Ch. 10

"Hey, ain't it a little dark in h--"

The bright light that suddenly tore through the shadows blinded me for a moment. A second ago I hadn't been able to see my nose!

I rubbed my eyes as the guy spoke. "Haha, you're a funny one, Daxter. So out-spoken and, yet, you gave in so easily..."

"Hey! Wha'd'yu want me to do? Bite 'cha and waddle away! I gott'a broken leg here!" I countered angrily. He just chuckled.

I watched, fuming, through the mesh bars of the small cage I'd been stuffed into as the guy turned his back to me and moved around a few glass dishes on a table. They had all different colored liquids in them, some yellow, some pink, purple, a few greens and blues...

But at the back of the table stood a kind of cabinet with six viles in it. I recognized them immediately.

Eco.

The viles were huge. At least as tall as I was and nearly as wide. And each one held a different colored Eco. Green, red, blue, yellow, even black...

And White.

I stared with white eyes and a longing gaze at the vile. It was only half full, but it was as much as I've ever seen.

But he saw me staring.

"So... see something you like?" he asked, chuckling. My eyes turned to him reluctantly.

"Wh... where'd you get that?"

"I made it."

"What! How!"

"Now, now..." he cawed, "I'll explain everything when your other half gets here... or, in this case, you other 2/3!" He suddenly burst out laughing. I just glared.

"My... 'other half'?" I inquired. He just shook his head, still laughing at his sour joke.

Finally he stood straight and I saw a partially filled syringe in his hand. A deep purple liquid glowed menacingly inside the glass.

"Ahh..." he murmured. "I see you recognize what this is. Good, then I won't need to explain..."

"E-explain what?" I slid across the bottom of the cage I was in and pressed against the mesh as he walked toward me.

He fingered the latch atop the cage and smiled innocently. "Don't worry, Daxter. This will only hurt for a second..."

I whimpered as I saw his hand lower into the small prison. I tried to lunge out of the way, but, of course, the cast on my leg halted my movements and a strong hand squeezed around my chest. I choked and a second later and stinging, pulsing pain in my should told me he'd put the giant needle in - and was emptying it's contents into my bloodstream. I cried out again as I felt the burning liquid spread through my veins. It was almost like what had happened nearly three years ago. Except this time my skin didn't burn.

Everything else did.