“I admit that I underestimated you pagan god,’’ Doctor Mugabe said, his bearded face demonized by his furious countenance. “your unwelcomed affiliation with the specimens has complicated our plans but no matter, we’ll improvise, you have been nothing but trouble from the onset but soon, your usefulness to mankind will soon be over.”

Shango’s face was devoid of expression but his fierce eyes followed Doctor Mugabe as he stalked around his spherical cage with so much intensity Omotola wondered why he wasn’t blown away by the psychic wave of hatred pulsing his way.

“Your rebellious curiosity disappoints me children,” the doctor stopped to face the 5th generation children, his back to Shango’s cage in a show of power. “In spite of our care and nurturing, a decorated monkey will still be a monkey, since you have decided to act like your freak sire, we shall treat you as such, now we cannot afford to allow you jeopardize our decade long plans at the peak of its completion.’’

“We know about your plans Doctor’’ Omotola said, ‘‘so forgive us if trying to figure out how to save our lives hurts your paternal feelings.

“how could you keep all this from us, then planned to get rid of us and decide how and when we are to breath like we are lab rats,’’ Obiora growled, his body already pulsing with heat.

The doctor stared at them, perplexed for a moment before laughing, his cohorts joined in rather nervously.

“Do you think we would let you go with all the powers you possess?’’ Do you think you can blend with the outside world and they would welcome you with open arms? Take a look at yourselves, you are abnormal freaks, how long will you last out there without our protection? Indulge me.’’

“You are afraid Mugabe son of Mugabe’’, Shango’s voice cuts in, startling them all, the Askaris shuffled nervously, the Doctor in spite of himself drew back from his cage.

“They are all you could ever dream of and will never attain, their superior feature gnaws at you, yet you are not close to what you and your accursed fathers sought after, “eternal youth,’’ their youthfulness fills you with fear and reminds you of your fleeting existence and the implication that you are running out of time, like your father did before death came for his dues.’’

“Silence demon!” Doctor Mugabe shrieked. His face looked deranged, eyes burgling. Shango must have hit on a sore spot. “exhaust your entire juju fetish all you want pagan god but before you stands the most intellectual minds in Africa, soon we will cut you open to see what makes you ticks, you will not deny us the greatest scientific breakthrough ever.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

Your freak spawns here before you shows how far we have come, the question is how long before you break, your magic has been taken from you, only your sharp tongue remains and soon we will have that taken as well.’’

On saying this he returned his attention to the children,

‘’I admit we have been too open handed with your management and have overlooked your antics for weeks, a mistake I shall surely rectify because you have defied the institute for the last time. You think this creature will help you? Haha then your naivety knows no bound for he’s a selfish arrogant demon that would only use you until you have served your purpose, but for the timely intervention of one of your handlers, your actions might have complicate things further had you freed this monster and doom us all.’’

Amaka; Babybaby’s handler stepped out nervously from behind the wall of Askaris as the siblings glared accusing at Babybaby.

“I told nobody, I swear’’ she cried.

“No you didn’t dearest, forgive me,’’ Amaka said looking at Babybaby with shame in her eyes, you talk in your sleep and I had to do something to protect you, you do not know what you’re doing and the Doctor promised to lessen your punishment.’’

“Amaka what have you done.’’ Orchid cried, you ruined everything, you don’t understand, the institute are the bad guys here.’’ Amaka cringed in the face of Orchid's verbal assault, confused as she was quickly led away.

Doctor Mugabe sneered impatiently. “Enough of the theatrics, now stand down and no one will be hurt.’’

The siblings exchanged a look of understanding for a moment; they decided to go down fighting. But Alas, Shettima was right; the institute did have a fail-safe against their abilities because the Askaris came at them fully prepared, the fight ended as soon as it started.

Binta worked herself into a blur and made for Doctor Mugabe, an Askari moved in front of the doctor and calmly fired a tube-like weapon into the air, an EMP. Binta shrieked and collapsed in a heap, her body shutting down as her electricity worked against her. Obiora roared and charged the group of Askaris but they expertly rolled away from his path, fired some gum like projectiles at him which expanded and weighed him down as he struggled impotently till he was encased in an elastic fiber-like bubble that covered him completely.

Babybaby and Orchid were quickly downed with tranquilizers before they could react and Shettima was sprayed with some liquid that seems to affect him even in his intangible form and was expertly downed with a shower of darts.

Omotola had always been the least underestimated among the children because of her lack of powers to which she quickly made them regret, she spread her wings and spun where she stood like a human yoyo as they fired darts at her barely visible body. her wings slapped some back at the Askaris as they yelled and scattered. taking advantage of their confusion, she leapt among them venting out her fighting skills enough to bring a proud tear from Fortuna Monroe’s dry eye.

These men have bought down her siblings, she could still hear Binta’s shriek ringing in her ears and she held nothing back, taking satisfaction from their yelps of pain and the snap of their bones till she was a pincushion of darts and finally succumbed to the venom.

The last thing she heard was Shango’s wail of anguish as darkness embraced her.