by Adam Oster
“Is it Arthur then? You know he wouldn’t do anything to hurt you, right? No matter how crazy he’s gotten he’s--”
“It’s not that, either. Sure, I’m feeling a little off because he’s starting an army and hasn’t even stopped by to say hello or ask me if I want to help out. I mean, it’s not like I would have joined him or anything, but it would have been nice to--”
“Does this have to do with whoever you’ve been going off to meet once a week?”
“Yeah,” Alexa said as she turned on her heel to face Buddy.
“So it’s really not Flores, then? I wasn’t going to say anything back there, but—“
“It's my dad, Buddy.”
“Oscar?”
“It’s the only dad I know about,” Alexa said through a forced laugh.
“Oscar’s the person Murphy was getting all worked up about?”
“Yeah, well, you know, I had wanted to tell you, but—“
“That’s great, Lex! Are you and him getting along, like, I mean, are you patching things up?”
“Yeah, it’s going pretty well. It actually kinda surprised me. I started visiting him after the whole thing happened with Dominion. Being so close to death really put things into perspective for me.”
“You’re telling me,” Buddy frowned.
“I knew that being one of The New Defenders was what I wanted to do, but I also knew that meant something might happen to me. Something bad.”
“Sure, I get it. I was there.”
“It made me realize that my time might be short. That I might not have as much time as I thought to fix things with him.”
“I’m so happy for you, Alexa!” Buddy said as he laid his arm across her shoulder.
“Yeah, it's been amazing. In fact, the only reason I’ve been able to keep from telling everyone is because I was afraid of what the MHDT might do if they found out my dad was meeting with me, the fugitive superhero.”
“Sure, I get it. He said the same kinds of things when me and Zero had our chat with him.”
“Right, so,” she said, pausing to take a deep breath. “This morning I went to see him to tell him that things have changed, that we would be able to have a real relationship again, instead of this secret one we've been having for the past few months.”
“I’m still not seeing what’s got you so worked up. This all sounds like great news.”
“It is.”
“Okay, so what's the problem?”
Alexa burst into tears once again before blurting out, “He's dying, Buddy. My daddy's dying!” She buried her face in his chest as she sobbed.
Buddy placed his hand behind her head, not knowing how to respond. They stood there for what seemed like forever, the only noise being the muffled sound of Alexa sniffling.
Finally Buddy broke the silence. “Lex,” he started. After a short pause, “Lex, are you sure? I mean, well, you know…are you sure?”
Alexa stepped away from him and walked toward the edge of the roof, sitting on the wall that separated them from the street below. “It's cancer, Buddy. I guess it's pretty far advanced.”
“But,” Buddy paused again, choosing his words carefully as he followed her, “but Oscar's one of the best doctor's out there, right? Shouldn’t he have known about it before it got too bad?”
“I guess he did.”
“Oh,” Buddy said shortly. “But, he’s got to have a cure, right? Last time I talked to him, he was telling me about how people like us were the key to being able to cure all disease and there was a way to cure all diseases or something.”
“He says he's been working on re-developing the Super-Cure ever since The DOA was disbanded. In fact, he told me the day he found out he was sick was the day after the first Mind Wipe.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah.”
“So, what does he need? Blood, organs, what? I'll give him anything I can to help things along.”
“I asked him the same thing.”
“And?”
“He says he already has everything he should need to come up with the cure, but nothing’s working.”
“Oh,” Buddy hung his head. “Look, Lex, I'm sorry.”
“It’s not your fault. Maybe if I hadn’t run away when I did, maybe it wouldn’t feel like he’s being taken away too soon. I mean, I started talking to him because I thought I might die, not the other way around.”
“But, it’s not like he’s going to die tomorrow, right? How bad is he?”
“Really bad. When I stopped in this morning, he couldn't even get out of bed.”
“And you didn’t know about it until today?”
“I guess he’s really good at hiding it.”
Silence hung in the air around the two until Buddy blurted out in excitement. “What about Carl?”
