Scout found he rather liked Revonnah.
He never really got the hang of how time was tracked here but the harvest had gone off to a good start and they were nearly half done. Bahrvad and Xylene didn't go to the fields every day but Scout and Rook did whenever they could afford to. Scout found the work satisfying. Kind of gross though. He was always getting dirt under his claws and Revonnahganders were so sweaty all the time. But still satisfying. He wondered if the Revonnahganders felt the same way. Were they happy to see the literal fruits of their labor after a full year of work? Or was this just another step for them?
He spent more time with Rayona. He never brought up the conversation he'd had with Imber Bauza. He tried not to bring up Rook at all. She was fun though. Scout hoped when all this was over, he could say he made another friend. Luna Lobo knew he didn't have many.
Shar, he was fairly certain, he could call a friend. She was always with them, probably even more involved in Rook's training than he was. Scout was always curious about Rook's aliens but he never wanted to overstep. Shar did not have this problem and they all ended up learning more because of it.
When they weren't working, they kept looking for muroids. They didn't see any more signs of them though, even with Xylene and Bahrvad's help. Scout hoped that the bounty hunters had just decided to quit after getting caught but he doubted that was the case. These were bounty hunters, afterall. Their kind had a reputation for being stubborn.
But that was okay. Things were peaceful for now. Scout liked it that way.
It was night. At the moment, he, Rook, Shar, and Ship were sitting atop Wat-Sen's mountain. Scout had never been up here. Loboans weren't really designed to be climbing like this, not like Revonnahganders were, but he found all the effort was worth it. It was beautiful up here.
Moonlight washed the world from the mountaintops to everything beyond. Scout felt like he could see everything in a whole new way than he could during the day. During the day, Revonnah was alive. The sunlight was like a gentle, warm blanket over the world, filling the world with this brilliant, energetic spirit. At night, it was calmer, toeing the line between asleep and dead yet still lively. It was like the world had plunged into an ocean and everything was just under the surface, finding peace in the tranquil darkness.
The company wasn't bad either. Scout and Rook could leave whenever they wanted but it was rare for Shar to sneak out with them. And as much as Scout liked it when it was just him and Rook, Shar added something that Scout didn't realize was missing until it was there. Before arriving on Revonnah, Rook, Scout, and Ship felt complete with just the three of them but Shar had wormed her way firmly into the little group. Scout wondered how things would be when she finally went to the Plumber Academy. Would he and Rook already be offworld by then? Would they miss her?
"Would it ruin the moment if I turned into Terrorsaur right now?" Rook asked out of the blue. Scout snorted. Here he was thinking about their future and Rook just wanted to fly.
"Yes," Shar responded, sounding amused, "but not if you give us a ride on your back."
"But Scout is so heavy," Rook complained good naturedly, bumping his shoulder against his friend.
Scout rolled his eyes. "At least I'm not a string bean like you. And I don't need Terrorsaur to fly. I've got Ship."
"Ship?"
"That's right, buddy. You're better than Terrorsaur any day. Or- erm, night, I guess."
"Should we race?" Shar suggested, looking out at the horizon. "Terrorsaur versus Ship?"
"I do not know if I can race with someone on my back," Rook responded but the suggestion had been made and he wasn't getting out of it.
"Come on, brother," Shar teased. She elbowed him in the ribs. "Are you backing down this quickly?"
"You cannot bait me," Rook replied, turning away. Shar didn't move, shooting Scout a knowing look. Scout could see Rook caving before his very eyes. "...But I accept the challenge."
"Alright!" Scout broke into a grin. "You ready Ship?"
"Ship!"
Ship, being the wonderful little Mechamorph he was, knew exactly what to transform into. Jumping on Scout's back, he transformed into some kind of glider. Scout recognized it as the kind natives used to travel across the floating hubs on Terradino. They were pretty good gliders, from what little Scout knew of them. Pretty fast, fairly agile. Fast and agile enough to compete with Terrorsaur… Scout didn't know.
Rook slapped the Omnitrix and the familiar form of Terrorsaur soon appeared before them. He ducked his head down, letting Shar climb up on his back, and flashed a toothy grin. "Ready?"
"Give me a sec to- Wait!" Scout laughed as Terrorsaur suddenly launched himself off the mountain. "You could've- Ship! Don't let him get too far ahead!"
