X-GENE OMNITRIX

Tigers were awesome.

They were fast. They were strong. And nothing—nothing—could stop them.

Alex sat cross-legged on the couch, eyes glued to the TV. A tiger prowled through the tall grass, its golden fur glowing in the sunlight. The deer ahead had no idea it was being hunted.

"Did you know a tiger can eat eighty pounds of meat in one meal?" Alex said, stuffing a handful of popcorn into his mouth. "That's, like… a hundred cheeseburgers!"

Martha, his mom, laughed as she walked into the living room, drying her hands with a dish towel. "You and your animal facts," she said, shaking her head.

"It's true!" Alex grinned. "Tigers are the best. Way cooler than lions."

Martha raised an eyebrow as she sat beside him. "And what makes you say that?"

"Lions have to live in groups," Alex said matter-of-factly. "Tigers don't. They're super strong all by themselves."

His mom smiled, brushing a hand through his messy brown hair. "Even the strongest creatures need someone to watch their back, sweetheart."

"Nuh-uh," Alex said, shaking his head. "Tigers don't need anyone."

On the screen, the tiger lunged.

The deer bolted, but it was too slow. In seconds, the predator's claws sank into its side. The chase was over.

Alex's grin faltered.

Something about the way the deer struggled—how it twisted, eyes wide with fear—made his stomach feel weird.

He swallowed. "I mean… it has to eat, right?"

Martha wrapped an arm around him. "That's just how nature works, baby."

Alex nodded, but he still felt… strange.

Then, his fingers twitched.

A weird heat spread through his chest. His skin tingled. His heart pounded way too fast.

His vision sharpened. The world around him seemed bigger. Brighter. His breath hitched as a sharp, aching pain shot through his spine—

Then—

CRACK!

Something snapped.

His arms stretched. His nails darkened—turned sharp. His muscles ached, twisted—his whole body expanded.

The popcorn bowl tumbled to the floor. The coffee table groaned.

And Alex felt it.

Fur.

Soft, striped fur covering his arms.

His ears flicked—wait, ears? His whole face felt different. His jaw was bigger. He tried to breathe but instead—

A deep, rumbling growl escaped his throat.

He turned to the TV—

And froze.

His reflection stared back at him.

Not a boy.

A tiger.

A real tiger.

His paws (paws!?) shifted against the wooden floor. His tail twitched behind him.

This wasn't a dream.

This was real.

Then—

"Alex?"

His ears twitched toward the sound.

His mom.

She was standing in the doorway, hands clamped over her mouth. Her eyes—wide, unblinking—were full of something Alex had never seen before.

Fear.

She was scared.

Of him.

No. No, no, no—this wasn't supposed to happen!

Alex tried to step forward, but his giant paws knocked over the popcorn bowl. His tail swished—his mom flinched.

He wanted to tell her it was okay, that he was still him, but all that came out was another deep, rattling growl.

Her hands shook.

"Alex…?" she whispered again.

Her voice was so small.

Terror crashed over him. His whole body trembled.

And just like that—

Pain shot through his spine again.

His muscles twisted, snapped back. The fur retracted. His claws shrank.

And suddenly, he was small again.

Just a boy.

His mom rushed forward, grabbing him, pulling him into a tight hug. She was shaking.

"It's okay, baby. It's okay. I've got you," she whispered.

Alex clung to her, burying his face into her shoulder. But he could feel it—her heart pounding against his cheek.

She was still scared.

And Alex…

For the first time in his life…

Was scared too.

Alex didn't understand why they had to leave.

One day, they were in their warm, comfy apartment in the city. The next, they were packing everything into a car and driving forever.

Now they were in the mountains.

In a tiny, boring wooden house.

No school. No TV. No Wi-Fi.

Nothing.

"This sucks," Alex muttered, kicking a rock.

Martha crouched beside him, brushing his hair from his face. "Sweetheart, what have I always told you?"

He crossed his arms. "Never use my powers outside. I'm special, and bad people might try to take me."

"That's right." She kissed his forehead. "We just have to be careful, okay?"

Alex frowned. He wanted to argue.

He was careful.

But deep down…

He wasn't sure if that was true.

The first few weeks in the mountains were quiet.

Too quiet.

Alex missed the noise of the city. The cars. The music. The people.

Here, it was just… trees.

And at night?

Nothing but wind.

Until one night, something felt wrong.

Alex woke up with a jolt. His skin tingled. His ears buzzed.

Something was watching him.

He turned to his window—

And froze.

A shape.

Just outside the glass.

Then—

It moved.

Alex leapt out of bed, heart hammering. He ran to his mom's room.

"Mom! Someone's outside!"

Martha shot up, grabbing him. "Are you sure?"

He nodded, gripping her arm.

She pulled him close, running a soothing hand down his back. "It's okay, baby. I'm here."

But Alex could feel it.

She was tense.

And she didn't say, There's no one there.

Because she wasn't sure.

Alex woke up to something cold pressing against his forehead.

A hand.

His eyes shot open—

Dark figures. Standing over him.

"Got him," one whispered.

Alex barely had time to scream before a hand clamped over his mouth.

The door exploded open.

"Run, Alex!"

Mom.

Alex thrashed, his body burning. The power inside him surged—his arms itched, his legs ached—

But before he could change—

Pain.

A sharp sting in his neck.

His limbs went limp. His vision blurred.

He hit the ground.

Footsteps.

A metal click.

A collar snapped around his throat.

His mom's screams echoed through the house.

Then—darkness.

Pain.

That was the first thing Alex knew when he woke up.

