Entry 03

PREAMBLE

T.E.A.M Tower, Korea
10 February, 17:30 KST

"Well it's your bloody fault anyways!"

She blinked, shutting the book in her hands and opening the door to her room. She walked towards the source.

"My fault? It's your fault! Or are you too perfect to make such a mistake? Too much of a mini Superwoman to even-"

"Oh shut up! I never said I was perfect but compared to you, anyone would see me as flawless."

Jinju and Soojung. 

"Flawless? Someone needs to poke a hole in your ego and for your information, I'm fabulous-"

"Full of fables, yes. Fabulous, no."

She stepped into the doorway, looking at the duo almost nose-to-nose. 

"Well you should-"

"5 days, 14 hours, 45 minutes-," she stated, interrupting Jinju utilizing her power. The two turned to her as she glanced at her watch, leaning casually against the wall. "-and 01 second."

There was an odd silence.

"Since we began the Team to our first fight within the Team. It should be something to mark down in the anniversary books," she stated lightly, judging by their looks that they couldn't quite tell if she was joking. 

"Are you trying to stop us?" Jinju asked, pointing an accusing finger at her. "Just because you're our employer-recruiter doesn't mean you need to babysit us Sooyeon." 

"This is between Jinju and I," Soojung agreed, throwing a glare that would have burned if she hadn't been used to such looks. 

"Fight all you want. Fist-fighting is allowed. Powers are too as long as no one is permanently or semi-permanently hurt," she allowed, waving a dramatic hand around. "I'd appreciate it if the Tower remained intact however, so fighting will have to be done outside." 

"You aren't surprised?" Jinju questioned suspiciously, sharing a curious look with Soojung. Footsteps were coming down the halls - the other Tower occupants. 

"Of course not. Living with someone - let alone twelve other someones - is not an easy task," she pointed out. She made a flippant gesture as she continued. "None of us are alike enough to not fight over a topic - Soojung sleeps too late, Ahri sleeps too early, Jinae doesn't sleep at all, Ahreum doesn't clean up after herself, Jinju never stops cleaning, Dari is never out of her room, Minjung is never in her room, Jenny can never be found, Miyoung is everywhere, Tami sees everything, Hyelim doesn't seem interested in everything, and I seem to have a bad habit of walking into the wrong place at the wrong time every single time. I assumed a fight was to break out sooner or later."

"That's nice," Soojung commented sarcastically, giving her a strange look - as though she couldn't classify the person in front of her. It was unsurprising but still, surprisingly, affecting; she was getting soft but then again, she wanted these girls to like her. 

"So want to answer why you sound so gleeful about it?" Jinju asked, putting power into her voice though she needn't to. 

"I plan on being honest with you. The use of your power is unnecessary," she replied before continuing. "It simply means I chose the Team well."

"Well?" Soojung repeated, sounding indignant. "We've been holding back arguments since day one and when we finally blow up all you can say is that it's actually a good thing?"

"Of course. It means I got the diversity I wanted," she stated, glancing at her watch once more. "I apologize but I have an appointment. Remember, fight outside of the Tower." 

She walked away, hearing the lack of argument behind her. In the hall, she passed by Miyoung first, Tami after, then Hyelim who stepped in front of her with a clear directive. 

"What exactly is your purpose?" Hyelim questioned, her voice low and both curious but worried. 

"I simply brought this Team together," she answered, looking the girl in the eye before walking off. "Whether or not it stays together, however, is not up to me."

Hyelim caught her by the elbow. 

"Who is it up to then?" Hyelim asked. She turned to the girl, matching her searching eyes with her own. 

"It depends."

"On what?"

"On who becomes the heart and the brain."

She walked away then, her heels clicking against the ground and Hyelim's stare boring into her back.

The fight was a step in the right direction. The assignments so far had been simple - simple enough for solo missions. But to be a team, they had to work together, fight together, live together after overcoming all hardships and all their own personal villains. And she understood that in a way that the others didn't; they hadn't seen the homes that she had, fought on the streets for the basic rights that they already received, depended upon others to watch their backs as she learned to.

But they would.

Because if she could, she knew that just about anyone could.

Suzu, Japan
10 February, 19:00 JST

"-a king! Bow before me-"

"This guy talks forever," she muttered to herself, crossing her arms with a mix of impatience and anger. The man was obviously delusional.

