Chapter 4

Dream Sequence

Where... where am I?

Percy was alone in a vast infinite area consisting of the night sky filled with stars and a very large silver-white full moon. The ground on the other hand is reflective to the sky while changing from flat solid to rippling water.

"Okay..." He said slowly while not sure what to make of this. The teenager decided to walk around for a bit while entranced at the scenery around him... until he got really bored a few minutes later.

Percy then looked at the ground and became stunned.

He has no reflection.

"What the—?"

Percy then crouched inspecting the ground in great puzzlement. He slowly reached to touch it as it became like a very shallow puddle. "Weird..."

Then out of nowhere, the water grasped upon his wrist. Percy reoiled and took a couple steps back in a alarm. The water was still on his wrist as it then formed into five to six inch band. Afterwards it began to glow with bright silver hue. He panicked as he tried to shake it off but then the falls into the ground as it made a splashing ripple.

His body became unmovable while feeling like he's in one that's not of his own. Then Percy looked up towards the surface as night sky went farther and farther away from his as he slowly sank into the darkness below. And Percy could sworn that the stars formed into a moving constellation-like body as it peered down at him.

A body... of a bat?

Unknown Location

Percy began to stir as he slowly wakes up back to consciousness, with a skull splitting headache, blurry half-blindness, and numbness throughout his entire body. He tried to remember what he dreamt about, but the memory was no longer there. "Ugh... what happened? The last I remember was—!" The teenager then began to remember what transpired from the park to the alley of the biker bar.

"OH NO! I'VE BECOME ONE OF THE KIDNAPPESS!"

Percy began to worry of what's going to become of him. Then he thought about his family, friends, and even school.

"Calm down Perc', the government will find you and those along with— OH, WHO AM I KIDDING! THEY DIDN'T FIND THE KIDNAPPERS THEN AND THEY DEFINATELY WON'T FIND ME AND THE OTHERS NOW!"

The teenager groaned in despair and frustration as he tried to move but to no avail. "AND WHAT THE HELL DID THOSE SPLINTER-CELL WANNABES PUT IN THOSE SYRINGES!? IF THEY WANT TO KIDNAP SOMEONE, THEY WOULD'VE USED THOSE TRANQUILIZERS THAT ONE DUDE MENTIONED INSTEAD OF US GO THROUGH THAT THIRTEEN CIRCLES OF AGONIZING PAIN!"

"Percy? Is that you?"

The teenager's eyes went wide upon hearing someone else. But it's not just a random person, it's someone he knows!

I recognized that hint of a Texan accent anywhere! "Ange?!"

His eyesight then became less blurry as a figure then opened what sounds like a latch of a cage door. The figure then appeared in front of him as she spoke up, confirming to be Ange, as she said happily "Percy it is you!"

Ange hugged the surprised teenager as his eyesight was then fully restored. He saw that the teenage girl is wearing a what appears to be a Las Vegas version of a big red cowgirl hat with a white adjustable drawstring, a dark-pink western-style cowgirl dress with some hints of Native American blended in, dark-brown belt with a western-style buck on her waist of the dress, brown western-style cowgirl winter jacket with a cream-colored thick berber/fleece collar, brown western-style cowgirl pants, dark-brown western-style cowgirl boots, and a big western-style satchel hanging over her shoulders.

Oddly, Ange overall dressed like a western Barbie doll. That got Percy worried.

"Um Ange," Percy began to ask, "Are the kidnappers weird sickos that force people to look like dolls."

Ange realized that he's referring to her clothing. She shook her head and replied "Nope."

Percy then let out sigh of relief. "Thank goodness. It would be weird for those militia dudes just take us and make us go through that." He then looked up to Ange and added sincerely "I'm glad that you're alright."

"Thanks. By the way, how's my dad, Mamo, Sam, and the others."

Then he began to explain what her father went through and how he got out of it... while leaving out Wyatt so she won't find out about his crush on her. She looked relieved as then said "I'm so grateful that everyone was there for him and Mamo. I bet everyone is worried sick about me."

