Blind Deimos × Medusa Sanford

Sanford is still inside.
While trying to reach Deimos, he ends up deeper in the facility and discovers the biological experiment hidden beneath the main laboratories. The containment chamber has been damaged by the same failure that injured Deimos.
Sanford attempts to shut the system down manually.
That's when the organism escapes.
It attacks Sanford and begins altering his body. His nervous system becomes connected to the creature, his senses change, and eventually the first snakes begin emerging from his hair.
The transformation also affects his eyes, leaving him unable to see normally.
Sanford manages to make it back toward the surface, but he's barely recognizable by the time Doc finds him.
Doc treats both of them—Deimos's chemical injuries and Sanford's physical condition—but neither can be fully reversed.
And that's where their stories become intertwined:
Deimos loses his sight because of the facility. Sanford becomes Medusa because of what was inside it.

Doc sends Deimos and Sanford to investigate the abandoned research facility. They split up inside because the complex is huge, with Deimos searching the lower laboratories while Sanford checks the containment wing.
Deimos accidentally triggers the failing containment system, releasing the chemical agent. He gets exposed and his eyesight starts deteriorating almost immediately. He manages to escape the contaminated section and contacts Doc for backup.
Meanwhile, Sanford hears the emergency alarm and realizes something has gone horribly wrong. He tries to reach Deimos—but the containment wing is already becoming unstable.
Doc drives to the facility, finds Deimos outside, and immediately starts treating him. He manages to stabilize him, but the damage to Deimos's eyes is too severe.
And then Doc realizes something:
Sanford never came back out.

The snakes are extremely curious about Deimos. Since Deimos can't see them, he initially has no idea when one is close. A snake might quietly slide around his shoulder or brush against his hand, making him immediately tense because he has no clue what just touched him.
They learn his reactions surprisingly quickly. The snakes figure out that Deimos startles easily when something approaches unexpectedly, so over time they become gentler. Instead of suddenly touching him, they'll make little movements or sounds near him first, almost giving him a warning.
Deimos eventually recognizes individual snakes. He can't see their colors or faces, but he can distinguish them by their scales, size, movement, and especially their behavior. He might even give some of them unofficial nicknames based on personality.
They like hanging around him. Deimos is warm, and the snakes naturally enjoy his body heat. So he'll occasionally realize that there's a snake curled around his wrist, resting across his shoulders, or loosely coiled beside him. At first he's like "Sanford. Get your damn snake off me." Eventually he's just resigned to it.
They're protective of him. This is probably the cutest part. The snakes recognize Deimos as someone important to Sanford. If someone gets aggressive toward Deimos, the snakes become noticeably more alert. They don't necessarily attack immediately, but they'll raise their heads and start watching the threat.
Deimos talks to them. He knows they obviously can't answer, but he still ends up muttering at them when Sanford isn't around. Especially when one of them is sitting on him for way too long.
"You're heavy, y'know."
...snake continues doing absolutely nothing.
"...Yeah, that's what I thought."
And Sanford absolutely notices. He'd probably find it amusing that the guy who initially hated having mysterious reptiles crawling around him has somehow developed an entire relationship with them.

🕶️ Deimos — The Blind One
Deimos still has his usual lean, wiry build, but this version of him looks noticeably more weathered. His blindness has forced him to rely heavily on hearing, touch, and Sanford's guidance.
Build: Lean and athletic, with a slightly hunched, guarded posture from constantly navigating without sight.
Face: His eyes are permanently damaged and kept hidden beneath a wide cloth blindfold. The fabric is tied around his head and partially disappears beneath his messy hair.
Hair: Messy, uneven hair that sticks out around the blindfold, giving him a perpetually disheveled appearance.
Clothing: A loose, heavily worn trench coat with multiple straps, buckles, pockets, and pieces of protective gear. His clothes are practical rather than neat.
Arms: Wrapped in bandages and protective fabric, with his hands remaining uncovered so he can feel his surroundings.
Weapons: He still carries his usual equipment, but relies much more on sound and muscle memory than aiming visually.
Expression: Even though his eyes are hidden, his expressions are VERY Deimos. His mouth does most of the emotional work—annoyed grimaces, crooked smirks, exhausted sighs, etc.
Personality: Losing his sight didn't make him gentler. He's still stubborn, sarcastic, reckless, and extremely unwilling to admit when he needs help.
The funniest part is that Deimos can recognize Sanford almost entirely through sound. The movement of his scales, the tiny noises made by the snakes, the soft scraping of the scales against the floor when Sanford moves, even his breathing.
He could probably identify Sanford entering a room without being told.

🐍 Sanford — The Medusa
Sanford is MUCH more visibly transformed.
He's still recognizably Sanford underneath it, but his body has become partially serpentine.
Build: Tall, broad-shouldered, and muscular. He's physically imposing compared with Deimos.
After the transformation, Sanford's appetite changed along with his body. Foods he used to eat started tasting wrong—or simply stopped satisfying him. His body gradually began craving meat instead, and eventually he found that it was the only thing that consistently made him feel strong and properly fed.
Skin: Most of his body remains human, but patches of dark reptilian scales have appeared along his arms, shoulders, neck, and torso. at his sides at the level of his ribs he has gills - enabling him to breathe under water like fish.
Face: His eyes are hidden beneath his iconic black teashades, both to protect others and because he doesn't want it to seem completely obvious that something changed. He's new long snake canines that can inject poison.
Hair: Instead of normal hair, several snakes grow from around his scalp and shoulders. They're different sizes and constantly move independently. Sometimes hides the snake under his iconic black durag (they barely fit there)
Snakes: They're not merely decorative. They function almost like additional senses. They react to movement, sounds, and threats around Sanford. Some are curious and calm; others are much more aggressive.
Clothing: His old tactical clothing has been modified to accommodate his transformation. His coat is torn and partially open around the shoulders and torso, with straps and belts keeping everything together.
Lower body: He retains human legs in this version, but his lower body is heavily covered by a long, flowing garment with a dense scale-like texture, giving him an almost serpentine silhouette.
Hands: Human-looking, but with elongated fingers and sharper claws.
Voice: Still Sanford's deep, steady voice, although he tends to become quieter whenever he's a