Author's Note: Hello, ladies and gentlemen!
When there's trouble, you know what to do! CALL CYBORG! He can shoot a rocket from his shoe! 'CUZ HE'S CYBORG!
Yes, ladies and gentlemen, it's time for our favorite half-man/half-machine, all kick-butt Titan, Cyborg!
But now, I have a question for you all. We know that Robin is the last one to be introduced. Now, I would like to know, how you would like me to introduce him? Would you like me to start from his 'Flying Grayson' days, or when he's just starting out on his own?
You be the call!
I hope you all enjoy it!
Your friend, Cody!
There's always that thrill when you hear the roar of a crowd.
The excitement.
The energy.
Whether its hundreds, or thousands, the roar gives you that feeling of absolute power.
The power to take on an entire team all on your own.
That's exactly how Victor Stone felt at that moment, sitting on a bench in the locker room, garbed in his navy-blue football jersey, with a white number 26 etched on it, and a helmet in his hands. The large, chocolate-skinned athlete was preparing himself for one of his biggest games. Winning this would mean his team were Champions. Ever since he joined, they had bull-dozed through every team they went up against, going on an unprecedented 19-0 winning streak.
And so had their opponent for tonight.
The Jump City Lions vs The Steel City Tigers. Both undefeated for an entire season. Streak vs Streak, for the honor of being called 'Super Bowl Champions.' Winning this, with their undefeated streak, would mean immortality and glory for both teams.
To say Victor was nervous, would be an understatement. He was beyond nervous, rather petrified. He had never been so scared in his life. Being recruited into a Major League team, while still in High School no less, was nervous enough! But this...
The walls drowned out the crowd by just a little. Victor was always motivated by the crowd, no matter how small their cheers might be. It was still enough to motivate him. He stood up from the bench, placing his helmet on his head.
Now he was ready.
He walked down the long hallway, leading to a pair of doors. The crowd seemed to be getting louder and louder with each step he took. He finally stopped at the doors, and took a deep breathe. This was it, he thought. That was when the intercom spoke.
Ladies and gentlemen! Please welcome, Jump City's own... Victor "The Cyborg" Stone!
And with that, the doors opened, bringing in a blinding light to his eyes.
"The Cyborg" was a name given to Victor. He was half-man/half-machine, like a human tank. Whenever the ball was in his hands, he would run down anyone in his way.
He was fast!
He was strong!
He was unstoppable!
He was the one who led his team to 5 touchdowns, 3 interceptions, and a 35-35 tie-breaker.
It was Overtime. Sudden Death rules. The first to score wins.
Both teams lined up, Victor ready for the ball to be hiked.
This was it, the final play.
"Red! 23! Hut! Hut! HIKE!"
Both teams clashed, and now the ball was in Victor's hands. He looked for anyone that was open. He looked left. He looked right. He looked straight. No-one was open. That just meant one thing for him to do.
He ran. Ran as fast as his legs could carry him. A Steel City Tiger was in front of him, he ran him down. Another was running at him from his left, he shouldered him away. Two Tigers were chasing him down, but he was too fast for them. He was in the clear, the end-zone was so close! In his mind, it was like he could hear the announcer's calling the game.
"VICTOR STONE IS AT THE 50! THE 40! THE 30! HE'S SO CLOSE, THERE'S NO-ONE TO STOP HIM! WILL HE MAKE IT?! WILL HE MAKE IT?! WILL HE- HE MADE IT! HE'S DONE IT! TOUCHDOWN JUMP CITY! THE LIONS HAVE DONE IT! THE LIONS ARE THE CHAMPIONS!"
Victor slammed the ball on the ground with all the force he had, shouting to the heavens in absolute joy as his teammates charged at him. One was so excited, he actually jumped on Victor in a celebratory hug. His teammates surrounded, and hoisted "The Cyborg" up on their shoulders as confetti rained down from the rafters of the arena.
Never had Victor been so happy, holding that Championship trophy over his head, than now. The entire field was full of people; paparazzi, teammates, fans, everyone who was a part of this game was on this field. But there was someone Victor wanted to see. He looked through the mass of people, searching and searching. It had been cold in the arena, so everyone was wearing coats and jackets, making it much more difficult to...
There she was.
In the midst of the thousands of people in the entire crowd, he saw her, clad in a black-fur winter coat and a navy-blue scarf. Even though she was hooded, Victor could still her dark brown eyes fill with tears, falling down her chocolate skin, and a ruby red smile on her face. His heart fluttered with joy. She made it! And she was happy!
His attention was turned when a reporter sporting a white winter coat stood next to him with a microphone.
"Victor Stone, you have just led your team to victory with an unprecedented 20-0 winning streak! And now, the Jump City Lions are the NEW Major League Football Champions! How do you feel?"
