Another loud bang she couldn't bear to listen to. Audrey strained again to lift her arms but they dangled useless at her sides. Her legs, which were curled sloppily beneath her, were in the same state, paralyzed by Warner's doing. How unkind it was that she would be immobile but able to watch his cruelty. Far from a saint, Audrey wasn't one to call others cruel, but what he had planned for the hero was far worse than the way Warner took delight in tossing the blue teen's body from one side of the room to the other. It sent a chill up her already cold-blooded spine. Perhaps part of that fear was the realization that sooner or later his attentions would be more exclusive to her. Would he put her back in that horrid cage like some kind of animal? Would he expect her to stand by his side and help him find whatever it was he was after?
If so, he was a fool. She'd never be loyal to him. He was clearly insane.
Another quick cackle left Warner as Freakazoid slid to the ground. The super teen was nearly a puddle on the floor, his skin purple and black from bruising, blood drizzling along his jaw. A shaking hand attempted to gather ground on the floor, the arm trembling to lift what was nearly dead weight. Warner allowed Freakazoid the time to begin to pick himself up before that cackle grew to a quick manic laugh.
'My, my, my,' he chided, 'you're looking tired old boy. Let me give you a hand.'
With little more than a flick of his wrist Freakazoid's body flew off the ground and was flung across the room. He hit the wall with a splat before slowly peeling off of it. His back hit the ground heavy like a fallen stone. Freakazoid's body looked like it was sinking into the floor. His head lolled limply to one side, lips parting for a wheezy cough that expelledblood and a tooth.
'If I wasn't in so much pain… this would be great for a straw joke of some kind,' he thought while trying to smile.
Even his smile seemed temporarily out of order.
There were footsteps, quiet at first but they drew nearer. Warner's dress shoes clacked against the tile floor. He stopped just above Freakazoid and with his arms behind his back bent over the fallen teen hero with a quaint victorious smirk. He waved his hand till it was facing palm upward, index finger extended. With a slight lift of the finger Freakazoid's chest lifted from the ground. Slowly, his body was peeled from the floor till just the tips of his fingers and toes grazed the bloodied tile.
His jaw fell open, letting out a quiet gurgle as Warner rotated his body so he could look at him. The teen struggled to keep his eyes open, though unconsciousness wasn't an option either way when Dexter was already in the mind. There would be no one to protect the body they shared if he went under... not that he was doing a great job at the moment. A translucent hand hovered over the boy's head.
'I will find your secrets,' his voice quietly echoed in his mind. 'A pity you won't survive long enough to learn what you truly are.'
"I'm… a hero" Freakazoid managed, though even talking caused his bruised ribs to scream out in pain.
'You think you're a hero, because that's what your human tells you, you should be,' Warner's fingers tensed as he probed Freakazoid's mind and brought to the surface a memory. Freakazoid hunched over a similar figure with blood on his knuckles. 'You're living code, a parasite, a virus… quite dangerous at that, just look at what you've done to Mr. Douglas. He's going to die… because of you.'
Freakazoid's eyes widened. Not Dexter. Dexter was the one who'd rescued him from that endless darkness. Dexter was the most important person on this planet of people. Dexter was… him? Life. Dexter meant he'd be alive, he'd be safe.
Was that selfish of him?
"To the table," Warner said with a gentlemanly smile, as if he were showing Freakazoid to his seat at the dinner table. "I simply cannot contain my excitement. Join us won't you, Audrey dear?"
A flick of his wrist and Audrey was pulled to her feet against her will. Her body moved according to his wishes, walking on its own but much like a puppet on strings and not the fluid sway of a human-snake hybrid. She didn't want this. Killing a man was one thing, but this, this was madness. Warner wanted to cut him open like a frog. It would be more humane to feed Freakazoid to her pet snake.
The room Warner had prepared was far too large. All of the equipment was set up in the center of the room, illuminated by flickering, dim lights. Freakazoid' s body floated ahead of them, listless like a ghost till Warner withdrew his telekinetic hold and he fell like a ton of led onto the table. The utensils on the tray beside the table rattled from the impact.
Freakazoid's arms and feet dangled limp over the edge, while his eyes remained aware and staring toward the ceiling. His pupils dilated as he heard the clacking of those shoes again. Warner didn't have to walk if he didn't want to. He was doing this shtick for theatrics. Freakazoid noted that these kinds of details would be priceless in a suspense movie.
If he lived to ever maybe have the patience to write one he'd incorporate this traumatic event somehow.
