A Hero's Origins
By TheAlienBrony22

Really Ticked Off!

The gorgeous landscapes of Yellowstone National Park, truly a marvelous sight to see. The waterfalls flow, a geyser named Old Faithful readies itself to blow, and various forms of wildlife continues to thrive among the lakes and trees. The RV is parked next to one of these lakes, as an elk drinking nearby gets spooked, as Sunset and Luna walk up to the edge and observe the nature around them.

Luna takes in a deep breath, and sighs, feeling satisfied and rather content with how peaceful it is. "Now this, is quite the needed change of pace. Nothing like finally relaxing in the peace and quiet of the great outdoors." Luna complimented, falling back onto a soothing patch of grass.

Sunset smiled and sat down near the lake, running her hand through the water as she looks at her reflection. "Yeah, this is actually quite nice," Sunset looked back to the RV, seeing Chance laying back against a fallen log, passed out and snoring. "Now if only he'd stay awake long enough to enjoy this with us." Sunset remarked.

Luna sat up and looked over at the slumbering alien hero. "I know we should wake him, but he needs the rest, Rushmore is miles away from us by this point, and he doesn't seem to be as talkative as he was prior. He'll be awake soon enough, and he'll join us in relaxing soon enough, just give it time." Luna reassured.

The alien hero in question soon started to stir, groaning as his eyes slowly fluttered open. Chance sat up and rubbed his head, feeling groggy and genuinely too tired to do anything else. "Mmmh..." Chance muttered, getting up as he walked to the RV.

Sunset and Luna look at each other, only to then see Chance walk out, fiddling with the Omnitrix. "I'll be right back, just need to pick something up." Chance remarked.

Luna sighed. "Oh no you don't, young man! You promised me that you wouldn't mess with the Omnitrix today." Luna reminded.

Chance groaned. "Oh come on, I'm just gonna go back to the burger place in Casper, then come back! Maybe pick up a family meal while I'm there, since it'll be better than eating whatever the hell I found in that fridge!" Chance remarked.

Sunset sighed. "Chance, did you even try it?" Sunset asked.

Chance frowned, clearly not wanting to entertain the idea at all. "You want me to eat a piece of a large tentacle that has red mold growing on top of and inside it?! I might've been ready to die on numerous occasions, but suicidal, I am not!" Chance rebutted.

Luna seemed to know what the teenager was referring to, and seemed a bit frustrated. "I knew I forgot to throw something away! Alien cuisine tends to spoil at a faster rate than most Earth foods, but I didn't know it was already molding!" Luna cried out, running into the RV.

Chance rolled his eyes. "What's the big deal, anyway? I'll be back in two shakes of a lamb's tail with Riptile bouncing me from here to there, and back again! Besides, if I run into any trouble, I can always fend off the bad guys, I'm not entirely useless on my own, ya know!" Chance remarked defensively.

Sunset put the palm of her hand to her face and groaned. "Look, Chance, relax and enjoy yourself, there's no threat to handle today, much to your agitation, I'd assume," Chance was not amused, but let her keep talking. "Just look around you, man. Yellowstone happens to be one of the coolest places around! Just hang out and appreciate it before the danger shows up." Sunset explained.

Chance was not that excited to just let his guard down, even if he wanted to, but before he could object, Luna comes out with the aforementioned molding tentacle. Luna tossed it into the lake as the fish swarmed towards it. "Sunset's right, Mister Marsten. Plus, if alien cuisine is not to your liking, we can just live right off the land." Luna suggested.

Chance raised an eyebrow, seeming a bit intrigued by the offer. "Like hunting for our food, cleaning and preparing it right here in the open?" Chance asked.

Luna shook her head. "Not with Plumber weapons, young man. Look," Luna pushes the same log Chance was sleeping on back, revealing bug-like worms wriggling underneath. "These are grub worms, a good source of protein, especially in a situation that pertains to your survival." Luna explained, picking one up with her hand.

Chance and Sunset looked at each other, the pair of them shared a disgusted and thoroughly concerned expression. "T-Tell me you're not serious, right? This has to be a prank!" Sunset pleaded, laughing nervously.

Luna chuckled. "Clearly you didn't know that Celestia and I used to be girl scouts. Back then, it was a grueling and tough time for us when we were children. Celestia and I got lost on a camping trip overseen by our local school district back in Jaxton. We were stuck in the woods for a week, and we certainly proved we had the stones to persist. That kind of experience also helped me survive a number of dangerous situations on various alien planets. Besides, these are even better if you grill them up with some sun-dried tomato paste, they are delicious!" Luna puts the worm in her mouth, much to Sunset's disgust, and Chance's horror. Where Sunset made every attempt to not look at the sight, Chance was too stunned to look away, he just stared as Luna swallowed the worm whole. "So, who's eager to learn how to survive in foreign territory?" Luna asked.

Sunset was gagging and heaving, all while Chance was still trying to process what he just witnessed. "I think I'd rather read Thirty Tints of Red, if it meant never seeing that again." Sunset remarked, trying to hold back the urge vomit.

Chance smacked his lips and simply continued to walk away from the scene. "Well, that's an image burned into my head... I wish it wasn't." Chance remarked. He was a bit scared of what he just witnessed, but at the same time, his respect for his vice principal just seemed to increase.

Sunset quickly ran in front of Chance and started fiddling with the Omnitrix herself. "Let me help ya with that, because A triple veggie burger with cheese doesn't sound that bad right now!" Sunset stated, twisting the dial in various directions.

Chance smiled. "After seeing that, being vegan doesn't sound like a bad alternative!" Chance agreed, pressing the button on the Omnitrix.

As the Omnitrix's core pops up, the Omnitrix starts to cycle through Chance's transformations on its own. By the time it reaches Zombrex, it then cycles to a brand-new icon. A tall and robust humanoid icon. Before Chance could say anything, he was enveloped in a flash of green light. Instead of transforming Chance into a recognizable alien, the Omnitrix has transformed him into an entirely new form.

In Chance's place was a seven-foot tall robust and broad-shouldered humanoid figure with gray skin and purely white eyes. Chance's brown hair was now black, messy and shiny, though his shirt had now become entirely white, with a black short-sleeved leather jacket draped over it. The sleeves of his shirt had a curved and pointed black stripe, all while the Omnitrix rested just a little bit above his left pectoral. He also seemed to have some very dark blue jeans and white boots with black cuffs.

