《Dead Men (Duo-OC SI) (Old Version)》


 1.1 - Awakening

    <h2>1.1 - Awakening</h2>


    Writing this with a fellow by the name of Tobi0487


    I¡¯m pretty sure I never set my alarm clock to ¡®screaming in agony¡¯.


    I noticed much of what I was standing sitting on was a metal slab with a glass covering, and something other than my muscles respond. My arms were gas, fluffy and full of nothing, yet there was power behind them. I touched a cool glass willing it to open, when it shattered amidst the rumbling.


    I dropped down to the cold white marble flooring completely boneless and despite expecting silence, a loud roar in the distance greeted my entrance.


    Time slowed as blue lines and numbers and words filled my vision detailing my surroundings weaponizable format. I didn¡¯t even know there were that many ways to take someone out with a coffee machine.


    It gave me numerous options none of which I had any memory of ever having in my life, even if it felt like they were there since I could walk.


    A rumble had the room I was in shake, causing the lights to flicker and die. The emergency light came on as my vision blanked.


    Had twenty different ways of killing someone with a pencil, but no flashlight.


    Go figure.


    There were some odd metal cases that I couldn¡¯t open alongside some rather strange weapons.


    Some looked like party toys and others looked like crowd control items mashed with a gun, seriously one had what looked like a gun with a blow horn barrel.


    Or what looked to be a metal pineapple grenade.


    Either that or it was for decoration.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    There were some desks and other odd things in the vicinity, I turned the corner to find a redneck¡¯s paradise.


    Weapons, upon weapons all lined up on racks like it was a bargain store.


    I managed to find a gun that hadn¡¯t been put behind lock and key, a weird futuristic piston thing with a blue hum.


    Fiddling with the small bit under it revealed, finally, a flashlight.


    The blue HUD came back online and - What the Fu-!?


    My hand bleed liquid tar and blue gasoline acid onto the gun, dissolving it.


    On a closer inspection I realized it hadn¡¯t been dissolved simply broken apart, piece by piece, and then the weird alien liquid proceeded to eat the glowing blue part.


    [DEPLOY PRIMARY WEAPON]


    Sure why not.


    From my hand that same black and blue liquid poured out my hand like a fire hydrant into what looked to be a Sonic Cannon.


    I was paying attention now.


    This dream was awesome, oddly descriptive, but still awesome. It was rather weird though, considering, I could still move and feel my hand, the weapon seemed to be placed atop it, so my hand hadn¡¯t been mashed into some Mega-Man Knock-off.


    A roar in the distance reminded me this place probably wasn¡¯t safe with its creepy sci-fi horror vibe.


    The Cannon which was now my arm would help immensely with dealing with a SAW situation.


    I grinned as I realized I had some There had seemed to be some strong locks, which looked to be very breakable now


    [LOCK BREAK ENGAGED]


    I was loving this dream.


    I stepped in the direction outside into the hallway after, ahem, ¡®acquiring new toys and decorations¡¯ and made my way into what appeared to be a massive lobby.


    Three figures were fighting, with two on the ground by the wall, one dragging the other on to the wall and propping them up onto it.


    I brought it up to low and noted the three figures fighting and aim careful not to hit the lesser evil looking-Wait is that Gangster Spider-Man?


    A snarl and the green one with claws and scales punched through the Yellow Mutated Giant. It rumbled an earthquake and threw something, a pillar, as the nimble figures dodged.


    [BOOST MANEUVER PROTOCOL; RAMMING SPEED]


    Before feeling blasters on my shoulder blades form and push me forward and towards the giant Abomination knock off that had originally fought Hulk. Let''s hope he wasn''t as hard to take down as the original villain fodder.

 1.3 - Awakening

    <h2>1.3 - Restart</h2>


    5 weeks ago...


    My eyes open to a dark room and the cold feeling of steel on my back


    Wh¡­ere a¡­m I?


    Subject is regaining consciousness. A stale robotic voice came out.


    Sub..ject WHAT!!!


