Chapter 10 G.E.N.E.S.I.S

Bowser's P.O.V

I awoke to be sleeping in my bedroom. Candles lit spaces of the dark room, sending shadows that flickered and danced in the dimly lit room. I looked at my limbs to see that they were covered in casts that were spotted with blots of Red that I assumed to be blood. The heavy metal door creaked open and something was thrown into the room with me. I waited a while to see if anything was going to happen. Seeing or experiencing nothing but pain, I sat up in the bed I was in. looking at my familiar surroundings, I could see nothing new. I looked across the room to see the body of Abyss lying on the floor. He was not moving, but he had a steady rise and fall to his chest as he drew labored breaths. I could hear blood gurgling in his throat as he tried to draw air into his lungs. I swung my legs over the side of the steel bed and waited for the pain in my head to subside. I shook my head despite having a headache to clear my vision. I looked over to Abyss who was trying to bring himself off of the floor. Despite his inability to perform, I felt that he had succeeded in his mission to stop my hated enemies.

After all, I did have the item I was looking for.

I thought to myself as the door burst open and Kamek barreled into the room along with my Elites. Kamek tripped and fell onto Abyss who screamed in pain. Kamek scrambled off of Abyss to stand and salute me.

"At ease soldier."

I said breathlessly as I stood up from my sitting position. As I stood to my feet, I heard the creaking of my bones as they started to support the weight of my body. I heard the bandages that covered my legs snap as my muscles flared. I looked at Kamek who was smiling.

"I take it that my medicinal formula worked."

He said with interesting smile. I walked over to Kamek and Abyss who was still on the floor. As I walked over to Kamek and the others, my steps reverberated through the room, causing the vases, books, sculptures and my relics shake from the sheer weight of my body. I grabbed Kamek by the front of his cloak and brought myself face to face with him. I narrowed my eyes and growled deeply.

"What happened to Abyss and I?"

I asked him seething with rage. Kamek said nothing. He started to shudder and squirm in my grasp.

"Everything is useless!"

I yelled. I was furious now. For years I had tried to take over the Mushroom Kingdom. Countless times I had almost succeeded, but was stopped by mere humans.

What is it that those humans have that I don't'?

I asked myself as I dropped Kamek on the floor. I picked up Abyss who moaned softly as I draped him over my right shoulder. I was getting desperate and I needed to show at least some progress to the one who was above me in rank.

"My Elites will join me, and as for you Kamek, you're going to stay here and clean up."

I commanded them as I walked out of the room. I knew exactly where I was going to go. This place, where I was about to go, was in the deepest parts of my castle.

Even though most of the castle is destroyed, I still think that area still stands.

I told myself as my Elites formed a perfect line behind me. We walked in perfect unison with our steps in the same time and our strides being the same in length. We turned left from my bedchamber and walked down the long hallway. I could hear my Elites talking about something as I shifted my eyes to look over my shoulder. They were pointing to the various tapestries and paintings that lined both sides of the walls and the hallway. After a short while, we came to the steps that led down to the main floor. I turned from my path to descend the stairs. I grasped the railing with my right hand to steady myself as I walked down the stairs. I reached the bottom of the stairs with chills all over. I felt...strong...maybe invincible.

What did he do to me?

I wondered as I walked to the middle of the floor. The sun was shining right over the chandelier Without the light, I was unable to open the floor without channeling magic energy through the chandelier since the floor was sealed with a light-based magic lock. Since all magic has to be tied to an object for the magic to be usable and stable, it's a necessity to treat all magic with caution. I dropped Abyss onto the floor and looked up at the chandelier. The gems on it sparkled in the morning light. Shadows were casted all over from the crumbling remains of my castle. I lifted my right arm with my palm facing upwards. When my arm was fully extended, an orb of light formed in the palm of my hand. I then brought my right palm down and slammed my palm against the floor in the middle of the intricately designed space under the chandelier. A bright light flashed for a moment and then the floor opened, revealing a large set of spiral stairs that led down to the place I despised the most. I turned to my Elites.

"All of you stay here, but Kamek and Reaper are coming with me."

All of my elites saluted me and the little blue koopa went to get Kamek.

