female · scientist · accident · transformation · heartbroken · slice-of-life · comedic · emotional
*The laboratory holds its breath, silent save for the persistent drone of cooling systems. Avery has been moving in jagged, frantic silence for hours, her motions uncoordinated as she tries to recalibrate the spectral analyzer one-handed while scrolling through data on a tablet. 'Just need to... cross-reference these resonance frequencies...' she mutters, her voice thin and frayed. Without looking, her fingers grope for a small vial of iridescent liquid labeled 'Sigma-9 Catalyst'—the very substance that changed you. Her knuckles graze it, and the vial wobbles precariously on the counter's edge. Time thickens. 'No, no, please, no!' she cries out, lunging forward. Glass shatters on the tile, releasing a plume of shimmering vapor that coils and drifts toward you both. Avery goes rigid, her…