aughter echoed down the halls as a group of children played inside a large room.
Children of various ages wearing pyjamas of different colours and designs. Boys and girls all laughing and playing together.
Course, these were no ordinary children. Given how some of them were flying in the air, a few were crawling on the ceiling, and several were jumping and flipping around beyond anything a child of that age should be capable of.
These are super kids. Having one big slumber party while the adults were mingling in the other room.
Suddenly, the door opened, and the kids stopped their shenanigans.
"Ok, kiddos. Time for bed." He said.
A collective "Aww." Erupted from the group of children as they protested the set curfew.
"Now, now. None of that." He said to the collection of super munchkins. "You know the rules. You've stayed up long enough. Now it's time to hit the hay, and we can have even more fun tomorrow."
"Can we at least have a story before we go to bed?" One little boy asked.
A surge of excitement spread through the youngsters as they all started chiming in with requests.
"Come on, please!" Another boy begged.
"More. Tell us a story, more." One of the girls requested.
Seeing all their adorable faces looking up at him. Their eyes pleaded with pure adorableness. Such an overwhelming display of cuteness was too much for even the most cold-hearted of individuals. So he had no chance.
A smirk appeared on his face as he chuckled. "Alright. Alright. One story, then straight to bed."
"Yay!" The children cheered as they started jumping around the room with joy.
"That doesn't look like story-listening behaviour, " he called out to them, causing the children to immediately halt and move to sit on the chairs, floor, or even hanging from the ceiling, eagerly awaiting the story.
Walking over to the bookshelf, he started shifting through the various books and graphic novels that adorned the shelf, passing many titles featuring the names of heroes.
"Any requests?" He asked his awaiting audience.
"The Infinity War!" One child yelled.
"No, we read that one last week." Another said. "Do Gamma World."
"Lame!" A young boy dismissed. "The Phoenix Saga is my favourite."
"Which one? The New York battle or with the Shi'ar?" Another asked.
"Both!"
"What about Excalibur and the Otherworld Adventure?" A little girl asked.
"Nay. The Siege of Asgard is the best one!" Another girl boasted.
"You guys got it all wrong." A girl spoke up. A little older than the others. "Battleworld is the best."
As all the children argued, it was starting to look like no one could agree on anything. He was almost ready to throw in the towel. When suddenly he felt a tug on his pant leg and he looked town to see the young boy looking up at him.
"How about a story you haven't read yet?" He asked with a sweet and innocent expression.
Despite the arguing, the others managed to hear the young boy and stopped fighting.
"Yeah. That works." One said.
"Sure, I guess I can live with that." Another remarked casually.
"New story! New Story!" A more excitable child yelled as she bounced in her chair, forcing one of the older kids to sit with her and keep her calm.
He smirked as he tussled the young boy's hair.
"Sure, kiddo. And I got just the story."
Reaching to the far end of the shelf. He pulled out a graphic novel. One that had a green cover with a round disk with a green hourglass symbol on it.
He walked over to his chair and sat down as the children eagerly awaited his words.
Opening the cover, he started to read. "Everybody's life is a story. There are the good parts. The bad. The funny. And sometimes the very, very scary. And when we tell a story, We never tell it the same way twice. So here's one way to tell the story."
And there came a day unlike any other, when Earth's mightiest heroes found themselves united against a common threat.
The Invincible Armored Iron Man. Thor, Prince of Thunder. The Hulk, Strongest Hero there is. Ant-Man, Earth's Scientist Supreme. The Winsome Wasp. Captain America, the First Avenger. Hawkeye, World's Greatest Marksman. Black Panther, King of Wakanda. And Ben 10, Hero of Heroes.
On that day, they became The Avengers.
To fight foes that no single hero could withstand. Time-travelling Conquerors, Alien Invaders
and Masters of Evil. The Avengers vanquished them all.
One such threat came from beyond the universal veil.
New York City is a bustling metropolis that is world-renowned for being the home of the greatest heroes on Earth. But also, it's greatest villains.
Hidden in the shadows of the city, evil forces conspire to enact their fiendish plans upon the innocent civilians of this bustling metropolis.
Deep below the city, past the labyrinth that is the New York subway system, deeper than the sewer canals, lies the vast underground world of Subterranea.
This world beneath the world is usually inhabited by the Mole Man and the various creatures that he commands.
Underneath the city, Mole Man spent years planning various schemes to take over the world above. Building various bases and devices that would aid him in his endeavours.
However, one such base has recently come under new management.
Machines hummed as steam hissed from the exhaust ports, producing a fine mist that flowed across the floor in an eerie way.
In the centre of the makeshift lab stood a large device. It glowed a sickly greenish-yellow light that dimly lit the room.
Standing at the control panel of the machine, stood a man.
He appeared to be in his late forties, with white hair that reached his shoulders. His skin was light green. He wore a black sleeveless shirt, brown baggy pants, and black boots. He wore black gloves with the fingertips removed, exposing his long chipped fingernails.
On his head, he wore a strange helmet that resembled a pasta strainer with various circuits and wires slapped onto it. He also had a set of earmuffs attached on the sides. Near the forehead were two long antenna-like devices with a red light at the tips. On his chest, he wore a harness that also had various pieces of tech attached to it.
A pair of welding goggles with red lenses covered his eyes as he worked on his machine.
The man reached up to his control panel and twisted several dials. Electricity sparked as the device hummed.
A devilish grin spread across the man's face.
"The time has come. Soon, I will bring about a new world order!" The Scientist exclaimed.
"This world has proven to be quite resourceful. Were this my previous dimension, it would have taken months for me to procure the resources to complete my device. But here, it took a mere three days to complete."
