The Dark Web Plague

The night was cold and dark. Creepy even. There was no wind, no noises other than that of the crickets. It had seemed that even the air was hiding from something. Something that stood in the darkest parts of Jamaa. Something that would destroy.

Jammers were chilling in their dens, oblivious to the fact that something murderous lay out there, watching, waiting, for just the right moment to pounce upon his stupid prey, that lie as if nothing was happening. As if nothing was watching them closely.

Later, after the terrible day, some would say that a chilling sensation crept up their necks, slowly, coldly. Other's felt a bitter cold wind, rushing through the dens as if something had passed through the house.... Some even had told stories on how when they turned, they would find a pair of jet-black eyes, peering at them from under staircases and beds. They wouldn't get sleep. Not with the thing watching them.

Soon after however, the feelings stopped and everything returned to normal; sunny jamaa was lively again, teeming with new users each day. Exactly what a hungry beast would want. The innocent users of Animal Jam would never have thought that something, or someone lay waiting for the time to strike, for Animal Jam to end.

Some time later, maybe a month, users began to experiance discomfort. All the medics believed it to be the cold, not uncommon in the winter time. They waved their paws foolishly, dismissing the signs of difference. When users got sicker, the medics became.... worried. They hadn't yet seen something like this. The vomiting of blood; the dreadfully high fevers; the mania. The users were going crazy, eyes dull, as if something were possessing their hollowed bodies.

When users began to protest about the sickness, it only got worse. Many fell dead on the spot, clutching their throahts with agony. Some began to get sicker, cluthing their stomaches as their empty bellies failed to bring anything up.

The medics had no idea what to do; Jamaa was falling apart and they could do nothing. Not much later, the medics became sick, high fevers, chills, crazed looks in their eyes. They seemed lifeless almost, as if their soul had been taken. More symptoms began appearing, much worse than anybody could imaging. Such was the case of Dr. Ruff.

Dr. Ruff had been trying to cure the patients, when one had bitten him on the shoulder, an agonizing bite, the patients teeth ripping into the soft flesh. He howled in pain, shoving the animal off and running. Stumbling, he made it to the door, reaching for the knob, paws outstreched. He managed to get outside, but not before the disease began kicking in, faster than ever seen. He began to see things, dangerous dragons, angry storms, werewolves and vampires; things that didn't happen. He screamed. Not in pain, but of hatred, a hatred for something he didn't even knew that he hated. Eyes gleaming with malice, he charged towards Mt. Shiveer, heading toward the Hot Cocoa place. He knew their would be small, tender children playing their, with their parents, drinking the cocao will pleasure. He was going to get something tasty over there.

With a roar, he slammed into the door, tearing it from the cheap, old hinges. Teeth bared in a snarl, he looked around the room, searching for the best meal in there. Through the screams and cries of fear, and the running, he spotted a small child. The little arctic wolf was no larger than his front leg, but looked soft, weak even. Easy pickings for someone like him. Lunging with his teeth bared, he pounced upon the terrified child, mouth slavering. He could hear its wheezing breaths. The wolf's eyes were wide with fear, the eye whites showing clearly. His fear scent bathed Dr. Ruff's tongue, casuing him to smile, a small, evil smile. What fun it was to scare his prey. Without much thinking, he decided to kill this one slow, as it was his first kill. Eye glittering, he slowly lowered his head to the artic wolf, pinned below his massive paws, that wasn't even squirming.

"You must be honoured to be my first meal of the day." He licked his lips hungrilty, eyeing the soft flesh on the small arctic wolves throat. "Aren't you honoured?" He said, cocking his head to the side. But he didn't let him answer. Instead, he thrust his head forward, teeth clamping on the throat of the child. Screaming, the wolf bucked, kicking at the larger wolves under-belly, although he failed. Clamping his jaws harder, he felt joy as warm blood dripped into his mouth. Letting the wolf go, he stared at the the body, thrashing before him. The child wasn't gonna die so soon though. He wanted MORE. He wanted this wolf to suffer. And he didn't even know why.

