Nightmare on Hedorium Street

Story
The Proto-TRUK drives through a normal looking neighborhood, on a bright and sunny day. Ryder looks boredly out the window, while Rook looks perplexed.

Rook: Are you certain that this is where the request for help from your friend Jimmy came from?

Ryder: Yep. Jimmy said that his online friend or something noticed something suspicious, and that he needed our help. That’s the address coming up!

They spot a young black boy in the front yard of a house in the neighborhood, waving at the Proto-TRUK. Rook pulls to park in front of the house, as the two get out.

Jonesy: Oh, wow! I can’t believe that Ryder is actually here in my neighborhood!

Rook: Hello, Jonesy. I am Rook, and we were sent by the Plumbers to follow up on the tip that you had procured.

Jonesy: Huh? Oh.

Ryder: Well, go ahead kid. Give us the scoop.

Jonesy: Okay. So, all the adults have been acting weirdly lately. They’ve all been talking like everything is depressing, but they are happy about it and stuff!

Ryder: Ah, stuff. Rook, we’re well adapt at handling stuff, aren’t we?

Rook: Perhaps it would be beneficial if you could explain the situation a little clearer, so we can understand what exactly you want us to do.

Jonesy: I’ll show you! Look!

Jonesy points across the street, at an old man who’s watering his lawn.

Jonesy: That’s Mr. Scrooge, the meanest old man in the neighborhood! A few days ago, he started acting, nice to me. Follow me, I’ll show you!

Jonesy runs across the street, as Ryder and Rook mosey behind him.

Rook: Are we sure this tip is credible?

Ryder: Jimmy’s never given me false reports before. He somehow manages to find all the weirdest stories off the internet.

Jonesy: Hey Old Man Scrooge!

Scrooge looks at the three, keeping his left eye closed.

Scrooge: (Pleasantly) Hello there boy. Gloomy day we’re having, aren’t we?

Jonesy: Don’t you want to yell at me?

Scrooge: (Lost in thought) Though, there could be a few more clouds. Always love clouds. Well, good day.

Scrooge walks off, heading back inside. He has left the hose running.

Jonesy: You see?! Something weird is definetely going on here!

Rook walks up to the house, turning the faucet off to turn the hose off.

Rook: It does seem odd that he would not bother to turn the water off if he was finished watering his lawn.

Ryder: Listen, Jonesy. One guy acting strange isn’t a cause for concern.

Jonesy: It isn’t just him! Every adult in town is doing weird stuff like that!

Rook: Come again?

Ryder: Probably should’ve mentioned that sooner.

The group goes around the neighborhood, stopping to talk with every adult they encountered.

Man 1: Hello. Gloomy day, isn’t it?

Woman 1: Though, I was hoping for a few more clouds.

Old Woman 1: Always love clouds.

Woman 2: Hello. Pretty gloomy day, don’t you think?

Old Man 2: I’m longing for a cloudy day soon.

Man 2: Nothing like a day filled with clouds.

Ryder: Okay, this is too weird to be a coincident.

Ryder, Rook and Jonesy walk down towards the end of the neighborhood.

Rook: That, and they all have one eye closed. This suggests being possessed or controlled by something.

The sun is going down, as all the adults start walking in the opposite direction of the group, going past them.

Ryder: Where are they going?

Jonesy: I don’t know. At nighttime, they all disappear to go somewhere?

Rook: Has there been any changes in the neighborhood recently? Someone new or something unexplained.

Jonesy: Well, someone did move into the haunted house at the end of the street.

Jonesy spins to face the direction the adults were facing, pointing into the distance. There was a tall mansion like building, a dark cloud overcasting it, making it seem like nighttime there.

Ryder: How did we not notice that before?

Rook: That is something that you should have told us about from the beginning!

Jonesy: Sorry, but it is definetely suspicious! Shall we go check it out?

Ryder: No. Rook and I will check it out. You get yourself home.

Jonesy: Oh, good! I don’t like getting involved in strange stuff! I’m outta here!

Jonesy runs off, heading home.

Rook: And yet, he got involved in this situation.

Ryder: Come on. We need to check it out. End Scene

It is nighttime, but the darkness around the manor is shrouded with dark clouds creating an illusion of complete darkness. Rook activates the flashlight function of his Proto-Tool, as they approach the front door.

Ryder: Why do you have a flashlight on that thing?

Rook: For situations like this. Look at this. (He stops at a sign) “Home of Thaddeus J. Collins.”

Ryder: He’s advertising that he lives here? Something’s fishy about this from the start.

