The two walked up to the warehouse, Rachel still never took her eyes off her phone while Tabs took note of the ominous trees around them. Before either of them could knock on the warehouse door, it creaked open and a middle aged man with greying brown hair stepped out.

“Ah, you must be Tabitha. Your mother and father told me so much about you,”

Tabitha tried to suppress the feeling of the hairs at the back of her neck sticking up at the sight and sound of the man. “They… did?”

“Oh of course. They were very glad when they found out I could help you,”

Rachel’s phone beeped and the doctor looked at her annoyed before smirking.

“You can leave her here. We offer complimentary buses back to our patients houses,”

Well that didn't sound right. But surely Rachel wouldn't-

Rachel turned around without thinking twice about that. “Cool whatever,”

Tabs got even more nervous. “I-Uh-Huh?”

Sypherous put a hand on her head.

“Oh don’t be nervous. I assure you, this procedure is a thrill,”

“It’ll really fix my eyes and breathing?”

“Yup, right in here,” Sypherous guided Tabs into the warehouse.

Once they were inside, Sypherous quietly locked the door and began to creep onto Tabs with a crowbar.

“Excuse me, sir… I’m really sorry but it’s really dark in here. Could you turn on a light pl-,”

Sypherous rose the crowbar over Tabs’s head and hit her hard enough to knock her out. Tabs’s body dropped to the floor like a sack of potatoes.

“Ah children... so naive,”

…

“Man… this one is young. Are we sure Sypherous wants them this little?,”

“I mean, who are we to question what Sypherous wants?,”

“Man, she is going to be thanking the boss like crazy,”

“Shhh! Not so loud you idiot! She’s waking up,”

Tabs slowly came too to the sound of two voices above her. Once her vision the first thing she realized was that her arms and legs were restrained to the metal table she was laid down on. She tried to break free but the binds were tight.

“Let me go! Let me go!” Tabs cried.

“Relax kid, no one’s gonna hurt ya,” one of the two grown Coyote Crossbreeds tried to calm her down.

“Ah!!! Crossbreeds!!! Get away!!! Leave me alone!!! Don’t hurt me, please!!!” Tabs begged, on the verge of tears.

The Crossbreed that didn’t speak smacked the other on the head.

“Oh way to go, you freaked her out even more,”

“I was just trying-,”

“Enough!” Sypherous snapped as he walked in. “We don’t need to make this anymore traumatic than it needs to be. And you two aren’t making it any better by standing so close to her,”

The two crossbreeds back away. Sypherous walked to the table Tabs are strapped to.

“This doesn’t feel like a normal doctor’s visit,”

“Relax my dear, I said I was going to cure you, and I meant it,”

Sypherous opened the vial in his hand and poured it into one of the open beakers on the table. The orange liquid turned gray.

“That stuff isn’t going to make me sick, is it?” Tabs whimpered.

“Oh quite the contrary. Think of it, child. All those children out there are suffering from sickness and injury, I came up with a solution that can take it all away but no. Your parents would rather you stay sick and possibly die, because of a few side effects and then I get blamed!” Sypherous regained his composure, jabbing Tabs with a needle, ignoring her cry in pain. “Well I’m done asking for their permission,” Sypherous walked over to a control panel.

“W-Wait!” Tabs cried.

“Don’t worry, this will only hurt a lot,” Sypherous turns the machine on.

“Wait don’t!,”

The machine pointing at her glowed yellow and zaps Tabs. Tabs is overcome with a burning, agonizing sensation as her body begins to change. She felt her arms and legs fight back against the restraints again, this time breaking through them screaming as she was levitated off the table. A feeling of... wrongness overtook her body. After a few minutes the electricity stopped coursing through her body and Tabs dropped to the floor trying to gather her breath. Sypherous walks over to her.

“There we go. That wasn’t so-,” before he could stop, Tabs bolted. “No no no! Calm down! It’s over! You two, stop her!” Sypherous called the other two to stop her.

The two coyotes tried to catch Tabs but couldn’t.

“Grab her already!”

“I’m trying!”

Tabs broke through the wooden window and ran all the way home and up to her room.

“That doctor was crazy,” Tabs said trying to gather her breath, it was only then she noticed her voice was distorted similar to the Crossbreeds. “Wait, why does my voice sound so different?” Tabs walked over to her mirror to see a brown bat Crossbreed cub  standing there instead.

Tabs screamed bloody murder.

“Nononononono! This is NOT happening! This is not happening! I’m not a Crossbreed, I’m human!” Tabs said to herself panicking.

“Tabs, what’s wrong? We're coming in!” Ben's voice came from the other side of the door.

