Psyche: The Fifth Trial

The Fifth Trial is the first story in the Psyche Trials story arc, and serves as the very first story in the Psyche Series. Grant Tanner is an assistant for one of the most renowned scientists in the world. Because of this, he is given oppurtunities that most people could only dream about. When he gets wrapped up in the events of the Psyche Trials (a chain of experiments designed to unlock the deepest corners of the mind) his life is forever changed. Written by Christopher Jerabek, Psyche: The Fifth Trial is certain to entertain superhero fans of all ages.

Chapter One
Grant Tanner smacked his alarm clock like he was beating off a bandit. As hard as he could, and trying to do as much damage possible. Alarm clocks can do that to a guy.

He groaned and rolled out of bed, desperately trying to not collapse on the floor. He dragged himself across the room, picking up pieces of clothing as he went. He kept his clothes scattered around the room for this exact purpose. So that he could exert minimal energy in the mornings.

He wasn't always this lazy. He just wasn't a morning person.

He made his way to his kitchen, lazily rooting through the cupboard to find something to eat. He wound up grabbing a box of cereal, but didn't have the milk to go with it. He just ate it dry, flipping on his TV and watching the news for a few minutes. It was some story about a Casino Robbery, but it didn't interest Grant that much. The crooks were apprehended on top of a construction site, which police found odd.

Grant slowly grew more energetic, and was soon ready to leave home and go to work. He got into his car, a bright red beetle that he affectionately called Susan, and he began to drive. Porvanir was a very busy city, bustling with traffic and pedestrians. It was similar to New York, except the city was bigger and the buildings weren't quite as tall. Porvanir was in a wide-open terrain, so they expanded outwards when New York expanded upwards.

Grant drove Susan through the bustling streets, eventually coming to his workplace. He worked at Sharp Minds , the leading place for studies of the mind. Grant was just an assistant, but he didn't mind. He loved what he did, and he did what he loved.

He entered the building with an ear-to-ear smile, greeting the receptionist happily. Grant was a generally happy guy, and was almost never seen in a bad mood.

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-weight:normal">He made his way to his workspace, which was a lab run by Dr. Lynwood <span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-weight:normal">. He was the leading voice of the lab, and was the most respected Neuroscientist in North America. Grant was his assistant, helping him with experiments, studies, and other things. Dr Lynwood was a kind man, and was somewhat a father to Grant.

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt">You see, Grant's dad had never been around as a child. He was a heavy drug user, so he was frequently in prison. He had died a few years ago in a prison brawl, and they hadn't even told Grant until three months afterwards. It was a deep wound, but it had healed over time.

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt">"Good morning," said Grant, as he entered Lynwood's lab. "Any progress on the Helmet?"

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt">Dr. Lynwood was leaning over a table, carefully attaching wires to a bike helmet. The two of them had been working on the helmet for a few weeks now, and they were coming close to finishing it. When finished, it was going to act as a sort of sedative, with the ability to shut down many of the body's functions with the push of a button. It was tricky to build, but Grant was sure that Lynwood would be able to pull it off.

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt">Lynwood was a middle-aged man, with unruly brown hair and a perpetually confused expression. He was a very scatterbrained man, but was a total genius. He didn't have too many social skills, but made up for it in brain-power.

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt">"I've hit a snag," said Lynwood, not even looking up from the Helmet. "The signal strength is still too weak to knock someone out. Right now it only makes me a little drowsy."

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt">"You actually put it on?" laughed Grant.

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt">"Yes. Why?"

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt">Grant just shook his head. Lynwood was going to wind up frying his mind one of these days. He had a tendency to try out his inventions on himself.

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt">Grant and Lynwood worked on the helmet for about half an hour when they were interrupted. The door swung open, and in walked a man. He had a white lab coat, a pair of rectangular glasses, and combed black hair. He was the head of technology at Sharp Minds, so his work often mixed with Dr. Lynwood's experiments, His name was Benjamin Crow<span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-weight:normal">, and he was one of Grant's closest friends. They had known each other since childhood, and had stayed close ever since. Dr. Crow had a darker personality than Grant, but he tried as hard as he could to suppress it. Still, Crow was a great man with a good heart.

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-weight:normal">"Hey there, Ben," said Grant, shaking his friend's hand.

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-weight:normal">Crow laughed. "You know I don't like being called Ben."

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-weight:normal">"Whatever you say," replied Grant. "What are you doing here?"

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-weight:normal">Crow sighed. "Mrs. Sharp sent me."

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-weight:normal">"What for?"

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-weight:normal">"She needs to talk to the three of us. Past that, I really have no clue."

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-weight:normal">Lynwood sighed and set down the Helmet, following Crow out of the room. Grant followed short behind, and the three men made their way to Mrs. Sharp's office.

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans-Bold','Arial';font-weight:bold">Mrs. Sharp <span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-weight:normal">was the founder, owner, and CEO of Sharp Minds. She was a rough lady, but had the company's best interest in mind. She was a younger woman, a little older than Grant. She was young, but she was brilliant. She had long, blonde hair and bright blue eyes, and a strikingly beautiful appearance. Despite this, she was still a terrifying woman. She had a reputation of intimidating her employees, even though she hardly ever said to word to them. She just had that way about her that made you nervous to be in her presence.

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-weight:normal">"Have a seat," she said, as they entered her office. "We have much to discuss."

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-weight:normal">"What's all of this about?" asked Grant.

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-weight:normal">Mrs. Sharp turned to Dr. Lynwood. "Have you told him yet?"

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-weight:normal">Lynwood sighed. "No. I have not."

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-weight:normal">"Told me about what?" asked Grant. Lynwood wasn't the best at keeping secrets, so it must've been pretty important for Grant not to know about it."

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-weight:normal">"The Psyche Trials," replied Lynwood.

