DC: Prototype

POV Change - Alex

Standing in the park, I looked up at the stars and remarked at my new vision. It was like having two telescopes instead of eyes.

I'm pretty sure that the virus re-purposes any genes and Biomass I...consume. Ah. That word is a bit cannibalistic, isn't it? I'm gonna say absorb from now on to save my sanity, thank you very much...Anyway, the virus re-purposes anything it absorbs, including genes, so inside my body, I'm currently a mass of my original genes, alongside 15 special forces soldiers. The best of the best.

And those genes were being mutated and evolved by the virus and adding to my power. From my research, I know that the virus optimizes the person's genes and cells to be better, but this new strain I ingested...it seems to optimize my genes, and the genes of those I've absorbed, to not just be better, but also optimized for combat. That blade I used the other day being the prime example.

Think of it like this; imagine the inside of my body is a battleground for Darwinism. All of the genes are cloned and then pitted against each other until the purest and strongest genes are left. Millions and millions of years of evolution is happening in my body as we speak. I'm growing stronger every second. Mutating and evolving to better fit my environment. I've come to terms...well, I haven't come to terms with it, but I've accepted the fact that I'm a virus now. I spent some time testing for bones and organs...and there's nothing. I'm just a mass of Biological material. I'm just a pile of humanoid Biomass, controlled by a consciousness.

...It was odd and scary to think that I wasn't human anymore. It was even more terrifying to think about what would happen to me if the Justice League found out about me.

Sure, Superman and a few others of the League aren't Human...but they're not a literal virus, are they? They're living beings. By all the definitions of being alive, a virus is a dead, nonliving thing! And if they listen to the government, they'll think I'm some kind of Bio-Terrorist anyway. Not to mention the people I've already killed.

I'm not a good person anyway. As I said, Altruism is full of shit. Helping people out because it's the 'good' thing to do, is just a form of masochism. Everyone's a critic and eventually, you saving their life won't be enough.

I'm not a hero.

But I wouldn't say I'm an insane f.u.c.k like the Joker or that crazy bitch Harley Quinn.

I'm somewhere in the middle, huh?

Closing my eyes, I listened to the sounds around me and just like with my sight, I felt stunned at the range and clarity of my hearing now. I could hear the birds and other critters getting ready to sleep, nestling in their nests in the trees. I could hear the homeless people a few hundred meters away, petting his dog and feeding him something that smelled like a sausage. Oh yeah, my sense of smell has also been enhanced.

It was like I'd entered a new world where everything had been enhanced and turned up.

It was because of this that I heard light footsteps heading toward me. I opened my eyes and turned in the direction of the sounds. Standing around 5'7" and covered in a puffy green coat, was Barbara Gordon. Her red hair flowed down from under her woolly hat and framed her pale face, though it was pretty red around the cheeks because of the chilly cold pervading Gotham at the minute. It was December after all.

Her face looked much more m.a.t.u.r.e since the last time I'd seen it. More beautiful than the cute it used to be. Though her green eyes were still the same. Filled with optimism and curiosity. They practically shone in the dark. The opposite of my metallic yellow eyes.

My vision and the experience I had, from the memories of the soldiers I'd absorbed, picked up something...odd. Barbara was unnaturally toned for a normal girl or even a normal human for that matter. The way she moved was perfect. For a human at least. Her balance, coordination...it was all so centered. Like a gymnast. Did she take up some kind of training while I was gone? From the looks of it...most likely.

The way her eyes darted around, looking for something even after seeing me...it was like a soldier checking if somewhere was safe.

Weird.

What had happened while I was gone?

Keeping my thoughts and internal emotions off of my face, I walked toward Barbara with a smile on my face.

"How you doing, Barb?" I asked, "You look a little jumpy," I teased with a playful sounding voice, yet the worry inside of me was genuine.

This made her eyes snap back to my direction as she went a bit fl.u.s.tered, "A-Ah! Sorry, I'm just a little jumpy because, you know, it's dark and we're in Gotham; a dangerous place for a lone girl, right?" I saw her eyebrow twitch as she replied and my worry only intensified. Her eyebrow twitching is her biggest tell when she lies.

