Agatha and Kiba returned to Section I after a few minutes.
"You wished to scan my body?" Agatha asked as Kiba made her lie on an examination table.
"Yes," Kiba clicked ’detail scan’ on the control console before continuing,"There is something I need to confirm."
"So you noticed the strangeness in my powers?" Agatha asked in a heavy voice.
Kiba was startled by her words.
"I will never have malice intent against you," Kiba said. They have known each other for years even before their affair so they knew each other’s true nature.
"I know," Agatha sighed and said, "That’s why I agreed to come here even though I know what you wanted to do."
The examination table moved inside the body scanner and Agatha found herself wrapped with different colors of light.
It took almost an hour for the detailed scan to end but Agatha didn’t complain. After the test, she arrived next to Kiba who was reading her report on a virtual screen.
"I had a detailed examination in White Angel Corporation twice but no one noticed the strangeness," Agatha said.
The equipment the corporation had for scanning was not worse than the one owned by Kiba. So Agatha didn’t think Kiba would be able to notice the oddness in her powers.
"I assume you had the first scan years ago and the second after your pregnancy was confirmed," Kiba asked with his attention still on the gene report.
Genes contain more than just the information necessary for living cells to survive and reproduce. They are the true source of evolution as it is the genes where the Divine Particles create mutation at the base level.
The pregnancy can invoke changes in the genes which is why female mutants are generally advised to have a detailed scan again. In some cases, there is even further evolution in the powers due to body changes...
"Yes," Agatha said.
Kiba’s expression turned grave as he studied her gene structure.
"As expected," Kiba muttered.
"Expected?" Agatha was surprised,"Did you notice something?"
"Yes," Kiba showed her the DNA strand,"Your gene is slightly different from the normal mutants who are powered by the mutation of Divine Particles."
A slight change in a gene can result in drastic changes for it is responsible for both storing the hereditary information and the secret to evolution.
"Your gene was always different from the others, but now the changes due to pregnancy have unmasked the oddity in your gene," Kiba said.
He thought of the security logs Claudia has shown him. In the logs, ’Kiba’ was confident Agatha would become pregnant with his child.
’Kiba’ then modified her previous gene report and ordered Claudia to replace ’all’ reports with the report he gave her. This was even applicable to the scan she would go after she learns of her pregnancy.
After checking the current report, Kiba could judge what changes that ’Kiba’ has made.
That ’Kiba’ made sure the change in the gene after pregnancy were not noticed by White Angel Corporation or others. So the two reports were edited to make it seem Agatha was same as before; at least as far as her genes were concerned.
Since Claudia has replaced all the reports, including the ones she has, Kiba couldn’t know what Agatha’s gene structure before pregnancy.
But he could pretty much guess that the oddness in her gene was hidden from the very start by natural factors. Only after the pregnancy was the oddity unmasked, but that was also hidden thanks to ’Kiba’.
"This oddness in her gene is the reason she was able to bear my child," Kiba was lost in thoughts,"But the changes in the body due to pregnancy made the oddness obvious."
Kiba felt a headache. He was sure he has no gaps in memory but the security logs said he knew about her pregnancy and gene from the very start.
"How the hell would I even know about her gene much less change it?" Kiba thought as he rubbed his forehead.
"What happened?" Agatha was worried.
"I can answer but only if you promise to not assault me again," Kiba said.
Agatha’s lips trembled. She was having a feeling that she would truly want to slap him after he revealed the details.
"I promise," Agatha agreed.
"Your oddness in gene became obvious after you became pregnant but White Angel Corporation didn’t notice it---" Kiba was about to complete his words but then he noticed Agatha’s palm arriving towards his face. He backed away slightly to prevent himself from being slapped.
"You promised!" Kiba maintained a safe distance from her. There were only two persons in the world on whom he didn’t wish to use force and Agatha was one of them. At least he didn’t dare use force when she was pregnant.
"I already know what your words will be," Agatha’s expression was of anger as she looked at him, "You modified the report to make sure no one noticed the oddness. And let me guess further, you don’t remember modifying the gene report just like you don’t remember modifying paternity report."
Kiba’s face was twitching in embarrassment. He knew her anger was well founded but he believed he was innocent as well! He truly didn’t remember modifying the reports!
"Thanks for dodging my slap," Agatha’s eyes turned violet,"I have forgotten I will only injure myself if I use physical attacks on you."
"Huh?" Kiba felt a disruption in his body. He felt he has turned into a ghost-like existence with no materialistic characteristics.
Agatha walked towards him slowly. She had enough of his lame excuses for not remembering such important details.
"I am not lying!" Kiba didn’t dare show her the security logs due to the nature of words ’he’ used when speaking to Claudia.
Kiba tried to back away further as he saw her hand above his face but he realized he couldn’t move.
"You isolated me?" He could now understand why Daniel didn’t try to run when Agatha was about to grab his heart.
Not only has she made him intangible like a ghost, but she could also restrict the space around. It was like confining him in an immaterialistic dimension where Agatha was the god.
"Yeah, otherwise you would teleport away," Agatha placed her palms gently on his face.
"Ahh!" He screamed like he was an ordinary human burdened by the weight of a car.
