Chapter six: Cellular meltdown..

I wake up first to see Shanes arm around me somehow nestled under my chest. He is in an awkward position..

"Just get up Ghardeh.." He says not moving..

I slowly move away from him and get out of bed. I take a shower and grab a naxa fruit when i notice Shane is still in bed.

"Are you ok my Kch-tanu?"

"No i feel.. ILL.."

Shane doesn't seem right.. He's never been like this before.. He slowly opens his eyes. "Fuck the whole room is spinning.. I feel drained.."

He gets out of bed and he looks white.. I walk up to him but he holds out a hand.. "No.. Don't.." He bends down hands on his knees taking slow deep breaths and looks at the restroom door..

"No.. Fuck it.." he rushes past me and throws up in the toilet.

"Shane should i have Uz check you over in the medlab?"

"No.. Jewel.. Just.. I don't want any tests it's probably.. This… Orb shit.. I touched.."

My eyes narrow as i see his nose.. It's bleeding.. Deep green blood..

"Shane.. Your blood is.. It is green.."

I point to his nose and he wipes it causing a smear.

"What the fuck is happening to me?!"

Shane looks in the mirror but other than looking pale he looks the same.. Sort of.. I didn't notice before but his build has.. Improved.. How did this happen over night..?

I tense up and he feels it, knowing my next words will be commanding,

"See Uzkielle now.."

"For fuck sake Ghardeh!" Shane shouts his temper flared quicker than dare i say… Uzkielle's..

"We need to know what's wrong now let's go.."

"I feel fine now Ghardeh now let's drop it."

I saw straight through the lie as his heart skipped a beat.

"You are not well.. Your blood is different, you look different. And it's wrong.."

Shane squares up to me and my calm disposition slowly wanes as he locks his eyes on mine.

"Don't do that Shane.. I will come down on you like a rock.. you know that.."

He carries on and i clench a fist.

"Ki'cte.. Shane.."

"We are NOT going to the medlab Jewel.."

"Yes...We… ARE! I roar.

Shane's hand sparks a flame and i walk up to him wound tighter than a coiled spring.

"Last chance.. If you don't stand down. I will lose my temper Shane.. That ability of yours won't help at all yautja are resistant to fire."

Shane tries to walk past but i block his path.

"Move yautja!"

He forms a ball of energy in his hand. I shake my head. "What is wrong with you Shane! This isn't you! Ell-osde Pauk-de! Ki'cte!"

As i shout that and shake him Shane stops and blinks he looks confused.. And he looks at his hand. "Oh shit.. Fuck.." He waves his hand quenching the flames and looks at me as i step back.

"Ghardeh why are you.. Why are you standing like you are about to kick my arse around the ship?" I sigh a breath of relief but still keep a reserved stance..

"You don't remember anything of the last few moments?"

"No just going to throw up.. Did i just blackout?"

I turn my head to the left in a confused manner..

"Shane we need to see Uzkielle please.. Something is happening to you.."

He looks about himself.. "How the fu.. I look different.. Like I've been.. Working out…" He notices the blood on his hand and looks in the mirror and he then loses his cool.

"Fuck me! I need Uzkielle! The fucking fuck?!"

He almost leaves without anything but his underwear, he quickly dresses and runs to find Uz. I follow, we find him asleep alone in his quarters. He growls as he senses someone invading his privacy. He is only wearing the lower armour set.

"Uz.. Uz I'm so sorry I've woken you, but i need your help.. Something is happening to me.." He looks at Shane and his frown deepens. His eyes glow almost in anger.. He gets up. And walks up to Shane. He sees something is very wrong.

"Coome wiith mee.." He says with a clicky trill.

We reach the medlab Uzkielle holds out an arm, "Lay on thiss.." Shane does so and he locks a bracket around him. Then a chamber collapses over his whole body. The machine hums to life with red ribbons of neon lighting as the machine scans Shanes whole body. Several runes flash up and Uzkielles mandibles flick open and closed..

My hooded brow raises..

"What are we looking at Uzkielle?"

He turns to me.. "Haave you.. Exchanged blood with Shaaane ever?"

I nod "Yes.. Two years ago.. We when we made a blood bond.."

