Hayze is taken aback.
Hayze: Wh- what?
Moore: You heard me.
Hayze hesitates.
Hayze: What do you mean by “upgrade?”
Moore: First, tell me… Does your trademark give you heightened pain tolerance?
Hayze: No, it doesn’t.
Moore is shocked.
Moore: Wait, seriously? You got up so quickly that I was convinced I misread the description of your ability!
Hayze: Yeah, no… That hurt like hell.
Moore: So, pure willpower drove you to fight back?
Hayze: Mhm…
Hayze is quiet for a moment.
Hayze: When you’re looking down the barrel of a gun, the pull of a single trigger being the only difference between life and death, you realize what you’re made of, who you really are. I promised myself that if I’m going to be a pro hero, I must be willing to stand tall and not falter when moments like those arise. One finally came, and I knew what I needed to do.
Dr. Moore smiles.
Moore: Good answer; I can tell you’re one of the good ones.
Hayze: I’m not sure what you mean by that, but I’ll take the compliment. Do you mind backpedaling to the “upgrade” comment?
Dr. Moore nods.
Moore: I should formally introduce myself; I’m Dr. Kelsey Moore.
Dr. Moore shows Hayze her Gen.H Faculty ID.
Moore: I run the science wing of Gen.H Academy. I’m not a hero, but I teach multiple courses to the general studies and engineering students. I share an office with Mr. Bradley Hunt, a man you met earlier today.
Hayze: Yeah… We had a “fun” chat…
Moore: He told me, and that’s when I looked at your file. It’s quite the predicament you’re in. You want to be a hero, but your trademark is actively holding you back.
Hayze: That’s putting it lightly… If you saw that file, you know it’s the only thing holding me back.
Moore: Well, I can help you out.
Hayze: Really? How?
Moore: I’m a doctor, but not the medical kind. My trademark is called Genekinesis; I can analyze a person’s genetic makeup and understand the significance behind every gene. It’s not a heroic trademark, but it helped me determine my career path. I’m the best geneticist there is.
Hayze: Alright... but it doesn’t take a geneticist to see I drew the short straw with my trademark.
Dr. Moore chuckles.
Moore: No, it doesn’t. Listen, Ayden, if you’re willing to come with me to my lab at the academy, I can explain further.
Hayze: Why can’t you explain it here?
Moore: Important things shouldn’t be discussed in a random parking lot; I know it sounds weird, but if you trust me, good things will happen.
Hayze hesitates for a moment.
Hayze: (This is so strange… but I don’t think she’s lying… and what if she can fix my trademark problem? I can’t pass up this opportunity.) You’ve caught my interest, but you must understand I’m a little skeptical about this.
Moore: I’d be surprised if you weren’t, but please… Trust me.
Hayze stares at Moore for a moment.
Hayze: Okay, I will.
Moore: Good, then come with me.
Hayze: Alright…
Hayze gets into the car with Dr. Moore.
Hayze: I prefer to be called “Hayze,” by the way.
Moore: Okay, Hayze.
The two drive to Gen.H Academy. A massive wall blocks all sight into the campus. Hayze stares in awe.
Hayze: Woah…
Moore: You’ve never been here before, I take it?
Hayze: No… I’ve only ever seen it on TV.
Moore: *nasal grunt* Just wait until you see the inside.
Moore stops the car suddenly.
Hayze: Woah! What was that?!
Moore: I know you won’t like this, but you need to get in the trunk.
Hayze: What?!
Moore: You see the gate down the road?
Hayze: Y- yeah?
Moore: There’s no guard because the academy’s security is airtight. I need to use my ID card and perform a retinal and vocal scan. While that’s happening, cameras will take pictures of the car to log my arrival. I can’t let anyone know I brought you here.
Hayze: Why?
Moore: You’ll know once I’ve explained everything.
Hayze thinks for a moment.
Hayze: Okay…
Hayze hides in the car’s trunk while Dr. Moore drives into the school.
Hayze: (She’s asking me to take a lot of leaps of faith… This better be worth it.)
Moore opens the trunk, allowing Hayze to step out. He finds himself in Gen.H’s parking garage.
Hayze: Why does it feel like we’re breaking in?
