Chapter Four: Growth Spurt

Chapter 5

He had managed to get up, and was hobbling through the woods for a few hours, using the trees for support. He didn't really know where he was going, he just knew he had to tell someone about FOWL's presence. Even if it meant he himself was arrested (it was what he deserved, gullible fool).

His increasingly self-deprecating thoughts were cut off by the sound of barking. Spike, much bigger than when he'd last seen him but getting smaller (size changing? That could be useful), came bounding up to him. He was sniffing the ground, as if he'd been following the other's scent.

"Spike." He rasped out, falling to his knees to hug his beloved pet. It was the first words he'd spoken, since the incident, and he sounded... Different. His voice was deeper, a little raspy from thirst, and had a slight rumbling quality. But he didn't really have time to think about that.

It took a few tries, but he managed to talk enough to tell Spike that they needed to get out of the woods. The way too dark woods. He'd never minded darkness before, but for some reason he did now. He was craving light, and wasn't that just insane?

Was he insane? His mind was definitely working unusually. As he let Spike half-carry him through the woods, he felt almost as if the Flytrap was talking in something besides words. His thoughts felt random, scattered, and he could've sworn he sensed heard silent whispers.

It got worse and better when they got out of the woods, his energy slowly returning as sunlight washed over him. He couldn't think straight enough to connect it to his experiment, and any inkling of suspicion disappeared once he spotted a building in the distance.

The University. All that driving around in practically circles to get to the greenhouse, and Rhoda had only ever taken him to within walking distance of their her work. All those times he'd had to ration because she was 'too far away' to do a quick shopping run. All those times he'd wanted a quick walk to a nearby town, but they were 'miles into the countryside'. She'd just lied, and he'd never thought to check.

But that made sense. He was a fool, and she was always in control.

He sighed, making his way to campus. Maybe if he begged, his former colleagues would help him. Maybe at least give him water, he was so thirsty.

A tree lifted down a branch, water cupped in its leaves, and poured it by his feet. He felt the water seeping into his body, and breathed out in relief.

"Oh, thank you, I really nee-" his eyes shot wide open. He blinked at the tree, pointing. "You moved. Did you just move?"

The tree nodded, but he was already distracted by his hand. He'd been too distracted by his bitter thoughts to realize his body had stopped burning, or that it changed. His hands were leaves. He looked down at himself, inspecting. His green body was so thin he'd slipped out of all his clothing, allowing him to clearly see the roots that his feet had become. Further inspection revealed purple fuzz on his head that was some parody of hair.

He flexed his new deformed fingers, finding that he could still probably grab things that weren't too heavy, despite their thinness and the fact the fingers were mostly joined together. He looked back at the lone tree, one of a few that grew away from the main forest.

"I... I made you move." He groaned. This was too much. "I think I need to sit down."

A flower sprouted underneath him, growing big enough for him to sit on it. Spike jumped into his lap, and he petted the Venus Flytrap while he tried to calm down.

He could control plants. Or, he could communicate with plants, allow them freedom of movement and growth, and they seemed rather open to fulfilling his requests.

So, now he was a Monster, a Normal, a Halfling, and a Mutant. If he wasn't a freaky outcast before, he certainly would be now. But maybe it wasn't all that bad. After all, he now had powers. Who knew what else he could do, what he could get plants to do?

Maybe he could fight Hotshot and Flygirl, steal his equipment back, get revenge on Rhoda for all she'd done. He was strong, he could feel it, none of them would stand a chance against him! He'd like to see Gary and Larson try to push him around now, he could just push them right back, make them suffer every bit of pain they'd ever inflicted on him when he was Reginald...

He shook his head to clear it, watching small thorns retreat into his body, strange discoloration disappearing as he calmed. He as well felt his fangs retract, and shuddered, feeling glad that there had been no one around to bite.

What was wrong with him? His thoughts were much too violent, moreso than Reginald's had ever been. But he wasn't Reginald anymore, he didn't act the same. He didn't look the same. He didn't sound or think or even feel the same way ol' Reggie had. He wanted to hurt something, and that scared him.

Monsters were more violent than Normals, because they had a harder time controlling their primal instincts. He'd always done a pretty good job, but now he felt like he might give in no matter how much he struggled not to.

If Reginald was gone, did that leave only the Monster behind? He didn't know, but he would find out, he had no choice. He got up, thanking the helpful plants before he and Spike resumed their trek to the University.

It took a little while to figure out the best way to walk on his roots, but once he did he went much faster than he ever had before. If his arms were weak but flexible, his roots were felt strong enough to throw good-sized boulders. Spike ran to keep up, yipping happily, and he actually laughed.

Not the nervous or smitten chuckles he'd had with Rhoda. Not the sarcastic or embarrassed sounds he'd made with his colleagues. A real, overjoyed laugh he'd hadn't made since childhood. The plants around him sang in songs that he couldn't understand yet somehow did, he could feel the sunlight flowing into his body, and the wind rushed past him as he ran with a body much stronger than his old one.

How funny, that his lowest moment would give him something this grand. He was still broken up inside, his thoughts still manic, and he certainly would shed more than a few tears about everything that had happened. But for now, this one moment, he felt free.