-Still searching for the missing Nightslice, Kris finds strange things happening to her. She's changing into something else! Both physically and mentally.... Fourteenth in a series.
Pokemon and all related trademarks belong to Nintendo.
The story, its original contents and ideas, and any original characters belong
to the author and cannot be used or reprinted without the author's permission.
By Gregory Stephen nightdragon0@hotmail.com
Kris
"Heads up!" Dracia warned.
I reached up and snatched the 'flying' fish out of midair.
"Hey, you guys are supposed to be cooking the food, not fighting with it." I laughed.
"Well, this dumb dragon started it!"
"Well, the inferior human male started it!"
That was my traveling partner Jade and Firestorm, my Charizard. Apparently there was a debate going on about who'd knocked the pot of water over. The 18 year old photographer and the Charizard were now going eye-to-eye, which was an amusing sight considering what Firestorm could've done to Jade if he wanted to.
Crispy fry.
"Boys will be boys." Dracia slithered up, curled up her long, snake-like body and lay her head down on my lap. The Dragonair had an almost as good, if not better talent for blurting out wisecracks than her trainer, Jade.
Those were the two Pokemon who spoke our language, the human language, as they called it.
I'm Kris. Kris Invorce.
And this was a typical night, camping out for us. The Dragon Riders as we called ourselves. Caught up in a battle between the ancient Dragon Gods of light and darkness. Not something any typical trainer would tell you, but we were far from being ordinary.
Now, we're just missing someone.... I reminded myself sadly.
That would be Nightslice. The Scyther had lost control of the dark powers within him and had almost killed me. I never blamed him, but he'd run away, not wanting to be a threat to anyone else. I did respect his wishes, but I cared deeply for him too.
I just had to find him.
We'd heard rumors of some mysterious Pokemon being seen around here lately. It was a long shot, but...I just had to try.
"Hey Kris, your foods gonna get cold if you keep staring up at the stars like that." Jade said.
"Oh, yeah." I muttered, snapping out of my daydream.
"Kris...we'll find him." Firestorm put on his most reassuring voice. "I'll make sure of it."
"Yeah, so lighten up already!" Dracia added in.
"Thanks..."
"We care about Nightslice too." Firestorm put a claw on my shoulder, "After all, he seems to lead us onto every part of our quest. We'd kinda be lost without him. And...hey, Jade!!!"
Having accidentally let the campfire die down, Jade grabbed Firestorm's flaming tail and used it to re-light the fire.
"Just a second, Storm." Jade muttered.
"No! My tail is NOT your personal lighter. P-E-R-I-O-D!!!!!!" the Charizard roared, flaring his wings furiously.
"Hope you two have this much energy tomorrow." I laughed.
Ow! I bit my lip to keep myself from crying out. There was that ache in my hands again. Some injury I'd gotten in a previous battle two moths ago when we liberated Silph Company from Team Rocket. Nothing serious, just that sometimes my muscles would stiffen up and I'd have problems moving my fingers independently of one another.
Another long day. I though, flexing my fingers to clear out the numbness.
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Nightslice
"So be it then..."
I had absolutely no idea what to expect. Therefor, it came as a complete shock when some unseen force abruptly shoved me back and held me suspended in mid air.
I tried to scream, but the same force held my jaws stationary and spread my limbs and wings out. I was completely paralyzed, unable to even do so much as blink an eye.
What the hell?!
"Just try to relax." Euphoria said.
I couldn't see the specter due to my eyes being partially closed, but I could still feel her presence lingering around my body.
"Hold still so I can take a few measurements."
Like I have a choice for that matter. I silently growled.
I could feel her moving around my body in circles for a while. Obviously, this was not an easy feat I'd asked of her.
"Oh, and one more thing..."
What now?!
"This is going to be very, very...painful."
What!? OH Ssshhhiiitttt! AAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGHH!
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Kris
I awoke with a start.
I'd swear I'd heard something. Or someone.
I glanced over to Jade, Dracia and Firestorm, still fast asleep. At least Firestorm should've heard it, but he was snoring away. And very loudly for that matter.
