Capítulo 7: Chapter Seven: Trial by Fire
The forest clearing was unnervingly silent, save for the faint hum coming from the glowing pod nestled in the crater. Marshall and Peter stood frozen at its edge, staring at the shifting metal panels as they hissed and clicked open. Symbols etched across its surface flickered with an eerie green light, casting ominous shadows across the trees.
Peter nudged Marshall's arm with a trembling hand. "Tell me that's not some kind of alien robot about to pop out."
Marshall didn't respond, his glowing orange eyes locked on the pod. Something about it tugged at the edge of his mind, a faint flicker of recognition he couldn't quite place. The Omnitrix on his wrist pulsed faintly, as if it, too, knew what was coming.
The pod let out a final hiss, and from its dark interior emerged a spindly, insect-like robot. Its body gleamed with smooth, polished metal, its limbs sharp and angular. Two glowing red eyes locked onto them as it unfolded itself fully, standing tall on razor-sharp legs. The mechanical hum grew louder, becoming an ominous whine.
Peter's voice cracked. "Oh, come on! It is an alien robot!"
The droid let out a high-pitched screech, its limbs flexing unnaturally before it lunged forward with terrifying speed. Marshall shoved Peter out of the way, diving in the opposite direction as the droid's claws slammed into the ground where they had been standing, gouging deep trenches into the dirt.
Scrambling to his feet, Peter pointed wildly. "Marshall, do the thing! Hit the watch or whatever! I am not dying to a tin can!"
Marshall smacked the Omnitrix without hesitation, and the now-familiar green light enveloped him. His body morphed, bark-like skin replacing soft flesh as he transformed back into Swampfire. His new form towered over Peter, with thick vines coiled around his limbs and glowing orange veins pulsing across his bark-like skin. The smell hit instantly, and Peter gagged as he stumbled back.
"Ugh! Why does it smell worse this time?" Peter choked, his eyes watering. "Do you get smellier every time you change?"
"Would you stop whining and focus?" Marshall growled, flexing his clawed hands. "I've got this."
"Do you?" Peter shot back, jabbing a finger at the droid. "Because it really looks like it's got this!"
The robot screeched again, its claws flashing in the green glow of the pod. It lunged for Marshall, moving so quickly it was nearly a blur. Marshall barely dodged, the droid's claws grazing his shoulder and sending sparks flying. He spun around and lashed out with his claws, but the droid darted back with mechanical precision, its glowing red eyes narrowing as it recalibrated its attack.
"Alright," Marshall muttered, summoning a fireball in one hand. The flames flickered and grew, crackling ominously. "Let's see how you handle this."
He hurled the fireball with all his strength, the glowing orb streaking through the air like a comet. It struck the droid square in the chest, exploding with a deafening boom. The force of the blast sent shards of metal flying, and the droid collapsed into a smoking heap.
"Yes!" Peter pumped his fist, grinning. "You got it! That wasn't so—"
A loud screech cut him off as two more droids crawled out of the crater, their movements quick and spider-like. One of them jumped onto the remains of the first, its claws screeching against the metal as it climbed.
Peter threw his hands up. "Of course there's more! Why wouldn't there be more?"
Marshall groaned. "This just keeps getting better." He raised both hands, fire flickering to life in each palm. "Alright, round two!"
The two droids charged simultaneously, their claws glinting like blades. Marshall planted his feet and met them head-on, his heavy footfalls cracking the dirt beneath him. He swung his arm, lashing out with vines that shot from his wrist and wrapped around one of the droids. With a sharp pull, he slammed it into the ground, but the second droid used the distraction to leap onto his back, its claws scraping against his bark-like skin.
"Get off me!" Marshall snarled, twisting violently to shake the droid loose. It clung tightly, its claws digging deeper, sparks flying with each strike. Marshall summoned another fireball, this time letting it erupt from his chest in a fiery explosion that sent the droid flying.
Peter ducked as shards of metal and embers rained down around him. "You're supposed to be the hero! Stop making it worse!"
The first droid recovered quickly, its claws extending further as it charged toward Peter. The boy's eyes widened, and he dove behind a nearby log, shouting, "I'm too young to get sliced by a robot!"
Marshall turned just in time, vines lashing out to intercept the droid. They wrapped tightly around its legs, pulling it off balance and slamming it into a tree. The droid screeched and flailed, but Marshall tightened his grip, the vines creaking as they constricted. With a sharp twist, he ripped the droid apart, its metallic limbs clattering to the ground.
"Yeah, that's right!" Marshall said, tossing the pieces aside. "You mess with the plant, you get the—uh, vines!"
Peter peeked over the log, unimpressed. "You really need better catchphrases."
The second droid wasn't finished. It screeched and launched itself at Marshall again, its remaining limbs sparking with energy. Marshall swung his arm, summoning another fireball mid-motion and slamming it into the droid's face. The explosion sent both of them flying, Marshall landing with a heavy thud in a patch of bushes.
Peter scrambled over, waving frantically. "Are you okay? Is it dead? Are we dead?"
Marshall groaned, sitting up and brushing dirt off his bark-like skin. "Yeah, I'm fine. And I think I got it—"
The droid, now missing half its limbs but still operational, let out a piercing whine and dragged itself toward them, sparks flying from its damaged frame.
"You were saying?!" Peter shouted, pointing wildly.
Marshall growled, his orange eyes narrowing. He raised both hands, and with a burst of concentration, summoned a wave of fire and vines. The flames engulfed the droid as the vines coiled tightly around it, crushing its remaining limbs. It let out a final screech before collapsing into a smoldering heap.
Marshall stood over the remains, his shoulders heaving as he glared down at the wreckage. "And stay down."
Peter emerged from behind the log, looking frazzled but otherwise unharmed. "Okay, that was awesome. Terrifying, but awesome."
Marshall didn't respond immediately. Instead, he stared at the crater, his thoughts racing. The Omnitrix pulsed faintly on his chest, its light dim but steady. Those droids had been after something—and deep down, he had a sinking feeling it had to do with the device now bonded to him.
Peter waved a hand in front of his face. "Uh, Earth to Marshall? Are you still in there, or did the swamp smell fry your brain?"
Marshall shook himself out of his thoughts. "Yeah, I'm here." He glanced at the Omnitrix, its green hourglass glowing faintly as it beeped. Before he could say anything, the light enveloped him, and he shrank back into his human form. His legs wobbled, and Peter rushed forward to catch him before he could fall.
"You good?" Peter asked, eyeing him carefully.
"Yeah," Marshall said, glancing back at the crater. "But I think we just stepped into something way bigger than us."
Peter frowned, looking at the wreckage of the droids. "Like what?"
Marshall didn't answer. Instead, he sighed and started walking back toward the campsite. "Let's get back before my parents wake up. I'll explain later."
Peter followed, muttering under his breath. "You'd better, because I have so many questions."
As they disappeared into the forest, the faint hum from the pod's remains grew louder, the flickering symbols on its surface glowing more erratically. Whatever it was, it wasn't finished yet.
---
Far above the Earth, hidden among the stars, a massive ship hovered silently. Its dark, angular design was barely visible against the void of space, but the faint glow of its engines betrayed its presence. Inside, a tall, imposing figure watched a holographic display, his red eyes narrowing as he observed the wreckage of his droids.
The figure's voice was deep and guttural, filled with quiet menace. "So… the Omnitrix has bonded to a new host."
He leaned forward, his clawed hand gripping the edge of the display as the image shifted to show Marshall's transformation into Swampfire.
"No matter," he growled. "The Omnitrix will be mine. And so will the one who wields it."
Status de energia semanal
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Poder 
-- Pedra de
Poder