"You mean to tell me that all it costs to get those traits you've been gorging yourself on is a bit of suffering and lifeforce?" the old man asked gruffly.
"I literally just said that." I said with an annoyed look.
"Don't get snappy with me boy this needs clarity." he said and I sighed.
"Yes you need to suffer through the integration process just like I would but other than the extra lifeforce you'd need to not drop life expectancy that's it. One trait is nonnegotiable in that you WILL be getting it, [Disease resistance]. You, Wainwright, Clay and Hammerlock will all be getting a copy of this trait." I say seriously.
He glared at me "You think you can force me to do anything I don't want to boy?" he asked fiercely.
"In this case yes. I'm stronger, faster and all I need is it grab you for it to be all over already. If you never see it coming by the time you can say or do anything to stop me I will already have finished." I say confidently.
"Good! The strong take and the weak got no right to argue. So long as you've got the best in mind for Jakobs you'll find the shadow of the old tree will always shade you." he said with the barest hint of a smile.
"Well shit kid don't we get any say in this matter?" Clay complained.
"Of course you do, never said I would listen though." I said with a grin and he sighed.
"Yeah I shoulda guessed." he says with a wry smile as he shook his head.
"Can't really bellyache about it either Clay as it will be good for us in the end." the old man said with a shrug.
"He's not wrong besides if it really bothers you you could just get anesthesia first so you don't feel a thing." I said casually.
"That was an option!?" he asked incredulously.
I scoffed "For anyone other than me yeah. I have to be awake to start the process which means none of that knockout gas for me but since I'm giving the traits to you theres no reason why you would need to be awake for it since it's biological in nature rather than mental or spiritual." I said honestly.
"Well I got no argument then." he said now totally fine with it.
Couldn't really fucking blame him as no one other than a masochist, the insane or someone with no other option would willingly suffer like that. I fell in the first category by the way since all adrenaline junkies are masochistic, it's literally how we get our high. In my particular case there was also a good helping of the last type of person as well since that was the only way to make the most of my powers. Clay wanting to avoid unnecessary suffering was pretty natural as a result and not something to be held against him.-
That pretty much sealed the deal for what I would be doing for the last couple months before Pandora called my name. First and foremost I had to collect the traits that each of my closest people would be receiving. The list was as follows.
Montgomery Jakobs: [Disease resistance-Epic grade], [Iron stomach-Uncommon grade], [Clever mind-Uncommon grade], [Dexterous hands-Common grade]
Wainwright Jakobs: [Disease resistance-Epic grade], [Precise vision-Rare grade], [Dexterous hands-Common grade], [Iron stomach-Uncommon grade], [Clever mind-Uncommon grade]
Alistair Hammerlock: [Disease resistance-Epic grade], [Precise vision-Rare grade], [Strong nose-Uncommon grade], [Strong body-Common grade], [Keen hearing-Common grade], [Tough skin-Common grade]
Clay: [Disease resistance-Epic grade], [Iron stomach-Uncommon grade], [Clever mind-Uncommon grade], [Dexterous hands-Common grade], [Precise vision-Rare grade], [Alpha muscles-Uncommon grade], [Armored hide-Rare grade]
Maya: [Disease resistance-Epic grade], [Beautiful form-Rare grade], [Clever mind-Uncommon grade], [Strong vitality-uncommon grade], [Strong body-Common grade]
Besides [Disease resistance] the traits each of my close group chose for themselves represented their own interests and jobs. The old man took a trait to help with his alcoholism and the rest were chosen to help him run the corporation better. For Wainwright it was the same with the exception to the trait he wanted to improve his admittedly piss poor eyesight. He wasn't blind or even close to it but his perception past about seven feet made him unable to use any gun other than a shotgun with any decent amount of accuracy.-
Hammerlock straight up wanted an upgrade all around to make himself a better hunter. Clays list might had coincided with Wainwright and Hammerlocks to a degree but that was apparently because he thought those traits would improve his ability as a gunslinger and smuggler. I could see how too if I really thought about what each trait did and how that could be used to do what he does.-
Maya was more a special addition to my list as I planned to go back to Athenas to grab a copy of her powers trait. I figured that I'd give my best girl a boost while I was at it since I VERY fucking much doubted she wasn't going to go vault hunting in a few years. I also threw [Beautiful form] into the mix because why the fuck not. Collecting these traits took me a whole ass month and a half mostly because of tracking down enough Edenian bloodfeather's to get all the [disease resistance] traits.-
It also cost me a nice chunk of my lifeforce stores but it was worth it in my opinion. 138,500 units just for the traits themselves and an additional 10,000 units split five ways to allow them to integrate the traits without using up their lifespan. The first to undergo the transformation was Wainwright who was WAY too fucking eager in my opinion. Naturally the old man had already gotten the knockout gas ready and had special "clean" room set up for the inevitable mess.-
"Times a wastin, lets get this done so we can get to celebratin!" Wainwright said as he laid down in the hospital robe on the floor of the clean room before the gas took him.
