CHAPTER 24 - FINALE

The drive was quiet for the first ten minutes. Jin made half-hearted dad jokes, but no one replied. Jungkook kept staring out the window, wishing there was a way he could attack Jin without crashing the car or getting caught on camera doing it. One wrong move would land them back in a jail cell, and what were the odds they'd believe the teenagers over the prestigious man? They were odds Jungkook couldn't take, and they endangered all his friends.

"I'm sorry to say you'll have to put up with more needles," Jin said, and Jungkook sealed his lips, his mind trembling from the thought of his mother's face. The needle she had, the impact it had on him going forward. "Sorry, did I bring back bad memories?"

"Don't you dare," Jungkook said with a bit more sharpness than intended. His eyes were narrowed as his body shook by an unnoticeable amount. Jin peered at him for a beat before returning his eyes to the road. They were almost at Jin's home. Jungkook recognized the roads. Not much longer before Jungkook had to make his final decision and face the consequences of what he chose.

Jin had the respect not to comment any further, and as they pulled into his private garage two minutes later, he parked and turned to Jungkook. "I don't want to do this to you. In fact, I don't want to do this to any of you, but the truth is, Aviva doesn't have much time left. She already beat her predicted time thanks to my help. I need a miracle here, and you're a miracle, Jungkook. You have powers no one's ever seen before, and in this car, there's a victim of your bite. I need to study your blood - all of your blood. The answer could be right in front of me, I just don't see it."

Jungkook shut his eyes for a moment, then he sucked in a breath and gained the courage to face Jin again. The older man tilted his head, and Jungkook couldn't stop himself from tearing up. "Take me. It doesn't matter anymore, you know my face. Let my friends go, but take me. I'll do anything you need, anything you ask. No questions asked."

"I can't do that, Jungkook. I need at least Raven, and I would love to see if you had any impact on your friends as well. The answer is in this car, and we're not leaving until I find it."

"Jin," Jungkook said in a whisper, Jin going stiff at that. "I know I don't understand, but I'm trying to. Aviva is the light of your life, and she's mine too. The reason I let you do anything to me with needles is because I care about her. I'm a selfish prick. An asshole. Yet when I thought of her in danger, or worse... it killed a part of me too. I'd do anything to keep her safe, and if experimenting on me might save her life, then so be it. But my friends don't deserve this, and I know deep down, you know that. Take me, but leave them. They don't deserve to suffer for helping me."

"I admire your devotion to your friends, but you're not getting out of this. You don't, and never will, understand what I'm-"

"I love her!" Jungkook shouted, almost using his web shooter by accident. The entire car froze at that, Jungkook not hiding the tears streaming down his face. Snot followed them, pouring out of his nose until he tasted it. Yet he continued to stare Jin down, letting his shaky voice pass his open mouth. "And I would do anything for her. But my friends aren't a part of this, and they don't deserve to have their insides poked and prodded. They don't deserve to go through so much pain, get experimented on, and get torn apart like guinea pigs. I know how it starts. It's blood samples, then it's bone marrow, then it's our organs. Am I right?" Jin's silence gave him his answer. "Let. Them. Go."

Jin genuinely did consider it, then, he shook his head. "I'm sorry, but I can't risk missing the answer. Get out of the car and go inside. You try anything, you get evicted and placed back in jail. There's cameras everywhere inside."

So, he had been setting up cameras this past week, huh? It seemed as though Jungkook really did need to make a choice. But even if he saved his friends from the experiment, what about from jail? Would Jin still reverse what he had done, or was he bluffing to keep them cooperative?

Jungkook snapped out of his thoughts when Jin left the vehicle, Jimin doing the same so he could get Aviva's wheelchair. The others departed one by one, but Taehyung remained for a split second too long. He gave Jungkook's shoulder a squeeze, and Spiderman turned to face him. Tae shook his head, giving him a sad smile.

"I can't let you get hurt," Jungkook whispered, and Taehyung didn't remove his hand from his shoulder.

