Author's Note: A couple things to note for this part... Part of the story of this update are directly borrowed from the reboot explicitly to explain why there is no Fulmini invasion in this fic. It's really not all that clear right now but it is plot relevant so it will be explained later, not for a long time though so don't worry about it. Second thing is that I refer to a character as "Yenaldooshi," and I am aware that is not the "werewolf" from OS's actual name but we don't know it so that's just what I'm going with.


Even with Ship's speed, it was a long journey to the Anur System.

It gave Rook a bit too much time to think.

Not long ago, he'd felt like he was on top of the universe. Or Revonnah, he supposed. At the very least, things were finally going his way in life. His family no longer feared his transformations. He was on good terms with Rayona, even if they both knew their relationship would never work out how they wanted. His people had accepted his friends. He was finally comfortable using all twenty of the aliens in the Omnitrix. After spending so long away from Revonnah, he'd just started getting used to being home again.

Then the threat of Vilgax ruined everything.

Hadn't the warlord already done enough? Rook still felt the throb of pain leftover from his attack nearly three years ago. He'd ruined his life, exposing what he was to his village, but Rook had overcome the damage dealt. Then, finally when he thought things were going to work out, he had to leave again?

Rook leaned back in his seat. Ship didn't recline his seat but he didn't care. Absently, he tapped his fingers against the bright green armrest, keeping his gaze fixed on the view outside the window. After awhile, being surrounded by glowing green hurt the eyes.

Space was amazing but it'd lost some of its wonder. Rook knew his younger self would be disappointed that he no longer looked at space with the same excitement, that staring into the black sea of stars had become normal and even boring, but, as much as he hated it, he couldn't change the fact that he'd seen this view far too many times. Now, he longed for blue skies, rocky mountains, and rippling rivers. Anything familiar, anything that looked like home.

He'd settle for the purple webs of the Anur System.

What, what?

Rook leaned forward in his seat, peering out the windshield. His jaw dropped as his eyes followed the thick string connecting what he thought was space debris. Every system had debris and chunks of rock floating around but these ones were stuck static. The web was stiff and solid. How peculiar.

"We're almost there," Scout announced, noticing the purple threads a few moments after Rook did. "We're just entering the edge of the system. Ship, be careful not to hit anything. And look out for Ormerowon ships. Sometimes hunting parties hang around the border."

"What is all this?" Rook asked, ignoring everything Scout just said. Later, he'd realize he probably should've been asking what a Ormerowon was and why they were hunting but at the moment, his attention was exclusively held by the amethyst strings before him.

"The webs you mean? They're nothing special. They're just webs."

"But they are so big. Where did they come from?"

"A spider."

"A spider?" Rook repeated, voice almost deadpan. Sure, that made sense but these webs went as far as he could see, not to mention they were massive. How big did a spider have to be to make a web like this?

"Uh-huh. There are a couple in the Anur System. They nest near the sun, I think. The rest of the system is too cold for them so chances are we won't see them anyway. Most of these webs are pretty old," Scout explained, sounding uninterested. Rook couldn't fathom how he could possibly find a giant spider web boring. "They're nice, I guess. Make it easier to travel between worlds if you don't have a ship but it still takes awhile."

"The webs link the different planets?" That was pretty amazing, actually. "How many are there?"

"Um… Seven, I think? Yeah, seven. Plus a few moons." Scout began counting on his claws. "There's Anur Transyl, that's where I'm from. The Transylian homeworld. It used to be inhabited by Vladats but the Transylians took over again after the war and now it's got a pretty mixed population. And then there's Anur Khufos, the Thep Khufan homeworld; Anur Ormerow, the Ormerowon homeworld; Anur Phaetos, the Ectonurite homeworld; Anur Vladias, the Vladat homeworld but it's uninhabitable now because of all the anti-matter; and then there's Anur G'rrnay and Anur Millgan which are-"

Scout was interrupted by a loud beep from the Omnitrix.

"New life forms detected."

Rook poked it, humored. "I am sure you have but please be quiet."

"Acquiring new DNA samples."

Rook blinked in surprise. That was new. Scout seemed impressed as well. "The Omnitrix can scan new forms? So you can turn into Anur natives? That's pretty cool actually."

"Samples out of range."

Rook frowned but Scout seemed unbothered. "Don't worry. We're getting pretty close to Anur Transyl. Once we land-"

"Locking Omnitrix."

"Override!" Rook began hitting buttons furiously, mind scrambling to remember the override codes Azmuth had given him. In his panic, they slipped his mind. "Override!"

"Override accepted." Rook relaxed until the Omnitrix spoke again. "Selecting a new form to accept new DNA samples."

"What are you-?" Rook was cut off as green light filled his vision and the familiar feeling of transforming overtook him. Only, this transformation didn't feel familiar. It was… He had no idea how to describe it. It was like his whole body melted away and his innermost self was inverted. It didn't hurt, exactly, but it certainly didn't feel good like some of his other transformations. "Ghostfreak!"

The light died down, giving Rook- or Ghostfreak, rather- a chance to take a look at himself. He was… hovering. He didn't even realize until he looked down and noticed he didn't have any legs. He tried kicking but his efforts only resulted in flicking that tail-like appendage the rest of his body led into towards the bottom.

At least he had hands though. Two of them, which was a relief. They were clawed, surprisingly more like Moot's hands than Terrorsaur's taloned feet, and covered by some kind of white film. It took a moment for him to realize it covered his whole body. Clothes, maybe? But thin bands were poking out from under it, a trail wrapping around his whole body. He could move his eye along it with some effort, he discovered, so he could look in all directions. It was weird but kind of fun.

"What do you think?" Ghostfreak asked in a raspy voice, spreading his arms to show off the new form to Scout. The Loboan didn't even blink. Ghostfreak tried to frown but found he couldn't, instead tipping his head in worry. "Scout? You alright there?"

