Gwen stood in front of the thugs, pointing at the designer bags in their hands. "Stealing other people's stuff is wrong. Give them back."
"Little girl, mind your own business."
"Yeah, get lost!"
"Or you're gonna regret it!"
The group of thugs sneered, not taking the little girl seriously in the slightest.
Gwen clenched her fists, gritting her teeth as she tried to think of a way to snatch the bags back.
One of the thugs, annoyed by the woman still chasing from behind, lifted the steel pipe in his hand and strode toward Gwen with a vicious glare.
"Get out of my way, kid!"
As he shouted, the silver steel pipe gleamed with a cold light, slicing through the air as it swung down toward her.
Gwen reacted quickly, dodging to the side—only for her foot to land squarely on a stray soy milk cup.
Splat!
A jet of warm, milky liquid burst out of the cup, splattering right across the nearby bun vendor's face.
Startled, the vendor instinctively covered his cheek, only to burn his hand on the hot soy milk. With a pained grunt, he lashed out, kicking the bun cart in front of him with full force.
Thud!
The iron cart—loaded with steaming buns—shot forward with terrifying speed, its four wheels spinning wildly as it barreled straight ahead.
"Ahhh!" The thug who had attacked Gwen was hit squarely by the cart, sent flying through the air before crashing to the ground in a heap, completely motionless.
Gwen blinked in surprise, then looked down at the Charm of Luck around her neck. It was glowing again, golden light shimmering across its surface.
"Cool!"
The remaining thugs exchanged uneasy looks before their faces twisted in rage. They charged at her together, eyes filled with malice.
"Damn brat! You hurt my buddy!"
"You're dead!"
"Don't get cocky just because you got lucky!"
...
As the thugs surrounded her, Gwen straightened her stance, a confident smile tugging at her lips. "Come on, then. Let's see how unlucky you can get."
"Watch this!" the red-haired thug snarled, baring his teeth as he swung a powerful punch at her. The air whistled from the sheer force of it.
Gwen's eyes flickered, and she prepared to dodge.
But before the thug even reached her, his foot slipped out from under him. He stumbled backward, landing hard on his rear with a loud thud, his face twisting in agony.
The sight left Grey Matter, who had been watching from a short distance, completely dumbfounded.
"Looks like I don't even need to get involved," he muttered, standing at the edge of the basketball court with a shrug.
Thud!
Suddenly, a flash of green light burst from behind him.
"Rooaaar!"
A fierce, beastly roar echoed overhead.
Grey Matter looked up to see a massive, fiery-red creature soaring past, blocking out the golden morning sun.
"Wildmutt." Grey Matter scratched his head and sat cross-legged on the ground.
With the Charm of Luck and Ben transformed into Wildmutt, taking down a few street punks was hardly a problem.
After transforming, Lucian felt his mind working sharper and faster, his thoughts clear and composed—more rational than ever.
By now, only four thugs were left standing. The other two were already out of commission.
"Damn it, you witch!" the blue-haired thug growled, eyes flashing with rage. He hurled the broadsword in his hand and charged straight at Gwen.
Gwen froze, stunned. She had never faced such a deadly weapon before.
The Charm of Luck hanging from her neck shimmered faintly with golden light…
"Roar!"
Just as the sharp blade was about to strike her, Wildmutt lunged forward. With a powerful bite, he clamped down on the whistling weapon and landed firmly on all fours, turning to face the remaining thugs.
"Raaawr!"
The deafening roar, combined with Wildmutt's savage appearance, sent the rest of the thugs scrambling. They grabbed their injured friends and bolted, too terrified to look back.
Gwen noticed the Omnitrix symbol on Wildmutt's arm and instantly recognized him as Ben. Lucian's transformations always had the emblem on his chest.
"Nice work." Gwen patted Wildmutt's fur, as if giving a dog an approving head rub.
Feeling the odd gesture, Wildmutt growled playfully and kicked up a storm of dust and sand, covering Gwen's face completely.
"Ah! You doofus!" she coughed, waving her hands helplessly as the dust made her choke.
Wildmutt grinned smugly, then dashed off toward the Rustbucket with long, powerful strides.
But just as he reached the road, the roar of an engine split the air—a purple Lamborghini came barreling down the street, tearing through the air at breakneck speed and heading straight for Wildmutt's side.
Clearly, the car was way over the speed limit.
Wildmutt's eyes widened. He sprang upward like a coiled spring, leaping high into the air.
Almost at the same moment, the Lamborghini thundered past below, its wind pressure slashing across Wildmutt's face, stinging his skin.
"Watch out!" came Grey Matter's sharp voice from nearby.
Boom!
Before Wildmutt could even land properly, a Rolls-Royce Phantom slammed into him from the side. He was sent flying like a kite with its string cut, tumbling across the ground before finally crashing into the grassy median.
Shaking his head, Wildmutt got back on his feet, growled lowly, and took off running back toward the Rustbucket.
"Ben!" Gwen shouted, dashing across the road to chase after him.
Grey Matter, still sitting by the basketball court, shrugged and tapped the Omnitrix on his chest.
A flash of green light burst out as his small body swelled like a balloon, transforming into XLR8.
Swish!
Moving as light as the wind, XLR8 turned into a blue streak, arriving inside the Rustbucket in the blink of an eye.
He tapped the Omnitrix lightly again, reverting to his human form—Lucian.
A few seconds later, Wildmutt came running back, with Gwen sprinting close behind.
By that time, Grandpa Max was already up, preparing a protein-rich breakfast. His expression was kind, a gentle smile crossing his face now and then.
"When Lucian and the others get back from basketball, they'll be starving," he chuckled. "Perfect timing to try my rice worm sandwiches."
Suddenly, he heard a sound behind him. His face hardened as his hand instinctively reached for his waist—only to find it empty.
He sighed softly and turned around—only to see Lucian standing there.
"Lucian, back already?" Grandpa Max blinked in surprise. "Where are Ben and Gwen?"
"They're right behind me."
No sooner had he spoken than a low growl from Wildmutt and Gwen's shouting came from outside.
Moments later, the two burst into the RV.
"Ben, Gwen—what happened?" Grandpa asked, puzzled.
Gwen quickly explained everything that had just happened.
"That was too dangerous, Gwen," Grandpa said sternly. "You can't be so reckless next time. You're just a little girl."
"Relax, Grandpa. I'm the lucky girl," Gwen said with a light laugh.
"Oh yeah? Miss Lucky here nearly got me run over," Ben grumbled, crossing his arms in irritation.
Gwen huffed. "That's what you get for teasing me. Karma's real."
Lucian spoke up calmly. "It seems the Charm of Luck's power is unpredictable—for now, at least, we can't control it."
When they fought the thugs earlier, Ben's Omnitrix had jammed, and Lucian had been forced into his weakest form, Grey Matter. If that had happened in a real battle, it could've been fatal.
Lucian suspected that the Charm of Luck didn't create fortune on its own. Instead, it absorbed the luck of those nearby and redirected it toward its wearer.
While it greatly benefited the one who wore it, it drained the fortune of everyone around them—potentially causing dangerous consequences.
"Alright, kids, enough of that for now," Grandpa said, waving his hand dismissively. "Let's eat breakfast first. These rice worm sandwiches are one-of-a-kind—can't find them anywhere else..."