'I won't have to though because Dexter is going to save me. Dexter is going to save me. Dexter is going to save me. Dexter is going to save me,' Freakazoid repeated the happy thought like a mantra. He tried to let it fill his head in hopes it would spread to the rest of the mindscape and somehow, somewhere reach Dexter in there.
000
Dexter's shoulder hit the wall. He'd managed to escape the classroom and make it to the next hall over, but no matter how far he ran, he had the suspicion it didn't matter. Warner was inside his mind after all. Suddenly everything shook as if the entire world was breaking apart. It concerned Dexter, especially since that had to be the fourth tremor to shake the mindscape in the past thirty minutes. If it had even been thirty minutes, time didn't work the same here as it did out in the world.
Then there were his hands… they kept shaking. A sense of dread kept washing over him. Something was wrong. Freakazoid needed him.
How was he going to wake up though? He didn't have powers… or at least powers that worked. If only he had just adapted to them as seamlessly as Freakazoid had seemed to. Heroics were natural for the entity he shared his body with and at times such as this, it made Dexter envious. Now was hardly the time to count his shortcomings however as the clock was ticking and ticking much faster out of the mindscape. This was his mind. His mind! Why couldn't he just kick Warner out?
'Because I'm smarter than you Mr. Douglas,' he heard Warner chide from the depths of the halls. 'You're not a match for me dear boy, that is why it was so easy to cut you off. And well, soon you'll be cut open as well.'
"Why are you doing this? I wanted to help you."
Dexter's sneaker squeaked against the floor as he started to run. A locker flew open and the ridges from the vent hit him square on his face, sending him flying backwards. Warner laughed, amused by the boy who couldn't seem to help himself.
'Now, now,' Warner scolded as he stepped out of the locker. 'You've helped enough. Look at me. I'm better.' His translucent hand grabbed a fistful of the boy's hair and lifted him up. 'I was just like you, Mr. Douglas. The mat beneath everyone's feet. Then, like you, I was given a gift. Unlike you, I'm going to use it properly.'
The ground beneath them trembled.
'Those tremors? Every one is a step closer to your end. The Freakazoid is mine now and he's a far more complex puzzle than you, Mr. Douglas. You bore me and it's such a shame. Now go to sleep, I no longer wish to waste my time on an insignificant little nothing.'
Nothing.
Is that what he really was?
Would the world even note he ever existed should he disappear? Mom and dad would surely… though a fleeting horror of a thought whispered in his ear that they might just assume he's been up in his room for days. Duncan might be the first to realize he's gone when he barges in to pound on him. How sad was that? Duncan would be the first one to realize he was gone and might only miss him because there's no walking punching bag to tell him how hard he punches.
A seed of dread planted itself in the center of Dexter's chest and began to grow, feeding on fear and doubt. It wouldn't matter at all if he were to suddenly cease to exist. That was why Warner had so effortlessly called him nothing. That's what he was. Nothing. A single person that happened to exist, the good guy that got turned down for dates, the boy who found solace in a computer screen…
Freakazoid.
The glitch that had latched onto his psyche, found new life in the boy and the world he lived in. Freakazoid would miss Dexter. Freakazoid needed Dexter. Someone needed him. That meant he wasn't nothing right? He was something, to someone.
Warner lifted Dexter off the ground as if he were made of paper and held him at the throat against the lockers. His form was already flickering, beginning to fade away. The boy's arms dangled at his sides at first, but twitched as the realization sunk in. He was something. If he believed Warner, let himself fade away, then he would be nothing.
And there would be nothing to stand between Warner and Freakazoid, who was helpless at the moment by what Dexter gathered. Dexter was the only one who could jump in and save the super teen. Warner was breaking down the last wall of defense, the firewall.
Dexter is going to save me.
That voice. It was Freakazoid.Dexter is going to save me.
Dexter is going to save me.
Dexter is going to save me.
"… i'm coming," he managed to choke out.
His fist clenched and Dexter solidified.
A wave of blue energy fanned out, dissolving Warner. Dexter crumbled to the floor. He gasped and cradled his throat. It had felt so real. A light shone in the distance as the doors to the school opened. The light, Dexter assumed was his way out. Mentally exhausted, his projected form got to its feet and as able as it could, ran to the exit.
000
"Pesky brat," Warner hissed as he gathered his footing. "We'll just make sure you don't go anywhere."
He lifted his hand and the medical straps rose from the bed and secured around the teen's body. They pulled tight, till he gasped. Warner whistled an old English tune as he slipped on his special gloves and took the scalpel in hand. He'd finally know. He'd finally know.
And once he had his answer, he'd move on to the next one.
