Chapter 14: Revamped

Darcy watched as Jet tapped on the glass, Zeke shrieked with blood-red eyes and veins stretching down the corners with his teeth out and he blinked

"Friend or not, his mind is gone, there's no brain activity, or at least there won't be, it's only a matter of time"

"But he's still alive" She stepped back when he slammed his head into the barrier and shrunk back when the barrier shocked him.

"That's the problem," Jet said as Zeke's eyes followed him, he punched the barrier receiving more shocks

"He's hurting himself," She said with concern

"Where do you want to put him, a hamster wheel?"

The antidote wasn't working, he shook his head, doubtful. "This can't be true, you're getting to me" He pointed at Zeke as he tried to push through mindlessly, growling.

"I know you're scared"

"Out of my mind, yes, but as a pragmatist, I have to stay calm, this can only be a work of science."

***

Darcy nodded on the floor by the cell, hours ago Jet was trying to pull himself together and come up with a solution but there was nothing on the table, his eyes rolled to the scan as it updated, some parts of his brain function stopped.

The cell lit up the darkroom when he attempted to bite through, Jet turned glumly to him and tossed the paper at him.

"Stop...Darcy, it's getting dark, you should go home"

She shook her head and rested on her knees, they had to come up with some plan.

"Do something"

"What?"

"Anything Jet"

"I don't mean to ride on someone else's glory but that thing's not a mutant okay? I'm not Sith"

The volts went off again and they turned when Zeke groaned touching his head

"What the hell?" He said and his eyes switched from red to green, standing up, he hissed at the shock.

"His brain activity returned"

The lights went out and Jet cursed, Darcy, projected light "Zeke?" She gasped at the creature as it returned, Jet turned on a lantern on his face

"Do that again"

She lit up her hand and Zeke growled growing into a frenzy.

"Okay, okay, as long as you keep that out, he's sane"

Zeke touched his hair, his skull cap was gone, he looked around then at her in a suit remembering not to touch the force field, he glared at Jet then her.

"What am I doing here, let me out"

"You don't remember?" She asked softly.

"He's experiencing general confusion, finally, something that makes sense"

"Remember what?"

"You're the one drawing blood from those people"

"I did no such thing, now let me out"

He pulled back his hand from the forcefield and glanced at Shadow it was no different from her. "You're that shadow running around?" He laughed bitterly "You jackass"

"He's fine"

"Yeah, listen to short stack down here"

He stepped out when the barrier diminished while Jet held a gun with a helmet on and night vision goggles.

"I can't see a thing"

The lights came back and Jet collapsed taking off the goggles "Bad timing" He gasped covering his eyes.

Zeke was gone, Jet looked around after he recovered from the intensity of the light while Darcy searched the place, she hurried outside to the left alley where he crouched, his eyes were black and the veins had returned. Jet took a gun and joined her

"What's he doing?"

Zeke started to run and they followed him, the patrol squadron scattered while he bounced off the walls growling, Darcy went after him and Jet glanced at the men cowering.

"Oh, real nice job fellas," He said with sarcasm then monitored his brain activity on a tablet while Darcy tried to catch up.

Zeke sniffed around "The theatre"

"We're going back? No way" Jet put out his hands discouraging her from doing anything foolish. They gasped when Zeke started contorting and slamming his head against the wall, he growled and faced them while his teeth sharpened.

"Oh damn"

He flew out of the way when Zeke pounced then attacked her, his beaded eyes rounded when he went through her, a squadron was coming when he snapped and had the squadron in his grip and threatened to bite down. He hissed with smoke going up from his hair and glared at Jet holding the gun with a determined look on his face.

"Hunker down if you want to live, I'm tired of your shit." He glanced at Darcy after Zeke shrunk to a wall hissing "You have too much faith in your friends"

He said while they wandered through the alley while Zeke rummaged,

"Lucky for you, I saw someone else's brain activity, it was too quick but not quick enough to go unnoticed, he's under someone else's control. I decipher a psychic connection...sadly"

"His mind's not entirely gone, there's a chance we can bring him back"

"There's no time to take a car, you'll have to jump us there but I'm afraid"

"I've done this a bunch of times"

"No, it's him" He nodded to Zeke crouching, he was on four legs the whole time like an animal, Darcy watched as he climbed up the walls.

"He wants to get out"

"He shows the proficiency of a bat so he's not entirely useless"

Zeke hissed and tossed a piece of metal at him.

"He can hear you...Zeke?"

His head turned over a hundred and eighty degrees to her from the ceiling and Jet grimaced

"He's going to feel that in the morning"

"Will you let me take you there so you can show us what happened?"

There was foam falling out of his mouth

"Rabies?" She asked and Jet picked up a ripped tube full of fizzies.

"No"

Zeke let his legs drop and he stood up approached them and put out his hand, the claws were awful, she moved uneasily and exhaled when his hand fell on hers, shaking her hand behind her for Jet to take it.

Zeke looked around the stage and frowned hissing and Jet ducked when he leaped over his and disappeared, soon the gallery exploded with dust and a girl fell out on the chairs, Zeke appeared standing over her and she clawed at his face.

"There's another one..."

"Look" Darcy pointed at the cast from the play emerging from the shadows hissing, their beaded eyes worried Jet.

"Okay, they work as a colony, we find the queen, we take all of them out"

They were surrounded, she talked into her watch "Emma, I need some help"

Emma jumped from the incredible height, she was relieved to get some help until her eyes turned black.