EXISTENCE

1982 - In a quiet, expansive laboratory

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"Give me the syringe."

"But sir, we have no idea if this will work or not! You saw what happened with the rats! They couldn't take the serum at all!"

"Those rats lacked the proper qualities, my inquisitive assistant. What they proved to us is that normal lab rats will not do the job for us. We need smarter beings. Proper beings. Beings who can display an intense amount of qualities that no kind of animal can show us."

"Sir...you don't mean...?"

"Oh, but I do, Lucas. It's our only option at this point. You want to see this project to its fruition as well, don't you?"

"I...do. But what if an...accident happens? The government will surely come for us."

"The government will hear nothing of it, Lucas my boy. Only I know the secrets contained within the serum. It is without a shadow of a doubt that this will work exactly by the numbers. Now, FETCH ME MY TEST SUBJECTS!"

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1992 - Fox Bay, California

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"Alright Tarek, your move."

"I've already warned you, Rodrick. I can't guarantee your safety in this strategy."

"Oh for the love of...It's just chess, Tarek! We're not at war anymore!"

"See that's the kind of thinking that will get you killed, Rod."

"MAKE YOUR MOVE, DAMMIT."

Tarek Antar, once a renowned soldier who devised tactics on the front lines, now saw himself devising chessboard strategies. With chiseled features and a body that would age as fine as a bottle of wine, the man was quite coveted in the eyes of the many ladies he would walk past. The Algerian was quite the joker, but his comrades all knew he had a good heart.

Now away from the scorching heat and deafening bullet-storms, the 25-year old vet was living with his trusted friend, Rodrick Tanner, an Englishman who served alongside Tarek and found his way into his friend's life. Of the duo, Rodrick was the more calculating one, preferring to analyze a situation rather than make a joke out of it. The man was tall, a couple inches taller than his best friend.

Now living in the newly founded city of Fox Bay, Tarek and Rodrick had to endure the quiet life of being an average citizen in a growing city.

"You ever think back to the old days, Rod?" Tarek asked with a reminiscent look on his face.

Rodrick scowled. "You mean the days filled with the innocent screams of citizens who didn't deserve death?"

"Precisely!" Tarek snapped. "But do me a favor, try to think on the positive side of what happened instead of lamenting on all the lives that were lost."

"Hmph. You do realize we also lost our own during those fights. Not a day goes by that I don't think about the people who I shot down."

"Your fault for shooting them," scoffed Tarek. "If you had even bothered hearing me out when I called the plans, you wouldn't be in this sorry state."

Rodrick stared at his friend in awe. "I saw you kill just as many people, Tarek!"

"That's your problem. Had you been focused on the battle instead of your comrades you may have actually made more leeway and less civilian casualties."

While the two were busy swapping war tips and such, a knock was heard on the front door. It was 11 in the evening, who would appear on such short notice? Tarek got up from his seat and looked through the peephole.

Outside stood a fair-haired, thin woman of medium height. Normally she'd appear as radiant, smiling, and eager for conversation whenever she appeared. But tonight she was seething, red-faced, and eager for a different kind of conversation...

"Shit," lamented Tarek. He looked to his friend. "It's Mimi."

"So?" asked Rodrick. "Let her in! Aren't you planning on proposing to her?"

Tarek sheepishly scratched his head. "That's the thing...we kinda had something planned tonight. Seems like I forgot all about it."

"Dammit, Tarek," Rodrick face-palmed. "You can lead an entire army to victory but can't even lead your love life to a simple dinner date."

"Contrary to popular belief, love is NOT like a battlefield, my friend. If it were, I'd have already planted the flag, if you know what I mean." Tarek winked at Rodrick.

Rodrick sighed. "No need to be obscene, Tarek. Let the dame in, for Christ's sake."

With a heavy sigh and light effort, Tarek opened the door, letting in a fiercely angry Mimi. Rodrick looked like he would take cover at any moment. Tarek was bracing himself.

"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?" exploded Mimi.

"Now, now, Mimi. I've just been a little...erm, busy." He looked to Rodrick.

"Hey now! Don't you drag me into this squabble!" quipped Rodrick.

"Yeah Tarek, this is about us! Did you seriously forget about the dinner that YOU asked me to?"

Tarek looked down. "I might have..."

"UNBELIEVABLE. I have been waiting for nearly 30 minutes for you to show up! Nevermind the walk to and from the damn place! Seriously, I spend so much time with you, yet you forget about all the important details!" Mimi held her forehead in fatigue.

Tarek thought to himself. He had one move to make, and it was the tactic he had planned out since childhood. He only had one chance to execute it, and failure was not an option. Luckily, the weapon he needed was already in his pocket. He got down on one knee.

