As these thoughts whirled through his mind, his attention was drawn to an unexpected sight. The ants—those strange, intelligent creatures that had appeared to him before—were back. But this time, something was different. Their appearance had changed. They weren't just ordinary ants anymore. They were dressed in what appeared to be military uniforms, signaling their organization and purpose. These weren't just regular ants; these were soldiers.
There was an air of celebration about them, as though they were acknowledging something important. Despite their appearance as soldiers, their size remained the same as always—small, yet seemingly endless in number. The ant army stood before him, and Dick couldn't help but feel a strange sense of awe. Last time, they had referred to him as "Dick, Genetic Beginner." This time, however, they seemed to have a different message.
As Dick watched, the number of ants continued to grow, and something extraordinary began to unfold. The ants' formation shifted, and before his eyes, they arranged themselves in such a way that a phrase began to materialize. The phrase appeared on the book: "Double-DNA."
The words caught Dick off guard. Double-DNA? He had heard the term before. Kama, that mysterious figure, had spoken about it, explaining that the double deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) could allow Dick to shift between being human and being like an ant. At the time, Dick had been fearful. He feared that he might be trapped in one form forever, unable to return to his human self. But Kama had reassured him, telling him that he had the power to control both worlds. It was all a matter of choice.
And now, as the ants gathered around him, Dick realized that he had learned enough to use this power. His mind, he understood, was the key to mastering his abilities. The ants surrounding him were a reminder of the choice he could make. There was no reason to cling to Ms. Caul's book any longer. He had outgrown it. It was time to embrace the new path that awaited him.
He carefully placed the book into his bag. It was time to return to school, but the world had changed for him. The weight of the knowledge he now possessed felt heavier than ever, and the possibilities seemed endless. What would his next steps be? How would he navigate this new reality?
He knew one thing for sure: every great hero, every powerful figure, had a defining identity. But Dick wasn't quite sure what his should be. He needed something that could reflect both his human side and the newfound ant-like abilities he had gained. After much contemplation, an idea sprang to his mind: "Double-D." It was simple yet fitting. A name that could encompass both worlds—human and insectoid. It felt right. It felt like the beginning of something new.
As the ants dispersed and the room returned to its normal stillness, Dick felt the weight of the day settle over him. He needed to rest, to prepare for what lay ahead. The sun began to dip beneath the horizon, and darkness settled over the world outside. The night was his to reclaim. He closed his eyes and tried to forget about the chaos, the uncertainty, the looming threat of Almora. For now, all he wanted was peace.
But as he drifted into sleep, something strange began to happen. A low, almost imperceptible hum filled the room, growing louder with each passing second. The sound swirled around him, becoming more pronounced, more insistent. It wasn't just a noise anymore; it had taken on a life of its own. Dick could feel it reverberating in his chest, a strange vibration that seemed to penetrate the very core of his being.
Suddenly, the hum began to transform, becoming something far more disorienting. It shifted in pitch and tone, fluctuating between high and low frequencies. The indistinct noise took on a form, a shape, as though it were trying to communicate with him. Dick, disturbed by the unsettling sound, turned in his bed, trying to shake off the growing unease. But the sound followed him, filling the space around him. It wasn't just a noise anymore—it was a presence. A force that he could neither ignore nor escape.
He tried to shake off the sensation, but it was no use. The sound continued to swell, becoming louder and louder until it filled the room completely. And then, as if on cue, the voices began. They were faint at first, whispers that he could barely make out. But as the voices grew stronger, their meaning became clearer. They weren't speaking to him—they were speaking through him. The voices seemed to be urging him toward something, pushing him into a new level of awareness.
Dick's body responded involuntarily. His hands shot out, his limbs flailing as if he were fighting off an unseen attacker. His muscles tensed, his whole body betraying him as it reacted to the force entering him. The room began to feel smaller, as though it were shrinking around him. He couldn't control his movements. His body was being overtaken.
Then, with a sudden surge, Dick's body began to change. His head swelled larger than his body. His stomach bulged out, taking on the shape of an abdomen. His limbs grew longer, more insect-like, as his body began to morph before his eyes. He was no longer in control. His transformation was complete—he had become a giant ant. Panic set in as he realized what was happening.
"What is happening to me?" Dick thought in a daze, his mind struggling to comprehend the shift. His arms and legs were no longer human—his entire body had been altered. He looked at himself in horror, barely able to recognize the creature he had become.
He stood on four limbs, an enormous, insectoid figure, his human form entirely gone. He was a giant ant, his body now a grotesque version of what he had once been. And yet, in that moment of fear and confusion, Dick felt something else—a deep, primal awareness of power.
Dick was about to scream. The transformation he was experiencing was beyond his wildest dreams—or nightmares. He had once entertained the idea of something terrible happening, but never in his life had he imagined this level of horror. His ant form, which had once seemed a mere curiosity, was now larger than his original human size. His body was no longer the familiar shape he knew, and his mind struggled to grasp the enormity of the change. As he shifted his weight, a wave of panic surged within him, he couldn't help but wonder if this was only the beginning of his metamorphosis.
In his new, giant ant body, he felt an overwhelming sense of disorientation. His instincts were fighting against the unnatural size and the pressure of his transformed limbs. It was as if the weight of his new form was pressing down on him from all directions, but there was little time for panic. As he moved away from his bed, he heard something—something heavy—a footstep. But how could that be? He looked down, expecting to see his human feet, but instead, he found something entirely different: flat, sturdy feet, designed for his new massive weight.
He could have screamed, but something within him told him to hold back. This wasn't just some strange accident. The voice he had heard earlier—the one that had warned him about his development—was still fresh in his mind. His transformation was not finished yet, and it would continue until he fully understood and embraced what was happening. He had been told that his development would go on until he realized his true form. The thought chilled him, but there was little he could do to stop it now.
The room felt small, even cramped. With his new size, it was difficult to even move, and he could feel the walls pressing in on him. The door, which once seemed like a simple escape route, now seemed like an obstacle. There was no way he could simply walk out. He had to find a way to move sideways, to bend his body to fit through. His transformation was more than just physical—it seemed to have altered his very understanding of space and movement. He tried to shift himself, twisting his enormous form to get through the narrow gap. But his hips caught on the doorframe, and the walls groaned under the strain of his expanded size.
Suddenly, he realized something: he was too big for the doorway. There was no way he could fit through it unless he contorted his body even further. Desperation set in. He had to get out—Alex was in the house, and he couldn't let him see him like this. What would Alex think? Would he even recognize him? He had to leave, and quickly.
With a burst of effort, Dick managed to push himself through, but not without consequences. The door, which had been holding up under the pressure, finally gave way. It crashed to the floor with a deafening sound. In that moment, panic set in. Alex would definitely come rushing to see what happened. Dick couldn't stay and wait for that. His best chance was to flee. Without another thought, he sprinted out into the night, not daring to look back at the wreckage of his home.