BEEP. BEEP. BEEEEEEP.
A hand shot out from the blanket and smacked the alarm clock off the table.
Thud.
Jack groaned.
"Morning again... didn't we just do this yesterday?"
He forced one eye open. Pale sunlight slipped through the apartment window, painting thin golden lines across the wall. His body still felt heavy from the previous night's patrol. Saving people might sound heroic in movies, but in reality, it meant very little sleep.
Jack sat up slowly and stretched his arms. His gaze dropped to the device resting on his wrist, and the Omnitrix glowed faintly. The memory of last night returned instantly: the warehouse fight, the gang, the hostage, and finally, the new alien. Jack smiled.
"Alright... time for testing."
He quickly changed clothes and stepped outside. Queens was already awake. Early morning joggers moved along the sidewalks, workers hurried toward bus stops with coffee cups in hand, and street vendors prepared their carts for the day.
Jack started running. Fresh air filled his lungs as his feet hit the pavement rhythmically. Running had become a habit for him. Even before the Omnitrix, he believed staying fit was important, and now it mattered even more.
After ten minutes, he slowed down near a small convenience shop. His stomach reminded him that he hadn't eaten since last night, so Jack walked inside.
"Chocolate milk," he said to the cashier.
The man nodded and grabbed a bottle from the fridge. Jack waited in line when suddenly...
Tap.
Someone tapped his shoulder.
"Hey! Jack! Is that you?"
Jack turned. For a second, he blinked in surprise.
"Chris?"
Standing behind him was a familiar face from middle school: Chris Powell. They hadn't seen each other in years. Chris grinned.
"Man, it's been forever!"
Jack laughed. "No kidding. I thought you moved away."
"Yeah, different school after middle school," Chris said. "But we moved back recently."
Jack nodded. "Nice. Good to see you again."
Chris gestured behind him. "Oh right, let me introduce someone."
Two boys stepped forward. They looked almost identical.
"These are my younger twin brothers," Chris said. "Jon and Jason."
The twins nodded politely. "Hi."
Jack shook their hands. "Nice to meet you."
They talked for a few minutes, catching up on small things like where they lived, what school they went to, and normal conversation. Eventually, Chris checked his phone.
"Alright, we gotta run. But we should hang out sometime."
Jack nodded. "Sure."
They exchanged contact numbers. After saying goodbye, Jack left the shop and continued walking, but something bothered him. He frowned slightly.
"Chris Powell..."
The name felt strangely familiar, like something from his past-life memories. Marvel... comics... Jack rubbed his chin.
"...Was he a hero?"
Or a villain? He couldn't remember. The thought slipped away quickly, because right now he had something more important to do: testing.
Nearly thirty minutes later, Jack reached the edge of an abandoned industrial zone. There were old buildings, broken windows, and rusting metal fences. Most people avoided this place, which made it perfect. Jack carefully checked the surroundings. No pedestrians, no security cameras, no cars.
"Perfect."
He raised his wrist, and the Omnitrix dial glowed green. Jack pressed it.
KRR-CHAK!
The dial slammed down, and green light exploded around his body. His bones expanded and his muscles multiplied, and his frame grew wider, heavier, and stronger. The transformation finished with a heavy THUD against the cracked concrete floor.
Standing in the broken building was a massive red alien with four muscular arms, a broad chest, and white markings running across his skin. Jack looked down at himself, then at a shattered mirror leaning against the wall.
"...Nice."
Four Arms flexed, his muscles bulging like moving stone.
"Still handsome," he said proudly.
He struck a heroic pose, then another.
"Yeah... alien princesses would definitely fall for me."
He froze.
"...Did I just say that out loud?"
Jack scratched his head. "Okay, that's new." The alien instincts were definitely doing something. Still, it was time to test his power.
A rusted steel beam lay on the ground nearby. Jack grabbed it with one hand and lifted, and the metal bar rose effortlessly.
"Whoa."
He lifted it higher. Then, with a casual motion...
CRACK.
The steel beam snapped in half. Jack stared.
"...Okay."
That was stronger than expected. Next, he walked outside, where an old abandoned car sat near the building. Jack grabbed it with two arms and lifted, and the car rose off the ground, all four arms holding it easily.
"Holy—"
He tossed the vehicle aside, and it landed twenty feet away with a loud crash. Jack laughed.
"This is insane!"
Next, he punched the ground.
BOOOOM.
Concrete shattered outward in a spiderweb pattern, and dust filled the air. Jack stepped back and examined the crater.
"Yeah..." He nodded slowly. "I could probably fight the Hulk now."
A pause.
"...Okay, maybe not."
Even he wasn't that delusional. But still, the strength was ridiculous.
Jack started running, and immediately he noticed something: he was slow. Not human slow, but compared to XLR8, painfully slow. Four Arms was built for power, not speed. He tried jumping, and his powerful legs launched him high into the air. He landed heavily, and the ground cracked again. Jack nodded.
"So..." He counted on his fingers. "XLR8 for speed. Four Arms for strength. Walkatrout for... embarrassment." He sighed. "Well, at least it's durable."
Then Jack noticed something strange. His mood felt different, more aggressive, more confident, almost arrogant. He flexed again.
"Yeah..." He grinned. "I look amazing."
Then he stopped.
"...Wait."
He blinked.
"That's not normal."
Jack frowned.
"Is the Omnitrix affecting my emotions?"
The idea made sense. Each alien species had its own instincts, which meant their personality traits could leak into the user.
"Great." He sighed. "So if I unlock some alien with anger issues..." He shook his head. "Future problem."
Suddenly, the Omnitrix blinked red.
Beep.
Transformation ending. Green light exploded around him again, and the massive alien body shrank. Moments later, Jack stood there in human form. He stretched his neck.
"That was fun."
He glanced at the watch, and a smile slowly appeared on his face.
"Honestly... I think I can survive this world now."
Jack turned and walked out of the abandoned building. The city of New York stretched across the horizon, full of danger and opportunity, side by side.