"Aah!"
A Hellion Gunner's mask fell to the floor near his dead and bleeding comrades. He was held against a brick wall by a gloved hand as John brought their faces together instantly, his piercing blue eyes seeming to stab into the thug's terrified green.
"...Where is your leader, punk?" he muttered, his intent obvious as a spine ejected from his right arm. The thug started darting his eyes left and right, looking for some kind of way out.
A stab into his left arm stopped that. He glanced over, and saw his entire arm stuck to the wall due to a spike. It was even disconnected from the guy that was attacking him.
"Try again, you have four more chances." Experiment muttered, his spine going over the left leg.
"W... Warehouse thirteen... Just down the streeaaAAAGH!!"
Left leg; impaled.
"No warehouse thirteen in this district. Three more chances."
"No... Thirteen in GalaAAAGH!"
Right arm; impaled.
"Stop hiding your boss, idiot! Just tell me!"
"...[censored]."
Right leg; Impaled.
"One last chance, kid. If you don't tell me..."
"O- Okay! I... Aagh.... I heard the boss was in that rundown old house in the Hollows... The one that Frostfire used to own? Scorch took it over... Said it would do, and melted the ice slides... Loved those ice slides."
Experiment nodded, satisfied with the answer. "Good boy. Thanks."
He dropped the kid on his feet, although he still promptly fell to the floor (As much as you can when impaled to the wall), and walked away. The thug 'stood', sighing in relief. When he was sure the guy had gone, he flipped off the alley he had walked into with the small movement he still had in his right hand.
His head was quickly impaled to the wall like his limbs.
-------------------------------------
Scorch dashed through puddles of blood, setting every one alight as he ran. Sweat was dripping from his forehead, and not from the intense heat in the room.
The building had been attacked by some mad guy, he had killed everyone! Legs, arms, heads, hands, feet, all seperate and all over the ground. It didn't matter who it was, he even killed the hostage!
A flame-covered spine slammed into Scorch, sending him flying back into a wall. He gasped in pain, pulling the spike from his stomach, only to be pushed against the wall by a rough hand.
"Why did you do it, huh? Why the HELL did you kill her!? WHY THE [censored] DID YOU [censored] HER?!" the man yelled, slamming his free fist into the villain's stomach over and over.
Scorch simply chuckled. "...Heh... What 'her' you talkin' 'bout? I do dat to a lot o' gir-"
A fist collided with his face, sending him reeling into one of his own fires. He began screaming in pain, his clothes and skin burning severely. His yells echoed through the dead building as a hand gripped him again, thrusting him onto a wall again.
"...You deserve only the worst." John spat, slamming spines into both the thug's hands. He screamed, but a punch sent his mind reeling. Then, sharp pains began working their way up his arms. It was like the spines were moving... He opened his eyes to see the retired hero firing rapidly, the sharp bones impaling themselves into his arms. The amount of blood rushing was sickening. Scorch fell into unconsciousness.
When he awoke. He could not feel anything. He opened his eyes to a lab, and saw a young man overlooking him. The stony look on his face signified that this was someone his latest victim had affected.
"...John... He's awake."
Oh crap.
Another punch. How strong WAS this guy?
"You know what, Scorch? I am gonna cut you a deal." Experiment muttered, staring right into his scared, red eyes, "You bring Jenny back, and I won't kill you."
"...I... I can't do dat, bo--"
"Too bad."
John's arm disappeared from view, and a sharp impalement in Scorch's stomach made it seem he had stabbed him again. However, he was able to look down. John's whole hand was inside the thug's stomach. Scorch's dead was swift, yet agonizingly painful. However, his body's end was not so swift.
Experiment ripped him from the table and flung him backward, into a pillar. He dashed over, stabbing into Scorch and impaling him on a wall before he hit the ground. He then pulled his arm back, covered it in shadow, and began rapidly assaulting his body. Each fist broke into his body, breaking several bones and destroying internal organs...
Let's skip the truly gory details.
