Post by lee on Oct 24, 2023 2:20:43 GMT
Tales From Earth-E: Metal Men: Metalstorm
Part 1
October 14, 1998
"The last of the U.N. peacekeeping force withdrew from Zandia yesterday, but not before coming under attack. Since the assassination of the nation's religious leader, a man known to the world only as Brother Blood, apparently by his own son, the United Nations has been pulling troops out of the small Baltic state. It has been assumed that all parties were abiding by an agreed upon cease-fire. Casualties were light despite the sudden attack. Confirmed reports tell of one fatality, an American serviceman, 19-year old Victor Stone."
* * * * *
Today
Dr. Will Magus hit the stop button on the VCR, then turned both it and the television off. He knew it wasn't the most tactful way to explain to the young man why he was here, but then again, the doctor had never been completely comfortable dealing with people anyway. Besides, he thought, when he gets a look at himself...
"So, Doc, you're telling me what; that I've been dead for almost five years?"
Dr. Magus smoothed his lab coat and looked at the young man. "Yes and no.'
Victor sighed. "Yeah, that's the straight answer I was looking for."
"You have been in a coma since '99, but the world has believed you were dead."
"Then who did you bury?" Victor asked. "I know I wasn't on very good terms with my parents when I joined the military, but surely they would have recognized whether or not they were putting their own son in the ground."
"Due to the extent of you injuries," the doctor told him, "your coffin was never opened. And before you bring it up, let me just say that the government paid for the funeral, so your parents were out nothing."
Victor wasn't sure he liked what he heard, but he was sure he didn't like the man who said it. Still, until he found out a little more about his current situation, he thought it was best to keep his opinions to himself. He decided to sit up.
"Why does my body feel so heavy?"
Dr. Magus pulled the blanket off of the young man. "That's why."
Victor looked down and his left eye widened in shock. "What the hell have you done to me?" he screamed. "You've turned me into some kind of monster."
"No," the doctor said calmly. "I've saved your life."
The young man looked at himself in a full-length mirror that Dr. Magus pulled over. The middle of his thighs down to his feet was gone, replaced by piston-driven metal facsimiles. Most of his pelvis, as well as his waist and a good section of his chest had also been replace. He held out his hands and saw that they, as well as his arms, were new. When he lifted his eyes to see his face, he hardly recognized himself. From the middle of his chin and around the left side of his face was still him; the right side, however, was covered by a sculpted metal plate. His right eye was gone as well, replaced by a glowing red sensor.
"This is you idea of saving me?" he screamed at the man. "I look like a 20th century Frankenstein."
"Actually, you look like a 21st century Frankenstein. But, hey, it could be worse."
It was a cold, metallic voice that he heard from somewhere off to his left. When Victor turned to find the newcomer, he was surprised to find himself looking into the optical sensors of what appeared to be a man crafted entirely from a bluish-silver metal.
"What are you supposed to be?" the young man asked.
"I'm supposed to be dead, just like you are, but I "died" during the Tet Offensive. Lucky for me, though, Dr. Charles Grayson and his assistant Willie Magus here, decided to sock my brain down inside this hunk of tin." He held out his hand. "Name's Cliff Steel, but most folks around here call me Robotman."
Victor shook Cliff's hand. "I'm Victor Stone, Vic to my friends. All I can say is that they better not be calling me "Robotman". Uh, no offense."
"None taken," Cliff assured him through his constant grin. "But they have given you a nickname."
The young man's one remaining eyebrow arched. "What are they calling me?"
"You, my friend, are affectionately referred to as "Cyborg"."
Chapter 2
Victor was surprised at how easily he adapted to his new body. He knew, according to Cliff, that psychologically, it would take a while to get used to his new state of being. Physically, however, it reacted as though it were the body he was born with.
Cliff spent the rest of the day showing him around and tried to help him get accustomed to his situation. What surprised Vic the most was the reactions, or lack thereof, of the people who worked at Dr. Magus' facility. Only a few had called him "Cyborg"; most had simply called him by name, introduced themselves, and told him how excited they were that he was finally awake. They offered to help him in anyway he needed to learn the capabilities of his new body.
Cliff finally led him to a room where he could rest. "Being basically a robot with a human brain, my body doesn't get tired. There are time that I do shut my systems down for diagnostics and my mind finally rests, shoot, I even dream sometimes, but, usually, I spend the nighttime just watching a lot of television. You, on the other hand, could probably use a rest. Even though you can go for long periods of time without sleep now, your organic body parts are going to need to rest occasionally."
"How long did it take for you to come to grips with your situation?" Vic asked his guide.
"Honestly? There are still times when I regret not being able to do certain things, but, I think it only took about a day for it to sink in that I was still alive. My brain still processes information, and my emotions still have a big say-so in what I do, so other than a few drawbacks, I'm actually better off than I could have been."
Victor thought that that was an odd way to look at it, but it did make sense. Hopefully, he would be able to eventually see his situation in such a positive light.
"Well," Cliff told him. "Willie says that I shouldn't let you overdo it on your first day back among the living, so I'm going to let you go in and rest. Trust me, the quiet time till do you a world of good."
Victor watched as Cliff turned and headed down the hall, then entered his room. The furnishings were few: a bed, a chair, a dresser and matching nightstand, and a desk and computer. Someone had even been thoughtful enough to place a picture of his parents on the nightstand.
Curiosity got the better of him so he checked beneath the bed. It looked to have been built to hold is extra weight. Sitting down on the edge, he realized that he was tired, despite the fact that he had just awakened from a 5-year coma. As he lay his head down on the pillow and closed his eyes, he got to thinking about something Cliff had said. It dawned on him that he didn't remember dreaming the whole time he was in the coma. He hoped that when sleep finally claimed him, it brought him a dream.
Chapter 3
Victor awoke feeling more refreshed than he thought possible. After a good night's sleep, he realized that, regardless of his appearance, he really was lucky to be alive. He hadn't been awake for very long when he heard a gentle tapping on his door.
Despite the fact that he no longer had body parts that required covering, a thought that he suddenly found depressing, he pulled the sheet from his bed and wrapped it around his waist. "Come in."
