Head Games part 5 (finale)

Ryan Bennings lay prone on the floor of his lab, a mysterious, empty syringe next to him. In the Ice Box, Miles Cady searched his mind, but only found darkness. Even when Ryan was asleep and thousands of miles away, he could reach him, but now, there was nothing. His final thoughts concerned the syringe in his lab and whatever was in it, then there was desperation and emptiness. Ryan had presented Cady with memories to mask his final intentions but it was obvious now what had happened.

Ryan Bennings was dead.

It took decades but his plan finally worked. His one and only enemy was eliminated, he got his revenge, and he was willing to live out the rest of his sentence in peace. It was over and he dared to consider himself happy.

When it was yard time, Cady happily walked along the parameter of the artificial sun room with an obvious bounce in his step despite the cane. At a table, the Agarthans Tusk and Hot Mess played a game of chess. “Good afternoon,” Cady cheerfully greeted them as he passed. Tusk turned to the burnt man across the table from him and grumbled, “The hell is he so happy about?” At lunch, Cady happily offered to share his commissary with Zenith, the Superior Man. Later, as everyone was brought back to their cells, he politely smiled at the guards in mech suits. They glared at him in return. Once inside, Cady sat on his bed and calmly began to read.

An armorless guard approached his cell alongside a floating drone. “Medicine time, Cady,” the guard announced before sliding a small tray through the slot in the cell which contained a pill and a paper cup. Cady made eye contact with the guard and sent a single telepathic command. The guard stood at attention and watched as Cady dumped the water onto the floor, making a small puddle. Next, he dropped the pill, then stepped on it, making sure it dissolved in the water. The guard didn’t respond, even when Cady returned the tray and paper cup.

“Give me access to Cell 325,” he told him. The guard punched a few buttons on the device around his wrist and the floating drone lit up. A hologram displayed the cell of a man rumored to be Gregori Rasputin. Supposedly, the Commission had captured him and sent him to the Ice Box months prior. Whoever he was, there was a second consciousness inside him, reaching out to the psychic dimension known as the Nowhere Place. This created a large quantity of ambient psychic energy and he could feel its power with his own telepathic abilities. It strengthened him, allowing him to extend his telepathy halfway around the world. With Ryan Bennings dead, he no longer had use for Rasputin but perhaps that could change in the future. Either way, he was grateful to have stumbled upon the source of power he provided.

He telepathically sent the guard away and the drone followed. It’d be a few hours until Lights Out and that gave him plenty of time to catch up on his reading. As he lay on his cot, he noticed the lights flicker but he paid it little mind. He continued to read for a few more minutes until he noticed something out of the corner of his eye. When he turned his attention to it, he noticed a single drone floating outside his cell. The drones sometimes did rounds so it wasn’t that strange. What was strange, however, was that the drone turned off the forcefield cage and floated inside, stopping to hover ominously above him.

“Guard?,” Cady called out nervously as he stood to his feet. The drone’s taser ignited and an electric current ran through Cady’s body. It wasn’t strong but it was enough to make him cry out and fall back onto his bed. Next, he heard a familiar voice from the machine’s speaker, “Don’t make a sound.”

Cady cocked his head to the side, “Bennings?”

“Not so much Bennings as a program containing his brainwaves so no, but yes. At any rate, as you can plainly tell, there’s no organic brain for you to attack here.”

“But you’re dead.”

“Once again, yes, but no. I’m currently in a near-death state. If things went according to plan, and it certainly seems that way, I probably distracted you with some big trauma dump and then gave myself the poke, am I right?”

“I… Yes.”

“Yeah, it’s a drug that almost completely shuts down all brain functions to the point where I could barely be considered alive at all. Should wear off in a couple hours but that gives us plenty of time to chat.”

“How did he… How did you… prepare all this? I’ve been in your head for days.”

“See, there’s a big timezone difference between Boston and the Himalayan Mountains as you know. I realized you tormented me during your waking hours, which would usually be nighttime or early morning for me and vice versa. During the day, when I knew it was Lights Out in the prison, you’d probably be asleep. That gave me plenty of time to create this sexy program you see before you. Then, when I suspected you were awake and would be rummaging around in my noggin, I shut my mind off to any knowledge of the program by putting other memories at the forefront of my mind. You were too busy being a big meanie to notice.”

