Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Life at the Plumber Academy had treated Rook well. No longer bound to the schedule of the seasons and the suns, he thrived. He grew a fair bit with all the training and exercise he was getting in. He enjoyed his classes, mind expanding with all the new things he was learning. Field skills, alien history, Plumber policies- It all fascinated him. He got to try different foods in the cafeteria and talk with dozens of species from across the galaxy. No longer was he forced to hide and conform. Here, he could flourish.

He’d gotten a taste of what life offworld could be like when Tetrax began telling him about other worlds and alien cultures but it was so different experiencing it first hand. He learned all the quirks and oddities of each new thing by interacting with them. And what he couldn’t learn firsthand, he learned through word of mouth and books. It was everything a younger Rook had dreamed of and more.

Not to mention, having a friend like Scout certainly made his life a lot better.

He didn’t face the same struggles making friends as he had when he first arrived on the base. Neither did Scout. The Plumber Academy was more difficult, rigorous, and strict than one would expect, and the bar was already pretty high to begin with. A lot of the jerks they’d encountered on the first day ended up dropping out or being banned from attending the school altogether. Everyone left actually wanted to be there so they tended to be the friendlier ones but Rook remembered who’d stayed at his side during the difficult days. He needed someone like that after what happened on Revonnah.

At the moment, the pair was lounging in Rook’s dorm, Scout on Rook’s bed and Rook sitting at the chair by his desk. They weren’t roommates. The Academy didn’t let students pick roommates and they rarely paired up unlike species. Rook’s roommate was actually an Appoplexian which wasn’t exactly a treat but the outlandish tiger was the extroverted type and often left Rook to his own devices in their room. And for that, Rook was grateful. It meant Scout could hang around more. Besides, the Loboan needed the chance to get away from his pungent Methosian roommate anyway. Who thought that match up was a good idea anyway?

Scout got Rook in a way that his roommate and his other classmates couldn’t. He was quiet and soft-spoken but not shy and he knew how to have a good time. He was a bit more of a risk taker than Rook, though considerably less than some of the others Rook saw sneaking around the base at night or getting into fights during mealtime. It brought fun into Rook’s life, something he’d almost forgotten about.

But they weren’t getting into trouble tonight. The two were just relaxing. Or rather, studying. They were silent, which Rook appreciated. They didn’t need to be making noise to enjoy being around each other. And the two really needed a good study environment right now. It was almost the end of their first semester and their first big exams were coming up.

A knock sounded at the door, pulling both of them from their focus. It surprised Rook, somewhat, but he didn’t hesitate to respond. “You may come in!”

“Blonko,” a deep voice rumbled as a large Tetramand turned the knob, opening the door. He poked his head in and blinked at the sight of Scout. He dipped his head in acknowledgement. “Scout.”

“Good to see you, Bahrvad,” Scout responded politely, waving his tail in greeting, and turned back to his e-reader. Rook smiled faintly at the familiarity. That was the other thing that made life at the Plumber Academy a bit more difficult for Rook- his Omnitrix and the Plumbers that oversaw him. Scout had been a bit put off by them early on so Rook was happy to see this kind of reaction after so long.

“When are your finals over?” Bahrvad asked, getting right into it. He remained in the doorway but took a few steps in to show this would be more than a quick chat.

Rook didn’t need to check his calendar to know. “In four days, after the third dal.”

“Okay. Good. Pack your things right after then. We’re going on a trip.”

Scout looked up, now interested. Rook was too. “What? Where?”

“You’re getting a couple weeks off. Galvans practically run the system so the end of the year ends right at the beginning of Galvan springtime for holiday. There’s going to be dozens of ships heading there right when your exams are over. We’re tagging along.”

“Why?” Scout asked. He got off his elbows and sat up to look at Rook. “Aren’t you going to Revonnah for your break?”

Rook hesitated. He hadn’t planned to do that. Scout knew about the Omnitrix but not his history with it so he couldn’t blame him. Still, the prospect filled his stomach with tight unease. Not wanting to get into that right now, he shook his head. “I was just going to stay here with you. I guess I am going to Galvan Prime though.”

“You can come too if you’d like, Scout,” Bahrvad offered and it didn’t sound like he was saying it just for politeness’ sake. “Xylene and I don’t want to be stuck entertaining him. Maybe having a friend will do him some good. And I’m sure you’ll get plenty out of being on an alien world as well.”

“I just might take you up on that,” Scout responded, looking pleased, “but you still didn’t answer my question.”

“The Magistrata thinks it’s time the Omnitrix-bearer learns about the origins of the Omnitrix. You’re going to be meeting Azmuth.”

“The First Thinker?” Rook and Scout exclaimed in unison. They exchanged a glance. They’d read plenty about Azmuth in their various classes. As Bahrvad had said, Galvans practically ran the system and they threw in plenty of notes about their beloved First Thinker whenever available. He was widely regarded as the smartest being in the galaxy and one of the greatest men history had ever seen. And they were going to meet him?

“You think Azmuth will be able to tell me about the Omnitrix?” Rook asked, looking down at the watch. He rarely used it nowadays but he’d removed the tape preventing him from touching the dial awhile ago. There was no way he could have forgotten about it, even if its usage didn’t play a significant role in his daily life anymore. 

“I certainly hope so,” Bahrvad grunted. Rook sensed there was something he wasn’t saying but didn’t press. “Xylene will message you the details. Make sure you’re ready when we’re leaving. It’s a long ride and we’re not going to waste any time dilly dallying.” 

With that, Bahrvad withdrew from the doorway and softly shut the door behind him, leaving Scout and Blonko to themselves. Scout’s tail was once again swishing, drawing Rook’s attention. The Loboan’s eyes were alight with excitement unlike any Rook had seen before. “This is exciting, isn’t it?”

Rook tried to avoid the growing feeling of dread in his stomach. He covered the glow of the Omnitrix with his palm and offered Scout his best smile. “It certainly is.”

Galvan Prime was… Well, it was no Revonnah. And it seemed it was no Anur Transyl either, judging by Scout’s reaction. The Loboan practically plastered himself against the window the moment their ship entered the planet’s atmosphere. At least Rook had the decency to stare out the window from his seat but Scout had his full muzzle pressed against the window, snout splitting and everything, as he looked out at the sights beyond.

Galvan Prime’s atmosphere was a gorgeous blend of blues and greens that made the back of Rook’s mind hum with scientific curiosity. The surface had a large crater on one side, something Rook was sure had a lot of history to it. Maybe something to do with Galvan B, its moon, but Galvans were surprisingly tight lipped about that so Rook knew better than to ask. Still, it only added to the beauty. The whole thing was gorgeous, especially compared to the farmland and rocky terrain he was used to.

The clouds that whirled the ship as it descended were faintly blue which Rook found fascinating. He’d only ever seen white clouds. He wondered what made them this way. He’d probably find out sooner or later during his time here. They were staying for a while, afterall. They parted easily as the ship dropped down into the landing hub, dozens of other ships coming down across the platform around them. It was large considering how small Galvans were but Galvan Prime seemed to be the center of a lot of things concerning extraterrestrial affairs so Rook supposed they’d have to make a lot of accommodations. 

A hot wind slammed into Rook the moment he stepped out of the ship. Not intolerable but he immediately knew he, Scout, and Xylene would have to be careful to hydrate during their stay. Bahrvad and all the other Galvans unpiling from the ship seemed to enjoy it though. Rook supposed it was nice, if he ignored the way it made his fur tickle.

Bahrvad stepped away to speak with one of the Galvans managing the hub, a stout little thing that didn’t seem to be happy to be there. Xylene tried to round up the Galvans that they’d flown with to count them out but they were already slipping past her by the time she took out her roster. She let out an annoyed grunt and put her hands on her hips. “Galvans! Honestly! Why I outta-”

“I don’t think they’re going to appreciate any anti-Galvan talk here, Magister,” Scout interrupted, dipping his head slightly. She gave him a hard look. He flicked an ear toward the horizon, toward the nearest Galvan settlement. “You told us to be on our best behavior. I don’t think you want to be messing this up when we’re so close.”

Xylene sighed and crossed her arms. “I can’t believe I’m back here. Everytime I’m here and I listen to all the Galvans’ self-superior attitude, I- ugh! You two are lucky Bahrvad’s here. He’s so much better with Galvans than I am.”

Rook found that surprising. He’d always thought Xylene’s species and Galvans shared a lot of similarities. He almost voiced the thought before he thought better of it. Xylene seemed on edge. He didn’t want to make this any worse for her, or turn her against him.

Scout shook out his fur. “So… Why’d all the Galvans run off? Even that little one who’s always annoying my chemistry teacher ran off. He didn’t seem like the type.”

“The hot wind dries out the filmy layer on the female Galvans’ skin. Galvans find it attractive. The spring is kind of like courting season for them,” Xylene explained, shifting her weight onto one hip with a dull look in her eyes. “I’m sure they were just eager to get started.”

Rook tried not to make a face. He knew some species mated and courted based on season but he’d kind of always figured that was something animals tended to do more than civilized species. He didn’t really want to watch a bunch of Galvans pairing up while he was still dealing with his own feelings regarding… He hadn’t thought about Rayona in a long time and he didn’t want to start now.

Xylene seemed to misunderstand his distaste. “Don’t worry. We’re not going to be here when mating begins and Galvans tend to be private about it anyway.”

Scout buried his nose in his tail. “Some warning would have been nice.”

“You won’t be seeing much of it,” Bahrvad interjected, coming over. “It’s really only your classmates’ generation who will be interested right now. And they won’t be staying at the extraterrestrial quarters. They’ll all be heading home. You can still visit them if you want but you’ll have to go to the native residential areas.”

“So we will be staying with other aliens?” Rook asked, trying to push the conversation away from all things romance.

Bahrvad nodded and beckoned for the trio to follow him. “They’re expecting us. Come on, let’s get you settled then Xylene and I will give you the tour of the place.”

Turns out, there wasn’t all that much to see. Galvans were small and so were their lives. Bahrvad and Xylene didn’t even need to bother with a vehicle. One step was dozens of Galvan steps and the group was able to travel rather quickly. Rook realized why Bahrvad said they probably wouldn’t be spending any time in the native residential areas. The tallest of their toadstool houses barely came up to Rook’s hip. If even something as small as a Splixon tripped, they could do catastrophic damage to a home. Someone as tall as Rook or big as Scout could easily take out a whole block by accident. Both of them were able to balance better than most but Rook thought it was for the best that they avoid risking it.

There were a number of Plumber facilities and laboratories scattered around that were a better size but none of them really caught Rook’s interest. He couldn’t go in the labs and he’d seen plenty of Plumber bases before. He could find science anywhere. Maybe not as advanced but it wasn’t like he’d be able to understand something this advanced anyway. He wanted something uniquely Galvan.

The sports arenas were interesting. With Galvan technology, they were able to develop a number of games that Rook had never seen. When they entered the arena, a group of non-Plumber Galvans were flying around with jetpacks, using rackets to swat some kind of ball made of leaves through hoops and over nets. It looked very complex. Unfortunately, both Rook’s feline instincts and Scout’s canine urges caused the pair to over-fixate on the ball. Bahrvad noticed quickly and dragged them out before either of them could even think about chasing it. 

“Is this what the whole trip is going to be like? You never letting us have any fun?” Scout whined as the group headed away from the arena. “I know technically this is a Plumber trip but it’s our holiday break too.”

“You two will have plenty of recreational time to yourselves once you’re familiar with the area,” Bahrvad told him firmly, tone dry and flat. “Right now, you two are under close supervision.”

Scout’s tail fluffed up and Rook’s ears flattened. Xylene seemed amused by their annoyance. She broke away from the group slightly and pulled the door open to their next destination. “Don’t be a drag. Come, I think you two will like this one.”

“Galvan Historical Museum,” Scout read slowly, taking a moment to translate the Galvan text into spoken language. His ears perked up. “This is where the First Thinker’s lab is, right?”

“He might not be here right now,” Xylene told them before Rook could react. Scout’s ears drooped. Rook wanted to reach out and put them back up. He knew Scout wasn’t that upset but canine-like species always looked so pitiful when they did that. “Azmuth spent a long time away from Galvan Prime before Bahrvad and I sought him out and convinced him to come back to Galvan Prime. He’s been back for awhile but he still leaves routinely to transport his equipment and research back from Xenon.”

“That was you?” Scout asked, ears perking up once more. Rook couldn’t help but smile. Were all Loboans so emotive or was it just Scout? “We read about that in Introduction To Intergalactic History. The newer chapters, obviously, but it was still in there. There weren’t any names though.”

