At six, he was integrated with another project in Cadmus. One that took in children born with the meta-gene and trained them to be weapons for the government.
“Your progress is coming along nicely. Your theoretical and practical training is superb. However, we still need to test you in a real situation.” The scientist noted as they strolled down a bland hall.
The young boy tilted his head curiously at the possibility of interacting with others aside from scientists. “Do I get any information of the subjects I’m to meet?”
“You are to retrieve any and all information on your own. You have five weeks time. Your alias will be Jercopt Donbey.” Beyond raised a brow at the name; it was an anagram for Project Beyond. “I presume you’ve already deciphered what your name means.” The boy nodded. “You disclose nothing from your project.”
“Permission to freely create false history.” Beyond requested.
“The rules?” The scientist droned.
“Make it believable and inconspicuous.” He recited dutifully.
“You’re not limited to use whatever in the facility to your disposal. However, if it’s something the subjects are restricted from, you’re required to obtain them by your own means. You will not be given assistance at any point during the five weeks. Any other questions?”
“Anything is at my disposal, as long as I can access it myself without assistance correct?” A calculating look passed the boy’s face.
“If you are caught, you will be punished accordingly.” The scientist warned.
“As expected.” Beyond shrugged as they continued down the quiet halls.
“Then you begin immediately.” The scientist escorted him through a door.
They arrived at the desert facility only hours ago. His time during the plane ride over was used to familiarize himself with the building’s general layout. From what he remembered, they were heading towards one of the many classrooms in the building. The scientist hadn’t said a word to him since the briefing and when he opened and entered the classroom, he followed without a question. His eyes darted about searching for the subjects he was to study. Two girls and three boys varying in ages, from preteen to adolescence.
His attention shifted to the youngest of the group. Given she was the closest to his age; it would be easier for him to acquaint himself with her. Fair-skinned, dark hair it looked like the girl never saw sunlight in her life. Her face seemed to be frozen in misery staring aimlessly ahead. She sat rigid in her seat with her knees hugged against her chest. If he can get her to open up, retrieval work should be no problem, but this girl doesn’t seem to be the sociable type.
“Your attention for a moment.” The majority of the group gave him an irritated look. The scientist continued. “You can return to your break after my announcement.”
Not daunted in the least, he ignored the scientist’s announcements and shifted his attention to the second girl. Unlike the first in many ways, this girl had a healthy sun-kissed glow to her skin and blonde hair. She lounged in her seat lazily with her legs crossed as she chewed bubblegum and inspected her nails. She paid little to no attention to the scientist.
“This young man is a new addition to your group. I expect you all to show the same courtesy to him as you do to each other.”
“Ugh… another kid. Is he even out of diapers yet?” The bald youth drawled before gushing to Beyond in a mocking tone. “Aw, do you want your little bottle and your mommy?”
Obnoxious and childish. Beyond noted offhandedly, he’ll have to come back to him later.
He shifted his attention to the remaining two. One was unconscious in a puddle of his own drool snoring while the other, of African decent, rested his arms on the desk in front of him. Since neither of them said anything, he couldn’t gather much information from them. What he gathered from the group as a whole, they were all physically fit and look well conditioned. Even the girls with their diminutive forms showed signs of daily physical training.
“I’ll leave you all to acquaint with one another, class will resume in ten minutes.” The scientist said before he left through the door. Beyond quickly took a seat next to the miserable girl to avoid standing in a stupor. He had some trouble, as the seats were much higher than the ones he normally used.
“So kid, what are you in here for?” The baldy asked.
“Huh?” He haven’t a clue who his subjects were, much less why they were there.
“Powers kid, get on with the program. What powers did they drag you in for?” He sighed.
They’re meta-humans. He mentally smiled at this detail. My real test is to infiltrate a group of metas and have them believe I’m one of them.
While this was considerably more challenging than his usual routines, this was not impossible for his skill level and stature. It was Cadmus’ test to see if he was ready for fieldwork in the future.
“They said I can manipulate computer software and disrupt e-elect-tro something frequency.” Beyond stumbled over his words to hide behind his physical age.
The baldy snorted. “Great we have a geek among us.”
Narrow minded… He pouted childishly. “I didn’t choose it! Like you have cooler powers!”
