Chapter 2: Washington B.C.
[Washington DC: Burning Building]
People watch in the city street as a building is engulfed in flames. Sirens blare in the distance. Inside the building, a boy and his mother run to the door, but a piece of burning debris traps them in their room. They look around as pieces fall around them; eventually, the ceiling above them starts to cave in. They both shut their eyes and brace for it. Nothing happens, slowly the young boy opens his eyes, seeing a Pyronite standing in front of them.
"Who are you?" The young boy asked, seeing a being made of fire, holding the ceiling debris above their heads.
"The name's Flamecess, I'm here to help." The now named Flamecess said.
Flamecess threw away the debris and extended her hands; she then absorbed all the fire. Flamecess turned around and motioned for the small family to come with her. The boy, less afraid, began to follow, his mom trailed behind. Out of the apartment Flamecess looked to a set of stairs leading down.
"This way!" As she said that the stairs collapsed. "Er, on second thought…that way." She looked to a barred-up window. She shot a hole around the window.
Outside people stood around and watched as a tornado of fire exited the hole and touched down to the ground. Dispersing, Flamess, the boy, and the mother stood there, all okay. The crowd released a gasp.
"Alright, I know I'm amazing and I'm sure you all want to thank me but.." Flamecess Boasted looking around at all assembled. There was a honk as the Rust Bucket pulled up, Tyrone sitting in the passenger side.
"Yo Flamecess! That fire was a diversion, the real crime was a jewelry store robbery. You better hurry or the robbers might get away." Tyrone called out.
"Oh…uh, I knew that." Flamecess said.
[Washington DC: Streets]
A car zoomed down the city street, two masked men inside. Behind them was the Rust Bucket driven by Grandpa Max. Flying over them was Flamecess, lowering her altitude she shot a ball of fire at the car, causing it to spin out of control. The robbers scream as the car crashes into a wall. Walking up to them Flamecess rips the car door off.
"Now, we can do this the easy way or the hard way. I know which I prefer, so I'd advise you to get out and put your hands against the wall." Flamecess threatened.
The robbers got out of their car and stood against the wall with their hands pressed against it.
"Good now remember crime doesn't pay." She said as the Omnitrix began to time out on her. She quietly escaped as the cops pulled up to surround the robbers.
[Washington DC: Dr. Animo's house]
The next day a man by the name of Roger knocks at a door,with a sign labeled "Dr. Animo" hanging on it.
"Yo! Animo! I know you're in there. Open up!" Roger demanded. Opening the door, he walks in passing by all sorts of equipment, cages, and glass cases holding various animals. "Phew! Smells like a zoo in here!"
"HOW did you get in?!" Dr. Animo demanded more than asked. Appearing behind him, Roger, as he turned around.
"Pass key. I am still your landlord, remember? Maybe not, since your rent is six months past due…" Roger said adjusting his tie, he then held up said pass key.
"All my funds go to my research. Now GET OUT! You're disturbing me!" Animo once again demanded.
"Hmm. Looks like you were "disturbed" long before I got here, pal! Listen, Doc, you and your furry friends are out on the street, unless you pony up the green." Roger said, taking a look around the apartment.
"Pony up." Dr. Animo said with a bit of humor. "Interesting choice of phrases, you must be an animal lover! Then you're gonna love this." He removed a frog from one of the cases. Setting the frog down, Animo puts on an odd-looking helmet with two horn-like protrusions.
"What's that? You a member of the "Moose lodge" or something?" Roger said after laughing mockingly at the good doctor.
"This is my Transmodulator; phase one. It creates and accelerates mutations at a genetic level. Observe." Animo said as he began his demonstration.
Animo twists a dial on his chest, activating the Transmodulator. Beams shoot out from the horns and to the frog on the ground, severely mutating it into a gigantic version of itself. Roger looked up and screamed as the frog opened its mouth and engulfed him. All that is heard are some muffled grunts.
"I'm sorry! I can't hear you. Sounds like you have a frog in your throat! Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha! Or is that the other way around?!" Animo began to laugh maniacally as the frog spat Roger out. Roger fell to the floor, groaning and passed out. Animo, noticing a slip newspaper, checks it out. "So close to having what is rightfully mine... All I need is a FEW LOUSY COMPONENTS to finish my work!"
