come forward and they’re telling us everything in extreme detail.”
Danny put his hand in front of his face to hide his grin.
“As soon as we pinpoint him, we’ll be sending you in to bring him back. The Trutopians won’t like that. You’re going to have to go in covertly.”
Warren Wagner said, “General, it doesn’t matter how you approach him. If Colin doesn’t want to come back to us, you won’t be able to persuade him.”
“We will. We have to. Colin is by far the most recognizableand popular of the New Heroes. We’re going to need the good publicity his return will generate, because our strategists are predicting that Kinsella’s next move will be to reveal what happened with Mina and Yvonne. The Trutopian spin doctors are going to make it look like the girls were held here against their will.”
Renata said, “Well, they
were
! That’s no way to treat a human being. Why were they even here to begin with? Yvonne told us that they’d been here all their lives. Why? Superhuman abilities don’t show up until you reach puberty. Did you know that they’d become superhuman? Was one of their parents a superhuman?”
Everyone in the room fell silent, watching the general.
He cleared his throat. “Their background is classified.”
Danny said, “If we ever encounter Yvonne again, it’d help to have all the information about her. I mean, we all thought she was just very smart and very strong, but it turned out she had mind-control too.” Danny realized he was staring at Max Dalton as he said this. “Oh my God…. Are you their father?”
Max shook his head. “No.”
“Josh, then? Or is your sister their mother?”
“There is no genetic connection between my family and theirs.”
“The matter is closed,” General Piers said.
Renata stood up. “If you want us to do your dirty work, General, then you’re going to have to start treating us better. Tell us everything we need to know about Yvonne or I’m walking out of here. I mean it.”
The old man regarded her for a moment. “Yes. I believe you do.” He nodded to Impervia. “Tell them.”
Impervia said, “Yvonne and Mina were found on the day of the final battle with Ragnarök. Paragon discovered them in one of Ragnarök’s hideouts.”
Renata’s mouth dropped open. “Their father is
Ragnarök
?”
“In a way, yes. We haven’t been able to determine the extent of the work Ragnarök did. Our interrogations have proved almost fruitless. All we have really learned is that Yvonne and Mina are the only two who survived. This is why we brought Mrs. Duval to Sakkara. She’s the only link we have.”
“You’ve lost me,” Danny said. “What do you mean they’re the only two who survived? How many children did he have?”
“We believe there were six,” Impervia said, “but only Yvonne and Mina survived. When Paragon found them, they were suspended in an amniotic fluid inside artificial wombs. They were about three years old. They’d spent their entire lives in glass jars. Renata, you said that keeping Mina and Yvonne here was no way to treat a human being.” She sighed. “Strictly speaking, those girls are not human.”
Caroline Wagner said, “Oh my God. They’re clones.”
“Yes. Ragnarök cloned himself. Four of the six clones failed to gestate, but Mina and Yvonne survived. In fact, they flourished.”
“So Mrs. Duval…She’s their grandmother?”
Impervia nodded. “She is. But she doesn’t know that, and she’ll never find out.” She glanced at Warren. “If she won’t talk to you, she’s not going to talk to anyone. We’ve learned everything we can from her. She will shortly be leaving Sakkara.”
Façade asked, “Where are you taking her?”
Impervia ignored him. “I trust this matter is now closed andyour curiosity about Mina and Yvonne is satisfied. We have work to do, people.”
In the heart of the newly built Trutopian community in Wyoming, Yvonne sat in her sealed quarters, staring at the
Danny put his hand in front of his face to hide his grin.
“As soon as we pinpoint him, we’ll be sending you in to bring him back. The Trutopians won’t like that. You’re going to have to go in covertly.”
Warren Wagner said, “General, it doesn’t matter how you approach him. If Colin doesn’t want to come back to us, you won’t be able to persuade him.”
“We will. We have to. Colin is by far the most recognizableand popular of the New Heroes. We’re going to need the good publicity his return will generate, because our strategists are predicting that Kinsella’s next move will be to reveal what happened with Mina and Yvonne. The Trutopian spin doctors are going to make it look like the girls were held here against their will.”
Renata said, “Well, they
were
! That’s no way to treat a human being. Why were they even here to begin with? Yvonne told us that they’d been here all their lives. Why? Superhuman abilities don’t show up until you reach puberty. Did you know that they’d become superhuman? Was one of their parents a superhuman?”
Everyone in the room fell silent, watching the general.
He cleared his throat. “Their background is classified.”
Danny said, “If we ever encounter Yvonne again, it’d help to have all the information about her. I mean, we all thought she was just very smart and very strong, but it turned out she had mind-control too.” Danny realized he was staring at Max Dalton as he said this. “Oh my God…. Are you their father?”
Max shook his head. “No.”
“Josh, then? Or is your sister their mother?”
“There is no genetic connection between my family and theirs.”
“The matter is closed,” General Piers said.
Renata stood up. “If you want us to do your dirty work, General, then you’re going to have to start treating us better. Tell us everything we need to know about Yvonne or I’m walking out of here. I mean it.”
The old man regarded her for a moment. “Yes. I believe you do.” He nodded to Impervia. “Tell them.”
Impervia said, “Yvonne and Mina were found on the day of the final battle with Ragnarök. Paragon discovered them in one of Ragnarök’s hideouts.”
Renata’s mouth dropped open. “Their father is
Ragnarök
?”
“In a way, yes. We haven’t been able to determine the extent of the work Ragnarök did. Our interrogations have proved almost fruitless. All we have really learned is that Yvonne and Mina are the only two who survived. This is why we brought Mrs. Duval to Sakkara. She’s the only link we have.”
“You’ve lost me,” Danny said. “What do you mean they’re the only two who survived? How many children did he have?”
“We believe there were six,” Impervia said, “but only Yvonne and Mina survived. When Paragon found them, they were suspended in an amniotic fluid inside artificial wombs. They were about three years old. They’d spent their entire lives in glass jars. Renata, you said that keeping Mina and Yvonne here was no way to treat a human being.” She sighed. “Strictly speaking, those girls are not human.”
Caroline Wagner said, “Oh my God. They’re clones.”
“Yes. Ragnarök cloned himself. Four of the six clones failed to gestate, but Mina and Yvonne survived. In fact, they flourished.”
“So Mrs. Duval…She’s their grandmother?”
Impervia nodded. “She is. But she doesn’t know that, and she’ll never find out.” She glanced at Warren. “If she won’t talk to you, she’s not going to talk to anyone. We’ve learned everything we can from her. She will shortly be leaving Sakkara.”
Façade asked, “Where are you taking her?”
Impervia ignored him. “I trust this matter is now closed andyour curiosity about Mina and Yvonne is satisfied. We have work to do, people.”
In the heart of the newly built Trutopian community in Wyoming, Yvonne sat in her sealed quarters, staring at the
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