Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Silence is often described as being loud. The absence of noise is one of the most disruptive things one may hear. 

The opposite can be said about excessive noise. Enough ear-piercing chaos, the world almost becomes mute. The louder the screams, the louder the cries of pain and the gunshots, the quieter the world grows around you. 

The faster the movement of bodies, the quicker the lights go in and out of wide eyes, the thick chalk-flavored dust coating your mouth and nostrils, burning your eyes, the slower the world is. The mind trying desperately to catch you up by slowing everything down. 

Once the slow motion wears off, once you catch up with the moment, you better pray the shock kicks in before the pain. 

There is work to do. One, two, three…keep counting.

You better become numb fast. The time to feel the pain, the absence is later. Now, you have to work.

…four, five, six…this is happening.

Closing his eyes tightly to spare what was left of his dust-blind vision, the grains of sand scratching the delicate skin of his eyelids. He reaches, movements panicked, and rushed through the torched dirt for his bag. Fumbling hands desperately stretched into what was left of the burning vehicle for what could very much be his and his team’s lifeline. If anyone is still alive… 

…seven…my hands are sticky…blood…smeared in blood, my blood. 

Shaking his head, he pushes all thoughts back. There is work to do. To survive he needs to go on autopilot, push all thoughts to the rear, and do as he was trained. 

…eight…my bag, where the fuck is my bag….five, no, nine…

His hands are burning, baking, the flames lapping at his blistered fingers, the burning metal like a brand, adding texture to his once smooth flesh. 

It feels cold to the touch. 

He uses his free arm to pull his body, belly dragging on the soiled dirt, deeper into the rear of the vehicle. Laying as flat as he can against the ground, turning his face away from the assaulting flames and coughing on the thin air as the flames claim most of the oxygen. His other arm is stretched as far as he can manage into the disfigured vehicle. He’s breathing in the dirt, the smoke, the two burning bodies. He can feel his spit, snot, and blood pooling, causing the dirt to cake and become one with his face. 

…ten!

The bag was sitting in the back left seat, ten paces from where I landed, it should be here, it should be right…his fingers brush against chard cloth straps. Gritting his teeth, he forces his burnt fingers to close around the rough fabric, further damaging his palms. He shouts mutely as he pulls; his pack is jammed. 

We are all going to die.

Three years later.

The ceiling above him is white, the walls, white, his vision blurred, a dull beeping noise growing louder. If he focuses hard enough, he can almost pretend he’s in a padded cell. 

“A padded cell sounds nice.” His dream world is interrupted and reality comes into focus when sharp pricks begin kneading into his abdomen, drawing a smile to his face. 

“Good morning to you too, Jack. What do you think? A cozy padded cell, or…” His brown eyes shift right, where his cell phone rests on the floor after having knocked it off the nightstand when attempting to hit snooze for the third time. The ringing protests against his procrastination. 

Jimin yawned, stretching his arms above his head. “Monday. Why does it have to be Monday?” He hears a pleased chirp and looks away from the phone and down to the large cat flopping halfway across his chest. Smiling, he runs his scared fingers through the thick white and black fur. “I don’t want to work today.” The feline looks up, stopping his kneading. “You are acting cute this morning.” Jack abruptly hops off his chest, his three paws sending pressure and knocking the wind from his lungs. “Ooph, why are you like this?” 

The cat practically skips across the roomy studio apartment, the bell around his neck making light chimes before stopping at his food bowl. He looks over his shoulder, expectation clear on his fury face. “And there it is, all you ever think about is food, little man. It’s never, ‘good morning’, it’s never ‘have a good first day back at work’, you didn’t even offer to hand me my phone. Uh, why do I keep you around? You know, you’re going to get fat one of these days, beauty doesn’t last.” 

The cat blinks, unimpressed, and meows loudly. “Okay, okay, okay, fine.” 

The man rolls to his stomach, and stretches out his hand, mirroring his dream…there’s no dirt there, no blood, just a cellphone, right out of reach. “Fuck me, curse you short arms!” He rolls to his back and sits up, grabbing his round glasses off the nightstand and placing them so they rest on his nose. Jimin slides to the side of his bed and takes a deep breath, bracing himself before removing the thin covers. 

The thing about only having one leg, sometimes you have to get creative. 

He grabs the plastic dinosaur toy, which is prompted against his headrest. The long stick with a green T-Rex head at the end acts as an extension of his arm. 

The thing about trauma, it helps to have a sense of humor. 

He reaches the toy out and after only one attempt manages to get his beeping phone inside the jaws of the dinosaur. Squeezing the trigger on the handle, he balances the wobbling toy and successfully secures the phone, lifting it up and dropping the device next to him on the bed. 

He proudly looks over to the feline sitting across the room, impatiently waiting for his breakfast. “Did you see that, Jack?” A large smile spreads across his lightly tanned face, pushing his cheeks up and eyes closed. “First time go!” The cat looks unamused as he flicks his thick tail, now sitting next to his bowl with his one front paw neatly placed in front of him. 

At this distance, and with the feline's long fur, Jimin could hardly make out his furry companion, just like he, was missing one of his limbs. Just as Jack’s thick coat disguised his missing flesh, so did the layers of clothing Jimin articulately put together. The average person, if they weren’t looking for it, would never suspect the scars he carried beneath perfectly tailored dress pants. “You know, you have the worst personality in the morning. You should learn to lighten up.”

The man glanced down to his lap, he hadn’t realized he had been absentmindedly massaging the stump of flesh that made up his leg, butchered just above where his right knee used to be. He reached over and turned off the complaining alarm, taking a mental note of the time, he still has an hour before he has to leave. 

Reaching into the small nightstand by his bed he pulls out a large sleeve, a clean socket liner, and some nylon before grabbing his prosthesis, which he kept laying beside him in bed. He liked to keep it somewhere safe, somewhere close by, and if he let his imagination wander, he could pretend the artificial limb was a partner, snuggled up next to him in bed. 

“Alright, you ready for our first day on the job?” He wiggled the prosthesis, the foot moving up and down in a nodding motion. He laughed at his crude humor as he began rolling the sock liner onto his remaining six inches of thigh before leaning forward and pushing off the bed. He balanced easily on his left foot as he slid the slick black prosthesis into the correct position, feeling the limb fall in place. He bent his artificial knee a few times to ensure he was confident with the fit before stepping off the raised bed platform and heading to the kitchen. 

