DT Serum, Primary Testing In Progress

"I never said you were!" Gaster snapped back. "I am not your father! Unlike him, I have a conscious, and it won't let me allow you to leave until you are well enough to function. And I am only caring because Sam cares about you! I don't why he does, but the fact remains!"

"Yeah, I'm sure you're all warm and fuzzy," Lex snarled. "It's not like you took away the provider of food and shelter from a couple of kids who had no idea how to survive alone. Oh wait, you did! Get out of my way." He stood and took a step forward. He didn't even register the fall. One minute he was up, then he was down and hurting even worse. Lex tried to bite back a pained whimper.

Except Gaster managed to catch Lex before he could hit the ground. His own heavily scarred arms were exposed, after having rolled the sleeves up earlier. "Deadalus, would you have rathered I let him go free? After he mutilated his own children, wanted to create an enhanced army of slaves, and nearly kill me? Had it been known to me and my late wife, we would have taken you two in. However, Proditor may have only mentioned you two only once or twice in passing to me in the years I had known him." He tried to gently guide Lex back to the padded table. "You are still in no shape to even walk, never mind leave here back to the streets. Rest."

Lex flinched at the use of his real name, but he said nothing more.  He didn't even try to fight back.  He lay shiver, cold and all strength gone.  He didn't have it in him to fight anymore.  He closed his eyes and turned his head away from Gaster.  Didn't like him, didn't trust him, but had no choice about any of it.

Gaster left and returned with a blanket he put over Lex. It was warm, and smelled fresh and clean. Gaster sighed a bit to himself and got a cup of coffee and something to do before he returned and sat in the corner of Lex's room. There would no sleep for the scientist tonight.

Lex dozed fitfully, jerking awake now and then with a soft sound of distress or pain.  Then he would doze off only to repeat the process.He was sleeping, but not much more than Gaster.

~

True woke and got up, getting breakfast ready for Shuni and Paul.  It felt weird not to have Gaster home, and especially Pual, but he moved on as though nothing was wrong.

Gaster stayed with Lex all night, and made sure he didn't hurt himself more throughout the night. Dr. Ally came in and quietly asked Gaster what she could do to help, to which he responded to please get breakfast for Sam and their patient, and giving Ally more than enough money for that. The scientist scurried off.

~

Paul seemed just as enthused as ever, not really thinking anything was wrong. Sometimes dad had to be at work in the mornings, and that was fine.

True's phone rang partway through breakfast. It was Gaster.

~

Ashton woke in the morning, early as usual. He looked over at the couch and thought it strange Lex wasn't there. Maybe he had stepped out? It didn't look like it was slept on in a while though. He touched the couch. Cold. Now Ashton began to worry. He got some "clean" clothes on and ran out. He had to find Lex. Something didn't feel right at all. The very streets seemed... He hadn't realized he had run right into some of Black Jack's goons. They quickly surrounded him, and a few seemed puzzled. "Ain't he suppose to be dead?" One said. "Aye, checked his pulse myself. Nothing!" Another replied. "A dude who won't die. Bet Boss will love a new plaything like that!" Another crowed. Something hit Ashton inn the back of the head, and he blacked out.

Lex wanted to wake up, but he was so tired.  There was something important.  Something he needed to take care of.  He couldn't remember what it was, but it was important!  So tired.

~

True jumped and picked up the phone.  "Hey, Dad, what's up?  We're just about ready to walk to school.  Are you going to make it?"

~

Black Jack had set up his "throne" in a warehouse only a couple blocks down from Lex's warehouse.  He was there now, reveling in his new power.

Gaster sighed. "No, I will not. I just wanted to call in and check up." He paused a moment. "True... I found out who Sam's new 'friend' is. Were you aware?" He asked.

~

The lackeys bowed with flourish. "Black Jack, our wonderous king! We have a plaything for you!" They presented Ashton, who was just coming to. "A guy who won't die!" One grinned. "It's Shadow's right hand, that we shot dead. I felt for a pulse myself and found none. And yet, here he is, looking pretty alive to me!"

True winced and his guiltiness showed through the phone.  "I knew he had one, sort of, but I didn't know who, and I told him as long as he was smart and didn't vanish without telling people, I wouldn't tell you unless you asked.  I wasn't going to lie to you."

~

Black Jack's smile was cold and hard as he leaned forward to examine the thing in front of him.  "He won't die, huh?  Ed.  Stab his heart."

Gaster shook his head. "I am not upset at you, True." He sighed tiredly. "True, I want you to come to the lab when you have a chance."

~

Ashton woke more and tried to scramble away as Ed laughed and drew out his machete. Some of the others grabbed Ashton and held him roughly as Ed stabbed Ashton in the chest. Ashton whimpered a little, but it didn't seem to do much. Ed stabbed Ashton in the chest four more times before Ashton begged for them to stop. Ed readied for another stab though. This was fun!

"Okay.  I can come right after I get Paul to school," True said, picking up Bitty Kitty and moving her away from the door.  Something was wrong.  He could hear it in Gaster's voice.  "Dad, is Sam okay?"