Experiment pulled his arms back, which were coated in blood covered spines. No body was to be seen, but the whole room was pretty much coated in blood. The hero had finished by grinding Scorch's torso to sludge. Don't even ask what happened to his other limbs.
Experiment panted, his eyes watering heavily and his eyes twitching quickly.
Kevin simply looked on at the scene. He turned the television onto a recording.
"...And in latest news, a new development in the Jenny Ballard story. It is now known that the imprint on her face from a previous punch, which led to several broken bones, had the same imprint as her ring." Experiment turned to the screen. "However, her ring is still known to be intact in her hands. It can only be assumed that a fist with an identical ring could have hit her. More at ten."
John's eyes filled with sadness. This left only one suspect...
He turned to Kevin. The young man held up his hand. The engagement rings the two wore...
...Were exactly the same.
A sudden blast of energy sent Experiment into a nearby blood-covered wall, smashing it down. Kevin simply grinned, walking slowly toward his former mentor.
Kevin grinned to see the black trench coat clearly through the wall's dust and debris. It was clear it was slouched over, along with its owner. Kevin aimed his right hand, glowing with blue energy. "Goodbye, Ballard."
The blast released, sending the trenchcoat and the rocks it was laying on into oblivion. A fist connected with Kevin's face, sending him into the main base once again.
He sat up on his elbows, trying to see straight. When his eyesight returned, he was face to face with his old mentor.
"...Why did you do it, Kevin?" Experiment asked, bringing him closer. "Why did you kill my sister? Your FIANCE!?"
Kevin simply shrugged in return. "I'unno. She was boring me. Her annoying voice, annoying personality, annoying... Well, actually, that was all kind of false. I didn't mind her so much. I just hated you, so I decided to get payback. Is it really that big of a deal?"
John looked at Liquid-Burst with incredibly confused eyes. "...For what?"
"Being a jackass."
"...You killed my sister because I was a jackass... When?"
"Ever since I met you, 2.0. You have never helped me. To you, I have always been 'that kid that likes Jenny.' Hell, you probably don't even know my last name!"
Kevin was quickly swung into a table of chemicals, smashing the vials and beakers as he finally hit the wall. He jumped up, and fired a burst of energy. Experiment tried flying... And realized he had no jets. Hell, he had no ARMOUR.
Which he regretted instantly as he was sent careening into his computer terminal. It sparked and hissed, flames catching as the sparks hit the chemicals. Kevin eyed them, and smiled. He turned back to John, who was sort of busy... Laying face down.
"Hehehe... Isn't it sad, John? I managed to beat the almighty Experiment 2.0, and destroy your lab all at once. Hell, if I were to knock over that canister of flammable chemicals..." He fired a blast of energy, smashing the container and spilling it over the ground. The fire hit it quickly, sending it up in flames. It was only a matter of time, now. "...I would destroy the Paragon City Times. You know the best thing? I could say you caused it, and I tried to stop you. You know why? I am a hero of Paragon City. You, on the other hand, are now just some retired citizen with dangerous chemicals and a serious loss. Well, seeya, 'hero!"
"Not so fast."
Kevin raised an eyebrow, and turned. Right into a brick smashing into his stomach. He landed, or rather skidded, onto the closet holding three suits. He groaned, looking up.
Jason Ballard stood in the doorway to the base, his hands coated in a gravitational push, giving him not only strengthened attacks, but the ability to control the enviroment. Kevin scowled.
"Oh goody, J and J... Used to mean something else, you know."
"I realize this," Jason replied, aiming a hand at Kevin. His eyes were cold, almost violent. "But you stopped that. Therefore, you die now."
As if on cue, a blast of gravitational force pummeled into Kevin. He was stopped, however, by a red armoured hand. John had gotten into the closet.
"...You are going to regret what you've done, Kevin Stenton." he spoke coldly, and flung the 'hero' into the ground as fast as he could. A quick blast of energy sending him cartwheeling told him that it wasn't fast enough. Kevin stood, activating his own, advanced armour.
"Well then, Ballards... Shall we take this outside?"
He jetted out of the upward tube, and a smashing informed the brothers that Kevin had exited to the 100th floor.