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-weight:normal">Crow stood up in surprise. "Don't tell me you've actually gone through with this?"

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-weight:normal">"Don't worry, Benjamin," reassured Mrs. Sharp. "We've done the preliminary tests. The first three Trials went splendidly, and we're ready for Trial Four <span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-weight:normal">."

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-weight:normal">Before Crow could respond, Grant interrupted. "Can someone please tell me what the Psyche Trials are?"

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-weight:normal">"The Psyche Trials," said Lynwood, "are a series of experiments on the living mind. It is designed to unlock the full capabilities of the brain, heightening the mental capabilities of the subject."

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-weight:normal">"How is that possible?" asked Grant.

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-weight:normal">Lynwood sighed. "The average human uses less than a fourth of their brain. Put into simple terms, this is because the 'roads' of the mind are blocked off. All that we have to do is unblock these roads, and the mind will function at 100% capacity."

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-weight:normal">Grant was stunned. He could hardly believe that something like this was possible, let alone that the tests are actually happening.

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-weight:normal">"You said that you've already done three Trials," continued Grant. "What do you mean by that?"

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-weight:normal">"We started small," said Lynwood. "Trial 1 was performed on a cell, but we unlocked the nucleus instead of the brain. After that succeeded, we moved on to a beetle, which was also a success. Trial 3 was a mouse, which didn't go quite as well. It took us four tries, but we finally conquered the mind of the rodent."

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-weight:normal">"So what's Trial 4 going to be?" asked Grant.

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-weight:normal">"An ape," replied Mrs. Sharp. "And once that's finished, we'll move on to human trials."

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-weight:normal">"Is that why you want us?" asked Grant. "To be your Guinea Pigs?"

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-weight:normal">"No," replied Mrs. Sharp. "Dr. Lynwood was the one that performed the first three trials, so naturally he will perform the fourth. As for Dr. Crow, he will overlook the procedure and run the machinery."

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-weight:normal">"What about me?" asked Grant.

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-weight:normal">"You and Dr. Lynwood are the only ones skilled enough to run the procedure. If something happens and Dr. Lynwood needs help, you need to be there to help him. "

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-weight:normal">"So I'm pretty much your backup plan."

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-weight:normal">"Pretty much," laughed Crow.

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-weight:normal">"So when exactly is this trial going to take place?" asked Grant.

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-weight:normal">"Tomorrow morning," responded Lynwood. "Be here bright and early, ready to work."

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-weight:normal">Grant groaned. He wasn't a morning person. Not in the slightest. If he fell asleep during the procedure and fell over on top of the subject, he was blaming Lynwood.

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-weight:normal">"Wait a minute," said Crow, "you're performing the surgery on an ape, right?"

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-weight:normal">"Yes," replied Mrs. Sharp. "Why?"

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-weight:normal">"What's going to happen? We have no clue how much of their brain is used. How can you say that something won't go wrong?"

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-weight:normal">"I can't," replied Lynwood. "That's why we're doing it on an ape instead of a human. It's called a Trial for a reason, after all."

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-weight:normal">"I guess you're right," replied Crow. "If that's all that we need to discuss, I think I'm gonna go."

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-weight:normal">"That's fine," said Sharp. "The three of you are dismissed."

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-weight:normal">The three men stood up from their chairs and left the room. Crow went back to his room, and Lynwood went back to his with Grant by his side. They got back to work with the helmet, but Grant was preoccupied with thoughts of the Psyche Trials. If it really was possible, then it would change the world.

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-weight:normal">He had the opportunity to be a part of it.

Chapter Two
Grant woke up again, but this time he was ready. He turned off his alarm clock and crawled out of bed, more alert and aware than he usually was. He felt energized, and even kind of excited. He was interested in the concept of the Psyche Trials, ready to find out if it could actually happen. Stuff like this was exactly why he joined Sharp Minds! He loved the absurd, especially when he got to be involved in it.

He quickly got himself ready, surprised to see how active he was at such an early time. He drove to work as fast as he could, fortunate to find a close spot to the building where he could park Susan.

By the time he reached the Experimentation Room, Dr. Lynwood was already there, completely prepared for the procedure. He was wearing full medical garb, complete with a mask and hair cover. Grant couldn't help but laugh at him, since his mask was on inside out and his hair cover only held in half of his hair. The rest was just comically sticking out of the sides.

"Welcome," said Lynwood, barely audible through his misplaced mask. "Are you ready for the operation?"

"Operation?" replied Grant in confusion. "You never said anything about operating."

"Well of course we have to operate! We have to go into his mind, and that's our only option on how to get there."

"And by him," replied Grant, "you mean the ape."

"Indeed. Dr. Crow is bringing him over now."

Grant put on his scrubs, ready to operate. He had to remind Dr. Lynwood to put on his gloves, but then the two men were completely ready. Grant was anxious, having never performed any sort of operation. Thankfully, he was only there for support. If everything went right, he wouldn't have to do anything at all.

They waited for a few minutes until they heard Crow's voice in the hall. "Come on, buddy," he said. "Right in here."

The door swung open, and in walked Crow, followed by something that Grant found really cool. It was an ape, cleverly looking around and taking in its surroundings. It seemed intelligent, like it knew what was going on. Grant was surprised to see that he was actually a gorilla, albeit a small one.

"That," said Lynwood, "is Alexander, named after the Greek conqueror. Or was it Roman..."

"Why Alexander?"

"Alexander the Great was a very smart and strategic man, and this little fellow was the smartest out of all of our apes. That's why we chose him."

"How'd you get him?"

"We got him from down in the Aamaji Jungle. He was kicked out of his tribe due to his small size. Our scientists rescued him from starvation and took him back to the States. With the local government's permission, of course. He turned out to be quite useful. He is incredibly smart for his species, and has even proved more intelligent than most children his age."

