Your ragged breathing echoes within your helmet, and if it weren’t for the over-sized bugs buzzing around your head, you would’ve removed it long ago. As the humid air of Ghirgost begins to penetrate the gaps between your armor plates, this arduous trek begins to take its toll on you in numerous ways.

Kilik’s pace has not slowed one bit since you began walking. Not even when you were ambushed by a platoon of undead bug-men. But you honestly can’t blame him for being upset. Something seriously messed up is going on with his native planet, but neither of you have any idea how long this has been allowed to continue.

“Are we there yet…?” Vaylin whimpers while allowing her shoulders to sink. Kilik doesn’t answer her. He instead loudly clicks his mandibles together like he always does when he’s deep in thought.

Suddenly, the ground beneath your feet begins to shift, and the moss that once covered the ground starts to peel away from the stress caused by the treads of your boots, revealing a large plate of ebony chitin underneath. The chitin is cracked and yellowing, with tiny mushrooms sprouting from the cracks.

Eventually, the three of you are thrown off of the newly discovered mobile mound of dirt, but when the soil and fauna fall from its fearsome frame, you realize that you had been standing on top of a decaying praying mantis. And a giant one at that!

It screeches loudly, flaring its white, lifeless eyes in your direction while waving its razor sharp mandibles. But its most terrifying feature is the long plant stalk growing from its forehead, making his head appear to be distended and distorted from the damage.

Kilik’s all out of bug spray and your path is now blocked. What do you do?

>Transform into an alien.(Which one?)
>Shoot the plant stalk growing from its forehead. It might be some sort of weak spot.
>Try to lose it in the forest. No need to draw attention to yourself right now.
>Slowly back away and observe its behavior. It may look intimidating and deadly, but it might not want to pick a fight.
>Write-in.

Quicklist:
>Big Chill
>Diamondhead
>Zipmunk
>Bloodrush
>XLR8
>Fourcast
>Thriller Whale
>Knuckle Duster
>Hack N’ Slash
>Snapdragon

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

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

>>4158415
>>Transform into an alien.(Which one?)
Shinobloom or Amalgamech

>>4158415
Okay, the plant stalk might relase spores if we destroy it, so we should avoid doing that in case of a fight.
>Write-in.
>ask Kilik what he think is best: fight, flight or just back off. It's his planet after all. We should follow his lead

>>4158491
+!
We should transform into bloodrush or monitor lizard to track down Animo

>>4158491
>>4158727
Taken and writing...

File: Monitor Lizard.jpg (164 KB, 1024x1449)

164 KB JPG

You glance over to Kilik, hoping to get his input on the matter before you do anything stupid. You notice the tension in his shoulders easing ever so slightly due to your rational approach to the danger ahead. He raises an arm in front of you, preventing you or Vaylin from moving forward.

“We’ll follow your lead.” You say in a hushed tone. Kilik nods to you without completely taking his attention away from the creature. Maintaining eye contact must be important. You should do the same.

“Circle around him, but don’t show him your back. Always maintain eye contact…” Kilik whispers cautiously. You and Vaylin follow closely alongside him, paying careful attention to your footing so as to avoid tripping over any stray branches or tree roots. The gargantuan insect follows your every move with his bulbous, ghost-like eyes, tilting his head every now and again out of confusion.

But as soon as you begin to think that everything’s running smoothly, Vaylin nearly trips over a warped tree root growing up out of the ground. You manage to catch her just in time, right before a massive, sharp sickle stabs into the ground, narrowly missing your companion by mere inches.

The three of you stand completely still, watching and waiting carefully as the creature slowly drags its knife-like hands from the soil. It then proceeds to scuttle around you and scrape the ground with its claws, but you do not react.

Ultimately, the creature bows its head, turns its back and walks away. You and Vaylin breathe a sigh of relief, but Kilik appears to be relatively unphased. You’re liking this planet less and less with each passing moment. Maybe getting banished wasn’t such a bad thing for your partner.

--------

After creating some distance between you and the creature, you transform into a Monitor Lizard in order to track down Animo. You find it to be a little bit creepy that this alien forced you to memorize Animo’s signature musk, but it sure is proving useful during times like this.

You hop from tree to tree, making sure that you friends can keep up. The thought of using Bloodrush crossed your mind at some point, but you doubt that Kilik and Vaylin can run that fast.

Eventually, you manage to find a collection of spires dug into a massive pit dug from the ground. And towering over them all, is a massive pillar made from scrap metal that looks to have been hastily cobbled together.

Giant ant-like creatures form countless assembly lines heading to and from the tower, carrying resources in their hands and mandible. Some ants look noticeably larger than others, and carry things like spears, while the smaller ones carry slings and bows. But there’s one thing that they all share in common. All of them have plant stalk growing out of their heads, just like the giant mantis from earlier. However, theirs don’t seem to be nearly as pronounced as the one you saw earlier.

(Cont.)

“This is...this is madness!” Kilik mutters with a tightly clenched fist. You aren’t sure if these ants are of the same species as Kilik. The differences between them appear to be vast.

The scent trail leads deeper into the ant hill, but there are too many bodies between you and Animo. What do you do?

>Have Vaylin cause a distraction while you and Kilik sneak inside.
>Use your camouflage to appear as if you have a plant stalk growing from your head. You might be able to trick them into believing that you're one of them.
>Jump into the fray and wreak some havoc!
>Switch to another alien. (Which one?)
>Consult Kilik once more. He wasn’t wrong last time, so maybe he knows something that can help.
>Capture one of the ants and scan him. It might provide some useful information if their brain is still intact.
>Write-in.

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

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

>>4158883
>>Consult Kilik once more. He wasn’t wrong last time, so maybe he knows something that can help.
or
>Capture one of the ants and scan him. It might provide some useful information if their brain is still intact.

Forgot about the quicklist. My bad.

Quicklist:
>Big Chill
>Diamondhead
>Zipmunk
>Bloodrush
>XLR8
>Fourcast
>Thriller Whale
>Knuckle Duster
>Hack N’ Slash
>Snapdragon

>>4158888
+1
Grey matter could help in identifying the plant stalk if we scan

>>4158883
>>Consult Kilik once more. He wasn’t wrong last time, so maybe he knows something that can help.

>>4158888
>>4158994
Writing...

You time out in a burst of golden light, allowing you to return to your usual human form.

This situation has gotten much hairier than you’d anticipated. These tunnels could be brimming with hundreds of ants. Possibly thousands!

Maybe Kilik has an idea of what you should be doing next. He always makes rational decisions in the heat of battle.

"Hey Kilik, what should we-" you begin to ask, but it appears that your partner is nowhere to be found. You look around in a panic, until you hear a vibrant battlecry echoing in the distance.

Within the span of several seconds, Kilik is now dashing down the hill and firing at the insectoid aliens with reckless abandon. His blaster bolts cut through the air, searing the black chitin of the ants upon contact. A few of them drop dead from the damage, but the bulkier ants seem to shrug off the damage. Most of the ants just mindlessly run towards him since they aren't equipped with ranged weaponry.

WHAT IS HE DOING?! You’ve never seen him this pissed.

“What’s up with Collin?” Vaylin asks while brandishing her baton and sliding down the hill.

“No idea. But we should probably back him up.” you declare with a frustrated grunt. Looks like your partner isn't as sensible as you had initially thought.

What do you do?

>Transform into an alien. (Randomizer activated)
>Unsheathe your blade and close in on these zombified ants! (Water/Fire)
>Provide covering fire with your suit’s built-in artillery.
>Let him and Vaylin distract the ants while you go deeper into the tunnels.
>Ricochet a series of mana bolts off of a large group of ants.
>Write-in.

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

I apologize for the inactivity. Just got freed up for the rest of the night.

>>4158983
I'll still allow you to scan after this encounter, by the way. Just couldn't fit all of the options in one post.

>Unsheathe your blade and close in on these zombified ants! (Water/Fire)
Fire

>>4159234
+1

>>4159234
Go for this

>>4159234
>>4159294
>>4159297
Roll 1d100+10, bo3!

Rolled 43 + 10 (1d100 + 10)

>>4159322

Rolled 17 + 10 (1d100 + 10)

>>4159322

Rolled 31 + 10 (1d100 + 10)

>>4159322
Lets see if I still remember how to roll

>>4159323
>>4159458
>>4159469
Writing...

>53

You consider using your Omnitrix, but you don’t want to risk getting the wrong alien right now. It’s a good thing you’ve got a handy mystical sword that you can whip out in situations like this.

With a swipe of your finger, you create a glowing “X” on your belt, signaling Trixy to materialize your sword. In a flash of violet light, a razor sharp blade forms in your hands just in time for you to deflect an incoming arrow. The Fire Stance might be good for you to use right now, considering the massive amount of man-sized ants pouring from the walls.

“Fire Stance!” You shout while twirling your blade in your hand. And almost instantly, you feel your suit heating up considerably. Your once black armor plates are now glowing bright red from the heat that your power source is giving off, and your body becomes enshrouded in smoke and haze from the venting process.

FIRE STANCE! HELL YEAH!

You jump into the middle of the army of ants, dicing them to pieces with your newly acquired superhuman speed. It doesn’t take much effort at all for you to cleave these guys in half with a single stroke. Either they’re super decomposed, or you’re stronger than you thought.

You carve through a large chunk of their forces with ease, dashing between their ranks and taking advantage of their dull reaction speed. This is almost too easy!

Soon enough, you and Kilik are standing back to back, facing off against a seemingly endless horde of bugs.

“Hey, partner? We should wrap this up sometime soon. Getting kinda light headed here.” You demand in a jovial tone. However, you are a bit bothered by Vaylin’s absence. You haven’t seen her since-

“Uh, guys…?” Vaylin whimpers. When you turn to face your pleading pilot, you realize that she’s being held hostage by a quadrupedal mushroom with a plasma rifle. You can’t remember her name, but you do remember her being there on your very first Plumber assignment.

As the mushroom barks orders in some foreign language that the Omnitrix is having trouble deciphering, Vaylin seems to be apologizing with her eyes alone. It’s at this point that Killik sighs deeply and throws his weapon down.

Everyone then looks to you, expecting you to do the same, but considering the amount of trouble you went through to get this thing, you’ll settle for dematerializing it for now.

You raise your hands to the air in an act of submission, and so does Kilik. You aren’t terribly worried for your own safety, but you don’t think that you can save your friends if you try to turn the situation around.

The mushroom lady motions for you and your friends to walk in front of her, and you try to do so to the best of your ability without having a spear or a poorly sharpened sword shoved into your face by your would-be captors.

(Cont.)

-------

While held prisoner, you’re led deeper and deeper into the collection of spires, where the scenery becomes much more bizarre. Some insect warriors have had their faces become completely overgrown with foliage, while others seem to possess a hypnotic, pulsating rainbow pattern replacing their pupils. You really start to wonder what Kilik’s dad wants with all of these guys, and why he still appears to be normal.

After a while, you notice that Kilik is getting antsy(No pun intended). Is he thinking of making a break for it? You’d have to make sure that Vaylin doesn’t get shot though. It’ll be really risky with all of these guys having their weapons trained on you. Do you risk it?

"Wade, I've managed to acquire several scans from these Ghirgosians." Trixy whispers through your helmet's comms. "It would appear that some of these parasites cause their hosts to display colorful patterns in their pupils, making them prime targets for the surrounding fauna."

What? Why would they do that?

"I do believe that they purposefully try to attract predators in order to infect the predator that consumed their previous host." she continues without being asked.

And out of the corner of your eye, a large bird-like creature swoops down and snatches up one of the bugs, causing the mushroom woman to flinch. Looks like she's not a big fan of this planet's wildlife. Maybe you can use this to your advantage. Or maybe you should just let this mushroom lady take you to wherever she's trying to take you.

>Materialize your blade in an instant and behead the mushroom.
>Cause a mana construct to form within your captor’s body, causing her to explode from the pressure.
>Shoot the rifle out of her hands with your wrist blasters.
>Quietly go along with her plans. She might take you to their leader or something equally cliche.
>Discreetly drop Slate’s fetish behind you, summoning him to your side.
>Have Trixy attract the bird's attention by broadcasting their distress call. Or maybe a mating call?
>Transform into a random alien and hope the flash is enough to blind the mushroom.
>Write-in.

>>4159503
>Have Trixy attract the bird's attention by broadcasting their distress call. Or maybe a mating call?

>>4159503
>>Have Trixy attract the bird's attention by broadcasting their distress call. Or maybe a mating call?

>>4159590
+1
get ready to transform into diamondhead?

>>4159590
>>4159749
>>4159920
I'll take these and you guys can decide that later. Writing...

“Hey Trixy, think you can call those birds down here to help us out?” you request with low expectations.

“One moment…” she says with a tone of intrigue. Can she really pull this off?

Just as you start to doubt your trusty A.I., you hear a wretched cry come from your Omnitrix and the speakers on your suit. It sounds very similar to the screeches you heard from those giant birds earlier.

The mushroom woman becomes increasingly agitated and starts waving a gun in your face. But if she’s doing that, then there’s no one holding Vaylin hostage…

Suddenly, one of the giant birds swoops down and snatches your captor in the blink of an eye. She screams and flails wildly in refusal of her capture, but her efforts prove to be futile when she disappears over a nearby ridge. Some of the nearby bugs attempt to subdue as well, but they are met by a similarly gruesome fate when a large flock of those birds swoop down and tear them to pieces.

“Well that worked out better than I-” You begin to gloat, but not before being grabbed by one of the birds that you summoned. You struggle against him for a bit, but his strength proves to be too much for you.

Vaylin and Killik are quick to react, as they grab onto its legs in an attempt to pry him off of you. However, the three of you are pulled into the air by the superior strength of this primitive creature.

“Human kid!” Vaylin shouts with a panicked expression. She’s slipping! But you can’t even move your arms!

As she begins to fall, you shut off your sense of reasoning and send your gauntlet flying towards her with a precise rocket punch. She reaches upwards and grabs the floating hand, just in time for you to reel her in with the magnetic retraction. Thank god for science!

Just then, a flurry of orange blaster bolts flies past your face. They looked rather dense, almost as if they came from a rifle of some sort. But to your surprise, it would seem that the projectiles came from a squadron of winged insects, each holding some sort of plasma projecting staff.

Vaylin takes this opportunity to swing herself onto the back of this creature, but she nearly loses her balance and falls again. You watch as she brandishes two small disks from her pockets and attaches them to the sides of the bird’s beak. She then rubs her gloves together, somehow activating an energized tether between her hands and the disks. Looks like she somehow created a bridle on the spot!

“Okay. This shouldn’t be too different from steering a starship, right?” she asks with nervous laughter. You and Kilik begin to worry.

What do you do?