Mimi gasped. Rodrick smiled.

"Tarek...what are you doing...?"

Tarek looked back up to her. "Something I've been planning on since we were kids, Mimi. I've already talked with your father about this."

Mimi couldn't contain herself. "You don't mean...?"

Tarek cleared his throat and proclaimed: "Mimi! As your greatest friend and a humble man, I have but one question I want to ask you! Will you, with every fiber of your being, take me as your husband?"

With tears welling up in her eyes, Mimi flung her arms around him and replied, "of course I will, you big lug."

Rodrick couldn't help but break into tears at the sight of his happy friend.

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1992 - Fox Bay, California

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Lucas was standing right outside of the house belonging to the address 3387 Sillows Drive. According to his source, the legendary Tarek Antar was living in this establishment. A fine mix of brain and brawn, with a hearty personality to boot; that's what he was told. A perfect test subject. And after all, hadn't the doctor explicitly asked for perfect?

The past ten years saw Lucas toiling in his master's stead, scouring the country for worthy test subjects. Now he only needed two more men for the job, before the real experiments would begin. He had arrived with a team of "enforcers", as the good doctor had put it, whose jobs were to stun and incapacitate any subject who was to resist. Ever since the snafu with that Domingo man, Lucas had to enlist them. But now things would go off without a hitch. All he had to do was ring the doorbell and use the power of persuasion...

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Mimi looked at her husband with sweetness in her eyes.  Tarek had done everything he could to establish a family with her. He had finally been able to hold down a high-paying job as an army consultant for future soldiers. With the money they had been able to live in a solid, one-story house and had everything they needed for taking care of a child, which would be their next goal. She couldn't think of anyone else in her life who had gone through so much trouble for her the way he had. Ever since they were children, he'd been sticking up for her, hanging out with her, laughing with her, be there for her when her mother died, and now, marry her and share his life with her. If she ever had a son, she hoped he would be like him in all aspects.

Tarek was busy getting the bed ready. Tonight, he hoped, would be a special night. Everything he'd worked for, the entire future he had planned out, would all pay off tonight. Nothing could possibly go wrong...

Until the doorbell rang.

It couldn't be Rodrick. He already knew of Tarek's plans for tonight. As for his other friends, he hadn't told them where he lived yet. Were there door-to-door salesmen walking around? Well, it wouldn't hurt to check. First the doorbell, then Mimi.

He walked downstairs to the front door and opened. In his doorway stood a lanky man with square-rimmed glasses, a black jacket and messy, unkempt hair. A big, black van sat motionless by the curb. Instantly Tarek recognized it as a military-issue vehicle. He could handle this guy.

The man outstretched his hand. "Mr. Antar, I presume?"

Tarek took it with his own. "Who wants to know?"

"Lucas Gray, secret scientist," confirmed the man.

"Secret scientist?" Tarek wasn't impressed.

Lucas sighed. "I'm afraid I can't say much more than that, Mr. Antar. The fact is I work with the government. We're working on a groundbreaking project, one that will revolutionize the modern world as we know it."

Tarek raised an eyebrow. "What does that have to do with me?"

Lucas straightened his glasses. "You've been chosen to help us complete this project. Your files indicate that you have all the right...qualities we need."

"Qualities...?"

"Do not look so skeptical, Mr. Antar. We merely need your assistance. Once the project is complete I gurantee you will be pleased with the results. Now if you would be so kind as to come with us..."

Tarek glanced past Lucas and to the van out front. Through the window he saw an armored man polishing his weapon. These guys wouldn't take no for an answer. And he couldn't let Mimi get caught in the middle of what would happen if he said so.

I'll go with them, thought Tarek, and come back once all of this is over.

"Alright, Lucas. I'll take you up on this offer. But as soon as that's done I expect to come home in record time."

Lucas grinned and nodded. "Of course, Mr. Antar. Please, climb in and get comfortable."

Tarek nodded and walked. He looked to the window and saw Mimi looking at him with uncertainty. It killed him to see her like that.

Don't worry Mimi. I'll come back.

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He was told the van ride would take 15 minutes. It felt like 15 years.

Tarek sat in between two armed men on a steel chair with his back against the van's wall. He was taking it in and thinking. What could possibly be so urgent that Lucas needed to come with a squad of armed men? Had there been people who resisted the man's so-called "project"? There were no windows. Was he not allowed to know the location of his destination? Was he allowed to know anything at all?

Then he wondered about Mimi. She must hate him right now. Leaving her, alone in the house, with no reason or explanation as to why, and on such an important moment! She must be scared. Scared of what might happen to him, scared of being alone, scared of being confused. He promised her to himself that when he got back home he would make it up to her and explain everything as best as he could.

