[open/closed] I watched a change in you

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who: John Sheppard & friends, GUEST STARRING the retrovirus, and anyone unlucky enough to cross his path
what: John's problematic transformation from a man into a manbugthing and all the drama that follows
when: Late April to early May
where: Various, inside and outside the wall
warnings: Graphic violence, sexual content, disturbing imagery, language... your typical Rated R Sci-fi movie

Day 0: John is bitten by a venomous insect in the field. Lingering traces of the Irratus bug retrovirus in his system are activated in biological defense, successfully counteracting the venom.

Day 1: No outward physical mutation. Physiological condition is optimized. All symptoms of stress, fatigue and exertion are eliminated. Near instantaneous healing of minor wounds. Strength, speed, stamina, and durability are at peak human capacity. Dopamines and hormones exceed normal levels. Positive change in mood is subsequent.

Day 2: No outward physical mutation. Instantaneous healing of minor wounds. Strength, speed, stamina, and durability are above peak human capacity. Dopamines and hormones are off the charts. Senses are enhanced. Extreme decline of mental/emotional/sexual inhibitions. Behaviour is erratic and reactive.

Day 3: Physical mutation begins, progressing rapidly. Pupils become slitted. Skin and extremities show signs of textural change, becoming rough, hardened and discoloured. Grey dermal patterning covers significant portion of body. Near instantaneous healing of major wounds. Strength, speed, stamina, and durability , as well as senses, are super-human. Shift of brain chemicals and hormones from human to Iratus bug. Loss of mental/emotional/sexual inhibitions. Behaviour is extremely erratic, reactive, and violent.

Day 4: Physical mutation advances significantly, altering facial features. Skin takes on an exoskeleton appearance. Strength, speed, stamina, and durability, as well as senses, are super-human. Complete regenerative ability. Extreme shift of brain chemicals and hormones from human to Iratus bug. Loss of mental/emotional/sexual inhibitions. Loss of identity, and some cognitive function. Behaviour is that of an apex predator. Hyper-violent, territorial, and predatory.

Day 5: Chrysalis. Complete transformation to Iratus hybrid, and loss of human consciousness. Point of no return.

Comments

Day 3

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On the third day, John wakes up in a strangers bed from a familiar nightmare. He goes to the bathroom, splashes his face with water, and looks into the mirror.

It wasn't a nightmare.

Reptilian eyes stare back at him. His neck and jaw are dark, ridged with scales. He tears off his shirt. His shoulders, upper back, and chest are already marbled grey, and patchy with textured, spiky skin.

He claws at himself, nails long and sharp. Beneath the first layer of scales? More scales. He bleeds, and his blood is still red, but he heals almost immediately. There's no cutting the retrovirus off of himself, like some kind of tumour. It's in his blood, and DNA. Changing him from the inside out.

A primal fear washes over him. He punches the mirror, watches the skin of his hand push out shards of glass, replacing the damaged flesh with darker, harder tissue, and he runs.

John should go to Carson. Carson helped him once, and could help him again.

But it's different this time. John can feel it. The change is faster. Stronger. He's already losing control. Other people smell like food. Like prey. He doesn't want to hurt anyone. So he runs. Not to the PG, or Carson. What's left of his human mind tells him he's past that point. For all John knows, he could lose himself before he gets there. Hurt innocent people. Kill.

It's fight or flight, and John chooses flight. Running through the streets, he stays in the shadows, and avoids crowded areas by climbing buildings and taking to the rooftops. When he gets to the wall, he scales it by hand, clinging onto it with the hooked and padded palms of his hand like a lizard.

When John makes it to the fringes of wilderness, he keeps running.

John can be found in the streets and rooftops escaping the city, or outside the wall in the thick of the forest. There's a very high probability he will react violently to anyone who gets in his way, or tries to stop him.

[killthepast]

[ Now that Dr. Frankenstein's given him a clean bill of health, Ren finally-- finally-- has his clearance to return to the field. With a new mission on his agenda, he wastes no time heading out beyond the wall to scout and plan for the trek ahead. It's good to have this sense of freedom again, with his body and the Force both aligned and in sync for the first time since his up close and personal encounter with Sheppard's primitive bullets. Though there are lingering bruises on his face, from his recent fight with Dameron, he's well enough that he can bring his full strength to the upcoming mission.

Honestly, he's looking forward to it. He's been itching to get back out into the field, to have a mission and some sense of purpose to focus on, however fleeting it may be. Plus, while he's out beyond the wall, he can keep an eye out for anything that may aid Hux in his new project.

And now, with a day of surveying behind him, Ren starts his walk back towards the wall. It's been reasonably quiet today, but still, he's vigilant, always aware of the danger of his surroundings. He listens, both to the jungle around him, and to the Force.

And... ah. Curious. He stops in his tracks, tilting his head slightly, as he senses something in the Force. Nearby, this energy that's vicious, and erratic, and some terrible combination of animal and man. His hand moves to his lightsaber, hovering just by the hilt, ready to grab it at a moment's notice.

Now. Where is the beast? ]

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[John isn't thinking. Just running. As far as he can get, as fast as he can get, away from civilization and any of the innocent people he might hurt.

But he's already hurt people. Friends. Comrades. Family. And in so many different ways. John should've seen the signs, but he didn't. Not until it grey, scaled, and staring him in the face with yellow, snakelike eyes.

The best thing John can do is disappear. If he's lucky, something beyond the wall will kill him before he turns completely. He'd do it himself, if his animal instinct to survive wasn't stronger than his own shame.

Losing his ability to think, his consciousness, is almost a blessing. At least the pain will be over soon. He won't have to remember the look on Jim's face when he pushed him down, or the taste of Poe's blood on his lips.

He crashes out of the underbrush and into a clearing, traveling with such speed he barely sees the trees as he moves past. His enhanced senses, so sensitive he can detect almost any living creature without seeing them, are all that tell him a human is near.

Human. As if John's another species. At this point he might be.]

Move!

[A snarl, claws curling in towards his palms. He doesn't know how much longer he can hold on. Doesn't know if he can run past this human without his instincts taking over, and attacking.

But then, by scent, John knows him.

Kylo Ren. He smells like anger, leather and burnt ozone.]

Get the hell out of my way.