Throughout the entire day, Ben's mind was exceptionally clear, as if all knowledge had a traceable path instead of being a tangled mess. He was completely immersed in his studies, completely forgetting about Felicia.
As for after school, another, more important matter was clearly waiting for him.
The moment he walked out of the teacher's door, he bumped into Peter, who was also rushing out of another classroom.
"Hey, Benny!" Peter was overjoyed to see him. "Did you change your mind and decide to go find Dr. Connors with me?"
He thought Ben had rushed out to catch up with him.
"You're thinking too much, Peter. Like I said, I'm not interested in this." Ben shrugged.
Actually, he was indeed interested in Connors' biotechnology. Azmuth's Omnitrix was closely related to genetics. But how to put it, with his current knowledge, he couldn't understand the serum or the formula for making it. If he could turn into Grey Matter, maybe, but he couldn't actively expose himself in front of Peter and Connors.
He had just killed someone in front of Tony Stark this morning. XLR8 would definitely be listed as a dangerous target.
Under such circumstances, if other aliens appeared, especially with the Omnitrix symbol on them, it would be hard not to be wary. Not just aliens, but Ben himself had to be careful not to let anyone notice the little broken watch on his wrist.
Moreover, and more importantly, he had no need to do so. The knowledge of Cross-Species Genetics was left in the briefcase Richard Parker had given Peter, and the contents within were the true essence.
"I just wanted to remind you, you can go see Dr. Connors, but don't forget you have to pick up Aunt May tonight." Ben reminded him sternly.
Peter nodded subconsciously. "Okay, wait, how did you know I was going to pick up Aunt May?"
He was full of surprise. Ben hadn't left home at the same time as him this morning. Ben had left much earlier, so how could he know he had promised Aunt May he would pick her up?
"You don't need to worry about that," Ben said. "Also, please tell Uncle Ben and Aunt May that I'll be home late tonight."
After saying goodbye to Peter, Ben walked out of the school gate and turned towards a convenience store.
After buying a large bucket of detergent at the convenience store, Ben ducked into a corner without surveillance, carrying his backpack.
"So—" He rolled up his sleeve, and the Omnitrix's dial popped up.
"XLR8!"
…
"XLR8…" Tony stroked the slightly prickly stubble on his chin and had Jarvis create a new document.
The next moment, a virtual dragon-like projection appeared before Tony.
"He said his name was XLR8. What do you think he is? Did the dinosaurs from billions of years ago not go extinct completely?" Tony asked. Of course, he didn't actually expect any useful answers from Jarvis.
To him, Jarvis was more like a convenient butler; he was the one with the brain.
"I don't know, sir. I've searched global databases and haven't found any relevant information or reliable sightings of dinosaur-like creatures," Jarvis said. "However, there is a group who call themselves Primitive Lizard Men, though the related information doesn't prove their claims are reliable."
"Never mind those nonsensical legends," Tony said, carefully examining the silhouette scanned by Jarvis. "He couldn't have just appeared out of nowhere. Build his database."
"Understood, sir."
Jarvis quickly created a file.
"File name: XLR8…"
"No, call him Dinosaur Baby," Tony insisted. Before his eyes, a data model was being built. Jarvis had already roughly analyzed XLR8's abilities based on the data presented from that battle.
"His legs have a roller-like structure," Jarvis broke down a video clip into frames. "He moved his feet 16 times in under a second. Note, sir, this is his normal speed, at least 300 miles per hour. His speed after that is even faster.
"When he moves at high speed, the double toes on his rollers can secrete some kind of lubricant to reduce friction."
Jarvis brought up an image. The scene had been slowed down many times. The surroundings seemed to be frozen, but XLR8 was still very fast. At least it was clear now.
"Roller structure…" Tony stared at XLR8's silhouette and thought for a moment, then said, "In that case, he must slip more easily than ordinary people…"
He quickly found XLR8's weakness.
For the highly intelligent Tony, friction was a knowledge point he had mastered by the age of four or five.
"It seems I need to add some lubricant to the Mark 4 Armor next time, or conversely, how about foam glue?"
Thinking of a way to defeat the enemy, Tony seemed to be in a good mood, but then, other problems arose.
"What is that?" He pointed to the Omnitrix symbol core on XLR8's chest. "This thing doesn't look like part of his body, but rather…"
He even felt this thing was like his Arc Reactor.
"What's the probability that he's a genetically modified creature?"
From Tony's perspective, XLR8 didn't look like a naturally evolved creature. Not to mention the roller-like toes, the retractable face mask on his face also lacked biological realism.
When he tried to apply existing biological concepts to a being from another worldview, deviations were inevitable.
"The probability is zero, sir," Jarvis said. "X-ray scans did not detect any signs of modification within the subject's body. The roller structure of the feet is consistent with the bone shape seen in X-ray *perspective*, indicating a naturally grown biological structure."
"How is that possible!"
"Although it sounds like a fairy tale, this is reality," Jarvis replied emotionlessly. "I'm afraid this is a new species never discovered before."
"No new species appears with intelligence comparable to humans, Jarvis. He even speaks English to me," Tony said with a serious expression. "If he's not a genetically modified creature, then he must have evolved for at least millions of years!"
"Monitor all cameras in New York at all times. If you find Dinosaur Baby or similar creatures, inform me immediately. Also, investigate the person he killed—"
"Sir, do you think the other party is not a single individual, but a group?" Jarvis immediately understood Tony's meaning.
"The Earth's environment couldn't have naturally evolved such creatures. If he's not an experimental subject escaped from a laboratory, then he's likely from the cosmos," Tony said.
"So, create another document for me, named 'Alien'!"
Signed today. Actually, the notification came on Tuesday, but I kept delaying it until today. I heard that it can be included in the recommended list, and those who invest these days can get more returns, hehe.
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