One Year Later
Disclaimer: All familiar characters belong to DC or Marvel. I own Leon/Crisis.
Chapter 10: Metal Fatigue
General Lane and his secretary, a lieutenant in the Army, were on their way to a secure research facility in an undisclosed location. The facility was disguised as a seemingly abandoned bunker in the middle of the desert, where, at one time, nuclear tests took place. General Lane and the blonde lieutenant got out of a jeep that had brought them to the location.
The area surrounding the bunker had a several miles of electrical fence running through it, as well as armed guards. From the distance, no one could see even the bunker, as the area had been cleverly concealed from any major highway. Signs had been posted, saying that the area was U.S. Government property. General Lane and the lieutenant walked to the building, saluted by two guards. The two of them saluted back and continued on down the hall.
The security precautions had been taken place, as both had their retinas checked, and their finger prints checked. The two then walked in, as numerous guards stood watch and vigilant in protecting this facility. Scientists were busy doing numerous things; some where debating and analyzing data on computers, others were testing and experimenting formulas, and still others seemed to run around, frantically trying to come up with the next big idea for the military.
However, the room that General Sam Lane wanted to be in was occupied by Doctor William Magnus, a brown haired, tall robotics expert. He was in the far end of the facility, near a specially designed room with numerous examination tables. On each of these tables was what appeared to be an android, but they were in different colors. One of the androids looked female, while the others were more masculine.
In another corner of the lab, however, there was an eerily green metal that glowed, even in the glass. Doctor Magnus looked at the computer models and nodded,
"Interesting."
He took out his pipe and lit it, puffing on it slightly.
"You know this is a non-smoking facility, doctor."
Dr. Magnus turned around, a bit surprised,
"General Lane, what an unexpected surprise."
He quickly put his pipe down and asked,
"What are you doing here?"
General Lane examined one of the robots, a gold one, as he said,
"I just wanted to check up on you, doctor. How are the Metal Men coming?"
The lieutenant watched carefully as Will Magnus pointed out,
"Should she be hearing this?"
General Lane continued examining the androids,
"She has clearance, doctor. Now, I repeat; how are they coming along?"
Doc Magnus nodded,
"Well, as you can see, they are finished, but they need proper field testing. Observe."
He punched a few key strokes and, instantly, a computer model of the basic android was revealed. The doctor explained,
"As you can see, each of the Metal Men has a unique ability that I gave a codename with a particular element. For example, Gold has an analytical mind, Iron has massive strength, Lead protects against radiation, Mercury can liquefy and is highly intelligent, Tin can create interference, and Platinum is our tactical engineer."
He continued to another screen,
"Each of the Metal Men can shape their bodies into numerous forms, allowing for quick adaptability. Also, they are highly durable, able to withstand a tremendous amount of punishment."
The four-star general nodded,
"I admit, I am impressed, Doctor. Now, when will they be combat ready?"
Doctor Magnus said,
"In a few months. I just had them performing basic tasks and need to be recharged, but, as for combat…"
He quietly said,
"Sir, I've become quite attached to them, and I know they are androids, but I feel like they are my children. You understand, right?"
General Lane glared at him,
"Now, you listen to me. I need these robots operational as soon as possible. There are terrorists running around out there, and they need to be stopped! The Howling Commandos must be stopped!"
Doc Magnus had never seen the general so angry in his life. He knew Sam Lane was not a patient man, but there was something in his eyes; a sort of animalistic frenzy whenever the general spoke about the Howling Commandos. Doc Magnus said,
"I'll do what I can, but it-."
Sam Lane said,
"I am not interested! Get them on-line as soon as possible!"
He and the lieutenant left.
Doc Magnus sighed and sat down at his desk, re-igniting his pipe.
"Are you worried?"
Platinum's voice came from the table. She slowly sat up, cables still attached to her side,
"Doctor Magnus?"
Doc Magnus nodded,
"Yes, I am, Platinum. I'm worried what might happen to all of you."
Mercury sat up as well, asking,
"Do you want to do this? We will do as you say, Doctor."
Doctor Magnus shook his head,
"Thank you, all of you. I know how much I mean to you, but, I really should get back to examining this metal."
As he read the results again, the metal he had a sample of was a very strange, alien metal, unlike anything on the periodic elements table. He noticed the green hue and called it veredium. Whatever this metal was, it was definitely more powerful than he realized.
All of this was being observed by a malevolent force known as Thinker. The hologram robot observed through one of the monitors and seemingly disappeared through the system. A plan began to formulate within the android's mind…
Outside, General Lane and the lieutenant were on their way out. Just then, the lieutenant's phone rang. She answered,
"Lieutenant Delgado speaking for General Lane."
The next few seconds was a slight silence as Delgado took note of her electronic tablet computer,
"I understand, sir. Thank you for bringing this to our attention."
She hung up and said,
"General Lane, we may have a situation that calls for your immediate attention."
Sam asked,
"What is it, Miriam?"
Miriam showed the tablet computer to the general. The general could not believe it.
It was the Daily Planet on the website. The headline read,
"Terrorist Cult Terrorized!"
Below it read the author of the article,
"Story by Lois Lane."
Next Chapter:
Grodd's Legion of Doom meets for the first time, and their first target is established. Stay tuned, fellow readers!