Infamous Shifter’s Genesis

Damian paused on a nearby rooftop, his gaze lingering on Isabella's home as he contemplated his next move. Now that he knew where she stayed and confirmed her conduit abilities had activated, he decided it was best to leave her be for the time being. There were more pressing matters at hand, and his curiosity about Isabella would have to wait. She was interesting, no doubt, but she wasn’t ready yet. Not ripe enough to be of any real use to him.

Turning away, Damian shifted his focus to a new objective: the zoo. It was the perfect place to gather the animal DNA he needed for his next creation. The Dark Stalker had proven to be a somewhat successful first experiment, but there was still room for improvement. He needed to refine the creature, make it deadlier, more efficient, and more versatile. To do that, he required new genetic material—unique abilities that only certain animals possessed.

His thoughts drifted to the books his mother used to read. She had been an avid reader, her mind filled with knowledge on various subjects, including animals. Even now, after having consumed her, those memories and knowledge were his. The venom of a Cone Snail intrigued him the most—it was able to create both toxic and paralytic venom, such a thing could make the Dark Stalker even more lethal. The idea of incorporating the silk thread manipulation and sensory hairs of a spider was also appealing. Spiders were masters of stealth, their webs nearly invisible, and their ability to sense vibrations was unparalleled.

The Dark Stalker was built like an assassin, and its current traits allowed it to move and attack without being seen. Adding these traits would further enhance such capabilities. But Damian knew that he needed to see the animals for himself, to determine what he could extract and use. The zoo was his target, and if time allowed, he intended to take everything he could. The more DNA samples he gathered, the more options he would have to perfect his creations.

Damian began making his way toward the zoo. Moving swiftly and silently across the rooftops, his form shifting to allow him smother travel. His mind was already strategizing, planning the best way to infiltrate the zoo without drawing attention to himself. The city was in chaos, and security was likely lax, but Damian wasn’t one to take chances. He would move carefully, ensuring that no one saw him—or, if they did, they wouldn’t live to tell about it.

Damian eyed the zoo's entrance, the samples he had already collected were impressive, but they only scratched the surface of the genetic potential that lay within the animals housed here. He had been careful up to this point, extracting DNA without drawing attention, but now he could take a more drastic approach. The chaos in the city was growing worse, and in this lawless environment, the zoo wasn’t something that others would focus on and if they did they would be insane.

Damian decided that now was the best time to act. He needed more than just DNA samples; he needed to consume the animals themselves to fully integrate their traits and instincts into his own biomass. The main problem he noticed with the Dark Stalker was that it had no instinct besides infecting others. It wanted to reveal itself and disregard its superior stealth ability just to achieve that purpose. So it needed to be restrained with orders. If he give it animal instincts of a perditor then even if he released the leash he wouldn’t need to worry too much.

Concentrating Damian liquefied and collapsed his body in on itself. His form became a dark, amorphous blob of biomass, writhing and undulating as it took on a new shape. The process was liberating, as his human form melted away, replaced by something far more primal and terrifying.

Now a formless mass, Damian slithered towards the zoo’s main gate. The locked entrance posed no obstacle to his new form. He oozed through the tiny space between the doors, the metal creaking softly as he pressed against it, squeezing himself into the narrowest of gaps. Once inside, he began to move with surprising speed, his biomass form flowing like slime across the ground, silent and unseen in the darkness.

The zoo was eerily quiet at this hour, but Damian remained cautious. The Raysphere explosion had thrown the city into disarray, and the zoo was no exception. Many of the staff had fled, but two zookeepers had apparently decided to stay behind, likely taking refuge among the animals they cared for. As Damian moved deeper into the zoo, he picked up the faint sounds of human activity—footsteps, murmured voices, the occasional clang of metal. The keepers were close, but they were not his target.

Avoiding detection was easy in his current form. Damian’s biomass body slid silently along the ground, blending into the shadows, seeping into cracks and crevices as he navigated the zoo. He bypassed the keepers entirely, his senses attuned to the presence of the animals instead. He could smell them, hear them, even feel the vibrations of their movements through the ground.

