บท 19: Chapter 18: One Tap Adds a Centimeter
Chapter 18: One Tap Adds a Centimeter
Recognizing the style of the watch, Quinn raised his hand to throw the Omnitrix watch back into the water without any hesitation.
However, after swinging his arm, he didn't hear the expected splash of water. Instead, he felt a heavy touch on his right wrist.
"WTF! Wasn't this thing supposed to be locked to Max's DNA? Why is it binding directly to my hand?"
Quinn looked at the Omnitrix, which automatically wore itself on his hand. At that moment, the Omnitrix's screen emitted a red light, entering the charging mode, casting a look of despair on Quinn's face.
Omnitrix, the equipment of the protagonist Ben Tennyson from "Ben 10," looks like a large watch but can transform into various forms for convenient carrying, according to the user's needs.
As one of the power levels in the American comic "Ben 10," Omnitrix is no less powerful than the DC universe. As the greatest creation of Azmuth, the smartest being in "Ben 10," even a damaged version of the Omnitrix is undoubtedly a formidable artifact.
So why would Quinn want to get rid of this seemingly powerful artifact? It's simple, because this thing can be a malignant bug capable of destroying the entire world.
To give an analogy, the worst case scenario in "Pokémon" and new major events might be the destruction of humanity, but if something happens to Omnitrix, the best case could be the destruction of the Earth, and the worst-case scenario might affect the entire DC multiverse.
Let's talk about the two basic functions of Omnitrix: transformation and capture.
Transformation: Omnitrix allows the user to transform into existing alien species in the Codon Stream. The principle is not merely genetic modification; the Omnitrix creates the components of the transformed species to replace the user's body.
Capture: By scanning new DNA samples and uploading them to the Codon Stream, the user can unlock the ability to transform into that DNA species. Moreover, using Omnitrix will transform the user into the most exceptional individual of the target species.
For example, if Quinn obtains a strand of Superman's hair or a used cup to extract DNA samples, he can transform into a Kryptonian, and not just any Kryptonian but one with the most powerful abilities. What's even scarier is that the Omnitrix can be replicated.
Although the replicated Omnitrix is an inferior version with only a few of the original functions, a small watch can still mass-produce Kryptonian offspring. The thought is terrifying.
Furthermore, there are countless powerhouses in the DC universe. Who knows if someone might create a one-to-one replica of the Omnitrix? Then the entire DC multiverse would be thrown into chaos.
However, the die has been cast, and Omnitrix unexpectedly latched onto him without even asking for Quinn's consent. Even worse, Omnitrix has a self-defense system, and once worn, it cannot be removed by conventional means unless the creator Azmuth intervenes.
"What is this, a headband that transforms you into Sun Wukong just by wearing it!" Quinn tried to take off the watch, but it seemed like it was always part of him, fitting tightly around his wrist.
Quinn exited the consciousness space and returned to reality.
Damian and Dick noticed Quinn's obvious change in emotions.
"You seem quite down, and there's a hint of fear, like a kid who messed up a party," Dick joked, putting his arm around Quinn's shoulder. He noticed the tech-heavy watch that suddenly appeared on Quinn's wrist, looking somewhat antiquated.
Quinn raised his head, his eyes lifeless, and said, "If there were a button, pressing it would have a fifty-fifty chance of destroying the world or saving it. Would you press it?"
Nightwing and Robin exchanged glances and replied in unison, "I would."
Quinn was surprised by how quickly they answered.
"Quinn, I don't know why you asked that question, and I don't want to pry, but I want to tell you," Nightwing tightened his grip on his staff, recalling his past, "When facing a crisis, most of our choices are exactly what you described—a button. And the probability of failure is even higher."
"If you have such a button, I suggest you keep it safe. At least you will still have a choice."
He looked solemnly at Quinn.
"Having the right to choose is a very fortunate thing. Damian, remember that."
Batman's mindset was based on this thinking—to design contingency plans for possible situations so that he could have more options when the time comes.
Twelve-year-old Damian lacked this kind of understanding; he felt that having power was never a bad thing.
Pointing at the Omnitrix on Quinn's right wrist, Damian had a mischievous look on his face, "So, this is your secret? Suddenly appearing on your wrist, it looks like a watch picked up from the junkyard, yet it has advanced storage technology. Let me guess, some kind of alien technology?"
Quinn raised his right hand, so Damian's hands wouldn't reach the Omnitrix. He was genuinely afraid that this kid would activate the self-destruct function of the Omnitrix.
The destruction caused by the Omnitrix's self-destruct is directly proportional to its charging time. Charging for a few days is enough to destroy all known galaxies in the universe. By then, he might end up being thrown by Batman into some lifeless parallel universe to die.
This wasn't just Quinn being overly cautious; Seeing Quinn avoiding him, Damian stepped back silently, trying to find Quinn's weakness while he had the chance.
