Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It was getting dark but it wasn’t late. The work day was far from over. No, it was just the brief break when Revonnah’s sun went down and the young ones went inside while waiting for the next sun to swing around back into the sky. This was the time the muroids came out and Revonnah’s men had to be most alert. But today, Rook Blonko wasn’t with his father. Nor was he with his mother, sisters, and brother inside.

Rook Da had caught him tinkering with the energy converters of a harvester and the wires of a radio. The need for Blonko’s hands on the field warded off any scolding or lecturing for a few hours but when darkness had fallen and the rest of the family had gone inside, there was nothing stopping the elder Revonnahgander from tearing into the boy.

Da wasn’t mean, per se. When he was a bit more clear headed, Blonko would say he was a good father without question. But he didn’t understand. He didn’t understand Blonko’s boredom sticking to traditional Revonnah Kai forms. He didn’t understand why Blonko’s hands were more inclined to hold weapons than harvesting sticks. He didn’t understand Blonko’s need to reach for the stars.

And so here Blonko was. Far from the edge of the farmland. Far enough that he didn’t have to listen to Da’s crushing words.

He’d have to go back eventually. And Da would probably scold him for going off on his own, even though Blonko had lost his bi'nthak a long time ago. It’d probably distract Da from what they’d been fighting about in the first place so there was that, at least, but Blonko wasn’t quite ready to face him yet. He was so… so… He didn’t know. He couldn’t find the words, not right now.

With a long sigh, he settled down on a large, smooth stone and looked up at the sky. The vast, star-filled sky. Right now, at the height of the gap between the suns, the sky looked so deeply black that Blonko couldn’t think of a single thing to compare it to. And the stars, oh the stars, there were too many to count. And they were stunning. So tiny, so mysterious. So peculiar, so mystifying. Why didn’t anyone else here see the beauty in it?

They knew life lay beyond. They’d contacted it before. By the suns, some villages even traded off-world. The universe was so broad and filled with things a Revonnahgander’s mind couldn’t hope to dream of and yet, they had no interest in exploring it. No, they shunned the idea of it. Blonko couldn’t understand why.

He supposed he was lucky that his father was as loving as he was to tolerate Blonko’s wandering heart. He was strict but he knew other families had it worse. Still, it hurt to keep his mouth shut about his curiosities and private efforts to learn about anything outside of traditional Revonnhan life. 

Reaching a single hand up, Blonko spread his fingers and pretended he was placing his palm on the surface of that inky blanket covering his world. The contrast between the bluish fur of his fingers and the black of space and all those brilliant specks in it… Blonko didn’t know if it was beautiful or humbling. It made him feel small like this, all alone with nothing but the view of space. He had no idea what was out there and probably never would.

He saw a flash of light flicker between his fingers.

Putting his hand down, he watched the streak fly by. A shooting star, his father would say. Space debris burning up in Revonnah’s atmosphere, Magister Wat-Sen would say. Something he wanted to know more about, Blonko would say. He watched it with sharp, interested eyes, waiting for it to leave like it always did.

He was not expecting it to double back.

It surprised him so much he fell off the rock he was seated on. He yelped and his back hit the mud, tearing his eyes from the shooting star for a moment. When he sat up, he saw something smoking in the distance. He stuck a foot out to climb down the hill and check it out but he hesitated. And it wasn’t because he could hear his father’s words ringing in his ears, warning him not to get near anything from space. It definitely wasn’t that.

He was already at the edge of his village’s land. It wasn’t like he wasn’t allowed on another village’s territory but it felt wrong. And dangerous. He knew the muroids that loitered around his family’s fields. What if the muroids there were different? Or, what if the villagers there mistook him for a muroid? It was dark so it wasn’t impossible.

He hesitated but curiosity eventually won out and he slipped off his spot at the top of the hill and began making his way down. Briefly, he missed his bi'nthak. It was so much easier to climb around like this when he had a tail for balance. At least his adult claws were well on their way to growing in so he wasn’t completely out of his element. Still, it took longer than he would’ve liked. By the time his feet hit flat ground, light was peeking up from over the horizon. The sun wasn’t quite ready to come up but it was enough to tell Blonko to hurry up.

There was a crater, Blonko realised. Or maybe not quite a crater but at least some kind of skid mark in the earth when the space debris made contact. He couldn’t quite see what it was despite how much closer he’d gotten. There was still a lot of smoke coming off it. Or maybe that was just dust that object kicked up when it landed. Did stuff from space smoke? There was no air in space for fire to eat, Blonko knew that much, so he didn’t think so.

His lack of knowledge should have been a warning to stay back. This planet’s Plumber lived in his village, he could’ve gone to him. But Blonko’s curiosity got the better of him and he slunk into the crater to get a better look at what lay within.

“Anyone there?” he called out softly. When he heard no response, he felt a bit silly and continued creeping forward to find… an orb? It was some kind of metal chunk. Space garbage, maybe? A broken piece of a ship? Perhaps part of a satellite? He put a hand on it, feeling the smooth surface. He could probably use this for something. And if not, at the very least it was interesting.

Upon his touch, the orb reacted and began peeling open. Blonko jerked his hand back but the deed was done and something flew out of the orb, quickly attaching itself to his arm. He didn’t scream but Blonko sure wanted to. Waving his arm wildly, Blonko knocked himself over, falling over awkwardly. The thing on his wrist slammed into the ground and a green flash enveloped him.

“Archfiend!”

Blonko wasn’t totally sure who said that. It felt like he did but that gravelly voice didn’t sound like his. And… was everything smaller all of a sudden? And where was the crater? He couldn’t see it anymore but he could’ve sworn he’d been inside of it a moment ago. He put a hand down to push himself up but he felt the soil crumble beneath his grip. And when he looked down to see what was wrong, he was met with the sight of four, fat purple fingers.

This time, he really did scream. And fall over. Which surprisingly didn’t hurt but he was in too much shock to worry about that part. That wasn’t his hand! What happened to his hand?! His hand was blue! And black. And it had fur! Not this… why was it hairless? And so big? It looked so wrong.

His eyes traveled up his arm and he noticed the big chunk of metal wrapped around his forearm. His forearm that was way thicker than it should be. Slightly panicking, he scrambled out of the crater in hope of finding something he could see his reflection in. He was pretty sure there was some kind of lake between his village and the nearest village in this direction. 

He was slow, slower than he should be, but Blonko withheld from looking at his feet or just down in general. He didn’t want to see whatever awaited him. Maybe this was all a bad dream or some odd concoction of his imagination. Maybe it would go away when he saw his reflection. He was probably still a Revonnahgander, fur and all, like he’d always been. Right?

Wrong. Dead wrong.

He was horrifying. Mulberry skin the color of dried blood, dull fangs double the size of a Revonnahgander’s fingers, purple eyes more empty and hollow than a muroid’s, armor designed to block hits from maces and swords, a hood to hide a pair of sharp horns- He looked nothing like himself. 

He was too big. Twice his height, several times wider. His sturdy legs lacked all of the flexibility he normally had and left no room for any kind of agility. His gut matched his broad shoulders and heavy gait but on someone who was normally so slender, it looked so bizarre. No one here carried any extra weight, let alone this much. And his scars. With no fur to hide them, they were clear to see. Were scars normally purple? That didn’t sound right. This creature was clearly built for battle. Were these scars an accident or its own doing? 

It looked savage at best. Mean. Frightening. The kind of thing Blonko had only heard in stories. He couldn’t believe this was his reflection he was looking at. He looked hideous. He looked like a monster. He looked like an alien.

Yet… He could still see himself.

It was his eyes. As tiny and beady as they were, no matter the color, he could see fear in them. It was strange to think it was his own fear present on someone else’s face but he couldn’t deny it. This was himself he was looking at.

He was lucky to snap out of his panic when he did or he wouldn’t have noticed the smoldering dirt behind him.

Blonko jumped away from the pond and scooted back just as the fire leaped into the air. It startled him, like many things today had, but somewhere deep in his mind he recognized that this fire was his. He’d made it somehow, without any tools or anything. That didn’t mean he knew how to put it out though.

“Please stop,” he pleaded as the fire began to spread. He tried waving his hands at it but the act failed to make any change, not that he really expected it to. Eyeing the water behind him, he used his massive hands to scoop up a handful and throw it on the hungry flames but even water failed to do much.

Again, Blonko was panicking. He was still this big, erm, thing and now there was a fire. One that he started and didn’t know how to put out. And he wasn’t even on his own farm. If he did damage to another village’s land… Well, his village would have to pay for it. He wasn’t really sure how and he didn’t want to find out. He just needed to stop this fire from spreading and fast.

In the distance, he heard voices. He narrowed his eyes, trying to spot how many figures there were. He decided it didn’t really matter and called out to them. “Hey! I need help! Please, there is a fire. Come quickly!”

“We are coming!” a voice that Blonko didn’t recognize but sounded distinctly Revonnahgander yelled back. Some of the weight lifted off his chest and Blonko let his face relax a bit. One problem was on its way to being fixed. Everything was still horrible but hopefully it would soon be less horrible.

He heard footsteps and saw dust in the air. They were kicking dirt on the fire. That was smart. He should’ve thought of that when the water didn’t work. It probably would have worked with his big feet. Wait. Big feet… Brallada, the villagers were clearing a path in the fire. They were going to be able to see him soon. They’d recognize him as the one who started the fire but they wouldn’t be able to recognize him as one of them. And most of the men in this village had trained under Master Kundo as well. They could really hurt him, if any of them had their tools that is.

“Do not come closer!” Blonko yelled out as the fire began thinning. He could see the shadows of the nearing Revonnahganders. He knew his words would have little effect but he couldn’t think of much else to do. He could start another fire, he supposed, and make a run for it but he didn’t want to cause any more damage than he already had. And even if he did, he had no idea how to start a fire anyway.

“Do not fear,” a deep voice, though not as deep as his own in this hulkish form, rumbled. “We will be close soon. You will not be trapped for much longer.”

“I am not trapped,” Blonko responded weakly as he watched the flames die down even further, still raging but with a soon to be clear path to the lake. There was no way this would be pretty. Squeezing his eyes shut, he waited for the others to come upon him.

“Alien!” someone shrieked and Blonko heard rapid footsteps and the noise of weapons being drawn. He opened one eye like a scared child peeking out from his covers just in time to see the sharp end of a harvesting tool flying towards his face. Reflexively, he tried going for the traditional block that Master Kundo had taught him but he was too slow and the weapon ended up striking one of the gauntlets around his wrist.

It was a bad angle but this form was stronger than Blonko thought. He knocked from the Revonnahgander’s hand, sending it sailing. For a split second, their eyes locked and equal surprise was exchanged between them. Then, the man dropped down to his hands and launched his feet into the air for a powerful kick to Blonko’s face. A pair of booted feet hit him square in the chin but had little effect. He tried retaliating with a kick of his own but he ran into the same problem as before. His legs were too short and he wasn’t near fast enough to execute the quick, precise moves of Revonnah Kai.

The Revonnahgander returned to his feet and began landing blows in quick succession on Blonko’s exposed upper arms. They didn’t really hurt but they stung and Blonko wanted them to stop. “Please, I do not want to fight you.”

“Then leave us alone, creature,” the man responded as another pair of Revonnahganders approached, both wielding weapons of their own. Spinning them, the three of them took a combative stance.

They wouldn’t listen, Blonko realized. And he couldn’t use his usual fighting techniques. Curse this form. What was he supposed to do then? He couldn’t convince them he was one of them and he couldn’t fight… He slapped away a spear that came at him reflexively. Pure instinct, no form. Like the fire around them. Maybe he could fight.

“I am sorry.” He didn’t want to fight. He really didn’t. But he was just so tired of this. And scared, if he was ready to admit that. He was confused and he just wanted to be left alone right now. So he fought. With an almost childish shove, Blonko pushed the nearest Revonnahgander away from him and into another. When the third aimed a weapon at his head, he grabbed it, crushing it in his palm, and threw a punch.

It sent the man flying. He landed far out of the fire’s range. His back hit the ground hard but he was pushing himself up not long after so he was probably fine. By the suns, Blonko hoped he was okay. 

The other two Revonnahganders were running towards him again and Blonko could feel the heat of fire leaping to his hands. Scared at what that meant he was going to do, he took a step back and let himself fall into the lake. A coward’s way out, maybe, but right now Blonko was okay with that. There was no honor in burning someone, especially an ally. Even if that ally didn’t know who he was.

He sank like a brick. The water distorted his sight and it was too dark to see what was happening above the surface but he hoped they turned their attention back to the fire. He didn’t think he could swim in this form, let alone fight in the water. When his feet hit the bottom and he saw no one coming after him, he figured they were focused on the fire.

This form probably had some pretty big lungs. He could probably hold his breath down here for a little longer than he normally could but Blonko couldn’t stay down here forever. He tried walking along the bottom of the lake, trying to reach the edge while still getting far enough away from the villagers above. He made it a few steps before he could feel his lungs straining. Just as he started to wonder if he’d be able to make it, he heard some kind of beeping. There was a flash and suddenly he was floating.

He kicked until his head broke the surface. He inhaled deeply, taking in a big gasp of air. He flailed his arms and legs, trying to get a sense of his body. Then he saw his hand. His blue and black, five fingered, furred hand. He was himself again. Not out of danger yet but himself and that was more than enough.

The realization calmed him enough to regain self-awareness and an idea of where all his limbs were. After that, it was much easier to swim back to shore. When he pulled himself out of the water, his clothes were drenched and he was breathing hard but he could feel the ground beneath his own fingers. A grin crept onto his face. A bit foolish, maybe, but everything just felt right. Blonko was himself again. That big, horrifying body was gone as soon as it had arrived.

He looked up, glancing in the direction he came from, to see if the fire was still there. It still was, burning bright. Proof that he hadn’t imagined it all. And this metal thing, it was still on his wrist. That was alarming but he was still reeling from everything and couldn’t find himself to care.

On the horizon, he could see the sun beginning to rise. Break was over. It was time to head back to the farm to continue his work. He should apologize to Father. He could barely remember what they were arguing about anymore. Whatever it was, it wasn’t worth it. The device on his wrist pinged and Blonko began pulling himself to his feet. A breeze blew by, bringing the scent of smoke towards him. He should probably go help with the fire, he realized. Now that he was a Revonnahgander again, he’d be alright. And it was his fault the fire started anyway.

“You, boy,” a Revonnahgander called when he saw Blonko approaching. “You are not from our village. What are you doing here?”

“I saw something strange and came down the terrace to see what it was,” Blonko responded and began kicking the earth onto the loose embers by his feet. A few farmers were shoveling water on the shrinking but still strong fire but it seemed earth and sand was more effective. “Please, let me help.”

“What is that on your wrist?” another Revonnahgander asked, looking up from his own kicking. “Metal?”

“Yes.” Blonko looked down at the contraption and frowned. Should he lie? Probably not. “I am not sure what it is. I saw it when I came down and it attached itself to me. I cannot seem to get it off.”

The Revonnahgander didn’t seem to have much to say about that and merely grunted in response. He didn’t seem to be the friendly type but the other seemed a bit more conversational. “Did you see what started this fire?”

“I- No. I did not.”

“It was a creature,” the Revonnahgander told him and Blonko felt something twist in his stomach. “Tell Master Kundo when you return. And that alien that spends time near the village. That is your village, correct?”

“Correct,” Blonko replied. He paused, silently calculating. He chose his words carefully. “You are certain that a creature caused this fire? I was unaware that creatures were capable of doing so without the proper tools.”

“I have heard rumors that some alien life forms have great powers,” the Revonnahgander replied. He was an older farmer, fur rough after seeing many seasons of sunlight and hands calloused after many years wielding a harvesting tool. “I never did believe them until I saw this creature with my own eyes.”

Blonko wanted to ask more about the rumors the farmer had heard but before he could, a warning cut through the air. “Aliens! They have come back!”

Blonko looked down at his own hands, half expecting to find four fingers again instead of five but his hands looked normal. Then he heard something above and looked up to see a trio of metal disks flying through the air, circling the dying remains of the fire and the farmers that surrounded them.

“Drones,” Blonko realized aloud. He’d never seen any himself, of course, but he’d heard about them. Where, he wasn’t really sure. Probably Wat-Senn’s stories or the tales he sometimes heard on his radio on the rare occasion he got an offplanet signal. He was pretty sure these ones were scouts, implying there was someone else nearby. Maybe someone who knew about this thing on his wrist.

“Take a weapon,” the Revonnahgander Blonko had been talking to barked and tossed the younger farmer a harvesting stick. It’s design was a bit different from the ones he was used to but a stick was a stick and Blonko knew what to do with it. Spreading his feet into a sturdy, powerful stance, he jabbed the weapon upward like a spear. He managed to clip one of the drones that floated near but it didn’t seem to do much damage. Actually, it just seemed to annoy them. The drones buzzed angrily and a port opened up on their heads. Thin metal limbs sprouted from their seams and suddenly they were raining laser blasts down on the farmers’ heads.

The villagers cried out in alarm and scattered, fleeing from the drones as they continued to shoot. A few brought back, using their tools to deflect the blasts. One of the drones started chasing a couple of them, leaving Blonko alone with the other two. He looked around, hoping he had at least one ally, but it seemed everyone really had left him. He didn’t know how he felt about that.

Another blast came his way and Blonko rolled over to dodge it, landing neatly in a crouch. He tried jabbing his weapon at the drones again but these things were smart. They flew ever so slightly higher so they were out of his range. Blonko could have thrown his weapon if he wanted to but there were two of them so he’d be defenseless to the second if he sacrificed his harvesting tool on the first. He’d just have to play defensive until he thought of something.

More blasts came his way. Blonko spun his weapon in his hands, deflecting them all just like Master Kundo had taught him to ward off throwing stones. He wondered if his teacher had ever encountered anything like this. This skill was too good against lasers to be a coincidence. Unfortunately, it only worked for blocking shots from one direction and the drones knew that and began circling him. 

Shifting his weight constantly, he managed to alternate between blocking shots from either side but his muscles began to tire after a while and his movements became less precise. A shot from the right scorched the earth scarily close to his left foot and Blonko realized he might not win this fight if he couldn’t attack.

Sensing he was weakening, one of the drones drifted a bit lower and used one of its limbs to lash out. Blonko batted it away with a hand but didn’t see the second one going after the thing on his wrist until he heard metal meet metal. He swatted that away as well before the realization struck him.

“Do you want this?” he asked, coming to a sudden stop. He pawed at the device. “I don’t want it, you can have it.”

The drones paused, whirring, as if they understood. Blonko fumbled with the device, trying to get it off, but his fingers found no latches or seams and his hand kept slipping off. He glanced at the drones nervously before he started poking at the green buttons at the top of it. Maybe one of them would do something. This thing probably had an eject button, right?

The drones were starting to get impatient. Blonko didn’t know if they were functioning on their own or if someone was controlling them but either way, he didn’t want them to get angry and attack again. Furiously, he kept pawing at the device hoping it would do something. And do something it did.

The round bit at the top suddenly popped open and an image formed on it. Blonko blinked at it for a moment before recognizing it. It was the silhouette of that creature he’d turned into earlier! So this device was responsible for that, he knew that now at least. Was that all this device did or were there m- No. He didn’t want to know. He’d turned back last time but there was no saying if that would happen again. Besides, these things wanted it and he was ready to give it to them.

But he didn’t know how to get the device off and these drones were attacking peaceful villagers. That alien he had turned into seemed pretty powerful. Did these things want to use this device as a weapon? That sounded likely. It wasn’t really his business, he supposed, but the device was on his wrist and he’d already used it once so…

Blonko’s eyes flickered between the drones and the device once more before he twisted the dial, another form taking the place of the previous one. This one was longer, slimmer. More appealing, in Blonko’s eyes, but it lacked legs. It’s tail looked pretty strong though. Taking a gamble, he darted for the water and took a massive leap before his hand came down on the dial.

The light enveloped him once again and he tried to keep himself more mentally in tune with his body this time. He felt his limbs and fur melt away, replaced with fins and rubbery skin. His legs fused into a powerful tail, his arms shrank into stubby fins, and his face stretched into a snout lined with razor sharp teeth. His nose momentarily vanished before reappearing atop his head beside some kind of spike on his back. All in all, it was all a very strange sensation.

The transformation was complete before he hit the water. 

“Tidetail Wave!”

He heard a voice that he knew was his own but he couldn’t understand. It came out as a series of clicks that sounded nothing like words but somehow made sense. Actually, they did more than make sense. Once he was in the water, the clicks became more than just noise. Somehow, a whole map of the lake was painted in his mind just from hearing the noise emitted from his… beak? Snout? Mouth? Something. Whatever it was, he could ponder it later. The drones were coming after him.

They fired into the water but Blonko dodged them with ease. He kicked his tail and shot through the water faster than a harvesting machine through the fields. He twisted and turned, weaving around the energy blasts, before instinctively swimming to the surface and shooting out of the water. Leaping into the air, he slammed into one of the drones and knocked it into the water.

The drone didn’t seem to have any trouble being in the water but Blonko knew this was his domain. The drone continued firing its lasers but none of them came anywhere close to hitting the speedy creature.

This alien was different from the last one, Blonko could sense it deep down. Both were intelligent but this one was different. This creature’s mind was sharp where the other’s was dull yet the other felt more… Well, sentient may not be the right word but this new form felt more animalistic. Wild, feral, primal. Not mindless or unintelligent or anything like that and it wasn’t necessarily worse. His thoughts were just more feelings than words and the knowledge on how to do things was coming to him a lot easier. He wasn’t even always sure what he was doing until he was doing it.

Right now, he was swimming in a wide circle around the drone, kicking up sand with his tail in the process. He didn’t understand why until he sensed the drone’s confusion. It tried going after him only to be halted by the ring around him. Blonko felt a smirk sneak up on his face as he broke his pattern and slammed his head into the drone, knocking it into the bottom of the lake. He waited for it to get up but it didn’t so he turned his attention to the one still above the surface.

Sticking his upper fin and blow hole out of the water, he exhaled and shot a jet of water at the other drone before diving back down. He could sense it looking for him but he still didn’t know how to beat it. He could always try jumping out of the water and body slamming it again but he knew the drone would be expecting it and wouldn’t be dumb enough to let him get away with it a second time. And he’d be an easier target out of the water anyway. He didn’t really want to risk that. Blonko didn’t think the drones would fall for the same tricks twice but what else could he do?

With a surprisingly unthreatening battlecry, Blonko launched himself out of the water again. The drone turned to fire at him but he flipped in the air, the shot barely grazing his fin, and spiked his tail down on the drone from above. It shot straight down but the water broke its fall. It would take more than one hit to take this one down.

It fired as Blonko fell back into the water and a few shots landed this time. They hurt a lot more than Blonko thought they would if he still had that fire creature’s thick hide but they hurt less than he expected overall. He twisted so he fell into the water nose first. He tried to hit the drone again in the process but that would be too easy. It dodged and continued its fire. Back in the water, Blonko regained his agility and managed to wave around the blasts this time.

He tried the trick with the sand again but the drone didn’t let him. Spinning as fast as it could, it let out a flurry of blasts in all directions, forcing Blonko to retreat. He clicked in annoyance, the storm of sand now blocking his view. A mental map of the lake flooded his mind once again and he managed to pinpoint the drone before another noise distracted him. It was that beeping again only this time he knew what it meant. Swimming to the edge as quickly as he could, he was a Revonnahgander again by the time he touched dry land.

He didn’t waste time pondering it though. The map of the lake was still fresh in his mind. Hurrying over to where the discarded weapons lay, he gathered them up as quickly as he could and furiously threw them into the lake like spears to the spot where he knew the drone awaited. There weren’t many and he still couldn’t see his target but he had a good aim. When he ran out, he watched the water uneasily, waiting for the muck to clear. When it did, he saw that two of the weapons had landed, pinning the defeated drone to the bed of the lake. Blonko allowed himself a smile of satisfaction at the results of his marksmanship. 

In the distance, he heard shouting from the nearby village and Blonko knew he should be returning to his own. It was well past sunrise and Blonko was soaked and coming down from a spike of adrenaline and fear. All he wanted to do was get into some dry clothes and ask his father to get this thing off his wrist.

Chapter Text

Rook Shar knew when her father was angry and he wasn’t angry now.

Oh, he had been. For the whole work day, she sensed some unspoken tension between her father and her eldest brother. She tried sticking by Blonko as much as she could, trying to gauge the source of the conflict, but her brother wasn’t saying anything. She knew Da and Blonko were going to talk about it when she and the rest of the family went inside to wait for the sun to rise again. She expected to come back to find the two glaring and exchanging silent, but meaningfully sharp looks. At worst, yelling. She didn’t expect to find Da standing on the field alone.

“Get back to work,” her father told the family before they could question Blonko’s absence. “Blonko will be back soon.”

They began working but Blonko didn’t come back. As the day passed, Da’s anger slowly began to fade into concern. He didn’t say anything, not wanting to worry his wife or children, but Shar was no fool. She could see the quick glances past the terraces and the way Da’s fingers twitched around his harvesting tool. Eventually, the others began to notice it too.

“When is Blonko coming back?” Young One asked, swinging his tiny harvesting tool in a way that would normally earn him a scolding. The fact neither Da nor Bralla were saying anything was telling.

“Do not worry yourself, grey tail,” Da assured him but Shar could see the tightness on his face. “Your brother will be fine. I am sure he did not go far.”

It was at this moment one of the neighboring farmers overheard and came over to talk with an urgent look in his eyes. Speaking in hushed whispers, Shar couldn’t quite hear what they were talking about but she knew it couldn’t be good. She thought she heard something about trouble at the next village over but she couldn’t be certain.

“Blonko is probably just hiding from the girls in the village again,” Shim commented quietly, eyes not leaving her father and neighbor. Shar tried her best to muster a smile but she kept her lips shut. Normally, she was all for making fun of her eldest brother with her siblings but today, she knew she couldn’t put her heart in it. Da’s worry was scaring her.

The neighbor left and Da returned to his work, not saying anything to the family. Shar tried focusing on her own work but her attention kept flickering back to Da. Unable to stop herself, she blurted out, “What did the neighbor say? Is Blonko okay?”

Da let out a long breath and straightened, placing the tip of his harvesting tool carefully against a stone by his feet to avoid any unnecessary damage. “Your brother stormed off in the direction of the lakeside village. The neighbors say there was some trouble there.”

“What kind of trouble?”

“A fire. And possibly some aliens.”

The women of the family froze, looking up. Young One’s tail went up with interest but he seemed to sense now was not the time to get excited over the possibility of alien activity on Revonnah. Shar knew better than to assume any alien presence was bad but paired with a fire, she was sure this was bad news. She hoped her brother was okay.

As if on cue, familiar footsteps sounded and a voice sliced through the worry in the air. “Father! Father!”

“Blonko!” Genuine relief spread across Da’s features as Blonko barreled into him. Da wrapped his arms around him in an uncharacteristic display of affection before placing his hands on the boy’s shoulders and looking at him sternly. “Do not do that again.”

“Forgive me, Father,” Blonko replied and it sounded like he meant it. “I saw something strange and I had to investigate.”

“Did you see the aliens?” Young One piped up, unable to keep quiet. He dropped his harvester, letting it clang against the ground, and he scurried over to his brother. He latched onto his leg, showing how worried he’d been but he was young and unable to ward off his childish curiosity for long.

Something unreadable flashed across Blonko’s features. “I believe so.”

Shar knew there was something he wasn’t sharing but she didn’t say anything. Now wasn’t the time. And Da was still fretting and she wasn’t about to interrupt that. “Are you injured?”

“No. I am unharmed,” Blonko responded but he didn’t sound as confident as he should. He lifted up his left arm. “This attached itself to my arm. It is stuck and I was unable to remove it.”

Da frowned and took his hand, lifting Blonko’s arm so he could see it better. Shar tried not to seem nosy but she couldn’t help but lean over a bit so she could peer at it better. It was a strange thing, unlike anything she had ever seen. It was metal, clearly, but melded into an unnatural shape obviously designed to fit a wrist. Likely not a Revonnahgander wrist, judging by its thickness. And the white wires and the dial with green markings- they looked complicated. Whatever this was, it was definitely alien.

“Bralla, Shar,” Da instructed, “please hold him. I am going to see if I can use my harvesting tool to get it off.”

“You are not going to cut his hand off?” Young One asked, clinging to Blonko’s leg a bit tighter.

“Of course not,” Da responded, trying and failing not to scoff. “I am just going to try to cut the metal. Do not be concerned. I will not hurt your brother. Now, go play with Shi and Shim. We will resume the harvest once Blonko is free.”

This seemed to appease Young One and he scampered off with his two youngest sisters, leaving the eldest of the family to help Blonko. Trying her best to keep a strong stance, Shar shifted her footing and took a place beside her mother bracing Blonko’s arm. Blonko didn’t really look nervous but he seemed apprehensive. Eager to get the contraption off but appropriately uneasy to have a sharp object so close to something so vital. He trusted Rook Da though, they all did, so a calm washed over them and they left Da to his efforts.

Da started by trying to cut the gadget off. He scraped the tip of the tool against the metal but it didn’t leave so much as a scratch. He then tried to maneuver the tool between Blonko’s wrist and the device but a yelp from Blonko stopped that attempt before it got very far and Da went back to scraping.

“Have you tried pressing these buttons?” Shar asked when Da put down his harvesting tool to wipe his brow. Nothing he was trying was working and he was getting tired.

“No.” Shar wasn’t sure if Da and Bralla were buying it but she could tell her brother was lying. Maybe he’d figured out what the device was for, or maybe hitting the buttons had something to do with how it had gotten stuck to him in the first place. Either way, it was rare to see Blonko lie and Shar was getting curious. What did he know about this strange contraption?

“Perhaps we should visit Master Kundo,” Bralla suggested, speaking up for the first time that day, gentle voice drawing everyone’s attention. Da’s expression shifted and Shar knew he was pondering her words. Shar wouldn’t say it was rare for her mother to speak but she was by far the most quiet member of the family, which was saying something. Everyone in the village valued her wisdom. They listened when she spoke, and for good reason. She always had good ideas and she certainly had a good idea here. “If tools cannot scratch it, the Stone Cutter might be able to.”

“Would that not break my wrist?” Blonko questioned with a frown. Shar and Bralla released him, sensing that Da’s attempts to free him were over. “It is only the beginning of the harvest season. I would not like to burden the village by being unable to contribute this year. The device is not harming me. Maybe it would be better to wait.”

“Master Kundo is very skilled,” Da pointed out. He looked to Shar. “I need to resume my work here and speak to our neighbors about what happened to the other village. Take your brother to Master Kundo and see what he thinks of the contraption. If he can get it off without harming Blonko, consent for him to do so. If not, listen to whatever he has to say and come back to the field. We wasted many daylight hours already.”

“Yes, Father,” the siblings echoed and turned away, snatching their harvest tools off the ground before taking off. Now that some of Shar’s worry was starting to wash away, she was starting to get a bit excited. They almost never got time off during the daylight hours, especially during harvest season. And to see Kundo, that was even rarer. Blonko trained with him somewhat extensively but the rest of the family never saw the man much. This alone made the trip worth it. 

Kundo preferred to be isolated but he and his family were still members of the village so they didn’t live too far off. Their home was a ways from the center of the land and Kundo’s lair sat at the edge of the territory, far from the terraces and closer to the stones where amber ogia grew wild. A fitting spot for a fighting master. Here, he had the peace to focus on his training and his skills made him adept to tend to the fruit in more remote areas.

He wasn’t in the fields when Shar and Blonko arrived. They saw a few members of his family but no Kundo. Thankfully, the farmers were kind enough to direct the pair to the cliffs where Kundo was supposedly harvesting the stray fruits who managed to grow there. Why he didn’t wait until the end of the season when they were scraping for every last fruit, Shar didn’t know but she knew better than to question someone as respected and revered as Kundo.

Brother and sister walked in silence. As they neared the cliffs, Shar realized she should have tried to say something to her brother on their way. Figure out what he wasn’t telling, try to comfort him, anything. But they were here and it was too late to say anything now. “Master Kundo!”

A figure hanging from the cliffside, harvesting tool in hand, looked up at the sound of his name. “Who is it?”

“Rook Shar and Rook Blonko! Rook Da’s eldest son and daughter,” Shar called in response. “We need help!”

“I am coming!” Kundo yelled back in response. He hooked his harvesting tool over his shoulder and began clambering back. It looked difficult, he was on a nearly vertical surface, but he did so with ease. With stunning strength and agility, Kundo found the tiniest footholds on the cliff face and made his way back to the solid ground. Not for the first time, Shar wished she’d taken after her brother and studied Revonnah Kai under Master Kundo. She knew the basics but it was not meant for her so she never learned anything to this degree. It was fascinating to watch though.

The elder Revonnahgander landed neatly before the two. Blonko was familiar with him but Shar felt the need to bow her head or avoid his gaze. She didn’t, of course, but it felt like she should. Kundo just had a presence to him.

“What is wrong?” Kundo asked, looking down at the pair. “Is there trouble?”

“No. Well, yes but it has passed,” Blonko explained hurriedly. He held up the device on his wrist. “There was an attack on the lakeside village. Aliens, they say. I went down to help them put out a fire but this got stuck to my wrist. I was unable to remove it and neither was my father. My mother suggested your Stone Cutter technique may have some use if nothing else works.”

Kundo put a hand to his chin in thought and leaned over to inspect it. “Is this a trap of some sort? A hunting device meant to catch smaller prey?”

“I… Perhaps. I had not considered that,” Blonko admitted and Shar had to say that was a good suggestion. Not one she believed but a good one. Clearly this was some kind of technology and that was out of all of their expertise, except maybe Blonko’s but he wasn’t saying anything.