"Ship ship!" Ship fired up the jetpack's engines and Scout was soon jetting after his friend. His flight was a bit uneven, the Loboan not used to using equipment like this, but Terrorsaur's flight was almost just as rocky. He didn't get passengers often, it seemed.
If he thought the view from the mountain was beautiful, it was even more so flying. Scout suddenly understood why Rook liked flying so much. Once they cleared the mountain and crossed the threshold into the open land sprawling below… Well, there was no way to describe it. Scout was even more humbled than the first time he'd gone into space. And that was saying something.
But he couldn't focus on the view for long, not with Terrorsaur still ahead in the race. He realized they hadn't picked a finish line but Scout didn't really care. The feeling of the wind in his fur, the ripples Terrorsaur's powerful wings sent through the air with each beat- It was unparalleled. He wanted this feeling to last forever.
"Wait," Shar called out but neither Scout or Terrorsaur slowed until she said it again. "Both of you, stop."
Ship switched to hover mode, forcing Scout to rear back to keep himself from nose diving into the ground below. Terrorsaur screeched in displeasure as he was forced to slow down. He didn't have the luxury of technology to control his movements so he had to slow down and loop around before leaning back to flap in one place. "What is it, Shar?"
"Look," Shar instructed, taking a hand off her hold on Terrorsaur to point toward the mountains. Scout squinted, unable to make out what she was pointing at. His Loboan eyes were not nearly as sharp as a Revonnahgander's. Ship extended an eyepiece from the glider, letting him get a better look.
"I have eight eyes. I cannot see whatever you are pointing at," Terrorsaur complained, His talons flexed. Scout got the idea he wasn't exactly thrilled about stopping midair. "Just tell me what it is."
"I see… movement? It looks like- like…" Even with the enhancement, Scout really couldn't tell what it was. It was as if the land was moving like the waves in the ocean. Insects, maybe? Or some kind of planetquake? They were- "Oh no."
"What?" Terrorsaur demanded.
"Muroids. A lot of them. It's those bounty hunters again. I think." Scout wanted to pass the eyepiece over to Shar but he didn't think it could come off. "We should- we should- what do we do?"
Terrorsaur seemed unhappy but it was hard to tell with the mangle that was his face. "I am going to drop you and Shar off. You two go after the bounty hunters. I will get Xylene and Bahrvad and fight the muroids if there are any."
"We can assume they have a similar set up as last time," Shar said, voice unwavering even as Terrorsaur began moving again. "They set up a hideout in the caves while the muroids wreak havoc on the village."
"Can you hypnotize them?" Scout asked, following them.
"I do not think so," Terrorsaur answered. His tail lashed behind him, revealing how agitated he was getting. "There are too many. Slapback or Kringl may be better. Funguy would be best but I do not want to risk hurting the villagers or damaging the crops."
"You keep mentioning Funguy," Shar spoke up as Terrorsaur landed. She slid off his back, Scout and Ship touching down beside her a moment later. "Is he powerful?"
Terrorsaur shrugged as he slapped the Omnitrix, turning back into his Revonnahgander form. "Funguy produces potent spores. Usually they just cause people to go to sleep but they have different effects on different species. It is risky to use him but if the muroids get out of control, I will try to box them in with Bloxx then take them out with Funguy."
"Try not to drain your battery too much," Scout told him as Ship melted off his back. "And good luck."
"You too," Rook responded. The pair dipped their heads to each other one last time before parting.
Shar yelped as Scout scooped her up and tossed her on his back like he was a saddle animal. It was a bit humiliating to be ridden like this but time was of the essence. Shar seemed to find her balance sooner than later and grabbed a handful of his shoulder fur to keep herself from falling off. In her other hand, she clutched Ship close to her chest to keep the Galvanic Mechamorph from sliding down and getting trampled or left behind as Scout began galloping toward the nearest peak.
"Turn here," she instructed, tapping Scout's flank with her foot. "I think I know which cave they would set up base in. Wat-Sen lived there for awhile but he kept falling into the den area so he moved."
Scout tried not to snort. This was serious but the mental image was just a bit too funny. Still, he followed Shar's instructions and hurried into the nearest cave entrance.