Slowly the door opened and an attractive young woman stepped inside. As Vic looked at her, his left eye sensor flashed briefly and suddenly, he had a fair description of his guest. She stood 5'8" tall, weighed approximately 120 lbs., and her other "vital" measurements were 34-23-35. Her skin tone was closer to that of Tyra Banks than his own deep brown. The woman's long, black hair was pulled back into a ponytail. Her left eyebrow was raised as she looked at him.
"Am I disturbing you?" she asked.
Victor glanced down at his curious appearance and realized how ridiculous he must look. "Uh, I guess I'm not used to my lack of a need for clothing just yet." He still didn't drop the sheet.
"I'll see if we can't find you something to put on," she smiled. "I'm Dr. Chapel. I'm here to give you a quick check up."
"Oh, uh, okay," Vic said. "What do you want me to do?"
"I just need you to turn around."
As he complied, the young man saw her remove something that appeared to be a scanner like they used on the television show "Star Journeys". She began to pull a cord from the end.
He not so much felt, but rather sensed her move something at the base of his neck and attach the cord. After a minute, she told him that he could turn back around.
"What did you do?" he asked.
"Layman's terms?"
"Please."
Dr. Chapel smiled. "I plugged this into a receptacle of sorts at the top of your spine and checked to make certain that your systems were all operational."
"Can I ask you something else, Doc?" Victor inquired.
"Yes."
"Do you have a first name?"
"It's Elizabeth. But, you can call me Beth."
Before he could say anything else, the doctor spun around and headed for the door. "I'll see what I can do about finding you something to wear." And with that, she was gone.
"Smooth move, Denzel," he muttered.
A few moments later he heard another knock and found one of the orderlies waiting outside his door with a pair of camouflage pants and a green tank top. He thanked the man and went to dress.
As he opened the door to start another day of exploring, Cliff had his hand raised to knock.
"I hope you don't have any immediate plans," he said.
"Why?" Vic asked.
"Because, the boss wants to see you."
"What does Magus want to see me for?"
"Oh, not him. I'm talking about the team boss."
Victor had the slightest idea as to what Cliff was talking about. "What team?"
"The Metal Men. Oh, that's right. I thought you knew about that. Anyway, the boss wants to talk to you."
"Does this boss have a name?" Vic asked.
"Yep," Cliff replied. "He goes by the name of Commander Steel."
Chapter 4
Commander Steel closed a manila folder he had been looking through and shifted his attention to the young man seated across from him. "Private Stone," he said.
"Yes, sir," Vic replied, responding to the authority in the man's voice.
"We're glad to finally have you back among the living," the older man said.
"Thank you, sir."
"I hear you have already met Robotman, er, Cliff," the commander stated. "He will be great assistance in helping you cope with your current situation." Steel paused. "So, tell me. Has Cliff mentioned the Metal Men, yet?"
"All he told me was that you were the leader," Vic replied.
"Did he tell you anything about me?"
"No, sir," the young man said.
"Since I already know all about you, why don't I tell you a little bit about me. I find that a leader is much more effective if his men know that he's been through the same situations as them." He offered Vic a drink of water: Vic accepted.
"In October of 1939, at the tender age of 18, I joined the United States Marine Corps. Like a lot of the young men my age, I believed that Adolph Hitler had his eyes set on a much bigger prize than Europe. I thought I could stop him. When he invaded Poland, we figured that the U.S. would come to the rescue. By late 1940, however, I found myself not on a European battlefield, but standing guard duty at night on a camp here in the States. Not what I was hoping for, but rumor had it that the U.S. wouldn't be neutral for long.
"Fearing our involvement, Adolph made several attempts to slow down our progress by sabotage. Funny thing is, if he wouldn't have messed with us, we probably wouldn't have been so eager to go at it with him.
"One evening, as I was making my rounds, I came across a trio of saboteurs. I sounded the alarm, then waded into them. I suspected that they had dynamite, but I didn't realize that they had been fool enough to have it ready. During our fight, something happened and the explosives detonated. They were killed, and I was in so much pain that I just wished I were dead. I was taken to the base hospital where I think they were waiting for me to die. They did give me something for the pain, but that was about all they could do.
"Then I met a doctor named Gilbert Giles. He told me that, if I were interested, he had an experimental process that he thought would save my life. It didn't take much convincing to agree to become his guinea pig. Dr. Giles arranged for my discharge and moved me to New York. For the next several months, I underwent a series of very painful surgeries. One by one, my bones and organs were replaces by tubes and machinery. My joints were replaced small motors, and a steel cap was attached to my skull. All of the damaged skin was replaced with a bio-retardant the doctor had created. When I had recovered from all of the surgeries, I found that I was stronger, faster, and tougher, than I had ever been. I eventually found myself allied with a group of costumed adventurers know as the Justice Society of America.
"Towards the end of the war, my mechanical parts began to shut down on me. I sought help from a man named Robert Crane, an expert in the new field of robotics. To preserve the parts of me that still functioned, Dr. Crane and his assistant, Charles Grayson, initiated a controlled shutdown of my remaining systems and I was placed in a form of suspended animation.
"When I was finally revived, it was Dr. Grayson who performed the procedure. Several years had passed and he hadn't wanted to attempt my repairs until he was sure he could duplicate, and then improve, Dr. Giles' process. I think he did a pretty good job.
"I did a stint in Korea, not attached to the military mind you, but as a civilian-let me tell you, despite what the history books say, it wasn't a "conflict". What happened over there was nothing less than a war.
"Not really having anywhere else to go when I returned stateside, I rejoined Dr. Grayson. We've worked together ever since."
Victor was about to respond to the story he had just heard, when Cliff threw open the door. "Sorry to intrude, Commander, but there seems to be a situation in downtown New York."
"What kind of situation?" the commander asked.
"Apparently the android Morrow was working on overrode its programming and has gone berserk."
"Didn't the fool install an override code."
"When he called, he said that the android isn't responding at all. He said that the brief contact that he established with it showed that someone else was in control."
"Alert Dugan. Tell him to get the jet ready."
"Already done."
Commander Steel turned his attention back to Vic. "Well, Stone. Are you ready for some action?"
"I'm not sure," the young man honestly replied. "I don't know what all this body of mine is capable of."
