The Seven by Sean Patrick Little Page A

Your skin will still bleed, you will still feel every bit of pain that comes from skin damage, but you will heal at a slightly higher rate than anyone else."
    "I like this so far."
    "I have no idea how strong or powerful you will be. Dr. Cormair was anticipating you would be able to exert maybe twenty thousand PSI in a punch, maybe more. We won't know until we test you. To put it in perspective, a heavyweight prize fighter only punches in the high three thousand range."
    "Whoa."
    "Of course, Cormair was being conservative in his estimates. You may be able to produce much more than that. One thing you have to know, Andy: If you hit a person full-force, you will kill them. The human skeleton will not be able to take it. You will shatter their bones into rubble and rupture all of their internal organs. They will be dead before they hit the ground." Sebbins glanced over her shoulder to make sure Andy knew she was serious.
    "Sounds like I'm a beast, then."
    "You were built to be a tank, Andy. They are vehicles of destruction, and so are you now. You are no longer going to be capable of being lax in your actions. Everything you do is going to have consequence because of your strength. You can't even flip a pencil at someone without making sure you check yourself because if you don't, you could turn that pencil into a dart."
    "I'll be careful," said Andy. His face was somber. He was looking at his cartoon fists, each inflated and unreal. One of his fists was almost the size of Sebbins' torso. His forearms were as big as her waist.
    The elevator was unoccupied and a few Luna moths were still clinging to surfaces. "Holly's work?" Sebbins asked brushing a moth away from her lapel.
    "Of course."
    Getting into the elevator was a tight squeeze. Andy had to go in sideways and Sebbins squeezed into the corner by the buttons. The doors closed and the elevator began the upward journey.
    "Is this going to hold me?"
    "It's a freight elevator. Dr. Cormair requested that it be able to move ten tons."
    "Will it hold me?"
    "If it doesn't, we'll know how much you weigh."
    The cables strained, but the elevator moved normally. "I'm less than ten tons, I guess." His breath began to get labored. "The pain is coming back, Doc."
    "You need more serum. Cormair said it's the only thing that will help you get through the change. I have to keep you injected with massive quantities of serum."
    "So do it," Andy's fists suddenly tightened into boulders. "I'm starting to not feel my arms or legs."
    The door opened and they were suddenly face-to-face with several soldiers. Andy shoved Sebbins behind him and blocked her body with his own. No one moved. Sebbins reached into her pocket and slowly withdrew another heroic dose of serum. She reached up and pressed the end into Andy's neck and injected it. "Don't punch them, but you can still throw them, as long as you're careful."
    A slow smile spread across Andy's broad chin. "Done."
    The soldiers reached for their guns, but the one nearest to the door was lifted off the ground like a child's toy and thrown into the rest sidelong toppling them like bowling pins. Andy thundered out of the elevator. He grabbed a handgun from the soldier on top, ripping it away from him and dwarfing the pistol in his massive hand. He squeezed and opened his hand, dropping a lump of useless metal onto the ground.
    Dr. Sebbins rushed for the front door. "Andy! Let's go!" She flung open the front door and froze in her tracks.
    An armored personnel carrier and a large, off-road truck with a mounted machine gun in the back were parked on the lawn. A few dozen soldiers, holding various rifles and assault guns were milling around the vehicles. A helicopter buzzed overhead, sweeping a painfully bright searchlight across the ground. Two soldiers, each leading a barking and excited Belgian Malinois at the end of a leash, were making a sweep down the road leading to the front door of the Home. From the sounds in the distance, there were more vehicles