Date: January 1, 2015
Time: 19:14
Location: Chicago, Illinois
A pleasant chime played as the elevator reached the top floor, and from it emerged two people. The first, an attendant. His body dressed in an eye-catching red uniform and a flat-topped brimless cap on his head, while an enthusiastic smile rested on his youthful face. Next to him was a woman with a light brown complexion, wavy black hair that billowed past her shoulders, and a set of piercing brown eyes. She was wearing a cobalt pantsuit with a brown turtleneck sweater, and a sapphire necklace with a silver chain. Her age was not clear upon just a glance, especially with her carefully applied makeup, but she held herself like a woman with ample experience.
The attendant guided the woman down a wide and bright hall to a large door. With the swipe of a card, the door opened automatically, inviting the woman in. Inside, she saw a place of extravagance and wealth. A hotel penthouse with lavish furnishings, and a lakefront view that would make anyone feel as if they won the mad, vicious race that is capitalism.
The woman smiled as she walked through the penthouse, examining it as if it were a work of art, while the attendant followed behind her.
“Where would you like your luggage, miss?” He asked as he held up a simple suitcase.
The woman gently grabbed it from his hand and shot him a smile.
“I can take things from here, thank you very much,” she said, her voice crisp and authoritative.
The woman then paused to bring her free hand to the purse along her shoulder, where she effortlessly filtered through its contents to produce a hundred dollar bill she handed to the attendant.
“Thank you, Miss Flare,” the attendant said, speaking a notch louder than he ought to. “If there is anything you need, do not hesitate to give us a call.”
The attendant then left the penthouse, shutting the door behind him with a barely audible click.
Now alone in this expansive den of luxury, ‘Miss Flare’ let out a sigh and guided herself to one of two bedrooms, where she sat on the excessively dressed king-sized bed. The room matched the rest of the suite and offered a superb view to the city below. But what caught her eye was a full-length mirror tucked into the corner of the room, with a chair placed in front of it. A smile grew on her face, and she began to undress herself.
With her body naked, she opened up her suitcase, empty aside from a red and black suit. A suit that she wasted little time putting on.
The suit hung loosely on her body. Sleeves covered her hands. Pant legs covered her feet. And the hem of her shirt reached halfway down her thighs. She resembled a child who was wearing their parents’ clothes, but she still walked up to the mirror, sat down in the chair, and looked at herself with a smile.
“You are a truly beautiful woman, Eleanore Flare, but your form has served its purpose for now.”
A second later, her body began to shift. Her 168 centimeter frame expanded by a full foot. Her limbs poked out of the holes in her shirt and pants, growing in every possible way. Her hair sank into her head, straightening the waves while retaining its dark color. Her skin darkened by more than a shade. And her face morphed into something starkly different. Into the sharp and intimidating visage of Abigale Quinlan.
The transformation concluded with the return of her crimson eyes, and as she looked upon herself in the mirror, she saw her once ill-fitting clothes comfortably arranged on her tall athletic frame.
“These past two weeks have been a lot of fun. At first, I thought I had made an error when I pulled someone as dull as Jad Novus. But as I came to know the ‘boy,’ I realized that I just needed to change my initial strategy. Once I did that, they succeeded with flying colors. And thanks to them… I got something special.”
“All my life, for hundreds of years, I have been cursed with this body. Cursed to be a woman. Cursed to be ‘Black,’ ‘Brown,’ or whatever the powerful deemed me to be. With these features, I had been ridiculed, dehumanized, and maimed. Burnt at the stake for my supposed witchcraft, and lynched for demanding bodily autonomy. I often wondered how easier life would have been if I were born a man. If I were ‘White.’ And now… I can be both of those things. I can be anyone I want.”
Abigale began by proving her point by morphing her form, robbing it of some height and muscle, but gaining it in other places. Her skin lightened into something fair, hair receded deeper into her head, and eyes became a subtle hazel. She became Zoe Xing.
“I could start my life anew, living as an ordinary person, and reclaiming the humanity that, long, long ago, I coveted. But why waste my time doing so much needless work to prove myself, when I could skip the boring parts.”
Abigale’s body then shrunk again, growing less muscular and developing a slight gut. Skin darkened to a shade similar to her natural tone, her hair seceded enough to expose her ears, and a slick beard painted her face. The signs of age then followed, clumps of gray appeared amongst her dark hair, and slight wrinkles crept in around her eyes. She became Maxxie and Terra’s father, Kenneth Flare.
