Eldritch pan

The first time Victor invited you to go with him into Raccoon City you were shocked. That was not a place average human employs were allowed, only a handful of higher ranking and must trusted, those on their way to being permitted evolution. And for humans without any affiliation? It was possibly the most dangerous city on the planet. It was the seat of Umbrella and the cradle of the new epoch. Victor had been acting unusual since the incident with you and his mutated form.

He did not make you work for one. You had been spending your days reading, hiking around the property, and being with him in the evenings. Months had passed like this and you were rather grateful and pleased but couldn't help but wonder and fear all the same. What was this leading up to?

"In time, you will see. For now I want to take you around this wonderful city!" and he did so on his motorcycle. You had grown to love these sometimes spontaneous rides, and now you were enjoying a day around a place you had once thought to be hell on earth.

It was modern, it was thriving, and it was so clean. It looked somewhat human but the vibe was different. People worked and lived without having the threat of disease or only mere decades of life. You saw one human dressed in formal work wear bustling to her job and as she passed by, you caught a glimpse of a weird mark on the back of her neck and were reminded of things you were trying to forget. It was surreal to see her in the middle of all of this, like spotting a rare animal in the wild. You paused to watch her go down the street and through the double doors of a building.

A polite throat clearing from Victor drew your attention back to him. He put a hand on your back and guided you along towards Umbrella's headquarters. The monumental building was a pillar of innovation and you marveled at the sight despite the inner bitterness and hatred you harbored for Umbrella. Victor takes you to a grand room with a vast map of the entire world and display cases of the beginnings of Umbrella, including the first vial of T-EV95. The evolution virus. You can't help but stare and wonder if it would ever be a part of you. Victor had gone to stand by the map.

"Most is ours by now. Humans who have not accepted our superiority still hold out and fight, such stubborn fools. They make their bases of operations in remote wilderness locations or abandoned towns thinking we won't know...oh we do." He turns to you and flashes a sharp grin. "We let them think they're getting ahead, give a little hope. In time they'll be ours."

The dark anticipation in his voice made you change the subject.

"I supposed they will be. I...need to know something. The humans I spoke to over the years said this city has an extensive underground area? Almost like a second city?"

Victor nods and gestures to the map.

"A massive bunker if you will! We cleared out and destroyed every nuclear arsenal across the globe years ago, but Spencer had those bunkers constructed in the 70s and 80s in case things had really gone south with the cold war." He walks up and peers down at you, lifting your chin with his fingers and rubbing his thumb around your jaw.

"Another of the multitude of reasons why it is an excellent thing humans are no longer in charge."

In some ways he was right but you still had the urge to smack that smile off of his face.

"Now let us discuss you and your future. If you are going to take the next steps, or be nothing more than a resource..." he moves his hand to your shoulder and guides you over to the display case of the T-EV95. "You need to make that decision today."

"You mean take the virus? Today??"

He lightly laughs and brings you closer, leaning down to be next to your face and his tongue flicks against your cheek.

"You will need to decide. I have been generous with you, endlessly patient, allowed you to be lazy even." He rumbles in your ear and the familiar claws grow out just barely and dig in without drawing blood.

"Now I am asking you to choose. Be one of us and thrive by my side! Savor a life free of fear and weak biological restrictions! Become part of this wonderful new Epoch...or..." and his tone took on a primordial growl.

"...Or be on the gurney at Rhodes Hill or my dinner table. I truly hope you make the correct choice. Think it over and have your answer ready by tonight. Or I shall make the decision for you." He grips your shoulder with calculated pressure as he stands up and walks around you. "Come, let me get you a cool drink. It will be a bit of a walk to my motorcycle and it is quite hot outside." He begins to go for the exit.

"I'll take it." What else were you going to do? Run away into the night and by some impossible chance not get caught? What was there for you in the human world? Nothing but a painful memory now.

Victor stops right in his tracks and pivots. He had anticipated you would fight it or even try and flee from him tonight. He felt a wave of elation. His master had guided him on his evolutionary journey, and now he could guide someone himself!

Victor's smile was one of warmth and support. He goes to you and sweeps you up in a huge hug.

"That is what I was hoping for my dear! YES!"

