A Hero's Origins
By TheAlienBrony22

The Chupacabra

A bright moon is lighting up the night sky, cascading the lunar rays onto a motel in the middle of a dusty desert highway. Nearby, a built-in pool is lit up like a stadium. Sunset is resting her feet in the water, sitting on the edge of the pool, dressed in a black bikini with yellow and red accents and sipping on some kind of colorful fruity drink with a lime wedge.

Chance, on the other side of the pool, was bare chested, showing off his scars as he walks onto a diving board, dressed in a pair of bright pink camo-patterned swim trunks, smiling proudly. "Cannonball!!" Chance exclaims, jumping off the diving board and making a huge splash as he falls into the water, curled up in a ball shape.

The waves reach over to Sunset, who simply smiles and rolls her eyes, continuing to sip on her drink. Chance resurfaces and wipes the water out of his eyes. "Sunset, how'd I do?" Chance called out, paddling over to her.

Sunset thought for a moment and came up with a basic answer. "Hmm... Five-and-a-half out of ten. Execution was great, but the build-up needs work." Sunset critiqued.

Chance laughed. "Damn, when you put it like that, I'm pretty rusty!" Chance hoisted himself up onto the pool's edge and sat next to Sunset, looking up at the stars. "It has been a while since I swam in a pool, though, so I guess that's on me." Chance remarked.

Sunset chuckled and leaned back a bit, setting her glass to the side as she looked at the stars. Chance laid on the floor and did the same, watching a couple clouds pass by and just observing the brightness of the moon. "This is pretty relaxing. How often do you do this?" Chance asked.

Sunset shrugged her shoulders. "Usually whenever I have free time, or something's on my mind and I need to clear it to think straight. Mostly when I'm bored, though," Chance snickered, which made Sunset look in his direction, a curious smile forming on her face. "Oh, something funny, mister comedian?" Sunset asked in a coy manner.

Chance looked back with a smug grin. "Here I thought the infamous 'Shimmercode' was impervious to boredom," Sunset went wide-eyed and her face went a bit red. "You never struck me as the type to be easily bored. You literally set up a stream that lasted forty-eight hours, consisting of trying to weasel out a line of dialogue from a dolphin! If it makes you feel any better, I watched that stream for two days straight, so I can't fault you for it." Chance remarked.

Sunset sighed, relieved that it wasn't a serious jab at her. "In all fairness, it wasn't one of my best moments, hence why my fans refer to me as 'Dolphincode' when we play Aquarria," Sunset was then hit with a sudden realization. "Wait, you watch my streams?!" Sunset asked, surprised by the very idea that someone else knew about her channel.

Chance smiled. "Yeah, and your regular videos, too. I don't usually pay attention when personal stuff starts being mentioned, I deal with my own issues enough already, but I can respect that you were willing to pour your heart out to a bunch of people you barely even knew. That takes guts, the kind of guts I wish I had, at least then I'd finally be able to speak about the one thing that bothers me about..." Chance stopped talking. Sunset was motioning for him to keep talking, but he just laid there, silent. Eventually, Chance cleared his throat and stood up. "Anyway, I think what you're doing is cool, and maybe we could play a game or two together, sometime after the summer, if you aren't busy?" Chance asked.

Sunset was, yet again, a bit surprised, but she chuckled and smiled, getting up and patting his shoulder. "Maybe, we'll have to talk about that later. For now," Sunset let a yawn escape her as she stretched. "I'm gonna head back to the RV and get some shut-eye. You comin'?" Sunset asked.

Chance simply nodded his head in approval. "I'll be there in a couple minutes, just need to do one last cannonball." Chance stated, jogging over to the diving board.

Sunset rolled her eyes as she wrapped herself up in a towel and walked back to the RV. Chance angled himself towards the center, and was about ready to jump, until the lights suddenly went out. Chance stopped in his tracks, just barely able to keep himself on the diving board as he looked around. "Very funny, Sunset. Didn't figure you for a prankster, but you nearly got me. Now turn the lights back on, I can't see anything out here." Chance called out.

Sunset didn't respond, and as Chance waited for a response, he heard the pitter patter of little feet. It didn't sound human, but rather, similar to that of a small animal. Chance looked around, squinting his eyes into the darkness around him. The moon was now obscured completely by the clouds, and suddenly, Chance felt as if a tail brushed against his leg. His eyes widened as he so desperately tried to not panic. He heard a hissing noise, and that was all Chance needed to hear to know he wasn't safe at the moment.

A loud inhuman screech echoed out in the distance, and Chance, despite his best efforts, let out a loud panic-induced scream. Without a moment to lose, Chance dove into the water and stroked to the other side of the pool as fast as he could. The moment he climbed out, he immediately started running at full-sprint in the direction of the RV.

Chance managed to make it to the RV and immediately threw the door open, jumping inside and slamming the door shut, which woke up both Luna and Sunset. "That was not okay, not in the slightest! What in the god damn was that?!" Chance exclaimed, trying to catch his breath.

Sunset got up and looked at Chance, seeing the panic and terror in his eyes. "You get scared by the motel's chihuahua? For something so small, it's so ridiculously aggressive." Sunset remarked.

Chance stood up and looked less than amused. "How about the fact that a monster tried to corner me at the pool and STEAL MY SOUL!!" Sunset backed up as Chance's voice got louder, confused by what he was saying. Luna sat up, exhausted and trying to comprehend what Chance was saying. "A dog don't screech, it either barks, whines, or howls! Look, I got attacked by a monster and almost lost my soul, simple as that! It had a hairless tail, it screeched like a bat out of hell, it skittered around on all fours and terrified the living shit out of me! That thing didn't hide in the shadows, it blended in! That thing used some kind of shadow camouflage and tried to get at me!" Chance explained, the sheer fear and uncertainty in his voice was telling that he got spooked by something.

Sunset guided Chance over to the beds. "Chance, I think you might've ingested some pool water. Try to relax and get some sleep, something tells me you need it." Sunset remarked.

Chance's eye twitched, he felt incredibly irritated. "I didn't ingest pool water, I'm a fool, not an idiot!" Sunset looked back at him, skeptical of his claim. "I'm not kidding around, I swear it! Please, ya gotta believe me! You deal with magic stuff all the time, and compared to what we dealt with back in Washington, why don't you believe me on this?!" Chance pleaded, confused as to why Sunset, nor Luna, believed in his claim.

Luna yawned and covered herself back up in her blanket, laying her head back down on her pillow. "Chance, you're probably still shaken up about what happened back in Washington. Try to get some sleep, and if you can't, there's some Chamomile in the cupboards, brew yourself a cup and try to relax." Luna tiredly instructed.

Chance wanted to argue, but Sunset had already gotten back on the bottom bed, and Luna was already asleep once more on the couch. Chance just grumbled in defeat, going over to the cupboard to brew himself a cup of Chamomile.

The next morning, Chance, Sunset and Luna walk around a rocky trail, with Luna equipped with a large net. "I'm telling you, for all we know, it's watching us right now! We need to haul ass back to the RV and leave for our own safety, because you two clearly aren't taking this as seriously as I am!" Chance pleaded.

Sunset was getting pretty annoyed by Chance's persistent recap, and by this point, she was convinced it was all an elaborate joke. "Hey, I get that you were spooked by the motel owner's dog, but would you kindly cool it with the boy who cried wolf schtick for five minutes?" Sunset asked.

Chance looked at her in a mix of disbelief and severe frustration. Luna put a hand on Chance's shoulder and tried to reassure him. "It was probably just the owner's dog, that's all. Let's try to unwind and relax, I hear rabbits are hopping about on this trail, and there's no good eatin' like catchin' it yourself in Texas." Luna remarked.

Chance gritted his teeth harder than he ever had before, and the frustration he felt was almost biblical by nature. Sunset looked at Chance as he seemed to be clearly upset, but just decided to leave well enough alone. "I'm gonna go find some shade at the park, the sun is beating down too much. Try not to irritate Vice Principal Luna with your 'monster encounter' story, alright Chance?" Sunset asked, walking away.

