Josh's Reality: Lab: Better Lead than Dead

[super-bro.livejournal.com]

Though temporarily out of the Phantom Zone and given just a wee bit of a reprieve, Mon-El was still dying, still suffering from lead poisoning in his veins.  Even if he could be cured of what was killing him now, the odds of encountering lead again were tremendous.  It would take a miracle to truly save his life.

His vision was hazy, pain making it hard to focus, but he could make out a high tech laboratory, one that would have been the envy of many a scientist.

Comments

[random_xtras]

Josh lay him down on a table and started hooking him up to a dialysis machine, his mind whirring as he recalled all that he'd seen of this guy in his uncle David's comic books (before the older man had refused to let him read anymore). "This should clear more of the lead out of your blood. It'll give me enough time to figure out the right composition for the cure."

Then he frowned and looked toward the door. "I need Kryptonite."

[super-bro.livejournal.com]

He was still weak, but he managed a rough smile. He wasn't sure if Josh could hear him, but in as loud a voice as he could manage--barely above a whisper, really--"thank-you..."

[random_xtras]

She stroked his hair back gently with one small hand, then offered him some more, wondering but not asking what was wrong.

[super-bro.livejournal.com]

He managed another smile, then took another sip. "Thank... thank-you."

[random_xtras]

"Actually, that's the part I want to call my aunt Ramada for. The forcefield's the best I can do with technology, though I can make the generator a lot smaller. But she can look at the genetic slant, and maybe work out how do do something more permanent."

[super-bro.livejournal.com]

He nods. "The force field works... but the problem with technology is that it either needs power or is too easily damaged. Genetics would be a better option."

[random_xtras]

Josh nodded. "Yes. So far they're still mostly unpredictable, though my aunt's working on mapping the gene. She's got it. So do most of my adoptive family."

Though the gene's not native to this reality.

[super-bro.livejournal.com]

"Hmm. Interesting. Not really my specialty, but I tried to stay current on most science trends back on Daxam."

[random_xtras]

Josh grinned. "And all lead free, too. So... where do you want to wear it? I could even make it subdermal if you want."

[super-bro.livejournal.com]

He considered this. "I can't say I like the idea of having something under my skin... But I bet we could put the components into a ring."

[random_xtras]

He soldered the tiny connections, then cocked his head and looked thoughtfully at the glass before starting to lay a tracery of wires through it. Amplifying the signal output wasn't all that it could do....

[super-bro.livejournal.com]

"Looking pretty good there, I'd say."

[random_xtras]

"Artificial intelligence at the atomic level." Josh picked the unicorn up and stuffed it into the pocket of his jeans. "Hey, do you know anything about girls?"

[super-bro.livejournal.com]

"Some. Why?"

[random_xtras]

"The original plan was to cut down the incidence of unwed teen motherhood." He picked up the cuff and studied it thoughtfully, wondering if there was anything else that he wanted to put on it.

[super-bro.livejournal.com]

He nodded. "I remember. I spent a lot of time exploring the corners of the universe from the Zone, but I spent a lot of that time watching Earth. I remember that was a big problem for a lot of the 20th and 21st centuries."

[random_xtras]

There is an empty place on a shelf, next to some dummies holding old uniforms. One of those uniforms, standing next to a smaller one of Josh's, is tiny enough to be a child's.

"Josh? Lar?" called a rich alto. "Hurry, the food vill be cold."

"We're coming, Aunt Himmelriß," responded Josh, remembering to use English so that Lar could understand, instead of the Feen that he'd nearly replied in.

[super-bro.livejournal.com]

Lar came out of the costume vault after putting his uniform away.

"I'm all set."

[random_xtras]

Jenny smiled at him, then looked at Josh and turned pink, and the big man at the counter turned and twitched his ears.

"Velcomen, fruend," he said.

[super-bro.livejournal.com]

"You must be the uncle Josh was speaking of. It's a pleasure to meet you, sir."

[random_xtras]

"Vhat branch of chemistry?" His ears perked as he crunched a snail shell and all.

[super-bro.livejournal.com]

"Biochemistry, mostly. It came in handy for studying native lifeforms."

[random_xtras]

"That's a good plan," said Himmelriß softly. Then she and her husband perked their ears toward the lab as Josh also turned and looked that way.

[super-bro.livejournal.com]

Lar likewise looked in that direction, while focusing his super-hearing.

[random_xtras]

She grinned and went to get a piece as Himmelriß and Sonnejäger chuckled.

"Chocolate cake?" Josh was back, a charming, eager grin on his face that really called Clark to mind.

[super-bro.livejournal.com]

Lar couldn't help but smile. "Like seeing Clark all over again," he said, softly.

[random_xtras]

Josh finished up what he was doing, then looked around. "I'm ready when you are, Lar. I just need to change."

[super-bro.livejournal.com]

Lar finished up and smiled. "I probably should too," he said. "But other than that, I'm ready."