“Of course I do.” The bald youth chuckled as he reached out a hand in front of Beyond’s face. A pulse of heat made him quickly step back before a ball of fire appeared in the other’s hand. “Cool huh?”
“Knock it off Ricky! You’re going to set off the sprinklers. If you get me wet again, I’m going to kill you!” The blonde girl snapped.
“It happened only once, Gwen!” Ricky retorted. “It was just once!”
“So what’s your name kid?” The dark muscular youth asked, ignoring the arguing pair.
“Jercopt Donbey.” Beyond responded.
The squabbling duo paused in their argument before turning their attention back to them. “Wait, what did you say your name was?” Ricky asked.
“Jercopt Donbey.” He repeated. The trio stared at him for a brief second before they cracked up laughing.
“What kind of name is that?” Ricky held his sides laughing. “Man, I want to know what your parents were on. Should I call you Jerky? Or Cop?”
“That’s possibly the worst name ever!” The dark youth pounded the desk, waking the sleeping young man from his sleep.
“Quit pounding the table Mark! I’m trying to sleep.” He mumbled as he tried to go back to sleep, but quickly noticed the puddle he slept in and sat up in disgust. “Ah gross… What are you guys laughing at?”
“Chris, you won’t believe this, the kid’s name is Jercopt!” Mark said before the newly awaken Chris cracked up laughing with the rest of them.
Beyond lowered his head, mentally reviewing what little information he’s gotten as he waited for them to finish their hysterical laughter. He wasn’t given much time to ponder when a soft voice spoke up.
“Quiet.” Despite the softness of her voice, the group silenced immediately.
They seem terrified of her. He noted the girl was the only one that didn’t join in their laughter. Logically they shouldn’t be afraid of a girl younger and smaller than them. Unless, she was more powerful than all of them.
“Lighten up Anna, we’re just kidding, have some—” Ricky was silenced by Gwen when she clamped a hand over his mouth.
“We’ll stop laughing.” She said seriously. “So please calm down.”
Calm down? Beyond glanced over to the girl Anna. On a casual glance, nothing seemed to be out of place. However, when he kept his attention slightly longer on the girl, he noticed the slight flare in her hair and the stagnant stillness surrounding her. A telepath.
“All right.” She whispered.
Things eventually settled, but the group was still on high alert. Their body remained tense as they returned to their laze break. All the while, Beyond pondered on how to approach the group as a whole. While Anna may be the most powerful and feared, it doesn’t mean he should solely concentrate on her and alienate the others. Even if she was considered the leader, it won’t win him any points with the group and he needed to be part of that group. He was here for information on all of them, not just her alone.
The best way to approach them would be… Beyond forced the muscles on his face into a bright and cheery smile. “Do you want to be friends?”
His question startled the group. “Friends?” Anna whispered, uncertain if she heard him correctly.
“Yep! It’s going to be fun!” Beyond chirped brightly, the others stared at him in disbelief.
“…That sounds… nice…” The girl murmured.
Playing the fool. Beyond continued to smile brightly as he chattered on with questions about their classes, hobbies, likes and dislikes. None of them suspected him otherwise.
After his initial meeting with Project Meta, Beyond hadn’t attempted any further prying during the first week. Rather, he taken that time to explore and map out the facilities via air vents. Unlike the designs of many other buildings, the vents were considerably smaller. A full grown adult would have trouble maneuvering through the tight spaces. Fortunately, given his small stature, he’s able to maneuver with little to no difficulty. From the vents, he’s able to access nearly all the rooms in the facility, save for the security room and armory. Solid bars were in place to prevent any advances.
By the second week, he managed to calculate all the security shifts and used it as a chance to obtain equipment to produce his falsified meta-abilities. From the light switches to the security alarms, Beyond managed to produce enough havoc to convince the subjects of Project Meta that he had powers. All the while, this was the first time he was placed in physical conditioning. Exhaustion usually hits before he could do much retrieving work.
Third week, he started to inquire the subjects’ abilities and whatnots. Anna was indeed the most powerful in the group, being a psychic with no true weakness save for her control and stamina. The only effective counter against her was a limiter ring. The ring’s appearance was only on the days she was uncontrollable with her powers. Gwen and Ricky were tied in power. One was a metal manipulator and the other was a flame manipulator. The counter measure against these two would involve taking away the raw materials they were working with or introducing their counter elements such as wood and water. Mark possessed invulnerability and super strength; the only down side seemed to be his fast metabolism. The weakest was Chris, given his only ability was to stretch slothfulness was his downfall due to lack of effort.
