Everybody else was too stunned to speak. As the car halted just in front of the woman, Maia hastily opened the door on her side and stood there gazing at the older woman.
Her gray hair was short and the mask that she had worn was now dangling from her neck. She wore a dark green shirt and black pants and a gun in her right hand.
If it had been a different person, she might have shot at them immediately. But, the woman who stood in front of them had this deep sense of longing visible in her eyes.
When it was evident that Maia wouldn't go toward her, she took the liberty to take the first step toward them instead.
Maki and Damian who had also gotten out of the car could only gape in shock. They had little hope of finding anyone here since they fled the city. They believed that there was no way anyone could ever survive what had happened to their city. And here standing right in front of them, was someone who survived the bombing.
"Grandma"
Maia's words came out as a whisper but the older woman only smiled tenderly at her granddaughter. She crossed their distance and gave her a warm embrace. She caressed Maia's hair and left a light kiss on her cheeks.
"Oh my darling, you look wonderful. I knew you were alive"
It was then that Maia's tears burst out as she let herself weaken in her grandmother's embrace. The older woman hugged her tighter before opening another arm to welcome Maki who was also now on the verge of tears.
Maki eventually gave in and ran toward his grandmother and sister.
"Grandma you were alive"
"Oh my children"
She moved away and gazed at her grandchildren.
"Thank you for staying alive"
Sol who was like a radiant sun in the eyes of her grandchildren was now alive. Damian knew just how much Maki and Maia were close to her. She was someone who made their dull and torturous life easier. And he had to admit that she made his' easier as well.
Sol glanced at Damian and just like with Maki, she opened up her arm to welcome him.
"Damian"
Damian walked toward her and gave her a tight embrace.
"You did well too, little knight"
Damian couldn't help but chuckle. It was her pet name for him, the knight who would save the princess and prince from danger. Of course, the princess and prince are Maki and Maia.
Maia brushed up the remaining tears in her eyes and looked at her grandmother.
"Grandma, where are you hiding right now?"
Sol turned around to her granddaughter. She stared at her long enough to see that her hair had turned white and her eye color became red. She knew in an instant just what had happened to her.
She wanted to know more but they were indeed in an open area now.
"There's an underground bunker underneath this city. The remaining ones are hiding there right now. Come…"
She motioned them to follow her but Maki stopped short when he remembered about their things that were in the car.
Old man Shizu had packed them enough food and clothes for travel and enough weapons for them to defend themselves.
"We need to unload our stuff first grandma, it'll only take a while"
Sol raised an eyebrow when she saw the plate number on the car. She instantly recognized the number which made her even more curious as to how her grandchildren had acquired it.
"Have you been to the Seven City?"
Her question made the three look at each other and back to her.
"How did you know that grandma?"
Sol contemplated for a while. She was pondering on the thought of whether or not she should tell them. In the end, she could only let out a sigh.
"I'll tell you inside. It's dangerous to be out in the open like this for too long."
She then instructed Damian to move the car behind two large columns. She then motioned them towards an arch, she tapped something on the ground using her foot, then an opening to an underground passageway lifted itself.
The three of them watched as the door lifted itself and revealed a series of steps that seemed to lead up to the deepest part of the ground.
There was a red alarm blaring on the sides of the steps.
"What are those grandma?"
Maki pointed out the red alarms as if he had developed a trauma because of what had happened back in the front house.
"Don't worry, they're just alarms for when someone has opened the lift."
Maia listened closely and she was certain that she could make out at least a hundred voices down there. Some were arguing about why the lift suddenly opened. Then she heard a familiar voice. She turned toward her grandmother.
"Aunt Eos, Uncle Helios and Percy are alive down there with you?"
Sol stared at her granddaughter with awe in her expression.
"How could you possibly know that?"
"Ate sort of had some enhanced senses grandma"
Maki was the one who answered Sol. Then like she just realized what had happened to them, she grabbed Maia and enveloped her in another tight embrace.
"I should've protected you too, I am sorry my dear"
"What's done is done grandma, you didn't do anything wrong."
