"I can't believe it." James said.
"Can't believe what?" Anne said as she walked to her husband as he gazed at a computer monitor, holding her sleeping granddaughter in her arms.
"The mass is still growing at an alarming rate. It's already half the size of Manhattan, and it's still growing I could almost swear it was alive." James said as he kept examining the data.
"Did you just say it's still growing?" Dr. Porter asked, quickly joining him and his wife at the computer terminal.
"At an alarming rate. I – I don't know how to explain it." James said.
"This should do it!" Jim and Tim shouted before a giant blast shook the lab.
"BOYS! WHAT ARE YOU," James stopped talking when he saw the dimensional portal was glowing with power.
It was humming as the inner machinery worked as the edges of the portal was glowing an electric blue. In the center of the large machine was what appeared to be a crystal clear image of the lab. But it was different. The equipment was smoother, almost more advanced. James was standing in front of it, dumb founded as he smiled with pure happiness and glee.
"H-how did you do it?" James quietly asked as a tear began to run down his cheek.
"The wiring was wrong. It was basically not getting enough electricity." Jim said.
"So we re-wired part of the back and spliced it into the main power grid." Tim finished.
"I can't believe it." James said as he kept looking at the image within the portal.
"It's amazing." Dr. Porter said.
All their eyes began to widen when they saw James on the other side walk into view.
"I can't believe it! The portal's operational again." The other James said.
"But how? I thought that – dad, look." Kim on the other side said as she came into view and pointed at the others.
All of them were frozen to the spot as they kept looking at each other in amazement. The other versions of Kim and James were so different and looked to be a few years older. Not really knowing what to do or say as they kept looking, James slowly raised his arm and waived, with a small smile appearing on his face as the others slowly did the same thing. The portal began to flicker like an old light bulb until the portal deactivated with the image disappearing from their sight, along with the lights starting to dim.
"What happened?!" James asked when the portal shut down.
"It was too much for the power grid to handle." Jim said.
"Did the computer save the frequency it was set on?" James asked them.
"Sorry dad, it didn't. Total computer shut down.
"Damn." James growled in frustration as he kept looking at it.
"JAMES!" Anne shouted, finally getting her husband's attention.
"What is it?"
"That land mass?" Anne asked him.
"RIGHT! I forgot!" James said and rushed back to the console.
"Did you see what that other Kim looked like?" Tim asked his twin brother.
"Yeah. What was with that blue and red jumpsuit? And I could have sworn she had a Superman symbol on it." Tim said as he thought about it. "Wait a minute. You don't think that Kim there was?"
"I was what?" Kim asked as she walked into the lab, brushing what was left of an elm tree off her jacket and out of her hair.
"Kimmie-cub, what happened?" James asked her.
"Eric happened." Kim said to her family as she took her daughter Mim from her mother and held her in her own arms.
"What happened?" Dr. Porter asked her.
"Eric was riding some kind of missile towards Middleton. I -," Kim was about to tell her family about it before she remembered that Dr. Porter didn't know Ron's secret. "I saw it with a pair of Wade's new binoculars. Superman was able to throw it off course, but I don't know what happened next." Kim said to them.
"Why?" Anne asked her.
"I – wasn't looking where I was going, and I sort of – hit a tree." Kim said sheepishly. "More like fell on it."
"Whatever it was, something's growing where it landed. The only problem is we don't know what." James said.
"Hasn't Superman told you yet?" Kim asked as she raised a confused eyebrow.
"He isn't back yet." Dr. Porter said.
"What? He never came back?" Kim asked as her worry began to grow.
"No, he didn't." Anne told her.
"Oh my God. Then that means he didn't get off the rocket! I have to go help him!" Kim said as she began to run toward the exit.
"KIM, NO!" Anne said and blocked her way.
"Mom,"
"Kimmie, there's nothing we can do right now. Until we find out what's going on, its best to stay here. WE don't know what's going on." Anne said to her daughter.
"But Superman,"
"Kimmie," Anne whispered to her. "I know it's not the same, but I know what its like to worry about the man you love. I've been worried sick that one of your father's rocket will blow up and take him with it. But the only thing to do is trust in the fact that he can take care of himself. You know Ron. You know he can take care of himself." Anne whispered to her.