>Transform into an alien. (Which one?)
>Try to provide covering fire with your wrist blasters.
>Form a mana barrier behind the bird to block the plasma bolts.
>Toss a flash grenade at the bugs to disorient them.
>Write-in.

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

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

Quicklist:
>Big Chill
>Diamondhead
>Zipmunk
>Bloodrush
>XLR8
>Fourcast
>Thriller Whale
>Knuckle Duster
>Hack N’ Slash
>Snapdragon

>>4160057
>>Transform into an alien. (Which one?)
Either Snare-oh or fourcast.

>>4160081
+ 1
Fourcast

>>4160061
>Fourcast

>>4160081
>>4160123
>>4160197
Writing...

File: Fourcast.jpg (58 KB, 768x1024)

58 KB JPG

Seeing as how you can’t reach your belt, you’re forced to use the voice command to transform.

“Command Code 1010: Activate Fourcast Transformation!” you shout to Trixy. And in a flash of violet light, your body shrivels up into a tiny ball, only to be encased by a suit of high tech armor immediately afterwards. Four hovering orbs detach from your back, and begin to orbit and dance around your body.

You’ve become Fourcast!

Seeing as your arms are now too thin to be held by the bird, you slip out of its grasp and fly alongside it.

What do you do?

>Create a tornado behind the bugs, sucking them up and tearing them to pieces.
>Pelt them with a volley of heavy hailstones.
>Send your orbs toward them as projectiles. Your precise commands should make them very effective in combat.
>Create a dense field of clouds and mist, allowing you and the others to make a clean getaway.
>Attack them with miniature storm clouds!
>Use your weather drones to form a large lens, focusing the sun's rays into a devastating solar beam.
>Write-in.

>>4160298
>>Create a tornado behind the bugs, sucking them up and tearing them to pieces.

>>4160308
+1

>>4160308
>>4160414
Roll 1d100, bo3!

Rolled 55 (1d100)

>>4160476

Rolled 91 (1d100)

>>4160476

>>4160483
>>4160488
Taking these and writing...

>91

You send a mental command to your weather drones, and you receive a series of high-pitched beeps and chirps in response. The four of them fly well past the bugs, making them think that you had just missed.

But unbeknownst to them, the drones had begun to tweak the atmospheric pressure and temperature of their surroundings, creating the perfect weather conditions for a devastating twister to form.

The skies darken, and a large shadow casts itself over you and your enemies, but they decide to ignore the foreboding weather conditions in favor of pursuing you. That however, is what led to their undoing, as the hurricane winds began to whip them around and tatter their wings.

By the time they had realized what was going on, they were already trapped in the vortex’s powerful pull. Despite a feeble attempt to break free from Mother Nature’s grasp, the lot of them are sucked into the tornado, never to be seen again.

You will admit that you made the tornado a bit more powerful than you wanted to, but it did the job. And if it wasn’t for you creating an atmospheric bubble around you and your friends, you would have shared the same fate as your pursuers.

“A Theolodite, huh? Nice!” Vaylin screams as she tries to overpower the sound of the galeforce winds blowing past her ears. With the path before you cleared away by the storm, you and the others make your way towards the massive pillar that you had spotted earlier.

------

Upon landing near the base of the pillar, you and Kilik hop off of the bird while Vaylin struggles to get it back under her control. Your partner begins to storm off in the direction of the pillar’s entrance without so much as a mandible click. Something’s seriously wrong here.

>”Hold on, partner. I can’t let you go in there without a plan.”
>”If you keep up this reckless behavior, you’re gonna get all of us killed!”
>”Will you just calm down for a minute? I know that this is personal for you, but I’m gonna need you to be rational here.”
>”Let’s take a moment to go over what we know so far about this situation.”
>"Hey, you alright? What was all of that before?"
>Follow his lead and protect him to the best of your ability.
>Write-in.

>>4161124
>>”Hold on, partner. I can’t let you go in there without a plan.”

>>4161148
+1

>>4161124
>>”Will you just calm down for a minute? I know that this is personal for you, but I’m gonna need you to be rational here.”

>>4161148
>>4161741
Writing...

“Hold on, partner. I can’t let you go in there without a plan.” You declare with conviction in your voice. Kilik turns his head a bit to glance at you, and you almost feel as if you can see the fury and frustration in his otherwise emotionless face.

“Plan? The plan is simple: We go inside, put a stop to my Father’s madness and blow this spire to smithereens.” He states with his usual deadpan expression.

“And what about Animo? Does he have a chance of surviving your rampage?” You inquire sarcastically. Kilik draws his blaster in response, and begins inspecting it for any issues that require his immediate attention.

“If he doesn’t get in my way, sure. But given the severity of the situation, I cannot make any promises.” Kilik states in an infuriating matter-of-fact tone. You’d heard rumors of Kilik’s behavior from when he first began working as a Plumber, and it sounds very similar to the way he’s acting right now.

“Kilik, you’re not thinking straight. This isn’t like you.” You say while trying to place a hand on his shoulder. However, your partner slaps your hand away in a fit of rage.

“No...you’re right.” He admits with his head held low. “I see now that I became weak after being sentenced to exile. I was born to be a hunter, not a law enforcer. I have to put an end to this chaos at any cost, for my people’s sake.” States Kilik as he tightly grips his blaster pistol.

“Do you have any idea how crazy you sound right now?! Are you really gonna throw your life away just to take a shot at your Dad?” You shout as Kilik glares at you with contempt.

“Would it have been different if they were your people?” Kilik asks in a spiteful tone.

“You know that it’s not like that.” You angrily hiss at your partner, offended that he would even suggest such a thing. But before Kilik can respond to your rebuttal, a thick bundle of silk attaches itself to his back and drags him further into the spire. At this point, Vaylin hops off of her bird and tries to chase after him alongside you.

Upon entering the tower, you notice that the entirety of the structure’s interior is decorated with various obstructive web patterns, leading all the way to the top of the building.

Just then, three giant spiders crawl out of hiding and surround the two of you. They’re covered in a white, moss-like substance, and their eyes are a threatening shade of deep red. But their most notable feature would have to be the thick branches and brambles growing from their backs.

What do you do?

>Transform into an alien. (Which one?)
>Form a mana construct beneath you and Vaylin, and use it to quickly raise the two of you to the top of the tower.
>Try to help Vaylin tame one of the wild beasts like she did before.
>Toss a flash grenade onto the ground and attack them with your sword while they’re stunned!
>Try to use the same method you used to get away from the giant mantis, earlier. Maybe it still applies here.
>Write-in.

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

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

Quicklist:
>Big Chill
>Diamondhead
>Zipmunk
>Bloodrush
>XLR8
>Fourcast
>Thriller Whale
>Knuckle Duster
>Hack N’ Slash
>Snapdragon

>>4161976
>>Toss a flash grenade onto the ground and attack them with your sword while they’re stunned!

While we wait for more votes, let me know what you guys thought of Omnipunk. Was there anything you thought I could have done better in the story? Any sort of critique you can think of would be a huge help.

>>4162051
I enjoyed it. Seemed like something right out of shadowrun except not as magical

>>4161976
>Toss a flash grenade onto the ground and attack them with your sword while they’re stunned!

>>4162466
+ 1

>>4162001
>>4162466
>>4162479
Roll 1d100+10, bo3!

Sorry for the delay. Got hit with a mobile band while at work again.

>>4162055
Thanks! I really wanted to flesh the world out some more, but we just didn't have the time.

Rolled 48 (1d100)

>>4162967

Rolled 65 (1d100)

>>4162967

Rolled 59 (1d100)

>>4162967

>>4163189
>>4163281
>>4163379
Writing...

>75

You summon your sword to your side with one hand, and with the other you grab one of your spare flash grenades and toss it to the ground. As the spiders closely inspect the grenade with their numerous eyes, you tint the lenses on your mask and signal Vaylin to cover her eyes.

In a bright white flash, the spiders that once surrounded you are blinded and stunned by your grenade’s explosion. They begin to thrash about wildly in an attempt to recover from their debilitating condition, but before they can do so, you close the distance in a matter of seconds and jab your blade between the eyes of the spider in front of you. It resists the foreign object in its forehead for a moment, but you soon recognize its twitching as a reflexive reaction from a body that no longer possesses a will of its own. Upon retracting your sword, the creature falls over, twitching its legs at set intervals.

As if sensing your presence, one of the spiders crawls towards you with impressive speed. You raise your weapon in order to block his incoming attack, however, the creature is suddenly stopped in place by a powerful electric current projected from Vaylin’s hand. The tentacles on her head begin to float and wriggle in the air, as strands of electricity arc from one tendril to the next.

While the insect is preoccupied with writhing in pain, you take this opportunity to run your sword through the underside of its body. The tip of your blade exits out through the other side, coated in green juices that you don’t dare to identify.

But once you retract our weapon, the last spider latches onto it with its webs. It attempts to reel you in, dragging your entire body towards him in the process. Just then, an idea pops into your head.

You charge up your arc gauntlet, sending powerful jolts of electricity through your sword, and in turn, the webbing connected to it. The current travels through the silk, and enters the body of the spider, causing it to screech and convulse from pain. Soon enough, it falls backwards and rolls onto the ground, its body still smoking from the massive discharge of energy.

“Whoa. That was rad!” exclaims Vaylin with a wide grin.

“Thanks. It’s just a little trick I picked up from a buddy of mine.” you say while thinking of your pal The Cowl. You wonder how he’s doing these days. Has he recovered from his injuries? What does he think of you after seeing the news about you owning the planet. And just like that, your old worries come back to haunt you at the worst possible time.

Gotta stay focused. Kilik’s in danger!

You pull out a purple disk, press your thumb onto its center and toss it onto the ground. Suddenly, the disk unfolds into a rectangular hoverboard. You haven’t used this thing in ages.

“Hop on. We’re going up.” You demand with a sense of urgency in your voice. Vaylin does so without protest, wrapping her slender arms around your waist in order to keep her balance.

(Cont.)

File: Dr._Animo_OS.png (289 KB, 336x942)

289 KB PNG

You slowly raise the board off of the ground, ascending to the top of the tower while avoiding the numerous silk strands that are strung about.

Eventually, you manage to make it to the top, where Kilik is tied up and held at gunpoint by a Ghirgosian that looks incredibly similar to him. The other Ghirgosians seem to be zombified guards, and you recognize the one standing behind them as Kilik’s father.

“Wade Wakeman! You’ve finally arrived!” shouts a familiar voice coming from the ledge of the spire. It’s Animo, and he’s unharmed!

“Sit tight, Animo. We’re getting you out of here.” You say in an attempt to reassure him. However, this causes a look of confusion to spread across his face.

“Leave? Why would I ever want to leave? This planet is a paradise!” He exclaims with his hands raised to the air.

Wut?

“I’ve spent decades trapped on that decrepit rock known as Earth, and now I find out that there’s trillions of alien species just waiting to be discovered. Just think of the scientific implications this has for me!” Animo says with an uncomfortably wide grin and a bit of a sinister life. “The galaxy is simply teeming with life. I can alter their DNA. Help them to evolve!”

>”Come on, Animo. You’ve made too much progress to backslide now!”
>”Remember your breathing exercises, Animo. It’s been a while since you’ve last had your medication.”
>”You can’t force a species to ‘evolve’. We talked about this.”
>”There’s more than one way to be recognized. If you let me help you, I can try to arrange a lab for you again.”
>”I can’t tell you what to do here. It’s your call. But if you decide to do something that would lead to someone else getting hurt, then I’m going to have to stop you.”
>Write-in.

>>4163737
>>”There’s more than one way to be recognized. If you let me help you, I can try to arrange a lab for you again.”
>”I can’t tell you what to do here. It’s your call. But if you decide to do something that would lead to someone else getting hurt, then I’m going to have to stop you.”

>>4163751
+ 1

>>4163737
>”You can’t force a species to ‘evolve’. We talked about this.”
>”Come on, Animo. You’ve made too much progress to backslide now!”
I never thought i would think of Animo as a tragic villain. And yet, here we are. Well done Galva!

>>4164160
Add on 2nd par to >>4163934

>>4164439
*2nd part *

File: Spoiler Image (73 KB, 774x1032)

73 KB JPG

"Come on, Animo. You've made too much progress to start backsliding now!" You shout while removing your helmet. If you want to get through to Animo, you're gonna have to remove the barrier between the two of you.

"Backsliding?! No, this is what I've always wanted!" He exclaims while flashing his slightly yellowed, crooked teeth. "Love. Admiration. Recognition. These people have given me everything I've ever dreamed of. They treat me like a king!"

With a snap of his fingers, the possessed drones drape a flowing, tattered robe over his shoulders. This entire situation is ridiculous. More than half of these guys probably aren't even alive!

"There's more than one way to be recognized. If you let me help you, then I can try and arrange for you to have your own lab again." You say while making a rather enticing offer. Animo appears to falter for a moment as he entertains the idea of having a lab to himself. However, the possessed bugs standing beside him place their large hands on his shoulders, pulling him out of his own head and bringing him back to reality.

"No, it wouldn't be any different from that prison. You'd hire guards to watch me and force me to take those awful drugs again!" Animo clutches the mechanical crown that he'd made for himself earlier. "True genius cannot be contained!"

You notice a bundle of thick roots sprouting from the face of the spire and crawling around Animo's feet. They look eerily similar to centipedes for some reason.

Vaylin cringes and jumps away from the creepy crawlers, seemingly grossed out by their unusual anatomy.

"Just like nature…" Animo whispers with his fists clenched triumphantly. His crown has begun to glow red, and you assume that he may have some part in this unusual phenomena. However, this whole thing started long before any of you got here. There's something more to this.

"You can't force a species to 'evolve'. We talked about this." You rationalize with the most serene expression you can muster at the moment. However, Animo doesn't seem to be budging on this one.

Finally, you sigh and place your helmet back onto your head.

"I can't tell you what to do here. It's your call." The bugs around Animo point their weapons at you, seemingly sensing your hostility. "But if you decide to do something that would lead to someone else getting hurt, then I'm going to have to stop you."

You tighten your grip on your sword and brace yourself for combat, but you're put off by Animo's sorrowful expression. Did he expect you to team up with him or agree with his methods? Has all of this effort just been for nothing?

Just then, a large shadow casts itself over the land, plunging you and the others in darkness.

"W-what's happening?" Animo whimpers, having lost all of his confidence. Kilago responds with a creepy cackle, reminding you that he's still present.

"They have arrived. The Blood Storm!" He exclaims with his hands raised high into the air.

The Sanguinites showed up?! Why now of all times?!

(Cont.)

"Right, we have to stop them." Animo states while placing a hand to his temple. However, the guards around him suddenly point their weapons in his direction.

"Stop? No...let them feast on our brethren. But do not let them feed upon the 'Overgrowth'. This is your purpose for being here." Kilago demands, causing Animo to become more confused than ever.

