barked brightly, "Oh! I almost forgot! I found this for you."

Tae shuffled in his pockets and pulled out a small wrapped package. He set it proudly on the countertop in front of Jungkook, who eyed it with warm amusement.

"Open it!" Tae said excitedly.

Jungkook plucked up the small wrapped item and unfurled the shiny foil. Inside was a neon blue, round candy.

Tae announced proudly, "We found a box of starkisses hid in some holiday rations, and I snuck a piece for you. The blue one! The best flavor."

"IS NOT." Vernon's voice echoed from some unseen space.

"This kid..." Tae muttered in exasperation.

Shae giggled.

Jungkook smiled down at the small, simple prize... so grateful for the simple joy that was Kim Taehyung.

"Thanks, Tae." Jungkook smiled sweetly, and Taehyung smiled back. Shae looked between them, swelling with simple happiness.

"Why don't you let me try and talk to Hobi?" Tae suggested.

Jungkook shook his head. "Absolutely not. I don't want him to...."

"To think you're weak?" Tae asked. There was no accusation in his tone. Only kindness.

"Yeah." Jungkook rolled the blue candy around in his hand, still overwhelmed by the feelings rushing inside of him.

Shae looked from Tae to Kookie... and quietly decided that whatever this chaos with Minghao was about... well, if it was torturing Jeon Jungkook so much... then it was absolutely unacceptable.