In the fourth week, Beyond started testing the subjects and their limits. With careful preparations each prank was executed to expertly against each of the subject’s tolerance in various situations. He found the best responses were from sneaking the security’s stash of unhealthy snacks and sweets to the group. At the same time, he exercised his stealth and theft.
When the fifth and final week came around, Beyond had long finished his observations over his subjects. Their likes, their dislikes, their strengths, their weakness and their fears, he knew them all. When the scientists overseeing this integration attempt saw Beyond’s performance exceeding their expectations they were ecstatic. Unfortunately, the integration project never came to completion. On the last day of the five-week trail an incident occurred.
Beyond was in the vents typing up the reports on his five subjects when it happened. A strange laugh echoed down the halls. The security alarms roared. Closing his laptop and tucking it safely against his chest, he crawled through the vents to see what caused the commotion.
“Wooh-hoo-hoo! They’re having a welcoming party for us! Why don’t we give them a house warming present boys?” A man with green hair cackled maniacally as he pulled out red balls with his face painted on them.
“They’re over there!” The guards shouted as they approached with their weapons. Beyond peered through the gaps in the ventilation grid with his hand firmly gripped against the metal.
“Come now! Have a laugh!” The man laughed as he tossed red balls at their feet. The balls promptly exploded engulfing them in a pink gas.
The men coughed and hacked at the assault, but soon they stopped and started laughing uncontrollably. Beyond felt a chill go through him as he watched them collapse to the ground giggling themselves to death. He knew who this strange green-haired man was. It was impossible for him not to. In all the previous exercises the scientists had given him, Joker’s files were most memorable in a sick sense. He was a man that killed in the name of boredom. Life and death meant little to him.
“Er… boss, where are we going now?” He noted a slow Hench following the man with a camera.
“Why! We’re going to get some new friends and possibly some new toys too!” The clown cackled as he strolled through the halls with a skip to his step. “Come along, let’s make more people smile.”
Even as the Joker left, Beyond found himself unable to move from his spot. He was unable to break his attention away from the men that laughed themselves to death on the ground below. This was the first time he witnessed death. He read plenty of murder cases and even seen pictures of such, but to actually people dying? It was horrifying. He found his hands trembling as he forced himself to move again. The Joker was here for something. No one in their right mind would attack a government facility even if they were insane.
There’s nothing here worth stealing. We’re in the middle of the desert. What is he after?
Beyond crawled through the vents as quietly as he could. When he reached a conjunction in the vent, he realized what the Joker was after. He gritted his teeth and he turned at the next opening and crawled towards the classrooms. He’s after Project Meta!
He maneuvered through the narrow space in a hurry. It was still early; the group of metas should be in the classroom for their joint classes rather than their individual training routines. His assumptions were correct. Unfortunately, the Joker reached them before he managed to get there.
“Well! What a pleasant surprise! Hello kiddies!” He greeted them with a flourish.
“Who the hell are you supposed to be?’ Ricky said rudely. From what Beyond could hear, they don’t take Joker as a threat. Either they were stupid, or they have no clue to who this green-haired maniac was.
“I’m the Joker, but you kiddies may call me Uncle J.” He drawled with affection dripping from his voice. Beyond continued to inch forward quietly as the metas spoke with the man. “How would you like to leave this boring old place with Uncle J, hmm?”
“What’s in it for us?” Chris snorted. “What makes going with you any different compared to staying here?”
“Simple my dear boy.” He clapped his hands together.” You come with me, you get freedom. No more people bossing you around telling you what you can do, what you have to do. You can use your powers however you like. Of course, I’ll be supplying you with a place to stay and some new clothes. Heaven knows this place is not the best choice of living space. So, what do you say?”
“What’s the catch?” Gwen challenged.
“Tsk, tsk, tsk,” Joker clucked his tongue sadly. “My dear, don’t tell me you actually enjoy being harassed by these people and serving them like the dogs they want you to be. After all, Uncle J here only wants what’s best for you and in return I would like you to help Uncle J like a family would.”