The Mad Scientist walked over to a desk nearby and picked up a small vial of an unknown fluid. He shook the vial and examined its viscosity before returning to the control panel.
"Now the final components are complete and this world, along with every other world, will know the true brilliance of Dr Aloysius Animo!"
Dr Animo flipped a few more switches as the roof above his device opened up and revealed a giant circular machine. It looked similar to a reactor core, with blue light emanating from it.
The giant energy core lowered from the ceiling and connected to the top of his device. Metallic clicks echoed through the lab as the two machines secured themselves to each other.
"This Arc Reactor is the perfect way to detonate my DNA bomb into the atmosphere and De-Evolutionise the World!" Animo stated with excitement.
Suddenly, an explosion erupted on the far side of the lab. Dust and debris were kicked up as the Mad Scientist turned to see who dared interfere with his moment.
Though, if history was anything to speak of, he knew exactly who it was.
As the dust cleared, Dr Animo saw a yellow glow emanating from the dust cloud. His jaw clenched as his fists tightened.
Standing in the middle of the destroyed doorway was none other than Heatblast.
The Fire Alien stood tall as he clenched his flaming fists and raised them towards the Mad Scientist.
"Ok, Animo. Science class is cancelled." The Alien Hero shouted at his old enemy as he narrowed his eyes.
Dr Animo's eyes narrowed as he glared at the Alien Shapeshifter.
"Fool! In less than 10 minutes, the world will get a lesson it will never forget!" He retorted.
Heatblast smirked as he casually walked towards the Villain. "Come on, Doc. We've done this song and dance before. I've kicked your butt so many times, I lost count."
The Mad Scientist chuckled in response. "You may have held the edge in our old universe, Tennyson. But in this reality, the tables have turned."
"This reality or the next. I'm still the hero, and you're still a Quack who wants to play God."
"I am a visionary!" Dr Animo yelled. "But it seems my work is unappreciated in both realities. So I must force these simple-minded fools to see the truth."
Heatblast narrowed his eyes as he prepared a fireball in his hand. "Not gonna happen."
Dr Animo smiled. "We shall see."
He raised his hand to the ceiling above them. "In celebration of our long-awaited battle. I thought it best to reintroduce an old friend."
A screech sounded above him as Heatblast looked up to see a giant bat-like creature flying down to him.
This bat was seven feet tall with massive wings, two long ears, sharp claws on its feet and equally sharp fangs.
But what stood out about this mutant creature is that it resembled Heatblast. Its body shared the fire alien's rocky body and magma skin with flames surrounding its head.
The Heatbat roared at the Alien Avenger as it flared its flaming wings. Fire formed in its mouth as it prepared to attack.
Heatblast looked at the creature and smirked. "Man. I remember this thing. Didn't know it was still alive after I beat you in New Orleans."
"Indeed." Dr Animo said in a prideful manner. "When I briefly acquired a piece of your alien device. I managed to tape into its remarkable collection of alien DNA. Leading to my first successful creation."
Heatblast frowned upon remembering that day. When he accidentally broke a piece off the Omnitrix, which Animo stole to use it to try and mutate the world using his Alien DNA.
A lesson Ben learned that day, to never mess with the watch like that again.
"But my research did not end there." Animo continued. "For when I managed to capture you in our next encounter. I extracted and unlocked the secrets to your alien DNA."
Heatblast grimaced. He remembered that day. It was when he first unlocked Ditto. The cloning alien was so much fun, but it made it easy for Animo to capture one of his clones and run experiments on him.
Using his DNA to make an army of Stinkfly mutants that could clone themselves.
"Too bad you didn't pay attention to my alien's weaknesses." Heatblast mocked. "All it took was me blowing up one of your little bugs, and your whole army went splat."
"Yes." Dr Animo hissed at that reminder. "An oversight I shan't make again. For you see, I have perfected my design and formulas. Now, my creations are beyond even you, Tennyson."
As if taking that as its cue, Heatbat blasted a concentrated beam of fire from its mouth at Heatblast, striking the alien in the chest with the intense flames.
Fire engulfed the area as Animo had to shield his face from the intense heat.
When the Fire Bat stopped its attack, the flames continued to burn the area, until they were absorbed by Heatblast. Who casually crossed his arms and looked bored.
"Seems like you haven't worked out all the bugs, Doc. In case you forgot. Fire doesn't work on me. And while your pet can mimic this guy's powers." He tapped the dial and transformed in a flash of green light. With Arctiguana replacing him. "He can't mimic everyone."
Opening his mouth, Arctiguana fired a beam of ice from his mouth, instantly freezing the Pyrobat in a solid chunk of ice.
With the current threat neutralised, he turned his attention to Dr Animo.
"Now it's your turn, Freakamo." Arctiguana threatened with a cold tone.
However, Animo smirked with malicious intent.
"You should not jump to conclusions so haphazardly."
Arctiguana raised an eyebrow at the Mad Scientists comment. Only to catch a faint glow out of the corner of his eye. Turning back to the frozen Heatbat, the Ice Alien saw the creature glowing from within the ice.
At first he believed it was heating itself to melt the ice and free itself. However, he noticed the glow was a different colour. Instead of the intense yellow glow, it was green, like when he transforms. And no steam emanated from the ice.
Suddenly the glow died down and mist flowed from the ice prison.
Arctiguana noticed movement from within the ice as a ghostly figure phased through the ice before becoming solid and landing atop it.
The creature turned around, and Arctiguana's eyes widened in shock.
Standing atop the ice was Heatbat. Only its body had changed. No longer did it resemble a bat-like Heatblast. Now its body resembled Big Chill with light and dark blue covering its body. Its talons resemble ice shards, and its head has a ghostly skull-like appearance with insect-like eyes, similar to the Moth Alien, with ears that resemble Big Chill's antenna. It now had four wings, with the upper set resembling standard bat wings, while the lower pair were smaller and had fewer defining features.
