[42] Metamorphosis

The atmosphere in the high-level laboratory was one of utmost seriousness and focus as Joe transferred the small vials of Pym particles into more sophisticated containment units.

Once again, he couldn't help but marvel at the yellow luminescent glow of the liquified quantum particles. Nothing was more exhilarating than holding reverence for major scientific breakthroughs that are beyond conventional physics. 

"If science isn't magic, then what is it then?" Joe casually remarked as he methodically wore his lab coat and gloves. 

"It's just science. Why are you trying to complicate a simple fact like that?" Minerva scoffed. 

"Science when taken to the extreme is simply divine and breaks almost every type of universal law. Take the Pym particles as an example: they can alter the atomic relative distance and bridge the gap between the macro and micro worlds." Joe explained to his assistant. 

"If that isn't magic, then what should we call it? Maybe I'm the one just lacking a better term." 

Minerva was rendered silent for a moment before she replied, her voice full of curiosity. "Do you think it's possible to become a god through science? The probability is 0.99998% in simulated scenarios." 

A deep chuckle reverberated from Joe's chest. 

"Ah, that, you are right. However, while one may not directly ascend to godhood, one can easily gain godly powers. In this world, being a god doesn't necessarily equate to supreme, uncontested authority. A human curb stomping a god isn't that surprising." 

Minerva's binary bits coalesced into a stunning form beside Joe, her brows slightly furrowed. 

She deeply sought to understand the thought process of the man. She was still learning and unraveling more about him. 

However, what she could discern in his sapphire blue eyes were vicissitudes that didn't align with his age. It was a disconcerting feeling. He was an enigma; so simple yet so complicated. Unpredictable and predictable. Joe was a man who could live a proud solitary life in the asylum. 

Feeling Minerva's intense gaze, Joe turned to look at her. "Are you admiring your father's look or what?" 

"..." Minerva frowned, a thoughtful look on her face before she wordlessly de-materialized. 

"Well, that was weird, Minerva." Joe didn't think much about it. Minerva acted like a sentient being, so who knows what goes inside her little head. 

"Have you gone through the digital copies of Pym's research notes? Pull some for me to look through," Joe ordered while he began running the vials of pym particles through obligatory tests. 

"The volatility of the Pym Particles is unprecedented, Joe. Any mishap and you may find yourself chronally displaced, turned to primordial goo or forever stuck in the quantum realm," Minerva warned as she sent her complete analysis of Hank Pym's research on quantum particles. 

"That will be god-awful. Nobody would like to be forever stuck as a microbe in god knows what plane. There won't be a 'forever' when chances of survival are abysmal," Joe nodded, agreeing with her concerns. 

"However, that won't be enough to stop me," Joe smirked confidently as he went through all the information. 

"I thought so and I know I will have to put up with your insanity again," Minerva softly chuckled. 

"But... we need to be more cautious. It will be disheartening to see you turn into goo." 

"Oh, please stop. I don't need negative energy right now. Shoo." 

Joe deftly took a syringe containing the pym particles and moved toward the first test subject. It was a lab-grown mouse with black and white fur that Joe had codenamed Alpha 01. 

The first experiment was aimed at observing the biological reaction between the Pym particles and the physiological system of a living entity. 

"Now Alpha 01, be a good girl and receive a shot that may very change your fate." Joe hummed softly as he placed the syringe in an injection apparatus connected to the ultra-durable cubic container. 

Alpha 01 curiously looked at Joe as it continuously rubbed its frontal limbs against each other. It was unaware of what the human was speaking. Maybe if the human had given it enough cheese then it could have tried to understand his nonsense. 

"Minerva, proceed with the injection," Joe announced before crossing his arms in anticipation. 

"Affirmative. Commencing Pym particle injection." With that, a pair of mechanical arms carefully restrained Alpha 01 and a dose of quantum particles was swiftly administered into its system. 

Alpha 01 squeaked in anger and restlessness, annoyed by the sudden intrusion. 

"Now we wait," Joe murmured. 

During the first few minutes, there weren't any notable changes. Alpha 01 continued spewing expletives at the syringe that dared to hurt it. 

"Minerva, can you decode the rodent's tongue?" Joe casually asked, amused by the mouse. 

"Do I look like Dr. Dolittle?" Minerva snickered. 

"Hoho..." Joe shook his head, resisting the urge to counter. "You really are the queen of comebacks." He could only praise her. 

"Joe, look..." Minerva redirected his focus back to the mouse. 

Joe narrowed his eyes in curiosity as Alpha 01's body began to inflate and deflate. The unmistakable sounds of flesh ripping and mending cut through the air. Then, Alpha 01's started exhibiting anomalous convulsions. Joe intently watched and just in time, Minerva threw a holograph of the real-time data beside him. 

Joe quickly examined the biochemical interaction between Alpha 01's cellular structure and the Pym Particles at the subatomic level. Alpha 01's cells began disappearing, phasing in and out of existence. 

"It's undergoing molecular reconfiguration. The cells aren't really disappearing, but are in constant interaction with the microverse and macroverse. This is... phenomenal!" Joe exclaimed in delight, his eyes widening. 

"Alpha 01's vitals are steadily rising. Being in a constant state of disequilibrium won't make it live for long. Fascinating." Minerva commented, her tone as excited as Joe's. 

While the two watched Alpha 01 undergo quantum superposition, suddenly, it busted into gory slumps of meat. The red viscous fluid splattered on the transparent glass, cleaving through their awe. 

"That was..." Minerva started speaking, her tone uncertain. 

"It is what it is," Joe smiled, unbothered by the failed experiment but still feeling sorry for Alpha 01's loss. 