What's she hiding?

But I played along, my brain chugging along and trying to figure out what had her so jumpy while I replied, "Oh shit, yeah. That makes sense. Sorry I called you out so late..." I trailed off, knowing that even if that wasn't what was worrying her, she was right about Gotham at night not being a place for anyone, whether they're a 19-year-old girl or boy.

...But from how she's walking like some kind of trained soldier...I doubt she'd be in any trouble if people did decide to prey on her.

"No!" she said suddenly, "I mean, don't worry about it, you know?" she chuckled nervously before continuing, "If I didn't want to see you, I wouldn't have come out and 'risked' myself, would I?" she spoke in a mock grave voice as she said 'risked' and started laughing, which I joined in. It was nice to hear her laugh.

As we both came to a stop, I looked over at her and gave an easygoing smile before giving a slightly nervous, yet gentle smile and held my arm out, "Should we go and get some ice cream before the criminals of Gotham descend upon us, Ms. Gordon?" I said in a mock posh accent, like some kind of noble and Barbara smiled before giggling and wrapping her arms around my offered arm and snuggling in close to me.

God, I'm glad she didn't turn that gesture down. I'd have been so f.u.c.k.i.n.g embarrassed.

I guess even if I'm a humanoid virus, I can still feel stuff like embarrassment. Good. I don't want to completely lose everything that made me human. Even if I'm not one anymore...

Barbara brought me out of my thoughts as she replied in her own posh accent, "Why yes, I think we should, Sir Mercer," before she began laughing again, the sound like the most beautiful music in my ears. Without waiting for me to move forward she began tugging me along.

As I watched her drag me along I smiled fondly at her. If only I didn't become what I was. If only I told the government to f.u.c.k off when they offered me a job.

'If only'...No matter. What happened has happened. I should just focus on enjoying this night with Barbara. After that, I have to get back at Amanda Waller and anyone else involved in the betrayal of me.

. . .

"So you wanna be a lawyer?" I asked, my eyes raised in surprise. Last time she'd spoke about a job, it was pretty far from being a lawyer, "What about wanting to make a game? Huh? Like those weird romance games you always play," I quipped, smiling as I saw her face start to go a bit red.

Her face still red, but slowly filling with indignation, Barbara pointed her spoon at me like some kind of weapon, "Hey! They're not 'weird' games! Just normal romance games!" she said and I rolled my eyes in mock exasperation, but she carried on regardless, lowering her spoon, "And...Well, I just want to help people I guess. Dad said he didn't want me on the force and getting hurt, and I'm not a medical whizz like you, so I doubt I could become a doctor or Major in Genetics and Biochemistry as you did..." she trailed off before perking up, "But I've always been good at arguing! You know that first hand!"

Sighing, I nodded my head with a half-smile, "Yeah, I sure do..." only to have the spoon pointed at me again.

"Hey! You're supposed to disagree with stuff like that, Alex!" she pouted but from the mischief in her eyes, she was only messing about, "Anyway, with a 'talent' like that, and my photographic memory, I'd be a pretty good lawyer, right?" I nodded, seeing her point, and she carried on, "So, I thought 'Why not become one?'. I could help people and have a pretty well-paying job. Win-win, I guess," she mused as she scooped up some more of her strawberry ice cream and gobbled it up like some kind of glutton.

Seeing her stuffing her cheeks with ice cream brought back so many good memories. We used to come here every day after school. In middle school and the start of high school, at least. We're lucky the owner still regards us as regulars otherwise I doubt he would've opened the door for us at 10:00 PM aka an hour after closing time.

Good ol' Joe. Always a good guy. It makes you wonder why he's sticking around in Gotham, honestly. He seems more like a Metropolis man.

Eating some of my chocolate fudge ice cream, I felt it get converted into Biomass by the virus that made up my body, but I tried to ignore that and instead asked Barbara a question, "So, what did you get a bachelor degree in?"

"Business Management," she said before going back to devouring her ice cream.

Eating another bit of ice cream I pointed my spoon at her, "You got a scholarship to Gotham State University, right? Soon after I left for the West Coast for that gifted and talented Science project. I remember you telling me back then."

