Simba, Nala and Haiba jumped to the side, narrowly avoiding being struck by the bolt of lightning that had been shot right at them.
"Whoa!" Nala exclaimed, her eyes wide with surprise. "What was that?" she asked, having no idea what had almost hit them. She'd never seen anything like this before – but it was definitely lethal. She knew that for certain.
"I don't know," Simba replied, getting to his paws. "I've never seen anything like it. Just looked like a bright flashing light to me."
"Magic?" Nala suggested, shrugging. "I bet it's magic. You don't see something like… that every day."
"It's not magic," said a voice from above the three cubs.
They all looked up to see the cub at the top of the hill. The cub that had fired the strange lightning at them all. "It's a gift."
The cub leapt from the hill, high into the air, and landed gently on the ground below.
The three cubs' mouths were wide open with shock. "Okay, I've seen some weird things, but you've gotta admit, that was pretty cool," said Haiba, pointing at the cub, amazed that he had achieved such a feat.
"Cool – but not very friendly," Simba remarked, taking a step towards the cub, eyeing him with suspicion. He could tell that this cub had murder on his intentions. The murder of him and his friends, to be precise. "So, what's your name?"
The cub scowled at them. "My name is Duni," he told the three cubs. "But that name no longer has any meaning to me. You can call me Shocker."
"Shocker?" Haiba raised an eyebrow. "Was that really the best you could come up with? What, were all the good names taken? What about Electro? I think that's a pretty good one, don't you?"
Duni – or Shocker, as he now liked to be called – tensed up in anger, his claws extending. They crackled with sparks of electricity. "Do not mock my name," he warned them, his eyes glowing red for a fraction of a second.
"But it's stupid!" Haiba complained. "I mean, what kind of stupid, idiotic villain decides to call himself—"
Shocker shot his paw out, sending a bolt of electricity into Haiba's chest. He cried out – both in surprise and pain – flying a few feet into the air and landing hard on his back. He grunted, his body smoking a little.
Nala stared at Haiba's body in shock, while Simba's gaze remained fixed on Shocker. "You shouldn't have done that,"
Simba warned, his eyes blazing with anger. "It's not very nice to hurt my friends."
"I've been hurting all my life," was Shocker's reply. "Is it not right that someone else suffers for once?"
"He doesn't really talk like a cub," Nala noticed, watching Shocker with curiosity. She presumed that he wasn't like this before. In fact, he probably differed in personality a lot. Something had changed him.
"Yeah," Simba agreed. "Which I guess means something pretty nasty happened to ya – am I right?" he asked Shocker.
"You could say I was given a little… power boost," replied Shocker, holding a paw out in front of his face, extending his claws. They continued to crackle with a powerful amount of electricity. "I never knew storms could be so… helpful."
"The storm…" Simba thought for moment, when it suddenly occurred to him. "That's it!" he exclaimed. "He was struck by lightning!"
"Struck by lightning?" Nala said, confused. "That's impossible. If he did, then he would have been electro-frazzled. He should be dead!"
"You're going to keep using that word, aren't you?" Simba asked.
"Yes," was Nala's reply. "I like using words that sound really nice. Now answer my question. How is he still alive?"
"I'm… special," Shocker told them. "So very, very special. I was given power. The power of the gods. I feel better now. Faster. Smarter. Stronger." A cruel smile spread across his face. "Meaner."
"I doubt the gods would give you any power," said Simba. "You're too greedy. If anyone deserves power around here, then it's me."
"Slightly overzealous, aren't you, Simba?" Shocker asked.
"I'm not over anything," Simba replied. "And how do you know my name?"
"I know everything about you, Simba," Shocker informed him. "When I was granted these powers, let's just say the person who gave me them was very… generous in also presenting me with certain little snippets of knowledge. One of these little snippets was about you and the heroic little deeds you've done around this kingdom. But they will all be in vain soon, for I will crush you all like bugs. Tiny, insignificant little bugs."
"We haven't done anything to you," said Nala. "Just what exactly do you want?"
"To take over the world," Shocker answered.
"Of course!" Simba exclaimed. "I would say I'm surprised, but… I'm not. Seen way too much of this stuff by now." He took a step towards Shocker. "You could always surrender," he suggested. "And then maybe this won't have to get so rough."
"I'm afraid it's gone past that stage," Shocker retorted. "And now you all must die. All of you have caused so much pain – and I think it's about time that you paid the price for it. The price, of course, is death."
"I've never even met you," said Simba. "So just how the heck am I supposed to hurt you? Did that lightning mess with
your brain or something? 'Cause it sure looks like it!"
In an outburst of fury, Shocker grabbed Simba's shoulder, sending electricity coursing through his body.
Simba was suddenly overcome by an immense wave of pain. His whole body began to burn as he was electrocuted. He cried out in agony, trying to get away. But Shocker had a tight grip, and refused to let go.
"Die…" Shocker snarled, through gritted teeth. "Die…"
"No!" Nala cried, leaping at Shocker and tackling him to the ground. "Get off him!" she yelled, before trying to slash Shocker with her claws.
He simply pushed her on the chest, causing her to be sent flying onto her back. She grunted in pain, her body smoking.
"Ow…" Simba looked up, and saw Nala lying on the ground. His heart pounding in his chest, he ran over to her side.
"Nala, can you hear me?"
Nala looked very weak and frail. "Simba, I…" She groaned a little, closing her eyes, slipping away into unconsciousness.
Simba turned around, only for Shocker to grab him by the throat, lifting him up high. "I told you that you would pay," he said, before throwing Simba into the air.
He crashed into the ground at the edge of the water hole. Pain shot up through his side, and he could feel a nasty scrape starting to bleed.
Shocker strode over to Simba, picking him up by the neck again. "Maybe you should have been a little nicer to me," he said, holding Simba over the water hole. "Then you wouldn't have had such a painful death."
"What are you—"
Simba didn't understand – until Shocker used his free paw to place a claw in the water hole.
Immediately, the water became electrified, blue arcs of lightning frantically crackling all over the place.
Simba's eyes widened in horror, as Shocker chuckled evilly.
He had won.