“What have you tried so far?”

“My father tried cutting it with a harvesting tool,” Shar explained, “but he did not even scratch it. He attempted to wedge the tool between Blonko’s wrist and the contraption but it did not work.”

“I do not think there is very much room between me and the… um, trap,” Blonko added. He rubbed it absently with his free hand. “It does not feel tight nor does it hurt but I do not think there are any gaps.”

Kundo hummed in thought before turning and beckoning the pair after him. “Come. I have a few weapons in my dojo that are stronger and sturdier than a harvesting tool. One of them may be able to break the trap.”

Shar had never been to Master Kundo’s dojo. Visits were always reserved for committed students of Revonnah Kai, which she was not. It was exciting to be here, to see the wrestling mats and all the gear, but there was little for her to do other than brace her brother’s arm while Kundo chipped away at it with various weapons and tools. They were interesting and Shar would have liked to hear about them but Blonko seemed to recognize them all so Kundo didn’t talk much while he was hacking at the contraption. He let her hold them sometimes when switching between weapons or trying out some kind of alternation. It wasn’t very satisfying though. What she really wanted to do was swing them around but alas...

Shar wasn’t sure how much time passed but at some point she realized they were wasting a good work day. She wasn’t one to complain about such a thing normally yet the amount of time they’d spent on this was becoming alarming. Blonko had already disappeared for a good portion of time today and she didn’t want to worry her father any more than necessary. “I do not think any of these tools are going to do any damage.”

“Agreed. I believe it is time to try the Stone Cutter,” Kundo stated and made his way outside. “Blonko, follow me. Shar, keep your distance.”

Both did as they were told. Blonko followed Kundo to an open patch of land lined with stone, undoubtedly a place where the Stone Cutter had been used many times before, while Shar hung back. She kept her eyes fixed on the pair though. Like all things surrounding Revonnah Kai, the Stone Cutter had captured her curiosity.

She couldn’t hear what the two were saying but she knew some kind of exchange was taking place. Blonko braced himself and Kundo swept a foot back, throwing himself forward to bring his hand down on the metal device. The force from the blow knocked Blonko off his feet and he clutched his wrist, as if pained. When Kundo offered a hand to help Blonko up, Shar saw that the apparatus was still on his wrist. The Stone Cutter failed as well.

“It did not work,” Blonko stated unnecessarily as the pair returned to Shar. He rubbed his wrist and grimaced. Shar shot him a questioning look and he replied with a reassuring smile. “I am uninjured, sister. Do not worry. It merely aches. I am sure I will feel normal soon.”

“I do not understand why the Stone Cutter did not work,” Kundo mused, eyeing the device with an unsettled glint in his eye. “Alien technology is more formidable than I thought. It does not belong here.”

“Perhaps we should visit Magis-”

“Do not visit Wat-Sen!” Kundo snapped so harshly that both Blonko and Shar flinched. The Revonnahgander seemed to catch himself quickly enough to calm down before his fur could fluff out but it was clear that he was getting worked up. Taking a deep breath, he continued. “Return to your family. Gather some of the loose amber ogia on the way, make sure the time we spent today wasn’t wasted. Give me time to ponder this. I will find a way to remove the trap before the harvest season is over or we will explore more unsavory methods.”

“Unsavory?” Shar echoed. Young One had asked about that but he was a child. His mind could cook up the most bizarre things. But for Master Kundo to suggest… “You want to remove his hand?”

Blonko looked alarmed and Kundo put up a hand to silence him. “If it is necessary, then yes. Blonko is one of Revonnah Kai’s most gifted students. I do not like the idea of him being harmed by alien technology.”

Shar could understand that but she didn’t necessarily agree. Blonko’s hand was… Well, his hand! He needed it. It was a part of him. And he said the contraption wasn’t hurting him. Was something that extreme really necessary? She glanced at her brother, trying to gauge his reaction, but Blonko didn’t seem to want to argue anymore. With a neat bow, he thanked Kundo for his time. Unhappily, Shar did the same. “Thank you for your efforts, Master Kundo.”

Master Kundo nodded once before retreating, undoubtedly ready to return to his farming. Blonko and Shar adjusted their harvesting tools on their backs and hurried away, more than ready to leave that place. Shar wouldn’t say she was frightened. After all, how could she be frightened of one of her fellow villagers? But she felt uneasy being there with Kundo so worked up like he was. She knew he hated aliens and technology, alien technology even more, but disfiguring her brother sounded extreme, even for him.

They stopped by a small patch of amber ogia on the pathway from the cliffside farms to the center fields. Blonko spotted a patch hidden by stones and quietly pointed it out to his sister. She spotted another patch a bit farther up and took that one for herself. They could spend some time here on these hard to harvest spots before they headed back home. Good, Shar wanted to talk to her brother a bit before they returned.

“I know you are hiding something,” Shar spoke as she wedged her tool between two stones. Careful not to break them, she jiggled the tool, trying to get the sharp part to catch the vine and slice the fruit free. “There was something you did not tell Father or Master Kundo.”

“It is not your concern,” Blonko told her. He got to his knees, trying to wedge his harvesting tool into the crack between the stones at a different angle. 

“It is my concern when you are lying,” Shar responded without hesitance. Feeling some frustration building up, she jabbed her tool a bit harder than she normally would. “This is serious, Blonko. If you do not want to tell Father, I would expect that you would at least tell me.”

That made Blonko hesitate. “I know. I just do not know how to explain what I have learned about this device and I am not sure that I want to.”

“Come on, Blonko,” Shar sighed. Brallada, what was with him? It was just a hunk of metal. Why was he being so paranoid?

“Be careful with your harvesting tool,” Blonko cautioned. Shar responded by jabbing her tool a little harder than she had been but she immediately regretted it. She felt something crack under the tip of her tool. Alarm flashed across her brother’s face. “Shar!”

She felt the ground shake. She glanced over her shoulder and saw rocks coming loose from up the cliffside. How they were disrupted by such a small change, she did not know but she did know they were barreling down fast. Faster than she could dodge. She looked in her brother’s direction, hoping he was far enough to escape but she didn’t see him. All she saw was a green flash and suddenly she was flying through the air.

“Antigravitesla!”

She flew faster than the rocks fell but also farther. By the time the rocks hit where she had been standing, she was halfway across the clearing. Her back hit a tree, the sturdy object intercepting her path. Hard. It hurt but her skin didn’t break upon contact. Whatever force possessed her released her abruptly, letting her slump down against the tree trunk. She looked up, trying to figure out what happened to her but also trying to locate her brother. But instead of her brother, she saw the impossible.

A tall figure was floating where her brother had been standing. One arm extended, he faced the landslide of rocks only they weren’t falling. No, like the figure, they were hovering in the air like- like- Shar had never seen anything like it before.

She couldn’t see the figure’s face but she could tell it was straining. It moved its hand ever so slightly and suddenly the rocks were hurling back into the cliffside and the figure was blown back. She sidestepped it, letting it fly past her and slam into the same tree with a loud crack. Grabbing her harvester, she ran up to it and pressed the tip against its neck before the figure even had the chance to groan or open its eyes.

Up close, she could easily tell that this thing wasn’t a Revonnahgander. It was tall and slender like one but there were slight differences to its build that said otherwise. And if that wasn’t enough, its coloring and hair was a give away. It didn’t have any fur, save a few tufts on its head and on its face. Instead, it had pale green skin and a tight jumpsuit that covered everything below the face.

“Who are you?” Shar demanded, twisting the tool so the sharp part dug into the stranger’s throat ever so slightly. “What are you doing here?”

“Sister, it is me,” the figure croaked, eyes wide. “Rook Blonko.”

Shar didn’t believe it. Not for a moment. This wasn’t her brother. No, her brother had fur. And orange eyes. And he was shorter. And he didn’t wear things as ridiculous as this. But she could see the earnest look on his face and that made her hesitate. He smiled nervously and Shar dropped her weapon. That was definitely her brother. Somehow, this creature was her brother.

“I think we need to visit Magister Wat-Sen.”

It was a little while before Blonko turned back into a Revonnahgander. This transformation seemed to startle Shar equally to, if not more than, the first.

“How did you do that?” she demanded once he was back to normal. Well, normal as he could be with this metal thing stuck to his wrist. “What was that?”

“The device allows the user to undergo some kind of transformation,” Blonko replied. He looked at it and the apparatus glared back at him, warm green replaced by angry red. It had done this before. He tried prodding the selection menu back on to no avail. It seemed to be powered down for now. “I transformed by accident when I found it. That is why the fire started.”

“You started a fire?!”

“It was an accident,” Blonko responded, trying to ignore the guilty feeling in his chest. It really was an accident but he’d still been unable to stop the fire before it hurt the land. It hadn’t spread to the trees or the village but it had scorched the earth and he didn’t think he could ever forgive himself for hurting his beloved Revonnah. “I did not mean to do it.”

Shar frowned, sensing his sudden distress. She put a hand on his shoulder as they walked. “Do not worry, brother. I am sure that Magister Wat-Sen will have some answers.”

He knew she was correct but he did not feel much better. “You are right.”

She smiled and tried brightening the mood. “So other than Antigravitesla, what other forms are in that contraption?”

“What?” Blonko did not understand her question.

“You know… Antigravitesla. That’s what that alien said his name was.”

Blonko scowled. “I do not think that is what it was doing.”

“Why else would it be shouting nonsense?” Shar responded almost cheekily. Blonko did not have an answer for that. His sister grinned victoriously and shouldered him playfully, her earlier shock already replaced by her usual spirit. “Come on, tell me. What are the names of the others you have seen?”

“The one who started the fire said Archfiend,” Blonko told her hesitantly. “The second is a water creature called Tidetail Wave.”

“That is a silly name.”

“It is,” Blonko agreed. The path began to fade into mere stones as they left the villagers’ usual stomping grounds. “We can think of a new one, if you would like.”

“No. If Tidetail Wave is what he wants to be called, Tidetail Wave is what we shall call him.”

Blonko rolled his eyes. “They are not their own beings, Shar. They are just me.”

“Nope. They are them and I will call them by their names,” Shar declared with a playful glint in her eye before coming to a stop. “Here is the entrance to the tunnel. I do not understand why Magister Wat-Sen feels the need to live so far away.”

“He is not that far,” Blonko replied as the two stepped into the mountain. It was true, it was not very dark and light could be seen trickling in from ahead. The tunnel was not very deep but it decisively placed a divide between Wat-Sen’s home and the rest of the village, even more of a divide than the one between the village’s center and where Kundo placed his dojo.

“If I was far, little rascals like you wouldn’t be showing up as easily as you are,” Wat-Sen spoke up from his seat outside his home as Blonko and Shar stepped into the light. As Blonko said, it really wasn’t that far nor was Wat-Sen’s home very different from what the siblings were used to. It had the same traditional material and structure as the rest of the homes in the village. This one was just placed behind the mountain. And it wasn’t even a big mountain. It wasn’t even big enough to hold terraces.

Besides, it was a nice set up. Wat-Sen was close enough to maintain friendly relationships with the village and get supplies when needed but he was far enough that he had enough room to store his Plumber gear and didn’t run the risk of any village children getting into it or pestering him when he needed some solitude. Blonko supposed there could be some kind of connection between Kundo’s dislike for Wat-Sen and the distance placed between the two but he never felt the need to dwell on it much. He liked both elders and they both seemed happy enough with this arrangement. 

“What brings you here?” Wat-Sen asked, not getting up from his seat. It looked like he’d been sunning. “One of the other villagers told me there was some alien trouble by the next village over. You got more news about that?”

“Yes.”

“No.”

Shar and Blonko exchanged a glance. Technically, neither of them was wrong.

Wat-Sen scratched his head with one hand. “Well, which is it?”

“Blonko was near the incident when it happened,” Shar explained. She grabbed her brother’s arm, jerking it roughly. “This device attached itself to his arm. Father’s tools and Master Kundo’s Stone Cutter could not break it. It allows him to transform into other beings.”

Blonko wished his sister could be a bit more discreet but he was grateful for his presence. Where he could be shy and hesitant, she could not. She always said what needed to be said. He just hoped Magister Wat-Sen wouldn’t laugh at him because he really needed some help here.

“Egad!” Wat-Sen exclaimed at the sight of it. Blonko did not know what that word meant but Wat-Sen fell out of his chair so he assumed that the man recognized it. Scooting over on his knees, Wat-Sen came closer, eyes as wide as amber ogia blossoms as he gazed at the device on his wrist. He lifted his hands, as if awed, but did not touch it. “The Omnitrix! I never thought it was real, let alone that I’d see it with my own eyes.”

“So you know what it is?” Blonko asked, something akin to hope bubbling up in his chest.

Wat-Sen nodded. “You could say that. I’ve only heard the legends.”

“Legends?”

“The story goes that this brilliant Galvan- you see, that’s this super intelligent species at the edge of the galaxy- built this device to allow someone to access the DNA of a bunch of different species and transform into them. Now, I don’t know if this device was meant for peace or war but I can tell you I heard a lot of arguments about it back in the day. I have to say I’m surprised it ended up on your wrist, Rook Blonko.”

“I am as well,” Blonko admitted. He glanced at the device then back at Wat-Sen. “So do you know how to remove it?”

“Remove it? Gods, no,” Wat-Sen replied with a shake of his head. “That watch there is Galvan tech. It’s stuck there. I wouldn’t have the slightest idea how to remove it. Unless you died or lost an arm or something.”

“We are not removing my brother’s arm!” Shar shouted before Blonko could even flinch.

Wat-Sen put up his hands defensively. “Wasn’t saying we should. Did someone say that they would?”

“Master Kundo,” Blonko told him, trying to keep any sullenness out of his voice. He didn’t look up from his watch. “He said if we could not get it off by the end of harvest season, he would resort to that.”

Wat-Sen frowned. “Well, I don’t know the guy well but I doubt he’d want to put one of his best and brightest out of commission for such a silly reason. I’m sure he’s just worked up from all the activity lately. He’ll come around.”

Blonko suddenly remembered the fight from earlier. “The drones!”

“What?”

“After I found the dev- er, the Omnitrix,” Blonko explained, already heading for the exit, “I found three drones. The lakeside villagers fought one and I fought the other two with the Omnitrix. They’re still in the lake. You should-”

Blonko cut himself off. He wasn’t actually sure what he expected Wat-Sen to do. Something, at least. There were alien devices on world and he should probably do something about it sooner or later.

“Do Plumber things?” Shar suggested helpfully with a shrug.

Wat-Sen raised an eyebrow. “Scrap ‘em? And trace them to their source?”

“Yes.”

“That.” 

Wat-Sen sighed and stretched, his back creaking and cracking in the process. “I’m getting the sense my easy days are coming to an end. Lead the way, you two. Let’s hunt down those drones.”

Wat-Sen hadn’t really believed Rook Blonko found the Omnitrix until the boy transformed. It wasn’t that he thought that Blonko was lying. It was just- Well, how unbelievable was the Omnitrix to begin with?

“Brother!” Shar shrieked as Blonko threw himself and his new aquatic form into the lake, splashing his sister in the process. A long snouted head surface and chattered playfully, as if laughing. Wat-Sen shook his head. The most powerful device in the universe and it was being used to further a sibling rivalry. Shar crossed her arms in mock anger. “Tidetail Wave is a jerk. I shall remember this.”

Wat-Sen watched the boy carefully as he swam around the lake as easy as any water native being and searched his mental library for the name of this alien. Tidetail Wave was what Shar had called it but he knew that was a nickname, of course. The creature looked strangely familiar…

“Delphinus,” Wat-Sen said aloud, the name forming in his mind like a light switching on. “Or dolphin, as the natives call it.”

“What?” Shar looked up from where she was trying to splash her brother back. Tidetail Wave looked up at him, equally confused.

“Dolphin, that is what this species is called,” Wat-Sen explained, trying to recall whatever he could about this species. Who was it that told him about them? He wanted to say Patalliday but his gut was telling him it was Tennyson. All water worlds got muddled up in his memories. There were just too many. “They’re from a water covered planet called Earth. They’re sea hunters but not fish, if I’m remembering right.”

Tidetail Wave blew water out through his blowhole as if in agreement.

Wat-Sen cleared his throat, trying to draw his attention back to the matter at hand. “You said there were drones?”

Tidetail Wave nodded and whistled before diving down into the lake. A few moments later, he resurfaced with a hunk of metal in his teeth. With a heave, he tossed it in all its dripping glory onto dry land. He dived down again and soon came back with the second drone, this one impaled by a few harvesting tools.

Shar pulled the spears out of the machine, the metal groaning as it strained. “We should return these to the village. And you said there was a third drone, yes?”

Tidetail Wave nodded and clicked. He pulled away from the edge and swam in a tight circle, chattering in the process. Shar and Wat-Sen exchanged a glance, silently asking if the other understood what the dolphin was saying.

“Maybe we should wait until you change back. How long does that normally take?” Shar asked. Tidetail Wave whistled and reared back, waving his fins. Shar sighed. “That was a stupid question. Nevermind.”

“You saw him transform before, right?” Wat-Sen asked, eyes not leaving the alien. “How long did it take for him to change back?”

“A few minutes?” Shar ventured with a shrug. She looked back to her brother. “It has not been long. Have you tried changing back, Blonko?”

Tidetail Wave responded with more chatters and clicks. Wat-Sen sighed. “That device on him looks like a Plumber translator. We should be able to understand him.”

There was a flash and suddenly the dolphin was replaced by a Revonnahgander. Blonko yelped as his head went under the water and scrambled to pull himself out. Dripping wet, he told them, “I believe the time outs are random. I was trying to tell you that before the drone had chased the villagers that way. I am sure that they defeated it but we should still investigate.” 

“Let me have a look at these drones first,” Wat-Sen told them, getting down on one knee and popping a panel off the drone to get a look at the inside. “Maybe I can figure out where they came from.”

“Blonko and I will collect some branches and leaves to hide them so no one touches them until you can retrieve them,” Shar announced and grabbed her brother’s sleeve, dragging him away.

“Very clever, Shar,” Wat-Sen praised and he meant it but the girl was already out of earshot. Turning his attention back to the drone, he tried to make sense of what he was seeing. He understood the basics of it, of course. Fundamentally drones weren’t all that complicated. Hover mechanisms and weapons systems were pretty universal. That wasn’t what he was looking for though. Anything unique that set this model aside from others, anything that could tell him where this thing came from.

They were dual tiered disks with a gap between the layers and a power cylinder keeping them together. On all of his adventures, Wat-Sen had seen plenty of drones built this way but what he hadn’t seen were the marbled orange orbs placed on it. Some kind of power container, perhaps? Or maybe just a watermark left by its creator, assuming these things weren’t mass produced in an industrial factory. He could feel the stirrings of an idea in the back of his mind but no complete thoughts formed. He had no idea what these were.

By the stars, he was getting old, wasn’t he? He knew these were newer models at least. If he was young and spry enough to keep up regular duties, Wat-Sen probably would have some experience with these things by now or at least run into one on a mission. The woes of retirement, he supposed. He could still get some use out of these things if he hacked their mainframe but that would take some time. Right now, they’d just have to navigate blindly.

“Did you find anything?” Shar asked, startling Wat-Sen out of his thoughts. Blonko trailed behind her, dragging some leafy branches. He set them down on the unattended drone and fluffed them up, trying to cover whatever he could.

Wat-Sen got to his feet, knees creaking, and shook his head. “Not yet, no. Tonight I’ll break out my old gear and see if I can trace a signal. Right now, we should focus on finding that third drone. Pick up these harvest tools. We can get into the village under the premise we’re returning them.”

“Do we need a premise?” Blonko asked but picked up the tools as instructed. “We are not malintented.”

“Always good to have a plan,” Wat-Sen told them and began walking in the direction of the village. He gestured for Shar to pick up the rest. “You carry them. My bones are getting too old for this.”

“If you are lifting with your bones, I do not think you are doing it correctly,” Blonko responded as he adjusted the harvesters on his back. He was tall for his age, nearly as tall as a grown Revonnahgander, but these tools were designed for grown men and the straps fit the tool awkwardly on his back. Shar didn’t even try to use the straps, instead opting to carry them. Wat-Sen didn’t take much pity on them and began leading the way.

Wat-Sen was familiar with this village, even if he didn’t frequent it as much as the village the Rook family lived in. The Rooks’ village was closer to the mountains, their farming consisting of terraces and wild amber ogia sprouting up in the more obscure places. The lakeside village was much flatter and their land had much better water access. Wat-Sen didn’t know if this helped the crops any but he imagined it did. He wondered if the mountain village ever tried seizing this land. They had the region’s Revonnah Kai master, afterall, so they had the warriors to do so if they wished. But maybe he was just projecting the rest of the universe’s violent tendencies onto these peaceful people.

The journey was easy. Thanks to the flatness of the land, there was no need for paths and it wasn’t difficult to spot buildings in the distance. Some farmers had noticed their arrival as they neared and intercepted them when they were about halfway from the lake to the village.

“Halt and state your business,” the head farmer of the patrol barked but he didn’t sound hostile. Maybe a bit wary of Wat-Sen but he seemed receptive to the younger Revonnahganders’ presence. 

“I’m Magister Wat-Sen,” Wat-Sen introduced, though the statement probably wasn’t necessary. He was an alien. Everyone knew who he was. He gestured to his companions. “These two are Rook Blonko and Rook Shar, from the village up the mountains. Blonko helped with the fire earlier and told me you had some alien sightings. I already found two of the drones. I just wanted to see if you’d taken out the third.”

The head farmer eyed Wat-Sen but his face relaxed a bit when he saw Blonko. “I am relieved to see that you are safe.”

Blonko smiled politely. “I have returned with the harvesting tools you left behind.”

“Thank you,” the farmer responded with a dip of his head and gestured for his fellow villagers to retrieve them from Blonko and Shar. He turned back to Wat-Sen. “My men fought the flying machine but did not defeat it. After some time, it became uninterested in us and left. I do not know where the fire-starting demon went either. Someone told me it fell into the lake but none of us have returned. I fear it will cause more trouble if we do.”

“Well, I visited the lake on my way here and I saw nothing,” Wat-Sen informed him. Blonko was the fire demon, right? He didn’t know of any fire wielding species that looked like demons but generally fire-wielding lifeforms didn’t take to water very well. Blonko seemed fine but the fretful part of Wat-Sen wanted to break out his medical tools and listen to the boy’s lungs to make sure he was alright. Though he had turned into an aquatic alien right after so maybe it evened out? “You should still be careful though. I’ll keep looking for alien activity but I can’t be everywhere at once.”

“Of course. We appreciate your efforts, Magister Wat-Sen,” the farmer replied and folded his hands together to perform a neat but slight bow. “Forgive us if we ever seem unwelcoming. You understand that we are naturally off-put by aliens in this region.”

Wat-Sen waved him off. Yeah, it hurt at first but he was used to it at this point and it didn’t really bother him like it used to. “Don’t worry about it, brother. Now stay safe out there.”

“Will do,” the farmer replied and turned away. The rest of the farmers followed them. Wat-Sen wouldn’t say it but it pleased him that none of them shot him distrustful glares over their shoulders as they left after everything that happened. He sensed tension and unease among them but the lack of outright hostility counted as progress in his book.

“Well, this was a waste of time,” Shar stated, putting her hands on her hips.

“At least we returned the harvesting tools.”

“Enough with the harvesting tools.”

“It is harvesting season. They need them.”

“You are insufferable, Blonko.”

“It is harvesting season,” Wat-Sen noted, “which means your father probably wants you two back in the fields. We’ve had enough excitement for today. I’ll bring you two back home and then I’ll get started on tracing those drones.”

Blonko and Shar sobered up. “What do you think they are doing here?”

Wat-Sen frowned, wondering how much he should tell them. He had suspicions but nothing solid yet and he didn’t want to scare them. “Well, normally aliens are after your amber ogia and if it was just the drones, I’d say that was the case but with the Omnitrix here, I’m not sure. I can’t help but think something bigger is going on.”

Blonko looked at the watch. “This device is very powerful and if what you say is true, it is well-known so I would not be surprised if many people are after it.”

“That’s why we gotta keep quiet and keep our heads down.” Wat-Sen paused as he was met with blank stares. “That is an Earth expression. It means don’t say anything and don’t let anyone see you transform.”

“I was not planning on letting that happen nor do I plan on transforming much,” Blonko replied evenly, rubbing his wrist absently. “I do not doubt I will be able to keep the Omnitrix hidden.”

Wat-Sen cracked a smile. That was just about all he could hope for. If someone found out about the Omnitrix’s presence on Revonnah, he didn’t think he’d be able to keep the planet safe on his own.

The Omnitrix was on Revonnah.

A lowly world compared to the ones he’d had seen. From the visuals provided by his drone, he knew this was a farming world and he had no interest in farming. At least that meant this planet wouldn’t have any formidable defenses. It was bad luck the battle had resulted in the Omnitrix being lost but karma was in his favor today. It wouldn’t be hard to retrieve the Omnitrix from this world.

But the Omnitrix bearder was stronger than he had assumed. He’d used his Delphinus form exceptionally well, like he’d already mastered it. Other than that, the drones had only observed him in his Phantophage form so the observer didn’t have enough data to estimate how powerful he was but he knew he would have to proceed with caution. He didn’t think this planet had many warriors but he couldn’t afford to make any mistakes. Not right now, not with the Omnitrix so close. It was almost within his sights. It felt like he could almost touch it.

A finger jabbed the intercom and the observer spoke into it. “Drone #2814, continue to scout. And send your location to Tetrax Shard.”

Chapter Text

“Psst! Blonko! Wake up!”

Blonko woke to his sister shaking him. He groaned and rolled over. It was still dark and it felt like he’d just fallen asleep. What did she want? “Go away, Shar. I am not scheduled for a muroid look out shift.”

A couple nights had passed since Blonko found the Omnitrix and the following days had been uneventful. He noticed a few stares at his wrist but his days went by as normal, filled with farming, entertaining Young One, trying not to talk to the girls who kept coming after him, and tinkering with whatever tech he could get his hands on in secret. He hadn’t tried using the Omnitrix again nor did he plan to. He meant what he said when he told Wat-Sen he’d keep it a secret. However, it seemed Shar had other plans.

“I traded your shift for Rayona’s so we could have the night to practice using the watch,” Shar told him. Blonko snapped awake at the mention of his beautiful neighbor, ignoring the look on Shar’s face when she realized it was her name that woke him up. “I am letting her have my next shift with you.”

“Could you not have waited until then for the chance to figure out the Omnitrix?” Blonko sighed but he was already rolling off his bunk and onto the floor. They were lucky Young One was such a heavy sleeper or he’d be awake and demanding to come with them.

“Our next shift together is in a week. We should try to figure this thing out as soon as possible!” Shar responded, sounding as sure as an experienced farmer telling a child how to use a harvesting tool. She grabbed his sleeve, dragging him outside. He really wished she would stop doing that. She hadn’t even given him the chance to get dressed. “You started a fire as Archfiend, you cannot talk as Tidetail Wave, and you have no control over Antigravitesla.”

“So?” Everything she said was true but he didn’t understand why she was pointing it out. Using new bodies was very difficult. How could she expect him to have mastery over their abilities so soon?

“So, you need to practice before we are caught in a situation where you need to use your powers but are unable to,” she told him as she slipped on her shoes and grabbed her harvest tool. Blonko did as well and they stepped into the night. “What better time to do it than when the muroids are feisty?”

“I would not call muroids feisty,” Blonko responded as they headed towards the fields. “They are rarely bold enough to try to steal and they are usually scared enough by our harvesting tools. I do not think harm or violence is necessary.”

“Then use Antigravitesla! You need to practice his abilities.”

“Fine,” Blonko sighed. They reached the patrol path and began walking along it. “But only if we see muroids! We are not going to go looking for them.”

“Okay, okay,” she conceded. She shot him a probing glance through the corner of her eye. “How are you not more excited about this? You are the one who loves all that alien junk.”

“It is not junk. And this is different,” Blonko told her as they wandered down the path. “It is one thing wanting to know more about aliens and it is another to be an alien.”

“But what better way to learn about aliens than to be an alien?”

Blonko opened his mouth then paused. She did have a point. He’d learned more about dolphins from listening to Tidetail Wave than listening to Wat-Sen. It wasn’t the Magister’s fault but here on this lonely world, the Omnitrix was more than anyone who wanted to learn about aliens could hope for. It was the ultimate learning tool.

“I suppose.” Blonko knew he was caving. Suddenly, his fingers itched to touch the watch. He hadn’t been too keen on turning into Antigravitesla but suddenly the idea of transforming excited him. He was still going to wait until he had a reason to transform though. He dealt with Young One enough to know not to be rash. “Do you see anything?”

“No,” Shar responded, looking around. “It is too dark to- Wait, there is a shadow near that crate. It might be a muriod.”

A moving shadow was more likely to come from a forgotten overgarment in the wind but Blonko was getting a bit impatient. Dialing up the right alien into the Omnitrix, he brought his hand down and transformed. “Antigravitesla!”

This transformation was less extreme than his transformation into, say, Tidetail Wave but Blonko wouldn’t say it was any less strange. Rather than feeling his bones break down and his fur melt away, he was overtaken by the sensation of… lightness. And power. More of a buzz than strength but still power. He’d tapped into that power when he’d saved Shar from the rockslide but he still sensed that he was barely scratching the surface. The same power filled and surrounded everything around him. To pull on those gravitational fields or manipulate his own, the urge was always there. It wasn’t that easy though.

“Blonko!” Shar yelped as a stone flew past her head.

“Lo siento,” Antigravitesla apologized and nearly dropped everything he was holding in surprise. The voice that came out of his mouth didn’t sound like him. He didn’t even know what those words meant. He tried again. “Sorry. Forgive me.”

“It is fine,” Shar told him. “Just focus your power on the target instead of everything else.”

“Right.” Doing as he was instructed, Antigravitesla focused his power on the shadow he had seen. He tried shrinking his own field so he could pull on the gravity of the shape without grabbing anything else but… well, he wasn’t really sure what wrong but suddenly everything was flying away from him, like he’d exerted some kind of pulse. “Sorry, sorry. Lo- forgive me.”

His alarm only seemed to make it worse. Now everything was pulling towards him. Shar had to grab onto a rock to keep herself from getting caught up in the field. At least he’d managed to nab his target this time. He was right, it was a jacket in the wind. Somehow he’d managed to snag a few muroids though, despite not knowing they were there. Two of them were clinging to a locked crate of amber ogia that someone had forgotten to put away. He’d also uprooted a bush, picked up a few handfuls of water, and-

“Drone!” Shar yelled. Antigravitesla whipped around, trying to see where she was pointing. His gravitational field had indeed caught a drone, likely the same one that had escaped the day he got the Omnitrix.

Antigravitesla made a fist and brought it down, trying to slam the drone into the ground. He dropped a few of the objects in his orbit but the drone resisted. Blinking angrily, weapons emerged from between its plates and it began to fire.

The muroids screamed and scuttled away as Antigravitesla released his gravitational hold and dove for Shar, managing to block a shot right before it hit her. Wasting no time, she pulled him behind the rock she’d been holding onto. “Are you alright?”

Antigravitesla gave himself a once over. There was no blood of any color staining his minty green skin. “I am unharmed.”

“Good because I do not think my harvesting tool will be able to protect us from that,” Shar replied, gesturing in the direction of the drone. A few more blasts sounded and Antigravitesla heard the lasers hitting the stone they were leaning against. He grimaced. It was better a rock get hit than a Revonnahgander or a silo but he still didn’t want any unnecessary damage done, especially when it was his job to protect the land. Sticking his hand out from the safety of the stone, he tried grabbing the drone’s gravitational field again but he couldn’t even get a hold this time. 

“My grip keeps slipping,” Antigravitesla growled in frustration. He withdrew his hand and picked up a small stone. Getting a brain wave, he tried launching it at the drone but missed, not even clipping it.

“Does Antigravitesla have any other abilities?” Shar suggested. “Because we cannot sit here forever.”

Antigravitesla suddenly remembered his attempts to fight as Archfiend. “I am a fool. Give me your harvesting tool.”

Confused, Shar did as she was told and handed her brother her weapon. He grasped it, tightening his fingers around it as he felt some of his power flow into it, and he leapt out from behind the rock. Without the use of his gravity powers or the powerful legs of a Revonnahgander, he did not go as high as he could have but he jumped high enough to clear the rock and twist to dodge a laser blast before hitting the ground. 

Taking off from a crouch, he sped at the drone and began spinning his weapon. He felt a surge of electricity light up as his weapon as he deflected a blast. The weapon suddenly felt so much better in his hand. Hurling it like a spear, the pointed tip made a beeline for the drone and spiked it into the ground.

Shar stood up, peering out from behind the rock in confusion. She shot her brother a questioning look. Antigravitesla smiled awkwardly and shrugged. “I cannot use Revonnah Kai as Archfiend or Tidetail Wave. I forgot I could as Antigravitesla.”

Shar pinched her brow and sighed. “You are an idiot.”

“If you could manipulate gravity, you would forget as well,” Antigravitesla retorted. He paused for a moment. “I think you were right about Antigravitesla having additional powers as well. Watch this.”

Shar watched curiously as Antigravitesla spread his hands. Sparks of electricity flickered off of them. She looked impressed. “Can you throw them? Or shoot them like the drone?”

“Let me try.” Antigravitesla extended a hand and tried creating a beam of electricity. Nothing happened. He tried throwing the sparks like a ball. A few of them showered down around them but they did not go very far. He flexed his fingers and frowned. “I do not think this is a very strong power.”

