The Feedback Effect - Ch. 3
Title: The Feedback Effect
Chapter: 3
Fandom: Loonatics: Unleashed
Character(s): Ace Bunny
Genre: Drama, angst
Rating: K+/PG
Disclaimers: Loonatics: Unleashed © Warner Bros
Notes: Random story I had one day, just because my mind works in weird ways like that.
Summary: They were given amazing powers. But in a world where nothing is free, it's time for them to pay their price.
[Chapter 2]
~*~*~*~
The whirl of the mechanical door signaled its opening. Quickly Ace sat up from his lying position on the medical bed as footsteps reached his ears.
"How are you feeling?" he heard Tech asked.
"All right I suppose," he replied. "My eyes don't hurt anymore anyway. But if you're gonna leave me here for ten hours, you could at least give me something to do."
"Actually it's been twelve hours. And I told you to get some rest."
"Well, I slept!" Ace retorted. "But I woke up a few hours ago and got bored."
Tech sighed softly. "At least you had some sleep. We've been moving people out of Acmetropolis all night, and Duck isn't really a pleasure to be around when he's tired."
"I bet not. Where is he now?"
"He and Slam are sleeping. They fell asleep in the carrier ship we were using, so I had to get us back here."
Ace frowned a little. "Maybe you should get some sleep too. You sound exhausted."
"I will. But I felt that I should check on you first. I'm a little surprised you didn't remove the bandage while I was gone."
Reaching up, the rabbit felt the material covering his eyes. "They weren't hurting when I woke up. But I figured I'd wait until you said it was okay."
"Well…" the scientist said hesitantly, "I guess it's all right to take the bandage off now. But I'm not sure how much difference it would make…"
Ace decided that he didn't like the way that sounded. "What do you mean?"
Tech's presence neared him, and soon he felt the weight of the bandages slowly lift off his eyes until it was gone. "Is it really okay to open my eyes now?" he asked, wondering if his eyes were well enough at the time. What had happened the previous day that made him want to rip his eyes out?
The other was silent for a minute. "Ace," he finally replied softly, his voice sounding almost in pain, "your eyes…are already opened…"
The rabbit suddenly felt as though his heart was caught in his throat. "I-I…what?" he managed to gasp. He was staring at nothing but darkness.
"Your eyes are opened," Tech repeated. "They've been open for a while now, ever since I brought you here to the medical lab."
"What…? But…are you sure?" Ace knew how dumb he sounded at the moment, but he couldn't believe what he was hearing. He didn't want to believe it.
"Ace, I'm looking right you…" The scientist sighed again. "I was hoping that the testing I had done was wrong, and that your blindness would be a temporary effect, so I thought by bandaging them it would block anything that would irritate them. But…I don't know…"
The rabbit's hand shook slightly as he once again reached up and felt his eyes. Then sliding his hand further up until he was rubbing the back of his head, he asked, "What happened?"
"Do you remember when I called you before?" Tech asked. "How I told you to come back to the tower?"
"Yeah…"
"That's because right after you left, my computer had finished with the testing. See, when I sampled everyone's blood, I had discovered something I have never seen before."
"In our blood?" Ace asked.
"Yes…and it didn't match anything in any medical records. That's why it had taken so long to scan. So I tried to compare it to anything else. The only match was with a sample of the meteor."
"The meteor? The one that hit Acmetropolis six years ago? The one that gave us our powers?"
"The very one."
"But the meteor disappeared into the bay when it hit. No one was ever able to find a trace of it."
"True," the scientist said, "but when it had hit, it discharged a lot of dust and particles that I was able to gather and keep."
"And you've had it all this time?"
"Yes, and it's a good thing I did. Otherwise I would never have been able to find the match to the microbodies in our blood. The meteor and the microbodies have a special distinctive property that is unlike anything I've ever seen before. It's unrecognizable."
"But how did they get in our blood?"
"Well, I believe that the radioactive waves that altered our DNA and gave us these powers also carried the microbodies, and the bodies managed to latch onto us by fusing with some of our white blood cells."
Ace frowned a little. "I'm really not getting this, Tech."
"You will in a minute," the coyote replied. "When I was comparing our blood, I noticed something interesting. In your and Lexi's blood samples, there were only trace amounts of the microbodies. In Rev's blood, there was also a trace amount of the bodies, but still significantly more than in you or Lexi. In Slam, Duck, and myself, however, there were enormous amounts of the microbes in our blood."
"Why's that?" Ace asked curiously.
"Well…I discovered that the microbodies are attracted to heat…more than the normal heat of the body, though. To survive, the microbodies need a higher degree of heat. Our powers provide them with that."
"Our powers?"
"Right, and I'm going to use you as an example. Your powers are concentrated in your eyes, so even when your laser vision isn't in use, your eyes are warmer than the rest of your body. So the microbes in your eyes managed to survive while the rest throughout your body died off. Since your blood circulates, though, some microbodies were forced from your optics area to other parts of your body, which is how I found some when I took the sample of blood from your arm."
If there was one thing about himself that Ace could change, it would probably be his short patience when he wanted to know something. "But what does that have to do with what happened to my eyes?" he asked.
"I'm getting there," Tech said. "See, like I said, the microbodies need heat in order to survive, because it's with that heat that they reproduce more microbodies, just like cells. But unlike cells, these don't die naturally. That's because the rate of reproduction depends on the temperature. Your eyes, when your laser vision isn't in use, provide the lowest degree for their survival. As such, their reproduction takes quite a long while under normal conditions."
"There's a 'but' in there somewhere, isn't there?" the rabbit asked. He was getting impatient again.