But some odd feeling seemed to be urging me to get up. Some instinct I couldn't really explain. Though I was sure it was just my sense of over cautiousness, I decided to go and take a look. It would only take a few minutes and my friends wouldn't even know I was gone at all.
It was a hot night and I'd been sleeping in my brown T-shirt and jeans. Those would prove sufficient. However, as a second thought, I reached into my black leather, Charizard-decorated jacket, crumpled in a pile beside my sleeping bag and got out my utility belt.
On it were a few small travel essentials, among them a small flashlight, a pocketknife and my tranquilizer pistol.
I reached for my Katana only to remember that it wasn't there anymore. Nightslice had broken it previously when he'd lost control of his powers and attacked me.
It was a present from my late foster father and yet another thing Nightslice would take the blame for. Perhaps that was why I was so desperate to find him, to tell him it was all right.
To make up for it, I grabbed the nearest three Pokeballs and strapped them to the belt too.
Then, I heard the scream again. What it...Nightslice?
Without thinking, I ran off in the direction that I'd thought I heard the voice from.
"Nightslice? Nightslice!" I called over and over again, hoping against hope that he'd somehow answer.
It was about 20 minutes before I realized I had absolutely no clue about where I was. Gingerly, I opened the Pokeballs, revealing Jolteon, Ivysaur and Riptide the Golduck.
"Erm guys?" I muttered meekly, "I think I just got us lost. Any clues on how to get back?"
The Pokemon glanced around in all directions, then shook their heads.
"Thought so." I groaned, "And..."
Just then, the rain started pouring down.
"When it rains, it certainly pours." I said, taking off in a run with my Pokemon in tow to find some better cover.
One moment, I was simply running. Next thing I knew, this tremendous pain had suddenly exploded into my head.
Screaming out, I could still hear the panicked cries of Riptide, Jolteon Ivysaur. And I could hear the thunder and the rain pouring down. I was soaked to the bone, but I didn't care. All I could do was keep running.
Suddenly, I heard a deafening clap of thunder, then a burst of heat right next to me. Lighting had struck a tree practically beside me. I heard the painful yelps of the others. They must've been fairly close by.
I became aware than my vision was spinning. I was tumbling down a steep slope, too shocked to do anything. I cried out in pain, rolling head over heels on the hard, dirt covered slope, bumping into every rock, tree branch and root in my path.
That was when I felt something was seriously wrong with me.
My fingers...I couldn't feel them. Yet, my hands and wrists seemed all right. I felt something on my back, something that caused the loud ripping sound of my shirt. My face...it didn't feel right.
More ripping sounds.
I was quickly losing both strength and consciousness. One final thought escaped my mind.
Geez...what a...stupid way to...die...
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Nightslice
I groaned, slowly and painstakingly pulling myself back to consciousness. I was lying on my chest, staring down at my own hand.
A human hand.
Instantly, I bolted up onto my knees, completely awake. I held the hand up and clenched my fist.
Wow, five digits. That was a pretty much new experience for me. (Although as the Knight Blazer, I've had a five-fingered hand before.)
"Good morning, looks like you're finally up. I had to move you further into the cave cause the tide was rising." Euphoria's cheerful voice greeted me, "How do you feel?"
I had to stare around a bit before I finally saw her. The ghostly Ninetales stood several feet away, casually swaying her tails. Although she was as close as ever, her voice still sounded rather distant.
"I...I..." I begun, holding a hand up to my mouth. My voice sounded quite different, now without the snarl or the raspy growl in it.
No more snout too. I silently noted.
"It feels great." I answered. "Unfortunately, also like I've gone blind and deaf."
"Humans don't exactly have the best of senses, but they're sufficient." Euphoria said.
"Yeah, I suppose." I muttered. Well, I had been asking for it after all.
"Oh, and look at yourself. You're all naked."
"Huh? Oh!" I turned away, turning slightly red. The new, human side of my mind was telling me that I was embarrassed.
"Never mind that. Now, Catch!"
A bundle of clothes seemed to appear out of no where. I fell over trying to catch them.
"Hope you know how to put those on!" the fox giggled.
"I know. Well...sorta."
It took a few minutes of experimenting, much to Euphoria's amusement, but I eventually got all the pieces in the right places.
