Chapter 12
Snek knew what hit him, once more he was felled by the same damn weapon that took him out at the hands of the exterminator. But this time, it felt different. The blast was strong but it wasn't intended on the kill, the last one he knew was but why did someone hold back this time around?
He slowly came too, his laid face first in sand, before his eyes adjusted to the world once more. He wasn't alone either.
All around him lay the family of Garou, including the twins! Max and Suiryu were close by him, and yet he couldn't shake the feeling there was terrible about to happen. "Oh look, the first to wake is none other than the test subject who made this all possible!"
Shaking his head clear, Snek looked up and saw the clone 78 staring down at him, grinning from ear to ear. "Who the hell are you?" Snek demanded.
The clone merely smiled. "Perhaps your savior or perhaps your worst enemy? It all depends on you. But I am thrilled to see you are awake, you and your friends were are going to help me evolve the world!"
Slowly, Snek stood once more. Looking about he realized they were surrounded. There were clones everywhere, armed with the same damn device that took him out before. Yet they were more refined and compact. "What's this all about? Why do you have us here for?" he demanded.
Then, the rest of the family began to come too, all but Garou. "Rest assured, all your questions will be answered. But first thing is first." He snapped his fingers, three of the clones took aim at Garou and fired! He roared out in pain and agony, until he went limp and still!
"GAROU!" Snek shouted.
It forced the others to wake themselves. Max, Suiryu were the first to come too, followed by Melee and the kids. She froze at the sight of Garou lying still on the ground, she turned and glared at the clone before letting a demonic growl escape her throat. "Oh please, hold that energy for when we take it from you Miss. Brawler. I am more than aware of your family's power and rest assured I will put it to good use!"
"What the hell are you talking about?" demanded Max. "What power? What energy do you intend on taking?!"
"Monster bio energy!" 78 said with a sinister grin. "I have come to the conclusion that monster cells are too fickle. Miss Alley Brawler has also declared that her cure in itself is temperamental and won't work on everyone. So I have decided the next best option. Siphoning monster bio energy. One that has already altered human beings into perfect creature hybrids… mainly, the family of Garou and you!" 78 then smiled. "We will use that energy, and turn it on to the world. The family contains more than enough monster bio energy to change the population into perfect hybrids! We will evolve the world in a single blast!"
"You are going to suck the life force from us? You're already doing that by flapping your lips!" said Snek. "Like hell you are going to take my life for your cause!" Snek coiled him, with that he lunged towards 78 who quickly shot him with the weapon he possessed behind his back.
Snek braced for the blow, and yet, it felt different! He felt it all the way through his body, down to his core, but it shook him strangely. Snek felt as if something were pulled straight out of his body. He felt and hit the ground hard multiple times. His body skipped along the sands as each hit became less and less intense. Eventually he came to a rolling stop, for a moment he thought it was the end. However, he could still feel his hands, his body wasn't in that much pain, movement was still possible! Granted, he was a little dizzy and sore, but knew he could get up again. Slowly he pushed himself up off the ground, preparing himself for another round, when his head began to tingle and surge with a strange feeling, a connection that hasn't been made in two years began to return. He felt numbness from the waist down, but then, sensation.
Snek froze, slowly. He stared down himself. There wasn't a serpent tail, but two human legs! He stumbled back at the sight, but then realized he was moving his legs in that moment of shock. The serpent skin became his battle suit once again. It was still intact! He then noticed his hands. They were human too. He began to feel his face and felt the soft, supple flesh once more. Snek began to tremble, tears soon flowed from his eyes. His arms wrapped around his own body as he cried even harder than before. He shook his head in disbelief.
The nightmare was over.
"I'm me…" he whispered.
"Snake?" he turned and saw Goliath and Draven stare at him, bewildered to the sight of their friend. "Is that… what you really look like?" Goliath asked.
"I'm… I'm human!" he wept. "I'm really human…"
"Indeed. Since you have not been a monster for a long time, nor have you turned to the extent of Garou and his family, it renders you back to human. How fortunate for you." Then 78's sights turned to Garou's family. "But as for you…."
78 took aim, his sights set in Garou!
Snek gasped as the trigger was pulled. Melee however reached into her shoe and threw a projectile right at the weapon. She threw a small shuriken right into the tip of the weapon, forcing it to overload. 78 was force to throw it away from himself before it burst! She stood once more. "Kids… get out of here, NOW" she ordered.
Snek got to his feet once more, he took a moment to adjust himself but eventually regained his balance. "Come on, you heard your mother!" he said. "Max, Suiryu!"
The two however remained. "GO! We'll bid you time!" said Suiryu.
Snek began looking about, there were so many clones. However, he noticed that one by one they were being struck. Their weapons blew up in their hands. Melee came packing! She used her projectiles and took aim for the weapons. Yet, more clones were pouring out of the building! "Take out the mother, take out Garou at the same time. These two cannot be at full strength!" 78 ordered.
The kids were quick to make their way to Snek as he looked about. "Can you break the walls?" he asked.