"We signed up for this. You're a superhero, and we're your team. Shit happens, right? It's nothing to cry over, we made our choice." He was right. They made their choice. But now it was time for Jungkook to make his.

After departing the car, Jungkook pushed Aviva's wheelchair through the narrow garage with less decorations than Jungkook's dorm bathroom. It was barren, dust gathered in the corners of the gray area, a workbench that hadn't been touched in years laying near the door. Jungkook grimaced and went past it, Aviva and the rest of the gang quiet. Jungkook wasn't sure if shouting about his love for Aviva was smart, but it was the heat of the moment that made his brain blank out like that. He didn't regret it, but he did regret the timing. He wished he told her he loved her in a romantic way, not like that.

They traversed through the house, and Jin wasn't bluffing. Jungkook noticed several cameras around and made sure to hide his web shooter as best as possible, keeping his sleeve over it and hiding it behind the wheelchair. Jin didn't turn to look at them, so Jungkook wasn't too worried, but he still stayed on his toes.

The door to the basement swung open, and Jin made the others go first. Angelina, then Tae, then Raven, then Jimin, then Jungkook. Jin carried Aviva downstairs, and more cameras awaited them. Jungkook leaned against the wall and pressed his hand against it, his shooter hidden behind his back. Jin walked by without batting an eye, and Jungkook let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

Alright, new problem. Someone would have to carry Aviva out when the time came. The odds were, that would be Jimin. Would Jimin know what to do? Jungkook's irises flickered to Jimin, and the shorter male shifted to meet his gaze. It was like they clicked. Jimin couldn't read Jungkook's mind, but he could tell what the look meant. Be ready. That was what Jungkook was screaming with his eyes, and Jimin accepted the gesture and went back to staying calm and casual, his eyes darting to Raven every once in a while.

They made it inside the lab, the metal still covered in a tarp, but it was larger this time. Human-sized and shaped. Jungkook desired to go check it out, then he noticed several tubes that were also human-shaped. Jungkook froze in his tracks, and Jin set Aviva down on a bed nearby the tarp. It was like a hospital bed, recently set up. This was why Jin didn't attack earlier. He was preparing for them with beds and tubes. Cameras and plans. While they were dicking around wondering what Jin would do, he did the exact opposite of all their theories.

And that was terrifying.

Jungkook kept his fingers near the contraption on his wrist, ready to fire. He wasn't sure when he'd get a good window. Jin was still by Aviva, and he didn't want to risk her in the crossfire. Jungkook was much better at fighting, but not enough that he trusted his aim not to hit his girlfriend.

Jin stayed by Aviva, putting an IV in her before motioning to Angelina. "You. First tube." Shit. Now was the time to strike.

Angelina peeked back at Jungkook, and he stared for a beat. She moved away, going to the first tube resting in the corner of the room. It was made up of all glass with a dark, metal roof and a cylinder pathway leading up to the ceiling. Like it was connected to something that would pour a substance into the tube. Jungkook pondered what the structures were for, and he got his answer when Angelina went near it. It lit up upon her approach, and she gasped at the sudden exposure.

"These tubes lock from the outside and cannot be unlocked by anyone other than me. The glass is bulletproof, and it's designed so I can do my tests safely from outside it," Jin said.

"Are the tubes for gas?" Jungkook asked.

"Yes and no. It's an emergency protocol in case something goes wrong and I need to exterminate the problem." Kill. That meant a failsafe to kill a test subject in case a experiment went wrong. Shit, this was worse than Jungkook thought.

Angelina refused to go inside, and Jin came over, grabbed her, and threw her in. Right as he was about to shut the glass door, Jungkook decided it was time to strike. Although he only had one web shooter, and no suit to protect him, he shot out with one web, preserving what web fluid he had. The substance flew out and snatched Jin's outstretched wrist, sending him soaring to the closest wall.

He got stuck to it, and he jolted from the intrusion. Jungkook backed up when Jin chuckled, his eyes narrowing as he plucked at the web wrapped around him. "Jimin, get Aviva and let's get out of here," Jungkook mumbled, Jimin agreeing. He was about to rush off to complete his task, but Jin pulled out a knife from his pocket, cutting himself free with ease. Ah shit, of course it couldn't be that simple.

