TEMPORAL FLOW ADJUSTED.
COMMENCING TRANSFORMATION SEQUENCE!
A deep, booming hum filled the air, the sort of sound that could be felt in the chest before it was heard. Movement around the two figures seemed to slow, then stop entirely as a pulse of otherworldly power rippled outward from the location where Amy stood. Electricity crackled. The woman's hair began to drift upwards, like she was caught in an unseen breeze. One foot left the ground, followed by the other, and she rose gracefully into the dark sky. With her head tilted back, eyes closed, arms lifted, and one knee raised, the floating pose appeared almost balletic.
All at once, her clothes exploded away from her body. Stitches parted and seams ripped. The police uniform she wore disintegrated, leaving nothing behind but a cloud of tattered cloth and leather scraps that burst into flames as they were blown outwards with violent force. Sparkling like fireflies, the burning fragments began to spiral around her, moving faster and faster in an incandescent whirlwind. Where the invisible tornado touched the ground, it carved deep gouges into the pavement, kicking up more debris and adding to the dazzling pyrotechnic display. Amy remained untouched at the center of it all, suspended in the calm eye of the raging firestorm.
Only partially obscured by the swirling flames, her body was firm and toned, her build that of a gymnast or swimmer. A barely-visible dusting of tiny freckles traveled across the fair skin of her upper arms and shoulders, drawing his gaze to the generous swell of her breasts. Gradually, she began to rotate in place, allowing Ryan to briefly glimpse a patch of close-trimmed blonde hair between her legs. Any further inspection he might have wished to make was preempted as, with a blinding flash, the process transitioned to its next stage.
Glistening black material seemed to pour out of the air, to flow like water, wrapping her athletic frame in a second skin that extended from the top of her neck to the tips of her fingers and toes. Metallic yellow panels slid across her hips and shoulders, linking together over her chest. Segmented gloves covered her fingers, and boots with tapered, wedge-shaped heels encased her feet. Angular arm and leg guards appeared next, sheathing her forearms and shins, their protection extended by jointed plating that would shield her knuckles and the tops of her ankles. Finally, a yellow half-helmet with a transparent green visor dropped into place, completing the ensemble.
Now fully clad in the suit of alien armor, her body made one last revolution before gradually slowing to a halt. Moments later, the unnatural stillness of their surroundings broke.
TRANSFORMATION SEQUENCE COMPLETE!
TEMPORAL FLOW RESTORED.
The notification flashed in Ryan's vision as the gravitational field released Amy from its clutches. She landed lightly, dropping into a crouch, the heels of her boots clicking against the asphalt. Rising to her full height, every movement now exuding elegance and power, she took a single step forward... and immediately stumbled.
"What the –" she indignantly squawked, staggering drunkenly from side to side and windmilling her arms in an attempt to remain upright. "WHY AM I WEARING HIGH HEELS?"
Analyzing... analysis complete.
Target Identification: War-Form, Human Juggernaut
Commencing Standard Attribute Evaluation...
Effective Level: 1
Strength: 12
Agility: 8
Toughness: 19
Endurance: 11
Abilities:
Intercept (Rank 1)
Threat Rating: VERY LOW
The appearance of the assessment window served as a pointed reminder that he'd been staring too long. Tearing his eyes away, Ryan began rapidly flicking through the host of messages that cluttered his view. The one he was looking for was... there.
Change Matrix activated!
Connect new Change Matrix user to neural network?
Establishing neural network link... connection established.
Officer Reid. Can you hear me? The Implant that his alien captors had so generously provided acted as a communications hub, transmitting the question to her at the speed of thought.
"Huh? What?"
Amy's head whipped around, trying to locate the source of the whispering, directionless voice she'd just heard. Even that limited movement was nearly enough to send her tumbling to the ground. It was clear to Ryan that the woman was still struggling to adjust to her suddenly-enhanced physical capabilities...
...and, unfortunately, there wasn't going to be time for her to figure everything out at her own pace.
Raising its light-post mace high into the air, the Brute let out a guttural bark.
Above you, Officer Reid! Jump to your left, now!
Instead of following his directions, she instinctively lurched backwards. An understandable reaction, but in this situation it was definitely the wrong move.
The strike, aimed at Amy's head, instead landed as a glancing blow to her chest. Had she been an ordinary human, the impact would have instantly shattered every bone in her body. A Juggernaut War-Form was made of sterner stuff, of course, but the attack still drove her into the asphalt with enough force to crack the pavement around her.
Officer Reid! Amy! Ryan clenched his fists helplessly. You've got to get up!
She groaned, trying to lever herself up with her elbows. It was a psychological response, he knew from personal experience, not a physical one. The suit protected the wearer's body from damage, but mentally, they would still expect to have sustained serious injuries from taking a hit like that head-on.
Normally, an Enforcer went through weeks of acclimation training after receiving their first Changer, which allowed them to gradually adjust to their new form.
Ryan hoped that Amy was a quick learner.
