XLR8, about to enter the Happy Country cabin, failed to notice that after he'd left the main street, a mischievous kid had snuck out of their hotel room and made their way to the attraction's entrance. The child stood there with gleaming eyes, completely transfixed by what lay inside.
"Using my claws directly would be too obvious," XLR8 muttered to himself, his raptor-like head tilting as he assessed the locked door. He raised his striped tail, its blue markings catching the faint moonlight. With practiced precision, he wrapped the prehensile appendage around the lock mechanism and twisted.
Click!
The door opened smoothly. Apparently, the Happy Country owner hadn't bothered with serious security for this remote attraction. He probably never expected anyone would break in at night.
XLR8 pushed the door wide and slipped inside with minimal sound. He carefully closed it behind him, then moved deeper into the darkness. Ignoring the glowing fluorescent warning signs scattered throughout the room, he headed straight for his objective, the massive rubber ball.
The ball sat exactly where they'd left it earlier that day, silent and seemingly inert.
"Let's see what kind of alien you really are," XLR8 whispered, his voice carrying that distinctive higher pitch from his accelerated metabolism.
His clawed hands reached out carefully, gripping one of the thick rubber bands stretched across the ball's surface. He pulled gently but firmly, mindful that his sharp talons could easily slice through the elastic material if he wasn't careful.
The rubber band stretched taut like a bowstring drawn to its limit.
But nothing happened in the dark interior.
"What's going on? Did the alien already escape?" XLR8's confusion was evident even through his visor.
BZZT!!
Suddenly, a brilliant golden light erupted from within the ball!
The unexpected flash was so intense that XLR8's protective visor automatically lowered over his face, shielding his eyes and activating its night vision capabilities. The visor, a natural part of his Kineceleran biology, served as essential protection when running at extreme velocities.
The light grew stronger with each passing second, accompanied by crackling bolts of electricity that arced across the interior!
It turned out the alien inside had simply been asleep. With night falling hours ago, the creature had naturally dozed off. It was only now beginning to wake up and emerge!
BZZT!!
This time, the light blazed even brighter, like a golden meteor. The energy burst forth from the darkness and materialized beside XLR8!
WHOOSH!
XLR8 reflexively released the rubber band. It snapped back into place with tremendous force, sealing the gap once more.
"Hahahaha!"
Childlike laughter filled the room, not the menacing sound of a dangerous alien, but the innocent giggles of a mischievous toddler!
XLR8 turned his head to look.
Hovering in the air beside him was a creature resembling a living battery. Its small, humanoid body crackled with golden electrical sparks that illuminated the surrounding darkness. A pair of bright eyes gleamed with excitement and newfound freedom, like a prisoner who'd just been released from captivity.
XLR8's advanced perception quickly processed what he was seeing. Combined with his knowledge of the broader universe, he identified the species within seconds.
A Nosedeenian!
Nosedeenians possessed powerful electrical abilities. Though small in stature, they packed shocking power, quite literally. They were mischievous by nature, prone to pranks and playful troublemaking.
"Hey there, little guy," XLR8 said in his friendliest tone. "You can understand me, right?"
The small alien nodded enthusiastically, its battery-like body bobbing in the air.
"I just freed you from that ball. How about doing me a small favor? I promise I'll let you go outside afterward where you can breathe fresh air and, "
BZZT!!
Before XLR8 could finish his diplomatic pitch, the Nosedeenian's body suddenly unfolded. A concentrated bolt of electricity discharged from its chest like a miniature lightning strike, aimed directly at the spot where XLR8 stood!
It was clearly meant to startle him, a playful shock from a newly freed prankster.
However...
The Nosedeenian watched in confusion as XLR8 simply vanished. One moment he'd been standing right there, and the next, nothing. The lightning bolt struck the floor instead, leaving a charred scorch mark where it impacted.
"??"
The small alien tilted its head, utterly bewildered. How had the velociraptor-like creature disappeared so completely?
"Looking for me?" XLR8's cool voice came from directly behind the floating creature.
"AHHH!!"
The Nosedeenian's eyes went wide with shock. It clutched its head with both tiny hands and flew forward in panic, desperately trying to escape this impossibly fast being!
BONK!!
The creature's frantic flight ended abruptly as it collided with XLR8's outstretched palm. It bounced backward, rubbing its sore forehead with both hands.
