Chapter 1: The Transformation

Taylor's P.O.V.

How did my life lead up to this? Strapped to a table, a large arm with a needle above me, and a group of people standing near. As I can tell, this will probably end terribly...

My name is Taylor Stanheight. I am 20 years old, and currently attending collage. Some things you can describe me as is loner, artist, and introvert. I do occasionally hang out with some friends. But that all change one day...

I was walking back to my apartment after collage ended for Christmas vacation, my tan-ish brown jacket and blue jeans currently on me. "Damn...I forgot my toboggan at home. Lucky, that's where I'm heading after all." I let out a soft sigh, my breath visible through the cold weather.

My path is cut off when the crosswalk's light became red, cars instantly speeding by. Crossing my arms, I impatiently tap my foot while I waited. "Come on...Turn green already..." I say, rubbing my cold hands.

"Taylor!" I quickly turn my head at whoever had just called my name. Though I could already guess who it was, I still turned around to see an old friend of mine. Her name is Juliette Pistone. I've known her for about since me and her was six years old. And a crush of mine...

"H-Hello Ju-Juliette." I responded to her, unable to tell whether it's the cold making me stutter or my feelings.

Taylor walked up beside me, though she was looking at my face. "Are you okay?" She asked in her usual caring voice as she puts on of her cold hands on my cheeks. "Your face is a bright red. How long have you been out here?" She asked, probably mistaking my red face as a result of the temperature.

"Not l-long." I say back, before seeing the light turn green.

Taylor walked across the street with me. "Well, I gotta get home. See ya." She smiled, before turning around to walk away. I didn't get a chance to say good bye as she had already ran away, so I just walked back home.

Arriving home, I set down my stuff. I left on my jacket due to my apartment basically being a giant freezer. "Where did I put that heater...?" I asked to myself, looking in my closet for it. It didn't take long for me to find it. I grab it by the handle and took it to my living room, hooking it up near my recliner.

Feeling the warmth of the heater blowing air on me, I decide to draw while watching TV. Nothing was on, as usual, so I just usually watch either crime shows or the news, the latter I chose today. I turned the channel to my local newstation.

"Breaking news: Multiple people have been going missing these past two months." The news reporter said with his usual stern face. The news he was talking about wasn't really "new" as they've been talking about this for, as he said, two months. "Some of the victims have been found, but they appear to be having some behavior problems. When asked about what happened to them, some of them refused to answer any questions our station asked them. If you see any of them, please contact any of the numbers displayed on the screen." A series of phone numbers appeared on the screen, disappearing and being replaced by a different one.

"I hope those people are okay..." I sighed softly, turning the channel to another channel while I went back to drawing. Though I couldn't shake the thought about what's been happening.

Soon enough, it was time for me to get some rest. I close my notepad, took the heater to my bedroom, and climbed in bed. I put my arms behind my head while I rested them on a pillow. Two things were on my mind: What I'll be doing this Christmas vacation, and...Juliette... The last thought made my face turn a light pink, but that didn't stop me from getting any sleep.

A sudden noise suddenly awoke me from my slumber. Due to the darkness, I could only assume it was midnight. My suspicions are confirmed when I grabbed my phone from a nearby desk and turned on "Flashlight". Figuring someone was breaking in my home, I grabbed a nearby baseball bat that I haven't used in years.

Heading downstairs, I nervously shined the light around the rooms. "W-Whoever's there, get out now. B-Before I-I go a-all Negan on you..." I stuttered out a terrified and empty threat.

"Hmm...Is that so...?" I suddenly heard a rough voice spoke to me. It was coming from right beside me! I quickly turned to see who was there, but to my surprise it was no human, but instead some kind of animal. A blue, black and cream bipedal jackal-looking animal with glowing red eyes and spikes on its front paws and chest. In it's paws was a light blue bone-shaped staff, and by going out on a limb, it was probably more deadly than the baseball bat in my trembling hands. But I wondered who was speaking to-

The creature suddenly lets out a cry, sounding like "Lucario!" if I'm correct, and leaped forward at an incredible speed. I couldn't even react as the blue jackal smacked my head with the staff, leaving a bruise on my right cheek and sending me falling down. I dropped the baseball bat to the ground from the impact of the attack, which was soon picked up by a man.

He looked at the baseball bat in his hands, seemingly admiring it. "Yes...You'll do just fine." He said in a voice that can send shivers down anyone's spine. I try to get back up. "Lucario, pin our new subject to the ground so he doesn't escape." Just as he commanded, the Lucario raised its right hind leg and slammed it down on my back, causing me to gasp in pain.