"Hmmm...not bad." She muttered, "Take a look at yourself, handsome." She gestured towards a pool of water, lit up by the sunlight streaming in through several holes in the cavern roof.
Pulling myself to my feet, I had a few shaky steps before I got my balance right and managed to walk over to the pool of clear water.
Taking a deep breath, I looked down. I wore a white shirt, covered by a brown, sleeveless vest with the Yin & Yang symbol on the back and a pair of blue jeans. I ran a hand through my black colored hair, ear-length and neatly combed back. I basically resembled a 15 to 16 year old Japanese person in most respects. All except for...
"Your eyes." Euphoria told me. "Take a closer look."
Indeed, they were familiar, but didn't see to match. They were a deep blue, and seemed to give a piercing stare.
"They're unchanged." I mused, "Still Scyther."
"Yes, I couldn't do anything about those. It shouldn't matter too much either way, but here."
I was tossed a pair of sunglasses.
"Not bad." I grinned, putting them on and admiring my new appearance.
"I take it as you're satisfied?" the fox asked.
"Certainly." I replied, "This opens up a whole New World for me! But first, how do I get out of this place?"
"It's just a short swim through the pool." Euphoria instructed, "It'll take you back to the beach. So, you're leaving already?"
"Yes, I would like to try exploring for a bit." I nodded, barely able to contain my excitement.
"I'd tell you to be careful, but I'm sure you already know that one."
"And how about you, Euphoria?" I asked.
"I'll be staying around here a while longer." the Ninetales spirit said, "Just in case you need me. After all, my services come with a 90-day warranty. No refunds though!"
"I'll keep that in mind." I laughed. When I laughed this time, I realized that I still wasn't as happy as I expected myself to be.
Something in the back of my mind was bugging me. And it had nothing to do with formerly being a bug-type Pokemon.
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Kris
I awoke to the sound of running water. I was briefly aware that I was lying on my back on the grass.
Ow...my head is still spinning. And my back really aches too. What the heck have I been lying on?
I shifted my hand slightly and realized my fingers refused to move.
What the?!
Heart pounding, I brought up my other hand and felt the same thing in it. I was afraid to open my eyes, but I finally decided to just get it over and done with. And that's exactly what I did.
At first, I thought there were two swords being pointed down at me. Then I realized they were mine. My own...claws.
No way! I thought. This had to be a dream!
I flipped myself up onto my feet, going faster than I normally would. I found myself staring down at them after that.
Green, three-toed dinosaur like ones. I also noticed that my face had pushed out in a snout-like muzzle.
I felt some new muscles on my back and stretched them. I turned my head to find a pair on mantis-like wings spread out to their full extent. Though I already knew, I slowly looked over my entire green-scaled body, slashed my sword-like claws about and thumped my head into several trees before I finally conceded.
I'm a Scyther...
But what the hell happened? I surveyed my surroundings. It was around mid morning and I was in a forest standing beside a small stream. OK, simple enough. Turning around, I saw that steep hill I'd fallen down from the night before. Only problem was that it seemed to stretch on and on, with no definite way to tell exactly one part from another.
Yeah, the storm last night. I ran off without thinking and I fell. But what after that? Had I died and been reincarnated? Heck, maybe I've always been a Scyther and I've just been dreaming about the human bit.
NO! I silently screamed, shaking the thought out of my head. You won't take my mind away from me!
I collapsed against a tree, realizing that all the thinking was actually hurting my head. Who had I been fighting with? Myself? No, it was some other instinct. Something I couldn't possibly understand.
I closed my eyes and tried to catch a few breaths. Then I sniffed, and whoa, the sensations that erupted into my mind.
My senses, hearing, smell, sight were far beyond what any human's could've been! I could hear and identify practically every background sound.
There, that one's a Caterpie, that's Weedle, a Metapod, and a Spinarak. Amazing...if only the others could...
Storm and the rest! Damn, I'd completely forgotten! They would've gotten up in the morning to find me missing!
[Firestorm! Jade!?] I yelled. Or at least, that was what I wanted to say. What came out of my mouth was "Ssccyyyy! Sssccyyy!?"
Then it hit me. That little fact about Pokemon speech. We Pokemon don't speak in human language normally.
Did I just say that?! I asked myself.
