Cyborg – A Cheated Death
-
New York
"And Vic the Stonewall has the ball!" The announcer called over the screams of the crowed. On the pitch the young African-American barrelled through the opposition towards his goal. "This kid is a titan folks."
Knocking another to the ground Vic surprised the last played by changing tactics and swerving around him. Once through their defence he dug his feet deeper into the mud and kicked with everything he had, taking off like a shot down the remained of the field. Only five seconds left on the time. He had two whole ones to spare when he passed by the field goal, exciting a chorus of cheers and moans from the audience. Buzzer sounding, signalling the end of the game, Victor Stone raised his arms above his head and cheered into the heavens.
"Booyah!"
No force on earth could remove the smile from his face after that. The entire game their opposition had been hopelessly outmatched and outclassed. It was a good start to the season and a good omen for future games. If they kept their game up there was good chance they'd be the ones to take home the trophy this year.
Changing in the locker room had never taken so long. The other boys were as excited as he was and weren't afraid to show it. It took his twenty minutes to shower and another ten to dress. Hopefully his parents would understand his need to celebrate and forgive the wait. Then again his father wasn't exactly supportive of the whole athletic lifestyle Victor had chosen to lead. He would prefer he only exercised his mind. Didn't matter to him that Victor was pulling straight A's or that he was happy doing what he was doing. He always found reason to lecture him. If I wasn't for his mother, Victor would never have been able to put up with his old man.
Finally flinging his duffel bag over his shoulder Victor and his smile shared one last 'Booyah' with his friends and left the locker room. Shaking hands and sharing more congratulations with the audience members still around Vic made his way towards to front entrance where his parents were supposed to meet him. Entering the entrance hall he found his mothers familiar hairstyle and made his way towards it. Preparing to release another celebratory 'Booyah' he, and his smile, faltered when he saw his mother was alone.
His father claimed to be working but Victor knew better. If it was important enough for him to stay then his mother would be right by her husbands side. He just didn't want to watch his son's game.
- - -
New York – The Stone ResidenceVic threw the micro meal into the microwave oven and read the instructions on the box. Turning the knob around to the appropriate power and time the young man watched as his meal began to spin and cook. The phone gave of a familiar buzz so he made his way into the dining room where it was kept and picked it up. For some reason the thing always buzzed before it would ring no matter how many times he and his father took it apart. Today was no different and he answered into summons before it could finish it.
"Stone's residence." He said into it as he made his way back to the kitchen, cordless in hand.
"It's me." His mother said. "Did I leave a file on the table?"
Sticking his head back into the dining room he search for said file and found it lying there.
"Yeah." He answered.
"Could you run it down here for me? It's important."
Victor looked at his half prepared meal and sighed.
"I'll be down it twenty minutes." He assured.
"Thanks dear. See you soon."
- - -
S.T.A.R Labs New York BuildingBoth of Victor's parents worked at S.T.A.R Labs, in fact that's where they met. His father's specialty was biology while his mother was more or less a mechanic. Right now they were working with a bunch of other doctors on some new project. The specifics he didn't know but it was supposed to be some sort of cybernetics, but that could mean anything from putting a human brain in a robot to creating a more efficient computer input device. He didn't really ask his parents much about their job.
Security had been expecting him so he was allowed straight through with an escort. The escort opened the security door to the lab and left him be once it closed behind him.
"Can I help you?" A tech asked immediately.
"I'm looking for Doctor Stone." He said.
"Eighth on the right." The tech said before leaving him be.
Shrugging his shoulders Victor made his way over to the room knocking before going in he found it mostly empty save for a few computer, a desk and oh yes, the severed arm resting on top of the desk. Victor's eyebrows rose in surprise but inspecting it more closely revealed it to be a metallic replica. The blue, black and white prosthetic was an entire limb that looked like it could be connected to a persons shoulder. Victor moving in closer to have a closer look but jumped back with a not to manly scream when it moved to grab him. Victor panted as the arm waved at him in a surreal and damn right freaky way. If it weren't for his father laughing behind him he would have though himself crazy.
"Damn Dad." He moaned. He father continued to chuckle to himself as he made his way into the room, the prosthetic arm mimicking every move his fathers real right arm made.
"How's it do that?" He asked.
"There's a micro chip in my arm. When my brain sends signals to my arm to move they pass through the chip and those same ordered are issued to the arm." His father explained.
"So if you lost your arm you could have this thing attached and just use it as you normally would." Victor finished.
"That's the idea. You'd need some physical therapy but that's the idea. There are still some big drawbacks that we need to solve though. As you can see the technology is still big and clunky. You'd need to be a body builder just to lift it off the ground, unless you went almost fully prosthetic. There's also the problem of anyone who could actually use this thing would gain the physical ability to punch through a theoretical twelve feet of concrete, more if they had the legs to go with it."
Victor let out a whistle.
"Not something you could just hand out then. What signal do you use to transfer commands?" he asked.