His first target was the Desert Kingsnake. Damian slipped into the reptile house, his form seeping under the door and pooling on the floor. The snake, coiled in its enclosure, sensed something was wrong but had no time to react. Damian surged forward, engulfing the snake in a wave of biomass. The creature struggled for a moment, but the struggle was brief. As he consumed the snake, Damian felt its essence being absorbed into his own, the DNA integrating with his biomass, its traits becoming part of him.

He moved quickly from there, driven by a growing hunger. The Ocelot was next, its feline instincts unable to save it from the amorphous predator that invaded its enclosure. The Alligator offered more of a challenge, snapping its powerful jaws in a futile attempt to defend itself, but Damian’s biomass form simply absorbed the force of the attack, smothering the reptile and consuming it whole.

Each new victim added to his growing collection of traits. The American Marten’s agility, the Rattlesnake’s venomous fangs, the Mexican Beaded Lizard’s toxic secretions—each became part of Damian, their genetic potential merging with his own. He moved through the zoo like a plague, devouring everything in his path.

The Gray Wolf provided a keen sense of smell and a pack mentality that he found intriguing. The White-tailed Deer added speed and grace, traits that would serve him well in future hunts. The Mountain Lion’s strength and the Armadillo’s natural armor were valuable additions, enhancing his durability and offensive capabilities.

Damian devoured a Black Bear, its massive frame disappearing into his biomass as he absorbed its raw power. The River Otter offered aquatic adaptability, while the Alligator Snapping Turtle provided even more defensive traits with its armored shell.

He continued his rampage through the zoo, consuming a Roadrunner for its speed, an Owl for its nocturnal vision, and a Ferret for its flexibility. The Falcon’s sharp eyesight and the Parrot’s mimicry abilities were intriguing, though Damian doubted he would have much use for the latter. Still, it was another trait added to his arsenal.

The Porcupine’s quills were a unique defensive mechanism, and the Florida Gar added a primitive, almost predatory instinct to his repertoire along with its teeth and scales. The Tiger and Gorilla were particularly satisfying meals, their strength and ferocity blending seamlessly into his growing mass.

Damian devoured a Lion and a Monkey, their contrasting traits of power and intelligence providing a well-rounded boost to his abilities. The Elephant was a massive meal, but Damian consumed it all the same, its size and strength integrating into his form. The Panda, Emu, Rhinoceros, and Zebra followed, each adding their own unique traits to his growing collection.

As Damian moved through the zoo, consuming everything in his path, he felt a sense of exhilaration. His pool of genetic information was growing with each new addition, his body becoming a vast reservoir of genetic potential. The creatures he had devoured were now a part of him, their traits at his disposal to use as he saw fit.

But Damian wasn’t finished yet. His mind drifted to the idea of further enhancement. He had read about the Cone Snail, a creature with venom so potent it could paralyze its prey in seconds. If he could find one of those, he could add its toxic and paralytic venom to his arsenal, making his creations even deadlier. A spider’s Silk Thread Manipulation and Sensory Hairs were also intriguing, offering possibilities for stealth and enhanced sensory perception.

For now, however, Damian had to be content with what he had collected. He had consumed nearly every animal in the zoo, his biomass form swollen with the genetic material he had absorbed. It was time to leave before anyone noticed the carnage he had wrought.

He moved back towards the entrance, his form slithering silently through the zoo’s pathways. The two zookeepers were still inside, unaware of the massacre that had taken place. Damian avoided them easily, his amorphous form slipping past without a sound. As he reached the gate, he squeezed through the same narrow gap he had entered through, his body oozing out onto the street beyond.

Once outside the zoo, Damian reformed his human shape, the process quick and fluid. His body shifted and solidified, muscles and mass snapping into place as he stood up, looking fully human once more. He flexed his fingers, feeling the change in his body. The animals he had consumed were now a part of him, their traits integrated into his being.

Damian allowed himself a small smile as he walked away from the zoo, his thoughts turning to the future. The Dark Stalker had been a good first attempt, but with the new DNA he had gathered, he could create something far more powerful. The possibilities were endless, and he was only just beginning to explore the limits of his abilities.