“Or you are just really bad at it,” Shar laughed. Antigravitesla stuck his tongue out at her childishly but she was already looking away. “We should get this drone to Magister Wat-Sen. You can practice your flying on the way.”

Antigravitesla held back a groan. Of course, because he could totally fly if he couldn’t defeat a drone. This was going to be a long trip.

Magister Wat-Sen had a new Antigravitesla-shaped imprint on the outside of his cave but he got a fresh drone out of it so he didn’t mind. A fresh drone that wasn’t water logged, meaning he had a good chance of tracking it.

He’d spent the whole morning working it and then some. He’d gotten on it the moment the young Revonnahganders left. As much as he would have liked to sleep until sunup, this was his job and his duties didn’t end when he was sleeping. And that meant he started the day frantically trying to find the right gear and remember how to actually use it properly. Not the best morning but he knew better than to complain.

He got so invested that he didn’t even notice the stranger in his home until he was only a few feet away.

Wat-Sen grabbed his weapon and fired with lightning speed, catching the stranger off guard. The blast bounced right off his faded grey armor but it bought Wat-Sen the chance to take cover. He dove behind one of his cushioned chairs and readied his weapon. It was too bad this seat was going to get shot, he really liked it. At least it was harvesting season so there would be the resources to make him another one.

The stranger brandished a weapon as well. It lacked the same safety locks as a Plumber issued-gun but Wat-Sen could tell it wasn’t set to kill. Or maybe it was. His vision was getting blurry with old age. He was pretty sure some kind of safety was on though and that was good enough for him.

He fired a few shots blindly, showing the stranger he meant business. The stranger retaliated with a few shots of his own, blasts burning clean through his favorite chair. He also meant business, it seemed. 

“I’m looking for the Omnitrix,” a deep voice informed him. The stranger took a few steps, his boots making an unfamiliar sound against the smooth wood of Wat-Sen’s floors. He ran a hand over the disassembled drone on the table. “This drone’s last known location was with the Omnitrix bearer.”

“Well, I sure ain’t him,” Wat-Sen responded, preparing himself for a gutsy move, “and I sure ain’t telling you where he is either.”

Wat-Sen threw himself at the newcomer, barreling into him and catching him off guard. The stranger couldn’t hold against Wat-Sen’s weight and the two of them fell through the front door. Controlling the way they rolled and taking advantage of his foe’s confusion, Wat-Sen managed to get on top and made a break for the caves. He’d have the advantage here. He knew the caves better than anyone. The intruder would be distracted trying not to get lost so he’d be able to get a few shots in. Hopefully, at least. But, he kept all his good weapons here so he had that going for him too.

Wat-Sen grabbed a bigger gun on his way in. A shot fired from behind him, narrowly missing his legs as he veered into the tunnels. They didn’t go all that far, only covering the mountain, but if he found the right spot, he’d have some good cover and maybe even be able to disorient his opponent enough that he could get off some good shots of his own.

The stranger’s footsteps echoed as he ran into the tunnels. Wat-Sen could tell he was running. Wat-Sen made sure to keep slow. Slow and steady was quiet but it was also controlled. He couldn’t afford to get caught up in the thrill of a fight right now, not when his attacker was so much more prepared for a fight than he was. Plus, he was old and couldn’t go very fast anyway but he tried not to think about that.

He weaved through the tunnel network, using his opponent's footsteps to keep track of his location. Sneakily circling around, Wat-Sen managed to get behind him and unleashed a flurry of blasts on his foe before immediately ducking back behind the wall and retreating to safety.

The stranger didn’t even grunt in pain. Turning, he started walking in Wat-Sen’s direction with steady confidence. “Your weapons won’t work on me.”

Wat-Sen wanted to give a snappy response but he also didn’t want to give away his location. Fading into the darkness, he tried to pick the next best place to launch an attack from.

“You can’t beat me.” The stranger’s voice sounded low and deep in the confines of the cave. His footsteps sounded almost like metal against the stone. That was some pretty heavy duty armor and Wat-Sen didn’t even know what alien was under there. “Just give up.”

He wouldn’t do that. He didn’t know what this stranger was after but if he had something to do with the drones, Wat-Sen knew it was no good. Something to do with the Omnitrix, probably. And that meant Blonko was in danger. Rook Blonko, that little Revonnahgander who’d been bothering him for stories about what lay beyond the stars ever since Wat-Sen took post near his village. The kid he’d watched grow from a child nervous around something as small as batteries into a fine warrior with a brilliant mind adept in technology. The boy who’d brought some sunshine to his days when so many others had shunned him on this lonely planet. He wouldn’t let anything happen to him.

At some point while Wat-Sen was riling himself up, the footsteps stopped and Wat-Sen didn’t think it was because the attacker had left. He was still here but he was strategizing. He knew what Wat-Sen was doing and he was adapting to counter it. Wat-Sen strained his hearing but he knew he’d find nothing. He’d have to adjust his plan.

“Boo.”

A hard hand came down on the back of his head before Wat-Sen could turn around. Cursing his old age for dulling his combat skills, Wat-Sen went down and his world went black.

When Shar and Blonko came by after their time on the fields was over, they found an empty house and no Wat-Sen. This was alarming. The pair split up, Blonko checking the caves while Shar snooped around Wat-Sen’s home in hopes of finding some clue of where their friend could be.

“I found nothing,” Blonko announced upon reentering the house. Shar looked up from where she was sitting at Wat-Sen’s desk, hunched over what looked to be a note. “What is that?”

“A note. Not Magister Wat-Sen’s handwriting,” she told him. She held it up, letting him take it for a read. The ink was smeared and the writing was messier than Young One’s, which was saying something. “I do not think it was written by someone familiar with our language and I am unable to decipher the last part.”

“Omnitrix bearer, I have your Plumber,” Blonko read aloud, playing with the edges of the paper. “I wo- will not harm him. I just want to talk. I will be at the top of the terrace on the far side of the valley. Pick one and meet me at sundown.”

“I do not understand what he means by pick one or the meaning of these characters at the bottom,” Shar told him, pulling down his arm a bit so she could point to what she was referring to. Below the message, there were four strange shapes. They looked nothing like any kind of written language that Blonko had ever seen and it took him a moment to realize their meaning.

“These are drawings of transformations. I believe Magister Wat-Sen’s attacker tried to guess which aliens I have in my Omnitrix,” Blonko explained. He ran his fingers over the drawings. He recognized one, the tailed figure with angular features. He’d seen its silhouette flipping through the options of his Omnitrix, not that he had ever turned into it. The other three- a wheeled quadruped, a slender humanoid, and a winged beast- were completely alien to him. Well, alien as in foreign, not alien as in extraterrestrial. Part of him longed to know what they were but he didn’t even know anything about the one he did recognize so he shook off his curiosity and dialed up the alien in his Omnitrix. “I have no idea why he would suggest an alien.”

“Try turning into it,” Shar suggested. “What could go wrong?”

Many things, Blonko wanted to say but he kept his mouth shut and brought his hand down on the Omnitrix, letting the light and sensation of transformation overtake him. “XLR8!”

“XLR8?” Shar echoed, eyeing the new form before realization dawned on her face. “Oh! Like accelerate! This must be a speedy form. Magister Wat-Sen’s attacker was making a recommendation for fast travel.”

XLR8 waved his tail, trying to find his balance. What was wrong with his feet? Were those wheels? That didn’t seem right. This form was clearly built for speed but he couldn’t imagine- Wait, Shar was clambering on his back. “What are you doing?”

Shar put her arms around his shoulders and positioned herself over his tail. “The meeting point is very far away. There is no way I could make it there by sundown and I am not letting you go alone.”

“Fine,” XLR8 sighed as he tried to maneuver to the doorway. It was awkward, sliding his feet over the floor. Was he supposed to take steps? Or move his wheels? He felt like he wasn’t doing this right. “But it is not my fault if you fall off.”

XLR8 didn’t hear Shar’s response because by that point, he was already moving. He started slow, just trying to navigate his way through the tunnels, but then instinct took over. Just like when he turned into Tidetail Wave, he felt something in his mind click into place and everything just made sense. He picked up speed, gliding over the Revonnah’s surface cleaner than Tidetail Wave through water and scaling obstacles better than even Master Kundo.

Going down the cliffside was a bit scary but XLR8 remained in control the whole time and they were soon in the open land of the valley. Here, he felt free. Nothing to dodge, no obstacles to avoid, he could just go as fast as he wanted. Still, he had a destination in mind so he couldn’t dally. Later though. Later, he was definitely coming back.

Using his momentum to propel himself upward, XLR8 made his way up the terraces. He had to slow down a bit for this and he could now hear properly. Realizing his sister was talking, he pulled back his face mask and let her climb off his tail. She was grinning. “That is exhilarating!”

XLR8 found himself nodding in agreement. “I wish to do that again sometime after we retrieve Magister Wat-Sen.”

Shar’s expression shifted and she nodded. “Let us hurry.”

XLR8 picked her up and sped upward the rest of the distance. In the blink of an eye, they were at the top of the terrace standing opposite of a bulky figure head to toe in black armor. In chains at his side was Magister Wat-Sen.

“Blonko! Shar!” Wat-Sen cried in alarm at the sight of the pair. “You shouldn’t have come.”

“We had to,” Shar responded as XLR8 put her down. “Are you alright?”

“Yes but-”

“The Kineceleran. Good choice,” the foreigner mused, interrupting Wat-Sen. He glanced at Shar. “What is she doing here?”

“You did not say to come alone,” XLR8 replied, lashing his tail behind him. His face shield dropped down. “Release Magister Wat-Sen now.”

The stranger put up a hand. “Calm down. I am here to talk, not fight.”

“Then talk.” XLR8 was not feeling patient. Something inside him was urging him to just lunge forward, snatch Wat-Sen away from this lowlife, and speed away with him and Shar in tow. But the rational part of his brain stopped him. He didn’t know who this stranger was. For all he knew, he was just as fast as he was. 

“The Omnitrix for the Plumber,” the stranger offered in a benevolent tone, even if he was acting anything but. “I think it’s a fair trade.”

“Don’t do it, Blonko!” Wat-Sen cried but XLR8 didn’t think the man was thinking clearly. XLR8 couldn’t offer the Omnitrix even if he wanted to.

“I cannot,” XLR8 replied. He put a clawed hand to his chest where the Omnitrix resided. “It is attached to me. I have been unable to remove it.”

“Then I will remove it from you,” the stranger responded, tearing his gloves off and revealing crystal arms, “or my name isn’t Tetrax Shard!”

Eying the crystals, XLR8 thought the name was a bit on the nose but he didn’t have the time to say something because Tetrax’s fist melded into something sharp and was suddenly flying at his face. XLR8 ducked and spun around, slamming his tail into Tetrax’s legs. It was one of his favorite moves in Revonnah Kai and XLR8’s tail worked better than Blonko’s legs. Or at least that’s what he expected. He didn’t expect his tail to hit something so solid.

XLR8 yelped as a spike of pain shot up his tail. Tetrax chuckled before throwing a punch. “Clearly you have some things to learn about offworld lifeforms.”

XLR8 scooted out of the way, clutching his tail as he skeeted to the other side of the battleground. There was enough area to fight at the top of the terrace but there wasn’t a lot of extra room. If someone underestimated the strength of the blow, the other would end up flying off the mountain.

There was no way for XLR8 to place himself in any kind of defensive position between Tetrax and both Shar and Wat-Sen so he merely shuffled in the space between them, trying to anticipate Tetrax’s next move. Only, this was nothing like a sparring match with other Revonnahganders. Tetrax’s moves only resembled Revonnah Kai in that they were fighting moves. Nothing else was the same, not to mention the fact his confident demeanor paired with the helmet covering his face kept him from betraying any hint of what he was thinking until it was too late.

A flurry of crystal shards flew from Tetrax’s outstretched hand. XLR8 ducked and dodged before deciding to rear back on his tail and kick the shards right back to their sender. XLR8’s kicks were powerful and he expected the splinters to do some damage but Tetrax merely shifted his arm into a shield and batted them away. Behind his visor, XLR8 watched critically. Being able to use his body like that was an amazing skill to have in battle. XLR8 loved this new form but he felt a flash of jealousy for the other alien. He wasn’t entirely sure what this form looked like in its entirety but he knew it was not one of the ten aliens in the Omnitrix. That was too bad, he would have loved to explore having a body like that.

The two moved in and began exchanging blows in a way XLR8 was more familiar with. No tricks, save Tetrax’s sharpened arms and XLR8’s enhanced speed. Fists met shoulders and claws and wheels battered forearms. It was thrilling in the most strange way. XLR8 knew he was fighting for… Well, possibly his life but he’d never been in a fight like this. Revonnah Kai was all set forms. Execution of the moves was a factor but in the end it was all strategy. Which move countered which best, would a certain technique leave too big of an opening, that sort of thing.

But this. Oh, this was something else entirely. There were no recognizable forms, no way to predict the opponents moves and no need to spend time conjuring the best plan to counter them. This was just raw fighting. Speed, power, and versatility was increased which enhanced the experience to a level a Revonnahgander could never dream of but the bottom line was just that this was just brawling in its truest form. It was exhilarating, to say the least.

Unfortunately, all good things had to come to an end.

Tetrax and XLR8 noticed the Omnitrix blinking at the same time. In XLR8’s surprise, he froze which gave Tetrax all the time he needed to strike. In one motion, he simultaneously slammed a foot down on XLR8’s tail, keeping him from running away, and shoved both palms against the ground. By the time XLR8 turned back into Blonko, crystal had erected from below and encased everything from the neck down. 

“Do not hurt him!” Shar yelled but Wat-Sen grabbed her before she could lunge at the armored being. Blonko felt a flash of gratitude that they were both safe but it did little to quell the fear bubbling up in his belly. Crystal joints creaked as Tetrax began rising to his feet. Blonko’s stomach twisted in anticipation, not wanting to know what was going to happen to him when Tetrax saw him in his weak Revonnahgander form.

Tetrax took a step back in surprise.

“Y-You’re a child.” Tetrax stared, shocked. He took his helmet off, as if removing the visor between his eyes and the trapped Revonnahgander would somehow change things. Blonko didn’t know what he’d been imagining Tetrax’s face to look like but he thought he’d look meaner. Tetrax’s face was strong and angular but certainly not mean. Yellow eyes wide and crystal jaw slack, he almost looked like a friendly guy.

“I do not have a bi'nthak,” Blonko stated, unable to think of anything better to say. It didn’t look like Tetrax heard him. Blonko couldn’t begin to fathom what kinds of thoughts were rushing through the alien’s head.

“I- I need to go,” Tetrax stuttered, running his gloved hand over his face. He took a step back, the crystal encasing Blonko melting into the ground, and turned away before jumping off the cliffside.

Shar threw herself into Blonko’s arms the moment he was gone, muttering about how relieved she was that he was alright. Wat-Sen hovered around them worriedly before deciding to go in and gather the both of them up in his arms. Blonko hardly noticed either of them.

All he could see was the bulky figure retreating into the sunset on a slide of crystal, wondering just who Tetrax Shard was and what he wanted with the Omnitrix.

“Tetrax, report.”

“You didn’t tell me the Omnitrix bearer was a kid, Vilgax.”

Vilgax’s tentacles curled. A child? His drones had failed to report that. This would be easier than he thought. An untrained adult with the Omnitrix was one thing but a child was another. He probably didn’t even need the bounty hunters. It would be nice to keep his hands from getting dirty but now he knew it wasn’t completely necessary.

“And?” Vilgax prompted, already knowing the answer to his question but wanting to hear Tetrax say it.

“I don’t- He’s a child, Vilgax. He isn’t doing any harm.”

“I didn’t hire you to be a hero, Shard. I hired you to retrieve the Omnitrix.”

“I’m out,” Tetrax announced, startling Vilgax. Never in all his years of hiring the bounty hunter had he refused a job. He expected some argument, maybe, or some renegotiations about his pay but a walk out? Never in a thousand millenia did Vilgax think he’d hear the bounty hunter utter such words. “I’m not cutting off a kid’s arm, Vilgax. Not even for eight thousand taydens.”

“I’ll increase it to ten,” Vilgax offered but he didn’t expect Tetrax to take it. Anyone in this business with morals didn’t go back on them.

“I’ll pass. Hire me for another job if you have one but until then, don’t bother me.”

“You know someone else will just go after the boy,” Vilgax told him. Tetrax himself had recommended some other bounty hunters to take the job. How ironic that was biting him in the rear now.

A pause. “I know.”

Tetrax signed off without another word. Vilgax couldn’t help but wonder if he’d see more of the bounty hunter before he got his claws on the Omnitrix. He was confident to say he would.

Chapter Text

It was a rough week after his defeat at Tetrax’s hand but tonight was his muroid watching shift with Rayona so at least he had that to cheer him up. Shar was beating herself up a bit for trading shifts- she wanted Blonko to have another chance to practice with his aliens- but Blonko was grateful for the break. Just this morning, Wat-Sen tried convincing him to practice wielding Archfiend’s fire and Blonko needed a break after spending so much time messing with his aliens.

Plus, it was nice to have some time alone with the girl he fancied. Blonko may be the wielder of the Omnitrix but he was still a boy.

“What did Shar want last time that was so urgant we had to change shifts?” Rayona asked as she and Blonko walked along the patrol path. It was a beautiful night and the stars were shining so brilliantly that their light illuminated Revonnah’s surface.

Blonko was so caught up in the moment that his mind had to scramble to think of a believable lie. “Oh, um… You know how it is. She has been worried after I got my hand stuck in the trap but she was curious about the alien sighting. She wanted me to show her where the fire was. From a distance, of course.”

Rayona nodded and Blonko relaxed a bit. That was a believable lie, right? He was a bit startled at how quickly it had come to him. He wished he could be proud at how skilled he’d become at hiding his secrets surrounding the Omnitrix but all this lying was making him feel bad. The illicit allure had faded and now he just felt guilty anytime a falsehood left his mouth.

“Would you mind showing me?” she asked and Blonko blinked in surprise. She looked away shyly. “I must admit I am curious as well. And it might be nice to have a short walk away from the usual route.”

Blonko swallowed. His heart was doing strange things in his chest. “Of course. It is not very interesting but I would be honored to show you.”

He hooked his weapon over his shoulder and took her hand, leading her to the edge of the mountain that overlooked the broad valley that held the lake and the scorch marks he’d left on Revonnah’s surface. He still felt bad about that. He felt bad about a lot of things. Looking out at the aftermath of the incident definitely didn’t help. If anything, it made the memories more vivid. The grotesque body, the smoke, the heat of the flames...

He suddenly noticed that he was still holding Rayona’s hand. He nearly froze in his tracks, eyes flickering between Rayona and their joined hands. She smiled at him and he smiled back. This was nice. Distracting. But like all good things, he’d learned, it couldn’t last forever.

“Don’t move,” a rough voice said. Blonko heard a click and a moment later there was a gun pressed against his head.

The figure was still somewhat concealed by the shadows and Blonko couldn’t see much with a gun in his face but from what he could tell, this newcomer was very brightly colored. He cursed himself for not seeing him a moment sooner. The attacker wasn’t even trying to blend in. How had he missed such an obvious target? As wonderful as Rayona was, he could not afford to let his attention wander. He was a top student of Revonnah Kai. He knew better than to let himself get distracted from his surroundings.

Rayona started to draw her harvesting tool, ready to brandish the weapon at the stranger threatening her neighbor, when something dropped down behind her. An alien gurgle interrupted the silence and a second figure, this one meaner and leaner, stalked forward with malice in his step. Through the corner of his eye, Blonko saw the glint of a sword. Maybe two. He couldn’t be certain, not when he couldn’t turn his head to check.

Rayona gripped her weapon but lowered it enough to show that she wanted to talk, not fight. “Who are you? What do you want?”

“The name’s Kraab. My partner here is Sixsix. And as for what we want…” the stranger responded, voice dipping threateningly. A massive metal claw clicked before Kraab placed it over the Omnitrix. He tapped it knowingly. Blonko swallowed thickly. More bounty hunters. Brallada, how valuable was this nuisance on his wrist?

“You want the metal contraption on his wrist?” Rayona concluded, sounding surprised. “You can have it.”

“I cannot remove it without removing my hand,” Blonko reminded. Kraab clicked his pincer and Blonko immediately regretted his words.

Rayona seemed to notice the error on both their parts as well. Acting fast, she rammed the head of the harvesting tool down on Kraab’s head before Sixsix could stop her. “Ow! Hey! Stop them!”

Rayona took Blonko’s hand and pulled him away. Sixsix began shooting but they were already running. Lasers flew past them and littered the ground around their feet but Blonko didn’t look back. He trusted Rayona to guide him. Logically, he knew that she didn’t know any better than he did but momentarily, he let himself be disillusioned into safety by his infatuation with the girl. 

Rayona pulled the two of them behind a particularly leafy amber ogia bush and crouched down. “We need a plan.”

What they needed was for Blonko to get away from Rayona so he could transform without revealing his powers. “You should run back to the village for help. I can try to hold them off.”

“I cannot leave you with them! They want to remove your hand!”

“I am trained in Revonnah Kai. I can hold my own.”

“You would have been splattered across the mountain if not for me, Blonko. We are better together.”

In another situation, those words would have made Blonko’s heart flutter but right now, with lasers cutting through the bush and splashing amber ogia juice everywhere, they felt like a death sentence. Blonko opened his mouth to say the fruit would attract muroids but then he closed it, realizing that wasn’t the most important thing right now.

Rayona cried out and Blonko realized his mind had wandered. He turned, eyes round with worry, and saw that she was clutching her arm. “Were you hit?”

She nodded, gritting her teeth in pain. “We should have hid behind a rock.”

Blonko wanted to inspect her wound but he knew it would be no good and she was probably a better medic than him anyway. So instead, guilt spread over his features. This was his fault. Rayona was hurt and this was his fault. He had to fix this but there was only one thing he could think of. Placing his hands on her shoulders firmly, he told her, “Stay here.”

“What are you-”

Leaping out from behind the bush, Blonko ran at their attackers and slammed his hand down on the Omnitrix the moment he was out of Rayona’s view. He was cutting it close but this was all he could do. He didn’t even know what he was turning into but he’d be happy to receive any form right now, even Tidetail Wave and he was pretty much useless on land.

He could tell this was something new the moment the transformation overtook him. Something strange was happening to his head. He could feel it bulging and elongating at the same time. It felt crooked, which didn’t sound right but he didn’t know how else to describe it. His back bent and his extremities elongated, morphing him into some kind of quadruped. This was the first time he was turning into something that walked on more than two limbs but that wasn’t even the strangest thing. Something jutted out of his arms and he felt his fur melt into some kind of thin, leathery film. Blonko was pretty sure he was growing wings.

“Terrorsaur!” he screeched as the transformation ended and the light died down, revealing his new form in all its glory. He towered over Kraab and Sixsix now. They had to crane their necks back to look up at him.

“What is that thing?” If the scream Sixsix let out was not enough of a reaction, Kraab sounded even more horrified than a farmer who’d woken up to a pack of pregnant muroids feasting on his harvest. Terrorsaur blinked, unable to figure out what had them so terrified. Then he realized he had multiple eyes. Eight, to be exact if he was counting right. Maybe he was some kind of arachnid bird? He doubted it. He didn’t feel like a spider. Either way, the two were distracted and something primal in him was telling him to get off the ground and take to the sky.

Now that there was a little space between them, Sixsix and Kraab began to fire. A few shots clipped him and they stung quite a bit but it was nothing intolerable. Letting his wings move on their own, Terrorsaur arched through the air and dive bombed his attackers, hitting them both square in the chest with the tops of his wings. Reaching out with his back legs, Terrorsaur snatched up Rayona from behind the bush in the process and took off.

He had to get her to safety. That was the priority. Large, powerful wings beat the sky as he picked up speed. His flight was a little bit wobbly but he wasn’t falling. As long as he remained in the air, that was good enough. He could figure out how to fly properly later, not that he cared much. Flying, even if it wasn’t very good, was still flying. How amazing was that? The cool, night air pushed against his wings, whipped his face, and filled the series of air sacs around his lungs. It felt nice, almost like running as XLR8. Except when he was XLR8, he’d had a much more receptive travel partner than he did now.

Rayona screamed and struggled against his grip. Terrorsaur grunted and adjusted his hold so she didn’t fall or make him fall. He didn’t really have proper feet to hold onto her with so she was already unsteady without all the resistance. Craning his head down so his beak brushed his underbelly, he peered at her, trying to see if something was wrong. This only made her shriek louder.

“Unhand me, beast!” Despite her clear and apparent fear, Rayona’s fighting-spirit was still running strong. Terrorsaur normally liked that about her but right now it was just putting them in more danger.

“Please stop struggling. I do not want to drop you.”

“Put me down then!”

Terrorsaur conceded that this was probably the best course of action. He was a big bird. It hadn’t been long but he managed to fly pretty far and chances are they were far enough that Terrorsaur could put Rayona down and circle back to the fight without having to worry for her safety. All eight eyes scanning the ground for somewhere to land, he spotted a familiar figure standing atop a terrace, waving his arms wildly to catch his attention. Terrorsaur, deciding to take a gamble and trust his gut, veered from his path and landed clumsily beside him.

“What are you doing here?” Terrorsaur asked as he tucked in his feet, releasing Rayona and letting the girl scramble away from him. It hurt, a bit, but he tried not to let it bother him. She didn’t know who he was and this was probably the best outcome he could hope for. “I thought you left.”

“I tried. I’ll explain later,” Tetrax replied, his helmet making his voice boom a bit differently than it did without. Surprisingly, Terrorsaur felt inclined to trust him. Maybe it had something to do with the fact he was the only bounty hunter here not shooting at him. Tetrax glanced at Rayona who was eyeing them both warily and let out a heavy breath. “I can get her to safety so you can finish things up with Sixsix and Kraab.”

“Do you know them?”

“You could say that.”

“I am not going anywhere with either of you,” Rayona declared, getting to her feet and putting herself in a defensive position. She was not a student of Revonnah Kai but all things considered, her stance was strong enough to show that she meant it. “Where is Rook Blonko? Direct me to him and we shall leave you aliens to your fighting.”

Tetrax looked at Terrorsaur in confusion. The grotesque creature shrugged his wings awkwardly. Tetrax sighed. “I’m sure your boyfriend is fine. I’ll find him after I drop you off back home.”

“He is not my boyfriend!” Rayona protested, looking a bit flustered. Her pause was enough opportunity for Tetrax to scoop her up in his arms and take off toward the village on a crystal slide before she could protest. Much, at least.

Terrorsaur watched them go, feeling his face heat up a bit at Tetrax’s assumption. He shook his head, trying to ward those thoughts away. He needed to focus on the fight. Launching himself off the terrace, he began gliding back to where he left the bounty hunters.

It was much better flying without a passenger weighing him down and throwing off his balance. He folded his legs back and tilted his nose forward, shifting his body into a more aerodynamic position, and flapped absently, letting the wind carry his large yet light body where it needed to be. It wasn’t long before he spotted his prey.

With an inhuman screech, Terrorsaur fell into a nosedive and slammed into Kraab. The metallic crustacean cried out in surprise and stumbled at the sudden weight pinning him down. Terrorsaur flailed his back legs, scoring his long claws against Kraab’s armor, and began battering him with his boney wings and clawed hands.

“Get it off!” Kraab yelled, trying to hit Terrorsaur with his heavier arm. Terrorsaur opened his mouth and clamped down on Kraab’s head. His teeth dug into the metal which was rather unpleasant and the armor tasted pretty bad but Terrorsaur didn’t let go. Sixsix tried to grab his shoulders but Terrorsaur batted him away with his tail easily.

Terrorsaur just kept holding on, even after Kraab managed to shove Terrorsaur’s legs off him. That was fine. He got more leverage with his feet and tail on the ground anyway and it made it easier to scratch at Kraab with his hands.

“You’re busting up my armor, you stupid dinosaur!” Kraab managed to box Terrorsaur in the beck, dislodging his grip. It hurt his teeth and made his jaw ache. Kraab drew his blaster and Terrorsaur shuffled back on all fours. He snapped at him, to which Kraab responded with a blast to the face. “Savage creature.”

Terrorsaur ducked his head and glowered. Kraab was right about there being something savage about this form but Terrorsaur was happy to give into his primal side if it meant using this form properly. He let out a throaty noise and Kraab froze, eyes widening as if entranced. Terrorsaur kept his eyes fixed on him, sensing something was happening, but something suddenly landed on his back, startling him out of it.

“Get off!” Terrorsaur bucked as Sixsix wrapped his legs around his neck and clung tight with his arms. Kraab snapped out of whatever trance he was falling into and let out a cruel laugh that only made Terrorsaur buck harder. “I am not a saddle-animal to be ridden!”

“Sure looks like it to me,” Kraab taunted. Terrorsaur threw his head back, trying to shake Sixsix’s grip or impale the unwanted rider with the spike on the top of his head. Sixsix just gurgled and held on tighter. 

Kraab began advancing towards him and Terrorsaur began getting nervous. He lashed out with one hand but Kraab leaned out of range. He jumped, trying to take to the sky where he could shake Sixsix off, but Sixsix punched him hard at the point where his shoulder met his wing and that idea was gone. He tried to twist his head around to bite the bounty hunter but his neck didn’t have a very good range of motion in that direction. He didn’t know if he could get him off.

Kraab fired a shot at Terrorsaur’s feet, forcing him to take a step back. He fired again and again, making him back up more and more until he was nearly pressed against the side of the nearest mountain peak. Kraab laughed again and Terrorsaur’s eyes narrowed, mind registering what was happening. They were treating him like some kind of circus animal! “Stop taunting me!”

Sixsix let out a series of noises that Kraab seemed to understand. The crustacean nodded, looking annoyed. “Yeah, yeah. I’ll get the energy cuffs. Don’t get your swords in a twist.”

An idea formed in Terrorsaur’s mind but he didn’t have the chance to execute it because in that moment, his ally came barreling down the mountain and landed on top of Kraab, slamming him into the ground. Armored feet drove the metal shell into the earth, disrupting the tension in the air. Taking the chance he was given, Terrorsaur reared up on his back legs and rammed Sixsix into the cliffside.

Tetrax started whaling on Kraab and Terrorsaur started rolling on the ground, crushing Sixsix under his weight. The alien held on tight but Terrorsaur kept grinding him into the ground, wiggling with his underbelly facing the sky like a muroid trying to scratch his back on a particularly rough stone. Sixsix expressed his unhappiness with a string of inhuman grunts but Terrorsaur spread out his wings and let himself enjoy the backscratch, tail wagging under him in pleasure.

“Tetrax, you traitor!” Kraab snarled as his fist shot up, slugging Tetrax so hard his helmet came off. Terrorsaur figured the helmet wasn’t attached very tightly but what did he know? Maybe Kraab really had punched him that hard. It was hard enough to make Tetrax stumble back, releasing Kraab from his pinned position, and Tetrax was a big guy so it must’ve been strong. Terrorsaur abruptly became aware of how rough these bounty hunters were and felt a flash of gratitude that Tetrax was helping him out. He wasn’t certain he could trust him yet but he was grateful to have an ally.

“The Omnitrix is stuck on a kid. Vilgax is going to destroy this planet trying to get it!” Tetrax roared as he continued his efforts to try to bash Kraab’s face in. His words implied he wanted to call a truce but his actions told Terrorsaur that Tetrax didn’t really like this guy. This was a long time coming, it seemed.

“Don’t care,” Kraab responded. His pincer clamped down on Tetrax’s arm and he angled it away from his face. With his free hand, he raked his talons over Tetrax’s exposed face, not that they did much damage. He tried going for the eyes but Tetrax saw it coming and nipped Kraab’s hand with his teeth before he could get too close. “Ow! You bit me! Low move, Tetrax!”

“You were the one who went for the eyes,” Tetrax retorted and shrugged the pincer off his arm, wrestling free of Kraab’s grip. “Come on, I was the one who told you about this job. Drop it for my sake.”

“You know we bounty hunters don’t run by any code of honor,” Kraab responded and brought one of his scythe-like feet down on Tetrax’s foot. The crystal alien grunted in pain, more from the weight of Kraab’s cybernetics than actual injury. “This is my bounty!”

Sixsix said something from under Terrorsaur. Kraab let out a frustrated grunt.

“Fine! Our bounty! But you better start pulling your weight, Sixsix, or you’re not getting paid!”

The threat of not getting his share of the reward riled something up in Sixsix and Terrorsaur felt a few point-blank shots hit him in the back. He couldn’t jump up fast enough, bellowing in pain as he rolled away. Sixsix shook the dirt off him, relishing the ability to move once more, and aimed his weapons at Terrorsaur. Terrorsaur was forced to tear his eyes away from Tetrax and Kraab’s argument and resume the fight. Bunching up his muscles, he threw himself upward and away from Sixsix.

Back in the air, Terrorsaur flew in a tight circle around the battlefield. Sixsix kept firing at him, stopping him from moving in to strike. Tetrax and Kraab continued grappling in the background. Terrorsaur wished he could help but he was too big to fight so close to an ally and his lack of humanoid features frankly stumped him on how to really fight properly. The only moves he could think of using involved biting, scratching, and flying.

“Kid!” Tetrax called as he deflected a flurry of blows from Kraab. “Use your powers!”

“What powers?” Terrorsaur had more powers?

“What, is this your first time turning into that form” Tetrax asked rhetorically. Terrorsaur’s lack of a response told him all he needed to know. “Slag, is this really your first time?”

“Maybe?”

