by Nat Kozinn
>>>The human body is just a complicated machine. Instead of metal, it’s built of cells. Differents are better versions of the same machine. It’s the cells in their muscles that give Strong-Men their power, nerve and brain cells that make me so smart, even unique thermogenic cells that make Heaters hot. We’re all machines made of cells Gavin, and as far as I know, you’re the only person who has complete control of the machine. If you were a computer, I’d say you can program the operating system.
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>>>Of course not, but if you already had some of those cells in your body, you could give them the resources they need to reproduce and spread all over. Your control over your immune system could keep your body from rejecting these “foreign” invaders like a normal person’s body would.
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>>>I imagine that Nita’s offer of assistance has something to do with that. And we might have just figured out why she was saving a certain blast from your past. Linda told me that before he died, your friend Gary admitted The Beast was alive.
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>>> The Beast proved he was a little too unstable to be used as her muscle. But combine your brain and his body, that’s quite the fearsome creation. It won’t stop with The Beast’s stronger muscles and better healing. Eventually, Nita will give you Big Brain brain cells. She’s counting on the fact that if and when you become like her, you’ll think like her. She’s of the opinion that the reason everyone doesn’t agree with her is because they are not smart enough to see the truth she sees.
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>>> I have faith in you. If there’s one thing you’ve got, Gavin, it’s a clear moral compass. You believe with every fiber of your being that hurting people is wrong. I don’t think Nita could ever take that away from you unless you let her. Call it a soul, call it an essence, call it your deep down, whatever it is Gavin, you’ve got the purest one I’ve ever seen. That’s what truly makes you strong, and that’s what makes you a hero.
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>>>You let me handle the cops. I had an inspiration from the bad guys we’re after. I’m sure Victor won’t mind his funeral being disrupted if it means avenging his death. Once you get clear from here, find a Walter. You figured out she can see through them during our first adventure, remember? I’m sure you can do something to get her attention. Meanwhile, I’ll figure a way to blow the lid off the whole conspiracy with the Governor. Accept my knowledge request and run when you hear the boom.
I feel an alert ringing in my head from think.Net. A knowledge request from Rolland Bloom. How many fake accounts does Ben have?
Ben gives me a wink and then puts his hand in his pocket and fiddles with a something. The explosion creates a deafening boom and sends up a cloud of dust and dirt that descends onto the crowd. Everyone hits the deck, including me. Even though I can’t see, I imagine the cemetery in my mind’s eye, I point myself at the stone wall around the edge of the grounds and crawl. I flip myself over the top of the wall and listen to see if anyone is coming after me. I hear lots of screams, but nothing that sounds like “get him!” I stand up and break into a sprint. Thankfully, I’m mostly healed from my injuries and moving at close to top speed. I hear a voice in my head. Not think.Net, Linda.
>>>Good luck, Gavin. I get the impression it might be a while until we speak again.
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>>>I’ll do it, and I’ll be watching for news of your serial killer like a hawk. You promised me you’d get that son-of-a-bitch, and I plan to hold you to that.
After I’m clear of the explosion area, I slow down to a brisk walk and continue away from the cemetery towards the Metro Center. Linda’s final message rings in my mind. It goes along with the weakness that Ben pointed out, my inability to focus on more than one goal at a time. I can’t forget about Billy the Kid because I have a chance to take down The Beast. The Beast, for all the harm he’s done, has been contained. Billy the Kid is still out there. He’s probably laying low considering his gunshot wound and broken arm. But as soon as he’s capable, he’s going to start killing again, and I have to stop him.
If I’m honest with myself, I will admit that Billy the Kid is better than I am. He’s better at preparing and planning, and he’s more experienced at killing than I am at fighting bad guys. His greatness on the basketball court, his work ethic, and his will to win translated perfectly into being a killer. He managed to take out Victor, who was stronger, faster, and more experienced than I am. If I go after William, he’s going to be ready for me, and I don’t think I can win.
I need an advantage. I have to become powerful enough to overcome the gap in experience. I have to do whatever it takes. If I really can take The Beast’s abilities, then no amount of planning or preparation will be enough to stop me. It will be a deal with the Devil, but it’s a deal I have to make. I need to find a Walter so I can strike my bargain.
It doesn’t take me long to find a one; they’re everywhere in the Metro Center. The mindless clone is busy sweeping the sidewalk. Walter Reynolds produces these clones that are unable to speak or communicate. Telepaths can push simple instructions into their heads, which make them perfect for uncomplicated, repetitive tasks like street sweeping. Back when I was fighting The Beast, Ben and I realized that Nita was able to track The Beast and me. The explanation we came up with was that she’s able to see through the eyes of the Walters. It makes sense. If Telepaths can push thoughts into Walters’ heads, they can extract thoughts too. All I have to do is draw Nita’s attention to this particular Walter.
I walk up to him and execute a shove. He doesn’t even look at me. He keeps focused on his task. I do a little tap dance in front of him, kicking my feet and waving my hands, like Gene Kelly in “Singing in the Rain.” I even nail a perfect split, but my dance routine elicits no response.
Maybe I need to add audio stimulation.
