Equilibrium (Vexxieverse Series - Part 5)

Unfuckwitable (N)

Niall
June

For some reason, Niall wasn't even nervous. Sure, there was a small twist in his stomach, but it was more excitement than worry. The last four months had revolved around Nikki Walker's destruction and today, they would wipe the rubble clean away.

They considered waiting until ComicCon, but collectively agreed to do a more private event so they would have more control. They also didn't want their Q&A addressing the rumors to overshadow the show's panel, so having an isolated interview was the best option. Plus, they only wanted Vexxies in the audience and sometimes the ComicCon audiences had a lump of casual viewers mixed in. This was a little too intimate to share in-person with people who hadn't been in the stan community.

It was almost like a debrief for the full on war they were about to head into with the media. They wanted to prepare the Vexxies so they could help fight. The battle wasn't just for OT5's freedom from blackmail, either. It was a statement to show that love is love, and it was time to dismantle the "rules" about it to have and enjoy it. The world needed to see how ridiculous it was to police adult, consensual, romantic relationships. The boys couldn't do it alone, but they could help expand the movement that was already in motion.

They chose a small theater with minimal promotion because they didn't want to attract a massive crowd for this. This stage was primarily used for small-scale musicals and improv classes, but it received a lot of donations, so it was a pleasant location to work from. The plush grey seats for the audience had just been upgraded along with the thick red stage curtains. Classic.

The event was announced with only 24 hours notice and was marketed as a "special event with surprise guests" so that only the serious fans would bother showing up. They used cryptic art for the graphics in the ad that just had a rainbow filled elephant with a white lily on its ear with no other significant details. The mystery of it created most of the buzz with little extra effort. There were only 150 seats, so it was no surprise the Vexxies filled them within minutes.

When Zac walked on the stage, the audience went wild because they considered him to be a part of their community since he interviewed them so often. Even if the audience didn't expect the boys, they were still happy to see him, since he had his own fans, anyway.

"Hey Vexxies!" Zac smiled into the microphone. He wore a Trevor Project t-shirt so the logo would be all over the media once the quotes from the Q&A hit the press. "So I know you have no idea why you are here, but you showed up anyway. That was pretty cool of you," he laughed. "You'd do anything for those guys, huh?"

The cheering audience was vibrating with anticipation. Full of hope and all trying to peek into the wings to see if they could find any stars they knew. But all five of them were watching on monitors backstage, so the fans had reason to believe none of the guys were there in the flesh.

The building was so small that there wasn't even a proper green room close by to hide out in. The five of them piled on scaffolding tucked away in the ropes and cords behind the scenes. It was just like work, though, so it felt like familiar territory. They all huddled around a laptop screen with a video feed that hadn't gone live yet. It panned over the crowd so the boys could see their fan's reactions while Zac got them prepared for the night.

"They have no idea, look at them!" Niall grinned. He and Zayn would be watching from the wings once the boys got to their seats on the stage. Since they wouldn't be on camera, they both wore jeans and plain t-shirts (Niall's navy blue and Zayn's olive green). Neither of them really wanted to draw attention to themselves if they could help it.

"Are you nervous?" Zayn rubbed Liam's back. He wore The Gray Hoodie, just as an extra slap in the face to Nikki to prove he'd moved on. Of course, she'd be watching since she was still obsessed with them all. He wore it the night she took him hostage, and if she thought the memory of his own blood on that shirt would haunt him, she was deeply mistaken. This was about reclaiming their power, so we wore it with intention. Plus, it needed to be recharged with yummy Liam smells, anyway.