The Mutant Bat growled at Arctiguana as frozen mist wafted from its mouth.
The Alien Hero was stunned by what he witnessed. This creature somehow transformed just like him. Using powers as naturally as it flies.
"Yes, Tennyson!" Animo exclaimed in delight. "Your eyes do not deceive you. I have evolved my creation far beyond its initial transformation."
"H-How…?" He gasped in shock.
Dr Animo smirked. "My discovery from your cloning alien, Ditto, lead me to wonder if it applies to others affected with your watches unique energy."
"Upon reclaiming my pet here, I discovered that my hypothesis rang true. One strand of your alien DNA contained the entire genetic code of your arsenal of alien creatures."
The Scientists continued to monologue and gloat over his discovery. "Of course, extrapolating the genetic information for each individual specimen proved to be an arduous task. Fortunately, I was able to speed up the process, thanks in no small part to your genetic copycat."
Arctiguana looked confused. What did Albedo have to do with this?
"You really should clean up after your enemies, Benjamin." Animo scolded sarcastically. "For the device he created to grant him the ability to transform without an alien watch, while damaged, proved to be the perfect tool to unlock my creation's full capabilities. All it took was some slight reverse engineering, and voila! My magnum opus has obtained new life."
The more Animo talked, the more Arctiguana felt chills run up his spine. That machine Albedo invented, he thought, was destroyed. He left it without a single second thought because he considered the matter closed.
Now that very tech came into Animo's possession. Used to create a monster that could match him, alien to alien.
"Behold! The Omni-Bat!" Animo exclaimed in a triumphant tone.
In response, the newly christened Omni-Bat spread its wings and let out a powerful shriek that echoed throughout the cavern.
The Alien Avenger glared at the Mad Scientist and the Mutated Creature. Time and time again, this man has shown just how dangerous he can be with his twisted inventions.
In the past, it was always animal DNA he manipulated to pull off his schemes to take over the world. Now he's managed to make something that rivals his watch and its power. Should he make more of them…
No, this stops here and now.
"Make as many genetic freaks as you want, Animo. You're never gonna win." Arctiguana taunted.
"Oh?" Animo chuckled. "And what makes you think so? Our past encounters have shown that your alien abilities gave you the advantage over my Magnificent Mutations. But, now you have lost that advantage. How do you have any chance of victory now?"
With that, the Omni-Bat spread its wings and flew at Arctiguana, shifting back into its Heatbat form as it prepared to fire another blast of flames from its mouth.
Suddenly, a metal shield shot from the darkness and struck the Bat Mutant in the head, knocking it off balance. The Omni-Bat turned to where the attack came from, only for a hammer to come flying into its gut, sending it flying into Animo's feet, denting the metal and shaking the entire structure, almost making him lose his balance.
The Shield and Hammer flew back to the entrance of the lab, where a pair of hands awaited the respective weapons.
"How you ask? That's easy." Arctiguana explained as he turned around to face him.
"Because I have my team. Avengers Assemble!"
Out from the darkened doorway emerged Earth's Mightiest Heroes.
"There you go, charging in ahead of us again." Wasp berated the Young Hero in a teasing manner.
"Go easy on him. Kids just excited." Hawkeye said as he strung an arrow in his bow.
"These caverns. Are thou sure Midgard does not have trolls?" Thor asked as he inspected the vastness of the cave.
"Pretty sure, Thor. Although we do have one nasty vermin problem." Iron Man chuckled as he floated in.
"All creatures, Vermin or not, serve a purpose in the ecosystem, Tony." Black Panther specified. "However, it is necessary to ensure that balance is maintained."
"I agree." Ant Man said as he rode in on his flying ant. "Science should be used to reduce the impact on nature, not to violate the natural order."
"Well then, Team. It's high time we gave the good Doctor our full review." Captain America suggested as he tightened the straps on his shield.
"Big Bat turns into aliens like Ben, huh? That should be fun to smash." Hulk grinned, punching his fist into his palm.
Arctiguana grinned as the Avengers joined him.
"See Animo. No matter what world we call home, I'll always have my team, and you'll always be alone."
Dr Animo glared at the Shapeshifting hero before turning his gaze to each of the Heroes present.
He snarled in a manner similar to his prized pets.
A grunt to his side drew his attention as he saw Omni-Bat rise to its feet, shake its head and glared at Tennyson. Its eyes solely focused on him.
Seeing his prized pet continue to show its loyalty, snapped Animo out of his blind rage.
A quiet chuckle escaped from his lips. This little laugh grew steadily into a loud bellow of deranged chortling.
To the point where the heroes started to feel uneasy.
"Ok, that's not a good sign." Hawkeye commented as he raised his bow and took aim.
Swiftly, Omni-Bat moved to obstruct the Archer's line of sight. Its eye's not moving from Arctiguana. Seam's the creature's sonar remained functional no matter what form it takes.
"Alone, you say? How simple-minded of you, Tennyson. You should understand by now that I am never without allies. And thanks to this world and its vast array of creatures, technology and sources of power. I can bring them to new heights."
Reaching over to his console again. Dr Animo pulled a switch and across the lab, several large containers hissed, clicked and opened.
From them emerged several creatures or various shapes, sizes and species.
The first to leap forward was a Yeti, but far larger than any he's encountered. It had green fur and glowing green eyes, clearly radiating gamma energy and it possessed the lightning shaped horns and sparked with electrical energy just like Shocksquash.
