Changed: Outbreak

Chapter 1: To Return Home

[Lui's Pov]

Walking down the dusty roads of the abandoned city, the dusty winds brush against my clothing and my body. Tall structures tower around me as I take every step. I know Doctor K has started his nature restoration project a year ago, but it appears the environment in the city is too harsh for plant life to thrive. It has achieved success at my farmlands, hence the availability of crops to grow despite the harsh world I am in. Hopefully Prototype can handle the amount of crops my field has.

The Thunder Science Laboratory stood tall in front of me as I draw closer to it. The same laboratory I found myself in, just the state of decay even worse than before. I stopped in place to admire the view once again, looking up at the massive tall laboratory before looking down on my paws. I raised them close to myself before admiring the sleeves of the jacket I'm wearing. "You alright?" I heard a voice to my left, and I turned around to look at Doctor K. "I have to thank you for... Well, developing me this way. If I remember correctly, I have a smaller body frame than of a normal Protogen. Finding and wearing human clothes feels like a piece of cake."

"You are the first to be born with a smaller body frame. Not really my decision, but just an accidental discovery because the bio-bot Scott has provided me is slightly smaller than of the normal typical size we normally find in the depths of the lab. Your White Latex adjusted to the smaller bio-bot, and here you are, breathing in peace." Doctor K explained as he stood next to my side before I felt his paw on my left shoulder.

He gave me a pat followed by a chuckle of his. "I should try bringing you more of those fabric. You seem to like it a lot, but I don't know about Scott." He comments about Scott not wearing any type of clothing, and I chuckled with him. I would love to have a new jacket. We continued forward to the laboratory, and from the distance I can see the main entrance of the establishment. I'm glad they got that door fixed already. I honestly don't know how the door got broken. Puro told me that there was a fight once at the lobby. It would've been cool if I were to see what happened.

Upon approaching the main door, through the glass doors I noticed the lobby looking entirely different. There's grass. The whole floor of the lobby is grass, and the counter at the middle of the lobby is decorated with various wires and circuitry. A computer is sitting on top of the counter. I slowly opened the doors, and to my surprise I have seen pile of books stack upon one another sitting on the corner of the lobby. A Black Wolf and a White Wolf are sitting next to each other, facing the pile of books.

Both of them are holding books. The Black Wolf is reading a book aloud. The White Wolf however, is only holding a book and is rather fixated at the Black Wolf. Puro and Colin, the love pair. Colin being the silent and calm White Wolf, and Puro being the funny and silly Black Wolf. I've rarely seen them not together. It's everyday you spot the two all together. Puro paused from reading the book he's holding and quickly turned to look at me. It seems he has heard the door opened.

"Lui!!" The Black Wolf immediately hopped off from sitting on the grass and quickly approached me. Puro wrapped his arms tight around me and he hugged me close to him. "Eep! O-Okay Puro, you're squeezing me too hard." I protest and the Black Wolf immediately lets go of me. "Sorry, I just carried over seeing you return. I am very happy that you're here! Human has been waiting for you too to return. So what is life like out there? How are the crops?" Puro is asking many questions that I find it difficult and confusing on which question to answer first. "Well, umm... Can you bring me a glass of water first? The trip back to here is an exhausting one."

"Sure!" Puro immediately ran for the door at the west of the room. It seems he sure knows where to get me water. I slowly approached Colin who is still sitting on the grass with the book in his paws now opened. I sat beside the White Wolf and he looked at me before giving me a smile. "How are you pal? It's been a while since we've studied about the wonders of life. You know, what if when I return back to my farmlands, I'll bring you along and we'll plant seeds? I found several packets of seeds throughout my scavenging of the city." I asked and Colin puts a paw on his chin.

It took him a couple of seconds before responding to me with a nod of his head. I smiled in joy and I raised my right paw into a fist. Colin raised one of his paws in return, fist bumping my paw. Out of nowhere, I suddenly felt arms wrap around my abdomen and I am quickly pulled up. "Fellow brother! Welcome back home. I missed you and your jolly nature."

I immediately squirmed in response, trying to free myself from his grasps. "Scott! Put me down!" Scott laughed behind me as he pulls me closer to him, still carrying me with his arms from behind before eventually being put down. "I just missed you brother, and I can't resist hugging you close. I hope the life outside hasn't been too harsh for you. Oh yeah, Doctor K told me earlier that you want to learn more about our kind. I'll try to explain to you how much information I know about them, despite not being a pure Protogen myself, so are you and... Another brother of mine, or our brother."

The delight of his Protogen visor quickly turned gloomy. I had another brother of my own kind? Since when is this? I thought it's just me and Scott on this world, but I didn't know there's another one. I was about speak out something when suddenly a wave of nausea hits over me. The wave of nausea is enough for me to suddenly lose my balance and fall on my bottom. "Lui! Are you alright?" Faint voices I can only hear as I struggle to keep my eyes straight to look at Scott. My vision blurs as Scott kneels beside me. Then I blacked out.

What is going on?