"I overheard your conversation earlier. The next destination is Indian hill, right? Let's take care of the mastermind behind the scenes before sunset, as nighttime is when bats roam freely."
"Don't blame me for not reminding you, Robin. If you want Batman's approval, you'll have to work even harder."
As a former Robin, Dick understood very well that Damian's behavior would only worsen his relationship with Batman. But he knew from experience that words alone wouldn't change the young man's mind. Damian had to learn from his own mistakes to draw lessons.
As for the potential risks involved, Nightwing was there to assist him, so nothing would happen.
"Don't look at me; my police car just got soaked in seafood soup," Quinn stepped aside, revealing the waterlogged police car behind him, with an orange starfish stuck on the windshield.
Nightwing whistled, taking out his keys, and a blue-black sports car appeared behind him. Quinn could clearly see the resemblance to the Batmobile, but without the Batman theme.
"Feel free to hop in; the car has an automatic driving system."
Quinn got into the car, sitting in the back with Damian. During the rush, Quinn informed them about Manaphy and the Legendary Pokémon. He also concealed Manaphy's identity as a Mythical Pokémon, as he didn't want her to attract too much attention. There were already enough people interested in her.
It took seven minutes for Omnitrix to fully charge, but this damaged version of Quinn's seemed to be severely malfunctioning. It was still emitting a red light until they got out of the car.
But why did it stop when they got out of the car and not after reaching Indian hill? The reason was simple—they encountered an obstacle on the way.
A vine as thick as a giant stone suddenly crossed the road. Fortunately, Nightwing's car had an automatic driving system similar to the Batmobile, and even in manual mode, it had automatic correction, so the car stopped in time.
But another car that was parallel to him wasn't so lucky.
"Get out of the car quickly; there's no weapon system installed in the car."
Nightwing rolled out of the car, taking out his staff from behind. Based on the personal touch of this roadblock, Nightwing already knew who the enemy was.
Wildly growing vines carried their mistress and appeared in front of the three.
"Poison Ivy."
Nightwing stared cautiously at Gotham's Plant Queen. "Who got you out of Arkham?"
Poison Ivy glanced disdainfully at Nightwing, her eyes quickly locking onto the rapidly running Quinn.
Or more precisely, she was eyeing Manaphy.
"No one rescued me, Nightwing. I just wanted to be locked up in there. When I don't want to be imprisoned, no one can restrain the power of nature!"
Poison Ivy's eyes shot green light, causing the asphalt road in its path to be upturned by the plants growing below.
"Stop her, Robin."
Quinn wasn't running away; he shouted to Damian, "I'm going to save those people."
"Go ahead, I'll take care of this villain!"
Though Nightwing's car wasn't equipped with weapons systems, there was no shortage of weapons hidden in compartments. Damian picked a katana and two incendiary grenades.
Facing Poison Ivy, Damian's breath quickened. It wasn't his first encounter with her, but it was the first time he faced her alone without Batman to back him up.
Nightwing, entangled with Ivy's vines, protested, "Hey, I'm still here, stop ignoring me!"
Damian confidently declared as he cut the vines reaching for Quinn, "If you want to harm him, you have to get through me first."
The car's front end, colliding with Ivy's vines, was half-crumpled and already smoking. Quinn could see the deployed airbags on the seats.
"Manaphy, use the foam beam!"
"Ma--na!"
Manaphy took a deep breath and exhaled a large amount of foam, tightly wrapping the front end of the car. Quinn pried open the deformed car door with his strength and rescued an unconscious man and woman from inside.
Quinn used his police training in first aid to help the two individuals. Thankfully, the timely deployment of the airbags saved them from serious injuries.
"No immediate danger to their lives."
[Successfully rescued two people, gaining 4 points.]
The system's prompt confirmed that the two were out of danger.
"Mana Mana!"
(Quickly get away, quickly get away!)
Quinn heard Manaphy's warning and instinctively reacted. Wasn't it supposed to be him shouting, "Get away quickly"?
Before Quinn could comment, Damian was knocked into him, sending both of them rolling five meters away.
Quinn felt a slight pain in his two ribs. "Didn't I leave her to you, Robin?"
Damian removed and threw an incendiary grenade, saying, "Stop making fun of me. Poison Ivy is acting weird; her strength is much stronger than before--"
The incendiary grenade fell on a Venus flytrap that was as tall as a small hill, sparking flames that were soon extinguished by the digestive fluid dripping from the plant's mouth.
"I saw it!"
They both kicked each other away, and a vine slammed down, splitting the ground instantly.
Quinn broke out in cold sweat. Was this really Poison Ivy? Who gave her hormones or some kind of superpower drug?
"She's too fierce!"
Quinn held Manaphy and ran to the side. Poison Ivy immediately abandoned Damian and Robin and charged at Quinn.
"Give it to me!"
Quinn slapped his forehead. Needless to say, she was now coming after Manaphy.
"Manaphy, oh, Manaphy, you really are as lovable as the rumors say.!"
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