It took eight clicks of his right foot on the wood floor to make it to the kitchen sink. Jack immediately begin to weave around his legs, meowing loudly, placing his front paw on the kitchen cupboard as his owner reached for the canned food kept in the top cabinet. The cat does not wait as the food is spooned into his dish to begin digging in. Jimin reaches down and pets him gently on the head, pleased when he hears his scheduled coffee machine begin to brew in the corner of his small kitchen. 

His studio was nice, with an open airy plan, light cream-colored walls with red brick peeking through along the back wall by his bed, raised on a wooden platform next to the fire escape. A light pastel green accent wall by his built-in bookcase and desk, which took up the right side of the room when viewed from the kitchen. 

When he was first shown this studio last year, he was sold when he saw the sleeping space required him to take two steps up. Although it could hardly count as stairs, he still took it as a personal challenge, out of all the challenges he had overcome after losing his leg, stairs had been one of the harder ones to remaster. 

He liked how the kitchen sat closest to the front door, along the wall straight across from his bed. It was easy for him to grab his coffee and breakfast on his way out. And, he imagined, if he were to ever have company it was the perfect layout to invite them in and have them sit down at the small kitchen bar and offer them a drink, the perfect host.

He opened his kitchen curtains above his sink and lifted the window open to let in some fresh morning air before the summer heat had a chance to set in. 

Out of his entire apartment, the view from his kitchen window was probably his least favorite. It faced inward towards the cement walkway which overlooked his apartment parking lot. He was on the fourth floor, which would normally be a dealbreaker, given his so-called “disability”. So he was grateful for the elevator which was only two doors down from his studio. 

His neighbors had the tendency to glance in his window while on their way to their own apartments, or on their way out for various daily activities, one of the many downsides to having a window pointing towards a frequently trafficked walkway. So, he had to deal with this view for only short periods when he opened the kitchen curtains for fresh air first thing in the morning. 

Jimin took one more lingering look out his window, using visuals in an attempt to guess the temperature for the day, before glancing over towards his oven clock, 0730 am. He had lost fifteen minutes. 

“You wouldn’t believe me, Jack…” The cat was grooming himself after his feast but glanced up when he heard his name. “…but I used to only take ten minutes to get ready in the morning. Now I’m sitting here and it takes me fifteen minutes to feed your spoiled ass and look out the window. Must be the retired life.” He looked down at the black and white cat who yawned with a clack of his jaw. “Hey, I am technically retired, I didn’t need to take this job you know. I just wanted to continue being a functioning member of…hey! Don’t walk away from me when I’m talking!” 

Jack had already managed to walk over to the small tan sofa in the center of the room to take his post-breakfast nap. “I could be acting like you, you know?” He walked over to the mound of fluff who had already begun circling around the sofa and curled up into a ball. He raised his eyebrow at the sleepy creature, “I could be fat, lazy, take naps all day.” He bent at the waist and kissed between the cat's ears, scratching the feline's face gently. Before glancing again at the clock. 

0740 am. He sighed, he was losing time at a rapid pace again, more so than usual, must be the anticipation of working again. His therapist would ask about it, and he’d have to tell him.

“You know, I used to only take…” He let out a breath and rubbed a hand down his face when he realized he was about to repeat himself. This was one of the reasons he went back to school, one of the reasons he took the last three years to complete his pathology residency and applied to his new job. 

He was slowly losing himself. For years before he was injured, every moment of his life revolved around work, a certain lifestyle, and a daily mission, only to be stripped of it all in one afternoon. He needed to work. 

He needed a mission. 

Walk to the left and... “One, two, three, four…” he counted the clink of his right foot until he made it inside the bathroom. 

Walking over to the sink, he looked over his reflection, pleased to see the amount of sleep he had been getting was starting to pay off. The bags under his eyes were almost non-existent. Still, he knew he would apply a few dabs of concealer in the corners to give his new coworkers the impression he was a bright-eyed newbie. If they could see the experience in his eyes, they would expect more from the man. 

His age helped him out a lot in that regard, few people expected him to get the job when they saw on his application he was only 28 years old, and even fewer expected it when they saw how sweet and soft he appeared. The majority would press their lips together and pretend they weren’t judging him when they mentally compared his job application to the fact he was an omega. Surly at first glance, they thought he was applying as a receptionist or assistant position for some bigwig alpha. 

However, this was the plan, to look soft, sweet, and nonthreatening. It’s not like he wanted people to look down on him, no. It wasn’t even him trying to play into his sub-gender, definitely not. He simply wanted a few weeks to get his feet wet, and get used to his new environment and how the office operated, before being thrown in for the whirlwind that was sure to come. 

This was because the inevitable was bound to happen. Someone was going to recognize him, he knew his office was full of prior military, people who did more than just their required two years. He knew once the cat was out of the bag and he was recognized for who he was, they were going to work him to the bone and expect nothing but the best. Not that he was afraid of the work, he loved it, craved it even, but all in due time. An even pettier part of him wanted to see the look of shock when this sweet-looking, omega boy demonstrated his full potential, hopefully before he was outed as to who he is…was.  

Tugging at his strands of hair he smiled at himself in the mirror, for the first time in years, possibly ever, he was pleased with the results the look gave him. He hardly ever allowed his natural hair to show, throughout his life he dyed it back to the classic, more acceptable, stronger-looking black. He looked less omega that way…

When he had hit puberty, like with any omega and the few higher-ranking alphas, his hair changed to reflect the pelt his inner wolf had, or so the older generations say. Most people today believe the change of hair color was to outwardly show the rest of the world who the weakest of the weak, and the strongest of the strong were.

The sandy blonde strands gave his face a youthful appearance, adding the innocent look he was aiming for. He had never allowed his natural hair to shine until now…high school, college, military, this was the first time he had allowed it. He didn’t mind sticking out of the crowd, to be instantly written off as lesser. He preferred to be recognized as an omega and not as who he was when he was serving in the military. He wasn’t going to even attempt to hide this part of himself from the department he was going to be completing his year of fellowship with. Sticking out as an omega, kept him hidden.

A loud alarm began blaring somewhere in his apartment causing him to flinch. “Shit, shit, shit!” The alarm coming from his phone still resting on his bed indicated the clock had reached 0800am and he had just fifteen minutes to get ready. 