Nodding, Barbara licked her lips of any leftover ice cream before answering, "Yeah...When you left, I didn't really see the point in sticking around in high school any longer. So, I graduated earlier and got a scholarship to Gotham State," she said with a reminiscent look on her face but was brought back to the land of the living by me speaking.

"Well, no doubt about it, I bet high school was boring without me, huh?" I laughed and Barbara blanked for a second before laughing as well, shaking her head while trying not to smile but failing miserably.

"Hahaha...you're such a jerk, Alex, pffftahaha!" she said in a joking way continuing to laugh. I just smirked as I watched her enjoying herself.

It seemed like she'd needed this. Just like I had.

"So, when are you gonna take you LSAT?" I asked as I brought my spoon up to lick it clean. As I brought the spoon out of my mouth, I saw something in the corner of my eye and my ears picked up the sound of the air splitting, even through the window we were sitting next to.

My stomach dropped, just like I dropped my spoon and brought my hand up in front of Barbara's head.

I morphed my hand into a black and red shield just as the window next to us smashed and a bullet was flying through the air toward Barbara's head. The bullet hit the shield and crumbled, not even denting the organic metal-like substance that I could make with Biomass.

Barbara didn't react as quickly as me, yet she still reacted much quicker than any normal human as her eyes shot toward the left, where my shield was and where the bullet broke the glass. She quickly looked up and down at my arm and my hand that had morphed into a shield with wide-eyes and shock. But not the kind of shock that you'd expect. It was like this wasn't that weird to her. It was the fact it was me that was exhibiting such powers that was shocking her, not the powers themselves.

Before she could react any further, a massive storm of bullets came through the window, slamming into my head and upper body, while harmlessly bouncing off of the shield protecting Barbara.

Barbara must have thought the red and black Biomass was blood because she started screaming. Yet I didn't waste any Biomass on protecting myself - I'd heal after the bullets stopped - and only focused on keeping the shield strong and impenetrable. But when the bullets didn't stop I looked slightly to the right and saw that one of the soldiers was shooting at us with a f.u.c.k.i.n.g minigun. Cl.i.c.k.i.n.g my tongue, or whatever was left of it after the barrage of bullets, I picked up my spoon and flicked my hand in the gunner's direction with as much strength as I could muster.

The spoon shot through the air as a silvery blur and hit the soldier right in the center of his c.h.e.s.t before blowing through the muscle and bone, and exiting out his back, taking a major chunk of flesh with it.

I'd already mutated and evolved to get this strong huh? The more I absorb, the more I mutate and evolve because of the new genes...I'm practically limitless now. In terms of potential, anyway. I wonder if training would help in any way?

Anyway, with the minigun user dead, the hailstorm of bullets had stopped, so I morphed my hand back to its normal appearance and before Barbara could speak, I pushed her down under the table for safety. Once that was done, I sprung out of the window, manipulating my Biomass to increase my speed.

More shots came at me but I ignored them and continued sprinting to the deceased soldier's body.

I soon got to him, he wasn't that far away and I'm pretty quick now, so I bent down and sent my tendrils throughout his body and absorbed him. As I absorbed him, just like always, memories of another's life came flooding into my head. But I ignored most of the useless memories about family and friends and focused on the mission briefing he'd gained an hour ago. After I'd done that, I focused on the positions his squad were assigned.

I knew where they were now.

Smirking, I kicked up the minigun and aimed it to the top floor of the building next to me while pressing the button to make the barrel spin and warm up. With my vision, I could see a wide-eyed soldier with a sniper looking down at me, "I see you," I said before I pulled the trigger and the minigun spat out a storm of bullets which tore the poor guy to shreds.

Yet I wasn't done and stopped firing before turning to the opposite building on the street, where a group of three were perched in a nearby alleyway that had a clear view on the ice cream parlor. They were finished off as quickly as the sniper and I once again turned to another building where I knew some soldier was perched in.

Honestly, I think absorbing soldiers and their memories has given me a few...mental problems? Or maybe just an indifference to killing. After all, a few days ago, I'd have probably thrown up if I practically cut someone in half by firing a minigun at them. But this is an advantage. If I can gain experience and such a mindset just by absorbing things...well, my quest against Waller won't be too impossible.

