Chapter Text
You raced through the event center, trying to get out. To go back to your hotel to calm yourself down and get the sleep you needed. You shouldn’t have come here. It was too much with the jet-lag.
You fell forward, but someone caught you. You looked up and just about died.
It was him.
Then you saw past him in your panic and you ended up ignoring him when he asked if you were okay with a surprised little smile.
You pointed behind him.
He turned to look and flinched. “Oh shit.”
The two of you were no longer in the event center with thousands of other screaming fans and his band mates.
His grip on your arms tightened. “Where are we?”
You looked around, panic welling up. “I…I think we’re in the same spot, but…”
“But there’s no building.” He finished the statement, moving his grip from your arms to one hand of your hands. “All of the signs are still in Korean.”
You shuddered, suddenly glad he spoke English. You knew a little bit of Korean, what you had studied so that you could function when you came over.
“Alright, let’s walk down the road and see what happens,” he suggested, sounding calm and rationale but looking almost as freaked out as you were.
“Um, is it okay if I don’t let go?” You asked, your voice shaking. You thought you might panic if you lost the contact with his hand, which was opposite of what you had been thinking earlier. You had thought you might panic if you got this close to any of the boys. Now you were clinging to his hand because it was the only thing you recognized.
He looked down at you and then gave your hand an extra squeeze. “Yeah, stay close…?”
“Y/n.”
“Namjoon. Anyway, if everything is different, then…”
“For sanity,” you suggested.
He gave a nervous smile. “For sanity.”
The two of you slowly made your way down the street, noting the glares and whispers that followed.
His grip tightened more and more.
Someone stopped you, speaking in angry Korean.
You glanced between Namjoon and this older woman.
Finally, Namjoon dodged around the woman, pulling you with him. “Hurry.”
You picked up your pace to match his rushed one. “What did she say?”
“She called you my slave.”
“Excuse me?!”
He gave you a scared and worried look. “She told me that I shouldn’t be so familiar with my slave and that I shouldn’t let you on main roads where you could be seen. Something is off and I can’t place it. Please just come with me.”
You caught up with him, sticking close to his side. Slave. The political implications of that were pretty clear. Your parents came to your mind and the panic kept rising.
He suddenly pulled you into an alley, navigating through it until the two of you came out on a smaller, dirt street that was virtually abandoned.
“Toto, I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore,” you murmured, letting go of his hand and dropping against a wall.
He stood in the middle of the street, looking up and down it. “I’m sorry.”
“For what? It’s not like you were the one that dropped us into an alternate reality.” You were regulating your breathing to try and keep from crying or panicking.
“You came to see us, though. If you hadn’t you might be safe. You aren’t safe now.”
“But I’m not alone. This would be a lot worse if I was alone. Though, I’m sorry that it was you. Everyone will be worried about you. The boys, your family, the company, and your fans.”
“People will be worried about you too.”
“Just my mom and dad. A couple friends. It’s almost inconsequential compared to—“
“It’s not. You are just as important as I am.” He knelt in front of you. “We’ll find a way back to our families.”
You stared into his eyes, hoping he was right but knowing it was possible that he was wrong.
“What were you doing in that hallway anyway?” He asked, smiling a little.
“Chickening out of actually meeting any of you,” you answered, inhaling sharply, and letting out a shaky breath.
He looked surprised. “You were leaving?”
“I have panic attacks sometimes and I felt a little…I didn’t want to have a panic attack there. It would have been too embarrassing. I didn’t want to be that girl. The one who passes out from meeting human beings who just happen to make amazing music. I promised myself I would never be like that.”
“You have panic attacks?” He frowned.
You nodded. “I don’t have them as often since I switched jobs, and since I started taking medicine. Got regular sleep, didn’t have caffeine.”
“Jet lag?”
You nodded.
He nodded in return, then stood, holding his hand out to you. “Come on. We’re in this together.”
“Namjoon?” A deep voice asked off to one side.
One that both of you recognized.
Taehyung was staring at Namjoon, but he didn’t look like the Taehyung you both knew.
This Taehyung had his hair blue, royal blue, but he was also wearing some sort of fancy uniform, and had strange designs painted on his face.
“Taehyung-ssi?” Namjoon stood up slowly, glancing nervously at you.
Taehyung swallowed hard. “But…you were…by her…” Taehyung suddenly had his gaze fixed on you, and he was glaring. “Don’t tell me you work for them now!”
“I don’t work for anyone Taehyung. I don’t know what’s going on. Please, we need to get her off the street. Please.”