"E.T.S." His father explained.
"Of course. Safe to pass through human flesh and since the signal is only needs to travel to the arm it doesn't matter that it's so weak."
"If there's damage to the brain we can do one better." His father head pulling a white sheet off of what could only be described as the skull of 'The Terminator'. Red eyes and all.
"Woah." Vic said stupidly.
"Depending how much of the skull is damage you wouldn't need to have the entire piece fitted. This things brain can replace most human brain functions, or at least support any part of the brain that still works."
Victor stepped closer to the metallic skull and peered into its lifeless red eyes.
"Are these optical scanners?" He asked.
"Able to see almost all forms of light, except low ultraviolet."
"The human brain wouldn't be able to read that." Vic noted.
"But any electrical components could."
"Right." He realised.
"If you're interested I could offer you a lab job." His father offered.
"You know I can't dad, I have practice."
"Mmm." He mumbled, clearly not excepting his sons sporting chose as much of a reason. Victor shook his head from side to side, having correctly determined his father's thoughts. Luckily he was spared another argument by the blaze of an alarm that suddenly went off.
"What's that?" Victor screamed over the noise.
"Probably another security drill!" Was screamed back. Victor's father threw the sheet over the skull and another over the arm before taking his sons and guiding him towards the door. They were stopped however by a man in a strange black combat outfit, complete with what looked like ski masks with re-breathers. The man raised his weapon at the two but soon found himself tackled powerfully into the wall behind him by Vic the Stonewall, just as the alarm was cut off. Needless to say the young man had earned the handle, just ask anyone on an opposing team.
"I'd say it's not a drill." Victor said over the man's unconscious form.
"I'd have to agree."
"That was the dumbest thing you've ever done kid." Sounded over the radio mounted on the guy's chest. "The Hammer just saw you knock his little bro a new one over the cameras. He's cumin down to tell you how he feels about that."
Victor and his father turned their faces towards the camera in the corner that had caught their entire exchange with the masked man. Victor's father took his sons wrist and pulled him along down the corridor, releasing him once satisfied he would follow. Victor followed his dad, checking their surroundings as he went. In each of the offices they passed more mechanical limbs could be found but not one person became visible. The pair finally returned to the security door that Victor had entered through. The guard was gone but his father fumbled with his key card and managed to open the door. Unfortunately the giant hammer that pushed through the now open doorway was able to connect with his stomach, sending him bumbling back.
Victor was a big guy. Fifthteen years old and he already out weighed most people. The giant that stooped through the doorway carried a hammer over his shoulder with one arm that Victor doubted he could lift with a forklift. He looked up wide mouthed as the monster he assumed was 'Hammer' swung the mallet he had lazily and flattened him against the wall.
"Get my brother." Hammer said to one of his teammates. Victor squinted through the blood that was trickling down from his forehead as a dark figure rushed passed them down the hall. Hammer looked down at the older of the duo and lifted his hammer over his head, preparing to crush him in one blow. He was stopped however when Victor grabbed the hammer by its neck and kicked as hard as he could into the back of the man's knee. Hammer's knee buckled slightly but he didn't fall. Releasing the hammer with one hand he swung his body around and nearly cleaved Victor's head in two with a backhand, crushing the left side of his face with the blow. Once again the young man crashed into a wall, this time coughing up a lungful of blood when he fell to his knees.
He was barely aware of the man Hammer had sent to retrieve his sibling returning or of the fact that all three of them her leaving through the security door again. Before the door closed completely however he was aware that a small black ball fell through the gap. Victor watched as it landed meters away from him and his father, rolling to a stop. The next this he knew he was surrounded by fire and was flying back.
- - -
Thump thump
A man. He father. Arms covered in blood. His blood.
Thump thump
Pain. Nothing but pain and the pound of his heart.
Thump thump
The pain was going. Sweet numbness. His heart slowed. He was so tired.
Thump… … …
… … …Beep
Beep beep
No feeling. Not even the numbness. Just nothing.
Beep beep
His heart was beating but felt heavy in his chest. Painful. But at least he could feel.
Beep beep
A man. He father. Arms covered in blood. His blood. No. Grease. Arms covered in grease.
Beep beep
- - -
BREAKING NEWS"The three-day hostage negotiations at S.T.A.R Labs have broken apart as the hostages captor have ordered the execution of five employees. Making the official death toll nine. The hostage takers claim to have killed an additional three employees during their attack on the building but this has yet to be confirmed. Officials now appear to be considering forceful action."
- - -
S.T.A.R Labs Building"We got everything!" Hammer bellowed.
"Just need the plans for their limb replacement project. Give me twenty minutes to get down there and download it." His brother replied, picking up a duffle bag as he ran past.