"Unfortunately, there is," Tech confirmed. "And here it is: But because of who we are and what we do, we inevitably had to use our powers. You had to use your laser vision, there was no other choice. However, by using your laser vision you caused the heat in your eyes to increase, resulting in the microbodies reproducing at a faster speed. The problem with that is, as I mentioned to you before, they don't die naturally. They only die if certain conditions aren't met. As long as the microbes stay in your eyes, they'll continue to live and reproduce."
"So?" Ace asked. "Why's that a problem?"
"Because, since they don't die, they begin crowding up the area they're occupying. There's only a limited amount of space for them to inhabit, so the more they grow and reproduce, the more room they'll need. However, there are also our cells that take up that space."
"So it's like our cells versus the microbodies?" the rabbit wondered.
"Something like that. Except the microbodies have the advantage because, like I've said, they've fused with our white blood cells, so the microbodies have the ability to eat away at other organisms."
Ace frowned deeply as his mind turned over and over the coyote's explanation. "Wait…wouldn't that mean…?"
"Yes…" the scientist answered softly. "The microbodies have been eating away at our cells. Specifically our nerve cells, for which I really have no explanation for. But unlike most other cells, nerve cells generally don't grow back as well as other cells."
"I think I understand…" Ace said softly. "But…just to humor me, could you explain what happened to me?"
"It's like this: The microbodies settled in your eyes because it provided them with the heat to survive. Normally, it would have taken the microbodies a long time to grow and reproduce, but every time you used your laser vision, the extra heat caused that cycle to speed up. However, because of the limited space, they had to eat away at the nerve cells, which help your eyes to function, in order to create more space for them."
The rabbit nodded slowly. "So, what happened this time?"
"I suppose this time when you used your laser vision, the microbodies continued to grow and reproduce, eating at your remaining nerve cells. In doing so, however, it caused your eyes to fail and no longer function."
"Wait, so…I'm going to stay like this?" Ace asked, even though he feared the other's answer.
Tech was silent for a minute. Finally he replied softly, "Yes…"
Clenching his hands into fists, the rabbit shook his head slightly, unsure of what to say. If he could see, he knew that he'd be staring at the ground.
"I suspect, though," the coyote suddenly said, "that now your eyes no longer function, the microbodies will start to die off. But I'm not sure if that would do anything for your vision."
"So what's the point?" Ace asked. "If I can't use my powers, if I can't see, what difference would it make for anything?" He wasn't sure where this new wave of negativity was coming from, but it felt very similar to giving up. He should have hated it stirring inside him as he continued to stare at the empty darkness. He should have, but he didn't.
What he didn't like, however, was when he felt a hand push him roughly and send him sprawling back on the bed he was sitting on. "What was that for?" he demanded irritably.
"For not appreciating how lucky you are," the scientist shot back. "At least it was just your eyes that you lost and you're still able to live after that!"
The other's words struck Ace as he quickly sat up. "What…?"
Sighing, the coyote said softly, "This hasn't only happened to you, Ace. We all have the microbodies in us. But you were lucky enough to have all your power concentrated in one area that, even if it was lost, it wouldn't have any effect on your life."
"What do you mean?"
"Your eyes are gone, Ace. I realize that could be difficult for you, but if you wanted to, I know you can get through that. And as regrettable as it is for you to never be able to see again, you're still the lucky one compared to the rest of us who have the microbodies eating away at our minds or whole bodies…"
And just as all of Tech's words pounded painfully in his chest, Ace suddenly remembered something he had wanted to ask earlier. The answer could very well terrify him, but he needed to know. "Tech…" he said softly, "where are Lexi and Rev?"
"Mm…" the coyote said, sounding rather uncomfortable. Nothing else was said for a while, and the thick silence left Ace feeling as though he was suffocating.
"Tech…where are they?"
More silence pounded in his ears for a long while before he heard the scientist sigh. "I'm sure you heard what was going on when Lexi and I came to help you out."
"Yeah, I heard it. But I still don't know what happened then."
"Well, while I was with you, Lexi was dealing with the metac…"
"Meh tak?" the rabbit asked curiously.
"Metac," Tech corrected. "Calling them metallic monsters or anything else like that got too long and tedious, so I called them one word combining their two distinctive properties; metallic and acidic."
"Oh…"
"Anyway, I discovered that the metacs are unable to withstand excessive heat. By heating the metacs, they begin to melt and are unable to sustain themselves. Unfortunately, that didn't seem to work on the largest metac."
"The largest…you mean the Queen?"
"The Queen?" Tech repeated, sounding a little confused.
"Yeah. She reminded me of a queen bee. She was the one making all the smaller metacs that were in Acmetropolis."
"Hmm…that's interesting. I'll have to make a note of that."
"Anyway…you were saying?"
"What? Oh…well, the weapon Lexi was using didn't have much effect on the Queen other than being a minor annoyance it seemed. Then it must have attempted to hit her and gotten some of its chemical properties on the weapon, because when I saw it, it was corroding. I tried to give Lexi my weapon to serve as a distraction so I could get you situated, but I didn't see the Queen's tentacle until I got hit by it."
Thinking it over, Ace remembered the other's absence for a time and decided that was when it had occurred. He could only imagine what the scene had looked like. "What happened then?"
"Well…the Queen picked me up and started suffocating me. And…I don't know if she forgot or didn't think there was enough time to get my laser…To help me, Lexi used her brain blast…"
Tech's words and meaning sunk in quickly and the rabbit found himself gripping the bed as the sound of Lexi screaming returned to his mind, echoing in his ears. "So…right then? She…?"
"Unfortunately, yes…" the scientist replied softly. "When she stopped screaming, she stopped moving. Shortly afterwards, the Queen disappeared."
