A little fun side project I thought I'd do. Inspired by the now defunct OmniHome Blog, this blog is an AU where the Reboot Omnitrix aliens are their own characters, and you get to ask them all sorts of questions. This is set in its universe, and not part of my main AntiGlitch Blog. Here's some basic rules and info:
What point does this AU begin? -
-This starting point for the OmniFam AU is set right at the start of the first season and may deviate from canon.
-Please no NSFW questions or lewd comments.
-Questions must be addressed to a specific character or characters.
Addendum: In light of recent asks, this blog will split into three separate canons:
The Main Canon, which follows the events of the Reboot.
The Attea Canon, which involves any asks or storylines from @frog-commander
The Ghostfreak Canon, which involves any asks or storylines from @ghost-in-the-watch
"-s it working yet? Oh, good. Hello everyone! Grandpa Max here. Sorry we didn't get this message out sooner, we were busy with a few things following the Earth Day concert. We just wanted let you know that, since Pride Month is coming up and we're probably gonna be busy fighting bad guys and what not, we're temporarily allowing for pride themed questions. Just remember to keep things from getting too crazy. We can't wait to here what you have to say."
I figured the OmniFam needed an origin story. Tiding you guys over until the next episode in the timeline comes out.
“Come… on! Get offa me… you stupid thing! Ben grunted, struggling to rip the watch from his wrist. Summer vacation was not off to a great start. For one, he had to share this vacation, his vacation, with his goody two-shoes cousin Gwen all because their parents insisted the two should bond over the summer. She was the boring opposite of Ben in every way, always feeling the need to butt in and offer her own lame suggestions for fun.
Second, Kevin had decided to be a real jerk and trick him into thinking a fire had started when he was still changing after gym class. He wasn’t going to forget the laughing when he ran out in his undies anytime soon, nor the taunts Kevin made about him being a wimp. Yeah, Kevin got expelled for lighting a fire in the trashcan, but that wasn’t the point! He had humiliated him in front of everyone at school, and Ben knew that shame would follow him all the way to next year.
Now here he was, in an entirely different predicament. While going on a walk to clear his head, Ben had witnessed what he thought was a shooting star. As it streamed across the sky, Ben wished he could have the most awesome summer any ten-year-old boy could ask for. Anything to clear those awful experiences from his memory. The shooting star responded in kind by making a beeline for Ben and crashing down just inches from his head.
When he had made sure the rock hadn’t taken his head off, Ben discovered the “shooting star” wasn’t a shooting star at all. It was some kind of metal space pod, glowing a vibrant green. Something in his gut had warned him this thing seemed dangerous, but his Ben-tuition had gotten the better of him. He knew his Ben-tuition was never wrong and he investigated anyways.
Sometimes he wished never had that stupid Ben-tuition of his. For the past hour he’s tried and failed to remove this strange device after it latched itself to his wrist. It was colored black and white, and felt like it was made from plastic, but when he tried to break it there wasn’t a scratch on it.
He’d tried everything he could think of: Digging under the watch to pick it off his skin, looking for a hidden lock or latch, then eventually devolving into smashing it with rocks like a caveman. He just gave up and sat there on the ground, staring at the watch.
“You gotta be kidding me. First Kevin, then Gwen tags along for my trip, now this? What else could go wrong?”
He knew it was a bad idea to say that. He remembers that time at the last Tennyson family gathering, or that science project gone wrong, or when he borrowed what he thought was the new Sumo Slammers game and it turned out to be a pirated copy.
“Rated E10, yeah right…”
Ben’s mind drifted back to the watch. It was odd, the more he thought about it. This thing didn’t look like any watch he’d ever seen. It looked more like a toy or some kind of hi tech piece of equipment. Sure the Rustbucket was brand new, and had everything he could ask for on this trip, but for some reason it didn’t seem to compare to the object on his wrist.
Cautiously, he traced his fingers around the centerpiece. Maybe if he took his time, like Gwen always complained, he would find a button or a switch that gets it off. It took all of ten seconds for Ben’s attention span to break and go back to just tearing at the thing.
“Errrr, c’mon! Why can’t everything just go my way right now!?”
Suddenly, the centerpiece popped upwards with a click, unknown mechanisms whirring to life. Ben leapt back with an “Eeep” and tried to cower from his hand. A moment later, he stared in awe. The centerpiece remained in its new position, humming with an unknown energy source. The hourglass shape inverted to reveal a plate of the same green color, only now there was a humanoid silhouette, one of an immensely muscular being with four arms!
Ben cautiously wrapped his fingers around the centerpiece and tried turning it to the left. As he did, the silhouette of the four armed being was swept away to reveal another silhouette, this time of a similarly bulky creature with spikes growing out of its head and back.
“Woah… what is this?”
He realized the centerpiece was a dial, and as he turned it, it cycled through eight more unique silhouettes. There was one with wings, another with four tendrils growing from its back, another that was shaped like a ball, a lanky looking thing, some kind of scuba diver, a guy with what looked like flames coming out of his head, a squat thing with a big round head, and finally something that looked like a velociraptor. What was this thing? And what were those silhouettes? Then it clicked. Ben looked back at the pod, then up to the stars and realized…
“The pod came from space, and if it came from space, then that means it could be from an alien world! And if it came from an alien world…” Ben looked back down at the watch and grinned with youthful glee.
