Everything distorted as I tumbled through the air, and I skipped a few times off the ground as I tried to bring myself to a halt before I crashed into a pillar. Though to little effect as my body destroyed the pillar with such force that I left a dent. I didn't feel a lot of pain though, something which didn't catch me off guard. I've been through worse and besides, Vulpimancers were a surprisingly durable species as seen with how little that had affected me.
Shaking myself off with a grunt I quickly focused my senses and easily located the B-Bear via its heat signature. And it wasn't a moment sooner as I saw its heat signature was rapidly approaching my location.
Getting up on my paws I ran towards the B-Bear and not too long later, the B-Bear was on top of me ready to swing down and try to flatten or skewer me. Boxing me in and trying to tear me to bits.
Unfortunately for it though, I was prepared for it and ducked between its legs while cutting the back of its knee and hitting its tibial nerve. Causing it to buckle.
Seeing an opportunity and jumping on its back with as much of a smirk as a Vulpimancer could muster, I began to tear into its back with as much fury as my instincts could bring out.
I was getting tired of this lesser creature and this needless fight. I will put it down as those reptiles should have done.
The creature did try to resist as any animal would. Trying to move in ways to block with its armour or thicker fur. Much to its dismay however I avoid its attempts at shaking me off by digging my hind legs into its sides.
Though... unfortunately, I was forced to jump off its back once again as it rolled over onto its back.
Taking a few paces back I inspected my work. Look upon it and despair! I could smell its blood through my nostrils and feel its wetness on my paws. Its heat had moved over to parts of its back where I had clawed into and to, though to a lesser extent, its left hind leg.
Slowly I started moving to the side, to which the B-Bear did the same following my lead only in the other direction. And so we began to circle each other.
Sooner or later it will collapse from exhaustion and/or blood loss. And it knows this too. Its beastly pride would never allow this I'm sure. I thought as I circled closer. To which the B-Bear followed suit.
I wasn't sure how sturdy the plates on its back were. It could be a hit away from breaking or a couple hundred. And besides, if I get too cocky I doubt I'll survive a pumping from it even as a Vulpimancer. Naturally, I could change into something else but I didn't want to give my captors any more information than they already have.
So I could either stay back and let this thing die a slow, painful death in front of me or I could rap this up quickly...
...
...
…Screw it, I'm finishing it.
Slamming my paws onto the floor I started to run over to the beast, cracking the ground in the process. Naturally, the B-Bear slightly taken aback by the sudden bum rushing also started charging towards me.
Good, just what I wanted.
Jumping off to the side I clung to a nearby wall as I started to jump between pillars and other structures. Occasionally taking potshots as the B-Bear's weak points, exposed flesh and plating. Causing more blood to land on my fur. Its horns and tusks no longer a potential issue for me to avoid as it was too slow to properly use them without suffering a devastating hit from me.
However, I couldn't keep doing this forever as the B-Bear slowly started to understand my pattern. Which was impressive... for an animal of its quality. Though it's not as if I was executing some grand Machiavellian plan. I was just jumping around in circles. in the same direction
Though this did give me an opening as I pivoted in the opposite direction as I saw it move to try and attack me. To which I jumped at its plating with glee.
This time when I stuck at the thing, its plates cracked and shattered under the force of my strikes. The thing roared in pain and hit back with a fury, but I could take it. Cuts would mend themselves with time, and I was starting to get too damned pissed to care about what modicum of pain it might be causing me.
Soon enough I got lucky and crushed its right elbow, which caused it to collapse just a bit. Following a hunch, it was enough for me to bring my fist down onto its neck, crushing the plates that my senses had told me had looked odd. When I pulled my limb back I saw why as I returned to my human while wiping the blood off my face.
There had been something embedded underneath it, a box with odd protrusions and a screen that clearly marked it as artificial. Probably some kind of controller. Without hesitating I shifted my limb back into a Loboan's claw and drove it into the device.
And as expected the B-Bear thrashed and roared, but as soon as it started it stopped, collapsing fully in a heap. As I pulled my hand back I found it covered in bits of metal, blood and flesh, and I paused as I tried to process what just happened.
Not for any silly reason like murder mind you, that was clearly a wild animal, or I suppose possible bioweapon.
