Biomorph
The Battle Part 2

As he walked back to the hyperloop, Josh felt that His options were reducing rapidly. He really didn't need to start a war with billions of people, so he couldn't randomly start killing people, no matter how annoying they were.

With that thought he finally arrived at the hyperloop station, to see his classmates standing around.

"You guys OK?"

"I am never, never, getting on one of those again." Adrian gasped, pointing to the small doorway on the side of the station.

Nodding sympathetically, Josh walked through the door, and sat down in one of the seats. Seeing that His sister wanted to come along, he refrained from pressing any of the buttons until she was in and seated. However, as Beta 43 was getting seated, Ayla appeared in the doorway, with Arthur and Joel just behind her.

From the set of their jaws, and the looks in their eyes, Josh knew they wouldn't be stopped.

"Welcome aboard!"

The General was sitting in a swivel chair when the door opened, and his adversary stirred. With a nod towards the one-way glass, he started the stream to every citizen's devices. However, the little screen he was watching the stream on showed that it was being relayed through, not just the usual antennae, but the Beta series cat. This development was interesting to say the least.Josh waited for the general to stand up, and then he stretched.

"Waiting long?"

"You are as disrespectful as the Major's reports state." The General smirked, and started pacing the room.

"You saved him a demotion by your antics, you know."

"What can I say, I'm a nice guy." Josh rolled his shoulders, and stayed standing on the spot.

Seeing this casual reaction, the General's jaw clenched, and his eyes narrowed.

"So, you're something of a hero, I hear? Did you tell them everything?"

"To what are you referring?" Joshes whole body tensed slightly, anticipating an attack.

"Oh, the protocols you have, your kill count, your own weird ideas on what humans should do, that sort of thing." The General's was grinning now, and it only got wider with every word.

"For example, Protocol Zeta 6."

Josh's eyes almost bulged out of his head, and he started subtly shaking his head.

"You eat your clones. Self cannibalism. Then there's the fact that you have almost a hundred kills under your belt. Did the public know that? Or your idea that all humans should have base their society around people like you."

Josh slumped a bit, feeling like his heat was slowly draining away. He couldn't deny the truth.

"See, he isn't denying it! This unfeeling killing machine was loose in your city? How many people died whilst he was there? We may never know!"

Turning to the camera in the corner of the room, he addressed the citizens.

"Do you want this" he shouted, pointing to the slumped figure standing in the room. "To be your hero? If not, You can click on the downvote now. It is on the stream."

Ayla, Arthur and Joel watched the stream with horror. Could Josh really be all that? However, by the time they had pulled themselves together, the buttons had disappeared, and the General was showing the camera the numbers.

"There's enough downvotes here to suggest that you aren't wanted here!" he gloated to Josh.

Beta 43 shook her head. This wasn't going to go well. The General was a masted of words, and also had a secondary power which few knew about. It was essentially a very persuasive voice, that made everything seem like total fact.

Her brother wouldn't deal with this well.

Turning back to the camera, the General boasted, "This weapon will now be stopped by me. Watch how it's done!"

He activated his primary power, and people could see why his nickname was 'Ruination' now. The coalescing energy was hummed furiously, and sliced through the swivel chair with ease.

"After you, it's your family!"

Josh couldn't leave that threat unanswered. His head lifted up, and his skin began to ripple slightly.

"After me?"

The General took a step back, on seeing how worked up Beta 42 was. However, he decided to bluff this out, and so stated, "Yes. You shall die to my energy weapons."

His smug grin faltered on hearing the mirthless laugh than escaped Beta 42's lips.

"I can't be killed. I've tried. You've tried. The Major here has tried. I just carry on." He stood straighter, and addressed the camera directly.

"If you don't want me, I'll leave. I'll leave this planet to the Humans. However, I'll be taking a planet for my own. And any, and I mean any, human activities on my planet will be met with full force."

"Ha! You're bluffing." the General flinched a little upon seeing The subject turn his head towards him.

"I'll prove that I'm not." Beta 42 dashed forward, and grabbed the blade of energy that had formed from the ball in the General's hand. And then he seemed to absorb the energy, as the blade dissipated.

"What was that?" gasped the General.

"Energy absorption, increased efficiency version."

After tapping the General's nose, Josh walked to the door, and took one last glance at the camera. The look on his face told those watching that he wasn't the unfeeling monster that they had been told he was, as did the fact that the General was alive.

"As you humans wish, I'll leave. I'll take Mars, probably. I'll start off soon. Goodbye." With these parting words, he walked out of the door.

Josh sighed, checked a sob, and connected to some of his Mind clones. He changed their DNA quickly, to enable them to take over the hive mind, so he could connect to all his clones. He then ordered them to the flats a few miles from the bunker. With the variety of powers they had at their disposal, it shouldn't take more that 15 minutes, and he would be able to leave the planet. That teleporting scientist he had run into earlier had been a great help...

As he rounded the corner, he saw his sister. Her look mirrored what he felt.

Her mouth opened, then closed again. There was nothing she could say that would help in this situation.

She had to watch him shuffle to the elevator, and watch the doors close slowly behind him.

"He'll think of something." she whispered to herself.

"That's what my brother does. He always was a thinker..."