Crunch Time

Story
A few weeks later, Julie is over at John’s house helping him study for a school final.

Julie: And now, you (The Omnitrix starts beeping. Julie’s sighs.) You better answer it.

John: Sorry. (Presses Omnitrix) Hello?

Gwen: John! Another cockatrice has been spotted downtown.

John: I thought we agreed that it was a basilisk.

Gwen: It’s a rooster with a snake head. Historically, that’s a cockatrice. Just get here! (Gwen hangs up.)

John: (sighs) Julie, I’ll be right back.

Julie: Go.

John goes out the door, and slaps down the Omnitrix.

XLR8: XLR8! (Dashes off.) End Scene

Downtown, Kevin had absorbed metal, and was holding open the mouth of a rooster with a snake head. It is the size of a monster truck.

Kevin: You are not going to be eating me today! (Kevin jumps back, and the creature snaps.) Bring it on, basilisk. (The basilisk charges forward, and Gwen hits it with a mana blast. The basilisk pulls back.)

Gwen: For the last time, it’s a cockatrice.

XLR8 arrives, standing next to them.

XLR8: This one is bigger than the last one.

Kevin: And it’s hungry.

XLR8: I’ll keep that in mind. (Hits Omnitrix.)

Rath: RATH! LEMME TELL YOU SOMETHIN’, BASILISK COCKATRICE! IT’S TOO CONFUSING TO REMEMBER WHAT YOU ARE! SO I’M GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU DON’T EVEN KNOW WHAT YOU ARE!

Kevin: What’s that supposed to mean?

Rath: I DON’T KNOW!

Rath charges forward, getting under the basilisk. He lifts it up, then throws it. Rath then goes for the neck, but it snaps its mouth, with Rath standing and holding its mouth open. Basilisk raises its head, and Rath falls down its throat.

Gwen: Really, John?

Kevin: Of course.

The basilisk screeches, and charges towards them. Then, a powerful energy blast hits the basilisk, knocking it back. Gwen and Kevin turns, and see a short man with a trench coat and a brown hat is standing there, with a blaster in his hand. They look back at the basilisk, and see it was dead.

Gwen: Whoa! Who are you? (Then, Rath uses his claws to tear through the basilisk’s stomach.)

Guy: My name’s Sonogram, Private Investigator.

Rath: LEMME TELL YOU SOMETHIN’ SONOGRAM, PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR! I DON’T CARE WHAT YOUR NAME IS! I’M HEADING HOME TO SPEND SOME TIME WITH MY GIRLFRIEND, AND YOU CAN GO EAT A LEMON! (Hits Omnitrix, turning into Jetray. He then flies off.)

Kevin: Well, Sonogram. It really doesn’t matter who you are, because that, (pointing to Sonogram’s blaster) is level 5 technology, which is illegal on Earth.

Sonogram: I’ve tried other weapons. They’re the only things that injure the basilisk. I’ve been hired to kill the mother.

Gwen: Mother?

Sonogram: Basilisks reproduce by laying eggs. They can lay up to a dozen eggs at a time.

Kevin: That explains why there are so many. This is the third one we’ve fought.

Sonogram: And they grow in size, right? They are getting older. Soon, the mother will lay more eggs. If you said that you took out three of them, then besides the mother, there are at least nine more roaming. The fact that they appear in this city means that the nest is close.

Gwen: Well, we’ll help. We’re Plumbers, so it’s our job to stop them anyway. You’ll need all the help you can get.

Sonogram: Very well. Come on. End Scene

Jetray is flying home, when he activates the call feature of the Omnitrix.

Jetray: Earth Plumber Representative. This is John Smith of Earth. Come in.

Plumber: Hello. This is Magister Patelliday. What is your distress?

Jetray: There have been a series of attacks by basilisks.

Patelliday: Basilisks?

Jetray: Yeah, giant chickens with a snake head.

Patelliday: Oh, you mean a cockatrice.

Jetray: Whatever. My team has defeated three of them, and I think that there is a female laying eggs.

Patelliday: That’s accurate with how they reproduce.

Jetray: If they aren’t stopped, Earth is in big danger. Can you send someone down to assist in stopping them?

Patelliday: Very well. I’ll find someone to send.

Jetray: Thanks. John out. (Jetray lands at his front door, and reverts. John goes inside, where Julie was still sitting.) Julie: That was fast.

John: I used fast aliens. Listen, I’m sorry but we have to reschedule.

Julie: (sighs) I guess that’s what happens when one dates a super-hero. Just remember that you’re the one who will suffer if you don’t pass this test.

John: I know. Drive you home. End Scene

John is driving Julie home, when a basilisk appears, and rams the car. (John struggles to keep control of the car.)

John: Hey! Keep your talons off the ride. (John lets go of the wheel, and slaps the Omnitrix.)

Upgrade: Upgrade! (Upgrade then merges with the dash board, and takes control of the car.) Bring it on, feather face.

