More Meteor Showers Bring Even Stranger Powers. (O/A)

[Rikki Tikki Travi]

Heather weakly returned Kerana's hug as she sniffled, "It was yesterday. I heard some of the lab guys talking about the stuff and what it did. So I used my power to sneak in and take some of it. I ate it this morning, since I could feel the shedding start."

"I didn't turn into this overnight like so many others. Year after year I would change more and more. I just wanted to get it over with and become whatever it is I'm gonna be. I'm sick of losing more of what I was every time I shed my skin."  

[Nova Blancke]

Cassandra remained silent as she watched Heather. There wasn't a lot going on in her head at the moment. She simply didn't understand what Heather was going through. Besides nothing she could say would change anything at the moment.

" He will fix you. " She said with her stoic and slightly detached voice.  

[Rikki Tikki Travi]

The boy nodded to Kerana. "I can advance her body and source to their completion. It is the only way to save her without resetting the source and starting the cycle anew."

Heather was hoping the fixing was a cure. She didn't understand a lot of what they boy was saying. "Cycle, what does thag mean."

The boy turned to Heather and stated, "Your source holds great power. You were too young when you came into contact with the catalyst. Your body adapted by creating growth cycles based on the closest genetic equivalent of the final form. I believe you call it a dragon."

Heather's heart skipped a beat. Her mouth fell open in shock. If she were capable of becoming pale she would have. All she could manage was an unintelligible sound that resembled a broken squeak toy.  

[Rikki Tikki Travi]

Heather raised the brow of her changed eye and slowly turned her head toward Kerana. She didn't say anything. She didn't feel it was necessary. Her look said it all. Really?!

The boy didn't have a comment, only an explination. "She will most likely not be that much larger than she is now, though I cannot say with complete certainty."

Heather turned back to the boy and pleaded, "Can't you just take it away? Y'know, turn off my source or whatever?"

The boy shook his head. "That is impossible. Once a source has been awakened, it can not be returned to dormancy. You must choose. I will not force you to ascend."

Heather choked on her words. She trembled with anxiety and fright. She looked back to Kerana with forlorn eyes. "I don't want to die, but I don't want to turn into some story book monster either."  

[Rikki Tikki Travi]

Heather was about to respond with a smile when she felt something strange. "Something's wrong. I feel-" She inhaled sharply and arched her back off of the bed. The monitor showed her blood pressure and pulse reaching dangerous levels. Clamps snapped over her wrists and ankles to keep her from flailing off.

Her bare feet and legs began to contort and stretch. She howled in agony as her flesh tore like a cheap suit to give way to more beastial limbs.

The child frantically squirmed out of Cassandra's grasp and dropped to the floor just as a medical team rushed in. The boy tried to wiggle past them. In the chaos of thing, a nurse's elbow went backwards and directly into the boy's left eye.

He stumbled backward and landed hard on his rear. His hand went up to his eye. His bottom lip quivered and he started to wail. "Ouch! Mama!"  

[Nova Blancke]

Cassandra watched it unfold before her son struggled to escape from her grasp. She allowed it. But soon she realized her mistake as the team rushed in. She still was like pillar that wouldn't be moved and the people running into her would notice that quickly. She heard her son cry and something snapped.

Protect

Instinctively she dove forward and scoped up her child. With a turn she swung around her arm, not as a punch but it was enough to sent people flying followed by that same stomp she did early. Her eyes scanned the room for potential threats to her child.  

[Rikki Tikki Travi]

The staff flew in all directions while barely missing Kerana. The boy, while exceedingly intelligent, was still a child. Hee burried his face into Cassandra's shoulder as he huffed and whimpered in the comfort of her arms. All things outside of this comfort zone became unimportant.

The doctor that had spoken to Kerana earlier groaned as he picked himself off the ground. "What the Hell is your problem, Lady?" he demanded. "That girl's heart is going to blow if we don't do something!"

