[Nicholas Acker Villin]

Acker was driving a black and red motorcycle that outwardly looked like an ordinary motorcycle, but Acker had modified it after purchasing it as he usually did with whatever he owned. He looked almost non-existent because he was wearing all black in the night, a black leather motorcyclist jacket with black pants tucked inside a pair of motorcyclist boots.

The forest was big enough to be isolated, just the way he liked it. The mad scientist here had come with the intention to test a new invention in the safety of the forest's isolation. Acker was driving through the forest, observing the path from within the helmet, the front of the helmet had been turned into a screen and was informing Acker of his surroundings. For instance, there was smoke nearby and by its features the screen was informing that it could be a small but contained fire, Acker figured it had to be a campfire.

Acker wasn't driving alone, alongside him there were two Dobermans and what looked like two white giant balls, yep, no other way to describe them. He had shown the prototype of those devices at the university, a smaller ball that looked like a pocket ball. Even though the two Dobermans looked like the real deal, they couldn't be real dogs considering that they were running alongside the motorcycle which was going too fast for normal dogs to follow.

"Pinpoint location of smoke" Acker thought, or better, willed. The balls and motorcycle changed direction and only stopped when near enough. Acker was sitting on the motorcycle while observing the people around the bonfire. Campers. They had heard the motorcycle, but they didn't move from the bonfire because too busy talking to each other, one of them was playing an acoustic guitar.

"Can it be even more stereotypical?" Acker mockingly mumbled to himself. He could observe the campers thanks to the helmet which could zoom and change type of visual like heat-vision or night-vision. His mocking wasn't at all fuelled by envy caused by the fact that he couldn't have a bonfire with friends considering that he didn't have friends. Nope, not all. Sure. Well, he wouldn't ever admit it to himself anyway.

It was night, but Acker had turned off the motorcycle's beam to not attract any more attention, didn't need light anyway "Buonanotte guitar-boy" he willed and one of the balls silently shot a pellet in the fire. The campers stopped talking to each other and looked at the fire, puzzled. They had just heard something hitting the campfire.

They didn't have much time to question the situation because suddenly a whitish smoke started pouring out from the pellet and a moment later the people around the fire dropped unconscious "Excellent" the pellets worked as expected on humans. He didn't get much time to enjoy his success because the helmet's screen alerted him of something.

"Wellwellwell...I spy with my little eye" the white balls had an eye in the middle which was green, but it changed colour to yellow if they were on alert and to red if there was danger. It was yellow now. And for good reason.

Acker had observed something interesting on the surveillance footage: various animals missing their right eye, the exact same wound, in every detail. It had caught his interest instantly. So, he had set his surveillance to alert him if an animal with the exact same wound appeared again. Acker had put surveillance around the forest, a kind that he had invented, so it wasn't easy to spot, almost impossible. Almost being the magic word.

The mad scientist was driving to the location the surveillance had informed him the animal was. He stopped the motorcycle to a distance he believed suitable and was about to will one of the balls to scan the area when the two Dobermans started growling, their bodies pointed at the wild animal. The balls' eyes changed from yellow to red.

//sorry if the post is long, don't feel the need to post-match! also, english is not my native language, sorry if the post doesn't flow!//

@sasha

[Deleted]

Hunger had driven Sasha to the forest, hunger, and a boredom of digging old chicken pieces from the dumpster on their territory. Fresh prey was harder to come by, but tastier, and less likely to leave them feeling ill for days afterwards, a fact the shapeshifter had learned the hard way. In coyote form they slunk through the trees, ears pricked and alert for any sounds, nose constantly taking in every trace of a scent. 

The scent of smoke, and humans, did not bother the coyote. They were used to such encounters, and knew that if they kept away, they would likely not even be noticed. Humans had lousy night vision it seemed, and even with one eye Sasha could out-see even the best of them. Instead, Sasha turned their attention to the more interesting scent in the air; rabbit. Silently Sasha stalked the prey, lowered to the ground like a cat. Then, just before the rabbit noticed them, they pounced. A quick bite was all it took, and Sasha quickly went about devouring their meal, eye watchful for any signs of intrusion. Being alone in the wilds meant Sasha ran the risk of being spotted and driven from their kill by other predators, something less likely in the city. But they weren't too concerned about it. Worse case scenario, they could shift into a stronger predator - like a cougar - to defend themselves.

