Chapter 2 (or chapter, something cool is finally going to happen!)

Matt walked over a couple blocks to the elementary school to pick up Nick and bring him home. Matt sat on a bench near the entrance of the school and watched the kids file out of the school. Nick immediately ran over to the bench and hugged Matt.

"Hey buddy! How was school?" Matt asked as he ruffled his sibling's hair.

"Great, we went to music class today and I got to demonstrate how to play the guitar! It was so much fun; I got to be a star!"

"That's great Nicky." Matt replied. They continued to the bus stop and got on the bus when it pulled up. It being two hours before the commute, the bus was virtually empty, as it was most every day. Nick asked Matt that fateful question from this morning

"Matt, would you tell me the beach story, !" Nick begged. Matt inwardly did not want to tell, but Nick's puppy-dog eyes refused to let him...well, refuse.

"Oh...OK, for you, when we get home."

"YAAAAAY!" Nick cheered. The rest of the ride continued in silence, Nick anticipating the wondrous story awaiting him. When the bus came to their stop, Nick was practically bouncing off the walls with excitement.

"Matt! Race ya!" Nick yelled before rushing off down the street.

"Nick, wait for me, you know the rule!" Matt sped off after him. Nick turned the corner out of Matt's sight...only to be met with a wall of muscle. Nick fell to the ground, and looked up to see the hardened face of a New York street thug. What was even worse was that Nick had made said thug drop his spoils, and since there was no police around, it gave the guy more time to take revenge on some stupid kid who made him loose his loot.

"Watch where you're going you little brat!" the thug yelled, picking Nick up by the collar, and at the same time pulling out a knife. The sight of the knife made Nick give off a whimpering sound, and at that moment Matt rounded the corner.

"Nick...!" Matt gasped.

"This your bro?" asked the thug. Matt nodded. "Well, I think he needs to be taught some manners!" said the thug, raising his knife to Nick's throat. At that, adrenaline kicked in, Matt whipped out his cell phone, placing his finger over the # symbol

"You put him down, or I'll call the cops!" Matt said. The thug scoffed at him

"Cops? There aren't any around for blocks, they'd never make it."

"Well, you asked for it, Nicky, maneuver gamma!" Matt and his mother had planned for situations like this, and taught Nick the appropriate signals. Nick grabbed on to the guy's arm and bit into it, hard, forcing the man to let go. After which Matt pressed the # button and out flew a tazer, which was promptly used on the thug. Matt grabbed Nick's hand and flew down the sidewalk, dodging humans and stands and feet all the way back to their house. On the stoop, Matt and Nick stopped to catch their breaths.

"If mom asks, we raced and you won, no sense in worrying her." Matt said

"Gotcha Matt." affirmed Nick. Both walked inside panting, and heard their mom heating up something in the oven.

"Hi boys, how was school?" MJ asked.

"OK" said Matt.

"Great!" said Nick.

"You guys want some brownies?"

"Sure!" replied both. "I'll get the milk" said Nick. While MJ pulled the brownies out of the oven. Nick got three cups and the gallon of milk on the table and poured it accordingly. The family chatted for a while, having delight in each others company. After the chat, both Matt and Nick did their homework. When it became seven-thirty, Matt and Nick headed into Nick's room and opened up his pop-up fort. They closed the window, turned out the lights and turned on a flashlight while climbing in the fort.

"Story time!" Nick cheered.

"OK, OK, here's the story..."

One day, the whole Tyler family was enjoying a day at the beach, excluding Nick, because he wasn't born yet. Matt was out in the water playing with his father and his mother was sunbathing on the shore. Matt and Richard were in the process of swimming out to a nearby sandbar in search of treasure as in shells. Matt was on Richard's back for the ride out to the sand bar, they were having the best fun. Suddenly, something brushed against Richard's leg, and it hurt!

"Ouch!" He yelped

"Are you OK daddy?" Matt asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine, something just hit my leg, but I think we'll have to turn back, sorry kiddo."

"It's OK daddy." Matt said sadly. Richard started to head back to shore, it was getting tough, but Richard wasn't afraid of a little muscle strain. But the shore seemed miles away, and swimming wasn't Richard's forte. Then, Richard felt it again, and it hurt even more, it drew blood this time. It surfaced, the distinct triangle shape.

"A shark..." Richard whispered. Adrenaline surged through his body, and shivers through Matt's. Richard knew his son was getting cold, but any sudden movements would set the shark off, especially with his blood pouring into the water.

"Daddy, was that a shark?" Matt asked, teeth chattering.

