Here We Go

Here We Go Part 20

[Spellbound Studios, day after drop off]

Matt had already asked the 863 community about 'Virgo' and '16-22-01', and they were heading upstairs to the vault to turn on the RSD. Once they got it up and running, instantly a radioactive spike alert went off.

Matt: Oh no. We need to get out there. Now! [Echoes]

[Ben's hideout, an hour prior]

Benjamin Cobalt grunted, a little in pain, as he lifted the serum bomb into the back of the U-Haul. The Absalate was safe inside his RV. Same with all the serum to go into the bomb. He wasn't stupid enough to have that stuff in the thing while trying to move it. Thank God it was staying inside of the U-Haul, and he just had to drive it to that location. Where they had tricked him and planted a tracker on his car. It was the perfect spot. He finished pushing the bomb into the U-Haul.

Ben took a quick breath. One issue with working alone. You WERE alone. He waited for the thickness to well up in his throat and waited for the mask to ease it. As always, it did. In under a minute. As usual. He sighed and went to grab the other attachments to the bomb. The keyboard and the connector for the Absalate. He finished putting it all together, then went to grab the serums. Red and clear. He grabbed the red first. He carefully carried the jugs to the bomb, and gently connected them to the bomb. He had no interest in getting burned by the stuff, again.

He grabbed the clear and did the same. Once he had triple checked, to make sure it was all connected, he went into the RV. He wrote down the time he was leaving, then closed his eyes. This WAS what he wanted. Damn it, he wasn't going to change his mind now. Too far, too late. Even though...

Bullsh**. What did it matter now? It didn't.

Shut up, he growled to himself.

He grabbed the Absalate and put it around his neck. God. How wrong it felt. He may have been rivals against Wes for Deb, but Wes had still been a friend. He had made this mask after all. It saved Ben's life. Wearing something of Wes'... Ben would never admit to anyone but pretending to be Wes, stealing his identity... It hurt. It was hard.

Ben growled out loud at himself.

Damn it, Ben. Shut up, and do your job. Forget it all. You're the Absolute now.

Matt had stirred stuff up for Ben. Mostly, who Ben had been and had become. But, the Absolute knew his duty and shoved all the emotional stuff away.

Ben slammed the door to the RV shut, and jumped into the U-Haul. Time to get going.

After a while, when he was nearly there, the thought of them still using the RSD came to him.

Ben, aloud: Sh**. Hopefully, they don't hear it and are too late. (he smiles as he says the next words) Like last time.

He left U-Haul running as he hopped out, and opened the back. He climbed in and pulled the door down behind him. He didn't need everyone seeing this.

He typed on the keyboard and made sure everything was still in place. The small prototype that had affected Matthias was nothing compared to this masterpiece. Over six feet tall, larger than most humans. More complex than anything he had made before. Well, other than the attempted relationship with Deb, he wasn't counting that. Besides, Wesley's designs were spectacular.

He couldn't help but smile, proud of himself. As he input one last code, he put the Absalate into the connector. He heard a *beep* and then it began to count down. He quickly hopped out of the back and closed the door. He didn't bother with locking it, he'd be back in a little bit. Once it had officially gone off. He left to monitor the countdown, not looking back.

[Project 863, Matt]

Matt: I'm going.

The others were a mix of worried and pissed. Matt was going off by himself. Into a dangerous situation. Woods scowled at the memories. Only, last time, it had been Woods and Sam going into a dangerous situation. But, Matt still had been the odd man out then... Just like he was now.

They watched him disappear into the back of the U-Haul.

Quinn's heart rate picked up as he listened to what Matt was saying. Something was really bad in there. He wished he could see, but there was no way. Besides, the others had the same wish. It was nerve-racking for all of them.

They were relieved when Matt came back and held the Absalate in his hand. He slid it around his neck, and they waited for Benjamin.

[Benjamin Cobalt]

What was going on? Something was wrong with the bomb. Why wasn't it still counting down? He needed to check. He quickly went to the back of the U-Haul and threw the door up. He had barely gotten in to see what was going on when the door began to go down.

What the--No!

It was Project 863, Matthias and Woods pulling the door down. Ben strained to lift the door, then realized he heard them lock it shut.

Ben: No!

He slammed his fists against the door in a rage.

Ben: No! God damn it, no!

He whipped around, to see if the Absalate, by chance, was still there.

No.

Benjamin continued to scream and curse until he couldn't breathe. He slid to the floor, the blood in his throat so thick he wondered if the mask would be able to keep up. A minute went by. A minute thirty. Minute thirty-five. It was at a minute forty he finally could begin to breathe again.

Ben stared at his creation. Something he had spent decades on. And here he was, trapped with it. In the back of a truck. Probably headed to the police station.

He sighed. No point in fighting anymore. All it would get him was sore hands, and the mask over-loaded.

Ben: Damn you, Deb. Damn you.

He pulled his knees to his chest and lowered his head in between them. He began to sob.

The 863 team was probably worried about him. First, he had been screaming and slamming around like a maniac, but now he was quiet and hardly moving. But, why should Ben care what they thought? It was too late.

Benjamin, thinking: Or is it? [Echoes]