“What about him?”
“Carl knows stuff about working with supers and stuff, doesn't he? I mean, he was able to get my powers back, right? Couldn't he help?”
“Well, maybe, but--”
“But nothing. Oscar used to be one of my best friends, or at least that’s what they tell me. And you’re like a sister to me. If there’s anything I can do to help, I’m doing it.”
“Wouldn't Maggie be pissed if she heard you say that?”
“Nonsense. Maggie feels the same way about you. She has to; otherwise she would have kicked us all out of her apartment by now.”
Alexa laughed awkwardly. “I suppose you're right. But that doesn’t really change the fact that there’s no way for us to get to Carl while he’s down in The Bunker with Artie.”
“Yeah,” Buddy said as he paused to think. “And you don’t have any way of getting in contact with Flores?”
“Nothing.”
“Hey, there you guys are!” came Ryan's voice from the distance, accompanied by the thrumming sound of his propulsion pack. “Buddy, where have you been? You were supposed to come help me test out my new holographic duplicating device.”
“Really? I thought I was just making that up.”
“What?” Ryan asked.
“Nothing, just an excuse I gave Maggie earlier.”
“Oh,” Ryan said as he neared them. A look of concern crossed his face as he registered the tears on his sister’s cheeks. “You alright, Alexa?”
“It's Dad.”
“Yeah? What’s he up to now?”
“He's dying.”
“Oh,” Ryan paused. “Didn’t you know that?”
“You knew?” she shouted, running at her brother and grabbing his lapel as he landed. “You knew our father was dying and you didn't think to tell me?” She lifted him up in the air above her head and shook him. Using her speed, Buddy could make out nothing more than a blur of red as she got her aggression out on her sibling. She finally stopped moving and Buddy saw something escape her hands and fly high into the air.
“Whoa, sis,” Ryan said after he stopped his ascent and returned to the group. “Can’t say I’ve ever experienced your super-rage before.”
“Shut up, Ryan! If you’re telling me that you knew about Dad’s cancer and never told me, you deserve—“
“Of course I knew about it. He's been in rough shape for years, long before you left the house. I just always assumed you knew.”
“You can't just assume that type of thing, Ryan,” Alexa said as she ran to her brother and picked him up once again.
“Alexa!” Buddy yelled as he separated them. “Relax, okay. I'm sure Ryan didn't mean to keep this from you.”
Alexa glared at her brother before finally relaxing her shoulders. “You're right. I'm sorry, Ry. It's just been a tough day, you know?”
“Sure. So, you finally told Buddy you've been visiting Dad, huh? Been wondering how long you were going to keep that a secret.”
“You knew?” Buddy asked.
“Of course I knew. You think I wouldn't be aware that the prodigal daughter returned to the very house I live in? Sheesh. How's Dad doing? I’ve been holed up in the lab and hav
en’t had the chance to stop by his wing of the house for a few days.”
“Really bad, Ryan. He couldn't even get out of bed when I stopped by this morning.”
“Ah, yeah. That seems to happen about once a month. He always tried to put on a good show when you were around, though. Didn’t want you to worry, I guess.”
“So, he's been like this a lot lately?”
“It comes and goes. Some days he's just like good ol' Dad again. Then, like almost out of nowhere, he hits a bad patch and, well, you saw him today so you know.”
“Yeah.”
The group stood in an awkward pause before Alexa broke the silence.
“Hey, Ry, Dad built The Bunker right? Do you know if he has any blueprints lying around or anything that might show us a back door or something?”
“Reconsidering Damon's offer, huh?”
“Not exactly. Buddy came up with a pretty good idea that Carl may have something to offer Dad in his research for a cure. Only problem is, Carl's locked up down there.”
“Not a bad thought.”
“You think Dad would be up for helping us find a way in?”
“If there's one thing Dad's always up for, it's getting fresh eyes on his research. A close second is showing off his designs.”
“Well then,” Buddy said as he clapped his hands together. “Sounds like it’s time to take a trip to the storage shed.”