Dr. Lynwood waved Alex over to him, and he obeyed without question. Grant couldn't help but marvel at how well-behaved the gorilla was. He seemed incredibly calm, even though he was about to have his mind cut open. Then again, maybe he didn't know what was about to happen.

Dr. Lynwood pulled out something that struck Grant as odd. It was a full-body suit, like one that an astronaut would wear. It was tailored to fit the gorilla, and that's exactly what Lynwood was going to use it for. He gave it to the ale, and Grant watched in surprise as the ape put it on. After he was completely covered from head to toe, Crow zipped up the back and delicately strapped Alex to the surgical bed.

"What's the suit for?" asked Grant.

"Once we cut open the brain, the body will attempt to shut down. We use a special machine to keep this from happening. It emits special chemicals that act like neurotic signals, tricking the body into thinking that the brain is still pumping commands. The suit is to make sure that the body doesn't actually follow the commands it is given, or else the ape would constantly be flailing and twitching."

Lynwood continued, now looking directly at Grant. "If you're ready, then we'll begin. I just want to let you know that if something happens to you, I will have to finish the surgery before attending to you. We only have a short period before Alex's brain starts to shut down, so I can't stop once I start the operation. Are you okay with this?"

"I'm good to go," replied Grant, sliding his surgical mask over his mouth. Lynwood gave him a nod, and asked Crow to bring him the anesthetic. Crow brought over a Cart of supplies, including a tank of anesthetic. Lynwood grabbed the mask connected to the canister, and carefully held it over Alex's face. His eyes slowly flickered closed, sending the ape into a deep sleep. Lynwood pulled away the anesthetic mask and turned back over to Crow.

"Bring over the machine."

Crow walked over to a machine, resembling a light that they'd use at a dentist's office. He wheeled it over so that the transmitter was pointing directly into Trial 4's face, and flipped a switch to turn it on. The machine buzzed to life, and began to shine an odd blue light onto the ape's face. Now that everything was ready, it was time to begin.

Crow handed him a scalpel, and Lynwood began to cut. That was when Grant realized something that he hadn't before. He had a sudden epiphany that he hated the sight of blood. Before he knew it, he was blacking out.

"Are you okay, Grant?" asked Crow, slowly shaking him awake.

Grant drowsily opened his eyes, feeling like he always did after waking up. He managed to utter that he was okay, and tried to stand up. Crow helped him to his feet, and he helped his friend into a chair.

"What happened?" he asked.

"You kind of... fainted," replied Crow. "You missed the entire operation."

"How'd it go?"

"Pretty good. Alex woke up at one point, and Lynwood almost killed him. We managed to sedate him again, and finished the procedure without another issue. He's alive, but he's still asleep."

"Do we know if it had any effect? Did he... Unblock the roads or whatever?"

"We think so, yeah. We can't tell for sure until he wakes up, but that should be any moment."

Grant looked over and saw Trial 4, laying in the surgical bed. He was out if the suit, and was steadily breathing in and out. The top of his head had been shaved for the procedure, and the skin was covered in stitches. He had a cone over his head to stop him from picking at the surgical area.

Lynwood was sitting next to the bed, staring at the ape anxiously. Grant could tell that he was waiting for the ape to wake up, so that he could see whether or not the operation had worked. Grant was nervous too. If this worked, it would revolutionize the scientific world. It would literally change the way that the world ran.

And then, before their eyes, Alex began to stir. His eyes slowly peeked open as he woke up, looking around and taking in his surroundings. His eyes were crystal clear, and looked as intelligent as ever. His face seemed surprised, as if he suddenly realized something that he hadn't before.

"How do we know if it worked?" asked Grant. "It's not like he can tell us or anything."

"Normally," said Dr. Lynwood, "we test him with puzzles. We started simple, with puzzles of everyday objects. He finished those pretty easily, so we moved him up to more difficult puzzles, like black and white ones or puzzles with lots of pieces of the same color. Right now he's been trying to finish our hardest puzzle, which is just blue sky and a single cloud. He's tried eight times, and he gets rather frustrated that he can't solve it. Let's see if he can do it now."

Lynwood placed a tray over Alexander's lap, and dumped out a box of puzzle pieces. He set the box face up, so that Trial 4 could see the picture in the cover. He began to inspect the pieces, placing them where he thought that they should go. It was a tricky puzzle, since most of the pieces were exactly the same color. Grant wasn't even sure if he'd be able to solve it, let alone an ape. But, surprisingly, Alex started to put the puzzle together, piece by piece. He continued to place pieces, getting closer and closer to the finished product. To their surprise, he actually did it. In less than five minutes, he had constructed a puzzle that would've taken a fully grown man several hours.

"We've done it," laughed Lynwood. "We've officially created the smartest ape in the world."

"It's incredible," said Crow, absolutely enthralled in the ape. "An hour ago, he was smart. But now, he's a prodigy. It's a shock that he hasn't figured out how to speak yet."

Grant laughed. The procedure had actually worked. Trial 4 was a complete success. When word got out about this, everything would be different. Sharp Minds had been the top of the scientific world for a long time, but this would set their position in stone. But there was still one question left to resolve. Would it work on humans?

"What now?" asked Crow.

"Now it's time to move on to Trial 5," replied Lynwood. "The human trial."

"But who's going to be the subject? It's not like someone's just going to volunteer to have us cut into their brain."

There was a silence in the room, but then Grant realized something.

"I can do it."

Lynwood looked at him in shock. "What do you mean?"

Grant stared back at him, his expression dead serious. "I want to be Subject 5."

