Radioactive: Chapter Twenty-Two

Radioactive

Chapter Twenty-Two

~Fading~

“Unhand me at once!” the doctor shouted as Duke walked through the streets. His hands were tied behind his back. Duke nudged the doctor along and forced him to continue to walk.

“No,” Duke stated.

Duke stopped and looked around. He could have sworn that he heard something. Seeing that his attention was no longer on him, the doctor broke into a run…if one could call it that. He didn’t get very far before Duke noticed and did something about it. Duke stomped on the ground, shaking the foundation just enough to cause the doctor to lose his balance. Without the use of his hands to help maintain his upright position, he fell to the ground. Duke rolled his eyes.

“Stay there,” Duke said, “I’ll be right with you.”

The doctor protested, “I shouldn’t be treated this way! I made an entirely new species! I could be treated with respect.”

“Quiet,” Duke shushed the doctor, “I don’t want to hear it.”

The doctor was quiet as Duke walked around. He knew he hears something, he just couldn’t pinpoint where it had come from. Duke sighed. Whatever he heard wasn’t making a sound now. He turned and walked back toward the doctor.

“Get away!” a muffled scream came from underneath.

Duke turned toward the manhole in the street. The cover, and part of the street, was thrown off in a blinding light and deafening explosion. Riu pulled herself out of the gaping hole in the middle of the street. She crawled backwards as she tried to get to her feet. A mutant crawled out of the hole and slithered after her. Riu threw a ball of lightning at the creature. The mutant jumped back and looked around. It saw the doctor lying helpless on the ground. In its mind, he made an easier target than the girl. It charged at the doctor.

“No! Get back!” the doctor shouted, “Listen to me! I created you! Heed me!”

The creature didn’t and continued to charge. Duke drew his sword and brought in down on the creature as it passed him by. The blade passed clean through, stopping the creature in its tracks. There was some silence as people caught their breath.

“I don’t understand,” the doctor muttered as he looked at the creature, “Why didn’t it listen to me?”

“Maybe it didn’t like you,” Duke said, “I mean I don’t like you and I wasn’t one of your test subjects. It probably had just a lot of pent up anger.” Duke looked over at Riu, “Didn’t expect to find you here.”

“I’m going to kill ‘im!” Riu shouted.

Duke raised an eyebrow, “Who?”

“That blasted Kaiba, that’s who!” she got to her feet.

Duke sighed, “What did he do this time?”

Riu looked at him, “Almost got me killed by a six foot minotaur! One second he’s there, the next he’s gone and in his place is a charging bull! Nearly got me killed! If it weren’t for the vents I wouldn’t have gotten out at all!”

“How do you know it was Kaiba?” Duke asked.

“Because I just do!” Riu shouted, “You weren’t there! It was all just to strange if you ask me!”

Duke paused, “But why would Kaiba want to kill you?” The doctor shifted uncomfortably. Duke looked over his shoulder, “Do you have anything to contribute old man?”

“My arms hurt, that’s all,” the doctor said.

Duke looked at Riu, “Where’s that body jumper?”

“How should I know!?” Riu rolled her eyes, “Kaiba said he jumped and ran and that—”

“So he wasn’t in his usual body?” Duke asked.

“No, he wasn’t,” Riu crossed her arms.

“And Kiri?” Duke was slowly connecting the dots?”

Riu shrugged, “Off after the jumper supposedly. Why?”

“So Kaiba was alone with the body jumpers discarded body,” Duke sighed.

“What are you getting at?” Riu scratched her head, “Are you saying that—”

Duke turned and pulled the doctor to his feet, “Kaiba isn’t Kaiba right now. We still have some time. If we hurry, we can just make it.”

“Make it to what!?” Riu asked.

Duke walked off, “Make it before Kaiba’s mind is gone for good.”

~§~

Kaiba walked down one of the many hallways in the underground laboratory.  He suddenly collapsed to his knees and tried to support himself against the wall. He gripped his head in pain. Kaiba smiled. A dark laugh escaped his lips.

“Are you still there Kaiba?” Kaiba laughed.

As if in response he cried out. He threw his head into the wall, “Get out of my head!”

Kaiba only laughed some more, “No one’s ever really fought this hard before. Most just give in to the growing emptiness.”

“Get out!” he shouted in response.

“Make me,” Kaiba stated.

As suddenly as the fit came, it disappeared. Kaiba stood up and rubbed the side of his head. He smiled, “I guess that’s all you’ve got. What a shame.”

Kaiba quickly stepped to one side. A hand shot by his face from behind. He turned around as his attacker dashed forward. A child ran passed him with a smile on its face. As he shot passed he tried to slide to a stop but continued a few more feet due to the momentum. He shot a hand forward, it broke into segments, lengthening the reach of his harm and grabbed onto Kaiba’s leg. The boy pulled his arm back pulling Kaiba in the proses. Kaiba struck the ground back first. The boy jumped into the air and extended both of his arms and tried to pin Kaiba down. Kaiba moved one of his arms and a blade extended from his wrist. He tried to cut at the boys arms but they retracted and the boy sailed over him and landed somewhere above his head. Kaiba jumped to his feet and turned around to face the boy. He stopped suddenly when a rain of daggers were hurled at him. Unable to react fast enough, Kaiba was struck in several places. He jumped back and dropped to one knee.

“Ouch,” Fang muttered, “That look like it hurt.”

“I made sure to hit all of the major pressure points,” Jekyll smiled, “That should slow him down a little.”

Fang placed a hand on Ing’s head. His words were directed at Kaiba, “So Jumper, or whatever your name is, I’ll make you an offer. Come on out and fight your own battles instead of hiding in a body that isn’t yours then maybe, just maybe I won’t tear you to shreds.”

