Chapter 7

Darkness, that's all that Ash could see was darkness. Suddenly voices-- "I think he's coming to." Ash opened his eyes and saw Morris and Brock standing over him.

"Are you o.k.?" asked Morris.

"I feel like I'm on fire. Everything hurts." replied Ash.

Instantly something clicked in Ash's head. "Wait! Does this mean--"

Morris cut him off saying, "I hate to admit it but you actually look half way decent. Psycho did his homework."

Ash sat up and got out of the bed.

Brock said, "Hey you shouldn't be moving."

Ash didn't replied, but managed to stagger over to the TV. using the screen as a make-shift mirror. What stared back was strange and more than a bit bizarre. He was covered with a fine yellow fur, his hair was the same color and more spiked than before. His nose was tinted black. He looked down at his hands. Claws replaced fingernails. He then ran his tongue over his teeth, they were a bit sharper but not by much. His legs gave out and he dropped to the floor.

Morris said, "Shit he shouldn't have gotten out of bed." He then walked up to Ash and said, "Are you o.k.?"

Ash simply muttered, "When I get out of here I'm going to break his neck."

"I'll join you." added Morris.

Then Ash remembered Max and May. He asked, "What about them?"

Brock said, "Max is still out like a light and May has been staring at nothing for practically an hour."

Ash managed to get up to his feet again and limp over to the couch. May was just lying there. Ash instantly noticed she was transformed just like last time. Tan fur, cat ears, tail, claws, and purple hair.

May looked up at him and said in a depressed voice, "That's not a good look on you. Why the hell did this have to happen?

Morris interrupted, "I think a more pressing question is how the hell are we going to get out of here?"

Ash suddenly remembered something else. "Damm what time is it?"

Morris looked at his watch and said, "Almost 8:00--why do you need to--oh crap, the missiles."

Ash ran directly into the door, ramming it over and over again.

Morris yelled, "Stop that I've tried that already. It's reinforced."

Ash didn't listen--ramming the door over and over again.

Suddenly there was an explosion that threw Ash to the ground. "What did I just do?"

Outside the see through wall, two guys in dark blue ran up and yelled, "Who the hell are you?"

A voice replied, "Yamma, Sonic Boom Attack Now!"

Instantly there was a loud noise and a rush of air knocked the two dark blue clad men off their feet.

As soon as they hit the ground there were two gun shots. Each bullet hit preciously in the middle of the men's foreheads. The voice then said, "Great Job!"

Morris walked up to the wall and appearing before him was Glitch who said, "Miss Me?"

Morris smiled and said, "Like the Plague. Can you open this door up?"

Glitch said, "no problem." The see through wall then slid directly down into the ground.

Morris was startled when a man appeared before him. He was in a bloody torn combat uniform. A Yamma was perched on his shoulder and he was holding a smoking handgun. He then said to Glitch, "Is this your trainer?"

Morris cut him off saying, "Who are you? What the hell is going on?"

Ash who managed to get off the ground noticed that on the man's uniform was a bloody patch with a lightening bolt on it. Ash yelled, "Team Tech!!" He then ran out trying to tackle the man. The man simply dodged the attack and let Ash run straight into the opposite wall.

The man said, "Well that certainly was pointless." He then looked at Ash and Morris and said "What the hell is this--a little early for Halloween."

May who rose from the couch yelled, "You know exactly what this is. It's you guys who funded the psycho".

The man took a step back, looked at May and thought to himself--intelligence didn't tell me anything about this. It's like a bad H.G. Wells novel. He then raised his arms and said, "I don't work here, honestly. Names Thomas, Team Tech Rapid Attack Force. I was sent here to kill some nut named Bailey." This statement got everyone's attention.

"Wait" said Brock, "Doesn't Bailey work for Team Tech?"

"Not anymore" Thomas explained. "Guy just up and vanished. Took half a billions dollars worth of equipment with him. Brass upstairs is pretty pissed."

Morris said, "Makes sense. But shouldn't there be more of you for an operation of this scope?"

"There was--Intel forgot to mention anti-aircraft fire--plane crashed and I'm all that's left. Now before we go any further, I want to know exactly what is going on here. Why do those two kids look like something out of a B movie and what the hell do you know about Bailey?"

May said, "Short version--he's nuts. He was in some war that scrambled his brain. He's got some virus rigged up to some missiles."

Morris cut here off saying, "Yeah, he plans on doing what he did to these kids to the entire world. Something about some strange prophesy that I never heard of."

Thomas took a step back and said, "Please tell me your exaggerating, I have enough trouble as it is."

Ash walked up to him grabbing him by his shirt. He shoved his clawed hand into his face and said, "Does this look like an exaggeration to you?"

Thomas startled said, "o.k.--o.k., I get the point. Could you let me go, I've taken quite a beating already." Ash let go and Thomas straightened himself out. "O.K., if what I'm hearing is correct, he has a bunch of missiles that will make this world one great big island of Dr. Monroe. When is he planning on launching these suckers?"

Morris replied, "Midnight and its about 8:30 now."

"Shit! We'd better haul ass if we are going to stop the show. Does anyone know where the control room is?" said Thomas.

Glitch said, "While you were talking, I was able to access their computer. The control room is on the other side of the base. Thanks to that little gun show of you this entire area is on lock down. However, if we go outside this cell block and head down the nearest stairwell about two flights, we should be able to reach the generator room."

Thomas smiled and said, "Well that's the next best thing. No power--no missile launches."

May said, "I'd better wake up Max--he's going to freak when he sees himself in the mirror."

Meanwhile, up in the control room, Bailey was looking at the security screens, he had just finished reading a book when the alarms went off. He watched the whole exchange--sound included on the monitors. "Idiots," he growled, "Think you can stop progress?" He then chuckled and remembered a little something he stole from Team Tech on his way out: An old but heavily armored DOM Security Drone. He smiled and thought once they get down to the generator they'll have one nasty surprise.

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