"W-Why...?" I asked, realizing this man was most likely the one who's been kidnapping people. He looked down at me and grinned.

"Batter's up..." Was all I remember him saying, as he slammed the end of the bat's handle into my face. I was greeted with pain for a few seconds, before pitch blackness.

I had a soft dream about me and Juliette, sitting in a soft mellow. She had the same usual smile she'd normally gave me. If only I could tell her how I felt...

A bright light suddenly awoken me from the dream. My eyes tried to keep open as I looked around scared, founding myself strapped to a flat surface by my wrists, legs and waist. I was about to yell for help when I spot something above me that silenced me: a mechanical arm sticking in a wall. The mechanical arm retracted from the wall, a syringe being attached to the end. I could see a red liquid inside of the syringe, and a scribbling on it which read "#571." I could also see some scientist-looking people staring at me from a window.

They turned to look at each other, giving each other a light nod as one of the scientists pressed a big red button. And within a few seconds, the needle pierced into my right arm, pushing out the liquid into my bloodstream. A burning sensation entered my body as I grinded my teeth, clenching my hands to fists.

When I did, however, I noticed my teeth felt oddly more sharper, as my fingers felt numb. Looking at them, I let out a startled gasp to see not hands, but paws. Grey paws with red claws! My arms suddenly begun to painfully thin, growing grey fur to match the paws! I cried out in pure agony from this pain, but this wasn't stopping what was happening.

My waist begun to thin as grey fur spreads on it. A darker variant of grey suddenly grew as ruff on my upper torso and covered a bit of my shoulders. Suddenly, something began growing behind me. It was my hair, that was once a pitch black began to grow out and turn a blood red with some black tips. A teal bangle appeared out of nowhere and separated some of my new mane into a ponytail. My screams were suddenly cut short as something takes my breath away, my feet shifting into red paws like my once hands.

A tingly feeling appeared around my ears, which were slowly extending and pointing, growing grey fur on the outside and red on the inside. And finally, I close my eyes in pain as my nose and jaw extended into a grey muzzle with small red rimming on my mouth and around my eyes. "Zoroark!" I try to cry out for help, but I instead made an animal noise. The shackles that bounded me suddenly release me, making me fall to the ground.

I glared at the scientists with an angered expression, my blue eyes glaring them down. They, however, weren't intimidated by my death stare as two scientists walked in. "Stay down, you filthy animal." One of the scientists said in a cocky and mocking voice, making my blood boil.

"You're the animals!" The scientists were all taken by surprise when I spoke somehow telepathically to them. On a rush of adrenaline, I quickly pounce the scientist who was just mocking me a few seconds ago now shivering in fear. My claws dig deep into his shoulders, and using my newfound superhuman strength, I toss him into the other one, and somehow busted down the metal door. I would've wondered how I did that, but that was the least of my worries.

I hightailed it out of the room, quickly running down a long white corridor. An intercom turns on, a scientist speaking. "Be on the lookout for experiment 571. We can't allow it to escape."

I gave a soft and silent growl to the message as I soon hear some guards behind me shouting "Open fire, now!" Turning my head, I saw that in their hands were machine guns, which begun opening fire upon me. Surprisingly, I managed to dodge them. I guess this new form enhanced my reflexes, making me bounce off the walls. I would celebrate, but that'll have to wait for now.

My sight of vision could spot the exit, which I quickly rushed for. I managed to dodge any bullets the lone guard fired at me, and kicked him out of the way, exiting through soonly after.

It would appear I am in the woods near the town I leave in, but I didn't have time to wonder why they did this to me as some more guards exited outside. I quickly began to run, faster than any I have ever ran. Rain began to pour down as the sounds of guns firing echoed in my ears, which I could hear even with the silencers they had on the guns.

A sharp pain suddenly jolted through my thighs. I didn't fall though, as I quickly ran back to my house. "They aren't following...Probably because they'll be found suspicious with those guns in their hands." I thought to myself, looking down at my bleeding thigh. The bullet only grazed me, but I still check to see if any bullet fragments was in it. I would've gone to the hospital if I wasn't like...this.

As I bandaged myself, I stared at myself in the bathroom mirror. My eyes were glowing a blue hue. By my guess, I was some kind of fox. I clenched my paws in anger, tears falling down my face. "Zoroark!" I cried out in anger, which surprisingly didn't awaken anyone sleeping close by.

[End of Chapter 1]

Author Note: Hey guys, I hope you enjoyed this new story. I wanted to say something before I ended this story. I might be updating Key to Victory and I'll also be rewriting SSBUI. Anywho, please leave your thoughts on this story in reviews. Bye for now.