A Hero's Origins
By TheAlienBrony22

Busy, G?

San Francisco, a busy place with even busier people. Somewhere on the street, a video game store has a long lineup of people. Of those waiting in the line are the trio, mainly Chance, who's been eager buy the newly released Pocket Quest game. Sunset, on the other hand, was actually tired, bored out of her skull. "Ugh, we've been in this line for two hours, and it hasn't budged an inch!" Sunset groaned.

Chance smiled. "Yeah, the wait's a bit long, but it's a small price to pay for "Pocket Quest Amethyst"! I'd do anything to get this game, even if it meant putting up with Rainbow Dash!" Chance eagerly stated.

Sunset raised an eyebrow. "Don't you already have that game?" Sunset asked.

Chance frowned. "No, that was "Pocket Quest BurningCrimson", it was a remake of the first games in the series, Crimson and Navy. Amethyst is the third iteration of the series, a true sequel to "Pocket Quest Garnet and Lapis"! New monsters, new characters, fifteen extra hours of Post-Game content, and more complex lore than the history of America itself! Everyone, their mother, even their pet goldfish, they're all clamoring to get this game, me included! We've been waiting on this ever since "Pocket Quest AshenBronze" came out two years ago!" Chance explained.

Luna smiled. "It's honestly a breath of fresh air seeing you so excited for this game, mister Marsten. I used to be a gamer myself, Celestia always hated it when I won in "Alley Brawlers 3"," Luna wiped a bead of sweat from her brow, and noticed a book store nearby. "You know, there's a nice air-conditioned bookstore over there, maybe we can wait inside until this line thins out a bit." Luna suggested.

Chance looked heavily offended. "And lose my place in line, after hours of waiting?! What's next, do I have to kiss Dash's ass, too? Hard pass, I'm not giving up my spot!" Chance sighed as he yawned. "Look, how about you girls go and get out of the heat. I'll be out with the game in no time at all, I'll meet you back at the RV." Chance suggested.

Luna and Sunset looked at each other, then shrugged their shoulders as they stepped out of the line. "Want us to pick up anything for you?" Luna asked.

Chance shook his head. "Nah, I'll be alright. Besides, it's summer vacation. Last time I genuinely read a book during summer, it was the bible. That was five years ago, then I stopped. Best decision of my life." Chance remarked.

Luna and Sunset exchange a confused look, then walk towards the bookstore, leaving Chance in the sun as they seek an escape from the summer heat.

Some time passes by, and by the time Sunset and Luna return to the line, it's already gotten bigger, with Chance nowhere in sight. "Seems to me like he couldn't take the heat for long." Luna stated.

Sunset smiled. "He probably started to get a bit stir-crazy after waiting so long." Sunset guessed.

They suddenly hear a loud crash and some screams. People run out of the video game store, before Riptile comes crashing out of it... only, he seems a bit different. Or rather, she looks a bit different? Riptile looked slimmer, and seemed a lot more feminine than the last time Chance became him. The alien's usual red hue seemed a bit darker and desaturated, almost like a magenta hue, all while the eye color was a vibrant gold. The suit the alien wore seemed too similar to Riptile's, despite the colors being switched around, but upon first glance, Luna and Sunset didn't know what to make of this.

Sunset was about to call out towards the rampaging alien, only to then notice one key detail about it, or rather, the lack of a key detail that the two seemed to fail to notice. The Omnitrix didn't seem to be present on this alien, but with Chance nowhere to be seen, it raised a lot of questions. A police car quickly arrives, skidding too fast and stopping in front of "Riptile". "Riptile" picks up the car and shakes the officers out of it, forcing the officer to run away as the alien snarled.

Soon enough, more officers show up on the scene, and a stand-off begins against the rampaging alien. A news helicopter comes to capture it from above, but "Riptile" throws around a dumpster and a street pole at it. While the pole did jam into the undercarriage of the helicopter, the dumpster ended up flying towards Luna and Sunset. The two barely manage to dodge out of the dumpster's way, all while "Riptile" growls at the officers hungrily. "Uh- why is Chance going berserk and fighting the police?" "Riptile" steps forward and immediately rips off an officer's arm with their jaws, cries of agony as blood sprays out onto the asphalt, all while the alien swallows the arm whole, looking satisfied. Luna and Sunset were shocked with disbelief. "H-Holy shit! What, did they run out of copies!?" Sunset shrieked.

Luna watched as the cops immediately ran away, all while the injured cop tried to crawl away. "Something isn't right about any of this..." Luna stated.

Two police cars roll up behind "Riptile", but she throws a car at them, causing both to swerve out of control. On Luna and Sunset's side, an armored vehicle slowly rolls up to the scene. Out of the driver's seat steps a tall man dressed in tactical gear, with a chiseled jaw, blonde crew cut, and a scar across his face. He shows his badge to the head officer as other men in riot gear climb out. Sunset starts to grow more and more concerned, but Luna was mildly surprised by the man's appearance. She looked pale, like she saw a ghost from her past, alive and in the flesh once more. "Lieutenant Steel; I'm with the S.A.C.T, Special Alien Containment Team. We'll take it from here," Steel gestured to his men and snapped his fingers. "Ready the concussion bazooka, ASAP! This alien's gonna find out what happens when you fuck around!" Steel ordered.

Two soldiers quickly assemble a large two-man-operated gun. They carry it to the front to aim it at "Riptile", who doesn't seem that worried. "That doesn't look good. Please, tell me this isn't happening!" Sunset pleaded.

Luna simply got up, and walked towards Lieutenant Steel, leaving Sunset on her own. The teenage girl groaned, finally fed up with the chaos that's gotten out of control in a matter of minutes. Sunset builds some nerve and runs forward, past the soldiers and up to "Riptile", much to the soldiers' concerns. "CHANCE, what the fuck are you doing!?" Sunset exclaimed.

As she holds a car above her head, "Riptile" gets excited to crush Sunset with it, much to the teenage girl's horror. Before anything could be done, however, Lt. Steel nods to the soldiers, who fire a blast at "Riptile", sending her flying backwards into a pizza shop. "Riptile" bursts out of the shop with a brick oven in hand. She throws it at a truck, causing it to explode, screams in a monstrous manner, then jumps away, fleeing the scene.

Sunset and Luna were incredibly confused, concerned, but also angry at what could possibly be the reason behind this sudden outburst.