Moore: Well, you are.
Hayze: Thanks…
Moore: Come on, let’s get to my lab.
Hayze: Won’t there be cameras on the way?
Moore: No, there’s no need to stress students out with unnecessary security. Nobody gets in or out of this campus without someone knowing.
Hayze: What about me?
Moore: Am I not someone?
Hayze: Fair enough…
They start walking toward the garage elevator.
Moore: So, tell me... How much are you willing to give up to be a hero?
Hayze: Why do I get the feeling you’re foreshadowing something?
Moore: Please answer the question.
Hayze hesitates.
Hayze: Honestly, everything, but that isn’t saying a lot, given I don’t have much to begin with.
Moore: Trust me, there’s always something to lose.
They walk into the elevator. Dr. Moore presses a button.
Hayze: Why me?
Moore: What do you mean?
Hayze: Why is it me that you want to help? I’m sure plenty of other people with weak or no trademarks wish to be heroes. Why me? What’s unique about me that made you instantly want to track me down?
Moore: You noticed that?
Hayze: Who wouldn’t notice a car trying to stay 20 miles below the speed limit behind you?
Moore: *chuckles* Yeah, I guess you’re right. I wasn’t very stealthy. To answer your question, it’s your trademark. I’ll explain once we get to the lab, but I wanted to meet you and learn more about you and your ability. Fortunately, seeing you in action taught me everything I needed to know. You understand something at a young age that some heroes go their whole careers without learning.
Hayze: And that is?
Moore: When you can help someone, don’t hesitate.
Hayze: Kinda like what you’re doing right now?
Moore smiles.
Moore: Your dream is one worth helping you achieve.
The elevator stops, the door opens, and they walk down the hall.
Moore: We’re almost there.
Hayze: Whatever it is you’re bringing me here for… It must be top secret, right?
Moore: Indeed it is.
Hayze: Then why haven’t you sworn me to secrecy yet?
They stop at a large door; Dr. Moore uses her ID on a panel to open it.
Moore: If you were the type of person who would blab about this… I wouldn’t have brought you here.
They enter a massive circular laboratory with various panels, devices, and equipment filling the room.
Hayze: This is like something out of a science fiction movie…
Moore: You should see the sci-fi-esque equipment they use for the hero course. Those gadgets make this room look like child’s play.
Hayze: Wow…
Dr. Moore approaches a computer, signs in, and types away. Subsequently, a panel in the floor opens, and a locked freezer emerges.
Moore: This is my life’s work.
Dr. Moore walks up to the freezer and uses her ID to open it. Inside are four syringes containing bright purple liquid.
Moore: These are how I can help you.
Hayze gazes at the syringes.
Hayze: What are they? Some kind of drug?
She closes the freezer.
Moore: Do you understand how our trademarks are decided?
Hayze: Only the basics; it’s been two years since I took biology.
Moore: It’s all genetic; when trademarks first came into existence, it was because of mutation. We developed a new set of chromosomes, a.k.a. set #24, the trademark gene. This new chromosome pair determines your trademark based on a few scenarios; you know how gender is decided, right?
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Hayze: Well, yeah, that one’s easy. If you get an X chromosome from your dad, you’re a girl; if you get a Y, you’re a boy.
Moore: Trademarks work similarly to that, except geneticists call these two chromosomes Infinity (∞) and Zero (0). You inherit one of these chromosomes from each of your parents, and the combination you receive determines whether you have a trademark and, if you do, what kind you develop. For example, you received an ∞ from each of your parents, so you have a fused version of their trademarks.
Hayze: But why can’t I heal others then?
Moore: When I say “fused,” that doesn’t mean perfect fusion; sometimes details get left on the cutting room floor, unfortunately. You only developed some traits of your mother and father’s trademarks.
Hayze: Well, that’s some rotten luck.
Moore: It’s better than receiving two 0’s. In that case, you wouldn’t have gotten a trademark at all.
Hayze: And what would having both an ∞ and a 0 mean?
Moore: You develop a brand-new trademark.
Hayze: Okay then… What does all of this have to do with those syringes?
Moore: My trademark has helped me become one of the premier geneticists in the world. A long time ago, I thought about gene modification’s potential to “create” trademarks. So, I started to develop a serum that could do just that.
