Previously, the Jester and the Trapster staged a burglary at Horizon Labs to draw the New Warriors out and into a fight so that the villainous duo could capture Franklin Richards. During the fight, Machine Teen had been hit with one of the experimental lasers, and when he woke up, discovered that he was now fully human.
With the rest of the team dealing with finding Franklin and bringing him home safely, Adam Aaronson went to Horizon Labs to find a cure for his human condition...
With the rest of the team dealing with finding Franklin and bringing him home safely, Adam Aaronson went to Horizon Labs to find a cure for his human condition...
Back to GatefoldIssue #21 by Tobias Christopher
"Heart & Soul" August 2017 |
Horizon Labs
"Look," Adam said as he showed the scientists his injured shoulder. "All I know is that when I got hit with that laser, I woke up as a real boy. There was blood and pain and... I just want to go back to the way I was."
The scientist looked at his inventory chart, flipping through the pages. "I've checked the list of what was stolen. A surgical laser, an experimental can opener, a high-tech laser pointer for cats, and a military laser rifle. We're nowhere close to developing a laser rifle that can transmute matter to living flesh."
"Then how the hell did I end up like... this?" Adam asked as he thought back to the fight. Franklin had been taken down by the military laser, luckily having a shield to keep him from being hit the first time, and Adam jumped in front of him to keep a second blast from the Trapster from doing harm to him. "Franklin. That sneaky bastard, he must have subconsciously activated his powers when he got knocked out. He's the one who made me human!"
As Adam ran out of the building on his now human legs, he started thinking back to his days as an android...
# # # # #
Two Years Earlier
Adam was sitting next to his father in the hospital, whose heart was failing.
"We can fix this, dad," Adam said as he held his father's hand. Even though Adam was an android that had been programmed with free will, he still considered Issac Aaronson his biological father. "We can-- we can get you a robotic heart. You don't have to leave me. I need you."
"I am so proud of you, Adam," Dr. Aaronson told him. "You have surpassed every expectation I've ever had for you. You're the perfect son, even if you're not flesh and blood. You're MY son, Adam. You always will be."
"What do I do without you?" Adam asked, wishing he had the ability to cry right now.
"You do what you always have, son," the man told him. "You use your gifts to make the world a better place. Be the hero that I always believed you could be."
Adam held his father's hand until his heart stopped beating. From then on, Adam was alone in the world.
# # # # #
Now
Franklin's comatose body lay in his bed at New Warriors Headquarters as Josh and Valeria sat with him.
"Franklin's aura is lost... somewhere," Sam said as he explained to Adam what was going on. "We need some mystic help on this one. Maybe Dr. Strange or someone can help pinpoint where he is."
"Franklin's the only one that can turn me back," Adam told him. "I guess I'm lucky he actually got it right instead of making me some kind of nightmare monster with my organs on the outside."
"You did... check to make sure all the pieces are there, right?" Sam asked.
Adam gasped and quickly looked down his pants. "Oh, thank God. Wait a minute, why am I worried about that? The robotic one was just for show, anyway. Plus it was able to detach."
There was a 10-second awkward pause before Sam finally spoke up again. "Why would you want to detach it?"
"It doubled as a flashlight, came in really handy during power outages."
Sam started to speak before just walking away.
# # # # #
A Year and a Half Ago
Adam found himself working in an electronics shop shortly after his father had died. Over the past six months, Adam had to learn to make his own upgrades and repair his own parts. Working in the small shop gave him access to the parts he needed when something had to be replaced. He didn't need the money outside of keeping up his human appearance with new clothes. He could recharge during the day, and usually just spent his nights roaming the city.
Adam had given up trying to live a normal life even before his father had died. Finding out he was an advanced android with abilities that no other boy his age had given the young android an identity crisis. He was stuck between the worlds of being what he thought he was, and what he now knew about himself.
