For days, the ruined Mumbai lab became Meteoroid Man's sanctuary and his prison. He worked with a feverish intensity, the brilliant mind of Dr. Bharat Maske fighting against the alien rock that encased him. He salvaged what equipment he could, bypassing fried circuits with focused energy blasts, using his super-strength to move heavy machinery.
His goal was singular: reverse the process. He accessed his old research notes, fragmented and corrupted, piecing together the data on the meteoroid's unique energy signature. He theorized that a controlled counter-frequency, precisely calibrated, might disrupt the bond between his human cells and the alien matter, forcing them apart.
It was a long shot, a desperate gamble based on incomplete data. But it was the only hope he had.
He spent 2 days rebuilding a damaged energy emitter, modifying it to produce the frequency he needed. He worked tirelessly, the alien consciousness within him a constant, cold presence, fighting his attempts to control it. His body was a battleground. Sometimes, his rocky hands would tremble uncontrollably, or a surge of green energy would arc across the room without his command. He was losing himself, bit by bit, to the stone.
Finally, the machine was ready. It hummed with a dangerous, unstable power. Meteoroid Man stood before it, his glowing green eyes fixed on the emitter dish. This was it. The chance to reclaim his life, his humanity.
He took a deep breath—a habit he no longer needed but couldn't forget—and activated the machine.
A beam of pure, white energy shot out, engulfing him. At first, he felt nothing. Then, a low vibration started deep within his rocky form. It grew stronger, resonating with the green energy pulsing in his veins. He focused his will, trying to channel the counter-frequency, trying to force the separation.
But the meteoroid fought back. The ancient, alien consciousness resisted, clinging to its host body. The two opposing energies clashed within him, creating a feedback loop. The white light of the machine turned a sickly yellow, then a violent red.
An agonizing pain, far worse than his initial transformation, tore through him. He roared, a sound of pure, unadulterated agony, as his rocky body began to crack and fissure under the strain. Green and red energy exploded outwards, shattering the remaining equipment in the lab. The machine overloaded and blew apart in a shower of sparks and smoke.
Meteoroid Man collapsed to the floor, his body convulsing, green energy flickering erratically from his cracks. The experiment had failed. Horribly. He hadn't separated himself from the rock; he had only destabilized the bond, causing himself unimaginable pain and possibly damaging himself beyond repair.
He lay there, weak and broken, the last embers of Dr. Maske's hope dying within him. He was truly a monster now, with no way back.
As the smoke began to clear, he heard a new sound. The soft, professional click of footsteps approaching through the ruined entrance of the lab.
He looked up, his glowing green eyes dimming.
Standing in the doorway, silhouetted against the outside lights, was Agent Kiran Rao. She was flanked by a dozen heavily armed soldiers in black tactical gear, their weapons aimed directly at him. They were DSP operatives, specialists in handling threats like him.
"Dr. Bharat Maske," Agent Rao's voice was calm, devoid of emotion, but carried an undeniable authority. "Or should I say, Meteoroid Man? Your unauthorized experiment is over."
He tried to push himself up, to gather his energy for a fight, but he was too weak, too broken from his failed attempt at a cure.
"We know what you are," Rao continued, taking a cautious step into the room. "We know what happened here. And we know you cannot control it."
Energy containment nets shot out from devices held by the soldiers, wrapping around Meteoroid Man's rocky form. He felt a powerful dampening field suppress the green energy within him, making him feel even weaker, heavier. He struggled, but it was useless.
"Don't fight it, Doctor," Rao said, her voice softening almost imperceptibly. "We aren't here to destroy you. We're here to contain you. And perhaps, to understand you."
More soldiers moved in, securing the nets, injecting a powerful sedative foam into the cracks in his rocky hide. His consciousness began to fade, the green light in his eyes dimming to a faint flicker.
His last thought, as the darkness closed in, was not of anger or fear, but of a deep, profound despair. He had tried to become human again, and he had failed. Now, he was just a specimen, a monster in a cage.
The chapter ends as the DSP soldiers carefully lift the unconscious, contained form of Meteoroid Man onto a specialized transport unit. Agent Rao watches them go, her face unreadable. She then turns her attention to the wrecked lab, her sharp eyes already analyzing the scene, gathering intel on the power she has just captured.
[To be continued…]
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Author: Vansh Rahate
Editor: Vansh Rahate
Story by: Vansh Rahate
Under: Alaukika Studios