Doctor Henry Brunell was used to disappointment. After all, he had married the wrong girl when he was far too young and had an underachieving son who hates his father’s guts. Any aspect of family time was usually spent in the hospital or at a forced family occasions.

Henry’s wife, Rose Brunell, was as pretty as her namesake. Young and full of energy, she and Henry fell in love immediately. Impressed with her beauty, Henry proposed to Rose, who accepted. It took a half year before their son was born, and by the time the boy was six, Henry fully realized the depth of his folly. His wife was demanding and bothersome, who would settle for nothing less than one hundred and ten percent. She was also a hopeless boozer, who would sleep with anything that had a pulse and and a hard-on. Of course, the former rule was open to debate.

When his son, Jeff “Phife” Brunell, turned eighteen he promptly dropped out of Riverdale High School. Not that him dropping out put Jeff through much of a change. Jeff still spent all of his time at the local arcade and at his friends’ homes. Jeff would often joke that since he dropped out his grade point average had risen.

He had another son, Adam Brunell, which in all honesty he wasn’t even sure was his. He was only ten at the moment, but he seemed to be very different from Doctor Brunell. He also would give him these long strange glances, like he knew that Doctor Brunell might be hiding something from him. He spent a majority of his time over at friend’s houses as well.

Even his dog, Supes, a fair-sized German shepherd usually ignored him or slobbered all over him. Jeff had found him when he was a little boy and named him after his favorite hero, Superman. Doctor Brunell hated the name and often suggested to his son to change it. Jeff would often joke that it was Supes was a better name than Krypto. Doctor Brunell had no idea what this meant, but Jeff seemed to find it the one of the funniest joke in the world.

Henry himself received his doctorate in chemical engineering while working two jobs to keep up with his wife’s needs. He moved to a small town in the middle of Kansas. Where he began his research on engineering better strands of animal DNA that would force the animal to undergo serious immediate evolutionary changes. He spent days in his work room, preferring its peace and solitude as to the opposed anarchy and chaos that reigned in his home.

Jeff was walking home from school when he came across three girls which attended his school. He knew who they were, in fact, he even had a crush on one of them. Getting close behind them, Jeff said, “Hey Nicole. Hey Whitney. Hey Audra.” The girls stopped and turned around to face Jeff.

Nicole Baker was a beautiful girl, with long blonde hair done back into a ponytail. She appeared to have a rough and tough attitude on, but with a slight playful twist. Whitney Reynolds, a vision of a woman. Her black hair was long and rested on her back. Her face was so beautiful that it appeared to be chiseled from the purest marble. Audra Tudor stood tall and proud. A smile almost always on her exquisite face.

“Hello....” Audra began, she always was the open and friendly one.

“Phife,” Jeff offered.

“Phife?” Whitney asked.

“Well, actually it’s Jeff, Phife is just my nickname.”

“What does it mean?” Whitney asked, her curiosity knows no bounds.

“I dunno, it’s just a nickname.”

“Very interesting. Well, we’d better get going.” Nicole barked.

“See you later, Jeff.” Audra responded.

“Yeah see ya, Jeff.” Nicole continued.

“Talk to you later, Phife.” Whitney chimed in. And with that the three girls turned back around and resumed their previous course. Jeff stood there until he felt the joy of the moment pass.

A friend of Jeff’s, Stephen “Party Animal” Warren, walked over to Jeff as he stood there in his daze. They had been friends since they were little. Jeff’s boozing mother and workaholic father decided that a day care would be best for Jeff. Stephen’s mother had died during child birth. His father never forgave his son for that. It seemed as if there was always this unspoken hatred. The only company Stephen had was a small dog which his father had since college.

They became great friends, always playing together. They were there for each other through thick and thin for most of each others lives. They always shared secrets and stories. When Stephen’s dog died, Jeff was there to comfort his friend. And Stephen would always comfort Jeff when he talked of how his mother would get drunk and flirt with other men.

They also told each other who they had a crush on. Which, in this case, would prove bad for Jeff.

“Hey, Jeff what’s happening?”

Jeff stuttered for a moment, then responded, “I just talked to Whitney, Nicole, and Audra.” His eyes seemed to focus on something just off in the distance.

“Which Whitney, Hazelwood or Reynolds?”

“Reynolds.”

“You aren’t still interested in Whitney are you?” Stephen asked, a slight smile starting to come across his face.

“No!” Jeff blurted. After a moments pause, Jeff gave Stephen a sideways glance. “Why? Do you think she likes me?” Stephen shook his head with disbelief. Jeff had been chasing after Whitney for a few months now. People could say many things about Jeff, but they couldn’t accuse him of being a quitter.