Scout shook himself suddenly. "Yeah!"

His answer was too quick and loud to really be believable. Ghostfreak gave him a doubtful look. Scout sighed.

"You just surprised me," he explained, shifting his gaze back to the front of the ship. "The Omnitrix just transformed you all on its own. That's an Ectonurite, by the way. You have the power to pass through solid objects and possess other life forms. Don't do that on Anur Transyl unless you have to though. It's considered rude. And you're vulnerable to light. You still have your baby skin though so it shouldn't be too bad if you don't take it off."

Ghostfreak's eye slid down his body to look at his hand again. Baby skin? He didn't like the sound of that. Were all the other Ectonurites going to think he was an infant? That would be embarrassing. But before he could ask Scout about it, Ship began pulling down toward Anur Transyl's surface and Ghostfreak was quickly distracted by the sight below.

Deep cracks splitting the planet's surface and the beautiful energy leaking out from its core, he'd never seen anything quite like it. What was that? Scout had mentioned something about antimatter. Was that what it was? Probably not, considering this planet was inhabitable. Maybe some kind of phantom power? Ghosts did live here, afterall. They weren't the primary inhabitants though. If only he'd asked Scout more about the Anur natives before they arrived. Maybe then he'd be able to come up with some sort of hypothesis.

Scout guided Ship with careful words as he sank lower and lower. Ship, body being the ship itself, was a good pilot but Ghostfreak doubted the best pilots in the universe had to deal with airspace filled with cobwebs or the planet's surface split so deeply. It took longer than a landing normally did but eventually they touched down at the edge of a dark shantytown.

Ship melted away into his normal form and perched himself on Scout's shoulder as the Loboan's feet hit the ground. Ghostfreak adjusted himself so he was hovering as if he was standing on the ground and looked around. They'd landed where dense forest led into cobbled streets and slanted buildings. As an Ectonurite, Ghostfreak could see just fine but in the back of his mind he knew the scene was far darker than Revonnah or any other planet he'd been on could be. He hoped he wouldn't be blind when he timed out.

He heard murmurs and noticed a group of people nearing. Ghostfreak didn't recognize most of the species. There were a couple Ectonurites, like himself, lingering around as well as a handful of Loboans but most of them were aliens he'd never seen before. The big, bulky ones with the conductors jutting out of their backs, he assumed, were Transylians. The bandaged masses, on the other hand, he wasn't so sure about. Mummies, he knew, but he couldn't recall if Scout had explained who those ones were.

Ghostfreak wanted to go talk to them but Scout was pawing his side, asking him to follow him. "Come on. I want to get moving."

"Why the hurry?" Ghostfreak protested, floating after him regardless. "We have just arrived. Surely there is nowhere pressing that you must be."

"I, um… Uh, the natives to this system aren't very friendly to outsiders," Scout told him. Ghostfreak knew that wasn't a lie but he could sense the half-truth. Still, he trusted his friend and didn't argue. Even if he was an Ectonurite, there was no way for Ship to blend in and he didn't want his little friend put in danger.

But as they moved further down the streets and deeper into the city, Ghostfreak began to suspect Scout was more worried about him than Ship. He kept getting weird looks and not just from Ectonurites. Murmurs followed wherever they went and Ghostfreak just knew they were directed at him.

Scout didn't seem particularly keen on answering questions. Picking up the pace, he pulled Ghostfreak down a new block, this one strangely devoid of Ectonurites. And anyone else for that matter.

"Where are we going?" Ghostfreak questioned as an eerie wind blew through the neighborhood, only reminding him how empty it was. "What is this place?"

"My old stomping grounds. This is where my old packmates live," Scout responded. He angled his snout upward and raised his voice. "I know you guys are there. Quit lurking and just talk to me."

If Ghostfreak had feet, he would've jumped at the sight of the Loboans' sudden appearance. All around him, wolves stalked out of the shadows between buildings. They weren't snarling or snapping but their heads were lowered, eyes glowering, as they prowled forward like the predators they were. Ghostfreak's instincts told him not to worry but part of his brain was still that of a Revonnahgander and those instincts were screaming about gender. Compromising, Ghostfreak curled in on himself ever so slightly and pressed against Scout for comfort.

His eye slid around his body, taking in the sight of the creatures around him. They were all bigger than Scout, he noted. Scout wasn't exactly big but he was a lot broader than the broadest of Revonnahganders yet even he looked pretty compact compared to these guys. Younger too. Ghostfreak wasn't familiar enough with Loboans to confidently guess how old they were but he knew immediately that Scout was the youngest Loboan present. It made him wonder how old his friend really was. He had to be physically mature for his age to join the Academy but he looked like a puppy next to these guys.

But as he looked closer, he realized not all of them were warriors. A few of them were scarred and well-muscled but others looked less confident on four paws and lacked that hunter's spirit in their gazes. Most were wearing that metallic steampunk garb he'd seen the other Anur natives wearing on the streets but a few were wearing aprons, he noticed. Some of these Loboans were just normal citizens.

It didn't matter much though. A howl ceased their advancement and a Loboan larger than any other picked his way to the front of the group. He had grey fur like Scout but his limbs were far longer and angular. Sharp spikes erected from his joints and shoulders. Ghostfreak had never seen a Loboan with anything like that. What did it mean?

To his surprise, the large Loboan didn't attack when he reached them. Instead, he dipped his head in welcome and respect. "Scout, wherever did you find Lord Zs'Skayr?"

...What.

Ghostfreak couldn't read Scout's expression but it was clear he was feeling something. Uncomfortable, probably, but something else too. "Oh. Um… This isn't Lord Zs'Skayr."

"You cannot fool me, Scout. I would know Zs'Skayr anywhere."

"I promise I would not lie to you, Alpha," Scout insisted, lowering his head. He gestured loosely to the Ectonurite beside him. "This is not Zs'Skayr. He just… looks like him."

