Does anyone remember how I said that the last chapter was difficult to write?
I lied...
This one was actually pretty hard to write up. It wasn't so much as what to say that was my problem, it was how to say it. I basically knew what I wanted to be said in this chapter, but it was difficult getting it all to flow right. I just hope I did a good job with it. It turned out longer than I though it would be. I wanted to make this a pretty good chapter.
Why? Because it's chapter four. I've already planned all this so that this chapter would be right in the middle of the story because this pretty much explains a lot of things. Do you know what that means? It means three more chapters after this one.
Hmm...Maybe I should let you all get through this one first...Yeah, good idea.
Enjoy!
The first thing to greet Tech as he slowly realized the conscious world was the painful throbbing that coursed his mind. Groaning loudly, he shook his head in an attempt to clear it, but he stopped quickly when he discovered that movement only made the pain worse.
The second thing he realized was that he couldn't move. Startled by that fact, his golden eyes snapped open and he looked down at his wrists. He frowned when he noticed the metal cuffs that restrained him.
His eyes and hands began to glow a soft emerald as he began concentrating on the cuffs. But instead of the same emerald light, the cuffs began to glow electric blue. Suddenly, the light around his hands disappeared which seemed to only increase the shine of his restraints. He watched, surprised, until the electric blue finally faded.
"I'd advise you to not try that again," a familiar voice said as footsteps could be heard. "Then again, the energy from your powers is absorbed and stored away for a special surprise for later, so if you feel you must try and escape, then by all means go ahead."
The coyote looked up slowly, glaring as the man clad in black leather came into view. He would have given up anything to wipe the smirk off of that tan face.
"I suppose you're wondering how and why you're here," the man said, walking over to a large machine that resembled a laser.
'Well, now I am,' the genius thought. But he didn't reply.
"Well, you're here because I need some…assistance with some work I'm doing. And I brought you here via my matter transporter."
Tech raised a curious eyebrow. "Matter transporter…?" he asked hoarsely, mildly impressed.
The man nodded, his smirk widening. "Indeed…" Typing some commands into the machine, he then turned to the coyote. "I figured you'd find it fascinating. But of course you would…after all, two people who attended the Acmetropolis Institute are bound to find some common interests."
The coyote blinked in surprise. "You went to the Institute?" he asked.
"Of course I did. We had some classes together I believe…"
Tech frowned, his brow knotting as he thought. "I…don't really remember seeing you…"
"Would it help if I told you my name is Charles Punnet?"
Thinking for another moment, he then shook his head. "Not really."
"Of course not," the man replied, his tone hard and bitter. Turning his back on the coyote, the man stood silently, as though pondering over a matter. Finally he said, "Not many people know who I am." He turned to the coyote. "And do you know why?"
"No, but I'm sure you're going to tell me."
Slowly, Charles walked over until he stood just a foot away, and Tech could see the hate and anger in the glare he was given. Then, in a soft but clear voice, the man said, "Because of you."
"Me?" the scientist asked, suddenly feeling rather uncomfortable as he was still trapped against the wall. "What did I do?"
The man turned slightly, still glaring at Tech for another second before walking back to the machine. "You were all the talk at the Institute. I'm sure you know that."
The hero frowned deeply. Of course he remembered all the talk about him at the Institute. Every whisper, every scathing rumor, every mocking remark, every stinging comment. He would never let himself forget any of it.
"Everyone at the Institute knew who you were," he heard the man say, drawing him out of his reverie. "Everyone talked about your inventions, and by everyone I mean the students, professors, faculty, even the janitors. It made me sick…"
"Yeah um…hi?" Tech said. "People mostly made fun of me…And the talk of my inventions? Most likely about how it blew up."
"Oh, I know that," the man replied, turning his head to look at the other. "But the reason they were making fun of you was because of the great potential your inventions had."
"Potential?" the coyote repeated, puzzled.
"Of course. Everyone could see the brilliance in your creations. It was only so obvious. But the fact that most of them exploded and therefore could never be used was the reason people had to mock you."
Tech just stared at the other. That was either a very well-disguised backhanded compliment or a full-blown insult. Either way, he didn't agree with the reasoning at all.
"You were often the center of all the attention at the Institute…which meant many others, such as myself, were left stuck in the shadow of your limelight."
Wouldn't it be better to be ignored than to be the subject of such derision? But Tech decided not to say so.
"Everyone was so…enthralled by you," the other scientist continued sourly, "that no one could fully realize the brilliance of my inventions."
