"The Stasis Lab is ready, Tweed." Doctor Walker announced as he hung up the telephone.

"The drugs are sufficiently out of their systems?" Tweed asked.

"Yes."

"Sonic disruptors have been brought to the Stasis Lab?"

"Four of them placed in each corner."

"Tell me again about the construction marerials implemented in the building of the Stasis Lab." Tweed was going over every detail in his head. He had a potentially powerful meta-human in his grasp. A being who had escaped certain death by splitting his body into two bodies. A being who channeled his life force between both bodies. A being who was something much less certainly after being split into two beings, but alive. If his theory was correct once the two bodies gathered enough strength they could safely reintergrate and be exactly as they once were.

"The walls, floor, and ceiling are all composed of a special vibrating alloy which should make phasing impossible for Larry Lance if he should be reintergrated."

Should be reintergrated?" Tweed shot a hard glance at the Doctor.

"When he is reintergrated." Doctor Walker corrected himself nervously. "I must go on record that I wished to study the two subjects more thoroughly before attempting this reintergration."

"So noted." Tweed said flatly.

"If your theory is somehow correct, Tweed..." Doctor Walker said with a tone denoting disbelief. "...this could be a metamorphing cycle for this meta-human and he could reintergrate into..."

"A giant bug-eyed monster?" Tweed laughed. "Only one way to find out." They had reached the Stasis Lab. Tweed opened the door and in the center of the room were the two old men secured on gurneys obviously struggling against their bonds in an attempt to go to one another.

"The two subjects have been agitated since they first saw one another about fifthteen minutes ago." a technician manning a sheilded sonic disruptor announced in a muffled voice.

Tweed smiled at Doctor Walker.

"You'll notice their fingertips emitting...something." Another muffled voice announced from behind a sheilded console panel. "I've yet to determine what it is, but it is growing steadily stronger."

"Just being close to one another has automaticly started the process." Tweed said in a somewhat know it all tone.

"But what process?" Doctor Walker mumbled. Tweed had not heard him.

The two had reached the sheilded area just as a security channel activated on the console panel. "Tell Tweed that six to seven men have been spotted lurking about the building."

"Initiate standard security measures, moron!" Tweed barked into the communicator. "Unless it's damn important we are not to be bothered again!"

"Affirmative, sir!"

"Release their bonds!" Tweed ordered.

The technician pressed a button and the two old men ran to one another as their bonds were removed automaticly. As they touched great concussive force was unleashed like a bomb into the room.

Tweed lifted his head off of the floor. He had been thrown from out behind the sheilding. There was blood coming from his head. He could see all four men manning the sonic disruptors were either dead or unconscious. The lab technician was moaning, but not moving. Doctor Walker was obviously battered and hidden under the console panel muttering, "I told him so. I told him so!" over and over again. No sign of the two old men was apparent. Tweed was not surprised that the last thing he saw before slipping into unconsciousness again was a young man running out the door.

[ 12-29-2001: Message edited by: LLance ]