Aww thank you for all the kind reviews and words :D Sorry for the late chapter, i was busy...yeah
XD asked:This chapter brings many questions. Who is the black lab coat guy and how he is related to the Cunningham? What secrets McFist and Viceroy are hiding? How the relationship will develop between Sentinel (Randy) and Ninja (Heidi)? I look forward to the next chapter.
-guess we'll have to wait and see ;)
And Catalyst56 that is a fare criticism, I've gotten other complaints of my grammar too and I've really struggled because I'm not a native English speaker(not making excuses, totally going to work on it)
Anyway this chap. Doesn't have much action as the previous, just a warning hehe its just a small chap with some stuff happening.
Randy ran under water. More specifically he was running in a tank submerged in water on a treadmill while a mask that was connected to an oxygen tank was connected to his face. Viceroy, Scott and a team of scientist observed Randy from another room which had a glass window that connected to the room Randy was training in. Viceroy pressed a button and suddenly the water drained from the room, Randy slowed when he realized the exercise was over. He got off the treadmill and took of the oxygen mask, the walls opened using mechanical arms to take his equipment and replace it with new ones.
"Strength training" Viceroy said pressing a button on the control panel so Randy could hear his instructions through the speaker in Randy's training room.
Randy sighed quite loudly. "But V-digitty-"
"Don't call me that"
"-I've been doing these tests and exercises for half the day! It's Saturday, I was going to hang out with my friend today. Seriously harshing my bro time"
"Didn't you spend the entire day yesterday with Howard?" Scott interjected.
"Scott, I love ya, but you're not helping" Randy said, miffed at Scott.
"He is right though, sir" Scott said turning to Viceroy. "He's been at it for a long time. Isn't this enough?"
"No it's not" Viceroy said, clearly also annoyed he had to spend his Saturday doing tests. "It's been 8 years and we are still nowhere near cracking the secrets of the Cunninghams research, we're running out of time—"
"Why would we be running out of time?" Scott questioned, squinting his eyes at Viceroy. "Why the rush?"
Viceroy fixed his collar and regained his composure. "I only meant, that we can't keep hitting a dead end forever, we have to make progress *sigh* but I suppose you're right, two more tests then we'll be done"
"Lunch" A man said, walking in and interrupting them. He brought with him a trolley that held everyone's lunch, much like the ones they use to bring guests their room service at hotels. The man began handing out people's coffee as well. Viceroy took one, he wanted to make small talk and comment about how the lunch delivery guy looked shorter than usual but he was tired and just wanted to finish all these tests, so he didn't even say thanks to the man.
"Alright!" Randy exclaimed getting everyone's attention once more, jumping and shaking in excitement. "Let's do this!"
"Step on the anti-gravity platform" Viceroy ordered as Randy walked onto a platform that hovered over the ground, a metal pole descended from the ceiling. Of course it was no mere metal pole, it was an advanced piece of equipment that could push down with the force of a tank if need be. "Start with one hand, and use the other when you feel like you need it"
Randy did as he was told and placed one hand behind his back and the other on the pole, he exhaled slowly and nodded at them to begin. A screen on the pole flashed '3 tons', Randy momentarily shifted weight but adjusted normally as if he was merely holding up a dinner plate. The 3 shifted to a 12 and Randy buckled slightly, he pursed his lips as he pushed back upwards. After half a minute 12 became 17 and Randy nearly crumpled, he pulled out his other hand and used them both, pushing the machine back once again.
Viceroy nodded at the other scientists in the room and they upped the ante. They turned it all the way up to 26 tons. Randy was forced to his knees, he began sweating, pushing his strength past its limits. He grit his teeth and stood back up, but his stance was wobbly.
"I think that's enough" Scott said. Scott looked sternly at Viceroy when he saw Viceroy ignoring him. "Viceroy, that's all he can take"
Viceroy rolled his eyes then proceeded to sigh. "Fine, end the test"
Randy sighed as the pole retracted into the ceiling, the anti-gravity platform falling back down to the floor. He walked over to a bar attached to the side of the room that had a towel on it, he took it and wiped his sweat off.
