Anger can change (Thorgorn)

It had been days senice she had seen Ryan, then again she had spent less and less time at prodigy's base then before. She was new that was for sure but even then she was feeling like she didn't belong their anymore. To be a hero you had to try and save as many as you can but she would let as many die to kill Red. He was truly a monster, killing her brother, killing Ryan's mother. Would he ever stop? Ever change. At this point she didn't care if he started donating money to all those family's that he killed relatives of. She would still want his throat in her mouth as one of her forms before crunching down on him and letting him die. Ripping him bit by bit until nothing remained like her brother. Until then she would have to do with Smashing walls and beating up bad guys. Half the time she didn't even use her forms anymore, she would just do so with her normal self. The challenge was nice and it kept her from thinking too much, something she couldn't stop doing.

Today it was a clear sunny one, the rain stopped for once or it just moved to another location. She couldn't tell with Ryan being able to make the sky rain and Bella had spent it simply walking the streets of LA, on the hunt for anything that could make her day go by faster. Unfortunately, trouble had found her in the form of a car that almost hit her. Bella looked down to find she was in the middle of the road and waved sorry as the car beeped several times and she moved on. Making it Across and turning to a alleyway, she walked a few meters before hearing the rev of a car back from where she came, the car that almost hit her seemed to have followed  with the alleyway being wide enough to do so. Stopping in her tracks, the car's doors opened and four rather large gents hopped out. Seemed they weren't to happy with her almost making their cover dent and from the smell of it they had been drinking far too much. Getting closer, they stopped a few meters away in a horizontal line and the smelt really bad. "You shoud watch werr yor walking little girrl." The guy said in a bit of a drunk slur. Bella only giggled after he spoke.

"I recommend you walk away before I report you for drunk driving asswholes." Bella said mockingly which in any other case would have been a bad move but in her case. She was not something that should have be messed with and these guys were about to learn so. being in there drunk daze they took the mock quite seriously and one pulled a small pocket knife out, Bella gave a small laugh at it as he charged her. Waiting for him to get close, Bella side stepped and pushed him into a open dumpster that stood nearby, watching as he fell in. She then turned to the other three and smirked before shifting into her Gorilla form. The three backed away and ran as Bella pounded her chest before shifting back laughing. Sadly she had forgotten about the first guy and with a smell of beer and garbage she made a turn that wasn't quick enough as the brute punched her. Sending her against the wall with a thud, Bella tried to stand with dazed vision as the brute grabbed her by the throat and slammed her back into the wall, knocking the breath out of her.

"You shouldn hav messed with uss." the guy slurred as he placed the knife against her cheek and cut it open.  Her thoughts dazed and pained as she tried to focus her eyes, the feeling of warmth on her cheek confused her the slightest. Unaware of the cut he made.

Rummaging, scavenging like some kind of miserable rodent. Actually not like, at the moment Dressler WAS a rodent, a large black rat to be exact. In the big cities no one took notice to a rat. Sure someone might shriek at one or someone else might try to squash it but in general they lived amongst the populace unnoticed. It was a prefect form for him in his current goals. Being the man he is, Dressler is always looking for new test subjects, a human form to reshape like clay in his own twisted imaginings. As the rat, he would scour the city for those left behind by the "civilized" masses, Western Civilization's dirty little secret, the homeless. Who will notice if one babbling drifter disappears from their usual panhandling corner, or your local drugged out bum no longer appears passed out on a public building's doorstep? Honestly Dressler knew he was doing mankind a favor. Every urchin he tore from the streets was a two-fold step in the right direction. For one, the weak were being preyed upon, as nature intended, a sort of trimming the fat, the sick and the old from the herd. And secondly, he would be bringing these captured individuals to the forefront of human evolution. The "meek" biblical analogies always made Dressler laugh, his twisted meek would one day inherit the earth.

And speak of the devil, in the alley where he was currently skulking, a young woman came barreling in. Poor thing Dressler thought as he watched her stumble into the alley followed by a car. Four men came barging out, the smell of alcohol assaulting his heightened sense of smell. You must still be in your school years morsel he thought sinisterly from inside the pile of trash where he watched let these men take what they want from you, flesh, pleasure, perhaps even your life. I don't mind seconds or thirds. Either way you will be one of mine.

