Biohuman

"You've transformed twice, right?" Akali asked. Lee Seng nodded and Akali continued her train of thoughts. "I was just thinking that out of the ten before you, only one person had a similar thing happen to them. Most of the Numbers had forced transformations when they hit the first major point."

"Wh-who was that person?" Lee Seng asked.

"Nikolai was the only one who had a forced transformation way before his first major point. The first major point usually stirs whatever form your Protocol is going to be with the added mix of your powers. I'm just curious why yours is just Dark Matter."

"What was Nikolai's like?"

"Mmm... Number 2 become more...  rune-like. It's hard to describe."

"Rune-like? He became a literal rune or something?"

"In the worst possible way to describe, basically. Even though it wasn't technically like that... His body became more nature-y and complicated runic symbols floated around him. He never really used it. Said it took too much out of him. I can honestly see why he refused to use it unless he had to..."

The sounds of the adventurers continuing their work around them moved into Lee Seng and Akali's space. Lee Seng awkwardly rubbed the Dark Matter lingering halfway between his elbow, down to his fingers. The Dark Matter pulsed yet resembled a skintight material.

"So what happened when he hit the first major point? Did something like this happen?" Lee Seng lifted his hands up. Akali looked at the Dark Matter and shook her head.

"No... Nothing physically happened. That's what makes it so different from you. You're showing partial signs of transformation while he showed none." Akali recalled.

"Did anything happen after that time?"

"Mmm, I'm not sure. Number 1 said something happened days after, but she never shared. Said that it was 'personal' to him and we shouldn't bring it up to him."

"So how does that help with my situation?"

"You were physically trying to remove it off of yourself, right?" Akali pointed at the Dark Matter. Lee Seng nodded. Akali took a step forward and grabbed his hands. She studied the Dark Matter. "It feels like Dark Matter fused to make those body tight suits. What specifically happens when you fully transform though? Do you remember it?"

"Well..," Lee Seng recalled his recent transformation yesterday. "A skin tight body suit made of Dark Matter covered me. My tail is the only thing that's physically different. It's turns into this tentacle-y flower of a tail."

"Does it strengthen your gravity ability at all?"

"No. It makes me physically stronger and faster."

"So the forced transformation makes you take this form with a tentacle-like flower tail...?" Akali repeated. Lee Seng nodded. "Well, if that's the case then maybe it isn't associated with your power at all. Maybe it's compensating for your physicality." The Dark Matter pulsed and started to grow again. Lee Seng pulled away and tried to push it away.

"Don't push it away. Let it do what it wants to do. Let's see what happens." Akali told Lee Seng.

"What if I lose control? Do you really want  all of these witnesses?" Lee Seng motioned around them. Akali sighed and grabbed Lee Seng.

"I'll be able to detain you before you can even cause a scene. Just  trust  me on this. You want to know what the first major point is for you, so you need to allow it to show you. It's the only way you're going to learn what the Protocol is trying to do to you."

Lee Seng rolled his eyes and stopped wiping away the Dark Matter. He held his arms between him and Akali and watched as the Dark Matter moved up his arms. As soon as the Dark Matter rounded up to his shoulders, it stopped. The pulsing and liquid-like form ceased and took on more of the skintight appearance.

"Can you do anything with it?" Akali asked.

"What do you want me to do with it?"

"Use your imagination."

Lee Seng scrunched his face and sighed. He took a couple steps back.

'Imagine something... Like what...? Spikes coming out like blades?' Lee Seng thought. The Dark Matter skintight material started to bubble and two identical blades sprung forth from each arm. Each mirroring each other across the top of Lee Seng's wrists. Lee Seng waved his arms around, chuckling as he swung forward.

"Woah, woah, woah!" Akali dodged. "Watch where you swing that thing, Seng." Lee Seng moved back and watched the blades slowly shrink back into the Dark Matter suit.

"This is so cool!" Lee Seng beamed with excitement. The Dark Matter sleeves pulled away from his fingers and started to move around his body. Lee Seng watched as the Dark Matter moved to his chest, wrapping itself around his chest. A black, pulsing skintight shirt formed as Lee Seng moved to grab it. He could feel the Dark Matter covering his shirt beneath and looked at Akali.

