The crowd of mutants froze in stunned silence.
Then confusion erupted.
"Who said that?"
"Which idiot?"
"Who would make such a foolish decision?"
Heads turned sharply toward the source of the indifferent voice.
What they saw only deepened their confusion.
Steven's group.
More precisely—
The indifferent seven-year-old boy standing slightly ahead of them, dressed in black, dirty, ragged clothes that hung loosely over his lean but muscular frame.
He had a calm expression.
Steven himself was surprised. He wondered why the always neutral boy would intervene in this situation.
His face remained stern, eyes unreadable.
"I'll have to show him some support now no matter what happens later if i hope to ever get more serums from him" He thought inwardly.
Brant, who previously, was not paying attention to the situation here grew focused when he heard One's indifferent voice. Looking over, he couldn't help noticing the girl's exotic beauty, before a slow grin tugged at the corner of his mouth.
He folded his arms casually, watching like someone observing an unfolding play.
Veronica's always stoic expression momentarily faltered, eyes widening briefly in suprise.
Then narrowed with suspicion and doubt.
She looked at the always grumbling One, then at the ragged but beautiful girl. Wondering what he wanted with such a pitiful creature. She wouldn't have cared, nor been curious about him, if she hadn't seen the serum's terrifying effects. She's been with him for more than 3 years now, yet she didn't really know much about him. He's always either training with Marco or locked up in his room conducting strange experiments with abominations. She'll have to create chances to interact with him more if she ever wants gain his trust. She returned her gaze to the pitiful girl
"Maybe i can create a good impression if i help this girl" muttering to herself while looking a little hesitant.
One, who didn't know the amount of curiousity and doubt he has generated in certain people's hearts by the simple act of agreeing to help the girl, stood quietly as the weight of hundreds of eyes settled onto him.
Only now did the reality of his words sink in.
He looked at the girl, noticing her pitiful and heartbroken expression. He wasn't really bothered by such cruel display by the father, nor the pain and heartbreak felt by the girl. He wasn't a saint.
He wasn't helping because of any emotional reasons. No,
He had witnessed far worse in these lands.
Massacres.
Starvation.
Children devoured by stronger mutants.
What hasn't he seen. He was just feeling intrigued and curious. He wanted to know what kind of changes will occur to such an animal type mutant if injected with his serum. Will she degenerate into an animal or evolve into something greater.
His thoughts churned beneath his calm exterior.
Veronica stepped closer, her body almost overlapping with his. Then with an amused and playful expression
"I didn't know you were interested in such exotic creatures, I would've gotten some for you to play with if you told me earlier".
One lifted his head slightly. A little uncomfortable with the close distance between them.
"Im in need of an assistant. I'll get tired easily if i don't get someone to help me out during some very stressful experiments, especially in this new and stable environment," he replied. Lying through his teeth while hiding his true thoughts to himself.
He could also somehow feel it.
The girl's emotions.
The overwhelming tide of negative energy clinging to her.
Despair.
Terror.
Betrayal.
They coiled around her like suffocating smoke.
And beneath that—
Something else.
Purity.
Her hands were not deeply stained with blood.
Maybe one or two lives, likely in self-defense or under coercion.
Nothing compared to the thick, suffocating blood aura most mutants carried.
She was still… relatively clean.
Still innocent by wasteland standards.
He needed this kind of pure, innocent but heartbroken mutant. She will be easy to influence. He knows this kind of mutant will become terrifyingly loyal once he helped her get past this hurdle. Loyalty was a very rare human virtue, especially right now in these chaotic wastelands. It will be a very huge loss for him if he doesn't help her.
But he didn't voice any of that.
Outwardly, he remained indifferent.
"Don't worry about it," he said calmly. "I'll hunt the abomination myself."
A murmur rippled through the watching mutants.
"I'll also hunt the second one needed by our group for tomorrow's submission. If we plan to lay low and become residents here for sometime, we ougth to follow the Heat Emperor's rules," he continued evenly, "I'll hunt them as my punishment for my lack of self-control earlier."
He didn't look at anyone in particular.
"All I need is someone to escort me back to the mechanical vehicle so I can retrieve my weapons."
The settlement grew quieter.
A seven-year-old child.
Speaking of hunting abominations.
As if discussing simple housework.
Veronica studied him carefully.
Then she nodded slightly while inwardly sighing about how she missed such a good opportunity to close the distance between them.
He had already learned to shoulder the consequences of his actions which was rare especially if his age is taken into consideration.
She turned to Steven and gave him a subtle look. Wanting him to show some support and approval.
Steven exhaled softly.
A faint sigh barely audible beneath the distant settlement noise.
"I'll escort him to the vehicle," he said.
That alone meant his support.
Because if given the opportunity, he'll happily help him hunt the abominations himself, but One already said he'll be doing it himself so, he has no choice left now but to watch the hunt take place.
He stepped forward, his expression returning to complete indifference.
Turning back toward the Peters family, he spoke clearly.
"Our boy here wants to make the trade."
The father's grip loosened instantly.
"The abomination head will be ready within three hours."
The crowd exploded into noise.
Shock.
Disbelief.
Speculation.
"A child hunting?"
"Are they insane?"
"Who are these people?"
Even the girl's father wore a stunned expression.
He had only been trying his luck earlier.
The sheer desperation had driven him to the point of madness earlier.
He never truly believed someone would accept.
His legs gave out.
He fell to his knees.
Then began bowing repeatedly.
His forehead struck the dirty ground over and over.
He even rolled partially in the dust, sobbing uncontrollably in gratitude.
"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"
The daughter stared blankly at the small boy who had claimed partial ownership of her. She couldn't help imagining what the future had in store for her.
Her eyes grew more red and misty
Her neck still marked by her father's grip.
But beneath her lingering fear—
A fragile spark of hope and relief flickered.
At least he wasn't some fat greasy and deranged mutant. She thought.
Meanwhile, deeper within the settlement—
News of this decision was already spreading.