Uzkielle nods slowly.. "You.. Must.. Transfuse.. To.. Reverse. Effects.."

"What's happening to him?"

"His…" He clicks.. "Cellular.. Makeup iss changing.. Ascended.."

"But Nina never had this problem.. Why is this any different? They both touched Deaunali artefacts.."

He shakes his head.. "Only one person knowss.."

"Eve?"

He huffs at the name.. "Sei-i we do noT have Time to reach AsTeria.."

"What will my blood do? I need to know more before i commit to this."

"It will rrepairr the damage To his.. Cellular makeup.. Heal the body.."

"Whoa… Whoa wait.. You are saying i need Ghardehs blood to help me? What if i don't go through with it?"

Uz trills.. "Then you die..In several days.. Your cells are breaking down.. Your ascendant abilities are killing you.."

"Ok.. Ok do it.. But if i sprout mandibles.."

Uzkielle growls in annoyance.. "Will noT.. Zabin."

The chamber opens up and i place Shane on another bed then Uzkielle begins the process.

"Ready Shane?"

He nods.. "Go ahead.."

"I mussT puT you To sssleeep.."

He uses a stimgun to put him under he flops immediately. After hooking Shane up to the vitals console,

He feeds a needle into Shanes arm and then draws roughly three pints of my blood. I feel slightly weak but a small price to save Shane. My fluorescent green blood is fed into a dispenser and inserted into Shanes line and fed into his arm. Shane's bio signs slow and begin to dwindle.. Then they zero.. "Shane?! Uz was that supposed to happen?!"

I ask beginning to sound worried but he holds my shoulder in a re-assuring manner.

"Sei-i.. Do noT worry mei'jadhi.. You will ssee improvement ssoon.."

As the blood empties Uz carefully removes the needle and bins the dispenser and line.

It took roughly one hour. And we wait for Shane to wake as Uzkielle sees improvements, his vitals begin to return to normal as his cellular makeup begins to repair. His color comes back and his breathing has evened out. Soon after 2 hours the rest are notified of Shanes issue. And everyone waits for him to wake up his eyes stir and he opens them. His eyes are slightly more vivid than before.. He looks around..

"Holy.." He looks at me then everyone else. "Jesus.. What's that marzipan smell? I smell cake!" Shane says.. Excitedly.. Shane looks at Uz as he uses a device to make sure there are no side effects.. "Uz.. It's.. It's you.."

He snorts. "Blaame Ghardeh.."

Shane gets up.. "I feel.. Lighter.. Have i lost weight?"

"No you look like you put it on to me." Nina says.

Danny looks "Shane can you throw fireballs still?"

Shane brings up his hand and forms… nothing…

"Oh.. Factory reset eyy?"

Shane inhales the air. "Christ.. There's so many smells here.. All.. Sweet.. Smells.."

"How do you feel?" I ask.

"I feel.. Good.. You guys have some serious goop.. I guess it's swimming around me forever now."

"How unfortunate the amount that's in you it will affect your aging.. Uz put way too much in you in my opinion.."

He gets down and walks up to Uz and hugs him.. Shane hugs Uzkielle.. He is taken aback.. It was swift. But something else.. He walks up to me. "Thank you as well." He says hugging me tight as i lower to his height.. Very tight.. As in.. Hurting me tight…

"Shane.. I can't.. Breathe..."

Danny's mouth shoots open.. "Wait.. Shane.. Lift Ghardeh up.."

He turns around "Danny that's impossible she weighs a ton.."

I frown "What's that supposed to mean krit?"

"I'm saying i can't lift almost six hundred pounds of yautja Ghardeh.."

"Go on try.." Uzkielle says..

Shane huffs. "Well here goes the next operation.. Spine replacement will you give me yours Uz?" He shakes his head in answer.

Shane looks at me. Then wraps his arms around my lower body and lifts me without so much as a gasp of air.. "WHAT THE SHIT?" Shane says putting me down.. I laugh slightly. And he steps back.

