The Mutation Wave

Chapter 24: Family Reunion

Marianne groaned and shook her head groggily. Cold thermanite restraints pressed against her limbs as she slowly regained control of them. She struggled against the metal chair she was bound to, rattling it violently.

"Vivian! Vivian, you're awake! What's going on?" A very familiar voice called out to her.

She looked around, her eyes widening with surprise and happiness at the two unbound people sitting on the floor in front of her. Marianne broke into an uncontrollable wide smile; she had thought them lost forever.

"Mother, father!" she exclaimed. "I missed you so much! I thought we'd never see each other again!"

"Wait, you're not Vivian," the man said, not hiding the disappointment in his voice. "Marianne, what are you doing here?"

"She's here because of your incompetence." Firdaus' dry voice butted in as he walked into the room.

"Firdaus! What is the meaning of this? I thought we had an agreement," the woman snapped.

"If I recall the agreement correctly, you are supposed to make the perfect sonic transmitter for me." Firdaus' voice dropped menacingly. "I trusted you and used it, but its effect only lasted barely a day."

He walked slowly towards them, his fingers resting on the hilt of his sword at his waist. "And now Vivi has broken free of my control and went missing. Surely you should have to pay for my loss in some manner, shouldn't you?"

"Hey, leave them alone or I'll burn this place down!" Marianne shouted at Firdaus, her body temperature rising as she struggled against her restraints again.

"Ah yes... Go ahead and cremate your parents alive while you're at it," Firdaus turned to her, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "You're not so bright aren't you, Marianne Cha? You must be the inferior twin. You and your fellow enhanced friends have caused me quite a bit of trouble."

Marianne scowled murderously at him, fighting the literal fire that raged within her. He moved closer to her, tilting her chin up with the tip of his fingers.

"My, the resemblance really is uncanny," Firdaus muttered. "But you're not Vivi, and you never will be."

"Vi-Vivian? Sister is alive?" Marianne's voice trembled with shock, looking at her parents. "B-but... you told me she drowned!"

"Silence, girl," Mr Cha growled.

"Ahahaha... HAHAHAHA!" Firdaus broke into an abnormally high pitched laugh. "You two are truly the worst parents I've ever seen! Drowned?! Shall I tell her what really happened?"

His voice quickly dropped back to its guttural quality. "My dear girl, your sister is very much alive, and she is the most evolved mutate I've ever seen. Your parents, being eugenics experts, surrendered her to the government for study when she was just a child. It was through her that we finally found out the key to trigger the next stage of humanity's evolution."

Firdaus smiled almost warmly. "After that, it was just a matter of getting her under our control."

"Y-you brainwashed her?!" Marianne screamed at him. "You sick bastard!"

"Shut up, you insolent woman! How dare you talk back to your master!" Firdaus growled, raising a hand to hit her.

Marianne glared back at him defiantly.

"Sorry, that was... uncalled for." Firdaus put his hand down calmly. "You're an enhanced as well, but unlike your sister, you're not nearly as evolved as her. Pity, I'll just have to settle with a downgrade. Perhaps the device will work on you instead."

"Hey, what about us?" Mrs Cha asked impatiently.

"Still you dare ask that? Both of you have long outlived your purpose in my place. Be thankful I am not using you as target practice for our soldiers. You will be housed here with Marianne so she doesn't burn this place down."