As he slipped inside, Scout was filled with unease. What were they thinking rushing in like this? The three of them had encountered the bounty hunters in a cave like this before. Knowing they were there didn't change the fact they didn't have a plan. Maybe they should retreat and figure out what to do? Or even just get more back up. A Loboan, a Revonnahgander, and a Galvanic Mechamorph alone didn't stand a chance against four trained bounty hunters.
But time was pressing, Scout noted as Shar hopped off his back. She had her swords, thankfully. Sixsix's old swords, apparently. He hoped she had the skill to match him in battle. And his siblings, hopefully, because Scout would have his paws full with Kraab's pincer and he couldn't predict how helpful Ship would be tonight.
Scout angled his nose upward, trying to sniff out their targets. Last time, he hadn't gotten a good whiff of them. He wasn't sure if he'd recognize their scent if he smelled it but he had to try. Anything was better than going into this blind. They really should've brought Rook along. Having an extra person plus the Omnitrix at their side would really go a long way.
That thought really made the doubt start setting in. Scout wasn't even sure what they were doing here. They were outnumbered. They didn't really have any hope of winning. He told himself they just had to keep them occupied long enough for Rook to chase off the muroids. They could manage that. Right? He thought so but doubt was still very present in his mind.
They slunk deeper into the cave system and Scout's sharp ears eventually picked up the faint sound of voices. Kraab and the Sotoraggians, he recognized. They were in the central hub of this particular system. That was the best place for fighting but maybe they could figure out some way to-
Scout's thoughts were interrupted when hands suddenly seized him. A powerful arm wrapped around his waist, dragging him away from the cave and back into the tunnels, while a hand fastened around his muzzle, keeping him from crying out or howling. He couldn't turn his head to check but the muffled cry from his right told him Shar had been grabbed too.
"Calm down, it's just me," Bahrvad hissed under his breath before Scout's mind could start cooking up some convoluted explanation as for what was happening. The Tetramand released them both, trusting neither to call out, and turned them around. "What were you two thinking?"
"Um…" He really didn't have a good explanation for this, did he? "The bounty hunters are attacking the village. We had to do something! This was the best we could come up with on short notice!"
"I know you know better than to- wait." Bahrvad cut himself off. "Bounty hunters?"
"Yeah. This guy called Kraab and a bunch of Sotoraggians," Scout answered, missing the alarmed look on Shar's face. "They're the ones controlling these super muroids."
"Kraab, Sixsix, Sevenseven, and Eighteight are here?" Bahrvad demanded, sounding uncharacteristically angry. Scout's ears flattened against his head. Bahrvad was always so- so- Bahrvad wasn't the angry one. He was the one who talked people down when they got angry. Scout had never seen him like this and he never wanted to see it again. He always expected an angry Tetramand to be wild and untamed but Bahrvad was scarily still. "And you didn't think to tell me?"
"Um, I don't know who they are?" Scout offered weakly before realizing his mentor's rage wasn't directed at him.
"I thought you and Xylene would make Blonko leave Revonnah if you knew they were here," Shar explained, sounding guilty. Scout didn't exactly understand why but he didn't interrupt, fearing Bahrad's attention turning to him. Besides, he was sure he'd find out soon.
"Damn straight," Bahrvad growled. "You know what the bounty hunters being here means?"
"That they are going to go after Blonko again?"
"No. Well, yes but that doesn't matter." Bahrvad's voice was hurried, the anger bleeding away into something else. Scout wasn't quite sure what. Worry? Stress? Anxiety? That didn't sound right but it was undeniable that Bahrvad's priorities were shifting and he was getting nervous. If they weren't trying to keep quiet, Scout was sure he'd be pacing by now. "They escaped the Null Void. No one's supposed to be able to do that. If they escaped, who else could have escaped?"
From the look on Shar's face, Scout could tell it was someone he should know but he didn't. Now wasn't the time to learn who though. He turned to Bahrvad, hoping for some guidance. "What's the plan?"