It took about two hours, but eventually, after much battle, Kevin was gasping for air, every panel of his armour dented, pierced, or destroyed.
He lay on the street, the flames that ignited the Paragon City Times illuminating him, Experiment 2.0, and Gravitoritron.
"Heh... You haven't won, fool... All you did was fall for the deception... The President of the United States and the Prime Minister of England are meeting the Governer of Rhode Island and the Mayor of Paragon City at Paragon City Hall today... And they won't live to finish their little discussion..." Kevin hissed, blood trailing down his mouth more and more with each word.
Jason raised his eyebrow as he frowned, while Experiment pulled his former friend up to his face. "Who the hell would even be able to do that, Kevin?! This whole city is protected by heroes; Hell, I can't even get into City Hall today, and I AM a hero!"
"Exactly, 'hero,' nobody will get in... So there will not be any collateral damage to cause Shimmer any guilt."
Jason's eyes widened, while a spine ripped into Kevin Stenton's stomach, ending his life. Blood poured from the hole as John pulled his arm back. The traitorous man fell to the floor, blood pooling around his body.
------------------------------------
"How would he even be able to do it?" Experiment repeated to himself, pacing along the street. The body of Liquid-Burst, or rather, the feet of the body of Liquid-Burst, could be seen hanging out of a large dumpster. "It's impossible..."
"Not for Shimmer." Jason chimed in, dusting off his purple trench coat and straightening out his black mask, "He can do pretty much anything if he wants to."
Having worked for Shimmer, albeit briefly, Jason was advising Experiment on what he could do, or what Shimmer could be doing. However, it didn't help much. Although he had worked for him, Jason didn't know his face, nor how his mind worked.
However, a news report interrupting the current program brought their attention to the television that seemed to be plugged into a random plug socket on a building exterior. "Breaking news; A large craft has been seen floating over Atlas Park, and nearing the center of the district. It is thought that it will attack the blimp, aiming to destroy the surveillance of a crime-scene recorded earlier today. Sources say--"
"...Or to destroy City Hall." Experiment muttered, holding a brand new remote. The oddest thing about the situation was not that the T.V. was on the street, but that it was brand new, no dirt, no dust, as well as a working, fully-powered remote. However, the T.V. switched on again.
"Also of note is that, aboard the ship, there stands a man dressed in scientist's clothing, and a woman in distress. This woman has a similar appearance to that of Jenny Ballard, the girl found dead earlier today in Steel Canyon." The television now switched itself off, and Experiment's eyes widened.
"...He has Jenny?"
------------------------------------
"John! Stop! You'll get yourself killed!" Jason shouted after his brother, who was about ready to take off toward the ship. A spine hit his arm, and he pulled it out quickly. The wound healed, but he quickly fell, snoring.
Experiment's jets activated, sending him up to the craft. Lasers fired at him from all angles, but they missed him by inches at all times. It seemed he was VERY lucky.
He flipped over the edge, slashing wildly at the guarding 'bots. Quite a few green and blue robots landed, dashing at Experiment with skimming jets speeding them up. They slashed at him with bladed arms, only to be decapitated as he leaped over them.
However, two huge robots then landed, one holding a gigantic missile pack, the other's arms composed of energy-cannons. They fired their respective artillery at the hero, only to have him perform his acrobatic maneuvers. The missiles pulled around, heading straight for the other Assault Bot, while the other Assault Bot fired at Experiment, missed, and hit the Missile Bot.
Both robots dropped, crashing to the ground with an explosion. Experiment stood from his landing, crouched position. He growled at the two forms overlooking City Hall over the edge of the craft.
However, a ball of red energy struck him from the taller form, sending him into a group of crates. The tall form threw the female form to the ground, tied and gagged.
Dr. Shimmer grinned at Experiment as he brought a black and red mace upward for a finishing blow. However, as he brought it down, an upward-aimed spine threw it from his hand. Experiment's right foot slammed into Shimmer's metal-plated chest, sending him into a wall. Another spine fired, hitting the energy-jewel on the head of the mace. It exploded in a blast of energy, and 2.0 stood.