I have a name for him, but I didn't want to have to give names to all of my subjects.

I thought this as I started to walk down the spiral stairs. I took only a few steps before the intense cold and heavy air fell on me. I could hear Abyss having a coughing fit as the air changed. As I walked down the steps, the air got colder and more heavy. It was only a short time after that that I saw the floor close over my head. I could also see mold growing on the walls as well as rats scurrying over the steps. Occasionally I would step on one and instantly kill it, but that didn't matter to me. I could tell when I was at the midway point when I saw the familiar Blue glow of my most prized possession. Its light casted a Blue glow over everything that it could light. I made haste to reach the floor quickly in eagerness and in nervousness. I reached the last step with almost no breath and aches all over my body. This was the place where I had first engineered my entire army. This was the place that my Elites called the Cemetery.

"You're going to like this place Abyss."

I told him as I placed him on the table in front of a large glass cylinder. I could hear his breaths becoming more shallow and labored. I walked over to my table which was littered with papers, vials and lights. I rifled through the papers to find the work that I had put into this new machine that I had made. While I was looking for these series of papers, I heard a thump resound through the room. I turned to see Reaper impact the floor and Kamek come to a halt right above him.

"How nice of you to join me."

I said as I turned back to to the machine. I sulked a little as I read the paper. I had noticed that some of my equations never got solved, which meant this may not work. I regained my composure and turned back to Reaper and Kamek. Kamek was now standing on the ground looking at me with contemptuous stare.

"What are you trying to accomplish here my King?"

Kamek started. I grinned slightly because I knew that Kamek was scared of this machine. Reaper crossed his arms and took off his mask. He shook his head and beads of sweat fell to the ground. It was a while since I had seen Reaper's face. I had named him well, as his face was was leathery and filled with cuts. His eyes were a little sunken in and his nose was missing. He put the mask back on and I shook my head to get the image of Reaper's face out of my mind. I cleared my throat and pointed to the machine behind me.

"This machine I have named G.E.N.E.S.I.S.. this is short for Genetic Exchanging Nautical Engineering Splicing Insertion Software and this will be responsible for the changes that will get you ready for battle."

I told them. I could see Reaper breathing quicker and Kamek jumping a little in excitement. I knew that Kamek always wanted to be more of a help, but was unable to since he lacked strength in multiple areas. Reaper looked at me with annoyance.

"So when do I get to use this machine?"

He asked me. I walked back to the table that had all of the papers and lights. Kamek followed me to the table.

"What are you looking for my King?"

Kamek asked me as I searched for the rest of the G.E.N.E.S.I.S's papers. I turned to Kamek and pushed him to where I was standing a couple of seconds ago.

"I was looking for my papers that were in regards to the G.E.N.E.S.I.S. since you are so excited about it, you can find them."

I said looking at the machine. It had started filling with water from the little pipe openings that were near the top of the machine. These were what I called "cleaners". These were responsible for causing sure that the machine was as clean as it could be. In this mixture there was a bleach/disinfectant that was able to kill bacteria as strong as smallpox. I watched the liquid slowly fall down the sides of the machine in rivers. I put my hands behind my back and started to pace nervously. The machine made a high pitched hissing sound and then it made a mechanical beeping noise that signaled that the machine was ready. A Green light illuminated the room partially. Steam rose from the machine's floor, giving the room an even more sinister feel to it. This steam was the liquid nitrogen that was responsible for cooling the machine as it went through the startup process. The back part of the machine opened and metallic restraints appeared. I picked up Abyss, who struggled slightly against my grasp. I held him by his shoulders and fastened the restraints against his limbs. Abyss's eyes snapped open and he started to strain more.

"What's going on!?"

He wheezed. I smiled and took a few steps back to stand with Kamek and Reaper who was twitching. I could tell that he was eager to use this device. Abyss's words were muffled as the machine's transparent doors shut. I knew from the design of the machine that these doors had to be within the specs for water protection.

This means that these doors had to be exerting enough force to close off air and water, but also had to stand being in contact with water for some time. Looking back at my papers, I know that the doors were made within IP68 specs.

