Cyborg - 4 - There For it All

I slow down as I turn towards STAR Labs, please let Ron be alive. It's been a quiet run.

 

Victor: "Hey, bud, you still here?"

 

Ron taps my back with his hand. But no response, I need to hurry.

 

I look through the now dark windows, but Mr. Orr is still there. He has to be able to hear me.

 

Victor: "ORR! MR. ORR, I NEED YOU TO LET ME IN!"

 

Orr shakes his head as a scowl forms. I can sense his eye twitching behind his thick sunglasses, why is he mad?

 

Sorry Mr. Orr, I need to save a life.

 

I back up with Ron still over my shoulder, then blast through the glass. I trip and Ron slides across the floor, now bloody.

 

Orr: "What the!?"

 

I quickly gather myself and heave Ron over my shoulder once more. Orr gets aggravated and reaches for his gun.

 

The elevator isn't far, I run to the button as he pulls the gun on me. He's a fair distance away, but who knows what he could do.

 

I flinch as the elevator sounds with a "DING!"

 

I need to do something.

 

Victor: "Shoot me. Or do you prefer closed casket funerals?"

 

Orr violently throws his gun to the ground. He runs at me as I back into the elevator. I press the button to the tenth floor.

 

Orr closes in as the doors begin to shut. As he gets close enough, I send my foot into his chest. Orr falls backward and curses as I quickly pull my leg back in. The doors shut but Orr pounds on them until the elevator starts moving.

 

Orr was going to shoot me. What the hell? I know I broke the window but, why?

 

The elevator halts as I reach the tenth floor. As I walk out, the once joyful lab is now a strange, dark lab. One small light shines in the distance.

 

I run with Ron through a blur and take a right, a well-lit station has my dad, seemingly hard at work.

 

I walk up the steps, trying to make noise as my dad slowly turns around.

 

Silas: "Victor! What the hell are you doing here?"

 

Victor: "Dad, it's Ron, he got in an accident."

 

Silas: "Son... Are you alright?"

 

I realize I'm panting like a dog. That was more work than football practice and I didn't even realize I was sweating.

 

Victor: "I ran from Ms. Dunkin's house here. Also, Orr wouldn't even let me in. So I had to bust the window. He almost shot me!"

 

Silas: "That's breaking and entering, son."

 

Victor: "I know, but I'm not here for me."

 

I drop Ron to the floor, I hadn't even realized how bad he looked.

 

Victor: "Ron..."

 

Dad runs around his lab. Picking up something he was working on earlier.

 

Silas: "I just finished this sedative. It should help with pain. Ron's lucky tonight, he's the only human I'd try this on."

 

I'm too tired to refute, my vision starts to blur as I fall to the floor.

 

Victor: "Dad--"

 

==============================

 

I wake up, reclined in an office chair. This isn't the lab.

 

I look ahead of me to see my dad, he looks back, disappointed?

 

Silas: "Well, it worked."

 

I quickly get up out of the chair and hug my dad. This is unreal. I know he hates Ron but this meant too much to me. For once, I feel like he actually cared again.

 

Victor: "Thank you."

 

Silas: "Well, he's not the same."

 

After my one-sided hug, I back away in shock.

 

Victor: "What?"

 

Silas: "Go to that room."

 

He turns around and points towards the left wall.

 

Silas: "There."

 

I know I passed out from exhaustion but that was a while ago, I presume. I run into the room that my dad instructed me to enter.

 

There I found Ron, on a slab, wires connected to a screen, patterns, graphs I didn't understand all crammed onto the monitor.

 

A scanner is on the desk beside the screen. On top is a red jewel, this is all too familiar. I look back at Ron, my arms feel restrained like his. This isn't right.

 

Victor? Victor?

 

What's happening?

 

Ron's eyes slowly open as my arms feel free once more.

 

Ron: "What--What am I?"

Done