Or was it? I mean, It could have just been an animal that was experimented on. And it clearly had some kind of control mechanism, much like the ones in my chest. Have… I thought with a pit of dread forming in my abdomen, no doubt coming from my more human side. Have I just killed another test subject? Another human? Oh look, there was the feeling of horror and remorse... Joy. I absent-mindedly looked at my hand, but I froze when I felt the machine inside my chest react to... something.
What was it reacting to I didn't know but before I could think on that further though, I heard sounds of combat coming from some distance away, roars and screams and the like. Odd, was that always there or did my captors turn whatever was silencing outside my area off?
I let out a sigh before I reverted my hand back to normal and carefully made my way towards it. Though not before wiping my hand on the skin of B-Bear. Didn't want to make a bad first impression, you never know what could happen.
As much as I wanted time to process everything that had just happened and reflect upon myself. I couldn't afford to not know what was going on. Just… Just push it down for now.
Yeah, that'll be fine.
I quickly skirted and weaved my way around several crate-sized and larger blocks and pillars as I tried to get closer to the source of the noise. From the sound of it, there were several different combatants if the various screeches, roars, and other sounds I couldn't quite place was anything to go by.
I almost reconsidered this entirely before I heard an odd yell out, having caught it for how… normal it sounded. Human, even.
I crept closer and peeked my head around a corner towards a rather open space; Odd.
That wasn't there when I got here. Did they remove the wall that was separating us? But I never saw such a wall.
...Oh, wait. I was knocked into one by the B-Bear, but I don't believe it was that tall.
As I finally got a clear picture of what I was looking at, I froze.
It was a woman. A perfectly normal beautiful human woman, with a long length of dark red hair trailing down her back. Another test subject. Though it seemed that I wasn't the only person they abducted, at least both of us got off lightly in the body modification department, given how her skin was now a lovely shade of bright orange. Exotic some might call it. If there's anyone else here then I can only pray for them.
Though from the features I've been able to see of her, she doesn't seem to match any race natural to Earth.
Hell, considering the way she grabbed a horned beast by its tusk with one hand and hurled it a full eight to ten meters before it ploughed into what seemed to be a ramp with a sickening crunch, I would say that she got a much better package than mine.
However, all this is saying that she is a human, to begin with. And given my early observation, she very well might not be. You never know.
In one hand she wielded some kind of bladed weapon. Something akin to an oversized machete which, given the odd, bone-like shape of its handle I suspected was torn out of another creature, which she used to hack into a wolf-like beast charging her.
A good fighter ay? The thought came into my mind as a small smirk forced its way onto my face as i observed the woman fight.
Though such a thing was quickly rectified as I shook myself of such unsightly thoughts. Of my human side bleeding through a little.
Getting back on track; As she was focusing on that though, I noticed that something was creeping up behind her, a massive B-Bear-like creature. Though this one was a lot heavier modified.
Its fur was darker, it didn't have as much plating and while it did have tusks, those had been moved to the back of its mouth as pincers jutted out the front sides of its mouth. Spines ran along the back of its exposed fur and multiple wires could be seen intermingled with its flesh.
The creature, rearing back on its hind legs tried to pounce forwards, aiming to take off her head with its pincers. I didn't think about it or hesitate before I transformed into an Arburian Pelarota.
Red exo-plating grew from my back, head, shoulders and the backs of my forearms; my fifth finger once again fused into my hands as I grew claws with my held melding into my torso; dark white fur also sprung up all around my body as I grew in size with black fur growing on my back and the backs of my arms. Though you never know it was fur with how short, soft and silky it was.
I launched out of cover as I rolled up into a ball, not too dissimilar to an armadillo or a pangolin, clearing the distance in a blink before I slammed into the thing. Due to It being much less armoured than the previous abomination I fought, it was easily barged into a surprisingly sturdy wall.
It snapped, roared and hissed at me as I rolled away from it. Uncurling and skidding to a stop I quickly identified a metallic device attached to the underside of its head. Already damaged, no doubt from me shoulder checking it.
And it seems this had an effect on the B-Bear alternative as its movements were heavily slowed. It even seemed to be glitching out. Guess those contraptions are quite integral to its stability.
Though I can't help but feel a little uneasy. There was that part of me, human or otherwise that really hoped that I was wrong and these things weren't other victims, human or otherwise and really were simple wild animals. Because otherwise, I had killed another person on the basis that they looked freakier than the person they were attacking.
