Chapter 70 : Captured
[Author note : Search for Cathbel on the Patréon website (e instead of é) if you're interested in supporting me and read more or earlier chapters ! Hope you like it, guys ! Don't hesitate to leave a comment or review. I read it all !]
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Superboy, also called Kon-El by a vindictive Kryptonian female, regretted his recent life choices. Cutting himself off both from the organization that gave him life, and the people that opposed it was, to put it mildly, a poor choice. Some would even qualify it as downright dumb…
He knew, of course, that unlike his genetic donor, he wasn't an all-powerful, all knowing Kryptonian with the powers to see and hear for thousands of miles, fly at the speed of a fighter jet and shoot down targets and enemies from a distance with a single gaze. However, he still behaved as such, even believed it for himself… As if from one day to the next, and sometimes just a moment later, he would suddenly acquire the full range of his promised powers. It hadn't happened yet…
So, after Supergirl's attack on his person, and his belief that he wasn't cut out to spend time with heroes, Superboy had left. Without saying anything to anyone, right in the middle of a discussion between his aggressor and a couple of Ned Stark's, AKA the Silver Lad's allies.
And then, carefreely, or rather carelessly, he had ran away, jumping from building to street level and vice-versa, like a humanoid grasshopper, to put distance between him and S.T.A.R.Labs. A couple of days later, while he was still trying to figure out what to do with himself, THEY had found him.
N.O.W.H.E.R.E…. Secret criminal organization that forcibly recruited Metahumans and other 'assets' with preternatural power and/or abilities. They had created him to become their own personal humanoid weapon. After all, Kryptonians were something else… And his DNA was composed, in part, of it. Unfortunately, like his DNA, he only had about half the strength of a pureblooded Kryptonian. This made him question himself and his place in the organization. He especially wondered if or when, they would terminate him for being a failure.
A real wonder how, after only rebelling against them a few days ago because of his insecurities, he behaved so foolishly. In addition, his IQ had been tested : he was a certified genius ! So, it really made one wonder…
Now, after a successful ambush laid down by the team he should have been a part off, Superboy woke, bound upright, his legs and arms restrained by thick metal bracers, his hands completely covered. After he cleared his mind of the headache and lightheadedness, Superboy took in his current situation… It was bleak.
He was back home, in some kind of dark, futuristic laboratory that resembled the one he woke up in. Unfortunately, he was pretty sure it wasn't actually the same.
« Ha ! Our subject has woken up ! We'll finally be able to harvest the data needed to produce a better, more powerful and most importantly, more docile weapon. »
A man appeared at the edge of his vision, entering the laboratory after the automatic doors slid open. His voice was distorted by the strange containment suit the man was wearing. With the darkness, he couldn't really tell its shape or colors, which brought a quip to his lips :
« Love the mad scientist lab of this place ! Was the evil lair setup too redundant ? »
The man, Centerhall, only smiled indulgently :
« You can and should joke until the end. It's much better than despairing and crying or begging… »
He walked toward a number of monitors on the other side of the door, where a bunch of data was displayed. From his distance and position, Superboy wasn't sure what was on it. He could guess, though…
« We will conduct a series of test to find out the extent of your… limited abilities. The sensors in your suit and the machine restraining you will keep us informed about everything your body's going through. » He paused and glanced to the side toward Superboy :
« I have to warn you. It will be most unpleasant ! » Turning back toward the monitor, Centerhall tapped on the keyboard a few times, before he said :
« Let's start lightly. How about 10 000 volts sound ? »
The next few moments were, as promised, not the best in the clone's short life. At first, it wasn't so bad. Electricity alone didn't do much harm to the half-Kryptonian. In fact, it felt like a relaxing massage. However, as the voltage and amperage increased, it became slightly unpleasant. Nothing life threatening, but not something he'd like to be exposed too either…
Over the next couple of hours, Superboy was subjected to gradual degrees of stimuli : heat, cold, pressure and gravity. Even various poisons and gases, acids and alkali… Again, it was bearable, but still uncomfortable.
