With These Hands

He'd taken to stocking the fridge and kitchen with cheap and easy to make food that still provided the nutrients he needed. That was what ensured that he had enough energy to go through with his plans for the day in the first place.

Walking at a leisurely pace, he soon found himself in front of the arcade he was supposed to meet Vincent at. The building was a bit worn out but it still had its value.

Liam wasted no time, walking through the door and taking in the sight. The music, the lights…this wasn't exactly his scene but he'd adapt.

Before he could decide on a course of action, an arm landed on his shoulder. "Liam, You made it!"

He turned to see a boy with messy brown hair and an impish grin on his face.

"Hello to you too, Vincent." Liam said, rolling his eyes.

He saw Vincent pause with narrowed eyes that scrutinized his form.

"I knew my eyes weren't deceiving me. Are you sure you're okay? You lost a lot of weight, I don't think it's healthy to lose that much that fast." Vincent questioned.

While some would feel offended, the genuine concern Liam felt from the other boy cleared all thoughts of mockery.

"I'm fine. In fact, I've never felt better." And that was the truth even when thinking back to his previous body.

"If you say so."

Vincent looked like he wanted to ask more questions but fortunately for Liam, his predecessor's secretive nature prevailed as the other boy dropped the subject.

The brown haired boy tightened his grip on Liam as he led him through the small crowd of people. "Come on. Let's go meet the rest."

A few moments later, they stopped at an air hockey table where two boys were locked in a heated match.

One showed a frown of concentration while the others look was of victory, suggesting that he was winning. That was only confirmed as the smiling teen hit the puck too fast for the other to block.

"Oh yeah! I win again!" He celebrated.

While Liam didn't recognize the victorious boy, the other teen was somewhat familiar to him. He remembered seeing him around school a few times.

"Liam, this sore loser is David." Vincent introduced, gesturing to the frowning boy.

"I'd like to see you try to beat him." David retorted with a scoff before turning his attention to Liam. "Nice to meet you man."

Before Liam could respond, Vincent dragged his attention to the other teen. "And this smug idiot is Jerome."

Jerome extended a handshake which he accepted. "Call me Jerry. So how do you know Vince?" He asked.

Liam chuckled a bit. "Practically all my life. Me and him go way back. I can tell you that other than the height, he hasn't changed much."

"Hey!" Vincent exclaimed in offense, drawing a laugh from all of them which he eventually gave into.

"Step up. Let's see if you're better than this guy." Jerry said, gesturing to the air hockey table.

"You are so going down." Liam said with a smirk.

•••

Time sped by as the four teens spent the afternoon having fun and playing different games in the arcade.

The wins were spread out but Liam owned quite a few of them. He also spent the time observing Jerry and David. From his observation, they seemed to be the type to enjoy the nightlife.

That was perfect.

"Well I'll catch you guys later. I have to go pick up my sister from her friend's house." Vincent said, quickly shooting a text to someone as he moved up to a black car in the parking lot. "Liam, do you want a ride?"

The car was a gift Vincent's parents gave him when he turned 16. That also reminded Liam about his own mother's car that had been parked outside his living unit. He already knew how to drive, he just had to get a license or at least a permit.

"Nah don't worry about it. I have to pick up a few things on my way home." He answered with a shake of his head as Vincent started the engine.

"Your loss. Enjoy the walk home." He said before driving off.

"Alright. See you guys later." Liam made a show of turning away before quickly turning back to the remaining two as if he just remembered something. "I almost forgot something."

That got two pairs of eyes staring at him in confusion as he dug his hand into his pocket and pulling out a tiny transparent bag with a blue powdered substance inside.

"What's that?" David asked in confusion and a hint of intrigue.

"A friend of mine, he's a bit of a genius. Anyways, he gave me this." Liam explained, lightly shaking the bag. It wasn't bigger than a teabag. "It gives much more of a kick than what you'd find at your average party."

That seemed to grab their attention seeing as how Jerry took a hold of it to observe it.

"I like the sound of that." He said before looking back to Liam. "If that's the case, then why share it with us?"

David had a look of suspicion which Liam anticipated.

The bespectacled boy shrugged his shoulders. "They aren't really my thing. Plus he wants to get the word out and give people a taste to test the waters." He said, speaking in half truths…well most of it was true.

The seeming blunt honesty threw them off for a moment before a laugh escaped from David.

"You know, you're more interesting than I pegged you to be. How much?" He asked, referring to the one in his hand.

Liam shook his head. "That one's for free."

He didn't try to explain anymore lest he tip his hand.