“It’s easier to do your job protecting something that’s meant to be a secret when people don’t know who you are or what you look like,” Bahrvad responded with a grunt. “There isn’t much glory in being a Plumber.”

Scout looked like he wanted to ask more questions but Xylene was getting impatient holding the door open. “Azmuth isn’t why we brought you here. This is an alien history museum. I think there’s plenty you two will find interesting here.”

Scout and Rook stepped in, immediately getting washed in artificial light and gentle air conditioning. Right off the bat, Rook noticed some beautiful alien skeletons on display. He wanted to rush up to them immediately for inspection but his attention was grabbed by the other aliens wandering around the museum. Not totally unfamiliar but Rook had never seen lifeforms like these with his own eyes. They were a techno-based lifeform, not a carbon-based one like most of the species Rook knew. Their gel-like bodies, those brilliant markings, that mechanical hum- it felt strange looking at them. And not just because the glow of their stripes made his eyes sting. Still, he found he could not look away. They were fascinating things. 

“Galvanic Mechamorphs?” he asked, looking to his superiors for confirmation. 

“They work as security guards here,” Bahrvad informed them, waving one down to clear their entry, “though there are a lot more here than usual.”

“Hey, I’m just here to get paid, not ask questions. I think it’s great they’re hiring more of us around here,” the Galvanic Mechamorph guard piped up as he held up a tablet to the Tetramand’s Plumber badge. An animation appeared on the screen as the information was exchanged. Except, come to think of it, it probably wasn’t just an animation. The Galvanic Mechamorph was watching it so intently that it had to mean something. When the machine beeped, he looked up and gave Bahrvad a nod. “You’re clear. Welcome back, Magister. Make sure your students don’t wreck anything.”

“I’ll try,” Bahrvad replied and gave the guard a casual salute before heading in. Rook and Scout scurried after him, eyes wide with interest regarding everything around them. Rook’s feet itched to move more quickly but he withheld, not wanting to overstep or anger their supervisors. Bahrvad snorted at the sight of this. “You’re not my offspring and I’m not your parent. Stop acting like children. You’re here as visitors, go look at things.”

The pair grinned. Not wasting any time, Scout grabbed Rook’s hand and pulled him over to the skeleton in the natural history museum that the Revonnahgander had spotted on the way in. “Look at this thing! It’s huge! I’ve never seen anything like it! What do you think it is?”

“Omnivoracious,” Rook read off the sign. He ran his fingers over it slowly as he skimmed for interesting details. Huh, apparently it was a predator from the Galvan race’s early days. Extinct now but once a formidable foe. He looked back up at it, taking in the powerful stance of its wings, jagged ribs, wicked beak, and the long fingers of its wings. He could easily picture this thing plucking up Galvans off the riverbank and gobbling them down. “It looks kind of like Terrorsaur. I wonder if they are related.”

“Terrorsaur? Oh, your hallucinatory pterodactyl bird. I don’t really get why you name them but that’s a cool name, I guess,” Scout commented. He rose up onto his hindpaws to peer up at the skeleton’s face. “The beak looks a bit different. I bet, uh, Terrorsaur isn’t much of a hunter. You probably shouldn’t turn into one here though.”

Rook heard the unspoken question and the not so subtle curiosity. Now that they were away from the Academy, Scout expected Rook to use the Omnitrix. It wasn’t a bold assumption but it wasn’t one Rook wanted to entertain at the moment. Instead, he explained, “I think Terrorsaur likes larger prey anyway. That is what the psychic abilities and hallucinations are for.”

“That makes sense,” Scout responded and looked away, seemingly already bored of the Omnivoracious. “Hey, we’re in the Hall of Predators. Maybe they’ll have a Phantasian.”

Rook grimaced. “I hope not.”

“How come?” Scout tipped his head at his friend. “Don’t you want to learn about them?”

Rook opened his mouth then paused, trying to find the right words. “Terrorsaur is not an animal. He is an intelligent being and can talk like you and me. His species just does not like to speak much which is why hunters treat them the way they do. They do not understand that they are sentient life. And Terrorsaur is not any Phantasian. He is me. It would not be quite like you seeing a Loboan skeleton but it may be like seeing one of your Ectonurite or Thep Khufan neighbors”

Scout winced. “Neither of those species have skeletons but I see your point. Sorry if that sounded insensitive, Rook.”

Rook offered a smile, not wanting his friend to remain saddened for long. “Do not worry yourself. I have only actually seen three species in the Omnitrix with my own eyes. It is never something I have thought about until now.”

Scout nodded but still looked uneasy. “Just, like, tell me if I’m being weird. I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

Rook felt a flash of warmth in his chest. “I will. You know I am quite vocal when I am displeased.”

Scout snorted. Rook wasn’t sure if it was because he thought Rook’s words were an understatement or if he didn’t believe him. “Let’s just look at some more predators. I think I see a rodent up there. Fish I expected but not rodents.”

Rook looked up with interest. He knew muroids used to hunt at the riverside before they decided amber ogia made a better diet. It would be nice to see some kind of older version of the rodents he was so familiar with. But just as he and Scout stepped toward the next display, an alarm blared through the museum. 

Rook jumped, startled, and looked around. Had he somehow set that alarm off? Scout whined and put his ears back, sensitive hearing not liking the sharp, blaring noise. Rook couldn’t help but put a comforting hand on Scout’s shoulder. Galvans were surprisingly accommodating but was it that hard to change the alarms? They were an advanced people. He figured they would have evolved technology past the point of needing audible alarms.

The Galvanic Mechamorph guards rushed past both pairs of Plumbers so they clearly weren’t the reason for the commotion. Rook and Scout shot Xylene and Bahrvad a look from across the room before silently agreeing to run after the guards and see what was up.

Bahrvad and Xylene seemed familiar with the building so Rook and Scout fell behind them and let them lead the way. The fleshy mandibles of Scout’s muzzle twitched, ready to spread and release his sonic howl if needed, and Rook’s hand went to the Omnitrix. He dialed up XLR8, figuring that the Kinceleran’s speed could at the very least complement Bahrvad’s strength no matter what foe they came across. He hoped he wouldn’t have to use him though.

Both Scout and Rook skidded as Bahrvad and Xylene suddenly veered into a doorway on the left of the hallway. Scout’s claws scraped up the metallic flooring but managed to save them both before the two slid too far. Rook was on his feet in a heartbeat and Scout was quickly charging after him on all fours, bursting into the room only seconds after the pair of Magisters.

The room was a lightshow. It overloaded Rook’s sensitive eyes and for a moment, he was blind. Scout let out a displeased whine but he still seemed much better off. He let out a sonic blast, clearing a pathway before he and Bahrvad lunged to tackle whatever it was to the ground.

Xylene tossed Rook a blaster and Rook began shooting as soon as he could tell he wasn’t hitting his allies. There were a few Galvans running around. They weren’t doing much more than getting underfoot but the Galvanic Mechamorphs were doing some good. A number of them were already down but the rest were firing green energy beams across the room or scrambling to remove any reactive substances from the firezone.

Rook blinked, the spots clearing from his vision, and realized that Bahrvad and Scout were wrestling with some large, malleable mass. It was red and black, though distinctly a different shade from the Tetramand’s hide or the Loboan’s fur so Rook didn’t have to worry much about accidentally hitting the wrong target. He still couldn’t tell what it was though. Maybe one of the Galvans could but they were nowhere in si- Oh there one was.

“Malware!” an elderly Galvan called from atop a platform. Rook had seen these kinds of platforms here and there on both Galvan Prime and his school campus. They were used so Galvans could get somewhat on eye level with larger species. This one didn’t do much to help the old Galvan look much less puny though. In another situation, it would have been funny to see this one yelling so much. “Settle down!”

“No!” the red being, Malware, roared. He reared up, throwing Bahrvad and Scout off him. The guards suddenly shrank back in fear. Whatever this Malware thing was, they didn’t like him. And he didn’t seem to like the Galvans. “I’ve been here for months! It’s your fault I’m like this. Why aren’t you fixing me?”

“Albedo!” the old Galvan yelled, ignoring Malware’s demands.

“Already on it!” a higher, younger voice yelled back. Rook barely blinked and a glass container suddenly fell over Malware, trapping the creature and making him roar with outrage. But before he could break it, three rods erected from the floor, crackling with power. It took Rook a split second to realize what was about to happen.

He didn’t have time to use the Omnitrix if he wanted to. He rushed forward and grabbed the nearest body he could, Bahrvad’s, but there was no way he could have carried the Tetramand if he wanted to. Thankfully, Bahrvad didn’t need carrying. Rook’s hands on his shoulders was enough to snap him out of his daze. Reaching out with his four arms, he grabbed Scout by the scruff and two nearby Galvanic Mechamorphs as fast as he could and barreled himself and Rook out of there just as the electricity shot from the rods, forming a triangular field of crackling power around the glass container.

“Nice save!” a Galvan congratulated, appearing from behind a machine. He was smiling. In that moment, Rook decided he liked this one significantly more than the old Galvan. Even if he almost fried Scout, Bahrvad, and the guards. “And thank you for the distraction! You got Malware in just the right place.”

“Pipe down, Albedo,” the old Galvan complained, hopping off his platform. He eyed Xylene. “What are you doing here? Aren’t you done bothering me now that the Omnimatrix is stuck on that kid?”

“His name is Rook Blonko and he’s here to see you, Azmuth,” Xylene answered, crossing her arms in displeasure. If Rook wasn’t already on the ground, he may have fallen over in surprise. This was Azmuth? 

Azmuth glanced over at him. He looked unimpressed. Granted, if Rook saw himself right now he’d probably be unimpressed too. His waist was half pinned under Bahrvad’s shoulder and one of his arms was tangled up in Scout and one of the guard’s mess of limbs. Both his and Scout’s fur was sticking up in unflattering places thanks to the nearby electrical field. And to top things off, Rook was pretty sure his Omnitrix hand was somewhere inside the other Galvanic Mechamorph.

Azmuth snorted and looked away. “Albedo, go entertain our guests. I’m busy. You, Tetramand, help me get Malware back into his containment unit. Maybe Xylene can figure out what’s wrong with it so I can work on another project.”

“You know her name but not mine?” Bahrvad muttered under his breath as he pushed himself to his feet. He gave Rook and Scout an apologetic look before stepping away.

“Are you guys okay?” Scout asked, shaking out his pelt.

“Yeah,” one of the guards groaned as she pulled herself together. She offered a hand to the other Galvanic Mechamorph and gave him a once over, making sure nothing was missing.

“Honestly, seeing Azmuth is more shocking than Malware,” Rook admitted as he sat up. Scout took his hand and pulled him up the rest of the way. “Is that really the First Thinker?”

“You’d think he’d have a better attitude, right?” the second guard commented, earning himself a slap from the other Galvanic Mechamorph. “Ow! Hey!”

“We should get back to work,” the other guard told them, “and it seems like you two have plans with Azmuth’s assistant.” 

“I’m more than just Azmuth’s assistant,” the Galvan complained, drawing Rook’s attention to his presence. Rook hadn’t seen him approach. He really needed to get used to being around such small beings. The Galvan huffed and looked up at Rook and Scout. “I’m Albedo. As the guards said, I’m the First Thinker’s assistant, though… It doesn’t matter. Who are you supposed to be?”

“I’m Scout Alazraqui and this is Rook Blonko,” Scout introduced with a loose gesture. Albedo raised an eyebrow, prompting them to explain what those names should mean. Rook tapped his Omnitrix. Albedo’s eyes widened with recognition.

“You’re the Omnitrix bearer,” Albedo realized aloud. Rook wasn’t very good at reading Galvan facial expressions but he could tell Albedo was excited. Thrilled, maybe even awed. That was a good thing, right? “Let’s go for a walk. We have a lot to talk about.”

The path Albedo selected was nice, Rook supposed, but he was eager to talk. Thankfully, it seemed so was Albedo.

“I never thought I’d see the Omnitrix. I’ve seen Azmuth’s sketches and plans, of course, but seeing the real thing is so different. It’s just been gone for so long,” Albedo chattered as they entered a small park, rambling slightly. He rode some kind of hovering device to keep up with his taller companions but Scout and Rook still had to slow down a fair amount. Rook found he didn’t mind. It was a small sacrifice for a chance to talk with such a brilliant mind.

“I hadn’t heard of it before I met Rook,” Scout told him. Behind him, his tail swooshed lazily but somehow Rook still felt like his words were more calculated than casual. He tried to slap those thoughts away. He was being paranoid. “I almost didn’t believe it when he told me. Sounds too amazing to be true, right?”

