Inequality

Chapter 3 – All We Have Left

Akari looked around in awe and she mumbled, “I never thought..”

“We didn't either, but we made our dreams a reality.” Lay mumbled. He looked at her and said, “Hi, I'm late, but I'm Lay the Unicorn.”

“Unicorn..?” Akari asked confused. Lay looks at her equally confused and he turns to Chen, and asks, “You guys didn't tell her?”

“We have badges,” Chen explained. He lifted his right shoulder sleeve up, revealing a scorpion and he said, “It represents our power.”

“I don't have one though, or at least, I don't ever wear it.” Luhan chimes in. Akari looked at the badges on each of the males shoulders with their respective badge and she said, “I see.”

“It's also our communication device,” Chen explained. He took it off, and opened the badge, taking her by surprise and it showed five green triangles with a red triangle in the center. Akari pointed at the triangle and asked, “Is that me?”

Chen nodded and he said, “Yeah, civilians are marked white, those with powers are marked green. The triangle means they have a power and are combat ready, if it's a dot it means they aren't combat ready.”

“All the civilians live in the center though,” Kris explained as Chen zoomed out on the adaptable map. There was a blob of white with scattered dots of green. The only triangles were all surrounding Akari and she asked, “Isn't it risky, using a device?”

Chen shook his head and he goes, “The device only works as long as Xiumin hyung and I are around.”

“Our powers are its battery. Or well, mostly Chen's. I'm just here for back-up.” Xiumin explained. Akari stared at them and mumbled, “You guys are rather well prepared.”

“We have to be,” Tao mumbled. He looked away from the ground and off to the city and he said, “This is all we have left.”

“Where are your headquarters then?” she asked. Chen zoomed in on a location close to the perimeter of the center, and Akari noticed there was a dense line of green squares along the perimeter and Chen explains, “That's our first line of defense.”

Akari glance at the entire map shown on Kris's badge and back to Chen's and she mumbled, “There's a rather large distance between our location to the center.”

Chen nods and he said, “It's 250 km from the entrance to the center.”

Akari whistled approvingly and Luhan chimes in, “The headquarters is on the outskirts, and we're scattered throughout.”

Luhan points out 12 distinctly shaped building, each one a hexagon and he said, “We occupy these twelve at any given time.”

“I.. see.” she mumbled. It didn't make sense to her, it's not like they get invaded often.. right? Akari looked at them and then back at the map and sighed and she asked, “What am I supposed to do anyways?”

They blinked at her and Kris mumbled, “To be honest, we weren't thinking that far yet.”

Akari stared at them blankly and she slowly inhaled and exhaled as she attempted to calm herself down. But you could tell it wasn't working as the wind around her picked up and immediately Akari asked through gritted teeth, “You just randomly broke me out of jail, put all your lives in danger, AND YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW WHY?”

The six males flinched and Akari glared at them before sitting down on the floor.

Scary Akari is scary after all.

“I refuse to leave this spot until I find out the reason why we're doing this. I can understand the whole idea of giving Area 15 back to the people, but honestly, there's no freaking point of doing that unless we overthrow Clovis and his father while we're at it,” Akari called them out on various points and she continued, “And you only have six available fighters, six. Versus how many? An entire freaking army. An army.”

Chen was about to say something in response and she cut him off and continue, “Yes, I'm a murderer, a monster, and practically invincible according to Clovis and his father's view point on me, but that's only because I was fighting on their side. I was a completely brainwashed monster, I never understood the idea of lives until I saw my own friends dying.”

Akari sighed and she mumbled, “It's almost impossible to go against them, especially if they find out about your oasis here.”

This is all they have left. Where as I have nothing. I don't have anything to fight for, perhaps it's my freedom, but what's the point of being free when there was no point in life?

Akari closed her eyes momentarily as she mentally and physically calmed herself down. She hasn't been – outside, I suppose – for the longest time, and being chained up 24/7 was definitely a difference compared to running around free and not getting shut up by some random seal.

The wind finally calmed down, and Akari could feel the tension slowly leaving and she mumbled, “I don't want you guys to end up like me.”

“We won't, if we're successful,” Tao spoke up. Akari lazily opened one eye and she repeated, “If.”

Everyone went silent again. They knew, it was going to be hard. It was already an idea close to impossible, but they couldn't give up on it. They can't. Akari sighed and opened both of her eyes, gazing at each one of them intently and she drawled, “I am in debt to you guys though.. so if anything, I can help you guys prepare for combat.”

“We can already fight though!” Chen responded. She shook her head and stood up, patting the dust off the prison straitjacket she was still wearing and she said, “You need improvement on your aiming.”

Chen looks away. Akari smirks and continues, “I've fought before, and they didn't call me a monster for no reason.” She paused and mentally debated for a while before continuing, “You're going to need as much power and combative skills as possible if you expect to win against Clovis and his army here in Area-”

“Korea,” Kris interrupts. Akari frowns, but nods her head and muttered, “Right.”

She cleared and said, “But yeah, Clovis may look like a wimp, but you can't underestimate him. Who knows how many more monstrosities he's made.”

“Not many,” Lay lazily interrupted, “They're all failing to inherit those.. genes if you will like to call them.”

Akari blinked and her wings momentarily flashed and she pointed at them and asked, “You mean this?”

Lay nods and he said, “They all die within a day. None of them can handle it.”

“That gives us an advantage then,” Akari smirked and said, “I'll figure out a training schedule for each of you guys. Til then.. gather as many people you believe are ready for combat.”

The boys nodded and Akari closed her eyes as she envisioned the blood shed that will occur in the future, all of the deaths and lives that will be spent for one cause.

It was clear. Everything was so obvious. Nothing has changed. Not since the day she was created for this purpose til the day she was freed.

Everyone is all lusting for one thing. Whether it's power, freedom, or just the thrill and the rush of adrenaline from killing.

Akari sighed and she looked up and away at the ceiling. The roots dangled from the ceiling and she watched as water trickled down the sides of the wall. Her eyes following every movement slowly before closing them again.

It's not any different than what I was fighting for.. except this time they're doing it to save themselves.