Chapter 144 No To Politics!
The drawing room, Dream Rise House.
Zed sat across a circular table filled with various breakfast dishes. As he took a bite from a sandwich, his eyes were on a virtual screen in front of him.
The screen displayed across a hundred names along with small images.
"There are just too many people arriving in the city," Zed swiped the list down with the eye gestures, "They are from the government?"
[[Yes.]] Claudia answered.
"They sure have sent a big backup," Zed said after completing the sandwich, "But then again we did create a lot of trouble for them."
He wiped his hands on a napkin and then took a glass of orange juice.
[[We are only partially responsible for this.]]
"Hmm?" Zed looked surprised as he took a sip from the glass.
[[Police sources believe there are revolutionaries in the city. A location was raided but those revolutionaries moved out minutes before.]]
"Wow~" Zed placed the glass on the table, "Never expected the blind move would help us to this extent."
Days ago, as Kiba, he had wreaked havoc on the police headquarters. He has let out an impression of him being a revolutionary before killing the investigators.
While he believed the government would be busy finding a revolutionary in the city, he didn't expect there were real revolutionaries in the city since this place was filled with government agents.
[[Perhaps the revolutionaries were here to sail in the dangerous waters for profit just like other organizations.]]
"Guess so," Zed closed his eyes, "Everyone wants power for themselves no matter how they try to justify it with ideals and virtues."
====
*
A little over four years ago in the slums.
A huge crowd of slum dwellers was gathered in an unnamed street. There was fear in the eyes of slum dwellers as they looked at a made-up stage.
A white-haired man with glasses was standing on the stage eying the crowd.
He was none other than Castor Damon!
"The entire order of the world would change after our exploration ends," Castor Damon spoke in a voice filled with passion and excitement, " Every single of you would be remembered as heroes who changed the world for better."
Zed was standing among the crowd, afraid, just like the others. He glanced at the corners of the street where armed men were on guard.
Every single of the armed man had their laser guns aimed at the crowd to ensure there was complete obedience.
"BSE79 is not just a simple meteorite," Castor Damon continued, "It holds the key to the future of the world."
A man with short blonde hairs joined the stage and muttered something in the ears of Castor Damon.
After a short discussion, the man with short blonde hairs took over the stage while Castor Damon stood behind him.
"The world would usher in a new era where you would be treated with respect and dignity," The man's voice was filled with both melancholy and hope that struck the crowd, "I promise there would be no more deaths from cold and starvation! So join us for an expedition which would transform the world into a revolution of the masses!"
"Yes!" A middle-aged slum dweller loudly shouted, "No more hunger and cold!"
"Enough of this slum life!" Another slum dweller at the end joined in, "Let's improve our future!"
Zed looked on as slowly the people around him slowly joined in agreement. The crowd was jostling with cheers and excitement.
"Haah~ Everything is staged," Zed thought in his heart.
He was sure the slum dwellers who shouted first were planted by the man on the stage. Others slowly followed thanks to the herd mentality.
The first step in managing the crowd was to manipulate those among the crowd. He didn't know how this was done, but he knew the intention.
The armed men and the two on the stage wanted to control the crowd by fear and hope!
Carrot and stick!
"Let's change the world!" Zed shouted with full force, "No to hunger and cold!"
He joined in the crowd with more excitement than the others. He was sure many like him were pretending but none of them let it show on their face.
"O' great soldiers of the revolution," The man on the stage signaled the armed men to guide the crowd, "Let's begun the expedition and change the world for better!"
*
====
Present.
Back then he didn't know what revolution referred to but now he knew. Castor Damon was working with revolutionaries to seek Cosmic Spark.
"Change the world for better," Zed clenched the glass of juice with such a strong force that it shattered.
The orange juice split around mixed with droplets of blood. He glanced at the pieces of glass struck on his bleeding hand.
[[Sir...]]
"It's fine," Zed shook off his head, "I just hate how they tried to make us believe it was for the greater good till the end."
Claudia remained silent for she knew the events which unfolded after he and the slum dwellers left the slum to explore the meteorite.
"Let's change the topic," Zed placed his palm on the table as a humanoid droid arrived to cleanse the wound, "Any tasks for Kiba?"
[[Yes.]]
The virtual screen in front of him now displayed the images of multiple women.
[[Your teacher has made multiple requests for you to have a session with his blindfolded wife
"Aha~" Zed smiled as he remembered the feeling of having Vienna in his arms, "Ryan is truly an ideal husband."
[[...There are more targets.]]
"Naa," Zed made a swiping gesture towards the screen, "As a student, it is my duty to fulfill the request of my teacher."
[[The request was to Kiba and not Zed.]]
"...."
[[This request is for latter. For now, you have to join Lady Felicity in the academy unless you wish to revisit the dispensary.]]
"Damn!"
Zed rushed out of the house...
----
Six hours later~
Zed walked out of the academy along with Felicity.
"Let's go somewhere for a trip," Felicity said after they reached the parking lot.
"Trip?" Zed was hesitant.
"Yeah," Felicity looked at him and said, "Next week would be a good time."
"There would be no good time if I go with you!" Zed thought inside.
"You will come, right?" Felicity asked.
"Of course," Zed nodded but inside his heart, he thought, "Do I have a choice?"
Felicity opened her cell phone to suggest possible locations.
"Felicity!" A voice came from behind.
"?" Zed and Felicity turned around and saw a black-haired young man rushing towards them.
"Cleo?" Zed muttered. He was startled to see her elder brother here.
"I have been waiting for you," Cleo looked at his watch before continuing, "We have to hurry."
"What happened?" Felicity asked.
"Guests have arrived and we have to welcome them," Cleo hastily answered.
"Bastards," Felicity cursed in a not-so-lady-like style, "Just how many guests I have to welcome?!"
"...A lot," Zed muttered thinking about the report Claudia has shown him.
"Zed is right," Cleo nodded, "Father is waiting for us."
"Why does dad has to be a politician?!" Felicity stomped her feet.
"Politics give influence even over the powerful ones," Cleo answered with a smile.
Even the strongest mutants have to work under the framework established by the government. No matter how strong one was, they couldn't stand alone against a powerful organization like the government.
The government, in turn, was ruled by the president, the Senate and the world council.
Of course, the world council was the supreme authority but the power enjoyed by the Senate wasn't to be underestimated.
Cleo believed the influence held by their father as a senator was envious worthy. He wished to follow his father's footsteps and become a powerful politician.
For now, he planned to win the mayoral election which would be held in a few months.
"Politics is just an eternal loop without any ends," Felicity said with a deep sigh, "I never understood your fascination nor do I have any interest in following father's footsteps."
"...Your choice," As Cleo opened the car door with his right hand, the tattoo of Ouroboros was visible, "Even if you don't like politics, it wouldn't stop pursuing in one way or the other."
"I don't care," Felicity took a seat beside in the car. She turned her head towards Zed and said, "Don't forget the trip next week."
"Next week?" Celo was startled with a trace of worry visible in his eyes, "You can't go anywhere next week!"
"Hmm?" Felicity looked at him in confusion.
"T-there is going to be a party where we are invited," Celo explained in a composed tone, "All government agents and guests would attend it."
"Damn!" Felicity's mood was ruined to see her trip plans failing.
Zed, on the other hand, secretly rejoiced...
Chapter 145 Breach
Inside an apartment in the staff quarters of Royal Heart Academy.
"It is done," Ryan thought as he glanced around the bedroom.
The candles at the corners and the use of perfume in the air gave the room an ambient environment.
On the bed, his wife, Vienna, was lying down in a black bikini. Her eyes were covered with a blindfold.
No matter how one looks at the scene in the room, it was perfect for a romantic night promising a lot of sex.
"Honey, I can't wait," Vienna's low voice came from the bed.
From weeks, she was begging for her husband to repeat the same performance like that day when 'he' took 'pill' and made love with her. She was completely shocked by how hard and large 'he' felt back then.
Sadly she never felt him like that ever again.
"Me neither," Ryan thought in his heart, "For you to be fucked by another man."
Just the very thought made him have a hard-on.
His eyes went on the wristwatch to check the time.
"Damn, just how late he would be," Ryan was feeling both humiliated and excited at the prospect of waiting to be cuckolded.
Swoosh~
A column of white light manifested at the entrance of the bedroom.
Ryan turned around as the rays of white light converged together into Kiba.
"Apologies for the delay," Kiba said in a barely audible tone, "There were other jobs I had to handle."
Ryan looked at Kiba with multiple expressions. He hated him for making love with his wife the last time by using the blindfold of hers to his advantage.
Yet a greater part of him was excited when he fucked her in front of him.
Later on, he researched and realized that many men have a fantasy of watching another man make love to their wives.
This discovery shocked him out of wits for he never believed he had such fantasy, but the events from that fateful day proved his conjecture false.