“Really, Jimin? You’re really gonna spend twenty minutes looking at yourself?” He stared at his reflection, the judgment he felt towards himself staring right back at him before he removed his wire-framed glasses to splash cold water on his face and hurried to brush his teeth. He glanced down at himself, groaning once he realized he was still dressed in only his nightshirt and boxer briefs. “Day one back to work and you’re a mess.” 

He mumbled around his toothbrush before spitting the suds down the drain and rinsing with mouthwash. Quickly, he went through his morning routine, replacing the glasses with contacts, he had only just recently started to wear them. He pushed his hair away from his face with a little product, images of his family being disappointed when he showed up home with a shaved head of freshly dyed black hair crept into his mind as he styled the blonde locks, a shaved head was easier, but it wasn’t ‘omega’.

He finished the look by applying a thin layer of concealer under his eyes and some toned-down gloss to his plump bottom lip. He opted not to put on any scent blocker, really trying to own the ever-so-innocent omega image he was going for. Happy with his appearance, he made his way back into the main room of the studio and over to the small closet by the bookshelf where he kept his clothes. Opening the closet he was glad his past self thought ahead of his newfound tendency of running late and had already hung up all the outfits he was going to be wearing throughout the first week of his fellowship. 

Flopping on the couch and disturbing Jack, the cat quickly turned his head around to watch as his owner began dressing himself. Jimin was careful when he rolled up a thick stocking over his prosthesis and up to his thigh, he liked the way the thick long sock smoothed out his pants, hiding the creases of the hard artificial limb from untrained eyes. The rest of his outfit came together rather quickly, a simple short-sleeved dark gray shirt, tucked into a pair of fitted black dress pants and a black blazer. He felt sharp but made sure he pulled the sleeves of the blazer past his palms to hide most of his scarring, the marks only visible to those who knew to look, and he always knew to look. 

The blonde kissed Jack goodbye one last time before retrieving his buzzing phone from his bed. He was five minutes behind schedule. “Not bad, not bad.” He walked down the platform, slipping into his favorite dressy ankle boots by the door, and poured himself a thermos of coffee. He could wait to eat when it was lunch. “Bye Jack, love you buddy! Wish me luck!”

The National Intelligence Services, or NIS, of Seoul South Korea, was as difficult to be accepted into as it was cold and sterile. Security outside the walls asked for every form of identification and were extremely thorough in their vehicle searches to the point of excess. The omega felt at one point his car had been violated. He assumed the third-degree of the guards would dissipate once they began to recognize him as a regular, and once he gets his hands on a more official-looking badge, they didn’t seem to be all that impressed with his self-laminated guest badge. 

The bushes lining the outside walkway leading up to the main entrance were in such uniformity military drill units should take note. Large automated ceiling-to-floor glass doors welcomed guests and workers like two vertical guillotines. 

Although the atmosphere was daunting and uninviting, the blonde had to give credit where credit was due. The entire organization was impressive, to say the least. If not for the sheer size or architectural feats, then the awe lay with the dozens of busy professionals moving around, expensive shoes clinking on the polished walkway and echoing off the wide set walls. Their professional images were contrasted heavily when compared to the obvious fatigue on their faces. He felt like a very small fish in some futuristic scientist’s aquarium. He turned his focus back to the reflections dancing in the massive doors beside him, basking in the warm light provided by the sun outside. 

Where someone would normally feel overwhelmed, he felt excitement. To be uncomfortable meant he was growing, at least that’s what he told himself. To push himself past his comfort limit meant he was improving, evolving into his next stage in life. He couldn’t wait for the day walking through those doors made him feel a sense of comfort and he could move on to something greater than what they represented to him in this moment.

“Uh, you lost?” A deep voice pulled Jimin from his thoughts, and he turned his head away from the doors to the source, instantly feeling flushed when he made eye contact with a good-looking wavy-haired alpha. “Or do you just like, really like huge doors? Oh! I know, you must be wondering how much Windex goes into maintaining them.” The alpha leaned forward on the balls of his feet as if getting ready to present him with the secret, he lowered his voice. “A lot.” 

“Um…”Jimin opened his mouth and instantly snapped it shut when he smelt the excitement in the air…his own excitement. It was thick and spiked his natural sweet omega scent, his eyes widened in horror and the realization made his mouth go dry. Not wearing a scent blocker meant he needed to be on top of his scent control game and allowing excitement to linger like chumming water for sharks because some stupid glass doors, was not considered controlled. Let alone this very handsome alpha could definitely smell it and come to his own wild conclusions... 

“You must be new here.” The dark-haired alpha gestured to the ever-so-apparent self-laminated badge around Jimin’s neck.

“Yes.” The word came out strained, so the omega took a moment to clear his throat and gather his thoughts, which gave him more time to calm his scent. As it turned out, only talking to himself and a cat for months and not to actual people, made him a stuttering fool. He was glad the alpha in front of him was kind enough to pretend as though he didn’t notice and was giving him enough time to gather himself. Jimin took a sip out of his thermos to help naturally break eye contact for a moment, before turning back and attempting to complete his answer with more confidence. “Yes, today is the first day of my fellowship.”

“Oh, so you’re like, new, new.” The alpha nodded in understanding. “Explains why you’re so….happy.” Jimin outwardly cringed at the callout to his scent slip. “I’m Kim Taehyung, 28 years young, and I’m a forensic scientist here in this glass exhibit.” The alpha then gestured to the omega to introduce himself. 

“Park…Dr. Park Jimin, also 28...”

“Wait,…” The alpha showcased just how large his brown eyes actually were as they rounded out in what looked like shock.”…a doctor my age? How exciting! Will you be working in the labs? That’s where I am currently!” The alpha was grinning a wide boxy grin, something Jimin was sure he had never seen on anyone else’s face before. Unique. The omega thought and mirrored the alpha with a small smile of his own.

“Yes, I’ll be in the labs doing my fellowship for the next year or so.” The innocent excitement radiating off Taehyung made him seem more like a pup rather than the tall alpha he was. It was so unexpected and charming, Jimin felt his shoulders, which he hadn’t realized had been tense, relax. 

“Awesome! I have my own workspace now, which is nice, but everyone else down there is so old it’s hard to connect. It’ll be cool to have someone else young to work with, Dr. Park.”

