You look at the Rhinoceros and then you give a nod to Chemista.
She slowly pushes the needle inside the creature, who screams for a long minute before his entire body crumbles down, skin shifting and bones morphing until he stands on two shaking heavy legs. His size has gone down to that of a human now, but yet he stands on two feet.
The horn is firmly stuck on his forehead, and he looks around with a mixture of curiosity and fear.
Then he takes a step forward.
"Ah..." it tries saying.
"Gah..."
It looks towards you.
"Da...da!"
Then it glomps you. "Dada!"
"Argh! All right! Let go! Let gooo!"
The next moment he does let you go.
You exhale in relief.
You hope he's the only one who...then you give the nod for the hippo.
The scene actually repeats itself precisely as before, and the two 'humanoid-beasts' look at one another before 'thumping' their heads one against the other.
You don't know why, but you feel as if you just ended up with two extremely troublesome idiots.
At least you didn't use Warthog mutagen in place of the Hippo one.
Chemista watches as the two 'brutes' march out of her lab destroying a few bottles along the way.
"I'm taking the cost of the equipment destroyed out of Psysquid's salary," Chemista remarks.
New Animal Unit Acquired: Beastmen.
Human+Animal=Enjoy.You hum to yourself as you look around the lair for new 'rooms' to improve on.
You could use a Resource of Luxurious items to prepare a Luxurious Hostage Room! Guaranteed to keep people around happy as long as...
Wait.
You blink for a moment.
It's quiet around...
Your cog-staff shots up parrying a leg kick, before you flap your mantle in the face of your would-be attacker and fling a punch in the enemy's guts.
"Hey!" the female voice is familiar, and you stop. "My beloved!" it's the Luchadores. "I just wanted you to know, I think we should marry somewhere warm you know, with lots of colored parrots."
"You attacked me to tell me this?" you retort incredulous.
"It's luchadores tradition! We fight as much as possible!"
"Well, listen, there is something you have to know..."
"Sorry, I've got to go now! I'll have to take Cerulean's sizes for the handmaiden dress!" with that she bolts away.
You narrow your eyes.
You'll just have to crush her dreams another day then.
You find Psysquid in his room, happily eating dried squid snacks.
"Your evilness!"
"Psysquid! I thought you would have left already!"
"What? Where? Is there a mission to do your evilness?" he asks perplexed.
"I saw you overhearing me and Chemista. You are not going on a suicidal mission to take the Mindium shard in one of the most secure museums in the world only to conquer her heart, understood!?"
Psysquid blinks.
"I...Your evilness? I had no intention on going like an imbecile." Psysquid adds, "Well, I admit I would have asked to take a team if the mission presented itself, but I wouldn't have gone without your permission, your evilness..."
You blink. "Ah."
"Ehm...dried squid?" Psysquid offers you a dried tentacle with one of his tentacles. You smile and shake your head shakily.
"Well then...keep up the good work!"
With that, you leave.
You return to Chemista, to mutate a gorilla with a lion.
She looks at you for a moment.
"What? It's a normal idea!"
"Yes sir," she replies. "Yes..." she sighs. "I just hope Peta doesn't find us. They'd tear this lab down what with all the mutations we're doing in it."
The Gorilla cries out as a bright mane forms around his neck, while he thumps his hands against his chest and roars. He hisses ferociously, retaining the size of a lion.
"Well, is this the 'King of the Jungle'?" Chemista deadpans. "No, because Mowgli has nothing on this."
Gorillon Acquired"More?" Chemista blinks.
Then she prepares the shot. "As you wish your evilness."
The Gorillon starts to cry and roar louder and louder as thick grey skin appears in place of its fur, while large bone protrusions emerge from its shoulders and knuckles.
The ground itself cracks slightly as the thing stomps on the ground.
Then it emits a terrifying shriek, a mixture between a roar and a battlecry.
Gorloceros acquired!"Woah! Down baby, down!" Chemista snaps her fingers. "You don't smash anything in my lab any more, got that!?"
"Goar!"
"Yeah, yeah, 'Gore' elsewhere all right?"
"GOAR!"
"Yes, yes, now out of here."
With that, Chemista actually manages to push Gorloceros out of the room with ease.
You decide to return after giving the order for Four more Guardogs to be produced.
Four Guardogs Acquired!You then ask Chemista about Cerulean's 'upgrade'.
"You'd probably make her day," she says plainly. "But with power comes...well, Evil." Chemista shrugs. "Power corrupts. Give her power, let her go on a test drive, see how she uses it. But remember Overlord: once a Dark Advisor, the only way out is
death, so if she starts having second thoughts or disobeys you greatly, no matter the 'love' you might have for her...the only other solution will be death." She shrugs. "Sad call to make, but eventually someone always disagrees with your plan to poison newborn babies in a hospital ward."
She then starts to whistle while polishing a glass vial. "And to think I even liked the guy. Teaches you never to trust Incubus after all."
with that said and done, you finally head off to bed to mull it over.
The next day, you realize there is an improvement you could make to your lair.
A bigger kitchen.
A long table now occupies it, as all your Dark Minions, Dark Advisors, Side-Kicks, Animals and whatnot head for the morning grub.
Thankfully the lair has all the bathrooms one might need, but really...
"Pass the bread!" the Luchadores woman screams from a corner of the table.
Chemista rolls her eyes and eyes the pepper, before giving it a shake on a slice and then handing it over to Psysquid.
The Squid let the bread float fast against the Luchadores' face, but the woman managed to catch it in time...for the pepper grain to form a cloud against her face.
"ETCIU!"
"Woof!" German barks, before grabbing a large bone and gnawing on it...until Wraith eyes him with distaste since it's his arm the mutt is chewing.
"GRRRR..."
"Dada!" you turn just in time to see one of your beastmen slam a pudding against his face with apparent glee.
"Daddy!" Cerulean enters with Liondor in her arms, "Have you seen my new prototype of st...ehm, a strange glittering pipe in my room?"
A cog whistles, holding the 'half-done magical staff N° 5' that he has taken from your daughter as per your orders.
You give the Cog a thumb-up.
"LET US DANCE DANCE!" Lord Gamington yells out loud entering the kitchen. "MY DANCE DANCE MARATHON IS STILL GOING STRONG! Feel the power of the Dance baby!"
"There are impressionable children here!" Chemista snarls.
And so, in the midst of the friendly chaos and banter, breakfast is done.
It actually warms your heart.
You are now in upkeep