"I'm going to go ahead. I'll stop the bounty hunters. Shar, you can come," Bahrvad instructed, "but Scout, you and Ship need to get out of here while they're distracted. Take Blonko to your homeworld-"
"What?" He couldn't take Blonko and Ship to Anur Transyl! "But they can't-"
"I know they won't be welcome but we need to get the Omnitrix off the grid. Blonko can explain on the way," Bahrvad told him. The conviction in his voice made Scout snap his maw shut. Any thought of arguing faded immediately. "No one can know where you are. Don't tell anyone, not even Wat-Sen. Xylene and I will figure out some way to contact you but that's not what I'm worried about right now. We need to get you offworld without the bounty hunters noticing."
Scout nodded numbly. "I'll- um, I guess I'll be seeing you? Goodbye, Shar. It was nice spending these past couple months with you."
"You too. And you, Ship," she told them solemnly. She squeezed one of his hands. "Take care of my brother. Tell him I am sorry I was not able to tell him goodbye myself."
"I will," Scout vowed. "I promise."
"Ship!"
"Let's get going, Ship." Scout picked up the Galvanic Mechamorph and began hurrying out of the tunnel. Fear made him stumble but he never wavered. Bahrvad and Shar's words filled him with urgency. A thousand questions burned in his mind but he ignored them in favor of hurrying out of the tunnels and toward the village.
"Scout?"
A voice distracted him and he skidded to a stop. "Rayona?"
There was a handful of Revonnahganders a few strides away. Rayona broke from the group, hurrying to Scout's side. "What is happening?"
"Some aliens are controlling the muroids. They're after Blonko," Scout explained quickly. He took one of her hands, pleading eyes boring into hers. "Rayona, please, have you seen Blonko? I need to get him offworld. I can't- I can't tell you why but these aliens are bad news. I need to hurry."
"He is in the village with Xylene," Rayona told him. Scout felt a wave of gratitude. "And Scout?"
"Yeah?"
"Will I ever see you again? If you are leaving, I will… miss you in your absence. Yours and Blonko's."
Scout offered the best smile he could muster. "I hope so. I'll miss you too. I don't have a lot of friends so- um, yeah. Bye."
Scout knew that could have gone better but his mind was a bit too frazzled for a proper goodbye. With an awkward wave, he was off again.
The stink of muroid surrounded him. Scout hadn't realized how many there were until they were everywhere. Underground, in the fields, nearing the village- Scout wouldn't be surprised if one jumped down on him from above. He tried not to look around too much. Risky move ignoring his surroundings but he couldn't afford to get distracted by the damage around him. Scout didn't know if he could handle worrying about anything more than he already was.
He found Rook and Xylene in the heart of the village. Rook had transformed into Shockrock, an alien Scout hadn't seen much of but was more than a good choice for a fight like this. Blue power crackled around the battlefield, spooking the more cowardly muroids, while Xylene used her blaster to pluck off any that got too close. They looked stunning fighting side by side, like two parts of a well oiled machine. Scout hated to interfere.
Peeling back his snout, he howled, sound blast slicing a path through the mass of rodents. Xylene and Shockrock looked up, surprised. Scout felt stupid waving but he did it anyway, desperate for their attention. "Hey! We need to go."
"What?" They seemed confused. Scout didn't blame them. He was confused too.
"Bahrvad said we had to take Ship and run. Something about the bounty hunters escaping the Null Void? Kraab and the Soto- Soto… I don't remember what they're called." Scout watched the color drain from Xylene's face as the meaning behind Scout's ramblings clicked into place. "I don't know what's going on but Bahrvad made it sound like it was important."
"I do not understa-" Shockrock started but he was cut off by Xylene.
"Blonko. If Kraab, Sixsix, Sevenseven, and Eighteight escaped from the Null Void," she told him sharply, "that means Vilgax probably did too. And he's not going down nearly as easy as he did last time."
Shockrock's eyes widened. "...Oh."
"Who's Vilgax?" Scout asked but Shockrock was already moving. He slammed his hands into the ground, letting loose a wave of brilliant electricity and knocking back the nearest ring of muroids, and took off running.
"Xylene-" he started but Xylene was already nodding, knowing what he wanted.
"Go. We will look after Revonnah."
"Thank you." Shockrock sounded more relieved than Scout had ever heard. "Scout, where are we going?"
"Um, up?" Scout suggested with a shrug. "Somewhere Ship can transform and take off."
Shockrock nodded and slapped his Omnitrix, quickly taking new form. "Bloxx!"
