Enter Morph (Full Story): Written by Exodus, Original Story by Planeswalker In the Resistance Base, Gear called another meeting. The empire had been pretty quiet after establishing control of Scion, and were busy forming the conquered cities into outposts and lookout towers in order to stay in control, so the Resistors were free to see to other matters for as long as the empire didn’t attack Haprin. “... While we were last in Morn’s lab, I was able to download a lot of information, particularly about two things that will benefit my work, and ultimately, the group.” Gear watched the curious and inquiring looks from his team mates, and continued. “I received a lot of data about Morn’s work, on our very own Resistors.” Kirie, Lucia and Turok’s eyes lit up as they quickly realised that he meant them. “As we all know, Turok and Lucia were changed against their will, and I know that after this war is over, they’d like to return to being human again. Of course, reversing the complex process will take time, but with all of the data, I might just be able to do it. And Kirie, its obvious to everyone how much you were hurt by your ‘gift’, and I know how much you’d like to remove those abnormal scars of yours, with the complete data, and perhaps a little help from Edwina, seeing as her powers were used in part to create yours, I might just be able to engineer and cure so that you can regain your complete beauty...” “Gear.” questioned Edwina, “I’d be honoured to help, but, how much of the data revolves around me?” “Very little, the spy reports have pretty much confirmed that direct Gaian magic transfers have been unsuccessful, so your name isn’t anywhere, I know that you’ve had a rough past, but you don’t have to worry about any hurtful discoveries if that’s what you’re worried about.” he replied. “Thank you Gear.” “And that is why I’d like to return to Morn’s lab, to complete the transfer. I really called this meeting to find out your views on going back. I know it could be dangerous, but the rewards would be worth it.” Many hands went up, along with general comments. “I know what its like to feel different.” said Ross, “I’ve dealt with it, because I had a choice, Turok and Lucia deserve some hope for the return of their real bodies, and Kirie deserves to have her beauty back.” “You’ve all given so much to the cause, we’ll gladly go through the empire to cure you of your forced transformations.” added Samia. “Then I guess its settled, but I’m afraid only four people can go, if we all show up, then the empire will probably realise that we’re sneaking into their complex through the back door, and it’ll be best if the people who know their way around the true lab come along this time. The party will consist Kirie, Turok, Ruwin and I. We leave at sunrise.” The next day, the four Resistors dropped in through the roof, the empire didn’t have a great deal of lookouts around Morn’s lab, apparently, Iyaxxl cared more for the fortress than for Morn, having been such a disappointment. They soon found their way thanks to the maps that Gear now had permanently, but the room in which the computer was previously contained, was totally bare. “Now whut Gear?” questioned Ruwin. “Well, it is one of Morn’s personal computers, we’re here now, so let’s just search the labs until we find that console, I don’t even think there’s anyone here...” It took several minutes to check the rooms, but it was obvious that the large room where the control console was, was the only available place they could check, every other door surprisingly had better security systems since the last time. Gear’s eyes widened, there was the console, on a silver desk at the end of the room. “Gotcha.” smiled Gear, running to the computer and plugging in the P.A.D.D, it continued from where it left off and proceeded to download. “Heh heh heh, Got You.” added a sinister voice. The Resistors turned around suddenly to see Morn standing at the only available exit, “I figured you’d come back for this old data, well guess what? I don’t care!” laughed Morn confidently. “You’re very laid back about your secret projects.” said Gear suspicious. “You must be Gear, the elusive leader of the Resistors, I’ve heard a lot about you. Won’t Iyaxxl be pleased when I bring you to him.” grinned Morn. “That’s not going to happen, you can’t beat us all, not before I’m done taking your data.” threatened Gear. “Take it, that data is old and useless, the good stuff is in a more secure area, and if you really want to remove Kirie, Turok and Lucia’s powers, then be my guest.” explained Morn. “Gear?...” questioned Kirie, “You were going to take away my power?...” “Hold on a sec Kirie, I-” “You must have known that her precious powers would disappear as well as her nasty unnatural scars, but I guess She didn’t. As for the Mecha Morpher data, it’ll be too much for a child scientist to reconstruct, besides, I don’t think you’re the sort to risk lives just to up your chances of winning the war.” smiled Morn. “You’re too overconfident for your own good, Morn. Whatever you throw at us, we’ll beat, you made my friends too powerful for your own good. And what’s to stop us from capturing you and bringing you to justice?” questioned Gear. Turok nodded and approached Morn, he was only human, and they weren’t killing him in cold blood or anything, just locking him away for his extreme crimes. “What’s to stop you?” questioned Morn sarcastically, “That would be Him.” A large metal console was thrown forward and landed on Turok, if not for his strength, he would surely have been crushed to death. The Resistors gasped as they realised that the one that had thrown it, was Morn: A second Morn. “There’s two of them?!” questioned Gear, “What is he, your brother or a clone?” “Neither. He’s worth so much more.” smiled