What the hell is the "Overgrowth"? Is that the thing that's behind all of this? And why would they want the Sanguinites to eat the infected bugs? Unless…

"Wade...we must stop them. If the Sanguinites ingest those Ghirgosians, then they will become the new hosts for those parasites!" Trixy shouts uncharacteristically. Upon hearing this, Kilik's eyes become larger than normal.

"Why are you doing this? What could possibly be hoping to accomplish?!" Kilik inquires with an elevated tone of voice. His brother presses the barrel against his head once more to remind him of his place.

"For years, the prosperity of our people was on the decline. Year after year, more and more of us fell to rival clan members, our newborns fell silent, and our crops withered." Kilago addresses Kilik with a cold gaze that isn't befitting to a father. "And yet, the elders chose to ignore these things, going so far as to refuse the aid of the galactic council for the sake of pride."

These words seem to anger Kilik even further, but he remains silent out of sheer curiosity. And if it weren’t for him and Animo being held hostage, you would have ended this conversation long ago.

“I could no longer endure the sight of my people’s suffering, so I sought ‘outside help’.” Kilago admires the centipede roots that now crawl all over his body. The look of visible disgust on Vaylin’s face is almost palpable.

“The Overgrowth promised to restore Ghirgost to its former glory. We would have enough food to last us centuries, our rival clans would finally unite under one banner, and we would possess an army rivaling that of the Plumber’s!” Kilago exclaims with his fists clenched tightly. “Can’t you see how the Overgrowth has blessed us?”

Kilik wriggles his arms a bit, attempting to find a discreet way to slip out of the webbing. “Then why did you involve Kildred in your little scheme? Couldn't you have at least let him rest in peace?” He asks while glancing at his brother.

Kilago sighs in response and rubs the back of his neck. “That was an unexpected casualty. Once he found out about our plan, the Overgrowth forced me to silence him. Not a day goes by when I don’t miss that boy.”

Kilik’s pupils shrink considerably upon hearing his father’s revelation. “You...you killed him. And you...blamed me for it. You had me banished!” Kilik screams, his words dripping with venom and sorrow.

(Cont.)

“You and your brother were smart. If he figured it out, then you would as well. I had to get you away from Ghirgost in order to spare you from the Overgrowth’s wrath.” Kilago explains with a lighthearted tone. “But you found your way back. I truly do wish that you weren’t on that space station, but it would seem that destiny has brought us together once more.”

Kilik hands his head, trapped between confusion and anger. The high pitched screeches of the Sanguinites draws ever closer, and you begin to make out their individual appearances from where you stand.

“I understand, Father…” Kilik says flatly. He lifts his head ever so slightly and gives an almost imperceptible nod to you. Looks like it’s gonna be a Delta maneuver…

Suddenly, Kilik jumps up and dives into his brother, shoving him to the ground and knocking his gun out of his hand. He quickly turns his back to you, and you use this opportunity to slice the webbing apart, freeing your partner and dissolving the hostage situation for the most part.

However, you still have to free Animo! He's currently surrounded by possessed guards and those creepy centipede roots. Hopefully this will teach him a valuable lesson about freely trusting strangers.

>Tell Animo to duck while you use your Fire Stance to slice the heads off of the guards simultaneously.
>Team up with Vaylin to take out the remaining guards with a series of coordinated attacks.(Water Style)
>Use a mana construct to pull Animo towards you, while Vaylin hits the others with a massive energy pulse.
>Ask Animo to manipulate the mutated roots in order to free himself.
>Transform into an alien. (Which one?)
>Write-in.

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

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

Quicklist:
>Big Chill
>Diamondhead
>Zipmunk
>Bloodrush
>XLR8
>Fourcast
>Thriller Whale
>Knuckle Duster
>Hack N’ Slash
>Snapdragon

>>4164160
Thanks! I'd like to think of him as a victim of circumstance. Animo was a man that went over the deep end and had no one to pull him back. Instead, he was taunted by a precocious 10 year old for being a failure and a freak. His descent into madness is an interesting one to say the least. One that could have been prevented.

>>4164705
>Team up with Vaylin to take out the remaining guards with a series of coordinated attacks.(Water Style)

>>4164705
>Tell Animo to duck while you use your Fire Stance to slice the heads off of the guards simultaneously.

>>4164743
+1

>>4164743
>>4166061
Writing...

Without a word between either you or Vaylin, the two of you sprint towards the remaining guards with your weapons raised. The bugs try to do the same, but are far too slow for your heightened reaction speed.

You twirl your blade over your wrist in order to gain a bit of momentum, before bringing it down upon the neck of the guard standing before you. It’s honed edge glides through its rotting carcass, making a perfectly clean diagonal cut. With another flip of your sword, you impale the insectoid alien attacking you from behind, severing what you assume to be his spine when you retract your blade.

Several others make attempts at your life with their makeshift weapons, but are quickly stopped by Vaylin’s energy attacks. She doesn’t waste much energy dispatching them, either. A quick discharge is all she needs to overload their nervous system. One of them actually explodes from the force of her attack!

Animo cowers behind the only two remaining guards, but you make quick work of them with a single swipe from your sword. As their heads roll to the floor, you approach Animo with a disappointed frown. But it’s not like he can see your face behind the mask, anyways.

“I…I didn’t-” He begins to babble, but can’t seem to find the words to explain his actions.

“I know. We all make mistakes, doc.” You respond while sheathing your sword. “But we also have to learn from them, or else we’ll never get anywhere in life.”

Animo appears bewildered by your lack of frustration, and to be honest, you are too. You were ready to dig into him and really let this guy have it, but you just don’t think it would help at this point. He’s had people calling him a failure his entire life. What he really needs is someone in his corner for once.

As Animo opens his mouth to respond, the centipede vines from earlier coil around his body and drag him over the tower’s ledge. You draw your sword and race to his side, but you’re abruptly cut off by a squadron of ants riding giant dragonflies. Each one carries a powerful blaster rifle that looks as if it can punch a hole through durasteel.

They open fire on your group, forcing you and the others to take cover. Meanwhile, Kilik still seems to be wrestling with his Father and Brother. This must be a very emotional moment for him.

“I’ll help Calvin. You go after the doc.” Vaylin declares as she brandishes her baton. You silently nod to her, while preparing your sore muscles for a daring escape.

What do you do?

>Try to calculate the trajectory of their blaster bolts, and deflect them back with your blade.
>Transform into an alien. (Which one?)
>Unleash a barrage of blaster bolts from your wrist cannons.
>Charge towards them with your energy shields raised and hijack one of the dragonflies when you get close enough.
>Send them flying with a powerful wind spell.
>Write-in.

File: Animo.png (397 KB, 1280x720)

397 KB PNG

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

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

Quicklist:
>Big Chill
>Diamondhead
>Zipmunk
>Bloodrush
>XLR8
>Fourcast
>Thriller Whale
>Knuckle Duster
>Hack N’ Slash
>Snapdragon

>>4166458
>Transform into an alien. (Which one?)
>Zipmunk

>>4166459
>>Transform into an alien. (Which one?)
Zipmunk or Shinobloom

>>4166793
+ 1
Zipmunk

>>4166530
>>4166793
>>4166913
Writing...

File: Zipmunkfinished2.png (3.64 MB, 2819x4616)

3.64 MB PNG

Before you start sprinting out of cover, you slide open your belt’s faceplate and rotate the dial on the Omnitrix’s touchpad. You quickly sift through your quicklist, before finally deciding on one of your most powerful aliens. It’s time to bring the doc back home!

“It’s Show Time!” you shout whilst slamming your hand down onto the Omnitrix’s core. And in a flash of violet light, your body transforms into that of a male Raskadarian in perfect health. You’ve become Zipmunk!

After leaping out of cover, you swiftly dodge the hail of blaster fire coming your way, twisting and curling your small body in order to avoid having your organs turned to mush.

What do you do?

>Barrel through them with a volt tackle and chase after Animo!
>Bounce your body between them like a living pinball, taking them out in quick succession.
>Gather up as much nearby metal as you can and turn it into a wrecking ball constructed from shrapnel and scrap.
>Make the dragonfly's wings stick together through the use of static electricity.
>Go Viral!
>Write-in.

Once again, I apologize for the infrequent updates. My job is considered essential during these trying times and my hours have really started to pick up. It's been a vicious cycle of work and sleep.

>>4167235
>>Bounce your body between them like a living pinball, taking them out in quick succession.

>>4167235
>>Bounce your body between them like a living pinball, taking them out in quick succession.
this sounds like the most fun option to me

Also, don't worry Galvan. We understand. It's been hard for everyone. Just take your time and be sure to stay safe

>>4167525
+1
It's cool Galvan, stay safe

File: a5bGMnE_700b.jpg (44 KB, 700x394)

44 KB JPG

>>4167368
>>4167525
>>4167584
Y'all are absolutely blessed. Make sure you guys stay safe too. I'm forgoing the roll for this one. Writing...

You take a moment to charge up, amplifying the impressive amount of energy already coursing through your body. And in an instant, you shoot yourself towards the enemy, zig-zagging through the air in order to avoid being shot down.

Once you reach the first bug-rider, you deliver an enhanced kick to his chest, while using that very same momentum to kick off of him and send yourself towards the next one. You repeat this process several times, causing your body to ricochet from person to person, back and forth. With each bounce, you drain a bit of energy from their weapon’s power cells, allowing you to amplify your own electric currents.

After making one last round of lightning fast attacks, the bug-riders fall from their mounts, twitching violently as they’re sent hurtling to the ground. With them out of the way, you’re free to chase after Animo.

You cut through the air with your erratic movements and unpredictable course corrections, but these centipede branches find a way to cut you off at nearly every turn! Nearly…

As a last ditch effort, you convert your body into pure energy and phase through the trap that the Overgrowth made for you, allowing you to pursue Animo once more.

Upon searching the area for your companion, you catch a faint glimpse of him being dragged into a deep, dark pit. And you’re very sure that there’s an unholy amount of bugs down there waiting for you. For the time being, you’re able to track Animo through the unique energy signatures that his crown is giving off. But he’s moving fast down there.

However, considering the fact there’s a hungry hoard of carnivores headed your way, you should probably do something fast!

What do you do?

>Track him from above ground, and once he stops, try to tunnel through the dirt.
>Dive down into the tunnel and fry anything that gets in your way!
>Switch to another alien. (Which one?)
>Manipulate the digging equipment in the surrounding area and cause them to go haywire. You’re getting the Overgrowth’s attention one way or another!
>Send a lightning lure into the tunnel. You might be able to snag Animo away from those creepy crawlers.
>Write-in.

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

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

Quicklist:
>Big Chill
>Diamondhead
>Zipmunk
>Bloodrush
>XLR8
>Fourcast
>Thriller Whale
>Knuckle Duster
>Hack N’ Slash
>Snapdragon

>>4168293
>Send a lightning lure into the tunnel. You might be able to snag Animo away from those creepy crawlers.

>>4168450
+1

>>4168293
>>Manipulate the digging equipment in the surrounding area and cause them to go haywire. You’re getting the Overgrowth’s attention one way or another!

>>4168450
>>4168689
Roll 1d100, bo3!

Rolled 20 (1d100)

>>4169176
Cmon dice

Rolled 65 (1d100)

>>4169176

Rolled 88 (1d100)

>>4169176
Show time!
Oh and Galven, you dropped your name! Put your clothes back on! No one wants to see that rn! Maybe, later! ;-)

>>4169508
Nice save!

>>4169200
>>4169265
>>4169508
NOOOO! NOT MY TRIP! MY IDENTITY!

Also, that was a very clutch save. Writing...

File: Animo_reboot.png (440 KB, 1253x1812)

440 KB PNG

>88

Seeing as how you aren’t in the mood to be swarmed by bugs in a cramped tunnel, you decide to try out something new. If you send a lightning lash into the tunnel, you should be able to latch onto the metal bits connected to Animo, allowing you to drag him out. However, this is still just a theory. There’s no guarantee that the lash will have enough strength to drag him back.

“Well, here goes nothing.” You say while lowering your tail into the tunnel and gathering as much energy as you can muster. And in a flash if white light, a rather sizable bolt of electricity explodes from your body. However, instead of allowing it to fly into the air and disperse, you hang onto it, struggling to keep the energy held together in a stable pattern.

Once you feel as if you’ve got the hang of this trick, you shove it down into the tunnel, allowing it to chase after the signal that you sniffed out earlier.

“Time to go fishing!” You shout with a belly full of baseless confidence.

You feel the lightning lash carving through a few solid objects, some of which are probably just rocks, roots and dirt, but you can also feel organic beings mindlessly throwing themselves in the way of your energy construct.

Eventually, you make contact with something that’s fairly close to Animo’s signal. This might just be him!

‘We’ve got a bite!” You exclaim with an enthusiastic grin.

You pull your tail back and focus on toning down the voltage on the lightning lash. After all, there won’t be much of a point in getting Animo back if he’s just a moldering pile of ash. By focusing on absorbing the lash into your body, you begin to carefully reel in whatever you’ve caught.

You try your best to avoid slamming Animo into any walls or obstacles, as that would most likely kill the frail old man.

“Just...a little...more…!” You say while grunting with fervor. This is alot of concentration for an attention span as small as Zipmunk’s.

Sensing that he’s nearby, you give your tail one last tug, pulling Animo up out of the hole and tossing him high into the air. He’s okay! You’ve never been happier to hear an old man scream in terror.

Without delay, you fly up into the air to catch the mad scientist in your skinny little arms. Animo stops screaming as soon as he realizes that it’s you, but his breathing is still ragged. You decide to set the old man down a safe distance away from the tunnel so that he can catch his breath.

“You okay?” You ask while placing a hand on his shoulder. He looks relatively unharmed. Seems like your theory had merit after all.

“Yes..I am fine.” He says with a hand over his chest. “Thank you. I don’t know what I would have done without your help.” Animo admits with genuine gratitude and a hint of shame.

(Cont.)

But before you can respond, the ground begins to quake violently. Large fissures form in the earth, and from the cracks, spring a large quantity of centipede roots. The wriggling roots surround you, rising high into the air and blocking out the sunlight.

Eventually, the ferocious fauna congregate in a single point, coiling and layering themselves on top of one another, until it forms something roughly resembling a human nervous system encased in dirt and jagged rocks. You watch in amazement as two bulbous plants position themselves onto the front of the face, in place of where its eyes should be. And you assume that the large, pulsating bag of goo acts as its brain. This must be the Overgrowth that you’ve heard so much about!

What do you do?

>Try to clear a path for Animo to escape.
>Hit his big gooey brain with a thunderbolt!
>Go Viral!
>Activate the large drill near its feet.
>Convince Animo to attempt his mind control trick on this monstrosity.
>Convince Animo to try to take control of the Sanguinite horde. If anyone can do it, it’s him.
>Switch to another alien. (Which one?)