Back at the RV, Luna and Sunset walk inside, where Chance is innocently playing his new Pocket Quest. Chance pumped his fist in the air, cheering. "Whoo!! That's how we do, get smoked, you bargain-bin monster tamer!" Chance was about to continue playing, until he felt a pair of eyes on him. Chance paused the game and took off his headphones, only to turn around and be met by Luna and Sunset. "Oh hey, I was wondering when you'd get back. Turns out the game store owners were tired of the line getting bigger, so they put up a discount, and everyone flocked over to it like moths to a flame," Sunset and Luna looked at each other, then back at Chance. "Got my copy for real cheap, and you won't believe who I ran into on my way out! Turns out Rainbow Dash was in town, and she's a closeted Pocket Quest fan! We were about to go back to the RV and talk about the game, until we saw the news report about a runaway train," Luna and Sunset were starting to become very confused. "Apparently an alien similar to one of mine robbed a train full of money and sent the train into overdrive! Me and Dash left our games here, and went to save the day! It was the oddest thing, seeing people be scared of me, after all the good my aliens have done." Chance explained.

Sunset's eye twitched, and proceeded to pull Chance out of the booth and push him against the sink, much to his own shock and confusion. "Woah, easy now! What's gotten into you?" Chance soon saw the angered looks on their faces, and was starting to realize that something happened recently. "Okay, I'll bite. What did I do this time?" Chance asked.

Sunset groaned. "Are you demented!? Riptile was rampaging through the streets, and bit a man's arm off, then swallowed it whole!! Got an alibi for that, genius?!" Sunset remarked.

Chance paused at that very moment. At first, Chance was confused, but then Luna turned on the TV, showing the news broadcast about Riptile's onslaught. Chance witnessed the very moment the cop's arm ripped from his socket, and was genuinely frightened. "I didn't do that, I didn't do any of that, I swear!" Chance pleaded.

Sunset was unconvinced. "Oh, no? I'm sure it's just some other overgrown frog croc alien going postal in front of a video game store!" Sunset remarked.

Chance was actually a bit hurt, but he was starting to get agitated. "Did you even hear yourself!? Of course it had to be another alien! Let's examine, shall we?" Chance snatched the remote out of Luna's hand and rewound the footage, pausing on a clear shot of this impostor Riptile. "Look, doesn't he look a bit leaner than normal? Not to mention that shade of red, he could blend in the shadows! They look more feminine, from my point of view, at least. Not to mention, what's with those golden peepers!? When I transform, my eyes aren't like that, are they? They're pitch white, and I usually have the Omnitrix on my person. It don't just vanish out of nowhere!" Chance remarked.

Luna and Sunset looked at the Riptile in the broadcast, and admittedly, Chance had a few good points to prove his innocence. "Plus, I'd never attack bystanders! Not by a long shot, and it fuckin' hurts to know you just blamed me for manslaughter! Thanks a fuckin' lot, Sunny, what a pal!" Sunset was starting to feel a bit embarrassed, as well as rightfully ashamed, but that still doesn't explain anything about what happened. "Here's the news broadcast about me and Dash, how we ended up saving numerous lives from a fiery painful death!" Chance switched the channel, showing live footage of Dash flying around, all while Jump-Kick runs and jumps along the rooftops of the train cars, with the Omnitrix being prominent on the alien bird's chest. Luna and Sunset look back at Chance, now seeing the anger on his face. "So, you two owe me an apology, big time." Chance remarked.

From the back of the RV, Dash walks out, dressed in a tank top, sun hat, shorts, and running shoes. "Sounds like trouble in the making, what's up?" Dash asked.

The trio look over at Dash, who sat down in the booth, eagerly waiting for an explanation. Chance sighed. "Someone might be trying to frame me, and had these two fooled. What say you and I go back to the scene and see if we can't figure anything out, maybe find the one who needs their thick skull cracked?" Chance suggested.

Dash smiled as she activated her geode, sprouting her wings. "Then let's do this!" Dash agreed.

As Chance and Dash exit the RV, Sunset and Luna are a bit ashamed, but decide to go after them, in the eventuality that something else happens.

The four of them make their way to the site of the rampage, where trashed cars are being towed and police are talking over their radios, all while blood stains litter the road as an ambulance drives away. Chance picks up a brick by his foot, noticing that it matched the bricks that came from the trashed brick oven. "Whoever trashed this place and tried to frame Riptile, they clearly didn't like pizza, and that's the biggest red flag here." Chance remarked.

Sunset looked around at the damage, only for her gaze to fall back onto her friend, who was trying to be as thorough as he could. Dash flew upwards, trying to find some significance to the attack, but hasn't been able to find anything of worth. "Nothing from up here!" Dash called out.

Chance sighed. He looked back at Sunset, seeing the conflicting emotions in her eyes, and he didn't want to deal with it. Chance walked over and held his hand out for a handshake. "Grab my hand, Sunset. Look into my head, and you'll see the truth. I was there at the train, trying to stop it. Get it over with, and let's find this impostor!" Chance suggested.

Sunset was hesitant, but at the same time, she had to know who was telling the truth. Sunset grabbed Chance's hand, using her geode to peer into his head. She saw images of the game store, him picking up his copy, running into Rainbow Dash, the news broadcast about the runaway train. She saw them both trying to stop the train, eventually succeeding, then coming right back to the RV. Sunset let Chance's hand go, but despite seeing the truth, she seemed stand-offish.

The four looked at each other, unsure as to what exactly they should do now. Before they could leave the scene, a noise in the alley catches their attention. A pair of golden eyes shine out as they retreat into the alley. "Found the fucker, they returned to the scene! Dash, with me! You two, circle around and corner it!" Chance ordered, running into the alleyway, with Dash following right behind him.

Luna and Sunset get to the RV, while Chance and Dash tail the impostor Riptile. "So, is this just the new normal for you? Fighting aliens, dealing with villains, like you're some kind of comic book superhero? Not knockin' what you do, just a bit on the nose, in my opinion." Dash questioned.

Chance groaned. "We can talk shop later, just keep tailing the bastard!" Chance tried to activate the Omnitrix, only for it to not respond, despite glowing green. "Damn it, I really do need a manual for this damn thing!" Chance remarked.

The Riptile leaps over a fence, which Dash flies over easily, while Chance climbs over. As the alley empties out into an open area, Chance stops to catch his breath. Dash looks around and spots the Riptile on top of a big white building labelled "U.S. MINT". "Of course, this thing's stealing money! That explains why the people on the train were actin' so odd around Jump-Kick! These alien impostors don't stop at Riptile! We have to stop it at the mint!" Dash remarked.

The two dash towards the building, while Sunset and Luna follow close behind, with Luna trying to keep her breathing steady. "Who said retirement was relaxing? They are a liar!" Luna remarked.

Luna and Sunset make it inside the mint, where coins are being printed on conveyor belts and carried around in big bags across the ceiling. "Are you sure they came in here?" Luna asked.