Maia patted her grandmother lightly on the back.
"No, but whatever had happened to you could've been prevented by me. Come, there is so much you need to know"
Maia squinted her eyes as her grandmother led the three of them down the steps. Her grandmother had three children, Helios, Eos, and Artemis. Their family had always lived close to one another so the two of them grew up close to their aunt and uncle's families. They were accustomed to having a large group, especially on occasions when the government allows celebrations. She was close to all of her cousins but most especially to Percival, Helios' first born. She knew how lucky and strong he was, so the fact that he wasn't in the SDC bunker really made her doubt everything.
When they reached the middle of the steps, Sol pressed a part, a small square in the brick wall. Instantly the opening of the passageway was slowly closing until there was no more opening that could be seen.
White lights along the steps started to appear, and they continued their descent. It took them a good 10 minutes at the very least until they reached the bottom.
Two armed men were standing at the entrance of what seemed like a never-ending tunnel. The three of them immediately recognized them. They used to be some of the alcoholic old men from their city.
The two men were seemingly shocked at seeing Maki and Damian and were extremely shocked to see Maia, gaping at her and ready to ask Sol a question.
Sol just tapped their soldiers.
"Save the shock and questions, they need to rest"
Immediately the two stood straight and just smiled at the three of them as they passed by the entrance.
"You may find that a lot of people had survived the bombings by going underground"
"But, how did so many people get to hide on such short notice? From the looks of the entrance that you just opened, the place was in the abandoned park, so how?"
"And without being noticed"
Sol smiled at Damian and Maki, who were now curious about how they could hide that quickly.
"The one that you went through was indeed in the abandoned park where you three used to play. But, that wasn't the only entrance…"
"You have five entrances"
All their attention shifted to Maia who was now looking around. Sol, with shock evident on her face, asked her granddaughter.
"How did you know?"
Maia pointed to five points before looking at her grandmother.
"I could see them, part of the enhanced sense thingy"
She sheepishly exclaimed. Sol just blinked twice before clearing her throat.
"Then I guess, you should know what this place is called."
"What?"
Sol proudly smiled and faced the three of them properly.
"Welcome to the Pentagon"
Maia thought it was a corny type of joke. They named this place the pentagon because it was shaped like a pentagon. She let out a sigh, she couldn't bring herself to ask who had named such a place after such an obvious reason.
They were now in Sol's room. It was a space large enough for one person to sleep in. A bed, a bedside table, some books, guns hanging by the side, a small sofa, and a small bathroom.
Every room in the Pentagon follows the same design. The only thing that differs is the size. Some rooms can accomodate two to three persons.
It did look like a bunker, Maki thought, but this one only had three floors underground. But the bunker was built the same as the city. It was just as large as the city, thus the five entrances which were scattered all around it.
Sol had left them to fetch her other children. Maia who was now feeling tired laid on the bed and tried to close her eyes to sleep, but a buzzing sound in her ear prevented her, so she laid there looking at the ceiling.
"Maia, you alright?"
Damian looked at her worriedly, he knew that she had no proper sleep since they had reunited. She had been on edge and always on alert, panicking at the smallest thing that might put them in danger.
Maia smiled weakly at him before getting herself up. She decided to just settle at a sitting position beside Damian.
"There's just this constant annoying little buzz in my ear"
"Maybe it's tinnitus Ate?"
Maki asked but Maia only shook her head.
"Maybe, I don't know"
It was then that the door to the room burst open and a brunette woman and a man with black hair enveloped both Maia and Maki in their arms.
"Oh my God, you're alright. What had happened Maki"
The woman, their Aunt Eos, stared at Maki and then at Maia. Upon laying eyes at Maia, her eyes widened. And all Maia could do was smile small at her. This was the constant reaction she always gets and it is surprising especially since everyone knows what white hair and red eyes means.
"My girl, you look well"
Their uncle Helios gave Maia an apologetic smile as Eos grabbed her for a tight hug.