Ace's heart was pounding rapidly against his chest. But part of his question was still unanswered. "What about Rev? You haven't even mentioned him at all since you came to help me with the Queen…"
He hated how Tech had fallen silent again. The ominous quiet, like the calm before the storm, was unnerving and left him anticipating the destructive news that was to come.
Finally, the fellow Loonatic said softly, "After I discovered the microbodies, I attempted to call you and let you know. When that didn't go well, I tried to find the others to inform them of my findings."
Ace frowned slightly, a little confused about why he was being told this. "Okay…" he said slowly. "Did you find them?"
"Yeah. I found them in the lounge room, which was right where they were when I had left to check the scans on my computer. While I was gone, however, they all discussed the current situation and felt bad that you had gone on your own to face the metacs."
"Really?" Ace asked, though that news didn't surprise him in the least. If it had been any of them in his position, he would have felt exactly the same way.
"Yes…And they decided to go after you. But they weren't exactly sure where you had gone…so they figured there was only one way to find you and fast…"
It took him a few seconds, but when the rabbit understood the other's meaning it hit him full force. "Rev's global positioning…"
The coyote was silent for a moment. "I walked in while he was trying to find you," Tech finally said softly. "There was nothing I could do to save him at that point. Once he found your coordinates…he collapsed. It wasn't until afterwards that I was able to tell the others what I found. But by then, Rev was already gone."
It was easy for Ace to detect the pain in the coyote's voice. It was the same tone he had heard before when the Queen had escaped. But now he knew better. Tech hadn't been upset because the jellyfish metac had gotten away. He was upset because of what happened to Lexi. He was upset because…Lexi was gone.
They were both gone, Rev and Lexi. Two of their teammates - their friends - were never coming back.
He was drawn out of his thoughts when he realized that the coyote had been speaking. "…with what happened to the both of them…and your eyes…" Tech sighed softly.
"There's nothing we can do?" Ace asked. "There isn't any way to save them?" It was wishful thinking, but it was better than accepting the harsh truth.
"No…" the scientist replied heavily. "Even if I could find a cure, their minds are already gone. I wouldn't be able to save them…"
Suddenly, Ace came to another realization. "What about you? And Slam, and Duck? Even if you guys aren't using your powers…the same thing that happened to Rev and Lexi could happen to you. Could you do something about that?"
"I highly doubt it. All these years of using our powers…if I tried to rid us of the microbes now, it could kill us prematurely. Actually, I'm surprised we've made it this long…"
"So…that's it then?" the rabbit asked, unsuccessfully trying to hide the sadness in his voice. "Eventually…the three of you will end up like Rev and Lexi? There's no way…to stop it?"
"I'm afraid not. Maybe if I had found the microbodies sooner, we would have had a chance…" He could hear the unevenness in Tech's voice. "That's all it really comes down to, isn't it? If I had found the microbodies sooner, we could have gotten rid of them before they became a serious problem. Or at least if I had found them even just a few minutes before, maybe Rev would still be here, and maybe Lexi would have remembered…"
"Tech, don't say things like that," Ace said sternly. Then, in a softer tone, he added, "You shouldn't blame yourself. You did the best you could. It's not your fault that all this happened, and especially with what happened to Rev and Lexi. If anything…it's my fault that they're gone. I mean…if I had just listened to you in the first place, Rev wouldn't have needed to find me and Lexi wouldn't have needed to help you against the metac. If I had just listened to you…they'd still be here…"
Silence fell between the two of them, and Ace suddenly began to feel nervous. Because he couldn't see the scientist, he was unsure of the other's expression. Would Tech hate him now after everything he had said? He already felt awful about what had happened to Lexi and Rev. Would the coyote retort with an "I told you so"? He had every right to do so though, Ace knew that. Part of him was even expecting it.
Finally Tech spoke again. "I don't really think it's your fault either…"
Though he was relieved, the rabbit was confused. "What do you mean?"
"You were just being yourself, and all you wanted to do was help the people in Acmetropolis. I mean, yeah you were being extremely stubborn, but it was all in good reason. You just did what you thought was right. No one could blame you for that. And what happened happened. We can't change that now. All we can do is move on ahead. Right now, we need to help you adjust to what's happened so that you can stop the metacs."
"Me?" Ace asked in surprise.
"Yes," the scientist replied. "It has to be you because of the strain on our bodies. The pain reliever I made won't last forever, and it won't stop what's happening to us. And judging based on Lexi and Rev, I think it's safe to assume that we don't have a lot of time. It has to be you."
There were a lot of things that the rabbit could have asked about. But he blurted out the first one that came to mind. "How the heck am I supposed to stop them? I don't have my powers anymore. I can't even see!"
"Do you remember a few years ago when our powers were stolen? That didn't matter to you at all because you felt that it didn't matter what we were lacking. What was important was what we had. And…well yeah, it will be difficult without your sight, but it's not impossible. You could train yourself to work around it, and we'll help you with that."
The rabbit was silent for a moment as he thought over what the other had said. Without his sight, could he really stop the metacs? How long would it take to do that? With the large amount that he had seen before, it wouldn't be a quick and easy thing to do. Would the remaining others really be gone before then? If that were to happen, could he really do it on his own?
All these questions were floating around in his mind, and he wanted to see if Tech could answer any of them. But he held his tongue. It must have been a hard for Tech to admit to the truth…that he didn't have much longer to live. But the other wasn't giving up just yet. Even with all the possible unknowns of the future, as well as the harsh reality, the coyote wasn't backing down until his time came.
And Ace knew that he couldn't give up either. He needed to do his best and overcome this obstacle. Besides, Rev and Lexi were gone because they had wanted to help him. He couldn't let their sacrifices be in vain.