Walking around the city one night, Adam just happened upon a young man being mugged in the park. The mugger was holding a knife to the boy, who looked scared for his life. Adam quickly jumped into action, using a magnet in his right hand to draw the knife to him while extending his left hand to punch the mugger out.
"You saved me," the boy said as he hugged Adam. "Thank you."
"It's okay, kid," Adam told him. "You'd better get home."
"My mom doesn't get home until 8," the boy said. "I have nowhere else to go."
After spending time with the boy until he could go home, Adam started thinking to himself as he walked around the city. There were kids in the city just like the boy with nowhere else to go during the day. The literal wheels in Adam's mind started clicking as he began pondering a solution...
# # # # #
New Warriors Headquarters
Now
Kittania was practicing her swordsmanship on the roof while Juston was watching her. He was supposed to be setting up the new satellite dish so they'd have access to worldwide programming, but he kept getting distracted by the beautiful warrior cat princess.
"I thought your race wasn't into swordplay?" Juston asked as he tried not to stare at her.
"We are a peaceful race, but after my people were made extinct by those Gods, I must make sure that as the last of my race, I survive to hopefully someday reproduce and make sure my people thrive again," Kittania told him. "I will not let my race die with me."
"Now, when you say reproduce, you mean with...?"
"A male, even if it is with another species,"
"Y- you know, you've never really spent any time outside of headquarters, you're always practicing," Juston said. "Maybe I could show you around the city, show you how to have fun. After all, there's more to life than just... reproducing."
Kittania put down here sword. "Perhaps you are right, I would like to get to know my surroundings a bit better. Would you like to show me around tonight?"
"YES!" Juston shouted before gasping and covering his mouth. "I- I mean, yeah, sure, that's cool. What do you say around six o'clock?"
"Very well, I look forward to having some fun with you, Juston," Kittania told him as she headed for the door. Juston smiled nervously as he put his hand on the dish, accidentally shocking himself.
# # # # #
"So, what are you going to call yourself now that you're not Machine Teen anymore?" Andy asked.
"I'm going to be turned back to normal as soon as soon as we get Franklin back," Adam told him. "I've got a better question for you. Why are you on the ceiling?"
Andy was standing upside down with his feet on the ceiling of the rec room.
"Well, Valeria's room is heated, and walking on the ceiling on a cold day feels really good," Andy told him.
"All of our rooms are heated," Adam reminded him.
"Yes, but the floors are still cold,"
"Wear socks or slippers,"
"Then my feet get too hot," Andy said as he pulled out a can of soda.
Adam opened his mouth to say something, then stopped himself when he remembered that it wasn't a good idea to argue with Andy's logic.
"I'm just going to go visit with Franklin," Adam told him as he walked away, just barely missing being drenched by soda.
"Curse you, gravity!"
# # # # #
One Year Ago
Adam proudly looked at the newly opened gym he'd purchased with the money he'd earned by working at the electronics store. He'd hired people to run it for him so he wouldn't have to deal with the day to day operations, so he could focus on the more important things.
The gym was a place for kids to hang out after school so they wouldn't have to hang out on the streets where they could get into trouble. It was a safe zone where kids could exercise, make new friends and talk to counselors if they needed help with something bad at home.
Adam took a job as a coach, teaching kids how to take care of their bodies and teaching self-defense for when they ran into trouble outside of the gym. For the first time since he'd discovered he was an android, Adam found himself with a sense of purpose in this world. Something his father would be proud of.
# # # # #
Now
Sam found Johnny carrying a suitcase into the headquarters.
"What's this?" Sam asked. "I thought everyone agreed the kids only needed one adult watching after them."
"I'm not here to supervise," Johnny said. "I'm here to fill in for Franklin while he's... out. I can do both teams at once."
"PHRASING!" Andy shouted from the rec room.
