Bodi Hawkes is a teenage foster child with a challenging, yet uneventful life—until he starts to inhabit alternate superhuman versions of himself from four other dimensions. As Bodi struggles to make sense of his newfound ability, a young girl named Phoenix Mack becomes inadvertently entangled in his predicament. Together, they seek out a reclusive physicist, Professor Artemis Hill, to help them.
After Bodi demonstrates his powers for the apprehensive scientist, Professor Hill attempts to unravel the mysterious origin of the teen’s power. Complications arise when a sinister rival from the professor’s past, Dr. Victor Maddox, steals Professor Hill’s findings. What will the madman do with this information? Can he utilize it to execute his evil plans?
If Dr. Maddox can duplicate and expand upon Bodi’s ability and use it for his own criminal ventures, the results could be catastrophic. Now, along with his quest to discover the source of his extraordinary gift, Bodi embarks upon an amazing adventure to thwart any evil plans Dr. Maddox may have for his unique talent. But the diabolical doctor won’t go down quietly. What will it take for Bodi, Phoenix, and Professor Hill to overcome The Perils of Quad?
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Bodi suppressed a gasp and ducked back behind the computer cart, squeezing his eyes shut. Oh boy. This is it. He immediately started piecing together what was happening – Maddox was looking for them. Bodi wondered how much time had passed in this dimension since he’d left. It didn't matter. Maddox was here. And so was Bodi. This was where he had to stop him. Enough thinking. Take him by surprise. Now!
Bodi steeled himself and concentrated. The light came and the rift tore open. He came out of hiding and quickly ran at Maddox as he transmogrified. Bodi’s point of view shifted higher and became ruled by X-14's digitized optic scanners. Maddox gaped openly as a cybertronic hand gripped him by the throat and slammed him against the wall, pinning him so his legs dangled far above ground. Interdimensional vapors drifted around X-14's mechanical arm and past Maddox's face. The doctor blinked the vapors away and looked at X-14. The human side of B-0d1’s face scowled angrily, trying to appear as intimidating as possible. His red optic scanner glowed furiously.
“Surprise,” his metallic voice growled.
“Surprise indeed, Bodi,” Maddox said.
The man's sudden calm disturbed the boy, but B-0d1 tried not to let it show.
“It's over,” B-0d1 said.
“Ah. I'm assuming then that you're going to kill me within the next three seconds?”
“Yeah? Why’s that?”
“Because that's the only way you'll leave here alive,” Maddox smiled.
B-0d1 paused for just a moment too long.
“Time's up,” Maddox said.
There was a horrible tearing sound and a flash of light temporarily blinded X-14's optic sensors. Before his robotic optics could form an image again, something shoved X-14 off his feet. B-0d1 experienced a momentary feeling of zero gravity and then he shuddered as his body slammed into the wall, which crumpled inward from his impact.
Something had just launched him across the room.
B-0d1’s vision was obscured by clouds of drywall powder that billowed from the smashed wall. As B-0d1 floundered in his disorientation, he heard and felt the vibration of some massive presence approaching. He heard his own labored breathing as he tried to regain the wind that had been knocked from his lungs – the drywall crackled as he slowly wriggled out of the crater he had made, but that was quickly drowned out by the ugly sound of heavy hydraulic whining and high pressure pneumatic hissing. The sound reminded him of a busy factory. Then, as B-0d1 rose to one knee, the being stepped out of the settling dust and stood before him.
It was at least three feet taller than B-0d1’s cybernetic form. It was a bulging figure whose external musculature was made up of winding beams of dull gray iron patched together with protruding steel rivets, like a metallic Frankenstein monster. B-0d1 could tell it was one of Maddox's altiversions, because its monstrous visage twisted into the doctor's disturbingly charismatic grin as it looked down at him. Its voice was low and guttural and distinctly electronic, though tinged with a somehow organic screech of metal against metal.
“Surprise,” it droned.
Before B-0d1 could fully absorb what had happened, an enormous hand clamped into a cinderblock-sized fist and slammed with jarring force into his face.
