Gloom laid in her bed as she looked out her window, her headset laying in her bed as she rubbed her hooves. She had a very dark room as she sighed softly, barely any sunlight coming inside it. ‘What plan does he even have for me? And what experiment is he sending now?’ She thought.

A small mumble coming to her lips as she looked at the pitch black ceiling, “Nightmare Night is almost here...my favorite time of year...where the night rules…”

She heard the small buzz of her headset occurring as she raised an eyebrow, using her magic she pulled it on her head. “Yes?”

“Gloom, it’s time. I have decided to take a note from Vilgax’s book but made it better, I’ve decided to make a hunter out of a smaller dragon. I did not anticipate the mind of the elder dragons, do not worry. This one is but a prototype.” Erebus said as he chuckled softly.

Gloom smiled, “and he shall be under my control?” She asked as Erebus replied, “temporarily. Until the job is done.”

“Well then, at least he’ll put on a decent show.” Gloom retorted, “are you doubting my experiment?”

Gloom grinned slightly, “of course not sir...just send him in.” She said as Erebus growled slightly before a massive roar was heard outside of Ponyville. Catching the attention of all of the ponies and especially Nick.

Gloom grinned, “it’s time to go…”

Nick heard the roar, having literally just walked outside of Twilight’s castle as he sighed slightly. “Of course. The MOMENT I walk out there’s trouble.” He said his sword in its sheath on his back.

“Uncataloged DNA detected.” His Omnitrix chirped up, what seemed a like a map forming on the faceplate as it the said, “new DNA closing in fast.”

Nick looked around and then up, seeing what looked like a mutated undead dragon flying straight down toward him.

Quickly jumping to the side and rolling on the ground the drake hit the ground quickly and looked at Nick, a weird green ooze leaking from his mouth. A yellow beam scanning over the dragon as what seemed like a pure version of itself popped up in the holographic wheel of aliens.
“Huh, maybe the same happened with the Manticore DNA...the Omnitrix must purify and get rid of any genetic impurities…” Before he could ponder further the dragon’s tail struck him across the chest and sent him back hitting a cart.

“Ok...OW!” Nick said as he stood up grabbing his sword and unsheathing it, then charging forward and sliding on the ground evading a fireball. Slicing the Hunter’s ankles he quickly stood up looking at it, blood was indeed oozing from the wound. However it was quickly healing, “Nicholas. This time it is the end for you,” the dragon spoke.

‘It’s almost like a puppet. Clearly Erebus is involved but he’d make his presence more known. Shade? No he’s rotting in the dungeons of Canterlot.’ He thought trying to narrow down the possible culprits before the dragon backhanded him and knocking him through a window.

Gloom watched the fight intently, “you really outdid yourself with this one Erebus.”

“I know, and as a prototype this is only the beginning…” Erebus said grinning from his side of the comm link.

Gloom narrowed her eyes as she watched, Nick quickly parrying the dragon’s claws with his sword and then leaping up and slamming his foot into its snout. “Was the regeneration intentional?” She asked as Erebus replied with, “no. It was a side effect, however it is proving more useful than predicted. However I believe it is temporary.”

“Well it’s a good thing that you’re using it now,” Gloom said as she clicked a button on the side of her comm link. A microphone reaching to her snout, “BEG FOR MERCY WELP!” She shouted, her voice coming through the dragon.

“Sorry I have a problem with begging for mercy. I don’t do it,” Nick said as he then quickly dodged a tail whip from the dragon, jumping off of its tail and taking bringing his blade down on its thick hide. It not penetrating as the feminine voice laughed and smacked him away sending him onto the ground.

The dragon standing over him, its green ooze dripping down onto him before opening it’s mouth side. Ready to chomp down on Nick, who reacted by using his sword to stop the dragon from chowing down on him. His hands shaking as he growled and pushed the blade upward, actually overpowering and pinning the dragon down, its tail wrapping around his waist and repeatedly slamming him into the ground before throwing him aside.

Nick fell onto the ground, coughing and sputtering holding his chest. Some of the ponies actually helping him up, “are you ok human?” A mint green unicorn asked him as Nick looked at her and nodded, “y-yea...just a couple of cracked ribs...:” He groaned, his body shaky before he took one big breath. Clicking his omnitrix he flicked through the list of aliens and then pushed down on the faceplate, the on the dial in which his form quickly changed. Two extra limbs sprouting from his side as his form shrunk down, blue hair growing all along his body and a tail sprouting from his backside.

“Spider-Monkey should be better than my human form in maneuvering…” He said to himself before charging forward, the dragon roaring and charging back.

