Mutagen

<strong>Day 6 – 8:30 PM – E3 Expressway, Parañaque, Metro Manila</strong>

Tremors after tremors echoed as the two heavy large monsters continued to battle each other destroying everything around them. Buildings crumbled along with trees uprooted and even things that should be out of their reach were impacted by the thrown stones and debris. Yet, no matter how intense the battle between the two, their bodies remained almost unscathed as their attacks did little to damage the other.

At that moment, a small vehicle drove out in the middle of the expressway pointing the rays of its head lights towards the two giants. The stone clad woman was startled to the sudden change of lighting but did not manage to stop and look due to the frog headed infected ignoring the light and continuing its barrage of attacks.

That was when the two suddenly felt an undulation of energy coming from the vehicle. The two froze and both looked at the vehicle at the same time. At that moment, the vehicle moved forward and made a sharp turn driving away towards the south. The stone clad woman was frozen as she felt the energy that felt both attractive and dangerous at the same time. She was like a predator animal that suddenly found something unknown and curiously wanted approach with all cautiousness.

The behavior the stone clad woman displayed however did not last long. It was due to seeing the frog headed infected running after the vehicle without hesitation. Unlike the stone clad woman who was a Failed Mutator and having her own consciousness comparable to a predatory animal, the frog headed infected relied purely on impulses and instincts. The moment it felt something that attracted it more than what was in front of it, the only thing it would do was to chase after that thing. Not wanting to lose against enemy, the stone clad woman immediately followed.

The previous fight to death of the two monsters became a competition on which one of the two would catch the source of that energy. However, the stone clad woman was obviously slower than the frog headed infected. Due to that, the Failed Mutator started attacking the mutated infected trying to stop it from reaching her prey.

Despite that situation however, the stone clad woman still had the thought to turn her head back checking on the movements of the humans hiding behind the large group of vehicles until the vehicles were out of its sight.

***

Seeing the two behemoths become shadows in the veil of the night being led away by the vehicle driven by Mark, the people left behind finally sighed with relief. Even though they were still far from truly escaping, it was already a huge step towards survival.

Actually, most people had no confidence about what Mark said. After all, there was truly no basis for what he said. It was just fear of annihilation and hope for survival that they complied. However, with the two monsters chasing after Mark just like how he assumed, their doubts towards him turned into belief. Due to that, none of them really thought of escaping even though the monsters were already far away. They feared that what Mark said would become true and the monsters would return to kill them all the moment they tried to leave. In the least, they should wait for the reinforcements from Bay City as they planned.

CLAP! CLAP!

Major Lopez clapped to get everyone's attention.

"Alright, all of you incompetents! It's time to work! We can't rely on that person for everything of it will prove how incompetent all of you are!"

He bellowed to the soldiers. Being called incompetents really ticked them off especially when it was their superior who was calling them that. They could not help but stare at Major Lopez with complain in their eyes. Their superior however sneered at their expressions.

"What is with all that looks? If you are not incompetent, then prove it with effort! We are called incompetent because he had both skill and guts to do what we can't! If you don't want to be called that again, then do what you can do! I don't want to be called incompetent by that person again once he returned! What about you people?"

A chorus of agreement not only among the soldiers but also other people echoed across the place.

"Good! Then move! Others check on which vehicles can still run! Those who are able to, hurry up and remove the vehicles blocking the maintenance road! We just can't wait here doing nothing!"

Not only the soldiers but also some of the refugees helped with the instructions given by Major Lopez. One good quality a leader should have was to turn a setback into a drive to keep the team on moving forward. It was what Major Lopez had just displayed as he used Mark's contempt for their incompetence as a fuel to raise their determination. But of course, there were two who were quite unhappy with what he said.

"Major Lopez right? Do you think my master will fail in luring those monsters away?"

Odelina asked with a stern face. Even Mei was glaring at him.

The wrinkled face of the major suddenly looked troubled. That woman who questioned him was just as scary as those two monsters in terms of capability. Letting out a single cough to clear his throat, he replied.

"Ladies, we are soldiers, we don't rely on a single plan and expect it to succeed. There are always backup plans to be prepared. Besides, it's not only those two Unknowns are the threat here. With all the noise that they made, it's likely that the infected will come here sooner or later. At that time, we should at least have a way to escape."

The two did not pursue the issue anymore. It was just the way the Major said it sounded like he was sentencing that Mark would fail.