"...You made me believe my sister was dead. You had a spy in my base for as long as I can remember, and now you want to kill the Prime Minister and the President? Who were you going to blame it on? Me?" Experiment growled, picking Shimmer up by the neck.
Shimmer simply grinned, and spoke clearly. "That was not the plan, Experiment. You think too much of yourself. For you see, I control almost half of the heroes in Atlas Park. They are about to transfer their power to my doomsday device, and help me destroy City Hall. Then, the hero population will be condemned, damned, and never forgiven. You will be destroyed one by one!"
With that, Shimmer spun his legs forward, slamming into Experiment's chest this time. He hit the railing, sending it clattering off the ship. Experiment began sliding down, only stabbing his spine in at the last second to save him. He gasped in pain, looking up.
Jenny was thrown from the ship, the tape ripped from her mouth. Her piercing scream almost deafened Experiment. He reached out his left hand, a spine ejecting and barely missed Jenny by inches. The ropes were cut, and she managed to throw out her arms. Wings of pure darkness shot out, allowing her to safely glide. However, she could no longer get back up to help her brother.
"...Be careful John..." She whispered as she slowly descended.
-------------------------------------
Experiment finally climbed to the top of the edge, rolling over it and bringing his fist up in an uppercut. Shimmer was prepared, and jumped backward. After this, he threw his metal fist down, colliding with Experiment's chest. It threw the breath out of the hero, but he still jumped up. He gripped his side, coughing up blood.
"You can not win, 2.0. I am too strong, too smart, too powerful for you!" Shimmer yelled, laughing in a maniac-like way. However, an armoured fist silenced him quickly. He spun in mid-air, his head meeting the ground as he flipped up onto his feet. "...Alright then. Let's finish this."
Drones began jetting from the ship, blasting quickly at Experiment. He glanced upward, only in time to feel a searing pain in his right arm. These drones were far beyond the ones he used to fight.
He began running.
He jumped over Shimmer, who began laughing yet again. Experiment initiated his jets, and began flying through the ship. He reached into his belt every few feet, placing small, beeping devices on every wall, blasts barely missing him as he angled himself away from the searing lasers.
He got a glancing shot across his left leg, causing him to pull it in. He turned right, down another hall. This continued for a while, glancing shots only hitting him every fourth hallway.
He finally smashed his way through the roof, then jetted forward, gripping Shimmer. 2.0 threw him backward into his drones, causing them to explode on impact with the mastermind. Apparently, the drones were not able to damage Shimmer.
Experiment landed, only to have pure energy strike him in the chest. He fell into an empty room. Shimmer glared at him, smirking as he brought a laser rifle up to him.
Experiment pulled a switch from his pocket. Shimmer's eyes widened, and he began running.
He was too late, as Experiment 2.0, also known as John Ballard, hit the button.
-----------------------------------
The sky lit up and everyone was forced to look upward as explosions rocked Atlas Park. The ship flying overhead began exploding from the inside, the halls beginning to blow up.
Several explosions occured on the main deck, where some had spotted Experiment 2.0, a former hero, and an odd scientist with a very shiny head doing battle. It was assumed later than Experiment still had some explosives with him when he hit the button.
The ship's internal workings shut down, the generator and doomsday absorber shutting off. The light on the bottom of the craft signifying the device blinked out of existance, and the ship began crashing downward.
However, explosions rocked the area again, the ship being blown in half. The back half exploded entirely, shrapnel and debris spreading over the district from the engine's destruction. The front half, meanwhile, continued taking explosive damage. Finally, a charge placed in the pilot bridge exploded, causing the ship to veer toward the War Walls. However, it did not reach said wall, as the last batch of charges went off.
The front of the ship exploded in a flurry of flashes and lights. Everyone was looking up in awe, discussing how Experiment probably got out of that one.
However, Jenny knew better as she sobbed, glaring at where the ship had hovered. Experiment would never have gotten out. It was too amazing an explosion. He would not have given Shimmer the chance to escape, either. He would have grabbed him, and hit the last few triggers. She buried her head in her legs, continuing to cry as citizens looked up in awe.
