Biomorph

"What do you mean 'mentally pulled?' " Ayla questioned, as their classmate sat up. "Also, what is your name? "

"Josh is fine for now, as Beta 42 may be a mouthful." replied Beta 42, sitting up and rubbing his temples. "As for being mentally pulled, I am currently linked to about 3,999 clones of me. And they all need instructions. That's why I collapsed. I was sending more orders than I could manage awake."

With a shrug, he sat up, and then brought his left forearm up to his face. "And you aren't getting access to that file. I know what that file is, and you are not going to show that to them."

Looking up, he saw that everyone in his class was looking at him. Some had looks of awe in their eyes, some were concerned, and the teacher looked faintly amused.

"So, what happened to the other Beta series?" asked Joel.

Josh's face darkened, and he whispered "They killed them. They just gunned them down. I saw it on the CCTV feeds. So, I destroyed the facility they originally held me in..."

"Destroyed? Wasn't that extreme?" asked Arthur, looking faintly horrified at the idea.

"Look, how about you have your entire family killed, and then be shown that image. Wouldn't you want revenge? And if you had the power to destroy what those who killed them, wouldn't you jump at that chance?"

The rest of the class was silent, contemplating the idea.

"Anyway, I have calmed myself over the years, so I won't do that whilst working with you."

Arthur and Joel glanced at each other. Had they already asked him?

"No, you didn't ask. But why have the ability to read thoughts if you don't use it?" Josh smiled.

One week later…

The major had just finished filing a report on the incident, when his door was slammed open, and a group of 4 people strode into his office.

"Is it true?" The leader demanded.

"Is what true?" The major looked up, and then his face whitened a little bit. In front of him was Beta 43.

She looked almost identical to Beta 42, as she should; she was created from a frozen fetus from the same parents. However, the powers she had been given wasn't the same: she had the ability to identify anything within a couple of mile radius, and she could accelerate faster, and to a higher speed, than any other object they had tested against her. The perfect scout.

"Is my brother alive?"

"What do you mean? He died when the alpha facility was destroyed."

The major was sweating now, as he knew that even though he was above them in the ranks, any one of them could kill him in a heartbeat, and angry Sigma Potens subjects were very capable of destroying a facility. Beta 42 had proved that point to him.

"Explain these, then!" Beta 43 demanded triumphantly, as she placed down a holographic projector, which brought up at least 40 pictures and videos of Beta 42, both in and out of armour.

Headlines like "Mysterious new hero joins S&R inc." and "The newest star in our city breaks record for people saved within a day." screamed at him from the projection, whilst videos of him saving people played soundlessly in one corner.

"N-now, I know what you are thinking, but -"

"But nothing!" shouted Beta 43. "He not only gives his number but could accurately describe details that only we went through! And he believes we were all killed."

Beta 43's eyes suddenly widened, and then turned to give the major a death glare." Did you let him see the video feed from that training exercise?"

"Well, I didn't leave that monitor on. It was one of the people he killed that day." The major sighed, and then stood up from his chair. "We tried to bring him in last week, but we couldn't. He attacked the escort we provided for him."

"Oh yeah, I saw that escort you provided. They linked him to all the clones, and pointed guns at him. That was a brilliant move. Genius. So, we'll go and sort your mess out for you."

The major sighed as the group departed. Those test subjects would be the death of him...

If the tribunal's punishment didn't cause him to go crazy first. Usually, he enjoyed being in this bunker. And all the top people of the country were here. However, until you had to stay in one place forever, you never appreciated how small and restrictive it was.

Josh sighed. Maybe he shouldn't have told all those news stations those facts. He now couldn't be anywhere in his multi-purpose armour (or unarmoured, for that matter) without being swarmed by reporters, representatives, random citizens, diplomats, celebrities, fans, etc. It was kind of tiring, honestly.

"Hey, what are you dreaming about?" laughed Joel, leaning out of the classroom door.

"Can't wait for more missions?"

"Honestly, yeah." replied Josh, as he walked over to the door. "Anything to keep me away from the crazy people who are stalking me."

"But you're famous now! enjoy it."

"I can't. I am supposed to blend into the background, and celebrities can't do that." Josh sighed.

Arthur poked his head out of the doorway.

"Come on you two, the teacher's going to arrive any second!"

Josh sighed once more and went to his seat. It's kind of hard to enjoy a lesson if you know what the lesson is talking about.

What was the use of telling someone who literally had created unique combinations of powers multiple times in their clones what DNA could do? The teacher's didn't know the half of it...

Beta 43 sent a message to the remaining Beta series, that Beta 42 had been found, alive. There were mixed responses. Beta 15, who had never liked Beta 42 in the first place, just ended his connection. The others, however, were overjoyed.

"Is it true?" asked Beta 25, who had been one of the closest to him, and was hit very hard when they were told he had died.

"Yes!" beamed Beta 43, as she walked back to their bunk.

"Beta 37, Beta 21, and Beta 10 already know. They were there with me."

"Let's go get him!"

Everyone still on the call laughed at the very apparent eagerness in Beta 25's voice.

"Yes! Let's bring him home."

Half a rotation later...

The Major sighed and went back to his reports. Those Sigma Potens subjects.

"Maybe I should barricade them outside." He mused, as his eyes focused on the button that would lower the bunker entrance into the earth, so that nothing could get in or out.

"Maybe then I'll be able to sleep, knowing I'll be able to escape him. "

He stretched his arms, and then focused on the picture on his desk. It was of his family; his wife and daughter were looking rather content to be spending some time with him.

"Guess I'll call Ayla and tell her that the situation has become too dangerous, and we are moving to the bunker. Better to have her in here, than out there where she could meet Beta 42 at any time..."

He sighed, and pulled the video feed of the day that he brought the Beta series into this safe haven. His one regret was not 'killing' Beta 42, and sending him here too.