The Mutation Wave

Chapter 20: Leaders Are Made, Not Born

Victor closed his eyes slowly after hearing the recording. The tension in the air was palpable as everyone stared at his slightly trembling body. He swung around without warning, striking Alexei with a backhand.

The man was flung through the air as though a sledgehammer just hit him. Though considering Victor's increased strength, it probably did feel like one. Alexei tumbled onto the ground, the arrow still embedded in his shoulder mercifully snapping off. Victor walked towards forcefully, lifted him up by his shirt with one hand and slammed him against the broken wall. No one else dared to move a muscle.

"I trusted you. After all we have been through, why?" Victor said as calmly as he could, but his trembling voice betrayed the seething anger and hurt beneath the facade.

Alexei grinned through bloodstained teeth. Or maybe he was grimacing; it was hard to tell when he was missing a few of them. "Why? You don't know why?"

"Don't be coy with me," Victor snarled and the ground trembled slightly. "What did Firdaus offer you? Power? Sanctuary?"

Alexei gurgled a raspy laugh. "That's the problem with you. You always assume you know everything."

Victor's murderous gaze intensified.

"Firdaus intends to rule this doomed world, and he has the means to control mutates. But that's something you and I already found out a long time ago," Alexei continued. "What's infuriating, is that instead of joining him, you chose to oppose him. You didn't even bother asking the rest of us if that's what we wanted. Hell, you didn't even ask me! You ever thought I would've preferred not to be worrying every night if I'll wake up to a goddamn horde of zombies at my feet?"

Victor's grip slackened slightly. "I didn't know-"

"Of course you didn't," Alexei spat. "Not like it ever mattered to you anyway. You relish in your god-like powers as an enhanced; you could destroy hundreds of zombies with a swat of your hand. Good for you, but how about the rest of us? You think we like being cooped up behind a wall? We don't have a choice!"

"I gave you the resources to defend yourselves!" Victor argued, letting go of the man completely. "I made sure that we would never run out of food and water. I made this place a safe haven for everyone, you damn ingrate!"

"So what if you did? You're not even here half the time," Alexei retorted, his body slumping onto the ground. "All you ever did was use us to do your bidding and claim all the credit for it. And all I did was ensure my safety from Firdaus' inevitable attack on this place. I'm sick of playing second fiddle to your complacent leadership. What right does a twenty-nine year old have to rule over us?"

"Wait!" William interjected. "Even if you're not happy with him, you don't have to betray the rest of us too. Hundreds more innocent people would have died because of you!"

"No, they are dead because of you irresponsible metahumans. But no matter, perhaps this is a blessing in disguise."

Alexei suddenly pulled out a pistol with his uninjured hand, aiming it at Victor-

Blood exploded from his head.

The pistol fell harmlessly to the ground as Alexei's hand fell limply. His lifeless eyes stared into nothingness with a clover-shaped arrow sticking out of his forehead.

"Traitor," Yuxia hissed quietly. The tension in the air was so thick now that it seemed to hold everyone else firmly in their place.

"Leader-" Brett started, but Victor raised a hand to stop him.

"Can we make sure that the rest are alright?" Victor said in an uncharacteristically small voice. "They have suffered enough today."

~ ~ ~