It had been six years since he had met them all, and it still amazed him that they could still inspire him this much - to be better than himself.
"Okay…" he said finally. "When do we start?"
He heard Tech sigh softly, and he could hear the relief in his tone. "Later…" the genius answered, suddenly sounding exhausted. "Maybe even tomorrow. Your other senses still need to straighten out, and I'm not sure how long that would take."
The leader was a little disappointed now that he wasn't going to start training himself right away. But it was understandable. "All right. In the meantime, you should get some rest. You really sound like you could use some."
Before Tech had a chance to answer, the sound of the mechanical door opening echoed throughout the room. As it closed, Ace heard soft footsteps drawing closer. By the weight of each footfall, he assumed that it was Danger. With Slam's build, the steps would have sounded much heavier.
"I'm surprised you're up," he heard the coyote say. "You've only been sleeping for three hours. Where's Slam?"
"He's still sleeping in the ship," the duck's familiar voice lisped.
"Ah…Has Zadavia called yet?"
"Not that I know of. She hasn't called you either?"
"Not yet."
"Zadavia?" Ace asked.
"Yeah," Tech replied. "When she found out about my discovery, it was her idea to evacuate the people from the city. She was even there helping us, and she was the one who took the people while we came back here."
"She was supposed to call us when they got to wherever they were going," the mallard added. "But so far, we haven't heard a thing."
"Ah…" the rabbit said. He began to wonder what they were still doing there if the rest of the city had been vacated, but he decided not to ask just yet.
"Oh," he heard Tech suddenly say, "before I forget. Here…"
"What's this?" Danger asked.
"The reliever will wear off today. When it does, make sure to take this. And give this one to Slam, too."
"Is this more reliever?"
"Yeah. I figured it'd be a good idea to make more. But make sure you only take it when you feel the effects of the previous one wear off, okay?"
"Yeah…okay…" the mallard replied. Then Ace heard him add softly, "Geez, I'm surprised you could make anything…"
The rabbit frowned. "Why do you say that?"
"Well, with Tech's hand and all, I didn't really think he'd be able to do anything for a while. And with what happened to your eyes, I thought I should check and see how you both were doing…Y'know, because I'm such a nice guy and all…"
He could detect the overall sincerity in Danger's joking tone. But he hadn't liked the words that were said before. "What about Tech's hand?" he asked.
The silence that quickly covered the three of them soon became awkward, and Ace knew that nothing good ever came from a prolonged silence.
"You haven't told him yet?" he suddenly heard the mallard ask in a hushed tone.
There was only more silence for a few minutes. Finally, he heard Tech say, "Duck, why don't you get some breakfast or something? And Zadavia could call anytime, so maybe someone should be waiting for that…"
Ace could sense Danger's hesitation to do anything for that moment. Then the mallard replied, "Okay…Just let me know if you need anything…"
"Yeah…" he heard the coyote say as footsteps were heard. The door then buzzed open and closed a second later.
"What happened to your hand, Tech?" Ace asked quickly before the other could say anything to avoid the subject.
"It's not a big deal really," the scientist answered just as quickly. "It's just my left hand, and I'm right-handed anyway…"
The other was stalling. "What happened to your hand, Tech?" he asked again.
"Well, I already told you that I use my hands to manipulate magnetic pulses, and with the microbodies it really shouldn't be a surprise about what happened."
Tech was getting closer, but he was still avoiding giving Ace a direct answer. "What happened to your hand, Tech?"
Silence for a moment, then the coyote sighed softly. "Okay…see, what happened…After Lexi…went down, the Queen metac started going after you…"
"After me?" Ace asked. "Is that what hit me when you told me to get down?"
"Yeah. But afterwards she was going to go after you again. From where I was, I didn't have time to get my laser and help you…And my electro-magnetic waves can act like a laser anyway, so…"
The rabbit sighed softly as he understood what the other was trying to say. So was the pain back then not only of the loss of a friend, but of the burning sensation in Tech's hand before the sense of losing it? "Why didn't you tell me before?" he asked.
"Well…I already told you about everything else. I mean, I had to tell you because you had a right to know…But it was just so much to take in, I thought maybe I could cut you a break…Like I said, it's just my left hand, and I'm right-handed, so…"
Even after all the pain the other had been through, Tech was still trying to protect him from more of the same. Ace had blamed himself for what happened to Rev and Lexi. Had the coyote not told him because he didn't want him to blame himself? Even if it meant undermining the loss of a hand to ensure he felt no guilt over it?
"So how does your hand feel now?" the rabbit questioned softly.
"It doesn't…" Tech replied. "Unfortunately, the rest of my left arm hurts, and it might mean that it won't be long until it stops working completely."
"Guess you couldn't heal yourself, huh?"
"Well, I could, but it would only make things worse. Even if I could regenerate the cells that I lost, there wouldn't be any room for them because of the microbodies. And to do so would heat my hand and cause them to grow and reproduce. So far the microbes have only eaten away at nerve cells, and I have no idea why, but I wouldn't want to risk pushing that."
"Huh…I always thought your regeneration ability was automatic…"
"Well, only if my mind isn't intact. Normally, I'm completely incinerated, including my mind, so the regeneration process has to be automatic. But if not, then I can pick and choose what to regenerate."
Ace frowned slightly. He could only imagine what it would be like for someone like Tech, who had the ability to heal himself and yet remain completely helpless against something eating away inside of him. What was it like, he wondered, knowing that you didn't have much time to live and that you couldn't do anything about it?
Everything about this situation just seemed so wrong. But there should be a way to make it right, shouldn't there? After all, isn't that what heroes were supposed to do?
So what was Ace supposed to do to make this wrong situation right?