However, soon, the clone was subjected to other, foreign and even alien forces. Magic, different kinds of UV radiations, and even… Kryptonite radiation ! The latter was… hell ! He almost felt sorry for Supergirl who'd experienced the same thing he did… If he could think of anything but his pain that is.
He yelled, shouted and screamed. At first loudly, but as time went by, his voice broke, and he was now only screaming hoarsely. The pain was still as vivid, though. He was just growing tired. Weak. Soon, he would die, he knew…
If only he had the full Kryptonian package ! He thought after a session that seemed to stretch endlessly.
« Well, well, well… I think we've gathered everything we needed. It's time to end our subject's suffering. »
* * * * *
Caitlin Fairchild paced around the locker room, with her Ravagers' teammates. What they'd done didn't sit well with her… Unlike Rose and the rest of the Ravagers who had attacked the Titans in New York, she and a few other in her group weren't as bloodthirsty or sadistic. Beast-Boy, Ridge, Lightning and Thunder. Like most Metahumans in N.O.W.H.E.R.E. they were little better than slaves : subjected to a lot of pain and humiliation, to mold them to follow and obey every orders from their superiors.
When they were sent to retrieve Superboy, Fairchild didn't want to do it. After all, it went contrary to what she was fighting for inside the organization. She was the one that sent the clues Robin had found and she was the one who tried to transform Superboy into something else than a weapon. Not only that, she was also the one who fought to keep Superboy inside his pod to wait for him to unlock his powers. Her 'superiors' had found out about it and they also found out what she truly was : a Metahuman.
Templar had given her two choices : join her subjects in a cell or operation table, or join the Ravagers and obey their orders. Although she chose the latter, she still believed she could do some good. However, faced with the consequence of her choice, the possibility, almost a certainty at this point, that Superboy would die, she felt torn.
At the moment, the only thing she wanted to do was to smash the place up, kill every bigoted douchebag between here and Superboy, save him and, maybe even tore Centerhall's suit off his body for him to die in the agony of his energies dispersing.
« Stop pacing, Cait ! You're making me dizzy ! » The deep voice of Ridge exclaimed. He was an orange lizard-like humanoid with a long tail, powerful animalistic limbs, a bent spine somewhat like a crocodile, ending on a flat face. Despite how monstrous and savage he looked, he was actually quite the gentle soul.
« He's gonna kill him, Ridge ! »
« Yes. » He agreed flatly.
Thunder said :
« Better him than us. I know you like the boy, Fairchild, since you're kind of like his mother, but… Well, we don't really have a choice, here. »
Fairchild turned sharply, frowning. She opened his mouth to retort, but she closed her mouth, her expression changing. She sighed and fell heavily on the bench.
« I wish I could… I don't know. Be there for him ? Help him ? » She shrugged : « Unlike us who had the chance to grow out of this hellhole, he never had any. He was bred, grown and born here, with the sole goal to become a weapon for our shadowy leader… If only I'd have fount out his identity ! »
« Careful there, Fairchild. » The easygoing, yet threatening female voice of Rose Wilson barged in on the conversation. « You're getting awfully close to rebelling… »
Again, the frown returned to the red-head's face. Rose Wilson was a thug, a hence-woman only out for herself and the next paycheck. She never met her father, but from what she heard, they were cut from the same cloth… It made her dislike her deeply.
While they shared a tentative friendship (or at least, Rose thought so), it was gone now that Caitlin's betrayal had been revealed. The fact that she had divulged information to their enemies could have been forgiven. However, her powers… That, the mercenary couldn't let pass ! With this, it was clear that their relationship was just a means to an end for the red-head. And while she might view her as just another gun for hire, Rose was NOT like her father. If, given the chance, Rose wouldn't have hesitated to help her friend.
It wasn't meant to be, it seemed.