Inside a hidden cave system, makeshift medical facilities had been established with whatever equipment Dr. Animo could salvage.
Tony Stark's armor had been carefully removed, and his severely twisted limbs were submerged in a translucent green liquid—some kind of accelerated healing compound that Animo had prepared.
"Your healing serum formula works remarkably well," Animo observed, removing a somewhat antiquated monocular microscope from his examination position. He placed the instrument aside with reverent care and cleaned the lens meticulously with an alcohol swab.
"Combined with some medicines I've developed, he should recover soon."
"The healing serum was created by Ben Parker and Dr. Curt Connors," Peter explained, his voice carrying profound gratitude for the treatment.
His fractured skull had already healed completely—though he still couldn't quite believe that Dr. Animo, who'd once caused tremendous chaos attacking New York City in his universe, was actually a benevolent figure in this reality.
"They drew inspiration from lizard stem cell regenerative properties," Peter continued.
"A genuinely brilliant conceptual foundation!" Animo exclaimed enthusiastically. "I always knew my animal would prove extraordinarily useful for advancing medical science!"
He stood abruptly with excitement, then belatedly registered something peculiar about the conversation: "Wait—you possess an Omnitrix, but you're not Ben Tennyson?"
Gwen also stood, studying Peter with confused intensity.
"Me? No, I'm not," Peter said dejectedly.
He remained in his Spider-Man suit, sitting hunched on a small stone seat with his toes pointed inward, hands tucked between his thighs in a posture suggesting profound inadequacy.
"I wish I were him... Ben is fundamentally different from me. I constantly mess everything up, make terrible decisions, fail people who depend on me. But he succeeds at virtually everything he attempts. He's competent in ways I'll never achieve."
"But the watch on your wrist?" Gwen pressed, confusion evident.
"It's a replica that Ben created," Peter explained, scratching his head self-consciously. "He built it specifically for me."
"Replicating the Omnitrix?!" Animo was profoundly shocked by this revelation.
He quickly crossed to Peter's position, and with his withered hand—resembling something from fairy tale witch descriptions—he swept across Peter's wrist and literally yanked the device free, examining it from multiple angles with intense scientific scrutiny.
"Remarkable... yes, I can confirm authenticity," Animo muttered while inspecting the device. "Limited transformation capacity, simplified functionality compared to the original... and crucially, it can be easily removed without triggering defensive protocols."
He verified this was indeed a sophisticated copy rather than a genuine Omnitrix.
His certainty came from direct experience—he'd once possessed just the Omnitrix's outer ring during his criminal career. Even that single component had contained technology completely beyond his comprehension, centuries ahead of conventional science.
That someone could replicate even a simplified version required genius at minimum equivalent to Albedo's caliber—possibly exceeding it.
Furthermore, considering the healing serum formula this Ben Parker had developed, Animo felt genuine excitement stirring. If the two scientists could collaborate directly, they might actually invent a cure for the zombie virus!
He forcefully shoved the watch back into Peter's hands, then demanded: "Where is the genuine Tennyson? The real Omnitrix wielder?"
"Not Tennyson—it's Ben Parker," Peter corrected, shaking his head. "And he's in another universe entirely."
"The entire Plumber organization can assist with antidote research," E.U.N.I.C.E. interjected, her holographic form projecting tactical possibilities. "We maintain territories across dozens of star systems, employing countless specialized scientists, plus the Azmuth artificial intelligence network. Doctor, you simply need to upload your data to Azmuth's cloud infrastructure, and every biological researcher will immediately begin collaborative analysis."
"Absolutely not!" Animo shook his head with surprising vehemence.
"Having excessive researchers isn't beneficial for this specific scenario. Once I synchronize zombie virus data to a network, who can guarantee some deranged individual among those countless scientists won't secretly replicate the pathogen for weapons research or bioterrorism?"
Less than six hours remained until planetary collision.
Developing a comprehensive antidote might prove impossible within that timeframe. But replicating the zombie virus? That would be disturbingly simple.
Peter felt deeply moved by Animo's ethical reasoning. At a critical moment like this—facing personal extinction—the scientist could still prioritize protecting alternate realities from contamination.
Dr. Animo was genuinely a good person in this universe.
"In that case, we can only notify Ben directly through isolated channels," E.U.N.I.C.E. concluded. "Hopefully, he'll have sufficient time to assist."
Peter composed and transmitted a priority message to Ben Parker.
While waiting for response, curiosity finally overwhelmed his restraint. "Perhaps we could learn something useful from understanding the outbreak's origin. Could you explain what actually happened in your world? How did everything go so catastrophically wrong?"
Gwen glanced toward Dr. Animo, who impatiently retrieved his microscope lenses again, positioning them carefully before resuming his medicinal compound preparations.
"I don't possess that kind of recreational time for storytelling!" he snapped.