TBC
[Chapter 4]
Chapter: 3
Fandom: Loonatics: Unleashed
Character(s): Ace Bunny
Genre: Drama, angst
Rating: K+/PG
Disclaimers: Loonatics: Unleashed © Warner Bros
Notes: Random story I had one day, just because my mind works in weird ways like that.
Summary: They were given amazing powers. But in a world where nothing is free, it's time for them to pay their price.
[Chapter 2]
~*~*~*~
The whirl of the mechanical door signaled its opening. Quickly Ace sat up from his lying position on the medical bed as footsteps reached his ears.
"How are you feeling?" he heard Tech asked.
"All right I suppose," he replied. "My eyes don't hurt anymore anyway. But if you're gonna leave me here for ten hours, you could at least give me something to do."
"Actually it's been twelve hours. And I told you to get some rest."
"Well, I slept!" Ace retorted. "But I woke up a few hours ago and got bored."
Tech sighed softly. "At least you had some sleep. We've been moving people out of Acmetropolis all night, and Duck isn't really a pleasure to be around when he's tired."
"I bet not. Where is he now?"
"He and Slam are sleeping. They fell asleep in the carrier ship we were using, so I had to get us back here."
Ace frowned a little. "Maybe you should get some sleep too. You sound exhausted."
"I will. But I felt that I should check on you first. I'm a little surprised you didn't remove the bandage while I was gone."
Reaching up, the rabbit felt the material covering his eyes. "They weren't hurting when I woke up. But I figured I'd wait until you said it was okay."
"Well…" the scientist said hesitantly, "I guess it's all right to take the bandage off now. But I'm not sure how much difference it would make…"
Ace decided that he didn't like the way that sounded. "What do you mean?"
Tech's presence neared him, and soon he felt the weight of the bandages slowly lift off his eyes until it was gone. "Is it really okay to open my eyes now?" he asked, wondering if his eyes were well enough at the time. What had happened the previous day that made him want to rip his eyes out?
The other was silent for a minute. "Ace," he finally replied softly, his voice sounding almost in pain, "your eyes…are already opened…"
The rabbit suddenly felt as though his heart was caught in his throat. "I-I…what?" he managed to gasp. He was staring at nothing but darkness.
"Your eyes are opened," Tech repeated. "They've been open for a while now, ever since I brought you here to the medical lab."
"What…? But…are you sure?" Ace knew how dumb he sounded at the moment, but he couldn't believe what he was hearing. He didn't want to believe it.
"Ace, I'm looking right you…" The scientist sighed again. "I was hoping that the testing I had done was wrong, and that your blindness would be a temporary effect, so I thought by bandaging them it would block anything that would irritate them. But…I don't know…"
The rabbit's hand shook slightly as he once again reached up and felt his eyes. Then sliding his hand further up until he was rubbing the back of his head, he asked, "What happened?"
"Do you remember when I called you before?" Tech asked. "How I told you to come back to the tower?"
"Yeah…"
"That's because right after you left, my computer had finished with the testing. See, when I sampled everyone's blood, I had discovered something I have never seen before."
"In our blood?" Ace asked.
"Yes…and it didn't match anything in any medical records. That's why it had taken so long to scan. So I tried to compare it to anything else. The only match was with a sample of the meteor."
"The meteor? The one that hit Acmetropolis six years ago? The one that gave us our powers?"
"The very one."
"But the meteor disappeared into the bay when it hit. No one was ever able to find a trace of it."
"True," the scientist said, "but when it had hit, it discharged a lot of dust and particles that I was able to gather and keep."
"And you've had it all this time?"
"Yes, and it's a good thing I did. Otherwise I would never have been able to find the match to the microbodies in our blood. The meteor and the microbodies have a special distinctive property that is unlike anything I've ever seen before. It's unrecognizable."
"But how did they get in our blood?"
"Well, I believe that the radioactive waves that altered our DNA and gave us these powers also carried the microbodies, and the bodies managed to latch onto us by fusing with some of our white blood cells."
Ace frowned a little. "I'm really not getting this, Tech."
"You will in a minute," the coyote replied. "When I was comparing our blood, I noticed something interesting. In your and Lexi's blood samples, there were only trace amounts of the microbodies. In Rev's blood, there was also a trace amount of the bodies, but still significantly more than in you or Lexi. In Slam, Duck, and myself, however, there were enormous amounts of the microbes in our blood."
"Why's that?" Ace asked curiously.
"Well…I discovered that the microbodies are attracted to heat…more than the normal heat of the body, though. To survive, the microbodies need a higher degree of heat. Our powers provide them with that."
"Our powers?"
"Right, and I'm going to use you as an example. Your powers are concentrated in your eyes, so even when your laser vision isn't in use, your eyes are warmer than the rest of your body. So the microbes in your eyes managed to survive while the rest throughout your body died off. Since your blood circulates, though, some microbodies were forced from your optics area to other parts of your body, which is how I found some when I took the sample of blood from your arm."
If there was one thing about himself that Ace could change, it would probably be his short patience when he wanted to know something. "But what does that have to do with what happened to my eyes?" he asked.
"I'm getting there," Tech said. "See, like I said, the microbodies need heat in order to survive, because it's with that heat that they reproduce more microbodies, just like cells. But unlike cells, these don't die naturally. That's because the rate of reproduction depends on the temperature. Your eyes, when your laser vision isn't in use, provide the lowest degree for their survival. As such, their reproduction takes quite a long while under normal conditions."
"There's a 'but' in there somewhere, isn't there?" the rabbit asked. He was getting impatient again.