“Woo hoo! I’ve got an alien super watch attached to my wrist!”
Ben’s mind jumped alive with thoughts of what the watch could do. Thoughts of what these alien silhouettes were- what species these things could be dominated Ben’s thoughts. He cycled through each one and tried to guess.
“Maybe this guy can shoot lasers from his eyes! Or maybe this can control gravity like a slinky- better yet, is like a living planet or something. Bet this big guy can shatter buildings with just a sneeze…”
Ben’s mind jumped for a moment.
“What if I can turn into them? Oh man that would be so cool! I could be all these cool aliens all at once! I could be a…”
Superhero. He could become a superhero. Not just one, but ten. He could finally be someone other than just regular Ben Tennyson. If he could get a grip on these powers, he could become the hero he was always meant to be.
“I’ve gotta tell Gwen and Grandpa Max, I can’t wait to see the looks on their faces when-“
Wait. Tell Gwen and Grandpa Max? Let’s be real here. Why should he tell them?
“All I’m gonna get from them is Gwen climbing up my nose about handling this thing like a toy, and then Grandpa Max will go on about ‘using this power responsibly.’ I’m always being told what to do, always looked down on as immature, always treated like a loser.”
Who was Ben kidding? Why should he have to get their approval to know he could handle this power? He could show them both that Ben Tennyson could be responsible with something like this, that he wasn’t immature. And most importantly show bullies like Kevin that he wasn’t a loser.
He looked down at the watch, the emerald green glow reflecting into his eyes. Ben’s brow furrowed with a look of determination. The watch was primed he assumed, ready to unleash whatever power it had stored inside of it. Ben raised his hand high above his head and prepared himself.
“Look out world, cause here comes Ben 10!” With that cry, he slammed his hand down on the dial.
…
Nothing. None of what Ben hoped to happen happened. No bright light, no sudden sense of newfound power, no mind numbingly awesome transformation. Was that it? Was this thing just a lame bust? Before Ben could stew in his own disappointment, the watch suddenly beeped to life. He felt an odd buzzing sensation as the dial lit up at its center, a slight humming permeating the air. Ben felt his heart skip a beat.
“Is it working? Did it just need a moment to warm up or somethin’?”
Ben would later regret asking that question. The buzzing sensation started increasing in intensity, becoming slightly uncomfortable as the dial started to glow brighter. The humming grew louder and higher in pitch, to the point it was starting to drown out the sounds of the forest.
Ben’s pride turned to regret as he felt his arm start to ache slightly, and he could feel the watch start to vibrate on his arm. The vibrations turned to shaking and the aching increased as the seconds ticked by, the humming growing ever louder.
“Uh… Ok alien watch, you can stop now!”
Ben’s pleas went unanswered as the pain grew worse. His eyes widened at the sight of the watch starting to spark. Green energy sparked off the watch and around his arm, sending jolts of pain up it. The dial suddenly shot up, cycling through the silhouettes at rapid speed. A shrill beep accompanied each turn, increasing in pitch with the humming, which was now cacophonous.
The pain was becoming unbearable, Ben’s arm violently shaking as the watch continued whatever meltdown it was having. Ben tried to reach for the watch with his free hand, only for it to be pushed away by another burst of green energy. Ben’s eyes went wide with terror and he screamed in agony as the watch continued its catastrophic meltdown.
Meanwhile, Gwen and Grandpa Max were setting up camp back at the Rustbucket. Max was busying himself with the grill, no doubt cooking what he thought was one of his signature dishes. Gwen was setting up chairs while waiting for her laptop to finish configuring the RV’s mobile Wi-Fi set up. She looked out at the forest, her brow raised in slight worry.
Sure, Ben could be a supreme dweeb sometimes, with how often he would get himself in trouble. Gwen was one to talk however, as she found herself working with him on some silly adventures of her own, but she was already to call it quits when Ben wanted to keep going. As far as she knew, Ben was just taking a walk in the woods. Nothing he could do to hurt himself too badly out there. Right?
“Grandpa, Ben hasn’t been back in a while. Do you think he might have gotten himself in trouble again?”
Grandpa Max was hardly worried. Ben often had trouble with learning responsibility and discipline, but he was certain Ben would come running once he caught a whiff of his salted dung beetle burgers.
“Oh I’m sure Ben is fine. He’ll come back when he wants, but he’d better hurry if doesn’t wanna miss out on these babies. It cost me a fortune to find them, but once they’re done in a few minutes, Ben’s taste buds won’t know what hit them.”
Gwen checked the grill for a moment and tried her hardest not to wretch. One of the few things she and Ben could agree on was that Grandpa Max’s cooking was… strange, to say the least. She looked back once again to the forest, then noticed something strange in the distance. What looked like a small green light seemed to be growing brighter, and she heard this strange humming coming from that area. Then she remembered something alarming.
“Grandpa, do you see that?”
Grandpa Max looked up from his cooking and noticed the green light in the distance. It only seemed to grow brighter the longer he looked at it.
