Author's Note: I own nothing.
44 Key
The man who dove into Kevin's car at the highway patrol to escape the DNAliens there was ordinary, or at least appeared to be. But he knew quite a lot about the DNAliens, almost too much. He'd managed to get an oscillator key away from a nest of Highbreed. But he had no memory except of his name and the fact that he probably played the base. It wasn't until she saw the wreck of that Jen put two and two together. Once they'd driven off the DNAliens guarding the key Jen turned her attention to the cab of the truck.
She was still listening to Tyler, the Highbreed needed the key in Los Soledad. The arch was some kind of Gateway nearly ready to bring forth an army of Highbreed, a full fleet ready to mow down humanity. It was not good news, but something here didn't add up. The cab of the truck was wrecked nearly beyond recognition. She turned back to Tyler. There wasn't a scratch on him.
"You sure know a lot about what they're planning." Gwen's statement was laced with a small amount of suspicion. Jen hopped off the wreck of the cab.
"Yeah I think I know why. You said you crashed this?" She asked, stepping over to Tyler as he nodded looking confused but hopeful.
"Yeah. Why does that…" Jen interrupted him by reaching up and peeling off the ID mask off his face as Gwen gasped and Kevin swore.
"You're a DNAlien. No way a regular human is walking away from a wreck like that." Jen said tossing the ID mask to Kevin who just barely caught it.
Before Tyler had too much time to freak out they were attacked again and this time it didn't go so well. Given the split second choice between saving Tyler and saving the key Jen took a chance. She managed to get a single shot off from Jetray's tail as the door closed but there was no way of knowing if she'd actually hit anything. She adjusted Tyler and went in for a landing.
When the four of them were once again standing on the ridge where the truck had been Kevin and Gwen shook their heads at her.
"Not so sure I agree with your decision there Jen. No offence Tyler but one life against the world isn't much of a competition." Kevin and Tyler nodded.
"No sacrifices." Jen said it with finality. "We've seen how that path ends up and I don't like it." Tyler collapsed to his knees, head in his clawed hands.
"You'd rather save a monster than the world. I'm doomed anyway!" It was Jen's turn to shake her head.
"She that's what you don't get." She reached out and the Omnitrix beeped.
"Genetic damage detected. Attempt to repair?"
"Yep."
This time it was much, much faster Gwen noted. It took only a moment for the Xenocyte to fall into Jen's hand, blackened and dead as the DNAlien skin sluffed off. Tyler was left looking much like he had with the ID mask on. Gwen smiled as she pulled a compact mirror out of her purse and handed it to him. He blinked at his reflection.
"How?" Jen shrugged.
"I'm good with DNA." Kevin shook his head.
"What now?" Jen took a deep breath.
"Now you and Gwen go check on Cooper. See if you can't do anything to speed up his timetable. Drop me and Tyler off at Ed's. I'll take him to the Hole. You still remember what you saw at the nest?" Tyler nodded looking determined.
"Any way I can help!"
"I was hoping you'd say that." Kevin nodded again as Jen turned to them. "As of right no we're all on high alert, let the others know. There's a war starting any day, we need to make sure we win it."
Jen unlocked the door to the mechanics shop with the key Ed had given her. Tyler looked confused.
"You work here?" Jen shrugged, locking the door behind her before leading him to the hidden elevator.
"Sort of." She stepped into the elevator and motioned him inside. When they reached the bottom she spoke. "Clearance allowed, status witness. Name Tyler. Access code one-zero-six-five-seven-eight-zero-one."
"Access granted." A computerized voice spoke and lights came up as Tyler stared around.
"Welcome to the Hole, currently the only operating Plumber Base on Earth." It hadn't been the only one when Jen was a kid, Mount Rushmore had been reactivated after she got the Omnitrix but after she gave it up alien activity went back to here and there and mostly harmless. The base inside the monument had been shut down not too long after she turned twelve. Tyler raised an eyebrow.
"Plumber?"
"The highly ironic name of an organization of space cops." Tyler laughed lightly as Jen led him away from the main console room. She took him down a maze of hallways to a room that very much resembled a break room in an office building but much more comfortably furnished. The couch was large and comfortably plush, there were a few armchairs and a fridge alongside a sink and cabinets.
"Grab a seat. I'm gonna make some tea, you want anything?" Tyler laughed a little nervously.
"It's not like, some alien mix right?" Jen shrugged going through the boxes on the shelf.
"Well if you're feeling adventurous we do have some of those. Spraigant, I know I'm saying that wrong. Something called Amber Ogia… But I brought some. Chamomile, rose, ginger and green tea."
"Green tea please." Jen nodded and set an electric teapot to boil. Once the tea was ready she set it on the table in front of Tyler.
"Sorry all we have is honey." She set a small plastic bear next to the tea with a plastic spoon. He nodded.
"No I appreciate it." He poured a few spoonful's of honey into his tea. Jen set a small silver device down in front of the mugs between the two of them.
"That's a recorder so we don't have to write everything down. Do you mind?" Tyler shook his head. "Good." She flicked a button Tyler didn't see on the side of the recorder.
"If you could tell me everything you know, anything you remember about your time as a DNAlien." He nodded. His account was detailed and long. Between the two of them they went through two pots of tea before he even reached overhearing the Highbreed talking about the planned invasion of earth. He glanced at Jen and she nodded for him to keep going. He did, going through everything he remembered from that day. When he concluded with Jen curing him she nodded and flicked off the recorder.
"Thank you Tyler." He looked down at the dregs of his tea.
"I wish there was more I could do." Jen shook her head.
"You've done more than you know. Let's get you home." He nodded. As it turned out he had a girlfriend who had been running around frantic trying to find him for the last three weeks. She was more than happy to come get him. Jen waved as the car pulled away. She hoped Tyler would be ok, she'd noticed him subtly checking for an ID mask, running his fingers across her cheek. Well at least he hadn't manhandled her face like he'd done in Kevin's car when they'd first picked him up. She'd given him her number just in case he ran across anymore trouble with aliens.
She went back into the Hole and connected the holo-recorder to the mainframe.
"Upload this to my DNAlien file and open a new log in that file. Mark it urgent and sent the whole pack to the Magister." She turned to the computer with the built in camera and nodded.
"Magister. That conspiracy my grandfather was looking into, the one got Magister Labrid killed. They're nearly done with their plan. They have possession of an oscillator key. They're building a hyperspace jump gate in Los Soledad. They're planning on bringing the Highbreed fleet through it and wiping out Earth. I need all the help I can get down here. Contact me through Gwen or Kevin's badges as soon as you can. I'm attaching testimony from a cured DNAlien. Please don't blow me off about this, there are millions of lives on the line." She sent the message along with the DNAlien file. She honestly wasn't sure if the Magister was ignoring her or not these days. He might just be busy. She had a sinking suspicion that was the case. Something Tyler had overheard the Highbreed say was raising the hair on the back of her neck.
"The Highbreed fleet will roll over this world as it will all the others." Earth wasn't their only target. That thought made her stomach twist in fear. How were they supposed to stop an army that wasn't just planning to roll over the Earth but the galaxy, possibly the universe. From what Reiny had said when they were trapped on that desert planet together she could only guess at the scope of the plan. She glanced at photo on the desk. It was one Grandpa Max had brought don here, of him, Jen and Gwen during that first summer they had all spent together.
"Really wish you'd come back with me Grandpa, this is way bigger than we ever thought it was." She shook her head and stood. She needed a smoothie and some chili fries after the day she'd had.