"Then allow me," Gwen offered, leaning against the cave's hard stone wall.
She appeared approximately thirty years old—but the Ben Tennyson they'd encountered today looked no older than eleven or twelve at most.
Yet she was supposedly his cousin. The age discrepancy suggested something profoundly wrong with how infection had altered his development.
"I remember it began during summer vacation," Gwen said slowly, her voice carrying distant nostalgia. "Grandpa Max took Ben and me on a road trip in his old, beat-up RV..."
The Max she described sounded remarkably similar to Uncle Ben Parker—the same fundamental kindness, the same dedication to family.
When she described how she and young Ben couldn't stand each other—constantly arguing and playfully tormenting one another—the expression on her face was unmistakably happy despite the painful context.
Family, Peter thought with profound understanding.
"Ben obtained the Omnitrix from space and began fighting various criminal threats, including stopping Dr. Animo here when he attempted transforming Washington D.C. into a prehistoric ecosystem..."
"Exactly as I anticipated," Peter murmured, unsurprised.
He'd traveled extensively through the multiverse. He understood that many individuals lived remarkably similar lives across different realities—key events occurring with only minor variations.
"Later, Vilgax arrived seeking the Omnitrix... I never imagined my Grandpa was secretly a Plumber operative all along."
Peter nodded agreement: "Uncle Ben is also a Plumber in our universe."
Though Uncle Ben was literally a plumber by profession before joining the cosmic organization.
Harry listened with genuine fascination as Gwen recounted the enemies they'd encountered during that fateful summer—how Ben had used various alien transformations to defeat villains, or occasionally gotten into trouble requiring creative solutions.
But confusion gradually replaced his engagement. "This should have been essentially a heroic adventure story. So why did everything deteriorate so catastrophically?"
Gwen's expression darkened considerably. "Until one day, everything changed fundamentally."
"A virus of completely unknown origin swept across the entire world. All infected individuals transformed into cannibalistic monsters—as though they'd gone collectively insane overnight."
"So Ben Tennyson was also infected?" Peter asked carefully.
"Yes. But simultaneously as he contracted the zombie virus, another pathogen also invaded his body," Gwen explained, her voice growing hollow. "Something called the Torment Plague. It altered part of the zombie virus's fundamental structure, transforming Ben into a half-human, half-zombie hybrid—a living corpse retaining self-awareness and cognitive function."
"That explains why he wasn't constantly screaming 'hungry' like the other infected," Peter realized aloud.
Benzarro had been fully capable of rational communication with them, showing no overwhelming thirst for blood or flesh.
Quite the opposite—his stated objective also involved ending the zombie universe, though through radically different methodology than what the heroes would prefer.
"He wanted to terminate the zombie virus's spread by systematically eliminating all infected individuals," Gwen continued, her voice barely above a whisper. "Even when that meant killing Grandpa Max..."
Her voice grew progressively quieter until she finally buried her face against her knees, shoulders trembling with suppressed grief.
Pietro opened his mouth as though to speak—perhaps to observe that based on extensive zombie movie experience, Tennyson's approach was probably tactically correct for preventing universal contamination.
But he possessed sufficient emotional intelligence not to vocalize that thought.
Besides, what if Wanda were the one transformed into a zombie? Could he genuinely bring himself to execute his beloved sister, even knowing it was strategically necessary?
Nobody knew appropriate words for comforting Gwen in this situation. But precisely then, E.U.N.I.C.E.'s optical sensors suddenly flickered—as though receiving priority transmission signals.
She'd actually been maintaining continuous communication with Ben Parker, updating him on developments in real-time.
In the alternate universe—their home reality—Ben listened to Gwen's complete testimony and immediately identified a critical tactical vulnerability.
"Ben Tennyson has become a living corpse?" he confirmed. "A hybrid entity?"
"E.U.N.I.C.E., I cannot deploy to assist you immediately—circumstances here prevent dimensional travel. But if everything Gwen just described is accurate, then you possess a genuine opportunity to defeat Benzarro."
Back in the Zombie Universe
E.U.N.I.C.E.'s eyes brightened dramatically, her expression shifting to profound hope.
"I understand the tactical approach now!" she announced with sudden certainty.
"We can steal his Omnitrix!"
"Useless strategy," Animo replied during a momentary break from his compound preparation. "That watch cannot be removed from its designated wearer."
This was information he'd confirmed even before Ben Tennyson's infection—fundamental Omnitrix security protocols.
"But the Omnitrix's locking mechanisms and various defensive systems are calibrated based on the wearer's genetic profile," E.U.N.I.C.E. explained, her tactical analysis rapidly assembling the complete picture.
"Benzarro is a hybrid entity—half-alive, half-dead. His cellular structure has deteriorated significantly from baseline human parameters."
Her voice carried absolute conviction: "We can remove his watch! The security protocols won't recognize him as the legitimate user anymore!"