"Don't worry, kid," Cliff said. "Just access your internal computer; it will give you the lowdown on the way."
"How will we know where to find the target?" Vic asked.
"Morrow said just look for the red tornado."
Chapter 5
"Pan up."
In response to the command, the ever-faithful cameraman raised the lens skyward. He immediately focused in on what had caught the reporter's attention.
"It appears that help has finally arrived," a strong, female voice said from off-camera. "As you can see, the silver, blue, and red aircraft belonging to New York's own Metal Men is now hovering over 5th and Broadway. At any moment now, we can expect to see the underbelly hatch open and the team lowered to the street."
On board, the pilot, Patrick Dugan glanced over his shoulder at his passengers. "Get ready for a big welcome. Vicky Vale's cameraman has us in his sights and she's waiting to announce your arrival."
Vic's eyebrow raised in surprise.
"Is there a problem, son?" Commander Steel asked.
"Not really, I don't guess," Vic replied. "I just figured we were more of a covert operation, for some reason."
"We tried that initially," the older man said, "but a man dressed like a flag and a silver robot tend to stick out."
Up front, Pat patched Miss Vale's report through the comm system.
"Though we here on the ground anxiously await their descent, at this moment, Commander Steel must be giving his team last minute instructions. And speaking of the team, sources say there is a new Metal Man in the ranks. Will today be the day we get our first glimpse of the one they are calling "Cyborg"?"
"Hear that, Vic?" Cliff asked. "Your adoring public's waiting to meet you."
"Are you fellows ready?" Pat asked.
"Whenever you are," the commander replied.
Dugan flipped a switch and a platform slowly began to descend from a recess in the cabin's ceiling. Within seconds, it was less than an inch above the hatch. The three Metal Men stepped onto the platform and took hold of a central rail.
"Opening hatch," Dugan's voice called out.
A rush of air began to seep in through the widening gap. The moment the hatch locked into the open position, specially designed telescoping cables began to lower the platform to the ground.
With one eye on the instrument panel, and the other on the small screen, Pat got his teammates safely to the ground. He grinned as he watched Vicky Vale approach the platform.
"Ladies and gentlemen," the reporter said as the platform touched down, "the Metal Men have arrived. Let's see if we can't get a word from Commander Steel."
As she approached, the commander held up is gloved hand. "You know the procedure, Miss Vale."
Vicky smiled. "I'll be waiting."
As the three heroes marched past the young woman, Robotman raised his hand to his mouth, palm first, and then tilted it back towards Vicky. "Be sure to get my good side this time."
She caught the mechanical man's invisible kiss and winked. "I always do."
Chapter 6
"Sir," Vic said as he looked up and down the deserted avenue, "shouldn't there be more activity of some sort?"
"Really," Cliff added. "My sensors aren't detecting a tornado...of any color. Shoot, I'm not even detecting a dust devil in the area."
Commander Steel rubbed his chin and looked around. "I was thinking the same thing, Vic." He brought his hand up and touched the earpiece of his costume.
"Year, boss," Pat replied in response to the signal. "What do you need for me to do?"
"Do a slow aerial sweep of the area and see if you can locate the target."
"Will do."
After dropping off his teammates, Pat had retracted the platform and landed the aircraft atop a parking garage. Within seconds, he was airborne. Slowly, he began to maneuver the craft north. As he began his search, Pat tapped a button on his console and a panel on the nose of the aircraft slid back to reveal a camera.
He had only covered four blocks when the camera picked up a splash of color. Another button was tapped and the camera and the camera began to zoom in. "Commander, I believe I've located the target."
"Where?" came the commander's voice over the speaker.
"I believe our target has a King Kong complex," Pat asked.
"What do you mean?" Vic asked.
"The android is roosting on the Empire State Building."
As Pat kept an eye on the target, the android focused in on him.
"Uh-oh," Pat said. "Commander, I believe I've been spotted."
"What's it doing?"
"It's standing up," Pat began his play-by-play commentary. The pilot went on to describe the fins that appeared from recesses on the android's legs, and how the lower part of its body began to spin. He continued to watch as a vortex began to form around its legs, creating what appeared to be a small tornado. Slowly, it began to lift off of the building.
"He's moving, Commander," Pat relayed. "I know why we were supposed to watch for a red tornado."
The rest of the Metal Men were nearing the Empire State Building when they saw the android flying off the building. As it flew, the vortex began to grow. Extending its hands out in front of it, the crimson blur created by its spinning legs engulfed its whole body then erupted in a blast of highly concentrated air directly at the aircraft. The left wing was ripped away.
"Uh, Commander," Pat said through gritted teeth as he fought to keep the aircraft from spinning out of control, "I think I've got a slight problem."
"Get it over the harbor and bail out if you can't land it," the commander replied.
"If I would have known that's all I had to do, I wouldn't have interrupted your stroll. Signing off." Pat began diverting power to the stabilizers in an effort to keep the craft out of the side of any buildings. His fingers worked feverishly in an attempt to get enough control of it to leave the city.
"Let's keep that thing in sight," the commander said as he started running in the direction the android had flown off in.
The three heroes had no trouble maintaining visual contact with the target. Each of them had the ability to run in excess of 50 M.P.H., and with no automobiles running, they had no traffic to deal with.
"Is it just me," Cliff began, "or does the wind from that thing seem to be growing?"
"Not only that," Vic added, "but it looks like it's going after Pat."
"Commander," Cliff said, "I'm going airborne and see if I can catch that thing."
Vic glanced over at his new friend.
"Modifications," Robotman said by way of explanation.
"Do it," Commander Steel replied. "And while you're up there, see if you can locate Dugan."
Cliff came to a dead stop. So sudden was this action, that to Vic's natural eye, it appeared that he had vanished.
"Initiate aerial mode."
In response to the verbal command, Robotman's body began to undergo a few changes. Panels opened on his calves and just above his ankles allowing six-inch fins to emerge and lock into place. Bringing his arms down, there was the sound of metal connecting to metal and then Cliff slowly began to raise them out to his side. Metal extensions now filled the space between his arms and his torso. Once he was certain everything was locked into place, he issued another verbal command.
"Ignition."
