by E S Richards
A wave of dizziness instantly overcame her as she partially sat up. For a second her vision became blurred with little black flecks dancing around as she moved her eyes. Focusing on the wall in front of her Zahyra managed to still her body and slowly she swung her gaze towards Professor Welbeck.
Seeing the woman’s back facing her Zahyra breathed out a silent sigh of relief. It didn’t look like she had been spotted yet and that thought only spurred Zahyra on further with her escape. A minute later her ankles were freed and she was standing to the side of the fold up bed, pulling her t-shirt back down over her head.
It was only then that Zahyra noticed her right arm. While the women had mainly focused on cutting into Zahyra’s back, she had also felt small cuts being inflicted on other parts of her body. She couldn’t remember exactly whether she had noticed the cuts on her right arm, the hour of pain morphing into one short but painful memory. Looking at her arm however it was obvious some work had been done there.
At the top of Zahyra’s right arm, where the fake Gen 1 branding her mother had managed to organise for her was found, three clean and deep cuts had newly appeared. The cuts had been inflicted turning the straight line of the number one into a box, with some attempt at curving the lines also evident. Instantly it was clear to Zahyra what Heather and Professor Welbeck had tried to do. She could no longer pretend to carry a Gen 1 mutation; she was now branded as a Zero for everyone to see.
Allowing herself one last look at the mutilation of her skin Zahyra picked up a bandage from the table in front of her and wrapped it carefully around her right arm. Her fresh injuries were just another problem that she was going to have to deal with later, for now she needed to figure out what to do.
Should she escape from the lab while Professor Welbeck was distracted? Would Asher and Cain both still be in the vehicle bay and could she get to them safely? How was it possible to regain her little brother, freeing his mind from the trap the safe haven had set in it?
As Zahyra paused where she stood, running over her options in her head as quickly as she could a loud explosion resonated in the facility not too far from her. Professor Welbeck’s head snapped up from the screen at the sound and she looked around her lab, instantly finding Zahyra standing next to the bed rather than strapped on top of it.
Like it or not that explosion had made the decision for Zahyra and she now suspected she had little time left to act. Mustering all the strength she could manage she starting weaving through the lab, changing her angle at the last minute to avoid the door and instead collided head on with the professor herself, wrapping her arms around the older women as their two bodies fell to the floor.
Chapter 26 – Cain
Crouching low beside the SUV Cain continued to watch the battle between Asher, the other five boys and the commander’s advanced mutant party. Of course, it wasn’t as unevenly matched as that made it sound, with Asher and the other boys all possessing Gen 6 mutations. Technically the group of ten year olds were the strongest mutants in the world, let alone just in the vehicle bay.
One advantage the commander’s mutants did possess however was their training. While Asher and the boys looked to have had a crash course, the commander’s mutants had been training in fighting combat for many years. They also had a wealth of real life experience, something Cain perceived the boys were also lacking in.
Ultimately it meant that the two sides were fairly evenly matched. To Cain that alone told him wonders about how strong the Gen 6 mutation was and the control the safe haven appeared to have over the boys. It also made him worry about how long the battle between the two sides would rage on for and how he was going to stop it.
Cain himself appeared to have been excused from the battle by Asher, none of the other boys coming to attack him despite his fairly obvious location. However the commander’s other men were all still at risk, as were the lives of Asher, Adryan from the warped settlement, the twins Zac had known from the facility and the two other boys who were also under the safe haven’s spell. Cain certainly couldn’t let any of the young boys die and while he cared less about the commander’s men, he felt too many lives had already been lost for the safe haven’s cause.
But none of that made what he had to do any easier. He still had no idea how to get through to Asher and no idea how to stop the commander’s men from attacking.
As Cain tried to determine which avenue would be easier to travel he watched the battle continue to unfold before his eyes. People could say whatever they wanted about advanced mutants; seeing a large group of them in close combat was incredible to watch. The particular fight that drew Cain’s attention was taking place between Mace and who Cain perceived to be either Jonny or Dylan, one of the twins.
While Mace had achieved his position as the commander’s second in charge, Cain believed he had earned the position through his cunning and tactics in battle, rather than for his physical prowess. Mace wasn’t a particularly small man, but when you compared him to many of the other advanced mutants in the camp he was certainly one of the slightest. His mutation also failed to give him a huge advantage, especially as the twin he was fighting had borrowed it from him as well.
That however did make the exchange rather spellbinding to watch. The two of them tousled in mid-air, floating around above the heads of their companions. The younger boy was also occasionally freezing Mace’s movements completely causing him to crash to the floor, a mutation Cain recognised as Atom’s. His control over it was lacking however and it only allowed him to get a couple of punches in before Mace managed to regain control of his body and the two continued in their game of cat and mouse.
All around the vehicle bay the story was the same. Mutants faced off against their much younger adversaries but neither moved in for the fatal blow. Cain wondered what their specific orders had been; knowing that the commander’s mutants would eventually grow tired and simply seek to kill the young boys. For the time being it appeared that the commander had instilled an order in his men simply to knock the boys out but leave them alive.