Jimin forgot how to breathe for a second, tears prickling in his eyes, he hadn’t expected being addressed that way again would trigger such a flight response, another thing to note and tell his therapist. “We, we’re the same age, just Jimin is fine.”

“Okay, then you can call me Taehyung, or Tae.”

“Tae.” Jimin tested it out mainly to distract himself from the coldness still prickling his nape at being addressed by the title he used to be called daily. Maybe he really didn’t need to play all that hard into the innocent confused omega role as he had first thought, his past trauma was helping him out just fine in that regard. 

“So, just Jimin, do you know who you’re shadowing for your fellowship? I can help guide you in the right direction?”

“Dr. Wang.”

“Dr. Wang!? Super nice older, Chinese beta? Great beard, and even greater tea?”

“The one and only! He was my professor when I went back to college this last time around…” Something on the alpha’s face began to change as Jimin spoke. “…probably the reason my application got accepted, honestly.” Jimin was aware that the original excitement he received from the alpha was slowly dissipating. He couldn’t pinpoint the emotion the alpha was now giving off, but it was something more guarded like the taller man was trying to get a deeper read from the omega. “I mean, not the only reason it got accepted, I hope.” The omega let out a nervous laugh when the alpha didn’t respond and instead stared like he was reading text on Jimin’s face.

“His office is this way.” Taehyung gestured with a head nod over his shoulder after what felt like an eternity. No trace of excitement was left on his now serious face and downturned lips. The alpha began walking through the open entryway towards a long hallway to the left. 

The omega allowed a couple of seconds to tick by before deciding to follow him, the air had grown heavy so suddenly he didn’t know what to make of it. But studying the alpha from the back, he was sure he could take him on in a one-on-one, fair fight. If he had to. The alpha was taller, definitely weighed more than him, had all his limbs from what he could see, and was built broader. However, his hands were soft and uncalloused, his knuckles were small and unused, and he was muscular in a natural sense, not in a way that showed he had put time into training. If this guy was trying to corner him or had any ill intent, he had another thing coming. 

“I can feel you studying me. Am I that interesting?”

“Do you always call people out so bluntly?”

“You’re lucky to get called out at all. I only talk to people who need, or deserve it.” The alpha looked over his shoulder and winked at the omega. He was smiling again, the gleam in his wide brown eyes was back, however, something in the air remained tense and the smile only reached the corners of his mouth. “Dr. Wang’s office is down here with the other labs.” The alpha began walking down a long, steep, multi-sectioned staircase, aka Jimin’s enemy #1.

Jimin hesitated at the top. He didn’t feel like giving this new alpha a live demonstration of his poor abilities at stairs, not wanting to showcase his weaknesses this early in the game. “Which one am I?”

“What?” The alpha was about halfway down the first set of stairs.

“Do I need it, or do I deserve it?”  

Tae stopped walking once he realized Jimin wasn’t following him and turned around to study the omega, his mouth opening in shock. “Oh, shoot! I am so sorry…” He put both hands up in a show of submission, demonstrating he wasn’t a threat. “I literally just met you and now I’m walking you alone down towards a basement. I must seem like some evil twisted alpha who’s out to get you or something.”

“What? No, no it’s not like that.” Jimin waved his hands frantically but couldn’t think of an excuse. His mouth gaping open and closed, fish, he was a fish out of water. 

“There’s an elevator to your right. I personally like taking the stairs because we are stuck sitting in the lab all day, ya know, get out and get exercise where you can. Why don’t you take the elevator, there’s a camera in there if it makes you feel safer, and I’ll meet you down at the entrance to the labs? Just hit the button that says ‘Labs’.”

“Okay, but it’s really not what you’re thinking Tae…I just had a leg day at the gym. Very sore.” The lie was embarrassingly obvious, Jimin knew it, Taehyung knew it, and whoever was watching the exchange happen on the building's CCTV, knew it. 

“Alright.” The look of pity he so hated plastered on Taehyung’s face was probably worse than what he would have gotten if he had just wobbled down the stairs. Tae gave Jimin a small nod and turned away. 

The elevator was just where the alpha had said it was, there was also a camera with a blinking recording light on the upper corner, which really made him feel like garbage. Now this new coworker pitied him, and thought he was a stereotypical omega scared of big bad alphas. Jimin hated that more than anything, he trained his ass off to hold his own against whoever he was up against, to work in this field alongside and ahead of alphas, betas, and fellow omegas alike. He wasn’t some scared little omega afraid of being alone with an alpha. To hell with that narrative. 

“Listen Tae. I really don’t get the evil twisted alpha vibe from you.” Jimin stated as soon as the elevator door opened and he stepped out into the basement hallway. 

It was silent for a few beats before a loud eruption of laughter bounced around them. “Just what kind of lies are you feeding this poor omega?” Jimin was mortified as an unknown alpha in a pressed suit bent over in the hallway and openly laughed at him. 

“That does it. I have to quit.” Jimin shrugged and looked over to Taehyung who was standing opposite the laughing alpha. The forensic scientist was staring at the omega, both eyebrows raised and he looked very amused at the situation the blonde was now in. “Today will be my first and only day.”

“No! No quitting until I hear all about this evil twisted scientist here.” The newcomer let out another high-pitched laugh before straightening back up from his bent-over position against the hallway wall. Jimin’s breath caught, now this alpha was on a different level of good-looking. Handsome wouldn’t even describe him correctly, he was stunning, even while snorting and wiping tears from his eyes. 

Jimin mentally kicked himself. He needed to get laid. The first two alphas he ran into gave him butterflies, why is he so embarrassing?

“Jimin, this is Special Agent Kim Seokjin-hyung, he’s really old, and the profiler in my section.” Tae did a quick, seemingly rushed introduction of the other alpha. 

“Who are you calling old…and excuse me, your section?”

“He actually came down here because he had questions on a case we’re currently working on.”

“What, no I didn’t…”

“So, unfortunately, for now, this is where we part ways. You’ll have to go to Dr. Wang’s office yourself. To start your fellowship. With Dr. Wang.” Tae jammed each word into the air, obviously to clue the Special Agent in on something. Which worked, because the other alpha went from being mock offended to snapping his head towards Jimin. 