Victor couldn't form a sentence at first, he was so excited. He had taken his helmet off, so now his bald, brown eyed face could be seen showing a mix between overjoy and disbelief.
"I just... I can't believe it! I-I-I really don't know what to say! I guess... thank you to Coach Hannigan, for pushing us to our limits, and way beyond that! We had a great season, went undefeated, and this trophy is the reward for all our hard work! And most importantly, I'd like to thank... my Mom, who's standing in the crowd, for always believing in me! This is for you, Mom! BOO-YAH!"
Victor raised the trophy high into the air, and the crowd erupted!
S.T.A.R. Labs was one of the most famous scientific organizations in America, stretching everywhere across 23 states. The Scientific and Technological Advanced Research specialized in many different aspects.
Research and Technology.
Physics Research.
Extraterrestrial Research.
Weaponry.
Genetics and Disease Control.
Marine Biology.
Medical Research.
Meteorology and Natural Disasters.
Radioactive Storage.
Chemical Research.
Meta-Human Research.
Psychology and Psionics.
And Robotics.
But there was one that Victor was greatly familiar with. Here, in Jump City. His parents worked there, as research scientists. However, it wasn't something Victor was happy about. Sure, his mother was happy working there, and he was happy for her too. It was his father, that made Victor uneasy every time he stepped inside the labs. Ever since he became a professional athlete, Victor's father never chose to accept him. He always wanted Victor to follow in their footsteps.
But Victor denied him that right. He wanted his father to be proud of him for what he wanted to do, not what his father wanted. That, unfortunately, caused a rift between them. His mother always tried to fix the problem, but no matter what she did, they wouldn't even spare passing glances. But she still tried, and was more than certain that she would finally do it. She suggested Victor show his father the trophy. Maybe if he showed him something remarkable, like a Championship, he'd finally respect him.
Victor wasn't quite so convinced.
They entered S.T.A.R. Labs, Victor carrying the trophy and wearing a very sleek black suit. He had to look presentable, she told him. Though he never knew why. Once, he showed up wearing his football jersey because he forgot his clothes in his locker. He had been covered in dirt and grime from all the times he was tackled during training. And what did his father do? Absolutely nothing. He didn't even look at him.
"It's not going to work, Mom." Victor groaned as they made their way to the elevator. He pushed the button that led to the top floor, and the doors closed.
"Don't be like that, Victor." she pleaded. "I'm sure this will get you two talking again!"
Victor loved his Mother. He truly did. He would do anything for her, just as she did for him. Whenever she was having difficulty with something, he was always there to help her. But even he knew that this was something he couldn't help her with. Sometimes he wondered how she lived with it.
"Mom, I appreciate what you're trying to do." the doors opened, and they entered his Father's floor, "But it's not working. Dad and I have never seen eye-to-eye, and we never will."
"Never say never, Victor. Who knows? Maybe today will be the day."
Yeah... right.
The top floor of S.T.A.R. Labs was full of machinery and people Victor had come to known all too well. Some worked on computers. Some worked on jet-packs. Some were even working on new prosthetic limbs for people with disabilities. That interested Victor more than anything. Being an athlete, there was always the risk of injury, be it critical or minor. Many of his teammates suffered serious injuries, himself included. But they were lucky enough that they weren't critically serious. However, he couldn't help but feel bad for those who did have that kind of injury. Having to replace a part of yourself with a prosthetic...
He put his thoughts away once they finally made it to his father's door.
His mother looked at him, "Are you ready?" she asked.
Victor sighed, "As I'll ever be."
She put her hand on the doorknob and twisted it. The door opened, revealing Mr. Stone's office, which was much bigger inside than it looked outside. The first thing noticeable about his office, was the giant monitor across the room that took up almost half of the wall. It presented itself in a blue hue. A large white body frame hovered at the center of the screen. It looked bulky for Victor's taste.
There was a small, wooden desk centered at the room, in front of the monitor, with a leather chair facing away. It was stacked with papers left and right. What those papers had written on them, only Mr. Stone knew.
Mr. Stone, himself, clad in his usual black suit and red tie, was standing in front of the windowsill, which took over an entire wall that overlooked the city. The sun was beginning to set, giving the city an orange/golden glow, shining into Mr. Stone's office.
"Silas." Elinore called out excitedly.
A smile graced Mr. Stone's elder lips as he turned, "Elinore, it's good to..." that smile immediately disappeared the second his eyes met Victor. The tension in the air was thick. So thick, you could cut it. But still, Victor had to at least try to smooth it over.
"Hey, Dad." he said, trying to sound sincere.
Silas was silent, only the coldness of his dark eyes gave him any kind of response. Victor can already tell this wasn't going to work, but Elinore insisted he keep at it.