From the soles of his feet, there was a spark followed by a burst of flame and the silver hero was suddenly propelled into the air. After attaining the height necessary to clear the surrounding buildings, Cliff scanned the skyline for some sign of the aircraft. He located both Dugan and the android over Central Park; the vortex had now encircled the aircraft and was forcing it to the ground. Cliff radioed his teammates, and then shot across the city like a missile.
Vicky Vale had spotted the silver, almost man-shaped, object streak through the sky and realized that the battleground had been moved. Since none of her fellow journalists seemed to have noticed the new development, she quietly informed her cameraman that they were leaving.
Within minutes of hearing Cliff's report, Vic and the commander had left the cordoned off section of the city and were making their way towards the park. They raced down an alley and emerged in the midst of a traffic jam.
Jimmy Tong sat in his cab tapping his steering wheel in time with the song on the radio. In the backseat, his passenger busied himself by going over the notes for a meeting that he soon would be late for.
Catching a glimpse of movement out of the corner of his eye, Jimmy turned his head and saw two men charging from the alleyway straight towards his cab. One wore a costume of red, white, and blue, while the other one appeared to be part man and part machine. In the span of two heartbeats, a small series of events took place that forever burned this moment into Jimmy's mind.
The two men leaped, Jimmy yelped, and an explosion of index cards suddenly filled the cab.
Commander Steel and Cyborg cleared not only Jimmy Tong's cab, but three other lanes of traffic as well. Thanks to the science that powered their legs, the two men landed well inside the opposite alley and kept running.
By the time Robotman reached Central Park, the aircraft was almost on the ground. Had there been lungs inside of his metal chest, Cliff would have breathed a sigh of relief that Pat had gotten the landing gear down before being forced out of the sky. Angling his trajectory so that he would pass through the android's vortex with the minimum amount of resistance, Cliff disengaged the flight mode. His momentum carried him through.
It was only when Robotman entered the vortex that the android responded. So unexpected was the maneuver, that it only had time to turn its head in his direction. If there had been anyone in the vicinity, they would have compared the sound of the two metal warriors colliding to being on the inside of a delivery van under assault with an aluminum bat.
For just a moment, the tornado surrounding them disappears and the two slam into the ground. Cliff was the first to rise and, as the android stood, he struck. A heavy right slammed into the side of his opponent's head, knocking it slightly off balance. Knowing there was no way to actually render the thing unconscious, he struck again, this time with an upper cut, in an attempt to jar something loose.
The android went down.
Advancing on his fallen foe, Cliff was caught by surprise when the android raised both hands and hit him square in the chest with a blast of tornado-strength wind. The force lifted him from his feet and sent him flying backwards through the air. A stone bridge twenty feet away stopped him.
The android turned its attention back to the downed aircraft. As it reached for the side hatch, it suddenly grabbed its head.
"It's bedtime, Bonzo."
Commander Steel was holding a small jamming device that Morrow had sent over before they had left the base. It was the scientist's hopes that being in a much closer proximity to his creation, the commander would be able to initiate the override.
Pointing one hand in the newcomer's direction, the android released another blast. The commander and Vic, however, had arrived in time to see what had happened to Cliff and were prepared for such an attack. The two men dodged to the left and to the right allowing the blast to pass harmlessly between them: harmless to all, that is, except the massive oak that took the full force and exploded into millions of splinters.
Commander Steel came up in a crouched position and turned a small dial on Morrow's device. Again, the android clutched its head.
Before it could respond with force a second time, Robotman hit it with a flying tackle. With his shoulder in the small of the android's back, Cliff drove it into the side of the downed aircraft.
Between the damage from Robotman's attack, and the attempts by Commander Steel to override its controls, the android was slow to rise. As it did, the vortex began to form again. Instead of attacking, however, the winds began to surround it as though they were forming a suit of elemental armor. Once it had completely enclosed the android, the vortex continued to grow.
The Metal Men struggled to remain upright as the winds buffeted them.
"Vic!" Commander Steel yelled over the roar of the wind. "It's time to earn your pay!"
Cyborg raised his hands and held them, palms forward, in the direction of the man-shaped vortex. As the power began to build, Vic could sense internal circuits being rerouted to prevent a system overload. He had reached the point of no return when the oddest thing happened.
The android spoke.
"I...will...not...be...a...weap...."
And Cyborg released a million decibels of white sound.
Epilogue
"I think I'll call her "Stripe"," an injured Pat Dugan said as he watched the repair work and modifications being done to the damaged aircraft.
"Sounds good to me."
Pat turned and saw Vic approaching. "Think so? It was either that or Rocket Racer."
"I like "Stripe". It has a simple elegance to it," Vic replied. "So, how's the arm?"
"It's mostly a dull ache," Pat said glancing down at the sling. "Beth said that starting tomorrow, we're going to start exercising it."
Vic stepped over to a worktable and took a look at the plans for the new, improved Stripe. "Not bad," he said.
"Thanks," Pat grinned, proud of his designs. "It could have been a lot worse, you know."
The younger man knew that Pat wasn't referring to the plans, so he let him talk.
"If it hadn't have been for the android's vortex cushioning my landing, chances are that I wouldn't have walked away." He paused long enough to take a drink of lukewarm coffee. "How's it, uh, he, doing?"
"Doc Magus says he'll make a fine addition to the team, now that the...entity is in full control."
Pat shook his head. "What about Morrow? Can anything be done to him, legally, for what he tried to do?"
Vic shrugged. "There isn't actually a law against what he tried to do. Who would have guess that one day, some wacko scientist would build an android and trap an elemental entity inside. Magus said there was talk of firing him, but the government would prefer he be employed somewhere where he could be kept track of."
"I took a peek into the lab when Doc was repairing him," Pat confessed. "I have to admit that Morrow did good work."
"I'll say," Vic agreed. "I can't believe he took all that punishment and there was still enough to put back together. Morrow ain't to happy about his pride and joy being turned over to Doc, but the android seems satisfied."
"So, has he been given a codename yet?"
"Yeah," Vic said, "and it isn't half bad."
"Well, don't keep me in suspense," Pat grinned.
"Remember what Morrow told us to look for when we went looking for him? Well, Cliff said we should call him that."
"What does he think about it?"
"The entity is pleased," Vic smiled. "You know, if you think about it, The Red Tornado does have a pretty good ring to it."