[Ivysaur! Jolteon?! Riptide?! Any of you there?!] I desperately tried. The three Pokemon had been with me last night, but there was no reply.
Shit! I realized that I wouldn't be able to get any help from the human world if I couldn't communicate properly. Not like I'd want to get near any towns in my current condition: they'd probably start tossing Pokeballs at me, a rare and powerful Pokemon.
The thought of myself, a freak of nature, Scyther with a human's mind, forced to live the rest of my life out here filled me with a great sense of dread and despair. One that I'd never known before.
I soon realized my problems didn't go to that extent. There were much more impending dangers to worry about.
The faint rustling of leaves drew me away form my pondering. Too distracted by my own thoughts, I'd never heard them coming.
This was a wild Scyther swarm. I gulped as I looked around. I was surrounded, and the other Scyther saw me as only one thing.
An intruder.
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Nightslice
It was a short swim out of the cave, just as Euphoria had said. I practiced balancing and walking along the beach for a while before moving on.
Things were actually looking up for me.
I was whistling to myself as I trekked through the forest.
Alugard and his band would be searching for a Scyther who no longer existed. Neither him, Team Rocket nor anyone else would recognize me for that matter.
Now, I could go about my own business, not having to worry about hurting anyone or any stupid prophecy. Dragon Gods and all were out of my world for good. I just needed something to get started with my new life.
I figured I should head to the nearest town and come up with some convincing story. I could easily say I was from some isolated island in the Orange Archipelago where they didn't have any way to sign up for trainer licenses and get one for myself.
Then, I'll start training Pokemon myself. And they'll never know why I'll hit the tops in a record-breaking time!
That thought made me laugh out loud.
And maybe, if I find a nice quiet place to settle down, I'll sign up with the local gym and, hey, I might take over and become a Gym Leader. That'll be my personal ambition!
Our friend, the Gym Leader Sabrina, told Kris that she certainly had potential for such an appointment, but of course, Kris had declined.
Kris...I'll really miss you and all the others. But, please understand that it's a small price I have to pay.
That was the only part that made me sad. Perhaps I'd met them again, somewhere, someday. The world isn't as big as it seems. I just didn't know how soon.
OK, maybe it was 5 seconds later when I heard the cries of distress.
They were Pokemon cries, but I still managed to pick them up, even with my dulled human senses. One was a Jolteon, an Ivysaur and a Golduck. And they were under attack by some other Pokemon making screeching sounds.
No way! I thought, Too much of a coincidence. But...I just HAVE to know!
After that embarrassing moment of trying to fly off, I took a deep breath and raced towards the sounds in an all out sprint.
My lungs were burning for air when I finally got there. From a distance, I observed the battle.
A Jolteon and Ivysaur were fighting against a Fearow and Pidgeot. Behind the former party lay a stunned Golduck, obviously having been surprised and thumped on his head. Although His companions seemed to be on the losing end, they were determined not to give up, fighting as if their lives depended on it.
Thinking of that, they probably did.
The Jolteon created a wall of electricity with his Thunder Wave, giving Ivysaur time to take cover behind him and charge a Solar Beam. The birds were stunned by the sudden electrical burst and Jolteon took the chance to just away, allowing Ivysaur to hit the birds dead on.
That was a team tactic Kris had come up with.
As the two birds fell, I noticed some metal sections on their wings gleaming in the sunlight.
Then, I knew it for certain. The birds were Stormwind and Firefly, two of my father, Alugard's, commanders. The other Pokemon were Kris' as well as my former comrades. The cyborg Scyther's party and ours were not at good terms with one another, so a fight between them was inevitable. And Kris was no where in sight.
It was crunch time.
Reveal myself to help them and lose all chances of starting a new life. Run away and sacrifice my friends to the mercy of these fiends.
But even if I did try to help, what could I possibly do?
Even as a Scyther, the two had beaten me into a pulp before. Unarmed, and as a human, did I even stand a chance?
I was backing away when I heard the voice in my mind.
Victory without honor, is no true victory at all.
Kris and learnt that from her Ninja master and passed it on to us.
No matter what, I thought, I have to try...
