Phoebe is still learning about her powers and right now is unsure how she came to develop them. Was it a mutation brought on by puberty? It definitely wasn't anything involving a vat of chemicals or a super powered lightning storm. It can't be inheritance because her parents didn't have any powers. Or they must have been really good at hiding them.
SHAPESHIFTING: Phoebe's mutation takes after the Agamidae family of lizards specifically. With this mutation, she has three forms in which her mutation can show itself aside from her regular appearance. First, in her regular human form, if she loses control or has an extreme emotional reaction, her form might take on 'lizard' traits. These can include her eyes shifting color or shape, or scales making themselves more prominent in different areas. This shift is less within her control.
The second way is her 'in-between form'. It is like her first shifting phase, but more extreme. Her eyes will shift and stay shifted. Likewise, the scales on her body will spread further and cover more of her. Her teeth and nails are also subject to change as well, becoming sharper and more like those of a lizard. In this form, Phoebe essentially looks like (and is) a lizard/human hybrid but with more dominating human features. This form is within her control.
The final form is 'full scale', when Phoebe's body shifts into a full lizard state. Scales take over her entire body and her eyes remain shifted. Teeth and claws extent fully and her body itself changes structure as a tail grows out and she will become a full human sized lizard. In this form she can function both as a biped and quadruped.
ENHANCED SENSES: In her regular form, Phoebe has heightened senses. These pertain primarily to her senses of vision and smell. However, it can also pertain to her sense of touch in that she is more sensitive to feeling vibrations or temperature changes. With each shift in form, these senses become even more enhanced and primal.
STRENGTH AND SPEED: As with her enhanced senses, Phoebe has a certain level of enhanced strength and speed in her regular form as well. Her mutated anatomy enables her to react faster to situations and have a greater muscle strength overall. Also like her enhanced senses, her strength and speed increases and becomes greater with each shifting form.
SELF HEALING: This attribute of her powers is the same regardless of what her shift form she takes on. Like lizards and other animals, her physiology lends her to quickened healing. It is not instant or extreme, but it is faster than a non-mutated human's would be. The amount of time it takes an injury to heal depends on the nature and severity of the injury. Contrary to popular belief, not all lizards are capable of re-growing limbs. This is the case for Phoebe. She can heal a variety of wounds, but she is unable to regenerate a limb once it is lost.
LIZARD SPEAK: Pretty straight forward. Phoebe can understand and communicate with lizards, both those of the Agamidae family and others. No, it's not like parseltongue in that it isn't something audible. It's primarily chemical and visual. Chemical pertains to such things as pheromones and other chemical outputs excreted by the lizards. Visual in the sense of body language or other 'tells'. Another type of communication method is tactile, which involves the sense of touch. This can be achieved by a lizard either touching her or sending out vibrations. This ability is not well developed currently.
Phoebe is the daughter and only child of Juliette and Ethan Alvaro. Growing up in the mountains of Virginia, the family often took camping trips and spent plenty of times outdoors. Because of this, Phoebe still has a fondness for such activities. Another regular occurrence was watching horrible B movies together for family nights. It's memories like this she holds onto.
When Phoebe was 10 years old her parents were killed in a car wreck. While driving home together one night, their vehicle was struck by a drunk driver and run off the road. Both her parents died, but somehow Phoebe survived. However, it was morning before anybody discovered the car. Because of her time trapped in the vehicle, Phoebe still struggles with Claustrophobia.
After the accident, Phoebe found her world turned upside down. She was placed in foster care and began the process of bouncing from home to home. After almost two years of never settling down, she got placed in the Burch household. Mr. and Mrs. Burch were decent enough. Mr. Burch could get a temper and Mrs. Burch could be overbearing, but Phoebe found it easy enough to avoid these traits by keeping to herself and focusing on her studies.
She also found an escape from a sweet elderly woman named Benoite who lived down the hall from the Burch's apartment. The woman had come from France with her parents when she was very young during World War II. Benoite provided Phoebe with both an escape and a friendship. Then…Phoebe turned 15.
Phoebe's skin started itching. She also noticed blotching and discoloration in places on her body. Then, one morning, a shower resulted in patches of skin flaking off. A trip to the doctor results in her getting a prescription ointment for eczema but things didn't get much better. Soon, more symptoms started arising. Her hearing and eyesight became sensitive. Eventually, it became overwhelming.
All of this left Phoebe stressed, tired and emotional. One night, during one of Mr. Burch's temper flares, Phoebe found herself getting scared and angry. Much to Mr. Burch's horror, Phoebe's eyes shifted and her form started to change. With one hit she sent him into the wall, but just as quickly her own shock caused Phoebe's form to shift back to normal. She was locked in her room and the phone call was made.
Phoebe was yet again putting her belongings into a trash bag and on her way to a new "home". This one? Coral Springs. Who knows what kinds of things await her here. Does it matter? It's a place that can provide her with answers about what is happening to her. She has to try.