"It's OK Matt; everything is going to be fine. Hold on tight." Richard started dog paddling slowly to shore, the cold water probably was making the shark sluggish, which was why it wasn't attacking. The shore was getting closer now, the water warmer. CHOMP! The shark bit down to the bone. The shark was waking up because of the warm water.

"Matt, can you swim the rest of the way?"

"sh...shh...sure." Matt slipped down his dad's back and paddled like there was no tomorrow. Richard pulled some goggles out of a pocket in his suit, put them on, and dove under the water. His leg was still bleeding, but it would heal. A buzzing in his head made him turn around, and the shark was going to ram him! He pushed off the bottom of the ocean and rammed into the side of the shark, into its gills. He then grabbed the shark's tail and YANK! Pulled it backwards through the water, with his bare hands, killing it instantly. He swam back up for air and started to the shore...

"Wow that is awesome! Dad was so cool!"

"Yeah, dad was a regular hero." Matt agreed.

"More like a super hero! I bet he had super powers! I bet my whole allowance our dad had super powers!"

"Ya think so?" Matt raised an eyebrow.

"For sure, and I bet you and I have super powers too! How cool is that?" Nick was practically on fire with excitement.

"Well, what kind of powers do you think we have, eh genius?"

"I don't know, but I bet they are cool, beyond cool, we could totally fight crime!"

"OK, OK, kiddo, time for bed, it's nine at night and we are going to the water park tomorrow, so you gotta get up early."

"Oh...! OK, goodnight, Matt, waterpark tomorrow, yay!" he crawled out of the fort and hopped into bed. Matt left the room and went downstairs to see his mom. MJ was in the living room, on the couch eating ice cream.

"Hey mom," Matt called attention to his presence as he sat down on the couch.

"Is the little guy asleep?" she flashed a smile at her son, which he returned.

"Yepp, that story gets him to sleep every time, and every time he claims that dad had super powers, I think he believes it." Matt wondered aloud.

"Richard was pretty close to it, I always remember when he was working on something, he would work nonstop, no food, no sleep, just work work work." she chuckled at the memory. Matt imagined his father, at work on some big project, a bottle of water at his desk, him going over reports, it sure sounded like him. Matt got up and went over to the door, and got his shoes and coat.

"I'm going out..." Matt said.

"OK, come back by curfew." MJ replied.

Matt nodded and went out the door. He stepped out into the cold night air and headed west, behind his suburb complex, and into a small forest of trees. This is where he went every anniversary, this was his sanctuary. Matt entered the forest and headed to a small clearing in the middle. He lay down on the soft grass, and looked up at the few stars he could see, it being New York and all. He remembered a saying his dad told him when he was five. His dad said "the stars are vast, so vast that they create a bigger picture than just themselves. If humans could just join their big picture, than the world wouldn't need Me." but of course, independence always got in the way of the big picture. That's even why his dad died, the crook couldn't earn money the right way, he had to be a jerk and steal for his money. Sometimes, it just made Matt so mad, he could probably explode.

'If only, if only...there's no point in saying if only. It just makes you feel worse. But sometimes, if only lets you let go. If only dad hadn't worked late...if only they had caught the guy...' "If only I was there, I could have helped! I want my dad!" Matt screamed to the stars, the only ones around to listen. He stood up, wiped up his tears, and looked heavenward once more. This time his eyes focused on a particular star. It shined brightly; too bright to be a regular star, you can't see super bright ones like that in New York. 'This is not right, that is not a regular astronomical phenomenon. Hey...is that getting bigger?...it is! Its heading closer...it must have broken the atmosphere by now, it's flaming. Let's see, if I can roughly triangulate the trajectory...crunch the numbers, wait! That can't be right! That means it's headed straight for...!' Matt didn't have time to finish his thought because he had to jump out of the way of the flaming projectile. A crater the size of a small lake ensued and Matt was just out of the line of fire, the edge of the crater touching his sneaker. Matt was wide-eyed, the thing was a capsule, like an escape pod out of a sci-fi movie. It was a long, cylindrical piece, but not long enough for a person to fit in, not wide enough either. Matt guessed that it was a package. 'But what use would anyone have for a package if it was randomly shot; no recipients would be able to find it. Only other option was that it wouldn't matter where it was shot as long as it got here. I better check it out.' Matt got up from where he fell from the blast and headed into the crater. From where he was, Matt couldn't see a door, so he walked around the other side of the capsule. On the other side, there was no door, just a slot with a button next to it. 'How weird, I guess it is a package, but it can't be alien, I've seen it on too many science channels, except for the slot. I guess the button opens it. Should I open it? Well, I guess I got nothing to loose.' Matt pressed the button and a tray popped out, a tray with a test tube on a stand in it. He picked up the tube to see some sort of thick, dark substance in it...and it was moving. 'It looks angry, eeeeeewwwww; it's so gross, yet so fascinating. I wonder how you open the tube; it has a metal encasing on the top. Maybe if I press...!' the sticky substance rammed itself against the tube...breaking it. It leaked out of the tube and onto Matt's hand. Matt stared at it wide-eyed, it just sat there, as if it was examining him.

