Chapter 4

Hunter and Pac sat in the cafeteria as the meeting went on. Pac took Suiryu's advice and had a good long talk with Zenko. He apologized for not keeping in touch with her, but she understood. Then, the hard part came. He told her about his soon to be transformation, and it wouldn't be long until he would appear more like his father. Surprisingly, Zenko didn't mind! "Believe it or not, I actually like snakes, but I have seen the ones on your dad, they look more like mini dragons!" she said to him.

"You like demonic, dragon looking ones?" he joked.

Zenko laughed. "I don't care what you look like!" she said, then her hand gently came on to the left side of his chest. "Just as long as your heart stays the same." It brought some relief to him, but not completely.

As his parent and Metal Bat went to the meeting, Pac went to the cafeteria with Zenko. Hunter decided to wonder around for a bit and wait for the others to come from their meetings before joining them. Zenko was getting something to eat when he began to feel strange. At first it felt like a sting, then a twinge of pain followed. Suddenly, it spread like fire across his back. His sides began to ache! Pac tried to keep calm, he had endured this before in recent days and was able to fight it off. Yet, as he braced his sides he felt the shifting intensify. He sensed the resistance growing under his skin. Everything tightened in his chest, he felt as if he were trapped in a vice! The tape began to stress and snap, it longer held back the agony he was feeling. Something moved under his skin and it was manifesting! Pac began to cringe as he braced his body. Sweat beaded down his face as he tried to hold back, but it became too much. "AAAHHHHH!" he roared.

The whole room froze as he got up out of his seat, but fell over on to the ground, he folded over in pain. He continued to scream out in agony. He began to swell from the chest up as everything was pushed! He heard the tape give way. His shirt tore off his body, the mixture of human and monster flesh burst away as the serpents emerged! Pac couldn't turn and see them, his eyes blurred from the trauma, but he felt them. As if on instinct they twisted around his arms, his chest and his stomach, they blended into him seamlessly like his father, and yet he could feel each and every one of them! "No… not here… why here!?" he muttered.

As he felt the last serpent coil, he froze. The whole cafeteria saw him erupt out of his own skin. Slowly, he stood, on trembling knees he saw every set of eyes stare at him. Bewildered, troubled, and disgusted. "Ugh, I can't eat anymore," one hero muttered.

"He had to do that here?" said another.

"PAC!" Zenko tossed her plate to the side and rushed to him. At first, she couldn't believe her eyes, his whole upper body was made of coiled dragon like serpent. Yet the color of them were nothing like that of his father. His chest was almost ruby red in color. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"Embarrassed." He whispered. "But… I'm okay… I think."

Her hands came on to his arm fearlessly, she traced down along the defined features of his limb, knowing it was something more than an arm before her. "Well as I live and breathe! If it ain't Zenko!"

Zenko suddenly froze in fear of the voice. Pac saw this strange teenager approach her oddly. She turned and hid herself behind Pac as he came closer. "What's wrong angel? Don't tell me you forgot about me?"

"Stay away Brant!" she warned.

"Brant?" asked Pac.

The teenager named Brant paused suddenly. Strange thing was, he was dressed and attempted to look like Metal Bat. However the look he couldn't pull off. Not even his blond hair would stay up! Part of it did, the tips of his hair though hung over like soggy French fries. But, he stared strangely at Pac, disgusted with the sight before him. "Who or what the hell is that!?" Brant began to get closer… that when Pac's body reacted. One of his serpents uncoiled from his waist and gave a warning snap to Brant! He stumbled back in shock of it. "What on earth! You! You're a freak!"

"Leave him alone Brant, for that matter leave me alone! I don't want to talk to you, I don't want to be around you!"

He forgot about Pac but stared at Zenko with this twisted grin. "Oh come on doll, you and I go way back. Our brothers are the best of friends! It's like we're meant to be!"

"She said… leave her alone!" growled Pac.

"Ah, ah. No fighting in front of the little lady now. How about you step off to the side, freak show and let me spend some time with my little angel face here."

"Pac, please, don't leave me alone with him." She whispered.

A creeping sensation came over him. Pac felt his whole body shift and move as Brant continued to inch himself closer. He was about to reach for Zenko when another serpent lashed out at him! It went as far as shoving him back hard! Pac felt all the creatures on his body uncoil from his core. Their sights first set on Brant, but quickly shifted to Zenko. In a flash they grabbed hold of her! They twisted and wrapped her up until they pulled Zenko into the side of Pac's body! He bulged out on his left side, knowing it was her trapped in him!

Pac gasped, the room fell into a dead silence, just as Garou and Melee entered with their newborn twins. "Zenko… ZENKO!" he was panicked to what he just did. Pac turned and saw his father. He began to tremble before him. He was desperate. "Dad… help me!"