Chapter Thirty-Six: rEVOlution
A/N Be warned! The Ur-Dexter is a sicko perv!
OoOoOoOoOoOoO
"We've got to move fast," stated Ben Tennyson. Despite the steady hum of the generators close by he kept his voice low. "Dex is here still, but Biowulf just moved him over to Van Kleiss. The Pack is there with him, and the Ur-Dexter. There's a new tunnel on the far side of the chamber like the one in Dexter's labor – his lab," corrected Ben when he started to pronounce the word the same way Dexter did. "That's how the Fusion got in." He looked significantly at Chip Morton. "He doesn't have his glasses, either."
"Does he know we're here?"
"Yeah."
With a curt nod, Morton looked to the Providence agents. "You know them better than we do. You deploy us."
"You've got a Null-Void," stated Six. "You target the Fusions."
"I got one, too," Rex suddenly remembered, pulling the Mons Meg out of his jacket pocket and displaying the small gun. In the faint light it looked like a souped-up water gun.
"It works on EVOs, too," was the sergeant's only reply.
"Let's not test that theory," muttered Bobo Haha, drawing his twin guns.
OoOoOoOoOoOoO
The Ur-Dexter's hand, cold and hard and inhumanly powerful, clamped down on the back of Dexter's neck and he was yanked bodily against his doppelganger with enough force to momentarily stun him. He gasped at the blows, trying to recover his senses as his wrist was seized as well. There was no way he would ever be able to wriggle free of such a hold and he was firmly pinned against the Fusion. It smiled and leered, knowing Dexter was terrified and enjoying every moment of his discomfort.
"Finally," gloated the Fusion, looking at him with hungry anticipation. Softly he said, "There's so much for us to do. So much left unsaid."
How could this be a copy of him? Was he really so single-minded? Dexter turned his face away, the distinct smell of this creature assailing his nose and bringing back memories of having his mind torn apart. Nausea suddenly struck him as the abuses he had endured came back to him in vivid detail. He knew it was futile, but he could not resist the instinct to struggle. The only result that effort gained was the hand on his neck slid down his back as far as could be reached before moving up to encircle his waist, pressing him closer still. The EVOs watched – some with interest, others with indifference, all with a sense of distaste.
"You have your payment," Van Kleiss stated coolly, seemingly not in the least surprised that the Fusion Dexter would commence molesting Dexter right here. "This transaction is complete."
The Ur-Dexter looked up from his prize, and Dexter made the mistake of opening his eyes. He was treated to a wicked smile on his mimic's face, near enough that it was almost in focus, and he was reminded of a lion momentarily distracted from its kill. This creature was as depraved as it was twisted and Van Kleiss' dismissal seemed to amuse it. All his nightmares were coming true in this moment and Dexter could feel his legs quaking, almost fainting beneath him at his Fusion's touch. He was numb, in shock, petrified with fear.
"Then all that remains is for me to take my payment and go," said the Ur-Dexter. "We must do this again someday, Michael."
Van Kleiss said nothing, and after a moment the Fusion chuckled.
"A pleasure doing business with you," it said, turning away and dragging Dexter along with him. Dexter stumbled alongside his doppelganger, panting as if he'd run a race, his panic building. Ben. Where was Ben?
They were moving out of sight of the Pack. Dexter could see nothing but the copy of himself. Had he somehow been wrong? Was that really the union badge, or was he mistaken? Was Ben not here? The Fusion was pulling him into darkness, away from his father and hope and the world . . .
"Wait," he breathed, barely making a sound. "Wait. Wait."
The Fusion paused, gripping his arm tightly, bringing Dexter back to that first, terrifying, painful meeting with this creature. A cold, almost oily hand touched his face, stroking his cheek.
"What is it?" asked the Fusion, petting Dexter possessively.
He drew a shuddering breath, his heart hammering in his chest so hard he was surprised the Fusion couldn't hear it.
