Mutagen

<strong>Day 5 – 6:22 PM – 4th Grade Building, Queens Row Elementary School, Bacoor City, Cavite</strong>

As Mark's pervious sentence entered everyone's ears, everyone looking at the innocent girl who knew her story had awful expressions on their faces. Mark had just mentioned about one condition that allow people to become Evolvers and that was "Limits". Just how much pain did this girl suffered from to get this kind of ability? None of them could imagine.

"Are you sure about that? Is it not just a case of Cognitive Insensitivity to Pain, Hypoalgesia or Pain Asymbolia?"

Melissa asked as while mentioning several terms that all the others could not help but raise their eyebrows to.

'What in the world does those terms mean?'

As common people, it was not surprising for them to not encounter these terms before.

To Melissa's question, Mark did not get stumped. Rather, Mark nodded to her show of intelligence in her field.

"Actually, I can't deny that."

Mark admitted.

"There's a lot of examination needed to confirm that after all. Pain Asymbolia can be counted out however as cause since Pain Asymbolia is a condition that can be acquired after suffering a brain injury. However…"

Mark tapped his chin.

"Since she received my regeneration ability, won't that injury also heal if she ever had one? The other two conditions can be the cause but it needed a lot of study to prove. However that it is odd if she had any of those conditions considering she started to show such ability after her Evolution. If you remember, the Mutagen can enhance our bodies and it was even the government that released that fact. It will be strange if she developed negative conditions when her body is supposed to be enhanced."

Melissa started to contemplate about Mark had just said. Although she had a point in her assumption, Mark also had his own points.

In the end, there was a huge reason to study and observe the girl's current condition.

Seeing that Melissa turned quiet, he swept his head back to the others who seemed to have no idea what he and Melissa were talking about.

"Well, though there is still a need to study it more, I think that using my blood on this girl only helped her accelerate her own enhancement and acquire my ability. I already said it but the Evolution in each individual could vary in speed. Like these two."

Mark pointed his open palm on Odelina's children.

"Even though they are siblings and also had the same ability, the time they overcame the symptoms of Evolution differed. If I remember correctly, Odette woke up about two hours before Siegfried followed. In that case, we don't know if there really are people who would never evolve or it's just that their Evolution are slower than others."

He then turned to Carlo.

"Also, even if I have the ability to turn anyone into Evolvers, I needed an item to stimulate the Evolution."

"What item?"

Carlo asked.

"This."

Mark took out a soft handkerchief from his bag revealing the marble sized pale violet crystal with a flesh colored glow inside. After he finished eating and before he went out of the vehicle, he took this crystal out from the jar. As the only odd crystal and something that he knew that could help with evolving people, he brought it out in case that he would have the chance to use it.

Seeing that crystal, the newcomers were confused once more but the others looked at the crystal with wide eyes.

"Big Bro, that crystal, it looked like that pale colored one before right? It's just this one had a glowing orb inside it."

Charmaine who was quiet all this time spoke as she was the closest person to observe the crystal on Mark's hand.

"That's right, this is a new one. The previous crystal without glow, I used it to try on this girl. It was the one used to trigger the Mutagen in her body."

Mark rolled the crystal in his hand and continued.

"This one is different though since I don't know yet what effect this one could give. The crystal I used on that girl didn't have this glow. I found a way to create crystals like these but I don't think that it will be easy to gather the materials needed."

"And the materials are?"

Melissa who seemed to be enthusiastic about the topic since the beginning asked once more.

"Some kind of pebbles that can be found inside the brain of mutated infected."

***

The talk did not take too long after that and the talk about Mutators after the Evolvers did not take any longer than the first topic due to the limited amount of things he could divulge to them. It was not like he could mention about the traits and emotion that were ruling the Mutators' consciousness affecting their habits, behavior and thinking. If he were to mention that, he would need to disclose his ability as an Empath to everyone.

His abilities as an Empath right now was the most crucial secret he had due to the existence of Mutators and he could not allow just anyone to know about it. He would just let the others think that his glowing eyes at times were the effect of an ability he received for being an Evolver. It was the same for his ability to control his emotional impulses and adrenaline.

However, he needed to talk to Mei and Odelina about something later. Something about his other ability and what could happen in the future.

***

It did not take long and they started to eat after the discussion. The menu was some hot rice gruel topped with seasoning, canned meat and canned mushrooms.

Mark's classmates who lived the life as refugees in the past days could not help but devour the first delicious food they had eaten after the apocalypse started. Jason's girlfriend, Kevin's family and Joseph's family were also called and introduced to everyone to join their feast.

