“Two hundred and sixty seven,” Hun grunted out as he hoisted himself on his right arm and his right arm only. “Two hundred and sixty eight.” It was part of his daily routine. Every day after breakfast he would do three hundred pushups on each arm and then three hundred sit-ups. The sit-ups were the hard part. That accursed shell of his made it more difficult than it was when he was human. He was pissed at first, more pissed than he was before but then he gotten used to it and realized that it added a bit of a challenge. He had plateued about a year ago, but kept up the basic number, or at least basic for him so that he would not grow weak.
A knock at the door broke his concentration for a few seconds.
“How many times do I have to tell you,” Hun asked before he counted another push up in his mind. “Do not disturb me when I’m exorcising.”
“Sorry boss,” the smooth voice belonged to Needles.
Hun pushed himself up again. “Come in.” Needles never disturbed him unless it was important.
“Morning boss,” Needles said as he walked inside. The Hispanic Dragon had always fit Hun’s definition of a smooth criminal. The man was always clean-shaven and had a decent hair cut. He was always clean period and wore fine tailored suits instead of the usual clothes the rest of the Purple Dragons preferred. Two-Ton had said he was more gangster than gangsta. It didn’t matter how Needles dressed. He was a true dragon and wore his tattoo coiled around his wrist in the same fashion some snake owners held their pet.
“What is it?” Hun barked and counted another push up.
“Kenny wanted me to tell you that everything is set up on the twenty second floor for your examination,” Needles said as he adjusted the cuffs on his crimson silk shirt. His outfit was a crimson shirt and slacks with a black jacket, tie and shoes. A matching red fedora topped his head. It reminded Hun of Mr. Go.
“And,” Hun asked as he glared at his minion. This did not sound like something important enough to disturb his routine.
“Kenny has also ordered for Doctor Westerly to be kidnapped and delivered here,” Needles said as he backed up against the door.
“What?” Hun paused in mid push. He had not given out the order for the doctor to be kidnapped.
“I did ask him if he asked you first,” Needles said. “He didn’t say anything.”
Hun snarled as he stood up. “Nobody goes over my head. When I want a kidnapping I will order it, not him, not you, not anyone but him.” He stomped right up to the man. “Bring him here.”
“Unfortunately I cannot,” Needles said as he held up his hands. “Not only did he order it, but he went out with the group.”
“Son of a bitch,” Hun clenched his fists. “Have him sent to me as soon as he returns.”
“Yes sir,” Needles said.
“You are dismissed,” Hun said as got back down on the floor and resumed his routine.
Hun’s routine was completed. The last sit up was performed and after wiping away the sweat that had accumulated on his body he took a shower. He was careful to remove his chest armor, less he cracked it some more. The same with the tattered remains of his shirt and pants which had been shredded into shorts. His belt was the only thing that was not damaged and he still wore with pride.
Not that he really needed any clothes. His transformation had caused his bits to be tucked inside his shell. No one could see anything unless he was aroused. He still wore his clothes as a remembrance of what he once was. It still made him feel human, even though he was no longer that and he had a feeling he will never return to that form.
Once the shower was done he dried off and carefully slipped the clothes back on while he avoided looking in the mirror. He tried to face himself before when he brushed his teeth or splashed on a little aftershave or cologne, but every time he saw his reflection it was replaced by one of theirs, and they were always sneering at him. Proud of the damage they had caused. He had broken several already and every time he would have to order one of his men to clean up the glass while he bandaged his injured hand.
Hun paused while in the middle of drying his hair when he heard a knock outside of his office.
“I’ll be there in a minute,” he bellowed. Before he headed into the shower he gave explicit orders to Raz, Two-ton and Needles that when Kenny returned he was to meet with Hun immediately.
“Gotcha Bossman,” Needles’s muffled voice was heard.
Hun decided to leave his chest armor on the floor. There was going to be a good chance Doctor Westerly was going to want to have him strip down to nothing but the shell on his back since Hun wants a fully body examination. After he tied back his ponytail he placed the towel back and stepped outside and made his way to his large plush chair.
“Send him in,” Hun ordered as he cracked his knuckles.
Kenny slipped inside wit his eyebrows arched up in uncertainty. “You wanted to see me, Boss?”
“Where were you?” Hun ordered.