“Amateur,” Kraab coughed, earning him another blow in the face. He retaliated with a wild swing of his arm, clubbing Tetrax in the ribs. The crystal alien seemed unhurt by it but it put some distance between them.

“You need to- ugh. Give me a sec,” Tetrax sighed. He crouched down and slammed his palms against the ground. A pillar of crystal shot out of the ground, stopping abruptly and throwing him into the sky. Terrorsaur deviated from his circular path to catch the alien on his back. He landed heavily, nearly knocking Terrorsaur out of the sky, but a few extra hard flaps kept them from plummeting. Tetrax continued talking, oblivious to Terrorsaur’s momentary struggle. “Look, this species is- Have you ever heard of a Psycholeopterran?”

“Is that what Terrorsaur is?”

“No. And why do you call it T- Nevermind. Psycholeopterran are sometimes caught and kept as pets by the wealthy. They can generate vivid hallucinations that let someone live out their wildest dreams. Terrorsaurs, as you call them, are sometimes caught as well but not by euphoria chasers. Instead, they’re used in prisons. Any guesses why?”

Terrorsaur thought for a moment, dodging more lasers as his mind raced for the answer. At some point, Kraab had picked up his blaster as well. “Everyone seemed terrified of my appearance. My guess is that I can hypnotize people to see their fears?”

“Close enough. You can generate psychic hallucinations,” Tetrax told him, “and they can get pretty bad. Bounty hunters are pretty tough but when it comes down to it, we’re all selfish cowards. One good hallucination should send these two running.”

“Okay.” Terrorsaur felt like he was getting pretty good at dodging these lasers. For top-notch bounty hunters, Kraab and Sixsix weren’t very good shots. Or maybe it was because his dark skin blended in with the night sky, making it harder to see him. That was probably it. “So how do I access my psychic abilities?”

“No clue. I’m a Petrosapien. My abilities are nothing like yours.”

Terrorsaur wanted to scream in frustration. “Wonderful.”

“A species' natural abilities usually come to them pretty easily. You knew how to fly right off the bat, right? This should be almost as easy.”

No, it wasn’t. This sounded a lot harder than flying. But Tetrax had a point. “I think I started to entrance Kraab earlier but Sixsix jumped on me before I could finish.”

“Well, we’re above them now so that won’t happen again. I’ll block as many shots as I can with my peranite shards. Just keep circling them and try to generate a hallucination. That should send them running before this escalates.”

Terrrosaur thought this had already escalated quite a bit but he knew it could get worse so he didn’t say anything. Doing as he was told, he focused on the bounty hunters below and turned his thoughts inward, trying to recall what he’d done before.

He became very aware of his physical form, the weight on his back and how his wings moved to keep him afloat. His tail lashed behind him, helping him keep his balance and turned when necessary. It was hard to really be aware of his head since that was, well, where most of his sensory organs were and kind of hard to move but from how heavy it felt on his neck, he was pretty sure he had a pretty big head. Psychic abilities surrounded the mind, right? He probably had a pretty big brain in there, crackling with untapped psychic power.

Come to think of it, that probably had something to do with why he had so many eyes. He could see out of all of them, of course, and his vision was pretty sharp but they didn’t really change much for him. Maybe this alien was just used to it but it felt the same as having two eyes. They probably had some purpose beyond helping him see, right?

Terrorsaur fixed all his eyes on the two aliens below. He tried zeroing four pairs on each one but that just made him dizzy so he just kept the two in the general range of all eight eyes. They were a bit too far to make eye contact but Terrorsaur tried his best. Lasers continued to fly at him but Tetrax did as promised and shot shards of crystal to intercept them before they could hit Terrorsaur’s filmy wings.

He could feel something buzzing in his mind and the sensation spread behind his eyes. He could tell the power was at its brim, ready to spill out the moment he opened the floodgates and gave it direction, but he wasn’t quite sure how to release it. He tried to call upon any predatory instincts he may have stirring within him and let his intrusive fantasies run wild.

Kraab and Sixsix stopped firing. Terrorsaur slowly began spiraling downward, descending upon them. As he grew closer, Kraab and Sixsix’s reactions became more and more visible to the point that Terrorsaur could smell their fear.

He landed in front of them and Tetrax slid off his back. Terrorsaur didn’t move, ducking his head to glower at them. Both figures were stiff as boards, blankly staring at him. Terrorsaur found he couldn’t tear his gaze away. It felt like the whole world was only him, them, and the atrocious visions dancing through their minds.

Tetrax nudged him, drawing him ever so slightly back to reality. “Release them and give ‘em a roar to send ‘em off. Unless you plan on eating them.”

No, he did not want to eat them. Forcing his mind out of its stupor, he released the pair from his hold. Sixsix and Kraab jerked, like they were waking up from a nightmare, and tried to blink the dazy sensation away. Unable to keep himself from smirking, Terrorsaur reared up and let out the most terrifying roar he could muster. Sixsix and Kraab were gone before he was back on all fours.

“Impressive,” Tetrax commented, crossing his arms as he watched his fellow bounty hunters flee. “You’re a quick study.”

Terrorsaur preened slightly under the compliment. Maybe it was the bird DNA in his system but he always appreciated praise from an authority figure. He wasn’t sure if generating hallucinations terrifying enough to scare bounty hunters wordless was really the best thing to be commended for but he’d take it.

The Omnitrix began beeping and a moment later, Terrorsaur was replaced by a young Revonnahgander. “You never told me why you came back.”

Tetrax suddenly looked nervous. Fighting was his element but it seemed talking was not. He coughed awkwardly. “Well, um, I’ve been rethinking some things.”

“Oh?”

Tetrax scratched the back of his head, toeing the ground absently. “You know I’m a bounty hunter. I’ve taken all sorts of jobs over the years. I’ve just never gotten a job where I was told to hurt a kid. And- don’t interrupt me- I know that by Revonnahgander standards you are not a kid but in the grand scheme of things, you really are so don’t fight me on this. You’re- you’re really young, Blonko. You shouldn’t have the burden of carrying the Omnitrix yet. You should be playing games with your siblings and trying to court pretty girls. Not wondering how big the bounty on your head is.”

“Actually, I think the bounty is on my arm, not my head.”

Tetrax smiled fondly and gently punched him in the shoulder. “Smart aleck. Anyway, I’ve always heard the Omnitrix was a weapon. I took this job because- Well, the guy who hired me is pretty bad but he’s predictable. I thought if an empire had the Omnitrix, it might try to wage war or sell it to someone who would and that would be worse. I know I’m probably just- I know I’m not the best person. When you live a life like mine, you try to explain yourself. Justify all the bad things you do for money, even if they’re unjustifiable. After you timed out during our fight, I had a bit of a reality check.

“You didn’t ask for this. You’re not going to abuse this power. You wouldn’t even be fighting if people didn’t keep attacking you. You’re exactly the kind of person who should have the Omnitrix. But no one else cares. Right now, only Vilgax and the guys I told know. If anyone else finds out, Revonnah’s going to be the center of a battlefield. Or- Or if Vilgax manages to keep it a secret, he’ll still destroy your planet. I don’t want to see that happen. Not again.

“So yeah, I’d like to train you,” Tetrax went on, surprising Blonko. He looked down. “I won’t lie, maybe I have some personal reasons for it. I’m hoping taking a break from the whole bounty hunter thing and settling down for a bit will help me… I don’t know, remember who I once was. But I do want to help you. Revonnah is a beautiful world. It would be a shame if anything happened to it. I know you can protect it, Rook Blonko. Maybe not yet but I’ve seen a good portion of the universe in my days driving spacecraft. I can help you master the Omnitrix. If you’ll have me, that is.”

Blonko did a double take, mind still trying to absorb everything Tetrax just said. The Petrosapien sounded genuine and he felt inclined to believe him. Afterall, he didn’t have a reason not to trust him, other than the fact Tetrax was a bounty hunter but he was trying to leave that behind him. Still, it wasn’t entirely his call to make.

“Talk to Magister Wat-Sen,” Blonko spoke after a moment. Tetrax looked up, eyes watching Blonko’s mouth carefully, making sure not to miss a single word. “He is this system’s Plumber. I trust his judgement more than my own. But if he agrees, I would love to train with you.”

Tetrax cracked a smile. His features shifted with relief. Blonko hadn’t realized how stressed the man had been. “Thank you. I’ll visit him when the sun rises. He doesn’t seem like the kind of guy who likes being woken up in the middle of the night. Especially by someone who’d just attacked him.”

Blonko chuckled before his eyes drifted in the direction of the village. “I should head home. Rayona has likely already told everyone that Terrorsaur ate me.”

Tetraxed grimaced. “I do not want to be you right now.”

“Me neither, Tetrax,” Blonko sighed and began the trek back home. “Me neither.” 

Chapter Text

“You are not very good at drawing. Or writing for that matter.”

Tetrax tried not to let his expression sour as he continued his work marking up the wall on the outside of Wat-Sen’s mountains. When he decided to train the Omnitrix bearer, he did not expect to get nitpicked by his sister so much but it felt like she’d taken even more of an interest in badgering him than anyone had taken in Blonko’s training. He tried not to let it bother him.

“I’m not an artist,” Tetrax replied as he etched the curve of a Revonnan character into the wall. Their language didn’t come easy to him but he thought he’d been doing alright until Shar started teasing him. “And this isn’t meant to look pretty. It’s meant to be informative.”

“Like your ransom letter,” she commented dryly. Tetrax turned to look at her but she didn’t look angry so he figured it was fine. “What were those drawings for anyway? They were terrible.”

“Forgive me for being considerate and saving you some travel time.” Tetrax leaned over, digging his sharpened finger into the stone a little harder than necessary. “You guys don’t know what these aliens are called. I thought drawing their icons was a pretty good idea.”

“It is,” she conceded, eyeing the engravings. “Hopefully these will help my brother branch out.”

“What will help me branch out?” Blonko asked, coming over with Wat-Sen trailing close behind.

“Tetrax’s new drawings,” Shar told him, not even glancing in his direction. “You have had the Omnitrix forever and you only use Tidetail Wave and XLR8! You do not turn into Antigravitesla and I have not even seen Archfiend or Terrorsaur.”

“It has not been forever. It has only been a month.”

“Months are really long on Revonnah compared to other planets,” Tetrax commented.

“You are not helping, Tetrax.”

“But maybe seeing all your aliens at once and having someone to describe their powers will help you,” Shar continued and Tetrax felt a flash of gratitude for her presence. Blonko didn’t mind transforming but he was having a hard time getting him to transform into new ones. As Shar had said, he didn’t even like turning into Terrorsaur or Archfiend and it took a lot of convincing to get him to turn into Antigravitesla.

“It is helpful to see all the forms at once,” Blonko conceded, eyes skimming over the drawings with a hunger for understanding. Tetrax had been disappointed to learn that Blonko only had access to ten aliens, rather than the library of thousands that the legends had promised, but right now he was grateful. As eager as Blonko was to learn about alien life, that eagerness had been slightly subdued when it came to certain aliens. Tetrax wasn’t quite sure why and he never asked but it was probably a good thing the young Revonnahgander only had ten aliens to choose from. Plus, that made it easier to focus on mastering them.

“Do you recognize any of them?” Tetrax asked Wat-Sen, thinking it may be best to keep the olive branch stretched out when Blonko’s training was involved. Tetrax may be the stronger and more experienced alien but Blonko had come to Wat-Sen first and Tetrax didn’t want to intrude. Besides, he was a Plumber. He probably had a plethora of knowledge about various species on a level that Tetrax did not.

“I was happy to see a Tetramand. Not very surprised though,” Wat-Sen responded, almost predictably. Tetrax didn’t know if it was because Tetramands were just very well known species or if his drawings were just so bad that the four arms was the only thing that made any of them decipherable. He knew it was probably the former but Shar was making Tetrax self-conscious of his drawing skills. Maybe he’d practice later. “They’re powerful but I imagine their abilities would be easy to control. Good for someone just learning how to wield the Omnitrix.”

“Which one is a Tetramand?” Blonko asked. Tetrax pointed it out for him on the list. Rook’s hand went to the Omnitrix subconsciously, running over the buttons and dials as if he wanted to queue the alien up right now to compare.

“Why is its name Tetramand?” Shar asked and Tetrax mentally prepared himself for the coming onslaught of questions. 

“I think the word Tetramand just means four arms,” Tetrax explained. He put a finger on the drawing’s extremities. “See, look. The four arms are what the species is most known for.”

“Other than their military history,” Wat-Sen added helpfully.

“Right. Other than their military history.”

“What are the names of the aliens I already have used?” Blonko asked. Tetrax gave him a slight nod of approval. It was a good question.

“I’ve already told you Tidetail Wave is a Delphinus, or dolphin as the people of Earth call it,” Wat-Sen told him, running his fingers through his beard, “but I’m not sure about the others. I’ve never seen anything like them.”

“Their homeworlds are pretty far from here, towards the edges of their galaxy I think,” Tetrax explained, not blaming the old magister for not recognizing them. “I haven’t seen them all in person myself. I already told you that Terrorsaurs are sometimes caught and used in prisons but I saw one once at an exotic pet auction and learned quite a bit about them. They’re called Phantasians, or hallucinatory pterodactyl birds more colloquially.”

Blonko looked a bit disturbed at the mention of the Phantasians’ mistreatment. It surprised Tetrax somewhat. He was under the impression that Blonko didn’t like Terrorsaur much. But, he supposed, there was a difference between displeasure at being something and displeasure at the knowledge that a being he’s been is frequently harmed. Tetrax could understand that. If a Petrosapien was being captured and used like that… Actually, he did know what that felt like. He’d heard rumors of the conditions Petrosapien performers on Appoplexia endured when a bad Appoplexian got their paws on them. He knew the feeling one felt when something despicable happened to one’s own.

“What is a pterodactyl?” Shar asked. Tetrax wanted to roll his eyes. Shar, as fond as he was of her, seemed obsessed with asking the stupid questions. He opened his mouth to tell her so before realizing he didn’t actually know what a pterodactyl was.

“It’s an Earth dinosaur,” Wat-Sen told her with elderly patience.

“What is an Earth dinosaur?” Blonko and Shar asked in unison.

“They’re old, dead lizards.”

“Terrorsaur is not a lizard. He is a bird.”

“Just because it’s can fly doesn’t mean it’s-” Wat-Sen cut himself off and took a deep breath, recentering himself, and pointed at Tetrax’s drawing of XLR8. “This is a Kineceleran. They’re very fast.”

“We know that,” Shar responded. She pointed at Antigravitesla. “What is this one?”

“Volvitras,” Tetrax told them. “They have the ability to manipulate gravitational fields. Not quite like the Galilean- they actually live on old Galileans that get big enough- but it's similar. Oh, and they can tap into electrical fields as well.”

Blonko frowned. “I do not think it is electrical fields that Antigravitesla is tapping into. It is like… an internal power. Perhaps he generates his own electricity?”

Blonko shot Tetrax a questioning look but the Peterosapien could only shrug. “I’ve never met one. You could be right.”

“And what about Archfiend?”

“I think they’re called Pantophages. Maybe Engikobo or just hellfire demons but that might be something else. I’ve never actually seen one but I knew a guy who fought one. Real nasty burns on that guy. Phantophages have the ability to summon hellfire. That’s, uh, different from regular fire. It takes a lot of control to use but, um, I heard that hellfire comes from another realm where it never stops burning. And there’s, uh, a spiritual aspect to it, I think.”

“That sounds terrifying,” Blonko said. He looked concerned. “When I turned into Archfiend, I had very little control. What if I burn someone?”

“Burning is taboo in Revonnan culture,” Wat-Sen whispered to Tetrax and the bounty hunter suddenly understood Blonko’s hesitance to use the demonic form. “It’s considered extremely cruel to burn another. In some villages, brandings are the highest form of punishment. They let everyone know what you did. Anyone with a burn gets shunned. Unless, of course, they were burned in an accident but even then, any Revonnahgander with a burn on their fur has almost no chance of attracting a mate.”

Tetrax nodded and tried to muster his most comforting smile. “Well, lucky for you Petrosapiens can’t burn. And I think the way I control my crystals is a bit similar to how Methanosian control their fire and vines. I’m sure that’ll somehow transfer to Archfiend. And besides, Archfiend wasn’t who I wanted to focus on today.”

“Are you not going to tell us about the other aliens?” Blonko asked and Tetrax shook his head.

“Another time,” he promised. “I’ll start telling you about them when you start practicing with them. Today, I want you to try out the Segmentasapien.”

“Segmentasapien?” Wat-Sen echoed as Tetrax tapped the drawing of the aforementioned alien. He leaned over, peering at it a bit closer with his beady eyes. “I’ve heard of ‘em but I didn’t know that’s what they look like.”

“What does a Segmentasapien do?” Blonko asked, sounding curious but cautious. As he should. Tetrax was glad he didn’t have to teach the boy the risks and dangers of utilizing these aliens’ powers like he would with another child.

“They have the power to build,” Wat-Sen explained. He glanced at Tetrax. “It’s a bit like a Petrosapien’s ability.”

Tetrax nodded in confirmation. “A Segmentasapien can shapeshift, like I can, but it’s much more versatile. It’s constructs break a lot easier than peranite but a Segmentasapien has incredible healing ability and can generate new pieces near infinitely.” 

Blonko’s eyes widened in awe. He dialed up his Segmentasapien form and held up his wrist, eyes flickering between the icon on his watch and the drawing Tetrax had made on the mountain wall. “It sounds like an amazing alien.”

“Transform into it and I’ll show you how to make constructs,” Tetrax instructed, excitement bubbling up inside him. He didn’t try to quash it. To his delight, Blonko didn’t respond with his usual resistance and slammed his hand down on the Omnitrix.

“Bloxx!”

Shar had to admit, after awhile, watching Blonko train could get a bit boring but it looked like he was having fun at least. With no gruesome appearance, fire, wildly uncontrollable powers, or language barrier, Bloxx had a chance to shine. 

He could stretch his arms, allowing Bloxx to walk around with the view of a bird; he could meld into fun new shapes and forms, bringing a grin to his face as fluid sensations filled his body; and he could build colorful towers, perfect for climbing and swinging on. Shar hadn’t seen her brother enjoy himself like this since he was a child. By the time he timed out, Blonko was smiling more than Shar had ever seen him. And that included all the times he’d thought he was alone with Rayona.

“The constructs do not disappear?” Blonko asked, running his hand over the organosilicon structure.

“For Petrosapiens, it depends on the intention. If you want them to stay, they’ll stay. If you don’t, they won’t,” Tetrax explained. “But, it’s a good thing they stayed. When the Omnitrix recharges, turn into Antigravitesla. We can practice your control on the blocks you made.”

Shar clapped lightly from where she sat at the edge of the clearing. Antigravitesla was her favorite of all Blonko’s transformations! Not only was he the first one she saw, he was, in her opinion, the most powerful and most useful. Plus, it could be kind of funny to see her brother send himself flying. She understood why Blonko did not though.

“Antigravitesla!”

The tall alien stood before them, hands on his hips and a determined yet uneasy expression overtaking his features. Tetrax stood close to him and began explaining what he wanted him to do. “You have the power to manipulate either your own or something else’s gravitational field. Right now I just want you to figure out which is easier for you to control. You can even try moving things with your electricity, if you want. Think you can do that before you time out?”

“I believe so.”

“What was that?”

“Yes. I can.”

“That’s what I like to hear,” Tetrax replied with a satisfied smirk. He glanced at Shar and Wat-Sen’s seating place. “You may want to find a better place to watch.”

“I think we’re good,” Wat-Sen responded. He stretched his arms a bit, grunting, before leaning back to lie down. “I think I’m going to spend the afternoon catching some sun.”

“You are so lazy,” Shar sighed but didn’t linger on it. Antigravitesla was getting ready to use his powers. He wiggled his fingers in anticipation but did nothing.

“Start by trying to grab their gravitational fields,” Tetrax ordered, correctly assuming Antigravitesla needed some direct instructions to get him going. The Volvitras nodded and reached out, curling his fingers as he caught one of Bloxx’s smaller towers. Tetrax frowned. “I don’t think you need to move your hands like that. You’re not literally grabbing them.”

“It helps,” Antigravitesla swore, not looking away from his efforts. His eyebrows crinkled with concentration as he tried pulling the tower ever so slightly. It moved a painfully small amount but Shar did have to say she was impressed by his painstaking effort and fine control he was displaying. Assuming this was what he was trying to do, that is.

Tetrax looked over Antigravitesla’s peculiar quirks but didn’t say anything. “Try putting a bit more strength into it. The fine control is nice but not very useful.”

If Antigravitesla made a face, Shar couldn’t see with his back turned. Blonko was the responsible sibling of the family but he was not above the occasional childish act. She wondered how his sillier expression translated to alien faces. Antigravitesla didn’t look too different from a Revonnahgander but he had some unique features so she imagined it would be pretty entertaining.

Antigravitesla was still straining as he swept his arms, moving the tower a bit farther. Shar knew it wasn’t difficult for him to use his gravitational powers. He was really focusing on control. She’d seen him like this when he started training in Revonnah Kai but never to this degree. He really wanted to master his powers.

Or, he was afraid of hurting someone. That was a very real possibility as well.

The tower fell over, knocking into another one. Tetrax put a hand on Antigravitesla’s shoulder before he could complain or criticize himself. “That’s okay. You were doing really well. Try again. Try picking it back up.”

Antigravitesla didn’t verbally respond but he extended his arms again and tried to pick the tower back up. He twisted his hands, trying to get the tower upright again. It took a few seconds and a lot of effort but he managed to do it.

“Well done,” Tetrax told him and Shar could’ve sworn she saw Antigravitesla’s back straighten a bit as if pleased. Da didn’t compliment the kids much. Bralla never spoke much but when she did, it was rarely praise. Shar supposed it was nice for Blonko to have someone to recognize his capabilities and tell him these things. She wondered if she would ever have someone like that.

Wat-Sen let out a loud, half-choked snore from beside her. She got him a dull glance. Blonko got Tetrax and she was stuck with this guy? Unfair.

“Try switching fields,” Tetrax instructed. Antigravitesla set the tower down and nodded. He took a deep breath, steeling himself, and focused his powers. That’s when things started to go wrong.

Instead of only the targeted tower moving, everything lurched. Only a bit. It was enough to make Antigravitesla freeze. He didn’t release his hold though. Tucking in his arms and lowering his fists, he tried to set everything down but failed. A few of the blocks began orbiting each other, while others moved farther or closer and some just fell over entirely.

“I think we’ve identified part of the problem,” Tetrax commented but Antigravitesla didn’t give up. He floated up a few inches, toes still touching the ground, and managed to stop the orbiting blocks but knocked over a few more towers in the process. “Try to put everything back where it was, if you can. Only use your own field.”

Antigravitesla did as he was told and dropped the blocks, scattering them everywhere. He moved a hand, sweeping it, and tried to upright a tower but all of them ended up moving. The alien made a noise of frustration and kept trying. He yanked his arms inward, making all the objects jerk, then lifted his arms. This time, they all moved uniformly. 

It looked like Antigravitesla was making progress but one moment Shar blinked and the next Antigravitesla was zooming past the peak of the mountain, screaming in surprise as he threw himself into the sky. For a second, both she and Tetrax failed to react. Then everything caught up with them.

“Blonko!”

“Kid!”

Wat-Sen snorted himself half-awake at the yelling. Shar grabbed him by the shoulders and began shaking him. “Magister, wake up! We need to catch Blonko before he hurls himself half way across Revonnah!”

Luckily, Antigravitesla was close to the ground when he timed out so Blonko didn’t have far to fall but the whole ordeal was overall very unpleasant. He thought he’d been doing alright at first but he wasn’t expecting that surge of power that sent him into the sky. After that, it was just a game of quick, automatic reactions with each twist and tumble to keep himself from plummeting. Overall, it was a very stressful experience and Blonko was glad it was over. He wouldn’t be turning into Antigravitesla anytime soon. Even Terrorsaur sounded like a better choice than that. At least he could fly properly.

Blonko wasn’t sure where he was. He’d been flying for the better part of an Omnitrix charge but he’d been changing direction so constantly that it was impossible to say how far he’d really gotten. He didn’t recognize his surroundings though. Blonko didn’t leave his village’s territory often but he was at least somewhat familiar with the lands around the one he called home. This place didn’t look familiar in the slightest.

He began walking, the familiar feeling of Revonnah’s surface under his feet bringing him comfort. At least that was the same. But the ground was so flat. He swore he could see the horizon. There were no mountains, peaks, hills, or particularly large rocks blocking his view. There were crops around him, scattered about like the wild amber ogia plants that his family and their neighbors tended to back home, but no terraces. At least not that he could see. And he was fairly certain the posts planted about were indicators of some kind of entrance underground which he found strange. Amber ogia plants were delicate. They needed the light from Revonnah’s suns to grow. They couldn’t grow in the darkness under the surface. Maybe they were doing something else down there.

Blonko tried not to dwell on it. Instead, he focused his mind on trying to recall what glimpses he’d caught of the land when he was hurling through the air as Antigravitesla. He’d been corkscrewing through the air most of the time so he couldn’t make anything clear or tangible from his memories but he didn’t know what else to do so he kept trying. Maybe he’d at least get an idea of what direction to go. He could be walking farther for all he knew.

If the situation were any different, Blonko would have been fascinated but right now he could only focus on his dread. Were Wat-Sen, Shar, and Tetrax looking for him? Did they even have a method of tracking him? How far were they? How long would this take? Would Da find out? What if he did? Would he ban Blonko from visiting Wat-Sen? What if he didn’t make it home at all?

Blonko was starting to wonder if he’d been foolish all those months ago when he mentioned to his father that he wanted to apply to the Plumber Academy. After all, if this was how he reacted when he was somewhere new, how ready could he really be to leave home? And that wasn’t even considering the fact he’d be going offworld.

Speaking of going offworld, Blonko heard a noise he knew did not naturally occur on Revonnah. He looked around, trying to pinpoint where it was coming from, when he saw a ship fly overhead. It caught him off guard completely, shocked to see such a sight on his home planet. Breaking into a run, he tried to follow it. It was the only reference he had for any kind of direction at the moment. Besides, aliens! Even if the Omnitrix made him a bit more hesitant when it came to alien matters, Blonko was still the same Revonnahgander who dreamed of reaching the stars.

Thankfully, the ship didn’t leave his line of sight. It was descending, not just flying by. There was a village, some kind of base, or some other importance nearby. And that meant people. Maybe someone could give him directions or even give him a ride back home.

The village looked not unlike his own. There were minor differences but every village had its own quirks and unique traits. Sometimes a region had different materials or needed to be more reinforced than others. In the end, they were all Revonnahganders though and they did not stray too far from tradition.

This village, however, Blonko could tell was a bit different. As he neared, he noticed the clear signs of wealth. A few more decorations here and there, better tools, that sort of thing. That wasn’t what stood out to him though. If this ship was any kind of indicator, this was one of the few villages on Revonnah that traded with extraterrestrial life.

Blonko was breathing hard by the time he entered the village but he wasn’t tired enough to be unable to be sneaky. He lingered in the shadows of homes, noticing how smooth and fine the wood was, and ducked behind crates and rocks when available. These were Revonnahganders, sure, but he’d never been in a village like this. He couldn’t be too careful.

Revonnahganders trickled from their homes as a panel from the ship dropped down and aliens began to trickle out. Blonko noticed that these Revonnahganders wore different garb than they did back home. Maybe they had a specialized labor system or perhaps he managed to launch himself so far that he ended up in a region with weather unlike his own. It didn’t really matter though. Normally Blonko would find these differences fascinating but right now he was more interested in the aliens coming off board the large merchant vessel.

Blonko didn’t know what an alien merchant was supposed to look like but these ones seemed to fit the description he’d imagine. Average stature, pale skin, nice clothes but not too nice- Just normal people doing business. They unpiled crates of goods from their ship, setting up small booths to talk trade with the villagers. 

A second group of aliens trickled out of the ship. Blonko didn’t question it at first but a ripple of confusion spread through the villagers, alerting him that something was abnormal. These aliens weren’t part of the merchant crew. Had the merchants been pirated? Was this a hostage situation? Blonko’s hand moved toward the Omnitrix before his eye caught a glimpse of a Plumber badge.

“Don’t worry. We’re not here to cause trouble,” a beautiful woman with skin as minty as Antigravitesla and long, flowing tentacles announced. She held up her badge. “My name is Xylene. I’m a Uxorite from the Ringa Morr. My partner here is Bahrvad. He’s a Tetramand from Khoros. We’re Plumbers who were passing through this region before our ship sustained damage. We’re assisting your friends here until we can return to base.”

Something in Blonko’s mind lit up at the word Tetramand. That was the alien Wat-Sen had recognized. His fingers toyed with the dial of the Omnitrix before he gave into the urge and selected the form, letting the silhouette of the unused alien appear. Blonko held up his wrist and tried comparing his alien’s icon to this Bahrvad character. They definitely looked the same.

The villagers stopped questioning the newcomers’ presence, trusting them easily, and began bringing out their amber ogia. The merchants began setting out their offerings, mostly materials and foregin foods but also the occasional trinket. Xylene helped them set up while Bahrvad followed the villagers to help bring out the amber ogia crates.

Wat-Sen had said Tetramands’ powers were easy to control, right? Then this could be a good learning opportunity. Tetrax was a great teacher, especially with Bloxx, but nothing beat the real deal. 

Blonko stuck to his hiding places and snuck around to follow Bahrvad. He kept his distance but kept a close eye on him. The alien was big, bigger than Tetrax, and had four arms of solid muscle. Was that a Tetramand’s power? Muscle? That was likely but also it was a very real possibility that Bahrvad was just in good shape.

Blonko eyed the Tetramand carefully, watching how his muscles rippled and his toes dug into the ground as he lifted a crate. He hoisted it onto his shoulder easily and picked up a second without any trouble. Definitely strong.

Blonko looked back at the Omnitrix’s icon. The silhouette’s arms looked pretty bulky as well. He was probably right about strength being this alien’s power but he couldn’t be certain. Afterall, Antigravitesla had a second power and Terrorsaur’s true abilities weren’t all that obvious either. His fingers were itching to press down on the dial though. He knew he shouldn’t, not when he was trying to hide, but by Revonnah’s suns, he wanted to. Bahrvad’s back was turned. The villagers were retreating with him, carrying smaller crates back to the ship. Now would be the perfect time.

His hand came down on the Omnitrix.

He was glad he did because this transformation felt incredible. He could feel his bones grow and his arms each split into two. He grew tall, layers of muscle growing over his once slender form, and his fur turned into a thick coating of skin. Everything felt so dense and heavy but he felt so strong that his body felt like it weighed nothing. Just for a split second, while the light of the Omnitrix consumed him. When it died down, he just felt powerful.

The name Four Arms rang in his mind but he kept his mouth shut. Four Arms sounded like a silly name but that’s what the alien wanted to be called so that’s what he was going to call himself. Four Arms blinked both sets of eyes and looked down at his giant hands. He wasn’t as ripped as Bahrvad, the Plumber had the kind of muscle that could only come from a lifetime of hard work, but he was well-muscled. He wanted to try something out.

There was a crate of amber ogia next to him. That was probably pretty heavy. The results would be disastrous if he dropped it but he had four hands so Four Arms was fairly confident that he wouldn’t. Bending his knees and pressing his toes into the ground like Bahrvad had, Four Arms braced himself to lift the box before him. Only it was lighter than he thought. And something inside of it was moving. And then wood was splintering.

This box did not contain amber ogia.

“Muroid!” he shrieked as the rodent flew onto the box and barreled into him. It wasn’t very strong and Four Arms could barely feel it but it surprised him so much that he toppled over and landed on the ground with a muroid on his chest. The creature seemed as panicked as he was, its ugly face obstructing his view, screaming just as much as he was. 

Four Arms tried wrestling it off but the sun was in his eyes and the muroid’s claws were caught on his shirt. Why was Four Arms even wearing a shirt? He didn’t need one. And it was white which just wasn’t a good color for- Not the time. Not when there was a muroid stuck to him.

He knew he must have looked pathetic, hundreds of pounds of muscle rolling on the ground, trying to fight a rodent a quarter of his size. Absently, he could tell that spectators were gathering but the muroid was still stuck to him and that was all he could focus on right now. 

Then someone was lifting the muroid off him.

“Easy, boy,” a farmer said as Bahrvad handed the muroid off to him. The farmer snuggled it like- like some kind of domesticated pet. Disgusting. It made Four Arms want to barf. “That Tetramand scared you bad, did he?”

“What’s a Tetramand doing on Revonnah?” Bahrvad asked, wasting no time getting into the juicy stuff. He towered over Four Arms, who was still lying in the dirt. Four Arms tried pushing himself up into a seated position then to his feet but a second shadow washed over him as Xylene joined her partner. Two powerful standing over him looking angry was a bit too much for Four Arms to handle and he leaned back down into a more submissive position.

“Would you, um, believe that I am lost?” Four Arms offered weakly. Neither Plumber seemed fazed. He tried again. “Any chance I could get a ride back to Magister Wat-Sen?”

“So how did you end up on this backwater planet?” Bahrvad asked as the ship zoomed over Revonnah’s surface back towards lands that Four Arms could call familiar.

If Four Arms were a Revonnahgander, his fur would be fluffed up right now and his ears would be pressed back but he wasn’t a Revonnahgander and he didn’t know how to express his distaste for Bahrvad’s word choice as a Tetramand. He chose to ignore it. “I believe Magister Wat-Sen would do a better job explaining than I would.”

