Don't Call Me A Hero

Professor Geabble was no stranger to failure. He had spent most of his life living in the shadow of his father. A father who spent his years studying the biology of super powered individuals with little to show for it. His partner, however, was a whole different story. As inhumane as his critics claimed him to be, his trials showed actual progress in understanding how these abilities worked. Sure, he might agree that Doctor Lutsfy took it to an extreme level. Professor Geabble would also argue that without an extreme push, no advancements would ever be made.  Doctor Lutsfy paved the way for his new dream of success. Now, however, his dream was slowly being eaten away by his many failed experiments. His father would be disgusted at his lack of victories. Luckily for the professor, his father was no longer alive to be disappointed. Now the only person to disappoint was himself.  “Will it hurt?” Geabble turned his attention toward the operation window. The man had obviously been homeless. He was the kind of dirty that didn’t wash off with a single scrub. His patchy beard was dirty and greasy even after a long shower. Of course, the nurses weren’t trying to prepare him for a public appearance. The nurse slowly strapped him into the medical table without answering his question.  “Hello?!” he asked, flailing against his binds until the doctor came in. A small smile involuntarily stretched its way across his lips as he watched her hips sway as she moved to sit beside the man. The doctor sighed as she pulled on a pair of gloves before reaching for a large syringe that sat on a metal table.  “To answer your question,” she said, her voice smooth and deep as she ran a finger down his arm, “yes, it will hurt.” “O-okay,” the man stuttered out, “the money will make it worth it, right?” “If you survive,” she shrugged as she pushed the needle into his skin. “What?” he asked, his eyes widening at the strange green liquid that was about to be inserted into his arm. “Oh, honey,” she shook her head as she pressed down on it, “didn’t you read the contract?” “I don’t wanna do this anymore,” the man muttered but he was already starting to lose focus on the world around him, “please…” “You already spent the money,” she whispered as she pulled the needle out of his arm and handed it to a nearby nurse, “there’s no going back now.” Geabble sighed as he stood up and turned to leave the room as the nurses surrounded the unconscious body. He had never liked watching them perform. It was a simple enough procedure, however, he could take the screams of pain that echoed off the hard walls. The man shuddered at the thought as he stepped into the hallway. He pulled out a cigarette as he neared the exit door and held it in his mouth until he could push open the door.  “Professor!” the doctor’s accusing voice stopped him from lighting it. He sighed and glanced back at her as she tore off her face mask. If he had been younger, he might have found her attractive. Her face was relatively ageless where one couldn’t tell if she was twenty or forty. Either age, she was traditionally gorgeous. Long dark hair, sun kissed skin, beautiful full lips… “Dead already?” he asked, looking away from her. Sure, she was attractive but her crazy was enough to steer any sane man away. He finally lit his cigarette as he waited for her answer. “No, but the way his vitals are looking at the preinjection,” she sighed, “it looks like it. If we don’t make changes, Elliot, we’re gonna keep ending up with dead bodies. I think it is about time we try something new.”  “We are not k********g children,” he snapped at her. “I wasn’t about to suggest that,” she sighed, “we have to figure out where we’re going wrong when Lutsfy succeeded.” “Yes,” he shrugged, “but we’ve advanced his formula and I’ve studied his notes for years. We have followed his procedure exactly except for the formula itself. Must we start over?” “No,” she said with a smile widening across her face, “if we could find his old experiments, we could figure out how their body incorporated the serum.” “A nice idea,” the professor narrowed his eyes at her, “but the government keeps their identities hidden from the world. How do you suggest we find them? Know anyone skilled at computers?” “No, however, I do have a nephew,” she explained, “his name is Arthur and he was one of the original experiments. He has already agreed to help us find the rest of them.” “It seems like you already have a plan,” he commented. She didn’t answer as she waited for him to finish, “I will trust you to get the job done.”  “I won’t fail you,” she bowed slightly and hurried into the building without another word. He flicked the cigarette away from his lips and glanced up at the starless sky. His father would see what his son could do even if it was from hell.