As Freakazoid felt the scalpel press against his chest he used what little strength he had left to try and squirm free. Most of his strength was gone at this point, his body battered after being tossed around like an old doll at a daycare. Warner pressed in but something pushed him back. He tried forcing the scalpel down and a blue light held him at bay. Suddenly his arm flew back and so did the scalpel. It spun through the air and hit the floor with a metallic twang. Warner turned to watch it fly over his shoulder with round sunken eyes.
Freakazoid smiled.
"… Hey there Dex…" He coughed weakly. "Glad you could be here... I may have accidentally gotten my booty chopped off and handed to me."
'I see that,' Dexter replied, sounding winded himself. It was more of a spiritual fatigue that blanketed Mr. Douglas' consciousness. The most likely cause was the poison in their blood. 'Let me just… look down.'
Freakazoid did as he was told. The view wasn't clear, especially with one of their eyes only being half open. Still, he could see the straps. They weren't getting out of those… unless.
'Let me out,' Dexter instructed.
"This is how we won last time. We should do something original."
Warner turned to the boys, his eyes piercing through them. There wasn't time to argue, he already knew what they were doing. Dexter was hasty, his anxiety reaching through to Freakazoid, making his hands tremble.
'Freakazoid! '
"Freak in-"
The flash from the lightning delayed Warner's advance as he covered his eyes. Dexter's thin frame left the restraints loose and he was able to get his aching arms free before Warner rebounded with a snarl. The scientist threw his hand out, pale, clawed and Dexter threw his arms up. Another psychic wave emanated from him and knocked Warner off his feet. Dexter concentrated with his hands out and the latches undid themselves. He shook his legs loose and swung them over the cot. As soon as his own weight was applied on his legs they turned to jelly beneath him and he collapsed onto the floor. Everything hurt so much more than it did in the mindscape. Meanwhile Warner gathered himself, used his telepathy to lift himself from the floor.
He flew towards Dexter, who still wasn't so sure how to control the waves. Dexter threw his arm up and shrieked a cracked, 'Freak out!' The lightning struck Warner, who let out a high pitched shriek and flew again to the floor. Freakazoid kept himself propped upward with his arms, breathing heavily.
"And…" he panted "stay down this time y… you weenie."
Audrey blinked. The weight on her own body was lifted.
She turned her palms downward and flexed her fingers. Extra precaution brought her attention to her toes, which flexed when she commanded. Full lips loosened into a serpentine smile. She stood and stretched her body like a cat in the sun. Oh, how good it was to move freely. Warner and Freakazoid lay motionless on the floor. Audrey sauntered over to them, using her foot to turn Freakazoid's head to face her.
"You really are just a kid underneath it all," she mused before kicking him over. "And I'll deal with you after~" She crouched and grabbed a fistful of Warner's coat. His body was practically wasting away, it was easy to pick him up. "Asss for you loverboy… you need to learn that when a girl sssaysss no, ssshe meansss no."
"See but, you were always flirting with him so…" Freakazoid commented as he hissed on the floor.
"Nobody asssked you," she hissed, her tongue flicking out angrily between a set of pointed fangs.
"Okay, okay," Freakazoid put his hands up in surrender, "I think my everything's broken anyway. I'll just lie here quietly, writhing in pain… and wait for my… turn. Least you could do is… is move me… I'm under a vent and there's a terrible draft."
"You can be ssso annoying." Audrey threw Warner to the ground and stomped over to Freakazoid. "I should jussst bite you again and end my misssery."
"… I thought you liked me though?"
"What gave you that idea?" She sneered as she grabbed a fistful of his mangled ebony locks.
"… wow you don't remember making out with me? I do. It was nice." He shrugged his shoulders and gave a bashful smile. "Though I'll keep it between us cause you're like… thirty… ish?"
"AHHH!" She screamed with frantic eyes as she began to shake him. "AHHH!"
"Oh! I made you mad… I… I… uh I'm not good with this- Dex!"
'You're on your own!'
"FREAK IN."ZAP!
Dexter fell to the floor with the unconscious body of Audrey, or Cobra Queen on top of him. He sighed and smacked his forehead.
"… aw dang it." Dexter hoisted the woman off of him the best he could do with his twiggy arms. "At least that trick always seems to work."
'Horribly insulting a woman's vanity?'
"No." Dexter responded, his voice high. "Let's really try not to do that… ever. Angry women are the scariest kind of women."
'Let's add that to my list of weaknesses.'
"I'm fine with that. It's a weakness we can share," Dexter grunted as he picked himself up. "We should call the police."
'Cool. I'll call Cosgrove… once we find a payphone. Hey, Dex do you have any change, this costume doesn't have pockets?'