"They are." Percy said. Then the teenager looked serious as he asked "Ange, are we—"

"No, our government is not involved with the kidnappings. These people aren't aligned with any country or terrorist groups. And before you say anything. No. Any reason why they kidnapped us is beyond you're currently thinking of. I hardly believe it myself what they're actually doing to us."

Percy stared at her with a confused expression. "Doing to us? What is gonna on?!" Percy then realized that she opened his cell as he then asked "Wait a minute, how did you get in without the guards spotting you?"

"Oh, those two aren't really good at their jobs keeping an eye on us. So I can open locks and visit everyone." Ange then pulled out a large version of homemade lockpicks. Percy stared at them with wide eyes and then looked at the door. And to his shock, the door looked like it should be part of kennel! And the keyhole was bigger than any other one he's seen.

"WHAT?" Percy said in utter disbelief as he stared at his prison door with its overlarge keyhole. He was going to ask why the door and keyhole looks like that but he was going to ask the more important question. "If you can get in and out of your cell and into everyone else's, why haven't you all escaped if the guards are horrible at their jobs?!"

"Ummm..." Ange looked away awkwardly while trying to come up with an answer. "It's... complicated."

"Complicated how?"

Ange was about to reply until someone, a male around his thirties, shouted "Have you explained to him to our 'situation' yet?"

"I was getting to it Larz."

"Do you want me to come up there and—"

"HECK NO!"

Up? Percy though with a raised eyebrow.

"THE LAST TIME YOU TRIED TO EXPLAIN TO CHARLES, HE ALMOST HAD A HEART ATTACK AND ALMOST HURT HIMSELF WHEN HE SAW HIS CHANGES!"

"CHANGES?!"

"Alright, alright. Just hurry it up." Larz called.

"Ange! What did he meant by 'changes'?! What the heck is going on?!"

The teenage girl sighed irritably as she pinched the bridge of her nose and muttered "I was going to explain to you slowly, but due to the time we have left..."

"What are you talking about?!" Percy asked as he started to get annoyed.

Ange then faced him and asked "Does your body still feel numb?"

"Now that you mention, I'm starting to regain some feeling of my body." Percy replied. "But it feels... off."

"Alright then." She then helped him up onto his. He was objected to the idea but Ange would have none of that. Plus when she touched him his body felt more off than usual.

"Alright listen to me closely." Ange said, "I want you to..."

Percy was anxious for what she's about to say. "... to look at your right hand."

Then his jaw slacked in disbelief and skepticism. "Why—"

"Just do it!" Ange barked.

Percy was surprised with her tone and then comply to do so in order not to frustrate her any further. Still skeptical, the teenager looked at his right hand... and went deathly silent with a horrified half-open mouthed expression. Instead of his right hand, is a free thumb while three fingers are attached to... a webbed wing?!

"WHAT THE HELL?!" Percy yelled with panicked tone.

"Percy don't freak out—"

But it was too late. Then teenager then turned around towards a tall glass mirror hanging on the wall of his cell and saw himself for the first time after being taken. Percy now has a body of bat with blackish dark midnight-blue fur, with light-grey colored hair with white tips —since when do bats have hair?!—, the front of his wings have a lighter and paler color variation of his fur, and a slightly dark light-grey colored mane. His hairstyle —also when do bats style their freakin' hair?!— is like a short spikey faux-hawk curving backwards. Then he noticed he has a silver colored birthmark on his wrist resembling that of a band that are put on bats.

"No... No! NO! NO! NONONONONONO~"

Percy freaked out as he began to examine every part of his body while pulling some of his fur, hair, and mane. And then lastly, he touched his ears.

The pupils of his eyes shrunk with horror as he then let out a blood curdling scream of terror.

"Percy, calm down!"

But the teenager turned bat wouldn't listen to Ange as he began to walk around while still freaking as he tripped a few times, crawled twice, and spinning around in absolute terror.

"Percy! Please— Will you just— UGH! This isn't working!"