“Man, you need to move on. It ain’t gonna happen,” Stephen said, attempting to calm his friend. “I’m not trying to be mean, just honest. I mean, you’ve barely even talked to her!” A sad look came over Jeff’s face as Stephen gave him Stephen’s opinion.

Sensing the pain that he was causing his friend, Stephen changed the subject. “Is it still cool for me to come over today?”

“Of course, man.” Jeff’s watched beep, signaling the change of the hour. “Oh, crap!” Jeff cried. “We gotta get home, my dad’s gonna whoop my ass!” And with that the duo sprinted off towards Jeff’s house.

Doctor Brunell was in his office when the wonderful idea struck him. As if divine inspiration had touched his brain, he leapt up and ran to his work table.

The DNA had reacted oddly to Doctor Brunell’s latest barrage of tests and examinations. This reaction only brought more questions to the doctor’s mind. It seemed as if the molecules that he had injected with his formula had decayed and fell apart.

“Of course,” Doctor thought, “it didn’t evolve, it devolved! Which means I am going at this from the total opposite direction.” Making a few quick corrections on his formula he injected it into another subject. The molecule retained its integrity. “First step down.” Then, as Doctor Brunell was looking at it, the molecule began to mutate and change. It seemed to becoming more darker in color, almost completely black.

Doctor Brunell’s mouth hung agape. He tried to poke it with his needle only to have the tip of it break off.

“Incredible!” Doctor Brunell exclaimed. “It no longer wanted any foreign objects to enter into its system, so it evolved protection for it! I am a genius!” Then, Doctor Brunell was something that he rarely was anymore, he was actually happy.

He jotted down the formula and ran up the stairs and out the front door. Once outside, Doctor Brunell jumped into his small car and peeled off towards the university.

Jeff and Stephen arrived at Jeff’s house about fifteen minutes after Doctor Brunell’s great break-through. Not that Jeff even noticed his father’s car being gone. It wasn’t until Jeff was in the house and noticed that no one was yelling at him that he realized his father wasn’t home or had locked himself in his lab again.

“Hey, what’s your dad do, anyway?”

“He’s a scientist.”

“Cool. What’s he working on?”

“It’s not that cool. I don’t know what he’s working on. Something with animals I think.

“That’s awesome. Man, you know I want to be a vet. Can you get me a sneak peek at his work? C’mon.” Stephen opened his eyes wide and tried to make the most pathetic face he could. “Please?”

“Stop making that face and it’s a deal.”

“Consider it done.” With that Jeff and Stephen started on a incredible journey.

The basement, also known as Doctor Brunell’s work room, was dark and musty. It had an odor about it which could be compared to a high school biology room.

On the desk there sat two long glass sticks with a clear liquid in each of them, each had a sharp point at its end. Jeff ran over and grabbed them. He swiftly turned around and tossed one to Stephen, who caught it. With an arrogant smile, Jeff pointed the point of his weapon at Stephen.

“En garde,” Jeff said.

“Dude, these are very expensive.”

“What are they?” Jeff asked, slightly lowering his new found toy.

“They’re syringes. You use them on animals that you can’t, or don’t want to, get close to. And it looks like there’s something in ‘em.”

“Probably water. I mean, how else are you supposed to clean ‘em.” Stephen nodded with the idea, it made sense. Jeff quickly raised his again and thrust it forward. Stephen stepped to the right, barely avoiding the sharp tip.

“Hey!” Stephen shouted. “Just remember, you brought this one yourself.” And with that Stephen jumped into a perfect fencing position. Every time Jeff would thrust, Stephen would block it. “You forgot that I took fencing classes!” Stephen then lunged forward, stabbing the tip of his weapon into Jeff’s left arm. Jeff let loose a shriek and using his right arm, stabbed Stephen in retaliation.

The clear liquid drained from both of the syringes into the two teenage boys. Stephen dropped his, and the glass shattered on the ground. He quickly fell to his knees.

“Jeff? I don’t feel so good.” Jeff looked at his friend.

“What do you mean?” Stephen was now laying on the ground in the fetal position clutching at his stomach. Jeff dropped the syringe and kneeled down by his friend’s side.

Jeff looked at his friend’s arm, where he had stabbed him. Several small shards of glass had broken off of the giant syringe and had been forced into his skin. Jeff grabbed the glass and yanked it out, cutting his fingers in the process. Jeff felt a sharp stab of pain in his fingertips and then nothing. He ignored it and kept going.

Jeff jumped to his feet, grabbed some paper and towels and began wiping his friend’s wound. It was then that Jeff noticed that neither he nor his friend were bleeding anymore. Jeff looked at his fingertips and noticed that not only were they healed, but that also appeared to have become callused.

