Kevin froze, a cold smile curling across his lips.
"Ben Tennyson, you're finished."
He thrust out his crimson arm, grabbed the Lamborghini beside him, and prepared to hurl it at the terrified Ben.
Beep! Beep!
A blaring horn cut through the tension. The Rustbucket's engine roared to life, surging forward with a deafening rumble until it screeched to a halt nearby.
With a loud crash, Grandpa Max kicked open the door and jumped out. He picked up the pistol SixSix had dropped earlier and aimed it straight at Four-Armed Kevin.
"No one hurts my grandson!" he barked, a chilling resolve flashing in his eyes.
Beside him, Gwen raised her hand, conjuring a fierce water dragon that coiled in midair, ready to strike.
"Grandpa! Gwen!"
Relief flooded Ben's face. His chest tightened with emotion, and tears threatened to fall. Only now did he truly understand—Grandpa's strictness had always come from love. And Gwen, his nerdy cousin, even though she teased him all the time, would never hesitate to risk herself to protect him.
"Looks like they're important to you," Kevin sneered. "In that case... none of you are leaving here alive!"
He hurled the car in his hands toward Grandpa Max.
"Grandpa, look out!" Ben yelled.
"Water Dragon Soul!"
Gwen's voice rang out as she commanded the raging water dragon to strike.
Boom!
The dragon roared, its body wrapped in surging mist and explosive power. It slammed into the car, shattering it into pieces. Shards of metal and vapor rained down, scattering across the wet ground.
"Ben, get over here!" Grandpa Max shouted.
Ben nodded and sprinted toward the Rustbucket.
"Trying to run? Not happening!"
Four-Armed Kevin ripped a nearby tree from the ground and hurled it with terrifying force. The massive trunk hurtled toward Ben with a deafening whoosh.
Zap!
At the last instant, Grandpa Max's laser gun fired a blinding crimson beam, slicing the tree into several smoking chunks that crashed to the ground.
"Grandpa!"
Ben reached him and threw his arms around him tightly.
He remembered their fight earlier—how he'd stormed off after stealing that game, convinced that Kevin was the only one who understood him. Now, he finally saw the truth: only his family truly cared.
Grandpa Max ruffled Ben's hair, then stepped forward protectively, eyes narrowing.
"What's going on? How can he copy doofus' alien form?" Gwen asked, frowning at the monstrous figure that looked exactly like Four Arms.
"We'll talk later," Grandpa said, raising his pistol. "First, we take down this brute."
Kevin laughed, unfazed by the weapon aimed at him.
"You think the two of you can stop me? Don't make me laugh."
He kicked off the ground, shattering the pavement beneath his feet. Like a fired arrow, he shot toward Grandpa Max at incredible speed.
Grandpa fired repeatedly, beams of light striking Kevin's body with perfect accuracy—but his tough, rock-like skin absorbed every hit. The blasts barely slowed him down.
Beside them, Gwen launched Aqua Arrow after Aqua Arrow, but the attacks only splashed harmlessly against Kevin's body, turning into mist that vanished into the air.
In seconds, Kevin was in front of Grandpa Max. With a single swipe, he knocked the laser gun out of his hands. Then, his red claws shot forward, clamping tightly around Grandpa Max's throat as he hoisted him into the air.
"Since you're Ben Tennyson's grandfather, you're just out of luck!" Four-Arms Kevin clenched his fists, ready to strike.
"Let go of my grandfather!"
Gwen, drained of magic, desperately grabbed Kevin's pant leg—only to be yanked up by the collar.
"Ben Tennyson's cousin?" Kevin's deformed eyes widened as he studied the beautiful girl before him, his gaze filled with conflicting emotions. For some reason, an unfamiliar feeling rose within him. A feeling he had never experienced before...
"Ben, run!" Grandpa Max gritted his teeth, his breathing growing labored.
"Let go of my grandfather and cousin!"
Ben rushed forward, swinging his small fists and pounding against Kevin's thick legs. But it was like a mayfly trying to shake a tree—completely useless.
Kevin stared at Gwen for a long moment before finally setting her down. No matter how she struck him, he didn't react.
"I don't hit women..." he murmured quietly.
"Let go of my grandfather!"
At those words, Kevin's attention shifted instantly. He grabbed Ben by the leg and lifted him off the ground.
"You're asking for death!" he snarled, glaring viciously as his arms tensed.
Grandpa Max's face flushed red, veins bulging and eyes bloodshot. Rage burned inside him. He had saved countless lives, yet now he couldn't even protect his own grandson.
In his ears echoed Gwen's sobs and Ben's choked voice of regret. His consciousness began to blur, memories from the past flashing before him—the Plumbers, the Null Void, Verdona, Xylene...
"Let them go!"
Suddenly, a slender figure appeared at the far end of the street.
Hearing that voice, a spark of hope lit up in Ben's bloodshot eyes. Struggling against the suffocating grip, he kicked his legs with all his strength, shaking off one of his shoes.
Thud!
Four-Arms Kevin failed to dodge, taking the filthy shoe straight to the face. Instantly, a foul stench filled his nostrils—the stench of rank athlete's foot. He gagged violently, doubling over as he vomited uncontrollably on the ground.
His massive hand flung both grandfather and grandson away, sending them crashing onto a nearby car.
Seeing this, Gwen rushed over in panic. Only after checking that they were unharmed did she let out a shaky sigh of relief.
Meanwhile, Kevin clutched his reddened neck, retching painfully as he gasped for air.
"Stinky... so stinky!"
"It's even worse than Ben Tennyson's giant bug!"
Just then, that voice spoke again.
"What you're vomiting is pretty stinky too."
Kevin looked up, frowning. Before him stood a tall, slender, black-haired boy, his calm eyes watching with detached indifference.
"Who the hell are you to talk to me like that!" Four-Arms Kevin roared in fury. "If you want to die, I can grant you that wish right now!"
Lucian said nothing. His gaze remained cold.
He slowly raised his watch, summoned the holographic display, switched modes, and pressed a button. The movements were smooth, confident, and precise.
Boom!
A burst of emerald light exploded outward, and a towering figure materialized before Four-Arms Kevin...