Another chapter! Unfortunately I was unable to have it proofread by anyone else, which means I probably edited in circles for a while.
Anyway, on with the story!
Chapter 3: Changes
"Well that was a thoroughly unpleasant experience." Jack commented as the two re-transformed humans scrabbled their way up the steep sides of the crater.
"I agree. I'm a bit annoyed though. All that brainpower is gone, and probably will be until this thing recharges." He held up his wrist with the Omnitrix fragment on it dejectedly. The green band had changed to a steady crimson, mirroring Jack's.
"I don't care about turning back. That was just too painful. Even if the reversion did feel less like inescapable agony, and more like horrendous torture." Jack grumbled. True, he was missing the strength and invulnerability he'd enjoyed for the brief time he'd been a petrosapien. But that still didn't mean he wanted to be crippled with pain every time it happened.
"I know what you mean. But still, the second this recharges I'm switching." Casey grinned, already imagining the possibilities. He'd never fail a test again!
"We can't let anyone else know about these. You do realize that." Jack said. Immediately, the football player came back down to Earth. "I mean, what if the government caught wind of us?"
"Then I'll switch to Gray Matter and be our lawyer."
The two shared a chuckle and walked through the woods in silence for a few minutes. Then Jack spoke up.
"What do I tell my parents?"
Casey stayed silent. The scenario had come up in his head a few times, and each time it ended in one way; rejection.
"Let's not worry about that. I mean, think of what we can do with these! We could be like those other aliens on the news, heroes! That would be pretty awesome," Casey admitted.
"Yeah… maybe." Jack shrugged noncommittally. "What time is it?"
Casey checked his watch. "Only 12:30."
They reached the edge of the woods, and the soft glow of street lights washed their faces in orange glows.
"So… not enemies?" Jack asked.
Casey held out a hand to shake. "Not enemies."
They shook hands.
Jack walked out of the same Starbucks as he had gone to yesterday, already chomping on a banana and chocolate chip muffin. He balanced his usual hot cocoa on top of the book he'd brought to the mall today, deciding to find a quiet book store or library or something. Unfortunately for him, going home meant chores, and moving that damn fridge into place (he still hadn't gotten round to that…). His parents were luckily staying on a business trip for the next three days, so he had time. And besides, they really couldn't fault him if he was outside.
Then again, reading a book outside wasn't really what they wanted Jack doing, but meh. Baby steps.
Crossing the plaza again and hoping that it would go better than yesterday, Jack sat in front of the fountain again and promptly buried himself in his book. In fact, he was so engrossed that he didn't even notice when someone sat down next to him.
"So watchya readin'?" Casey asked. Jack, having not noticed him before, nearly jumped out of his skin before glaring at the chuckling football player.
"That was uncalled for," Jack whined petulantly. "I almost spilled this on my book!"
Casey waved his hand dismissively. "Not important. What I found out this morning is."
"You're going to make me beg for this information aren't you." Jack deadpanned.
"Nah, I can only outsmart you as Gray Matter." Casey said. He held out a folder to Jack, who hesitantly took it and started flipping through it. "What is all this?" Jack questioned.
"All the sightings of aliens from this summer. But that's not all; check this out." Casey flipped to a map of the US near the back of the packet. "These sightings are linear. Like it was one person on a road trip or something."
"So either it was a bunch of people with these wristbands…" Jack started.
"Or one person with all of them."
Jack handed Casey back the folder. "Look, this is interesting and all, but why show me this? I thought you would be off bashing your skull against someone else's." Casey grimaced. Normally, he would, but after being a genius for a while, having normal conversations was disconcerting.
'There I go again with the big words' Casey muttered internally.
"Honestly, I was hoping we could figure out more about what these do. Like how to we activate Ben's personality again?" Casey said.
Jack groaned. "Dude, honestly I don't care. I'd rather just try to forget the whole thing happened."
"Seriously?" Jack looked up and saw the incredulous expression of Casey's face. "These wristbands may be the most interesting things to ever happen in this town ever, and you don't care?"
"Well when you put it that way…" Jack considered. "Fine. What's the plan today?"
"I figured we would start off… with you hacking into the school's mainframe and getting the test answers!" Casey ended loudly. "Play along," he whispered. Jack, completely confused at this point, looked around until he spotted the source of Casey's sudden attitude shift in the form of an extremely hot girl making a beeline for Casey.
"Stevie! I thought I would find you here!" She called. Jack shuddered a bit; honestly, that much sweetness made him want to gag! And what was this whole 'Stevie' business?
Casey turned around to greet her, and Jack finally got a good look at the back of the Varsity jacket, including the top where the football player's last name was emblazoned in green; STEVENS.
"Who's the shrimp?" Her voice broke into Jack's thoughts. The disdainful tone made him cringe inside, but he had no problem introducing himself to hot girls.
"My name is Jack, Jack Harrison." He replied smartly, almost lapsing into the extremely well done British accent he had picked up from a James Bond marathon back in LA. "And you are?"
