File 3: Confidant Network (In the Know)
You blink awake, your head is very fuzzy. You look around from a prone position. You look like you're laying in the Med Bay from Star Trek. Wait… You feel your face tentatively. Where are your sunglasses?
As you wonder that, a being comes to stand over you, wearing a helmet that covers their whole face. In their hands, is a device that beeps and flickers.
"Hi? Is there any way I can convince you to not probe me?" You ask as calmly as possible.
The figure looks at you, before saying, "Probe? As in…eeew, dude! Nonono! This is scanning for, like…concussions and stuff." It beeped again. "And like, foreign matter. Don't want to bring diseases into a closed air circuit and all that." With that, the being stepped back and took off his helmet…to reveal a pale human face, with a shock of blood red hair and reddish-brown eyes.
"Yeah, sorry about the concussion thing. That one was me. I'm, uh, still trying to figure out the controls on the teleporter." He rambled. "I mean, were you sitting down? Standing up? Because if you were sitting, and your mass was suddenly shifted a hundred miles up, your body would compensate by leaning back and…Oh! Let me just help you up!"
The boy, because what else could he be, helps you sit up. "So, good news – no concussion! So, could you, well, not tell my commanding officer? He thinks I'm a boob enough as is…"
"This is a very weird abduction…" you comment offhandedly.
"A-a what!?" the pale boy exclaimed. "You think we…that you're-! Nonono! We were saving you! Do you not realize you were sitting next to number 18 on the Intergalactic Threats Roster?" The boy posed like he was Superman at that comment, even making his voice slightly deeper. "It was a good thing we came by! Any second he could have woken up and hurt you!"
"SPICER!" A voice calls out over the intercom, making the boy drop his 'powerful' pose to jump to the ceiling. "If the witness is awake, bring him to the bridge already!"
"G-got it, sir!" Spicer saluted the voice box, before turning back to you. "Come on. Ranger Young wants to talk to you. Better follow me." With that, the boy walks out, you following close behind. It's not a far walk as you think, as you pass through some doors…with the watch's symbol on it!
You don't have time to think too much about that, as you enter the bridge…and see the most amazing sight in front of you through the windshield.
Space… you were in space…floating above the Earth.
Spicer leans in. "Amazing view, right?"
You nod, a smile unknowingly growing on your face. "Yeah! That is…not what I was expecting I would see today!" A pause grows between you. "Hey, are you an alien?"
Spicer looks at you. "Huh? Oh, no, it's the pale skin, right? Nah, I'm human...well, mostly. I'm just albino! That's why I can't afford you bringing the plague on board! One wrong germ and I'm…" He slides his finger across his throat while making a gagging sound and crossing his eyes. It's a pretty funny sight.
Despite your merriment, you do reach for your wrist…to find the Omnitrix is still there.
"Expecting the universe's most powerful device to be ripped off of you like some common trinket?" The man behind the control panel casually remarks. "If Azmuth ever made anything so shoddy, he'd never live it down." As the man rose from his chair to greet you, one word came to mind – imposing.
Despite you being taller than him, his very presence was suffocating on a spiritual level. He raises an eyebrow like he can read your mind. "No, I cannot read your mind. You're just very easy to read." As your jaws drop, he walks around you, judging you.
"Hmmm…Trillions and trillions of beings in the cosmos…" He stops in front of you, eyes boring into yours'. "Why did he pick a child from such a small, pathetic world?"
How dare this pint-sized, admittedly threatening jerk think he could intimidate you, after the morning you've had? You plant your feet, cross your arms, and glare right back! The staring contest goes on for a while, Spicer gets a little nervous and sweaty from the tension.
Finally, though, Young smirks slightly. "Hm…maybe there is something special about you…or maybe you're just lucky." He steps back toward a wall with a tube on it. "I mean, how else would you describe where we found you." He taps a panel on the wall…and the tube lights up to show Lensharr, standing and clearly awake…but not moving.
"Is…is he in stasis?" You wonder as you tap the glass.
Spicer tapped the glass, pointing to the blobs of energy around the rock-man's hands. "Energy handcuffs. The perfect way to keep any criminal from escaping. Well, in most cases-"
"Spicer!" Young barked. "We do not give away important information to civilians!"
The pale man jumped but recovered quickly. "Sorry, Ranger, Sir! Won't happen again, Ranger, sir!"
As he rushed over to the imposing man's side, you decide enough is enough. "Ok, that's it! Cut the secret crap! Why the hell do you guys keep saying stuff like you rescued me, or I was lucky!? What did I miss!?"
Young and Spicer exchange looks, before the older man nods. Spicer sighs before clearing his throat. "Well, Control dispatched us to this quadrant when Intelligence revealed Lensharr was in the area. When we came to the planet, it was a simple scan to find him…but when we did, we saw you being held hostage! Although, it was weird that he had fallen asleep in such an open area…"
You roll your eyes. "I was not a hostage, and he wasn't sleeping. I just knocked him out!"