Sunset nodded. "We were right behind them, so I'm not sure how we lost them so fast," A sudden explosion in the corner of the room, leading to the two girls to run towards it. They see two security guards, being slowly backed up by a feminine Nitrofrost, who seems to be a bit more purple upon first glance. She shoots some ice at a bridge up above, causing large jagged ice pieces to fall down and surround the guards. "Okay, now there's two of Chance's aliens terrorizing San Francisco?! This has to stop now!" Sunset remarked.

Sunset steps forward, readying her geode. "Hey, Jack Frost! Turn down the AC before somebody really gets hurt!" The feminine Nitrofrost stops and turns around, staring at Sunset. "Now, if you take responsibility for all the wackass insane stuff you've been doing lately, I'm sure we can help you, and your pals that are framing my friend." Sunset offered.

Luna steps forward, only to then be met by Dash and Chance, who were running around trying to find the right room. "Sunset, get back!" Dash exclaimed.

Sunset turned around, noticing Chance and Dash, only to then realize that the frozen cold alien was starting to approach. Sunset quickly ran back to the other three, and stood her ground with them. "Okay, so who are you? Why are you doing this?" Sunset asked.

The cold alien smirked. "Me? I'm cool, can't you tell," The frozen cold alien looks over at Dash, and the alien's smirk seems to grow. "Hey Dashie, long time no freeze!" the alien remarked, firing off a torrent of snow at the four of them.

Chance quickly activated the Omnitrix, transforming into Armethyst as he created a crystal barrier to stop the attack. As the attack stops, the barrier drops as Armethyst turns his arms into blades. "Sunset, you, Luna and Dash need to get everyone out of here! This ice cold bitch is going down." Armethyst gritted.

Armethyst fires a few energy beams at the Nitrofrost, but she easily dodges them and fires a torrent of slush at the crystalline alien, sending it flying. The three ladies quickly got out of the way as Armethyst started swinging his blades at the cold alien, but is mildly irritated that his attacks don't seem to have any effect. The Nitrofrost fires a beam of ice, making Armethyst duck for cover, but once he gets back up, the Nitrofrost is gone, like she disappeared.

Armethyst groaned. "I don't know who you are, but you're giving aliens a bad name! Show yourself, you frozen cold hag!" Armethyst shouted.

The Nitrofrost's laugh echoed around him. "So why don't you cry about it? Or are you gonna go run and tell on me to your mommy, maybe that smart-mouthed magic friend of yours? or should I tell Dashie how you ran into an old pal!" The alien taunted.

Armethyst was thrown for a loop. Whoever this was, they knew him personally. "As flattered as I should be that a woman knows of me, you put a finger on any of them, and I'll jam my foot so far up your frosty cold ass, you won't be able to make snow balls for a week!" Armethyst threatened.

Before Armethyst knew what hit him, an icy cold blast hit him from behind, knocking him to the ground. Another icy blast explodes one of the ceiling bags, causing a mound of coins to fall on Armethyst and trap him. The Nitrofrost floats forward, smirking. "Hey, it's raining money!" the Nitrofrost remarked.

Armethyst was beyond confused, and by this point, he was the one on the defense, and he got trapped. "Who are you, what do you want from me?" Armethyst asked.

The Nitrofrost laughed. "You still haven't figured it out?" Armethyst shrugged his shoulders, much to the Nitrofrost's chagrin. "Alright, maybe this will help..." The Nitrofrost remarked.

Before Armethyst could even question what she was about to do, the Nitrofrost's face suddenly turns gray and sprouts Vitaguar's unkempt mane, then the affair turns into Armethyst's crystalline face, but colored gold. Armethyst is shocked, he doesn't know what he's witnessing, yet he felt an unsettling sense of deja vu. Then the Armethyst face becomes Crime Detector's face and, finally, turns into the face of a familiar girl, but with long, white hair.

Armethyst's eye widened. "Gilda?!" Armethyst exclaimed.

The two stare at each other, with Armethyst being thoroughly worried. "I-I don't get it! I thought you were drained of all my powers back in New York! How're you using my aliens at full strength?!" Armethyst questioned.

Gilda smirked. "It's actually rather simple, Chancey. You see, after our last pow-wow back in NYC, I was somehow able to absorb enough of your watch's weird energy when it sent out that blast of feedback, allowing me to transform into any of your stupid aliens whenever I want, if I concentrated hard enough. I can use the powers of all ten of your aliens, moron, but that's not all I can do now," Gilda focused real hard, and her form changed again. Soon enough, she found herself on all fours, with her entire body changing into two different things. Her arms, legs and body transformed into the body of a lion, but her head was more akin to that of a bird's, an Eagle, to be specific. She sprouted a pair of wings on her back and laughed. "What do you think of this, Marsten? Can you become a fucking griffon!?" Gilda questioned.

Armethyst was beyond surprised by this point. Gilda laughed at the alien hero's silence, shifting back into Nitrofrost. "I only found out about that form, once I realized that your stupid friend's magic rock did that to me. That energy was enough to splice something with your aliens, and by focusing hard enough, I was able to give myself a whole new transformation! Only one issue with all of this badass power, though. I can only stay human for a short time. You and your friend made me into this freak." Gilda remarked.

Armethyst groaned, now thoroughly annoyed. He scoffed. "Like this is our fault?! Whose dumb idea was it to drain out all the powers of the watch, then absorb a magic rock? Not mine, and not Sunset's! You got fuckin' greedy, we could've worked together, G. But no, you had to be a fuckin' prick!" Armethyst remarked.

Gilda sneered. "I don't care! Cause now it's payback time, partner," The sound of a helicopter could be heard outside. "Everything 50/50! I do the crime, and you'll do the time!" Gilda stated.

Armethyst groaned as he tried to break out. "You'll never get away with this! You hear me!?" Armethyst growled.

Gilda smirked. "WRONG! YOU'll never get away with this! I'm not me, I'm you! Remember?" Gilda snided, laughing maniacally.

The mint windows suddenly explode, and the same Special Alien Containment Team soldiers rappel inside. As Armethyst sees them and attempts to escape, Gilda changes into Armethyst and blasts him while his back is turned. "Heh. Keep the change, pal. You can use it to pay your bail!" Gilda then changes into Fumesquito, and starts to flutter its wings. "Gotta fly!" Gilda called out, fleeing the scene.

Armethyst watches angrily as Gilda zips out of the mint's glass dome ceiling. SACT Soldiers quickly surround him and are joined by their Lieutenant. "Sorry, 'Rock-Head'. No unauthorized withdrawals on my watch." Steel remarked.

Armethyst groaned. "While I did like that line, it's good material, the actual bad guy's getting away... or, bad girl, to be a bit more correct. I'm the good guy, peep the badge, sarge!" Armethyst remarked, gesturing to the Omnitrix.

Steel was unfazed. "Yeah, sure you are. Just like those "alien heroes" all over the news nowadays! No sale. To me, you're just a walking chandelier!" Steel stated.