the Morn at the door. “I think you’ll find that I’m not the real Morn...” smiled the other one. “Damn straight you’re not.” groaned Turok, lifting the console off him, “Morn could never lift this console.” The second Morn turned to Gear, “Hello... Daddy... Its so nice to see you again, after you abandoned me! For that, you and your friends will suffer!” “Is there somethin’ you’re not tellin’ us?” joked Ruwin in a serious tone. “Would someone please explain what is going on here?!” shouted Gear. “Allow me.” smiled the first Morn, “I’ve being working on a special chemical for some time, it was originally meant to kill you all, but I still think that’s a possibility. It was very delicate and the smallest factors could effect the result, and when you Gear, were stealing my work the last time, you came into contact with this chemical...” “When the lights went out...” muttered Gear, “I must have spilt it.” “Yes, but by chance, a shred of your hair ended up in the mix, this was what made the chemical take on a humanoid form.” Morn continued, “But his powers came from the rare mixture of chemicals he was made from. Which means, no matter how you put it Gear, this is your son.” “My What?!” shouted Gear. “Of course, I’ve raised him, and studied the powers of this magnificent creature, and now I’m following through on a promise.” concluded Morn. “Uh huh.” said the second one, turning into liquid matter and changing black, “Morn promised me that he’d reunite me with my daddy, so that I could take my revenge for his abandoning me!” “I knew you’d somehow return here, despite all the security measures around the empire, but I’m sure you never expected This.” grinned Morn, as the black puddle then grew into its true form. “Who, or What are you?” questioned Gear. “Practically anything...” it replied, as it formed into a black human shape, but with shapeless flowing hands, sharp clawed feet, and a monstrous look on its face, with fangs and dripping ooze in its mouth, and nasty red eyes. Also, were strange clothes that appeared from nowhere to cover the creature: A green headband, puffy green trousers, and an orange item that were sharp shoulder pads, but partly body armour too, a vertical orange line joint to the shoulder pads went down to the creature’s stomach and ended in a circle, the same sort of line went down its back, but was just a long line. “With my powers, I can take practically any form, liquid, gas, or solid, but I can also shift my body into basic weapons. But it doesn’t end there, as you’ve seen, I can also take on the appearance and powers of others through a simple procedure. I am Morph, and that’ll be the last name you ever know.” “Can’t we talk about this?” asked Gear. “No! We can’t!” shouted Morph, long black tentacles exploding from his chest and the ends changing to sharp spears. “Gear!” shouted Kirie, casting a psychic shield over him. The spears pierced into it, but didn’t break through. “Agh...” groaned Kirie, “I can do this...” The tentacles continued to thrust into the yellow transparent dome, while Morph walked calmly towards Kirie despite the violence of his tentacles. Gear was within the forcefield, but Kirie wasn’t, her powers weren’t that great yet, but she had control at last. A look of fear came across her face as Morph’s mouth opened slyly, and his left arm turned into a huge sword. “Urrrgh!!!” grunted Turok, as he barged into Morph with all his weight, Morph groaned, but kept his balance by solidifying into a strong solid, but Turok still tried again, except this time Morph turned that area of his body into gas so that Turok fell through. Ruwin immediately flew down for a flying kick, but Morph used his free hand to stretch forward, grab his leg, slam him down to the floor, and then hurl him into the screen of a console, Morph then turned back to Kirie and Gear. “My friend Morn told me all about your friends, Daddy, the tin boy is always out to prove his strength, and the shades kid is very acrobatic, but not cautious enough, and as for you ‘Toots’, you can’t keep up that forcefield if you’re distracted, I’m gonna beat the stuffing out of you!” With that, he punched Kirie with a stretched out arm and fist, and sent her falling back, he also shot out a projectile of ooze that splattered onto her face, and kept her from breathing. “Kirie!” shouted Gear, before realising that there was no longer a forcefield without Kirie to project it, “Uh oh.” “Let’s get back to business...” smiled Morph. “Yes, let’s!” shouted Gear, hurling his blade boomerang forward and cutting Morph’s head off. It fell to the ground and splashed, lost the facial features, and remained a black puddle, while the body stood lifeless. Gear walked away from the computer and circled around Morph’s body cautiously, while Ruwin flipped over and ran towards Kirie to remove the gunk off her face. “Ya okay, Gal?” he asked. She breathed in heavily, “Thanks.” “Thank Gear fer the distraction, can’t let ol’ black guts ruin a pretty face like yours.” She simply smiled back at him. “Morph...” growled Morn. “Now for you Morn.” threatened Turok, and he and Gear stormed over to him. But a large black hand closed around Gear’s head and raised him into the air, the body was still active, while the liquid head climbed up the body and reformed into Morph’s face. “But I’m not done with you yet!” laughed Morph, and slammed Gear’s face into the floor, twice. “Neither am Ah!” shouted Ruwin, performing a flying kick, Morph changed into gas, and Ruwin passed through him while Gear was released, Morph solidified, and grabbed Ruwin with a large hand around his head, and then something started happening, Ruwin’s body had a wavy aura that travelled down Morph’s arm, and into his whole body, changing him until he looked like Ruwin perfectly. “Pretty