Although Robert spoke harshly, he still cast a healing spell on Otto. Soon, Otto's injuries healed, and he gradually regained consciousness. However, upon waking, Otto was clearly in a distressed state. Despite having undergone training to better understand his abilities, this was his first real encounter with a supernatural event. Otto had nearly died, and if not for Robert saving him, he would have been dead.
Experiencing life and death firsthand is not something everyone can easily shrug off. Even in a world filled with extraordinary beings, few can remain indifferent to their own mortality. When Otto opened his eyes, his pupils were unfocused, and he didn't even recognize Robert. He started shouting frantically and flailing his limbs as if trying to fend off danger.
Behind Otto, his four mechanical arms remained unusually still, not reacting to his panic. They seemed to recognize that the person who saved Otto from near death was not someone to be trifled with.
"Otto..." Johnny Stone and others arrived and saw Otto's condition. Johnny opened his mouth but didn't know what to say. He turned his gaze to Dr. Lizard, who was struggling to get up, and a flash of anger crossed his eyes.
"It seems Tony was a bit too hasty. Sending Otto to the base didn't mean he had to join the Avengers right away," Robert said, shaking his head. "Not everyone who gains extraordinary powers can handle the supernatural world, let alone fight in it. Otto might perform well without facing life-threatening situations, but it's clear he's not yet capable of standing alone."
Robert recalled how Peter Parker and others had also struggled when they first gained their powers but grew stronger through repeated supernatural events. In contrast, Otto had nearly died in his first encounter, likely leaving a psychological scar. This would make it hard for him to participate in future events.
The Avengers had a responsibility for Otto's current state. Tony Stark was too eager and lacked the experience to properly train a superhero. He was in too much of a hurry and didn't give Otto enough attention, thinking that Otto would quickly grow into his role. However, people are different, and Otto, being older, had more rigid ways of dealing with things.
Had Otto acted differently when they first entered the underground lab, taking advantage of Dr. Lizard's distraction to attack, the outcome might have been better. The Avengers had some responsibility for this, as Tony Stark had never truly trained a superhero before and was often too busy.
As Robert was considering advising Tony Stark to let Otto work behind the scenes, a sudden explosion echoed through the underground space. This was Johnny Stone taking action in anger to avenge Otto. Dr. Lizard, who had just climbed down from the wall with a clear fist imprint on his body, couldn't dodge Johnny's attack and was engulfed in flames.
Robert frowned and looked towards the explosion, then used his psychic power to envelop the Avengers and swiftly removed them from the underground space. At that moment, official agents arrived, feeling a wave of heat but suffering no harm.
"What happened? Did Johnny Storm attack? Did the Avengers suffer at the hands of Dr. Lizard?" The officials were unsure what had occurred, speculating as they surveyed the heat-filled underground space.
"Why do I feel itchy?"
"Me too, something seems to be coming out from behind me..."
The agents, before they could locate the Avengers, noticed changes in their bodies. Their skin turned green, and they grew claws and tails, becoming lizard-like creatures. The explosion had spread Dr. Lizard's experimental results into the air, which was why Robert had hurriedly evacuated the Avengers, leaving Dr. Lizard's fate uncertain.
As Johnny's flames had engulfed the experimental area, it accelerated the reaction of Dr. Lizard's experiments, causing the substances to spread into the air. Robert, observing the situation, realized that releasing this air could cause widespread contamination. He advised Tony Stark to quickly develop an antidote, as the surrounding area was populated, and ordinary people had already been affected.
"Sometimes I wonder if you're a villain's mole. Last time, your fire helped gather the resentment of werewolves and vampires, and now your fire has caused this mess. You seem to be cursed," Peter Parker remarked, annoyed, noting that Johnny's sudden attack had scared off Venom. If not for Robert's quick action, Peter, who was closest to the explosion, might have been infected by the mutagenic gases.
"Contact Tony Stark and have him send robots and armored suits. It's best not to have flesh and blood enter this area," Robert said, gesturing for the Avengers to retreat. The mutagenic gases in the air were dangerous, and with most of the Avengers already genetically modified, exposure could lead to unpredictable consequences.
As Robert spoke, Clark arrived and used his freezing breath to encase the area in ice, forming a large ice ball to contain the mutagenic gases. However, the sewers couldn't be sealed, posing a continuing threat.
"How did this escalate? Last time was bad enough with the earthquake, and now there's a gas leak?" Clark asked, puzzled by the situation.
"Maybe they underestimated their enemy..." Robert shrugged, his eyes reflecting deep thought. "We'll wait for Tony Stark to analyze the gas and find a solution. Until then, we can't risk spreading it further."
Meanwhile, inside the ice-encased area, those who had transformed into lizard-like beings were attacking the ice. Despite their bleeding claws and tails, they continued relentlessly.
"Are they being controlled? Can Dr. Lizard do that? So they're trying to create a distraction to escape?" Robert remarked, before disappearing. Clark remained, reinforcing the ice to prevent any leaks, though he couldn't stop the creatures from hurting themselves.
At that moment, Martian Manhunter arrived and used his psychic powers to subdue the transformed individuals, putting them into a trance-like state.
On the other side, Robert had reached an old sewage treatment plant, where the bloodied Dr. Lizard was being escorted by his transformed followers. Robert sensed that the mutagenic gas hadn't spread this far, indicating a limit to its reach.
Seeing the sewer exit close, Dr. Lizard felt a cold satisfaction. Despite nearly dying in the explosion, his experiments had succeeded. He planned to escape, regroup, and spread his toxin over a larger area, not just a single city.
"We're safe! Just wait, once I recover, I'll create a formula with a broader impact! I'll affect the entire USA, maybe even the entire world," Dr. Lizard muttered, vowing revenge.
"Oh, so your formula could always affect such a wide area? I thought Johnny's fire had increased its spread," Robert said, appearing above Dr. Lizard, startling him and his followers.
"Who are you?" Dr. Lizard demanded, as several lizard-men lunged at Robert, trying to attack.
With a burst of energy, Robert disintegrated the attackers and formed a Ki blast, aiming it at Dr. Lizard.
"Wait! You can't kill me! If I die, those infected will remain lizard people forever..." Dr. Lizard pleaded, but before he could finish, he was engulfed in the explosion.
With a loud bang, the area fell silent.
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