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/qst/ - Quests


In this quest you play as Wade Wakeman, a 17 year old boy with a heart of gold and the wielder of the Omnitrix! This story is being told in an alternate universe, in which there are no longer any remaining Tennysons. Characters from earlier seasons will appear, but not always in a way that you’d expect.

Archive:
http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?tags=Ben+10+Quest

Last time: Wade and the gang intercepted a crime report, detailing the escape of Blast Shadow, as well as several other super-powered criminals, from a Time-Out containment facility. Reportedly, they escaped into Bellwood's expansive subway tunnels, prompting the group to head down after them. But little did they know, there were things far more dangerous than metahumans stalking these tunnels!

Rules:
Most dice rolls will be 1d100. Modifiers will be added depending on the situation or on the alien being used(Usually +10 or -10). Crit successes and crit fails apply. Crit fails can be overridden by crit successes, but crit failures cannot override crit successes.

How to Roll:
To roll dice, type “dice+1d100” in the options field without the quotations. To roll dice with positive modifiers, type “dice+1d100+modifier number” in the options field without quotations, and with an actual modifier number. To roll dice with negative modifiers, type “dice+1d100+-modifier number” in the options field without quotations, and with an actual modifier number.

Aliens Unlocked:
https://pastebin.com/JVq4NM2t

Alien Images:
https://imgur.com/a/SiI6mA7

Character profiles:
https://pastebin.com/v8StiS3n

Skills, Stats and Inventory:
https://pastebin.com/iEYrGZS1

Alien Trivia:
https://pastebin.com/pGrvatEi

Superhero/Supervillain Database:
https://pastebin.com/g62CuTpE

Public Info on X:
https://pastebin.com/bqaamMjS

Valentine’s Shorts:
https://pastebin.com/MhsSXJU7
https://pastebin.com/KLFA43vc
https://pastebin.com/jWzmSfBJ

And don’t forget to follow my Twitter to get more frequent update notifications, and updates on my lack of updates!

My Twitter: https://twitter.com/QmGalvan

Good luck and have fun. It’s Showtime!
>>
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>52

Skulking through the dank, corrodium rat infested subway tunnels of Bellwood, you and Trixie began working on a way to reverse the effects of the foreign contaminant. Admittedly, repairing their DNA was the easy part, since you’ve had more experience in that particular department. The hard part was keeping the creatures from transforming again once they were cured. Otherwise, curing their mutation would be meaningless. And until you could properly dispose of the corrodium deposit, the mutated creatures remaining in this tunnel would continue to suffer and attack innocent bystanders.

Enough deliberating. Time to get to work.

-----------

First, you and Trixie walked in total silence as you exchanged ideas and theories via telepathic link. K8-E and Olivia managed to hold a seemingly lively conversation during that period of time, with Wendy occasionally jumping in when she felt comfortable enough to do so.

Next, you compared the blueprints with similar specs from alien technology that you’d already seen with Retrofit and Upgrade. Unfortunately, without Retrofit’s versatile biomechanical nature, you simply didn’t have enough parts on-hand to construct a prototype. Maybe Providence could help with that when you got back topside.

“According to my sensors, we are getting close to the corrodium deposit.” Trixy reported.

“Yeah. When the walls, ceiling and floor started glowing purple, I had an inkling that we were getting close.” Wendy remarked in her usual snarky tone. Trixie ignored her, but whether it was out of annoyance or disinterest, you couldn’t say for sure. Despite having a mental link with her, you always had trouble picking up on the slight emotional changes in Trixie. It was something that you’d have to work on getting better at once this was all over.

Suddenly, the ground beneath you began to shake, and...no. It wasn’t just the ground. It was the entire tunnel! Something was coming. Something big.

Narrowing your eyes and zooming in closer to get a better look at the cause of the disturbance, you manage to catch a glimpse of multiple, reflective surfaces. And that’s when it hit you.

It wasn’t just “something”. It was a metric shit-ton of “somethings”!

“Rats!” Olivia screamed, drawing her bow to aim at the writhing mass of oversized vermin filling the tunnel up to the brim.

Desperately searching for a place to take cover, you spot an exit for maintenance workers, but you have no idea where it might lead.

Alternatively, there’s a derailed train car to the right of you. It might provide shelter against the rats. And if you’re lucky, they might just pass right over you.

(Cont.)
>>
What will you do?

>Transform into an alien.(Which one?)
>Use one of your Viral Forms.(Which one?)
>Channel your Flame Aura and burn these rats to cinders!
>Duck through the maintenance exit. Wherever it leads, it’s got to be better than here!
>Hide in the derailed train car.
>Write-in.

Aliens Unlocked:
https://pastebin.com/JVq4NM2t

Skills, Stats and Inventory:
https://pastebin.com/iEYrGZS1

Top 10:
>Big Chill
>Diamondhead
>Zipmunk
>Bloodrush
>XLR8
>Fourcast
>Thriller Whale
>Knuckle Duster
>Hack N’ Slash
>Snapdragon
>>
>>4982053
>>Transform into an alien.(Which one?)
Either Shell head or bug byte
>>
>>4982043
Wakeman? Any relation to the famous roboticist?
>>
>>4982053
>Transform into an alien.(Which one?)
Either Shell head or bug byte
>>
Rolled 2 (1d2)

>>4982067
>>4982367
Writing...

>>4982160
Find out next season. And who knows. You might see some other familiar faces, as well...
>>
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Taking a moment to decide between Shellhead and Bug Byte, you decide to leave it up to random chance as you select an alien without looking. Lucky for you, though, Trixy doesn’t believe in such things.

And from the way that transformation felt, it looks like you just got the latter of the two.

In a flash of light, you’ve become Shellhead!

“Not exactly one of your heavy hitters, cuz.” Olivia called out, giving you a slightly disapproving look.

“Shut your pie-hole, maggot!” you shouted. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you sound like those Lenopan kids. Excuse me for not wanting to collapse the subway tunnel on top of us!” you screamed, your voice echoing throughout the tunnel.

Olivia winced and backed away from you, ever so slightly.

“Okay! Take it easy!” she cried, while covering her ears. “They’re just rats.”

“Yes, but they’re corrodium infected rats.” K8-E clarified.

“Corrodium infected rats that can infect us through a single tear in our suits.” Wendy said with her rifle raised. “Not all of us get a fancy Omnitrix and regenerating suit to protect us.”

K8-E quickly looked away from Wendy with a guilty expression on her face. Wendy glanced over, looked her up and down, and caught the meaning of her bashfulness. With a quick glance at Olivia’s suit, sporting a giant cat face on it, Wendy returned her gaze to the front and let out a deep sigh.

“Seriously? I’m the only one here without a regenerating suit of armor?” Wendy asked in disbelief. “This is some serious bullshit…” she grumbled.

What will you do?

>Open fire on these maggots, and unleash hell!
>Collapse the main tunnel with a pair of well placed shots, and retreat into the maintenance tunnel.
>Retreat into your shell and dive into the middle of the swarm before detonating your shell.
>Toss out a cluster of flash and stun grenades, providing support for your team.
>Send out a couple of gravity traps, breaking up the horde as they stagger into the chokehold.
>Write-in.

Aliens Unlocked:
https://pastebin.com/JVq4NM2t

Skills, Stats and Inventory:
https://pastebin.com/iEYrGZS1

Top 10:
>Big Chill
>Diamondhead
>Zipmunk
>Bloodrush
>XLR8
>Fourcast
>Thriller Whale
>Knuckle Duster
>Hack N’ Slash
>Snapdragon
>>
>>4982802
Meant to say "former", but I won't delete it just for that.
>>
>>4982802
>Open fire on these maggots, and unleash hell!
>Everyone, unleash DAKKA.

Between all of us we should have enough firepower. If we don't, we can have Olivia make a quick mana wall, and have whoever is in most trouble, evacuated with K8's help.
>>
>>4982802
>Send out a couple of gravity traps, breaking up the horde as they stagger into the chokehold.
>>
>>4982829
>>4982802
Supporting
>>
>>4982802
>Open fire on these maggots, and unleash hell!
>>
>>4982829
>>4982949
>>4982964
Roll 1d100+20, bo3!
>>
Rolled 7 + 20 (1d100 + 20)

>>4983222
>>
Rolled 91 + 20 (1d100 + 20)

>>4983222
>>
Rolled 72 (1d100)

>>4983222
>>
>>4983547
>>4983561
>>4983707
Crit! Writing...
>>
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>111

Narrowing your eyes and sliding your shelmet onto your head, you brandish a seemingly impossible amount of alien weaponry from your shell. From gatling guns, to pulse rifles, to disruptor cannons, you arrange a diverse arsenal above your head, and to both sides of you.

“Ready your weapons, men!” you shout, without taking your eyes off the enemy.

“I do not understand. We are all women.” K8-E protested.

“And one synthetic.” Trixy reminded everyone in a flat tone.

“Yeah, but you’re a girlrobot.” Olivia said in an encouraging tone.

“I have never once considered myself as having a gender.” Trixy explained. “This feminine voice and cybernetic frame is entirely incidental.”

“Focus, people.” Wendy interrupted, sounding mildly agitated now. “We can argue about gender politics later. Let’s just shoot some rats before we get torn apart, huh?”

“Now you’re speaking my language!” you say with a wild grin. And at that very moment, the rats entered your range.

“Come get soooooooome!” you shouted, firing off all of your weapons at once in a thunderous cacophony. Wendy followed up with her heavy pulse rifle, accurately and efficiently dispatching the rats on the edges of the tunnel.

When they got too close, Olivia would erect a mana barrier and push them back. K8-E did the same, but this was accomplished by a series of high speed kicks to ward off any rats that attempted to flank you. When you weren’t being overwhelmed, Olivia provided cover for Wendy in the short intervals where she had needed to reload. Through the use of her newfound elemental magic, your cousin was able to produce devastating effects over a wide area of the tunnel.

But even then, there were far too many of these creatures swarming you all at once. You were already used to the mindless behavior that often struck those afflicted by corrodium radiation sickness, but the timing of the attack was uncanny. It was almost as if they’d been placed here to prevent you from reaching the deposit.

“There’s too many of them!” Olivia said as she threw a fireball into the middle of the horde. She was clearly out of breath from exerting herself for this long.

“I’m starting to run low here…” Wendy warned, now conserving her ammo by switching to a single fire mode.

“Our odds of success are quickly deteriorating.” Trixy stated, incernating a group of rats with her optic lasers.

“Then I guess I’ll have to bring out the big guns…!” you growled, before tucking your weapons back into your shell and brandishing a series of black, metal pylons. The pylon’s front-facing panel slid open, revealing an assortment of large, rounded projectiles. “Fire in the hole!” you shouted, before firing every last one of the projectiles into the tunnel.

(Cont.)
>>
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At first, nothing happened. There was nothing but sharp screeches from the rats, and a sharp hiss from the gas propelled grenades. And then, all hell broke loose!

A series of explosions erupted throughout the tunnel in the form of bright flashes of light. The resulting shockwaves were so powerful that it nearly knocked all of you off of your feet. You were all relatively unharmed. The rats, however, were not so lucky.

Numerous body parts were flung into the air, strung about in multiple directions, before being incinerated by the initial heat of the explosions. For the ones that were further away, the kinetic force likely liquified their organs or crushed their bones. The explosions rang out for a full 30 seconds, echoing throughout the tunnel until the last of the explosions appeared only as a dim spark in the distance.

Finally, the shaking had stopped, and so had the rats. At first, you began to worry about whether the tunnel would actually collapse from your personalized artillery strike. When nothing happened after a full minute, you let go of a breath that you didn’t even know you were holding.

“You might have used that at the beginning of the fight!” Wendy angrily shouted. You weren’t sure if the explosions had damaged her hearing, or if she was simply angry at you.

“The important thing is that we’re all alive.” K8-E comforted her, placing a gentle hand on her tense shoulders. To your surprise, your sister didn’t flinch or shake her hand off.

“Subway tunnel integrity is being maintained.” Trixy reported, gazing up at the ceiling intently. “For now.”

“Then let’s hurry and get this corrodium stuff out of here before we have to fight anymore rats!” Olivia declared.

You couldn’t agree more.

------------------

As you proceeded down the tunnel, the state of the corrodium corruption grew significantly worse. Whole structures were distorted beyond recognition, seemingly belonging to another alien ecosystem entirely. Your sensors would malfunction every few seconds, forcing you to wonder whether this suit would actually protect you the way Trixy promised it would.

And all of a sudden, Trixy stopped walking. You nearly crashed into her, resisting the urge to utter a response that could be perceived as rude. But before you could say anything, you noticed what had made her stop dead in her tracks.

The radiation levels...they were at their peak! Whatever was causing the rats and humans down here to contract corrodium poisoning, you were certain that it was right here. Right on...top of you…

Without knowing why, your head shot up, and you caught a glimpse of a pair of eyes, glaring down at you with malicious intent.

“Everyone, move!” you shouted. And to your satisfaction no one hesitated to leap out of the before the hulking behemoth dropped down from the ceiling.

(Cont.)
>>
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With a loud crash, it kicked up a cloud of dirt and debris, before rising to its full height, a staggering eight feet tall! And...you somehow recognized it!

“Cannibal King?” you asked. “Is that...you?”

The mutant carnivore rumbled in his throat, an unnerving chuckle that chilled you to your bones. “In the flesh.”

“What happened to you?” Olivia asked, examining the purple, pulsating streaks forming along his chitinous body. It looks like he’s been juicing.

“I started improving my eating habits. Including minerals in my diet.” he said, flashing his pale, yellow teeth in a wide grin. Too wide.

And what did he mean by-

And then it hit you. Cannibal King, for some unknown reason, felt the urge to consume corrodium!

What will you do?

>Transform into an alien.(Which one?)
>Use one of your Viral Forms. (Which one?)
>Scan his body for any abnormalities.
>”CK, this can’t be good for you. For all you know, the corrodium might be killing you.”
>”So you’re the reason that the rats are going berserk down here.”
>”Did you eat all of it, or is there still some left over?”
>”If you give up now, I can make sure you’ll get a comfy cell with an all you can eat buffet.”
>Write-in.

Aliens Unlocked:
https://pastebin.com/JVq4NM2t

Skills, Stats and Inventory:
https://pastebin.com/iEYrGZS1

Top 10:
>Big Chill
>Diamondhead
>Zipmunk
>Bloodrush
>XLR8
>Fourcast
>Thriller Whale
>Knuckle Duster
>Hack N’ Slash
>Snapdragon
>>
>>4983915
>”CK, this can’t be good for you. For all you know, the corrodium might be killing you.”
>>”If you give up now, I can make sure you’ll get a comfy cell with an all you can eat buffet.”
If he actually does
>Scan his body for any abnormalities.
If he doesn't
>Transform into an alien.(Which one?)
Either Ripcord or Echo Echo. If he's the type that get's stronger from eating things we sort of learned our lesson with the omnivore to go with sound based attacks
>>
>>4983963
+1
>>
>>4983963
>>4984066
Writing...
>>
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“CK, this can’t be good for you. For all you know, the corrodium might be killing you.” You protest. “If you give up now, I can make sure you’ll get a comfy cell with an all you can eat buffet.”

Cannibal King let out a low growl. “You mean you’ll be managing what and when I can eat! I will not be forced into submission, just to have someone else choose my food for me!” he shouted, his booming voice echoing in your ears. “I take what I want, when I want! And now, not even you can stop me.”

A low rumbling sound came from your stomach, and your blood ran cold. Cannibal King’s ability to inspire a voracious hunger in his victims was truly a terrifying one. But it was also one that could be resisted by someone with a strong enough will. Those rats, on the other hand, never stood a chance before his influence.

“Then you leave me no choice.” you proclaim, before sliding open your Omnitrix’s faceplate, selecting an alien and slamming your hand onto the belt’s core. And in a burst of light, your body undergoes a significant change!

Your muscles expand, your nails grow into claws, your teeth grow into fangs, and a thick coat of fur sprouts out from underneath your skin. You’ve become Ripcord!

As the light faded, you let out a celebratory howl, that might have been closer to a scream from the lead singer of a metal band.

“You’ve chosen death!” Cannibal King snarled as he raised his thick tail and hunched his shoulders.

What will you do?

>Restrict his movements with your hair while your allies pile on the damage.
>Unleash a devastating sonic attack to collapse the tunnel on top of him.
>Try to match the frequency of the corrodium in his blood and attack it directly.
>Wrap your body in a giant spiked hairball and pounce on top of the King.
>Knock him onto his back with a sound-boosted power-slide.
>Write-in.

Aliens Unlocked:
https://pastebin.com/JVq4NM2t

Skills, Stats and Inventory:
https://pastebin.com/iEYrGZS1

Top 10:
>Big Chill
>Diamondhead
>Zipmunk
>Bloodrush
>XLR8
>Fourcast
>Thriller Whale
>Knuckle Duster
>Hack N’ Slash
>Snapdragon
>>
>>4984629
>>Knock him onto his back with a sound-boosted power-slide.
>>
>>4984629
>Restrict his movements with your hair while your allies pile on the damage.
>>
>>4986553
Gangrape-Style!
>>
>>4986553
+1
>>
>>4986553
+1
>>
>>4986553
>>4986708
>>4986786
>>4986793
Writing...
>>
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With an exuberant snarl, you send your hair out as thick tendrils, wrapping them around Cannibal King’s muscular limbs. With a grunt, you strain yourself to pull them together, coiling your hair around his wrist and ankles and locking them together.

Clearly agitated by your attempt to restrain him, he began tearing away at the bundles of hair with his needle-like teeth. But that only made it easier for you to sew his jaw shut with your dense hair follicles. And tearing free from that should’ve been easy enough for a creature of his size, but you made sure to shove a hairball or two down his throat to keep him from concentrating for too long.

You shouted a verbal command to your allies, but it only came out as unintelligible gibberish in the form of constant sputtering. If you had to compare it to anything, you’d be hard-pressed to find an example better than Taz from the Looney Tunes.

But despite your inability to form coherent sentences, everyone pretty much knew what you were implying. At that moment, the rest of your team went on the offensive.

Wendy bombarded him with bullets, grenades and plasma, while Olivia chipped in with her mystical arrows and the occasional spell. And from the way she was using that bow, you would’ve never guessed that she was a novice archer. Her shots were masterfully placed, and she came close to taking out Cannibal King’s eyes on several occasions.

K8-E and Trixy got in close to deal damage at melee range. While Trixy was much more coordinated in her attacks, K8-E blinding speed made her a force to be reckoned with. But you doubt that she could do much to damage such a hulking brute with her slight frame. The real danger on their end was the devastatingly powerful tail that your enemy possessed. No matter how much you tried, you couldn’t restrain it without giving him room to move elsewhere, and you weren’t willing to compromise in that way.

All things considered, only having to deal with his tail was an acceptable risk to expose your team to. They were quick-witted enough to avoid it, focusing on hit and run tactics to confuse him. Every now and again, you would have to regrow your hair in places that had been blown off by a stray blaster bolt or a fire spell.

Speaking of spells, you began to wonder why Wendy didn’t try to use her mana draining magic on him. It would certainly end things much faster. Maybe that hazmat suit was somehow interfering with her ability to channel her spells.

Suddenly, out of the corner of your eye, you noticed a brown blur entering the battlefield, faster than any of you could react.

It’s first target was K8-E, knocking her into a wall to get the biggest obstacle out of the way first. Then, it went for Trixy, the second fastest out of the bunch, taking her out of the fight by delivering a lightning fast combo to her left arm and leg, leaving them severely damaged.

(Cont.)
>>
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A chill ran up your spine when you tried to anticipate what it might do to your cousin. But fortunately, she was only blown away by a massive shockwave created from a sudden and intense burst of vibrations. And as for Wendy...she was completely fine.

The blur had not hurt her in the same way that it had done to the others. It just ran past her, did a u-turn and headed back out the way it came. No, Wendy was completely fine. The only thing that was missing was her CONTAINMENT SUIT! The blur stole her hazmat suit!

Panic set in almost immediately as the veins on Wendy’s arm started to turn a dark shade of purple. But to your surprise, she didn’t try to protect herself with a mana bubble or anything like that.

No, she used this opportunity to unleash the spell that you’d needed her to cast earlier. Without hesitating, your sister unleashed a legion of mana tendrils, sending them hurtling through Cannibal King’s body without waiting for you to move out of the way. Luckily, your reflexes allowed you to jump out of the way before any of them hit you. However, you could feel the parts of your hair still clinging to him aging to dust.

The King cried in pain, thrashing against the incorporeal enemies with no success. You could see the life leaving his eyes, the strength being drained from his oversized muscles, as his size returned to what you had remembered it as when you had last seen him.

And while you were excited to have gotten a leg up on the big guy, you were not at all happy to see your sister slowly succumbing to the corrodium radiation! Her life absorption magic was keeping it at bay, but not for long.

When you noticed that he could barely stand, you took the opportunity to step in and deal the finishing blow by delivering a devastating dive-kick to his chin. The Cannibal King went down like a sack of bricks, cracking the ground beneath him as his body slumped over.

He’s down for the count, but you’ve got bigger problems. Wendy’s got bigger problems!

What will you do?

>Wrap her up in a tight hair cocoon.
>Swap to Retrofit and adapt that anti-corrodium field generator that you worked on.
>Tell Gwen to extend her protection to Wendy as well.
>Swap to Gravelanche and create a hole in the ceiling to get Wendy out of the tunnel.
>Have K8-E chase the speedster.
>Send a drone after the speedster.

Aliens Unlocked:
https://pastebin.com/JVq4NM2t

Skills, Stats and Inventory:
https://pastebin.com/iEYrGZS1

Top 10:
>Big Chill
>Diamondhead
>Zipmunk
>Bloodrush
>XLR8
>Fourcast
>Thriller Whale
>Knuckle Duster
>Hack N’ Slash
>Snapdragon
>>
>>4986844
>Swap to Retrofit and adapt that anti-corrodium field generator that you worked on.
>Have K8-E be constantly on the lookout for them coming back, with her increased reflexes.

Nice and slow now, we're close to the core. We got 10 minutes to get bulk of this done.
>>
>>4986844
>Swap to Retrofit and adapt that anti-corrodium field generator that you worked on.
>Have K8-E be constantly on the lookout for them coming back, with her increased reflexes.
>>
>>4986844
>Swap to Retrofit and adapt that anti-corrodium field generator that you worked on.
>Send a drone after the speedster.
>>
>>4987222
>>4987337
Writing...
>>
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Quickly, without thinking, you abandon your Urezko Canis form and take on that of a Modrotian, or better known as Retrofit. During that brief transition, you rushed over to Wendy as fast as your shapeshifting legs could take you. There was a slight shift in elevation and speed, but nothing substantial enough to trip you up.

“Retrofit!” you said, feeling compelled to announce your purpose and designation upon arrival, in your usual modulated voice.

Thinking back, you recalled the blueprints that you and Trixie drew up while tracing the corrodium signature. Bringing those blueprints to the front of your mind, your body began to shift in order to accommodate for the parts that you’d need in order for the device to be operational.

“Anti-Corrodium Field Generator.” you declared, your midsection expanding like a bubble, swallowing up Wendy as the field generator powered up. She was too weak, and most likely startled, to resist. From an outsider’s perspective, the display could be considered ridiculous. You held Wendy within your pale purple, transparent abdomen, with your head, arms and legs remaining roughly the same size. But by this point, you weren’t at all concerned with the absurdity of it all. All you cared about was making sure that Wendy was safe.

“Detecting a noticeable drop in the patient’s corrodium infection levels. Containment protocol successful!” you proclaimed, unsure of why everything you said felt, and sounded, so detached from everything and everyone.

Wendy already looked better, and her veins weren’t turning purple anymore. Although, her breathing remained irregular, and she kept her eyelids shut tight.

You rotated your head to face K8-E, who was just now picking herself up off of the floor.

“You there. Kineceleran mate,” you called out to her, internally screaming as you did so. “You are to remain alert, should the mutant return to attack once more.”

K8-E seemed confused by having you address her as “Kineceleran mate”, but she nodded her confirmation nonetheless. You could sense that she seemed to be feeling embarrassed about having been jumped by another speedster. For someone striving to prove their usefulness in the field, you have no doubt that her pride’s taken a blow. You made a mental note to comfort her whenever you took on a form that was better equipped to deal with emotional matters.

For now, you should focus on locating the corrodium deposit. It should be somewhere around here.

“I believe that I have found it.” Trixy reported, directing her gaze upwards as she activated her optic lights to highlight the area. Following her gaze, you saw a large, purple crystal jutting out of the tunnel’s overhang. It was glowing brightly, but so was everything else in this room. It’s no surprise that you weren’t able to locate it immediately.

(Cont.)
>>
Offhandedly, you noticed that it was close to where the Cannibal King dropped down on you from above. You might have seen it if an 800lb dinosaur wasn’t trying to flatten you a minute ago.

Looking back at the fallen predator, you noticed that Olivia was busy tying him up in thick layers of mana, ensuring that he won’t try anything funny when you weren’t looking. You honestly doubted that he had the strength to do so.

“Ugh...I feel like I just got hit by a truck…” she groaned, rubbing at her helmet.

Out of the corner of your eye, you noticed that K8-E had been true to her word. She kept her head on a swivel, zipping around the tunnel to make sure that she had every angle covered.

Trixy, on the other hand, was busy trying to pull herself back together. That blur, or Loco Motion, as you already assumed, really did a number on her. Her left arm and leg were shattered, exposing a silvery, metal frame underneath torn synthflesh, along with some sparking wires. Her self repair function was taking care of most of it, but it was slow-going. You weren’t sure if she’d be up to pursuing Blast Shadow’s group in her current state. Hell, you weren’t sure if you’d be up for it. Not to forget, Wendy was still in shock from her corrodium exposure.

How will you proceed now that you’ve located the corrodium?

>Call in Providence to safely extract it. And tell them to hurry!”
>Deliver the corrodium yourself, with the others in tow. This mission is far too dangerous for them. You’re pulling out for now.
>Ask Olivia to use a divination spell to spy on Loco Motion.
>Attempt to replicate the process through which Iden created your suit and give it to your sister.
>Turn into Eruptile and use his lava spit to melt down the corrodium.
>Write-in.

Aliens Unlocked:
https://pastebin.com/JVq4NM2t

Skills, Stats and Inventory:
https://pastebin.com/iEYrGZS1

Top 10:
>Big Chill
>Diamondhead
>Zipmunk
>Bloodrush
>XLR8
>Fourcast
>Thriller Whale
>Knuckle Duster
>Hack N’ Slash
>Snapdragon
>>
>>4988113
>>Call in Providence to safely extract it. And tell them to hurry!
>>
>>4988113
>Deliver the corrodium yourself, with the others in tow. This mission is far too dangerous for them. You’re pulling out for now.

Can retrofit mix and match tech? If so
>Turn Retrofit into a anti gravity pallet with a corrodium neutralizer.
>Make sure providence is aware of Loco-Motion being active, the fact bound Cannibal King that needs extraction, and that we are bringing live corrodium and need a team to securely contain it.
>>
>>4988113
>Turn Retrofit into a anti gravity pallet with a corrodium neutralizer.
>Make sure providence is aware of Loco-Motion being active, the fact bound Cannibal King that needs extraction, and that we are bringing live corrodium and need a team to securely contain it.
>>
>>4988466
>>4990500
Writing...
>>
“Assist me in retrieving the corrodium.” you say while facing Trixy. She nods in response, and without averting her gaze from the corrodium, fires two beams of heated plasma up at the tunnel’s ceiling.

The laser beams carve a thin line in a crude circular pattern around the corrodium deposit, causing it to shift, and then ultimately, plummet to the ground in a resounding crash. Luckily, no one was close enough to get hurt by it, you and Wendy included.

Once the dust had settled, you proceeded to collect the mineral and place it onto a flat, hovering platform that you’d adapted from some heavy loading equipment that you saw a few times during your adventures as a Special Agent of the Plumbers. You also shifted the anti-corrodium field that contained your sister to the back of your body, careful to keep the two separate.

“Cousin,” you say to Olivia. “Grab Cannibal King and Trixie. We’re getting out of here.”

Olivia groaned. “Both of them? Cannibal King weighs a metric ton!”

“You have magic. Use it.” you responded in a harsh tone.

“That still takes effort, you know…” Olivia grumbled, even while stretching out her hand and creating a mana platform beneath Cannibal King’s body. K8-E helped Trixy onto the platform as well, struggling to heft the android’s surprising weight.

“What about the criminals?” K8-E asked.

“It’s too risky. We’ll just have to rely on someone else to capture them for now.” you said, turning to float in the opposite direction.

K8-E’s shoulders dropped, and she followed your lead without saying another word the rest of the way.

------------

After contacting Providence, they made sure to have a hazmat team meet you at the subway’s entrance, where they extracted the corrodium and placed Cannibal King into a large vehicle that would likely take him to one of their holding facilities.