    Jolted awake by the dangerous realization I was kidnapped by either psychos or murderous monsters.


    My body jolted up awake to stand only to be dragged back straps on tied around my body.


    Administrating test 1: 100 joules of electricity


    ¡°ARGHHH!!!¡±


    My body lit up in pain as Volts of electricity travelled through my body. Pain so my much pain, my eyes could only see white as the pain and heat coursed throughout my body.


    After a few moments of pure agony something changed. My body convulsed and I could feel something, there were no words to describe as I felt something grow from my body.


    What¡¯s going on???


    Looking down my eyes widened as I saw a green shell like muscle Grew over my body. Like instinct, my mind could feel more of the armour, my body was somehow doing this and I felt stronger as the pain lessened.


    ¡°Subject B.001 is now showing signs of mutation. Increasing voltage.¡±


    Mutation!!This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Confusion entered my mind on the word but before My mind could make sense of my situation arcs of purple electricity danced over my body as the pain doubled.


    Arrgh!!!


    Screams of pain filled the room, my mind blanked, the pain. Filling me with the desire for it to stop fuelled my new power, mutation I don¡¯t know?


    Focusing solely on the growth my body reacted and more of the armour formed over my body till I was fully covered in it.


    ¡°Subject mutation appears to be the formation of insect like armour of the beetle species. Sensors indicate an increase in muscle density. Subject may be growing an immunity to electricity.¡±


    Just as the voice said I could hear and feel my muscles grow stronger as the armour or shell clicked into place. It was unbelievable strength welled up within me


    The pain lessened to the point it was nothing more than a insect bite. Allowing me to collect my thoughts as I inspected my new armoured form. It was a green colour it looks like.. a Kamen Rider suit.


    Wait was I captured by shocker, my mind panic as the realisation that I was potentially captured by an insane organisation hell bent on world domination.


    ¡°I... I don¡¯t have time to think I have to escape.¡± Stopping my mind from wondering how I was in another world to begin with I just focused on escaping.


    ¡°Increasing voltage to test subject resistance.¡±


    Green armoured hands clamped down on the restrains and peeled them off. I felt little resistance at all the electricity no longer affected me and the metal bindings were like cardboard to my armoured form.


    ¡°Subject attempting to escape. Code Blue facility on lock down till escaped test subject is captured.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s my cue to run like hell,¡± I smiled under my new helmet at the prospect of escape, ¡°I feel like I¡¯m pulling an Ichigo here.¡±


    Finding a possibly thick and large steel door right in front of my I ran as the room lit up with blue lights and sirens. Running forward I reared my fist back


    Excitement at the prospect of escape made me smiled under my new helmet ¡°I feel like I¡¯m pulling an ichigo here¡±


    ¡°Subject has escaped from restraints engaging lock down and containment protocols.¡±


    Alarms went of all around me forcing me to run faster. Escape was the only thoughts on my xmind.


    Soon I was face to face a possibly thick and large steel door right in front of my I ran as the room lit up with blue lights and sirens. Running forward I knocked my fist back.


    My fist met another metallic door and dented it with my first punch. The metal door screeching as it caved in. It was not enough so I continued punching the door. Indents of my fists formed on the slab.


    The metal door caved inwards with each strike I could feel the armour on my fists thicken. Pain from punching metal lessened as I kept striking, strength filled my arms, I felt the muscles in it shift and harden with each punch.


    The door open wide under my blows, my thoughts on this ridiculous situation halted as I focused on escaping. Running though the halls I hear the sirens blare and and blue light filled the halls


    ¡°Subject has escaped testing area G 24¡± the monotone voice filled the hall.


    ¡°Shut of the alarms¡± a women¡¯s voice could be heard she sounded bossy ¡°and release subject X 23 to deal with the escapee¡± wait... what


    X 23.... No no that is a fictional character. Before I could deny further I looked at my armoured fists. I threw all rational thoughts outside the window and ran faster.