Among the people around, there were people who were still grumbling however. Those people were members of Mark's group who knew nothing about Mark's plans while the other one was Emika who slipped out again even dragging her little brother out. Looking at Mark's vehicle driving further away as they hid behind a truck, she pouted.

"That scary uncle did not even say goodbye."

***

Driving down the expressway dodging the vehicles abandoned in the middle of the road, Mark continued to observe the two large monsters following behind him through the side mirrors the Multi-cab. The loud tremors behind the vehicle were even louder than the engine. Mark was also amazed how fast the frog headed infected on chasing after him. If not for the stone clad woman who kept on attacking the mutated infected, things would be harder in more than one reason.

Mark sniffed the air around him and smelled the smell of gas. It seemed that the gas leaked inside the sealed carrier was already thick enough that it started to leak out from the carrier.

"Just a bit more…"

His eyes glowed redder and redder urging the two giants behind to keep up with him. Not only that he needed to keep the two on following him but also avoid the infected now wandering across the expressway.

DRAAAA!!!

"Well, sh*t!"

Mark complained as he heard that shriek like roar. On his side mirror, he could see the stone clad woman stop stretching one of her stone covered hands pointing forward. The stone armor on her palm emitted cracking sounds as it split into pointed stone shards. She was trying to launch her pointed stones forward with both the frog headed infected and the multi-cab as target!

He was not surprised that she could do a targeted ranged attack as it was the same move she used to kill Mei in his dream. Still, whether he was surprised or not, it would be dangerous!

Pulling the steering wheel to the right, he lined the multi-cab in front of the frog headed infected using it to block the woman's attack.

SWOOSH! SWOOSH! SWOOSH!

TANG! TINK! TAK!

KRAAAA!!!

Several sounds of projectiles slicing the wind as they flew in fast speed sounded from behind. There was no way for Mark to count the number of the flying stones. It was then followed by a plethora of metallic sounds followed by the painful roar of the frog headed infected that he used as a shield.

However, his vehicle was not unscathed either. He was sure that he heard a sound of impact on the carrier behind and even the side mirror on the passenger's side was broken by one of the stone projectiles. Some of the projectiles even whooshed past the vehicle he was driving and landed on the road in front leaving cracks on the asphalt road. He also had to maneuver away from the projectiles left on the road since those could potentially break any of the wheels.

Mark looked forward and he could see his target area. It was the circular upward curve at the intersection of the expressway. The curve was not only high but also stuck out towards the waters of the Manila Bay. Upon driving up that curve, he would abandon this multi-cab and go for the next step.

Just a little more… He was just about five hundred meters now from the entrance of the curve.

SPLASH!!!

Mark froze…

"Fein, can I curse really hard right now?"

He spoke to the cowering beetle beside him with a bitter smile.

That sound of splashing water was too loud that he knew that something else was coming. Of course he expected that he might attract other infected wandering around or even other Failed Mutators but he never expected it to come from the sea.

Mark looked towards his right where he detected the new enemy. All that he could see was something big swimming under the water as it splashed a large amount of water up in the air.

"TSK!"

He just saw the head and saw that it was a very large turtle. An infected sea turtle which was likely to be the same size as the vehicle he was driving or even a little larger.

Even though it added to the danger once this turtle tried to leave the water, he also saw this as an opportunity. Once he lost these gigantic threats, it would be likely that the two giant infected would gang up on the stone clad woman who was a Failed Mutator.

Saving her? It did not enter Mark's mind. He was solely here to lure all of them away. Unlike Odelina, Laelaps, Jester and Keene that he helped to overcome the alien consciousness eating their minds, the original consciousness of the stone clad woman had already been snuffed out. In any case, she was already a lost case and was needed to be eliminated. The infected was one thing since they could not think and their movements could be predicted. The Failed Mutators was another thing as no one could predict what their new consciousness could do.

DRAAAA!!!

Another shriek like roar echoed from behind. Mark smiled bitterly. He knew that the stone clad woman was frustrated as she saw the new competitor for her prey. She did not even stop running as she faced the direction where the turtle was swimming and the stone armor on her forehead cracked before shooting off towards the swimming turtle.

Unfortunately, it was a futile attempt for her. The stone projectiles were fully blocked by the turtle's shell. Still, the impact of the projectiles pushed the turtle away since it had no ground to channel the impact to.

Finally, before the turtle managed to come ashore, Mark entered the branch of the road where the inclined curve was. He accelerated as fast as he could not even thinking whether he ones chasing from behind could follow.