Chapter 13

Deviant

Prepare yourself

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What Taeyong just witnessed, he’d never forget it. His cute little Ten, just killed a woman. He laughed while he did it! 

 

Minsoo’s body dropped heavily on the floor, a pool of blood around her body. Her expression was downright horrifying. Her eyes and mouth were wide in terror, and blood dropped down these. 

 

Ten was still bending all the blood out of her, muttering: ‘Die.’ 

 

“Tennie, she’s dead.” Taeyong said softly, afraid he’d startle him. He didn’t listen, he was still muttering, still bending blood. 

“Enough, Ten, you already killed her.” He said, a bit loud this time, wanting to be heard. Ten gave no response. 

“Ten, you killed her already! Cut it out!”. He screamed, wanting to be heard.

“I... what?”. He hadn’t processed anything he had done. He just remembered an overwhelming power, and wanting to direct that power onto someone. He wanted to take out all of his frustrations and anxieties. He did. He didn’t remember how though.

 

He looked down, and let out a short, pained, and surprised cry. A woman lay beneath him, laying in a pool of her own blood. Her expression was one of terror. She died a slow, painful death. A death Ten gifted.

 

“Ten, baby, are you oka-“

“Don’t you even dare about calling me baby.” He spat out, angry. “You-you planned this didn’t you? You wanted me to kill her, didn’t you?” He didn’t know he was crying, not until Taeyong tried to wipe his tears away with his thumb.

“Don’t touch me.” He said, slapping harshly his hand away. “Just... don’t.” 

“... I’m sorry...”, Taeyong said, looking down.

“No, you’re not. You’re not sorry, because you’re cold and heartless.” 

“You’re right,” he made eye contact, eyes blazing in fury and confusion. “I am not sorry, I could care less. This is my business, Mutant. I kill and make people kill for me. I don’t care about a life like her gone. Maybe I am cold and heartless. Who cares? I have money, power, everything. I ing own everything. Hell, if I wanted to, I could run South Korea myself. I have guts Ten. I don’t care who lives or dies, as long as it takes me closer to my goal.” 

 

...Ten’s heart shattered at his words. Something deep inside him, had grown to like Taeyong, maybe even begin to love him. How could he be so stupid? How could he feel love for the man that was killing his species?

“How could I ever think you were good?”, Ten whispered, wiping his tears softly.

 

Taeyong recoiled at his words, as if just hearing them hurt him. He hadn’t meant to affect him that much. He just wanted to work hard, for her. He hadn’t meant, for this to happen. “I don’t know.” He said coldly.

He left, without so much a word. Just turned, and slammed the door behind him, leaving Ten and Minsoo’s corpse. 

 

He fell. Fell and cried. Cried so hard, he couldn’t hear his screams of agony. Couldn’t hear Taeyong’s own screams of agony, and regret. Deep, deep regret.

 

 

 

Hours passed by, maybe even a day. Ten hadn’t even showered. He just laid there on the couch, hating himself for even begin to like Taeyong. For letting his guard down. For trusting him.

 

The corpse had been taken away. A janitor quietly came and disposed of the body, and cleaned the spilled blood. Ten didn’t recognise his presence. Taeil had also came in, and informed him he had finally turned into a pem. Apparently, Taeyong had placed a “PMD”, or power measure device, on every mutant at their arrival. 

 

A long time ago, when Ten was still a kid, when he had his innocence and his happiness, he would’ve screamed in joy, run around in circles, anything. Now? He just wanted to bury himself alive. That new level hadn’t been achieved through hard work. It had been obtained through blood and death. He was a step away from becoming a neo.

 

He would become a neo, and he would join Sicheng. Killing people for information, doing Taeyong’s and Doyoung’s dirty work. At least he would get to see said one. 

 

He missed said one. He missed being in that hole N.000. Yuta, Sicheng, and Jeno. He wanted his old life. Or maybe he didn’t want to live at all.

 

He was so immersed in thought, that he didn’t hear a person enter the room. He felt them touch his shoulder, and Ten was already squeezing their throat.

 

“Woah, woah, hyung. I won’t hurt you. I never will. Besides, you can’t hurt me. What a dumb hyung.”

