The Mutation Wave

Chapter 45: Now Or Never

William felt like a prisoner- No. A roommate in an apartment. Except his roommate held the keys to every single cupboard in his place and only left him a couch to lie on. His consciousness was hazy, as though he had been having three healthy meals of sleeping pills everyday.

He stood up to the hulking presence. Metaphorically speaking, at least. He was formless, a mean spirit cowering in the presence of the oppressive waves thrashing around the place. The core of William's consciousness was a small blue dot struggling to stay afloat in a sea of red, but it burned brightly in willful defiance. He had equal rights to this place and he'd be damned if he'd let some stranger take it from him.

"You're still conscious?" the presence spoke. "Even with my powers amplified... Blue aura mutates really are on another level."

"I won't let you hurt my loved ones anymore," William hissed. He could not recognise his own voice, but he knew somehow that it belonged to him.

"I didn't have a choice," Zacharias' voice almost sounded gentle. "But that is beneath us now. Together, we will be this world's new god. A benevolent god. We can fix this world. I know that's what you want too."

"And deny all the mutates a chance to return to their human selves? No, not like this. My friends are going to shut you down."

"But they already have. Didn't you see?"

A small section of the wave parted, allowing William a glimpse into the present through his eyes. It was pure chaos. People were scattered below him, running from what looked like a sentient flash flood pouring out from his sides. His mini versions of the source machine were strewn all over, their ground anchors ripped from the ground. Zacharias' body floated along casually beside the source machine, blackened from what William could only assume was a nasty electric shock. The blue light dimmed a little; his plan had utterly failed.

"He's not stopping! How's that possible? We killed Zacharias!"

"I don't know- ARGH! Shit, that's gonna leave a mark. We gotta get our residents out of here before he drowns them all!"

"I can't keep him frozen for long! He keeps overpowering me!"

"I can't shut his mind down either! The electrical signals in his brain are firing too fast!"

"I have won, Doctor Toh. My consciousness is now part of you." The current pulsed around him. "Once the enhanced are out of the way, we'll finally proceed to rule over the rest of the mutates."

"I don't consent."

William lashed out, sending spikes of himself at his surroundings. The waves swirled angrily, as if cringing from his attacks. Its pressure increased, and he felt like air was being sucked out from his non-existent lungs.

Like hell I'll let you drown me.

His surroundings crackled with energy, and William shot through the sea, taking the form of an energy bolt. Zacharias' being recoiled with the aftershock, flashing intermittently and retreating from him. And then, William spotted it-

His core.

He dived back into the churning waves, wading through the sea of blood red trying its best to push him off his path. William focused forward at the pulsing red sphere in the middle of the turbulence it was creating. A blue light pulsed brightly, shining through the murky liquid as he concentrated all his energy. William struck hard.

The attack sent tremors through his mind and the tide retreated into its red core, which seemed to be trembling in apparent pain. A dulled pain pricked his mind as well; it seemed to have come from his knees. A fresh wave of physical exhaustion hit him as he breathed the singed air.