"We lost hope that you were alive, I'm sorry Maia, I really am"
Maia could only tap her aunt on her back as she returned her hug. It was then that a figure caught her line of sight. His jet black hair still the same shade as it was before. His normal tan skin now a shade darker and his usual long hair was now a buzz cut and it made his features seem rougher and harsher.
It took him a whole minute staring at Maia, scanning her from head to toe before he walked towards her pulling her from their Aunt's arms and into his.
"Hey Percy"
Maia greeted as she hugged him back. This made Percival hug his cousin tighter.
"I thought we lost you"
He said, the sadness evident in his voice. He had been the last person in their family to have seen her and he regretted not telling her how much he loved her and that had been eating him little by little.
"Percy"
Percy let Maia go as he stared at her then he finally smiled. Widely, like how he had always been.
"Guess, we're not two peas in the pod anymore"
He said jokingly as he touched a few strands of her hair, seemingly admiring its color. And that was the first for Maia. The first time that someone at first glance adored her new appearance instead of being surprised.
Helios smiled at his son and niece before looking at Damian, he patted him on his shoulders.
"It's nice to see you again kiddo"
"Likewise, Uncle"
"But what happened to you? How did you get here?"
"You should settle down if we are to talk about this, there's a lot to be told after all"
Sol closed the door behind her and settled herself on the chair by her bedside table.
"What happened to the three of you? Especially you Maia, that look, those red eyes, they are an indication of being a mutant"
Maia bit her lip and stared at her grandmother. She had always been blunt and she guessed that there's so much to tell them now.
"That's right, I'm now a mutant grandma"
Maia started her story, about the experiments on the abilities, of the other personality but she had chosen to keep the fact that she has two hearts. It was just her gut feeling telling her to not reveal everything so soon. Eos, Helios, Percival and Sol just listened to her without saying anything.
Maki and Damian then took turns to tell what was happening back at the SDC bunker and how Artemis orchestrated an all-out war with the government.
"And the Seven City?"
Maia told the story about Old Man Shizu and how the city was viewing them as the reincarnation of the Seven Lucky Gods.
Helios stared blankly at his nephew and niece while Eos looked down, fiddling with her hands. Percy quickly noticed this change in their atmosphere and when he glanced at Maia, he found her gaze zeroing on Eos and Helios.
"Then you must have met him"
Sol absentmindedly stated which made the three instantly curious. Her voice which was normally so powerful, suddenly sounded so weak.
"Who Grandma?"
Sol smiled weakly before a sad look on her face began to show and this was a first even for Eos and Helios. Sol was strong and she had always put up that front. But there was only one person who can make her look so sad.
"Your Grandfather"
It was then that Maia understood a little piece of the puzzle. He felt familiar and strange at the same time. He helped them escape eventhough they were total strangers. But that was the twist, they weren't strangers.
"Who Grandma? Old man Shizu?"
Sol shook her head at Maki.
"Shizu was an old friend of your grandfather. That was why I immediately recognized the plate number from the car you drove. The people who were given the right to drive a car had special plate numbers that are easy to remember"
"Then who…?"
"It was the old man at the front house"
Maia cut off Maki and stared at her grandmother, tears stinging her eyes as they threatened to fall. It was the Old Mantis Mutant from the Front House. The one who liked to talk in riddles.
"Grandpa was a mutant too? That was why he helped us"
"A mantis is what he was made into"
Sol weakly stated and at that moment, Maki and Damian too understood. The old man who had helped them escape was their grandfather. There was no other reason why he helped them, it was only because they were his family.
"Then Grandma…"
Before Maia could even state her question, Sol cut her off. Her gaze now turning into icy fire as if an old anger was igniting inside of her.
"Your mother was the one who experimented on her Maia. And yes, our family were originally from the Seven City"
This had caught the three off guard. Their eyes widening and as if the puzzle pieces were slowly falling into place, everything started to make sense.
"Listen well, Maki and Maia. What I am about to tell you is important and this story is the truth about your family."
It was then that they knew. Nothing will ever be the same again.
They wouldn't be the same as before.