The End
Part 1
October 14, 1998
"The last of the U.N. peacekeeping force withdrew from Zandia yesterday, but not before coming under attack. Since the assassination of the nation's religious leader, a man known to the world only as Brother Blood, apparently by his own son, the United Nations has been pulling troops out of the small Baltic state. It has been assumed that all parties were abiding by an agreed upon cease-fire. Casualties were light despite the sudden attack. Confirmed reports tell of one fatality, an American serviceman, 19-year old Victor Stone."
* * * * *
Today
Dr. Will Magus hit the stop button on the VCR, then turned both it and the television off. He knew it wasn't the most tactful way to explain to the young man why he was here, but then again, the doctor had never been completely comfortable dealing with people anyway. Besides, he thought, when he gets a look at himself...
"So, Doc, you're telling me what; that I've been dead for almost five years?"
Dr. Magus smoothed his lab coat and looked at the young man. "Yes and no.'
Victor sighed. "Yeah, that's the straight answer I was looking for."
"You have been in a coma since '99, but the world has believed you were dead."
"Then who did you bury?" Victor asked. "I know I wasn't on very good terms with my parents when I joined the military, but surely they would have recognized whether or not they were putting their own son in the ground."
"Due to the extent of you injuries," the doctor told him, "your coffin was never opened. And before you bring it up, let me just say that the government paid for the funeral, so your parents were out nothing."
Victor wasn't sure he liked what he heard, but he was sure he didn't like the man who said it. Still, until he found out a little more about his current situation, he thought it was best to keep his opinions to himself. He decided to sit up.
"Why does my body feel so heavy?"
Dr. Magus pulled the blanket off of the young man. "That's why."
Victor looked down and his left eye widened in shock. "What the hell have you done to me?" he screamed. "You've turned me into some kind of monster."
"No," the doctor said calmly. "I've saved your life."
The young man looked at himself in a full-length mirror that Dr. Magus pulled over. The middle of his thighs down to his feet was gone, replaced by piston-driven metal facsimiles. Most of his pelvis, as well as his waist and a good section of his chest had also been replace. He held out his hands and saw that they, as well as his arms, were new. When he lifted his eyes to see his face, he hardly recognized himself. From the middle of his chin and around the left side of his face was still him; the right side, however, was covered by a sculpted metal plate. His right eye was gone as well, replaced by a glowing red sensor.
"This is you idea of saving me?" he screamed at the man. "I look like a 20th century Frankenstein."
"Actually, you look like a 21st century Frankenstein. But, hey, it could be worse."
It was a cold, metallic voice that he heard from somewhere off to his left. When Victor turned to find the newcomer, he was surprised to find himself looking into the optical sensors of what appeared to be a man crafted entirely from a bluish-silver metal.
"What are you supposed to be?" the young man asked.
"I'm supposed to be dead, just like you are, but I "died" during the Tet Offensive. Lucky for me, though, Dr. Charles Grayson and his assistant Willie Magus here, decided to sock my brain down inside this hunk of tin." He held out his hand. "Name's Cliff Steel, but most folks around here call me Robotman."
Victor shook Cliff's hand. "I'm Victor Stone, Vic to my friends. All I can say is that they better not be calling me "Robotman". Uh, no offense."
"None taken," Cliff assured him through his constant grin. "But they have given you a nickname."
The young man's one remaining eyebrow arched. "What are they calling me?"
"You, my friend, are affectionately referred to as "Cyborg"."
Chapter 2
Victor was surprised at how easily he adapted to his new body. He knew, according to Cliff, that psychologically, it would take a while to get used to his new state of being. Physically, however, it reacted as though it were the body he was born with.
Cliff spent the rest of the day showing him around and tried to help him get accustomed to his situation. What surprised Vic the most was the reactions, or lack thereof, of the people who worked at Dr. Magus' facility. Only a few had called him "Cyborg"; most had simply called him by name, introduced themselves, and told him how excited they were that he was finally awake. They offered to help him in anyway he needed to learn the capabilities of his new body.
Cliff finally led him to a room where he could rest. "Being basically a robot with a human brain, my body doesn't get tired. There are time that I do shut my systems down for diagnostics and my mind finally rests, shoot, I even dream sometimes, but, usually, I spend the nighttime just watching a lot of television. You, on the other hand, could probably use a rest. Even though you can go for long periods of time without sleep now, your organic body parts are going to need to rest occasionally."
"How long did it take for you to come to grips with your situation?" Vic asked his guide.
"Honestly? There are still times when I regret not being able to do certain things, but, I think it only took about a day for it to sink in that I was still alive. My brain still processes information, and my emotions still have a big say-so in what I do, so other than a few drawbacks, I'm actually better off than I could have been."
Victor thought that that was an odd way to look at it, but it did make sense. Hopefully, he would be able to eventually see his situation in such a positive light.
"Well," Cliff told him. "Willie says that I shouldn't let you overdo it on your first day back among the living, so I'm going to let you go in and rest. Trust me, the quiet time till do you a world of good."
Victor watched as Cliff turned and headed down the hall, then entered his room. The furnishings were few: a bed, a chair, a dresser and matching nightstand, and a desk and computer. Someone had even been thoughtful enough to place a picture of his parents on the nightstand.
Curiosity got the better of him so he checked beneath the bed. It looked to have been built to hold is extra weight. Sitting down on the edge, he realized that he was tired, despite the fact that he had just awakened from a 5-year coma. As he lay his head down on the pillow and closed his eyes, he got to thinking about something Cliff had said. It dawned on him that he didn't remember dreaming the whole time he was in the coma. He hoped that when sleep finally claimed him, it brought him a dream.
Chapter 3
Victor awoke feeling more refreshed than he thought possible. After a good night's sleep, he realized that, regardless of his appearance, he really was lucky to be alive. He hadn't been awake for very long when he heard a gentle tapping on his door.
Despite the fact that he no longer had body parts that required covering, a thought that he suddenly found depressing, he pulled the sheet from his bed and wrapped it around his waist. "Come in."
