Train X Thought

Anne and Aquadilus sat next to each other on an old wooden bench just outside the EarthCo. Gift Shop, watching from a safe distance as Teresa trained with Isaac nearby, each of them transformed into NeOhm and Sandrill, respectively.

[Sandrill Card]

"So, let's say you're stuck as NeOhm for whatever reason and you have to fight a guy who controls sand." Sandrill said. "Whaddaya do?"

"Well, sand is awful at conducting electricity, so regular attacks are out." NeOhm hmmed. "I guess I would- WHOA!"

NeOhm stumbled sideways as a large ball of compressed sand shot past her, grinding off a chunk of the canyon wall behind her as it hit.

"Don't get distracted thinking out loud in the middle of a fight!" Sandrill warned her firmly. "The people I fight are usually dumb enough that I can get away with it, but from what I've seen you're usually up against more serious shit. If I was an actual bad guy trying to hit you, you'd've gotten half your face sanded off!"

"Unfortunately, I'm already *intimately* familiar with what that feels like." NeOhm grimaced underneath her visor.

"Jesus Christ, what *didn't* that asshole do to you?" Sandrill asked in disbelief.

"Not much."

"Is this really a good idea?" Anne asked Aquadilus as they watched from the sidelines. "I mean, I know Isaac is experienced, but he's not exactly *tactful*. Like. At all."

"Normally I'd be just as skeptical as you are, but believe it or not, he has actually been trying to improve since he first met Teresa." Aquadilus grunted. "He *says* he likes being an asshole, but normally he's surrounded by people who can throw his particular brand of attitude right back at him. Interacting with people that are genuinely vulnerable is something he's still getting used to."

"Is that why you're out here watching them?"

"To make sure he doesn't screw things up too bad? Yeah, pretty much." Aquadilus sighed. "What about you?"

"I'm Teresa's girlfriend now, remember?" Anne tapped on the side of her head. "Besides, I'm a matrix user too. Why *wouldn't* I be here for this?"

"I keep forgetting about that." Aquadilus said. "It's still weird to me."

"What is?"

"That you and Teresa are together." Aquadilus stated. "Considering you spent an entire year abusing her in high school."

"I... I was a different person then." Anne replied ashamedly. "A worse person."

"I get that you've turned into a totally different person over the past few months, but it's just been that- *a few months*." Aquadilus said. "Don't get me wrong, I've seen how happy Teresa is with you and I hope it lasts, I just have my doubts is all."

"Doubts about what?" Anne looked at him.

"I mean, I obviously don't know any of the details about your relationship, so take this with a grain of salt, but from the outside looking in, it kinda seems like you two have solely been bonding over a bunch of shared traumatic experiences." Aquadilus explained. "I don't think there's anything wrong with that, I just don't know if it's a stable enough base for a relationship."

"I..." Anne scoured her brain for something to rebut that with, but a sinking feeling creeping into her stomach became more and more obvious as her search continually turned up blank. "But she... she's said she loves me."

"I don't doubt she does." Aquadilus said. "But will she still feel the same way once her trauma's been resolved?"

"What do *you* know about human relationships, anyway?!" Anne abruptly snapped. "You're an electric blue crocodile from outer space! Where do you get off commenting on *our* personal lives?!"

"Hey, like I said, take it with a grain of salt." Aquadilus shrugged. "I only bring it up because I've seen it happen before. People bond over shared trauma and then drift apart because they don't have anything else in common. If you think it'll work out, I'll take your word for it; I just think it's wise to be prepared if it doesn't"

Whatever response Anne might have come up with was left unsaid as NeOhm jogged over to them with a concerned expression underneath her visor.

"Hey, Anne, is something wrong?" NeOhm asked. "You started looking really miserable all of a sudden."

"It's nothing." Anne waved the question off with a forced smile. "I was just... thinking about some stuff is all."

"Well... okay." NeOhm said apprehensively. "Just know you can talk to me about anything, alright? I'm not your girlfriend for nothing, y'know."

"I know." Anne's smile became a lot more natural. "...You, um... you know I love you, right? Not just for what you do, but... for who you really are."

"Of course I do!" NeOhm giggled, producing a light buzzing noise from her throat. "I have no idea *why* you'd fall in love with a mess like me, but I definitely know you did!" She paused for a moment. "Hey, is it okay if I pick you up and do a really corny romantic twirl? Because I really want to pick you up and do a really corny romantic twirl right now."

"I don't see any problem with that." Anne grinned.

"YES!" NeOhm picked her up off the bench and held her in a tight embrace as she whirled around whimsically several times. "I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you!"

By the time NeOhm set her back down, they were both laughing and blushing, with Anne's mood being significantly improved.

"Feeling any better?" NeOhm asked.