“And what are you exactly? What’s your m function?”

“Just a little trojan horse. Chances are, when I went to meet you in the parloir, you probably got all mind-bendy and made a huge spectacle. Once again, you were too busy being a smelly jerk to notice that I placed a little chip at the base of the communication console which sent me straight into their systems. I’m certain McCabe and the guards likewise didn’t notice, huh?”

“…No. No one did.”

“Once I came online, I made sure the cameras malfunctioned to give us some privacy. Meanwhile, this little drone here just seems to have gone off course. Power surge. It happens. And by the way, if you think you can telepathically control the guards to come destroy it, I will zap you again.”

“The guards will eventually discover you themselves.”

“Maybe, but it would take a very long time if at all, so in the meantime, let’s chat.

Cady used his cane to stand to his feet, “So what do you want?”

“First, I was meant to find out how you got so powerful but as I’m paired with Hyperion’s Light, I’m picking up dimensional waves that I recognize as coming from the Nowhere Place. Got yourself a little extra push from Rasputin, huh?”

“As long as that man is in this building, I’m more powerful than I’ve ever been. What will you do about that? Remove me from this prison?”

“There’s not a lot I can do about Rasputin vegging out in his cell at the moment, but that does lead me to the next part of the plan and that’s to threaten you.”

“What will you threaten me with? You can hardly prove I’ve done anything. Certainly not without exposing yourself.”

“See, there’s the really interesting part. I’m not gonna bother exposing you. Now, originally, I was programmed to whisk you away and force you to take medication to deaden your powers. It was all very elaborate and cool. Things have changed recently.”

“How so?”

“Remember that time where you mind controlled me to attack Labrat while he slept?”

Cady paused, “… I… had to make a point.”

“Guess I missed it,” the drone’s mini-guns extended from their compartments, “Not so sure I’ll miss anything from this range, though.”

“You…,” Cady stammered, “… You’re threatening to kill me?”

“You know the sort of torture you’ve been putting me through and you know just how protective I am over my loved ones. You said it yourself, Labrat was one of my only friends so what did you think I would do if you hurt him? I’m not the Horseman. I don’t go around shooting holes in bad guys, but I’m willing to make an exception with you. What can I say? You just took me there.”

“So you threaten me to leave you alone? That’s all?”

“Pretty much. When I wake up, I’m going to go about my day with full knowledge that I got a little contingency plan here. From here on out, if I even remotely feel like someone’s poke’n at my coconut, a drone is gonna malfunction again and you might not be as fortunate as you are today.”

“What if I kill you the moment you wake up?,” Cady growled, “I know exactly where you are.”

“Glad you asked. In the unlikely event of my demise, I automatically come here. That’s how failsafes work.”

“You would never!”

“Really? Aren’t you the one always saying that I’m the destroyer of lives? You know how much pain and torment goes through my mind already and then you go and attack Labrat and make me relieve some of my worst moments? Someone like me can only take so much before I just go off the rails. And it’s not like you’re dumb enough to try to call my bluff, so let’s just call it even-steven.”

Cady glared but answered all the same, “… I accept those terms.”

The drone’s guns receded inside, “I knew you’d see reason,” then the guns suddenly popped back out, “Oh, silly me, I almost forgot the best part… I want you to beg.”

“What?”

“Beg me not to kill you.”

“I told you I accepted!”

“I believe you but I’m also really damn petty at the moment and I want you to literally beg for your life.”

“That’s twisted.”

“You shouldn’t have hurt Labrat.”

“Fine,” he laid his cane on his cot and carefully propped himself up on his good leg, “Please…,” he grit his teeth in defiance.

“Beg,” the voice from the drone carried a bit more aggressiveness.

“Please, don’t kill me,” he nearly whispered the words.

“Now tell me you’re a coward.”

“I… I’m a coward.”

“You used your status and powers to take advantage of a college student. That’s all this has ever been about: control. Isn’t that right?”

His jaw clenched, “… Yes.”

“You couldn’t handle being wrong about your initial theories or getting embarrassed by a kid and that is what led you to prison. You’re not a victim. Say it!”

“I’m not victim.”

“And you’ll never do this again?”

“… I promise.”

“Thanks. I’ve recorded this message and relaid it back to Hyperion’s Light. I should be able to see it when I wake up. Y’know, for confirmation.”