~

"Enough, Ed," Black Jack said, waving him off.  "Go find a cat to kill.  You two, bring that thing closer.  I want to talk to it."

"Sam is fine. He is sleeping in my office still." Gaster assured him. "I wish to not say more until you're here, all right?"

~

Ed laughed and went to do as his master said. The goons dragged Ashton closer, despite his protests and begging. They outnumbered him, so Ashton couldn't break free.

"Okay.  I'll be there soon."  True hung up and called out, "Paul!  Shuni!  Come on, we need to go!  Bitty Kitty, stay."
Shuni came willingly, ready to go with his cat ear hat firmly on his head.

~

Black Jack looked Ashton over.  "You don't look like a zombie.  You don't sound like one, so what the hell are you?"

Paul bounced at the door, ready to go and tackle the day head on. "Let's gooooo!"

~

Ashton did his best to muster a defiant look at Black Jack. "I am no one." He spat. "The streets call me the Golem though."

True smiled and kept up a good face as he took Paul to school.  He hugged Paul tightly when they reached the school.  "Be awesome, okay?"

~

"What's a Golem?" Black Jack asked, curious about this thing.

Paul beamed. "Of course! And you keep being the Great True, okay?"

~

Ashton sighed and rolled his eyes. "A golem is a being usually made of stone or mud that's animated through magic. They aren't technically alive, and cam't really be killed unless you break or remove the spell animating them."

"I will," True grinned and watched Paul leave and meet Ariel before he turned to go.  "Come on, Shuni.  We need to get to the lab."  He wasn't sure if Gaster wanted Shuni there or not, but he didn't want to leave his younger brother home alone when he had no idea when he'd be back.  He could hang out with Ally.

~

"Then where's your spell?" Black Jack asked, grinning as he leaned forward.

Gaster was waiting in the hall outside of the operating room as he waited for True. (no windows because basement, so Lex would have to use the hall to escape if that was his intentions)

~

Ashton did his best to lean away. "I have none. What I am has nothing to do with magic."

True slowed as he approached his father.  "Dad?" he asked, not sure what to say.
Shuni walked behind True, looking back and forth between them.

~

"I repeat.  What the hell are you?" Black Jack demanded.

"Shuni, please wait with Sam in my office." He asked. Gaster had a folder in his hand. It was unmarked.

~

"I told you, no one." Ashton said firmly. "I won't tell you, you won't believe me anyway, and you can't do anything to me to make me change my mind." He smiled coldly. "You can't kill me, and you can barely hurt me, Black Jack." With a mighty wrench, he freed his arms from Black Jack's lackeys and smashed two of their heads together. They fell to the ground, limp.

Shuni nodded and scampered away to find Sam.
True shifted.  "Dad, you're scaring me.  What's going on?"

~

Black Jack was on his feet in a second.  "Bring him down and shove in in a cage!" he shouted, pointing to the dog kennel in the back.

Gaster wordlessly handed True the folder. Inside was medical information on a guy named as Deadalus Proditor. "What can you tell me about him." Gaster asked softly.

~

Ashton moved. He was very fast when he wanted to be. He sprinted towards the door, and managed to disarm one of the guys of his gun. Before he left, he shot Black Jack in the knee before flipping him off and fleeing. He was shot a few times in his escape, but it did little to nothing to slow him. Once out, he immediately hid and allowed Back Jack's men to run past him on the hunt for him.

True sat numb.  He had to read the heading twice.  Taking a deep, shuddering breath, he said, "That he's an absolute asshole and you should have left him in whatever hole you found him in."  True closed his eyes, shaking.  "And he's got an insane tolerance for pain meds.  You might as well have Shuni put him to sleep."

~

Black Jack lay on the floor, screaming obscenities.  About the only understandable thing he said was, "KILL HIM!  Hunt him down and take his head off!"  His men were scrambling around, lost and disorganized.

Gaster sighed and adjusted his glasses. "True, Sam thinks he has good in him. Sam stubbornly tells me they are friends and that there is some form of good in your brother." He paused a moment. "Last night, Sam found him bleeding out in the streets. I started working on him before I realized who he was. I only found out after I ran a blood test for a transfusion. I don't know if it makes a difference to you, but he wants to leave here, but as soon as he does, I'd imagine whoever shot him will make sure they kill him next time they see him."

~

Ashton stayed in his hiding spot for a very long time. He was scared, and alarmed. Since when did Black Jack have that many followers?! More so, where was Lex?! His heart was racing, which only translated to still a little slower than a normal person's. One thing was certain though; he needed to move unseen, and he knew how. Lex liked going on the rooftops and seeing everything, but there was another way to travel unseen. Instead of above, you went below. Ashton waited until the coast was clear before silently making his way to a manhole cover hidden in a back alley and going down, tugging the cover back over like nothing happened. Once down, he blinked several times to adjust his eyes before he slowly made his way along. He needed to know where Lex was. He would try and hear through the drains. If he needed to eat, he would kill some rats, even though he knew their meat tasted foul and nearly made him gag. He would survive until he found Lex again.