With Zs'Skayr successfully sealed away, Fred took a moment to erase the memories of the attack from anyone who had witnessed it and restored the damaged buildings back to their original state. When everything was back to normal, the group woke up their tour guide—who Gwen had put to sleep earlier.
As the girl groggily blinked awake, Fred wasted no time in teasing her. "Oh, would you look at this? Skipping our tour just to take a nap in the library?" he quipped, a smirk tugging at his lips.
The guide's face flushed red as she scrambled up, stammering before bolting out of the room in sheer embarrassment.
Gwen nudged Fred with her elbow. "You didn't have to do that," she said, although a small smile played on her lips.
Fred chuckled, shrugging. "What? I'm just stating the facts. I'm sure they'll assign us a different guide for tomorrow."
Gwen took a deep breath before shaking her head. "You know what? I think I'll keep my options broader," she said thoughtfully.
"You sure?" Fred asked. "We'd probably get another tour guide tomorrow if we wait."
Gwen considered it briefly before waving off the idea. "Nah, I'll just reschedule. I want to think more about it."
With their business at Bancroft Academy concluded, the gang left, piling into the rust bucket as Max took the driver's seat. His enthusiasm was unmistakable as he grinned widely. "Alright, kids, next stop—Gator-Fest! And trust me, I know a pretty good location for it," he declared.
The gang's journey stretched through the day, and as expected, the kids found ways to keep themselves entertained. Fred and Ben were absorbed in a game on Fred's laptop, their focus unwavering as digital battles unfolded on the screen.
Gwen, who had been quietly reading, suddenly snapped, "Could you two please keep it down? I can't focus!"
Ben, without missing a beat, grinned at her. "Oh, what's wrong? Afraid you'll lose if you join in?" he taunted.
That was all the push Gwen needed. She set down her book, rolled up her sleeves, and grabbed a controller. "Fine. But don't cry when I destroy you."
A couple of rounds later, Ben stared in horror at the screen. "No way! How did you—?!"
Gwen smirked. "I guess I'm just better than you."
Fred, meanwhile, remained undefeated, calmly pressing buttons with a slight grin. "Well, almost better," he remarked, enjoying the chaos.
Max sighed deeply, gripping the wheel tighter. "This is going to be a long drive," he muttered under his breath, thoroughly regretting giving the kids extra time to burn energy.
As the rust bucket finally pulled into a foggy, humid campground, Max stopped the vehicle, stretching his arms. "Finally, we've arrived!" he announced, relief evident in his voice.
"And where exactly is here, Grandpa?" Gwen asked, unimpressed by the eerie landscape.
"This is where Gator-Fest will be held," Max explained. "It might not look like much now, but tomorrow this place will be packed with people. I wanted us to get here early to beat the crowd."
Gwen scanned the dark, damp surroundings before wrinkling her nose. "Ew. This place is foggy, damp, and dark. I'd rather stay in the rust bucket," she said, taking a few steps outside before promptly turning back.
As she stepped inside, she caught sight of Ben fiddling aggressively with the Omnitrix. "Umm, what are you doing?" she asked, raising a brow.
Ben barely glanced up. "I'm trying to figure out how to unlock Master Control."
"*What*?" Gwen responded, her curiosity piqued.
"You know how Fred is better at controlling the watch than I am? He said it's because of something called Master Control," Ben explained.
"And how does he know that?" Gwen questioned suspiciously.
Ben leaned back slightly, sighing. "Well, after losing to rock-paper-scissors again, he told me the secret to how he always wins—one of his aliens gives him insight or whatever on using the Omnitrix. But that's all he gave me."
Gwen folded her arms. "And that doesn't explain what you're doing now."
Ben waved her off. "I'm just trying to figure out how to unlock the feature since there's not much else I can do."
Gwen rolled her eyes. "Why don't you just pry it open?"
Ben paused as he processed what she said, but Gwen was already walking away to freshen up. As Fred came out of the bathroom, she entered.