When it finally looked up again, still dazed from the impact, it found XLR8 standing directly in front of it once more, he'd repositioned himself in the split second it took the alien to recover!
The Nosedeenian's expression shifted from confusion to frustration.
Incredible speed!
Even with its natural electrical abilities and lightning-fast reflexes, the small alien couldn't track XLR8's movements. It couldn't even perceive when he moved. To someone capable of manipulating electricity and energy, speed like this seemed impossible, faster than any supersonic fighter jet!
"Alright, settle down now. I need your help," XLR8 said calmly, extending one clawed hand toward the creature.
His talons closed gently but firmly around one of the Nosedeenian's small arms, pulling it closer.
The alien's electrical sparks dimmed considerably. Its shoulders slumped in defeat, electricity flickering weakly across its surface in a clear gesture of surrender.
"That's better. Good little alien," XLR8 said with satisfaction.
As he considered how to properly scan the creature's DNA, the Omnitrix symbol on his chest suddenly began pulsing with green light.
BIU~
A beam of emerald energy washed over the Nosedeenian, and then the light on XLR8's chest flashed red. The transformation had reached its time limit.
When the glow faded moments later, the small alien found itself no longer being held by the tall, intimidating speedster. Instead, it was face-to-face with an ordinary human child, a boy who couldn't have been more than twelve years old.
Just a kid?
The Nosedeenian's expression transformed. Its eyes gleamed with renewed mischief. What did it have to fear from a mere human child?
"Don't even think about it," Asher warned, reading the shift in the alien's demeanor.
He kept one hand in his pocket, and when he withdrew it, he wore a thick rubber glove.
Before the Nosedeenian could react, Asher's gloved hand seized its small body firmly.
No matter how much electricity the creature generated, coursing through its form in brilliant displays of power, Asher felt absolutely nothing through the protective rubber. At most, the bright flashes made his eyes water slightly from the glare!
"Came prepared this time," Asher said with a grin.
With proper equipment and a solid plan, there was no chance of failure.
"Now then, let's see if direct contact works better," Asher mused aloud, raising his right wrist. He pressed the Omnitrix's faceplate directly against the Nosedeenian's small chest.
Zzzzt!!
The alien gritted its teeth, or whatever passed for teeth in its species, and unleashed its full electrical output. Current surged through its body, making direct contact with the Omnitrix's interface!
The device's screen flickered wildly, pulsing with intense green light that stood in stark contrast to the red glow of its normal charging state!
"It's collecting the DNA sample!" Asher's heart leaped with excitement. This was the first time he'd actively used the Omnitrix to scan and record alien genetic material!
After several tense seconds, the Omnitrix's screen stabilized and stopped flashing.
Asher slowly withdrew his wrist from the exhausted Nosedeenian. Without hesitation, he unceremoniously stuffed the small alien back into the rubber ball where it had been contained. The creature had served its purpose, no point in letting it cause chaos throughout Mirage Paradise.
Then Asher raised his left hand and tapped the Omnitrix's faceplate with barely contained excitement.
Twist.
Twist.
Twist.
When he reached the tenth alien hologram, he held his breath.
One more twist.
The display didn't automatically loop back to Heatblast's familiar flame pattern.
Instead, a new silhouette appeared on the screen, a small figure crackling with distinctive electrical energy around its form!
"Yes!" Asher clenched both fists tightly, his face flushing with triumph.
DING!
The system notification chimed in his mind.
"Congratulations to the host for successfully signing in! Reward obtained: Uncommon Green-tier, Buzzshock Enhancement Package!"
Perfect timing. Asher felt the knowledge flow into him, his Buzzshock form would have all the natural abilities of a Nosedeenian at peak performance, plus significantly enhanced electrical generation capacity. This wasn't just any electric alien; this was going to be a powerhouse.
'Buzzshock,' Asher thought, savoring the name. Small but mighty, and one that opened up entirely new tactical possibilities.
He glanced once more at the rubber ball, where the Nosedeenian had returned to its confinement. "Thanks for the cooperation, little guy. Sweet dreams."
With his mission accomplished, Asher headed for the exit. He'd need to return to the Rust Bucket before anyone noticed his extended absence.
But as he pushed open the cabin door and stepped into the cool night air, a shadow moved at the edge of his peripheral vision. Someone else was here at Happy Country, someone who'd witnessed at least part of what had just happened.
Asher's eyes narrowed.
This night wasn't over yet.
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