| Miracle Clinic: Cookie Cutters 1 | |||||
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| What: A new clinic offers a truly super cure | |||||
The invitations arrived by mail, delivered to the current addresses of many famous people throughout the region, but only people who were also famously hurt or otherwise having biological troubles. Barbara Gordon is well known in these parts, and is known to be paraplegic. Thomas Wayne may wonder about getting his invitation, as he is commonly thought to be dead.
The Invitation reads, "HAI, Human Augmentations Incorporated, is now opening our Bio-correction clinic. If you have physical problems that defy normal treatment, we CAN help you. Our fees may be waved in favor of endorsements at this time, as we are needing proof that our process works. Please come to the address listed above if interested in finding a cure for yor condition."
Barbara Gordon was, at heart, a skeptic. So when she got the invitation, claiming that a medical corporation could repair her damaged spine, she really didn't believe it. But, curiousity had gotten the better of her, so - properly equipped of course - she made arrangedments to go to this clinc. At the least, she might learn something...
Thomas arrives a bit later then expected, still barely able to stand he finds himself confined to a wheelchair of his own still very much reeling from the pains of the multiple gunshot wounds to his torso. Dressed in a rather plain black coat and pants he seems to be doing a decent job of keeping his face hidden underneath the wide brimmed hat of his simply wheeling up alongside Barbara.
The building is a fair size for a private hospital. One thing that seems odd is the presence of a number of people in blue uniforms with red belts and a pair of red stripes, forming an H pattern. They are all uncommonly good looking. In addition to Thomas and Barbara there is a man being rolled in on a gurney, he appears to be extensively bandaged. If an inspection is made, it is clear he is badly burned. A man in a white jacket comes out, wearing a stethoscope, his name tag reads "R. Ivanov". He will greet you and say with a Russian accent, "Greetings, I am Dr. Ivanov, chief of this medical center. Before you ask, yes, we can treat you all, but the process is experimental and you will need to sign our release forms before we begin. It has been tested extensively for safety, this will be the first human testing of the curative process."
Barbara Gordon reaches over and touches Thomas's hand gently. "Hey grandpa." she says affectionately, before they begin to meet the staff of the hospital. Something tells her gut that 'this is wrong', and she's always trusted her instincts. "You'll understand if I'm a bit hesitant, Dr. Ivanov." she says, mentally noting absently that Ivanov is the Russian form of Johnson.
Thomas remains quiet playing the part of an old man barely there mentally. He occasionally looks about the room, generally frail and pathetic. Even still he does grab onto Barbara's hand, "Are we going to see your grandmother?"
A man in a business suit, possibly a secretary or a lawyer, brings each of you a set of forms. The forms include the one for requesting endorsements if you lack the $100,000 standard fee, and also a secrecy agreement about the techniques employed. The secrecy agreement includes a clause forbidding testing of any sort intended to analyze and duplicate the results.
Barbara Gordon isn't so sure she wants to sign the forms. She didn't believe in miracles without strings, and the seemed to have enough string to knit a blanket from. "Grandpa, what do you thing about all this? she asks the old man lightly, having not picked up the pen yet. "I'm not so sure about this..."
Thomas quietly mumbles to himself for a bit, before looking towards the paper, signing off as one Theodore Gordon. "I'm sure it'll be fine, your grandmother wouldn't send us out this far if she didn't think it would be fine." A small smile coming across the old mans face.
The man on the gurney looks over the forms and signs them as Michael Radcliff. You note he does not sign the endorsement box, evidently he has enough money to pay the fee. Two of the men in the odd blue uniforms come and escort Thomas and Michael from the room. Dr. Ivanov says, "You may leave if you do not want to sign I will the go to explain our techniques to the others."
Barbara Gordon nods. "I will wait in the lobby, for grandpa." she says, rolling herself out. Of course, she bugged Thomas, and can hear everything he hears. What, did you think she wouldn't?
While he's wheeled out of the room Thomas calls back. "I'll be right back Barbara, I'm just going to visit your grandmother." A small whist full smile on the mustachioed mans face. Of course tucking away the small device in the process, as he keeps an eye on his surroundings.
