Rojo was stunned. She raised her laser cannon, ready to blast this infuriating Snare-Oh to pieces.
But Snare-Oh moved faster. White bandages shot out, wrapping around the cannon in an instant. With a sharp, forceful twist, he crushed the steel weapon, grinding it into useless scrap that scattered across the cold ground. Rojo's heart plummeted into despair.
"You... why are you doing this?" she shouted, her voice trembling. She was certain she hadn't provoked this monster.
Could it be... Snare-Oh wanted the money too?
Snare-Oh said nothing. His eerie green eyes flickered faintly before countless bandages burst from his body again, slicing through the air as they surged toward her.
Rojo's eyes widened. Gritting her teeth, she snatched the golden AK-47 from the ground and, consumed by fear and rage, squeezed the trigger with all her might. Her eyes burned with fury and killing intent.
Rat-a-tat-tat!
A storm of bullets screamed through the air, dense and relentless, each one carrying terrifying force as they tore toward Snare-Oh.
Yet, facing the barrage, Snare-Oh didn't flinch. His feet anchored firmly to the ground, unmoving as the bullets riddled his body. Sparks flew, but he stood still—unshaken and fearless.
Soon, his form was filled with charred bullet holes, looking like a human-shaped hive of scars and burns.
"Stubborn to the end."
Snare-Oh's glowing eyes flared brighter. More bandages erupted from his body, weaving through the storm of bullets and reaching Rojo in the blink of an eye.
Under her horrified gaze, the bandages slithered around her like living serpents, coiling tightly around her body.
Her chest, thighs, and neck were all bound. Her wrists locked up as strength drained from her arms, the golden AK-47 slipping from her hands and clattering to the ground.
Rojo was completely helpless. Her body ached as the bandages constricted tighter, making her want to scream and cry all at once.
"Ah!" she cried out, kicking wildly, but it was useless.
"Does it hurt?" Snare-Oh asked coldly, pulling her closer with the bandages. "You killed plenty of people today—all for money."
When the armored truck overturned, one escort had already died. Then, in the firefight against Rojo's gang, several police officers had been killed as well.
By the time Snare-Oh arrived, the survivors were barely clinging to life. Even though XLR8 had rushed them to the hospital, it was uncertain whether they'd make it.
Bound tightly, Rojo's breathing grew ragged. Her neck throbbed painfully as she shut her eyes, struggling to speak.
"I... I was wrong. I'll never do it again," she stammered through trembling lips. "Please... spare me. I'll do anything you want."
"Not necessary," Snare-Oh replied flatly.
A single bandage lashed out, striking her across the head. Rojo went limp, collapsing like a ragdoll as she lost consciousness.
Snare-Oh grabbed her by the arm and tossed her aside with the others, intending to leave them for the police.
BOOM!
Suddenly, two blazing fireballs erupted in the sky, streaking downward with immense heat. They crashed into the ground ahead with a thunderous explosion that made the entire city shake.
"What was that?" XLR8 reappeared beside Snare-Oh, his eyes narrowing as he looked up. He had already delivered the injured to the hospital and rushed back as soon as possible.
Snare-Oh cast the unconscious Rojo aside and turned his glowing gaze toward the sky, his expression hardening as he prepared for battle.
Clack, clack, clack—
From the thick smoke ahead, two massive silhouettes emerged, towering six or seven stories tall. Their eyes burned a deep crimson as they stepped forward on spider-like limbs, advancing directly toward Snare-Oh.
"Detected Omnitrix! Detected Omnitrix!"
Their mechanical voices droned in unison as their sensors locked onto the emblem glowing on Snare-Oh's chest. The sound was cold, emotionless.
XLR8's eyes narrowed. "It's those weirdos from the forest last time!"
He still remembered that day clearly—his Cuz had transformed into Diamondhead, fighting with incredible strength and taking down a massive robot to save the campers.
"Exactly. These robots look identical to the ones before. They must be from the same faction," Snare-Oh said calmly.
He guessed that Vilgax had likely detected the Omnitrix's transformation signal and sent these machines to capture it.
"Which country made these things? They don't look like they came from Earth," XLR8 muttered hoarsely.
Snare-Oh shook his head. "Doesn't matter. Let's take them down first."
Meanwhile, the two colossal robots were advancing along the highway, forcing vehicles to brake hard. Horns blared, cars collided, and chaos erupted. But the drivers didn't stay to argue—one look at the towering machines sent them fleeing in panic, terrified of being caught in the crossfire.
"Commence operation: retrieve the Omnitrix."
From the shoulders of the two giant robots, smaller Spider Drones detached. Their heads glowed red as they hovered into the air, emitting sharp mechanical screeches before streaking toward their targets.
Four Spider Drones in total.
"Just a bunch of small fry," Snare-Oh said coolly.
He was just about to move when a streak of blue lightning shot past him, stirring up a violent gust.
Whoosh!
In the blink of an eye, XLR8 appeared beneath the Spider Drones, spinning rapidly. A massive whirlwind burst upward, forming a blue tornado that swallowed the smaller machines whole.
"Not bad," Snare-Oh remarked, retracting his bandages.
When the whirlwind dissipated, the four Spider Drones crashed heavily to the ground, crushed flat into a pile of mangled metal. Sparks flickered across their broken bodies as short-circuits crackled through them.
XLR8 let out a short, cold snort and kicked one of the wrecked drones away. It tumbled across the ground and landed beside the still-unconscious Rojo...
"Your turn," XLR8 said, turning to face the towering robots ahead.
Snare-Oh stepped forward. "One each," he said evenly, his tone calm and composed.
"First come, first served." XLR8 grinned, then vanished in a flash of blue.
An instant later, he reappeared beneath one of the massive robots, already locked in a fierce clash.
Snare-Oh scanned the area, then flicked his wrist. His bandages lashed out, wrapping around a nearby traffic light. With a powerful pull, he swung himself forward, hurtling toward the other giant robot.
...
Rojo's eyelids twitched. Slowly, she opened her eyes.
The first thing she saw was a heap of strange mechanical debris—yellow and red pieces scattered across the ground, flickering with bursts of electricity.
Zzzzt!
Suddenly, a metallic tentacle shot out from the wreckage, striking like lightning. It lunged forward and pierced into Rojo's neck...