“This is a dream! Wake up wake up wake up wake up! Please!” Tabs closed her eyes as she begged.

The door opened.

“Tabs! Are you ok?” Ben asked, concerned.

Tabs opened her eyes to notice her human form is back.

“Y-Yeah, I’m ok,”

“Then why’d you scream? And why’d your voice sound so weird?” Lil asked.

“Yeah, I stumbled into my computer on the way to the bathroom and it turned on the video I was watching earlier. It’s nothing. Go back to sleep,” Tabs reassured.

“Well… okay then… if you’re sure,” Ben said.

“Y-Yes. I’m sure,”

“Alright, well goodnight,”

“Goodnight,”

As soon as Ben closed the door, Tabs noticed her hand had transformed back into her Crossbreed hand. She had to slap it over her mouth to prevent another scream. Tabs started pacing around the bedroom.

“Okay… Okay… Keep it together, Tabs. I’ll just tell mom and dad- no! That won’t work, they work in Crossbreed control! Okay… Okay… Um… Just go to sleep,” Tabs crawls in her bed. It’ll be better in the morning,” Tabs tries to soothe herself to sleep while trying to block out the memory of what just happened.

…

The next morning, Don was cooking once again.

“Is Tabs still asleep? It’s not like her to be sleeping in so late,” Jan looked concerned towards the upstairs.

“Tabs! Come down! You’re gonna be late for school!,” Don yelled.

“Coming!,”Tabs called.

Tabs came down wearing her blue pants, blueish green shirt with a puppy paw and brown cardigan.

Jan walked over to her. “I see the cure worked I’m so glad, honey,” Jan bent down and gave her a kiss.

“Y-Yeah, me too mom,”

Tabs sat down at the table.

“Hey, you’re wearing your hair differently,” Don noticed.

“Oh! Yeah, I’d figure I’d do something new with it,” Tabs said stroking her hair.

“No, it’s good. I like it,"Don complimented.

“Thanks, Dad!”

Lil rolled her eyes.

“Hey, Lil, can you pass the milk?”

Lil is surprised with Tabs’s louder voice. “Uh….,”

Ben just smiles and pushes the milk over. “Here, I got it,”

“Thanks!”

“It’s about time she started talking like normal,” Lil said under her breath.

“You're the one who’s always saying she needs to toughen up,” Ben smirked.

“Yeah, I did. The first time I said that was two years ago,”

While the two started fighting yet again, Tabs felt a strong sensation take over. Suddenly she could hear every single car on the road for miles, could hear people walking out of their house, could smell the neighbor's cooking... it was too much. Tabs slammed her hands over her ears to try and block out some of the noise.

“-Tabs?!”

Tabs snapped out of it and looked over at Ben who is looking concerned at her.

“Huh?”

“You good? You spaced out,”

“I’m fine Ben, just tired,” Tabs reassured.

“You wanna stay home from school today, Tabby? The doctor said this might happen,” Don asked.

“N-No! I’ll be ok! I don’t want to miss school,”

“If you start feeling sick, you go straight to the nurse, you hear me?,” Jan instructed concerned.

“Yes, mom,” Tabs agreed.

“Well if you’re sure you can handle it, I want you to bring your glasses and one of your inhalers to school the next few days just in case. Lil, go grab your things. I’m driving you and your sister to school today,” Jan said.

Yeah I’m on it,” Lil said, getting up from her seat.

…

The two girls walked down the same hallway again. Lil stopped Tabs.

“Alright, you know the drill, wimp. Don’t talk to me, don’t look at me, don’t-,”

“Sure. I gotta go, Lil,” Tabs waved Lil off.

Tabs started to walk off as Lil scoffs. Lil grabbed her lunchbox and threw it at the back of Tabs’s head.

“Ow!”

Tabs turned around to face her annoyed.

“Did you just cut me off?!” Lil snapped.

“Sorry! Whatever you say Lil- Just- I really gotta go,” Tabs ran off.

“You better sleep with one eye open tonight!” Lil yelled after her.

Tabs joined her friends who are waiting for her.

“Hey guys,” Tabs greeted.

“Hey! See, as usual, I was right! The cure did work!” Adam gloated.

“Y-Yeah, I guess,” Tabs said nervously.

“And it looks like it did more! Does your voice sound louder?” Mac asked.

“I-,” Before Tabs could continue, the same sensation that took over her at the breakfast table took over, worse this time. Tabs's face flushed and she began to sway as she leaned up against the lockers to steady herself.

Adam ran over to her. “Whoa! Tabs, are you okay?!”