“Indeed,” Albedo agreed, nodding along. “Which form did he choose to prove it to you?”

“Oh, I’ve never seen him transform. I mean, it’s kind of hard not to believe the Omnitrix can do what it can with a bunch of textbooks telling you it can.”

Surprise flooded Rook’s features. “You have never seen me transform?”

Scout tipped his head. “Um… No? I thought you weren’t supposed to use the Omnitrix at the base.”

No, he definitely did. He’d sparred with Bahrvad as Four Arms countless times. Xylene had allotted salt water pools specifically for Tidetail Wave to swim in. He remembered weaving through the vents as Wildvine. Had Scout really not been there for any of that?

Albedo didn’t seem to pick up on the sudden concoction of feelings that were welling up in Rook’s belly. “It’s a good thing, I suppose, that you’re getting your full Academy education instead of using the Omnitrix to make things easier. I imagine it’s a hard temptation to resist. You know, using a Kineceleran’s speed during agility tests or a Planchaküle’s intellect for exams, that sort of thing. I don’t understand why Azmuth hates it so much. It’s truly an amazing creation.”

If either of them saw Rook stumble, neither commented on it. Rook opened his mouth to say something but his mouth suddenly went dry and his ears were ringing a bit too much for him to form a coherent thought. Azmuth hated the Omnitrix? Why? Did he… Had he used the device himself? Could he understand the strife it’d caused Rook? Or was he as oblivious as everyone else? Tetrax, Shar, Wat-Senn, Xylene, Bahrvad, even Scout- They expected him to use it. They didn’t understand why he couldn’t. Would Azmuth? Or was he like the others? If he was, Rook couldn’t fathom why he’d dislike it. Even Rook, for all his ambivalence, had to admit it was a phenomenal thing.

“Azmuth hates the Omnitrix?” Rook said once he’d regained his bearings.

Albedo nodded. “You know he disappeared for awhile, right? I don’t know the full story but I hear the Omnitrix had something to do with it. He gets all angry whenever I bring it up. I think it’s his best work and I’d love to study it. Since he lost it, I’ve always wanted to recreate it but ever since I told him, he barely even lets me look at the old blueprints.”

“Do you want mine?” Rook offered before he knew what he was saying. Albedo and Scout stopped abruptly, gaping. Rook frowned. He hadn’t expected… whatever this was. He tried again. “You may get more use out of it than me. Do you want the Omnitrix, Albedo?”

Albedo looked a bit startled but recovered quickly. To Rook’s surprise, he shook his head. “No. I wish I could but no.”

“Why not?”

“It’s not compatible with everyone. It’s a wonder it ended up on someone who survived the transformations, let alone adapted to utilize them. And besides,” Albedo explained, “it doesn’t come off. Even if I wanted the Omnitrix, you can’t remove it.”

Rook’s stomach dropped. “What?”

“Are you okay, Rook?” Scout asked, sounding worried.

“I…”

“Ship!”

“Ship?” Rook repeated, confused. His head snapped up as movement caught his eye. “What’s that?”

“Ship!” the voice cried again as a tiny Galvanic Mechamorph launched itself out of the park bushes and knocked Albedo clean off his hoverpad.

Chapter Text

“Are you okay?” Scout asked as Rook helped Albedo up. Well, more picked up than helped. The Galvan was the size of Rook’s hand. There wasn’t much he could do to help without jostling the bones out of him.

“Ship! Ship! Ship!”

“Yes,” Albedo grumbled, annoyed, as he swatted Rook’s hand away. His eyes skimmed the remains of his hover platform and the small black and green creature dancing on it. Albedo sighed before stepping forward and waving the creature away. “Shoo! Get out of here!”

“Ship! Ship, ship!” the creature yelped and jumped up into Scout’s arms. It surprised him and he fumbled for a moment to prevent himself from dropping him.

“What is he?” Scout asked as the creature wiggled, nestling himself deeper into Scout’s arms.

“Don’t call it a he. Personifying them just makes them stick around longer,” Albedo told him. He turned away for a moment to pick up a piece of his hover platform. The machine was wrecked but Albedo didn’t seem to think so. “If you must know, it’s a Galvanic Mechamorph Envoy. Just ignore it and it’ll go away eventually.”

“Envoy?” Rook repeated, glancing at the little Mechamorph. It was squirming again but Scout’s hold was tight enough that he didn’t think there was much risk of dropping it. “Meaning it has a message?”

“Yes. And not a particularly interesting one, it seems,” Albedo snorted as he began piecing his hover platform back together.

“Ship?” Scout repeated, shifting the Envoy into his hands so he could look at it face to face. “Is that what you’re trying to tell me, buddy?”

“Ship!” the Envoy nodded frantically. “Ship! Ship, ship!”

“Don’t entertain it.”

Scout’s ears flattened and he lashed his tail. “Hey, Ship came to us to tell us something. The least we can do is listen!”

“You’re probably the hundredth being it's come up to,” Albedo informed him, not looking up from his work. “Galvans normally just ignore them and eventually they get bored and melt. Now that you’re giving it attention, it thinks it has a real purpose. It’s never going to melt now.”

“Well, maybe I don’t want Ship to melt,” Scout responded, unable to think of something better to say. How could Albedo be so calloused? Sure, he was annoyed that Ship knocked him off his hover platform but that was no reason to disregard the value of a life. Maybe Ship wasn’t a Galvan or quite like the other Galvanic Mechamorphs walking around but he had the intelligence of an animal at the very least. That made him worth something in Scout’s mind.

“I am sure Albedo knows what he is talking about, Scout,” Rook told him. Turning to Albedo, he asked, “Is there some kind of problem if they don’t melt? Do they become dangerous?”

“Not particularly,” Albedo answered with a shrug. “But they can get kind of annoying when they come in contact with technology.”

“Why? What happens when they come into contact with technology?” Scout asked just as Ship started to weasel his way out of Scout’s arms. “Ship!”

“Ship ship!” Ship jumped down and landed on Albedo’s hover platform again, earning another exasperated yell from the Galvan. He bounced off and jumped up into the air and his body began stretching. Scout gasped and in the blink of an eye, an identical hover platform to Albedo’s was floating in front of them.

“He is a shapeshifter,” Rook realized aloud, just as wide-eyed as Scout. Ship responded gleefully and shook himself, expanding until the hover platform was big enough to hold an alien larger than a Galvan.

“Ship!”

“Great, now it wants you to follow it,” Albedo stated as he stepped onto his own hover platform. Without explanation, he directed it in the direction the trio had come from and began heading back toward the lab. “It won’t leave you alone until you find its original. I don’t particularly want to spend my afternoon entertaining a dog so I’ll see you back at the lab. Feel free to stop by anytime, if your offer to study the Omnitrix still stands.”

“I resent the dog comment!” Scout called after him even though he really didn’t. Ship was kind of like a dog, in the only way that Scout wasn’t. He found it kind of endearing. But that didn’t mean he didn’t find Albedo’s attitude towards the Galvanic Mechamorph Envoy annoying. Albedo had seemed so fun just a few minutes ago! He was hoping to make a new friend here-- Luna Lobo knew he only had so many-- but now he was wondering if Albedo was the right person for that. At least he had Ship though.

“Ship!”

“I believe he wants to take us somewhere,” Rook stated, eyeing Ship warily. As a hover platform, he was big enough for both Scout and Rook to ride, a bit cramped but not uncomfortably so. Scout wondered how many pieces of technology Ship could turn into but he seemed pretty set on remaining in this form. He clearly wanted them to hop on.

Scout shot Rook a wordless glance before taking a chance and stepping on. Ship dipped under his weight slightly but adjusted and flashed excitedly. Scout found himself smiling and glanced back at his friend. He tipped his head invitingly. “Are you coming?”

Rook sighed and climbed on after them, trusting Scout’s judgement. 

Scout grew uneasy when Ship brought them off the paved roads and out of the city. No one told them exactly that they had to stick to the confines of the area they landed in but neither Scout nor Rook had been on an alien world before, let alone the untouched wilderness of one. There were trees and plants he didn’t recognize everywhere. What if they were poisonous? Maybe he was allergic to them. Or maybe they housed some kind of predator that left Galvans alone but thought Revonnahganders and Loboans made the perfect snack. And what if they got lost? There were just too many possibilities for something to go wrong.

If Scout thought he was nervous, Rook was even more so. His grip on Ship’s rails was so tight Scout half expected the Envoy to shake him off. And his fur, it was starting to fluff up. Scout wasn’t familiar with Revonnahgander behavior, or any kind of feline for that matter, but he was pretty sure that was some kind of distress signal.

He opened his mouth to say something, to assure him in some way, but then the sharp scent of smoke hit his nose.

It took him a moment to recognize it. There weren’t a lot of fires on Anur Transyl and anyone who could start a fire in the Plumber Academy generally avoided burning things. He nearly doubted himself for a moment but as they got closer and closer, it became apparent that there was definitely something smoking up ahead.

“Shiiiip,” Ship droned as he broke the treeline. He let go of his form, melting back into his original state and dropping Rook and Scout into the clearing. They landed a bit awkwardly but were fine for the most part. “Ship! Ship, ship!”

Ship was hopping around, like he was trying to get their attention. Scout’s eyes surveyed the clearing and immediately fell upon a smoldering hunk of metal. He slapped a paw against his forehead. “Ship! I get it now!”

“Ship, ship!” Ship began bouncing towards the damaged remains of the vessel. He paused, glancing back at his followers. Scout and Rook hurried after him in a heartbeat.

They’d done recovery drills at the Academy. They knew exactly how to work together seamlessly. With a few small, well-placed sonic blasts, Scout knocked away the larger pieces of scrap out of the way before using his powerful claws and Loboan strength to clear a path for Rook. Curling back part of the hull, Rook was able to find a big enough gap to reach into the ship to check for survivors.

There was some struggling but Scout could tell Rook found someone inside and it wasn’t a Galvan. Unconscious, judging by how much effort it took for Rook to even get a grip solid enough to start dragging them out. Scout had to hold up a good portion of the ship’s weight to keep it from falling on Rook and trapping the pilot inside so he couldn’t see much but if Ship’s excited yelps were anything to go off of, Rook was making good progress.

His wrists were starting to hurt and his claws were sore by the time Rook gave him the clear and he was able to get a look at Ship’s friend for the first time. It was a Galvanic Mechamorph, unsurprisingly, but something seemed wrong. Scout wasn’t able to tell until Rook flipped him over and exposed the red, crossword pattern etched over the left side of his body. Scout winced at the side of it. It was… Well, he wouldn’t say it was gross. Galvanic Mechamorphs were tech-based lifeforms so Scout wasn’t quite familiar enough to be unnerved by the unusual. But the web-like lines spreading across his body were unnatural and that made Scout’s tail tip curl with worry.

“What’s wrong with him?” Scout asked, leaning his snout down to sniff. Nothing smelled off but he didn’t expect it to.

“An infection, perhaps?” Rook suggested. His hand went to his chin in thought. “Or maybe this is just what Galvanic Mechamorphs look like when they’re hurt.”

“We need to get help,” Scout stated and moved to pick up the Mechamorph but Ship was barking again and a realization hit him. Ship already tried getting help. And everyone ignored him. A population that probably knew what an envoy’s presence meant and ignored his cries for help anyway.

Scout’s blood boiled as the pieces clicked together in his mind. His hackles began to rise and he felt a throaty growl forming in his throat but he bit his tongue, not wanting to alarm his companions or risk a sonic howl damaging the forest. But he let himself dig his claws into the greyish sand that covered the forest floor. It wasn’t much help but the slight satisfaction he got was enough to ground him.

Rook didn’t seem to share his thoughts. Oblivious to Scout’s rage, he rose to his feet and gathered up the Galvanic Mechamorph in his arms the best he could. “The markings look a bit like that Malware creature in the First Thinker’s laboratory. Maybe Azmuth will be able to tell us what is wrong with him.”

“Maybe,” Scout conceded, stepped forward to take some of the burden of the Galvanic Mechamorph’s weight off Rook’s hands. He had little faith in the First Thinker’s willingness to help but he had to try. At least they’d get some answers. Right?

Bahrvad was dragging something outside the museum when Scout, Rook, and Ship returned with the Galvanic Mechamorph in tow. He dropped his load in surprise upon the sight of them. “By the queen’s axes! Is that Baz-I?”

“Who?” Scout and Rook asked in unison. They should’ve checked the ship for identification, Scout realized, but they were lucky to get the pilot out at all. Looking for anything else in such a damaged ship might have been pushing it.