"A lot better, actually." Anne replied with a genuine smile. "I wish we could be like this all the time."

NeOhm's expression shifted under her mask.

"...Me too."

"Hey, are we still training here or what?!" Sandrill called over.

"Training is *not* as important as making sure my girlfriend is okay!" NeOhm snapped back. "I'll be there in a minute! Geez!"

"I'm okay, Teresa, really." Anne stroked NeOhm's cheek reassuringly. "Go get 'em!"

NeOhm nodded and ran back over to Sandrill, who had them both detransform.

"Alright, I can admit when I'm wrong, that looked pretty solid." Aquadilus nodded. "Good for you."

"Yeah..." Anne's heart sunk a bit as she was reminded of what Aquadilus said. "Good for me."

"Why did you have us detransform?" Teresa asked. "I still don't know how to counter sand as NeOhm."

"Oh, that's pretty simple. Lightning plus sand equals glass. Easy win." Isaac clapped his hands together. "Bringing up what happened with Crow made me think of something else you need to learn."

"Wh-what would that be?" Teresa gulped.

"Self-defense while not transformed." Isaac stated matter-of-factly, raising a finger in the air. "You already know that some bad guys try to catch you off-guard so you don't get the chance to use your Omnitrix, so you gotta learn how to fight back and buy yourself enough time to transform."

"You mean like martial arts and stuff?"

"Those *would* be pretty handy, but no, I mean creaming someone by any means necessary." Isaac shook his head, then pulled up the SpecTrix's inventory and summoned the Pyronaut Blade before grabbing it out of the air. "Take this thing, for example. I know all of jack and shit about swordsmanship, but "long hot pointy stick go chop chop" is usually a pretty foolproof strategy for making any nearby goons think twice about approaching you."

"Sure, but... I don't have a weapon." Teresa pointed out. "I-I mean, CROSS does with the Cross Bullet, but personally-"

"You will soon." CROSS interjected from the CrossTrix.

"Wh-what do you mean?" Teresa blinked.

"The doc's been working on something she *thinks* she's doing a good job of keeping secret, but... well, it's the doc, you can kinda guess how that's working out." CROSS said. "I'm not entirely sure what it is, but she had Eva come over to help with the wiring and I overheard them talking about it."

"Eva?"

"One of the doc's alien friends. NeOhm's genetic donor." CROSS explained.

"Well, I guess we'll cross the weaponry bridge when we come to it, then." Isaac hmmed. "For now, CROSS, keep an eye out for any chance you have to use the Cross Bullet. This is *America*, goddammit, act like it!"

"Way ahead of you."

"And as for you," He pointed to Teresa. "Say Crow comes back somehow and catches you off-guard when you're not transformed. What do *you* do if that happens?"

Teresa froze for a moment before silently curling into a ball on the ground.

"...This is gonna take some work."

Teresa followed Isaac into the shop as he made his way to the back room and picked up a phone mounted on the wall.

"Wh-who are you calling?" Teresa asked. "...And why do you have a wall-mounted phone? W-wasn't that a 70s thing?"

"It's the shop's interplanetary line." Isaac explained as he punched some numbers into the phone's dial pad. "I mostly use it for business, but it can be used to reach pretty much anyone."

"I thought the SpecTrix could do that."

"It can, but it's a bit more complicated and I'm lazy." Isaac grunted. "Besides, the speaker quality's been mid ever since I spilled coffee on it."

"You... n-never mind." Teresa shook out her head. "Wh-what about the first thing?"

"The first thi-... oh, who I'm calling?" Isaac snapped his fingers. "Let's just say I've got an old acquaintance who might be able to help you sort out your whole..." He vaguely gestured at her. "*Thing*."

Within a throne room carved out of a massive red glass crystal created by a long-dead flame geyser, a red alien with black horns on his head and purple eyes adorning his chest stood in front of a holographic table displaying the floor plans of a proposed warship design. As he examined the strategic points of the design, the large gauntlet he wore on his left wrist began beeping.

"Who in the wastes..." The alien muttered to himself as he checked the caller ID. After raising a concerned eyebrow upon seeing who it was, he pressed a button on the side of the gauntlet to answer the call. "Hello, Logical. It's been a while."

"Hey, considering what usually brings the two of us together, I'd say that's a good thing." Isaac replied. "Warlord stuff keepin' ya busy?"

Warlord Kroz Poster

"More than you could imagine." Kroz tsked. "But enough with the pleasantries. If you're calling on me, I assume there must be some kind of emergency."

"I'm trying to give someone emotional advice."

Kroz froze.

"That *is* an emergency." He muttered. "I'm on my way."

"Any advice on what to do in the meantime?" Isaac asked.

"As far as you're concerned?" Kroz replied. "Try not to say anything."