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

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

Quicklist:
>Big Chill
>Diamondhead
>Zipmunk
>Bloodrush
>XLR8
>Fourcast
>Thriller Whale
>Knuckle Duster
>Hack N’ Slash
>Snapdragon

>>4170383
Okay, this will be a tough one.
>Convince Animo to attempt his mind control trick on this monstrosity.
>Switch to another alien. (Which one?)
Either Thriller Whale to help control the monstrosity, or upgrade to make his equipment more powerfull. After that, we deal with the Sanguine hord.

>>4170627
>>Convince Animo to attempt his mind control trick on this monstrosity.
>>Switch to another alien. (Which one?)
>Either Thriller Whale to help control the monstrosity, or upgrade to make his equipment more powerfull. After that, we deal with the Sanguine hord.
Gonna go with Upgrade.

>>4170901
+1
Yea upgrade

>>4170627
>>4170901
>>4170982
Apologies for the delays. I'm freed up tonight. Writing...

File: Purple_Upgrade.png (3.44 MB, 1920x1080)

3.44 MB PNG

You consider letting Animo flee, but then a brilliant idea pops into your adorable little head. If Animo can manipulate the Sanguintes, then he should also be capable of manipulating the Overgrowth.

“Animo, I need you to use your mind control device on that big plant creature!” you demand with urgency in your voice. The doctor turns to face you with an expression filled with confusion and fear.

“Are you insane?! I’ve never tried to control something that big!” he complains.

“I know. That’s why I’m gonna help you out.” you state while slamming your hand onto your Omnitrix symbol. And in a flash of golden light, you return to your human form. This seems to startle the Overgrowth, as it proceeds to lazily lumber towards you.

Just need a minute to recharge…

“What are you waiting for?!” Animo shouts in a panic. He inches towards you out of fear, but you decide to stand your ground before the arboreal giant.

With a high pitched chirp, the Omnitrix’s faceplate reverts to its usual purple hue. Finally!

You quickly slide the faceplate open and sift through your selection of aliens via the holo interface. Eventually, you decide upon the Galvanic Mechamorph by gently tapping its icon. Here’s hoping that Trixy lets you have this one.

“Show Time!” you shout with a wide grin. As you slam your hand down onto the Omnitrix’s core, your body is swallowed up by a burst of violet light. And in an instant, you take the form of Upgrade!

Without delay, you merge with Animo’s gear, spreading your nanites all throughout the wiring, circuitry and chassis. And what was once a crown, has become a large hovering throne, with thick cables stretching from the back of his head to various sockets in the chair. In a way, the chair is also part of the crown, but your upgrades have greatly increased Animo’s mobility and firepower(so to speak).

The Overgrowth is angered by this sudden development, letting out a deafening bellow as it swipes at you and Animo. However, you easily avoid this attack with your advanced anti-grav tech.

“This is...incredible!” Animo exclaims with a giddy grin. You bet he really feels like a king now that he has a throne.

“We can’t celebrate yet. I still need you to work your magic.” you state with your processed voice.

“But I…” Animo begins, seemingly doubtful of his abilities.

“Look, I’m only asking you to do this because I absolutely know you can pull it off.” You begin. “Do you wanna know why that thing tried to grab you earlier? Why they brought you here in the first place?”

Animo leans closer in order to hear you better, but there isn’t much of a point since you’re projecting this message directly into his ears.

(Cont.)

“It’s because it’s afraid of you. It knew that you were the only one that had a chance of throwing a wrench in its plans. You have the power to control the Overgrowth and the Sanguinites. I know you do.” You say with an encouraging cheer. You feel Animo tightly gripping the armrests of the throne, scraping your metallic flesh with his sharp nails.

“Okay...let’s do this!” He proclaims with conviction. As he places his fingers on the sides of his head, you concentrate on channeling the crown’s energy through the amplifiers that you created while bonding with the device. The purple circuit patterns on your body begin to glow as a massive amount of energy builds up within you.

And right before the Overgrowth can reach you, Animo releases a large pulse of radiation, powerful enough to push the plant creature back. It screeches and writhes in agony as the radiation wracks its grotesque body.

“Obey me!” Animo shouts. And in a burst of violet light, the creature stops moving altogether. Did it work?

“I...I think I have him under control.” Animo reports in between his ragged breaths. “What should I do now?”

“What do you want to do?” you ask hesitantly. It’s a rather dangerous question, considering that he just went on a power trip a few minutes ago. However, you have faith in the doc. You know that he’ll make the right decision.

He looks down for a moment, before nodding firmly and placing his hands on the sides of his head. You notice that the other bugs have stopped moving as well.

“Release these people! And terminate your own life when you’re through!” He demands sadistically. The creature groans and closes its eyes peacefully. Moreover, the bugs that had once been under its control start to move again. Some of them drop to the ground as lifeless husks, but a good number of them still seem to possess a will of their own. Confused whispers fill the lands as Ghirgosians try to make sense of what just happened.

A few seconds later, the Overgrowth proceeds to pierce through its own brain with the centipede roots that it had used to attack Animo. Considering how much it's struggling, it’s a little hard for you to watch. But eventually, it stops moving altogether, with orange sap running down its arms from its damaged brain.

But right when Animo takes a sigh of relief, a loud series of screeches in the distance reminds him of the impending Sanguinite threat.

“Oh, right. We’ve still gotta deal with those guys.” You state with a frustrated sigh. “You got another one of those in you?” You ask Animo with a playful tone.

“I was going to ask you the same.” announces Animo with a cocky grin.

As the horde draws ever closer and the Ghirgosians prepare to defend themselves, Animo releases yet another powerful burst of radiation, large enough to encompass the entire horde!

(Cont.)

“Go back from whence you came! You will not attack another sentient being, ever again!” Animo declares with a belly full of confidence and righteous anger. And without further delay, the Sanguinite horde turns right around and flees the atmosphere. All of you watch carefully as they disappear from sight beyond the cloud line. Hopefully, that’s the last you’ll see of them.

Suddenly, the crowd below you erupts into glorious applause. Animo is a bit put off by their praise, as he had once advocated for their eternal servitude.

>”Take it in, Animo. You just saved an entire species and their home planet.”
>”Being a hero doesn’t seem too bad now, does it?”
>”I knew you had it in you. You just needed to dig deep.”
>”You wanted respect? Here it is.”
>”Great work. We’ll have to team up again sometime.”
>Write-in.

>>4171855
>>”Take it in, Animo. You just saved an entire species and their home planet.”
>>”Being a hero doesn’t seem too bad now, does it?”
>”You wanted respect? Here it is.”

>>4171865
>>4171855
Just another thing to add on
>"It feels good to do good things, doesn't it?"

>>4171855
Man, that was awesome!
>”Take it in, Animo. You just saved an entire species and their home planet.”
>”You wanted respect? Here it is.”
>”Being a hero doesn’t seem too bad now, does it?”

>>4172055
+1

>>4171865
>>4171877
>>4172055
>>4172111
Writing...

“Take it in, Animo. You just saved an entire species and their home planet.” You say in a cheerful tune. Animo just sits and watches the adoring crowd before him, more confused than he is proud.

“They’re...happy? After everything I did?” he questions.

“Of course. Being a hero doesn’t sound too bad now, huh?” you tease while extending a hand to wave back at the Ghirgosians. And after a while, Animo starts to do the same.

“No, I suppose you’re right.” he says with a bright smile. His crimson lenses reflect the grateful faces of the liberated bugs, who now number in the thousands.

“You wanted respect, right? Well, here it is.” you proclaim while giving the doc a thumbs up.

“Hmm. I could get used to this.” Animo admits with a bashful expression. The two of you continue to bask in glory until your Omnitrix starts to beep rapidly.

You let the old man down and detach yourself from his mind control device, before undoing your transformation in a flash of golden light.

Suddenly, you and Animo are immediately swarmed by Kilik’s people and showered with praise and gratitude.

"Feels good to do good, doesn't it?" you ask Animo, but he is nowhere to be found.

"H-help! They're going to eat me!" Animo cries from afar. It would seem that he's now being tossed into the air by the Ghirgosians as a show of celebration.

Somewhere amidst the chaos, you see Kilik and Vaylin descending from the heavens, riding upon the dragonflies that had attacked you earlier. And you recognize the Ghirgosian seated behind Kilik as Kilago, bound in magna-cuffs. The bruises and cracks on his chitin give you an idea of how he fared in his family dispute.

“You guys alright?” you ask as you gently shove the Ghirgosians aside in order to reach your friends. The crowd parts slightly for them, but it does very little to dampen the excitement.

‘A little banged up and grossed out, but that’s becoming pretty common these days.” Vaylin boasts. They dismount the large dragonflies with ease, pulling Kilik’s father along with them. As you look around, you realize that Kilik’s brother is nowhere to be seen. He might have been among the Ghirgosians that dropped dead as soon as the Overgrowth was defeated.

“What should we do with him?” Vaylin asks while poking at Kilago.

That’s a very good question.

>”Let his people decide his fate. We’re done here.”
>”He’s coming with us, obviously. It’s our job as Plumbers to personally see to his punishment.”
>”He’s your father, Kilik. What do you want to do?”
>”I think a proper banishment is in order here. Like Father, like Son.”
>Write-in.

>>4172224
>"He's coming with us, obviously. It's our job as Plumbers to personally see to his punishment."
>"He's your father, Kilik. What do you want to do?"

>>4172224
>>"He's coming with us, obviously. It's our job as Plumbers to personally see to his punishment."
>>"He's your father, Kilik. What do you want to do?"

>>4172224
>"He's coming with us, obviously. It's our job as Plumbers to personally see to his punishment."
>"He's your father, Kilik. What do you want to do?"

>>4172230
>>4172423
>>4172493
Writing...

“He’s coming with us, obviously. It’s our jobs as Plumbers to personally see to his punishment.” you state while proudly flashing your badge. But upon seeing Kilik’s shameful expression, you decide to leave the choice up to him.

“But I mean, he is your father, Kilik. What do you want to do with him?” you inquire suggestively. Kilik clocks his mandibles for a moment, before tightly gripping his father’s shoulder.

“You’re right. As Plumbers, it is our duty to see to his punishment...personally.” he states with a firm nod. Although you’re positive that your partner was practically oozing hostility when he ended that sentence.

And just like that, you and the others are escorted back to Kilik’s village.

--------

Despite your refusal at their suggestion, the Ghirgosians took it upon themselves to hold a large feast in your honor. You were showered with all sorts of gifts and trophies, but you decided to let Animo have them all. It’s not like you have any space in your garage for this stuff.

Sometime during Vaylin’s drinking contest, you manage to slip out without alerting anyone. Just in time too. You drew the line when the village chief started offering Ghirgosian wives to you.

After wandering around for a while, you find Kilik standing over a recently disturbed mound of dirt. That must be his brother buried under there. Guess your assumption was right.

“His body was delivered here by the village guards. I wanted to do something nice for him.” Kilik begins with his antennae erected upright. He must’ve sensed your presence.

You previously considered leaving him to grieve, but it’s pretty rare for him to reach out to you like this.

“We used to play here, often. Ghirgost seemed so much brighter back then.” he continues to reminisce with his head held high. You slowly approach the burial place, drawing your partner’s attention as you arrive by his side.

“After you defeated the Overgrowth, for a short while, we were able to communicate.” Kilik states. “I don’t know how it’s possible, but I just knew that it was him.”

“That’s incredible!” you proclaim loudly. You’ve seen alot of unbelievable things in your time, but communicating with the dead? That’s a new one.

“Yes. It was...good to hear his voice again.” Kilik admits with watery eyes. You had no idea his people could even cry.
Without thinking, you place your hand on his back, causing him to flinch ever so slightly. You’re not sure if that was the right move, but it seemed to provide him comfort, if only a little.

“Wade, I must apologize for earlier. I lost sight of myself and lashed out at you out of anger. It was unfair to you.” Kilik says with an apologetic frown. It’s strange how you can read his nigh imperceptible emotions now.

“It’s okay, Kilik. You were dealing with some pretty heavy stuff back there.” you say in a consoling tone.

“Despite my erratic behavior and abrasive attitude, you’ve kept me on the right path and reminded me of my priorities.” He says while tightly clutching his Plumber’s badge. You’re glad that he’s decided to remain in the organization, at least. “Do you know what we call someone who earns our complete trust after enduring a grueling trial?” he asks.

You shake your head in response.

“Brother.” Kilik states in an uncharacteristically affectionate tone. He then places his large, slender hand on your shoulder.

>”I’m honored…’Brother’.”
>”Likewise, buddy. You know I've always got your back.”
>”Do you want to have dinner at my place tonight?”
>”Are we gonna get matching tattoos now?”
>"Any way I can abbreviate that to 'bro'?"
>”We should come back here someday. Your planet is beautiful when you get past the man-eating predators.”
>Write-in.

>>4172559
Don't make me cry kilik
>”I’m honored…’Brother’.”
>”We should come back here someday. Your planet is beautiful when you get past the man-eating predators.”

>>4172683
+1

>>4172559
>>”I’m honored…’Brother’.”
>>”We should come back here someday. Your planet is beautiful when you get past the man-eating predators.”

>>4172683
>>4172897
>>4173305
Writing...

You remove your helmet and flash a warm smile at your newfound family member.

“I’m honored…’Brother’.” you say with a small bow. Kilik seems to greatly appreciate that, as displayed by his nigh imperceptible grin.

For the next few minutes, you and Kilik pray in silence, honoring Kildred with the Ghirgosian customs that Trixy and Kilik taught you a while back. Kilik seems to be majorly impressed by your knowledge of his people’s ways. And once he’s ready, you and the others prepare to depart Ghirgost.

Kilik shoves Kilago into the ship’s holding cell, and Animo waves goodbye to his adoring fans.

“Next stop, anywhere but here!” Vaylin exclaims with a playful grin. Despite just having participated in a drinking contest, she seems relatively fine.

“Are you sure that you’re good to fly?” you ask cautiously.

“It’s all good, human kid. I’ve got an artificial liver, and it works twice as hard as a Tetramand’s!” she boasts confidently. You and the other just shrug and board her ship without protest.

As the ship lifts off, you and Kilik take a moment to take in the scenery.

“We should come back here, someday. Your planet is really beautiful when you get past the man-eating predators.” you state. Your eyes never leave the foliage or fauna as you speak, and Kilik appears to take pride in the beauty of his planet, as well as your appreciation of it.

“Yes. I would very much like that, Brother.” Kilik admits with his arms crossed. And just like that, you and the rest of your friends depart from the planet, and eventually the system.

---------

Your first stop is dropping Animo off at the hospital. He seemed to enjoy himself much more than you expected, but you had a bit of a scare when he went on his little powertrip. You’ll have to request better accommodations for him later. Maybe Plumber HQ can help him out by giving him a lab.