“Me and a few of the boys went out to fetch Dr. Westerly for you,” Kenny explained.
Hun’s scowl grew even wider; making sure Kenny got a look at all of his teeth. “Who said you could go out and kidnap the doctor.”
Kenny blinked. “I figured since you wanted to see him today and all-“
“I asked you a question,” Hun said as he slammed his fist down onto the table. “Now give me an answer.”
“No one,” Kenny answered.
“Just as I though,” he wanted to punch his subordinate. Kenny was one of the best. He was tough, he wasn’t an idiot like a lot of his men were and he was competent, but he was growing a bit cocky.”
Sorry, Boss,” Kenny said as he held up his hands. “I just thought it would be a good idea. I know I should have asked, but you were working out.”
“Then you could have waited until I was done.” Hun stood up and made his around the desk. “You will either ask me, or you will wait for me to give the order.” He grabbed Kenny by the front of his shirt and held him up until he could look deep into his eyes. “Am I clear?”
“As crystal, Boss.”
“Good,” Hun dropped him. “Where is the doctor?”
“In the examination room on the twenty second floor,” Kenny said as he stood back up. “He still got the sack on his head.”
“Good,” Hun said. “Tell them to leave it on until I reach him.”
-
The appointments with Dr. Westerly were always the same. A few of the Purple Dragons would sneak in while wearing disguises and ask to see the good doctor in private. That was when they would knock him out, place a sack over his head and bring him back to the headquarters. After several kidnappings it had gotten more routine and they no longer have to knock out Westerly.
When Hun reached the examination room the doctor was seated in a chair, flanked on each side by a Purple Dragon and still wearing a burlap sack over his head.
“Hello doctor,” Hun greeted. “How was your kidnapping this time?”
“As comfortable as last time,” Dr. Westerly said in his usual sarcastic tone. The first few times he was taken the doctor was shaken and frightened, but he gradually calmed down and gotten used to it.
“It you want to remain comfortable you will do as I ask,” Hun ordered.
“How many times have I failed you?” The doctor asked. “I have always been a diligent worker for you.”
“And you better keep it up,” Hun said as he crossed his arms across his chest. “I do not tolerate failure.”
“I am pretty sure your men are impressed with your words,” Westerly said. “You no longer frighten me.”
“Dude,” Two-Ton shook his head. “You have no idea.”
“Our Boss has been through some changes,” Raz said.
“Changes?” Westerly sounded a bit intrigued.
“Yeah,” Raz said. “You heard about giant humanoid turtles in the city?”
“Along with a few other animal like beings.” Westerly nodded. “Of course I’m still skeptical.”
“You won’t be,” Two-Ton said as he snatched the sack of the doctor’s head.
The doctor looked the same as last time. Salt and pepper colored hair that once was combed back now stuck up in every direction due to the kidnapping. His light brown eyes doubled in size, almost growing larger than the pair of glasses that he wore.
“I’m not an urban legend,” Hun said.
The doctor gasped a few times before he spoke. “H-hhow?”
“A chemical called mutagen,” Hun explained. “and contact with the real mutant turtle scumbags.”
Westerly blinked several times. “I’m afraid there is nothing I can really do for you. I have no idea how this mutagen works or if there is any possible way to undo the damage.”
“Uh that’s not why we got you,” Two-ton said. “Boss just wants a regular physical.”
“Oh,” Westerly removed his glasses and cleaned them. “I believe that is why you asked me to study up a bit on turtles yesterday. I’ll do my best, despite the fact that I’m not a herpetologist.”
Several of the Purple Dragons just stared at each other.
“The boss has herpes?” Two-Ton asked.
“Idiot it doesn’t mean that,” Hun said. He knew was a type of scientist. He didn’t know what kind, but he did know that it wasn’t what it sounded like.
“It’s someone who studies reptiles and amphibians,” Westerly said.
“Everyone out,” Hun barked. He waited until the last Dragon had left before he turned to the doctor. “I’m ready to start.”
“I just need to scrub up,” The doctor said as he made his way to the sink. “I am impressed with all the technology you have up here. The curiosity in me wants to ask how you were able to acquire such technology, especially the X-ray and the MRI, but the sensible part of me knows when to shut up.” The doctor finished scrubbing and slipped on a pair of sterile latex gloves
“Smart,” Hun nodded. “I already have a few samples collected.” He pointed to the two small jars that one of his men brought in earlier. “Urine and semen.”