Taehyung looked angry and confused. “Why should I help her? Why would you help her? She’s the one that took you from us!”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Namjoon held up both of his hands. “It’s hard to explain. Please, if you ever trusted me, help me get her somewhere safe. She’s scared. I’m scared.”
You could hear people coming and whatever they were saying sent Namjoon off.
“Taehyung, please!” Namjoon grabbed his friends arm.
Taehyung’s gaze was sad as he nodded. “Alright, Hyung. Follow me.”
Namjoon quickly turned to you.
You got up and took his hand and both of you hurried after Taehyung.
Every time someone saw you they were outraged and were yelling at Namjoon and Taehyung.
The second crowd was when Taehyung took matters into his own hands.
He grabbed your arm and pulled you roughly to his side. He said something in Korean as he dragged you through the crowds and Namjoon followed.
He definitely wasn’t just doing it for show, his grip on your arm painful.
And he didn’t let go until he basically threw you through the gate of a large residence.
You fell down, scraping your hands and knees, and officially unable to breathe.
You heard the gate close, then gentle hands and angry Korean greeted you.
Taehyung responded in a frustrated tone.
Namjoon brushed his fingers over your arm where Taehyung had handled you. He spoke harshly.
You looked up at Taehyung as you managed to calm down. “Thank you.”
Both of them shut up, mouths open in shock.
You looked at Namjoon. “They thought I was a slave. The best explanation is for me to be in trouble. It made my reaction genuine.”
“You’re having a panic attack,” Namjoon argued, pulling you to your feet.
Taehyung said something that seemed to calm Namjoon down.
You looked back up at Taehyung. “Hang on, you spoke English fluently earlier.”
He nodded.
Namjoon looked at his little brother and shook his head. “When did you learn English?”
“We all learned it after you…after she took you. We were trying to find you. Know your enemies, right?” He stared at the ground, looking like he didn’t know whether to glare or be sad. “We should get inside. The other guys should know.”
Namjoon looked at you, then at Taehyung. “You’ll help me keep her safe?”
“Yes, Hyung. But only until you explain what’s going on. Then I make no promises.”
“That’s enough,” Namjoon said, relief evident in his voice.
Taehyung led the way inside. “Hyungs! Jimin-ssi! Jungkook-ssi! Meeting in the Living room!”
Namjoon kept hold of your hand, whispering calming words to try and help you come back from the panic. It really wasn’t too bad of an attack as far as your attacks went, but…
Taehyung gestured for you to take a seat on the couch, then went into the kitchen, yelling out in Korean. He came back with a cup of water, putting it in your shaking free hand and holding it steady even though he obviously disliked you.
You took a drink, calming surprisingly fast.
“Taehyung,” Jin said. He was staring at you and Namjoon looking like he had seen a ghost. He had different markings from Taehyung, but like Taehyung was still extremely handsome with his silver hair. His clothes were a little more normal.
Taehyung went over and guided him to a seat, speaking softly in Korean.
Jin slowly nodded.
Jungkook, Jimin, and J-Hope came in next but their reactions weren’t as subdued as Jin’s.
Jungkook‘s eyes widened and Namjoon’s name slipped between his lips, but then he saw you.
Jimin had seen you first, then Namjoon.
J-Hope was probably the scariest difference, looking like some sort of demon with his markings and hair, and his fingers pressing into your neck and cutting off oxygen.
“Hoseok!” Namjoon tried to push J-Hope away, finally succeeding when Taehyung helped him.
J-Hope spat out words that were filled with venom despite your inability to understand.
You gasped for breath, pressing back into the cushions of the couch as they argued loudly and J-Hope glared at you.
“Hey!” Someone finally yelled over everyone.
Silence fell as everyone fell still and everyone looked at Jin.
Suga had snuck in at some point and was standing beside him looking shocked.
Jin’s glare was intense. He barked out an order in a tone that had all of the boys except Namjoon scrambling to sit at attention.
Namjoon looked at them in confusion, then slowly moved back to your side and sat.
“What’s going on?” You whispered, your voice pitched ultra high from the panic that was overwhelming you.
He looked at you, then quickly wrapped his arms around you. “I don’t know. Are you okay?”
You shook your head.
He helped you go through some different things to calm down, ignoring the other boys.
It took a while, and the whole time they were perfectly silent. Waiting.
Finally, you were able to breathe easily and didn’t feel like you were going to die.
You and Namjoon faced his group members and you could see them all clearly.
