The Next Level: The Mutant Bond

The Next Level: The Mutant Bond is the third book in the Next Level Series. It focuses on the Sophomore life of Austin Fernandez as he tries to live his life despite their current situation, improve his relationship with the girl of his dreams and his friends (old and new), and keep the entire community on the Island in balance as the Mastermind initiates the final phases of his grand plan to wipe out all life on Earth.

Act I (The Sinulog Arc) (Chapter 1-13)
The school year begins as usual as Austin meets his new classmates and teachers.

A new batch project is introduced to them, the Field Demo, which gives the entire High School Student Body something to do for the first few months.

Austin is also not very happy with his section, wishing for the old times to go back or for him to be transfered.

Austin is then attacked by a mysterious man named Barrage who shoots him with a mysterious substance and knocks him and John out, proving him to be a threat.

The substance is revealed to take away powers as they try to figure out the man's motives and whether he is withthe Mastermind or not.

A lot of events happen over the next few months: Austin becomes manager of DRIX, he forms a tight friendship with four of his classmates, among all the others. Naturally, he becomes accustomed to his new section.

Another person attacks the Island, calling herself Accel as Austin and Janella team up to stop her. She escapes and they try to piece together the attacker's motives.

Austin's relationship with Janella also seems to be slipping into nothingness, worrying him. He tries to alleviate the fact by trying to make her feel comfortable.

The Island is attacked once again, this time with three intruders (Barrage and Accel from before and another member of the group, 13 year old Decel). Austin uses the Power Sap on Decel in self defense, which has a very violent reaction on him, making him explode into a flurry of light, absorbed into an Unvostoc by Barrage. It turns out that they were only a diversion as all three of them escape, wrecking the hotel in the process.

Austin realizes what he has done and is shaken to his core. He recovers a few days later as the batch applies the final touches to their performance.

The big day comes and they end up in third place (they hold the celebration in case The Gilbert Principle shows up), beating out the freshmen.

Austin joins a few of his friends to Rica's house the same day, eventually leading to him joining the Patola family.

As he and Mo-on walk back to the school to teleport back to the Island, they find Barrage and Momentum stealing some radioactive rock from the school. They battle and the two intruders escape through a portal. Austin follows them and discovers that, not only are they not with the Mastermind but they are against him.

Austin deduces from the conversation he heard that the Mastermind tricked them all into a prototype Dome of Power which limits their powers, allowing him to control his minions using a Power Sap gun that would have the same effect on them as it did to Decel. This leads to Austin setting up a meeting with Erika, who appears to be the most level-headed member of the team.

Act II (The Degeneration Arc) (Chapter 14-26)
Austin finds a new enemy within thebatch when she pisses of Janella one day. He attempts to leave a warning note but decides against it due to its relatively explicit nature. One of her friends see this though and threaten a fight between the TWP and TEAGS/Patola.

Austin doesn't care and even props up for a fight until they draw first blood later that day when one of Sr. Chris' activities go awry. Sr. Chris is forced to read a question by one of the DDN students, asking if Janella is a bitch. He asks them to close their eyes as they answer but the damage is already done.

Austin tries to comfort her but after a few minutes, she asks him to go home.

Austin goes on another outing with the Patola family as he proposes a new team. Most of them show interest in joining.

Ms. Mac puts CV in a new seating arrangement. Austin's new seatmate is Marise while Jasvir, Aika, and Basti are in front of him and Pat in the far right (there are three people instead of two now). AUstin develops a tight friendship with these people (except Pat) over thenext few weeks.

Janella goes missing one day somewhere in the school as Austin and MO-on stay for a few minutes to look. Austin gets to speak to her brother for the first time in the process. When they finally find her, Janella is indifferent.

Austin meets up with Erika and they share information but Scarlett crahses the meeting and blames Austin for everything. He finds a slight truth in her statement and goes back to his old home, in contemplative silence.

He wakes up the next morning and goes back to the hotel. They hold an audition for the team and end up with 32 members in all. They begin planning on the strike on the Mastermind's Base.

CV goes on their recollection and Ausin is introduced to the concept of infatuation, which scares him. He makes himself believe that the thing between him and Janella is love and not just infatuation.

The week goes by until it is DDN's recollection day. AUstin waits for Janella for 2 hours after dismissal but she merely evades him when she arrives.