"Nice environment," Kiba nodded in appreciation at the ambiance of the room.
Ryan didn't know how he should reply at this.
He has created this environment so that another man could have his own wife!
"Have fun," Kiba moved towards the bed while removing his shirt.
Have fun?!
Ryan gritted his teeth at the words but yet he couldn't say anything! He truly wished to have fun by the upcoming events!
Kiba licked his lips as he eyed Vienna on the bed. He slipped on the bed and tickled her feet.
"Ah!" Vienna was startled by the touch. The blindfold didn't allow her to anticipate when her 'husband' would make a move on her.
Some distance away, Ryan looked on as Kiba slowly moved on the bed with his hand slipping on her body.
Soon, Kiba's lips closed with hers. She felt his hand moving on her bra as their kiss intensified.
The taste and warmth she had missed of this tongue were once again invading her mouth. Slowly her tongue moved to meet his and they entangled.
Their saliva mixed with each other and soon, she felt him sucking on her tongue. He lied on top of her as he savored the taste of her mouth.
His hands moved behind her back to free her from the bra. Her pink nipples were a sight to behold and Kiba moved below to appreciate them.
Ryan has turned into a bundle of nerves. He was incensed at the scene of his wife tits being sucked by another man but yet he was turned on.
Kiba pinched her nipples occasionally as he sucked on them. He nibbled from one nipple to another like a hungry child.
"Ahh," Vienna gasped as his face slid further below. He kissed her on the belly before arriving between her thighs.
She flinched as she felt him nibbling and licking her pussy through her panties. His tongue was soon greeted by the wetness.
He pulled her panties aside to savor her pink vaginal foldings. His hands slipped underneath to cradle her ass.
"Oh god!" She let out a moan as his tongue barged inside her pussy. Her sweet taste engulfed his tongue.
His one hand moved on the top of her clit. She squirmed in delight as his fingers rubbed on her clit.
"Damn! She is wet!" Ryan muttered while rubbing his crotch. He looked on as Kiba moved to her face with his cock against her lips.
Vienna felt his cock brushing on her lips. She opened her lips to welcome him into her mouth.
She gasped as she felt him grow further. He pushed his cock inside her mouth while his hands held her head.
Slowly, he took strokes in and out of her mouth by guiding through her head. A few minutes later, he smashed his cock into the back of her throat.
She let off a gasping moan which was no less than the sound of a seal. She gagged sucking a cock which wasn't her husband's.
"She is truly a cocksucker!" Ryan muttered as he took out his dick to jerk off.
Vienna continued to slobber down on Kiba's cock. Her mouth dripped down saliva on her breasts as he finally let go of her mouth.
He pulled her up on top of his waist. he adjusted her hips as he began to slide his cock into her pussy.
"Fuck!" Vienna cried as his cock barged in her. She closed her eyes as she savored the feeling of pain and pleasure inside.
As she became accustomed to him, she moved up and down on his cock. She felt firecrackers exploding inside her as his cock struck her ends.
Kiba pushed his face on her breasts as she rode over him. The wetness and warmth of her further blinded his senses.
He rolled her around and changed the position to missionary. His lips were on hers as he pounded her.
The sound of her pussy slapped with his balls along with her moaning reverberated in the room. She screamed and huffed as he slid in and out.
"Oooo yes!" Vienna writhed as the orgasm hit her just as he cummed inside her. She breathed heavily lying on the bed with Kiba on top of her.
Far away, Ryan has stained the floor...
-----
An hour later~
Kiba teleported out after making love with Vienna in every position.
Ryan moved on the bed and removed his wife's blindfold.
"I love you!" Vienna kissed him violently.
"I love you too!" Ryan expressed his intent.
No matter how strange their sex life was, he loved her. He has embraced being a cuckold and didn't regret this the least bit...
-----
Meanwhile, somewhere in the city.
Two figures landed on the terrace of a skyscraper. One of them was a middle-aged man with a long brown beard.
He kneeled down respectfully as the other figure, a girl, moved to the end of the terrace. The girl was in her early teens with a pale skin tone and dark yellow eyes.
She has long wavy dark pin hair, with two locks hanging down. She was wearing a light blue dress with floral patterns.
The girl leaped on the top of the balustrade and looked down at the jostling crowd on the streets.
The light from the stars radiated her beautiful face as her gaze concentrated. Her eyes didn't see the world as it appeared, instead, they saw the world in its primal form of energy.
There were no more people in her vision, but instead, she was seeing the true hidden layers of the world.
"Lady Alice," the middle-aged man spoke in a low voice, "Have you discovered something?"
Alice turned towards the middle-aged man before sitting down on the balustrade.
"The city has changed," Alice's voice was melodious but her tone was nonchalant, "It is different from two years ago when I passed by."
"What do you mean?" The middle-aged man politely enquired.
"I'm not sure but," Alice raised her head towards the night sky.
"But?"
"I think there has been a breach in time."
Chapter 146 Backlash
A warehouse in the downtown of Delta City.
The seven revolutionaries were standing in front of a glass wall. The wall partitioned the warehouse in two and on the other side, there were around twenty people strapped on glass tables.
Some of them were young and others old with both genders in equal numbers. They were unconscious but from time to time, they would wriggle in pain.
Their faces were filled with blue patches. The patches would move around the face as if trying to escape.
"Would it work?" Yuizi turned her face away from the glass wall and looked at the head of the command.
"It will," Rufus nodded his head, "We have properly followed the procedure suggested by Count Viper."
"If any accident takes place then we...." A man named Simon muttered. His eyes unconsciously moved on a wooden table upon which a cylindrical glass pod was lying.
The blue nanites inside the pod were seething continuously.
"As long as we follow the plan everything would be fine," Rufus said in a confident tone, "Just two days and everything would be over."
"Yes," Yuizi glanced at the people strapped on the tables and muttered in a low voice, "Their contribution would always be cherished."
Rufus and others nodded with approval.
"Excuse me," Rufus took his leave from his companions and walked out of the warehouse.
He took out a tablet from his coat and clicked on the screen to open an encrypted conference app.
"We're ready," Rufus said as the image of a young man appeared on the tablet screen, "What about your preparations?"
"I have done my part," The young man said with a hint of nervousness, "You would be able to land a heavy blow on the government."
"Don't speak as if you're doing me a favor," Rufus said with a bit of annoyance, "You're going to benefit from this."
"...." The man didn't reply for a minute, "You can't fail at the promise you gave me."
"Of course, I won't," Rufus sighed and said, "Just ensure she arrives at the venue and we would handle the rest."
"I would," The man said after which he ended the video conference.
Rufus turned around and stepped in the warehouse.
-----
Delta City Park.
Zed spent time with Felicity in a thrill park. Jessica and Loren accompanied them, and the two couldn't help but marvel at the relationship between Zed and Felicity.
The two looked on in surprise as Felicity dragged Zed to the Hell ride. He protested but yet he seemed happy when he accompanied her.
The relationship between them appeared to be strange from the perspective of Jessica and Loren.
The two sat down on a park chair, with ice cream in their hands, while thanking their luck since Felicity spared them from the ride.
"Now that I think about it," Loren took a bit of the ice cream, "He would only attend academy when Felicity is there."
"Yeah," Jessica nodded her head, "He doesn't show the least bit interest in the academy even though he is a top student."
"Felicity seems same," Loren said after contemplating a bit, "She would always complain about Zed but she cares about him a lot."
"They are strange," Jessica smiled as she remembered the first encounter and the latter events, "But they are wonderful people."
Loren glanced at Jessica and smiled in agreement.
"You like him, don't you?" Loren asked after a moment.
"Huh?" Jessica was caught off guard by the sudden question.
"I have noticed," Loren added.
"I-I don't like him...I mean I do like him but not in that sense..." Jessica's cheeks were as red as tomatoes as she tried to explain.
Loren laughed seeing the nervous attitude of Jessica.
"Don't laugh," Jessica tried to gain composure but her face was still flushed.
"Sorry," Loren tried her best to control her laughter, "But you were fidgeting so I couldn't stop."
"...."
"If you like him then tell him," Loren glanced at the rollercoaster in which Zed was sitting next to Felicity.
"I..." Jessica didn't know how to reply.
She didn't like him as in love but she did admire him after the help he has given her.
"He doesn't have a girlfriend you know," Loren turned her head towards Jessica before continuing, "And nor he seems to be the type of guy who cares about status or wealth so there is no reason for you to have low self-esteem."
"But he is poles apart from me even if not for that," Jessica shook off her head, "I don't wish to ruin what we have by bringing this matter."
"Your choice," Loren sighed in disappointment, "Just remember you might regret later on for letting this moment pass."
"Let nature takes its course," Jessica continued with a smile, "But you sure sound like an expert even though you never had a boyfriend."