The Doctor joins the two signatories and says, "Let me explain what has been done, and how it will aid you. As you know, decades ago, just before the second world war, a chemical was developed that could turn a man with sub normal abilities into a perfect soldier. This was called the Super Soldier Serum, and attempts to duplicate it have been made, but never completed. The Russians made great strides, I was one of the scientists who helped develop the techniques used to create the Red Guardian and the Black Widow. When the Communist regime fell, I took my research and came to the US. With modern science, I have improved the techniques, we can not only grant humans powers with an 83.4 control over the end result, but we can use the formula to cause a person's body to rebuild itself into it's optimum natural state. This removes any imperfections, though it does not prevent future damage. The formula we use will, temporarily at least, grant you enhanced abilities beyond simple optimization. We would ask you to look over the list of abilities and select one from each column to gain. It is necessary, at our current level of understanding, to go beyond optimal and then reduce back to it, but we wish you to be comfortable during the time of temporary ability gain."
Barbara Gordon is sitting is the lobby, listening in to the conversation via ear bud. What she hears makes her blood run chill. She excuses herself to go outside of the small private clinic, claiming the need for fresh air. Even as she's wheeling outside, she's dialing a number on her phone. "Steve? It's Barbara. We have a problem - there's an ex Soviet scientist in a small clinic playing around with a Super Soldier Serum. Claims he helped create Red Guardian and Black Widow."
Thomas looks over the sheet, filling out the paperwork with a small pen from his shirt pocket. When he passes it over with a shaky hand taking a good look at the doctor, There's a long moment where he looks into the mans eyes. "You're such a nice boy doing this for people like us."
"Not again," is Steve's immediate response over the phone. "Can you send me your location?" He knows she's connected to the Birds, and they have spy type technology. So, maybe she can do just that readily enough. Hopping onto his bike, he's a bit away from the clinic anyway...and still needs the location.
Thomas and Michael are taken to the treatment area, where there are a number of large upright tanks of liquid. It is explained, "You will probably be needing to add body mass to finish optimizing, these tanks contain all the liquids and minerals required for the human body, so that rebuilding materials are readily in hand. We will fit you with the injection cuff and a breathing mask and lower you into the fluid before we begin treatment. Because we make these materials available, treatment can be completed rapidly."
"Sending it now. Be careful, there are patients here." Barbara taps on her phone a bit, and then sends her GPS location to Steve. She lets out a breath. "They seem to just be utilizing it to heal injuries regular medical procedures can't - a noble goal, but. We both know the road to Hell is paved with good intentions."
Which explains how Barbara heard about it. However, it seems she's had the sense not to mess with it. Steve powers up the bike and starts to drive towards the clinic. "Patients. Under advisement."
The two patients are prepared for treatment, which means removing everything from their bodies except things required for treatment, fitting them with the injection cuffs, and then placing them in a harness to lower into the liquid. The two are lowered into the liquid and the treatment begins...
Barbara Gordon flinches. That was some nasty feedback she just got from her earbud. 'Dammit, now I can't hear what's going on in there. I hope everything turns out alright.' The woman clasps her hands in front of her, almost like she's praying.
Easy enough to spot the clinic: There's a redhead in a wheelchair sitting outside it. Cap actually salutes as he slows the bike to a halt next to her. "Okay. Sitrep?" Not treating her like a civilian...because she isn't. Not exactly.
To Thomas, it feels distinctly odd. It hurts of course, but only a bit more than the normal aches and pains of his age, and then those are washed away while his body feels like it is growing inflated, like his skin is being stretched and his eyes feel strange and his bones feel like someone is running an electric charge through them. It does not take long, but it is intensely uncomfortable. Then he hears an alarm going off and people shouting and the liquid in his chamber warms up as a flickering light can be seen through the translucent fluid.
Barbara Gordon nods to Steve as he arrives. "Captain. Right now they're treating the patients - and I don't think they have any ill will. Maybe I'm being... over sensitive." And then she stops, holing up a finger with a listening look on her face. "...There's a fire inside!" she sounds alarmed. "Near the patients..."
"Alright. Make sure the fire department's alerted." Fortunately, he's dressed for the occasion. Unfortunately, he doesn't actually have fire fighting gear. "What room are they in, quickly." Because he can't search the building...
Barbara Gordon looks a bit flustered, even as she starts dialing for the fire department. "I don't know exactly, but I can give you my best guess, extrapolated from..." She rattles off her best guess, and then tells the operator on the line about the fire, giving the address. "...I hate being so helpless." she whispers, after hanging up.
