Mutated Animals

The morning sun bathed the academy grounds in golden light as Remond approached the school gates. The buzz of students filled the air, but to him, it felt strangely distant. With each step, he felt the weight of his absence pressing down on him.

He adjusted the strap of his bag and took a deep breath. One step at a time, he told himself. He had spent days locked away in his room, drowning in grief and regret. But Innes's visit had been a turning point. Her words lingered in his mind: "Don't shut us out forever."

Walking through the corridors, he spotted familiar faces, most of whom greeted him with a mix of relief and awkwardness. It wasn't long before he saw Sid and Hayato standing near their lockers, talking quietly.

---

A Reunion

Sid was the first to notice him. His eyes widened in surprise, and he nudged Hayato, who turned and froze. Remond approached them, his expression guarded but determined.

"Hey," Remond said, his voice steady despite the tension in the air.

"Remond!" Sid said, a mix of relief and guilt washing over his face. "You're back."

"Yeah," Remond replied. His gaze shifted to Hayato, whose expression was unreadable.

Hayato took a step forward, his voice rough. "Remond... I—"

"It wasn't your fault," Remond interrupted, his tone firm.

Hayato blinked, stunned. "What?"

"You didn't mean for any of it to happen," Remond said, meeting his eyes. "I've had time to think about it. Blaming you won't bring him back."

Hayato's shoulders sagged, the guilt he'd been carrying easing slightly. "I'm... I'm sorry, Remond. For everything."

Sid stepped in, his usual optimism returning. "It's good to have you back, man. We've missed you."

Remond managed a small smile. "Thanks, Sid. It's good to be back."

---

End of Semester Results

The bell rang, signaling the start of the assembly where the end-semester results would be announced. The auditorium buzzed with anticipation as students filled the seats.

Remond sat with his friends for the first time in weeks, a sense of normalcy slowly returning. Innes and Yuki joined them, their faces lighting up when they saw him.

"About time you showed up," Innes said with a teasing grin.

Remond chuckled softly. "Yeah, I guess I kept you waiting."

The results were announced, and to no one's surprise, Innes and Yuki topped the rankings in their respective streams. Sid and Hayato were satisfied with their solid performances, while Remond was relieved to find that his scores had held up despite his absence.

The group exchanged congratulatory high-fives and smiles, the camaraderie they had missed returning naturally.

---

A Long-Awaited Gathering

Later that afternoon, the five friends gathered at their usual hangout spot: an old tree by the edge of the academy grounds. It was a place where they'd spent countless hours talking, laughing.

As they sat in the shade, the conversation flowed easily, covering everything from school to their favorite snacks. For a while, it felt as though nothing had changed.

"Feels good to be back here," Remond said, leaning against the tree trunk.

"We've been waiting for this," Yuki replied, her voice warm.

Hayato nodded, a rare smile gracing his face. "Yeah. It's been too long."

---

The Alert

Just as the group was beginning to relax, Sid's phone buzzed violently. He pulled it out, frowning as he read the notification.

"High alert," he muttered, his tone turning serious.

Hayato leaned over to look at the screen. "What's going on?"

"There's been a disturbance downtown," Sid said, his fingers flying over the screen. "Mutated humanoid animals are reported."

Remond, Innes, and Yuki exchanged worried glances.

"We need to check it out," Hayato said, already standing.

Sid nodded, slipping his phone into his pocket. "We'll handle it. You guys stay here."

"Be careful," Innes said, her brow furrowed with concern.

Hayato smirked, his canines glinting slightly as his voice deepened. "Always."

With that, Sid and Hayato took off, leaving the others behind.

---

The Situation Downtown

Sid and Hayato arrived downtown to find chaos. A group of mutated humanoid animals—partially transformed with grotesque features like enlarged claws, fanged maws, and unnatural muscle growth—were attacking indiscriminately. The intersection was in shambles, with overturned cars and terrified civilians scrambling for safety.

Sid pulled out his handheld device, connected to his mobile workshop remotely. "I'll provide support from here. Keep them busy while I deploy the trap net."

"Got it," Hayato said, his voice low and guttural as his transformation began. His nails extended into claws, his eyes glowed amber, and his muscles rippled as his werewolf form took over.

"Wow! I didn't expected that you have full control over this." Sid surprised by Hayato's transformation, "Are you sure about it?"

"There's no time to change my dress. Innocent people are in danger. At least it will keep my identity safe." Hayato have a fire in his eyes.

One of the mutants lunged at a nearby civilian, but Hayato intercepted it with a feral growl, slamming the creature to the ground with inhuman strength. Another mutant charged at him, but he leaped over it with incredible agility, landing behind it and slashing at its legs.

"Two down, five to go," Hayato muttered.

From his mobile workshop, Sid launched a high-frequency disruptor drone. "Hayato, keep them distracted. The drone will destabilize their mutations, but I need time."

"Time I can give you," Hayato said, diving into the fray. His claws tore through another mutant's hardened skin, and his agility allowed him to avoid their wild, erratic attacks.

Sid monitored the scene through his tablet, calculating trajectories and activating traps. "Net deployed! Guide them toward the alley!"

Hayato roared, his voice echoing through the streets as he corralled the remaining mutants toward Sid's trap. As the net activated, a powerful surge of energy pulsed through it, immobilizing the creatures and forcing them into a dormant state.

Sid sighed in relief. "We did it."

"Let's not celebrate yet," Hayato said, his voice returning to normal as his transformation subsided. He looked at the restrained mutants with a wary expression. "Whoever's behind this won't stop here."

---

In the Shadows

Far from the chaos, a woman in shadow watched the live feed with a calculated smile. Her sharp eyes flicked between the screen and a comms device in her hand.

On the other end was Jaimy Henderson, the Head of the Axiom Syndicate. "The operation failed, but the data collected is invaluable," she said.

Jaimy's voice crackled over the comms. "Good. Our real goal was to assess their capabilities. Now we know what we're dealing with. Plus our human animalization project also seems having quite promising growth."

The woman's smile widened. "Hayato's strength is formidable, but the tech guy intrigues me. He's a wildcard."

"It seems like you already unravel their identity. Okay, monitor them closely," Jaimy instructed. "And prepare the next phase."

The woman nodded, her silhouette fading into darkness as the call ended. The game had only just begun.