COVELENT: XenoTrait

Mr. Takakura replied, ”Open the door.”

A heavy mechanical hum echoed through the facility as the reinforced containment door unlocked.

With a sharp hiss, the door slid open.

Cold air rushed out from the chamber.

Felix and Takakura stepped inside together.

The room was massive, circular, and sterile, lined with reinforced steel and observation equipment.

At the center stood a thick, transparent glass wall that separated them from the subject inside.

Behind it, Joel was curled up in a corner.

His breathing was uneven, his body trembling slightly.

Felix’s eyes locked onto him immediately. Felix’s expression tightened.

”His arm... the mutation is still active,” he said slowly. ”He even has a horn on his right side..... his body is stuck between transformation and non-transformation... and his hand looks crushed.” There was a rare tension in Felix’s voice.

Mr. Takakura stepped forward and raised a small microphone connected to the chamber.

His voice echoed through the room.

”Jones! Use Transformation Delta!”

For a moment, nothing happened. Then Joel’s body twitched violently.

A sharp inhale escaped him as he slowly dragged himself up from the corner of the chamber.

Then he screamed, ”aaaahhhh”. His bones began shifting.

The sound of grinding structure echoed faintly even through the thick glass.

His shins bent inward, his joints reconfiguring violently. His arms stretched longer, snapping into new proportions. Thick fur erupted across his body in uneven waves, spreading across his body.

His skin started to tighten.

Felix’s eyes remained glued to him as he watched.

Takakura spoke calmly through the speakers. ”He has three transformations..... Delta is this one, where he has control and everything is balanced out... Beta is weaker in strength, but in place of strength it is much faster... and Alpha... is the most dangerous.”

A brief pause.

”Alpha makes him stronger and faster... but in return, he cannot control his own actions because he would not be in his right mind.”

Felix’s eyes narrowed slightly. ”What do you mean... not in his right mind?”

Takakura exhaled slowly.

”He runs purely on instinct..... destroying everything in his path, a true animal.”

Felix tilted his head slightly, analyzing the information.

”So there’s a strain in Alpha...” He paused. ”...It’s similar to my survival mode.”

Takakura’s head turned slightly. ”Explain.”

Felix exhaled. ”To understand it... you need to understand what I was.” He paused. ”When I first got the serum, I ended up finding out that human food was now tasteless and that my body refused it. Then I remember when I was hungry...” His voice lowered slightly. ”So hungry and so weak that I blacked out.”

A faint silence filled the room as both Takakura and Jean listened more carefully.

”When I woke up... I was not skinny anymore..... my body had changed. I had developed an athlete’s physique.”

Another pause.

”But my pet turtle was dead.”

Felix continued, voice quieter.

”And when I checked the security feed..... I saw myself crawling on all fours like an animal, completely out of control... I saw myself repeatedly impaling my turtle with a stick until I broke its shell and I.. I ate it.”

Takakura’s eyes narrowed. ”And how did you lose that state?”

Felix answered immediately.

”It happened during a fight..... with a giant bird....”

His fingers flexed slightly as memory resurfaced.

”My survival mode mutated... I was in a forest where the animals I tested the serum on were held... and I was fighting this giant bird where I almost died. That’s when I changed.”

A small pause.

”Even now... it still works the same way.”

He lifted his gaze slightly.

”Whenever I get blood in my mouth, I read the biology of that animal and compare it to mine, and if I’m weaker, I get a boost in strength, speed, and stamina.... just about enough to survive.”

Takakura’s expression shifted slightly. ”So... a near-death experience caused you to evolve, huh?”

He leaned forward just a little. ”Interesting.”

Then casually said, ”Fight Jones.”

Felix’s eyes slowly shifted toward Takakura. ”No.” He said, his voice flat. ”A waste of time.”

Takakura responded instantly. ”Come on, Felix... or is it that you are scared?”

Inside the containment area, Felix stood still.

”How did I end up here...?” he thought.

Takakura’s voice echoed through the speakers again. ”Jones! Attack him.”

Jones launched forward instantly. The force of his movement cracked the ground beneath him.

Felix shifted aside effortlessly, his body already adapting mid-motion. Claws began forming from his fingers as his balance adjusted automatically.

His eyes tracked everything.

”He is too big. I can’t paralyze him immediately... the toxins will take time... I need to knock him out.”

Jones charged again.

Felix leapt upward mid-air. Scales briefly formed across his arm. He twisted his body sharply, rotating like a weapon, and drove a heavy downward strike.

Jones continued forward at the same time.

A shockwave burst through the chamber.

Felix’s punch connected directly with Jones’ spine.

The sound was sharp.

Jones’ body buckled instantly as he collapsed.

Felix landed slowly on his feet.

He exhaled once. ”...Looks like I won.”

Takakura’s voice came immediately. ”Don’t count him out yet.... he’s about to enter Alpha mode.”

Jones’ body twitched, then rose again.

His body elongated rapidly, muscle structure reforming. His fur retracted violently. His skin hardened, darkened, becoming dense like reinforced armor.

Then he roared.

The sound shattered the reinforced glass wall instantly.

Jones dropped to all fours, his head lowered slightly, his eyes locked onto Felix.

Felix’s expression changed.

His hair rose slightly. His fingers twisted into claws. Veins appeared across his body, pulsing faintly. His teeth sharpened slightly as his jaw tightened.

In an instant, Felix vanished.

”This is it... this is what I want... once I get that serum....” he smiled. ”The whole world will be mine for the taking,” Takakura thought.

Jones barely reacted as a slash tore across his abdomen.

Paralytic venom spread immediately through the tissue.

Jones staggered, his movement slowed slightly.

Felix didn’t stop. He appeared again and again and again, continuously slashing Jones.

He appeared behind Jones and jumped up and bit down hard on the back of Jones’ neck, and Jones collapsed instantly.

Then Jones slowly began reverting back to human form.

”Ugh...” A weak sound came from Jones.

Felix approached cautiously and extended his hand slightly, but Jones reacted instantly, throwing Felix’s hand away.

Felix stepped back, his expression hardened slightly. ”...Are you afraid of me?” He tilted his head. ”Because now you know I can kill you in a moment’s heartbeat... or are you just a coward?”

Jones didn’t answer. His face was unreadable.

Takakura’s voice came again. ”Jones, don’t worry... He is one of us.”

Felix snapped immediately. ”Huh?” His eyes sharpened. ”I’m not one of you.”

A pause.

His voice lowered. ”I’m only cooperating with you because you can lead me to Markus Cain and that you promised me access to your funds... so I can obtain the animals I need.”

Silence filled the room whilst Takakura left the facility.

Jones slowly stood up again and struck Felix across the face.

Felix’s head tilted slightly from the impact. ”...Oh.” A pause. ”So this is what you do.” He turned slowly. ”Okay.”

Jones charged again.

Felix drove a brutal punch into his stomach.

Jones coughed violently, blood spilling. Felix followed with a rising kick.

Jones collapsed unconscious again.

Felix exhaled slowly. ”Get me out of here... or I might actually kill him.”

Takakura’s voice came immediately. ”Jean. Open that door immediately.”

Jean bowed quickly. ”Yes, sir.”

He pressed a control button.

The containment doors unlocked with a deep mechanical sound.

Felix stepped out.

Jean was already waiting.

Felix spoke calmly. ”Take me to Takakura.”