Beetle of the Night

A New Hero Rises

Danny groaned as he got up out of bed. His head was killing him for some reason and he did not need that to start off his day. He went to the bathroom and started brushing his teeth. His thoughts then returned back to last night as he started to remember.

"Wait..." Danny said slowly as he was now fully awake. "Last night...was that a dream?"

"It was not a dream, Daniel Kord."

Danny jumped in surprise as he looked around the room and couldn't find anyone there with him.

"Have you forgotten? We have symbiotically bonded last night."

Danny lifted up the back of his shirt and peered over his shoulder in the mirror to see the scarab attached to his back. "So, it wasn't a dream last night." Danny said with a sigh.

"Correct, Daniel Kord."

"Wait a second, how do you know my name?" Danny asked in confusion. "I don't remember giving it to you, last night."

"We are now symbiotically merged. Our thought processes have now become one, meaning that our minds are linked."

"So you've been reading my mind?" Danny asked.

"Correct."

"We'll stop that, it's freaking me out." Danny said with a light glare.

"Negative. We are linked now, so all you're thoughts are being monitored by me."

"Well, isn't that just great." Danny said sarcastically. His phone started to ring and he began to answer it. "Hello?"

"Hey, Danny, it's me." Elisa said on the other line.

"Hey, Elisa, what's up?" Danny asked.

"Who is this, Elisa?"

"Be quiet." Danny whispered harshly.

"What? I didn't say anything yet." Elisa said in confusion.

Danny stuttered as he tried to correct himself. "Uh...no, I was just talking to the...birds outside my window."

"Well, stop talking to birds and listen, my family's coming over for dinner and I was wondering if you wanted to come?" Elisa asked.

"Sure thing, you know I would never miss out on Diane's cooking." Danny said with a smile.

"Perfect. Beth is on break from college so she'll be there as well, and so will dad and Derek." Elisa said.

"A real Maza family reunion." Danny commented.

"It wouldn't be a reunion without you in it. You're like a part of the family." Elisa said and Danny could tell she was smiling on the other line.

"Thanks Elisa, I'll be there." Danny said as he hanged up the phone.

"This concept you said known as 'family,' I noticed your brainwave patterns seemed to display the emotion of happiness and sadness."

"Well, family is a group of people who are related to one another. Although, in my case, the Maza's became my adopted family when my dad died." Danny said with a hint of sadness.

"This 'dad' you speak of, this is where the source of your sadness comes from."

"Yeah, well, you'd be sad to if someone you cared about died." Danny said as he went back into his room and picked up the picture of him and his dad.

"This image...I know this man."

"Wait, what?" Danny said, shocked by that information.

"My memory banks are damaged...but I remember faint images of this man looking down at me, experimenting on me, then locking me away."