    The door at the end of the hallway opened and a figure stepped out.


    Shit... Am i on drugs?


    Right in front of me was a feral looking black haired girl or I¡¯m in marvel claws pooped out of her hand and a single claw from her foot


    She lunges at me roaring and on instinct my fist flew into action meeting her head on.

 1.4 - Memories

    Present time...


    The rumbling and groan of steel was heard and she left the entire structure of the underground facility shook.


    X23 closed the book she had been reading to find herself staring back from the mirror. The person which her mother had secretly named as Laura just before her murder.


    She did not have a name. Well a proper one. X23 was all who she was a weapon to be used than discarded but he named her Laura, she found herself liking that name. It made her sound human.


    She did not tell him who she was but he knew who she was and that brought about more questions. He called her Laura, she found herself liking that name. It made her sound human.


    Her new friend¡¯s powers brought about much interest among the scientists of weapon X initially weak, its power lied in his potential to grow. Statistically when he first activated his powers he was stronger than her by a slight margin. Closing her eyes she recalled their first battle she remembered her confidence of an easy battle against him. The pain of his strikes growing stronger the longer the fight progressed. His inexperience with fighting gave her an edge, but even than it was evident the longer the fight dragged on. She barely managed to subdue him, the way she won left a sour taste.


    The handlers observing the fight, saw it drag on and grew worried. They filled the hallways with nerve gas that made him pause. Due to her training she had grown resistant to the gas, using the opening provided she stabbed her foot claw into a pressure point in his knee. Anatomy wise he was still human so the nerve system was still the same, jumping upwards she twisted his neck making him pass out.


    A containment crew soon carried him away, she was soon called an hour later to recapture him. The second time the nerve gas did nothing to stop him.


    Any stimulated pain forced his body to grow armour, accompanied by drastic increase in strength and durability. The day before she had secreted a look at his statistics the scientists had recorded, his durability was estimated to survive C4 blasts point blank. According to their calculations he could have escaped by now. His only complication was... her. For whatever reason he was adamant to escape with her... and that had become his only real weakness besides instant death.


    Their relationship was bizarre, she was his jailer and countless time they had battled. Was it stockholm syndrome or was it her female form, men his age are sexually attracted, was that the reason. Could it... No matter, he was very adamant to talk to her despite the fact that she was constantly calling his body apart.


    After days of battling, she replied. That was probably when they started to bond.


    Sighing she examined the collar around her neck.A prototype device made to deactivate her X gene, the device was a prototype and yet she still felt its effect. When she scratched herself, she saw the noticeable time it took for it to heal. Her claws were unavailable as her oppressors had their scientists plant microscopic radioactive bombs within her nape, designed solely to disable her. The bombs were made to trigger the moment she brought out her claws or on remote which her handler that woman possessed. Passively the bombs radiation bypass and weaken her own healing factor then either kill her, cause cancer or something else.


    She was considered a lost cause at this rate. In the beginning their battles were deemed profitable in collecting data on her friend¡¯s powers and to increase her combat capabilities. However each battle he was always talking to her. Eventually on their 4th battle she finally complied to engage in some psychological battle but he simple smiled and he asked about what meal she ate.


    A mundane topic but it was the first of many such conversations. Every hour or so of each day he would break out and face her in combat, at times he would even wait for her to appear. After


    Over time she became friends with him as he was one of the few close enough to her situation to understand.


    Never in her life had she felt so weak physically and emotionally because of her they couldn¡¯t escape. It was her fault. Her fault her only friend suffer every time they failed, and the anger and hopelessness drove her to improve more, and get stronger.


    She was envious of him.


    Unlike her he grew stronger each time they fought he grew stronger. His armour formed faster and each form stronger each time with additional weapons.


    Looking down at her abdomen she rubbed it remembering the phantom pain as his fist extended freshly created blades that pierced her through.


    She saw his armour goes through various changes from spikes and claws. Somehow, he made even gotten a drill arm which he used to drill his way down for their 45th attempt before they started to electrocute them, and¡­Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    Shaking her head, she attempted to destroy that trail of thoughts.