Chapter Three
<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt">Grant slowly opened his eyes. For a moment, he forgot where he was and how he had gotten there. Then it all started flowing back to him. After volunteering for Trial Five, he had gone through a series of exercises to make sure that his brain was compatible with the procedure. After concluding that he was ready, they waited three days and went through with the procedure. He had dressed up in the special suit (the same that had been worn by Trial 4) and they had begun the delicate operation.

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt">I must interrupt the story to give some brief background in the suit, just because it is important later. It may not apply itself to this specific story, but it <span style="font-family:'GillSans-Italic','Arial';font-style:italic">will be <span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-style:normal">important in the near future. It may sound strange, but Grant was oddly interested in the suit. It looked like a futuristic uniform, colored with silver and blue. It was a one piece suit, with a zipper down the back and a hood that covered the face. It was strangely comfortable, and aired out pretty well. The only openings in the suit were the eye holes and the scalp. When he put on the suit, the only part of him that you could see was his hair.

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-style:normal">As he opened his eyes, he realized that he didn't feel that different. He had a slight headache, but Lynwood had told him to expect that. He didn't feel that much smarter, which he found odd. Lynwood had told him that the procedure would boost his overall intelligence, making it easier for him to understand and remember things. It was supposedly going to heighten his senses as well, allowing him to sense his surroundings better than he could before. But so far, nothing had changed about him.

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-style:normal">He looked to his right and saw Lynwood in a chair, eyeing him curiously. Crow was in the corner, cleaning some surgical tools. The rest of the room was empty.

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-style:normal">"I'm glad to see you alive," laughed Crow. "After all, Lynwood cut a few of your vital nerves. I thought he had killed you for a moment there."

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-style:normal">Grant pulled down the suit's hood and turned to Lynwood in shock. "You did what?"

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-style:normal">Lynwood's eyes grew wide. "No, no! I assure, you nothing went wrong! The boy is joking with you."

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-style:normal">Crow just laughed and went back to cleaning his tools.

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-style:normal">"How do you feel?" asked Lynwood. "Any abnormalities?"

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-style:normal">"Not really," replied Grant, rubbing his head. "I have a little headache, but other than that I don't feel too different."

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-style:normal">Lynwood's face was devoid of emotion. It was hard for Grant to tell if he was happy or upset. This was how Lynwood usually was.

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-style:normal">Then, without saying a word, Lynwood handed him a Rubix cube. The colors had been all jumbled up, and Grant let out a sigh. He had never been able to solve a Rubix cube in all of his entire life, no matter how hard he tried. Lynwood and Crow both ridiculed him for this.

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-style:normal">"Do you expect me to solve this?" asked Grant incredulously.

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-style:normal">Lynwood didn't respond. He just stared at him.

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-style:normal">Grant groaned and went to work on the cube. He tried any combination he could think of, but to no avail. He couldn't solve the puzzle, and he knew it. He handed it back to Lynwood after a few minutes.

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-style:normal">Lynwood sighed. "It didn't work."

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-style:normal">"Well maybe it just..."

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-style:normal">Lynwood cut him off. "I said it didn't work. If it had, you'd be able to solve the cube. Alex can solve one in less than an hour."

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-style:normal">"Oh great," groaned Grant. "Now I'm dumber than an ape."

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-style:normal">Crow walked over to Lynwood and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "It's okay," he said kindly. "We just need to try again. It may not have worked, but at least it didn't hurt him. All we have to do now is figure out what went wrong."

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-style:normal">"But that's the thing," replied Lynwood. "Nothing <span style="font-family:'GillSans-Italic','Arial';font-style:italic">went <span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-style:normal">wrong. I did exactly what I did to Alexander."

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-style:normal">"True, but he was also an ape. Ape brains and human brains are completely different things."

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-style:normal">Lynwood didn't respond. He just stood up and told Grant that he could have the day off to recover. With that, he left the room. Crow soon followed suit, both of the doctors heading back to their labs. Grant sat there for a few minutes, thinking to himself.

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-style:normal">Grant left the suit on the surgical bed and left the building. He was actually quite upset that the operation had failed. He had been looking forward to being more alert, having never been the most coordinated person. He had already signed up for a local baseball team, wanting to give his new skills a try. It was too late to back out, so now he was just going to have to play with the talents he already had. That wasn't too much.

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-style:normal">The drive home was uneventful. The monotony of the honking cars and flashing lights bored him. It's sad when life in the city becomes boring, but it was a solemn truth for Grant. He had signed up to be Lynwood's assistant so that he could spice up his life. But even that wasn't enough for Grant. He considered this his one fatal flaw. He was never satisfied with the life he had.

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-style:normal">When he arrived home, he laid down on the couch and turned on the TV. He wasn't going let a failed procedure ruin his day off. He was going to enjoy every minute of it, wether he was a genius or not.

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-style:normal">He found a good channel and set down the remote. It was a News channel, currently reporting on a local break-in. Apparently, somebody had broken into a professional weightlifter's house. He had actually heard of the weightlifter before, a man named Richard Evans. They had actually found groups of different DNA strands around the house, meaning that there was more than one burglar. They only had the name of one, named <span style="font-family:'GillSans-Bold','Arial';font-weight:bold;font-style:normal">Rodney Cooke <span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-weight:normal;font-style:normal">. The reporter continued the story, saying that Richard had fought back against the burglar. The thief had apparently tazed him, knocking him out. To Grant's horror, the burglar had put a grenade in the weightlifter's mouth to finish the job. Thanks to reasons unknown, Richard had actually survived. The story still made Grant sick to the stomach, so he reached for the remote to change the channel.

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-weight:normal;font-style:normal">To his dismay, he knocked it off of the couch and it fell to the ground. We can all understand this problem. We've all had that moment when we've knocked over the remote and been to lazy to pick it up. He tried reaching for it, but it was just barely out of range. He curled up all of his fingers except for the pointer, hoping to stretch it out and pull it in.