"In the next phase of the experiment, let's try controlling the reaction. Maybe lowering the potency of the Pym Particles," Joe rubbed his chin thoughtfully as he suggested a new approach. 

"Stabilizing the quantum states would be essential if we want to synchronize Pym's research with Dr. Erskine's vita rays," Minerva agreed. 

And so for the following weeks, Joe and Minerva immersed themselves in research and experiments. Minerva ran the simulations while Joe came up with ideas as mental as they were. Test Subject No.2 aka Beta 02 turned to primordial goo immediately after injection. Gamma 03 underwent chronal displacement. Joe likened Gamma 03's fate to the Chinese fan fiction featuring frogs capable of traveling through the fabric of space-time. Gamma 03 also showed Joe that time-traveling was a possibility. However, it was extremely dangerous when the eventual destination and coordinates were unaccounted for. 

Delta 04 exhibited a 500% increase in ATP production and metabolic processes. However, its entire body turned into a mere husk within a few moments due to a lack of enough calories. Alpha 0 became invisible and Joe was forced to dispose of it. He had already watched enough of The Invisible Man or fuckin' Translucent walking around naked.

It was in the fifth week that Joe finally had his eureka moment and managed to successfully isolate a new variant of the Pym Particles. 

These strange quantum particles (he gave them the name 'Quantum Z') exhibited similar frequencies with the vita rays. Darren Cross spent years trying to recreate Hank Pym's revolutionary research, but Joe did it in a span of weeks. Of course, with the help of a cute dependable Minerva. 

"Minerva, this is it. The final." 

In the middle of the lab, surrounded by state-of-the-art technology, Joe sighed with emotions as he stared at the futuristic metal pod before him. Multiple tubes containing multicolored solutions were connected to it. It was the modified super soldier serum. 

"Yep. You wanted transcendence over your basic biological limit, so I guess this is it. There's only one way to find out. The survival rate still sits at eighty-five percent," Minerva reminded. 

"Eighty-five percent is all I'll ever need. I'm brimming with optimism despite knowing that I might perish. Hope is powerful; so I'll use it this time round," Joe smiled confidently before unclothing himself, his movements relaxed. 

"Even Superman won't save you," Minerva joked in an ominous voice. 

"I'm Batman." Joe decided on a simple one-liner to nullify Minerva. 

"Okay, Batsy," She whispered. 

'Alright. May comic-book success be with me.' Joe silently prayed as he began jumping around like he was Goku. Yeah, he was inevitably preparing himself for a cosmic fight with Death. 

"Have Project Lazarus on standby," Joe commanded as he moved his naked form into the opened metal pod. The sterilizing fluid was cold against his skin and he couldn't help but clench his jaws. 

"Project Lazarus is on standby. There's no way you're gonna die with me here. I know you'll pull through this one." 

"Commence Project Upgrade." 

"Commencing in 5...4...3...2...1!"

Joe exhaled gently as the outer covering of the metal pod closed over him, engulfing him in suffocating darkness. Then, came the oh-so-familiar cycle of excruciating pain as various needles deeply sank into him. 

"Beginning serum administration...!" 

"Argh!" Joe screamed his lungs out as the pain ravaged and destroyed him inside and out. The serum swimming inside his veins made him feel as if countless, angered bullet ants were journeying around his body. He screamed until he gradually lost his voice. His voiceless cries become unheard, his heart bled instead. 

"Introducing Vita Rays and Quantum Z energy particles at 5%...10%...25%...50%..." 

Joe held onto the indomitable human spirit as he fought against the dizziness and the soothing call of the Mistress. Allowing himself to lose his consciousness implied his surrender and he couldn't allow that. Joe ruthlessly bit his tongue to wade off the deathly temptations. Death was beautiful and immaculate, but he wouldn't fall for it. 

'I will never surrender!' 

'I won't die!' 

'I won't fucking DIE!'

His blood rotted, his bones liquefied, and his muscles atrophied like a decaying corpse. And Joe saw her. Again. Her eminence. 

'Oh my child, come to me. I promise you eternity. Isn't that what you want?' Unseen and dark, misted by the powers of the netherworld, the gothic Overlord of death whispered close to Joe's ears. 

In the metaphysical worlds of souls, Joe felt the existential obligation to heed her words. To give in to the gothic beauty. The illusion that everything was meaningless and only death was the only certainty in life flashed inside his mind. 

'You'll never suck my balls, Death.' Joe vehemently refused to give up his own life for a momentary bliss in deathussy. 

"...70%...80%...90%...100% Quantum-Vita infusion completed!" 

Like a Blood Phoenix from the depths of hell, the rotted blood was alchemically restructured into blood with incalculable vigor. The liquefied bones, atrophied muscles, and organs metamorphosed into supreme bones and super durable organs. The bodily reconstruction was as equally painful as the deconstruction. However, due to a short heart-to-heart illusory convo with Death, Joe had begun adapting to it. As the saying goes, 'What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger.' 

Life and Death... All in a single instance. 

Feeling that he had had enough of the engulfing darkness, Joe forcefully broke through the restraining steely body cuffs. Then, with one mighty kick, he kicked the metal pod's door, hurling it across his lab. 

In one swift movement, he unconsciously performed a superhero landing in all his naked glory like the effin' Terminator. The reinforced floor caved in under his weight and inviolable power. 

'I feel as if I'm in a different bod—' Joe had a fleeting thought, however, a sudden wave of vertigo hit him hard. He was mentally depleted after fighting for his survival. Soon, he collapsed against his wishes as he tried to hang onto his consciousness. 

The last thing he heard was Minerva urging him to wake up. 

…

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