As Spicer's eyes widened, Young just scoffs. "Even with Azmuth's prized possession, I doubt highly you could knock out the 18th most dangerous criminal on the Intergalactic Threats Roster. It's not possible."
You roll your eyes, thinking, 'Clearly, you've never been power-bombed by a Tetramand.' Out loud, you wave off Young. "Look, I don't owe you anything! Just send me back, because I don't want to be part of the dick-measuring contest you are trying to start! And where the hell are my sunglasses!?"
"Do not worry [WAYNE!]. This unit is still on your person." You are startled by the voice you hear, with no glasses in sight.
Meanwhile, Spicer frowns at the abrupt dismissal, but Young just snorts and turns back to the console. "We found you with no glasses. I suggest you hunt for them in the last place we left you. When you find them, get indoors quickly!" He looks back at you, his eyes are now slit like a reptile's. "I suspect all this alien activity is no coincidence." With that, he turns back to the console, tasking Spicer with taking you back home.
You follow Spicer through the halls, a muffled silence between the two of you.
Covering up your mouth with your scarf, you mutter, "Hey, A.I.? Did you hear that?"
"This unit has," the disembodied voice responded. "It has never left your side, and thus, knows of all events as they have happened."
"And the 'alien activity' part?" You grunt.
"That was unsettling. Shall I access all social media and news platforms of Earth through your communicator to discern the meaning of [Ranger Young]'s words?"
"Yeah, do that-"
"Um, are you alright?" Spicer turned to look at you worried. "You're…kinda talking to yourself. No judging, I do that, too…"
"I'm not nuts! I'm just talking to my A.I.-" Spicer looks immediately excited. "Uhhhhhh…"
"You have an A.I.!?" Spicer squealed. "I mean, of course, you do! The most sophisticated device in the known universe – but this! How are you talking to it? Can it remote access the device? You've got to tell me!" Well, he was certainly excitable…
"I'll…tell you what. You tell me who you and Mr. Smiley are, and I'll consider showing you. Deal?" You hold out your hand which he shakes violently.
"Ok! Well, first off! I am Sprig Jack Spicer, fresh out of the Academy! My commanding officer is Ranger Chase young, one of the most impressive Plumbers in the Galaxy!"
You dig a finger in your ear. "Plumbers? The A.I. did mention that…what is a Plumber? Guessing you guys don't unclog toilets?"
Spicer – Jack – laughed it off with a snort. "Plumbers are intergalactic law enforcement. Where a planet is expecting otherworldly company, Plumbers stop 'em up, and bring them down! We're like superheroes – with badges! Cool, right!?"
You snicker at his high-energy nature, as he enters a room with white circles on a platform. "So... High tech space cops who fight aliens? Sounds cool, but I think the Men in Black might sue…" You add with a serious edge, "Plus, seems like you guys are a bit underfunded, understaffed, and unprepared.
That killed Jack's happy mood. "What!? Hey, we-!"
"Came in after I body-slammed a living moon before he made a black hole in the heart of Bellwood, leaving you and Young to mop up?" you add not rudely, but still cutting him off.
Jack crossed his arms becoming defensive. "Plumbers are light around here because there ain't alien activity this far in what HQ calls 'the space boonies.'" He even did the bunny ears as he was speaking.
"So, guess that means you guys don't frequent Earth a lot, huh?" You watch as Jack pats his suit as he looks for something.
"Alien activity is way down from five years ago…ah!" he pulls out a little square tin case. "So, your turn!" You blink at him, as he bounces on his toes. "Come on, come on~! Let me see it!"
"Wait, five years ago?" You puzzle at that; you would have heard about something like the lunar lunatic five years ago! "What happened-"
"SPICER!" The intercom crackled. "Hurry up and send that boy to the surface!"
"Gah!" Spicer jumped, almost dropping his case. He should really switch to decaf… "G-got it, Ranger, sir!" He turned around, grabbed your torso, and physically moved all 6 feet of you ('The eff!? He is way stronger than he looks!') onto one of the white circles. As you look down, he offers you the case…well, the candies inside it…
"Wanna mint?"
Tentatively, you pick one, unwrap it, and eat it… "Huh. Wintergreen."
Jack, who had walked over to the console at the far end of the room. "I find it helps with nausea."
His words register as you hear a humming in your ears. "Wait, nausea from wha-" The words died in your throat as electricity surges through every cell in your body! It feels like you're flying and frying at the same time, with a healthy toss-in of weightlessly being yanked through a straw being sucked on by three sumos!
As you come out of your surprise teleport, the steady taste of Jack's parting gift centers you. As you land back on Earth, you land in a crouch, your fist punching the ground as if you just landed from a badass jump! Oh yeah, that was tight!