Slowly the door opened and an attractive young woman stepped inside. As Vic looked at her, his left eye sensor flashed briefly and suddenly, he had a fair description of his guest. She stood 5'8" tall, weighed approximately 120 lbs., and her other "vital" measurements were 34-23-35. Her skin tone was closer to that of Tyra Banks than his own deep brown. The woman's long, black hair was pulled back into a ponytail. Her left eyebrow was raised as she looked at him.
"Am I disturbing you?" she asked.
Victor glanced down at his curious appearance and realized how ridiculous he must look. "Uh, I guess I'm not used to my lack of a need for clothing just yet." He still didn't drop the sheet.
"I'll see if we can't find you something to put on," she smiled. "I'm Dr. Chapel. I'm here to give you a quick check up."
"Oh, uh, okay," Vic said. "What do you want me to do?"
"I just need you to turn around."
As he complied, the young man saw her remove something that appeared to be a scanner like they used on the television show "Star Journeys". She began to pull a cord from the end.
He not so much felt, but rather sensed her move something at the base of his neck and attach the cord. After a minute, she told him that he could turn back around.
"What did you do?" he asked.
"Layman's terms?"
"Please."
Dr. Chapel smiled. "I plugged this into a receptacle of sorts at the top of your spine and checked to make certain that your systems were all operational."
"Can I ask you something else, Doc?" Victor inquired.
"Yes."
"Do you have a first name?"
"It's Elizabeth. But, you can call me Beth."
Before he could say anything else, the doctor spun around and headed for the door. "I'll see what I can do about finding you something to wear." And with that, she was gone.
"Smooth move, Denzel," he muttered.
A few moments later he heard another knock and found one of the orderlies waiting outside his door with a pair of camouflage pants and a green tank top. He thanked the man and went to dress.
As he opened the door to start another day of exploring, Cliff had his hand raised to knock.
"I hope you don't have any immediate plans," he said.
"Why?" Vic asked.
"Because, the boss wants to see you."
"What does Magus want to see me for?"
"Oh, not him. I'm talking about the team boss."
Victor had the slightest idea as to what Cliff was talking about. "What team?"
"The Metal Men. Oh, that's right. I thought you knew about that. Anyway, the boss wants to talk to you."
"Does this boss have a name?" Vic asked.
"Yep," Cliff replied. "He goes by the name of Commander Steel."
Chapter 4
Commander Steel closed a manila folder he had been looking through and shifted his attention to the young man seated across from him. "Private Stone," he said.
"Yes, sir," Vic replied, responding to the authority in the man's voice.
"We're glad to finally have you back among the living," the older man said.
"Thank you, sir."
"I hear you have already met Robotman, er, Cliff," the commander stated. "He will be great assistance in helping you cope with your current situation." Steel paused. "So, tell me. Has Cliff mentioned the Metal Men, yet?"
"All he told me was that you were the leader," Vic replied.
"Did he tell you anything about me?"
"No, sir," the young man said.
"Since I already know all about you, why don't I tell you a little bit about me. I find that a leader is much more effective if his men know that he's been through the same situations as them." He offered Vic a drink of water: Vic accepted.
"In October of 1939, at the tender age of 18, I joined the United States Marine Corps. Like a lot of the young men my age, I believed that Adolph Hitler had his eyes set on a much bigger prize than Europe. I thought I could stop him. When he invaded Poland, we figured that the U.S. would come to the rescue. By late 1940, however, I found myself not on a European battlefield, but standing guard duty at night on a camp here in the States. Not what I was hoping for, but rumor had it that the U.S. wouldn't be neutral for long.
"Fearing our involvement, Adolph made several attempts to slow down our progress by sabotage. Funny thing is, if he wouldn't have messed with us, we probably wouldn't have been so eager to go at it with him.
"One evening, as I was making my rounds, I came across a trio of saboteurs. I sounded the alarm, then waded into them. I suspected that they had dynamite, but I didn't realize that they had been fool enough to have it ready. During our fight, something happened and the explosives detonated. They were killed, and I was in so much pain that I just wished I were dead. I was taken to the base hospital where I think they were waiting for me to die. They did give me something for the pain, but that was about all they could do.
"Then I met a doctor named Gilbert Giles. He told me that, if I were interested, he had an experimental process that he thought would save my life. It didn't take much convincing to agree to become his guinea pig. Dr. Giles arranged for my discharge and moved me to New York. For the next several months, I underwent a series of very painful surgeries. One by one, my bones and organs were replaces by tubes and machinery. My joints were replaced small motors, and a steel cap was attached to my skull. All of the damaged skin was replaced with a bio-retardant the doctor had created. When I had recovered from all of the surgeries, I found that I was stronger, faster, and tougher, than I had ever been. I eventually found myself allied with a group of costumed adventurers know as the Justice Society of America.
"Towards the end of the war, my mechanical parts began to shut down on me. I sought help from a man named Robert Crane, an expert in the new field of robotics. To preserve the parts of me that still functioned, Dr. Crane and his assistant, Charles Grayson, initiated a controlled shutdown of my remaining systems and I was placed in a form of suspended animation.
"When I was finally revived, it was Dr. Grayson who performed the procedure. Several years had passed and he hadn't wanted to attempt my repairs until he was sure he could duplicate, and then improve, Dr. Giles' process. I think he did a pretty good job.
"I did a stint in Korea, not attached to the military mind you, but as a civilian-let me tell you, despite what the history books say, it wasn't a "conflict". What happened over there was nothing less than a war.
"Not really having anywhere else to go when I returned stateside, I rejoined Dr. Grayson. We've worked together ever since."
Victor was about to respond to the story he had just heard, when Cliff threw open the door. "Sorry to intrude, Commander, but there seems to be a situation in downtown New York."
"What kind of situation?" the commander asked.
"Apparently the android Morrow was working on overrode its programming and has gone berserk."
"Didn't the fool install an override code."
"When he called, he said that the android isn't responding at all. He said that the brief contact that he established with it showed that someone else was in control."
"Alert Dugan. Tell him to get the jet ready."
"Already done."
Commander Steel turned his attention back to Vic. "Well, Stone. Are you ready for some action?"
"I'm not sure," the young man honestly replied. "I don't know what all this body of mine is capable of."
"Don't worry, kid," Cliff said. "Just access your internal computer; it will give you the lowdown on the way."