The basilisk comes back to bite the car, when Upgrade forms plasma spikes, forcing the basilisk away.

Julie: John! Watch the road!

Upgrade looks forward, and he was heading into a column of a bridge. He swerves out of the way, and was facing the basilisk, which was charging towards them.

Upgrade: Okay. Let’s play chicken.

Upgrade burns rubber, and charges at the basilisk.

Julie: John?

Upgrade continues forward, and he extends his hands, pushing the car off the ground into the air. The basilisk lowers its head, and the car lands on top of it, then driving down its back. Upgrade comes off the basilisk, and it falls to the ground. The basilisk gets up, screeching. Then, Sonogram appears in the path, and pulls out a portable Null Void Projector. He fires it, and the basilisk is sucked into it. Upgrade pulls up next to Sonogram, and comes off the car, back in the driver seat, and reverts.

John: You again? Look, I appreciate what you did before, but we have this handled.

Gwen: Really? (John turns, and Gwen and Kevin walk up.) Cause Sonogram here has located a cave outside of town that is the most likely nest for the mother.

Sonogram: Looks like you’re stuck with me.

John: (groans) Fine. I’ll meet you there. (Drives off) End Scene

Gwen, Kevin and Sonogram were parked by a cave, when John pulls up. John gets out of the car.

John: So, this is where the basilisk is?

Sonogram: These things can get to 100 feet tall. This is the only cave system where it can maneuver within the city range.

John: Fine. Let’s go.

They head down the cave, Gwen using her mana to light the way.

Gwen: (to John) Why don’t you trust Sonogram?

John: A human with that kind of technology not associated with the Plumbers? You’ve got to admit that’s weird.

Gwen: Maybe, but. (They hear a sound, and Sonogram pulls out his blaster, firing it. A ball of gravity forms, blocking the laser, causing the two to explode. Brago comes out of the shadows.)

John: Brago!

Brago: You sound surprised.

Sonogram: Who are you? What’s going on?

John: I called for Plumber backup, Sonogram. This is to ensure

Brago charges forward, his fist enveloped in gravity powers. He then punches Sonogram in the face, sending him flying into the wall.

Kevin: What’d you do that for?

Brago: Look. (They turn, and see a broken I.D. mask on the ground. He has a silver, metallic body, with headphones, and a slightly large mouth.) Sonogram is a sonorosian, and is wanted by the Plumbers. (The Omnitrix fires a yellow beam at Sonogram, scanning him. Sonogram pulls out a device that was attached to the I.D. mask, it broken.

Sonogram: (in a now mechanical like voice) Now that you have interfered, I have to eliminate you.

Sonogram multiples into seven, and they all open their mouths, firing a sonic scream. The four of them were pinned down, when John slaps down the Omnitrix, turning into Buzzshock. Buzzshock puts his hands on the ground, sending electricity at Sonogram. The clones are hit, and stop for a moment. Gwen throws mana disks, while Kevin absorbs rock. Sonogram fires sonic screams again, stopping Gwen’s attack. Buzzshock unleashes a sonic scream of his own, countering out one of Sonogram’s. The other clones start to scream, when they suddenly levitate. Brago was holding his hands out, and he claps them together, causing the clones to fly into each other and merge together. Kevin then comes out of nowhere, and punches the remaining Sonogram. Sonogram is knocked down.

Sonogram: Do you think that you have won?

Kevin: I think so. (Revealing Sonogram’s Null Void projector in his hand.)

Kevin then fires it, opening a portal. Sonogram tries to hang on to the ground, when Buzzshock shoots electricity, and shocks him, forcing him to let go. Sonogram fires another sonic scream, which hits the projector and destroys it. Kevin drops it, and the portal closes. Buzzshock reverts.

John: Told we couldn’t trust him.

Brago: What’s more, with the projector gone, we have no way to confine the basilisk.

Gwen: Do we really need one?

Brago: It’s preferred. That way, we could transfer the creatures to their home planet. Now, the only option is to kill it. (Brago starts walking, and the others follow.) End Scene

They arrive in the largest room of the cave, where they spot a giant basilisk, sitting on a nest. They are on a cliff above.

Gwen: Holy!

Brago: It looks around 60 feet tall. It must be considerably young, as it hasn’t reached full size yet.

Kevin: That isn’t full grown?

Brago: It’s the mother, and the only reason it would be inactive like this is because it’s sitting on eggs. We have to eliminate them all. None of them can escape. (Brago then points his hand at the mother basilisk, and fires a gravity ball, easily the same size as the basilisk. The basilisk is hit, and screeches.)

John: Whoa!

Kevin: Are you crazy?

Brago: (lowering his hand) It’s the only way to get it off its eggs. It’ll protect them from threats.

Gwen: Like geese do.

Brago: You two take out the eggs. John, you’re backing me up.

The basilisk is charging in their direction, and rams the wall, cracking it and causing the four to fall. John slaps down the Omnitrix.

Mummy Dusk: Mummy Dusk!