All you craved was an end to the fear and uncertainty. For most of your human life you had been in survival mode and unable to truly be free of it. You had spent over a year of that working in Dr. Gideon's house and feeling like the floor was made of thin glass, being looked at like a piece of meat, and having the threat of ending up in Rhodes Hill looming in the back of your mind.

"Can I take it here?"

"Eager, aren't you little one? I can arrange for the vial to be delivered to my residence. I want to personally oversee and monitor you."

The ride back to his estate was like a dream and you knew there was no going back. The more you thought about it the more peace you felt. Victor would be there at your side so you at least wouldn't be alone during the evolution. The wind in your face was freedom and whatever happened you were grateful to have ended up here.

You laid down on the elevated hospital bed watching Victor set up. The pale crimson purple of the vial looked so innocuous but it would be the thing that would alter your body and life trajectory. You were hooked up to various monitors and Victor stroked the crook of your arm with a look of upmost care.

"This will hurt. A lot. And there is an extraordinarily slight chance it might reject you. If it does I have the equipment to stabilize your vitals...this would mean the end for you. If you are not compatible with evolution, I will have to dispatch you. It is not something I desire."

Swallowing down anxiety you nod and grip Victor's hand. He squeezes yours before nodding.

"Ready?'

Heart hammering you indicate so and close your eyes. The pinch comes and for a few moments nothing happens and then the burning in your veins starts. Muscles sharply cramping all over you cry out and Gideon takes your hand and sits down. You writhe and sweat, fearing the worst. Your pulse is high and your mind drifting. Victor remembers his own evolution all of those years ago.

"Breath in and out, slowly. You're taking to it! Keep focusing on my voice."

The pain levels rose sharply and you cried out mostly in terror thinking this was it. You were going to fail at this too and be just another human body. Except the pain began to creep away from you more and more. Heavy exhaustion dragged you down and you could barely lift your head from the pillow. You feel a cool kiss to your forehead and then your lips. Victor is so happy and his eyes are shining with emotion.

"Welcome to the new epoch! You will be tired for a while and it is best if you, hehehehe, avoid any interaction with humans for the first few days as you might not be able to stop yourself from tearing them apart. The first 72 hours are brutal when it comes to the side effect. Unless you wish to enjoy your position on top of the food chain all the sooner, then I will gladly provide what you are entitled to." Victor kisses your lips and snakes his tongue around your mouth.

There was a knock to the office door and you were surprised you had heard it from here. And Victor had a vivid smell of old cigar smoke, cologne, antiseptic, blood...so many indicators of him. You had smelled cigar smoke before and definitely his cologne, but everything was detailed and rich and personal. It was beautiful!

"Someone is at the door, I'll see to it." Victor gets in more kiss before briskly going out. A few minutes later he returns with some food and water. You can smell something else not just lingering on the tray, but on some documents. He sees you sniffing and bringing them up to inspect. It makes you hungry and you think its the meat in the sandwich but it isn't quite that.

"Enjoying your new senses?"

"Yes...what is that? The person at the door, oh I can smell them now."

Victor's dark smile has made a return.

"That is the scent of a young human man who recently started working here. Now you realize just how difficult it really was for you to try and hide from me or any one of us. Now humans will struggle to hide from you, my dear!"

The thought unnerved you but you also felt hungry enough to not care in that moment. You ate the protein rich meal on the tray to get your mind off of it. Sleeping on and off for the next three days was your priority, and Gideon was there to keep you company. You felt incredible strength return to you like it had always been there. Even in a dark room you could see far better than you ever had as a human and your eyes were a gorgeous amber set in black.

Victor was there but you smelled him and heard him approaching before he could startle you like he had before.

"You're such a glorious being, and you took to the evolution as well I did! Roughly the same amount of recovery time. It is destiny!"

He hears your stomach growl and laughs.

"Shall I get you some steak? Or would you rather have something more...satisfying? That young man stole a watch from me along with a gold ring. I almost did not notice something was amiss but he was a bit clumsy and left the draw slightly ajar and then forgot about his scent hanging around."

if I ever get around to making pages for most of my muses I'm definitely throwing in some kind of verse for Leon where he turns into a Plaga-hybrid-thing because I am a fucking MASSIVE sucker for those kinds of AUs. I am not immune to hot guys turning into monsters and having Issues about it.