Copyright 2002 by Colin Brennan (Delton Wildfire) Cyberstrike2006 COLIN BRENNAN'S SECTION 32 Episode 1.3 INFESTATION Colin sat down at his lunch table with his tray and began to politely eat his chicken patty on a roll, the hot lunch for that Thursday. Soon, his friends joined him, Mike first and then Smink. Smink looked over his tray with concern, and particularly at the French Fries. "I'm missing something," he murmured to himself. He then snapped his fingers and grabbed his plate. "Ketchup!" he cried before running back off to the lunch line. "Does he ever get normal?" Mike asked as he unpacked his sandwich and chips from his backpack. "Nah, he only gets stranger by the day," Colin replied, absentmindedly twirling a French fry in a small pile of ketchup on his plate. "And we trust him with the Fire Crystal?" Mike asked with an odd look on his face. "Yeah," was Colin's only reply. A blond haired boy soon sat down at their table and smiled at the two. His green eyes looked from Colin and then to Mike before he got out his salad dressing container and poured it all over his salad. "Yo, Feeney, slow down on the dressing," Mike said with a smile. "It's a good day, isn't it Mike? Can't I pour salad dressing on my salad?" Feeney shot back with a smile as he emptied the container. "I guess I'm too late," Mike replied. "Hey, are you all ready for the Chemistry test?" Jenna asked as she sat down with her boyfriend, Bob. She got out her comb and began to re-adjust her short blond hair in a compact she produced from her pocket. "Yeah, pretty ready. I studied a lot last night to prepare. I hope I get an A, I need it," Mike said. "Don't worry, Mr. Portland gives really easy tests. I remember getting almost all A's on them last year," Bob said as he opened up his bag of chips and his sandwich. Smink finally returned with his plate. There was now a pool of ketchup covering a fourth of the plate. He smiled to everyone as he sat down, and he proudly put his napkin on his lap. "It took me a bottle and a half to get enough," he laughed as he dipped a fry into the pool of red. Everyone just looked with wide eyes and then returned to their own conversations. The table was full of cheer, laughter, and general gossip as the period went on, and nothing else until someone had to ask, "Hey Colin, how did last night's watch go?" Bob said in an inquiring tone. "Well, unless you count Mike choking on the cheese of his pizza, it was pretty boring," Colin said. "Hey, I didn't choke!" Mike retorted. "Than that coughing and hacking was for no reason then?" "Never mind..." Mike said softly. "You mean no robberies, no assaults, no disturbing the peace? Not even a cat in a tree? Just a boring night watch?" Feeney asked. "Yep, just a boring night watch. Like I said, none of you were required," Colin said as he leaned back. "That's good, because I had work anyway and I couldn't get off!" Bob laughed. "Yeah, uh, boss, I have to go help out save the town, you know..." The table laughed and then the conversation slowly turned to normal gossip again. "Jessica? You're back so soon?" Maeve said as her friend sat down at the table again with the rest of the girls. "Yeah, the nurse said I was fine. I really don't feel so bad anymore," Jessica said happily as she put her tray down and dropped her books. "Really? You look kinda pale. But if the nurse says," Maeve continued. "I'm fine, really," Jessica shot back. "I must take this Chemistry test anyway. I need an A." "OK, calm down there girl," Maeve retorted, putting her hands up. Lauren looked down the table at Jessica. She never saw her act like that before. Kind, caring, and shy Jessica just suddenly going into an outburst when she was called pale? That didn't click with Lauren too well. "And come to think of it," she thought, "I don't remember her ever painting her fingernails black before. In fact, I don't even remembering them being black earlier on in the day." "Jessica, when did you do your nails in black? I didn't notice it before," Lauren said kindly. "Well, you just must be blind then, because they were done like this all day!" she exclaimed. "Maeve, can I borrow a napkin?" she continued to ask. Lauren backed off and continued to eat her chicken patty while looking over her Chemistry notes. "Um, sure Jessica," Maeve said, a bit afraid. Jessica leaned over and took a napkin from Maeve's tray. But, as her hand passed, she dug her nail into the bun of the chicken patty on Maeve's tray. She made sure her movement wasn't noticed by any of them. As she wiped her mouth, she secretly smiled to herself under the napkin. As the lunch continued, Maeve grew paler and paler. "I don't feel so well," she said to the others. She suddenly sneezed, without covering her mouth, or making an attempt to cover it. "Geez, watch it Maeve! You got spit all over me!" another girl said at the table. It seemed that her saliva went all over the table. "Sorry," Maeve replied as