And Tech couldn't help but roll his eyes.
"It wouldn't have been as detrimental had it been anyone else…But because it was you, that made it unforgivable."
"Why? Why did I make that so unforgivable?"
"Because…you're not human."
Time hung in the air, seeming to freeze everything in that room. Every feeling in Tech's body, even surprise, was completely drained by that simple statement. His eyes were wide as he stared at the man, and his mouth opened as though to speak, but no words could even enter his mind. The silence echoed around them, but that one statement pounded loudly in his chest and rattled his heart.
Finally after what felt like an eternity, the coyote was able to manage a small, "What…?"
"You heard what I said," Charles replied in a sharp tone. He turned to look at the other. "The Institute, Acmetropolis, this entire planet belongs to humans. We are the superior species of this place and therefore everything is rightfully ours to do as we please. We decide and control everything."
Slowly, the man walked back to the wall where Tech was bound to. "Humans are the only ones who deserve everything this world has to offer. So imagine my disgust when you…a mere beast…was there with us, learning everything that human hands could create and human minds had developed.
"The biggest disappointment and shock, however, was when the meteor hit. When you and those…freaks…received awesome powers that rightfully belong to humans!"
Tech couldn't keep quiet any longer. "You're crazy!" he retorted. "It's not like we asked for these powers! And we use them to protect people like you!"
"Don't you think we'd be more than capable of protecting ourselves had we the gifts you Loonatics received instead?" the other scientist spat.
Tech frowned. More than capable, he had to agree, especially considering the power-endowed villains that they often had to fight to protect Acmetropolis. But he figured that saying so wouldn't help the villain's temper.
"But no. Those powers went to you freaks, and then you were all entrusted to protect the city. That never sat well with me, you could imagine, knowing that our lives were in the care of filthy animals…"
"You're welcome…" the coyote replied sarcastically.
Charles ignored him. "So I created this lab. And unlike you, Tech E. Coyote, I didn't have the powers of magnetism to assist me. Everything you see here was created by my hands. Not bad for a year, huh?"
Despite himself, Tech had to admit he was impressed. But he had to ask the question that was pressed in his mind. "And what exactly is this lab for?"
And the sudden smirk that appeared on the other scientist's tanned face left a twisted feeling in his stomach. "Just for research and experimenting," the man replied casually. But the smirk still unnerved Tech to a degree that even he couldn't fathom.
"What kind?" he asked. Regardless of the deep feeling of dread concerning the answer, he felt that he had to know.
"Well, just trying to figure out how to purge the planet of you Loonatics, of course."
The coyote rolled his eyes again. Of course that was always the obvious answer. But something didn't add up. "If you wanted to get rid of us so badly, why haven't you done so already? I mean, that electro-laser behind you looks like it could do some kind of damage."
The man's smirk only deepened, correlating with the sickening feeling rising in the hero. "First, I'm glad you noticed my laser. I somehow knew you would. Second…You see, I could have. But I wanted to be thorough and precise in my methods of ridding you all, which meant taking into account your powers and abilities. Plus, I'm a man who enjoys a challenge. And the research and experimentation was indeed satiating to my craving."
Turning, Charles walked back to the machine, picking up a folder that the coyote hadn't noticed before and walked back to the wall, opening it and leafing through its contents. "I found it very interesting during my research when I discovered that all your powers are streamed in your genetics. I suppose that could be good news for me, considering the experimenting I wanted to try."
"What's that?" Tech asked, trying to put on a brave front despite how nervous he truly felt.
Closing the folder, the man looked at the genius, seeming to contemplate his next words. "How familiar are you with genetics?"
"Vaguely," the hero replied. Of course, his 'vaguely' could most likely be equivalent to another person's complete study of the subject.
"Are you familiar with the passing on of genes from one generation to another?"
"Yes."
"And dormant and recessive genes?"
"Yes."
"How about the theory of evolution?"
"Yes…Where is this going?"
"Right to the heart of my experiments!" the villain exclaimed as he threw the folder aside. Papers flew everywhere as the other scientist walked back to his machine.
The coyote frowned as he watched the other. 'And everyone at the Institute thought I was mad…' he thought ruefully. But he found that he really wanted to discover what this man was up to.
He listened attentively as Charles began speaking again. "For the longest of times, animals have relied on instincts and genetics to live. The only exceptions were humans, who were able to transcend into a higher level of thinking, reasoning, creating and feeling."
