Genesis | Book One, The Genesis Series

TWELVE

"Oh, n-no problem." Leo said as his face began to slowly blush. "I'm just not a big fan of bullies, that's all."

"Yeah, I hear that." Amber nodded in agreement with Leo.

"Then how come you don't stand up to her?"

"She's the only friend I have."

"Well, not anymore." Leo stated as he noticed Amber's freckled cheeks turn red.

"Thanks." She replied.

Kai, Dylo, Troy, Adam, and Bianca soon entered The Cortex, with Director Callan and Owens behind them.

"Is there a reason we've all been called into this room, sir?" Kai asked impatiently, ready to get back to his training.

"Yes, actually." The doctor said, "Kai, would you please grab that remote and press the power button?"

"Sure." Replied the muscular young man as he grabbed the remote, trying not to crush it with his strength. He'd been working with many agents around the compound, practicing control over his powers. He no longer broke doors when he walked in rooms, so their lessons seemed to be paying off.

The television then flipped on, as Kai and the others gazed at it curiously. On the news, a report about a recent foiled abduction was the subject of focus. It was pretty clear that it was referring to their encounter with Ajax.

"It's time we told you what's actually going on around here." Director Callan began.

"So you're saying you didn't tell us everything before?" Troy asked rudely, slowly raising his voice.

"So you're lying?" Dylo asked quickly.

"No. Not exactly." Callan continued. "It's about time we told you why you have these powers in the first place. Just let me explain."

"10 years ago, at a biotechnology company known as Primus, Dr. Matthews discovered a new element-known as Genodium. Matthews began working on a engineering project, thinking that the Genodium could have potential to be used as a power source for future generations."

"My son, Elias, was one of his partners. During an accident at the headquarters one night, Elias was exposed to the Genodium. Matthews found that when the Genodium came into contact with his body, he became....enhanced. Stronger. Faster. Smarter. A myriad of other abilities."

"But unfortunately, it affected his mental state as well. That was the night I lost my son. His heart was filled with nothing but rage, completely deprived of all remorse. He was never the same after that."

The room had been engulfed in silence.

"After his transformation, he slowly began developing a plan that would release Genodium into the atmosphere, affecting everyone on the planet. It was called Project Expansion-Project X for short."

"So he wanted to give everyone powers like ours?" Troy asked sternly, as the light from the screen reflected off his long, black hair that stopped at his neck.

"Precisely. We've been trying to capture him for months now." Matthews answered. "But, instead of getting the desired results in his men's capabilities, over 4,000 men died due to his experiments. Watch."

He then swiped to the left of the screen, showing a segment of the same video that he'd shown Director Callan a few minutes before. Adam looked away in horror as he saw what happened to the soldier in the chamber.