"Sweet. You're a cool guy, Liam. Thank your friend for us." Jerry said, getting a nod from the other boy.

"No problem." Liam said, waving them off as he retreated out of the parking lot.

He could barely stop the smile on his lips that was mixed with nervousness as he walked away. If everything went according to plan, they'd reach out to him for more of the Euphoria drug, opening up an avenue for income which he'd hopefully expand and start raking in more money when he started selling it.

'One more stop before I go home.' He thought.

•••

Stepping down from the cab, Liam carefully pulled out a large cage with him as the vehicle drove off.

The black tarp covering the cage hid what was within it from prying eyes until he got into his living unit.

Carefully dropping it on the living room floor, he steeled his nerve, noticing the slight trembling of his hand.

'You can do this. You can do this.' He reassured himself as he pulled the tarp off, revealing the serpent within the cage.

+++++

-[King Snake]

-[A serpentine specimen, prized for its sleek, glossy scales and graceful movements. Valued for its exceptional hunting prowess and ability to thrive in diverse environments.]

+++++

You could find almost anything in Gotham, for the right price. The right price being the price of the snake at the pet shop and a bribe to get the shopkeeper to turn the other way.

Apparently minors aren't allowed to buy snakes.

That wasn't his only purchase. He pulled out a small transparent jar which held liquid and a few floating organisms within it.

+++++

-[Flatworm]

-[Uncommon and fascinating specimen, renowned for its extraordinary regenerative abilities and remarkable adaptability. Valued for its potential in scientific research and its unique, almost otherworldly appearance.]

+++++

He winced in remembrance at the amount of money that had gone into this as he set it beside the cage. Though it made his need for money grow even more, he consoled himself with the fact that it would be worth it in the end.

If money was what he needed to spend to make himself harder to kill then he'd spend it without hesitation.

'Doesn't mean it doesn't hurt though.' He echoed as he quickly moved into a cabinet, finding some gloves and putting them on.

Flatworms were known for their height regenerative abilities, it's only competitor being a zebrafish. It could regenerate even after being cut in half!

Careful opening the jar of flatworms, he picked a work in each hand before activating the merge. The usual show of light died down to show him the results.

+++++

-[Superior Regenerator]

-[A flatworm with enhanced regenerative abilities, capable of quickly regrowing entire limbs or organs in a mere fraction of the time.]

+++++

He didn't let his excitement slow him down neither did he allow his trepidation slow him down as he slowly and carefully peeled open the top of the cage, his hand slipping inside to grab the, thankfully, sleeping snake.

The moment it was within his grasp, it's eyes snapped open in alertness. Right as he felt it move, he triggered the merge again.

+++++

-[Regenerative Coil]

-[A snake that can regenerate lost body parts and organs, including its head with its potent regenerative abilities. It's evolution has granted it the ability to secrete a hallucinogenic venom from its fangs.]

+++++

He had a vision that he was marching to with the items he had brought together for the merges. Not waiting to find out whether the serpent would still attack him, he triggered the next merge, with himself as the base target.

He didn't know what to expect when he did that but he kept the image of what he wanted clear in his mind. He wasn't merging into the serpent, it was merging into him. The feeling of the changes in his body was pronounced yet he didn't feel any pain.

It felt like he was there but at the same time, he wasn't…

All of this happened in a single moment and in the next moment, it was over.

He didn't know when he fell to the floor but he was hunched over in his knees, taking deep breaths as he felt the unreal power within his entire being.

Standing up to rush into the bathroom, he found himself unable to control his own strength and immediately felt himself crash into the wall, leaving it cracked. He winced only to paused at the lack of pain he felt.

Slowly turning around, he saw his reflection in the mirror. His eyes widened minutely as he saw the physical changes.

His developing muscles had been enhanced and were much more powerful on his frame while still managing to keep his sleek frame. His skin felt soft and smooth to the touch.

His eyes were mostly the same…except for the fact that he now had slit pupils. Transparent scales now covered the sides of his eyes and parts of his face.

With those changes, he almost missed the way he now possessed fangs. Fangs that were sharp even to his own tongue.

+++++

-[William Anderson]

-[Lifeforce Serpentkin. A powerful race possessing immense vitality and durability who can survive even the toughest circumstances. A being whose very blood is flooded with vitality, both literally and figuratively, becoming a panacea to any who dare to taste. The Lifeforce Serpentkin's fangs secret a potent hallucinogenic venom. His recent evolution had the unexpected result of awakening his metagene, granting him some psychic abilities.]

+++++

'Worth every penny.' He thought in victory.