The villain then turned to the coyote. "But somewhere along the line, certain animals managed to advance to the level of humans while keeping some of their primitive characteristics. Over time, though, these traits recessed through evolution and eventually…well, here you are."
He laughed at the confused expression on Tech's face. But instead of explaining, he continued. "So I decided to research and find a way to solve this problem."
"What problem?"
Walking back to the scientist, the man stared long and hard at him for a moment before asking, "You're a coyote, aren't you?"
Tech blinked. That was possibly the strangest question anyone had ever asked him. "Last I checked."
"Do you know what coyotes had to do to survive?"
It took only a few seconds for the realization to sink in. "They…"
"Hunt," the man replied, smirking slightly. "Hunting for food, killing for survival. "It's in their genes. In your genes."
It had never occurred to Tech before. He had been so accustomed to his way of life that he had never imagined what it had been like for others before him. "But…then why…?"
"Why have you never felt the need to hunt?" Charles finished, a smug look on his face. He obviously enjoyed the other's discomfort. "Well, my theory is that the need to hunt eventually became a recessive quality as time passed on, especially since your family somehow evolved to an almost-human level. But of course, all good theories need to be tested. So I developed my genetic alteration machine."
Tech watched as the other scientist pulled out a black fingerless glove from his leather jacket. Slipping it on his left hand, the villain continued, "Based on my observation after the initial use of my device, it seems that the need to hunt did indeed become repressed, possibly due to the overexposure to us humans. However, the need to hunt was still indeed in your genes. What my experiment accomplished was to draw that out for brief periods of time."
The coyote's mouth suddenly went dry as the meaning of the man's words painfully sunk in. "What…?"
"It was odd, really. Every time you consciously perceived that you were hungry, the effects of my machine triggered and activated your instinctive need to hunt. But for some reason you were never aware of it happening. I suppose it was totally an unconscious occurrence."
"I…I don't…remember…ever doing that…" Tech replied softly.
"Well of course you don't remember. It was unconscious after all. But think about this: You're working on something when you think about how hungry you are. Then you black out, and when you wake you find yourself someplace different with someone hovering over you. Sound familiar?"
The coyote frowned deeply. The description sounded very accurate to the several instances he found himself in. And though he felt a little suspicious as to how the villain could possibly know all this, there was a bigger matter that pressed his mind. "If…what you say is true…then…all the others…"
"Knew that something was going on with you? Yeah…Pretty much."
"But…then why…?"
"Why didn't they ever mention it to you?" Charles smirked at the affirming look he received. "Well, the leader of your group – Ace was it? – said that he didn't want to make you aware of it so he wouldn't have to blame you for it. But I think that they were afraid, even if they couldn't admit it. After all, most of that group of yours are adequate hunting prey for a coyote."
He felt as though his blood froze.
"What I found most interesting, though, was that even though your mind returned to its most primal state when confronted by all the others, the only time you actually attempted to hunt was just with the roadrunner…"
He swore his heart stopped at that moment. "I-I…w-what…?"
"Hunted the roadrunner," the other scientist replied. "Rev was his name I believe. Couldn't explain why, honestly, but you did try to hunt him down quite a few times. Caused more retrogression than any other time this week." The man rubbed his round chin thoughtfully. "Maybe you would only hunt him down due to a genetic mutation that was passed down in your family resulting in a strange fetish for roadrunners. I should look into that."
Tech couldn't listen any longer. "N…N-no…! I-I don't believe you…! I…I-I wouldn't…!"
"You wouldn't what?" the man cut off, his violet eyes wide with mockery. "You would never attack your friend? Is that what you wanted to say? What you want to believe?"
The coyote shut his eyes, not wanting to hear any more. In truth, he wanted to believe that. But something…something inside him couldn't – didn't – deny it.
"First of all, Tech, many coyotes are solitary creatures that aren't tied to a close group. Secondly, despite everything you may believe, the desire to hunt is in your genes. No matter how you evolve and change, you are what you are. It's still buried deep within, creating the central core of your entire existence. The ones before you, the ones to come after you…all are connected through the genetics that are passed on through each generation."
"No! No!" the coyote retorted, shaking his head furiously. "You're wrong! That's not who I am!"
With a soft 'tsk' of his tongue, Charles shook his head in mock sympathy as the smirk grew on his face. "Tech, I thought you were smarter than that. You can't escape what you truly are, no matter how you wish it."
