Chapter 8

Pac watched as Metal Bat send the parents away; he still got an uneasy feeling in his stomach. "You okay?" asked Zenko.

He shook his head. "Something's wrong… someone is watching us." He said.

Zenko was concerned. "Are you sure?" she whispered.

His head nodded. Pac could sense when someone was staring at him from afar, it would creep down his spine like a cold ice cube. This sensation only grew, he got off the monkey bars and encouraged her to do so as well. He turned to Hunter and Alley and gave but a nudge for them to move. Hunter paused as he turned to look behind him. He felt it too!

"RUN!" Pac called.

The four ran towards Metal Bat, yet just as they did, a noxious gas filled the playground. Pac couldn't move, he fell to his knees just as Metal Bat succumbs to the fumes. All Pac could remember was Zenko falling to her knees as a monster came out of the mist…

#

He woke slowly, his head pounding, but he was still alive. His hands were chained behind his back. Pac wasn't alone. To his right was Zenko, on his left Alley and Hunter who were also coming too. "Pac… what happened, where are we?" asked Hunter.

"I don't know… but… we're not alone." All around them were other children, chained to the walls crying for their parents. It was strange though, despite the containment, they children were all seated and there was a table before them. Pac however paused when he heard something coming. Monsters began to fill into the room and they carried these pulsing sacs.

"This should be a good start to our legions. What hero will kill a child turned into a monster?" said one.

Zenko gasped. "It's him, that jellyfish monster that tried to kidnap me before!" she whispered.

Pac glared at it, but he wasn't the only monster there. One stuck out in his mind, it had a dull red body with thick plated skin, on its head appeared to have been horns but they were broken off. He carried two large bags of the pulsing sacs. "I think this is a waste, what if their genetics aren't good enough?"

"We aren't looking at genetics Choze, we are merely looking at numbers!" said Sludge jellyfish.

Pac began to try and work his way out of the chains, but he knew if he tried too hard, he would make a sound, alerting the monsters. Still he had to try. He nearly got his right hand free when one of them came over. "Look at this one, he has potential…" Choze leaned down and tried to get a good look at Pac, but Pac refused to look at him. "Come now boy, let me get a good glimpse of your face. I know good genes when I see them!"

He felt the monster grab hold of his face and force his head upward. It angered him so much his eyes opened. "LET GO!" he roared.

Choze was startled. "I don't think this one needs any cells. Look at him!"

Pac was embarrassed as other monsters came over to investigate. He refused to open his eyes any farther, Hunter and Alley also kept their closes. "Oh… I know that face. That's Garou's sneer… wait… Garou reproduced?"

"This… Garou… the hero hunter you called him…" said Choze

"Indeed, we tried to recruit him many times before. He was a fool to keep refusing us! But how interesting. We all know he is not longer human anymore, and yet, he found someone to spawn with…" said Sludge Jellyfish.

"Leave him alone!" shouted Zenko.

Sludge Jellyfish turned and snickered. "Ah, Metal Bat's sister. I have waited for this moment…" Pac's eye shot open as Zenko began to scream. Sludge Jellyfish lifted her up and presented her with a monster cell. "You are going to be a good girl and eat this all up!"

"NO" she protested.

"You don't have a choice…"

"She said NO!" shouted Pac. "Let her go! Let everyone go!" he demanded.

"Ah, defiant as ever… just like his father. Curious still, I would like to see what would happen if the son of Garou ate one of these cells…"

Pac felt his stomach drop as the monster cell that was destined for Zenko was placed in front of him. "Eat it boy, and I'll let the girl go. If your brother and sister eat one, I will let the other children go." Said Sludge.

Alley and Hunter opened their eyes as the pulsing monster cell was placed before them. "Pac…"

"He's lying." He said defiantly. "If we eat it and become monsters, we won't control ourselves, we will rampage and harm everyone in the room. If we eat it and control ourselves they still have hostages. If they let everyone go, how will they find their way out? No matter what we do, if we eat it or not, it's a trap!"

Sludge snickered. "What a smart little one you are, either way, you won't leave until that is consumed, or do you want her to eat yours?"

"NO!" Pac roared. "You won't make her do anything… I won't let you! I WON'T LET YOU!" He cried out in pain as he felt the middle of his head split open. A third eye appeared, with that Pac made every monster in the room freeze in place.

"I can't move! Sludge, what is he doing?"

"I don't know, I can't move either!"

Alley summoned her strength, with a battle cry she tore the chains on her wrist off. Hunter felt himself grow stronger and followed suit. "Get everyone out of their chains, follow the largest path there is and RUN!" Pac called.

But he was feeling weak, he couldn't hold off much longer. His head pulsed with pain, his body was draining of energy. "Nice attempt child, too bad for you, you are not as strong as your father…"

Pac refused to give up. He kept enduring through the pain and torment. He felt himself grow stronger and tore the chains off his own wrist. He took Zenko out of Sludge's arm and freed her as well. "Zenko… lead everyone out."

"But you…"

"GO!" he said. She was reluctant but nodded. Hunter and Alley freed the children just as they too felt the weakness come over him. Pac held off just long enough to see the last child run out and into the tunnel. Alley suddenly grew weak fainted from the strain she put on herself. Hunter fell to his knees trying to keep himself awake and help Pac. But it was too much for him too.

His connection broke. Falling to his knees, sweat beaded down his face. Pac's eyes kept cutting in and out of focus as the monsters began to move again. "Children are easily caught, I'll go round them up again. Choze, make sure he eats a monster cell. This one has great potential!" said Sludge.

Pac felt himself get lifted off the ground, he barely saw Choze's face, but he felt the monster cell get pushed into his mouth…