Hunter and Pac took a stance, they tried the dragon slayer iron fist technique, they could crack it! None of the kids were at full strength, that wall should have given way from one blow! Alley followed up with a hard strike to the crack, farther damaging it. Goliath and Draven then lined up their shot, combining their strength they broke the wall! "GO!" Snek insisted. Just as Alley was about to go through the hole, they were all struck from behind.
Snek was buffered from the blow thanks to the twin standing behind him, he turned and saw a small army of the clones armed with the damn weapon. He witnessed Max get blown to the wall near by him, at the same time, the metal scales he possessed burst off his body. He was rendered human once more! "No… not now… not now!" Max said.
Suiryu was doing damage, he took out a great amount of clones before he too was struck and his monster strength was taken away. He flew up into the air only to hit the ground rather hard just before Snek.
Then, another blast was sent his way. Snek felt none of it, but he saw the children of Garou scream in utter agony! He watched helplessly as their energy was drawn out of their bodies. They were reduced to husks of their former selves! "NO!" He went to each of them, checking to see if they were still alive. They breathed, but couldn't move.
"Snake…" whispered Goliath. "It… hurts… I'm so… cold"
"WHAT DID YOU DO!" Snek roared.
78 laughed. "As I said. You three weren't monsters to begin with, only partly turned which allowed you to return to your human forms. The children… were never human to begin with. They will remain in that state until one of two things happen. The energy is returned… or used. When it is used, they will no longer be able to survive…"
He then heard a god awful shriek of pain, and a howling of agony. Snek turned and saw Melee and Garou were taken of their monster energy as well. Melee was still trying to stand, Garou too. Despite the punishment he had taken, he refused to yield! Slowly, Garou stood on his own two feet. Melee as well. "Such fight in these two, it helps when they themselves were once human, but, due to their genetic altercation. They lost the ability to turn back when we take their energy. Still, to see them stand is nothing short of amazing…"
They hobbled like zombies, unable to fully coordinate themselves, but still, they gave it their all! Garou somehow found the strength to do one desperate charge at 78. Yet he was quickly struck down. Melee was blasted to be safe than sorry by the other clones.
It left Max, Snek and Suiryu standing. The three turned to each other and gave but a nod. Snek stood, adjusting his tie for the first time in two years. He prepared for a fight. 78 however snickered at him. "Really? We know all about you Snek. Do you truly believe that you can stop the likes of me?"
"Don't know if I don't try now." Snek took his stance, as did Max. Suiryu stretched himself out before their sights set on 78. "Let's do this, Class A Style!" said Snek.
Snek and Max decided now was the time to strike. The two charged as fast as they could towards 78, they came within striking distance when once more. They were struck. Another clone came out of hiding and hit them with the sonic weapon. It took nothing from them, yet the pain it cause was enough to keep them down.
Suiryu refused to be taken out that way. There were clones everywhere, nearly impossible to strike all at once. If he did a ground attack, he could harm Garou and his family. If he took to the air, he would he trapped as well. There was no move he could make, no strike that would make a difference.
"Ah, you see it now, don't you?" 78 laughed. "You have nothing! We have you surrounded, if one of us doesn't hit you… we may hit your friends or the family that cannot move. What are you going to do?"
Suiryu refused to concede. He took his stance as he was about to make a strike, however, he froze as Snek yelled aloud.
"Give up!"
"What?" demanded Max and Suiryu.
Slowly, he stood to his feet. Snek was battered and bloodied but he stood. "I give up! We can't win!"
78 laughed. "Ah, a hero with brains, that's rare now a days isn't it?"
Snek cleared the blood from his lip and spat out what accumulated in his mouth. Despite his wounds he tried to stand strongly before the clone and his legions. "But, I do have one request. Just honor it!" he said.
It intrigued 78's interest. "I'm listening,"
Snek limped forward. "Whatever the hell you plan on doing, whatever you are using that… shit for. Make me a promise here and now..." he said, then paused as he stood as tall and proud as he could. "You won't turn me again!"
"What?" demanded Max.
"You heard me, keep that monster shit out of me, I don't care. But promise, that won't come back to haunt me. Whatever plan you got for it, just make certain that I never become that monstrosity again! I won't stand in your way. In fact, I'll even help you if you promise me immunity!"
"SNEK!" demanded Suiryu. "You are going to turn your back on them, on US!" he demanded. "They took you in when no one else would. They taught you how to live and survive as a half monster… and you will let them die, so you can be human again!?"
"You… you don't know what hell I endured!" Snek snapped back. "Have you the slightest idea how embarrassed I was? How humiliating it is to be the only one out of you three that was more monster than a human being? I couldn't go very far in my condition. I had to depend on others to take me where I needed to go. I couldn't eat normal food like you and Max. I couldn't do a goddamn thing on my own! Now… I can… I have everything I want again. I have my legs back, I have my life back!" he said. "You don't know how much I suffered, I won't be going back to it!"
"You son of a bitch!" growled Max. He stood to strike Snek down, but he was too fast and hit Max hard! He slumped to the wall and was out cold.
He turned back to 78. "Do we have a deal?"
78 grinned. "Of course, but you need to come inside so you won't be affected. As for you…" Suiryu was struck from behind, the blow was powerful enough to knock him out…