Sharp, twisting, burning pain.

He wanted to scream, but his mouth wouldn't move. His body wouldn't move.

Something cold pressed against his skin. Tight. Heavy.

A collar.

It wasn't a normal one—no, this thing was metal, thick, humming with energy. Every time he tried to shift—tried to change—searing electricity jolted through his body, locking his muscles in place.

He opened his eyes.

Or… he thought he did.

Everything was blurry. Shapes moved outside the glass. Shadows. People. Machines beeping. Lights flickering.

He was floating.

His arms and legs dangled, weightless, trapped inside a glass tank filled with glowing blue liquid. Tiny bubbles floated up around him, brushing against his skin.

He tried to move again—tried to kick, tried to scream—

But pain slammed into him like a truck, forcing his body still.

A muffled voice drifted through the water.

"Subject is stable."

Another voice. "Initiate sequence."

A hiss. A new sound.

Then—

White-hot agony.

Something stabbed into his arm. A needle. No—multiple needles.

Liquid fire flooded his veins. His nerves lit up, burning, twisting, tearing him apart from the inside.

He screamed.

Or, at least, he tried to.

The thick liquid muffled everything, swallowing his voice before it could even leave his throat.

His body spasmed, his back arching, fingers clawing at nothing. His vision cracked, flashing between the tank, the dark figures outside, and something else—

Memories.

Not his own.

Marvel.

Superheroes.

Ben 10.

Alex's mind spun. This wasn't real. It couldn't be real.

The pain flared again, cutting through his thoughts like a knife.

"Heart rate is spiking."

"Brain activity unstable."

"Continue."

Another needle plunged into his neck.

Alex thrashed, his body jerking violently as new chemicals invaded his blood.

He could feel it happening.

His DNA.

Shifting. Changing.

Like someone was rewriting him from the inside out.

The pain didn't stop.

It didn't stop.

It just kept growing.

It was everywhere, in his muscles, his bones, his very cells.

And through the agony, through the burning, through the fear, one horrible thought crept into his mind.

What if this never stopped?

What if this was forever?

When Alex woke up again, he wasn't floating anymore.

He was strapped down.

Thick metal cuffs locked his wrists and ankles onto a cold steel table. The room was bright—too bright—white light glaring down at him from overhead.

His whole body ached. His head throbbed. His throat was raw, as if he had been screaming for hours.

A shadow loomed over him.

A man in a lab coat. Round glasses. A clipboard in one hand. He didn't look cruel, didn't even look that scary.

But when he spoke, his voice was cold. Empty.

"How are we feeling today?"

Alex blinked up at him, disoriented. His mouth felt dry. His muscles twitched.

The man jotted something down. "The subject's resilience is fascinating."

Subject.

Not Alex.

Not a person.

A thing.

Something cold and ugly twisted in Alex's stomach.

The man turned to someone outside Alex's field of vision. "Increase the output."

A machine hummed to life.

Then—

Lightning shot through Alex's veins.

He screamed.

His back arched violently against the table, pain ripping through him. The collar around his neck flared, sending another wave of agony down his spine.

It wasn't just electricity.

It was something else.

Something deeper.

Like they weren't just hurting him.

Like they were breaking him.

The lab coat man tilted his head, watching, as if Alex were some kind of interesting science project.

"Fascinating," he murmured.

Alex panted, chest rising and falling rapidly. His skin was slick with sweat. He could feel his heartbeat in his skull.

The man scribbled something down. "His mutation is unlike anything we've seen before. We need a stronger catalyst."

Another scientist spoke. "We could force another transformation."

"Agreed."

Alex's breath hitched.

No.

They had already made him transform.

Over and over and over again.

Every time, it got worse.

They would push a button, send another shock through his body, force the change. But it hurt. It wasn't like when he did it on his own—it wasn't fast or smooth. It was like his bones were being ripped apart, his muscles torn as they stretched and reshaped.

Sometimes, they made him hold the form until he collapsed from exhaustion.

Sometimes, they wouldn't let him change back at all.

Alex squeezed his eyes shut, shaking his head. His throat was raw, but he still croaked, "Please… stop."

The man didn't even look at him.

He just pressed another button.

Pain exploded in Alex's chest.

The transformation ripped through him—his muscles snapped, his bones broke, fur burst across his skin—

His jaw elongated. His teeth sharpened.

He was a tiger again.

But this time, something was wrong.

He couldn't move.

Couldn't breathe.

His lungs burned. His vision flickered.

Then, just before he passed out—

The pain stopped.

And everything went dark.

The Voice

Floating.

Weightless.

Somewhere far away, Alex could hear voices.

Not the scientists.

Not the machines.

A different voice.

One he shouldn't know.

One from a life that wasn't his.

"You can do this, Alex."

A flash—

A movie theater.

Marvel logos.

Superheroes.

A TV screen.

A green watch.

Ben 10.

"You are more than what they say you are."

Alex's heart pounded.

What was happening?

Why did he remember these things?

Why did he know them?

And why did it feel like someone—something—was trying to wake him up?

Alex's eyes snapped open.

He was back in the glass prison.

Floating.

Strapped down.

The machines beeped steadily. The scientists whispered outside.

His wrist burned.

He looked down.

The green glow was still there.

Bright. Pulsing.

Getting stronger.

And this time?

It didn't hurt.

For the first time since this nightmare began…

It felt right.

It felt like power.

And for the first time, Alex didn't feel like a test subject.

He felt like something else.

Something stronger.

Something unstoppable.

And if they thought they could keep him locked up forever…

They were wrong.

Very, very wrong.