And that was something the human side of me was naturally, having a small panic attack and second-guessing itself over, even if I knew otherwise. Once again forcing me to push down such feelings.
True, I had no context for the current situation, and no idea if the woman attacked them all first or the other way around. But I didn't have time to think about it, and I didn't care to dwell on it too much. If they were humans or some other sapient species then it was their fault for acting in such a way. You reap what you sow and all that.
As I rose I noticed that the woman had turned her attention towards me, her stance aggressive though she remained where she was.
I turned my head back towards her. I gave her a cheeky smile and a thumbs-up. Getting a clearer look at her and—
...
...
Green... eyes?
Tho-those look familiar... Wh-where have I seen those...
My head began to ache a little as I tried to figure out where I remembered her from.
Shaking off the familiar feeling I curled up and rolled over to some nearby and used it as a ramp to leap at the wolf thing that was coming back for another pass. I didn't know if she got the message that I had her back, but I had to hope that she did and wouldn't take the chance to stab me in mine.
Though if she did she'd regret it dearly.
I clipped the wolf-like thing and knocked it off its charge as I rolled past it, noticing its six legs and surprisingly smooth skin as I tried to smash into its flesh.
It skidded to a stop as I wrapped around a pillar, turning around and continued to build up momentum as I rolled towards the beast. Before we charged at each other again, the impaired B-Bear alternative decided that now was the time for it to reenter the scene. Darting at and between me and the wargwolf, trying to swipe, claw and bite at us. Though due to its stiffer and slow movement, this was more of an inconvenience than an actual hindrance.
This isn't to say it was uneventful in its endeavour as due to its powerful claws it was able to deal some damage to the wargwolf whenever it did hit the thing.
Before the two could properly break away I began to bounce off any and all structures around us. Again and again, I bounced off another wall; rapidly building momentum. Smashing them together over and over.
I could only land glancing blows due to this though otherwise, it would ruin my plan. Try as it might, but the wargwolf couldn't get any from the B-Bear nor could it penetrate the exo-plating covering my body at all.
After a few exchanges, it was clear that I had the advantage as the creatures started to slow as they lost more and more blood. One from being repeatedly bashed and the other from being crushed and slashed by the other.
Using a wall I had smashed down as I ramp I flew into the air and landed directly onto the pair with a sickening wet crunch.
"Urgh." I groaned as I uncurled. Swiping off the vile and bile that had launched up and clung to my body. Doing so resulted in my feeling another strange sensation from the machine that had drilled inside my chest. I still had no idea why it had done so. My only guess was that it had something to do with my permanent silencing of the two mad animals.
I looked back over to the familiar-looking woman and where she was fighting the two other monstrous beasts. One looked to be an oversized boar thing she was currently shoving back and stabbing with a surprising anger and the other…
Wait, where did the other...
SHIT!
My eyes quickly darted all over the place remembered something very important.
I have quite an obvious blind spot while in this form. And that blind spot was behind me. It's quite hard to see what's behind you when, one, you're quite the awkward walker and two, your head and chest are, effectively the same thing. It didn't take a genius, even if I was one, to see that the missing creature was going to come up behind me.
And sure enough good o'l big foot came barrelling down on my back slamming down with its multiple amendages to easily topple me over and make me face plant.
Getting slammed by the multi-armed ape creature was not an enjoyable experience let me tell you. My rear exo-plates vibrated as pain coursed all throughout my back. Seeing that I was downed it tried to pick me up, possibly to throw me or get to my soft underside. To counter this I rolled up, forcing it to drop me less it risk the possibility of its hands getting crushed. Allowing me to roll away before uncurling and letting me get a better look at it.
Its limbs were thin and long, and at each of the elbows of its two arms, they spilt into two forearms. Not too dissimilar from a tetramand though definitely inferior to the species. As expected of such an animal. Its skin was a dark grey, its abdomen was a light black. Its muscles could be seen through ripped skin all over its body. Whether that was a natural aspect of its species or a result of being tampered with I didn't know. And frankly, I didn't care.
It growled at me as I stumbled back up onto my short legs, and was caught by surprise as I felt my back hit something. Confused, I twisted my body back to see the woman looking over her back up at me, and she gave me a brief affirmative nod before she turned back to her own opponent as it was getting up.