Buddy was overwhelmed with glee as the trio approached the storage shed, which was only two blocks down from Maggie’s Diner. To look at it from the outside was nothing spectacular, just one of many orange doors stretching on down an alley-like concrete surface. In fact, to look at the inside of the actual building wasn’t all that amazing either. However, the items within this 10x10 cube were two of the only trophies Buddy had retained from their battle with Dominion.
Upon opening the door, Buddy smiled as he was greeted by the sight of the XM1202, which dominated the space. The tank-like vehicle more commonly referred to as D.A.W.N.’s Mobile Unit was a miracle of technology. Unfortunately, it was all but useless ever since D.A.W.N.’s AI matrix had been locked up down in The Bunker.
Ryan kicked one of its enormous wheels as they walked past.
“It’s a big hunk of junk now, eh?” he said dejectedly.
“Don’t let D.A.W.N. hear you say that,” Alexa reprimanded as she pulled the rickshaw out of the corner and into the alley.
“You know,” Buddy replied, “I’d give anything to hear that robotic angel’s voice again.”
“She’s not a robot,” Ryan corrected, “she’s an artificial—“
“Don’t get so hung up on labels, kid,” Buddy said as he slapped Ryan on the shoulder. “She’s an angel.”
“If I remember correctly,” Alexa said as Buddy closed the door to the shed behind them, “the last time we talked to her, you couldn’t get away from her fast enough.”
“The last time she was around, she saved our butts from Dominion,” Buddy argued.
“Right, and you still wanted to run,” Alexa laughed. “Now, get in. We’ve got work to do!”
CHAPTER 6
“Have I ever told you how much I hate taking the bus?” Buddy asked as he climbed out of the rickshaw.
“Yeah, sis,” Ryan laughed. “What gives?”
“Is that all you two think of me?” Alexa growled as she walked toward the doors to Reed Manor. “You two should feel lucky when and if I decide to allow you to go at my speed.”
“Whatever you say, mum,” Buddy snorted.
“Hey,” Alexa said, snapping her head around to glare at him, “You had better watch it or you’ll be walking back.”
“Jeez,” Buddy said as Ryan laughed, “take it easy. I was just making a joke.”
Alexa opened the door to the mansion and stepped in. “Yeah? Well, I wasn't. One more crack about me needing to run you all over the place and you're out on your ass. Get it? I'm not a town car.”
“Okay, okay. I'm sorry. I didn't realize it was such a sore subject.” Buddy and Ryan looked at each other in dismay before following her inside.
Bosley, the Reed's butler, appeared at the top of the stairs near the entrance. “Ah, Master Ryan and Miss Alexa, so kind of you to visit your father while he lies on his deathbed.”
“Can it, Bosley,” Alexa snapped. “You know full well I was here just this morning. I don't need any more of your guilt trips today, okay?”
“I apologize, Miss Alexa. I had not realized that it was your time--”
“Don't even go there old man,” Alexa yelled. “Don't even think about it!”
“I'll be in the library if you should need me,” Bosley responded, exiting quietly.
“God, that man can be such a tool,” Alexa said as she stormed through the hallway and up the stairs.
Ryan whispered, “What climbed up her butt?”
“No comment on that one, kid,” Buddy grimaced. “But if I had to guess, I’m thinking she’s not taking your father’s condition too well.”
“Are you two coming or what?” Alexa yelled from the top of the stairs before disappearing down the hall.
Buddy and Ryan looked at each other again before ascending the staircase.
“I know one thing for sure. I don’t want to be the person to get the brunt of that,” Buddy stated sincerely.
“Let’s hope she takes it all out on Dad before we get in there.”
“You think he can handle it?”
“He was married to my mom,” Ryan answered.
“I don’t think you answered my question.”
“You obviously never met my mom.”
Buddy laughed.
“I'm serious, Buddy.”
