The Man and the Mirror

Project Lazarus

They quickly unloaded him off the chopper to the roof of the hospital.

"Come on this guy is bleeding out." The female medic said to the pilots.

The one on the left quickly opened the door and helped her lift up the gurney. They quickly brought him to the elevator on the rooftop. As soon as the doors open they rush him to intensive care.

"What is the patients condition." The doctor asked.

"Right leg and left arm was amputated by himself, left leg is full of so many pieces of metal it's probably more aluminum then flesh. And something weird is going on with his blood." The medic said.

"What do you mean something weird with his blood?" The doctor asked.

"I mean it's floating in midair to glow through his body!" She said.

The doctor then looked to his left arm. The blood closed out of one vein, through the air and back into the other. He could see the belts wrapped around the stumps to slow the bleeding.

"Well prep him for surgery." He said.

The medical professionals ran him to preform what was probably a half dozen different treatments. Will still holding the mirror in his right hand.

_______
Pentagon, Washington

Agent Cole was walking down the hallway to the office of the director of the FBI.

Cole looked out of place even with the rest of the agents in the building. But he was not like these others.

He was part of the Men In Black and he just received word of the plane crash off the coast of the Atlantic. Now this wouldn't usually be on his list of things to worry about but this was special.

It landed by a Gem artifact they call 'The Hub' causing minimal damage to the structure and completely smashing the front of the plane. But the main reason he was interested and wanted to inform the director was the fact that there was a survivor.

The fact that someone stepped foot on the platform and the Crystal gems didn't see them is crazy enough, but that fact that they found something there was a bonus.

He opened the directors door and stepped inside.

"Who the hell are you, I got important things to do." The woman behind the desk said.

This was Miranda Smith, the dictator or director of the FBI depending on who you asked. She was known to be a highly effective leader, but not the nicest of people. She tried to make him cower before her like most of the people under her. But he was a whole different caliber than she was.

"You have heard of the plane crash just hours ago correct?"

"Yes I have. What does this have to do with anything."

"Well where it crashed is a classified alien location off the coast of the atlantic. There was one survivor of the plane crash. He is currently in critical condition at the point west hospital off the coast of Florida."

"Alien location, do you think I'm a fool. Aliens havent been proven to be real."

"I have a question for you Ms Smith. Have you ever heard of the Men in Black."

"The superstition of a secret government organization dedicated to mysteries and extraterrestrials."

"What if I told you we were real."

"That would be... Wait we?"

"Yes Ms Smith, I am agent Cole of the MIB. But what I have come here today to ask you is something classified as Top Secret. Which means if a word of this leaves the room, you will be court marshalled and executed."

"...Understood."

He handed her a file labeled with the Top Secret stamp on the cover. She opened it and read it's contents.

"Project Lazarus?"

"Project Lazarus is a secret program to use an ancient alien species known as 'Gems' to enhance our soldiers. So far all attempts have failed, resulting in some... undesirable situations." He said so casually it actually somewhat scared Miranda.

"And what does all of this have to do with the plane crash."

He smiled at her, his black sunglasses hiding his eyes. "We believe we know how to make Lazarus work. We need to have a gem that is compatable with the person."he handed her another smaller file. It read G473 codenamed Emerald.

It showed a picture of a normal green gemstone but on another image of a dog shaped creature. But it had a wild mane of dark green hair, with a lime green brow over it's monstrous eyes. It's body was a shade of light green. It's tail, teeth and claws were covered in sharp green crystalline. White fur decorated it's body.

"You want to add this to a kid." She said with concern. A rare emotion in her mind of work.

"We read through his psych and personality files and we deemed it's personality and powers to be a nearly perfect match."

"What powers are you taking about?"

"Well the team sent to contain it reported green fire sorrounding it's body. Needless to say a few of the soldiers were burnt to a crisp."

"And what does all of this have to do with me." She asked suspiciously.

"We need your approval for this. Since all the others were volunteers we had their permission. But this kid is unconscious and in the ICU."

She sat there in thought, pondering.

"Oh and to help your decision, gems happen to be able to take a lot of damage and heal from injuries rather quickly. So it may be the only chance this kid has of recovery as well as even surviving."

"What will happen to him, his missing limbs, his personality and sanity?"

"Well if all goes well, there will be no change in personality, His missing limbs will be replaced with advanced new Gem powered combat prosthetics. And as for his life, we believe it may make him into something superhuman and he will be the test bed for all future gem related technology and missions." He leaned backward with a grin.

Hours cost like they passed by for Miranda as she pondered the question. On one hand it could save this kids life and even make him something that the world could sorely need. One the other it could kill him, make him insane, make a villian no one could stop, and affect his life dramatically.

The pros and cons were about even in her mind. But she has come to a decision.

"You have my approval."

Cole grinned as he took the files and stood up. But as he was about to speak out the door she started talking again.

"But if this creates a monster I will burn your whole existence to the ground, regardless of your organization and power." She said with fury in her eyes.

"Noted." He said as he walked out.

He opened his phone. He connected to a secure line through a military satellite.

"Lazarus is a go."
________________
Secure transport inbound to location

The heavily armed soldiers were sitting in the back of an APC going down the highway. They were gairding a reinforced titanium crate in the middle of the truck. Holding one of the most dangerous corrupted gems that the MIB has caught. The APC was escorted by 4 black surburbans as well as an F-35 stealth fighter overhead. Ready to drop instant death on any attempted hijackers.

The leader of Blue team designation 'Church' was pondering how this would go. He just hoped that the poor kid would make it.