The Controller

Before you read:

The Controller is a mastermind. He has powers to CoBrAc and to hypnotize a person. CoBrAc is a process through which the Controller can access a person's memory. He can do it by wearing a headband which he made. This process damages a person's frontal lobe. He can hypnotize a person with his strange blue eyes. That is why he always wears black chunky sunglasses. He always wanted to help people and that is why he created the Controller. Once he created a DNA enhancer machine that can handle DNAs. But the machine went wrong and made a clone of the Controller. His name is the Brain. He wants to defeat the Controller.

The story:

Blood everywhere. Fire and smoke gushing out. Cars ripped out. Ugly laughter of the glass demon. Sharp edges of fine glass flying right in front of him. Closer and closer......

The controller woke up. Sweat had dampened his clothes. His forehead was lined with worries. He had stopped recalling about the glass demon months ago. Quite a lot of people became a causality to the razor-sharp glasses. Yet images of him flew into the Controller's brain. It was impossible to recall those images after all these months. Unless...

The controller got up and turned the portable radio jammer. It jammed any frequency. Soon, he felt better. After drinking a glass of water, he thought about the Brain. The Controller knew it was the Brain before he even woke up from that hideous dream. The Brain tried again to push him to the dark side by replaying those images to him. The Brain is an evil creature who became a killer. It so happens that the Controller is next on the list. The Brain did not want to kill the Controller so that he could do all the evil stuff. He is doing the evil stuff to kill the Controller. That is why he steals banks, museums and kills people who stumble on his way. The Controller knew why he wants to kill him. The Brain wants to have a unique identifier and not to be called as a 'freak creation'. The Controller shuddered to think of himself being cloned as the Brain. He knew he has to do something to stop him. But at heart, he also knew he can't. His strength was his knowledge and the Brain has it all. He also could not hypnotize him because the Brain knew the technique he hypnotizes people. They are an exact match. The controller sat down and started to think about how to defeat himself.

Maybe I will have to create a Quantum splicer, he thought, and join with some really tough and strong man. But he dismissed the idea. It is impossible even for him to stabilize the metabolism and protein levels of a wrestler and so that he can become a host. He thought of a second alternative. An idea stroke him suddenly. He stroke his short beard and thought of an excuse to claim the idea as dangerous. It is not like he is afraid of him but he was a good person who helped a lot of people. If he destroys his Frontal lobe by CoBrAc, he would be paralyzed. But he also could hypnotize him. He thought for the third time and made a decision. Defeating the Brain is his number one priority. The Controller is ready to do whatever it takes. He picked up his phone and dialed his friend Rhodes. It's time to roll.

'Hello, who is this.'

'092891' the Controller replied

'Oh Controller, it is you!' exclaimed the other side. 'It has been such a long time.

'Oh yeah.' said the Controller thinking about their previous encounter, horseman. He, the horseman, injected a drug into his horse, giving it the ability to run faster. But the drug also made the horse angry. A time came when the horse got so angry that it killed its master.

'What happened?' the man asked.

'Give me the recipe of the drug.' the Controller asked, expecting an outburst.

'No way!' the man ejaculated. 'You would get killed!'

'I created a cure for it remember?' the Controller reminded him. 'That's why you are still alive.'

The man thought for a moment and said sheepishly 'I forgot.'

'No problem' said the Controller. 'Recipe?'

'Still, I can't give it to you' the man said 'My name will go to dust if anyone knows that someone has my powers. And you will become stronger...'

 'See' the Controller interrupted. 'I want to defeat the Brain. And I am sure I can activate the drug temporarily. I thought of quantum splicer but we are poles apart to be joined so...'

'Okay.' Rhodes said 'I will give you the drug ONLY if you can activate it temporarily.'

'Thanks, Rhodes.' said the Controller, pleased. He could have hypnotized him but he was his friend.

A sudden flash came and from nowhere a figure arrived.

'Rhodes.' the Controller said sternly. 'I told you not to break that door.'

'Then make a wooden door so I can phrase through it.' said Rhodes in his red suit.

It was the suit of the Flash

But Rhodes was wearing it.

'Take it.' said Rhodes, giving the drug

And the Controller tokes it.

And became a speedster.

'But why did you want to become a speedster?' asked Rhodes in the private medical bay of the Controller. The drug was taking time to get activated.