The drone then powered down and crashed to the floor, destroying what little evidence that could be found in the recording. Moments later, guards rushed in to check the systems. “We don’t know what happened,” the guard explained as they removed the drone, “Did you see anything?” Cady simply shook his head.

****

When Ryan entered the hospital room, he handed Labrat a Paw Patrol plushie. “Thanks,” Labrat told him happily as he looked at his toy.

“How’s the food?,” Ryan asked as he pulled up a chair.

“It’s okay but I wish I had more cheese.”

“Wait until you get outta here and I’ll get you the biggest cheese wheel you’ve ever seen.”

“Yay!,” if Labrat could have, he would’ve raised his hands, “Have any more directors called you about new Brain Boy cartoon ideas?”

“Uh, some guy called this morning but I didn’t answer. It’s not really something I’m interested in right now, buddy.”

“You should talk to him.”

“Why’s that?,” Ryan looked at him curiously.

“I like seeing us go on adventures on that show.”

“Yeah?”

“I know you don’t like the show but sometimes I watch old clips on the internet.”

“That’s fine. I’m just curious why you would be interested in it when we live the real thing.”

Labrat spoke solemnly, “It’s good to know that there’s a world where we have fun and nothing bad happens.”

Ryan adjusted his glasses, “I admit that sounds appealing.”

“A lot of people don’t understand us, but I hope you keep looking until we find the right director that can make a good story.”

Ryan gave him a sympathetic pat, “Okay, if it’s important to you, I’ll talk to some people.”

Days later, Ryan sat in an office in LA and across from him was AJ Issacs. Isaacs was a famous director and writer who made a name for himself by retooling popular sci-fi franchises or producing projects that heavily homaged movies and shows from his childhood. His main method of writing centered around setting up several mysterious subplots. Although said subplots were rarely resolved, they always produced a lot of chatter on the internet, making him one of the more talked-about directors in the industry.

“We’ll do a sequel series where you’re an adult and ready to pass the torch to a younger hero,” Isaacs told him.

“Okay, go on.”

“In the first episode, this new kid’s gonna cause a lab accident that ends up creating a cute little friend. Maybe a giant hamster or a mouse?”

“That’s… that’s exactly what happened in the first episode of Brain Boy. That’s Labrat’s cartoon origin. Is this a remake?”

“No, it’s a sequel. We’ll more or less follow the original series formula but with a new kid and a newer, cuter sidekick that’ll sell some toys. We’re getting nostalgic so I thought we can recreate some of the magic of the original series without having to get bogged down with… plot complications.”

“I dunno. If we do this at all, I think we should try new ideas. What’s the point of just rehashing the old series?”

“How about this… You’re rich and you live with your three nephews. There’s also a pilot who keeps crashing.”

“Isn’t that Ducktales?”

“It’s an homage.”

“Gimmie something original here, AJ.”

“Okay, so in the new show, every time you get trapped or something, a genie appears. Just a magic genie that helps you out but you don’t know who or what it is or why it keeps helping.”

“Okay, okay. That’s a good subplot. So where does it go?”

“Whaddya mean?”

“What’s the genie’s purpose?”

“So yeah, it’ll be this big mystery that raises a lot of speculation with fans. There’s gonna be tons of theories online and that’s gonna generate some good word-of-mouth.”

“Right, but what’s the payoff?”

“Not sure I’m following.”

“You’ll have to explain what the genie is.”

“No, no, no. You don’t get it. We have all these mysteries going on and that keeps people talking. People online love speculating and they’ll watch the show. Y’know, because of the mysteries.”

“Do you have answers for all these big mysteries?”

“They’ll watch the show,” he repeated happily.

Ryan left his office, dejected. He made the attempt for Labrat but he was still uncertain that a reboot of Brain Boy was a good idea. It just seemed that there were few people who were truly interested in him and Labrat and he was okay with that. As he walked through the studio hallway where posters of various movies were hung; he noticed that AJ Isaacs’ company had produced a film made by Mackenzie Fellows. He was always happy to see that she was directing films and doing well for herself. If Sade Sterling was his intellectual companion, Mackenzie was his spiritual companion. She understood him better than he understood himself and her films were excellent.

Then Ryan had an idea.

Next: Cavalier and Farrell Creed guest star!