"You have a test scheduled for today," Vega said as she combed Acmon's hair. Monarch waited his turn across the room.
Acmon groaned. "Is it another fear experiment?"
"I have no clue. I was just told to escort you there."
"Hey, Vega? Who's Noelle?" Monarch asked.
"How much did you find out, Monarch? I don't think I've heard that name since you were born. I'm Noelle. I chose my own name."
"That's awesome! I can't believe Professor Ern let you," Acmon said.
Vega gave a mechanical laugh that sounded sort of like a beeping noise. "He just took it as a sign of success on his part. When I was built, I was one of the first robots ever to display empathy and complex reasoning skills. Just like the two of you and Er-... And some of Professor Ern's other experiments, I'm a scientific breakthrough."
"Subject Monarch, please have a seat. The professor will be here soon," Dr. Jesse said.
Acmon gave him a thumbs-up from the doorway as always, but that didn't stop the usual sickening anxiety from forming in the pit of his stomach.
Professor Ern arrived just a minute later. With him he carried a case, which he set on the table next to the medical chair. He put on a pair of goggles with a flashlight attached and pulled on a pair of gloves before pulling up a chair next to Monarch.
"How are you feeling today, kid? Sleep well?" He shined the flashlight into Monarch's eye.
"Um... Not well," Monarch said.
"Your brother woke you up. I saw it." The professor opened up the case, which held a syringe full of some orange liquid inside. Monarch flinched away as Ern tried to inject it into his neck. "What's wrong, Monarch? You're jumpier than usual."
Monarch clenched the armrests of the chair. "Prof, what is that?"
Ern tilted his head. "It's going to slightly activate your Meta-Gene so I can see what kind of powers you have. Don't worry, it won't go full force, but you may feel a little jittery."
"...Can I have Acmon next to me?"
"Fine, but I'm tranquilizing him if he causes any trouble."
Monarch felt slightly calmer once Acmon was next to him, but not by much. He felt a pinch in the side of his neck as the syringe went in. Within a minute, his heart began racing.
"I don't... I don't like this- This doesn't feel good," Monarch said.
"This is normal. Just relax."
The cyan light began traveling up Monarch's veins uncontrollably, which only added to his intense anxiety.
"So, I know you already activated the Meta-Gene three times before you did it about a week ago. I know about your speed ability, your night vision, and your telekinesis. I just want to know what your new power is. Any chance you've been using it?"
"Um... Maybe a little, professor."
"I heard it's some kind of electrical power. I might play back the video of you being in the simulation to get an idea of what kind of power you may have developed."
The cyan light had by now reached every vein in Monarch's body, and his entire body was now trembling.
Ern opened a laptop and stuck a memory card into it. The video of the simulation showed up, which he clicked on.
"I don't want to see it," Monarch said pleadingly.
"It was that bad?" the professor asked.
"It traumatized him, Prof," Acmon snapped.
"We can erase the memory if necessary."
Acmon clenched his teeth. He looked like he wanted to pounce at Professor Ern and beat him to a pulp- Which, with his strength ability, wouldn't be difficult for him at all. He barely managed to hold himself back.
The video loaded, and played back the entire scene that had taken place in Monarch's fear simulation. Monarch closed his eyes tightly to shield himself from it, but Acmon and the professor both watched. Monarch's heart was now racing a million miles an hour.
About halfway through the video, Acmon grabbed Monarch's trembling hand. "Bro... You... Hey, I'm not gonna get myself terminated, okay?" Acmon said.
"I- Ac- I- No-, I-," Monarch couldn't speak clearly at this point. The fear in his gut had traveled to every inch of his being, and he was sure he might vomit. He was now hyperventilating.
"Bro, are you okay? C'mere," Acmon pulled Monarch into a hug. Vega rushed to his side.
"He's having a panic attack, Professor! Please, he needs a break," Vega pleaded.
Monarch began whimpering hysterically into Acmon's shoulder. All Acmon could think to do was hold him. He wished more than anything that he had just a fraction of Vega's ability to perceive emotions. He'd never witnessed a full-on panic attack before.
Professor Ern's eyes were glued to the computer screen. He had stopped the video at the part where Monarch had realized simulation Acmon was deceased. He had his eyebrows pressed together. He was very conflicted. He turned to the two boys- Acmon glared at him with an 'I-Want-To-Kill-You' look. For the first time in his life, Acmon recognized pain in the professor's eyes. But he didn't dare allow himself to believe it was even close to empathy. He wouldn't ever allow himself to believe the professor had their well-being in mind, especially not with his hysterical brother in his arms.
Ern closed the laptop and cleared his throat. "That was... worse than I expected," he said.
"No dip, Sherlock," Acmon snapped.
"The power seems to be related to technology, or electricity. All the technology in the examination room, including Vega, lost power after Monarch gained this ability. I heard the two of you talking about a 'lightning bolt.' Care to elaborate?"