The transformed teenager looked himself over, now noticing that he towered well above Luna, and even more so above Sunset. "What in the hell?! What in tarnation is this!?" The teen spoke out, his voice was now deep, accentuated by a very hard-to-miss southern drawl.

Sunset and Luna watched as the alien fell back onto the ground, trying to sit up and comprehend what exactly just happened. Sunset smiled and chuckled a bit. "Well, I guess even the watch got tired of being fiddled with." Sunset remarked.

The gray alien scoffed. "Ha ha ha, laugh it up and see where that'll getcha, ya wet rag!" The alien remarked, standing back up on his feet.

The gray humanoid gets back on his feet and looks himself over, both impressed and confused by his newly transformed state. "Was startin' to figure that this fancy piece had nothing more to give, and boom, here's a new alien hero, fresher than a mint!" The gray man remarked, dusting himself off.

Luna scratches her chin, examining the transformed teenager carefully. "And where there's one more, who knows, there could be a hundred more." Luna stated.

"Or thousands more, if you think about it." Sunset corrected, laughing nervously.

The gray man gulped, looking just as uncertain. "For all we know, there could be millions more forms to unlock... bottom line is, we don't know jack about what all the Omnitrix can really do, ya dig? Reinrassic hyped this thing up when he had me locked up, maybe there was some actual truth to what he was putting down," The trio seemed worried, but then something came to the alien hero's mind. "So... what do yall think he does anyway?" The gray man asked.

Sunset shrugged, and Luna looked over to a nearby boulder. "Let's start with basic powers and work up from there. Test yourself to see if you have any kind of additional strength on that boulder over there." Luna instructed.

The gray man shrugged his shoulders and cracked his knuckles as he ran towards the boulder. The gray man jumped into the air, managing to get himself a good few feet off the ground and punched the boulder with all he had, which managed to cause the boulder to crack and crumble to pieces. The gray man smiled and flexed his muscles. "Alright, so he can hit pretty hard, and he's got hops, too! Already, this one isn't half bad, but what else can he do?" The gray man wondered.

The gray man decides to take a deep breath and blows out as much air as he can muster, only to then realize that his trick didn't work. "Well, I can't breathe fire, that's a bit of a drag," The gray man tried to think about what other kinds of powers he'd possibly have. "Hmm, maybe I can fire shadow beams from my eyeholes!" He remarked.

The gray man squints his eyes really hard, all while Luna and Sunset look at each other with uncertainty. Eventually, the transformed teenager gives up, and holds his hands out. "Uh... do I at least get spider powers?" He tries moving his four beefy fingers in different hand signs, but none of them seem to work. The gray man was starting to get infuriated. "Aw come on, now! What other powers do I have besides being strong and jumpin' high!?" The gray man remarked, clearly aggravated by the halt in progress.

Sunset looks on, stumped and mildly unimpressed by the halt in progression as well, but as soon as she looks up to the sky, she sees a great ball of fire flying through the sky, specifically at her transformed friend. "Chance, get down! Danger's barging in!" Sunset called out, trying to warn her friend.

The gray man looked at the girl in confusion, but then he felt the heat start to increase. He turned around, only to be met by the meteor that was coming straight for him. "Oh man..." the gray man uttered out.

He quickly jumps into the lake, only for the meteor to fly right over him, crashing a short distance deep in the forest. As Sunset and Luna stare at the damaged trees, the gray man climbs out of the lake, coughing up and spitting out a lot of water. "Alright... breathing underwater is also confirmed to not be one of this guy's many talents... I'm also gonna hope that the meteor wasn't my doing." The gray man remarked.

Luna helps the alien back onto his feet and they look in the direction of the meteor's crash site. "Guess we better go check it out, get ready to fight." Luna instructed.

The two teenagers nodded, and the trio ran towards the meteor, unsure as to what kind of chaos has come their way this time.

As the smoke clears from the crash site, the trio arrives on the scene, where it's soon revealed that the meteor appears to be an enormous red cocoon-like structure. "Woah, that fucker is massive!" The gray man commented.

A tremor suddenly manifests. Sunset notices cracks forming in the cocoon, parts of it begin to crumble and fall off. "And alive! Scatter!" Sunset exclaimed.

As the trio runs away, the meteor begins to break apart. The cocoon starts cracking some more, with multiple cracks converging into one spot that a solid blue spike finally pierces open. As the creature emerges from the container, dwarfing the trio with its shadow alone, it reveals itself, much to the trio's shock and astonishment.

The creature seemed to have an uncanny resemblance to that of an Earth Tick, but it was roughly the size of a building. Its legs were blue and shining like steel, it had a large abdomen covered in pink armor, like a natural shell-like exterior. Its mouth was bursting with tentacles, and four blue spouts made of what looked like clenched muscle tissue seem to pulse and throb. It shoves its mouth and legs into the earth and relaxes its spouts, spewing out a green mist that makes the trio recoil.

Luna shuddered as she plugged her nose. "It also seems to be quite aromatic." Luna commented.

Sunset retched, starting to heave again. "Gross, gross, gross, and need I have to say it, gross!!" Sunset exclaimed.

The gray man sniffed the air, and despite not having a nose at all, the gray man was clearly not enthralled by the putrid smell that assaulted his other senses. "Pew!! Here I thought burnt amphetamines was the worst thing I ever smelled, jeez!" the alien hero remarked, taking a knee as it tries to power through.

Before the trio could even try to question what this creature was, an alien spaceship suddenly arrives above them. It has a sharp bow with a round center hull, which detaches and floats down. Standing on the platforms are three aliens, each of them different species. The first one was tall, lanky, had light blue skin, large bulbous blue eyes and a big bald head, it was easy to assume he was the leader, judging by the pleasant smirk on his face. The second one was small, had six arms, and very messed up teeth. The third and final alien was a bulky green alien with four eye stalks, equipped with a metal pole with a glowing blue axe head at the end.

The leader alien noticed the trio, and motioned the other two to float down to their level. "Rejoice. He's arrived, in all of his glorious glory." The first alien stated.

The gray man sneered and groaned out of annoyance. "Oh fuckin' great, a bunch of religious squares. As if this day wasn't already against me!" The gray man snided.