Jumper laughed, “You’d really fight your own colleague?”

Jekyll drew three more blades from his knuckles, “You have no idea how much the idea pleasures me.”

He threw the daggers and Jumper somehow managed to get to one side. Ing ran forward. He ran up the wall and jumped over Jumper’s head. His arms reached down to Jumper’s shoulders and gripped on tight. Ing landed behind the body jumper and threw the man further down the hallway. Fang ran passed him in his wolf form and charged at Jumper.

Unfortunately, Jumper got to his feet and slashed at Fang with an extended blade. Fang avoided the attack and got around it and bit the man in the shoulder. Jumper fell backwards and screamed in pain as Fang’s jaws clamped onto him. With Fang’s massive paw on his arm Jumper used the other to try to get the wolf off of him. Ing grabbed ahold of his arm and pinned it to the floor. The boy struggled at first to keep Jumper secured but he managed in the end.

Jumper shouted as he tried to struggle against his captors. After a few moments, he started laughing uncontrollably. The faint sound of a cell phone ringing could be heard.

Fang released his shoulder and growled, “What the heck are you laughing at?”

Jumper didn’t answer right away. He laughed hysterically, “You can’t do anything! He’s long gone! You can’t do anything about it! The worst you can do to me is lock me up! You wouldn’t dare hurt me even if you know I’m not the real Kaiba!”

Jekyll walked up slowly. He looked uninterested, “Is that so? Tell me, what would happen if the one who’s body you are trying to take over isn’t so easy to take over? What happens to you if they start to win? I will tell you this; Kaiba is a lot stronger than you think.” Jekyll reached down into the inner coat pocket and pulled out a ringing cell phone. He flipped it open to look at the caller ID. With a sigh, he looked down at Jumper, “It’s for Kaiba.” He answered the phone.

“Hello? Kaiba? Are you there?” a familiar voice came from the phone. There was a slight sigh before the caller continued, “Look, I know you’re currently on a mission and I know you’re probably annoyed at my calling you but I just couldn’t shake his feeling that I have that something is wrong. I already called your brothers and your mother and sister but they all seem fine. Well, Chaud is having girl trouble but that’s turned into a regular occasion. Apparently, that Zara has a mean right hook Amber has a school play this next week. I hope you can make it back by then. We could go as a family. You’re mothers worried sick like she always is when you say you’ll call and you don’t. I’ve tried to explain to her that you’re busy and are trying to focus on work but I guess it’s a mother’s job to worry. Oh and Lynx wanted me to tell you that he has something to show you when you get back. I’m not going to pretend to understand what he said so just get back so he has someone else to explain it to. Well, I’ve wasted too much of your time. I just wanted to know if you were alright, Kaiba. I guess you’re busy right now. Call back when you can. Oh, and Kaiba, come home soon.” The caller hung up.

Jumper laughed, “And what was that to prove?”

Jekyll sighed, “I told you, it wasn’t for you. I was for Kaiba. Just reminding him what he’s fighting for.”

The smile on Jumper’s face suddenly disappeared. His laughter turned into screaming. His head felt like it was about to split in two. He struggled against those who had him pinned. Jumper pulled his arm away from Ing, throwing the android to one side. A blade shot out of his wrist and he stabbed Fang in the side. Jumper got to his feet and ran down the hallway. He barged into a room and closed the door behind him.

Jumper gripped his head as he struggled against Kaiba mentally. In was a sudden burst of energy that Kaiba fought with, a renewed strength. He had never taken over someone with so much fight in them. Normally, the host would give up. But not Kaiba. It seemed the more he fought the stronger Kaiba became. He screamed and threw himself around as he struggled to find a way to outsmart and overpower Kaiba. Jumper swore and cussed as he fought to concentrate through the immense pain.

His eyes opened wide as if he were experiencing some kind of shock. His hands pulled away from his head and he placed them palm first onto the floor. He shook his head franticly. He tried to move his hands but they wouldn’t budge. Jumper tried to say something but his jaw was clamped shut. He started to panic. Little by little he was losing control of his movements. His mouth opened when he didn’t instruct it to and he spoke.

“I told you to get out,” Kaiba said.

No.

“Now it’s too late,” he said.

No.

“I’d appreciate it if you would just disappear,” Kaiba shouted the last bit.

No!

Jumper was thrown into the back of Kaiba’s mind. He lost any and all control he had of Kaiba’s body. He felt cold and distant like the edges of his consciousness were starting to fray around the edges. Jumper found himself in a position he never though he would find himself. Panic started to settle in as he made feeble attempts to regain control. But it was no use. He was getting weaker and it was getting harder and harder to concentrate. He was fading into the recesses of Kaiba’s mind. Soon he wouldn’t exist. He was in essence dying out side of his own body. The thought scared him. Without a body, did he have a soul?

Kaiba gasped for air. He collapsed onto his back and tried to catch his breath. It was done. He was free. At least he thought he was. He heard a door open somewhere and tried to look around to see who it was. Kaiba made an effort to sit up but he was just too mentally and physically exhausted to move too much. Jekyll crouched down near him.

“Welcome back,” Jekyll stated.

Kaiba looked up at him and scowled, “You didn’t have to enjoy nearly killing me so much back there.”

Jekyll shrugged, “How often too I get the chance to blame my actions on the fact that a body jumper took over your body?”

“Not very often,” Kaiba hated to admit.

Jekyll smiled, “Exactly.” He flipped open the phone, dialed a number and handed it to Kaiba, “Call your father. I’m sure he’s worried sick.”

Kaiba grabbed the phone and held it up to his ear, “Father? Yes, I’m fine. Thanks for the call. I know, I know, mom worries. I promise to call more… Yes, I’ll be home before Amber’s play. I wouldn’t miss it.”