"But mom, what if something bad has happened to her?" Kim asked her in a shaky voice.
"We can only pray that he's okay." Anne said to her daughter as worry also started to build inside of her as well.
"Ugh. W-what hit me?" Ron asked as he opened his tired eyes and was greeted by blackness. He tried to move his arms and legs, but they were being held in place. He had been latched to something. "This can't be good." Ron said to himself.
"You don't know the half of it." Carnage's voice echoed through out the darkness.
"Where are you, Eric? Too scared to show your face?" Ron asked.
"My name is Carnage. And I'm not afraid of a flesh bag like you." The voice said to him.
"Easy to say when you're hiding like the coward you are." Ron said.
"Then let me shed some light on your situation." Carnage said as a wall began to open in front of Ron.
The platform Ron was attached to moved forward out into the light in front of him. After a few blinding seconds as his eyes adjusted, he was able to see what he was tied to. It was a circular metal frame that seemed to be four inches thick. The shackles that held him attached to it covered his hands up to his elbows, and shackled his feet up to his knees. Ron kept trying to move and break free, but something was wrong. He couldn't even so much as pop a knuckle while he was being held like this.
When he looked around the room he was in, his eyes went wide with horror. From his point of view, it looked like he was in a perverted Borg version of his fortress. Instead of being made of crystal and ice, the whole fortress seemed to be made of glowing flint rock and advanced machinery. Above his head was a giant computer terminal with five holographic screens, overlooking the whole area below like a balcony of a castle tower. The area below him was a giant factory. Various automated machines were creating various robot chassis that varied in sizes. Some were the size of a normal man while others were twice the size of fully loaded heavy duty trucks. Other machines were creating various weapons that were of such strange design that Ron had never seen anything like them. Many of them were being attached to the cassis that were being built while others were being placed on racks for later use.
And directly below Ron, were about nineteen containers that held thick black ooze that was moving and thrashing about. If Ron's eyes grew any wider, his eyes would have fallen out and into the ooze below. They were all symbiots! Ron didn't know what was going on, but he already hated it.
"What do you think of all my wonderful toys, Stoppable?" Carnage asked as he floated down to hover in front of Ron.
"I see someone's sick and twisted idea of a joke." Ron growled at the monster in front of him.
"Really? Well, I see the book of Genesis in what will be the rise of Earth's new dominant life forms. And I have you to thank for it." Carnage said with a grin.
"Me?"
"Yes, you. You were the one that rejected us. It was because of you that this body was built. And it will be you that will be the final piece in my plans." Carnage said.
"I'm not helping you with jack shit!" Ron shouted at the bizarre cyborg.
"You will, whether you like it or not. I took a sample from your geek friend to give my symbiots the missing genetic codes to form a solid body. But after a while, I thought brains weren't enough. So instead of killing you, I'm going to use your DNA to give them a boost."
"Good luck getting it."
"Oh, no problem there." Eric said as a small beep emitted from his body, and the circular frame began to glow red.
Ron found himself starting to become weak as soon as the frame came to life. He felt so tired and sleepy that he could barley keep his eyes open. He couldn't understand what was happening to him.
"Like my new toy? I was also able to hack into the Global Justice mainframe and read about your little tiff with Shego. Imagine my amazement that there was a device capable that could remove you powers. Don't worry, I'm not making you human again. But I did use the data to make your shackles escape proof. When active, they suppress all of your abilities. That includes," Carnage said as his hand became a black blade. "your invulnerability. Tickle us do we not laugh? Prick us, do we not bleed?" Eric said as he slashed Ron across his chest, ripping through his uniform's fabric as the device that held him shifted and leaned him forward.
Ron looked back down as he felt the pain burn through his chest. Above the living ooze, a strange device rose near Ron's chest and began collecting the blood that was seeping from Ron's wound. The blood traveled through hoses in the device, collecting in separate vials where it was mixed another crimson fluid. Once the liquids were mixed, small probes took the vials and took them to an distant part of the bastard fortress where the machine parts were laying on massive gurneys.
Ron's vision wasn't working properly and couldn't see what the probes were doing. All he knew was that Carnage had a satisfied smile on his face as he watched. When Ron's wound began to clot, a small scalpel would cut another wound, and begin to collect the blood from it.