The yellow alien floats directly to the tick and puts his "ear" to it. "I await his proclamation." The second alien declared.

Luna gets back onto her feet, looking at the three aliens in confusion. "A Synabrosapien, A Currixula'a, and a Grantiforsch, working together? That's not a good sign. By authority of the Plumbers, identify yourselves!" Luna commanded.

The first alien raises his hands up slowly, smiling. "Relax, Earthling. We come in peace." The first alien reassures.

Sunset got to her feet, looking unconvinced and skeptical of his claim. "Yeah right, that's what they always say in the movies - right before they blow you to bits!" Sunset remarked.

The third alien buts into the conversation, smiling from ear to ear. "Hmmm, an earthling with attitude. I've heard they exist here in large numbers," The third alien floats around Sunset, circling her. "Or should I say 'did'?" The alien questioned.

The gray man got up and dusted himself off, only for the leader alien to eye him up, seeming pleasantly surprised by his presence. "And a Vreedle to boot, too!" the first alien rejoiced.

Sunset looked to the gray man. "At least we know what you turned into now, it's progress!" Sunset remarked.

The leader alien turned to the giant tick, rejoicing in its presence. "Truly, this must be a sign, provided by the Great One," The trio is confused, watching as the leader basks in the tick's appearance. "Is he not tremendous?" the leader inquired.

The three aliens bowed to the tick, confusing the trio even more. "Tremendous... All hail The Tremendous One!" The three aliens praised in unison.

The gray man was finally done with all of their bullshit, and appropriately whistled to the three aliens, who seemed to stop their alien worship. "Look here, ya space-bound Kookies! I'm not usually one to put down someone's faith in a higher power, but unless yall are starvin' for some knuckle sandwiches, I'd recommend that yall take your overgrown bug, and split while you still got uncracked skulls, if yer not gonna explain yourselves!" The gray man warned.

The third alien floated down in front of the gray man. "You're a little far away from home, aren't you?" The third alien snided.

The gray man gave the green alien a deadpanned expression. "I was born and raised on Earth, you literal four-eyed fat bastard." The gray man insulted.

The green alien backed up a bit. "You've got an attitude, too. Unfortunately, there's nothing to go back to, anyway. The Great One purified your planet last week." the third alien remarked.

The second alien started to shush towards everyone. "Shhh! Everyone quiet down!" Everyone was quiet for the moment. At first, they couldn't hear anything, but after a bit of waiting, they heard breathing. The tick was making noises, almost like it was breathing. "He's - speaking to me..." the yellow alien stated.

Sunset raised an eyebrow. "All I hear is breathing." Sunset said aloud.

The yellow one rolled his eyes. "To a simple-minded Earthling like you, maybe, but I've been with The Great One ever since he purified my planet! It took me several years, but I'm the only one who can speak his language." The yellow alien stated, rubbing the giant tick as he listened intently.

The gray man just rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Spoken like a true religious nutcase, even space ain't safe from these odd balls." He remarked.

The tick's breathing starts to sound much calmer. "The Great One says... your planet will be purified before the next moon. You are quite lucky!" the second alien announces.

As he hugs the repulsive thing, its legs start darkening the ground around it. The darkness quickly spreads across the entire forest. The trio are surprised, and rightfully concerned. "What kind of backwards ass logic does your species run on, ya fink!? You call this lucky?!" The gray man exclaimed.

The leader simply smiles. "No, it's actually quite the experience. Let me show you!" The leader offered.

The green alien groaned, seeming annoyed. "Not the audiovisual thing again..." The third alien complained.

The leader shoots the green alien a puzzled look, but decides to continue. The leader presses a button on his headgear, which creates a pink holographic image of a solar system. "A little background explanation won't hurt. See, we followed The Great One from planet to planet, galaxy to galaxy, after he paid a visit to each and every one of our planets, purifying them with his excellence," the holographic shows off a planet. On said plant was the tick, plunging its legs and tentacles into the ground. "Notice his technique, Earthers. The deep burrowing of the appendages into the core of the planet, rotting it from the inside and then ingesting it." the leader explained. The tentacles lengthen until it has spread into every part of the core, the planet steadily begins to blacken, until it explodes, ending the holographic.

The trio is shocked. "We just got done dealing with Reinrassic, damn it!!" Sunset exclaimed.

The gray man was clearly infuriated, grabbing the leader by the neck. "THAT'S what your bug's gonna do here?! You're fucking with us, ya have to be!" The gray man pleaded.

The leader, despite being grabbed in a threatening way, still continued to smile. "Of course, the great one's body is a temple, one that needs a constant refueling of planet-sized capacity," the gray man gritted his teeth. "Your cities will be laid to waste, your oceans will dry up, your mountains will crumble." The leader droned on.

The green alien floated to the leader's side, and knocked the gray man aside with his weapon. "It will be the end of the world as you know it." The third alien stated bluntly.

The three aliens stood together, smiling as they basked in the forest's unsightly mutation. "Rejoice! Rejoice! Rejoice!" The three aliens chanted.

The gray man got back up, cracking his knuckles. "I don't think so, kookies!" The gray man protested.

The gray man runs forward and jumps into the air, launching himself towards the leader alien. The green alien makes a well-timed strike at him with his axe, sending the Vreedle back into the dense forest. Luna and Sunset watched him fly through the air, and crash through a few trees on the way down. "Chance!" They yelled out, running after their fallen ally.

The green alien smirks, holstering his weapon proudly. "That's better." The third alien remarks. The three aliens turn around, resuming their business as they praise and behold the sight of the tick, as it slowly kills the planet.

Luna and Sunset trek through the woods, noticing a large crater in the side of a hill, the transformed teenager slowly got up, revealing several rocks and chunks of wood were sticking out of his body. "Chance?" Luna called out worriedly.

The gray man pulled everything out of his body, and noticed that his wounds were regenerating. The wounds closed up and healed as the Omnitrix started timing out, eventually returning Chance back to his normal form, who was in a bit of a mood. "Well, this has been one of my worst days, thankfully it's only in the top twenty. Plus side, new alien! Down side, I need more practice." Chance groaned, barely able to pull himself out of the crater.

