Shella

Shella was once an ordinary Phlaye, whom grew up in the serene and picturesque city of Zentara, nestled near the expansive Zarvian Ocean. Her beachside home, with its stunning ocean views, provided the perfect backdrop for a childhood filled with creativity and tranquility. From a young age, Shella demonstrated a remarkable talent for painting. Her vivid imagination and keen eye for detail allowed her to create beautiful portraits and landscapes that captured the essence of her surroundings. Her parents, recognizing her extraordinary talent, began selling her artwork, which quickly gained popularity not only in Zentara but in neighboring cities as well. Shella's artistic breakthrough was met with admiration and support from her community, solidifying her reputation as a young prodigy.

As Shella's fame grew, her life took an unexpected turn when Mira heard about her artistic prowess. They saw potential in Shella's ability to visualize and create detailed illustrations and offered her a unique opportunity. Shella was invited to join the space exploration team as a researcher and visualist. Her role would involve creating graphic designs and illustrations of the various discoveries made during their expeditions. Excited by the prospect of combining her love for art with the thrill of space exploration, Shella eagerly accepted the offer. She was stationed on Polus, a cold and mysterious planet known for its harsh conditions and enigmatic landscapes.

However, Shella's promising career took a dark and unforeseen turn during her time on Polus. While conducting research and creating illustrations, she fell victim to a parasitic infection. The parasite, which had remained undetected, painfully transformed her into an Impostor. This transformation was both shocking and bewildering. Unlike other Impostors who were consumed by a primal urge to kill and consume, Shella retained her original identity and personality. The change did not seem to affect her negatively; instead, she embraced her new form. Shella found herself uninterested in violence and killing, feeling no compulsion to harm the crewmates she worked alongside. She maintained her composure and continued her work as if nothing had happened, using her shapeshifting ability to adopt a more feminine appearance.

Over the years, Shella managed to keep her Impostor identity a secret from the crewmates. She continued her work with unwavering dedication, creating stunning visual records of their discoveries. Her affection for the crewmates grew, and she developed a deep love for their diverse personalities and unique traits. She began carrying a large plushie of a red crewmate on her back as a symbol of her affection, and she was rarely seen without a camera, which she used to take countless photos of her colleagues. These photos served as references for her drawings and paintings, allowing her to capture the essence of each crewmate in her artwork.

However, as the months passed, Shella's obsessive nature began to make others uncomfortable. Her focus shifted from her regular activities to straight up stalking her colleagues, driven by an overwhelming desire to capture their likenesses in her art. She became increasingly distracted from her duties, spending most of her time taking photos and drawing rather than contributing to the team's efforts. Her behavior became a source of concern, and whispers of her odd conduct spread among the crewmates.

Inevitably her secret identity as an Impostor was exposed. During a routine inspection, a crewmate discovered her true nature, prompting a swift and decisive response from the others. Fearing for her life, Shella fled the scene, narrowly escaping being voted off and thrown into Polus' lava pit. She relied on her shapeshifting abilities to evade capture, hiding in various locations and blending in with the environment. For weeks, she lived in constant fear, moving from one hiding place to another as the crewmates continued their search for her.

Thankfully for her however, the crew was planning on returning to the Skeld and departing the planet to return back to their home world. Seizing her chance, Shella secretly boarded the Skeld, hiding in the vents to avoid detection. The journey back to the home planet was nerve-wracking, but Shella managed to stay hidden. Upon arrival, she disembarked carefully, hoping to avoid any further confrontation.

Upon her return, Shella was shocked to learn that a report had declared her dead, a report that had likely been sent to her parents. Panicking, she made her way back to Zentara, desperate to inform her parents that she was alive. However, upon arriving, she was devastated to discover that her parents had been killed and eaten by a sadistic cannibal who had since been imprisoned at Mira HQ for their heinous crimes.

The news shattered Shella. She had walked tirelessly for days, and haven't seen nor heard from her parents in years, only to find that they were dead, leaving her with a profound sense of loss and helplessness. She couldn't help but wonder if her parents had died before or after they received the news of her supposed death. The thought tormented her, filling her with guilt and sorrow. But amid her grief, a burning rage began to take hold. She resolved to avenge her parents' deaths, determined to confront the cannibal who had robbed her of her family.

Fueled by vengeance, Shella began to sprint non-stop towards Mira HQ, her greatly enhanced stamina and speed propelling her forward. It took her just 12 hours to reach the facility. Without hesitation, she stormed inside, attacking any guard who tried to stop her with swift, lethal strikes. Her sharp tongue, now a deadly weapon, pierced their skulls with precision, killing them instantly. The lower half of the facility was thrown into chaos as Shella rampaged through the first twelve stories, her fury unstoppable.