Suga had the least markings, most of his were on his neck and hands. He was wearing the lightest colored clothing, a pale blue that went well with his brown hair.
Jimin looked a little creepy, his gaze intense and fixed on you, the dark markings around his eyes emphasizing his glare. It gave you flashbacks to the beginning of their music career when they always had dark eyeliner on, but this was also very different. There was something ominous about the markings. This pink-haired Jimin looked nothing like the soft Mochi you remembered from the Spring Day era.
Jungkook somehow looked even more like a bunny with his markings and his dark purple hair. His eyes looked huge as he looked nervously back and forth between Namjoon, Jin, and J-Hope. He looked like he wanted to say something but didn’t dare.
J-hopes markings almost completely covered his face, and his hair looked like it had been dyed with blood. He wore blacks and dark greys, and looked at you so casually murderous that you had a feeling he didn’t go by J-Hope here.
“Namjoon…explain,” Jin finally ordered in that same voice that brooked no argument.
Namjoon squeezes your hand, checking one last time that you were okay before facing the boys. “Is it okay if I speak in English?”
Jin nodded sharply.
Namjoon nodded, seeming nervous. He took a breath but his voice didn’t come out.
“Hyung, what happened to your marks?” Jungkook asked in a soft voice, glancing nervously at Jin after.
Jin made a slight gesture that seemed to be forgiving him and prompting Namjoon to answer. There was something about Jin that was so…authoritative.
“I’ve never had…marks,” Namjoon answered slowly. “I don’t know what is going on. I just know that she’s considered a slave or something and there’s some sort of war…and apparently, your Namjoon was taken or killed.”
“Do you think this is a joke?” J-Hope hissed, tensing as if he was getting ready to pounce.
“Hoseok,” Jin growled, shooting a glare in that direction.
J-Hope looked away with an apology in Korean.
“Explain,” Jin demanded, fixing his gaze on both of you.
Namjoon hesitated.
“Where we’re from, the seven of you make up a very popular music group, Bangtan Sonyeondan, or BTS. I’m a fan. I was at an event that you were throwing. I was leaving and I ran into Namjoon. When we looked up again, we weren’t there anymore. We were here. Where I’m a slave, or some sort of soldier, and let me tell you right now, I’m really not.”
Jin’s eyes flashed silver as his gaze flicked between you and Namjoon. The others seemed to be waiting for him. “They’re telling the truth.”
You flinched, sharing a glance with Namjoon.
“How do you know?” Namjoon asked, curious despite the intensity of the situation.
They all looked at him like he grew a second head.
Hoseok cleared his throat, suddenly looking less hostile. “So, another dimension?”
Jin leaned back into his seat. “Taehyung and Jimin, go prepare a room for y/n. Jungkook, back to work. Yoongi, you too. Hoseok, we’ll discuss your temper and punishment later.”
“Yes, Hyung,” the other boys chorused, then dispersed, with many glances back towards the two of you.
Then it was just the three of you.
Jin deflated and dropped his head into his hands, the heels of his hands rubbing his eyes. “Sorry about Hoseok. He hasn’t been the same since his family was killed, and when you…when our Namjoon was taken he sort of snapped. We all did, but in different ways. We can’t even get Jungkook-ssi to leave the barrack.”
“And you all know English,” you murmured.
He nodded, sitting straight again and fixing you both with a serious gaze. “I’ll have to talk to Jungkook and see what he’s been up to. He should know better than to mess with things beyond his understanding.”
You stared for a moment. “You think Jungkook did this?”
“Him or Jimin. If not them, then something is going on that is beyond my rank.” Jin looked worried. And he looked too thin. Drawn out. Like he had been shoved into a role that he had no idea how to fill and was at his wits end to do so.
“Was I the leader?” Namjoon asked, taking your hand in his again and squeezing it.
Jin nodded slowly. “We always thought Hoseok would be the leader if something happened to you, but he couldn’t be rational. He was in so much pain. It’s been a long time since he’s acted like our hope.”
“Hyung,” Namjoon murmured, obviously worried about them even though you both knew that they weren’t the same people. “I’m sorry.”
You wanted to just tuck Jin into a bed and feed him and tell him everything would be okay. You wanted to make him smile and laugh.