Beyond frowned as he neared vent opening to peer down at the group. He could see the thoughtful looks on the group. They were actually considering his offer. The Joker had a friendly arm draped around Anna, her expression remained unchanged.
“How about you cupcake? Want to come with Uncle J? I bet it must be lonely here with all these old grumps. We’ll have so much fun without them.”
Don’t do it Anna! Beyond found himself thinking as his hands rested over the grates.
“…We’ll play games together?” Anna asked quietly.
“Everyday my dear.” He gave a broad smile. “So what do the rest of you say?”
Idiots! Beyond gritted his teeth as each and every one agreed. In his irritation, he accidentally scratched his nails against the metal surface.
“What was that?” Joker snapped with a frown.
“What was what, boss?” The Hench asked dumbly.
Beyond mentally cursed at his carelessness and shuffled backwards in haste, hoping they wouldn’t find him. Unfortunately, the Joker was not careless.
“Shoot the vents!” He ordered. At that, Beyond’s heart dropped. He attempted to hasten his pace, caring less that he was giving himself away. If he didn’t get out, they’re going to kill him.
“Yes boss!” The Hench replied as he opened fire.
The barrage of bullets pierced through the metal panels. Beyond bit back a scream as one ricocheted into his calf. His eyes tear from pain. He took a deep shaking breath he continued to drag himself towards the next junction. It won’t do if the Hench stuck his head into the vents and found him. It was unbearable, such pain.
“Did you get it?” Joker’s voice echoed through the vents.
“Uh… there was nothing there boss.”
Joker sighed irritably. “Probably rats. More the reason why we should leave immediately, such horrible conditions are not worth living in. Now, since we’re a family, how about new names?”
Anything else the Joker might have said was ignored as Beyond fought his racing heart and the pain in his leg as he dragged himself through the vents. It’s hard to think straight. He’ll have to worry about himself first. Project Meta will just have to wait. From the lack of resistance, he concluded that there wasn’t anyone alive or capable of coming to his assistance.
He found himself concentrating on the pain to ignore the Joker’s uproarious laughter. He wasn’t sure if madman was still laughing or it lingering in his mind as a traumatic experience. He can psychoanalyze himself later. The infirmary was his only chance of survival. With no one else going after the Joker, he shouldn’t find the need to explore the facilities for threats.
What normally took him minutes to do seemed like a lifetime as he stumbled out of the vents and onto a bed in the infirmary. He gasped out in pain as he landed, his wound scraped against the bed coverings. Gritting his teeth, he dragged himself up and limped towards the medicine cabinet. While he was not trained in first aid, he knows better than to let himself bleed to death. It won’t do for him to die before he can call for help.
Grabbing what he could reach in his small stature, he quickly covered the wound and bound it tightly. The nurse of the infirmary was already dead with a smile on her face. He didn’t spare a second look at her as he limped back to the vents and crawled in. He wasn’t sure if the Joker was still around, but better than to chance with luck, he’d rough it through the vents until he can reach the security room. Of course, that means he needed to get around the barred off path. He would have to leave the safety of the vents and risk the open where Joker might find him.
Wonderful. He thought darkly as he crawled out of the ceiling vent, swinging himself onto a smiling corpse of the security staff. If his leg wasn’t injured, he could have tucked himself into a roll, but he had no choice if he didn’t want to injure himself further.
Wincing as he rolled off the guard, he frisked the body for keycards. From his previous escapades he already figured that the security system required both keycards and access codes. Codes, he already memorized. It took no more than a few seconds for him to get in. Inside were more smiling corpses.
Beyond frowned, the security for this room is considerably better compared to the rest of the compound. He would review all the video footage later to see how Joker managed such a feat. But for now, he needed to contact other Cadmus facilities for assistance while keeping an eye on the Joker’s whereabouts.
“Hello?” A man answered on the other line.
“There’s been an infiltration, Joker has killed—”
“Very cute kid, try prank calling someone else.” The man sounded like he was going to hang up.
Beyond scowled irritably. “Access code, M29- PB13-AR51. Cadmus project site override.” He barked out. “Joker has infiltrated the premises. All personnel down. Project Meta defected. Repeat, Joker has infiltrated the premises. All personnel down. Project Meta has defected. Requesting assistance.”