Mac followed behind. “Yeah, you don’t look good. You want us to take you to the nurse?” Mac asked.

“No no, I’m fine. I’m just a bit light headed,” Tabs said nervously.

“You sure?” Adam asked, concerned.

“I’m fine really. I’ll be ok,” Tabs insisted.

The school bell went off.

“Besides, we’re going to be late for class. We should go,”

Tabs walked off. Adam and Mac stay behind for a bit and give each other a concerned look.

…

“Good morning children!” Mrs. Dutka greeted.

“Good morning Mrs. Dutka!" the class responded.

“We have a lot of ground to cover today, so we’re just going to get started,” Mrs. Dutka turned to the chalkboard and started to write.

“Today we’re going to be focusing on the battle for LA. Turn your textbooks to page 47 and we’re just going to-,”

Mrs. Dutka’s voice faded away as Tabs experienced another sensory overload, the third that day, this one was worse than ever. She could feel the urge to transform into her Crossbreed form growing. Tabs shook it off.

“No… No, not again. Stop,” Tabs whispered.

“-And when that didn’t work we had to hit them with a bazooka,”

Tabs rose her hand.

“Yes Tabitha?”

“Um, may I go to the bathroom?,”

“Of course. The one in the hallway is closed. Go to the one in the gym. Take the hall pass,”

Tabs got up and ran out to the bathroom. As soon as she closed the door for the gym the transformation began.

…

After what felt like forever to the kids, Adam and Mac looked at each other concerned.

“How long has Tabitha been in the bathroom?” Mac asked Fiona.

“I’m not sure, it’s been a while though,” Fiona whispered concerned.

Adam and Mac both rose their hands and Mrs. Dutka noticed.

“Yes? What is it you two?”

“I have to go to the bathroom, miss,” Adam said.

“And can I get a drink?” Mac asked.

“Go ahead. Take hall passes,”

The two kids stood up.

“And if you see Tabitha, Mckayla, check to make sure she’s alright,”

“I will!”

Mac and Adam leave the classroom.

Mac gasped. “What if Tabs died?”

“Just died?! For no reason?!” Adam asked, alarmed.

“Yeah," Mac made dying sounds pretending to be Tabs

“Something tells me that didn’t happen,” Adam said, annoyed.

The two enter the gym.

“Tabs? Are you in here?” Adam called out.

Tabs is back in her Bat Crossbreed form, hiding behind the bleachers.

“Don’t come in here!” Tabs cried.

“Tabs… is that you?” Mac asked, getting worried.

“Why do you sound so weird?” Adam asked.

“Don’t come in here!” Tabs cried again.

“Where are you right now?” Adam asked exasperated.

Mac’s eyes landed on Tabs’s form and started trembling.

“C-C-C-C-C,”

Adam turned towards her. “What?”

He also saw her.

“Hey guys?” Tabs said nervously.

Adam and Mac screamed. Adam fell backwards on his butt while Mac grabbed a baseball bat.

“What the heck Tabs?! Why would you not tell us there was a Crossbreed in here with you?!" Adam exclaimed.

“Back Satan!” Mac yelled and threw the bat.

The bat hit Tabs in the head.

“Ow! Guys it’s me! I’m a monster!” Tabs started crying.

Adam and Mac look shocked.

“Yeah… I don’t buy it,” Adam says deadpanned.

“Tell us something only Tabs would know,” Mac demanded.

“Ok…,” Tabs started to think. “Well in Kindergarten you ate a sandwich you fell on the floor and it turned your stomach-,”

“Ok! Ok it’s her!” Mac cut her off.

“How did this happen? I could’ve sworn you were human all these years,” Adam said.

“I…was,” Tabs strained to transform back into her human form. “It was that doctor, the one who cured my eyes and asthma. He did this to me. He hit me on the back of the head, I woke up strapped to a table, the next thing I know he turned me into a Crossbreed,”

“Well… that’s not nice,” Mac said, shocked.

“Not nice? I’m pretty sure that’s like… Against the law,” Adam said. “Where’d your parents find this doctor?” Adam asked.

“I don’t know, they didn’t tell me. You know my parents are Crossbreed controlled. If they find out I’m a Crossbreed who knows where I’ll end up! You can’t tell them! You can’t!” Tabs begged.

Adam and Mac look at each other.

“Ok, Tabs, we won’t. But you might want to tell that at some point,” Adam agreed as Tabs stood up and joined them.

“Oh, I can keep a secret. We can be like a secret club. We’re going to need code names. I call dibs on TechnoGirl!” Mac rambled.

Tabs and Adam look at each other before bursting out laughing and Mac joined in.

Things would be ok.