Scrab

The bunker entrance loomed before them, a dark gaping mouth in the earth. The Kid Pirates exchanged glances, excitement, and trepidation mixing on their eager faces.

"Let's go!" Kid shouted, and they dove into the darkness. Dusty halls stretched out before them, doors locked shut, signs of age and disuse everywhere. They walked carefully, senses alert for any traps or guards.

Around a corner, they spotted the first enemy - a massive crocodile, scales glinting in their torchlight. Killed drew his weapon and leaped at it with a roar, distracting it as the others rushed in with weapons drawn.

Splatter! In a second, he killed the crocodile.

Deeper they went when they reached a long hall filled with massive glass tanks, filled with an eerie green liquid. Floating within were humans of all ages, eyes closed - asleep, in stasis.

"Well... Well!"

"Captain! What should we do?"

Killer drew his weapon with a grim look. "Are we getting them out?" Kid nodded.

"We're breaking them out," Kid declared, and Killer nodded in agreement. The Kid Pirates spread out, shattering glass tanks one by one. The liquid inside began pouring out as the bodies of the captives fell to the floor. Some began to cough and stir, waking from their mysterious stasis.

Killer moved from tank to tank, checking each captive for vital signs as Kid and the others destroyed more of the glass prisons. Finally, all the chambers lay in shards on the floor, the liquid draining away as hundreds of people bodies didn't show any signs of life.

They're all dead, Captain!" Killer replied.

"Come on," he said to his crew. "Let's search for the leader of this hellhole."

***

Ryuuen rushed around the grocery store, tossing items into his cart as quickly as possible. He had a long to-do list and was running late already.

"Just need a few things and I can get out of here," he muttered to himself.

As he rounded the corner into the next aisle, two armed men burst into the store wearing masks.

"Everybody stand down on the ground now!" one of the robbers yelled.

People began screaming and running in a panic. He froze for a moment in fear, his heart pounding and adrenaline surging through his body.

"Oh god, not again," he thought, remembering the last time he was robbed at gunpoint.

Ryuuen dropped his half-filled cart and sprinted towards the front exit as fast as he could. As he ran, he heard the robbers firing their guns and people screaming.

He burst out the front doors of the store and onto the parking lot. In his panic, he did not see the delivery truck coming down the lane.

"watch out!" the truck driver yelled.

There was a loud screech of brakes and a horrible crunching sound as the truck collided with John, sending him tumbling onto the pavement.

Ryuuen lay still on the asphalt, pain shooting through his body.

"I should've taken my chances there," he thought as blood began pooling around him and his vision started to blur.

The last thing he heard before succumbing to darkness was the sirens in the distance growing closer.

"Hah!... Blurrrppp" In the next moment, he found himself submerged in a large water tank, with an oxygen cylinder over his face. His body seemed paralyzed, as he could see the blurry laboratory.

"We are getting them out!" He heard a voice, still unclear.

Splatter... Drip! Sounds of tubes breaking.

As the green liquid poured out of the shattered glass tank, Ryuuen's body fell to the floor. He landed on his side, coughing and spluttering. Confusion filled his eyes as he looked around at the unfamiliar bunker surroundings.

As he remained there unable to move, something shiny on the floor caught his eye. It slowly walked towards him- it was some sort of beetle-shaped gem and colored blue.

"What!," Ryuuen muttered to himself. Suddenly, the gem sprang to life, sprouting legs and clamping itself on Jaime's neck. Jaime yelled out in shock and fear as the gem attached itself to him.

Ryuuen tried desperately to claw the scarab off but it was no use. The pain was excruciating as the exoskeleton began forcing its way out of his back, cracking his skin and muscles.

"Get off me you bluesy insect!" Ryuuen screamed through the agony.

The alien armor spread across his body against his will, fused permanently to his nerves. Wings ripped from between his shoulder blades, bringing new waves of torment. Blaster cannons and claws shoved gruesomely from his wrists, splattering blood everywhere.

"Wehhh... Hah!"

"Do you hear that!" Kid said, sound entered his hear through the long tunnel. "Took them long enough!"

Kid grinned, as he turned back, walking back with a grin on him. Killer just noded, as walked a couple of steps behind, holding his weapon.

Ryuuen screamed and screamed, his mind reeling from the torture. He collapsed to the ground, unable to think of anything but the misery coursing through his nerve endings.

The scarab spoke again. "The transformation is 85% complete. You must get used to the pain, host. We are now one."

"What the hell, video game or something?" He cried out in pain, his pains kept increasing as he felt his whole spinal cord on fire.

"The transformation is 90% complete. Almost there!" Ryuuen gritted his teeth, trying to hold his pain.

After what seemed like an eternity, the transformation finally ended. Ryuuen lay trembling on the floor of the garage, drenched in blood and sweat. Though the excruciating pain had subsided, a constant buzz of discomfort remained from the invasion of his body.

The scarab prompted him again. "Host successfully fused with Scrab."

Ryuuen stared at the strange metal encasing his entire body. The armor was cool to the touch, curved smoothly, and formed a seamless shell. He caught his reflection in a laboratory mirror - an oval insect-like face with large glowing eyes stared back at him.

Ryuuen squeezed his eyes shut, fighting back tears. "I should've just stayed home," he rasped.