The colossal robot, dragged down to the ground, thrashed wildly. Its claws gouged deep trenches across the pavement, the dense claw marks sharp and terrifying to behold.
Snare-Oh gripped his bandages tightly and gave them a forceful pull, launching himself up onto the robot's head.
He extended a surge of flexible white bandages, writhing like serpents as they slithered into the robot's eye sockets one after another.
An overwhelming power tore through the machine's inner structure, shredding its components apart. The giant robot's massive body convulsed violently, arcs of electricity crackling across its frame in bursts of blue light.
"My Cuz is insane... If only I could turn into a mummy too," XLR8 muttered to himself, clicking his tongue. Still, that alien form looked like it took some skill to handle.
He quickly shook the thought away. No matter the alien hero, there was nothing Ben Tennyson couldn't manage.
Zzzzt!
A piercing surge of electricity rang out. The giant robot's body stiffened before its head exploded with a deafening blast. Shattered metal and mechanical debris scattered everywhere as thick black smoke billowed upward into the sky.
With that, both colossal robots were down—brought to ruin by Snare-Oh's overwhelming power.
Beep-boop!
Sirens echoed in the distance. Police vehicles were closing in, no doubt responding to emergency reports about the giant robots. Heavy units had already been dispatched to contain the situation.
Beep beep beep!
At that exact moment, the Omnitrix symbol on XLR8's body began flashing, pulsing red before bursting into a vivid glow. In an instant, Ben reverted to his human form.
"Oh, man…" Ben groaned, staring at the glowing watch. "Come on, you piece of junk—where did they even make you?"
Of all the times to time out, it had to be now—just when he was about to make a run for it.
"Alright, Ben. We should head back," Snare-Oh said evenly.
Originally, his transformation time lasted ten minutes, but after the system upgrade, it had increased to twelve. Unless something interfered, his transformations always lasted two minutes longer than Ben's.
Ben sighed, shoulders slumping as he turned to leave—only to feel the ground vanish beneath his feet. His body lifted weightlessly into the air.
"What the—?" Ben turned his head, eyes going wide in surprise.
Snare-Oh's eyes glowed faint green as he unraveled several bandages from his body, wrapping them around Ben with effortless precision.
Holding him securely, Snare-Oh swung from building to building, gliding through the air between the skyscrapers. He vaulted off walls and rooftops with smooth, acrobatic grace—like a mummy version of Spider-Man.
In a nearby office building, a white-collar worker tilted his head back, stretching his neck to relieve some tension—only to freeze mid-motion.
"Oh my God, what the hell is that?!" he shouted, his green eyes widening in shock.
Elsewhere, a couple pressed up against a floor-to-ceiling window, sweating and breathless in the middle of their "moment of harmony."
Suddenly, a pale figure streaked past the glass, leaving behind two trails of ghostly green light.
The man jolted in fright—and immediately lost all composure, collapsing in defeat.
"Wha... what was that..." he stammered, rubbing his eyes. But when he looked again, there was nothing there.
The woman turned her head with a cold, disappointed glare, her face full of unspoken disgust.
"No, seriously! Listen, there was a mummy out there just now—" he began frantically.
The woman shot him a deadly look. "A mummy? Really? If you've got that kind of imagination, why don't you call it back so the three of us can have fun together?"
With that, she yanked on her clothes and stormed out, slamming the door behind her—leaving the man standing there, dumbfounded and speechless.
...
Before long, Snare-Oh returned to the Rustbucket with Ben in tow.
The moment they touched down, the Omnitrix symbol on his chest flashed, then dimmed, revealing Lucian's original form.
Not far from the vehicle, Grandpa Max was speaking with the police, giving his statement. He had already arranged for the female thugs to be taken into custody to face justice.
"Awesome! We're heroes again!" Ben laughed, his chest swelling with pride.
But Lucian's expression darkened.
He glanced around, scanning every direction—there was no sign of Rojo anywhere. It was as if she had vanished into thin air.
