Vision looked up as a pair of guards opened the laboratory doors and a man came into sight carrying a small pet crate.
He had been waiting nervously for exactly thirty eight minutes and fourteen seconds since the men in lab coats had led a stumbling, drugged Wanda into the back room and closed the door. He didn’t know by exactly what process the transformation would be occurring, nor did he know what animal Wanda would choose, and he had been searching for nearby pet supply stores the entire time as he waited, trying to keep his mind occupied.
He had located seventeen within driving distance of the compound, as well as three exotic pet supply stores in the general area just in case she chose something unusual. He was prepared.
Now, however, he was about to get her back, and he had something like nerves coiled tight in his lower stomach.
Vision hovered to his feet as the man in the lab coat stepped fully into the room, the doors swinging closed behind him.
“Here she is. Ready to go home,” the man said, and Vision leaned to peer into the crate as he crossed the room.
A small, indistinguishable lump of black fur was lying in the back corner of the cage, perfectly still, and he felt a thrill of worry run through his circuits at the thought that she might have been hurt.
“Wanda?” he asked softly, threading a finger through the front bars of the cage. The tiny creature shifted at the sound of his voice, a little head poking up to blink at him with big green eyes.
Feline, his processors supplied, and Vision ran a search for cat care as he twitched his finger slightly.
Wanda stared up at him, her ears pinned flat with nerves, and she flicked her tail a few times but didn’t otherwise move.
“Does she still understand me?” Vision asked the lab technician, who nodded.
“She still has her mind, just with a few extra instincts and a different body. She won’t be able to talk to you, but she can understand everything you’re saying. The magic, thankfully, did not carry over, so that won’t be a concern.”
Vision turned his attention back to the carrier, bending to look through the bars.
“Are you feeling all right, Wanda?” he asked her gently.
The cat blinked at him slowly, then bobbed her head down in a nod. Vision smiled, putting his finger through the bars again. The digit was just long enough for him to touch her, and he traced his fingertip down the few inches of her spine that he could reach. She rewarded him with a stuttering purr, and Vision felt his heart do something strange and pleasant in his chest.
“I will take very good care of you,” he promised, accepting the carrier from the lab technician. “Let us go back home, Wanda.”
FILL: Shifted (7/?)
He had been waiting nervously for exactly thirty eight minutes and fourteen seconds since the men in lab coats had led a stumbling, drugged Wanda into the back room and closed the door. He didn’t know by exactly what process the transformation would be occurring, nor did he know what animal Wanda would choose, and he had been searching for nearby pet supply stores the entire time as he waited, trying to keep his mind occupied.
He had located seventeen within driving distance of the compound, as well as three exotic pet supply stores in the general area just in case she chose something unusual. He was prepared.
Now, however, he was about to get her back, and he had something like nerves coiled tight in his lower stomach.
Vision hovered to his feet as the man in the lab coat stepped fully into the room, the doors swinging closed behind him.
“Here she is. Ready to go home,” the man said, and Vision leaned to peer into the crate as he crossed the room.
A small, indistinguishable lump of black fur was lying in the back corner of the cage, perfectly still, and he felt a thrill of worry run through his circuits at the thought that she might have been hurt.
“Wanda?” he asked softly, threading a finger through the front bars of the cage. The tiny creature shifted at the sound of his voice, a little head poking up to blink at him with big green eyes.
Feline, his processors supplied, and Vision ran a search for cat care as he twitched his finger slightly.
Wanda stared up at him, her ears pinned flat with nerves, and she flicked her tail a few times but didn’t otherwise move.
“Does she still understand me?” Vision asked the lab technician, who nodded.
“She still has her mind, just with a few extra instincts and a different body. She won’t be able to talk to you, but she can understand everything you’re saying. The magic, thankfully, did not carry over, so that won’t be a concern.”
Vision turned his attention back to the carrier, bending to look through the bars.
“Are you feeling all right, Wanda?” he asked her gently.
The cat blinked at him slowly, then bobbed her head down in a nod. Vision smiled, putting his finger through the bars again. The digit was just long enough for him to touch her, and he traced his fingertip down the few inches of her spine that he could reach. She rewarded him with a stuttering purr, and Vision felt his heart do something strange and pleasant in his chest.
“I will take very good care of you,” he promised, accepting the carrier from the lab technician. “Let us go back home, Wanda.”