The Loboan- the one Scout called his alpha- looked doubtful and Ghostfreak couldn't keep quiet any longer. "I am sorry to disappoint but I do not even know who this Zs'Skayr is. I am afraid you must be mistaken. Now, if you could let us, we must be on our way…"

"No, Rook, this is where we were going," Scout corrected. He angled his ears towards the other Loboans. "This is my old pack. I live here."

Ghostfreak blinked slowly, not quite understanding. As he tried to wrap his head around what exactly was happening, the Alpha barked softly, calling off the other Loboans. The wolves rose to their hind paws and wandered off, muttering about something or another, as the alpha stepped forward. "My apologies then. Please, call me Yenaldooshi. I must ask, are you related to Lord Zs'Skayr? You look startlingly like him."

"Um, no," Ghostfreak said slowly, somewhat surprised by how polite this Yenaldooshi character was. He was the alpha of Scout's pack? "Like I said before, I do not know who Zs'Skayr is. I have never heard his name before today."

Yenaldooshi looked confused. "How has an Ectonurite never heard of the High Ecto-Lord? Scout, did you find this one off-world?"

"Um…" Scout scratched the back of his head, trying to find the right words. "Luna Lobo, how do I explain this? So, uh, this is my friend Rook Blonko. He's not actually an Ectonurite at all. He's a shapeshifter. When we entered Anur Transyl, the device that lets him shapeshift turned him into an Ectonurite. I'm not really sure why he looks so much like Lord Zs'Skayr. I thought maybe his DNA sample came from Zs'Skayr. It makes sense, considering there's no evidence any other Ectonurite has ever left the Anur System…"

"If this is Zs'Skayr's DNA, then this is Lord Zs'Skayr himself, yes?"

"No." Ghostfreak shook his head the best he could but it was hard without a neck. Or maybe he had a neck under this baby blanket of a skin he had. He was half-tempted to pick at it and see what was underneath. "It does not really work that way."

"An Ectourite's consciousness exists in a single strand of DNA," Yenaldooshi explained, somehow sounding patient and exasperated at the same time. "If you have that DNA, you are Zs'Skayr."

"...Oh." Ghostfreak didn't really understand what that meant but he sensed he was in for a long night. Or day. He couldn't tell what time of day it was. Brallada, switching from a world with three suns to a system with virtually no sun would be difficult.

"I was planning on taking him to Dr. Viktor. Are you still friends with him? I figured if anyone could explain what happened, it would be him," Scout told him. Ghostfreak felt a flash of annoyance that his friend didn't tell him but he supposed he could understand. If Scout had turned into a copy of Kundo, he probably would need a moment to himself too. "You're welcome to tag along if you'd like, Alpha. We could use your guidance."

"I think I would," the Loboan mused before throwing a bark over his shoulder. "Crüjo! I'm going to Viktor's. You're in charge while I'm gone!"

A deep bark sounded in response. Out of the corner of his eye, a bulky Loboan got to his feet and headed off to do who knows what. Ghostfreak swallowed at the sight of him. He wouldn't want to get on his bad side.

"Dr. Viktor moved to the Transylian spire recently," Yenaldooshi told them, turning to point his muzzle into the distance. Ghostfreak's eye slid to the top of his head. If he squinted, he was pretty sure he could see some kind of spire through the shroud of darkness. "It will take us some time to get there on foot."

"Not with Ship it won't," Scout replied, taking the little Mechamorph off his shoulder and setting him on the ground. "Think you can get us to the tower, buddy?"

"Ship!"

"Good boy."


Scout was pretty surprised his alpha got onboard Ship at all. Maybe it was because Ship was techno-organic? Still foreign but not alive in the way most aliens Anur beings feared were.

He knew Yenaldooshi was still doubtful about Ghostfreak's story though. Scout couldn't blame him. Ghostfreak- Rook- looked exactly like Zs'Skayr. Younger, of course, but it was unmistakable. He was sure all Ectonurites looked the same to his friend but to anyone else, the resemblance was downright scary. Honestly, it freaked Scout out a lot more than he'd ever like to admit. He did anyway, of course. He owed Rook an explanation before they saw Dr. Viktor.

"Dr. Viktor and I were some of Lord Zs'Skayr's greatest supporters during the war on Anur Transyl. You see," Yenaldooshi rumbled as Ship carried them toward the spire, "many centuries ago, the Anur System's sun flared. We didn't expect it. The cobwebs are so dense around it that we never bothered to learn if it was possible and the Vladats paid the price."

"They weren't innocents," Scout added for Ghostfreak's sake. "It's horrible that they were wiped out but around a third of the population was offworld when it happened. Most of them survived but the, uh, crisis gave them this push to step up their activity on other worlds."

"Activity?" Ghostfreak echoed. "What do you mean?"

"Vladats feed on other life forms. I hate to say it but they're worse than Ormerowons. Ormerowons can only drain a couple of the more lively species native to the Anur System and most outsiders but at least they keep to themselves and they keep us alive when they don't. Vladats aren't quite the same," Scout told him, tail curling in disgust. He'd never been alive when Vladats crawled the Anur System's webs but he hated the idea of a creature worse than an Ormerowon. "Vladats can feed on Loboans, Thep Kufans, Ormerowon, and the wildlife but they love Transylians. After their homeworld was destroyed, they invaded Anur Transyl and kept the Transylians as slaves. And snacks."

"That is why Anur Transyl is so diverse now," Yenaldooshi jumped in. "Many species from other worlds came to the Transylians' aid. Ectonurites, Thep Kufans, and Loboans fought alongside Transylians on the surface while Ormerowons kept the Vladats from fleeing to other planets."

"Yenaldooshi was one of the first Loboans to leave Luna Lobo," Scout told Ghostfreak, unable to keep the pride out of his voice.

