It was dark and cold. Isn't it always, in the beginnings of these stories? Haha... Unfortunately this was very real. And it wasn't dark for long. Because soon, a blinding light flashed in my face, causing me to see spots. Colourful spots. When my vision adjusted, I noticed my right arm was tied down, with some polymer or another, which was all I could see of myself. Again, my favourite books always started that way. And again, it was much different to actually experience that. I guessed I was in a hospital, or a lab, or somesuch. I sighed. Or tried to, because apparently my lungs weren't my own. Or my fingers, or my jaw... Only my eyes seemed to work, and my mind. Actually, just my right eye. Crap. That's when the elctrocution started. It went on until my mind escaped into itself. I realize now, that was when I first started losing my mind. Fun.

A door behind me whooshed open, and footsteps followed the sound. A man appeared in front of me, having walked around, and wrote down something on something that resembled a futuristic PDA. Definitely better than the iPads of a decade ago. He put that down on a tray, I presume since I couldn't see it, and came back with a scalpel. He placed it against my chest, and sliced into it. I would have screamed out in pain had I control of myself. Once he finished, he left my chest alone and picked up my left arm, and I could finally see it. It looked like an odd combination of that steampunk kids were into, and futuristic robotics. I would be awed but for the pain I felt. The man pulled a special tool of some kind out of a pocket, and started messing with that arm. The fingers started moving. I was shocked, this was far beyond anything humankind had been able to come up with. I could have probably controlled it myself, that's probably how it would work, if I had control over anything. Amazing. Though obviously I wanted to vomit because of it. They cut off my arm!

The man dropped the cybernetic arm--I'll call it that, I think--and went back to my chest. He pulled back the skin and the flesh, opening it up. I cried, could do nothing but cry. My stomach churned at the pain. I wanted to kill this man, and would given the opportunity. Glancing at my chest, I thought oddly that it wasn't bleeding. They probably found a way to avoid that, temporarily, not likely permanently. He wrote something down on that damned PDA, and reached into my chest. After the initial pain, a much deeper pain followed. Slicing pain, ripping pain. I fainted when I saw my liver pulled out.

This went on for weeks. So much of me was replaced. They broke me, I think, before they started using what was likely the best anathestic on the face of the planet. The pain was too much, and I'm sure I snapped. I wanted blood. Their blood. They wanted to break me so they could mold me, but they didn't count on my insanity granting cleverness. I pretended to be molded, and I fooled them. Fooled all those bastards.

A lot of me was replaced, but not as much as I would have thought. Cybernetic left eye, implants in the right. Adjusted my vocal cords for a more charismatic voice, more trustworthy. My teeth were combined with a metal alloy. My olfactory sense was enhanced enormously. Implants in both ears. My skin... hard to explain but it was toughened. My bones were infused with a similar alloy to my teeth, but a softer, yet stronger one; it simulates bone, I think. My muscles, ligaments, and tendons were all replaced with cybernetic equivalents--the ones in my right arm and both legs especially. My left arm, besides what you already know, apparently has the ability to gain attachments. My sense of touch, and feeling by proxy, was enhanced; pain was deadened, though not to the point I wouldn't know if I was injured. They claimed my balance, and strength, etc. were vastly improved. Which brings me to my brain... It was replaced in part by cybernetics, and enhanced with implants in part. Which explains my lack of memory, which they say future memories will be perfect but I don't care... They say I will live a VERY long life, if this doesn't kill me soon. Good, only two possibilites. 50/50.

As you can tell, I was paying damn close attention. Another week or so of this crap, I think they might've finished. But of course not. A woman walks in with a long, thing needle on a large syringe. Fun. She takes my right arm, the inside of the elbow facing up, and sticks the needle in, to the hilt, up my bicep. I winced, in control of my body, save my voice, but tied down. She injected the glowing red/purple liquid into my arm and stepped back. Fire spread through me veins and my back arched with the pain. It was everywhere! I wanted to rip off my skin, just to get away! And it stopped. And my left arm let off a faint glow, from a little panel marked with an Alpha next to an Omega. I moved the metal fingers. So it worked finally!