Chance groaned out of sheer frustration and punched a nearby rock repeatedly. "This is ridiculous! They don't believe me, I experienced a horror movie and fuckin' survived, no wonder those two don't believe me! It's not like we saw dinosaurs come back to life, and saw a man command some kind of mutant hedgehog back in Washington, it's not like one of us has alien powers or can read people's minds with magic or anything!! Clearly I'm the insane one!!" Chance exclaimed sarcastically, letting his frustration out in bursts.

Chance groaned and ran towards Luna, noticing her expression. She seemed nervous, as if she knew something and couldn't let it slip. Chance was initially confused by how she looked, until they saw a man up ahead.

The man looked to be in his mid-thirties, was very tanned, and was struggling to pull something out of his backpack. he wore a bright yellow hawaiian shirt and shorts, and despite the rounded squareness of his jaw, he seemed like an approachable guy. "No, no es eso, definitivamente no es eso... joder- ¿¡Por qué sigo teniendo esto!?" The man cried out in frustration, a look of dismay could clearly be seen on his freshly shaven face.

Chance and Luna approached the man, and suddenly he seemed rather shy. "U-Uh... H-Hello! I didn't mean to draw in any attention, I was j-just looking for a special piece o-of equipment. It means a l-lot to me, a-a-and..." The man broke eye contact and crouched to the ground. "¿Por qué no puedo volver a ser sociable? Este tiene que ser el peor momento para hablar con los demás... Mi amore, lo siento mucho." The man sadly whispered to himself.

Chance raised an eyebrow, then back at Luna, who seemed just as confused, if not concerned, for this man's well-being. Chance, despite being in a bad mood himself, grumbled and put his problem aside. "Sir, what's got you in such a sour mood?" Chance asked.

The man looked back at the two, sniffling as he dried the tears that were forming in his eyes. "It's the anniversary of me and my wife's marriage. I haven't seen her, or my son, in a long time," the man gripped his backpack tightly, a grief-stricken scowl formed across his face. "Because of that foul creature... El Chupacabra." The man explained in a venomous manner.

Chance's interest was piqued, while Luna was more-so concerned. "What's the Chupacabra?" Chance asked.

The man looked at Chance, seeing that he had the teen's attention. "The Chupacabra, the Goat Sucker, whatever you wish to call it, I call it the thing that took my family away..." The man pulled out a picture and handed it to Luna. Luna saw a woman in her mid-thirties standing next to a boy that looked no closer to Chance's age. He had black hair like his father, fair skin like his mother, and hazel eyes like his father's own. He wore a red hoodie, jeans and seemed unhappy in the photo. "We went on this trail as a family three years ago, and I left a saddened and distraught widower. The Chupacabra is a dangerous beast of Mexican folklore. It's been described differently throughout time, but I know the real appearance of such a vicious beast. It's why I'm here, actually. I tracked it down here, to Texas of all places." The man explained.

The man pulled out another photo, showing off what looked like a giant rat. The creature in the photo had grey skin, a large head, and six big bulging red eyes. They also had long, rat-like tails. Chance looked back at Luna, with a knowing look on his face. Luna sighed and gave the photo of the wife and son back to the father. "Well, this was a rather riveting use of our time, but we really gotta get back to finding rabbits. Chance, can I speak with you in private?" Before Chance could give an answer, Chance was yanked a fair distance away from the man as Luna moved further away. Soon enough, Luna stopped and looked at him. "I know what you're thinking, and this isn't a good idea. Look, lets assume you were right about the monster attack last night. If it were this Chupacabra creature, why would it attack so close to a populated area?" Luna asked.

Chance groaned, he was clearly at his limit. "We faced mutant animals, resurrected dinosaurs, robots from space, and long before I found the watch that turns me into a bunch of alien superheroes, there were magical problems. Literal Magic. Why are you and Sunset acting like I'm the one who lost all ties to sanity, when this is, ironically enough, as sane as it gets nowadays?" Chance shot back.

Luna glared at him, and he glared right back, unwilling to back down. Luna's expression lessened as she let out a sigh of defeat. "This isn't the best time to talk about that... I had my reasons to doubt, but seeing that picture has changed my plans for today, and I don't trust that man completely," Luna pointed in the man's direction, seeing him coddle the picture of his wife and son. "The fact that he's been tracking this creature, that concerns me more than anything. I don't want to get you wrapped up in something that could spiral out of control." Luna explained.

Chance scowled at Luna. "Why, because he has a reason for going after this goat sucker, and I was the one who actually managed to survive and get away from it?" Chance remarked.

Luna groaned, she felt as if her words weren't making an impact. "Chance, this isn't up for discussion. I don't want you chasing some folklore fairy tale all day, and getting disappointed when you realize that man is most likely a bit mentally unraveled. I know you can handle yourself, but this just seems like a wild goose chase that'll result in an immediate failure." Luna rationalized.

Chance was clearly not having it, and backed up. Luna could see the frustration and obvious lack of belief written on his face. Her words were failing, and the boy had clearly made up his mind, and not without a lack of trying. "You can go chase rabbits all you want, but I'm gonna help a man with obvious survivor's guilt, drag the Chupacabra's body back to the RV once we capture it, and prove I was right! Got a problem with that, then you can come along for the ride, just to supervise and watch me prove you and Sunset wrong. Besides, if I'm gonna get better at using my powers, I need to be ready to fight any kind of danger, even if it's some freaky cryptid, fake or not." Chance remarked.

Luna was at a loss, but she eventually buckled, sighing in defeat once again. "Fine, but I'm merely coming along to make sure this doesn't turn into something illegal. Understand, mister?" Chance simply nodded his head yes, and the pair move back over to the man. "Sir, we discussed this thoroughly amongst each other, and we have decided to join you in tracking the Chupacabra. I'll be supervising over this boy, just so he doesn't get himself into anymore trouble than he's already gotten into." Luna explained, begrudgingly coming along on the hunt.

The man lit up, a hopeful smile formed across his face, and he pulled out a set of keys. He clicked a button on the keychain, and before the two knew what happened, a black jeep fell from above and landed in front of them, activating the car alarm as it chirped, flashing its headlights. The man simply smiled. "You like? It belonged to my wife, but I had a friend make some personal modifications, just so it isn't easily destroyed or damaged during my hunts." The man explained.

Chance and Luna just went wide-eyed, staring at the large black jeep as it cast a shadow over the two. "I've never seen a jeep like this before, but I'm kinda glad I got to see something like it before I die one day." Chance remarked, impressed by how shiny and new the jeep looked.

The man simply smiled, happy and encouraged by the boy's reaction. "I hope you two don't mind, but I never go on a hunt without my car. The Chupacabra isn't startled by the sound of a roaring engine, like most animals, it's more-so challenged by the tenacity and dangerousness of vehicular technology. I also had a friend who outfitted my car with sonars, maps, radios, a retractable bed, a mini fridge, and most importantly of all, a GPS tracker." The man explained.

Luna was just as surprised. Once she heard about the extra bells and whistles this jeep supposedly had, it was almost too good to be true. "You have all of that, built into your late wife's car?!" Luna asked.

The man shook his head. "My wife left me her car in the will, so to make sure the one thing she left behind never got destroyed, I had it fixed and upgraded beyond just a simple beat-up jeep she had since college. It's my way of making sure I can preserve the memory of my wife for as long as I possibly can." The man explained, his eyes were getting misty as he climbed into the driver's seat.

The pair looked at each other, both of them clearly having differing opinions on what the proper answer was to this whole situation, but they still climbed inside, and the man sped down the path, leaving a cloud of dust behind him.

The jeep moves down the path for a good couple hours, passing by several rocky cliffs and forested grottos as they kept to the path. Where the man was excited to have someone assist him in his hunt, the other two were clearly in a disagreement about something. Chance had his head held out the window, while Luna was trying to make sense of the paper map she found in the glovebox. The silence between the two was rather tense, so Luna decided to speak. "So... aside from chasing after a beast of myth, are you catching anything else interesting, just to keep things consistent?" Luna asked, feeling a bit awkward.

