Of Predators and Prey (Ryder 10)

Story
Vulkanus and Seebik are riding Crabdozer towards a canyon area. A dust cloud is in the distance, as Vulkanus turns, looking at it.

Vulkanus: Bah! Those brats are stubborn!

Seebik: It’s as if you expected less from them.

Vulkanus: Go faster, Crabdozer!

He spurs Crabdozer, which roars. Crabdozer speeds up, but Ryder is right on their tail.

Ryder: Alright. How about some Eatle!

Ryder slaps down the Omnitrix, transforming into Goat Foo. He sighs and bleats, then fires mana hooves, which all bounce off Crabdozer’s hide. Seebik turns, stretching a fist at him. Goat Foo parries it with his hoof, then hits Seebik with a mana hoof, his head snapping back. Ester and Kevin close in, as they approach the neck of the canyon. Crabdozer runs through it, as an avalanche occurs, completely blocking the path. Goat Foo swerves to a stop, barely missing a collision.

Goat Foo: Whoo! That was c-c-close.

Ester and Kevin pull to a stop behind him.

Ester: We can’t let Seebik get away. Again!

Kevin: Think we can break through?

Goat Foo: No problem.

Goat Foo dismounts the Tenn-Speed, as he charges mana in his hooves. He thrusts them forward, a hoof crater forming in the rock.

Crabdozer slows down, panting heavily. Vulkanus spurs it, but it doesn’t move.

Vulkanus: Come on! Useless!

Seebik: What was with that avalanche? Not that I’m complaining.

Voice: That was us. We needed to keep them away, for the moment.

Vulkanus and Seebik look up, the sunlight blocking their view. Three shadows stand at the top of the canyon, one of them on all fours. They come down, revealing it to be Khyber, his Panuncian and Dr. Psychobos.

Vulkanus: The Whistler!

Khyber: Hello, Vulkanus. How’s that beast been treating you?

Vulkanus: When it listens, great. Listen, I know that I didn’t complete that contract, but

Khyber: Oh, you hunting Ryder? I no longer care of that. I want him for myself. Which brings me to this meeting, Vulkanus.

Khyber pulls out a syringe like device, as he approaches Crabdozer.

Vulkanus: What are you doing?!

Khyber: Collecting, a DNA sample.

Seebik: DNA sample?

Psychobos: Yes. It is m-m-much easier to obtain Crabdozer DNA from the one we know is on Earth.

Khyber sticks the syringe in the Crabdozer, which lets off a little moan. He collects his sample, as he pulls it out, walking towards the Panuncian, which has a red collar. Khyber bends down, plugging it into a hexagonal device on the collar.

Vulkanus: What is it?

Psychobos: My latest invention. And now, to t-t-test it against that pesky kid. End Scene

Ryder, Ester and Kevin ride through the canyon area, going through slowly as if wary.

Ester: Where are they?

Kevin: We lost a lot of time with that avalanche.

Ryder: I’ve been through this area before. Those aren’t natural to happen. Someone caused it.

Khyber watches from above, as he whistles. Panuncian jumps down, transforming into Crabdozer. Crabdozer crashes down in front of them, the impact launching them all of them into the air, falling over. Ryder gets up the fastest, as Crabdozer is in his face, roaring.

Ryder: Where’s your master, big guy?

Khyber: Hello, Ryder.

Ryder looks up, seeing Khyber.

Ryder: Khyber? You stole Vulkanus’ pet?

Psychobos: Fool! Look at the b-b-beast’s collar!

Kevin: Psychobos is the one who hired Khyber to free him?

Ryder bends down, seeing Crabdozer’s collar. He sees the device on it.

Ryder: So what is it? A knockoff Omnitrix?

Psychobos: That, meddlesome boy, is the Nemetrix! Using data off your Omnitrix, I created a device to transform the user into p-p-predators, filling it with predator DNA.

Ester: Predators?!

Kevin: Like the animal kingdom on Earth, alien species have predators, those that hunt them.

Ryder: Fitting for a hunter like you.

Khyber: Now, Ryder. I’ll give you a sporting chance. Go ahead and pick your alien.

Ryder: Very well. The right choice for this guy is still Eatle!

Ryder slaps down the Omnitrix, transforming into Heatblast.

Heatblast: Oh, come on!

Crabdozer bites and catches Heatblast in its mouth, sucking him in.

Ester: Ryder!

Ester stretches her arm, grabbing Heatblast’s foot. She pulls him out, as he’s covered in slobber, his flames put out.

Psychobos: T-t-too bad. Crabdozer is the natural predator of Pyronites.

Ester: Let’s get out of here!

Kevin revs the engine, and drives by Crabdozer’s head, spitting up dust in its eye. Crabdozer tries to rub it out, as Ester puts Heatblast in the seat of the Tenn-Speed.

Heatblast: Ugh! Now I’ve got slobber on my bike!

Ester: That’s really what you’re worried about right now?

Heatblast and Ester ride after Kevin, as Crabdozer recovers.

Psychobos: Go after him, you fool!

Khyber: Easy, Psychobos. The key to the hunt is patience, and the right tools.

Khyber whistles, as Crabdozer transforms into Slamworm, which digs into the ground.

Khyber: It was fortunate that we were able to retrieve it after the last encounter with them.

Kevin drives out of the canyon, Ryder and Ester right behind them.

Ryder: Finally! The wind cleaned off all that drool!

Ester: Does it not bother you that Khyber has a shapeshifting predator after you?

Ryder: Are you kidding? That makes it interesting!

Slamworm bursts out of the ground, screeching as it gives chase to them. It digs again, and reappears to the side of them.

