[hider=Disclaimer]I am about to take a lot of unapproved liberties with this post.  (All the GMs are alseep, currently, and I'd hate to abandon this muse while waiting for an official 'OK').  That said, if any of this needs to be redacted, just let me know.  No hard feelings.[/hider]
[center][img]https://i.ibb.co/SnLBxQR/Raf-Banner2.jpg[/img]
[color=d4af37][b]Location:[/b] Street[/color] [b]|[/b] [color=d4af37][b]Interaction:[/b] None/Open[/color][/center]

	"Oh, man.  You're one of them, aren't you?"  The mulletted stoner began backing up slowly, cautiously, while pointing an accusatory finger at his roommate.  "Holy shit, you're Altered."

	The accusation sent a chill down Rafael's spine.  The sounds of mayhem and commotion in the background was instantly muted as the young, portly Hispanic man stared up at his roommate.  Dave's horrified stare pierced him like daggers.  He knew this would change things, not only for the relationship between the two of them, but for his entire life.  Rafael [i]was[/i] one of them.  For better or worse, Raf was altered.  For the longest time, he thought he was unaffected after surviving the plague but today proved otherwise.  Even still, he couldn't understand the beginnings or the ends of his abilities.  All he knew was that he should be broken as he laid on the street, but he was quite the opposite.  He wasn't even hurt.

	"[color=d4af37]Dave, I don't know what's going on, bro.  I'm, you know, I'm still me, I just-[/color]"

	Dave turned away.  His demeanor was different.  Fear, confusion... perhaps even betrayal were all feelings that floated in his mind.  His best friend shared altered DNA with terrorists and hate mongers like Reaper and this giant rampaging woman who was already responsible for countless deaths.  Dave didn't truly know how to feel.  So... he fled.

	"[color=d4af37]Dave![/color]" Rafael shouted out to David's back.  "[color=d4af37]Dave, I'm still me![/color]"  His eyes became hot as tears began to well up into his eyes.  His friend didn't slow his retreat, however.  Raf watched as Dave disappeared into the panicked crowd, leaving him alone to deal with the life changing revelation. "[color=d4af37]I'm still me,[/color]" he repeated in a sorrowful whisper.

	[center][img]https://i.ibb.co/17nFckc/Dr-Simon-Hyde.jpg[/img]
[color=6ecff6][b]Location:[/b] Street[/color][/center]

	"[color=6ecff6]That one,[/color]" proclaimed the masked man sitting in the back of the Ford sedan, his presence hidden behind dark tinted windows.  The specimen was perfect.  He was young, but not too young, and exhibited traits and attributes that exemplified someone of pure breeding.  The hair was a dead giveaway.  "[color=6ecff6][i]That's[/i] the one.  Get him.  Now,[/color]" came the ominous command from the back seat.  The driver of the sedan, a mountain of a man who was the embodiment of the word 'burly', exited the vehicle and started his pursuit.  His neck was completely concealed by a massive dark beard.  His body was wrapped in an expensive black business suit.  His head reflected the light of the street lamps above, being completely bald.

	This massive individual was not built for running.  Instead he walk briskly, with purpose, while relocated anyone in his way with a forceful sweep on the arm.  The visage of the yokel grew as the hulking figure drew closer.  Soon, his prey was within arm's reach.  The massive man reached back into his coat and retrieved a syringe.  It was only moments later when the syringe was plunged into its victim's neck.  The body fell limp, but not before the large goon took hold of it and hoisted it over his shoulder before returning to the car.

	"[color=6ecff6]Excellent work,[/color]" noted the man in the back.  "[color=6ecff6]This young fellow may very well be the key to evening the playing field.[/color]"  The giant loaded the unconscious person sloppily into the trunk.  As the door slammed down, it caught a small lock of the man's hair in the latch.  The excess of his mullet.  "[color=6ecff6]Very good, Brock.  Now, back to the lab.[/color]"  The driver complied, creating a screeching sound as he accelerated the vehicle at an alarming rate.


[center][img]https://i.ibb.co/W31LCJt/Raf-Banner2.jpg[/img]
[color=d4af37][b]Location:[/b] Apartment[/color] [b]|[/b] [color=d4af37][b]Interaction:[/b] None/Open[/color][/center]

	Crushed didn't seem like an adequate word for how Rafael felt.  Defeated, deflated, low... The idea that he was now a member of a fraction of society that was automatically deemed terroristic and malicious was overwhelming.  After Dave ran off, Rafael lifted himself up to his feet and made his way back to the sidewalk.  He looked on as the giant altered woman continued to wreck havoc in the city.  Part of him wanted to embrace this new life and jump into the fray, but another part couldn't help but acknowledge that he had no idea how any of this worked.  He heard rumors and reports that these abilities were only granted upon people of color who recovered from the energy plague.  He just seemed a bit late on the trigger, whatever the trigger was.

	With nowhere else to go, Rafael moved slowly back toward his apartment, his feet dragging with each step as his mind raced.  There was still another roommate who would need to know about the new development.  And his parents, dear lordy, he was going to have to tell them, too.  As the stress built up, he could feel the pulse in his neck.  He opened the door to his home and shuffled inside before sitting on one of the couches.  In front of him was a television set that had been turned off earlier.  He stared at the black screen, looking at his own fuzzy reflection.  He couldn't really make out his facial features in the dark image.  It was just as well.  Perhaps even an apt metaphor: he didn't recognize the person looking back at him.