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-weight:normal;font-style:normal">That was when his life changed.

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-weight:normal;font-style:normal">To his surprise, something began to come out of his finger. It was a small string of blue light, matching the color of the light that Lynwood used in the procedure. It swayed and flowed like a wet noodle, but smoother and slower. It was as if the light was a living being, inching towards the fallen remote.

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-weight:normal;font-style:normal">In shock, Grant pulled his hand back. And, adding to the mystery, the remote came back with it. It landed in his palm, and Grant simply stared at it, not knowing how to respond to the strange phenomena. So, naturally, he responded the way any grown man would. He screamed at the top of his lungs and threw the remote across the room.

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-weight:normal;font-style:normal">He sat in horror, staring at his hand like it was a wild animal. He studied it and found nothing different. So what had that light been? And why did it bring the remote to him?

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-weight:normal;font-style:normal">He decided to try it one more time. He pointed his finger back at the remote, which was now at the other side of the room. Sure enough, a thin blue membrane of light stretched out of his finger towards the remote. He willed the remote to come back to him, and it did. He willed it away, and it started floating back towards the wall. Grant started to laugh, realizing what was going on.

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-weight:normal;font-style:normal">After messing around with it, he began to feel the flow of the light. He could pick up objects just by pointing at them, letting the light do the rest. On a normal day, Grant wouldn't have believed it. But today was different. For some reason, Grant accepted the oddness.

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-weight:normal;font-style:normal">After getting a hold of himself, he rushed to his car, still playing with this new ability. He used the light to open the car door, and even to turn the steering wheel. He couldn't help but grin. He was enjoying himself more than he ever had.

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-weight:normal;font-style:normal">All of a sudden, the world wasn't quite so bland. Every light seemed to blink brighter. Every car horn was more interesting. Grant found himself smiling at things he had never noticed. To his delight, he was realizing that he simply noticed more. With a cheesy grin, he made the sumptuous that the experiment had worked after all. It was just a delayed reaction.

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-weight:normal;font-style:normal">When he got to Sharp Minds, he rushed straight to Dr. Lynwood's room. He found him working on the helmet, a look of confusion on his face.

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-weight:normal;font-style:normal">"What are you doing here?" asked Lynwood. "I thought I gave you the day off."

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-weight:normal;font-style:normal">"I know!" said Grant excitedly.

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-weight:normal;font-style:normal">"Then why are you here?"

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-weight:normal;font-style:normal">Grant didn't know how to explain it. He stumbled over his words, not knowing what to say. "You just need to see this."

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-weight:normal;font-style:normal">Before Lynwood could respond, Grant stretched his finger out towards a wrench sitting on the table. The blue light came out of his finger, reaching out towards the object. Grant willed it towards himself, and the wrench flew at him. He caught it in his hand, giving it to Lynwood. For the first time in years, Grant saw a look of surprise on his face.

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-weight:normal;font-style:normal">"How did you do that?" he asked incredulously.

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-weight:normal;font-style:normal">"I don't know," replied Grant. He explained what had happened, and Lynwood listened closely.

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-weight:normal;font-style:normal">"I guess the procedure didn't fail after all," laughed Lynwood. "It just had different outcomes than we were expecting." Lynwood turned around and started shuffling through some papers. "I wonder if it had any other side effects."

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-weight:normal;font-style:normal">"Nothing else, so far."

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-weight:normal;font-style:normal">Lynwood turned around in shock. "What did you just say?"

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-weight:normal;font-style:normal">Grant was confused. "I just said that there haven't been any other side effects."

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-weight:normal;font-style:normal">Lynwood laughed. "But I didn't say anything!"

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-weight:normal;font-style:normal">"Yeah you did," replied Grant. "You said that you wondered if there were any other side effects."

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-weight:normal;font-style:normal">Lynwood put his hands on Grant's shoulders. "No I didn't! I only thought that! I never <span style="font-family:'GillSans-Italic','Arial';font-weight:normal;font-style:italic">said <span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-weight:normal;font-style:normal">anything!"

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-weight:normal;font-style:normal">Grant didn't know how to respond. "I guess I..."

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-weight:normal;font-style:normal">"Tell me what I'm thinking!" commanded Lynwood happily.

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-weight:normal;font-style:normal">"I don't even know what I did," replied Grant. "It just kind of... Happened."

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-weight:normal;font-style:normal">"Just try it!"

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-weight:normal;font-style:normal">Grant sighed and closed his eyes. He focused on Dr. Lynwood, trying to delve into his mind. After getting over the ridiculousness of it all, Grant let the absurdities go and focused on reading Lynwood's thoughts. Sure enough, he could faintly hear him thinking to himself about his cat.

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-weight:normal;font-style:normal">"What did you see?" he asked.

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-weight:normal;font-style:normal">Grant laughed. "You seriously named your cat Diablo?"

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-weight:normal;font-style:normal">Lynwood laughed and ran his hands through his unruly hair. His face was one of pure ecstasy, more excited than Grant had ever seen him. "This is revolutionary! This is even better than I had expected! We need to show the world! This could change everything we know about..."

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-weight:normal;font-style:normal">Before Lynwood could continue, Grant realized something.

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-weight:normal;font-style:normal">"Dr. Lynwood," said Grant, a look of nervousness in his eyes, "we need to get to Alex as fast as we can."

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-weight:normal;font-style:normal">"Why?" replied Lynwood, still smiling like a drunken idiot.

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-weight:normal;font-style:normal">"Because you performed the <span style="font-family:'GillSans-Italic','Arial';font-weight:normal;font-style:italic">exact same <span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-weight:normal;font-style:normal">surgery on him. You said it yourself."

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-weight:normal;font-style:normal">"What do you mean."

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-weight:normal;font-style:normal">Grant took a deep breath and spoke with dread. "I mean that he'll have the same powers that I do."

