Mutagen

'Just where in the world did that come from?!'

Mark did not know how to react to being called 'Papa' by Abbygale.

Everyone who heard Abbygale was surprised at first but as they looked at the rare and precious expression that appeared on Mark's face, they understood what was happening…

Except Ange…

"She's you're daughter?!"

Everyone looked at her with incredulous expressions. She immediately noticed that everyone was staring at her like she's an idiot. She flinched.

"I'm wrong aren't I?"

Paula nodded at her airheaded friend.

Sighing, Mark spoke.

"I'm not your Papa alright? Don't you think your real Papa will be sad?"

Abbygale wisely shook her head.

"Mommy said that Daddy hate us and left Mommy before I was born. I don't have a Papa."

The girl looked straight at Mark's eyes like piercing into his soul.

"I want you to be my Papa."

Mark started to have a headache. Everyone did not know what to think about this girl's amazing logic. Furthermore, the girl's brain did not seem to work her age at all!

"Pfft."

Ange was laughing at Mark's predicament.

They then all heard Abbygale repeat what she said before.

"Papa, I'm hungry."

Mark felt defeated.

"Alright, you should wash up first. You literally bathed in blood."

Abbygale looked at her clothes and nodded.

***

7:50 PM – City Mall Bacoor, West Wing, TechZone

Mark stood inside the store where Mei and Ange stayed when he and Paula went to find medicine at the first floor. Behind him was some of the employees along with Bernard and Calvin who he asked to assist Ange earlier.

After he sent Abbygale with Paula, Ange and Mei to wash up and get clothes and shoes for her at the stores they had been to before, he went to check back this store.

In front of him was a man who was sitting on the floor gagged and tied up with extension cables. The man was glaring at Mark with overwhelming hate that even made Mark feel a slight headache.

This guy was the man who was arguing with James before. He was the man who lost his wife in the Zombie Massacre that happened here in the TechZone this past noon.

Why was this man tied up?

At the time where Mark and Paula were getting ready before finding the Medicine, Mark tasked Ange to protect Mei from this guy as he felt that this guy's emotions were in turmoil. He was exuding faint killing intent even though this man held it back. As Mark was going away, he predicted the possibility of this guy making a dangerous move.

And it really happened.

As the only one left beside Mei was Ange, this guy thought that it was his chance. To most people who did not know Ange, she was just a frail looking girl. Unfortunately for him, he totally underestimated her and got defeated. However, Ange got wounded on her palm since she did not expect that this guy would suddenly take out a butterfly knife during their fight.

"How is it? You think you can pull that idiotic and unreasonable revenge of yours?"

Mark spoke and pulled the gag on his mouth away.

"You f*cker!"

"Me? Isn't that you?"

Mark stared at the man with eyes full of contempt.

"I already explained what happened earlier right? If you want someone to blame about what happened to your wife, blame yourself."

"What did I do wrong? You bastard did not tell us about what would happen! She died because of YOU!"

"What an idiot."

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

Mark pulled the collar of the man up and dragged him out of the store. He threw him in the middle of the vacant area in front of the store that was already cleaned and looked at Calvin.

"Remove the cables."

Calvin looked confused and asked as he removed the cables tying the man.

"What are going to do?"

Mark shrugged and replied.

"Giving him a chance for his revenge."

Everyone who was watching was surprised.

After the man was untied, he pushed Calvin away and immediately charged towards Mark and unleashed a heavy punch.

The punch was strong and fast but to Mark who already activated his Adrenaline rush, it was quite slow. With a slight side step, Mark dodged the punch and unleashed a heavy kick on the Man's stomach making him kneel on the floor in pain.

"What? Is that the extent of your revenge? How funny, you're wife died and you can only take revenge on a weak girl? I know you are afraid of me because I had weapons before but I don't have any right now. You're that weak and you actually had the guts?"

Mark started throwing insults.

The man heard Mark's insults and was burning in anger inside but he could not say anything back as the kick he received was too painful that it started to churn his stomach.

Seeing that the man was about to vomit out the contents of his stomach, Mark unleashed a merciless kick on the man's face knocking his body several feet away.

"Don't try to dirty the floor."

The people watching was dumbfounded at how ruthless Mark was and started to pity the man. Still, no one went up to stop Mark. Everyone who was watching here saw what happened before when the man attacked the two girls inside the store.

The man felt pain on his face and stomach as he curled his body down on the floor.

TING!

The man heard a metal sound in front of him. Looking up, he saw the butterfly knife he had before.

"Stand up and take that. Though after the moment you pick that up and attack, I'll kill you."

The man heard Mark's chilling voice filled with killing intent. Even the people watching could not help but shudder.

"Isn't that a little overboard? Nothing happened to the girls after all."

Bernard who was near Mark asked which made the latter glance at him. Still, Mark did not take his attention away from the man on the floor.

"Well, yeah. He failed but that did not mean that he will not do it again. Also even if he did not pick up that knife, I won't let him roam around freely."

Bernard shook his head. He felt that Mark was really angry about what happened.

Mark looked back at the man who was struggling to get up.

"Oh, before I forget. I already asked these guys about you and your wife."

Mark opened his arms indicating the people watching around them.

"Your wife actually stopped you from being coaxed by that fat bastard but you just ignored her. Didn't it mean that you are the one who actually killed your beloved wife?"

Mark continued with a grim sneer filled with malice.

As if a thunderclap sounded in his ear, the man froze staring at Mark wide eyed.

'I was the one who killed my wife?!'

Those words echoed in his mind as he started to lose his sanity. The man started screaming which made the gallery take a step back in fear. As if he forgot about the pain he was feeling, he speedily picked up the knife beside him and dashed towards Mark like a crazy man.

Mark smiled as he readied himself to deal with the man. This insane attack was all he was waiting for.

However, before the man could even reach a meter away from Mark, a red shadow flashed towards the man coming from the direction where the door that led to the service corridors was located.

The red shadow clashed with the man's body and the man flew away like a kite without a string towards the wall. The man's whose head hit the wall fainted immediately and his arm that was holding the butterfly knife was bent between the wrist and the elbow. The man's arm was decimated and that was not the only injury he received from that impact.

Everyone looked at the perpetrator of what happened to the man and saw a five to six year old girl wearing a red frilled dress with her wavy hair tied into low twin tails with red ribbons. Everyone was shocked along with Mei, Paula and Ange that just returned.

Mark also felt astounded but it did not appear in his face. He already knew that this girl was peculiar so his shock was lesser than the people around him felt. From the calm emotion she exudes to the strength that was not suited for her age and physique, everything about this girl was strange. He approached Abbygale and sat down in front of her with a bitter smile.

"Gale, why did you do that?"

Gale, that was what he decided to call this little girl. To his surprise, it seemed that that was what her mommy also called her before.

Abbygale looked at the man in dismay and then towards Mark with a disappointed look.

"He was attacking Papa. I wanted to kill him. I failed."

'What in the world is this girl saying?!'

That was what everyone who heard what the girl said was thinking, except Mark though. When she said that, Mark started to have a liking towards this girl aside from his interest to her peculiarities.

Mark patted Abbygale's head.

"You don't have to do that alright? Papa can handle himself from a trash like that. I wanted to kill him myself you know?"

Abbygale nodded.

'Just what are you teaching your daughter!'

Everyone dismayed.

And the pair of father and daughter that had low value towards the life of others was born.

"Papa, I'm hungry."

"Alright, let's get something to eat."

Mark looked at Mei who was pouting by the side and signaled her to follow him which made her beam into a smile that dazzled the males watching.

Mark picked up Abbygale and walked away followed by Mei leaving the people who did not know what to do anymore.