Dash, Luna and Sunset run onto the scene. "Steel, stop!! He's telling the truth!" Luna called out.

Steel turned around, raising an eyebrow at the woman, as well as the two teenage girls. "Can I help you three with something? I'm in the middle of something here." Steel remarked.

Dash stepped forward. "One side, crew cut! That 'walking chandelier' is telling the truth! His buddy, Jump-Kick, he was there at the runaway train, trying to help stop it from going off the rails! They wore that same stupid badge!" Dash protested.

Sunset stepped forward. "He's telling the truth, officer! There was another alien here who tried to rob the place! They flew away, and you let them go!" Sunset stated.

Lieutenant Steel just rolled his eyes, disinterested in the teens' claims. "I don't try 'em, kids, I just catch them. We'll let the boys at Area 51 figure out who's naughty and who's nice." Steel stated firmly.

Armethyst kept trying to break out, but it was becoming a bit difficult. "But I am telling the truth! I didn't kill anybody, neither did Riptile! It was a copy cat, someone who's able to absorb our powers and make us look bad! We're here to bring peace and salvation to Earth, not kill, steal and conquer!" Armethyst protested.

Steel seemed unconvinced. "Really, because I have numerous first-hand accounts that put you and your alien pals in Chicago, Tallahassee, and Barstow, just to name a few. You and your outer-space pals have been keeping me real busy...but you're not getting away with it this time!" Steel explained.

Armethyst looked confused. "This time? Hang on a nit-picking minute, we weren't anywhere in those locations! We came to San Francisco for a holiday, then all hell broke loose! We're innocent, our newest member can even vouch for us!" Armethyst pleaded.

Steel was still unconvinced. "Not that it matters. Once an alien, always an alien. Men, ready your guns." Steel ordered.

The three ladies try to push past the soldiers, only for one of them to slam the butt of their gun against Luna's face, knocking her to the ground, reeling from the pain. Armethyst starts to evaluate the stand-off he's found himself in, readying his sharp fingers. He shoots two crystals into the barrels of the guns behind him. They explode, allowing him to escape in the smoke. Armethyst knocks one of the soldiers away, and gestures to the girls to leave, then runs in another direction. As the girls flee the building, Steel sees Armethyst trying to get away. Steel is beyond angry now, and the kid gloves were about to come off. "Get that thing!" Steel commanded.

Steel and rest of his men pursue the crystalline alien through the corridors of conveyor belts. As Armethyst walks quietly, a red dot shines on his chest. A soldier shoots him down from a high walkway, high-fiving the soldier next to him. They're interrupted by a crystal that flies past them. From the smoke where Armethyst was shot, flies four more crystals, cutting down the walkway and stopping the snipers. On the ground, soldiers and Steel spot Armethyst and fire at him. The hardy gem alien blocks their path by making giant crystals come up from the ground. "It's always something happening on a given day." Armethyst remarked bitterly.

Steel steps around the crystals and sees Armethyst flee up a ladder to a walkway. He wordlessly orders his men after him. As Armethyst reaches the top, the Omnitrix starts timing out, much to Chance's worry. At one end of the walkway are the two soldiers, and behind him is Steel. Armethyst's been pinned, but that didn't mean he was out of options. Steel raises an eyebrow as Armethyst looked around, and without a moment's hesitation, he leaps off the walkway and lands in the maze of conveyor belts. A soldier is already on the ground there. He holds at a corner, readying his gun. Around the corner, a flash of red light erupts out of nowhere. The soldier whips around with his gun, then quickly raises it when he sees a 15-year-old holding his hands up in defense.

Chance feigns a sense of panic and terror as she shudders. "Woah! Chill, chill!! Friendly, I'm a friendly!" The soldier backed down as Chance got back up to his feet. "What happened to the alien hero? Did they stop the other one yet?!" Chance asked.

The soldier puts his gun away as he leads Chance towards the exit, with the teenager sneaking a cheeky grin.

The mint was cleared, and Chance was brought to Luna, Dash and Sunset. Sunset quickly runs up and hugs him tight. "Oh thank goodness you found my cousin! We were so worried when he ran to the mint!" Steel raised an eyebrow, much to Chance's chagrin. "He's always wandering away. We're considering getting a leash!" Sunset remarked, laughing nervously.

Chance looked at Sunset, raising his eyebrow in confusion. "I'm a person, not a pet! Besides, that's too kinky, even for me." Chance countered.

Steel shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly as the guards let the four people go, but then spots the Omnitrix on Chance's wrist, glowing red. "Hmm. Nice watch. Never seen anything like it. Where'd you get it?" Steel asked.

Chance smiled. "From a special cereal box. I'm into those exotic exclusive cereals, and I haven't taken it off since, matches my style, ya know?" Chance responded.

Steel nodded his head slowly. "Yeah, of course it does." Steel remarked.

Steel seems unconvinced about the teenage boy, but he's interrupted by one of his soldiers approaching him. "No sign of either alien, sir. It's like that crystal thing disappeared into thin air, and that bug was long gone before we showed up! Security footage proves it!" The soldier reported.

Steel sighed. "I don't suppose you four have any information about this alien, do you?" Steel questioned.

The four shook their heads. "Nope, sorry sir." Sunset remarked.

"Yeah, sorry crew cut, but there's nothing to say, that alien's probably halfway across the U.S border by now." Dash remarked.

Luna smiled. "Even if we did, you'd be the first person we inform." Luna reassured.

Chance shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah, let's be honest here. If I knew our tax dollars were being used to fund an anti-alien SWAT team, I'd be broke three times over with just donating my funds to the cause. As long as the good aliens are left alone, I personally don't give a shit." Chance remarked.

As the four of them walk away, Steel taps one of his soldiers on the shoulder. "Keep an eye on them. They know more than they're saying." Steel ordered.

The soldier saluted to Steel, all while Steel watched the four of them leave the mint.

Inside the RV, the four of them seem at odds as the trio tried to explain to Dash what happened back in NYC, and how Gilda was involved. "So, you ran into Gilda, and saw her freaky power?!" Dash questioned.

The three of them nodded their heads, all while Chance looked uncomfortable. Dash looked at her phone, seeing her background. A picture of her and Gilda doing incredibly stupid and reckless stuff. "Dash, Gilda's been pretty busy since we last saw her. She tried to get a bunch of people killed for money, and tried to use power that wasn't hers to get revenge when we first ran into her," Sunset turned her laptop around, showing an image of a newspaper. A feminine Excavole was on the front, all while a man was running away. "Gilda's been extremely busy using Chance's aliens to pin her crimes on him, and not just in San Francisco. "Vitaguar terrorizing Tallahassee", "Excavole in Chicago", "Zombrex in Barstow?!" Gilda has become a damn menace!" Sunset remarked.