    The tunnels were collapsed in their escape to cut of their pursuers and they were almost out if only they forgot to think about oxygen.


    The pain of suffocation was a horrifying concept but it made her stronger.


    Laura simply accepted their failures and looked at him from her side of their shared cell with a nihilistic smile. After various attempts, 90% of the facilities cells were in shambles they were left with the only intact cell left to place them in.


    Solitary.


    He was submerged in water and stuffed in so many drugs and whatever they could make to keep him asleep.


    Despite their bleak situation she could tell he had not given up he was always learning about his powers and their prison everything he could discreetly observe from the scientists and every single the Handler that had come across and she had not forgotten a single face and their numerous attempts.


    Each time they failed they would capture them more harshly and added more restraints and made them suffer more, starved them, shocked them but they refused to be broken. The sparks of freedom and rebellion lived on in her friend, it was almost inspirational reminding her of the optimism her mother shared. For she feared that without him she would be nothing more than a drone, silently working day in and out, completing all experiments and missions they would sent her on.


    She was certain now, the scientists and facilitators see their escapes as apart of their twisted experiments, each time they gained new data on their powers.


    Each time her friend grew in strength and new variants of his armour... 20 attempts ago he grew wings and they flew... flight it was a great feeling. no matter how brief it was.


    All their attempts failed thus far and yet he was still hopeful. This filled her with amazement, envy and a whole host of other feelings that he could still believe that they could escape. She would not get past half of the newly installed security measures just to contain him. Unlike him she was still susceptible to the drugs and gas weapons. Their latest attempt had scared everyone... they would have been free¡­


    ¡­if the overseers had not used Adamantium bullets to pierce through his armour and explode to slow his regen and allow the elephant tranquilizers to take hold.


    Freedom would have be theirs.


    Boom!


    Multiple tremors rocked the building, she felt the vibrations reverberate in her room. Deeply concentrating she extended her senses, wondering what was causing all the commotion, could she use this to their advantage.


    "-Send more¡­to the east block," her advanced hearing coming into play. She heard the wailing of sirens, the rushing of the guards. The smell of fear, excitement and desperation was in the air.


    "Send more reinforcements¡­secure¡­experiments¡­all scientists and high-ranking personnel¡­evacuate ASAP."


    A full evacuation, her eyes lit up in excitement. This was their golden chance.


    "Secure project X23 and project B-001"


    Her body moved the moment she heard the words. They were coming for them now, rushing forward she rushed and flipped 270 degrees, tumbling in mid air and using her feet to smash into the glass prison.


    Smash!


    She got up and body checked it at the point of impact, a few cracks formed as pain wrecked her shoulder. She wished she could use her claws, but they put explosives in her cuffs and ankles if she brought them out, and it would waste time. The explosions were liked to the ones in her neck, the explosions would not be enough to kill her but it will be enough to knock her out. Making her easy picking to be carried away.


    "Tobi! Wake up!!"


    Shouting as she continued to bash her wounded shoulder into the glass, working through the pain, more cracks formed as she kept bashing. Time was irrelevant as she struggled but the moments seemed to be stretched into hours. She knew less than a few seconds had passed as her adrenaline pumped, these all counted. She was too slow.


    Hearing footsteps coming towards their location her kind calculated how long it would take for them to reach their cell.


    "Wake up dammit!! YOU PROMISED!"


    Screaming her voice hoarse at her sleeping friend, she smashed the glass with all her might. The container shook from the force and cracks lined the surface, droplets of water were leaking out. The liquids pooled down at her bare feet. Just one more, just one more should be enough.


    "Project X-23 is planning an escape, activate the shock collars!"


    Pain flared from her neck as the shock collar activated, her screams of pain doubled as the liquids at her feet conducted the electricity doubling her pain. Forcing herself to stand as the collar increased in voltage she willed herself to stand.