However, her rampage was short-lived. Overwhelmed by the sheer number of guards, Shella was eventually captured and placed in a cell. Ironically, her cell was right next to the cannibal who had murdered her parents. She stared at him, her hatred burning brightly, but she was powerless to act on her rage.

In the cell next to hers was another Impostor named June. With nothing else to do, Shella began to talk to her, finding a strange sense of solace in the shared experience of their imprisonment. As the hours passed in their cramped cells, Shella and June found themselves engaging in an weird bond almost, sharing stories of their past lives as crewmates and the events that led to their imprisonment. Despite the circumstance, their conversations provided a semblance of comfort for Shella amidst the chaos of her surroundings. During those twelve hours of relentless sprinting that had brought Shella to the HQ, she told June how she felt overwhelming rage and sense of animalistic fury consume her. June, understanding the depths of Shella's emotions, offered her some support, acknowledging the validity of her feelings in the face of such tragedy.

Their attention soon turned to the cannibal imprisoned in the adjacent cell, who seemed to be eavesdropping on their conversation. Shella's gaze hardened with hatred and confusion as she regarded him, grappling with the realization that he was not an Impostor like themselves, but rather a regular man driven to madness by his own depravity.

Despite their shared animosity towards their captor, Shella and June knew that escape from Mira's prison stronghold would be a near-impossible feat. The facility was designed to contain even the most formidable of Impostors, with security measures in place to prevent any breach of its defenses.

However, June remained undeterred, her determination unwavering in the face of adversity. With a steely resolve, she revealed her plan to Shella, inviting her to join forces in a daring bid for freedom. Shella, though initially skeptical, found herself drawn to June's conviction, realizing that they shared a common goal: to break free from their captivity and seek justice for the injustices they had suffered.

The next night, as darkness settled over the prison, a guard made their way to June's cell for the routine check-up. Unbeknownst to the guard, June had been meticulously planning her escape for weeks. With the guard's arrival, she saw her opportunity. In a flash, she lashed out with terrifying speed, her jaws clamping down and severing the guard in half. Blood splattered across the cell as June swiftly retrieved the keycard from the lifeless body. Startled yet intrigued, Shella watched from her own cell, her heart pounding with a mixture of fear and excitement. June approached her cell with a look of determination. Shella, seeing a glimmer of hope, reached out as June unlocked the door. Their hands met, and Shella was pulled forward, thinking she was about to be freed. But in a sudden, shocking twist, June's expression changed to one of malevolence. She yanked Shella closer and, with a swift, brutal motion, stabbed her in the chest. Shella gasped, her eyes widening in utter disbelief and agony. The betrayal cut deeper than the knife. June's smirk was the last thing Shella saw before collapsing to the ground, blood seeping from her wound.

As Shella lay there, struggling to breathe, June opened the cannibal's cell and tossed Shella inside and dashed off into the darkness, her footsteps echoing down the corridor, and the pain in Shella's gut was unbearable. The cannibal loomed over her. Shella's heart raced as he stepped closer, his eyes gleaming with hunger. She knew she was too weak to defend herself, and the thought of being consumed alive filled her with terror. But then, out of the shadows, emerged the cannibal's cellmate – a disfigured, candle-shaped Impostor. This peculiar creature, despite its grotesque appearance, had a calming presence. It shuffled over to the cannibal and placed a hand on his shoulder, murmuring in a broken English Shella couldn't really understand.

The cannibal hesitated, his predatory gaze wavering. The little Imp continued to speak, its tone soothing and persuasive. Gradually, the cannibal's stance relaxed, and he took a step back, reluctantly nodding in agreement. Shella watched in amazement as the disfigured Impostor turned to her, its eye filled with a surprising gentleness. Shella, barely conscious from blood loss, felt a wave of relief wash over her. The strange, candle-shaped Impostor had saved her from a gruesome fate. As she slipped into unconsciousness, she couldn't help but wonder about this unexpected ally. The betrayal, the pain, and the fear began to fade, replaced by a faint glimmer of hope.