“I could steal a life for my own and use my connections to expand my power and influence. Though, if I were to do that, a politician would be better than a businessman with a net worth of $70 million. I guess that should be my next target. No matter the politician, it should not be too difficult to obtain a vial of blood. Especially with all of these ‘burner identities.'”
Her form shredded 20 centimeters and a dozen kilograms in a matter of 5 seconds, before her face shifted, growing softer and smoother as the hairs surrounding every inch beneath her nose slurped inward, while gaining a deluge of dark freckles. The change ended with her hair, which exploded from her head and traveled down to her shoulders, its color dark and form unruly. The end result of all of this was that of a cute girl, swimming in an oversized suit. A girl known as Maxxie Flare.
“Oh, I got an idea! Instead of being boring old Dad, I could let my inner genki girl fly free and take on the illustrious and illustrative mantle of Maxxisaurus Omega Flare! She does have a pretty sweet life, full of making art and making art-porn. And it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch for her to make regular old porn with her cute and chubby li’l bod… Ah crap, that actually does sound fun as fuck— because it’d be full of fucking— but I’m not really feeling it at the moment. I probably should arrange it as a side identity though. Just in case I feel like going on a personal holiday from myself! I mean, all of that inheritance needs to go somewhere, right?”
Abigale found herself shrinking yet again with the next change. Her wild black mane straightened itself to a series of golden blonde locks that carried themselves down her head before ending with slight curls. Her dark complexion lost its freckles and developed into a light tan. Irises shifted into an enticing dark blue. While her body shrank considerably, becoming frail and slender, excluding a pair of breasts a bit too large for her 43 kilogram frame. A frame that once belonged to Shiaka Kurokawa.
“You, Shiaka, are a curious one. In a sense, you remind me of my dark youth. Always afraid of others, afraid of being abused. But while you were offered love and affection, I was treated as cattle. Much like Maxxie, your life would be some novelty… but if I had to spend more than a week being someone so demure, I would do something… drastic.”
The next transformation saw Abigale’s body grow, making the suit look slightly less absurd on her person. Her blonde hair further lightened, skin lost its tanned luster, and eyes grew bluer and brighter, while her body gained some needed fat and muscle, but not enough to stray from a generally accepted ‘ideal.’ After less than ten seconds, she had taken the form of Caroline Steticks.
“Why, hello there, ‘Mother.’ You are indeed an attractive woman, one who has aged slower than her years and, unlike another blue-eyed blonde in my collection, are not a victim of anorexia. Alas, as a divorcee who had given up all pursuits of a career, there is little your life can offer me… beyond another quick source of cash.”
The next change happened swiftly, seeing Abigale’s skin darken, stature grow, and hair both blacken and recede. For a moment, it appeared as if she was going to regain her original form, only for the transformation to stop part way there, leading Abigale to open her eyes, and reveal a radiant sapphire. With her arms and feet poking out from her clothes once more, she had gained the body of Raiyne Underwood.
“And then there’s you, my sweet Sapphire. I could always bring you back from the grave, but what do you have left to prove? The military believes you to be dead, your workplace and co-workers are all dead, and it’s not like you have any family left. But trust me dear. I will bring you out to play, every now and again. Even if it is just for a long sensual bath.”
The physical alterations made by Abigale seemingly undid themselves. Skin and hair lightened while her frame grew smaller, only for the changes to veer in a different direction. Her hair shortened and became curly and brown, while her body only lost a few centimeters of height. As she opened her eyes, revealing a distinctive green color, she smiled. For she saw a face she hadn’t seen in two weeks. The face of Jad Novus.
“Or, better yet, I could revive a killer. The bringer of the second worst tragedy to befall Oransen. He is unassuming looking to not raise any eyebrows, has all the perks of a White man, and with my powers, I can make him more than any mere killer. I can make him a ghost. A killer who dies, but always comes back, bringing with him greater upon greater destruction… or perhaps I could bring them back in another sense.”
The next transformation was, in a sense, the most subtle one conducted by Abigale thus far. Her hair grew longer, but retained its brown and curly nature. Her facial features grew softer and smaller. A few centimeters and kilograms were shaved off of her frame, but it remained largely the same. Though she could not see them beneath her baggy clothes, she felt her chest expand to a pair of small breasts, while her penis crawled inwards. She retained all the key features that defined Jad… but became what she would look like if she had been assigned female at birth. She became ‘Jade’ Novus.
