December 2018
Gary, Indiana
Tonight was supposed to be a fun time for 18 Year Old, Barbara Fayetteville. A party hosted by her boyfriend with the majority of the senior class invited and had the day off from work.
Unfortunately, she didn't expect her Official Unofficial Brother who rode his bike and broke into the party and beat up her boyfriend in front of the students.
What she expected was for Dodger to get his ass beat, which he did.
Now, they were in her sedan, silence filling the vehicle for what was an hour of driving.
They stop at a random fast food restaurant and stay in the car.
"Dodger Fayetteville...before I kill you, what the fucking hell were you thinking when you came to the party and start a fight with my boyfriend?!"
The Unofficial Brother didn't say a word. He turn on his phone, go to gallery and hand her the phone.
When Babs stare at the first picture, her anger slowly turn into sniffles and tears start to roll down her face. She yell at her brother who was only looking out for her.
The picture was her boyfriend, kissing a cheerleader.
"I'm sorry, Barbara. I was just trying to defend your honor. Nobody makes my sister cry."
Taking off her seat belt, she lean over and hug him. "I am so sorry, Dodger. I-I-"
"You didn't know and I hope I didn't embarrassed you. To make it up to you..."
Digging into his pockets, Dodger pulled out two tickets. "I don't think him and his new girl are going to see the Silversun Pickups in his condition. I don't think he minds me stealing them."
Babs gave him a smile as she restart the car and drove her brother and herself to the concert.
For what became one of the worse days of her life, it was starting to get better
Present Day
Barbara was worried about her Unofficial Brother. Haven't said a word since his birthday only to see him days before Christmas and he suddenly have strange powers.
She just hope he was okay in stopping the people who are involved in turning innocent people into slime.
"Dear attendees of this vehicle" a voice spoke on the intercom.
"I am Dr. Nitrous Brio and I am the one responsible of this "virus" that I spread around. It's so nice to see you scared knowing I hold your life in the palm of my hands. Some of you are chosen to serve a greater purpose. To help me rule the world.
"Tomorrow will mark a new day in history where I become the ruler. Until then, sweet dreams."
With a creepy laugh at the end before turning off the intercom, Babs felt a chill go down on her spine and a uncomfortable churning in her stomach.
'Dodger, where are you?'
Somewhere in Montana
It was morning in the Northwest of America. Laying in the cold snow was Dodger with Gabrielle on top of his body, shaking him.
"Dodger, wake up! This isn't a good time to sleep."
Looking at his body, there were 3 red spots on his yellow shirt. One on his right shoulder. Another at the left center of his chest and a large spot on his stomach.
Gabrielle felt helpless as she didn't know where she was or could ask for help as Dodger was the only person that can see her.
"Dodger, please..."
Alaska
On the Techno Train, the passengers woke up to the vehicle braking to a stop.
"Attention passengers, we have arrive at Alaskan Train Station. We are taking the sick passengers first, follow by the other passengers at this stop. If you're going to our stop in Detroit, please stay on board."
As told, staff members help the contaminated passengers and took them to a large yellow tent. Barbara and Dr. Tropy watch on seeing the people stand in line in the snow.
"How did he do it?"
Babs raised an eyebrow, looking at the Doctor. "What?"
"How did he contaminate this many people? If it was airborne, everybody would be ill. Maybe it's bacteria that can be passed by touch. But I doubt it. Just how?"
The sound of a growling interrupt the two. Babs held her stomach. "I haven't ate since lunch. I don't even feel hungry after all of this. I just want to find my brother."
"That's it!" Tropy said, discovering what could be the cause of the infection.
His thoughts were interrupted by the Scientist clones pushing in people inside their cart. There was a few Babs recognized immediately.
"Ned? Simon? What happened?"
"We don't know. These guys grab us and brought us here. All we were trying to do is find our frie-"
Simon spoke up before Ned could finish. "Coconut Head!"
The group of people turn to see their friend in bad shape. But seeing the slime practically all over his body except his head, they stop at their tracks.
"Shouldn't you be with the contaminated?" Asked Ned.
"No" said a voice on the intercom. It was Dr. Brio. "He is chosen for a better purpose thanks to me. I want you to take a look at the window.
The citizens gather themselves to the window except for Coconut Head. The people in line for quarantine held themselves as their body were covered with different color slime.
"These are people who have a fail dose of my concoction. They will not amount to anything. Therefore..."
Screams echos in the cold Alaskan sky, causing people to watch and be concerned. The people inside the train cart watch, not knowing what Brio was planning doing to them.
The infected people scream until...they explode.
The snow was covered in colored slime where people once stood there. Silence filled the train. It was Barbara who finally spoke, crying uncontrollable.
"How could you?! Those people have families and you just kill them like that!"
"They were nothing but wasted potential. I did them a favor and ended before they could end their live themselves" said Brio.
"You don't know what people are going through and maybe trying to get it together. But you just murder them before they could" Ned added.
"Be glad you're alive as you all have great potential to be the Generals of my unstoppable army. Like it or not."
"You're a monster!" Barbara growled.