Ange then stepped forward and then slapped the sense —very hard by the way— back into Percy. The teenager regained his composure and looked bewilderedly at her. She flicked her wrist as she then spoke. "Percy let me explain—"

"WHY AM I A SILVER-HAIRED BAT!? NO! BATS DON'T HAVE HUMAN-LIKE EXPRESSIONS, EYES, AND CLAWED... WINGED... HANDS OR WHATEVER THE HELL THESE ARE!? I LOOK LIKE A (BLEEPING) FURRY!?"

"LANGUAGE!" Ange barked as she then then slapped him again.

"AND QUIT SLAPPING ME!?" Percy retorted. "DON'T YOU REALIZE I'M LIVING MY WORST NIGHTMARE!? YOU KNOW ABOUT MY CHIROPTOPHOBIA!"

Then they both heard someone else speaking "HA! Sucks to be you!"

Percy was about to make a comeback until he realized that Ange was about the similar size as him. "Wait? Am I a human sized bat? Or are you a bat sized human?"

"I'm bat sized."

"WHAT?! HOW?!" Percy asked. Then also realized that he's speaking to her... while as a bat!? "ALSO HOW ARE YOU SPEAKING AND UNDERSTANDING ME? IS THERE SUPPOSED TO BE A LIKE A HUGE LANGUAGE BARRIER BETWEEN ANIMALS AND HUMANS?"

Ange was about to reply until the same voiced called out... except it was much closer. "Is everything alright?"

Then Percy looked behind Ange, as she also turned around, to see a slightly muscular northern-long eared bat (unfortunately he knows from hanging out with Diana) with shamrock-green fur, the front of his wings are a lighter variation of his fur while the back is a darker variation, really long and thick dark forest-green hair with long strands drooping down on both sides of his head and a thick wide pointed strand curving backwards like a mohawk on the front, a thick mane with a darker variation of that of his hair, thick curved sideburns, a thin lined soul patch, and viridian colored eyes.

"So are you done—"

Percy then let out a "manly" scream of terror upon seeing the talking bat.

"Apparently not."

"WHAT THE HECK LARZ?!" Ange yelled furiously at the bat.

"You know all of us are in a hurry?" Larz said defensively with slight frustration.

"Does that mean you and the others have finally decided what plan to use?"

"No, but—"

"YOU GUYS STILL HAVEN'T DECIDED?!" Ange said in disbelief.

While the two were talking, Percy was mumbling about how bats shouldn't green either. And he also wonders if he's losing his mind.

"None of us can't agree on anything!" Larz explained. "And unfortunately I can't help but understand your friend here! After all, he's been stuck like this for two days in the kennel like the rest here in the truck."

"TWO DAYS?!" Percy said in disbelief. "I'VE BEEN LIKE THIS WHILE OUT AND MISSING FOR TWO DAYS?! AND WE'RE IN A TRUCK?!"

"YOU'RE NOT HELPING LARZ!"

Larz then backed off with the angry teenage girl. Ange then turned toward Percy with soft expression as the teenage boy asked "Can someone please tell me what's going on?!"

"I was about to tell before Larz showed up!"

"Again kid, I'm sorry."

Then Ange began to explain everything to Percy as the teenage boy finally regained all senses of his body as he began to feel the swifts and turns of the truck that they are all in.

Venice, Los Angeles

Josh was walking down the sidewalk at 4:02 P.M. with groceries in his hands while helping with Diana's Uncle, Mark Colton, with shopping. Usually Diana would do these kind of things but ever since Percy's kidnapping, she locked herself in her room moping while blaming for herself for what happened to her little brother. Mark tried to cheer her up but he failed every time since he also couldn't help but blame himself as well for not being there when they needed him. Josh also tried to get his girlfriend in high spirits while reassuring that Percy might be alright... but to no avail. Even Percy's friends, and their families, continuously try to help her out too.

Because of this tragedy, Lalita gave Diana three more days off to recuperate.

Deep down, Josh couldn't help but blame himself as well. He known that Percy didn't like being at Chiro Sanctuary due to his phobia and if he didn't told him about marrying his sister there, maybe he would've accepted the idea.

"Thanks for helping me out Josh." Mark said. The man was currently wearing a army-green t-shirt, light-brown cargo pants, and blackish brown military boots.