A faint humming noise caught their ear and they paused to lift their head. Having lived wild for eight years, Sasha had picked up some of the mannerisms and phrases the local strays used in their own language, and to dogs, this humming was what came from a kennel-that-moves. It was different to most that Sasha had heard though, not like the four-footed kennels at all. As they looked up they sensed a change in the air, their coyote instincts beginning to warn them that something wasn't quite normal. Another scent, more metallic, reached their nose and they rose to stand over the kill, hesitating over whether to grab it and run, or stand their ground. 

The growls of dogs reached their ears, though they sounded somewhat... off to Sasha's keen ears. Not quite normal. But the growls were sounds Sasha understood, a threat, a warning; a challenge. Snarling back with teeth exposed, they stood protectively over their kill with a tail raised into a dominant pose, too fixated on the dogs they assumed wanted to steal their food to realize that a human lurked close by.

Nicholas Acker Villin  

[Nicholas Acker Villin]

The wild animal and the mad scientist weren't that different: they were both here to hunt. The dogs were clearing seeing something. Acker willed the helmet's screen to switch to the dogs' point of view. A thin line appeared in the middle of the screen that divided the helmet's screen in half. A side displayed the name's Zeus and his point of view, instead the other side displayed the name Apollo and his point of view.

The screen switched to night-vision when Acker willed it then to thermal vision and then to normal vision to avoid being blinded by the scan's light. Meanwhile, he willed one of the balls to scan the area. Something that looked like dots appeared on the ball's surface, from the dots beams of red light came out and the ball started rotating around itself. Sure, this could scare the animal away, but it wouldn't matter once the wild animal was scanned. Which it did.

It was a coyote, a coyote missing a right eye, not just a random right eye, it matched the type of wound he was searching for. The scanning had stopped, so the beams of light were gone. However, the helmet's screen now was pinpointing to the location of the coyote, no matter where. Nowhere to run, it didn't matter how vast the forest was.

Acker willed both balls to use a tranquillizer dart. From the balls' eyes a little dot opened that looked like a pupil. The tranquillizer darts were aimed at the coyote. The dogs were still growling at the coyote, but they were now in front of Acker in a defensive position meaning that they were there to protect him. The darts were fired at the coyote, although there was a low percentage of success in these conditions.

@sasha

[Deleted]

Sasha placed their paw on the rabbit, growling again at the dogs in clear warning to back off. Their growl, however, petered out into a whine as a strange light appeared, alerting them to the human's presence at last. Their ears went back against their head, their tail tucking nervously. The coyote's instincts screamed at them to run, but Sasha resisted, instead backing up slowly. Humans were unpredictable. This one could simply be watching nature take its course, or be out looking for its own kind of prey. 

A soft thump alerted them to a dart hitting the ground just in front of their retreating paws. Their eye widened in shock. This was something they recognized. Some time ago they had come across a particularly aggressive dog under attack by animal control. Sasha had seen a dart much like this one pierce the dog's hip, and within minutes the dog had been downed - dead, or unconscious, Sasha hadn't known, and they hadn't stuck around to find out. Fear shot through them at the sight of the dart here, aimed at them, and the coyote's instincts took over instantly, turning Sasha from hunter to prey in a heartbeat.

Tail tucked and hackles bristling, the black coyote spun and fled into the forest, paws light and leaving barely a trace in the ground behind them. They didn't run far. Close by was a fox den, and the coyote's instincts drove them into it, sending them to ground where they felt safe and hidden - where most humans would never find them, especially in the dark. The den was too small for a normal coyote, so Sasha shifted into a grey (well, black) fox to better fit. Another fox was already crouched there, eyes wide at the intrusion and teeth bared. Sasha hastily flashed their neck in apology, communicating their plight in hasty motions. The other fox, having no intention of sticking close to a hunted animal, fled through the back tunnel and out into the forest beyond. Sasha crouched in the den panting, their ears perked and straining. Surely they had lost the human already? A human's night vision was poor, after all, and their hearing even worse. The two dogs could be a problem, but Sasha hoped the change of shape would throw them from the trail. After all, whoever had heard of a coyote's scent become a fox's? If they were lucky, the dogs could even pursue the other fox instead. 