'Well, you know what, being speed does not only help us in running faster but it also helps in different ways.' the Controller explained.

'Like?'

'You know, I can phase through objects, I can throw lightning, etc. which can help me defeat the Brain' said the Controller and for the first time, Rhodes had seen excitement, or any emotions, in his eyes.

'You were desperate to become a speedster, huh?' asked Rhodes.

But the Controller got unconscious and at the same time, series of electricity flew out of the Controller.

Rhodes did not waste time and infused a drug that stabilise the brain of the Controller. It is because the Brain does not cope up with the energized and rapid movements of the body.

'What on the Earth happened?' said the Controller after he woke up.

'You are now a perfect speedster. Congrats bud.' said Rhodes, congratulating him. 

'Now for the temporary drug.' said the Controller without breaking a smile and started instructing Rhodes to create the drug.

'Done' said Rhodes, smiling.

The Controller was not smiling.

'What happened' asked Rhodes.

'The Brain.' the Controller whispered and smacked his head.

'What about Brain?' Rhodes cried.

'The Brain is my clone. He thinks the way I think. So if I had thought of becoming a speedster, he might be coming after you.' said the Controller.

There was silence and suddenly Rhodes screamed with pain.

'No no, leave me not done wrong.'

'Rhodes' screamed the Controller.

But after few seconds, Rhodes's screams became slower and slower.

My speed is activated, thought The Controller.

He straight away activated the radio jammer, which was switched off, and took Rhodes to the bed of the medical bay at a lightning speed.

But the radio jammer did not work on Rhodes.

Rhodes's screams became louder 'No no leave me alone. It's him, it's him!'

'The Horse man', thought the Controller. 'The Brain is replaying those images.'

When Controller rushed to get the Propofol and a syringe, Rhodes woke up.

'Huh, What? What happened? Are you all right?' screamed the Controller in disbelief.

'The Brain' mumbled Rhodes as if he was suffering from Aphasia. 'Takes it all.'

The Controller tried to push the syringe into his arm but it was too late. The Controller's newly developed speed was of no match to Rhodes's speed. A single punch and the Controller was seeing stars.

'So long Controller.' said Rhodes in the same mechanical voice.

'TheController, you berk.' the Controller shouted as Rhodes disappeared in the dark night.

'Oh no.' thought the Controller. 'What shall I do?' 

The Controller knew that Rhodes was hypnotized by The Brain. But when? There was no answer. Or time. The Controller stood up. With his eyes covered with lightning, he ran.

Grass tore. Even the road looked as if it was going to break into two. The Controller entrusted his power to that lightning formed behind him. The air gushed in, trying to topple him. It was as if that the very air which kept him alive, changed its mind and tried to kill him. Usually, without his new speed, the Controller was one of the best athletes in Britain. He had once touched 30 km/hr and won a gold medal in the Europe tournament. But now with his speed, he cruised peacefully at a speed of Mach 2. 

He saw many people gathering around. A fair was being held which was bursting with food stalls, bookstalls, games, and rides. The Controller's mouth watered when he saw his favorite dish, lemon meringue, standing perfectly upright. It was as if it was welcoming him to eat it. But the Controller pulled himself together and raced ahead.

When he completed 2 minutes of running, the Controller thought of something which made him sick. Was the Brain trying to trick him? Did he use some sort of hologram technology to depict Rhodes even if he wasn't there? As he was thinking, he saw a blue jet of lightning. Rhodes! No, it was not Rhodes. His lightning is red just like the Controller. The Controller just had time to think about it when the blue jet sped towards him and hit with hard. Very hard. Punch from Rhodes was itself enough to bleed the Controller's nose and this punch took a troll of the Controller. He lost consciousness before the ground hit him. The person with blue lightning tore the mask off.

'Goodbye, so-called The Controller' said the Brain, still holding that mask as Rhodes came next to him, smirking. 

The next thing the Controller knew was that he was sitting in some hideous metal chair and was tied by a thick plastic cable. And he was left alone. So, he tried all the Houdini he knew but still, it did not work. At last, he gave up.

After a few minutes, The man with the blue lightning came along with Rhodes. For the first time, the Controller could see the man clearly. The man was covered from head to toe in a black dress. His face was also covered with a black mask.

'Who are you?' asked the Controller. Seeing Rhodes he asked 'Why did you hypnotize him?'