"I . . . I . . ."
Do not faint. Do not faint. Get a grip on yourself. You are dead otherwise.
"There's something I need to tell Van Kleiss before we go," he whispered.
"No."
"Please," he said, doing his best to sound meek. It didn't come easily to him, but it took no effort to seem harmless. He looked into those glowing red eyes, trying to hide his revulsion. If he collapsed or angered this thing now, there was no hope for him. "Please. It won't take a moment, and then . . ."
He could not finish the horrifying thought, but by the slow smirk that spread across the Fusion's face, he knew the Ur-Dexter completed his sentence for him. After all, it was Dexter.
. . . and then I'll be yours . . .
The Fusion considered for a moment. "Very well. We'll return and you may speak to Michael if you kiss me."
"What?" he breathed, not certain he'd heard right. If unbalancing him was its intent, it had succeeded.
"I paid a great deal to get what I wanted. You can pay a small price to get what you want. If you want to speak to Van Kleiss, kiss me."
OoOoOoOoOoOoO
They moved quickly and quietly through the temporary laboratory: Holiday and Six to the right, Calan and Morton to the left, Bobo Haha and a pocketful of explosive charges around the perimeter of the cavern, leaving the two teenage boys to pick a cautious path through the center of the lab. Darting from cover to cover, they were all converging on the cluster of EVOs and Fusions and the one unfortunate human. The stench in the cavern was terrific, and an eerie green glow like an Infection cast odd shadows as the Fusion Matter rippled and swirled and tried to escape its pen.
OoOoOoOoOoOoO
No. No. This couldn't be happening. Kiss? This awful thing? On purpose? There was something very Freudian and egotistical about this that his frightened and confused mind could not begin to fathom. He gaped at it, shocked and momentarily speechless. The Fusion gave him a look he'd used countless times while waiting for people to catch up and realize he was absolutely right. He had to admit the look was rather effective, now that he saw it aimed at himself.
"I just . . ." Desperate to avoid any contact, especially something so intimate, Dexter gestured back toward the lights of Gat. It was so close in terms of distance and so very, very far from freedom.
The Fusion stared at him, its patience wearing thin. "You don't wish to speak to him. Very well."
It shrugged and yanked him along, deeper into the shadows. "Wait! Please, wait!" He swallowed, struggling with the sick reality of his situation. There was nothing for it. He was utterly, completely alone and his only hope of survival lay behind him. He knew that once he had free reign over him, Van Kleiss would be little better than the Fusion, but . . .
Van Kleiss had his glasses, and once again they were Dexter's best hope of rescue. If Ben wasn't here, he had a better chance of being saved from Van Kleiss than his Fusion. A better chance of surviving, long enough to be rescued, too, since once upon a time, Michael had been human.
He realized he was crying only when he closed his eyes. A kiss. Just a kiss. Just lean in and press his lips to . . .
Suddenly he was freezing cold, trapped in the steel mill in Pittsburgh. Helpless. Unable to stop this creature from taking what it wanted.
Now it wanted so much more.
Oh, god . . . all he wanted was to go home. Please. He just wanted his father. Not this.
There was no choice.
Cold. Hard. The reek of Fusion Matter so strong he could taste it, and then he was tasting it. As expected, the Fusion took full advantage of the concession and seized Dexter by the back of his head, crushing him tight and close and grinding their mouths together with brutal force.
He didn't fight the assault. He couldn't. The Fusion was too strong and he needed to humor it. The contact hurt, and he tried to turn his mind off from the slick, sickening caress he'd endured once before. It had a tongue. It had teeth. It used both. His head was already aching, and the memory of pain and torture echoed through his whole being. He kept his eyes tightly closed, afraid of what he might see as finally he was allowed to draw back. It took every ounce of self-control left him not to scream once he could draw breath again. On Dexter's part there was no passion in the kiss, but the Fusion's interest was most definitely piqued.