"....."
----
An hour later~
Zed leaned on Felicity's shoulder.
"So tired," Zed muttered exhausted.
The night he has spent as Kiba has taken away all his energy and now the thrill park. He was completely worn out by living two lives with one body.
"Don't be lazy," Felicity sat down on a park chair along with him.
Zed didn't listen to her words and instead, he placed his head on her lap.
Many people nearby in the park looked at them in surprise and shock.
"Such a cute couple," A woman who was running a food stall said.
"They must be new in love," A man near her muttered.
"Bring back memories of our youth," A middle-aged woman who was accompanying her husband said
"I wish we could be like them again," The woman's husband agreed.
Felicity and Zed didn't hear the discussion, and even if they did, they wouldn't care if people misunderstood their relationship by mistake.
"How could you be so tired?" Felicity asked.
"I was working overnight on a project," Zed muttered with his eyes barely half open.
Felicity didn't really believe his words. As she thought of countering him, he closed his eyes completely as sleep overtook him.
She sighed with a smile while looking at his sleeping face.
"How could I ever leave this city with such a troublesome brother?" Felicity ruffled his hairs in a loving manner.
----
A few miles away from Dream Rise House.
Two figures, a young girl and a man, leaped from one tree to another as they arrived at the outskirts of the villa. The security droids, the motion sensors and the thermal scanners in the vicinity remain oblivious to the presence of the two.
They were none other than Alice and the middle-aged man.
"Lady Alice," the middle-aged man glanced at the waterfall upon which the villa was partly built, "Is this the place where the breach in time has taken place?"
"I'm not sure," Alice sat down on the branch of a tree, "But this place is definitely connected to the breach."
The middle-aged man traced the surveillance features in the region.
"The technology is good," the middle-aged man said with disdain, "But compared to our noble family, it is nothing."
"It is because we are outside," Alice said as two streams of invisible red light flew from her eyes and moved inside the villa.
"?" The middle-aged man politely waited for an explanation.
A minute later, the streams of light returned back in her eyes.
"How surprising," Alice closed her eyes.
"What happened?" the middle-aged man looked at her.
"There are secret passages inside the villa and the security features are definitely more powerful than here," Alice answered.
She conjectured that the security outside was purposely kept low. Most likely, she believed, it was in order to not let anyone get suspicious about the scale of technology the villa owner owned.
"How is that surprising?" The middle-aged man asked. It was nothing surprising for large houses to have hidden passages or secret rooms.
"The hidden passages and elevators are connected to some underground facility," Alice said with an obvious trace of excitement in her voice, "But my ability couldn't infiltrate the facilities."
"WHAT?!" The middle-aged man's expression turned frantic.
He didn't dare believe the words he has heard.
"The ability which originated from Sovereigness Parcae was futile?" The middle-aged man's throat turned dry.
He knew very well the talent Alice was blessed with. So for her to fail could be only attributed to the strangeness of the villa.
"Hmm?" Alice and the middle-aged man turned their heads as they heard the sound of a car dashing by.
The large gates outside the villa opened up allowing the hovercraft to enter.
Alice looked on as Zed and Felicity stepped out of the car.
"That man owns the villa," The middle-aged man said after glancing at a report on his phone screen, "Nothing extraordinary about him."
"Oh?" Alice's pupils turned red and two rays of invisible light left her eyes.
Zed didn't notice anything as the rays of light landed on him. He entered the house along with Felicity.
Far away, Alice's eyes turned wide with horror as she felt her energy connection severed.
"Cough!" Alice coughed up a mouthful of blood. Her body shook heavily with her face losing all traces of color.
"Lady Alice!" The middle-aged man rushed forward to gave her support as she fell from the tree.
"Argh!" Alice's felt her insides twist in agony, "We have to leave."
"Understood," The middle-aged man carried her in his arms and leaped away.
After ten minutes, they arrived at an artificial lake. Alice took some water from the lake and splashed it on her face.
"I'm fine now," Alice cleared her face and sat down, "That was close."
"What happened before?" The middle-aged man enquired.
"I tried to check his Strings of Fate," Alice answered in a low voice, "But the energy from my ability was ripped apart after entering his mind."
Chapter 147 Terrorists
(A/N: The starting of this chapter heavily relies on a certain flashback from Chapter 105).
Alice wiped her face with water and sat down on the outskirts of the lake. She closed her eyes and allowed her body to recover on its own.
Slowly her face regained the original color as the effects of backlash dwindled.
The middle-aged man, on the other, patiently stood behind her waiting for her orders.
"Is he from the slums?" Alice asked after a few minutes of deep contemplation.
"Ah...yes," The middle-aged man was startled by her question.
Just half an hour when Zed reached the villa, the middle-aged man has gathered a quick report on Zed through the influence of his family.
While he knew Zed was from the slums thanks to the report, he didn't expect her to ask such a question.
Does she know something?
"Now it makes sense," Alice's teenage face has a look of understanding, "He has to be the one Marina mentioned."
Marina?!
The middle-aged man was startled. Marina was one of the younger seedlings in the family just like Alice so he knew about her.
While Marina lacked the aptitude rivaling Alice, she was proficient enough in using her ability to check the Strings of Fate.
Marina was now in her late twenties but yet she would be no match for fifteen years old Alice.
"Around ten years ago, Marina's brother harmed a slum dweller when the latter tried to request for food," Alice remembered the details she has heard, "Marina checked that slum dweller's Strings of Fate for enjoyment."
"She didn't face a backlash like you?" The middle-aged man asked.
Ten years ago, Marina should be 18-19 so her ability should be lacking compared to Alice.
"No," Alice shook her head, "Maybe that guy was young or perhaps because he has not awakened his powers, but whatever the reason, there was no trouble for Marina."
"What did she found out?" The middle-aged man enquired. For Marina to share the details of the encounter, he believed it has to be something important.
"Sea of blood," Alice answered with a rare expression of fear on her face, "His Strings connected him to the strongest of the world, but wherever he Strings stretched, there would be carnage of the powerful."
"This..."
The middle-aged man was petrified by the words.
Such dreadful fate?!
The Fate was neither an illusory religious concept nor spiritual, but rather a natural law.
The universe, from its very inception, was governed by a few intangible laws which coexisted together.
Space, time, fate and a few others formed a set of intangible concepts on which the very universe existed.
Fate, different from the other laws, determined the development of every existence in the world. It didn't matter whether the existence in regard was a living being, a planet, a star, or even a galaxy.
The Fate ensured everything that has a start has a definite end. One might be able to delay the inevitable but can never escape from it.
No matter which road one takes in the life, the destination would always be the same: Death.
This was Fate.
"That young man's fate would lead to the carnage of the powerful?!" The middle-aged man's back was drenched with cold sweat.
"Yes," Alice nodded her head, "The rules of the family states we never stain our fate with people like him."
A person with such fortunes would never meet their end before the Fate dictates. It didn't matter how grim the situation turned since they wouldn't die before their time.
"I understand," The middle-aged man knew the extent Sovereigness Parcae believed in the concept of Fate.
"But I have already stained my fate with him," Alice thought with a helpless smile, "I could never change that."
-----
Two days later.
Evening.
Delta Mayoral Office occupied a twenty storied building in the central district. The outside premises were heavily guarded with the top echelons of the society entering the building.
Every visitor pressed on the nineteenth-floor switch in the elevator. The elevator door opened to a large hall which was currently used to host a party.
There were around thirty tables in the hall with overhead décor consisting of chandeliers and dangling orchids. The candelabra centerpiece on the tables were filled with roses twisting around them.
Felicity was sitting around a table with her chin resting on her hands. She sighed as glanced at the guests arriving in the hall.
Most of them were new government officials who have arrived just a few days ago. There were even members from the investigative teams.
"The new arrivals are the backup for the investigators," Felicity thought of the information her father has shared, "Supposedly most of them are part of government's secret forces."
"Felicity," Her father - Patrick- called out her from behind.
Felicity stood up and walked to her father.
"Where is Celo?" Patrick enquired about her brother.
"He should be on the lower floors," Felicity answered.
"I see," Patrick took a sip from a glass of wine before continuing, "Are you having fun?"
"Nope," Felicity clearly expressed her views, " I wish I was feeling sick like mom and skip this gathering."
"...I remember I have to meet the mayor," Patrick turned around and left.
He knew it better than anyone the personality of his daughter.
"Zed, you have my sympathies," Patrick thought as he moved to a private room connecting to the hall.
Felicity sighed in disappointment and sat down on the chair. She looked around the room and noticed everyone having fun except for hers.
She was never a party animal, and she hated such events. If not for her brother's insistence, she wouldn't even be here.
"I should have brought Zed here," Felicity thought. She hated how she was forced to give up her plans for trips with him just due to this party.
