[Third Person's PoV]
Tony stared at the mouse after dissipating the constructs, and to his surprise, the mouse stared right back, unflinching.
Standing on its hind legs, the mouse puffed out its chest, as if challenging Tony. Its tiny eyes gleamed with newfound confidence, and the air between them crackled with an odd tension.
Tony blinked, his mouth slightly agape. The mouse had clearly grown, its size now altered by the symbiote. It stood nearly a foot tall, its once small, frail body now muscular, with defined biceps and abs. Even its legs had bulked up, cords of muscle visible beneath the fur, while its long tail whipped around menacingly.
Its nose twitched, whiskers dancing in the air, but it didn't break eye contact with Tony, sizing him up like a miniature bodybuilder ready for a showdown.
Narrowing his eyes, Tony smirked, his tongue running across his teeth. "I am so adopting you," he chuckled under his breath.
In response, the mouse's eyes narrowed, and in a move straight out of a kung-fu movie, it shifted into a karate stance, beckoning Tony forward with a paw, its tiny body poised for action.
Tony raised an eyebrow, half in disbelief, half in amusement. "Heh," he scoffed before launching himself forward, sprinting toward the mouse.
The mouse bolted toward him with surprising speed, its muscles rippling as it dashed across the floor. Tony lunged, arms outstretched, but just as he was about to grab it, the mouse leaped into the air, delivering a swift kick to Tony's shin.
"Ow!" Tony yelped, stumbling back, clutching his leg. His brain scrambled to process what had just happened. Did a mouse just kick him?
Before he could recover, the mouse flexed its oversized biceps and darted toward Tony, unleashing a flurry of punches. Tony dodged some, but one well-aimed uppercut connected, sending him sprawling back into the wall.
"Seriously?!" Tony muttered, rubbing his jaw in disbelief. The mouse was stronger than any rodent had any right to be.
The mouse stood tall, crossing its arms, tail twitching in arrogant victory. Its chest puffed out, and it glared down at Tony like it had just won a heavyweight championship.
"Oh, it's on now," Tony growled, pushing himself to his feet.
They circled each other, both waiting for the perfect moment to strike. The absurdity of the situation wasn't lost on Tony—he was about to go toe-to-toe with a symbiote-enhanced mouse.
Without warning, Tony lunged forward, grabbing the mouse by its tail. But the mouse was quicker, twisting in midair and flinging Tony across the room like a rag doll.
Tony skidded across the floor, grumbling as he got back to his feet. "You're stronger than you look, I'll give you that," he muttered, a spark of determination lighting up his eyes.
This time, Tony didn't hesitate. He rushed in again, dodging the mouse's quick jabs, and with perfect timing, landed a solid kick. The mouse flew through the air, hitting the wall with a satisfying thud before sliding down, dazed but undeterred.
It shook itself off, glaring at Tony with renewed intensity. Back on its hind legs, it prepared for round two, flexing again as if to say, I'm not done yet.
…
Meanwhile, upstairs, Melissa finished a phone call and sighed. "Friday, where is Tony? Is he still working on that project?"
Friday's digital voice answered smoothly, though with an uncharacteristic hint of amusement. "Ma'am, I think you'd better come down and see for yourself."
Melissa raised an eyebrow, intrigued. She made her way down to the lab, her curiosity growing with each step. "Where is he?" she asked as she approached.
"He's by the bio-testing chambers," Friday responded, her voice betraying the absurdity she had witnessed.
Melissa arrived and froze in place, her mouth dropping open. There, in the middle of the room, Tony was being bodyslammed by a one-foot-tall, overly muscular rodent.
Tony managed to free himself from the mouse's grip, summoning silver-blue energy chains that wrapped around the creature. He spun around rapidly, slamming the mouse into the walls, then the ceiling, and then back to the floor in quick succession.
"Who's your uncle now, fur face!" Tony shouted triumphantly, hoisting the mouse into the air by the chains.
The mouse, looking dizzy and disoriented, deflated momentarily, shrinking back to its normal size and slipping out of the chains. Once on the ground, it swelled back up to its hulking form, ready for more.
Melissa watched, utterly speechless, as the fight continued. "What the actual fuck?" she muttered to herself, her eyes wide in disbelief.
After a few more rounds of trading blows, both Tony and the mouse were on one knee, panting, their bodies drenched in sweat (or fur, in the mouse's case). They locked eyes, and in that moment, there was a shared sense of respect.
"Let's call it a truce," Tony huffed, extending his hand.
The mouse nodded and extended its paw, sealing the deal with a firm shake. But just as Tony let his guard down, the mouse grinned mischievously, yanking Tony forward and slamming him onto his back.
The mouse squeaked in triumph, its laugh high-pitched and victorious.
"Har, har, very funny," Tony groaned as he rolled over, pushing himself up. Without warning, he threw a punch, sending the mouse flying into the wall. The rodent hit the ground with a soft blop.
"Haha!" Tony laughed, pointing at the dazed creature.
The mouse looked up with a glare before cracking a smile. Soon, both of them were laughing, hands on hips, sharing a moment of absurd camaraderie.
Tony scooped the mouse up in his hands, grinning from ear to ear. "I shall now officially name you: Master Splinter!"
The mouse, clearly approving, gave a solemn nod and smoldered off to the side, proud of its new title.
Tony placed Master Splinter on his shoulder and strutted around the containment room. As they turned a corner, they found Melissa standing there, her expression a mix of shock and confusion.
"Melissa," Tony said, puffing out his chest proudly, "I'd like to introduce the newest member of our family—Master Splinter!"
Master Splinter saluted Melissa with a tiny paw, extending its tail toward her for a handshake. In a daze, Melissa took it, shaking the tail hesitantly. "Uh… nice to meet you?" she muttered.
"Don't you mean mice to meet you?" Tony grinned, snapping his fingers for emphasis.
Melissa and Master Splinter both shot him a look of disapproval.
Tony lowered his hand, "No? Alright… my bad."
Tony then began walking confidently towards his lab, causing Melissa to raise an eyebrow in confusion, "Where are you going?"
"To get this mouse some cheese and then build it a translator so that it could speak!" Tony declared with a finger raised.
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