Rhodes came and hit the Controller hard. The Controller almost rocked off the chair.

'Talk only when I tell you.' said a disordered voice.

'Th Brain.' said the Controller.

The man tore his mask and asked angrily 'How did you find out?'

'What?' the Controller asked.

'That I am the Brain.'

The Controller at him and wished he didn't. It was almost looking himself into the mirror. Except for the strange black eyes which the Brain did not cover.

The Controller said simply 'You are me.'

The Brain grunted.

Suddenly The Controller remembered that he was a speedster. Slowly, he sped his hand through the plastic cables and distracted the other two by talking loudly.

'Why did you hypnotize Rhodes? He did not do anything to you!'

'I used him. He made me the speed drug AND gave it to me.'

'When?' The Controller was halfway there.

'Long before you phoned him.'

The Controller's heart sank. And was suddenly gripped by fear. Did Rhodes, or the Brain, contaminate the drug? Was he gonna die?

'Yes,' the Brain chortled. 'You ARE going to die.

The Controller's face became pale.

'Cyanide was mixed to that drug. Small but enough. You are fast but not fast enough to defeat us.' said Rhodes in his mechanical voice.

'Well if that is the case, the Controller has about...' said the Brain, looking at his watch and then him. '2 hours. Then you would die. You don't have any last wishes, do you? Well, even if you have them I will not fulfill them.'

The Controller went paler than ever. 2 hours! Last 2 hours of his life! That too in this.... hideous chair! The Controller almost fainted.

Rhodes came towards the Brain and whispered.

'Yeah yeah. I remember.' said the Brain, his black eyes glittering with anger but, surprisingly after few seconds, twisted into a face that almost pitied the Controller. 'Before you die, I will have your speed.'

'Huh? What the-'

'I know it is contaminated but I and your friend made this machine.' said the Brain, pointing to a big machine which the Controller saw for the first time. 'I call it the Controller.' The Brain said, sensing the dread of the Controller. 'It is because it is gonna be the last machine you will ever see running. I want to pay tribute to you.'

'Well, that is sweet.' said the Controller, sarcastically.

The Brain ignored him and said to Rhodes 'Shall we begin?'

Rhodes nodded.

The Brain went towards the machine and pressed a blue button and smiled. But then he frowned. His heartbeat was normal but his gut was screaming at him. Something is wrong! When he turned back, he saw Rhodes bundled up.

'Wha-'

Suddenly a rod of steel filled his vision. But The Brain was quick. He ducked and landed a punch on The Controller.

'Phrasing, huh? Forgot you could do that!' said the Brain as he landed another punch. Then he turned to perform a round kick. But the Controller disappeared.

'Ha! I knew that you were clever but did not know that you were a scary cat too!' fumed the Brain.

The Controller was hiding behind a wall and was rubbing his bruised wrist. He phrased the plastic cable but at the last minute, Rhodes saw it. He had no choice but to perform a Houdini and kicked Rhodes at his groin. He was his friend and was sad to see him crumble like that but, again, he had no choice.

Now he was waiting for the right minute.

When he peeped, he saw the Brain searching for him.

'It is the right moment.' thought The Controller and ran towards the machine.

Almost immediately, he saw the self-destruct button. He punched it with all his force.

But it did not work.

Huh? Why did it not work, he wondered. He again pushed the button but still, nothing happen.

'But-'

Then the next thing he knew was afoot and blackness.

The Controller woke up. But he did not open his eyes. First, he felt his surroundings. The same plastic wire and the metal chair. The Controller wished that someone told him that today was 'Blacking The Controller day'. Then probably he would have thrown himself on the bed again. 

The Controller sighed and opened his eyes.

This was worse. Much worse. The Controller cursed himself for opening his eyes.

In front of him waiting for a glass door. It did not take much time for the Controller to guess that it was a phrase-proof door. That's why the Brain is tied with the same string.

Through the door, he could see the Brain and the flash boring at him. With the machine open.

'Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.' hissed the Brain. 'That is why to keep you as secure as possible, I myself made this phrase-proof door.'

'Why didn't the self-destruct button work?' asked the Controller.

The Brain smiled and showed his index finger 'Access to only appropriate fingerprint.'

'But you are my clone.' asked the Controller, knowing that the Brain would kill him for saying that.

'What did you say?!' the Brain screamed in disbelief.

'We have the same fingerprints.' said the Controller quickly.

