The Change
"Wait, so Zarvaun had already been injected before we met?" I asked Alec."Yeah, and he's a Valiant. Something in my knowledge tells me that only thirteen or so even exist. And something about ten in one." Alec sighed, "I don't even know where I got this information, but I'm sure it's right.""Well that's sure to calm my nerves." I muttered sarcastically. I got up and continued with what I had set out to do. I finished the noisemaker and threw it into the window of my neighbor's house. The impact triggered the contraption by loosening a spring that clicked a button on a small speaker that played the loud sound of a car alarm. I watched as all the Unliving hobbled in that direction. Under all the immense noise I heard the rapid pounding of a hammer on nails as Zarvaun took advantage of this opportunity.I quickly checked the solar panels. I was thankful that I didn't have any trees higher than my house that could blow leaves onto the panels. They seemed to be working, so I grabbed Alec and vaulted inside. The moment my feet hit the ground, my entire body burned with pain and I fell on my stomach. I fought the urge to scream as I felt something similar to being stabbed by a million needles. Zarvaun found me writhing in pain and stooped to comfort me."Dude, don't worry, it'll only be for a minute." he told me. I felt my bones morphing in my skin, my muscles redesigning themselves, a strange tugging sensation at my backside, I went near deaf as a loud tearing sound invaded my ears, and my eyes felt like they were about ready to pop from immense pressure. My stomach churned and I struggled to keep from soiling myself. My bladder wasn't so kind and emptied itself as the pain pulsed in intensity. I heard ringing as the pain seized after that.I groaned as I stood up. Zarvaun asked me if I was okay. I stuttered no as I stumbled into my room to change. I reached my hand into a drawer before wrenching it out in shock. I suddenly felt much more awake. That wasn't a hand that reached into the drawer. It was a paw."Zarvaun?!" I called. He came into my room in his sergal form."Yes?" he asked."I said Zarvaun, not Shark Face." I grumbled. He frowned and turned back human as I rummaged through my drawers for a change of pants. I could feel tears running down my cheeks. My mind told me it was the shock. I was only upset because my mind has been overwhelmed. But something inside of me wanted to blame Zarvaun."Frost, you okay?" Zarvaun asked."No, I'm not okay!" I yelled, turning to face him, "I'm scared! What do I do? Zarv,
help..." I looked down at my feet, tears falling to the floor."I don't know how." Zarvaun whispered. Alec had come around the corner and peeked in."Well what am I supposed to do?!" I raged not looking up, "I'm not used to this, and...""Frost, look!" Alec exclaimed, pointing at my hand on the drawer. I looked to see that the drawer had frozen, and that the source was my hand."Great, now this?!" I screamed, backing into the wall opposite my dresser. I fell until I was sitting on the ground against the wall. I hugged my knees and my tail curled around my feet and I burried my head in my arms."Alec," Zarvaun started, "what are the rules for having superpowers with the virus?""You're either a Valiant or you stay human." Alec immediately responded. "Wait, how do I know that?""You're a living oracle of sorts. That's all I know." Zarvaun muttered. "Heh, that's funny, all I know is that you know all. Well, not all, but a lot.""Why are you so calm about this?" I whimpered."Why are you freaking out?" Zarvaun asked.I picked my head up. "I guess the stress that constantly plagues me has finally caught up." I murmured."You? Stressed? Since when?" Zarvaun asked."Since high school, really. Never really went away. Always afraid of screwing up, letting people down." I mused, "But that's not the point. What do I do?""Get over it." Zarvaun said plainly, "Not like there's anything you can do about it. And the whole wetting yourself thing is a shared trait among Valiants, it seems. I can't control it either.""I don't suppose you'd have a solution, would you?" I asked."Protection of some sort." Zarvaun started."Like diapers, but I don't see how we're gonna solve the tail issue." I finished. I got up.Zarvaun reached into the backpack he had and pulled out a modified diaper with a hole for tails in the back."This is specifically designed for Valiants. You know, since there have been three discovered, excluding you. One of them's an engineer and sought to solve the issue of our being able to transform. He came up with the idea when he discovered that whatever he created since he became a Valiant responded to his
