"So why are we breaking into this science lab anyway? There's nothing worth stealing." Vin complained as they stood just outside the building, hiding in the shadows. With a growl aimed at them Extroyer stepped out of the shadow and quickly typed something into the keypad beside the door. After a couple of seconds passed the door slid open and he, Vin and Dwayne snuck in.
"Because this lab contains several rare samples of dna that I can't wait to get my claws on. Then I'll be more than a match for Max Steel and J-Shock. "Extroyer explained and getting two very blank looks from his henchman he rolled his eyes and started for a lab at the far end of the corridor. As they walked Vin looked around and noticing that no alarms were sounding he looked at Dwayne.
"How come no guards are coming after us?" He asked and Dwayne just shrugged just as surprised as his friend. By the time they reached the lab Extroyer grinned which was never a good sign.
"That's because I disabled the alarms when I unlocked the door and besides there's only one guard during the night and he'll be easy to take out if he shows his face." Extroyer replied as he got to work unlocking the keypad. Distracted he didn't hear a set of footsteps as they headed for Extroyer and his henchman, being as silent as possible.
"I can't believe that Extroyer's trying this again. After he had a really bad experience with animal dna you'd think he'd want to try again." Steel whispered as he hovered in front of Max and I rolled my eyes under my helmet, trying to keep as quiet as possible. Though it wasn't easy when Shock joined in on the conversation and I sighed.
"Yeah I heard about that. Not something you'd want to repeat." My best friend answered and I rubbed the bridge of my nose which is a lot harder to do in a helmet.
"Guys we're supposed to be sneaky." Max said and I gave him a nod, thankful at least someone understood. Right up until he whispered "Go Turbo, Strength" and changed modes. As he rushed forward I put my head in my hands before I took off after him, wondering why I bothered being quiet. "Heads up!" Max yelled as he grabbed a pot plant from the desk nearby and threw it, hitting Extroyer in the back of the head and he gave a roar as he whirled around.
"Max Steel!" He growled as he dodged Max and instantly changed to his gorilla morph. "Just the person I wanted to see." He yelled grabbing a chair and hurling it towards Max. He dodged and I had to leapt into the air as the thrown chair just missed me and as I landed his two henchmen fired at me, knocking me backwards. With a groan I climbed to my feet and as I stood there I called out "Let's rock, Strength!" before I charged them and they had the sense to dodge. Of course while Extroyer and Max Steel were occupied that left me with Vin and Dwayne who didn't look too pleased to be facing me and I grinned as I charged.
Diving out of the way they both watched as I slipped on the recently waxed floor and ended up going through the wall, taking out the door at the same time. As I flashed back to Base Mode, groaning as the room spun Dwayne and Vin quickly slipped through the now much wider doorway and as they began to rummage through the mini fridges on the left side of the room I staggered to my feet before Shock detached.
"That was really stupid. You just made their job a whole lot easier." Shock pointed out and I growled apparently not too happy at him as I brushed the remains of the door, which was mostly matchsticks by now, from my shoulders and glared at him for a moment. "Come on let's stop them before they get away." He added as he linked and after I shook myself I stepped towards them.
Seeing me coming after them Dwayne and Vin both exchanged a look before they stared for the doorway only for Vin to slip and as he stumbled he dropped a vial. Not looking down I stepped into a puddle on the floor and as I slipped I let out a yelp before my head slammed into the ground, my head landing right in the puddle and as I lay there dazed I accidently made my helmet vanish. Which caused the dna of a yet unknown creature to be absorbed into my hair and face and as Shock detached he cringed at the green liquid now covering the back of my head.
As he tried to help me up Max Steel had his hands full fighting off Extroyer and as he was about to knock Extroyer into a wall he heard me cry out and turning his attention away for a second caused him to be sent flying. Still in gorilla morph Extroyer backhanded Max who yelled as he went crashing into a wall and as he climbed to his feet he saw the villan chuckle before he and his two henchmen raced away.
"Not again." Max grumbled as he climbed to his feet only for Steel to detached and stare as I stumbed out of the lab, shaking my head and as they watched I gasped. "Jessie are you...whoa." He muttered as they both saw my eyes go from a chocolate-brown to a green color then as they narrowed to slits both my friends took a step back.