Yenaldooshi rumbled softly but humbly. "That's right. When the situation became dire, the alphas from the Loboan packs, the Thep Kufans' pharaoh, the Ormerowons' queen, the Ectonurites' High Ecto-Lord, and the Transylians' top scientist met up to form a plan. Vladats' greatest weakness is light but it only hurts them. Ectonurites, on the other paw, get destroyed by it. We could never use a light based weapon without killing thousands of Ectonurites. So, the Pharaoh and I ensured the Ectonurites on Anur Transyl's safety while Dr. Viktor and the Ormerowons retrieved a Pyronite's fire to eradicate the rest of the Vladats."

"A Pyronite?" Ghostfreak echoed, looking surprised. Scout knew he'd never seen one himself, considering how little they'd seen of the universe and how rare it was for a Pyronite to leave the heat of Pyros, but they were an amazing species. Their level of fire manipulation was unforgettable. Scout was sure Rook had spent much more time studying them than he had. "I was under the impression Anur natives do not like outsiders."

"We do not but it was necessary. But, extraterrestrial contact always causes problems. About a quarter century after the war was over, Zs'Skayr…." Yenaldooshi trailed off. He shook his head to himself, looking down at the floor. Scout let a quiet rumble rise from his throat, nonverbally encouraging him to continue. This story was for Rook's sake but even Scout had never heard this part of the tale. He was more than curious as to why the High Ecto-Lord abandoned the system.

"Ship!"

Unfortunately, the story was cut short just as it was getting good. They'd arrived.

There were fewer citizens up and about near the base of the spire so they didn't have to worry about scaring anyone when Ship landed and the ship melted away back into his true form. "Ship!"

"Come here, buddy. I'm sure you don't want to walk up all these stairs," Scout murmured, picking up the little Galvanic Mechamorph and placing him on his shoulder. He should get some new clothes, he thought absently. The stark white of his and Rook's Plumber armor wouldn't fit in well against the purples and greys of Anur Transyl. Plus, there were fewer footholds for Ship to hold onto when he wanted to get carried around.

It'd been a long time since he'd been to a spire. In his youth, he and a couple of his Transylian friends from the block over would sneak away to tag the walls. Scout, as embarrassed as he was about his rebellious phase, didn't regret it and he was happy to see more graffiti had joined his own along the base. None toward the top yet, though. Not yet at least. It was far too tall. Maybe one day an Ectonurite or Thep Khufan would feel particularly bold and leave their own mark on the spire but today was not that day.

Ghostfreak hovered lazily after Scout and Yenaldooshi as they climbed the spiraling staircase to the top of the spire. Scout envied him for it. Ectonurites were so lucky they didn't have feet. Loboan paws weren't designed for stairs. The stone made his pads and claws ache almost immediately. What he wouldn't give to just float up them but alas, he was a Loboan and the staircase was too narrow for Ship to be of any help.

At least there was a nice view, both out the windows and the doors they passed. After so long, it was nice to be able to gaze out at the towns, bridges, and natural landscape of Anur Transyl. But, Scout had spent his whole life there and he'd never been inside a spire before. He'd been curious about them as a pup but then too scared of getting caught as a teenager to venture near during the active hours. He wasn't about to miss out on his chance to look around.

Only the best Transylian scientists had their own spires. Scout wasn't exactly sure what they did there or why they needed the extra space. Repair on their fellow Transylians, he assumed. And research probably. He saw all kinds of things whenever he passed an open door but he wasn't a Transylian nor was he a scientist so he couldn't make much sense of it. It didn't really matter though. It wasn't his business and it wasn't what they were here for.

They, as they hoped, found Dr. Viktor at the top. It'd been a number of years since Scout had seen the man but he hadn't changed a bit. Still broad and bulky as ever, the scientist was hunched over a work table with his back to the doorway when the group entered. He seemed completely and utterly invested in his work. Scout expected nothing less. Almost fondly, he tapped his claws on the ground, announcing their arrival.

Viktor jumped at the noise, dropping the vial of whatever he was working on. Yenaldooshi shot forward, catching it before it hit the ground, as Viktor pulled himself together. "Wha- Yenaldooshi! What are y- Zs'Skayr?"

"Not Zs'Skayr," Ghostfreak responded almost boredly, like he was getting tired of saying he wasn't who everyone thought he was. Viktor looked confused so Scout took it upon himself to explain before the situation escalated.

"You heard of the Omnitrix?"

"Yes. What does- oh. Oh, I see." Viktor scratched his chin, a number of emotions flashing across his face before settling on thoughtfulness. "So your companion here has the ability to change his DNA and an Ectonurite sample made its way in and now Lord Zs'Skayr's consciousness is stuck within the device?"

"Um, yeah." Scout knew Viktor was smart but how quickly he caught on surprised him. "We were hoping you would know how to… fix this."

Viktor grunted in acknowledgement and jumped straight to business. "Let me take a look at you… um…?"

"Rook Blonko."

"Tell me what you can about this machine," Viktor instructed as the Ectonurite floated up to let the Transylian inspect the device on his chest. It was nothing Scout hadn't heard before and, as much as he knew he should probably be paying attention, he tuned it out in favor of talking with his alpha. Or former alpha. He wasn't really sure about his status in the pack anymore.

"Thanks for calling off the others before they could tear into us back there," Scout told him quietly as Viktor poked at Ghostfreak's Omnitrix.

Yenaldooshi shrugged non-commitmentally. "I probably would've let them rough you up a bit if Zs'Skayr wasn't with you. Teach you a lesson for leaving us."

"Not Zs'Skayr. And you know why I left."

"Yeah, yeah." Yenaldooshi tucked in his haunches, sensing they'd be here for awhile, and flicked his tail. "I'm surprised you took him to me instead of Anur Phaetos."

"Honestly? I didn't think to go to Anur Phaetos. I was planning on coming back anyway. Rook turning into Zs'Skayr was really unexpected."

"Ship!"

