Something was wrong.

Scout thought he knew Rook pretty well. He didn't know his history with Vilgax beyond surface details though. He'd still spent the last few years at Rook's side. He understood him well enough to know when something was wrong with him.

Rook had been uneasy back at 10K's tower. Afraid, even. Nervous at the very least. Then, they'd split up and Rook felt like a totally different person when they reunited. He was confident, fighting with a cunning quality Scout had never seen in him before. Being the Plumber he was, Scout had to wonder if this was caused by something external but he knew no kind of technology that could cause this. He also didn't know enough about Revonnahganders to make any predictions.

He'd seen Rook like this though. Not like this exactly but these shifts in behavior. Scout thought it may just be an insecurity thing but right now, it was very clear it wasn't. Overcoming security wouldn't cause Warp to lunge at Vilgax like that.

The fight, no matter what inklings Scout had, started out pretty well. Warp swung his scythes at Vilgax, forcing the alien to block the blow. Warp wasn't all that physical but his blades were sharp and scored deep wounds in Vilgax's arm. Not as deep as a swing like that would leave in someone like, say, Scout or Bahrvad but it was still a pretty solid hit.

Speaking of Bahrvad and Xylene, they were at his side now. Scout's tail curled with happiness at that fact but he withheld from wagging. Now wasn't the time. He was glad to be reunited with them though, even if the circumstances weren't the best. After all this ended, he needed to hear where they'd been, to ask why they'd left him and Rook in the Anur System for so long. Had they been fighting Vilgax that whole time? Involved in whatever this interdimensional drama was? Did they even know what Vilgax was doing?

Maybe he was putting too much faith in them. In his mind, they were Vilgax experts. In reality, he knew that wasn't their job. Bahrvad and Xylene were tasked with protecting the Omnitrix. Vilgax was a major threat to that but he wasn't necessarily their key concern. They still had to know him pretty well. They probably had some good insight. He probably would've asked if he wasn't so focused on the fight.

Scout didn't know Vilgax like his mentors or Rook did. Luna Lobo, he didn't even know him like his new human friends did. He'd learned something during that big fight though. Maybe he didn't know Vilgax but he thought he understood him pretty well. Chimera Sui Generis weren't all that strong. Vilgax pushed himself though, became something that the others of his kind never even dreamed of being. But even that wasn't enough so he turned to artificial enhancements. It was that version of Vilgax that Rook had fought, lost to, and beaten so long ago.

Some versions of Vilgax took it to the next level though. They stole the powers of other aliens, modified themselves to an even greater extent, and trained harder than their bodies could bear. There was a story there. Scout didn't know what it was but some part of him was still able to comprehend it. He felt it deep in his bones. He didn't know what it meant but it meant something.

Rook's Vilgax hadn't pushed himself to the level that other Vilgaxes were. He wasn't that powerful comparatively but he was still plenty strong. Strong enough that Warp couldn't hope to get that heavy of a hit on him. Scout wanted to yell for him to transform into something else. Anything. Terrorsaur could blow out his mind and claw him into submission. Kringl the Summoner could overwhelm him. Antigravitesla could gain the upperhand by taking the battle to the sky. Funguy could put him to sleep. Moot had the strength and strategy to outmaneuver him. Brain Drain could sap his energy. Ghostfreak wouldn't even get hit. There were so many options.

There were so many options and Rook remained Warp until he timed out.

Back in his Revonnahgander form, Scout could read him a bit easier. That was when he sensed something was wrong. Rook wasn't afraid, that much was clear, but his expression told Scout he knew something was off. He ducked under one of Vilgax's blows aimed at his head and leaped away from another. He remained calm and in control. The tides of battle were still in Vilgax's favor but Rook was holding his own. He could avoid getting hit until the next alien was ready.

There was no next alien though. After awhile, Scout realized the Omnitrix should've timed in by now. It'd been a bit too long to chalk it up to the Omnitrix being finicky and Rook was starting to tire. No, he was already tired. He'd just fought countless versions of the alien before him. He'd been tired going into this. The adrenaline keeping him sharp was wearing off though, even though Rook very much still needed it. His muscles just couldn't keep up with his demands.