"Look, it's my fault that Franklin is gone," Johnny told him. "I let Ben's death push me over the edge, but I'm better now. And I need to make up what I've done, so I'm going to stay near Franklin and help this city like he would have wanted. So... consider me a New Warrior, at least until we can get Franklin back. I won't try to call the shots, I'll be just one of the gang."
"Okay," Sam told him. "I guess Franklin would want you to try to do right by him, so welcome aboard."
# # # # #
Adam stood shirtless in front of the mirror, trying frantically to find the hatch on his chest that housed his cybernetic parts. He only found flesh and bone as he stared at the mirror in defeat.
"How's the shoulder?" Josh asked as he stood at the door.
"Doesn't hurt as much as it did," Adam told him as he turned around. "How are you holding up?"
Josh folded his wings over his shoulders as he sat down on the bed. "We have to get him back, Adam. Not just for me, but-- but for you, and Johnny, and well, all of us. This isn't about me anymore."
"We're going to get him back, I promise," Adam said as he sat down next to his friend. "But he could literally be anywhere right now. We just need one really good lead to find him. In the meantime, just stay positive. We've got the body, we just need the soul, right?"
"Right," Josh smiled.
"Guys, the Hulk and the Blob are fighting Downtown over the last box of cotton candy Twinkies!" Juston shouted as he ran past. "We gotta move!"
"Looks like we've got a city to save," Adam said.
"Screw that, we've got to get that box of Twinkies!" Andy shouted as he flew past.
# # # # #
One Year Ago
After the electronics store had shut down, Adam found himself without a place to get new parts for his body. He needed new pieces to replace ones that were burning out, so he was forced to scour the local junkyard.
"This is so embarrassing," Adam said as he dug through the pile of old electronics. "I think my dad built me for better stuff than this."
"Hey!" Juston shouted as he shined a flashlight on the young android. "If you're here to run me out of here, you can forget it. I made a deal with the owner."
"What?" Adam asked. "I'm not here to-- wait, you're just a kid, what are you doing here?"
"I live here, dumbass," Juston told him as he saw Adam's arm, where a plate housing his wires had come loose, exposing some wires. "Holy shit, you're a robot!"
"I'm an android, and I'm falling apart because I don't have the right parts,"
"Come with me," Juston said as he started walking to his workshop. An hour later, Adam was laying on a table as Juston was repairing everything wrong with him. "Just a few more adjustments and... done! How do you feel?"
Adam sat up and looked at his hands. "I feel as good as new. How did you go that?"
"I'm good with machines," the boy said. "I've never seen anything like you. What are you doing in a place like this?"
"It's a long story," Adam told him as he stood up. "Thanks, Juston, you're a lifesaver."
"Hey, come back anytime. I'd actually love to study you some more," Juston said. "A real android with AI unlike anything I've ever seen. Whoever built you must have been a certified genius."
"Yeah, he was, and I miss him every day," Adam told him.
"I miss my family, too," Juston said. "Do you have to go so soon? Maybe you could help me with a few projects if you're not too busy."
"I'd love to," Adam said.
# # # # #
Now
"Well done, team," Cannonball said as the group returned to their headquarters. "We saved the day, and there were no casualties."
"Trump Tower was destroyed and collapsed," Icarus said.
"Yeah, but at least nothing of value was lost, and no one died," Alpha told him as he ate a Twinkie from the box he was holding.
"So, how did it feel to be a part of the team?" Valeria asked Johnny.
"Really good," Johnny told her. "I'm going to make Franklin proud. You'll see, when he wakes up, I'm going to tell him about all the good I'm doing. In fact, I'm going to sit by his bedside and talk to him. Maybe he can hear me where ever he's at."
Johnny flew upstairs as Valeria looked at Icarus.
"Aren't you going to sit with Franklin?"
"I don't think it's a good idea," Icarus told her. "I think I need to clear my head for a while. Maybe I should just go back to--"
"GUYS!" Johnny shouted as he rushed back downstairs. "Franklin's gone! He's not in his bed!"