“What is that?” Grandpa Max asked. Then they both heard it. The scream that was soon drowned out by the ever-loudening hum.
“That’s Ben! C’mon!” Gwen made a beeline for the glow, leaving Max in the dust.
“Gwen, wait!” Max shouted before running after Gwen.
Gwen ran as fast as she could, sprinting towards the now pulsating glow. She pushed through the foliage and into the clearing where the glow was originating, and skidded to a stop when she finally saw what it: A massive, glowing sphere of vibrant green energy pulsed in the air in front of her. It swirled about the clearing, sparks of energy shooting outwards in short, powerful bursts.
Her jaw dropped at the awesome sight, the wind picking up and blowing furiously through her hair and clothes. Another violent scream brought her gaze downwards, and her eyes widened in shock. At the far edge of the mass was Ben, holding out his arm and screaming in agony.
“BEN!!” She screamed. Ben didn’t respond, his eyes rolled back as the pain seemed to overwhelm him. Grandpa Max finally caught up with Gwen, and his reaction was similar to his granddaughters.
“Gwen, what’s going- Ben!” Max shouted when he saw his suffering grandson.
“Hold on Ben I’m coming!” Gwen tried to rush forward, but a bolt of energy suddenly slammed down in front of her. It drilled itself into the ground, growing into a second, smaller bubble that sparked with life.
“Stay here!” Max ran forward, dodging similar arcs of energy as they crashed and coalesced on the ground. He was closing the distance fast, all his training working overtime. Yet just as he was in arms reach of Ben, a pulse of energy struck him and knocked him away. He slid across the ground and slammed against a tree, knocking the breath out of him.
“Grandpa!” Gwen cried. She ran to her downed grandpa and tried to help him stand. All they could do was watch as several other orbs of energy formed around the clearing, all while Ben suffered from whatever was happening to him.
“BEN!” Both cried. There was nothing they could do. Gwen felt hot tears stream down her face as the sphere grew larger and shrieked with energy. With one final roar, the sphere pulsed and sent bursts of energy into the ten smaller spheres that had formed around the clearing. The sphere then dissipated, green energy fizzling out. Ben stood there, still as night, then collapsed. Gwen rushed forward and checked her unconscious cousin.
“Ben, Ben can you hear me?”
No response. Gwen checked his arm and noticed the strange watch attached to his arm. It was smoking heavily, and a high-pitched whirring sound could be heard dying out slowly until there was nothing but the humming of the spheres around them. Surprisingly, Ben’s arm appeared to be undamaged despite the ordeal he was put through just then. Max meanwhile stared at one of the glowing spheres.
It warped and smeared in on itself, appearing to take on a messy shape. This shape became more detailed, transforming vaguely into that of a humanoid figure. The shape took a position on one knee as more details seemed to refine themselves.
What appeared to be a small flicker of flame appeared on the shape's head, and its body took on slim, oval-like shapes. Slowly, the shape took on a more detailed and distinguished figure, one that was unmistakenly humanoid… yet somehow alien at the same time.
“What in the name of God…?” Max said, stunned by what he was seeing.
Eventually the energy faded away, revealing the figure underneath it. What was revealed shocked both Gwen and Max. Standing in front of them was a being made of pure igneous rock. Its body was made from sections of red, lively stone, covering what appeared to be a core of pure fire. Its unusually large hands shimmered with heat that Gwen and Max could feel even from far away. Its feet were flat and curved, ending in two toes like some kind of strange horse shoe. Its head was a light with a burning flame that shined brightly in the night.
The figure looked down at its hands in confusion, getting a better look at them and examining the scorched earth underneath itself. It stood up cautiously, as if not used to standing on its own two legs before. Max got a good look at its face. Though covered in flame, it appeared to be somewhat skull-like, burning eyes and mouth giving the figure somewhat demonic visage.
It turned slowly and stared wide eyed at the other energy spheres as they too began to take on more distinguished shapes. Its gaze wandered onto Gwen, who cowered in fear with the unconscious Ben in her arms. It stared with a blank expression, then one of curiosity and perhaps… intrigue. Max managed to work himself to his feet and ran in front of Gwen, brandishing a broken tree branch. He growled, and the figure actually seemed to back away in surprise, but then it opened its flaming mouth and asked a simple question.
The revamped AntiGlitch AU. Started several years ago, my interest in the original blog waned heavily due to a mix of apathy and other projects. Now I've decided to revamp the project and start from scratch, creating a whole new AU.
The basic storyline for the revamped AU is that Vilgax had already created the Antitrix as a "superior" version of the Omnitrix, using DNA from some of the most ferocious aliens in the galaxy. When he faced off against Ben, the Antitrix was damaged; a vortex of energy disintegrated him and left the device seemingly non-functional.
Team Tennyson left the device in the woods where they thought it couldn't be found... until a certain 11 year old with a grudge against Ben found it. Kevin gained a burst of inspiration when he laid his eyes upon the Antitrix... he wasn't just gonna be Ben's bully, he was gonna be his nemesis.
Kevin would spend the next month repairing the Antitrix until he managed to repair some of its most vital functions. He was certain he had his magnum opus, until a test run at the local junkyard revealed a few flaws...