I was currently standing on a slightly elevated position. And the birds had their backs towards me, far too intent on trashing the opponents. I took off in a run, building up my momentum and just behind them, I leapt.
All the birds saw were my fists flying into each of their faces.
I couldn't tell which group was more surprised at their mysterious attacker/rescuer. I landed neatly on my feet and coolly turned around.
[What?! Who are you?] The Fearow, Stormwind, asked furiously. He didn't really expect me to understand it and it came out more as a high pitched screech.
However, I was still able to understand a Pokemon language perfectly well.
"A friend of Kris'." I answered calmly, "That's all you need to know."
[Who is he?] Ivysaur asked from behind me, [He says he's Kris' friend.]
[I don't think I've seen him before.] Riptide groaned from his spot on the floor.
[I don't know either.] Jolteon replied, [But there's something about him. His scent is sorta familiar, but I just can't seem to remember where...]
"Hey guys," I whispered, "please trust an old friend just this once. Especially if you wanna get of out this alive. I'll explain later."
All three looked up, surprised I could understand them, but they nodded in agreement.
"Ue! Shomen uchi!" I used one of Kris' Japanese commands, dropping down to my right knee, lowering the opposite shoulder and praying that my friends would listen.
I grinned as I felt Jolteon scramble up onto my shoulder. This was a move we'd practiced before. I heaved up as hard as I could, Jolteon in turn using my body as a springboard to propel himself up into the air.
The birds looked up, expecting an attack from above. Jolteon, however, was a decoy. I had already sprung forward and plowed into Firefly. Stormwind made the fatal mistake of turning towards his fallen comrade, so he didn't notice Jolteon's well timed Thunderbolt until it was too late, literally giving him a good shocking.
Wrestling the Pidgeot was no easy task. He was clawing furiously at me with his talons and beak, but I pressed myself close against his body so he couldn't effectively hit me. I got an arm around his neck and used my free hand to pluck at his wing feathers.
Such a technique was disallowed in a normal competition, but I knew that it would cause a decent amount of pain to the bird.
Ivysaur lashed out with his four vines, wrapping them around the bird's neck and wings and pulling him downwards. That was my cue to withdraw, but the Pidgeot managed to slap my face with his wing, knocking my sunglasses off and sending me sprawling onto the floor.
My head landed right beside Firefly's and for a moment, we were staring into each other's eyes.
With a distinct look of surprise on his face, Firefly tugged at the vines so hard that Ivysaur had to let go.
[Bro!] He yelled, [We have to leave, now!]
[What?!] Stormwind groaned, still trying to free his talon from Jolteon's jaws.
[That human...just come now! We have to tell the boss!]
[Fine then.] The Fearow kicked Jolteon off and retreated together with his comrade, disappearing into the distant sky.
I collapsed to the ground, exhausted. I'd gotten more scratches and bruises than I could be bothered to count.
Jolteon came over and licked a few of my wounds. He was sniffing at me too, trying to determine my scent.
I wondered what Riptide sensed in me too. The blue duck had been trained by Sabrina to use his psychic talents to a greater extent, although they weren't too strong.
"Hey Jolteon," I said, stroking his head, "this will be hard to believe, but it is me."
[Erm...Nightslice? It that you?!] The electric Pokemon staggered.
I nodded slowly.
He pounced on me, knocking me onto my back and started happily licking my face.
"Yeow! Hey, I know! I'm happy to see you too."
[Now, just what the heck happened to you?] Ivysaur asked, walking over. [I know you're the descendant of a god and all that stuff, but now you're a human?]
"It's a long story." I muttered. "And if you're here, where's Kris?"
All three immediately fell silent.
[That's an even longer story.] Riptide finally replied.
Ivysaur reached a vine out to me, handing me an object that I recognized as Kris' utility belt. I knew she always wore it, although it was hidden beneath her jacket.
As I searched through it, I realized it hadn't been properly stocked.
A few basic camping essentials, flashlight, a pocketknife, tranquilizer pistol, some cash and several Pokeballs. But that was it, no other electronic equipment whatsoever. I'd been hoping her cell phone would be in there.
I also noticed it had quite a bit of mud on it and multiple scratches. The buckle was broken too, as if the belt had been torn off.
"What happened?" I asked, grimly.