good likeness, don’t ya think?!” grinned Morph in Ruwin’s voice, before using his feet to sweep under Gear and follow up with a spinning kick. “Gear! Agh!” screamed Kirie, as Morph punched her in the face several times rather harshly. Ruwin growled, “Those are mah moves, an’ ya Ain’t gonna use them on mah friends!” With that, Ruwin lifted himself up and leapt off the floor with a powerful kick that spun Morph around, Ruwin then started to lay into Morph, that is, until Morph turned his chest into sticky sludge so that Ruwin got his hands stuck, he started to kick wildly, but all of Ruwin’s limbs were stuck inside Morph before long. “So ya can still change yer body form, big deal.” scowled Ruwin. “It Is a big deal, you lose.” grinned Morph, changing his arms into large black spears. Turok yelled out and hit Morph with the biggest shot from his blaster, both Ruwins were sent flying, one towards Gear and Kirie, the other towards Morn. “Sorry about that buddy.” apologised Turok, running towards the group. “Turok! Ah’m over here! Ya know, the Ruwin that Ain’t got a hole in his stomach!” shouted the Ruwin closer to Morn. Morph grinned and batted Kirie and Gear into the air with one swing of a huge club form on his right hand, he then phased through Turok, and held on from behind as he started up a transformation as he did with Ruwin. “Morph! Don’t!” shouted Morn, but he was ignored. “Time fer a body switch!” The aura started, but Morph couldn’t change, he lost the Ruwin identity and became himself again. “Whaaat?! I can’t absorb anything from you!” “That’s because he’s a robot!” shouted Morn, “You need contact with skin to transform!” Turok used the distraction and flipped Morph off him, and into a puddle. “Kirie!” shouted Gear, “Separate him!” She used her psychic powers to scatter the droplets around the room. “The files. They’re complete!” cheered Gear, rushing towards the console and retrieving the P.A.D.D. But a glob of ooze fell on Gear and kept him on the ground, suffocating him, and most of the other pieces of ooze joined up with it and reformed into Morph, with his arms continuing to choke the life out of Gear. “You think you’ve got me figured out Daddy? Well you haven’t! You abandoned me, therefore, you don’t know me at all! The only way to destroy me is to keep me in ooze form for a set time, but that is impossible for someone as powerless and limited as you!” Ruwin rolled across the area, and with Gear’s blade, sliced off Morph’s arms, though he could easily regenerate them, Ruwin quickly pulled Gear free, and they both dived as Turok fired on Morph, sending him into the air in ooze form, and Kirie finished it off by sealing the blob in a tight psychic sphere, the ooze shook violently and Kirie had a hard time holding it up. “You’re partly right Morph, it Is impossible for me alone, but not all of us!” stated Gear confidently. “Grrrr, No! You will Not succeed!” screamed Morn, grabbing a metal rod and running towards Kirie. “Don’t you dare!” shouted Ruwin, tackling Morn, but he quickly threw the rod towards Kirie. She was able to duck, and hold the sphere together, but the rod flew into a large cuboid console and sparks burst out, followed by a small explosion, which sent Gear and Kirie flying. Morph dropped onto the floor with a splat, and slowly reformed, but was crawling weakly. “Daddy... Why?...” As he tried to pick himself up, the console exploded some more, and a huge piece flew at Morph and knocked him back, before crushing him between it and the wall. His remains remained splattered, and didn’t move at all. “He’s not reforming...” said Morn shocked, “Urrrrgh!!! You killed your own creation you idiot!” “He was never mine.” commented Gear as he and the others started to run, “As far as I’m concerned, you adopted him from the start, he’s Your responsibility!” The Resistors made their escape by having Turok blast the metal screen covering the doorway, they then broke threw an office window... Shortly after, at the Resistance Base, another meeting was called. “Despite the unseen battle that happened, I was able to complete the files. As I predicted, it will be a long time before I can reverse the mechanization, but I think its possible with the data I have now. And Kirie, I’m afraid what Morn said was true, but not what you jumped to conclusions over. I Could remove those scars, but it would also strip you of your psychic powers. I would never force a decision like this on you, and I guess you need some time to think about-” “No Gear.” interrupted Kirie, “I’ve already decided. I have to keep my powers, because without them, I can’t help you guys in the war, and I wouldn’t be able to stay here. Despite the side effects, the powers I have, are a part of me now, they’re who I am, and I couldn’t go back to normal life after what I’ve seen and been through. Besides, I’d miss you all too much, I love you all, and I can see that you all care for me too, regardless of my scars.” “Glad to hear it Kirie.” smiled Gear, “However, don’t be totally closed-minded about your scars, its possible that with a few more years research, we could return your outer beauty and keep your powers, but until then, we must keep on fighting...” In Morn’s lab, Morn was angry, Morph was supposed to be his ticket to success, and Gear was meant to die that day, all he had left was a further damaged laboratory, and a failure, but it wasn’t over yet. Morn opened the gate to his secret underground lab and touched the glass of the capsule in which Morph slept in, he would regain his strength soon enough, and when he did, with the right sort of planning, the Resistance would shatter, and he would reap the rewards... End Back to “Exit Morpher” Click to read the next story: "Trailblazer” Back to “The Complete Set” Back to the Library