Cat Chat

Walking down the long, dimly lit hallway of the underground facility, I can't help but reflect on the bizarre turn my life has taken. "I can't believe this is my fucking life now. This human body is weak..." I grumble to myself, feeling a mix of frustration and disbelief.

Lilo, perched on my shoulder, chuckles mischievously. "Hehehehe, this is what happens when you don't listen to me," he teases, clearly enjoying my discomfort.

Irritated, I click my tongue and give his cat ear a sharp tug. "Don't you fucking laugh at me. I'm still your superior," I remind him, though my words lack their usual authority in this form.

Lilo, unfazed by my reprimand, jumps down from my grasp, landing gracefully on the ground. He looks up at me with a glint of defiance in his eyes. "No way, you're now a human. There's no way I'll let you boss me around."

Rolling my eyes, I retort, "At least I didn't become a goddamn pet." It's a small victory, but I'll take it.

Lilo glares back at me, clearly not pleased with my comeback. "Well played. Tsk, I hate being a cat. But I can't switch back, or that man will probably kill me," he grumbles, his frustration evident.

I yawn and stretch, trying to adjust to the limitations of this human body. "Well, it's not so bad for me. Being a human is horrible, but if I just stick next to him, I'll eventually be able to regain my true form," I muse, thinking of Caelum.

Lilo clicks his tongue in annoyance. "And meanwhile, I'm here stuck as a pet," he laments, his tone a mix of resignation and irritation.

Looking ahead, I ponder our next move. "Hey, can you contact the squad leaders?" I ask, hoping to reestablish some connection with our allies.

Lilo shakes his head, his expression turning serious. "No way, what if Caelum gets mad?" he counters, aware of the delicate balance we're trying to maintain.

I tap my chin thoughtfully, weighing our options. "Ugh, what a pain. It's thanks to him we haven't been locked up, so we can't split away from him," I admit, acknowledging the complexity of our situation.

Lilo agrees, albeit begrudgingly. "Yeah, yeah. Anyways, you saw those weapons, right? In that room. They are partially alive. I bet I can take advantage of them," he suggests, his tone hinting at a plan forming in his mind.

As we continue down the hallway, I rub my shoulders, feeling the limitations of this human form acutely. "Do you think he can help us deal with them?" I ask Lilo.

Lilo, demonstrating his newfound feline agility, yawns and casually walks along the walls. His response is nonchalant. "He has the power to do it, but the only thing he wants to do is reach a secluded mountain, apparently." His tone suggests a mix of indifference and mild amusement.

I keep walking, my gaze shifting upwards as I ponder our situation. "Well... he'll have to decide whether to help or not at some point. It doesn't matter how strong he is, he will be dragged into the damn siloxus," I say, contemplating the inevitable complications that lie ahead.

In an unexpectedly playful move, Lilo jumps from the ceiling onto my shoulder, causing me to hiss in pain. He laughs at my discomfort, clearly enjoying this new dynamic between us. "It's funny how weak your body is," he teases, finding humor in my human frailties.

I attempt to punch him in retaliation, but he effortlessly jumps back to the ceiling, evading my clumsy human reflexes. "Once it starts, I bet his goal will be to just let everyone fight it out while he laughs in the background," Lilo muses, seemingly amused by the thought.

I sigh, my frustration evident. "This is so fucking frustrating. How many more eons until it's over?" I wonder aloud, feeling the weight of our predicament.

Lilo, unfazed by my exasperation, offers a glimmer of hope. "Stop crying. The weapons they are incubating... I can probably override their consciousness. You couldn't see it because you're a pathetically weak human now, but those weapons are like slyvos. Their mental growth rate seems to improve based on conditions. I'm not sure why humans made them, but I can use them as a trap," he explains, his tone suggesting a newfound interest in the weapons' potential.

Looking at my hands, my transformation into a human ended a while ago, yet my nails retain a distinct black-red hue, a remnant of my true nature. "Forget about those weapons. Sure, they're interesting, but artifacts are way more intriguing. I doubt they belong in this realm, and yet they are all over the place," I mumble, thinking about the mysteries that artifacts hold.

Lilo, who's started floating around, chimes in with his usual sarcasm. "You act like it's easy to study them. Maybe if I had my good old workshop, but there's no way I can do it with the resources these humans have lying around." He then resumes his acrobatics on the ceiling, clearly enjoying his new form's agility.

As he floats, Lilo suddenly alerts me to an incoming presence. "Anyways, there's a group walking this way. Should I handle them?" he asks, his tone casual but vigilant.

I stretch, feeling the stiffness of my human body. "I'm not that weak. I need to figure out how I should use this human body," I reply, my voice laced with determination. Despite my current limitations, I refuse to be seen as vulnerable.

Lilo yawns, lounging on the ceiling with an air of nonchalance. "Hmm? Let me see you struggle then," he teases, clearly amused by the situation.

"You know me better than that," I retort, confident in my abilities regardless of my form.

That's when I hear him – a single person approaching, a hulking brute of a man with a heavily scarred face. His muscles are pronounced beneath his tattered clothing, and his hands, large and calloused, look like they could inflict significant damage.

He stops in front of me, his gaze evaluating me like I'm a mere object. "Oh~ A toy for me to play with," he says, his voice oozing with malice.