Now stuck with eleven of the Antitrix's most dangerous samples (and having to start from scratch), Kevin now leads a double life as a delinquent and upstart criminal mastermind, all in the name of making Ben 10's life a living Hell. Now he just has to keep his new posse from killing each other.
Roleplay Scenario:
Bootleg has set up a secure criminal network on the deep web that allows anyone to "anonymously" contact Kevin or the aliens at any time. He does this to fund his own activities, namely tracking down and harassing Ben wherever he goes, and also repairing the Antitrix so he can use it again.
Rules:
-NFSW questions are allowed, but they are to be directed only to the aliens, not Kevin.
-You must specify who you are directing your question too.
-You can submit your own art, and reblogs are allowed, but they will be capped at five reblogs each to avoid cluttering.
The Antitrix Aliens:
The Antitrix aliens are their own unique species in this AU and not mutants. I've been writing profiles for each of them, but I've only finished three so far. I'll post the rest here as I finish them for your reading pleasure. In-universe, the Antitrix's only remaining function is as a database for the alien's species and homeworlds.
Race Name Lykosians —— Nickname(s) Bashmouth/Stone Jaw Average Lifespan 75-84 Years —— General Appearance & Biological Info Lykosians are
Race Name Malcipiter —— Nickname(s) Dark Matter/Bloodhawk Average Lifespan 130-200 Years —— General Appearance & Biological Info Malcipit
Race Name Kwadurnoid —— Nickname(s) Quadsmack/Street Beef Average Lifespan 68-80 Years —— General Appearance & Biological Info Kwadurnoid
Race Name Mephididopterran —— Nickname(s) Skunkmoth/Stynk Tank —— Average Lifespan 40-50 Years —— General Appearance & Biological Info Me
hey stinkfly, what's it like to fly around? have you ever been flying and then you ran into a cloud? i bet it must be so cool because you can zoom around in the sky and hang out with birds!
- 💫 anon
"It feels great, dude. It's a whole different kinda freedom when you have air time. Hittin' clouds feels wicked in the best way, like a shower in the air."
"Yeah... we're doing a little better now. My head's still killing me, and I can hardly fly right now. I'm grounded until the vertigo's gone."
"Yeah, brah, my head's killing me too. Having a hard time hearing too, but the doc's said it'll clear up soon."
"...Everything hurts. I can barely turn my head without hurting something somewhere. The crack's in my exoskeleton are healing slowly, so Grey Matter think's I'll be good as new in a week or so. I hope Decibel is melted into scrap..."
I know it’s still summertime so we got a very long wait BUT I have a silly curiosity
To the aliens: how are you feeling about experiencing your guys’ first winter season?
And to Ben: when winter does come, what would you want to introduce first to your bros?
"Our first winter? I dunno, it'll be cold I guess, not really used to it."
"Thinkin' about the cold is last thing I should be worried about. Ain't stoppin' me from beating up the bad guys."
"Winter shall be the bane of cold blooded folk like myself. I shall endure, however. Whatever winter has in store for me, I will meet it with the might of intellect and patience."
"Yeah, sure. I'm actually lookin' forward to my first winter. Earth is such a cool place, and Gwen's been showing me all these pics of places where it's basically winter all the time."
"Yeah, brah. Winter's just another part of life, Grey Matter. If grass can grow in the coldest places on Earth, we'll be just fine."
"All that snow and ice is gonna be a pain in the butt. How am I supposed to stay speedy if I gotta make sure I don't slip every five minutes?"
"Winter is going to be its own can of worms, but I hear it can be just as beautiful as summer is. Just as many bad guys to fight, too."
"Yeah, I'm really looking forward to our first winter. Sure I gotta deal with turning into a giant snowball if I go too fast, but there's a lot of fun games to play too."
"What good is winter going to be for a water alien? Everything is too cold for water sports, so I'll be cooped up inside the whole time. Not even gonna think about how it'll mess up my crime fighting career."
"I think winter will be a fun time to experiment with my abilities. Enhancing our heating systems and snow clearing equipment will make it pleasant for all of us, I hope."
"Aw, heck yes! I can't wait to show the OmniFam their first snow day, their first Christmas, their first snow ball fight. The snow ball fights are gonna be killer, I just know it. Not to mention all the holiday merch we can get from it."
If ever given the chance, would you want to learn about the culture of your species? Like what their food is like, their dressing manner, holidays they celebrate, they’re own language, whatever you can think of
"I'd love seeing how they fight. I bet I could teach em a thing or two from Earth. I wonder what kind of things they eat to get this swole?"
"A planet full of living fireballs? Sign me up! I wonder if they eat nothin' but fire, cause that'd be awesome."
"If my own intelligence is so vast, I can't wait to meet a whole planet full of hyper intelligent geniuses. Oh, the things we could think up."
"I'd love to meet my people. If they're as a stinky as I am, they must have, like, a ton of different ways to keep things clean."
"Brah, I'd love to meet my people. A whole race as a chill as me? Things must be pretty mellow on their planet, brah."
