Mutagen

Day 54 – 10:03 AM – Industrial Area, South District, Bay City Settlement, Parañaque City, Metro Manila

Senator Estrada's monologue continued. After telling everyone about his shattered dream and the oppression he had to undergo in order to continue his career as a politician, he moved on into his propaganda and why the military and the previous government was not necessary anymore.

"Senator, whether it was your dream or not, you violated the law in the worst possible way. Let's say that you succeeded, what will you rule when there is no one to protect the citizens here? Not only you sabotaged the mission but caused the death of many people, soldiers and civilians. No one will follow you or your reign willingly. What is the point with that? You even tried to assassinate one of the benefactors of the settlement. Although you did not succeed, she was still taken. Do you know that just because of that, you gained the ire of the citizens? There is nothing that you will be able to rule because of those reasons. Furthermore, you think, the citizens will accept a criminal? You should already stop this farce and accept your sentence. We got you and your men surrounded!"

General Perez tried to reason with the rebelling Senator and persuade him to stop. Of course, it fell into deaf ears.

"General, General. It's too late already. Whether I will rule over this settlement or not, it is not for you dogs to decide. You think I'm afraid of your soldiers and guns? You might not believe me but all of you are not enough to make me back down."

By this point, the General was already starting to feel strange. It was really the weirdest point right now. Despite the thousand guns ready to shoot him at a moment's notice, the Senator and the robed men around him were not fazed at all.

***

On the jib of one of the cranes inside the industrial area, Mark and Mei decided to sit down while dangling their feet down the ledge. The show had finally started and they still had to wait before joining the fray.

"Gege, that senator…"

"You don't have to say it, anyone can tell that he's head is broken. He's too delusional that he started to think that his greed and ambition are innocent dreams."

Mark sighed. Despite the current state of the Senator, he could sympathize with him.

These past days, Mark would also sneak into the military offices for information about Senator Estrada. It did not take too much effort since the General was also asking for the military intelligence division to gather as much information about the senator.

According to the records, the senator had a clean track from when he entered politics. Furthermore, he could be deemed as outstanding as the places he governed received good development during his terms. Things had changed however when he entered the House of Representatives as a congressman.

As the information was not complete or due to the fact that most of the things that happened that time were hidden, it was missing from the information. The only thing that the military was sure of was that Senator Estrada changed after entering the Senate.

In each of the election propagandas that Estrada made during elections, his motto included that he was a strong minded and upright person. As written in the report and along with the statements of people that knew him at that time, it was true.

Just how much hardship and oppression did the senator receive that it was enough to change him to what he was now. It was not easy to twist a mind of a strong minded person after all.

"Gege, I can also sympathize with him."

"Well, it's easy for us to do since we had a bit of the same circumstance with him except for having such an ambition. However, this sympathy is not enough for me to let him live."

Mark glared at the senator and the three figures standing in front of the gates.

"Hmmm???" Finally, Mark seemed to notice something. "No wonder they are not afraid of the guns being aimed at them."

Mark murmured.

"Why don't the soldiers just shoot them already?"

Mei was starting to get bored from listening to the drama below.

"It's because they are trained not to. Not only the soldiers but the police are the same. Whether it is a robbery holdup, hostage taking or things like this, the soldiers won't shoot until negotiation falls through or they were ordered by the highest person in command that was present in the mission. If they did, they could be pressed with criminal charges."

Mark then smiled mysteriously.

"Besides, even if the soldiers shoot now, it won't be the end of it?"

"Why?"

"Look there."

Mark then pointed at a building inside the industrial area that could oversee the situation outside the gates.

As she turned to see what Mark was pointing at, her eyes widened. She then turned her head several times alternating her sight towards the situation outside the gate and inside that building.

"Gege, that is…"

"See why they are not afraid of guns?"

Hearing that, Mei could only nod as she stared back to that building Mark pointed.

From the [Optical Zoom] ability in her eyes, she could clearly see the situation inside the top northwest room of the building. Inside, there were four people standing while watching the scene outside the gates. And those four people were the senator and the robed figures that should be standing outside the gates.

"Gege, what is going on?"

"Don't ask me. I don't know either."

It was quite surprising to see another set of the very same people standing outside the gates in a completely different area.

Furthermore, Mark was also almost fooled by it.

From his observation, the senator and the three robed people beside him outside the gates looked genuine. From every physical aspect and even the aura and energy they had. It was very hard to notice. If not for the fact that Mark's emphatic ability detected the four inside the building, he would surely think that the four outside were the real ones.

There was also another thing bothering Mark. One of the hooded men was irritatingly familiar. He could not tell why but his blood was boiling stronger as he stared at that person longer.