Hayze: Wh- what?
Moore: That’s what the syringes are or, as they’re appropriately called, “Project H: The Hero Serum.”
Hayze is speechless.
Moore: I’m sure you have plenty of questions.
Hayze: H- How does it work? Has it worked? And how does my trademark play into all this?
Moore: I’ll spare you the high-level genetic talk. It essentially “tricks” the genetic structure of your body into believing it inherited an ∞ and a 0, forcing the development of a new trademark in your body. It’s been used on two people and has been successful both times.
Hayze: How come nobody has ever heard about this?! You gave two people trademarks! How could you keep this a secret?!
Moore: Because I can’t let this serum fall into the wrong hands.
Hayze: What? What do you mean?
Dr. Moore chuckles.
Moore: You’re too kind-hearted…
Hayze: Please explain…
Moore: If I told the world about this, the government would seize my work. They’d try to weaponize soldiers with nearly a dozen trademarks to fight their wars. I can’t allow this fantastic creation to become a weapon of mass destruction. That’s why I’ve kept it a secret all these years, and you’re now the sixth person to know about my life's work.
Hayze: Who are the others?
Moore: The first two people are the ones who received the serum: My sister and the chancellor of Gen.H’s granddaughter; the other three are Mr. Hunt, the chancellor himself, and the school nurse, that’s all. This serum could change the world’s balance of power, especially if bad people try to get it. Do you understand why you can never speak of it openly?
Hayze: Yes… I do.
Moore: Good… As for your last question, the two people I’ve used the serum on before didn’t have a trademark. So, it was easy to reconfigure a 0 to an ∞ because 0s determine whether you have a trademark. You’re different. You already have an ability, which makes this interesting.
Hayze: How so?
Moore: In their cases, I tricked the body into believing it “should have” developed a trademark. With you… I’d be modifying genes that already created a trademark. We’d be crossing into new territory.
Hayze: Would I lose my healing trademark?
Moore: No, it’s already developed; it can’t be taken away; this would only cause you to create a second, hopefully more valuable trademark. There are rare cases of some people being born with two trademarks, so we’re not talking about something theoretically impossible.
Hayze: Got it.
Moore: In fact, your healing is what makes this possible. If the serum doesn’t work, you can heal any damage done to your body… if it fails.
Hayze: So, I’m your guinea pig?
Dr. Moore becomes frantic.
Moore: No, no, no, I-
Hayze: *chuckles* Relax, I’m joking. Sign me up for this.
Moore: Wait, I- I didn’t mean- you should think this over for a day or two and then give me your final answer. You need to understand that even if this works, there are potential side effects to worry about, and you’ll have to spend considerable time understanding and learning the new trademark. You’ll be so far behind in your development that Gen.H Academy might be out of the question. Furthermore-
Hayze: I said sign me up.
Dr. Moore sweats a little.
Moore: But I-
Hayze: I get it. “Side effect this,” “behind the curve that.” It all sounds intimidating, but you just told me that this serum you have could give me a chance at being a hero. I’m not gonna let this chance pass me by for anything. I don’t need a day or two.
Dr. Moore takes a second to think.
Moore: I guess you’re right; it would be a bit of a tease for me to bring you here, explain everything, and send you on your merry way. You took that test nine times. You’re committed enough for the challenges you’ll face along the way.
Dr. Moore clenches her fist.
Moore: (I promised myself I would never use the serum again, not after last time… but it’s in my DNA as a scientist to want to learn more, to see what my most incredible creation can do under every circumstance… and I might not get a better candidate than him...) Let’s get started! Take off your shirt and lie on the table.
Hayze: Okay.
Hayze does so. Dr. Moore places all four Project Q syringes into different arms on a machine.
Moore: I’m going to restrain your arms and legs.
Hayze: Wh- why?
Moore: You’re going to be injected with all four of the syringes simultaneously, one in each arm, your chest, and your neck. You’ll only stay conscious for a few seconds, and then you’ll start convulsing.
Hayze: Okay… so I’m going to have a seizure, basically? Is that the worst of it?
Moore: No, then you’ll enter a coma.