"Still he beat his record right?" One of the scientist said. "He used to be able to only lift 20 tons, now he can lift 26, that's 2 buses"
"Yes" Viceroy replied, stroking his chin, deep in thought. "Alright, that's it for today people, I'll carry out the final test myself, and you all can go. Scott be a dear and get ready to bring Randy home"
Scott and the other scientist's nodded as they left the room. Scott throwing an uneasy look at Viceroy as he entered the training room to join Randy before leaving.
Viceroy handed Randy a burger which Randy gratefully attacked with his mouth. Viceroy pulled out two chairs and laid them across from each other. Randy sat on one, and Viceroy took the other. They faced each other while Randy chewed on his burger. Viceroy then pulled out a very sharp looking knife, causing Randy to audibly swallow his food hard.
"I'm only going to make a small cut" Viceroy said. "We need to see if we can get you to activate your regeneration again"
Randy nodded as Viceroy made a cut on Randy's forearm, one Randy figured was bigger than needed. Randy shut his eyes tight at the minor stinging he felt, but concentrated on his wound, his brow was furrowed in concentration as he tried to make the wound heal itself. After a minute nothing happened, and Viceroy merely sighed as Randy looked at him sadly.
"No luck again I suppose" Viceroy said, as he brought out bandages and an anti-infection ointment. He treated Randy cut and wrapped a bandage around him. "I suppose that's all for today"
Randy shifted weight on his seat anxiously, Viceroy knew this meant he had something to ask Viceroy. Viceroy remembered the time Scott sent Randy to him to give him the 'where do babies come from?' talk, he sorely hoped Randy's question wouldn't be anything like that one.
"You got something to ask?" Viceroy said packing his things.
"No um...Absorption training today?" Randy asked, the last part was hurried, allowing Viceroy to deduce that he changed his question at the last second.
"No" He replied. "But I suspect that's not what you wanted to ask me"
Randy sighed and tapped his fingers on the edge of his seat. "Does, 'project Vessel' mean anything to you?"
Randy suspected that the look of shock on Viceroys face told him that it did in fact ring a bell. Viceroy took of his glasses and rubbed his eyes.
"How'd you find out about that?" Viceroy asked, that tiredness seeping into his voice.
"My parents had a file on it" Randy answered. "Everything about it is blocked out in marker, except the word 'failure'"
"That's because it was a failure, Randy" Viceroy said. "Can we leave it at that?"
"Nope" Randy answered defiantly.
"I figured as much. I suppose you have a right to know" Viceroy said sighing. "It was when we first started funding your parents, when they first started trying to develop super powers for us"
Randy listened intently.
"It was one of their more, erm, radical ideas" Viceroy continued, quoting the word 'radical'. "Truly thinking outside the box, I myself didn't know much about it except the tip of the iceberg, robotics really was more of my thing, genetics? Not really, in fact this one time I made a blob that could only be turned aggressive by a combination of chemicals that coincidentally were found in nachos, it was-"
"Viceroy" Randy said, getting impatient. "Stop stalling"
"Right" Viceroy, smiled sheepishly. He took a deep breath and began to explain. "Project Vessel was essentially, creating an artificial human..."
Randy gulped at this new information, but decided not to interrupt.
"They found out that humans, as a species just weren't made to handle super powers" Viceroy explained. "It would destroy us, deteriorate out bodies and minds. That is where project Vessel came in, they decided that if a human body couldn't handle it, they'd make one. A genetically modified body that could handle the strain of numerous super powers without breaking down, then they would simply extract the consciousness of the person who wanted super powers and put it in the new body, a vessel, if you would"
"Then what?" Randy blurted out. "I mean, what happened to the project?"