"No, no no no... No!" Monarch whimpered. The cyan light was now beginning to glow brighter as Monarch's panic attack went on. His hands flew up to his face and his hysteric breaths now shifted to heavy breathing. The cyan light had shifted from a soft glow to bright enough to illuminate the space around him. Acmon thought he could see a blue current begin to travel up his arms.
"GET BACK!" Vega shouted.
"What? What do you-"
Vega didn't wait for him to finish before diving in front of Acmon as the blue energy exploded off of Monarch. Any piece of technology that the energy touched instantly lost power and began smoking. Vega herself cried out before collapsing to the ground with a metallic bang.
"Vega? VEGA!" Acmon shouted. Monarch had now passed out in the chair and was unresponsive. Acmon had no idea who to check on first.
Professor Ern stood up from the chair and checked Monarch for a pulse, which he thankfully had. "Jesse, get two stretchers- One for the android, and one for Monarch. Take Vega back to my lab, and the boy to the hospital. Do an emergency examination on him and keep him monitored."
"Oh, so now you care about his well-being? Only when it's beneficial to you?" Acmon snapped.
Professor Ern glared at him. "I care about your brother, Acmon. And I care about you, too."
Acmon rolled his eyes. "You'd terminate me if you didn't need me. In fact, I'm certain you've thought about it! Admit it! You only keep me around because it keeps Monarch happy. But if you had your way, I'd be gone."
Four nurses entered the room with a pair of stretchers. Monarch was placed onto one, and Vega on the other. They were promptly carried out of the room.
"I'm not going to kill you, Acmon. Your behavior isn't that bad. You're a teenage boy. It's just typical teenage behavior," Ern said.
Acmon turned to the door. "Well, I'm going to go make sure my brother is okay."
"No, you're staying here. I haven't done the test on you yet. Monarch will be fine."
"I'm not following that order, Prof." He continued down the hall.
Ern walked after him. "Get back here before I tranq you. Now that Monarch is gone, you think it's fine to just disobey a direct order from me?"
"Just because you grew me in your lab, you think it's fine to traumatize me and stick me with needles?"
The professor marched behind him and grabbed Acmon's arm. "You-"
Acmon swiftly spun around and snatched the hand. He was much too strong for Professor Ern to pull back against. "Get off me."
"You two are just too problematic with each other. I think I'm going to have to keep you both separated."
Acmon finally released his grip on Ern's hand and dropped his aggressive attitude. "What?"
"Is that how to get a reaction out of you? Good to know. Get back to the room, or I'll go through with that threat."
Acmon defeatedly followed the professor back to the lab. After sitting down in the chair, Ern injected him with the orange liquid as well. Acmon didn't even try to fight back this time.
"Try to relax, Acmon. I wasn't told you developed any powers, but it's good for me to see how you've developed your current ones."
Acmon just nodded without saying anything. Soon, he felt his heart begin to race. The professor opened the laptop back up and opened an app.
"Nice- Your strength and water-breathing power haven't changed much, but your regeneration ability seems to have grown. Any idea how?"
"I can now heal people as well. I used it to heal Monarch. Apparently anyone whose around me regenerates faster, too."
"I'm going to place you back in the fear simulation since it didn't work the first time. I suspect it may have been faulty. I've just been so distracted with Monarch's new power that I forgot to follow up on you. We'll get started once the injection wears off."
"On your order, Professor," Acmon said. He numbly sat back in the chair and waited.
Monarch's eyes snapped open to the white lights of the hospital room. He felt an IV taped to his hand, and a nurse was sitting in a chair across the room with a clipboard.
"Great! I'll let the professor know you're awake," she said.
As the memories from before came flooding back, he grew frantic. "Where is Acmon? Vega? I-"
"Subject Monarch, everything is fine. Your brother is in the hospital, and Vega is in the process of being repaired in the professor's lab."
Monarch's eyes widened at the word 'hospital.' How badly had his power injured Acmon? A wave of guilt flooded him, not unlike it did when he controlled Vega.
After examining him, the nurse removed Monarch's IV, and he began following her back to his room. On the way there, he caught a glimpse of a scientist and a little girl behind a door as it closed. The brief glimmer of a satin green ribbon caught Monarch's eye and he stopped.
"Subject Monarch, why are you stopping?"
He ignored the nurse and fixated on the camera above the door. In moments, he projected himself to it again, and traveled to a camera inside the room.
The room on the other side of the door was identical to the one he and Acmon shared, except there was only one bed. Erebia and the scientist were inside.
"Subject Monarch! Stop staring and let's get a move on!" The nurse shook him, forcing him back to his own body.
"Agh! Ow," Monarch said as his eyes adjusted. He made sure to note Erebia's room number before following the nurse back to his own room.