-DNA match found, closest relation to Tyler, Richard, confirm? The thing was speaking to him, inside his mind! So this was for him, it must have been one of his old experiments!

"Uhh...uhh...yes, confirm." Matt replied

-confirmed. Preparations beginning for cancer treatment instructions, query? A query was a computer word for any questions, and yes Matt had lots.

"Yes, query. Where did you come from?"

-query processing...I was created and programmed in the space colony S.H.E.I.L.D. then transferred to storage satellite after termination of Tyler, Richard.

Query?

"Query, what were you designed for?"

-query processing...I was designed to irradicate cancer cells and tumors. I can only be unlocked and reprogrammed by a close family member of Tyler, Richard, of which you are. Last query? One last question, Matt knew just what to ask.

"Query, are you sentient, and if you are...did you like my father?"

-double query processing...I am sentient; I am conscious of my being and have feelings like humans, although I still must operate like a computer. My creator, Tyler, Richard, was a very good man, I learned of what he was trying to do and appreciate him for it. Start operation process?" Operation process? What does it mean by operation process? Well, if it was his father's, then he really had nothing to loose, did he?

"Start operation process." Matt replied

-confirmed. Warning, operator may experience uncomfortable itching and pain for a few moments. Starting up operation process...error. Data lost in the crash, unable to start operation process. Alternative, use DNA tracking system to impart basic structure of treatment. Advisory, original creation will be destroyed in t minus two minutes due two system shutdown. I am willing to do this for the sake of what Richard would want, confirm, Matt? Matt had a big decision to make. Either let his body be used for some sort of science experiment, or let his father's work die with this creation. Matt was willing to do anything to keep his father's legacy alive, the choice was clear.

"Confirm, and thank you, so much."

-confirmed. You are welcome Matt, I am glad to do it. Warning, severe pain might be experienced. Beginning process...

Matt felt a weird tingling sensation spread from his hand where the thing was to his arm, his head, and his whole body. Then it hit him, the pain was almost unbearable. Matt fell to the ground with the thing still attached, chills and heat waves hitting his body, sweat running through all his clothes, pooling around him. His eyes were sunken and looked like vanilla pudding.

-transference complete...thank you, Matt...For helping your dad...he would have been proud. The thing said with some difficulty. Through all the pain, Matt felt the thing shut down, never to power up again. It detached itself from his hand and slowly dissolved into the ground. Matt was so full of pain, so full of aches and chills and heat and sweat. Finally, Matt blacked out.

...

Matt...Was... free. He felt so liberated, so full of energy. Only problem was that Matt couldn't see, but that suited him just fine, he didn't need his sight. He had his hearing, and he sense of feeling, and this other sense, he could do anything. Matt felt the wind rushing into his face, the zero gravity experience that felt like you're on a super awesome rollercoaster. Matt had been trying to open his eyes this whole time, but his eyelids had resisted, like they had a mind of their own. But they finally opened. They opened to reveal Matt was high over New York City, swinging on some sort of rope. The sight should have alarmed him, but he shrugged it off like it was something he did every day. Matt had been on the same rope for a while now, and his body was uncontrollable, his hands let go of the string, Matt's heart sped up in his chest, he started falling, but then, Matt's head turned to look at his hand, which was covered in some sort of glove. Suddenly, a rope came out of his wrist! Matt couldn't believe what he was seeing, but even so, there was no fear behind his astonishment, it felt totally natural, which struck him as odd. He continued through the city, but then felt the rope go taught and stop. Matt felt the blood rushing through his head, letting him know he was upside down. Focusing on his sight, he saw he was looking at himself in a window of one of the skyscrapers, he couldn't really see what he was wearing, but he could feel that it was a skintight, durable material. the one thing he could see were the eye pieces of his mask, black as night, light glinting off of them, tinted so no one could see what his eyes looked like, it made him look cold and distant. He also saw that the rope that had previously shot out of his wrist was shiny, gossamer material, but it was so thin Matt wondered how it held his weight. He could see his dark figure in the window, he almost looked like some sort of hideous monster, but at the same time something you had to marvel at, something you couldn't take your eyes off even if you tried. Suddenly, Matt's vision was blurred, and he was falling...

(A/N: yay cliffhangers! I hope the people reading this like it, tell me! You can criticize, but nicely!)