"Pero... Pero patay ka na," ani Jacob, bago tumingin sa palibot niya at napansin na nakangiti at bahagyang tumatawa ang iba. He then realized something, and immediately moved his gaze towards the woman.
"Ibig sabihin... Katulad ka rin namin?"
Tumango si Helga at ngumiti, "Yes... I am just like you. That's the reason why they killed me. You see, ako ang may kasalanan kung bakit biglang nawala si Lara. I have the ability to make people disappear... or more like take them on an alternate dimension. You'd rather choose not to know everything about it. It's kind of confusing."
"Pero... Pero nakita ni Axis na namatay ka. Hindi niya na nga marinig ang tibok ng puso mo eh."
"Oh, I died. I truly did," tugon sa kanya ni Helga, "But you see, I am metahuman with multiple lives. This is the third time that I died and lived again. "
"Kung ganoon, 'yung abo na pinaglamayan ng lahat –"
"Oh, nagsunog lang kami ng mga papel para magawa 'yun," ani Alexander, "Tapos 'yung pamilya na nakita niyong nagdadrama dun, hindi namin kilala 'yun. They were all being controlled by Elise."
Jacob moved his gaze towards Elise who is sitting on the couch and calmly watching them. "Kasali ka sa unang batch ng Paramount Class, hindi ba?"
Tumango si Elise, "I am... I was second in the ranks, and I was from the VLID. My ability is verbal persuasion. I can make people do everything I want them to do by using talking to them."
Nagsalubong ang mga kilay ni Jacob, "Talaga?"
Elise chuckled. "Of course... Now I want you to throw that pillow by your right straight towards Apollo's face."
Halos hindi napansin ni Jacob na gumagalaw na pala ang kamay niya, at bago pa man niya ito makontrol, naitapon niya na ang nakuhang unan diretso sa mukha ni Apollo. Nagulat si Jacob at halatang nag-alala sa nagawa niya, habang ang iba naman ay tumatawa dahil sa nangyari.
Apollo glared at Elise, before picking up the pillow that hit him and throwing it towards the woman. "Huwag mo nga akong pinapahiya nang ganyan..."
Ngumisi si Elise habang pinagmamasdan si Jacob. "I told you I could make you do everything..."
"Ako naman si Gustaf..." ani ng lalaki na kasama ng dalawang babae, "Kung sa tingin mo pamilyar ako, ako kasi 'yung nagmanipula ng mga alaala mo noon... 'Yung time na nadiskubre mo 'yung tungkol sa yearbook. Sinubukan ko ring pakialaman 'yung alaala 'yung isa na mukhang masungit –"
"Si Vladimir?"
Tumango si Gustaf, "Oo, 'yun nga. Pero hindi ko nagawa kasi tinulungan siya ni Gwen. Hindi na ako nagpumilit kasi alam kong alam na ni Gwen ang gagawin niya. Pasensya na kung ginawa ko 'yun, ha? Utos lang kasi ni Daniel."
"So you can manipulate memories?"
"Yes, but I can only suppress them and hide them in the deepest parts of your brain. Hindi ko kayang tanggalin o dagdagan ang mga alaala mo. I can also phase, that's why I can go through walls."
Agad na napatingin si Jacob kay Alexander, bago bumalik kay Gustaf ang tingin niya. "Pareho niyong nagagawa 'yun?"
Tumango si Gustaf. "Oo... Pareho naming na-develop ang ganoong mutation."
Jacob then nodded in both realization and amusement, before looking back at Daniel. "Sir, may itatanong lang po sana ako..."
"We're here to answer your questions, Jacob... What is it?"
"Hindi po ba, posibleng si Sir Benjamin ang may kasalanan kung bakit namatay ang tatay ko.... Iyon din ang dahilan kung bakit pinoprotektahan ako ng lola at nanay ko. Pero pagkatapos mamatay ni lola, nilipat agad ako ng nanay ko sa Faircastle High School. Kung gusto nila akong protektahan, bakit kailangan pa nila akong ilapit kay Sir Benjamin... Hindi rin alam ni Mama kung bakit ganoon, kasi sumunod lang siya sa bilin ng lola ko bago siya namatay."
