Atom
Mento
There is a simple irony that is too easy to appreciate when a man who is always the smallest in the room is the only one that can do the task at hand. Sometimes for looking up to the sky people forget that the little man still can reach it by using other less conventional methods. This has always been the dilemma of Ray Palmer, the second but not last hero to wear the mantle of the Atom. For the general public the powers of the Atom are outshined by the ones of other heroes such as Superman, Wonder Woman, Flash, among others. The people often don’t perceive the great potential that the Atom has when using his powers at their full scale. The public may not know the real feats that Ray Palmer can perform but any hero or villain that have met him in battle know for certain that he is a force to be reckon with.
This same thing has made Ray become a veteran and venerated hero who has stood side by side with the same heroes that people often believe to be more powerful or more important. Before a hero though, Ray Palmer is one of the greatest minds on the planet along with being probably the greatest scientific mind in the entire world. (Much to Luthor’s dislike)
This is probably what led him to being in the current situation he is. “Mento do you hear me?! Mento!” yelled Ray Palmer while he was running near the brain of the leader of the Doom Patrol being followed closely by a group of beings that if they caught him could probably consume him.
30 minutes ago
You what? Asked Ray Palmer in shock after hearing the request of the man in front of him. “I want…No, I need you to use your powers and enter my brain for studies.” Answered Mento with a serene tone that made it hard to believe that this man could be doing the request due to madness. “A long time ago the helmet that gives me my powers caused me a tumor that messed with my mind. It created paranoia; it twisted my thoughts and memories and eventually led me to hurt the people I cared about the most. Raven, my son’s girlfriend…ex-girlfriend was the one that cured me using her powers. For the first time ever I felt…like myself. As time passed I’ve done my best to make up for my sins as the Crimelord and try to become the man that my family and friends deserve and the leader that the Doom Patrol needs. After the penultimate crisis took place I started to have creative impulses. They distracted my mind and blurred my judgment. At first I thought that it was the helmet. I thought I was an addict to it but after I removed it the impulses remained. I’ve gone to some of the greatest doctors in the world. Even Doctor Midnight but none of them can find the problem, as far as they can tell there isn’t one. I thought that maybe it was too small for any study to notice, so I thought of you.”
Ray had remained silent all that time, not daring to interrupt the story of the man in front of him. It was obvious that just like the Atom, the hero known as Mento had also found happiness and a purpose but that with time pain and regret came along with it. For the first time in a long time, Ray Palmer could relate to the pain of someone else as he too had received his own fair enough share of loss and mistakes. Independently that he was a hero and that helping Steve Dayton was the correct thing to do. How could he not help a man who is so much like himself?
Ray waited a few seconds to reply to the request but he never had a doubt on his mind about what his answer was going to be. “….Fine….I’ll do it. I just need you to take me to an operation room so we have a proper procedure. ” answers the Atom, Mento simply smiles and affirms with his head and then guides him to a room that already has all the things that they could need. The Mighty Mite is astonished by how advanced the medical equipment in the headquarters of the Doom Patrol really is, he probably shouldn’t though. Steve knows he has some kind of sickness, so even though he doesn’t know which one is it he knows he’ll need medical equipment for any and all surgeries and he is after all one of the richest man on the world.
Soon Mento was connected to the machines there and was put on stasis, after that the Atom pulled the trick he was the most famous for and started to shrink until the moment he couldn’t become tinier and then jumped into the ear of Mento. He travelled around the marvel that is the human body until finally finding his way into the brain of Steve Dayton. Palmer stands in wonder as he stares for a few moments the one organ that controls all others. He then comes closer to examine it trying to find what could possibly be causing the said changes in his personality. He looks at every place on the brain trying to find a tumor of any kind but like the other doctors confirmed, there is nothing. He then decides to take an even closer look and find a small thing that is….green. Having gained his attention, Palmer comes closer to analyze the green thing that seems to be the cause for Mento’s problems, as he comes closer though he notices that it is moving…it is alive. Seconds later two big eyes emerge from that creature and who he is becomes obvious.
The creature in front of the Atom is Mr. Mind, a little worm-kind being that came from Venus. His telepathic powers being so strong make him one of the greatest nemeses of Captain Marvel himself and right now the Atom is in total disadvantage as if he grows his size to battle Mr. Mind he will break Mento’s skull and killing him in the moment. With no other option to battle the enemy at hand, Ray Palmer starts to do his best to try to escape from Mister Mind.