"Just a matter of time. My army, my people will he brains of a super genius with the combined powers of Earth's mightiest hero. You know, if you're the champion for this planet; then these people were pretty pathetic to begin with. Don't worry, I'm not going to kill you yet. I'm just going to milk about three more pints out of you before you become my trophy piece." Carnage said to him.
"You won't win." Ron said.
"Please. When we march against the city of Middleton, no one will be able to stop us. We will have the weapons and technology of another world along with the superhuman abilities to force humans into submission. The world will tremble before us as your cities will burn into ruin in our wake. And my banner will be you, broken and helpless. Seeing their champion will make your people realize that they will be doomed if they stand up to me. And it's all your fault." Eric said to the weakened hero.
"No." Ron growled as he tried to stay awake.
"Proximity alert. Four heavily armed helicopters are approaching from the south east" the fortress spoke.
"You know, I believe its time I rolled out the welcome wagon. Fortress, arm the outer Defenses." Carnage said as he flew back to the control console.
"Command, this is Bravo 1. Over." Roger Bravo 1. What's your status report?" "Sir, it looks like some kind mountain." The pilot reported as he and the other pilots began approaching the strange phenomenon. "Did you say a mountain? Over."
"I don't know how else to describe it, sir. The thing is huge. What are our orders? Over."
"For now, just ob – pil"
"Command, repeat orders. Over." The pilot said as he adjusted his communications, but received only static. "Men, are any of you still within radio contact with command.?" The pilot asked.
"Negative. I've got nothing."
"Same here."
"Just static."
"That means something's jamming us. Bravo 3, are you getting anything from that thing?"
"My instruments don't read anything yet, bu"
The pilot closed his eyes tight as the helicopter carrying Bravo 3 was turned into a giant fireball of debris.
"Holy Crap! Did you see that?!" Bravo 2 shouted.
"The bastard's armed! All unit's, target is hostile. Take it out!" Bravo one shouted.
"This is Bravo 4, I'm launching sidewinders." The other pilot said as both him, and the two other launched a barrage of missiles.
All the pilots sat in silence as they watched the smoke trail of their missiles fly toward the now ominous mass in front of them. So far, the missiles were hadn't met any obstacle or defense as they sailed toward their target. When they were twenty meters away, the tops of the massive fortress became lit with a bright light. Small spears of light began to emit from them and destroyed every missile without missing one before they changed their targets.
"I've never seen anything like it." The pilot said before one of the blasts of energy seared off his rotor blades. "THIS IS BRAVO 1! I'VE LOST CONTROL! I CAN'T MAINTAINE ALLTITUDE, I'M EJECTING!" the pilot said as he yanked the lever at the base of his seat.
The seal of his canopy was blasted away and jettisoned as small boosters on his chair ignited and sent him into the sky above. He held onto the seat for dear life as he continued to be propelled upwards for several seconds before the chair began to tumble. As soon as it did, the parachute was released and deployed to allow him a safe fall back to the earth bellow. He quickly turned his attention to the remaining helicopters, hoping they were still in one piece.
His heart sank when he saw one fall to the ground as a burning wreck while the other was beginning a retreat. He kept his eyes on the remaining chopper, even when one blast pierced the hull and ignited the fuel tank. The blast shook the descending pilot as he closed his eyes from the blast. He looked back to see nothing in the space it was once in. But there was something else. It was small, and he couldn't really see it well in the dark. But he recognized it as soon as its chute deployed. One of the other pilots made it!
The joyous feeling that was spreading was swept away when he saw one of the energy blasts fly sail through the air and burn a hole through one of the men that he had called friend. He couldn't believe what he saw. This thing, whatever it was, wasn't taking any prisoners. Only a few more things began to go through his mind as he looked at the massive structure, before another energy blast pierced through him.
"You bastard." Ron said, watching everything that was on the monitor from his vantagepoint.
"Nothing more than mere flies that needed to be swatted." Carnage said as he turned toward Ron.
"Those were human beings!" Ron shouted.