Chance groaned. "That would explain why that SACT guy thinks all aliens are bad. He's only had experience dealing with Gilda! She's tried to set me up!" Chance put his head down on the table. "I'm gonna get blamed for all that shit, and it wasn't even me who did any of it!" Chance bemoaned.

Luna sighed. "That would explain a lot, especially when she said you'd to the time, for the crimes she committed. Now, I don't mind telling you, that girl's rowboat is missing a couple paddles, and she seems to not care that boat she's in, is sinking." Luna remarked.

Dash sighed. "Guess this is why my parents moved me out of NYC, Gilda was a bad influence on me... Damn it, G, why?" Dash lamented.

Chance patted Dash's back. "We'll get her, we just need to know where she went," as Chance said that, the sounds of screams could be heard out the window. They see a runaway cable car bolting down the sloped road, with the people inside panicking. The car seemed to be piloted by a more feminine Crime Detector, who was laughing maniacally. "Gilda!! That psychotic daughter of a bastard!" Chance exclaimed.

Luna gritted her teeth, getting to the driver's seat. "That crazy girl must've used Crime Detector to mentally override control of the cable car!" Luna stated.

Chance gritted his teeth, dialing in Crime Detector. "Anything she can hijack, I can do it much better! It's Hero Time!!" Chance slams on the Omnitrix, only to end up transforming into Nitrofrost. Sunset was about to say something, but Chance seemed rather ecstatic to have mistransformed this time. "What? I'm actually glad this thing didn't listen to me. Can't take the snowball's chance in hell that she tries to hack me." Nitrofrost remarked, leaving the RV as it chases after the cable car.

From a distance, a couple SACT soldiers were keeping a close eye on the RV, and one of them reaches for their walkie-talkie. "Mobile One, a low-temperature gas creature just emerged from the RV. Now both are heading down California Street!" The soldier reported.

The walkie-talkie fires up. "Maintain visuals. I'm on my way!" Steel called out.

Inside the cable car, people scream, while the conductor holds down the brake lever. The feminine Crime Detector appears in front of him, pushing him aside. "Now why would you do that? We're just starting to have FUN!" The mechanical alien rips the breaks out and tosses them onto the road, all while Nitrofrost fires ice and snow at the wheels, which did nothing. Traffic comes to a halt as the cable car speeds past, but Nitrofrost is able to finally get on-board. Nitrofrost phases into the interior, all while Gilda groans. "You know smoking's bad for you, especially when you're as cold as the lifeless dopes!" The feminine Crime Detector remarked.

Nitrofrost groans. "This has gone too far, Gilda. You need to stop, like, chill out!" Nitrofrost called out.

Before Nitrofrost can try to attack, the door opens and Gilda shoves him out of it, causing him to land on the RV. "Find another free ride, moron! These people are just now getting to theirs!" Gilda remarked.

Up ahead was a small wooden pier that leads out to the water. Everyone was terrified, but Gilda simply found her way to the top of the car, before shifting into Fumesquito, then flying away.

The RV is now following down the road with its fins extended. Sunset and Dash nervously sit in their seats, while Luna smiles excitedly. "You know, times like this, my stock car driving experience really comes in handy!" Luna stated.

Dash was surprised. "You drove a stock car!?" Dash exclaimed.

Sunset sighed. "By this point, nothing she says could ever surprise me! You should've seen what she did when she told us she was in the girl scouts!" Sunset called out.

Nitrofrost shook his head and looked back to the panicking people. "Chance!!" Nitrofrost looked back at Luna. "Attach the line to the bottom of the RV!" Luna shouted.

Nitrofrost sees a winch line at the end of the car, picks its hook-end up with his mouth, and leaps onto the RV. The frozen cold hero attaches the hook to the RV's underside and gives Luna a thumbs up. Luna begins stepping on the brakes as everything starts to buckle, shake and slow down. Eventually the car comes to a stop, but just barely. The RV isn't going to slow it down fast enough. Quickly thinking, Luna presses a button on the dashboard. Out from behind the RV, a grappling hook shoots out and plunges into a building. It penetrates a wall, then extends its hooks and holds on tight. The RV and the cable car get jerked to a complete stop, just as the car was about to fall into the pier.

The four of them let out a sigh of relief, all while the passengers cheer jubilantly. Steel shows up on the scene, all while the RV starts to drive away. Steel fixates on the RV, and lets it go for the moment.

At night, the RV stops in a parking lot, nearby a lone dumpster. Chance eventually steps out from hiding and meets with Luna, Sunset and Dash. "Not bad, man. Seems like you're pretty used to crazy stuff happening. How do you three do this every time?" Dash asked.

Chance shrugged his shoulders. "Sometimes we're in the right place, at the right time. Other times, trouble ends up finding us. It's pretty much 50/50 between those two." Chance remarked.

Before anyone could say or do anything else, a SACT Officer jumps onto the scene, aiming his gun at the four individuals. "Freeze!" The shouted.

A group of soldiers suddenly surround the trio by surprise. In an unfortunate situation, the SACT is there to take the trio, and by extension, Rainbow Dash, down, after seeing that they were involved with the alien business. Lieutenant Steel steps forward, staring the four of them down. "One move and you're all Swiss cheese!" Steel warned.

The four of them were speechless, and Steel steps forward. "You have two choices: tell me what you had to do with these aliens, or get measured for your prison uniforms." Steel stated firmly.

Chance instinctively looks down at the Omnitrix, which was still recharging. Steel grabs his arm, gripping it tightly as Chance winced. "It has something to do with this watch, doesn't it?!" Chance didn't respond, if anything, he froze up. His arm hurt, he wanted Steel to let him go, but the words just couldn't come out. Steel gripped his arm tighter, earning a cry of pain from the teenager. "Is it some kind of...signal to call the aliens?! Answer me, boy, I asked you a question!" Steel ordered.

Chance gritted his teeth as he felt his arm starting to hurt. Chance could've sworn he saw the skin under Steel's grip starting to bruise. "You're hurting me!! This is unnecessary brutality!" Chance cried out.

Luna pulled Chance away, glaring at Steel. "You will think it best to keep your hands off of him, or be sued for assaulting a minor!" Luna reprimanded.

The area on Chance's arm looked obviously bruised. Chance gritted his teeth and stared the lieutenant down. "The fuck is your problem! It's just a toy watch, it's not that deep, you militant moron! We didn't see any aliens come or go from our RV! Our brakes got cut and something saved our skins, barely! With a grip like that, I can easily assume that you don't have a wife. Is that scar from your last date, crew cut!?" Chance insulted, wincing from the burning pain his arm.

