The Boy Who Burned the World-01

Chester Lame was a most unfortunate boy. His father abandoned him before his birth, and his mother followed shortly afterword, leaving him at an anonymous turn-in site at a hospital. His name was the result of a doctor who had no love for bastards, which he was presumed to be, and noted an obvious deformity in him. His life thereafter was to be condemned as as Ward of the State, passed from foster home to foster home, and he found nothing but the worst that Mankind has to offer a unwanted boy. As he endured, he grew, and as he grew he soured and turned bitter. By the time he emerged into his youth he was far from the fresh, full flower of manhood many other boys he encountered had become. He hobbled, he had scars in too obvious places, and he long had lost his sense of empathy for his fellow man- being beaten, abused, and battered routinely for years does that to a lot of children.

So, when one of the mean old men teaching at his high school ordered to stay after class, Chester was not in the mood to suffer this intrusion.

The door shut, leaving the two of them alone. "You are not here due to any fault of yours." the old man said, "Whether or not you are here due to any merit remains to be see. As I too was once like you, I shall do you--and I--this courtesy and get straight to the point."

"I appreciate that, sir." Chester said, witholding his contempt as best he could.

"I need not access your student file, or do any other research into your background to date, to recognize someone done wrong by life itself- one seething with anger, and unable to do anything about it. Yet you want it, and will pursue whatever routes you can to get it. Though no one in the Administration can prove it, we all suspect that the incidents of maiming and crippling of those known to abuse you and later suffering accidents with acids or other chemicals are your work."

"Interesting." Chester said, "Go on, sir."

"I require an assistant. You require a patron to shield you. If you are half as intelligent as you think you are, then not only do you see through this meeting for what it is, you will also accept the offer I am about to make to you."

Chester's eyes said all. The old man, far more experienced in such subterfuge, long ago mastered body language and other manipulative arts. This was not the first seduction-as-recruitment operation he performed, so he felt no fear in doing this so boldly.

"Assistant with what?"

"Why, what else, Chester? Revenge, using some of the most powerful means Man has ever possessed."

Chester could not conceal the excitement in his eyes. "I'm in."