Infamous Shifter’s Genesis

The creature emitted a series of clicks and chirps, acknowledging Damian's command. With a swift movement, it darted into the darkness of the tunnel, disappearing from Damian's sight.

As the creature moved stealthily through the underground base, it avoided the patrolling Reapers with ease, relying on its swift movements and adaptive camouflage to remain undetected. It traversed the dimly lit corridors with precision, its senses heightened by the echoes of its own footsteps reverberating off the walls.

Occasionally, the creature paused to activate its echolocation, sending out pulses of sound waves to map its surroundings. It scanned the area meticulously, searching for any signs of Sasha's presence. The eerie silence of the tunnels was punctuated only by the distant hum of machinery and the occasional shuffle of Reaper footsteps.

As it ventured deeper into the heart of the base, the creature's echolocation detected a large group of individuals gathered in a nearby chamber. With cautious movements, it approached the entrance to assess the situation inside.

The chamber was dimly lit, illuminated only by dim light and the faint dark red glow of a viscous liquid on the ground. In the center of the room, a woman was connected to tubes, her body occasionally moving as a thick tar-like substance oozed onto the ground and through the tubes. It was Sasha, in a delusional state, mumbling nonsensical babble.

"I remember our first date, Kessler," Sasha murmured, her voice tinged with longing. "You took me to that little café by the river, and we talked for hours. And then... and then we got married, didn't we? No, we didn't… yes, we did. Yes, yes, I remember now. We were so happy together."

Her words were fragmented and disjointed, a twisted reflection of her fractured mind due to drugs. The creature observed Sasha's delusional ramblings without concern, its instinctual urges driving it to fulfill its mission and depart from the scene unnoticed.

With a final sweep of the chamber, the creature confirmed Sasha's presence and satisfied that its mission was complete, it retreated from the base. Slipping through the shadows with practiced ease, it made its way back to Damian, its mission accomplished.

Back in the ally, Damian waited as he leaned against the wall, his connection to the creature providing him with a general idea of its status. As the creature exited the tunnel, Damian felt a surge through their shared connection indicating its presence.

When the creature finally returned, Damian's senses snapped back to reality, and he opened his eyes to find the creature standing before him, its form shifting and blending seamlessly with the dimly lit surroundings.

"You've returned," Damian remarked, opening his eyes as if waking from a nap. "Show me, what you found. Did you locate Sasha?"

The creature emitted a series of clicks and chirps, its primitive form of communication conveying the success of its mission. Damian smiled as he walked over to the beast and placed his hand on its head. Soon flashes of images entered Damian’s mind detailing Sasha's presence in the underground base and her current state of delusion.

"Sasha is down there, and as I thought she's not herself. So there are about 48 Reapers in the tunnel and they’re converting more as we speak," Damian muttered, his brow furrowing. "She's still trapped in a delusional state, consumed by memories of her past. I thought the stimuli from Cole caused it but it seems that the drugs did. If I consume her in this state it might be detrimental. I’ll call Trish she might have what I need to flush the drugs out of her system if it’s at all possible."

Damian decided to reach out to Trish for assistance. Opening his chest cavity, he retrieved the phone Trish had provided and dialed her number, his fingers tapping rhythmically as the call went through.

After a few rings, Trish answered, her voice calm and composed. They spent a few words trading pleasantries before Damian asked, “So what’s happening on your end? Is Cole awake yet?”.

Trish quickly began explaining the chaos unfolding on her end. She narrated how Cole just awakened a few hours ago and due to his electrical abilities, he fried quite a bit of the medical instruments. Luckily she knew this would happen and only kept the bare minimum equipment near him. Only she and Zeke saw what he could do so there's no immediate problem on her side.

Damian listened attentively as Trish explained the situation with Cole and her assurances that everything was under control on her end. He felt a sense of relief knowing that Trish was managing despite electrical Cole's awakening. That was one less thing he would have to worry about.

"It's good to hear that things are stable over there," Damian replied, his voice calm. "But I need your expertise on something. Sasha, the woman I mentioned before, she's in a bad state. I suspect she's been taking quite a lot of drugs, and I need to know what exactly she's been taking."

Trish's voice remained steady as she listened to Damian's explanation, her mind already analyzing the situation and formulating a plan of action.

"It could be anything from PCP to methamphetamine," Trish replied, her tone thoughtful. "If we know what substance she's been exposed to, I can prescribe something to forcibly bring her to a clearer state of mind. Bring me some of the tar she's been oozing, and I'll analyze it to determine the best course of action."

Damian nodded, grateful for Trish's expertise and quick thinking. "I'll grab a sample of the tar and head over to the clinic," he replied, his voice determined. "Do you need anything else?"

Trish paused for a moment, considering Damian's question before responding. "We're good on supplies for now," she replied. "Damn it looks like something's happening with Cole, so I need to go now. Keep me updated on Sasha's condition, and I'll do everything I can to help."

With that, Trish ended the call, leaving Damian to focus on the task at hand. As Damian was about to place the phone back in his chest cavity, it buzzed with an incoming call. Glancing at the caller ID, he saw that it was Amanda, his ex-superior from their previous workplace. He hadn't expected her to have his new number, but Trish must have provided it to her.