“Jeno?”. He threw himself on him, hugging him tightly, and sobbing. Oh how he missed him. Jeno just gently his back, shushing him. “I missed you so much, you .” 

He laughed. “Me too, hyung. Me too.” 

 

They stayed like that. Ten sniffing and wiping his tears away, and Jeno just his back. 

 

Once upon a time, a long time ago, the roles were reversed. Jeno would cry in Ten’s arms, and Ten would silently comfort him. It seemed such a long time ago. How he missed those times.

 

“How long has it been?” Ten asked, still hugging Jeno.

“About eight months, hyung.”

 

What? 

 

Ten’s necked whiplashed because of how hard he suddenly changed his position.

 

Eight months? Had it really been that long?

 

He looked at him. Really looked at him. He looked much older, really tired, really worn out. He now had scars on his face. One through his left eyebrow, the other one on his inferior lip. Tiny cuts were scattered all over his neck, arms, hands, and legs. In the years they had known each other, Jeno never had once scarred. 

 

That was basically his power, being practically indestructible. To see him with scars was a true shocker.

 

“What happened to you?”

Jeno smiled sadly. “You know, they needed to test the new ones powers on me. If they left a scar, they went for further testing. If they didn’t.. they were... they were killed.” 

 

“How’re the others?” Ten asked, not wanting to keep talking about the man he was beginning to love killing his race.

“Well, Sicheng-hyung’s pretty much the same. Yuta-hyung though... he doesn’t speak that much now. I’ve rarely seen him eat. He just clings onto Sicheng-hyung for dear life...” he sighed, running a hand through his hair. “His testings are tougher now. They have him create rooms, buildings, technology, you name it.” 

“Jaemin..?”

He smiled, blushing at said one’s name. “He has it the least worst out of all of us. He is a lim, after all. He is mainly used to kill the others massively, along with that John Seo. What a scary guy.” He shivered. 

Ten had overheard Taeyong talking about that mutant over the phone once. Apparently he and Sicheng were the strongest mutants in the whole facility. 

 

Jeno kept talking about what else had happened. He talked about meeting a new mutant, called Huang Renjun, a mutant that could turn himself into any type of animal. He became close with Jaemin and Jeno. 

 

Ten realised, how deprived he was. In the 8 months of being with Taeyong, he had not talked to a mutant. The only people he’d seen were Taeyong, Taeil, the occasional intern, and well... Minsoo. He realised how in those months he hadn’t really lived. He hadn’t really been aware. 

 

Just living in a perfect little bubble Taeyong had forced him to live in.

 

He wanted answers. Why was Taeyong doing this? What was his goal? Why was he playing with his emotions? Why was he making him feel worthless yet make him feel so cared for?

 

“Jeno... how did you get in here? Taeyong-hyung doesn’t let anyone in-”, realisation washed over him like a cold bucket of water, “he.. he sent you... didn’t he?”.

Jeno could only nod. 

“I can’t believe him. Why would he pretend to care? After what he did to me... he could never care.” A single tear rolled down his cheek, this one hurting more than the rest.

Jeno sighed. “Hyungie, I don’t think he doesn’t care about you. He personally went to the N. room to get me.” 

“What did he say..?”, he said, words much less than a whisper.

“He told me to keep you company, that you need to be with a friend. That since it’s your first kill, you would be in a bad state.” He took Ten’s hand, thumb gently his knuckles. “He asked me to help you get ready, bathe you, dress you, he wants to meet with you.” 

He scoffed. He wanted to argue, saying that he doesn’t need anyone’s help, but it’d hurt Jeno. 

 

They hadn’t seen each other in a while, after all.

 

 

 

He showered, Jeno assisting him when the water rushing reminded him of Minsoo’s blood rushing. Sometimes, when he controlled blood, he could hear the person’s blood, as if it was calling to him. Water felt like that too, just not as often than with blood.

 

He changed into comfortable clothes, not really caring for his appearance. He also thought Taeyong would expect him to look good, so he decided to defy him.

 

In the eight months of his... “confinement”, he hadn’t had a haircut. Jeno combed his hair for him, and combed it into a high-bun. 

 

“All done, hyungie~.” Jeno said, setting the brush down. “He’ll be waiting for you.”