Either way, you think Animo truly benefited from this little adventure. He’s taken a huge step in the right direction!

----------

After saying your goodbyes to Animo, your next stop is Plumber HQ. You and Kilik toss Kilago into a holding cell, where he will remain until Kilik can get his father processed. Your brother promises to deal with the paperwork, as he feels personally responsible for the events that unfolded. He also promises to pass along the message about Animo, which would help speed up the process of his rehabilitation.

Having a brother is actually pretty cool! Your partner is friendlier than ever now.

-----------

Once your business with Kilik and Animo is concluded, Vaylin drops you back on Earth. You remove your armor beforehand in order to avoid being spotted by the public.

“Thanks for everything, Vaylin. The Plumbers will be sure to reimburse you.” you declare with half-hearted confidence. But your driver just puts a hand up and smiles.

(Cont.)

“I owe you my life, human kid. And that’s worth at least a 50% discount!” she says with a wink and a finger gun. That works for you!

“Stay safe, Vaylin.” you say as you turn your back and prepare to depart.

“Take care, Wade. I’ll see ya around.” she mutters. And before you can turn back around, Vaylin has already blasted off into the clouds. Did she just use your real name?

Once you realize that people are starting to stare, you shrug it off and begin walking home.

---------

On the way back home, your neighbors greet you warmly for the first time in a while. Since you’re usually fighting crime around this time, they rarely get to see you.

As you approach your front door, you slide your key through the slot and disable the high-tec safeguards that you put into place. As soon as the door swings open, your kids race to tackle you.

“Wade!” they shout with overflowing enthusiasm. You prepare to embrace them, and out of the corner of your eye, you spot K8-E smiling at you from the kitchen. She’s wearing that cute little apron that the kids bought her, too.

>”Honey, I’m home!”
>”Who wants alien souvenirs!”
>”Oh man I missed you guys!”
>”You wouldn’t believe the day I had.”
>”I wasn’t gone that long, was I?”
>”Something smells amazing!”
>Write-in.

>>4173451
>”Something smells amazing!”
>”You wouldn’t believe the day I had.”

>>4173451
>”Honey, I’m home!”
>”Something smells amazing!”
>”You wouldn’t believe the day I had.”

>>4173753
+1

>>4173453
>>4173753
>>4174418
Writing...

File: K8-E.jpg (45 KB, 786x1017)

45 KB JPG

“Honey, I’m home!” you shout from the top of your lungs, eliciting a giggle from your reptilian lover. ML-E and EN barrel into your chest, while N8 pretends to not care like always. You pat their heads affectionately, and give N8 a firm pat on the back so he doesn't feel left out.

“Something smells good!” you exclaim while lifting the tiny tots up into your arms. And as you approach K8-E, she lifts a ladle full of a curious looking purple liquid and offers it to you. The aroma is deep and pungent, and you feel as if it became a bit sour when you drew closer to it.. You almost feel as if it could get stuck in your throat. You don’t think you care much for the smell, but maybe it’ll taste different.

She tilts the ladle back as soon as your lips meet the stainless steel, and the pungent liquid pours down onto your tongue, and with an unknown gritty substance. The broth is admittedly very zesty, with a slightly bitter aftertaste. You’re still very unsure about the taste.

“How is it?” she asks with eager eyes.

“It’s...interesting.” you confess while smacking your lips together. K8-E is confused by your reaction, so she decides to have a taste herself. She rubs her chin for a moment, before snapping her claws together and sprinkling a white powder into the pot.

“Mm. Needs more Krakoan Bone Powder.” she whispers under her breath. “Sit down with the kids and prepare the table. Dinner will be ready in just a minute. Maybe less.” K8-E declares confidently. And knowing her, she’s telling the truth. Better get things ready.

-------

After making sure that the kids wash their hands, you seat everyone at the table and wait patiently for your meal to arrive. However, you don't have to wait very long.

Within seconds, K8-E places your bowls onto the table and sits down directly across from you.

“Alright everyone, dig in!” she exclaims with glee. The kids begin scarfing down their food in record time, while you decide to take your time with the meal. It’s definitely gotten grittier, but the pungent aroma is much more pleasant than before. It clings to your throat and lingers on your tongue, making you crave more after each bite. And the tiny little tentacles and slime chips give the dish a very interesting texture.

Eventually, you’ve cleaned your plate without even realizing it! The look of satisfaction on K8-E’s face is downright adorable.

“Oh man, K8! This is awesome!” you proclaim while raising your bowl. Just then, Olumar floats over to the table and collects the bowls and silverware from everyone.

“Welcome back, master.” Olumar says with a small bow. She’s been doing an amazing job with the kids, and she’s even started picking up on the housework. So long as it involves her being INSIDE the house.

(Cont.)

File: K8-E Halloween.jpg (1.88 MB, 3741x3741)

1.88 MB JPG

“Good to be back, blue.” you say as you lean back into your chair. “Oh man, you guys wouldn't believe the day I had.” you begin. After receiving your second serving, you recount the tale of your latest adventure. K8-E and the kids hang onto every detail, and you can tell that they’re on the edge of your seats. You always have the best stories.

“You fought bugs?! Ew!” ML-E says with disgust. She even goes as far as imitating the act of gagging.

“That sounds so sick!” EN exclaims with his usual outside voice.

“You didn’t bring back any diseases, did you?” N8 inquires while peeking up from his cell phone.

“So I take it that you managed to convince Animo to give up his villainous ways?” K8-E asks while allowing her kids to chatter amongst themselves.

“I don’t think he was ever a villain. Just misunderstood and misguided.” you admit with a sense of pride.

Dinner proceeds smoothly from then on. Olumar sits down to join you at some point. She eats very little, but feeds the rest to Slate, as he patiently waits at the edge of the table. After the third or fourth serving, the kids retire to their rooms for the night, leaving you and K8-E alone in the living room.

She takes a minute to wash all of the dishes, and you and Olumar try your best to dry the dishes for her. It wasn’t easy with how fast she was working, but you managed to get the job done.

“Oh, I almost forgot! Right after you left, my sister told me that she’s getting married!” K8-E says with a squeal. You didn’t even know she was seeing someone.

“That’s great! When’s the wedding?” you ask while drying your hands.

“Next week.” she mentions nonchalantly. That’s really soon!

>”A big fat alien wedding? Sounds like fun!”
>"I don't have to be in Kineceleran form to attend, do I?"
<"How do your weddings work, anyway?
>”Your sister works fast, huh?”
>”Don’t people usually bring dates to those things? Got an idea of who you’re inviting?"(Flirty)
>”How long has she even known this guy, anyway? Are you sure she's not rushing into anything?"
>”Looks like I’m gonna need a new suit.”
>Write-in.

File: Alternate_Ben_10000.png (254 KB, 1024x576)

254 KB PNG

Oh wow I fucked up that dialogue option. Well, I'm not deleting it again, so you guys know the drill.

>>4174476
>"How do your weddings work, anyway?"
>”Looks like I’m gonna need a new suit.”

>>4174476
>>"How do your weddings work, anyway?"
>>”Looks like I’m gonna need a new suit.”
>”Don’t people usually bring dates to those things? Got an idea of who you’re inviting?"(Flirty)

>>4174952
+1

>>4174952
>>4175026
Just got home from work. Writing...

“How do your weddings work, anyways?” you ask out of genuine curiosity.

“First, we appreciate a thrilling light show made from the lightning rods that are placed around Kinet. Then, we are forced to endure a rather grueling wait in order to teach everyone about the values of patience and understanding. However, the guests are allowed to partake in small talk in order to stave off boredom.” K8-E explains. It’s starting to sound very similar to human weddings.

“And after the bride and groom make their arrival, the ceremonial grounds are organized right before us by trained professionals.” she continues.

“That actually sounds pretty interesting. What does the ceremony involve?” you ask while leaning against the kitchen counter.

“Unlike humans, Kincelerans give their vows while running. They run along a mountain path with difficult terrain, known as the Hephaustian Trail.” she describes with a nostalgic expression. “And during the run, the husband must act as a windbreaker for his wife, running in front of her to take the brunt of the mountain’s brutal winds, allowing his wife to run freely, unimpeded by the harsh weather conditions.”

“That sounds a bit harsh for the groom.” you remark absentmindedly.

“The switch places as they take their vows. This is done in order to give the wife an idea of what the husband must endure. Pain must be shared between those who would intertwine their lives with one another.” K8-E says with a sense of adoration. That actually sounds pretty cool.

“So what happens next?” you ask as the two of you make your way to the couch.

“The bride and groom procure a pair of refined Kalpys crystals and race back to the top of the mountain, where the two of them make the crystal into an accessory for the other to wear. It does not have to be a ring, however.” she states as she wiggles her fingers. “It can be any piece of jewelry, so long as it is displayed visibly on both the bride and groom.”

“That sounds beautiful. But what do they do after they exchange crystals and vows?” you inquire with slightly narrowed eyes. Slowly, your fingers trace along the curve of her thighs, but she doesn’t do anything to stop you. She either doesn’t notice, or she doesn’t mind you doing it.

“After that, everyone races down the mountain and returns to the venue, where the members of the immediate family give speeches and take part in performances. From there, everyone present is allowed to dance to their heart’s content. Although with our pearls, it’s more like roller skating.” she says while giggling.

“Don’t people usually bring dates to these things? You got an idea of who you’re thinking of inviting?” you tease playfully. She narrows her eyes in response, allowing her filed claws to scale your chiseled chest.

(Cont.)

“Oh I don’t know. I was thinking of someone who’s tall…” K8-E whispers as she draws closer to you. “Strong…” You can feel her warm breath on your skin. “And warm-blooded…” she says softly with an alluring expression.

“Looks like I’m gonna need a new suit.” you say with a smooth, enticing growl.

K8-E quickly covers your mouth and bursts into uncontrollable laughter, which leads to the two of you aggressively tickling one another. She squirms and wiggles in your arms, laughing all the while. Tickling escalates to playful wrestling, but that doesn’t last very long.

You stop for a moment, staring deep into her orange eyes and feeling the warmth of her body upon yours. And in an instant, the two of you are all over each other. Carnal desire kicks in, and all of your worries melt away.

That is until your communicator chirps rapidly. Upon closer inspection, you see that it’s a message from The Cowl. It reads “We need to talk. It’s important.”

‘What is it?” K8-E asks with a concerned face.

>”It can wait.”
>”I'm sorry. I think I need to take this.”
>”I’ll just let Trixy answer it for me.”
>”This won’t take long. I’ll be right back.”
>”Nothing important. Don’t worry about it.”
>No time for words. Just kiss the girl!
>Write-in.

>>4176505
>>”This won’t take long. I’ll be right back.”

>>4176505
>”I'm sorry. I think I need to take this.”
>”This won’t take long. I’ll be right back.”
>give her a kiss before going

>>4176854
This

>>4176854
>>4176931
Writing...

You sigh deeply and reposition yourself in order to get up. “I’m sorry, I need to take this.” you say with a disappointed grimace. “I promise it won’t take long. I’ll be right back.”

K8-E scoots over in order to let you get up, and she nods her head with a slight pout. You grab your communicator and armor cube, but before you leave, you lean down to plant a kiss on K8-E’s lips.

“You’d better be back soon.” she says with slightly flushed cheeks. You flash a pleasant grin, before heading towards the garage for a bit of privacy. It’s a bit dusty since it hasn;t been cleaned in a while, but your bike is in pristine condition.

“Just the mask, please.” you request while tapping your index finger onto the Techadon cube. And without delay, Trixy spawns your mask from a mere fraction of the metal cube.

As you equip the mask, you set the communicator down and accept The Cowl’s holo-call request. In a flash of cyan light, a miniaturized image of the caped crusader forms in the palm of your hand. He seems to have fully recovered from his injuries.

“Did I catch you at a bad time?” he asks with his arms folded beneath his closed cape.

“Kinda. What’s the urgent news?” you inquire while sitting on top of a nearby cooler.

“After news got out about you owning the planet, civil unrest reached an all-time high. Authorities are getting scared and desperate.” The Cowl states with urgency in his voice. You can see him fiddling with a datapad of some sort during the call.

“Aren’t you going to ask?” you question hesitantly.

“About what?” he responds, his yellow lenses flaring ever so slightly.

“About me owning the planet. I thought you of all people would want to know the story behind that.” you explain.

“I already do.” he says nonchalantly. “Goose told me. She happens to know a great deal about your personal life. But I forbade her from indulging information regarding your identity.”

The mysteries surrounding Goose keep piling up with each passing day.

“And you’re...okay with that?” you ask.

“After doing some research of my own, Goose’s story checks out. And since you haven’t given me a reason to doubt you yet, I shall remain your ally.” he says without a hint of malice or resentment.

Man, The Cowl’s actually a really cool guy. You aren’t sure how most members of the hero community are feeling towards you, but you’re glad to know that this one is looking out for you.

“Wow, that’s...really cool of you. Thanks.” you say with a bashful expression.

(Cont.)

“You made a tough decision that ended up saving all life on Earth. For a man to be punished for such a noble and selfless act...there must be something wrong with those meting out judgement.” The Cowl proclaims with a clenched fist. “I will do everything I can on my end to make sure your name is cleared, so for now, let us move on to more pressing matters.”

He presses a button on his gauntlet, causing an additional window to pop up. Inside of it, is a video which seems to have been recorded during your absence at City Hall.

During the recording, you see Lieutenant Steel giving a rather dry speech about justice and honesty before a large crowd of people. But sometime during that speech, you notice a rather suspicious figure stepping onto the stage.

“Is that...BLAST SHADOW?!” you loudly exclaim. Immediately afterwards, you’re reminded of your kids sleeping in their rooms, so you quickly cover your mouth in order to prevent anymore outbursts. The Cowl tilts his head at an awkward angle out of curiosity, but does not pry any further. “What’s he doing there? I thought he was in prison.” you say in a hushed tone.

“He was, until he was given a full pardon by a group of ambiguous authority figures. And he isn’t the only one.” he exclaims while tapping away at his datapad. A series of images pop up on the screen alongside the video window. “Several others have also come forward and have confessed to renouncing their criminal ways. In return for contributing their services to the local authorities and US military, their sentences are reduced.”

>”This is insane! They’re letting villains do their dirty work for them now?”
>”We already have heroes patrolling the streets at all hours. Why do we need the support of these scumbags?”
>”Is this about me? I feel like it’s because of me.”
>”There’s now way they managed to break the will of a super-powered terrorist this fast. Something’s definitely up.”
>”And the public just accepted this without asking any questions?”
>”Did you happen to catch Darcy’s news report about me? Was it positive at all?”
>”So what, are they a Suicide Squad or something?”
>Write-in.