When Vilgax landed a blow, Scout decided he needed to do something.

"Albedo," Scout hissed quietly. "There's something wrong. Take a look around. See if you can pick up anything."

Albedo mock-saluted and climbed up onto Ship's back. The pair took off, slinking around the feet of the other spectators unnoticed. Scout hoped they'd hurry. The consequences of this fight were starting to hit him. This wasn't a fight to determine whether or not his best friend would get beat down by his greatest foe. This was a fight to determine if an army invaded his home dimension.

Rook was still doing pretty alright. He was avoiding more hits than he was receiving but he was still receiving quite a few. None of them had landed head on yet. He was getting clipped more than anything, which was far from bone-shattering like a full on punch would but they were still plenty dangerous. He wasn't even wearing his Plumber armor to absorb part of the blows. Rook stumbled a few more times than Scout could feel comfortable with. He'd also noticed the Omnitrix wasn't timing back in and realizing he needed to deal some damage himself.

Revonnahganders were nimble. Rook could leap up on Vilgax's shoulders and try to distract him or trick him into hitting himself though. That was about all he could do though. Rook had no weapons and even if he did, they probably wouldn't do much. Revonnahganders didn't have any particularly damage dealing abilities either, not like Scout's sonic blasts. Scout faintly remembered Rook mentioning there were some impressive Revonnah-kai techniques but Scout was pretty sure Rook didn't know them. Without a miracle, there wasn't anything Rook could do.

And that miracle came. Just too late.

The Omnitrix lit up green but Rook was too busy dodging blows to turn his attention toward it, making Scout's stomach twist in anxiety. That particular attack was a flurry and Rook was too drained to dodge them all. One hit him solidly in the shoulder, sending him flying. He hit the edge of the arena with a loud crack of the wall against his back and slid down to the ground. He didn't rise.

The spectating Vilgaxes cheered. Scout and his friends exchanged a glance, all feeling the dread rolling in. Around them, they heard other arenas erupt into cheers. The other Omnitrix-bearers had lost as well.

Something appeared on the battlefield. Something brown and familiar. Another Warp, either 10K or Argit, tapped Rook's Omnitrix with a single pointed hand. Green light flashed and Rook was replaced by Warp. They hooked scythes, sharing a look Scout couldn't fathom, and the world began to warp once more.

The Vilgaxes on the rows of bleachers behind Scout and his friends were clearly not happy about what was happening. Figures that Paradox fellow and 10K had a backup plan. Scout didn't know what it was but he knew they needed some time, time he could buy. Whipping around, Scout let out the most concussive blast he could, knocking several Vilgaxes trying to throw themselves onto the battlefield back to into the Vilgaxes behind them. Bahrvad lunged forward, wading into the mass with his arms swinging wildly. Kevin did the same, absorbing Ben's Proto-armor. Gwen put up a mana barrier, leaving openings for her allies to fire at the mob before them. Scout didn't know how effective they'd be but he felt reality twisting around him, his own molecules being claimed by some unnatural force one more time, and Scout knew they'd succeeded.

Scout had been warped before. Of course he had. He had to get warped to get to this version of Khoros, this future Khoros in an alternate dimension, not long ago. He'd gotten caught in a few of Rook's warps over the years too. It really came in clutch, probably saved his life more than a few times. This time, however, the warp felt different than anything Scout had experienced before.

It was slower, for one thing. Warping with Rook was always near-instantaneous. The warp to Khoros took longer but that made sense. They were warping on a much larger scale but it still felt like that same teleportation. Scout didn't know if this could even be called teleportation anymore. The fibers of his being were moving, sure, but so many things other than just space were moving around him.

His vision was splashed with black and purple. Scout desperately wished Albedo and Ship were back so he could hold onto them, making sure they weren't swept away in the spiraling of reality, but they weren't and so Scout turned to Bahrvad and Xylene. He suddenly felt very small, and it wasn't just because his smallest friends were missing. He had to be strong on his own these past few years. He wasn't ashamed to lean on his mentors' strength, especially when facing something as reality-shattering as this.