It had taken Cain a very long time to finally figure out what the commander’s mutation was and now that he knew he looked upon the man very differently. He had often wondered how he got the advanced mutants to follow his rules so tightly, never straying from his instruction or arguing against his more difficult suggestions.
It had been Atom in the end that had let it slip when Cain was helping him and his father, Hunter load up the trucks. The younger boy had been complaining how tired it was making him and grumbled that the commander should just put an order in them to do it, meaning they would do so without complaint.
After a few minutes of probing Cain had then finally got Hunter to explain properly. He discovered that the commander had a Gen 5 mutation that let him take control of other people – although only for short periods of time. He could – as it was known within the camp – put an order into someone’s head, giving them no choice but to follow it until the task was completed.
Apparently it wasn’t used much but Cain saw how advantageous that mutation could be, especially during a time of crisis or war. It would effectively strip away the margin for human error and allow the commander to know his men would follow his instructions exactly, even if something happened to make them want to defer.
In the situation they were currently in Cain was glad the commander had issued such an order, making his task of saving the boys a tiny bit easier. Although as more of the advanced mutants were killed by the young boys’ hands Cain knew the mercy wouldn’t last much longer. Quickly knowing what he needed to do Cain located the commander within the vehicle bay and made his way across the carnage towards the Gen 5 mutant, finding him huddled with three other mutants.
“Cain!” The commander grabbed the collar of his jacket as he made his way over, pulling him down into their cover. “These boys are unstoppable, you knock one out and he gets back up in minutes. We need to end this!”
“You can’t.” Cain spoke quic
kly, casting a cautionary gaze over the three mutants that were hiding with the commander. He recognised two of them, but had never shared more than a few words with them. “They’re under the safe haven’s control, we need to try and break that spell first.”
“Any bright ideas how?” One of the mutants he recognised piped up from beside him. There was a long gash running down the side of his face and neck, dripping a rather substantial amount of blood onto the floor. Cain grimaced at the sight of it, the thought of Asher inflicting the wound turning his stomach.
“Actually yes,” he nodded to the mutant. “There’s got to be a control room or something where the orders are being sent from. I don’t know how it works but the safe haven doesn’t have complete control over them yet. One of the boys recognised me. I think maybe, if we can take out their control room they could revert back to who they really are.”
“I don’t understand why we don’t just kill them?”
Another mutant spoke beside the commander, he was the one Cain didn’t recognise and instantly he didn’t like him. However he also still felt uneasy revealing too much information about the boys, what they could do and where they had come from. Revealing that Asher recognised him was already a risky move, so instead of telling the truth Cain decided to continue his lies.
“Think about it – it’s obvious how dangerous they are and quite frankly, how easily they can be controlled. If we can take control away from the safe haven and get them on our side we’d be unstoppable. Unstoppable here and in the outside world too. We’ve already lost a lot of men, we could do with the reinforcements.”
Cain let his words sink in for a moment before the commander started nodding. “Yes,” their leader spoke quietly, “it was something I’d considered myself. These boys would be able to help us to no end in all of our endeavours. They’re powerful warriors and you all know that is a cargo I value most dearly.”
Cain grimaced slightly at the commander’s words. He knew the idea that he had just set live in his head could backfire on him eventually, but for his most pressing issue of saving the boys’ lives it was the only solution he could think of. Once the boys were themselves again then they would deal with the commander’s mutants. Cain would find a way out of that problem as well; he just needed to play each new move one at a time.
“So you think there’s a control room?” The commander asked Cain after he’d nodded to his three other companions, seeing within them the same desire to control the boys.
“There must be. If you four can get out of here and find it, blow it up somehow or something then we can finally stand a chance of doing what we came here to do.”
“Alright,” the injured mutant nodded, clearly keen to get away from the boys. “You cover us then seen as you’re so untouchable. Any idea where this control room will be?”
Cain glared at the mutant for his choice of words. He knew that not many within the camp liked him, having now come into their home on two occasions and managed to acquire a position of moderate power. Regardless though he also knew it was unnecessary for him to hold a grudge, especially when this mutant could help him get the real Asher back.
“If you exit through that door,” Cain pointed to one in particular. “You should be able to follow it to the red band quarters.”
“Aren’t they the soldiers?”
“Yeah,” Cain nodded at the interruption. “You might find a fair few more of them down there, which could lead to another battle. They’ll be easy to overcome though, they’re nothing like these boys.”
“We should try and get a few more to accompany us,” the commander mused, poking his head out of their cover slightly to assess who was nearby. Cain ignored him, continuing with his instructions.
“Once you get through the red band quarters that’s where you should find the control room, I think. Look for a secluded area with a lot of screens, I remember seeing something like that down there in my time here.”
“And then?”
“Just destroy it,” Cain finished firmly. “However you can.”