Hayze: Huh… for how long?
Moore: I’m not sure.
Hayze: What?!
Moore: Well, the other two woke up after about a week, so that’s my estimate. You’re trial #3, so I’ll be able to give a definitive answer next time.
Hayze: Great…
Moore: *smiles* Don’t worry, everything will be fine.
Moore walks over to her control panel.
Moore: Just remember, you could get another weak trademark. I can’t control the outcome, so just be prepared for that.
Hayze: I’m aware, and I’m hopeful.
Moore: Alright, then, let’s get started.
Hayze: Okay, so should I brace myself or-
Moore: Starting now!
Hayze: Wait, no countdown?!
Hayze is injected with all four needles at the same time, and the serum courses through his veins.
Hayze: (Woah…)
Hayze instantly passes out. Dr. Moore takes a deep breath.
Moore: (What have I done?)
Hayze finds himself on the floor of an ancient-looking circular room with six pillars and a slight echo.
Hayze: What the hell?
Hayze stands up and looks around the dimly lit room.
Hayze: Dr. Moore? Where am I?
Hayze approaches one of the pillars and examines it.
Hayze: Maybe I shouldn’t have trusted the woman I met two hours ago with my life…
As Hayze places his hand on the pillar, his irises glow. The pillar becomes the same gray as his eyes.
Hayze: Huh?
Suddenly, the room begins to shake.
Hayze: What’s going on?!
The other five pillars take on their own respective colors: red, yellow, blue, green, and white.
Hayze * 6: This is getting weirder by the minute.
Hayze is shocked at the end of his sentence as he hears his voice 5 more times.
Hayze * 6: Huh?!
Hayze looks to his side and sees five clones of himself. The only difference between them is that each of their eyes is different, mirroring the colors of the pillars. The white-eyed clone catches Hayze’s eye because the whites of his eyes are black.
Hayze * 6: What the hell-
Hayze suddenly wakes up in his bed; he has an IV drip in his arm.
Hayze: *long gasp*
He’s groggy, his head is pounding. He glances around his bedroom.
Hayze: *groans* (How did I end up back here?)
Hayze tries to stand up, but his legs are wobbly. He falls back onto the bed.
Hayze: (Woah…)
Hayze notices his cell phone next to his bed. It has a sticky note on the back that reads: “When you wake up call me for help: (615) 555-5723 - Dr. Moore”
Hayze: (So it wasn’t a dream… but how long was I out for?)
Hayze picks up his cellphone and sees the date: June 1, 2017.
Hayze: (A whole week?! Holy shit! Other than my legs being asleep, I don’t feel all that different; I wonder if it actually worked...)
Hayze takes the sticky note off the back of his phone and gives himself a paper cut. It instantly heals.
Hayze: (Well, at least she was right about the healing not going away…)
Hayze calls Moore.
Moore: *phone* Hello?
Hayze: It looks like you were right about it being a week.
Moore: *phone* You woke up!
Hayze: You say that like you were worried I wouldn’t.
Moore: *phone* Well, if you didn’t by the end of today… I would have a reason to be worried.
Hayze: Well, luckily, we avoided that scenario.
Moore: *phone* Indeed, stay in bed and let your trademark heal your weakened muscles; I’ll be there soon.
Hayze: Okay.
Moore later arrives and helps Hayze to his kitchen.
Hayze: How’d you get me back here?
Moore: Well, I couldn’t exactly leave you sleeping in my lab for a week, so once you were in stable condition, I borrowed a gurney from the nurse’s office and wheeled you to my car.
Hayze: And my house keys were on me, so…
Moore: Yup, it was pretty easy from there. I’ve been stopping by once a day to make sure you were okay.
Hayze: Thanks… But what about my school? There’s no way nobody noticed I’ve been missing.
Moore: I took care of that. As far as they know, you had pink eye. *smiles* You had a compelling doctor’s note.
Hayze: Well, it’s good that I’m at the end of my senior year. I probably didn’t miss much.
Hayze grows quiet.
Hayze: ... Did it work?
Moore: It definitely did, but it’s on a case-by-case basis. I don’t have a consistent way to test what your new trademark is.
Hayze: You’re sure?
