Levon was nervous, he had been living without his left arm for several years, growing more and more accustomed to its absence. Despite this however, there were still times he could swear he felt it, in the early morning hours when he awoke, In the dark, he would reach towards his nightstand with the arm that was no longer there, certain it was still present. This would only come as a startling shock when he remembered there was no arm there, trying to reach out, and finding nothing to reach out with. It was almost as if the events that lead to its loss occurred again and again, but without the excruciating pain that had accompanied the original loss.

The scientist who was overseeing his arms replacement, a kind panther in a long flowing white jacket and spectacles, had assured him numerous times the technology was sound. Explaining that the microscopic robotic nanobots would painstakingly and meticulously reconstruct the appendage, that though it would essentially be artificial, it would look and feel just like the one he had lost. The ebony felines reassurances should have comforted him, but as the muscular lion stood there, in nothing but a pair of Lycra red briefs, surrounded by metallic walls and electrical cybernetic cords hanging from above, he felt even more unease.

"Levon, are you all right in there?" The panther, standing before a control panel, looking through a broad pane of glass above it that looked into the room where the tiger resided asked with concern. His voice carried through an intercom into the other room at the push of a button, sounding distant despite the panther being only a few feet away.

"Sure." Levon lied, forcing an exaggerated smile. Despite the fact he was physically fit with muscles abounding on his fury physique, he couldn't help feeling rather exposed, unused to being seen in such a way. This only accompanied the ever present anxiety he felt for the process about to occur, but he was no sooner going to admit to that either.

"You'll be fine, I promise" the panther smiled, pressing another button with his other paw, causing it to light up a pale green "The cybernetic cords hanging from above are going to lower now. You'll feel a slight 'pinch' as they attach to your left shoulder; it only lasts for a second then you'll feel little more than a gentle pressure, as if you're leaning against a wall."

Though the panther had explained this before, he felt the need to repeat what was about to occur, seeing the Tigers nervousness. To the panthers right side, a very large, muscular bear, dressed in an olive tank and camouflage slacks and army boots would emerge from the shadows. Glancing from the control panel, then to the glass from which he could see the tiger, then to the panther, he would lean forward and cover the microphone the panther had been talking into with his paw.

"Must you coddle him?" The ursine sneered as he turned to the black feline, narrowing his eyes. He stood a good three feet taller than the scientist, and bent forward upon addressing him in his curt, straight to the point manner.

The panther didn't bother to turn to the bear, knowing who it was. Instead, he would press several more buttons on the control panel, pulling a red handled lever downwards and locking it there. This would cause the thick strips of metal wire draped above the tiger to begin lowering, and only after this begun did he answer the bear.

"I want my subjects to be comfortable, this is a new, frightening process that has much promise to help many people, not just aid the military in its war campaigns." The panther sniffed, still not turning towards the bear.

"You'd be wise to watch your tone." The large bear viciously smiled, an expression that was all the more disturbing as red light emitting from the panels before him illuminated his face "This operation is entirely funded by the military, so your precious lab rats have us to thank as much as they do you."

"I will inform them of where else to address their gratitude." The panther dryly replied, still refusing to turn towards the bear. He focused instead upon the lowering cords and wire, as it gradually approached the awaiting tiger.

Levon was as well keeping his eyes upon the progress of the think electric lines as they came closer. Some of the robotic cords had odd patterns upon them that glowed with a faint blue color, their light touching and illuminating the felines face and shoulders the closer they came. Just as they arrived within inches of the Tigers broad shoulders, they would spring to life, as if controlled by invisible strings and contort and twist like snakes until they touched the surface of Levon's fur of his left shoulder, attaching themselves to it.

As the panther had explained, Levon felt a slight pinch, which caused him to involuntary twitch, and grit his teeth. It wasn't so much a painful sensation as it was a jarring one, like he was being shocked, pinpricks of energy prickling along where his left arm once was. This was soon to pass, and Levon relaxed as he felt a small pressure, that wasn't uncomfortable in the slightest.