“From the halls of Montezuma, to the shores of Tripoli, We fight our country's battles in the air, on land…”
My reward for all my great showmanship and patriotism is the same normal blank stare the Walters always display. I should have known that wouldn’t be enough. Plenty of teenagers do much worse to the Walters on a daily basis. I’m going to have to do something more outlandish.
I rip off the Walter’s shirt and pants and place the pants on top of his head, making sure his eyes can still see me through the leg hole. He just keeps looking for trash to sweep up. It didn’t work, and now I feel terrible for picking on a poor, defenseless creature. I don’t know what else I can do to get Nita’s attention. I don’t have the heart to hurt a Walter. This was a stupid idea.
As soon as that thought passes through my mind, I feel a call come in on think.Net. It’s from someone whose identity is blocked.
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#
I’ve been sitting in the warehouse/hospital hybrid for twenty minutes before a doctor finally comes in the room. At least, he looks like a doctor. He’s holding a chart, wearing a white lab coat, and has a stethoscope around his neck. Going against that theory is the fact that he looks like he’s twelve years old. He’s got a chubby face, smooth skin, and bright red hair. He’s still a few years away from burning off all of his baby fat. He must be a Big Brain or something.
“Mr. Still
man, is it? Nice to see you, I’m Dr. Zaius. If you’ll please remove your pants and bend over we can begin the examination,” the doctor says, barely looking up from his chart.
“No offense, but are you a doctor?”
“Am I a doctor? What kind of a question is that? Don’t you see the white coat and chest listening thingy? You can’t get more doctor than that. Now please remove your pants and assume the position. I don’t have all day. I have three other patients that are also having their butts removed,” the doctor says deadpan.
He’s clearly not a doctor but who is he? There’s something familiar about his sense of humor and red hair. Larry Rosen, my teacher from Section 26. My mind flashes with anger. I left him more than a few messages on think.Net after the whole thing with The Beast and he never called me back. Now I know why, he’s been lying to me for years.
“Larry, what are you doing here?”
“Who is Larry? I told you, I’m Dr. Zaius. I’ve been a doctor for many years and performed many butt removal surgeries. You have nothing to worry about,” the doctor says with his hands on his hips.
“I suppose you performed those on chimpanzees since you came from the Planet of the Apes. I never understood what you liked so much about that movie. Those ape costumes were terrible.”
“Because if ‘Take your stinking paws off me, you damn dirty ape’ doesn’t send a chill down your spine, then you might not have a soul,” Larry says with sincerity.
With the jig being up, Larry transforms himself into the short, fat little troll I always knew. It’s not a pretty event to watch. His bones and muscles shift and contort under his skin. It looks like giant bugs are crawling around inside him. The human body isn’t supposed to look like it’s being beaten up by ocean waves from within. It takes him a few moments to complete the horrific process.
“Don’t get too jealous. You can’t have my abilities yet,” Larry says.
“Enough! Why are you here?” I ask loudly and angrily. His attitude is infuriating. He doesn’t talk to me for months and yet he still can’t stop joking.
“Isn’t it obvious? Emotional support. Don’t you feel all supported now? I figured if you were ready to forgive Nita, you might be ready to forgive me too.”
“Where was the emotional support when I was arrested after fighting The Beast? Where was it when my girlfriend left me because you told me she was dead? Where was it the last eight months? I left messages,” I growl and rush blood to my face so I turn red with anger.
“I heard what you accused Gary of. I thought you’d lump me in with the rest of the conspirators.”
“Shouldn’t I?”
“I’m not just one of the conspirators, I’m the guy who started the whole conspiracy against you in the first place!” Larry proclaims. “It began innocently enough. Back in Section 26, I thought you were another Zeta who busted out in the crap-shoot that is being born a Different. But after a few weeks of working with you, I started to realize that you might be more powerful than anyone was giving you credit for. I remember telling Nita you were like a horse racing a human. A human can win that race over about a hundred feet because it’s easier to get two legs and fewer muscles moving. But once that horse gets up to speed, it blows the human out of the water. You’re the horse in that analogy, in case you were confused.”
“Why didn’t you tell me that in Section 26? Why didn’t you try to maximize my abilities then?”
“Because you’re unique, Gavin. If I had told everybody at Section 26 what I thought you might be capable of, you never would have gotten out of the building. That’s how the government does things. You’d be there now, being treated as a human guinea pig, providing data to help them understand Differentiation as a whole. I didn’t think that was right. I thought you deserved to be a person, not a science project. So I kept my mouth shut,” Larry says. He’s proud of the choice he made.
“You didn’t seem to have a problem telling Nita.”
“I needed to tell someone, and it had to be someone smarter than me. I got a C in biology in high school. I knew you had potential, but I had no idea how to maximize it. Nita and I had worked together to help out some kids with dangerous Differentiations. I wouldn’t say that I trusted her completely, but I did trust that she was smart enough to figure out what to do with you. Plus, I figured she’d be a good ally to have if Section 26 started getting wind of how unique you are.” He doesn’t have any shame about lying to me for years. He truly believes he did what was best for me. I’m not sure if that should make me feel better or worse.