The team ran upstairs and found the bed was empty.
"Do you think his aura came back on its own?" Valeria asked.
"We need to find him before--" Johnny said as he turned around, seeing Franklin standing at the doorway. He looked different than before, even though no one could put their finger on what exactly was different about him.
"Hi," Franklin said with a smile. "Did you miss me?"
TO BE CONTINUED...
"Look," Adam said as he showed the scientists his injured shoulder. "All I know is that when I got hit with that laser, I woke up as a real boy. There was blood and pain and... I just want to go back to the way I was."
The scientist looked at his inventory chart, flipping through the pages. "I've checked the list of what was stolen. A surgical laser, an experimental can opener, a high-tech laser pointer for cats, and a military laser rifle. We're nowhere close to developing a laser rifle that can transmute matter to living flesh."
"Then how the hell did I end up like... this?" Adam asked as he thought back to the fight. Franklin had been taken down by the military laser, luckily having a shield to keep him from being hit the first time, and Adam jumped in front of him to keep a second blast from the Trapster from doing harm to him. "Franklin. That sneaky bastard, he must have subconsciously activated his powers when he got knocked out. He's the one who made me human!"
As Adam ran out of the building on his now human legs, he started thinking back to his days as an android...
# # # # #
Two Years Earlier
Adam was sitting next to his father in the hospital, whose heart was failing.
"We can fix this, dad," Adam said as he held his father's hand. Even though Adam was an android that had been programmed with free will, he still considered Issac Aaronson his biological father. "We can-- we can get you a robotic heart. You don't have to leave me. I need you."
"I am so proud of you, Adam," Dr. Aaronson told him. "You have surpassed every expectation I've ever had for you. You're the perfect son, even if you're not flesh and blood. You're MY son, Adam. You always will be."
"What do I do without you?" Adam asked, wishing he had the ability to cry right now.
"You do what you always have, son," the man told him. "You use your gifts to make the world a better place. Be the hero that I always believed you could be."
Adam held his father's hand until his heart stopped beating. From then on, Adam was alone in the world.
# # # # #
Now
Franklin's comatose body lay in his bed at New Warriors Headquarters as Josh and Valeria sat with him.
"Franklin's aura is lost... somewhere," Sam said as he explained to Adam what was going on. "We need some mystic help on this one. Maybe Dr. Strange or someone can help pinpoint where he is."
"Franklin's the only one that can turn me back," Adam told him. "I guess I'm lucky he actually got it right instead of making me some kind of nightmare monster with my organs on the outside."
"You did... check to make sure all the pieces are there, right?" Sam asked.
Adam gasped and quickly looked down his pants. "Oh, thank God. Wait a minute, why am I worried about that? The robotic one was just for show, anyway. Plus it was able to detach."
There was a 10-second awkward pause before Sam finally spoke up again. "Why would you want to detach it?"
"It doubled as a flashlight, came in really handy during power outages."
Sam started to speak before just walking away.
# # # # #
A Year and a Half Ago
Adam found himself working in an electronics shop shortly after his father had died. Over the past six months, Adam had to learn to make his own upgrades and repair his own parts. Working in the small shop gave him access to the parts he needed when something had to be replaced. He didn't need the money outside of keeping up his human appearance with new clothes. He could recharge during the day, and usually just spent his nights roaming the city.
Adam had given up trying to live a normal life even before his father had died. Finding out he was an advanced android with abilities that no other boy his age had given the young android an identity crisis. He was stuck between the worlds of being what he thought he was, and what he now knew about himself.
Walking around the city one night, Adam just happened upon a young man being mugged in the park. The mugger was holding a knife to the boy, who looked scared for his life. Adam quickly jumped into action, using a magnet in his right hand to draw the knife to him while extending his left hand to punch the mugger out.
"You saved me," the boy said as he hugged Adam. "Thank you."
"It's okay, kid," Adam told him. "You'd better get home."