“Baz-I. We’re friends. Sort of. He’s a Galvanic Mechamorph.” That much was obvious but Scout was patient. Bahrvad would get there eventually. “He works here. Or, uh, at least I thought he did. He was always here whenever I came by but it’s been a long time. I’d imagine he’d have gotten a promotion or switched to another facility by now.”

“We found him in a crashed ship outside the city,” Rook informed him, voice taking the usual droll of a report to mask his worry. “He sent out an Envoy to get help. It appears he has some kind of infection.”

Bahrvad, with his greater strength, gently took Baz-I from Rook and Scout. Both were in pretty good shape after months at the Plumber Academy but Galvanic Mechamorphs were almost entirely metal. Liquid, malleable metal but still metal. They were heavy. Scout was relieved to get the weight off his body and grateful that Bahrvad was more than willing to carry Baz-I inside on his own. Plus, now that his hands were free, that left room for Ship to wiggle his way into his arms. The little Mechamorph liked to be held, it seemed.

“I’m sure Xylene will know what to do,” Bahrvad told them as he brought Baz-I inside. The guards looked up upon their entrance and seemed to buzz among themselves with worry. Whatever happened to Baz-I, it wasn’t normal. They were worried.

“Not Azmuth?” Rook questioned.

“Azmuth’s busy.”

Scout’s tail lashed behind him. “I don’t know a lot about techno-based life forms but even I can tell something’s really wrong with Baz-I. I’m sure Baz-I is far more important than whatever the First Thinker is working on.”

Scout saw Bahrvad’s hesitance to answer. “It’s complicated.”

“Doesn’t look that complicated to me.”

Rook frowned. “I am afraid I do not understand.”

“Let me lay it out for you, Rook,” Scout responded, unable to keep the snarl out of his voice. He was angry but it wasn’t directed at Rook. He hoped his friend knew that. “Albedo knew what Ship was and he actively ignored it. We were pretty far from the crash site. Ship had plenty of opportunities to get help before running into us but everyone ignored him. And this is the species that created Galvanic Mechamorphs are. They’re geniuses, they definitely knew what Ship was. Anyone of them would have been able to help Baz-I and they choose not to.”

Rook looked vaguely unsettled. “What are you suggesting? That Galvans are an unbenevolent parent species?”

“Worse,” Scout told him as they walked deeper into the museum, nearing the halls that held the labs. There was a pretty good chance of someone overhearing him here but he didn’t care. “I’m saying that Galvanic Mechamorphs are second-class citizens.”

“I do not think-”

“Look around Rook. The Galvanic Mechamorphs are guards. The Galvans are scientists and athletes and Plumbers and engineers and- and... And the Galvanic Mechamorphs aren’t. They’re an amazing species but they’re never even given the chance to use their powers or- or branch off the explore new opportunities. They’re stuck being Galvan’s servants in these unskilled jobs.”

“A bit of a, uh, radical take,” Bahrvad interrupted, “but you’re not exactly wrong. I’m surprised you picked up on it so quickly, Scout. You’ve got a sharp mind.”

“Don’t dodge the subject.”

“Sorry. Galvan politics are… complicated. Maybe let’s focus on getting Baz-I some help for now, alright? I promise I’ll answer any questions you may have later.”

Scout was annoyed but he supposed that was a fair compromise. Shutting his muzzle, he and Rook followed Bahrvad into Azmuth’s lab. That red Galvanic Mechamorph had been transported to another holding field, this one a bit less prison-like, but Azmuth was largely ignoring him. He was on the other side of the lab, tinkering with something or another, while Xylene and Albedo focused on Malware.

“You brought that thing back with you?” Albedo questioned when he saw Ship in Scout’s arms.

“He’s not a thing.”

“It’s an incomplete extension of an artificial lifeform. All the programming that makes it an individual is missing. It’s not even an animal.”

“Shiiip.” Ship’s eye drooped, like he was sad. Scout put him gently, scratching his neck, and pointedly ignored Albedo. He’d been fun at first but Scout was starting to get annoyed with him. No, he was well past starting. He was definitely annoyed with him, bordering on something worse.

“Ship was sent out because his, uh, parent’s ship crashed,” Scout announced, drawing Xylene and Azmuth’s attention. “When we found him, he had some kind of infection on his body.”

Xylene looked worried and took a step closer to get a better look but Azmuth was already dismissing Scout’s concerns. “That one was just exposed to Malware for too long. I fired him days ago. Just stick him somewhere safe and he’ll wake up sooner or later. They always do.”

This time, a growl really did escape Scout’s lips. “You mean this happened before? Galvanic Mechamorph’s are getting sick because of your project and you’re doing nothing?”

“Hey, I’m not a project,” Malware grumbled, sounding a lot more docile than before. “I’m here to get help too. Or at least I would be if someone was doing their job!”

Albedo huffed and put his hands on his hips. “And what do you think I’m doing? Do you think I’m synthesizing a nanite antivirus with reversed electro-magnetism that perfectly polarizes your unique mutation for fun?”

“Sorry, Albedo.”

“I’m the smartest being in five galaxies,” Azmuth responded with a shrug. “I can’t worry about every guard that works here.”

Scout would feel the tentacles of his muzzle itching to spread. “They’re still your responsibility! The least you could do was- I dunno, quarantine them and find someone smart enough to identify the problem for you.”

Azmuth looked up at him and raised an eyebrow. “I’m sorry, who is this? And why is he in my lab telling me how to do my job?”

Scout saw red but a hand clapped his shoulder before he had the chance to snarl. He whipped around and met Rook’s sharp orange eyes. His earlier confusion had faded, now replaced by calculated understanding. “Maybe we should step away for a moment.”

“Good idea,” Bahrvad responded. He gently put Baz-I down and knelt down to get a better look at his friend. Baz-I was still as ever. If he were any other species, Scout would’ve thought he was dead. “Scout, you’re getting kind of worked up. Xylene and I will take care of Baz-I and meet up with you later. You two try to relax.”

Relax? How in the name of Luna Lobo was he supposed to relax when he’d just learned the dominant species in the galaxy had such an unjust society? Sure, he knew that he didn’t understand anything and coming from a planet like Anur Transyl, he probably didn’t have the experience to ever really understand all the intricacies but he knew something was wrong when he saw it. And they just expected him to walk away? He was training to be a Plumber for crying out loud! Plumbers were supposed to help the oppressed and vulnerable. Right?

A sudden surge of doubts hit Scout like cold water, momentarily distracting him from his rage. Clamping his mouth shut, he turned and stalked out of the lab without another word. Azmuth didn’t wasn’t worth it. 

“You seem calmer.”

After leaving the lab, Scout and Rook wandered back to the sports arena they saw on their tour earlier. Scout had to admit, he was in a bit of a bad mood when he arrived and sort of bullied the team off the field so he and Rook could play but he didn’t really care. Logically, he knew they didn’t deserve his wrath but after what he saw today, he felt it was somewhat justified. 

This game was distracting and that’s what he needed right now. It was complicated, appropriately so for a Galvan. There were two sides to the field, a net put up for players who were too heavy to use the provided jetpacks, and a number of hovering hoops scattered around. The goal was to hit the floating sphere around the court and score as many points as possible by using certain tricks and techniques to get the ball through the hoops.

It was meant to be a competitive game but Scout didn’t really want to take his anger out on his friend so they decided to collaborate. And at some point Ship came into contact with the ball and turned into one so now they had two balls, including a sentient one who thought it was fun to scurry around the racket at random points in the game.

“It’s fun,” Scout answered, avoiding the real inquiry behind Rook’s words.

“You were pretty upset earlier.”

“I know,” Scout sighed, ears going back slightly. “You think I overstepped?”

Rook was silent for a moment. “I am unsure. On one hand, you are a visitor. You do not know the extent of the situation. But on the other…”

“It’s kind of obvious what’s happening and it’s messed up, right?”

“...Right.”

They were quiet for a moment, batting Ship and the ball back and forth a few rounds as the silence stretched. Neither performed any particularly acrobatic feats, too deep in thought to truly focus on the game.

“You know, I never quite understood your tendency to favor the softer side of academics,” Rook stated, trying to restart the conversation. “The study of history, culture, language, and interplanetary relations is important but it is not…”

“Science?” Scout ventured. He hit the ball with his racket a bit harder than he intended, causing it to entirely miss the hover hoop he was aiming for. “Not everyone’s mind’s geared towards the same thing, Rook.”

“Forgive me, I did not mean to imply that those things were… inferior.” Rook paused, waiting for Scout to say something. He didn’t really want to but he knew the answers to the questions Rook wasn’t asking.

“You know Anur Transyl is pretty peaceful, right? Four species living in harmony. But Anur Transyl’s just one planet. The others in the Anur System are still pretty divided by species and a lot of the guys in charge are more, um, traditional. We don’t really fight with other planets, per se, not like how other systems do, but there’s still a lot of tension between species,” Scout explained, so quiet that he wasn’t sure if Rook could even hear him. “The Ectonurites took over the Vladat throne when they died out, the Transylians think they’re smarter than everyone, everyone walks all over Thep Kufans, a lot of people can’t even tell the difference between Lunan Loboans and Planetarian Loboans…”

Scout trailed off, knowing Rook didn’t understand what he was saying. That was okay though. It was nice to get it all off his chest.

“Anur Transyl is great. I love it there. And it hurts when I see that not everywhere else is quite so, um, accepting. It’s- it’s horrible that the Galvans treat Galvanic Mechamorphs this way. That they just see them as something less. Like their lives aren’t even worth their time.” Scout could feel his anger rising again but he tried not to let it consume him again. “My parents always told me that if I don’t like something, I should say something. People might not listen but the least I can do is try. If I see something wrong, I need to try to change it because no one else will.” 

“Shiiip.”

Ship unfurled from his ball form, dropping down onto the ground. The point counter was still running but Scout had long since stopped playing attention to it. He wasn’t even hitting the ball anymore. The game was over.

Ship bounced over to Scout and rubbed against his leg. Scout smiled and ran a paw over his back. Ship, as animal-like as he may seem, understood.

“I must say there is not anything like that on Revonnah,” Rook began. Scout wanted to argue, there was inequality everywhere, but he kept his mouth shut. He didn’t want to tell Rook things about his own species, not when he’d never even met another Revonnahgander. “But I must agree that what we witnessed today was outrageous. I just do not know if it is our place to do anything about it.”

Scout frowned and whisked his tail. “You think we should just sit back and do nothing?”

“I did not say that. I do not know what the right course of action is but I trust you will make the right decision, Scout,” Rook told him, offering a smile. Scout found himself returning it. “Whatever you decide to do, you can trust that I will be at your side.”

Chapter Text

Rook and Scout’s room wasn’t really meant to fit four people, especially if one of those people was as broad as a Tetramand. Seriously, Scout didn’t understand how Bahrvad was so big. Loboans were supposed to be well-built beings but Bahrvad towered over him. He was probably bigger than Rook and Scout combined. And Ship bundling around the room certainly wasn’t helping but Scout felt bad even thinking about sticking him outside. The tiny Galvanic Mechamorph had to stay.

But it didn’t matter. This was the first chance in days that the group had the chance to converge and this was the only place they could talk in private so this is what they were going to deal with.

“Baz-I is stable. We were able to gather a bit of information about what he was up to,” Xylene reported, tail swinging loosely behind her. “Your suspicions were right, Scout. Baz-I started feeling ill after working around Malware but when he told his supervisors, he got fired. He couldn’t find another job so he rented a ship so he could return to Galvan B. Or he tried, at least.”

“Do you know what was wrong with his ship?” Rook asked.

Xylene shook her head. “There was nothing wrong with it, exactly. It was Baz-I himself.”

“What do you mean?” Scout asked, frowning. “You’re saying Baz-I crashed his ship? Why would he do that?”

“It wasn’t intentional,” Bahrvad said. Ship bounced over to him, bumping his head on his knee. Bahrvad pretended not to see him. “I know you haven’t seen them do it yet but Galvanic Mechamorphs have the power to, uh, upgrade technology. They can fuse with it, becoming one, and take control. The ships Galvanic Mechamorphs use are specifically designed for them to fuse with them and take control. Baz-I tried doing that but it seems something went wrong.”

“I did find him in a rather peculiar position within the ship,” Rook noted. He went silent, thinking for a moment. “Do you think his ailment caused him to lose control of the ship?”

“That’s our leading theory,” Xylene answered, crossing her arms. “It’s unlikely someone would sabotage Baz-I’s ship but that’s not a completely unreal possibility either.”