The party went on with people dancing and eating the best dishes the money can afford in the city.
The investigators and the new backup forces stood around each other in an informal gathering.
"We have to catch that masked terrorist first," Liam said to his friends. As the chief investigator, he felt ashamed to let that man still be free.
"There were earlier traces of the terrorists but now it is like they have disappeared in the air," A woman colleague remarked.
"Most likely they have inside information," Liam guessed.
"Guess so," Another officer agreed.
"There are far too many tasks in the city," Liam released a long breath, "We have zero progress on the golden lightning phenomenon."
"The pressure is building up on all of us," The female colleague from before added.
"Yeah," Liam nodded.
CRASH~!
The sound of glass crashing on the floor reverberated in the room.
"Hmm?"
Suddenly, everyone's attention moved to the center of the hall.
A waiter was on his knees with pieces of glass and tray in front of him. The floor was filled with cocktails and juices.
"Are you all right?" A woman in a red dress moved forward to help seeing no activities from the waiter.
The waiter turned his head above, and when the woman saw his face, she stopped.
"W-what happened to you?" The woman muttered as other people moved towards her and waiter.
Felicity, who was sitting some distance away, noticed the sudden silence in the hall. She left her chair to check the situation when she noticed a waitress dashing towards her direction.
"Huh?" Felicity glanced at her face and she was deeply startled.
The waitress has faint blue runic patterns on her face. In the span of seconds, the runes turned dark blue.
The runes were like patches moving on her face.
Felicity felt a deep sense of dreadness from the blue patches. It was like she was a child while the blue patches were a primordial beast.
Felicity backed away but behind there was a crowd making it hard for her to leave. The others, similarly, noticed the blue patches and almost everyone felt chill down a spine.
As they thought of leaving, they saw three waiters standing on the exit. The three were trembling and coughing up blood.
"What's going on?"
"Who are they?"
"Are they infected with some virus?"
"No idea."
The waiter, who was on the floor, lowered his head. The blue runes were stretching out his face like a balloon on verge of explosion.
"S-save me," the waiter begged in a low voice, "I don't want to die."
The waitress, on the other hand, has a frenzy expression on her face as she arrived in front of Felicity and others.
"You rich and powerful are responsible for the current situation of the society," The waitress shouted, "But now this would stop."
Far behind, the three waiters at the exit also shouted as the guards arrived to take them away.
"Time has come for you to pay for your sins," A waiter at the exit stretched his hands, "There would be no escape from judgment."
"Long live the revolution!" the waiters shouted in unison.
Felicity and others were alarmed by the words.
"Terrorists!"
"Damn! Same happened in Sakura city!"
"Run!"
The entire hall was in chaos with people running around. Everyone wanted to have a safe distance away from the terrorists.
The investigators and the backup forces, on the other hand, were more terrified than the others for they were privy to secret intelligence reports.
"Could they have been injected with those nanites?!" Liam's face turned ghastly pale as he dashed away.
"Fuck! We have to escape!"
"There is no escape!" The waitress laughed crazily as her aura rose up with her body inflating like a balloon.
The blue patches seethed in excitement as they reached every part of her body, eagerly awaiting the moment of their release.
BOOM!
The waitress exploded in a blue mushroom cloud decorated with fragments of blood.
Felicity's heard jolted as she sensed the mushroom cloud nearing her.
"There is no time," She gritted her teeth and crossed her hands in front of her. Her pupils turned green and faint green ripples radiated out from her body.
Swoosh~
A cocoon made from a dozen layers of vines surrounded her.
Simultaneously, in the other parts of the hall, the other waiters similarly exploded into blue mushroom clouds.
The explosion swept throughout the hall destroying everything in their path...
Chapter 148 City Under Attack
Somewhere in the central district.
Kiba and Agatha were looking at a fountain in front of their eyes. The main attraction of the fountain was the mermaid sculpture in between.
Not only Kiba and Agatha but there around hundreds of people in the vicinity of the fountain. It was a popular tourist attraction, especially among youth.
There were rumors that one can get their wish fulfilled by praying to the mermaid. Of course, there was no truth in them, but this didn't stop people from praying.
The mermaid sculpture was attractive and life-like with many believing it was made on a real mermaid from Atlantis.
As one look at the mermaid, one feels attracted to it as if she was offering something no one ever could. The mermaid offered serenity with a touch of seduction, and not even the strong hearted could resist it.
"You're going to make a wish?" Kiba asked.
"Yeap," Agatha took out two silver coins from her purse, "And you should as well."
"I guess it doesn't hurt to try," Kiba took a coin from her.
Simultaneously they closed their eyes and threw the coins in the fountain.
"What wish did you made?" Kiba enquired.
"You don't tell your wish to others," Agatha stated the unspoken rule.
"Oh," Kiba smiled in response.
"What wish did you made?" Agatha asked as they moved away from the fountain.
"Didn't you just said not to share wish?" Kiba placed his hand on her shoulder as they walked.
"You don't believe in it so it is fine," Agatha reasoned with a faint smile on her lips.
"Is that so?" Kiba glanced at her, "I wished for the commencement of Miss Delta Beauty pageant as soon as possible."
Agatha was struck on the spot not daring to believe the words he has said.
He has wished for such a thing?!
"I'm going to one of the judges for the pageant," Kiba explained with his eyes twinkling like stars, "It is a heavy burden and I wished to get rid of it soon."
"Some heavy burden it is," Agatha shook off her head with a smile, "Then again it is not surprising for you to wish for such a thing."
"Hey! Don't judge me!" Kiba said in a stern voice.
"I'm not," Agatha laughed.
She was sure why he was looking forward to the pageant. She could also imagine how he would 'judge' models.
They both moved toward one of the food stalls in the vicinity. Most of the stalls were filled with people happily chattering and eating.
"What would you like to have?" An old man asked.
"Soup for me and milkshake for the lady," Kiba gave the old man his card for payment.
"Your order would be served in a minute!" The old man walked to prepare the order.
"Kiba?" A familiar voice came from behind.
Surprised, Kiba turned around and saw Emily along with a group of ten. Based on what he knew, everyone from the group was either an investigator or a part of the backup force.
Most of the male members in the group were looking at him with eyes full of fury. It was like he has stolen something from them.
"Wonderful meeting you here," Kiba said.
He ignored the others in the group, especially the males for he understood why they were furious on him.
"Same," Emily's eyes moved on Agatha and then her belly.
"Emily this is Agatha," Kiba introduced with a smile, "A very reputable investigator."
"Nice to meet you," Agatha moved forward to shake her hand.
"Ah yes," Emily felt awkward. She has heard rumors about Agatha's pregnancy and so to meet her like this, she felt embarrassed.
"Isn't there a party hosted by the mayor?" Kiba asked as Emily and others ordered on the food stall.
"There is," Emily nodded her head, "But not everyone likes parties, and besides, this place is popular so we wished to check it out as a group."
Many of the group were new in the city so they took it as a collective decision to arrive here a few days ago on their holiday.
"I see," Kiba said as he took a bowl of soup and a glass of milkshake from the stall counter.
"Agatha, here is the milkshake," Kiba moved his hand towards her but then he stopped in between.
He hurriedly turned his head around while the soup bowl in his other hand fell on the floor.
"What happened?" Agatha asked.
"Are you all right?" Emily, who was standing near him, noticed his expression turning serious.
Kiba remained silent as his eyes struck on a middle-aged woman and a young kid some distance away.
The two were silently standing in the middle of a crowd with a painful expression. Their faces were filled with dark blue runic patterns while their bodies were inflating at a very quick pace.
Blood was trickling down from their orifices but they didn't utter any word. Their eyes were filled with such a strong determination that it surprised Kiba.
Emily and others moved their eyes to meet Kiba's line of sight, and every one of them felt a deep sense of dread.
"The nanites from the other world...damn!" Emily's expression twisted with dread.
Before the others from the group could add anything; the woman and the kid's bodies erupted into blinding blue light.
BOOM!
A deafening sound reverberated in the region as the walloping force of explosion expanded. The ground quaked and the mermaid statute shattered before the terrifying explosion swept through it.
The tourists and the stall owners didn't even get time to react as the blue mushroom cloud engulfed them.
"AHHH!"
Their cries were short under the horrifying might of the explosion.
Just moments ago, the hearts of tourists were filled with joy and love as they prayed for a wish to the mermaid.
The stall owners were thanking the customers for their patronage as they sold their signature dishes.
The mood was light and melodious but now...
Not even in their worst nightmares, they expected a visit to the famous fountain would result in something like this.
The only thing they felt before their deaths was a pain they never thought was possible. The sufferings were no less than those from a nuclear blast for the explosion targetted the very gene of its victims before exploding them.
No matter how strong one was, there was no time to react or defend against such a powerful blast.