Moore: I’ve done this twice before. Trust me when I say it worked. You’ll just have to go about your day and see if you randomly discover how to use it. That’s the way everyone learns about their trademark.
Hayze: Okay, but if I got Healing 2: Electric Boogaloo, I’m gonna be pissed.
Moore chuckles.
Moore: Did you have any dreams while you were asleep? There may be a hint in one of them.
Hayze can’t recall his dream.
Hayze: No… None that I remember.
Moore: Oh, well. I’m sure you’ll figure out your new trademark on your own soon enough.
Dr. Moore starts to walk away.
Moore: I should return to Gen.H before people wonder where I am. You know how to reach me if you need help or have further questions.
Hayze: Right…
Hayze pauses.
Hayze: Thank you for this, Dr. Moore. You might have given me a second chance at being a hero, which means the world to me.
Moore: Don’t mention it; I created the serum for this exact scenario: to help someone in need. Take it easy, Hayze… This is only the beginning.
Dr. Moore exits and walks to her car. She bites her lip.
Moore: (I hate sounding noble… I brought him in that night just to feel the waters about the potential of using the serum again; I didn’t expect to actually go through with it… I wanted to give him a few days to think it over, but I probably needed those days more than he did. My mistake was not forcing myself to think things over, but I can’t concentrate on that anymore; what’s done is done, and now I hope the best for him.)
Hayze sits quietly in his home.
Hayze: (It’s such a weird feeling knowing a week has passed, and I didn’t live through it; it’s like I skipped ahead in time.)
Hayze clenches his fist.
Hayze: (...which also means that my final chance at the H.A.E. is a week sooner…I have to figure out my new trademark. Then, I need to learn how to use it well enough to pass the exam… This won’t be easy.)
Hayze sees the paper that Mr. Hunt had handed him.
Hayze: (It’s kind of funny how fast everything happened. I went from talking to Mr. Hunt to fighting off an armed robber to an experimental test subject in just a few hours… I guess that’s what I can do when I have nothing to lose and nobody to go home to. It lets me live my life loosely. I hope that’s not how it’ll be forever.)
Hayze picks up the paper.
Hayze: *frustrated grunt*
Hayze crumples the paper and throws it in the trash.
Hayze: Not happening.
For the two weeks, Hayze trains with intense exercise and studies for the exam. However, despite his best efforts, he is unable to determine if he has gained a new trademark.
Hayze: (Come on… Why?!)
Hayze checks his calendar and sees the H.A.E. test is fast approaching, much to his chagrin. Later in the week, Hayze walks down a city street with his head held low and his hood up.
Hayze: (I should have felt something by now, right? I know she assured me it worked, but come on! Who goes two weeks without using their trademark, even by mistake?) *long sigh*
Hayze continues walking down the street in disappointment. He looks over at a pair of heroes patrolling the streets.
Hayze: (My parents were terrific heroes, well known, saved lives, gave their own to help others, and I can't do any of that… It's just so frustrating.)
Hayze clenches his fist.
Hayze: (Here I am, trying my hardest to fulfill a dream I never had any business believing in. I let my guard down. I knew it was too good to be true. I knew that something was off. I could feel it. I was born with a piece of shit downgraded version of my parent’s magnificent trademarks. I loved hearing stories about them; it inspired me to be great, continue their legacies, and help people. All I’ve wanted my whole life was to be a hero like them, but I got dealt a terrible hand, and it pisses me off so much that everything I’ve ever wanted to achieve can’t be done because I wasn’t born good enough. I fight every day to counteract my deficiencies, train, and study hard, but none of it matters because of rotten luck.)
Hayze closes his eyes and grinds his teeth.
Hayze: (I don’t want to give up, I don’t want to settle for anything else, I just want to be a hero. I don’t care about being the strongest or famous. The money doesn’t mean anything to me either. All I want to do is help people… but at the end of the day... not everyone gets what they want… and it pisses me the fuck off!)
Hayze clenches his fist and lets out a frustrated grunt. Suddenly, a loud explosion goes off, the ground shakes, and Hayze is knocked off balance.
Hayze: What the hell?!
Hayze opens his eyes, revealing that his irises have turned red.