Ryder: Alright, forget Eatle. I’ve got someone for you!

Ryder slaps down the Omnitrix, transforming into Rustcharge. Slamworm submerges then resurfaces, as Rustcharge points his right arm at it, the wind blowing the rust on his body away. He fires a transparent blue laser from his hand, the rust on his hand breaking off as does. It hits Slamworm, driving it off its trajectory, as it digs again.

Rustcharge: Oh, yeah! How’s that?!

Rustcharge reaches to grab the handle again with his right hand, the rust having not reformed yet. He tries to grab it with his transparent hand, but it just goes through. The rust begins to reform, but the wind breaks it apart instantly.

Rustcharge: What?

Kevin: Wind erosion. You can’t reform fast enough to stop it!

Rustcharge: Then I’ll slow down.

The Tenn-Speed slows down, the wind dying down. Rustcharge regenerates his hand, along with the rest of his body. The ground bulges, as Slamworm breaks through the ground underneath him, its beak catching the Tenn-Speed. Rustcharge and the Tenn-Speed are lifted into the air, as Slamworm shakes, flinging Rustcharge off, him reverting as he flies.

Khyber whistles, as Slamworm lifts its head, launching the Tenn-Speed upward. Slamworm opens its mouth, to swallow the Tenn-Speed. Ryder slaps down the Omnitrix, turning into Jetray. He zooms up, catching the handles with his feet. He pulls the Tenn-Speed out of the way. Its weight is too much, as Jetray crashes to the ground, straining to put the Tenn-Speed on its wheels. Jetray presses a button with his tail.

Tenn-Speed: Auto-Pilot engaged.

Jetray lets go of the Tenn-Speed, it going on its own. Jetray gives a sigh of relief.

Jetray: Whoo! That was a close

Slamworm breaks from the ground, its mouth open to eat Jetray. Jetray flies up, as Slamworm’s whole body comes out to follow. It travels into the air for a second, then falls back down, collapsing.

Jetray: Nice try. But you can’t

Lightning hits Jetray, stunning him as he drops. Psychobos’ skull is open, as he shoots more lightning at Jetray, trapping him.

Psychobos: Now, Khyber! Get him! P-p-prove that the Nemetrix is better!

Khyber: Don’t get in my way!

Khyber whistles, as Slamworm gets up, transforming into a tyrannosaurus rex like alien, larger than Slamworm. Tyrannopede has a segmented purple and gray body and a red head with a horn on her forehead. Tyrannopede has four legs and six small arms with two clawed fingers on them. Tyrannopede roars, as it fires webs from its horn, enwrapping Jetray.

Ester: Ryder!

Ester and Kevin were some distance away, having stopped the Tenn-Speed. Ester wraps her arm around it, then brings it back to grab her handles.

Ester: We’ve got to get back there.

Kevin: I have a feeling we won’t be able to do much once there.

Ester: We can still take out Psychobos, and distract Khyber.

The web cocoon hits the ground, as it starts to burn from green fire. Diagoneir tears through, standing equal with Tyrannopede. Diagoneir grabs Tyrannopede, working to push it over. Tyrannopede roars, and bites into Diagoneir.

Diagoneir: Don’t feel it! My scales are tough!

Diagoneir’s mouth lights up, as he fires a fire laser, hitting Tyrannopede square in the chest. Tyrannopede doesn’t budge, as the two are at a stalemate.

Khyber: Impossible! This is our strongest form!

Psychobos: I told you we should’ve collected more p-p-predators before making our move.

Khyber: You equally wanted to get rid of the brat!

Psychobos: You dare speak to me that way?!

Psychobos opens his skull, his brain sparking with electricity. Ester appears, stomping down on it, closing it. Psychobos falls over, stunned.

Ester: Don’t forget us!

Kevin appears, having absorbed metal. He charges at Khyber with a mallet hand, swinging it at Khyber. Khyber dodges and draws a knife, parrying the next blow.

Khyber: It seems that we are at a disadvantage.

Khyber whistles, as Tyrannopede reacts. He twists his head, tossing Diagoneir aside. Tyrannopede rests its head on the canyon side. It transforms into Buglizard, charging forward. It drives Kevin and Ester back, as Khyber picks Psychobos up. Diagoneir comes over to the canyon side, staring Khyber down.

Khyber: Next time.

Khyber whistles, as Buglizard releases a yellow fog, enveloping them. Diagoneir swats his hand through the fog, them being gone.

Diagoneir: Gone. Again.

Diagoneir reverts, Ryder being at the bottom of the canyon.

Ryder: Well that was foolish. We didn’t catch anybody today!

Ester: We’ll get them next time!

Ryder: More importantly! Where’s my bike?!

Characters

 * Ryder
 * Ester
 * Kevin

Villains

 * Khyber
 * Khyber's Panuncian
 * Dr. Psychobos
 * Vulkanus
 * Crabdozer
 * Seebik

By Ryder

 * Goat Foo (accidental transformation; intended alien was Eatle)
 * Heatblast (accidental transformation; intended alien was Eatle)
 * Rustcharge
 * Jetray
 * Diagoneir

By Panuncian

 * Crabdozer (first appearance)
 * Slamworm (first appearance)
 * Tyrannopede (first appearance)
 * Buglizard (first appearance)

Trivia

 * The Nemetrix has been completed.
 * Besides Tyrannopede, Khyber has owned all the predators that Panuncian turned into previously in the series.
 * This is Goat Foo's first appearance that Lucky Girl doesn't also appear.
 * Ryder learns of erosion affecting Rustcharge.