"Unfortunately, there is," Tech confirmed. "And here it is: But because of who we are and what we do, we inevitably had to use our powers. You had to use your laser vision, there was no other choice. However, by using your laser vision you caused the heat in your eyes to increase, resulting in the microbodies reproducing at a faster speed. The problem with that is, as I mentioned to you before, they don't die naturally. They only die if certain conditions aren't met. As long as the microbes stay in your eyes, they'll continue to live and reproduce."
"So?" Ace asked. "Why's that a problem?"
"Because, since they don't die, they begin crowding up the area they're occupying. There's only a limited amount of space for them to inhabit, so the more they grow and reproduce, the more room they'll need. However, there are also our cells that take up that space."
"So it's like our cells versus the microbodies?" the rabbit wondered.
"Something like that. Except the microbodies have the advantage because, like I've said, they've fused with our white blood cells, so the microbodies have the ability to eat away at other organisms."
Ace frowned deeply as his mind turned over and over the coyote's explanation. "Wait…wouldn't that mean…?"
"Yes…" the scientist answered softly. "The microbodies have been eating away at our cells. Specifically our nerve cells, for which I really have no explanation for. But unlike most other cells, nerve cells generally don't grow back as well as other cells."
"I think I understand…" Ace said softly. "But…just to humor me, could you explain what happened to me?"
"It's like this: The microbodies settled in your eyes because it provided them with the heat to survive. Normally, it would have taken the microbodies a long time to grow and reproduce, but every time you used your laser vision, the extra heat caused that cycle to speed up. However, because of the limited space, they had to eat away at the nerve cells, which help your eyes to function, in order to create more space for them."
The rabbit nodded slowly. "So, what happened this time?"
"I suppose this time when you used your laser vision, the microbodies continued to grow and reproduce, eating at your remaining nerve cells. In doing so, however, it caused your eyes to fail and no longer function."
"Wait, so…I'm going to stay like this?" Ace asked, even though he feared the other's answer.
Tech was silent for a minute. Finally he replied softly, "Yes…"
Clenching his hands into fists, the rabbit shook his head slightly, unsure of what to say. If he could see, he knew that he'd be staring at the ground.
"I suspect, though," the coyote suddenly said, "that now your eyes no longer function, the microbodies will start to die off. But I'm not sure if that would do anything for your vision."
"So what's the point?" Ace asked. "If I can't use my powers, if I can't see, what difference would it make for anything?" He wasn't sure where this new wave of negativity was coming from, but it felt very similar to giving up. He should have hated it stirring inside him as he continued to stare at the empty darkness. He should have, but he didn't.
What he didn't like, however, was when he felt a hand push him roughly and send him sprawling back on the bed he was sitting on. "What was that for?" he demanded irritably.
"For not appreciating how lucky you are," the scientist shot back. "At least it was just your eyes that you lost and you're still able to live after that!"
The other's words struck Ace as he quickly sat up. "What…?"
Sighing, the coyote said softly, "This hasn't only happened to you, Ace. We all have the microbodies in us. But you were lucky enough to have all your power concentrated in one area that, even if it was lost, it wouldn't have any effect on your life."
"What do you mean?"
"Your eyes are gone, Ace. I realize that could be difficult for you, but if you wanted to, I know you can get through that. And as regrettable as it is for you to never be able to see again, you're still the lucky one compared to the rest of us who have the microbodies eating away at our minds or whole bodies…"
And just as all of Tech's words pounded painfully in his chest, Ace suddenly remembered something he had wanted to ask earlier. The answer could very well terrify him, but he needed to know. "Tech…" he said softly, "where are Lexi and Rev?"
"Mm…" the coyote said, sounding rather uncomfortable. Nothing else was said for a while, and the thick silence left Ace feeling as though he was suffocating.
"Tech…where are they?"
More silence pounded in his ears for a long while before he heard the scientist sigh. "I'm sure you heard what was going on when Lexi and I came to help you out."
"Yeah, I heard it. But I still don't know what happened then."
"Well, while I was with you, Lexi was dealing with the metac…"
"Meh tak?" the rabbit asked curiously.
"Metac," Tech corrected. "Calling them metallic monsters or anything else like that got too long and tedious, so I called them one word combining their two distinctive properties; metallic and acidic."
"Oh…"
"Anyway, I discovered that the metacs are unable to withstand excessive heat. By heating the metacs, they begin to melt and are unable to sustain themselves. Unfortunately, that didn't seem to work on the largest metac."
"The largest…you mean the Queen?"
"The Queen?" Tech repeated, sounding a little confused.
"Yeah. She reminded me of a queen bee. She was the one making all the smaller metacs that were in Acmetropolis."
"Hmm…that's interesting. I'll have to make a note of that."
"Anyway…you were saying?"
"What? Oh…well, the weapon Lexi was using didn't have much effect on the Queen other than being a minor annoyance it seemed. Then it must have attempted to hit her and gotten some of its chemical properties on the weapon, because when I saw it, it was corroding. I tried to give Lexi my weapon to serve as a distraction so I could get you situated, but I didn't see the Queen's tentacle until I got hit by it."
Thinking it over, Ace remembered the other's absence for a time and decided that was when it had occurred. He could only imagine what the scene had looked like. "What happened then?"
"Well…the Queen picked me up and started suffocating me. And…I don't know if she forgot or didn't think there was enough time to get my laser…To help me, Lexi used her brain blast…"
Tech's words and meaning sunk in quickly and the rabbit found himself gripping the bed as the sound of Lexi screaming returned to his mind, echoing in his ears. "So…right then? She…?"
"Unfortunately, yes…" the scientist replied softly. "When she stopped screaming, she stopped moving. Shortly afterwards, the Queen disappeared."