“Really?” The new alpha turned his body so he could face Jimin head-on. Just like the scientist had done upstairs, Seokjin had grown serious, all jokes aside to really look at Jimin. The alpha’s dark eyes seemed to reach every inch of the omega, even past him, like he was trying to gain access into his head, his soul. “I look forward to getting to know you, Dr. Park Jimin.” Seokjin gave a slight bow before grabbing onto Tae’s shoulder. “Excuse us.” He gave Jimin a smile before both alphas were walking into an office off to the right, hushed whispers shared between the two.

“Jimin, just keep walking straight down the main hallway! You’ll see Dr. Wang’s nameplate outside his door!” Tae’s voice rang from his office before the door shut. 

Jimin could feel his pulse in his ears, had he already been recognized by two people? No, he thought, both times they reacted weirdly after the mention of Dr. Wang. If they were to recognize him it would have been by his own name. 

He reset himself to the entrance of the elevator door and began pacing his steps, counting each click of his right foot as he made his way down the main hallway. He would need to ask Dr. Wang what the deal was with the two alphas. Was the older doctor notoriously harsh with fellowships, and the two men didn’t think an omega could make it? No, that wasn’t the feeling Jimin was getting from the two. Did he over-hype Jimin to people inside this building, bragging about his best student and they were just surprised to who the new hire was? 

…twelve. 

It took twelve steps down the main hallway, which seemed to grow colder and colder as he walked deeper into the basement. Again, like a small fish, this time swimming deeper into the ocean, where the water grows cold with the depth. He had passed multiple glass exam rooms filled with lab equipment, and one large room with black curtains blocking the view, the morgue, he noted where he was likely to be working. But only twelve clicks of his right foot and he was standing outside an office with a name tape that read ‘Dr. Wang’ next to an open door.

He took a moment to look into the office, watching as an older beta typed away at his computer desk, having not noticed Jimin’s presents yet. After the encounter with the two strange alphas, seeing the familiar face of his old professor made him feel at ease. 

“I see you are still in that head of yours, Park.” The beta looked at him from underneath the dark-colored glasses perched on his nose. “Do you need to be invited in?”

“No, Professor, Sir…Doctor?” Jimin paused, “I’m not sure how to address you.”

“Dr. Wang is just fine.” The older man got up from his seat and walked around to the front of his desk. Quickly dropping his serious demeanor he smiled widely, his eyes crinkling as he walked up to Jimin with his arms wide. The omega didn’t hesitate to rush and close the distance, collapsing into the hug, resting his forehead on the heavy-set man’s shoulder. 

Jimin got along with both his parents, but they were both alphas of a different generation, they were harsher, stronger, and they didn’t show love in the traditional sense one would expect from a mother and father. Being a dual alpha couple meant they were both constantly fighting for dominance in the relationship. Somehow dominance translated into not showing emotional love towards their children, as though loving your children demonstrated weakness.

He found that the level of emotional parental love he lacked growing up with Dr. Wang. Being around a beta naturally brought comfort and calmness to the other two sub-genders, but Dr. Wang really helped him while he was still recovering and wheelchair-bound attending his classes. He was there to comfort him when he was at his lowest points and guided him when his highs took him danger close to the sun. Being here, being able to work alongside such a kindhearted, brilliant man, was more than he could have dreamed of in this lifetime. 

He knew he brought comfort to the doctor as well, who had lost his omega daughter a few years before they had met. Jimin had found out they were around the same age, he had also learned his daughter was murdered and that the police failed both at collecting evidence and working the case. The case went cold, and the murderer was never found. That was the reason the beta had switched gears with his career and became a forensic medical examiner. Which in turn led to both of them meeting when the beta found love in teaching during the school years. Dr. Wang sparked this new career path for Jimin, and he was grateful if only the cost of their meeting didn’t have to be so heavy.

“You’re skinny.” The beta pulled back to look Jimin over, holding him by the shoulders at arms length to get a better look. 

“And you aren’t.”

“Hey! I’m an old man, I’m allowed to be fluffy. You, on the other hand, need to eat more to keep your energy up. I’d bet my savings you skipped breakfast this morning, probably only drank what’s in that empty coffee mug.” He gestured to the now empty thermos in Jimin’s hand.

“And you would be a rich man.”

“Any alphas in your life?” The beta had begun walking back towards his desk and snickered at Jimin’s loud groan of protest at the new subject. “I’m an old man, I hope I get to see you married before I die. You better introduce me to them beforehand, I’ll make a nice dinner, hardly any threats.”

“You aren’t that old.” Jimin rolled his eyes. “Plus, I’m here to work, not be babied.” Jimin whined, stomping his feet the best he could on his way to sit on the open plush chair in the corner of the room. “Maybe I should work under someone else this year to keep things professional.” It was a joke, it was meant to be a joke, but the beta did his signature teeth click which meant bad news. “What is it?”

“Listen, Jimin, I tried, I really did. But it seems as though your reputation caught the attention of some big shots.”

“What does that mean?”

“They are waving your fellowship, they believe the last year of you working at the local police stations and hospital morgue after class counts enough towards your on-the-job training time. Not to mention your training and experience in the field while in the Army.”

“So I’m going to go straight into the examination rooms by myself?”

“Not exactly, they think…”

“Who is this ‘they’?”

“Jimin…”

“I came to this place to get a year of training with the best of the best, which is you, and then move on to something more exciting. Not to be placed directly in the line of fire, I’m not even exactly sure what to do if left alone in an exam room…”

“You won't be in an exam room.” The beta was letting out calming pheromones, which had the opposite effect on the omega. Why would he need to calm him down? How could it get any worse? “Jimin, my dear boy, they want to move you into a field position.”

“I’m not sure what that means.”

“It means you will be working crime scenes alongside a team.” Jimin’s face dropped at the words. “Now, now you actually got lucky, this team they assigned you to is a rather new one, but actually comprised of very respectable….”

“No.”

“Jimin…”

“No!” He knew he was sounding like a child, but he didn’t care. This was supposed to be an easy transition back into the workplace, he wanted to get his feet wet, not swan dive directly into asphalt. He wasn’t ready to have a team again. Never again.

“You know better than most, saying no to the government isn’t going to get you very far.”

“Oh? This is coming from the government, is it?”

“It’s coming directly from the director of NIS, Director Bang Si-hyuk.”

“Why would Director Bang even be interested in my file?” Jimin was shouting, but huffed and settled down into the chair when Dr. Wang raised a brow at him. 