"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.
Habang naglalakad, nakikita nila ang mga blood samples na pinag-aaralan ng mga siyentipikong nakapwesto sa itaas. May mga kakaibang bagay din na tinitingnan ang mga ito sa ilalim ng mga microscopes, gaya ng mga hibla ng buhok, kaliskis, at at piraso ng balat.
Maliban doon ay may mga kahon din na nakapwesto sa sahig, na ang laman ay mga kakaibang collar na nalagyan ng labels na puro lamang numero ang nakasulat.
While the others wearing the suits finally went to their tasks, the two of them are left confused and nothing to do. Another guy wearing the same thing approached them, and handed them boxes of files.
"Kunin ninyo 'yan..." the guy suddenly told them, "Sort them out alphabetically."
Agad sinunod nina Vladimir at Gwen ang utos sa kanilang dalawa, at agad pumwesto sa isang bakanteng mesa habang pinagmamasdan ang mga nangyayari sa baba ng platform na iyon.
As they started sorting out the files handed to them, Gwen looked around the place and assessed everything. There are chambers all over the place, and inside them are people wearing collars on their necks – the same collars that they found on the platform. Roaming around those chambers are some guards holding guns in their hands, like they were making sure those people will not even have the chance to get out.
Maliban sa mga guwardiya, may ilang mga tao rin na nasa baba na pamilyar sa kanya. Upon giving them a closer look, Gwen then realized that these people looked familiar to her because they were all former students from the Paramount Class. She saw their faces on the yearbook, which is why she found them vaguely felt acquainted with them.
"Nanggaling sila sa mga naunang batches ng Paramount Class. Dito na ata sila nagtatrabaho..." saad niya kay Vladimir gamit ang telepathic abilities niya, dahilan para saglit na matigilan ang lalaki dahil sa gulat.
Habang nagpapanggap na abala sa ginagawa, napansin nilang bumukas ang malaking pinto ng warehouse, at pumasok ang ilang mga guwardiya na kinakaladkad ang tatlong batang lalaki na magkakapareho ang mukha.
Vladimir presumed that they are triplets who are between nine to eleven years old, and are all crying and screaming as the men carried them. A scientist then walked towards them, and when she touched them, the three boys either fainted, vomited, or just growled in pain. Now that the three were unable to fight anymore, they attached collars on their necks before they were carried towards an empty chamber where they are locked just like the others.
Nanlaki ang mga mata ni Vladimir sa nakita, at ibinaling kay Gwen ang tingin. Nag-alala siya nang makitang taas-baba na ang mga balikat ni Gwen, tanda na galit na galit ito dahil sa eksenang nasasaksihan nila. Alam ni Vladimirn na magkakaroon sila ng malaking problema kapag nagtuloy-tuloy iyon, lalo na't nagsimula nang lumutang mula sa mesa ang mga files na inaayos nila.
Mabilis na gumalaw si Vladimir, at ipinatong ang mga kamay sa mga files na iyon para hindi na ito umangat. Pagkatapos ay lumapit siya kay Gwen at binulungan ito para kumalma.
"Calm down..." Vladimir warned her immediately.
Gwen then heaved a deep breath to neutralize her emotions, before looking around and continuing with the task they were trying to do.
********
"He wanted to turn metahumans as a dominant race," tugon sa kanya ni Daniel, "Gusto niyang dumami pa ang uri natin, dahil naniniwala siyang hindi hamak na mas superior tayo kaysa sa mga normal na tao.Our innate trait to undergo more mutations is what he believes to be the road to perfection of the human race. Hindi siya naniniwala na kakaiba tayo. He does not want to take the thought that we are the rejects of the society like how a lot of normal people portray us. Lagi niya ngang sinasabi sa 'kin noon, 'To be common is the real peculiarity.' Iyon ang pinapaniwalaan niya.
