Chapter 14

It was perfect.

Before he placed his suit on, Snek sat down to a savory meal. One of the clones happened to have whipped up a medium rare steak with all the trimmings, gravy to die for, mashed potatoes that were perfectly fluffy and savory with steamed veggies. He savored every morsel of food and kept raving about it. "You do a damn good steak!" he announced. "My GOD! Even the toast on the side is damn delicious!" he took his time and ate every scrap before him.

He finished eating and decided to shower once more for the pure hell of it. After, he was ready for his suit. Snek saw it waiting for him, hanging outside of the shower door. He savored the look of it, how the snakeskin suit was no longer part of him and off his body. "Hello old friend." He said with a grin.

His suit was the cleanest it has ever been, it smelt fresh and Snek couldn't be happier. Despite the years where it was his skin, it was no worst for wear. He had everything in place, his suit and himself were cleaned to perfection. Shoes polish, Snek was well fed and everything just felt… right. He stopped and looked in the mirror marveling at his reflection, and ensuring everything was buttoned up to his liking. He went as far as practicing his old moves before the mirror. Every strike, stance and pose was perfect in his mind. He still has it!

He walked out of the rooms shortly after, fastened the buttons on his jacket, adjusting his tie and straightening his suit once more. There, the clones were waiting for him. "Nice job fellas!" he said. "I look great!"

"Now, you need to come with us. It's all about to begin!"

With everything ready, Snek followed the clones out while he popped another piece of gum into his mouth. He offered it to the clones that simply refused. "More for me then." As he walked into the main lab once more, Snek saw Suiryu and Max had finally come too! He approached their unit before tapping the plastic. "About damn time you got up!" he said.

Suiryu threw himself at the glass, trying to break it with his fists and moves, yet despite his best attempt, the plastic was too strong. He managed to move it slightly, but it continued to hold him and Max in. "You piece of shit!" roared Suiryu.

Snek however smirked. "Wasn't there something you told me a few years back, at the martial arts tournament about me being a hero?" he said off handedly. "Hold that thought. HEY 78!" Snek called.

"What is it? I am nearly done with the coding!"

"I got a question for you. Is there anyway this thing can backfire? I mean, what are the odd of this plan not working? What could go wrong?" he asked.

78 laughed aloud. "Oh dear boy! There is no way this can fail!" he stated. "One would have to hack the system and reverse the polarity! It would send the bio energy back to the source, which would be you, your former friends and the family of Garou. But there are only very few minds in this world capable of that! One is contained in the unit next to you. The other, dare I say is Child Emperor. But he cannot fathom what is happening; he doesn't know what is going on here. Therefore, this failing is impossible!"

Snek smirked. He took out his gum and stuck it on a control panel near by. "Perfect," then he turned back to Suiryu. "Remember when you confronted me about being a hero, why was I one? What difference does it make?" he paused. "I finally realized you were right, I didn't make a damn difference! So, with that being said, I have gone into business for myself. Now… if you are still looking to become a hero, here's some advice. Rule 1, know when you are in over your head!"

"YOU COCK SUCKING SON OF A BITCH! YOU SOLD US OUT FOR YOUR OWN TWO LEGS!" shouted Suiryu.

"That's bullshit Snek!" said Max. He kept himself seated on the ground, refusing to even look at him for what he had done. "So that's it? Know when you're in over your head, then give up?" demanded Lightning Max.

"No you idiot," scolded Snek. "Rule 2. Know what's going to be your best option, cut the best deal for yourself!"

Max shook his head. "You were a great hero, now look at you. I wouldn't even dignify you with eye contact! You know… when this all happened, out of the three of us… I thought you were the strongest."

Snek snorted. "Do you have any idea what kind of HELL I want through?" he demanded of Max.

"No, you didn't. Unlike you and pretty boy here. I didn't get the luxury of being able to come and go as I pleased, I wasn't able to eat normal food like you two could. I couldn't go anywhere without people REALLY staring at me, wondering, thinking and some insulting me with the thought of making me into snake skin products!" Snek then glared at Suiryu. "You think I'm the asshole here? Not one of you, ever asked me if I wanted to hang out. You never came with me to hunt, you never included me in your actives unless Garou said so… Out of the three of us, I was the most miserable because unlike you two. The only human thing about me was my face, my hair and my arms! That's it! And really, do you think I could have been an M Class Dragon? I was a damn snake! I had no special skills, nothing that would make me a serious threat to the world let alone other monsters!"

"You are going to let the family that took you in… die so you could be human again?" demanded Max.

Snek smirked. "I got my life back. It's all I ever wanted."

"ASSHOLE!"

From the other unit, Garou finally stood under his own power. "YOU GODDAMN ASSHOLE!"

Snek wondered over to the unit, Garou was in rough shape. The serpents on his body were shriveled up and appeared that one strike would shatter them off his figure. His whole family appeared to be drying up before his eyes. "We… helped you!" Garou said slowly, but he was growing weaker by the second.

"No, you didn't help me." Snek snapped back. "You tried to have me accept being that thing. No, that's just brushing the issue under the rug. 78 did something your family could never do. Make me human again."

"Garou…" Snek watched as Garou tore away from the glass as Melee called to him. He fell to his knees in weakness as he tried to embrace her. "Garou… keep them together…"

Looking about, he found the children were separated. With the last of his strength be brought them all close to him and Melee. They shivered and whimpered. "I don't want to go like this," said Pac.

"None of us want to die like this," said Alley.

"We won't die!" Garou said defiantly. "We can beat death and I have done so time and time again! You are my kids. This… this is nothing! You are all strong, strong like me, we can survive…" he said.

"Oh shut up with that!" growled Snek as be banged the glass with his hand. "It's over give it up!

78 then announced he finished with the code. "It is ready. We need to have everything set up and prepared. To your stations! Snek, I shall grant you the honor of turning the control panel besides you on. Siphon off what remains of their bio energy for our cause. Let the world evolve before use, and we will be its kings!"

Snek nodded. "So, this process is going to kill them, isn't it?" he asked aloud.

"The sacrifice of the few for the greater evolution!" 78 announced.

"Just making sure."

The clones took to their stations. One wheeled out a large canister that contained the monster bio energy, it was hooked up to the main computer 78 was controlling. "Disabling fail safe of bio energy!" the clone announced. It hit a switch, with the energy hooked up to the main computer; the containment fail-safe unit was shut down. Every machine began to hum and turn on. Snek turned and saw with what strength Garou possessed, he brought his family in close. He lay on top of them, hoping to take the brunt of whatever is left to come. "Mr. Snek! Turn on your control panel! The five switches that are side by side and then the red button!" 78 called.

He wondered over. Slowly, he flipped each of the switches, yet as he did, he saw Goliath staring at him. "Snake?" he said weakly.

Snek merely smirked to him. The final switch was flipped, and then he pressed the button…