"Ding! Congratulations to the host for signing in successfully!"
"Reward obtained: Green-tier, New Alien DNA Enhancement!"
"New Alien DNA Enhancement detected," Asher muttered, processing the system's explanation. "What does this do exactly?"
"The alien genetic sample you just recorded may not represent the optimal expression of that species," the system explained. "This reward strengthens the DNA you obtained to the peak performance level achievable by that race!"
In other words, if Asher had scanned an ordinary person's genetics, this reward could enhance those genes to Olympic champion or genius scientist levels, directly improving the baseline capabilities of his transformation.
"System, display my status screen."
Host: Asher Tennyson
Age: 12
Omnitrix: Transformation time 7 minutes, cooldown 4 minutes 50 seconds, Ultimate form unawakened, incomplete alien data library
Alien Transformations: Heatblast (Fire Fist Ace's fire manipulation), Four Arms (enhanced strength, Eight Extremes Collapse), Diamondhead (advanced combat skills), Ripjaws (Fishman Karate, aquatic communication), Wildmutt (spider-sense precognition), Grey Matter (enhanced weapon analysis), Ghostfreak (drastically enhanced intangibility and possession), Stinkfly (flight capabilities), Upgrade (battle mode), XLR8 (super-speed), Buzzshock (electrokinesis)
Most of Asher's alien forms had received exclusive enhancements through the sign-in system, though XLR8 and Stinkfly currently lacked specific upgrades beyond their natural abilities.
"System, why doesn't Buzzshock show any enhancement details? Didn't I just get the DNA strengthening reward?" Asher pointed out the discrepancy.
"The host's other alien DNA's already represent peak specimens of their respective species," the system replied. "Buzzshock does not display separate enhancement notation because it now matches the quality level of your other transformations, all are equally optimized."
Ah, that made sense.
Asher nodded, retracting his wrist. He glanced back at the rubber ball one final time, confirming he hadn't missed anything important, then tiptoed out of the cabin.
He carefully closed the door behind him and exhaled softly.
Perfect. Mission accomplished without incident.
It looked like he could finally rest properly for the next few days.
Following the bright moonlight, Asher made his way back toward the Rust Bucket.
But just as he left...
The troublemaking kid from earlier, the one who'd made faces at Ben, quietly slipped into the area, muttering complaints under his breath. "They wouldn't let me play with them, so I'm going in myself! I'll stay here all night if I want!"
The boy approached the wooden cabin. Though slightly intimidated by the darkness, after several seconds of mental wrestling, he gritted his teeth and walked inside.
The fluorescent powder coating the walls made him somewhat nervous.
When he spotted the rubber ball, however, his fear transformed into disappointment. "The stuff in here is so boring! I thought there'd be something cool. This is worse than making faces at that brown-haired kid earlier."
The boy started to turn around and leave.
FLASH!
The previously dormant rubber ball suddenly flickered with bursts of golden light! During daytime, such a glow would be nearly invisible no matter how intense. But because night had fallen, these wisps of golden radiance were unmistakably eye-catching!
"What's that?"
The child's attention snapped to the rubber ball. Curiosity overcoming caution, he walked forward and grabbed the rubber bands with his palm, pulling them apart slightly.
FLASH!!
A cluster of golden energy burst free from inside, floating into the air like a liberated prisoner. The small electrical being cheered excitedly, clearly thrilled to escape its confinement!
The boy stumbled backward in shock, collapsing to the ground with a panicked expression. "Ah! Ah! Help! Someone help me!"
"Ha ha ha ha!"
Buzzshock looked at the frightened child and held its small belly, laughing uncontrollably at his terror.
"Dad!!" The boy scrambled to his feet and ran out of the cabin, crying and making a tremendous fuss.
When he returned to his parents, his father dismissed the story entirely. The man thought his son was being ridiculous and didn't believe a word about the "little lightning creature." The boy even received a scolding for wandering off alone at night.
Meanwhile, the Nosedeenian found itself in an unconstrained environment for the first time in who-knows-how-long.
And Asher knew nothing about any of this. He was already lying in his bed aboard the Rust Bucket, sleeping peacefully.
The night passed.
When Asher and the others woke from their rest, washed up, and prepared to eat breakfast, chaos erupted outside.
BOOM!
CRASH!
Explosions rang out one after another, accompanied by panicked screaming. Even the Rust Bucket's decent sound insulation couldn't completely muffle the commotion!
"Vilgax's drones?" Asher muttered, though he didn't immediately jump to conclusions. He set down the breakfast Max had prepared, casually activated the Omnitrix's display, opened the RV door, and stepped onto the streets of Mirage Paradise.
What he saw, however, wasn't what he expected at all.
No robots. No fleeing crowds.
Instead, people stood around their vehicles and shops, staring in bewilderment at the destruction!
Some cars sat completely disabled, sparking with electrical discharge and smoke!
Shop windows had been shattered, glass shards littering the ground!
Even the fur on the giant elk mascot, Mirage Paradise's iconic landmark, bore black scorch marks!
"What happened?"
Asher's confusion lasted only a moment before he ruled out Vilgax. "If it were that tyrant, he wouldn't be this careful or selective."
His questions were answered almost immediately.
"There! It appeared again!"
"That's what wrecked my car and destroyed the hot dog stand!"
"Why is there a ray of light just flying around randomly?"
Asher looked up.
A golden-yellow streak of lightning tore through the azure morning sky, moving with incredible speed toward one of Mirage Paradise's billboards. It smashed straight through the English lettering, leaving a gaping hole!
CRASH!
Everyone gasped in astonishment, pointing at the electrical entity in the sky. None of them understood what they were witnessing!
The lightning didn't stop after demolishing the billboard. Like a complete troublemaker, it zipped around destroying things seemingly at random!
"How could it be that Nosedeenian??" Asher's face went pale with disbelief. His mind raced as he tried to understand. "I sealed it back in the rubber ball!"
Why had the Nosedeenian escaped again?
His mouth twitched involuntarily.
This felt uncomfortably familiar. He remembered laughing at Ben in the original series when the young hero had accidentally let an alien escape and cause havoc. At the time, Asher had found it hilarious, such a classic "kid hero" mistake.
And now...
The troublemaker turned out to be him.
"Doesn't look like Vilgax's attack after all," Max stepped out of the Rust Bucket, his expression showing mild surprise. "That appears to be some kind of alien creature instead."
"And it's acting just like Ben used to, being a total brat and causing trouble everywhere!" Gwen couldn't resist using Ben as a comparison, which nearly triggered another argument between the cousins.
"Even if it's not Vilgax, I still have to deal with this!" Asher's expression grew serious.
The mess you create yourself, you clean up yourself!
Somewhere in Mirage Paradise, the troublemaking child and his parents had already fled the park, abandoning their vacation entirely.
...
There is a 50% Black Friday discount on a membership to my P@treon page, even if it's a bit late. The discount is valid until December 2, so take advantage of it while you can.
Also, Happy Thanksgiving🥳🍾. (That's if you celebrate it in your country)
The code for this discount is: YOUAREMYBRO