"Since Spider-Man's powers can't be replicated… the only option left is something like the Captain America serum," Jack muttered to himself.
He didn't dwell on it for long.
After storing all the research results safely in the system, he shut everything down and stepped out of the hideout, already wearing his Plumber suit.
"Red Queen, show me all the marked areas on the map."
"Yes, Master."
A holographic map appeared in front of him, several points lighting up outside New York.
Jack studied it for a second.
"…That's pretty far."
Most of the activity had shifted out of the city.
"Guess they really think I won't follow."
He turned the Omnitrix dial.
"XLR8."
Katcha.
His body shifted instantly, speed building the moment his feet touched the ground. He took off like a blur, the city fading behind him in seconds as the environment changed from streets to open roads, then into quieter, less developed areas.
By the time he slowed down, he was already near the marked location.
The area was different.
No buildings. No lights.
Just trees.
A forest, deep enough that even the road behind him had disappeared from view.
Jack came to a stop and looked around.
"…You sure about this, Red?"
"Yes, Master. Based on the decrypted data from the gang member's system, an illegal trade was scheduled in this area."
Jack scanned the surroundings again.
Nothing.
Too quiet.
"Then they're hiding."
He shifted back to his normal form and activated the suit's flight function, rising slightly above the tree line. From up there, the forest stretched out in all directions, dense and uneven.
He moved slowly at first, scanning.
Five minutes.
Nothing.
Ten minutes —
He spotted something.
Marks.
He dropped down near a clearing and crouched.
Tire tracks.
Faint, but still visible in the dirt.
"They were here," he said.
He followed the marks with his eyes, but they didn't last long. The ground changed, breaking the trail.
"…Not clear enough."
"Yes, Master," Red Queen replied. "This area lacks surveillance coverage. I cannot track them further."
Jack stood up slowly. "Yeah… figured."
He looked at the ground again, then at the trees around him.
A small pause.
"…Good thing I've got another option."
He reached for the Omnitrix.
"Wildmutt."
Katcha.
The transformation hit, dropping him low to the ground as the world shifted. Sight disappeared, replaced instantly by scent and sound.
The air was full of information.
So many overlapping smells — but one stood out.
Rubber and Oil.
The same scent from the tire tracks.
Wildmutt lowered its head slightly, locking onto it.
"Mmuu—"
Without hesitation, it took off.
Fast.
The forest blurred past as he moved between trees, body adjusting naturally to the terrain. Branches, uneven ground — none of it slowed him down.
The scent trail was faint in places, stronger in others, but it was enough.
North.
He kept moving.
On the other side of the forest, in a small clearing —
Several men stood around metal cages loaded onto trucks.
Inside the cages — animals. Rare ones. Florida Panther, Red Wolf, San Joaquin Kit Fox. Some injured. Some restless. All trapped.
"Hurry it up," one of the men said. "We don't want to stay out here longer than we have to."
"Relax," another replied. "No one's coming out this far."
A low sound echoed through the trees.
They paused.
"…You hear that?"
"Yeah," one of them said, looking around. "What was that?"
"Probably a bear or something."
"That didn't sound like a bear."
They listened for a second.
The animals in the cages started getting restless, shifting, making noise.
"Shut up!" one of the men snapped, grabbing a metal rod and banging it against a cage. "Stupid animals—"
The sound came again. Closer this time. Not normal.
One of the men turned toward the trees —
— and froze.
Something moved between them. Fast. Orange. Low to the ground.
"What the—"
"MONSTER!"
The shout broke the moment. Panic hit instantly.
"Run!"
Some of them turned and bolted without thinking. Others raised their guns and fired into the trees.
Gunshots echoed.
Wildmutt didn't slow down.
He moved through the gaps, using the trees as cover. Shots missed, hitting bark and dirt instead. In seconds, he closed the distance.
The first man didn't even get a clean shot off. Wildmutt hit him full force, knocking him off his feet.
Another swung the rod — missed.
Wildmutt dodged and drove into him from the side, sending him crashing into the cage.
Within minutes, the clearing went quiet again.
The only sound left was the animals shifting in their cages.
[Host destroyed illegal trade]
[+50 Heroic Points]
[Total: 368 → 418]
Wildmutt stood still for a moment, breathing steady.
Then the transformation faded.
Jack straightened back up in human form, glancing around at the unconscious men.
"…That worked."
He looked at the cages next. Animals. Some injured. Some just scared.
His expression shifted slightly.
"Yeah… not letting this slide."
He turned the dial again.
"Spidermonkey."
Katcha.
The smaller, more agile form took over instantly.
He moved quickly — no hesitation. Web lines shot out one after another, wrapping around the unconscious men, binding their arms and legs tightly. One by one, he pulled them up and strung them between trees. Hanging. Like caught insects. Secure, with no chance of escaping.
"Should hold."
He dropped back to the ground and looked around one last time, then activated the comms.
"Red Queen, send the location to the police. Include everything."
"Yes, Master. Transmission sent."
Jack glanced once more at the scene — the cages, the tied-up men, the quiet forest slowly settling again.
Then he stepped back and disappeared into the trees.
"Red Queen, show me the next location."
"Yes, Master. But as you ordered, I've been keeping watch on the Parkers. Parker's mobile signal and a nearby surveillance camera show he's heading to a wrestling competition."
So that's the show — Peter fighting in a ring to earn money. Probably for the broken camera repair. And if I remember right, Ben died around this time in the original story, coming to collect the prize money. Maybe this version follows the same path. Hard to say what changes in this universe.
Jack thought for a second.
"Good work, Red. Stay focused on them and let me know immediately if Ben leaves the house too."
He transformed into XLR8.
"Red Queen, show me Peter's location."
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