Ryder and Rook head inside, coming into a large entrance room, with worn down wallpaper, creaking stairs leading to the second floor, and the floor missing several floorboards. The carpet is torn in several areas, including a large square section in the middle of the carpet. Ryder and Rook cautiously walk forward, when they are surrounded by townspeople.

Man 3: Hello. Gloomy day, isn’t it?

Rook: We are looking for the master of the house. Can you point into his or her general direction?

The townspeople begin hissing at the two, as they have now surrounded them. They have their arms reached out, as they begin walking towards them. Ryder activates the Omnitrix.

Rook: Ryder! You are not actually going to transform into an alien form that would cause harm to these innocents, are you?

Ryder: Uh, (He dials through) No! Of course not!

Ryder slaps down the Omnitrix, transforming into Mummy Dusk.

Mummy Dusk: See?! This won’t harm them!

Mummy Dusk instinctively punches a man away, him crashing into the wall. Mummy Dusk looks ashamed, as Rook glares him down.

Mummy Dusk: Not too much, at least.

Mummy Dusk extends his bandage appendages, wrapping around townspeople to trap them and keep them away. Rook uses the Proto-Tool to fire a net, trapping several other townspeople. They begin getting closer, as Rook morphs the Proto-Tool into a staff, using it to push the townspeople back. Mummy Dusk leaps back, wrapping up more townspeople.

Mummy Dusk: I thought we weren’t supposed to be hurting them!

Rook strikes a guy in the head.

Mummy Dusk: That looks like it hurt.

Rook: I realized that some form of confrontation was necessary. (He looks confused) Does it seem like they are retreating?

Mummy Dusk looks around, seeing that they have moved back. Mummy Dusk looks at his feet, seeing that he and Rook were standing on the square of uncarpeted floor in the middle of the carpet. The floor opens underneath them, as they fall through. The floor closes back up, as the two go plummeting down the cave like tunnel, the ground swiftly approaching them below.

Rook: Do something!

Mummy Dusk: I love how you leave the fate of your life in my hands!

Rook: You are a Thep Khufan! Your body will be immune to the impact! Cushion the fall or something!

Mummy Dusk: Ah! So that’s what you’re going for. Hold up then!

Mummy Dusk’s body breaks apart, the bandages falling and piling up on the ground below. Rook lands softly on the pile of bandages, as he hops off.

Rook: Ah! Thank you, Ryder.

Mummy Dusk’s face is separate from the rest of the bandages, as he pouts.

Mummy Dusk: (Sarcastically) Oh, sure thing. Anything that leaves me a big pile of paper on the ground!

Rook: You do realize that you can reform back to normal, correct?

Mummy Dusk: Really? I mean, of course!

Mummy Dusk’s bandage body reconnects with the others, reforming into Mummy Dusk. He reverts after that. The two begin wandering down the tunnel, Rook inspecting the walls.

Rook: It seems as if the minerals in the wall is hedorium.

Ryder: (Sarcastically) Wow. That sounds so interesting that I’m sure you’ll go on a rant about it.

Rook: I wasn’t going to, but if you want me to. Hedorium is particularly useful in fueling machinery, especially Null Void Projectors.

Ryder: (Groans) I was using sarcasm.

Rook: So, you do not want me to explain about this, despite the fact that it is obvious that you do not know what I am talking about.

Ryder: That sentence sounded so hard without contractions. Whoa!

Ryder and Rook stop to look around a corner, as they see several of the townspeople working on mining the hedorium. They cart it off towards a machine, which is fueling a large portal device.

Rook: Whatever is in charge here is operating with the intention of something coming through the portal. Perhaps, Diagon and the Esoterica.

Ryder stops for a moment, as if to listen for Black Speech.

Ryder: Nah. If this was Diagon, we’d have Esoterica instead of old people. You think you could disable it?

Rook: It should not be too difficult, but I do not see how we will be able to make it over there undetected.

Ryder: Leave that to me.

Ryder closes his left eye, as he has an unusual grin on his face. He walks out into the crowd, catching their attention.

Ryder: Hello. Gloomy day, isn’t it? Though, I wish there were clouds.

The townspeople all nod in welcoming, as they ignore him, allowing him to walk across unopposed. Rook swallows with nervousness, as he closes his left eye as well, doing the same walk. The townspeople face him.

Rook: Hello. Gloomy day, isn’t it?

The townspeople all hiss at Rook, as they surround him, abandoning their work. Ryder almost makes it to the portal generator, as he looks back, groaning.

Ryder: Duh! Even they can tell he’s an alien!

