Episode 9: Tetronian War - Part 2

Meanwhile, on the other side, the Protectors fiercely battled Tetroid, who had emerged with a new, silver form. Teknight, having summoned his Tekdroids, found them overpowered and hacked by Tetroid, turning the once helpful robots against the Protectors of Earth.

A few Protectors fought valiantly against the corrupted Tekdroids, while Tetra, Terra, Zipporah, Mimic, and Green engaged Tetroid in a brutal struggle. Despite their well-coordinated tactics, agility, and strength, Tetroid stood his ground, using a part of his orb both offensively and defensively. The Protectors could barely touch him.

As the battle intensified, Tetroid effortlessly snapped and twisted Zipporah's neck, leaving her incapacitated and temporarily dead. He then thrust his fist into Mimic's chest, ripping out his heart and tearing his body in half. Turning to Terra, Tetroid sliced open her stomach, exposing her intestines and internal organs. Terra, in agony, clutched her abdomen as she fell to the ground, slowly dying.

Tetra, seeing her comrades' brutal defeat, charged at Tetroid in a rage. She thrust her fist into his face, shattering it and punching a hole through. However, Tetroid swiftly countered by cutting her hand in half with his shape-shifting Tetrenium silver spike hand. He then removed her mangled hand from his face, only to quickly recover, his relentless assault undeterred.

Before Tetra could react, Tetroid used his super speed to stab her multiple times mercilessly all over her body, leaving her bleeding before finally beheading her. The entire group was stunned, witnessing the brutal death of Tetra. Enraged, Supreme rushed into action, only to be caught by Tetroid's grip around his neck, his head crushed by Tetroid's other hand. 

Green attempted to alter reality but met a swift demise at Tetroid's hands. Nature was burned alive by Tetroid's immense eye beams, while Thunder Bolt and Vox were ripped apart. Teknight, in a desperate move, shrunk to infiltrate Tetroid's core, but the intense radiation inside Tetroid burned him alive while still in his shrunken state.

All this unfolded as OLX bore witness, Tetroid leaving him to observe the demise of his comrades before confronting him directly. They engaged in a high-speed pursuit, with Tetroid chasing OLX. In the midst of their battle, OLX created speed clones and mirages to tackle Tetroid, all while running to reverse time. Tetroid swiftly incapacitated a few of OLX's clones and mirages but ultimately met his demise.

However, OLX managed to reverse time to the point just before their encounter with Tetroid, giving the Protectors another chance to face their powerful foe with the knowledge of their previous defeat.

Successfully reversing time, OLX informed his team of what had happened. Vibrating so fast that he became intangible and invisible, he forcefully pulled Tetroid from midair. Seizing both of Tetroid's legs from underneath, OLX phased and pulled half of Tetroid's body into the ground, shattering it. Witnessing this, Tetra swiftly launched an assault on Tetroid, smashing him into pieces as Green erased the shattered parts.

"That was easy," said Vox with relief. "How'd you know about this, OLX?" he questioned.

Soon after, Teknight approached Tetroid's floating core as it fused with the orb. Reaching out to it, he became corrupted and turned against his fellow Protectors. What followed was a brutal massacre resulting in the death of everyone except OLX, who had to reverse time once again, warning them of the previous events. This time, the scenario played out differently.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Mark McCoy tossed debris aside as everyone stared at him in wonder. A few students gasped in shock, witnessing the devastation around them, drawing the attention of the rest.

"OMG! What on earth has happened here?" Mark Junior questioned randomly.

"It's like an apocalypse here," said a female student as they all surveyed their surroundings.

Some tried to find a signal for their mobiles but couldn't get any, while others panicked. Soon after, they heard the sounds of explosions and battle in the distance. Some students bore witness to the heroes fighting, recognizing a few flying heroes as the battle raged on.

Mark Junior and Amanda turned to Mark McCoy, seeking answers. Before Mark could utter a word, the leader of the bullies, though scared, hid his fear and stepped forward to confront Mark McCoy, blaming him for the incidents that had occurred. Amanda quickly shunned the bully, pointing out that he should be thanking Mark for saving their lives.

