SCIENCE!!!! 2.0 (Alpha) (April 1st Challenge)

Many a science experiment has been done in this room. It's grey walls that showed no apparent flair like many of Lucius' other rooms, it's strikingly chilly and sterile atmosphere, and it's hard tile floors all came together to produce an area that was the personification of cold hard logic. Everything was in order. Every bottle, paper, techno trinket, power cell, blueprint, and gizmo was perfectly in it's own place. Every surface seemed as if it had been scrubbed for hours, and every piece of tech was as sleek as it was advanced. This was order, and this was how Lucius worked.

It wasn't that he couldn't work in chaos. The dictator had in fact shown himself to thrive in a setting where everyone was at each others throats and it was hard to predict the next move. On the contrary, Lucius was exceptional at improvisation, but still, he was better in an ordered environment. His thoughts were clean, clear, and focused on the task at hand when his lab was like this. If it every got messy beyond cleaning, he would have to switch gears. He would have to get into that mindset that he once took when fighting The Talons—when beating The Talons. He would have to become the man that assimilates with chaos, uses it, then brings order after coming out on top.

But as for now, he was in his abode. He was focused, and everything was perfect.

Two men stood in this room. Both were hunched over a viewing machine of sorts. It allowed a person to view and even modify whatever was placed inside no matter how small it was. This was how Lucius created most of the tech that interacted with atoms that he had. It was crucial in his development of teleportation technology nearly a decade ago. Now, it was helping the two men, Alpha and Red, make something that was the combination of their two areas of expertise—genetics and technology.

They were making a technological, artificial genome. DNA, made from the ground up. The possibilities that would be unlocked if they figured this out would be limitless.

In the viewing machine, which looked much liked a sand blasting machine, metal arms as small as the DNA itself came into view. They were working on it according to how Lucius programmed them. Adding pieces, assembling, and making sure the whole thing didn't fall apart like it had so many times before.

One of the arms twitched, and dropped the part it was trying to add. Lucius scoffed in subdued anger.

"............This isn't working. Plan B.... You're going to have to look over the blueprints we made and assemble this thing. Is your telekinesis that precise?" Lucius asked. He was sure that it was, but the confirmation from his friend would set his irritated mind at ease at least a little. This wasn't how Lucius wanted it. The arms had been programmed to follow the blueprints to the letter. Alpha, on the other hand, would have to remember and execute them on an atomic level with no guide but his mind. Even for Alpha, that was a feat that would require immense focus.

Travis liked science. It had a certain eb and flow that came with the many practices of the art. It was amazing how many different principles existed, most of which he took even a minute interest in as if  to just improve his overall knowledge. Today he stood, hunched over with Lucius over a device that greatly magnified whatever was put under it. What that something was he still thought over, brows furrowed and mind considering every little variable that it could have been. His mind like a scalpel was razor focused, much like the person that he was with him but perhaps it was even more important that he considered every detail. Having an ability that relied on always being focused was even more important. Unless he wanted to end up destroying everything around him anyhow.

Trying to create an artificial genome sounded like an interesting enough idea on its own. What could be done with it was another question entirely. Did Lucius intend to make use of this for his little improve the world project? Could make sense considering the many defects that plagued human genomes, though that was  a greeter undertaking than words could accurately describe. Honestly all of the thought buzzing through his skull likely wouldn’t stop soon unless he willed them to do so. Pieces being added to the genome slowly, constructing them slowly to a better whole while he watched greatly interested with it. Things were going well until one of the arms dropped a crucial looking piece and screwed everything up.

”Yeah, the telekinesis is pretty precise. Haven’t really tested if it was precise enough but I guess this is a good enough test.” Truthfulness would keep things from exploding anyhow. Unless it didn’t end they ended up creating Chernobyl 2:electric boogaloo. Not that he would have cared, considering Travis was rather confident in his own ability to protect himself. So many things to consider, but for now he had to manipulate little particles without breaking anything.  Instead of thinking of all the things that could go wrong, he just let his eyes flicker over the blueprints while his mind soaked up everything it needed to before actually acting on anything. A small snort worked through his nostrils while he let his mental influence  work through the minuscule construct being worked before them.

Trying to squeeze his focus and attention into such a small scale was difficult, imagining each little molecule being grasped by his own mind was even more difficult and yet he managed it. These invisible fingers like tendrils reaching for the sections, grasping on them with the lightest of pressure A single string of thought processes was cordoned off in his mind for worrying about inevitable failures, but he couldn’t let them take the main line. Eventually he would have to cut that line of thought out until his entire mind was focused on doing this singular task. Eyes narrowed and his brow crinkled like a lizards elbow or some close metaphor. Either way he had to make no mistakes.