Nick leaping upward once it took its slash at him, flipping off of it’s claw his tail aimed and fired a stream of webbing onto the top of its snout. Swinging around and managing to keep the dragon's snout shut with the webbing and releasing. Sliding on the ground Nick looked at the beast he growled and grumbled, using its claws to tear off the webbing infuriated.

“Awwwww, is the little baby dragon mad?” Nick asked laughing slightly before the dragon charged forward, “YOU WILL DIE TODAY NICHOLAS!” The voice screamed at him before attempting to slam Nick with it’s tail.

The dragon however taking his moment in the air to smack him away, flying toward a wall the dragon’s tail pushed against Nick’s chest further adding to his speed and forcing him through the window of a building and behind it.

The sound of Nick’s Omnitrix depowering filling his ears, shakily he rose to his feet. “Ok...everything feels broken...where the hell is Twilight and the others?!” He shouted as the dragon leapt onto the top of the ponies home he crashed through hissing at him.

“What is a matter Nick? Unable to handle me alone?” It asked laughing at him, Nick clenching his fist. “I can! And I will!”

Gloom couldn’t help but snicker to herself, she was having a blast watching the human being tossed around like a rag doll! Gloom controlled the dragon yet again, a creepy grin forming on its face as it lashed out at Nick once more.

This time the human turning into XLR-8, dashing and dodging the dragons initial attacks and running up to the roof of a building and jumping off. His form changing again to that of the Sonorosian known as Echo Echo, Gloom watched intently seeing the human splitting himself apart into identical clones of himself.

“Echo…” They all said in unison, Erebus quickly piping in and screaming in her ear. “COVER YOUR EARS!”

Gloom did so without hesitation, her hooves covering her ears as Nick screamed. “STORM!!!!!”

Massive waves of a sonic scream coming down onto the dragon, the civilian ponies actually managing to escape the blast of the scream.

The dragon letting out roars of pain as it attempted to cover its ears from the scream, however the blast and force of the scream actually kept him down.

Most of the Echo Echo clones forming back inside Nick as he changed form yet again, now in the air, the dragon looked up only for the massive feet of Humungasaur to slam down atop its back.

The dragon seemingly defeated Nick reverted to his human form and fell to the ground on his hands and knees, panting softly. “Fucks sake…” He said panting before looking up seeing the dragon climbing back up onto its feet. Looking at Nick as Gloom grinned, before hearing Erebus yet again.

“Call it back.” He said flatly.

Gloom blinked before listening in, “but Erebus! We have him! He’s injuried! He’s ready for death!”

Erebus growled in the comm link, “who is the leader here? Who created that dragon? Pull my creation back NOW! Twilight and the others should becoming outside any moment. Keep your identity hidden, you’re useful when they don’t know you.”

Gloom wanted to object but growled in spite of herself, speaking through the dragon it growled at Nick. “We will have to continue our little dance later Nick. Until then I’ll be watching you.” The drake said before spreading its wings and taking off into the sky.

Gloom reluctantly returning the creature to Erebus and thinking to herself, “Erebus is delaying...he doesn’t understand Nick is getting more and more powerful and more adaptive with that little device…” She grumbled trotting and seeing the human enter the main street limping slightly.

“Ok...I gotta get to Twi’s castle...where the hell was she..?” He asked himself slightly concerned and making his way to the castle, Gloom whistling and using her magic to trip him up.

Nick suddenly fell to the ground, his face hitting the floor as he groaned loudly and held his head, it ringing from his previous battle. Along with having some internal damage but nothing to fatal, just maybe a few cracked ribs and a odd pain in his ankle. In which case he felt EXTREMELY lucky that’s all he got from that whole ordeal.

Looking around he did feel a force keep his left leg in place and suddenly release causing the trip only seeing a rather cute white furred unicorn mare standing behind him with a headset on. “Oh I’m sorry Mr. Nicholas! I didn’t mean too!”

Nick sighed and rubbed his face dusting it off, “it’s fine I guess…” He said before making his way again. The mare grinning widely at this and slipping away.

Eventually Nick made his way to Twilight’s castle, opening the door to the map room and much to his surprise indeed the whole Mane Six were there...but a new pony seemingly sat and conversed with them.

Twilight smiled at Nick, “oh Nick! I didn’t tell you! This is our former enemy and now new friend Starlight Glimmer!”

Nick blinked slightly as he looked at the new unicorn who blushed slightly looking away from him. His simple response being, “what.”

Author's Notes:

https://ben10.fandom.com/wiki/Spidermonkey

https://ben10.fandom.com/wiki/XLR8_(Classic)

https://ben10.fandom.com/wiki/Echo_Echo

https://ben10.fandom.com/wiki/Humungousaur_(Classic)