Chapter Four
Lynwood and Grant rushed to the room where they kept the live specimens for the experiments. They passed Crow's office, who leaned out into the hallway and asked what was going on.

"No time to explain," replied Grant. "Just stay in your office! It might be dangerous."

Crow scoffed. "What could possibly be that dangerous? It's not like a zombie apocalypse is suddenly breaking out. The disease control center is across the city."

"No time for jokes, man," replied Grant, still not stopping.

Crow realized that his friend was being serious, and followed behind him. The three men reached the Animal containment room, but they were too late. The door had been busted open, and the room was completely destroyed. Trial Four's cage had been ripped open by something powerful, since pieces of the metal bars were spread throughout the room.

They found the animal caretaker laying unconscious on the ground, bleeding from a head wound. They gently shook her awake, but she was disoriented.

"Are you okay?" asked Grant. There was no response from the girl.

"Maybe she has a concussion." At first Grant thought that this was Lynwood speaking, but he realized that it was only a thought. He had to learn how to get that mind reading thing under control.

"What's your name?" asked Lynwood, checking to see if her brain had been damaged.

She mumbled something, but it was hard to understand. Lynwood asked her to repeat herself, and she replied with, "Kate. My name's Kate."

"What happened here?" asked Crow.

"I was taking care of the parrots," she said, pointing over to a birdcage, "then he just went crazy."

"Who?" asked Grant.

"The ape," she replied. "Alex. All of a sudden, he just ripped the bars out of his pen and knocked me to the ground. He never laid a finger on me though! He just looked at me and I flew across the room."

"Where'd he go?" asked Lynwood.

"I'm not sure," she responded. "He just smashed through the door and ran off into the hallway."

The three men left the room, and quickly discovered where he had gone. At the other end of the hallway was a massive hole in the wall, like something had blasted through it. It led to an open street, already in chaos.

Grant rushed over and into the open air, astounded at what he saw. The street was in total disarray. People scurried around like ants with a leaf in their path, screaming and trampling others in their wake. Had this event happened in a smaller town, everyone would be fine. But Porvanir was just as crowded as New York, which meant that there could be a hundred people on any city block at any given moment.

Grant, Crow, and Lynwood rushed through the city, following the wake of destruction.

"How can one monkey be this destructive?" asked Crow.

"He's an ape," replied Lynwood. "Not a monkey."

"So? That doesn't explain how he..."

"We'll explain later!" replied Grant. "Right now we just need to find Alex,"

"Trial 4 may be extremely dangerous, Crow," replied Lynwood. "If you want to turn back, I suggest doing so."

Crow stopped for a few seconds. "No way! I can help you guys!"

"Just go back," reassured Grant. "We don't know what this thing is capable of."

"What makes you more qualified than me?" asked Crow angrily. "What gives you the right to go after him?"

"Just trust me, man." Grant hadn't realized that Crow wasn't aware of his powers. As far as Crow knew, Grant was just a failed science experiment.

Crow sighed and gave Grant a hurt look. In anger, Crow ran back to the Lab, leaving Lynwood and Grant to fend through the roaring crowds.

"So how do we find Four?" asked Grant.

"We just go wherever the crowds aren't," replied Lynwood. "They're running from something, and I predict that it's him."

They followed Four's swathes of destruction, marveling at what the ape was capable of. It looked like a scene out of a monster movie. There were upturned cars with the windows smashed out, some of them with small fires burning inside. So far, Grant hadn't noticed any casualties, but that didn't meant that there weren't any.

"So what are we going to do when we find this thing?" asked Grant. "He's obviously pretty powerful. Maybe too powerful for us to handle."

"I'm not sure what we'll do," replied Lynwood. "Hopefully, he'll be smart enough to reason with."

"I highly doubt it," laughed Grant. "He may be smart, but he still has the instincts of an ape."

They turned a corner, and finally came face to face with Trial 4. He was standing on his hind legs in the middle of a street, picking up a car and throwing it into the side of a building. He was shrieking like a howler monkey, baring his fangs as he destroyed his surroundings.

Lynwood and Grant ducked behind an upturned jeep, hiding from the chaotic ape.

"What do we do?" asked Grant nervously.

"I'm not sure," replied Lynwood. "You might want to try subduing him with your... skill."

Grant had completely forgotten about this. Lynwood had a decent point. If it came down to it, Grant needed to be able to beat this thing. He poked his head out from behind the jeep, planning his approach.

Grant outstretched his hand and he tendrils of light began to reach out. It snaked across the ground, getting closer and closer to Trial Four. But right before it touched him, the light started to fizzle, disappearing entirely.

"Why isn't it working?" asked Grant, trying again with the same result.

Lynwood started thinking. "Let's see... You got your powers from the light machine. The light, as I said earlier, tricks your body into thinking that the brain is still sending orders. To keep it from following these orders, you wore the suit. Trial 4 was wearing that same suit when I performed the procedure on him. That could mean that he is immune to these powers."

"But if the suit stops my body from following the commands, then how can I use my powers now?"

"I'm not sure. Maybe, instead of the body following these orders, it releases the orders to their surroundings. Hence the light coming out of your fingers." Lynwood's eyes lit up. "That's it! The tendrils are just a physical embodiment of the brain's commands! So when the light comes into contact with something else, the 'something else' performs the action! That's how you can move objects with your mind! That would also explain why it doesn't work on Four. His body is already taking conscious orders, so his body won't accept yours. Since living bodies are already taking orders, yours won't work. I guess that living things are immune to it."

Grant nodded, actually understanding what Lynwood was talking about. Since he couldn't take down Trial Four with just his powers alone, he was going to have to do it indirectly.

Before Grant could come up with a plan of action, Trail Four looked over and grinned. He had spotted them.