Victor cleared his throat, stepping idle forward, presenting the trophy in his hands, "Look, we won!" he said, acting cheerful, "We're the MLF Champions! Pretty cool, right Dad?"
The trophy was large, at least in stature. Completely immersed in gold, atop a wooden pedestal, four pillars hoisted up one large football. Engraved on the pedestal, in gold as well, were the words "Major League Football Champions. Jump City Lions. Victor "The Cyborg" Stone."
Silas was still, then sighed in disapproval, shaking his head, "You could have been so much better."
Just as Victor expected. Not even a smile.
"Silas, please. Why don't you..."
Victor interrupted his mother, "No, Mom. You know what? If he doesn't care about me, I don't care about him." he let the trophy drop to the floor, forgotten, "I'm done." and stormed out of his father's office, slamming the door behind him.
Elinore watched her son leave, and as soon as the door was shut, she turned to Silas in anger, "What is wrong with you?"
Silas looked angry as well, "What's wrong with me?" he asked, incredulously, "Elinore, that boy is wasting his life playing that idiotic sport! He should be here working, with us!"
"Well maybe he doesn't want to, Silas! Maybe he wants to be his own man! You've tried to get him to follow in your footsteps, and he's always denied you! Why? Because he wants to be his own man! He doesn't want to grow up to be like you!"
Silas looked at his wife with narrow eyes, "What, exactly, are you saying?" he took slow, sauntering steps toward his wife as sh spoke back.
"He doesn't want to be like you, Silas. He wants to be an athlete, not a scientist! He wants to live his life, not yours! He wants to be remembered for how great he is, not how many failed attempts he's made in his life!"
SLAP!
Elinore's head jerked to the side, but she did not scream. She rested her hand on the cheek where Silas' had struck her, and looked at him with determined eyes. She would not cry in front of him.
"You..." Silas pointed a finger at her, "Need to learn your place." he whispered. "You, and Victor!"
A silence developed between the two. Even though she looked determined on the outside, Elinore was hurt on the inside. She had never been hit before. It stung. Her cheek was burning, and she knew his hand left a mark. But she wasn't about to cry in front of him. She wouldn't give him that luxury. Instead, she remained silent, and stormed out of Silas' office, shutting the door behind her, leaving her husband in his own silence.
Whenever Victor and his father got into a fight, there was always one place, and person, he could go to.
Dr. Robert Frost was a brilliant man, one of the smartest men in S.T.A.R. Labs. He worked with Victor's father most of the time, but he was lucky not have any of Silas' disapproving nature rubbed off on him. Dr. Frost was one of the nicest men Victor knew, and was always happy to talk to him, especially since Dr. Frost would always ask if he would like to work on his projects.
Victor would always accept, especially today. Dr. Frost had been working with his father on something special the past few months. Victor recognized it as a realistic version of what he saw on his Dad's office monitor. It was just as bulky, but where the monitor only showed a blue-print, this actually had color. The majority of the body was white, silver, and black. The shoulders and arms were made of some sort of blue circuitry. It looked more fit for a super-soldier than anything else. But Victor wasn't going to complain. At least, not about the project. His father, on the other hand...
"He just doesn't understand." said Victor, sitting on a swivel stool next to Dr. Frost as the doctor knelt down next to the project, resting on a platform. "I mean, just because I want to become a professional athlete, he thinks I'm throwing my life away! What's his deal?"
Dr. Frost stopped his welding, lifting up his mask. He was in his early-30's, green eyes, a trail of dirt-brown hair trailing his jaw and chin, with a pencil mustache of the same color. His welding mask covered his short brown hair. He wore the white suit and blue tie given to him when he first started.
"I understand you're angry at your father, Victor." he said, standing up to walk over to his desk. He removed his welder mask and set it on his desk before removing his gloves. "But you can't let him get to you. It's your life."
Victor sighed, "I know, but still..." Dr. Frost place a hand on his shoulder.
"We just have to get your mind off it. Tell me what you think of our new project."
Victor looked at said project, but had no idea what to think of it. "What is it, exactly?" he asked.
"It's armor, made for athletes and soldiers with disabilities."
Victor's brows furrowed, "It's... kinda bulky, don't you think?"
"It's more of a prototype. We've had other ideas in store, but we haven't made progress on them."
It's a shame, Victor would have loved to have seen them.
"If you don't mind my saying, Victor, I think you would look pretty good in this armor."
"Excuse me?" Victor said, a little more sharp than he wanted.
Dr. Frost put his hands up in defense, "Now look, I'm not asking you to rip your arm off or anything. I'm just saying, if we add a few adjustments to it, you would be amazing! Maybe, a sonic cannon?"
Before Victor could even give a response, a loud boom sound rocked the whole floor. The blaring alarm system rang throughout in flashing red.