"As you know it was a failure" Viceroy replied. "I don't know how, and I don't know why, but your parents halted all research regarding project vessel. They were shaken to the core at...something, something involving project vessel that it scared them out of continuing its development. And your parents were never too scared to push the boundaries of science, so if they were scared, we had a damn good reason to probably be scared too. They just kept telling us it was a failure"
"Then?" Randy edged on.
"Then, nothing, we just stopped" Viceroy answered. "They promised they'd find another way. And they did! With you, clearly they fixed the deterioration problem"
Randy sat there deep in thought about the new information he had been given, he sighed. He figured he was satisfied with the answers he got today. "Thanks, V-diggity"
Viceroy rolled his eyes. "Well, I hope you found what you were looking for"
"Not yet" Randy commented. "But I feel like I'm getting close"
Viceroy pursed his lips. "Well, on another subject...I know I've asked you this a hundred times before but, do you really still not remember anything about the night you parents died?"
Randy shook his head in denial. "No, I wish I could but the most I can remember is um, a month before they died, after that it's all a black, next thing I know Scott finds me in the rubble of my house"
"I see, so nothing's changed" Viceroy muttered to himself. "If you do remember something, do tell us"
"Will do" Randy answered. "So can I?"
"Yes, you can go have your little play date" Viceroy answered. "Now go, before I decide you need another test"
Randy shot off his chair and gave Viceroy a salute goodbye as he left. Viceroy pulled out his cell phone.
"Hello, sir?" Viceroy said into the phone.
"WHAT?! WHO IS THIS?" Mcfist yelled into the cell phone.
Viceroy massaged his sore ear and passed his phone to the other. "It's Viceroy Sir"
"Oh" Mcfist said. "Did you find a way to get the ninja to destroy the randy kid yet?"
"Sir!" Viceroy yelled, he then proceeded to look around suspiciously and cover his mouth with his hand to whisper into the phone. "Don't just say things like that, you never know who could be listening. And no, sir, no such plans yet"
"Well, that's a bummer" Mcfist replied. "Does the kid remember anything about how his parents died or what? Because if he does, ohhhh boy..."
"No sir, it doesn't seem so" Viceroy answered.
"Phew, that's good" Mcfist said sighing into the phone. "But still, are you sure you didn't, I don't know, hit him with a mind wipe machine or something? It's a little convenient he doesn't remember a month of his life, especially the one where we y'know...murmur...his parents"
"I guess we're just lucky sir" Viceroy said.
"Well, use that luck to think of a plan to get the ninja to destroy the sentinel!" Mcfist announced loudly into his phone.
"Sir! I told you not to-Oh forget it"
"Yo, bro!" Randy said into his phone. He tried to keep his phone on his ear, while trying to put his casual clothes over his Sentinel costume, all while he sat in the backseat of the moving vehicle Scott was driving. "I'm finally free! Wanna meet up?"
"Dang it Cunningham!" Howard said on the other end. "I didn't think we were going to hang out today, so I'm hanging out with my casual bros. We're at a chess tournament, which the contestants are playing totally wrong by the way"
"Oh" Randy said feeling dejected.
"Hey" Howard said in a comforting tone. "I'll be back tonight, we could totally hang out then. I could invite my casual bros, and you guys could get to know each other. Oh! We could have a sleepover!"
"That sounds bruce!" Randy said, getting excited. "But, what am I supposed to do for the rest of the day?"
"I don't know man, you're on your own there" Howard replied. "Welp, catch ya later Cunningham, one of the players just moved his pointy hat guy, which was a stupid move, so I gotta go yell at him from the stands, see ya!"
"Yeah, see you later buddy" Randy said, he closed his phone and put it in his pocket then sighed.
"Ah, that's too bad about your friend" Scott said, giving a comforting smile.
"Now I got nothing to do today" Randy said crossing his arms in annoyance.
"Why don't I drop you off downtown with some cash, and you could explore a little" Scott suggested. "You're bound to find something to do then"
"I guess" Randy mumbled in acceptance.