Growling, the Brute tore its makeshift weapon out of the ground and lifted it overhead once more.
He took a deep breath. Picking a fight with a transformed opponent when you didn't have a Changer of your own was suicidal. Ryan knew that as well as anyone. There has to be a better way, he thought, but nothing occurred to him. Reaching down, he picked up a cinderblock-sized chunk of rubble.
"Hey!" he shouted. "Over here, you big, dumb ape!"
Then, before he could second-guess the wisdom of the decision, he let the missile fly. It glanced ineffectually off the side of the monster's head.
With a snarl, the Brute whipped around to face him.
Alright, Officer Reid. If you're going to get up, now would be the time to do it.
The pole flashed towards Ryan's face, tracing a vicious horizontal arc through the air. He ducked, allowing it to pass overhead, then scrambled to put more distance between himself and the irate monster.
Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Amy climb jerkily back to her feet.
"W-what should I do?" she shouted.
Right now, you're faster, stronger, and a whole lot tougher than you're used to being, he sent as he continued to backpedal. I can keep this thing's attention for a bit, but taking it down will be your job.
She took one unsteady step forward, then another.
"Take it down? How am I supposed to do that?"
You don't have to talk. Just think about replying.
"Like this?"
She paused, then closed her eyes.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
Like this?
Great, he replied. Another near-miss pounded into the pavement beside him. Try not to focus so hard on what you're doing. You need to stop fighting against the suit. Let it do the work, and it'll guide you.
...Right. Squaring her shoulders, Amy raised her armor-plated fists. Okay. Here goes.
Seeing the gesture, the Zorvax commander observing the scene from above finally seemed to realize that the transformed human represented a greater threat. Waving its tentacles impatiently, it redirected the attention of its monstrous subordinate away from Ryan's ineffective harassment.
The Brute glanced down at its weapon, which had by this point been reduced to little more than a twisted metal nub. Tossing the now-useless object aside, it lumbered into a charge.
This time, Amy was prepared. Crossing her forearms in a blocking motion, she bent her knees and braced herself to receive the attack. Her boots dug into the street, sending debris flying as she skidded backwards, but she kept her feet.
Lifting its arms, the creature let out a puzzled grunt, clearly confused to discover that its opponent remained standing.
Beneath the green visor, Amy's equally-surprised expression quickly shifted to a fierce grin.
"My turn," she said.
Her counterattack struck at the inside of the Brute's elbow, the metallic plate over her knuckles producing a sound like a cannon shot when it connected with the bone. The monster jerked its arm back with a pained howl, and she followed it up by stepping in.
That's it! Ryan sent encouragingly. You're smaller, faster, and you've got a big advantage in mobility. Stay in close, and don't give it a chance to catch its breath.
Not that the woman seemed to need his advice; Amy was proving to be a quick learner. Although her movements still showed traces of their initial awkward stiffness, she'd already started to adapt. Every action she took was a little bit more fluid, more confident than the last.
When the transformed animal tried to swat her aside with its other arm, she easily slipped around the attack. The monster's commander shrilled a warning, but it came far too late to help. Sinking her hips, Amy unleashed a barrage against the Brute's ribs, sending it reeling.
She was improving at a remarkable pace, he could tell, and she had her adversary on the back foot.
There was just one problem... it wouldn't be enough.
Brute War-Forms were incredibly tough. Although the giant monkey was taking a beating, her blows had yet to inflict any serious damage. The creature had been casually shrugging off handgun rounds earlier, after all. Sure, the constant stream of attacks Amy was launching might eventually put it down for the count... but her own Changer would run out of juice long before that could happen.
They needed a new plan, and fast.
His gaze swept the surrounding area, searching for something, anything, that could provide an advantage. Buildings in various stages of disrepair lined the street, but he couldn't think of any realistic tactical possibilities that would make use of them. The parked cars he could see nearby were similarly unhelpful. What else did that leave? Parking meters, trash cans, fire hydrants, streetlights, telephone poles –
Telephone poles. Ryan blinked the rain out of his eyes. It's a long shot, he thought, but it might just work.
Change of plans, Officer Reid.
Kind of busy at the moment, she sent back, simultaneously deflecting a wild, looping haymaker. What is it now?
I've highlighted a location using your suit's display. Try to drive the Brute in that direction.
Oh, is that all?
He glanced at the number displayed beside her map icon, representing how much longer the Changer could maintain her transformed state.
...sooner would be better.
She laughed.
Fine. Watch this.
As if a bell that only they could hear had signaled the start of the next round, the Human Juggernaut and her Simian Brute opponent resumed trading hits. It was now clear that Amy held the upper hand. Every exchange that ended without the creature managing to land a telling blow on its smaller assailant enraged it further, making each subsequent attack more violent and unrestrained than the last. Ryan doubted that the ape even realized it was being maneuvered towards the telephone poles that it had inadvertently brought down minutes before.
