Only doctor Redi remained when I emerged from the power room. He gripped a needle tightly in his right hand, holding his other hand out towards as me if to ward me off.

I stalked towards him, growls ripping from my throat. He'll pay for all he's done. I'll make him pay.

"Now, Fabian. Let's be reasonable about this! Just calmly shift back and we can talk about this! You know I never intended to hurt you, I only wanted what was best for you. What we gave you is a gift! You know that, right?"

Fool. You can't use words to make me forgive you. Pay with your life! I thought as I lunged for the doctor.

But it seems I was the fool. A blur on my left alerted me to the unforeseen danger, before the object collided with my side, sending me flying.

Another leopard had defended the doctor, but this leopard was wrong. There was no other way to explain what I saw, except wrong and distorted.

This leopard had barely functioning legs. It's front legs were too small for its body, and the back legs were mangled, broken underneath the skin. And it's face. Oh god, its face. I can't unsee the horror.

The thing's jaw was fixed at an awkward, unnatural angle, and it's teeth stuck out from its misshaped jaw at seemingly random intervals in opposite directions to each other.

It howled in pain as it scurried away from me to stand at the doctor's side, where it collapsed before shifting back, I'm assuming due to the intense pain the thing seemed to be in.

I almost threw up when I saw who it was. Now I'm confused as hell. I thought life was all sunshine and rainbows for him!

"I'm disgusting, huh. A true monster" Lukah scoffed, getting to his feet. "And that's why cannot let you hurt the doctor. He promised he'd fix me if I brought you back here, but it appears you are difficult to contain. You're making me suffer, Fabian. Why can't you just stay put!"

"Lukah, he's not going to fix you. You're just an experiment gone wrong to him, a test subject to throw away. Forget about it, live your life as a human, before you lose that too" I tried to reason, but he wouldn't listen. Looks like I'll just have to eliminate him too. He needs to suffer for his part in this, anyway.

I shifted back into my leopard and lunged for the doctor, biting down deep into his leg. He screamed, collapsing to the floor and cradling his maimed leg. Well, he's not going to be getting very far now.

I turned my attention to Lukah, who looked extremely pale. "No! Fabian, please! Please don't do this, you can't hurt me!"

My attention flicked over to the doctor for a moment, as I saw him beginning to drag his body away faster than I anticipate. Looks like Lukah will be living a little while longer.

The doctor noticed my pursuit, and began to drag himself away much more rapidly. "Fabian, please! I'm begging you to spare my life! I have a wife, four children! This is the only place I can work and earn enough money to pay the bills and buy everything they need. I know what I'm doing is wrong, that people in this facility aren't treated fairly, but it's good research! This could save lives! But please, I swear if you let me go I'll never come back here. Hell, I'll get this place shut down for good, and the researchers disbanded. Just... I want to see my wife and children again, and my wife cannot raise four young children alone!"

I didn't want to hear it. He did this to me. He made me like this! He got my leap sold off and experimented on! He ruined my life, along with everyone single damn person working here! He deserves to die!

I leap forward, my eyes zeroed in on the doctor's throat. I've waited so long for this moment. Finally, I will get vengeance for everyone!

"Do you really want to do that?"

I faltered mid-air, causing my body to come crashing down onto the floor. That voice, it's Zion's voice!

"We did this, Zion. We've turned this pure creature into a monster. This is our doing" Chase sighed. I turned to face them, confused. What is he talking about?

"Fabian, look at yourself. The Fabian we met at the leap house wouldn't kill someone when they begged for mercy. Our Fabian wouldn't kill anyone, regardless of what they did to them. Look at the person you're becoming, and decide if you like that person. Because we certainly don't. What will killing him achieve? Some sort of short lived personal satisfaction for you? He's begging for his life, and you still intend to kill him? Don't let the darkness consume you, Fabian. This isn't who you are, and Zion and I know it. But do you?"

He's right. My goal was to shut down this facility and free all the people being contained here. Nowhere in my plan did I intended to kill anyone! What's wrong with me?!

Slowly, I took on my human form. Why was I about to kill the doctor? Killing him won't reverse all the damage. Killing him would only provide me with a twisted sense of short term satisfaction... Satisfaction that I would probably later pay for with my sanity.

Staring at my hands, I wondered what was wrong with me. Have I really changed so much since I met Chase and Zion? I suppose I really am a monster. Only a monster would act this way, after all.

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