“That’s fair,” Bahrvad replied, leaning back in his seat beside the spot where Xylene was piloting the ship. This wasn’t the merchant ship, it was a smaller skimmer used for quick flights off route, so it was a bit cramped to have two Tetramands on board. Four Arms had to sit in the back but he found that he didn’t mind. These Plumbers were fascinating. “At least tell me if you’re Red Wind or Plumber.”

“Excuse me?”

“Red Wind or Plumber?” Bahrvad repeated, turning around. “How did you get off Khoros? Which are you?”

“Oh. Um, neither,” Four Arms replied. He paused for a moment. “I do hope to attend the Plumber Academy though but I doubt my parents will give me permission anytime soon.”

“They want you to keep up the family legacy, eh?” Bahrvad chuckled. Four Arms almost asked how Bahrvad knew of his troubles before remembering he thought he was a Tetramand. “My parents were the same way. I was actually in the Red Wind for awhile before the Plumbers picked me up.”

“If you want to be a Plumber, you’re lucky you got off your homeworld this young,” Xylene commented, speaking up from where she was playing with some switches on the control panel. Four Arms didn’t actually know if they were doing anything or if she was just trying to figure out if they would.

“Yeah. Lucky,” Four Arms mumbled and fell silent. He really didn’t feel lucky. Maybe he was. The Omnitrix gave him a connection to what lay beyond Revonnah but even that couldn’t really compare to being offworld. Now that would be truly lucky, though he was beginning to doubt that was what he really wanted.

He’d pondered it earlier. Asking his father to let him leave Revonnah was one thing. He didn’t actually think Da would agree. He was reaching for the unattainable. But now that he had the Omnitrix and was getting first hand experience with the strangeness and danger of alien life, he wasn’t so sure that was what he wanted.

Four Arms wasn’t ready to give up on his dreams quite yet but he wasn’t ready to pursue them yet either. Finding the Omnitrix was a step forward and it opened up a whole new world but it also presented some new obstacles. Archfiend was a wake up call for how different and scary the universe was. Antigravitesla told that he’d have to work out hard and things wouldn’t always go his way. Terrorsaur… Well, he’d scared Rayona. If anything, that just reminded him that he was still needed here. If he wasn’t here, something so much worse than Terrorsaur could hurt his village. His village- 

Oh wait, he needed to be keeping an eye out for his village so Xylene didn’t overshoot. Had he really gotten so caught up in his thoughts? “Bring the ship down here. I recognize that mountain. That’s the one Magister Wat-Sen lives in.”

“Are you sure?” Xylene asked but she was already letting the ship descend. “They all look the same to me.”

“Aquatic life,” Bahrvad snorted. “Each mountain is beautiful and unique. A Tetramand’s eye is gifted to spot such intricacies.”

Four Arms wanted to say he recognized it because he lived here but he didn’t say anything. Xylene was rolling her eyes fondly and the moment was… not quite sweet but one Four Arms didn’t want to interrupt.

“Blonko!” Shar shouted as the ship touched the ground and the trio began heading down the stairs onto flat ground. Four Arms barely had the chance to count out that everyone was there before Shar tackled him into a hug. “I am so relieved that you are okay! Tetrax and Magister Wat-Sen were practically tearing apart their trackers trying to figure out where you went!”

“Blonko?” Xylene echoed, looking confused. She glanced at Wat-Sen who avoided her gaze, nose scrunching as he scratched the back of his neck in thought.

“That’s a strange name for a Tetramand,” Bahrvad commented. Tetrax looked away and twiddled his fingers. He wanted 

The Omnitrix chose that moment to time out.

A slender, blue-furred Revonnahgander appeared in Four Arms place, startling the pair of Plumbers. Blonko tried his best to smile. “Um… Surprise? Not a Tetramand?”

Xylene and Bahrvad looked ready to faint. Eyes as wide as amber ogia blossoms, their eyes roamed up and down the Revonnahgander’s lean form in disbelief, trying to figure out what just happened. Wat-Sen coughed into his fist, drawing their attention. 

“Is there any chance I could ask for your discretion on this? No? I didn’t think so.”

Chapter Text

“If you’re going to get involved in intergalactic affairs, you should know the name Vilgax. I’m sure you’ve heard of him, even if you don’t know who he is. Vilgax is a Chimera Sui Generi from the planet Vilgaxia. I bet you can guess why it’s called that. He was exiled from his home planet for his ambition and the lengths he would go for it. He came back a century later, bigger and stronger, and took it over. He became the planet’s sole ruler and rebuilt it in his image. But he didn’t stop there.

“Throughout the galaxy, Vilgax is known as a warlord and a conqueror. It’s impossible to say how many planets he’s set foot on but I promise you, each and every one of them has its fair share of horror stories. Vilgax is ruthless, merciless, and will do anything to get what he wants. You’re lucky he decided to call upon us bounty hunters to go after the Omnitrix instead of using his own forces or coming down to Revonnah himself.

“I must say I’m ashamed at what I’ve done over the years for a handful of taydenite. I won’t get into it- my story isn’t important- but the missions Vilgax hired me for were the ones that made me feel the most calloused. Normally I can justify the things I do. You may say it’s twisted, I say it’s part of the job. I don’t feel bad about it but some missions… Well, I won’t scare you with the details. You know I’m not a good person and I don’t want to make your perception of me any worse. Not now, at least. Some day. You deserve to know.

“I’m glad I stood up to him. It was a long time coming. I don’t like working for that man. To be honest, life as a bounty hunter can be pretty good but clients like Vilgax are what make a lot of guys lose their stomach for the business. I guess I’m one of them now, aren’t I? Huh. It’s strange to think about. Anyway, what I’m getting at is that Vilgax is bad news and he won’t give up. Neither will Sixsix or Kraab. But, we may have some allies now.

“I bet you’ve been wondering where the Omnitrix came from. What it’s doing on Revonnah. Wat-Sen’s told you the stories, right? It’s a library of alien DNA. It could be a researcher’s gateway to understanding or a lowlife’s ultimate weapon. Blonko, you’re the curious type. If you weren’t being attacked all the time, you’d use the Omnitrix to learn about alien life. Maybe help out your family, maybe take the chance to leave your homeworld, I don’t know. Point is, Vilgax isn’t like you. He’s a lowlife. Worse than a lowlife. I don’t know what he’s planning but he’s smart. I doubt he’ll just use the Omnitrix for himself.

“Vilgax has been going after the Omnitrix for some time now. How long, I don’t know. A long time, maybe even before he took over his homeworld. I guess he found it or the Plumbers found it because somehow they ended up fighting over it. Not really sure how but seeing as it’s latched onto Blonko instead of Vilgax, a Plumber, or a bounty hunter, I’m guessing Vilgax never got his claws on it.

“He got close though. A number of times, actually, but the closest he got was in a battle with Xylene and Bahrvad’s ship right here in your star system. Xylene and Bahrvad are good Plumbers. Old, experienced, trustworthy- Emphasis on the old. Their prime was back in Wat-Sen’s day, before the Plumbers had all the organization and power the red spots have now. They’re used to operating off the grid. They know how to call their own shots and are ranked high enough to get away with it.

“Their mission was to keep the Omnitrix away from Vilgax. They were transporting it when they passed through this system and Vilgax attacked. Knowing Magister Wat-Sen was stationed here, they fired a pod onto Revonnah’s surface in hopes that he would find it and be able to keep it away from Vilgax until the Plumbers could regroup and plot out their next course of action. That’s why they hitched a ride with those merchants. They wanted to skim Revonnah’s villages, hoping they’d find the Omnitrix on one of them. I guess they did, in a way, even if it was more like Antigravitesla threw you into their laps.”

Tetrax’s mouth was dry as he came to a stop. He licked his lips, trying to get some moisture back into his mouth. He wasn’t used to monologuing. He didn’t even know his mouth could get dry like that. Petrosapiens didn’t really need water. Maybe they just weren’t built for talking. They were a species of warriors, after all.

Shar and Blonko watched Tetrax with wide, fascinated eyes. Their faces reminded Tetrax of a simpler time, one where he saw the curious gazes of the young more frequently, but he tried not to dwell on the before times. He tried to crack a comforting smile to lighten up the heavy mood but the action just made his peranite lips feel more cracked.

“Is Magister Wat-Sen visiting with them right now? With Xylene and Bahrvad?” Blonko asked, breaking the silence. Tetrax could see his fingers absently fiddling with the Omnitrix, rubbing the smooth metal of the underwise rather than playing with the dial or the buttons on top. Part of Tetrax wanted to reach out and grab his hand, stopping the unconscious action, but he withheld. Blonko was so young for such a heavy burden on his should- er, wrist. Tetrax would let him have the little things, even if they weren’t the most healthy in the long run.

“Magister Wat-Sen has not been home all day,” Shar added. Tetrax didn’t know how true that was, he’d been puttering around with the old Plumber that morning, but Shar wasn’t exactly wrong.

“No,” Tetrax told him with a shake of his head, “he hasn’t been with Xylene and Bahrvad. They actually left a few hours ago. They said something about wanting to report to the Magistrata but I think Wat-Sen just didn’t want any more guests. He’s actually been talking to your old man all afternoon.”

“...Kundo?” Blonko ventured, looking confused. Tetrax wanted to sigh. Revonnahganders and their literal speech. They were getting better but Tetrax had a lot to teach them.

“Your father. Rook Da.”

Blonko and Shar looked startled. “Why?”

Tetrax cracked a smile, a real one this time, and leaned forward. “Why don’t you go find out?”

Blonko and Shar were out the door before the last word left Tetrax’s mouth.

As scary as Tetrax’s foreboding warning about Vilgax was, the idea of Wat-Sen talking to Rook Da was scarier. It wasn’t like the two didn’t get along. Afterall, Rook Da wasn’t Kundo. It was just strange. And out of place. And a bit alarming, to tell the truth. The two weren’t close. They weren’t friends. The only connection they had were their relationships with the five Revonnahgander siblings and even then the two usually kept out of each other’s way. What could Wat-Sen possibly want with Da?

Blonko knew it had something to do with him and the Omnitrix. He just wasn’t sure what it was. Wat-Sen had been so strict about keeping it a secret that Blonko hadn’t even considered the possibility of Wat-Sen telling anyone. What prompted this? Blonko knew the Plumbers’ visit was significant but not this significant. Was Da freaking out right now? What was going through his mind? Was he horrified that his eldest son was… Well, an alien? Would he even call him his son anymore? Was Bralla even in the room? What did she think?

Was Wat-Sen going to try to take him offworld? Once, that had been a dream and maybe it still was but Blonko didn’t really want to consider that a possibility at the moment.

“Brother! Put me down! I don’t need to be carried!”

In his panic, Blonko had somehow ended up with Young One in his arms. He hadn’t even realized he’d run past him. His brother’s words snapped him back to reality. “Contraction!” 

“I think I deserve it,” Young One complained as Blonko slid him onto the ground and he, Blonko, and Shard walked into the village. Blinko could still see some of Shar’s fur standing on end, alerting everyone to her alarm. She was trying to flatten it at least. Blonko was sure his was sticking up even more than hers. “What are you two so worried about anyway? What is happening?”

“We are not certain,” Shar responded. The other villagers barely glanced at the trio as they slunk further into the village. “Let us see if Shi and Shim know any more than we do.”

Blonko hadn’t even noticed Shi and Shim lurking outside the Rooks’ home, peeking over a rock to nose on those inside without being seen. Were they getting better at hiding or was Blonko less aware of his surroundings than he thought? The two were sneaky and loved eavesdropping so he hoped it was the former. Quieting, Blonko, Shar, and Young One crouched down and ducked behind the rock with their sisters.

“Magister Wat-Sen came by after the height of the first sun,” Shim reported. Not taking her hands off the stone, she glanced at her older siblings. “Do you know anything? You two have been spending a lot of time with Magister Wat-Sen after Blonko foolishly got his hand stuck in that trap.”

Blonko wanted to defend himself from the light teasing. Though she was far from the truth, his middle sister wasn’t exactly wrong. He had foolishly gotten his hand stuck in a trap, just not the kind she thought it was. Still, he allowed himself to scowl until Shar answered.

“No, we do not,” Shar replied. “We did not know until a few minutes ago when one of, um, Magister Wat-Sen’s neighbors informed us. We are curious as you are.”

“If you were curious as us you would have been here forever ago,” Shi snarked, a sharp but cheeky and playful glint in her eye. “Shame on you. If you truly wanted to know what was happening, you would be here listening instead of frollicking around the fields and relying on your poor little sisters for information.”

“We were not frolicking. We were working!” Shar defended but an eye roll from both younger sisters showed that neither believed her. Shar huffed at them. “And do not try to guilt me like you two would not be spying whether I was here or not!”

“You should tell me when interesting things are happening,” Young One pouted, drawing an unhappy face in the dirt with his tail. “I was not here at the house listening to Father and Magister Wat-Sen with Shi and Shim and I was not visiting Magister Wat-Sen’s neighbor with Shar and Blonko! I never do anything fun!”

“Were you not playing with Rayona’s sister and brother by the stream? Is that not fun?” Shi asked knowingly. Blonko tried to recall if he’d run by there on his way over. His memory was a blur at the moment. Young One merely crossed his arms and sat down heavily, not entertaining her with an answer.

“Hush,” Shar said, waving her hand loosely in the others’ direction. “I see movement.”

Blonko opened his mouth to say that meant nothing when he heard the front door swing open. “I know you are there. Stop your snooping.”

The Rook children slunk out from behind the large stone. Blonko, Shar, and Young One at least had the decency to look somewhat guilty but Shi and Shim were grinning unabashedly. This was nothing new for them. Da frowned disapprovingly. 

“All five of you?”

“Blonko, Shar and me-” Young One started but was halted by a sharp look from Da. Young One sighed and started over. “Brother, Eldest Sister, and I only just arrived. We were not snooping!”

“Right,” Da responded, looking unamused but patient enough to humor him. “And what were you doing behind the family stone?”

“Gathering information!”

“And how is that different from snooping?”

“Um… It was Shi and Shim who were snooping! We were merely asking them what they had learned!”

“Do not put this on your sisters,” Da replied but glanced at his youngest daughters before they could register any kind of victory. “And do not think you have gotten away unscathed.”

Wat-Sen laughed and shuffled off the porch. Wiping an imaginary tear from his eye, he said, “Da, be gentle on them. They don’t mean any harm.”

“You are not the one who must live with them.”

“I don’t see how you do it,” Wat-Sen chuckled. He looked at Shar and Blonko. “So, I’m guessing my neighbor told you why I’m here?”

Shar and Blonko shook their heads. “No, he only told us that you came by to speak with Father and that your, um, visitors had left.”

Wat-Sen smiled. “Good. I didn’t want to get your hopes up before anything was confirmed. Besides, I wanted to be the one to tell you.”

“Tell us what?”

“Magister Wat-Sen wants to take you two on a trip. And I agreed to let you,” Da answered, prompting an explosion of responses.

“I just said I wanted to be the one to tell them!”

“A trip? What kind?”

“Lucky!”

“Only Blonko and Shar? Can I come?”

“I am very jealous.”

“But it is harvest season,” Blonko spoke up once he found his voice. He looked at his father. “There is much work to be done. Do you not want us here?”

Da still seemed a bit hesitant but he shook his head. “You two have been working very hard. You brought back a whole crate of amber ogia on your own between sunhigh and final sunset yesterday. You deserve a break if Magister Wat-Sen would like your assistance. But if you would like to continue working…”

“No!” Blonko and Shar blurted in unison. Da looked amused but Blonko and Shar had enough decorum to look embarrassed. 

“I mean,” Blonko corrected, coughing awkwardly into his hand before dipping his head to his father, “we are very grateful that you have allowed us this opportunity and we accept it gladly.”

“Surprise,” Tetrax stated casually, leaning against a small skipper ship with a knowing smile as Blonko and Shar approached with light bags in hand.

“You deceived us!” Shar exclaimed as they got near. She tried to sound angry but she couldn’t, not grinning as much as she was. “You knew what Magister Wat-Sen was planning and you allowed us to trick ourselves.”

Tetrax chuckled and stood up properly. “You have no idea how much I wanted to tell you but Wat-Sen said he’d skin me if I told you before he could.”

“You do not have skin.”

“Don’t underestimate ‘ol Wat-Sen,” Wat-Sen replied, chugging after them. With his slower stature and greater gait, he ended up lagging behind the two overly excited Revonnahganders. By the time he was approaching the land outside his home and the ship within it, he was breathing heavily. “You youngsters need to slow it down if you want to keep hanging around with me.”

“Did you tell them what we’re doing?” Tetrax asked. He straightened a bit, looking concerned for Wat-Sen’s health. Shar imagined he didn’t spend much time around the elderly. He didn’t know what was normal and what was not. Shar thought it was kind of sweet. Tetrax frequently said that he didn’t have a good moral compass but Shar could see he had a heart. He wasn’t fooling her.

“Shim said she heard you mention muroids a couple times,” Blonko ventured hesitantly, looking at the old Plumber questioningly. Shar hoped he was wrong. While dealing with muroids may be a bit better than spending the next few days working, she didn’t really want to spend her time off fighting rodents.

“Close,” Wat-Sen replied. “That’s what I told your father, at least. We are going to be dealing with muroids but it’s not what you think. There’s a village aways from here that trades offworld who ended up with some tainted amber ogia. Nothing too worrying, they were just experimenting with some new fertilizer that didn’t work out all too well. Some muroids beat them to it and they didn’t get the chance to eat it. They didn’t think it was dangerous but those muroids want some more of the stuff and have gotten a bit more aggressive with them. They called me in to lend a hand.”

“We thought it might be a good chance for you to practice using your Omnitrix. Muroids are a low risk opponent and these ones are just a notch above the ones you’re used to,” Tetrax explained. “Plus, this is a far off village that’s used to aliens so you don’t need to worry about hiding your powers.”

“That is a plus,” Blonko admitted, despite the unease it filled him with. How could he be simultaneously scared and excited at the same time? He found himself asking that question a lot lately.

Shar seemed to sense his fears. “Do not worry, Blonko. If anyone is afraid of you, you have Magister Wat-Sen, Tetrax, and me to protect you.”

Blonko felt a flash of relief but also confusion. “How did you know?”

“I am not an idiot. I have noticed your hesitance surrounding your aliens. Besides, Rayona and I talk.”

“Did Terrorsaur frighten her?”

“Very much.”

“That is... unfortunate.”

“But now you won’t have to worry about your little girlfriend or any of your neighbors seeing you and freaking out,” Tetrax pointed out. Blonko opened his mouth to say Rayona was not his girlfriend but Tetrax was still talking. “Perfect chance to cut loose and master the Omnitrix. Or at least get close. Great opportunity, am I right?”

Blonko nodded and tried to let his anxieties wash away. “You are right. This will be a good trip.”

Wat-Sen handled the talking.

The flight was nice. Wat-Sen was sure the kids enjoyed it but neither were used to aircraft or spaceships of any kind and he could tell they were happy to be on the ground again. The flight wasn’t terribly long but it wasn’t exactly short either. A good length for their first time, Wat-Sen would say. And it wasn’t like they had much to complain about either, being in a new village and all.

Wat-Sen was somewhat familiar with this one. He’d visited most of the villages with extraterrestrial trade at least once or twice. It wasn’t hard, considering how few there were. Wat-Sen called this one the grassland village, though the term wasn’t quite accurate considering the fact Revonnah didn’t exactly have grasslands but it was close enough. Fields both wild and domesticated were far more rich and plentiful than the lands around the valley that the mountain village and lakeside village Wat-Sen was more familiar with. Amber ogia was hard to grow anywhere and it was clear these farmers still handled their plants with the same delicate, gentle care as any other place but the weather and land seemed to be in their favor, allowing them to prosper.

It was still a small, traditional village though and Wat-Sen had to mind his words carefully to ensure he’d have the freedom to do his work.

“What did they say?” Shar asked eagerly as Wat-Sen made his way back to the ship parked a distance outside the village. She, Blonko and Tetrax had hung back for this one.

“They’ve been trying to avoid the areas where the muroids are,” Wat-Sen reported, “which is making this harvest season particularly rough. They’ve been farming in groups closer to the village but the muroids have been getting bold. They haven’t been able to farm at all in the northwest chunk of land. They want us to clear out the muroids there and see if there’s any salvageable amber ogia left.”

“Muroids controlling an entire field?” Shar echoed, sounding shocked. “And they expect there to be fruit left?”

Wat-Sen shrugged. He wasn’t a farmer. He didn’t know much about growing amber ogia. “That’s just what they told me.”

“How many did they say there were?” Blonko asked. A warrior’s question. That Wat-Sen understood.

“They don’t know. The original group only had half a dozen but they think they’ve seen more than that in larger and smaller groups around the territory. They’ve never seen them all at once. It's impossible to say.”

“They don’t tag their wildlife? Even the pests?” Tetrax asked, raising an eyebrow. 

“I have heard Revonnahganders have tried before but it is difficult to get close and muroids are burrowers so many markers will just rub off,” Shar told him. She paused. “Unless you are speaking of another method.”

“A lot of species use chips. Sometimes they’ll piece an ear or put on a collar, if it's a more primitive species,” Tetrax explained, “but your idea with the paint might be good in the short term. What kind of plants do you have around here that can be made into paint?”

“Amber ogia, amber ogia, and more amber ogia,” Shar listed sarcastically, counting on her fingers as if to prove her point, “which the muroids will just lick off.”

“Well, what about rocks?” Tetrax pushed. “Petrosapiens are pretty strong for silicon-based life forms. I’m sure I could grind a rock into some powder and mix it into paint without much trouble.”

Blonko frowned. “Revonnahganders do not like disturbing the stones. They were here before us and they will be here after us. I doubt the villagers will be happy if you crush their rocks.”

“I imagine this year’s crop is a lot more valuable than one stone,” Wat-Sen pointed out, putting his hands on his hips. Sensing Blonko’s hesitance, Wat-Sen looked to Shar. “Shar?”

Shar also looked hesitant but she was coming around. “Perhaps a small stone? We do not need much.”

Tetrax looked displeased but nodded. “I think I have some old dye somewhere. We can use that instead of coloring it with more rocks, I guess.”

“So what is your plan?” Blonko asked as Tetrax began looking around the immediate area for a rock to crush up.

“I was thinking we go about this strategically. Patrol the area, mark all the muroids, see if we can find their lair, then decide if it's best to pick them off one at a time or take them all out at once,” Tetrax explained before looking at Wat-Sen. He dipped his head humbly and said, “I mean, uh-”

“Don’t worry your crystal hide,” Wat-Sen responded. He wasn’t the jealous type. He knew a good plan when he heard them. “We should work in teams of two to cover more ground. And rotate out so we don’t miss anything.”

“Blonko and I can go out now while you and Tetrax prepare our supplies,” Shar offered, a bit too sweetly. Wat-Sen and Tetrax shot her the same doubtful look. Shar dropped the innocent facade quickly and turned on her more childish charm. “Come on, I have never been this far from the village before! Neither has Blonko, except last week when Antigravitesla threw himself across the planet. We know we must be diligent on this mission but please allow us the chance to explore?”

“We will be careful,” Blonko added, surprising Wat-Sen. Blonko never seemed like the kind for fun but Wat-Sen supposed he was still a kid, by galactic standards at least. “I have the Omnitrix in case something goes wrong. I can turn into Terrorsaur and fly myself and Shar out of there if we run into trouble.”

The mention of Blonko’s Phantasian form made Wat-Sen have a double-take. Originally, he was going to say no but he knew how averse Blonko was to using that form. He was serious. Reluctantly, he nodded. “Alright, you two. But be back before dark. That’s when the muroids are at their prime so Tetrax and I will switch out with you and start marking them when you come back.”

Blonko and Shar nodded and scurried off, all too happy to escape for a few hours. Wat-Sen sighed as Tetrax selected a rock to grind up. He trusted those two but they were trouble magnets. He’d be surprised if they didn’t end up in a fight before the sun went down. But, there was nothing he could do about it but have faith they’d handle whatever came their way.

“What are you going to turn into?” Shar asked once she and Blonko made it out of earshot of the ship.

“What?”

“You know. This is a training trip. Who are you going to try to use?” Shar pressed as they walked. They weaved around the oddly placed plants, careful not to step on anything important. “There is no water for you to use Tidetail Wave. There would be too much to damage for you to use XLR8, Four Arms, or Antigravitesla…”

“Stop trying to get me to use Archfiend or Terrorsaur,” Blonko sighed, trying not to let his sister’s pestering get under his skin. He wasn’t exactly upset by her or their mentors’ efforts but they were unwelcome and unpleasant. They were his aliens. He should be able to use them as he saw fit.

“Blonko,” Shar whined. “I have never seen them! From what Rayona and Tetrax tell me, Terrorsaur is very powerful. And I do not know a thing about Archfiend. I do not understand why you do not use them.”

“Archfiend was the first alien I turned into. It was a very traumatic experience,” Blonko responded sharply, hoping the honest but shallow explanation would appease her. “I almost burned members from our neighboring village. Everyone was lucky we were on a sandy bank or I could have done a lot of damage. It is too risky to use Archfiend.”

“I suppose that is fair,” Shar sighed. She sounded a bit disappointed but she didn’t let the dismissal get her down. “And Terrorsaur? He sounds like a phenomenal alien. Was it because you scared Rayona? Are you afraid I would be afraid of you as well? Or Magister Wat-Sen? Or even Tetrax? Though I guess he has already seen Terrorsaur.”

“Partially,” Blonko admitted. “It is just… strange being Terrorsaur. He is very powerful but his power is all internal. He is an animal, like Tidetail Wave, so it comes instinctively. I felt scary being him. I was not scared, not until afterward and I realized what I had been doing. But Terrorsaur, it feels like he has a nightmare inside of him. And he does not control it. They are one. It wishes to escape and he merely gives it… direction.”

It felt nice, letting these thoughts out, but when he looked at his sister, he was met with a blank stare.

“Forgive me. It is hard to describe something so specific to someone who does not experience it,” Blonko apologized. “It is just… What I feel as an alien is so simple. So truthful. Yet I know it is complex. What is normal for them is normal for me but I know it is not normal for you. It is like a new reality and I do not know how to share it with you.”

“That is okay, Blonko,” Shar replied almost tonelessly. She hopped over a small stone and came to a stop, making sure her brother was listening. “I am glad that you told me. You are right- I do want to understand. But I know I cannot. And I am okay with that. I only want to help you in whatever way I can.”

“That is very mature of you,” Blonko responded, voice taking a teasing tone. Shar smirked at him and shoved him lightly, making him laugh. He opened his mouth to say something else when his sharp ears picked something up. And judging by the way Shar stiffened as well, she heard it to. “What was that?”

Shar looked around. “I do not know. We have wandered far. Perhaps we have reached muroid territory. Quick, turn into something.”

Blonko frowned. “I do not need to transform to defend myself.”

“Neither of us are armed. We left our weapons at home.”

That was probably a bad move, come to think of it. Blonko queued up the dial on his Omnitrix. “Okay but I do not wish to waste a charge. If we see something, I will-”

“Muroid!” Shar shrieked, interrupting him. Blonko whipped around, hearing a rustle nearby but unable to pinpoint its location. When had the undergrowth grown so thick? He was tall, even for a Revonnahgander, but the greenery easily went up to the bottom of his ribcage and the top of Shar’s. It would be difficult to see if there was an attacker near.

Thanks to Shar’s warning, Blonko was able to react in time. A muroid flew out of the grass and Blonko was able to nail it with a swift kick, hitting it square in the chest and sending it back where it came from. Its squeals told him that this wasn’t like the muroids back home though. Back home, a muroid would usually get deterred by one hit. This one would be coming back for more.

“We should move to more open land,” Shar spoke, drawing Blonko’s attention. She was standing on the stone she had hopped over, orange eyes narrowed. “I believe there are at least three more. And there is more movement in the distance but I am unsure if it is the wind or muroids. Follow me and watch my back. I see a clearing.”

Blonko didn’t say anything as Shar took his hand, making sure they weren’t separated in the tall grass. His mind went back to when they were young and Shar would drag him through the fields by his tail. They were both adults in the eyes of their fellow Revonnahganders but it was sometimes nice to remember things didn’t really change since they were young.

Shar seemed to have a good sense of direction, despite the plants restricting their sight. She weaved through the grass and amber ogia plants, trying to throw off the muroids until they got to the clearing. It was a good plan and they almost made it, judging by the way the growth was starting to thin, but a particularly sharp-nosed muroid got the better of them and pounced only footsteps before they made it to the clearing.

Both Blonko and Shar went down, the muroid knocking them off their feet and sending them rolling into the clearing. Blonko pulled his arms up, trying to protect his head. Normally that was the right move but right now it seemed it was a mistake. His exposed Omnitrix dial hit the ground before he could select anything and he turned into-

Blonko felt his limbs and gut thicken and grow significantly. For a moment, he was afraid he was turning into Archfiend. He’d been so panicked when he turned into him the first time that Blonko couldn’t recall what the transformation felt like. But thankfully, after his body grew to the necessary size, he felt ice spike through his veins rather than fire and baggy clothes envelop him. He was turning into a totally new alien. One very different from Archfiend, it seemed.

“Kringl The Summoner!”

A large humanoid with angry red skin and an equally red coat appeared in the clearing. For a moment, Kringl thought something had gone wrong with the transformation. He felt… disoriented. He could still see the brightness of Revonnah’s suns, it was almost blinding, but he couldn’t really see or hear anything else. Then he realized most of his sensory organs were covered by a floppy hat and a mane of thick, white hair around his neck and the lower half of his face.

“What is that thing?” Shar asked, still on the ground. She stared at the new alien, soaking him and all his glory in. She looked like she couldn’t make heads or tails of the form. Kringl looked down at himself, trying to see if there was anything strange about him, but didn’t see anything out of the ordinary. Or rather, unexpectedly out of the ordinary.

“Is there something wrong with this form?”

“No, it’s just… It looks kind of like Wat-Sen. A big, red, and- dare I say it- jolly Wat-Sen.”

Kringl snorted and was about to think up a comeback when he heard a growl and the muroid from before reappeared. And it looked like he brought friends. “Do you remember if Tetrax mentioned anything about this form?”

“No.” Shar got to her feet, assuming a fighting stance. Her eyes skimmed over the muroids. There were only five present at the moment but there were surely more waiting in the grass. Plus, as Wat-Sen had told them, these muroids were bolder than the ones they were used to.

What Wat-Sen had failed to mention was that they were also bigger.

A muroid screamed and threw itself at Kringl. Kringl boxed it in the stomach with a gloved fist. He was lucky Kringl was a big alien but it seemed strength was not one of his powers. He did the job but he was no Four Arms. He needed to figure out what this alien could do before any of the muroids got too close to Shar.

“Any ideas?”

“Not, particu- Wait. His name is Kringl The Summoner,” Shar realized. “Perhaps try summoning something?”

It’s not that easy, Kringl wanted to say but he kept his mouth shut. He waved his arms at the muroids, trying to be as intimidating as possible so he could buy himself a few seconds to work. He had no idea if it worked but it was the best he could do at the moment. Now, to summon.

Summon, summon, summon… How did one summon? What even was a summoning? Obviously it wasn’t, like, a parent summoning the child to the table for a meal. No, it was something more than that. Young Revonnahganders were all told tales of farmers who had bad crops and turned to the dark arts for aid. Spirits were summoned in those stories, right? But what even was a summoning? Kringl couldn’t- Oh the muroids were attacking again.

One of them headbutted him in the gut, making icy spit fly out of his mouth. Kringl tried to wrestle the muroid away from him but his gloves covered all his fingers except his thumb, making it hard to get a grip. His hands just slid down the rodent’s flank as the creature unbalanced him and sent him to the ground flat on his back. The muroid screamed victoriously and began shredding up Kringl’s coat with its claws.

“Watch the beard!” Kringl snapped and suddenly got a brain wave. Gathering up as much spit as he could in his mouth, he spat as hard as he could in the muroid’s face. The rodent cried out in surprise and released its grip, letting Kringl sit up and bite its ear.

“Blonko! That is disgusting!” Shar called from where she was fending off two muroids with a stick she found. She swung it wildly, keeping them at bay. Kringl shoved the muriod off him and ran to help her.

“I believe I am figuring out Kring’s powers. They have something to do with ice,” Kringl told her and he kicked one of the muroids in the soft space between their ribs and hips. It was awkward kicking with such stocky legs and Kringl had to spread his arms to keep his balance but the muroid was sent flying so he was doing something right at least. “The ice is best deployed via the mouth.”

“I severely doubt that is true,” Shar replied dryly. Now that she was only fending off one muroid, she was able to better utilize her stick. Holding it like a harvesting tool, she jabbed it in the muroid’s face and struck it in the chest. “His name is Kringl The Summoner. I imagine he summons more than ice.”

“Why?”

“Because if summoning ice was enough to be called a summoner, Bloxx would be called Bloxx the Block Summoner and Terrorsaur would be Terrorsaur the Nightmare Summoner. Clearly Kringl summons something greater than weak ice spit.”

Kringl sighed. She was right. “Well then what do you suggest?”

Shar jerked her stick backwards, warding off a muroid trying to attack from behind. “You know how to call upon Bloxx’s blocks and Terrorsaur’s nightmares, yes? I am sure you can learn something from that.”

“I thought you said his summoning was clearly something other than the ability to summon ice?”

“Whether ice is his summoning power or not, he still has it and you may as well try it before you time out and these muroids eat us.”

“The muroids will not- You may be right,” Kringl conceded. He’d never even encountered diseased muroids before, let alone muroids empowered by amber oiga pumped up with alien fertilizer. He had no idea what they were capable of. Maybe they had developed a taste for meat. “I will give it a try. Please warn me if you are in danger or if a muroid gets close to me.”

