"Manik, Sonia. Find anything," Dominic asked as he walked up to Manik and Sonia.

"Nothing by the river. What about on your end," Manik replied.

"Nothing there. I wanted to come back here, but Shade didn't want to."

"Why?"

"Because he thought he wouldn't hear the end of it from you and Josh. I left him back there to brood," Dominic said.

"Incoming," Shade called out before crashing into Dominic.

"Get off, hedgebat. You're crushing my stomach."

"Nice wipeout, Shade. I give that a ten," Manik said.

"Be quiet, Acorn."

"Why are you even here, Shade," Sonia asked as she helped Shade and Dominic to their feet.

"Yeah. I thought Dominic ditched you back there."

"He did, but there were so many sounds around me that I decided to cut my losses and fly back here," Shade said.

"Guys," Lara said as she and Josh walked over to the others.

"God, what happened to Josh," Manik asked as Josh fell to the ground.

"My leg. My leg," Josh said as he clutched his leg in pain.

"Some wolf bit him on the leg before walking off. We have to get him back home. Otherwise, we may lose a leader, a teammate, and a friend at the same time."

"Come on, Josh."

"What's going on?"

"We're going home, Air Shade," Shade said before taking Josh into the skies with him.

"Come on. We have to follow Shade back to New Mobotropolis," Lara said before she, Sonia, Manik, and Dominic started the long walk back home.

Once they had reached the inner sanctum of New Mobotropolis, Sonia had escorted Josh to Thunder's underground lab so he could examine the leg wound.

"Give it to me straight, Uncle Thunder. How long until I see the light at the end of the tunnel," Josh asked as Thunder wrapped his leg.

"It's just a simple wolf bite, Josh. There's no need to be so dramatic," Thunder said as he finished up.

"I know that. I was just playing up the tension of the moment. That's all."

"Josh always cracks jokes even when the situation seems dire, Thunder," Sonia said.

"I gathered that, Sonia."

"Just putting it out there."

"That's just the kind of guy I am, Uncle Thunder," Josh said.

"I gathered that as well," Thunder said.

"Just putting that out there." Seconds later, Lara and Manik had come in to find out the condition of their friend.

"How bad is it, Thunder?"

"How long does Josh have until he sees the light at the end of the tunnel?"

"Very funny, Manik. Josh said that same joke a few moments," Sonia said.

"It seems great minds think alike in Josh and Manik's case."

"Nice one, Manik," Josh said.

"Thanks, Josh," Manik said.

"Anyway, how is he and is he going to have to stay here overnight," Lara asked.

"It seems that way, Lara. He'll have to stay here until I can find out what effects the bite had on your friend," Thunder responded.

"Should we leave and let him rest?"

"I suggest doing that. Farewell."

"We'll be back first thing in the morning," Sonia said as she, Manik, and Lara left.

"I'll be awaiting your return," Thunder said.

"Great. I'll be here then."

"I'm afraid so. I'll be in my quarters, Josh, and I shall return in the morning."

"See you in the morning, Uncle Thunder," Josh said before lying down for some rest.

"Farewell, Josh," Thunder said as he left the room. During the night, Josh had involuntarily awakened.

"What the hell? I was getting some rest. I wonder what's going on." Josh groaned as he felt something evil living in his chest. He was covered by a shroud of darkness before becoming a monstrous version of himself.

"I don't know what's going on, but I do know something's evil going on," Josh said before someone started contacting him telepathically.

'Hello, Josh,' the voice said.

"Who's there? Who are you?!"

'All your questions will be answered soon enough. For now, you will do as I say.'

"Never! I'll never do the bidding for the likes of you," Josh said.

'Oh, I think you will. Otherwise, I will slaughter every one of your friends, starting with that girlfriend of yours,' the voice said.

"You stay away from Sonia! I won't let you hurt her!"

'Then you will follow my every command.'

"All right. I surrender. Just don't kill my friends. I care about them a lot," Josh said.

'I can sense that. Now, my first order is to find Station Square and cause all the mayhem you can,' the voice said.

"Of course. I'll get right on that." Josh then used his enhanced strength to knock the door down before running back to the surface.