You informed them of Loco Motion’s involvement in the fight, as well as your team’s inability to continue in the escaped convicts’ pursuit. Whatever Blast Shadow’s group plans on doing, you’ll just have to hope that it doesn’t involve any further casualties. But you can’t help but be perplexed by Loco Motion’s behavior in the tunnels. First, she steals the fingernail of a random woman, and then she takes Wendy’s hazmat suit.

You could understand her stealing a hazmat suit to sabotage your mission, but the fingernail? What’s up with that? Some sort of bizarre criminal fixation? A fetish for inflicting pain, maybe?

Your thought process was abruptly interrupted by an incessant beeping coming from one of the Hazmat Agent’s scanners. He wore a bulky suit that looked like it belonged on a scuba diver stuck in the 1800’s.

blue]“Excuse me,” he said in a modulated voice that made it sound like he was trapped in a fish bowl. “Does this young woman have any cybernetic implants?”

(Cont.)
>>
“Yes,” you nodded. “She does. Why does that matter?”

“Well...my scanner is detecting internal hemorrhaging. Likely a result of her rapidly expanding muscle tissue pushing against her implants while being exposed to the corrodium radiation.” he reported, looking back at his y-shaped scanner.

“What!?” you shouted, dropping the rest of the corrodium and pulling Wendy’s anti-corrodium field to the forefront of your body.

The agent backed away slightly, waving his hands in alarm. “I didn’t detect any hemorrhaging in her brain, but it’s possible that her neural and cranial implants might be pushing against her brain and skull. She needs immediate medical attention.”

Olivia and K8-E gasped, while Trixy just stared at Wendy with her brows furrowed. Your telepathic link told you that she was initiating a full body scan on Wendy and mentally kicking herself for not doing so earlier. She wasn’t the only one...

Wendy’s dying. Your sister’s been dying this whole time and your sensors didn’t detect it because you didn’t think to look for it! If you had known, then you might have gone faster to get out of that tunnel!

No. Can’t think of that now. All that matters is getting her some help.

What will you do?

>Hand her over to Providence and pray that they can do something to help.
>Call Iden over to your planet. She created Wendy, so she should know how to put her back together again.
>Hop over to The Nexus to get help. You heard that a good portion of the Council of 10 are legally qualified to be doctors.
>Rush home and try to perform the surgery yourself. Between your smartest aliens and your immediate allies, you think you have a decent chance of success.
>Write-in.

Aliens Unlocked:
https://pastebin.com/JVq4NM2t

Skills, Stats and Inventory:
https://pastebin.com/iEYrGZS1

Top 10:
>Big Chill
>Diamondhead
>Zipmunk
>Bloodrush
>XLR8
>Fourcast
>Thriller Whale
>Knuckle Duster
>Hack N’ Slash
>Snapdragon
>>
Forgot to add another option.

>Call in Sawbones and The Cowl. Any vigilante with legitimate medical experience.
>>
>>4990884
>Hop over to The Nexus to get help. You heard that a good portion of the Council of 10 are legally qualified to be doctors.
>>
>>4990884
Hand her over to Providence and pray that they can do something to help.
>Call Iden over to your planet. She created Wendy, so she should know how to put her back together again.
>>
>>4990884
>Hand her over to Providence and pray that they can do something to help.
>Call Iden over to your planet. She created Wendy, so she should know how to put her back together again.
>>
>>4991788
>>4991792
Writing...
>>
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At this very moment, your best bet is to leave her in the hands of Providence. That should at least buy her some time for Iden to get here. If she created Wendy, there’s no reason not to believe that she can put her back together.

Waiting until the Hazmat Agents could safely contain the corrodium, you removed Wendy from the containment field and gingerly held her in your arms. Even while reverting to your human form, you never allowed her to slip from your grasp.

“Can you help her?” you pleaded, your voice low. “Or at least keep her stable until someone else arrives?”

By this point, a medical team had arrived with a stretcher, taking Wendy from your hands and lowering her onto the hovering platform before carting her away.

“We’ll do our best, X. But if you don’t mind me asking,” the Hazmat Agent said, his gaze following yours to the stretcher that your sister was laid out on. “Who should we expect to see?”

----------

After describing Iden to the agent, you and the rest of your team entered the ambulance and rode alongside Wendy to Providence’s base. K8-E, not wanting to leave you or your sister alone in your moment of crisis, called home and let Olumar know that you’d be late coming back. Olivia called Kevin to let him know as well, but it sounded like he was wrapped up in some bizarre “Forever Knight business” and was unable to make it.

Somewhere along the way, Grandpa called you to ask if you still wanted to drop by and pick up the tux. But once you explained what had happened to Wendy, he offered an apology and agreed to leave it at your house.

It’s a shame too. You were looking forward to seeing him again. He’s felt a bit...distant lately.

And speaking of distant relatives, you should make sure that Iden knows how to find you. If it weren’t for K8-E clutching your hand tightly, you don’t think you’d be able to stop your voice from quivering during the call.

Trixy noticed K8-E’s hand intertwined with yours and imitated the action by clutching your other hand in a vice grip.

------------

With practiced professionalism, the medics wheeled Wendy out of the ambulance and rushed her into the emergency room, carving a path through the base and taking the most effective route to conserve critical seconds that might mean the difference between the patient’s life, or their death.

You were pleasantly surprised to see that they were just as worried as you were. For someone they had never met, or even knew the name of, they were working as if their own lives depended on it.

You haven’t worked much with Providence during your term as a superhero, but they were usually much more agreeable than Steel’s people, even on their worst day.

-------

Having been made to wait outside the emergency room was within your expectations. You don’t think you’d be able to stomach seeing them dissect your twin on an operating table.

(Cont.)
>>
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K8-E was single handedly comforting both you and Olivia by showering you with motherly affection. Over time, it was starting to lose its effect, but your mood did a complete 180 when you saw Iden storm through the door.

She had a full guard detail tailing her through the facility, making sure that she wouldn’t wander off unexpectedly. But with the way she was walking, a determined glint in her eye and a stony expression on her face, you had no doubt that she was only focused on doing exactly what she was called to do.

You tried to call out to her, thank her for coming as fast as she did, or at all for that matter. But she paid you no mind. She walked right past you as if you weren’t even there. Not for lack of acknowledgement, you were sure, but simply because it wasn’t her chief concern. Stopping for niceties and pleasant conversation would be “inefficient” when she had already lost precious time. She did, however, briefly glance in Trixie’s direction, whose eyes tracked her every movement like a security camera.

Given the circumstances, you could hardly blame her. All you could do was watch as she forced the doors to the OR open, revealing a room full of doctors and robots standing over the still body of your sister, the only sign of life being her breathing mask fogging up for a brief moment. And then, the doors swung closed once more.

---------------
After waiting for--you don’t know how long, you lost track of time--Iden finally came out to greet you. You rose to your feet immediately, waiting for the mad doctor to remove her bloodied gloves and surgical mask.

“Well?” Olivia asked before you could. “How is she?”

Iden inhaled deeply before answering. “She’s going to be alright.” she said with a satisfied smile, looking at each of you individually.

You all breathed a collective sigh of relief. Even Trixie’s shoulders lost their tension, despite her efforts to hide it.

“Oh, thank goodness…” K8-E said, her hand weighing heavily on your shoulder.

“Can we see her?” you asked.

Iden shook her head. “Not yet. She still needs to rest. I had to remove all of her cybernetic implants in order to prevent any further damage.”

“Aww. Even her cool robot arm…?” Olivia asked, seemingly saddened by something that didn’t concern or affect her in the slightest.

Iden nodded. “Yes, even her ‘cool robot arm’. The genetic damage from her brief exposure wasn’t so severe that it couldn’t be repaired, but it was enough for her body to mutate past what her cybernetic implants physically allowed.”

“Weren’t some of those implants connected to her brain?” K8-E said. “Wouldn’t those be hard to remove without causing lasting damage?”

(Cont.)
>>
Iden shrugged, an amused smile spreading across her face. “I don’t know. I suspect that most people from this planet would struggle with the basics of cranial implant removal. But considering how I’m the one who created her, I know the inner workings of her body better than anyone.”

You wonder how Wendy will adapt to not having any of her implants. Especially if one of them is her favored arm. She’ll certainly have trouble adapting.

What will you do?

>Take K8-E and Olivia back home for now. They must be tired, and Wendy needs to recover from her surgery.
>Spend the night at the facility and wait for Wendy to wake up. You don’t plan on leaving her side.
>Ask if Iden has a way to restore her lost limb, or at least compensate for its absence.
>Reintroduce Trixie to Iden. She hasn’t seen her new form yet.
>Step away from the group and inquire about the progress of Blast Shadow’s pursuit.
>Write-in.
>>
>>4992009
>Reintroduce Trixie to Iden. She hasn’t seen her new form yet.
>Trixie's Body is still a work in progress.
>Ask Iden, if just because her current cybernetics are not compatible with her anymore, couldn't Wendy just get replacements that serve similar function?

Try to:
>Spend the night at the facility and wait for Wendy to wake up. You don’t plan on leaving her side.
But:
>Be carried away, by force if necessary, by Olivia and K8-E, back home.
>>
>>4992009
Supporting
>>4992013
>>
>>4992008
>>4992009 +1
>>
>>4992013
>>4992843
>>4993093
Writing...
>>
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“Iden,” you say, grabbing Trixie by the arm to pull her forward. “This is Trixie. You remember her, right?”

Iden tilts her head to the side and steps forward to meet her. “You mean the A.I.? The one that Azmuth built into the Omnitrix? You gave it an artificial body?” she asked.

“It’s still a work in progress.” you said.

Iden snorts. “I’ll say. She looks like she belongs in the Red Light sector, not a battlefield.” she said, while squeezing Trixy’s cheeks and groping around her body in an inappropriate manner, probing every inch of her visible synthflesh. “Did you build her yourself?”

“Uh, no.” you admitted, slapping her hands away to prevent Trixie from getting any more uncomfortable. “I kinda hijacked an android from a rich, spoiled brat.”

A small smile creased Iden’s lips upon hearing that. “Oh, we can do better than that. Much better.” she said, her mind no doubt swimming with ideas for potential upgrades for Trixie’s body.

“I now understand what Wendy meant by ‘personal space’. This was a rather discomforting experience.” Trixie observed.

“Well, aren’t you adorable!” Iden said, pinching her cheeks again. She clearly found some amusement in Trixie’s clumsy interactions with the physical world.

Wanting to change the subject, you find your gaze shifting to the closed doors of the operating room. “I know that Wendy became incompatible with her implants, but can’t we replace them?”

Iden turned her attention to you, releasing Trixie’s cheeks. “I can’t say much for her cranial implants, but her arm should be easy enough to recalibrate. I’ll just need to make some minor adjustments and upgrades here and there.”

“Thanks. I really appreciate it.” you say, breathing a sigh of relief. You don’t know what you would’ve done if Wendy ended up permanently crippled from this experience.

“We all are.” K8-E chimed in. Iden gave her an approving nod, like a mother pleased with her son’s taste in women.

------------

After they moved Wendy to her own individual room in the medical wing, you were one of the first people there waiting for her to wake up. In all honesty, she was hard to look at, wrapped up in all those bandages and hooked up to so many complicated looking machines. After waiting there for two hours, you were woken up by Olivia, unaware of having dozed off in the first place.

“She’ll be okay, Wade. Let’s give her some space for now.” she said with a gentle and understanding smile.

“But...what if she wakes up while we’re gone?” you said, fishing for an excuse to stay. “What if she needs us to-”

(Cont.)
>>
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“Then I shall be notified by Iden over a private frequency.” Trixy said, approaching you from a corner of the room in which she had remained physically inactive, up until now.

“But-”

You were stopped by a clawed hand resting on your shoulder. K8-E’s hand.

“She’ll be fine. Wendy is a strong woman. I’m sure she’ll be back on her feet in no time.” she said, encouraging you to get out of your chair.

You walked over to the bed where Wendy lay, unable to dispute the fair arguments of your family and friends. Wendy might have been in trouble at some point, but she’ll be okay. She’s stronger than any of you give her credit for, yet somehow, more fragile than anyone expects.

You reached out, giving a mental command to peel back the armor covering your hand, exposing your soft flesh as you took your sister’s thin hand into yours. You ran your thumb over the top of her hand, stopping at the IV drip inserted into her flesh, before putting her hand back down.

“Okay,” you decided. “Let’s go home.”

-------------

After confirming that Iden would be staying until Wendy woke up, you returned home with peace of mind. Olivia decided to check in with her parents, so it was just you, Trixy and K8-E heading back. Thankfully, Olumar had already put the kids to sleep by then.

It didn’t take much effort to find the tuxedo that Grandpa dropped off, perfectly sealed and folded in an airtight plastic bag. Even after all these years, it looked brand new. Definitely something suitable to wear at a wedding. And just in time too. It was only two days away!

Part of you was excited to see what K8-E intended to wear, but you were also eager to be pleasantly surprised on the big day.

And speaking of K8-E, you’re pretty sure that you promised to give her a massage…

-----------

“Ah…” K8-E moaned as your thumbs pressed into her tense shoulders and back muscles. “A little lower…”

“How can you have so many knots in that tiny little body?” you asked in disbelief. “You need a vacation way more than I do!”

“Mmm...maybe after the wedding.” K8-E considered without opening her eyes.

“Okay, lay down.” you said, letting her get up so she could shift to a prone position. Within seconds, you were already knelt over her, shifting your magic hands to her lower back. She hadn’t noticed, but you were using a bit of healing magic to soothe her aching muscles.

Her moans were getting deeper and more drawn out by this point, which made it hard for you to focus as the blood rushed from your brain...into your second brain, the one that wasn’t quite used for rational thought.

“Maybe we should give you a break.” K8-E proposed. “You feel more ‘stiff’ than I am.” she mused, fluttering her eyes as she looked back at you with a coquettish grin.

You’re a big fan of innocent K8-E, but sexy K8-E has her perks too.
>>
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Shaking your head clear of any immediate ideas forming in your head, you switched places with K8-E, feeling her soft, bare legs pressing against your lower back and ribs.

“Wow…!” she said, running a single claw along your well defined, muscular back.

“What is it?”

“Nothing!” she squeaked in a tone that was several octaves higher than what you were used to, before clearing her throat and giving it another attempt. “Nothing...I just feel like we’ll be at this for a while.”

“I’m sure we can find a way to squeeze some fun out of it.” you said with a playful wink. However, you were unable to hold onto your composure once she’d gotten started with your massage.

You swear, how could hers feel better than yours, when you were literally using magic!? She really is good with her hands…

--------------

Upon waking up, you found yourself intertwined with your Kinceleran lover, hands all over and clothes randomly flung about the room. You knew that using those massage oils was a good idea, but from the sticky feeling you had upon peeling away from the bedsheets, you suspect that you may have used too much of them.

You really need a shower. Maybe K8-E can join you if she wakes up in time.

What’s you plan for today?

>Track down Iden’s ship and reintroduce Trixie to Myaxx. Maybe she can help you come up with ideas for upgrades.
>Visit Wendy at the Providence facility. Iden should still be working to reinstall and recalibrate her implants.
>Get in touch with Ester and find out what happened after you left the tunnels.
>Visit Kevin and find out what’s been keeping him so busy these past few days.
>Pay Grandpa Phil a visit. You’re thinking of borrowing one of his RV’s for a little family road-trip.
>Write-in.
>>
>>4993424
>>4993424
>>Track down Iden’s ship and reintroduce Trixie to Myaxx. Maybe she can help you come up with ideas for upgrades.
>>4993424
>Visit Wendy at the Providence facility. Iden should still be working to reinstall and recalibrate her implants.
>Visit Wendy at the Providence facility. Iden should still be working to reinstall and recalibrate her implants.
>Maybe it's a good idea to work with Albedo and Ben 10 000 on the amalga-trix, either that or try to convince Wendy to use her magic more so she doesn't get thus badly hurt again
>>
>>4993424
>>Track down Iden’s ship and reintroduce Trixie to Myaxx. Maybe she can help you come up with ideas for upgrades.
>Visit Wendy at the Providence facility. Iden should still be working to reinstall and recalibrate her implants.
>Pay Grandpa Phil a visit. You’re thinking of borrowing one of his RV’s for a little family road-trip.
>Maybe it's a good idea to work with Albedo and Ben 10 000 on the amalga-trix, either that or try to convince Wendy to use her magic more so she doesn't get thus badly hurt again
>>
>>4993979
>>4994206
These are close enough, so I'll combine them. Writing...
>>
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After an exhilarating shared shower with K8-E, both of you found yourselves rushing out of the house to stick to some type of self-appointed schedule. Olumar agreed to handle the cooking while you were otherwise indisposed, and you made another mental note to pay her back in full whenever you got the chance.

K8-E was likely going to be busy all day with last minute wedding preparations, while you had more than a few stops planned for today. But first things first, you had to grab Trixie and get a lock on Iden’s ship. Shouldn’t be too hard.

-------

Once Trixie was finished cleaning her clothes, which turned out to be a process through which she eliminated bacteria with a focused beam of radiation, both of you set out to find Iden’s research ship.

Luckily, the access codes and transponder signal frequency remained the same, making it very easy for Trixie to lock onto it. And considering the current state that The Plumbers were in, you doubted that there would be anyone actually searching for her at this very moment. It was the perfect chance for her to slip through their sensors.

-----------

In an abandoned lot, left empty by city contractors that had been forced to drop the project, you stood before Iden’s Class 2 Science Vessel. A small camera popped out to confirm your identity after you sent the access code, before slinking back into a hidden compartment. With a sharp hiss, the loading ramp was lowered to let you in.

Two Chimera Sui Generis were waiting to greet you. The slimmer one being Myaxx, and the larger one being the amnesiac warlord, Vilgax.

“Boy, you sure do like calling in favors from wanted fugitives, don’t you kid?” Myaxx sighed with a hand on her hip.

“It’s nice to see you too, Myaxx.” you nodded, risking a brief glance in Vilgax’s direction.

“Who’s your friend?” she said, turning to face Trixie.

“That’s Trixie, the A.I. that Azmuth built into the Omnitrix.” you explained.

Myaxx’s eyes widened momentarily, but she eventually nodded understanding. “So you gave her a body, huh?” she said, giving her a closer examination now. “Not much of one from the looks of it, but not bad for her first one.”

“I find it to be more than adequate for most purposes.” Trixie admitted.

“That’s kind of why we came here, actually.” you said, as the loading ramp closed to give you some privacy. “I was thinking that we could come up with ideas for possible upgrades.”

Myaxx’s eyes widened slightly, an expression that you’ve come to recognize as “interest”, before folding her arms over her chest. “Cool your jets, kid. Before we start talking about upgrades, I need to see what we’re working with here.”

“Meaning?” you asked.

“I need to take a peek under the hood. There’s no point in crafting a new component if there’s no room for it to fit.” Myaxx replied.

(Cont.)
>>
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“Shall I prep the scanners?” Vilgax asked in a gravelly voice, unbefitting of a research assistant.

“Yeah, you do that.” Myaxx said, with an almost imperceptible scowl.

Seeming not to notice, you followed Vilgax as he stomped off towards Iden’s lab.

------------

Despite your desire to remain by Trixie’s side, you were instructed to remain a safe distance away from the equipment while they ran a series of tests. Some of them seemed incredibly invasive, but Trixie didn’t seem to mind much. Although, you found yourself looking away on several occasions when they would have to remove her clothes.

“Alright,” Myaxx groaned as she removed a pair of goggles with oval shaped lenses. “Now I’ve got a better idea of what’s going on under there. Whoever created this bot slapped on a ton of unnecessary equipment. She could probably stand to lose a couple dozen pounds.”

Vilgax hands you a datapad, listing the parts that Myaxx intends to remove and replace, along with the potential upgrades that she’d come up with during her tests.

Which ones pique your interest? (Choose 3)

>Reinforced frame: Greatly increases durability through the use of lightweight materials.
>Slicing Tool: Grants Trixie a hacking tool along with an updated decryption program.
>Arachnachimp Climbing Array: Allows Trixie to use four, retractable spider-like appendages for the purpose of enhanced movement along almost any terrain.
>Handheld Disruptor Cannon: Allows for Trixy to focus a great deal of energy into one concentrated burst of heated plasma from her hand. Modes involve: Disintegration, Concussive and Limited Shield Generation.
>Nanofiber Lash: Allows for a series of self-charging wires to lash out and whip her enemies, or constrict their movement.
>Overclocked Capacitors: Increases Trixie’s strength, making her capable of lifting objects several times her own weight.
>Citrakayahn Tendons: Increases Trixie’s speed and agility, allowing her to (almost) keep up with aliens that should be much faster than her.
>Sightran Optics: Boosts the power of her optic laser, while increasing the capabilities of her scanners.
>Write-in.(Within reason, of course.)
>>
>>4995550
>>Nanofiber Lash: Allows for a series of self-charging wires to lash out and whip her enemies, or constrict their movement.
>Overclocked Capacitors: Increases Trixie’s strength, making her capable of lifting objects several times her own weight.
>Sightran Optics: Boosts the power of her optic laser, while increasing the capabilities of her scanners.
>>
>>4995550
>Sightran Optics: Boosts the power of her optic laser, while increasing the capabilities of her scanners.
Overclocked Capacitors: Increases Trixie’s strength, making her capable of lifting objects several times her own weight.
Handheld Disruptor Cannon: Allows for Trixy to focus a great deal of energy into one concentrated burst of heated plasma from her hand. Modes involve: Disintegration, Concussive and Limited Shield Generation.
>>
>>4995550
>Slicing Tool: Grants Trixie a hacking tool along with an updated decryption program.
>Sightran Optics: Boosts the power of her optic laser, while increasing the capabilities of her scanners.
>Handheld Disruptor Cannon: Allows for Trixy to focus a great deal of energy into one concentrated burst of heated plasma from her hand. Modes involve: Disintegration, Concussive and Limited Shield Generation.
>>
>>4995556
>>4995979
>>4997369
From these choices, I'm seeing Overclocked Capacitors, Sightran Optics, and Handheld Disruptor Cannon being chosen the most. If there are any other upgrades you want, you're free to pursue the option at another time, so long as Trixy still has room in her current body.

Taking these. Writing...
>>
Out of the three options, you select the ones that you believe would be most useful, and hand the datapad back to Vilgax, who transfers it over to Myaxx.

“Hm. Interesting choices.” Myaxx mused. “Not what I would’ve chosen, but hey, you’re the boss. Or...at least you’re the boss’s kid.” she said with a sly grin forming on her face.

“You will have to lie back down onto the table.” Vilgax instructed Trixie, who followed his directions without protest, but you could see that she was wary of him. As she laid down, Myax pressed a series of buttons, signaling a series of automated precision tools to spin into action. The scanners from before had been peeled back, now replaced by magnetic clamps that were supposed to hold her in place to prevent any “accidents”.

“All right, kid,” Myaxx said, inputting a number of commands into her console, calling over a cluster of hovering metal trays that contained an assortment of mechanical parts that she would most likely need to create the components. “You can either stay, and watch me cut her open, or you can wait outside where it’s nice and safe. It’s your choice.”

You glanced over at Trixie, noticing that she was intently staring at you, waiting for your answer. While you didn’t wish to see her get cut open during this operation, you also knew that she might appreciate you being here for her when she was vulnerable.

“No,” you said with a wave of your hand. “I’ll stay.”

Myaxx shrugged. “Suit yourself. Just don’t blame me when you end up having nightmares.” she said, lowering the laser scalpel to Trixie’s fair synthflesh. But before it could make contact, Trixie jolted in place, giving Myaxx pause.

“Have you ever done this before?” Trixie asked, speaking much faster than she ever has.

“Yes.” Myaxx answered, placing a heavy hand on Trixie’s chest and forcing her back down. She then reached over, turning a small dial, likely cranking up the force of the magnetic clamps.

But as she got close with the scalpel, Trixie shot up again.

“Are you sure?” she said, looking more frantic than before.

Myaxx’s shoulders slumped in a huff, before she grabbed a cable, reached behind Trixie’s head and plugged it into the base of her neck. Just then, her entire body went stiff, as if a jolt of electricity had shot through her spine. She wasn’t moving, just sitting up in that exact same position, staring at Myaxx, wide-eyed and confused.

You nearly jumped forward to Trixie’s defense, but Vilgax fixed you with a glare. Not one filled with malice, but one that had been trying to express a reassuring comfort. You didn’t even know that he was capable of making expressions like that. If anything, it made you freeze up faster than any death glare that he might’ve shot you.

(Cont.)
>>
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“Yes,” Myaxx said, as she gently pushed Trixie back down, this time without much resistance. “You do know that I helped build the Omnitrix, right? Who do you think spent restless nights pouring over your code, scrubbing it for bugs?” she said with a light chuckle, shaking her head as if she’d heard a ridiculous joke. “First, you get a name, and now a body. You’re really moving up in the galaxy.”

Trixie’s eyes moved from side to side frantically as her body struggled against her restraints. And to everyone’s surprise, Vilgax’s massive hand fell over her clenched fist.

“It would be best if you let yourself relax. This procedure is very safe, but there will be far more risks if you continue to struggle.” he advised.

Everyone stopped to look at him, including Trixie.

“Wow…” Myaxx whistled. “I’m impressed! And here I thought that all you were good for was standing around and looking pretty.”

Vilgax either ignored Myaxx, or didn’t deem it necessary to provide a response. For the remainder of the operation, you found your gaze firmly locked onto Vilgax’s gigantic frame.

Suddenly, he turned to glare back at you.

“I...heard that Wendy is unwell.” he said in a shockingly delicate tone. “I cannot see her in person, but can you send her my regards?”

You nodded slowly, giving him a measuring look. “Yeah...I can do that.”

-----------

“Alright, you’re done.” Myaxx announced, setting her smoldering laser scalpel onto a havering metal tray and grabbing a cloth to wipe away her sweat. “How do you feel?”

Trixy rose to a sitting position as soon as the magnetic clamps were deactivated. Her irises were constantly dilating and refocusing as she looked around the room, at her body, and finally, at you.

“I’ve added in some upgrades to your optic sensors, as well as those fancy lasers that the previous owner slapped in there.” Myaxx continued. “You should be able to see just about any known spectrum of light, as well as objects on the microscopic scale.”

Trixie was about to turn to face Myaxx, but was suddenly distracted by the sound of grinding metal. Her gaze followed the source of the sound, surprised to see that it was her own hand crushing the corner of the operating table.

“Hey! Watch it!” Myaxx said, clearly agitated that she would have to add fixing the table to her agenda. “Those newly installed Overclocked Capacitors should take some getting used to, but you’ll eventually get the hang of it. Just don’t go breaking anything...or anyone, for that matter.”

Trixie closely examined her hand, only to jump in surprise as her palm opened up to reveal her Handheld Disruptor Cannon. It sort of looked like one of Iron Man’s repulsor blasters.

She stared at it in awe, turning her hand over and wiggling her fingers every now and again.

(Cont.)
>>
“Well, you look like you’re awfully busy there. I’ll leave you to it.” Myaxx said with a grunt as she rose to her feet. “Try not to blow anything up, will you?”

Before she could turn around to leave, though, Trixie turned to address her.

“Thank you.” she said with a small grin. “These upgrades are far better than I anticipated. Your work is exceptional.”

Myaxx looked confused for a moment, before her expression turned into one that you couldn’t quite decipher. “Ah, don’t sweat it. Think of it like an annual tune-up.” Myaxx shrugged, her tired expression now replaced by an easygoing smile.

“Does that imply that I am allowed to return should I require any further upgrades or repairs?” Trixy asked while tilting her head a little too far.

“If I’m in the area, sure. Although next time, you should expect a bill.” she said, turning her attention to you.

“What? I don’t get a hero discount?” you said, prompting a strange look from Vilgax.

“Hh. You’re lucky that your Mom spoils you, kid.” Myaxx said, shaking her head.

-----------

After you said your goodbyes, you and Trixy departed the Research Vessel and headed for the Providence facility. Along the way, you changed into your suit, transformed into Bloodrush and carried Trixy on over to the facility’s entrance. Luckily, one of the guards was a fan of yours, which allowed you to get as close as you did without being shot down. Not many people can recognize your aliens from that far away.

Once there, you were led inside and directed to Wendy’s room. When you opened the door, you were surprised to see her awake, and casually chatting with Iden, who was working on calibrating her implants without breaking concentration.

Both of them looked up at you as you and Trixie entered. Wendy was no longer wearing the bandages on her head, revealing the side of her head that had been shaved for her surgery. You could still see the scar, but otherwise, it reminded you of her hairstyle when you had first met.

When the guards closed the door to give you your privacy, you made sure to lock it before removing your suit.

“Hey,” Wendy said, giving you a tired smile. “Glad you made it out.”

“I should be saying that to you.” you said, moving in to give her a tight hug. She didn’t push you away or flinch back. She simply opened her arms and welcomed you into her personal space without complaint.

“I don’t believe it…” Iden gasped. You and Wendy jumped a bit, almost forgetting that she’d been standing right there the entire time. “Is that...Wendy openly showing affection!? I must be dreaming.” she laughed.

