Inequality

Chapter 11 – Welcome

After Akari accepted, she noticed everyone had settled down. However, wariness and caution was overflowing not from them, but from V instead. She glanced at the younger male and his eyes darted back and forth from her to the crowd and she felt him tense.

And suddenly, there was a piercing headache spreading through Akari and V. Perhaps it was because of the physical contact with Akari, and perhaps the mental link between the other six as a result, but Chen and the others also felt it.

Almost immediately Lay dropped to his knees from the ringing that continued in his ears. When he glanced up, he saw the symptoms mirrored on his team mates, and he looked in horror at the effect of it within the room, especially from Chen.

Being the most destructive member, his power was manifesting within the room. Akari saw the look of distress on Lay's face and everyone else around her before she pushed Chen away from her, effectively cutting him and the rest of them from the headache, and thus successfully prevented Chen from destroying the room.

However, as soon as Akari had done that, the headache came rushing at her even stronger. She winced and composed herself as she supported V who seemed to have lost all feelings in his legs.

What is this feeling!?

She gritted her teeth, but she realized couldn't support V anymore and momentarily let him go. As soon as she did, the ringing stopped. However, V collapsed onto the floor and writhed momentarily before letting out a blood-curdling scream. Akari wince and wanted to reach out towards him, Luhan grabs her hand and pulls her back and away. He pulls her toward him and away from V, and as he did, she noticed V visibly relax and then he curled up into a ball.

The mental link between her and V was cut forcefully by Luhan and Lay knelt down beside V and asked, “Are you okay?”

V nodded his head and he mumbled softly, just loud enough for her and the others around to hear, “It's a side effect.. I'm not used to it yet.”

Everyone looked shocked and Luhan announced to the crowd, “Everyone is dismissed for today. We'll talk more on a later date.”

Luhan still had Akari in his arms, but when he felt her tremble, it was only then that he remembered and immediately released her. He was surprised at his own actions. He knew how she felt personally about being physically touched by a stranger, but he couldn't shake the weird impulse that had made him continue holding onto her in the first place away. He looked at her as she blankly stared at V blankly and the thoughts that were running through her head were incoherent as Luhan tried to understand her.

The crowd slowly dispersed and V was sitting up on the floor now as Lay inspected him for any physical wounds. He didn't see any and he frowned and Kris asked, “What happened?”

V shook his head and he said, “I'm not sure what it is exactly, but every time my wings awaken... it happens as a side effect.”

“They tainted you...?” she murmured softly. It unconsciously slipped from her lips and immediately she dropped to the floor. Akari couldn't believe it, she had thought... Akari had assumed she and Dongjun had destroyed the laboratory back then.

V knew what she was assuming and he gently cupped her face in his hands and he said, “It wasn't a failure.”

Akari looked at him. Her expression was empty, soulless, and he knew how much it meant to her to hear that her first ever rebellion wasn't a failure. All of them had believed that the unstoppable duo was successful. And it was successful, after all, V wasn't tainted.

He saw the light in her eyes flicker momentarily and he added, “I wasn't tainted either.”

Akari blinked in rapid succession and she asked, “What do you mean.. you weren't tainted?”

“L hyung.. N hyung.. and I.. we stole the injections from Clovis. We tested it on ourselves.”

Akari's heart dropped and she asked, “But why? You could have died!”

V's eyes narrowed and he said, “They planned to get rid of us, because we weren't as strong as you and Dongjun hyung. They don't call you Experiment #1141 or something ridiculous like that, they respect you guys enough to call you by your name.”

Kris cleared his throat and he asked, “If you don't mind me interrupting you two, can we ask a few questions?”

Akari hesitate, but V nodded and he said, “I can give you info on them. You'll need it. And we can get reinforcements as well.”

The boys were taken aback by V's sudden initiative and V continued, “There are others like me that want to escape that hell hole. I only made it out because I agreed to be back up.. However, I knew that Akari noona would wipe out the entire army without leaving a trace and without hesitation, so I was floating at the sky's limit.”

“But won't they know if you were taken by us or..?” Tao asked. Both Akari and V shake her heads at the same time and V said, “We die so quickly, they don't bother keeping track of us. Whether we're failures or successes, we're just another step of the game.”

“Except for me,” she mumbled. And Dongjun. Akari sighed and V gently wrapped his arms around her, something he has seen Dongjun do quite often whenever she seemed stressed out. He hesitated slightly, but nonetheless he gently patted her head and a content sigh slipped from her lips and Chen chuckled.

“You seem to calm down whenever someone pets your head,” he teased. Akari blushed and Luhan nodded in agreement and he said, “Memories I suppose?”

“Dongjun hyung,” V interrupted. Everyone looked at him weirdly and he stuttered, “We- I mean, I always so Dongjun hyung do that for Akari noona.. so I thought it'd make her feel comfortable too.”

Akari nodded and unconsciously snuggled against V. Chen watched, and for some reason he frowned inwardly and Xiumin said, “A safe haven.”

Akari blinked at Xiumin before nodding in agreement. She pulled yourself away from V's arms and she said, “The feeling of being embraced makes me feel safe.”

“I think it makes everyone feel safe,” Lay chuckled. Akari pouted and she said, “I was treated as a weapon, give me some slack.”

Lay nodded and he gently called out, “So V-sshi.”

V looked up and he chimed in, “You can just call me V.”

“Could we call you by your real name?” Lay continued, undeterred. V's eyes widened and he blinked several times and he asked, “Y-You want to call me by my real name?”

Tao nodded and he said, “You're not a monster! You're as human as the rest of us.” He smiled and he added, “Plus, Akari probably wants to call you by your name as well.”

Akari looked at Tao in surprise and Tao blushed and shrugged, “I'm just assuming.”

Luhan chuckled softly. V looked back and forth between his hyungs and tears began to well up and gently stream down his face. As the tear rolled down his cheek and lightly hit his arm he looked at it in surprise and he choked out, “I... I can't... Do you really want to?”

Akari gently cupped his face and she whispered, “Without acknowledging your own name, you can't move forward.”

V nodded and he said, “Taehyung..”

A wide smile spread on Kris's face and he repeated, “Taehyung huh?”

V nodded and Xiumin commented, “It's a nice name.”

V softly laughed and he wiped his tears away before feeling an arm being slung around his shoulder. He glanced over to Chen and he said, “You're our younger brother now!”

“Chen hyung...” V choked out. Lay gently ruffled the younger boy's hair and he said, “It's okay to cry.”

Tao gently pushed Akari forward before they all group hugged Akari and V. She laughed softly and she wrapped her arm around the two closest around her, V and Tao.

Luhan watched from afar before joining the circle. He made his way to Akari and V, squeezing his head between the two and he cheerfully said, “Welcome to the family Akari-ah, Taehyung-ah!”