CHAPTER 23 - LOST MY MIND

One week.

One week had passed since the incident at the school. Since, they didn't go back. They were gathered in Jungkook's dorm, the room cramped, especially for Aviva. He waited for his roommate to leave for his last class before bringing his friends in, and now, they were silent. There was nothing to say. All they could do was feel.

After Jin left the school, the others agreed to tell Aviva the news then go their separate ways for a bit. Lay low and call if anything seemed off. No calls came, and after a few days, the crew agreed to meet now. Jungkook was staring out his window, Aviva was pretending she was doing something despite her lack of movement, Jimin and Raven were on Jungkook's bed holding hands, and Taehyung and Angelina were by the door in case anyone tried to come in. It seemed as though a disaster struck the group. And in a way, that was true.

"What do we do?" Jungkook asked, breaking their week-long silence.

"He wants you, Koo," Aviva replied, her voice low and more strained than normal. "We've been arguing about it all week. He's gonna make me lose my voice faster at this point." That probably wasn't how it worked, but Jungkook got her point. An exaggeration to explain how fucked they were. How Jin would find a way to get Jungkook, and there was nothing he could do about it.

He had two options. He could go to class and risk Jin calling for him in the middle of it, or he could skip class and fail half of them. There were no good options. It was only a matter of which one was worse. It wasn't like Jungkook could say no to the dean of the school. If he tried to run, there was a high chance he'd get caught since he wouldn't be able to use his spider powers. And even if he didn't get caught right away, they knew where he lived. Both his dorm and his home. It was on the files, and unless Jungkook fled the state (which was an option, but not one he wanted), there was no way he could hide from Jin. He couldn't live his life in hiding because he was scared of a middle-aged man. How pathetic did that sound? A superhero hiding from a dad. Jungkook had seen better days...

"He wants you and Raven especially. He may already have Quinton, I'm not sure. This whole week he's been begging me to bring you to him. Jungkook, please don't go to him. I have no idea what he's planning, or what he'll do to you. Fuck Koo, he might do experiments on you and put random shit in your blood." Aviva's voice was straining more, the dryness seeping into her tone as the words clawed themselves out of her mouth. "This isn't him," she said with a whimper, tearing up. "Whoever's living in my house isn't my father anymore. I don't know who he is..."

Jungkook came over and knelt by her side, holding her hand and rubbing it as best he could. There were no words he could say to console her, no actions that would magically make her feel better. She was watching her father slip away, and all so he had a chance - a low one at that - to save his daughter's life. And the worst part was that Jungkook didn't blame him. If Jungkook were in his shoes, he wasn't sure he'd have the sanity to let his girlfriend die. Not when there was a cure in front of him. Or, God forbid, let his daughter die. Jin had a wonderful job and money, but none of that compared to connections. And Jin's final connection was his daughter. Everyone else had left him, and Jungkook hated that he understood that.

There were days in Jungkook's life that were darker than others. Days he hadn't shared with anyone, even Aviva. The only one who knew about the worst day of Jungkook's life... was Jin. The day Jungkook saw his mother groaning and rolling around, her eyes distant and her hair disheveled. Her skin seemed paler than usual, and her lips were dry. Her hand held a needle containing a drug Jungkook hated. He hated needles and drugs. He hated watching her get high and not give a fuck about the world around her. Jungkook was powerless then, and he was powerless now. Would he ever be able to save the ones he loved from themselves?

"There's two options. Either I go to him, or I don't," Jungkook finally said, forcing out the words as flashes of his mother's eyes blew by his face. "Raven, I don't care how bad it gets, you're not going. We have no idea where his mental state is now. If I go, I could die or get permanently fucked up. If this is going to hurt anyone, it's hurting me and me only. I'm not letting my friends get dragged into this mess."

"I won't go anywhere near him," Raven replied, Jimin sighing from relief. "But why hasn't he made his move yet? It's been a week, there's no way he isn't planning something. Shit, school is over next week."

"Have we really known each other that long now?" Jimin asked, Raven humming.

"It's been about 3 months." All of them were amazed at how the time flew. School lasted a bit longer here than it did at other places. They met around midterms season, which was 5 weeks into the semester. Jungkook wasn't sure why seeing as it had to be at least 11 weeks since then. Wasn't much of a midterm when it wasn't in the middle of the semester. School was 17 weeks long, the winter semester 15 weeks. It was shorter since they got break in December for the winter, meanwhile spring was longer because they started in mid-January and ended in mid-May. A lot of other colleges got out early May, but no, Jungkook was stuck even longer.

"I can't just skip finals, I've come too far and my grades are high. My finals will secure my place on dean's list," Jungkook said, and the others agreed. Considering that dean's list was a huge honor and one that would look amazing on Jungkook's resume, it was a priority. Jungkook was Spiderman. They were the same person on different sides of the mirror, but Jungkook was one thing above all else.

He was a kid.