The Brain calmed down and said 'I had my chemically modified. We are different, not clones now Controller. We are DIFFERENT.' screaming the last word.

'Okay okay.' said the Controller, partially angers with the Brain for not saying him TheController. But he knew it was no time to screech like his clone.

'Start the machine' ordered the Brain.

Rhodes, for the first time he woke, sprang into action and pushed the button with all his force.

The machine whirled into life again.

The Controller sensed something approaching him at a nice speed, but he was too late. A metal ball hit him so hard, he actually felt his skull broke.

'You-' started the Controller but passed away to the land of unconsciousness.

After some time, he woke up again. And grunted. He felt his skull. It seemed to him as if a tennis ball was glued to his head. Then he observed his surroundings. He was in a dark space and was tied by a rope.

'So you woke up already, huh?' asked the Brain with a giggle. 'You are the first one to sit on this machine. It had completed 70% of its work. After it completes its work, your speed would be captured into a test tube. I will take that speed and then he paused and continued with a giggle 'I will kill you if you did not already become a ghost by that cyanide.'

'Do you believe in ghosts?' the Controller asked, hoping that he had a microphone.

'Huh?' The Brain was confused.

'You said that If I did not become a ghost, then only you kill me...' 

The Brain stared. He started to doubt if he was a clone of this man.

'Are you taking a mickey out of me?' asked the Brain harshly.

'No! Of course not! As if I can do that. How can the Mickey Mouse come out of you?'

The Brain was still staring at the machine. Has he gone mad inside that machine? He quickly glanced at the controls. The machine was fine. Maybe it was the work of the cyanide, thought the Brain.

'Do you know Mickey Mouse?' He asked.

'Yes. Even the ghosts know it, as you might say. You believe in ghosts, don't you?'

The Brain thought off shutting him down. Or he would make him mad too.

'Do you know Dora the Explorer? Maybe you watched them with your ghost friends.'

'Shut up!' screamed the Brain, at last.

This was greeted with silence.

The fragile silence was broken by a beep sound.

'Ha!' said the Brain, obviously excited. 100% of the work was done.

'What happened? Did your ghosts come to kill you?' a sound comes from inside.

'100% speed is transferred. You are going to die!' said the Brain, doing a victory dance.

The Controller's heart sank. He had hoped that the machine would stop working. But obviously, it didn't.

'What about the ghosts?' asked the Controller. The Brain ignored it and said.

'Hmm... So you are still alive. That's a pleasure. Now how shall I kill you....'

'Why kill at all? Let's forget it all and live happily after, all eternity.' blabbered the Controller.

'No no. I don't think so.' said the Brain with a cheesy grin as if he is politely refusing the Controller's invitation to a party.

'But-'

'No man. I will kill you.'

'In that case, you leave me with no choice.' said the Controller in a determined tone.

'Huh? Wha-'

Before the Brain could say more, Rhodes flicked a switch that was in his hand all the time.

'Aargh!' screamed the Brain with pain. 'What the... Aah!'

Rhodes opened the door of the machine and allowed the Controller to come out of the machine.

'Why are you doing that?! You are supposed to be hypnotized!' screamed the Brain in disbelief.

The Controller jumped out of the machine, recalling how he trapped the Brain.

It all started yesterday. The Controller explained his plan to Rhodes.

'Is that understood?' asked the Controller

'But if he CoBrAc's me then?' asked Rhodes, not pleased with the idea.

'Wear this.' The Controller said, handing him a device that looked like earphones and a pair of lenses.

'Huh?'

'This lens will prevent the Brain to take over your brain. Taking about these earphones you must know that the CoBrAc process is based on defecting the frontal lobe of the brain. I have designed these earphones is such a way that it defects the gamma rays used and-'

'Okay.' interrupted Rhodes, still cross.

The Controller sensed it and said 'Please Rhodes. We know how important it is to defeat the Brain. Just do this, I will take care of the rest.'

'Just do this?'

'Okay, Rhodes. I know this is matter of death and life but I know you can do this.'

'Right.' said Rhodes, still clearly unhappy.

The Controller patted Rhodes's shoulders in a friendly manner.

'Now do your thing, Flash.'

Rhodes nodded then went to Brain's house. Then he dropped a note.