A laugh taunt her. "At least you'll become something more than your dead brother."
The world around her went silent and the only sound was the tearing of her heart. Barbara wanted to yell out that Brio was lying. But he wasn't seen since last night.
"Dodger...no. It can't be true. Dodger!"
Unfortunately, the only ones that hear her cry was the people around her. He wasn't just her brother.
Dodger was her hero.
--
It was like his name echo across the United States.
It was what was needed. The cold heart was electrified. This was no time to be dead. It's time to save the day. It's time to save Christmas.
It's time to save his sister.
The heart beat once more. The blood flow through it and through the veins. The organs were back on and the wounds were healing rapidly.
"DODGER, WAKE UP!"
Dodger gasp as he sat up from the ground, trying to inhale as much air as he can. He looked around, seeing snow and Gabrielle. His mind was trying to process what was going on and why was he here.
The fight last night against the human who use to be the demon from Cloud 9. All was good till...
Looking at his torso, he saw the spots of blood on his shirt. "I was shot. I died."
"Died?"
Looking up, he saw the Ice Fairy with a look of panic. "I-I-I didn't know. I thought you were asleep."
"I'm gonna assume you haven't seen blood before. Anyway, I'm alive and I got a train to catch."
"But how? That train is long gone by now. You've been here at night."
Dodger walk over to the train tracks. He bent down in running formation, touching the rails. The electricity from the metal flow through his body to his legs. He continue to sit there till he was ready to go.
Dodger ran like a bullet firing out its gun, making his way out of Montana and to the train. He have people to save and evil to beat the hell out of for killing him.
Not even a minute, Dodger arrive at the Alaskan Train Station. He looked around and the snow covered in different colors. He touch a small bit of blue.
It was slime.
"Felix?"
Looking up, he saw the Servers that weren't on the train back. Tawna ran over to him and wrap her arms around him.
"Where were you? We thought you were dead."
"Well...what happened here?" He asked coldly.
Tawna went to talk as the other girls didn't want to, trying to stop crying.
"The slime were the people who were sick. This Dr. Brio...he...he...he killed them."
Both hands turn to fist. The fire of anger burn within Dodger. He couldn't stop Brio from killing people. He failed.
"Mr. Felix, your sister is on the train still" said Megumi. "He took a group of people into the room with the doctor and plans on do something terrible. If this was by him, who knows what he has pla-"
She stop when Dodger blast off with speed to follow the track. There was no time to waste. He has to save his sister. He can't fail again.
He ran on the tracks, going through Washington, Oregon and Idaho. The tail end of the train was coming into view.
Dodger used all his energy to leap in the air and fly through the glass window, breaking through and rolling in the room.
He stay on the floor to catch his breath. Getting up, he saw the lightning bolt symbol was faded on his skin. "Thank you. Get some rest now. I got a doctor who's ass needs to be kicked.
--
The group in the cart sat in silence while Brio's hench clones stare at them.
"What do we do? Sit here and wait for our end" a blonde woman ask the group.
"Missy, look what's around us. We escape and proceed to the next room. There's more of them on this train. We'll be fighting an unwinnable battle" said Simon.
Barbara stayed silent, barely listening to the conversation. She just sat with her eyes on the ground.
"Given up on hope, my dear."
The room went silent again when a skinny, old, long bald head man with a pair of bolts on the sides of it wearing a green lab coat with a belt with different color liquids on it. He held two beakers in both hands.
"Hope is expecting a hero to show themselves and save you. Yet, here you all are, disappointed.
"You're all can be different, serving a purpose of great strength, intelligence, and bravery. I can give you that. Willingly or forcefully."
Ned got up from his seat, right in front of a henchman. "Hey guys. I think I got one more tip for y'all."
Without looking, he hit the clone with a mean right hook, knocking him down. "Fuck it. You got to fight for your life."
The clones went to fight the Disclassified Tip Maker, but Simon and Missy help out by grabbing the clones and beat them on the floor. They stood by their friend, ready to fight.
"You want us. Come get us because I'm not turning into slime for Christmas."
"I don't think you get it, Ned."
Everyone turn to see Coconut Head standing up, his body back to normal and a smile on his face. "I mean look at me. I'm nothing but a nickname of a bad hair cut to y'all.
"Now, I'm stronger, better than ever and it's all thanks to Dr. Brio. I thought I could help you all. Maybe if I show the potential, you'll change your mind."
"Coconut Head, what are you saying?" Ned asked, shaken a little.
"Ned, Ned, Ned. Let me ask you this; What's my real name?"
The former classmate was struggling to think of the name. Coconut Head and Brio only shook their head at the pathetic display.
"I told you, Brio. Humanity at it's best" said Coconut Head. "Let's me show you the new me."
The slime return, covering all over his body, rising above everyone. In his place when the slime disappeared was a an orange, muscular creature with sharp fangs and pointed claws.
"I'm Taz. Taz Tiger! Now, do you want to fight me, Ned?"
"Him, no. But I do."
Behind the large beast was Dodger who you may say he was angry.
But that was just an understatement.