The man nodded. "Mostly just a couple deer, the occasional bird, a few reptiles too, and if I'm lucky, I'll even go fishing when I find the time," The man looked back at Chance, who continued to stick his head out of the window. "One thing I will say for certain, the Chupacabra is not drawn to the smell of vomit. Is he car sick?" The man asked, clearly concerned.

Luna looked back at Chance and tapped his shoulder. "Chance, are you alright?" Luna asked.

Chance pulled his head back in, seeing a serene yet determined smile on his face. "I'm all good. Aside from taking in such a beautiful view, I'm still keeping a close eye out for that Chupacabra. No way that thing's gonna get the jump on me a second time!" Chance remarked.

The man looked at the boy, a serious expression formed on his face. "What was your encounter with the Chupacabra like?" The man asked.

Chance smirked and sat back down in his seat. "So, it happened last night. I was gonna do one more cannonball into a pool near a motel not far from here. The lights went out, and I thought my friend was pulling a prank on me. I call out for her that she almost got me, and for her to turn the lights back on, but as I'm waiting for a response, I can feel as if I'm not alone. It wasn't my friend, but rather this small creature," The man had given the boy his full attention, slowing the jeep down as Chance explained his encounter. "It screeched like a bat out of hell, it had a hairless tail, and I promise you, that thing was skittering across the pool side. Luna thinks it was the motel owner's chihuahua, but even I know a dog is incapable of making such a monstrous noise. I've been on edge this entire day, just waiting for that thing to try and make another move, all while she and my friend aren't taking me seriously." Chance explained, leering at Luna.

Luna groaned, but the man was clearly intrigued. He pulled out a notepad, the pages were already filled with numerous scribbles, and he wrote down the key points of Chance's story, but as he was finishing up, a couple bikers zoomed by them, screaming as they went back the way the three of them initially came from. "Well, I guess this trail's not popular with the sporty types." Chance remarked, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

The man pocketed his notepad and kept driving, but did start talking. "I know this must sound like a waste of time for one of you, but I know what I saw. The thing that took my wife and child, that wasn't some ordinary wild animal. I'd sooner bet my life on the possibility that aliens exist," Luna flinched for a moment before calming herself down. "At least by hunting the Chupacabra down, I can make sure that no one loses anyone else they care about again to the unholy jowls of the Goat Sucker. I hope you can forgive me, if this turns up nothing. The Chupacabra is surprisingly elusive, it's evaded capture for decades, no one's been able to capture it. Not even those who set up the Alamo back in 1718. The Chupacabra has proven itself to be a fierce opponent, and I have yet to underestimate it." The man explained.

Luna looked back at Chance, who seemed pretty motivated to stop the Chupacabra. Luna, on the other hand, upon the mention of the Alamo, something didn't
set right with her. As she ruminated on her off feeling, the jeep came to a sudden and abrupt stop, causing Chance and Luna to lurch forward a bit from their seats. "What happened, why did we stop?" Luna asked.

The man's face seemed ripe with tons of expressions. Two of the most obvious to spot were anger and confusion. He got out of the car and approached a large fence, a huge gate made out of steel and metal. It also had numerous little signs plastered on it saying 'Caution! Private Property! Trespassing Beyond this Point!'. It didn't make any sense to the man, and he started to get mad. "Por amor a todo lo patético, ¿por qué el mundo intenta impedir que se haga justicia!?" The man exclaimed.

Luna and Chance got out of the car as they approached the gate. "Something tells me the state border patrol didn't put this up. Someone important move in to this location or something?" Chance asked.

Luna was actually a bit suspicious of the fence and gate, as it seemed pretty deliberate on wanting others away from this portion of the trail. "Something tells me that this is out of our hands, now. Maybe we should turn back." Luna suggested.

The man scowled, and he punched the gate, only to be met by a sudden and furious electrical shock. The pair jumped at the sight of electricity coursing through the man in a violent manner. The electricity was so bad, he got flung right into the front of his jeep.

"Attention! Texan locals! Please stop where you are," Luna and Chance looked around, only to notice a couple individuals walking towards the gate from the other side. Where the other men were wearing camo and holding tranquilizers, there was one man that rubbed both Chance and Luna the wrong way. He was a tall, thin and tanned man with a hawk-like nose. He had a stern-like face having tear troughs and dark lining around the eyes, giving him an almost tired look. He had short, blueish-black hair and a well-trimmed beard, with a bit of 5 o'clock shadow showing on his cheekbones. "Nice to meet. I am Joseph Mariana, the founder of 'Allies for Animals', we've closed this section of the trail off for an environmental inspection. You'll have to turn your car around and find another trail to venture through, as everything past this point, is not safe for tourists, let alone the local wildlife." Joseph explained.

The man got up, gritting his teeth as he approached Joseph, despite the electrical shock causing him to fidget and twitch erratically. "'Suppose we don't want to go back, gonna make us, estúpido bruto?" the man asked, a bit of venom lacing the last few words.

Joseph simply smiled warmly. "Sir, we don't believe in getting physical over such small matters. Besides, word spreads fast on these trails that some loon is chasing after some goat sucker, or whatever. We deal in facts, not fiction." Joseph remarked.

Luna stepped forward, slowly pulling the man away from Joseph, only for Chance to step forward. "Goes to show what you pansy ass environmentalists know, which isn't much to begin with. For all we know, you're nothing more than a bunch of filthy poachers, taking advantage of the situation to ruin the ecosystem with your greed and bloodlust." Chance remarked.

Joseph raised an eyebrow, his smile faltering for a moment as his eyes widened. Chance wasn't expecting that type of response, but before anything could be done, Luna had pulled him back to the car.

As the car drove away, Joseph leered at the car as it got further and further away. Something about that punk didn't sit right with him, and he simply pulled a set of car keys from his back pocket.

Chance continued to think about Joseph's response, and decided to make a note of it for himself, feeling it'd be important. Luna, on the other hand, just seemed exhausted. The man was checking his instruments, making sure everything was running, but as he was about to look back onto the road, the sonar starts to ping, alerting the trio.

"Ay dios mío! The sonar has found El Chupacabra!" The man exclaimed, stopping the car dead in its tracks.

Chance looked out the window, noticing a shadowy silhouette among the trees. Despite the large quantity of distance between the silhouette and Chance himself, it was on all fours, and he saw a flash of six bright crimson eyes staring right back at him. It skittered off to the left, and Chance immediately spoke up. "More like the thing found us! I saw it near the trees, it went to the left!" Chance exclaimed.

The man sped off down the trail, and soon enough, Luna saw the creature for herself, but she didn't seem as enamored like the other two were. The Chupacabra was a chihuahua-sized rat-like creature. It had a bulbous head with small tufts of fur on top, sharp teeth within an elongated muzzle, its six red eyes glowed from within some sort of fleshy skin covering that formed on its eyes. It also had a hairless/furless tail, though despite its frightening appearance, it looked more frightened itself. Chance noticed this too, but for a moment, he thought he was just seeing things.

As the man swerved into the creature, the thing just vanished in a puff of black smoke. The three of them were flabbergasted, confused as to where it could've possibly gone, until Chance saw what was up ahead. Two miles from their location, was a recreational area, some kind of park. Chance remembered how Sunset said she was gonna find some shade, and suddenly, he felt his heart stop for a moment. "Oh no..." Chance uttered.

Luna and the man looked back at him, seeing his complexion suddenly pale. "Chance, what is it?" Luna asked, a sense of concern washing over her.

The man shook Chance's shoulder. "Did you see El Chupacabra's true form?! Where did it go?" The man asked.

"The park," Luna and the man looked back at him. "It's going to the place with the most people, there must not be enough wildlife in this area for it to go after, and guess where Sunset most likely went to find some shade from the sun!" Chance exclaimed, a sense of panic was starting to bubble up the surface.

Luna's eyes widened, and a sense of dread and fear coursed through her body. "Sunset!!" Luna exclaimed.