“Yoongi has been doing what he could to help, but most of the time it’s all he can do just to keep Hoseok under control when I’m busy. Jimin and Taehyung stick together. Taehyung makes sure Jimin doesn’t get too upset when Hoseok brushes him off. Jungkook doesn’t normally cause any problems. He sticks with Taehyung and Jimin when they’re home. And he’s one of the few that Hoseok still seems to remember to care about.” Jin got up and straightened up the couch, then gestured for the two of you to follow him into the kitchen. He started scrubbing counters. “I’m doing my best, but i guess I’m failing. I don’t know why you…why he kept me in his team. Especially once Jungkook was able to do everything I could teach him. And our Namjoon has the same gifts I did. It should have been Hoseok. Maybe the responsibility would have kept him from going off. Namjoon. That idiot. He shouldn’t have saved me. He shouldn’t have chosen me.”
You squeezed Namjoon’s hand to resist the urge to make Jin stop working so hard. He looked so pale.
His eyes flashed silver and he flinched, knocking the vase to the ground as he almost collapsed.
“Hyung!” Namjoon hurried to Jin’s side.
You looked around and spotted the broom, waiting for Namjoon to help the protesting man out of the way so you could sweep.
Namjoon practically forced Jin into one of the chairs.
“I’m fine. It was just a small one,” Jin said.
Jungkook came running in. “Hyung?”
“I’m fine. It was just a small one.”
“The physician said you should call him if you have one,” Jungkook murmured, still acting respectful, but also acting casually. “They’re getting more frequent…”
“Everything will be okay, Jungkook-ssi. Don’t worry about me. I…” his eyes flashed again and he stiffened then his eyes rolled back.
“Hyung?!” Jungkook caught Jin as he fell sideways. “Yoongi-Hyung! Hurry!”
“Is—is he having a seizure?” You asked.
Yoongi darted in. “Get him on the floor.”
Jungkook and Namjoon got him on the floor and Yoongi put a hand on Jin’s chest as the man convulsed.
Yoongi’s eyes glowed warmly despite his worried expression. He was focused intently on Jin, his own breathing getting rapid and shallow and the markings on his hands turning white.
Jungkook pushes Yoongi away with a conflicted sound. “It’s not working!”
“I called the doctor,” Jimin said in a worried voice from the doorway.
Namjoon was staring in horror. “What’s happening?”
“Jin is sick. That happens when…” Taehyung started to answer before he choked up.
Namjoon dropped beside Jin, grabbing his hand. “What’s wrong with him? What does he have?”
“He’s dying because Namjoon is too far away. They’re soul-bonded. It allows one of them to fight longer and harder, but if they’re separated for too long before the bond is broken…one of them will get sick and die.” Hoseok knelt on the other side of Jin, his expression more like that of J-Hope’s. He felt Jin’s forehead. “Come on, wake up. Wake up, Hyung.”
You swallowed hard. “What happens if he doesn’t wake up?”
Jungkook looked at you with big, scared eyes. “If? No…no, he has to. Wake up, Jin-ssi!” He started toward Jin but Yoongi and Jimin held him back. “Wake up, wake up, please!”
You looked at Namjoon and saw that he was looking at you.
You knew what he wanted to ask. He wanted to help his family here before you went back to your own dimension.
You slowly nodded your agreement.
He nodded back. “We should look for you. That might be the best way to find him.”
You nodded.
Then his eyes widened. “Wait, you understood me? I forgot to switch from Korean to English.”
You stared at him. “Say something in Korean.”
“You can speak Korean?” Taehyung asked you, looking surprised.
“No,” you replied, folding your arms. “I only know a couple phrases.”
“You’re speaking it now,” Hoseok said, his gaze still fixed on Jin, who had gone still. “And if you two aren’t the same as ours, then how do you intend to find her?”
“Will it have changed who my parents are? Or my siblings? Will it change my name or my grandparents?” You asked, taking a deep breathe. “I have to believe that there will be enough similarities that we can recognize me. Or, this version of me.” Unless they were sent to your own universe.
Jimin ran to let in the physician.
You looked down at Jin, shuddering slightly.
Yoongi was cradling his hand in his other, looking like he was in pain.
Hoseok looked up at you, catching your gaze and holding it as he stood up and stood in front of you.
Taehyung pulled Namjoon away and pushed him into a closet.
Jin started convulsing again.
The physician dropped next to Jin, murmuring and pulling out equipment.
Hoseok turned your face back toward him. “Your Namjoon can help him. I know this version of you better than anyone else. He stays here. You go with me. You get me to him. I’ll get you back here.”
You didn’t see any warmth or sincerity in his eyes. You were a tool. “Alive or dead?”
He smirked. “That depends entirely on you.”
The physician cursed. “He’s stopped breathing.”