“One last thing before you leave.” He stood up, and wrapped him in his arms, tightly, afraid to let go. Jeno was shocked at Ten, but nonetheless, gave in. 

“Be careful,” he whispered, “thank you, for everything.”

He giggled. “Why thank me? You’re the one who looked out for me when I was dumb teenager with raging hormones.” He smiled sweetly, the smile that Ten loved seeing. His eyes forming into crescents. 

 

He accompanied Jeno to the door, bid farewell, and was left alone, once more, in the dangers of his own thoughts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Almost an hour and a half passed when Taeyong showed up. 

 

He wore a fully black three-piece suit. His hair disheveled and messy. His eyes impossibly swollen, they mirrored Ten’s own eyes. 

 

The tension in the room was practically tangible.

They stayed like that for what seemed fifty lifetimes. Staring at each other, wanting to say a river of words but not daring to. 

 

“You probably want to know,” Taeyong broke the silence, “why am I doing this? What is my goal? Is it?”

He nodded.

“Well it is simple.” His eyes filled with disgust and rage. “A filthy mutant killed my sister, burned her alive.” He scoffed. “Mutants are out of line, Tennie. They need to be put in place, if not, they’ll just kill us all.”

“I don’t get it,” Ten said, frustrated, “you say that, yet you keep the strong ones of the lot, and kill the rest, as if their lives mean nothing, as if they’re objects. As if they don’t have a family. Why keep the strong ones, and kill the weak ones?”

“Power and money. By the keeping the strong ones, I make profit by selling them off, or using them for the company or personal reasons. Ultimately they will be all killed.”

“So that’s what you planned with me? A here, a there, maybe some kisses there. Hey, can’t forget about the permanent trauma, and that’d be it? Did you ever really care about me?”

“Tennie.. it’s... I-“

“No. You don’t get a say in this. You just admitted it, you kept them for personal reasons, but ultimately, they’d be killed. After a few s, was I going to be killed too?” 

 

The hurt in Taeyong’s eyes. Oh how deep it was. Hurt, regret, and a sea of hatred. He tried to reach for Ten, to touch him, but he just walked away.

 

“I can’t believe I almost loved you...”, Ten said, barely a whisper.

Taeyong’s eyed widened. “What... what did you say?”

“Are you deaf?! I can’t believe I almost love-“

“Shut up!” He screamed, a fire in his eyes. A big, raging, fire.

 

Now Ten was screaming. “You’re telling me to shut up?! Are you insane?! I’m not the crazy guy who can’t get over his own sister’s death, and is taking it out on the whole mutant race!”

“You don’t understand!”

“How can I?! You’re selling mutants, using them for your own personal selfish needs, and killing them in cold blood!” He grabbed a fistful of his own hair. “You’re telling me to shut up, when you’re the one that kills for money and power!”

The fire in Taeyong’s eyes increased. “All mutants are filthy lowlifes, what I’m giving them is what they deserve. I’ll never forgive the mutant that killed my sister, and because of that, all mutants have to die!”

“Oh my God! Are you even hearing yourself?! Why would you take a thing like that into an international, almost global, matter?!”

“Because all mutants are the same!”

“Why do you think that? Did you even know what ‘filthy mutant’ killed your sister?”

 

Taeyong threw his arms in the air, and fisted his air, tugging at it, and screamed, screamed so loud it scared Ten. 

 

Fire.

 

Fire came to life around Taeyong, engulfing him. It seemed to dance around him. It seemed... alive.

 

With the raging fire around him, and fire in his eyes that equaled the one around him, he screamed, as tears rolled down his cheeks.

 

“Because I am the filthy mutant that killed my sister!”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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yisowu
Hi!~ I hope you’re enjoying this story as much as I love writing it (^○^). Please do tell me if you find the whole mutant ranking system confusing, so I can put the ranks at the beginning of each chapter. Hope you like my story! (*´꒳`*)

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jongwoontrash #1
Chapter 19: Oh no. Sounds foreboding!
jongwoontrash #2
Chapter 18: THE DOJAE WAS BEAUTIFUL
jongwoontrash #3
Chapter 17: Stay strong, ty
yisowu
#4
I’m so sorry for not updating. Do expect more and more updates!
The_Reaper
#5
Chapter 16: Yay freedom! But what’s with Jaemin?