>>4177224
>”So what, are they a Suicide Squad or something?”'
>>”There’s now way they managed to break the will of a super-powered terrorist this fast, as hopeful as I am that's the case. Something’s definitely up.”
>”Did you happen to catch Darcy’s news report about me? Was it positive at all?”

>>4177242
+1

>>4177224
>”So what, are they a Suicide Squad or something?”
>”And the public just accepted this without asking any questions?”
>”There’s now way they managed to break the will of a super-powered terrorist this fast. Something’s definitely up.”

>>4177242
>>4177671
Writing...

“So what, are they some sort of Suicide Squad or something?” you ask while chortling. However, The Cowl just tilts his head in response.

“I beg your pardon?” he inquires, seemingly being unaware that you were making a joke. Man you wish Ollie was here to hear that one. You wonder what she's been up to lately.

“Nevermind...” you resign with a sigh. “Anyhow, I don’t believe for a second that they managed to break the will of an international terrorist within a few days. I mean, it’d be cool if it were true, but I highly doubt it. Something’s definitely up.” you remark whilst stroking the protective plate over your chin.

“I agree. Considering Blast Shadow’s Anarchist views, it’s difficult to believe that he would turn over a new leaf and become a government lapdog. There has to be something in it for him.” the Cowl declares, narrowing his eyes curiously.

The Cowl’s right, but you’re even more concerned about Steel’s involvement in all this. Blast Shadow nearly killed him, caused a full-blown prison break, and threatened to release one of the most dangerous Metahumans on the planet. If he wasn’t convinced that BS was bad news after all of that, then he’s an even bigger meathead than you thought.

Gotta think positive. Maybe he’s being threatened or blackmailed. Or maybe...maybe he’s just a bad guy...

This is going to require further investigation...

“On another note, have you seen Darcy’s news report by any chance? Was it positive at all?” you ask hesitantly.

“Well…” he begins. Never a good sign. “Ms. Drew did try to defend you to an extent, but Will Harangue wasn’t nearly as merciful. He didn’t let a single chance to slander you slip by, and it would seem that many of the viewers agreed with him. He was mostly ignored before, but now the number of his supporters has more than doubled in the past week alone.”

Yeah...you were sort of expecting that. The ominous warning that Olumar gave you a while back is beginning to seem more and more relevant. With the public against you, it's going to become much more difficult to do your job from now on.

“I had originally intended to request you assistance in a recon mission to infiltrate Time-Out’s headquarters. But seeing as how you’re currently under the scrutinizing eye of the public, it might not be such a good idea to involve you in the operation.” The Cowl confesses with his arms folded and his head lowered.

>”Shouldn’t be a problem if we don’t get caught, right?”
>”What if I changed my costume? That should confuse anyone that spots us.”
>”I can stay in my alien forms for an extended period of time if necessary. If I cover up my Omnitrix symbol, they’d just think I was a regular alien.”
>”Yeah, you’re right. Just...be careful, alright?”
>”Do the other heroes hate me too? I haven’t spoken to any of them in a while.”
>Write-in.

>>4178392
>>”Yeah, you’re right. Just...be careful, alright?”
>>”Do the other heroes hate me too? I haven’t spoken to any of them in a while.”
>"And while I can't be an active party in this, I can still offer my thoughts on all this if you ever need someone's help in planning."

>>4178396
+1

>>4178392
>”What if I changed my costume? That should confuse anyone that spots us.”
>”Do the other heroes hate me too? I haven’t spoken to any of them in a while.”

>>4178396
>>4178472
Writing...

“Yeah, you’re right.” you admit through tightly clenched teeth. “Just...be careful, alright?”

"Of course. I’m nothing if not cautious.” he boasts. But you’re pretty sure this is also the same guy that glides across rooftops every night.

“Oh, and while I can’t be directly involved in this mission, I can still offer my help during the planning phase if you guys need it.” you say with impressive speed.

“I’ll keep you posted, then. But first, I will have to find someone else to assist me in your stead.” The Cowl explains.

“Speaking of, do the other heroes hate me too? I haven’t spoken to any of them in a while.” you state with a hint of fear. The Cowl squints his eyes ever so slightly and rubs his chin inquisitively.

“Wilderbee has been the most vocal amongst the hero community, but he hasn’t said anything that can be qualified as slander. Rather, his lack of information has only made him crave your presence even more. He currently awaits your response to appear on his show, but it is unlikely that he will be satisfied with a ‘no’ at this point.” The Cowl says while chuckling discreetly.

Wilderbee isn’t a bad guy, and frankly, you’re shocked that he hasn’t joined Harangue in an attempt to ape more views. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to take him up on his offer.

“And Birdie’s been asking about you nonstop. She seems to have taken a liking to you.” The Cowl says with a slightly upbeat tone. You’re relieved to hear that nonetheless. Birdie’s always been cool with you, and you’d hate for this incident to drive a wedge between the two of you. Even if she is a kid. “As for the others, their opinion on you is rather split at the moment. The best advice I can give you right now is: Be careful.”

“Thanks. You do the same, partner.” you say with a brief salute. The Cowl gives you a curt nod before signing off, and you exhale deeply in order to release the stress that’s been building in you for the past few minutes.

If the cops, military and hero community is really gunning for you, then it might be best to stay low to the ground. And that’s not even mentioning the villains!

At times like this, you’re grateful that your friends and family are behind you. That includes the new Multiverse team you joined. You haven’t heard from anyone ever since you beat up Eon’s cronies. Could he really have nothing left under his sleeve, or is he just biding his time?

You guess there’s no point in fretting over it now. Might as well get back to K8-E and enjoy the rest of the night.

As you unequip your helmet and open the garage door, you see K8-E waiting at the entrance with a troubled expression.

“Is everything okay?” she asks. But you can tell that it’s just a courtesy. She must’ve heard a bit of that conversation just now.

(Cont.)

“...I don’t know.” you shamefully admit, feeling more vulnerable than ever. And that’s when your lover extends her arms and pulls you close to her chest in an attempt to comfort you. Maybe there’s still some magic left in this dreary night.

-----------

Upon waking up, you turn to see your blue bundle of joy sleeping peacefully. The rhythm of her breaths is somehow soothing to you on this quiet Sunday morning.

You reach over to grab your communicator, being extra careful so as to avoid waking K8-E. And to your surprise, you have a message from Wendy! You haven’t seen her in ages!

The message reads: “Swing on down to Undertown, Baby Bro. Got something you might wanna see.”

Sounds ominous. What do you plan on doing with your day?

>Pay Wendy a visit in Undertown.
>Visit Cooper’s Mom. You still need to fetch that harddrive.
>Travel to the Nexus and attend Peacock’s “special course”.
>Pay a visit to one of your teammates. (Charmy, Gwen, Red)
>Check on Olivia and see what she’s been up to.
>Make a second attempt at organizing a peaceful brunch with your family. Bring K8-E this time!
>Take Wilderbee up on his offer to go on his talk show.
>Write-in.

>>4178760
Hmmm decisions decisions
Will there be consequence in post poning Wendy request or is there time to do other stuff first?

>>4179447
She can stand to wait a few days if you notify her beforehand.

>>4178760
>>Visit Cooper’s Mom. You still need to fetch that harddrive.
>Message Wendy if we can meet up tomorrow evening.
>Travel to the Nexus and attend Peacock’s “special course”.

>>4179512
+1

>>4179512
>>4179908
Writing...

As much as you’d love to visit Wendy on a whim, there’s a few other things you promised to attend to first. The most important being the hard drive that Cooper asked you to get. If you remember right, it’s supposed to have info that Time Out was willing to kill for. It might prove invaluable to The Cowl’s investigation, so that’s going to be your top priority. And after that, you think you’ll travel to the Nexus and drop in on one of Peacock’s “special courses”.

You quickly reply to Wendy’s request, telling her that you will visit her tomorrow instead. It didn’t sound like a distress call or anything like that, so you assume that she should be able to wait a day or two.

Sneaking out of bed without waking your girlfriend is no easy feat, but ever since you became a full-time hero, you’ve gotten much better at eliminating unnecessary movements whenever possible.

As you prepare your outfit for the day, you receive a response from Wendy. It reads: “You’d better. Things are about to get real hot down here, real soon.”

You’re unsure at why she’s being so cryptic about this, but you guess you’ll find out soon enough.

After getting dressed and grabbing your Techadon cube, you plant a gentle kiss on K8-E cheek and head for the door. Unsurprisingly, the kids are still asleep. The only one awake at this hour is Slate, who opens an eye to glance at you before closing it again. You remember Kirby and Hope telling you that he is unable to sleep, and instead enters a state of semi-conscious inactivity. Sort of like a trance. Makes him the perfect guard dog, with the last line of defense being Olumar.

As soon as you exit your home and lock the door behind you, your neighbor Bob waves over to you from his riding mower. You halfheartedly wave back before opening your garage door and pulling your bike out. Its built-in cloaking system should help you to change its appearance. The last thing you need is for someone to figure out your secret identity.

You don your helmet, rev up your engine, and shoot down the street, disappearing over the horizon and merging with oncoming traffic.

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

Once you’ve made it Cooper’s house, you’re hit by a sudden wave of nostalgia that you hadn’t felt in a long time. This little yellow house looked so much bigger to you as a kid.

But you don’t have time to stroll down memory lane. Now that you’re here, you have to figure out how to approach this situation. Do you just walk up and ask for the hard drive? What if Cooper’s Mom says no? She should remember you from your childhood, but that doesn’t exactly promise anything. And she might be especially irritable because she hasn't seen her son ever since he got arrested.

There’s also the possibility of you just sneaking in and taking the drive for yourself. That would certainly save you some trouble.

(Cont.)

What do you do?

>Just knock on the door and talk to her like an old friend. So long as she lets you in her house, you can handle the rest.
>Skip the pleasantries and directly ask for the drive. You can’t afford to waste time here.
>Sneak inside with one of your stealthier aliens and steal the drive.
>Explain the entire situation to Cooper’s Mom. She deserves to know what’s going on with her son.
>Write-in.

>>4180790
>Sneak inside with one of your stealthier aliens and steal the drive.

>>4180790
>>Sneak inside with one of your stealthier aliens and steal the drive.

>>4181182
+1

>>4180819
>>4181182
>>4181321
Running low on time, so I'll try to write the update while I'm at work.

File: ghostfreak_by_mimint_d7x8(...).jpg (72 KB, 752x1063)

72 KB JPG

You consider being upfront with Mrs. Daniels at first, but something tells you that you’d be wasting your time with that approach. Better to just snag the drive and dip out.

Leaving your bike parked by the side of the road, you dive behind a nearby hedge and slide open your Omnitrix’s faceplate. If you’re looking for a stealthy alien, then Ghostfreak would be the way to go!

Upon selecting the Ectonurite, you slam your hand down onto the Omnitrix core, causing your body to be swallowed up by a brief flash of violet light. And in an instant, your bones, flesh, muscle, and everything in between is crushed up and stretched thin. Your arms become elongated, and you feel your organs shifting into forms that you don’t quite recognize. Just then, this horrifying, mangled mess that you once called a body is wrapped up in a white, thin membrane resembling skin. And the only part of your body that peeks out of the protective layer is a solitary eye.

You’ve become Ghostfreak!

As soon as you feel the transformation taking shape, you shift into your incorporeal form in order to avoid being spotted. Your slender body flows like fabric as you slither through the air, inching towards the Daniels’ household. So far, so good.

Phasing through the wall is child’s play for you, and Mrs. Daniels appears to be preoccupied in the living room. Sounds like she’s enjoying a comedy movie of some sort.

Once you’ve confirmed her position, you float towards the second floor in order to find Cooper’s room. It takes you a couple of tries, but you finally manage to get it right when you spot the door with the “KEEP OUT!” sign on it. That honestly should’ve been a no-brainer for you.

Upon entering the room, you come to find that Cooper’s room still looks very much “lived in”. As in, it probably hasn’t been touched or cleaned ever since he left. Maybe his Mom expected him to come back at some point. Or maybe he never left home at all.

Considering the state of his room, finding this drive is gonna take a bit longer than you thought.

--------

After digging through a week’s worth of dirty laundry and raunchy magazines, you finally manage to find something that resembles the drive that Cooper described. It looks like a tiny rectangular red box with black bars lining the sides. Now to take this home and-

“Hold it right there.” demands a woman’s voice in the corner of the room, followed by a sharp click. As you turn around to face the source of the voice, you see Cooper’s Mom holding a plasma pistol in your direction. And for some reason she’s wearing a pair of high tech goggles with multiple lenses pulled over her eyes.

As you move from side to side, the muzzle of her blaster follows you accurately. She can definitely see you. Or she at least has a vague idea of where you are.

(Cont.)

“I knew someone would come for the drive eventually. Who do you work for? Russia? Korea? China? Canada?!” she shouts with her lips curled into an aggressive frown. She looks the same as you remember, if only a bit more wrinkled. Her short gray hair made her appear to be older than she really was, but you think she might’ve had it dyed.

What do you do?

>Start speaking in tongues to confuse her.
>Make a break for it!
>”I’ll bring it right back. Scout’s honor.”
>Open your first layer of skin order to scare her a bit.
>Snatch her gun away with your tendrils.
>Try to possess her and make her pass out on the couch.
>Write-in.

>>4183044
>>Start speaking in tongues to confuse her.

>>4183044
well, shit. Should have guessed it wouldn't be so easy.
>Make a break for it!
let's try to avoid hurting her. She can see us, but we can still just pass through the ground and run for it.

>>4183375
+1 Also
>Snatch her gun away with your tendrils.

>>4183508
Changing to >>4183401

>>4183401
>>4183687
Roll 1d100+10, bo3!?

Rolled 54 + 10 (1d100 + 10)

>>4183692

Rolled 81 + 10 (1d100 + 10)

>>4183701

Rolled 77 (1d100)

>>4183687
Rolling
>>4184635
Nice roll

>>4183708
>>4184635
>>4184843
Writing...

>91

You don’t have time to explain any of this to your crazy friend’s crazy mom. You’re out of here.

But as soon as you turn to fly out of the room, a stream of tan, viscous gunk flies past your face and solidifies against the wall.

“Blast! Missed him by a hair.” Mrs. Daniels curses. By sliding your eye to your back, you spot her reloading some sort of wrist mounted device with brown liquid oozing out of it. What is that stuff?

Incidentally, you happen to notice that a bit of the gunk has stuck to your shoulder and...hold up. This stuff actually touched you in your intangible form? That’s...never happened before…

“I won’t miss this time!” she shouts with vigor. And now that you’re aware of the device’s capabilities, you think it might be best to get out of here as soon as possible!

You clutch the drive close to your chest, hoping that she doesn’t hit it with a stray blaster bolt. Being able to freely move your eye along your body helps you to avoid any incoming projectiles or obstacles, but you aren’t sure how long your luck will last. If you can’t find a way to sneak this drive out of here before you get caught, then you might just lose to this 40-something year old spinster.