The two walked into the room cautiously, concerned at how quiet things were on the other side of the door. The sight they were greeted with was quite grim. Oscar Reed sat in a bed that appeared to have been borrowed from the Sun City Hospital's most expensive wing. The room was filled with numerous machines measuring things Buddy could only guess and other gadgets whose function Buddy wouldn’t be able to identify under threat of death. Yet, the man who lay in the center of all this medical machinery could not have looked more excited.
“Buddy! I'm so glad you've come to visit!” Oscar exclaimed, sitting up slowly in his bed. “I would have had the maid pick up a bit, but, well, the doctor said I need to keep all this junk lying around to make sure I stay alive.”
“Psh,” Alexa muttered. “You don't have a doctor. For some stupid reason you think you can do all this yourself.”
“Ah yes, that's right. I'm the doctor. Like your mother always said, it’s my fault.” Oscar laughed heartily. Buddy looked on uncomfortably.
“Hey Dad,” Ryan said, approaching the bed. “Looking pretty rough.”
“Oh, it’s nothing to worry about, kiddo. In fact, the only reason I’m looking so bad right now is because of this new treatment I’m testing out. I’ve added a myostatin blocker that I developed off some meta-human DNA to the traditional chemotherapy recipe. The idea is to attack the cancer cells while strengthening the body at the same time. I call it Therapeutic Chemo.” Oscar looked at everyone to gauge their responses, which were still pretty grim. “Well, it’s only a working title.”
“It's not working,” Ryan said somberly. “You look weaker than ever.”
“Well, I wouldn’t say that it’s not working. It’s definitely more chemo than therapy, but that doesn’t mean it’s not doing its job.”
“You’re looking pretty chipper, at least,” Buddy offered.
“Well of course I am, Buddy old pal. Always happy to have you come and visit. Not only that, but Alexa says you’ve got a lead on someone who may be able to help me with my cure research. I’d say that’s more than enough to make me mighty chipper.”
“Well, I wouldn’t make any promises or anything, but Carl at least seems to have a pretty--”
“Carl? Wait, you don’t happen to mean Carl Flores, do you? Arthur’s son?”
&nb
sp; “Yeah,” Buddy answered slowly. “You know him?”
“Know him? I adore him. I’ve been trying to find him ever since The Great Redaction. Just figured he must have died or something.”
“You have?” Alexa asked. “Why?”
“Why? Because it’s his work that I’ve been trying to reproduce. He’s the one who came up with the Super-Cure.”
“You mean he’s the one who developed the cure to cancer?” Alexa asked as her eyes lit up.
“Not just cancer, sweetheart, the cure to disease. Obviously he didn’t do it alone, but he was definitely the central figure of the research. So, you think you know where he is, and that he might be willing to come out of hiding to help me?”
“I can’t imagine why not,” Alexa answered.
“This is spectacular news!” Oscar clapped his hands together in excitement and started pulling electrodes off his chest.
“What are you doing?” Buddy exclaimed. “Nobody said you needed to go ahead and pull the plug, Oscar. These things are—“
Oscar laughed. “Relax, Buddy. None of these machines are doing anything to keep me alive. These are all monitoring different parts of my body to make sure that nothing’s going wrong with the process. Those over there are to actually inject my system with—“
“Don't you think--” Alexa began.
“That’s right!” Oscar cut himself off. “No time for a explanation of these machines, we've gotta go find Carl. If he's still alive, we can't waste a minute. Are you certain you know where he is?”
“Yeah, of course. I don't think he's left The Bunker since the Mind Wipe.”
“The Bunker?” Oscar asked, stopping himself midway through pulling out an IV line from his right arm.
“Yeah, you know, where The Def--” Ryan was cut short.
“I know what The Bunker is, kiddo. I developed and built the damned thing after all. I just realized why you're here talking to me about all of this.”
“Well, yeah, we need help getting in. We were kinda hoping--”
“Right, none of you have access to enter through the main teleport entrance, right? That's the problem you came to me about?”
“Yeah,” Buddy started, “but we thought that maybe you--”