"What's happening to me?" I asked terrified as my body began to burn from the inside out and as I tried to speak again what emerged sounded more like the hiss of a reptile than anything human. In seconds I hunched over as my body felt like it was being torn apart from the inside and I threw back my head letting out a scream of pain and as it ended everyone heard a hiss. Then I blacked out as my friends watched on in horror.
Hours passed and as I finally began to open my eyes I heard voices and I groaned trying to open my eyes and see who was talking but as I did my body felt really strange, heavier than usual and as I tried to sit up I fell forward. And that's when I smacked my face into a wall of some kind and I yelped trying to move backwards and I fell again. Now lying on my back I whimpered not sure why I felt so strange and as I finally opened my eyes I saw a familar face looking at me from beind the wall.
"Jessie? Are you okay?" Berto asked and I sighed relieved to see my boyfriend but as I tried to stand up I found I couldn't and that's when I saw an strange look on my boyfriend's face almost like he was afraid of me.
"Where...am I?" I whispered and that's when I heard tha weird hissing again and as I tried to remember anything before I woke up I shifted and as I looked down I cried out. To my horror instead of legs below my waist was a huge tail and as I whimpered, terrified, Berto stepped closer and set his hand against the glass. "What...happened?" I asked my voice quivering and he sighed before he explained.
"When Extroyer tried to steal animal dna from a lab in Copper Canyon and we sent you and Max Steel after them, what we didn't realize is that it was reptile dna. Somehow you were exposed to it, we're not sure how yet, and it...changed you." He said as I set my own hand against the glass pressing it against his. "We're trying to find a cure but...its not going so good."
"Then I'm...stuck like this?" I whimpered as tears began to well in my eyes and he sighed as I sniffed, sitting back on my...tail I guess and as I began to cry Berto frowned.
"Hey I'll figure out some way of changing you back." He told me and I wiped my eyes with my hand trying to calm myself. As I did I began to wonder what I was sitting in and as I looked up at the ceiling then the walls surrounding me I frowned and he knew why I looked so angry all of a sudden.
"Why am I in here? Did you put me here?" I asked my voice getting louder and as I hissed, unable to control it, Forge stepped into view.
"No I did. Because you woke up earlier and tried to smash your way out, hissing like a snake. When Berto spoke to you, asking you to calm down you lunged at him and we had to sedate you." Forge explained and I gasped instantly moving to the back of the prison, horrified. "It was the only way to keep everyone safe." He added and I sank to the floor.
"I'm...dangerous? Oh Berto I'm so sorry." I whimpered and this time I couldn't stop the tears that fell. "Keep me locked up. I don't want to hurt anyone." With my tail coiled around me I rested against the back of the prison unable to believe I would even think about hurting someone I really cared about. As I rested there feeling miserable I almost fell over when Shock detached from me and as I stared at him he sighed.
"Did you really think I'd leave you even when you turned into...whatever you are?" He asked as he hovered at eye level and before he could react in time I lunged forward. Thinking I was going to hurt him, Berto went to call Forge when he saw that I wasn't actually hurting Shock. Instead I was hugging him as I began to sob and Berto sighed.
"What was I thinking?" Berto muttered to himself as he watched me cry and Shock struggle to free himself from my grip. Hearing him clear his throat made me look up and that gave Shock the distraction he needed to break free and hover just out of reach, shaking himself as I stared with red-rimmed eyes at my boyfriend. "Jessie its going to be okay."
"No its not! I'm a monster now! How am I going to go to school? Or even go outside for that matter?" I shouted and he cringed as my voice echoed throughout the room. Sighing I rose up slightly and looked at the ceiling of my prison. "I can't even leave this...room without being a danger to you and all of N-Tek." I added as my tail flicked back and forth.
"Look I know you're scared but there has to be something we can do to change you back." Berto told me as I moved closer to the glass completely silent and as he watched I narrowed my eyes at him. Unable to help it he shivered as I focused my green reptile eyes on him and seeing that I closed my eyes and rested back on my tail. "I didn't mean to..." He started to say until I raised my hand and he stopped before I crossed my arms against my chest, looking towards one of the walls of my prison.
"I can see that despite what you say you're terrified of me. Look...just leave me alone, okay? I know I'm stuck like this and there's nothing anyone can do or say that will change that." I muttered and Berto frowned as he moved as close as possible to the glass. But depsite his efforts I refused to look at him and he finally gave up before he left the room. But as he was about to step through the doorway he heard me sob and he looked just as I wiped my eyes with my hand.