"Okay, so let's get up to date here on the 411.
The Dojo Couriers are dropping like stones in the ranks while Bedlam just keeps goin' up, up, up.
Meanwhile, Ed seems to have gone off on the wrong side of the world.
It doesn't look too good for team Dojo.
This is DJ Di—signing off."
Fizz sighed and switched off the small radio as static replaced the usual DJ Di channel. She slowly made her way back to the couch with the others. Everyone was slumped back in the room, the television off, powered down, their thoughts so confusing the mere voices in their heads almost seemed to break free at some points and fill the room.
Ol' Skool was gone. He left a few minutes ago, telling them he'd be back soon, but none of them fully registered it anyway. They're all too sad.
How could Ed do this? Deets thought slowly. She sighed, shook her head, and walked off to take a nap in her room.
Ed knows better than that… He can fight this. Burn smiled inwardly. He sat back, put his hands behind his head, and slowly drifted off to sleep.
I hope Ed's alright. Even Loogie was feeling strained from all the tension in the room. His normally loopy thoughts pushed aside for the moment for more important thoughts, like how the heck they were going to get themselves out of this one. Dr. Pinch lied on the couch arm at his side, quiet, motionless.
Fizz slumped back even more in her seat on the couch before standing up. There's got to be a way to fix this. She looked to the door Ol' Skool left through on his old fashioned skateboard. Ol' Skool will know what to do… She headed to the garage to do the one thing she knew to do to distract herself.
--
Ol' Skool stopped at the front of a large, seemingly unimportant building. He grabbed his board and stepped inside. As he made his way down an elevator, the entire building looked different now. More high-tech.
A large container of some sort was set in the center of this new room—impossible to see inside of it. Computer monitors and keyboards surrounded the room away from the elevator.
As Ol' Skool slowly strolled through the room, so many memories buzzing through his head, he knew that this place was designed for exactly one purpose:
To create an electrogentically designed super-human. Ed.
But Ed was more than that. He was special, different—not just some testube experiment or creation. When he and Bedlam used to work together and started their experiments to create the ultimate life form, Ed wasn't even close to what they expected. And, though Bedlam might have been disappointed, Ol' Skool knew their experiment was a complete success—better maybe.
He loves Ed as his own son. He worries for the boy—especially now. But Ol' Skool knows that deep down, there's still hope left for the corrupted boy.
There's always hope.
The old sensei brushed his hands over the keyboard, dust flowing gently into the air. He blew it all away and pressed a large green button. Every monitor flickered on and the high-tech room started buzzing with activity as Ol' Skool began his hypothesis.
--
Ed popped his head in Bedlam's room. He'd been called here as soon as he returned to the tower. As soon as he spotted the red and black clad man, he strolled in and stopped a short distance away.
He was no longer afraid of Bedlam. Actually, he felt a strange, growing sensation. Not like the one he felt in Sector 9, but stronger. He wasn't sure if he liked it or not yet. But it was kind of scaring him.
At least his fear for Bedlam went away.
Well, now that he thought about it, glaring at the back of his 'father', he couldn't figure out what had been so intimidating in the first place. He was just a normal human with minor, unimportant power over a single city. Not to mention his skills as a fighter, but Ed knew he could beat him easily with his hands tied behind his back.
"Hello, Edward," Bedlam turned, and if Ed could see past those dark glasses, he'd know there was a glint in them. "I saw what you did today. Very good,"
"Yeah, why'd you send that piece of scrap after me anyway?" Ed had to hold back his growl.
"I wanted to test your skills—not to mention the fact that you completely disobeyed me."
"So what?"
Bedlam's eyes narrowed behind his glasses. "Are you sassing me?"
Ed smirked and folded his arms. "I dunno. You're supposed to be a genius, you figure it out." No. Definitely not afraid anymore.
Bedlam growled and turned away. "That will cost you. Let's see what sort of punishment I should give you this time…" He looked up and saw that in the reflection of the tinted windows in front of him showed Ed moving his hand in a talk-to-much motion and moving his lips with it in a mocking style. He spun around quickly and Ed instantly stopped.
"Don't be so quick to let your guard down, Edward. I am still your superior and could still destroy you."
"Pfft… I'd like to see you try…" Ed mumbled.
"What was that?"
Ed locked eyes with Bedlam, a completely serious look on his face—yet still mocking. "I said I'd like to see you try,"
Bedlam growled again. He would love more than anything to destroy Ed limb-from-limb right now, but he turned away in anger and took a deep breath.
No, now wasn't the time. It would be better to keep Ed on his side as long as possible. His plans still weren't complete yet.
"Go to bed and get some rest, Edward." Was all he said and Ed turned and swiftly walked out of the room. Cora appeared beside Bedlam and blinked at how angered her Master was.
"Why didn't you just fight him?" she asked.
"Because my plans are not yet complete, Cora," Bedlam seethed, angry slowly seeping away.
"I see… There's something different about him, though, don't you think? Maybe messing with his DNA wasn't such a smart idea after all,"
"Quiet!"
Cora shrugged and faded away. Bedlam rubbed his temples as a growing headache forced its way to his head. What Cora said was right. He knew there was a large chance that Ed's DNA would be corrupted and that his mind would become confused. It was a large move, but it was his only chance to get Ed on his side.
But if Ed was no longer afraid of him… He could be in for some serious trouble.
--
The middle of the night. Everyone in Progress City is sound asleep. The Dojo Couriers, Ol' Skool—who had fallen asleep on the keyboard's monitors at the lab—and Bedlam.
That is until, a shrill scream sounded throughout the entire tower.
One Bedlam—who was jolted awake—instantly recognized as none other than Ed's.
--
I think the lab was destroyed in 'Static' but I don't care. Let's just pretend—for this story at least—that it wasn't, okay? By the way, in case anyone was wondering, this story takes place after 'Static' and 'Locked' but before 'Ex Machina'.
