The Price of Power

Chapter 4: Who the Others See I Am, Part 2

disclaimer: same as ch. 3

6-0-5 POV

The sight of that scar. It was so horrible. I had never seen anything like it. It was blood red, so red that it looked as if it were still bleeding. It had this green stuff around it like he had been poisoned, but it didn't kill him. It looked like the wound that 5-5-5 gave him was fresh and it had just healed over........ It looked deep and life threatening.

"Hey," he said, "All that I want to know is why you are here and I'll leave you alone."

I can't take my eyes off of that scar long enough to even answer him.

5-6-3 moved his hand and all of his fur fell back into place.

There was a bald spot where the scar had been. It must have been a very deep wound. I still can't move. It was like someone had burned a picture into my brain to keep me from moving.

"HEY," 5-6-3 yelled, "ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME?!"

6-0-5 suddenly jerked back into reality as if someone poured a 20 gallon bucket of ice-water all over him.

"I heard you." I said. You still won't get an answer..... But I believe that there is a few questions that I need answered.

"Well," he said expectantly, "Aren't you going to answer me?"

I need to find a way to make him spill all of the answers that I need. The only problem is that he won't tell me or he doesn't know. There has to be a way to make him tell........ Of coarse!

"Why don't we go back to my room," I said. Come on, come on, fall for the bait........ I need you to fall right into my hands.

5-6-3 POV

What is 6-0-5 getting at? And why is he staring at me so hungrily? He can't want to kill me yet, we just met. Or did I do something wrong that offended him? Maybe I shouldn't have asked him what he was doing here. After all it really wasn't my business.

"Why do you want me to go back to your room?" I asked innocently.

"Well," he replied, "It'll be a lot more comfortable in there, and we won't have to worry about anybody listening in."

I just don't get it. Nobody is here during this time of the day anyway, they're all hanging out in the kitchen. I don't think that he knows that though. Or maybe he's trying to lead me into a trap. Even so, I really don't have a choice but to go with him.

"Ok," I said, "I'll go with you." I have a bad feeling about this. But sometimes my feelings are wrong. I hope that this is one of those times.

"Good," he said, "Follow me then."

6-0-5 started to walk down the hall to his room and 5-6-3 followed him somewhat reluctantly. The lights started to flicker the farther they get down the hall.

Ok! This is getting kinda creepy. I think that I'm going to die. Maybe if I make a run for it I'll get away! No. He's a lot faster than I am, I'll never make it to the end of the hallway...... I am going to die!

"I wonder how long it has been since that fat idiot has changed the light bulbs in here," said 6-0-5.

"Jumba's not that bad," I said, "....... When you get to know him."

"Oh," he said angrily, "He's always seemed like a stupid, fat tub of lard to me."

Maybe I should just keep quiet so as not to make him any angrier. This place has always given me the creeps. And walking down the hallway with 6-0-5 doesn't make it any better........ It seems like forever since we started walking down the hall.

"Well," he said as he stopped abruptly, "Here we are."

His room is just like all of the other experiment's. Nothing to be afraid of. Nothing at all...... Except...... There were dents in all of his walls and his bed was torn to tatters. And there is a smell that is just rancid.

5-6-3 turned around and looked at 6-0-5. A second later 6-0-5 shot his hand toward

5-6-3's neck and pinned him up against the wall. 5-6-3 was kicking at him, but it did nothing.

Why is he doing this?! I can't breath! I start screaming.

"Scream," 6-0-5 said slyly, "Nobody is going to hear you!"

"What do you want from me?!" I choked.

"What did I want before that you didn't give to me?" he asked like he was talking to a 5-year old. "Hmmmm?...... ANSWERS FOR MY QUESTIONS?"

I don't think that I should answer the questions. But if I don't I'll die for sure, even if he does kill me Jumba won't notice. He never noticed me before, why would he start when I'm dead?

"Ok," I pleaded, "Just let me go!"

6-0-5 threw him against the wall, and 5-6-3 landed on the bed.

"My first question is," 6-0-5 said calmly, "How did you get that scar? I know that you got it from 5-5-5. But how?"

That is a horrible story to tell again. My scar tingles just thinking about it. Well.... I better tell him if I want to live.

" It all started when......."

5-6-3's POV

Look at that stupid oaf. I bet that I'm more powerful than him. I know that he's uglier than I am.

"Hey guys," I said to my group of friends, "Look at that stupid idiot right there. I hear that he's only got one friend, and she only hangs out with him 'cause she feels sorry for him!"

5-6-3 and his group of friends started to laugh at him. Little did they know that he was the kind of experiment that would put up with it.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY ABOUT ME?" yelled 5-5-5.

" I said," talking slower and louder, " You have one friend and she hangs out with you because she feels sorry for you."

5-5-5 bared his fangs and venom started to spill on the ground.

"Oooh! How scary!" I taunted, " You're showing me your teeth! Oooooh! I'm scared!"

Hey! Why is everybody backing away from me? We have numbers over him! Hey. Hey! Now they're running like little cowards! Uhh. Wimps! I swear! I'm not afraid of him!

5-5-5 made a jump for 5-6-3, but Jumba caught him just in time.

"VHAT IS GOING ON IN HERE?!" Jumba yelled, "Vait..... Let me be guessing. 5-6-3 vas egging you on, and you decided to attack him. Vhat vas I telling you about zhat?.... 5-6-3, I suggest zhat you don't do zhat again."

Jumba started to walk down the hall holding 5-5-5.