"Everything okay in there, Levon?" The panthers voice inquired through the speaker, followed by an impatient huff of the general as he didn't bother to lower his voice this time.

"Yes, it's really not that bad." Levon replied in earnest, feeling much more at ease than he had in months after he was told he was chosen for this experiment.

"Okay, good, now the cords attached to you will first, in a sense create a 'blueprint' based on your remaining appendage, flipping the schematics to adjust for your missing arm. Bit by bit the nanobots will reconstruct it, and it should feel and work entirely like a real arm." The panther explained, grinning proudly at finally seeing all his hard work coming to life.

"How long will it take?" Levon asked, watching in amazement as the beginning of his arm began to take shape, the outside at first looking like a jutting metal skeleton of a skyscraper under construction. Much more jagged and alien looking however, grey blurs of the nanobots executing their orders to create a whole new arm swirled around the metallic appendage, becoming longer as it took on a more finished look.

"Only a few minutes, after which the cords will detach and we can run a few tests to assure the process was complete." The panther replied, turning to address the general. Though the bear hadn't said anything, the panther wished to point out the efficiency in which his programming had succeeded in. He would find the area where the bear had been standing empty though, and a quick look around wouldn't reveal where he had gone either.

"General Grimstone?" The panther continued to look around, forgetting Levon for the moment. It wasn't until he heard a somewhat panicked voice coming through the glass that he whipped his head back around, brow furrowed.

"Doc...I think something's wrong with this, it's starting to really hurt." Levon remarked with a touch of panic in his voice, what had been a mere mild prickly pressure was in seconds a searing, stabbing pain. It felt like burning knives were coursing through his left side. Meanwhile his new cybernetic arm was just about finishing up, his new fingers taking form, clanking and whirring as the jagged metallic digits became smoother, more realistic looking, yet still the pain persisted.

"The cords will detach soon, Levon, just hang in..." The panther paused, eyes widening at what started happening next. Not only did the overhanging power lines not separate themselves from the tiger, but where they were attached thin, vein like strands of bright glowing blue energy were appearing all along the Tigers shoulder, extending to his chest, weaving themselves all over the broad pectorals and not slowing down in the slightest.

"What's it doing? Get this off me!" Levon yelled, reaching his real arm around to try and grab the electrical cords, and only succeeding it receiving a nasty shock, which forced him to let go. Helplessly he would watch as the illuminated strings spread all along his upper body, and what came next horrified him ever more. Starting with his left shoulder, where the cables were attached, his flesh was reforming, becoming metallic, looking more cybernetic than real. Levon tried to pull away, placing his other paw in his shoulder and pushing with all his might, but it was no use.

"Oh my god!" The panther cried, looking desperately at the control panel before him, pressing any and every button he could think of to try and stop what was happening, but nothing worked.

Just then, as the panther began banging his fists upon the glowing buttons and dials, a thundering explosion of electricity surged throughout the machine. Sparks of blue energy, like fireworks erupted from the control panel, sending the panther flying backwards, smashing into several computers located behind him. An eruption of noise in the form of glass shattering and computer cases smashing followed the panthers collision, several more sparks sizzling and popping out of the destroyed devices.

Meanwhile, the changes taking place to Levon in the other room were rapidly increasing, his once flesh and blood pectorals now robotic plates, his once real arm soon transforming, reconstructing itself into a matching copy of his cyborg arm. The Tigers horrified cries for help, once realistic sounding, became more of a grated, computerized noise as if his screams were being filtered through a crackling metal speaker. More and more of the Tigers body's was altered, becoming less and less of the flesh and blood tiger he once was.

Back outside within the control room, General Grimstone would return, having not wandered off too far, just far enough to avoid whatever misfortune had fallen upon the panthers programming it seemed. Casually he would lumber towards the mess of destroyed super computers, heavy boots thumping upon the floor as he approached. He would look upon the motionless feline with a distasteful sniff, upper lip curling slightly as he glanced over the roboticist face, or rather...what was left of it.