    She refused to let it end like this, if they took her away now she would be alone once more. She was sure to be separated from her friend, the thought of going back to being a tool to be used and discarded gave her the strength to ran towards the container holding her friend.


    "YOU PROMISED WE''D ESCAPE TOGETHER!!!"


    ¡®Together¡¯ a foreign word to her, companionship generally ended in murder which was why it was so alien to her, but she cherished it for as long as it would last.


    Smashing her into fists into the glass then body, as the water poured out of the broken container. She used her hand restraints to break the edges down before entering the glass container. As arcs of electricity with increasing voltage travelled through her body she hoped it be enough to wake her friend up.


    Her arms opened wide and hugged his body electricity transferred from her body to his, giving him a shocking wake up call.


    Despite the pain she heard their cell door burst open, the men rushing in with various weapons trained on them. He sluggish thoughts, ¡®They brought in a different squad?¡¯ This was not the normal squad they send to capture them, they were not equipped at all. This, this was amazing she felt the percentage of success rising.


    Turning to look at her friend she saw red eyes open wide and his body bulged as it reacted to the electricity. Plates of insect armour sprouted from his body and she felt his arms envelop her body.


    She felt the shift in momentum as he lunged out of the container bringing his left arm up as it made a kite shield. Protecting them both from the hail of bullets fired upon them.


    Before she felt the water dry of her body she looked at his face as it was slowly covered in an insect helmet. Red glowing eyes glared out at their oppressors. Rushing forward he rammed his way through the guards their bullets bouncing of his armour. The bullets sounded different, looking down she saw that indeed they were not the normal rounds used to pierce his armour. What happened to the squads?


    "Sorry to keep you waiting Laura"

 1.5 - Break out

    A loud roar, screech of metal, blood and the casual destruction of the structure that you are inside had left me pondering what the hell I was thinking going against these monsters.


    This abomination knockoff looked like a giant yellow tumor, obviously a little bit more lethal, especially how it was indirectly smashing everything in sight. Honestly, what was I thinking? Going up against that? Was I brain-damaged? I had to be.


    My new eyes scanned the destroyed experimental weaponry left around.  My newly integrated nano-technology within me, helped analyze and utilize it for my purposes. To see if giant walking WMD-Tumor found dubstep guns volatile. There weren¡¯t any dub-step guns but I could dream, dammit.


    The Abomination went through the wall like it was made of paper. Rubble and other debris crashing around it like waves. Two small figures one in a white suit and another green and white blur fought moving at speeds that I would¡¯ve normally unable to tell what they were doing. Seeing what felt like their afterimages or just tail ends of where they had been. Somehow my eyes could follow their movements down to the single  frame.


    Abomination grabbed the green blur and I found it to be yes a hulking green reptile¡­in a lab coat.  As soon as the Abomination grabbed its leg the Green Reptile or The Lizard ripped off its yellow fingers and tore up its arm before the Abomination punched him into the wall. The white blur had slowed down, and I recognized her as Spider-woman or whatever a iteration it was this time tried to web him down and got hit by his arm but in reality she just bent out of the way.


    Abomination¡¯s other arm had already repaired and the lizard had already launched itself back into the battle there were two other figures outside of the splash radius considering the blood and gore surrounding them mostly from the lizard and the Abomination. One was a blond in a blue suit and knocked out on the ground. The other was wearing a yellow black suit with brown hair dragging the unconscious woman out of Harm''s Way.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    For a moment, I had the weird thought this was sequel to the matrix or some kind of Spin-off: cosplayer edition.


    Much like my ancestors who had fought in probably wars, my options were limited to sonic canon or Sonic Cannon. There was a real difference.


    I decided to screw the two options and made an original. A giant mecha fist with sonic cannons as the knuckle dusters. I had no idea how I was hefting it and keeping it in the air, but it was suddenly there. The blueprints took less than a fractured second and the build took less than a second. The rockets popped out of my shoulder blades and propulsed me into introducing Knockoff her to an explosive fist.