"I thought you would teach me about love, Dexter," the Fusion said in disappointment, reaching out to lift his chin. "It seems I must teach you."
What did this thing know about love? Nothing. Love was nothing more than a word to Fusions, not an emotion they could grasp.
At least, not most of them.
"Perhaps you do," he whispered, barely able to speak and trying his best to indulge his doppelganger's fancies. He wanted to spit at the acidic taste in his mouth but didn't dare. "I've never kissed someone before."
The confession seemed to please the monstrous little creature. "I've kissed you many times in my imaginings."
The Ur-Dexter's imaginings, Dexter's nightmares. They were one in the same. "Van Kleiss," he reminded, leaning away when his twin would have kissed him again.
A frown creased its face. "That was a kiss in form only, but since it was your first, I suppose I must make allowances. Come." He seized Dexter's arm and dragged him along.
It was a short distance back to where they had left Van Kleiss and his minions. I-Bol had been watching to make sure they left and now moved in skittish agitation to alert the others. Biowulf's gruff voice could be heard as he said, "Master!"
Van Kleiss glanced up from where he was studying readings on the Fusion EVOs, extremely displeased at the interruption.
"Back so soon?" he asked coolly, straightening.
"He has something to say to you," stated the Fusion loftily.
Dexter pulled against the iron hold, looking squarely at his doppelganger and reaching up to cover the green hand gripping his arm. As if in silent promise not to flee, he gently worked his fingers between the mimic's. It was very telling to Dexter – and the EVOs watching – that he was able to ease the Fusion's hand off of him. He stepped closer to Van Kleiss, past the Pack, keeping his back to the Fusion as he lifted his hands.
"You asked something of me earlier," he said, his voice faint in his own ears. As he spoke he carefully peeled back the glove on his left hand, exposing the disruptor he still wore. "I have an answer for you now."
The same hungry gleam Dexter had seen back earlier returned to Van Kleiss' eyes, his annoyance wiped away with what he saw as total victory. Without the disruptor generating a field to block Breach, Dexter would be as vulnerable as anyone else to the EVO girl and it would be nothing for her to snatch Dexter away from his wicked little double.
"What are you doing?" demanded the Fusion, seeing Van Kleiss' expression. He stepped forward only to have Biowulf and Skalamander bar his advance. Instantly they all hissed at one another.
Dexter didn't reply, but quickly adjusted the disruptor to maximum feedback before he hit the release on the biometric seal and pulled it off his arm.
"My answer," he said, holding it out.
A smile spread across Van Kleiss's face as he opened his hand to take the device. Before he could touch it, Dexter abruptly twisted and threw the disruptor at the vat of Fusion Matter. There was no impact - instead the two plasma fields connected, repelled each other, and then negated each other in a brilliant flash. The force field holding back the Fusion Matter vanished with a loud crackle of electric discharge and the smell of ozone filled the air.
"No!" cried Van Kleiss, realizing too late what Dexter intended.
Several things happened at once. The Fusion Matter, no longer restrained, began oozing out of the vat of its own accord in a mass like a gigantic green slug. Biowulf and Skalamander were thrown aside as the Fusion Dexter fought his way past them. It looked at what Dexter had done and laughed with maniacal glee.
"Dexter!"
Ben! He was here. Dexter fell back a few steps and searched desperately for his friend, but he could see nothing beyond his immediate surroundings. "Ben!" he screamed as more voices rose up.
"I told you!" hissed Van Kleiss, rounding on him in fury, reaching out. Dexter gasped and a strangled cry of pain was torn from his lips as Van Kleiss' mechanical arm snaked out across the distance between them and slammed into his chest. Metal fingers dug through his lab coat and into his skin, not allowing him to fall. Fire coursed through his veins as the nanites in his blood were activated.
A scream rang through the cavern, a scream that turned into a roar as in the blink of an eye and a surge of power Dexter, Boy Genius, was turned from human to EVO.