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Jade
"Zzzzzz....zzzzz...."
"Jade! Wake up you FOOL!"
"Zzzzz....five more minutes mom..." I muttered.
"Dracia, you do it."
"My pleasure."
A spray of water immediately hit my face. I sprang to my feet.
"Ow! Yeah? Where is he? Let me at him!"
"Sit down!" Firestorm shoved me back down to the ground. "Kris is missing!"
"What?!" I glanced over towards her empty sleeping bag. "You sure she didn't just go looking for firewood or something?"
"For the entire morning?" Dracia asked. The Dragonair pointed up to the sun with her tail. "It's pretty darn bright already and she's the one who's usually waking us up before dawn."
"Besides, Kris left most of her equipment here." Firestorm muttered, poking through Kris' black jacket. "Looks like she only took her belt and a few Pokemon.
"Then what are you guys waiting for?" I asked, panicked, "She could be in trouble or something!"
"Cause...erm...we just woke up..." Firestorm muttered, embarrassed.
"Then go look for her, dumb dragon!"
"Grrrrr....idiot!" The Charizard growled.
He spread his wings and took off to a running start. Firestorm got about 5 feet into the air before he abruptly came crashing down, rolling head over tail and smacking down several trees at the end.
"Thanks for saving the trees." I muttered sarcastically.
"What the F***?!" he groaned, "My wings! I suddenly just felt like I'd lost all my strength."
"We'll just get the others then." I reached to pick up one of Kris' remaining Pokeballs and got a terrible ache in my fingers.
"Ow! What the?!" I yelled, dropping the Pokeball...right into the embers of the night's campfire.
Immediately, Wartortle burst out and furiously sprayed a jet of water at me. The second morning bath I'd gotten that day.
[Ow! Ow! HOT! HOT! HOT! Whatcha think you're doing you M&$%# F***er???????!!!!!!!!] The turtle yelped, jumping up and down angrily.
"Hey, relax Wartortle! I accidentally dropped it. Sorry!"
I flexed my fingers. My index and middle fingers simply refused to move independently of one another. Same thing for my fourth and fifth ones.
"I think I just caught whatever disease Kris had." I whispered, although it was still audible to the others.
"At least you're pretty much all right." Firestorm growled, "I feel crappy, totally drained of energy."
"Now, since when did we become 'Team Screw-up'?" Dracia asked.
"Shut up!" The rest of us yelled.
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Kris
The first attack came without warning.
Reacting instinctively, I stepped aside so that he missed. Two more Scyther came at me, forcing me to block one with my blades and kick the other away. The one I'd previously blocked attacked again and I brought my claws up, locking mine with his.
A blow from behind sent me to the ground. I rolled clear just as a claw came stabbing down into the spot that I'd been lying on. I used a sweeping kick to take my opponent off his feet, sending him stumbling into another.
That may have been a small victory, however the pack just kept coming.
I'd been trying to look for an escape route, however everywhere I moved I seemed to be blocked off.
Little by little, I realized I was beginning to use less of my techniques and much more of raw animal instinct.
I dodged a Slash and rammed my head into one's stomach, knocking the wind out of him. I immediately swung a claw, whacking another with the flat side of the blade. Then I did a reverse flip over two Scyther that were trying to attack me, kicking them whilst in mid-air.
Inexperienced at using my new body, I landed slightly off balance. A shoulder bash sent me stumbling and a Wing Attack that followed that up sent me down on my knees.
My strength and stamina were rapidly draining. I wouldn't be able to go on much longer. Just when I was considering submitting myself to death, the attacks stopped.
I was left kneeling in the center of a circle formed by the swarm, panting and gasping like crazy. My muscles burned terribly. I could taste the blood in my own mouth and well as see the cuts all over my body.
I didn't even bother to try and guess their numbers.
What's going on? I wondered, Why haven't they finished me off yet?
Slowly, a Scizor stepped past the group of Scyther and into the circle.
He growled out something not literally translatable into English, but I got what he meant nevertheless.
The veteran warrior was impressed by my fighting ability. He was challenging me to a one-on-one battle.
And I don't think they'll take 'no' for answer!
As bad as that
situation looked then, things were about to get worse. Much worse...