Mark McCoy then informed Mark Junior and Amanda that he was going to check out the ongoing battle at the other end. He told them to stay safe, and they all embraced each other warmly. Just as he was about to leave, a boulder came flying their way. Mark McCoy used his tetra beam to slice it in half, saving his fellow students and teachers from being crushed. 

As he was about to leave again, Amanda embraced him once more with a passionate kiss. Afterwards, Mark McCoy levitated midair and slightly nodded to Amanda and Mark Junior before taking off.

As Amanda and Mark Junior turned aside, they were stunned by everyone's gaze. Ms. Mullins and Miss Agnes were also stunned. Finally, Ms. Mullins broke the silence and questioned Mark Junior.

"Mark's an alien! How long have you known about this?" Ms. Mullins asked randomly.

Mark Junior playfully avoided the question, grinning as he responded, "Ms. Mullins!!!..."

The playful exchange eased some of the tension, even as the reality of the situation began to sink in for everyone.

On the other side, a similar outcome unfolded: Terra, Tetra, Zipporah, Mimic, and Green fell as they battled fiercely against Tetroid. He activated a piece of the Xentrocurnia-prime tech orb, rendering their attacks ineffective. Just as Tetroid was about to incapacitate Zipporah, a protective barrier from Mark shielded her. 

Adorned in his heroic costume, Mark charged with immense speed at Tetroid, landing a devastating punch that effortlessly shattered the Xentrocurnia-prime tech orb, sending Tetroid crashing into debris and obstacles in his path.

Effortlessly floating in midair, Terra was stunned at the sight of Mark, who turned his attention to his mother, showing concern for her safety and well-being. His rapid approach and powerful presence had already vanquished the corrupted Tekdroids under Tetroid's control.

"Mom, are you alright?" Mark said calmly as he descended from his levitation. He assured his mother that his dad was safe and mentioned the widespread destruction caused by their battle.

Their moment was abruptly cut short as Tetroid resurfaced with a shattered body and broken orb, unable to repair itself. Tetroid scanned Mark McCoy and noticed something different and unique about him. Without hesitation, Tetroid sent a transmission to the empire, unbeknownst to the Protectors of Earth.

Terra was stunned to witness such incredible power from Mark, who had managed to damage Tetroid beyond repair. She had never seen such a display of power that could rival the most powerful beings in the multiverse. Mark, however, chose to face off against Tetroid alone, who could barely move a muscle. As Mark took a step forward, he noticed something unusual about Tetroid that alarmed everyone: he was charging up an immense amount of cosmic energy, ready to go off.

Tetra and Terra recognized this as Tetroid's last resort to destroy the entire universe. Tetra quickly informed her team, and OLX suggested teleporting the bomb to another dying universe. Teknight, however, argued that using their abilities on the cosmic bomb could trigger it prematurely. While they were discussing a plan to safely disarm the bomb, Tetroid fell apart, revealing his core, which began to glow and increase in size, stunning the heroes.

Vox then suggested that Mimic absorb the bomb, but Teknight responded that it would vaporize him. After much thought, Mark suggested to Teknight that he shrink the cosmic bomb. Teknight said it was possible as long as they found a way to contain it quickly. Mark nodded gently, stunning everyone without further explanation.

Tetra disagreed with Mark's suggestion, but he insisted that his mother have faith in him. After a few moments of thought, she accepted his plan. 

Mark turned to Teknight and said, "Shrink the bomb as much as you can. I'll contain it."

Teknight nodded and activated his shrinking technology, reducing the cosmic bomb to a manageable size. 

As the plan was set in motion, OLX knelt, placing his hand on the ground and vibrating at his highest frequency. This action was meant to phase the entire planet, preventing the devastating lethal shockwave from causing further harm. Meanwhile, Teknight struggled but finally succeeded in shrinking the cosmic bomb. Without hesitation, Mark swiftly grabbed the miniaturized bomb and flew into space, where he swallowed it. The eruption and explosion that followed reverberated across time and space, its impact and shockwave felt everywhere. Yet, Earth and the universe remained unharmed. Although the internal explosion left Mark stunned, he managed to inhale deeply and exhale, releasing hot steam from his mouth before collapsing from exhaustion. 