"You're point being?" Carnage asked him and enjoyed the look of anguish on the hero's face. "You better save your strength, Stoppable. Because you are really going to enjoy this part." Carnage said as the platform began to hover in the air, and carry Ron in the same direction the probes had been flying.
Ron could see the area coming into view and couldn't believe his eyes. Most of the pieces were assembled and looked more like unfinished transformers. Each incomplete robot body was armed to the teeth with not just the guns the machines had built, but several blades as well. Every single design of these mechanical monsters looked like the machines from an old cartoon he used to watch called Exo Squad. He still couldn't believe the sight before him. That's when he noticed a small detail. In what he could call the backs of the machine, there was a small hole with a needle. If there were a person laying inside one of these things, the needle would be pressing into their spine. And on a shoulder of each machine sat the vial of crimson fluid they had taken from Ron.
Ron had to shake his head in order to stay awake. With this machine he was strapped to, add from the loss of blood, he was having a hard time staying awake. He vainly tried again to break free from his shackles, but it felt like he was trying to push down Everest with each strain and pull.
"Don't go to sleep yet, Ronnie. The fun is just starting." Carnage said behind him. "Now all I need to do is add one final ingredient." He said as the containers holding the symbiots began hover their way and hold above each robot chassis.
"No!" Ron said.
"Yes." Carnage said as each device began to pour the ooze onto the robot chassis.
Once every single robot had the living liquid writhing within in, the components began to come online and drain the crimson liquid within the vials. First one minute past, then two. Several minutes past with nothing happening. A small glimmer of hope was building inside of Ron. Maybe Eric had miscalculated and missed something. There may be time for him to free himself and stop him. In all his life, so much hope had never been replaced by a greater amount of fear in such a short amount of time. Each oozing mass began to screech as it began to thrash violently. Soon, each symbiote began to grow, their mass increasing and shooting off in almost every direction. Strands of ooze shot forward, clinging to different sections of the robotic shells.
Ron's eyes widened in horror when he saw several strands begin to bond together, expanding their mass. Soon, the different strands were beginning to take familiar shapes. Ron could see dark bones being shapped, then what seemed like muscles actually growing from the bones, and each end becoming a joint or another appendage like fingers, toes, and looking more and more like a human. Ron saw that each symbiot was fitting into the machinery perfectly; each piece humming with power as it began to come online. Ron looked at one directly below him and saw the shape of what he assumed was it was its head. Thrashing about like it was trying to breath.
That's when he saw movement on the face itself. He though it was more of the ooze trying to shape itself until he saw where the movement was. There were a few more violent thrashes before it finally opened its eyes, revealing white orbs. That's when the black substance ripped open, revealing sharp teeth that looked to belong on a T-Rex as a violent yell escaped from its throat. Soon, the entire complex was filled with the thunderous, monstrous, roar of the symbiots in their new forms. One by one, they each slowly began to sit up. They were straining to do so, all of them shaking as they tried to move with their new forms.
"You will get used to them, my brothers." Carnage said as he landed in front of them. Each turned their attention to him as he smiled at his new creations. "You will know the joys of freedom. You will no longer prisoner to the bastard race known as humans. You will decide your own fate, your own future." Carnage said with glee as all the symbiots seemed to be cheering and agreeing with them.
"The computers in your armor will soon tell you everything you need to know. You are the future! WE ARE THE NEW DOMINANT SPECIES OF THE WORLD! WE ARE ITS NEW RULERS! But before we can take control, we have one important goal to accomplish. The humans, the people that created us, will try to destroy us. We can not let that happen. We will strike at them first. We will control them. They will fight back, but they will fail. We have weapons, they do not. We can heal, when they can die. We are the superior ones! WE WILL FIGHT AS ONE, AND WE WILL MAKE OUR TORMENTORS OUR SERVANTS! AND WE SHALL RULE THIS WORLD!" Carnage screamed at the top of his lungs, with all the symbiots cheering him on in agreement. In his weakened state, the only thing Ron could do was shake his head while saying no.
"Better rest up, Superman. You're going to have a busy day as you watch your civilization crumble." Carnage said to him with a smile.
Ron didn't even notice that the apparatice he was in floated back into the chamber he had been in earlier. Even as the doors closed and he was surrounded in darkness again, the only thing he could say was "KP, I'm so sorry."