“Copy that.” The man replied hesitantly. “Identity code?”
“Project Beyond.” He responded.
“Understood, assistance will arrive as soon as possible.” The man noted.
That was five hours ago. During the five hours, Beyond reviewed and made note of what happened. The Joker had simply used his Joker venom to disable the whole facility. The gas spread through the ventilation units. He was fortunate that the shaft he was blown in the opposite direction.
He watched as the Joker spoke with Project Meta. They were all renamed and doted on him. If he didn’t know the man was a psychopath, he might’ve mistaken it for a normal scene. Project Meta was now the Royal Flush Gang. After revising his initial report of Project Meta, he found himself furious at his own failure, his own hubris.
He thought he was invincible. Even if he failed, Cadmus wouldn’t let him get hurt or even die, but today it was different. The Joker was not part of their plans. Unknown threats were not calculated into his safety and protection. He was mortal, just as everyone else.
With Project Meta, he acted boldly, not caring for his own safety. They could have crushed him, killed him at their own whims and he wouldn’t have been able to do a damn thing. Beyond broke out of his thoughts when he saw movements on the camera. Reinforcement from Cadmus arrived. He unlocked the security systems for their easy entrance before waiting for them to pick him up.
“Project Beyond?” One of the many scientists entered with caution.
“You’re late.” He strained. “I’ve already processed the footages of Project Meta’s defection and a completed a full report on them. Everything you need to know is already composed and ready…”
“You’ve done wonderfully Beyond.” The man placed a hand on his shoulder, before noticing the blood on his leg. “My god, you’re injured!”
“Ricochet…” He managed to murmur before he finally blacked out from exhaustion.
Cadmus shipped him off for medical attention immediately. His reports were reviewed and he waited for their evaluation. Beyond was placed through rehabilitation, unable to go anywhere without his wheelchair until his leg was healed. Despite his injuries, the world continues without him. Strangely, his evaluations never came, but a week after the raid he was approached during his meal.
“Beyond, we need you to overlook a situation.” A scientist came with two guards.
“What situation?” He lowered his utensils slightly at the urgency in the man’s voice.
“I’m quite certain you are familiar with Project Meta, or the newly named Royal Flush Gang.”
“What of them?” He asked curiously.
“Put this on.” Beyond recognize the helmet being handed to him as the same one used to ward off Anna’s powers. Whatever the situation is, it involved her. “I’ll explain as we get there.”
He was carted off through the facilities and into another room while informing him the situation in Las Vegas. The Joker planted multiple bombs in the city and the Justice League was dealing with the newly formed Royal Flush Gang. The room he was taken to had multiple screens, a computer and a mic for communication purposes. On the screen were conflicts between the Justice League and the Royal Flush Gang in between Joker’s commentaries.
“Tell everyone to stop watching this instant.” Beyond started with a whisper. He was unable to find his voice at seeing the Joker again. Even in his dreams, that man’s laugh haunts him.
“What?”
“Tell everyone to stop watching the program! He’s going to be using Anna’s ability to drive the entire populace mad!” He snapped out.
“He’s going to what?” The scientist repeated in disbelief.
“This farce with the bombs is nothing more then the red herring, his real goal is to use Anna to drive everyone mad.”
“Are you certain?” The man asked.
“The longer someone watches this, the less of a chance they’ll break away from Anna’s power, get everyone to stop watching right now!” Beyond ordered as motored his wheelchair over to the screens with the remote.
“Keep monitoring, the mic and computer there is connected to the communications. Keep us informed of the situation.”
“But what of my voice—”
“There’s a voice changer already programmed into the system, they will listen to you.” The scientist informed him as he turned to leave. “We’ll have an alert sent out. You just keep us informed! And try to locate the broadcasting signal.”
Without another word, Beyond returned to the screens with rampant attention. He already knew the Joker’s intentions were nothing but deranged self-enjoyment. Inducing madness to the masses was a cheap kick for him. Project Meta was nothing more than another stepping-stone for him. He watched as the familiar faces of his previous subjects came up again and again.