Sunset was quietly relaxing underneath a tree with a book in her hand, provided shade by the leaves as she rests on a tree branch. "Now this is what I'm talking about. A good book, a warm breeze, and reading on a tree branch that's obscured by shade. All without some crazy monster in-sight..." Sunset was about to close her eyes, until she felt an odd pit fall into her stomach. A feeling of confusion and concern started to creep down her spine. "So why do I get the feeling something isn't right?" Sunset remarked, looking around.

Unbeknownst to her, and numerous other tourists, six red eyes were staring from the brush, and a low gurgled chittering sound slowly got louder and louder.

The man speeds down the road as Luna tries to hold on, all while Chance is trying to dial in one of his aliens, but is finding it difficult when he's getting haphazardly tossed around like a bag full of dirty laundry.

The man saw the parking lot and pulled in, stopping in one of the spaces as Luna and Chance ran out, with the man following after them. "Sunset!!" Luna exclaimed in a panic.

Chance pressed the button on the Omnitrix as hard has he could, desperately trying to make the device work, but to no avail. "The one time I need this stupid watch to work, it's the robot all over again!" Chance remarked out of irritation.

The man simply pulled out a pistol from his back pocket and checked how many rounds he still had, and unfortunately, he only had three rounds left in reserve. "¡Oh, encuéntrame en los Alpes! Better make these good shots..." The man groaned, running further ahead as he cocked his gun.

Chance stopped near a tree to catch his breath, only to hear the sound of a page being turned. Chance's gaze moved upwards as he saw Sunset in a tree, propping herself up on one of the branches. "Sunset!! Thank god you're alright, I was almost ready to expect the worst!" Chance exclaimed, climbing up the tree to the branch she rested on.

Sunset looks down, seeing Chance in a nervous sweat, a happy yet terrified smile forming on his face. "Let me guess, the monster thing was a bust, like I thought it would?" Sunset asked.

Chance's smile didn't waver as he pulled Sunset into a hug. "First off, I told you there was a monster, and after seeing it for myself, I was right to believe there was a monster attacking me last night, I just didn't know it'd be the fuckin' Chupacabra!" Sunset seemed confused, but Chance kept speaking. "Second off, the fact that you're okay makes me think of two possible outcomes. One being that the Chupacabra found some wild animals to hunt away from the park, or it's stalking its prey right now." Chance hypothesized.

Sunset and Chance climbed to the ground, and started to notice people running from the direction of a plaza. The Chupacabra screeched out as it opened its mouth, letting a skin-grafted tongue with a toothy hole at the end slither out of its maw. Sunset and Chance shuddered and looked back at each other. "So, I'm not gonna say I told you so, just for the sole reason of wanting an apology. In return, I apologize for losing my cool, it was uncalled for." Chance apologized.

Sunset was surprised for a moment till she nodded. "I'm sorry, too. I just wanted a break from the craziness, but that doesn't give me any right to pass off what you say as a joke, or a bold-faced lie," The pair looked back, seeing Luna approach the Chupacabra. "So, here's something I did learn about the Chupacabra. It was rumored that the Chupacabra only came out during the cover of night, it was masked by the shadows cast by the moonlight, hence how it was able to slaughter cattle on farms and ranches for decades. The Chupacabra attacking during the day kinda contradicts things, because it's more exposed. Do you know what provoked this sudden attack?" Sunset asked.

Chance remembered that large fence and the electric gate. An irritated and scornful frown formed on his face. "I can certainly connect the dots back to a wacko we met on one of the trails. I'll explain later, but right now," Chance twists the dial to the icon of a mole-like creature with sharp claws and a pointed muzzle. "Excavole needs to go on an expedition!" Chance remarked, slamming on the Omnitrix as he transformed.

Chance felt the Omnitrix embed itself into his arm, letting skin and muscle grow over it and up to his arm. He closed his eyes as the muscles went into his eye, forcing them to open, revealing them to be all white. His skin became a very light shade of sky blue, and his hair slowly formed into that of some kind of feathery plumage that jutted out from his head. His lips pursed together and extended into a large beak, opening up to make a sound reminiscent of a bird call.

Chance felt his fingers merge together and toughen up, opening up as sharp talons. Several blue feathers sprouted across his arms and all over his body, only for it to be sealed in a one-piece suit with a white top, and black pants, with the Omnitrix being dead-center in the middle of the creature's chest. Tail feathers grew from his tailbone and his feet became more like that of a bird's, only covered in a white protective fabric.

The alien posed as if he performed a jump kick, and cawed as he flapped his arm wings.

As the flash of light died down, Sunset just raised an eyebrow at the familiar alien hero, who even he had to double-check himself. Jump-Kick sneered and groaned. "Dude! I wanted Excavole, not Jump-Kick! Lame-ass Watch!" Jump-Kick complained, running towards the Chupacabra, with Sunset running after him, activating her geode as magic coursed through her body and altered her appearance.

Jump-Kick jumped into the air and tried to stomp on the Chupacabra, only for it to disappear in a puff of black smoke, like it did the first time. A sports car sped onto the scene, revealing Joseph and a couple of his crewmates from the fence. The Chupacabra reappeared on Jump-Kick's back and screeched as it immediately started going after them. Joseph went wide-eyed and got back into the car. "Get us out of here!" Joseph exclaimed.

Jump-Kick looked over at the Chupacabra and ran after it, jumping into the air as he outstretched his wings, gliding after the creature. One of Joseph's crewmates, 'Don' gets in the driver's seat and starts the car up, backing out very fast, knocking people out of the way and leaving them behind as they try to flee the scene. The Chupacabra manages to keep a very easy pace with the car and lashes its toothy tongue out at the tire, ripping several holes in it as the car swerved out of control. "Whoa!!" Joseph cried out, trying to hang on.

The Chupacabra used its tongue to tear the lock off the trunk, revealing two coolers with towels under them. Joseph takes notice and makes no hesitation as he unbuckles himself, and climbs out the window to get to the trunk, grabbing a wrench as he wields it like a weapon. "No you don't!" Joseph exclaimed.

Joseph quickly props himself up against the opened trunk and makes a few attempted swings at the cryptid, leading it to hiss in his general direction every time he attempted to hit it with the wrench. Jump-Kick comes onto the scene as he lands feet first onto the opened interior of the trunk, curb-stomping the Chupacabra with very little effort as he watched its head bounce against the floor of the trunk. Soon enough, the Chupacabra found itself realizing it was outmatched and outpowered, so it screeched and jumped back onto the ground, vanishing in a puff of black smoke.

Jump-Kick looked at Joseph, leering suspiciously. Joseph saw the alien's look and smiled. "Thanks for the hand, and the feet!" Joseph thanked in a grateful manner.

Jump-Kick looked down at the coolers, seeing so much condensation on them. It was the hero's best assumption that something was being kept on ice. "What's so important in those coolers-- that you'd risk your life for it, dude?" Jump-Kick asked, getting straight to the point.

Joseph cleared his throat and sighed. "Um... Our lunch!" Joseph quickly answered.

Jump-Kick squinted his eyes at Joseph, and looked at the coolers. 'This bastard must think I was born yesterday, but I know this dude's a poacher. He looks like he'd euthanize newborn puppies for fun!' Jump-Kick thought. The alien looked at Joseph, clearly not buying his story. "Let me see if I heard you right. You risked your life and almost got munched for a few measly sandwiches?" Joseph nodded in an approving manner. "So if I open those coolers up, I'll see actual food and drinks?" Jump-Kick asked skeptically.

Joseph seemed to tense up, but only for the moment. The Chupacabra suddenly reappeared and latched itself to each of the coolers, only to then vanish before either of them could do anything. Jump-Kick groaned, but just as he was about to get angry with Joseph, he heard the Omnitrix start beeping, and immediately knew he had to leave. "Looks like duty calls. Later!" Jump-Kick remarked, playing it cool as he quickly ran away, leaving Joseph very confused, and yet, also feeling a strange sense of deja vu.

