The next day was filled with buzz and excitement amongst both the students and the faculty at HIVE. Garfield's transformation from what most people call a dude to a MAN was mind-boggling to those students who hadn't undergone the enhancement procedure. It didn't change him to much. It essentially brought him into peak physical ability. He could see and hear better, run faster, jump higher, and most important of all fight better.
His academic scores hadn't improved like was hoped. But his physical ability was staggering. He completed the obstacle course faster than almost anyone. He was giving Cyborg a run for his money. Slade, Diana, and Mod we're all observing. Including Sebastian Blood. A man with an ominous name for a headmaster. All of them are pleased with the results of 'project Beast' the first official subject in the latest batch of students. Though Blood happened to have his eye on someone else. A black haired amazon who made her way through the obstacle course and combat range with intense ferocity. Cameron.
He says to the other staff, "Everything looks to be in order here. I've seen all I need to." And then heads back to the main facility of the school. Mod looks over at Slade and Diana and quips, "Wonder what that nutter was so focused on. He didn't look at Beast much at all."
"I'll keep a close eye on him. As always." Slade remarks while observing the students make their way to the firing Range. All of them had become quite comfortable with the idea of firing a weapon. The bullets popped from the rifles. All of them hitting the center of mass on the human shaped targets. As any professional would. It was quiet clear to one of them that this was something she didn't enjoy. Karen, or project Starfire as she is designated, has been very uncomfortable with this from the start. She never liked guns or violence. The idea that this was to help each of them with controlling the abilities they supposedly had. She approaches the staff and asks them, "Excuse me. I would prefer it if I did not have to use these weapons. I am quite uncomfortable with them."
Diana steps forward. She grabs the gun from Starfires hand and gives it to Slade for him to hold it. Diana whips around and swings at Starfire catching her off guard. Starfire manages to block the hit so Diana swing with her other hand. Starfire catches that one swell. Holding both of Diana's wrists she shoves her foot into Diana's torso on pure instinct. Diana's impressed by this. She tells Starfire "After class come to my office. I need to speak with you. Now back to your training, dismissed." Starfire walks off with a confused look on her face.
Diana turns to Slade. "She's a natural fighter. If she doesn't want to shoot then she better learn to swing a real punch."
"She may know how to fight but I don't think she'll want to. How do you plan to fix that?" Mod asks.
"The answer to that one is simple Mod." Bloods voice chimes in. "You give her a reason to fight. It works every time." His presence is a bit surprising since everyone saw him walk off. Just as quickly as he returned he walks away again. "Bloody weirdo" Mod remarks.
The day continues on. Due to the overall success of 'The Procedure' on Beast it's decided that later that evening the rest of the group would receive it. Starfire and Blackfire receive theirs first. It went over the same as Beasts. Both of them were nervous but the procedure was over quite quickly. Though the results haven't become apparent quite yet. Unknown to everyone Robin has managed his way into the air ducts. He's followed the nights activities and is now looking in on the room which contains the equipment to perform 'The Procedure'.
He observes over the procedure on Raven, who is the third person to get it. She lies on the metal table in the restraints. She steadies her breathing to maintain her always perfect poker face. Slowly she slid into the machine her heart pounded. The blackness, the mechanical noises, the cold steel. All of it sends her back to being a little girl. Opened up nightmares long forgotten, then a sensation hit. The radiation from the machine hit her bloodstream and mixes with her panic attack to cause a seizure. The whole room begins to shake. Lights flash and break. Metal table contort and fly across the room. The window through which Slade and the other scientist shatters. Glass cutting some. Other head to the controls to try to stop the machine. They spark and explode. A shadow encapsulates one of them and drags him through the room. Slade runs into the room with a fire ax and slams it down upon the power lines leading to the machine.
The power is cut but the chaos doesn't stop. The machine explodes, Raven floats up into the air eyes glowing red, hair fluttering in a wind that doesn't have a source. One brave soul leaps through the air and yanks her down. Another jams a vial of powerful sedative into her. After a moment the chaos subsides. Slade stands up and wipes the sweat off his brow. He stomps out of the room in a fury.