transformations. He also has a 'clothing line' for furries, but doesn't make diapers as often.""Good thing I don't mind wearing them, huh?" I chuckled. I was still pretty upset. I don't even know why; this is my dream. I shooed them out of my room so I could change. I felt better once I put the diaper on. I don't know why, but they always calmed me down. I took a few deep breaths and went back into my living room where Zarvaun and Alec were waiting. I stumbled a few times, though, not quite used to my new form.Alec's mind appeared to be anywhere but the living room. Zarvaun was trying to talk to him, but Alec didn't seem to hear him. I walked up to Alec and looked him in the eyes. Zarvaun had also decided to switch back to sergal form."What'cha thinkin' about?" I asked with a hint of concern in my tone."My brothers. I'm scared for them, seeing the chaos out there." he murmured."That's not even the worst of it. The world's gone in a week, and we're all screwed unless we can find the one Valiant that can save us." Zarvaun growled."Wait, what?" I asked. He handed me his phone. It was on a text that he recieved an hour earlier."That's why I came. I need your help to find him. He's the only way we can continue our lives." Zarvaun explained. The text was from Adela.[Zarvaun! Big mistake! Big mistake! The reactor malfunctioned, and it sent the virus worldwide. I tried to warn them, I tried! This is what I've been dreading. The reactor, if it detonates, which it will, will explode with a force large enough to cause the dreaded megaquake I've heard of. It's a giant earthquake chain that will topple mountains, and tsunamis will drown everything that tries to live. The cracks in the oceans will then be so great that it will boil the entirety of the water sources on Earth, killing all marine life. Nothing living on earth will be alive in a week, and we only have one hope left. Mission Valiant Hunt was launched a minute ago, but we need to beat them. Find the Valiant with ten Valiant forms, grab a group of ten, and hope he can learn mass trans-dimentional warping before Friday at 3:00 PM. Good luck, I will meet you at the toy store we last met at.]"The reactor what?" I screamed, "But I just got my life balanced out! I just calmed down! I...I..." I passed out on the spot. I've never felt so dizzy in my life. The last thing I remember was feeling like I was having a heatstroke and then I suddenly woke up with Zarvaun waking me up violently."Frost! God, Frost don't die like this! Frost!" he reached to slap me
in the face but I caught it with my left hand which immediately caught fire."Don't." I said in a scratchy voice I didn't recognize. Zarvaun yanked his hand away as I stood up, scowling. I came to my senses shortly after and was suddenly startled.What was that? I looked at my hand as though it was a foreign object, which it was.I was no longer a tiger. My paw had turned into that of a vulpine origin. My body had followed suit.I was what appeared to be a kitsune. I had six tails and my fur was black. Where my fur would be white as red fox was replaced with dancing flames markings on my arms, legs, and tails. A quick look in the nearest mirror beside my front door showed that my ears and muzzle were completely black and my chest and stomach were black as well. My eyes were fiery red and the inside of my ears were the colors of fire and shimmered and dancing ever so slightly."Frost?" Zarvaun asked. Unable to control my actions, I scowled and looked at him. I then said against my own will."Who's Frost? My name is Heatstroke." Zarvaun's eyes widened."Oh my God, you're him. You're the trans-dimensional Valiant." he said.Whatever had taken over my body didn't seem to be listening. I could hear his thoughts repeat that he wanted to burn something. He caught his left paw on fire and swung at Zarvaun, but I willed my right arm to catch it. There was a blast of steam as the contact was made, and I suddenly felt more in control. There was a flash, and my body was more feline. My fur was still black."Stop that!" Heatstroke's voice shouted."No, you will not touch my friend!" I yelled. I clenched my head as I fought to regain control of my body. My fur kept flashing between white and black as we had a mental war. I ended up on my knees as Zarvaun and Alec watched in confusion.Eventually, I began to feel dizzy and felt the struggle lessen in Heatstroke too. Suddenly, I felt weightless for less than a second and was suddenly in a pile of debris against a wall of the room. I had a splitting headache.I looked around to see that I had smashed one of my couches into splinters, cloth and scrap metal. I saw Heatstroke on the other side of the room, getting up from a hole in the wall. Overrun by rage, I charged Heatstroke, my stripes glowing bright blue.