As you get up, your phone beeps relentlessly! Guess you've missed a few messages… As you check your phone, you find one voicemail, one text, and one e-mail.
"You have one new voice message. New message: Wayne, it's Lance! Where the hell are you!? A rock guy blows the lab apart, gets pile-drived into the ground by Red Hulk, and you're just gone!? Dude, the teacher's pissing himself! We all got rushed back to school, (CRASH!) – and your aunt was there to meet us! I think she might snap the principal in half! Get here now! (KER-RASH!) End of message."
…Probably should take care of that. As you call Auntie, you open your text message. Oh, it's a message from Gwen – a message from Gwen! She has your number!? "Shit!"
"IS THAT ANYWAY TO GREET YOUR AUNT!?" The roar from the other end of the phone almost made you drop it! Jesus, you think as you juggle the phone in an attempt to catch it, she sounds like a mountain lion! "An attack on your field trip, with all this crap going on around the city, and you greet me with 'shit!' Why of all the-!"
You catch the phone! "Sorry! I'm fine, really! Did not mean to make you worry!"
"Didn't mean to-!" Luna's voice gave out, and silence reigned. You hear her trying her deep breathing relaxation techniques, and a car door close. As she calms down, you glance at Gwen's message: Need to talk. Meet me at Mr. Smoothie ASAP.
In a more even tone, Luna spoke. "Do you realize a Galilean attacked your class and you just vanished without a trace!? Bellwood is in panic mode, and you just…" Her voice gave out again, but this time you hear sniffling…
"Auntie, it's fine," you reassure her. "In fact, you'll be proud to know I beat that bastard to sleep."
Luna, voice a little watery, still spoke with confidence. "Wha…what are you talking about?"
You take a breath and open your mouth-
SKEEEEEEE! Before an ear-splitting sound makes you grab your ears, dropping your phone on the rooftop. What was-!
"Apologies, [WAYNE!]. My protocols were engaged," the A.I. tonelessly stated. "Also, I have completed my search for the 'alien activity,' and am currently sorting it for you to peruse in 15 minutes."
Wishing there was a way to glare at your little personal assistant, you pick up the phone. "Auntie? You there?"
Luna, still groaning from the noise, responded. "Y…yes. What was that…"
"Sorry, but I have to go," You feel bad cutting her off, but at least she knew you were alright. "I'm fine, got out without injury, but I have to call Lance. Bye." You hung up quickly, to turn your attention to the A.I. "What protocol is so important you almost made me deaf!?"
"My creator, Azmuth, was afraid of the day those with impure intentions would one day aim to control the Omnitrix. The very reason I am with you now, [WAYNE!], can only mean his fears have come true. He understood that the secret of the Omnitrix could never be hidden forever, but he did want to make one thing clear to my user: choose wisely who you tell."
That…was a good point; sure, you could just spout off to all of Bellwood your amazing new tricks, but if people Lensharr, or even Young, thought they could do better…they would have a name to the face…
As you make your way downstairs from roof access, you scold your companion. "I get it, the Omnitrix is powerful and dangerous in the wrong hands…but I can't – I won't! – hide it from Mom and Auntie! Besides, I'd never be able to hide it from them – I live with them!"
"Understood, [WAYNE!]. Truthfully, the protocol was only to be used once, to get the message across. From here on, it is up to you to whom you tell the truth." The A.I.'s words were almost sad-sounding, but you decide to ignore that and check your phone – now with a small crack in the screen! – for the e-mail you received.
As you enter the street, heading for the Mr. Smoothie location Gwen pinned in her text, you open your e-mail…to read the most garbled string of numbers, letters, and symbols ever conceived!
"What the heck, I can't read this," you grouse. "A.I., what is this?"
"Scanning, [WAYNE!]." With a small noise like it was a Transformer, the sunglasses folded out from behind your ears to come over your eyes, as it showed the scanning of the e-mail. "There are many configurations, however, it appears to most likely be a frequency. Shall I tap into the broadcast, [WAYNE!]?"
"Just keep it low, don't want people suddenly listening in." You are once more glad you wore the scarf today; perfect for talking into without passersby wondering why you're talking to yourself.
"Activating signal." It turned it on and as you listened to…a string of numbers?
"Okay, somebody pranking me. I'm playing hooky, I've been abducted by aliens, and this morning, I suplexed an asteroid. Now, someone's just trying to bug me." You fume to your only audience.
"Negative, [WAYNE!]. These are coordinates, with a message, all on a loop: We need to talk. Please, come."
You roll your eyes. "Everybody needs me today. They'll have to get in line…"
As you arrive at the outside dining area of Mr. Smoothie, you easily spot Gwen – a redheaded teenager out on a school day? It'd be less obvious if she had worn a hat and trench coat. She spots you immediately and quickly rises from the table. "Wayne! Thank God! I…I didn't know where you were after…well, all of that."