"Dr. Lynwood, you need to run," warned Grant. "Get away from here as fast as you can."

"But what about..."

"Just do it! I can take care of myself."

"Do you have a plan?"

"I always have a plan."

Lynwood sighed and made his way away from the upturned Jeep. He turned the corner and disappeared from sight, leaving Grant and Four alone on the street. The rest of the crowd had ran away, so the street was barren.

"What are you doing?" asked Grant, standing up from behind the car. He didn't know if Four could understand him, but he had to try. "You're hurting innocent people!"

Four let out a bellowing roar and leapt over to Grant. He ducked out of the way just in time, letting the ape slam into the car. The ape stood up and shook his head wearily, but Grant had disappeared from sight. The ape looked around angrily, trying to find him.

Out of the blue, the nozzle on a nearby fire hydrant blasted off. Pressurized water slammed into the ape, knocking him into a building. He broke through the glass window, landing in a clothes rack. He finally caught sight of Grant, who had been standing on the sidewalk the whole time. He had used his powers to break off the lid of the Fire Hydrant. Four bellowed and banged his fists on his chest, rushing out to meet Grant.

Trial Four slammed Grant into a wall, but it surprisingly didn't do much damage. Grant stood up and brushed himself off, preparing for the next blow. Four grunted and changed strategies, deciding not to pick him up again. Instead, he just body slammed Grant to the ground, pounding on his chest.

If Four had been much larger, the ape could've easily killed him. Luckily for Grant, however, Four was small as far as apes go. He was only a little bit larger than a chimpanzee, and was built like one too. After realizing this, Grant made a sudden epiphany. Four was obviously too weak to throw something large, like a car. Yet, Grant had seen tons of upturned cars on the way there. He had seen him throw a car with his own eyes. So how had he done that?

That made Grant realize something terrifying. His immediate assumption had been correct. The ape had the same powers that he did.

Grant gritted his teeth and raised one of his arms, blocking Four's fist. He knocked Four off of his chest, landing in the open road. Grant stood up and looked over at the car that he and Lynwood had used for shelter. Grant stretched his hand out and let the tendrils pick it up. He could feel the strain in his hand, slowly lifting the car off of the ground. He could feel the weight, even through the mysterious light. Using all his strength, he launched the car over to the ape. It pinned him to the ground, not even giving him a chance to respond.

For a moment, Grant thought that he had won. Not even Four would be able to walk away from a blow like that. The ape was probably unconscious underneath the metal. But to Grant's dismay, Alex began to stir beneath the car. It started to rise up into the air, getting pushed upwards by tendrils of blue light.

In a roar of anger, Four threw the car at Grant. He tried his best to catch it with his own powers, but it was too forceful. Grant managed to throw it off course by a few feet, but it still rammed into his left leg. Grant screamed as he felt it crack, and his whole body slumped to the ground.

Trial Four slowly approached Grant, a human-like grin crossing it's lips. It picked up a nearby piece of concrete, lifting it high over his head, ready to destroy Grant at a moment's notice. His muscles shuddered, trembling beneath the wight of the stone.

Grant realized with terrifying reality that he had lost the battle.

Chapter Five
<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt">As Four prepared himself to launch the rock through Grant's skull, Grant had an idea. He had no idea how advanced Four had become. It was a small hope, but there was a chance that Grant could somehow communicate with him. It was almost meaningless, but he had to try.

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt">"You don't have to do this," pleaded Grant. There wasn't even a slight response from the ape. It was obvious that he wasn't getting through, but he kept on trying. "We can end this now. Just drop the concrete, and come back to the lab. We can fix you up! You don't have to be this way."

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt">Trial Four let out a monstrous roar, baring his fangs at the puny human. He was a wild animal, and there was nothing in the world that could change that.

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt">"Please," begged Grant. "Just stop. If you don't, people are going to die. Innocent people. Good people. Their blood would be on your hands! You don't want that! There are other ways. But we can't help you if you don't stop! Cant you just put down the rock? Just end it all."

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt">Four stopped for a moment. All grew quiet as the ape slowly lowered the rock. This wasn't a sign of peace, however, as Four bared his fangs and came down to within inches of Grant's face. For a few seconds, they just stared at each other. Then, to Grant's astonishment, Four did the unthinkable.

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt">"No."

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt">Grant didn't know how to reply. His last hope was gone. Not only had Trial Four understood what he had said, but he had the power to respond. The ape was a monster, and it had all intentions on killing him. It was smart, it was cunning, it was terrible. It was vicious, it was angry, it was dangerous. It had killed, destroyed, and annihilated. It was hatred, it was rage, it was instinct.

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt">But it was human.

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt">Grant realized that. Four wasn't just a monster bent on chaos. It had more than just a brain now. It had always had a brain, but now it had a <span style="font-family:'GillSans-Italic','Arial';font-style:italic">mind. <span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-style:normal">Brains can't be swayed. They can't be changed. But <span style="font-family:'GillSans-Italic','Arial';font-style:italic">minds <span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-style:normal">can.

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-style:normal">Grant realized that if he said another word, Four would kill him. There was no doubt about that. He could see it in his eyes. If a word would lead to death, then Grant had to make sure that that word meant something.

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-style:normal">So now, building up the last of his energy, Grant spoke one last time. He was putting all of his hopes into four letters. Four simple letters. Four letters that would decide his fate.

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-style:normal">"Alex."

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-style:normal">At first, the ape showed no response. But then, to Grant's surprise, it stopped. It began to think. He mouthed the word back to Grant. Alex. His breath slowly calmed. His mind started to clear. It was no longer filled with thoughts of hatred and rage. The change was sparked by something as simple as a name. His name.

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-style:normal">The ape slowly set the rock down. The intensity in his eyes faded away. He looked Grant up and down, studying him.

