Different [A Superhero AU] - Book One

Chapter Forty-Seven - Discovery and Destruction

Matthias paces his lab, swirling the coffee in his mug and observing the vial of green liquid on the table. It's his last sample from the septic eye. So much has been used on experimentation that if he doesn't find a cure now, he never will. Matthias adjusts his glasses, a frustrated sigh escaping his lips.  He's tried so many formulas.  Maybe he's overcomplicating it?

He settles himself into his seat and puts his mug down, replacing it with the vial. His eyes narrow as he observes it, swirling the contents.  Maybe... just maybe... 

With a whirring mind, he places the vial back on its stand and gets up, rummaging through his cabinets. His hand lands on a bottle of antiseptic and he snatches it up, racing back to his table and placing a few drops on a petri dish, followed by a few drops of his sample.  

It's too simple... there's no way it'll work...

The green liquid from Jack's eye bubbles viciously on contact, melding with the antiseptic fluid. Matthias stares through the microscope lens, laughing breathlessly as the cells move and fizzle, turning into water.

"My God," he mumbles, picking up the petri dish. "I don't know why that reaction happened, but it did! It was so simple. Why was it so simple?!"

He takes the bottle of antiseptic and pours it into the vial, turning the rest of the sample into water. Laughing like a mad scientist, he pours more of the disinfectant into a special plastic tube and races into the hallway.

"Mark! Mark!" he yells. "Mark!"

The red-haired hero appears around the corner, eyeing Matthias. "What?"

"I found it.  God, I found it," the hero replies, on the verge of panting. "The cure. For Jack's eye."

Mark's jaw drops. "Are you serious?"

"Yes." Matthias presses the tube into Mark's palm. "When his eye was mutated, his eye was filled with acids. This will turn those acids into water, but the only problem is that I don't know if it will blind him."

Mark shakes his head, a mixture of joy and bewilderment on his face. "I don't think he'll care, as long as that eye is taken care of. But how do I use it?"

"You can load it into a gun. This plastic container has the structural integrity of a water balloon, so if you shoot it, the casing will break and splash the liquid," Matthias explains. "If the liquid hits will enough force, it will most likely soak his eyepatch and could get to his eye, but I'd recommend hitting him when his eyepatch is off."

Mark nods, grabbing the container and clipping it into his belt. He opens his mouth to express his gratitude, but is interrupted by a siren ringing through the building. Matthias pulls out his phone, his eyes widening.

"You gotta go. The government buildings have just been blown to smithereens."

Nothing more needs to be said. Mark turns and races down the hallway, joining the other heroes in the police cars that wait outside with their sirens wailing. As soon as he slams the door, the cars race off towards the scene of the crime.

When they arrive, it's not a pretty sight. The air is filled with smoke, dust, and screams as the remains of the buildings go up in flames. Fire and medical crews enter the scene, their tires bumping over pieces of charred rubble with little effort. Survivors stumble away from the buildings or sit in the street, their business clothes torn and burnt.

"The death toll is rising," Matthias says into their earpieces. "Those bastards decided to strike while work was in session."

Mark steps out of his vehicle and covers his nose, the scent of fire and blood flooding his senses. Ken, Phil, and Felix step out of their designated cars, covering their noses as well.

"All of you, find survivors. Only engage the villains if you have to," Matthias orders.

The heroes nod, racing off into the ruins of the buildings. Mark throws open the fragile doors of the first structure, his feet pounding against the cracked linoleum floors. The ceiling crumbles above him, but he ignores it. He still has time to find people.

He focuses on the sounds of survivors, digging into the rubble when he hears soft sobbing. He throws pieces of ceiling behind him, uncovering a dust-coated woman and a young, bloodied man.

"Come on, I've got you," he says softly, lifting her into his arms. She nods a little, trembling like a leaf. The roof creaks and she whimpers, gripping the front of his suit. He hoists the man over his shoulder and heads to the exit as quickly as possible, slowing time down and allowing him an opportunity to get out. Felix and Ken follow him, carrying three people between the two of them.

Just as they scramble through the front doors, the building groans and finally collapses, sending dust flying over them. Mark lowers the two people down onto the pavement, coughing from the ash that clouds the atmosphere.

"Thank... you..." the man says, his voice trembling.

"You're welcome," Mark replies. "Just sit here and rest. Another hero is going to come over and heal you."

The two nod, still shaking significantly. Mark straightens up and heads towards the ruins of the building, starting to dig for more survivors. Police dogs hop over the rubble, sniffing out people while regular police officers follow with a little less grace.

His concentration is broken by a fresh set of screams, piercing the air and sending a chill down his spine. Upon lifting his head, he notices that both the anti-heroes and the villains have made their appearances known by knocking people down and engaging in combat. 

"Four heroes, four villains, and four anti-heroes," Mark mutters to himself as he descends from the remnants of the building. "Seems like a pretty fair fight."

The hero races forward, knocking Cry aside before the villain has a chance to pull the pin out of a grenade and toss it onto the ruins. Cry regains his footing, locking arms with Mark.

"You've already destroyed the building!" the hero shouts. "Just let it be!"

"I can't do that!" the masked villain replies. He presses harder against Mark, but the hero barely moves.

"Why not!?"

"Why would I tell you!?"

Mark sidesteps, throwing a punch at Cry's face and sending the villain tumbling to the concrete with a grunt. The hero takes this opportunity to look around, noticing the other supers each locked in combat. Already, one of the fire engines is going up in flames, which Mark can't help but find ironic. Dan stands nearby, lighting any vehicles near him on fire.

"Those cars are gonna blow!" Matthias exclaims into the earpieces.

In his peripheral vision, Mark can see Cry getting up and throwing a punch towards his face. With a grimace, he dodges the blow and sprints towards the burning vehicles.