Despite the superpowers and newfound righteousness he had, he was a college kid struggling to determine his future. As cool as swinging around New York was, he still needed money, and to get money, he needed a job. Hopefully a solid job. The only way he got that was by doing well in college. And God dammit, Jungkook wanted to have some normalcy in his life. Getting high grades was a way of obtaining what he craved. If only there was a clear solution.

"The best option is to keep going to class. Jungkook, keep your shooters and mask on you at all times. If he tries anything, we'll need to be ready. For the rest of us, if he tries to get us individually, text Jungkook so he can help," Raven said.

"What if Jin takes one of us while Jungkook's in a final?" Angelina asked, and that raised a good point. What would they do?

"Fuck," Jimin mumbled, running a hand through his hair. "We don't have a choice. We have to keep going to class and let him make the first move. At his house, he has cameras, a lab, and lord knows what kind of medicine and devices. Hell, he probably has all that on campus too, but maybe we stand a better chance here rather than taking the fight to him."

Everyone's eyes fell on Aviva, and she sighed. The good news was they searched her wheelchair for bugs and any other devices. They found none. Jungkook didn't want to exclude her from the planning, but he didn't feel comfortable talking about their future in front of her. It wasn't her fault, but there was nothing more they could do except search her and hope Angelina, Raven, and Jimin didn't miss anything. They were the science people, after all. Jungkook trusted everyone in that room with his life, and he prayed that was enough.

"I'm not sure what he's doing. He won't share any plans with me. He-"

'Knock knock'

The crew went stiff, Jungkook's ears perking up but hearing no voices outside. Not even breathing. Seconds of silence ticked tediously away, Jungkook swallowing moisture down. He wasn't sure if it was saliva or bile, but the odds were it was a mixture of both. It wasn't the only moisture he had present; there were droplets of liquid forming on the palms of his hands, some of it reaching his head as well.

On instinct, Jungkook went forward, placing his hand on the doorknob and opening it as cautiously as he could. As soon as the wood went past his face, he found himself face-to-face with two men who were wearing what seemed to be police uniforms. Pistols were holstered by their sides, and they were both middle-aged, hats hiding their hair. They had contrasting eyes. One cyan, the other a bright hazel that bore into Jungkook's chocolate irises.

"Are you Jeon Jungkook?" the hazel-eyed one asked. Jungkook nodded, and the officer peeked inside the room and counted how many were behind Spiderman. "Angelina, Jimin, Raven, Aviva, and Taehyung?" Another nod. In a flash, the cyan-eyed officer held up a paper, and it read words Jungkook never thought he'd see. "We have a warrant issued for your arrest for trespassing on private property."

"W-What?"

"We have footage and voice recordings of your presence in a restricted area. You think just cause a high school is abandoned, you can go running around in it?" Jungkook remained quiet at that. "Step out of the room and get on your knees, put your hands behind your head."

Without complaint or fighting back, Jungkook did, and slowly, the rest of them did too. Handcuffs were strapped around their wrists, the cool metal burning Jungkook's flesh as it clicked in place. His eyes wavered in and out of focus on the floor in front of him, and as his rights were recited to them, and the cyan-eyed one went to get Aviva, Jungkook shuddered. His heart went still, and he brought his gaze to Jimin, who was next to him. Jimin glanced at him too, letting out ragged breaths. They knew what this was. Jin reported them. He turned them in. This was his next move, and it worked perfectly. Not because it got them right where Jin wanted them, but also because of the future. A criminal record and possible eviction from the school. Jungkook bit back his tears.