"I think Shane 2.0 is cool." Danny says. We leave the medlab after Uz carries out a few more tests then we go for food on the Scorpion as the others carry out Lar'ja N'ritja checks. Seeing as we missed breakfast. Shane and i sit at the table when he sniffs at me.. "You smell really strong.. Like.. Leathery.. It's strange."

I change tact and he looks at me with a puzzled look.

"There's another one.. Almost a sweet musky sm.. GHARDEH!" He shouts.

"What?! It was deliberate.. What about.. This one.." Shane looks.. "No i feel this one.. Hot.. Now warm.. Nothing.." I look away from him and stop the signals.

"Ouch Ghardeh.. That felt empty.."

I reset to warm fuzzy mode. How i usually feel around him.

"Is this how you perceive the world Also?"

I nod "One of the many tools.. Try this one.." We take our fruit and enter the mini kehrite.

We finish eating then i stare at Shane. "Now close your eyes.." He does so.. "Where am I?" i silently move away from him.. "Behind me."

I move once more.

"To my right."

I move one last time.

"You are dancing on my grave.."

He opens his eyes as i grab both of his shoulders.

"This is.. Handy. I wonder what el.."

He walks to the armour room and enters his platform. He is scanned and the armour folds onto him..

"It is exactly the same. Except it doesn't show up runes. Oh well.. Playing with fire was dangerous anyway. At least i won't be worrying about burning you up or blowing the ship up. But it still doesn't explain how I've packed on a few pounds.. My clothes are bloody tight.. Looks like Thor regains his crown anyway.. Don't blame him.. That whole.. Ascended bullshit was… Bulllshit. Remind me to never touch orbs of magic energy again.."

I nod slowly, "Indeed."

He looks down.. "Now. Where is that.. Flap.. Seriously what if a yautja or humanoid or human was on a hunt and they needed to go take a leak?" His clawed chrome hand grabs the d'lex armour piece down below and pulls. I take a step back. It doesn't budge. He brings up his gauntlet and presses every button..

There is a beeping.. my eyes widen..

With a roar i shout. "SHANE TURN THAT OFF YOU KRIT!"

Then he laughs and pressed the cancel rune.

"So i can still blow up the ship haaa-" He doesn't finish laughing as i slam him down on his back and press down on his armoured chest.

"You little zabin.. Don't play with the bomb.. At least i know it's you."

I calm down and place my forehead onto his metallic mask.

"I can't feel that Ghardeh." He says in a calm tone.

I touch the black nano-muscle of the armour. On his arm.

"Are you feeling like that already Ghardeh?"

I slide off of him and stand up and he activates the thrusters making the wings in the arms sprout out. Then fold inward he walks to the footwells and the armour folds away.

"So now what?" he says adjusting his shirt..

He hasn't changed too much but whatever that orb did to him his build has changed. I find it peculiar.. As well as his eyes.. Though that could be down to my blood. I'm not sure how much of Uzkielles blood is going around Nina but Shane has quite alot of mine flowing around his veins. And it unsettles me.. He will live for a very long time now. He will heal faster and much of his other cognitive functions will have improved..

Just as long as he stays the same. Yautja blood is very potent. He takes my hand as he senses my inner workings.

"What is it? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine just glad you are alright Shane.. 2.0.."

He smiles with a bout of laughter "Danny.."

"Ok look.. I need to rest.. Have my brain process everything. You go help the family for a while. If i need you I'll find you." Shane says holding my finger. I lower my head and he kisses my forehead then smiles… He grabs my top mandibles.. "If only you had lips.. And not these ridiculous tusks.." He jumps back as my tongue flicks out "Jesus i was joking!" i laugh with a rumble and Shane lays down. I decide to stay until he was asleep then make my way to find the others.

Author note: Poor Shane.. Not only does he have a power he never asked for it was killing him and now he has Ghardehs blood in him? Maybe things will get interesting on his part.. We'll have to see. Stay awesome people..

Yautja words:

Ell-osde- You.

Ki'cte- Enough.

Kch-tanu- Love.

Pauk-de- F^cker.

Sei-i- Yes.

Zabin- Insect.

Krit- Idiot/ Moron or general remark. (Non-cannon my own word.)

D'lex- A strong metal the Yautja use for crafting.

Yautja- Predator species.. (guuh!)