“Why would someone do that? Is Baz-I a high profile Galvanic Mechamorph?”

“Not really. He just has kind of a bad personality,” Bahrvad responded. He paused, looking down at Ship who stopped rubbing against him in favor of shooting him a blank stare. “No offense.”

“Ship!”

“Don’t worry Ship, you’ve got a great personality,” Scout told the Envoy. Ship turned toward him and seemed to preen under the praise.

“Ship!”

“Bahrvad told me you two had questions about Galvans and Galvanic Mechamorphs?”

“Oh. Right.” He definitely did. Scout had been pondering them for days but in the moment, only one really stood out. “Why?”

“Why what?”

“Why do the Galvans look down upon the Galvanic Mechamorphs?” Scout asked. Ship hopped into his lap. Scout tried to pet him without accidentally using his claws. “Why do the Galvanic Mechamorphs let them treat them this way? Why don’t they share Galvan Prime? Why doesn’t Azmuth do something about it?”

Bahrvad looked to Xylene, trusting her to have the better answer. She hesitated, pondering for a few moments to find the right words. “Azmuth created the Galvanic Mechamorphs. On Galvan Prime, Galvans are the parent species. They… How do I phrase this? Some Galvans feel that the Mechamorphs owe them a life debt. Some think Mechamorphs were made to serve them. Some look down on them since they were created by accident.”

“But does a creator not have a responsibility to his creations?” Rook asked softly. Scout blinked at him a few times, sensing there was some meaning behind Rook’s words that he didn’t understand. “He brought them into this world. He bestowed life upon them. He gave them their powers. He shaped who they are, for better or for worse. Does that not mean that he has some responsibility to them? That he should protect them and ensure they have happy lives?”

“In theory, yes,” Bahrvad responded, “but you have to remember Galvanic Mechamorphs have been around for a long time and Galvans didn’t directly have a hand in making all of them.”

“But if something happened to one and he was responsible, Azmuth should do something about it, right?” Rook pressed. Rook’s insistence surprised Scout. He hadn’t seemed all that invested earlier but he sure seemed to care now. Scout wondered why. “Like- Like Malware. He is ill, is he not? Worse than Baz-I. He is in Azmuth’s lab because he needs help but Azmuth is not helping him.”

“Malware is… confidential,” Xylene answered cautiously. Scout wanted to call Apoplexian litter on her response but he didn’t think that would be the most constructive thing right now. “And Azmuth is helping him. The First Thinker works in mysterious ways sometimes.”

Rook and Scout exchanged a glance, the latter lashing his tail. Bahrvad and Xylene were sharp, he knew, and he couldn’t understand why they were dodging the truth. They could see it as clear as he could. It was obvious. Even Rook was starting to pick up on it in his own way. They knew everything yet they were taking the Galvans’ side.

Rook opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted by a blaring alarm. Five heads snapped up and they got to their feet, ready to move when necessary.

“What is it?” Scout asked as Xylene pulled out a tablet and began tapping away at it for updates.

“Malware escaped again,” Xylene informed him, face creasing with concern, “and he’s on a rampage.”

Rook didn’t really want to leave his room now. Not after Scout’s inquiries sparked so many thought provoking questions. He had to say, he didn’t really understand it all until he mentioned Azmuth. Now, he couldn’t stop thinking about it. But now wasn’t the time to start thinking about anything deep. They were Plumbers and he was the Omnitrix bearer. If there was danger on Galvan Prime, they were the ones best suited to confront it.

It didn’t take long for them to locate their adversary thanks to the path of destruction left in Malware’s wake. He’d grown somewhat, head nearly as tall as the tallest buildings. That wasn’t saying much considering no buildings were higher than one story but he was still a good amount larger than he’d been before. And that meant taking him down would be even more difficult.

“Xylene, find Azmuth. I’m going to get started on evacuation. Scout, Blonko,” Bahrvad barked, “confront that thing.”

“What?” Rook’s head spun. Bahrvad wanted him to fight Malware?

“Your Omnitrix may be the only weapon on hand that can take down Malware,” Bahrvad told him. “And Scout’s sonic blasts will provide good back up.”

Rook tried to protest but his mentors were long gone by the time he opened his mouth. He closed it, frowning, and glanced at Scout. “You do not have to join me if you do not want to.”

Scout waved his tail behind him. “Of course I’m going to help you, Rook. But I think I can do one better than a sonic blast. Buy Ship and me some time.”

“You got it.” Rook nodded and his hands went to his Omnitrix. It was second nature, almost, despite his usual hesitance. The silhouettes on the dial were all so familiar. Selecting one, he brought his hand down on the Omnitrix and let the sensation of transformation overtake him.

“Kringl the Summoner!”

Scout, for all the time he spent with Rook, had never seen the Revonnahgander transform. He had to say, this was not what he was expecting.

Scout knew a few of Rook’s forms. He had a Tetramand, he knew. And a Kineceleran. Those were fairly common forms and Scout thought they’d be a pretty good choice for this fight. It was hard to go wrong with enhanced speed or increased strength. He didn’t really know what Rook expected to do with this red skinned, white bearded pillow of an alien.

“Ship?” Ship peered at Kringl, confused. Kringl spared him a quick glance before thrusting his hands toward the ground, layering the pavement in ice, and began skating in Malware’s direction. Scout watched for a moment before he shook himself. Aliens were weird. That wasn’t new. He couldn’t waste time trying to make sense of it.

“Come on, Ship,” Scout said, beckoning for the envoy to follow him. “Let’s get some back up.”

“Ship ship?” Ship seemed confused but didn’t hesitate to follow Scout when he pelted down the road. He morphed into a ball to keep up with him, it was hard to match a Loboan’s pace on all fours, and stuck close to Scout’s tail when he veered toward the museum.

It was chaos when he entered. There wasn’t a Galvan in sight but there were plenty of Galvanic Mechamorphs, all panicked and scattered. He frowned. That wouldn’t do. “Hey.”

They didn’t seem to hear him. If anything, their disorderly buzz was only increasing. He tried again.

“Hey!” he barked. A couple Galvanic Mechamorphs glanced in his direction but for the most part, they still couldn’t hear him over their bustle. That, or they were ignoring him.

“Ship ship!” Ship morphed into a megaphone. Scout picked him up gratefully and raised in to his muzzle for a howl.

“HEY!” he shouted a bit louder than was probably necessary but at least the Galvanic Mecamorphs were paying attention now. He jabbed a claw toward the window. “Malware’s loose!”

“We know. Why do you think we’re in here where it’s safe?”

Scout’s expression tightened. “It’s not safe in here. Especially not for you. Why do you think all the Galvans left?”

He realized he probably shouldn’t have answered with a question because now a ripple of noise was spreading through the Mechamorphs, distracting them. Scout barked wordlessly, drawing their attention back to him.

“Malware’s mutation, he can infect you guys. That’s what happened to Baz-I, Ship’s, uh, original,” Scout told them, gesturing loosely at Ship. The Envoy greeted the other Mechamorphs with a happy jump. The Mechamorphs froze, turning their full attention to Scout. “Azmuth’s not doing anything about it. None of the Galvans are going to do anything about it. If you want to stop any Galvanic Mechamorphs from getting infected, we’re going to have to confront him ourselves.”

“Fight Malware?” one of the guards squeaked.

“Not directly,” Scout told her. “The Omnitrix bearer is out there fighting him right now. I don’t know if any extra hands would be able to do much to help. But you guys are smart and you know a Galvanic Mechamorph’s weaknesses better than anyone. You can help.”

The Galvanic Mechamorphs glanced at each other, muttering amongst themselves. They were considering Scout’s proposition. Scout prayed to Luna Lobo that they’d help him. For all his talk, he didn’t know if this was going to work but it certainly wouldn’t work without some allies.

“Galvanic Mechamorphs are vulnerable against electromagnetic pulses and magnetic fields,” one of the guards offered. “Maybe the Envoy can help us make one.”

Scout’s tail tip curled up in hope. “Alright, that’s what I’m talking about. Let’s get moving! I don’t know how long Rook can keep Malware busy.”

Kringl didn’t hold back when he blasted Malware.

The mutated Mechamorph didn’t sense his arrival which gave Kringl more than enough time to summon his elves and generate enough power for a fully charged ice attack. It caught Malware off guard, sending him skidding across the street, but Malware was more durable than Kringl expected. The energy elves had mere seconds to get their attacks off before Malware started whaling on them.

“You dare attack me, Omnitrix bearer?” Malware snarled, voice sounding completely different from before. Something must have happened, Kringl realized, for him to be like this. Or Azmuth had been doing something to keep him docile earlier. Both were equally real possibilities. “You of all creatures ought to know what it feels to be forsaken by Azmuth!”

“I do,” Kringl said, the truth coming to his tongue as naturally as Master Kundo’s battle moves. It was something he’d been putting a lot of thought into. Ever since he got the Omnitrix, actually. “But that does not mean you can take your anger out on the Galvan race!”

“Bah!” Malware scoffed as he punched away the last of the homunculi. “I’ve waited too long! I tried being patient for years! I waited for Azmuth, I waited for Albedo, I waited for any Galvan but none of them- We ought to be their Adam, Omnitrix bearer, but instead we were their monster.”

Kringl didn’t understand the allusion but he got the gist of Malware’s words. It was the intent, not the meaning, that spoke to him. Still, just because he understood, that didn’t mean he was ready to turn his back on his principles. “Azmuth’s coldness does not give us the right to harm innocents.”

“You speak like you’ve never met a Galvan,” Malware scoffed. He raised his arms, appendages shifting into canons, and aimed them directly at Kringl. “Those who stand by and do nothing are just as guilty. None of them are innocent.”

Kringl wanted to argue but the blast was flying right at him and Kringl wasn’t exactly the fastest alien in the Omnitrix. He thrust his hands out and formed a wall of ice in front of him but the laser shattered it in an instant, doing little to null the blast. Kringl was knocked off his feet and his back hit the road somewhat painfully. He groaned and sat up the moment he was able to. Kringl was a powerful alien but so was Malware. He needed to do something to turn the tide of battle in his favor.

Kringl pressed the palms of his mittens against the surface of the ground and let his icy powers leak out. Concentrating the cool energy, ice spread from his fingertips and began coating the ground. He didn’t doubt Malware could fight in an iced over environment but at least he’d get some speed like this.

“Your tricks won’t help you,” Malware snarled and ran at the red-skinned alien. Kringl brought up his hands, trying to form a wall of ice in Malware’s path, but the Mechamorph merely ran through it, sending shards of ice flying. Kringl realized he’d severely underestimated Malware’s strength.

It was one of his elves that managed to buy Kringl enough time to scurry away, getting under Malware’s feet and tripping him up. The creature snarled and smashed the elf immediately. That was a bit annoying. Kringl thought his diverse powerset would be enough to handle Malware but Malware’s raw power was tearing through his ice and summons.

Luckily, Kringl had some power of his own.

Sliding across the battlefield to build up some momentum, Kringl lunged at Malware and boxed him in the face with a gloved hand. Hard. If Malware had bones, Kringl was confident he would’ve heard something crack. Malware’s head spun and he was forced to stumble to regain his balance. He wasn’t down yet though. No, not by a longshot. The moment he was able, Malware rose up and tackled the other alien.

Kringl regretted putting the ice down. Ice meant no friction and that meant he and Malware were sliding across the streets as they wrestled. Claws grasped red clothing, mittens slapped against organic metal, elbows bumped, shoulders slammed against the ground- There was no room for any formal moves or forms. The two just rolled and took whatever chances they got to attack or defend.

Kringl tried to use his powers but he couldn’t concentrate long enough to even distinguish the ice in his body from the spiritual energy he used to make the elves, let alone draw upon it. He imagined Malware was having similar struggles. If he could morph his hands into a canon, Kringl was sure he had some kind of melee weapon in his arsenal. The realization only made Kringl fight harder. He couldn’t give Malware the chance to use his powers. In such close quarters, that would be his end.

Or maybe not. He couldn’t tell if Malware was trying to hurt him or not. When he spoke, he spoke of them like kin. Like brothers, both sons of Azmuth. Kringl didn’t really feel the same way but he felt the bond they shared as creations of Azmuth. Maybe that bond meant more to Malware than Kringl thought. He didn’t think he’d get the chance to ask though, at least not now.

Both began tiring and Malware’s strikes were eventually distanced enough to give Kringl the chance to summon a chill. Nothing major, just add a bit of ice to his punches. But as the fight went on, he was able to add more and more power and soon he was nearly attacking at full capacity.