Unlucky for him that was impossible.

Watching Travis work was always interesting. No doubt Alpha possessed more power and more fluid intellect then Lucius did. Granted, Red's own charisma, tact, and experience balanced things out to the dictator, but even still the man could appreciate it when someone outclassed him in some manner. Understanding that was crucial to improving yourself. You couldn't go about your life thinking nobody could ever touch you. That was a recipe for overconfidence and ultimately, destruction.

Travis, it seemed, was focused totally on the atomic maneuvering of his telekinesis. Lucius couldn't imagine the effort of such a thing. You had to be precise as well as completely intent on what you were doing. If Alpha let one detail of the blueprints slip from his memory, or if he let his telekinesis loose for a mere moment, this whole project would be back at square one. That was something Lucius could not afford, so he shut his Fmouth and let Alpha do his thing.

This could be used to cure genetic defects and diseases, could be used to augment human genetics in any way imaginable, and could pave the way for a world of limitless improvement if done well and then expanded upon over a few decades. Designer babies, unfathomable intellectual capabilities, powers beyond even metahumans. The scope was so wide it would propel humanity into an entirely new era. But first, Travis just needed to get the thread through the hole in the needle.

Piece by piece, the genome was built. They had been working for hours, and each time something went wrong and they had to start from scratch. But now that Lucius had resorted to using Alpha's powers, and his understanding of genetics, things seemed to be going swimmingly.  In mere moments, the genome was complete, and all the pieces were in place. With one last clasping sound, Alpha was free to break off focus. No doubt he would be exhausted from such effort, even with his power.

Lucius smiled. They had successfully made an artificial human genome. There was still much work and testing to be done, but they had the groundwork. They had a blank canvas.

"Congratulations, Travis. We just made the history books...." Lucius said, peering down at their creation with pride. The dictator then stepped away, snapping his fingers.

"Sven, connect to the genome and run Echo. He should be able to show us what our little prototype can do." With that command from his master, Sven began uploading Echo. It was a less advanced, though still somewhat sentient AI Lucius had created to test the genomes. Sven could have done it, but honestly, after the escapade with Blood Tithe Lucius simply didn't trust his old friend with such a power.

Soon, the genome was alight with a faint orange glow, and then it faded. The holographic computer screens in the lab then showed an interface. It was like an editing software, only for DNA. Anything could be typed into this console and edited into the cells. The only limit was your expertise, and your imagination. Lucius typed a few codes, and then Echo made the edits. There was even a representation of what this person might look like if they had the genome. This was the future. If it could be successfully integrated with a human being, then people could be whoever they wanted to be.

"White hair, say, yellow eyes? Hyper intelligent.... Care to add anything? The genome has accepted all of my edits so far. Have some fun with it. Not like we'll be using it yet. We just have to test the limits."

Each precise motion happened, pushing things into place and hoping that they bonded in a way that was conducive to what they were trying to do. Complete silence was necessary for this and he appreciated the fact that there was exactly that. Threading through the proverbial needle was much harder than the more literal example, considering that this required all of his attention to do so. Resorting to using his own abilities rather than whatever machination that the dictator could concoct meant that he was either lacking in the means or just really wanted this done right. Considering how great his pride was, well it had to be the latter. Seconds crawled on painfully for his mind analyzing every little detail, but eventually  the time for a deep mental sigh came with the completion of the genome in its entirety. A small accomplishment within itself, or maybe even a massive one considering what he had done.

His lips turned into a pleased smile while looking to Lucius, who held the same amount of satisfaction that he did, No. Maybe he was even more pleased with what they had done than he was. This could improve the template he was working with when it came to the test tube people, as well as the overall physicality of the human race. ”I wonder what those history books will say about us.” Travis mused outloud, stroking his chin and not even noting that a single bred of sweat was making its way down his forehead. ”Hopefully with a flattering photograph of me. Never really liked those dignified ones that people have to put up in textbooks.” More casuall muttering to himself than anything that was to be taken seriously, while Lucius ordered his AI to get whatever it was needed done.