"No I don't. Also… maybe… we should call someone else…" Dexter suggested sensitively. "We need people to pick these guys up who aren't going to take a three hour grilled cheese break as soon as they get here."
'It's half off at the deli on Washington street, we'd probably get hot dogs.'
"Point, match, Dexter."
…
A tray rattled on one of the smaller tables around the operating table. Dexter turned and watched as other utensils began to also shake. He half stepped back, eyes widening. The tray suddenly flew towards him, but was deflected when he brought a hand up to shield his face. A scalpel and a few other tools flew at him, two misdirected by the blue psychic energy while the scalpel grazed his arm. Dexter hissed and clutched the fresh wound. Although it was small it stung and heightened his senses. Warner's body lifted upright to reveal sunken eyes filled with fury.
"You and I are more alike than I originally suspected Mr. Douglas." A smile broke onto the scientist's thin and cracking lips. "Such a shame you really have to get your pet back on the table."
"He's not a pet, and I'm nothing like you," Dexter snapped back, a rare occurrence for the timid boy. "I-I'm a hero… just like Freakazoid."
Warner broke into hysterical laughter.
"You? No… the blue fellow is the hero. In fact without him you're really just teetering on the line of villainy yourself. Haven't you ever thought about using your powers to get back at those who mocked you, hurt you… rejected you? Of course you have dear boy, everyone has those thoughts. It is to be human to inherit the heart of darkness."
Warner lifted his hand and the side table flew toward Dexter. Still not quite sure how to control his abilities, Dexter managed to steer the table off course and to the floor, but barely. A swinging drawer nearly lopped him in the head on its way down.
Within him, Freakazoid was freaking out. The blue superhero recalled the chat he'd had with that darkness within Dexter. He'd chalked it off as a strange dream regardless of how real it had felt but deep down he knew there was more to it. That dark spot on the pure heart of Dexter Douglas was created out of his misery. It wasn't misplaced, the anger Dexter locked away deep inside was warranted, but… was Warner right then? Would that darkness show itself?
And what would happen to him?
"Well… of course I've thought about it…" Dexter admitted. "But what am I going to do about it? Be like you? You're insane." Dexter gestured to Warner, the act causing a scattered item to also lift off the floor. He brought a few more pieces of ammo into play and let them hover around him. "Instead me and Freakazoid are going to work hard to keep people safe. Right Freak?"
'Righty-o Dexter-roonie!' Freakazoid cheered as his faith in Dexter was fully restored. Of course Dexter was going to be good, he was the goodest thing that was ever good after all! 'Now how about you handle the baddie before the poison makes us both black out? I'll grab some popcorn and watch, it'll be fun~'
"The two of you realize that when I'm not actively reading your mind you are literally just yammering on to yourself, right?" Warner chided as he lifted the cot and threw it at Dexter. "You look quite insane."
'Look who's talking.'
When Dexter stopped it his feet slid back. Warner was far more adept at using his powers than he was. Still, the boy put his full effort into it. With his body already strained from exhaustion and the poison, he pushed forward and Warner's hold on the cot was lost. It clattered clumsily to the floor and Dexter lurched forward.
'Ew.'
"This is not good… we need to go to the hospital…"
'Right… we need to get you out of here…'
"I wouldn't get your hopes up on the hospital. I can, however arrange a trip to the morgue," Warner sneered as he flicked his wrist and the bed whipped upright, buckles flailing like snakes ready to coil around their prey. "I wonder where computer viruses go when they die Freakazoid? Will you simply cease to exist?"
"We need a plan…" Dexter gasped as he returned to the operating cot. "Freak-"
"Oh no, no, no dear boy," Warner scolded as tape covered the boy's mouth. "Oh. Splendid." Warner clapped as Dexter remained Dexter. "It is an audible trigger, how fortunate for me." A scalpel shook then flew to Warner's awaiting hand. "I will need Freakazoid out eventually yes, but let's make sure he won't cause me any trouble shall we?"
Audrey clamped her fangs together as the feeling returned to her extremities. Being electrocuted was never fun. The first thing she heard as she lifted herself from the floor was Warner's awful cackling. Golden eyes moved upward to find him hovering just a few feet in front of her, fully occupied with the super teen. Apparently, Freakazoid had some sort of telepathy as well, perhaps it was gathering more of Warner's focus to keep him down than he was realizing because she was able to get to her feet and walk toward him without a single object flying in her direction. She would end Warner, then teach the little brat a lesson about how to talk to a lady.