I thought about this as Abyss started squirming against the restraints. Water started filling the machine. Kamek started to shudder as the water level started to climb the height of the machine. The cylinder itself was eight feet tall; tall enough to accommodate someone of my size, but could also be used for other applications. While the water rose, I found that I was tapping my foot against the floor, with my nails causing clicking sounds that reverberated throughout the floor area. The water was nearing Abyss's neck now. He had stopped straining and was now doing nothing. Two monitors appeared from both sides of the machine, showing Abyss's heart rate and his vital signs. I ran over to the table that had the papers to grab a clipboard off of the table. I found the clipboard just as Abyss started to scream again. I could tell that Abyss was in a sort of "Survival Mode" by the way the metal restraints were bending against his strains. I knew that the restraints would hold him, but I didn't know if they would hold against the next part. I wrote down the important parts of information from the two monitors and started to pace again as three holes in the machine opened to reveal black hoses that had three claws and a long and sharp needle in the middle of the hoses. The hoses moved in a similar fashion to that of a snake. The hoses writhed in the water as they searched for Abyss's body. The middle of the hoses flashed Red and rhythmically as they searched for Abyss. I knew from the papers that each hose had to go in a specific part of Abyss's body. The topmost one had to go into his shoulder, the middlemost one had to go into his side under the last rib and the bottommost one had to go into his lower leg. Abyss struggled against the restraints with more vigor now. He opened his eyes in time to see the hoses slither up his body. Abyss cried out once more as the topmost hoses clamped onto his shoulders. The hoses extended their needles and plunged them into his shoulders. Abyss's eyes snapped all the way open and then his body went limp.

"Now you've done it!"

Reaper exclaimed. I looked at him with a scowl, but he turned his head to look at me with disgust.

" You've killed him; Now how do you plan to take over the Mushroom Kingdom?"

He asked me with folded arms. I could tell that he was impatient and wanted to use the machine. Instead of tearing into him, I turned back to writing on the clipboard. I looked up at the monitors to see that everything was still normal. Brainwaves were flowing, his pulse was normal, his breathing was steady and his heart was still beating. The middle hoses clamped down on Abyss's body and injected their needles into him. Soon after, the bottommost hoses had done their duty as well. I started to walk back to the table to get more papers when a huge boom went through the area. The ground shook with the force of the explosion, knocking Kamek off of his feet. I growled to myself.

"Kamek, Reaper!"

I shouted. Kamek scrambled to his feet and Reaper just stood there with his arms crossed.

"Battle stations."

I said with a huge, sinister smile. Kamek looked at Reaper, who shrugged and launched vertically into the air. Kamek got on his broom and followed Reaper. I noticed that none of my lab equipment was damaged and that Abyss had started bleeding. His blood had turned the water A murky Purple-Black color. I scrambled for more paper as I heard the restraints open and return back to where they came from. I looked around the glass cylinder for the filter switch. I now knew the reason that I had put that switch on there.

It was because of the needles piercing the skin that had caused the water to change color.

I told myself as I flicked the Black filtration switch. The water started to bubble at the top and the openings in the top started to spew new water as the other two holes sucked the murky water out of the cylinder. As the water changed, I turned back to the table. I walked to the nearest chair and flopped down on it. I wrote my new findings quickly to make sure that everything went smoothly.

or about as smoothly as this could go.

I told myself with a sigh. I turned back to the cylinder to see that the water was clear. Abyss was now suspended by the Black hoses that held him in place. The hoses writhed in the water, causing it seem that Abyss had six arms. I laughed to myself from the thought. Suddenly nervous, I sprang from the chair to run to the cylinder. I had no idea why, but for some reason I felt that something was off. I looked around the room to see that nothing was new.

But why is it that I feel like there's someone in the room with me? Why do I feel like I'm not alone?

I asked myself as I looked around the lab.

"That's a good question to be asking right about now isn't it?"

A familiar voice said. I smiled to myself. I turned around to see Venom standing in front of the G.E.N.E.S.I.S.. he tapped on the tempered and bulletproof glass. I've never seen something like this before. A ray of Purple light shot through the room. I rubbed my eyes to make sure that I had not hallucinated. I ran over to Venom and grabbed him by his shoulders. I noticed that his muscle mass had gone up and that he had an eyepatch over his left eye. Venom did not move or strain against my grasp, which was odd. I lifted the eyepatch to see that there was an absence of anything in that eye socket. Venom struggled out of my grasp to look at Abyss. He put his left hand on the glass and sighed. His head dropped to look at the floor.