He watched her fight off the first man in futility, there were still three more to go and surely the young girl could not fight off three fully grown men, inebriated or not. Ah but then it happened, the glorious moment that changed Dressler's mind about the woman. She shifted. Facing down the three other men he watched as her form bulged, sprouting hair and deep tense muscle. A roaring gorilla in all its power and might stood down the men in the alley, beating on its pronounced breast and sending the pathetic humans scurrying like roaches from the light. Majestic. Beautiful. Dressler was astounded. She like him possessed the animal truth, the primal rage of the beast that took physical form. She would no longer be a subject, no she was one of him. Like a lone wolf finding a member of its own pack it thought it never had, the sea turtle lost at sea only only to be driven by instinct to the place of its birth and others like it. This young-ling was his to teach and to nurture like a pup.

But the conflict was not over. Suddenly the first man sprung back to his feet, sending the young-ling against the wall. Before she could even recover he was upon her. The lowly being smelling of cheap alcohol produced a knife and slashed across the young one's cheek. That was all Dressler needed to see. From within the pile of trash he shifted, his body now that of a fur covered, humanoid reptile. From his back were produced four long and flat tentacles, each littered with barbed suckers covered in pneumatocysts and ending in a webbed pseudo-hand. Each of the four tentacles lashed out at the man's body and face, two of the limbs wrapping tightly around his face, specifically his mouth and nose. Do you feel that? he would hiss at the man, forked tongue lapping at the air and picking up the chemical components of a fear reaction secreting from the man's body. A muffled scream escaped from the convulsing man's covered mouth as his eyes bulged in their sockets. That's Irukandji venom coursing into your veins. The man's eyes rolled back into his head as he lost all control of his motor functions to the sheer pain of the experience, dropping the knife and letting the girl go in the process. Shhhh shhhhhh Dressler would whisper in the man's ear as he lay him on the cold pavement. If you struggle, you just might survive, but if you do, this very real debilitating pain will grip you for months to come. Enjoy it. With that Dressler stood back to his feet, stepping on and over the drooling and seizing man as he returned to his human self, fully clothed in his more formal attire. I apologize for the spectacle but some men deserve to suffer, to be taught a lesson. He then scoffed, throwing his arm back in embarrassment. Ah! Where are my manners? Offering his hand he continued. My name is Alexander Dressler, and I am very impressed with what you can do young lady.

Bella tried to focus as the man tightened his grip which only further clouded her mind and she began to feel weak from the lack of oxygen that was reaching her lungs. Of course, soon enough his grip tightened even more before he just let go and Bella slid down the wall as she coughed, another voice that didn't sound quite human could be heard as she took in some much needed breaths and looked up, her blurry vision only showing the outline of a humanoid creature with four tentacle like appendages before the four dissipated and as her vision cleared their stood a blond haired man that looked somewhat older then her.

He offered a hand to help her up and she took it, standing she realized the man was much taller then her and most likely in his twenty's and that his name was Alexander. "Heh. Thanks Alex. I'm Effigy." Bella would say with little sarcasm and gave a small cough before feeling at her cheek, blood still flowed from where she was cut. "Last man who said that to me was a science type. And from what you've done to this man. I'm guessing you have ability's, so if you want to test on me then no. I still want the other man dead."   Bella would say as a sort of warning and threat as she pushed past him. He may have saved her life but one who was impressed by what she could do wanted a little something more then a simple talk.

The young woman named Bella spoke hastily to Dressler, addressing him as Alex. A twinge of distaste shot through him at the name. They were not yet well acquainted and she addressed him with disrespect and abbreviation. It was a trait they would have to work on. Especially, he thought, after she brushed by him accusing him of wanting to test his own abilities on her. He began to laugh out loud at the thought, actually producing a tear or two from him. My dear girl he spoke to her once again composing himself. I have no need to test my own abilities on you. No quite the contrary. I saw your abilities and want to help you foster them.

Dressler morphed himself into a large gorilla identical to the one that Bella had become moments ago down to the enhancements that her forms possess. Thudding his massive arms against the hard concrete beneath him, he once more maneuvered himself in front of Bella. You I suspect are like myself. This is the form you took yes? Judging by it's mass and general strength I can tell that this is not an ordinary gorilla. Just like we are not ordinary humans. He would come in closer to her, his body reverting back to his human state. I want to help you, teach you to control your abilities and harness them against those like the men that just assaulted you and those that you even now want destruction for. There is so much I can teach you, if only you'll let me.