Mummy Dusk stretches his arm, grabbing a rock. He then swings down, catching Gwen and Kevin in an expanded hand. Brago keeps falling, and puts his arm out. He stops falling inches from the ground, then sets himself upright, landing gently. Mummy Dusk lands, putting Gwen and Kevin down.

Mummy Dusk: Go! We’ve got this. (Gwen and Kevin run towards the nest.)

Brago fires multiple human sized gravity balls at the basilisk. Basilisk takes the attacks, when it stabs at Brago with its beak. Brago jumps out of the way, when the basilisk opens its mouth to snap at him. Bandages extend and wrap around the beak, closing it. Mummy Dusk’s arm was stretched out, using his hand to keep the beak closed. The basilisk shakes its head around, trying to throw Mummy Dusk off. It shakes its head, and opens its beak, breaking Mummy Dusk’s hand, and sending him flying into a wall. The basilisk then starts levitating. Brago’s hand was glowing, when he raises it over his head, then swings it down. The basilisk comes down, slamming into the ground, creating a shockwave.

Gwen and Kevin make it to the nest. Kevin absorbs rock.

Kevin: Alright! Let’s smash them. Whoa. (The dozen eggs were the size of a mini-van.)

Gwen: Then do it. Tur-bo! (A magenta tornado forms, and carries Kevin into the air, causing him to spin. Kevin goes through three eggs in a row, and Kevin lands on the other side of the nest.)

Kevin: Three down, nine to (The eggs start to crack, and a basilisk breaks out.) Oh boy. (The baby basilisk comes after Kevin, snapping at him.) Whoa, whoa! I’m not food!

More of the eggs hatch, and Gwen starts firing mana disks at them.

Gwen: Okay, this isn’t good. (The remaining eggs hatch.) Now there’s nine of them.

Brago keeps up the pressure, pinning the mother basilisk to the ground. It starts resisting, and starts to stand up.

Brago: (groaning from the strain) I can’t keep it down much longer.

Mummy Dusk: It’s too big. Maybe we need help from Sonogram. (Bandage stretches from his stomach, touching the Omnitrix. Mummy Dusk shrinks, turning into a sonorosian.)

Echo Echo: Echo Echo!

Echo Echo multiplies, surrounding the basilisk. They all fire their sonic screams, overwhelming it and keeping it down. Brago releases his hold, panting. One of the clones comes over to Brago.

Echo Echo: Brago! Are you alright?

Brago: (panting) Fine. Just need to catch my breath. It’s body is too durable. We need to destroy it from the inside out. I can hold it down for a few minutes. You have that long to stop it.

Echo Echo: Got it. (Brago raises his hand, which glows with gravity. The basilisk goes slamming into the ground.) All units, charge! (The clones charge forward, forcing the basilisk’s mouth open. They then all charge inside.)

Kevin was running, the nine baby basilisks chasing him.

Kevin: Gwen! Anytime now!

Gwen: Get them back in the nest. (Kevin runs into the nest, and all nine follow him into it.) Gotcha. '''Eradiko! '''(Streams of mama fly from Gwen’s hands to the nest. Kevin jumps out of the nest, as the nest is enclosed in mana. The basilisks try pecking their way free, then the mana dome explodes. The smoke clears, and all the basilisks were down, dead.) Whew.

Kevin: Took you long enough.

The mother basilisk screeches, breaking free from Brago’s gravity pressure. Brago falls down, and the basilisk goes to eat him. Then, it stops, and its body starts to bulge up. It then explodes, its inners and Echo Echo clones scattering all over the cave. Gwen had raised a mana barrier, protecting them.

Echo Echo: Twice in one day. Ew. (The clones rejoin together, and Echo Echo reverts.) End Scene

They gang makes it outside of the cave.

John: Thanks for your help, Brago. Not sure what we would’ve done without your help.

Kevin: What do you think Sonogram’s plan was, anyway?

Brago: Don’t know. He should’ve known better than to be active, even if Plumber activity on Earth is still low. That reminds me, (Pulls out papers, handing one to John.)

John: What’s this?

Brago: Orders. (Handing a sheet to Gwen and Kevin) The three of you are being called to the Plumber Academy, to complete basic training and to become official Plumbers.

Gwen: What? Who are these orders from?

Brago: Magister Wes.

John: When do we leave, as I have final exams coming up.

Brago: There’s a session that starts at the beginning of the summer. Arrive then.

John: Will do.

Characters

 * John Smith
 * Gwen Tennyson
 * Kevin Levin
 * Julie Yamamoto
 * Brago

Villains

 * Sonogram

Aliens

 * XLR8
 * Rath
 * Jetray
 * Upgrade
 * Buzzshock
 * Mummy Dusk
 * Echo Echo (First appearance)

Spells

 * Tur-bo
 * Eradiko

Trivia

 * It is debated throughout the entire episode whether they are basilisks or cockatrices.
 * John, Gwen and Kevin have been called to go to the Plumbers' Academy.
 * Brago returns.