Chapter 5

The week passed.

Gene came to Alley and told her he was ready to do the transfer. She agreed and informed Bad to be ready. "We're doing this today, you waited long enough" she stated to him.

Bad didn't appear to be excited let alone happy with the news. "Is there really a point? It's not MY body anymore" he said.

Alley sighed. "Whether or not you want to or not, I am getting you out of that contraption and getting my friend back!" she scolded. "Bad, this may not be your body, but this is your damn life in the balance here. You want to see Zenko and her family? You want to be the fun uncle that helps her take care of the children?" she demanded of him.

He fell silent. "I don't know what to feel anymore…"

"It will be a boot up your ass if you keep this up," she warned. "Bad, let's go and get you back to normal."

He sighed and nodded.

Alley led him down to the biggest lab, there Gene was just setting up and had the clone all hooked into the system to keep an eye on vitals. Prodigy was here as well, and yet lingering around him was an odd robot of all things. When she walked into the room, he nudged the bot and pointed to Bad. She didn't hear what they said, she couldn't be bothered with it right now. "Okay Gene, what does Bad have to do?" she asked.

He pointed to the empty bed next to the clone. "Lie right here for me, and I'll call Shoop."

Bad slowly eased himself on to the bed, he laid there but his eyes kept shifting about the room. "Alley…" he said but tried to sound concern.

"You're in good hands Bad, I promise" she insisted.

They hooked Bad into a machine as well to keep an eye on his brain waves, after all, it's the mind that will be transferred over. As they did, she peered over at the clone of Bad. It was perfect! Hell it even looked younger! "Nice, reduced the age of him?" she asked.

Gene shook his head. "No, you need to remember that the blood samples we… borrowed… were from when the S Class was first established. This was taken when Bad was 17."

"You hear that Bad? You get to be a young buck again!"

But got no answer.

She sighed aloud and helped get everything ready. All the while Prodigy peered over and watched on. "So… I get the shell after right?" he asked.

"Wait until we're done!" she snapped.

"Whoa… snippy…" he muttered. "I see where Boros gets his authority from…" he backed off but spoke with the odd robot he brought along with him. That alone was a little off to her too. Despite all the technology they have on the ship, the robot appeared a little bland in her eyes. Nothing fancy to say the least but did look human like. It said nothing but kept a close eye on Bad of all things.

When it was ready, Gene called Shoop to help, the large, octopus like alien appeared and saw the task before him. "So this mind has to go into that body? Simple!" Shoop stated with a grin. "This is merely child's play for me."

She watched on as the tentacle of the alien came upon Bad's brow. Then it reached over and touched the head of the clone. "Now, listen human, you need to keep a consistent thought in your head so I know where you are. And that way we know when the mind has reached the new body. Understood?"

"What do you want me to think?" Bad asked.

Alley sighed. "Think of your sister, how happy she is going to be when she knows her brother is back. How her hug feels to you, how warm you are to her and how you are going to be able to protect her again."

"Okay," Bad said and closed his eyes. Alley kept tabs on him too, reading his mind and making certain it all goes flawlessly. As she focused, she felt Bad's thoughts wonder about, he thought of his sister, how young and small she was, and yet slowly, she was growing up before his eyes.

"Begin," she heard Gene announce.

She kept connected to Bad, but the thoughts began to waver a little. They scrambled and became unfocused. "Nothing to be concerned about this happens when the mind leaves the body." Shoop insisted.

He must have sensed Alley's worry. She merely nodded and continued to follow the mind until the vision became clear again. Her eyes opened as she saw Shoop remove his tentacles. Rushing to his side, Alley did a check of Bad, the vitals were good, the mind… she tried to read. Slowly the thoughts of Zenko began to reappear. The body began to breath more deeply and then a murmur came out.

"Zenko…" in a hushed whisper from Bad.

"It's successful!" Gene announced.

"Shoop… thank you," Alley said with great sincerity.

"Please, all in the name of Lord Boros," he insisted.

Alley sighed with relief, until she heard Prodigy clear his throat aggressively. "AHEM!" he said and looked to the shell.

She nodded. "All yours,"

He slapped his hands together with great excitement, the robot he brought alone was quick to retrieve the body and they vanished, teleported back to the ship she assumed.

Gene sighed aloud. "He wouldn't shut up about getting that thing," he said with a tone of annoyance in his voice. "It was all he ever talked about!"

"What's the big deal? He does realize it still has organic matter to it."

"Don't ask me," Gene muttered. "Prodigy is someone who tends to think he knows what he wants to do with what… granted most of the time he is, but sometimes he bites off more than what he can chew."

"Is this one of those instances?" she asked.

He shook his head. "He had some time to prepare for it, he's been waiting to chomp at the bit for this."

The lab door opened. Pac peered in. "Hey, everything okay?" he asked.

She smiled and pointed to Bad. Pac slowly crept into the room, despite his appearance changing to, much like his father when he carried their mother around. Pac paused as he looked to Bad resting in bed. His hand then gently caressed his side. "She keeps asking for him," he explained. "Zenko keeps asking for Bad… I don't know what to do…"

"Tell her he's okay, he's human again and can't wait to see her soon,"

He merely nodded to the notion, but as he left. Pac kept peering over at Bad, something was rattling around in his mind, but Alley didn't know what!