It took Scout a moment to realize what Bloxx wanted but when he did, he had to say it was a good plan. He'd expected they'd just climb Wat-Sen's mountain again. Pillaring up and taking off from here was a much better idea. Taking the Segmentsapien's hand, Scout clutched Ship close to his chest and hung on for dear life as Bloxx stretched high into the sky.
"Ship, do your thing," Scout instructed, holding out the Galvanic Mechamorph with one hand. The creature barked, jumped off, and quickly expanded into one of his favorite forms: the Antarian Obliterator. Scout wasn't exactly sure how the little guy had gotten this form but it was a good one. Not only was it practically a flying arsenal, it had more enough power to get any passengers anywhere they wanted.
Scout boarded him first, grabbing on with one hand and pulling Bloxx in with the other. Bloxx detransformed almost immediately and the pair hurried to the pilots' seats, eager to get Ship into the atmosphere.
Scout tried not to look back. How could he? Just because everything had changed so fast didn't mean it didn't hurt.
"So," Scout spoke up once they'd begun putting on a decent amount of distance between themselves and Revonnah. His adrenaline began dying down and the reality of the situation was beginning to set in. "Who's this Vilgax guy?"
Rook snorted. Scout wasn't sure if he was laughing at him or if the weight of everything had just hit him. "Vilgax is… We learned about him at the Academy, did we not? The leader- or should I say dictator- of the Chimera Sui Generis."
Scout blinked a few times, not believing what he was hearing. "That guy? No one's heard anything about him in years."
"I know. It is because I sent him to the Null Void. That is a prison dimension, if you did not know." Scout didn't know. The anecdote was helpful. "He was- is- after the Omnitrix. He wants to create an army of shapeshifters. He- he- Actually, I do not want to talk about it anymore."
Scout frowned but didn't let Rook see it. "That's fine. I can't imagine how you feel right now."
Rook nodded faintly and slumped over Ship's dashboard. "I cannot believe I am fleeing my homeworld a second time."
His voice wavered as he buried his face in his arms. Scout reached out slowly, hesitating a moment, before clapping his hand on his friend's shoulder. "Hey, it's not all bad. This time, you've got me and Ship. And Bahrvad promised he and Xylene would get into contact with us when it was safe."
"I know," Rook moaned softly, "but I did not even get to say goodbye to anyone. Last time, I at least got to say goodbye to Wat-Sen, Shar, and my father."
Scout frowned, not quite understanding. He didn't think he could. He wasn't one for goodbyes. "I was with Shar when I left to find you. She told me to take care of you. And I ran into Rayona when I was leaving. She said she'd miss us."
Rook made a noise that sounded halfway between a chuckle and a sob. "I never understood how you two became friends."
"We started off gossiping about you," Scout said in a joking manner before sobering. "I know I can be a bit nosy. I didn't mean to get in your business. I was curious…"
"We would not have worked out," Rook told him, lifting his head to look at his friend. Scout could see the emotion in his eyes but his face was clear of tears. "I am an alien. I belong in space. She… Her life is on Revonnah. I could never provide what she deserves."
"What do you mean?"
"Shar was made heir to the farm."
"What?" Scout couldn't hide his surprise. "But she isn't… y'know, male. Or the eldest. I thought you guys were pretty strict about those things."
"Usually we are but Father has been quite progressive as of late. I… I asked him to. Even though I knew it would eliminate my chances of courting another Revonnahgander. I do not think that is what I want."
"You don't want to find someone to love?"
"I am not exactly a pure Revonnahgander anymore. We found that out when we visited Galvan Prime," Rook pointed out. "I think it would be irresponsible for me to… pass the Rook name to the next generation."
"Blonko-"
"And I do not know if romantic love is for me anyway," Rook added before Scout could say anything, offering his friend a genuine smile. "Out here, in space, fleeing for my life with you and Ship- I miss my home but this feels right. I am- I am not happy, exactly, but..."
Rook trailed off and Scout couldn't help but match Rook's smile. Even if Rook couldn't find the words, he knew exactly what he meant. He clapped his friend's shoulder with one paw. "I understand. And it won't be this way forever. Ship's pretty fast. We'll get to Anur Transyl in no time. Maybe we can get a fresh start."
"I look forward to it."