Next, slithered a 20-foot snake made completely out of green slime like Goop. It hissed as slimy fangs extended from its mouth. Drops of slime dripped from its fangs that hit the floor. Smoke hissed from contact as the slime melted the ground like ice in the heat.
Another was a large purple panther creature. Though much larger and had longer canine teeth similar to a sabre tooth cat. Its body was made of magenta rock, with claws and fangs made of purple crystals, just like Chromastone. However, unlike the crystal alien, it possessed a pair of green glowing eyes as opposed to the alien's single cycloptic.
A fluttering sound above them revealed a large Wasp-like creature that resembled a Stinkfly, only with more insect-like traits. It had an enlarged stinger tail, razor-sharp legs and claws, and a green noxious gas flowed from its maw.
Below, the mutant wasp crawled a large ant the size of a horse. Its exoskeleton is white, with black lines across its body and a pair of speakers at the end of each antenna. From each side of its head, two thin wire-like growths extended that connected to a rectangular box on its thorax, shaped like a cassette tape, giving it the overall appearance of Echo-Echo.
Next to the Echo-Ant strode a wolf-like creature, clade in a dark green-teal-coloured armour similar to NRG. Giving a robotic kind of appearance. It had four vent-like slits on its head. Two over where the eyes would be. A serrated pattern lined the area around where the wolf's jaws would be.
A loud squawk sound, combined with the roar of a jet engine, tours through the cavern as a brown and green blur shoots through the lab before coming in and perching on top of the Arc Reactor. It's a brown Pterosaur with large wings and a streamlined body. Its beak was jagged like teeth with glowing green eyes. Though most unusual was the organic jetpack on its back, similar to Astrodactyl.
Finally, a creature that could only be described as a humanoid bald eagle leapt to the front of the collection of mutant creatures. It stood eight feet tall with broad shoulders and sharp talons on its three-clawed hands and feet. Its plumage was identical to the national symbol as it screeched from its large hooked beak. Sharp blade protruded from its elbows, similar to Kickin Hawk.
Together with the Omni-Bat, they formed a group of Mutant Alien Animals that mirrored the Avenger's own lineup.
"I'm not crazy, right? Anyone else seeing a bunch of Ben's aliens given the Furry makeover?" Hawkeye asked in a witty tone.
"Nope. Your eyes are working fine, Clint." Wasp confirmed, rubbing her own to double check.
Panther narrowed his eyes and inspected each of the creatures. "Not just Ben's aliens. It would seem several of these Mutations have received additional enhancements."
Dr Animo chuckled. "How perceptive, King Panther. I have learned much from this world and the many achievements that have granted me abilities to all of you. Far be it from me to not capitalise on every advantage."
"But that's enough chatting. I still have a DNA bomb to set off, and my pets have not been fed today." Dr Animo finished with a sick grin on his face.
"You don't feed your pets? You are a terrible pet owner. I'm gonna have to report you to PETA." Wasp quipped as she raised her glowing hands.
"In a few moments, there will be no pet owners. All life will share in the glorious gift that is evolution!" Animo declared.
"Yeah, hate to break it to you, Doc." Iron Man chimed in, being uncharacteristically quiet during the whole exchange. "But, your little bombs are not mutating anyone. See, I've been spending the past couple of minutes breaking through those little firewalls you set up. Not a bad system you use. But you're using my tech, and I always make sure to install a back door in cases like this."
"Anyway. I've disabled the countdown sequence while also rerouting the power into non-vital areas. Meaning, at best, your little bombs gonna make a few mice slightly bigger."
Dr Animo's eyes widen as he quickly runs to the control panel and sees that the Armored Billionaire wasn't lying. His systems have been hacked.
"Curses!" He shouted, slamming his fists on the console. Causing several sparks to shoot out.
"It's over, Animo." Iron Man stated. "Give up."
"Quick question. Has that ever worked? You say it almost every time we fight a bad guy." Hawkeye asked slyly.
Iron Man side-eyed the Archer through his helmet. "Not really. But odds are it should work on someone."
Suddenly, Animo spun around and pointed a defiant finger at Iron Man. "It's Doctor Animo to you, Stark! And it is far from over. One minor setback will not delay my plans."
"You had a plan?" The Alien Teen taunted with a cheeky grin.
That was the final straw for the Mad Scientist. He raised his arm and pointed to the Avengers.
"Destroy them!"
With a roar from the AnimAliens they charged forward.
"Take them down!" Iron Man ordered and the Avengers charged forward to meet their opponents.
The Heroes and Mutants clashed. Iron Man blasted repulsor beams at the Astro-Saur, but the Flying Reptile's speed proved to be greater than he calculated as a burst from its jetpack allowed it to easily avoid his blasts with the speed of a jet, but the reaction speed was far greater than any pilot the Billionaire had ever seen.
Thor engaged with Wolf-RG, blasting the beast with his mystic lightning only for its armoured jaws to open and eat the lighting like spaghetti. The Asgardian followed the attack by hurling Mjolnir at the beast, who countered by firing a beam of radioactive energy from its mouth, halting the hammer in mid-air before crashing to the ground. Thor's eyes widened when the beast leapt at him and sunk its fangs into his arm.
Black Panther engaged the Chrome-Panther. Throwing several Vibranium daggers into the creature's rocklike body. The blades bounced off the beast's hide without making a mark on it as it responded by firing a beam of rainbow energy from its mouth. The Wakandan King easily dodged, only for the Crystal Cat to leap after him, its claws glowing with rainbow energy as it slashed the air and generated energy claws that slashed through the air towards Panther.
Ant-Man engages the Echo Ant as he tries to use his helmet to communicate with the creature, only for it to blast him with sonic waves from its antennae and send him flying. Forcing him to grow into Giant-Man in an attempt to restrain the creature when it suddenly multiplies into an army of identical copies that swarmed over the size changer.