I shrugged and crouched down next to him once it was clear he was fully out and placed my hand on his chest. I sent in each of his traits one after the other and thankfully his body accepted them easily enough and with a final push I sent in the 2,000 lifeforce as his own started to get canibalized by the traits integration. It certainly didn't take long for his body to begin violently rejecting the stuff related to the traits he chose to replace it with the new stuff and as expected it was a gruesome and disgusting process.-
Once it was over I checked on him and seeing that he was good to go let Baldrin wheel him out of the room as the entire place was sterilized with fire after I stepped out.
"Goodness if that wasn't unsettling. And you say mine is to be much worse?" Hammerlock asked bothered by the sight.
"Objectively speaking in terms of severity it goes Clay, you, Wainwright and the old man. You chose the traits related to the body and skin so naturally those will be gruesomely changed. On a related note I hope you like being bald." I said with a chuckle.
His wasn't even the next one up for his upgrade as the old man claimed that spot. The process was nearly identical to Wainwrights though with a little less bleeding of the eyes. When he was done Baldrin dutifully wheeled him away and the room was cleansed again. Now it was Hammerlocks turn and as I said it was like a scene from a horror show as his body swelled and his skin came off while his nose, ears and eyes bled out dark gunk.-
Honestly speaking once his skin regrew and with the exception to his missing hair Hammerlock looked good as his body that was already surprisingly fit was now cut like an athletes. He too was wheeled out of the room before the purging flames came once more. Finally it was Clay's turn who stoically took the deepest breath of knockout gas he could right away. Having seen the other three transformations he was absolutely certain that he didn't want to remember the experience at all.-
Can't blame him either as it really fucking sucked. Still like before the transformation went smoothly and that was that. I took the gas with me and took my house to Athenas but didn't close it when I arrived but left it cloaked.
"Getting awfully close to your deadline aren't you?" my best girl asked with a smile as she saw me leaning against the wall outside the archives.
"I've still got a couple weeks, besides I come bearing gifts! I have for you some nifty traits but if you don't want them I guess I could just keep them to myself." I said playfully.
Her face lit up in a wide smile "Absolutely not, how could you ever take back a gift you offered?" she asked playing along.
"Meh, I'll deal with it." I said with a shrug.
"I suppose you didn't come all this way just for this right?" she asked changing the subject.
"Right you are, I am also here to grab that power trait of yours. A copy of it anyways." I said honestly.
"About time, I've been dying to know what would happen after you added a second siren trait to yourself!" she said way more eager about this than even the traits I brought her.
"Lets give you those traits first, I brought the knockout gas since the process is kinda painful. You could also try doing it without being knocked out but I don't recommend it." I say honestly as I lead her into my house.
"You aren't knocked out when you do it so how bad could it be?" she asked curiously.
"Oh it's fucking terrible depending on what traits you do. The [armored hide] trait for example makes all of your skin come off. The traits you are getting are much more mild, you'll just bleed from your everything and have all of your muscles grow more powerful in a short span of time." I said and she gaped in horror.
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https://www.pa treon.com/user?u=81578854#:~:text=pa treon.com/pa treon_loskro
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Alexander Drake
Lifeforce: 1,429,390
Integrated Traits: [Gun expertise-Uncommon grade], [Clever mind-Uncommon grade]X3,[Enhanced senses-Epic grade], [Omega body-Rare grade]x4, [Supreme armored hide-Epic grade]X2, [Bone regeneration-Uncommon grade], [Corrosion resistance-Uncommon grade], [Energy projection-Epic grade]x2, [Superior vitality-Epic grade],[Flame breath-Uncommon grade],[Regeneration-Epic grade], [Disease resistance-Epic grade],[Amphibious lungs-Uncommon grade], [Thermal sensing-Uncommon grade], [Water resistance-Common grade],[Active camouflage-Epic grade], [Eridian engineering expertise-Mythical grade], [Quick thinking], [Efficient lungs-Rare grade]x2, [Fire resistance-Epic grade], [Elemental body(fire)-Legendary grade], [Shock resistance-Epic grade]X3, [Energetic sustenance(shock)-Epic grade]X2, [Radiation resistance-Epic grade]X3, [Energetic sustenance(radiation)-Epic grade]X2, [True omnivore-Rare grade], [Biometallic bones-Epic grade],[Elemental body(shock)-Rare grade]X2,[Quick thinking-Rare grade], [Hyperflexibility-Rare grade], [Strong circulation-Epic grade], [Minor spatial awareness-Epic grade], [Buzzaxe expertise-Uncommon grade]
Stored traits: [Energy reservoir-Epic grade], [Clever mind-Uncommon grade]x4, [Dexterous hands-Common grade]X6, [Strong nose-Uncommon grade]X6, [Strong body-Common grade]X4, [Disease resistance-Epic grade], [Beautiful form-Rare grade], [Strong vitality-uncommon grade],