Emily has formed an electric barrier around her but her entire face was drenched with cold sweat for she felt no hope of surviving this.
Some from her group has surrounded themselves with a force field while others enhanced their bodies with transformation.
Yet, each of them knew their fate for they weren't ignorant of the nature of the explosive.
Kiba felt the waves of explosion catching up to him and Agatha. He quickly placed a hand on Agatha, and the next moment, their bodies were surrounded by rays of white light.
"Kiba," Emily's heart turned empty seeing the two teleporting away.
She wanted to ask for help but then she thought, the short fling would hardly make her any important for a womanizer like him.
Just as the explosion ripped apart her electric barrier, she felt a tuck on her hand from behind. The next moment, she saw the space twisting around her with multiple colors.
CRASH~!
Emily crashed on a sofa.
"Huh?" She was in a state of disbelief knowing she has escaped from her fated death.
She turned around and checked the surrounding to conclude she was in the living room of an apartment.
"I'm alive but others," Emily clenched her fist tightly at the unfairness of the world.
Many from the group were her friends and acquaintances with whom she has spent a lot of time. They were there for her when she was at low in her career by offering help and wisdom.
"Just a moment and everything was taken from me," Emily's eyes were filled with tears.
...
Kiba and Agatha were standing some distance away.
Agatha's face was pale as she sat down on a couch. Her mind played the memories of the people she saw engulfed by the explosion.
Their helpless expression and their heart-wrenching screams filled her heart with sorrow. She didn't know them but the memories made her feel depressed.
"A moment of joy so quickly transformed into a nightmare," She shivered at the realization of how death could arrive at a moment when one least expect it
"Are you all right?" Kiba offered her a glass of water.
"Y-yes," Agatha answered, "That was so close."
"Yeah," Kiba nodded his head.
He has felt a terrifying force from the middle-aged woman and her kid when he sensed their existence before, and he was sure, the explosive inside them was something extraordinary.
"We're fine so let's not think any longer," Kiba placed his hand on her shoulder.
"Yeah," Agatha bit her lips, "But so many innocents were killed with no fault of theirs."
"...." Kiba didn't reply.
He believed the revolutionaries were responsible for the explosion since he has heard about similar incidents in other cities.
He pretty much knew the revolutionaries were in war with the top echelons of the world government for resources and power.
No matter the era, in every war it has always been the innocents who suffer the most. The creators of the war were safe in their ivory towers while the soldiers and the masses pay the price of blood.
"Have some rest," Kiba suggested with a sigh.
"...I will," Agatha nodded.
Just then Emily walked towards them. They noticed her red eyes but didn't say anything since no words of consolation could lower her pain.
"Thank you for saving me," Emily expressed her gratitude.
"It's fine----"
BEEP~ BEEP~
The speakers in the room started releasing loud beep noise.
Kiba stopped his words in the middle as he felt a strong vibration from his cell phone.
[[CODE RED]]
Claudia's voice came out from the speakers in the room and his cell phone.
"Don't tell me," Kiba's expression turned unsightly.
[[SHE IS UNDER ATTACK]]
"Damn," Kiba gritted his teeth as a column of white light surrounded him.
"What's the code red and who is 'she'?" Emily asked after he teleported away.
"I don't know," Agatha answered as she recalled his expression from a moment ago, "But whoever is she...she should be very important to him."
Chapter 149 Nanites
Delta Military Base was in the form of a business park with multiple buildings spread out.
Recently the base has been occupied by the investigators and the new backup team sent by the government.
As per rumors, the base contained some special equipment which required 24*7 hours security protection.
Whether the rumors were true not known, but the security of the base has been amplified after the arrival of investigators a month ago.
Hundreds of humanoid droids were guarding the perimeter and only allowing people with proper security clearance to enter the base.
A three storied building at the center was the most heavily guarded facility on the entire base.
The third floor.
At the end of the corridor, a thick metallic door was placed.
The metallic layer and the force field surrounding was strong enough to survive even nuclear destruction.
The door indeed lead to what resembled a bunker-like facility but inside, there was only a piece of single equipment in the shape of a generator.
Morgan was standing next to the equipment with a heavy expression.
"This is our trump card to overpower whatever caused that golden lightning phenomenon," Morgan muttered.
He glanced around the room but other than him, there was no one.
"My colleagues are having fun but here I'm struck with equipment," Morgan complained of hardship.
He wanted nothing more than spending the night out with his wife at the party hosted by the mayor, but the rules dictated for him to supervise the facility tonight.
"Like anyone would dare attack here."
RUMBLE~!
Suddenly, a deafening explosion sounded in the distance.
"What?!" Morgan was terrified by the sound. He dashed to the control panel some distance away and was horrified by the scenes on the monitor screen.
"The base is under attack?!"
The screens were full of blue mushroom clouds.
"Could it be...?!" Morgan's entire face turned pale as a possibility struck his mind, "Those revolutionaries must have implanted nanites in the bodies of some staff members!"
He backed to the end of the facility with his body shivering. He looked at the metallic door and hoped that the facility was truly powerful enough to resist the explosion.
"I have to contact Liam!" Morgan opened his cellphone.
----
The Delta Mayoral Office's building was full of chaos as multiple explosions simultaneously occurred on the nineteenth floor.
The blue mushroom cloud expanded and begun moving towards the lower floors.
BOOM~
The architectural glass shattered into fragments and so did the security droids in the air before the fires of the explosion engulfed them.
The security forces, at the entrance of the building, were in a state of disbelief as they looked at the higher floors.
The reporters, on the other hand, focused their cameras on the floors engulfed by the explosion. All the cameras could capture was blue smog and the deafening sound.
"Start the rescue mission!" A police officer shouted to his subordinates.
"Bring the fire truck!" A security agent said on his phone.
"Damn! The building is full of VIPs!"
"If they die then we would have a hell to pay!"
"How did such a thing happened?!"
"There is definitely some deep conspiracy!"
"Stop the discussion and help in the rescue!"
On the nineteenth floor.
Inside a private room connected to the hall.
The room was stylish and luxurious, but the ten members inside the room were in no mood to think about the design.
Before the explosion took place, they entered the private room for a discussion. They never thought this would save their life.
"Mayor, you have done good work to design this as a bunker," An old man said as the sound of raging destruction from outside the room reverberated inside.
"I'm afraid this is not a type of compliment I like to hear," The mayor said with a deep frown, "I made this after what happened to the mayor of Sakura city."
"Smart decision," Sylvan nodded his head, "We could survive those nanites."
"Let's hope so," The mayor said.
"We would live for sure," Sylvan was in the middle of continuing his sentence when he noticed a person dashing towards the exit.
"Patrick, stop!" The mayor and others caught him.
"Let me go!" Patrick's eyes were bloodshot, "My daughter is in the hall!"
"Think rationally!" Sylvan shouted, "You would just be giving your life for nothing!"
"You should know about the nanites true power!"
"No one can survive that explosion!"
"You're lying! Felicity won't die!" Patrick's face was soaked with tears...
----
The hall was filled with fires of the explosion as it raged and expanded. Most of the guests were already killed by the explosion.
Only very few remained with them using their abilities to barely retain their lives.
Liam has covered his body with diamond shards. His scalp was numb with pain as shards continue to shatter under the might of the explosion.
"Fuck," Liam cursed.
He truly wished he has allowed Morgan to take his place in the party.
Some distance away, a cocoon made of vines was engulfed by the blue mushroom cloud.
"Cough!" Felicity coughed up blood.
Only a single layer of the vines remained, and she felt the situation turning worse by every second.
"I won't give up!" Felicity clenched her teeth and raised her hands to bring out more power as she saw the flames destroying the final layer.
Zzzz
Suddenly, the silver bracelet on her right wrist shook with faint signs of current manifesting on it.
"This..." Before Felicity could think further, the bracelet released blinding silver light.
Swoosh~
She slowly opened her eyes with a shocked expression on her face.
A silver rectangular barrier has surrounded herself. The silver barrier was filled with small hexagonal golden coatings.
BANG!
The waves of the explosion struck loudly on the barrier without any damage.
"The bracelet Zed and Claudia gave me," Felicity clearly remembered the scene of the day Zed gifted her the bracelet in Claudia's stead.
[[Lady Felicity. The barrier can only resist the force of explosion but not the true danger.]]
"True danger?" Felicity heard Claudia's voice from her bracelet.
[[Please cover all your pores. Also, try to hold your breathing as long as you can.]]
Felicity nodded and covered her body with faint wooden covering. She held her breath as asked knowing now was not the time to inquire anything.
Unknown to her, Claudia knew the true crisis. Through the bracelet, she could sense particles of nanosize trying to pass through the barrier.
The particles were gaseous and almost impossible to detect. Claudia didn't know what they were but she was sure of one thing: they were dangerous.
