Chapter 11

A few weeks back…

The moment Gene learned what Alley needed of him. He got to work. He will clone Bad a new body!

He looked on in amazement that the heart given to him was still beating away and in perfect health. He did a double check to be sure, there was no toxins or poisons within. "Okay, now to make this match Bad…"

With great care, set up a cloning pod. He placed the heart into it and it suspended in the middle, he took the premade samples he had of Metal Bat's blood that he was going to use to clone and make serpent men for, yet this was more important. Besides, he has another batch being made.

He poured the blood in, Gene stepped down from the pod and watched as the crimson fluid swirled at first, but then, it was pulled up into the heart.

The organ began to beat rather fast at first, but then settled. "That should be a good start, now then…" he peered away for a moment, yet when he looked back, he found the heart was already being connected to veins. "What… remarkable…" he whispered.

Gene couldn't help but pull up a chair, in a matter of hours, the heart was connected to veins, then the bones began to form. It all happened within six hours from when he started.

"I can't believe this is happening this fast…"

"You like the upgrade?" came the voice of Prodigy.

Gene paused. "You've been tampering with my cloning pods?!"

He shrugged. "Just the ones you aren't using. Why?"

"How… how did you accelerate the growth?"

Prodigy rolled his eyes to it all, he took Gene to one of the pods not being use or has yet to be upgraded. He took off the back panel and showed the wiring. "You don't have a strong enough output. For void's sake there, you need to have a strong enough output! You machines are not taking it all the power needed, which is why your cloning process has been slow! Now that it can take in the power, your clones will come out in a matter of a week!"

"Damn, why didn't I see that…"

"Well, now you do! You're welcome!" Prodigy said, but then he got curious. He turned to the pod Gene was invested in and stared. "Yet, you got bones, blood veins and nerves nearly done, all that's left are muscles and organs!"

Gene looked for himself and was stunned. The clone was nearly done forming already!

"This is amazing, Bad is going to appreciate this!"

Prodigy nodded but then paused. "Huh, so what are you going to do about this?" he pointed to the control panel. Gene looked and saw that there were brainwaves coming off the clone. It was developing so rapidly the mind has formed and there were signals of it thinking. Gene tapped a button as he heard static at first, but then heard.

"What is this… who am I… what am I?"

"Looks like we got a problem. That there is a mind forming, how can you put that human's head into this body if it has one already working?"

This was some of the more difficult things Gene struggled with. He has done this once before cloned a body for another, however when they placed the mind into it, there was conflict. A personality already developed and the soldier nearly went mad with it. Gene was able to silence the other personality, however he didn't like how it weighed on his conscious.

"I am going to try something…" there was a small microphone on his console. "Hello in there? Can you hear me?" he asked gently.

There was a pause. "Who… who is there?"

Gene was hearing Bad's voice, however it didn't really sound like him either. "My name is Gene, I am here to explain a few things, and I wish to give you some options to the situation, first off. I wish to apologize in advance for this. We were cloning a body for a friend of mine, however you have developed, this body does not need two personalities…"

"Body… clone… what are those?"

"A container for your mind, and a clone is made from the DNA of another person. But if I may…"

"Why was I needed? Why is my body needed?"

"My friend was turned into something terrible against his will. However, he was nearly killed for it. He doesn't wish to be what he is, he wants to be human, he has a sister he cares for deeply and wishes to be with her…"

A pause came from the tube as more of it began to develop. "Will I die?" the voice asked.

Gene sighed. "In a sense… yes," he said honestly. "I wish to change that though…"

"I don't want to die… I never want to die…"

Prodigy looked to have had an idea. He shoved Gene to the side abruptly. "Hey there, name is Prodigy, Prod for short since I am short. Look you don't want to die. We need the body. How about I make you a figure that won't fear death!" he said.

"What are you doing!" Gene whispered angrily.

"A body that won't fear death? How?"

"Simple really, I am going to make you a cyborg. You are going to look human. Here let me explain this…" Prodigy began fiddling with the console, there were small electric currents suddenly sent into the tube and the brain waves suddenly spiked. The body jolted but then settled again.

"Prod!" Gene scolded. "What the hell did you just do? Why did you…"

"That's it huh? Can I ask you to change a few things?"

Gene froze as Prodigy smirked. "I got a pen and paper, what would you like!"

He could only step back as Prodigy had a full out conversation with the clone. Apparently, what he did was sent small electrical currents to the brain that showed him things. What he saw, Gene didn't know but the clone appeared to be happy with the idea of getting a new body himself and Prodigy was making it.

When they finished, Prodigy smiled and told Gene to keep an eye out on his friend. He merely nodded and took a seat. The clone was nearly done developing. According to his scanners 75%!

Gene then decided to keep talking with the clone. "Hey, Gene again… if you want to me to leave you be, that's fine, but if you wish to talk…"

"Tell me about him, the person named Metal Bat you are helping and using me for…"

He paused and sighed. "I didn't mean to sound like you were a commodity…"

"It is what it is, however, you are not merely going to let me die, I am going to live, just promise me that."

"I vow to you, you will. At the moment, I think Bad… Metal Bat needs all the help he can get to protect his family. You are going to be an older brother to them when this is done."

There was silence from the clone. "Older brother… family… I don't know what that's like… or what I should feel."

"Well, if it's not too much for you. I will be more than happy to educate you as your mind grows. Would you like that?"

He swore, there was a grin on the face of this clone. "Teach me," he simply said.

Gene smiled, he got some books and began to program them into the system, all the while he held a conversation with the clone. "Oh, that reminds me. You are going to need a name."

"A name… I would like that, but. I don't want it rushed. There is time for a name, for now, teach me." He insisted.

Gene nodded as he continued his work. Despite this being a clone of Metal Bat, the personality isn't anything like him!