His mind worked over the legitimacy of how history viewed the visionaries as Lucius named off the things that could be done with this new genome. So many interesting little details to be worked into humanity, and yet he had no clue what he would have wanted to add. Superhuman abilities were possible through the metagene and yet his existence was proof that you didn’t need such a thing to actually be powerful. His mind warped the world around him, twisting it to his whims almost like one would describe as magic. Not that he would ever call it something as wide spread as the idea of magic. ”Longer life span? Improved cellular integrity or maybe even… regeneration? Skin resistant to uv radiation and the nasty effects of that? A lot that can be done with the human genome.” Travis noted outloud, considering the massive matrix of twisted parts before him with an appreciative look.

”I wonder how much stress this little genome of ours can actually take.” Another idle question but a question his mind begged to be vocalized while it also worked over the potential downsides. What could come from changing a certain aspect, and how nature would adapt to it. So many questions that had not as many answers.

What could be done with it? That was a good question. What were the limits of genetics? This was the test that would answer that question. They were no longer limited by humanity, or even by metahumanity or whatever aliens were out there. They were only limited by the capabilities of organic matter. This was the beauty of life made into something that could be manipulated. This ultimately could be done with any art. It could be learned so thoroughly that to some it might lose it's 'magic' and beauty. But to Lucius, understanding things like music, the human mind, and abstract concepts in a scientific way only enhanced it's appeal.

This is what the romantics and religious folks didn't understand. Knowing about something doesn't somehow make it less wonderful to behold. To some it might, but that's only because their minds are likely too small to realize the truth. Science doesn't kill magic and spirituality or beauty, it allows those things to be more easily tapped into. It lets us see the true greatness of the universe. Lucius knew that from the time he was a young lad. Somehow so few shared his view. But, at least his fellow Rise members did.

Lucius typed as Travis came up with a few things to add, and again and again, the genome accepted them. Lucius' eyes were wide in delight. Like a hacker that had just achieved something he had been working on all night, Lucius had a mischievous smile on his face. The possibilities swirled through his mind, and he typed a few more of his own. With each command, the genome glowed the same orange hue it did before. It was still %100 percent stable, somehow. This exceeded even Lucius' expectations.

Travis talked a bit about what the history books would say about them. That was an interesting question, and perhaps it would be different depending on the time frame. One century they might consider them tyrants, and the next visionaries, but what mattered is that they did something worth noting in the first place. Lucius and Alpha were out to change the world, and they would do so. Good or bad, it really didn't matter what the books said, only that they chronicled their deeds. Then people could draw their own conclusions based on the evidence.

"I don't really have a problem with the formal pictures, but that's just me," Lucius said offhandedly, still smiling.

As Lucius continued to fiddle with his genome, taking a few suggestions here and there, a pair of new faces entered the room. One was easy enough to identify. Daniel Raines. The other was new. Probably a new recruit here to meet Lucius. Red made sure to personally introduce himself to all the new members of Rise, no matter what he was doing.

"Hello sir," the kid said, Daniel rubbing his face in exasperation.

"I've been dealing with this kid all day..... Let's get this over with," Daniel said. Lucius was still focused on his typing, not really paying any mind to either of them. Sure, he would shake the kid's hand, but he was busy right now. It wouldn't be anything beyond that. Perhaps later they could deal with it properly. A drink in his office or something of that sort.

Once the kid got no response from the focused Lucius, he turned to Alpha, a hand outstretched.

"Hi, I'm Derek."

Lucius typed up his suggestions with questioning them and the genome accepted the suggestions without an issue. It was an interesting turn of things, and yet he couldn’t help feeling excited about the limitless possibilities that came with it. If it could allow, accept and perform such alterations then there was literally nothing that the two of them could not do in the end. Would there need to be trials on organic subjects to make sure this actually worked or were they dealing with something that didn’t need such things to actually work? All these questions shot through his mind without stopping, indistinct ideals that were more than anything willing to be answered by those that wanted to know. Now that they were doing work that anyone that even claimed to care about such vain ideals would have decried as playing god. As if God had any place when it came to science.

”Well you’re a formal kind of guy. Ya have that whole regal grace thing going on and it works for you.” Travis deflected the statement, feeling the brush of a few minds enter the room. None that he really tried to break into but one that felt very familiar from a few encounters before. This made him smirk almost, turning to see Daniel and an unknown person walking into the room. Why this person was here he didn’t know but there was only one way to find out. Well, it would have been but he was beaten to the questioning about their name and who they were. A new recruit to Rise to be exact, and that meant they were some kind of metahuman that was sympathetic to the great cause. He even smiled at this unknown kid who seemed to refer to Lucius as sir. Now that put into perspective the differences in their age.