[[Master should be here in a minute but those particles...]]
Some distance away, Liam released a heart-wrenching scream. He was protected from the explosion by the diamond shards, but his body was trembling.
"Damn! Those nanites have invaded!" Liam clenched his head tightly as he felt his very structure of body being attacked at a genetic level.
He lost focus and the diamond shards dissipated.
"NO!" Liam cried for the final time as the explosion engulfed him.
BOOM~!
The might of explosion increased and with more vigor, it attacked the barrier surrounding Felicity.
THUD~!
Just then a large column of white light landed on the broken floor and soon transformed into Kiba.
"Felicity?" Kiba muttered as he formed a golden force field around him. The force of the explosion made it hard for his senses to feel her existence.
He closed his eyes and focused all his energy to sense her. His senses covered the entire hall and soon detected a woman surrounded by a barrier.
"There!" Kiba walked forward surrounded by the golden force field. The disruption in the air made it almost impossible for him to teleport around her.
The nanites in the mushroom cloud detected his existence as he stepped forwards. Before they have to focus on a dozen mutants so their attack wasn't concentrated, but now only two remained.
The next moment, almost the entire might of explosion was directed towards him. The nanites identified him as a force to reckon and thus they used all their power to stop him.
"Stop annoying me," Kiba clenched his fist and the golden force field expanded further. The waves of the explosion were pushed back but the nanites invaded through.
"Just what are these?" Kiba formed a golden coating on his body.
To his shock, the nanites were able to find a nonexistent gap to invade even the coating.
"If I'm having such trouble then Felicity?" His eyes turned wide with horror as the realization hit him.
He raised his hand and used all the energy the current state could allow him to release a golden stream of light.
The golden stream of light sliced apart the mushroom cloud as it flew towards Felicity.
"Argh!" Kiba felt the nanites invading through the gold coating over his body. He clenched his teeth in order to not lose his concentration at such a crucial time.
The golden stream of light pushed the barrier surrounding Felicity towards the broken glass windows.
"What?" Felicity felt herself in a free fall.
Shocked, she opened her eyes and saw the barrier still around her, but with every second, she saw floors of flames passing through her vision.
[[Lady Felicity, use all your energy to cover your body. The remaining particles in the air are targetting you.]]
"Yes," Felicity closed her eyes and strengthened the wooden layer on her body.
She trusted Claudia and so she didn't think about her falling any longer.
...
Inside the hall.
"Urgh!" Kiba's face turned ghastly pale with the veins on his forehead trembling. The nanites passed through his bloodstream and finally struck on his genes.
He felt his very genes being ripped apart. The genes stored more than just hereditary data, they were the origin of the body's entire existence.
His very source was under onslaught while the blood inside him turned poisonous.
"There is only one choice!"
Rays of white light surrounded him, and he teleported away.
---
The wasteland.
SHUA~!
Kiba landed on a giant crater. His knees swayed and he fell on the ground.
Blood was leaking from his orifices with his body color turning poisonous blue.
"Scram!"
His aura amplified as the half-blue in his pupils transformed into gold and his hairs grew at a rate visible to the naked eye.
The clear night sky was filled with intense rumbling sounds as dark clouds converged. Defeaning thunder reverberated in all directions and the ground shook.
The golden lightning in the sky carried an awe-inspiring might to destroy everything out of its existence.
Kiba stood up from the ground. He stretched his hands apart as the new energy inside him sliced apart the nanites struck on his genes.
The blood inside him regained its original vitality and in just a moment, his body retained turned normal.
"Felicity," Kiba closed his eyes to dissipate the golden lightning phenomenon. After his recent experience, he didn't dare use his full powers.
His golden hairs reached back their original length and his pupils were now half-blue and half-gold.
----
Meanwhile, outside the mayor building.
Felicity landed on the middle of a street surrounded by police. She was surrounded by the barrier and with every passing moment, the barrier faded.
The bracelet on her wrist turned from silver to dull bronze.
"Take her to emergency!" A guard nearby shouted.
"She is safe but she needs treatment!" Another guard shouted.
Felicity has already lost her consciousness after using her full strength before. As the barrier faded away and the wooden layer disappeared from her body, a single nanite struck on her back...
Chapter 150 Damage
The outside of the mayor's building was full of crowd and vehicles. Fire trucks and ambulance were rushing through while the police tried to control the onlookers and media.
In the sky, Elementalist mutants were trying their best to control the fire of the explosion. The blue smog made the task more difficult than they thought.
Five helicopters were near the top floors to provide rescue in case of survivors were sighted.
Cleo - Felicity's brother- rushed out of the building entrance with his hairs messed. He was accompanied by a group of four.
The media noticed him and directed their cameras on him.
"Dad and sis," Cleo fell on his knees with his eyes full of tears.
His depressed expression and the tears made even the numb-hearted media persons feel pity. They could imagine the suffering a man would feel at the loss of his father and sister.
"Cleo, calm down," A female police officer came to support him.
"It is my fault," Cleo lied dejected on the floor, "I shouldn't have brought Felicity here."
His tears continued to pour down his face.
"Felicity is alive," A middle-aged policeman shouted, "She has been taken to the city hospital."
"WHAT?!" Cleo's expression froze with his pupils dilating the size of a needle, "She is alive?! How could--- Ahh! Thank god!"
His wept while thanking the god but deep inside his heart felt empty at the news.
"Your father is alive as well!" An old reporter spoke, "One of the helicopters has rescued ten survivors and one of them is your father!"
"WH--that's such good news!" Cleo sobbed with a happy expression.
"He truly loves his family," A guard muttered.
"He even blamed himself but thankfully his relatives are alive!"
"It would be bad to have a good guy like him suffer tragedy."
"The gods have listened to his wishes."
-----
ICU, VIP Zone, City Heart Hospital.
Felicity was lying unconscious on an examination table. From time to time, her body would tremble with blood leaking from the corner of her mouth.
"What has happened to her?" A male doctor asked.
"The sensors are showing an infection in her spine," A female doctor answered looking at a virtual screen.
"Start operation preparation," The male doctor ordered the junior doctors.
Outside, some distance away from the ward.
Zed dashed towards the ICU with full speed.
"You can't enter!" A police officer guarding the ward stopped him.
Zed quickly removed a platinum card from his pocket and threw it on the officer's hand.
"This is...?!" The officer looked at the card with disbelief, "An unlimited withdrawal card?!"
"Password is 1693," Zed ignored the dumbstruck officer as dashed forward, "Use it before I change my decision."
Zed reached the entrance of the ICU. He turned around as he heard the loud sobbing sound from a woman.
"Lady Kyla," Zed arrived in front of her.
"Zed?" Kyla wiped her eyes.
"Please take care of yourself," Zed said in a low voice, "She wouldn't want to see you in this state."
"I know," Kyla said with a bitter smile, "But the doctors say they need to perform an operation."
"What?" Zed's body shook.
"They say she was infected," Kyla informed.
Infected?!
Zed's breathing turned rugged as an unpleasant thought struck his heart.
"Don't tell me," Zed turned around and raced to the closed entrance of ICU.
He clenched the knob and in a second, it melted.
"What are you doing?" A doctor inside shouted as he saw Zed entering the ICU.
"You can't be here!" A junior doctor shouted.
"Shut up," Zed tried his best to not lose cool. He stepped in front of the virtual console panel and eyed the report.
"Kid, get out!" A female doctor has enough of this boy.
How could he rush inside an ICU?!
Does he think it is a playground?!
"Are you idiots?" Zed turned towards the doctor who was about to perform a surgery on her.
"What did you say?" The doctor was offended.
"The recommendations you have set here would be useless," Zed moved to the examination table, "She has been harmed at a genetic level and operating on her spine would kill her."
"Boy, don't speak nonsense," The doctor shouted with contempt evident in his voice.
A young guy dares guide him?!
He was someone with a lot of experience in the field of medication and he definitely didn't need a lesson from a young kid!
The infection was clearly at the spine and not genetic level!
Even if it was at genetic level, how would a kid know this just from a mere glance!
The kid was a definitely a fraud!
No!
He was insane!
Zed ignored the doctor and instead, rolled Felicity so that her back was on the top.
"Stop!" The doctor put a hand on Zed's wrist.
"If you don't wanna die, get lost," Zed glanced at him.
"Y-you!" The doctor was about to chide him when he heard the stepping sound of another person walking in.
"Zed, you can't be here!" Kyla was surprised by his actions, "I know she means a lot to you but we should let the doctors take care of this."
Kyla never expected him to barge in the operation room.
Just what was he expecting to do here?!
He was just a student so how could he help?!
He would be just messing this up!
The doctors looked at them and realized they were relatives of the patient but this still didn't allow them to be here!
And where the heck was the police officer?!
