Morning, New York City gas station.
After paying for the fuel, Grandpa Max closed the nozzle and started walking back toward the Rustbucket.
Just then, an armored cash transport vehicle rumbled past on the highway.
BOOM!
A surge of energy burst through the air as a powerful laser cannon blasted into one of the vehicle's tires, shattering it instantly. The truck flipped sideways, grinding against the pavement with a shower of sparks. Bills flew everywhere, scattering across the street until the vehicle finally came to a stop on the cold asphalt.
For a moment, the onlookers froze in shock. Then, the sight of money raining down snapped them out of it. Their eyes lit up, and like starving wolves spotting fresh prey, they charged forward, trampling over each other in a frenzy to snatch the cash.
"Out of my way, losers!"
The voice came from a woman at the front of the chaos, eyes flashing with menace. Behind her followed a group of armed thugs wearing hip-hop-style masks, each carrying heavy firearms and radiating murderous intent as they stormed toward the wreck.
They fired a few warning shots into the air, scattering the looters before seizing the fallen bills for themselves.
Inside the overturned truck, police officers—faces bloodied and battered—struggled to open the damaged door. The crash had left them severely injured, and surviving at all was already a miracle.
But as long as they were still breathing, they wouldn't let these criminals take the cash.
Enduring the pain, the officers who could still move crawled out of the vehicle and opened fire, engaging the attackers in a desperate gunfight.
However, the gang's firepower was overwhelming—especially their leader, Rojo. She wielded a massive laser cannon, its energy output far beyond anything a standard rifle could match.
The escort team, already wounded, quickly fell behind. Under the intense barrage, they were forced back, one after another collapsing into pools of blood. Yet even as their strength failed, trembling hands still reached for their weapons, unwilling to give up.
Rojo, her auburn short hair gleaming under heavy makeup, barked orders as she led the assault. Her subordinates, each armed with a gold-plated AK-47, unleashed a final charge, intent on wiping out the remaining officers and claiming the prize for themselves.
But just as they surged forward, a white figure dropped from the sky, landing squarely before them.
The newcomer was completely wrapped in white bandages, a golden crown resting on its head, eerie green light shining from its eyes. Its aura was ancient—and terrifying.
The thugs glanced at each other before bursting into laughter. Through the holes in their masks, their eyes gleamed with mockery and disdain.
"I thought it was something scary. Turns out it's just a cosplayer! Who are you trying to scare?"
"Right? I'm not afraid of that! I've killed chickens—think I'll be scared of you?"
"Ha! Halloween's still a long way off, pal!"
...
Snare-Oh let out a low, disdainful snort. In an instant, countless white bandages shot from its body, blotting out the sky. Moving faster than the eye could follow, they lashed out, wrapping around five of the thugs and hoisting them high into the air, leaving only their heads and necks exposed.
"Look at you all—pathetic."
Several bandages stretched forward, tearing off their masks. Snare-Oh paused, narrowing its glowing eyes.
"All women?" the mummy rasped, surprised. The voices of these "female" thugs had been so rough it had mistaken them for men. No wonder some of the bandages had felt strangely soft and squishy—like cotton candy. Hard to describe...
The wounded officers behind the armored truck stared in shock, jaws hanging open. Then, realization hit, and cheers erupted.
"Hero! A hero's come to save us!"
"The Pharaoh has descended! The Pharaoh himself!"
"Mummy Bro, use your bandages—teach them a lesson!"
"Yes! We're saved!"
...
The surviving officers couldn't help but cheer. What had once seemed like certain death had completely turned around—the scales of victory had finally tipped in their favor.
The shock of surviving such a hopeless situation made them forget the Snare-Oh's frightening appearance. Instead, they found it strangely awe-inspiring, even endearing.
Just then, Ben and the others came running over.
"Four Arms is about to move! Watch me pound these weirdos into the ground!"
With that, Ben ducked behind a truck, flipped open the Omnitrix, switched heroes, and slammed his hand down.
Thud!
A flash of eerie green light burst forth, and XLR8 appeared in his place.
"Oh, come on~ I was going for the big guy, not some scrawny little dino." XLR8 rubbed his head in frustration.
In a blur of blue, he dashed forward and stopped beside Snare-Oh.
He lifted his visor, glancing at the thugs tangled in bandages. "Nice work, Cuz! Any enemies left?"
Snare-Oh nodded, pointing toward the woman across the street—Rojo.
She stood alone with her laser cannon in hand, surrounded by the unconscious forms of her subordinates, yet her expression showed no trace of fear.
Rojo hoisted the heavy cannon onto her shoulder, aiming directly at Snare-Oh and XLR8.
"Paperboy," she said coldly, "I'd advise you not to stick your nose where it doesn't belong. Or I'll blast you into a pile of ash."
"You're too full of yourself. You need to be taught a lesson." XLR8's tone hardened as he prepared to charge.
But Snare-Oh reached out and stopped him, gesturing toward the wounded officers behind them.
"Ben, get them to the hospital. Some of them are barely hanging on."
"But…" XLR8 hesitated. He clearly wanted to teach the gang leader a lesson.
"Your speed is their only chance," Snare-Oh said firmly. "Saving lives—that's what being a hero is about."
"Got it!" XLR8 nodded. He pulled down his black visor and, in a flash of blue light, raced toward the injured officers...
Meanwhile, Rojo had grown impatient. She adjusted her stance, aiming her massive laser cannon at Snare-Oh once more.
"Release my people," she snapped, biting her lip and glaring sharply, "or I'll make you regret it."
"Alright then." Snare-Oh nodded calmly.
Under Rojo's stunned gaze, he struck the unconscious female thugs with precision, binding them together tightly before tossing the bundle toward Grandpa Max in the distance.
"Good Samaritan, call the police," Snare-Oh rasped, pretending not to recognize Grandpa Max to avoid exposing his identity.
"You're finished!" Rojo growled.
She fired. A thick beam of crimson energy exploded from the cannon, radiating intense heat as it streaked toward Snare-Oh.
He didn't move.
Boom!
The blast tore through his chest, leaving a massive hole that went clean through his body—a gruesome sight.
The laser, weakened after piercing him, continued forward and slammed into the elevated bridge behind, blasting chunks of stone and debris into the air.
As the falling rubble threatened the vehicles below, Gwen summoned a Water Dragon Soul. Streams of water surged upward, striking the boulders mid-air and shattering them into countless fragments.
Before the debris could rain down, she conjured a wave of shimmering bubbles, forming a barrier that shielded the cars beneath.
The vehicles that should have been crushed remained untouched, protected by Gwen's magic from certain destruction.
But the intense spell drained her strength rapidly. Gwen's face went pale, and she nearly collapsed. Fortunately, Grandpa caught her just in time and helped her back into the Rustbucket.
At that moment, the gaping hole in Snare-Oh's chest began to close, healing at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Even if torn to pieces, he could regenerate completely—let alone withstand such a low-grade weapon.
"This... this is impossible!"
Rojo, who had been smirking moments earlier, froze in disbelief. Her eyes widened in shock, nearly bulging from their sockets.
"This is... a real Mummy!"
As her words left her mouth, Snare-Oh unleashed a torrent of white bandages that surged forward like a storm, blanketing the sky as they swept toward Rojo...
...
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