The Paramount Code (The Odd Ones, Book 1)

049. Superior

"It was the same thing that bothered me as well..." tugon ni Daniel sa binata, "The moment I realized you are Anthony's son, I was confused when you got into the school. Pinilit kong ilayo ka sa problemang 'to, kaya nga inutusan ko si Gustaf na manipulahin ang mga alaala mo. But as time passed, I realized that maybe... Maybe your grandmother thought that you will be safer if you are closer to us than to be kept hidden. Your grandmother made sure you will get the coin because she knows that it is the only way you can reach us... May tiwala ang lola mo sa kakayahan mo bilang isang metahuman, at pinilit ka niyang mapalapit sa Paramount Class hindi para protektahan ka, pero para maturuan ka na protektahan ang sarili mo at ang mga mahal mo sa buhay."

Nagsalubong ang mga kilay ni Jacob. "Protektahan mula saan?"

"From Benjamin... From the people who used your father's work... From the Paramount Laboratories," napabuntong-hininga si Daniel, "Naalala mo ba noong nag-undergo kayo ulit ni Gwen ng tests sa supervision ni Lara. Iyon ay dahil iba ang nakikita ni Benjamin sa inyong dalawa... You see, the school director is just like us, Jacob... He has the ability to see metahumans. He can see a colored aura on people like us, but on Gwen and you, he saw a different color... That's the reason why he became interested. Ang mga test results mula sa assessment na ginawa sa inyo ang dahilan kung bakit kailangang itago ni Helga si Lara."

"Ano po ba ang nakalagay sa test results?"

Huminga nang malalim si Helga bago nagsalita. "Both of you had different auras because your abilities manifested very early. Most metahumans have their abilities manifested in them upon puberty, but the case is different for the two of you... Lumabas ang mga kakayahan ni Gwen noong tumuntong siya ng walong taong gulang, pero ikaw... Nagsimula ang pag-manifest ng mga kakayahan mo noong pinanganak ka. Your metahuman genes are activated the moment you were born, Jacob. But aside from that, there's something more that made you interesting in Benjamin's eyes... And it's because you are exactly what he needs...

"Metahumans like us are really rare, but there are a lot of normal people who carry a metahuman gene in their bodies that they pass on to their offsprings. That's why the Paramount Laboratories managed to make a machine that has the capacity to trigger metahuman genes inside the human body, and that is what Faircastle High School use during that examination where you and your fellow members got chosen as members of the Paramount Class. Naaapektuhan ng makinang iyon ang mga katulad natin na may metahuman genes.

"Iyon nga lang, hindi ganoon karami ang nagkakaroon ng manifested abilities dahil doon. If you notice, only one among the hundreds in every intelligence division become a metahuman, and Benjamin wanted more. Kung minsan kasi, masyadong dormant ang genes kaya hindi talaga nagmamanifest ang kung anumang ability na posibleng magkaroon ang isang carrier ng gene. His machine is not enough to wake up metahuman genes on other students.

"Your ability comes into play in this part, Jacob. In your test results, it showed that your body produces a certain hormone that can start up metahuman abilities. Ikaw ang dahilan kung bakit mabilis na nag-manifest ang kakayahan ng mga kasama mo. Sa halip na abutin sila ng ilang buwan, lumabas iyon agad sa loob lamang ng ilang linggo. The hormones you produce come out in your bodily fluids, like sweat, and can turn into vapour which is probably inhaled by the other members of the Paramount Class. Kung makukuha ka ni Benjamin, gagamitin ka niya, and he will extract those hormones from your body," Helga gave him a serious look, "You are what they need, Jacob... And Benjamin is going to kill just to get you."

"But... why does he need to make more metahumans? What is his purpose?"

********

After Gwen managed to use her abilities on the two random workers in the suspicious warehouse, both her and Vladimir stole their suits and managed to enter the premises. Pilit nilang ginagalingan ang pagpapanggap, at agad sumabay sa grupo ng mga nagtatrabaho roon na katulad din nila ang suot na papasok na sa loob ng warehouse. Dumiretso ang grupong sinabayan nila sa isang hagdan na nagdala sa kanila sa isang platform.