Suddenly the coyote glared hard at the man, his eyes glowing emerald as he snarled, exposing sharp canine teeth. His tall ears folded against his head and the only things that kept him from attack the man were the glowing blue bonds that stationed him to the wall.
Reaching into his leather jacket, Charles pulled out a large remote, pressing one of its many buttons. Electricity shot out of the machine behind him, consuming the coyote's body and causing him to yelp in pain, wriggling in his restraints vainly to avoid the current.
After a few more seconds, the man hit the button again and the electricity died. Tech groaned softly, shaking his head before looking up at the other scientist again. This time his eyes were their normal gold hue.
"Very intriguing," the man murmured. "The effects of my genetic alteration device seem to have taken a slightly different path."
"W…what?" the coyote asked, suddenly feeling disoriented.
"The first time I used my machine, its effects triggered when you perceived hunger, bringing out your instincts of hunting to survive. You also didn't appear to recall anything about your present life. This time, however, your powers play a rather important role when you are angered, as the effects of my invention draw out your genes to fight for survival if threatened." The man played with the remote in his hand. "The occurrences don't seem permanent, though. It appears that a quick shock to the head reverts you to your normal state quicker than if you were to trigger the change yourself. Though it could also be used figuratively, the literal shock, I find works just as well."
Shaking his head slightly, Tech blinked rapidly, trying to dispel the colored spots that clouded his vision before looking up at the electro-laser. If only the volts had been stronger…
The man seemed to be aware of what the other was thinking as he said, "Impressive machine, isn't it? Of course, I could increase the voltage, but that would reduce you to ash, and I can't have that now can I? What with that regeneration ability of yours."
Holding up the remote, the man continued. "This is connected to everything in my lab. I use it to control and test my many inventions, even when I'm not in the same room."
"Why are you telling me this?" Tech asked, his voice rough from dehydration. "I mean, I understand the laser, but why let me know about the remote?"
The man smirked again. "I'm just allowing you to appreciate a true genius. Besides, as my second favorite creation, I believe I am entitled to my bragging rights."
Shaking his head slightly, the coyote then stopped when he replayed the sentence in his mind. "Second favorite?"
"Of course. The remote that controls my entire lab is exceptional, but it pales in comparison to this," Charles replied as he held up his left hand that was still partially covered by the fingerless glove.
Watching as the other scientist clenched that hand into a fist, Tech's eyes widened when the man's arm from the elbow down seemed to disappear underneath a midnight cylinder casing. The design itself resembled that of a robotic arm laser, though the form was sleek and no wider than the man's arm had been.
"Do you know what this is?" Charles asked tauntingly.
The feeling of what the answer was left a twisted knot in his chest.
"If you guessed my genetic alteration device, then of course you'd be right. Inside the cannon-like apparatus is a button I can feel with my hand. To fire, I simply push the button. It fires once, but to get the full effect of the electric energy in your genes, I need to hold down the button for…about two minutes."
Tech wasn't sure if he winced or not. "Why so long?" he somehow managed to ask.
"Well, messing with genes is a tricky business. Any shorter or longer than two minutes could drastically alter you in a way even I couldn't predict." Holding up his remote, Charles pressed a button and Tech watched in slight surprise as the remote became a miniature laser. Pressing a button on the genetic device, the man then lifted a lid off, revealing the complex wiring of the gizmo. Aiming the small laser into it, he turned it on and began fixing it.
"The problem with this, as much as I hate to admit," the man said suddenly as he continued to fiddle with his device, "is that I have yet to gain the desired result of my research. The experiment, you see, is two-fold; first, to restore your mind to its primal state by drawing out your recessive genes. Second, to rid you of your powers through the same process of altering your DNA. Of course, the effect must be permanent on you before I could possibly think of attempting it on the other Loonatics. But once I have perfected my device and reverted you all back to primitive beasts, I'm sure you and the Tasmanian devil will enjoy a nice feast."
That particular image was enough to make the coyote sick. But at that moment, a thought came to him. "Wait…why…?"
"Why did I choose you to test my experiment instead of one of the others?" Charles finished without looking up from working. "Is that what you wanted to ask?"
He hated how it seemed that the other scientist was in his head. But what he really hated was how he could even think of something like that in the first place.
"If you really want to know," the man said, glancing up at the coyote, "I needed to make sure the device works regardless of intelligence."
Confusion once again filled the coyote. "What?"
