"It might be safe enough for my skin, but for the rest of you, I'm not making any promises," Tyler Levison said, turning back to the group with a sharp, warning glance.
"It's fine, Tyler." Max stepped into the purple-stained muck with practiced ease. "Grandpa has survived death traps far more elaborate than a muddy pond."
Ben and Gwen shared a look before following suit, stepping into the eerie wetlands. After a tense silence, they reached a clearing on the far side of the thicket. The Rust Bucket sat exactly where they had left it, but the horizon was dominated by the jagged silhouette of the Astronomical Observatory across a massive expanse of stagnant marsh water.
Standing at the water's edge were two figures—a man and a woman—staring silently into the mist.
"Hey! You two! Clear out!" Tyler shouted, trying to scatter the civilians before things got ugly. They didn't move. Tyler frowned, his eyes narrowing. "They didn't even flinch. Something's wrong."
The two figures slowly rotated, their bodies moving with a sickening, mechanical stiffness.
Tyler's breath hitched. Their mouths were filled with jagged, over-sized fangs, their skin had turned a jaundiced yellow, and their eyes were wide with a manic, predatory hunger. They were no longer human; they were biological errors.
"Eat... kill..." the man hissed. He lunged with a speed that defied human physics, claws swiping at Tyler's throat.
The woman followed, her movements a blur of twitching limbs as she lunged toward Gwen. "This one... smells sweet!"
"Get back!" Tyler snarled. He didn't transform, but his tail whipped forward with the force of a falling tree.
BANG!
The impact sent the two creatures sailing through the air. They crashed into the marsh with heavy splashes, struggling to stay afloat.
"What the hell is happening?" Tyler breathed, his hands trembling slightly. "They look like they were infected by the watch's DNA. They're corrupted."
Ben's face went pale. "Animo. He didn't just rain blood... he rained a virus."
Before another word could be said, the water beneath the struggling mutants erupted. A massive maw, lined with rows of scythe-like teeth, breached the surface.
CRUNCH.
The alligator didn't just bite; it pulverized. The two infected humans disappeared into the beast's throat in a single, wet snap. The creature sank back into the depths, leaving only a dark crimson stain on the surface of the pool.
"Did you see those teeth?" Tyler pointed toward the ripples. "Those aren't natural. Animo hasn't just mutated them; he's turned the entire ecosystem into a slaughterhouse."
"Gwen, with me. Into the car," Max commanded, his voice blooming with the authority of a veteran Plumber. "We're gearing up."
A moment later, Max emerged in reinforced tactical overalls, and Gwen stepped out in her full magical attire, the violet crystal in her staff humming with latent energy.
"Uh... what about me?" Ben asked, his voice small.
Max looked at him sternly. "Ben, your watch is compromised. If you transform and the Error takes over, we won't be able to stop you and Animo at the same time."
"Haha! Hear that, dweeb? You're on bench duty," Gwen mocked, though her eyes betrayed her worry.
"Gwen," Max interrupted. "You're his bodyguard. If so much as a mosquito bites him, I'm holding you responsible."
"Wait, I'm the babysitter?!" Gwen groaned.
Tyler walked toward the shoreline, the heavy scent of ozone and iron filling his lungs. "The car isn't safe. The shore isn't safe. He stays with us."
He picked up a heavy stone from the mud and hurled it into the water with everything he had.
BOOM!!
The stone hit like an artillery shell. The explosion of water sent a dozen mutated alligators flying into the air, their jagged, scythe-filled mouths snapping at nothingness. As they fell back into the lake, the surface became a boiling mess of predatory intent.
"The whole lake is a meat grinder," Tyler noted, a cold sweat breaking on his brow. "Maybe I should fly ahead and scout."
"No," Max said firmly. "We move as a unit. We found a skiff docked near the bend. It'll hold us."
The boat was a simple, sturdy metal skiff. Max grabbed the oars, his back straight and eyes fixed on the observatory. Ben and Gwen sat in the stern, while Tyler looked at the Carnitrix. He needed something that could provide air support and lethal intervention.
He rotated the dial to a sleek, winged silhouette.
WHOOSH!
Tyler transformed into The Jet-Slayer (Stingray Variant) and took to the sky, circling the boat like a vengeful spirit. Max began to row, his muscles bulging as he fought the current, the boat cutting steadily through the calm, deadly water.
As the observatory loomed closer, Ben leaned over the side, staring at his reflection in the dark water. Slowly, the image began to distort.
"Tyler! Heads up! Something's coming!" Ben screamed.
WHOOSH!
Tyler's eyes flared with twin beams of concentrated violet energy. They lanced into the water, boiling the marsh on contact.
BANG! BANG!
A giant alligator breached the surface, its skull pierced through by the light rays. It thrashed in its death throes, staining the lake with thick, dark blood. Max dug the oars in, using the momentum of the creature's struggle to shove the boat forward.
"Stay focused!" Tyler roared from above.
The scent of fresh blood acted like a dinner bell. Dozens of mutated maws began to crest the surface, their scythe-teeth glinting in the pale light as they swarmed toward the boat.
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