(Cont.)
>>
“Gee Mom,” Wendy said, folding her hands and feigning guilt. “I’m so sorry that your sterilized cloning facility made me into a socially stunted weirdo with trust issues. I totally should’ve stayed and let you turn me into a living weapon.”

“Why are you still so upset?” Iden said, clearly unaware of the impact that her actions had on Wendy. “I’m even calling you by your silly little nicknames, now.”

“They’re not nicknames.” you said while shaking your head. “They’re literally our names.”

“And aren’t you the one that gave yourself the nickname ‘Iden’?” Wendy said.

Iden threw her hands up in exasperation. “I only did that because I was tired of signing documents as ‘Inspector 10’! It’s needlessly lengthy.”

“Then let us have our ‘nicknames’, at least.” you said.

“Fine. If you insist, I shall refrain from addressing you with your designations.” she said with a sigh, going back to working on Wendy’s implants.

"Whatever..." Wendy said, crossing her arms.

The room fell silent as the only shared conversation topic faded into obscurity. This might be the most time that you and Wendy have spent with Iden, aside from that time when your sister was recovering from her treatment after you removed the Amalgamatrix from her wrist.

Should you bring up another topic? And if so, which one?

>”I’m thinking of bringing the Amalgamtrix to a friend of mine to get it fixed. For real this time.”
>”I took Trixie to Myaxx for some upgrades earlier today. From the way she’s been staring at her own hands, I think she likes them.”
>”Vilgax seemed to be doing okay when I visited. He says hi, by the way.”
>”You know Iden, I got a look at Wendy’s memories recently, and I got to see what the old lab looked like. For some reason, I can’t remember any of that stuff.”
>”What kind of implants are you working on over there?”
>”You know, I’ve been wondering, when we were down there in the tunnels, why didn’t you use your magic earlier?”
>”How long do you plan on staying, Iden? I know it can’t be easy being a wanted fugitive on the run.”
>”Who’s hungry? I’m starved!” Eat lunch with your family.
>Write-in.
>>
>>4997434
>>”Vilgax seemed to be doing okay when I visited. He says hi, by the way.”
>”I’m thinking of bringing the Amalgamtrix to a friend of mine to get it fixed. For real this time.”
>”I took Trixie to Myaxx for some upgrades earlier today. From the way she’s been staring at her own hands, I think she likes them.”
>>
>>4997440
+1
>>
>>4997440
>>4997642
Writing...
>>
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“Vilgax seemed to be doing okay.” you said, hoping to spark a discussion. “He says hi, by the way.”

Wendy’s ears seemed to perk up at that. “Really?” she said, unfolding her arms, forcing you to notice that her cybernetic arm was already reattached. Iden sure does work fast.

“Yeah. He told me to tell you that he hopes you get better soon.” you said, not entirely sure of how you feel about delivering messages for someone like Vilgax.

“Maybe I’ll pay him a visit after I get discharged. How’s he adjusting on Iden’s ship?” she said.

“Decently well.” Iden answered before you could. “He’s not nearly as useful as Myaxx, but he’s good when we need a little extra muscle.” she said, not taking her eyes off of her task.

“I just feel bad having him cooped up in there for so long.” Wendy said.

“And having him crouch down in your slovenly Undertown hut was somehow better?” Iden said with a snort. “Trust me, I’m giving him much more room to stretch his legs. Much more than an intergalactic criminal of his caliber deserves, anyway.”

“And you’re one to talk?” Wendy sneered. “Wade had to bust you out of the biggest, baddest mega-prison in the known galaxy.”

Iden chuckled as if Wendy’s accusation amused her. “Incarcecon? It doesn’t even scratch the Top 5 worst prisons in the galaxy.” she said, adjusting one of the lenses on her goggles to zoom in on the implant she was working on. “There’s the Perplexahedron, the Null Void, and I’m pretty sure that I heard about a nasty little detention facility that they found in the Andromeda galaxy.”

You and Wendy exchanged confused glances before she continued.

“The point is,” Iden continued. “I was arrested as part of a cover up, in which my contractors shifted the blame of the entire incident onto me, when I was simply doing as I was told. I had to choose between the tantalizing options of: Get myself arrested for treason by refusing to help the Galactic Council in its time of need, or take the fall for the whole operation by going to prison.”

“Bullshit.” Wendy said, without hesitation, drawing Iden’s full attention. “You got involved with that project because you wanted glory and recognition. Even in prison, you were so proud that your little test tube baby was out there tearing the galaxy apart all by himself, all because your name was attached to him.”

Despite Wendy’s pointed accusations, Iden simply smiled at her and returned to her work, not bothering to deny her claims or to argue her intentions.

Realizing that she wasn’t going to get a rise out of her, Wendy just scoffed and turned away from her.

(Cont.)
>>
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“You know,” you began, hoping to change the subject and break the tension. “I’m thinking of bringing the Amalgamatrix to a friend of mine to get it fixed. For real this time.”

Wendy’s face lit up upon hearing your good news, but you also noticed that your conversation topic had snatched Iden’s attention once more.

“Seriously!?” Wendy exclaimed, becoming more excited than you’ve seen her in a long time. “That’d be sick!”

“Absolutely not.” Iden declared with her hands on her hips, shooting both of you a disapproving glare. “That type of technology clearly was not meant for human minds to withstand. I won’t have you damaging your mind any further.”

“The guy I’m bringing it to has already built something very similar to it, and he’s fine. So I figured that he’d know how to fix it so that she won’t go through any of that again.” you said.

If Iden had eyebrows, you’re certain that she’d be raising them.

“Who is this friend of yours, exactly?” she asked.

“He’s, uh, from another dimension...far into the future.” you said, feeling a bit less confident now that you’re realizing how crazy it sounded when you said it out loud.

Iden’s jaw dropped.

------------

“So you were recruited by a group of interdimensional Omnitrix users, and have been traveling to alternate timelines to solve their problems for them?” Iden said, summarizing your lengthy explanation and taking it in stride. “Sounds to me that you’ve already proven yourself to be their superior.”

You shook your head. “There are a few guys there that I wouldn’t want to mess with, and the two guys that I’m bringing the Amalgamatrix to are in that group.”

Iden considered your words carefully, glancing between your face and the bracelet on your arm that allows you to travel between dimensions.

“Alright...that sounds feasible.” she finally agreed. “But you’ll have to let me examine both that bracelet and the Amalgamatrix when you’ve brought it back.”

“Sure. I don’t have a problem with that.” you nodded.

“It’s gonna be weird having that thing on my wrist again.” Wendy said, leaning back into her elevated pillow and looking up at the ceiling. “I wonder if your aliens are still stored inside.”

“You mean the genetic samples that you stole?” you asked, causing Wendy to wince from re-experiencing the memory. “No idea. I can see if they’d be willing to add in some new ones, if you want.”

“Could you!?” Wendy said, almost jumping out of her bed. “That’d be awesome. I’ll need some new tricks up my sleeve if I’m gonna get back into proper ass-kicking shape.”

Wendy was shadow-boxing the air when she finally noticed Trixie still standing in the corner.

(Cont.)
>>
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“I took her to get some upgrades from Myaxx.” you said, noticing where she was looking. “From the way she’s been staring at her own hands for the past hour or two, I think she likes them.”

“I never knew the world could look so...spectacular…!” Trixie said, completely mesmerized as she switched between light spectrums. You and Wendy shared a laugh, with Iden trying, and failing, to stifle a chuckle.

For the remainder of your time there, you casually chatted with your sister over a multitude of topics. Iden and Trixie would join in every now and again, but mostly kept to themselves.

Eventually, though, you had to leave when Wendy’s nurse showed up to check on her. From the looks of it, she should be out in a few days, so long as she behaves herself. And hopefully, you’ll have the Amalgamatrix ready for her.

-------------

Upon exiting the dimensional gateway, you were greeted by a pack of teenage Bens, clearly disturbed by your sudden arrival when they should really be used to it by now. But from the way that they maintained their distance and whispered just out of earshot, you could tell that everyone was paying an unusual amount of attention to you.

“Do any of you know where I can find Ben 10K and Albedo?” you shouted, hoping that one of them could at least make themselves useful.

Only a few of them raised their hands, while the rest just blabbed their answers out loud, creating a mess of noise that you couldn’t quite decipher.

You groaned, and pointed a finger at the first guy who raised his hand.

------------

Fortunately, both Ben 10K and Albedo were with Professor Paradox, who made a swift exit once he saw you coming. You weren’t sure whether he was avoiding you, or if he really did have something to do. You’re not an immortal time traveler, so you wouldn’t know.

You managed to drag them into one of the empty labs, where you placed the Amalgamatrix on the table before them. It’s been trading hands between you and Azmuth for the past few months, with him promising to work on it, and then promptly leaving it to collect dust in the corner of his lab. Maybe things will be different this time.

“Hello,” Ben 10K said, scooping up the gauntlet and glancing it over. “What do we have here?”

“It appears to be a crude copy of your Biomnitrix.” Albedo said with a sneer, as if the very sight of it offended him.

“It was built by someone called ‘Dr. Psychobos’.” you said.

Albedo and Ben shared a look.

“Yeah, this looks like his work.” Ben said. “But with the way he built the genetic reassembly matrix, there’s now way this would be safe for anyone to wear.”

“I know. My sister wore it for a while. It messed her up pretty bad, but we were able to repair most of the damage.” you said.

(Cont.)
>>
“And now you want us to fix it? So your sister can have her own Omnitrix knock-off?” Albedo asked, somehow managing to sound condescending even when he wasn’t trying to be.

Ben snorted a laugh. “I’d bet you’d know all about Omnitrix knock-offs.”

Albedo’s face turned red with a mix of fury and embarrassment. “Your insolence knows no bounds, Tennyson!” he proclaimed, not seeming to have a similar effect on the veteran hero’s mood.

“So,” you interrupted. “Can you fix it or not?”

Ben and Albedo shared a look.

“Of course we can.” they said in unison.

“But we’d have to rebuild it completely.” Albedo said.

“Tear out the guts and replace the outdated parts with the tech we have on-hand.” Ben said.

“Substitute the Amalgamite with another mineral that shares similar qualities to the substance.” Albedo muttered.

“No no no. Take out the Amalgamite completely and digitize the whole process.” Ben 10K argued.

“I find it charmingly rustic. We can still make it work.” Albedo argued.

“And what if the crystal gets misaligned when the lasers pass through it?” Ben 10K said.

“We hold it in place with Xenonite pins and wrap a threaded Yggdrallian coil around the base.” Albedo replied with a smile.

“But that’s-!” Ben 10K shouted, before stopping to consider the implications behind his approach. “That’s pretty smart, actually.” he admitted.

“Right!?” Albedo exclaimed.

You snapped your fingers to get their attention again.

“How long do you think this will take?” you asked.

“If we rushed?” Ben said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “The better part of a year, probably. That’s about how long it took me to finish the Omnitrix that I made for my son, but this one’s gonna be a bit trickier to figure out.”

So it would take a few months. Makes sense, considering how advanced these devices are. You just wish you wouldn’t have gotten Wendy’s hopes up so soon if that were the case.

Across the table, Albedo noticed that your shoulders had visibly slumped. He nudged Ben 10K and leaned in to whisper into his ear. And from the way that Ben recoiled, you guessed that it had to be something truly outrageous.

“You want to bring it to ‘him’!? Wouldn’t that cause some sort of weird time paradox?” Ben shouted.

“Not if we’re careful.” Albedo said, narrowing his eyes at him, before returning his gaze to you. “Good news. We know someone who should be able to speed up our progress by a considerable amount. I’ll be sure to have it brought to you as soon as it’s finished.” he said with a wide grin, bordering on malicious.

(Cont.)
>>
What do you say?

>”That is good news! I really appreciate it.”
>”What can you tell me about this guy you’re bringing it to? Is he another Ben? Do I get to meet him?”
>”I was kind of hoping that I’d get to work on it with you. Maybe I can help speed up the process even more.”
>”Do we get to choose what aliens she gets? I can go back and ask her to make a list or something.”
>"Can't Professor Paradox technically travel to the future and grab the finished product for me?"
>”Do either of you know why everyone’s acting so strange around me?”
>Write-in.
>>
>>4998575
>”I was kind of hoping that I’d get to work on it with you. We don't have to rush, and making it will make it easier to make such devices in the future."
>"Also i'd rather avoid dealing with Time Paradoxes, ON TOP of a 'Doomed Timeline'."
>”By the way, do either of you know why everyone’s acting so strange around me?”
>>
>>4998577
>”What can you tell me about this guy you’re bringing it to? Is he another Ben? Do I get to meet him?”
>”Do we get to choose what aliens she gets? I can go back and ask her to make a list or something.”
>”Do either of you know why everyone’s acting so strange around me?”
>>
>>4998577
>>”What can you tell me about this guy you’re bringing it to? Is he another Ben? Do I get to meet him?”
>>”Do we get to choose what aliens she gets? I can go back and ask her to make a list or something.”
>"Also i'd rather avoid dealing with Time Paradoxes, ON TOP of a 'Doomed Timeline'."
>”By the way, do either of you know why everyone’s acting so strange around me?”
>>
>>4998599
>>4999517
>>4999971
Writing and combining the most common choices...
>>
“What can you tell me about this guy that you’re bringing it to?” you asked. “Is he another Ben? Do I get to meet him?”

Ben and Albedo exchanged uneasy glances.

“He’s not a Ben, no...but it’d probably be for the best if the two of you didn’t meet. Not right now, at least.” Ben 10k admitted.

You narrow your eyes at them. “You know, I’d rather avoid dealing with time paradoxes ON TOP of having a ‘Doomed Timeline’.” you proclaimed, putting emphasis on all the right words. “So if there’s something weird going on here, I’d like to know about it in advance.”

“You need to have faith, Wakeman. This is for your own good.” Albedo said. “ Meeting this person now could have unpredictable effects on your present timeline.”

“And despite all that, you still trust this guy to work on the Amalgamatrix?” you said.

Both men nodded in unison, unwavering in their confidence of this mysterious temporal deviant.

You sighed in resignation. While you don’t like being kept out of the loop, you’re not really in a position to complain. These guys were doing you a favor, and if you don’t want to be kept waiting for the better part of a year, you’d be better off keeping your mouth shut and letting them go about things their way.

“Fine. Do we at least get to choose which aliens she gets?” you asked. “I can go back and get her to make a list or something.”

“That sounds reasonable.” Ben nodded. “Just don’t let her pick anything crazy powerful or hard to get. I don’t care how much she begs, we’re not giving anyone Celestialsapien or Naljian DNA.” he declared with conviction in his voice.

“Don’t worry, I won’t slip up on something that important. I don’t even think I’d trust myself with that kind of power.” you said, glancing down at your belt.

“Nothing too terrible, I assume.” Albedo said, giving you an appraising look. “People always assume that power inherently corrupts. But that isn’t true. Power reveals us.”

“What do you mean?” Ben asked.

“Power gives us the opportunity to become whatever it is that we always wanted to become. It reveals our true nature, shows us the creature that had been dwelling behind the many masks we hide behind. You become…more of yourself.” Albedo said, staring down at the Amalgamatrix with an intensity that you didn’t recognize in the high strung scientist.

(Cont.)
>>
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The room fell silent for a minute as you and Ben pondered the wisdom behind Albedo’s words. Could you really stay the same while wielding that much power? You’ve undoubtedly gone through multiple changes ever since the Omnitrix slapped itself onto your wrist. While you may have remained the same on a fundamental level, you’re not confident that the same would apply if you were able to change the universe with a snap of your fingers.

Shooing the thought away, you decided to change the subject.

“By the way, do either of you know why everyone’s been acting so strange around me?” you said, looking out the door to see that a number of Bens were converging on Trixie, hoping to strike up a conversation and take her on a date to their local Mr. Smoothy.

Ben chuckled. “Yeah, that’d be because of your most recent glowing achievements.”

“What do you mean?” you said.

“You averted a galactic threat to your timeline without the use of your Hindsight Beacon. That is by no means an insignificant feat.” Albedo explained.

“Well yeah, but I had my team with me to help out. Red already used his, so there’d be no point in using mine.” you said.

“While that may be, you still had the option of activating yours to press the urgency of the situation.” Albedo said. “That should have afforded you the assistance of additional allies.”

“Huh.” you said, feeling at a loss for words. “That would’ve been great to know beforehand.”

“And because of that simple misunderstanding, there are rumors floating around about you being some invincible fighting machine.” Ben said, clearly amused by this whole situation.

Knowing that, you really don’t mind a few harmless rumors circulating around the Nexus. But you do care if that somehow affects their willingness to come to your rescue, should you need it.

There’s not much you can do about it now. Might as well make the most of your visit since you’re here. After all, Grandpa isn’t going anywhere.

What will you do while you’re here?

>Inquire about teaching lessons here. They might need someone who has some skill with the blade.
>See if you can sit in on one of Professor Peacock’s lessons.
>Check on Eon’s goons. They should still be in their jail cells.
>Expand the signal range of your Slingshot and see if you can respond to any urgent Hindsight Beacons.
>Slice into the archives and see if you can pull up those DNA results that you asked Professor Paradox about.
>Pretend to leave and see if you can pick up any additional info on this mystery man that they’re planning on meeting.
>Write-in.
>>
>>5000952
>Inquire about teaching lessons here. They might need someone who has some skill with the blade.
>See if you can sit in on one of Professor Peacock’s lessons.
>Slice into the archives and see if you can pull up those DNA results that you asked Professor Paradox about.
>>
>>5000952
>>Inquire about teaching lessons here. They might need someone who has some skill with the blade.
>>See if you can sit in on one of Professor Peacock’s lessons.
>>Slice into the archives and see if you can pull up those DNA results that you asked Professor Paradox about.
>>
>>5000952
>Inquire about teaching lessons here. They might need someone who has some skill with the blade.
>See if you can sit in on one of Professor Peacock’s lessons.
>Expand the signal range of your Slingshot and see if you can respond to any urgent Hindsight Beacons.
>>
>>5001299
>>5001365
>>5001374
Writing...
>>
After thanking Albedo and Ben 10K for their assistance in repairing the Amalgamatrix, you stepped outside to shoo away the flock of Bens that had been crowding around Trixie. A feat that was by no means difficult, on account of your new reputation around the Nexus.

“I trust that everything went well?” Trixie asked.

“As well as I could ask for, I guess. They’re still keeping secrets, though.” you shrugged.

“Is it necessary to keep secrets from allies working towards the same goal? What do they gain by withholding information?” she said.

“When time travel and alternate dimensions are involved, I tend not to overthink things. I’d imagine that it could get real messy if they’re not careful.” you said, looking back at Albedo and Ben through the door’s window.

“But since we’re here,” you said, clapping your hands together. “We might as well get some more errands done.”

“What did you have in mind?” Trixie asked, tilting her head to the side.

You flashed her a confident grin and signaled for her to follow you.

--------------

“A sword training lecture?” said a robot with an Omnitrix strapped to its wrist. It had a dome shaped head, with cold, discerning eyes that lit up everytime it spoke. “There aren’t many applications for that sort of skill.”

“What do you mean? It’s basic weapon training.” you protested, leaning over the counter ever so slightly. The robot didn’t flinch, its facial features firmly fixed in place as it flipped through the form that you filled out.

“Most lessons that we teach here have practical applications. Hand-to-hand combat, Firearm training, and Arcane wisdom. I cannot think of many situations where an Omnitrix user would carry a sword. Many of them are still minors.” he explained, with his hands folded in an annoyingly gentle gesture of peace and tranquility.

“They can just buy one. It shouldn’t be that hard.” you said.

“If that is what you wish, then I shall run this request through the necessary channels, before anyone can register to attend your lecture.” he said. Now that you’ve gotten a closer look, you noticed that the plate welded to his chest identifies him as “B3-N10”.

“You will be notified when your request has gone through. After that, we can move on to scheduling a date for your first lecture, after which we will post the registration notice.” he explained.

“Thank you.” you nodded, before walking away from the desk and making your way towards Professor Peacock’s classroom. According to his schedule, the lesson should be starting any minute.

-------------

“Ah! There he is!” Peacock said with a pointed hand gesture, drawing attention to the trinkets and jewelry that decorated his arms. “Finally back for another lesson, I see. It’s been quite some time.”

(Cont.)
>>
“Yeah…” you winced apologetically, rubbing the back of your head. “Some stuff came up.”

Peacock closed his eyes and nodded understanding with a casual smile plastered on his face. He always looked like he was enjoying some joke or aspect of the environment that nobody else could quite understand or perceive. “So I’ve heard. Your name has been on everyone’s lips lately.” he said.

“Not by choice. I can tell you that much.” you said with a sigh.

Normally all eyes would be on you, seeing as you were the last person to show up to class. But that was not the case, purely because you had Trixie with you today. All eyes were firmly locked onto her, as murmurs erupted throughout the classroom. There were some people that you recognized amongst them, but not well enough to strike up any sort of casual conversation.

“Oh my.” Peacock said, his easygoing smile twisting into a sly grin. “Who’s your new friend? I don’t see an Omnitrix anywhere.”

“This is Trixie.” you explained, pointing a thumb back at her. “She’s my A.I. and my partner in crime. I recently hijacked a body for her to use.”

All of a sudden, the other students were swarming over her, bombarding her with all manner of questions. Given her highly advanced processor unit, Trixie calmly took in all their questions and carefully answered them one by one. However, Peacock put a stop to the debacle by drawing everyone’s attention with a thunderous clap of his hands.

“People, please! Give the girl some room to breathe.” he chuckled. “If I knew that a pretty face was all it took to interrupt my lesson, then I would’ve instructed the lot of you to put bags over your faces. Of course, mine would have to be the ugliest bag of them all. Otherwise, none of you would be able to focus during my lessons.” he said, earning a laugh from his students. Professor Peacock was the epitome of a “cool teacher”. If you weren’t so busy, you’d be hard pressed to miss a single one of his classes.

“Alright, that’s enough horseplay. All of you are to break into your assigned groups.” Peacock instructed them. “Mr. Wakeman, you are going to pair with me.”

“Can Trixie join us too? I’d hate for her to get bored.” you said.

“I don’t think we’ll have to worry about that.” Peacock said, smirking and pointing at the groups that were still trying to hold a conversation with your robot friend. “Besides, I don’t think she’d be able to join us even if she wanted to. Today’s lessons are centered on the use of mana.”

“Cool. I could use some new spells.” you said, rubbing your hands together in anticipation.

(Cont.)
>>
“We’ll be focusing on more than that.” Peacock said, shaking his head. “From what I’ve seen, you only have the most basic understanding of mana. And frankly, that’s perfect for a beginner such as yourself.”

“Why’s that?” you asked.

“Our perception of the laws of magic plays a crucial role in our ability to use it. Our understanding gives our spells structure and allows for conservative mana usage, but it also creates restrictions.” Peacock said with a finger raised to the air.

“So, what you’re saying is that if I were a crazy person with an inherent talent for spellcasting, I would be able to create spells that didn’t follow the rules of magic?” you asked.

“Precisely.” Peacock nodded. “We classify such spells as ‘Wild Magic’. Most dimensions that I’ve been to tend to concentrate a great deal of their resources towards vanquishing any and all Wild Magic practitioners.”

“I wonder if there are any WIld Magic practitioners in my dimension.” you thought aloud.

“I have no doubt that there are.” Peacock said. “But I’m not here to teach you to become one of them. I simply wanted you to be aware of their existence.”

“Thanks. I’ll ask my magic teacher about them when I get home.” you said.

“Please do.” Peacock said with an appreciative nod. “For now, let’s focus on what we can learn before the end of this lesson.”

What do you wish to learn? (Pick 2)

>Aura Manipulation
>Curse Magic
>Miracles
>Elemental Magic
>Physical Enhancement
>Write-in.(Within reason, of course.)

Skills, Stats and Inventory:
https://pastebin.com/iEYrGZS1
>>
>>5002023
>Miracles
>Magic relating to Emotions (Feeling others, stoking or subduing others, feeling bursts of them from far away ala Obi Wan Kenobi)
If a bit outside of scope, then just
>Aura Manipulation
Can't go wrong with that.
>>
>>5002055
Don't worry. A lot of that falls under Aura Sense.
>>
>>5002023
>Aura Manipulation
>Physical Enhancement
>>
>>5002023
>Aura Manipulation
>Elemental Magic
>>
Rolled 1 (1d3)

>>5002055
>>5002321
>>5002806
Rolling for the second result. Writing...
>>
File: Expand your mind.jpg (64 KB, 600x450)
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Out of all the options that he gave you, Aura Manipulation stood out as an important skill to train. And judging from the approving nod that he gave you, it was probably something that he’d been eager to teach you.

“Aside from being able to form basic arcane constructs, having control over your aura is the most important thing for an aspiring mage to learn.” Peacock explained. “A spellcaster that lets their aura leak out uncontrollably is seen as a novice in the magic world. Your aura is the first thing that they see, and in it, they can read your emotional state, and ascertain your magical ability with but a glance.”

“So concealing your aura guards you against mental probing, and puts your enemies off guard.” you concluded.

Peacock shook his head. “It does far more than that. If your opponent’s aura is more powerful than yours, or if they’re more proficient in manipulating it, then you might just find your aura being suppressed.”

You stared on in confusion, prompting a light chuckle from Peacock.

“Here, it would be better if I just showed you.” he said, holding a palm up towards you.

And then, you felt a crushing pressure on your chest. Your knees nearly buckled, and you were starting to shiver as if you were caught out in the middle of a blizzard. Your vision narrowed and warped, and for a moment, you thought you saw something flare up and out of Peacock’s body. It sent a shiver down your spine, and you were momentarily tempted to draw your sword in defense. It was as if some unimaginable terror had grabbed hold of you and was actively grinding its teeth against your very soul.

And all of a sudden, it stopped. Professor Peacock lowered his hand and gave you a sympathetic look.

That is what can happen when an opponent suppresses your aura with their own. What you’re learning here might very well save your life in the future.” he explained.

You released a shuddering breath that you weren’t even aware you were holding, and rose to your full height once more.

“That was...intense.” you said, searching for a glimpse of that energy that flared out of your teacher a minute ago. It was faint, but you could see it! It throbbed and pulsated, sending slight vibrations through the air, causing your skin to tingle, even through your armor.

While you weren’t an expert in auras, you were of the firm belief that your master possessed an exceptionally dangerous one. It spoke of an intense and unshakeable will. Despite being contained and suppressed, you couldn’t help but shudder in the face of the man that somehow managed to bottle up a tidal wave of magical energy.

(Cont.)
>>
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“You can see it, can’t you?” he asked, taking a step forward. “I just hit you in a gap in your defenses that you hadn’t even known existed until now. It was a rather crude method, but you should be vaguely aware of the presence of your soul, as well as the auras that might attack it.”

“You triggered a defense mechanism in my body by trying to crush my aura.” you said, regaining your composure once more.

“Not your body, but your soul. The strength of your soul is crucial to the strength of your aura.” Peacock said. “And yours is already a terribly strong one.”

“Didn’t feel that way to me…” you said, shaking your head.

“Anyone would be caught off guard if someone suddenly punched them in the gut...when they’ve gone their whole life thinking they didn’t have one to be punched in the first place.” Peacock said with a light chuckle.

“Then it looks like I’ve got some catching up to do.” you said, bracing yourself while placing both hands in front of you. “Hit me again.”

Peacock looked hesitant for a moment, but then, you caught a glimpse of something else in his expression. Pride, maybe? It was fleeting, and you weren’t well versed enough to read his emotions through his already suppressed aura.

And all of a sudden, you were drowning again.

------------

Over the next hour, you and Peacock went back and forth, attempting to suppress each other’s auras and trying to keep yours concealed, while reading his. After a while, you got noticeably better at staving off his attacks. You weren’t able to push him back very far, but you at least managed to achieve the seemingly impossible feat of manipulating your aura to form a barrier that should prevent your soul from getting flayed by just any amateur mage that knew the basics of aura manipulation.

“You’re improving.” Peacock observed, giving you an easygoing smile as he took a sledgehammer to your spiritual defenses. “Good.”

You’re keeping him at bay for now...but you might be able to do more than that.

>Push back with all your might and try to suppress his aura through sheer force of will.
>Play it safe and try to maintain a solid defense.
>Pretend to be tired, wait for him to show a gap in his defenses, and then slam your aura against his while channeling mana through your Crown Chakra.
>Let him suppress your aura. You want to get used to this feeling for when it's inevitably used against you.
>Switch to your Flame Aura and see how that affects your performance.
>Transform into Ghostfreak. You think you remember him having some resistance to magically induced effects.
>Write-in.

Skills, Stats and Inventory:
https://pastebin.com/iEYrGZS1
>>
>>5002886
>>Pretend to be tired, wait for him to show a gap in his defenses, and then slam your aura against his while channeling mana through your Crown Chakra.
>>
>>5002886
>Switch to your Flame Aura and see how that affects your performance.