"Yeah, meeting my people sounds great and all, but unless they got a need for speed like me, I'm gonna focus on what really matters, and that's being the fastest thing alive."
"Hmm... Meeting my race sounds interesting. I don't know where I'd start. What kind of people are they, and am I an example of what they aspire to be?"
"I'm sure my people are a ton of fun to be around. Their whole planet must be one big obstacle course or something. And I bet they're great with kids too, like me."
"My people probs worship the sea or somethin', like ol' timey sailors and pirates used to do. Their world's probably crawling with pirates too."
"I cannot even imagine it... a race of techno-organic beings that can enhance technology? Why haven't we seen them yet...?"
The crowd erupted in shrieks of terror as they were thrown back by the shockwave. Parents grabbed hold of their children as they slammed into other concert goers. The equipment shook and groaned under the onslaught of sound energy, and the gravel cracked at the base of the stage.
Max grabbed Ben and Gwen just as they were blown back and held on tight, slamming into a nearby banner, then falling painfully to the ground. Overflow and Wildvine were knocked back against a wall; though Overflow’s exoskeleton absorbed some of the damage, Wildvine was knocked out cold. Stinkfly slammed against the rafters and fell to the ground, unconscious as well.
The shockwave expanded across the entire venue, knocking over stalls and anyone else unlucky enough to still be in the vicinity. The Rustbucket was nearly knocked onto its side from the blast, only a single antenna coming loose. Grey Matter flew back onto the bed, dazed. “What in the name of-?!” He scrambled out of the sheets and checked the stream as quickly as he could. The laptop’s screen was damaged, but he could still make out the stage from one of the few remaining cameras.
Meanwhile, Max was struggling to stand. It was as if his bones were made of jelly; the heavy thrumming of sound energy rattled his insides, making him quite nauseous. With great effort he stood up and stared at the stage. Decibel floated ominously in the air, his equipment practically burning with energy. He rose up and addressed the crowd.
“That was but a taste of what is to come…” He shot out his arm and a blast of energy pulsed from one of the speakers. It pulsed through some of the crowd, causing them to writhe in agony. He shot out his other arm and struck another portion of the crowd. The cries of their children made Max’s heart leap with anger.
“Can you feel it? That pain? The pulse of my sound as it travels through your bones and tears at your organs like a needle on a record? That is the demo track of the suffering you are about to endure.”
A jet of water slammed into Decibel; his stage equipment briefly shorted out before resetting with a thrumming pulse. Overflow slammed down in front of the stage, striking as heroic a pose as he could muster.
“I don’t know who you think you are, but it’s time to put your concert on hold!” Overflow sprayed several shots of water at Decibel, but the mad musician summoned a forcefield of sound to deflect the blasts. He scratched his records, producing a shrill sound shaped into a spiking wave of energy. The wave slammed into Overflow and knocked him into the wall. He struggled to stand when another sound wave slammed into him. Several cracks in his exoskeleton formed from the force of the blows.
“No…! Stop…” Max struggled to move, but another pulse from Decibel’s turntable made his knees buckle. “Come on Max… come on! You’re a soldier, you’re not out yet!” Max’s legs wobbled endlessly, but his will was stronger than his body. He moved as quickly despite his weakened body, stumbling his way to Overflow.
“Ah ah ah. What do you think you’re doing, old man?” Decibel rested the tips of his fingers on both records and turned them slowly. A sinister hum shimmered across the ground and surrounded the water alien, then crept up his body like pulsing veins. They crept into the cracks in his exoskeleton and pulled. Overflow froze. Then he screamed like he’d never screamed before. The sound energy slipped underneath his exoskeleton, translucent waves rippling through his flesh like water.
“Try that again, and I’ll shred him from the inside out.” Decibel kept his fingers on the records, eagerly waiting for the chance to fulfill his threat. Max’s heart ached at the sight of his grandson’s agony. “I didn’t even know I could do that.” Decibel made a note to try that trick on something without an exoskeleton next time.
“Why are you doing this!? What have these people done to you!” Max cried. Decibel’s laugh echoed with sound energy.
“Why? Simple. You miserable ingrates cannot appreciate real achievement when you see it. You spend your lives living off the hard work of others, never appreciating what it is they worked hard for.” Decibel’s voice wavered a moment before resetting to his cold, haughty demeanor.
“Payback? That’s it? Look at what you had! You had fans screaming your name, fathers and mothers bringing their kids out here just to see you. You really want to throw that all away, just to hurt other people? What kind of human being are you?”
Decibel twitched, a shimmer of sound suddenly surrounding his body. He flicked several dials and put his hands on his helmet. With a soft mechanical click, his entire head came off. An electronic seam formed at his neck the moment he did so, pulsing with purple light. He held his own head aloft, his LED face smirking sadistically.
“Who said I was human?” Max sneered with regret at his choice of words. Of course he was a killer robot. Why did it have to be a killer robot? Max could see the flash of police sirens peeking around the corner of the stage, The R2 not far behind. Decibel turned his head and noticed as well, his LED face alight with surprise. The parking lot was a mess of destroyed vehicles and broken glass. Any cars not ruined by the shockwave had their alarms blaring nonstop, adding to the chaos unfolding. Several people were sprawled in pain, still reeling from the blast.