Khoros bled away around him, the Vilgaxes too. Bahrvad, Xylene, Malware, Ben, Kevin, and Gwen remained, to Scout's relief, and soon more figures joined them. They were Scout's friends, he knew, but his mind was far from his immediate surroundings. His eyes were fixed upward and his ears were flattened against his head, awed by the sparks of light appearing overhead. They stretched and Scout somehow knew they were moving even though it didn't feel like it. His fur remained unruffled and there was no inertia seizing his body. He just knew he was moving, his companions with him.

Something shattered against him. It didn't hurt and Scout didn't know what it was but he knew it was there. The lights around him spiraled and he suddenly realized the spiraling of the world around him had ended. The only movement now was forward. Where to, he didn't know. It didn't scare him though. There was something humbling about it, seeing the rawness of the fabrics of existence and all, but Scout felt safe. This was Warp's doing, Rook's doing. He may not understand it but he knew he was safe in his friend's hands.

Slowly, the color began to bleed back in and then it didn't feel all that slow anymore. Scout's body lurched and suddenly he was on Earth again. He flinched, the abrupt appearance of the sun momentarily blinding him. He held up a paw, blocking the light and releasing his grip on Bahrvad's arm. He hadn't realized he was holding onto him until he let go. Part of him wanted to grab back on, to look up at his mentor like a little puppy and ask what to do next. Scout knew he couldn't though. He'd allowed himself a moment of weakness but now was the time for strength.

"What- what do we do now?" Albedo asked and Scout realized everyone was looking at him. All the friends and allies he'd made: Xylene, Bahrvad, Tetrax, Ship, Albedo, Malware, Ben, Kevin, and Gwen, and even Rook 23 and Rook Prime. Wait, why were those two there? Had they been left behind in the warp? Why weren't they in their own dimensions? Whatever. They were here now and looking to Scout for guidance. Why? He didn't know but Scout knew what he had to do.

"You need to head to the Plumber HQ," Scout said levelly, raising his chin to meet his friends' gazes. "You need to tell the Magisters to prepare for an attack."

"What about you?"

Scout glanced down at Ship, trying to find some comfort in how the little Mechamorph looked up at him with all the faith in the universe. "Ship and I are going to get us some help. Help the Vilgax armada won't see coming."

Ship didn't really know what was happening lately.

It'd been fun playing with Scout and Rook on Galvan Prime. Then they'd gone to the Academy and Ship didn't like that as much but he had a good time on Revonnah. Things settled back down again on Anur Transyl. Ship had plenty of adventures with Rook and Scout there. Then the humans and the Petrosapien came and Ship was sent away from Scout and Rook. He didn't like that as much but he'd do his duty and he'd do it well. And now…

Saying he didn't know what was going on was an understatement but when did he ever? Ship was an envoy. He was meant for one purpose and that was to serve the needs of- well, Ship didn't care much for his creator but he cared a great deal for Scout. Whatever Scout needed from him, Ship would give willingly. He wasn't super happy about coming back to the Anur System though.

It was hard to fly here and sometimes people tried to eat him. Ship didn't care much about that though. Scout and Rook had been happy here but there was… Ship didn't have the words to explain it. They didn't belong here and they knew it. They were content but their purpose lay elsewhere. Being in the Anur System was frustrating. They were just idle here and neither of them wanted that but they put on fake smiles for themselves and each other. Ship had fun but he knew there was a facade.

Ship flew Scout back though. Even though Rook wasn't there, he did it. Where was Rook though? Scout and Rook belonged together. Well technically, Scout wasn't Rookless. Those other two Rooks, the weird stiff one and the weird feral one, insisted on coming. Ship couldn't fathom why and he didn't like it but he wasn't complaining. He'd need help if Scout got in over his head. No way was he letting Scout go back into hiding. Scout wouldn't go back into hiding on his homeworld though, not without his Rook. Scout didn't tell him to go to Anur Transyl though.

"Anur Phaetos is dangerous," Scout was telling him. "I need you to stick close, Ship."

