Oberon rode in the back of the company car as the driver took him through Greenwich to the university. He was late like always due to Rudgar wanting to explain more of the business administration. Not that Oberon liked the business portion of the company, honestly he just liked the money it gave him to fund his own experiments. He had several going right now and two at the university. One day he was going to have the company he knew as Rudgar had chosen him for his business mind. This thought left his blood son Von out of the corporate picture. He was the one being groomed for the take over of the company but a couple of years after Oberon's mom and Von's dad got together Rudgar took an interest in Oberon. Especially after playing the stock market and coming out with enough cash to pay his own schooling. 

This was his life now. Company cars, highrise buildings, lavish restaurants, and a new father who treated him as a game piece in his quest of immortality through his company. At least he still had his mom but more often than not she was busy with her projects at the company. Finally Von himself, a true blessing of a brother honestly. They were the same age and got along fairly well and whether Von knew it or not Oberon saw him as emotional support that only family could bring.

Lost in thought Oberon didn't hear the horn till it was too late and the car suddenly crashed. Hitting his head against the window and cracking it Oberon barely got a view of the university front steps and the people laying there. That's when he felt it, a burning in his lungs, blood dripping onto the leather seat below him. Finally he couldn't breath and blacked out. 


[Center][img]https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/816403176352907335/821806038579413042/345442242424frfwfe.png[/img][h3]Friday, September 5th | Greenwich Hospital | NYC / NY | 20XX[/h3][/Center]
[hr]

Waking only slightly at the sound of Rudgar's voice. He listened in on what was being said. He was talking to Von it seemed, but on the phone? Why? He was hurt and in the hospital? Oberon then realized that he was in the hospital as well. A private room? Rudgar...that bastard put him in a room to himself to protect the asset and from the conversation on the phone he was making sure Von could go back to school soon. Keeping him as a backup...figures. Oberon made a decision right then and as Rudgar walked over with the nurse Oberon pretended to go back to sleep but eventually sleep took him anyway. 

Waking what seemed like a day later Oberon checked his bedside and saw his phone. Picking it up as he saw no one in the room and Rudgar had likely went back to work he dialed Von and waited for an answer.

Still angry from his father's call, Von found himself almost outright ignoring the incoming call, but he decided to check who it was. His eyes widened in pleasant surprise, seeing his brother's name. Father hadn't mentioned him at all, maybe he was busy with work and hadn't gone to uni that day? Perhaps he had been safe, that'd be a blessing. Von admired Oberon but also found himself jealous of his brother's success. He seemed to just make everything look easy, and found profit where Von never could. No wonder he was the star of the two. Not that Von treated him poorly because of it, knowing his brother earned his position through tenacity and talent.

Answering the phone, he brought it up to his ear, putting a grin on his face. [color=silver]"Brother!"[/color] He answered enthusiastically, leaning back in his hospital bed. [color=silver]"I'm hoping you missed the party?"[/color]

"Hey man. No, sadly I didn't. I'm not sure what hospital I'm at honestly. Look there are things you and I need to discuss." He sighed and cleared his throat. "Rudgar was here. He came to see me and I heard the phone call he had with you and honestly I think it's bullshit." Switching ears on his phone and checking the room as a nurse walked by, he got a very serious tone. "I don't like the way he treats you or us for that matter. Von...I'm going to take over the company as soon as I can and I want you with me if you want to be. I've been thinking about this for a couple of years since Rudgar has been taking a super high interest in me taking over and treated us differently." Oberon stopped and coughed. A slimy substance coming up that felt cold but he ignored it and wiped his mouth giving Von time to talk.

[color=silver]"Hey, hey! Slow down, man."[/color] Von tried to reason, finding himself shooting into an upward sitting position in his bed. His father visited Oberon, but not Von himself? He’d feel pain in his heart if he wasn’t already used to it, but at this point he was instead rather sick of games. Between what Oberon was saying and the situation they were already in, Von felt a distinct lack of control in his life, and it almost made him want to be snappy. Instead he kept his composure as he spoke to his brother. [color=silver]"Look… I know how eager you are to take over the company, but you know how things are. This isn’t about overthrowing him, he wouldn’t let us do that."[/color] He calmly explained, eyes darting around the room as he thought about his own words. [color=silver]"He isn’t going to relinquish anything until he’s gone. And who knows how long that’s going to be?"[/color] Von leaned back in his bed, irritated about the company and the struggle that was involved. This was asking for nothing but trouble, but he knew he shouldn’t stress Oberon out, they were in the same situation right now after all.