Ace's heart was pounding rapidly against his chest. But part of his question was still unanswered. "What about Rev? You haven't even mentioned him at all since you came to help me with the Queen…"
He hated how Tech had fallen silent again. The ominous quiet, like the calm before the storm, was unnerving and left him anticipating the destructive news that was to come.
Finally, the fellow Loonatic said softly, "After I discovered the microbodies, I attempted to call you and let you know. When that didn't go well, I tried to find the others to inform them of my findings."
Ace frowned slightly, a little confused about why he was being told this. "Okay…" he said slowly. "Did you find them?"
"Yeah. I found them in the lounge room, which was right where they were when I had left to check the scans on my computer. While I was gone, however, they all discussed the current situation and felt bad that you had gone on your own to face the metacs."
"Really?" Ace asked, though that news didn't surprise him in the least. If it had been any of them in his position, he would have felt exactly the same way.
"Yes…And they decided to go after you. But they weren't exactly sure where you had gone…so they figured there was only one way to find you and fast…"
It took him a few seconds, but when the rabbit understood the other's meaning it hit him full force. "Rev's global positioning…"
The coyote was silent for a moment. "I walked in while he was trying to find you," Tech finally said softly. "There was nothing I could do to save him at that point. Once he found your coordinates…he collapsed. It wasn't until afterwards that I was able to tell the others what I found. But by then, Rev was already gone."
It was easy for Ace to detect the pain in the coyote's voice. It was the same tone he had heard before when the Queen had escaped. But now he knew better. Tech hadn't been upset because the jellyfish metac had gotten away. He was upset because of what happened to Lexi. He was upset because…Lexi was gone.
They were both gone, Rev and Lexi. Two of their teammates - their friends - were never coming back.
He was drawn out of his thoughts when he realized that the coyote had been speaking. "…with what happened to the both of them…and your eyes…" Tech sighed softly.
"There's nothing we can do?" Ace asked. "There isn't any way to save them?" It was wishful thinking, but it was better than accepting the harsh truth.
"No…" the scientist replied heavily. "Even if I could find a cure, their minds are already gone. I wouldn't be able to save them…"
Suddenly, Ace came to another realization. "What about you? And Slam, and Duck? Even if you guys aren't using your powers…the same thing that happened to Rev and Lexi could happen to you. Could you do something about that?"
"I highly doubt it. All these years of using our powers…if I tried to rid us of the microbes now, it could kill us prematurely. Actually, I'm surprised we've made it this long…"
"So…that's it then?" the rabbit asked, unsuccessfully trying to hide the sadness in his voice. "Eventually…the three of you will end up like Rev and Lexi? There's no way…to stop it?"
"I'm afraid not. Maybe if I had found the microbodies sooner, we would have had a chance…" He could hear the unevenness in Tech's voice. "That's all it really comes down to, isn't it? If I had found the microbodies sooner, we could have gotten rid of them before they became a serious problem. Or at least if I had found them even just a few minutes before, maybe Rev would still be here, and maybe Lexi would have remembered…"
"Tech, don't say things like that," Ace said sternly. Then, in a softer tone, he added, "You shouldn't blame yourself. You did the best you could. It's not your fault that all this happened, and especially with what happened to Rev and Lexi. If anything…it's my fault that they're gone. I mean…if I had just listened to you in the first place, Rev wouldn't have needed to find me and Lexi wouldn't have needed to help you against the metac. If I had just listened to you…they'd still be here…"
Silence fell between the two of them, and Ace suddenly began to feel nervous. Because he couldn't see the scientist, he was unsure of the other's expression. Would Tech hate him now after everything he had said? He already felt awful about what had happened to Lexi and Rev. Would the coyote retort with an "I told you so"? He had every right to do so though, Ace knew that. Part of him was even expecting it.
Finally Tech spoke again. "I don't really think it's your fault either…"
Though he was relieved, the rabbit was confused. "What do you mean?"
"You were just being yourself, and all you wanted to do was help the people in Acmetropolis. I mean, yeah you were being extremely stubborn, but it was all in good reason. You just did what you thought was right. No one could blame you for that. And what happened happened. We can't change that now. All we can do is move on ahead. Right now, we need to help you adjust to what's happened so that you can stop the metacs."
"Me?" Ace asked in surprise.
"Yes," the scientist replied. "It has to be you because of the strain on our bodies. The pain reliever I made won't last forever, and it won't stop what's happening to us. And judging based on Lexi and Rev, I think it's safe to assume that we don't have a lot of time. It has to be you."
There were a lot of things that the rabbit could have asked about. But he blurted out the first one that came to mind. "How the heck am I supposed to stop them? I don't have my powers anymore. I can't even see!"
"Do you remember a few years ago when our powers were stolen? That didn't matter to you at all because you felt that it didn't matter what we were lacking. What was important was what we had. And…well yeah, it will be difficult without your sight, but it's not impossible. You could train yourself to work around it, and we'll help you with that."
The rabbit was silent for a moment as he thought over what the other had said. Without his sight, could he really stop the metacs? How long would it take to do that? With the large amount that he had seen before, it wouldn't be a quick and easy thing to do. Would the remaining others really be gone before then? If that were to happen, could he really do it on his own?
All these questions were floating around in his mind, and he wanted to see if Tech could answer any of them. But he held his tongue. It must have been a hard for Tech to admit to the truth…that he didn't have much longer to live. But the other wasn't giving up just yet. Even with all the possible unknowns of the future, as well as the harsh reality, the coyote wasn't backing down until his time came.
And Ace knew that he couldn't give up either. He needed to do his best and overcome this obstacle. Besides, Rev and Lexi were gone because they had wanted to help him. He couldn't let their sacrifices be in vain.