This was going to ruin their lives.

~~~

The fence of the jail cell was rusted, but sturdy enough that Jungkook couldn't break it. There was a chance he could unhinge the locked door, but with camera surveillance and police officers wandering around, that would be near impossible. If he didn't reveal his secret, then he'd get caught mere seconds after his escape. It didn't help that they were separated. Jimin, Taehyung, and Jungkook in one cell, Raven, Angelina, and Aviva in the next. They had no regard for Aviva's condition, and they locked her in like she was anyone else.

They were in the detention level of the police station, a large room with half of it being a cell. They were separated based on their sex, but the gaps between the fence were enough that they could touch fingers if they were that desperate. Maybe slip a phone through, but there was no point in doing that.

The crew was silent the whole time, refusing to speak to further incriminate themselves. They also feared talking back or panicking would seem like resisting arrest, and the last thing they needed were more crimes to pile up. Jungkook had money, he could get a strong lawyer, but there was no way the blatant evidence of them being there would be overlooked. And more importantly: if they searched Jungkook's dorm room, they'd find the spider suit.

Jungkook hated going without it, but he knew there wasn't much he could do. They were searched upon arrival, rid of their phones and personal belongings. Only, there was one thing Jungkook didn't consider. One thing that could make the difference. And it came in the form of a woman: Angelina.

Angelina leaned against the side of her cell and observed the desk not far from them. The officer was a female, middle-aged with darker skin and braided, long hair. She was typing away at the computer and ignoring them. They still needed to get processed. This cell was only temporary since it wasn't their turn yet. When it was, their fingerprints would be on record. Mugshots would be taken. Their lives would be over.

"Jeon," Angelina whispered, and he came over, the officer not caring. "I have something for you." He knit his brows together, and she slipped something through the gaps between the fence. He grabbed it and hid it right away, and he recognized the feel of the contraption right away.

A web shooter.

"How-"

"I shoved it down my pants." When Jungkook grimaced, Angelina scoffed. "You've been there before, don't act all disgusted."

"That's exactly why I'm acting disgusted."

"As soon as we're out of here, I'm killing you with my bare hands," Angelina replied, and Jungkook shrugged and accepted it. She dropped her tone to a mutter that he was able to hear thanks to his enhanced hearing. "Use it wisely. I had both of them, but I didn't have time to hide the other one, so I dropped it and kicked it under your bed."

"So... you had time to kick it, but not to hide it?"

"I didn't want to risk having too much on me. There's only so far I can go with the 'you're violating me' card. They wouldn't search my private parts since we're just trespassers, but if I had something jutting out of my underwear, I'm sure they would. It wasn't worth the risk, then you'd get revealed."

Jungkook agreed and slipped it inside his pocket. However, there were two problems. A) He didn't have his mask. B) When they got processed, they'd likely have to go through metal detectors. Not to mention Jungkook wasn't sure how to use it without getting caught, and he wasn't sure how it'd help them escape. Then they'd be fugitives-

Oh.

This wasn't to help the others. They were doomed, and Angelina knew that. She brought it so Jungkook could escape and confront Jin before it was too late. Jin did this to ensure Jungkook wouldn't have his materials on him. In fact, Jungkook wouldn't be surprised if this was all a setup, and Jin was coming to get them-

'Beep!'

The door opened, and the female officer glanced up, exchanging words with the man who came in. Jungkook was too distracted to listen in. He focused on hiding the contraption, opting to shove it down his pants too. Jimin saw the ruckus and covered him as he did so, Taehyung remaining casual to keep up the innocent appearance. A few beats after they were done, the two officers approached and unlocked both of the doors.

Jungkook was right, huh? The officers gave them smiles and ushered them out. They were the only ones there, no other criminals were by their sides. That surprised Jungkook since they were in New York, but the odds were, the other ones were being processed, and that was why they were alone.

"Lucky day, all charges are dropped. It was just a misunderstanding. Your escort is here to take you home," the woman said. "Follow me please."

"Of course he's here," Jungkook mumbled to Jimin, who huffed and followed Jungkook out. As did the rest of the crew. They went with the officers and left through the front doors, revealing the familiar face outside. The officers let them go, and Jungkook remained stiff. He couldn't tell the officers that they didn't know Jin, or that he was hunting them. What was he gonna say? That he was Spiderman, and Jin planned all of this? Jin was prestigious and probably owned half of this district with his money and power alone. His plan was working, and if Jungkook didn't think fast, his friends were on the chopping block.

"I brought my biggest car for you guys. Come pile in. Jungkook, sit with me up front. Jimin, be a doll and help Aviva in. Fold up her wheelchair and put it in the trunk for me," Jin said, opening the passenger side door for Jungkook. He had an SUV capable of fitting seven people. Angelina, Taehyung, Jungkook, Jimin, Jin, Raven, and Aviva would fit in perfectly. Jimin helped Aviva inside as Jin asked him to, and although none of them trusted this, they knew they had no choice. If they ran, Jin would have planned ahead for that. Or maybe that was his plan: to trick them into thinking he had a backup to everything.

"Why shouldn't I run away?" Jungkook asked, and Jin smiled.

"There are cameras all around this place, Jeon. Cameras inside my car, conveniently missing audio. You run off, I call the police station and reverse what I've done. You become criminals, and your lives are ruined. You have a criminal record, and I'll evict you from my school."

"You could have blackmailed us with eviction from the start. Why didn't you?"

"It'd look suspicious on its own. You're understandable with your history, but the others are squeaky clean." Jin kept his grin, beckoning Jungkook forward. "Besides, I didn't want to risk you having your little spider suit on you. Who knows what you carry around with you, Spiderman."

Jungkook bit his tongue and reluctantly went inside the vehicle, noting that there were indeed cameras set up around the entire car. Too many to disable in one go, and that was assuming he could see all of them. There weren't many places to hide cameras in a wide SUV like this, but Jungkook didn't want to take the chance considering Jin was the same man who bugged his daughter's wheelchair.

He sat and buckled in, grabbing the web shooter while Jin went to make sure the others got in. Jungkook swallowed and strapped it around his right wrist, hiding it under his shirt and tucking it behind his large thigh as best as he could. As soon as they got out, away from the cameras, Jungkook would attack. But would there be an opportunity to get away from the cameras? Well, if it came down to it, he'd take revealing his identity if it meant keeping his friends safe. Only that would mean he'd be on the run for the rest of his life. The law would recognize him as a vigilante, maybe a co-conspirator in the arcade explosion. He had to choose, didn't he? Jin was too smart not to monitor each step of their journey. That meant Jungkook couldn't attack in private. Jungkook took a deep, jagged breath. He had to make the decision.

He had to either save himself, or his friends...