Day 36 – 2:47 PM – eting Room, Military Headquarters, Port of Real Settlent, Barangay Ungos, Real, Quezon
Amihan flew beside Mark's face and patted his head gently. Although she was surprised, since it was the first ti that she saw Mark actually showed such expressions on his face, she was also relieved. At least, she knew that she did not choose the wrong person to accompany. This was how he valued the people important to him and for sure, she was among them.
Family, a word very important to Mark especially since his real family could be described as a wreck. His family was a not expressive one. To say, there were no morning greetings, night greetings and even apologies and words of gratitude were rare in his family. Not to ntion the words of affection and love. Furthermore, each of the mbers had a fatal trait which was sothing that pushed him further and further away from them.
His father was close minded and self-centered, his mother was not working on her duties as a mother and a parent, his younger brother who was lazy and was like a cat that would snarl and scratch at the slightest misstep and his youngest brother was a spoiled brat. If there was better in his family, it was his younger sister who also had flaws but was still within an acceptable range.
Thus, he really never felt the warmth of a family even though he had one. Although it was bad to say, his life even beca peaceful after they left.
He now had a family of his own. With what it was going, it seed that it would end up as his ideal one. Because of that, he could not help but feel the desire to et them as soon as possible. Still, he had things to do. For now, just being able to hear their voices gave him the joy and motivation he needed.
Ignoring the ti, the Mark and i started to talk and narrated their experiences after Mark separated from them. Still, even though Mark had nothing to hide from i and Odelina, he hid a lot of details and it seed that i and Odelina also understood the reason. They were currently using a military frequency to communicate and the possibility of being wiretapped was very high.
Still, it did not hinder both sides from enjoying the talk but Mark was scolded when he narrated the events that happened after he lured away the stone clad woman and the frog headed infected. i said that he was too careless but Mark gladly accepted her scolding.
When i told their experiences in the settlent, he felt proud that they were also getting stronger and a bit sad that he was not there to watch them improve. Hearing that they were experiencing so harassnt and annoying people were repeatedly trying to recruit them, Mark felt angry. Still, he was glad that General Perez and his entourage did not shirk their promise and took care of i and the others.
It was a nice ti but a problem ca up however.
"By the way, where's Iola."
Mark asked. The ti Mark spent with her was not even a whole day so he understood if she was not as enthusiastic as i and Gale but it was bad if he neglected to talk to her.
"Gege, wait, she's here."
When the little girl spoke however…
"Uhm, You Majest-… Uhm, not that… Papa?"
Mark sighed hearing that. For sure, Iola was suffering from identity problems. Her first address even though she imdiately cut it off was for sure, the address Keeper used when greeting Freed.
It was not new to him that Iola was the inheritor of Keeper since Freed ntioned it before. Iola inheriting Keeper's powers and part of her mories was not the problem. The problem was the timing that she woke up the mories and it was when she lost her own. Without Iola's past mories, it was as if she received Keeper's mories as a replacent. Although she knew that she was not Keeper, it would still cause confusion like what happened just now.
"Iola, are you having trouble with your mories?"
Mark asked and Iola on the other side seed to hesitate before she replied.
"Uhm, yes."
"Then, just wait a little more. When I return, I'll try to fix that."
"Yes…"
***
Half hour, one hour, one and a half hour…
This was the longest ti Mark had spoken with soone on a communication device. Normally, he stayed away from this since he could not judge what the other side was exactly feeling and thinking but this was different this ti. i would not hide anything from him and he was sure of that even if he had to bet his life.
Still, the good tis had to end soon. Not only that they were using a military frequency and equipnt but both sides had things to do. Even if they wanted to spend more ti talking, they could not. At least, the farewell this ti was not a bad one.
"Gege, we'll be waiting for your return."
"Papa, bye bye!"
"Uhm, Papa, bye."
"Master, rest assured. I'll take care of everyone."
"All of you take care of yourselves. Wait for , it won't be long."
***
Mark tidied up the equipnt and stood up to leave the room. This ti, he felt lighter not just his body but also his mind.
"You really took your ti, huh."
Soone spoke after Mark went out of the room. He already knew that there was soone waiting for him outside but he still ignored it, after all, the guy outside was soone really annoying, the rcenary, Jones Galley.
"It's not like I'm given a ti limit right?"
Jones scratched his head. Although that was true, it was very unlikely for soone else other than Mark to think of hogging a military communication line for almost two hours for private use.
"By the way, why are you here in the first place?"
"Hah, do you really hate that much? It sounds like you don't want to see ."
Jones droop his shoulders as if he was crestfallen. However Mark just stared at him with a cold gaze. It was just an act. Mark would not fell for it.