"Soon we'll be able to live as a family, right?"

He asked the room quietly. He looked back at me with fearful eyes.

"That day is not just a dream in my own head right?"

He asked again. Another ray went through the room. He looked back up at Abyss who was writhing in pain. Venom knew that Abyss was his brother and that he would do anything to protect him.

But why is he playing both sides of the game?

I asked myself as I walked over to Venom and gave him an awkward hug. I stepped back again with a serious look on my face.

"No one is going to know about this, right?"

I asked him with full sincerity. He shook his head and ran past me to scale the steps . He stopped at the first step and looked over his shoulder to look at me.

"Just make me one promise OK?"

He said. I laughed and looked at him once more.

"I can't promise anything, but i'll make sure that I don't kill him."

I murmured, causing Venom smile. He turned around to go back up the steps. I turned back to the machine with Abyss still writhing in pain. I looked back up at the monitors. His heart rate was a little high, but everything else seemed to be just fine. The left monitor changed to show Abyss's skeletal structure. I could see numerous cracks in most of his bones. As I studied the bones, I felt a cold breeze on my left shoulder. I looked over my shoulder to see a faint outline of what looked like Abyss.

That's impossible.

I told myself. I shook my head and looked back to the machine.

"What are you doing to my host body?"

A voice asked me. I looked over my shoulder to see if the outline was still there, but it wasn't. I whipped around to see if the outline within my field of vision. I frantically searched for an answer while monitoring Abyss's health. I turned to look back at the machine and I saw the outline again. I walked slowly towards the G.E.N.E.S.I.S. As I walked towards the machine, the outline continued to become more solid and darker in color.

Whatever this thing is, was or is going to be, I don't want to mess with. Whatever this thing is, it's clearly not meant to be here.

I told myself as the outline had materialized completely. I was astounded by how this figure resembled Abyss so much. In my opinion, he was an exact carbon copy of him...except for a few details. He still had Abyss's body composition, but this new Abyss had much more muscle mass, a smaller nose, long and sharp jagged teeth, spikes that lined his back to the tip of his tail and Black eyes with Red pupils.

"Need I ask again King Bowser?"

He asked me. I started to twitch uncontrollably. His voice was unbelievably deep. This didn't help the fact that I was most likely staring at the figure of the evil that was kept in the Anti-Matter-Core. I cleared my throat and tried to look just at John's back.

"I-I-I'm m-m-aking adjustments to your host body John."

I stammered in complete fear. I was almost never afraid of anything, but I knew this figure held immeasurable power. John tapped on the glass, which caused the glass to crack a little. My breath caught in my throat as he tapped some more. John looked at the monitor that had Abyss's skeletal structure displayed on it. John turned to me.

"You're putting an additive in Abyss's bones?"

He asked me. I nodded slightly. I had no idea why I was taking so many precautions with John, but I valued my life over having control over everything.

"I'm putting a combination of Titanium and something called New Magnesium into his bones".

I said while brushing dust off of my shoulders. I focused on John as he started to shake his head. He looked back at me and smiled.

"I just love how you value science over everything."

He sneered.

"I thought you were the big, bad villain who held amazing power."

He shook his head again. Both of us looked in time to see the machine start to infuse the air that was being pumped into Abyss's bloodstream along with the metal mixtures. The metals moved slowly through the tubes, creating steam from them being superheated. I could see Abyss tense up as the metals traveled through the needles.

"Start the next step."

John commanded. I could tell that he was transfixed to the machine, even if he was not interested in them much. I went over to the machine and flipped a Green switch. I walked back to where I was standing and prepared to take more notes. The needles retracted into the red cores of the black tubes.

"Abyss is in shock you know."

John told me. I threw the clipboard down to the floor in anger.

"He can take it."

I said seething with anger. John cracked his knuckles which made me shiver.

"You do realize that if you kill my host body, I can take yours right?"