~~~~~
Blaylock sprang upright in bed. He was thoroughly frustrated by his pitiful attempts at bonding with Bodi. It was depriving him of much-needed sleep. He shook his head as he tossed the sheets back and got out of bed. He grabbed a miniature cigar from his night table, fumbled for a lighter and lit it. As he pulled the flame into the cigar, Gavin watched the tip glow. The crackling of burning tobacco was deafening in the dead silence. He remembered the first time he'd purchased a pack – he’d just wanted to appear cool at a meeting with a potential client for a tracking job. Now, he was addicted to them. He shook his head again, cursing himself quietly. He should go talk to the boy now. No, he should wait until morning. If he woke him up now, the kid would surely hate his guts. Blaylock got back in bed, but before he even settled in he swung his legs up and out of bed again, stood, and began to pace. He couldn't stop himself. He had to at least try to talk to Bodi now. He would stop all his lame attempts to befriend the boy and just level with him. He would tell him that he was nervous and scared, but that he wanted to try to be a part of his life. Blaylock snorted in disdain. The kid would scoff at him for sure. He didn't care. He decided he would try. Blaylock put out the cigar and left the room.
When he arrived at Bodi's door, he knocked softly. Then, realizing that the boy probably wouldn't hear the knock if he was dead asleep, Gavin slowly opened the door and peeked inside. He immediately realized that Bodi wasn't there, but stifled his initial sense of alarm. Maybe the boy went downstairs for a midnight snack. Good. Then he’s already awake. Blaylock walked swiftly downstairs, but saw no sign of him. Maybe the boy’s in the bathroom or just stepped outside... then Gavin saw that the basement door was slightly ajar, and he felt the first chill of real fear. He jogged down the stairs and, as he came near the bottom he smelled something... it was the smallest trace of the familiar odor of scorched metal and wet timber. Blaylock knew it well, because he passed through the interdimensional mist whenever he crossed worlds. Oh no. Bodi must have traveled. But why? And how would he... Blaylock whirled around and saw the image of the cosmoverse rotating still on his computer monitor.
Smart kid. Damn that smart kid.
Blaylock didn’t bother alerting the others. He quickly moved to a cabinet and smacked a hidden panel underneath, which dropped open to reveal a futuristically smooth dark blue pulse rifle. He snatched the weapon from its cubby and slung it over his shoulder. Blaylock turned, walked toward the center of the room, and held a hand up as if summoning something. The black void of the cosmoverse spoke with a mere whisper as it opened before him. Barefoot, and wearing nothing but a t-shirt and jogging shorts, Blaylock lunged into the rift after his son.
~~~~~
B-0d1 tasted metal and hydraulic fluid. He worked his mechanical jaw and heard a slight squeaking, but thankfully there was no pain. When he looked up, however Maddox's image skipped and pixilated. X-14’s optic scanners were damaged. B-0d1 shook his head, and the image became clear again. Maddox chuckled. His laughter sounded like the echo of distant synthesized thunder. B-0d1 rose to his feet, not sure whether he was more angry or afraid.
“You should see the look on your face,” Maddox said. “You’re just now realizing what you’ve gotten yourself into.”
Maddox took a step towards B-0d1 as the defiant teen raised his hands, palms out. Before he even really knew what he was doing, his hands glowed red with gathering energy and two spheres of crimson fire shot out with a sulfurous hiss. The recoil forced him to shift his footing, but the spheres struck Maddox solidly in the chest. The scientist took a step back and stared at B-0d1, who dared hope that Maddox was injured. But the monstrosity was merely surprised.
“I really expected you to turn and run,” he grated, chuckling once more. “Bravo.”
He raised a hand-like appendage that immediately spat out a burst of what looked like a tangled knot of lightning. B-0d1 tried to evade the blast, but misjudged its speed. The lightning clipped his shoulder, sending him reeling in a dangerous backward spin. His head caught against doorframe and his body careened into the corridor, smashing cement as he bounced off both walls and scraped to a stop at the end of the hall. Filled with terror, B-0d1 scrambled to his feet as fluid began to fill his eyes. He wiped the moisture away and realized it was blood.