Calming himself down, Mark stared at the Fake Senator once more. The Auraboros really had some unusual ways to deal with this situation. The fake senator and the fake robed men were surely human and not illusion. However, he could not fathom how that happened.

While Mark was trying to rack his brains for any idea that could explain the existence of the fake senator, the negotiations below finally fell through.

***

"I apologize, Senator, but since you don't want to cooperate, we can only resort to this."

General Perez raised his hand.

With that raised hand, the safety of the guns the soldiers were holding was removed.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

The command had been given as the general swung down his arm. Several gunshots sounded from different buildings outside the industrial area as the snipers that were already on position shot the senator and the robed men surrounding him.

To every soldier's surprise, the Senator and his men only stood there in front of the gate. Senator Estrada's wide eerie smile could even be seen before a bloody hole appeared on his head and his fell down. It was the same for the three robed men. They all fell down with a lot of holes on their bodies.

As the four collapsed from the sniper shots, the soldiers on position in front started to move. Along with General Perez and the other officers, they approached to check the fallen bodies.

On the other hand, the other soldiers moved in position to storm the industrial area to get rid of the remaining men under the senator and possibly, rescue anyone captured that was still alive.

The soldiers that was with the General and the officers surrounded the supposed dead bodies and checked them. That was when the shock of their lives happened.

"What in the world…"

General Perez lost his words.

There were four dead bodies in front of the gates but…

None of them were Senator Estrada. One of the bodies was wearing the same clothes as the Senator that was speaking just earlier but the person in no way resembled the Senator. However, there was the very same eerie smile plastered on his face even though he was already dead.

That was when Captain Dela Rosa recognized the bodies after checking the faces of the three robed men.

"Sir…"

"What is it?"

"These people… They are our soldiers that were missing after they occupied the area."

"What?!"

Not only the General but the other officers were shocked.

"Damn it!"

​ General Perez cursed.

"Men! Commence Assault! Leave no one alive!"

He then shouted which signaled the start of the operation. The General's temper flared. This was the worst thing that could possibly happen to him and his men. To think that his soldiers were used like this and they were made to kill their own people.

One by one, the soldiers stormed inside the gates of the area. They covered each other and were looking after each other's backs.

They were all briefed about the enemies and the possibility that they were not human at all. Still, a lot of them were not convinced about this. After all, even for most of the soldiers here, it was the first time they heard of Auraboros.

Now however, after witnessing the strange event just now, they were more convinced and were made to take the things they were told seriously.

The moment they entered however…

There was no one in sight. It was as if the front of the industrial area was empty.

Yet, the experienced ones among the soldiers started to feel the strange feeling of being watched with killing intent despite the fact that they could not see anything.

***

"Men, beware of your surroundings! The enemies might be hiding and are waiting for ambush!"

Keene, the Mutator son of Captain Dela Rosa who was one of the leaders of the advance squads warned his men.

Like other squads that entered the industrial area, they started to explore one of the buildings near the entrance. It was a wide warehouse that was one of the first buildings here that was already finished in construction.

Strange enough, they did not encounter any single enemy until now.

"S-sir!"

Upon entering one of the rooms in the warehouse444, one of his men shouted in nervousness.

"What is it?"

"Sar-Sarte. Private Sarte is not with us!"

Hearing that, all of the members of the squad were surprised at the sudden development.

"What?!"

Keen shouted as he hurried out of the room to see the situation outside but found no people. His squad members also hurried to follow him in high alert.

"What the hell happened?"

"Sir, I don't know. Sarte is just behind me before I entered the room but he suddenly disappeared."

"Sh*t! Men, let's go! We have to find him!"

"Sir Keene, shouldn't we split up?"

One of his soldiers suggested.

"Don't be stupid! One of us went missing while all of us were together. Although I hope that it is not the case but think like we are in a horror movie!"

It was an absurd reasoning but they could not refute it. One of them had suddenly gone missing without any of them knowing.

"Let's go! Proceed with caution!"

***

"Gege, the soldiers are being picked one by one."

Mei said with a frown as she watched the soldiers getting attacked stealthily in broad daylight. The warehouses and the buildings might be dark since there was no electricity but also the soldiers that were outside the buildings were being attacked without them knowing how.

"Should we give them a hand?"

Mark suggested which made Mei aim the silenced sniper rifle she was carrying.

It was a confirmation that she wanted to help them a bit and he did not stop her.

"Gege, just one shot is enough right?"

"I see what you are aiming for."

Mark smiled.

TSST!

The sniper rifle was fired towards a secluded area where another squad was in position.