"What are you talking about?" Zektor heard Zancrus ask.

"One of you just bounced a pinecone off the back of my skull," Elegen growled.

"None of us are walking behind you, ThunderButt," Zancrus shot back. "Stop being so dramatic."

"Oww!"

Zektor whipped his head around, having heard Gaster’s cry of mixed annoyance and pain.

"What happened?" Zektor demanded.

"Someone just threw a rock at me," Gaster said, looking out into the trees.

"Whoever it is, when I find them I’m going to give them the shock of a lifetime," Elegen promised grimly.

There was a bright blast of electricity that obscured Elegen’s form for a full minute, and when it cleared he stood there in his huge, tall, purple-and-white Hyper Zoanoid form. "All right you joker, come out here and get what’s coming to you!"

A burst of insane giggling came from the trees above them. It took Zektor a few moments to recognize the voice from the memories that Dr. Balkus had thought to give him, but when he did, all that Zektor could do was hope that he had thought wrong. To hope that whoever was up in those trees, they weren’t the one that Zektor had thought that they were. Elegen, however, didn’t seem to care about whoever or whatever was up there in the trees. Like he often did when he was that angry, Elegen wasn’t stopping to think.

Once Elegen was standing under the tree, something dropped out from under the cover of the leafy branches and landed on him. In the somewhat limited light under the trees, Zektor couldn’t make out just who or what had landed on Elegen, but it was obvious from the way that Elegen had started thrashing that he wanted it off.

"Let go, damn you! Let go of me!"

As Elegen attempted to either throw off or smash the thing that was clinging to him, he felt something start to dig into his back. What the hell?! What is this guy doing to me?! He knew then that this was no ordinary thing he was dealing with. The hands on his back had felt human, even up to the point where they had started digging into his skin. But Elegen knew that that didn’t mean anything, hell, Zektor’s hands felt human when he was in human form.

As the maybe-Zoanoid’s hands dug deeper into his flesh, Elegen started to feel a very unsettling sensation. It was as if his body somehow wasn’t quite his anymore, as if something else was taking over. It didn’t feel anything like when Dr. Balkus would control his mind or give him orders telepathically. Elegen still had full control over his mind. His body though, well that was a different matter.

It felt like his left arm was going numb, and the feeling was working its way down from his shoulder and… What the hell am I doing analyzing it when someone or something is trying to take over my body, and… oh God, I feel like I’m dying! The arm that had been wrapped around his neck from behind had now started to sink into his collarbone. Elegen hadn’t thought that it was even possible for bone to sink through bone, but apparently he’d been wrong about that.

That was when he started to hear the voice. Two voices actually, but only one of which Elegen wanted to hear inside his head.

-You! Who the hell are you?!-

-You mean you don’t recognize me?- asked the new voice with mocking sincerity. -Aw, I’m hurt.-

-Aptom! How did you do this?! I order you to detach yourself from Elegen, now!-

Aptom started laughing. Then, in a voice that sounded like a really good impression of one of those telephone operators, he responded. -I’m sorry, the Hyper Zoanoid who would have taken your orders without question is no longer in residence.-

-What?!-

-I mean I’m not a Hyper Zoanoid anymore,- Aptom said, with very obvious satisfaction. -Hell, with all you ended up doing to me, I really don’t think I’m even a Standard Zoanoid anymore. I guess I really should thank you for not paying too much attention to what your little reprocessing experiments were doing to my physiology.-

-You mean that I…-

-Was the one that did this?- Aptom finished Dr. Balkus’ sentence, and from his tone it was obvious that he was wearing a very wide grin right now. -Oh yeah, "doctor". You did it all. You just thought of me as an expendable target for the Guyvers to pick off with their weapons, right? Well guess what: this little "target" isn’t going to be playing by your rules anymore. This is a whole new game!- Aptom laughed again. -And don’t think you’re going to be on the winning side anymore, because I’m changing the rules.-

-What?!-

-And don’t bother trying to track me down with your telepathy. I think you might have already noticed that that doesn’t work,- Aptom laughed.

-Elegen, blast this traitor! Throw him off with an electric shock!-

Elegen tried, he really did, but he couldn’t even move one of his tentacles, and the most he could manage was a feeble crackling of static electricity. Aptom laughed, insane and triumphant.

-Oh, come on. Did you really think that would work? Elegen’s body is practically mine now. And that means that all his powers are mine as well,- Aptom sneered.

"Zektor…! Help me…!" Elegen called weakly, his eyesight beginning to fade.

-In fact,- Aptom said, apparently ignoring Elegen’s voice. -The only reason you’re able to communicate with me is because I’m using Elegen here as a transmitter. Among other things.-

-What do you mean?- Dr. Balkus demanded.

-My original body was blasted to pieces by Guyver I,- Aptom informed them, and the bastard actually sounded gleeful about it. -I think Elegen here would make a good substitute, don’t you agree?-

The only thing Elegen heard from Dr. Balkus was an inarticulate growl. His eyesight was almost totally gone by now, and Elegen couldn’t help wondering what was going to happen to him once Aptom had fully absorbed his body. By now Elegen was completely blind, and he felt as if someone had filled his throat with hot blood; his own. Zektor, I’m sorry. You’ll have to learn to get along without me. I’m sure you will, though. You’re a stronger person than you give yourself credit for sometimes, Zektor. Goodbye… Zektor…