[color=silver]"I’ll always support you, and part of that is calming you down. This game with Father is one of patience and endurance, not pure action. The long con is the key to success, as once he’s finally unable to continue his work, we’ll be home free."[/color]

Oberon nodded, "Yes but if he ever becomes incompetent in his work or if someone better comes along the board might rule him out." Coughing again his breath plumed in front of him. "What the…?" Oberon said as he slightly removed the phone from his ear. "Von I'll have to let you go and rest some more but just know I need you in this...to remind me I'm human and not some uncaring robot like Rudgar." With that he waited for his brother to say his farewell or anything else he had as he watched his breath plumed again.

[color=silver]”You’re not wrong, but now’s not the time to be worrying about it. I know you’re not like him, you’re compassionate like your mother.”[/color] Von voiced his concern and sort of cooed over his brother, not wanting him to stress while hospitalized. [color=silver]”All you need to do right now is focus on getting rest. We’re in this together, okay? You’ll always have me at your back to prove how much better of a person than my Father you are. Love you, brother. Take things easy.”[/color]

As Oberon started to shiver he smiled at his brother's words then suddenly felt warm again. "Thank you, love you too man. Hope we both get out of this soon. You rest up too and take it easy. Let me know if they aren’t treating you well. Bye." He then hung up the phone and opened his messages. Seemed his mom had been trying to check on him but she said Rudgar gave her an update. No doubt she had been on another project and couldn't get away. It wasn't that she didn't care. She just had a whole science division to run and she couldn't step away. He understood as she had always been this way even when she worked for OSCORP with his father. His father… it had been a long time since he had passed. "Dad I hope you are proud of me. I'm doing what I can and I'm taking care of mom even though she is engaged to this new guy. I've gained a brother but I bet you've seen that. He is a good man like you were. Sometimes…" Oberon sniffed and his throat contracted as he tried not to cry but a few tears made it out "...I feel like he is more your son than I am." As the tears fell from his cheek they crystallized into ice then dropped to the sheets going unnoticed by Oberon as he turned pulling the cover over his head going back to sleep.



Checking himself out of the hospital a day later he walked outside finding the heat to be unbearable almost. "Gods this heat…" he swore as he loosened his shirt and felt the coolness of his sweat. His sweat...was like jelly and then getting colder. His eyes grew wide as he watched and the little beads began to steam then freeze before hanging there. 

He moved through the throng of people, in his wake was a trail of steam ever so faint in the New York air. Finally he turned off into an alley staggering as he did. "I have to get to the campus lab. It should still be quarantined." He coughed and out came a glob of the stuff he coughed up yesterday. Not trusting himself around people he moved into an alleyway by the hospital. The heat made him uncomfortable so he stuck to the shadows and pulled his suit jacket over his face to avoid the sun when he had to move in it.

Taking most of the day he managed to get to campus and then to the labs. The doors were locked to the labs with caution tape up. Oberon swore and then checked his phone. Should he call Von? No...whatever was going on with him he didn't wanna hurt or infect Von. Touching the handle his palm slick with the goo and jiggled the handle. As he was about to give up the handle grew cold and with the cold Oberon felt a surge of strength. *CREEEEEK KLAANG* As Oberon had pressed down again the handle twisted farther and then broke off with little force. Whoa. How the hell? The door then creaked open as the other side of the handle fell away. Moving quietly, not that it mattered, Oberon went to the electron microscope, grabbed some slides and went to work keeping an ear out for guards or police. 

It was the next day and Oberon had yet to go to bed. He had found a tape recorder and started recording his findings. "Subject Zero, self examination. Whatever happened in the attack in the city had altered me. The gas, though I can find none to examine, seems to be a catalyst that either activated a gene already present or introduced one effectively rewriting genetic code. This…is at best fringe science, a step in gene splicing on an accidental level. Subject Zero displays increased strength, agility, durability, and as discovered healing. All of this while being cold and not in heat that is. Once heat to a degree of 80 or above is introduced, the subject weakens and a substance, translucent with a tint of blue is produced through pores. This substance after a few seconds begins to freeze. Subject seems to be resistant to the cold or rather it empowers the subject. Substance produced by the subject doesn't mix well with other chemicals. Will need to find an emulsifier. Potential for the substance in all fields of science and engineering is great." The tape recording ended and Oberon felt the night hit him. He was tired and soon he slumped in his chair passing out.