Nicholas Acker Villin

[Nicholas Acker Villin]

The coyote run away as expected. Hunters usually were annoyed when their prey run away, but Acker felt exhilarated "The game is afoot!" the quote was a play on words on how prey was also called game by hunters. The coyote was fast, but a motorcycle was faster, and the vehicle skilfully drove through the trees, roots and other woody obstacles. His devices diligently followed.

Acker wasn't really driving the motorcycle, the motorcycle was driving itself following the mad scientist's will. He and his devices were after the coyote, but suddenly everything stopped. The Lads, the balls, the motorcycle. The rush of adrenaline Acker felt thanks to the speed was fading too.

The Lads weren't after the wild animal because they were guarding their owner. However, the balls were still on the hunt, eyes red like blood. Hacker was checking his surroundings with thermal vision on, wondering why the hunt was on halt. Then it clicked "The animals are always different, the eye is the same" he mumbled to himself over and over like a madman.

"Focus on the eye, the wound" the devices had stopped because their target had vanished, suddenly. He could see on the helmet's screen the words Target Lost. However, the words on the screen changed after following Acker's new orders: Searching.

One of the balls started scanning the area again while Acker saw a fox's thermal shape running away and another one taking its place in the den. Acker praised the usefulness of thermal vision. The scan was done and informed him that there was a fox in the den, but couldn't check the eye because of how small the den was. No problem.

Something that looked like a line run around the middle of the ball and then the ball opened up like a mouth. The insides of the ball were covered, but there were compartments. A smaller ball came out from one of these compartments and rested on the man's palm. Acker kissed the pocket ball before it floated away. At first the pocket ball floated slowly, but then it quickly threw itself into the den, a second later dots appeared all around the ball and gas started pouring out. Sleeping gas.

Acker didn't care if the fox wasn't what he was searching for, he still had to try in case it was the prey he was after.

@sasha

[Deleted]

Sasha remained crouched in the stolen den, limbs trembling as they stared at the entrance. Even though they doubted they would be found, the instinctive fear of it still lingered. What if the dogs dug their way in? Or the human? They had seen the way humans could dig, with the right tools. It was always surprising, how a human adapted to not having natural weapons. Sasha much preferred their own teeth and claws to the tools humans relied on. 

Their breathing was beginning to calm, but still the instincts were crying that something was wrong. Sasha shook their head to clear it. They couldn't smell or hear any signs of a threat. It was at that moment they heard another thump, and saw the ball fall through the den entrance. The scent of the air changed subtly, and fox instincts began to rise within them. Growling they backed away, feeling their limbs turning sluggish. What was that? No time to waste figuring it out. Sasha turned and stumbled up the back tunnel, their legs refusing to react as swiftly as before as they struggled out. Panic was leaving them confused. Did they shift? Or trust the fox? The fox wanted to run, but the legs seemed to be uncooperative, repeatedly tripping them up. 

Did they fight? The idea sprang to mind and Sasha turned their head, using their smell to locate the human that lurked just outside the den's front entrance. Not as a fox. But if this human had identified them as the same animal as the coyote... did shifting in front of them matter, anymore? Something felt wrong, there was something Sasha was missing, but what? No time to think it over. Out of the den, their head felt clearer, and though their legs were still not steady they could walk again. The human had to go.

Again they returned to coyote form, though shakier than before, before whirling and charging towards the human with teeth bared. They would go for a leg, stop the human from walking or riding that kennel-that-moved, and then run. If the dogs got in their way, they'd go for the throats. They wished they had a stronger predatory form, but they were wary of revealing their bobcat form, the only other similar-sized predator they had, and doubted it would be particularly useful in this situation anyway. If they only have those weird thorns and the dogs, I have a chance, they decided. After all, they could dodge the darts - or thorns, as Sasha was now calling them. And as far as they knew, the dogs could be hurt. Logically, a wounded animal would retreat rather than risk a more serious injury in battle, unless cornered with no other option.