Jump-Kick was running as fast as he could, leaping and gliding as much as he could when he got the chance, and he saw the man's car nearby, as well as the Chupacabra, and the coolers it took. The man had his gun out, aimed at the Chupacabra. "Almost there, just a bit further!" Jump-Kick was pushing himself through his paces, trying to run faster than ever before, and was then enveloped in a flash of red light, returning Chance to normal as he tripped over himself, and flew into the front of the car. The man was startled, all while the Chupacabra fled the scene with the coolers, all while Chance fell back onto the gravel trail, groaning.

Luna and Sunset came to his aide and helped him up, all while the man brought a first-aid kit, surprised by what just transpired. "I guess I wasn't wrong in assuming you folks were strange, but Ay dios mío! This day just gets stranger and stranger." The man remarked.

Chance groaned and shook his head, knocking a few pieces of gravel and dust out of his hair. "Don't suppose we can keep all this between us, right sir?" Chance asked.

The man looked at Luna, then Sunset, and fixating his gaze back to Chance. The man thought about it for a moment, then he let a warm smile form on his face, walking forward as he dusted off the dirt on Chance's clothes and opened up his first-aid kit, pulling out a cottonball and some peroxide. "I didn't see a boy turn into a talking bird, nor did I see a girl use what looked like magic, that's just plain silly." The man remarked with a wink.

The trio felt a lot more at ease, and Chance noticed something different. From over the man's shoulder, Chance saw the Chupacabra, watching them... no, it watching him. The Chupacabra's six red eyes were locked in a gaze with Chance's, and all he could feel, oddly enough, was a twinge of guilt. He didn't know why he felt guilty all of a sudden, but before anything could be done or said, the Chupacabra simply vanished in a puff of black smoke before anyone else could notice.

A few more hours pass by, a bunch of campers, trail-goers and tourists were all packing up, leaving as it starts getting dark. Chance, Sunset, Luna, and the man they met sat by a campfire, with Chance covered in a bunch of bandages in various places.

Chance had a mildly smug and proud smile on his face, yet he still couldn't shake the twinge of guilt he still felt. "Does anyone else feel like something's wrong? The Chupacabra got away, but I'm not mad about it, heck, I feel rather... satisfied?" Chance rubbed his head, a confused expression formed on his face. "I must've hit the car with my face harder than I thought, this doesn't make any sense." Chance remarked.

Sunset grinned. "Seems to me like you're empathizing with it. You didn't feel this way after Shade knocked you around back in Washington, did you?" Sunset asked.

Chance frowned. "This is different. I feel like Shade saved me from falling for a reason, but I can't find any real reason behind why I feel bad for going after the Chupacabra. It slaughters farm animals and attacked innocent people! It also attacked Joseph, but two wrongs don't make a right!" Chance explained firmly.

Sunset raised an eyebrow at that remark, but Luna simply sighed. "Mister Marsten, I'm sure Joseph was just as innocent, even if he has some skeletons in his closet. Let's leave it to the experts, like those 'Allies for Animals' people." Luna suggested.

Chance scoffed, stifling a feigned chuckle. Luna saw that Chance was clearly bothered by something, and it was clear that he didn't believe that 'Allies for Animals' were actually good people. "Yeah, 'Experts'. The real expert is sitting right next to us, and I'm just as qualified with the monster-busting watch on my wrist, by sheer technicality!" Chance looked Luna right in the eyes, he was clearly ticked off. "But hey, if you want a bunch of poachers saving the lives of animals, then I'll go enlist some cannibals into medical school, surely that won't backfire!" Chance sarcastically remarked.

Luna was surprised by Chance's response, but at the same time, she couldn't fault him for feeling like this. He stood up, an obvious sense of dissatisfaction was rising within him. He wasn't alright with letting Joseph go free. "Joseph clearly isn't the person he says he is, you know that he's lying!" Chance exclaimed.

Luna stood up, approaching Chance slowly. "Mister Marsten, please calm down. I know you must be angry, but this'll have to be the one that got away." Luna stated, trying to be rational.

The man got up and looked over at a sign that one of the park rangers put up. He walked over and started to read it, but by the time he got to the bottom, he finally found out who had this posted, and he was livid. "N-No... ¡¡Bastardos, todos ellos!! ¡¡No dejaré que esto siga así, no cuando vidas inocentes fueron amenazadas hoy!!" The man exclaimed, grabbing the sign and breaking it over his knee. An enraged scowl formed on his face as he threw the broken sign down on the ground, stomping it as hard as he could.

The trio noticed the commotion, and Chance was the first to approach. "What's goin' down?" Chance asked.

The man looked at Chance, clearly angry. "Those damnable 'enviro-punks' shut down every single trail and campsite! Nobody tells me where to go, and nobody keeps me from getting vengeance for my family! Nobody keeps Carlos Ferdinandez down for long!!" Carlos proclaimed, running towards his car, opening up the back as he looks for something.

As Carlos looks around in his car, Sunset and Luna go to the RV and get ready to turn in for the night. Chance, on the other hand, let's a determined smirk form on his face, knowing he had a whole other set of plans tonight.

As Carlos' car speeds down the trail, the RV sits nearby in the parking lot. Sunset and Luna are waiting on Chance to get out of the bathroom, but he's been in there for longer than expected.

Sunset knocks on the door. "Chance! Are you in there, or did you simply fall in?! Hurry up and get out, we need in there, too!" Sunset called out. No response.

Luna approached the door and noticed that the door was unlocked. "Mister Marsten, are you not feeling well?" Luna called out. No response.

Luna opened the door, only to reveal that Chance wasn't even in there to begin with. The pair of them looked surprised, but then they both came to the realization, looking outside to the parking spot that Carlos' car was sitting in before it drove off.

Luna gritted her teeth, a frustrated and concerned expression formed on her face. "Damn it, Chance..." Luna cursed under her breath.

As Carlos slows his car down and puts it on cruise control, he reaches into a small compartment to grab a drink to steady his nerves, only to suddenly realize that it wasn't there. Carlos quickly turned around, seeing Chance down an impressive amount of what was left in a green bottle, and simply chuckled. "I figured you'd want some back-up, in case things got too hairy. Hope ya don't mind, sir." Chance explained, belching as he handed him a similar looking bottle, only it was much colder, and full. It was almost brand-new, freshly made.

Carlos smiled and took the bottle, popping the cap off as they cheered and took a few more hearty chugs of what was in the glass bottles.

The car soon comes to a stop. The trail they were on was already lengthy and straight, yet it seemed more-so at night. "The Chupacabra was most likely scared off by our 'Animal Allies', but that doesn't mean it ain't out on the prowl tonight," Chance got out of the car, as did Carlos. He was now dressed in a type of western outfit, covered entirely in cowboy-type clothes, but it was all patterned in camo. "Only way to catch the Chupacabra, is to turn the hunter... into the hunted." Carlos said sinisterly.

Chance looked around and saw a spare western outfit, oddly colored in black and white like his shirt, albeit for the dark green plaid shirt underneath the black and white vest. Carlos pulled out his gun, and reloaded it with some ammo he found in between the seat cushions. "Give me a moment to get this on, and I'll be right behind yo-" before Chance could finish his thought, Carlos ran straight into the forested sections that were off the trail. Chance sighed. "Or go on ahead, I'll catch up..." Chance griped, grabbing the costume as he closed the trunk door behind him.

Carlos runs through the forest, climbing a few small cliffs as he tries to make his way through. He gets startled, but reaches an abandoned mineshaft. Peaking inside, he notices a small collection of miniature rat-like creatures with six red eyes. Not only did he find the Chupacabra's hiding place, but also found its offspring. Startling him again, he hears footsteps from behind him, and he whips around, pulling out his gun. Though, Carlos is thankful that it was just Chance, who was now dressed to the nines in a black and white cowboy costume. Carlos breathes a sigh of release, knowing the two of them were unharmed. Carlos runs back to his car as fast as he can, only to be surprised when he sees another car alongside his. As he walks to the front of the car, he's grabbed by a masked bandit.

