Danger Kid

Chapter 12

Dr. Kraven was renowned for his dedication to invention, as well as his bristling intelligence. Not to say he was particularly intelligent in all things. For instance, his understanding of history was average. His capability to manipulate and navigate social situations was below average, and his understandings of computers and machinery were just short of expert. However, he was intelligent, more so than anybody else, in one particular area.

Dr. Kraven had an understanding of biology, medicine, and the human body that his peers considered just short of divine. (Besides, none of his peers believed in divinity.) Of course, he realized that still hardly anything was really known about the complex system of muscles, nerves, bones, chemicals and impulses that makes up the human body. It was the late twenty second century, and still mankind didn't really know how to cure cancer, or extend life beyond a couple hundred years. But of what was known about the body, Dr. Kraven was the expert, and he sought desperately to expand upon this knowledge.

But the study of the normal human body had recently become old news. For quite a while now, Dr. Kraven had barely considered the average human in his studies. This subject had become boring and second priority to him considering the far greater alternative, the deviant. The deviant body was truly a mystery, and something to which Dr. Kraven had committed his life ever since he had met a certain investor nearly two decades ago. The investor had given him money and resources, and had opened Dr. Kraven's inquisitive mind to a whole new world.

The potential of these fleshy machines! The deviant! Inside their cores was held fantastic amounts of energy. Their bodies couldn't become sick. Their sinew, bones and skin were almost indestructible. If this knowledge could somehow be applied to humanity, and himself, what could it mean? Could it destroy the human condition? Probably not, but it could shake its foundation...

Dr. Kraven's old investor had died, and only recently had Dr. Kraven become employed by the curiously charismatic Mr. Tag. Nearly everyone recognized that Dr. Kraven never had much cared for people, or developing relationships with them. (He realized social interactions are temporary things, as is anything human, except for science.) However, Dr. Kraven had found that he had developed a certain liking for Mr. Tag, who, though nearly a generation younger than Dr. Kraven, had a certain paternal appeal.

And more than his cheery and charismatic disposition, Mr. Tag meant something far greater to Dr. Kraven. Mr. Tag had allowed him to learn more in their time together than Dr. Kraven had been able to learn in his whole life prior. It was partially the money and resources Mr. Tag supplied. But more than that, Mr. Tag almost seemed to resent the ethical restrictions that commonly impeded progress in any other workplace. (Mr. Tag seemed to be in agreement that the needs of the many out way the needs of the few, including situations which required things such as human testing.)

All these thoughts pour through Dr. Kraven's mind as he pours over the computer screens and readouts of his lab. They are full of observations and data from his new test subject. Dr. Kraven's setting is that of an expansive lab full of gadgetry and chemicals. It was safe and quiet, hidden deep inside Tag's Base. Upon request, the other technicians had gone home early, leaving Dr. Kraven in solitude. Dr. Kraven worked best when alone.

He pauses for a moment from his work to consider the glory of his situation. Ten years of observing deviants had taken Dr. Kraven's understanding of science to uncharted territory. However, it was the past several months that had really rocketed his work forward. They had come upon a live specimen, a mature deviant named... Ron, or Donald or something. Well, not so much come upon as kidnapped. But that's where Mr. Tag's lack of moral restriction came in handy...

Almost ironically, just as Dr. Kraven thinks of the devil, the lab door creaks open, allowing Mr. Tag to enter the room.

The rotund man has in his hand a shot gun. He smiles at Dr. Kraven, approaching quickly.