“Well, if you would allow an old man to finish his sentence…oh stop with the pouting.” The beta laughed and got back up from his desk to an automatic tea kettle Jimin hadn’t noticed before. He poured two cups, the aroma of herbal tea filling Jimin’s senses and helping him find a relaxing breath or two. 

“You were prepared to deliver this bad news.” He reached for the teacup offered to him and brought it to his nose to inhale, not caring about how pathetic the look of comfort could look to outsiders looking in. Dr. Wang only gave him a caring smile and went back to his desk with his own cup, Jimin wondered if he saw his daughter in moments when Jimin was distressed. 

“They, the director and the special agent in charge of your section, Kim Namjoon, thought it best if a familiar face told you.”

“They could have just sent an email.”

“Would you have shown up today?”

“No.” Both laughed and sipped from their cups. 

“The section you are going into, they are a group of boys much like yourself.” Jimin looked up trying to get a better read of the older doctor's words, but he got none. 

“A section of omegas? Or a section of war criminals?”

“Oh hush, no more with that! You were cleared, you maintained your security clearance, and nothing came of it.”

“Just because nothing came of it, doesn’t mean nothing happened. If it had been an alpha who did what I did, things would have been different.”

“You did nothing wrong, Jimin. You saved dozens of lives! Now I don’t want to hear any more of that nonsense.” That was that, Jimin wouldn’t push it further with the doctor who adored him. 

“Tell me about them, this section.”

“They were recently formed and only worked two or three cases over the past few years. They’re a specialty task force formed by Director Bang himself, comprised of the top agents, scientists, programmers, and now they have their forensic pathologist.” 

“What is their specialty?”

“They handle the worst scum, individuals who can’t be considered human anymore.” The older doctor set down his tea cup and maintained eye contact with the omega. “They hunt down the most deranged and unstable, the harshest homicide cases, cases the other sections couldn’t handle, cases involving children, cannibalism, but their specialty is serial killers.” 

When he reluctantly left the comfort of the older doctor's chilled office it felt like he was sealing his fate. The older man was right though, Jimin really didn’t have a say when it came to the government deciding his future. There wasn’t much of a fight he could put up if he wanted to stay working for the NIS, that is. 

He could always work fast food or at a diner, no shame in that. He knew from his brother how crazy working in hospitalities with the general public could get so he would definitely get the excitement he craved. He also knew himself better, he could act like he hated the idea, but he really was curious about this special task force the director himself handpicked, and why he was a part of it after never serving in the agency before. 

He was currently resting in an omega-only restroom on the second floor of the NIS building. Out of all the things to get used to after moving back to the city of Seoul, the segregated bathrooms for all three sub-genders was high on the list. Most places outside the main cities had two restrooms, one for omegas, and the other for alphas, the betas got to pick and choose which one they went to. He felt pity for the betas of the cities, being the largest subgroup meant they had to stand in long lines for the restroom, unlike him, he was currently the only person in this omega restroom. Something he was currently grateful for. 

His right hip was currently killing him. After he had left the office of his old professor he had come face to face with an ‘out of order’ sign plastered to the elevator door. He thought it must have been a sick joke from Taehyung like he had really been upset about earlier and was trying to get back at him. He was met with disappointment after trying to push the elevator button and he got no response. After taking one step at a time, gritting his teeth up the basement staircase, he thought that would be the last of it. 

To his horror, it appeared every elevator in the building had been compromised. Due to his sudden change in sections he had to in-process at different offices, insuring the right place had his medical records, his background checks, his weapon qualifications, medical certifications, physical training scores, and so many other offices all located in the many, many levels in this huge building. 

If he believed in bad omens, he would have picked this out as one. What were the odds of this high-tech, futuristic building having elevator problems the day he arrives? He hoped this wasn’t a regular occurrence for the building.  

He had bit the inside of his mouth raw as he tried not to flinch or limp up the steps throughout the remainder of the morning and afternoon. No elevators meant there was a lot more foot traffic in the building, which meant more people to witness his struggle. He kneaded his right hip with the palm of his hand a few more times before taking a deep breath. It was already 3pm, which meant he had a meeting with his new section leader whose office was four flights of stairs above the floor he was currently on. 

“Fuck, okay, let's go. One, two, three…”

“You have a thing with the number 3, Mr. Park.”

“Excuse me?”

“Looking through your file, you tend to complete massive life accomplishments every three years. You graduated high school ahead of your class at the ripe age of 16, completed your undergrad by 19, finished medical school, and were commissioned as a combat surgeon into the ROK Army at the age of 22, the youngest commissioned doctor in history, in fact. However,” He paused, placing his folder down, knocking a few loose documents to the ground. 

The gray-haired alpha looked back up, locking eyes with the blonde, unperplexed by the mess he had just created. His steady stare caused Jimin to sit straighter in his seat. He knew what was about to happen next, he could tell this broad man was about to dissect his military career. The alpha knew exactly who Jimin was, there was no guessing at this point. 

Walking into Special Agent Kim Namjoon’s office was like setting foot into a different dimension. His office was calculated chaos, books, paperwork, toys, and collectibles, all littered the area, but in a seemingly organized way. As though each item meant something special to the alpha and even though it might seem randomly placed, the room was too balanced for anything to be truly random. Jimin’s first impression of the man was he was complex, he had a lot of thoughts and emotions, and that he cared a great deal about a great many things. He was the type of man who would never dare throw out a holiday card from a family member, no matter how many piled up from year to year. Sentimental, Jimin’s mind provided him. 

“…that wasn’t enough for you, was it, Dr. Park?” Jimin couldn’t help but flex his jaw at the change in title, the action not going unnoticed by the alpha. Jimin knew the man understood exactly what that title meant to him, the alpha was too knowledgeable not to. 

The question had been rhetorical anyways. He waited for the man to continue with the theatrics. The special agent stepped around his desk, his stiff shoes clinking on the ground, Jimin began counting every right step. “I’m curious, what was it exactly?” He’s five paces from me. “Was it because you were still fit and young?” Three “Was it because of the multiple martial arts classes your alpha parents forced you to master as a child? Did you not think the desk job suited your skills?” Jimin’s hand instinctively fisted into the fabric of his pants, causing the material to lift slightly, he did not miss the special agent’s eyes momentarily darting to the right hem of his pants. 