"Not another step," Jin said, Jimin freezing. Angelina burst out of the tube and came rushing back over, Jungkook standing in front of his friends. Jin pointed the knife at them and went to the tarp, twirling the fabric around his fingers before flinging it off. What was underneath was a suit of metal. Prosthetics. Arms, chest, and legs, only missing a helmet. The front was cut out, and it was like a exoskeleton of sorts. "I figured you'd have something up your sleeve."

Jin put the knife in his pocket, ducking behind the wall as soon as Jungkook took another strike. The web narrowly missed him, and Jungkook chose against firing again so he could preserve the little webs he had. He hopped up on the desk and stayed in a crouched position, hoisting his one arm - the one with the shooter - up at a 90 degree angle. Jungkook listened and heard harsh noises, then a mechanical clank.

After, Jin rounded the corner with thick gloves on his hands, the metal exoskeleton wrapped around him. Jungkook's eyes expanded at the sight, and the scientist laughed at his creation working. Jin raised his arms, and the mechanical ones raised with him. Jungkook gulped down his fears and kept his eyes on the target.

"Guys... run!" Jungkook shouted, springing forward and jumping onto the nearest wall. He landed and gripped the surface, his clothes much harder to move in than his suit. Regardless, he shot a web at the exoskeleton, but he couldn't see the joints well. They were smooth and hidden, no wires poking through. Jungkook clenched his jaw when the web connected, but it didn't stop the suit.

Jin jumped up, and the legs allowed him more jumping speed and height. Jungkook yelped at the sudden leap. Jin swiped with his arm, the speed faster than Jungkook's spider sense could pick up, and the metal slammed into his cheek. He went soaring in the air, falling on the ground and rolling several times. His back hit the desk, and he groaned in time for the suit to come charging once again.

In a flash, Jungkook used his free hand to flip himself over the desk. As soon as he landed on the other side, Jin punched the desk. Jungkook shrieked as the surface got slammed away, Jungkook going with it. He fell to the ground several feet away, coughing out blood on the pristine floors. The desk laid broken in half on either side of him, and he used his webs to fire at it, grabbing it. Once it was secure, he threw it at the sprinting Jin. The suit made him two feet taller but just as wide, his face visible. It was twisted with fury.

The desk hit the man in the chest, but the metal outlines made it do little to no damage. Jungkook, out of options, fled. He used his webs to hop up to the ceiling and stick there. Jin was below him with no way of getting to him, but Jungkook also had no way of attacking. How was he to beat the suit?

A quick glance around the room showed his friends cowering by the door, not leaving for some reason. Before he could shout to them, he saw an opening in the wall panel near the door. Pipes were resting inside. Metal ones. Jungkook gave a grunt and fired a web, pulling on one of the pipes until it sprung free, and he brought it up to his grasp.

Jungkook zoomed down to Jin, whacking the pipe against his suit. It didn't even dent. Jin retaliated by grabbing Jungkook by the throat, clamping his fingers around his pitiful neck. The pipe clattered to the ground, and he choked out more blood. Jin glared, squeezing tighter as Jungkook pondered what to do. His mind was racing, his heartrate skyrocketing. The pipe was out of reach, and his fingers were too numb to press on his shooters. Was this it? Would Jungkook pass out and wake to a tube of glass?

Right before he felt the light leaving him, a flash of red entered his vision, and he was released. Jungkook fell to his knees and coughed out a mix of vomit and blood, peeking up only for his vision to continue to blur with cyan shapes and dots. But one thing was crystal clear: Raven was there.

Jungkook almost fell over again at the sight of the redhead. She was holding Jungkook's dropped pipe, battling Jin with a battle cry. Jimin was screaming her name, Jungkook's hands balled into fists on the ground. She dented Jin's armor, but she got defeated as well. Jin smacked her in the stomach, and she tumbled back to Jungkook's position. The pipe clattered to the ground in front of her. Her hand was still clutching it, cuts on her face from the fall. When their eyes met, Jungkook had his mouth agape.