"Kyla, I know what I'm doing," Zed took a deep breath, "And please don't disturb me any longer."
If there was time, he would have teleported Felicity to his own lab but now the commodity he lacked the most was time.
There was no time to waste on transforming into Kiba, teleport her, and ready the equipment at the lab. The lab was designed keeping him in mind so it would take a while to set it for another person.
This is why he decided to do what the situation demanded. He pressed a finger on the virtual interface of the examination table.
"You think controlling advanced grade equipment is a piece of cake---" The doctor stumped with his eyes turning wide with surprise.
He saw Zed's hand moving on the interface. The speed was so fast he couldn't even realize what set of instructions he was giving.
"He knows how to operate?!"
The junior doctors' mouth opened in astonishment. They knew it very well that it was no easy task to operate such equipment.
High-grade equipments were super sensitive. A single wrong command and the equipment might malfunction!
Kyla, on the other hand, looked in disbelief as a ring of light passed through her daughter's body.
"He wasn't blabbering nonsense earlier?"
The next moment, a holographic projection of Felicity's body was in the room. A small virtual screen appeared behind the projection showing her genes.
"Whatever that infection is...it is harming her genes to damage her spine," Zed pointed towards her gene structure diagram and then her spine projection, "The genes are not only our source of power but they are also the source of pretty much everything in us."
"I-I know," The head doctor also noticed the irregularities in the gene sequence. The problem was not in the coding region but other parts of the genes.
He gulped down a mouthful of saliva knowing how gravely his plan was flawed. If he has tried to operate on her spine then it would have been useless.
"Just what is this kid?" The head doctor looked at Zed as if he was a monster.
How can a kid have such powerful observation?!
No!
How can this kid know so much at such a young age?!
"It is genes which carry the information on how our body behaves," Zed muttered with his expression turning cloudy, "The infection is destroying a specific part of amino acid sequence..."
He gritted his teeth in frustration after discerning how severe the situation has turned.
"W-what do you mean?" Kyla asked. She saw how everyone in the room has turned silent.
No one answered her question with everyone holding their breath. The junior doctors and the female doctor looked at Zed as if waiting for him to decide how to proceed forward.
Even the head doctor didn't have any confidence even with all his years of expertise. He has never seen such an infection so how could he cure it?!
Zed took another deep breath to calm himself. He knew this was not the time to allow emotions to take control of him.
A single misstep might lead to an everlasting regret. With a new determination in his eyes, he adjusted his hands on the control panel.
"Activate the laser," Zed passed the instructions to the doctor, "We need to get rid of the infection before it does more harms."
"Y-yes!" The head doctor activated the laser equipment above. He adjusted the settings to pass on the genetic level.
"Inject her with SE-700," Zed told the female doctor, "Add 100 ml of RX-120."
"Yes," The female doctor hurriedly prepared the serum as per his instructions.
"Ready the cloning reactor," Zed turned towards the junior doctors, "NOW!"
"Y-yes," The junior doctors nodded.
"Kyla, please leave," Zed passed the final instruction before moving his attention to Felicity.
Kyla didn't say anything and silently left the room.
-----
An hour later~
Outside.
Felicity's father and brother arrived in front of Kyla
"You allowed that kid to operate on Felicity?!" Patrick shouted after she shared the details.
Earlier, Patrick was pleasantly surprised when he was informed his daughter was alive. He has lost all hope so the news of her survival brought him joy.
But now his heart jolted learning a twenty-something kid was treating his precious daughter!
"He knows his stuff," Kyla tried to explain.
She knew how absurd her words but she knew they were true.
She was very well aware if someone told her that Zed was capable of treating her daughter then she would simply consider it outrageous.
But after witnessing the dumbfounded expressions of the doctors she knew Zed was the only one who could take care of things.
"Mom! Don't be naive," Celo protested while shaking his head in disappointment.
"I would never forgive you if---" As Patrick was in the middle of saying, he heard the door opening.
Zed walked out along with the head doctor.
"How is she?" Patrick rushed to the doctor.
"She is alive but..." The head doctor didn't continue.
"Zed, tell me," Kyla noticed his dejected expression and she felt a bad premonition.
"Her spine is damaged," Zed's eyes were closed as he muttered, "The real issue is her gene---"
Before Zed could finish, a punch landed on his stomach.
"It is your fault!" Patrick rushed to land another punch.
"Stop!" The head doctor caught Patrick's hand, "He saved your daughter's life!"
"What did you said?" Patrick looked at the doctor.
"None of us could have saved her," The doctor explained with a heavy expression, "But he was able to save her by controlling the damage."
"This..." Patrick and Cloe glanced at Zed.
There were traces of blood on his lips, but he didn't say anything.
"The situation was never ideal but he did what not even the best doctors could have done," The head doctor continued with traces of respect in his voice, "You should be grateful to him."
"Zed, thank you," Patrick turned towards him.
"You don't have to thank me after the damage she has undertaken," Zed said as a drop of tear fell from his eye, "And I did deserve that punch."
"No, sir, you saved her," The head doctor respectfully said.
"If only that was a thing to rejoice," Zed ignored the doctor and others as he walked away.
After gaining his current powers, today was the first time he felt something he has never felt.
Despair.
He stepped forward with his vision blurred.
...
A few minutes later, he stood in front of a washbasin. He glanced at his face in the mirror.
"Felicity," Zed muttered in a barely audible tone, "I'm sorry."
He opened the tap and took a handful of water in his hands.
~splash~
In the washroom, the loud sound of splashing reverberated.
The water touched his skin and wiped away the signs of tears.
[[Sir.]]
Claudia's voice came from his cell phone.
[[We would treat her.]]
"...."
Zed continued to splash more water on his face.
[[Don't fault yourself for something you had no control over.]]
"...."
[[You couldn't have used your full powers in that situation.]]
The moment he summoned his full powers, the sky would be covered with dark clouds and golden lightning. Just the very aura of the lighting would dissipate every living being in its vicinity into nothingness.
Back when he faced Akshobhya, he has to teleport to the wasteland in order to ensure he wouldn't harm Felicity and others who were in the range of his powers.
This time he couldn't do this since his goal was to save life and not kill.
"If I was a bit earlier, "Zed continued to splash on his face, "Then she wouldn't be in this pain."
[[You can't change what has passed.]]
"I know," Zed looked at his eyes in the mirror, "If not for that particle."
The nanite was more troublesome than he dared imagine. It was able to create permanent damage to her genes before it was destroyed.
The bothersome issue surfaced afterward.
No matter how he tried, he wasn't able to make her spine fully work like before.
The current cloning technology allowed organs to be repaired and replaced. The spine was repaired but the nerves didn't respond.
Only then he realized the true extent of the damage the nanite has caused.
It has permanently destroyed a fragment of data on her genes which not even the cloning could undo. The data was responsible for the functioning of the major part of the spine.
While she could control her upper body, she wouldn't be able to control the lower parts of her body.
She was handicapped.
For someone like Felicity, this was the worst form of torture.
She was someone who liked to roam around and get on adventures.
But now...
[[You have to think about the future and not the past. She wouldn't want you to blame yourself.]]
"You're right," Zed closed the tap, "Now is not the time to think about the past and nor blame myself."
[[I have started running virtual simulations for her treatment in the lab.]]
"Good," Zed took a tissue and wiped his face, "Let's get the work started."
[[There is an issue though.]]
"I know," Zed's expression twisted with his eyes full of killing intent, "To undo the damage we need to experiment on those particle."
[[Yes. We need a good amount of those particles for research.]]
"Find me the revolutionaries," A hint of gold appeared in his pupils while his hairs turned golden, "No matter what it takes."
[[Understood.]]
"They don't really care about living, right?" He looked in the mirror as his transformation into Kiba completed.
[[Yes. They don't fear death.]]
"Then let me make them regret being born."
Chapter 151 The Warehouse
Outside City Heart Hospital.
Around twenty police officers were guarding the barricade surrounding the hospital premises. Dozens of media reporters were standing outside with cameras, mikes, tape recorders, cell phones, and so on.
"We have confirmed the daughter of Senator Patrick Weisz is alive," A female reporter said on a mike, "She is out of danger but unconscious."
"The Weisz family was lucky but others were not so blessed," Another journalist reported, "So far the casualty count has crossed 3000."
"For those who are joining us just now, the city is under a deep state of crisis after four bomb blasts," A male reporter spoke in a heavy tone, "The office of the mayor, military base, the mermaid fountain street, and police headquarters were attacked."
"As per our sources, suicide bombers carried out this tragedy," A young journalist reported, "It is still unknown how the bombers were undetected by advanced security checkers."
"Some sources believe the explosives used couldn't be detected by the current technology," An older journalist spoke, "We would bring you---"
The reporters stopped as their attention moved to the entrance of the hospital.