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-style:normal">"A... lex.  A... lex." He sounded out each letter, delicately repeating it back to Grant. "Name.  Name is Alex."

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-style:normal">Grant laughed with Joy. "Yes. Your name is Alex."

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-style:normal">The ape slowly grinned. "Alex."

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-style:normal">Grant was about to say something, but he was cut short by the sound of rushing air, like a paintball gun. He looked over and saw Dr. Lynwood standing at the end of the street, aiming a gun at Alex's head. He looked back to the ape in fear, just in time to see it collapse to the ground.

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-style:normal">"What did you do?" screamed Grant. "You killed him! It was okay now! He was fine!"

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-style:normal">"Relax," replied Lynwood, slowly approaching Grant. "It was just a tranquilizer. He'll be okay."

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-style:normal">Grant looked back to the fallen ape. He was still breathing. He looked dead, except for the steady but subtle rising and falling of his chest.

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-style:normal">Grant tried to stand up, completely forgetting about his shattered leg. He yelled in pain and fell back to the ground, prompting Lynwood to rush to his side. The man said something, but it was lost in Grant's ears. As Lynwood lifted him from the ground and onto his shoulders, Grant's eyes fluttered closed. He slowly drifted into a dreamless sleep.

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-style:normal">Benjamin Crow sat in his home, staring at the fireplace and sipping hot chocolate. The fire glittered in the chimney, illuminating the room in a flickering light. It had been a long day, and Crow was tired. He felt an odd mixture of emotions. He had just witnessed an ape destroy an entire city block. He would've been able to help, but <span style="font-family:'GillSans-Italic','Arial';font-style:italic">no. <span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-style:normal"> Grant had to save the day. Grant always had to save the day. Everybody loved the guy. After all, what's not to like? He probably had angels coming down from heaven to witness his birth.

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-style:normal">Crow sighed. It's not that he hated Grant. He really didn't. The two had been best friends for years. He was just tired of being second place to him.

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-style:normal">After all, everybody loved him. He was a <span style="font-family:'GillSans-Italic','Arial';font-style:italic">total genius <span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-style:normal">after all. Grant couldn't make a mistake if he tried. He was given the honor of being Dr. Lynwood's assistant. Can you believe that? Dr. Lynwood was one of the most prestigious scientists in the US, and he chose <span style="font-family:'GillSans-Italic','Arial';font-style:italic">Grant <span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-style:normal">to be his assistant? When Trial Four escaped into the city, Crow jumped at the chance to help out. But <span style="font-family:'GillSans-Italic','Arial';font-style:italic">no. <span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-style:normal"> It was too <span style="font-family:'GillSans-Italic','Arial';font-style:italic">dangerous <span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-style:normal">for a guy like him. Let <span style="font-family:'GillSans-Italic','Arial';font-style:italic">Grant <span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-style:normal">save the day. Grant was <span style="font-family:'GillSans-Italic','Arial';font-style:italic">athletic. <span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-style:normal"> He was <span style="font-family:'GillSans-Italic','Arial';font-style:italic">smart. <span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-style:normal">He was all-around <span style="font-family:'GillSans-Italic','Arial';font-style:italic">perfect. <span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-style:normal"> For all that Crow knew, Grant could have psychic powers and become a superhero. It was a ridiculous thought, but <span style="font-family:'GillSans-Italic','Arial';font-style:italic">Grant <span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-style:normal">was so amazing that it might as well be the truth.

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-style:normal">While Grant had been living a life of glory, Crow had fought for every ounce of fame he had earned. And that wasn't much. Crow had done things that most people could only dream of. He had been one of the people chosen to help design Station 17, one of the most important prisons in the world! But was his name even <span style="font-family:'GillSans-Italic','Arial';font-style:italic">mentioned <span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-style:normal">on the list of contributors? Absolutely not. Nobody cared for names like Benjamin Crow. They only cared about the famous ones like Alexander Scott and Justin Joy. Anyone else was pushing the envelope.

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-style:normal">As far as the world knew, Benjamin Crow was just another name. Just another face. Someone you'd pass in a crowd and never think twice about. He had earned so much more than that.

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-style:normal">And he was going to prove it.

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-style:normal">Crow stood up from his chair and walked over to the object in the corner of the room. It was covered with a tarp, and was about the size of a classroom projector. It had been Crow's secret for as long as he could remember. His life's dream. It was going to be his crowning moment. His chance to shine.

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-style:normal">A grin crossed his face as he wrapped his fingers around the tarp. With a flourish, he whipped it off, revealing what was underneath. It looked like a small copying machine, about the size of a printer. This machine, however, was so much stronger than a Copying Machine or Printer. As far as the world was concerned, the technology involved hadn't even been invented yet. But for Crow, this technology was all too real.

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-style:normal">Crow walked over to his drawers and pulled open the bottom shelf. He rustled through the piles of clothes, until he finally found a small, metal handle. He twisted it, and a section of the drawer came open. It was a small hollow, entirely empty except for one, small detail. A tablet.

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-style:normal">Crow gently removed the piece of stone, tracing the intricate designs with his fingers. In a quiet voice, he slowly read the words, written in eloquent Greek letters.

<p style="margin-left:0pt;margin-right:0pt;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt"><span style="font-family:'GillSans','Arial';font-style:normal">"Kronos."

Preview of the next story
Gargoyle: Iron Will

When a professional weightlifter gets viciously mutilated by a group of robbers, he is left with a scarred face and a jaw made of jagged iron. He sets out on a journey of revenge, crossing paths with none other than Davis DeGraff. Wrap this up with a new love interest, and Gargoyle's life is about to get really hectic. Will he be able to defeat this iron-jawed foe, or will Gargoyle finally meet his match? Find out in Gargoyle's newest adventure: Iron Will!