You try for a winning smile but settle for friendly. "I only just got your message…I was held up by some cops, so…"
The poor girl looked rattled at that. "W-what!? Well…I guess everyone's on edge today…seems like the city's falling apart."
Better to steer Gwen onto better straits. "You said you wanted to talk?"
Gwen, sobering up from her worry, nodded but looked around discreetly. "Not here. Over there." She motions to a small alley nearby; before you could respond, she grabs your hand and drags you to the alley. The moment you're inside, she turns to you. "Listen, I need you to promise me something."
You blink at her, still trying to get over the fact she was holding your hand. "Ha-wha?"
"Seriously," she gains a determined look in her eyes. "Can you keep a secret?"
"It's not illegal, I hope." You nod, and she lets go to step back.
"Okay…just…please keep an open mind. And don't scream." You wonder briefly why you would scream, as she points her hand at a garbage can…
-and magenta-shaded energy surrounds it, and it launches itself at you!
You duck, tuck in, and roll out of the path of the smelly weapon, standing back up as Gwen's eyes stopped glowing. She looked at you, shocked and embarrassed. "Oh crap! I'm so sorry! That was…that wasn't what happened before!"
"Before?" It's amazing how nearly being beheaded by your crush puts things into perspective, and dulls the infatuation. "You mean you've done that creepy bullshit before!?"
She flinches a bit, but nods. "…at Billions Tower. When that…creature attacked, he was just tearing up the room, and I…I didn't want everyone to get hurt…I just – it happened by reflex!" Your indignation recedes as you look upon the unimaginable…Gwen Tennyson looking ashamed and nervous.
You suddenly feel like a grade-A ass. "Hey…sorry, for, uh, freaking out. That wasn't cool of me."
Gwen looked at you with watery eyes. "No. It's…I understand. Everyone's on edge today…feels like the world's gone mad…"
As she wipes her eyes, you wonder aloud, "Why…why tell me?"
Gwen pauses at that before she laughs a bit. "You're gonna think it's lame, but…be honest, how often do you and I talk? Like actually hang out in the same place?"
Maybe it's the buzz of ballistic garbage flying at your head, but you decide 'Screw it! Let's do what Lance would do!' "Well, today's the most we've ever talked. Though, I'll admit it's also basically been the best day of my life because of it, so…" You even top it off with a cheesy grin! There's no way this could work…
Gwen just looks at you, before laughing at your antics. You make a note to thank Lance for his awesome advice! That is, once your heart stops fluttering. "God, that's awful!"
You laugh with her, feeling a lot lighter than you felt in a while. "Yeah, I just…took a chance, I guess. T-to cheer you up, of course!" You hurriedly add, to be on the safe side.
"And that's kind of what this is," Gwen said, a small mysterious smile on her face. "A chance. I want to tell my friends…maybe Kevin…but, you and I just don't hang out, so…I had to tell someone because this is freaky, right!? People don't just suddenly start throwing around powers!"
Looking at Gwen's face – and not romantically, for a change – an idea clicks inside your head…a really risky one. "Not that strange…" You say as you lift up your sleeve to reveal the Omnitrix.
Gwen, always observant, sees the watch instantly. "Huh. Some watch. But what did you mean-?"
"A.I., activate." With a single word, the faceplate pops up, the holograms shocking Gwen silent. You smirk at the girl. "So, Gwen, now I have a question for you…Can you keep a secret?"
With that sick one-liner, you slam down the faceplate, feeling that familiar surge of energy from before! Well, not the same – this one feels like it's compacting your form, almost like you're shrinking…In no time, it passes, and as you blink and look around…
Huh, the alley looks…much bigger suddenly…
"What the!?" Ow! And Gwen seems louder! And taller and…hold on…
"What the hell!?" you squeak – squeak!? "This isn't what wanted to transform into! Now, what corresponding detail of my transformation sequence could have caused me to be altered into an unwanted form!?" you end your small rant with a flourish of an accent. Huh?
"Fascinating," you murmur out loud, before looking over at Gwendolyn (because her full name is Gwendolyn Tennyson, and it made sense to address her as such) to address her. "Excuse me, fair lady, would you do me an honor and give this creature a boost?"
Whether she was being polite, or just in shock, Gwendolyn mechanically picked you up. As you literally stood in the palm of your crush's hands, a large number of facts were abundant to you; the soft feeling of Gwendolyn's skin as a sign of good moisturizing, the freckles barely concealed by the foundation as a sign of inexperience in a proper blending of skin tones, the wind's dryness speaking of fall right around the corner.
You push these observations aside, more invested in assessing this mistake in your chosen transformation…again. "A.I., please inform me as to why these conversions to lifeforms I do not request keep happening." It was not a question, because you (somehow) knew the answer and, in all honesty, this was only confirming.
