(A/N: I do not own any of the pictures used in this ENTIRE story, they were found on Pinterest or Google, they belong to the creators and deserve the credit. Or made with AI art.)

(A/N: I do not own the videos used in the ENTIRE story, they were found on YouTube, the creators deserve the credit)

(A/N: Also I do not own any of the series, animes or games used in this story, they belong to their respective owners and deserve the credit)

Colorado, Cheyenne Mountains

The early morning sun bathed the Colorado mountains in golden light, the crisp air carrying the faint scent of pine. Tyler Skelton adjusted the strap of his worn backpack, his boots crunching against the rocky path as he led the way through the dense forest. Behind him, Aiden Wolfe fumbled with a gadget that emitted occasional beeps and hums, his focus more on the screen than the trail.

"You sure that thing's even working," Tyler asked him,"sounds like it's about to short out."

Aiden glanced up briefly, his crimson eyes as he rolled them dramatically, as this was a regular thing with them. Aiden was a kid who liked to tinker with anything he gets his hands on, he loved science and learning all he can. He watched every single episode of Dr. Stone and loved science-fiction motives, tv series and novels, he was a big nerd, but a badass one.

Tyler was more of the military kind of sci-fi, he loved guns, military and just like to blow shit up. Tyler was more of Aidens compass, as in trying to make sure Aiden doesn't die or his parents will kill him, so he was more pragmatic then Aiden, but Aiden is sometimes when he thinks straight. Both were ADHD and autistic, Tyler had his use of military to keep sane and Aiden with his science

Though they will not speak of the 2020 Science Fair they partnered up on...they are legally bound even.

"Hey, this 'thing' is a custom-built electromagnetic detector, thank you very much," Aiden said with a sassy voice,"you'd be lucky to even understand half the stuff in here."

"Yeah, well, you'd be lucky to see the tree you're about to walk into," Tyler said as he smirked and shook his head

Aiden snapped his head up just in time to sidestep a thick pine trunk and not walking face first into it. He muttered something under his breath, earning a chuckle from Tyler as he wished to see the faceplant. The two continued their trek, the trail narrowing as the forest gave way to jagged rock formations, which was easy to them as they did this many times.

Tyler use to come up here when he first came to Colorado, he moved here to live with his Uncle, who was gone most of the time. So Tyler spent as much time as he can to keep himself preoccupied, walks, gun stores or shooting ranges. Then when he came to the mountains to fuck around, he found Aiden trying to blow up some rocks, so he could definitely say this was a first

Aiden was trying to find any interesting samples of rocks in the area, so he acquired all the necessary components to make TNT. He blew some cliffs up, making sure no one was around and all bases covered, up they didn't go off when he primed the detonator. He was confused until Tyler came in and helped, thus they blew a lot of shit up

Then and there, two best friends were made that day

"So, why are we here again," Tyler asked,"I thought we were just hiking, not chasing ghost signals."

"Because Gunner, the readings I've been picking up from this area are off the charts," Aiden said as he showed his device,"strong electromagnetic fields, strange geological anomalies, something's out here man. Something big."

Tyler paused at the edge of a steep incline, looking down into a shadowed ravine. Tyler has been here a few times when he solo hikes, to train as if he was getting ready for the military, which he planned to do after High School. Though he never went forward, mainly cause of the military base nearby, but it's been closed so no harm

"You've been watching too many conspiracy videos man," Tyler said as he hopped down a ledge,"let me guess, next thing you're gonna tell me Bigfoot's down there too huh?"

"Laugh all you want," Aiden said as he followed,"but if I'm right, this could be the discovery of a lifetime."

They descended carefully, the sound of rushing water growing louder by the sec. At the base of the ravine, Aiden's device began beeping frantically, its screen having a green color bleeping on it.

"See, I told you," Aiden said with a smile

Tyler knelt next to a moss-covered boulder, brushing away debris with his hands. Beneath it, a metallic glint caught his eye, its was dark grey instant of the brown and tan color of the area. He exchanged a glance with Aiden before pushing both pushed the rock aside, revealing a weathered, circular stone frame partially embedded in the earth, with strange symbols lined its edges.