"You see, evolution proceeds as time and nature provide different obstacles that creatures must overcome in order to survive. That idea was developed on the principle of strength playing an important role for species to continue living. As the saying goes, 'Only the strong survive,' right? But I'm not a firm believer of that notion. After all, human beings aren't necessarily the strongest on this planet. To me, it's all about intelligence. If you think about it, certain strengths won't do you any good if you have no idea how to use them to your advantage. But sometimes evolution needs to step in to change certain things, and then the creatures learn how to adapt by figuring how to put certain skills to use. That's generally how the world works.
"What I needed to make sure, however, is if the process is reversible. I needed to see if an animal can revert back to a prior stage in evolution regardless of its intelligence, or find out if intelligence might disrupt my experiment. I wasn't entirely sure, since intelligence is only 50 percent hereditary, so it was worth testing. Now, the intelligence of your friends are all pretty much average, so if I had tested my experiment on one of them, then it would most likely work on the others.
"The problem, Tech, lied with you. As much as I…loathe…to admit, you are much smarter than even most humans. Even if my genetic alterations worked on one or all of your friends, it might not have worked on you should my assumptions be correct. And they appear to be, judging by the lack of permanent and total effect my device has on you. So, by testing it out on you first, and using you to perfect it, I can ensure that it will be ready by the time I use it on your friends. Besides," the man added with a smirk, "you know very well how painful it is messing with genetics. Wouldn't you rather take the pain than let your so-called friends suffer through this? Or…are you beginning to realize that you may not be as close to them as you thought, seeing as how you prefer them to be in pain instead of you?"
Glaring at the other scientist for a moment, Tech then looked away and shut his eyes, unsure of how to answer. Every thought, question, idea…no matter what he was thinking, the other scientist not only seemed to know of it before hand but retorted with a mocking answer.
He had always been aware of when things were out of his control. It was something he had come to accept. But never had he felt so vulnerable knowing that even his inner mind wasn't safe from this man. Frustration grew, coinciding with his helplessness of his situation. He hated it all, especially the man.
Suddenly something was pounding inside him. The beating of his own heart increased rapidly and his body began to trembled as he felt some…thing…trying to take over. He half snarled, feeling as though his mind was about to be split in two. He began struggling once again in his restraints as, at that moment, he struggled to contain his right mind.
"You really shouldn't fight it," Charles said calmly, turning off his mini laser and putting it away. As he slowly slid the laser off his arm and began rotating his wrist, he continued, "It's part of what you are, and you need to accept that."
'No…!' Tech thought, still struggling physically and mentally. 'That's not…who I am!' But in a matter of mere seconds, he was growling and snarling, his eyes glowing emerald and his bonds glowing electric blue.
Sliding the device back onto his arm, the man looked at the inside covering that was still open from his prior work. The black cover suddenly became a screen, rapidly displaying lists of data. "Hmm…" he said thoughtfully as he read through the information. "Fear and anger seems to have doubled the effects…Doesn't look permanent though…"
The man then looked back up at the coyote, smirking slightly as he noted the continuous blue glow of the constraints. "That'll come in very handy later," he muttered to himself, closing the top of his arm laser. "I could stop him from wasting his energy…but I'm sure the energy I'm harvesting from him will be used. Still…I'd never be able to finish my experiment if he's dead…"
Seeming to think about the situation a little more, Charles then smirked, aiming the genetic device at the coyote. "Considering how much pain is involved with altering genetics, he may wish that I did kill him…"
TBC
I apologize for any errors that you may have found along the way. I'm about ready to fall asleep at my keyboard here.
Anyway, so that's the fourth chapter. This basically revolves around the ideas that led me to write this story in the first place: 1) The Tech and Rev's friendship despite their ancestry, and 2) The fact that there doesn't seem to be any other animals in Acmetropolis. How do people feel about that? Well, here's one guy's opinion.
And yeah, those two ideas are the reason I wrote this story in the first place. Those, and the fact that I love Tech.
Quick explanation about the villain's name, Charles Punnet. I chose that name because: 1) Charles Darwin was the founding father of the evolution theory. 2) Punnet (prounounced pu-NAY) is a variation of Punnett. For those of you who took biology and are familiar with the Punnett square, you'd know that it has to do with the predicting of certain genetic qualities. See, I'm not crazy.
Anyway, I'm hoping to get the fifth chapter, but I've got finals this week, so I've also got to study. But hopefully I'll still be able to put up the next chapter. Ooooh, just wait until you see what I've got in store for that one. (evil laughter)
So yeah. Please review, and I'll see you next time!