"Yung nakababata kong kapatid, naging biktima siya ng paniniwalang iyon ni Benjamin. Pangarap kasi ng kapatid ko na maging bahagi ng Paramount Class. Pero hindi naman siya metahuman, kaya syempre, imposibleng makasali siya, hindi ba? Ginamit niya ang pangarap ng kapatid ko, sinamantala niya ang pagiging inosente nung bata... Akala ni Michael, bibigyan siya ng pagkakataon na mag-take ulit ng exams para makasali siya. Pero hindi nangyari 'yun.
"Instead, they brought him to the labs, injected some serum in him that they thought would turn him into a metahuman... But the serum killed him," Daniel then heaved a deep sigh, "Alam kong wala akong laban kay Benjamin... Hindi ko siya matatalo, at mas lalong hindi ko siya mapapatay. Pero gusto kong ibulgar ang lahat ng mga katarantaduhang ginagawa niya. I want to at least reveal to the world how evil he is... I want the other metahumans to see the inhumane things he is doing... I want them to know that he uses metahumans and normal people for his experiments, and that he ends up killing some of them. I want the world to know that they are being used to destroy humankind, so that the peculiar metahumans will rule the world."
Napaisip si Jacob, at pinagmasdan ang mga kasama niya sa silid na iyon. "Pero hindi niyo pa rin kakayanin nang kayo-kayo lang. Hindi ba marami namang metahumans na kasali sa Sanctum? Bakit hindi kayo humingi ng tulong sa kanila?"
Elise grinned before heaving a deep breath. "They don't want us to do this because of the danger it might bring... We're doing this at our own discretion. You see, the Sanctum wants us to wait for the right timing to do things. Pero hindi na namin kayang maghintay. Ilang katulad natin pa ba ang gagamitin niya? Ilang normal na tao pa ba ang mamamatay dahil sa mga palpak na eksperimento nila? I have been there, and I have seen so many things in the laboratories, Jacob. They are all horrible..."
Napahinga nang malalim si Jacob. "Hindi ko alam ang sasabihin ko. Kung pwede lang na –"
"We're not forcing you to do anything, Jacob. We brought you here because we wanted to tell you that we are going to protect you in any way possible. We wanted you to know that no matter what happens, we're not going to allow Benjamin to use you. I'm not asking you to fight, but I seek for your cooperation. Huwag kang magtitiwala sa kanya, o sa kahit sinong malapit sa kanya. Mag-iingat ka palagi, at iwasan mo siya."
"Pero gusto kong tumulong, Sir Daniel..."
Napangiti si Apollo habang pinagmamasdan siya, "Ayaw naming masaktan ka. Itong ginagawa namin, pwede namin 'tong ikamatay... At hindi ko sinasabi para takutin ka. Nagsasabi lang ako ng totoo."
Tumango si Luna bilang pagsang-ayon sa sinabi ng kapatid. "Tama siya, Jacob. Kami-kami lang ang nagtutulungan dito. We separated ourselves from the Sanctum, and they swore they're not going to help us. We have power, but we're not that strong."
"Bibigyan kita ng pagkakataong mamili, Jacob..." ani Daniel sa kanya, "Pwede kitang ibigay sa mga miyembro ng Sanctum bukas na bukas din para mailayo ka mula kay Benjamin at sa Faircastle High School. Pero pwede ka ring sumama sa amin at tumulong. Para ko nang kapatid ang tatay mo, at gusto kitang protektahan, pero hindi ko naman hawak ang pag-iisip mo, at alam kong kaya mong magdesisyon para sa sarili mo. At kung ang lola mo nga, nagtitiwala na kaya mo, ako pa kaya?"
Huminga nang malalim si Jacob, at tumingin nang direkta sa mga mata ni Daniel. "Kaya siguro inilapit ako ng lola ko sa inyo... Hindi lang para malaman ko ang totoo at maprotektahan ako, pero para matuto akong magdesisyon para sa sarili ko."