In the treatment room, something has gone wrong. The burn victim has burst into flames, boiling off the liquid in his vat and screaming in abject fear while his unexpected power spirals out of control. Fed by his fear, his flames keep surging hotter, which in turn makes him more afraid! A pair of the blue-clad guards strive to contain him, while the sprinkler system sprays everything in the room with water causing computers and other electrical gear to short out...
Steve...checks his position, studies the building, lifts his shield and charges. Through doors and lighter walls if necessary. He's going right for the center of the fire, because he knows he can't stay in there that long. The patients are the priority. Anyone else can, after all, make a run for it.
Captain America runs in, and discovers two guards in blue uniforms trying to subdue someone who looks much like the human torch, covered all over in flames that do not seem to be physically harming them. Though the flaming man is screaming. There is a patient still in an intact tank not far away, and a number of other tanks of liquid nearby. The sprinklers do not seem to be helping much.
Barbara Gordon waits outside, watching Captain America literally charge into the flames. She bites her lower lip. "No such thing, as a real miracle..." she murmurs, trying to reassure herself.
"Don't use water!" Cap calls. He looks around quickly for CO2 extinguishers. They have to have them here, right? He wishes he could brief Barbara, but there's no time. He understands how she feels more than he would ever admit. The sprinkler system is, at least, not making things *worse*.
Cap spots a couple of red extinguishers, seems to be one near the controls of each tank. The female guard uncoils what looks like a whip from her belt and it starts to crackle with electrical energy. Possibly it is some kind of taser device and she intends to shock the burning man unconscious.
The shield is flicked onto his back so he can freely snag the closest of the extinguishers. He doesn't fire it directly at the burning man, but rather at the fires that are starting around him. Nor does he argue with the woman with the taser whip. It might not actually be a bad idea.
Barbara hears the fire sirens approaching, they should be here soon...though from what she has heard she is not sure they can help. Cap starts putting out the secondary fires, though the sprinkler has done well at keeping those from spreading. The female guard hits the burning man with the whip. The man seems much less effected than normal, but the flames do flicker. Apparently the man is resistant to energy effects, it will take a much stronger setting to knock him out.
Barbara Gordon waits for the firemen to arrive, and then fills them in on the situation. She doesn't leave out any details.
Cap thrusts the fire extinguisher towards the energy whip woman. "Control the fire." Then he tugs the shield back into the forward position and charges towards fire guy. He might be resistant to energy. Hopefully he won't be resistant to the edge of Cap's shield aimed at his jaw to knock him out. Carefully, of course...
Fortunately knocking the man out puts out his fire, and the other fires are quickly under control. Doctors rush over to the unconscious patient and administer "the antidote" which turns his powers off but leaves him healthy and in excellent physical condition. The Firemen find themselves with little to do. Thomas is pulled from his tank, now a hansom man in what appears to be his later twenties. Apparently this clinic CAN even cure old age.
Barbara Gordon will wait outside until there's an all clear. Once she's allowed to come ion, and she sees what has happened, she takes a deep breath. Thomas looked younger than his son, now. "...I'd like to sign those forms, now." she says.
Steve Rogers turns to Barbara. He doesn't *say* anything, but there's a world of "are you sure" in those blue eyes. He's had so much with broken serums to deal with and...he cares for her. More than he'd be willing to admit.
Barbara Gordon nods to Steve. "I'm sure. I... I want to be whole again." Her words are whispered, so only Steve can hear them.
The receptionist says, "Fortunately, repairs will not take long, we are prepared for the occasional control problem. We have multiple areas for work, we can take you to section 2 after you go through orientation."
Steve Rogers nods. But...he doesn't leave. He knows why she has to do this. He knows they have more in common than anyone...perhaps even Barbara herself...realizes.
Barbara Gordon tries to relax as the lower her into the tank. She was hoping she didn't catch on fire. If Steve had followed her this far, she tries to keep her eyes on him. Because in truth, she's scared. She just doesn't want to admit it.
Barbara feels nothing at first, not until she is lowered into the tank past the site of her injury. Then it starts, and it hurts a lot...almost like as if she WAS being burned up..because her nerves reconnect and all at once she feels everything that she has been unable to feel for so long...and her nervous system has trouble with the overload of sensation until it adjusts.
Barbara Gordon screams from the pain - but through it, she's smiling, somehow. "I...I can feel..." she manages to gasp out. She closes her eyes. "Oh god, I can feel my legs!"