"What the hell is this thing," Tyler asked as he looked at it

Aiden's eyes widened as he traced his fingers over the markings. It was smooth, but very cold to the touch, and it felt like nothing he has observed to found. And he can't tell what the material was or what the symbols mean, this weren't known in the history of Earth. But he may have an idea, he has heard of something of this nature

"I think...it's a Stargate," Aiden said

"A what now," Tyler asked confused

Before Aiden could answer, the ring emitted a faint hum, and the inner circle began to rotate. A rush of blue energy erupted from the center, stabilizing into a shimmering pool of light, it looked cobalt blue. Tyler stepped back instinctively, they didn't touch anything to activate it, and when it did he felt like his skin just crawled and he didn't like it

"Aiden...what did you do," Tyler asked

"I—I didn't do anything," Aiden said,"at least...I don't think did"

They stood frozen, the otherworldly glow reflecting in their wide eyes.

"You still think this was a good idea," Tyler asked, braking the silence first.

"Depends...you feel like taking a trip," Aiden asked, a grin appearing on his face

"...Aiden...do not..."

Before Tyler could say more, Aiden ran forward into the strange portal, his curiosity overpowering his caution like always. Tyler just stared at the portal as he signed and rubbed his face as he should have expect this. Aiden always acted without thinking most of the time, so he should follow...

"If he isn't dead after this, I'm gonna kill him myself," Tyler said as he walked through the portal

As he did the Stargate closing behind him, leaving the mountains quiet once more. On the other side of the Stargate, Tyler and Aiden were hurled onto hard, uneven ground, the sudden shift in gravity knocking the wind out of them. Tyler groaned as he rolled onto his back, squinting against the bright, twin suns overhead...well you don't see that everyday

"Okay, first thing's first," Tyler said he got up,"next time, let's not blindly walk into glowing alien portals."

Aiden sat up, brushing dirt from his jacket and squinting at the strange landscape around them. Towering trees with silver leaves swayed in the warm breeze, their branches stretching toward a sky painted with hues of orange and violet. The ground beneath them shimmered faintly, as if infused with tiny particles of light. This truly showed they weren't on Earth anymore

"Are you seeing this," Aiden asked, smiling wide,"it's... incredible! The leaves must be affected by the planets atmosphere and the twin suns!"

Tyler pushed himself to his feet, glancing around with unease.

"Yeah, it's pretty man," Tyler said,"but maybe we should figure out where we are and how to get back before we start sightseeing, yeah?"

Aiden held up his device, now emitting a steady stream of beeps. He scanned the area, his eyes already scanning the area as he wondered what caused the leaves to be sliver, or why the trees seem to grow twice as taller than those at Earth.

"The energy levels here are off the charts," Aiden said as he scanned,"this place isn't just alien, it's ancient. Look at the terrain, the way everything seems untouched"

"And yet, here we are," Tyler said as he looked around,"touching it, great."

A rustling sound from the nearby foliage made Tyler freeze, his instincts already going into observation mode. He instinctively stepped in front of Aiden, his hand hovering near his utility knife. He wished he brought his pistol, but he didn't think he need it for a simple hike, well next time he better bring a shotgun.

"You hear that," Tyler whispered

Aiden nodded, his curiosity quickly replaced by awareness, he was scanning the area with Tyler. He reached for his boot knife, something his dad taught him for protection

"Yeah," Aiden whispered back,"please tell me it's not some alien predator."

Before Tyler could answer, the bushes parted to reveal a humanoid figure clad in sleek, angular armor. The being's skin had a faint metallic sheen, and its eyes glowed faintly with an unnatural yellow light. It raised an ornate staff-like weapon, pointing it directly at them. Tyler sighed as he faceplamed, groaning as he couldn't believe his luck

"Of course it's an alien predator," he said,"nice way to jinx us, really good work."

"Must be you sarcastic right now," Aiden asked

"I am being the accurate amount of sarcastic right now, and you can't complain, you got us in this mess."

The armored figure spoke in a melodic yet commanding language, the words incomprehensible to Tyler and Aiden but clearly a warning. Aiden raised his hands slowly.