The A.I. responded, "The reasons, [WAYNE!], vary from the first situation. This time, after a scan of the environment, and an analysis of factors [WAYNE!] must have missed, a form that was more inconspicuous."
You nod at the voice only you can hear, Gwendolyn's confusion was clearly written on her face. "I thought as much. Or, well, now am pondering on this detail. This form seems to make me hyperintelligent – to be more accurate, just a smidge smarter than I usually am."
"Affirmative. You have taken the form of a Galvan, one of the most intelligent creatures in the universe. This DNA sample was taken from Azmuth himself."
Whatever else could be said about that new information was halted when Gwendolyn began to talk. "U-uh, Wayne? What…how…have you – have you always been able to turn into a…this?"
"No, Gwendolyn," you turn to address the clearly baffled woman. "This is a recent development. This chain of events started this morning. You see, the watch I was sporting today gives me the ability to transform into a plethora of other lifeforms not found on this world. Although, recently, it does seem like quite a few of them can be found on this world…"
Gwendolyn just blinks at you deliver her this casual explanation of life on other worlds. "Oh. So…aliens are real?"
You nod in the absolute. "Of course, did you think that rogue Galilean was some mutant or a criminal in a rubber mask? Truthfully, and mercifully, they are not all as hostile as he was."
Gwendolyn nodded, though her eyes were still studying you as if trying to see the trick of it all. Speaking of tricks, while a genius-level intellect on hand, now would be a good time to better understand the Omnitrix…
"Hmmm…" you scratch your chin in thought. "The Omnitrix is clearly a prototype. Why was it sent out unfinished?"
"Are you asking me that?" Gwen wondered. "Or…is that a question to yourself?"
The A.I. spoke up. "The full details are not known to this unit, but in observing Azmuth in this unit's early stages, he seemed…unsettled. The creator, in all of this unit's memory, has never appeared anything less than unflappable. That is all this unit can truly speak on the matter."
You smirk; looks like while the A.I. had a few locks on full disclosure, Azmuth left a few holes in the defense. A part of your brain wonders if that was not on purpose… "Also, is there a way to transform without dealing with all these technical glitches? I cannot defend myself from whatever it is that is after the watch if the form I seek is not the one I receive."
"Indeed. The function you are inquiring about is known as the Master Control protocol. Once activated, the user or this device can turn into any sentient lifeform on the active list available with only a thought." Wait, what!? Seriously!? Why not use that from the start!?
Ultimately, the A.I. answered the unasked question. "To prevent others from abusing the full abilities of the Omnitrix, Azmuth had a special code placed onto it, the sequence of which goes as high as 9999999." Oh. That's why.
You sigh, facepalming at such an obvious choice. Of course, Azmuth would have locked the Master Control with a code only he could guess! "…Is there any way at all I can change forms when a mistransformation occurs?"
"The List Function was designed to turn the user into three prechosen aliens. Transformations can be shifted in this way, and there are three lists max to use – Warning: DNA mutation detected." Huh? "Personality of Sample leaking through safeguards. Reverting back to original form now." That was the only warning you got, as a familiar beeping reached your hearing…
"Oh, the indecent act of fornicating with your mother-!" You barely have time to drop the unnecessarily elaborate curse before the transformation drops in a flash of light! "-ing late warning-AHH!" Aaaand that's your drop from higher intelligence. Awesome, just teenage genius again...wait...
As you blink back into thinking with just one brain (wait, you had two brains? It's a little vague...), you take stock of your situation...you're on the ground in a dirty alley-
"U-uh, Wayne..." On top of a blushing red Gwen Tennyson. Erhm, it's a little warm for Autumn, right?
Without Galvan intellect, being this close to your crush is a little...breathtaking. Her deep green eyes, her rosy cheeks dusted with freckles...you just blurted the first thing that came to your hormone-rattled brain. "Hey, did I just fall from heaven, 'cause if so, worth it—!" You catch your words, blushing furiously, as Gwen's eyes narrow. "Wait, no-sorry-I don't know why I said that-!"
The redhead gives you a shove, sending you sprawled next to her. "Yeah, I get it. No problem." Sure felt like one, you think as you rub the back of your head. After sitting there for a bit, Gwen finally looks at you quizzically. "So, you can turn into...aliens?"
"And you can move things with your mind," you smile a bit, revealed to moved past that embarrassing moment. "Like some telekinetic superhero."
"Whoa-whoa-whoa!" she rebuffs quickly. "I'm not some supergirl! When that thing – alien – whatever attacked, I just felt...something inside me, protecting the others! That's it."
You nod at that. "Okay. Don't worry. I won't tell anyone about what happened...not even my mom and aunt."
Gwen smiles, looking like a ton was lifted from her shoulders. "Thank you. And I won't tell anyone about your secrets." She raises her hand to you, pinky outstretched, wearing a wry smile. "Swear on it?"