"What a waste...don't suppose I needed you any longer anyways." The bear grinned sadistically, moving closer to where the panther lay. He would then bring one of his large, sturdy legs upwards, before smashing it down with all the force he could muster upon one of the ebony felines legs. A sickening crack followed the impact of the Bears boot upon the panthers leg as bones shattered, leaving the appendage limp and useless.

"That's for being uptight little shit to me, you snot nosed ass." The bear growled, as all the times the scientist patronized and talked down to him whenever he showed the slightest bit of impatience, which was more often than not, came flashing back to him. "You made the technology work once from scratch; surely you can do it all over..." Smiling viciously, the bear would turn away, moving back towards the still sparking and crackling control panel "And if not...who fucking cares."

Peering through the glass into the cybernetics room as the bear approached it, Grimstones eyes would widen with wonder. As what stood within the hollowed out room was no longer a flesh and blood, organic being, but an entirely robotized being, standing still as a tomb, his mind now a blank slate, waiting to be programmed. "Beautiful." The bear remarked in astonishment, as he moved towards the doorway that led to the other room, twisting the knob and hurriedly entering.

Once inside the robotics room, the large, muscular bear would take in the entirety of the now totally cybernetic tiger. Thoughts of just what this could mean for the future of the military consumed him, and another grin of malicious delight spread the length of his furry muzzle. Moving to the back of the motionless tiger cyborg, he would glance over the metal plating there. Finding a removable panel, he would reach towards it, and carefully pop it off. Glowing wires and various buttons made up the area behind the panel, and with a few quick jabs to the various buttons, he would then return the panel to its original position.

“Come with me.” He would say to the tiger, turning and heading back from where he had entered. Soon, with a jerk, the tiger cyborg would take a step, beginning to follow, his motions at first, unsteady and rigid, becoming smoother as he progressed.
With the robotic tiger in tow, the general would leave the room, and the complex all together, leaving behind the unconscious panther, and the destroyed machinery.

~ ❦~

"Tobias? Oh my god, Tobias, your leg...your face!"

Some time had passed, several hours after the general had left with the tiger cyborg, along with all the schematics and programming info that led to his creation in tow, another had arrived on the scene. One of the Panthers assistants, a lithe otter who, though located in another part of the structure, had seen the lights flicker and go out as the power surged more than the breakers could handle. He had found the panther in a bloody heap, his mangled form lifeless within the pile of computer debris.

Upon his name being spoken, he would stir however, groaning in pain as he lifted his head, one eye sealed shut as the other could scarcely see through the soot covering it. "What...what happened?"

"Someone broke into the lab, they stole all your work, the papers, the files, anything not nailed down and everything else has been destroyed!" The otter explained, eyes wide in panic.

"What? No! That can't...Levon, where's Levon?" The panther asked, his head throbbing horribly, his whole body screaming in pain.

"Levon? Your test subject? There was no sign of him, or the general and his men."

The panther grit his teeth, an action that sent sharp stabbing pain through his entire face "Grimstone...he must have...that conniving jackal!" The panther would try and get up then, only succeeding in sending more pain shooting through his whole body "Fredrick...I can't move..."

"Your legs broken, the rest of you looks badly smashed up, too. I called the paramedics; they should be here any moment, just lye still, Tobias."

Anger growing inside him, consuming him, scarcely able to think of anything else through the agonizing stabbing pain coursing through his skull. Through his one remaining eye, he would fix the otter with an angered glare, scarcely able to focus through the throbbing sensation in his skull.

"I've told you many times, Fredrick, when addressing me, please use my last name." The panther growled, as hatred for the general, and vengeance gradually began dominating his mind.

Fredrick frowned, but nodded understandingly, concern etched in ever line of his features "Yes, I'm sorry, Mr. Stelward."

-=*=-

A commission for

I wasn't planning on doing any kind of story for this, but nearing completion, I just got inspired...this was one of those rare occasions where everything just came out, no struggling or having to ponder a scene for awhile, just all came out. So I really hope Cyberwuff likes this...and thank you again for commissioning me!