Just as the minigun was about to run out of ammo from the box connected to it and at my feet, a metal projectile jammed the rotating barrel and stopped it from firing. Just as I was about to flick it out, the metal projectile that was shaped in a bat shape, beeped before crackling with electricity which spread through the minigun and then up my arm.

Though it didn't affect me, I could still feel the virus using the information to mutate me further and increase my resistance to electrical-based attacks.

I heard a noise and looked to my left to see a dark figure appear. But as they landed I got a better look at them. It appeared to be a woman, dressed in a similar way to Batman. She was in an all-black combat suit, yet the bat on her c.h.e.s.t was yellow, and she was wearing yellow gloves and boots, and she had a yellow utility belt around her slender waist. The inside of her cape also seemed to be yellow.

But as I looked at her hair and eyes, I stood stock-still. Red hair. Green eyes. My nose picked up a similar smell and my eyes could never mistake the shape of that face. Her height was the same and so was her body shape.

It all made sense.

"...So this is why you were so different, huh?" I weakly said before laughing a little, "If I'd have known, I would have left these guys to you," I shrugged before dropping the minigun and letting the electricity stop, well, electrocuting me.

My words seemed to confuse the woman before she realized what I was saying. Her face went pale and she went to stammer something but I cut her off.

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone," I said while not being able to meet her eye. I knew she'd hate me after what she saw. That she'd feel disgusted at what I've become. Yada yada yada. But now this puts us on the opposite sides of the 'war' doesn't it? She's Batgirl and I'm someone who kills people. She has to take me down. "But who'd have guessed it, huh?" I quipped, mirthlessly laughing, "That you'd become a hero and I'd become a villain...The world works in mysterious ways, huh?"

I sent out tendrils to all the corpses nearby and brought them back to me, Batgirl in front of me jumping as I did, preparing some Batarangs in her hands. But I ignored her and just absorbed the corpses and felt the influx of memories, genes, and strength.

I was already three or four times stronger than I was when I first woke up. Again, I need to see what training would do for me.

"Well, I guess this is goodbye, Batgirl," I waved before preparing to jump. Though before I could, I heard burning above me and dodged to the side. A green explosion of hot plasma happened before a few people landed in front of it, facing me.

Looking over at Batgirl, or rather, Barbara who was walking to their side, I gave an empty smile, "Friends of yours, Batgirl?"

Though I didn't get any reply. Not that I should suspect one ever again. Even then, it hurts pretty bad, huh?

One of the group, a girl with tan skin - very tan, like, almost golden orange in color - and bright red hair that went down to around her hip level, looked at me with glowing green eyes, her face morphed in rage as she looked at all the blood in the surroundings. I guess without the rage clouding her face, she'd be a very beautiful girl. Yet from the anger on her face...I doubt I'd ever have a chance.

It's just not my day, is it? First, Barbara turns out to be Batgirl, and then an insanely hot girl appears out of nowhere and is incredibly pissed at me.

She ignored the hand on her shoulder from a shorter, black-haired boy and just walked over to me. As she got closer I realized the boy wasn't short, this girl was just pretty tall. She was around the same height as me, give or take a few centimeters.

She stopped a meter or two away from me, green energy crackling around her hands and spewing itself from her eyes, and she spoke, "You've killed people and put others at risk...we'll be taking you in and you can either let us or we will make you. It is your choice, criminal," she looked at me her rage still very apparent, but now there was a faint bit of disdain on her face as she gazed at me with her glowing green eyes and her nose upturned at me.

But I didn't care about that. I killed people and put others at risk? I'm the one getting blamed, again? They shot at me with a minigun. They had snipers all around us. They had assault teams ready to kill everyone in sight if they interfered with the mission. I would know; I've seen their memories and the mission briefing Amanda Waller herself gave them. Yet I'm the one in the wrong for replying with deadly force when people tried to kill me?

This glowy-eyed bitch wants to treat me like the person who attacked first?

Well. That kinda pisses me the f.u.c.k off.