It had been six years since he had met them all, and it still amazed him that they could still inspire him this much - to be better than himself.
"Okay…" he said finally. "When do we start?"
He heard Tech sigh softly, and he could hear the relief in his tone. "Later…" the genius answered, suddenly sounding exhausted. "Maybe even tomorrow. Your other senses still need to straighten out, and I'm not sure how long that would take."
The leader was a little disappointed now that he wasn't going to start training himself right away. But it was understandable. "All right. In the meantime, you should get some rest. You really sound like you could use some."
Before Tech had a chance to answer, the sound of the mechanical door opening echoed throughout the room. As it closed, Ace heard soft footsteps drawing closer. By the weight of each footfall, he assumed that it was Danger. With Slam's build, the steps would have sounded much heavier.
"I'm surprised you're up," he heard the coyote say. "You've only been sleeping for three hours. Where's Slam?"
"He's still sleeping in the ship," the duck's familiar voice lisped.
"Ah…Has Zadavia called yet?"
"Not that I know of. She hasn't called you either?"
"Not yet."
"Zadavia?" Ace asked.
"Yeah," Tech replied. "When she found out about my discovery, it was her idea to evacuate the people from the city. She was even there helping us, and she was the one who took the people while we came back here."
"She was supposed to call us when they got to wherever they were going," the mallard added. "But so far, we haven't heard a thing."
"Ah…" the rabbit said. He began to wonder what they were still doing there if the rest of the city had been vacated, but he decided not to ask just yet.
"Oh," he heard Tech suddenly say, "before I forget. Here…"
"What's this?" Danger asked.
"The reliever will wear off today. When it does, make sure to take this. And give this one to Slam, too."
"Is this more reliever?"
"Yeah. I figured it'd be a good idea to make more. But make sure you only take it when you feel the effects of the previous one wear off, okay?"
"Yeah…okay…" the mallard replied. Then Ace heard him add softly, "Geez, I'm surprised you could make anything…"
The rabbit frowned. "Why do you say that?"
"Well, with Tech's hand and all, I didn't really think he'd be able to do anything for a while. And with what happened to your eyes, I thought I should check and see how you both were doing…Y'know, because I'm such a nice guy and all…"
He could detect the overall sincerity in Danger's joking tone. But he hadn't liked the words that were said before. "What about Tech's hand?" he asked.
The silence that quickly covered the three of them soon became awkward, and Ace knew that nothing good ever came from a prolonged silence.
"You haven't told him yet?" he suddenly heard the mallard ask in a hushed tone.
There was only more silence for a few minutes. Finally, he heard Tech say, "Duck, why don't you get some breakfast or something? And Zadavia could call anytime, so maybe someone should be waiting for that…"
Ace could sense Danger's hesitation to do anything for that moment. Then the mallard replied, "Okay…Just let me know if you need anything…"
"Yeah…" he heard the coyote say as footsteps were heard. The door then buzzed open and closed a second later.
"What happened to your hand, Tech?" Ace asked quickly before the other could say anything to avoid the subject.
"It's not a big deal really," the scientist answered just as quickly. "It's just my left hand, and I'm right-handed anyway…"
The other was stalling. "What happened to your hand, Tech?" he asked again.
"Well, I already told you that I use my hands to manipulate magnetic pulses, and with the microbodies it really shouldn't be a surprise about what happened."
Tech was getting closer, but he was still avoiding giving Ace a direct answer. "What happened to your hand, Tech?"
Silence for a moment, then the coyote sighed softly. "Okay…see, what happened…After Lexi…went down, the Queen metac started going after you…"
"After me?" Ace asked. "Is that what hit me when you told me to get down?"
"Yeah. But afterwards she was going to go after you again. From where I was, I didn't have time to get my laser and help you…And my electro-magnetic waves can act like a laser anyway, so…"
The rabbit sighed softly as he understood what the other was trying to say. So was the pain back then not only of the loss of a friend, but of the burning sensation in Tech's hand before the sense of losing it? "Why didn't you tell me before?" he asked.
"Well…I already told you about everything else. I mean, I had to tell you because you had a right to know…But it was just so much to take in, I thought maybe I could cut you a break…Like I said, it's just my left hand, and I'm right-handed, so…"
Even after all the pain the other had been through, Tech was still trying to protect him from more of the same. Ace had blamed himself for what happened to Rev and Lexi. Had the coyote not told him because he didn't want him to blame himself? Even if it meant undermining the loss of a hand to ensure he felt no guilt over it?
"So how does your hand feel now?" the rabbit questioned softly.
"It doesn't…" Tech replied. "Unfortunately, the rest of my left arm hurts, and it might mean that it won't be long until it stops working completely."
"Guess you couldn't heal yourself, huh?"
"Well, I could, but it would only make things worse. Even if I could regenerate the cells that I lost, there wouldn't be any room for them because of the microbodies. And to do so would heat my hand and cause them to grow and reproduce. So far the microbes have only eaten away at nerve cells, and I have no idea why, but I wouldn't want to risk pushing that."
"Huh…I always thought your regeneration ability was automatic…"
"Well, only if my mind isn't intact. Normally, I'm completely incinerated, including my mind, so the regeneration process has to be automatic. But if not, then I can pick and choose what to regenerate."
Ace frowned slightly. He could only imagine what it would be like for someone like Tech, who had the ability to heal himself and yet remain completely helpless against something eating away inside of him. What was it like, he wondered, knowing that you didn't have much time to live and that you couldn't do anything about it?
Everything about this situation just seemed so wrong. But there should be a way to make it right, shouldn't there? After all, isn't that what heroes were supposed to do?
So what was Ace supposed to do to make this wrong situation right?
TBC
[Chapter 4]