You meet her halfway and lock pinkies. "It's a deal." You both share a look, an understanding passed between the two of you. Your eyes widen as an idea comes to mind. "Also, if we both trust someone, could we agree to tell them at a later point, or if the situation calls for it?"
Gwen closed her eyes, thinking hard about that proposal. (She is so cute when she focuses like that – no! Bad brain! Focus!) "I'd feel better if we could talk about it...but, when it's really unavoidable, better to ask forgiveness, right?" With a shake to cement the deal, you release pinkies, just as her phone rings.
"Oh, that's probably Mom. Can't imagine there isn't a parent who's checking on their kids right now..." She takes out her phone, but before she answers, she looks at you. "Wayne...thanks for...well, coming, listening, not freaking out. It... that means a lot." With that, the girl of your dreams walks out of the alley, leaving with your secret as you stay holding her's.
Suddenly, you hear a beep. "Excuse me, [WANYE!], but I have successfully pinpointed the reported alien activity across Bellwood."
Oh, right. That and the weird e-mail are still a thing...
"Okay, what's going on?" As the words leave your mouth, the sunglasses grow onto your face. You see a diagram of Bellwood stretched out before you through the lens.
"At the same time Billions Tower was struck, two other incidents occurred." On the map, the museum and the observatory were highlighted. "Which one would you like to hear about first?"
"What happened at the observatory?" The map shifts to show you the observatory. Some footage appears right over the building.
"Some being was able to steal one of the meteorites. Somehow, they were able to draw some form of energy from it." The footage showed a man breaking out of the authorized section, a glove on his hand glowing. When a guard tried to stop him with a taser, the man raised his hand and fired electricity. The guard was hit in the shoulder; he went east, and his arm went west. "There were five fatalities, four of them civilians."
"God..." you breathe. "Where is he?"
"Unfortunately, I was only able to learn this much from hacking into security feeds and police radio." Even the A.I. seemed downtrodden to not be able to provide good news.
"Okay...Well, what happened?"
"He seems to have vanished, at least from any public records. At the moment, the Bellwood Police Department Homicide Unit is on the scene, as well as the Medical Examiner's Office." Mom was there? Right, dead people. Duh.
Speaking of brainfarts... "A.I., can you lead me to those coordinates while you tell me what happened at the museum?"
"Affirmative." With that, one lens switched to the footage of the museum, and the other set up directions via arrows. As you began to walk, the A.I. continued. "At the same time as the other two incidents, a break-in happened at the museum."
As it spoke, the feed showed a grasshopper-like creature bouncing through glass cases, and off of walls. It seemed to be holding something, as it laughed and jumped around the guards. "There was minor property damage, and a few displays were defaced, but little to no individuals were hurt, save for a few glass shards."
"Huh," you murmur as you stop at a crosswalk. "I don't think I recognize that species."
"He is an Orthopterran." The A.I. almost spoke with pride in knowing that. "Beings with incredibly powerful legs and very thick skulls. They are not usually ones for trouble. Though mischievous, Orthopterrans are very rarely criminals."
The light changes and you cross with the rest of the crowd. "Well, there's always one exception. Does their peaceful nature mean I can talk this one down without a Supplex?"
"Perhaps. Many young Orthopterrans are not responsive to authority, but due to your mental maturity level, this being might not see you as a threat." Did an alien watch just call you immature?
"What did he steal anyway?" According to the GPS on these specs, you were right around the corner from your destination. That wasn't too far!
"According to the recordings, he seems to have taken something from the Egyptian wing of the museum." As the A.I. finishes the debrief, you come to some old card shop. Someone from here called you? "Based on this information, what do you wish to do?"
"Well, I'm already here. Might as well, see who went through all this trouble to get my attention." With that, you enter the card shop. It's... exactly what you'd see from a card shop. Shelves of different card sets – Sumo Slammers, Maho Mushi, You-Gotta-Go! - and stands with collectibles.
At the desk, a portly man with glasses was reading some comic called 'Dial H for Hero.' Without looking up, he addressed you. "Hello and welcome to the Shadow Realm. Yes, our bathroom is free to non-paying customers."
Actually, a few of these cards did look kind of neat, and you had been saving up on your allowance... "What cards are on sale right now?"
The man looks up from his comics and blinks. "You... you actually want to buy something? You're not just some punk who's pranking me, again?"
You shake your head. "No, sir. I really would like to see your stock."
The man pauses but laughs through his nose a little before adopting a more composed expression. "Well, right now, new You-Gotta-Go! Booster packs just arrived – new summoning and combining ritual rules for the third time this year – so, we've got a surplus of last season's stock 30% off. Interested?"
You nod. "I'll look at them later. Really, a... friend called me here... in a cryptic matter." You raise your eyebrows a bit as if signaling him to get the hint.