...Woah... I— Focused on the fight in front of me.
Back to back as we were, I couldn't help but feel myself wonder the nine hells I ended up here, abducted and in some kind of death pit fighting against abominations with a woman I had just met and who somehow felt familiar.
...Eh, still better than my last date. Though I'm not sure what that says about me.
I didn't get a chance to think about it more before King Kong moved in towards me, and I charged it in kind. Rolled up into a ball as I always do. While an Arburian Pelarota's claws were quite sharp, I was nowhere near used to this transformation well enough to use them with efficiency.
Slamming into the beast I knocked it off balance. Rolling up to it with a bit of momentum, I uncurled and went in to slash at it. But the damn thing bent its knees at a weird angle to duck out of the way before it grabbed my outstretched forearm.
I was overall larger than the ape but just a bit storkier. This is important because King Kong over here was having trouble wrapping its arms around my arm.
I tried to pull away but it quickly dug its heels into the ground and flung me over its shoulder. Making me land on the ground with a thud.
While it was flipping me over, it grabbed onto my other wrist before pining down my body with its foot, stopping me from properly curling up. It tried to constrict the rest of its limbs and body around me even as I writhed and tried to claw at its arms and body. And it was while I was doing this that I noticed a collar around its neck. Most likely another control mechanism. I could feel it press into my body; possibly trying to tear my arms and given how it has showed surprising strength for such thin limbs, and the sensation of muted pain started to build, I was sure that given enough time it could.
Though, unfortunately for it, I wasn't having any of that. My form rapidly changed. Once more marked by my transformation sound.
I had shrunk far beyond a fraction of an Arburian Pelarota. Far beyond that of a human too. Now what had I turned into this time? Why it's quite obvious isn't it?
What better way then to deal with a simple brute like this than to use its strengths against it? And so I changed into the best form to deal with it.
My true form! A Galvan!
Smarts! Agility! All bundled up into a superb form allowing for maximum profit not just for the conservation of energy but also for body weight and size.
What good is a big body when your stuck flailing it around trying to hit your opponent who's far to small and nimble for you to get a proper grasp on.
Though...
Something felt... off? I wasn't too sure but my proportions felt a little weird. Like I was... taller? My face shape definitely felt more... rounded? Even my voice was a little different. Deeper, perhaps?
Hmm, have my other transformations been altered?
Well, whatever, I'll check on that later. Anyway, when I shrunk down, into my true, Galvan form, the ape that was holding me down began falling over as it had now lost its balance.
Quickly moving out of the way of the stumbling brute I contemplated on my next move. There's a large variety of species I could transform into. All having an ultimate form I haven't used at all.
I could turn into a Polymorph and surround the monkey to dissolve it. I could turn into a Vaxasaurian and just brutalise it. Maybe even turn into a Tetramand to see how it compares to a superior four-armed species.
All those were well and good but there was one that I had grown a favour for as it was quite good in close-quarters combat, CQC, even if the slight anger management problems were a little annoying.
White fur quickly covered my entire as my body rapidly grew in size as it swole with muscles. Sharp dark pink tiger-like stripes appeared on the sides of my head, shoulders, legs and upper body. There was no fur on my chest allowing my now dark pink skin to make itself known. My eyebrows elongated and sharpened, surrounding my now permanent red eyes.
My clothing, naturally, changed as well, as instead of my Galvan researcher garbs my hands were now covered in dark red gloves hiding the retractable black claw in my wrists; black shorts and boots covered my lower areas. The entire outfit is tied together with a white-striped red luchador belt similar to the ones you'd see in the WWE with my Ultimatrix moving from my back to the centre belt.
There was something I couldn't help but notice with this bipedal cat transformation. Tennyson's form had a mask and shirt reminisced and brought together the whole luchador vibe. My transformation, on the other hand, did not.
I was now standing a little over the still downed ape as the claws in my wrists erupted out as I grinned. Showing my now sharp yellowish teeth and even sharper still canines.
Appoplexians aren't known for their superb dental services alright.
While Tennyson's and my transformations are effectively instantaneous mine were faster due to me not needing to activate my Ultimatrix. A small perk of having your DNA permanently altered with the energy of an Omnitrix mixed with a DNA reversion field.
Even if I was stuck in Tennyson's form for far longer then anyone should be stuck in someone else's body.
