The Awesomatic Adventures of Dexter Seagrave

RECOURSE! Pt. 02: The Birth of a Superhero [Story No. 04]

And of course, there are those that are still eyeing me, as well as crowds of them now observing the people in the capsules. Feels like we're all in a zoo, I'm just the only one outside of a cage.

Why I woke up in the middle of this lobby in the first place, I don't know, but I'm afraid to move. Why would I though? I'm surrounded by a bunch prejudiced, alien pussycats that would tear me apart quicker than a baby bird that fell out of the nest. For the record, I've seen that happen before. Extremely horrifying.

Anyway, the wise thing to do would be to stay as still as I can, lest I draw more attention than I need.

KRRRZZZSHIIIK!

OW! A bunch of static just boomed inside my ear! Where the fuck is it coming from?

KRRRZZZSHIIIK! BEEDLEBLEEP!

There it goes again, followed by a quick, piercing, beeping sound. I could feel a vibration this time, all around my neck. So I touch it, literally putting my finger on why the static was so loud.

"They've put a collar on me?"

This must be what shocked me awake. It didn't register at the time, but I guess that's because I was so groggy. I have no time to dwell on that, as there is now another vibration coming from the collar, but no static or beeping. Only a voice.

"<<Greetings, Mr. Seagrave, I presume you are wide awake now?>>"

Shit, it's that doctor. "Yes, I am. As awake as I can be. I still feel a bit disoriented though."

"<<Collapsing the way you did will do that. You expended a lot of energy earlier. You should be thankful though,>>" the doctor says, possibly smirking as he does.

"And why is that?"

"<<That collar you're wearing revitalized you by introducing a specialized shock into your system. This is a fine-tuned form of electricity that only targets the Eclipsed cells in your body. By extension, the boosting of these cells can activate your abilities all at once, another reason for your disorientation.>>"

"Ah, I see," I sigh, rubbing my chin. "Well, that would explain why everything is so gotdamned loud, but I still don't see why I should be thankful. It's not like you saved me from death."

"<<That much is obvious, Mr. Seagrave, but you can now use your powers without issue. Though, that is only temporary. You should give it a shot by focusing on one ability and trying to control it.>>"

"Like what exactly? The only thing I can tell has gone haywire is my hearing."

"<<Then try that one. This is still part of you being examined, by the way. I need to understand your capabilities and limitations.>>"

"Always with the tests and shit. Tch," I grouse, gritting my teeth. "Fine, I'll give it a shot. First, I need to know—on what floor am I?"

"<<I knew you would ask that sooner or later," he snickers. (This fuckin' smug-ass sumbitch!) "I gathered that you were hoping to be on Stratum 4, but this is Stratum 6, also known as The War Den. It's where we hold our…erm…death matches.>>"