"No problem Mr. Colton."

"For the last time, just call me Mark."

"Yes sir."

"And don't call sir. It makes me sound old."

"Yes s— I mean, sure Mark."

They then arrived at Mark's jeep as Rosko waited them in the backseat. His recognizable classic German Shepard fur pattern gave the illusion that he's actually one instead of being a wolfdog that he is. Like the rest of them, he's sad about Percy's disappearance the dog slightly mopped.

"Hey there boy," Mark began to speak to the dog with a smile, "did ya scare off anyone trying to steal the jeep?"

Rosko slightly and softly whimpered. Mark sighed sadly as he and Josh then placed the groceries in the trunk before entering the jeep. Mark inserted the keys and started the ignition as he then started driving back home.

"If it weren't for our government preventing those that are friends or related to the kidnappess, I would take Rosko with me and hunt down these bastards, bring them to justice, and then locate and rescue Percy along with the others." Mark said with honesty and fierce determination. Then he sighed defeatedly as he continued "But going all John Wayne will cost me my job. And I don't want put any more stress and pressure on Diana."

"That's completely understandable." Josh said agreeing with him sympathetically.

Then they arrived at the biker bar... where Percy was taken. The owner and the others there heard his scream and we're about to go out. Until they were shot with tranquilizers and then were put out instantly. They didn't even get chance to take a look at those that shot at them!

Marked parked his jeep as as he, Josh, and Rosko got out and approached the memorial for Percy. There stood a picture of Percy with silly cocky grin while surrounded by flowers, notes of people's prayers, and candles. It was next to the shambles of his wrecked electronic skateboard.

Both Mark and Josh knelt down on one knee as they placed both placed a flower to the additions to the others. Mark then placed another flower amongst the pile as he said "That one is from Diana bud."

Rosko approached the picture of Percy and licked affectionately as he then whimpered missing him terribly. Mark rubbed the dog's head as he, and Josh, then stood up as they approached the jeep. Rosko jumped into the backseat of the jeep ahead of the two.

Josh was about to follow him until something glinted in his eye. He then turned and saw something shining under the dumpster. Curiously, he approached and knelt down as the young man pulled two syringes; one with a dented needle while the other remained unchanged. What grabbed his attention was the scientific labels on the barrel and its strange, unfamiliar, and never before seen contents. With a determined furrowed frown, Josh then quickly and carefully placed them his large vintage newsboy bag as Mark called out after starting the engine "What's the hold kid?"

"Nothing." Josh replied. "I'm coming."

Josh jumped into the passenger seat as Mark then started driving off.

"Mark, I'm going to head my office at Chiro Sanctuary after hanging out with Diana for a bit."

Mark raised his eyebrow. He knew that the young man drove in his car to visit when he offered to go with him to get groceries.

"Don't you have day off today?"

"Something just came up."

Mark shrugged. "Alright."

Location: Truck

"—and that's pretty much sums it up." Ange finished explaining.

Percy was totally speechless in total flabbergast and disbelief. He learns that the kidnappers belong to a mysterious nameless organization that turns people into animals with experimental serums... and then sells the people-turned-animals for profit!? The buyers never knew that the animals they buy were once human! There some that even sold not as pets —luckily not butchered up as food Ange added— but for either animal test subjects or for something else entirely! The people that are injected with serums that failed or didn't worked out as designed are sent to the organization's base to be studied. And are then never heard of since.

Ange is one of those "special subjects" that the serum failed its function on. She's instead shrunken and is able to communicate with animals besides humans. And the reason for her clothing is that a female scientist, who was against all of this but needed the job for money, made the clothes and bag for her. Ange considers her the most humane and nicest person in the organization... that's until she was transferred.

Percy also finds out that Tai's twin siblings are here with them as well... but as bats like him and Larz Frederick. Except they not either silver-haired or long-ears. Instead they're similarly shaped like a silver-haired bat but instead has grey fur overlining every part of their bodies? He thought they might be grey bats but wasn't too sure.