And yet, he felt uneasy. Something was going to happen. But what?

The guards were muttering something. Apparently there had been an altercation with another "recruit". That would explain the need for armed men; someone had resisted. Somebody named Domingo, apparently. And yet, he was still taken.

Should I have done that? No...Mimi would have been put in danger.

Tarek made a mental note to meet this Domingo character and ask him about what happened.

The car stopped. They were here. But where was here? The doors opened and gave way to total darkness. It seemed as though they were underground. Tarek could only guess it was through a tunnel.

Lucas approached him. "Come now, Mr. Antar. Scientific progress awaits."

Lucas led Tarek through a series of metal security doors, doors which only opened to Lucas' security card. Eventually he was led to a massive chamber, lined with mattresses, ten in all. Nine of them were occupied, the occupants strapped in. At the center of the chamber was a steel-plated counter-top, with a basket of syringes sitting right on top. Behind this counter was an old, bald-headed man with a very big lab coat. Age had done a number on him, as his many wrinkles contorted into a sinister smile.

"So good of you to join us, Tarek," the old man began. "Please, lay down like the others and we can get started on your procedure right away."

Tarek hesitated. "Procedure? I thought I was helping with a project?"

The doctor laughed. "This IS the project! And YOU are going to assist me in this extreme undertaking!"

As he walked to his mattress, Tarek looked at the basket. Inside each syringe was a red serum. From the looks of things, the ten of them were to be injected with this serum. But what was it supposed to do?

Guess I'll find out eventually.

Tarek had never been particularly afraid of death, not since placing his life on the line that first time in the heat of battle in 1983. But this time he had something big to lose, and he wasn't ready to let that happen. Aside from that, Lucas had said he would see some beneficial results, hadn't he?

Living sounds pretty beneficial to me.

He was ready to go through with whatever the doctor had in store. All he could think about was Mimi and their future. He hadn't lived all this time to throw it all away. He laid in the bed and watched as Lucas and the doctor strapped him in. Tarek was able to get a good look at the doctor's ID card. It read: Ivan Nico, Department of Science.

"Let us pray for your success my boys! You're going to need all the help you can get from here on out!"

No one said a word. As the doctor and assistant turned to retrieve the basket, the man next to Tarek turned his head towards him.

"How can you just listen to everything he says?"

Tarek shrugged. "I don't need to find myself in any sort of danger. I have a wife waiting for me. I need to get on with this and get back to her."

"You're a fool," said the man. "You can't know for certain whether or not you'll make it out of here alive."

"Oh I'm certain. In fact, I'm determined. I have a future to see to. A family to raise. A life I need to get back to."

"Heh." The man chuckled to himself. "You've got some passion there, man. I like you." He turned towards Tarek once again. "Name's Domingo. Antonio Domingo. If we ever make it out of this shit alive, we should hang out sometime."

Tarek smiled. "Looking forward to it."

"ALRIGHT, enough chitchat! Let's begin the experiment!" proclaimed the doctor. "Lucas administer the serum to each patient. I'll administer every other patient."

"Yes, Dr. Nico." Lucas grabbed five syringes, followed by the doctor.

Lucas walked up to the first man. This man had fear in his eyes. He was slowly starting to lose his mind, trying to inch away from the assistant's needle. But Lucas, without a second thought, grabbed his arm and pinned him with the needle. What followed was a fit of screaming and writhing in agony. The man was too far gone, his screams dying out almost as soon as they had begun. His arms went limp, and his body remained motionless.

He was dead.

"It looks like we have a failure, sir."

The doctor shook his head. "So tragic. But it can't be helped. Luckily there are nine more outcomes." He turned to the man laid out in front of him. This man was stoic. He looked at the doctor square in the eye. The doctor was intrigued.

"And what might your name be?"

The man, still looking right at him, replied, "Luis Castaneda."

"Well, Luis. I must say you show some promise indeed. How about we put that feeling to the test, hm?" He readied the syringe. Luis braced himself. He would make it through this.

The doctor plunged the syringe into Luis' arm, eagerly awaiting how the stone-cold man would react to his product....

He did nothing.

He didn't scream, he didn't writhe, he didn't squirm. He twitched and tried to take it all in. However, his insides felt like they were being ripped apart, and being replaced by something...cold. Luis was definitely feeling a chill after the experience. He laid there, panting heavily, the doctor beside himself with a positive outcome.

"So, Luis," began the doctor. "How do you feel now?"

Luis caught his breath. He noticed the first change - he could see his breath. He was so cold on the inside. But his skin felt normal. What was going on?

"I feel...cold. Very cold."

Tarek couldn't believe how radical the change was. The first man died, screaming in pain. This second man had survived, without yelling a single word. What would become of him? What would become of Antonio? What would become of everyone else?

