Chereads / CPU / Chapter 13 - CPU

Chapter 13 - CPU

(Budweiser's P.O.V)

After I had quite a blast having dinner with Marlow, it's time I go home. I entered, and everything was perfectly normal... But then I saw a box of apple juice squished, with the juice being on the floor. And the markings...

Oh no.

I tried to go to the cave just to see if he got reactivated again, but it wasn't necessary. He was standing. Looking at me.

"Hello... Budweiser" said the prototype.

I couldn't move. I couldn't get my eyes off him.

"... How...?" I asked.

"Oh, I got reactivated by someone who was wandering in the cave. The next thing I know is that I can't do what I did in the past" He said.

"Morality or skill?" I asked.

"What do you think?" He replied.

"You shouldn't even be standing. You should be locked, scattered inside that canister. You should be rotting in hell, after what you did!" I said.

"I know. I do that again, I'll get deactivated again" He replied. "There's also the fact that you might be the source where power of all kinds surrounds you, so... I'll do what you will say, master" and he bowed down to me.

I am not sure what to do with him.

(Mark's P.O.V)

Vincent took me flying to the hospital.

"So... The ground exploded?" I asked, and he responded "That's how the other people found out. Whoever did that... Deserves to get beaten to a bloody pulp"

"What's the price?" I asked. And he replied "This time is not a matter of money, Mark. This time, it's personal"

Then I said "Cut ties, and stick to economical support. You can still treat your mom like trash while you are also helping her" and he asked "Why would I ever do that? I love my mom!" And I said "Trust me. It happened to me once, and it's something you don't want to experience anymore. Like finding out that Tony Chase is Budweiser, for instance"

Then he stopped flying, and asked "What?" and I said "It all makes perfect sense. Allow me to explain"

I got to explain everything and we managed to arrive at the hospital. Then Vincent told me "That's... I don't know. That whole bed thing... I have some trouble believing that, but on the other hand... It's true that Tony was the second smartest student in the school that me, Marlow, and he studied at" And I asked "And of course the smartest student in your school, that was meant to be you, am I wrong?" And then Vincent said "I don't have time to brag. A friend and brother needs us"

We arrived at the room where Marlow was in, but as soon as I smelled that perfume, I told Vincent I needed to go to the bathroom.

So I went to another corner. Sat down, and on my left, I saw another kid reading a comic with his white skinned hands.

"Oh, wow, this is going to be so surprising..." He said when reading with a sarcastic tone. And I told him "Can you please shut the fuck up?" and then, he pulled down the comic, revealing to my eyes a short white hair with a fringe.

"Uh... Alright?" he said. "Excuse me, it's that this comic is kind of predictable to read, and... Yeah. I tend to snark out loud"

I didn't even reply to that.

He then said "I'm here to get a vaccine, which won't be painful to receive AT ALL. You?"

I said "My brother almost died" and then he asked "Have... Have you found the responsible? Will you kill him?" and I replied "I am not quite sure what to answer to both questions" and he told me "I would."

We were both silent for ten seconds until he started to talk.

"So... I have this friend, right? He's... Busy going from dimension to dimension helping out someone who protected us from an attack at the orphanage, and from what I've been told, he has some sort of tracking device. I don't know if it helps you a lot, but I can get in contact with..."

"Why would you want to kill him?" I asked.

He couldn't reply, the nurse was waiting for him and the one adult that was sleeping.

"Howard Green?"

Howard then tugged at the shirt of the sleepy guy, "Dude, it's my turn" and he said "Oh, ok!"

And then went to the nurse's room.

I decided to phone Vincent. I asked "Is Kathie gone?" and he replied "Yes, why?" Then I hung up, and I went to the room.

Marlow had his head banded by the blow. I clenched my fist. I needed a new hammer.

Vincent said "Stay here. I'm going to... Visit Tony to tell the news. He didn't respond to his cellphone" and he went flying through the open window.

Then I looked at him, and I said "I already trust you were talked to. Right?"

He wasn't responding, naturally.

"Look... Despite the fact that... You are not... I don't know, I don't feel like treating you like garbage right now, listen: Thanks to you, I could finally piece together the clues. Please get well soon, Marlow"

I was going through the door, and I told him "I'm... Going to be busy. I'll be back"

And I went running.

(Budweiser's P.O.V)

A bazooka was created with my own hands. A very powerful bazooka, and it's time Harris made the delivery.

He was flying around, bored. "Oh, FINALLY. How are you doing, boss?" and I replied "I am not quite sure" to which Harris said "I was wondering, who's that robot crushing rocks?" referring of course, to the prototype.

I asked "Remember the most powerful weapon I ever created? This is the one. An intruder reactivated him"

Rowling then arrived through the portal.

