Chapter 4: Inheritance of Power

“How are you still alive?!” Izle bellows nearly collapsing to the ground

“This again? I’m not. So let's just move on from that.” Dr. Lecram retorts

“You’re a monster. I worked on Mrs. Rosas's case. What you did to her was an atrocity,” Zada responds

“A monster, you say? You have no idea.”

“Lecram, wheres scourge?” Donovan shouts

Four hours earlier

“You used to heal people once before?” Scourge asks

“Yes, once before. I hear we weren't so different. You and I once before. That you too also used to heal people,” Dr. Lecram replies while working on another elixir of sorts

“I did until I learned what healing people did for me. Now I spread disease and plagues wherever I go, and with each bit of suffering, I become stronger.”

Dr. Lecram mixes in a unique herb

“How Izle ever defeated you? I haven’t got the slightest idea.”

The elixir boils over the fire

“HE DID NOT DEFEAT ME” Scourges voice echoes and shakes the building Dr. Lecram and himself are in

Scourge and Dr. Lecram continue to converse with one another while Dr. Lecram finishes up the elixir he had been working on

“What is that you have been working on?” Scourge asks

“an elixir. You see, Scourge, before I became what you see today, I was just a simple doctor who just happened to hunt vampires as well. But after facing Izle the first time, I created an elixir to make me stronger, stronger than anything he or the world has ever seen.”

“and what of Donovan?” scourge ponders

“After Izles' new partner Zada, Donovan's old partner set him on fire and burned him to a crisp, and I created another elixir to heal his legs and give him a newfound power. One that could stop and defeat Izle once and for all.”

“And what of this one?”

“This one?” Dr. Lecram looks down at the elixir then back at scourge. “Well, this is for you.”

And without any warning, Dr. Lecram jabs the syringe into Scourge. Scourge tries to pull away, but Dr. Lecram is stronger, holding him still. Scourge can feel a painful sensation coursing through his bones. 

“What are you doing to me.”

Dr. Lecram takes Scourges hand 

“I’m absorbing you and your powers.”

Scourge's hands begin to merge with Dr. Lecram. His bones begin to crack and readjust to Dr. Lecrams form. 

“I will share no glory with anyone. Izle will be defeated. But by me alone, no one else!”

Present time.

Dr. Lecram pulls out another elixir of the same kind and quickly jabs it in Donovan. 

Donovan gasping for air, his legs begin to feel like they’re burning. 

Izle and Zada watch in shock

“What are you doing to me?” Donovan cries out

“The same thing I did to Scourge. I’m absorbing you and your powers.”

“Absorbing him? What do you mean by that?” Izle asks

“Exactly what you see.”

And just like with Scourge, Donovans' entire body begins to merge with Dr. Lecram until Donovan is no more. 

Dr. Lecram, now standing 20 feet tall his body a mixture of skin, bones, and charred flesh.

“Now, Let's finish what we started, shall we, Izle?”

Zada fires her flame bazooka at Dr. Lecram. As fast as she pulled the trigger, Dr. Lecrams absorbs the energy and redirects it at Izle.

“Guys, you need to get out of there. He’s too strong for the both of you.” Denson yells over their earpieces

“No way, this monster needs to be stopped,” Izle responds, conjuring up a massive ball of electricity.

“Zada, when I say go unleash hell on him.”

Dr. Lecram begins charging at Izle, his movements swift and hard to follow. Dr. Lecram then smacks Izle sending him flying back. The electricity he conjured up dissipates into nothing.

Dr. Lecram gabs izle by the nape of the neck and begins to squeeze

“Now, Zada,” Izle cries out

“It will kill you, Iz,” Zada clamors

“Just do it!”

Izle musters up all the strength he can and builds up a flow of electricity around his entire body 

“On three”

Dr. Lecram squeezes tighter. Izles bones begin to crack

“3”

simultaneously Izle and Zada unleash all they have on Dr. Lecram; a burst of red light blinds all of them briefly. All goes silent, and Dr. Lecram drops Izle to the ground.

“Did it work, guys?” Denson asks

A cloud of smoke fills the air.

“We don’t know, but Izle is hurt evil, Den. I don't know if he’s going to make it.”

After a few hours of carrying him through back alleyways and dark tunnels, Zada finally arrives back at the distillery with Izle

“What has Dr. Lecram become?” Denson wonders

“I don't know, but we can't stop him. Not like this. We need to figure out a way to level the playing field. If we can't, then I’m afraid of what might come of this town and all of us.”

“We won't give up. Izle is the strongest person I know. He’ll pull through.” Zada says as she walks over to Izle, placing her hand on his. a tear trickles down her cheek falling directly on Izles.

“Yes, we won't give up,” Denson whispers to himself

Three days later

“How hasn't anything improved? If anything, it seems like he’s getting worse. His skin is turning green, and I hear him cry out in his sleep! What is happening to him?!” Zaad shouts

“I’m not sure, but it seems from his brain scans that he’s dreaming, between Dr. Lecram cracking his bones, Izles electricity, and the blast from your bazooka, it has put Izle in a slow state of unconscious consciousness.”

“What the hell does that mean?” In simpler terms

“He’s awake, but he’s not”

one week later

Izles entire body is now a dark musky green 

Zada and Denson sit in silence as they watch their best friend, lover, and leader crumple to death

then a spark from one of the computer cords, another follows by one of the lights then all of the outlets 

Zada and Denson follow with their eyes all of the sparks. Until their eyes lead back to Izle. Izle, still lying in his bed completely unconscious, begins to absorb all of the electricity until all the power in the distillery goes out.

Zada and Denson sit in silence for a moment.

Then a burst of light and hovering in the air electricity cascading all around him Izle wakes from his coma

“We have to go to Romania,” Izle calls out

Zada and Denson watch in bewilderment

 “Why Romania?” Denson asks

Izle slowly falls back to the ground, the electricity coursing around his body slowly stops. Izle’s skin no longer green, and his bones wholly healed.

“I know how to level the playing field.”

Zada runs over to Izle and wraps her arms around him and giving him a kiss

“But like Den said, why Romania”?

“I don’t know why or how, but I had a vision of my ancestors. When my father bit me and turned me into a vampire, he told me that we come from a long line of differences. In my visions when I was out, Romania was a constant and a group of vampire, lighting wielders.”

“Vampire lightning wielders? That's freaking awesome! Denson laughs with joy

“So like you?” Zada asks

“Exactly like me. We are going to go there to learn where my kind came from and all I can do, and once we do, then all of this ends.”