Thank you to Calico, Ippiki and Rubysky for your comments! Glad you're finding the story intrguing so far. Hope what's to come will interest you all and others as well!

Chapter 2

Two nights later, the Loonatics arrived at Acme Tech university. They parked their hover bikes under the cover of some trees and bushes then snuck toward one of the university building's entrances.

Ace whispered to his team in a hushed tone. "Alright team, you know what to do. Let's try and make it quick before anyone spots us. No messing around, right Duck?"

Duck glared at the bunny in offence. "What? You think I can't stay focused on a job? That's an insult! Focus is one of my many qualities! I'll have you know…"

"Shhh!" the others all interrupted Duck with fingers to their lips. Duck crossed his arms grumpily.

They then proceeded to begin their break-in. Rev conducted a GPS scan of the interior of the building to check for any presences, whilst Tech knelt down to the level of the electronic door lock and attached a gadget to it, working to open the lock. Lexi kept her sensitive ears alert and Ace scanned the perimeters with his enhanced vision. All was quiet.

"Got it!" Tech announced as the door slid open.

The Loonatics made their way quietly into the university building.

"Dr. Wilde's lab should be the third room on the left." Tech informed as he studied a holographic building layout map emitting from his arm communicator.

The Loonatics found the room soon enough. Tech peered into the lab cautiously before waving his team mates to follow him in. Their noses were immediately hit by the smell of animals, and this was confirmed visually by the sight of various animals in cages around the spacious lab.

"Wow, sure likes his pets doesn't he?" Lexi commented looking from a circling tiger to a jumping chimp.

Tech immediately made his way to a computer on a desk and sat down to begin accessing Dr. Wilde's files.

"Rev, search the cupboards and drawers," Tech instructed without taking his eyes off the computer screen, "look for any suspicious chemicals or substances."

"Sure-thing-Tech!-You-can-count-on-me!"

Rev began speedily searching each compartment of the lab.

Ace walked up behind Tech. "Well? Found anything Tech?"

"Splicing." Tech muttered in a serious tone.

Ace looked at Tech in a puzzled manner. "What?"

"Genetic splicing!" Tech clarified. "Wilde's been experimenting with splicing human DNA into animals! In order to create humanistic traits in them."

Ace's face took on a disgusted expression. "You mean he's been trying to turn animals…into humans?!"

"Not quite entirely." Tech answered grimly. "He's only been administering small but regular doses of a formula to alter their genetics enough to take on some of the cognitive capacities of humans, such as linguistic processing, problem-solving skills and generally improved intelligence."

Rev sped back to Ace and Tech at that moment. "Tech-look-at-this!"

Rev dropped a small glass tube containing a strangely-coloured violet blue chemical into Tech's hand.

Tech inspected it closely. "This might be the formula he's using. I'll take a further look at it back at HQs."

Tech reached backward into his mechanic backpack and carefully placed the tube into it.

Lexi and Slam curiously approached the caged jumping chimp Lexi had seen upon entry into the lab.

"Poor thing. He looks kinda restless." Lexi commented.

"Uruhblee jumpy!" Slam agreed.

"Probably from seeing us strangers." Duck guessed.

The chimp suddenly leaped toward them in its cage. "No! No!" it shrieked.

Lexi, Slam and Duck jumped back in surprise. The others looked up toward the chimp as well.

"That's the talking chimp?!" Duck squawked in surprise.

"Out! Out!" the chimp proceeded to screech at them in a frenzied state. "Now! Now!"

"What's-got-into-the-chimp?-He-looks-totally-freaked-about-something!" Rev commented in surprise too.

"That would be me."

The Loonatics spun around to see a black-haired man in a lab coat wearing thick-rimmed, square-framed glasses at the door.

"Dr. Wilde!" Tech voiced in shock.