But she paused for a moment when she saw Dexter Douglas on the operating table. Pale, shaking… just a kid. So that was what lay beneath Freakazoid.
Pouting her lips she spun silently on her heel, bent at the waist and swung her body back up. The needle she so effortlessly scooped off the ground went seamlessly into Warner's side. The scientist went rigid before he threw his arm back and sent delicate Audrey flying.
"You are such… a…" his words quickly slurred, "… troublesome woman…"
Warner went down.
Dexter concentrated and was able to undo the restraints. He couldn't sit up, his body was numb from the poison. There was slight noises he could follow and as Audrey appeared over him Dexter realized she was moving around and he could barely wiggle his pinky. Not exactly a comforting thought.
"Ssso… you're Freakazoid."
He stared up at her, a deer in the headlights.
"… I'm Dexter."
Audrey chuckled.
"Dexxxter. You even sssound like a nerd."
"Um."
"Ssshh." She placed a finger on his lips. "You were right. You need to get to a doctor."
"I thought… you wanted to kill me?"
"What gave you that idea?" She grinned and tussled his hair.
"… you threw us in the water with your giant snake pet… that tried to kill us."
"Oh well… I wasss having a bad day," she shrugged it off and scooped the boy into her arms. He blushed and curled up, though his movement was limited. "Jussst like you're having a bad day, kid."
000
Dexter awoke with a gasp, beads of sweat rolling over his temple. The walls were white, a curtain dangled by his bed and he could smell the cleaning chemicals that seeped from every corner of the hospital room. His brown eyes darted from corner to corner. On one side of the bed sat a flower and a few cards, one from Roddy and one, surprisingly, from Steph. A goofy smile overcame his face when he saw that perfect curly cursive written in pink sparkly gel pen. About time he had a little luck with women considering Cobra Queen…
At that thought Dexter sat up.
Where was Audrey!? She'd taken him to the hospital after everything. Maybe she wasn't as crazy as he thought she was.
'Do we owe the crazy, sexy snake lady one?'
"No, she tried to kill us."
'Didn't we turn her into a sexy snake lady?'
Dexter groaned, too tired to go into the details.
"… Let's worry about that later… right now I'm not feeling so good."
'Right hugbee. You should lay back and relax.'
Dexter let himself sink into the pillow, though try as he might, his eyes wouldn't close. Recent events looped in his head, keeping his mind so full of thoughts it was too busy to drift off. He didn't know if he really wanted to fall asleep anyhow… especially if his dreams reflected his current troubles.
Thirty minutes later a nurse wandered in, a nice woman with aqua colored earrings and curly hair. She had a welcoming smile and informed Dexter that he had been poisoned by a snake. The tests results revealed that it had been some kind of snake venom. What kind of snake they couldn't quite declare, though Dexter had an idea it was a type of Cobra venom. He was lucky to be alive.
Well… he was lucky he had Freakazoid, else he would have been dead.
000
The doctors sent Dexter home sooner than they would most. He didn't really mind at all. His little room never felt so cozy and recovering from a life-threatening ordeal was never less stressful when he finally got the hang of telekinesis. A can of soda forgotten on a desk could be mentally lifted and brought clear across the room without him lifting a finger or losing his comfy spot on his bed.
Telekinesis certainly was worth the practice.
'I wish I could use Telekineesees,' Freakazoid whined.
"You could… if you practice," Dexter replied aloud as he turned a page in his comic book. "But you have to practice."
'But every time I practice I get hiiiit in the faaaaace.'
"Well…" Dexter smiled. "I guess I'm the only one who gets to do this then."
On queue Dexter's soda lifted off his nightstand and floated to him. The straw turned so he could take a drink before the fizzy beverage returned to the nightstand. Red and blue lights briefly illuminated the night outside as a cop car drove by the quiet street in hot pursuit. Dexter could feel Freakazoid getting antsy, like a racehorse at the sound of the starting gun.
"Not yet, Freak. Remember what Roddy said."
'Boooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo'
"Freak…"
'ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo'
Dexter sighed.
'oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo-'
"Okay. I'm just going to ignore you then."
Freak paused.
'Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo'
Dexter sighed, hunched over and began tapping the comic against his forehead.
"Freeeeeeeeeeak."
…
'Deeeeeeeeexteeeeer!
((Author's Notes))
I know, I know it's been... years. But I really liked this story and felt it needed an ending at the very least. So here it is! I might add an afterward, but other than that i'm not sure when or if i'll be writing anymore fanfiction. Perhaps if something really catches my eye.
Anyway, I really enjoyed this story and if anything there's possibility of another book. The best things come in three right?
Thank you for reading everyone