System, explain Apex Predator Mode, Tyler commanded internally while scanning the streets for Animo's trail.
[Apex Predator Mode is a high-yield protocol of the Carnitrix. While transformed, the host can rotate the core on their chest to instantly cycle the DNA stream, switching forms without reverting to human state.]
Mid-transformation switching? Tyler's eyes widened. That was the classic Omnitrix's master-control feature, but unlocked early through the glitch-tech. He reached for the dial on his Snare-oh chest plate and gave it a sharp twist.
The silhouette of Heatblast flickered across his vision. He could change his tactical approach on the fly.
I need a tracker to find Animo, Tyler thought, twisting the dial again until a beastial icon locked into place. This is the one.
[DNA Sequence: The Ravager Engaged.]
Whoosh!!
A violent surge of crimson energy erupted from Tyler's flayed body. His spine snapped forward, his limbs elongating into powerful, digitigrade haunches. Orange, coarse fur erupted from his skin, but the transformation didn't stop there.
Where Wildmutt had no eyes and a simple mouth, Tyler's version—The Ravager—had a face that split into a massive, four-way "cross" of jagged fangs. When he roared, his entire skull seemed to peel open, revealing a throat of endless shadow.
"Every alien Tyler has is just... faster, stronger, and a thousand times more disturbing," Max noted, standing by the Rustbucket with the groceries. The sight of the orange beast was enough to make his seasoned Plumber instincts flare.
Nearby, civilians who had just regained consciousness after the Snare-oh encounter looked up, saw the Ravager's cross-shaped maw, and promptly fainted again.
"What is happening?!" Dr. Animo screamed, sprinting through an alleyway. "A mummy? A demon? I haven't even finished my master plan yet! Who are these people?!"
Whoosh!
A sudden, violent gust of wind whipped his messy white hair. Animo clutched his antler-helmet, looking up at the rooftops. Nothing.
"Just my imagination," he wheezed, patting his chest. He turned the corner, only to run face-first into a wall of orange fur and a mouth full of six-inch fangs.
"AHHHHH!" Animo hit the pavement, scrambling backward on his hands and knees, tears of pure terror stinging his eyes.
"Gotcha," Tyler grunted, the Ravager's vocal cords vibrating with a predatory hum. He reached out a massive claw, snagging Animo's coat.
Animo, driven by survival instinct, slammed the controller on his chest. His antler-helmet fired a concentrated mutation-beam directly at Tyler's face.
Tyler didn't even flinch. He launched himself five meters into the air, his overdeveloped muscles carrying him with supernatural grace. The laser struck the brick wall behind him, fizzling out.
Are there beasts like this left on Earth? Animo wondered in shock. It moves like a god of the hunt!
As Tyler descended like a falling star, Animo scrambled away like a reptile, narrowly avoiding being crushed. The shockwave of the Ravager's landing sent the doctor tumbling into a stack of crates, knocking him cold.
Within seconds, a fleet of D.C. police cruisers swarmed the alley. Officers jumped out, guns leveled—half at the unconscious doctor, and half at the orange nightmare standing over him. Their hands were shaking so violently the barrels of their pistols rattled.
"Progress is slowing down," Tyler muttered, realizing the System didn't grant points for a low-stakes capture. He twisted the dial on his chest once more.
The silhouette of the Terror-Wheel (XLR8) flashed. In a blink of red light, the monster vanished from the alleyway before the police could even blink.
"Glad that thing is gone," one officer whispered, wiping sweat from his brow. "If it wanted us dead... we wouldn't have even seen it move."
As the police hauled Animo away, they missed something. In the cracks of the pavement where Animo's laser had struck, tiny, omnipresent insects began to twitch. Their bodies swelled, their mandibles sharpening into serrated blades.
By the time Tyler returned to the Rustbucket, Max and Ben were packed and ready.
"I assume Animo is handled?" Max asked with a knowing smile. "Let's get back to our 'vacation' then."
They spent the rest of the day in D.C., playing the role of tourists, but Tyler remained pensive. He sat in the back of the RV as the sun began to set, questioning the System about the "Critical Nodes."
[As the host masters more DNA and improves his physical baseline, higher-tier Carnitrix protocols will unlock. You are building the foundation of a warlord, step by step.]
Tyler nodded. It made sense. Strengthen the body, then master the weapon.
"I just wish Animo had given me more to work with," Tyler muttered. "I didn't farm enough progress."
[Ding! Plot Deviation Alert: Dr. Animo has escaped custody. Driven by a primal fear of the 'Demon Lord,' he has accelerated his plan, occupying the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History and reviving the entire prehistoric wing. Progress: +1%]
[Template Mastery: 6/100. Unlocking DNA: The Doom-Wing!]
Tyler sat bolt upright. "He escaped already? And he revived a whole museum of dinosaurs?"
"Tyler, look at this!" Gwen turned her laptop around, her face pale. "The news is reporting a massive breach at the Smithsonian. They're calling it 'Prehistoric D.C.' There are mutated mammoths and raptors roaming the streets!"
Instead of panic, a fierce, competitive grin spread across Tyler's face. He cracked his knuckles. "Dinosaurs, huh? Sounds like a buffet."
"Finally!" Ben stood up, slamming his fist into his palm. "I was getting bored watching you have all the fun. It's hero time—for real!"