“And what about Nita buying off politicians? Are you part of that?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, and I promise you I had nothing to do with any of that. It sounds possible though. Nita is on the short list of people with true power in this world. In my job working for the government, I’ve met senators, congressmen, world leaders, and business magnates. Every single one of them is a lying, scheming S.O.B. It’s how you get to the top of the ladder. I’ve never worried about climbing myself; I try to help where I can, which has mostly been helping poor Different kids who everyone else wanted to write off. I don’t know what other activities Nita engages in, but I do know she’s the only person in power who has shown the faintest glimmer of compassion for those poor kids. That’s enough for me,” Larry says with a shrug.
“So she sent you here to try to convince me she’s not that bad.”
“I’d say that’s a third of the reason. Another third is that while there’s nobody quite like you Gavin, I am an expert at teaching every kind of Different how to control their abilities. If this crazy experiment is successful, you’ll still have to learn how to manage your new abilities. It’ll be like old times, hopefully this time you won’t lose control of your saliva glands again. That was a messy couple of days; you’re lucky it’s from when you can’t remember.”
“What’s the final third of the reason?”
“Uhh, that’s where it gets a little dicey. Did Nita tell you what the procedure was going to be?” Larry says while shifting his feet uncomfortably.
“She said she was going to implant tissue from another Different onto my body.”
“But did she tell you who the Different was?”
“No, but I already know who it is. The Beast.”
“And you’re still willing to go through with this?” Larry asks even though being here shows I am already committed.
I recede into my own mind to ponder that question. I don’t like the idea of having his muscles in my body, but that’s an emotional reaction. My rational mind tells me that no other Different on earth has the unique combination of abilities that The Beast has. If I truly want to maximize my abilities, taking The Beast’s power is the right choice. And if this works, I’ll be strong enough to stop Billy the Kid, and I’ll be strong enough to kill The Beast once and for all. I have to remember that those are my goals and not let Nita or Larry or anyone else stop me. My stubbornness is going to be an asset for once.
“Yes, I want to go through with it,” I say.
“Phew. I was worried you’d freak out and punch me in the face when I told you it was The Beast. Honestly, I wouldn’t have blamed you. Although I probably should have told you this before you said yes, but the procedure isn’t going to be a simple muscle graft. The Beast isn’t who he is from big muscles alone. He has extended nerve networks that let him move more quickly. He has dense bones that support his excess weight. He has unique marrow in those bones that produce red blood cells that carry more oxygen… At least, that’s what they tell me.”
“What’re you saying? They’re going to remove my brain and put it in his body?”
“No, no, nothing that crazy. They’re just going to remove your hand and replace it with his. Just a simple hand transplant. Nita thinks you can grow the rest from there. The Doctor is a Speedster, so she can make sure all the little nerve networks get connected before the tissue starts dying. You’ll be in good hands…,” Larry says, c
ontinuing his trend of jokes at even the most inappropriate times.
“You’re going to cut my hand off?”
“Well, not me, but yeah, the doctor will replace your right hand with The Beast’s hand. They wanted to use his left, but that one is injured. Luckily, you’re ambidextrous so it shouldn’t matter which one they use. Hope you weren’t too attached to your Mark of Differentiation. Old Beast boy never went through Section 26, no tattoo,”
“I’ll find some way to get over it… I want to talk to him.”
“Nita’s not going to think that’s a good idea.”
“It’s at least as good an idea as a hand transplant.”
“Fair enough. I’ll see what I can do,” Larry says and pats me on the back. I want to turn around and break his arm. He’s a liar and a manipulator and I don’t trust him, but now is not the time for petty revenge. Good thing I can control my emotions. Besides, apparently all my “friends” are liars and manipulators.
25
Log of Notable Nita/Ultracorps Activity Week 221
Gavin had a call on his think.Net log without record of who was on the other side. Likely Nita. She has plans for the boy. Spoke to old friend who informed that Gavin learned The Beast is still alive and under Ultracorps control.
Theories: Nita has Gavin back on her radar. Might be able to use him to expose her. Need to keep him out of police hands so Nita still finds him valuable.
The explosion creates an airborne mixture of dirt and smoke that burns Ben’s eyes. Despite the searing eye pain, he manages to spot Gavin escaping from the cemetery. The boy vaults the eight-foot stone wall like an Olympic hurdler, showing few effects from the myriad of injuries his body has endured in the last week. Ben takes off after him, using metal spikes on the tips of his shoes to scramble up the wall.
While atop the wall, Ben watches Gavin break into a sprint Ben cannot possibly keep pace with, at least under normal circumstances. Prepared as always, Ben pulls out a syringe from a pouch on his belt, burying the needle into his arm in time with his feet hitting the ground at the base of the wall. The cocktail within the needle contains adrenaline, Vitamin B12, and several other stimulants designed by Ben himself, so they must be highly effective. The chemicals will wreak havoc on Ben’s insides, weakening his immune system and causing inflammation all over his body, but that’s tomorrow’s problem. Today’s problem is keeping up with Gavin, who has the athletic ability of a world-class sprinter. The boost won’t be enough for Ben to win the race, but it should make his silver medal more respectable.