Nicholas Acker Villin

[Nicholas Acker Villin]

There had to be something wrong with Acker besides being evil. He was being attacked and all he felt was passion for the fight he was part of. Passion and excitement. Perhaps the reason why he wasn't scared yet was because he trusted his devices. He was still sitting on the motorcycle meaning that he could easily drive away if he wanted to. The balls could shoot the wild animal. The Lads were ready to protect him. Also, Acker was armed. He had a modified teaser gun, but it was still in its holster attached to the belt he was wearing.

Being so confident of his technology made it so that the gun stayed in its holster when instead he should have used it. Acker turned the motorcycle's beam on when the wild animal showed itself. From fox to coyote. He witnessed it with his own eyes. A smiled slowly appeared on the madman's face "Shapeshifter" he concluded. It was a Gifted! His resolve grew even stronger. He was gonna catch that Gifted no matter how many pocket balls he had to throw at it.

"Getting tired there, pal?" he had noticed that the coyote wasn't moving as fast as before which the Lads used it to their advantage. The Lads both attacked the coyote at the same time while Acker looked at the coyote charging towards him. The balls got behind the coyote and shot tranquillizers at the wild animal simultaneously. The Lads aimed their bites at the middle part of the coyote's body because they wanted to immobilize the wild animal, not kill. Well, that was what Acker wanted.

@sasha

[Deleted]

Shapeshifter. The word stung Sasha's ears and they landed just in front of the human with a startled yelp. How had the human even seen the change? Their gaze flicked up to the human's face and saw it was covered by something strange and unfamiliar to them. What was that? More importantly, why was the human so calm about their change? Sasha wasn't sure, but they suspected most humans would be a little more... concerned about a fox turning into a coyote. 

Their mind was too sluggish for them to notice the dogs until it was too late. Teeth grasped their body and they yelped, squirming and trying to snap at the dogs, snarling every insult known to dog-kind as they did. A sharp sting pierced their hip, like that of a wasp, and they gave a pained, frightened yelp. Everything felt wrong. Their legs wouldn't work right, their brain was sluggish and unresponsive to their situation. The dogs seemed like no other animals they had ever fought before, and this human... this human was too good to be a normal human. Human-yet-not. It was the phrase Sasha had noticed another dog use before, though they weren't entirely sure what it meant. Still, it seemed to fit the creature attacking him.

Sasha's struggles began to slow, their legs kicking feebly as they felt their energy abandoning them. Their heart pounded with terror and they flashed the whites of their eyes, squirming to try and cover their throat and belly, their most vulnerable areas, tail tucking and lips curling into a frightened grimace. But the sting had sapped them of all they had. Everything felt heavy. Sasha went limp, though still just barely conscious; they simply had no energy left to fight, and barely enough to notice what was going on around them anymore.

Nicholas Acker Villin

[Nicholas Acker Villin]

Acker kept sitting on the motorcycle calmly while witnessing the situation unfolding. He hadn't doubted his success and apparently rightfully so. The wild pokemon was caught. The Lads and the tranquillizer worked their magic. While the Shapeshifter was on the ground falling into unconsciousness, Acker fetched his phone and sent some quick messages.

Then, he got down from the motorcycle and walked towards his game "Gotcha!" he had a wild green on his face that soon turned into a serious expression "Are you going to stay in animal form or do you possess a human form?" was this Shapeshifter an animal that could turn into other animals or a human who could turn into other animals, Acker wondered to himself. He was getting into his inventor persona.

Acker couldn't help but laugh when the Lads licked his face "Okayokay, good job guys, now sit down" he petted them and the dogs obediently sat next to him "Mhhh, wounds superficial, not fatal" he meant the wounds caused by the bites. He was feeling great about the situation and himself, he had caught the Gifted!

He kept checking on the Shapeshifter for awhile when suddenly the dogs moved their heads to their left. Flashlights. Voices. Acker checked his phone, it said his minions were en route until they were facing him "Let's pack them up, boys!" the minions diligently put the Shapeshifter on a portable stretcher and transported them into a vehicle waiting nearby.

Acker got up his motorcycle and followed his minions to his home.

@sasha

//End//