Kringl was sure Shar nodded but he couldn’t really see with the fuzz of his hat blocking his eyes. Or maybe those were eyebrows? He could ask Shar later. Right now he needed to focus on calling upon his powers. He’d felt and acknowledged the feeling of ice in his veins before. It felt just like Archfiend’s fire, only colder. Not that he knew how to control Archfiend’s fire but at least he wasn’t searching aimlessly. And, ice was a lot less scary than fire. He was confident he could figure out how to manipulate the ice within him.

It felt like… Well, it felt more like Terrorsaur than Bloxx. There was this great power, this great energy in him, only it wasn’t all concentrated in one place. It seemed to flow freely through him. That would make it hard to grab but not impossible. It actually felt a bit like being Antigravitesla, though Kringl couldn’t place why. He didn’t dwell on it. That was unimportant right now. He’d figured out where the power was and that was a start.

He played with it for a few moments, prodding it and feeling out its movement. Quickly, he realized he couldn’t control the flow but he could redirect it. Building up the frozen power in his belly, Kringl drew it up through his body and into his arms. Extending them, he let out a massive ice blast, freezing all three muroids that had been bothering Shar in big blocks of ice.

“Well done, Blonko!” Shar congratulated but Kringl didn’t respond, not yet. He was on a roll and another idea was coming his way. He suddenly realized why Kringl felt like Antigravitesla. There were two distinct powers flowing through him. Building up the ice in his belly had started up something and Kringl just had to figure out what it was. Drawing upon the mysterious power within him, he let it flow into his hands. Moving them fluidly, he felt a release and suddenly his senses exploded into clarity.

The world had a faint blue tint but he could see and hear properly again. More than properly, actually. It felt like he was seeing out of many pairs of eyes but unlike with Terrorsaur, they all weren’t on his head. He had his own eyes and then there were the other eyes.

“They are so cute!” Shar explained, looking down at him. Or not him. Rather, an extension of him. An energy homunculi, his mind provided. An elf, smaller part said. Kringl’s lips spread into a wide, sinister smile and he let his elves cut loose.

Cold, spiritual energy pooled around his hands as elves flew from them, leaving behind energy trails as they went. There were at least a dozen of them, their tiny forms slamming into the muroids and rushing off into the grass to go after the rest. By the time the Omnitrix had timed out, Kringl’s lips were tingling with the cool afterburn of long, icy gusts and his belly was bubbling with leftover satisfaction from his elves.

The sun was just starting to set and Tetrax and Wat-Sen had a few bowlfuls of paint ready when Blonko and Shar returned. Or rather, XLR8 returned, dropped off Shar, and sped off again. Tetrax raised an eyebrow and shot Shar a questioning look. She just smiled cheekily. “You will see.”

“I’m sure I will,” Tetrax replied, a bit skeptical. What were those two up to? Surely they couldn’t have gotten into that much trouble in just one afternoon but this was the bearer of the Omnitrix and Rook Shar they were talking about. They were more than capable of exceeding any expectations set for them.

Luckily, XLR8 was pretty fast and the aliens didn’t have to wait long for him to return.

… With an enlarged muroid trapped in an even larger block of ice.

“I- Ho- Nngh,” Wat-Sen spluttered, not believing his eyes. XLR8 suddenly appeared with another frozen muroid. “What did you kids do?”

Again, Shar merely smiled cheekily. 

“...Your brother discovered his Somosapien form, didn’t he?” Tetrax asked, already knowing the answer.

“That he did.”

“And he already mastered its abilities?”

“We call him Kringl The Summoner.”

“...That’s a pretty good name for him, actually.”

“I know, right?”

XLR8 dumped another frozen muroid in front of Wat-Sen and the man looked like he was about to faint from shock. Tetrax couldn’t really blame him. He was rather surprised as well. Tetrax patted the elderly Plumber’s shoulder comfortingly as he could. “At least we’ll have fewer muroids to tag tonight, right?”

“You tag them on your own,” Wat-Sen said, shoving the bowl of paint into Tetrax’s hands. His eyes never left the frozen muroids. “I’m going to get some well-deserved rest in the ship tonight. You know, make sure the kids don’t end up fighting Vilgax in their sleep or anything.”

Tetrax snorted. “Fair.”

In the morning, Wat-Sen did feel a bit bad about leaving Tetrax to work alone the previous night and let the rugged Petrosapien get some rest before the group headed out. That was fine, there was something Wat-Sen wanted to do anyway.

“Flourana?” Blonko echoed, sounding out the word Wat-Sen had just said. “What is that?”

Wat-Sen wished he had Tetrax’s drawings right now. They were crude and borderline illegible but they were sure darn helpful. “It’s the name of one of your aliens. A plant based one. I want you to try using it.”

“Why?” Shar asked. She was sitting a few feet on a smooth stone, ankles crossed and swinging absently. “He used Kringl for the first time yesterday and did wonderfully. Should he not be practicing Kringl more?”

“Maybe,” Wat-Sen replied, “but Somosapiens are ice beings. Ice doesn’t go well with plants. We don’t want to damage the crops anymore. A Flourana on the other hand…”

“...Spouts fertilizer?” Blonko guessed apprehensively at Wat-Sen’s prompting.

“Not quite. Flourana are living plants. They-”

“Are plants not already living?”

Wat-Sen sighed. “Yes, Shar. Plants are already living. You know what I meant.”

“I am actually rather confused,” Blonko admitted, scratching the side of his head. “How can I turn into a plant? Plants do not have minds. They cannot move at will. Turning into a plant sounds rather useless to me.”

“Flourana aren’t quite like other plants. They’re sentient and they can move just like you and me. They- Look, why don’t you just transform into one and we can figure it out from there?”

Blonko looked at his Omnitrix dubiously before nodding. “Can you tell me what it looks like?”

“Big shoulder, legs look like roots. You can’t miss it.”

“Thank you,” Blonko replied, polite as ever, and brought his hand down on the Omnitrix.

Wat-Sen had no idea what the transformation process felt like. To him, it was just a flash and suddenly Blonko was someone else. He imagined that this one was pretty strange though, flesh and blood converting to plant fiber and… whatever else plants were made of. Wat-Sen didn’t want to think about it so a green light was good enough for him.

“Wildvine!”

“Wildvine?” Shar slid off the rock and walked up to Wildvine to inspect him. He was tall, both his head and shoulders towering over Wat-Sen. That was probably the least strange thing about him though. His bright green exterior, single blue eye, black back sacs, and leafy tendrils were a lot to take in. “Wildvine. Huh. I think this name suits this form.”

“You think?” Wildvine said and Wat-Sen couldn’t tell if that was sarcastic or not. He twisted around, trying to get a good look at his form. His root-like legs curled along with him. “This feels really weird. It is like… I can feel all the plants around me. And also I am one? They are not like people but I can hear them…”

Wat-Sen frowned. Maybe turning into a Flourana wasn’t the best idea on an agricultural planet. “Is all the plantlife overwhelming?”

“Not really. Just… strange.”

“Are you trying to teach Blonko how to use the Flourana’s powers to promote agricultural growth?” Tetrax asked, stepping out of the ship. He was wiping water off his face like he’d just washed it but Wat-Sen knew there wasn’t a bathroom on the ship. “I thought that’d be a good thing to bring up at some point but everyone keeps mentioning this harvest season thing so I figured it was a bad time. I don’t know, I’m not a farmer.”

“I can promote agricultural growth?” Wildvine asked, looking down at his hands. His long fingers curled as he closed his fists. “That would be incredibly useful during the tending seasons.”

“And it means you might be able to save some plants the muroids got to before we leave,” Wat-Sen told him, bringing it back to the original point he wanted to make. “I’m not positive it will work or not but you’ve been farming a lot longer and a lot more than I have. I’m sure your knowledge will fit well with your powers.”

Wildvine nodded. “A lot of stuff… makes sense now. Brallada, I feel so different. It is invigorating.” 

That was a relief to hear. Despite all his encouragement, Wat-Sen was actually really worried about pushing this form on the young Revonnahgander. He didn’t want to be the cause of Blonko refusing to use yet another alien.

Wildvine seemed to be having an awkward time walking as Tetrax led them out to the spot he’d seen the most muroids but he was managing. Shar was poking some fun at him and Wildvine was laughing so Wat-Sen figured it couldn’t be all that bad.

“I counted eighteen muroids last night,” Tetrax told them as they got farther from the ship, “and then there are the five Blonko and Shar brought back defrosting in the pit. Judging by their patterns, there should be a den around here. The plan is to find the den, use Wildvine’s powers to block off the exits, and knock out the muroids. If Blonko hasn’t timed out by then, he can drag them back to the pit and the villagers can decide what they want to do with them.”

Wat-Sen didn’t know what pit Tetrax was talking about but Wildvine and Shar were nodding along. Had they dug a hole to stick the muroids in while he was asleep? Dang kids, they have so much energy. He’d think they’d be tired after a fight but nope, they were prepared to do more work. Unless Blonko used his Tetramand form. Or Antigravitesla but Wat-Sen thought he’d notice if he had.

“Do you have any idea where their hideout may be?” Shar asked. Tetrax shook his head and looked expectantly at Wildvine. The Flourana’s lone blue eye blinked back.

“Me? Why do you think I know where it is?”

“I imagine the den is underground. You’re a plant. You’re connected to the planet.”

Wildvine frowned. “I guess I can give it a try.”

“That’s the spirit.”

Wat-Sen turned away as Wildvine began his work. It seemed like an intimate thing, a native connecting to his homeworld on such a level for the first time. It felt like it should be something private and Wat-Sen didn’t want to watch. Well, maybe a peek. No, no. He shouldn’t. Wildvine would tell them whenever he was ready. Or he timed out. Whichever came first. He’d probably have to recharge at some point before this was all over.

After a minute or so, Wat-Sen heard the rustle of leaves and vines snaking across the dirt. Wildvine was moving. He’d found something. He remained silent but trusted the others to follow him just as they trusted him to guide him. But as Wat-Sen predicted, he timed out before we made it.

“Do you need time to wait for the Omnitrix to recharge?” Shar asked as they came to a stop. To be honest, Wat-Sen was grateful for the break, as brief as it was. His joints weren’t what they used to be and he had a rock in his shoe he needed to get out.

Blonko shook his head. “No, I think I can remember where the den is. I will need to recharge before we battle though if I am to block off the exits.”

“Can Tetrax not do that?”

“I don’t want to leave peranite all over Revonnah,” Tetrax responded, sounding a bit impatient, “and besides, a Flourana is a bit more subtle than a Petrosapien.”

Blonko nodded but he didn’t seem to really hear him. He was already moving again and quickly, as if he didn’t want to forget the location of his target. Wat-Sen stifled a groan as he hurried after him and the rest of the group. He hoped it wasn’t far. He didn’t want to be tired and out of breath for a fight.

The Omnitrix had turned green again by the time Blonko came to a stop. He looked around a bit, seeming lost for a moment, before victory flashed across his face. “I have found it!”

Wat-Sen, Shar, and Tetrac huddled around him, peering into the opening in the ground. Looking at it like this, it was rather obvious but Wat-Sen knew he wouldn’t be able to find it if Wildvine had not sniffed it out. It was out in the open, far from any mountains, but the greenery and rocks hid it from sight. Perfect for patrols of muroids to venture out of and hide in when necessary.

Blonko dialed up Wildvine in his Omnitrix. “I will block off the exits as planned. I will give you a signal when I am ready for you to come in.”

Blonko transformed into Wildvine and wordlessly slipped into the ground, leaving his friends to prepare for the coming fight. Wat-Sen’s hand went to his utility belt immediately and grabbed his gun. He slid a charge into it, a non-lethal one that still packed a pretty good punch. He reached for his second blaster and was about to hand it to Shar when he hesitated. “Maybe you should sit this one out, young lady.”

Shar raised an eyebrow and snorted. “Maybe you should sit this one out, old man. I can hear your hips cracking with each step.”

Wat-Sen looked to Tetrax for help. The Petrosapien merely shrugged helplessly, the traitor. “She has a point. And besides, two guns are better than one.”

“Only two?”

Tetrax responded by removing his gloves and smirking. “I think I’m going to go back to the basics on this one.”

Knowing Tetrax was going to be using his powers was a comfort but Wat-Sen was still uneasy. “The seeds on a Flourana’s back are explosive. If you get backed into a corner, grab one off your brother and just throw it as hard as you can. The noise will distract the muroids at the very least.”

“I shall keep that in mind,” Shar replied dryly but she didn’t sound angry or offended. Wat-Sen opened his mouth to continue when one of Wildvine’s tendrils emerged from the earth, beckoning for them to come down. The three traded a final glance before stepping down into the tunnel. Compact dirt slowly bled into thick vines and the tunnel opened up into a wide cavern, not unlike the ones in the mountains near the Rooks’ village.

Wat-Sen, Shar, and Tetrax stepped out of the tunnel into the dimly lit cave, standing on the ledge overlooking a dip into a wide, dry basin lined with sturdy vegetation. Wildvine’s body winded around the basin, stretching over every nook and cranny to block any exits and effectively box the muroids into one place, eliminating any chance of escape. And the muroids weren’t happy about it. They screamed and clawed at Wildvine’s flesh, trying to climb out or hurt their warden enough to get him to release them, but Wildvine merely poked a tendril out and knocked them down anytime they tried.

Upon his allies' arrival, Wildvine extended his upper body from the part of the wall closest to his friends. “I have rounded them all up. There are a few young muroids here that were unmarked but I believe we are missing one or two that Tetrax marked.”

“We’ll deal with that when we get there,” Tetrax replied, clapping Wildvine on the back. “Good work, kid.”

Without another word, Tetrax let out a battle cry and threw himself into the basin, charging at the muroids with all the fury of a true Petrosapien. Wat-Sen gave Shar a final glance before letting Wildvine carry him down to join the fight.

The muroids were so distracted by Tetrax that Wat-Sen and Shar were able to stun a few before they even turned around. Shar ran at them, kicking a muroid in the throat with a swift blow. The muroid wheezed and reeled back in surprise. Shar shot it quickly, stunning it, and began firing at the next one. Wat-Sen felt a proud smile creep onto his face. For someone who’d only held a gun a handful of times, Shar was doing well. She was a quick learner. Maybe she’d show interest in becoming a plumber one day. If she did, Wat-Sen would support her all the way.

Wat-Sen, lacking any kind of reflexes or speed comparable to a young Revonnahgander and the power of a grown Petrosapien, kept his distance. He was a good shot, even with his fading eyesight, and watched Shar and Tetrax’s backs with the skill of a sharpshooter. Tetrax probably didn’t need the help but he picked off any muroids that dared get close and he made sure Shar had enough space to fight without risking taking muroid teeth to the arm.

Even Wildvine helped. His body was the barrier keeping the battle contained but he was still able to extend the occasional limb to slap a muroid that got a bit too close to his sister or friends for his liking. He didn’t throw any of his seeds but that was okay. Wat-Sen thought that it would be hard to do better than they already were.

Wat-Sen revelled at the sight of them fighting in such unison. Fighting was an art but considering the fact he’d faced off against so many lowlifes over the years, he rarely got to see its beauty. This, however, he’d call beautiful. Tetrax was an absolute powerhouse but he had good form. Shar was small and fast, able to weave around the path in their foes he carved and take them down with a precision Tetrax lacked. And Wildvine- Blonko- was right up in there with them. His tendrils seemed to flow with their rhythm perfectly.

Wat-Sen wouldn’t say he was jealous but he felt a tad bit sorrowful. Not at being left out, just that he’d never be part of such a well-oiled unit. Back when he cruised around with Max, Xylene, Devin, and Patelliday- those were the days. But his prime was long behind him and he was now training a new team. Wat-Sen was still hesitant to completely trust Tetrax but right now, he knew the Revonnahgander siblings would be in good hands if Wat-Sen croaked prematurely. Maybe he should start allowing Tetrax more responsibilities. Would that be something the Petrosapien would be open to?

Wat-Sen knew the trio would be fine if he dropped his fire but he kept it up anyway. He knew he’d picked off his fair share of muroids and it was always satisfying to dominate a fight like this. These muroids were more savage and hostile than normal but they still stood no chance against Wat-Sen’s team.

The battle was over before Wildvine timed out.

The end of the trip was a lot less fun than the rest of it. Shar, Blonko, and Tetrax mostly stuck to the sidelines but occasionally they’d step in to help Wat-Sen with something or another. The villagers were grateful but there was still a fine line drawn between both parties. Shar was okay with it. This was a good experience overall and she was happy to help.

The group had stayed a bit longer so Wildvine could cultivate the damaged crops a bit and hopefully save them enough to have some growth over the following year but the trip still ended a lot sooner than anyone had expected. They talked a bit about staying longer so Blonko could practice using Kringl and Bloxx a bit but ultimately they decided it was best to head back. As Blonko had told their father all those days ago, it was harvest season and the additional hands were needed on the fields.

Besides, Shar missed sleeping in her own bed and she looked forward to using a bathroom she didn’t have to share with three smelly men. Only it seemed that, as they neared, the rest of the group lost the once shared sentiment.

“What is wrong?” Shar asked as unease rippled through the pair of aliens piloting the ship. They were near Wat-Sen’s mountain home. It was a bit too late to change their mind and spend a bit longer away from the village. Wat-Sen was still bringing the ship down but he looked like that was the last thing he wanted to do. “Surely the village must have seen the ship already. If you want to spend more time away, you decided too late.”

Tetrax turned around from the co-pilot’s seat. “Why don’t you two stay with me at the mountain for a bit while Wat-Sen goes into the village?”

Shar felt a jolt of alarm. She hadn’t really thought anything was wrong until she heard Tetrax’s tone and veiled words. “Why?”

“Did you see something?” Blonko asked, rising to his feet to go to the window to see for himself but Tetrax held up a hand, telling him to sit back down. Blonko stopped but didn’t seem happy about it, fur puffing up a bit in controlled anger. “It is our village. If something has happened to it, you must tell us.”

“Maybe it’s better if you see for yourself,” Wat-Sen said slowly. He turned the steering wheel, bringing the ship around so they would land a bit closer to the village. Blonko and Shar were on their feet the moment they felt the ship touch the ground.

“Try not to panic at whatever you see,” Tetrax murmured as he opened the hatch. “Remember, we don’t have all the facts.”

“Do not shelter us,” Shar snapped and pushed past him, stepping out of the ship into her village.

Or more accurately, into what had been her village.

Chapter Text

The village was destroyed.

Homes had holes in them. Debris scattered everywhere, personal possessions mixed in with the rubble. Broken clotheslines flapped in the wind. The village was more lifeless than Blonko thought was possible.

In his panic, Blonko didn’t register that the village was still standing for the most part. He didn’t notice that there was no smoke or falling rubble, that the damage wasn’t fresh. He didn’t  find comfort in the fact that the village wasn’t leveled. He just saw the damage and his stomach dropped.

There weren’t any villagers around. Frantically, they searched the homes for any sign of life but each step just filled Blonko with more and more dread. He couldn’t even begin to imagine what had befallen his home while he was away. He tried his hardest to ward off those thoughts and focus on finding his friends and family but he couldn’t keep all his thoughts at bay. 

He could have stopped this, whatever it was, if he was here. 

XLR8 could have rushed all the villagers to safety. Bloxx could have built a protective dome around the village. Terrorsaur could have scared off any attackers. Wildvine could have hidden the village from sight. Any one of his other aliens could have fought an attacker off. But he wasn’t here. This was Blonko’s fault.

Faintly, he could hear Tetrax murmuring some quiet words to him as Wat-Sen embraced a crying Shar but all the noise fell on deaf ears. Numb to his surroundings, Blonko let his mind go blank and tune out everything around him. It was the one comfort he could afford.

But then, the sun began to set and life began to trickle back into the village.

“Blonko! Shar!” a familiar voice called and suddenly Blonko was being pulled away from Tetrax and into the strong embrace of his father. The moment his furred hand made contact with Blonko’s shoulder, color bled back into his vision and the world once again exploded back into noise.

“Father,” Blonko croaked as his father pulled him and his sister into a tight, uncharacteristic hug. Moments later, his mother, other two sisters, and little brother joined him. Blonko smiled, throat tightening with emotion. “Mother, Shim, Shi, Young One.”

“I am so happy that you are okay!” Young One exclaimed, clinging to Blonko’s calf.

“I am happy you are okay,” Shar replied as the family broke apart, giving Shar the chance to scoop her younger brother up in her arms. “What happened? Where were you? Why is the village damaged?”

“We were just in the fields,” Young One told her and Blonko felt a bit silly. Of course they were in the fields. It was harvest season. They weren’t going to stand around at home when there was work to be done. They could focus on their repairs once all the amber ogia was harvested and the next year’s supply of fruit was planted.

“Two aliens came and attacked in the middle of the night,” Da informed them, eyeing Tetrax carefully. Blonko shifted uneasily. He was thrilled to see his family and happy to be on the receiving end of Da’s affection but he cared for Tetrax as well. He didn’t want his village to turn against his friend.

“Don’t worry, Tetrax here was with us the whole time,” Wat-Sen assured, propping his arm up on Tetrax’s shoulder. Tetrax looked down at him, looking unhappy, but didn’t brush him off. “A good man, this one. Really helped with those muroids.”

The muroids were the farthest thing from anyone’s mind but Tetrax seemed relieved that Wat-Sen was vouching for them. “Were the ones who attacked you Kraab and Sixsix by any chance? A metal crustacean and a pink humanoid?”

“Do you know them?”

“Tetrax was the one who saved me when Rayona and I were attacked by the, um, bird,” Blonko blurted out before Tetrax could say anything. Tetrax’s eyes were confused and probing but Blonko kept talking. “He fought Sixsix and Kraab near the path into the valley. He is not with them.”

Da seemed to settle down and gave Tetrax a curt, but still wary, nod of respect. “It would have been a blessing to have you here during the attack.”

Shar and Blonko visibly cringed. “Are you mad, Father?”

Da jolted, looking at them in surprise. “No.”

“Why would Father be mad?” Young One asked, swishing his tail curiously. 

“We were not here during the attack,” Blonko explained. “If we had been here-”

“You may have been hurt,” Da told him firmly. He looked in Wat-Sen’s direction then back at his eldest children. “I believe it is luck that you were away and far from the danger.”

Shi beckoned for Blonko to crouch down so he did. She leaned over to whisper in his ear, disgusting it as a hug. “Father is actually very grateful that you were not here. He says his heart would not be able to bear the loss of you and Shar.”

Blonko smiled and returned her fake hug with a real one. “Never change, Shi.”

“Tetrax and I can help with repairs,” Wat-Sen offered. Tetrax gave him a pointed look but Wat-Sen ignored him and continued. “You know I’m a lousy farmer. Consider it payback for all the kindness you’ve shown me over the years.”

Da pressed his hands together and gave the older man a quick bow. “Thank you, Magister Wat-Sen. The village would greatly appreciate the extra help. We need all the hands on the field that we can, so a few of the neighbors were worried they would be sleeping with drafts for the rest of the season.”

Da and Wat-Sen continued talking repairs, Tetrax chiming in every once in awhile. Bralla made a faint noise, drawing Blonko’s attention. She said nothing but titled her head towards the house, silently telling him to go inside and get some rest. Blonko nodded and put his hand on Shi’s shoulder, shuffling her inside, while Shar carried Young One and spoke with Shim in a hushed tone.

They did not eat but Blonko’s stomach didn’t growl. His belly was still tight from his earlier anxiety and even though his nervousness was coming down, he didn’t think he could keep anything down. Blonko felt a wave of tiredness wash over him and he took Young One from Shar to carry into their shared room. Plopping his brother down on his bunk and clambering into his own, Blonko let the tiredness of the day consume him.

Despite the scare, everything was fine. He was safe and his family was safe. And it would stay that way if he had anything to say about it.

“Brother! Brother!” Young One called, running up to Blonko as the older Revonnahgander tried to hook his harvesting tool around the stem of a particularly stubborn fruit that grew under the safety of a rock. He was alone in this part of the field today and the noise of his brother startled him but Young One’s eyes were wide with fear so Blonko forgot his own quickly to kneel down to try to comfort him.

“What is wrong?” Blonko asked as Young One bundled into him.

“Down in the valley!” Young One told him, pointing towards the cliff. His tail waved wildly behind him. “The bad aliens are attacking!”

Blonko felt his stomach twinge. “Are you certain?”

Young One nodded. “I saw a ship.”

Blonko frowned but tried to keep calm for his brother’s sake. He placed his hands on Young One’s shoulders and looked him in the eyes. “Listen to me carefully. Run back home and tell Father. He will make sure the neighbors get to safety. Ask Shar to visit Wat-Sen and Tetrax then return home with Mother.”

Young One’s eyes went round as he realized how dire the situation was. “What are you going to do?”

Blonko looked to the horizon, jaw setting. “I am going to investigate.” 

Blonko didn’t know what he was expecting but he shouldn’t have been surprised when Young One launched himself at Blonko’s leg and clung to him like a baby muroid on its mother’s back. “No! It is dangerous! Let me come with you.”

“I do not want to put you in danger,” Blonko responded, trying to peel Young One off of him with little success, “and do not worry for me. I will remain safe.”

“Promise?”

Blonko couldn’t promise that but Young One didn’t know that. “Yes. I promise.”

“You will stay away from the aliens?”

No. “Yes.”

Young One still looked reluctant. “What if-”

“We do not have much time, Young One. Forgive me,” Blonko told him as he started shaking his leg. “It was good of you to tell me and I will do my best to help but you must do your part as well and warn the village.”

The sudden responsibility on Young One’s shoulders seemed to satiate him. His expression grew serious and he gave his brother an earnest nod. “Right.”

Blonko felt some of the pressure lift from his chest once Young One had run off and was out of sight but his work was only beginning. Dialing up XLR8, Blonko took off for the valley and the villains that awaited him within.

XLR8 turned back into Blonko as he approached the ship. Normally, the time outs were annoying but it happened at almost the perfect time so Blonko didn’t mind. It was much easier to sneak around when he didn’t have wheels on his feet or a tail to hide.

The ship was different from the one Tetrax had parked behind the mountain but it still shared all the traits that defined it as a bounty hunter ship. Built sleek for speed, painted dark for camouflage, and armed with dozens of weapons hidden so well that only the trained eye could spot them, it was rather intimidating. Blonko ducked behind it and tried to get a closer look. He hadn’t seen Kraab or Sixsix’s ships and he doubted they came over together. He had to figure out who it was before proceeding.

At least, it seemed, Young One was wrong about the bounty hunters attacking. The village seemed fine and Blonko didn’t see any signs of tracks leading towards his lakeside neighbors. That meant the bounty hunters hadn’t left the ship yet and Blonko had the chance to take them out before they had the chance to hurt anyone or destroy another village. The only problem was how.

Blonko was alone. He wanted to be alone, this was his responsibility, but he’d never gone off alone since the day he got the Omnitrix at the beginning of harvest season. He felt confident using it but he knew logically he was too inexperienced to be taking any risks. His Omnitrix’s light was green again. Maybe he should turn back into XLR8 and run back for Tetrax. Or even Shar and Wat-Sen. His sister and the old Plumber couldn’t do as much in a fight as his Petrosapien friend but their support and presence still went a long way.

Blonko’s fingers barely curled around the dial when the hatch of the ship opened up with a hiss. He looked up like a startled muroid and ducked further behind a nearby rock. There weren’t many around but there were enough that Blonko could maneuver around while staying out of sight, provided Kraab and Sixsix didn’t have any heat sensing technology. Maybe he could use this as a chance to observe them before attacking and catching them off guard.

The only problem was the figures that stepped off the ship weren’t Kraab and Sixsix.

They looked remarkably similar to Sixsix. Definitely the same species, maybe even related, but Blonko could tell that neither was the bounty hunter he’d tangled with previously. The larger of the two shared Sixsix’s stature but he was a bit leaner and his armor was lighter. His weapons and mask were a bit different as well but Blonko wasn’t familiar enough with these things to understand how.

The second figure was far more slender, a trait Blonko hadn’t seen in an alien yet. Blonko would say her build was similar to Shar’s but upon closer inspection, Blonko could tell she was even smaller, even with the armor. She looked like a mean thing though and the purple armor did nothing to soften it.

They spoke in mumbles and grumbles, much like Sixsix, that Blonko couldn’t understand. They walked out of the ship easily but the male seemed upset about something. He was talking rapidly, throwing in some arm gestures and wild gesticulations for emphasis. The female replied more calmly but seemed impatient. She lifted an arm and pulled up a hologram. 

“You two there?” Kraab asked and Blonko flinched at the sound of his voice. He realized it was coming through a speaker a moment later and tried to settle back down but it was difficult. He knew his fur was sticking up under his garments. “It’s about time. Sixsix called you a week ago.”

Sixsix responded with some grumbles and a high-pitched screech that made Blonko’s ears sting despite the distance and muffle of the speaker.

“Yeah, yeah. Whatever. I’m just not used to working with your siblings. This isn’t even a hard job. I don’t understand why you called them.”

The male, Sixsix’s brother, gurgled and pointed a finger at the hologram coming from his sister’s wrist. Kraab groaned.

“Shut up, Sevenseven. You know that was a rhetorical question. Vilgax is offering some big tade for this job and we can’t risk turning to another traitor like Tetrax.”

Sixsix’s sister mumbled something with an attitude that transcended language barriers.

“I know he got us this the job, Eighteight! I just- Nevermind. We attacked the settlement on top of the mountains awhile ago and there was a pretty good fighter there so be careful. My radar says you’re near there.”

Blonko frowned. He assumed Kraab was talking about Kundo. Who else had the strength and skill to put up a good fight? Still, it was concerning that it was necessary for Kundo to step in. Kraab and Sixsix had attacked when their target wasn’t even there and that was telling.

“Sixsix and I saw the kid around that area,” Kraab explained, “but he wasn’t there when we attacked. There’s another settlement in the valley you landed in and there are a few more on the other side of the mountains that Sixsix and I want to check out.

Eighteight gurgled something and Kraab nodded before signing off without another word. Blonko felt a flash of frustration. Whatever Eighteight said sounded important and he had no idea what it was. He needed to end this before they reached the village. Opening up the selection menu of the Omnitrix, Blonko transformed into the one alien he knew would do the job.

“Terrorsaur!” Terrorsaur screeched as he erupted like a phoenix from behind the stone. Sevenseven and Eighteight made stunted noises and took a step back each, surprised. Terrorsaur grinned maliciously and curled over the rock, lowering his head and concentrating his mind’s inner power on the pair of bounty hunters.

Terrorsaur let himself get lost to the rampant imagination only a Phantasian had. He could feel the power crackle in his mind as horrifying hallucinations cooked up in his mind and pulsed out into the minds of his victims. He tried to fight off the primal glee the dark images and horrifying fantasies brought but he wasn’t too concerned with it. His priority was neutralizing these too.

In his mind’s eye, he saw jet black webs spreading across a smokey purple sky; monsters with even more eyes than him, glowing his hunger and the thrill of the hunt, prowled his mindscape; and ear shattering wails and the screeches of claws slicing through unmentionable things echoed through his mind. And they were all for Sevenseven and Eighteight to enjoy.

Sevenseven fell to his knees, clutching his head and shouting something in a language not even Terrorsaur’s ears could understand. Eighteight, however, was resisting. Terrorsaur craned his neck ever so slightly, glowering at her, and focused more of his psychic power on her mind.

She responded by throwing her baton at his throat, abruptly cutting off his airflow.

He topped over, falling off the rock and onto his back. He blinked all eight of his eyes rapidly, disoriented from being snapped out of the psychic link. He’d only gotten a glimpse of Eighteight’s mind but by Revonnah’s suns, her darkness was comparable to a Phantasian, Terrorsaur would say. He’d definitely spend some time unpacking that later but for now, he had to focus on getting back to his hands and feet. Sevenseven would be up any moment now and Terrorsaur had to figure out the next course of action.

Unfortunately, he did not have much time. If he thought Terrorsaur’s battle with Kraab and Sixsix was unfair, with all the clawing and biting and pinning and all, then this was certainly brutal. Eighteight leaped onto him the moment he managed to flip himself back over and attached herself like he was a mount to be tamed and ridden. Not a moment later, he felt a second weight on his tail and Sevenseven’s weapons jabbing the soft spots around his lumbar and the vulnerable film of his wings.

Unable to form words, Terrorsaur screeched like an animal and flapped violently, trying to throw his attackers off, but that only made them hold on tighter.  Then he felt a sharp jolt of electricity and he was transforming.

“Juryrigg!” he cried out as Eighteight and Sevenseven hit the floor, the mass beneath them suddenly gone then he did a double take and looked down at his hands. Pink fingers and green gloves replaced white claws and slender black hands. He’d transformed. “Why Juryrigg? How Juryrigg? I can’t transform when I’m already an alien! Excuse the contraction!”

Eighteight and Sevenseven were pulling themselves up, grumbling and gurgling. Juryrigg suddenly spat at them, surprising even himself, and was filled with the undeniable need to move.

Cackling, he ran around the makeshift battlefield, leading to some confused noises on the siblings’ end. Juryrigg hopped over Sevenseven and landed on Eighteight’s head before zipping around his little loop again. Sevenseven drew his gun and lasers began littering the ground around Juryrigg’s feet and the little gremlin realized he needed to direct this energy somewhere.

He raked his claws down Sevenseven’s side and swiped the device Eighteight had shocked him with out of her hands. The phrase Ampri transmutator magnetic scrambler rang in his mind and somehow that made sense subconsciously, even if his conscious didn’t quite get it. That was okay though because his little feet were already pattering towards the ship.