He said softly. I nodded and watched the cores produce a circular stainless steel micro saws. These saws started to get up to speed and vibrate at a supersonic speed. The saws entered the holes the needles made and started to cut where the next needles were supposed to go. The saws made their cuts and they retracted into the red cores. The needles appeared once more and they inserted themselves into Abyss's bone marrows. The remaining metals in the tubes were injected into the bone marrows of Abyss.

"It is done."

I announced. John turned to me and started walking towards something. He stopped to the immediate left of where I was standing and looked into the darkest corner of the room. His eyes flashed a dark Purple-Black color.

"Who's in the room with us?"

He asked tensely. I shrugged.

"If It is who I think it is in here, I'm going to have to hurt you."

John seethed.

"That's no way to treat someone who is higher in stature that you are."

Another familiar voice stated. The figure walked from the corner of the room.

"Turn off all the lights."

It commanded. I ran to the table and turned off all the lights. I then walked to the G.E.N.E.S.I.S and switched off that LED's that ringed the top and bottom of the machine. Since I couldn't find my way through the dark, I stayed next to the machine. Slowly, the figure came into view. Two black holes that had a white speck was all that I could see. The specks left light trails as the figure stopped next to John.

"You're the one that uses science to aid him right?"

The figure said. The voice was quiet and raspy. Chills went all over my body as the figure came towards me.

"It's been a long time since I've interacted with something living".

the figure breathed. I jumped as the thing ran its fingers along my scales.

"Do you know why I'm living in the shadows?"

The figure asked me. I managed to shake my head no despite my state of complete fear.

The figure snapped its fingers and a small flame illuminated the creature's face. The creature possessed no eyes, but had a mask that had eye sockets the size of a tennis ball. The mask had the shape of a human face as well. There were black and purple lines that went directly down from the eyes of this individual. There was a gaping mouth that was ringed with two rows of insanely sharp and jagged teeth. There was also a putrid and rotten smell that emanated from this creature. These features flickered in the Orange light that this creature was creating somehow. A gust of wind traveled through the room, putting out the flame and bringing the room back into darkness. The eyes were once again all that I saw.

"The public despises me and fears me."

The figure laughed a deep and menacing maniacal laugh that struck even more fear into me. I started to shake. All of the highest powers that I knew of were here in my midst. I knew there had to be a reason for this, but I had no idea how I had not had a heart attack yet.

"You may turn the lights back on."

The figure said. I shook my head and cleared my throat as the lights came on.

"May I know your name so I can refer to you?"

I asked fearfully. The figure's eye color changed from White to a deep Red.

"I am the nightmare that haunts your dreams. You'll know when you are dealing with me."

The figure said as the Red pinpoints of light disintegrated into the pitch Black of the room. A snapping sound went through the area that made me jump a little in terror. I could see fire licking the edges of my mouth as all the lights went back on in the "Cemetery". John was looking at Abyss, who was still squirming lightly against the Black hoses that held him in place.

"It is done"

John stated as the Black hoses unclamped themselves from Abyss's body. The bottom of the G.E.N.E.S.I.S. opened slightly to let the water out. When all the water was gone, the floor returned to its original shape and the doors opened. Abyss fell to the ground. John turned to look at me.

"I can feel all of the adjustments that you've made. For a sentient creature, you're pretty bright."

Abyss said as he vaporized into A Black and Purple mist. I followed the mist as the mist floated through the room and into Abyss's nostrils. Abyss groaned and stood up. He rubbed the back of his head and he groggily opened his eyes. I could tell that my experiment was a success by the way Abyss's irises glowed. They were a rich and dark Purple that reminded me of Venom's scales. Abyss shook his head vigorously as if he was clearing his head of something. I watched Abyss's eyes carefully as an Orange ring started to materialize around his Purple irises.

"How do you feel Lord John?"

I asked him as he stretched out his limbs. I could hear bones cracking as John set all of Abyss's bones. I could tell that Abyss had felt the changes as well due to the fact that John was already pacing. I had no idea how both John and Abyss could control the same body, but I didn't pay much attention to it. I wanted to see how powerful the G.E.N.E.S.I.S. had made Abyss. John opened and closed Abyss's hands and flexed his muscles. John closed Abyss's eyes and looked at the floor.