	[center][img]https://i.ibb.co/17nFckc/Dr-Simon-Hyde.jpg[/img]
[color=6ecff6][b]Location:[/b] Secret Lab[/color][/center]

	"W-where the fuck am I?" Dave cried out, his voice quivering.  "What the fuck is this?!"  He struggled to move, but it was no use.  His arms and legs were strapped down as he laid uncomfortably upon a metal slab.  He could feel the chinstrap that held some sort of apparatus upon his head in place.

	"[color=6ecff6]Oh, dear boy,[/color]" called out a voice from beyond Dave's field of vision.  It was muffled, but enthusiastic.  The owner of said voice soon came into frame, wearing a suit and mask usually reserved for work around hazardous materials.  "[color=6ecff6]You find yourself here, in my lab, at the precipice of evolution.[/color]"  The eerie masked man leaned closer, getting within an inch of Dave's ear.  "[color=6ecff6]I'm going to make you greater than you ever could have hoped to be.  A pioneer.  A game changer.[/color]"

	Goosebumps appeared over Dave's skin as he took in the words.  He tried once more to break his limbs free of their restraints, but the effort was for naught.  While he couldn't move his head much, he could move it just enough to realize he wasn't alone in this predicament.  Just across the way was another metal slab with another victim laying restrained and unconscious atop.  Only, the other victim was distinctively different...

	"Is that a fucking penguin?!" Dave shouted in disbelief.

	"[color=6ecff6]Ah, why yes it is.  A mere containment vessel, I assure you.  The beast itself is of no consequence.  You see, dear boy, I have been following the effects of the plague since it first began.  I've been monitoring the subjects who have had notable reactions, studying their histories, their biology, their specific moments of ascension.  Do you know that, to date, there are no living cases of altered caucasian subjects?  Can you believe it?!  A travesty, for sure.  My goal is to correct this natural oversight,[/color]" the masked man explained.  "[color=6ecff6]And you are my Patient Zero.[/color]"

	"[color=6ecff6]Unfortunately, in my pursuit of ascension, several subjects have met their end.  However, I believe that it's all going to be worth it, now.  You see, I've been frustratingly unsuccessful at directly transferring the powers of an 'altered' person into any persons of Anglo descent.  I've tried transfusions, creating a direct line between brain waves by utilizing and harnessing neural networks and even transplanting organs from one subject to the other.  Individually, all my attempts have failed,[/color]" he explained.  He then looked back toward the unconscious penguin.  "[color=6ecff6]But I believe all I was truly missing was a buffer.[/color]"  A slow, ominous laugh rumbled out of this odd man's throat.  

	"You are batshit crazy, man! " Dave shouted out.  "This is- this is just fucking insane!"

	"[color=6ecff6]Every innovator in history faced the same accusation before they changed the world.  I take it as a compliment.  You see, I believe I have successfully taken the abilities of an altered human and transferred them to this honorable fowl.  Unlike the caucasion subjects before him, the beast remains alive, albeit unresponsive.  A vegetative state, but still its body functions as it should with dormant supernatural traits beyond its feeble mind's ability to comprehend.  Now that I've successfully transferred some hapless future radical's powers to it, I am now going to attempt to transfer those said powers over to you,[/color]" the mad scientist announced.

	"Transferred... radical... ?" Even the smallest parts of what the scientist was saying was confusing and appalling,  "You're [i]killing [/i]people, man!  You're kidnapping people off the streets are you just [i]killing [/i]them!"

	"[color=6ecff6]So dramatic.  I'm not sacrificing leaders of industry or philanthropic Samaritans.  But science does have a price.  In this case, it came at the cost of an Asian bartender with a gift that made the entire world his playground.  And now, if successful, that gift can be yours, my boy![/color]"  The scientist announced it with a sense of pride.  In his eyes, he was doing this young pariah a great and amazing favor.  He was elevating him to a life that would not be attained on the boy's own.  In truth, instead of all this complaining, he would have sooner wanted to just hear 'Thank you'.

	"You psycho mother fucker.  Who even are you?! If you-!"

	"[color=6ecff6]That's quite enough of that,[/color]" the scientist said before quickly applying some strong adhesive tape over Dave's mouth.  "[color=6ecff6]When this is over, you'll realize why it was necessary and what it means for the future of our society.[/color]"  He then moved away from the two subjects' bedsides and disappeared out of side to an adjacent control room, protected by thick glass.

	"[color=6ecff6]And as for who I am,[/color]" came his voice broadcasting through a speaker system in the lab.  "[color=6ecff6]I am Dr. Thadeus Hyde, visionary and scientist supreme.  Momentarily we will be initializing Neural Transfer.  The abilities harnessed in the bestial vessel will be become your own,[/color]" Dr. Hyde announced.  Dave struggled, moaned and squirmed.  He didn't know what else he could do.  He was helpless and scared as he realized his life may no longer be measured in years, but seconds.  "[color=6ecff6]Initiating in 3...[/color]"  Dave kicked and bucked, screaming muffled cries of defiance.  "[color=6ecff6]2...[/color]" He twisted and jerked in place, but the restraints held strong.  "[color=6ecff6]1![/color]"  Suddenly the lights flickered as the building's power all diverted to the device that encased the heads of Dave and the fowl.  Dave's vision went blurry and soon the world went completely dark.