He looked at his friend’s wound and saw that it too was healed, although it did not have the same callous look that Jeff’s fingertips had.

“Stephen?” Jeff asked. Stephen quickly placed his hands over his ears and screamed in pain.

“Don’t yell!” Stephen screamed.

“I’m not.” Jeff calmly replied.

“Yes you are, you’re shouting in my ear,” Stephen shouted back.

“How’s this,” Jeff whispered.

“Perfect.” Stephen slowly took his hands off of his head. He suddenly looked shocked.

“What is it?” Jeff asked quietly.

“I can hear my heartbeat.”

“That’s natural in tense situations,” Stephen replied softly.

“Yeah? Well, I can hear yours too. Is that natural?”

“No, no I’d say not.” Stephen started sniffing the air. “What?” Jeff asked. Stephen ignored him and kept on sniffing. He stopped, he got shakily to his feet, and looked around. He seemed to be perking his ears.

“Your dad’s coming home,” Stephen finally responded.

“How can you tell?”

“I don’t know, but we’d better leave.” They quickly bolted out the door and made for Jeff’s room.

After a few minutes, Doctor Brunell knocked on the door, Jeff let him in.

“Have you been messing with my research?”

“Jeez, Dad, you’re always accusing me of doing stuff. I don’t even know what you’re working on.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to sound accusing. It was probably Supes.” Doctor Brunell then left the room. Little did Doctor Brunell know, but Supes had been in Jeff’s room all day.

“Supes feels insulted,” Stephen said.

“What?”

“Supes feels insulted by what your Dad said,” Stephen clarified.

“And you know this, how?” Jeff asked, his eyebrow slightly arched.

“I don’t know, I just do.”

“The same way you knew my father was coming home?”

“Yeah. It’s kind of weird.”

“Weird? I’d say it’s damn freaky!” Jeff shouted.

“Ah! Don’t shout!” Stephen repeated. “My hearing is real sensitive right now. In fact, it’s like all my senses are kicked into hyper-drive. I’m gettin’ a head-ache just from looking around me. How are you feelin’?”

Jeff hadn’t given it much thought, but he felt great. In fact, he felt fantastic. He felt as if he could run a hundred miles before he even broke a sweat.

Stephen doubled over in pain, curling himself up into a little ball. Jeff looked on as his friend cried in pain. Jeff noticed to small bumps growing on Stephen’s back.

“Dude, what is up with your back?” As if the Fates were listening, two small white bunched-up cartilage broke through the skin of his back. It stretched out along his back and started growing, before Jeff noticed that they were wings. After a moment, Stephen had full grown wings on his back. They went from about a half a meter above his head to the bottom of his butt.

Stephen looked up at Jeff, his voice pleading. “Help me.” His eyes had become dilated and were now just slits. They looked as though they were those of a bird’s or a reptiles.

Stephen let loose another shriek and held his hands up. Claws were growing out of his fingertips. As he screamed, fangs began growing out of his mouth, replacing his original teeth. His bulk also started to grow. His muscles become much larger. He ripped through his shirt and pants after a few seconds of this growth. His shoes also fell apart from the massive growth spurt.

“Dude, calm down. It’s going to be okay,” Jeff tried to sound confident. He tried to sound like he knew what he was doing. But he had almost no idea what has happening. All he knew was that his friend was in pain, and he had no way to help him. Stephen fell to the ground and began thrashing about in pain.

Finally, Jeff could take it no more. He ran to his friend and wrapped his arms around him. Clutching him tightly, he hoped to stop his friend’s convulsions. Stephen, in his pain and shock, could not stop moving.

Jeff held tightly, even when Stephen’s claws scraped his back. He clenched his eyes shut and squeezed even harder. He was concentrating on squeezing so much that he failed to recognize that Stephen had stopped moving.

“Jeff, stop it. You’re starting to hurt me.” Jeff immediately snapped out of it and unhanded his friend. He took a step back and got his first look at Stephen’s new appearance.

He was about six and half feet tall now, opposed to his old six feet. He had long flowing blond hair. His white wings were tall and graceful, bringing an almost angel-like quality to him. His muscles seemed to have almost doubled, while his skin seemed taunt and hard. He had claws on his hands and feet which appeared to be as sharp as razors. Overall, he just had an air of power just around him.

Jeff could feel his back. It felt almost as if it was healing in fast-forward. He ran to his mirror and looked at his back. Besides a few scratches, his back looked normal. Then, before his very eyes he saw his back return to back to being completly normal and healthy.

“Shit.”