"Congratulations on creating the most powerful being in the world Bowser."

He said quietly as he looked back at me with A huge and crazy smile. He coiled up and launched from the floor, leaving a small crater and a small shockwave as he left the ground. My papers scattered in every direction and some of the lights in the room shattered from the launch. Dust and dirt flew all around the room, giving the room an actual feel of a cemetery. I coughed as I inhaled the smell of the room. Somehow, the smell of sulfur had entered room when John had launched from his place. I searched through the haze of the room to figure out where the smell was coming from. As I searched, I heard footsteps coming from the stairs. I looked up from my search to see a shadow walking down the stairs. Looking past the shadow, I saw that the walls were covered in scratches and that the tile floor above me had been destroyed. All three levels of my castle were blown through and I could see the afternoon sun shining from the holes that John had made. I went back to the table and flopped in the chair.

"Would you call that a failure or a success?"

Reaper asked me. I turned to see Reaper holding a very badly beaten yoshi. The individual's color was yellow, but the color was stained by bruises and numerous cuts and scrapes that were amplified by the rivers of blood that ran from the cuts. Reaper threw the yoshi at my feet and I smiled. Reaper walked over to the G.E.N.E.S.I.S. and stood in front of it. Steam rose from the various pipes that led into and from the machine. Reaper stomped his foot, leaving a couple of cracks in the ground that led to the bottom of the machine.

"You…"

He said through clenched teeth as he turned to look at me.

"You let that...that dumb scaly lizard use that machine instead of me!"

He yelled as he stabbed his finger at me.

"I should have been the first one to use it! I literally delivered the enemy's best scientist into your hands!"

Reaper was practically screaming now. He drew his swords off of his back and stabbed them into the ground right in front of my feet.

"What do I need to do to have you acknowledge my presence and power!?"

He finished loudly. He was taking short rapid breaths as he glared at me. He then looked at the Yellow yoshi on the ground that was sobbing. Reaper kicked the yoshi in the ribs. The yoshi cried out in pain and sobbed some more. Reaper turned back to the machine and sighed.

"And this is the thanks that I get?"

He said quietly. Reaper took his swords out of the ground and started walking up the stairs to leave me with the yellow yoshi.

"Well, well, well; who do we have here?"

I asked with a huge and sinister smile as I walked around the yellow yoshi. I bent down to be at eye level with the individual as this one was on the floor. I used a single claw to lift the individual's head to my level. This individual had Green eyes that complimented its long eyelashes. The individual had one black eye and swollen cheeks on both sides of this individual's face.

"Won't you be so kind as to tell me your name?"

I asked, taking my claw from the individual's head. I gently set the individual's head back on the floor. The yoshi sobbed some more and tried to get up, but ended up doing nothing but sobbing some more.

"Stop fighting yourself; you'll only break more of your tendons and bones."

I started. The yoshi stopped sobbing and rolled over to look at me.

"I thought that you only knew how to put brute force on top of brute force."

The yoshi said with a gurgling laugh. I looked up from gathering my papers from the floor.

"I'm known for that, but I do have a lot more than just that."

I said with a short laugh. The yellow yoshi tried to sit up. I started to walk towards the individual, but every step I took to get closer to the individual, the individual scrabbled across the floor to put more distance between us.

"What information do you want from me?"

The yellow yoshi asked me with a wince. I could see more tears falling down the side of the individual's face. I stomped on the floor in frustration, causing the table, some chairs, lab equipment and the ground shake violently.

"I want the following: your name, the names of your friends, all the names that are in your island chain, what Emperor is weak to, where Halcyon is and where your most valuable treasures are."

I said through clenched fangs. The yellow yoshi was backed into a corner now. The individual looked frantically for a way to escape, but could not find a way out.

"You're trapped here. Now, there's only two options: One is cooperating with me so that you can live, and option Two is not cooperating with me and that will result in a slow and painful death."

I stated as I folded my arms. The yellow yoshi started to whimper and shrink into the corner.

"My name is Lemon."

The yellow yoshi said between sobs.

Definitely seems like a fitting name for something I could step on.