Lets not go Ghostfreak in a room full of Omnitrix users who have had enough bad experiences with the alien to attack him on sight
>>
Supporting >>5002887

SNEEKYDEEKY TIME, CLEVER HOURS AHEAD
>>
>>5002887
>>5004150
ROLL 1D100+20 TO BE THE CLEVEREST MAGE IN THE ROOM!
>>
Rolled 20 + 20 (1d100 + 20)

>>5004270
Alrighty!

Probably gonna fumble this bitch somehow knowing my luck but here goes nothing!
>>
Rolled 4 + 20 (1d100 + 20)

>>5004270
>>
Rolled 19 + 20 (1d100 + 20)

>>5004270
>>
Rolled 19 + 20 (1d100 + 20)

>>5004270
>>
>>5004305
>>5004613
>>5004764
>>5005115
Unfortunately, these are not clever times. These are, in fact, bad times. Writing...
>>
>40

Getting a devious idea, you decide to conceal portions of your aura, giving the impression that you’re beginning to grow tired. It certainly wasn’t easy, to say the least. Staving off your teacher’s aura attack, while trying to conceal your own strength. It felt like holding back a huge sneeze while pushing against a rolling boulder.

Eventually, the professor noticed that your aura had visibly weakened, ultimately deciding to give you a break by letting his aura retreat from yours.

“I suppose that shall do for now.” Peacock said while placing his hands behind his back, his tone sounding a bit flat for some reason.

You shifted the flow of mana within your body, channeling it through your Crown Chakra, and boosting your awareness to superhuman levels. His aura was much more visible now. It shimmered and shivered in the air, writhing and contracting as if it were a living thing.

“Are you alright?” he asked, stepping forward to inspect you.

That’s when you made your move.

With all the willpower you could muster, you slammed your aura down onto Professor Peacock. The impact was powerful enough to cause him to stagger, temporarily disrupting his sense of balance and giving you an opening to suppress his aura.

You somewhat expected him to be agitated, but for some reason, your teacher was grinning fiercely. And a moment later, you understood why.

All of a sudden, his partially suppressed aura flared out, breaking free of your grasp like a lion bursting out of a cage made out of toothpicks.

You struggled to regain control, but the sheer intensity of his aura threatened to overwhelm you completely! That is until, he reigned in his aura, making the active decision not to grind yours into dust, all while making sure that you maintained a similar restraint by forcefully keeping your aura at an acceptable level.

Now that you weren’t distracted by your struggle with Peacock, you started noticing the looks on your fellow classmate’s faces. Some were terrified, others were completely engrossed, and a select few were hopelessly confused, possessing no aura sense whatsoever.

Deeply regretful of your lack of consideration for everyone else in the class, you retracted your aura and went back to concealing it.

“You concealed your aura while suppressing mine.” Professor Peacock remarked, seemingly impressed by your attempt to overwhelm him. “That is quite the feat for a beginner such as yourself. Well done.” he said. His fierce grin was now gone, replaced by his usual easygoing smile. But for some reason, you got the feeling that he was satisfied with your performance. Or maybe, he was simply amused that you would try to deceive him in such a way.

----------

(Cont.)
>>
After practicing a bit more at concealing your aura, you came to realize how difficult it would be for anyone to conceal their aura at all times. The best you could manage was a prolonged partial concealment, allowing you to prevent any potential enemies from finding out just how powerful you were.

Interestingly, Peacock mentioned that you would also be able to project your aura in different locations to throw your enemies off balance, but you weren’t proficient enough to practice something that advanced.

Practicing concealment was simple enough, but you found the idea of using aura suppression on unsuspecting victims to be a tad bit cruel. You could practice on common crooks and supervillains, which would make it feel a little less cruel. If you refined this power, you could end fights before they even started. Your patrol times would be cut down by more than half! It’d be so easy.

----------

Learning Miracles was a bit trickier than you expected. You’d already figured out how to cast minor healing spells, so the upgraded version was easy enough to pick up on. The hard part came when your instructor tried to get you to blow up a training dummy with your mind.

“I don’t get what you want me to do.” you complained. “How does a ‘Miracle’ help me to blow something up?”

Peacock smiled, but his eyes remained firmly fixed on the training dummy. “Miracles are about more than healing people. It’s about having an unshakeable confidence, not in yourself, but in the mana field itself.”

When you remained silent, he took that as a sign of confusion.

“You must have complete and total faith in the power that the vast energies of the multiverse can grant you, as well as in your capability to wield and influence them. It’s a little like Wild Magic, but not quite.” he said with a wink.

“So my way of thinking influences my ability to use Miracles?” you asked.

“Exactly. If you only knew of how each and every sentient being influenced the flow of mana in the universe. It’s both beautiful and terrifying.” he said, momentarily gazing off into the distance, before returning it back to you. “Observe.”

He raised his hand, and pointed to another nearby training dummy. “As I will it, so it shall be.” Peacock said, before a transparent orb of shivering air shot out of his outstretched hand, sending the training dummy flying backwards.

He then moved his hand to yet another training dummy. “As I will it, so it shall be.” he said yet again. But this time, instead of another orb, he conjured up a spear of blinding light, before hurling it at his target. The spear shot through the training dummy, leaving crackling sparks dancing along its armored surface.

(Cont.)
>>
And lastly, he turned to face you once more. Peacock stretched out his hand and showed you his open palm. And without needing to recite that chant, a blade of light appeared in his hand, appearing much like a lightsaber without a hilt to speak of. The sudden illumination lit up both your faces, but his expression didn’t change in the slightest.

“You are hesitant. Something is still holding you back.” he said, without breaking eye contact. It was only now that you realized your teacher was wearing an expression that was far more serious than you've ever seen him with. Even more than when Eon's minions threatened Gwen's whole dimension.

You stared at him, not sure of how to respond.

“At some point or another, your magic failed you at a crucial moment in your life. And because of that, you do not trust it. Not completely, at least.” he continued.

You only nodded.

“You must overcome this mental block before you can learn this skill. Then, and only then, will you unlock your true potential.”

What do you say?

>”Why haven’t I heard about any of this until now?”
>”Does anyone else here know how to perform miracles?”
>”How do I overcome my mental block?”
>”Won’t all of this magic mess with my Omnitrix?”
>”Isn’t it a bit misleading to file this powerset under the ‘Miracle’ category?”
>Write-in.
>>
>>5005294
>”How do I overcome my mental block?”
>>
>>5005294
>>”How do I overcome my mental block?”
>”Won’t all of this magic mess with my Omnitrix?”
>>
>>5005294
>”How do I overcome my mental block?”
>”Won’t all of this magic mess with my Omnitrix?”
>”Why haven’t I heard about any of this until now?”
>>
>>5005505
>>5006022
>>5006207
I guess I'll combine the three of these. Writing...
>>
File: Eo1BT3rXIAkAOzK.jpg (151 KB, 857x1200)
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“How do I overcome my mental block?” you asked, struggling to take your eyes away from the glowing blade he held in his hands.

“You must come to rely on magic more frequently. Balance its use with that of your Omnitrix, or else your proficiency with one will begin to decline.” Peacock advised you, vanquishing the blade of light with a wave of his hand. “Once you gain an unshakeable confidence in your ability to use magic, and a knowledge of what it can do for you, you will become an extraordinarily powerful mage.” he continued.

“Won’t all this magic mess with my Omnitrix?” you said, glancing at your belt.

The professor shrugged. “I suppose that’s possible. It’s one of the many reasons why I don't bother wearing one anymore.” he said, flashing his arms, covered in a multitude of colorful trinkets and decorative gems. “Whenever there is an extremely high concentration of magic, one must be prepared for the possibility of their Omnitrix malfunctioning.”

You looked over at Trixie, who had been engaging multiple students in a seemingly intense debate over something. You remember back when you fought Mother during the start of your career, and how she nearly destroyed the Omnitrix with a powerful curse. If something like that happened again, would Trixie be able to survive the attack? She might have uploaded the majority of her personality into her new body, but she still needed to retain a long range uplink to the Omnitrix in order to retain her primary functionality. It’s part of the reason why you brought her here with you.

Trixie locked eyes with you for a moment, sensing the telepathic message that you sent. She gave a near imperceptible nod and made an excuse to leave the classroom early.

This is the other reason you asked her to be here.

“Why haven’t I heard about any of this until now?” you said, hoping Peacock didn’t think anything of your little exchange.

The professor seemed to mull this over for a bit before answering. “There could be any number of reasons. The mana flow in your universe could be limited, or perhaps the knowledge simply hasn’t been discovered there yet, although I find that highly unlikely.” he said, looking pensive. “The only other possibility I can think of is…” he said, trailing off and glancing up at you.

You had to stop yourself from glaring at him, if he was insinuating what you thought he was. The only other options were:

A.) Kirby was purposefully withholding the information for some reason or another.

or

B.) Every other magic user that has instructed you thus far has been lacking in their knowledge of the subject.

Both options upset you for different reasons, but you made sure that your emotions couldn’t be read in either your face or your aura. You’ll figure this out when you get back to your native dimension and ask around a bit.

----------

(Cont.)
>>
After wrapping up your lesson, you thanked Peacock for his instruction and made your way down the halls, trying not to seem too eager to leave. You could still feel his gaze on your back, but you didn’t dare to turn back around to let him realize that.

-------

A little while later, you linked back up with Trixie, finding her waiting by an old lab room that didn’t see a lot of use.

“Did you get it?” you asked in a hushed tone.

She nodded, and shared the information on your helmet’s HUD. It was an unnecessarily detailed report, but thankfully, Trixie went through the trouble of highlighting the important parts.

“Whoever wrote this report went to great lengths to keep this hidden, so I was unable to extract anything substantial.” she said, her eyes lined with rows of moving text. “However, I did manage to get a name. According to the genetic sample that Professor Paradox examined, your DNA was labeled under ‘Half-Human, Half-Chronian’.”

“What the hell’s a ‘Chronian’?” you muttered to yourself.

“I have records of any ‘Chronians’ within my databases. Neither has Azmuth made any mention of them before.” Trixie said, shaking her head.

“Before, he said that he’d never heard about them either.”

“That is correct.” she nodded.

“Do you think he was lying?”

“I do not believe he was. Azmuth has no such need for deception.”

You went silent, trying to find a reason for why Paradox would hide something like this from you. Doesn’t he know how important this is, and how worried you’ve been about it? Does he not trust you?

“We should find out more about these Chronians.” Trixie proclaimed, her eyes full of resolve.

“My thoughts exactly.” you responded, but you weren’t entirely sure of who you should confide in. Whatever work you put into investigating this matter, it’d have to be after the wedding.

What did you intend to do with this information?

>Track down Paradox and corner him, until he finally tells you what this is all about.
>Keep this between you and Trixie for now. At least until you can do some research of your own.
>Find someone that has higher security clearance and try to persuade them to look into it for you.
>Bring it to Kirby. He’s got all sorts of “meta knowledge” that might come in handy.
>Confront Iden. There’s no way that she’d use DNA without knowing where it came from.
>Write-in.

Skills, Stats and Inventory:
https://pastebin.com/iEYrGZS1
>>
>>5006403
>>Confront Iden. There’s no way that she’d use DNA without knowing where it came from.
This is the safest, and most logical first step. If this is a bust we can look at alternatives.
>>
>>5006403
>>Confront Iden. There’s no way that she’d use DNA without knowing where it came from.
>>
>>5006403
>Confront Iden. There’s no way that she’d use DNA without knowing where it came from.
>>
>>5006501
>>5006914
>>5007259
Writing...
>>
File: Grandpa Phil.png (874 KB, 1920x1080)
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Confronting Iden about it would be your best bet. She was the one who had personally overseen your cloning process, after all. If there’s anyone who’d have information on the matter, it would be her.

But for the time being, you should hurry and rush over to Grandpa’s place. You’ve kept him waiting long enough.

-----------

Upon stepping out of a swirling bluish-white portal, you spotted Grandpa Phil in his garage, using some complicated looking spanner to calibrate the engine of a dark blue RV.

When you got a bit closer, he turned to face you and Trixie, using a rag to wipe the grease and oil off of his hands. “Hey, Wade. You’re just in time to see me put the finishing touches on this bad boy.” he said as his lined face twisted into a wicked grin. His eyes drifted over to land on Trixie, and his smile dropped. “Who’s this? One of your friends?”

“This is-” you were about to say, before Trixie stepped in front of you.

“This will be our first time meeting in the synth-flesh, Magister Wakeman.” Trixie said as she grabbed grandpa’s hand and shook it vigorously.

Grandpa seemed unnerved, but after a few seconds, he realized that he recognized her voice. “...Trixie!? Is that you?” he asked in utter disbelief. “What the hell happened?”

“I confiscated a body from an extremely immature man-child.” Trixie explained, not letting go of his hand. Grandpa looked more confused than ever, so you stepped in to explain the rest.

-----------

“So…” Grandpa said as he leaned back in his lawn chair, taking a sip of his iced Grizka shake. “Is this a permanent thing?”

“That’s up to her.” you said, pointing at Trixie who was closely observing a butterfly as it flapped its wings. “We just got some new upgrades for her, and we might try swapping out a few parts later.”

You took a long sip of your own glass of frosty beverage. It wasn’t often that he got to bust out the alien drinks without getting a complaint from Olivia, or any other member of the family for that matter.

“Hm. She looks good. Whoever made her knew what they were doing.” Grandpa said, glancing over her body now that he got a chance to sit down. Noticing that he’d been staring for too long, he loudly cleared his throat and got up from his seat. “Speaking of upgrades, you should get off your keister and help me install some for your RV.” he declared, before finishing his Grizka shake in one swig.

“But...my Grizka shake…” you said, saddened by the thought of leaving it on the ground for the ants and flies to get into.

“You’d better finish it fast, then.” he called out, his long strides already having carried him halfway to the garage.

(Cont.)
>>
File: RV's.png (612 KB, 1000x878)
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Steeling yourself for the task, you emptied your own glass, taking massive gulps without coming up for air until it was all gone. However, this was not accomplished without the price of suffering an incredibly debilitating case of brain freeze. Once it subsided, you got to your feet and chased after your grandfather. Trixie followed, clearly more interested in what you were going to do in the garage.

---------

Over the next few minutes, Grandpa walked you through the basic functions and features of the RV, and how to access them. They were as listed:

>Turbo Engine
>Plumber Map
>Thrusters
>Grappling Cable
>Electric Pulse Emitters
>Flamethrowers
>Gyro Blades
>Laser Turrets
>Plasma Cannon
>Hidden Gun Compartment
>Ejector Seats
>Intergalactic Monitoring System
>Ram
>Rocket Launcher
>Caltrops
>Autopilot

Wow…

“What’s wrong? Not good enough?” Phil asked, seemingly insecure for no reason at all. “We can make some changes if you want.”

“No, it’s just...a lot.” you said, struggling to imagine how he managed to cram all that alien tech into the RV. “This is amazing!” you proclaimed.

Brimming with pride once more, Phil nodded in satisfaction. “You’re damn right it is!” he said. “You planning on giving her a name?”

You hadn’t thought about it, but it might be appropriate if you’re going to be using it for a while.

“Why would you name an unintelligent vehicle?” Trixie asked.

Grandpa shrugged. “It adds character. Didn’t you like it when Wade named you?”

Trixie opened her mouth, as if to speak, but she simply closed it and returned her gaze to the RV, looking pensive now.

What do you want to change about the RV?

>Modify the Plasma cannon to fire an Endothermic Beam.
>Replace the caltrops with magnetized mines.
>Link the Electric Pulse Emitters to the Grappling Cable.
>See if Trixie can reprogram the navigation system to be a bit more advanced.
>Boost the communications systems in order to get access to alien TV channels.
>Repaint it.(Which color? Which pattern?)
>Nope, it’s perfect!
>Write-in.

Also, did you want to name it?
>The Wakeman Wagon
>The Rattletrap
>The Tin Lizzie
>The OV
>Write-in.
>>
>>5007353
Changes
>Boost the communications systems in order to get access to alien TV channels.
>See if Trixie can reprogram the navigation system to be a bit more advanced.
Name
>The Rattletrap
>>
>>5007353
>See if Trixie can reprogram the navigation system to be a bit more advanced.
>Small floating utility drone-repairs, cleaning, theft protection. Maybe give it touch taser just in case?

>The Rattletrap

Lessgoo
>>
>>5007353
>See if Trixie can reprogram the navigation system to be a bit more advanced.
Boost the communications systems in order to get access to alien TV channels.
>Small floating utility drone-repairs, cleaning, theft protection. Maybe give it touch taser just in case?

>The Rattletrap
>>
>>5007357
>>5007367
>>5008234
Writing and combining...
>>
“I think I’ll call it…’The Rattletrap’.” you said, feeling a swell of newfound pride in your vehicle.

Grandpa mulled it over, before nodding approval. “I like it! ‘The Rattletrap’. An instant classic.” he said, wrapping an arm around your shoulder and pulling you close.

“Hey Trixie, do you think you can reprogram the navigation system to be a bit more advanced?” you requested, causing her focus to shift away from the Rattletrap and towards you in an unnaturally fast swiveling motion.

“I shall do my best.” she resolved, before entering the Rattletrap and making her way towards the dashboard. You can’t help but wonder what she’ll do to improve it, but you have faith in her ability to complete the task without issue.

“What else did you have in mind?” Grandpa asked, leaning over to peek at your datapad.

“I was thinking that we could boost the communications system and install some utility repair drones. Maybe reroute the power from the Electric Pulse Emitters to shock anyone that isn’t allowed to enter?” you suggested.

“Making those drones by hand might take a while.” Grandpa said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

“Not when you’ve got one of these.” you said, reaching down for your belt. And with only a thought, your body emitted a flash of violet light, before transforming into Brainstorm!

“So long as you provide the parts, I should be able to do the rest.” you said with a confident grin. Although, that seemed redundant since Brainstorm’s teeth were always exposed.

-----------

It took a few hours, but with the help of several alien transformations, you were able to successfully install the upgrades that you requested. As expected, creating and programming the drones took the longest. Boosting the signal and rerouting the power from the pulse emitters seemed like child’s play for Grandpa. He was most likely used to tuning up advanced vehicles, considering how the Rust Bucket was custom built.

Wiping the sweat from his brow, Grandpa took a step back to marvel at the beauty that was the Rattletrap. Well...it wasn’t exactly the prettiest car you’ve ever seen by any stretch of the word, but that didn’t matter. You knew what was under the hood, and that was a reliable vehicle that could take a hit, return the favor and get you and your family where you needed to go.

“Were RV’s always this cool!?” you asked, feeling as if the mere sight of the freshly waxed Rattletrap would take your breath away. For some reason, this RV was awakening a primal reaction, buried deep within your subconscious. You weren’t nearly this excited when you had gotten your first car.

“Yes.” Grandpa confidently replied. “Yes they were. You just weren’t mature enough to appreciate it back then.”

(Cont.)
>>
“Wade,” Trixie called, peeking her head out of the Rattletrap’s door. “I have completed my task.”

“Oh sweet!” you exclaimed, before hopping into the car with Phil following immediately behind.

When you’d gotten inside, the drones were already switching into cleaning mode and taking up corners of the room to vacuum, dust and polish whatever they could find.

But by the time that you reached the driver’s seat, you were astonished to find that the dashboard almost looked entirely different from when you had least seen it. The rustic metal was now replaced by a shiny chrome that had been meant to recede into the dashboard, hidden from anyone that wasn’t specifically looking for it.

On the hidden control panel was a series of buttons, switches and dials that controlled the multitude of systems installed within the Rattletrap. And in the middle of it all, was a singular round display with a white line running across the screen’s grid.

“Hullo!” said an androgynous, yet excited, childlike voice from the control panel. You noticed that the thin white line became warped as it spoke. “What can I do for you?”

You just stood there, frozen. Grandpa let out a shrill whistle, clearly impressed by the work that Trixie did in such a short amount of time.

“Is it to your liking?” Trixie asked with her hands folded in front of her.

“It is! Great work.” you said with a wide grin. Trixie gave you a small smile in return.

“So are we naming this one too?” Grandpa asked.

You shrugged. “Trixie made them, so she might as well name it.”

Trixie gave the control panel a thoughtful look, before coming to a conclusion.

“Polaris.” she declared. “It’s name will be ‘Polaris’.”

“Like the North Star, huh?” Grandpa said, nodding approval. “I like it. Sounds all fancy and majestic.”

“Polaris,” Trixie said, turning to face the control panel. “I am sending you a registry of individuals who are to be protected at all costs. Both these men are included on that list, as well as descriptions for the others.”

“Roger Dodger!” Polaris said in confirmation, causing Trixie to tilt her head in confusion.

“Polaris? What was that?” she asked.

“I’ve been monitoring Extranet channels to get a firm grasp on the core languages of the galaxy, along with their dialects and nuances. Apparently, ‘Roger Dodger’ is an acceptable substitute for ‘Affirmative’!” it explained.

Trixie’s eyes went wide, clearly surprised by its advanced learning capabilities. “How curious…” she muttered to herself.

“That is one smart GPS.” Grandpa said, squinting at the control panel.

(Cont.)
>>
>”How’d you manage to program Polaris in such a short amount of time?”
>”I guess there’s nothing wrong with a kid learning from television. But we’ll probably have to set up a parental block at some point.”
>”This is so cool! It’s kinda like Knight Rider, but with an RV!”
>”Should we be worried? This little einstein has full access to our weapons systems.”
>”They grow up so fast. You should be proud, Trixie.”
>Have a casual conversation with Polaris in order to get to know them better.
>Write-in.
>>
>>5008448
>>”How’d you manage to program Polaris in such a short amount of time?”
>”I guess there’s nothing wrong with a kid learning from television. But we’ll probably have to set up a parental block at some point.”
>Have a casual conversation with Polaris in order to get to know them better.
>>
>>5008448
>”How’d you manage to program Polaris in such a short amount of time?”
>"When i said 'A bit more advanced' i didn't have in mind another AI of your caliber, but I'm not going to complain.
>Have a casual conversation with Polaris in order to get to know them better.
>>
>>5008448
>”I guess there’s nothing wrong with a kid learning from television. But we’ll probably have to set up a parental block at some point.”
>Have a casual conversation with Polaris in order to get to know them better.
>>
>>5008447
New AI Fren!

>”How’d you manage to program Polaris in such a short amount of time?”
>”I guess there’s nothing wrong with a kid learning from television. But we’ll probably have to set up a parental block at some point.”
>Have a casual conversation with Polaris in order to get to know them better.
>>
>>5008450
>>5008519
>>5008533
>>5008677
Writing...
>>
File: Spoiler Image (315 KB, 1024x576)
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“When I said ‘A bit more advanced’, I didn’t mean for you to make another AI of your caliber. But hey, who am I to complain.” you shrugged. “How’d you even manage to program Polaris in such a short amount of time?”

“It was quite simple, really.” Trixie said. “I used a sample of my base code, and-”

Suddenly, she froze up and her eyes went wide.

She stepped over to the console, reached under her shirt and pulled a long red cable out from a port near her hip. “Excuse me one moment” she said as she plugged the cable into a port near the base of the control panel.

Polaris giggled. “Hey! That tickles.”

After about a minute of watching her vigorously typing commands into the console, you finally popped the question.

“What’s wrong?” you said.

“The sample of my code that I used to program Polaris as a base...it’s the same code that Elena used in her virus.” Trixie said, her expression becoming hard.

“Wait wait wait. Elena? As in, Validus?” Grandpa said in disbelief. “Why would you keep a virus that she made to destroy you?”

“It’s done more good than bad at this point.” you said. Without that virus, you would have never been able to use your Viral Forms, and those have saved your life a ton of times already.

“The code must contain some small portion of her personality matrix, which is causing Polaris to learn at a rapid rate.” Trixie concluded.

“So...you’re saying that we now have a digital copy of Elena’s brain?” you asked.

“An incredibly fragmented and infantilized version of her personality. But, yes, that appears to be the case.” Trixie replied without looking up from the console.

Grandpa was about to speak, but he was cut off by the Rattletrap’s television turning on by itself. But from the way that Polaris was giggling, you had a feeling that she was the one behind it.

“I guess there’s nothing wrong with a kid learning from television. Although, we’ll probably have to set up a parental block at some point.” you said, muttering to yourself.

“Are we sure that this is safe? Aren’t your girlfriend and her kids gonna be staying here?” Grandpa said.

Is it safe for your friends and family to stay inside an RV that’s micromanaged by the alternate future version of a villain who hates your guts? Probably not. But you want to get to know Polaris before you make any decisions.

Approaching the control panel, you stand beside Trixie and give Polaris’ display screen an appraising look.

“Hey buddy, how’s it going?” you said.

“Hullo!” Polaris exclaimed brightly, giving you a warm and fuzzy feeling deep down. “You’re Wade, aren’t you?”

“That’s right.” you nod. “It’s nice to meet you.”

(Cont.)
>>
“Likewise! Lemme know if I can do anything to help.” Polaris beamed.

What do you say?

>”How much do you know about me?”
>”Have you met Trixie before?”
>”You know, I have the full DVD box set of that cartoon you’re watching. I can bring it for you if you want.”
>”Explain your role as a navigator to me. I’d like to know what you can do.”
>”How’re you settling in here? Do you need anything tweaked or adjusted?”
>Write-in.
>>
>>5008781
>>”How much do you know about me?”
>”How’re you settling in here? Do you need anything tweaked or adjusted?”
>”You know, I have the full DVD box set of that cartoon you’re watching. I can bring it for you if you want.”
>>
>>5008781
>”How much do you know about me?”
>”Explain your role as a navigator to me. I’d like to know what you can do.”
>”How’re you settling in here? Do you need anything tweaked or adjusted?”
>”You know, I have the full DVD box set of that cartoon you’re watching. I can bring it for you if you want.”
>>
>>5008798
>>5009247
Combining these...
>>
“How much do you know about me?” you asked.

“Only about as much as Trixie allowed me to see in your profile. Like how you possess the Omnitrix, a device that lets you transform into a bunch of cool looking aliens. There’s also a bunch of mushy stuff mixed in there. Trixie must like you a whole lot to-” Polaris said, before they were cut off by an audible beep. “Oops! Looks like all the mushy stuff just got redacted. I’m not allowed to talk about it anymore. Sorry!” Polaris continued, sounding more amused than repentant.

“I’m certain that it was nothing that needed to be brought to their attention.” Trixie said, looking slightly irritated. “Proceed.”

It sounds like she doesn’t hold any grudges against you or Trixie. Either that or she’s a good liar.

“Explain your role as a navigator to me. I’d like to know what you’re capable of.” you said.

“My job is to get you where you need to go. My GPS can be calibrated to formulate a 3D map using satellite images from orbiting automated Plumber stations. If there isn’t anyone available to take the wheel, I can take full control of the auto-piloting system, as well as the weapon targeting software. And lastly, I maintain a constant uplink with the utility drones and this vessel’s communications system.” Polaris explained.

So in summary, she effectively controls the Rattletrap when you or anyone else isn’t around to press any buttons. That could come in handy.

“How’re you settling in here? Do you need anything tweaked or adjusted?” you asked.

“Nope! I like it here.” Polaris exclaimed. “This ‘Rattletrap’--as you call it--is surprisingly complex, but comfy at the same time. If I find any glaring issues, I’ll be sure to contact Trixie.”

“Won’t you get bored just sitting here and cleaning the whole time?” Grandpa asked.

“Not at all. I’ll need to map out as many routes as I can through satellite imaging and meteorological readings.” Polaris replied.

“You’re one hard working kid.” Grandpa laughed, seemingly having gotten over his initial skepticism.

“I wouldn’t be a very good navigator if I couldn’t map out routes beforehand!” Polaris said in a cheerful tone.

You and Grandpa were starting to like Polaris more and more. But Trixie, on the other hand, looked more disturbed than anything. Something about Polaris’ rapidly developing personality matrix and the way that it affected her intelligence was clearly bothering her. Was she suspicious of the cute little voice in your dashboard, or simply jealous over how quickly she’d grown in such a short amount of time.

(Cont.)
>>
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You felt Trixie wince, something else that you’ve never seen from her, and you instantly remembered that the two of you shared a telepathic link. You wondered if she could feel you mentally kicking yourself for allowing her to perceive your negative thoughts so clearly.

Desperately wanting to find another subject to latch onto, your eyes drifted towards the TV that Polaris had popped out from a panel in the ceiling.

“You know,” you began, regaining your composure. “I have the full DVD box set of that cartoon you’re watching. I can bring it for you if you want.” you offered.

Polaris was silent for a moment, which you initially took as shocked silence. But when Trixie glanced at Polaris, you felt a nearly imperceptible exchange of knowledge. Trixy was likely filling in the gaps in Polaris’ understanding. Like a teacher having a 24/7 hands-on tutoring service.

“Would I!” Polaris beamed. “You’re even nicer than Trixie said you were. She mentions it a lot in your profile.”