Morning light bathed the festival grounds in warm golden hues, and as the gang stepped out of the rust bucket, they were immediately awestruck by what they saw. The once quiet, swampy landscape had transformed into a lively, bustling festival. Booths lined the roads, music played in the air, and families moved about, eager to partake in Gator-Fest's festivities.
"Woah," the kids marveled in unison, taking in the sights.
Max chuckled as he walked behind them. "What did I tell ya'? Let's enjoy ourselves as the Gator-Fest begins!" he declared, ushering them forward.
The gang strolled through the event, eyes darting from gator-themed merchandise to carnival games. The smell of fried food and swampy air mixed strangely, but the excitement was infectious.
Ben's eyes landed on a crowd gathered not too far from them. "What's going on over there?" he asked curiously.
"Why don't we take a look," Max said, leading the way.
As they arrived, they saw a group of people gathered around a fenced-off area, eagerly waiting for something. A sign read "GATOR EGG HATCHING EVENT – SEE NATURE UNFOLD BEFORE YOUR EYES!"
Fred folded his arms. "What's so great about eggs hatching?" he muttered, unimpressed.
Ben, meanwhile, was once again distracted, endlessly fiddling with his Omnitrix.
Soon, the eggs began to crack, tiny reptilian snouts poking out. One by one, baby alligators emerged, stumbling toward the swamp, their instincts kicking in as they sought water.
"Aww, they're kinda cute," Gwen remarked with a small smile.
However, as the baby gators entered the water, they suddenly scrambled back onto land, chirping in distress.
"Now, that's strange. What would frighten them like that?" Fred began but stopped himself. "Nevermind."
A ripple disturbed the swamp's surface. Then, without warning, giant mutated frogs erupted from the water, their grotesque forms looming over the festival-goers. Panic spread like wildfire—screams filled the air as people abandoned their booths and ran for safety.
Gwen groaned, waving her hand as a pink energy shimmered around her. Instantly, her outfit shifted to Lucky Girl's attire.
"Why can't we have a normal day for once?" she muttered.
Fred tilted his head, eyeing the army of oversized amphibians. "Well, this is new."
He turned to Ben, who was still hesitating to transform. "Uh, Ben—you gonna sit this one out?" Fred asked, noting how Ben was acting strangely.
"I… Uhhh…" Ben stammered, nervously hiding his arm behind his back.
Lucky Girl's gaze sharpened. "What did you do?" she demanded.
"It's nothing, I swear!" Ben defended, but Gwen wasn't convinced. With a flick of her hand, Ben's arms were forced up, revealing the Omnitrix flickering erratically.
Fred's brows shot up. "Wait—you did it already?" His tone carried a hint of genuine admiration.
Just as Gwen and Max were about to scold Ben for messing with his Omnitrix, Ben blinked in surprise. "Wait, really? You're not pulling my leg, are you?"
Fred smirked. "Yeah, I mean, I told you to figure it out yourself—I never said I'd lie when you actually got it."
Lucky Girl sighed, bringing their focus back to the current crisis. "Guys—army of mutant frogs here!" she snapped as she shielded fleeing civilians with her magic.
Ben fumbled. "Okay, what do I do now?!"
Fred yelled over the chaos, morphing into his half-Ghost form before diving into battle. "Just do what I told you!" he called out.
Fred summoned ghostly clones of himself, each moving independently to strike at the frogs. Meanwhile, Ben finally activated the Omnitrix, transforming into Diamondhead before launching himself into the fray.
"I can't believe I'm actually fighting an army of mutant frogs," Fred muttered as he phased through a leaping frog before blasting it with ecto-energy.
Max's voice came through a communication channel Gwen had set up. Small magic circles shimmered on their ears—magic comms.
"Ben! Fred! Try rounding them up and boxing them in a cage!" Max instructed.
Fred deflected an amphibian's attack, floating mid-air as he scanned the battlefield. "This is odd," he murmured. "Shouldn't the doctor have made his appearance by now?"
A lingering tension filled the air—the kind that warned them something bigger was coming.
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