Mind/Machine clash

It was only a day after I fought that strange winged man, and his words still spun through my head. Of course it would, my internal memory processor recorded the entire encounter. It was the mention of a scientist that he knew but couldn't contact replayed through my field of vision. Those words in particular I paid close attention to. There were more super-humans in this city, and one of them had the key to my past. I just had to figure out who. Looking ahead, 20 feet ahead in fact, I saw a guy that stood out like a sore thumb. He looked like he was dressed for a comic book convention. White robes and long hair. As we prepared to cross paths, I scanned this man for any genetic anomaly, and by some strange coincidence, this man's brain activity was off the charts. Bingo,A super-human! The man must have had enough brain power to create, well, a cyborg. So, with hope, I rammed my shoulder into his and hoped for a reaction.

The Whiz had already done his research, and this was far from a chance meeting. Pieces had been carefully fit into place to ensure that they were in an area where they wouldn't be spotted, and there were several exits available just in case. He had learned what he could about this man, and knew he was rather strong but not quite as swift or agile as Alex was. When the man rushed forward trying to ram his shoulder into Alex's, he sidestepped and pressed his hands into the man's back, adding to his forward momentum.

He smiled, hopping back a few paces and concentrating in front of him. Small spheres of light appeared in the area between them, most of the globes white but a few faintly blue or red. "I warn you, sir. I am an expert at the Aikido style of martial arts, which in turn focuses on deflection and control," he said, Firing off a few of the orbs toward the ground but away from the metal man. They exploded upon impact, each one sending a small spray of dirt and gravel in all directions.

Okay, this wasn't what I had in mind. This guy knew magic! I thought he was just some brain that would've been easy to take down. Even though those white orbs were sending off dust and dirt, my thermal scanning wasn't daunted by this. "Oh so you know martial arts, let's see if it can stand up to brute strength." With that, I charged toward the magician.

Alex allowed three of the orbs to detonate in front of the man, directing two more into the ground to kick up more dust. He remembered where the man would be coming out at, and maneuvered his arm into the right position, applying pressure that should use his attacker's weight to make him flip. The man's weight hurt his arm a bit, but he figured that, between this throw and the damage that would be inflicted by the explosions, it was a worthwhile move to make.

He again backpedaled, noting how the man was moving, ready to concentrate his blasts if necessary. He didn't want to risk damaging the other superhuman, especially as he hadn't heard anything of misdeeds in his research, but at this particular juncture it would be safer to flee if things grew out of hand. He brushed some dirt off his robe with one hand, redirecting the remaining orbs into a wall in front of him. "In this case, it seems your brute force attempts are turning your own strength against you," he said in a clinical tone, no hint of mockery or judgment in it.

The way this guy moved. It wasn't fast-paced like the man with the wings, it was more manipulative and agile. He was trying to distract me with dirt and used my own strength against me. This was going to be a problem. The last guy used speed and flight, this one was strategic. But all I had to do was scan his body for a weakness and exploit it. But at that moment, I was going to try my own long distance attack. Noticing a nearby SUV, I picked it up from the back and swung it at the little man. "Dodge this!"

Alex's eyes widened as the man picked up the vehicle and three it at him. He knew some meta humans were capable of enhanced strength, but this move was unexpected. Thinking on his feet, he couldn't really determine where the car would land, so instead of trying to dodge out of the way, he decided to redirect it. He sent his remaining orbs to smash against the side of the car from the right while running to the left. He calculated the trajectory of the SUV and, the numbers coming up short, leaped as far as he could.

He almost managed to dodge it, but his shoulder hit the driver's side tire and he spun in midair, rolling to the ground before regaining his feet. He spun to face the man, a glint of anger in his eyes. "Throw shit at me?" he said, a smirk on his lips. His shoulder was sore, but he didn't need that for his next maneuver. He willed a large globe of red light into existence and several smaller white globes appeared beside it. The globes shot toward the man, whistling as they flew, each one set to explode on impact as they imparted their energy in a single focused spot. The orbs flew from different directions, further complicating things.

Whatever the man conjured, it was high with some energy. It looked different than the other orbs he was throwing at me. Using my HUD, I was able to dodge most of the orbs. I had caught onto the speed of the white orbs to the point that I was able to dodge them with ease. Just when I though I was out of the woods, my HUD detected an energy reading within close proximity and I looked up just in time for a large red mass of energy hit me square in the face. My head was flung back and pieces of my flesh flew from my face. Assessing the damage through internal diagnostics, my system displayed eighty percent of damage done to the facial area, which meant my endoskeletal skull was exposed. "Take a good look, this is what I am ."