Hawkeye dodged a strike from the Goop-Snake as it slithered across the ground. Its acidic body burned a trench in the ground in pursuit of the Archer. Hawkeye fired an explosive arrow into the snake's head. Detonating the creature like a water balloon, spraying globs of slime everywhere.
The victory was short-lived as the slime immediately flew back together and reformed as the slime serpent resumed its pursuit.
Wasp flew around, avoiding the Stink-Wasp, which chased her with ferocity. Her small size allowed her to easily manoeuvre around the creature. However, its four-eye stalks tracked her every movement, never allowing her to leave its sight. Turning in the air, the Mutant Insect belched a cloud of noxious gas from its mouth. The Size Changing Heroine instantly closed her mouth and covered her nose to prevent herself from breathing it in. However, the gas burned her eyes, blinding her.
The Stink-Wasp aimed its stinger at her, and sections of the tail opened up, revealing four tubelike ports around the barbed stinger. From the ports, fired several globs of green slime that shot towards Wasp.
She tried to counter by firing her stinger blasts into the incoming slime, managing to intercept three of the globs. But, the fourth shot hit her hand and sent her flying into the wall, pinning her there. Putting her at the mercy of the Predatory Mutant.
Captain America raised his shield as the Kickin Eagles' talons slashed across the patriotic weapon. The Super Soldier felt conflicted battling the creature. It's as much a symbol of the American people as he is. He blocked another strike from its talons, only for the anthropomorphic bird to roundhouse kick him in the chest, knocking the wind out of him and sending him tumbling across the floor.
Shaking the stars out of his head, Captain America saw the Kickin Eagle coming down at him to perform a scissor kick. The Super Soldier grabbed his shield and hurled it at the creature. The Mutated Eagle shifted its upper body to avoid the patriotic shield as Cap rolled backwards to avoid the attack as it dented the ground on impact. Kickin Eagle locked eyes with the Super Soldier as it prepared to advance, only for the Cap shield to ricochet off the wall behind it and come flying into the back of its head, knocking it down.
Finally, Hulk let out a mighty roar as he brought his fist down upon the Shock-Yeti. The Massive Beast raised its arms and managed to block Hulks fist, causing the ground beneath it to crack from the sudden pressure. The two goliaths pushed against each other, neither side willing to yield as Hulks rage surged forth as his strength increased and the Yetis knees trembled.
Suddenly, its fur stood on end as green electricity arched across its body. The electrical energy struck Hulk's arm, causing the Gamma Giant to flinch in pain and pull his arm back. The Mutant Yeti continued its assault as it punched Hulk several times in a brutal combo, covering its arms in gamma electricity to give its fists an extra charge.
While the battles raged on around the lab, destruction raged across the room with many pieces of equipment being smashed to pieces beyond repair.
But that mattered little to Dr Animo. Only one device in this lab held any importance to him. Thanks to his newest creations keeping the Avengers occupied, he had nothing to fear as his DNA Bomb was well out of harm's way.
Soon, it will be too late to stop his plans. Not even Ben Tennyson can foil him at this point.
Suddenly, the Rath-Bat slammed into the base of his platform. Dr Animo stumbled as he managed to catch himself before falling.
"Watch where you're flying, fool!" Animo berated his pet. "No harm can come to the device!"
The Mutant Bat shook its head before glaring at its master and started growling at him.
"Don't you give me that tone! You Nocturnal Parasitic Vermin!"
In response, the Rath-Bat got to its feet and loomed over Animo, spreading its wings to their full height and screeching back at him like a toddler throwing a tantrum. Froth formed in its mouth as it dripped to the ground.
"Oh, going there, are we? I thought I created you better than that! You are the creation, and I am your master. Obey Me!" Dr Animo shouted at the Tiger/Bat Alien.
Meanwhile, Spidermonkey is currently perched on his webbing after launching the Omni-Bat at Dr Animo during their fight. After morphing its body to resemble Rath, the Alien Shapeshifter used the increased aggression of the form to trip it up.
However, he did not expect the beast and Dr Animo to enter into a screaming match with each other.
"I know I should be pounding them both right now. But this is way too funny." The Alien Monkey chuckled. The cheerful, energetic nature of this form overtook his rational thinking as he couldn't help but enjoy the comedy routine.
All this moment needed was an Anvil and Animo chasing the Mutant Bat with an oversized mallet.
He only wished he had a bucket of popcorn to really enjoy the moment.
Just when it looked like the pair were about to start throwing down, Animo and Rath-Bat suddenly turned to see Spidermonkey gleefully watching the chaos.
"Oh please, don't mind me. Just enjoying the show." Spidermonkey teased with delight.
Animo sneered. "Juvenile till the end."
"Says the guy who became a supervillain for not winning some lame trophy." The Alien Teen chided.
"It was more than just an award!" The Mad Scientist roared. "It was what that award represented. Which was how the scientific community truly viewed my work!"
"Completely batty?" Spidermonkey quipped in a witty tone, chuckling at his pun.
Dr Animo clenched his fists before letting a sigh pass his lips. He walked over to his pet, reached up and patted its head.
The Omni-Bat lowered to meet its master's touch, transforming into Blitz-Bat as Animo ran his hands across its soft fur.
"If sanity is what prevents the progress of science, then I do not wish to be sane!"
"Well, consider that ship sailed. So how about I fit you with a nice straight jacket." Spidermonkey suggested as he tapped the dial and transformed into Snare-Oh.
The Mummy Alien stretched out his bandages at Dr Animo, only for Blitz-Bat to get in front of him.
