Published at 2nd of October 2026 12:05 pm

Chapter 55 Waking Up (Ezekiel POV) + Doll Artwork

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Ezekiel POV:

Decades. It's been decades since the last time I woke up and didn't feel the specter of death hounding me. I can't remember the last time I took a breath that didn't hurt, or had a moment of painlessness. That is, until today. I feel great, incredible even. To the point where I wonder if I died. Waking up inside a comfortable hospital bed, surrounded by four white walls, and with my granddaughter Chessie sleeping in a chair in the corner. I don't remember being anywhere near a hospital.

Instead of weakness and pain, I feel a surge of strength and energy inside me that I've never felt before. That kid- no, it's not right to think of him as a kid anymore. Eryk Blakely, aka Nobody, is anything but an upstart Cowl. He is a man of means that I had no clue about. I was so confident that even though I'd be forced to make an uneven deal with him, I would still be in control. Hah, what a naive thought. No, it's obvious that I've underestimated my opponent. Years of independent success got to my head and caused me to believe I knew better and that I'd have an advantage in negotiations with him. I've secured Chessies life, but at what cost? What kind of monster have I tethered our lives to?

Most of my body is covered in bandages, but I can feel my toes and wiggle them, so they've obviously done their part. The normal lethargy and brain fog that I battle with are gone. My head and mind are crystal clear. My lifeless, broken body is fixed and full of vigor. Everything feels better than it did in my thirties. The only hiccup is the faint buzzing I'm getting from the room. It's probably a psychosomatic leftover from the surgery. Honestly, even if it stays, it'll still be worth it.

The door slides open, and the Doctor walks in holding a tablet. The black and red eyeball drones from earlier aren't here, thankfully. The moment I saw them, I recognized them from that video circulating online. The Artificer arrives, trouncing both Cowls and Capes. Without the costume and dressed in some insane genderfluid getup, I wouldn't have recognized him without the drones. That is, until he began doing my intake. The moment his eyes scanned me, I saw the utter lack of emotion. The way he looked at me sent shivers down my spine. The man saw my lifelong struggle as nothing more than an amusing puzzle to attack. And I guess it was to him, because he seemingly cured me in an afternoon.

How is the patient feeling? Your scans show that the transplants are holding; there wasn't really a chance of them rejecting since I grew them using your DNA, but you never can be sure, he said dispassionately.

I feel better than I have in fifty years, I said.

Please refrain from answering emotionally. I need concrete descriptions, he replied rudely. Is there pain or discomfort?

You have an awful bedside manner, you know that? I fired back.

Oh, sorry, was I not nice enough when I saved your life? I have likely tripled your lifespan and swept away decades of abuse and disease. Forgive me if I was too busy accomplishing medical miracles to practice my tone. In case it isn't obvious, I have achieved Ship of Theseus levels of changes to your body. I replaced so many pieces of you, you could legally be considered a different person. You could be a bit more grateful to me for evolving you past the peak of human, you simpleton.

I bite down on my response. He's right. If he did truly fix me and undo all the medical problems that plagued me, then I owe him thanks, not reproach. Dealing with these types would spike my blood pressure if that was still a problem for me. I owe him, and by extension Nobody my life.

Sorry, Doctor. I was hot-blooded in my youth, and it seems like that might be reading it's head, I said, offering my apologies.

That might be a result of the miniature nuclear power source that's inside of your chest. Still, the calculations I did showed that elevated temperatures would be within negligible ranges. If your blood feels hot, then the improved heart I made needs to be removed, he replied, typing away on his tablet.

I meant that in a metaphorical sense, not in a physical way, I quickly explained.

Oh. Okay, he said, deflating slightly.

Sorry, did you just say nuclear power? Inside my heart? I asked worriedly.

Yeah, it's one of the many upgrades I made to you. Don't worry about it. It's completely safe; there's zero leakage, he assured me.

Relax, Ezekiel. You knew that there would likely be risks going to Nobody; don't complain now.

Understood. Do you mind if I ask you to explain what you've done to me?

The Doctor's eyes suddenly sparkle, and he displays more energy and emotion than he has since we met.

It might be a bit above your ability to comprehend, but wanting to learn is admirable at your age, he said. Ouch. Well, as I was saying before, there is a perfect sphere of concentrated and solid nuclear energy inside your heart. That is needed to provide the energy for all the new features. I overhauled your cardiovascular system, doubling the amount of capillaries around each muscle, improving the circulation of blood, and the speed at which oxygen and blood move inside you. You'll find breathing easier than ever before and be able to go far longer without needing to stop. There are also a multitude of different nanomachine programs running inside your body that regulate your body and brain chemistry, heat levels, energy consumption, and production of waste. I 3d printed your organs using your own DNA, and each one of them is surrounded by clottocyte clusters ready to release an organic polymer mesh that will instantly stop the bleeding.