Hours after her betrayal and near-death, Shella lay in her cell, her thoughts as sharp as the pain in her chest. Miraculously, her body had begun to heal itself at a rapid pace. Impostor biology worked in strange ways. She could feel her strength returning, but the psychological wounds cut deeper. Betrayed by June, nearly devoured by the cannibal, and plagued by the loss of her parents, she wrestled with the knowledge that escape was impossible. Even if she had the power to break free by force, she knew the prison was inescapable. Days bled into nights as she sat in quiet contemplation, replaying memories of her family and reflecting on how far she had fallen.

The guards, wary after her violent rampage, were cautious but eventually relaxed around her. Shella wasn't like the other Impostors, her rage was not driven by primal urges but by moments of passion and anguish. They noticed that she was passive, more contemplative than aggressive, leading to her being treated with a modicum of respect. Shella, for her part, kept to herself, planning silently. She still clung to the faintest hope that some chance for redemption or freedom might come her way.

Then one day, something unexpected happened. A scientist named Stilka, a brilliant mind known for pushing boundaries arrived at the prison on a routine inspection. As Stilka toured the prison facility with the guards, his sharp eyes fell upon Shella. She, too, noticed him, and for a brief moment, their eyes locked. Something in her gaze, a blend of curiosity and sorrow, caught Stilka's attention. He paused, asking the guards why this particular prisoner, an Impostor no less, was being held in such a high-security cell.

One of the guards, seemingly reluctant to speak up, finally admitted that Shella was different from the others. Her behavior had baffled them for months. Upon hearing this, Stilka, always one to question the status quo, saw an opportunity. He requested that Shella be removed from her cell for further study and possibly even rehabilitation. The guards, wary of releasing an Impostor, hesitated. But Stilka's reputation and authority carried weight, and with some reluctance, they acquiesced.

Shella, feeling an unfamiliar surge of hope, stood as her cell door was unlocked. She cast a long, cold stare back at the cannibal who had nearly taken her life. His mask concealed his face, but she could feel his malevolent grin beneath it. This was her last look at the creature who embodied her torment. With that chapter of her life closing, she followed Stilka out of the prison, overwhelmed by the possibility of freedom.

Once at Stilka's lab, she was treated with surprising gentleness. He questioned her, eager to understand her unique nature. Shella, now free from the confines of her cell, told Stilka everything; her life before the infection, her love for painting, the betrayal by June, and the tragedy of her parents' deaths. Stilka listened intently, his mind whirring as he tried to piece together what made Shella different from other Impostors. Despite her having the same origins as the ravenous, murderous creatures that had brought fear across the Phlayes, Shella was not driven by an insatiable need to kill. Her gentleness, mixed with occasional moments of fury, baffled Stilka.

He found himself growing attached to her story, seeing her not as a monster but as a unique individual whose fate had taken a tragic turn. But despite his sympathy, he knew the wider community would never accept her. Impostors, cured by Stilka's serum or just their normal murderous selves, were still viewed as threats, and there was no way she could live a normal life without being hunted down or imprisoned again.

Still, Stilka was undeterred. He promised Shella that he would fight for her. He saw in her potential, intelligence, and a quiet determination that could serve him well in his work. He went to battle with his superiors, convincing them that Shella could be rehabilitated and that her intelligence and passive nature made her the perfect candidate to serve as his lab assistant.

Thankfully, Stilka managed to secure her release into his custody with only a little bit of effort. By this point, Stilka was shown and proven to be able to handle Impostors and the cure had backed up proof that it was known to work. Shella, once filled with despair, was overwhelmed with gratitude. The world outside her cell seemed bright with new possibilities.

Shella quickly adjusted to her new life in the lab. She proved herself invaluable to Stilka, assisting with experiments, gathering data, and even offering insights that would have eluded other scientists. Her natural curiosity and intelligence allowed her to adapt quickly, and she and Stilka developed a close bond over time. Stilka found himself relying on her more and more, impressed by her willingness to help despite all she had been through.

As the months passed, their relationship blossomed into a deep friendship. Shella found herself at home in Stilka's lab, but it wasn't just the two of them. Stilka's partner, Trainer, was also an important part of their little team. Trainer was a brilliant strategist, known for her work as a Pokémon trainer, but also a deeply empathetic individual who quickly accepted Shella into their lives. The three became a strange, yet inseparable, trio.

They ventured into the cosmos together, exploring distant worlds and unraveling mysteries that stretched far beyond the confines of their home planet. As a trio, a crewmate, two Impostors, and a shared sense of purpose, they formed a bond that transcended their pasts. No longer was Shella just an Impostor marked by tragedy. She was a survivor, a friend, and an adventurer, ready to tackle the unknown and carve out a future for herself alongside Stilka and Trainer, wherever their journey would take them next.