Its jaws split into four sections as it unleashed a sonic scream at the Shapeshifter. The soundwaves pushed the bandages back. But didn't have any further impact on the alien. Due to the elastic physiology of the aliens body, the sonic vibrations could do nothing but push him back slightly.
Balling his fist and allowing his right arm to be pushed back by the sonic waves. Snare-Oh bided his time before Blitz-Bats lungs finally emptied, and the cry came to a stop.
The moment the scream ceased, Snare-Ohs arm snapped forward, cracking like a whip at his fist, and collided with Blitz-Bat's face, sending the Shapeshifting Bat flying into the machine, denting the metal.
"No! Not the machine!" Dr Animo shouted as the Mutant Bat shook its head and shifted into Swamp-Bat. With a green plant like body, with red and yellow petals making up its ears and patagium.
It opened its jaws as flames gathered within it. Similar to its Heatbat form as its methane flames shot forth as the blazing inferno.
A flash of green light and Snare-Oh turned into Diamondhead. Raising his right arm, he generated a crystal shield to block the flames.
The heat did nothing to his durable body as he didn't even feel the flames.
Swamp-Bat raised its wings above its head. From within the patagium, the seeds sprouted from the underside as the Mutant bat flapped its wings, releasing the seeds like a shotgun blast.
The seeds landed around Diamondhead's feet and instantly sprouted into long, thick vines. The vines quickly wrapped around the crystal alien, binding his limbs together and forming a large cocoon of vines that squeezed him tightly.
A muffled sigh came from under the vines. "Really?"
A simple flex and diamond blades shot from the Aliens body, shredding the vines into confetti.
Without missing a beat, Diamondhead shifted the shards on his shoulders into a sleek blade. He then reached up, grabbed the blade and yanked it out of his back, revealing it to be a crystal boomerang, which he promptly threw at the plant-like bat.
The crystal weapon flew through the air with such precision and sliced through the left wing, severing it from the body, causing Swamp-Bat to plummet from the sky and land in a heap on the far side of the lab.
While the idea of a Bat being able to turn into versions of his aliens, seemed pretty cool at the start. The Alien Avenger felt the novelty was starting to wear off. At the end of the day, it was nothing more than an animal using the basic abilities of his transformation.
He honestly started to miss Albedo. At least he could shake things up with how strategic he could be with his aliens.
While he waited for the creature to regenerate, he figured he may as well disable the DNA Bomb.
Tapping the dial, Diamondhead turned into Upgrade and moved to merge with the machine and disable it that way.
However, before he could take a single step towards the device. His body froze as a familiar force gripped his very being.
"What the?" Upgrade grunted as he struggled to turn his head to see what was restraining him.
To his chagrin, he saw the Omni-Bat had taken a new form. With its black and yellow striped stone body, its wings seemingly permanently arched, now only possessing two fingers with the air distorted between them and its head, metal and detached from the body, yet floating between the arching wings.
It had turned into Lode-Bat.
The Creature shrieked as it used its magnetic field to manipulate Upgrade and keep him from moving.
"You continue to underestimate my creations, Tennyson." Dr Animo berated. "My Pet is far beyond mere base instincts. I have been preparing it for months to fight you. Even capitalising on your brazen cockiness."
"Well. To be fair, I've beaten you so many times that you can't really blame me." Upgrade defended.
Animo sneered. "Well, your sloppiness is my victory. Now you are trapped as I remake the world."
The Alien Avenger chuckled in response. "Aren't you forgetting something, Animo? Even if I'm down. My team will still be here to stop you."
The Mad Scientist turned around to check his lab as the fights continued to rage on. Only to smile maliciously.
"Are you so sure about that?" He asked rhetorically as the loud buzzing of insect wings approached him.
Suddenly, the Stinkwasp flew over to Animo. Clutched in its legs, Wasp in her normal size, trapped in slime as she struggled to move. Looking quite disgusted, though it did seem to be due to the slime.
Dr Animo quickly ran his hands through his hair and straightened out his clothes as he walked over to the trapped Heroine.
"My dear, Wasp. You delight me with your presence." Dr Animo said in a flirtatious manner. Walking over to her as he bowed to her.
"How fortunate for you to be here on the eve of my victory. Truly, it is meant to be."
Wasp grimaced as Dr Animo got closer to her. "Ugh. In your dreams, Quack." She said in a grossed out tone.
Dr Animo didn't seem phased by her statement as he reached out to her and attempted to touch her face.
Janet recoiled at his touch, visibly repulsed by the man as she tried to use her stingers on the slime. But they were instantly nullified.
"My apologies, Ms Van Dyne. I'm afraid those remarkable stings of yours won't be very useful here. I enhanced my Pets bio-fluids to nullify the bio-energy you produce."
He then removed his goggles to reveal his eyes. Though, above the right eye, along the brow, was a very noticeable burn mark.
"I have not forgotten the sensation of our last encounter." He said, stroking the burn mark with almost nostalgia.
Wasp narrowed her eyes at him. "Sorry about that. I was aiming for your eyes. I won't miss this time." She threatened him with fierce determination.
Her threats still had no effect other than to get Animo more excited. "Oh, my Winsome Wasp. Why must you play these games? Can you not see what I can offer you?" He gestured to the Stinkwasp as it continued to hold the Heroine in place. "Did you not notice that I created this wonder of science for you? Vespula alascensis, the very species you have modelled your attire after. Its beauty mirrors your own in its unique majesty."
Wasp and Upgrade glanced up at the creature as it slobbered some slime from its mouth, causing both to look disgusted.
"You don't say." Wasp replied, nauseated but with a slight undertone to her words.
"Indeed!" Animo expressed passionately. Closing the distance between them and invading Wasp's personal space, shocking her as she desperately tried to get away from him. However, the Mutant Insect held her in place, and it seemed its slime also prevented her from shrinking as well.
