AAOOOSC! United

"Gold!"

Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
July 11, 2017
Afternoon

Meanwhile, in the laboratory of the GHP Headquarters, John is standing behind a countertop, wearing a lab coat, latex gloves, and safety goggles. He presses the finishing metallic shell onto the side of a thick, sturdy gun.

He holds his hand out to his left, not tearing his eyes away from the weapon. "Screwdriver."

Next to him, Kailer, who is wearing the same safety attire including his famous patriotic bandana, promptly hands him a screwdriver.

John takes it and screws the shell securely against the gun. He then holds his hand out to the right. "Solution."

On his other side, Katie, also with matching safety attire and her wavy hair pulled into a ponytail, hands him a cylinder-shaped vial of clear liquid.

John lifts the gun up and slips the vial into the ejection port located on the top. He then presses a small, blue button on the front of the handle.

The gun begins to glow gold through its designs and buttons as it emits a humming sound.

John stares at it in awe. "It actuated!"

Kailer steps up to behind John and gawks at it happily. "Fascinating!"

"Oh, this is so splendid!" Katie exclaims as she steps up behind him.

"Now the inquiry is—" John scrutinizes it while turning it around with both hands: "—does it in truth operate?"

Kailer gazes up at him with a slight gape. "Do you possess a guinea pig?"

"What do you utilize to assay your power-negating guns?" Katie asks in an attempt to get a clear answer.

John lowers the gun and whirls around to face the two. "Myself. I utilize myself as a test subject."

Katie's eyes fly wide with shock. "What? That's mad! You can be troubled with the deprivation of your potentialities!"

"I'm astonished you're even currently functioning well," Kailer points out with raised eyebrows.

"Don't fret, I'll be as fit as a fiddle. I will be competent to recoup my extramundane potentiality with Gorman's aid." John twirls the gun in his possession. "Unless either of you will tender as a test subject?"

Kailer jabs his right thumb over his shoulder, directing the others' attention to the door behind him across the room. "We can employ Duke."

John shakes his head. "No, it can merely be us three. Others may bungle the test."

"So you're going to undertake it?" Katie asks with worries eyes on the head scientist.

John nods his head slowly. "I will be. This isn't the initial juncture. I ought to essay this." He then breezes by them to the right, passing by the countertop.

Kailer and Katie exchange expressions before following John toward the front of the room.

Next to the countertop is a large whiteboard planted against the wall, bearing complicated chemistry and physics equations with numbers, letters, Greek symbols, and arrows. John halts in front of it, facing it.

His two apprentices halt behind him, standing in front of the island situated in the middle of the room. They stare at him with trepidation.

John lifts the whirring gun to his eyesight, observing it gently. He then presses its muzzle against his chest and takes in a deep breath.

Kailer and Katie gaze at him with grimaces.

Then John presses the trigger.

A golden ring of energy ripples through John, dissolving into sparks as it passes through him and dissolves in the air. He stays motionless as his shoulders subtly rise and fall to his breathing with the gun still on his chest.