Viper's Bite

Chapter 17: Drevis's New Ally

Mitchell initially moved to grasp Drevis's hand, but pulled back at the last moment. "Hold on," the boy said warily. "You said you were an 'associate' of The Viper.....how can I be sure you won't leave me behind like she did?" 

The doctor laughed. "Oh, don't worry. I have never abandoned any of my friends before. In fact, I don't force them to join me if they don't want to. I'm just making an offer. If you join me.....I can help you cure yourself...." 

The boy's eyes immediately perked up. "You can?! How?" 

Drevis smirked. "Between you and me, I am in possession of some of The Viper's blood." 

"Oh, that's great! Maybe you can---" 

" .....However, I already used all of it to refine the Herculean Serum," the doctor added after a brief pause. 

Mitchell just sat there in stunned silence for a few moments. "Ugh! Then why even bring it up?" 

"You may not be able to use that to cure yourself....but fear not, my friend. I have something even better." 

Drevis once again attempted to hold his hand out towards Mitchell. "Come with me, and I promise you that I will help you survive." 

The boy reached towards the doctor's hand and firmly grasped it. 

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Drevis returned to his mountain lab with Mitchell in tow. When the doctor threw open the double doors, The Crawler was initially shocked at his boss's new guest. "Sir, what are you doing?! Isn't that boy close to The Viper?" 

But the doctor hushed him. "Don't worry. He's not on her side anymore. You see....this boy has been inflicted by a terrible genetic disease, and he doesn't have a lot of years left in him. If we don't do something soon, he'll...." 

Mitchell sighed. "Yeah.....I've been trying to look for a way to stop it myself, but to no avail....I came so close, though...." The boy's fist clenched in anger.

The Crawler got an idea. "Boss, how about you give him that power suit in the back room that you initially intended to use for me? He seems like the perfect size for it! Plus, you could show him its 'hidden function'." 

The boy gasped. "What? Drevis, what's he talking about?" 

"Brilliant idea, Crawler!" Drevis commended. "Follow me, Mitchell. I'm going to make you my personal project. And I won't stop until this disease of yours has been ground to a screeching halt." 

"Really? You'd do that for me?" Mitchell said. Drevis laughed. "Of course! I am a doctor, after all. Our job is to help others, isn't it?" 

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Drevis led Mitchell to a secret back room, with The Crawler following close behind to ensure that Mitchell couldn't try to escape. There, Mitchell bore witness to several mechanical contraptions, each one being displayed rather impressively behind numerous glass panes. "What is all this stuff....?" Mitchell asked in awe. Drevis looked at him with a proud smile. "The future, my boy. This is the future." 

"From the Bertolli Device, to the power suit, to the cybernetics you see on me right now.....all of these gadgets are meant to bolster our forces and help us achieve our ultimate goal....boosting the survivability of mankind." he explained. 

The two of them reached a specific glass window and the doctor tapped a few buttons on its control panel to open it up, revealing a medium-sized black power suit with glowing, pulsating orange highlights. It also came with a frontal welder's mask that shone a dull shade of red. "I initially designed this for The Crawler to use, unaware that he would grow to such a large size," Drevis said. "Before he became my muscle and enforcer, I had intended for him to be a relentless brawler, armed to the teeth with weapons and sowing destruction wherever he went. However, as you can see, it is way too small for him. That's where you come in, my friend," he continued, gesturing to Mitchell. "Come on, Crawler. Let's help him get inside."