"Cool, just call me when you want to be picked up" Scott said. "I'm just going to go have a drink with some old pals of mine"
The only sign Scott received of confirmation was a sigh.
Scott stopped the car and let Randy out. He gave off a chipper wave of goodbye, which Randy returned half-heartedly.
As Randy watched Scott's car leave he stuffed his hands in his hoodie pockets and began walking down the street. He began looking for something to do, he browsed multiple stores, ranging from books(ugh) to furniture(uggghhh). He looked at his watch and rolled his eyes when he saw it was still too early to call Scott.
He entered an older looking video rental store, which he was surprised still existed since he was pretty sure everyone just took movies and TV shows off the internet illegally nowadays. He browsed the TV shows isle, making faces at these ancient shows. He moved to the cartoons section, he noticed one TV series set he recognized vaguely, Randy arched an eyebrow and picked up the old cartoon.
'Rorg: A hero of the past' Randy chuckled, he didn't remember this show well per se. But he had fond memories of watching it as a kid with Howard, he had to go to Howards to watch it secretly because his parents believed it was an 'uneducational' show.
"Hey! Gimme that!" A voice said beside him grabbing the DVD set, but Randy instinctively held on tighter.
"That's rude" Randy snapped back, he got a good look at the person who tried to take the DVD set from him. They wore a hoodie, sunglasses and a cap, 'totally non shady clothes' Randy mocked with his thoughts. But he recognized one feature, a mole under the person's eye.
"Heidi?" Randy blurted out, unsure of his accusation.
The persons face changed from surprise to defeat. Heidi removed her sunglasses so Randy could see her face, and an embarrassed look on that face.
"Oh bruce, I was right" Randy said, he then took a look at what he and his neighbour were fighting over. "Um, did you want this?" He asked shaking the Rorg DVD set.
"W-what?! N-no!" Heidi denied quickly, her cheeks flaring up. "Why would I want that?"
Even Randy could tell she was hiding something, and he could admit he wasn't the sharpest tool in the toolbox. He decided the best way to get her to tell the truth was to push her buttons a little.
"Well, I guess if you don't want it" Randy said. "I'll take it"
"No!" Heidi said quickly, she sighed in defeat. "Fine okay, I want it"
"For real?" Randy asked rhetorically. "Didn't you say cartoons were for kids?"
"That was because I was talking to the popular kids!" Heidi argued. "They wouldn't understand how great Rorg: Hero of the past is!"
"...Okay" Randy replied, surprise on his face. But strangely he knew what it was like to lie to your friends about something because you knew they wouldn't understand. "But why a DVD set? Can't you just watch everything online now?"
"Did you even look at the box?" Heidi said in an annoyed tone. "That's the special deluxe edition featuring the creators commentary, deleted scenes AND the never released lost episode! Now please give it to me, it is only being sold here and the other Rorg heads are going to find out about the only copy you have in your hands"
"Rorg heads, I cannot take any of this seriously" Randy said, chuckling at the entire situation. "Here take it, I don't think I'll like it anyway"
Heidi snatched the DVD set out of Randy's hand. "How do you know you won't like it?"
"I mean, it was a show aimed at kids' right?" Randy said, shrugging. "It can't be that good"
"How dare you!" Heidi replied angry. "You haven't even watched it! Sure it might have been aimed at kids but..."
Randy wanted to mention he did watch the show, but decided not to because he realized he was a kid back then and couldn't remember much of it, that and Heidi seemed to be on a roll.
"It has a great overarching plot, jokes that go over kids heads and great character development!" Heidi continued. She then forcibly grabbed Randy's shoulders and tried to bring him down, at first it was like trying to push down a pile of cinderblocks to Heidi but then he went down, sitting on the floor with her.