But the doctor still had to finish. "Lucas! On to the next one!"

The two continued the trend. 3 of the men had fallen. 3 more survived, each feeling something different. Lucas was now in front of Antonio, and the good doctor was now in front of Tarek. Tarek wasn't scared - he needed to survive. Now wasn't his time.

"Alright, Mr. Antar. Let me know if you survive!" The doctor plunged his syringe into Tarek's left arm.

Without saying a word, Lucas followed suit on Antonio.

Tarek didn't feel anything at first. Then it came: the searing pain. He felt a burning rush flow through his bloodstream...but it didn't start from the entryway made by the syringe. He felt it from his heart to his hands, his feet, his stomach, his throat, and his brain. He was burning up all over. His body was ready to explode. But amidst the flames, he remembered Mimi. He remembered Rodrick. He remembered his home. And he remembered the future he had envisioned for his family. He would take these flames, this pain, and control it. A burning fire wasn't going to be enough to stop him. And he wasn't going to go down anytime soon.

Antonio felt heavy. As though his entire body was being pinned down to the ground. He couldn't move. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't do anything. He tried to fight it, but felt totally helpless. This was how he felt when those men took him. Strong and violent, yet completely overpowered. If only he had enough willpower...he could have taken anyone down. Should he have surrendered? Or was fighting his way out the right choice? He needed to remain firm about his choices...he couldn't remain indecisive. A stone stands in one place, easily moved with enough force. But a mountain, a mountain stays rooted in one spot, unable to be moved, only destroyed. And that would be difficult. Antonio needed to be that mountain. He had made his decisions. He needed to stick with them.

The doctor and the assistant backed away. The doctor was wearing his all-too-familiar sinister grin. His experiments were a success, with some...failures. Clearly these victims were lacking in decent quality. The way he saw it, he had done the world a service by filtering out the strong from the weak.

"How do you feel, boys?!" the doctor bellowed. "How is the well of power that springs forth from your inner self?! You now control power which you could have only dreamed of! See for yourself!" The doctor pressed a switch and released the men from their mattresses.

Tarek stood up and looked at his palms. He didn't look different, as far as he could tell. He just felt different. He felt as though he were ready to burst into flame. And yet, it was all contained. He had done it. He had survived. And now, he'd been rewarded.

But something wasn't right. Something didn't add up.

Tarek turned toward the doctor. "Why?"

The doctor raised an eyebrow. "Why what?"

"Why do this to us? Why give us a power like this? What do you stand to gain from all of this?"

The doctor laughed at the question. "My dear boy, all of this is in the name of s, cience! By exploiting a particular trait you possess, I can grant strength the likes of which no one has ever seen! And according to your files, you are said to be passionate. You have drive, and a fierce pride. But you care, care about every person you meet. This is your strongest trait, and that trait translates into the power  you have received. Let it loose, and let us see what you have been blessed with!"

"Passionate, huh..." Tarek clenched his fists. He thought about all that had happened...and opened up his fists. He couldn't believe what had happened.

His hands were on fire.

"You have the power of fire!" The doctor was taken aback.

The other men opened their hands. Luis' hands were covered with ice. Antonio's hands were covered with solid stone. The other three men stared in amazement as they discovered electricity, ice, and stone were surrounding their palms.

The doctor opened his mouth to say something, but a loud buzzer sounded. He rushed to the big computer and pressed a button. The face of a government official greeted the people in the room. Tarek couldn't recognize him.

"Ivan," started the man. "I see the recruits are looking well. I trust your experiment went well?"

"Yes, sir! Although there was a 40% result rate of failure. But that was due to the independent variable, not the dependent variable."

The man nodded. "I see. There are more men waiting for you by your entrance. Bring them in and do what you will accordingly. As for these recruits, send them to the resting chamber. They'll join our elite special forces for training first thing tomorrow morning." The screen turned off.

Tarek was stunned. Special forces? Training? Is that what all of this was about? They were going to be an unstoppable army? No. He had a life to return to.

Tarek walked up to the doctor. "What's this about an army? You promised to let us leave!"

The doctor grinned. "I also promised all of you would live, but look how that turned out!"

So that was it. This freaky old man had them trapped from the start. Tarek lunged at him. The doctor side-stepped and revealed a stun gun from his coat, and zapped Tarek. Tarek fell to the ground with a solid thud.

The other five men all stared in awe, unsure of what to do or say. The doctor merely looked down on Tarek.

"You don't have full control over your power. It would be stupid to attack me now. You'd only hurt yourself."

Tarek gazed at the doctor from the ground. Panting and panting, he finally responded. "I'm gonna fucking kill you."

The doctor chuckled. "Kill me when you get it right, boy."

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