They were brought up inside of Percy's cell by Larz since they're unable to fly since they young and all. They asked him how their family and friends are. Percy replied that they worry and miss them very much... especially Tai. They were glad to hear that as Rei almost burst into tears.

Both Ken and Rei have dark-grey fur, slightly darker variation on the back of the wings while front are lighter, and a slightly lighter colored mane. What outstands Percy the most is that they kept their hair color and hairstyle. What the actual heck!? Larz explained that some of the people that turned into bats kept their hair color and styles while the unlucky ones, like he and Percy, get different ones.

And as for the reason they look anthropomorphic, Ange and Charles (a strong Christian believer —like her—, scientist, and now turned bright flame colored tomcat) come up with a plausible theory... which sounded ridiculous to everyone, but soon accepted it due to the circumstances they're in. They say before Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, they were able to communicate and see animals equally. But after eating the fruit, a veil/barrier was cast preventing them from communicating and seeing them equally ever again. Even Percy thought it was a stupid theory! And he wasn't much of a Christian a few years after the death of his parents' deaths! But like the others, he had no choice to reluctantly go with it.

Also Ange wasn't one of the "special subjects" being sent to the secret lair of the bad guys. Percy and Ken are coming along as well. When the teenager was injected with the serum... he was supposed to turn into a walrus. A FREAKIN' WALRUS!? Well that's at least what the written on the syringe says. The people from the organization don't know if it was a misprint or some freaky unnatural occurrence. Either way, he's being sent there just in case.

And as for Ken, ever since he turned into a bat, he felt and look sick on a few occasions. There were no repercussions or/and side effects during his time as a bat... yet. Also if Ken is taken to the organization's base, he's going to be forcibly separated from Rei. And that got her crying. Percy did not like that one bit. Neither did the others. Which is why they decided to come up with a escape plan... if only they've agreed what to go with!

"And this?" Percy asked pointing at the weird band-like birthmark on his right wrist.

"Beats me kid." Larz replied.

"Maybe it's a side effect from the serum?" Ange guessed.

"Well it doesn't matter right now." Larz said. "Right now we need to continue with the meet about the escape."

Larz walked towards the edge of the cell as he called toward the Yamada twins. "Come on now."

Both Ken and Rei clung around his neck, forming a necklace, as he then glided to the floor below. Ange on the other hand walked to the cage door, which Percy saw a hook with sting attached to it leading down to the floor as well as she then climbed down as well.

Percy then walked nervously towards the edge and saw the floor below. He was up very high. Then the teenager's phobia of heights acted up as he stepped away.

"What's the hold up kid." Larz said as he flew up in front of him. That startled Percy as it almost gave him a heart-attack.

"GEEZ!"

"Sorry about that. Why aren't you coming down with the rest of us?"

"Well... umm... you see..." Percy has a hard time explaining his phobias to people, fearing that they make fun of him. He even had a hard time explaining them to friends. Diana and Mark already knew about his phobias. And everyone at Chiro Sanctuary, including Josh, knows about it as well since Diana told them about it.

"Speak up kid! What's the deal?" Larz asked impatiently.

"Uhhh..."

Larz then studied him for a bit and then realized what it was as his eyebrows went up. "Oh don't tell me. You're afraid of heights too aren't you?"

"... And flying." Percy added shamefully as he avoided eye contact.

The man turned long eared bat then sighed. "Kid... you're SO unlucky."

"You're telling me."

"Well. The best way to conquer your fears is to take a big leap."

"I've heard that phrase a thousand times! Talks like that don't really—?!" Percy didn't realize that Larz behind him when he pushed the teenager of the ledge. Percy began screaming all the way down as Larz followed while gliding to the floor.

Author's Notes

The coloration of Percy's bat form is inspired by both the actual colors of a Silver-Haired Bat and the night-blue sky. And as for his hairstyle in his bat form, it looks somewhat similar to Shade's except for the strand hanging in the front.

Percy's reaction upon seeing himself as a Silver-Haired Bat (or Silverwing) is similar how Kenai reacted when he saw himself as a bear for the first time in the Disney film "Brother Bear".

"(Bleeps)" are used to censor really strong curse/swear/bad words in this FanFic.