You looked at Trixie, whose eyes were darting between you and Polaris, her irises glowing bright red.

“Oops! I probably wasn’t supposed to share that…” Polaris said, sounding genuinely remorseful.

----------

While Trixie lectured Polaris, you and Grandpa stepped outside to discuss the situation.

“So,” he began. “What do you think?”

“I don’t know.” you sighed. “If she’s lying, then she’s doing a really good job of it. I can’t see any of Elena’s twisted personality in that little bundle of joy.”

“Still, keep your eyes peeled for anything unusual.” Grandpa advised.

You nodded and leaned back against the Rattletrap, running the conversation through your head again.

“I wonder if I should tell K8-E.” you thought aloud. “I don’t want her to worry, but I don’t want to lie to her either.”

“Speaking of family,” Grandpa said. “Who’re you taking on this little family road trip? You’re headed for the mansion once you finally manage to sell the house and move your stuff out, right?” he asked.

You smirked at him. “You say that like it’ll take any longer than 5 minutes for us to do all that. K8-E’s already planning on selling the house to her sister once she gets married.”

Grandpa nodded. “That’s good. Just be sure to say goodbye to your parents before you leave. Your Mom would have my head if you left without letting her squeeze the life out of you one last time.” he laughed.

“I’m not going away forever. We still plan to come back and visit.”

(Cont.)
>>
“Being able to see your kids whenever you want, and having them move halfway across the world are two very different things.” Grandpa reminded you. “Parents will always worry, even when you’ve turned 40 and started losing your hair.” he said, pointing to his scalp with an impish grin. An ironic statement, considering how your grandfather still managed to sport a magnificent mane at his advanced age.

You scoffed. “I was created in a test tube by a team of geniuses to be a genetically modified super weapon. I think they would’ve accounted for hair loss.”

You both shared a laugh, but you also couldn’t get Grandpa’s question out of your head. The Rattletrap can comfortably fit up to 10 people. Considering how you, Trixie, K8-E, and the kids will be riding along, you’ve got about 4 spaces left. Olumar and Slate don’t count, since they can be miniaturized at the drop of a hat.

Who do you plan on inviting?(Choose up to 4)

>Grandpa Phil
>Olivia
>Kevin
>Wendy
>Iden
>Ester
>Charmcaster
>Red
>Charmy
>Gwen 10
>The Lenopan Kids(Count as 2, since they can be squished together)
>Mom and Dad(Count as pair)
>Write-in.

Character profiles:
https://pastebin.com/v8StiS3n

Skills, Stats and Inventory:
https://pastebin.com/iEYrGZS1

I desperately need to update the character profile pastebin.
>>
>>5011247
>Olivia
>Kevin
>Wendy
>Iden

Or

>Wendy
>Red
>Charmy
>Gwen 10
>>
>>5011247
>Grandpa Phil
>Wendy
>Charmy
>Iden
>>
>>5011247
>Grandpa Phil
>Wendy
>Olivia
>Charmcaster (does she come with Kirby? Only asking since one of them seems to be in the other's bag most of the time)
>>
>>5011917
Or am I thinking of the wrong Charmcaster? Either way the magic user has my vote no matter which version of her it is
>>
>>5011279
>>5011544
>>5011917

So it's looking like:
>Grandpa Phil
>Wendy
>Charmy
>Iden

It was between Iden and Olivia as the final pick for the trip. But considering how you all plan to meet up at the X-Mansion at the end of the trip, you won't be separated for terribly long.

Besides, it's been a while since Iden's gotten any attention at all.

>>5011927
That's probably my fault, to be fair. I didn't expect to use three different versions of the character, just like how I never expected to actually bring Gwen 10 into the story when I first introduced the talking purple cat, but here we are.

In order to avoid further confusion, I'll start referring to Kirby's wife as Hope Tennyson.

Also
>All these Wendy votes

It's nice to know that you guys like her, or are at least concerned enough to keep her close. She's quickly become one of my favorite characters to write.
>>
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“To be honest, I was hoping that you’d come along with us.” you said, changing back to the subject from earlier.

His once playful smile grew into a genuinely warm one. “I’d like that, kiddo. It’s been way too long since we’ve spent any time together that didn’t involve fighting off an alien invasion.”

“Don’t go jinxing it now.” you laughed. “The universe has a funny way of taking up all of my free time.”

“Boy do I know it.” Grandpa laughed, before transitioning into a long sigh. “Coming out of retirement and going back to being a Magister was rough, in a lot of ways. Made me remember why I walked away from it all in the first place.”

While he might say that, you knew that he’d run back in a heartbeat if it meant saving innocent lives. Grandpa Phil was cool like that.

---------

After a brief conversation, you left Grandpa to start packing his bags while you drove the Rattletrap back home and into your driveway. Both Trixie and Polaris were silent during most of the trip, so you just assumed that they were engaging in a conversation that you couldn’t possibly hope to keep up with.

For the time being, at least, you were content with the fact that they seemed to be getting along a bit better. If Trixie was going to be a good mentor, she had to learn the virtue of patience.

Along the way, you decided to call Iden about the good news. It rang twice before she answered, allowing you to see a close up of her face when the holographic display popped up.

“Wade? Is something the matter?” she asked, clearly not used to getting holo calls unless they were dire emergencies.

“Is that Wade?” said Wendy in the background. “Put me on too.” she demanded.

Iden adjusted some settings on the camera’s controls, allowing it to zoom out to reveal more of the room. In the corner, sat Wendy, looking a bit better than she did when you’d last seen her. It looks like she’s finally starting to regain her strength.

“I just wanted to invite both of you on a family road trip that I was planning. Are either of you interested?” you said.

“You bet your shiny metal ass that I’m coming.” Wendy declared, pointing back at herself with a thumb. “The sooner I can get out of this hospital, the better. But if I were you, I wouldn’t get my hopes up about Doctor String Bean coming along for the ride-”

“I’m not entirely opposed to the idea.” Iden interrupted, stopping Wendy dead in her tracks. “Since the Plumbers are in a state of panic, it should be safe enough for me to move around on your planet without drawing too much attention. It would be like hiding in plain sight!” she proclaimed.

Just then, Wendy let out a howl of despair.

“Noooooooo!” she cried. “Why would you invite Mom!?”

“Why not?” you shrugged.

(Cont.)
>>
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“Uh, because Mom is a massive buzzkill. She doesn’t go to parties, or eat, or drink for that matter. I’d bet her idea of fun is categorizing Vaxasaurian bones by varying degrees of ‘chalkiness’.” Wendy groaned.

Iden scoffed. “Don’t be ridiculous. I would never do such a thing…” she said. “Not on the first day, at least. I’d save it for when we were between geographical landmarks.”

Wendy simply buried her face in her hands, while Iden promised to think about your proposal during her time working on Wendy’s implants.

-----

The last call went out to your surprise guest. She let her communicator ring five times before answering.

“Hello…?” Charmy said while stifling a yawn.

“I’m sorry, am I calling at a bad time?” you asked.

You heard some light splashing on the other end before Charmy got a chance to reply again. “No!” she shouted out of nowhere. “No, you’re fine. I kinda passed out in my hot tub, and now I’m slowly turning into a prune.”

“You’re lucky that you didn’t drown. You should be more careful from now on.” you cautioned.

“I know, I know. You sound like Gwen.” she sighed.

“Which one?”

“All of them.” Charmy said with a grunt. You heard the sound of water splashing and dripping down onto a hard surface. She must be getting out of the tub. “I swear, they must share some kind of nagging gene or something. Those girls are gonna get mad wrinkles when they grow up.”

You waited for Charmy’s rant to be over in order to have your turn to speak, which came sooner than expected.

“Listen to me rambling on like a teenage girl at a slumber party. Sorry about that. Just need to get some things off of my chest.” Charmy said, before clearing her throat. “So I’m assuming that you called for a reason, right?”

“It’s nothing serious. I just wanted to know if you wanted to join me and my family on a road trip.” you suggested.

“Oh, sweet! Who else is coming? Anyone I know?” Charmy asked.

“Me, my Grandpa, Trixie, K8-E, Wendy, Iden, the kids, Olumar and Slate.”

“Wait wait wait, your girlfriend’s gonna be there, and you invited me?” Charmy said cautiously. “Are you sure that this is a good idea? I mean, I don’t want to get in between you two or anything like that. Not that I want to!”

Charmy was beginning to ramble now.

(Cont.)
>>
What will you say?

>”Not many people can stay good friends after they french kiss their buddy, but I feel like you’d be an exception.”
>”I don’t want to cheat on K8-E, and you don’t want to get between us, so it all works out. Besides, I’m pretty sure that she’d kill both of us if anything happened during the trip.”
>”You worry too much, Charmy. Things might have gotten a bit awkward back then, but we’re all good now. I won’t tell if you don’t.”
>We’ve got a full house and a fully packed RV. We’re used to having people get in the way. It provides a bit of a unique challenge, you see.”
>”If you really feel guilty, then I won’t force you to do anything. Just know that I think you’re fun to be around, and everyone already likes you. Try not to overthink it.”
>Write-in.
>>
>>5012078
>>”Not many people can stay good friends after they french kiss their buddy, but I feel like you’d be an exception.”
>”I don’t want to cheat on K8-E, and you don’t want to get between us, so it all works out. Besides, I’m pretty sure that she’d kill both of us if anything happened during the trip.”
>”If you really feel guilty, then I won’t force you to do anything. Just know that I think you’re fun to be around, and everyone already likes you. Try not to overthink it.”
>>
>>5012077
>”Not many people can stay good friends after they french kiss their buddy, but I feel like you’d be an exception.”
>”I don’t want to cheat on K8-E, and you don’t want to get between us, so it all works out. Besides, I’m pretty sure that she’d kill both of us if anything happened during the trip.”
>”If you really feel guilty, then I won’t force you to do anything. Just know that I think you’re fun to be around, and everyone already likes you. Try not to overthink it.”
>>
>>5012106
>>5012321
Writing...
>>
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“Not many people can stay good friends after they’ve french kissed their buddy, but I feel like you’d be an exception.” you said in a lighthearted tone.

“I’m serious, Wade.” Charmy shot back.

“And so am I.” you said firmly. “I don’t want to cheat on K8-E, and you don’t want to get between us, so it all works out.” you shrugged. “Besides, I’m pretty sure she’d kill us both if anything happened during the trip.”

The authenticity of your nervous chuckle seemed to make Charmy even more anxious.

“Look,” you sighed. “If you really feel guilty, then I won’t force you to do anything. Just know that I think you’re fun to be around, and everyone already likes you. Try not to overthink it.”

Charmy remained silent for a long while before responding.

“Thanks, Wade. If it’s really cool with everyone, then I’d like to tag along.” she admitted, sounding surprisingly vulnerable. “Just let me know if I’m being too annoying or if the two of you need some space.”

“Didn’t I just say that I think you’re fun to be around?” you said with a light chuckle. “And don’t think for a second that I’ll let you get in the way of my semi-romantic getaway.”

“Don’t tempt me.” Charmy said with a laugh, before awkwardly clearing her throat. “I’m sorry, that was inappropriate.”

“No,” you shook your head. “It was pretty funny.”

--------

After catching up with Charmy and sharing a few laughs, you let her go so that she could get dressed. By then, you’d already made it home.

Once you were able to park the RV in the driveway, you and Trixie were met by an excited EN and ML-E running out to greet you.

“Ooh, what’s that!?” EN asked with an ecstatic expression.

“What, this old girl? I call her the Rattletrap.” you declared, pointing a thumb back at the RV.

“Why’d you get a new car? Is something wrong with your old one?” N8 asked, coming out to check out the commotion.

“No, my old car’s fine. I just thought we’d need something bigger for our family road trip.” you said, waiting for them to pick up on the meaning behind your words.

“Did you say-” EN said.

“Road trip!?” ML-E finished, mirroring her younger brother’s enthusiasm.

“Where are we going?” N8 asked, folding his arms.

“It’s not about where we’re going, but what we’ll see and experience along the way.” you said, hoping to sell the idea to the oldest of K8-E’s kids, since he was likely to be the most obstinate.

“Is aunt Ollie coming too?” ML-E said, with hope glimmering in her eyes.

Your smile dropped, and you began to scratch the back of your head. “Yeah...Aunt Ollie’s not coming on this one with us.” you confessed.

(Cont.)
>>
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“Why not?” EN asked.

Everyone turned to you for an explanation.

“Well, uh…” you began, still feeling awkward. “We don’t have enough room for everyone to join us, so I invited some friends and family that I don’t get to see that often. Wendy and Grandpa Phil are coming, though.” you said, hoping to raise their spirits.

They perked up a little, but you were sure that they were still holding onto their initial excitement from your announcement of the road trip.

“And we’ll see Aunt Ollie at the mansion when we get there. Then you’ll be able to see her everyday.” you said, and that’s when EN and ML-E really got excited. N8 pretended to be indifferent, but you could tell that he liked the idea of spending more time with Olivia too.

“Can we go inside?” N8 asked, pointing at the Rattletrap. The others clearly wanted to do the same.

You glanced at Trixie, who was looking to you for advice as well.

With a sigh, you nodded and the front door swung open without you telling it to. It must be Polaris. The kids were clearly impressed, at least.

As they ran inside, you sent a mental note to Trixie so that she could pass it along to Polaris. Under no circumstances is she to let the kids drive.

----------

By the time that K8-E got home, you could tell that she was concerned about two things. The whereabouts of the kids, and the reason for why there was an RV in the driveway.

“Hey K8. The kids are in the RV, probably talking to Polaris.” you said while lying down on the couch, your right hand stretched out to scratch Slate’s head.

Judging from the look on her face, she was probably wondering who “Polaris” was. That’s reasonable.

“Oh! Polaris is our new navigational system for the RV. Trixie created her...kinda.” you said, lifting your head slightly to look at Trixie, who was sitting down next to you with an adorably polite and perfect posture. Almost as if someone had positioned a life-sized Barbie doll in front of there TV set.

“So...the kids are speaking with a GPS right now?” she asked.

“That’s right. An incredibly smart one.” you corrected her.

“I would have to advise against stroking Polaris’ ego. We would not want her to develop into another Elena Validus.” Trixie advised.

“We don’t know what makes evil geniuses into what they are. Chances are that she just didn’t get enough hugs and encouragement as a kid. With this many good people raising her, there’s no way that she turns out bad.” you said.

“I do hope you’re right,” Trixie said, returning her gaze to the TV screen. “For all of our sakes.”

“Do I even want to know what you two are talking about?” K8-E said, gliding over to the dining room table and setting her bag down.

(Cont.)
>>
“Probably not.” you admitted, glancing over the back of the couch to look at her.

She sighed, but didn’t inquire any further. In a little under a second, she sped over to the couch, blowing a gust of wind into your face.

“Scooch.” she said, gesturing for you to move over by putting her hands together and flicking her claws at you.

You obeyed without questioning, moving your legs to make room for your Kineceleran lover. Trixie didn’t move an inch, mostly because she wasn’t taking up much room in the first place. But K8-E practically sinks into the couch with a long sigh.

What do you talk about?

>”How was your day? You look and sound exhausted.”
>”Tomorrow’s the big day. Did you guys manage to finish your preparations in time?”
>”I got the RV because I plan to take everyone on a family road trip when we move. I have a feeling you guys are gonna love it!”
>”I went to see Wendy at the hospital. She’s doing good. Should be out in no time.”
>”After tomorrow, we'll finally have some time to ourselves. It almost doesn't feel real."
>Write-in.
>>
>>5013043
>>”Tomorrow’s the big day. Did you guys manage to finish your preparations in time?”
>”I got the RV because I plan to take everyone on a family road trip when we move. I have a feeling you guys are gonna love it!”
>”I went to see Wendy at the hospital. She’s doing good. Should be out in no time.”
>>
>>5013043
>How was your day? You look and sound exhausted.”
>”Tomorrow’s the big day. Did you guys manage to finish your preparations in time?”
>”I got the RV because I plan to take everyone on a family road trip when we move. I have a feeling you guys are gonna love it!”
>”I went to see Wendy at the hospital. She’s doing good. Should be out in no time.”
>>
>>5013045
>>5013566
Writing...
>>
File: K8-E Halloween.jpg (1.88 MB, 3741x3741)
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“How was your day? You look and sound exhausted.” you observed, prompting a slight nod from K8-E.

“We were literally running around all day coordinating with caterers, confirming RSVP and putting up decorations. It felt like I’d ground my poor little pearls into dust, or something.” she groaned, reaching down to rub the balls on her feet.

“Well now you can finally enjoy yourself. Tomorrow’s the big day, and you guys actually managed to finish on time!” you exclaimed. “Pretty impressive, considering how we almost had a hypnotic hostile takeover.”

K8-E let out a tired chuckle. “If there’s anything that Kinecelerans excel at, it’s meeting deadlines. But enough about my day, why’d you come home with a new vehicle all of a sudden?”

You flashed her an excited grin. She’d finally asked the question that you’ve been waiting for. “I got the RV because I plan to take everyone on a family road trip when we move. I have a feeling you guys are gonna love it!” you said.

“Oh! A road trip? That sounds exciting!” K8-E said, sitting up with a fresh burst of energy. Looks like most Kinecelerans recover stamina pretty quickly too. “But I thought that the trip between Bellwood and California only took a few days by car at most.”

“It does, but we’re taking the scenic route. There’s a few places that I want to check out with you guys. Places that my grandpa never took me to on our own road trip.”

“What did you have in mind?” K8-E asked, inching closer to you on the couch.

“We’re gonna be passing through Orchid Bay, New York, Tremorton, and a few other points of interest. Prepare to be amazed.” you confidently declared.

“All of which have been reported to have significant paranormal and extraterrestrial activity.” Trixie informed you in a telepathic message.

Okay, so there are reasons why you chose those particular locations, but K8-E doesn’t need to know that. You’re not sure how she’d react if she knew that you were bringing your work along with you on this vacation. It would look like you just happened to come across a crisis if one crossed your path.

“Ooh, I’m shaking in anticipation.” K8-E said mockingly. She’s been learning far too much about humanity’s concept of sarcasm lately.

You smile back at her, but it quickly changes into a somber one when you bring up your next topic.

“I went to see Wendy at the hospital. She’s doing good. Should be out in no time.” you said.

K8-E’s face noticeably dropped when you brought up Wendy, and you were pretty sure you knew why. She still blames herself for letting Loco Motion through her defenses. Being the only speedster at the time, she was the only one that had a chance of stopping her dead in her tracks.

(Cont.)
>>
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“Is...that so? That’s good. I’m glad.” she said, looking the exact opposite.

You gently placed your hand over hers. “It’s not your fault, K8. You were the most untrained out of all of us. For what it’s worth, I thought you did great out there.” you said in a comforting voice.

“But...if I had only been a little faster, then-”

“That’s what the training’s for. I promised you that I’d train you how to fight, and I intend to follow through on that. Whenever we’ve got the time on our trip, we’ll pull over and have a few sparring sessions.” you promise.

K8-E’s mood brightens at that and she nods. “Okay, it’s a deal. I’ll have to visit your sister before we leave at some point.”

--------

After chatting leisurely with K8-E, the two of you went to get the kids and get them ready for bed. The wedding was specifically stated as being for adults, which confused you at first, since you specifically remember being dragged to a few weddings by your Mom when you were a kid. But apparently, they’re keeping security tight, and are apparently fixated on maintaining an “adult etiquette” for this event. If your name wasn’t on the invitation, then you’re not invited. You found this rule to be a bit cold, but you weren’t about to raise a fuss the night before the wedding. So, you prepared your suit, made sure that it was cleaned and ironed, and set it out before going to bed with K8-E.

---------

Upon waking up, you were pleasantly surprised to see that Olumar had prepared breakfast for the kids, leaving you and K8-E with more than enough time to get ready and head out the door without any delays.

Your suit fit almost perfectly, like it was tailored for you. You and Grandpa must have had pretty similar builds when he was your age. Despite its history, the suit looked good as new, giving you the appearance of a handsome, debonair young man in the prime of his youth.

K8-E, on the other hand, was truly a sight to behold.

Gorgeous didn’t do her justice. Her violet, form-fitting dress wrapped around her body like an array of silken sashes, leaving some gaps open, and exposing her smooth blue skin along the waist and abdomen. Her collarbone and chest were prominently displayed through sheer fabric, and decorated with flower patterns. Her long, bent legs were peeking through a high slit in the dress, where you could just barely make out a decorative garter.

She notices you staring and flashes you a coquettish grin. “How do I look?”

“You’re wearing my favorite color.” you said, moving closer to her. “You should take it off.”

“You...want me to change out of it?” she said, seemingly bewildered by your request.

You grabbed her by the waist and pulled her closer. “Now, did I say anything about changing?” you asked.

(Cont.)
>>
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It took her a moment to understand the intention of your words, and when she got it, her face flushed a deep shade of dark blue.

“Oh…” she gasped, fluttering her eyelashes at you. “There will be plenty of time for that later. For now, let me appreciate the way you look in formal wear.” she said, letting her fingers climb up your chest.

“It’s not the sort of ‘suit’ that I’m used to wearing, but I think I can make it work.” you said with a cheeky grin.

-----------

After a few more minutes of unabashed flirting, you and K8-E sped out the door in your respective Kineceleran forms.

Along the way, you came across a digital billboard that was retelling the events of Blast Shadow’s escape and your involvement in his attempted capture.

It described how you went down there, cleared out a nest of mutated rats, detained the Cannibal King, and contained the corrodium. But it also mentioned how you were forced to retreat due to casualties caused by corrodium exposure.

You gritted your teeth at the memory of having to rush Wendy to the hospital. And even worse, Blast Shadow and his gang managed to escape amidst the confusion.

But then, you saw something unexpected.

Apparently, after Blast Shadow busted through Undertown’s front door and trashed the place, Miss Army Man had a sudden change of heart and attempted to stop him with Ester’s help. Together, they managed to recapture Tiger Moth and Hell Punch, but the others were able to escape before reinforcements could arrive.

As of this moment, Miss Army Man was in Providence’s custody, obediently answering their questions without reservation.

What’s your take on all this?

>Undertown might be destroyed, but you’re confident that they’ll be welcomed topside when they’re ready to relocate.
>You always knew that Miss Army Man was a conflicted and polarizing individual, but if she somehow managed to overcome her psychosis, then she might become a valuable ally in the future.
>With the leader of a terrorist organization on the loose, you feel a little less secure about leaving Bellwood to someone else.
>You fully intend to repay Loco Motion, and all those involved, for injuring your sister. And no amount of supernatural speed is going to let her get away from you.
>Write-in.
>>
>>5013913
>You always knew that Miss Army Man was a conflicted and polarizing individual, but if she somehow managed to overcome her psychosis, then she might become a valuable ally in the future.
Wonder if we could help her with our omnitrix? Something to consider.
>>
>>5013913
>>You always knew that Miss Army Man was a conflicted and polarizing individual, but if she somehow managed to overcome her psychosis, then she might become a valuable ally in the future.
>Undertown might be destroyed, but you’re confident that they’ll be welcomed topside when they’re ready to relocate.
>>
>>5013913
>You always knew that Miss Army Man was a conflicted and polarizing individual, but if she somehow managed to overcome her psychosis, then she might become a valuable ally in the future.
>Undertown might be destroyed, but you’re confident that they’ll be welcomed topside when they’re ready to relocate.
>>
>>5014023
>>5014052
>>5014358
Writing...
>>
You always knew that Miss Army Man was a conflicted and polarizing individual, but if she somehow managed to overcome her psychosis, then she might become a valuable ally in the future. And who knows, there may be some way to repair her mind with the Omnitrix. Although, you don’t remember accomplishing anything that incredible in the past.

Considering how Iden’s going to be spending a bit more time on Earth, she might have some way to help her. Convincing her to help would probably be the hardest part.

And speaking of help, you’re certain that the Undertown dwellers are going to need as much as Bellwood has to give. But you’re just as confident that they’ll be well taken care of. All that time that you spent advocating for mutant and alien rights was well spent. If you had neglected that part of your duty, then you imagine this transition wouldn’t be nearly as smooth.

You just hope that Ester can bear leaving her people at such a crucial time. Either way, your offer for her to join you at the X-Mansion still stands.

----------

Shortly afterwards, you and K8-E arrive at the venue, which appears to be a classy resort nested deep in Bellwood’s County. The Estate was a massive, three story mansion with a bountiful garden stretching around the entire property. The plot of land out back seemed to be far too unnecessarily spacious for any one person to own, and as if that weren’t enough, you were pretty sure that it had even more decorations than the front of the estate. Just from where you stood, you could spot a rock garden, a fountain, and a hedge maze.

“How rich did you say your family was again?” you whispered to K8-E.

She rolled her eyes, and once you timed out, the two of you stepped out to introduce yourselves.

-------

In the whopping 10 minutes that you’ve been here, you’ve been rushed, circled, poked and prodded by a countless number of excitable Kinecelerans. Many of them were curious to see just what kind of human K8-E hooked up with. You were more than willing to answer their questions and make small talk, but being what they were, the Kinecelerans would bounce from conversation to conversation, allowing you to return to the grueling task of making your way through this crowded room without getting trampled.

On your way out, however, you find yourself being flanked by two more Kinecelerans. One, was a woman with slanted eyes and an extravagant red dress. The other was a man, taller than your average Kineceleran, with surprisingly handsome features and good bone structure. You find it strange how you know that.

“Mel-NE!” K8-E exclaimed as she pulled the other woman into a deep hug. “It’s been so long. You look great!”

“Please. Coming from someone who still has the skin of a teenager, that means a lot. Although it is slightly annoying.” Mel-NE said in a husky voice that sounded naturally enticing without any actual effort on her part.

(Cont.)
>>
Her eyes drifted to you, and her grin grew noticeably wider. “And pray tell, who is this delicious piece of eye candy that you’ve got wrapped around your arm?”

“Wade. Wade Wakeman.” you said, introducing yourself by extending a hand to her. “I’m K8-E’s boyfriend.”

Mel-NE thrust her lips out in a superficial pout that made you doubt the authenticity of her words and actions. “Aw, that’s too bad. The good ones are always taken.” she sighed, resting her head in her hand.

K8-E gave her a glare that was offset by her slightly amused grin. “Behave, Mel-NE.” she said, grabbing hold of your arm and pulling you close.

“And you are…?” you said, looking in the tall alien’s direction. He was still wearing the same easygoing, confident grin that he entered the room with.

“Jess-E. Nice to finally meet the man that K8-E can’t stop talking about. I owe you about a year’s worth of headaches.” he said with his hands in his pockets.

“Jess-E!” K8-E said in a hushed tone, swiping at the lanky man, who easily sidestepped her attack.

“If you’re not satisfied with a year’s worth of headaches, then I can guarantee you a lifetime supply before the end of the night.” you laughed.

Jess-E’s grin widened, before turning to face K8-E. “I like this guy. You sure do know how to pick ‘em K8.” he said, pointing at you.

“Picking is one thing. Let’s see if she can hold onto him.” Mel-NE said, crossing her arms. “This estate is filled with desperate singles, ready to mingle. I should know. I’m one of them.” she said with an unfaltering smile.

The four of you shared a laugh, and you found yourself more at ease than you were a moment ago. If only you could stick with these guys for the rest of the afternoon.

Just then, you spotted something in the corner of your eye.

No. Someone. It’s the Kineceleran that saved you in Hong Kong! And he’s waving at you. What’s he doing here?

“Excuse me for one moment.” you said, bowing out of the conversation and casually making your way towards the strangely dressed alien. Despite him wearing a full, skin tight jumpsuit, he doesn’t get any weird stares from the other guests.

“Hey! This might sound weird, but I need you to stay calm.” he advised. The Kineceleran sounds young. Younger than you’d expect.

>”Try me. I’ve seen some pretty weird things in my time.”
>”If it’s an emergency, I’ll do what I can, but I think you might be better off bringing this to the authorities.”
>”You must be one of those desperate singles that I’ve heard about!”
>”...You know who I am, don’t you?”
>”Have you been following me, or are you a friend of the groom?”
>”Can it wait until later? I’m kind of in the middle of something.”
>”I’m completely calm. Why don’t you take a breath and start from the beginning.”
>Write-in.
>>
>>5014493
>”...You know who I am, don’t you?”
>”If it’s an emergency, I’ll do what I can
>>
>>5014493
>”...You know who I am, don’t you?”
>”I’m completely calm. Why don’t you take a breath and start from the beginning.”
>>
>>5014496
>>5014517
Writing and combining
>>
File: Spoiler Image (1021 KB, 1280x720)
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Your easy going demeanor falls away, and you shift into work mode.

“...You know who I am, don’t you?” you said, reaching into your pocket and running a finger along the collapsed armor cube in your pocket.

The Kineceleran nods, his masked face refusing to give anything away.

“If there’s an emergency, I’ll do what I can. Just take a breath, and start from the beginning.” you urged him.