Bella stopped in her tracks when the man began to laugh and listened as he spoke. Bella imminently realized that the man mistook her words for what she meant was more along the line of needles and blood test. Still, he spoke about her ability's to shift and said how he wanted to foster them which made her turn around at the thought and only moments later she found herself looking at the form that she usually took. A large Gorilla then anything that could be recorded and muscle's that just made for crushing cement, Bella found herself thinking did she really look that scary. He spoke some more of how they were not ordinary humans while he came closer to her. Before shifting back and once again he spoke of how he could help her, make them better then they already were, help her control her forms. "I'll tell you this Alexander. You have made me think about it. Just how can you teach me to control this." Bella would say as she began to shift into a cat and leaped up on the dumpsters closed hatch and sat.

Giving the man a stare before leaping off and changing to her Cougar form, landing on the ground next to Alexander before finally shifting back to her human self, hands on her hips. "I think I control them fairly well." Bella would say in a small mocking tone. She still didn't quite trust the man, he talked about good will but so did Red. And that didn't end well for her.

The girl was skilled in her abilities and was capable of just what Dressler had imagined. In the brief amount time that he'd known her she had now become four different beasts, her human self included, and shifted between them fluidly and gracefully. But there was always room for improvement. Again Dressler laughed, this for his enjoyment of her spectacle. You have deft control of your current abilities Bella, I can't dispute that. He gave her a slight applause in acknowledgment. But you have no idea the world of creatures that you've yet to tap into. As he spoke his form began to change. His back hunched and his shoulder blades rose like a jungle cat. Down his back his spine stretched into a long powerful tail. And from his mouth grew two long and powerful fangs. He was now a rather large sabre tooth tiger. Tell me, for all of your control can you do this? Become something long extinct? I suspect not. It is one of the many masteries over the abilities we both possess that I have learned in my years. This is the kind of power I am offering you. This and so much more are what I can teach you to do.

Bella stepped back and bowed to his applause but stood up when he spoke of what she had yet to tap into and that's when she witnessed something she had not seen in years. It took her years to shift instantly and keep her clothes at that but this man was a little slower at that before he turned into a saber tooth tiger. One that looked rather larger then any she had seen that were framed in bone at museums. He could also talk during his forms, something she could barely do.

"Well... I will admit. I can't turn into anything other then Mammals.. and one other form. But they have served me well. And I don't think I can even change into the likes of a Raptor even if I tried." Bella would exclaim as she looked down the Saber Tooth. It would be quite fun to be able to turn into the likes of T-Rex's and other creatures of the prehistoric ages. Quite fun and advantageous indeed but she had no way, and she wasn't sure this man could help her find a way. She was the creation of mutation. Unless he could mutate her more their wasn't much he could do.

His suspicions were confirmed. The girl was confined, more so than he realized. She was a shifter confined to only the forms of other mammals, he assumed as well that she could not combine aspects of them either, so few could. She also made mention of a second form. That peaked the doctor's interests, hoping that it was an animal or being he had not seen yet. He did love a new experience, getting in to a new skin and walking around in it. But this was all irrelevant, issues for another time. For now, he needed to gain the young pup's trust.

Once more inhabiting his human flesh, Dressler moved inquisitively behind her resting his hands on her shoulders. That is as I expected. But give me the go ahead and I can introduce you to that form and a plethora of others. No needles, no "experimentation" needed. We are of the same breed you and I, raised above all of humanity. It is my duty, as an elder member of the pack to teach the young-lings the ropes, to teach them how to grow into their full potential. All while he spoke Dressler lightly began to massage the girl's shoulders, oozing his colorless, odorless Highform Mutagen through her clothes and in to her flesh. She would experience a slight tingling, though not an unpleasant feeling, as though total relaxation was washing over her body from the point of contact. Within moments she would be able to feel the tension in her shoulder muscles release as if they were melting. And if she gave Dressler her permission, he would begin to mold her new abilities into her very genetic code.