Unfortunately, he was slowing down too which gave Malware the chance to do the same. Claws shifted into a canon and slammed down on the ice, narrowly missing Kringl’s head. He realized he needed to put some distance between the two or he’d be done for. In a desperate move, he managed to summon a pair of elves to tear Malware off him enough to roll away.

Channeling his inner power into his hands, he whisked them through the air, summoning a small army of energy elves around him. They darted at Malware and began assaulting him with their tiny claws. Malware let out an angry noise and began swiping at him but the homunculi weaved around his claws easily.

Eventually, Malware grew tired of the buffeting and snapped. Both hands shifted into twin canons and he began firing them wildly, aimlessly sending a flurry of shots across the battlefield. Kringl dove to dodge them and tried to put up another ice pillar, concentrating his power in hopes it’d be able to survive another shot. It was difficult, simultaneously summoning his elves and using his freezing abilities, but Kringl could tell all those hours drilling with Bahrvad and Xylene were paying off.

A few of the shots grazed Kringl. Even if he wasn’t the target, Kringl was a whole lot bigger than the energy elves. He couldn’t dodge them as easily. Momentarily, Kringl wondered if he should’ve selected someone else. XLR8 would be fantastic right now. Terrorsaur would be even better. Juryrigg would be having a field day with all the tech on Galvan Prime. Any other alien seemed like a good choice right now though he knew logically that if he were in any other form, he’d be thinking the same thing. Malware was powerful and he wasn’t even scratching the surface of that power right now. Kringl had a long fight ahead of him, assuming he didn’t time out too soon that is.

In the corner of his vision, Kringl saw a flicker of movement on the rooftops. He glanced up, seeing black figures shuffling on either side of the street, just out of Malware’s line of sight. They were Galvanic Mechamorphs, Kringl realized. What were they doing? He didn’t really know how infectious Malware’s… uh, thing was but the brief battle he’d witnessed upon his arrival told him that regular Galvanic Mechamorphs didn’t last long against mutated ones. He wondered if this was some kind of mistake but then he spotted Scout.

“Keep him busy,” Scout mouthed when his eyes met Kringl’s. Kringl gave him a curt nod, telling his friend he got his message, right before one of Malware’s blasts barreled into him and sent him rolling again.

Apparently Malware had torn through the elves while Kringl was distracted and now he was coming for the jolly red alien himself. Kringl widened his stance, bracing himself, as Malware slammed into him full force. Malware was past words at this point, now savagely snapping at Kringl’s face with his spiky maw. His teeth grazed Kringl’s beard. Kringl jerked back his head, trying to get it away, but Scout’s voice deterred his efforts. “Keep him there!”

Malware froze, not aware of the guerillas around him. Ship launched himself off the rooftop over the battlefield and quickly began expanding, taking a new form Kringl had never seen before. “Ship!”

He was making some kind of box. A few other Galvanic Mechamorphs liquified and stretched toward him, adding their own mass to his. Kringl didn’t have the faintest idea what they were planning but neither did Malware and Kringl was more than ready to take advantage of that. Retching his face away from Malware’s mouth, he grabbed Malware’s arms and angled them away from himself and the Mechamorphs. Malware started, as if surprised, and Kringl bashed his forehead right into his.

“Nice move!” Scout called, followed by a howl. A moment later, a sonic blast nailed Malware right in the back. It caused Kringl to slide back a bit on the ice but he still largely had the advantage. He froze Malware’s arms, blocking up the canons, and continued to try to keep him pinned in one place. The frame of the box around them was complete but the Galvanic Mechamorphs were still working away. Kringl didn’t know how much more time they needed.

“Insolent creatures!” Malware spat. Kringl wanted to roll his eyes. What a boring villain line. But Malware didn’t look like a villain right now. In fact, judging by the incredulous expression on his face, he looked betrayed. “You’re going to let them take out both of us, brother?”

“If it means stopping you, yes,” Kringl responded before raising his voice. “Scout! Do it!”

Scout looked hesitant. “Sorry in advance, Rook. Ship, generate the field!”

Kringl, being out of the loop on Scout’s plan, had no idea what Ship was doing but he did know there was some kind of energy field around him now. And it hurt. He grunted in pain, sharp electricity dancing over his skin. Kringl was a pretty durable alien but the energy seemed to seep through his skin, lighting up his bones with painful power. Malware seemed to have it worse, it seemed.

Malware howled and buckled. He stopped resisting Kringl, instead falling to his knees. He clutched his head and writhed, the surface of his black and red skin bubbling. He shot Kringl a hellish stare. “Do something!”

Kringl didn’t know why Malware expected him to do something. Was he misreading the situation? Did Malware truly see him as an ally? Either way, it didn’t matter. He was trapped in the field as well and there wasn’t anything he could do about it.

He felt the field’s power ripple through him, brushing the Omnitrix. Kringl’s stomach filled with dread as the beeping sounded and the red light flashed, turning him back into his true form.

As a Revonnahgander, everything he felt as Kringl hurt a dozen times more. Rook’s fur stood up immediately and his muscles spasmed, not liking the electricity buzzing around him. He felt his knees start to give out and black spots began to fill his vision.

He was unconscious by the time he hit the ground.

Scout’s muscles clenched as fear flooded through him. Rook was down but Malware was not. The field was designed to hurt Malware, would Rook be okay if he stayed in there a bit longer? Or should they kill the field now and hope Malware was weakened enough to stop attacking? He was the one in charge here but he didn’t know what the right call was.

“Scout!” Xylene’s voice snapped him out of it, soothing his worry. He relaxed ever so slightly and turned to see Xylene approaching with Bahrvad and Albedo in tow. “Status report!”

“I figured out how to generate an electromagnetic pulse keyed to the opposite polarity of Malware’s unique techno frequency to disrupt the corrupted nanites in Malware’s body. According to the notes in Azmuth’s lab at least,” Scout explained quickly. Abledo looked momentarily impressed but Scout didn’t have time to let it sink in. “Rook held him still long enough for Ship and the other Mechamorphs to build the device but he just timed out and Malware’s still conscious.”

“Is the field harmful to carbon-based lifeforms?”

“I don’t know!”

“It shouldn’t be,” Albedo told them quickly. “I’d bet that the Omnitrix just reacted to it like any other electromagnetic pulse designed to target and disrupt Galvan tech. That, or it just timed out on it’s own. Your friend should be fine but you may want to kill the generator. Malware should be weakened enough for now.”

Scout couldn’t respond fast enough. “Ship!”

“Ship, ship,” Ship murmured in response. He retracted, the rectangular frame melting away until only Ship’s original form remained. Around him, Galvanic Mechamorphs rained down and landed neatly on the ground, running away from Malware as fast as they could. Scout caught Ship easily and directed a sonic howl in Malware’s direction. The mutant Mechamorph didn’t have the strength to resist and was knocked away from Rook’s prone form.

Bahrvad and Xylene swooped in, Albedo running after them with some kind of device in hand. Xylene rushed to check on Rook while Bahrvad tackled Malware down. The Tetramand didn’t try punching the Mechamorph, he was already out, and instead flipped him over to restrain his arms. Albedo hopped up on him and slapped some device down on him, spreading some kind of nanotechnology along the outside of his body, but Scout found himself too distracted to pay much attention to what it was. Not with Rook possibly injured.

“Is he okay?” Scout called but Xylene was already scooping Rook up in her arms and making a beeline for the nearest medical facility. Scout’s stomach dropped. A thousand questions ran through his mind but he was too shocked for any of them to find their way to his tongue.

“Ship,” Ship moaned, sounding worriedly. 

Scout rubbed the envoy’s back, eyes never leaving Xylene’s fleeing form. “He’ll be okay, Ship.”

Because he had to be. This was Rook Blonko, bearer of the Omnitrix and Scout’s best friend in the whole universe. He could make it through anything. Right?

Chapter Text

Scout knew his pacing was stressing out Ship but he couldn’t help it. He hadn’t seen Rook in hours and he couldn’t help but fear the worst.

“Do you think he’s alright?” Scout asked his new friend, trying not to bite his nails. That wouldn’t be good for his claws or his teeth. “I mean, that field wasn’t supposed to hurt him but... Oh Luna Lobo, what if we killed him and it’s our fault?”

“Ship, ship.” Ship was bouncing around again. Scout couldn’t read his tone but it was only feeding his anxiety.

“Malware wasn’t even really fighting that hard! Maybe we were too hasty. Rook would’ve been able to talk him down eventually, right? Or- or he’s the Omnitrix bearer. He’s probably got some kind of alien in there strong enough to beat Malware. Or-”

“Ship!” Ship barked, drawing his attention to the door of the medical facility. Scout’s head snapped up to see Rook walking out the front doors, looking just as healthy as he did when Scout saw him that morning. Maybe a little roughed up but he was walking and all in one piece so that was good enough for Scout.

“Rook!” Scout bounded over and skidded to a stop, staring like he couldn’t believe Rook was really in front of him. He almost didn’t believe it. Xylene seemed so worried when she ran off! And Scout knew Rook had taken a bit of a beating as Kringl in addition to whatever damage Ship’s field did. It was unbelievable that Rook was just okay after all that. Unable to voice all of this, he threw his arms up and said, “You’re alive!”

Rook chuckled. “It seems I am.”

“I thought you were mummy mush!” Scout exclaimed as he rushed forward to embrace his friend. Rook seemed surprised by the action but Scout didn’t even care. It just felt good to know his friend was there.

“The field didn’t affect him much. The Omnitrix just timed out and his natural form just got overwhelmed from the sudden change, with the magnetic field and all,” Xylene explained. Scout jumped. He hadn’t realized she was there. Or Bahrvad for that matter. Where did he come from? He thought he was helping Albedo lock Malware back up. 

“If anything, his fur got messed up more than anything else,” Bahrvad joked, earning a glare from the Revonaahgander. “It was sticking up all over the place.”

Rook sighed and put his hands on his hips. “If you are done, we should get going.”

Scout tipped his head, still reeling too much to follow the conversation. “What? Where?”

“Did Albedo not tell you?” Bahrvad asked. Scout shook his head. “There’s a ceremony tonight. Taking down Malware was a big deal. The Galvans want to commend you for it.”

Scout blinked, surprised. He really hadn’t given anything like that any thought. They were Plumbers, or training at least. Seeing danger and running toward it felt natural. It was their job, afterall. And they were getting congratulated? That was nice, he supposed, though he did wonder if they really deserved it.

Rook shouldered Scout, pulling him out of his thoughts, and smiled. “Come on. Let us get those knots out of your fur. You look almost as bad as I did and I had just gotten out of an electrical field!”

Scout smirked and shoved him back. “Shut up, you know my fur looks better than yours anytime of the day!”

“Ship! Ship, ship!”

“Yeah, yeah. We’ll give you a bath too, Ship. You’ll be so shiny the other Galvanic Mechamorphs won’t know what hit them!”

It was clear Azmuth didn’t want to be here. That was fine because Rook didn’t want him to be here either.

“As many of you know, the mutated Galvanic Mechamorph I keep in my lab escaped today. In the past, he took the lives of many Galvans and Galvanic Mechamorphs alike,” Azmuth began. Rook swallowed. He didn’t know Malware had a history of, uh, violence. Actually, he didn’t know any of Malware’s history. He’d just assumed that the attack today was a one time thing. Was it a common occurrence? “Thankfully, his attempts to hurt the Galvan race were thwarted without any injured thanks to these two visitors, Rook Blonko and Scout Alazraqui.”

Rook kept his chin up and shoulders square as he looked out at the audience. They were mostly Galvans but there were a handful of Galvanic Mechamorphs and offworlder Plumbers as well. He didn’t recognize many and he doubted he would recognize many more if he was any closer. Still, it was a bit humbling to be looking at them all like this. It was a reminder. Of what, Rook wasn’t positive. That he was just an individual, of how small he was, how far he had to go, that sort of thing.

He tried to relish the moment but he couldn’t. Too many thoughts running through his head. But he forced them down and smiled. It was what they expected of him, afterall, and he was never one to displease.

The crowd clapped as Azmuth finished and Rook caught Xylene and Bahrvad’s eye. They looked proud, almost, to see him and Scout up there. They probably were. He hoped they were. If Rook wanted anyone to be proud of him, it was probably those two.

Albedo came out on a hover platform and presented each of them with what Rook assumed was the Galvan equivalent of a medal. It was more than just a piece of metal, Rook could tell that much, but he couldn’t make much sense of it at the moment. He couldn’t wait to crack it open and see what kind of wiring awaited him inside. But to his surprise, Scout shook his head and refused it.