Sunset sighed. "We'll figure something out, pal, but that's for later. Right now, some giant planet-sucker is about to wipe Earth off the face of the universe!" Sunset reminded.

Chance nodded, all while he slumped against Luna, trying to keep himself up. As the trio try to move, they soon notice leaves falling off the nearby trees, which start inflating with grey tumors and turning into paste. "Um... it's gonna be a strange Autumn season this year, huh?" Chance questioned.

The sky starts turning brown as the paste starts spreading. "The trees are changing, no doubt because of the tick! We have to get back up that hill and destroy it," the trio starts backing up, all while a bellowing thunder echoes from the sky. "Before it destroys everything!" Luna explained.

The trio quickly climbs back up the hill, only to be greeted by long spotted tentacles wiggling up from the ground. Chance gulped, going wide-eyed at the sight. "Uh-oh! These weren't here when I crashed into the hill, were they?" Chance asked.

Sunset was starting to get worried. "No, I'm pretty sure we would've remembered them!" Sunset remarked, slowly climbing away from the tentacles.

Luna gritted her teeth. "It's the tick, no doubt about it! The tick's poison is mutating the landscape!" Luna pointed out.

Chance chuckled nervously as the tentacles got closer. "I've seen enough Japanese cartoons to know where this could go, and I'm not down with that!" Chance quipped, immediately jumping backwards, trying desperately to get away from the tentacles.

A few tentacles move their ends, which seem to end in mouths, towards the trio. Sunset let out a high-pitched shriek as she bats one away. "Get your slimy whatever-they-are away from me!" Sunset exclaimed.

Luna grabs one that tries to lunge at her, and tears its mouth off. Chance does the same, and that seems to make them angry. The tentacles quickly coil around the trio, dragging them down into the mucky ground that they sprang from. Chance looks at the Omnitrix, noticing that it was still in the red. "Hey, Omnitrix! This is your wearer speaking! HELP!!!" Chance exclaimed in a panic.

Sunset struggled to keep her head high, but the tentacles were relentless. "I'm sinking! Chance, go hero or something!" Sunset called out.

Luna struggles against the tentacles, but is inevitably dragged into the muck. Sunset tries to use her magic, but the tentacles bind her hands and cover her mouth, all Chance could hear was her muffled screams as she was pulled in. Chance struggled all he could, trying to get the Omnitrix to do something. "Come on, please, give me an alien I can work with, anything! Come on, GO HERO!!" Chance exclaimed.

Chance eventually was pulled completely into the muck, but a bright flash of green light could be seen within it. In an instant, Fumesquito burst from the muck, pulling Sunset and Luna out with him as he flew into the air. Before they can get any further, a group of tentacles shoot up from the ground, and two of them manage to latch on to Luna's leg, stopping them in the air and pulling them back. "This is why I don't let my guard down!" Fumesquito remarked.

Luna kicks the tentacles around her leg until they let her go. "Never was much for Tug of War. Either with Celestia, or a bunch of mutant tentacles!" Luna remarked as they flew away.

Sunset sighed as she climbed on top of the alien mosquito, helping Luna up as well. The trio look around, noticing how truly devastating the environment has become due to the tick's poison. "This is terrible, absolutely horrible!" Sunset grimaced.

Fumesquito quickly flew downwards, going into a rotten forest, next to a dirty waterfall. Soon enough, more tentacles sprout from the mutated trees and shoot themselves after them. "You two may wanna hold on. This flight's gonna get real bumpy!" Fumesquito cautioned.

The tentacles sprout out and attempt to ensnare the trio, but Fumesquito manages to bob and weave through them, even cutting one in half with his proboscis.

Back with the huge tick, its abdomen starts growing. The three aliens soon feel a tremor. "What was that?" The third alien inquired.

The Leader alien investigates, noticing a sign that's still readable among the muck. The "Old Faithful" geyser was now enormously backed up and pulsating. The leader smiles joyously. "It appears part of this planet is about to be liberated." The first alien states.

The second alien listens to the tick as it makes more noises. "Ah, yes. Yes. I understand, oh Great One. So shall it be." The second alien confirms.

The green alien approaches, curious as to what the tick has "decreed" this time. "What did it say?" The third alien inquires.

The second alien turns to his comrades, smiling happily. "He wishes us to see the effects of His greatness, and go witness his supreme and ultimate power." the second alien explained.

The three of them nod and float over to the geyser, unaware of the trio making their inevitable return.

Luna grits her teeth, grimacing at the desolate and wasted landscape that the park has become. "Chance, you must hurry! Yellowstone's becoming more and more poisoned!" Luna cautioned.

Fumesquito was still flying, but it was clear that the overgrown mosquito was starting to develop a bit of trouble. Before he can attempt to land anywhere, the trio all suddenly go pale as a "heartbeat" echoes out. "What was that noise?" Sunset asked, clutching onto Luna.

Luna looked over to the source of the sound, her eyes widened as she saw Old Faithful in its current state. "Sounds like Old Faithful's ready to blow, and to make matters worse, I don't know what that tick's poison could do to it when it does." Luna explained, pointing to the mutated geyser.

Fumesquito gave a thumbs up. "One detour, comin' in hot and spicy!" Fumesquito called out, immediately changing directions and heading for Old Faithful.

The three aliens arrive on the scene, ready to watch Old Faithful burst, but soon get a visual on the trio. "I have visual recognition on the adult female and teenage female, but why are they riding on a Culicidopterran?" The leader questioned.

Fumesquito started charging towards the three aliens. "To do a bit of blood work, that's why!" the aliens were now on their guard as Fumesquito flew right past them. "Now move it or LOSE IT, POSERS!" Fumesquito buzzed out.

The leader frowned, clearly displeased by the interruption. "Not until we witness the eruption of the Great One's power." The leader declared.

Fumesquito groaned and begrudgingly stuck his proboscis into one of the mutated trees, drinking as much as he could as he flew back into the air. "Sorry, but that's not gonna happen!" Fumesquito shifted his huge eyes behind him, looking at Luna and Sunset. "Hold on tight, I'm about to goop it up!" Fumesquito warned.

The alien mosquito flies back on top of the geyser's spout, shooting goop from his proboscis. It covers the hole and stops the pulsating, which angers the aliens greatly. Fumesquito quickly flies away to drop Luna and Sunset on safe ground, much to their confusion. "What are you doing?" Luna questioned.

