Post by METTLE on Feb 9, 2022 4:04:26 GMT
Recovery came slowly. Laying awake in a hospital bed in the heart of the Bronx - of his territory - Mettle held on to life.
As the demonic invasion of New York City[1] came to an end, Mettle had lost consciousness for the first time ever during a fight. For the first time in two years, he had been pushed to a new limit. When he'd been admitted to the hospital, there had been over a hundred minor lacerations on his iron body, bits and flecks of metal that had been scuffed or cut away by the endless barrage of extradimensional blades that had warped their way through the city street. He'd also fully lost an entire limb, strained his whole body, and sacrificed an eye.
His vision had returned and he could feel the arm growing back too. There was nothing yet, but he could feel it there in his mind, waiting to flow back out of the empty socket on his shoulder. He'd felt sickened looking at it before - the missingness of it - but now it was covered in a white bandage that wrapped around his whole body. The bandage wasn't doing anything. He suspected it was there in the event that he suddenly reverted back to human form. He didn't know what would happen if he were missing a limb and he changed back. He didn't want to think about it.
All the while, he was allowed to see a few members of his organization. They called themselves friends, but truthfully, he couldn't see them that way. They were loyal followers but that was it. They provided him with little comfort, only much-needed updates on how things were progressing in his absence. Spider-Bite had been sighted swinging about in Queens, which was a relief. It hadn't been for exactly nothing, but sometimes he sat back and wondered why he'd ran in. He kept quiet about it. His followers made it about his bravery. Fine, he thought. Let them have that. However they wanted to justify it.
In but seven minutes he'd jeopardized his entire operation, with Legion on the precipice of making a major move into Queens. All for his indulging in childish heroism. He didn't even know why he'd done it. Occasionally he'd lay back in the hospital bed and sigh. Part of him wanted to get up and leave, but he felt heavy, immobile. Rest was fine. There was no need to worry right now, to be preoccupied. He had guards, he knew that much, but they were mostly out of sight. Even in this state, he could more than fend for himself.
There was one, though, who he was glad stuck around. She always made him smile.
What today would bring, he could not say. Hopefully, he would feel up to leaving soon. The doctors had been monitoring his condition and had assured him no traces of the black sludge remained in his system. Meanwhile, they conducted tests on the material that made him up, which would no doubt be of great interest to biomechanical engineers, structural engineers, and biologists. No-one had ever seen the inside of a man made of muscle machines before. Total Experience's wounds - even his fatal one - had never run so deep.
At least maybe he'd be useful that way, he thought, laying there quietly, staring at the ceiling in a peaceful moment.
[1] See "Protect your Heroes."
As the demonic invasion of New York City[1] came to an end, Mettle had lost consciousness for the first time ever during a fight. For the first time in two years, he had been pushed to a new limit. When he'd been admitted to the hospital, there had been over a hundred minor lacerations on his iron body, bits and flecks of metal that had been scuffed or cut away by the endless barrage of extradimensional blades that had warped their way through the city street. He'd also fully lost an entire limb, strained his whole body, and sacrificed an eye.
His vision had returned and he could feel the arm growing back too. There was nothing yet, but he could feel it there in his mind, waiting to flow back out of the empty socket on his shoulder. He'd felt sickened looking at it before - the missingness of it - but now it was covered in a white bandage that wrapped around his whole body. The bandage wasn't doing anything. He suspected it was there in the event that he suddenly reverted back to human form. He didn't know what would happen if he were missing a limb and he changed back. He didn't want to think about it.
All the while, he was allowed to see a few members of his organization. They called themselves friends, but truthfully, he couldn't see them that way. They were loyal followers but that was it. They provided him with little comfort, only much-needed updates on how things were progressing in his absence. Spider-Bite had been sighted swinging about in Queens, which was a relief. It hadn't been for exactly nothing, but sometimes he sat back and wondered why he'd ran in. He kept quiet about it. His followers made it about his bravery. Fine, he thought. Let them have that. However they wanted to justify it.
In but seven minutes he'd jeopardized his entire operation, with Legion on the precipice of making a major move into Queens. All for his indulging in childish heroism. He didn't even know why he'd done it. Occasionally he'd lay back in the hospital bed and sigh. Part of him wanted to get up and leave, but he felt heavy, immobile. Rest was fine. There was no need to worry right now, to be preoccupied. He had guards, he knew that much, but they were mostly out of sight. Even in this state, he could more than fend for himself.
There was one, though, who he was glad stuck around. She always made him smile.
What today would bring, he could not say. Hopefully, he would feel up to leaving soon. The doctors had been monitoring his condition and had assured him no traces of the black sludge remained in his system. Meanwhile, they conducted tests on the material that made him up, which would no doubt be of great interest to biomechanical engineers, structural engineers, and biologists. No-one had ever seen the inside of a man made of muscle machines before. Total Experience's wounds - even his fatal one - had never run so deep.
At least maybe he'd be useful that way, he thought, laying there quietly, staring at the ceiling in a peaceful moment.
[1] See "Protect your Heroes."