Unlike Taehyung, he couldn’t read this alpha physically, he couldn’t tell if he was put in the situation if he could win a fight with this man. It was unlikely this alpha would play fair, this alpha surely was too smart for that, he fights to win. But where he lacked in reading the new alpha physically, he was sure he could try to read him mentally.

Namjoon stopped his steps, staring down at the smaller man. “Were you bored sitting idly in a temperature-controlled room, waiting for the injured to come to you? Did you want to go to them? Or you think holding a scalpel in one hand and a gun in the other was going to be more thrilling?” You could cut the air with the knife, the tension heavy and uncomfortable. But Jimin could also see how uncomfortable this was making the special agent, he could tell he wasn’t fully committed to this interrogation of an interview, like the alpha’s strings were also being pulled.  

Although this man seemed to be trying to poke and pluck at Jimin’s insecurities, Jimin was finding himself in more control than he had been all day. The earlier omega letting out his scent because of glass doors was nowhere to be found in this room. It was like this alpha was forcing him to be the best version of himself. Being uncomfortable, gave the omega strength. Jimin was in complete control, although he was getting the third degree. Which meant this alpha did a great deal of research on Jimin, in order to see how he needed to be lead. Respectable. But the blonde didn’t bend easily.

Jimin let out a huff of air through his nose before he let out a loud bark of laughter, slapping his left thigh before standing from the chair to gain some height in a feeble attempt to even out the power distribution in the room. If it was a game Kim Namjoon wanted in order to feel each other out, he’d play. “I’m not sure what you are implying, Special Agent Kim…”

“Namjoon.” Jimin paused and squinted his eyes at the older man, unsure of his motivation. It was the taller man's turn to laugh. “You are part of the team now, Jimin. There is no need to be so overly formal, we are a family here. Plus, I have seen the way you respond to people calling you “doctor”. You do not like it, am I correct?” Jimin opened and closed his mouth a few times, deciding to remain silent, he already knew Namjoon had that knowledge beforehand. “You can voice when something makes you uncomfortable.”

“I am not uncomfortable, it doesn’t make me uncomfortable.You can call me doctor all you want.” Jimin snapped, sounding unbelievable even to his own ears. Namjoon gave him a sad, knowing smile. “And I do not need your pity. If anyone is uncomfortable in this room it’s you, Special Agent, with this tough guy act.” The older man raised both arms, palms up before stepping back over to his desk, kneeling down to pick up the documents he had scattered earlier. Jimin’s gaze followed the movement and his eyes widened once he saw what they contained. They were crime-scene photos, he could hardly make out the images, but the body captured on the paper was so misshaped one could hardly describe it as being human. Jimin looked away quickly and back over to Namjoon who was already watching him with calculating eyes. 

“You dropped those on purpose.”

“It took you this long to catch that. You are a bit rusty.” The words were said lightly, and without judgment, as he straightened up and placed the documents back on his disorganized desk. “We will get you back in the swing of things in no time, you are a quick learner after all.”

“I already said…”

“You will be given a work phone and vehicle filled with all the supplies you need. The phone will only be able to dial out to our on-call duty agent. Your position will solely be on call so, whenever you plan on drinking you need to let your section supervisor, Special Agent Jung Hoseok, know so we can schedule transportation. Or, I suggest no alcohol.” 

“I am not joining your section.”

“Answer the phone when it rings. If we pick up a case during normal work hours, you will be contacted by Hoseok hyung, after hours it will be by whoever is on duty that night. Some of them tend to ignore my instructions and instead of calling they sometimes just send a text with a location and time to arrive. You won’t have to worry about safety because you’ll only be called after the scene is secured by our field agents. But we can get you registered a firearm if needed.”

“Please stop.” 

To the man’s credit, he stopped talking immediately. He leaned against his desk and crossed his arms over his broad chest as he waited for the doctor to speak. Jimin ran one hand through his hair and put the other on his already aching hip. The blonde sighed, feeling as though he had sighed enough throughout this ordeal for his breath to have taken up a good portion of the glass building. 

“I think it is safe to assume, at this point, you know who I am.” He dropped the hand that was assaulting his hair and looked at the other, Namjoon nodded a sharp confirmation so Jimin continued. “With that being said, you should know exactly why I am not fit to work in any other position besides one that remains in the lab, exclusively. Due to my physical limitations, I would be a burden and slow your team down if I were put in a field environment.”

“Bullshit.”

Jimin jumped slightly at the blunt reply. Namjoon puffed his chest out, quirking an eyebrow, challenging. But the alpha was shifting his weight, seeming to be surprised by his own outburst. He’s uncomfortable cursing, Jimin noted. This man was definitely strong, definitely intelligent, but also definitely not used to being so rude. He wondered what job he held in the Army during his time in, definitely nothing combat related if he was squeamish with a little swearing.

“What exactly about that is bullshit?” Jimin on the other hand, didn’t possess such professionalism.

“You.” Namjoon used his hands to gesture to Jimin as a whole. “You, Park Jimin, like every new candidate passed the physical exam, fitness test, and mental evaluation. No, I take that back, you destroyed that fitness test and dominated it, you were in the top 10% of individuals applying. And you, being a medical pathologist, weren’t even required to have the same passing score as a regular field agent.” Jimin tongued his cheek, annoyed at himself for showing off during the physical exam, he only wanted to prove the concerned graders and the smirking candidates wrong, show them that a one-legged omega could hold his own. It was now biting him in the ass. 

“You’ve been walking around the building all day and I have yet to see a limp. There is little to no evidence of what you’re hiding under your pants.” Jimin’s lips thinned and he squinted his eyes at the alpha’s choice of words. The omega said nothing as the alpha also seemed to regret his phrasing as a slight pink began tinting his face. Clearing his throat he continued “If you are afraid of getting back into the field then we will help you take it slow. But someone with your potential and talent shouldn’t throw away a bright future because you doubt yourself. You will not be a burden to this team, that Park Jimin, is bull. Nothing is slowing you down and there is no reason to punish yourself by being locked away with cold bodies in an even colder basement.”

