Engines, shouts, cracking noises.
Someone tried to enter. They would need a while to get past the lasers and through barricades though. But his security measures wouldn't hold up the police forever.
Why did they even know of his hiding place?
Someone must have betrayed him, but who? He had never told anyone about his venture - there was not a single person who knew about it... apart from Alpha, but he doubted that he was able to betray him - he was just an empty shell.
However the police found the information, he had very little time. His hands flew over the keyboard while he made the necessary modifications. Actually, this experiment needed much more time and development. Pre-tests were still needed, the technology was still far from being perfect, but now had to hurry. This experiment would either succeed or he would die - however, there was no way he would get back into prison.
Meanwhile Alpha stood impassively next to him. He didn't seem to be any worried. Cobra felt, however, how he became more hectic, while the sounds of the invading police troops were getting louder. But then he stopped - it was time. All modifications were completed.
Suddenly he grabbed Alpha's the arm, dragged him roughly to an obscure machine and hastily attached electrodes on the clone's temples. Then he positioned himself on the other side of the machine and did the same with himself, while the shouts of the approaching troops were getting closer.
Hounded, Cobra reached for the lever, that activated the machine - but before he flipped the lever, he hesitated. If it didn't work, he would die now - did he really want so commit suicide?
But in case he survived, he would get to jail again ...
Then he would rather die!
Determined, he flipped the lever.
He immediately felt a buzzing rattling spreading from the electrodes on his temples, until his entire skull seemed to vibrate, it got louder and louder until it was an almost unbearable, deafening roar. He could not think clearly or feel anything else. His brain was overwhelmed and so he slid into a slight loss of consciousness.
If everything went as planned, he should wake up in Alpha's body! Then he would disappear before the cops would get him, with renewed youth and telepathic powers.
With rats and other small mammals, it had worked to transfer a living consciousness into an empty clone.
Suddenly his eyes shot open, a close, noise breaking glass had woken him - how long had he been unconscious?
Distraught, he looked around - the police weren't there yet, but their shouts could be heard in the little lab. Then Cobra finally looked at his hands - and froze in bloodcurdling horror! He was still in his old body! It didn't work! Terrified, paralyzed, he was not able to respond. Shocked, he looked around for Alpha. Now he knew where the shattering sound had come from, which had woken him -
Alpha stumbled through the lab, while he ripped off the diodes from his head, and during that he had knocked over some test tubes.
Cobra's mind was racing! He had to think of another plan, quickly! Maybe he could make sure that Alpha could stop the troops with his telepathic powers, then he had some time to flee. What did it matter if they killed his clone? Cobra would sacrifice this clone rather than himself.
But what was that? Alpha had stopped and smiled at him knowingly.
"It's amazing how easy it is to read your mind," he said suddenly. He was smiling? He showed emotions? Cobra was too confused about this side effect than about the content of his words. Only slowly he realized what had gone wrong: his mind was not transferred, but were merely copied! Alpha now had an own freewill- his will, his consciousness, his memories! Everything!
But he was still there, old and without any super powers ...
"No, no, no - that's not right!" Cobra stammered hastily, but it was clear that there was no way how he could change the situation now.
The sounds of the approaching troops came closer and closer. They would enter the lab at any moment!
Alpha - who now had Cobra's consciousness - suddenly giggled, turned around and was about to leave, while Cobra stared after him in horror. But then Alpha stopped and turned around one last time.
"You know .. it would be disastrous if you tell them about me... "
Alpha hardly had spoken these words, when a terrible fatigue overcame Cobra! His legs gave in and he fell to the floor. But before he had even touched the ground, Alpha had put him into a deep, thoughtless sleep with his telepathic powers...
Then - only a few seconds later - he ended the life of his creator - the physical life, at least, because his spirit was still living in him. It happened quick and painless. This unusual grace, he authorizes only because it concerned his own life.
When the police finally entered the underground laboratory, they only found Tenner's corpse. The diagnosis: cerebral apoplexy, commonly know as a stroke. The case attracted no particular attention, after all the worst had been prevented before it had even happened, and Tenner aka Cobra had probably taken the most terrible secrets into his grave...
But Cobra had survived. In a new body, equipped with super powers ...
But since no one knew about Alpha's existence, no one bothered to search for him.
Author's Note:
YAY! It's over! A big thanks to all supporters and readers for all comments during the last (more than) 2 years! I'm so grateful to all of you! I hope you enjoyed the story as much as I did! Also kudos to the beta-readers, NijaRabbitLiz, Krystalstarbane, animeloveramy, Stargrlme, and inaligrimalkin!
Feel free to continue the story! ^^