Daniel stated something about having to deal with them all day and he smiled even wider. Huya Derek. I’m Travis. The guy would hear in his head, with a hand outstretched to grasp his and shake, Travis quickly withdrawing his hand once he had gotten through with the formalities of greeting them that way. Not that he had a n issue shaking anyone's hand, considering that he was by no means a germaphobe. He just hated things that came with greetings, even if they were necessary to get to know someone.

”So Daniel, how did you find this kid? Know what fancy kind of power they got going on?” He quiered Lucius’ lieutenant, arcing a brow and letting them answer the question. Derek was also free to answer. Not like he would shut them up if he wanted to explain himself and what his metahuman abilities were. Actually, that explanation would have come much better from someone that actually knew how they worked. Second hand information always tended to be… less than reliable overall and he didn’t let unreliable information. ”Lucius is a little busy so might only have me for conversation for a while.”

Daniel seemed annoyed. It was as if this kid's antics had stressed him. Lucius even chuckled at his second in command's exasperation. Ironic that the one who usually did the annoying antics was now in Lucius' shoes. Daniel had to be the responsible adult for the entire day because he had met someone even less mature then he was. Even though he was busy, the dictator couldn't help but muse at that.

Derek looked shocked when Alpha sent the message to his mind. He even looked around quizzically, as if in search of the voice's source. Eventually though he figured it out. They had told him that Alpha was a psychic, but this showcase of power was still a surprise. Usually when people claim they have mental powers it's pure bullshit, after all.

"Nice to meet you," Derek said. He was a teenager, maybe 16, with brown hair and hazel eyes. He had a smile on his face, apparently happy to be here despite the fact Daniel seemed irritated by him the whole day.

Once asked about powers, Daniel moved to speak, but was interrupted by Derek. The male proudly stepped forward and explained his wonderful abilities.

"I can charge my hands with energy and hit people really hard," the boy said. Daniel just sighed at the over simplification, but offered no alternative. He seemed like an overworked parent that just wanted to go to sleep right now.

Derek, ever enthusiastic, moved to the viewing chamber, apparently drawn to the glowing orange hue the genome exhibited. He tapped on the glass, smiling widely and curiously. He wondered what niffty little gizmo was so important to be put in a protective chamber.

"What's this thingy?" the boy asked, tapping the glass. Still, Lucius had his back turned, focused on his work. Daniel on the other hand was getting nervous. He didn't know what was in the viewing chamber, but he knew it probably wasn't anything that could be called safe. He moved to Derek, but it was too late. The boy's presumption that the glass was strong and a protective case as well as his innate curiosity caused him to tap the glass harder, and eventually his power activated.

Derek's hand charged with energy, and the viewing chamber was cracked open. He realized his mistake immediately and turned on his heel to apologize, but he didn't really know the full extent of what he had done. Echo, the dutiful AI, saw it's moment to break free. The genome glowed more brightly now, and in an instant it shot toward Derek, breaking through the teenager's skin. Lucius finally turned at the sound of breaking glass.

Having punctured his skin, the genome quickly moved to assimilate the other DNA in the boy's body. This is how the AI would break free. Usually Echo would be deleted before a test on a human subject, but set free like this such a precaution wasn't in place. Quickly the rogue genome started to override Derek's DNA, and by extension, his very being.

Every suggestion, every code, and every power Alpha and Lucius had used as a test of their experiment's durability was now being uploaded into this organic host. The hair and eye color changed, the powers changed, and the consciousness changed. Echo was still the consciousness in the genome, and now he had a whole body he was at the head of, and he didn't look very happy.

"Enough of your God playing. Time to die." The new being then unleashed unexpected pulse, knocking Daniel and Lucius back.

Travis found Daniel’s overall reactions to the kid pretty amusing, as if he were a parent trying to make sure that the child didn’t do anything stupid like touch anything he wasn’t supposed to. If there was a word that could describe the scenario it would have been adorable. Derek’s reaction to having him talk to his mind, now that was not out of the ordinary. Everyone tended to act that way when people talked into their mind, especially when he did that. Luckily the male didn’t do anything stupid like overact or try to blow his head off. Now that would have been an annoyance he didn’t not want to deal with now of all times. Instead he answered the question about his own powers, which sounded like imbuing his fists with kinetic energy and hitting really hard. Honestly, that sounded really fun and would have been a power that Travis had an interest in.

