"This is an important day for you, Theo. It's an important day for us, too. For the kids. Don't mess this up. If you do, the consequences will be dire. For everybody. So play nice, and just try to have a good time. Being out in the playcare has to be better than your cell, right?"

Theodore stared, blankly, as Dr. Hoyt talked to him in hushed, almost soothing tones. But there was a sharpness there. Theodore knew that, if he didn't obey, he would be in a world of pain before he knew it.

He still wasn't used to his new body. What used to be two normal human arms and two normal human legs were now, long, gangly purple appendages, covered in fur, with large paws at the end of each one. Claws, that he could just out and retract. He was more sensitive to light now. His eyes were bigger. He could hear and smell with so much more detail than before, it was practically overstimulating at all times. He had a tail now. And a smile that was permanently plastered into his features.

He hated his body now. He was glad that he rarely had a chance to look into any reflective surface, or he might recoil at what he found there, staring back at him.

Recoil is exactly what the children did, as soon at Dr. Hoyt escorted Theodore into the playcare. They had seen some of the experiments before, but nothing quite like him. His fur, his claws, his tail. That twisted, terrifying grin. They stared at him in awe, fear, and disgust, all at the same time. Theodore wanted to shrink back into himself, to find a place to hide. But under Dr. Hoyt's gaze such would never be allowed. He felt like an abomination. He wished he could just disappear, become invisible.

"Hey, kiddos!" Dr. Hoyt greeted, waving down a group of five or six children, who had drawn near. "This is CatNap! He's a new friend here at the playcare, here to help us with our bedtime routine. We figured, since he's going to be helping out, you should all meet him. He's a little shy, but a very nice kitty."

Theodore felt his ears flick back and his tail twitch in annoyance. A kitty? That's what they're calling him now? He tried to protest, but nothing came out. His voice box was still broken. He glared at the children, who were now surrounding him, their faces a mix of curiosity and nerves. He wanted to scratch them, to make them go away, to let them know that he was not just some harmless pet. They hadn't been nice to him when he was human. He doubted that they would be nice to him now. But he knew that he couldn't hurt anyone. Not if he wanted to survive this.

Dr. Hoyt nodded encouragingly. "That's right, kids. CatNap is a lot like a normal cat, only a whole lot bigger. Come say hello!"

Theodore's ears twitched uncomfortably as the children crowded around him, poking and prodding. One of them, a little boy with blond hair and bright blue eyes, reached out a hesitant hand to touch his fur. "Is it soft?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Theodore felt his hackles rise. He wanted to snap at the child, to tell him to keep his distance. But he knew better. He stayed very still, allowing the child to pat him a little. Theodore's eyes stared off into the middle distance, trying to focus on anything else to shake off the discomfort. To keep himself calm.

"His fur's a little rough," said one of the other children. "I don't like it."

The other children had never liked him. He had only ever had two friends in his entire life. The Prototype, a friend he had made while prisoner, awaiting the experimentation that would become his fate, and another little boy named Grayson.

He hadn't seen either one of them for quite some time.

Grayson was Dr. Hoyt's son. He was allowed to visit and stay at the playcare when his father was working. All of the staff without childcare were permitted this.

Theodore didn't trust any of the adults or any of the other children, but he had grown to like Grayson. The boy was different from the other children. He was kind, and he didn't seem to mind Theodore's outbursts or his moodiness. When he cried or lashed out, Grayson would help him find ways to get his frustration out, whether that be talking things though, or digging up the flowerbeds with him, or throwing rocks into the fountain. Even knowing that they could get into trouble, Grayson always just wanted to see Theodore smile. He didn't even tell on him when Theodore hit him one time. He just hugged him afterwards, and told him that he knew he didn't mean it. They would often play together, hiding behind the gardening shed so that no one would bother them.

Dr. Hoyt had always been suspicious of their friendship. He thought that Theodore was influencing Grayson in a bad way. But he never said anything to Grayson, and he never tried to separate them. That was, until he was chosen as an experiment.

