Chapter 94 - Scream [3]

After the incident with Annie, the week flew by quickly. With Sara, Annie, and Ema busy with school, Prime decided to postpone resolving the matter until the next weekend. Although Annie seemed relatively upbeat, she understood not to take the situation lightly. Prime had given her the task of communicating with her symbiote throughout the week to better understand this new reality.

Annie and her symbiote, Scream, took every opportunity to converse during the week. Knowing they would be living together from now on, it was crucial to strengthen their bond. Scream showed a strong desire to protect Annie, not only because she was his host, but also as a direct order from Prime, the creator and possibly the first of his kind. At least, that was Prime's assumption, as he had never encountered another symbiote before.

During the week, Prime kept himself busy with his work while giving Annie the necessary space to communicate with her symbiote, Scream. Although he occasionally caught her using her new powers for trivial tasks like reaching her phone without leaving bed or getting food without leaving her room, Prime didn't reprimand her. He understood Annie was still adjusting, and as long as it happened moderately and within the house, there was no issue.

In addition to monitoring Annie's adjustment, Prime saw his project to establish a company progressing remarkably. He had already secured a significant portion of the needed capital and was waiting for the right moment to launch his vision to the world.

With the construction of the building and labs underway, Prime planned to give his first public lecture on the revolutionary new drug he was developing. He had been meticulously preparing for this moment, and his confidence was evident; he wasn't particularly nervous, but rather eager to share his work with the world.

Several potential investors had already been contacted, and now all that remained for Prime was to await the arrival of the big day. Immersed in final preparations, the weekend finally arrived. While in the kitchen preparing breakfast, Prime heard hurried footsteps echoing down the hallway from the bedrooms. He didn't need to look to know who it was; the familiar steps were unmistakable.

"Today is Saturday!" exclaimed Annie with a radiant smile as she entered the room.

"Yes, it certainly seems so" replied Prime, carefully placing Annie's breakfast on the table.

Prime then turned his gaze to Annie, who watched him with bright eyes full of excitement. It was clear she had been eagerly anticipating this day all week. Prime was perplexed; he couldn't quite understand why Annie seemed so enthusiastic about having a symbiote inside her.

The idea of having a "monster" sharing her body unsettled him, but Annie seemed to embrace this new reality with surprising enthusiasm. Reflecting on this, Prime let out a brief sigh, still trying to decipher the logic behind Annie's feelings.

"Finish your breakfast and we can start. While there isn't much to do, just the fact that you and your symbiote aren't fighting for control of the body will help. You must learn to think as one, which shouldn't be too difficult, considering you share thoughts when transformed" Prime said calmly as he sat at the table.

Listening to Prime's words, Annie nodded calmly and sat down beside him. She couldn't wait to become like her father. If something dangerous happened, she could help; she wouldn't need to hide anymore while he fought.

"Also, I'm quite curious to find out how her powers will work. I still don't know which abilities Scream inherited from me or if she will develop something completely new" Prime said as he pondered the matter.

He himself wasn't entirely sure about all the powers he possessed. From Prime's perspective, even those he knew weren't fully utilized. There was something inside him advising caution in exploring his powers further, especially regarding their origins and nature.

With these thoughts, Prime took a sip of his coffee while Annie appeared thoughtful. Minutes later, Ema joined them and then Sara. They all had breakfast, and once they finished, Prime and Annie positioned themselves face to face, staring at each other.

"Firstly, relax. It's not like it's going to hurt, though I can't say for sure, since I'm not exactly the person who is transforming" Prime spoke in a sarcastic tone.

"You'll be fine. Instead of pain, you'll feel incredibly strong and powerful. It'll seem like you can do anything" Sara added confidently.

Annie just nodded and then allowed the sensation she had been experiencing in the past few days to take over her body. She knew Scream wanted to manifest, so she simply let it happen. Before everyone's eyes, in a matter of seconds, Annie was engulfed in the transformation, growing in size and assuming a much fiercer appearance.

(Annie, are you hearing me?) Prime asked Sara mentally.

Prime thought it would be easier this way, as although he could directly hear Sara's voice when transformed, the sensation wouldn't be the same, as the symbiote would also be speaking. By communicating mentally, Prime could distinguish between Annie and her symbiote.

(Loud and clear, that's cool) Annie replied mentally, sounding calmer than Prime expected.

(How are you feeling? Any discomfort?)

Instead of responding to Prime's words, the symbiote, Scream/Annie, briefly looked at her hand and clenched it, as if testing her new body and its capabilities. Then a voice reminiscent of Annie's, but slightly different, echoed.

"This is pretty incredible. I feel like I could do anything, like I'm unbeatable"

The way the symbiote spoke resembled Annie somewhat, but clearly there was another identity mixed in. Prime honestly didn't know how the fusion between Scream and Annie worked; he himself was somewhat special to fully understand.

"How exactly are you two interacting with each other?" Prime asked, curious.

Prime calmly observed as the symbiote stared at him. He had to admit it was a bit eerie the way she looked at him. Strangely, it seemed like the gaze of a child still learning. Moreover, Prime could sense that behind that expression was Annie.

(It's like we're one, it's hard to explain. It's not exactly my body, but at the same time it is. It's like there's an armor around my body, which doesn't move with my movements, but seems to know exactly what I want to do, moving before I even think about it. It's a somewhat strange feeling) Annie replied mentally.

Annie's responses revealed that her transformations were somewhat different from Prime and Sara's, who acted as a single body and mind. According to Annie, she didn't feel like an integrated entity with her symbiote, but rather something separate. As she described, it was like an armor surrounding her body. However, Prime still thought there were many similarities between him and Annie.

"How about a friendly fight to see what you're capable of?"

While Prime was lost in his thoughts, Sara's words suddenly brought him back to reality. He turned to Sara, who watched Annie in her symbiote form with a serene expression. Prime had noticed this for some time, but still found it strange how Sara showed no fear in the face of nearly anything.

"Why a fight out of nowhere?" Prime asked, confused.

"Why not? I'm just curious. She seems pretty strong" Sara commented, observing Annie with an analytical expression.

From Prime's perspective, everything seemed the same, but still, the confrontation came out of nowhere, catching him off guard. However, he didn't let it disturb him and decided to ask directly the person in question.

(What do you think, Annie?) Prime inquired in his thoughts.

The only response Prime received was a scream, with Scream's hair rising towards him, while maintaining a predatory look on her face. Somehow, Scream seemed to stare at Prime as if he were prey.