Steel opened his mouth to respond, until one of his soldiers ran up to him. "Lieutenant Steel, Sir, we're getting reports of a crystal alien rampaging on the Golden Gate. It looks similar to the crystal alien back at the mint, but more golden in color. It looks like it could bring down the whole bridge if it isn't stopped!" The soldier reported.

Steel looks at the four of them. Chance was holding his wound, Sunset and Dash tried to get him into the RV, and Luna glared him down. The Lieutenant sighs and pulls out a radio transceiver. "Falcon One, pick up at my twenty," Steel fixates his gaze on the injured teen, and starts backing away. "We're not done..." Steel remarks.

A helicopter immediately flies in above them. Someone from the copter tosses down a carabiner cord, to which Steel attaches to his belt and is lifted away.

A couple hours later, the bruised spot on Chance's arm was lathered in antibiotics and bandaged thoroughly, though the wincing pain was still unbearable. "Agh! Damn it!" Chance gritted, holding his arm.

Sunset pats him on the back and hands him the game he bought earlier. "Try to distract yourself from the pain, imagine that it's all in your head." Sunset reassured.

Dash sat up front, trying to think about anything else, but the numerous SACT vehicles moving towards the golden gate bridge made it difficult to think about anything else. "You know, a magic-enhanced TV doesn't sound that bad, in comparison to all of this. You've dealt with this kind of stuff ever since the summer started?" Dash questioned.

Luna nodded. "In a sense, yes, but i've been at this for far longer than those two have combined, and I've been at it long since before you, and your friends, were ever born. This is certainly a bit more dangerous, but we literally faced off against an alien tick that would've killed this planet, if it hadn't been for us to stop it." Luna explained.

Dash took a deep breath, and let out a long sigh. "So... aliens exist, he can turn into aliens, you've fought and worked alongside aliens, and we nearly got invaded and possessed by parasites made by aliens?!" Luna nodded, approving that that Dash said, was the truth. "Well, that's definitely awesome, but it's also very insane! At least my fan club can now officially say, that I'm truly out of this world! Rainbow Dash, the fastest attacker on the frontlines of an alien invasion! I could ride that high till I enroll into college!" Dash remarked.

Chance rolled his eyes and groaned. "And now, her ego's now bigger than the engorged tick I killed from the inside!" Chance remarked.

Dash frowned. "Come on, it's not every day you get to stop an alien invasion, how come you're not talking about that?! I'm sure everyone back in Canterlot would be looking at you differently, when they heard you helped stop an alien invasion, and still deal with alien threats!" Dash questioned.

Chance shot a scowl at the girl in the front seat. "Because unlike you, I prefer to keep to myself, and only interact with those who know me a little better, like these two," Chance gestures to Sunset and Luna. "They're the closest thing I have to a stable family. Sunset's the only real friend I have, and Luna means a lot to me, nuff said." Chance remarked.

Sunset turned on the TV, seeing the news broadcast about the attack on the golden gate bridge. "This is getting out of hand, Gilda needs to be stopped before she kills someone else." Sunset stated worriedly.

Chance clenched his hands into fists. "Those guys don't stand a chance against Gilda! She's not gonna pull her punches, like I do! I have to stop her. She's my mess, she has my powers, it has to be me!" Chance stated.

Dash sighed. "Let me at least go with you, your arm is bruised! Besides, it started with me, and it should've ended with me." Dash stated.

On the Golden Gate Bridge, citizens have parked their cars and started staring at something at the top of the tower. Gilda, as Armethyst, is at the top, shooting the bridge cables loose, which fall down to the bridge, crushing cars and inciting panic. He pauses when he sees the SACT Helicopter flying in. Steel jumps out, still attached to it. Gilda shoots the tail and tail rotor of the copter, which causes it to catch fire and spin out of control. Gilda pumps her fist into the air as she laughs. "Oh, yeah!" Steel, being pulled around in the air, gets out a knife and cuts his rope loose. He lands on the tower before the helicopter goes down. "Lieutenant Steel! So nice to see you again, like the little goose chase I sent you on back in Barstow?" Gilda remarked.

Steel grits his teeth and engages, all while Gilda cracks her crystal knuckles. Back on the ground, the RV pulls up to the Golden Gate. The four of them get out and see the top of the tower. "Ugh, just one more thing I'm gonna get blamed for, great..." Chance bemoaned, rolling his eyes as he ducks behind a police cruiser, dialing in one of his aliens. Dash does the same, activating her geode as her black hair starts to resemble that of a rainbow.

Back at the top of the tower, Steel is thrown into a wall. He has a black eye, cuts, and a swollen cheek. Gilda forms a blade of crystal, perfectly reflecting his battered face back at him. Shee picks Steel up by his shirt and gets ready to cut him open. Before Gilda can, however, a heavy thud echoes behind her, and a bright yellow spark crackles past her face. Gilda turns around, only to be surprised seeing Riptile and Dash crouching behind her. "Let him go, Gilda, this is about you and us." Riptile spoke out.

Gilda smirks. "Sounds good to me!" Gilda then proceeded to throw Steel off the tower. He lands on one of the beams, hanging off the side, a long way down underneath him. He musters up his last bit of strength to climb up and collapse on the beam. Gilda sneered at Riptile and Dash. "Still trying to be a goody-two-shoes, Chance?" Riptile snarled as Dash stepped forward. Gilda laughs as she sees her former friend. "Lemme guess, you just wanna help me! Right, Dashie?" Gilda taunted.

Dash gritted her teeth. "You had plenty of chances to get help, G, but you always messed it up! This time, you're getting what you deserve." Dash reprimanded.

Gilda chuckles. "Awwww, does that mean we're not friends anymo- AARRHH!!" Gilda is shocked by a bolt of electricity and flung back against the wall. Gilda growled as she picked herself back up. "I guess that answers that question!" Gilda remarked.

Gilda charged forward as she fired several crystals at the pair. Riptile jumped out of the way, and Dash rolled to the side. Gilda changes into a griffon and claws at Dash, nicking one of her wings and slamming her against the same wall Steel was knocked into. Gilda was about to land another blow, until her arm got caught by Riptile's tongue, who pulled her back and slammed her into the ground. Riptile jumped in front of Dash as Gilda got back up. "You risked all those innocent lives, just to get even?!" Riptile questioned.

Gilda roared and growled. "NOBODY'S innocent! They just haven't had the chance to make fun of me yet, or stab me in the back!" Gilda exclaimed, charging forward.

While the fight goes on, two SACT officers assemble the concussion bazooka and aim it at the two brawling aliens, as well as Dash. Sunset panics and tries to intervene. "Stop, don't do this! They're trying to help!" Sunset pleaded.

The soldiers push Sunset out of the way and get into communication with Steel. "Targets locked on, sir-"

"-permission to fire?" The soldier's voice spoke from the transceiver.