"I told you to leave," Jungkook said.

Raven only tightened her grip on the pipe, blowing hair out of her face. "Not this time."

She grunted and swung around right as Jin came toward them. The pipe made contact with his chest, and he screeched at the ache. Raven put up a decent fight, leaving cuts and bruises on the scientist, but Jin overpowered her and threw her to the wall. She fell over and was out of action, holding her wounded stomach. Jimin ran to her, pulling her onto his lap. Jin was about to go finish them off, but Jungkook regained his vision and hopped to Jin.

He stuck to the back of the machinery, firing webs at any open parts he could find. There were a few stalls in Jin's movements before he reached back and pried Jungkook off. It was safe to say he joined his friends against the wall. Angelina ran to the corner where another desk was, booting up the computer. Taehyung went to Aviva and talked to her, trying to pick her up. So much was happening all at once, and Jungkook gulped before getting to his feet, facing down the behemoth that was once Kim Seokjin. A devoted father and prestigious scientist. What remained was a desperate man. In some ways, it felt like staring at a mirror.

"I won't let you take my daughter from me!" Jin said in a cry, and Jungkook shook his head.

"And I won't let you take my friends from me."

He fired a web at Jin's face, but he blocked it. Jungkook stood in front of Raven and Jimin, protecting them with his life. Right as he went to fire another web, he got no response. He went stiff, Jin preparing for the web to come, but it never did. Jungkook choked on his terror, glancing down to see it was empty. No more webs. All he had left was his strength and sticky fingers. He trembled, unclipping the web shooter since it was useless now.

Jin laughed at his failure, storming forward to finish the deed. Jungkook used the shooter to throw it at Jin's face. He didn't expect it, and he wailed as it hit his head. Jungkook followed the move by jumping feet-first toward the man, kicking him hard enough to break his nose. Jin cried out, his machinery blinking and beginning to malfunction.

Jungkook crouched again, raising his hand, ready to strike. Jin recovered from the previous attack and let out a battle shriek as he swung at Jungkook. Time slowed, and Jungkook lifted his body off the ground. His skin contracted, his muscles singing a melody as he rolled his figure mid-air. He backflipped over the metal arm, avoiding the punch that was about to come. When he got back on his feet in the same crouched position, Jin tried again with the other hand. Jungkook flipped over it once more, rolling away to gain some distance between him and his friends.

There was a beat of quiet while Jungkook's heart went to his ears. Jin gazed at him, and Jungkook back at him. "I don't want to hurt you, Jungkook," Jin said, tears streaming down his face. "But I'm nothing without her. There's no point in living if I can't have her. What did I do to deserve this? Why me? What did I do?"

"I'm sorry, Jin," Jungkook whispered, and he meant each syllable he spoke. "I never meant for it to get this far. I don't want to hurt you either."

"I know, son. I know." Jin broke off and sucked in the air around him, the sparks spewing out of his machinery. "You know I can't stop this now. Not when we're so close to a breakthrough. This isn't big for just Aviva; this could cure ALS as a whole. Potential cures to other diseases may be in your blood, Jungkook. Please, work with me."

Jungkook didn't stop his sobs from coming out, his once dry face now covered in a mix of blood, sweat, and tears. He set his jaw and held his position, his eyes twitching and wavering in and out of focus. He knew what he had to do, and he hated himself for it. For everything. But there was one way to stop this for good. Jungkook grinded his teeth together and focused on the energy throughout his body, channeling all the rage he had ever felt before. It built up more and more, and Jin realized Jungkook's answer at the same time.

"I'm sorry," Jungkook said, coughing the words out in a cry. Jin set himself up and was about to strike, but Jungkook's entire body exploded with clarity. His skin bubbled with the intricacies the emotion of fury carried, and his fingertips tingled with adrenaline. His teeth poked out, his eyes feeling like they turning into a carmine shade as he launched himself at the father. Jungkook knocked him over, the metal arms reaching out to stop him, but it was too late.

Jungkook bit him.