Carlos is tossed onto the road, where two other bandits hold Carlos still, ripping the hat off his head. The masked bandit "Don't you know spelunking is dangerous, sir?" Chance stayed low, being very careful as to not be seen. "Unless of course... you went with a friend." The masked bandit implied.

Carlos spat a huge loogie onto the bandit's mask and put on his best angry face. "I've been tracking the Chupacabra alone. It's solely my burden to bear." Carlos stated firmly, unwavered by the intimidation attempts.

The masked bandit leaned forward. "With how kind you were to those people you met today? I find it a bit surprising you'd cut them out of the adventure of a lifetime." The masked figure remarked, chuckling.

Chance quickly and quietly moves to the side of Carlos' car, and soon sees a set of six red eyes staring at him from across the way. Right behind the sports car, was the Chupacabra, witnessing the whole ordeal. "I have nothing you want, and my car is all that's left of my wife and son, so you won't get any money from me, even in death." Carlos remarked.

The masked bandit simply laughed. "Ah, but you have us all wrong. All we want is information," the masked figure pulled a double-barrel shotgun out from under his poncho, having it already loaded and aimed at Carlos' head. "Like, what did you see in that mineshaft?" The masked bandit asked.

Carlos gulped and managed to muster out the words he needed. "Nothing worth while. Just an old minecart, some tracks, a door buried in rubble, and a lantern that I lit." Carlos stated.

The masked bandit flipped the gun around and smashed the butt of the gun against Carlos' face, knocking him out cold as he collapsed to the ground. The masked bandit chuckles, taking off the hat and mask, revealing the bandit to be Joseph Mariana. Chance wasn't surprised, but he was definitely angry. Chance looked over at the Chupacabra, who had vanished yet again, only to reappear and skitter off towards the mineshaft.

Chance finally understood why he felt guilty, and the realization made him feel terrible. 'The Chupacabra's a mother... she was just protecting her babies, and Joseph's been after them this entire time! That's why he had that fence and gate put up, to keep the Chupacabra in one location, to make sure it had nowhere else to run!' Chance thought.

Joseph looked over in the direction of the mineshaft, and simply stared, uncertain. "Well... I have to be sure." Joseph remarked.

Joseph pulled a small device from his pocket, and ran towards the mineshaft, Chance wanted to follow, but soon enough, Joseph came back, the device wasn't with him. "The tracker's been planted. Pack up 'Macho-Nacho' over here and load him into the car, and find out if he knows anything back at the Alamo. We'll come back later with a drill, and we'll collect the rest of the Chupacabra's runts later."

'Time to give Joseph a wake-up call he won't ever forget,' Chance looked at the Omnitrix, noticing that it was still red. 'You have got to be fucking kidding me.' Chance thought, thoroughly pissed off that the Omnitrix wasn't ready yet.

"In the meantime," Joseph opens the hood of the car and plants a small explosive charge on top of the engine. "I think the Chupacabra just found its next victim." Joseph remarked, a psychotic smile forming on his face.

Chance went wide-eyed as he heard that, and as the car drove off, Chance acted fast, grabbing a glove from the car as he slipped it over his hand, snatched the charge and chucked it somewhere ahead of the path, as long as it wasn't near the car or mineshaft, he personally didn't care. Chance looked back at the Omnitrix, seeing it glow green.

Chance nodded, a determined scowl formed on his face. Chance cycled through his aliens, and decided it was time to raise hell in the most literal sense possible, cycling to the icon of a misshapen human figure. "It's Hero Time, you son of a bitch!" Chance remarked.

Carlos' unconscious body shook as the car sped down the trail, with Joseph munching on some trail mix. Don looks at the rearview mirror, and goes wide-eyed as he sees something approaching. It looked human, but at the same time, it looked like a dead body. It was dressed in a ripped white shirt with black details, parts of its body seemed to be decaying, bones could be seen protruding from the flesh. Joseph looked back, seeing the creature for himself.

It looked like some kind of zombified mockery of that punk he met earlier today at the gate, only taller and rotted, and parts of its dark sickly purple brain poked through a portion of its skull. Its eyes were completely red, it lacked a nose and mouth, but it was clearly running without so much as breaking a sweat. Its bare feet stamped across the gravel trail, its torn up black pants, adorned with white details were waving with every rapid step. The Omnitrix didn't seem to look that different on first glance, but its appearance clearly changed, becoming more uniform and merged to his wrist, the white tubes becoming black, and the green hourglass becoming white.

A portion of Chance's stomach and midsection also seemed to be missing, only revealing a thick and sturdy spine holding both halves of his body together. The undead creature lunged forward, landing onto the back of the car and climbing right towards Joseph, glaring at him with a look of both anger and hunger. "Ya know, most bad guys usually look around before driving away from the crime they tried to commit. How unfortunate that after I'm done with you, there won't be anything left of you scumbags when I'm done ripping you open and eating you alive!!" The creature exclaimed, its voice even sounded like a twisted rendition of Chance's own voice, only it sounded so much more psychotic and aggressive.

Joseph was terrified as the creature maneuvered itself onto the roof. "First the Chupacabra, then aliens, now the dead's coming back to life?! Is it the end of the world!?" The undead boy slammed its hand through the roof of the car, grabbing Joseph by the throat. "What are you waiting for?! Light this monster up!!" Joseph exclaimed, trying to get out of the monster's grasp.

One of the other members of Joseph's crew pulled out a submachine gun, letting the bullets fly through the roof as Don kept the wheel steady. The creature let Joseph go, but soon positioned itself in front of the windshield. "Who wants to have a bad time?" The creature's face opened up, revealing a row of rotting sharp teeth. The undead creature saw a spider on the windshield and did not hesitate to grab it, smash it in his hands and devour it without a moment's hesitation. Upon swallowing it, not only did he gross out and scare the piss out of his opponents, he also suddenly sprouted four large zombified spider legs from his back, which freaked them out even more. "I know I do!~" The creature said in a creepy singsong tone, flashing his rotting teeth with an angered smile.

The creature jammed the legs into the car's front tires, popping them effortlessly, and then made his way to the back of the car, doing the same thing to the other two tires. "What a shame, your mode of transportation is gonna be ripped open like a can of tuna, but the damage to the car won't ever hold a candle to what I'll personally do to you wackadoos with only my teeth." The creature remarked.

Before the creature could start smashing the glass, Joseph poked out of the window and shot the creature with the shotgun he used to knock Carlos unconscious. He expected the thing to be actually dead, but soon found out the horrific truth. He managed to actually land the shot on the creature, but found that the creature was now pulling the bullets out of the wound without much effort, and to make matters worse, the wound was healing itself. "So, how does it feel to be armed to the teeth, and still feel defenseless, like a child being cornered by their abusive parents," The undead creature leaned in and smirked, watching Joseph's face fall as the terror settled in. "Don't feel too good, does it jackass?" The creature asked in a mocking tone.

Joseph retreated back into the car, only for the creature to tear the roof open with little effort. "Yup, just like a can of tuna!" The alien grabbed Carlos' unconscious body as Joseph smiled. "My pals will gladly deal with you. I've already had my fill of scaring the shit out of you. Be glad I don't kill you right here, you don't deserve un-death, even that's too good for someone like you." The creature remarked, slinging Carlos' body over his shoulder.

Joseph could only muster one question. "Who in the hell are you!?" Joseph exclaimed.

The creature looked back, letting the mouth retreat back under the skin. "I'm Zombrex. Sleep with one eye open, because when you're in jail, remember I'm out here, waiting for you to get out and fuck up again." Zombrex introduced.

Zombrex hopped off the car and sprinted away, leaving the car to just venture towards the Alamo, the driver, the gunman and Joseph himself, were startled and scared.

Back at Carlos' car, the RV was pulled up right next to it, with Sunset and Luna waiting and looking around. "You see them yet?" Luna asked.

Sunset shook her head. "No, but it definitely looks like a struggle happened. The dirt's all kicked up, and judging by a certain set of footprints that go further ahead of the trail," Sunset gestured to a four-toed humanoid footprint. "Chance must've thought he wouldn't be quick enough if he flew, so he used Zombrex's unlimited stamina to ensure that he'd be able to catch up to the Chupacabra and stop the next attack." Sunset remarked.

