Infamous Shifter’s Genesis

Entering the mindscape once again, Damian found himself amidst a swirling sea of dim red veins, each representing the memories and personalities of those he had consumed. Among them, he spotted the four glowing blue veins, standing out amidst the dull red ones like beacons in the darkness. Next to them was a single glowing red vein, emanating a faint but ominous aura.

The last time he ventured deeper into his mindscape, he had reached out and grasped one of the blue veins, which had flooded his consciousness with memories and information from a video game called Infamous. It had been overwhelming, and he had been forcibly ejected from the depths of his mind, glimpsing a different version of himself immersed with playing the game.

Once again, Damian reached out towards the blue vein next to the glowing red one. As his mind made contact with the vein, images and sensations flooded his consciousness once more. He saw scenes from a game he knew to be called StarCraft, where battles raged across distant worlds and complex strategies unfolded. Among the chaos, he caught glimpses of a woman, Sarah Kerrigan, her form shifting and transforming into a fearsome creature known as the Queen of Blades. The images were vivid and surreal, each one imprinting itself onto Damian's mind with startling clarity.

However, as quickly as the images had come, Damian felt himself being forcibly ejected from his mindscape once again. When he opened his eyes, he realized that the dusk sky had changed to dawn, indicating that hours had passed while he was lost in his own mind.

As he tried to piece together the fragments of memories he had glimpsed, Damian found himself coming up blank, except for the vivid image of Sarah Kerrigan. It seemed that like before, he would need to touch the vein multiple times to fully digest and comprehend the information it held.

Feeling a splitting pain reverberate throughout his entire being, Damian released his human form, reverting back to a blob of biomass. The transformation helped to alleviate some of the discomfort, allowing him to focus on recovering from the pain he was enduring.

As Damian remained in his primal state, his consciousness shifted, allowing him to perceive the events around him in a different manner than he would as a human. He was still aware of his surroundings, but it was as if he experienced them on a more instinctual level, relying on primal senses rather than complex thought processes.

In this state, Damian felt a deep connection to his surroundings, the subtle movements of the air and the faint sounds of the city resonating within him. Despite the pain he still felt, there was a strange sense of calmness that washed over him, a feeling of finding one’s place in the world.

However, his human consciousness was abruptly pulled back when he sensed a disturbance from within him. The phone stored inside him began to ring, jolting his human consciousness back. Releasing the phone, Damian returned to his human form and answered the call.

To his surprise, the call was from Amanda, but instead of her voice, he heard heavy breathing and what sounded like distant gunshots in the background. The call ended abruptly, leaving Damian curious as to what was going on.

Think that it’d best to verify the situation; Damian immediately called Trish to ask if Amanda was with her. Trish however confirmed that Amanda hadn't shown up and that she hadn’t seen her since yesterday. Damian explained the situation with the call, expressing his belief that Amanda may be in danger.

Given Amanda's absence from the game's storyline, Damian hypothesized that there was a possibility she could meet a grim fate, either falling victim to the violence of the city or being captured by enemy forces. There was also the possibility that she was so unimportant that while she survived she remained unknown, but her powers seemed quite useful on par with those of Fetch. 

Trish pondered the situation for a moment before voicing her thoughts. "Do you think the First Sons could be on the move?" she asked, referring to the powerful organization that had once wielded considerable influence over the city.

Damian shook his head, dismissing the notion. "Unlikely," he replied with certainty. "Kessler only cares about Cole and raising him to become the hero he could never be. He wouldn't care about Amanda, who has no direct connection to Cole. So, they're out of the picture."

Trish nodded in understanding, considering Damian's words. "Then who do you think could be after her?" she inquired, her tone tinged with curiosity.

Damian weighed his options carefully before responding. "There's a higher probability of it being Reapers, Dustmen if she's in the Warren District, or even Moya Jones and NSA agents," he explained, listing the various factions that could pose a threat to Amanda in the city.

Trish absorbed this information, her mind racing with possibilities. She knew that if Amanda was indeed in danger, she couldn't just stand idly by. "Are you going to do something about it? It’d be a great loss to lose track of her so soon," she asked, her voice tinged with urgency.

Damian's response was cold and calculated. "No," he stated bluntly. "It would draw too much attention to me. Besides the Reapers are unlikely to kill her, so that’s good news. You on the other hand can do as you please. If you want to act, you can borrow the Dark Stalker."

Trish's confusion was evident as she questioned the unfamiliar name. "Dark Stalker?" she repeated, seeking clarification.

Damian chuckled darkly. "That's the name I've decided for the mutated creature I created. Like I said I’ll leave it in your custody so how you want to use it is up to you," he explained, referring to the mutated creature being that had assisted him in past events.

With that, Damian ended the call, feeling a sense of detachment wash over him as he returned to his previous state to alleviate the pain. In his primal state, he felt a strange calmness settle over him, allowing him to find solace amidst the chaos of Amanda’s current situation.