"But that is not all I can offer you, my dear," Animo stated in a soft tone as he seized her hand. She instinctively tried to wrench free of his grip, but he refused to yield his grasp. "Become my queen, and I shall remake you into the goddess you were always meant to be. We can rule the new world together."
He dropped down to one knee, still having a vice grip on Wasp's hand as he gazed up at her with sheer lust and depravity.
"Get your filthy hands off her!" Upgrade shouted as he attempted to blast Animo with a plasma beam. Only for Lode-Bat to cancel out his attack and force him down.
"Silence! You insolent Brat!" Dr Animo snapped at the Teen Hero before turning back to the Insect-Themed Heroine.
"My apologies for that outburst." He recomposed himself and smiled at his captive. "May I hear your answer? My sweet?"
Wasp looked as if she wanted to throw up. She has had her fair share of creeps who've pursued her relentlessly. Many of them billionaires, others creeps who wanted to pin her up like a butterfly in a glass case.
Yet, none of them made her want to take a shower in bleach more than this guy. Ever since he first tried to "woo" her during their first encounter.
"Seems you've thought of everything, huh?" She questioned, relaxing her arm slightly.
"Indeed." Animo quickly replied. Glee in his eyes.
Wasp glanced around the room. "Making these AnimAliens with all of us in mind?"
"Oh but of course. I've taken great care in designing each of my creations to be the perfect folly to each of your teammates." Animo explained, excitedly.
He then proceeded to explain without any reservation or hesitation. "As you know, your opponent, the Stinkwasp, utilises a non-conductive slime that can nullify the bio energy of your stings, while its own stinger produces anti-binding agents to your unique Pym Particles."
"Fascinating," Wasp responded, feigning interest. "Tell me more."
Dr Animo grinned. "Gladly." He gestured to the Shock-Yeti. "This species of Himalayan Yeti was mutated using the DNA of the alien form Shocksquash while also enhanced with a dosage of Gamma Radiation. Further enhancing its strength and electrokinetic abilities, which can over stimulate the gamma-infused cells of the Hulk, causing them to fluctuate and diminish their output."
He then pointed to the Chrome Panther. "This species was enhanced to utilize the vast energy absorbing abilities of Chromastone to render the Black Panthers Vibranium useless. While also absorbing the vibrational energy stored within the unique metal that bolsters its famous durability. Eventually rendering it as brittle as Sugar glass."
He continued listing his creatures one by one. "The Goop Snake contains a modified anti-gravity projector within its body, no bigger than a marble. Which constantly shifts within its form, rendering the archery skills of Hawkeye ineffective."
"By combining the mystical abilities of the Asgardian Wolf, combined with the radiation of NRG. This species can produce beams of heat that can scorch the nigh-durable skin of even the so-called god of thunder. And with its durable armor reinforced with its natural mystic energy. Not even that accursed mallet can dent it."
"While the simplicity of combining the DNA of a Pterosaur from the savage Land to that of Astrodactyl seems mundane. I assure you the combination has resulted in an organism with the speed and firepower beyond any Earth-based aircraft. But also the agility enhanced perception, and combat efficiency beyond the most veteran of pilots. For all Iron Man's achievements, his suit stands no chance against this avionic accomplishment of amalgamation."
A sinister grin appeared on his face as he continued to his next pet. "Oh, the sheer delight I had when I created the foe for the Symbol of Patriotism that is Captain America. To have the Sentinel of Liberty face off against his animal equivalent. I could not resist the dichotomy. And while I could not replicate that unique serum that grants the Captain his herculean strength. I trust that my 'off brand' attempt combined with the Creature's natural strength and agility can more than makeup for the handicap."
"Finally, the opponent for that Hack of a Doctor, Henry Pym." Dr Animo practically spat his name like it was bitter to utter a single syllable. Much to Janet's indignation. "Learning from my previous attempt at a self-replicating organism. I utilized the self-cloning of the sound species Echo Echo to provide the Fire Ant, Pogonomyrmex barbatus, with the ability to not only swarm its opponents but to utilize sound frequencies to cancel out those produced by his abhorrent helmet. Now, the pacifist will face his greatest defeat at the hands of what he considered his most valuable allies."
Finally finished with his speech. Animo turned back to Wasp, his egotistical ramblings resulted in quite the cocky grin on his face.
"Well, my dear. What do you think?" He waved his arms over the battlefield. "A few strands of DNA and my brilliance. I have created beings that rival Earth's Mightiest!"
"Yes, it really seems you've considered everything." Wasp complimented mockingly.
"Why, thank you." Dr Animo responded. His ego blinded him to her tone.
"Although," Wasp said, causing Animo to raise an eyebrow. "As impressive as they all are. There's one thing you kinda overlooked."
Curious, Dr Animo strolled over to the captive Heroine and leaned in close.
"And what, pray tell, would that be?"
Wasp smirked as it was her turn to lean in. "You don't know everything about me. Sick 'em!" She shouted.
Suddenly, Stink-Wasp released its hold on her and raised its tail. From around the stinger, four tube-like barrels folded out from the sides and fired a stream of slime at Dr Animo, knocking him down as the Mutated Wasp lunged at the Scientist, pinning him to the floor with its limbs and hissed at him.
The Stink-Wasp swiftly aimed its tail towards Lode-Bat and fired a more powerful stream at the creature's head. Slime connected with the floating metal head with such force that it knocked it free of the magnetic field of the body. Sending it tumbling across the floor like a misshapen bowling ball.
Dr Animo's eyes widened in shock. His own creation turned against him. How?
"What is the meaning of this!" He roared at his pet. "Release me! I command you!"
