mattmanganon
Eddie Brock
Captain Uni
Lord Wraith
Cyberlad
Candy Cane Elf
Love Dove
Oso
Azure Bubbles
Agunimon
“We're surrounded by enemies, don't know what they are, don't know where they're coming from, and we don't know how many there are.”
The cowboy had a firm grasp on the situation. Six couldn’t help but share the strategic analysis as the man named Hex spo...
“We got them right where we want them.”
The boy’s head spun around as if on a swivel. A look of confusion twisted the child’s features that were visible beneath the hooded cowl and domino mask. Was the cowboy making a joke?
The Nomad spoke up, asking the boy, “I'm assuming by predator you don't just mean a lion or, I don't know, a big crocodile.”
The boy’s black and red cape fluttered around the youth’s ambiguous form, as he began floating in the air along the path they had chosen. “Both would be apt comparisons,” the child remarked cryptically, as the group arrived at a dead end.
There were shadows. Six could always...
“Allow me,” M’Gann’s voice announced, as the woman pulled the hovering child back a pace, before she ghosted through the barrier.
Picking back up on the question that Steve had asked, the boy explained, “What I feel is a killer, but... there’s no malice. No envy. None of the usual sins that I’d associate with murder.”
Barry decided to take a jog as they talked, though no sooner had the Flash departed than the door came off the hinges as M’Gann tossed it aside. “Apologies for the delay. It appears I did not have the proper credentials.”
The boy murmured his approval, still hovering in the air as he floated inside of Harper’s office. The Martian had handled that quite efficiently. In fact, it sparked a thought. Her ability, as well as his own, meant that they could potentially split up to cover more area...
It seemed M’Gann was already of that same thought. “I am going to scout ahead. It will be quicker for me to move alone.”
With that, the Martian was off, leaving the boy to contemplate doing likewise. Barry would have a good catalogue of the hallways and pathways, but M’Gann and Six could venture between floors or...
“Computer.”
Steve’s voice broke the silence, commanding respect as he... thought he was using some kind of voice recognition operating system? “Access camera feeds.”
On second thought, maybe leaving the office to the cowboy and Nomad wasn’t the most efficient use of teamwork. Floating down to the ground, the cape seemed to dissolve into the child’s small frame as it became visible, a black suit with white lines reminiscent of the chains that seemed to bind him. It might have been remarkable to realize just how small he was.
Coming around the desk, the boy examined the computer there. A screensaver was active, but the desktop immediately appeared when Six moved the mouse. No password protection thus far. “If there was a voice assistant, it’d probably answer to ‘Siri’ or ‘Alexa, play Despacito,’” the boy commented, reaching forward to explore the keyboard and clicking around on the desktop.
“The clock is set for the U.S. Eastern Time Zone,” Six commented aloud, before adding, “Current year is Twenty Twenty-Two.”
On the desktop was a folder labeled FIELD REPORTS. The contents contained monotonous notations on daily activities. “This facility is known as Cadmus Labs,” Six noted aloud as he browsed through the available data. “This report was authored nine days ago and it makes reference to a sentient weapons observation and response department...”
There were a lot of sub-folders within the directory. Sorting by recency, EVENT T-212-73 and EVENT S-89-17 were the newest entries. Both were password protected, but the file properties were visible. The two folders were created one week apart, six and five weeks before the current date.
And there was another folder in the main directory that caught his attention. THE DNA PROJECT. That was created six years ago, and wasn’t password protected. There were no loose files, only more sub-folders – with password protection on them. KR SUBJECT 01, KR SUBJECT 02, GENOMORPH, G-GOBLIN...
“Good God...”
Steve’s voice pulled the boy away from the computer. Floating up over Nomad’s shoulder, the boy stoically peered at the images of the bloodbath on the screen.
So what’s what he’d sensed.
Honestly, the vibes in that cafeteria would probably have been a good place to recharge. There was sure to be some restless souls or spirits of vengeance he could tap for some necroplasm.
However, now wasn’t the time to think about that. Instead, it had exposed an oversight and a vulnerability. They’d divided the team, but hadn’t established a means of communication. “-tt-” the boy uttered, disgusted with himself. “I should have thought to have the Martian link us telepathically before she ghosted out.”
It was a rookie mistake.
Closing his eyes for a moment, the boy applied his own, twisted form of empathy. The same miasma of killer instinct met him, except this time he pushed beyond the first impression. M’Gann and Barry were both out there. Whether they’d stumbled across the same information or whether someone had stumbled across them, someone had to feel some negative emotions.
Right?
“I’ve found Barry,” the Hellspawn announced. As he opened his eyes, green hellfire flickered from out of the eye holes on the domino mask. His voice was deeper, almost demonic as his cape seemed to furl outward, as though melding with the dark corners of the room. As the boy stretched out his hands, green flames seemed to flow along his hands and arms.
The Flash was uncertain. Afraid.
“I can teleport us to him,” Six uttered flatly, in the same altered tones.
Grudgingly, the Nomad and the cowboy seemed to exchange a glance. And then it was done. The lights flickered overhead. As the shadows consumed them, the three were swallowed by the cape that flowed from out of the boy’s body. And then they had vanished.
From across the facility, Barry might have noticed the shadows along the wall seeming to swell. The lights flickered, as the shadows detached themselves and took human form.