Heather's cries became momentarily strained as her neck grew slightly longer. The her spine popped painfully as two additional vertibrae grew into her cervical space. The flesh here aslo gave way.

She tried to call for help, but could only managed choked approximations of the word.  

[Rikki Tikki Travi]

mc2

Shaking her head she said, "Anyways, Gidget, I think it is time for us to get ready. You with your armor and me with the bodysuit, because no matter how much Alexavier may appreciate me fighting in the buff, I would rather not." With a smile she said pointedly at Alexavier, her voice beginning to become blatantly sarcastic, "I know so disappointing, but I would hate to be a distraction to you if you decide to join us."

Gidget allowed Annie to leave first. She then leaned in toward Trinity and said, loud enough for Alex to hear, "If he tries anything dump his a** in the shadow zone"

She then took her leave and picked up her stride to catch up with Annie. "The lab isn't far from here, but I wanted to ask you something? Can we trust those two?"  

[mc2]

Rikki Tikki Travi

Gidget allowed Annie to leave first. She then leaned in toward Trinity and said, loud enough for Alex to hear, "If he tries anything dump his a** in the shadow zone"

She then took her leave and picked up her stride to catch up with Annie. "The lab isn't far from here, but I wanted to ask you something? Can we trust those two?"

"I trust Alexavier far more than Cassandra," Annie said. "In fact in a weird sort of way I kind of like him-not in that way, of course. However, they both are wild cards. To put it bluntly, Alexavier is easier to manipulate. At least for me. Probably because I do like him and want good things for him, and even for Cassandra. I feel bad for them both for being Daedalus lab rats and their connection to the concentrated meteor shower radiation. Experiments on them were partially my fault, you know, as was what happened with Shane. I was the beta project."

She tucked a strand of hair behind her hair, "Regardless, of that, about those two... Cassandra hates me. She likes children, though, so if need be we might be able to use my son to help win her over, as horrible as that sounds. Honestly, though, I don't think they are the bad guys. Not right now. They have the potential as much as I do, which is enough odds I would keep a passing watch on them. When it comes to me, I trust Alexavier more or less, Cassandra I don't, but I'm bias. I don't tend to trust people who hate me."  

[mc2]

Rikki Tikki Travi

Larry helped his friend out of the pool. It wasn't long before they were both dressed and ready to investigate. Larry hoped it was nothing, but part of him hoped there was something he could help with. For once he could be a great big hero.

With a hopeful smile he looked down at Christian. "Lead." larry suggested.

Frowning, Christian began what he considered would probably be a wild goose chase, as he led down the hall. Every now and then he would pause trying to sense something, and would catch a glimmer of something like alarm. As he continued, he didn't realize he was approaching Heather's room as he was so focused on finding the source of alarm- and was that anger? and fear?

He stopped with a frown not liking the emotions up ahead- a turn and 100 yards from Heather's room. "Well, I guess it is around here, what is going on," Christian said to Larry.  

[Rikki Tikki Travi]

Gidgett nodded. These two were definitely the pair that Acula had created.

Gidget suddenly groaned in frustration and slapped her palm against her forehead. "Ah crap, how could I have been so brainless. I was so busy riding Ako that I forgot about the Data Acula left for me. It may have something we can use."  

[Rikki Tikki Travi]

Larry heard something that sounded like screaming. It was a painful and familiar scream. He went to the location of the scream and dropped his book bag where he stood.

The little fox girl was pleading with the Doctor's, but what really got his attention was his sister. She was pulling against the restraints and crying out in immense pain. Her skin was cracking and falling off in pieces as a new body was pushing it's way out.

All the pieces came together. His sister was shedding. But she had never left bloody pieces behind. She was in trouble. She was in trouble and he wasn't there to help her. All the guilt, fear, and anxiety took their toll on his diminished mind.

Larry raised his hands to his head and hollered in confusion and rage, "Sister?! Hurt?!"