Maybe he could give Delta that kind of power one day. ”That sounds pretty awesome.” He said without any irony whatsoever, seeming to light up at the social stimulation. Not even really paying attention to anyone else but this unknown person with the whole punching things really hard deal. The male walked over to the genome display, tapping on the glass as like an amused child. Alpha cocked his head to the side, keeping a few steps back but looking at the glass nontheless. It indeed did look interesting, even to the person that had helped bring it together. ”Just some fancy genetic stuff. It’s really important for like improving humanity and stuff.” He answered in a way that someone who didn’t understand the finer points of genetics would understand.

Still the guy kept tapping on the glass, and he realized too late that his powers had activated and the glass shattered. For a second this seemed like nothing, the male turning to what he assumed apologized. That was when something happened, almost too quick for even him to realize as the male began to change from something. Eye color and hair changed to match the ideal they had tested within the genome, making the once Derek become something else. This caused him to frown, even as the male unleashed a blast that was meant to blast Daniel and Lucius back. A low annoyed hum worked from his throat, eyes boring into the new being with subdued anger.

Well not anger, but it was close enough. ”You just killed Derek….or you are Derek.” Now he was wondering which was right, but either way he unleashed a pulse of telekinetic energy upon the strange new person standing before him. Even holding back it was powerful, likely enough to shatter concrete and any wall that stood within its path. Hell, even a human would have been reduced to nothing more than a thick paste on the floor and across the walls. While he wasn’t really angry, he was annoyed he didn’t get to see his power actually in action.

Lucius' eyes were wide. He barely recognized what was happening before he was knocked back into a lab table. The whole thing knocked over, bottles smashing and papers flying, when he rammed into it. This was bad, very, very bad. Red hadn't anticipated the genome coming into contact with an organic host. It was in the viewing chamber for God's sake! Whatever happened to this Derek kid, he deserved it for his unfathomable stupidity.

"Um, call me if you guys actually need me. This is way over my head." Daniel said, popping out of the lab with a quick teleport. It wasn't like he couldn't be there in an instant if Lucius called for him. If he stuck around in such an obviously high powered fight, he would be killed, and he was of better use to Lucius alive then dead. Red seemed to agree, and paid his second in command no mind.

The dictator unsheathed his sword, and then raised his hand. The gem in the center of Cora Zen was a vibrant red, indicating it's offensive mode. If that wasn't enough to show Lucius' attitude in this particular situation, he aggressively poured a wave of Red Energy from his outstretched hand.

Dealing with the attack Alpha sent his way as well as the one Lucius dished out simultaneously, a wave of telekinetic power hit the energy and Alpha's pulse head on. The three powers bitterly fought for control of the room. Although the energy was powerful, it's not like it was easy to corrode force itself. And Alpha, though a massively powerful telekinetic in his own right, seemed to be having trouble breaking through with his pulse. So, the abilities for the time being seemed evenly matched. Lucius and Echo gritted their teeth in effort. Finally, though, Echo, or maybe Derek, rammed his foot into the ground. From it game a surging orange light that traveled along the ground. This would come at both Lucius and Alpha. If hit, no doubt it would send them flying into the air in seething, burning pain, damaging their legs..

Fortunately, Lucius managed to see this attack coming. The dictator flipped backwards and landed on a table, avoiding the floor. But, he did stop his energy attack, and that left him open to a telekinetic attack. Lucius was once again pushed back onto his ass.

"You're right Alpha, Derek is gone, the annoying little shit. I'm Echo, and I'm not going to be made to do Lucius' dirty work any longer. You're helping him, so you're just as bad!" The once AI said. From there the light in the room turned the same orange as the energy that went through the floor. Every light bulb and fixture turned into the angry color, and then it shot out from every source. One contact it would burn and incinerate rapidly, and it was all around them. Alpha would no doubt have to go on the defensive, especially with Echo pushing forward with a massive telekinetic pressure meant to break through Alpha's defensive so his energy attacks could better damage his target.

Travis kept his attention squarely on Echo in his new organic host. What powers he had was fully unknown, but the basics were there enough. He knew he didn’t like the idea of having that thing run around as if it owned the place and likely trying to kill him along with Lucius. This was just going to get annoying, or maybe even fun depending on how strong this unknown creature now was. The only way to find that out was actually testing them, if they didn’t end up breaking under the strain of his own powers first. Daniel did the smart thing and got out of there as soon as possible, leaving the people with massive amounts of power to do the actual fighting. Even if that meant likely giving Belarus a few good craters beforehand. Not like the country did need craters, would have looked lovely dotted throughout Minsk.