"-for I have the power-"

"To talk the crowd to death," Jinju completed, rolling her eyes. 

"-that transcends your puny brains-"

"Should we move in?" Ahri pointed out. The girls - Ahri, Jinju, Miyoung, Hyelim, Ahreum, Dari, and herself - looked to each other.

"Ready when you are," she stated simply, shrugging slightly.

"-and even the universe; for-"

"If you are, Soojung, then go ahead," Jinju sneered. Fury coursed through her veins once more but Miyoung stepped between them, eyes nervous but firm.

"Please, can't we not fight right now?" she hissed, glancing between them and the madman they had to take down. "We should work together if we want to take him down."

"You girls, over there!" the male called out mid-sentence, catching their attention. They met his eyes, half-blinded by his sparkling pink tuxedo and matching hat. "Bow to the Kobi King!"

"Gay," Dari mumbled, sighing. "I mean the man color coordinates his name and title." 

"Better than Cherry Chancelor," Miyoung pointed out.

"Or Dogwood Duke," Jinju added.

"Or Magenta Magistrate," Ahreum continued.

"Or Strawberry Tsar," Ahri carried on. 

"Or Coquelicot Count," Hyelim muttered.

"Or Pink President," she replied. 

"I said bow!"

They looked to each other and nodded. She moved left as did Ahri and Ahreum. She avoided colliding with Ahri and dashed behind the male, knowing that his eyes were on Dari - who was in front and battling with one of those Pokémon creatures that was striped and spiked. She lunged for his legs, feeling a rush of air over her; her hands closed over the cloth of his cape just as he disappeared and she looked up just in time to see - and feel - wolf-form Ahreum crash into her from above. 

Teleporter. 

"I don't just teleport!" the male shouted, laughing maniacally as he teleported away from an attack from Dari's Pokémon creature once more - a large lizard or dragon of some kind that was flying and breathing fire while Miyoung stood back with Dari. He picked up a shard of glass, throwing it in retaliation; the Pokémon fell, its wing pierced right on the spine.

And a mind reader with nice aim.

"Nor just read minds!" he added, shifting just enough to dodge Ahreum's second lunge. "I am all-powerful!"

She growled. He was irritating.

She took to the skies, feeling the wind brush past her, and waited for an opening, spotting it when Jinju shouted something at him. The male tripped over nothing and she dived down, throwing a swift and decisive punch to his abdomen that would have connected had he not teleported away. Again. 

Ahri rolled off to the side while she jumped to the other as a freaking fireball flew their way.

Pyrokinetic too? What was with this man?

"Can't you stay still for just one second?" she demanded, turning a meaningful look to Jinju. 

"Stay still!" Jinju ordered the male with her power.

She swung, the punch connected, and the male went flying with the knowledge that he had broken at least three ribs. 

That felt nice.

She unclenched her fist, letting out a breathe and turning triumphantly to the rest of the Team. 

But the male was there in front of Jinju. A knife in hand.

"Go to sleep!" Jinju shouted frantically, eyes wide. 

And her world turned black.

Seoul, Korea
11 February, 07:00 KST

Outwardly, she was the picture of peace and patience. Inside, she was a total wreck. Her first public announcement to all the news stations and it was just her luck that the news she wanted to give was not good. 

It's ok. You'll be fine Byurae.

The thought attacked her suddenly and her eyes flew open, adjusting to the light. Sooyeon stood in the doorway, reaching out to squeeze her shoulder reassuringly. 

"I'll be right here thinking if you forget your lines or need a hint," Sooyeon stated, letting the physical contact fade.

She smiled as best as she could at the female's encouragement; Sooyeon was a good liar - probably due to living her life with politics - but she was worried, hiding her fears underneath her reassurances.

"I'll be fine," she repeated Sooyeon's reassurance, taking in a breath and leaving the office.

Flashes bombarded her and questions assaulted her ears, but she walked to the stand smoothly, as though nothing was wrong; nothing was wrong. Everything would be ok. She took in a silent breath and, eyes focused on the cameras and voice steady, spoke.

Author's Note

So this is what I was planning on uploading with the previous chapter to keep from a lot of angry stuff. But hey, can't win it all. So I hope you enjoyed the Team's first evil supervillain (who isn't all that awesome and is a bit of a jerk but has a semi-neat power). He will come back. Maybe. I don't really know. He's not the focus of the story though so yeah.