Anyways, enough brooding over the past I pierced through the ape creature's limbs with my now extended wrist claws as it shrieked in surprise and pain. It tried to get up, possibly to try and fight back. But I wouldn't know as I speared my blade into its collar and straight through to its neck, riding it to the ground as it tried to jump up to lash out at me.
Before I knew it I was done, and I pulled myself upright as some of the gore slid off of my hand. The machine in my chest once more made some kind of chittering noise.
I turned to look at my impromptu ally to find her leaning against the wall, a disembowelled B-Bear creature next to her. Her posture was tense and her breathing was heavy as she stared at me. She looked at me warily, her face scrunched up with suspicion.
Everything else in here had tried to kill her without much of a second thought, so what made me different? And more importantly, could she trust me now that we were the only ones left?
At that moment, I knew I had to convince her. Unfortunately for me though, I'm not the best at social interactions.
To be honest, I had not even given thought of escape until that very instant. Instead having focused on trying to figure out what the fuck was going on, but I knew that I would need her if I wanted to get out of here. I needed an ally, someone I could trust in this insane place. And besides I've worked with more insane people. Cough, Vilgax, Cough.
Our jailers had to be watching, and I wouldn't have much time. But how hell could I get her to trust me when I didn't know if she could understand me? Did she even know it was me? She could very well believe that the creature in front of her had killed the one that helped her and was now going to kill her.
Thinking about it for a moment I decided on the best course of action. I slowly moved my hand to my Ultimatrix making sure that her eyes were following it and slowly and repeatedly began to point at it. Once more making sure her eyes were trained on my fingers before tapping on the device and retransforming into an Arburian Pelarota. Giving her a similar but more silly cheeky smile like the one I gave her earlier while waving slightly.
Not my proudest moment.
This seems to have done the trick though as a look of realisation struck have face as her grip on her sword loosened slightly.
Tapping on the Ultimatrix on my chest I reverted to my human form.
And now comes the tricky part.
I doubt my captors would allow for us to intermingle and collaborate. So I had to move carefully.
I slowly started to approach her with my hands behind my back. Feinting that I was fiddling with my Ultimatrix. I mean I was but not for the reasons you might think.
My eyes wandered around trying to find any identifiable cameras. My only guess was that those orbs in the sky were said cameras. Though for all this technology and security there was a giant lack of proper precautions.
What do I mean? Well, it's quite obvious. After I started fiddling with my Ultimatrix the floating cameras slowly moved behind me to see what I was doing, probably to try and better understand my Ultimatrix.
Sure there might be ones hidden but it was now or never to get to talk to someone.
Unfortunately, as I was walking up to her she seemed to get pensive as she raised her sword in my direction.
"Oi." I started with, as much as I didn't like it, irritation. I can't say that I wasn't happy with my usual tone of voice. I've been mad for so long that it just came naturally to me. Though I suppose it helped with convincing the reptiles that I was hostile.
"I don't know how well this will translate to you but we're on the same side here." Her grip tightened on her blade as I tried again. I tried to speak with her as quietly as possible while still fiddling with my Ultimatrix. If the translator function was still available then this would be a lot simpler. Anytime now! "I'm trying to help you."
I tried to say to her; raising my voice a little. Hoping that the problem was volume.
I took a breath calming myself down as I brought my right hand to my chest. Hoping that her seeing my Ultimatrix would curry some kind of favour with her given how supportive of me in my Arburian Pelarota form she was. I had already inputted the code that activated the translator function, my only hope now was that it had worked. "I... I need you to help me." I strained out. Let's just say that neither my human nor Galvan sides were used to asking for help. I extended my hand to her, both my stand and my hand open.
"Help… me." I said looking directly into her eyes, my head now directly positioned next to her sword. If she truly wanted to, and if I wasn't fast enough, my head would go flying off. I didn't have the safety features Tennyson had, so if I died while in human or any other form then it was entirely my own fault. Just as usual, I suppose...
There was a long moment where she did nothing, and I waited to see if she was going to take my head off. Then finally, she relaxed, and her sword fell down by her side.
I didn't have long to enjoy it though, as the moment she took a step toward me electricity surged through my body and I was on the ground in pain. The woman shouted something, but I could only just make out drones moving in and restraining her before everything went black.