The young girl sat impatiently in the white trailer, her foot tapping the floor rapidly. There was nothing remarkable about the girl. She was short, about 5'2" with short brown hair and a lean, toned athletic body with a dark tan. She looked like any other female gym rat. The only things that distinguished her from other girls were her eyes. They were a pale blue that burned fiercely with determination. Carol was eager to get out of the makeshift office the Zoo had set up and begin her hunt.
The disaster at the Zoo was all over the news. Several tourists had snapped pictures and recorded film of the massive beast that destroyed the Zoo. Carol knew that John worked for the Zoo, and when he did not return home, she knew he was one of the dead. She did not mourn long. She simply grabbed her hunting gear, and prepared to destroy the beast that had taken her brother from her.
She was heading out the door when her phone rang. She almost ignored it, but she still held a little hope that her brother was still alive. When she heard the Zoo representative introduce himself, she assumed he had called to offer condolences. She was surprised when he requested a meeting, offering important information that would aid her in her quest for revenge.
Now she sat in the small office in the trailer, wasting valuable time staring at a tall lanky man reviewing some papers on his desk. Finally, he dropped the papers in front of her, and she saw that all of the information was about her. A thick dossier all about her.
"Very impressive, " said the man, who had never bothered to introduce himself. "You are quite an accomplished hunter. Trapping rogue bears in Utah, leading safaris in Africa, acting as guide in the Amazon. Very impressive, indeed. But I am afraid the Beast you now seek is far beyond you, even with your special skills."
"We'll see about that, " said Carol, as she stood up to leave. This had been just a waste of time. They were trying to scare her away. But she had faced dangerous animals many times before, and she had yet to find something she was too scared to hunt. And this monster had made it personal by killing her brother, along with God knows how many other people. Nothing was going to stop her from having her revenge.
"Wait, wait. Please sit down, " said the man. "I was not suggesting that you abandon your quest. Far from it. We here at the Zoo approve of your mission, and just wanted to give you a little support."
"I'm pretty comfortable with my own weapons, thanks, " said Carol.
The man chuckled. "Yes, you have a fine arsenal. But we believe the most potent weapon is your own body. And we wanted to offer you a few improvements. If you're interested, that is."
Carol was shocked, and had to sit down. "Improvements? You mean ...... genetic modifications?"
"Yes, " said the man with a smile. "In order to save some of the more endangered species we have done some experimentation in that field. We have worked with several species of animals, trying to bring them back from extinction or improve them in some way that helps them survive. A benefit of that research is some possible applications in humans."
"Did you create that monster? Is that some kind of mad science experiment run amok?" said Carol angrily.
The man frowned. It was the first time she had seen his expression change since she entered the room. "Due to pending litigation, I am not at liberty to say. Let's just say that the Zoo wants to clean up this mess quickly, and that we are eager to help enterprising young people like yourself who share the same goal."
Carol was pissed. These assholes had probably fucked up somehow and gotten her brother killed. But she had to admit that the man was right. The beast was formidable, and she could use any advantage she could get.
"Okay, I'll admit I am interested. But I don't want to become some giant raging beast, " said Carol.
The man's smile returned. "Oh my, of course not. That experiment is obviously a failure, and it would be foolish to repeat that mistake. Only a lunatic would repeat the same experiment and expect a different result. Besides, as a hunter I am sure you would agree that size isn't everything. Speed, ferocity, and cunning go a long way, " said the man.
"So what are you offering? What animal characteristics are you going to give me?" asked Carol.
The man brought out another folder, and placed it on the table before her. "Have a look for yourself. You are the hunter. We think that you would be the one best suited to make that choice. Just tell us what you like, and we will do our best to accommodate you."
Carol looked over the papers and smiled. She didn't care if the process hurt, or if the results were permanent. She just wanted to kill that monster, and make it suffer as much as possible before it died. There were a lot of good options here. The Dragon was as good as dead.