she looked back down at her tray. She wasn't hungry anymore and she got up and went to throw out her food. 11:45 AM, Pottsville Area High School: Mr. Portland's Classroom "I hope that we are all ready for today's wonderful exam!" the gray-haired and balding Mr. Portland said happily as he entered the room. Most of the students quickly groaned at the comment, and went back to studying their notes in a last ditch attempt to learn. Maeve sat down at her lab table with Colin, Smink, and Aubrei. She immediately sneezed, covering the area with saliva and snot once again. Smink politely got out an extra napkin from lunch that he had in his pocket and wiped his area clean and went back to studying his notes. "Maeve, you really don't look too good," the tall Aubrei said as she looked up. "Yeah, I know, but I have to get this test in," she said sickly, but with emphasis. "You sure that you don't want to go down to the clinic? You could get out of the test!" Aubrei said happily. "I'd take it while you can get it." "I'm fine, and I will take this test!" Maeve said definitely. "Testy, testy," Colin said as he barely looked up from his notes. As he readjusted his glasses, he saw Lauren enter the room and walk over to him. "Hey could you help me with the notes?" she said. There was dead serious look in her eye. "Yeah sure," he replied as she sat down next to him closely. "What's up?" he asked her in a whisper. "Jessica doesn't seem herself, and neither does Maeve now. Everyone I know seems to be getting sick, including me. I don't know how to describe it, but it really isn't cool," she said in a worried tone. "All right, I say we look into it after this period. You know, we just can't walk out of the test without a good reason," he replied. "All right, we'll go to the elevator after this period," she whispered. She stood up and gathered her notebook. "Thanks for the help, Colin," she said nicely. "No problem Lauren, anytime," he replied. Mr. Portland came around with the test papers, and everyone packed up and got out their pencils and pens. A few minutes later... All the girls in the room were sneezing and coughing. It was getting quite annoying for the men, who were all trying to cover their ears and write chemical equations at the same time. But one girl still didn't seem to be coughing or hacking like the rest of them, and Colin kept glancing over at her. Jessica, why wasn't she sick? Jessica got up from her desk with a concerned look on her face and she went over to Mr. Portland. She said something to him that Colin couldn't hear, and he pointed over to his desk. She walked over and got a blue hall pass and walked out of the classroom. "Where's she going?" he thought to himself. "Boys must die..." Aubrei muttered to herself as she took the test. "Beg your pardon?" Smink said softly. "You heard her. The male species shall keel over soon," Maeve shot back. The two boys looked at one another in shock at hearing what they heard. "No talking!" Mr. Portland said from his position over at the front desk. "Shut up Portland! We're sick of you men!" Kara, a girl over at another table who liked Mr. Portland, said to him. "Miss Kara, control yourself or go to the dean!" he said back, not amused. Kara got up and jumped across the room and tried to tackle him. He ducked out of the way and she slammed against the whiteboard on that side of the room. She got back up and growled at Mr. Portland, whose eyes widened. "Die!" Maeve and Aubrei said at the same time. Maeve went for Smink's throat and Aubrei punched Colin in the face. The two evacuated their seats, Smink being dragged by Maeve and Colin being attacked by Aubrei. "What the hell is going on!?" Colin yelled back as he punched Aubrei. She flew backwards from his punch, and he continued at her until she fell unconscious. He knew she wasn't herself. Smink broke Maeve's chokehold and kicked her in the gut. Her eyes went cross-eyed and she fell to the floor, gasping for breath. Smink and Colin went back to back and looked around the room. It seems all the girls were doing the same thing. Most of the boys had fled the room, and all that were left was Mr. Portland and Justin, one of their friends. Justin ran past Purcell and flying kicked her in the head in defense after dodging her blows. She fell backwards from the blow, and went straight to the ground after knocking her head off of one of the lab tables. "This really isn't right!" he exclaimed as he sided with the other two. "We need to fuse, and fast Colin!" Smink said. "I agree, it's time for the armor and time to get to the bottom of this mess," Justin said. "OK, let's get out of here, Mr. Portland, get out of the school!" Colin cried. "Right you are Mr. Colin, right you are sir!" he said as he got away from Kara and out of the room. A shout rang out from down the hall, "Girls! The time is now! Let our revolution begin!" "What the heck!" the three boys exclaimed as they ran for the door.