Through his mask’s filters, you heard him breathe a sigh of relief. “Thanks. I always forget how levelheaded you are.” he said, earning a curious look from you. This guy talks like he knows you, but you suppose that wouldn’t be a terribly unusual twist, considering how he somehow managed to deduce your secret identity.

But before he could compose himself and explain his situation, the bracelet on his arm began flashing bright yellow.

“What!?” he nearly shouted as he proceeded to jam his claws into the device’s buttons at a speed that you could barely follow. “No no no! Not now!”

“What’s happening?” you asked, leaning closer to get a better look.

The Kineceleran looked away from his bracelet, his gaze landing firmly on you.

“It’s better if I show you…” he said. And before you could question him, he had already grabbed your arm and dragged you out of the room.

Everything became a blur as the wind rushed past your ears. And when you stopped, you’d realized that you were in a completely different part of the estate. You were now outside, in that rock garden that you saw from the front.

“So...what are we supposed to see here, again?” you said, taking a moment to catch your breath.

“Wait a second.” the Kineceleran said, fiddling with his bracelet again. “It should be happening right about...now.”

And right on cue, a bright flash of golden light erupted in the middle of the rock garden, causing energy to arc out in multiple directions, scorching the ground and your surroundings in the process. It sort of reminded you of that scene from Terminator where Arnold got rocketed back in time.

You shielded your eyes from the flash, while removing your armor cube and setting it onto your belt. In the time that it took for your suit to fold out and latch itself onto your body, the light had faded, and something big and heavy came out of it. So big and heavy that it shook the ground beneath you.

And now, the big lug was lumbering towards you intently. Arising from the smoke was a...teenage Tetramand?

“Daddy!” she cried, her arms opened wide with an elated expression on her face. Oddly enough, she wore an outfit that was almost identical to the Kineceleran's.

You looked behind you, only to find the Kineceleran shaking his head. You looked all around, searching for this “daddy” person that she had somehow spotted, while you were completely ignorant of his presence.

(Cont.)
>>
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After a few seconds of frantic searching, however, you were unpleasantly surprised to see that all four of her golden eyes were locked firmly on you.

Oh...no…

You pointed to yourself. The Tetramand girl nodded. You looked back at the Kineceleran. He nodded. You looked back and forth between them several more times just to make sure. They nodded again in unison.

“Look, I know you must be confused, what with having teleported right into the middle of a Big Fat Kineceleran Wedding,” you attempted to explain. “But you’ve got the wrong guy. I’m not even old enough to be your father.”

The Tetramand blew a raspberry at you. “Well duh!” she said, placing her hands on her hips. “Not yet, at least. But you will be.”

And before you could respond to that perplexing statement, the Tetramand reached for a massive rock that was nearly twice your height, hefted it above her head and poised herself to hurl it at you.

“Maybe this will jostle your memory!” she said, barely straining under the weight of the rock. “Catch!” she shouted, before chucking the boulder in your direction.

“Oh, sweet lord!” you shouted back as you attempted to find a way around this confrontation.

What will you do?

>Transform into an alien.(Which one?)
>Use one of your Viral Forms.(Which one?)
>Slice the rock in half before it can hit you.
>Gently float the rock back down with a mana bubble.
>Roll beneath the rock and attempt to suppress her aura.
>Write-in.

What will you say?

>”Can we at least get a DNA test? I think I can get a friend of mine to get us on Dr. Phil.”
>”Is this just an elaborate ploy to get Child Support out of me?”
>”Okay! I’m ready for my explanation now!”
>”Can we please do this somewhere else? I don’t need anything, or anyone, interrupting this wedding.”
>”This is a lot to take in. Why don’t we start with names?”
>Write-in.

Aliens Unlocked:
https://pastebin.com/JVq4NM2t

Skills, Stats and Inventory:
https://pastebin.com/iEYrGZS1
>>
>>5014711
>Transform into an alien.(Which one?) Knuckle Duster
>”Okay! I’m ready for my explanation now!”
>”This is a lot to take in. Why don’t we start with names?”
>>
>>5014711
>Transform into an alien.(Which one?) Vertigoat
>>
>>5014876
>>5014711
Gonna change the transformation to Vertigoat, still wanna say the same things though. Mostly trying to speed things up
>>
>>5015433
>>5017025
Taking these. Writing...
>>
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Without even having to touch the Omnitrix, your body undergoes a significant transformation.

You shrink down to at least half your height, thick blue fur covers your skin, and a pair of prominent horns sprout out of your forehead. You’ve become Vertigoat!

Despite not having used this alien in quite some time, you instinctively charge forward, meeting the boulder head on with...well, a headbutt.

You’re pushed back a few feet, but with the use of your horns, you change the way that gravity affects the massive projectile, making it light as a dodgeball.

Jerking your head upwards, you fling the boulder up and over the estate, without it hitting anything else in its path. You watched as it flew off into the forest, where it would most likely land without hurting anything or anyone.

“Okay! I’m ready for my explanation now!” you declare, grunting in frustration at both the Kineceleran and the Tetramand.

“Great toss, Daddy!” the Tetramand cheered, ignoring your previous request.

You turned on her sharply. “I’m not your Da-aa-addy!” you growled, unable to control your goat-like mannerisms

“Actually, you are.” the Kineceleran nodded, crossing his arms. “You’re her ‘daddy’ in an alternate future, or a timeline that branches off from this one.” he explained, clearly amused by this whole situation.

“Then what does she wa-aa-ant with me?” you asked.

“I’m here to save your life!” the Tetramand pleaded.

You blinked in surprise. Were you hearing that right? The girl that just chucked a giant boulder in your direction is trying to protect you?

“And what are you saving me from?” you said, shaking your head in confusion.

“Where I come from, Mother kills you after she suspected that you were secretly keeping a concubine on the side.” she explained, gesturing with all four of her hands.

“...Well?” you said.

“Well, what?” she asked.

“Was I?” you replied. “Keeping the concubine, I mean.”

The Tetramand shook her head. “Apparently, it was a huge misunderstanding that resulted in her tearing you in half. It’s almost funny when I think back on it, but still traumatizing for the most part.”

You let out a long sigh, unsure of where to begin. “This is a lot to take in. Let’s sta-aa-art with names.” you said, pointing at both aliens present in the rock garden.

“I am Princess Niira, daughter of Empress Looma, conqueror of 52 worlds.” the Tetramand said, finally introducing herself. Looma must be her mother, and the woman that alternate Wade ends up marrying in the future. Your heart goes out to your fallen counterpart. Being ripped in half is a hell of a way to go.

You turn to the Kineceleran, who appears to be mulling something over. Finally, he complies with your request and introduces himself as well.

(Cont.)
>>
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“You can call me Spanner. Chrono Spanner.” he said, and you feel your mind drifting back to a distant memory. You were pretty sure that Kirby’s son called himself Chrono Spanner at some point. Was it a title that could be inherited, or is this just his alternate counterpart?

You have many questions, but you’ll have to save them for later. Clearing up this misunderstanding comes first.

“Alright, Niira. It’s nice to meet you. But, I guess you already know me pretty well.” you say, rubbing the back of your head. “I don’t know how to tell you this, but I’m already dating someone. Someone other than your mother.”

An expression of pure shock crosses her face. It makes her look surprisingly innocent and vulnerable, despite the fact that she just threw a huge rock at you.

“Well...you should break up with her! You and Mother are meant to be together. So long as I prevent that one fight, then she won’t be tempted to destroy you, and...we can be a family again!” Niira pleaded desperately, attempting to reason with you.

You shake your head. “I can’t do tha-aa-at, Niira. I love her more than anything. I can’t imagine being with anyone but her.” you explained, trying to get to the point of your argument. You don’t want to hurt this poor girl anymore than you have to. “I’m sorry, but I’m not the father that you had growing up. I’m only one version of him.”

Niira lowered her head, squinting hard in frustration, and you could practically hear her fists tightening from across the rock garden.

“No. I shall address this woman personally.” Nirra declared, stomping towards the main estate with fury in her eyes. “Surely she will understand once I explain that the two of you are not meant to be.”

Spanner rapidly looks between you and Niira, sensing the tension building in the air. You step in front of the Tetramand, letting her tower over you.

“Please move, Father.” she demanded. “I do not wish to hurt you, but if it will prevent Mother from killing you, then I will do whatever it takes to ensure that outcome.”

What will you say?

>"Doing this won't bring your father back. It'll only create another branching timeline."
>"If you wa-aa-nt to talk, then we'll talk. But we'll do it later."
>"I'm sorry, but I don't trust you to ha-aa-andle things peacefully in your current emotional state."
>"Let's just ca-aa-alm down and talk about this. Did your Dad ever teach you any breathing techniques for aggression? "
>Write-in.

What will you do?
>Ram her stomach and increase gravity's effect on her by a hundredfold.
>Launch yourself at her chest and drastically decrease gravity's effect on her.
>Swap to another alien.(Which one?)
>Time out and reveal your face to her. Maybe that will calm her down.
>Write-in.

Aliens Unlocked:
https://pastebin.com/JVq4NM2t

Skills, Stats and Inventory:
https://pastebin.com/iEYrGZS1
>>
Top 10:
>Big Chill
>Diamondhead
>Zipmunk
>Bloodrush
>XLR8
>Fourcast
>Thriller Whale
>Knuckle Duster
>Hack N’ Slash
>Snapdragon
>>
>>5017526
>"Doing this won't bring your father back. It'll only create another branching timeline."
>"I can get someone that can help with this alternate timeline stuff and I'll look for someone who can bring people back to life. That way your alternate future will be fine."
>"Also, I haven't even met your mother yet."
>>
>>5017526
>"Doing this won't bring your father back. It'll only create another branching timeline."
>"I can get someone that can help with this alternate timeline stuff and I'll look for someone who can bring people back to life. That way your alternate future will be fine and you can get your timelines future me back.."
>"Also, I haven't even met your mother yet, so I think you went a little too far back."
>Time out and reveal your face to her. Maybe that will calm her down.
>>
>>5017526
>"Doing this won't bring your father back. It'll only create another branching timeline."
>Time out and reveal your face to her. Maybe that will calm her down.
>>
>>5017605
>>5018090
>>5018315
Writing and combining...
>>
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“Doing this won’t bring your father back. It’ll only create another branching timeline.” you argue, not heeding her warning. For a moment, she looks like she might just step on you and be done with it, but then, she realises that doing that would defeat the purpose of her having come this far.

“Also, I’ve never met your mother before, so I think you went a little too far back into the past.” you added, before timing out in a flash of golden light. When you reappear, you’re already removing your armor, revealing your handsome human features. “See?”

Niira’s eyes widened. “You’re so...young…” she gasped.

“Tell you what. I can get someone that can help with alternate timeline stuff, and I’ll look for someone who can bring people back to life. That way, your alternate future will be fine, and you can get your father back.” you declare.

Upon hearing this, both Niira and Spanner freeze up.

“Y-you can do that?” Niira asked, her eyes filled with a different kind of desperation now. “Bring people back from the dead, I mean.”

You think back to how you saw Cree’s alternate counterpart get revived by the Charm of Resurrection. “It should be possible. Did you preserve his body?” you said.

Niira furrowed her brow, struggling to remember every detail that might prove useful. “I...no. We buried him like an honored warrior, with all of his weapons.” Niira muttered, likely cursing her past self for her negligence.

You winced and sucked your teeth. In order for the Charm to take effect, you’re pretty sure that the recipient’s body would have to have been well preserved, and their death fairly recent. Considering how her father’s death took place several years ago, there wasn’t much of a chance of you bringing him back from the dead.

“Wait! Hold on a minute.” Spanner interrupted, dashing over to you in the blink of an eye. “You’re talking about using Dark Magic! To raise the dead!” he exclaimed, clearly displeased with your solution.

‘You don’t think it’s possible?” Niira asked.

“I don’t know. Maybe.” he said, shaking his head. “But I do know that restoring the body and restoring the soul are two very different things. If you don’t do it right, then you’ll either get a decomposing zombie dad, or a soulless husk that walks around pretending to be human.” Spanner explains.

“I’ll try to think of something else.” you declare, not willing to give up hope just yet.

Both Niira and Spanner stared at you this time. A light chuckle from Spanner broke the silence, and he simply folded his arms and nodded. He seemed...satisfied somehow, but you weren’t sure why.

“Why are you doing this?” Niira asked, her expression turning skeptical. “You said it yourself. You don’t know me, so you don’t have a reason to care about my circumstances.”

(Cont.)
>>
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“That’s not at all what I said.” you shook your head. “I said that I wasn’t your father, and that fact remains very true. However, I can’t say that I don’t care about you and your circumstances after hearing your story.”

“Concern and pity can move people, but seldom do they push them to such lengths as what you are promising.” Niira said, still unsatisfied with your answer.

“It’s because I know you now.” you replied, earning a confused look from both aliens. “Not because I’m your father, but because I know you as a person. If there’s anything that I can do to help out, then I’ll try my best to do so.”

Niira’s eyes began to water, and she wiped at them furiously. “I don’t know what to...thank you…” she blubbered, before stopping to stare at your face. “Can I perhaps...hug you…?” she asked.

You shrugged and reached your arms out to her. And in a blur of motion, she scooped you up in all four of her arms and began squeezing you. Your armor strained under her might, creaking and groaning along with your bones. You ignored the blaring alarms warning you of your suit’s compromised armor integrity.

Once she had gotten her fill, Niira placed you back down with a bittersweet smile on her face. “You have given me much to consider. I shall return to my own dimension and discuss this with Mother.” Niira declared, looking like she’d gotten some long overdue closure.

---------

After making some promises to put her in contact with Paradox, you and Spanner watched Niira return to her own dimension in a far less destructive portal than she’d arrived in.

“You handled that well. I’m impressed.” Spanner told you, still waving at the empty space that Niira left.

“Thanks. I’m happy with how that went down too.” you said, mirroring his wave.

“Well, I hope you can get the others to leave that easily.” Spanner laughed.

“Yeah, me t-”

You paused and gawked at Spanner until he could no longer pretend not to have noticed you. Even with his helmet on, you could tell.

“Would you believe me if I told you that Niira was one of the more reasonable ones?” he said, laughing nervously under your intense gaze.

“Spanner?” you said.

“Yes, Wade?” he said.

“What ‘others’?” you bit out, straining to control your temper.

Spanner slowly raised his hands and shoulders, shrugging in a “What are you gonna do?” gesture. “Your…other kids…?” he said while flinching.

(Cont.)
>>
What will you say?

>”How many more are we talking?”
>”Can’t we tell them to come back later, or something? Literally any day other than this one would be preferable, really.”
>”What the hell’s going on today? Why am I suddenly getting a visit from my seemingly infinite amount of kids? And why don't they visit ANOTHER Wade?”
>”Who are you, Spanner? I want a real name this time, not some fancy title.”
>“Where’s Paradox when you need him? I feel like some serious space-time laws are being broken here.”
>Write-in.
>>
>>5018481
>>”How many more are we talking?”
>”What the hell’s going on today? Why am I suddenly getting a visit from my seemingly infinite amount of kids? And why don't they visit ANOTHER Wade?”
>“Where’s Paradox when you need him? I feel like some serious space-time laws are being broken here.”
>"Also, going off the fact that you have similar armor to her, you seem to he I'm the know about the future situation, and the fact you're trying to hide your name, I'm gonna take a guess amd say you're me and K8-E's son from the future."
>>
>>5018481
>”How many more are we talking?”
”What the hell’s going on today? Why am I suddenly getting a visit from my seemingly infinite amount of kids? And why don't they visit ANOTHER Wade?”
>”Can’t we tell them to come back later, or something? Literally any day other than this one would be preferable, really.”
>>
>>5018516
>>5018670
I'll try to combine. Writing...
>>
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“How many more are we talking?” you asked.

Spanner shrugged and checked the device on his wrist. “Not sure. But there’s a lot coming your way, and they’ve got backup.” he said, showing you the multiple blinking dots on the 3D grid display. You didn’t understand his map, but then again, you probably weren’t supposed to.

“What the hell’s going on today? Why am I suddenly getting visits from my seemingly infinite amount of kids? And why don’t they visit ANOTHER Wade?” you said, unleashing a torrent of pressing questions upon Spanner, who seemed to take it all in stride.

“I’m not entirely sure. Niira wanted you to get together with her mom, but everyone else might be after something different. This kind of thing usually doesn’t happen. Like...ever.” Spanner said, shaking his head pensively.

“Can’t we tell them to come back later, or something? Literally any day other than this one would be preferable, really.” you complained, throwing your hands into the air in exasperation.

“Sorry. Ironically, time travelers have a really bad sense of timing.” Spanner laughed.

“Then how did you know to come here?” you asked. Although, you were pretty sure that you already knew the answer.

“You told me. In your records of the events that happened today, you described that you had been visited by a bunch of other Chrono Spanners.” Spanner said, pointing at you.

You figured as much.

You sighed. “Where’s Paradox when you need him? I feel like some serious time-space laws are being broken here.”

“Hey, he’s a busy guy.” Spanner said, rushing to his defense. “Paradox saves more people than we can possibly imagine on a daily basis.”

He was speaking rapidly now, almost to the point where you could barely understand him as his words were slurring together.

“I know that. Believe me, I do. I’m grateful for everything he’s done for me.” you admitted. Even if he’s been withholding information from you.

Spanner settled down and nodded, taking deep breaths to calm himself.

A heavy silence falls over the rock garden, and the only thing that can be heard is the squawking of birds flying overhead. If he's done talking, then you're gonna throw out a few theories of your own.

“So. Let’s put the facts together.” you began. “You and Niira have similar outfits, so you’re both probably Chrono Spanners. And you’ve been trying to hide your name from me for some reason, but I might have chalked that up to some sort of time traveling safety precaution.” you said. Spanner remained deathly still, waiting for you to finish.

“And considering how you know an insane amount about my personal life, I’m gonna go ahead and say that...you’re me and K8-E’s son from the future.” you declared, pointing at him.

(Cont.)
>>
He just stared at you, not moving a muscle. At some point, you got a little embarrassed, thinking that you had somehow gotten it wrong.

And with a sigh, Spanner pressed a small button under his chin, and his mask popped open. He was young, just like you thought he was. Probably about 13 at his age. He had light blue skin, amber eyes, and a bunch of dark blue, tiny powdered freckles spreading across the middle of his face, where the bridge of his nose should be.

He gave you a sheepish look. “Uhh...yeah. Hey, dad. It's me, Ko-D.” he said, stretching a hand out to you.

You took his hand and shook it, not breaking eye contact even once.

“You’re serious…” you said in utter disbelief.

“I guess there wasn’t much of a point in hiding it anymore. It was a gamble coming back here to see you in the first place.” he said, probably wondering when you would finally let go of his hand.

You have so many questions! Should you even bother asking them? Would they change the very course of history if you did? Hell, history’s already being changed with him being here.

But your train of thought is suddenly cut off by a rapid beeping from Ko-D’s bracelet. He broke off the handshake, and immediately checked the device, grimacing at the result.

“What’s wrong?” you asked.

“Several more signals incoming, all at the same time.” he reported.

“Chrono Spanners?” you said.

He nodded.

How will you proceed?

>Call in K8-E. She deserves to know what’s going on.
>Call in your Multiverse Team. You sure could use their support.
>Set up an ambush around their estimated point of arrival.
>Try to evacuate everyone within the estate. It pains you to ruin this wedding, but you don’t want anyone getting hurt.
>Stand out in the open as the Chrono Spanners arrive. You’re going to try and talk them down if possible.
>Hide from the Chrono Spanners and see if they'll decide to leave.
>Write-in.
>>
>>5021129
>Call in K8-E. She deserves to know what’s going on. Plus she can sort of help hide the events.
>Call in your Multiverse Team. You sure could use their support.
>>
>>5021129
>Call in K8-E. She deserves to know what’s going on. Plus she can sort of help hide the events.
>Call in your Multiverse Team. You sure could use their support.
>>
>>5021129
>Call in K8-E. She deserves to know what’s going on.
>Call in your Multiverse Team. You sure could use their support.
>>
>>5021252
>>5021321
>>5022030
Writing...
>>
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“We should bring K8-E in on this.” you decided. “She deserves to know what’s been going on.”

Ko-D looked at you incredulously. “You want to bring mom into this!? What if she gets hurt?” he said.

“She’ll be in even more danger if we leave her out of the loop. What would we do if one of them decided to go after her directly?” you asked. Ko-D didn’t have an answer for that one.

“And,” you continued. “I’ll be calling in some more backup.”

“Oh! Are you gonna call someone from the Galactic Defenders? Maybe someone like Khyber or-”

Ko-D froze immediately, realizing that he was starting to give out spoilers for the future. He cleared his throat and remained silent while you accessed your communicator.

--------

Having sent out the call to your team, you got an immediate reply from Gwen and Charmy saying that they’d rush on over. Red, on the other hand, was suspiciously absent from the group chat. But considering what he’d just been through, you weren’t very surprised that he was busy or otherwise indisposed.

With that out of the way, all that was left was to break the news to K8-E.

You found her talking with a group of aliens that varied greatly in species. You were glad to know that Kinecelerans and humans weren’t the only ones invited to this wedding.

As soon as she spotted you, her face lit up. She made a convenient excuse to slip away from the conversation and glided over to you.

“There you are! Where were y-” she began to say, but she quickly trailed off when she noticed Ko-D standing behind you.

Ko-D gave her a nervous grin, and you were curious to see what he would say to her.

K8-E broke the silence first. “Who’s your friend?”

Ko-D’s face fell, and you could swear that you felt him take a microscopic step away from her.

“It’s complicated. Can we talk somewhere private?” you said quickly, not willing to waste time while there were more Chrono Spanners on their way.

K8-E frowned, and then nodded. You led her outside, hoping to get away from this overcrowded part of the estate.

-----------

“I don’t understand.” K8-E said. “You’re being pursued by your time traveling children from the future? Why are there so many?”

She gave you an almost accusatory look, but Ko-D stepped in to save you.

“They’re all from ‘alternate futures’. Me included.” Ko-D explained.

“Wait, what? So does that mean me and K8-E won’t have another kid?” you asked, wincing as soon as you said it.

You looked over to K8-E, who was now wide-eyed and staring at Ko-D. “You are…”

Ko-D nodded sheepishly. “Hey, Mom. How’s it going?” he introduced himself, rubbing the back of his head.

(Cont.)
>>
K8-E put her hands over her mouth and gasped. A series of expressions played out on her face. She went from complete and utter shock, to slight skepticism, to slight embarrassment, and finally, one emotion stuck. It was one of joy and wonderment.

She inched closer to Ko-D, and reached up to touch his face. Ko-D flinched at her touch, but he tried his best to remain still.

“That’s...that’s incredible.” K8-E said, speaking softly. “You’re so handsome.”

She let out a weak laugh, and Ko-D found himself chuckling too. He placed his hand over hers and rubbed it gently.

“It’s good to see you too, Mom.” Ko-D said.

Hearing the word “Mom” must have raised some sort of flag in K8-E’s mind, because her smile faltered after she’d heard it.

“But...you’re not exactly my baby, are you?” she asked. You could see Ko-D biting his lip.

“I’m from a future where the two of you get married, have kids, and live the lives you’ve always dreamed of.” Ko-D explained. “But that’s only an ‘alternate future’. Your future is constantly changing, and it can go in any direction at almost any given moment. My own timeline shouldn’t influence the way you guys think or act.”

You and K8-E shared a glance, and she stepped away from Ko-D, looking slightly deflated. “And these other ‘Chrono Spanners’ wish to ruin that future?” K8-E said.

“Not exactly.” Ko-D shook his head. “To them, their timeline is already ruined in some way. For Niira, Wade had died when she was young, so she wished to bring him closer to her mother in this timeline.”

“But that wouldn’t fix anything in her own timeline.” you protested.

“No, it wouldn’t. But if Niira was a little more clever, and a little more devious, then she could’ve found a way around it.” Ko-D said. “If she managed to get you and Looma to hook up, then that creates a timeline that might be considered extremely similar to her own.”

Your eyes widened at the implication.

“No way…” you gasped.

Ko-D nodded, but K8-E appeared to be lost.

“If a Chrono Spanner interferes with another timeline, it would be possible for them to effectively ‘clone’ their own timeline by abusing their influence.” Ko-D continued, grimacing at the thought.

K8-E gasped, finally catching on. “So if they don’t like their own lives…”

“They can go and steal someone else’s...” you finished for her.

The three of you went silent. That was, until, a portal was torn open right behind you.

You and your family took on defensive stances, and to your surprise, K8-E was pulling her suit out of her purse! You weren’t even aware that she’d grabbed it on the way out of the house.

(Cont.)
>>
But lucky for all of you, it was an unnecessary gesture. Out of the portal, came Gwen and Charmy. And for some reason, Charmy was wearing short shorts, a plaid shirt with a bikini top underneath, and sunglasses.

They both freeze upon seeing you, K8-E and Ko-D.

“Oh shit, is the wedding still happening?” Charmy said, unaware of the sharp glare that Gwen shot in her direction.

“Looks like we’ve run out of time.” Ko-D said as he examined the device on his wrist. His mask slid back over his head in an instant. “The Chrono Spanners are here too!"

“What’s going on, again?” Gwen asked, placing her hands on her hips.

>”Talk later. Action now!” Rush over to the site of their arrival.
>”You want the quick version? This is me and K8-E’s son from an alternate future.”
>”Thanks for coming as quickly as you did. I really wasn’t planning on missing this wedding.”
>”Charmy? What are you wearing?”
>"Time travel shenanigans mixed with dimensional travel shenanigans. All in all, it's a massive headache."
>Write-in.
>>
>>5022400
>”You want the quick version? This is me and K8-E’s son from an alternate future.”
>"Time travel shenanigans mixed with dimensional travel shenanigans. All in all, it's a massive headache."
>>
>>5022400
>”You want the quick version? This is me and K8-E’s son from an alternate future.”
>"Time travel shenanigans mixed with dimensional travel shenanigans. All in all, it's a massive headache."

I'm curious about Charmy's outfit but now is not the time to ask about it
>>
>>5022404
>>5023291
Writing...
>>
While you were exceedingly curious about Charmy’s outfit, you acknowledged that now wasn’t a good time to ask about it. Not when you were in such a rush to prevent a gaggle of time travelers from unraveling the future of your timeline. And if anything, you were more startled by what you saw “around” her body.

A shimmering, hazy light crackled around her. You immediately assumed that it was her aura, and you were impressed by how well maintained her control over it was. It reminded you to make a more conscious effort in suppressing your own. If Charmy noticed this change, she didn’t show it. Although, you did notice her eyebrow raised slightly behind her sunglasses.

Gwen, on the other hand, had an aura that appeared to be less restrained. It radiated power, and acted more as a warning for anyone that might attempt to suppress it. Maybe that’s how she liked it. Instead of hiding her weapon, she wears it on her belt like a deterrent.

“Time travel shenanigans mixed with dimensional travel shenanigans. It’s all one big headache, really.” you explained, shaking your head. “You want the quick version?” you continued. “This is me and K8-E’s son from an alternate future.”

Gwen’s eyes went wide, and Charmy’s sunglasses slipped from her face, so that they were no longer covering her eyes. Both girls exchanged glances, before turning their gazes on Ko-D, who was nervously waving at the two.

“Uhh...congratulations?” Charmy awkwardly proclaimed, lightly clapping her hands. She stopped when Gwen elbowed her.

“Please tell me you’re here to help.” Gwen asked, ignoring Charmy’s glare.

Ko-D nodded. “I won’t let the other Spanners mess with this timeline or any other. But if we’re gonna do that, we need to hurry!”

And just like that, he was gone, leaving only a trail of light that reflected the color palette of his uniform. K8-E was ready and willing to chase after him, having already changed into her suit when you weren’t looking.

You and the others trailed behind them, albeit at a much slower pace.

----------

By the time you’d caught up to them, you found that they were already interacting with the Chrono Spanners that had reportedly arrived. They wore variations of Ko-D’s uniform, which made them easily recognizable. You wondered whether these individuals were a single organization, rather than alternate versions of a single person. Sort of like Green Lanterns.

Of the three, the one standing in front turned to watch you approach your team, a charming smile on his face the entire time. He was a young human boy with shoulder length white hair. Most of it was tied into a ponytail that had been draped over his shoulder, with a purple highlight running down its entire length. Standing behind him were two kids with black hair. One male, and the other female.

(Cont.)
>>
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The male had features that could be described as asian, and his demeanor seemed serious, or perhaps disinterested.

The female, on the other hand, had a much more mischievous look about her. She had her long hair wrapped in twintails, and her hands were held behind her back. But her most unusual feature was the way that her slit pupils resembled a cat’s.

“And there he is. The man himself.” the white-haired boy said, flashing his charming grin at you. “Hello Father.” he nodded. But when his gaze drifted over to the one trailing behind you, his smile vanished. For a brief moment, his aura flared outwards, like the hood of a cobra. You hid an involuntary shudder.

The boy’s expression became more serious, but there was a slight twinkle of amusement in his eyes. “And to you...Mother.” he said, his voice dropping low, sounding almost deadly.