Upgrade and Song exited the car and ran for the concert grounds. Upgrade went right for the Rustbucket while Song waited outside. Diamondhead, Fourarms, Heatblast, and Cannonbolt arrived just as quickly.
“Where’s the bad guy? It’s time to turn up the heat!” Heatblast declared, his hands already lit and ready to go.” Diamondhead got in front of him with a disapproving look.
“Not yet, Heatblast. We need to know what we’re up against.” Four Arms smashed his fists together and cracked his neck, anger smeared across his face.
“Not this time, brother. One musician can’t take on the heavyweights!” Diamondhead felt like reminding him of the time Zombozo hypnotized them all, but he knew it would fall on deaf ears. Cannonbolt echoed Four Arms’s sentiment with an eager smile.
“Yeah! Time this Mr. Decibel took early retirement. The three powerhouse aliens made for the stage, leaving Diamondhead behind. The crystalline alien rubbed his face in annoyance. “Come on you guys…” Meanwhile, Upgrade was searching frantically for Grey Matter.
“Grey Matter, where are you?” He said, eye darting in search of the amphibian alien. A cabinet opened behind him, revealing Grey Matter. A series of phones inside were running algorithms at break neck speed. “We have a situation here!”
“I know! Mr. Decibel-”
“Save the exposition for later, I’m trying to find a weakness in the energy signature. If we can bypass it, we might be able counter his-”
“SAVE IT!” Song screamed. He pulled out his phone, sat down at the desk, and started combing through the data Upgrade managed to save. His eyes were wide with panic and regret. “I know how to defeat him. He’s a sadist; my guess is he’s too busy hurting people to care that we're here. His equipment amplifies his powers, but we get that shut down he’s much more vulnerable.”
Grey Matter peeked over and arched his eyebrow in consternation. “And you are?” He asked. Song didn’t look up, but his voice said it all.
“I’m his creator.”
Meanwhile, Decibel was preparing the final act. He performed a complex series of gestures and inputs into the turntable, adding one final sound pulse to the beat he had created. The air around the crowd vibrated with sound energy, coalescing under them like a veil. They slowly lifted up, too weak to keep grounded. Max and the suffering Overflow were spared, but Max agonized as he saw Ben, Gwen, Stinkfly, and Wildvine among the slowly rising crowd, still unconscious. Then he realized something… Where was XLR8?
“This will be the finale to my demo reel. When I’m done here, they’ll have to clean up what’s left of you all with a-”
In that instant, a whooshing boom filled the air. The sound energy rippled from an unknown force coming from somewhere in the distance. Decibel looked around in confusion before something hit him. Hard. Harder than he’d ever been struck before. A black and blue blur smashed by him, then struck him again. His helmet and body were badly cracked, synthetic material spraying off his body like bits of flesh. The blur smashed into him again, taking pieces of his equipment with it.
“YOU THINK!” XLR8 leapt up and kicked off one of the shattered support beams. He landed on Decibel’s head and leapt up again.
“YOU CAN!” He repeated the same move, this time striking one of the amplifiers, shattering it in a shower of sparks.
“HURT! MY!” He reared back, brimming with kinetic energy.
“BROTHERS!?” XLR8 charged as hard as he could, slamming into the remaining equipment and splintering it like wood. He spun around and tripped the android up with a whip of his tail. XLR8 was on him in an instant, firing rapid punches on his chest and face like a machine gun.
“Didn’t see me comin’, did ya?!” He bellowed to the android. Decibel was taking too much damage, and he couldn’t concentrate on his equipment long enough to prepare an attack. How could he have missed this one? XLR8 halted his attack for a moment to grab a piece of rebar. He held it high and pierced Decibel’s chest, twisting it for good measure.
The android spasmed and twitched as his control over the sound energy broke, and the crowd fell to the ground. Overflow collapsed and whined in pain; the cracks in his exoskeleton pulsed deeply. Max wasted no time and immediately pulled him to safety.
Heatblast, Cannonbolt, and Four Arms stormed onto the scene, ready for a fight. “Aw yeah, who wants-” The three powerhouse aliens stopped cold, their bluster lost when they saw the devastation wrought by XLR8. The raptor-like speedster dragged Decibel’s shattered out of the wreck of the stage and past them. He shot them all a cocky look and grinned proudly.
“You guys are late.” Four Arms stared at the wreck with a shocked expression, clearly impressed with his brother’s destructive display. Heatblast pouted now that his chance to show off and beat another bad guy was lost. Cannonbolt just smiled warmly and gave his bro a thumbs up.
Some time later, paramedics were busy tending to the wounded. A triage center was set up in the parking lot while police moved the wrecked cars out of the area. Medics worked diligently to help those suffering from severe vertigo and unknown internal injuries. The force of Decibel’s attacks had done some mild damage to their vascular systems and internal organs, but hopefully many of them would recover without needing to be taken to the nearby hospital. As for the kids…
“Hey OmniFam! You guys are not gonna believe what just happened! Turns out Mr. Decibel was this wack supervillain who tried using the concert as his bad guy debut. Little did he know that XLR8, thanks to my quick thinking, was able to outrun the blast and totally wreck the jerk’s setup.”