Seeing Mark's gaze, Jones stopped acting.
"Alright, alright. The Old man told to fetch you since there's going to be a eting. The military officers and the private groups that joined the defense against the horde earlier are invited. Of course, you're included."
"Then, count out."
Mark started walking tracing back the way he took when he arrived here. Of course, Jones hurried to catch up.
"Wait! You really need to attend this."
"And why?"
Mark asked but he did not stop walking.
"The general needs you at the eting. Since many people saw your display in the middle of the horde, they are thinking that we are hiding soone powerful but we neglected to help the people fighting in the front lines. They are saying that due to that, many died."
"That's not really my problem. I'm just hired to do help with Karlene and do sothing about the strange group of mutated infected, not to babysit people."
"We know that but most of them won't believe if you're not at the eting. At least, we need you to confirm our statent."
"Still not my problem."
Jones beca troubled. He decided to draw his trump card.
"That red lizard in the laboratory. The old man thinks that you might want it since you seed to have interests in strange creatures and animals. If you attend the eting, along with your contribution in the horde, the old man will agree if you want it."
Mark finally stopped walking and turned to Jones.
"That's still not enough."
Jones beca troubled once more.
"What else do you want?"
"That Regeneration dicine. As many vials as possible."
Scratching his head, Jones sighed.
"I can't decide that one. Let's go to the eting and ask the old man."
Finally, Mark nodded. With Jones in the lead, Mark went out of the headquarters and entered the Humvee prepared outside.
***
Day 36 – 4:39 PM – Ungos National High School, Port of Real Settlent, Barangay Ungos, Real, Quezon
It was one of the largest landmarks in this settlent, the Ungos National Highschool.
Although most of the rooms in the school were being used as dwellings for the refugees, there were several areas dedicated to different activities. One of such areas was the trade post where survivors and refugees could trade things not only to the military but to other people. There was also the request boards were the people could post things from looking for an item to searching for people. Still, most of them were free requests for people with big hearts as most refugees would not be able to pay anything with their miniscule amount of belongings. This was one of the places the people who earn credits in the settlent could spend theirs.
Right at this mont, the school's open multipurpose hall was filled with people who had also drawn the attention of the refugees living in the school. There were a lot of soldiers so the refugees did not create much ruckus but it was different from those inside the hall. The people seed to have a very impatient mood at this mont for so reason.
The refugees outside the hall could recognize so of the people inside. After all, being stronger and being able to fight the infected would surely attract such popularity and impression from the common populace in the ti of the apocalypse. To say, many refugees knew about the Mutators and Evolvers in this settlent.
The general and the officers of the military together with Professor Suzuki and his assistants sat in front of the hall with troubled faces. Since the start of the eting had been delayed already for almost an hour, it was normal for these people to beco impatient. However, they could not do anything since they were waiting for soone.
"General, shouldn't we start already?"
Captain Garcia whispered to General Faustino.
The general looked at the captain before he panned his eyes towards the people who were getting impatient and could not help sigh. Although these people were still behaving since the leading figures of the military were here, it was still bad in a sense if this continued.
He had already sent Jones to fetch Mark who should be currently communicating with his group in Bay City. Since he saw Mark's behavior, it was not hard for him judge that Mark was not the type of person that would attend this kinds of troubleso matters. As such, he prepared a few conditions that Mark would likely accept. Still, he could not believe that Mark was taking too long in that room. Jones had already contacted him through the radio and Mark was still not done.
However, they could not delay the eting anymore.
"Captain, you start the eting."
"Yes sir."
Captain Garcia stood up and went to the front.
Seeing that soone finally stood up, the people realized that the eting finally started. So of them finally felt relieved but there were still those that were giving the soldiers and officers in front so hard looks. Still, everyone went silent. If they did not, the eting would get delayed even more.
"Everyone, good afternoon." Captain Garcia spoke on the prepared microphone. "I apologize if the start of the eting was delayed since we were waiting for soone but the person was still in the middle of his personal matters so we will proceed with other matters first."
Hearing the starting lines of Captain Garcia, General Faustino nodded. Although it might give so bad reactions, they needed a legitimate reason for the delay. Furthermore, it was the truth in the first place.
The eting started and the information about the horde was disclosed. The parasites which were the cause of the large number of infected in that horde beca a hot debate not only among the Mutators and Evolvers but also among the refugees watching.
Following the information about the horde, the military disclosed the asures they thought of against the possible attacks in the future and received the feedback of the people in the eting.
The eting proceeded as normal and half hour after the eting started, Mark finally arrived with Jones in the lead.
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