Bella watched as he shifted back to his human form and stood still as he moved around and placed a hand on her shoulder, a feeling that felt all the more awkward the longer he kept it their. Then he spoke, he spoke of how she could be more then just mammal's with no needle's and no experiments. This was interesting in it's own rights but then the rest he spoke sounded like a man with a higher vision. A man that wanted more then what was around, a insane man to be precise and he also spoke of a pack, how he was an elder and she the young-ling. The way this guy spoke it made sense yet still sounded like a insane man's rambling. Soon he realized he was massaging her shoulders and a tingled followed by relaxation occurred.

She still had to answer, allow this guy to do something that could possibly give her something more or shift and kick this guy in the face before making a break for it. But she thought of Red, how she barely touched him in her strongest form and all the guys that had caused her pain, maybe it was time to take a risk for power. Maybe she had to do this to be able to get what she wanted. "Alright Alexander. Go ahead." Bella would say with an ounce of fear and anguish. She didn't know what he was about to do or what was to happen and if he tried anything she always had an escape. So now it was his turn to ether make her an enemy or make her more.

Excellent young one Dressler would speak with a mix of relief and joy in his voice. With her permission Dressler could begin his work. It was the biggest downside to this portion of his ability. Doing his vital work with the Highform Mutagen took time, up to a half an hour of constant contact with the subject to affect real change on the individual. It required he either have a willing subject or a very unwilling one tied down and restrained against their wishes. He was happy to for once have the first option.

Hold still Bella Dressler would reassure to the girl. Resist any urge you have to move, this may feel a bit strange. With that he would run his hands down her back, allowing the mutagen to being to seep into her spine and spinal cord. That, he assumed, would be the ticket to changing her genotype. And with time came pliability her flesh and musculature giving way and maneuvering beneath Dressler's every touch. Then with a sudden jolt he would jam both of his hands through her back and spine. Instantly they would meld with her spinal cord. He could feel it, the mutation inside of her that gave her her abilities. It was a glorious perversion of the human form, man mixed with beast with...something else. It was a delicious discovery. She was something, not unlike the being she created but masterfully crafted and changed. He could only admire the sculptor's artistry. The experience was like being given the opportunity to touch up a priceless painting. And just as promised Dressler dove in to her genetic code and tugged at its structure, bent it to the point that no longer was she restrained to modern animals. The entirety of the prehistoric back log would be opened to her, along with a little something extra. Dressler was starting a pack after all and he needed to ensure that those beneath him were in line. It was not for his own sake but for the safety of the group. Everyone needed to know their place. So a trait was added to Bella, giving her the ability to pick up on hormonal and pheremonal cues from Dressler.

Within the hour the procedure would finish, Bella no doubt exhausted from the physical strain, however there would not be a single mark on her body. But she was complete, a whole new monster with abilities to set loose on the world. You have done so well young pup. He spoke to her calmly, like a father looking after their child. Rest for a moment and get your bearings. When you're ready, I'll show you just what you are now capable of.

Bella didn't like the sound of glee that came to Alex's words but she wanted this.. Hopefully she wanted this. Soon he would ask that she remained still and avoid all thoughts on moving, his hands moving about her back leaving that tingling feeling in her. After a small bit of that he did something that felt weird and straining. Her mind was just gone at this point and the operation began. An hour later, Bella was lying on her back with heavy breathing, her body felt like it had been hit by multiple trucks at once but she also felt different, new. Strange.

And again, Alex called her a young pup, it was starting to unnerve her at best but she would have to deal with it. After she tested her new stuff she would just tell him she needed to get back to her group and leave. Simple plan. A plan that crossed her mind more and more as tis day went on. Feeling rested and less pained, Bella began the sore process of standing and turned to Alex. "That, was unpleasantly painful. Shall we test these new ability's of mine?" Bella would ask, why would she bother asking. She could just think about it but no. Asking seemed like the better choice.