"...So whatever your need, from hair spray to state-of-the-art electronics, you'll find them under one roof at the grand opening of the district's newest MegaMart!" The TV interrupts Animo as he was monologuing.
"Ah! Just what the doctor ordered…" Animo said now having some direction.
[Washington DC: MegaMart]
The group was walking through the aisles at MegaMart. The kids were looking at the shelves and pulling off all assortments of random items off it. They would bring it back to the cart only for Grandpa Max to shake his head in disapproval of it. Grandpa Max reached out to a shelf and picked up a can.
"Only canned Octopus? Huh. I thought this store prided itself on a wide selection." Max commented looking over the can.
"Hey Grandpa Max, would it be possible for us to have a normal dinner and not something involving stir-fried tentacles?" Achilles asked, coming up to him and making a face at the can.
"Nonsense. Now where do you suppose they keep the sheep's bladders?" Max said then asked.
"Sheep's bladder, you say?" Fae asked, popping up.
"Ugh, Fae please tell me you're not planning on eating it." Achilles pleaded.
"Oh no, no, no, no. I don't use them for eating." Fae responded.
"Oh, okay. Then what do you use them for?" Achilles asked. Fae looked at him and just laughed walking away.
"Sometimes she really scares me." Victor walked up to Achilles and watched Fae walk away.
"Come on kids, let's go check out the pet department." Grandpa Max said, walking in that direction.
"You mean to keep right? Not as like breakfast or something. Right?" Tyrone asked, walking next to Grandpa Max who didn't respond causing him to stop short. "Right? Grandpa Max?" He hurried up to catch up to the old man.
The store began to rumble; TV sets fell from their displays, people screamed, and the walls burst, revealing Dr. Animo mounted on his giant frog. Animo got down from the croaking frog and began to start pocketing electronics. Animo remounts the frog as two security guards arrive on the scene.
"Freeze!" One of the security guards said and held up a taser.
"Get down off that giant…frog and put your hands up!" The second guard said, taser up as well. Animo smirks at them both and rides away on the frog.
Meanwhile in the pet section the group was looking at the various animals. Max is reviewing a list of items, while Achilles & Fae are playing with some dogs and Victor is petting a few cats. Suddenly Animo's frog lands in front of them. Animo turns the dial and red beams shoot out of his transmodulator again. Max pushes the kids down and out of the way.
The beam mutates a hamster and a parrot, both of which explode out their cages and stare menacingly at the gasping group.
"Arise to your full potential, my pets!" Dr. Animo said. "Behold the genius of Dr. Animo. Nothing can stop me from getting what I deserve. Mark my words! Today I will make history, or…should I say…prehistory!"
"NOW WOULD BE A GOOD TIME TO GO HERO SIS!" Screamed Tyrone to Leni, as the group began to run from the hamster.
"Yeah, yeah. I'm on it." Leni responded, looking through aliens before landing on one. As she slams it down, in her place is a tetramand. "Four Arms! Hey big and ugly! Over here! Yoo-hoo!"
Four Arms begins to run away from the group, the hamster giving chase. The hamster gains on her and takes a leaping bite. Four Arms dodges out of the way and grabs the hamster up in her arms and tosses the hamster between two shelves. She goes over, pushes the shelves down, toppling them over and trapping the hamster.
"Clean-up on aisle six." Comes the voice of an employee over the intercom. A rumble is then heard as the frog hops behind the group.
"You cannot stop me! I will turn "Washington DC" into "Washington BC"!" Animo jumped from the frog to the mutated parrot. They fly through the sky light, the frog trailing behind.
"You gotta go after them!" Grandpa Max said.
[Washington DC: Streets]
The Rust Bucket is chasing after the screeching parrot, Four Arms is riding on top of it. Inside the RV Grandpa Max is driving keeping his eyes on the parrot.
"Ah just like the good old days…before I retired." Max said, reminiscing.
"So, what kind of Plumber were you again?" Victor asked, sitting in the passenger seat.