"Letting you off, this mosquito's flying solo!" Fumesquito responded.

Sunset was a bit miffed. "You're not thinking of handling this on your own, are you? We're a team, we work together!" Sunset argued.

Fumesquito sighed. "Why do you think I'm letting you off right now? I'm gonna go play as a distraction, keep the religious nuts busy, while you two go back to the tick and find a way to fix all of this!" Fumesquito explained.

Luna had to admit, it was a solid plan in theory, and in practice, it could work as long as Chance doesn't time out too soon. But, she was a bit bothered that he didn't share the plan with them. "While I'm willing to go along with this plan, mister Marsten, you need to tell us these things beforehand!" Luna remarked.

Fumesquito nodded. "We'll work on that, just go-!" Fumesquito is immediately met with energy beams from the green alien's axe. He manages to dodge every swipe and spits mist in the green alien's face, flying past the other two as the green alien starts to feel the paralyzing effects. "You're gonna need more than a flyswatter to take down this bug!" Fumesquito taunted.

The green alien tries to keep himself in the air, but does manage to wheeze out a command. "Get him!" the third alien wheezed, falling off his platform, and into a dirty river.

Sunset and Luna managed to get back to the tick, and to their surprise, the RV was several good feet away from it, practically in walking distance. The pair of them quickly moved towards the vehicle, and Luna started looking for some equipment. "Sunset, find a way to get to Chance, I feel as if he may need the help. I'll find a solution, I just need one specific gadget." Luna instructed.

Sunset nodded and went to her bag, pulling out a familiar item, smiling confidently. "It's time to give this baby a test drive, beat those suckers at their own game!" Sunset remarked.

Meanwhile, the other two aliens chase after Fumesquito, but seem to lose him in a brown cloud. "Where did that insect disappear to?" The second alien questioned.

As they look around, Fumesquito carefully comes out of a cloud above them, readying himself to dive-bomb them. "Come on, split up. I know you will." Fumesquito hoped.

The second alien hovers to the left, while the leader goes to the right. Fumesquito quickly rams the second alien off of his platform, sending the yellow alien falling to the ground below, letting him land onto a mutated tree, creating a crater that covered him in a blue goop. "Oh yeah! Who's bad? Oh yeah!" Fumesquito soon hears the Omnitrix time out, and starts to panic. "OH SHIT!" Fumesquito exclaimed.

In a flash of red light, Chance was transformed back into his human form, but thankfully, he was still on top of the platform, though he had a rough time keeping his balance. "Woah-ho-ho! Steady... steady...!" Chance took a deep breath and kept himself still, trying to keep himself from panicking. Chance sighed as he kneeled down onto the platform. "Oh man, where's an instruction manual when you need it?" Chance remarked.

The leader pushes through the clouds, setting his sights on Chance. Chance notices that he's been spotted, and is now very worried. Chance pushes the platform down, and it moves forward, all while descending to the ground. "Come on... figure it out, you idiot!" Chance gritted, trying to figure out how to control the platform.

Chance wobbles the platform, causing him to zigzag in numerous directions, all while the leader alien continues to angrily pursue him. Chance closed his eyes and immediately stood up. Keeping the device level, Chance manages to slowly stand up and keep his balance. Chance slowly opens his eyes, and soon realizes that he's now riding it. The leader alien suddenly catches up, but Chance barely has any time to react. Chance braces himself, only for the leader to be knocked away. Chance watches as Sunset now joins in the fight, riding on her hoverboard. "Luna thought you'd need some assistance. How're you holding up?" Sunset called out.

Chance quickly grabs the rim of his platform and pulls it up, letting the leader alien fly right under him and overshoot his shot. "I've been better, does she have a solution yet?" Chance called out.

Sunset shook her head. "Not yet, but she's figuring it out! We need to keep them busy, or at the very least, slow them down!" Sunset called out.

The leader charges back towards the two teens, but then Chance gets an idea, looking back at Old Faithful. Chance smirks and looks over to Sunset. "Follow my lead!" Chance exclaimed.

Chance and Sunset climb up high and level out, moving out of the way of the leader's blasts. The teens could see that he couldn't keep this up, but soon enough, Sunset catches on and notices something on the ground. 'So that's what he's doing. Not a bad idea, to be honest.' Sunset thought, a smile forming on her face.

Chance and Sunset fly right beside each other, all while the leader barrels down towards them, his speed of descent becomes faster and faster. Chance nods his head, and Sunset nods back, creating a light blue tendril as it wraps around his waist. Chance jumps off the platform and onto Sunset's board, and the two stop mid-air, letting the leader blitz right past them. "BEEP BEEP, motherfucker! Pump the brakes next time!" Chance called out as they quickly flew away.

The leader alien was confused for a moment, but soon realized too late. The leader crashes into Old Faithful's spout, creating a wonderful splash of sticky goop and muck.

Chance and Sunset land right next to the RV, with Luna running up to them, laughing as she hugged them both. "I've seen and been in my fair share of accidents, but I've never seen an intergalactic fender-bender like that before! Way to go, both of you!" Luna congratulated.

Chance smiled, but looked over at the tick. "We can celebrate later. Right now, the tick needs to be stopped. Does anyone have any ideas before I try brute-forcing this?" Chance asked.

The two ladies look at the tick, now more massive than before. "Brute force can only get us so far, it's just getting bigger as it feeds." Luna stated.

Chance looked to the Omnitrix, seeing it glow green. "Then let's see how the tick likes a protein-rich Cajun diet, Riptile style!" Chance remarked.

Chance presses the button and pops the core up, selecting Riptile's icon. In one swift motion, Chance transforms into the red muscular amphibious reptile. Riptile punches, kicks and bites the tick in every-which-way, even whipping it with his tongue. But all it took was one toss from its legs, and Riptile was sent flying backwards. Chance groggily sits stunned in Riptile's crater. "This is gonna be difficult, just like I thought it would." Chance remarked.

After a bit of waiting, Chance dials in Nitrofrost, taking a deep breath as Sunset and Luna watch him mentally prepare himself. "Okay, one down, ten to go. Let's do this, ugly!" Chance remarked.