Agatha felt aghast seeing his face filled with sweat. She only applied very low force on him but his reaction.
"I am sorry," Agatha hurriedly canceled her powers, "I rarely use my ability for battle so..."
Agatha apologized and wiped the sweat off his face. But then she noticed a faint smile on his lips.
"You were acting?!" Agatha was incensed. She moved her hand to call her power but he took her chin in his hands to give her a kiss.
"I wasn’t lying," Kiba said after their lips parted.
Agatha gritted her teeth in anger at his shameless behavior.
"Are there more things you have done but didn’t remember doing before?" She asked trying her best to not sound annoyed.
"I don’t know," Kiba looked at her in the eyes before continuing,"But trust me I am not lying."
Agatha didn’t know how to react. Was she supposed to be angry or console him?
"I do owe you for changing the report otherwise..." Agatha said a minute later. Rarely would anyone let go a chance for more power.
She carried more powers then she has shown now, and she knew no one would be able to control their greed after knowing her true nature of abilities.
"You don’t owe me," Kiba took two glasses of orange juice a droid has brought. He offered one to Agatha and one to himself.
"Do you know about the nature of my powers?" Agatha asked.
"Yes," Kiba brought out her gene report and said, "Your gene has a faint presence of cosmic power."
Agatha didn’t seem surprised but Kiba already knew she has an idea about her abilities.
During the party at White Angel Corporation, he has felt something familiar from her. At that time he didn’t think much of it due to their emotional conversation. (Chapter 16)
Now he knew the familiarity was the faint cosmic power inside her.
When they met at the restaurant, he also felt a presence similar to golden lightning from her. This was due to the child inside her but that feeling was different from the one he felt at White Angel Corporation.
Also, before she became pregnant, he never felt the faint cosmic power inside her. He believed the cosmic power was masked. But the changes due to pregnancy removed the mask.
"Her nature of power was hidden just like mine but not any longer," Kiba thought.
"What are you thinking?" Agatha asked.
"How did you got this power?" Kiba asked but then a moment later he realized he has asked something he shouldn’t.
Everyone has few secrets so it was unfair for him to ask hers.
He could never tell anyone about the Cosmic Spark inside his chest. Nor could he reveal the true source of Claudia. The same applied to Section IV as well.
So how could he ask Agatha to reveal her secret after the things he was hiding?
"I am sorry for going overboard," Kiba apologized.
Agatha looked at him in silence. A minute later she said, "It is fine. I don’t mind answering to you."
Kiba was startled.
"Why are you so surprised?" Agatha asked with a teasing smile, "I wouldn’t answer if not for the events of the past two weeks."
"I know," Kiba took her hands in his and said, "But only answer if you want to."
"I want to," Agatha took a breath of air before starting her story, "As a kid, I once went to explore BSE79 meteorite along with friends. It was just hanging out instead of a true exploration but..."
"BSE79?" Kiba muttered in surprise.
"Yes, the meteorite where the golden lightning phenomenon took place four years ago," Agatha confirmed.
Kiba obviously knows the meteorite was explored by people after the minerals were extracted decades ago. It served as an adventure spot along with a great place to feel the mystical nature of the universe. Only he knew how truly horrifying the meteorite was.
"We were just exploring a mining zone in BSE79 when the ground below me shattered and I..." Agatha pressed his hands tightly as he continued,"I was inside what looked like a cave. When I looked around to find ways to leave; I noticed a strange inscription on the wall. I don’t know how it happened but after touching the inscription, I found myself in darkness filled with skeletons of unknown races..."
Agatha started shivering when she recalled the darkness and the skeletons.
"There is no need to speak further," Kiba hugged her tightly. He pretty much knows what she has seen inside. Even he felt a chill down his spine whenever he remembered the forced mining expedition.
"It is fine now," Agatha calmed down and said, "Back then I tried to find ways to leave but failed. When I lost the hope, I noticed a small glowing particle inside a skeleton. As soon as I touched that particle I lost consciousness. When I opened my eyes again, I was back in that cave again. Later on, my parents found me..."
Later on, Agatha realized the changes in her body after her ability awakened. She was a kid but even she knew the greedy nature of human beings. This is why she never revealed the details to anyone before.
"She was lucky to only find herself in the outer perimeter," Kiba thought based on the details she told him,"If she has entered that zone then..."
Kiba cleared his mind. He no longer wishes to remember the past.
"I don’t like the feeling this power give me," Agatha clenched her fist tightly as she said, "It feels like I am the sovereign of this world. The lives around me are nothing but ants offending me with their very presence. I just went to step over them and erase their annoying existence."
Kiba wasn’t surprised by her words. This feeling was due to her being a higher form of life than the rest. It was like the superiority humans have over the livestock and other animals.
"This is why I rarely use my power," Agatha said with a sigh,"I might have this power but I am a human just like the rest. So how can I let myself hate the fellow humans?"
Kiba didn’t reply. The feeling of supremacy and the wish to exterminate the lower lifeforms was countless time stronger inside him.
He was able to suppress this feeling thanks to his strong will but only he knows how difficult it is. It was like fighting against his own basic instincts.
This was also the main reason why he would try to avoid using his full powers. He can barely resist himself from carrying out a genocide...