“I’m also going to need some blood from you,” the doctor said as he made motion for Hun to sit.
“Anything to make sure I’m clean down there.” He usually got his junk examined after one of his dates.
Hun was not one for romance or falling in love, but his equipment still worked and he needed a good lay now and then to satisfy his libido. He never went with regular prostitutes off the street. No. He preferred call girls. He usually with the same agency and had a few favorites. Sometimes he would take them out to dinner, or even a movie, but always ended up in the bedroom. Every moan that came from them was like music to his ears.
His smile at such memories turned into a scowl. He can never have sex again. Even if he offered his dates several million dollars they would not have sex with a freak. He could send out an add, or post on the Internet looking for a chick that would be into bestiality or turtles.
“Open your mouth,” Westerly instructed.
Hun opened his mouth and felt cold metal enter it.
“Keep that under your tongue,” Westerly said as he wrapped the strip of cloth of the blood pressure test around Hun’s arm, just right under where the shoulder spikes ended. He squeezed the bulge until the strap became too tight. “Very good.” He wrote something down on a clipboard and picked up a stethoscope. “I should still be able to hear your heart through your plastron.” He tapped Hun on his chest.
Hun nodded. So that’s what the official term for it was. The metal of the stethoscope wasn’t as cold as he remembered. He watched the doctor as he continued his work.
“Heartbeat sounds good,” Westerly said. “Now let me take a look at that thermometer.” He removed the thermometer from Hun’s mouth and stared at it. “Only seventy four degrees.”
“That’s not good is it?” Hun asked. He heard having a low temperature was worse than having a fever.
“Not quite,” the doctor said as he wrote something down. “I believe that might be the temperature of this room, meaning you are in fact cold blooded now.”
“Oh,” Hun nodded. He had a feeling he was except he wasn’t exactly sure if his blood ran warm, cold or somewhere in between like lukewarm.
“Now to look into eyes, ears and throat.” The doctor shined a light into each of Hun’s ear holes before he brought it up to his eyes. “Look up.”
Hun did not say anything and looked up. He knew to do that so he won’t be blind.
“And now for your throat. Stick out your tongue and say ahh.”
Hun stuck out his tongue, now longer and more pointed. He remembered the first time some of the Dragon’s had seen his new tongue. One idiot mentioned how he could dress up as Gene Simmons and another said that he could really satisfy the ladies. Huns’s response was to grab each by their tongue, using his claws and made them follow him across the room. He managed to puncture one of their tongues and tore out the other’s piercing.
“Now to retrieve those samples,” the doctor said. He set down the clipboard and prepped a needle.
It felt like a mosquito bite to Hun. He watched with apt curiosity as the doctor used a file to scrape off some power like substance of his spikes and just a bit off of his shell.
“I am a bit curious,” Westerly said as he prepped up the X-ray. “What was this mutagen like?”
“Like crud,” Hun said. “Slimy pinkish purple crud that glowed, and it sticks to you. I tried to rub ad scrub it off, but it wouldn’t come off at all.” He tried his best to remove it, but like the several times he had tried to destroy those turtles he had failed.
“Stand still. We will take the first one now.” Westerly pressed a button. “Did it hurt?”
“Like hell.” He couldn’t decide where the worst pain was when his shell formed on his back. Or when his bones cracked and reshaped themselves. His fingers fusing together until he had only three and his toes fusing into two.
“Just a few more, now turn around.” He took a picture from Hun’s back and from each side. “Now lets slide you into this MRI and get a different look at your insides.”
Hun was a little worried that he might get stuck, even when he was human he felt like he wouldn’t have been able to squeeze inside but he underestimated the size of the device and was able to slide in. He kept his eyes closed as the doctor took the necessary images.
“That should be the last of it.”
“Good,” Hun slid out. “Do I get a clean bill of health?”
“Not quite yet.” Westerly said as he gathered the pictures. “I’m going have to get these done in a lab. I’ll be available for a kidnapping in about four hours.”
“Then it will be arranged.”
