The plaza was finally calming down. Fires still burned, the air reeked of smoke and acid, but the DNAliens were either restrained or had burrowed away. Plumber medics moved between stretchers, civilians were being hauled off to safety, and the chaos felt… contained.
Dexter stretched his shoulders inside the armor and let out a long exhale. Finally over…
"Well, everything's good now," he said, dusting off his gauntlets. "So, I'll just… go."
He turned to leave, but a voice stopped him.
"May I know your name, young one?"
Dexter glanced back. Magister Patelliday stood there in his blacked-out dome helmet, posture straight as a soldier.
For a second, Dexter scratched his visor with one armored finger, like he was debating. Then he shrugged. "Uh… call me Metal Dex."
Patelliday inclined his head in a respectful nod. "Then thank you for your help, Metal Dex. You may have saved countless lives tonight."
"Don't mention it," Dexter replied, though his tone was breezy, dismissive.
Then Ben stepped forward, the Omnitrix glinting on his wrist. His expression was earnest, a mix of pride and relief. "Seriously, man… thanks. For everything."
He raised his hand in a gesture of gratitude, a handshake.
Dexter hesitated a half second, then extended his armored gauntlet. The two clasped hands, metal meeting flesh. "You're welcome"
And then—
[Uncatalogued DNA detected.]
The mechanical voice rang out from the Omnitrix. Its dial pulsed, a beam of green light scanning across Dexter's armor.
Ben's eyes widened. "Wait—what?"
The Omnitrix beeped again, louder.
[Unknown DNA sample acquired. Scan complete.]
Ben froze, staring at his wrist in shock. Dexter's hand twitched slightly in the handshake before he snatched it back.
For one suspended moment, both of them stood there caught between realization and denial.
Dexter was the first to move. He coughed, gave the most awkward laugh he'd ever forced out, and took a step back. "Well then—goodbye now, heheh."
And with that, he turned on his heel, wings snapping open. The thrusters flared, lifting him into the smoke-laden sky as he disappeared into the night.
Ben stood there, the Omnitrix still glowing. Slowly, he lifted his wrist, eyes locked on the holographic projection flickering above the dial.
A new alien icon appeared. Its silhouette was sleek, angular figure that looked almost alive despite being made of shifting green light. Its "body" wasn't flesh at all, but segmented plating, layered like armor yet fluid enough to move. Two sharp, blade-like arms extended outward glowing with faint neon edges while its core pulsed with a steady emerald light.
Ben's lips parted. His voice was barely a whisper.
"…He's an alien?"
_________
Dexter's wings hummed faintly as he glided into a narrow alley. His boots touched down lightly on cracked pavement, and his visor dimmed.
There, tucked into the shadows between two abandoned buildings, sat his truck. When he had joined the fight earlier, he'd ordered his computer to drive it out of sight, letting the autopilot conceal it with precision. Now, guided by his HUD, he'd tracked its location back with ease.
He sighed inside the helmet. "To think the Omnitrix would scan even you…"
[That technology is strange,] Metal intoned flatly.
"Yeah," Dexter muttered. "Strange is one word for it."
He ran a hand along the truck's side panel before carefully pulling the door open—gentle this time, mindful not to tear the door off again. He slid into the driver's seat with practiced ease as the familiar hum of machinery wrapping around him like a shield.
"For now," Dexter murmured as he powered up the systems, "let's go home."
The truck rumbled to life, headlights flaring briefly before it rolled out of the alley and disappeared into the night.
But suddenly—
The manhole cover at the far end of the alley scraped and slid aside. A green head popped out as a blue bandana tied firm across his eyes. His gaze swept the alley, sharp and cautious.
"All clear," Leo whispered, climbing out with practiced ease.
"About time," another voice chirped as an orange-masked turtle hopped up after him, balancing a grease-stained pizza box in one hand. "Let's move! Game's starting in ten, and this beauty's getting cold."
"You're the one who ordered extra sausage, Mikey," the purple-banded one muttered, adjusting the tech rig strapped to his shell as he followed. "It doesn't reheat well."
"Relax, Donnie." Mikey sniffed the box dramatically. "Pizza this fresh never goes to waste."
"Would you two keep it down?" Raph growled as he hauled himself up last, red bandana hanging loose around his scowl. "We're supposed to be stealthy, remember?"
Leo gave a sharp nod, pulling the cover back into place. "Come on, let's move. Rooftops, now."
They leapt effortlessly, shells and limbs moving in perfect rhythm as they scaled the nearest building. Mikey lagged just a step behind, juggling the pizza box with surprising balance.
"Yo, you guys hear that?" Donnie said mid-climb, pausing as the faint echo of an engine drifted through the alley. He adjusted the scope clipped over one eye, peering down.
"Probably just some late-night delivery truck," Raph grunted, already pulling himself up to the roof.
Donnie squinted, curiosity tugging at him as the tail-lights of Dexter's truck faded into the distance. "…That didn't sound like a delivery truck to me."
"Donnie!" Leo hissed from above. "Let's go."
Donnie hesitated, then shook his head and climbed after them.
Mikey popped the pizza box open the moment they reached the roof, steam wafting up into the cool night air. "Now that's what I call perfect timing."
The four brothers disappeared across the skyline, their laughter mixing with the faint rumble of the city below.
The alley fell silent once more.
_______
[A/N: The name Metaldex was given by a reader but I can't seem to find his/her name so shout out to him/her for coming up with the name!! Thanks man!!