“Right.” The commander straightened himself up slightly, regaining control of the situation from Cain. “I’ve put some orders across the room for Brute and Brawn to come with us. Cain, you stay here and direct them through once they make it over here. We’ll go on ahead and try to find this control room you speak of.”
“Yes sir,” Cain nodded at his instruction, looking across to where two of the largest advanced mutants he’d ever seen were slowly trying to back away over to where the five of them were hiding. They had to be Brute and Brawn; no one else could possibly live up to the names.
“Do your best to save as many of us as possible while I’m gone. And get word to Mace of the plan if possible.”
Cain nodded to the commander’s orders again and started moving with him and the three other mutants towards the door he had pointed out. Thankfully with each of the boys otherwise engaged they made it without being sighted and Cain covered them as they slipped out of the vehicle bay.
“Send Brute and Brawn down as quickly as possible,” the commander said once he was on the other side of the door. “If there’s another army down here we’re going to need their support.”
“Yes sir.”
The two large mutants were almost across the room, although one of them appeared to be getting held up by Asher himself. Cain kept his eyes locked on the scene carefully, only looking away to lock eyes with either Brute or Brawn as the mutant jogged over to him and the doorway.
“Head through,” Cain nodded to Brute or Brawn, “I’ll wait for...” he paused, not knowing which name to choose for the mutant still fighting against Asher.
“That’s Brawn,” the one beside Cain grunted as he tugged open the door. “I’m Brute.”
Brute didn’t stick around for a response, forcing his large frame through the door and disappearing from view. With him gone Cain refocused his attention back to Asher and Brawn, the advanced mutant steadily getting the upper hand against the young boy. Cain held his breath slightly, hoping for both Brawn to get away and for Asher to remain safe in the process. He knew he was in trouble no matter which of them won their personal fight.
Seconds later the winner was revealed as Brawn’s strong right hook slammed into the side of Asher’s jaw. He flew across the vehicle bay and landed in an unconscious heap beside a pair of motorcycles. Cain bit his lip, praying that Zahyra’s brother was okay. He couldn’t show his concern though, not yet. Brawn was by his side in a second, gesturing to Cain to get the door open.
“Straight down,” Cain instructed the mutant as he moved through. “The commander has the plan.”
Brawn huffed at Cain’s words as he pulled the door closed behind him, reducing the number of mutants in the vehicle bay now quite considerably by six. Cain didn’t have time to wonder whether any of the boys had noticed however, his first instinct being to run over to Asher’s side, and press his fingers against the boys’ neck, searching for a pulse. Only when he found it did he finally relax slightly.
As subtly as he could Cain scooped Asher up into his arms and carried him over to a nearby SUV. Yanking open the passenger side door he deposited Asher onto the seat and strapped him in place, using the seatbelt to stop him from falling off the seat. Checking the rest of the vehicle bay again Cain quickly realised he hadn’t been as subtle with Asher as he would have liked. Standing on either side of him were the two twins Zac said had been raised within the safe haven: Jonny and Dylan. They looked towards Asher’s unconscious form and then back to Cain, their small fists balling by their sides.
Cain panicked. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt any of the boys, but with Asher blacked out behind him his situation didn’t look good. He turned his back directly to Asher, using his body to block him from any errant blows that may come his way. Then he looked from one of the twins to the other, his palms out in front of him to show he meant them no harm. It had little effect, the two boys nodding to each other and then advanc
ing slowly.
Cain was forced to block two pairs of fists flying at him at an unbelievable rate. He was surprised the young boys were not using any mutations on him, but a stolen glance around the vehicle bay told him that many of the advanced mutants he had travelled with were lying motionless on the ground. Perhaps the battle was already over. Perhaps the safe haven had already won.
Refusing to let that thought dance around his mind for longer than a second Cain continued to battle against the twins. Without the help of a mutation they were much easier to fend off, their size and strength unable to match Cain’s. They were full of energy however and their constant attacks from both sides kept coming hard and fast. The punches Cain failed to block connected with his body well, knocking the air out of him on more than one occasion.
His brain ran through his options quickly as he continued to defend himself, only lightly pushing the boys back from him rather than allowing himself to hit out properly. He knew how risky he could be if he lost control of his mutation now, especially with the boys being able to borrow it. The vehicle bay had already seen Cain break down once, he refused to let it happen again.
It did create another disadvantage for Cain though. The added concentration he needed to offer his mutation took energy from his limbs, allowing more of the boys’ punches to find their target. He was going to have to do something soon before they truly got the upper hand, precious time within the safe haven quickly running out.
In a flash decision Cain grabbed one of the twin’s wrists as a fist came flying towards his face. Using what strength he still had left he picked the boy up from the ground, muttered a small prayer under his breath and punched him in the face. The twin instantly lost consciousness and Cain could only hope he had delivered the punch with the correct about of force so that unconsciousness was the worst damage he’d inflicted.