"Uh...we come in peace," Adien said,"...maybe?"

"Not helping right now, Aiden," Tyler said

The figure motioned for them to move, gesturing toward a cluster of structures in the distance that seemed to grow out of the earth itself. Tyler hesitated, his instincts screaming at him to run, but he could see the precision with which the figure held its weapon. Any sudden movement would likely end badly, so he had to play along to gain more intel.

"Looks like we're going for a walk," Tyler said,"look, keep your head down and let me do the talking."

"Sure, great plan General," Aiden said, his sarcasm showing,"except for the part where we don't understand a word they're saying."

"Then we shouldn't have walked through the ominous blue portal dipshit."

"Hey fuck you baldy!"

The alien prodded them forward with its staff, its posture rigid and its eyes never leaving them. As they approached the structures, Tyler couldn't help but notice how the architecture seemed to hum faintly, as though alive. The residents all seem to look familiar, but the women had lighter grey skin then the males, basing it on their escort

"This just keeps getting better and better," Tyler said

"Hey, on the bright side, this might be the discovery of the century," Aiden said

Tyler glanced at him, his expression deadpan.

"Or the last thing we ever see before we are killed," Tyler said,"same difference."

The pair was led into a large chamber filled with similar armored figures, their glowing eyes fixed on the newcomers. At the far end of the room, a taller being adorned in elaborate robes stepped forward, its presence commanding. It raised a hand, and the room fell silent, as Tyler looked around to see people with more decorated armor showing their rank.

"I don't like where this is going," he whispered to himself

The robed figure spoke in the same melodic language, its tone sharp and inquisitive. Aiden leaned closer to Tyler, whispering to not let them hear him.

"We really need a translator now that I think about it," Aiden said,"any chance they speak 'we're sorry for trespassing?'"

Tyler didn't answer, his gaze locked on the alien leader as it studied them. The tension in the room was palpable, the air thick with unspoken intent, which made Tyler worried, so he clenched his fists, ready for anything. Then the leader pointed at them, uttered a single word, and the guards closed in.

"Yup," Tyler finally said,"gefinitely not good."

The guards grabbed them, Tyler instinctively elbowed the closest one, making the figure groan as it had a nosebleed. Tyler was then hit in the stomach, but he shoulder bashed back, and soon grabbed by two more. Aiden had punched the closet one to him, while one kicked him behind the knee. They groaned as they were dragged to the side, what were soon to be cages

Tyler and Aiden were shoved into a dimly lit cell, the heavy door sliding shut with a resonant thud. The faint hum of energy fields suggested they wouldn't be escaping easily, Tyler was already trying to find something to pick. Aiden slumped against the wall, his device clutched protectively in his hands, he wasn't gonna let them take his device, this was his birthday present

"Okay..I will admit...this may have not been my best idea," Aiden said

Tyler paced the room, his jaw clenched as he inspected their surroundings. The walls shimmered faintly, suggesting some kind of energy-based containment system. He didn't see anything to rip open or anything to stop the power, so he had to think on something else

"You think, What gave it away," Tyler said,"the heavily armed guards, the creepy glowing eyes, or the part where they locked us up?"

"Okay in my defense, I didn't expect them to be so...hostile," Aiden said

"We walked into their world uninvited, Aiden. For all we know, we just tripped some sacred ritual alarm or some shit."

"Fair point. But hey, at least we're not dead yet, so that must count for something."

"Don't worry, give it time."

Aiden set his device on the floor and began tinkering with it, his fingers moving quickly over the small screen. Tyler watched him for a moment before sitting down on the opposite side of the cell. Tyler had no ideas, so he might as well see what Aiden has in store cause when it came to technology like this, he did better than him.

"What are you doing," Tyler asked,"if that thing couldn't get us out of here before, I doubt it'll work now."

"I'm trying to see if I can hack into whatever energy field is powering this cell," Aiden said,"if I can disrupt it, maybe we can—"

He was cut off as the door slid open with a low hiss. Both boys jumped up as two guards entered, their glowing eyes narrowing. Behind them, the robed leader stepped into the room, its expression inscrutable. Tyler glanced to Aiden, who gripped his boot knife in case they tried anything against them.

