Crystal Sides

Chapter 20: Panic! At the Zoo

--POV = Roman--

The warm feeling of fusion still tingled inside me as I looked expectantly at Logan.

"So, are you and Patton gonna fuse now?" I asked, "I mean, I from one am curious. I bet-"

"-Actually... I'd rather not fuse again." Patton murmured.

I looked at him, confusion burning inside me, "What do you mean? The whole fusion experimentation thing was your idea, after all!"

"Yeah, but now I'm having second thoughts." he protested, "If we're gonna fuse, I'd prefer to do it in battle. Fusion is supposed to be a natural thing: this seems almost artificial."

Logan clicked his pen and sighed, "I have to agree with Patton on this one. If fusion is inevitable, it should happen when we need it, not when we want it."

My mind was blazing with protests, "But it's fun to find out-"

"Curiosity isn't a valid reason to fuse." Logan interrupted sternly, "There will be no more fusion experimentation from now on."

I grumbled sulkily, "Fine..."

All of a sudden, the loud blaire of sirens sounded behind us on the highway. We all turned. around six police cars were all parked on the road, the cops standing on the pavement speaking to some frightened-looking teens.

I frowned. What was happening?

Without waiting for the others, I leaped over the fence with agile better than the best gymnast in the world, and landed a few metres away from the people. I hid behind a tree so they couldn't see me and listened:

"It was definitely a corrupted gem?" The cop asked in a strong accent.

"Yes." one of the teens confirmed, "It was like a blue blob, but it could shapeshift. As soon as it came near me, it changed into a massive spider..." I sensed him shiver, "I saw it's gem. It was like a kite but with a rounded of bottom. It was a purple-ish blue colour."

"Well, where is it now?" The cop pressed.

"The zoo, officer." he reported.

I'd heard enough. I pelted it back to the balcony and jumped over the fence, landing with a thud in front of the other two.

"Well, what is it?" Logan asked.

"Corrupted gem, loose in the zoo." I told him.

Patton gasped, his hands flying over his mouth.

Logan didn't seem phased, "Did they say what kind it was?"

"No, but they did describe it..." I recited what the teen had said to the officer.

"Blue gem... shapeshifting abilities..." Logan scratched his head, frowning, "It's got to be a corrupted Agate. Holly Blue Agate, by the sound of it."

"Is that bad?" Patton asked.

"Is there such thing as a good corrupted gem?" I muttered.

Logan ignored me, "Very bad. Worse than usual. You see, Agates are supposed to be terrifying. So, even in their corrupted from, they shapeshift into their enemies worst fear."

"Hang on, but the teen said that before it changed into a spider it was just a big blue blob. Who's gonna be afraid of that?" I pointed out.

"That's just it's ordinary form. If it's not attacking anybody, that's what it looks like." He replied.

"So are we gonna fight it?" Patton asked.

"We've got to!" I said.

"You're right, we should. Go and get Virgil," he smirked, "We've got a gem to catch."