Due to everyone's urging that Mark was forced to feed the girl who had just woke up after her deadly experiences. It was to let the new daughter have a bonding with the "Father" that "created" her.

While they were all eating in a circle, bonding and letting the new members to mingle with the others, Mark finally decided to give the Four Horned Rhinoceros beetle a name and also to give the unfortunate girl a new identity.

If Mark remembered correctly, he saw from the record Irene and Captain Dela Rosa had that the girl's name was Mallory. It was a unique and good sounding name but Mark did not know if he would laugh or cry at this name. Her parents should have given her this name without knowing its meaning. The name Mallory meant unfortunate or luckless which exactly described what happened to her.

As the experiment Mark did to her opened a new knowledge for him and the girl's amnesia was a chance for her to have a new beginning, he decided to give her the name "Iola" (eye-yo-la). It was a name that meant either "violet dawn" which represent the beginning or "the girl valued by the lord" as it could be said that Mark valued her as she was his first creation.

Yes, first. If Mark was given a chance, he would create a Mutator, a sentient infected or anything else that had to do with Mutagen.

On the other hand, the beetle was named Fein. Hearing that name, the others could not help but ask what that name meant but Mark did not answer. If they knew why he gave that name, everyone would laugh for sure. He derived the name Fein from the pronunciation of the word "Faint". It was because the cowardly beetle would play dead or faint every time it was showed with something unknown and scary.

The bonding time went smoothly as the new members started to blend with the older members. Except for Joseph who was restricted from his shamelessness as his wife and children were present. The other females also did not bother to talk to him making him dispirited.

Mark finally contacted Paula who questioned him for contacting too late. He then learned that Elsa, Markron and Carren were found in Bay City and were already taken in by Paula. Hearing that their older sister was safe, Cielo and Charmaine could finally quell the worry in their hearts. Saime, Mar, Suzanne and Joan who were Mark's college classmates were all surprised about the news on Markron and Carren who were also close to them.

Not long after they finished their meal, Captain Dela Rosa appeared to bring Mark some news. The other squad, the 11th Rescue Squad, finally arrived with his son that experienced a failed mutation in tow.

Captain Dela Rosa brought Mark together with Odelina towards an area devoid of guards. There, only Irene was present waiting for them outside a room.

"Why is she here?"

Mark asked.

"Please don't worry about it. Based on the conditions we agreed upon, I can't handle it alone and I will need some assistance on backing your group inside Bay City. Irene is my most trusted aide and the childhood friend of my son. She will keep everything that happened here a secret."

Hearing his reason, Mark nodded. Considering his condition, he knew that this squad captain would not be able to handle everything alone. Since he could see and feel the resolution Irene had, he did not question it anymore.

The four entered the dimly lit room. In the center, a man with his top naked and tied with chains was kneeling. He should be out of control but the man was currently not moving, not even a shake.

"Tranquilizer?"

Mark asked as he saw a set of oddly shaped gun and darts on a table near the door.

"Yes. Fortunately, it could stop Keene from rampaging."

Irene voiced from his side.

"If it's like this, it will be easy. By why is he kneeling?"

Mark could not help but ask about the scene in front of him.

"We don't know either. The other soldiers said that it felt like his muscles locked up after the tranquilizer took effect. Keene was also transported like that."

Hearing that, Mark nodded. With how strange Mutagen was, no one would know what was happening.

"You two go out first."

Mark said as he eyed the two.

"Alright."

Captain Dela Rosa replied and the two left the room before closing the door.

"Odel, guard the door. I can handle this."

"Yes, master."

Mark approached the unconscious man. He totally looked normal except for that he could see several spikes protruding from his body. The spikes looked like bones for sure but the bones had metallic sheen as the dim light from the lamp was being reflected on the surface of the spikes.

On the man's arms, two long blade shaped bones about three inches on its widest sides could be seen.

"So, this guy is likely a bone ability user like Odel but he's more of an offensive type while Odel had a defensive type."

Mark murmured as he observed the man. He was now sure that this man was the same person Mark saw protecting Captain Dela Rosa in his premonition.

Now that the savage consciousness of the man was weakened, Mark decided to move.

***

The time Mark spent inside the room was shorter compared to the time he spent with the cat boy before. He then left after his job was done.

Soon, the man could be seen conscious and were assisted out of the room by his father and childhood friend.

Captain Dela Rosa did not notice however that there was someone observing them from the shadows.