The Brain picked the note in the next day. It ran like this:

Dear Controller,

I have made a speed drug that gives twice my speed. I want you to check if it is alright. If you say yes, write a note saying 98384. If I see that note, I will come at 8:00 pm tomorrow. 

Thanks.

Rhodes (Flash)

The Brain was stunned. He did not even know the name of the Flash. But when he saw the name at the top, he saw the name of the arch-enemy. An idea was formed in his brain and he grinned.

At last, I will be able to defeat the Controller, thought the Brain.

He wrote the number 98384 and kept it where Rhodes had kept his note.

What he did not know was that the Controller himself arranged this to happen. Rhodes was keeping a watch on the Brain all the time. He saw the Brain seeing the note and smiling. He somehow knew that the Controller's idea worked.

Rhodes waited for 20 minutes and ran to pick the note. He waited to read the note and smiled. The Controller's idea definitely worked. Then he escaped.

The Brain saw the lightning. The Brain, thinking that his plan was enough to defeat the Controller, smiled. Soon, he would become a speedster.

When 8:00 chimed, the doorbell rang. The Brain opened the door and invited Rhodes.

'Welcome Rhodes.'

'This is the drug. Examine it and tell if it is right.' said Rhodes, coming to the point as usual.

'Well I would do that.' said the Brain and removing his glasses.

'You are-' said Rhodes, pretending to be surprised.

'Why are you talking when you are so sleepy. So sleepy. Take rest Flash. The world would take care of itself. Just sleep.' said the Brain, thinking that he is hypnotizing Rhodes with his strange black eyes.

Thank god for the lens work, thought Rhodes gratefully.

'Will you follow my command?' asked the Brain.

'Yes sir' said Rhodes, in a mechanical voice. The Controller had trained him well.

'Good. Tell me how can we defeat the Controller.' asked the Brain.

Just then Rhodes's phone rang.

'Who is that?' asked the Brain.

'The Controller.' said Rhodes.

'Pick it.' The Brain ordered.

'Hello, who is this.'

'092891' the Controller replied

'Oh Controller, it is you!' exclaimed the other side. 'It has been such a long time.

So, the plan worked, though the Controller happily. He told Rhodes to say the same if the plan worked.

'Oh yeah.' said the Controller.

'What happened?' the man asked.

'Give me the recipe of the drug.' the Controller asked.

'No way!' Rhodes ejaculated. 'You would get killed!' 

'I created a cure for it remember?' the Controller reminded him. 'That's why you are still alive.'

Rhodes looked at the Brain and put the phone on hold.

'What happened?' asked the Brain.

Rhodes explained.

The Brain's mind worked and cooked an idea. He told Rhodes the same.

'Okay.'

Then he put out the hold and said sheepishly 'I forgot.'

'No problem' said the Controller. 'Recipe?'

'Still, I can't give it to you' the man said 'My name will go to dust if anyone knows that someone has my powers. And you will become stronger...'

 'See' the Controller interrupted. 'I want to defeat the Brain. And I am sure I can activate the drug temporarily. I thought of quantum splicer but we are poles apart to be joined so...'

'Okay.' Rhodes said 'I will give you the drug ONLY if you can activate it temporarily.'

'Thanks, Rhodes.' said the Controller, pleased.

After the phone call got complete, the Brain did what Rhodes has to do.

'Okay.' Rhodes said again, surprised that the Brain has clearly fallen to the Controller's plan.

Pretending to put cyanide to the Controller's drug, Rhodes mixed water and gave it to Controller.

After giving the drug to the Controller, Rhodes signaled him that the plan has worked. The Brain might have kept a mic or something, which the Brain actually did. The Brain was really pleased, thinking that his plan had worked. Then he took a shot of the drug and became a speedster.

This was the biggest mistake he did in his life.

Inside the drug were some nanoshells. These shells were made of gold and the contents were obvious. It was cyanide. The nanoshells would break if exposed to radio waves. Then cyanide would be released.

When Rhodes pressed the switch, radio waves started to emit from a few satellites, hidden behind the wall. Rhodes arranged all this when he was pretending to make the machine.

After thinking all this, the Controller sat on the floor seeing the Brain struggling to breathe. Then he said 'We could have done something good for the people. We could have been friends. But you refused. Remember, good always wins over evil.'

'Whatever happens, I will never be a friend to you. That's a promise on my life.' said the Brain, drawing his last breaths.

'Then, goodbye.' said the Controller sadly.

.