Therion Virus

The **Therion Virus** is a mysterious lifeform featured in the *Operation GEAR* series. It is an extraterrestrial virus found at the site of a meteorite impact on Birth Island, and later utilized by Polaris as part of the Azrael Project.

## History

At the behest of Polaris, Dr. Zager and Barbara led an expedition team to Birth Island, the site of a recent meteorite impact, in 1983. While the length of their expedition was unclear, on July 17, 1983, they found the meteorite and cryogenically froze it to preserve the virus on it.

Some time later, Zager and Barbara were able to study the virus and discovered its basic capabilities, which they disclosed to Finansielle. The next several years saw the pair and their team develop a genetic therapy, dubbed **"Triangle"**, using the virus.

By 1986, Polaris commenced the Azrael Project, a series of human trials involving Triangle and a group of patients from the Aball Clinic. Chimere emerged as the test subject with the best results from the program, leading to her involvement in their attempt to create a human host for the virus who would never lose its effects. This succeeded with the birth of Azrael, but Chimere died due to unforeseen complications.

Zager, feeling remorse for what he had done, eventually erased Azrael's memories and escaped from Polaris with her, leading her to develop a new primary identity, Nekou Lalume. Although she did not know of the Therion Virus or its presence in her system until the events of *But We Can Call It Paradise*, it was the source of the superhuman abilities she possessed.

## Properties

According to Dr. Zager and Barbara's study, the Therion Virus is not easily transmitted and is capable of only three specific mutations. These mutations play a part in the virus's infection process. The first helps it circulate through a host's body at a rapid speed. Once this is done, the second mutation brings the virus into a protective state in which it binds to the host's cells. At this point, the third mutation appears to exert the virus's influence and power. This is the point at which symptoms develop, but because the third mutation is also extremely fragile, it is flushed from the body in a matter of hours.

The main symptoms of the Therion Virus include an increase in body temperature and appetite, which are a result of the increased metabolic rate necessary for its other effects on the host. It forms a "sensory feedback" between the host's brain and cells, meaning that the virus will interpret signals from the brain and exert the appropriate effects on the cells as long as these effects fall within the parameters of the virus's possible mutations.

The main flaw in the virus is its fragility and tendency to quickly leave a host's body. This can be remedied if the host has a sufficiently large amount of the virus in their body at a single time; this will allow the virus enough time to write itself into their cells, bonding with their body permanently. In a case where the host bonds permanently with the virus, they become a hybrid with its attributes always present. A fully-formed hybrid host can learn to control the virus and its effects via controlling the signals it receives from their brain. However, if there are multiple consciousnesses in the same body, such as in the case of a host with a split personality, these signals can be disrupted and result in the host temporarily losing access to their abilities.

The virus is naturally drawn to itself, and will try to seek out more of itself wherever possible.

### Attributes

Among the known attributes the Therion Virus can give a host access to are the following:

* **Superhuman strength**: A host of the virus can exhibit exaggerated physical strength. In one example, Nekou was able to pick up and throw Colress Antimony with only one arm.

* **Enhanced agility and reflexes**: The virus enhances its user's agility and reflexes, making them highly nimble combatants. Chimere was able to dodge and block dozens of punches from Dr. Zager's Machamp during her testing at the Aball Clinic, while Nekou was able to fight all three of the Shadow Triad at once, despite their advantage in numbers, by dodging their attacks.

* **Regeneration**: Users of the Therion Virus heal rapidly from wounds and injuries. The speed of the regeneration differs based on the severity of the injury and the host's emotional state, but it can consistently heal some wounds within minutes if not seconds. If the host has fully become a hybrid and learned to control their abilities, they can regenerate at will by commanding their Therion Virus cells to heal the injury in question.

* **Enhanced senses**: The host's senses of sight, smell, taste, hearing and touch are greatly enhanced.

* **Enhanced stamina**: The host can engage in challenging physical activity for extended periods of time before they become tired and need to rest. This ability can be pushed further if the host has eaten more prior to the activity.

* **Enhanced immunity**: The host's immune system and resistance to toxins is greatly enhanced.

* **Transformation**: Fully-fledged hybrids undergo a physical transformation to create a more suitable environment for the virus. Their skeletal structure and musculature are reshaped, resulting in them becoming taller and more toned in terms of build. When using their Therion Virus-granted abilities to their full potential, the host will temporarily become even taller and gain additional muscle mass. However, these are not without drawbacks. If a hybrid fights the latter temporary transformation, it may only partially occur and result in extreme pain until it reverts. The permanent transformation that a newly-created hybrid must undergo requires vast nutritional support and can be terribly painful. As seen with Chimere's fate, if said nutritional needs are not met, the body will become unable to sustain the transformation and suffer an agonizing breakdown with fatal results for the host.

## Trivia

* Though it is not explicitly stated in any stories, the Therion Virus is the extraterrestrial virus that mutated into the Pokémon Deoxys in the video games and associated media. This is referenced in a number of ways:
	+ It was found on Birth Island, the first location where Deoxys could be found in the video games.
	+ Its mutations mirror Deoxys's three forms, Attack Forme, Defense Forme and Speed Forme. These forms have similar capabilities to the mutations mimicking them; additionally, Attack Forme Deoxys is notable for its extremely weak defenses, which is referenced by its parallel mutation being fragile and easily eliminated from the body.
	+ The regenerative properties of the virus reference Deoxys possessing similar abilities in the Pokémon anime.
	+ The treatment synthesized from the Therion Virus is named "Triangle," after the triangular-shaped rock associated with Deoxys in multiple media.
	+ The date Dr. Zager and Barbara found the meteorite on Birth Island, July 17, is the date on which the seventh Pokémon movie, *Destiny Deoxys*, was released in Japanese theaters in 2004.
	+ The virus being drawn to itself is a reference to one Deoxys relentlessly hunting for a second in *Destiny Deoxys*.
* The name "Therion Virus" is a reference to the hybrid creatures known as Therions in the 2016 video game *Tales of Berseria*.