As Austin falls more in love, Janella begins to climb out.

They find the coordinates to the Mastermind's Base.

Austin administers a test (The delightfully inaccurate Dalai Lama test) to a few people. One of the question identifies the true love of a person and Austin is at ease when Janella writes him in this field, despite it being inaccurate.

On the flipside, Sr. Jojo becomes angry at the class.

Erika invites Austin for a meeting. John is suspicious of this. Austin tells his group in the team to go with him if they insist.

Sr. Jojo continues to express his hatred for CV, much to their dismay.

THeir project for CCF that quarter is a production about the Apostles fo Christ. Austin writes the script and sees over the last few rehearsals.

Austin forms a close friendship with Marise over their time as seatmates, along with Jasvir, Aika, and Basti.

Jib's birthday coincides with the Apostles Presentation day. Ms. Mac commends their performance and they have a party on the Bridge.

Austin finally meets up with Erika but their suspicions prove to be true as Derek, Scarlett, and Nelson come in for an ambush. THey subdue Nelson but Scarlett shoots Janella with an anti-power dart. Also, suring hsi battle with Derek, Austin witnesses how powerful the Darkness control spoke is.

They escape as Erika retrieves Nelson after John bound him to a construction site. She tells him why Derek is so obsessed with destroying Austin. She reveals that the mAstermind's genocide plot is only the first part. He plans to turn himself into a god and create his own civilization by absorbing all of Austin's powers.

Austin stays with Janella day and night as she recovers. Erika also humbly asks for his help in fixing their genes. SHe tells him the mastermind is the reson for all of this and when he gave them their powers, he also screwed up their geneitc formula, allowing him to subdue them at will.

Austin agrees as Erika tells him of Mastermind's true motives as well.

Austin asks Janella to the FS NIght and she thinks about it.

CV holds a party before marching down to the faculty area to simultaneously apologize to Sr. Jojo and Ms. Mac. THey reconcile and everything is fine.

The icing on the cake is that Janella says yes to Austin's invitation.

During the FS NIght, Austin dances with Janella but feels as if she wants to get away. Austin lies to himself in lives in the moment. He also tries to say "I liove you" in person but just can't bring himself to do it.

Austin continues to lie to himself as the signs of the relationship going downhill pile up. Finally, Janella tells him that, not only is she no longer itnerested in him as ore than a friend, she also has a crush on Joel.

Act III (The Heartbreak Arc) (Chapter 27-32)
Austin desperately tries to cope with the pseudo-break-up over the next few days.

CV continues to practice for the speech choir competition. Austin, despite not being part fo the speech choir, attends the practices with hpes that they help him get over it.

Austin also forms a tight friendship with Sean and Mo-on over this period and finally realizes just how much of a family CV is.

CV loses the Speech Choir Competition to DDN but still end up in the Top 5.

Austin, while Mo-on is looking through a list of all girls in their batch, realizes that he might have feelings for Marise. Mo-on expresses shock towards this but even Austin is unsure.

Clutch also tells him that he's beginning to undergo Austin's situation at a much slower pace.

Austin begins to change a few stuff in the database.

After a few days, Austin finally decides to attack the Mastermind's BAse.

THey plant charges all over the place as Austin is trapped in an elevator. He reaches the top and enters a room and, for the first time, comes face to face with the Mastermind himself.

He pins him to the wall and tortures him mentally as he struggles.

THe others find their way there but are also pinned to the wall. One of them outsmarts the Mastermind, allowing John to blow the charges and send the Base crashing down.

In the scuffle to escape, Austin holds off the Mastemrind. Derek comes to his aid with a Telegun (since Austin is suing Darkness Contorl and can't use teleportation at the same time). He is knocked otu and is well otu of AUstin's reach.

He yells for Derek to get them out of there but he is still unconscious. In his desperation, Austin shatters the band and teleports them out of there. He sturggles to maintain control.

They reach the Island and John puts a new band on his wrist. He also questions Austin about the changes in the Island database, codenamed ENIGMA.

Austin goes off to the Family Hub and absolutely breaks down as he watches Janella and Joel flirt with each other for, more or less, four hours.

He does stay with her until she tells him to go home while Joel does not.