"My mom doesn't get home until 8," the boy said. "I have nowhere else to go."
After spending time with the boy until he could go home, Adam started thinking to himself as he walked around the city. There were kids in the city just like the boy with nowhere else to go during the day. The literal wheels in Adam's mind started clicking as he began pondering a solution...
# # # # #
New Warriors Headquarters
Now
Kittania was practicing her swordsmanship on the roof while Juston was watching her. He was supposed to be setting up the new satellite dish so they'd have access to worldwide programming, but he kept getting distracted by the beautiful warrior cat princess.
"I thought your race wasn't into swordplay?" Juston asked as he tried not to stare at her.
"We are a peaceful race, but after my people were made extinct by those Gods, I must make sure that as the last of my race, I survive to hopefully someday reproduce and make sure my people thrive again," Kittania told him. "I will not let my race die with me."
"Now, when you say reproduce, you mean with...?"
"A male, even if it is with another species,"
"Y- you know, you've never really spent any time outside of headquarters, you're always practicing," Juston said. "Maybe I could show you around the city, show you how to have fun. After all, there's more to life than just... reproducing."
Kittania put down here sword. "Perhaps you are right, I would like to get to know my surroundings a bit better. Would you like to show me around tonight?"
"YES!" Juston shouted before gasping and covering his mouth. "I- I mean, yeah, sure, that's cool. What do you say around six o'clock?"
"Very well, I look forward to having some fun with you, Juston," Kittania told him as she headed for the door. Juston smiled nervously as he put his hand on the dish, accidentally shocking himself.
# # # # #
"So, what are you going to call yourself now that you're not Machine Teen anymore?" Andy asked.
"I'm going to be turned back to normal as soon as soon as we get Franklin back," Adam told him. "I've got a better question for you. Why are you on the ceiling?"
Andy was standing upside down with his feet on the ceiling of the rec room.
"Well, Valeria's room is heated, and walking on the ceiling on a cold day feels really good," Andy told him.
"All of our rooms are heated," Adam reminded him.
"Yes, but the floors are still cold,"
"Wear socks or slippers,"
"Then my feet get too hot," Andy said as he pulled out a can of soda.
Adam opened his mouth to say something, then stopped himself when he remembered that it wasn't a good idea to argue with Andy's logic.
"I'm just going to go visit with Franklin," Adam told him as he walked away, just barely missing being drenched by soda.
"Curse you, gravity!"
# # # # #
One Year Ago
Adam proudly looked at the newly opened gym he'd purchased with the money he'd earned by working at the electronics store. He'd hired people to run it for him so he wouldn't have to deal with the day to day operations, so he could focus on the more important things.
The gym was a place for kids to hang out after school so they wouldn't have to hang out on the streets where they could get into trouble. It was a safe zone where kids could exercise, make new friends and talk to counselors if they needed help with something bad at home.
Adam took a job as a coach, teaching kids how to take care of their bodies and teaching self-defense for when they ran into trouble outside of the gym. For the first time since he'd discovered he was an android, Adam found himself with a sense of purpose in this world. Something his father would be proud of.
# # # # #
Now
Sam found Johnny carrying a suitcase into the headquarters.
"What's this?" Sam asked. "I thought everyone agreed the kids only needed one adult watching after them."
"I'm not here to supervise," Johnny said. "I'm here to fill in for Franklin while he's... out. I can do both teams at once."
"PHRASING!" Andy shouted from the rec room.
"Look, it's my fault that Franklin is gone," Johnny told him. "I let Ben's death push me over the edge, but I'm better now. And I need to make up what I've done, so I'm going to stay near Franklin and help this city like he would have wanted. So... consider me a New Warrior, at least until we can get Franklin back. I won't try to call the shots, I'll be just one of the gang."
"Okay," Sam told him. "I guess Franklin would want you to try to do right by him, so welcome aboard."