"I'm sure the pack would like to hear about your time out of the system," Yenaldooshi told him, shouldering him gently and offering a soft smile. "With time, of course. And I can't say how they'll react to your friends."

Scout nodded silently, drifting into thought. That was his main worry the whole trip over. Ship would be alright for the most part and he was easy to hide but Rook? Not so much. He was everything his people would consider a monster. When he got a base of operations, he could hide him, sure, but that was no way to live. If the Omnitrix's recent behavior indicated anything, maybe he'd be able to turn into something that fit better. Archfiend would be a good fit but if the Omnitrix was actually able to scan new forms, that would be even better.

The Loboan pair curled up lazily in the corner of the lab. Ship tried to climb into Yenaldooshi's comfortable pelt a few times but Scout pulled him off every time. He didn't think his alpha would be ready for that yet. Yenaldooshi got up a couple times and Scout couldn't tell if it was to get away from Ship for a few moments or to poke around Viktor's work. He suspected a bit of both.

"I'm not sure how much I can help with you like this," Viktor spoke up after awhile, making the anxiety curl up in Scout's belly. Was Rook going to get stuck as an Ectonurite? Worse, the Ectronurite's leader? "With you transformed, I can't get into the Omnitr- wait, nevermind. There's a maintenance panel back here."

Scout's tail curled in annoyance for the unnecessary scare as Viktor stuck his head through Ghostfreak's body. The Ectonurite seemed startled, like he wasn't quite used to his intangibility, and pawed himself in disbelief. "Excuse you."

Viktor ignored him. "We are lucky you transformed into an Ectonurite or I wouldn't have access to it."

"What is a maintenance panel exactly?" Scout asked, getting up to pad his way over.

"Just what it sounds like. Pieces of technology like this usually have a port for someone to go inside of it to make repairs."

"Wait. Inside?" Scout blinked a few times. "How does that even work?"

Viktor shrugged, pulling his head out of Ghostfreak's body. "It's not that complicated, really, but I'm sure I would bore you explaining. Now, I'm sure Zs'Skayr would like to get out of there and I'd like to get back to my work. Who wants to go in?"

"I cannot go in, can I?" Ghostfreak asked, looking down at his chest.

Viktor shook his head. "Transformed? I do not think so. And Zs'Skayr and I are not the best of friends so I don't think I would be the best choice. It has to be Yenaldooshi or Scout. Or that dog thing."

"Galvanic Mechamorph," Scout corrected automatically before sparing Yenaldooshi a glance. "I'd like to go in. I'm familiar with the Omnitrix and I bet Ship's connection with technology would be helpful but neither of us really know Zs'Skayr. We could use your help."

Yenaldooshi shook his head. "I'd rather not. Entering a piece of alien technology is a bit much. But I will be here when you are ready to leave."

Scout flicked an ear in acknowledgment and turned to Viktor. "I guess it's just me then."

Viktor nodded and hit something on the Omnitrix. "Prepare yourself then. You're about to see the inner workings of a technology most beings couldn't even fathom."


It was so green.

Why was it so green?

The brightness of the walls made even Ship's stripes seem dim. Scout had to rub his eyes and blinked a few times to let them adjust. He tried focusing on the black sections of the floor and walls. That seemed to help but it was clear the maintenance panel was not designed for a nocturnal being.

"What are you seeing, Scout?" Viktor's voice crackled through the intercom in Scout's ear. "Do you see Zs'Skayr?"

"Um, no." Scout squinted trying to make sense of his surroundings. Ship was a bit distracting, bouncing around his feet like he often did, but his eyes slowly began adjusting to the bright light. "I see- Well, I see the maintenance panel for one thing. It's- wow. It's in the middle of this room with a bunch of these glowing… I don't know how to describe them. Pillars, I guess? They're all different colors."

"Describe them to me."

"What they look like? Okay, um, so the one closest to me is kind of purpley and there's these sparks of orange and white in it. And the next one is kind of grey. Pretty boring actually. Then green but kind of different from Ship or the Omnitrix. It's more… calm, I guess. And there's this bright blue electricity crackling around it. The next one is pretty dark but it's got some orange in it. It looks really weird. It's like it's flowing. All of them are, actually. Do you want me to keep going? Viktor?"

The response came after a moment. "My apologies. It seems the farther you get from the panel, the weaker the signal gets. Once you leave this ring, we won't be able to talk to you."

"Ring?"

"We theorize those pillars are the Omnitrix's DNA samples. That ring is the original set of ten. There should be another and then a third with the new samples from the Anur System. Or a larger library with more samples. We do not know if scanning new samples means they are being unlocked or only being added to the collection."

"Uh-huh." This was really cool actually. The pillars were beautiful and he'd love to look at a whole library of them but he couldn't really afford to get distracted. "So where should I find Zs'Skayr?"

"I have two theories. Or, three actually. The first two would put him in the third ring with the Anur samples. It is possible he has been roaming free in the Omnitrix all this time or perhaps he is trapped within his sample. If he is free, there is a possibility he could have wandered elsewhere. If that is the case, be careful, Scout. Zs'Skayr may be dangerous."

Scout swallowed nervously. He'd never speak ill of the High Ecto-Lord but everyone knew Zs'Skayr could be unpredictable and cruel despite Ectonurites' generally calm nature. It was that difference that gave him the ambition to rise to such a high position. Rumor had it that Zs'Skayr was power-hungry. With the power of Azmuth knows how many DNA samples at his clawtips, there was really no saying what damage he could've done. Or would do.

"Alright," Scout said into the comm, forcing his voice to remain steady. "I'm going to get moving. I guess I'll talk to you when I'm out."

"Good luck, Scout."

"Ship!"

"Stick close, buddy," Scout told the little Mechamorph as he shut his communicator off. "Zs'Skayr could be anywhere."

"Ship ship!"