"Hello, beautiful!" Said Harris, but Rowling ignored him.

"What's the issue? The prototype again, or the intruder?"

I bringed her a lot of money. "You see... The first reason is to keep the prototype in check, and the second one is that the intruder might show up. Just in case, do not kill, but capture them" and then she said "Understood"

Then my little alarm started to ring.

"I'll answer the door. Harris, go and do the deliveries. Rowling, stay here" I said.

Then I changed my clothes to my casual ones, and I went to open the door.

"Vince! How are you doing?" I asked and he told me the shocking news.

"Hey, Tony... Listen, Marlow... Is in the hospital. Someone planted a bomb on the floor"

After standing there like a statue for a few seconds, I decided to go immediately, however, Vincent said "I've been told you were responsible in a way"

I stopped spontaneously. I think he must have noticed it.

I answered "No! Of course not!" and then Vincent went inside my house, and I chased after him walking, saying "Wait, Vince!"

He went to my bedroom, I was sweating, and trembling. He looked for the switch below the bed, and then he looked at me.

He asked "Why?" twice. The second time, which took a little longer for him to say, was louder.

I said "Please! Let me explai-" and he went running and punched me.

"YOU BASTARD! HE IS OUR FRIEND!" He said that in the middle of the first punch, and the second. "WHY DID YOU DO IT?!" and just when I was about to get punched a third time... I grabbed a back up switch, and I used my battle armour.

Vincent's fist started to hurt.

"Be careful WHO you're punching, Vincent" I said, and then he put on his glasses that resemble Sci Fi Man's eyes, transforming his entire body in the process.

"You even more" He said, and he shot a blast at me, making me go through the house, and to the streets.

He was flying to punch me. Big mistake, since I prepared my fire fist, and I punched him on the back, and then I used my freezing foot to hold him on the ground.

He, however, got free from the ice. And I sadly realised that the only way to bring him down now... Is to knock him out.

(Mark's P.O.V)

Two friends were there. Fighting. Vincent doesn't seem to perform quite well up close, with Budweiser putting the broom on the floor. Slowly he starts to wipe it.

Eventually, Vincent gets on the ground. And Budweiser says "I wished it didn't come to this, but here we are"

Then he notices a familiar green light on a dark corner. I slowly walked out of it.

He said "Oh... Look who decided to join us! Hand over the sphere, please"

My walk became a run, and I went to slash his armour, extending my arm, trying to grab it. However, I tricked him and I shot six blasts from my long ranged weapon.

Then Vincent went to my side and said "Thanks... But it wasn't necessary, because I am too great. He was just lucky"

Budweiser then said "You..." Then I shot from my six barrel blaster, and Vincent shot blasts from his hand, damaging him.

He screamed "ENOUGH!"

I assumed what he was going to do. And I also assumed how to stop him.

I pretended to run away, with Vincent ignoring me completely due to Budweiser's secret being revealed.

He again shot his blasts, but Budweiser dodged it, his foot was burning, and he decided to kick Vincent to a lamp post.

Then he noticed I was gone. I was on top of a bread store. I extended my arms, grabbed his helmet, and transformed back to his normal self.

Vincent said "It's over, you traitor" He started to fly to knock him out, but my extended arm did the job first.

Vincent then proceeded to look at me, and he asked me "Who are you?"

Then after a little while... I talked.

"I am..."

An hour later after Budweiser got arrested, I got back to the hospital as my human self. And I saw Marlow waking up.

"How are you doing?" I asked. And he said "Oh, hi Mark! How was school?" And I replied "Very well. Thanks for asking"

I realised what I had just done. So my behaviour changed again.

"Who knocked you out?" I asked. And he replied:

"I... I think it was Sorz"

I got up very fast.

He then said "I mean... When the ground exploded, I remember it being..." "Sky Blue?" I asked.

"Yes... But, that can also mean it wasn't Sorz! So... Don't worry, Mark. Your big brother is alright!" He said.

Vincent then came running towards the door, and said: "Marlow! We finally got Budweiser... But it's..." "Our friend. I know, Vince" He said... With an odd smile.

He never learns...

Budweiser is finally captured. The cases regarding those highly dangerous weapons dropped quite a lot... However, despite all of this, my brother still hasn't learned his lesson, the one responsible for injuring Marlow is still out there, Rowling and Harris are still on the loose, with a robot being with them... Crime never goes away.

But crime has made a couple of new enemies these days. Me being one of them.

The one being who stopped the city's current most dangerous criminal. That probably makes me the number one criminal enemy right now. Surprisingly, I took away the attention from my brother.

This world needs people that are able to save other people... But not get invested in them. So far, the only one capable of doing this that I know of, is me.

CPU.