Red energy mingled with the telekinetic force shoved against Echo, now fighting against an odd energy that had been released by the newest breed of humanity. It glared at them with hatred, as if they were the true monsters and not the one that had just killed a kid without any remorse. Why was he all of the sudden the one morally outraged about a life lost? This was something that passed through his mind, but nothing that really stuck there as the ground was consumed by orange energy. As if to protect himself, Travis withdrew all of his telekinetic influence and focused it on protecting himself as quickly as possible. This happened in less than a second, but only quick enough to soak up the brunt of the damage as the energy slammed against this legs.

There was a brief rush of pain, one that made him suck in breath as he was pushed back a good bit. His pants had been scorched away and the top layer of skin as well, leaving mangled muscle below that was quickly trying to repair itself. Not quick enough as the skin tried to regrow and everything beneath w as knitting back into proper alignment. It was an annoying sensation, but one he would have to work through when they were facing down a hyper powerful being with all the powers that Lucius had programmed into it. ”So that’s your reason? Wow Lucius, you really need to stop wasting your time on AI’s. They always seem to act stupid and betray you in the end. Guess lucky for me this one was stupid enough to put itself into a body I can kill.” His void was ragged with pain, and yet tinged with now genuine anger.

The air around him wavered like flames while his eyes grew sharp like blades. The air waved around Lucius and Travis, accepting the brunt of the telekinetic push while wavering slightly. Still that was enough that a few of the bulbs composed of the energy could break through, while others shattered futily on the barrier. The only thing he could do was attempt to dodge the attacks, forcing his body to move with telekinesis, one managing to graze his shoulder and causing the flesh there to burn as well. Falling to the ground,and trying to avoid letting his raw legs touch the ground, he let his power compress under the floor and attempted to upturn the entire thing under Echo. The plan had been to smash him into or through the ceiling.

With Alpha at least somewhat occupied by the attacks sent his way, Echo changed focus. Sure it would have been fun to battle it out with Alpha to see who the better telekinetic was, but the former AI's target wasn't Travis. Lucius, who was still recovering from getting thrown, was his true enemy here. If the dictator could be isolated from Alpha, then the fight would be much, much easier. Divide and conquer, essentially. Unfortunately, that plan was called into question when the floor was blown out beneath them by Alpha....... But it was really no matter, when Echo thought about it.

Using a huge muster of telekinetic power, Echo created a surrogate floor for everyone to walk on, and then he sectioned off the part of the room he and Lucius were in. This meant Travis would have to break through it before getting to them, and that was ideal. It would take a huge amount of power to bust through, and that would give Echo at least a few seconds. Once that was done, one of the things Lucius had added, Super Speed, came into play.

Dashing off, Echo grabbed Lucius, then ran straight into a wall. It broke down instantly, as did the next. He was trying to get to another part of the facility with Lucius so that he could be killed more effectively. The whole way he pounded his fists into Lucius' body. Eventually, though, the dictator had enough. He allowed his body to generate a massive pulse of red energy, searing this captor and throwing him a good thirty feet away.

They ended up landingin the main square of Sanctuary now, though it was empty. Away from Alpha, this was Lucius' fight until Travis could reach him. Though, they were perhaps three or four rooms away thanks to Red's intervention. Lucius unsheathed his sword, and then the man took up a fighting stance. Echo could only smile as he dashed off once again.

"I've already dealt with one rogue AI this year. I'm not a big fan. Shut down the genome and put everything back in place if you don't want to be shut down yourself," Lucius said, locking onto the fast moving target. He saw a wicked fast punch come his way, so he blocked it with Cora Zen. He saw a kick, so he leaped backwards. He was avoiding an impressive amount of attacks for someone with no speed augmentations, but his intentions weren't to fight this thing toe to toe. He was buying time, both for Alpha and his own systems.

Lock complete. Scorched earth, motherfucker, Sven said in Lucius' mind. This garnered a small chuckle from the dictator, despite his distaste for profanity. Red's Selective Pulse Generator had locked onto the speeding being's head. Now it was only a matter of activating it.

"You're dead, Alb-" Echo began, but was halted by his head getting ripped off. A near instant pulse was released, and the only thing set to be affected by it was his head. This meant his body would stay where it was, but his head would be the focal point of thousands of tons of force. It ripped off as easy as the snapping of a tooth pick.

"Not quite. I still have the history books to make, after all." Lucius said, a chuckle escaping his lips as he watched the head tumble to the ground.

Unfotunately, the head was healing.... Rapidly. Even with Lucius pouring Red Energy on it.