"How will we know where to find the target?" Vic asked.
"Morrow said just look for the red tornado."
Chapter 5
"Pan up."
In response to the command, the ever-faithful cameraman raised the lens skyward. He immediately focused in on what had caught the reporter's attention.
"It appears that help has finally arrived," a strong, female voice said from off-camera. "As you can see, the silver, blue, and red aircraft belonging to New York's own Metal Men is now hovering over 5th and Broadway. At any moment now, we can expect to see the underbelly hatch open and the team lowered to the street."
On board, the pilot, Patrick Dugan glanced over his shoulder at his passengers. "Get ready for a big welcome. Vicky Vale's cameraman has us in his sights and she's waiting to announce your arrival."
Vic's eyebrow raised in surprise.
"Is there a problem, son?" Commander Steel asked.
"Not really, I don't guess," Vic replied. "I just figured we were more of a covert operation, for some reason."
"We tried that initially," the older man said, "but a man dressed like a flag and a silver robot tend to stick out."
Up front, Pat patched Miss Vale's report through the comm system.
"Though we here on the ground anxiously await their descent, at this moment, Commander Steel must be giving his team last minute instructions. And speaking of the team, sources say there is a new Metal Man in the ranks. Will today be the day we get our first glimpse of the one they are calling "Cyborg"?"
"Hear that, Vic?" Cliff asked. "Your adoring public's waiting to meet you."
"Are you fellows ready?" Pat asked.
"Whenever you are," the commander replied.
Dugan flipped a switch and a platform slowly began to descend from a recess in the cabin's ceiling. Within seconds, it was less than an inch above the hatch. The three Metal Men stepped onto the platform and took hold of a central rail.
"Opening hatch," Dugan's voice called out.
A rush of air began to seep in through the widening gap. The moment the hatch locked into the open position, specially designed telescoping cables began to lower the platform to the ground.
With one eye on the instrument panel, and the other on the small screen, Pat got his teammates safely to the ground. He grinned as he watched Vicky Vale approach the platform.
"Ladies and gentlemen," the reporter said as the platform touched down, "the Metal Men have arrived. Let's see if we can't get a word from Commander Steel."
As she approached, the commander held up is gloved hand. "You know the procedure, Miss Vale."
Vicky smiled. "I'll be waiting."
As the three heroes marched past the young woman, Robotman raised his hand to his mouth, palm first, and then tilted it back towards Vicky. "Be sure to get my good side this time."
She caught the mechanical man's invisible kiss and winked. "I always do."
Chapter 6
"Sir," Vic said as he looked up and down the deserted avenue, "shouldn't there be more activity of some sort?"
"Really," Cliff added. "My sensors aren't detecting a tornado...of any color. Shoot, I'm not even detecting a dust devil in the area."
Commander Steel rubbed his chin and looked around. "I was thinking the same thing, Vic." He brought his hand up and touched the earpiece of his costume.
"Year, boss," Pat replied in response to the signal. "What do you need for me to do?"
"Do a slow aerial sweep of the area and see if you can locate the target."
"Will do."
After dropping off his teammates, Pat had retracted the platform and landed the aircraft atop a parking garage. Within seconds, he was airborne. Slowly, he began to maneuver the craft north. As he began his search, Pat tapped a button on his console and a panel on the nose of the aircraft slid back to reveal a camera.
He had only covered four blocks when the camera picked up a splash of color. Another button was tapped and the camera and the camera began to zoom in. "Commander, I believe I've located the target."
"Where?" came the commander's voice over the speaker.
"I believe our target has a King Kong complex," Pat asked.
"What do you mean?" Vic asked.
"The android is roosting on the Empire State Building."
As Pat kept an eye on the target, the android focused in on him.
"Uh-oh," Pat said. "Commander, I believe I've been spotted."
"What's it doing?"
"It's standing up," Pat began his play-by-play commentary. The pilot went on to describe the fins that appeared from recesses on the android's legs, and how the lower part of its body began to spin. He continued to watch as a vortex began to form around its legs, creating what appeared to be a small tornado. Slowly, it began to lift off of the building.
"He's moving, Commander," Pat relayed. "I know why we were supposed to watch for a red tornado."
The rest of the Metal Men were nearing the Empire State Building when they saw the android flying off the building. As it flew, the vortex began to grow. Extending its hands out in front of it, the crimson blur created by its spinning legs engulfed its whole body then erupted in a blast of highly concentrated air directly at the aircraft. The left wing was ripped away.
"Uh, Commander," Pat said through gritted teeth as he fought to keep the aircraft from spinning out of control, "I think I've got a slight problem."
"Get it over the harbor and bail out if you can't land it," the commander replied.
"If I would have known that's all I had to do, I wouldn't have interrupted your stroll. Signing off." Pat began diverting power to the stabilizers in an effort to keep the craft out of the side of any buildings. His fingers worked feverishly in an attempt to get enough control of it to leave the city.
"Let's keep that thing in sight," the commander said as he started running in the direction the android had flown off in.
The three heroes had no trouble maintaining visual contact with the target. Each of them had the ability to run in excess of 50 M.P.H., and with no automobiles running, they had no traffic to deal with.
"Is it just me," Cliff began, "or does the wind from that thing seem to be growing?"
"Not only that," Vic added, "but it looks like it's going after Pat."
"Commander," Cliff said, "I'm going airborne and see if I can catch that thing."
Vic glanced over at his new friend.
"Modifications," Robotman said by way of explanation.
"Do it," Commander Steel replied. "And while you're up there, see if you can locate Dugan."
Cliff came to a dead stop. So sudden was this action, that to Vic's natural eye, it appeared that he had vanished.
"Initiate aerial mode."
In response to the verbal command, Robotman's body began to undergo a few changes. Panels opened on his calves and just above his ankles allowing six-inch fins to emerge and lock into place. Bringing his arms down, there was the sound of metal connecting to metal and then Cliff slowly began to raise them out to his side. Metal extensions now filled the space between his arms and his torso. Once he was certain everything was locked into place, he issued another verbal command.
"Ignition."