Padding towards the thrashing figure, he noticed that most of the animals had stopped their scrambling, and shrunk themselves into the corners, watching the bloody fight go on. He didn't bother with them.He had more important things to worry about. He pushed his large pads into the stomach of the wolf. Carefully, he lifted one toe on his paws, admiring the glint that flashed off of it. Without warning, he plunged it down onto the injured wolf, relishing this thunk, and the scream that came from the arctic wolve's peeled lips. He sliced slowly, blood covering his claw and pooling below him. Once he realized that te wolf was breathing so shallowly, he dropped to the ground. He rolled himself in the dark liquid that was now staining his fur a gruseome red. Standing, he looked around and spoke to the group of animals, the animals with shocked looks of terror on their faces.

"Someday, you might end up like him." He said, pointing a paw at the still body, the body that would never see the sun again, or play, or breath. "But today is not the day."

All of a sudden, a sharp sensation took over his body, like a hundred boiling knives were being thrust into him at different angles. Screaming, he bounced away and turned, but the pain followed him. It attacked him from all sides. Weakining, he managed to yell, "What is this?!!??" He roared in outrage, but not before a spasm went through his body, casuing his knees to colapse below him. He himself began to trash. Opening his eyes slightly, he managed to see something strange overcome his body. A black and green pixel was crawling up his legs, making itt way up slowly. He groaned as another smasm hit him, then another, then another. He was dying. His lungs were aching. He realized that he couldn't breath! Sitting up in shock, he opened and closed his mouth, trying to get something into his empty lungs. Sparing a look down, he silently gasped in shock. The black and green pixel was all the way up to his neck, and was still going. Animals began to scream in horror. They had never seen anything like this. Eventually, Dr. Ruff began to weaken, and he collapesed once more onto the ground. The world was swirling before him. Black dots began to swarm is vision. He glanced at the body on the floor, dead. An innocent life. What had driven him to do such a thing? Eyesight going dark, he surrendered to the emptyness on the other side.

A cold air rushed around him. Surprised, he opened his eyes in shock. Didn't he die? He recalled lying on the ground, the pixel consuming him. He stood up, surprised at the strength he felt. When something moved to his left, she sprang away, teeth bared, ears back. Before him stood a fully black arctic wolf, with a large black hood obscuring the face. He seemed to be the same age as him, though he was smaller, leaner. He growled, "Who are you and what is this place? I thought I died."

For a response, the wolf reached up and pulled down the hood, gracefully for a male. Lefting his head, he glared at Dr. Ruff. Dr. Ruff gasped. This was a female.

"Your here too? Are we BOTH dead?" He shook his head. What was happening. He tried to remember what had happened before, but he had trouble recalling for whatever reason. He-he got bitten. He remembered that CLEARLY. Running. Yes, through the door. Then what happened? Yes. He had... turned evil. There was no other word to describe the feeling of power, of hunger for blood. He remembered crashing through the Hot Cocoa place. Eyeing the child. With a shudder, he remembered ripping the small animal apart, in front if the horrified animals. He recognized some of them, and he was ALL of them recognized him. He had been the best medic in Animal Jam, at least, before his incident with the bite....

Turning his attention back to the wolf, he realized her eyes... they weren't right. They were pure black, all pupil he though warily. This wolf seemed dangerous, if he could call it that. She responded, her voice oddly high, "This is the Dark Web," she shook out her fur, and licked her dark paws. Were they wet? He stiffened. It was blood. She was licking blood of her paws. She continued, not noticing his discomfort or not caring. "And you, my friend, were infected with the Dark Web Plague. From down here, deep in Animal jam, you will monitor our 'carriers', the ones with the plague. You will make sure that they infect or kill at least one other, then you will send them back using the Death Pixels. Soon," She smiled a wild, evil smile, "All of Animal Jam will be infected. The Dark Web shall rule forever."

He shook his head. "I have done enough damage. I killed a CHILD. For no reason. I took an oath that I would do no harm. And look what I have done. Please, can't you send me back?" he pleaded, eyes shining.

Her eyes hardened. "No. You will stay now. Come along. We must find your 'apprentice' as we call them. You will be their scout." She beckoned him over with a swift wave of her paw.

He shook his head once more. "No." He sad defiantly. He would fight to the death, even if it broke his code once more. At least this time, it would be for a good reason.

She sighed. "I didn't want to have to do this, but you've left me no choice." She stood tall, shoulders back and raised a paw. Dr. Ruff looked on in confusion. What was she doing? Then, she snapped and said, "Return to your true-self, Dark Follower." And Dr. Ruff's vision faded to darkenss, and he felt mania take over once more.