"I'm Regina, like you'll ever need to know." She looked down her perfectly shaped nose at what she viewed as someone completely beneath her. The second she turned back to Casey though, her voice practically dripped with sugar. "Babe, I thought we were gonna go shopping today! You like, totally promised!" She said.
"Sorry…?" Casey said, secretly glad he'd forgotten about that particular date. Getting his ear talked off for at least five hours was not worth anything.
Even if she did happen to push her rather large assets against his chest while she asked him to help her try on necklaces.
Banishing the thought from his mind, he looked her in her sky blue eyes and said, "Next time, okay? Something really big came up." Casey apologized.
"Exactly how big?" She implored.
"Well, let's put it this way. My journalism summer homework is no longer a problem." He grinned. "Speaking of which…" He handed Jack a twenty, who until this point had been standing uncomfortably on the sidelines. "By yourself some nerdy junk or something."
Jack took the hint and hustled away. 'What was that about?' he asked himself, slightly miffed by Casey's complete attitude reversal.
Flipping over the twenty dollar bill to put it in his wallet, Jack noticed a small piece of paper folded into the corner of it. On this paper was a string of numbers and a hastily scrawled 'SAVE ME' in all caps.
Instantly, Jack had his phone out and called the number. The phone didn't even finish ringing once when Casey answered. Jack didn't even get time to talk. "What? They switched the football practice to noon?" He paused for a moment. "Dude, I'm on a date right now! Come on, it's 11:30, tell me you're joking. No? Fine then." Some distorted phone noises were heard, sounding something like apologies and simpering responses. "See ya there." The call hung up.
Jack looked at his phone in surprise, before putting it in his pocket just as the sound of running footsteps could be heard. Casey rounded the corner and skidded to a halt in front of Jack.
"Thanks dude, normally I don't need that but today she had that shopping look in her eye, and…" He noticed Jack's icy glare. "What?"
"Do I even need to explain it to you?" Jack asked frostily. He knew they'd only just become acquaintances, if even that, but that had still miffed him.
"Look, sorry, but she is literally the most popular girl in the school and… fine. I won't do that again."
"Honestly, I'm fine with it, but if we are embarking on a project of this magnitude you really need to be careful about whom you tell. Plus, don't do that again. It was horribly insulting… Stevie." Jack said in a mocking tone.
Casey rounded on him. "Never say that. Again. Ever." He growled.
Jack snorted. "Why not? You obviously don't care about my feelings. Stevie." He repeated.
"I swear, one more time and I'll-"
"Stev-"
"That's it!"
"-ens." Jack finished, smirking.
"It's times like these when I wonder if this was a good idea." Casey groaned.
"You do realize that it has only been five minutes since I agreed to help you understand these wristbands."
Casey facepalmed. "Just… come on. I drew up a plan as Gray Matter. A few tests per day, and hopefully my sanity won't break." He started heading towards the school, which happened to be only about a mile from the mall.
"Whatever you say, Stevie."
"You little-"
Jack ran in the direction of the school, cackling as a yelling Casey pursued him.
The barbell settled to the ground, and Casey raised his eyebrows in surprise and marked another box on his paper. Currently, he was almost to the bottom of the strength test chart, and was worried he would need more room.
"Impressive. Looks like you're starting to lose some steam, but a ton and a half is nothing to scoff at," he said. "I think we're done for today. I already got my test results in at home, so that just leaves your speed tests."
Jack frowned. "Wait, back up. I turned into an alien for this, which still feels horrible by the way, and you don't even have to? Lemme see that sheet," he said, reaching over and plucking it from Casey's grip. "Where were you planning to do the speed test?" Jack asked while flipping through the papers.
"Actually, I have no idea," Casey admitted. "I mean, a treadmill would work for me, but that may not support your weight, so-"
"You calling me fat?" Jack rumbled with mock anger. "I'll get you for that!" he said while pointing at the football player.
What neither of them expected was for a shard of crystal to fly out, straight towards Casey's head.
With a yelp, he ducked and the verdant crystal impaled itself in the wall behind him.
"What was that!" He yelled, grabbing the shard and holding it up to Jack's face. "You almost killed me!"
"Sorry…?" he replied. "I had no idea that would happen!"
"Well, what else can you do, turn your hands into swords?"
"So what if I- Oh. Looks like I can." Jack said, examining the spears his hands had turned in to.
"Just give me some warning next time?"
"Ok. You got it. But now, instead of speed trials, we can do combat stuff!" Jack said exuberantly.
Casey sighed. "We haven't finished the speed trials yet," he said as if talking to a young child.
"Those are completely unnecessary and you know it."
"Agree to disagree. In the meantime, do you know how to fix a wall?"
"Ummm…"
Deep within the Moon, a form stirred.
Clawed hands reached from a broken and rusted prison, sensing sources of energy nearby. They swiped at nothing, seemingly useless until coruscating crimson light detached itself from the talons and scythed into the ceiling.
The First floated from his prison, drifting on nonexistent currents of air to the closest source of energy.
One of the Omnitrix fragments…
Ok, I will just say thanks for reading and if you have any ideas for the story or feel the need to point out something I did wrong, please leave a review.
-sonyaxe