Jason's eyes finally cleared, regaining consciousness. However, at the sight of the ship exploding, he felt a sharp pain in his chest. He looked down, and there was no damage. He frowned slightly, before realizing what it was. He never HAD felt loss before, really.
Emma and Anthony Ballard, meanwhile, were staring out the window, the television talking about the brave work of several new heroes, who were able to stop the ship and the scientist on board. At this point, nobody had any idea that Experiment 2.0 had done anything.
Emma looked up at her husband, and then began crying loudly. She buried her face into his shoulder, feeling the true loss of her oldest son. Anthony, however, could show no emotion. In all honesty, no emotion would match how he felt about this.
------------------------------------
About three months later, the truth was announced about Experiment 2.0's heroic sacrifice, and the end of an evil, deceitful man known as Dr. Kiezer Shimmer. Anthony Ballard tried to destroy Shimmer's effigy stone when he saw it, only to have his wife and only son restrain him.
At John Ballard's funeral, every employee of the 100th level of the Paragon City Times, temporarily jobless, and the secratery, came. All the Ballards, of course, as well as Earth Titania, and a man in entirely black clothing, with two large bulges on his back even came.
However, apart from them, it seemed nobody else would show. This was because this funeral was rather private. Not only that, but his parents did not want even more corruption than what had caused their son's death.
However, two more figures showed up, and were almost killed when the necromancer landed them.
Blind Messenger held a dark cloud around Experiment 3.0's corpse, keeping it suspended in mid-air. Jenny almost rushed forward to kill Blind, but Jason restrained her. "He wouldn't come here to hurt you. Nor to cause John's body to become zombified. He has more honor than that."
"Right you are, Gravi." Blind muttered, dropping 3.0's demonic form. It slumped, dead. "I thought that your brother would appreciate this, wherever he is. He always hated this creature."
With that, Experiment 3.0's form was dissipated into shadow, becoming non-existant. "For what it is worth, I give you my condolences."
With that, the necromancer dissappeared just as quickly as he had arrived.
The funeral commenced without a hitch, but before the service ended, Jenny stepped up to speak. She cleared her throat and wiped her eyes, looking on with despair in her eyes on her brother's casket.
Finally, she spoke.
"...Everyone here knew my brother. I know that. But... I don't think you knew him as well as I did... Not even my parents could say they did. You see, I knew my brother as John Ballard, as did his employees, my brother, and my parents. But I also knew him as Experiment, as did Earth Titania, Earthbound Angel, and a few of the other employees.
"He was a great guy, a great brother, and an awesome hero. Hell, you say your cat is in a tree, he would get the freakin' Longbow Flyer out... Hehe..."
Jenny then slammed her fist into the stand, causing a few people to jump. "And now he is dead, because of his heroic demeanor. He sacrificed himself, not only to save me, but to save government officials, citizens, heroes, anyone who could have been close to City Hall, as well as any other plans Shimmer may have hitched. He was a true hero, but he was also an amazing human being. If anyone says otherwise, I will personally kill you."
With those last words, Jenny stepped down, tears filling her eyes yet again.
------------------------------------
After the service, Earth Titania and Earthbound Angel apologized as they left, being called by Longbow for an important mission. The employees of the Paragon City Times were made aware that a warehouse would be available for use in the morning, and prepared for work.
However, the Ballards went home. Jason was allowed three weeks with his family before resuming his sentence, Jenny eventually moved in with a man, became married, had children, and has lived happily ever since, and the Ballard parents have lived out their lives together in quiet solitude.
[Edit: #1; Typo fix. #2: Yes, this is the end. Don't worry, no 'surprises' or 'Guess what? He's actually ALIVE!'s.' Experiment 2.0 is actually dead, Shimmer is actually dead, Kevin is actually a traitor, Jenny is actually Jenny... I am not Marvel, I do not backtrack.]
((Well, since is the first story I actually finished (and think, it was the end of Experiment... I think that means something... Or I am paranoid.