When Randy realized Heidi was trying to get him to sit down, he sat, forgetting his super strength prevented normal people from handling him as easily as they normally would. He could turn off his powers, but that took concentration and he often left his powers own because that felt natural.
"Um, what are we doing?" Randy asked as Heidi huffed and pulled out her phone and earphones. She shoved one earphone in her own ear and gave the other to Randy. Reluctantly he put it on, the two huddled together to look at Heidi's phone. "You're not answering my question, what are we doing?"
"We're watching Rorg! And I'm going to fix that terrible opinion of yours" Heidi exclaimed giddily as the intro played on her phone.
"Oh no..." Randy said.
"Oh yeah" Heidi replied as the pilot started.
Scott entered one of the shadier looking bars, just like he told Randy, he was down there to get a drink, but that had only been a half truth, because he definitely wasn't going to be having those drinks with any old "friends" of his.
The bar was empty save for one man, his target. He did some investigating, he asked the neighbours of the Cunningham's of what happened that night, if there was anything they remembered, most of them didn't, but an old man had told him that he was out for a walk near the Cunningham's house that night, he told Scott that men that looked like police turned him around, and one of the officers he saw had a long scar on his face. Scott used Mcfists resources to look through the Norrisville police department's personnel files, there was no officer that had that type of scar on their face, but there was however a convicted felon in the criminal records, with a history of being a hired gun, a mercenary like Scott used to be.
Scott had decided to personally find out what happened to the Cunningham's, without Randy knowing. There was still that little voice in his head that told him to tell Randy, but with being a superhero, dealing with the ninjas distrust, all of Viceroys tests and now having to maintain his a C grade average, he knew the stress would crush even that kids super human strength eventually. So he took it upon himself to learn the truth of the Cunningham's, alone.
Scott sat down right next to the man, the tattooed man made a sneer and raised an eyebrow, probably irritated that Scott could have sat anywhere in this empty bar and chose to sit right next to him. Scott smiled brightly at the man, the man only returned a disgruntled "humph". The man emptied his drink, he chugged it trying to get every last drop down his throat, and he did. He immediately started looking for the bartender to get another drink, but found the bartender nowhere in sight.
"Enjoy that drink?" Scott asked, still smiling at the man.
"I guess" He answered half-heartedly.
"Good" Scott said. "It could be your last"
"What are you?-" The man was interrupted by Scott grabbing the back of the man's head and slamming it down on the table, breaking the man's nose.
Scott immediately got up and kicked the chair from under the man, the man fell hard on the floor clutching his broken nose which was gushing blood. The pain became irrelevant when he felt the cold touch of a gun on his temple.
"Now..." Scott said, still in the friendliest tone possible. "You're going to answer a few questions of mine..."
"Next episode! Quick!" Randy demanded, barely able to control himself. "C'mon!"
"Sorry, I only have 4 episode on my phone" Heidi said, giggling at the younger boys enthusiasm. They had been sitting in that little corner of the video rental store for an hour watching Rorg together. The shop owner didn't seem to mind. "Still think the show is bad?"
"You kidding? This is the cheese!" Randy said. "I need more! How many seasons does this show have?"
"Only 2" Heidi said, shaking her head.
"What?!" Randy said shocked and angry. "Only 2?! This is such a bruce show! How can it only have 2!"
"I know right!" Heidi replied passionately. "It was so good! And they left it on such a cliff hanger!"
"No!" Randy said.
"Yeah it's so wonk" Heidi replied. Her eyes softened looking at Randy.
Randy watched her talk about the show, the themes, the plot, and all her feelings about it. His face changed to one of sympathy when he realized she probably never talked like this with her "popular friends". Which he thought was a shame.
"Um, excuse me?" Someone interupted Randy and Heidi's conversation. Randy recognized her, a short girl with brown hair and green eyes, um Ra something Rachel! Of course she was a freshmen like him. "Is that the special Rorg: Hero of the Past deluxe edition?" She asked shaking with excitement.