Ben was quickly able to recover and continue the stream. He was eagerly waving his phone over Decibel, who was being wheeled out by the cops. His body was broken into several pieces, leaving only his head as the only thing intact. Song and Grey Matter made sure the android was out for good before having transferred.
“That Song guy says he’s gonna figure out why Decibel went supervillain, to make up for helping him get as powerful as he did.” Ben looked at the phone and addressed his fans. “To think Grandpa Max said this was gonna be some boring Earth Day concert.”
Max merely rolled his eyes from a nearby triage tent. His bones ached and his head throbbed like mad. He’d give anything for military grade painkillers, but the morphine drip he was getting was good enough. “I’m not so out of it I can’t snark back, Ben.”
Ben rolled his eyes and kept basking. “I know what you’re thinking. “Wow, that Decibel guy really had you guys on the ropes. We’ve never seen you fight a villain that powerful. You sure you can handle him again.” Pfft, we only struggled cause he caught us off guard. I guarantee the next time we face a stronger bad guy, we’ll be ready. The bros can take on anyone, and XLR8 proved it.”
“Heck yeah I did! That overblown Daft Punk wannabe couldn’t beat me!” XLR8 dashed around happily, his tail wagging discreetly behind him. Ben gladly recorded his brother’s bragging.
“Yep. We can take on anyone who comes our way and just keep getting stronger. With me on the team, the OmniFam is gonna keep makin’ hero history. See ya guys next time.” Ben winked and closed out the stream. He let his expression fall as he stumbled into the Rustbucket. The place was cleared remarkably fast, which meant he had nothin’ else to do but just sit back and chill before his headache got any worse.
“You know they don’t really believe you, right?” Ben looked at Grey Matter with a disbelieving grimace. The frog alien was busy repairing the damage to the laptop and going over the notes Song had left behind. Of course his fans believed him, why wouldn’t they? He was Ben Tennyson, leader of the OmniFam.
“Hey, don’t be hatin’ bro. Sure, Decibel got some cheap shots, but it was all over when XLR8 entered the picture. And even if he did get taken down, the heavy hitters would have it wrapped up in no time.” Ben countered.
“And if they didn’t?” Grey Matter countered back. Ben froze and stumbled over his words.
“Yeah well… if they didn’t we’d… we’d, uh…”
Grey Matter retorted before Ben could answer. “We were lucky today, Ben. We were lucky XLR8 managed to get into town and call the paramedics. I know you’re eager to get back into the fight, but you need to think about how this makes us look.”
“Pshhh, I already know the answer to that. It makes us look awesome.”
“And it means stronger villains will be after us now. Every hero has a moment where they triumph or falter against a stronger enemy. They come out able to face the rising difficulty-”
“Or they fail and have to prove themselves. I know the Hero’s Journey, Grey. I’ve read it, like, a hundred times. What’s your point?” Ben pouted, putting a pillow over his eyes.
“Ben, there’s ten of us. Ten times the normal power for any starting hero. Three were taken out in a flash, four were right behind, one can’t do anything but plan…” He paused and looked down at himself. “And XLR8 was lucky because Decibel was busy monologuing. The next villain we face may not be so forgiving.”
Grey Matter returned to his work, leaving Ben to ruminate on what he said. Of course they were ready. XLR8 proved it. Sure, Ben didn’t see it, and Stinkfly and Wildvine were being treated for their injuries… and Overflow’s exoskeleton was still healing… and…
No. They were ready. The OmniFam wasn’t going to lose their momentum just yet.
To say the crowd was electrified was an understatement. A few minutes ago, the stagelights dimmed and a powerful hum swept across the floor. Ben, Gwen, and Grandpa Max were standing smack dab in the middle of the crowd, allowing Ben and Gwen to stream right from the center of the action. XLR8 dashed around the edge of the crowd, setting up cameras in the best spots. A habit he picked up from fighting villains was to set up multiple angles for the best views.
Overflow was busy spraying a fine mist above the crowd to keep them cool while Wildvine set up some hammocks for a few kids to sit in. Grey Matter remained in the Rust Bucket to monitor the stream from a jury rigged setup made from a couple old phones. Stinkfly got a premium seat from the roof, waving to Ben and Gwen from his perch. Gwen could hardly contain her excitement. This was just the kind of thing the OmniFam needed to keep from getting stale. She pulled out her phone and stepped onto her chair. She spun around to show off the crowd to their viewers.
“Heya, OmniFam! Check it out: We’re at the Earth Day concert in Saratoga Springs, New York, and the event is already feeling electric! We’re about to witness the official debut of rising internet star, Mr. Decibel. Everyone here is excited to see him play live for the first time, but it’s not just about the music. This concert is for the benefit of mother earth itself; in honor of Earth Day, all donations from tonight's stream will go directly to wildlife and environmental conservation movements.”