He looks at you, before snorting. "Oh, you mean Starlord? Just go through those curtains, his 'watchtower' is back there on the right."
You can help but chuckle at the handle. "Starlord? No offense, but speaking as a fellow nerd, who would ever come up with that?"
The man laughed lightly. "Yeah, it's goofy, but I've seen the kid play three MMORPGs at once! He practically fixes computers by just looking at them! His name comes from the fact he's light-years ahead of any mere nerd like you and me."
You blink at his explanation. If any of that was true, this definitely sounded like someone who could send an encrypted message to the Omnitrix. With that in mind, you go past the black curtains and find a hub of electronic and digital activity. On the tables, there are unfinished campaigns, duels, and a few spare parts, like Starlord was trying to build something. The most impressive section of the operation was the computer set up at the back wall; it looked like five monitors were set up back there! Starlord was nowhere to be found though...
"This better not be like one of those alien movies where a monster's hiding in the vents or something..." You look at the crafting table and, more specifically, the two pieces of tech on said tables. "Hmm, this one operates like a mini-winch. It interacts with flat surfaces to pull large weights over long distances quickly. At this size, it could only pull a decent-sized person, but a bit larger, it could be good for swift delivery service – even up sheer cliff faces!"
You focus on the second one next. It's a tad trickier, but that's because the wiring's off. If it was finished... "This is... a power disruptor. I think it's designed to analyze energy levels and deliver a polar opposite shock! This stuff is way too advanced to be built in the back of a card shop. Who did this?"
As you think about that, you hear a flush from the other side of the room. A door opens, and a familiar face walks out: Cooper, still drying his hands. He seems to be muttering about something, caught in his own thoughts.
You cross your arms, smirking. The setup, the unbeatable record, the gadgets... makes more sense when you think about it.
"So... Starlord?" Cooper starts at your voice; he really had no clue you were there! "I mean, there are worse names, but... could you have used them instead?"
Cooper ducks his head, blushing. "I, uh, it was... something my mom always called me... I used it once, and it stuck, is all," he barely muttered loud enough to be heard.
You spare him from further embarrassment and move on. "This place is pretty impressive! Like a secret hideout." You gesture to the monitors and half-finished gadgets. "You could make a mint selling this stuff! Patent it, pitch it to investors – totally run Billions out of town!"
He laughs bashfully, his blush increasing. "T...thank you, but I don't think I could be anywhere as impressive as Billions. His creations make me feel like a caveman..."
Considering how much danger Billions' "genius" put the entire class in today, you are in no mood to entertain the idea of that jerk's ego! "No, no way! Give up your pity party, and accept this compliment!"
Cooper's eyes widen at your outburst. "Ah, Wayne-!"
"First of all," you cut off Cooper, resolving to ask for forgiveness later, "Billions is a reckless hack! A gun that literally shoots black holes, no one considers that a group of kids is the last group that should be that close to it and no security!?
"Next thing, he has state-of-the-art lab equipment, and you're building these doodads from – what, scrap and old phone parts? - in the back of a card shop! He has scientists that have been honing their craft for decades! This kind of ingenuity could put him out of business in two years easily! You're like a real-life Jimmy Neutron!"
By the time you finished, Cooper had sunk into a chair and dropped his head onto the table. By the rapidly reddening tips of his ears, he'd probably never been talked up so much before. "T-t-t-t-t-thank... you..." he said in a whispered tone. Maybe give him a rest...
Adopting a gentler tone, you clap your hands for his attention. "So, got your message. Great work, by the by. It was not easy to decipher."
Cooper looks at you oddly, before looking away and getting up. "Right... I'm sure it was... not easy..." His tone clearly indicates he knew something... uh-oh. As he began to fiddle with some scrap, he talked at a mile a minute! "Well, after the room was blown apart – you know, Billions Tower, my EM wave receiver, the one you helped fix this morning, it was picking up a conversation!
"When I tried to focus on it, I realized it was the big red four-armed guy, and I was like 'huh, neat.' But then, the other voice, the not- muscle-y voice, er, female – said Wayne, and I was like, 'hey, I know a Wayne,' but thought nothing about it. Then, the red guy left with the rock guy, and you weren't there, and – and..."
His voice gave out, as he finished creating a toy chopper that hovered gently across the room before the kinetic energy gave out. Finally, Cooper swallowed and inquired, "Are... were you... the big red guy?"
Son of a... So, in one day, four people knew something that was supposed to be a secret on the same day you get said secret... Well, might as well be honest. "Before I say anything, you need to promise, absolutely, to tell no one – not your parents, nor our classmates – no one! Do you understand?"