“Perhaps, as a thank you to Jad Novus, I should allow them to take control of my body once more… but in a form more aligned with their true desires. Her true desires. From the way she looked at me, I could always sense a twinge of envy. She never complained about being a girl or a woman. It was always about not being herself. But now, with the powers she unlocked, she could be herself more than ever before. …No, now is too soon. I will keep this in mind for a later time.”
“For now, I should find a less ostentatious place, and then experiment in rigorous detail. Because I am not merely limited to adopting or modifying the appearances of others. Oh no. My powers are far more… vast than that.”
Abigale’s body then transformed for the tenth time within the past ten minutes. Her body shrank to a mere meter and a half. Her build became slender yet androgynous. The brown hair across her head gave way to blonde with a straw-like yellow hue. Her skin became even pastier and whiter, with a pinkish coloration around her cheeks, while a soft blueness returned to her eyes yet again.
Abigale had not shifted into the form of anyone whose DNA she had consumed thus far. Instead, she was someone new. Someone who, until this very moment, did not exist in the world of flesh. She became a short boyish-looking little man who she carried a strong kinship to. A person who existed only in a fragmentary and abstract sense. A persona who Abigale named Peatrice.
“Hahahahaha!” She laughed with a familiar exaggerated voice. “Yes! It actually worked! I haven’t just gained the power to steal appearances. I have gained something far greater! I have ascended to a new form, achieved a new level in divinity. First, I was a creature with unlimited life. Then— once I got my Real Booting powers— I became one with unlimited power. And now, all thanks to you, Jade-chan, I am a creature of unlimited possibility!”
As Abigale made this declaration, she stepped out of her oversized suit and opened a door to the penthouse balcony, looking down at the bright lights of Chicago. Even in this new form, the cold January wind did not bother her in the slightest, and as she looked down at this immaculate sight, she laughed once more.
With a person as mighty and great as Abigale Quinlan, the future of this world was uncertain, if not grim. For she had the ability to topple governments. Replace and usurp the most powerful people in the world. And now, truly and fully, could transform the world into her plaything. Where would her desires lead her? How would her conquest affect the lives of the 7 billion people walking the earth? As she just said, the possibilities were unlimited.
Aftermath
Date: January 2, 2015
Time: 07:20
Location: Chicago, Illinois
As the rising sun beamed through the windows of the penthouse suite, Abigale found herself pulled out of slumber. Her bedding had been cast aside as she laid down on the mattress, her form shifted to one based on Anita Neukar, but… very different.
Anita was a woman with straight silver hair, a light brown complexion, and relatively tall athletic body. However, Abigale’s hair was silver and coiled, her skin unmistakably Black in its complexion, and her body was… huge. Her feet dangled off of the king-sized mattress as her frame surpassed 220 centimeters, and her muscles were so thick and honed that she would be a worthy opponent to any fighter in the world. …Even without her enhanced strength.
She got out of bed with a loud thud as her body, weighing over 150 kilograms, pressed against the floor, and her messy coiled silver hair brushed against the ceiling. She looked down at her naked form with a sort of pride before looking at the doorway to the bedroom, too small for her to get through without a good deal of crouching and wiggling.
With a sigh, Abigale began reverting these changes, shrinking herself down to her normal form within the span of a scant 7 seconds. With that completed, she brought herself to her red and black suit, discarded over 11 hours ago. Once fully dressed, she looked at herself in the mirror, admiring her default frame… before noticing something in the background.
The expansive skyline of Chicago was… gone. Replaced by an expanse of endless sky. The buildings, the entirety of Lake Michigan, both were gone, and while the sun lingered all the same, it was clear that something very, very wrong had happened.
Abigale ran out of her bedroom and into the heart of this suite, a large lounge and dining area, filled with chairs and couches. All were empty, except for one. Sitting in a cushy chair, there was a woman. A woman with a dark brown complexion, crimson eyes, and jet black hair that reached her shoulders. She was dressed in a simple red sweater and jeans, and wore a slight smile on her face.
She looked exactly like Abigale Quinlan. Every contour of her face, every inch of her skin, it was an exact match.
“…Who are you?” Abigale asked the doppelganger in a slightly annoyed tone.
“I am Abigale Quinlan. The original Abigale Quinlan. Or, if you prefer, Shin Abigale Quinlan.”
The other Abigale spoke with her exact voice as well, matching her every intonation with seemingly zero effort.
“Heh. So, you’re ‘Shin’ Abigale Quinlan? Then who am I?”