"Needless to say, I thought that he was a fool for stepping in." I said, "And I wish I would have followed his advice."

There was a pause and the aid around them felt like it was getting extremely heavy and thick.

"Alright," 6-0-5 said, "What happened next?"

"Well, the very next day as I was walking to the kitchen to get breakfast...."

Why did that idiot step in on us like that? Does he think that I am incapable of taking care of myself? I am, after all, his latest experiment. That means I'm more powerful than 5-5-5. I'll show him who the better experiment is. Speaking of Jumba, there's the tub of lard himself.

"Oh, 5-6-3," Jumba smiled, "Vhat a pleasant surprise to see you valking around. I daresay zhat you aren't going to be making trouble vith 5-5-5 again vill you?"

If you only knew.....

"Why did you step in on it, Jumba?" I asked.

"Because I vanted to protect za both of you," replied Jumba, "But I mostly vanted to protect you."

WHAT!? HE WANTED TO PROTECT ME?! FROM WHAT?! A LITTLE LIZARD!

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Vell," said Jumba slowly, "No offense or anything, but 5-5-5 is much stronger zan you are."

I can't believe that he thinks that! 5-5-5 being stronger than I am! I'll show him who's stronger!

"Please, 5-6-3," begged Jumba, "Promise me zhat you vill not go looking for him! You vould probably be killed!"

5-6-3 turned around and walked down the hall to where he thought 5-5-5 would be.

"5-6-3!" yelled Jumba, "YOU MUST BE PROMISING ME ZIS!"

5-6-3 walked away without saying a word and Jumba ran off to his lab.

I'm supposed to be the more powerful one! I'm a higher experiment number than him! Ooooh! Jumba makes me so mad sometimes!..... uhh! Who just bumped into me.

"Watch where you're going, TROG!" yelled 5-5-5 in 5-6-3's face.

"That's brave words from a wimp," I quipped back, "And who are you calling trog, trog?!"

5-5-5 lunged at 5-6-3, landed right on top of him, and pinned him to the ground. No matter how hard he struggled he couldn't get out of 5-5-5's grip.

How is he this strong?! I can't lose to him! I'm supposed to be stronger than he is!

5-6-3 struggled some more, but 5-5-5 just laughed and held both of 5-6-3's arms above his head with one hand. And with the other he took one of his claws and ripped deep into 5-6-3's flesh with it and tore it open, laughing all the while. Blood spilled all over the floor. 5-5-5 opened his mouth and a drop of venom landed right in 5-6-3's wound. 5-5-5 slowly lowered his head and started to laugh harder.

It stings so bad! I can't move! I have to stay awake! I..... I...... have to....to...........

That light! Where did it come from? Am I in heaven?

"Am I dead?"

"Fortunately," said a deeply accented voice, "You are not dead."

All I remember is that I was pinned down, and then I thought that I was dead.

"What happened?" I asked Jumba.

"Vhen I found za both of you," Jumba stared, " You were an inch away from death. Literally. 5-5-5 vas going to kill you. If hadn't have been zhere you vould have died. You should have taken my advice, 5-6-3. Vhy didn't you?"

5-6-3's POV

"It took me three long weeks of pain to recover from that." I said, " And not one word from Jumba since that first day and all the way to this day."

"And how long has that been?" Asked 6-0-5.

"It has been about nine years now." I replied.

Has it really been that long? Wow. And it was only about a month after that that 5-5-5 was put in his hibernation bowl and dissapeared.

"I know that he's alive," said 6-0-5, "So take me to him."

Where did Jumba put him?! 'I don't know.' That's what I'll have to tell him. 'I don't know.'

"I don't know where he is." I said.

"What?" 6-0-5 said menacingly.

"But!" I said quickly, "I do know someone that can help you."

"Take me to him," said 6-0-5.

6-0-5's POV

"I'm going to just wait out here for you," said 5-6-3 fearfully, "Uh. You know. Stand gaurd."

What a coward! This place is full of um!

"Whatever!"

6-0-5 went through the door and into a well- lit room. It was a long room with three levers on the wall to his right and a glass cage suspended above the ground with what looked like ion cannons surrounding it. In the cage was an experiment. It looked like a koala, except it was jet black from head to toe. It was about four feet tall and its eyes were even black.

"I've been expecting you, 6-0-5." said an accented voice slowly. (The voice sounded like a European gentleman's voice.)

That voice. I've never heard it before. None of my files on the experiments show any existence of an experiment that fits his description.

"Of coarse you won't be able to find any files on me," came the voice again, "Jumba erased almost every file that concerns me."

Why would Jumba do something like that? I have files on every other experiment before me. Jumba hasn't had the time to make another experiment has he?

"Why did he do that?" I asked.

"That, my friend," he said, "Is none of your concern. My name is 0-0-0 by the way. "

"What did you mean by 'I've been expecting you'?"

"I can see everything that goes on in this building."0-0-0 said, "I know everything about you and all of the other experiments. I know that they make fun of you. And I know why too."

"Why! Why do they make fun of me, 0-0-0?!"

"Because they are afraid of you." replied 0-0-0, "Because you are short tempered and very powerful. And you remind them of him. Face it, 6-0-5, you are like him."

"I AM NOT ANYTHING LIKE HIM!" I yelled at him.

"I know what you think." said 0-0-0, "And you do think there is a resemblance between the both of you. You can't lie to me 6-0-5. You see...... I'm your father."

Sorry that it took so long to put this chapter up! It's been murder writing it!