“We don’t deserve these,” he spoke lowly, too quiet for the audience to hear. “We didn’t even do anything. Well, you did, Rook, but it was Ship and the Galvanic Mechamorphs who took Malware down.”

Rook found himself nodding. As thrilling as it was to get awarded, Scout was right. “I do not think Malware had any harmful intentions. I do not think he planned on escalating very far.”

“I understand your positions on the matter,” Albedo told them, matching their quiet tones. He had a fake grin plastered on his face, directing it toward the crowd to ward off any question that he was doing anything other than his job. He spoke through his teeth. “Just take the medals for publicity’s sake. Malware’s a big name on Galvan Prime. News of his escape travels fast and his recapture even faster. There would be questions if you weren’t recognized.”

“But this ceremony doesn’t even do anything. There are real problems here, Albedo.”

“I know. I convinced Azmuth to clear his schedule and speak to you two in person. You can give him your qualms then.”

The flash of surprise was so strong Rook found the medal in his hand without even realizing he took it. “Thank you.”

Scout put his ears back unhappily but he accepted the award. “I want to talk to Azmuth about how the Galvanic Mechamorphs are treated here.”

“You will have the chance.”

“And I want to talk to Malware,” Rook added. Now, it was Albedo’s turn to be surprised but it didn’t seem like a bad kind of surprise. Mutely, he nodded and Rook nodded before turning to the audience and giving a friendly wave. He could suck up to a crowd if it meant he’d get the answers he sought.

“I sense you are upset with me.”

It was another day before Scout and Rook got the chance to return to the labs. As Albedo promised, they got the chance to talk to Azmuth and Malware but Rook wanted some time alone with the mutated Mechamorph and Azmuth was nowhere to be seen which left Scout and Azmuth wandering the museum halls.

“You think?” Scout responded sarcastically. Ship hopped up onto his shoulders and prodded him in the face gently. Scout rolled his eyes. “Ugh, fine. I’ll knock it off if you knock it off, buddy. Look, Albedo, how you reacted to Ship really upset me. I know… I know this is your world and maybe it’s not my place to say anything but you knew what Ship is and you did nothing. No, you did more than nothing. You told us to ignore him so he'd lose hope of helping Baz-I and melt. That’s pretty messed up, man.”

Albedo pursed his lips and fell silent but Scout knew he wasn't ignoring him. He was thinking. Deeply. That was a bit more than Scout had hoped for. He half-expected Albedo just to blow him off again but it seemed like he’d really put some thought into this, even before now. Scout’s ears pricked, listening carefully so he’d hear whatever Albedo had to say when he found the right words.

“I won’t try to justify my actions,” Albedo stated, surprising Scout more than he thought it would. “I know I made a critical error. The Galvanic Mechamorphs have earned my respect.”

“Even if they didn’t, that doesn’t mean you can be so careless about them.”

“That is true, I suppose,” Albedo conceded slowly. “I believe… I believe the Galvan race could learn something from you, Scout Alazraqui. And you too, Ship.”

“Ship?” Ship cocked his head, peering at Albedo before bouncing excitedly. “Ship! Ship, ship!”

Scout couldn’t keep his tail from wagging. Ship’s was too, if the pointed end of his body counted as a tail. “You mean it?”

“Galvans are still intellectually superior, of course,” Albedo responded and Scout wasn’t sure if he was really being arrogant or just saying it out of habit “but I must admit that sometimes we’re… lacking when it comes to the more, um, empathetic sphere. And that prevents us from being the most we can be.”

“You got that right,” Scout snorted. Albedo raised an eyebrow. Scout coughed awkwardly. “Sorry. I know you’re trying to apologize.” 

“I understand you’re from the Anur System. I would be interested to see how your perspective could benefit the relations between the Galvan race and Galvanic Mechamorphs. After you leave, I would like to remain in contact. I know I for one could benefit from hearing thoughts that are not my own,” Albedo told him. “And, if you would be willing to set aside the past few days… No, nevermind.”

“No, I want to hear it,” Scout insisted, coming to a stop to properly look at the Galvan. “What is it, Albedo?”

“I was going to suggest we attempt… friendship. You are a very peculiar creature, Scout. I believe I would enjoy conversing with you semi-regularly after you depart. Even on matters outside of science and race relations.”

Scout broke into a grin. “I’d enjoy conversing with you semi-regularly after I depart too, Albedo. As long as you don’t bully Ship anymore!”

“Ship, ship!”

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” Albedo replied with a smile.

Malware was back in his cage when Rook entered. It wasn’t all that obvious, just an energy field boxing him into the corner of the lab, but both knew it was there. It was depressing, almost. Like seeing an animal locked up in a zoo, far from its friends and migrating grounds. Malware looked unhappy to be there but it went unsaid that everyone knew exactly why he needed to stay constrained.

“I looked up what you said on the extranet,” Rook told him upon his arrival, walking through the wide door frame leading up to Azmuth’s lab. At the moment, Azmuth was nowhere to be seen. Good. Rook wanted to talk to Malware alone. Azmuth’s presence would only muddle things up.

Malware looked up. “What?”

“‘We ought to be their Adam, Omnitrix bearer, but instead we were their monster,’” Rook quoted, coming to a stop a few paces away from the imprisoned Mechamorph. “You said that during our fight. It is a reference to a piece of literature from Earth. Have you read it?”

“No.”

Rook gave him a look.

“...It’s my favorite story. I haven’t read it in awhile. Before Azmuth, y’know... Malware gestured to the energy field around him. “Before I started having my, uh, episodes, I used the extranet a bit and I found that book.”

“It is an allegory of another story,” Rook said, sitting down on the metal lab floor. Malware watched him for a moment before settling down himself. It was almost domestic. It reminded Rook of all those hours he spent sitting on the floor with his siblings, sharing stories and toys. He wasn’t quite sure how he felt about Malware being in his sisters and brother’s place but he found himself unbothered by it. “I could not find the original. Have you?”

“Yeah. Not on the extranet though,” Malware explained, lifting his head a bit. “There was this human who used to come by once in a while. He told me about it. His name was Max, I think. He was one of Xylene’s friends, you can ask her to get into contact with him if you want to hear the story yourself.”

“I want to hear it from you,” Rook told him earnestly and he meant it.

Malware paused. “Well, um, so in the original story, this omnipotent being called God made a being called a human in his image. I’m not really sure why. I think it’s kind of cruel to bestow life upon someone like- Um, anyway, God called the first human Adam. He was supposed to be the first of his kind. Until he was ready, God took care of him. He gave him a safe place to live, he gave him a companion, he kept him happy…”

“That sounds nice,” Rook murmured, “but not very realistic.”

“I guess,” Malware muttered with a shrug more telling than his tone. He probably didn’t want to hear Rook’s commentary but it wasn’t like it was untrue. “It’s just a story. But the humans wrote another story. The one that you found.”

“Frankenstein.”

“Yeah. Well, in that one, the human tries to be God from the other story and make life. Only, he wasn’t perfect. Humans are very flawed, apparently. The human turned his back on his creation. He had to learn everything on his own and there was no one to teach him the ways of the world or introduce him to people or anything like that. He ended up being really lonely. He didn’t have a place in human society and he became a monster because of it.”

Rook nodded along. He didn’t know what that was like, not exactly, yet something about Malware’s words resonated with him.

“The monster wanted a friend but his creator refused to make another one for him and that made the monster turn against him,” Malware explained. “I never asked Azmuth for someone like me. I- I could never do that. Everything hurts all the time. My body, that is. I would never want that to happen to someone else. I wanted friends though but my mutation infected other Galvanic Mechamorphs so I asked Azmuth to fix me. He’s my father, like God was to Adam or Frankenstein to the monster. He should have fixed me but he just… didn’t.”

Rook frowned. He wished he was surprised but he wasn’t. He’d only seen Azmuth a couple of times but from what he knew, he wasn’t a very compassionate being.

“He kept saying he would. Albedo tried sometimes and so did Xylene, whenever she was here, but they’re not Father. They don’t understand me like he does. Only Azmuth knows how to help me. He doesn’t want to though and that’s almost worse than living like this,” Malware told him quietly. He lifted his hands, looking down at his red-trimmed claws. Sharp, not round like a normal Mechamorph. And he said it hurt. Rook couldn’t imagine what kind of pain Malware must be in, both mental and physical, to be stuck in a body like his all the time. “But then you came along.”

“Me?”

“Yeah. You. Adam had someone to share the burden of life with. And the monster wanted one. I thought…” Malware trailed off. “The Omnitrix rewrites your DNA. It mutates you. You’re still you, you’re not like me, but you’re different. You know it. Everyone else knows it. I thought… I don’t know, maybe you’d understand.”

“I do,” Rook told him. He didn’t know how to express how much he really did. There were no words that could really say it. “Maybe not exactly but I understand how you feel. When I got the Omnitrix, I thought I was a monster. And when I found out I could not take the Omnitrix off, I was angry. I did not ask for this. Azmuth’s device changed me without my consent. And when Azmuth refused to even talk to me-”

“-you got angier.”

“Yes. I got angrier,” Rook went on, “but that does not give me the right to take my anger out on the Galvan race.”

“I know,” Malware groaned childishly. Rook suddenly realized that Malware probably was, in fact, a child. The realization was jarring. Ship was only a few days old but he was an animal. How old did a Galvanic Mechamorph need to be to an adult? What about a mutant? Surely Malware hadn’t reached that point yet, even if he was decades older than Rook physically. “It’s just… It’s been so long.”

“I understand.” He didn’t, not at all, but his words seemed to console Malware somewhat, if the relief spread across his features meant anything. “I am supposed to talk with Azmuth tomorrow. Would you like to be there when I do? Perhaps we would both be able to better voice our qualms with the other there.”

“I’d appreciate that… Sorry, I don’t know your name.”

“Rook Blonko.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Rook Blonko.”

“It is nice to meet you too as well… Brother.”

Rook didn’t know Galvanic Mechamorphs could smile but that was definitely what Malware was doing.

Scout spotted Azmuth passing his lab on his hover platform just as Albedo and Scout were making their second loop around the museum. It was enlightening, having a guide like Albedo, but Scout was starting to get bored. He could only spend so much time looking at artifacts and lab work he couldn’t understand before he craved something more stimulating. He was a creature of motion, afterall.

“Hey,” Scout barked, not loud enough to interrupt whatever conversation Rook and Malware were having in the lab but still loud enough to demand Azmuth look up at him. Albedo turned away, stepping behind Ship like he wanted to pretend he wasn’t there. That was fine. Scout didn’t need him here anyway, not for this.

“What is it?” Azmuth asked, sighing, as he made his way over. “You’re the Omnitrix bearer’s friend, aren’t you?”

“His name is Rook Blonko,” Scout told him, ears pressing flat against his head as his eyes narrowed, “and you’re going to use it. Luna Lobo, you have no idea how much I want to chew you into mummy mush but Rook still wants to talk to you so I’m just going to tell you this.”

“Oh?”

“Listen to Rook. I don’t care what he says, just listen to him. And Malware. Assuming he isn’t, y’know, being crazy. Rook sees some good in him and you owe it to the Mechamorphs to at least hear them out. I always looked up to you, Azmuth. Everyone does, not just Academy students. Everyone. And I have to say, meeting you is pretty disappointing. Sure, I get it. You’re old and you’re busy. I don’t care. A load of people respect you and maybe you’ve done something to earn it but you don’t act like it. Start acting like it, Azmuth. You have a responsibility. Not just to the Galvan Race but to the Galvanic Mechamorphs, Malware, and Rook. You made them what they are. A parent’s first priority should always be their kids and you’ve always failed them. Get your act together, Azmuth. Be better.”

Azmuth merely raised an eyebrow at him. “Are you done?”

Scout didn’t realize he’d gotten so worked up but he was breathing hard and his teeth were showing. He forced his lips back down and tucked in his haunches. “Yeah. I’m done.”

“Good. Because I have work to do.”

Azmuth continued on his way and Albedo stepped out from behind Ship. The Galvan looked a bit pale when he glanced up at Scout. “I… Wow.”

“Yup.”

“I envy your guts but I would not want to be you right now. Azmuth isn’t the petty type but if you ever need something from him, I do not doubt he will remember this.”

“I know,” Scout sighed. He turned his gaze down the hall in the direction Azmuth left. “But I don’t really care. I meant what I said. I’m sure, like… I don’t know. I’m sure he thinks about this a lot. I mean, how can’t he? He’s the First Thinker. Smartest being in the galaxy. He’s got to think about these things all the time. But he still ignores them.”