Chance transformed into Nitrofrost, attempting to put the tick on ice, but despite being encased and practically preserved in a large chunk of ice, the tick wasn't affected at all.

The next attempt was with Vitaguar, and even with his strength and golden bones, he couldn't scratch or pierce the tick's shell. Even a frustrated and feral tantrum from the alien feline wasn't enough to make a dent, which infuriated the alien even more, leaving it embarrassed.

Chance made another attempt with Armethyst, but his energy blasts, even when they were powering up the crystal shards he fired, they didn't even leave an impact on the tick.

Chance tried using Jump-Kick, but neither his talons, nor his feathers, or his powerful kicks could make the large extraterrestrial tick budge.

Chance attempted to use Pinch, thinking he could pry some of the shell off, or corrode a hole into it, but even that was fruitless.

Chance tried to use Fumesquito again, to attempt to drink any nutrients from the tick itself, or from the shell. This didn't work in any case. The shell, along with what exposed flesh could be puncturable, was somehow too durable and too dense for Fumesquito to puncture.

Sunset and Luna were starting to get worried from seeing so many of Chance's aliens fail to actually move this thing.

Chance transformed into Crime Detector, literally opening fire with no restriction, and despite giving it all he had, the tick was unfazed and unharmed.

Chance transformed into Excavole. His plan was to dig a hole so deep, he'd bury the tick and kill it with a cave-in. Excavole couldn't even dig five feet into the ground without being stopped in his tracks by the tick's engorged tentacles and legs.

Chance was already down to his last two options. Zombrex and his new alien. Chance was actually saving Zombrex for last, but considering how nine of the eleven aliens he has at that moment, have failed, Zombrex was, ironically enough, the planet's last hope. The zombified hero was the only one who made any progress in trying to stop the tick, and that's not saying much.

Zombrex was able to tear away a couple pieces of the tick's shell, but once it tried to eat its way into the tick itself, Zombrex just gave up. According to him, the tick's flesh was the equivalent to black licorice and an expired energy drink. It was quite literally the only living thing Zombrex couldn't stomach. Above all else, even from just one of the zombified hero's infectious bites, it didn't seem to be slowing down or speeding up the process of the Earth's decay. Zombrex's infectious disease didn't even have an effect on that gargantuan gluttonous tick.

Chance laid back on the ground exhausted, he tried to rationalize how this tick was able to best him, but he just couldn't admit defeat. Chance refused to let an overgrown lime disease-carrying bug get the better of him, and take his planet. "This thing's indestructible, it's almost bullshit with how this thing has resisted the same 10 aliens I started with this summer! Does anyone have any other ideas, because I'm not sure how Alien No. 11 is gonna take this thing down, when the other ten couldn't!" Chance remarked.

The trio looked at the tick, uncertain as to what could be done to save the planet this time. Unbeknownst to them, the three aliens have arrived back. "Reverse beam flow. They're powerless, for now." The leader instructed.

The green alien shoots a beam from his axe, this time creating a pink dome around the three humans. Out of frustration, Chance tries to hit it, but it shocks him, knocking him into Luna's arms. The three aliens hover in front of the trio, clearly angered and displeased by their attempts to stop the tick. "It's time for the final purification of your planet, and you three along with it." The leader declared.

Sunset gulped nervously as she looked to her friend and vice principal. "Please tell me we have a 'Plan B'?" Sunset asked.

The two shook their heads, much to Sunset's dismay.

A couple hours later, the sky has thinned out into white, the trees have started to finally wilt, and the ground is breaking. The green alien raises the trio's bubble in the sky and releases it, dropping them on the ground. As they get up, the Leader puts sponges in their hands. Chance was about to throw the sponge right back at them, until Luna motioned for him to hold off. "What are we supposed to do with these?" Sunset asked, already knowing the grotesque answer that awaited her.

The leader pointed to the tick, specifically the goop that was dripping and pulsating from its hide. "Before the Great One can cleanse your planet forever and move on to the next, He must be cleansed." The leader explained.

Sunset fell to her knees and puked on the ground, she couldn't handle it. As Luna knelt down to try and ease Sunset's discomfort, Chance angrily smacked the leader with the sponge he gave him, which angered the leader greatly. "You dumb motherfuckers are the ones who worship this disgusting thing, following its ugly ass around from planet-to-planet as it ruins numerous and countless lives, so why don't YOU lazy bastards fuckin' do it!?" Chance exclaimed, berating the three alien invaders.

The leader blasts a beam at Chance's feet, knocking him back. Just as Chance got back up to his feet, Luna lead Sunset over to him, and she helped him up. Luna looked at the two teens intently. "Do what they say. For now..." Luna instructed in a hush tone.

As the trio begrudgingly clean the tick, it begins to shed, revealing a yellow shell underneath its reddish exterior. Several large, purple pores also push their way out of the shell, spitting acid at random intervals. The falling pieces of shell almost crush Chance, Sunset, and Luna, but thankfully, they manage to dodge out of the way.

The three aliens, meanwhile, were right in-front of the tick, praising it. The yellow alien listens intently as the tick makes more gurgled sounds and breathing noises. "He says - He missed us," The three aliens smile, putting their hands together as if they were ready to send a prayer. "It was not our fault, oh Great One. Please forgive us for abandoning you on such a momentous occasion." the yellow alien praised.

The three aliens stand side-by-side. "Forgiveness... Forgiveness... Forgiveness... Forgi-" The tick shuddered, a labored gurgle escaped its mouth as it shed more of its skin. The yellow alien listened closely. "W-What is wrong, oh Great One? You seem discouraged." The yellow alien inquired, trying to listen to the tick's numerous sounds.

The trio continue to scrub blue goop off of the tick, much to Sunset's disgust, and much to Chance's irritation. "Ugh, could this get any nastier?" Sunset pulled her sponge away, only to then notice several small lice-like bugs crawling up her arm, making her shriek. "AAH!! Gross!! Space lice!" Sunset exclaimed, flailing around as she tried to get the bugs off of her.

The three aliens look to the tick, with the yellow alien clearly starting to become distressed. "Oh Great One, what has caused you such a grave disheartening?" The tick lets out a few labored breaths, all while the breathing seems to slow down. The yellow alien's eyes widen a bit, then a look of concern grows. "A-Are you sure? Is this true?... N-No, no, I don't, nor do my comrades, doubt your judgement, oh Great One... but, are you truly sure? Has there been a mistake?" The alien asked, the tone of concern begins to increase through the alien's voice.