The wail of police sirens pierced the air. After cuffing the female criminals, officers escorted them into their patrol cars and drove off toward the city.
Once things were settled, the group boarded the Rustbucket again, continuing toward their next travel stop.
None of them noticed the two faint, crimson lights flickering in a shadowy alleyway, watching their vehicle fade into the distance...
...
The Rustbucket roared along the winding mountain road, racing past thick forests that blurred into streaks of green.
Grandpa Max kept his eyes on the road, smiling as he said, "Good thing you two heroes were around today. Otherwise, the people in that city would've been in real trouble."
"No problem! That's what superheroes do," Ben said with a grin, grabbing a handful of Sumo Slammers Corn Chips and shoving them into his mouth. After saving a bunch of people, he figured he deserved a reward.
"Ugh, look at you, all smug," Gwen huffed, though her color had mostly returned.
Earlier, she had burned through nearly all her magic to hold back the collapsing boulders on the bridge. She'd nearly fainted, but thanks to Grandpa getting her back to the Rustbucket in time, she recovered after a short rest.
"Grandpa, what about that gang leader?" Lucian suddenly asked. "I didn't see her anywhere."
Grandpa Max paused. "Now that you mention it... I didn't see her either. Must've slipped away in the chaos."
Lucian nodded, saying nothing more.
"Don't worry, Cuz. If she dares to show up again, I'll make sure she regrets it!" Ben said with a mouthful of chips, laughing proudly.
BANG!
The roof of the Rustbucket suddenly shuddered under a heavy impact.
Ben froze, his face turning pale. "No way... Don't tell me it's that evil woman again?"
"Wow, nice going, doofus. So where's your big Alien Hero now?" Gwen snapped, irritation flaring as energy began to glow in her hands.
Ben hunched his shoulders, glancing sheepishly at the Omnitrix still glowing red. He gave a nervous laugh. "Uh... still recharging."
"Lucian, what about your watch?" Grandpa Max asked, frowning. With the enemy still unknown, charging out blindly would be reckless.
Lucian shook his head. His Omnitrix wasn't charged either.
SKREEECH!
A piercing sound ripped through the air as something clawed at the roof. The screech of tearing metal made everyone's skin crawl.
Then—RIP!
The top layer of the Rustbucket's roof peeled away under a single, sharp claw, revealing a horrifying figure.
Her skin was deep red, her eyes sealed by a strange crimson membrane. Mechanical parts were embedded all over her body like armor plating, radiating an ominous, unstable energy.
"It really is that evil woman! But why does she look like this?" Ben gasped.
Gwen's eyes widened. "I'll bet my mana that's not a costume."
On the roof, Rojo's lips twisted into a smirk. The laser cannons on her shoulders began to hum and rotate, locking onto the people below.
"None of you are getting away," she hissed, raising her weapon to fire.
"Grandpa! Brake now!" Lucian shouted. They couldn't risk being trapped inside the vehicle.
Grandpa Max reacted instantly, slamming his foot down on the brake.
The Rustbucket screeched as it swerved violently across the narrow mountain road, tires carving deep black arcs into the asphalt.
The RV came to a halt right at the edge of the guardrail—mere inches from a deadly drop.
Meanwhile, the half-mechanical Rojo had been thrown forward by the sudden momentum, tumbling hard across the ground ahead.
She pushed herself up, glaring back at them with seething fury. "You dare do this to me? Fine—then die for it!"
Her shoulder cannon rotated again, locking squarely onto the Rustbucket.
Beep...
A familiar chime sounded from Lucian's wrist. The Omnitrix's red glow shifted to bright green.
"A mechanical lifeform, huh?" Lucian muttered, turning the dial rapidly as the holographic icons flickered before his eyes.
Four Arms. Swampfire. Humungousaur...
All strong, but not the right pick.
The display shifted again—landing on Upgrade.
"You'll do."
A spark of confidence flashed in Lucian's eyes as he slammed his hand down on the watch.