Randy turned to Heidi, but at the realization that this was a person from their school Heidi had turned her head down to hide her face, Randy decided to answer her question. "It is"
"Guys! This is it!" Rachel squealed as she beckoned a group towards Randy and Heidi's location, Heidi groaned when she recognized the faces of more of her schoolmates.
"We're the Norisville high Rorg club" A girl with purple hair a few shades different from Randy's introduced. "I'm Theresa, that's Morgan, this is Rachel, and this is Debbie; she's not actually part of the club she's just letting me drag her along. You're the new kid right? Or the old kid who moved back I guess"
"Yup" Randy laughed. "Randy Cunningham. So you guys here for the DVD's too?"
"Yes!" Theresa said. "We've been looking everywhere for it, when we saw it with you we needed to have it, but we didn't want to interrupt your date"
"Date!?" Randy and Heidi said in unison, sounding shocked. For the first time the two noticed how the earphones length forced the two's faces to be very close to each other. Heidi's face was the first to develop a blush which caused Randy to blush. The two quickly separated.
"That was not what was happening!" Heidi said forgetting to hide her face.
The Rorg club (and Debbie) gasped. "Heidi Weinerman?!"
"I-no! Shoot!" Heidi said blubbering for an excuse.
Just then Randy had a brilliant idea. He put the DVD set in Heidi's hand. "Actually these are Heidi's. She found them first"
"What the juice are you doing?" Heidi asked in a whisper.
"Trust me" Randy whispered back.
"Fine" Heidi relented.
"But she'll totally let you guys watch it with her..." Randy said looking non-chalantly at his nails. "If you come over to her house for a sleep over"
"Really!" Theresa said, excitement in her voice.
"I-uh-um-I don't" Heidi stuttered, Randy nudged her side with his elbow. "Y-yeah, It's cool I guess"
"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" Theresa said as her and the rest of the Rorg club surrounded Heidi and thanked her. She smiled, she was still unsure, but she this felt nice she supposed. She looked around for Randy who had made his way to the door while the Rorg club had her attention. All he gave was a salute and a smile before leaving. She couldn't helping smiling once more.
"How are we on those powers Viceroy?" Mcfist asked for the hundredth time that day.
"Still nothing Sir" Viceroy answered for the hundredth time. The two walked into Mcfist's office to discuss Viceroys results again, but they stopped in their tracks when they saw a man sitting on Hannibals desk with his feet propped up. A man in a black mask and lab coat.
"Who the juice are you?!" Mcfist asked angrily. "And get off my seat!"
"Sir" Viceroy said shakily, placing a hand on Mcfists shoulder in fear. "It's the man from Sentinels reports"
"Oh" Mcfist said losing all his anger, which was replaced by fear.
"How'd you get in here?" Viceroy asked.
"You really should be more careful of who you get to bring you your coffee" The black clad figure replied, pulling out a rubber mask from his sleeve.
"The Lunch delivery...The coffee!" Viceroy said, he checked his hand where the black clad man in disguise had handed him his coffee, Viceroy found on his sleeve a small black device, Viceroy stared in horror after realizing what it was.
"You should also be more careful about talking about your secrets, especially if a listening device has been attached to one of your wrists the whole time" The figure said getting up and growing into nothing but a giant head, having been a hologram the whole time.
"W-what are you talking about?" Mcfist lied, obviously.
"I'm talking about some gazillionare trying to get super powers, I'm talking about the most loved man in the town trying to use the ninja to destroy a superhero he created, and I'm talking about what you did to the Cunningham's" The black clad figure answered. "That's what I'm talking about"
"...just making sure we were talking about the same thing" Mcfist said, a scared grin on his face, sweat dripping down his forehead. "So you're here to stop us?"
"On the contrary..." The figure replied. "To a certain extent, we have a similar goal, so I'm here to help..."
Not very exciting I know haha but think of this as the calm before the storm, cuz some business is going down next chapter, some serious business