"Down or through the halls…" Scout mused aloud. If there were rings, they probably built on each other, right? But if there was a library, it wouldn't be in the same place as the active samples. Which to choose, which to choose… On one paw, there was a good chance Zs'Skayr was wandering free and wouldn't be with his DNA sample. On the other, Rook had a lot of really cool aliens in his second set and Scout wanted to see them. The decision wasn't hard. Waving a paw, he beckoned Ship to follow him down the nearest exit. "Wanna see Upgrade's DNA sample, Ship?"

"Ship ship!"

"That's the spirit," Scout chuckled as they stepped into a new ring. In this one, he couldn't look at all the samples all at once. He actually had to walk around the loop to see them. He wondered how that worked. If each set moved out farther from the center, wouldn't that mean there would be more room for more samples? Would future sets have more than ten aliens? Something to think about later, he supposed.

Ship bounced up to the sample of Upgrade almost immediately, recognizing his kind immediately. Scout didn't pay much attention to it, far more interested in other samples. Specifically, Warp. He was a powerful alien, too powerful for Rook to truly master, so he rarely got to see him but Warp had to be one of Scout's favorite transformations. And his DNA sample was simply stunning. It was tan like Warp's body but the alien's portalling abilities made itself visible in the most beautiful way, dual powers rippling through it. Scout didn't think any description he could give would do it justice.

"Ship ship!" Ship barked, drawing Scout's attention away from the sample. "Ship ship!"

"What's the matter, buddy?" Scout called, pulling himself away from the pillar to see what Ship wanted. He sounded upset. "I promise that isn't a real Galvanic M- What are you doing looking at Shockrock? And what is that?"

Shockrock's tube was, predictably, filled with that blue energy of his but where Scout expected to see a rocky frame, he saw a dirty grey form clipping in and out of the substance. Scout didn't know a thing about Shockrock's species but he was fairly certain that was not natural.

"What a rude way to greet an old friend," a cold voice rasped and suddenly a ghastly form was slipping out of the sample. "Though I suppose I'm not exactly polite either. Tata."

Scout was so surprised to see the Ectonurite appear that he didn't even move when the ghost phased through the wall and into the next part of the Omnitrix. "Zs'Skayr, wait!"

Zs'Skayr, of course, did not wait. It took a moment for Scout's mind to kick his paws into gear but he was soon scrambling down the hall in hopes he'd find Zs'Skayr beyond the next wall.

The next ring wasn't even really a ring yet. Scout and Ship hovered at the doorway between rings, unable to take a step further. Well, Scout couldn't. Ship tried and would've fallen deep beyond rescue if Scout hadn't seen it coming and caught him. Neither even noticed.

"Ship."

"Wow."

Scout felt his jaw drop as he gazed at the sight before him. He'd been expecting another set of ten samples floating around in glass tubes, all neatly lined up for the viewers' pleasure. And it was clear that is what the Omnitrix wanted to be there. It just hadn't been built yet.

There were a couple pods at the ready: Ghostfreak's, of course, and the one for Rook's future Loboan transformation...s? There were two. That was pretty cool, actually. Scout looked forward to Rook exploring the differences between them. A quick glance told him seven more pods would find their place beside them. What interested him was how they would get there. The Omnitrix was creating the new samples, if the color bubbling up in the glass containers indicated anything, but it seemed to be searching for samples as well.

The Omnitrix's DNA library was exposed.

It was the most stunning thing Scout had ever seen. Looking down, he saw the Omnitrix's inner framework. Hundreds- probably thousands, of containers were lined up on an endless structure below, all containing the DNA of a new alien. From the distance he was at, Scout couldn't make out what exactly was contained in each tube or make a guess regarding what DNA it held but he didn't have to understand it to appreciate the sea of colors beneath his paws.

A loud hum filled Scout's sensitive ears. He looked up, spotting a mechanical arm coming into view. As it neared, he noticed it was holding a DNA pod. A closer look told him it was Transylian DNA. So the Omnitrix already had Transylian DNA? That was interesting. Scout had to wonder how Azmuth or Albedo or whoever collected the samples got it but not any other samples from the Anur System. Maybe from Viktor during his extraterrestrial travels? He'd have to ask him.

The mechanical arm placed the Transylian DNA beside the Ectonurite pod. Bunching up his muscles, Scout took a flying leap and latched onto the arm before it could pull away, letting it carry him down into the sprawling library that awaited below.

"Ship!" Ship protested, little body wiggling as Scout was carried away.

"Don't jump, you're going to fall," Scout cautioned before the little Mechamoprh could plunge to what would likely be his death. "Stay here, buddy. Bark if you see Zs'Skayr come back. I'm going to go take a look around down there. I'll call if I need anything."

"Ship!"

Scout hoped Ship would actually listen. He wasn't quite sure how well the little guy could fly on his own. He didn't want to get to the bottom and see a little puddle of Ship on the ground.

But as more time passed and Scout was carried farther and farther, he became less and less sure there actually was a bottom. How much had he been shrunk? The inside of the Omnitrix was massive! Had he even been shrunk at all? Was this a pocket dimension? It sure seemed like it. As far as he could see, there were just rows and rows upon columns and columns of DNA samples. How many were there? How far did they go? There had to be thousands. How had Azmuth acquired this much DNA?

The structure was rounded, like the dial of the Omnitrix itself, so at least it wasn't deep or layered- as far as he could tell, that is- but it just kept going down. The structures the mechanical arms moved on seemed to go just as far and Scout saw no sign of it stopping. Just as he started to wonder if he should hop off, he saw a flicker of purple. "Zs'Skayr!"

He could see him more clearly now. Scout half-expected him to look like Ghostfreak, baby skin and all, but the Ectonurite looked more like he had the last time Scout had seen him: body crooked and bent, claws long and sharp, and his deep purple skin looking sinister as ever. It was ruffled though, more unkempt than Scout would expect from the High Ecto-Lord. And his eyes. From the distance, Scout couldn't tell all that clearly but he could've sworn they were dimmer. Time in the Omnitrix had not treated Zs'Skayr well, it seemed.

