Superman's Saiyan little brother

With a swift motion, Robert and Kara disappeared the moment Kara finished speaking. Following them were Pietro and Barry Allen. Susan Storm, Lorna, and Johnny Storm were a bit slower in their response.

"Really? Just as I mentioned it, my professor ends up in trouble?" Johnny muttered under his breath as he hurried towards the campus.

Despite his academic struggles, Johnny had no schadenfreude over his professor's predicament. He didn't wish harm upon his professor and respected human life, seeing himself as only slightly different from ordinary people because of his powers. Of course, those who had become power puppets committing crimes or dimensional beings were not normal in Johnny's eyes.

As Johnny and the others rushed over, Robert and Kara had already arrived at the campus laboratory. Despite their quick reaction and speed, they were unable to prevent the explosion. By the time Robert sensed the energy, it was already spilling out. Even if he had been in the laboratory earlier, he couldn't have stopped the energy release, as this wasn't his expertise.

"Boom!" A loud explosion echoed through the campus, drawing the attention of many students who began to flee in panic, fearing a terrorist attack or a bombing. Evacuation was the safest option, with only a few brave or foolish individuals and journalists sticking around.

"Humm!" In the lab, Robert and Kara appeared amidst the ruins, frowning at the devastation. The radiation from the explosion didn't affect them, their bodies glowing faintly to shield against it.

"How many people were here?" Robert, sensing a weak life force in the debris, asked Kara as he walked towards it.

"One, just Johnny's professor..." Kara replied, then her eyes widened in surprise. "He's alive? But he seems... mutated?"

"Mutated? He doesn't seem to be... his aura is still pretty weak," Robert said, unable to see through the smoke and debris like Kara could. The life force he sensed was weak and unchanged, not indicating mutation.

Despite his words, Robert continued towards the life force, quickly clearing the debris to reveal the man underneath.

"What the... has he really mutated? He has mechanical tentacles? How is he controlling them?" Robert blinked in surprise at the sight of the man with four mechanical tentacles.

Even if they were biological tentacles, Robert might understand, but mechanical ones growing from his body seemed bizarre.

"Did you manage to save him?" Pietro and Barry Allen, cautious of the radiation, called out from outside the lab.

"I got him out, if that counts as a success," Robert replied as he and Kara emerged from the lab, with the man floating beside them, his mechanical tentacles looking eerie.

"What's going on?" Pietro and Barry were stunned.

"Is Professor Otto okay... What the hell?" Johnny, arriving with Susan and Lorna's help, was equally shocked.

"He was like this when I found him. Looks like he mutated, but I can't figure out why mechanical tentacles grew from his body," Robert explained.

"I haven't treated him because I don't understand his condition, especially the mechanical aspects," he added.

"Those mechanical tentacles are Professor Otto's research. They weren't attached to him before," Johnny explained, recalling the professor's dislike for clumsy students and assistants. "Maybe his survival instinct during the explosion led to this mutation, grabbing any chance to stay alive."

"Let's get out of here. We shouldn't let anyone see him like this," Robert said, sensing approaching people. He wrapped his telekinesis around everyone and flew them away to the Avengers' base.

At the Avengers' base, Tony Stark recognized Otto immediately, surprising Robert.

"You know my professor?" Johnny asked, confused.

"Not personally, just by reputation," Tony replied, explaining Otto's scientific theories and his challenge to surpass Stark's Arc Reactor with a special artificial sun. "But now, I'm intrigued by how he merged those mechanical tentacles with his body."

Tony began examining Otto, interested in how the tentacles could be controlled and their energy source. Robert, feeling out of his depth, left Otto to Tony.

"He mutated during an explosion. He wasn't like this before, right, Kara?" Robert turned to Kara for confirmation.

"Yes, the tentacles were separate before the explosion," Kara confirmed. "They fused during the blast."

"A freak accident then? Otto achieving something I haven't? Interesting," Tony mused, beginning his research on Otto's condition.

Though Tony was swamped with ongoing projects—optimizing the Avengers, researching vampire and werewolf genetics, and upgrading his armor—he couldn't resist the challenge Otto presented.

"I'll leave him to you. Should we head back or wait here for Tony's research?" Robert asked the group.

"We'll head back. Staying here might expose our identities if Otto wakes up," Johnny decided, preferring to relax while Otto couldn't grade him.

"Don't think you're getting off that easy. You still need to study hard and graduate on time, or I'll break your legs and cut off your funds!" Susan threatened, guessing Johnny's thoughts.

"Got it," Tony agreed, not wanting to cross an angry Susan.

Yes, the Avengers now had salaries, inspired by Stark's past experience of hiring Robert. Recognizing the dangers and disruptions the Avengers faced, Stark decided they deserved financial stability. Unfortunately, Johnny's salary was now at risk.

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