Steel grabs his transceiver and musters up enough strength to sit up. "Fire on my command only. Repeat, on my command only!" Steel weakly ordered.

The soldiers on the ground are confused as all hell, but while they wait for Steel's command, one of them is clearly anxious. "We gotta blow those alien freaks back into outer space! We can't risk it!" The soldier remarked.

The other soldier looked back at his anxious work mate. "Dude, you really wanna disobey a direct order from Steel? You must have a death wish." The soldier remarked.

The anxious soldier started to quiet himself down, but that didn't mean he was less anxious about the situation.

Back on top of the tower, things were getting vicious. Riptile socks Gilda with punch after punch, and Dash keeps firing electrical bolts when her guard is down. Riptile grabs Gilda and throws her down to the ground. Gilda looks up as Riptile prepares to use all of his weight to stomp down on her. She quickly transforms into Nitrofrost and pushes Riptile back with a burst of ice, with Dash quickly pulling him to the air, slowing his descent. Getting up, Gilda prepares another blast, but Dash charges through by crossing her arms to shield herself, and shocks Gilda again. As she spins around and backs off, Gilda prepares another blast, but Riptile bounces up and pounds the ground, sending a shockwave that launches Gilda into the air.

Immediately, she turns into Fumesquito and swoops down at Riptile, knocking him off his feet, only to try and get some distance as Dash fires bolt after bolt of electricity. As Riptile gets up, Gilda flies back around for another dive. Just as he starts to, though, Gilda's body turns back into her altered human form on its own. Riptile stands still and flexes his chest, bouncing the eighteen-year-old punk to the ground.

Steel sees Riptile and Dash walking up to Gilda. He frowns and looks to the transceiver in his hand. Gilda wakes and sees Riptile, the giant, and Dash standing before her. Riptile reels back a punch, and Dash readies herself to fire a bolt of electricity. Gilda gasps and closes her eyes, bracing herself for the end.

There was a loud crash that echoed out from the top, leaving everyone worried as to what exactly happened. Gilda slowly opens her eyes, in shock that she was still breathing, let alone unharmed. To the right, Gilda saw a scorch mark mere inches away from her head. To her left, she saw Riptile's fist rise out of the floor, an inch next to her head. Gilda was shocked, she didn't know how to respond, but Riptile and Dash already knew how to. They turned around and started to walk away, the both of them slipping into the dark.

Gilda quickly sat back up, getting to her knees as she stared at the two transformed beings. "Hey, get back here and fight, Marsten! You too, Dash, I'm not through with either of you yet!" Gilda exclaimed, her voice strained.

Riptile and Dash turned around, the both of them were nonchalant. "But we're through with you," Gilda's jaw dropped. "Enjoy making friends in the state pen, Gilda. Those are the only people who'd understand a monster like you." Dash stated sternly.

Riptile grunts and turns away, only looking back for a moment. "You're not worth it, Gilda. You never were..." Riptile stated.

As Riptile and Dash walk away, Gilda grits her teeth and starts to strain herself in a rage. Gilda's body starts to twitch and convulse, undergoing a whole nother kind of transformation. Gilda's right arm started to bubble, growing in size as warts formed on her shoulders, all while a golden crystal starts to grow over the arm itself. Her knees start to buckle and extend into something similar to Jump-Kick's, only bulkier and slightly decayed, with lion-like feet and Jump-Kick's talons. Gilda's whole body started to look like it was decaying and rotting, yet it barely held itself together. Gilda's ribcage rotted open, only for the bones and flesh to start growing crystals, ores, and coat themselves in gold. Nitrofrost's frozen cold mist started to encapsulate Gilda's entire skull, while her eyes changed drastically. Her left eye became like that of Riptile's, and her right eye became like Excavole's. Her left arm bulked up and started getting cold, all while a large skeletal shadow of bones and crystals could be seen within the frozen mist. Two sets of wings sprouted from Gilda's back. One was a larger pair of Fumesquito's wings, and the other seemed to parallel Jump-Kick's feathers, but mixed with griffon-like traits. A large feathery lion tail sprouted from her tailbone, and Fumesquito's antennae grew from her temples. Gilda's skin seems to stay entirely white, but she then felt two extra large golden crab claws grow out from beneath her existing pair of arms, each one seemed to be mechanically enhanced with some kind of nanite-like machine.

Gilda couldn't hold in the pain and agony any longer, and with one deep breath, Gilda screams out in immense pain, her voice breaking and warping beyond compare, as her transformation completes. The scream Gilda emitted could be heard from down below, alerting the soldiers, the civilians, Riptile, Dash, Luna, Sunset, even Steel, who saw the whole thing unfold.

Dash and Riptile turn around, only to be even more shocked than they already were. Gilda got up, standing firm as she tried to get her some air back in her lungs. Gilda was now completely transformed. She had become a giant, complicated amalgamation of all the original ten aliens in the Omnitrix, plus the griffon she was able to change into. While Gilda's top was completely unsalvageable, she still had her jeans, which were keeping themselves together surprisingly well. Gilda looks at her four arms in confusion, but clenches her hands and claws, trying to focus, practically straining to change herself back.

At first, it looked like she could change her appearance, but then she seemed to stop out of exhaustion, failing to transform back. "Uh, I- I-" Gilda tries to change herself back again, but it results in failure. " I can't change back... I- I'm stuck like this. LOOK AT WHAT YOU'VE DONE!" Gilda roared out, charging at the two.

Dash gulped, flying upwards. "This is worse. How the hell did this get so much worse!?" Dash questioned, now fearing for her life.

Riptile groaned. "Oh come on! Is there anything I'm not gonna get blamed for today?" Riptile remarked, getting slammed into the wall by the mutated Gilda.

Gilda repeatedly beats on Riptile, beating on him as she keeps him pinned to the wall. Riptile manages to lock two fists with Gilda, but Gilda uses her two extra claws to punch him through the wall. Riptile tries to fight back, but Gilda manages to jab one of her claws into the right side of Riptile's torso, causing the alien hero to gasp in agony, a red fluid starts to seep out from Riptile's wound, but that doesn't stop him from kicking Gilda away. Gilda immediately bounces back and throws Riptile towards the edge, causing him to almost fall as he dangles off the side, his wound still profusely bleeding.

Luna and Sunset are in shock at what just happened. Luna could feel her heart aching, all while Sunset gritted her teeth, her eyes started to shine blue. "I'm gonna kill her." Sunset gritted.