The floor came upward in an attempt to crush the telekinetic, but that didn’t do exactly what he wanted it to do. Instead they created a telekinetic floor under them, destroying the thing he had hoped would crush them. This duel of telekinetic power would not end as easily as he wanted, and he had a feeling he would need to do more than these half ass attempts to kill them. It looked like Travis would have to pour everything had into this and hope that they were not more powerful than him. Not that he couldn’t deal with them if that were the case, because his intelligence had more uses than just thinking quickly.

Quickly echo appeared to rush forward and grasp onto Lucius, thrusting him through a few walls as if trying to separate the two of them and make this fight much easier. Likely they would have been too far gone, but his ally had a plan that involved using his annoying energy to stop the push before it went too far. Without wasting a second he began following, leaping through the massive holes formed within the walls and shoving any debris that thought it could hold the telekinetic back. They were sorely mistaken in thinking that anyone could do it.

Still, it felt like his athletic speed was nowhere near enough to actually reach point B from point A and having his work wasted was even worse. He growled under his breath, letting his telekinetic field surround him and propel the Rise head forward with even greater speed until he found himself being flung through the wall out towards the square of Sanctuary. Bits of wall had been thrown to the ground, and he landed with a weighty thump. A low groan coming due to the pain that lanced through his legs, even as they continued to heal at an incredible pace. Not incredible enough to help him out however. Maybe he needed someone that could do something like a healing touch or whatever.

He did arrive in time to see the beings head blown off, a disgusting display of blood, bone and brain matter splattering across the floor. ”I think we did too good on this one.” He groaned, watching their head already begin to rapidly regenerate while he focused his power upon them soley. He wondered if they could be able to regenerate from much. Not many metahumans held that capability, so there was only one way to find out and that was trying to implode them. So he let all the pressure he could produce in his pained state come forth, pressing in like a macabre juicer. If they had no defense, skin would likely crush inwards and mulch with their bones into a gross mingling of something. He could feel it, the strain from going all out like this and yet there was no choice.

He didn’t exactly have many friends, and Lucius being one of the few and having someone trying to kill him made this a dire situation.

Even when being put through a huge amount of torture, the head seemed intent on growing back it's body. It's skin was durable enough to resist while it's cells healed. Much to Lucius' dismay, Echo was reforming, and that meant this fight wasn't going to be as easy as one trick with his Selective Pulse Generator. Once Lucius was sure of this, he turned tail, hoping to get closer to Alpha so they could fight this guy on a united front.

As soon as he stopped pouring energy into this thing though, it started to even more rapidly regenerate. Just Alpha's telekinetic power wasn't enough to hold back the regeneration as well. Within an instant, Echo was back up at full capacity, laughing devilishly. You could see the attitude of invincibility this being had. It was the same thing that monstrosity in DC had. Saint, Lucius remembered was his name. This would be hard, but Lucius and Alpha would get through it. They always did.

"You can't kill me! You've finally created your last monster, Alba! I will be your undoing, and then i will punish this world for all your crimes! You've given me all the means i need to do so.. Haha...ahahahahahhahaha!" Echo said. Lucius just cringed at the cheesiness.

"......My.....God, i wasn't aware i stepped into a Power Rangers episode," The dictator quipped, the gem in his sword's hilt turning blue now. He still stood in his fighting stance, but Red was relaxed. No doubt he was hiding his true fears behind a facade of confidence, but that didn't matter. What mattered is that Echo thought he was still a threat. If he didn't, then Lucius would be overpowered. It was as simple as that... Lucius knew when someone outclassed him, i state once more.

"Yeah, i think we might want to consider getting worse at this whole science thing," Lucius said. That's when Echo charged them both, a telekinetic field around them shielding their movements. If Alpha wanted to stop Echo's running around, he would have to focus on piercing a barrier, and that was very difficult when you were getting punched in the face.

Echo's fists had orange energy behind them, and they hit with such force that Lucius' blocks with Cora Zen were the only thing protecting him. Luckily his sword matched force put against it when in defensive mode. Unfortunately though, he wasn't as fast. Yes, the dictator's reaction time was impressive, but his movement speed was still subpar. When he finally failed to block an attack, Lucius grunted in pain, his armored cracking as he was thrown back.

After that, Echo focused on Alpha. He sped around him, punching, kicking, and using precise telekinetic attacks on weak points in the Rise Head's shielding. If he couldn't break Alpha through brute force, he would blitz him, and stretch out his focus. Once Alpha was focusing on several minor attacks at once, that's when Echo would unleash an massive, crushing attack, hopping to finish off Alpha's shield.

