Side Effects

11 - The Great Escape

~ Two weeks ago ~

Flipping a coin into the indigo sky, Donnamira's hand laid flat as it landed on a definitive tail, marking the motions of their plan.
"Then it's settled. I will find him and you get the keys."

"Agreed." A vintage American accent spoke from beneath the shade of a red hat. Ready to begin the adventure, Rhine Montgomery peaked the hat upwards to meet Donnamira's eyes. "Just leave it to me."

"Well then. Let's begin!"

Without a squint of pain, Donnamira's leg was injected with a long, thin needle. Sudden jolts and a fizzing sensation through her veins signalled her to mark the changes in her body, all reverting to her usual self with a new acquired power. Her face burned at the feeling of the chemical as it rushed to her brain, but being who she was, she kept herself as neutral as she could.

The last half of the chemical remained in the syringe, and without any procedures or cautions taken, Rhine jabbed it into his own skin and forced the needle down, hard.

The very same sensations filled him, though they worried him more, even with the many years of dealing in this business. As the heatwave met his cranium, the Ace of Spades turned towards the Ace of Hearts, hardly standing; keeping himself upright on his tiptoes.

Donnamira shook her aching leg and gave him a knowing glance. They had their warnings to quit while they were ahead, but it had begun, and there were no more chances to turn away from it all.

Whether they succeeded would effect the future of their friend and fellow member - their Ace of Diamonds. Back in the early days of the city, their strong opinions of New Orbis society brought the three of them together - they were one of the three founders of their secret organisation. But of course, not everything could last forever. Now they were trapped - trapped in a place where no sane human would want to step into.

Luckily for Donnamira and Rhine, their anarchism and criminal acts did not make them amongst the sanest of people in New Orbis.

Everything they would sacrifice from that moment - their freedom and their lives - was all towards the rescue of these innocent criminals, specifically their key target - the Ace of Diamonds.

Thinking deeply with her burning mind, Donnamira found herself finally shrinking and morphing into a different shape - the shape determined to her by the contents of the injection. Rhine turned away, not wanting the know the gruesome effects of the new ability. He heard nothing, but could tell that Donnamira was performing her duty. Not before long, she had become a spider, crawling along the dim-lit path with the intent of making Rhine follow her.

Rhine did not stop to think, and instead he used his brain to transform as his ally had.

His fat body clenched into a smaller form, feeling like the organs within his body were crushing together. Four extra arms emerged on his sides in a terrifying manner, sprouting into thin, bent legs. His vision was changed by the ordeal, seeing the same things multiple times, sending him into even more fear. His legs and original two arms rapidly became thinner, as if a vacuum was sucking out all of the fat, blood and muscle within them.

Unable to speak, Rhine could not even let out so much as a groan of pain when his limbs bent to fit the correct shape of an arachnid. Changing like this made him feel... discombobulated. Ill. Uneasy. Like he was constantly breathing inwards.