The leader and the green alien look at the yellow alien with worry. "What's happening? Is the Great One alright?" The leader questioned.

The green alien hovered forward. "What's this I hear about a mistake?" the green alien inquired.

The yellow alien was starting to shake, a look of fear seemed to be all that the second alien could express. "I-It would seem... t-that the Great One... is... i-is..." The yellow alien was struggling to get the words out, but after a stern glare from the leader, the yellow alien just let it out. "The Great One's final hours in this world are upon us!!" The yellow alien announced.

The trio were listening carefully, trying to look busy. The other two aliens were caught off guard, almost distraught by the news. "T-The Great One's final hours are upon us... it wishes for me to translate its only confession, before it moves on to join the almighty after!" The yellow alien proclaimed.

The leader approached. "What?! The Great One... has something to... regret?! What does the Great One, the one who purified many planets, blessed every galaxy with its presence, have to regret!?" The leader questioned.

The yellow alien could barely look its comrades in the eyes, before it simply sat down on its platform, looking genuinely defeated. "T-The Great One... is displeased with us..." The two aliens looked at the yellow alien, surprised and taken aback by the news. "His only regret... was driving us to worship its destruction... the galaxies and planets we led him to... the ones he purified... he claims it all went too far... now death is all we can accept, if we are to repent for our sins..." the alien explained.

The three aliens were distracted, all while the trees continue to wilt. "We're running out of time!" Luna remarked.

Chance sighed. "And aliens. I've got one more alien to use, but I'm not even sure if he'll be able to do anything to stop this!" Chance remarked.

Sunset grabbed Chance by the collar of his shirt, an expression of agitation and anger was present on her face. "Don't try, and Earth turns into a giant cesspool, then becomes a pile of rubble!" Sunset reminded.

The trio look back, seeing the world collapsing and falling apart around them. Chance sighed and nodded his head. "Alright, but we got one shot at this! Once I transform, I'm gonna do all I physically can to stop this thing... even if it means doing something stupid," Sunset let Chance go, and Chance immediately pressed the button, popping the core up. As soon as Nitrofrost's icon showed up, he cycled to the left, seeing the gray man's icon. "Okay new guy, I really need you to save the world right now. You're the only alien I haven't tried yet, so help a brother out!" Chance pleaded, pressing the core down as he began to transform.

Chance's skin started to become pale, almost light gray in color as his muscles tensed up and expanded, traveling up his arm and into his eye, causing it to shine white. Chance's hair turned darker and blacker, growing out and becoming much wilder and unkempt as his body bulked up and became more robust and broad. His jawline became a bit more square, and his nose melded with his face, all while gray skin grew over it, covering it and burying it into his face.

Chance felt his shirt suddenly become draped in some kind of leather jacket as his shoes became white boots with black cuffs. His jeans became a much darker blue, and seemed to become a bit tighter. The alien puts on a stoic expression and takes a knee, pondering something as it flexes one of its large gray arms.

The flash of light dies down, revealing that Chance had successfully transformed into his previously discovered eleventh alien. Sunset and Luna were relieved that it worked, as was Chance, but soon enough, the Omnitrix soon started to react. "Genetic transformation sequence complete. Vreedle DNA Sample has been properly catalogued in Omnitrix database. Playlist 2 has been unlocked; Vreedle DNA Sample now accessible in Playlist 2." The Omnitrix informed.

The Vreedle smiled and flexed its muscles. "All right, it worked!" The Vreedle looked to the tick, only to then notice that the three aliens were clearly angered. "Alright fellas, this is how it's gonna go down! You tried to make my planet start burnin' rubber, like you did with all the other planets you visited, so you're gonna-"

"Do... d-do what you must." The leader stated, almost hesitating on every word.

The trio was a bit surprised by the sudden response. "Did I miss something crucial?" The Vreedle asked, genuinely confused.

The yellow alien hovered forward. "Please, let me explain... The Great One's final hours are upon us, and... he's in mourning. He wishes to be vanquished by this planet's protector, as recompense for trying to puri-... destroy your planet, like we've done to many others... You, shapeshifter, are clearly strong. Please, give the Great One a send-off worthy of his greatness." The yellow alien explained somberly.

The green alien hovers down and hands the Vreedle the axe. "I fought many for the Great One, even earned the right to wield that weapon when he came to my homeworld. Now, it's yours, for worthiness is something I no longer possess... Fare thee well, oh Great One." The green alien stated, backing away.

The Vreedle eyed the axe, all while another tremor echoed out. "A titanium-alloy forged handle with a compressed Lithium crystal that creates the blade... now that's God's righteous weapon right 'ere!" The Vreedle smirked as he twirled the axe around, then brandished it with a determined look in his eyes. "Time to make the scene, ya overgrown bug! It's Hero Time!!" The Vreedle called out, running towards the tick.

The ground begins to give way, and the ladies immediately run to the RV, with the three aliens trying to guide them to safety. "Keep your eyes on the vehicle of mobilization, everything shall be fine!" The leader reassured.

The Vreedle blasts and strikes the tick with all he has, but his blasts keep bouncing off the shell, and the blade isn't cutting through the flesh like he hoped. "Damn it, forgot it was indestructible! What a drag!" The Vreedle was about to take another swing, until screams echoed out, catching his attention. Sunset and Luna were separated, all while the aliens tried to reunite them. Just as Sunset tried to find her footing, the ground gave way again, causing her to fall, her screams echoed out. Luna was about to reach for her, until the Vreedle jumped down right towards her. The Vreedle managed to pull Sunset close, then jam the axe into the ground, stopping their fall. The Vreedle noticed how close another portion of ground was, and started to wall jump his way back to Luna. After a bit of leaping, the Vreedle managed to get back up to Luna, letting Sunset climb up and squeeze Luna tightly. "Thanks for the save!" Sunset commented.

The Vreedle nodded. "Not bad for the gray man who sounds like he came from Tallahassee." The Vreedle remarked.

The leader approached. "I believe you Vreedles referred to your bravest warriors as 'Hoss', if I'm getting their verbal vernacular correct." The leader informed.

