Mark was fed up with the suspense.
"If you have something to say, just say it. I'm not a kid."
The captain sighed. She had second thoughts about telling Mark about his past, but it was no secret and he deserved to know.
"First of all, you're different, Marcus."
"Different. How so?"
"Well, you're not a weatherborn."
"What?"
"Don't get me wrong. You are a weatherborn, but... You're not."
Mark was visibly confused.
"With all due respect, captain, you're not making sense."
The captain made a hand gesture to Natalya, who rose from her seat and gave the pad she was holding to Mark.
"The genetic code I showed you usually mutates into five different strains, and that has been the common knowledge. Until today."
Mark stared at the pad with curiosity. It looked like the gadgets the agents used in the prison to test him when he was first captured.
But this one was made entirely of glass, and the contents of its display could be projected upwards as a hologram.
On the pad were diagrams of the five different mutated DNA strains that turned humans into powerborns.
But Mark noticed a sixth one, labeled as '???'
"You didn't show me this one," Mark pointed out.
"That's because it never existed before. That strain is your DNA."
Mark kept his gaze on the pad. Besides the diagrams, various texts and numbers were written, which he could barely make sense of.
However, he noticed that the numbers beside his unique strain were significantly higher than the rest.
"What does this mean?"
"We have no idea, Marcus."
The captain leaned forward.
"I have to ask. Have you noticed anything different about your powers? Or have you exhibited any new powers?"
Mark didn't have to think hard. One thing came to mind immediately.
The system.
He had no idea what exactly it was. But he knew it brought him back to life and, somehow, it could detect and copy abilities.
Until he figured out how to use it properly, he decided it was best to keep it to himself.
"Nothing new," he replied. "Just my usual lightning."
Captain Savanna sighed again.
"Well, if you do notice anything, don't hesitate to tell us. You might be the key to ending the war between humans and powerborns, once and for all."
"So you've said. But what does this have to do with my past?"
Captain Savanna adjusted her glasses. She made another gesture toward Natalya, who retrieved the digital pad from Mark and handed it back to her boss.
"Ten years ago, on the night of your mother's death, we received a cryptic message from the last existing Timeborn."
"What message?"
The captain tapped at the pad for a while, then passed it back to Mark.
This time, the screen contained three lines of text, which Mark read out loud.
The end has begun.
Thornwell has come.
Find the weatherborn.
"I don't get it. What does it mean?"
In one movement, the captain retrieved the pad from Mark.
"We believe it's a warning. An apocalypse is upon us, and you're the only one who can stop it."
This story couldn't get any worse, Mark thought.
"So... where's this timeborn?" He asked.
"No one's heard from her ever since. We believe she's dead."
Mark was overwhelmed by the entire lecture, but somehow, he remained calm through it all.
He had gone through horrible ordeals and lost the ability to display emotion like other humans.
"We spent years looking for you, Marcus. Until we intercepted news of your transfer from the PCA. And here we are."
Mark's face lit up with realization. His life began to make sense.
For some reason, General Zorn refused to execute him. Instead, the general had kept him alive and trained him to use combat weapons.
The general must have known about this, he thought.
The years he was trained and beaten in prison weren't for nothing, and the feeling gave him a little consolation for the time he spent incarcerated.
After a moment of silence, the captain broke Mark's train of thought.
"Marcus, we need to experiment on you."
The word 'experiment' hit Mark like a bullet train.
A hidden trauma reawakened in him.
"What did you just say?"
Savanna failed to notice the shift in Mark's temperament. Instead, she doubled down on her statement.
"The discovery of a new strain is groundbreaking. This could open many more possibilities. You could help us end the war with humans for good."
The captain tried to sound convincing, but Mark was not buying it.
"Hold up. I didn't break out of a lab just to end up in another."
"No, Marcus. This is different."
"How is it different?"
"The PCA wanted to use you as a weapon. We're trying to save lives."
"By making me your weapon?"
Captain Savanna suddenly fell silent.
"Tell me I'm lying." Mark insisted.
Natalya spoke up in defense of her boss.
"Mark, it's not that simple. You don't understand…"
"No! You don't understand." Mark cut her off. "I spent ten years in a cage! Ten years screaming for someone, anyone, to save me.
"I plotted my escape solely to avoid any more horrible experiments. When you came to my aid, I thought things would finally be different."
Mark stood on his feet, glaring at the captain.
"You're no different from Zorn. You don't see me. You see a weapon. Another science project."
"No, I don't." The captain tried to defend herself. "We can help you! Together, we can explore your power. Teach you how to control it. Make you stronger…"
"You don't want to help me," Mark snapped back. "You want to own me."
His voice hardened to emphasize his next statement.
"I won't be a prisoner again. Not for you. Not for anyone."
Mark walked to the door and tried to open it, but Natalya had locked it using the pad.
The captain tried one more time.
"Tell me, Marcus. Where will you go? In case you forgot, you're a wanted fugitive who just broke out of a powerborn containment facility!"
"I'll find a place."
"No, Marcus. Agents all over the world are looking for you right now. You'll never be safe. Just stay."
"No."
"That's a shame. But we can't let you leave, Marcus." Captain Savanna said, conclusively.
Mark turned back towards the captain, his face determined. He was ready for a fight.
"Try and stop me."
[NOTIFICATION: Adrenaline spike detected]
Mark activated his aura, his eyes glowing fiercely with the usual blue.
This time, his body didn't radiate light; it emitted raw electricity.
The lights in the room began to flicker, and one of the glass tubes exploded.
Savanna was impressed. Knowing he had this much potential, there was no way she could let him leave.
She responded equally aggressively.
Rising to her feet, she activated her aura.
[WARNING: S-Tier Mindborn detected]
The holo-screen blinked continuously, warning Mark not to engage Savanna, but he paid no attention.
With every passing second, the captain's eyes and hair grew radiant, burning bright like the sun.
Natalya stood alert, ready to intervene if things got out of hand.
But to her surprise, the captain powered down and sat back on the sofa.
"Leave. Now!" she ordered.
Mark was surprised by the captain's sudden change. Despite his aggressive display, he was almost certain the "Amber Witch" could easily take him out.
However, he was no longer going to let anyone control his life or put him in a cage.
With one swift movement, he swung open the door and disappeared into the hall.
Natalya, too, was surprised. Slowly, she brushed aside the glass shards at her feet and turned to Savanna.
"Why did you let him leave?" Natalya inquired.
The captain sighed helplessly.
"When I reached for his mind, I felt it. I felt his anguish."
"You should have stopped him regardless."
"Have a heart, Officer Stone. He lost his mother at a tender age, and got incarcerated by the PCA soon after. He never had the chance to process his grief, and no one to comfort him. Now, here we are, trying to tie him down just after he felt free again.
"Right now, all he needs a little freedom and some time to adapt. We are not monsters."
For some reason, Natalya still seemed dissatisfied, even disappointed at the captain.
"You lied to him about the message."
"I didn't lie. I only told him what he needed to hear."
"Sure, leaving out the most important part."
The captain cupped her head in her palms and gently rubbed her eyelids. She hadn't slept properly in days, and it began to show.
"The boy was clearly overwhelmed. This was not the time. But he'll find out soon enough."
A digital watch on Natalya's left hand began to tick loudly. Other duties required her attention. Gracefully, she stood up and walked to the door, hips swaying.
"What if he doesn't come back?" Natalya queried.
"He will come back. I know it."
"But what if he doesn't? What happens then?"
The captain raised her head and stared into deep space. Within her, a new sensation of fear erupted.
"Then... We prepare for the end of the world."