Vigilante

005

Reed pov.

Uncle Sam pushes the bowl towards me. The rim brushes the burns on my arms but I don't eat it. I don't even move an inch towards the bowl of cereal. I don't want it. I want my Mom and Dad.

Uncle Sam sighs, rubbing that now permanent crease between his eyes, "c'mon kid, you gotta eat" I push the bowl away. Fingers scorched and skin still sizzling. "Fine, I don't- if you don't want to eat buddy I can't exactly help you. You gotta work with me here" He stuffs the bowl in the fridge and walks away then flops onto the couch.

I start sobbing, wiping tears with the sleeve of my shirt. I want to go home.

Dr. Conners' house is trashed, doors completely bolted to the last hinge and windows covered with nailed down pieces of wood. The rancid smell burns the bile in my throat and I cringe at all the monitors illuminating light in the dark room. Dr. Conners fidgets with his fingers, breathing heavily and with a nervous smile on his face.

So he's gone batshit?

"Are you okay, Dr. Conners? You seem jumpy" I kick a pizza box out into the open and he chuckles before grabbing it and putting it on the coffee table. There's mold on the pizza.

"Yea, yea, of course. Why wouldn't I be?" Scratching my head I chuckle.

Oh he's serious? "This isn't exactly the most hygiene approved environment doctor." He nods and rushes to the front door, seemingly closing another lock on the door. When his coat moves away I finally notice why it took him a while to let me in. There's a billion locks on the door.

He swifts by, "Doc you're scaring me a little-"

"Why'd you come here, Reed?" His twitching hands rest on the island behind him, his eyes constantly switching to the front door. The buzzing senses ring out like bells in my head. Something's up.

I grab the cleanest chair and sit down, my notepad in hand. "Project 289-"

"One of the scorpions"

"Yes. After I knocked the ceptor over one escaped and bit me-"

"Oh my God, Reed are you okay?" He inches to grab me but I nod.

"But uh...there's a few side effects doc. For instance I can do this" I attach myself to his ceiling and he stumbles over a box and catches himself on the sink. I drop down. "Woah, woah. Take it easy" but he's already grabbing a knife and heaving.

"What-what the hell? How did you do that?" Uh... dude I just showed you. I do it again and he peers at me. Hesitantly moving closer over the boxes and spoiled food until he's a few feet away. I drop soundlessly onto the floor before grabbing his metal coffee table and lifting it with one arm. The object hangs almost weightless in my hand and he gapes.

"Incredible" he exhales and I settle the table.

Oh how could I forget this morning's little surprise. Suddenly claws and fangs grow down from my nails and teeth. The scientist's eyes widen and they retract easier than earlier when Uncle S barged into my room looking for his baseball hat.

He starts pacing up and down the room and I grab my notepad. "Increased vision, super strength, vast reflexes perhaps, ability to stick to surfaces including my ceiling, possible super hearing and-" he throws a beer but I dodge. What the- "-advanced senses all around. Incredible. Did you do any blood tests? Urine? Anything?"

I shake my head. I haven't exactly had time. When I'm not at school I'm with the Reeves' and when I'm not with them I'm with Uncle S. Hmm. Maybe I do need a life.