Dropping low and spinning, Amy launched a snap kick that swept the monster's legs out from under it. Caught off-balance, it tumbled backwards, arms windmilling as it struggled to stay upright. One enormous foot came down on the tangled nest of buzzing power lines.
In an almost cartoonish fashion, the Brute instantly went rigid, eyes wide and teeth bared. Sparks flew. The smell of ozone and scorched fur filled the air. Moments later, a transformer further down the street blew, and every light on the block went out.
"All right!" Ryan yelled out loud, making the classic rookie mistake of forgetting to use the neural link in his excitement. "Now, finish it off!"
Amy hardly needed the advice. Before he'd finished speaking, she'd already thrown a savage uppercut that cracked against the monster's jaw. The creature's head snapped backwards, and then, with the finality of a tree toppling, it collapsed.
Clouds of steam billowed from the enormous, prone form, a clear sign that the creature's Changer had overloaded after sustaining too much damage. A blinding flash of light followed, and when it faded, the enormous monster was nowhere to be seen.
Where the Simian Brute had been just moments ago, there was now a smaller, black-furred ape sprawled out on the pavement. The creature blinked in confusion, glancing down at the still-smoking Changer wrapped around its chest, then gave him an accusatory look.
Gibbering in agitation, the Zorvax officer attempted to stretch its tentacles through the opening, reaching out desperately in a last-ditch effort to retrieve the overloaded device. Before it had covered even a quarter of the distance, however, the effects of Earth's gravity began to take their toll on its fragile form. The further it extended, the more it flattened, pancake-like, until with a last pained yelp it was forced to withdraw.
Not a chance, Ryan thought smugly as the alien dropped out of view. He slid the Changer off the unresisting monkey and slung it over his shoulder. Finders keepers.
Establishing direct connection with Change Matrix... connection established.
Change Matrix is Attuned to Reserve-Commander-Nine.
Change Matrix is Bonded to Animal-Specimen-Sixty.
Type: Change Matrix Mark-I (Onyx)
Class: Brute
Effective Level: 1
Combat Data Collected: N/A
Access to Change Matrix systems denied.
Realizing that the situation had become hopeless, the alien apparently decided that discretion was the better part of valor and closed the portal. The opening collapsed down to a glowing speck, then vanished entirely.
Ryan allowed himself to breathe a sigh of relief. Against all odds, they'd managed not only to survive, but to come out victorious.
He couldn't relax for long, though.
Soon enough, the Zorvax would be back.
"Including mine, they've used two portals so far today," he muttered to himself. "Figure a combined mass transfer of at least five tons, since they Changed that critter before sending it through." Ryan shook his head. "Sloppy. That means we've got... two, maybe three local hours until the next window opens?"
"Ook," the monkey agreed. It lay at the center of a crater that spanned the width of the road, looking drenched and dejected but otherwise unharmed.
He stared at the creature, and it stared sadly back at him.
"Ook?"
"Yeah, you probably just got used to being fifteen feet tall and bulletproof, huh?"
"Ook... ook. Ook."
"Tough break."
"Looks like you made a friend," Amy remarked, heels clacking on the pavement as she sauntered somewhat unsteadily over to them. "Bonding over your shared taste in clothing?"
He blinked in momentary confusion, then glanced down at himself. Ah, right. Amy's new skintight suit might not leave much to the imagination, but he was currently wearing less. A lot less.
Brushing past him, she squatted in front of the creature to examine it.
"Hey, you're not a monkey, you're a gorilla!"
The gorilla responded with a long, sad whine.
"What's the difference?"
"Gorillas are a critically-endangered species," she said, her tone suggesting she considered that piece of information something everyone should already know.
"Right. Well, that's very interesting, but we've got to get moving. Your friend stole the other Changer I was carrying, and we need to find her, fast."
"We have to take care of the gorilla first. I'll put in a call to animal control."
"Take care of the gorilla?" he asked incredulously. "But –"
"Syd isn't in danger, is she?"
"...not immediately," he admitted.
"Good. I'm sure she was scared, but she's a human, and she knows how to get around the city. She should be okay for now. Ook here is an animal. We can't just leave him sitting in the middle of the street to fend for himself."
"C'mon, just look at him, he's huge! Nobody is going to mess with him. He'll be fine."
The waterlogged gorilla gave him something eerily close to a reproving glare.
"...probably."
"Ook."
"Animal control will take fifteen minutes to get here, tops." Amy said stubbornly, arms crossed over her chest. "Once they arrive, we'll find Syd, and you can get your Changer thing back. I already have a pretty good idea of where she'll end up. But until then, we're not going anywhere."
Ryan wanted to dispute her statement, but the athletic blonde's expression booked no complaints. If she really did know where the girl had gotten off to, it would probably be faster than trying to track her down on his own. Besides, she's the one with the car. Swallowing any further arguments, he gave her a grudging nod.
"Fine. Fifteen minutes. Tops."
"And while we're waiting," she added with a meaningful look, "you can start explaining what the... heck is going on around here."
He sighed.
"...you're probably not going to like it."
"I'll bet."