# # # # #
Adam stood shirtless in front of the mirror, trying frantically to find the hatch on his chest that housed his cybernetic parts. He only found flesh and bone as he stared at the mirror in defeat.
"How's the shoulder?" Josh asked as he stood at the door.
"Doesn't hurt as much as it did," Adam told him as he turned around. "How are you holding up?"
Josh folded his wings over his shoulders as he sat down on the bed. "We have to get him back, Adam. Not just for me, but-- but for you, and Johnny, and well, all of us. This isn't about me anymore."
"We're going to get him back, I promise," Adam said as he sat down next to his friend. "But he could literally be anywhere right now. We just need one really good lead to find him. In the meantime, just stay positive. We've got the body, we just need the soul, right?"
"Right," Josh smiled.
"Guys, the Hulk and the Blob are fighting Downtown over the last box of cotton candy Twinkies!" Juston shouted as he ran past. "We gotta move!"
"Looks like we've got a city to save," Adam said.
"Screw that, we've got to get that box of Twinkies!" Andy shouted as he flew past.
# # # # #
One Year Ago
After the electronics store had shut down, Adam found himself without a place to get new parts for his body. He needed new pieces to replace ones that were burning out, so he was forced to scour the local junkyard.
"This is so embarrassing," Adam said as he dug through the pile of old electronics. "I think my dad built me for better stuff than this."
"Hey!" Juston shouted as he shined a flashlight on the young android. "If you're here to run me out of here, you can forget it. I made a deal with the owner."
"What?" Adam asked. "I'm not here to-- wait, you're just a kid, what are you doing here?"
"I live here, dumbass," Juston told him as he saw Adam's arm, where a plate housing his wires had come loose, exposing some wires. "Holy shit, you're a robot!"
"I'm an android, and I'm falling apart because I don't have the right parts,"
"Come with me," Juston said as he started walking to his workshop. An hour later, Adam was laying on a table as Juston was repairing everything wrong with him. "Just a few more adjustments and... done! How do you feel?"
Adam sat up and looked at his hands. "I feel as good as new. How did you go that?"
"I'm good with machines," the boy said. "I've never seen anything like you. What are you doing in a place like this?"
"It's a long story," Adam told him as he stood up. "Thanks, Juston, you're a lifesaver."
"Hey, come back anytime. I'd actually love to study you some more," Juston said. "A real android with AI unlike anything I've ever seen. Whoever built you must have been a certified genius."
"Yeah, he was, and I miss him every day," Adam told him.
"I miss my family, too," Juston said. "Do you have to go so soon? Maybe you could help me with a few projects if you're not too busy."
"I'd love to," Adam said.
# # # # #
Now
"Well done, team," Cannonball said as the group returned to their headquarters. "We saved the day, and there were no casualties."
"Trump Tower was destroyed and collapsed," Icarus said.
"Yeah, but at least nothing of value was lost, and no one died," Alpha told him as he ate a Twinkie from the box he was holding.
"So, how did it feel to be a part of the team?" Valeria asked Johnny.
"Really good," Johnny told her. "I'm going to make Franklin proud. You'll see, when he wakes up, I'm going to tell him about all the good I'm doing. In fact, I'm going to sit by his bedside and talk to him. Maybe he can hear me where ever he's at."
Johnny flew upstairs as Valeria looked at Icarus.
"Aren't you going to sit with Franklin?"
"I don't think it's a good idea," Icarus told her. "I think I need to clear my head for a while. Maybe I should just go back to--"
"GUYS!" Johnny shouted as he rushed back downstairs. "Franklin's gone! He's not in his bed!"
The team ran upstairs and found the bed was empty.
"Do you think his aura came back on its own?" Valeria asked.
"We need to find him before--" Johnny said as he turned around, seeing Franklin standing at the doorway. He looked different than before, even though no one could put their finger on what exactly was different about him.
"Hi," Franklin said with a smile. "Did you miss me?"
TO BE CONTINUED...