Then the inky darkness receded, revealing the black and red cape as the child appeared in eldritch hellfire. The smell of sulfur and brimstone seemed to linger in the air, as the hellspawn reappeared in front of the Flash.
. The cowboy had a firm grasp on the situation. Six couldn’t help but share the strategic analysis as the man named Hex spo...
“We got them right where we want them.”
The boy’s head spun around as if on a swivel. A look of confusion twisted the child’s features that were visible beneath the hooded cowl and domino mask. Was the cowboy making a joke?
The Nomad spoke up, asking the boy, “I'm assuming by predator you don't just mean a lion or, I don't know, a big crocodile.”
The boy’s black and red cape fluttered around the youth’s ambiguous form, as he began floating in the air along the path they had chosen. “Both would be apt comparisons,” the child remarked cryptically, as the group arrived at a dead end.
There were shadows. Six could always...
“Allow me,” M’Gann’s voice announced, as the woman pulled the hovering child back a pace, before she ghosted through the barrier.
Picking back up on the question that Steve had asked, the boy explained, “What I feel is a killer, but... there’s no malice. No envy. None of the usual sins that I’d associate with murder.”
Barry decided to take a jog as they talked, though no sooner had the Flash departed than the door came off the hinges as M’Gann tossed it aside. “Apologies for the delay. It appears I did not have the proper credentials.”
The boy murmured his approval, still hovering in the air as he floated inside of Harper’s office. The Martian had handled that quite efficiently. In fact, it sparked a thought. Her ability, as well as his own, meant that they could potentially split up to cover more area...
It seemed M’Gann was already of that same thought. “I am going to scout ahead. It will be quicker for me to move alone.”
With that, the Martian was off, leaving the boy to contemplate doing likewise. Barry would have a good catalogue of the hallways and pathways, but M’Gann and Six could venture between floors or...
“Computer.”
Steve’s voice broke the silence, commanding respect as he... thought he was using some kind of voice recognition operating system? “Access camera feeds.”
On second thought, maybe leaving the office to the cowboy and Nomad wasn’t the most efficient use of teamwork. Floating down to the ground, the cape seemed to dissolve into the child’s small frame as it became visible, a black suit with white lines reminiscent of the chains that seemed to bind him. It might have been remarkable to realize just how small he was.
Coming around the desk, the boy examined the computer there. A screensaver was active, but the desktop immediately appeared when Six moved the mouse. No password protection thus far. “If there was a voice assistant, it’d probably answer to ‘Siri’ or ‘Alexa, play Despacito,’” the boy commented, reaching forward to explore the keyboard and clicking around on the desktop.
“The clock is set for the U.S. Eastern Time Zone,” Six commented aloud, before adding, “Current year is Twenty Twenty-Two.”
On the desktop was a folder labeled FIELD REPORTS. The contents contained monotonous notations on daily activities. “This facility is known as Cadmus Labs,” Six noted aloud as he browsed through the available data. “This report was authored nine days ago and it makes reference to a sentient weapons observation and response department...”
There were a lot of sub-folders within the directory. Sorting by recency, EVENT T-212-73 and EVENT S-89-17 were the newest entries. Both were password protected, but the file properties were visible. The two folders were created one week apart, six and five weeks before the current date.
And there was another folder in the main directory that caught his attention. THE DNA PROJECT. That was created six years ago, and wasn’t password protected. There were no loose files, only more sub-folders – with password protection on them. KR SUBJECT 01, KR SUBJECT 02, GENOMORPH, G-GOBLIN...
“Good God...”
Steve’s voice pulled the boy away from the computer. Floating up over Nomad’s shoulder, the boy stoically peered at the images of the bloodbath on the screen.
So what’s what he’d sensed.
Honestly, the vibes in that cafeteria would probably have been a good place to recharge. There was sure to be some restless souls or spirits of vengeance he could tap for some necroplasm.
However, now wasn’t the time to think about that. Instead, it had exposed an oversight and a vulnerability. They’d divided the team, but hadn’t established a means of communication. “-tt-” the boy uttered, disgusted with himself. “I should have thought to have the Martian link us telepathically before she ghosted out.”
It was a rookie mistake.
Closing his eyes for a moment, the boy applied his own, twisted form of empathy. The same miasma of killer instinct met him, except this time he pushed beyond the first impression. M’Gann and Barry were both out there. Whether they’d stumbled across the same information or whether someone had stumbled across them, someone had to feel some negative emotions.
Right?
“I’ve found Barry,” the Hellspawn announced. As he opened his eyes, green hellfire flickered from out of the eye holes on the domino mask. His voice was deeper, almost demonic as his cape seemed to furl outward, as though melding with the dark corners of the room. As the boy stretched out his hands, green flames seemed to flow along his hands and arms.
The Flash was uncertain. Afraid.
“I can teleport us to him,” Six uttered flatly, in the same altered tones.
Grudgingly, the Nomad and the cowboy seemed to exchange a glance. And then it was done. The lights flickered overhead. As the shadows consumed them, the three were swallowed by the cape that flowed from out of the boy’s body. And then they had vanished.
From across the facility, Barry might have noticed the shadows along the wall seeming to swell. The lights flickered, as the shadows detached themselves and took human form.
Then the inky darkness receded, revealing the black and red cape as the child appeared in eldritch hellfire. The smell of sulfur and brimstone seemed to linger in the air, as the hellspawn reappeared in front of the Flash.