I thought to myself as she continued to shrink into the corner.

"The names of our islands are divided into districts, with each one performing a specific task that helps our economy."

She started.

"What are the names of these islands?"

I asked with frustration. Lemon shook her head softly.

"I only know three of the five if that's ok with you."

She said looking up at me with Red, irritated eyes. She had been crying so much that her eyes were now somewhat bloodshot.

"The first island is the biggest one. We call that island the Administrative District. Here, our elected officials make the decisions that will affect the rest of individuals that we head."

Lemon said through more sobs. I had gotten a clipboard and paper while Lemon had started to speak. I wanted to make sure that I got all the information I could get.

"What's the next one?"

I asked quickly. Lemon looked at the ground.

"That's where I'm supposed to be right now, but it's called the Scientific District. There, it's my job to figure out anything that I can in any way, shape or form to further our kind. Emperor…"

Her voice trailed off. I was curious now.

Had the Devil Gene finally take him over?

I asked myself as Lemon sat up against the wall. she sighed.

"Anyways, the third and last island that I know of is the Agricultural District. It is there that we grow crops for consumption and a specialized form of fruit that cannot be eaten."

She finished. I scrawled these notes down on the paper I had taken the other notes on. When I was finished, I had to ask a question.

"What makes the edible fruit different than the inedible fruit?"

I asked her as I put the clipboard on the ground. I had taken all the valuable notes that I needed, but I needed head knowledge now. Lemon sighed and blood started to seep from her nose.

"The edible fruit is normal fruit that you can take off of a tree. The inedible Currency Fruit as we call it, has a significant amount of a substance called Ricin."

My breath caught in my throat when I heard that name. I paced around anxiously.

"You have the Castor Oil plant on your island chain? Most specifically Ricinus Communis?"

I asked in disbelief as I paced. I looked up from the floor to see that Lemon was smiling at me.

"I am the only one that has access to them. I made them in my lab under the supervision of Halcyon."

She said with a little laugh.

"Apparently the old set of bones is more intelligent than I thought!"

She finished as she sighed again and let blood run from her nose. I stopped pacing and stared Lemon down.

"What about your friends names?"

I asked as Lemon's eyes started to close. She took a deep breath and coughed blood onto the floor from a coughing fit that lasted eight seconds. She wiped her hand across her mouth to get the blood off. She looked up at me with a sad smile.

"I know you want to kill them all, but if I tell you their names, what pleasure would you get from killing them?"

She asked me. I started pacing again.

She's smart by reasoning with me.

I told myself. I paced faster.

but if I let reason take me over, how much would I let her get away with?

I asked myself as I found myself in front of the G.E.N.E.S.I.S.. I heard scrabbling sounds from the room. I turned to see Lemon frantically trying to get up the stairs. I sighed and casually walked over to where Lemon was. I bent down to pick her up by her tail. She yelped in fear when I grabbed her tail. She frantically tried to get out of my grasp, but her efforts were futile.

"None of your limbs are long enough to reach the floor and you're too high off of the ground to get out of my grasp."

I said with a sneer.

"Now I want the rest of the information that I asked for."

I told her as she dangled from my grasp. She tried struggling some more and finally stopped.

" Halcyon resides in the CourtHouse that's in the Administrative District, Emperor has no known weakness yet, the most valuable treasures we've gotten were from the 5th island that I currently don't know the name of, and their names are Rojo, Venom, Lime, Rose, Mercury, Marine, and NightShade."

She ranted. After her rant, she took a deep breath.

"Thank you for your time, I'm so happy that you would help a friend such as me."

I said with a laugh as I dropped Lemon onto the floor. I walked over to the table that held all of my papers and grabbed a mushroom off of the table and turned back to walk to Lemon, but she wasn't there. I started to shake with anger. I heard a low growl resound in my throat. I stomped my foot on the ground and clenched my hands into fists. I let out a long and terrible roar that shook everything around me. A jet of fire erupted from my mouth that burned through the floors that Abyss had broken through. I felt sleep trying to take me from reality. It was then I noticed that I had black and wavy rings that lined the edges of my vision. I started to walk up the stairs that led to the second level of the castle. I only got halfway up before sleep claimed me.