“He does.”

“I know that nothing I can say will just magically make him change but I hope he thinks, and I mean really thinks, about what it means to be the First Thinker. And I hope he stops thinking and starts acting. I don’t have the power to change anything here but he does.” Scout paused, head swiveling to look down at Albedo. “He does, right? He’s actually in a position of power? I still don’t really know how things work here. I didn’t just waste my breath scolding him and all that time being angry for him to just be some guy, right?”

Albedo chucked and Scout relaxed, letting his fur lie flat. “No, he’s not just some guy. You’re right. He does have the power to change Galvan Prime. More than you’d think, maybe. I believe there are many issues we’re overlooking. If Azmuth is ready to open his mind to seeing them, I think he could really make Galvan Prime a better planet before his time comes.”

Scout smiled and poked Albedo with a claw, gentle enough not to knock him over. “And you’ll yell at him for me if he doesn’t?”

Albedo smirked. “Of course. What kind of assistant do you take me for?”

“A loud one.”

“Hey!”

Chapter Text

“Malware’s infection prevents him from merging with technology like other Galvanic Mechamorphs. Like the Envoys, he has a limited version which doesn’t really compare to a complete Mechamorph’s abilities,” Azmuth explained as he worked. “When his mutation festers, it can become contagious. Infected Mechamorphs lose the ability to merge seamlessly but they don’t gain any of Malware’s unique abilities. That’s what happened with Baz-I. He tried merging with his ship but the infection prevented him from doing so properly and he crashed.”

Rook was in Azmuth’s lab in Juryrigg form, helping Azmuth build the device to clear up any infection Malware spread to the Galvanic Mechamorphs. None of the Mechamorphs who helped Rook and Scout take down Malware were infected but Baz-I still was and Xylene and Bahrvad managed to discover a few others since the ceremony. The device was necessary, especially now that the infections could no longer be hidden. Part of Rook was angry that it’d come to this point for Azmuth to do something but he kept his mouth shut. Azmuth was doing something about it now, afterall. He had to pick his battles.

“You’re quiet. Especially for that form,” Azmuth commented. He set down his tools to give Juryrigg a good, hard look. “Tell me, what’s on your mind?”

Juryrigg slapped the symbol on his head, transforming back into a Revonnahgander. Rook shot Malware a look from across the room. The mutated Mechamorph nodded and Rook took a deep breath. “I am angry.”

“About what? Be more specific.”

“At you,” Rook stated. Azmuth started to look away but Rook stopped him. “No, look at me. You are unkind, Azmuth. You lack the morality of a good scientist.”

Azmuth raised an eyebrow. “You think morality makes a scientist a good one? What are they teaching you at the Plumber Academy?”

“This has nothing to do with my education. I believe it is merely the truth,” Rook told him, voice ringing with honesty. He paused, searching for the right words. “Science does not give you the right to disregard the wellbeing of others. The Galvanic Mechamorphs- they did not ask to be created.”

“But they exist and they have me to thank.”

“Perhaps but you are not entitled to their gratitude. You are responsible for them. That means you must care for them. Like Malware.”

Azmuth sighed. “You really think I don’t care about Malware?”

“Yes,” Malware called from across the room.

“Child, just because I am not giving you attention all hours of the night doesn’t mean I don’t care. I know you’re pained and I do not wish to see you suffer. Come.” Azmuth beckoned Rook to follow him and lead him to a workshop table on the other side of the room. He picked up a device and tossed it into Rook’s hands. “Tell me, what is this?”

Rook caught it easily but frowned upon the sight of it. He couldn’t make any sense of it “I… I do not know.”

“It’s a nanite defibrillator with a single-photon targeting system,” Azmuth explained. “If the device worked, I would’ve been able to convert all of Malware’s mutated techno-organic cells back to their natural state.”

“If?” Malware questioned, pressing a palm against the invisible wall of his prison.

“Yes, Malware. If,” Azmuth sighed. “You’ve seen me working on this for the past three months, haven’t you? It’s been my main project. I just didn’t tell you because I wasn’t sure it would work. It didn’t want to disappoint you if it didn’t. It’s not that I don’t care, Malware. It’s that I care enough not to give you false hope. If I seem flippant with you, it’s because I trust that you understand that I’m a busy scientist and that you have faith that I won’t stray from the promise I made. I told you I’d cure you when you came to me so long ago and I fully plan on doing what I said I’d do.”

Malware fell silent, looking down at the ground like he was thinking. He probably was. No, he definitely was. Rook was too. They’d misjudged their creator, it seemed.

“Now,” Azmuth said, turning to Rook. “How does this pertain to you?”

Rook hesitated. After Azmuth’s answer to Malware’s complaints, he wondered if his were really that important. Surely Azmuth had an answer for this as well. Anger still bubbled under the surface of his skin but it was quelled by fear. His feelings seemed so silly, so trivial, sometimes. But Malware was giving him an encouraging look and Rook knew he had to ask or he’d be left wondering forever.

“The Omnitrix, it does not come off.”

“Yes. And?”

The words came to Rook a lot easier than he thought they would. Once they started flowing, he couldn’t stop them. “I did not get a choice and it ruined my life! I gave into curiosity for one moment and now there is this thing on my wrist. And I just learned that it latches onto my DNA and rewrites it. This thing caused me to lose my family, my home, and any hope for a normal future and now I find out that I am not even a true Revonnahgander anymore? I am not- Why did you create this device? Sometimes I am a monster. Even when I look like me, I can tell that I am not. Do you have any idea what that is like? When you built the Omnitrix, did you consider the effects it would have? You played with forces you had no right to touch.”

Azmuth watched him silently. “Are you done?”

“I think so.”

“Good. Because now I have a question for you,” Azmuth responded. Rook blinked at him for a moment before Azmuth continued. “Would you change anything?”

“What?”

“Would you change anything?” Azmuth repeated. “If you could go back in time, would you?”

“I… do not think I would,” Rook said slowly, biting his lip. His mind went blank but a few things stood out to him. “I would not be the same person I am today. Even if I do not like what the Omnitrix did to me, I feel that having it has made me grow as a person. I do not know if I would like the Revonnahgander I would be without it.”

Azmuth looked satisfied. “The Omnitrix was designed as a learning tool. To be able to walk a hundred steps in another alien’s feet-”

“No.”

Azmuth blinked in surprise. “No?”

“No,” Rook stated definitively with a confidence he didn’t know he had. “I think I have learned from using other aliens’ bodies but that was not what I was referring to.”

“Oh?” Azmuth looked interested. From within his prison, Malware leaned forward as well. “Please, do tell.”

“If I had not received the Omnitrix, I would not have had the wonderful moments from last harvest season. My sister dragged me out so many times to Magister Wat-Sen’s house to practice using my aliens. I do not think I would be as close to either of them as I am now if the Omnitrix had not brought us together,” Rook told him, smiling fondly. “And I would not have the friends I have today without it. Tetrax, Scout, Ship… Malware.”

Malware’s back straightened at the sound of his name. If he had skin and flesh, Rook was sure he’d be flushing.

Azmuth’s thumb went to his chin as he mused. “Interesting. So it was not the forms themselves that caused you to change. Here, give me your Omnitrix wrist.”

Rook did as he was told but he was still confused. “What are you doing?”

“You taught this old Galvan something today. You are a worthy bearer of the Omnitrix. I’m going to give you some of the access codes. I don’t think you’re ready for the Master Control yet but I think you’re responsible enough to have the codes for the randomizer, timer, scanner, and data logs. And, when the time is right, you will unlock another set of aliens.”

Rook blinked a few times, not believing his ears. “Thank you. But that does not make up for what you did. You need to be better.”

“I’d think less of you if you said anything else.”

Ship squirmed in Scout’s arms as the Loboan watched Azmuth and Albedo’s careful work. His muscles urged him to pace but he withheld, not wanting to distract the Galvans in their work. Besides, it was hard enough keeping Ship calm.

Baz-I lay on a medical table. Equipment Scout couldn’t hope to understand surrounded him. Presumably, if Azmuth and Albedo’s estimates were correct, it would clear up the infection from Baz-I’s body. They already figured out how to keep it from spreading. The last step was now to cure it. And with Rook and Scout leaving soon, that had to happen today or they wouldn’t get to see it.

Albedo and Azmuth remained silent as they worked. Scout could tell Rook wanted to ask questions but didn’t want to snap the pair out of their focus. The machine had been humming away for awhile and Scout could’ve sworn Baz-I was starting to stir awake.

Slowly, Baz-I’s… uh, eye blinked open and he looked around. “Wha-?”

“You three deal with this,” Azmuth said flippantly and hopped off his hover platform to scurry off to who knows where. “I’ll be back for the next round of treatment.”

“Ship!”

“Four,” Scout yelled after the Galvan but Azmuth was already long gone.

Baz-I groaned and tried sitting up. “Could someone tell me what happened?”

“You were infected by Malware’s mutation. It caused you to crash your ship. These two found your Envoy and brought you to the First Thinker for treatment,” Albedo explained, gesturing at the pair of Plumber students, “before taking down Malware and pushing Azmuth to contain the virus and figure out how to cure you.”

Baz-I blinked owlishly at the pair before looking down at himself. “I feel a lot better. Thank you.”

“You still have aways to go but that’s good to hear,” Scout spoke. He paused before holding up Ship hesitantly. “Would now be a good time to reabsorb your, um, Envoy? Would the fresh mass help you recover faster?”

“Oh, no.” Baz-I shook his head, filling Scout with relief. He didn’t want to say goodbye to his friend quite yet, even if he would live on through Baz-I. “It’s far too late for me to reabsorb him and it seems he’s been around long enough that he won’t melt. He’s his own being and it seems he’s taken a liking to you two. How would you like to take care of him for me?”

Scout’s tail went straight and he grinned. “Really?”

Baz-I nodded. “Why would I lie about that? It’s not like I can take care of him.”

Baz-I slapped the side of his bed for emphasis. Albedo looked like he wanted to tell him off for his careless around such delicate machinery but a glance at Scout told him not to ruin the moment.

“I do not believe the Plumber Academy is too keen on letting students keep pets on the base,” Rook told him.

“I don’t care,” Scout responded, nuzzling Ship. The tiny Mechamorph, oblivious to everything that had just happened, looked confused but accepted the affection happily. “We’re staying together buddy!”

“Are all mammals this emotional?” Baz-I asked, glancing at Albedo who nodded solemnly.

“Unfortunately.” 

Honestly, Rook kind of forgot they came with classmates until they were loading a dozen Galvans back onto the ship. A dozen Galvans who did not want to get on the ship. “Please, it is not that difficult. Just get on.”

In the distance, Albedo was laughing from the observation deck. In his hand was a tablet with a video feed allowing Malware to see the scene as well. He didn’t look as amused. “Use your Florauna form, brother! Or the Segmentasapien!”

“Thank you, Malware, but I have this handled,” Rook called back. The Galvans froze at the name, giving Rook the chance to dial up his desired alien in the Omnitrix. “Antigravitesla!”

Rook felt the green light wash over him as his limbs thickened and his fur melted away into mint skin. It was an easy process, transforming that is, and any strangeness that came of it was a mere echo in the back of his mind. With a grin, he raised his hands and picked up the gaggle of Galvans up, tugging on their gravitational fields. They murmured in confusion and tumbled through the air. Antigravitesla wiggled his fingers and the Galvans floated into their seats, easy as pie.

“Thanks, Blonko.” Xylene turned toward him. “Do you want to hop on board or do you want to fly for a bit?”

“Fly,” Antigravitesla responded, already rising up into the air. “I have never had the chance to enter space in this form!”

Xylene smiled. “Alright then. Just make sure to let us know when you’re ready to board.”

Antigravitesla nodded and launched himself into the air, letting his powers take over and carry him high into the sky.

If landing on Galvan Prime was beautiful, leaving was even more so. Especially without a window obstructing his view. The faint green and blue clouds whirled around him as he sliced through them. He took a moment to dance with them, cementing the moment in his mind, before continuing on his path and entering the outer atmosphere to gaze down on the planet below.

Galvan Prime was gorgeous, he knew that now, and for so many reasons beyond its wonderful colors and scientific prowess. The culture, the faces of the people on its surface, it’s history- he could picture it now. No longer did it seem so alien and foreign. Still different from what he knew but he thought that was part of what made it what it was. A smile formed on his face as he gave it one last look before turning to follow the ship back to the Academy. His visit here was defining. Rook wouldn’t forget it for a long time.