>.> Don't look at me like that), I am going to say it here; Any suggestions, comments, or random 'j00r stories suck, go be 3m0 somewhere' things, go ahead and post. Seriously, I don't mind people posting in the thread. It just helps. It isn't like I have written this stuff out yet. Honestly, in case you can't tell, I write it up randomly.
As in, one day, if I get the urge, I will go 'You know what? I think I will post another page.' or 'Story.'
So, yeah, in this story, or another, please post any suggestions or comments. Just please don't post 'Yeah, you suck.' or something like that, unless you really really mean it. I would prefer constructive criticism over simple 'j00 sux's.'))
"...We've got new reports coming in now... Please stay tuned." the reporter finished as the news went to commercials.
Meanwhile, John Ballard, formally known as Experiment 2.0, now retired from heroing, gulped down another glass of some sort of unlabeled alcohol. Kevin, now the hero Liquid-Burst, covered his eyes with his hair to hide his emotional state as his former mentor had in his days.
The news had just announced a body found in Guiness Lake, and they said that it had not been identified. However, John and his parents had been called earlier, telling them who they had found. Even Jason, still rotting in his Ziggursky cell, had been told. Tears filled his eyes and he had been allowed to be let out and spend time with most of his family. Not only did he not try to escape, John didn't even dislike him for being there.
Now, you're probably wondering 'most of his family? But you said his parents and John..." You see now, don't you?
Back to the laboratory, the news was just coming back on. "We finally have an I.D. on the woman who was found in the lake. Her name was Jenny Ballard, formerly Shadow-Robin of Paragon City and a member of a family known for their super-hero history. She was found with her neck slit open, and was presumed to have been [censored]. Let's go to our guy on the scene, and--"
The screen was shut off as Kevin began sobbing quietly. He wiped his eyes with a hand addorned with a single ring. It seemed to be an engagement ring. John, however, was not sobbing, nor crying, nor fuming. His face was blank, but a look in his eyes was filled with hatred. Hatred for whoever had done this. Now, however, that made him turn on the television once again.
Kevin began shouting. "What the hell is wrong with you, Ballard?! Can't you just believe that she is dead?! Why the hell do you keep tortu--"
"Shut up." John replied, holding his hand up.
They sat through another fifteen minutes of reporters getting their airtime and such, before they finally gave a name.
"Intense burn-marks on her body--" Kevin sobbed slightly again, turning his face, "lead our teams to believe that the Hellions, most likely their leader, Scorch, from the fact that this was a super-heroine, are to blame. A group of heroes were sent in a Task Force to retrie--"
*BLIP*
"...No." John muttered quietly, standing, "Those heroes will not only probably fail, but even if they succeed, they will simply arrest him. He will be free in a matter of days, if not hours... I can't let them do that."
He turned from his chair and grabbed his trench coat. A layer of light flashed over him, showing his current state.
Over recent years, his family and himself had gone through amazing stress, battling supervillains, themselves, other heroes, all types of hardships, and it showed. His hair, previously a boyish blond, even in his forties, was now tinted with grey, and even the blonde was dark. His eyes were weary, tired, old, his skin much the same. He had not aged well in the short time between forty and fifty.
Yes, he was now fifty. He had been heroing since his teens, all the way to the age of forty nine. Most people claimed that heroing kept him young. Now, age was catching up to him, and it was beginning to outrun him.
Kevin came up behind him, tears still rolling down his face. "..W...What are ya gonna do, J?"
John simply turned, a slightly evil smirk over his face. "...I'm going to make sure he never hurts another person again." On his way out the door, slipping on his fingerless gloves, a hand slapped on his shoulder. He stopped, readying to slam his elbow back and run, thinking Kevin was going to stop him. However, three quiet words surprised him.
"...Go get him."
((This is a slight jump in the future, allowing people to see the differences in these people's lives. Woohoo for John!
...Oh, by the way, the reason for his unemotionalness? ...You will find out. Also note, this is a dark story, especially for Experiment. Just imagine how gory things can get with his spines... And then multiply that by ten when he finds Scorch.))