Zs'Skayr turned away at the sound of his name, slinking away into the rows of DNA pods. It was obvious he'd heard Scout but was choosing to ignore him. Scout couldn't fathom why. Didn't he want out? Did he not recognize him? Probably not, they never spent much time together, but Scout still expected Zs'Skayr to react to another life form in here. Even the High Ecto-Lord could get lonely. Or at least he assumed. He really had no idea.

"Zs'Skayr!"

Zs'Skayr only shuffled away faster the more Scout yelled. With the machine moving, Scout just kept getting farther from him. In a split second decision, he threw himself off the claw and landed heavily on the framework surrounding the DNA pods.

The thump of Scout's weight hitting the makeshift walkway startled Zs'Skayr enough for him to twist his head around. Scout prowled a few strides forward. "Zs'Skayr, do you remember me? I'm Scout Alazraqui, one of Yenaldooshi's pack."

Zs'Skayr eyed him further, turning around the rest of the way to float closer. "You're wearing Plumber gear."

Scout wanted to look away or scratch himself in embarrassment but he held strong. "A lot of time has passed since you left. My partner is the Omnitrix bearer, actually. He's currently stuck in your body. Dr. Viktor sent me in here to get you out."

Zs'Skayr turned away. "No."

Scout had to do a double take. "No?"

"No," Zs'Skayr repeated, floating himself away. "Do you really think I would give up all this power? Initially I planned on taking advantage of my unlimited access to and control over the Fulmini broadcast and portal but now that the bearer is an Ectonurite, in my body nonetheless, I will soon have access to all ten thousand of the DNA samples in the Omnitrix. Do you have any idea what I could do with all that power?"

Not take a hundred steps in ten thousand aliens' feet like Azmuth intended, Scout assumed. Knowing Zs'Skayr, it was probably something along the lines of conquest. Scout didn't think one man was capable of the things Zs'Skayr was surely planning, even armed with an Omnitrix, but Scout wasn't about to risk it. Nor was he about to risk his best friend.

Slowly, Scout pulled a flashlight from his pocket.

"What are you doing?"

"Ship! Get down here!" Scout shouted upward, throwing his voice with a sonic howl. Zs'Skayr seemed alarmed and confused for a moment and Scout took full advantage of it, flicking the light on and through various settings until Zs'Skayr shrieked. "I'm getting you out of here whether you like it or not."
Zs'Skayr hissed and tried escaping upward. Scout kept the light trained on him until he saw a black and green form rushing towards him. Scout grinned and leaped, launching himself off the platform and into a free fall. In a well aimed swoop, Ship landed on his master's back and quickly morphed into that Terradino jetpack Scout loved so much. Moments later, they were flying after Zs'Skayr.

The third ring was closing up by the time they reached it again but there was still plenty of room to squeeze back through. Eight of the ten pods were there now, the machine carrying the Thep Khufan sample shortly behind them and the scanner just finishing off the Vladat sample. Scout did not look forward to seeing what exactly what entailed but he was too focused on finding Zs'Skayr to think about it.

Scout switched the light to blinking mode. At the Academy, he'd learned this mode was used in a fight. If the opponent was epilectic, it could do serious damage. If not, it was distracting at the very least. Scout wasn't really thinking about that though. If it hit Zs'Skayr, he didn't want to melt him completely, just corral him in the direction he wanted. This was the best way of doing it.

Back on solid ground, Scout didn't need Ship to carry him anymore. The little Mechamorph shifted into a copy of the light and plopped himself in Scout's hand, letting the Loban wave the light around wildly with two paws instead of one. He heard Zs'Skayr howl from up ahead and started closing in like the predator he was.

It took a bit of effort to get Zs'Skayr where he wanted to go. He had to drop Ship and let the Galvanic Mechamorph walk on his own so they could come at him from different angles but once they got Zs'Skayr into the innermost ring, it was all over.

Zs'Skayr's skin was steaming and he was hissing so violently that Scout didn't think he could threaten him if he tried. At this point, he was acting like a wounded animal more than anything. He flew into the maintenance panel without much of a fight. Scout wasn't even sure if he was really aware of what was happening at all. If he knew, he doubted he would go so willingly but Scout got the results he needed and he wasn't one to complain.

Once Zs'Skayr's tailtip disappeared through the portal, Scout let out a sigh of relief and switched the light off. Almost immediately, he realized how much the light had been hurting his eyes. Blinking a few times, he turned to Ship to make sure his pet was alright. "Finally. I was scared we were going to fry him. You ready to go check up on Rook, Ship? He should time out soon, right?"

"Ship!"

"Alright, let's get going before we get stuck in here."


The sound of the Omnitrix beeping was the most glorious thing that Rook ever heard.

It wasn't that he didn't like being an Ectonurite. Ghostfreak was pretty cool, ignoring the fact he looked exactly like a younger version of what he gathered was a dictator. He'd just never been stuck in one form that long. It was kind of scary, not knowing if he'd ever get to return to his own form or transform again.

But, he had to say Zs'Skayr was scarier.

He flew out of his chest smoking and screaming. He'd had never seen anything like it. And honestly, it spooked him quite a bit. Ghostfreak didn't look anything like him, really. Ghostfreak was kind of spooky but Zs'Skayr looked like he came straight out of a horror story and the noises he was making weren't helping either.

Scout and Ship appeared a moment later, jumping out of his chest a tad clumsier than Zs'Skayr had. It was a weird feeling, his friends passing through his body, but it was followed by the sensation of detransforming so Rook really couldn't complain. He didn't get a moment of peace though. If anything, the lab got louder.