“Fix! Fix, fix, fix!” Juryrigg screamed, overpowering joy making his tiny body vibrate so much he nearly dropped his finds. The sadistic glee Terrorsaur got from creating hallucinations felt good but this was amazing! Juryrigg wasn’t totally sure what was happening yet but he had an idea burning in his mind and his hands and feet seemed determined to make it a reality.

Sevenseven and Eighteight cried out in protest as Juryrigg scaled their ship and scored his claws over the metal on the outside, pulling out wires in the process. He deposited them in a neat pile on the roof before diving into the ship. In there, he couldn’t contain himself and Juryrigg had no desire to. Letting loose, he shot through the ship and grabbed every piece of alien tech Juryrigg could get his hands on.

As a Revonnahgander child, he’d loved alien tech. It fascinated him. The rare scraps he managed to get entertained him on endless afternoons. When he grew older and his mind began to recognize their complex patterns, he began to build. His passion began to die after he got the Omnitrix and he realized how truly dangerous alien tech could be but right now, he had the means to build whatever he wanted and he had no desire to let his recent anxieties stop him. 

He pulled levers clean off control panels, yanked batteries out of various devices, and broke down the ship’s power core. He danced over boards covered with buttons, pulled weapons off their racks, and tore up whatever metal his claws found their way to. And he built. Oh, how he built. That was the best part. Mashing all the chunks of tech together, crudely typing wires together, changing the way energy thrummed- his Revonnahgander mind could never comprehend all of this and certainly never at the speed Juryrigg did.

By the time Eighteight and Sevenseven had gotten up and really started their efforts to stop him, Juryrigg had crafted a canon and aimed it right at them.

“Fix! Fix!” Juryrigg yelled as he began flipping switches. He had no idea what they did, not what this device did, but his fingers were flying and he couldn’t hope to stop them. He tried to hoist the canon up on his shoulder but he wasn’t strong enough so he secured it to the top of the ship and fired. “Canon! Portal, portal, portal!”

Eighteight and Sevenseven froze as the beam flew between them and struck open air. A wide rift tore through the fabrics of space and a doorway appeared behind them, revealing a forgein realm with blood red skies and floating islands. Sevenseven and Eighteight grew vocal and their expressions shifted with alarm as the portal began sucking them in.

Juryrigg laughed as he held onto the ship and watched the bounty hunter siblings getting dragged inside. They clawed the ground and shouted to no avail. Within a few seconds, they were long gone.

Juryrigg switched off the device and slid it off the ship. And then he timed out and Blonko realized what he’d done.

Horrified, Blonko dropped the device like it was on fire and jumped away from it, eyes wide. He scooted around it so it wasn’t aimed at him but a second portal opening wasn’t really what he was worried about. The fact he’d opened a portal at all was terrifying. The fact he didn’t know where it led was worse. The fact that Juryrigg had sent two people, even bounty hunters, away with zero moral questions was far, far worse.

He’d thought Terrorsaur was bad, with his hallucinations and sadistic tendencies, but he hadn’t even realized what Juryrigg was doing until he timed out. He’d been so caught up in the high of creation that he didn’t even know he’d fired a weapon until he was himself again. Building a weapon was one thing. Blonko’s feeble mind couldn’t comprehend what Juryrigg was building. But firing a weapon? He should at least have been able to recognize that!

But the worst part was… He didn’t feel that bad.

They were bounty hunters. And it wasn’t like he killed them or anything. It was kind of nice to rediscover the joy of building. He certainly wouldn’t be using Juryrigg again without some practice but… maybe he could get control over the goblin’s terrible moral compass. And then he could try building again. Young One was showing interest in alien technology now. Obviously he wouldn’t transform in front of him but maybe he could study Juryrigg’s creations and learn enough from him to share this passion with his brother.

He still wanted nothing to do with the weapon he’d built today though. Blonko paused a moment before approaching it and gathering up the bulky device in his arms. The lake was near here. The water had done some damage to the drones once he’d slammed them against the bottom of the lake. Maybe Tidetail Wave’s teeth would be wrong enough to shred this thing enough for the water to do the rest.

He was only a few steps from the lake when he heard someone calling his name. “Blonko! Blonko!”

Blonko looked up to see Tetrax and Wat-Sen running up to him. Shar wasn’t with them which was a bit of a relief. Lifting up the device as high as he could, he shoved it into Tetrax’s crystal arms as soon as he was close enough. “Take it!”

Tetrax looked confused for a moment but recognition spread across his features as he gave it a closer look. “Was this on the ship?”

Blonko shook his head. “No. One of my aliens ripped the ship apart and built it. He called himself Juryrigg. A small alien with pink skin.”

“A Planchaküle?”

Blonko shrugged. How was he expected to know? “Probably.”

“So Sixsix and Kraab are gone for good?”

Blonko shook his head again. “No. I think Juryrigg’s device opened a portal, it was not a true weapon. And this is not Sixsix or Kraab’s ship. Sixsix invited his siblings, Sevenseven and Eighteight. Sixsix and Kraab are heading towards the villages around the valley.”

Wat-Sen and Tetrax exchanged a look. A bit awkwardly, Wat-Sen put a hand on Blonko’s shoulder. “You head back to the village. I can tell you're upset by… this. Get some rest, kid. We’ll handle the bounty hunters.”

Blonko nodded silently and did as he was told. He couldn’t wait to go to bed and pull his blankets over his head. He had a lot to ponder tonight.

“Is that a Null Void projector?”

“I think so.”

“How’d that little troublemaker manage to build it?”

“No idea. I’ve heard Planchaküle are good but… Yeah. This is impressive.”

“... We are going to use it on Kraab and Sixsix, right?”

“Oh yeah. Definitely.”

Tetrax didn’t want to admit how cool he felt dropping down from the mountainside into one of the villages below and scaring the complete bejeezus out of Kraab and Sixsix in the middle of their raid.

“Wah? Tetrax! What are you doing here?” Kraab demanded, roughly throwing down the Revonnahgander he’d been shaking. Tetrax’s face twisted in distaste. Even when he was running on the wrong side of the law, he didn’t go after innocents if he could help it. That’s what made him different from Kraab or the Sotoraggian siblings.

“Stopping you, apparently,” Tetrax replied, putting his hands on his hips. Sixsix looked up from… whatever he was doing and ventured over, muttering and screeching in his native tongue. Tetrax smirked. “Yeah. I found your siblings, Sixsix. And I’m giving you one chance to abandon this job and leave this planet before I send you where the Omnitrix bearer sent them.”

Kraab scoffed but Sixsix looked uneasy. Kraab boxed him in the shoulder. “Come on, Sixsix. He’s bluffing. You know no one could take down Eighteight and with Sevenseven? Unstoppable.”

“You better believe it,” Tetrax replied, trying not to enjoy this as much as he was. For as much as he worked with these two, they really got under his skin. Their relationship was strictly business. He would not be sorry to see them gone. “Last chance.”

“I think… Not,” Kraab declared and lunged at Tetrax with his pincer. Tetrax stepped back with one foot, rolling with it, and built up a layer of crystal over his right arm. With one swift motion, he grabbed Kraab’s wrist and plunged it into the dirt.

Sixsix flew at him with his swords out, screaming as he tried to bring the blades down on Tetrax’s head. The Petrosapien’s hand clasped around them and he lashed out with a kick, sending Sixsix flying. He smiled at the swords in his hand. These would make a good gift for Shar. He’d love to teach her how to master a weapon like this.

“What are you doing?” Kraab asked as Tetrax dumped him on top of Sixsix. The villagers hung back near their homes, eyeing the spectacle warily while keeping their distance. 

“I said I was going to send you where the Omnitrix bearer sent Sevenseven and Eighteight,” Tetrax responded as he backed up. He waved for the villagers to do the same but he didn’t know if they were watching him or not. “Magister Wat-Sen?”

“Here. Keep away, big guy,” Wat-Sen answered as he wheeled the Null Void Projector out. Kraab and Sixsix’s eyes widened with fear and recognition. They began shaking their heads and shouting but Wat-Sen fired before Tetrax could register any of their pleas.

The moment they were gone and the portal closed, Tetrax shifted his hand into a hammer and brought it down on the Null Void Projector, effectively smashing it. The Null Void was hell and the Projector was dangerous. He was glad to have his former allies but he’d be damned if the wrong hands turned this thing against the people he’d grown to love.

Vilgax’s drones had spent hours trying to get into contact with his bounty hunters. When that failed, he took a crack at his ship’s comms panel but even he and his genius couldn’t contact someone with a busted comm or no comm at all. His frustration catching up with him, Vilax slammed his hands down on the panel and stalked away.

He decked one of his drones and sent it flying down the hall leading deeper into the ship. He knew it wasn’t productive but he just needed to let the pent up anger out. He growled at the wrecked machine and flexed his fingers. He wanted to strangle something or at least feel the feeling of some flesh being crushed under his powerful fingers. But a solitude life was the life of Vilgax and there was no one nearby to satisfy his need.

Taking control of his emotions, Vilgax straightened and gazed out the ship’s windows down onto the world below. It was a pretty thing but that only made Vilgax angrier. On a war-torn or military world, the decision would have been so easy but on peaceful ones, subtly was the better choice in case of some unexpected surprise that could take his ship out. 

But his drones and the bounty hunters had done plenty of scouting. Save the occasional martial artist or Plumber, Revonnah was defenseless. And that meant it and the Omnitrix was Vilgax’s for the taking.

Chapter Text

As scared as Blonko had been when he used Juryrigg, it was his final alien and he didn’t really have any excuse to neglect his training anymore. He was developing into a fully fledged Omnitrix bearer. When everyone had time, Tetrax coached Blonko through his aliens the best he could and tried to show Shar how to wield whatever weapons he could find. And they were both receptive to it.

For Shar, it was a chance to take the next step. She wasn’t a student of Revonnah Kai. And as a woman, chances were she wouldn’t have many chances to carve a name for herself. But secluded behind Wat-Sen’s mountain, she could learn to be more. And besides, it felt nice to run through all the fluid motions needed to fight.

For Blonko, there was still some hesitance. He still didn’t like using all of his aliens. Tidetail Wave, Four Arms, XLR8, Bloxx, and Wildvine he loved. Antigravitesla, Juryrigg, and Kringl he was a bit more uneasy with. Archfiend and Terrorsaur still scared him. But he was getting better.

Tetrax and Wat-Sen would tell them tales of the stars when they practiced. Blonko’s passion for space was restoring but the stories, combined with the fact he was often in an alien’s body, made him feel very small. It made him feel a bit more connected to Revonnah but Blonko knew he was forever changed.

But it was still harvest season. It was just over two thirds through the season when Blonko saw the bounty hunters for the last time. Without any immediate threats to himself or the village and with Tetrax and Wat-Sen helping with repairs, the harvest was a good one. By the time the air began to cool, the village had enough silos of amber ogia to last them the year. And now it was time to celebrate.

“Do not dirty yourselves,” Bralla chastised as she straightened her children’s formal wear, giving Blonko and Shar an extra hard look before realizing Young One probably deserved one too. Blonko personally thought Shi and Shim deserved one as well but apparently they’d been on their best behavior lately, especially compared to their siblings who were constantly coming home covered in mud.

“No promises,” Shar replied, playfulness glinting in her eye.

“Being clean is boring,” Young One complained. He had a few sticks in hand. Blonko wasn’t totally sure if they were toys or Young One was just collecting but Bralla snatched them away from him before he could stick them in his pockets and stain the pale material with their dirt.

Blonko let out a resigned breath through his nose and offered a smile. “I will try my hardest for you, mother.”

Shim snorted. “Like you are not going to leap behind a rock the moment a girl speaks to you.”

Blonko made a face even though he knew it was true. Bralla sighed. “It would not hurt you to talk to a girl on occasion, Blonko. You are a growing boy and the proud heir to your father’s farm. You will need to find a wife eventually.”

“And I will,” he assured her, “but that does not need to happen right now.”

“As if you are not going to spend the whole evening with Rayona the moment she lays eyes on you,” Shi spoke up in a cheeky tone. Young One giggled before slapping his tail over his mouth. Still, even that could not stifle his laughter.

Blonko wanted to roll his eyes but he withheld from doing so in front of his mother. Children, why did they laugh about these wonderful things? Blonko knew they would change in a few years. Then it would be his turn to laugh. “Be silent, Shi.”

“You know it is true,” Shi went on, a mischievous grin forming on her face. “You should see the look on your face when she is around!”

“Leave your brother alone,” Da spoke as he entered the room. He too wore his formal robes. “Love is a wonderful thing.”

“I am not in love,” Blonko protested but it seemed his whole family was ganging up on him today. He decided to drop it but he crossed his arms to let them know they hadn’t won.

“Listen to your mother and try to stay out of trouble,” Da instructed as he scooped up Young One. “And I will be keeping a close eye on you, little grey tail. I do not want you getting into the crates for a pre-meal snack.”

“That only happened once!” Young One whined but didn’t resist being held.

“That happened last year, brat,” Shar responded, sounding almost bored. Bralla gave her a sharp look and Shar slumped over slightly before apologizing. “Forgive me, Young One. I do not think you are a brat.”

“You are a liar but I will let this one slide,” Young One answered and clambered up onto Da’s shoulders. He threw his hands up victoriously. “Look at me! I am so tall! I am the king of the mountains!”

“That you are, Young One,” Da said as he headed for the door. “All of you, be on your best behavior. I mean it. I do not want to hear of any of you causing mischief today. This was a difficult harvest season and the village wants to end it well.”

“Yes, Father,” the five chorused. Da gave them a nod and everyone rushed out of their home and into the village.

Shi and Shim took off immediately, spotting some other villagers more in their age group than their eldest siblings. That was fine. Blonko would have the chance to spend some time with them later and right now he is content with hanging around Shar. “Is there anywhere you would like to go?”

“Rayona and I spent the afternoon decorating the village center,” Shar suggested. Blonko blew air out of his mouth sharply at the mention of girls. Shar chuckled. “Do not fret, brother. I will not tease you like our sisters and the brat. I was merely suggesting that we should observe the decorations before everyone is out and about.”

Looking at decorations was not Blonko’s idea of a good time but Shar had worked hard on crafting the thin paper from discarded amber ogia skins and cutting them into the banners and paper lanterns that were strung between villages. He’d never worked on those kinds of arts himself but he could appreciate the time and effort that went into them so he agreed. Besides, it was nice to see Shar proud of something.

When telling Tetrax about the festivities, the Petrosapien had asked how they kept the decorations from burning. The question had surprised Blonko and he’d shaken his head, explaining the light didn’t come from paper. As little technology that the Revonnahganders had, they were skilled at what they did and managed to use their resources in a way to make reflective paper that collected the sunlight from Revonnah’s three suns. As the pair headed towards the center of the village, Blonko could already see the lights from the distance. The soft glow illuminated the scene, a hum of orange consuming it. Combined with the setting suns, it was truly stunning.

The pair ran with the freedom of children, enjoying the feeling of the wind in their fur, down the path and into the village. A few villagers were already there, including the Rooks’ baker neighbor who made famously good pies. She offered the siblings a slice each, at which Shar and Blonko declined, claiming Bralla would have a fit if they ruined their appetite, but ended up walking away with a slice to share between them. One of Young One’s friends ran up to them, pestering for a taste. Shar laughed and indulged her which made Blonko smile. As stern and impatient Shar was with their younger brother, she had a soft spot for children.

A few more tailed children approached but Shar and Blonko escaped before they lost any more of their pie. The baker was generous and certainly would not turn the children away if they asked for a bite or two. Besides, Shar and Blonko were grown. They deserved the chance to enjoy some sweets on their own.

“Clever move,” one of Blonko’s friends laughed as the pair of siblings ran by.

“Do not pretend like you would not do the same,” Blonko shot back good naturedly as he and his sister ran further into the village. Blonko noticed the decorations begin to appear, both the ones Shar and Rayona made as well as the ceremonial barrels. Blonko and Shar sat down on one of the barrels and watched the people go by.

It was nice. Warm but cooling. His friends and family around him. The gorgeous Revonnan sun was striking the plains at just the right angle, highlighting their beauty, and the smell of homemade dishes was wafting through the air. At moments like these, Blonko wondered how he could ever dream of leaving this place.

“Still have not removed the alien trap from your wrist, I see,” a voice commented, jolting Blonko out of his thoughts. His head whipped around before his eyes fell on Kundo, his thin figure covered by his harvest season robes and his facial fur groomed far more neatly than it usually was. In one hand, he had a glass of some kind of orange beverage. In the other, he held the hand of his wife, a stunning Revonnahgander with fur so sleek that Blonko truly wondered how Kundo managed to score such a spouse like her.

Still, Kundo’s comment was unwelcome and Blonko’s hand went to his wrist. He’d forgotten Kundo’s borderline unspoken promise to remove his hand by the end of harvest season if he didn’t get the device off. Exploring all the Omnitrix’s wonders, Blonko had forgotten about his initial panic and visit to the Revonnah Kai master.

“It has not been causing me pain or interfering with my work,” Blonko spoke up, knowing his response wouldn’t satisfy Kundo but wanting to try anyway.

“That does not matter. We already gained twice the alien filth this season, we do not need that thing hindering one of our own as well.”

“Removing my brother’s hand would hinder him more than any alien device,” Shar snapped, sliding off the barrel and getting to her feet, “and our alien neighbors are not filth. Remember, it was Tetrax who made sure our people’s homes had walls and Magister Wat-Sen ensured we would have roofs over our heads. Retract your words, you ungrateful-”

“Shar,” Blonko murmured, putting a hand on her shoulder. He hopped off the barrel and pulled her away, dipping his head in apology to a shocked Kundo. Once they were out of earshot, he muttered, “You did not need to do that.”

“He deserved it,” Shar sniffed, drawing her arm away from his grip, and strutting down the path with an air of withheld anger to her. Blonko sighed and trailed after her.

“Father will not let him remove my hand. And if not him, the rest of the villagers,” Blonko told her, even if he wasn’t totally sure he believed his own words. “You know our customs. Mutilation is highly frowned upon.”

“Offworlders are even more so,” Shar shot back. “We should tell Wat-Sen and Tetrax, Blonko. In case Kundo comes after you.”

“He will not do that.”

“How can you be so sure? Because he was your teacher?”

Blonko hesitated. He really didn’t know. Shar was right about Kundo being his teacher but they weren’t close. Even after spending countless hours training together. Kundo was… Well, he wasn’t like Blonko. “Let us just try to enjoy the evening. How about you tell me about the decorations you made?”

Shar brightened a bit at the prompting. “Really? These sorts of things normally do not interest you.”

“I am sure. I would like to hear about them.”

“Well then, see that paper bird? I made that. Well, I made most of it. The wings are tricky. They are modeled after the phoenix constellation. At the end of harvest season, sometimes the second sun makes it look like the phoenix is burning Revonnah’s surface when it rises…”

Shar kept talking and the pair fell into an easy rhythm, walking around the center of the village and its outskirts. Occasionally, they would see a friend or someone they frequently worked with and wave hello but Shar never interrupted her tales. Blonko had heard all these before, of course, but not recently. He’d always brushed off these stories as spirit tales for children. He found they were quite interesting though.

Maybe it was his older, more developed mind but he could see parallels between the stories and his own adventures. A spirit summoner using the ghosts of Revonnahganders who’d died before losing their bi'nthaks to fight muroids, demonic birds that could pluck a Revonnahgander clean off the ground, a mischievous thief who gained the power of incredible speed- They weren’t exactly the same but they were close. After seeing so much alien activity first hand, Blonko began to wonder if there was some truth to these stories.

However, Blonko eventually found his mind drifting. The sun was sinking and more villagers were trickling out. One in particular caught his eye.

“You should talk to her,” Shar suggested, ceasing her storytelling. “I do not mean to tease but literally anyone with eyes can tell you are fond of Rayona.”

“She is my friend. I am fond of all my friends.”

“Do not play dumb, Blonko,” Shar sighed. “She is the only girl you will not run and hide from.”

Blonko opened his mouth to respond but Rayona had spotted them and was waving. “Shar! Bonko!”

Blonko could feel his face heat up, white facial fur hiding any signs of it, as Rayona approached. Brallada, why did Shar have to be right all the time? He was fond of Rayona and he was terrible at hiding it. Breaking into a soft, welcoming smile, he greeted her. “Hello, Rayona. Happy harvest.”

“Happy harvest, Blonko,” Rayona replied as she came to a stop in front of them. “And to you too, Shar. What are you up to?”

“Ugh. Avoiding Master Kundo,” Shar groaned but she didn’t let it get her down and brightened a moment later. “I was considering seeing if Wat-Sen and Tetrax had joined the festivities but I am much happier that we found you. I do not particularly want to spend the night explaining the flavors of amber ogia dishes to an alien without taste buds.”

“Tetrax does not have taste buds?” Blonko questioned, raising an eyebrow. He hadn’t known that.

“He is the crystal one, correct?” Rayona noted. “It makes sense. But I am happy to have found you as well, Shar. My father asked me to watch my brothers this afternoon. I am more than ready to spend the night with people my own age.”

“That is fantastic,” Shar replied before a she smiled knowingly and elbowed Rayona in the ribs. “Though I may disappear later to keep Magister Wat-Sen from eating the entire harvest. I am sure you will enjoy the time alone. The two of you. Together.”

Rayona’s face flushed while Blonko stifled a groan. His sister was not subtle, though he doubted she was trying to be. Rayona stuttered and began to reply but was interrupted by a loud noise followed by a tremor rippling through Revonnah’s surface. “What was that?”

“I am not sure,” Blonko replied, craning his neck in the source’s direction to try to get a look at what was happening. The other villagers began drifting towards the edge of the clearing, curious about what was happening. Right now, Blonko could just see a large mass sitting in the dirt at the entryway. He wondered, for a moment, if space debris had somehow fallen into the village but had to dismiss the theory quickly. The mass was moving. Rising.

“People of Revonnah,” a deep, throaty voice growled as the figure unfurled, rising up to full height. “I am Vilgax the Conqueror. I have come for the Omnitrix.”

Blonko’s eyes widened at the sight of the man. Tetrax had told him about him, of course, but never in his wildest dreams had he ever imagined the alien looking like this. He was tall, taller than any Revonnahgander Blonko had met, and bulkier than Tetrax himself. And his skin, it was greener than Antigravitesla’s and rubberier than Tidetail Wave’s, not to mention all the tentacles dangling from his face or the armor covering his massive form. Blonko had spent many nights wondering if he could face Vilgax if he came. One look at him and Blonko was pretty sure the answer to that question was no.

“Alien!” a voice barked in disgust. Blonko turned to see Kundo approaching, tossing off his dress shirt and shifting into a combative stance. “You are not welcome here.”

Vilgax eyed him, unimpressed. “My bounty hunters told me about you. You gave them some trouble. I promise you, you will not have the same results with me.”

“We shall see,” Kundo said threateningly and flew at the warlord.

Vilgax took him out with one blow.

Blonko wished he’d spoken up and told Kundo to start off with the Stone Cutter. Even if it didn’t do anything to the Omnitrix, it could’ve done some real damage against Vilgax. But no, he’d started off like he was fighting a Revonnahgander and Vilgax’s fist knocked him out of the air like it was nothing.

Kundo seemed fine for the most part, the wind was just knocked out of him, but Vilgax pinned him down with a monstrous hand and glared into his beady eyes. “I will ask again. Where is the Omnitrix?”

Kundo spat in his face. “I do not know what you speak of but our village will never surrender to alien invasion.”

“Then I will raze it to the ground and pluck you off one by one until the Omnitrix bearer steps forward,” Vilgax declared, tightening his grip around the aging warrior. Kundo cried out and Blonko heard his bones creaking. Blonko knew Vilgax would do more if he didn’t get what he wanted.

“Stop!” Blonko called, stepping forward before Vilgax and his entire village. “It is me. I am the Omnitrix bearer.”

“Big brother?” Young One questioned from where he was still sitting atop his father’s shoulders. Confused murmurs rippled through the rest of the crowd. Faintly, Blonko could hear Shar and Rayona begging him to stop what he was doing but Blonko didn’t back down.

Vilgax released Kundo and the man began coughing. His wife ran to his side in a heartbeat but Vilgax ignored them. He took his time approaching the young Revonnahgander. Blonko tried not to flinch as the alien towered over him. “Show it to me.”

Blonko held up his wrist, making sure to flash the green Plumber symbol on the front. He started to speak but Rayona was suddenly in front of him. “He is lying! He got his hand stuck in a trap at the beginning of harvest season. That device is no-”

“Out of my way, girl,” Vilgax snarled and batted her away like a gnat.

“Rayona!” Blonko cried out. He’d already revealed himself! No one was supposed to get hurt. Shar broke from the sidelines immediately to check on her so at least there was that but Blonko was still pretty upset. “Why did you do that?”

Vilgax didn’t dignify the question with a response and reached out, clasping Blonko’s wrist in his hand. Da shoveled Young One off to Bralla and stepped forward. “Blonko! What are you doing? Do not be a sacrificial fool!”

Vilgax chuckled. “You really don’t know what this is, do you? How about I show you?”

Blonko’s eyes went wide and he began shaking his head in fearful protest but Vilgax’s claw was already scraping the dial. He felt the selection menu pop up, Vilgax’s finger came down, and the light of the transformation consumed him. His body grew large and his belly bulged. Heat rushed through his body, an unfamiliar sensation but one he understood, and armor appeared on his body. Oh, of all the aliens, why did he have to pick this one?

“Archfiend!”

The purple skinned demon warrior stood before the village in all his grotesque glory. The villagers screamed and the children shied away from him, hiding behind their parents’ legs. Archfiend looked down in shame but he couldn’t help but glance up a moment later, searching for his loved ones’ reactions. Shar was unaffected, of course, but the same could not be said for the others.

Da looked shocked. Eyes wide, mouth open, hands slack- Archfiend had never seen him like this. It would be unsettling if he didn’t know he was the reason his father wore such an expression. Now, it just hurt.

Bralla and Young One looked terrified, clutching each other for support and comfort. Shi and Shim were frozen, as if their minds couldn’t comprehend what their eyes were telling them they were looking at. On his friends and neighbors, more fear. And hate. That stung more than fear ever could.

And Rayona… Oh, Rayona. She looked just as terrified as the night she saw Terrorsaur.

“Monster!” she shrieked and scrambled away from him. Shar tried to calm her down but Rayona’s father was suddenly at her side, pulling her away and curling around her protectively. Archfiend felt something crack in his heart. He knew he’d just lost any chance with her. No, he’d just lost so much more than that.

His village saw his powers. They saw him transform. They saw the monster he could be, the monster he was. They saw the creature who’d scorched Revonnah’s surface down by the lake. The thing that was once one of them but now embodied everything they cursed.

Raw, unparalleled rage filled Archfiend’s chest. Something rumbled deep in his belly and heat spread to his hands. Concentrated, intense heat, just waiting to explode from his fingertips and eternally burn whatever got in its path.

“I already surrendered!” Archfiend howled, flames appearing in his hands as he turned on the invader. He spread his arms, letting the fire flow around him. “You will leave me and my village alone!”

Vilgax seemed to realize his mistake when the spiral of fire flew towards him. He dodged it, throwing himself on the ground in the process, and the blaze blew past him, charring the land behind him. It didn’t even burn. When Archfiend closed his hands, there was no orange blaze dancing through the grass. Just dead, black char.

The attack seemed to spur the villagers into action. All yelling and shouting, they began to flee. Archfiend expected it to hurt but the feeling was little more than a sting in his pool of anger. It was good that they were leaving. That gave him more room to make Vilgax pay.

Vilgax shifted his weight to his hands and struck out with a sharp kick, nailing Archfiend in the knee. He grunted and nearly toppled before retaliating with another blast. This one, his concentration dulled by the pain in his leg, was a bit stunted and his hands sprayed a storm of sparks and embers raining down over Vilgax’s still prone form. The larger alien hissed in pain and got to his feet and away from the attack as fast as he could.

Not wasting time putting distance between them, Vilgax lunged and threw a punch towards Archfiend’s face. Archfiend wasn’t able to lean back much, considering how inflexible his stumpy legs and sturdy body was, but he managed to avoid it. He opened his mouth and let out a stream of fire directly into Vilgax’s hand. This time, his opponent howled and was forced to retreat a few steps.

“Insolent child!” Vilgax roared but Archfiend was still too angry to properly respond. He pivoted forward, angry fingers ready to scorch Vilgax, but the other alien was quick and backed up, managing to avoid the thrust of Archfiend’s palms each time they neared. When one managed to graze one of the tentacles on his face, he grabbed Archfiend’s hand and shoved it downward. The sudden motion caught Archfiend off guard, leaving him exposed and vulnerable. 

Vilgax clasped Archfiend’s hood in his fingers and brought his head down onto his knee. Pain shot through Archfiend’s nose as it was slammed into hard bone. He couldn’t even let out a gust of fire to get away when Vilgax was plunging his throbbing face into the dirt.

“Get away from him!” Tetrax shouted, leaping into the fight. Archfiend didn’t know where he’d been but he was grateful to see him. He flew through the air, crystal growing on his arm, and boxed Vilgax in the chest so hard he was sent skidding, giving Tetrax the chance to help Archfiend. “You okay kid?”

“No,” Archfiend responded as he accepted Tetrax’s hand. The other one, the one he’d punched Vilgax with, was shattered. Archfiend blinked a few times, not believing it. He hadn’t seen that happen. Then again, he’d been eating dirt when it happened. “But I am still able to fight.”

“That’s good to hear. Shar and Wat-Sen are helping the village evacuate but I don’t think they’d be right for this fight anyway. I’m not even sure we’re enough to stand up to Vilgax.”

“You’re not,” Vigax boasted. He inhaled deeply before a gust of wind slammed into Vilgax and Tetrax. Both aliens had powerful builds so they managed to stay on their feet but Archfiend would be lying if he said it was easy. He tried to summon enough fire to push back but any attempts he made were just blasted back. He hoped he wasn’t accidentally burning down his village behind him.

Thankfully, Tetrax didn’t face the same issue. He slammed his hands into the floor, erecting a peranite shield tall enough to block the attack. The moment the blast ceased to be effective, Vilgax cut it off and ran at the pair. This time, Archfiend was a bit more cautious. He was unaware Vilgax had any powers other than enhanced strength and durability. Who knew what other powers he had in his arsenal?

Vilgax jumped over the crystal wall and landed neatly between them. It was a bold move that made Archfiend even more uneasy. Not wanting to hit Tetrax, Archfiend let the heat flow into his hands, supercharging them, and attempted to grab Vilgax by the shoulders as the Chimera Sui Generis began whaling on his other opponent.

Tetrax seemed to be taking the hits well and returning with a few of his own. Both species seemed well-suited for close quarters combat and grapples of strength. Vilgax grunted as Archfiend pressed his scorching palms into his back, a sizzling noise and the scent of smoke arising at the contact. For the most part, however, Vilgax seemed unbothered and seemed more concerned with beating up Tetrax than defending himself from Archfiend. That wouldn’t do.

Spreading his legs into a wider stance, Archfiend wrapped his arms around Vilgax’s ribs. He dug his weight into the ground and lifted the larger alien, trying his best to spin him around and slam him into the ground. Tetrax took advantage of the opening immediately and scored a number of slashes across Vilgax’s front with sharpened hands.

“Enough!” Vilgax snapped as his back hit the ground and red beams of energy erupted from his eyes. Both Archfiend and Tetrax were blown back, though Tetrax’s reflective hide fared much better than the Phantophage’s leathery skin and Archfiend was sent back much farther. Archfiend found himself on the ground past the ring of buildings that marked the center of the village.

With only one opponent to focus on, Vilgax resumed his attack on Tetrax. This time, the ex-bounty hunter was off balance and could do little to retaliate. “Fire! Fire!”

“My fire does not work on him!” Archfiend informed him as he rolled onto his feet and hurried over to help his friend. Curse his short legs! He was so slow. His big belly certainly wasn’t helping either.

“Hellfire!” Tetrax shouted as he raised his arms to defend his face from the onslaught of Vilgax’s claws. The Chimera Sui Generis was overpowering at him. Straddled around the Petrosapien’s abdomen, he had free access to scratch up or punch whatever he wanted and there was little Tetrax could do about it. “I’ll be fine!”

“I do not understand,” Archfiend protested. Tetrax wasn’t making any sense! The phrase hellfire rang a bell in Archfiend’s mind but Archfiend couldn’t recall what he’d been told about that particular aspect of Archfiend’s powers. What was the difference between normal fire and hellfire? Something about intensity? Spirituality? Maybe volume? Archfiend’s mind scrambled to figure it out but Vilgax was finished beating on his friend and was ready to turn on him.

Tetrax groaned as Vilgax picked up his limp form and tossed him aside. Archfiend knew Tetrax was tough and his peranite body could take a lot but it was still scary. That was his friend and the strongest person he knew and Vilgax had just knocked him out and picked him up like one of his sisters’ dolls. Archfiend was… Well, Archfiend was just Blonko in a bigger body that he didn’t know how to use. But he couldn’t give up. He’d already tried that and Vilgax had still attacked.

Archfiend tried his best to call upon this hellfire thing. A blaze flared up from his hands and a stream of flame erupted from his mouth. He put everything he had into it, every ounce of heat he could muster from deep within his body, and sent a pillar of the most intense heat he’d ever created directly at his approaching attacker.