    Didn¡¯t even didn''t stand a chance he was knocked through the wall and through the wall and through the wall before crashing into the last one, crumbled down with rubble on top of him.


    Everybody stopped to take a breath before the walking tumor got back up seemingly without a scratch. But I knew in the heart of hearts it was scared. It just wasn¡¯t showing it. Spider-Gwen/Girl I later realized had webbed his feet together in the moment it was down and was wrapping its legs in a cocoon. It tore it off like jeans a few sizes to small. The scaly one in the torn lab coat roared before he charged at abomination.


    Abomination didn''t even need to get up he simply smacked lizard into the room next over and the room next over and then room next over. We didn''t hear him stop breaking through the wall before abomination ripped through the webs reached for Gwen.


    He found my fist in his face. And his face found the next number of rooms over as well as a few floors down.


    "He has no meaning of the word personal space "


    Gwen simply gapped. Well at least I think she was in shock she did stop and look in my direction for a quite a while before I had to nudge and ask who the lizard was.


    "Pete-a stu-student at-at my school"


    "Well damn, I guess dangling insects in front of him to calm him down won''t work..."


    She stood stiff as a board to stare in what I presume was my direction like I said something odd.


    "Yeah...too bad."


    This Gwen was a lot weirder than I remembered

 1.6 - Taking a trip up

    Armour plates grew over his body, shielding him from the spray of bullets. The building shook as the siren blaring red.. this was unusual normal when by escape they are blue.


    Laura was held in his grasp she was smirking, shaking his head he turned his sight to the matter at hand.


    Looking at his opponents his mind instinctively cleared and his body moved. His shield arm expanded as he charged.


    ¡°Fall back-¡°


    The men did not even get to finish the order as my plated shield smashed his way through the firing squad. Screams of pain and bones snapping reached his ears as his helmet formed.


    His mind was numb and inwardly he wondered why he was not freaking out over his actions.


    Twin growling eyes took in the sight of the brutalised men he just smashed right though. ¡®They would not care for me or Laura so why should I¡¯.


    These men... they brought it on themselves. So they deserve no pity.. Right?


    Running past them he bright his shield arm back and started morphing it.


    ¡°Laura what¡¯s happening?¡±


    ¡°Facility under attack, evacuation in progress¡± she struggled in my arms so I let her down soon we were walking side by side. Looking at her back I saw a red glow on the back of her neck.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    ¡°Laura what is-¡°


    ¡°It¡¯s a bomb cut it out now¡±


    Pain laced through my hand, the hissing sound and smell of flesh being singed reached my nostrils.  The armour on my hand grew larger and the pain lessened forcing me to dip deeper into the fire.


    "It won''t be much longer give it a minute or two"


    "I will keep a lookout, they have not activated my collar" Laura''s voice came out behind me she was standing guard. "The invasion must have them scattered and distracted"


    "That''s good maybe it''s shield or the X Men" After smashing through the guards we forced our way into a basement where they keep the furnace... Why they had a furnace I had no idea maybe for testing a mutant that was resistant to fire


    The moment I mentioned X men, Laura took in a large whiff "Is Logan here?" She was probably hoping to catch the familiar scent of her biological father.


    "Maybe but once we get out we can make our way to the X-men"  The thought of finally being free and having a warm place to rest set a smile on my armored face. "Professor Xavier will help us" My hand grew thicker and the pain was barely there I could no longer smell burning flesh, so I increased the heat of the flame making it blue. The pain returned but I endured it, after a dozen of times getting shot and experimented on has helped build a tolerance to pain.


    "Are... you..sure?" her voice sounded uncertain


    Turning slightly I placed my other hand on her shoulder making her body relax "Yes trust me, look if things don''t go well we can always run to the Avengers or something" I hoped that the Avengers or the other hero teams were a thing and he was not just in the X men universe.


    A minute passed and the blue flame no longer hurt, turning around I extended my claws. "It''s time Laura."


    Without hesitation my claws plunged into her.


    BOOM!!!!