Mark fell from space at breakneck speed. As the protectors of Earth watched, Teknight scanned Mark midair and informed Tetra of his descent. Before Tetra could react, Terra swiftly caught Mark mid-fall. She stared at the unconscious hero in awe before gracefully descending with him. Mark was out cold.

Teknight scanned Mark's vitals and confirmed he would be alright. Although their battle against Tetroid was over for now, their world had sustained heavy damage from the assault.

"It's no doubt that the empire has been notified of this. Soon, others will come with caution, preparing for a confrontation, knowing that the protectors of Earth have done the impossible," Terra said, stepping forward to address her fellow defenders. "Mark's deed won't go unnoticed. The empire now sees him as a threat. It's only a matter of time before they arrive. This is just a taste of what's to come."

Earth, while heavily damaged, quickly underwent repair. Leaders and heroes from every nation united to mend the planet's wounds. Teknight deployed some of his Tekdroids to assist in the reconstruction efforts, while he focused on studying and experimenting on the shattered remains of Tetroid that he had retrieved from the aftermath.

Government and media choppers from various nations flew over their respective cities, providing assistance and reporting on the ongoing repairs. All media outlets reported similar outcomes regarding the crisis aftermath and the restoration efforts in their nations.

In the McCoy residence, Mark finally recovered from his rest and went downstairs, only to be stunned by the sight of his parents having a discussion with Terra. His presence was quickly noticed as Tetra and Tony approached him with a warm hug.

"How are you feeling, Mark?" Tetra asked.

"I'm fine, mother," he replied.

"I heard what you did," Tony said. "You did good, kiddo," he added, though he received a slight jab on his arm from Tetra, who looked worried and concerned for their son.

Mark's attention was drawn to Terra, and he wanted to know who she was. Terra stepped forward to introduce herself.

"Mark McCoy!" Terra exclaimed. "It's an honor to meet you. You have your mother's fighting spirit and the true strength of a Tetronian warrior."

"You were there in the battle against that thing," Mark said.

"Yes, I was, along with the newfound alliance of Earth. My name is Terra, and I am now an enemy and fugitive of the Tetronian empire, just like your mother, my one true friend. That thing was known as Tetroid, a powerful cyborg which you single-handedly defeated when we couldn't. There's no doubt that the empire now knows of your existence and strength. You will be of great value and an asset in winning this war."

"Soon, more of our people—your kind—will come. Once they confirm your doubting prowess to be undeniably true—that you single-handedly took out the most powerful android in the universe—the empire will descend upon Earth. You have proven to get their attention," Terra concluded, leaving Mark stunned.

Meanwhile, in the distant reaches of a planet under Tetronian control, the empire received a transmission from Tetroid before his demise. The Tetronian empire was stunned by the shocking revelation displayed before them: Mark McCoy, son of Tetra, a hybrid Tetronian with unfathomable strength and unique abilities that set him apart from other Tetronians. Realizing the dire situation, Mother Tetora stepped forward to address what was left of their empire and soldiers.

"Earth has proven to be formidable with worthy adversaries, just as we suspected. Tetra has indeed violated our code, and now her bloodline—a halfling from two distinct species, a human and that of our DNA—flows through the so-called son of Tetra. This abomination known as Mark McCoy has not only proven himself worthy by defeating Tetroid, our most powerful weapon of mass destruction, but he is also a threat to the empire," Mother Tetora declared with conviction and hatred.

"Now is the time to show these pathetic low lives the true might of our empire," she proclaimed, boosting their morale as they all chanted in unity for the empire.

However, Tetramand, who was still focused on observing Mark's encounter with Tetroid on repeat, sensed something strange about Mark McCoy. He could feel that Mark had great potential and hidden abilities lying dormant within him, abilities that could pose a significant threat to him and the empire.