Close Encounters
"Hey human, what are you doing over there?"
Jen currently was standing in the middle of the underground lake, rubbing some soap in her rightfully dirt hair. After finding the cave with a lake and a couple of trees, she met the aliens Vortex and Gaia. Happy to find a place to stay while the weather outside was raging, she decided to take a bath in a more secluded area of the cave. Looking upwards, she covered her bare chest from the female Florauna who was staring down at her curiously with Vortex calling out to her.
"Gaia! I told you I was just taking a bath!" Jen exclaimed, her face red. "Could I get a little privacy here?"
Gaia tilted her head in a cute manner. "What do you mean? I bathe with Vortex all the time and he doesn't mind at all." The frozen bug chirped in agreement. "So why do you find the need to hide your body?"
Jen just sighed as she fetched her small towel and shook the water out of her hair. "Geez, I'm just used to showering without people watching me okay? Kinda new to this whole running away thing."
Gaia shrugged, coming down and sitting down on the rocks. Vortex flew down on Jen's head, giving her hair frozen crystals. Patting the small bug, she went and sat down next to Gaia.
"Why would you run away from your human domicile? I thought you always lived in those weird stone huts?" Gaia asked her, making a flower crown from the plants around the rocks.
"Well, my cousin Gwen and I are both the same alien and we both inherited what they call the Spark of the Anodite. One night, our grandmother comes out of nowhere and tells us that she wants to take us off planet and train us to be very powerful aliens."
Gaia was now listening intently and leaned forward for more content. Vortex even leaned over to hear more of the story.
Jen smiled at the way both of the aliens stared at her. "So, as it usually goes, we had to fight her and both of us unlocked some new powers. I can use the alien powers of the Omnitrix while Gwen got some other things. Refusing to leave Earth, our grandmother gave us her blessing and left. However, the second she left, Gwen started to become more obsessed with improving her powers and this drove a wedge between us. We had a big fight and I left."
"That sounds quite terrible. I can't say that I hate my family, but I did get separated from them when we came to Earth." Gaia looked at the finished crown and placed it on Jen's head. "This planet is quite terrifying and loud. Not many places where the trees grow or vegetation thrives either. My family and I came here for a visit and I kinda got lost. I've been searching for them, but I ran into Polar and another alien who lived here alone."
Jen nodded before her eyes widen. "Wait a minute, did you say another alien lives here too?"
"He usually goes out during the daytime, but since it's closer to night, we should be able to see him come in soon." The cave started to shake, making Jen nearly fall to the ground. "I believe that's him right now."
Coming into the mouth of the cave was a large dinosaur-like alien with pale orange skin and black spikes going down his back. He had human-like hands with four fingers, each with large gray nails and dark pools for eyes. A long dinosaur-like tail protruded from his back while a large green bag slung over his shoulder.
His name was Scout, and like his name, he was the one who left the cave often. After escaping some strange facility in the desert, he ended up in the woods where he met Gaia and Vortex by chance. Initially scared of the large being, they eventually warmed up towards him and they all started living together. Scout promised he would protect the two like his own siblings and would get them the items needed to live in the woods.
"GAIA! LIL BUDDY! I'M BACK!" He yelled, his voice reverberating off the cave walls.
Footsteps were heard as Gaia came and ran right into his leg, since he was large and had to shrink down to enter the cave. Hugging him, she giggled as he patted her head. He was about to ask why she was in a good mood when Jen, now fully clothed, came out with Vortex on her head. Thinking she was a threat, he pushed Gaia behind him and spiked up his body.
"Woah...you look like Humungousaur!" Jen gasped, grinning widely. "I've never seen one outside the Omnitrix before."
"Who is this? Who are you?" Scout frantically asked, getting ready to fight the brunette.
Jen held her hands above her head in form of surrender. "Don't fight, I'm an alien too!"
Scout gave her a skeptical look. "Prove it."
Jen sighed before switching into her Anodite form, green flowing hair and all. Vortex flew up in shock, Gaia's eyes started to gleam, and Scout was surprised to feel the energy flowing out of the female. The form made Jen more exhausted, switching off the Anodite form and falling over. Gaia went over and held Jen, who was now sweating hard.
"Jen! Are you okay?" Gaia asked her worriedly, wiping her brow with her leafy hand.
"That's never happened before, am I getting weaker?" Jen asked aloud, breathing hard from the sudden switch.
"Um..." Scout leaned over and handed her a water bottle. "This might be able to help with that exhaustion."
Jen thanked him mentally and took a couple of sips from the bottle. "You three live all the way out here and survive on your own? Haven't you heard of the Plumbers and what they do?"
Before either of the aliens could reply, more shaking occurred from outside the cave. All of them ran towards the entrance, only to find it blocked off by a ton of rocks. Clapping was heard as a figure appeared from the shadows of the cave behind them. Mahala readjusted her hijab, giving them an amused look.
"Took you long enough to get back. I was wondering if this was worth trapping myself inside with you lot."