Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Across the pitch-black sky, five or six small Spider Drones appeared, their bodies shaped like mechanical spiders. Their heads glowed with a red, pulsing light that flickered ominously.
"Target detected! Locking on..."
The Spider Drones' cold, emotionless voices echoed in the darkness.
Without exception, every one of them locked onto the Omnitrix on Lucian's wrist. Engines flared, and they dove toward him at incredible speed.
Seeing this, Ben Tennyson nearly jumped out of his skin, his legs shaking uncontrollably.
"Ah! What kind of freaks are these?!" he shouted, collapsing onto the cold ground.
As an ordinary student, Ben had never encountered anything like this before. These robots looked straight out of an alien invasion—strange, menacing, and terrifying. Who knew what they were capable of?
Lucian, however, remained calm. He had already anticipated that Vilgax would send machines to snatch the Omnitrix.
Only this time, things were different from the original story. Back then, Vilgax had sent just one giant robot and two Spider Drones—certainly not this many.
"Looks like my appearance has thrown the plot off a bit," Lucian murmured.
"We need to run! They're coming!" Ben yelled, panic etched across his face.
"Target located. Retrieve the Omnitrix."
The Spider Drones hovered overhead, their black barrels extending and locking onto the two figures below.
"Perfect timing!"
Lucian pressed down on the Omnitrix, cycling quickly through its settings before slamming it down. A surge of eerie green light burst forth.
Zzzzt!
Several crimson lasers shot through the air like deadly serpents, tearing through space as they hurtled toward Lucian.
Boom!
Thunderous explosions shook the ground. The spot where Lucian had stood was engulfed by violent red light as dirt and debris blasted in every direction.
"Target eliminated," came the cold mechanical report.
Boom!
Suddenly, a massive pillar of fire erupted from the explosion, roaring skyward before breaking free from the encirclement. It landed near a large tree with tremendous force.
As the blinding flames subsided, two figures emerged from within.
One was small and slender. The other... was wreathed entirely in roaring fire, like a blazing demon from the depths of hell.
He stood at an average height, his skin glowing molten red and cracked like cooling lava. His hair was golden flame, flickering and dancing with intense heat.
"Ah!" Ben staggered back in fear. "You—you're another freak?!"
The fiery figure looked far more intimidating than the robots!
"Ben, it's me," Lucian said, waving a flaming hand.
"You... you're that kid with the cool watch?" Ben's eyes widened.
"That's right," Heatblast nodded. "And my name's Lucian."
"Whoa, that's awesome!" Ben exclaimed, jumping up excitedly as he stepped closer to Heatblast. "How did you do that? Can you teach me?!"
"And since you're all covered in flames, I'll just call you Heatblast!"
Just as Heatblast was about to respond, several sharp whooshes tore through the air again.
"Persistent pests," he muttered. "Guess I'll deal with you first."
Heatblast lifted his hand, a blazing ball of fire forming in his palm.
He glanced back at Ben. "Those robots are coming again. Stay safe."
Ben's face went pale. He darted behind a large tree and crouched down to hide.
Moments later, the Spider Drones reappeared in sight.
"Target acquired!"
"Target acquired!"
...
All the Spider Drones flashed red lights atop their heads, locking onto the Omnitrix on Heatblast's chest.
Zzzzt!
Countless crimson lasers, radiating scorching heat, surged toward Heatblast with overwhelming force, aiming to obliterate him.
"Trivial tricks."
Heatblast snorted coldly, leaping nimbly to dodge the barrage. Then he raised both hands, launching several blazing fireballs into the air.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Explosions thundered across the field as the fireballs struck the Spider Drones, shattering them into countless fragments. The debris rained down, scattering across the ground and billowing thick black smoke into the air.
"Awesome!" Ben Tennyson dashed out from behind a tree, eyes wide with excitement. "You were incredible just now! Those freaks didn't even stand a chance against you!"
"Really?" Heatblast glanced down at his palms.
When he had fired those fireballs earlier, it had felt completely natural—as if it were an ability he'd been born with, as easy as eating or drinking. Of course, it still consumed a fair amount of energy.
Beep... beep... beep...
Suddenly, the Omnitrix on Heatblast's chest began to flash, before bursting into a bright red glow.
"Lucian?" Ben Tennyson blinked, staring in surprise at the handsome young man now standing before him.
Lucian examined himself and realized he had reverted to his human form.
"Looks like the time's up..."
For now, the Omnitrix's transformation duration was limited. Unlike the adult Ben Tennyson, he couldn't seamlessly switch heroes or maintain transformations indefinitely. Still, according to the system prompt, it seemed possible to extend the transformation time in the future.
After dealing with the Spider Drones, Ben led Lucian toward the Rustbucket.
Lucian didn't object. With Vilgax hunting for the Omnitrix, there were bound to be more robots lurking nearby—and since the watch was still cooling down, he had to stay cautious.
After about ten minutes, the two finally arrived at the camp.
An elderly man with gray-streaked hair and a red floral shirt was busy tinkering inside the Rustbucket. Despite his age, his build was still strong and sturdy, showing no signs of frailty.
By the campfire, an orange-haired, green-eyed girl sat with her chin propped on her hand, eyes fixed on a laptop screen as she scrolled with the mouse, clearly engrossed in her research.
"Gwen, Grandpa!" Ben called out as he jogged over, with Lucian following behind.
"Doofus," Gwen muttered without even looking up.
"Ah, Ben! Where'd you wander off to this time? Didn't get into any trouble, did you?" Grandpa Max chuckled, still facing away as he fiddled with something. "Come on, come on! Grandpa prepared some protein for you guys. Give it a try!"
Ben waved his hands frantically. "Grandpa, I still have cornflakes in my backpack! Give those to Gwen instead!"
Gwen, who had been focused on her computer, immediately frowned in irritation.
"Your brain must've melted in the sun!" she snapped, turning around angrily.
But the next second, she froze.
When had that incredibly handsome guy appeared beside her idiot cousin?
Sword-like brows, bright eyes, and strikingly handsome features—his sharp, refined face looked like it had been carved from stone, impossible to ignore. His frame was tall and lean, yet exuded strength, nothing like the frail type. And the calm, mature air about him set him completely apart from anyone their age.
Lucian waved politely, a gentle smile on his lips.
"So handsome..." Gwen murmured, her cheeks heating up as a rosy blush spread across her face.
"Swooning!" Ben muttered, rolling his eyes.
Just then, Grandpa Max stepped out of the Rustbucket, holding a large bowl filled with wriggling white worms, the mass twisting and squirming in clumps.
"Here you go! Top-quality, fresh, live rice worms! If that's not enough, I've got smoked lamb tongue in the car too! Heh... there's plenty to go around!"