I rub my temples, disgusted. "Humans... truly are disgusting," I mutter under my breath. His demeaning words ignite a fire within me.

Glaring at him, I channel my authority despite my human limitations. "You brute, kill yourself or I'll give you a painful death," I command, my voice cold and unwavering.

The man's expression shifts to anger, his brows knitting together. "Huh!? Who the hell do you think you are, you damn doll!? I'm going to use you like the toy you are!" he shouts, his tone aggressive and threatening.

I sigh deeply, my patience wearing thin. "Humans..."

The brute grins menacingly, he taunts me with a false sense of superiority. "You must be new, right? I am Krag. I might forgive your insolence if you get on your knees," he says, his voice dripping with arrogance.

Walking up to him slowly, I can't help but feel a surge of disdain. "This is why we consider humans pathetic," I mutter under my breath. As I grit my teeth, a black fog begins to envelop my hand, transforming my arm into a shadowy appendage. "Good thing this human arrived. He seems to have an ability. I need to eat..." I think, eyeing Krag with a predator's focus.

Krag raises his eyebrows in surprise, noticing the change in my arm. "Oh~ You have an ability, huh? No wonder you're confident. But I have one—" he starts, but before he can finish, I flick my finger, sending him crashing into the wall with a powerful force.

"No shit, I can see that clearly," I retort, opening and closing my now transformed hand. I acknowledge the weakness of this human body, but its flexibility offers some advantage. "This human body is weak, but somewhat flexible, so I'll work with that," I resolve, ready to adapt to this new form.

Krag, infuriated, picks himself up from the bent wall, his teeth gritted in rage. His muscles bulge and his skin hardens, his arms becoming longer and wider. He charges at me with surprising speed, laughing maniacally. "Hahaha! I doubt you can keep up with me!"

I sigh, unimpressed by his display. "You're not wrong, but I don't need to keep up with a predictable moron like you," I retort, timing my movements perfectly. As Krag rushes towards me, I slap the air at the precise moment he appears, sending him crashing into the wall again.

My strike is accurate and brutal, targeting his elbow and twisting his arm in a way that it breaks. Krag yells out in pain, the impact leaving him disoriented and injured.

Krag, undeterred by his injury, stands back up, his teeth gritted in a mixture of pain and determination. I watch as his arm unnaturally shifts, the bones realigning themselves. It's clear his ability isn't about healing but more about keeping his skeletal structure intact. He grins, a trickle of blood escaping the corner of his mouth. "You're not bad for a woman. How about you become my wife? I can guarantee you a great life in this goddamn apocalypse," he proposes, his tone a bizarre mix of aggression and twisted charm.

Raising an eyebrow, I can't help but feel disdain. "You're pathetic, a weak pathetic human. How many beings have asked me that same question?" I ask rhetorically, walking casually around him. It's almost amusing, this human's audacity.

Lilo, still perched on the ceiling, chimes in, "I can't recall, but they're all the same."

Krag spins around, looking for the source of the voice. "Who said that!? Reveal yourself!" he demands, his confusion evident.

Unfazed, I probe further. "Is that all your ability does?" I ask, genuinely curious about the limits of his power.

Krag, realizing he can't intimidate or charm me, changes his approach. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a pair of brass knuckles, which he slips onto his hands. The knuckles emit a faint blue glow, suggesting they're more than mere weapons.

Lilo's interest piques. "Those toys he has on are from that incubator room. Don't destroy them; I want to study them a bit," he advises me from his vantage point.

As Krag lunges towards me, I sigh, bracing myself. Humans often rely on external tools in combat, an interesting, if somewhat predictable, strategy. I grit my teeth, allowing the black fog to envelop my soles and joints, enhancing my speed and flexibility.

Krag's punches come fast and furious, but I dodge them, relying on my newfound agility. "I see, the weapon automatically targets potential weak spots," I observe, narrowly evading his strikes. The brass knuckles seem to guide his blows, aiming for areas that would typically be vulnerable on a human body.

"How boring, you're nothing compared to Jenna," I comment dryly as I face off against Krag. His predictable tactics and reliance on brute force make him a rather unimpressive opponent compared to others I've encountered.

In a swift movement, I intercept his incoming punch with my black-veiled arm, catching it firmly. "You should've killed yourself when I gave you the chance," I tell him coldly, bending his fist backward with force. The sound of his bones cracking is almost satisfying as his wrist bone protrudes grotesquely from his arm, exposed and vulnerable.

Krag groans in pain, but I'm far from done with him. "We're about to start your rehabilitation process. Don't worry, your ability will allow me to help you for a longer period of time," I say, my voice laced with a cruel sort of anticipation. I twist his arm in a full 360-degree circle, the unnatural movement further mangling his limb.

As he attempts a desperate punch with his other arm, I catch it just as easily, bending it counter-clockwise in a similar gruesome fashion. Standing before him, I can't help but feel a sense of disappointment. "You're so pathetic I don't feel like torturing you. I haven't done this in a while," Taking a deep breath, my arm begins to emit a slight white glow.

With precise control, I stab into him with my glowing limb, focusing my energy. As I withdraw my arm, I hold a pulsating white orb in my hand. The essence of his ability, now condensed into a tangible form. Without hesitation, I swallow the orb, absorbing the energy it contains. "Let's get moving." Tsk, that was practically nothing.