Jimin gave the room a moment to settle before he replied. “Don’t ever refer to my prosthesis as the thing I am hiding under my pants, ever again.” Namjoon blinked, his face full of shock and turning a brighter shade of pink. The doctor only smirked, glad to get some control back in the room. The special agent began laughing loudly, which in turn caused Jimin to chuckle a bit. The tension and power game left the both of them momentarily, the air seemed to become a bit lighter.

“Okay, okay, deal. So, no more excuses right? Are you ready?”

“No.” 

The special agent’s brow creased and he huffed, looked towards the ceiling as he waited for Jimin to elaborate on the next reason.

“I can’t walk up or down stairs.” Jimin blurted out, trying to find any reason Namjoon would accept, knowing full well that if he really wanted to, he could leave. He could go back to Dr. Wang, get a copy of the recommendation letter the older doctor had written for this job, and apply to a different agency, or the coffee shop down the road. However the pride inside him needed Namjoon to understand he wasn’t making excuses, he really couldn’t be part of the team.

“Stairs…” Namjoon put his palms together, raising his hands to his face in a praying motion, both forefingers touching his lips for a moment before pointing both hands sharply towards Jimin, gaze still directed upwards. “…you can’t be a part of the most elite team this bureau has to offer, because of stairs?” He dropped his hands, shrugging as he made eye contact with Jimin once again. “If only I would have thought of that.”

“Yes, they are the most challenging for me. Imagine if I get a call and the body is located on some hill somewhere? Or maybe up a large cannon, in one of the isolated temples with over a hundred stairs?”

“Jimin, I have literally seen you walk up and down staircases since 11 o’clock.”

The doctor stilled. “You didn’t.” Namjoon smiled at Jimin’s words. “You didn’t have anything to do with the elevators going out, did you Special Agent? Because I am pretty sure that is against some kind of safety law!”

“Of course not, I couldn’t manage to do such a thing. Our cyber specialist, however, may or may not have disrupted the system, momentarily.” Jimin stared at him, shocked. “Don’t worry he will fix it soon. I am not a sadist.” Namjoon seemed pleased with himself.

“You are out of excuses, Jimin.” The gray-haired alpha made his way around his desk once more and pulled out a cell phone and a set of car keys from the top drawer. “You are worth the effort, you are made for this team, you can help us find so many evil people, and make sure they don’t harm anyone ever again. Just take the shot with us.” Jimin hesitated when Namjoon held the phone and keys out toward him. His mind wondering momentarily to Dr. Wang’s omega daughter, whose killer was allowed to roam free. 

Namjoon’s face was friendly, and patient, like he was approaching a frightened animal. His voice lowered when he spoke again, “Like Wayne Gretzky said, you miss 100% of the shots you don't take.” 

Jimin will blame his stupid hand for reacting on its own at a later date, but he grabbed the items from Namjoon, ignoring the pleased smile on the other’s face before moving out of his office as quickly as possible.  

The pleased look on the older alpha's face dropped into one of sorrow, a look that aged him quite terribly as the heavy office door clicked shut and the omega disappeared into the hallway beyond. He let out a deep breath before reaching into his suit jacket for his phone and a small recording device. He clicked off the recording device and threw it unceremoniously onto his desk as if it burnt to touch it, and with his other hand, he called the only contact saved. 

“Namjoon. Is it done?” The voice rang into the alpha’s bones. 

“It’s done. I am still voicing to you Sir, I don’t agree with this, he obviously wants a more stable life, and I just forced him into something he doesn’t want. It really doesn’t sit right with me to ignore an omega when he explicitly said “no” what kind of leader, what kind of human does that make me?”

“Namjoon.” One word from the man on the other line quieted the alpha down. “You’re a very kind-hearted person. I commend you for that, for staying true to yourself even given everything you’ve been through. Dr. Park would be a wasted talent sitting in a lab. Not to mention you read Jin’s analysis of the doctor he drafted today, the doctor would drive himself mad being locked up in the labs. That is unless you want to confront Jin yourself about handing over a faulty report?” Both of the men laughed at the thought of confronting their profiling expert, he was the best in the field after all. 

“I would never second guess Jin’s abilities to get a read on someone.” Namjoon let out another breathy laugh thinking of the headache that would cause if he did. 

“And yet you sit here, second-guessing your own actions?”

The special agent leaned back in his chair, he had broken a wheel off on accident a few days prior and the chair complained loudly as it was rocked off-balance once again. He paid it no mind as he rested his head on the headrest and closed his eyes. “I’m afraid I came off as an asshole, a know it all alpha who was forcing the hand of an omega.” The director waited for him to continue, but Namjoon was lost in his own spiraling thoughts.

“Being the special agent in charge means you have to boss people around, particularly new team members who haven’t had the time to build trust and respect for you. Jin told us the best way to get the doctor on our side was to start off with a strong challenging leader, he needed to see that this team wasn’t weak. It worked, didn’t it?” Namjoon remained silent. “Listen, I know putting your hands down on your team is your least favorite part of the job, but Namjoon…” The alpha already knew what his director was going to say on the other end which made him tense up. “I know this is the first time the team has had an omega added to the mix, you need to stop viewing Dr. Park as such. Sure, he’s an omega, but he is beyond qualified and more capable than any other recruit that has come through those doors in years. Take him under your wing, don’t make him feel uncomfortable, but treat him just as you would any of your other agents. He can handle the pressure, and I’m sure, based on his history alone, he’d tell you if he was overwhelmed. If he really didn’t want to be part of this team or wasn’t the least bit curious he wouldn’t have taken that phone, those keys, he would have just left and probably filed a report on you by now.”

“Wouldn’t blame him if he did….”

“Trust your team’s instincts Namjoon, trust mine, trust your own. Dr. Park is the missing piece, the seventh member we needed. Now get him on a case, and catch him up to speed.”

“Yes, Director Bang, Sir.”

The other end of the call went dead and Namjoon let the phone fall from his hand and onto the floor. He reached into his pant pocket for a different phone, this one cracked and weather-worn, and punched in a number by memory. “I’m such an asshole, I hope he can forgive me.”

“If you’re talking about Dr. Park Jimin, he’s currently on our office floor, pressing the button on the south elevator door, and flipping off the hallway security camera.” A deep voice from the other end of the phone was filled with amusement. 

“You can fix the elevators now. Also, he doesn’t like being addressed by doctor.” A hum of acknowledgment was all he got from the other line. “Yoongi hyung, everything went to plan we can start looking to set up the next phase.”