Gilda starts to approach Riptile, only for bolts of electricity to strike her in the back. Dash's eyes had now started shining yellow as bolts of energy connected against the mutant girl, but that wasn't enough. Gilda shot out her own prehensile tongue, and pulled Dash to the ground, stomping on Dash's stomach, then kicked her off the edge, letting her fall to the bridge below. Dash manages to at least aim for the RV, but the moment she landed on the hood, she was out like a light as her powers deactivated. Gilda stomps on Riptile's fingers and looks down at him, seeing the anguish and pain he was in. "You'll never beat me. Because you're one of the good guys. And good guys never have the guts to finish of monsters like me." Gilda remarked, smirking with several sharp golden teeth.

Steel gritted his teeth and reached for his transceiver. "But I do, freakshow," Steel activated the transceiver and brought it to his lips. "FIRE!!" Steel exclaimed.

The soldiers didn't need to hear the command twice, and they wasted no time firing the bazooka, striking Gilda square in the back, knocking her off the tower as she fell to the water below. "RRAAAAHHH!!!!" Gilda roared out.

Riptile barely manages to muster up enough strength to pull himself back up, and crawl towards the wall. Out of the corner of his eye, Steel looks like he's about to fall off, but Riptile jumps towards him, sliding down the large metal structure and catching him, pulling him back up and onto his back. Riptile jumps back to the tower, to which Steel jumps onto much more solid ground, only for the alien to slump against the wall, having used up the last of his strength. The Omnitrix started to time out, and in a flash of red light, Steel saw the alien for who he knew it was.

Chance sat against the wall, clutching the right side of his body as the white on his shirt started getting more and more red. Chance's breathing was getting labored and ragged, it was like his body was starting to fail him. His vision was getting blurry, but he saw Steel standing over him. Chance frowned as he tried to look at the Lieutenant, all while he felt himself fading. "W-What... y-you still looking... f-for... your a-alien...?" Chance gasped.

Steel watched as the teenager fell to his side, coughing up blood as he felt his body get colder. "Sir, the second alien seems to have vanished. What're your orders, sir?" the soldier called out on the transceiver.

Steel's expression lessened as he carried the teenager off the ground. He activated his transceiver. "We already got our alien. Stand down, get a helicopter up here, and get a doctor on the ground ASAP. We have one injured, teenager, fifteen by the looks of it. Got caught in the line of fire trying to be a hero... he succeeded." Steel ordered.

The transceiver was quiet for a moment, and Steel gritted his teeth as he reactivated it. "What are you idiots waiting for, a pretty please?! GET US DOWN OFFA' HERE!" Steel exclaimed.

A few days later, the RV was driving on the cleared bridge, finally getting out of San Francisco. Luna and Sunset looked over to the back, watching as a battered and bandaged Chance slowly limps across the floor, setting himself down as his body shakes a bit. Sunset moves over and sits next to him, grabbing a roll of bandages and some rubbing alcohol. "You ready to change those? It's gonna hurt like hell." Sunset asked.

Chance silently nodded, letting a small smile creep up on his face. "I know... make it quick, I already feel frail as hell, don't need to be treated like such." Chance remarked, letting a dry and tired chuckle escape his lips.

Luna took a deep breath and sighed. "Mister Marsten, are you sure you're alright? You know we won't judge you, we're just concerned... you were bedridden for three days, and had to spend three more on physical therapy. Are you sure you don't want to go back to Canterlot City, get some rest?" Luna asked.

Chance winced at the cold, yet burning sensation of the rubbing alcohol touching his wound. "I'm fine... if anything, I just need to get stronger... You did say you'd train us, when's a good time for you?" Chance asked.

Luna seemed nervous as she tried to find the words. Sunset wrapped the bandages around his body, and looked her friend in the eyes. "Chance, you have a claw-sized puncture wound in your chest. If you want to train, then at least wait till you've healed! You won't be helping anybody with a wound like this! You need to take it easy, something you didn't do, when your shoulder got cut open by an alien weapon weeks ago! Just rest for a few days, damn it, it's not gonna kill you! You're gonna kill you if you don't rest, relax, and let your wounds heal!" Sunset pleaded.

Chance sighed, putting a hand on Sunset's shoulder. A full smile forms on his face as he hugs his friend tightly. "If it means you stop raising your voice, when I'm right next to you, then fine... but, if you guys can't handle the next issue that comes our way, you need to let me know! I won't let you guys get yourselves killed, just so I can end up alone again." Chance stated calmly.

Luna sighed. "Let's change the subject, shall we?" Luna suggested.

Sunset nodded. "So, Gilda... Not even she could've survived that blast and that fall...right?" Sunset asked.

Chance snickered, but then groaned and clutched his side. "You're asking the wrong guy, lady. I thought she was gone for good the last time. If she was, I wouldn't be injured right now, and Dash wouldn't be unconscious on the floor of our RV, so you tell me!" Chance remarked.

Sunset laughed and sighed. "Yeah, I walked face first into that one." Sunset admitted.

The RV slowly comes to a stop, showing that Steel and SACT were blocking a path. Steel comes to the window, and Chance gets up, limping to the passenger seat as he rolled the window down. "Hello officer, what seems to be the problem?" Chance asked.

Steel takes a deep breath and sighs. "Your wounds, are they healing any?" Chance nodded. Steel nodded, then looked over at the Omnitrix. "Good, now for my real question. Why is it you three are always around when aliens show up?" Steel inquired.

Chance shrugged his shoulders, and Luna just gave a patient smile towards Steel, which made the man flinch. "Really, that a fact now? Hmm, we hadn't actually noticed." Luna simply replied.

Steel looked towards Chance, who gave a thumbs up. Steel's expression didn't change, but he nodded his head. "Yeah, guess it's just a coincidence, but I don't get paid based on coincidences," Steel backed away from the window. "Maybe we'll cross paths again sometime. Drive carefully, people. Lots of weird stuff out there." Steel advised, letting a small smirk form on his face.

Chance smiled and nodded his head. "Yeah, and good luck to you too, sir. Hopefully that franken-freak from last night is gone for good, but you know what they say about hoping. Catch ya on the flipside, Lieutenant." Chance saluted.

The soldiers unblock the path, and the RV drives on, unimpeded. Steel hops back in his vehicle, and SACT moves back into San Francisco, ready for whatever the next threat will be.

Below the golden gate bridge, however, bubbles start to rise to the surface, and something seems to be moving beneath the waves.

Author's Note

Hope you enjoyed this Episode, it was certainly harder to adapt than the rest have been. I kept it relatively the same, but I figured I'd change things up a bit, include Dash for the sake of exploring the history between Equestria Girls' Rainbow Dash and Gilda (specifically my versions) a bit further, but still keeping to the story at hand.

I also figured I'd start making the fights a bit more aggressive, as well as show how much more dangerous these alien threats can actually be, compared to magic in general, hence why Dash got knocked the hell out after Gilda mutated into her Amalgam form.