What? I'm trying to wrap my head around what he's saying, but it's mostly surgical jargon to me. Still, I know enough about modern medicine to understand that what he's said is the work of science fiction and decades ahead of what is even privately available. The work he's done on me would cost billions, if not tens of billions.

Wow; thank you, I said.

I'm not done; based on the ideal weight and body fat percentage, the nanomachines control the release of a myostatin inhibitor in order to facilitate increased muscular growth to better use the skeletal structure I designed. Inside your bones, calcium-graphite roots are growing through them. This improves the strength of the skeleton without compromising its density and elasticity. You will find that you are much stronger than before, and utilizing the strength will be easier than ever before. Your eyesight and hearing are much sharper than previously, and your eyes can adjust to different light levels instantly. Ive also improved your ability to work with computers and programs by implanting a supercomputer inside your brain linked to your new retina. That, along with the increased neural pathways, will grant you perfect recall of anything youve seen. Your new arm has a touch-based input device synced up to the processor inside the brain implant that will allow you to access and interface with computers as long as youre touching them. I toyed around with the idea of using Bluetooth or something similar to allow you to interface, but that leaves you open to being able to be hacked by anyone nearby. Keeping your body as a closed system is much better, trust me. What else was there? Ah, yes, I remember. Every sixty minutes, your implant uploads a backup to a physical cloud drive that we have here at the base. If you should find yourself dying, I have enough of you to likely reconstitute you, he continued.

Holy shit. Forget tens of billions, you couldnt even buy this. Hes practically turned me into a Neuvohuman. If the others all have this and their powers, then its no wonder theyve been able to accomplish so much. This man is a genius. Even a fraction of what hes done could be considered superhuman, let alone all of them combined.

Doctor, I began to say.

You can call me Kai, he interrupted. Nobody says youre joining us, so I might as well tell you my name. All of what I said before, plus autonomous metabolic processes, accelerated healing, immunity to disease and illness, and a reduced sleep requirement are also included in the base package.

Then call me Ezekiel, Kai. What you've done for me is mind boggling. It isn't every day that I find myself flabbergasted. I do have a symptom to bring to your attention. Theres a low buzzing coming from the entire room. And even though I just went through what sounds like extensive surgery, I dont feel tired or spent. The constant joint pain is gone; all my chronic pain is gone. Its like Ive been dipped in the fountain of youth. If you told me that I was dead and you had harvested my organs, Id believe you, if not for the fact that all my organs were shit. Youve truly done great work, son, I said, thanking him.

Its to be expected. That could be the transmitter picking up signals; Ill have to run a diagnostic to tell for sure, though. But since youre awake, its time for you to hold up your end of the agreement. Nobody doesnt like to be kept waiting, and you don't want to disappoint him, Kai told me.

Speaking of the enigmatic young man, is there anything I should know about him now that I'm going to be working for him? I asked.

The Japanese man's smile is like that of a Cheshire cat. It's both sinister and creepy how thrilled he seems to be at my lack of knowledge. What does he know that I don't?

Two things become true for those of us who have joined his banner: first is that the price you paid is pitifully cheap compared to what he can and will lead you to, and that he's more of an unstoppable force than a man, he warned me gleefully. I heard you ambushed him in public; that was the smartest and stupidest thing you could have done. Your courage is admirable. You belong to a select club of people now."

What has he done to make this brilliant man think of him so highly? What misadventures have I missed out on?

You preach about him the very same way pastors speak of God. It's clear that he's earned your loyalty, but I'm a little surprised at how much you revere him, I responded.

He throws his head back and laughs raucously at me. After a few minutes, he stops and wipes a tear forming out of his eye.

I'm too intelligent to believe in a higher power, and I do not revere that guy, Kai said, letting out another laugh. Earning my loyalty implies there was another option or that he tried to. He doesn't care about loyalty; he cares about competency. All of us were smart enough to realize that you can either benefit from him or die. Nobody isn't a rising tide; he's not even a leak-proof ship; he's the promise to destroy every other ship and use the drowning people as a life raft.

The Doctor is a fanatic, regardless of what he says. No sane or normal person would be this intensely devoted otherwise.

Then I guess it's a good thing I didn't become his enemy. Luck be a lady that smiled on me. Whether it's a fluke or an accident, I will accept the windfall, I said.

Enemy? Nobody doesn't have enemies. Everyone who has gotten in his way is dead. If you find yourself in a position where he considers you an enemy, then there are only three things you can do, Kai said.

What are they?

Pick a God, pray to it, and hope it exists.

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