“Kuro Abigale Quinlan.”
‘Kuro’ Abigale Quinlan snickered in response to her title.
“Kuro? Really? I get the Japanese word for black, while you get the word for true? That does not seem fair to me, but that’s besides the point. I could ask how you exist, as if there was another one of me running around, I’d know about her. Or how you found me. But that’s not really the question to ask here. So, tell me, Shin Abigale Quinlan. What do you want?”
“My associate requested your participation in The 2.0 Initiative.”
“…Okay? Is that name supposed to mean something to me?”
“No,” Shin Abigale said with a smile. “The name is not meant to have any meaning to you. But I suggest you agree regardless.”
Kuro Abigale Quinlan snickered.
“Could you provide me with one reason why I should listen to your request and agree to something you refuse to define?”
Shin Abigale let out a sigh, and snapped her fingers.
Within a blink of an eye, the bright sun and blue sky that had filled the windows of this penthouse sweet was replaced with a violet miasma. The welcoming sunny atmosphere of the room had inverted, and all it took was a mere snap of two fingers.
“I am a God Admin,” Shin Abigale declared. “It means I can control the foundation of reality how I see fit. And if I so desired, I could force you to comply. However, mind control is an unsightly thing, so I request you just say yes. You’ll end up much happier that way.”
Kuro Abigale maintained a poker face through all of these changes and, in light of this explanation, offered a sigh.
“Very well. It is not like there is a world I can escape to anymore. I agree to participate in your 2.0 Initiative, but I want answers eventually.”
“It is The 2.0 Initiative— she was very specific about that— and you will receive your answers when all is said and done. But for now, I would like you to meet your other alter egos. The other Kuro Abigale Quinlans.”
“…The what? So, does that make me ‘Kuro One Abigale Quinlan’ or something?”
“Technically, she has deemed you ‘Kuro Malice Abigale Quinlan,’ but it does not matter. Peatrice, Jadigale, please come in.”
The entrance to the apartment then opened, signaling Kuro Abigale to turn her head. Two people came out the door. The first was short, only about 150 centimeters tall, with floppy yellow hair and lavender skin. Their form was androgynous, and their outfit consisted of a black sports bra with matching black leather shorts that embraced a distinctly flat crotch. This was clearly the ‘Peatrice’ Shin Abigale mentioned, but as Peatrice grew closer, Kuro Abigale began to notice more… unnatural things about him. His skin color was not merely tinted or painted. In fact, it had a plastic sheen to it, along with various indentation lines that covered the sides of their face and arms. Almost as if he were a living doll… or perhaps some machine.
The second was far less abnormal looking… but raised an eyebrow just the same. She was a young woman with curly black hair, light brown skin, and bright green eyes. She was wearing a green short-sleeve top with a white ribbon, and a black skirt. All matched the style of the uniforms worn by the students of Oransen High.
This was ‘Jadigale.’ An obvious portmanteau of Jad and Abigale. Which explained why she looked like a hypothetical offspring, or fusion, between herself and Jad— or rather Jade— Novus.
“Heya, ‘Kuro Abigale!'” Peatrice greeted, sounding like a middle-aged woman doing an unconvincing impression of a young boy. “I’d apologize for the sudden interruption, but you lasted longer than either of us.”
“Same,” Jadigale said, her voice youthful and chipper. “I’ve gotta say, I never expected to see you again, but I suppose she works in mysterious ways.”
As Kuro Abigale analyzed these two, she let out a smile, and turned to Shin Abigale.
“I think I get what’s going on with these two. The ‘other’ Kuro Abigale Quinlans.”
“That saves me an explanation at the very least… These two will take you to another domain where you can hash out the details. Once you do, and play your part in The 2.0 Initiative, then you will return to your world as you knew it, Kuro Abigale Quinlan. You’ll be able to get back to all that ‘unlimited possibility’ you went on about. …And with no further intervention, because my associate thinks that’s ‘cool.'”
“You’ll have to let me meet this ‘associate’ when we’re done,” Kuro Abigale said. “Here I thought things couldn’t get more interesting, and then I get wrapped up in a goldarn multiverse.”
“Welp, so much for subtlety,” Peatrice shrugged.
“I know. I told Shin it wasn’t going to work,” Jadigale groaned.
Kuro Abigale then made her way to Peatrice and Jadigale, throwing her arms around their shoulders.
“Now then, my alternate universe selves, show me what you have planned.”