Just as Gwen finished her introduction, the stage lights suddenly flashed in choppy, rhythmic patterns. The crowd erupted into cheers as smoke poured from the stage. Gwen’s smile was bright as she sat down, keeping the phone right on the stage. “Alright, OmniFam, here we go! Hope you all enjoy the stream!” She said gleefully. Ben, meanwhile, was fidgeting in his seat. This Earth Day stuff wasn’t part of his hero routine, but he had to admit, the buzzing feeling in his feet helped him in jive with the crowd. He felt his heart drop when a deep, heavy bass rumbled from the stage. Blaring alarm sounds accompanied the rhythmic flash of deep purple lights…
“Ladies and gentlemen.” The voice shook the very ground as it spoke. Though light and distorted, its force permeated the very air. “Boys and girls. Until today, you have known me only by sound. My voice. Now you will know me in the flesh. In only three months, I’ve amassed a following in the millions…”
The stage burst with light, shimmering in pure neon purple. The outline of sound equipment and colossal speakers became visible, as though they were formed by the very power of the voice’s sound. The low bass rose ever so slightly as the lights flickered slowly.
“My music has captivated you all with its strength; the reach I’ve gained has passed even my wildest dreams. Now for you, my adoring fans, you will get to witness my works as they should be… in person.”
Rings of energy swirled around the equipment; the bass sound continued to rise in pitch with each passing second. The crowd could feel it in their throats as their anticipation grew. Ben and Gwen’s smiles were wide as with everyone else, but Grandpa Max felt something else mixed with his joy. It was a skip in his heartbeat every time he thought something bad was going to happen. It was a trick his mind played on him whenever Ben and the others were up to their usual heroic escapades. Max kept it down for now. This was a break from all that, and it was a break they were going to get.
“On this precious Earth Day...” The voice said in an aggressive tone. The equipment sparked to life, pulsing and humming to form a powerful backing track with the bass. A silhouette was spotted on the stage, walking slowly onto a platform at the center of the stage. It burst with light, lifting off the ground in a neat display of wire work. Or at least what Grandpa Max hoped was wire work. “We will celebrate with a display of sound and fury the world hasn’t felt since the Cretaceous Event. Ladies and gentlemen…”
The figure raised its hands and purple light burst from him in cyclical cones; waves of sound energy literally pulsing off him. He placed his hands on the turntable and scratched what Max hoped were records. The sound was melodious to his ears, sending a tingle down his spine and neck which made his eyes flutter. His heart skipped another beat too. Grandpa Max ignored it again, but then he felt it skip once more. “No. Not this time. We are not doing this…”
Meanwhile, the R2 was storming past traffic to reach the concert. Officers Morris and Dunn led the way with the R2 close behind. Morris grabbed his dashboard radio and spoke as quickly as he could.
“This is Officer Morris! We need all available units in the area to the Earth Day concert in Saratoga Springs! Possible supervillain attack in progress; expect extreme resistance! Uses sound energy as a weapon!” He slammed the radio back into the receiver, knocking it off instead. Upgrade and Song poured through the data the Mechamorph had managed to save.
“What were you planning to do with him?” Upgrade asked. Song screamed and slammed his fists against the window.
“I don’t know! I took every precaution I could, and I still got railroaded! How could I have been so stupid!?”
“You don’t have time for regrets now, Dr. Song. We have to stop him. Diamondhead, how much longer until we arrive?” The radio gargled static as the R2’s frequency came through.
“About another twenty minutes. Dr. Song said he found this “Lord Decibel guy uses sound energy to fight. What else can he do?”
“He can use it to lift objects by producing a kinetic frequency that counteracts gravity, induce physical sickness, shatter objects by inducing an explosive frequency-”
“Yeah yeah, get to the point, egghead.” Four Arms blasted from the other end. “How do we beat him?”
“I was going to use the EMP until it detonated by accident! I must not have set the timer right…” Dr. Song shut his eyes in deep thought. “We have to disable his cranial processing uni- oh for God’s sake, we gotta blast his head off!”
Back at the concert, the inertia of anticipation continued to skyrocket. The figure’s robes were aflame with purple light, revealing the form of Mr. Decibel himself. The crowd roared with excitement, cheering on the star of the show in all his glory. His costume was appropriately futuristic; a black overcoat and cloak flowing from the power of his voice. His gloves were pitch black and sported jagged frills where they met the sleeve. He wore no shoes, only a stylish looking pair of leggings that ended in flowing trails of fabric. His outfit was topped with a futuristic helmet with a shimmering black LED faceplate. It lit up with spiraling electronic patterns which thrummed in tune with the music.
“The moment you’ve been waiting for, the moment I’ve been waiting for is upon you. You are about to experience the true glory of my sound.”
Max’s heart was racing, but not from excitement. “No!” He screamed internally “We’re not doing this. We are not fighting another villain, dammit!”
“Prepare to listen to the hardest, most intense sound you’ve ever heard in your small, insignificant lives!”
“Well there it is.” Max thought. Just when it looked like things were going his way tonight, here comes the turn. The bass dropped harshly into a powerful, almost painful drone. Grandpa Max’s eyes widened. His heartbeat was steady now. He hated being right.
“Stinkfly!” Max looked up at an equally confused Stinkfly. The flying alien had just enough time to look down when Mr. Decibel slammed his hands against the turntable, sending an almost paralyzing shockwave through the crowd and air.