"Er…uh…a darn tootin good one!" Max answered.
"And bingo was his name-o!" Tyrone said from the middle of the RV on his laptop. "Five years ago, Dr. Animo was a promising researcher in veterinary science. But it turned out he conducted a lot of twisted genetic experiments where he was mutating animals. When he didn't win "The Verities Award", he freaked out."
The parrot disappears between a couple of buildings. "Looks like we've lost him, he could be going anywhere in Washington DC."
"Or Washington BC." Victor said.
"I think I know where he might be going. The Natural History Museum." Tyrone figured out.
[Washington DC: Natural History Museum]
The group is walking to the museum and finds a giant feather on the stairs.
"Something tells me that we're on the right track." Max said.
While walking, Four Arms discovers a box labeled "M Mart Electronics". In front of them, next to a mammoth exhibit, is Dr. Animo, fiddling with his machine. He stops and realizes they're here.
"You…are very persistent. I HATE persistent." Dr. Animo said, finding them to be annoying.
"We all know about you and your "experiments" Dr. Animo! It's over!" Four Arms called out.
"Oh, but it's only just begun. See, I only needed a few components to push my work into phase two: the reanimation of dormant cells." Dr. Animo explained. "Breathing life back into that which has been long since lifeless. Observe!" Animo turns the dial twice this time. His transmodulator shoots beams into the mammoth, bringing it to life. It lets out a trumpet as it stomps down from its pedestal. Dr. Animo then escapes while the group is distracted.
"Uh, Leni." Victor said, looking at the mammoth in shock and fear.
"I got it." Four Arms gets in front of everyone. "Let's wrestle."
Four Arms runs towards the mammoth, grabbing it by the trunk and tipping it to the ground. The rest run out of the mammoth exhibit and after Animo, but come across the giant parrot. Tyrone notices a spear at the caveman exhibit and takes it. He begins to use it to beat back the parrot until it runs.
"Ha!" Tyrone laughed and continued on, the group trailing behind him.
They enter a new room, seeing Animo, who smiles before shooting his beam at a tyrannosaurus rex skeleton. Skin forms and wraps around its bones; an eye lights up the previously bare socket. The T-rex takes a step and roars a mighty roar.
Back with Four Arms, she was being thrown into a wall by the mammoth before it proceeded to charge at her. Four Arms grabs a hold of the mammoth by the tusks, and spins him round and round, eventually letting it fly into a wall, defeating the beast. Four Arms continues on to the next room only to find Dr. Animo getting on the T-rex's back ready to leave. Animo flees, having the T-rex turn and use its tail to hit Max and the kids.
"I'd love to stay, but I need to claim the award I so richly deserve." Dr, Animo said while he's escaping.
The parrot swoops down, grabbing up Victor on the flyby. Four Arms leaps over everyone to chase after the parrot and Victor. As she leaves, Max bends down, picking up a photograph.
"What's that Grandpa Max?" Tyrone asked, as the older man showed him, Achilles, and Fae the photo.
Four Arms catches up the parrot and grabs hold of it. The feathers Four Arms is holding onto suddenly pluck, sending him falling to the ground while the bird flies away with Gwen. The watch starts timing out as well, though luckily Four Arms only detransforms after falling to the ground. Leni climbs up out of the crater that Four Arms' left.
"VIC!" Leni screamed looking at the fleeting form of the parrot.
Max pulled up in the Rust Bucket and opened the door.
"Somebody call for a taxi." Max asked jokingly.
[Washington DC: Sky]
Victor has his arms folded, while the parrot holds him by the back of his shirt on their way to the Washington Monument.
"Spend the summer with us on a road trip with Grandpa Max, they said. It'll be fun, they said. You'll have an adventure. Last time I let them talk me into anything." Victor grumbled very displeased with the situation. Victor tries to reach for his phone. "Time to make a call."
[Washington DC: Rust Bucket]
Back with the Rust Bucket, everyone is on look out for the parrot and Victor.
"No sign of beak breath." Leni said, her head out the window.
"There can't be that many places for a parrot the size of an elephant to roost." Max hands the photo over to Leni. "Here, look at what Dr. Animo left behind."