The security door gave him a little trouble thanks to the grenade his brother had carelessly used. Luckily he was able to pry it open enough to slip through. They had shut down power to most of the building so he pulled a torch from the bag he carried and swept a beam of light through the darkness. Along the ground a trail of dried blood lead to the room at the end of the corridor. Given the amount whoever the blood belonged to was long dead but whoever had pulled him along could still be in here. Cursing his brother's ineptitude he placed the duffel bag on the ground and pulled a gun from inside. Loading a clip inside he made his way towards the room, recalling what had happened to him the last time he was down here with every step.
Someone had activated the emergency power in the final room so a dim red light illuminated the area inside. He turned off his torch so as not to alert anyone to his presence. Each office had a glass window looking out to the corridor. He peered into the corner of one of these to examine his opponent. Like he expected only one person stood in the room. Considering his options he made his way to the door and entered silently, torch in hand. Flipping the switch on the wall the red light vanished making his torch the only source of visibility.
"I'm impressed you survived the grenade my brother used, but I doubt you can survive a bullet through the heart." He threatened making his presence known.
"I don't know about that." The young man said turning to look at him. A red eye illuminated in the darkness. "I doubt a bullet could reach whatever's left of my heart anymore."
Hammer's brother wasted no time opening fire at whatever was in front of him but the thing just moved through the gunfire and pushed into his chest with an open palm. The man rocketed back, through the offices window, through the glass of the next office and slammed into the wall at the other side, leaving an indentation. The bulletproof vest he wore wasn't designed to protect him from such a thing but it was probably the one factor that saved his life.
- - -
Roof of the S.T.A.R Labs Building"Where is that little shit?" Hammer wondered aloud looking at his watch.
"We gotta go before they get a chopper in the air." One of his underlings reminded.
"Damn it little shit." Hammer snapped hopping from his own helicopter and running towards the roof access door, hammer in hand. Over the roar of the propeller he heard the faint noise of something breaking through rock. Looking back at the helicopter he discovered the source of the sound. Underneath the copper something was punching its way through the rooftop. Realising what it meant Hammer called out to his teammates.
"What you say boss?" One called back, Hammer's voice not carrying over the helicopters. To late the ground underneath the vehicle gave in and entire thing collapsed through the rooftop to the floor below with an almighty thunder. To large to fit through the new hole the spinning rotor popped off from its anchor and spun through the air. Hammer dropped to the ground, the spinner literally just shaving the back of his head, before it crashed into the roof access door.
Hammer stared in shock at where his escape route once stood. Picking himself up he made his way over to the hole and looked down into it. At the bottom the chopper had been split in two, around it his team was strewn across the floor, all unconscious. Behind him a new noise grabbed at his attention. The helicopter rotor that blocked the way was lifted up, breaking through the brickwork around the door and causing it to collapse. Through the dust it threw up Hammer could see a figure throw the large scrap of metal to one side and make its way onto the roof. Breaking out into a run Hammer recovered his discarded weapon and charged it down. Leaping into the air he allowed the hammers weight to drag him back down and slammed in down in the things head with a satisfying slam.
Whatever it was didn't give an inch.
The hammer jarred in his hands painfully, forcing him to drop it. The thing raised its arm and flung both him and the hammer away with a dismissive wave. Hammer collided painfully with the roof and found himself sliding across it from the force of the impact. Not far away his hammer stopped too. Dragging himself over to his weapon Hammer used its long handle to help drag himself back onto his feet. Once up he lifted it up with his right arm and rested it on his shoulder ready to swing. His left arm hung uselessly on his other side.
"I'm gonna mess you up." He smiled a bloody grin at the thing as it made it's way towards him.
"You already messed me up." It responded as it became visible. The only part of Victor that still resembled himself was the right half of his face. The rest of him had either been plated or replaced with the cybernetic technology his father had managed to scrap together. The left side of his face, which Hammer himself had crushed with his fist, was held together by a metal plate while his eye and part of his brain were also artificial. Hammer could do nothing but stare at the glowing red eye that stared back at him.
With a snarl Victor rushed forward and slammed into Hammer with a well-practiced tackle. Hammer's back hit the roof again but Victor was a lot stronger then he used to be and the pair came crashing through the barrier. Hammer was crushed a second time when his back hit the floor and Victor's weight landed down on top of him. Doubling up he let out a cough of blood before resting back down unconscious. Nat yet finished Victor picked himself up and grabbed Hammer by the back of his hair. Pulling back his fist he prepared to strike when he felt someone touch what little exposed flesh he still had in his arm.
"That's enough son." Dr. Stone said. Victor looked down at the bloody and unconscious Hammer before finally releasing him and lowering his arm. One his son dismounted the man the doctor checked him over, as he had done with the other's his son had dealt with. Hammer was yet another who would be leaving the building in an ambulance. Turning to look at his son he found him sitting against a wall looking at his mechanical and blood covered hands.
"What did you do to me?" He asked still looking down at his hands.
-
ANI have no idea whether or not Cyborg grew up in New York. I do know that his first heroic act was at the UN Headquarters in New York so I assumed he was from the area. If anyone knows different please let me know. I crave accuracy on those kinds of details.