Right now
Atom and Mr. Mind are still in their pursuit across the body of Mento and for some reason he is trying to wake up Mento to help him, Mr. Mind tired of this little game of the cat and the mouse decides to use an ability that he learnt not too long ago in one of his adventures against Booster Gold of all people. Mr. Mind starts to shake and by doing so a legion of works like him but even tinier starts to emerge and chase the Tiny Titan. They are fast and hungry and Ray can’t reach the exit before they catch up with him so as all hope seems lost Ray Palmer closes his eyes and awaits for the inevitable. After nothing happens he can see Mento standing between him and the would be killers of him. “How? How is this possible?” yells the Atom in both surprise and curiosity. Mento simply smiles and puts both of his hands on his forehead, trying to increase the power of his telepathy to crush several of the venus worms. “I can’t explain it, but while my body is completely in stasis my mind is still functioning. The Mento that you are watching is an image sent to you from my brain to yours so it is easier for you to process what’s happening. All my powers are amplified by the helmet but they still come from the brain so as long as it keeps working efficiently I’ll be here to help you.” explains Mento to his ally trying to make sense of what he just said.
Ray simply smiled and then launches himself into the battle, beating the worms that were already paralyzed by the mental construct of Mento. “Way too ex-machina of you” jokes Ray and then continues to punch the faces of their enemies. “The fight continues for hours until every single one of them falls. Having taken care of the problem at hand the two heroes rush into the brain of Mento in order to make sure that Mister Mind isn’t able to succeed on his plan, no matter what it is.
“So what do you think it is?” asks the mental construct of Mento to Ray Palmer trying to make conversation as their journey continues. “His plan? No idea” Ray then pauses for a few moments as he wanders through his mind and then stops completely as he thinks that he may have found the answer. “That helmet of yours….what does it exactly do?” Mento, surprised by the question then explains that the helmet expands the use of his telepathic and telekinetic powers as they were too weak before. “So that may be it!” announces Palmer to Mento completely forgetting that he isn’t the real Mento but an image projected into his mind that no one else can see or hear. “Mister Mind is one of the greatest telepaths in the world. If that helmet is combined with his natural powers it could be catastrophic.”
“But why not simply take care of my mind instead of silently and slowly alter my thoughts?” asks Mento, the curiosity had overcome him. “Probably because of your powers or maybe the helmet somehow protects you from it, so he tricks you making you believe that the helmet will once again corrupt you so you leave it and he then can use it. Everything fits“
However before they could finish exchanging their thoughts on the matter they reached the brain and had been intercepted by the real Mister Mind. “It would seem that you have completely figured me out.” Announces Mister Mind and then attempts to submit both of them using his legendary telepathic powers. Atom easily succumbs due to him not having any defense against a telepathic power and so the figure of Mento starts to be disrupted as the connection between the brain of the two heroes starts to lose power.
Ray Palmer falls unconscious and Mister Mind is finally ready to finish his life. “I am superior to any of my opponents but it is the first time I get the chance to kill someone smaller” says the villain, smiling at the irony of the situation, as he rushes to murder the Atom he suddenly is stopped without the ability to be moved. “What is happening?!” yells Mister Mind in confusion and desperation for the first time he can’t do anything. In short the construct of Mento emerged once more in front of Mister Mind with a victorious smile. “We knew that you would attack the Atom ignoring for completely that you are inside the mind of another one of the world’s greatest telepaths.”
After that Mister Mind felt a big pain on his chest as the Justice Leaguer punched him with great fury. The Atom had regained consciousness and was ready to put an end to this. “We needed you to separate yourself from the brain of Steve and to focus on me so you couldn’t see the mental interference or the telekinesis coming.”
“You can’t do this. I won’t be defied! I’m the last survivor of Venus! The sole creature that puts Captain Marvel on his knees! I…I am….” But before Mister Mind could finish he was interrupted once more by the representation of Mento. “You are nothing but a parasite and the time has come for me to regain the control over my mind. Get Out!” and with that said Mister Mind started to be moved without his control at great speed thanks to the telekinesis of Mento, Ray Palmer grabbed one of the various legs of Mister Mind as a way to get out of the body just as fast and then both of them were thrown out of the body of Mento.
Upon arriving back at the medical room, the Atom regained his original size and then grabbed Mister Mind and left him in a lead containment which he wouldn’t be able to escape from. After having done this Ray went to disconnect the device that was putting Mento on stasis and waited for him to regain consciousness. It took a few minutes but in the end Mento was able to open his eyes, upon noticing Ray was at his side he smiled and got up. “Is it done?” asks the leader of the Doom Patrol.
“Almost. This will hold him for now but I think that I should bring him to the Justice League headquarters or better yet make a call to an old friend of mine. Freddy Freeman.” After that he grabbed the containment and started to walk towards the exist, however before he opened the door he stopped and looked back at Mento. “How do you feel?” questions the Atom
“For the first time in a long time, like myself.” Answers Mento with a genuine smile.
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