Alex gasped, expecting the man to easily dodge that particular blast. He had thought it would be his primary target, allowing a few of the smaller ones to graze his outer frame, but apparently he had overestimated that particular strategy. He was torn between going to the man's aid and fearing a reprisal of some sort. He settled for a cool defensive status, though he couldn't help but speak. "I can see what can be done to repair the damage, if you are willing to call a truce. I have a fair amount of technical knowledge and might be able to affect some repairs. Can't exactly see how much damage was dealt from here though," he said, the offer to help sincere.

This battle was meant to test his ability to defend himself when necessary and utilize what he knew to counterattack. He could tell from these results that his power was quite dangerous if he wasn't careful, something he would note well in the future if he decided to take such an action again. He also knew that his opponent was not his enemy, though he was not particularly sure of the purpose of this encounter. Too many unknown variables... he thought absently, concern still on his features.

This guy wanted a truce? He obviously had never seen or heard of me. That placed this little investigation as a another dead end, but I had to know if this guy knew anything, anything at all, about me. My HUD displayed the nanites repairing the damage done to my face. "Thanks for the help," I said pointing to my repairing face, "but as you can see, my body can repair itself.Now, if you like a truce, there are some questions I have for you." With my face completely healed, I rolled back my right sleeve, exposing the DX-500 tattoo. "What does this mean?"

Alex contemplated just what to tell the stranger. He did, in fact, know something about the tattoo, and he figured he would be able to escape if necessary, so revealing a bit of information was most likely safe. "I don't know exactly what it means. It could be a designation, a signature from whomever was responsible, perhaps your particular 'model number', if you will," he said, delving into his mental library. "I remember that your tattoo was part of an investigation into a man who was knocked unconscious and robbed for his clothing, apparently," he said after a moment.

"I believe you were also spotted on surveillance footage from a casino in Las Vegas about six months before that, too, but I don't remember the exact details surrounding that," he added, trying to think of anything else that was relevant. "Logically, your nanomachines were most likely injected before your cybernetics were installed. That sort've damage would probably have been fatal otherwise, though I can't say for sure how long it was between the nanite injection and the other modifications. With the proper equipment I would probably be able to harvest some useful data from the nanite's programming, but I don't have those kinds of resources."

This man proved to be very informative. Though he didn't know where I came from, the information regarding my nanites was helpful. But still, I was a model of something. Just a numerical item that was lost from inventory. On top of that, I'm wanted throughout the country now. I'll have to pay that man a visit. If this guy had the equipment, he'd probably help me find out who I was. "Do you know any other cyborgs?"

Alex frowned. Though he had conducted cybernetic research, generally information about individuals was considered confidential. "I'm afraid I do not. My interests had lay with finding out more about the technology, not those who utilized it. If you hadn't made a scene in your previous scuffle, I wouldn't have known about you either, to be honest," he said, trying to think of anything that could help. He found himself curious about a few things, though. "Do you remember those incidents, or has this been a goal of yours for some time now?" he asked, still wary of a possible attack.

I was amazed that anyone asked me a question concerning my past. This guy seemed like he was an investigator, he liked to look into things. With him as my only outlet to my secret and unknown past, I laid out my situation, "Yes, I have always wondered who or what I am and who I was ever since I woke up in the Nevada desert. I don't know if I have family or not, if I have friends. As I spoke, I felt a tinge of anger bloom inside of me. "I also want to find the people who did this to me. I've searched state after state for an answer, but I've never found a single lead. I was told New York city was full of freaks, so I came here looking for answers from these freaks. You and this winged man were the only people of abnormality I've encountered.

Alex's eyes narrowed at the term 'freaks'. Sure they were different, given certain advantages over others, but calling us 'freaks' implied that there was something wrong with us. He fought the urge to just leave then, instead reaching into his pocket to draw out a business card. He left it in the window of a nearby car, turning to leave. "If you decide to take me up on the offer sometime in the future, I should have what I need within a few months. I may learn more about you in the meantime, so either way it might be useful to call me," he said, smiling and walking away.

The business card simply said The Whiz with a carefully protected email address in golden script that seemed to glow faintly in the sun.