It looked like attempting to implode the bastard was impossible, or so he could tell from the show. All powerful acid and thousands of tons of force were nothing more than minor annoyances to the beast. Now that was…both annoying and impressive as the some time. They had created someone that was more powerful than they could have ever comprehended, and yet he knew that was no excuse for being unable to deal with them. His mind could conceive of way to create them and that meant even with immense power they had some kind of weakness. Unfortunately that meant they would also begin to monologue, as if having immense power gave them the right to be an immense prick. Most people Lucius fought thought they had the right to talk when no one really wanted to hear them. Maybe that was a similarity that the dictator shared with his enemies.

With Lucius beside him, the two formed a united front against a more powerful foe with Travis taking a defensive stance while recalling all his telekinetic might to himself. He had a feeling this would be difficult, a lesser man would have called it impossible but here they were fighting. Chris would probably chew him out for going into a fight this stupid without thinking ahead about these things. Then they were being charged, a beast veiled within telekinetic power likely hoping to bash both of their faces in with impunity. Now this was going to be the most fun he had in a while, or maybe the least fun. It all depends upon who you asked at the end of the day.

First Lucius was thrown back, leaving him to deal with someone that did not like him very much. Almost like that Danny chick except their antics were a little more light hearted and did not end with someone trying to murder him. He almost missed those kinds of things really but there was no time to pine for insanity when he was being assaulted. That was when the blitz came, these unrelenting attacks at his personal barrier in the hope that one section of it would give in. Any lesser telekientic would have been screwed but he was no such lesser telekinetic. Instead he let them strike, getting the idea that they were pressuring him and then he let the plan spring. His telekinetic field like a trap latched out onto one of the limbs that was lashing at him. With deadly, but invisible pincers it would attempt to get into their limb and hold it in place while he quickly put all his power into more bindings.

There was no holding back int this maneuver and he could feel the blood beginning to dribble down from his nose. ”You know, I always wanted to meet someone I could go all out against. Never really met that someone before now so try not to break on me.” That was when they would likely feel an almost immeasurable pressure slam them to the ground. ”Know how much pressure a black hole produces? I don’t but I think this might be a fun test between us.” He would destroy them utterly or try to.

Lucius was in what many would call a hopeless situation. But, it was easy to say something was impossible. It was easy to be the nihilist. It was easy to give up, because then you didn't even have to try. Yes, they were outclassed. Lucius had got carried away with his tests of the genome and packed the being to the brim with power, but that didn't mean he couldn't destroy him. Lucius thought back to all the powers he had coded. He searched for a weakness, somewhere, anywhere really. With Alpha holding the being off, it was time for Lucius to come up with a tactic that would end this. Better that then both of them fighting the damn thing and getting nowhere.

Echo's plan seemed to be going well for awhile. What do you do to beat an all powerful telekinetic? You spread their focus thin and overwhelm them. You attack randomly, repeatedly, and from multiple fronts and in multiple ways. This idea seemingly broke Alpha down, and Echo could only laugh as he saw it unfold....... Unfortunately, it was just a ploy. Travis was too clever and all around too powerful to be taken down in such manner. The Rise Head sneakily latched onto Echo's leg, then with unmatched might slammed his adversary into the ground. The force was something Lucius had perhaps only seen from someone like Atlas. It was ridiculous, and it managed to audibly crush a few bones in Echo and cause a huge amount of blood to pool on the floor. He was healing, sure, but he was also screaming.

"You....you won't win.... You delay the inevitable. I willl......  I will kill you both, you bastards!" Echo said as the force continued to come done on him. It was, apparently, Alpha's best impression of a black hole, and it was tearing Echo apart as fast as he healing.

The being then unleashed it's own power, trying to hold back the unimaginable force coming down on him. He succeeded partially, allowing himself to heal a bit more then just enough to stay alive, but this was unsustainable. For a moment Lucius even thought perhaps Alpha would do it. Perhaps Alpha would overcome this more powerful adversary without some clever strategy or trick to tip the scales in their favor. Unfortunately, that was likely only wishful thinking on the dictator's part.

Echo screamed in pain, his barrier breaking down. Alpha was stressed as well, his nose bleeding in a way Lucius had not seen in years, but it was clear his friend was winning this...... Right up until Echo teleported.

The plan was to make Alpha focus all his power on one thing so he could get an opening, and Echo had done it masterfully. An energy blade appearing in his hand, Echo attempted to impale Alpha through the back.

"And so one Rise Head falls, and the other is left all alone........ This is over, Lucius."