As you slither through the normal looking house, you begin to notice some advanced security countermeasures that don’t fit the house’s modest design.

Plasma nets pop out of the walls and launch themselves at you, mono-molecular buzz-saws swing from the ceiling, and a set of complex interconnected laser arrays slowly moves towards you.

And the craziest part about all of this is how Mrs. Daniels is swiftly dodging all of this stuff!

“You’re a crafty one. Time to bring in the big guns!” she says with a cocky grin. And without warning, she lets out a sharp whistle, signaling what you can only describe as an army of roombas to come after you. And they do in fact have very large weapons attached to them.

Just then, you spot an open window down a distant hallway. Escape route secured! Now if only you can get there in time before these killer roombas catch you!

As the scathing plasma bolts wiz past your body, you tighten your grip on Cooper’s hard drive, focusing all of your energy onto evading the full force of the Daniels’ security systems. And right before the window snaps shut with a sharp click, you slide your slender body through the narrow crack, allowing you to safely escape Cooper’s house.

You breathe a sigh of relief as Ms. Daniels stares you down with her makeshift goggles. It seems that she doesn’t intend to chase you any further than from the comforts of her own home. Lucky you.

And without a word, you wave at her and fly off towards an isolated part of the neighborhood. You’re glad that you know the area so well.

(Cont.)

--------

Upon timing out, you summon your bike and command it to come to your location. And as soon as it arrives, you socket the drive into a compartment beneath the handlebars.

“Take this back home for me and start decrypting it. Knowing Cooper, he’s definitely had this drive heavily heavily encrypted.” you say while gently patting the bike.

“Very well.” Trixy confirms. And in an instant, your bike cloaks itself and drives forwards at full speed. Hopefully it doesn't hit anybody, or vice versa.

Now that that’s done, you think you might visit the Nexus. Peacock’s proposition is starting to seem more and more enticing with each passing day. If he can give you a crash course on nearly every subject then that’d be a huge help.

With the press of a button and about 3 different clearance codes, you open up a bluish white portal in the middle of the alley. Time to go back to school.

---------

Once you exit the portal, you’re immediately greeted by a gang of Ben’s bumping into you. They apologize shortly afterwards, but you’re still a bit dazed from the experience. This place looks so much livelier than before. It's practically crawling with Ben's. Not that it needed anymore...

Ever since Eon’s cronies culled your numbers by more than half, Ben 10K and the rest have been wary about who they choose to offer membership cards to. However, that doesn't seem to have impeded their recruitment drive at all. And from the looks of things, you’re guessing that everyone’s getting pretty comfy now that they know that Eon’s minions are locked up in holding cells. Things are finally starting to look up.

How do you feel about the whole situation?

>They went down too easy. Eon must be plotting something. You can feel it.
>”The Heir” is still unaccounted for. So long as he runs free, Eon’s still got a powerful minion in his employ.
>Eon might be tough, but there’s now way that he can beat all of you. Especially with Ben 10K on your side. Besides, a little relaxation never hurt anybody.
>Without a Big Bad to focus on, this might just end up becoming an after school club like Albedo mentioned. You hope the others don’t get too complacent.
>Your enemies got cocky and they suffered a huge loss for it. But that doesn’t mean you can afford to do the same.
>Write-in.

>>4184995
>Your enemies got cocky and they suffered a huge loss for it. But that doesn’t mean you can afford to do the same.

>>4184995
>>Your enemies got cocky and they suffered a huge loss for it. But that doesn’t mean you can afford to do the same.
>”The Heir” is still unaccounted for. So long as he runs free, Eon’s still got a powerful minion in his employ.

>>4185268
+1

>>4185268
>>4185564
Writing...

You can’t help but think that your enemies got cocky before and during that fight. And because of that, they suffered a huge loss. However, that doesn’t mean you can afford to do the same. Grandpa always taught you that getting overconfident causes you to become distracted. A great lesson for both soccer and intergalactic crime-fighting.

And there’s also the matter of “The Heir”. You’re the only one who met him, but you know he’s still running free somewhere. Moreover, that means that Eon still has a powerful minion in his employ. Hopefully that won’t become too much of a problem in the future.

But now that you’re done internally monologuing, you should head to Peacock’s class. You wonder who else will be attending.

-----------

Upon entering the classroom that Peacock guided you to through your Slingshot device, he and the other students to face you. There are a few faces that you recognize, but the only one that you’re familiar with is young Gwen Tennyson.

“You made it! How lovely.” Peacock remarks with a wide grin. “Lucky for you, we were just getting started.” he states with a wink.

You take your place next to Gwen, who nudges you with a smile. “I didn’t know you were in this class.” she whispers. You smile back at her, while trying to ignore the guy that’s been staring daggers at you as soon as you entered the room. He sort of looks like Ben 10K, but with rugged features and outlandish armor. You remember seeing him when you returned from your mission in Dimension 63. He was the one that escorted young Ben to the armory.

“Surprise.” you nervously whisper to your teammate. Looking around, you don’t see Albedo anywhere. However, you do see a collection of colorful balloons in the back of the classroom. One of them has Albedo’s face on it, and the other has Charmy’s. Neither are currently present. If you hadn't shown up, your face might have been on one of those balloons.

“Now then. Let’s get started, shall we?” Peacock declares whilst narrowing his eyes. You see the others stretching and cracking their knuckles, so you start to do the same. This might be pretty intense, but as long as it teaches you how to be a better hero, you're up for anything!

>Roll 3d100, bo3!

Rolled 52 (1d100)

>>4185722

Rolled 69, 54, 43 = 166 (3d100)

>>4185722

Rolled 96, 30, 31 = 157 (3d100)

>>4185722

Rolled 86, 11, 37 = 134 (3d100)

>>4185722

>>4186043
>>4186172
>>4186256
Writing...

File: Hack N' Slash.jpg (75 KB, 432x534)

75 KB JPG

>96

The lesson starts off simple, making sure that everyone had the basics down. But soon afterwards, Peacock began to move into uncharted territory.

"Now, I would like you all to choose an alien form. It doesn't matter which one, so long as it is capable of breathing oxygen." Peacock says with a brief chuckle. This little joke of his incites laughter from the rest of the class, but you're not sure if you understand why the joke is so funny. Does everyone except you have an alien that's incapable of breathing on land? Trixy usually rules them out if they're too inconvenient to use, so you wouldn't know.

Instead of dwelling on it, you open up your Omnitrix's faceplate and absentmindedly sift through your collection of available aliens. Without even looking, you select one and slam your hand down onto the Omnitrix's core. In a burst of amethyst light, your body is drastically distorted, before allowing you to reform yourself as Hack N' Slash! Haven't used this guy in a while.

Looking around, you see that Gwen's chosen a humanoid tigress dressed as a buff luchadora, and the gruff Ben has chosen a Loboan.

"Excellent. Now, close your eyes and imagine your alien form as it is now. From the soles of your feet to the top of your head." Peacock says calmly. You do exactly as he says, taking deep breaths as you try to get a feel for your anatomy.

"Remember every sensation that you felt upon transforming. The twisting of your bones, the tearing of your muscles, the stretching of your limbs. Etch each and every sensation into your memory, no matter how bizarre." He continues. Where's he going with this?

"Now, I want you to think of another alien. Dig deep and imagine the changes that your body had to go through in order for you to transform into that creature. Create a clear image of it in your mind." He says while peaking at you with one eye open. "Do you have it? Good."

You don't know what this whole exercise is supposed to be for, but you're willing to entertain your teacher if it helps you to develop a new skill.

"Imagine a circle. A perfect circle buried deep within your chest. That is your core. That is the source of the energy that allows your body to undergo such drastic change. Imagine it flowing out, circulating back and forth throughout your body." Peacock explains. "And with all that in mind, I want you to imagine yourself transforming into the alien that you thought of earlier."

This causes your classmates to murmur and whisper amongst one another. Is that even possible?

"Do not doubt the power of the Omnitrix's or your mind. It is not only a trinket for you to wear. It is now a part of your body. If you wish to transform, then you must will it into existence. You must know your aliens at a cellular level. You must know yourself." Peacock continues.

(Cont.)

File: Diamondhead_OV_II.png (732 KB, 948x664)

732 KB PNG

Alright. You can do this. Just imagine another alien. One that you're really familiar with. You know Hack N' Slash's biology, so you just need to imagine him transforming into something else. Deep breaths...deep breaths…

Just then, you feel your body stretching out in every direction. It's a little scary at first, since you feel like you can't control it, but you feel like it'd be even more dangerous to stop halfway. Soon enough, your form stabilizes once more, and you feel... different.

When you open your eyes and look at your hands, you notice that your form has changed completely. You're not Hack N' Slash anymore. You've become Diamondhead!

Soon after, the others begin to marvel at the result of your meditation. You didn't think you'd pick up on it so quickly.

"Whoa! How'd you do that!?" Gwen excitedly shouts as she examines your crystalline body.

"Not sure. I just did as Peacock said and then this happened." You explain. You're not exactly sure how you pulled this off, either.

"Most impressive! It would seem that I was right to place you in the advanced course." Peacock says while grinning. "If you practice this at home, you should be able to utilize it during battle. I imagine you will find it to be quite useful."

"No kidding!" You exclaim. This isn't exactly the Master Control, but it's a huge upgrade to the Omnitrix's functionality. You might even be able to chain combos together with different aliens.

"Voidwolf, would be so kind as to instruct our new student in martial combat?" Peacock says while calling over to the gruff Ben standing in the corner of the room. You hadn't noticed that he wasn't participating in the exercise. In fact, you hadn’t been aware that he didn’t possess an Omnitrix. "Since he's ahead of the curve, I think we should try to maintain this momentum."

The Voidwolf shrugs and walks over to you, his metallic armor clanking silently with each step. He takes a moment to size you up with a glance, before flashing a smirk at you.

>54

“Alright, kid. Show me what you got.” he says as he takes a combat ready pose. You do the same, but your opponent does not give you the time to get mentally prepared.

In an instant, the Voidwolf goes on the offensive with a quick jab. You twist your head to the side in order to avoid it, but you are suddenly stopped by his hand grabbing your head from behind and pulling it forward. Before you can properly react, the Voidwolf places his elbow in front of your chin. Luckily, he stops just short of striking your pressure point, giving you some time to back away. However, your balance is suddenly thrown off by a swift leg sweep from your opponent, causing you to trip and fall backwards. But right before your back touches the ground, the Voidwolf quickly grabs you by your shirt and lets you dangle from the thin fabric.

(Cont.)

“Come on, kid. You’ve gotta be quicker than that.” the Voidwolf asserts with a wide grin on his face and his fist poised to strike. And just like that, he lets you go and gives you some room to breathe. He caught you off guard for a moment there, but you’re ready for him now.

Once more, the Voidwolf lunges at you with a wide left hook, but you manage to sidestep it and deliver a right hook aimed at his chin.

Unfortunately, your punch misses its mark due to the Voidwolf ducking beneath it and charging into your chest. You attempt to create some distance between the two of you again, however, your opponent has managed to keep you in his grasp with his superior grappling techniques.

“So you’re a boxer, huh? That’s some fancy footwork you’ve got there.” he says while subduing your arms and neck in a rather complex submission hold. “Now let’s see if you can get out of this one!”

For about a minute, the two of you go back and forth with submission holds and reversals. But there’s no use in fighting the Voidwolf at his own game. He clearly has more experience with these techniques. You’re gonna have to try something different.

Sometime during your scuffle, you manage to free one of your arms, allowing you to use your fingers to pinch his neck through the gaps in his armor. The Voidwolf cringes visibly and winces in pain, forcing him to break the hold and push himself away from you.

“A Hephaestan Neuro Grip? You sly fox.” the Voidwolf mutters with a dry laugh. If it weren’t for his neck tensing up at the last second, you would’ve had him!

“Now this is getting interesting!” he laughs. Amd just like that, the two of you are back at it again.

--------

Once you’re finished with your bout, you notice that the others have started to get the hang of the transformation trick.

“Not bad, kid. Not bad at all.” the Voidwolf states between ragged breaths. “But you’ve gotta work on your footwork and timing. When you dig in, you dig too deep and leave yourself open.” he continues. You feel as if you learned a lot from this guy. He might actually be able to teach you how to become a better fighter.

Suddenly, a balloon pops in the back of the room, alerting you to the presence of a new student. Upon turning around, you see that Albedo has popped the balloon with his face on it.

“Ah, there he is! My second favorite sparring partner!” the Voidwolf exclaims as he runs towards Albedo with his fists clenched tightly. Well, there goes your instructor.

-------

Once the others begin sparring, Peacock pulls you aside for a bit of personal tutoring in Mana manipulation. Not that you expect to be able to do much. Your magic hasn’t been working right for the past few months. Ever since that incident on Iden’s ship.

(Cont.)

“Since you already know how to form mana constructs, we will be going over the topic of elemental manipulation.” Peacock explains with a finger pointed upwards. “The element of fire sounds like a good place to start.”

You honestly haven’t used anything aside from mana constructs. For a while, you thought that was all there was to magic.

“Mana exists everywhere. It is everything. It exists in the rocks, in the trees and in you. It is life itself.” he proclaims with a glorious illustration. “Imagine it flowing around you like a stream of water. Imagine it warping around your hand and flowing between your fingers as you touch it.”

Oh great. Another visual expression…

“Now imagine that water clinging to your skin. Feel the tiny granulates and particles floating inside.” he explains with great clarity. “Now imagine those granules rapidly colliding with one another. Simultaneously, they bounce from one particle to the next. So fast, in fact, that you feel as if they might catch-”

>37

“Fire.” you interrupt. And when you open your eyes, you witness a brilliantly bright flame dancing on the palm of your hand. It’s...beautiful.

But as soon as you begin paying attention to it, the flame flickers away in the blink of an eye. That was kind of intense…

“Don’t worry. I’m sure you’ll get the hang of it soon enough.” Peacock says with a gentle smile. “With enough practice, I’m sure you will get the hang of spellcasting.”

All you can do is meekly nod your head before his peerless optimism.

---------

Once class is over, you converse with your classmates and share notes about your progress and the areas where you struggled. Apparently, Gwen is pretty well rounded in all areas, and the Voidwolf struggles with mana manipulation.

Before you leave the classroom, Peacock waves you over to his desk. You say your farewells to your classmates and approach the unusual instructor hesitantly.

“So, what did you think of my advanced course?” he eagerly inquires.

>”It was interesting, but I'm pretty sure I can do this stuff at home too.”
>”I really feel like I learned a lot here. Thanks for inviting me.”
>"Do you teach any other subjects?"
>”It was...humbling to say the least. I learned that I’ve got alot of areas that I can improve on.”
>”Can you spare some time to teach me a few more tricks before I go?” (Martial Arts or Magic)
>”I’m amazed that you can keep up with everyone else when you don’t even have an Omnitrix.”
>Write-in.