Ricky was King, Gwen was now Queen, Mark was Ten, Chris was Jack and Anna was Ace. They all seemed happy with their new lives, all but Anna. She looked as miserable as she was before she left. His guess was that nothing had changed for her unlike the others. Still, he felt somewhat delighted to see them despite the circumstances.
However, the others weren’t fairing as well as they hoped. Gwen was taken down early on by the Thanagarian named Hawkgirl. It was no surprise, this Hawkgirl was most likely trained for combat, while Gwen was trained in metal manipulation. She was nowhere ready for combat compared to the Justice League.
“Subject Gwen, now named Queen was taken out by Justice Leaguer Hawkgirl. Bomb has ignited in casino, casualty possibly Leaguer Green Lantern.” He relayed the messages as each event passed.
Chris was taken out quite painfully; this Batman fellow had snagged him into the helicopter’s propeller and crashed the vehicle with him twisted into it.
“Subject Chris, now Jack is taken out by Leaguer Batman. Camera feed disabled, no further reports on Jack.”
Mark fought till the end until Superman melted a statue to keep him in his place. As for Ricky, he was possibly the only one with any sense as the clock ticked down dangerously. Seconds later, an explosion went off. Fortunately, the Flash from the Justice League had managed to divert the threat outside of the city.
“Subject Mark, now Ten was disable and contained by Leaguer Superman. Subject Ricky, now King has fled. The bomb threat was diverted by Leaguer Flash.” He continued to report as Joker spoke again. “Joker has induced Subject Anna, now Ace’s abilities. Refrain from watching television at all costs.”
His hands glided over the keys as he attempted to triangulate the original broadcasting signals Joker was using. He was briefly distracted when an angry woman’s rant interrupted the Joker. She was silenced promptly and the Joker returned to his musings, but it didn’t last long. Batman appeared.
“Leaguer Batman has engaged Joker.” Despite all that was occurring, this Batman caught his curiosity. Out of all the Leaguers, only he had managed to find the Joker and engage him. Him, someone without superpowers, human, mortal, just like the rest of them.
He couldn’t help but paused in his work briefly to watch Batman fall to Anna’s powers. The man continued to fight even as he was over powered. He fell to his knees and crawled. While he was down, Joker had taken it upon himself to beat on the caped crusader with spotlights. Yet, Batman still rose again and again to face him, to defy him.
Does this man have no fear? He pondered as the Joker plummeted his weapon to Batman’s skull, but the weapon never connected. Batman had pulled out a familiar ring from the Joker’s pocket. The limiter. Beyond recognized as the item in the gloved hand.
Anna ceased her powers at the sight of the ring and risen with a scowl over her face. A wry grin crossed his lips at the fate Joker was about to face. “Subject Ace has ceased her psychic assault. Joker is disabled.” The sound of Joker screaming roared from the speakers, Batman was the only one remaining on the screen as the other two have walked off screen. The man moved a moment later, looking as if he was saying something, but it was too low, he was unable to hear what he had said.
Beep, Beep, Beep
Beyond glanced back to his computer, the location of the broadcasting was found. “Location of the broadcasting is located. Forwarding coordinates immediately.” He finished before returning his attention to the screen one last time. Batman remained unmoving on the screen, but the threats were gone.
“Excellent work Beyond. As expected of your capabilities.” His caretakers greeted him later when the situation in Cadmus had calmed and receded.
“It was nothing… The Justice League seems to have done most of the work.” He commented before noticing a frown on their faces.
“Yes, they have managed to negate the threat. We have a new assignment for you Beyond.” The man added.
“New assignment?” He asked curiously.
“Special reconnaissance, with no actual fieldwork at the moment.” He informed.
Beyond raised a brow. “Would that be because of my age or my injuries?”
“Both.”
“I see… so what does this assignment entail?” Beyond asked.
“For the moment, you are to cover up any links of Project Meta back to Cadmus.”
They want me to erase all traces of Project Meta. He concluded before asking. “What of Project Meta? Were they retrieved?”
The scientist glanced back at his notes. “All but one. The one they called Ace seemed to have disappeared without a trace. Your workstation is being prepped as we speak, you’ll start tomorrow morning…”
So Anna got away. Beyond nodded as the scientist continued to list out his new duties. Despite all that happened, he found himself somewhat happy that Anna got away. Though, why he felt that way, he was uncertain.
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