Warning: Unidentified variant in Testing Chamber. Extreme caution.
"The Testing Chamber?" Dr. Frost questioned, then realization hit him like a lightning bolt, "Silas and Elinore!"
Victor's heart sunk, and he immediately bolted out the door.
When he finally arrived at the Testing Chamber, everything was torn apart. Tables were broken in half, papers were strewn about everywhere, pieces of machinery were destroyed and crushed, wires were disconnected and setting off sparks. Small fires blazed everywhere, even on some of the scientists. The smell was terrible. Everything was destroyed, except for a large metal arch across the room, which bore a swirling blue vortex that just kept on spinning repeatedly like a wheel.
"Mom! Dad!" Victor called out. There was no answer. He carefully walked inside, looking in every direction for his parents.
"Mom! Dad!" he called out again. And again, no answer.
"Victor..."
He recognized that voice! It was Mom! He looked down at the floor, where her voice came from, and caught sight of her, face-down. He immediately ran to her side, rolled her over on her back to hold her in his arms. She was bleeding, he saw. A red mark dripped down from the side of her forehead. She stared at her son through half-open eyes.
"Mom! What happened?!" Victor asked in a panic.
Her voice was weak, "Victor..."
Victor looked at her in desperation and confusion, "Mom, what's happening?!"
She gave no answer, only a small smile graced her lips. She slowly reached up to touch his cheek. Victor couldn't believe how cold her hand was.
"Victor... I'm so proud of you. You are a wonderful man... I love you."
Tears began to form in Victor's eyes, "Mom..." a lump formed inside his throat.
Elinore's breathing became more and more soft, and her eyes began to lose their glow. Her hand slowly slid down Victor's cheek, her head tilted to the side. With one final breathe, her eyes closed, her lips closed, and her hand dropped to the floor, never to rise again.
"Mom?" silence. "Mom? Wake up. Come on, Mom. Please, wake up."
At that moment, Victor's heart broke. He let the tears fall, as he buried his face in the crook of his mother's neck. His shoulders shuddered as he let out muffled cries, rocking back-and-forth while continuing to hold his mother in his arms. He felt his whole world crumble.
She was gone.
Gone forever...
That was when he heard it. A growl. It was low, guttural. The sickening sound came from behind.
It was then Victor saw it. Like a mass of towering ooze, a creature appeared, roaring as loud as a banshee. It had a face, only its eyes were hollow, just like its mouth, bearing no teeth. That didn't stop it from attacking Victor. The blob creature rose like a wave in an attempt to crush Victor, but the athlete was quick enough to roll out of the way.
Victor searched for anything that could help him fight this thing. There were only papers and broken tables! This was a Testing Chamber, how can they only have that stupid arch in here?! There had to be some sort of weapon around here some... there!
A gun rested in the hands of a deceased scientist. It looked like a shotgun. Perfect!
Victor immediately ran for the weapon. The blob followed him as fast as it could, which was surprisingly fast for its large size. Victor took the weapon in his hands, aimed it directly at the monster, and quickly pulled the trigger.
Click!
"Aw, you've gotta be kidding me!" Victor exclaimed in annoyance. How do you work this thing, he thought, inspecting the weapon. He pulled the shotgun apart, hoping to find a single bullet in the barrel.
There was none.
Victor groaned in anger, and threw the shotgun down to the floor. The blob was getting closer, and time was getting shorter. Victor was panicking now. He had to find something, anything!
A support mean!
Let's hope it works, he thought. He picked up the broken piece from the floor, and charged at the blob like a raging bull. He swung the beam like a bat, striking the blob at its side, cutting through it like butter. However, that seemed to do little, to nothing, against the creature.
"Uh-oh."
The creature swatted Victor away like a fly, sending the athlete crashing into a broken table. Victor groaned, trying to stand, and saw the blob slither its way towards him. He had nothing to defend with now!
"Victor!" a voice called out.
It was his father!
"Dad!"
Silas wasted no time in throwing whatever was in his hand, at Victor. His son caught it, and looked at in wonder. It looked like some kind of grenade.
"Press the button!" Silas yelled.
It took a moment for Victor to realize the red button on top of the sphere, and pressed it. It was then he realized that the blob was now right in front of him, roaring. Without any hesitation, and with the grenade in hand, Victor reeled back a fist, and plunged it straight through the creature's body.
Beep-beep!
In a split second, everything was set ablaze.
It took a moment for the sprinkler system to start on, but they did, washing away the fires with success. The smoke dissipated, finally giving Silas time to breathe after coughing and chocking.
"Victor!" he called out, running towards the source of the explosion. A pile of broken wood and metal lied stacked. Silas, slowly, pushed the pile away...
And stared in horror at what lied underneath.
"Victor..."