After the long and uneventful Christmas Break, Austin is still in a depressed state.

Also, the participants of a presentation to be held in the CCP were called out everyday. THe teachers were also preoccupied, leading to the classes beoing relatively free.

Austin usually sat beside Marise, just talking about random things.

During Janella's birthday, Austin is invited ot a slice of her pizza. She also calls Joel, leading to a very awkward scene.

Austin continues to attempt to cope with the heartbreak, failing miserably.

While talking with Mo-on in Sanglayon, they see Marise with a guy. Mo-on tells him not to worry about it but Austin claims that he doesn't care as of the moment.

Austin continues to fail at moving-on but is getting better.

During this period, he also begins to succumb to his feelings for Marise even though he is still unsure. He improves their friendship.

After a particularly painful breakdown, Derek finally gives Austin the pep talk, making him realize that Janella isn't worth it.

He finally begins to get over her but is still uncertain of his other feelings.

Also, they begin the planning for the Intrams, electing Sr. Geck as their Team MAnager, Sr. Ben as their Assistant Team Manager, Basti as their student Team Manager, and Michelle Napa as their Assistant Student Team Manager.

Act IV (The Autumn Arc) (Chapters 33-40)
Austin, finally free from heartbreak's hold, tries to find out if he has any other interests.

This uncertainty soon solidifies into a full-blown crush within a month. Unfortunately, this coincides with the Mastermind sending a diversion, the Elite Force, to wreak havoc in the city. Austin sends the Alpha Team of ENIGMA (which is revealed to tbe the "government" of the Island) to put them under control.

They do this but when they head back, Erika, Derek, Nelson, and Scarlett are unsconscious and the last of the anti-rad darts from Isaac's blood were taken.

Austin waits until Autumn is available since she is, at the moment, not. Meanwhile, Sr. Geck does a good job handling the batch.

CV is given a new task: prepare a musical that showcases different Asian cultures.

Austin begins writing the play, taking many hints from the events of the previous year, and finishes it. It is thirty-nine pages long.

Finally, after a long wait, Austin receives news that Autumn is now free.

On Valentine's Day/ Single Awareness Day, Austin desperately tries to tell Autumn how he feels but fails for the most part. Meanwhile, Sr. Geck gets most of the cheer together the same day.

Near the end of the day, Austin finally tells her and she takes it pretty well, claiming that nothing will change. AUstin is overjoyed and bids her farewell.

As he steps into the Anonymous, he finds Derek pointing a gun (that he invented which absorbs the power of the last user as a projectile) at him. He tries to reason with him yet he only wants Austin to drive.

Austin plays along until he finally disarms Derek and trie to read his mind after noticing something strange about him.

He then finds out that Derek is in fact an illusion by the Mastermind and he struggles to get away from him.

He wakes up in the ward with Kyle, Patrick, and Mo-on there. He tells them what happened, with Derek mentioning 26 days till something bad happens. He begs Kyle not to tell Team Alpha yet until he is out of there in order to maintain the "good vibes" of the day. He tells Patrick and Mo-on about his revelation and they congratulate him.

Derek is then revealed to be trapped in the basement of the hotel and Landers is revealed to be in disguise, about to put an unknown substance into Austin's bloodstream. He succeeds, disguised as Nurse Jen and Kyle.

Austin and Marise's friendship is not deterred by his revelation and in fact grows quite stronger.

CV proceeds to work on their play as the Mastermind's "assualt date" draws nearer.

Sr. Geck continues to shape the batch while also creating a much better cheering performance than last year.

Austin learns from Jib that Marise has another suitor which is none other than Cleto Longalong from last year. He is surprised by this and feels a sense of threat nonetheless.

The DigiPelikula Indie Film Festival takes place in the school and Austin gets inspired to make his own movie the following year.

The stuff injected into Austin si revelaed to be a slow acting absorbing agent to help the Mastermind absorb his powers. They decide to train for the assault.

During a rehearsal for the play, very few people came and they weren't able to practice much. By the end of the day, Marise is missing her bracelet. She asks Clutch to give it to her on Monday (they are rehearsing in his building). As she leaves, Austin quickly searches the area and finds it under the bed. He rushes downstairs (encouraged by Jib) to give it to her. She says thanks and he takes this as his second step to happiness.