"The Protocol still makes no sense after ten successes..." Akali shook her head. She moved closer to Lee Seng and put a finger onto her lips before she spoke again. "A lot of people have seen the Protocol manifest in you today. You need to be careful on what you do." Lee Seng's excitement on his face faded and he simply nodded at his older sister's warning.

​ "What do I do then?" Lee Seng asked as Akali pulled away and looked around. Lee Seng could see adventurers were taking dead goblins and shifters and moving them into a pile. People who were injured were being checked on and those that died were being set aside. "A lot of people saw my veins were... pulsing like the goblins. What if it gets... blown out of proportion like that scared adventurer?"

"You can't flee. It would make it worse. Just--"

"Number 9!" Luis shouted. Lee Seng and Akali's attention moved over to the huge man standing at the edge of the crater. He was frantically waving at them.

"What is it?" Akali asked, loudly. Luis pointed at the hole behind him.

"You should come see this."

Akali turned to look back and Lee Seng and motioned him to follow her. Lee Seng and Akali moved out of the crater and over to the larger hole. A group of adventurers were all surrounding it. Ritsuka, Felicia and Jason turned to look at Lee Seng and Akali joining them.

"What's happening?" Lee Seng poked at Ritsuka. Rtisuka forced himself to turn before he could get curious about the black skintight shirt covering Lee Seng. He turned and pointed down in the hole.

"There's something down there." Ritsuka answered.

"Something was moving. I'm not lying." An adventurer spoke. Akali pushed herself through with Luis. Dirt crumbled and spilled down the hole as they came to a stop. Akali gripped the air and a light dagger appeared. Lee Seng squeezed past his teammates and poked his head to look. He watched as Akali chucked the light dagger. His eyes watched as the dagger quickly lit up a small area around it.  It sailed for about five or six seconds before Lee Seng gasped.

"What the hell is that?" Akali asked.

"One of the adventurers managed to see that moving in the darkness." Luis pointed.

"It's about five or six seconds down." Akali began to remove her eyes from the hole and look around. "We have any Glass earth users? We need precise manipulation to create a smooth way down. We'll need some fighters and tanks to assist as well." A couple of hands flew up and the crowd of adventurers pulled away for those individuals to step forward.

"You guys are Glass earth users?" Akali asked.

"Yes, ma'am!" The users saluted. Akali nodded and looked around.

"Anyone want to go down the hole?"

Lee Seng flagged his hand out to the side of her vision and watched as his sister turned to look at his hand and turn away.

"You probably shouldn't go down there. We don't know what to expect. If we find any enemies down there, you're more likely to blow up the hole."

"Mmm, I didn't think about that..." Lee Seng readjusted himself to stand up straight. Akali pointed at some hands that went up and motioned them over.

"I'll guide the team down below since I can provide light." Akali told Luis.

"You got a fire user that can provide light too." Luis pointed at a red head woman. "Rebecca can light up the back half just in case."

"Good idea. Alright, people. Let's go. Glass earth users, let's start the work." The group going down the hole moved over to Akali. Akali turned to look at her students. "Follow Luis' orders, alright? We'll start the process of securing what's below the hole. I need you guys to help up here in the mean time."

"Yes, Number 9!" The students saluted. Akali nodded and turned to look at Lee Seng who was already staring at the Dark Matter skintight shirt.,

"And you," she pointed. Lee Seng looked up at his older sister. She motioned him to come closer. He begrudgingly moved forward and leaned into her. "If things get worse, you need to flee and hide yourself, got it?" Lee Seng nodded and turned his head to whisper back to her.

"I can hop away like Akio. Don't worry about me." Lee Seng answered.

"You can hop like Akio can? You can go into that Darkness realm?" Akali had forgotten about the time he just manifested himself right outside her door.

"Don't worry about it, Kali. I'll be fine. The Protocol isn't doing anything." He watched as his sister pulled away and nodded. She looked at Luis pointed at the students.

"Take care of them for me while I'm under, Lu." Akali told him. Luis nodded. "Alright, let's go!"