From the soles of his feet, there was a spark followed by a burst of flame and the silver hero was suddenly propelled into the air. After attaining the height necessary to clear the surrounding buildings, Cliff scanned the skyline for some sign of the aircraft. He located both Dugan and the android over Central Park; the vortex had now encircled the aircraft and was forcing it to the ground. Cliff radioed his teammates, and then shot across the city like a missile.
Vicky Vale had spotted the silver, almost man-shaped, object streak through the sky and realized that the battleground had been moved. Since none of her fellow journalists seemed to have noticed the new development, she quietly informed her cameraman that they were leaving.
Within minutes of hearing Cliff's report, Vic and the commander had left the cordoned off section of the city and were making their way towards the park. They raced down an alley and emerged in the midst of a traffic jam.
Jimmy Tong sat in his cab tapping his steering wheel in time with the song on the radio. In the backseat, his passenger busied himself by going over the notes for a meeting that he soon would be late for.
Catching a glimpse of movement out of the corner of his eye, Jimmy turned his head and saw two men charging from the alleyway straight towards his cab. One wore a costume of red, white, and blue, while the other one appeared to be part man and part machine. In the span of two heartbeats, a small series of events took place that forever burned this moment into Jimmy's mind.
The two men leaped, Jimmy yelped, and an explosion of index cards suddenly filled the cab.
Commander Steel and Cyborg cleared not only Jimmy Tong's cab, but three other lanes of traffic as well. Thanks to the science that powered their legs, the two men landed well inside the opposite alley and kept running.
By the time Robotman reached Central Park, the aircraft was almost on the ground. Had there been lungs inside of his metal chest, Cliff would have breathed a sigh of relief that Pat had gotten the landing gear down before being forced out of the sky. Angling his trajectory so that he would pass through the android's vortex with the minimum amount of resistance, Cliff disengaged the flight mode. His momentum carried him through.
It was only when Robotman entered the vortex that the android responded. So unexpected was the maneuver, that it only had time to turn its head in his direction. If there had been anyone in the vicinity, they would have compared the sound of the two metal warriors colliding to being on the inside of a delivery van under assault with an aluminum bat.
For just a moment, the tornado surrounding them disappears and the two slam into the ground. Cliff was the first to rise and, as the android stood, he struck. A heavy right slammed into the side of his opponent's head, knocking it slightly off balance. Knowing there was no way to actually render the thing unconscious, he struck again, this time with an upper cut, in an attempt to jar something loose.
The android went down.
Advancing on his fallen foe, Cliff was caught by surprise when the android raised both hands and hit him square in the chest with a blast of tornado-strength wind. The force lifted him from his feet and sent him flying backwards through the air. A stone bridge twenty feet away stopped him.
The android turned its attention back to the downed aircraft. As it reached for the side hatch, it suddenly grabbed its head.
"It's bedtime, Bonzo."
Commander Steel was holding a small jamming device that Morrow had sent over before they had left the base. It was the scientist's hopes that being in a much closer proximity to his creation, the commander would be able to initiate the override.
Pointing one hand in the newcomer's direction, the android released another blast. The commander and Vic, however, had arrived in time to see what had happened to Cliff and were prepared for such an attack. The two men dodged to the left and to the right allowing the blast to pass harmlessly between them: harmless to all, that is, except the massive oak that took the full force and exploded into millions of splinters.
Commander Steel came up in a crouched position and turned a small dial on Morrow's device. Again, the android clutched its head.
Before it could respond with force a second time, Robotman hit it with a flying tackle. With his shoulder in the small of the android's back, Cliff drove it into the side of the downed aircraft.
Between the damage from Robotman's attack, and the attempts by Commander Steel to override its controls, the android was slow to rise. As it did, the vortex began to form again. Instead of attacking, however, the winds began to surround it as though they were forming a suit of elemental armor. Once it had completely enclosed the android, the vortex continued to grow.
The Metal Men struggled to remain upright as the winds buffeted them.
"Vic!" Commander Steel yelled over the roar of the wind. "It's time to earn your pay!"
Cyborg raised his hands and held them, palms forward, in the direction of the man-shaped vortex. As the power began to build, Vic could sense internal circuits being rerouted to prevent a system overload. He had reached the point of no return when the oddest thing happened.
The android spoke.
"I...will...not...be...a...weap...."
And Cyborg released a million decibels of white sound.
Epilogue
"I think I'll call her "Stripe"," an injured Pat Dugan said as he watched the repair work and modifications being done to the damaged aircraft.
"Sounds good to me."
Pat turned and saw Vic approaching. "Think so? It was either that or Rocket Racer."
"I like "Stripe". It has a simple elegance to it," Vic replied. "So, how's the arm?"
"It's mostly a dull ache," Pat said glancing down at the sling. "Beth said that starting tomorrow, we're going to start exercising it."
Vic stepped over to a worktable and took a look at the plans for the new, improved Stripe. "Not bad," he said.
"Thanks," Pat grinned, proud of his designs. "It could have been a lot worse, you know."
The younger man knew that Pat wasn't referring to the plans, so he let him talk.
"If it hadn't have been for the android's vortex cushioning my landing, chances are that I wouldn't have walked away." He paused long enough to take a drink of lukewarm coffee. "How's it, uh, he, doing?"
"Doc Magus says he'll make a fine addition to the team, now that the...entity is in full control."
Pat shook his head. "What about Morrow? Can anything be done to him, legally, for what he tried to do?"
Vic shrugged. "There isn't actually a law against what he tried to do. Who would have guess that one day, some wacko scientist would build an android and trap an elemental entity inside. Magus said there was talk of firing him, but the government would prefer he be employed somewhere where he could be kept track of."
"I took a peek into the lab when Doc was repairing him," Pat confessed. "I have to admit that Morrow did good work."
"I'll say," Vic agreed. "I can't believe he took all that punishment and there was still enough to put back together. Morrow ain't to happy about his pride and joy being turned over to Doc, but the android seems satisfied."
"So, has he been given a codename yet?"
"Yeah," Vic said, "and it isn't half bad."
"Well, don't keep me in suspense," Pat grinned.
"Remember what Morrow told us to look for when we went looking for him? Well, Cliff said we should call him that."
"What does he think about it?"
"The entity is pleased," Vic smiled. "You know, if you think about it, The Red Tornado does have a pretty good ring to it."
The End