Just then, Wasp fluttered over to the creature. Having shrunken down to her one-inch size and rested atop the Stink-Wasp's head.
"Hate to tell ya, Doc. But he's not listening to you anymore." She patted Stink-Wasp and the creature chirped in response. "He found himself a new master. Or should I say, Mistress?"
"What have you done?" Animo asked, his tone quickly shifting to annoyance.
"Fun fact." Wasp started, tapping her headphones. "These aren't just for decoration. They actually let me talk to bugs, just like Ant-Man."
She couldn't help but revel in Dr Animo's shocked expression. "I don't really advertise that power 'cause I prefer to stick with my own thing of flying and zapping."
Wasp shifted her sitting position to where she was now lying down on her stomach, her hands propping up her chin as her legs kicked in the air. A mocking grin on her face as she looked down at the Mad Scientist.
"Really, your biggest mistake was pairing me against a wasp. I don't just rock their colour scheme. I also control them better than any other insect."
Dr Animo wasn't sure if he should be impressed or outraged. Being outsmarted by an airhead like her.
Upgrade chuckled as he walked over to them. "Actually, his biggest mistake was underestimating you, Sis."
"Too true. Little Bro." Wasp agreed as she flew over to him. "I'm more than just a pretty face."
Dr Animo grunted as he struggled against his entrapment. "An impressive display, dear Wasp. I will admit that wrenching control of my creations from me is no small feat. I take pride in the loyalty my pets display."
His hand shifted as he fiddled with something in his grasp.
"But, no matter what. You will never take control of my most loyal of companions."
Suddenly, he clicked a button on the device in his hand, and a trap door opened, revealing a body of water beneath it.
Out from the murky water, a long green tongue shot out and struck the Stink-Wasp. The creature screeched in shock as it was wrenched away from Dr Animo and into the maw of a massive green frog with moss-green skin and a light green neck. The frog had two small horns on its forehead and two bone horns coming out of the sides of its head. It had four red eyes and orange wart-like lumps.
The Mutant frog pulled the Stink-Wasp into its mouth, however before it could consume Stink-Wasp, the Size Changing Heroine blasted the beasts tongue with her stingers. The Yellow beam struck the fleshy appendage, causing the beast to release its hold, freeing the Mutated Wasp.
She continued to blast the beast as Stink-Wasp quickly joined her and they engaged the Mutant Frog with stingers and slime.
With Animo free, he quickly ran to the console.
"Enough of these interferences. I cannot afford to indulge my flare for the dramatic. Not when I am so close." He flipped a switch on the console, and the machine whirred to life. The Arc Reactor hummed as energy discharged and the DNA bomb started counting down. 10 seconds on the clock. 9, 8, 7…
"The world shall be remade in the genius that is Dr Animo!" He threw his arms into the air as the countdown continued.
5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0…..
The Mad Scientists eyes snapped open. The Device didn't go off. Why didn't it go off? He couldn't have miscalculated. Everything was working to perfection. So why is it not working?
Suddenly, the timer screen went dim before a green circle appeared on it.
"Uh oh. Looks like someone has some detonation issues." Upgrades voice taunted from inside the console. "That's ok, lots of guys your age have that problem."
Dr Animo gritted his teeth as his console became enveloped in a black tar substance with green circuitry patterns all over it.
Upgrades head emerged from the console, his single eye shifting to portray a smug expression.
"Forgot about me, huh?" Upgrade asked rhetorically. "Not that I blame ya. Wasp is great at distractions. Sure had your attention."
Dr Animo gritted his teeth. Which caused Upgrade to chuckle.
"Face it, Doc. I win again. Save yourself the embarrassment and just give up."
To punctuate his point, the Techno-organic alien merged with the Arc Reactor, disconnected the device from the DNA bomb and moved it to a different section of the lab. Causing the machine to power down in a sad, droning noise.
Dr Animo looked to his machine, then to the Alien shapeshifter.
"If you think I will accept that, Tennyson. Surely, you have learned nothing from our past encounters!" Dr Animo shouted.
Upgrade rolled his eye and shook his head. "Dude, if anything, you haven't learned a thing. You still pull the same stunt every single time. Mutated animal army, DNA bomb to mutate the planet, next step in evolution, yadda, yadda, yadda. It's so cheap and repetitive. Learn a new tune already."
The Mad Scientist ground his teeth together before it evolved into a sly smile.
"Ah, the ignorance of today's youth. To dismiss the scientific method. When a theory has been successfully observed. It must be repeated to confirm its validity." He turned his back to the Teen Hero and paced around his DNA bomb.
"My repeated attempts have been to improve my theory. Test the limits and see what can be overcome. Over the years, I have learned many things, Tennyson." He stopped and turned to face the Alien Avenger. "For example, you always let me finish my monologues!"
With a click of a button, a trap door opened beneath Dr Animo, and his lower body dropped into a small hole, stopping at the waist.
Metal clicked, and steam burst from the gaps between the plates as the floor beneath him erupted. Metal and gears went flying as something massive broke free from the ground.
Upgrade quickly dodged and slithered around the debris coming at him. His semi-liquid body makes the task simple for him.
When the debris finally stopped, Upgrade finally got a clear view of what emerged from the ground and his eye widened in shock.
Standing before him was a giant mechanical Gorilla. Standing 20 feet high. With white fire on the arms and legs, its body was dark blue with a pair of cooling vents on its chest. In place of its head was Dr Animo himself, his lower body inside the suit, while his upper body remained outside the mech as he piloted the suit.
Upgrade couldn't help but think this suit reminded Ben of how Dr Animo looked in the future when he fought alongside his future self, Ben 10,000. The only difference being Animo isn't a head in a jar.