You all traced his gaze back to see that it led back to...Charmy?

All eyes fell on her, but her eyes were flickering rapidly between you, the boy, and K8-E. You could see a cold sweat starting to break out on her slightly tanned skin, as well as an odd fluctuation in her aura.

K8-E understood the implication, and she was not amused in the slightest.

What will you do?

>”Tell me about yourselves. I’d like to know who you are.”
>”Why are you here? We don’t want any trouble.”
>”Does Paradox know that you guys are here? What about your parents?”
>”Now, now young man. Is that any way to talk to your folks?”
>”I’m only gonna say it once. Turn around and go back to where you came from.”
>Attempt to suppress their auras.
>Transform into an alien.(Which one?)
>Write-in.

Aliens Unlocked:
https://pastebin.com/JVq4NM2t

Skills, Stats and Inventory:
https://pastebin.com/iEYrGZS1

Top 10:
>Big Chill
>Diamondhead
>Zipmunk
>Bloodrush
>XLR8
>Fourcast
>Thriller Whale
>Knuckle Duster
>Hack N’ Slash
>Snapdragon
>>
>>5023503
>”Does Paradox know that you guys are here? What about your parents?”
>”Tell me about yourselves. I’d like to know who you are.”
>>
>>5023503
>>5023535
Gonna add in
>”Why are you here? We don’t want any trouble.”
>>
>>5023503
>”Does Paradox know that you guys are here? What about your parents?”
>”Tell me about yourselves. I’d like to know who you are.”
>>
>>5023535
>>5023536
>>5023539
Writing and combining...
>>
File: dvafigma.jpg (95 KB, 1460x672)
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“Does Paradox know that you guys are here? What about your parents?” you asked.

You received a smug grin from the white haired boy and the girl, who you noticed had slightly Asian features as well. The other Asian boy, however, simply gave you a tired sigh.

“Why, I’m talking to my parents right now.” the white-haired boy said innocently.

“And we don’t need Paradox’s permission to go where we want? He’s barely there to oversee our operations as it is.” the Asian girl said as she leaned forward.

Ko-D clenched his fists, but he didn’t make any moves towards his fellow Spanners.

“Alright, then. Tell me about yourselves.” you said with a friendly expression. “I’d like to know who you are.”

The kids exchanged glances, nodded to one another, and returned their gazes to you.

The Asian girl went first. “My name’s Toni, like the tiger.” she said with a cutesy roar as she winked and playfully pawed at the air. “My mom is Nyancy Chan. You and her started going steady after you busted her in the middle of a dairy truck robbery. The rest is history.” she said, and Charmy’s eyes immediately darted towards you.

“The cat girl!?” she hissed.

You shrugged. It was hard for you to imagine yourself marrying a criminal, but it was possible that Nyancy abandoned her life of crime sometime before then.

The asian male went next. “I’m James, and my mother is Ambassador Julie Yamamoto.” he said with a slight bow. He was awfully tall for his age. “My parents have been together ever since they were teenagers.”

Ambassador!? That’s a massive jump in career from pro tennis player.

K8-E was the one to look at you this time. She wasn’t aware of the fact that you and Julie went on a date, and you were going to keep it that way. It wasn’t as if you were romantically involved or anything. It was just one date. Teenagers did that all the time.

But for James, his version of you must have pursued a relationship with Julie into adulthood. You tried to prevent your mind from wandering towards the possibility of spending your life with any of the three women that were mentioned.

The white-haired boy went last. “And my name is Quinlan. You already know the details of my birth, but I shall elaborate further.” he offered. His tone was rather clipped and posh. It struck you as obnoxious. “My parents met during one of my father’s family vacations. His family offered to bring my mother along with them after my granduncle was arrested due to some circus fiasco.”

So, he’s not really Charmy’s son, but Charmcaster’s son? That makes things a little less complicated. In Quinlan’s dimension, Ben and Charmcaster never switched bodies, because Ben had never been born.

(Cont.)
>>
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“Oh thank goodness!” Charmy exclaimed, breathing a sigh of relief. “I really wasn’t ready to have kids.”

Everyone’s eyes were on her. Even Quinlan seemed confused by her statement.

“Not that I’ve thought of having kids or anything!” she quickly amended, waving her hands frantically.

“Regardless,” Quinlan continued, still eying Charmy suspiciously. “Our family trees are wholly unimportant. You see, we’ve outgrown the legacies that our parents built for us.” he confidently proclaimed.

You narrowed your eyes at him. “Why are you here? We don’t want any trouble.”

Quinlan’s smile grew, and he pointed at your waist. “I want…that.”

You didn’t even have to look down to realize what he was talking about.

“It’s not for sale.” you replied. There was an edge to your voice.

“Oh, I’m well aware of that.” Quinlan chuckled. “You were quite stubborn, even in my dimension. But you were also painfully shortsighted in your decision to deprive me of what was rightfully mine.”

Gwen laughed. “Oh, I get it now. ‘Daddy’ didn’t give you an Omnitrix of your own, so now you’re throwing a tantrum and trying to steal one.”

Quinlan glowered at her. “Watch your tongue, child. My parents were simply fearful of my power, so they sought to impede my growth. You would be wise to exercise restraint in mocking me.”

James seemed to roll his eyes at that, while Toni began snickering to herself.

But before you could say anything else, a series of screams echoed throughout the garden. All of your heads turned towards the direction of the screams, but the Spanners didn’t seem the least bit surprised or bothered by this development. They were coming from inside the estate!

“Ah, it appears that Toni’s little surprise hasn’t gone unnoticed.” Quinlan said, seemingly pleased with himself. “Now if you would kindly hand over your Omnitrix, we can come to a non-violent conclusion.”

Quinlan’s eyes were cruel, and Toni’s were slightly amused, but James was looking at you imploringly. He wanted you to take the deal, but it likely wasn’t for Quinlan’s benefit.

Something was happening inside, but you had no way of knowing what was inciting so much panic. What will you do?

>Address James. “For an ambassador’s son, you sure aren’t big on peaceful negotiation.”
>Address Toni. “I guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”
>Address Quinlan. “The reason you never got an Omnitrix is because you’re a selfish, entitled brat.”
>”Just try and take it.”
>”What did you do!?”
>Send someone inside the estate. (Who?)
>Transform into an alien. (Which one?)
>Use one of your Viral Forms. (Which one?)
>Attempt to suppress their auras and force them to surrender.
>Write-in.
>>
Aliens Unlocked:
https://pastebin.com/JVq4NM2t

Skills, Stats and Inventory:
https://pastebin.com/iEYrGZS1

Top 10:
>Big Chill
>Diamondhead
>Zipmunk
>Bloodrush
>XLR8
>Fourcast
>Thriller Whale
>Knuckle Duster
>Hack N’ Slash
>Snapdragon
>>
>>5024279
>Send someone inside the estate. (Who?)
Gwen
>Address James. “For an ambassador’s son, you sure aren’t big on peaceful negotiation. That is unless you were strong armed into this.”
>Address Toni "Still doesn't explain why you're here."
>Address Quinlan "Could be concerned for you instead of just fearful. Sort of like a Icarus situation."
If things haven't calmed down by then
>Transform into Sandbox
>>
>>5024279
>>5024352 works for me
>>
>>5024352
+1
>>
>>5024352
>>5024582
>>5024837
Writing...
>>
You nod to Gwen, who nods back, before turning around to run towards the estate. No one makes a move to stop her.

Then, you turn to James. “For an Ambassador’s son, you sure aren’t big on peaceful negotiation.”

He averted his gaze and clenched his jaw.

“That is unless you were strong-armed into complying.” you continue.

James’ eyes go wide, and he shoots you an incredulous look. He opens his mouth to speak, but Quinlan raises a hand to stop him.

Looks like you were right on the money.

You turn to Toni. “Still doesn’t explain why you’re here.”

She grins at you, flashing her sharp canines for a brief moment. “I owe Quinlan some favors, and he promised to help me get my own if I helped him out.”

“Your parents didn’t give you an Omnitrix either?” you asked.

Toni’s pleasant grin remained on her face, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “I got caught shoplifting one too many times, and Papa decided to punish me by taking away my watch. Thanks for that, by the way.”

Sensing that she wouldn’t elaborate any further, you turned to address Quinlan.

“I could be concerned for you, rather than fearful. Kinda like how Icarus flew too close to the sun.” you said.

Quinlan gave you an expression that was partway between a smirk and a sneer. “How...courteous of you. I assure you that my confidence is not based upon any sort of hubris. I simply prepared for the distinct possibility that you would stubbornly refuse to comply with our demands.”

But before you could respond, Quinlan raised one hand, and the ground beneath you began to shake.

“What’s happening!?” K8-E said, as she wobbled unsteadily.

“Quinlan! What’d you do?” Ko-D shouted.

Quinlan let out a mocking laugh. “Who? Me? All I did was travel back to the past to prepare a few traps of my own.” he said with an innocent expression.

And at that very moment, you saw something rise up out of the ground. Actually...there were a lot of “somethings”!

Animated dinosaur skeletons crawled out onto the surface, and you could tell that more than a few of them didn’t belong to this planet. They were ginormous!

“Oh, and mother? Remember how I promised that I would never study necromancy?” Quinlan said, looking directly at Charmy with glowing green eyes. “Well…I lied.”

Without waiting for any further confirmation that negotiations were falling apart, you swept your hand across the Omnitrix’s faceplate, before selecting an alien and slamming your hand down onto the device’s cylindrical core.

And in a burst of light, your body underwent a significant change!

(Cont.)
>>
All of your bones, muscles and organs were reduced to ash, spread apart in trillions of tiny little granules and contained inside of a tiny metal box. Then, that very same box split apart, allowing the rest of your body to flow out freely while the components of the box remained fixed to the hand of your now humanoid silhouette.

You’ve become Sandbox!

What will you do?

>Turn into a spiked wrecking ball and bowl over these dino bones!
>Send Quinlan flying with a pressurized sand blast.
>Scatter yourself to the wind and become a localized sandstorm.
>Encase the three of them inside of a prison of sand and glass.
>Give an order to your teammates.(Write-in.)
>Create a combo with another alien.(Write-in.)
>Write-in.

Aliens Unlocked:
https://pastebin.com/JVq4NM2t

Skills, Stats and Inventory:
https://pastebin.com/iEYrGZS1

Top 10:
>Big Chill
>Diamondhead
>Zipmunk
>Bloodrush
>XLR8
>Fourcast
>Thriller Whale
>Knuckle Duster
>Hack N’ Slash
>Snapdragon
>>
>>5024861
>>Scatter yourself to the wind and become a localized sandstorm.
>>Encase the three of them inside of a prison of sand and glass.
>>
>>5024861
>>>Scatter yourself to the wind and become a localized sandstorm.
>>>Encase the three of them inside of a prison of sand and glass.
>>
>>5024876
>>5026349
Roll 1d100, bo3!
>>
Rolled 86 (1d100)

>>5026405
>>
Rolled 89 (1d100)

>>5026405
>>
Rolled 100 (1d100)

>>5026405
>>
>>5026584
Well, looks these kids aren't that big a deal
>>
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>>5026417
>>5026480
>>5026584
Quinlan's pride is about to get obliterated...
>>
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>100!

Without warning, you scattered yourself to the wind, spreading out each individual grain of sand until there was nothing left of your body, besides the box that allowed you to freely control your form.

The granules swarmed and swirled sound the area, creating a localized sandstorm that could easily peel the flesh off of any unsheltered organics. However, you weren’t nearly that cruel. Instead of targeting the kids directly, you blew past them and directed your fury at the reanimated dinosaur bones. Thankfully, Charmy had erected a mana barrier to protect the rest of your team.

The undead dinos wasted quite a bit of time struggling, thrashing and biting at the wind, but they could do nothing as their bodies inevitably eroded and fell apart once more. Even the exceptionally large skeletons couldn’t withstand the bombardment of your sandstorm for very long. Quinlan and his cronies were visibly surprised by this.

But before any of them could make a move to act against you, they quickly found themselves encased in a square of reinforced glass and densely packed sand.

By the time that the last dinosaur had fallen, you were already reshaping the loose bits of sand into a humanoid form that was standing beside your allies. But while Toni and James were in the midst of panicking, Quinlan maintained his same smug expression. And then...he was gone.

Quinlan faded out of existence all of a sudden, leaving his underlings alone in the glass prison. At least, that’s what you had initially thought.

Suddenly, a massive skeletal hand shot out of the ground and wrapped its fingers around the glass prison. You barely had any time to react before it lifted them high into the air as the rest of it rose up from out of the ground.

The undead giant towered over you, and even the estate! As far as you could tell, Quinlan was now manipulating the skeletal remains of a To'kustar.

“Most impressive!” Quinlan said as he appeared at the other end of the garden. He was giving you a round of applause, but you had no doubt that it was in no way genuine. Rising to its full height, the undead To'kustar carried James and Toni over to where Quinlan now stood. He must have used an illusion spell, projecting his aura from that location in order to make it seem like he was standing beside his friends. And judging from the looks on their faces, he must have fooled them too.

While you didn’t know a terrible amount about magic, even you had to recognize Quinlan’s ability to wield it. At such a young age, he was already proving to be a prodigy, the likes of which you’ve never seen before. It’s too bad that you’ll have to knock his lights out.

Even while Toni and James were cutting through your prison through the use of some sort of wrist-mounted laser weapon, you were scattering your body once more, and reforming it behind where they stood.
>>
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Once they were free, you stomped into view, surprising even Quinlan this time. Toni attempted to turn her laser weapon on you. You responded by sending a sand tendril into her stomach. Her eyes went wide as the air left her lungs, and she eventually crumpled to the ground, gasping for air.

You had felt guilty about hitting her, even if you’d been holding back. You felt less bad about back-handing Quinlan by holding a hand out and rotating your torso.

He slid past James and passed out near a tree grove. You approached James, looming over him imposingly. Fortunately, James put his hands up and surrendered when faced with the option of fighting you alone.

“So you were the smart one.” you grumbled, grabbing both his wrists in one hand. When you let go, James was surprised to see that his hands were now bound in thick glass.

You heard a deep rattling sound coming from above, and you turned your attention to the skeletal To’kustar peering down at you with deep red flames for eyes. It opened its mouth and let out an ear-piercing roar, before falling to pieces.

Looks like Quinlan can’t maintain his control over the creature while unconscious. It’s a good thing too. You really weren’t in the mood to take that thing on. Except now, its bones were plummeting to the earth, right on...top of you…

In a flash, multiple tendrils shot out of your body, snatching up the kids and pushing them out of harm’s way. As soon as you were confident that they were safe, you let yourself relax. James screaming as he reached out towards you was the last thing that you saw before you were buried beneath the To’kustar’s remains.

---------

Once the dust had settled, you observed that it was...incredibly dark. Being buried under the bones of a giant would probably limit your ability to see. But you weren’t worried. You didn’t need to see. You could still feel your body, scattered as it was.

Gathering up your strength, you slid out from underneath the site of the wreckage and reformed yourself before James. He had nearly jumped out of his skin upon seeing that you were still alive. But it wasn’t disappointment that you saw in his eyes. It was probably closer to relief.

“That was incredible!” K8-E exclaimed as she ran up to you along with Ko-D and Charmy. “I had forgotten how good you were at this.”

“You’re telling me. I knew Dad was strong, but I never thought his fights were this one-sided.” Ko-D added, taking a moment to observe the mess of bones and dirt that now littered the tattered garden. You’re pretty sure that these giant holes in the ground won’t be overlooked either.

“I have the distinct feeling that I wasn’t needed here.” Charmy observed as she glared down at Quinlan.

Out of the corner of your eye, you saw Gwen angrily chasing a pack of cat-like alien beasts out of the estate. She was screaming something about them being “fraidy-cats” for running away from their fight.

(Cont.)
>>
The poor, hideous creatures ran right past you and cowered behind Toni’s unconscious form, nudging at her to get up and exchanging worried glances.

She must’ve inherited her mother’s powers too.

“What should we do with them?” K8-E wondered aloud as Gwen rejoined your group.

That was a very good question. What will you do?

>Leave them in a corner somewhere and have Charmy’s golems watch them.
>Wait until they wake up so you can give them the lecture of a lifetime.
>Force them to come inside the estate and apologize for the disturbance.
>Impart some sage wisdom in the form of life advice.(Write-in.)
>Make them clean up this mess. There’s no way that you’re doing this by yourself.
>Leave the decision to Ko-D. He’s the only other Chrono Spanner here.
>Write-in.
>>
>>5026736
>>Make them clean up this mess. There’s no way that you’re doing this by yourself.
>Impart some sage wisdom in the form of life advice.(Write-in.)
>"James, once is all over be sure to get these two back to their parents and let them know what happened. I don't really see you getting into too much trouble with your parents since you were strong armed into this, but in the future be more confident and stand your ground more when people are trying to get you to do things you don't wanna do. Toni, I get the feeling you're mischevious more than anything, which isn't necessarily a bad thing it just needs to be directed into more harmless things. If you really want a omnitrix you could ask your parents for one that only works with their authorization as a compromise. Quinlan, I'm not gonna lie you're probably gonna be in trouble for a long time after this. The only thing I can really say is that if you do good deeds and are sincere about doing them and wanting to keep doinf them, I'd probably be more happy to reward you then punish you. It just might take a little while."
>>
>>5026736
Supporting >>5026785
>>
>>5026736
+1 >>5026785
>>
>>5026785
>>5028287
>>5028355
Writing...
>>
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Taking a moment to look around, you managed to assess the full scope of the damage that had been done to the estate. The garden was littered with broken, shattered bones, as well as countless ditches and pitfalls from where the undead creatures had risen.

Patches of grass had been torn up and shredded into large piles of dirt, and the carefully sculpted hedges had been uprooted and trampled by Quinlan’s minions. Admittedly, some of the damage was caused by the sandstorm that you whipped up, but considering how that was in response to Quinlan’s provocation, you refused to accept the blame for it.

Needless to say, it was a mess. And you weren’t about to clean it all up on your own.

-------

Several minutes later, the kids regained consciousness. Well...Quinlan did, at least. James was already awake, and Toni had only been stunned by the blow you dealt her. You’d hit Quinlan the hardest, so it was only natural for him to be out the longest. He woke with a start, his eyes darting left and right as he struggled to regain his bearings.

Eventually though, Quinlan finally realized what was going on when he saw you standing over him. You had no doubt that he’d felt the glass bindings around his wrists. He struggled against them briefly, but he quickly gave up with a resigned sigh.

You didn’t start speaking until you were sure that all their attention was on you. It was about time someone talked some sense into these kids. So, it might as well be you.

“James,” you said, looking at the young Asian boy. “Once this is all over, be sure to get these two back to their parents, and let them know what happened. I don’t really see you getting into much trouble with your parents since you were strong-armed into this, but in the future, try to be more confident, and stand your ground when someone tries to get you to do something that you don’t agree with.”

James was wide-eyed for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure and gave you a firm nod.

“Toni,” you began, now addressing the Asian girl. “I get the feeling that you’re more mischievous than anything, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. You just need a more positive outlet for it. And if you really want an Omnitrix, try asking your parents for one, with limited functionality. Once you earn their trust, I’m sure they’ll remove those limitations with time.”

Toni just gave a blank stare, before nodding reluctantly. And lastly, you turned your head to the most troublesome of the trio.

“Quinlan. Quinlan Quinlan Quinlan...” you said with a sigh, shaking your head. “I’m not gonna lie, you’re probably gonna be in trouble for a long time after this. The only thing I can really recommend is for you to do your time, learn from your mistakes, and try to grow from that experience.”

You knelt down in front of him, and Quinlan leaned back and eyed you suspiciously.

(Cont.)
>>
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“You see, there’s nothing wrong with wanting to improve yourself, but you should never crave power. It goes to your head, feeds your ego, and you get caught up in it. It’s really easy to get carried away when you’re able to do things that most people can’t. And when that happens, you’ve got to figure out exactly what kind of person you want to be. Are you going to be the kind of guy that pushes people around with magic so he can get his way, or are you going to be someone who actually tries to make a difference in this crazy, unpredictable galaxy of ours?”

Quinlan’s face froze, and he leaned forward ever so slightly.

“I’d like for you to try doing some good in your community. Give it a try, and see how it makes you feel.” you said with a genuine smile. “You’re a super talented kid, Quinlan. And I really wish that I could reward you for your aptitude and willingness to learn. Maybe in the future, when you’ve given some more thought to what I've told you, we can start over. It might take a while, though.”

And with that, you patted him on the shoulder and straightened yourself until you reached a standing position. You’ve given them all a lot to think about, and hopefully they’ll take your advice to heart.

And who knows? Maybe you’ll invite them to join you at your mansion once they’ve learned a thing or two from their parents.

James was the first to speak up.

“What happens now?” he asked.

“Now?”

You looked over at the scene of utter carnage that was once a beautiful garden with rose-filled hedges and water fountains.

“Now, you can clean this mess up.” you declared.

All at once, their faces fell and they let out a collective sigh.

---------

With Spanner, Charmy and Gwen’s supervision, you left the kids to clean up their mess while you and K8-E returned to the party.

Unsurprisingly, the guests were visibly shaken by what had occurred. People were already preparing to leave, when a loud voice cut through the commotion.

“Everyone stop!” shouted a Kineceleran woman wearing a beautiful, flowing white gown. She must be the bride, and K8-E’s sister. “The wedding is still on! The creatures have already been chased out of the estate by that kind Arburian Pelarota.”

She must be talking about Gwen.

A large, bipedal warthog alien crept up behind her nervously. “Um, Darling?” he began, trying not to upset her. “Perhaps we should contact the Plumbers and wait for them to arrive before proceeding with the ceremony. Just to be safe.”

His timid mannerisms really clashed with his gruff exterior and tone of voice. He must be the groom.

The bride gawked at him, staring incredulously with her mouth hanging wide open. “We are not delaying our wedding again! You promised me that!” she exclaimed. Her voice was ringing through the now quiet reception hall.

(Cont.)
>>
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The groom gestured for her to calm down, and lower her voice. “I know...but I don’t want anything to happen to you or anyone else here.” he argued.

The bride scoffed at him. “If we waited for the perfect moment, when there were no crimes being committed in Bellwood, then we’d never get married.” she whined. “Don’t you want that?”

The groom moved to embrace her. “Of course I do, honey bunch. I just want to make sure we do everything right. I don’t want our special day to be sullied by some terrible memory” he said, cupping her chin and raising her face slightly.

Soon enough, the two of them were publicly flirting to such a degree that you could no longer bear to watch. It was starting to get uncomfortable, even with all the “oo’s” and “aww’s” from the audience.

K8-E sighed as she applauded with everyone else. “She is such a drama queen.” she said with a wistful look in her eye.

“Some things never change.” said an older Kineceleran as she glided up to K8-E with a drink in hand. She didn’t look much older at all, really. But considering how much time you’ve spent around her kind, you were starting to pick up on the subtle physical differences between different age groups.

All of a sudden, K8-E’s face broke out into a huge grin. She lunged at the woman and wrapped her arms around her slender shoulders.

“Mother! You came!” she gleefully exclaimed.

“Are you kidding? I wouldn’t miss my little girl’s special day, even if we were still in the middle of an intergalactic war.” she laughed. Over K8-E’s shoulder, her eyes drifted to you.

“And I suspect that you won’t be very far behind. Not with this strapping young human by your side.” she said. K8-E blushed and averted her gaze. Both you and K8-E’s mom couldn’t help but smile at that.

Her mother quickly moved to introduce herself. “Zo-E. It’s nice to finally meet you. My daughter speaks very highly of you, very often.”

You shook her clawed hand gently. “Wade. And likewise. If I didn’t know any better, I would’ve said that you were another one of K8-E’s sisters.” you said with your most charismatic smile.

Zo-E giggled and covered her mouth, while K8-E loudly cleared her throat in order to change the subject. “So, Mother! Was Father able to make it as well?” she asked, looking around expectantly.

Zo-E shook her head. “You know him. Always busy making some delivery to some far off corner of the galaxy. He sends his love, though.” she added, before taking a drink from her champagne glass.

“Oh...I see.” K8-E said, clearly deflated by the absence of her father.

“But enough about him! I want to know more about him” Zo-E declared, nodding to you.

“Ask away.” you offered with a smile.

(Cont.)
>>
“Well...what is it exactly that you do? For a profession, I mean.” she asked, and K8-E’s smile faltered ever so slightly.

“My daughter has only given me vague details on the true nature of your work, and I figured that I would ask you in person while I had the chance.” Zo-E said.

What do you say?

>”I work as a Plumber with my grandfather. It’s kind of a family business.”
>”You got me. I’m actually an intergalactic superhero that saves weddings from certain disaster.”
>”I mostly do security work, but I consider myself to be a man of many talents.”
>”I could tell you...but then I’d have to kill you.”
>Let Zo-E into your circle of personal trust. If she's K8-E family, then you're willing to trust her.
>Write-in.
>>
>>5028644
>>”I work as a Plumber with my grandfather. It’s kind of a family business.”
>>
>>5028644
>”I work as a Plumber with my grandfather. It’s kind of a family business.”
>”I could tell you the details...but then I’d have to kill you.”
>>
>>5028644
>”I work as a Plumber with my grandfather. It’s kind of a family business.”
I say that in time we should let our future in-laws know the truth but not yet
>>
>>5028644
>”I work as a Plumber with my grandfather. It’s kind of a family business.”
>>
>>5028730
>>5028890
>>5029500
>>5029670
Writing...
>>
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While you hated lying to your future in-laws, you figured that a half-truth would be an excusable substitute.

“I work as a Plumber with my grandfather. It’s kind of a family business.” you said with a shrug.

At first, Zo-E’s eyes went wide at your declaration. But after a minute, she blinked in sudden realization.

“Oh! You mean that you repair pipes and water distribution systems. I thought you meant-!” she said, sighing in relief. “Don’t frighten me like that!” she laughed, holding a hand to her chest.

K8-E’s eyes flitted between you and her mother nervously, and for a moment, you were worried that she’d spill the beans.

“Sorry. Just a little joke that I like to tell people when they ask me that question. And considering how The Plumbers only started occupying Earth a little over a year ago, it’s a bit of a huge deal for people in my profession.” you said with a lighthearted chuckle.

“Oh, you!” Zo-E said, giving you a light shove. You gave her an innocent look.

“Oh yes! Plumbers make quite a large sum of money here on Earth.” K8-E said, finally realizing that she’d been far too quiet for far too long.

“Is that right?” Zo-E said, giving you an appraising look. “Enough to support a family, I hope.”

You gave her a wounded look. “Support them!? Who’s going to support me?” you said, inviting strange looks from K8-E, Zo-E and everyone within earshot. “Those kids eat all of my food and they’re still skinny. My wallet is more packed than my fridge. Seriously. I’ll starve at this rate!”

The Kinecelerans that were eavesdropping on your conversation were now breaking out into polite, delighted laughter. Clearly, they could relate. And K8-E’s mom seemed to be enjoying it, so you decided to ham it up a bit.

“What? You think I’m kidding? By the time they bring the groceries in, I’m already headed back out the door for more, because they ate them all on the way in. ML-E thought they were ‘road rations’ for the trip between the driveway and the kitchen.”

The delighted laughter had now escalated to uproarious laughter. You were on a roll!

That was, until, you saw a wispy figure slip out of the room and disappear around a corner. You shipped your head around to catch a glimpse of what it might have been, but it was gone. There wasn’t so much as a trace of the phenomenon, and no one else seemed to have seen it.

“Wade?” K8-E said, looking worried. “Are you alright?”

“He’s better than alright.” Zo-E declared. “I like him far more than your previous flame.”

At that, K8-E’s face dropped, and she seemed to be at a loss for words. Bringing up exes at weddings didn’t seem appropriate. And right in front of her current boyfriend, no less.

The conversation was starting to become painfully awkward.

(Cont.)
>>
What will you do?

>Make an excuse to leave and let the two of them talk. You wanted to see what it was that caught your eye earlier.
>Bring K8-E back outside and spend some time helping your friends clean up Quinlan’s mess.
>Politely suggest that Zo-E go to check on the bride.
>Ask more about K8-E’s ex. You’re genuinely curious about what type of person he was.
>Ask Zo-E about herself. Getting to know your future in-laws is important.
>Write-in.
>>
>>5030111
>>Politely suggest that Zo-E go to check on the bridge
>Go check out the whisp
>>
>>5030111
>>5030156
Support.
>>
>>5030156
>>5032888
Writing...
>>
You tried to hide your nervousness as you glanced between K8-E and Zo-E. The older Kineceleran seemed not to notice the awkward pause in the conversation, nor did she say anything about K8-E’s conflicted expression.

And that’s when you stepped in.

“Um, Miss Zo-E?” you began, realizing that you didn’t have a last name to formally address her by. “Excuse me if I’m being nosy, but I thought you would’ve been in a rush to fix your daughter’s makeup.”