-
The day had gone on as usual. Hun made sure his Dragons worked out and trained to keep up their fighting skills while he went over a list of possible buyers of some of the recent stolen merchandise. One Dragon came to him with the information that a out of country billionaire would be in town looking to purchase some fancy, classy, and ancient swords.
“We need to hit every weapon store and antique store in the city,” Hun said. They were going to have t do it fast before other gangs like the Night Falcons might catch wind of the new. They might already have.
“What about museums?” Kenny asked.
“Can’t sell a sword from a museum to a buy like this,” Hun said. “Artifacts like that are too recognizable, especially to a collector. They would know it’s either stolen from a museum or a replica and either way they won’t want it. It’s the main reason why you can’t steal the Mona Lisa.”
“Gotcha.”
“Boss,” Raz called before knocking on the door. “We kidnapped the doc again like you asked.”
“Send him here,” Hun instructed. “I wish to speak with him alone.”
“Gotcha,” Kenny said and left.
A few minutes later Doctor Westerly was escorted into Hun’s office.
“I have to admit I recently formed a new found respect for your gang,” Dr. Westerly said. “They don’t care that you are mutated.”
“They are great bunch,” Hun nodded. He had once thought the Purple Dragons would abandon him but they told him he was their best leader and will follow him to the end and help him seek revenge for what happened. “Now stop talking about them and give me my results.”
“Results are that you are healthy and in perfect shape,” Westerly said.
“No STD’s?” Hun asked.
“Not at all. All of your organs are in working order, including your new one.”
“New one?” Hun stared at his chest. “I grew a second heart or something?”
“Not quite,” Westerly. “You now have a gizzard, which kind of surprises me. Normal turtles have gizzards since they do not have any teeth and ingest stones to help grind up their food, the same with birds, but you have teeth and I take it the others have them as well?”
“They do, but their teeth is all flat. Why did mine get like this?” Hun pointed at his mouth.
“Possibly it also enhanced what you already have, hence the claws. The spiky protrusions and the horns do baffle me though.”
“Great, I’m an enhanced freak.”
“And my original suspicions were correct. You are indeed a cold-blooded reptile. You will need to take extra precautions in colder weather. I also have another theory I need to test.” He pulled out a small bottle and removed the cap.
“What is that?” Hun asked. He couldn’t see what was inside, nor could he smell it, although he did feel a little dizzy. He felt something else inside, an urge to find a female and to lay with her. “The hell?”
“I take it you were affected.”
“What the hell is that shit?” Hun demanded.
“A few swab samples from the vagina of an ovulating human mixed with the pheromones of a female turtle. This would be the same as the pheromones of a female of your species.”
“God damn.” Hun wanted to punch him, but he needed to sit down. “Keep that crud away from and don’t ever experiment like that one me again.” He rubbed his temples.
“Am I dismissed?”
“Get out,” Hun ordered. For a few seconds Westerly reminded him of Stockman. At least Westerly did not have a raging ego.
“Boss?” Raz knocked on the door. “You done with the doc?”
“Take him back now.”
“That girl from Gabby’s bakery is here with a pie.”
“Gabby’s bakery?” Hun blinked. He had nearly forgotten about her. He had yet to screen through the rosters to see whom the mysterious Demakans was. “Send her in.”
Gabby walked in the door ten minutes later while carrying a box. “Are you feeling all right?”
“I’m a cold-blooded reptile,” Hun said as he stared at his hands.
“I believe they can feel,” Gabby said as she set the box down.
“I had hoped there was some part of me that was still mammal,” he set hands down and stared at the box. The pie smelled good.
“This pie might warm you up,” Gabby said. “I have also learned the Judas has connection with the Night Falcons.”
“A wolf in sheep’s clothing,” Hun said.
“I have also been instructed to spend more time here with you.”
“I don’t need you to protect me, however I could use an informant.”
“The Agency does not charge their clientele for a guardian,” Gabby said as she leaned back against the doors. “This is all a free service.”
“You do this for free?”
“They pay me, but they don’t charge you.”
“I have seen you fight and it is impressive,” Hun nodded as lifted the lid on the box. “Where do you get these treats?”
“I make them. Baking is my hobby. I guess you can say that is another bonus.”
“You baked this,” Hun said as he tore out a chunk of pie. He took a bite and chewed. The pie was warm and delicious. “I guess we could make some sort of arrangement.”