"Dr. Kelly accepts the Verities Award." Leni reads it. "He's gonna go try and take that award. We need to stop him!"
"First we need to find Victor." Max said as Leni's phone rings and Victor's name appears.
"Victor/Vic" Max and Leni scream.
"Hang on Victor, we're on our way." Max said to Victor over the phone.
[Washington DC: Washington Monument]
The parrot leaves Victor, on the top spike of the monument. Victor tries his best to hold on causing him to drop his phone. Below Max sees Victor's phone hitting the ground smashing.
"Oh no, Victor will be next." Max said.
"Not if I have anything to say about it." Leni said as the Omnitrix finishes its cool-down. Leni transforms into a Lepidopterran. Victor finally loses his grip and goes falling only for Leni to come swooping in and grab him. "Gotcha."
"Huh? A bug?" Victor asked as he looked at Leni's new form.
"Nope, Insecta." The now named Insecta responded.
"Right, anyway thanks for the save….Incoming!" Victor said to Insecta, only to notice the parrot coming round.
"Hang on." Insecta said as she began to pull off maneuvers.
On the ground Max sees the ensuing air battle and runs to the monument. Victor yells hanging on to Insecta.
"Whoa! Hey! Watch the nails there buddy!" Insecta yells out dodging the parrot.
"Like it would have killed the founding fathers to install an elevator." Max, exhausted from having to climb up the steps, said.
"I can't shake cracker-breath. You're gonna have to trust me." Insecta said, seeing Max gesturing to them from the monument.
"Trust you?" Victor asked.
Insecta drops Victor off from her back, causing him to scream, she grabs him by the hands, flying towards the Washington Monument. She drops Victor off at the Monument as Max pulls him in. The parrot dives towards them, only getting knocked from its course by Insecta shoulder checking it.
"Go! Stop Animo. We're all right." Max said. Insecta gives a nod and flies off.
[Washington DC: Kelly Industries]
Dr. Kelly is hosting a tour group and is showing his award off to them.
"And here is my Verities Award. Of course, it was an honor just to be nominated with a distinguished group of scientists, ah-huh." Dr. Kelly told the group as dr. Animo and his T-rex smash through a glass window to invade Kelly's company.
"Kelly! I believe you have something of mine." Dr. Animo said to Dr Kelley. Animo jumped down from his perch and grabbed the award. "I'd like to thank the committee for this honor."
The T-rex roars, swiping its mouth towards Kelly, before Insecta rushes in and swoops up the good doctor. Insecta quickly ends up getting swiped by the T-rexs' tail, Dr. Kelly is left falling towards the T-rexs' mouth. Insecta gets up and hurries to catch the doctor.
"What are you? You little pest?" Dr. Animo asked tracking Insecta with his eyes.
"I'm Insecta, and I'm here to kick your can." Insecta said pausing in her flight.
Dr. Animo shoots a beam at Insecta, who dodges it and knocks him over, causing the crazed doctor to drop his award.
"No!" Animo yelled, as Insecta tapped his shoulder and stole the transmodulator. "My Transmodulator!"
Insecta breaks the transmodulator, the T-rex de-animates back into bones, and crumbles to the ground.
[Washington DC: Washington Monument]
The mutant parrot approaches Max and Victor, turning back into normal size before it makes it there. The parrot perches on Victor's arm.
"Don't even try to kiss up to me now." Victor said before giving in and petting it a little.
[Washington DC: Kelly Industries]
The police are arresting Dr. Animo at Kelly Industries, dragging him away.
"Let me go! I deserve that award! I've got it coming to me! I want it!" Dr. Animo yelled out as he got shoved into the police car.
[Washington DC: Rust bucket]
The group is sitting in the Rust Bucket winding down from the long day. Leni is putting a piece of the transmodulator in a box.
"I saved the city and was able to snag myself a trophy off of Animo. I'd call this day a success." Leni said, self-satisfied with her work today.
"Don't forget you saved me as well. Thanks for that pal." Victor said to Leni, giving her a hug.
"Yeah well that's what us heroes do." Leni said proudly.