The Vreedle smiled. "The Hoss from Tallahassee. Has a nice ol' ring-a-ding ring to it, but it's waaaaay too damn wordy," From above, a piece of the tick's shell bounces off the ground, hurtling towards them. The Vreedle quickly jumped towards it and caught it in mid-air, slamming it into the ground like it was a makeshift form of cover. "How about... Tallahoss!" The Vreedle corrected.

Tallahoss gets out from behind cover, only to then be drenched in more blue goop. "That's it, that fuckin' bug's been crusin' for a brusin' ever since it got here! Fuck it, I'm taking this to the extreme! You two, get in the RV and get out of here, I'll catch up!" Luna and Sunset were worried, but felt as if Chance did have a plan this time. Tallahoss looked to the three aliens. "You three, help me get in close! I'm gonna kill that damn thing, and I know how to this time!" Tallahoss instructed.

The leader was uncertain. "How do you intend to kill it? The shell is impenetrable, not even rockets and nukes could scorch it!" The leader reminded.

Tallahoss just let a smug smirk form on his face. "Who said I was gonna kill it on the outside?" Tallahoss questioned, a chuckle escaped the Vreedle as it cracked its knuckles.

The RV speeds away from the tick's location, all while the park is becoming more and more like a desolate and lifeless hellscape. "He's gonna be fine, right?" Sunset asked.

Luna just stomped on the gas pedal, unsure as to what exactly Chance intended to do. "I'm hoping he will be." Luna stated, trying not to dwell on the worst possible outcome.

Back with the tick, Tallahoss, along with the tick's former heralds, run to the front of the tick itself. As the ground gives way, the tick starts to suck in everything around it. Tallahoss smirked, looking back at the three aliens. "You three might wanna get as far as yall can go! Yer in the splash zone!!" The aliens were confused for a moment, until they saw Tallahoss jump right towards the open maw of the tick. "Open up, bug! I'm gonna take you out from the inside!!" Tallahoss exclaimed, vanishing inside the tick's mouth.

Inside, Tallahoss looked around, noticing a chunk of rubble that had the green alien's weapon still stuck inside it. Tallahoss happily pried it free, and chuckled. "Let's get to work! HYAAAAAHHHH!!!!!" Tallahoss screamed out, jumping as he hacked and slashed at various bones and mounds of flesh and tissue. Tallahoss was bouncing everywhere in the tick's body. Rupturing through organs, hacking the skeleton to pieces, and basically tearing the tick up from the inside, dismantling it without a care in the world. "RRRRRRAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!" Tallahoss roared out, jamming the axe against the tick's brain.

Outside of the tick, its body pulses and pulses with more goop cracking its shell, until only a mass of it is left to explode for miles across. The aliens watch, only out of respect for the slain creature. In the aftermath of the tick's inevitable end, was a steaming ribcage, truly all that remained of "The Great One". From a huge pile of tick goop, Tallahoss emerges from it, covered in fluids, yet still had a smirk on his face. "Well, that was something no one's ever done durin' summer vacation! That was the bomb!!" Tallahoss looked over at the three aliens, seeing their melancholic expressions as they looked upon the remains of the tick. The Vreedle's excitement started to fade, and it lowered the weapon, letting it be. "Uh... sorry about your god, no hard feelings?" Tallahoss asked.

The yellow alien puts his "ear" to a piece of shell. He is met by silence. "...Nothing. The Great One has been silenced forever." The yellow alien confirmed.

The leader sighed, looking upon Tallahoss. The Omnitrix beeped and in a flash of red light, Chance was transformed back to normal. "You... you destroyed him... Well, human, you protected your planet, all while risking your life for those around you... I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive us, as well as the Great One." The leader explained.

Chance sighed. "Sad as it is to say, your 'Great One' is gone. Clearly you had some attachment to that thing, but it was... well, toxic. I can't find it in my heart to forgive you three, not now, but if your tick god really was innocent in all this, then I'll forgive it, just this once... now, please get off my planet. If you choose to stay, you'll help clean up this mess, and better understand humans... and FYI," Chance looked the leader in the eyes. "You and your friends here are out of the loop, so let me break it down for you. I'm the wielder of the Omnitrix, and the one who put Reinrassic out to pasture. I'm letting you three off with a warning, and you're lucky I even consider this applicable as a warning. Cause problems on Earth, or in Space again, you answer to me, and the Plumbers. Understand?" Chance warned.

The three aliens nod their heads, hopping back onto their platforms as they float away. The yellow alien stops and looks back, waving slowly. "Enjoy the rest of your day, wielder of the Omnitrix." The Currixula'a complimented as it floated away.

The RV pulls back onto the scene, with the landscape slowly but surely returning to normal. The ship flies away and leaves Earth, all while Luna and Sunset watch as Chance sits down on a tree stump. "It looks like everything's going back to normal, somehow. Maybe that poison was more closely tied to the tick's lifespan. With the tick dead, Earth lives on. Yeah, that sounds like the new normal to me." Chance remarked.

Sunset smiled, sitting down next to him. "Chance, hate to break it to ya bud, but nothing we ever do is normal," Chance chuckled and ruffled her hair. "Nice job, man. Wasn't really sure myself if you'd make it, but here you are. Not really sure I approve of you letting those guys go, though. Really made a mess of things." Sunset remarked.

Luna smiled. "I'm just glad you didn't try to kill them. And yet, you're clearly bothered. What's up, son?" Luna inquired.

Chance sighed. "I'm fine, just... need to take a long... cold shower." Chance reassured, smiling weakly.

The trio get up and walk back to the RV. Meanwhile, the geysers burst and the birds return to the healthy sky.

Author's Note

Because I feel like it, here's what Tallahoss looks like.

I wanted to put an actual image in the chapter, but for some reason, FiMFiction has decreed that is not happening in a gazillion years. That's fun... real fun.

Also, for the Ben 10 fans reading this, I didn't feel like doing the bare minimum with the tick's fancy herald followers. They didn't have any actual species names, so I came up with some of my own. I like taking creative liberties to expand on pre-existing lore. I also wanted to make the yellow guy, the Currixula'a, as I've graciously dubbed him, actually capable of understanding the tick though the way it breathes and makes sounds.

You know, make them crazier than they already were for worshipping a giant space tick.