It struck but Vilgax just kept powering forward right through it. Oh, he slowed down and seemed uncomfortable but it was barely noticeable. How strong was he? Maybe this wasn’t hellfire. Nothing about it felt… hellish. Archfiend tried to imagine what made fire hellish and poured more power into his burst of fire but he was tiring quickly and nothing seemed to be working.

Soon, Vilgax was standing right in front of him, getting a face full of flame yet still was unaffected. A hand shot up and fingers curled around Archfiend’s neck, effectively cutting off his fire and leaving the Phantophage choking. Vilgax locked his arm and lifted Archfiend off the ground so his toes were barely brushing the ground. Archfiend tried to summon his fire again but he’d already used so much and it was so hard to focus right now. He tried struggling but his lack of air and balance made his efforts useless.

The Omnitrix chose that moment to time out.

Vilgax grinned in victory at the sight of the Revonnahgander in his grip, looking tiny in his massive palm. With his other hand, he brought a finger to his forehead. Blonko braced himself but nothing he could do could save him from the blow that was coming.

Vilgax knocked him out with a simple flick of his finger.

“Let this be a lesson not to resist Vilgax the Conqueror.”

Chapter Text

Blonko woke in a dark place. He blinked, eyes trying to adjust, and he found it wasn’t pitch black. The lighting was just dim and the reddish walls seemed to blend into the background. It was very surreal. If not for the throbbing in his head, Blonko would have thought this was a dream.

So this was Vilgax’s lair. It seemed so… alien. Unusual. Different. It was and Blonko knew he should’ve expected that. It was just that he’d never really imagined a building could be made of metal or washed with such unnatural colors. The ship he’d flown on during the training trip was one thing and it was quite strange on its own but this was totally different. So much space, such foregin qualities in the air, what a bizarre place.

He was suspended in the air with his hands bound so he couldn’t reach the Omnitrix. His bindings were chain, the metal not softened in the slightest and digging roughly into the flesh of his wrists and ribcage. Disoriented as he was, Blonko couldn’t fully comprehend what was happening but after a few minutes, he realized his hand was still attached to him. That was unexpected.

“The Revonnahgander awakens,” Vilgax rumbled, drawing Blonko’s attention to where the warlord was sitting on the other side of the room. He rose and stalked over. He didn’t touch Blonko but his presence was invasive enough.

“You did not remove the Omnitrix,” Blonko stated, the question unspoken but present. Wasn’t the whole point of this for Vilgax to obtain the Omnitrix for himself? Why hadn’t he removed it while Blonko was unconscious? Why bother kidnapping him? Did he want him to be awake when he removed the Omnitrix? Did he want to hurt him? Would it be painful?

Vilgax chuckled, like he knew something Blonko didn’t and was relishing in the fact. Which he probably was. He seemed like the type. “I have no need for an Omnitrix on my arm. You only tasted a fraction of my power. I am already more than any other. No, a live host would be much more beneficial for my purposes.” 

Blonko tipped his head. Vilgax seemed in a talking mood. Maybe he’d reveal his plans, not that Blonko could do much with them if he knew them. Still, it would be better to know than not. “Why? What use does the Omnitrix have on me instead of you? I will not willingly serve you and I will not break easily.”

“Who the Omnitrix is on doesn’t matter,” Vilgax responded, stepping away from Blonko as if bored. He began tapping at his computer but kept talking. “I merely need to study it.”

That was a surprise to Blonko. “You are a scientist? I thought you were a conqueror?”

“I am,” Vilgax hummed absently. “The best are both.”

That made sense, Blonko supposed, but something wasn’t adding up. “The Omnitrix cannot be used as a tool for conquest. There is only one and it is attached to me.”

“For now.”

Vilgax’s ominous words confused Blonko for a second. Of course it was only attached for now. That’s what Blonko was asking about. Then he realized that wasn’t the part Vigax was responding to. “You are going to create more.”

Vilgax smirked. “You’re slow but you got here. Yes, you’re correct. I’m going to duplicate the Omnitrix and create an army. Imagine, soldiers with the strength of a Tetramand, the speed of a Kineceleran, the versatility of a Flourana, the ability to fly and generate terrifying hallucinations like a Phantasian, the unpredictable intellect of a Planchaküle, the sheer potential of a Volvitras’s orbit and a Phantophage’s spiritual fire, the ability to engage in water combat as a Delphinus, the power to generate even greater numbers with a Somosapien…”

Vilgax spoke like Blonko didn’t know exactly how powerful these aliens were. And, since they were his aliens and not Vilgax’s, Blonko knew the flaws in his plans. Sure, Four Arms was strong. XLR8 was fast. Bloxx and Wildvine would be used in a multitude of situations. Terrorsaur could be brutal. Juryrigg’s creations could turn the tides of battle. Antigravitesla and Archfiend were capable of great power. Tidetail Wave brought a unique skillset to the arsenal. Kringl the Summoner’s elves could be incredibly useful as sacrificial pawns on the battlefield. But they were difficult to use.

Blonko had trained for a whole season and he didn’t know how to use all his aliens. Soldiers would need to master these forms to really be effective and that would require training. Blonko doubted they would have the time to figure it out on their own and it would be near impossible to find consenting teachers from ten different species, especially considering the diversity among them. Fundamentally, Vilgax’s plan was broken.

But Blonko was sure there was something he was missing. Vilgax was smart. He’d gone on plenty of war campaigns before, Blonko was sure. He knew what he was doing and he’d be able to overcome any challenges that came his way.

Vilgax took Blonko’s silence as a victory and continued monologuing. “Fascinating, isn’t it? I will make sure the universe knows it was you who allowed me to conquer it when every alien on every planet hails me as their king. Perhaps a small footnote or anecdote in the history books.”

With that final note, Vilgax turned away and exited the room, leaving Blonko to stew in his thoughts.

It was oddly hot in the room Vilgax had chosen to imprison Blonko. And damp. It made his fur feel sticky and gross. It wasn’t very humid on Revonnah. Blonko wasn’t used to it. Was it getting hotter? If this was torture, it was very unusual but it was working. Blonko was very uncomfortable. He was sweaty which made him slide down a bit in his chains but they were still too tight to wrestle himself free.

Was this going to be the rest of his life? A prisoner on Vilgax’s ship? His Omnitrix tested and experimented on until Vilgax managed to replicate it? What would happen afterward? Would Vilgax kill him? Blonko had so many questions and he wasn’t sure if he wanted the answers.

He tried not to think about it and let his mind wander but thinking about home was almost worse. It still felt like a fever dream. Blonko never imagined he’d be outed in front of his village like that. Maybe Young One would see him transform or Rayona would realize Terrorsaur had been him but never something on this scale. His life could never return to the way it was.

Blonko may never see his family again. And if he did, they would shun him. He had no home, no friends. He may even have to renounce his family name, depending on how strong their reactions were. He’d never work the fields again. He’d never attend another harvest festival. He’d never again walk in the moonlight with the girl that held his heart. He’d never get to tinker with Young One or gossip with Shim or read to Shi. He’d never hear his father’s voice or taste his mother’s cooking. He’d lost everything he held dear.

Blonko regretted the way he spent the past few months. He loved the life he’d carved with Wat-Sen, Tetrax, Shar, and his Omnitrix but that didn’t mean he had to leave his life at home behind. He wanted nothing more than for things to just go back to the way they were. Oh how he wished he’d savored this last harvest season. If he’d known it was his last…

Blonko wasn’t sure how long he spent hanging there in Vilgax’s humid prison but his thoughts began to scatter into a blurry, blended mess. His breaths grew shorter and his head drooped as his head tried. It became hard to distinguish his thoughts but eventually, he managed to pinpoint one that stood out stronger than the others: this was the Omnitrix’s fault.

If he hadn’t gotten curious! If he hadn’t tried touching that chunk of space debris. Then the Omnitrix wouldn’t be stuck on his arm. He wouldn’t have to fight bounty hunters or intergalactic warlords. He wouldn’t have to lie awake at night horrified by his aliens’ powers. He wouldn’t have to keep secrets from his family. He wouldn’t feel like an alien monster.

...He wouldn’t have Tetrax. He wouldn’t be as close with Shar or Wat-Sen. Maybe those were non-negotiable, things he would never give up if given the choice to change time, but he wasn’t really thinking about that right now.

Any future he could have had was ruined. His vision for his life later down the road was always blurry, caught between his dreams of reaching for the stars and his father’s expectations. At the very least, he could always picture a life on his family’s farm tending to the fields and caring for his elderly parents. Perhaps a wife and a child or two. It was the expectation for a Revonnahgander and normally he hated the thought of it but right now, his heart ached for that happy, simple life.

Blonko’s body was growing fatigued from holding it up. He went limp and just let himself dangle, chains swinging him with the slightest movement. His rage quelled as his mind became hazy again and he drifted into the silent flow of misery. He was starting to feel nauseous and tired. He wished Vilgax would just lower the chains and let him lie down. He wouldn’t even try to escape, he just wanted to ease his pain a little bit.

At some point, he started hearing voices. At first, he thought he was hallucinating. He heard a loud crash and suddenly his aliens were around him, talking to him. Telling him nonsense he couldn’t comprehend. And then he noticed he was cooler and he realized he really was hearing voices.

“Is he okay?” Shar asked. Blonko stirred at the sound of it and felt his fur brush the hard crystal of Tetrax’s arms. He’d been carried out. He was free.

Blonko tried to speak but his mouth was dry. Someone passed him a canteen and he began slurping down its contents greedily, not caring that he was spilling water down his front. When he was done, he felt a lot better and he was able to comprehend his surroundings. Tetrax and Shar were there, of course. Wat-Sen was the one who handed him the water. But the fourth figure shocked him. “Father?”

“Oh, my son,” Da spoke, sounding relieved. Tetrax lowered Blonko and let the boy’s father embrace him. It was a surprise to Blonko but a welcome one. Blonko didn’t even care that his damp fur would ruin his father’s clothes. It was nice to be held. To feel loved.

“You are not angry?” Blonko asked, voice barely above a whisper. Why was Da here? The others were expected but his father? His father who was suspicious of everything alien? Who would always take whatever alien technology he found in Blonko’s hands? Who told him that aliens were evil and he must not allow himself to become enamored by them?

Da sighed. “You keep asking me that. I feel that I have failed as a parent.”

Blonko felt a stab of guilt and shook his head. “You are far from a failure. I was the one who did not tell-”

Da shook his head, cutting him off. “No, I feel I am deserving of this reaction. You did not tell me that you had gained these alien powers because you feared my response. I am ashamed to say I likely would have not reacted well. If it had not escalated to this degree, I fear… We can talk about this later. We need to get you out of here.”

Blonko began to nod before stopping him. “What about Vilgax?”

“What about him?”

“Vilgax will just come back,” Blonko said, shaking his head. “I am grateful for you coming to save me but if I return to Revonnah, he will just come back again. We were lucky no one was killed but Vilgax may be less merciful. And there is nowhere to hide. If I try to run, he will only chase me.”

Da looked unsettled. His son’s words were true, as much as he didn’t want to believe them. Shar and Wat-Sen looked at each other, silently asking if the other had any idea what to do. It was Tetrax who spoke. “We’re not leaving you on this ship.”

“But-”

“We’re destroying the ship,” Tetrax declared, getting a surprised reaction from the rest of the group. “Think about it. Vilgax can’t come after Blonko without this thing. Hell, he can’t even hold him here without the ship. We can blow it up and stick Vilgax on a moon or something if he survives.”

“Juryrigg could build another Null Void projector,” Wat-Sen said suddenly. At the Revonnahganders’ confused looks, he explained. “The thing you built to defeat Eighteight and Sevenseven. It’s a portal to a prison in a pocket dimension. You built one before, do you think you can do it again?”

Slowly, Blonko nodded. “I believe so.”

“Alright then, Here’s the plan,” Wat-Sen said, voice taking an authoritative tone as he pulled the group into a huddle. “Tetrax, you do as much damage as you can wherever you think is best. Shar and Da, you try to find the control panel. Either set the ship to self-destruct or find some way to draw Vilgax’s attention. I’ll stick with Blonko and radio you when the Null Void projector’s ready.”

“What do we do when it is?”

“Blonko will confront him. I’ll blast him and Tetrax will make sure Blonko’s out of its range,” Wat-Sen explained, the plan clicking into place before their eyes. “Shar and Da will make sure our ticket out of here’s ready. Got that?”

“Yes,” everyone said in unison. Blonko gulped. A lot of this was resting on him. Fingers going to the Omnitrix, he dialed up Juryrigg and let himself go wild.

“Everyone in position?”

“Yes.”

“Yup.”

“We’re coming your way!”

Blonko pressed his back against the wall, sharp hearing tuned into the light pattern of his sister and father’s footsteps and the heavy stomps of their pursuer thundering after them. Blonko wasn’t the religious type but he sent a quick prayer out to whatever spirits were watching and stepped out into the corridor. 

Da and Shar blew past him, making a break for the landing bay a few clicks down the hall. Green tentacles, bulging muscles, and red armor filled Blonko’s vision. Vilgax was nearly on top of them, far closer than he expected. He slammed his hand down on the Omnitrix and lunged at the larger alien.

One fist hit Vilgax in the face instead of two.

“Antigravitesla?” He looked down at his hands, surprised by gloved hands. This wasn’t what he selected. “What happened to Four Arms?”

Instead of saying something snarky, Vilgax just snatched him off the ground, colossal hands wrapping around Antigravitesla’s waist, and threw him against the wall so hard he didn’t have time to catch himself. Briefly, his eyes met Wat-Sen and Tetrax’s from their hiding place. Silently, they shot him questioning looks. Using Antigravitesla wasn’t the plan. Unfortunately, the Volvitras could do little more than shrug before Vilgax was dragging him away.

Vilgax grabbed Antigravitesla by the foot and swung him through the air before slamming him down like a crazed animal. Antigravitesla grunted and tried to generate enough electricity to shock Vilgax off of him but he arcing through the air again before he could. And then again. And again.

By the time Vilgax let him go, he managed to have enough of an electrical charge built up but he was too disoriented to really aim it so he ended up dropping it when Vilgax punched him. Electricity flew from his hands, lighting up the floor and sending sparks everywhere, but Vilgax seemed entirely unaffected. 

Vilgax paused for a moment, looking unamused. Antigravitesla felt his stomach drop. “You don’t know how to use that form, do you?”

Antigravitesla didn’t want to dignify that with a response. Controlling one of the fundamental forces of physics was hard! And he didn’t need to know how to use this alien anyway. This figure was similar to that of a Revonnahgander and that meant he could use his Revonnah Kai.

When Vilgax’s next blow came, Antigravitesla swiftly ducked under it and jabbed upward with his hands, landing a few blows on Vilgax’s ribs. As expected, they didn’t do anything. It didn’t even seem like Vilgax felt them.

Antigravitesla stepped back and weaved around Vilgax’s arm as it swung down. “You really don’t know how to use that form.”

Antigravitesla grimaced before exerting some of his gravitational power. Not enough to risk pulling any of his allies away from their duties or hiding places but enough to tear a scrap of metal off the wall and hurl it at Vilgax. The alien turned, letting it fly by him, before snagging it with his claws and hurling it back at his attacker.

Something clicked in Antigravitesla’s mind that distracted him so much he failed to dodge the oncoming chunk of metal and was slammed into the wall. But that was okay. It was all coming together. It felt like a blindfold was being lifted off his eyes. Vilgax was the perfect balance of strength, agility, and smarts. The reason Antigravitesla’s powers were so uncontrolled was that he wasn’t balanced.

He could feel the gravitational pull of everything around him. He could feel his own orbit. He could feel the electricity buzzing through everything. They all pulled on each other. And it was all his to manipulate as he pleased.

When Vilgax pried the sheet of metal off him and a fist came rushing towards Antigravitesla’s scruffy face, Antigravitesla stopped him. Pulling on Vilgax’s gravity and exerting his own, he managed to freeze the Chimera Sui Generis mid-blow. Vilgax’s expression shifted and his eyes widened in alarm as he realized what was happening. Antigravitesla knew what was happening and a wide grin spread across his face. The next time Antigravitesla threw a punch, he backed it up with a shove of gravity and a pulse of electrical power. Vilgax was sent flying.

The metal creaked as Vilgax’s weight dented it. He wiped his mouth, looking angry. “Good move but it won’t save you.”

“We’ll see about that,” Antigravitesla replied and pulled Vilgax threw the air into another electrified fist. Unfortunately, Vilgax was expecting it this time and lifted a foot to bat the hand away before it could land. He landed neatly and the two started grappling.

Antigravitesla could still use his powers like this. Sure, they worked better at a range but he had control now. Maybe not as good as it could be but it felt like he’d found the last piece of the puzzle that was a Volvitras’s powers. He could exert it in the smallest ways. He could make his blows hit harder, pull back enough so he didn’t feel the full force of one of Vilgax’s attacks, limit Vilgax’s range of motion- It was more than enough to give him an edge. Maybe not overpower him but certainly hold his own.

He started to control the tides of battle and began nudging Vilgax towards the spot he’d marked on the ground as a Revonnahgander. It wasn’t obvious, at least not to someone in the middle of a fight, but Vilgax seemed to sense Antigravitesla was trying to make him do something and became resistant. The smaller alien was forced to use his gravitational powers a bit more than he thought he could afford.

“What is your plan, child?” Vilgax snarled, claws going for Antigravitesla’s face. He leaned back, the Chimera Sui Generis’s claws barely brushing the hair of his mustache. If Vilgax managed to get a grip on that… Well, that would be an embarrassing way to go.

“On your left!” Tetrax suddenly shouted and came barreling out of his hiding place. He tackled Antigravitesla off his feet and let their momentum carry him to the edge of the room that they were using as a battlefield. He pressed a hand against Antigravitesla’s chest just as the Omnitrix began beeping and encased both himself and Blonko in a protective box of crystal. 

Vilgax whirled around, confused, as Wat-Sen stepped out of his hiding place with a large cannon in front of him. “Eat Null Void, squidface.”

“What?” Vilgax roared as the portal opened up behind him. His demeanor changed the moment he saw the red landscape behind him. “No!”

“Oh yes,” Wat-Sen responded, crouching behind the projector. The power of the portal could be felt throughout the room, even where Blonko was. Vilgax was swept off his feet and began clawing furiously at the ground. For a moment, Blonko worried that he’d actually be able to fight it off and crawl over to the Null Void projector and shut it off but a shot of peranite from Tetrax ended that attempt and Vilgax was sent falling into the Null Void.

Tetrax quickly retracted the protective casing once the portal was closed and took off running, Wat-Sen abandoning the projector and hurrying after them. “Shar sent this place to blow.”

“And you’re only telling me now?” Blonko questioned as Tetrax pinned him under his arm to carry him like a bag of grain. His eyes flickered to the Omnitrix. It was still red. If they needed XLR8 to get out, they’d have to wait. “Excuse the contraction.”

“Please hurry! We do not have much time!” Shar yelled as the trio burst into the hangar. She sat at the pilot’s seat of a small ship, Da beside her. Tetrax yanked the door open and threw himself and Blonko in. Wat-Sen joined them a few moments later and shut the door behind them.

“Go, go, go!”

“How does Shar know how to fly a ship?” Blonko yelled as the engines fired up and the ship began pulling out of the hangar. He didn’t actually know how long they had but everyone else seemed frantic so yelling felt like the only appropriate response.

Tetrax cursed in a language Blonko didn’t understand and hurried up to the pilot’s panel. He began hitting buttons and the ship took on a burst of speed, shooting out of the hangar doors the moment they opened. A few moments later, Blonko heard an explosion and an alarm blaring. He hoped they were far enough to escape on time.

The landing was rough. More than rough. Half controlled by Shar and half guided by Tetrax, it was not pretty. The explosion rocked the ship roughly and apparently Tetrax didn’t know how strong Revonnah’s gravity was without an automated guidance system. Da thankfully had a seat and was strapped in but Blonko and Wat-Sen were being thrown all over the cargo area in the back. 

But, they made it. That was what mattered. And they managed to land pretty close to the village which was a bonus.

The ship was totaled so Tetrax had no problem punching through the windshield. He climbed out before offering a hand to Shar and then Da. Blonko and Wat-Sen climbed out a moment later, Wat-Sen wheezing a bit more than he should.

“I think I’m taking a vacation after this,” Wat-Sen commented once his feet were on flat, solid ground.

“You deserve it,” Shar responded. She ran her hand through her hair and over the fur on her face, partially to neaten it and partially to make sure everything was there. “We all deserve it.”

Blonko let out a long breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding as the weight of everything hit him. He’d had the chance to ponder it a bit during his imprisonment on Vilgax’s ship but his thoughts had been too unclear to be meaningful. Now, he realized exactly what had happened.

Vilgax the Conqueror attacked his village. One of the most feared aliens in the galaxy. And Blonko had defeated him. In the process, the village learned of his alien powers. That… What could he say about that? How could he possibly comprehend the magnitude of that? Vilgax’s attack had changed Blonko’s life forever.

The villagers had seen the ship coming down and slowly began to trickle over the hillside to the landing spot. Blonko watched them until they came close enough to see their faces. They were guarded and untrusting. Blonko expected that but it stung. He searched the crowd for his mother and youngest siblings but he couldn’t find them. Instead, his eyes met Rayona’s. She looked away quickly. That stung too but Blonko dismissed it quickly. He had bigger things to worry about than crushes and girls. Like whether his village would reject him or not.

“Brother! Father! Sister!” Young One’s voice cut through the silence. The tiny form weaved through the mass of villagers and bundled into Blonko’s arms. “I was so worried! Father would not let me come even though he let Shar go. I thought the evil man had eaten you!”

“I would not let him eat me,” Blonko soothed, somewhat comforted by his brother’s childish concerns. He was worried and scared, which Blonko regretted being the cause of, but at least he didn’t really understand what had happened. That was good. No matter what happened, he wouldn’t lose his brother.

“You were supposed to stay in the village with your mother and sisters,” Kundo said sternly, stepping forward. His face was tight with disapproval and his eyes were sharp with suspicion. Another time, Blonko may have thrown himself on his knees and begged for his forgiveness and mercy but Blonko had long since stopped considering Kundo his master. Tetrax was more of a teacher than he was and Wat-Sen was more of a mentor than he’d ever been.

Young One stuck out his tongue, making a few of the villagers gasp. “You are not my father! You cannot tell me what to do!”

“You should have stayed in the village,” Da murmured, putting a hand on Young One’s back, “but I am happy to see you. I am sure your brother is as well.”

Blonko ran his fingers through Young One’s hair, silently telling him he was. He turned to Kundo, confidence welling up in his chest. He’d just defeated Vilgax. He could stand up to a simple Revonnahgander no problem. “Was there something you wanted to say to me?”

Kundo lifted his chin. “You are an alien. Your friends are aliens. Aliens are not welcome in this village.”

“You can’t do that!” Shar cried. “Don’t forgive the contraction! I mean it! Blonko was your student! He is one of the village! He is still the same Revonnahgander he’s always been. You c-”

“Shar, let it go,” Blonko told her softly, putting a hand on her shoulder. A humble feeling set in his belly. “Yelling will not change his mind.”

Shar whirled on him. “Do you not want to stay here?”

“Of course I do! But Kundo cannot decide that.”

“I’m afraid the decision wasn’t solely Kundo’s,” Tetrax murmured. Blonko opened his mouth to ask what he meant before remembering the looks on his friends and neighbors’ faces. They would never see him as one of them again.

“I’m so sorry, kid,” Wat-Sen apologized, rubbing the back of his neck and looking down. “I can’t help but feel like this is my fault.”

“It’s not,” Blonko told him quickly. “Do not believe otherwise.”

“What will you do, big brother?” Young One asked, looking up from Blonko’s arms with wide eyes. Blonko started to answer but trailed off. He didn’t know. All he knew was this village. What lay beyond…

Thankfully, Da seemed to have the answer. “Perhaps it was time I agreed to let you apply to the Plumber Academy, my son.”

Chapter Text

“Are you sure you’re ready for this? You don’t have to get out of the ship if you don’t want. You could always stick with me. I think you’d make a damn good bounty hunter.”

“...No. Thank you but no. I need to do this.”

“I understand. Don’t be afraid to call. I better be hearing from you once in awhile, kid.”

“Of course, Tetrax. And thank you. For everything.”

“No problem. Good luck out there.”

Blonko slid out of the bay into the hangar, not allowing himself to look back at Tetrax’s ship. Looking back would mean… He couldn’t think about that. There was no back. Only forward.

There were plenty of other aliens undocking in the hangar. Blonko was the only one with his own ride. He hoped they wouldn’t think him strange because of it. Who got their own ship on their way to the Plumber Academy? The wealthy, probably. Brallada, he didn’t want his peers to think he was some elite snob.

There were a dozen or two ranked Plumbers standing around the edges of the hangar, greeting the oncoming students. A few held signs in various languages to find a particular student but Blonko didn’t need a sign. He knew exactly who he was looking for. “Xylene! Bahrvad!”

“Welcome, little Revonnahgander,” Bahrvad rumbled in greeting. He looked pleased to see Blonko. Blonko, surprisingly, had to say he felt the same. It was nice seeing the Tetramand after all this time. “I’m glad to see you here.”

“I am glad to be here,” Blonko responded, no matter how true or untrue that statement was. He wanted it to be true. Afterall, this had been his dream for so long. 

“You’re of special interest to the Magistrata,” Xylene told him. She tilted her head, prompting them to start walking. “Bahrvad and I have already spent a considerable amount of time studying and caring for the Omnitrix. You could say it’s our specialty. We’re not going to stop now.”

“So you are going to stay on the base with me?”

“Not with you,” Xylene corrected, “but close. We’ll be keeping an eye on you. And, when it doesn’t interrupt your studies, tutor you on the abilities, biologies, and cultures of the aliens in your Omnitrix.”

Blonko nodded, trying to keep his eyes on Xylene rather than the other figures in the hall they were walking down. He could hear commotion up ahead. “Tetrax started on that. I enjoyed it.”

“No offense to your friend, but he’s a lowlife,” Bahrvad responded, crossing two of his arms. “We’re Plumbers. We’ve got access to all kind of information and resources he doesn’t.”

“Now, Bahrvad,” Xylene chided, “just because Tetrax isn’t a Plumber didn’t mean he did a bad job. I’m sure he learned plenty about Blonko’s aliens firsthand. I’d bet he knows things about them that even we don’t.”

Bahrvad grumbled in response, not seeming to want to continue the conversation. Blonko took the chance to speak up. “Will I be distracting you from your duties? Surely you have better things to do.”

“Kid, we’ve spent decades devoted to this thing,” Bahrvad replied, jabbing a finger in the Omnitrix’s direction. “A couple years is barely a scratch on that and a couple years grounded are more than welcome.”

“We will have to leave from time to time. Not for awhile, not until you’re settled, but it will be something we’ll eventually talk about. That means you should keep a low profile regarding your abilities,” Xylene told him. She paused, eyeing the Omnitrix. “Though I see you’ve already taken care of it.”

Blonko felt a flash of embarrassment and subconsciously fingered the colored tape covering the symbol on his watch. He’d asked Tetrax to cover it on the way here. He wasn’t ready to say goodbye but he wasn’t really ready to deal with it either. Besides, he wanted to join the Plumber Academy as Blonko, not Bloxx or Tidetail Wave. “It has the Plumber’s mark on it. I thought… Well, I’m not even a cadet yet.”

If either alien smelled the lie, they didn’t show it. And they were nearing the end of the hall anyway so they didn’t have much of the chance to say anything if they wanted to. “Well, we’re here. Enjoy your orientation, Blonko.”

Bahrvad pushed the hallway doors open and Blonko stepped into the sea of noise, color, and aliens. It was overwhelming for a moment, so many people all in one place. The fact they were all different species didn’t help his panic much either. He glanced back at his overseers. Bahrvad gave him a nod while Xylene offered an encouraging smile. Blonko took a deep breath and waded into the auditorium. 

It was bizarre being among such diversity. There were a lot of little grey aliens running around, so many that he needed to watch his feet. The black and white ones were big enough that he didn’t have any trouble avoiding them but he still kept an eye out for them. He saw a few other cat-like aliens and a couple species that looked like they were made of plants.

He recognized a few aliens. He saw at least a few members of XLR8’s species and a couple Petrosapiens. No one looked like Antigravitesla or Archfiend or Bloxx, which was kind of surprising. Tetrax had mentioned they lived far from Revonnah but he’d somehow been expecting to see them here. They seemed like they’d make good Plumbers. But he saw more than a few Tetramands. They were, mostly, the ones he was drawn to. They were easy to spot with their muscular limbs and bright red skin. None of them quite looked like Four Arms, more variations in body type between them but it was enough for Blonko to feel a connection.

“Hello,” Blonko greeted, approaching a Tetramand. It seemed to be what the others were doing, walking up to each other and engaging in friendly conversation. Blonko wasn’t the social type but he knew he had to make some friends today or it would be a rough couple years.

The Tetramand turned and raised an eyebrow at him. “What are you?”

“Pardon?” 

“What are you? A Citrakayah?” the Tetramand asked. Blonko opened his mouth to respond but an arm was coming at him before he could easily blink. “Dodge this.”

Blonko ducked and managed to avoid it but not because he was particularly fast. The Tetramand didn’t really seem intent on hurting him. Still, it was troublesome. “What was that for?”

“Not fast. Not a Citrakayah,” the Tetramand mused. Blonko didn’t know what he meant. Was Citrakayah a species of alien? Maybe a rank? 

“Leave him alone,” another Tetramand said, coming over. He looked down at Blonko. “Not everyone here is a warrior. What are you, a merchant’s kid?”

Blonko shook his head. “A farmer.”

If this second Tetramand looked nice, it quickly became clear he certainly wasn’t. He threw his head back in a deep laugh, slapping his belly in the process. “A farmer? Did you guys hear this? A farmer!”

Blonko hadn’t realized how many Tetramands were nearby but the eruption of laughter certainly told him. A flash of sadness washed over him and he ducked away from them, trying to put as much distance between himself and the Tetramand group as possible. He didn’t think they’d be so unkind. What was wrong with being a farmer?

His eyes went to the Omnitrix, not for the first time. How easy would it be to just rip the tape off and turn into Four Arms? He’d fit right in with them. They wouldn’t even question it. But, he’d decided he wanted to do this as Blonko so he’d just have to try again.

If picking a species in the Omnitrix was no good, maybe picking a species similar to his own would work better. He’d spotted a number of feline species around. He pinpointed one, an orange furred creature with stripes a bit like his own, and put his most friendly smile on. “Hello!”

The feline alien didn’t respond nearly as well as he hoped. “You trying to start something, furball?!”

Eyeing the alien’s long teeth and flying spit, he made the executive decision to turn around and get away from the tiger as quickly as possible.

“Watch it!” a voice from below snapped as Blonko hurried away. Blonko looked down and realized he nearly stepped on one of the little grey aliens.

“Forgive me,” Blonko apologized quickly. “I did not see-”

“You still talking to me, dummy?” the tiny alien interrupted. “Don’t you know Galvans are the most superior species here? I can’t be seen talking to you. Scram!”

Blonko was so startled he ended up running to the edge of the auditorium. He leaned against the wall, suddenly realizing his heart was pounding against his chest. Apparently the encounters had shaken him up more than he thought.

He glanced at the gathering almost sadly. There were so many aliens here and yet none of them wanted to talk to him. Everyone was grouping up with their own species. Such diversity and everyone wanted more of the same? He hadn’t expected the Plumber Academy to be like that.

Maybe it was just him. He spotted a blue insect-like alien that seemed to be the only one of his species here. He seemed to have no problem fitting in with the others. In fact, the others seemed fascinated by him. Blonko felt a beat of jealousy. What did that guy have that he didn’t? Wings? Terrorsaur had wings. So did all those little fairy aliens fluttering around. Wings weren’t that special.

Blonko’s eyes searched the crowd, hoping to find anyone that looked friendly, when his eyes met another pair watching from the sidelines.

He was a canine which wasn’t Blonko’s first choice. His fur was a deep gray, a color rarely seen among Revonnahganders. His tail was as bushy as a bi'nthaks. His snout looked kind of mean though. His eyes, at least, seemed nice. Blonko could see unease and uncertainty in them and maybe even a little bit of fear. It was like they were reflecting his own feelings.

The canine started forward then hesitated. Blonko blinked but didn’t let his eyes leave the figure. The canine put a claw to his muzzle, pondering, before starting forward again. “Um, hi.”

“Hello,” Blonko greeted and offered a hand. It was a greeting he had learned on the way here. He hoped this canine knew it as well or he would look silly. Luckily, the alien seemed to know what to do and shook it. In fact, he looked relieved.

“I, uh, noticed you were having a hard time meeting others. I am too,” the canine admitted. He scratched one of his pointy ears and looked away. “I’m a Loboan. From the Anur System, if you’ve never heard of us. You probably haven’t. We’re kind of isolated. The rest of the universe doesn’t like us much. I’m probably the first of my species in ages to leave home which is why… Well, um, I’m Scout, by the way. Scout Alazraqui.”

Blonko smiled. Scout’s nervousness was a comfort and even a bit endearing. “I am Rook Blonko. I am from the planet Revonnah. It is a farming planet that does not take well to outsiders. I suspect that is why the others here are so…”

Blonko trailed off but he didn’t have to finish his thought. The look on Scout’s face told him he understood. “It’s nice to meet you, Rook.”

Blonko opened his mouth to correct him but he decided against it. This was a step forward. His chosen name was still near and dear to his heart but maybe it was time for some change. Brallada, he knew he needed one.

“It is nice to meet you as well, Scout,” Rook replied with a smile. Scout’s tail began wagging. “I believe we will be good friends.