Wonderful. She appeared to be reacting well to the procedure, better than most actually. Often times it was the case that a subject of his may not survive the process of restructuring their form or would be so wracked with pain that they could not think of moving. Her progress was inspiring but there was still the final test of just what she could do. Let's get to it then. No use trying to ween you in with easy transformations. We'll go reptilian, flying, something along the lines of the Coloborhynchus capito. A creature you may know as a pterosaur. That said, Dressler's form began to elongate, his neck craning like a snake while his face flattened and stretched unnaturally. Beneath his arms, a thin webbing began to form as his fingers stretched into bat like wings grower eve wider until they encompassed the entire alley tip to tip. From his beak-like mouth, long needle like teeth stretched into form, spreading away from the mouth in a grizzly maw. Once complete, Dressler stretched his wings, each extended tip scarping on brick on either side of the alley, the webbing on his wings blocking out the light to Bella below creating a strangely orange glow through the thin membrane. Follow me he spoke airily at the girl beneath him as he turned. Each of his wings folded like a cape around him as he reached with each of his talons and clung to the south wall, climbing it easily with his massive reach. Once on the roof he would sit and wait, watching for Bella. If she could turn and climb that would be one thing. But once she reached the top, he was going to be giving her a whole other lesson. If she tried to fly right then and there he would stop her. Flying like a pterosaur would be like nothing the girl had ever experienced. He was eager to see hoe she performed.

Bella raised an eye brow when he spoke of trying out something hard and then chose pterosaur after naming it's scientific name. Seems the man was smart but even so his ability while like hers seemed so... slow? She held back a gag as he began his shift to the flying reptile, hoping her own shift would be much like her mammals, fast and almost instant, covering not only the skin but growing over her clothes. That was the worst part about the first few years she had with her ability's. "Right.. Fun."

Still she wanted to become something else other then a bird in reptilian skin but seeing as this guy was almost insane she decided that she would go with his plan and focused on the form of a pterosaur. A few seconds later her shift started up and almost as quick as her mammals she was a dinosaur. It felt... different, being like this but she also felt stronger and with that in mind she began her slow climb to the roof of the building Alexander climbed, the wings and talons confused her a little and it took a little longer then she liked to get to the top but she made it eventually. A few flap of her wings to just test them out now that they were in the open air. She could not talk in her forms or she could but it was a raspy inhuman and hard to understand so she stopped doing so a long time ago. Still she wondered what he wanted now because she wanted to just run around as a T-Rex, the thought excited her a little and she wondered how many People she could scare doing so. How she could swallow people whole and the thought of Eating Red crossed her mind.

Full of vinegar this young one, taking no time to become a pterosaur of similar shape and size. Again Dressler was impressed with her speed at picking up the form and function of this new body. Up she climbed across the brick of the alley wall until she too was perched atop the tall building overlooking the city. Clouds low hung in the air only a few hundred feet above them. That would be their target for this flight lesson. Hovering to close to the ground would mean being spotted, would mean suspicion for himself and the first member of his new pack.

This will not be like flying as a bird Dressler addressed the girl. Pterosaurs fly like a glider so in order to rise you will have to fall. Dressler unfurled his massive wings and inched his talons forward until they clung to the edge of the roof overlooking a busy city street. Flapping will do you little good was his last command as he tucked his wings tight to his body and took a nose dive straight for the ground. Rapidly the pavement approached his vision. Once he was halfway down the face of the building he craned his neck upwards and expanded his wings to full width. The wind caught instantly under his large sail-like wings and his momentum created tremendous lift, skyrocketing him up and above the cloud cover. There he would soar gently on the prevailing winds waiting to see just what his protege could do.

Walking around a little, Bella would hear Alex's voice once again but this time it was a warning about her new form. So it seemed that the dinosaur had used the wind to keep itself in the air rather then flapping. The thought scared her as much as it annoyed her that the man could talk in this form, it was a jealousy, one she hoped would not last for the fellow shapeshifter. Following after him to the edge of the roof, finding one last word of advice before she watched his wings tuck in and he nose dived towards the ground. Knowing that this was one way to learn, she would take to the edge herself and tuck in her wings tight before nose diving off the building much like Alexander did.

The pavement in her view, she kept onto the thought that she could do this as it came closer and closer till finally she did what felt like normal and craned her neck towards the sky before allowing her wings to expand to their fullest, feeling the change in momentum and skyrocketing into the sky. If she could have laughed she would have done such as she passed the cloud's and found Alex, just soaring in the sky. If it wasn't for his obsession of pack stuff she might have liked the man a little more but she got away from two people that wanted her under their control and she currently didn't feel like being under ones now but still she would try her best to close the distance between the two, waiting on his move to continue on-wards.