"Ship," Ship responded seriously. He wasn't about to leave Scout, especially not now. Scout smiled ever so slightly and instructed Ship to abandon his Antarian Obliterator form and drop down onto one of the bonelike protrusions jutting out of Anur Phaetos's surface. Ship tried his hardest not to whine and instead trailed after Scout as he ventured toward… Well, Ship couldn't quite comprehend what he was seeing. A glance at the other Rooks told him they couldn't either. Scout knew the ways of the Anur System though and Ship trusted him. Before he knew it, the group found itself in some kind of throneroom.

"Scout Alazraqui," a scraping voice said. Ship felt a shiver ripple through his body. The voice sounded like it was wafting through the room yet right next to him at the same time. "Bold of you to step paw in my domain after what you did."

"Zs'Skayr," Scout responded, voice not trembling an ounce. Ship was proud of him for that. "Let's skip the niceties. We drove you off Anur Transyl, you're still mad, get over it."

"You drove Zs'Skayr off Anur Transyl?" Rook Prime questioned, sounding impressed and catching Zs'Skayr's attention.

"Rook Blonko? No, not Rook Blonko." Zs'Skayr eyed Rook 23, then Rook Prime again, before rising from his throne and drifting forward. "This just got curiouser. I was under the impression that Revonnahganders didn't leave their homeworld much."

"They don't," Scout replied dryly. "Now be quiet and listen to what we have to say."

"Forward. I don't know if I like that."

"These two are Rooks from another dimension. The multiverse is real and long story short, an army of Vilgaxes from other dimensions are about to invade this one. I don't know what they have planned but I want your help."

Zs'Skayr let out a bark of laughter. "Let's say I believe your little tale. Why would I want to help you?"

"Because you would be helping yourself," Rook Prime jumped in. He pushed his way forward until he was standing face to face with the Ectonurite. Ship's instincts screamed for him to herd him away from him but Ship ignored him. This wasn't his Rook and Rook Prime clearly had a plan. Ship would only ruin it if he got in the way. "Have you ever met your Vilgax?"

"Indirectly. It was his data-probes that allowed me to first learn of the Omnitrix," Zs'Skayr answered in a tone that told Ship he thought he was just humoring them. His eye flicked toward Rook Prime and Rook 23's wrists, zeroing in on the Nemetrix. "My, what is that beauty there?"

Rook 23 snarled and Scout spoke for him. "You're not putting your claws on him, Zs'Skayr. It's a knock-off Omnitrix that damages the user's mind. You'd be affected by it if you tried possessing him. If you even think about it, you'll regret it. Stay focused on the problem at hand, Zs'Skayr."

Zs'Skayr put up his hands in mock innocence and continued. "While trapped inside the Omnitrix, I got a few glimpses of Vilgax during dear Blonko's little squabbles with him. It seems we have a common enemy. Why would I help you instead of joining him?"

"Because you and Vilgax always betray each other," Rook Prime said bluntly. "In my home dimension, you are two of the most feared interplanetary figures. You have teamed up to fight the Omnitrix-bearer in my dimension but you have never won. And that was just one Vilgax. This may be hundreds. Vilgax does not need you."

"Even if you don't agree, I'm going to ask the other planets in the Anur System. The other planets are pretty fond of Rook, even the queen of Anur Ormerow," Scout went on. "We're going to create a united front, and your place as High Ecto-Lord won't last long in a united Anur System. You either join us or you're next. I don't think I have to tell you what that means."

Ship wasn't sure if Rook Prime and Scout were bluffing or not. He also wasn't sure if Zs'Skayr was pretending to mull it over or not. "I… concede. Even if I don't like the Omnitrix-bearer, my subjects are fond of him as well. It would keep me in my people's favor if I helped you."

"Not to mention they'd survive," Rook 23 snarked so quietly that Ship wasn't sure if anyone else had heard him.

Scout extended a paw, allowing Zs'Skayr to clasp it. "We have a deal then."

Zs'Skayr nodded. "I have to admit, I am curious what this united Anur System you speak of would look like. The Ectonurites will join you in your fight."