Viktor and Yenaldooshi started yelling and it took a moment for Rook to realize it was because of him, not Zs'Skayr. Scout had told him what the Anur natives' idea of what a monster was but he really hadn't completely thought it through. Did they really find his Revonnahgander form that terrifying? And Zs'Skayr's ghastly howls hadn't died out at all and Scout and Ship were… Rook didn't even know what they were doing but they were loud.

"Enough!" Rook said loudly, hoping his voice would at least distract everyone into calming down for a moment. It worked for the most part. Viktor and Yenaldooshi shut up pretty quickly and Scout and Ship's attention was almost immediately on him. Zs'Skayr, on the other hand, took the opportunity to attack.

Rook didn't see it coming but Yenaldooshi and Viktor thankfully did. Viktor stepped between them, shielding Rook from Zs'Skayr's claws with his massive body, as Yenaldooshi snapped at the Ecntonurite's twisted form, teeth snagging the edge of his cloak and yanking him back before he could phase. Honestly, Rook was pretty surprised they stepped in after such a horrified reaction to his true form but he was grateful.

"No," Yenaldooshi snarled firmly, putting a paw on Zs'Skayr's chest like he was a puppy being put on his place. Zs'Skayr scowled and merely phased through him. This time, however, Rook was prepared.

"Archfiend!"

Zs'Skayr thumped into his broad purple chest like any tangible being running into a wall. He rubbed his head, looking displeased. "This was the power I left Anur Transyl in search of? And it's attached to a child?"

"Actually, by my people's standards, I am well into adulthood."

"Ghostfreak had baby skin, Rook," Scout snorted. "You're not fooling anyone."

"You can't possess him, Zs'Skayr," Viktor spoke up, ignoring Scout and Archfiend's bickering. "This device's powers are not for you."

"I-"

"You have been gone a long time," Yenaldooshi interrupted before Zs'Skayr could begin arguing. "You should return to Anur Phateos, tell your people you have returned. You can speak with our visitor at a later date, provided you do not attempt to possess him again."

That's what Zs'Skayr had been trying to do? Possess him? Archfiend shuddered. He hated to think what that would've been like. Granted, Zs'Skayr probably felt similarly about being trapped in the Omnitrix but it wasn't like that was his fault. He had never even transformed into Ghostfreak by choice. He wasn't the one at fault here.

Zs'Skayr seemed angry but obliged. "Very well. I will be back, child. And your transformations will not protect you next time, I promise you that."

Archfiend wasn't really sure what he meant by that but he was glad to see him go. Evidently, the others were too if their sighs of relief meant anything.

"Sorry about Zs'Skayr," Yenaldooshi rumbled, the first to speak up. "He normally isn't-"

"No, he's always like that. Normally he just has the decency to be more civil," Viktor interrupted, sounding annoyed. He turned to Archfiend, an excited smile spreading across his face. "But we can worry about Zs'Skayr later. This form! It is beautiful. Why did you transform into that monster before?"

"That m-" Archfiend cut himself off and shook his head. "That was my true form. That is the form I remain in when my Omnitrix times out. I thought you all would, um, appreciate this one more."

"Thank you for your consideration," Yenaldooshi responded, dipping his head. "Our apologies for our, eh, reaction to your true form before. It is… Well, you know how our people are about outsiders."

Even though he didn't want to, Archfiend understood. "Do not worry about it. My people are the same way and I imagine it is worse for you. Scout has told me how your people perceive monsters. I just hope it does not ruin my chances of fitting in here."

"Oh! I saw your new transformations when I was in the Omnitrix," Scout told him, tail flicking side to side in excitement as he began telling him what he saw. "It looks like the Omnitrix already had a few samples and was able to scan the rest. You've got access to every species in the Anur System! Even a couple I've never even seen. You should be able to blend right in as any species you want."

Archfiend couldn't help but beam in response, wide mouth flashing all his squareish teeth. "That is fantastic! Though if you do not fear Archfiend, I believe I would like to remain as him for a time. He is… familiar. And I do not want anyone mistaking me for a famous Anur native again."

"I doubt you will experience that again. Zs'Skayr was a special case," Viktor replied, easing Archfiend's anxieties. "If you are worried about the town's reaction to your, eh, hideousness, you are welcome to stay in my spire but I imagine Scout would like to return to his pack and you would like to remain with him."

Archfiend shot Scout a nervous look, wondering what he had to say. Viktor was right about that. As nice it would be to live in the safe, isolation of the tower, he would much rather remain with Scout and Ship. That might just be out of his control though.

Scout didn't look affronted though. He cast Yenaldooshi a hopeful look. "Can I have my old den back? I don't mind sharing with Rook and Ship if you'll have us."

Yenaldooshi looked thoughtful. "Transform back."

Archfiend was a bit confused but he didn't protest and did as he was told, slapping the symbol on his chest and reverting to his Revonnahgander form. Yenaldooshi sniffed and took a step forward, looking him over. Rook tried not to flinch under the inspection. Check ups in the health wing at the Academy were done with far more scrutiny but the nurses there were never a predatory species. He wasn't exactly sure how he should react.

"You are different from a Loboan but you are furred, fanged, and four-limbed," Yenaldooshi spoke up finally. He flashed a surprisingly warm smile. "I believe you will make a good addition to the pack."

"Alright!" Scout whooped, throwing his arms around his friend. Rook made a noise of surprise as Scout picked him up and spun him around but Scout was far too excited to notice or care. "You hear that? You're coming home with me!"

Rook blinked a few times before a grin found its way onto his features. Home. He had a home again.


Author's Note: This is getting towards the end of the prewritten part of this story. About half of the next part of the story and everything prior was written during the summer of 2021. Since I've started school again, I haven't really been writing so updates will probably slow down.

Also, someone in the comments mentioned that they were having a hard time keeping track of the timescale so I made a timeline to serve as a refresher. I will make another one at some point that's up to date with future events of the story. FFN doesn't like links to if you want to take a look, either go to this story on Ao3 or tell me and I can PM it to you.