>>4186886
>”I really feel like I learned a lot here. Thanks for inviting me.”
>"Do you teach any other subjects?"

>>4186886
>"Can you spare some time to teach me a few more tricks before I go?" (Magic)
Lightning if possible or and water
>"I really feel like I learned a lot here. Thanks for inviting me."
>"Do you teach any other subjects?"

>>4186886
>>”Can you spare some time to teach me a few more tricks before I go?” (Martial Arts or Magic)
Martial Arts. Maybe a new school for our sword?
>”It was...humbling to say the least. I learned that I’ve got alot of areas that I can improve on.”
>"Do you teach any other subjects?"

Do you guys want me to roll for the result, or should I keep waiting?

>>4190287
Roll

>>4190287
roll

Rolled 2 (1d2)

>>4190376
>>4190765
I'll begin writing shortly.

“I really feel like I learned alot here. Thanks for inviting me.” you state with much enthusiasm. Your compliment seems to have pleased the professor, as he adorns a wide grin upon hearing of your satisfactory experience.

“By all means, it was a pleasure to have the opportunity to guide such a bright young man.” he says without a hint of shame. You’re pretty sure that you’re the same age, though.

“Do you teach any other subjects?” you ask while looking around the spacious classroom.

“I suppose I could, but I wouldn’t be very good at teaching subjects that I’m not familiar with.” he responds while leaning against his desk and rubbing his chin. “I am not best suited for teaching any of these subjects, as the other instructors have much more experience than I. However, I will do everything within my power in order to make you into a well-rounded student.”

That sounds like a pretty good deal in your opinion. You won’t get any stronger if you only choose to specialize in one particular course. Instead, you’ll try to learn a bit of everything!

“Before I leave, do you think you can spare some time to teach me a few more things?” you ask meekly. You weren’t entirely satisfied with today's results. You know that you can do better.

Professor Peacock taps the side of his cheek and begins humming softly. “Well...I suppose I have some time before my next assignment. What would you like to know?” he inquires with an aura of intrigue.

“Well, I’ve been working on developing sword styles for combat use, and I was wondering if you had any pointers that you could give me.“ you say while unsheathing your sword and presenting it to him. The professor runs a finger along the smooth, silvery surface of the blade, and inhales deeply, almost as if he were breathing in its magnificence.

“This sword...you haven’t killed anything with it, have you?” he asks with an amused expression. How can he tell that just from touching it? “Every life taken...every limb severed...it has an effect on the mana stream. But your blade, it is unburdened with the weight of taking lives. It is...surprisingly light.” he continues.

“But...I have killed with this weapon.” you confess with a shameful grimace. “An evil spirit, sentient robots, possessed aliens.” At this, Peacock smiles.

“And yet, your blade is this light. Perhaps your killing was justified. Or perhaps...you do not feel guilt over their passing?” he asks with a curious glimmer in his eye. His smile is warm, but his words are cold and heavy. They tear into you like serrated barbs and latch onto your wavering spirit.

There’s no way that you wouldn’t feel bad about killing others. But sometimes it’s unavoidable. And it takes everything you’ve got in order to avoid unnecessary bloodshed each and every day.

(Cont.)

“No.” you strongly deny. “I believe all life is precious. Even those of criminals. I would never make light of taking someone’s life.” you proclaim with conviction in your voice. Peacock seems to sense this, and resigns to a pleasant smile, unlike the cold, scrutinizing glare that he gave you earlier.

“Is that so? So your blade is light, because the weight of your sins weigh heavily on your mind.” he concludes with a surprisingly ethical approach to the conversation. “You take full responsibility for your actions, and this allows your weapon to strike true when it matters most.”

You’d never thought of it that way. In fact, you’d never considered your sword as a tool for killing.

“This weapon of yours. It is a tool used for killing, but only if you allow it to be.” Peacock says as he produces three apples from the drawer in his desk. He gently places them on top of the well polished furniture, and steps away from it. “A weapon cannot kill on its own. That is up to the wielder to decide.”

“You want me to cut apples?” you ask with a befuddled expression. This causes Peacock to chuckle softly.

“No. I wish for you to cut the apples on both ends, without cutting the one in the middle. And I want you to do it in one strike.” he demands with a heavy hand on your shoulder.

“What!? That’s impossible! How am I supposed to-?” you begin ranting, but the professor quickly places a finger to your lips, cutting your conversation short.

“Your weapon is a special one. It shares a will with its wielder, cutting down only what you perceive to be wicked.” he explains in a cryptic manner while grabbing your arms. “Do not rely on the strength of your body or your armor. Instead, rely on the power of the earth beneath your feet. Draw power from it, and make your hand merciful. Feel its energy flowing upwards throughout your vessel, for everything originates from it.” he states in a soothing tone of voice.

“Make your hand merciful, huh?” you mutter under your breath. Well, here goes nothing…

You close your eyes, taking deep breaths and relaxing the tension in your muscles. You don’t need them. The Earth will provide you with all the power you need.

And for a split second, everything in the room becomes crystal clear to you, despite your inability to see them. It’s as if you’d been awakened to a sensation that was deprived to you over the course of your entire life. And in that instant, you swing your sword horizontally, gliding through the apples effortlessly.

When you open your eyes, you’re surprised to see that you’ve managed to cut the apples on the left and right, but the one in the middle is still intact! Albeit, a little bit bruised.

(Cont.)

Seemingly pleased with your results, the professor picks up the apple and inspects it for a moment. “I’ve given you the tools to learn, now it is up to you to decide what you do with this knowledge.” he says while tossing the apple to you.

>You’ve awoken to a new path! The Path of Earth: The Blade That Cuts Nothing.

(To be continued)

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Meanwhile…
>Location:???
>Time:???

You proceed down the master’s gilded path, approaching the Infinite Throne with your head held low out of shame. The Knights salute you as you walk by, but their pleasantries cannot fool you. They’re mocking you. Snickering behind those expressionless masks that they wear to hide their treacherous nature. Each and every one of them, failed products from your Master’s never ending conquest. But not you.

No, you were meant for things greater than boot-licking and cowardly sniveling. One day, you will take the throne for yourself, and the Multiverse will cower before your might!

As you reach the throne room, a pair of towering stone doors swing open before you, revealing the last stretch of the gilded path, with your Master resting at the end of it. Not everyone gets the chance to walk this path. Before, you walked side by side with your fellow Champions: Galatea the Vile. Saveus the Wise. Prodromos the Brutal. And then there’s you, The Heir of the Infinite Empire.

Preceding the event of their capture, you were quite fond of the three. They were the closest things you had to brothers and sisters. But now...now the Council of 10 has taken them from you.

Your hunger for revenge is insatiable, and it takes every inch of your willpower in order to resist. However, your loyalty is far stronger.

“My beloved Heir. Come closer.” Eon demands with a crook of his slender finger. With a dry gulp, you approach your Master, fearful of the inevitable reproach that awaits you. During your battle with the “Chosen One”, you were quite outmatched, but that will not happen next time. You’ll make sure of it.

Once you’re within 10 feet of your Master, you bow before him, placing one knee to the ground. “Yes, my lord.” you state with devotion in your heart.

“The other Champions, where are they?” he inquires with a sinister tone. His processed voice shakes you to your core every time it reaches your ears.

“They have been...defeated, my lord.” you confess hesitantly. “We underestimated the Council’s power, and it led to our downfall. The others have been captured, and I assume that they are currently being held as prisoners.”

Your voice quivers, unsure as to whether you will walk out of this room with your life after bringing about such a catastrophic failure.

“Is that so…?” Eon begins. “Then we shall proceed as planned.” he states with amusement in his voice.

“My lord...I do not understand. Were they not your handpicked Heralds?” you inquire, temporarily forgetting your place. However, this elicits a deep cackle from your Master, instead of reproach.

(Cont.)

“My dear boy, they were nothing more than stepping stones on the path to your ascension. They’ve taught you everything they know, and now they’ve proven themselves worthless.” Eon declares without a hint of remorse. Your heart sinks upon hearing his cold, calculated view, but you bury it deep down. You cannot show weakness. Not now.

“I see. What is the next step of your plan?” you ask while attempting to keep a straight face. Your Master then brandishes a disk of some sort, and gingerly pushes it towards you. The disk hovers before you, remaining at eye level until you grab it in your hands. It’s a Multiverse Map.

“I’ve compiled a list of possible recruits for our army. The dimensions they come from are teetering on the brink of destruction. We call them ‘Doomed Timelines’.” Eon explains. “The state of their timeline has made them strong. Strong enough to provide a challenge to the Council.”

You glance down at the disk in your hands, tracing over its grooves and curves with your thumb. “And what of the ‘Chosen One’?” you boldly ask your master. “What if these new recruits prove to be too powerful for him?”

Eon hums for a moment, silently musing over your question. “If he is not powerful enough to overcome this trial, then he is not worthy of my attention.” your Master declares. However, you know for a fact that he does not truly feel this way. For some reason, your master favors this clumsy human. That is why your armor bears such a striking resemblance to his. That is why your weapon is nearly identical to his in form and function. Your Master has never actually looked at you. All he sees is this human boy, and it infuriates you to no end. Have all of your sacrifices been in vain? All your training and dedication? Did it ever matter?

“Is there a problem, my boy?” Eon examines. You tightly clench your fist and grit your teeth. This time, surely, you will bring these matters to your master’s attention.

“...Not at all, Master. I will see to it that your will is done.” you say with a severe lack of emotion. One day. One day you will tell him. But not today.

“Then leave me. There is much work to be done.” he demands with a wave of his hand. You bow before your enthroned ruler, before turning to exit the throne room.

Now that you have the Multiverse Map. Who will you visit first?

>The Hollowed One
>The Twins
>The Empress
>The Chimera

>>4191018
>>The Empress

>>4191054
+1

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Among the potential candidates, the Empress seemed to possess some of the most impressive assets. Her Omnitrix, which is subtly named “The Dominatrix” allows her to splice Tetramand DNA into every one of her alien transformations. She believes that it makes them superior, somehow.

Well, there’s only one way to find out whether she’s worthy or not.

“Traveling to Dimension-4514.” the wayfarer says in a mellow tone. And in an instant, the device tears open a portal before your very eyes. Or “Bridges” as you like to call them.

----------

Once you exit the bridge, you’re immediately greeted by the smell of ash and smoke. Tiny embers flutter and float through a red-stained sky, whereas the ground is consumed by fire and littered with corpses.

You stand among the ruins of a once prosperous alien city, but you aren’t sure of which one it is. And standing above them all, is a lone female Tetramand stationed upon the precipice of a crumbling skyscraper, wearing two Omnitrices on her uppermost set of arms.

Strange, her report didn’t mention her owning two.

Eventually, she turns her head ever so slightly to face you, almost as if she doesn’t truly perceive you as a threat. “State your purpose, boy.” she says in a demanding tone. Being civil with this one will take every remaining shred of patience you have left.

You clear your throat and fold your hands behind your back in order to maintain an aura of dignity. “High Empress Looma Red Wind, I presume." you begin. "I am the Heir to the Infinite Empire, and I would like to extend an offer to propose an alliance between our forces.” you say without a hint of fear. The Tetramand simply glares at you through her three remaining eyes, before stomping towards you with her imposing physique. Looma easily towers over you, bringing her well-toned abs to your eye level. But despite her best efforts to intimidate you, your eyes never leave hers.

“Hmph. Then let us see if you are worthy or becoming my ally! Prepare thyself for mortal combat!” declares Looma as she draws her hefty great hammer.

You will not be looked down upon by this savage! You’ll wipe that wide grin off of her face in a moment!

And with a series of bright, multicolored flashes, the two of you clash in the middle of the unstable precipice, while the Empress’ warships continue to rain death upon a planet that had long been turned to rubble.

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And that'll be it for this thread. Thank you all for bearing with my inconsistency due to scheduling issues. I was thinking of trying to do another recap thread soon, but for real this time. I think it would help a lot of people to catch up if they really wanted to.

I'd be copying and pasting the first few recapped threads, but the rest would be from a new perspective. Last time, I really underestimated how time consuming recapping could be. The last recap was cut short due to me getting some time off work, so I thought that time could be better served writing for the new season.

But due to the decreased traffic for this quest, I think a recap would do us some good. I'm not sure if I will be able to recap all of the events leading up to the current plot, but I will try my hardest to get as far as I can before the thread expires.

Over the course of the next few days, I will be writing some content for the recap so that I can post them immediately after the thread is thrown up. I'm also planning to introduce some new aliens, as well as creating more opportunities for Omnitrix malfunctions.

Once again, I apologize for how half-assed the last recap was, but I've since reflected on my past fumble, and I'm hoping to recover from it.

Gonna archive this thread in a few, so let me know what you guys think of how the story's unfolding so far. Do you have any predictions or wishes as to how the story will unfold? If so, be sure to post 'em!

See you guys next time! The Show's Over!

>>4191268
Can Wade use magic while in a alien transformation?

Cause if so if we learn something like lightning, we could use it to charge our self as Zipmunk somehow?

How is Olivia magic going, is it better than ours? If so we can ask her for some tips also kirby.

How is wade muscles? Just wondering if he needs to work out a bit while training?

>>4191705
>Can Wade use magic while in a alien transformation?
No he can't. The Omnitrix and magic just don't get along in it's current iteration.

>Cause if so if we learn something like lightning, we could use it to charge our self as Zipmunk somehow?
That's usually not a huge problem, considering how versatile Zipmunk is. However, it is possible for you to learn how to produce lightning while in human form.

>How is Olivia magic going, is it better than ours? If so we can ask her for some tips also kirby.
Olivia's spellcasting ability had surpassed yours a while back. She'd never stopped improving or learning, and has even proved to be a prodigy at manipulating mana. She, Kirby and Hope are still willing to teach you, should you regain interest.

>How is wade muscles? Just wondering if he needs to work out a bit while training?
Unlike his first year starting out, Wade's time as a full time hero has made him into a well-chiseled crime-fighting machine. He's built up enough muscle so that he may perform impressive feats of athleticism, without becoming too bogged down by additional muscle. His body type is very aesthetically pleasing to most people, including K8-E. So in summary, he's in a good spot when it comes to physical fitness.

>>4191705
Pertaining to your first question, there are a few aliens in the known galaxy that are capable of making use of the mana field, and Red possesses one of them.

>>4191821
Can we use our sword or our sword forms while transformed?

>>4191896
Yes. You're allowed to bring it out of storage while transformed.

>>4191821
is the option to go on Wilderbee talk show still available? I would like to do it later.

>>4192792
Yes, you still have time to take him up on his offer.

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The thread has been archived! http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/4158414/

The recap thread will be up in a few days, hopefully.