Raven finds herself on a long seeming endless floating stone road. Black holes that have a red glow outside of them, like a blacked out sun emitting light. She here's the word 'nevermore' in a quiet whisper. The chill runs up her already tensed spine. She looks around and see nothing but red stars. She stares at them because they seem out-of-place even in this world. With a whoosh the fly at her like bats. The red stars are the eyes of these creatures she crouches into the fetal position as the creature swarm around her. The word 'Nevermore' grows in repetition and volume until it's unbearable. Until Raven lets out a scream that brings her into consciousness.
She is in her bed staring at the ceiling. Sweat beaded to her face. She hers Jinx voice, "Are you okay!?"
She lets out a gravely and nervous "Yeah." In response.
"You scared the shit out of me! What the hell was that?" Jinx demands in both anger and concern. Raven doesn't reply. She simply walk into the bathroom and turns on the show. She strips down and enters. The water is warm but she turns the knob slowly making the water colder. Her mind tries to organize the events of the evening. The machine, the nightmare. She sits down onto the shower floor. The water still spattering off her. She leans over, placing her cheek onto the cold tile wall. Her mind races until one completely flawlessly logical thought comes into focus. 'What the hell am I doing here?'
Slade flips on the light switch in his office to surprise Robin. Caught in the act of searching through Slades file cabinet to dig up the information on exactly what the hell is going on around here. "I was wondering when you'd try this Robin." Slade states matter of factly.
"How could you know I was here?"
"You've been listening in the whole night. You've seen everything haven't you. It was only a matter of time until you would come here."
Robin stares at him trying to figure out how he could have known, "Your breathing needs work. I doubt anyone else could pick it up, but then again they haven't been through the training I have." Slade clarifies. He walks over to his desk and gestures for Robin to take a seat. He does. Though ever cautiously. Slade unlocks a safe under his desk and pulls out the files for the seven students taken from his high school after the incident at the football game. He flips them open. Each one of them has a 'project name' and bio within.
"None of you could have possibly realized why you're here. How little control in all of this you actually have. When you first came to this place Robin, I told you a simple fact. That you, are the control in a group of variables. What you see in these files is information that only few at this facility know about. Which now includes you."
"Why would you tell me this? It doesn't make any sense."
"Because I can trust you with it. You out of all others have the right set of mind. Your the one who will be leading them in battle."
"Battle?"
"Yes Robin. That's where the military training comes in. Everyone in these files is the byproduct of military research. Except for you. You had the fortune of being taken in by Mr. Wayne. He, along with myself, Diana, and everyone's parents were all parts of a special unit. We were given a serum known simply as 'the god formula'. This serum would cause a mutation in the subject. In either the mind like Raven, in the body like Beast, or sometimes both. Like in your girlfriend Starfire. At first the results were promising. We were capable of amazing things. Except for me. I was in the same position then as you are now. The control in a group of test subjects. Given the same training and experience, but no serum."
"Who started all of this?"
"Blood. A long time ago he was a P.O.W. in Vietnam. After days of torture, he became delirious and had visions. He dreamt of ways to increase human potential, of men who could free themselves from those brutal conditions, men who could perform with the strength of an entire squadron in their bare hands. When he was finally freed from his imprisonment he set out to accomplish his goals. After nearly a decade he had his wish."
"So now were all just experiments? This is wrong. How can you let this go on?"
"There are factors beyond my control. This entire thing got out of control fast. There are many things I regret. Namely this." He gestures to his eye patch. "It was caused by Ravens father. A man who gain such strength he was worshipped as a god by some. But I knew the truth. He was an asshole, and nothing more. The men who worshipped him included Blood. He's known as Brother Blood, or at least he was. I'm positive he's still running some kind of sick church. I also believe they were behind the attack at the football game."
"What do they want?"
"They believe that Raven will be a portal to the return of their beloved god. That he will once again walk the earth. They want her. They need her. They'll brainwash her and make her believe all this bullshit. That's partly why she's here. The learn to defend herself. So that she can be protected from them."
"So you brought her here. Close to Blood."
"You see the problem. I've been keeping a close eye on him. I need you to keep a close eye on Raven. That's why I'm telling you this. Because She needs people to keep her safe."
"You expect me to cover for your mistakes."
"No I don't. I expect you to protect a friend. I'll atone for my sins. As will everyone."