Cooper swallowed dryly at the serious face you pulled. Regardless, he still nodded his head. "I-I swear! In the name of Nicola Tesla, whatever you say will not leave this room. Wait!" Just as you open your mouth to speak, he walks over to close the curtains, then turns on a modified boombox, that makes a noise like static. "White noise machine. This one plays on several different wavelengths, blocks out bugs and eavesdroppers. You, uh, were saying?"
You blink at his casual explanation, before choosing to handle that bit of brilliance later. You pull back your sleeve, showing Cooper the Omnitrix. "I was the 'big red guy,' but I can be way way more. This is the Omnitrix – it's got a longer name, but Omnitrix works. This watch can turn me into the red guy, the rock guy, and nine other guys! It's a bit random, I wasn't trying to turn into the four-armed dude, and I haven't quite figured out how to turn me into the alien I want, but..."
Cooper blinked like a fish seeing a shark for the first time. For a second, you wonder if he's about to bolt; and he does... he runs right at you, grabs your arm, and begins looking at the watch! "Shift changing? Not possible, no, not at all. Hard light projection? Maybe, but there's no prism in the construction, there couldn't even be a power source that strong, unless! Unless..."
Cooper gasps and steps back. "Ok... don't freak out, but if you are telling the truth... I think that's thing's either alien, or it's from another dimension... It's just not possible any other way!"
You nod. "Yeah, I figured that when I turned into a Tetramand like Mo-!" You cut yourself off with a cough. "I mean, like the model on the watch showed me!"
"And it has an interface!?" Cooper's eyes lit up. "Please! Show! Me!"
You step back from his burst of enthusiasm. "Okay, but make it quick." As Cooper yanks your arm back to look over the watch, it occurs to you there might not be a way to activate it without Voice Recognition-
"Ah-ha!" With a button push, the faceplate popped up. "Neat! Analog interface! Clever design. Low tech doesn't always mean out-of-date."
Cooper continued to look at all the alien forms but froze when he found your new form. "Um, why is the guy that attacked us on your watch?"
You smirk a bit, mutter for the A.I. to prepare the scan feature. Time to pull a little prank... "Heh heh... You shouldn't have done that, Cooper..." you say in your best 'villain' voice, startling Cooper. "For now, you must... Perish!" You give a maniacal laugh as the watch releases its scanning light. Cooper flinches, covering himself as the light rolls over him.
When he realizes he's not 'perishing,' he looks over at you laughing at him. "I'm -hahaha- sorry, man. I couldn't resist!"
Cooper wilts at the joke. "I didn't think that was funny."
The Omnitrix gives off a beep. "Unable to process scan. DNA not able to be cataloged." The disembodied voice said to only your ears.
"Hey, what was the beep for?" Cooper inquired; his face scrunched up in thought.
"It's linked to the light I hit you with," you answer. "The Omnitrix scans DNA, adds it, and I can use it later. Didn't scan you though."
Cooper nodded, scratching his chin. "That makes sense. You, a human, are wearing one. It must have sampled your DNA."
"Negative," the A.I. interjected. "Subject's DNA is abnormal; not viable for cataloging."
You pause at that information. "Omni says your DNA is abnormal."
"Omni?" Cooper questions.
"Omni?" The A.I. also asks.
"Well, I have to call you something, and 'A.I.' is getting dull." you point out to the program.
"...That title... shall be added to this unit's memory," the A.I., Omni, noted, shortly before you and it were besieged by a small, pudgy missile.
"You have an A.I.!? Did you program it yourself!? Can it interact with the Omnitrix!? What a marvelous – wait." Cooper literally and mentally backed up. "My DNA is... abnormal. What does that mean?"
"Maybe you're an X-Men?" you offer as a joke. Cooper's face doesn't really register the humor of being accused of not being all human. "Um, Omni? Please explain what you mean by abnormal. Now, please."
"Subject's DNA is 85% Terran, but 15% of his sample is Homo Silconus. Neither of these samples is pure enough to catalog for this unit," Omni explained.
"Well? What's going on?" Cooper was tinkering nervously again, making a miniature rotating Eiffel Towel.
"Well... Omni says you're part... silicone, I think?" That's a... confusing visual.
"Negative," Omni rebuffed. "Homo Silconus come from the star system Silcon, where the planets are rich with minerals and ores. Homo Silconi's exposure to these rare ores has permanently altered their brain's output power by a good 50% past most beings, making them one of the five smartest species in the known universe."
"Part... Silicone?" Cooper frowned as he sat down. "What could that mean?"
"Actually, sounds like you're just smart. The species name is named after their star system," you mention casually, which only makes Cooper go pale.
"S-star... system...?" he croaks out.
"Yep, you're only half-alien," you smile good-naturedly and pat him on the back. Cooper falls face-first out of his chair in a dead faint.
A/N: Phew, this is long! Looks like I can only release this one in episode-like formats. Looking over this again, it's hard to believe that all of this is happening within the perspective of one day for these characters! So, have a comment? Feel free to leave it!