Perhaps that was why he had never intervened. He already knew that the friendship couldn't last when Theodore wouldn't be himself for much longer.

Theodore's heart tugged in longing and grief, as he thought of his friend. He wondered if he was present at the playcare that day. Ignoring the children surrounding him, he scanned the horizon.

He found him, sitting next the gardening shed, scribbling into a notebook with a marker. For the first time in months, Theodore felt a rush of relief and joy wash over him.

Slowly, Theodore began to move away from the children that had crowded him. Away from Dr. Hoyt. He was allowed to move though the playcare as long as he behaved, they had told him. And so, he made a beeline for Grayson.

Grayson saw him coming, his brown eyes wide, as he looked up at Theodore's now towering form. He didn't recognize him. He couldn't. And Theodore couldn't possibly tell him what had happened without severely endangering them both. And so, he just stood there, waiting for his former best friend to say something.

"H-Hello," Grayson greeted, voice soft as he stared up at him. Theodore noticed the tears in his eyes, the pink swelling around them and his nose. He had been crying.

"You...don't...need...to be afraid," Theodore rasped. He nearly cringed at the sound of his own voice, deep, distorted, laced with static. He didn't just look like a monster, he sounded like one, too. "I-I'm...not going to...hurt you," he assured, his eyes burning into the boy in front of him.

Grayson stared at him, tears streaming down his cheeks. "O-Oh. I-It's not that, it's..." he lifted up the notebook he had been holding. It was filled with words. It looked like a letter.

"What...is...this?" Theodore asked, moving to lay in the grass next to Grayson. Just like he used to.

"I've been writing letters," Grayson explained. "To my very best friend in the world. He...got adopted a few months ago and...no one will tell me by who. Not even my dad. He says it would be against the rules to give out personal information. So...I can't even have his address to send him these letters."

The young boy began crying harder. Theodore could feel his heart breaking. He also would have been crying, if his new body had been given the ability to.

"I-I don't know where he went...I just want to know if he's okay...I miss him so much..." Grayson paused, sniffling, and wiping his nose on his sleeve. "And I was hoping...that maybe he'd write to me. He knows my address and the address here, but..."

"What...is his...name?" Theodore asked, already knowing the answer.

"Theodore," Grayson said. He was clutching the notebook so hard that the paper was starting to crumple. "His name was Theodore and he was my favorite person in the whole world. I...hope he's happy with his new family. He deserves to be happy. To be loved..."

Theodore leaned against Grayson, not even thinking about what he was doing. Unintentionally, he began to purr. It surprised him a little. He didn't know that he even could. "It'll...be okay... I'm sure...wherever Theodore is...he misses you very much..."

Grayson let out a small sigh through his sobs, and Theodore pressed in closer, glad to be able to have been of some comfort, even in his twisted new form.

"I'll be…your friend…if you want," Theodore said, as Grayson began to gently stroke the fur along his shoulders. "My name…is CatNap."

The young boy looked up at him, hope glimmering in his eyes, and Theodore felt a surge of emotion course through him. He was angry about his situation. He hated Grayson's father. He hated every adult there for making him and The Prototype and all of the others suffer. But he didn't want Grayson to hurt any more. He wanted to protect him.

"I'd like that, CatNap. Um…my name is Grayson," Grayson said, giving him a smile. It melted Theodore's heart.

Theodore returned the smile, genuinely feeling it in the muscles of his face. "Then...let's be friends…Grayson," he purred. "We can...talk...and...play...every day."

Grayson's face lit up, and he hugged CatNap tightly, burying his face in the purple fur on Theodore's. Theodore returned the hug, pressing into Grayson's little body, purring loudly as he felt the warmth of the boy's body against his own.

"Thank you, CatNap," Grayson said, his voice muffled. "Thank you so much. I was so lonely without Theodore. And my dad...he's not around much since he's always working. I don't have a mom or any brothers or sisters. I don't think the other kids like me very much."