Soon enough, the pair of them look ahead, and see Zombrex carrying Carlos over his shoulder. "Almost there, just a bit more-" The Omnitrix began to flash red and beep, and Zombrex quickly came to a sudden halt. "I'm not gonna trip over myself again, not this time!" Zombrex remarked, letting himself be enveloped in a red flash of light.

Sunset and Luna ran over, undoing Carlos' binds as he slowly came to. Chance was returned to his normal form and dusted himself off as he tapped the girls' shoulders. "We need to talk about the bigger picture here, seriously." Chance stated.

Inside the RV, Chance and Carlos explain their side of the story, telling them about the Chupacabra's babies, Allies for Animals' involvement with it all, and while Luna was surprised to hear about all of it, Sunset was typing away at her laptop, searching for something. "Everything Joseph was doing here, it was all just to get the Chupacabra's babies! I don't know what they intend to do with them, but it can't be anything good!" Chance stated.

Sunset stopped typing and turned the laptop around for everyone to see. "I think I found out who Joseph is. I was looking up the organization 'Allies for Animals', they aren't listed or mentioned on any environmental website. But, I did find this," Sunset presses on a tab and shows Joseph standing on what looked like a lobster made out of rocks with its eyestalks in his hands. "Joseph Mariana isn't a friend to any kind of wildlife, he's a dirty poacher. He travels around the world poaching rare animals, crating them up and selling them to private collectors. In the special case of cryptids, like the Chupacabra, he's going to put the babies, then the mother under heavy sedation and have them encased in ice forever. Claiming it'll be the biggest and greatest pay-out of his career." Sunset read off.

"He's gonna encase them in ice?" Chance suddenly remembered the coolers that the mother took. "Oh my god, he had coolers in the trunk of that sports car, and the Chupacabra made off with them! Good thing I didn't stop her, hell hath no fury like a mother's scorn, and I feel that also counts for the Chupacabra!" Chance remarked.

Luna sighed. "Looks like I was a little too hard headed. Apologies, Mister Marsten." Luna said.

Chance looked down and sighed. "I'm sorry, too. I shouldn't've exploded like that earlier, at either of you," Chance looked at Sunset, seeing a smile on her face. "I can make up for that later, because right now, Joseph probably has a couple more of the Chupacabra's babies at the Alamo. It's where they wanted to take Carlos when they knocked him flat." Chance explained.

Luna and Sunset nodded, and Carlos stood up. "Come, we can take my car. If anyone knows the fury of a vengeful parent, it is I. ¡Vamos! We'll get through their gate, even if we have to bust through it!" Carlos suggested.

Chance suddenly had an idea of his own. "If I may, I think I've got another idea, it's a bit safer, but we need to get to the gate first. Let's move!" Chance exclaimed.

The three of them looked at him, and he motioned for them to go to the car. He followed suite, but he was dialing up one of his aliens, the mole creature he wanted to use prior.

After a fast drive back to the gate, it was clear that Zombrex's scare tactic worked a bit too well. They had spotlights, more men at the gate, they had assault rifles instead of tranquilizers, they were prepared for the end. Inside the gates of the Alamo, two workers were carefully lowering the sedated Chupacabra babies into larger and colder coolers. One of the worker's hands slip slightly, and Joseph immediately smacks them in the face, making them recoil. "Careful! -Or you'll be cleaning up the world's most expensive meat-skewer." Joseph warned.

The workers carefully lower the babies into their respective coolers, though the mother was still nowhere to be found, it would still be a major pay day. "After we sell these babies to the highest bidder, we'll be kicking back in a penthouse suite in Tokyo." Joseph reminded, smiling greedily.

Outside of the gate, the four manage to get close enough without alerting anyone of their presence, but they know that without proper cover, it could all end in an instance. "They're on high-alert! How bad did you scare them?" Sunset asked.

Chance shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe I went a bit overboard, but I don't honestly regret it," Chance looked at Carlos and pointed to a smaller secluded trail. "Drive in there, it's covered a lot by the trees, the brush hides us in the shadows, and it'll get us closer to the fence." Chance pointed out.

Carlos nodded, pulling into the secluded trail, all while trying to avoid the spotlight. Once the four of them knew they were in the clear, Chance looked at the three of them, and they all got out fast, moving through the shrubbery and making their way to a back door, guarded by a couple of the workers. Carlos and Luna got the jump on them and managed to knock them out, stealing their access cards. "Alright, you guys get in that way and find the coolers, they'll have the babies inside." Chance instructed.

Sunset looked at Chance. "What about you, you're not coming with?" Sunset asked.

Chance smiled, pulling her aside. "More like, we aren't going with. You and me, we're gonna go kick some Allies for Animals asses," Sunset raised an eyebrow in confusion, but Chance merely smiled and sighed. "Okay, let me explain. By providing a physical distraction, this gives Carlos and Luna an easier time sneaking around. We draw their attention out here, while they sneak around in there. With less attention and eyes on them, it'll be easier to save the Chupacabra's babies without flailing like a bunch of tactless chickens that just lost their heads to hollow-point rounds." Chance explained.

Sunset nodded, though she wasn't very confident in how this plan would work. "I promise you, we'll be fine. You have my back, I got yours." Chance reassured, activating the Omnitrix as he saw the icon he needed pop up. He pushed the core up and pushed it down, enveloping himself in a green light.

Chance felt small bright brown hairs sprout from his arm, and his fingers elongate into long, sharp and very dense claws. He felt his body become rounder, more rotund as his shirt formed around him like a suit. His nose and mouth elongated into a long, sharp and jagged snout, his skin got paler as more hair sprouted over his body. He clenched his eyes shut and let them open up, becoming all-white.

The Omnitrix formed on his chest, and he now wore a black and white suit, something reminiscent of overalls, but more unified. He let his claws separate as he raised them in the air, then burrowed into the ground.

The small mole creature, Excavole, seemed a tad larger than Pinch, if not by the slimmest comparison, and immediately started drilling into the dirt, burrowing under the ground as Sunset reluctantly followed after him. Unbeknownst to the two of them, the Chupacabra runs right through the door and screeches, running after a bunch of soldiers, who either fight and fail, or don't have the best reflexes to fend off the attack. The Chupacabra bit several soldiers, using its tongue to drain something from them, leaving them exhausted and drained.

Joseph noticed the commotion, and smiled evilly. "The bigger the cryptid, the bigger the payday!" Joseph remarked.

Joseph runs to a tranquilizer gun as some of his crew open fire on the Chupacabra. Somehow, it manages to evade the gunfire, and land some serious blows to the soldiers. One guard runs off inside the building, while another stays, firing shots that the Chupacabra evades with its reflexes, speed, and its weird vanishing power. To get to the coolers, the Chupacabra bites into the gunner, incapacitating them, but Joseph, armed with a Tranquilizer gun, snatches the coolers before they can be reached and tries to run. Joseph repositions himself and tries to open fire, but feels a disturbance in the ground beneath his feet. Excavole leaps out of the ground and onto Joseph's face, encompassing his view. Sunset climbs out and snatches the tranquilizer, firing several shots at the other soldiers.

Excavole leers at Joseph. "You want to mess with a monster? Try me on for size, bucko!" Excavole proceeds to headbutt Joseph a few times before Joseph manages to finally throw the mole off. He looks at the coolers, seeing that they were still intact, but Excavole was already a step ahead. Joseph took a step and tripped into the hole Excavole made, and Excavole tried to open the coolers. Joseph groaned and pulled a switchblade out of his pocket, only for Excavole to block the strike, causing the blade to break off and leave Joseph surprised, and without a weapon. "Nice try, you wackass! If one of my dad's friends tried that and it didn't kill me, you ain't gonna have much of a chance in this fight!" Excavole warned.