I would have laughed if I could. I wasn't sick of what they were doing anymore. I hated them eternally, damning them to hell in my head, but I loved the finished product. And that's when they explained what I had taken was Vinum Cælī, or Heaven's Nectar. It would power the arm, or rather, help me power it; let me utilize my abilities, even the passive ones; and would extend my life even further. I thought that was it, until I felt it inside of me. A growing presence, a... red presence, whatever that means. It was power, and it kept growing and growing...

My left hand twitched. Yes, it was my hand now. I owned it. Well, it twitched, and a red haze spread around it. Then disappeared. I focused on the power, imagined doing that again. I did. Instinctually. I smiled wide, crazily. Maniacally giddy. I started laughing, and the power... it let me. Whatever had been stopping me from making noise... was evaporated by MY power. And how I loved my voice. I have no doubt that it was so rich, trustworthy, handsome, charming... that any woman would want to do anything to hear it. Sex was a personal favourite of mine, but I'm getting ahead. Back to my power... What a power it was.

I focused on the restraining bonds, and the red haze appeared, enveloping the bonds and ripping them out. I held up my hand, and the bonds followed it, floating in the haze. The woman was awed by my magnificence; I would have been awed too if I didn't have a plan forming in my head. I raised my hand further, letting go of the bonds and moving it around her head. I closed and opened my fist, and her head exploded violently. As the gore and grey matter splattered my face, I laughed with glee. I was free!

As you may have guessed. I undid my leg bonds, and proceeded to wipe out the occupants of the lab. No one put up a fight worthyof my supernatural feats. I could stop bullets, crush chests. I was invincible. I was... a god, wasn't I? Yes, that's what I would call myself. A god. "He wasn't supposed to be that powerful!!" one of them screamed as I ripped out his heart. Haha! Like they could possibly imagine how strong I truly was!

The base was cleared quickly. And then a screen popped up on a wall, with an old man on it. He was wearing a suit that said Neonetics. Stupid word play. He spoke. "I am Jonathan Stross Hmm... apparently the experiment was either a horrible failure... or a monumental success. What would you say, boy?" Boy? I was... hm, older than 30, I think.

I spoke for the first time in months. It was exactly as I imagined it from the laugh. The old man immediately relaxed, then stiffened again, like he wanted to resist it. He probably would, too, for the most part. "Hello, sir. I am Project Neochrist, which I assume your company ran, given your suit. I have an offer for you, that will make you far richer than you had imagined. The only thing is, I will be the leader and CEO and spearhead. I will take it by force if I have to, and you know I could, but I'm sure you'll settle for second. If you become a god like me, then there shall be no difficulty in this. And don't worry, it will be painless unlike my own surgery. I own Neonetics, and we will become the wealthiest gods ever."

He twitched, as if becoming second banana would be hard for him, but after a little more persuasion he quickly succumbed. He said he'd transfer the business to my name and come here immediately. Too easy. So easy, I realized I couldn't do exactly what they did to me, to him. I'd have to "water it down" on his. In fact, all of the rest of Vinum Cælī would have to be weakened, so that I could be king. Johnny would get a stronger batch than the third person in command--and so on, the stuff for the public would be around equal levels, it's likely to vary--... obviously there would be a third, and fourth, etc. I needed an army, and an empire. A business empire would do nicely, so about this army.

Over the next year, I stole eleven people, five men, six women, and brought them in to become changed. "Sumus dei, you will soon be as well," I would say. When I had my twelve disciples, who reveled in their powers and godly status as much as I, I gave myself a name. I was Rex now. Because I was King... of the gods...

[And that's the origin. Long, isn't it? Sorry about that. By the way, that's not my character. He's going to likely be the Big Bad, and be in the background a lot. Also, the setting for the RPG will take place a decade after this, after Rex's plan is well established and accepted. He will be the ruler, of course. Also, this will be in the mostly cyberpunk, some post-cyberpunk, and sci-fantasy genres. The setting is Steampunk meets Fantastic Noir stylings. If you are unfamiliar with any of these, check out TVTropes, then ask me in the Q & A thread.]

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