The leader spoke again, this time holding a small device that emitted a series of clicks and hums. A moment later, its voice shifted, and the alien language overlaid with a mechanical translation.

"Outsiders," the Leader said, having a computerized voice,"why have you come to our world?"

Aiden exchanged a glance with Tyler before speaking carefully, cause if Tyler spoke, he no doubt cause more tension. So he let Aiden talk, cause he at least talked to people and not piss them off...when he doesn't want to

"We didn't mean to come here," Aiden said,"we found...a device, a portal, back on our planet. It brought us here by accident."

The leader's glowing eyes narrowed further.

"Your kind has tampered with dangerous technology," the Leader said,"such recklessness threatens all worlds."

"Look Metalhead, we don't know anything about this technology," Tyler said,"we're not here to cause trouble. We were just hiking in the mountains, and now we just want to go back home."

The leader tilted its head, as though considering Tyler's words, but didn't like metalhead. The guards shifted as they started at the two boys, their weapons still raised in case they tried anything to them.

"Your ignorance does not absolve you," the Leader said,"this technology is forbidden for a reason."

"Then help us understand it, we're not enemies, we're explorers," Aiden said,"we didn't know what we were walking into."

"Yeah cause we ain't fucking telepathic," Tyler whispered

The leader stared at them for a long moment before turning to the guards and issuing a command. The guards stepped forward, grabbing Tyler and Aiden by their arms.

"Great, that went well," Tyler stated flatly

"Stay positive," Aiden said,"we might get a chance to go home."

"Or maybe they're taking us to a beautiful execution chamber."

They were dragged out of the cell and down a long corridor, the architecture growing increasingly elaborate and the air tingling with latent energy. Finally, they were brought into a massive chamber dominated by the same structure they found at home. It pulsed rhythmically, like a beating heart of a living being.

"This is the gateway you trespassed through," the Leader said,"its power is ancient, and its purpose is not for your kind to understand."

Aiden stared at the structure in awe, his mind racing.

"How did you drag it here," Aiden asked,"also, where does it draw its power from?"

The leader ignored his questions, focusing on Tyler. Tyler looked at him, his face plain and emotionless, as he didn't want the leader to read him. Tyler grew up not showing emotion to anyone, his dad said if your enemy can read you, then you're dead.

"Your actions have consequences, outsider," the Leader said,"you have brought attention to our world. You must leave before others follow."

"Oh and leave your beautiful little world," Tyler mockingly, then shurgged,"okay then, just show us how, and we'll be out of your hair—or whatever you have under that hood, probably something nasty."

The leader raised its hand, the strange portal soon started to glow like before, then soon it stabilized to the cobalt blue. Before Tyler or Aiden could react, a wave of energy enveloped them, pulling them off their feet. The sensation of being ripped through space ended with a bone-jarring impact.

Tyler and Aiden landed hard in icy water, the shock stealing their breath. They clawed their way to the riverbank, coughing and sputtering as the sound of rushing water filled their ears. They were soaked, they looked at the portal and saw it turned off, making them groan in relief, but it wasn't the same place they came from, not Colorado

"Next time...we stay home, play video games and drink soda," Tyler said as he flicked some water off

"Agreed," Aiden said,"now...where the fuck are we?"

A shadow fell over them, and Tyler looked up to see a man standing on the bank, his arms crossed and an eyebrow raised. He was around his 40's, white skin and white hair and brown eyes, wearing boots, tan pants, a black shirt and a green military jacket.

"So...care to explain why you two just fell into my river," the old man asked

Tyler and Aiden exchanged a look, the absurdity of the situation catching up to them. At least he looked human, so they know they were on Earth, or they would be dead either way

"It's...a very long story, sir," Aiden said

"Good, I like long stories," the old man said,"let's hear it over some coffee."

With no other option, the two boys followed him, the weight of their discovery still fresh in their minds. Though Tyler had one question on his mind

"Hey, old man," Tyler said,"who the hell are you?"

"Jack O'Neil," the old man said,"and I ain't old."