Theodore's tail twitched gently, and he rubbed his cheek against Grayson's hair. "You...won't be lonely...anymore," he purred. "We'll...take care of each other."

Grayson paused, looking to him with wide eyes, "That's what Theo always used to say. That we'd take care of each other, no matter what."

Theodore knew. A pang of grief sliced its way through him, remembering the boy he once was, the friendship he had shared with Grayson.

"CatNap!" A sharp voice rang out through the playcare. It was Dr. Hoyt. "There are other children waiting to meet you!"

Theodore let out a frustrated noise, before turning to Grayson. "Hop...on...my back. If I'm going to...be parading around...at least I'd...like to...do it with my...best friend."

Grayson nodded, climbing onto Theodore's back. He wrapped his arms around Theodore's neck, burying his face in the fur on the back of his head. "Okay, CatNap, let's go," he said softly.

Theodore let out a happy sigh, feeling the weight of the boy on his back. He began to pad across the playcare, his tail flicking gently behind him.

"So, CatNap," Grayson said, lifting his head, "Do you like it here?"

Theodore paused for a moment, considering his answer. "Well...it's home. I...don't know much else. I get...to see you, though...and...be with you. So...I guess...it's okay."

They continued to walk, Theodore's massive paws padding softly against the grass. He glanced around the playcare, taking in the sight of the other children and their toys. The children began to approach him.

"Aw, why does Grayson get to ride him?" one of the girls complained. "Is it because he's Dr. Hoyt's kid?"

Grayson winced, and Theodore glanced up to see him biting his lip, nervously.

"Well...um..." Theodore began, hesitantly. "Grayson and I...we're sort of...special...friends. I mean, we're... We...care about each other." He paused, watching the other children's reactions. "So...I let him...because...he's important to me."

Dr. Hoyt cleared his throat, and Theodore glanced at him. "CatNap, it's wonderful that you've taken a liking to Grayson. You can of course continue to be friends, but it's important for the other children to feel included as well."

Theodore nodded, his ears lowering slightly. "I...understand," he replied, his voice sounding a bit sad. "I'll...try to...play with them too."

He was holding so much in, fighting hard not to lash out. He hadn't seen his friend in months. He was a monster now. The only positive thing left in his miserable life was being near Grayson. He hadn't seen The Prototype since they had been separated before Theodore was changed, and he knew that the doctors would not allow him to see him. This was all he had.

The other children began to gather around, some of them climbing onto his massive paws or sitting on his back. He endured their presence, but his heart wasn't in it. His eyes kept darting over to Grayson, making sure he was alright. Dr. Hoyt watched them carefully, his expression unreadable.

Eventually, Dr. Hoyt insisted that Grayson come to his office with him. Theodore was devastated to see him go, but knew that at least he would get more chances to be beside his friend in the future. He had been given a job in the playcare now. He would be spending a lot of time there.

Theodore found himself playing a game of tag with a group of younger children, trying to keep his mind off of Grayson and the ache in his chest. He pretended to be carefree and happy, but it was a lie. He wanted to tear apart every inch of turf he stepped on, claw out the throats of every employee that watched him.

He felt like a monster. A freak. A mistake. And he hated it.

That night came the worst part. The part he had been made for. The part he had been murdered for. His brand new shiny job. The one he would be forced to do for eternity unless they decided to put him down for disobedience.

The kids had all been tucked away into their beds. Grayson was nowhere to be found. He had gone home. This was a good thing. A wonderful thing. Theodore didn't want him to experience what came next.

Mr. Pierre, the head of Innovation, stood beside him, dawning a gas mask. He was a cruel man. He had personally helped see through the project that had turned Theodore into what he had become. At his signal, Theodore opened his mouth wide. Wider than he had that entire day. His throat burned raw, and a cloud of scarlet smoke began to slowly waft from his jaws. In about three minutes time, it permeated the entire room.

The children were asleep. They would dream of terrors their brains hadn't before imagined possible.

At least they didn't know that they were also living them.

Theodore was no longer so lucky.

He missed his friends terribly.