Sunset kicks, punches and counters a few of the soldiers, and even unloads the remaining tranquilizers into one of the soldiers who tried to flank her, screaming out as she covered the man's face in tranquilizer darts. The soldiers just stopped getting up at one point, but the Chupacabra was now fixated on her. "I'm out of tranquilizer, but I'm not out of options!" Sunset used her geode and pushed her hand onto the Chupacabra's head, deciding to try something. "Relax!" Sunset exclaimed, struggling to hold the Chupacabra back in her current condition.

The Chupacabra suddenly stopped attacking, and slowly but surely, it began to relax, just like Sunset told it to. Sunset slowly took her hand off as the Chupacabra slumped onto the ground, she was surprised. "Holy... I didn't even think that would work!" Sunset remarked.

Carlos and Luna could hear the chaos going on outside, and as much as it did make her concerned for the safety of her students, she knew that deep down, they were alright. Despite everything that's happened, they're alright, and they'll be even better after all of this. Luna and Carlos pushed forward, only to stop at a corner. Peeking around, they see an Allies for Animals member on the other side with their back turned, armed with a shotgun.

Luna looks towards Carlos and tries to communicate with him through hands. Carlos nodded his head and did the same, surprising Luna, and earning a grateful smile. The two nodded and readied themselves.

Outside of the Alamo, Joseph, Sunset and Excavole were wrestling over the coolers, with Excavole jamming one of his claws right into Joseph's eye, causing him to reel back and scream out in distress.

Sunset smirked and gave the alien a thumbs up, something the alien tried to reciprocate, but was then put into a surprise chokehold by Joseph. Sunset rushed him and jabbed him in the side, only to slam her knee right in the groin, incapacitating him for the moment as he collapsed to the ground.

Carlos and Luna were about to exact their plan, until they heard guns cock behind them. The workers they took out at the back door had woken up, and were aiming their guns at the pair. Carlos and Luna looked at each other, then glared at the two workers. "Alright you two, you've had your fun, but this ends now. Drop the weapons before someone does something they'll live to regret forever." Carlos warned.

The workers smirked and stepped closer. Luna rolled her eyes and stepped in front of Carlos, cracking her knuckles and staring the two down, unfazed by their choice to approach. "It's either we do this the hard way, or our way. The choice is yours, either way you'll end up in a prison cell, the only difference is that your stomachs will be ruptured before you get there." Luna explained.

The workers stopped moving, raising their eyebrows in confusion. Soon enough it finally donned on them on what was gonna happen if they got any closer, but they realized too late. Carlos grabbed one of their guns and knocked one of them to the ground with a punch, while Luna jumped into the air and spin-kicked the other across the face, leaving a red sneaker-shaped mark on their face as they collapsed onto their friend.

Carlos was surprised by the move, and couldn't help himself but smile and applaud, leading to Luna smirking and bowing. "That was incredible! ¡Muy asombroso! I've never seen such bravery, let alone such ferocity! Are you military?" Carlos asked, an impressed smile on his face.

Luna smiled and nodded. "You could say that, but I was definitely best out of my peers." Luna answered coyly, shrugging her shoulders.

Outside, Joseph and Excavole both run for the coolers, but thankfully, Sunset scoops them up first. "My babies!" Joseph cried out.

Excavole stabbed Joseph in the back with his sharp muzzle, causing him to groan out in pain, gritting his teeth. "But they look absolutely nothing like a disappointment to their parents!" Excavole quipped, slapping and slashing away at Joseph's back as he tries to shake the alien hero off of him.

Joseph jumps backwards and lands on Excavole, only to turn around and try to strangle him. Excavole manages to stop him, and they start to struggle for an opening. "Very heroic, kid, rescuing a bunch of fugly babies. Not very smart, though!" Joseph remarked.

Joseph manages to push pass Excavole's defenses and stomp his heel into the alien's stomach, making them stagger. Joseph sees Sunset running towards the gate and gives chase, but Excavole is able to shake off the beating for a moment, burrowing underground. Back to his senses, Excavole puts his hands together, tucks his head in, and starts to drill his way through the soil effortlessly, launching himself out of the ground as the Omnitrix times out, letting Chance return to his normal form as he screams out in a rage, tackling Joseph to the ground and puts him in a headlock, all while slamming his fist into Joseph's face as many times as he could muster.

Sunset tried to get the coolers out, but couldn't find a way to undo the lock on the gate. Chance looks over at the Chupacabra, still relaxing in one spot and pulls Joseph's body over to it. Joseph continues to struggle, delivering a couple punches to Chance's face, but it doesn't phase him, much to Joseph's surprise and disappointment. Chance looked down at him, and punches Joseph so hard, he manages to break his nose, causing him to wail in pain. "That's for sticking your nose around places you don't belong, and for the numerous creatures you harmed and crated in your pathetic excuse for a career," Chance shakes the Chupacabra and puts its muzzle right up against the flowing crimson that came from Joseph's nose. "And this is for trying to separate a mother from her children. Enjoy your lover's spat without your weapons, dummy!" Chance remarked, striking Joseph in the stomach as he quickly backed away.

The Chupacabra started to wake up, and as Joseph screamed out in terror, the Chupacabra attacked viciously. Chance grabbed another tranquilizer gun and ran in Sunset's direction. "Sunset! If we can't unlock the gate, then let's just kill the power. We can drive the babies back to the nest!" Chance exclaimed.

Sunset looked back and nodded, but soon enough, the Chupacabra screeched, catching their attention. Chance looked at the six red eyes that were now transfixed on him, as well as a bit of the blood that dripped from its lips. Chance gulped, carefully gesturing to the coolers and opened them up, allowing for the Chupacabra to take back her children. Whether it was through a sense of understanding, or sheer luck, the Chupacabra latches onto the coolers and vanishes in a puff of black smoke.

Joseph weakly gets back up, and Sunset grimaces, immediately looking away. Chance simply smirks and slowly walks towards him. Joseph's face was mauled and attacked to the point of being very raw and sensitive on one side. While it didn't look gruesome, he certainly didn't look pretty, let alone the same as he did before. Chance stood over him, watching him panic. "Let this be a lesson to you about messing with nature. Try to disrupt the natural order, Mother Nature and her many friends will not waste time in planting a firm boot up your ass. But hey, look on the bright side, at least your face won't be the only ugly thing you see in your cell." Chance remarked, delivering one more solid punch to the mouth on Joseph, knocking him unconscious.

Several hours after the fight at the Alamo, Carlos and his car were back in the parking lot, and the RV was too, the four were exchanging goodbyes, farewells and hope to see each other again. Carlos got back in his car and the trio was back together again, ready to take on the next challenge, and see what the next adventure in store for them is.

As Chance and Sunset step into the RV, Luna rests a hand on Chance's shoulder, getting his attention. "Are you sure you aren't hurt, sore in any place, are you certain you don't feel sick to your stomach?" Luna asked.

Chance smiled and gently took Luna's hand off his shoulder. "Relax, I'm fine. I appreciate the concern, but I'm okay, really," Chance pulled Luna into a light hug and simply went to go sit down, his face was getting a bit red and he tried to hide it. "Thanks for asking, though, I appreciate it." Chance muttered the last part, but Luna smiled as she walked to the driver's seat, patting Chance on the back as he tried to straighten himself up.

Luna took a deep breath, and started the RV. "Well, let's get this show back on the road, shall we?" Luna inquired.

Chance and Sunset looked at each other, and nodded. Luna turned the RV around and they left the park, wondering what was in store for them next time.

Out in the distance, the faint echo of the Chupacabra's screeching could be heard, as well as the screeching of its children. It laid within the tipped over minecart, snuggling and cuddling with its newborns.

Author's Note

I swear, I don't intend on making the next chapters this long, it's not intentional. if they do end up this long, it'll only be for important episodes.

Fun fact - I had my version of 'The Krakken' be about the Chupacabra, solely because I'm surprised no one tried doing this episode and base it off of some other mythical creature.

I felt like focusing on the Chupacabra for this one, solely because while I like the design Omniverse gave it, I like the idea of the Chupacabra being some kind of alien even more, maybe even the only truly 'alien' species that's native to Earth.

Hope you enjoyed this episode, It was lengthy!