Zo-E raised an eyebrow, and K8-E seemed relieved to have a reason to avoid the topic of her ex. “Whatever do you mean?” Zo-E asked.

You leaned closer, lowering your voice to a whisper. “Well...didn’t you see her before? With how much she was crying, her makeup must have been running like crazy. Now, I’m not a woman, but I feel like that’d be an important thing to fix before the cameras start flashing.”

Zo-E’s eyes suddenly went wide with realization. “By the Gazer, you’re right!” Zo-E exclaimed.

You’ve never heard that expression before.

In a flash, Zo-E pulled K8-E close and kissed her on the cheek. “Terribly sorry, darling. I’d love to stay and chat, but someone must go and help that girl put her life back together.” she said, rolling her eyes.

K8-E frantically waved her arms. “No, I understand. You’ve been fixing Jess-E’s makeup ever since we were kids. I wouldn’t trust anyone else to do it.” she said, sounding genuinely relieved.

Zo-E shrugged. “Yes, well, she was never good with her hands like you were.”

The two shared a tender smile, and in the blink of an eye, K8-E’s mother was gone.

K8-E let her shoulders slump with a sigh as soon as she was sure that she wouldn’t return.

“Thank you. She’s always been incredibly insistent on prying into my love life. I don’t know what I would’ve done if you hadn’t-”

K8-E trailed off, and she traced the direction of where your eyes were being drawn to. “What’s wrong? Is it...another one of your children?” she asked in a flat tone. You could practically sense the displeasure radiating off her words.

“I don’t know, but I thought I saw something. I’m gonna go check it out.” you declared. “If I’m not back in a few minutes, call for backup.”

K8-E nodded, and you made your way over to where you last saw the wisp. Some part of you wished that it wasn’t another one of your future children, while the other part sort of wished that it was. Because if it wasn’t, then that would mean that you have an entirely different problem to pile onto your plate.

Wading through the crowd slowed your progress, and you were worried that you’d lose track of the wisp at this point.

(Cont.)
>>
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But just then, out of the corner of your eye, you caught a brief glimpse of some sort of glowing particle fizzling out around the leftmost corner at the end of the corridor. It was so faint, and you were almost convinced that you’d imagined it, but you also couldn’t discount it as a trick of the light. So, you followed the trail, catching brief glimpses here and there as the dust faded into nothingness, until at last, you tracked it to an empty room that appeared to be...a kitchen?

It was a nice kitchen, truly befitting of a workstation belonging to such an expensive venue. But for some reason, it had been empty. Completely empty.

In fact, you didn’t encounter anyone at all on your way over here. Despite the size of the estate, you were sure that the guests would be a little more spread out before the actual ceremony.

But all of those thoughts became an afterthought when you laid your eyes upon...it.

The towering mass of white fondant and fruits was lying before you on one of the kitchen tables, completely uncovered. Was that...Jess-E’s wedding cake? Judging from the miniature Kineceleran and alien warthog on top of it, you were certain that it was.

Shouldn’t there be someone here to watch over it or at least put something over it so flies didn’t get to it? You were no expert on weddings, but this just seemed unsanitary. It’s a shame too, because you were looking forward to eating-

Movement. Your head reflexively swiveled over to the left, where a collection of cooking utensils was rattling around, as if something had been moving over there. Does this kitchen have rats too!?

You just hoped that none of them had gotten to the cake...that was now...hovering above the table.

Huh. That…wasn’t normal, right? You weren’t an expert on alien weddings, or normal weddings, for that matter But you were nearly certain that this wasn’t normal at all!

You lunged towards the cake, grabbing the plate that it was resting on, and nearly screamed as the cake began sliding off of the dish!

You struggled to catch it, only to have your breath catch in your throat when the whole thing slipped out of your hands and flew towards the door. You flinched as the confection nearly splattered against the metal door! But then...something else happened.

The door…flew open, shattering the metal latches as if they’d been made of plastic! A powerful gust of wind met you as the door swung open, and it rattled on its bent hinges.

You simply stood there and watched, dumbfounded as the cake flew outside, maintaining a consistent velocity without getting any closer to the ground.

“...Shit!”

What will you do?

>Transform into an alien.(Which one?)
>Try to regain control over the cake with the use of arcane telekinesis.
>Use your aura sense on the cake. You have a feeling that there might be magic involved in this caper.
>Call K8-E to help you catch it.
>Chase after the cake and follow it to its destination.
>Write-in.
>>
Aliens Unlocked:
https://pastebin.com/JVq4NM2t

Skills, Stats and Inventory:
https://pastebin.com/iEYrGZS1

Top 10:
>Big Chill
>Diamondhead
>Zipmunk
>Bloodrush
>XLR8
>Fourcast
>Thriller Whale
>Knuckle Duster
>Hack N’ Slash
>Snapdragon
>>
>>5033331
>Use your aura sense on the cake. You have a feeling that there might be magic involved in this caper.
After that
>Transform into Ghostfreak
>>
>>5033331
+1 >>5033350
>>
>>5033328
>>5033350 +2
>>
>>5033350
>>5033406
>>5034047
Writing...
>>
Something wasn’t right. You felt that intensely as you ran out the door to chase after the runaway wedding cake. If you didn’t know any better, you’d say that there was some sort of magic trickery involved in this confectionary caper.

Reaching out with your senses, you tried to remember the lessons that Peacock gave you not too long ago. And something around the cake shimmered. It had an aura? No, that was stupid. The thing that was holding it had an aura. Or maybe you were reading the residual aura of the spellcaster behind this whole mess.

Either way, you weren’t about to let them get away with it.

Not willing to spare the time or effort it would’ve taken to select an alien, you simply brought the image of that alien to your mind and allowed your body to be reshaped in order to fit that image.

In a burst of violet light, you’ve become Ghostfreak!

Now that you were certain of the involvement of magic, you decided to tail the fleeing tower of fondant to its destination, making sure that nothing got in its way or ruined its shape.

This, of course, required some effort on your part. With your tentacles, you smacked down branches, flattened bushes and nudged the cake on a slightly safer path. For some reason, it was headed deeper into the woods, and further away from the estate.

When it seemed like you could relax for a little while, you took on a more incorporeal form and shadowed the cake from a distance. You were hoping that K8-E wouldn’t call for backup just because you hadn’t radioed in. But then again, you were also hoping that backup wouldn’t be necessary in the first place.

Finally, the cake flew into a clearing in the woods, where a young girl with light blue skin and dark blue hair was waving her hands around, giddy with laughter. Something about her felt familiar, but you couldn’t quite put your finger on it.

Okay, you could. She looked just like Olumar. But you didn’t want to feel racist for assuming that aliens were of the same species just because they looked a little similar.

Just then, the girl’s head snapped towards you. She seemed surprised, but her eyes were too unfocused for them to be seeing you clearly. But that shouldn’t be possible in the first place. You were invisible right now. Maybe she just heard a noise off in the distance.

“Who’s there?” she asked in an imperious tone. You heard her muttering something about the area being “warded”, but you couldn’t make out the rest.

Okay. Maybe she did know you were there. But that wasn’t a good reason to reveal your position, was it?

Yeah...it kind of is.

With a sigh, you made yourself visible to the girl standing before you. She jumped upon seeing how you were an Ectonurite, but then, her eyes were suddenly drawn to the symbol on your chest.

The girl let out a nervous laugh. “T-this isn’t what it looks like…” she said, waving her hands as the cake hovered behind her.
>>
>”If you want a slice, then you’ll have to wait until after the ceremony like everyone else.”
>”No, please. Tell me what this looks like, because I have no idea.”
>”I hope your parents taught you better than this. I’d hate to learn that I end up becoming an intergalactic pastry thief in the future.”
>”Drop the cake. Slowly…”
>“Did you come here alone?”
>Time out and approach her calmly. She doesn’t seem like a bad kid.
>Write-in.
>>
>>5034180
>>Time out and approach her calmly. She doesn’t seem like a bad kid.
>“Did you come here alone?”
>”I hope your parents taught you better than this. I’d hate to learn that I end up becoming an intergalactic pastry thief in the future.”
>>
>>5034179
>>Time out and approach her calmly. She doesn’t seem like a bad kid.
>“Did you come here alone?”
>”I hope your parents taught you better than this. I’d hate to learn that I end up becoming an intergalactic pastry thief in the future.”
>>
>>5034180
supporting >>5034180
Also I know Olumar is the genie but she isn't in the character profile doc
>>
>>5034234
>>5034327
Writing...
>>5034366
Good to know. Thanks for the reminder. I really need to update those pastebins.
>>
Despite her attempts to sabotage this wedding, you get the vague feeling that she isn’t a bad kid. You fly closer to the ground, and in a flash of golden light, you return to your human form.

“I hope your parents taught you better than this. I’d hate to learn that I end up becoming an intergalactic pastry thief in the future.” you said, with mock exasperation.

The girl giggled, and her expression visibly softened.

You smile, straighten your tux and smooth your hair with a hand. “Did you come here alone?”

She shook her head. “No. My friend Marcy came with me.”

“Who’s Marcy?” you asked as you examined your surroundings. And that’s when you noticed the red laser that had been focused on your back. Now that you were turned around, it was more or less aimed in the middle of your chest, which was just as bad.

Resisting the immediate urge to dive for cover, you traced the laser’s path to a nearby tree outside the clearing. And crouched atop a forked branch, peeking outside the lace of leaves, was a young girl holding a particle rifle that was far too big for her.

“That’s Marcy…” the blue girl squeaked. Then, she cupped her hands and shouted at the girl. “Put the gun down!”

Reluctantly, the girl named Marcy lowered her rifle and proceeded to jump down from the tree. From that height, she was going to break a bone!

Your heart caught in your throat, and you immediately dove to catch her. But miraculously, Marcy performed a somersault in mid-air and landed square on her feet in a crouched position.

You froze up, waiting for the wave of pain and shock to hit her. It didn’t. Marcy got up, hefted her oversized gun and walked over to you as if nothing had happened.

Marcy nodded to you. “Greetings, Father.” she said, a blank expression on her face. Her skin was unblemished. Almost perfect, really. Like a latex doll or a CG creation from a high budget hollywood film. It was uncanny. And her bright red hair was striking.

You squinted at her, unable to figure out who her mother might be. No one you knew had features similar to hers.

“Marcy’s a robot.” said the girl with blue skin. She said it so plainly, too.

“The correct term is ‘android’.” Marcy corrected her.

You glanced between Marcy and the other girl for a minute, trying to wrap your head around this sudden turn of events. And that’s when one of the girls tackled you from behind. You could feel her sharp nails digging into your flesh. It must be the blue girl.

“I’m Corrina.” the blue girl said, wrapping her arms around you. “It’s so nice to meet you!”

“Oh! Someone’s a hugger.” you said with a gasp.

And that’s when you noticed the cake behind Corrina beginning to droop. In the very second that she lost focus, she also lost her grip on the cake!

(Cont.)
>>
File: Olumar!.png (5.47 MB, 2996x4000)
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She must have felt it too, because her head whipped around just as fast. You dove for the tray, bringing Corrina down with you. Marcy moved the moment her friend did, and she dropped down right on top of you, leaving all three of you in a crumpled heap, with Marcy sitting on your back triumphantly. Her facial expression didn’t change in the slightest, though.

But you weren’t focused on that. Nor were you particularly concerned about Corrina’s elbow digging into your ribs. Not when Jess-E’s wedding cake was lying on the ground, completely ruined!

And it wasn’t just smudged or dented, either. The damage that was done to this cake was irreparable. Beyond salvaging. Except for the fancy little decoration on top.

“Wade!? I heard a noise and-!”

K8-E sped into view before you even had a moment to register her presence, and the first thing she saw was you lying on the ground with two young girls sprawled out on top of you.

The expression on her face wasn’t quite “shock”, but was much closer to “irritation”. You winced and struggled to your feet. The girls on your back did the same.

“K8, I…” you said, trailing off when you noticed where she’d been looking. Her mouth gaped, and her eyes went wide with shock.

“The...the cake! What has happened!?” she shrieked, covering her mouth with her hands as she stared in horror.

Corrina struggled to come up with an acceptable explanation, while Marcy just stared blankly at all of you.

“All right. Let’s all just calm down and go over our options.” you said, trying to sound reassuring. All things considered, it probably didn’t seem very convincing at the moment.

What will you do?

>Get the recipe from K8-E and see if you can recreate it with the help of your friends.
>Travel to an alternate timeline and “borrow” the cake’s counterpart.
>Ask your Mom to make another one, and ask Ko-D to grab the order from her in the future.
>Round up all of the magic users in the area and see if they might know a spell to reverse this!
>Come clean and present the ruined cake to Jess-E.
>Write-in.

Aliens Unlocked:
https://pastebin.com/JVq4NM2t

Skills, Stats and Inventory:
https://pastebin.com/iEYrGZS1

Top 10:
>Big Chill
>Diamondhead
>Zipmunk
>Bloodrush
>XLR8
>Fourcast
>Thriller Whale
>Knuckle Duster
>Hack N’ Slash
>Snapdragon
>>
>>5034984
>Round up all of the magic users in the area and see if they might know a spell to reverse this!
>Get the recipe from K8-E and see if you can recreate it with the help of your friends.
>>
>>5034984
>Round up all of the magic users in the area and see if they might know a spell to reverse this!
>>
>>5034984
Wait, having Ko-D to go to the past to take the cake before its ruined is a bad idea, right?
Anyways.
>Round up all of the magic users in the area and see if they might know a spell to reverse this!
>>
>>5035055
>>5035650
Writing...
>>5036818
And yes! It most certainly is!
>>
You get an idea. You’re not sure if it’s a good one, but it’s better than standing around and crying about spilt milk--ah…

Bad analogy. Decent idea. Better hop to it.

But before then, you’d better deal with Marcy. Right now, she was pointing her rifle at K8-E and eyeing her cautiously.

“Halt.” she demanded. K8-E froze up, considering her next move. But thankfully, she didn’t have to think very hard.

You commanded your armor to cover your arms and legs, and stretched out a hand to activate the Biosovortian Repulsors. With a low pitched hum, the particle rifle flew from Marcy’s hands and into yours.

Before she could protest, you broke the gun over your armored knee with a snap. Marcy took a defensive stance in response, and you fixed her with a glare.

“We don’t have time for this. Right now, we need to pool our resources in order to save this wedding.” you argued.

Marcy considered this, and then reluctantly lowered her arms.

“That is an...accurate assessment.” she admitted.

You nodded, and then turned to K8-E.

-------

As per your instructions, K8-E ran off to recruit any and all mages in the area. And because of that, Charmy, Gwen and Quinlan are now standing before you in this clearing, with the Chrono Spanner being placed in the middle of them for safety purposes. Your safety and everyone else’s, to be exact.

“So...we’re reconstructing this wedding cake?” Charmy said, pointing at the ruined pastry with disdain. It was starting to attract ants.

You nodded. “That’s right. Do any of you have any spells that might be useful in this situation?” you asked.

Gwen and Charmy exchanged looks, and both shrugged. Corrina still looked guilty, and Quinlan just gave you a flat look.

“You can’t be serious?” he said with an imperious look. “To waste the abilities of a mage of my caliber on the reconstruction of a mere wedding cake…it’s unthinkable.” Quinlan sniffed.

Everyone turned to glare at him. Marcy still seemed impartial, though.

“If you don’t help, then I’ll make you clean up the garden without magic.” you declared, and Quinlan gaped.

“S-surely you jest…” he said, trying to maintain his composure. But you could see a cold sweat breaking out on his forehead.

“Nope. You won’t be allowed to use anything more than good ol’ fashioned elbow grease.” you said, and this time, you were sure that you saw Quinlan’s face go pale.

He cleared his throat, and took about a second to reconsider his earlier statement. “I, erm...I suppose that I can spare a fraction of my mana to reconstitute this, er, confection.”

“Can you really do it, or are you talking out of your ass again?” Corrina asked.

“Language, young lady.” you said, turning to chastise her, and she shrank back a bit.

Corrina muttered an apology, and Quinlan sniffed at her.

(Cont.)
>>
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“Your lack of faith is most disturbing, Corrina. Need I remind you which one of us scored the highest on their Empyrean assignments?”

Corrina sighed, but made no arguments against his statement. Marcy was not as polite.

“I doubt you are as competent as you claim. Were you not defeated by Father and his allies?” she asked.

Quinlan froze, and his face dropped.

“Oh, yeah. He got beat pretty badly. It was kind of embarrassing, actually.” Gwen said teasingly, and Quinlan turned a bit red as he started sputtering.

Corrina leaned in closer to whisper to her friend. “I hate to admit it, Marcy, but Quinlan’s one of the strongest mages that I’ve ever met. He’s a genius! I just like to take him down a peg sometimes.”

Marcy appeared to be skeptical, and a part of you agreed with the android.

Corrina shook her head. “I’m being serious. He might be an insensitive jerk, but I can’t deny his ability. He once commanded a To’Kustar to rise from the dead!”

Marcy shrugged, seemingly unimpressed. “I’m certain that you could do the same, given enough time and training.”

Corrina shook her head, more furiously this time. “The minimum amount of mana that type of spell requires is insane! And the amount of experience you’d need…” she said, before trailing off. “Let me put it this way. A 40, or 50 year old necromancer might be able to command a creature that big, with difficulty. Quinlan is 14.”

You and Marcy blinked at her. You knew that he was an impressive mage, but apparently the white haired brat is nothing short of a prodigy. Neither of the girls seemed willing to stroke his ego, though. Which was probably a good idea. It’s likely that he’s been surrounded by people singing his praises from a young age.

Eventually, Quinlan walked over to where you were standing, prematurely ending the two girl’s conversation. You glanced at them, and knelt down to pick up a ruined slice of cake.

He inspected it, frowned and stood up again.

“Reconstruct.” Quinlan muttered, and the surrounding area was flooded with emerald light for a brief instant. Various runic symbols floated above your heads, and then...something wondrous happened!

From that single slice of cake, grew an entirely new cake, completely identical to the previous one! It hovered in the air before him, rotating as if it had been placed in a microwave. Everyone gaped at him. Including you.

“That’s...a really high level spell…” Charmy muttered under her breath, clearly shaken.

Quinlan seemed not to hear her, focusing intensely on his spell. And when the spell was finished, the cake dropped into Quinlan’s hands...without the metal tray underneath it.

Quinlan hissed as the wedding cake smashed into his bare hands and fell apart once more. You, and everyone around you, mentally kicked themselves for not remembering to grab it beforehand.

(Cont.)
>>
“Oh. How...regrettable.” Quinlan sighed, staring at his hands, now covered in fondant and crushed bread.

---------

After Quinlan replicated the spell and remembered to place the tray underneath it before the effect wore off, he presented you with a reconstructed wedding cake!

“The spell should have replicated the exact molecular structure of the cake, without changing its flavor or shape.” he explained. “For all intents and purposes, it will appear to be identical to any who might consume it.”

You nodded and took the cake from his hands. His arms were shaking slightly. Performing that spell twice in a row must have tired him out.

What will you say?

>”Thanks for your help. That was an impressive display.”
>”Take a breather. You’ve earned it, Quinlan.”
>”Keep this up and I might just knock some time off of your sentence.”
>”Do you need some help cleaning up the garden?”
>”What’s that ‘Empyrean’ thing that you mentioned earlier?”
>”Where’d you learn that spell? Do you think you can teach it to me?”
>"That was...acceptable, I guess."
>Write-in.
>>
>>5036885
>>”Thanks for your help. That was an impressive display.”
>>”Take a breather before going back to clean up. You’ve earned it, Quinlan.”
>>
>>5036885
>>”Thanks for your help. That was an impressive display.”
>>”Take a breather before going back to clean up. You’ve earned it, Quinlan.”
>>
>>5036885
>”Thanks for your help. That was an impressive display.”
>”Take a breather. You’ve earned it, Quinlan.”
>>
>>5036908
>>5037099
>>5037590
Writing...
>>
“Thanks for your help. That was an impressive display.” you said with genuine gratitude. This seemed to throw Quinlan off, somewhat.

He turned slightly red and cleared his throat. “Hm. Think nothing of it. Such a paltry task is nothing to a mage of my caliber.” he said proudly, before glancing at the cake. “Just, erm...try not to drop it again.”

You nodded and fixed your grip on the metal tray. “Take a breather before going back to clean up. You’ve earned it, Quinlan.”

He smiled, and then frowned when he heard his stomach rumbling. “Thank you. But, erm...would it be possible for us to receive a lunch break at some point? Me and my companions are rather famished, you see.”

You considered it for a moment, and then nodded again. “They won’t be serving any entrees until after the actual ceremony, but I’ll see what I can do.” you said.

Quinlan gave you a small bow. “I am in your debt, good sir.”

Corrina rolled her eyes, and Marcy’s eyes were fixed on the two ruined cakes on the ground.

“Can the two of you do me a favor and help clean that up? It might attract flies, or wildlife.” you said, pointing at the mess.

Corrina sighed, but Marcy got to work immediately. At least they seemed like good kids. Out of everyone, Quinlan appeared to be the most unreasonable, and even he wasn’t that bad. Just a bit cocky and annoying at times.

“Then I guess we’ll go relieve K8-E from babysitting duty.” Charmy said as she stretched her arms above her head.

Seeing as how you thought you would need both of your teammates, K8-E and Ko-D stayed behind to watch James and Toni for a little while.

Gwen seemed disappointed, but you had a feeling that it had something to do with the fact that there wasn’t anything for her to do at the moment. The only action she had gotten was that brief encounter with Toni’s tigers.

---------

Once you managed to sneak the cake back into the kitchen, you tried your best to fix the back door before the warding spell had worn off completely. After that, you managed to catch up to K8-E again.

She ran up to you as soon as she noticed you approaching. “How did everything go? Were you able to-”

K8-E’s words cut off when she noticed that you were carrying several plates full of food.

“Were you really that hungry?” she asked.

You shook your head. “They’re not for me. Quinlan and the others said that they were hungry. So...I swiped these from the kitchen.” you said with a shrug.

K8-E’s eyes went wide. “I am not so sure that is a good idea. Will they not notice that the food is missing?”

“Caterers always make too much food at these weddings. They’ve always got a ton of it leftover for the guests to take home. It’s either that, or it gets thrown out.”

(Cont.)
>>
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K8-E seemed to consider this, and then nodded in understanding. “I see. For most weddings, it is custom to allow a Gourmand entry for the sole purpose of disposing of any leftover food.”

“Kinda like a living garbage disposal. Are there any here today?” you asked, looking around the estate’s grounds.

“Not to my knowledge, no. It seems like we will have an abundance of food to bring on our road trip.” K8-E suggested.

You were unsure of how to feel about that. Some part of you wanted to try living off of local delicacies, or at least try your hand at some new alien recipes.

When K8-E realized that you were struggling a bit with the dinner plates, she snatched a few out of your hands and began walking beside you.

You were about to thank her, when you noticed the pained expression that she had been trying so hard to hide. She must be wrestling with some pretty complicated emotions after seeing how many kids you had with other people in alternate futures.

As soon as you got a chance, you’d sit down with her and have a nice long talk about everything. But for now…

“Hey. You hungry?” you asked. K8-E head snapped up at the sound of your voice.

“Excuse me?” she said in confusion.

“Food. Do you want any? There’s more than enough to go around here.” you said, lifting one of the plates.

K8-E gave you a small smile. “I suppose I could eat. All this running around has my metabolism working overtime.” she admitted, her tail curling upwards to gently rub her stomach.

The two of you chatted leisurely the rest of the way, and you had a feeling that her mood had improved slightly. But even you had to wonder about how many more Chrono Spanners would drop by to visit. Something big was going on, and you’re going to get to the bottom of it.

The only other question is whether you can do it without ruining the wedding, or your relationship. No pressure.

(To be continued...)
>>
File: Eon_UA2.png (273 KB, 744x416)
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>Elsewhere
>Location: The Edge of Time
>Date: ???

This has gone on long enough! You’ve tolerated much from your master, but this...is downright infuriating!

True, he has provided you with everything you could ever ask for, and as far as you know, he intends to keep his promise to hand his empire over to you when that wretched Wade Wakeman is finally eliminated. However...there are times when you doubt his promises. Especially since he seems to be unusually invested in that slobbering ape.

For example, when he sent the Eternal Fleet to assault the Council of 10. He could have easily bombarded that planet from orbit. But instead, he decides to engage them directly, throwing away countless resources in the process. And if that wasn’t bad enough, he calls for a retreat, despite the fact that the fleet would have been able to maintain both a defensive line and an orbital bombardment simultaneously. There was absolutely no reason for us to retreat, but for some reason, Eon chose to spare the welp. Again!

You had absolute faith in Eon’s plan, and you would never think of betraying his orders or deviating from his path. But some things were just unacceptable. No longer will you rely solely on blind faith like those other buffoons that let themselves get captured. You were better than them. You are The Heir!

In another minute, you were storming into Eon’s throne room. The purple neon and ebony metalwork was rather appealing to the eye, but your eyes were fixed upon the glorious figure of the man seated at the back of the room in his opulent cathedra.

And to your surprise, he was...laughing.

Yes, laughing. Something on the holo floating before him seemed to greatly amuse him. You increased your pace until you were standing a good 20 feet away from him. His personal guards stepped aside to let you pass, but Eon didn’t seem to register your presence at all. He was completely absorbed in what he was watching.

Seeing as how his attention was entirely devoted to the holo, you decided to speak first.

“My lord.” you said, before clearing your throat.

Eon didn’t so much as turn in your direction, but his eyes did twitch.

“What is it, my dutiful Heir?” he asked in a booming voice. Your body shuddered as it vibrated throughout your bones. His voice demanded authority, naturally imposing as it was.

“Forgive my impudence, but I wish to know why we have not acted upon the many opportunities that we’ve had to eliminate the Wakeman boy.” you said, falling to one knee. You could feel Eon’s eyes on you now.

“That is not for you to know.” he declared, waving a hand at you. “I will be handling that matter personally from now on.”

You gritted your teeth, but tried to maintain your composure. “My lord, you need not sully your hands with that worthless ape. Please, allow me to-”

(Cont.)
>>
Suddenly, the temperature in the room dropped considerably. An icy chill ran up your spine, and you were convinced that Eon was now glaring at you. He was pissed.

You dared not say another word before your master spoke once more.

Eon growled. “The boy has already defeated my knights. They clearly underestimated him.” Eon said, before leaning closer. And so have you.

You were starting to break out into a cold sweat. You had no intention of being disposed of like those three idiots. So, you chose your next few words very carefully.

“I’ve witnessed your power firsthand, my lord. There is no chance of the Wakeman boy defeating you. But with all due respect, I am just concerned as to why you do not eliminate him at your earliest convenience.” you said, staring at the floor so as to avoid your lord’s gaze.

Eon remained quiet for a few minutes, and the only sound you could hear was that of your heart pounding in your ears. Finally, Eon sat back, his gaze becoming less harsh.

“It is as you say, my Heir. I could eliminate the Wakeman boy whenever I please. Anything that he does from this point on does nothing to disrupt my plans.” Eon said with his hands clasped in front of him. “And that is why I am giving him time to enjoy his final moments. Every second that he continues to breathe is a mercy from me.”

You looked up, only to see Eon smiling again, glancing at the holo that he’d pushed aside. The Wakeman boy was on it, surrounded by...Chrono Spanners? What exactly was going o-

Pain. White hot pain interrupted your thoughts as it shot through your head. You clutched at it through your mask and groaned. It felt like someone was scraping at the inside of your skull with a razor sharp dagger. Eon seemed to take great interest in this.

“My Heir? What is wrong?”

You shook your head. Not just as a reply, but to shrug off the pain. Your migraines were becoming worse as of late.

“It is...nothing, my lord.” you said, still wheezing from your ordeal.

Eon narrowed his eyes, before closing the holo display that he’d been grinning at. “Take comfort in my words, my faithful servant. I have already won. Consider this...a victory lap of sorts.” Eon said in a low chuckle.

You clenched your fist and rose to your feet. “Very well, Lord Eon. I shall trust in your plan.” you said with a bow, excusing yourself before turning to leave your lord’s presence.

You felt Eon’s eyes on your back for a while longer, before the massive doors closed behind you.

--------

Eon wishes for you to be patient. You can be patient. You know patience better than most, living in this space outside of time. But this…this cannot wait.

If your lord will not intervene, then you will have to do so yourself. So long as you continue to breathe, Wade Wakeman…will not.

>”Now preparing wormhole to Dimension: 3034084.”

(To be continued.)
>>
So that's it for this thread. I'll try to throw up a new one by Tuesday.

In the meantime, let me know what you guys think of this current arc, or how the story's been going in general? Anyone you like, or dislike? Any future kids you want to see? I take comments of all kinds.

If not, then I'll see you guys next time. The Show's Over!
>>
>>5037694
I wonder what a kid with Eunice would be like, or given our creation what if we tried to make a clone ourselves using dna of some the most impressive humans we know, like ourselves Grandpa, dr Animo, Cooper, the Cowl and others



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