Cleo slowly walked out accompanied by guards. His face was soaked with tears and his eyes were red.
"Mr. Cleo, how is your sister?" A reporter asked as Cleo moved.
"She is out of danger but...she would never be able to walk," Cleo muttered with a sound of sobbing mixed in between.
"Oh no!" Reporters and the police officers were shocked by the news.
Never able to walk?
They couldn't imagine just how pitiful this would be for a young girl.
"She was always kind to others," Cleo sumped down on the road surface, "Why didn't the gods took me in her stead?"
Cleo took out his purse from his pocket which contained a picture of him and a teenage Felicity. Felicity and Cleo were hugging each other in the pic, and one couldn't help but marvel at the love between brother and sister.
"How can those terrorists be so cruel?" Cleo wailed with anger, "So many innocents suffered due to them."
The reporters recorded the entire scene. They felt pity for him but that didn't stop them from carrying out the job.
This scene was a great TRP material and they wish to exploit it.
----
VIP Ward.
Patrick and Kyla were sitting on chairs in the corridor. From time to time they would glance at the ICU entrance afraid of any terrible news.
The door opened and the head doctor stepped out.
"Is she well?" Patrick left his chair and rushed towards the doctor.
"Yes," The doctor answered, "She should be able to regain her consciousness by tomorrow."
"Thank you," Kyla said while wiping the tears from her eyes.
"I'm only supervising her and nothing else," The doctor sighed, "The one who saved her is not me."
"...." Patrick and Kyla didn't say anything.
They obviously knew the doctor was referring to Zed. Now the doctor was just following the suggestions left by him.
"Please excuse me," The head doctor took his leave.
....
Kyla and Patrick returned to their chairs thinking about the conditions of their daughter.
"I was unfair to that kid," Patrick said in a barely audible tone, "He loves her just like us and for me to blame him..."
"He didn't take offense," Kyla pressed his palms, "He understands your behavior earlier was a natural response of a father."
"I would apologize later," Patrick lowered his head.
Kyla was in the middle of contemplating on how to respond when she noticed two men walking towards them
"Mayor? Sylvan?" Patrick raised his head.
"I'm glad your daughter is out of danger," Mayor said.
"It relieves our heart," Sylvian added.
"Thank you," Patrick expressed his gratitude before changing the subject, "Did you found the revolutionaries?"
"We would get a lead soon," Sylvian said in a matter of factly, "They wouldn't be spared."
"That's good to know," Patrick nodded.
"I must say you truly love your daughter," The mayor said.
"?" Patrick and Kyla looked at him in confusion.
Why was he stating something obvious in the middle of this topic?
"It isn't every day that a parent gifts his daughter with such a powerful defense charm to protect herself," The mayor said in deep appreciation.
"Charm?" Patrick asked in confusion.
"Come on, no need to act," Sylvan's eyes scrutinized the couple, "A bracelet made from the alloys of Vajra and Adamantine surely deserves to be called as a charm."
"Rest assured we won't be sharing this with others," The mayor said with a smile, "We all have our secret resources."
Patrick was shocked by their words but he didn't let it appear on his face.
"I'm grateful," Patrick said after which he held small talks.
A few minutes later, the mayor and Sylvan left~
"What bracelet?" Kyla asked in confusion.
"I don't know," Patrick said as he brought out his cellphone to open the reports. He swiped multiple records from the hospital archives and the police records.
"This is...?" Kyla glanced at a video on the phone screen.
The video showed Felicity in a free fall from the top floor of the building. She was surrounded by a rectangular silver barrier.
It was clear from the video that a silver bracelet on her hand was responsible for this protection. The video ended with the bracelet turning into dull brown supposedly after losing its power.
When the guards brought her to the hospital for treatment, they took away the bracelet and gave it to the forensic department.
"You know this bracelet?" Patrick asked.
"She has been wearing it from a few weeks," Kyla muttered, "I never asked her about it though."
"I see," Patrick nodded his head, "If someone asks about it, just tell that it was given by me."
"I will," Kyla agreed with the suggestion. She has a faint idea on who has gifted her daughter with such a precious charm.
Patrick too has his suspicions but both of them agreed to never share the details with others.
"Where is Zed?" Patrick asked a moment.
"No idea," Kyla shook off her head, "He isn't picking my calls."
----
A large warehouse lied on the end of an empty street in the downtown. The warehouse looked abandoned when one glance at it with all the dust and garbage lying around.
But if one looks carefully, they would notice around hundreds of small CCTV cameras in the perimeter of the warehouse.
Furthermore, the shutter appeared to be made from special metals. Even the attack of missiles couldn't rip apart it.
Inside.
The seven revolutionaries were sitting around a chair. The chair has seven glasses of water, and at the center, a small holographic projection was projected.
The projection was in the form of a young man.
Cleo!
"I did what you asked but you couldn't even carry out a small task," Cleo's expression was filled with anger.
"Everyone else in the explosion died so how could you fault us?" Yuzi asked in an annoyed tone.
"Yuzi is right," Simon added with a frown, "That girl must have some protection if she survived the onslaught of nanites."
"Not even the strongest mutants could survive the nanites directly," Rufus spoke with a deep voice, "The nanites are more aggressive towards a being with a higher power."
"So for her to survive could only mean an unnatural occurrence," Yuizi concluded.
"Don't try to pass the blame on me," Cleo's projection shouted, "It is your---"
Cleo's expression changed.
"Fuck! The police have located you," Cleo said with fear evident in his voice, "They would be arriving in ten minutes."
"What?" The revolutionaries stood up from their chair.
"Run now!" Cleo said as his projection disappeared.
"Pack up!" Rufus left the table.
Zzzz
The next moment, one tube light after the another turned off.
"What's going on?" Yuizi asked.
Their eyes could see through the dark but the sudden loss of light gave them an eerie feeling.
"Check the CCTV," Rufus commanded.
"Yes," Simon pressed a finger on his watch screen. A small virtual window popped up above the watch.
"How could this be?" Simon muttered glancing at the window.
There was nothing on the window except color bars.
"Has the police arrived?" Yuizi asked in a low voice.
"Don't think---" Rufus stopped as he felt an ominous feeling.
The warehouse was suddenly filled with a wave that chilled the heart. Their breathing stalled while innumerable snowflakes streamed down.
"W-what is this?" Yuizi touched the snowflakes falling on her body.
The snowflakes were not white but blood-red. Just the mere touch made her feel as if she was in the depths of cold hell.
"How is this possible?" Rufus moved his eyes towards the table. The glasses of water were now frozen with layers of ice.
Every single layer was covered with a streak of blood-red line.
Rufus' pupils contracted to the size of a needle as a realization hit him.
Killing intent!
It was the true manifestation of killing intent!
Just how many people one has to murder to manifest killing intent in such a fashion?!
The only sound in the entire warehouse was the sound of heartbeats. None dare mutters a word as their hearts jolted under this indescribable killing intent.
BANG~!
The dreadful silence was suddenly broken from the end of the warehouse. The seven turned their heads around and looked with complete disbelief as the shutter was blown apart with a loud bang.
"W-who is there?"
There was no response from the entrance which was filled with nothing but dust and smoke.
Slowly, the seven could make out a figure of a man. The lack of light and the turbulent air made it hard to see the facial features.
~step~
The man took a slight step forward. The ground trembled and the floor cracked open with each step carrying the pressure of a mountain.
"I will check the invader," Simon muttered in a low voice, "You all get ready before more people arrive."
"Yes but be careful," Rufus nodded.
"I can easily buy out a lot of time no matter how strong that man is," Simon said as his facial features distorted. In just a second, he transformed into a giant ape with the skin of titanium.
He quickly leaped with full speed towards the entrance to face the unknown enemy.
"Prepare for evacuation," Rufus hastily said, "We have---"
SMACK~!
"ARGH!"
Rufus' expression turned into astonishment as he heard the sound of bones fracturing followed by a scream. He turned around and didn't dare believe the scene in front of his very eyes.
Simon was flowing towards them like a kite with its string broken. His stomach was caved in, and as he flew back, he sprayed blood mixed with broken teeth.
SMASH~!
Simon smashed on the floor with his limbs spread out.
"I-impossible," Yuizi stumbled back as she glanced at her companion.
He was still an ape but his jaws bones were shattered into pieces. The fragments of the bones pierced his titanium skin to reveal the flesh inside.
Simon was trembling with blood gushing down his head. The blood inside him was in a turbulent mess and he opened his mouth to spit out blood mixed with flesh.
"Just who is he?" Rufus glanced at the man who was slowly moving forward.
The man gave him a glance, and as he did, Rufus felt as if he was targetted by a primordial beast.
All the blood from his face faded into white while his eyes bulged in horror. He took a step back and fell over...