Ryder activates the Omnitrix, slapping it down and turning into Clockwork. Clockwork’s key spins, as time stops. He walks through the angry townspeople, pushing some out of the way to make his way to the frozen Rook. He grabs Rook, and carries him out of the way. They arrive at the portal generator, as time is restored to normal. Several townspeople are knocked over as a result, as they look confused.

Rook: I appreciate the assistance.

Clockwork: I’ll hold any attackers off! You disable this thing!

Hissing Voice: I was wondering who would disturb me in such a backwater neighborhood.

Clockwork: That voice.

Zs’Skayr floats down, now having his skin in the form of a cloak over him.

Zs’Skayr: But who else would it be besides you?

Clockwork: Ghostfreak!

Rook: I thought that his name was Zs’Skayr?

Zs’Skayr: It is! This imbecile refuses to accept the fact that I have a name besides the one he gave me!

Clockwork: So, what? You make a portal to get back home, and you just brought home to you instead? Zs’Skayr: Quick on the uptake there! All these pathetic humans have been overshadowed by my followers. Soon, we’ll have enough hedorium to allow for all the Ectonurites from home to come through and possess everyone on this miserable planet! But the first thing to do, will be to eliminate you. ATTACK!

Ectonurites come out of the human hosts, the humans falling unconscious on the ground. Rook is working on the console of the portal generator, as Clockwork fires a time ray at Ectonurites, them doing them no harm.

Clockwork: Are you serious?

Zs’Skayr: Ha-ha-ha-ha! Oh, it seems that today, I have the advantage against you!

Zs’Skayr swoops down, grabbing Clockwork and lifting him into the air, tossing him down. He hits the side of the portal, as the Ectonurites swarm at him. Clockwork’s key spins, as his speed increases, dodging all of them and ending in the middle of the room. Clockwork pants heavily, as if running.

Clockwork: This form, is exhausting.

Zs’Skayr punches Clockwork, knocking him down. Clockwork reverts, Ryder groaning.

Zs’Skayr: Perfect timing! I’ll use you as my host to lead my army into the land of the light!

Ryder: Rook! Send them back through!

Zs’Skayr flies to phase into Ryder, as he slaps down the Omnitrix. He transforms into Portaler, as Zs’Skayr is unable to merge with him. Zs’Skayr comes up, scowling.

Zs’Skayr: You really think that tiny form will be able to defeat me?!

Portaler squeaks in a confident manner, then realizes no one can understand him. He continues to squeak, the Ectonurites simply watching him.

Zs’Skayr: What is he try, (Gasps) The other one!

Zs’Skayr turns, seeing Rook pull a lever down. The portal pulls in full reverse, sucking all the Ectonurites through it. Zs’Skayr holds onto a railing, to prevent himself from being sucked in, all the other Ectonurites flying through first.

Zs’Skayr: This does nothing to set me back! This will just send me home, and allow me to retake my title as High Ecto-Lord!

A portal opens above Zs’Skayr, as Portaler falls out, hitting Zs’Skayr and causing him to let go. Zs’Skayr is sucked towards the portal, as Portaler creates a multi-colored portal over the hedorium portal, it flashing a bright pink purple with the combination. Zs’Skayr is pulled through, screaming in pain. Portaler is sucked towards the portal as well, as Rook jabs the console, causing the portal to turn off. Portaler soars through the hole in the middle of the portal device, falling to the floor. He curls up into a ball, taking the fall easier. Rook runs over to help him.

Rook: What did you do?

Portaler squeaks with pride, though Rook gives a confused look. Portaler then reverts.

Ryder: I used my portal to override his portal. Ghostfreak, or whatever you called him, didn’t make it home. No clue where he went, though.

Rook: We shall have to report this incident, so that the Plumbers can be on the lookout for him wherever he re-appears at.

Ryder: Right. You can handle that. For now, I’m going on a victory ride.

Rook: After we help all these people back home.

Rook motions his arms out, signaling the townspeople lying around on the ground.

Ryder: Oh, right. After that. (Sighs) A hero’s work is never done.

Characters

 * Ryder
 * Rook
 * Jonesy
 * Citizens
 * Old Man Scrooge

Villains

 * Zs'Skayr
 * Ectonurites
 * Ectonurite possessed citizens

Aliens

 * Mummy Dusk
 * Clockwork
 * Portaler

Trivia

 * This episode is based off the canon episode From Hedorium to Eternity.
 * The canon episode, to me, felt like it had way too many plot holes. I designed this one to lead into the Zs'Skayr arc for this series.
 * The episode name is based off the horror movie Nightmare on Elm Street.