"Wait, Ben!" Grandpa Max shouted.
But XLR8 was already gone, leaving nothing but a swirling trail of dust hanging in the air.
Gwen stopped, panting. "That doofus—why does he always have to bolt off like that?"
"He's too desperate to prove himself," Lucian said, shaking his head. Then his eyes fell on the large footprints stamped into the pavement—clearly left by Four Arms.
"Come on. We're going after them." A cold gleam flashed in Lucian's eyes.
...
San Francisco Mint.
Rows of massive machines roared nonstop, pressing silver coins that rattled along winding conveyor belts, reflecting a harsh white light.
Two security guards staggered backward in terror, eyes wide as they faced the creature before them.
It looked like a raptor—its skin a mix of black and blue, a sleek X-shaped visor covering its face, and claws gleaming cold and black under the factory lights.
"Wh-what are you?!"
"Help! Somebody, please!"
The two guards clung to each other, sobbing helplessly, praying for someone—anyone—to save them.
"Heh. No need to be so scared. It'll all be over soon."
XLR8 extended his claws, ready to strike the terrified guards down.
"Stop!" a clear, sharp voice rang out from behind.
XLR8 turned his head, his expression cold and detached.
The two guards seized the chance, scrambling to their feet and bolting for the exit, not daring to look back.
"So it's you," XLR8 said with a low laugh. "I thought it was some other fool."
Standing across from him were an angry Gwen, Lucian, and Grandpa Max.
"Unbelievable! One alien causing chaos was bad enough, and now another XLR8? You doofus—let's see you talk your way out of this one!" Gwen crossed her arms, glaring furiously at him.
"Such a sharp tongue. Careful, or you'll scare off any chance of a husband," XLR8 mocked with a laugh.
Just as Gwen was about to snap back, a familiar voice shouted from behind her.
"Gwen!"
"Don't interrupt—I'm trying to teach this—" She froze mid-sentence, turning around in disbelief.
Another XLR8 was standing there—behind them. An Omnitrix gleamed clearly on his chest.
"Ben?!" Gwen gasped, eyes widening. Then she looked back at the XLR8 in front of them, her voice trembling. "Then who is he?"
Only now did she notice—the one who had attacked the guards had no Omnitrix emblem at all. His chest was completely blank.
That XLR8 didn't answer. Instead, he reached out, scooping up a handful of coins and flicking his wrist sharply.
Clang!
Dozens of silver coins spun through the air like deadly crescent blades, whirring at incredible speed as they shot straight toward Gwen.
Whoosh!
In a blur of blue, the real XLR8 darted past, scooping Gwen out of harm's way and setting her safely beside Lucian just before the attack struck.
"Cuz, keep an eye on the nerd for me."
As soon as the words left his mouth, XLR8 pulled down his visor and shot forward, turning into a streak of blue lightning that tore across the floor toward his opponent.
He was going to beat that impostor senseless—then drag him straight to prison himself.
In an instant, the two XLR8s collided, their movements too fast for the eye to follow. Blue afterimages blurred together as powerful winds whipped through the mint, sending thousands of coins flying into the air like metallic snow.
Out on the streets, pedestrians spotted the coins raining down and immediately went berserk. Like a mob of crazed scavengers, they lunged at the glimmering silver, shoving, yelling, even breaking into fights as they clawed at the scattered coins.
Inside the mint, Gwen watched the two "XLR8s" clash in disbelief. "I can't believe someone's actually pretending to be Ben… but then what about that Four Arms from earlier?"
Could he transform into multiple aliens, just like Lucian and Ben?
"Could it really be Kevin? If that's the case, where did Ghostfreak go?" Grandpa Max muttered, glancing warily around.
Maybe, at that very moment, Ghostfreak was hiding somewhere in the shadows, waiting for the right moment to strike.
Lucian stepped forward, ready to press the Omnitrix's calibration module.
"Cuz, stay out of this! This is between me and him! This hero's gonna teach that loser a lesson personally!"
Ben's hoarse voice echoed from the center of the fight.
Lucian hesitated for a second, then lowered his hand. He didn't transform.
If Ben wanted to handle this himself, Lucian wouldn't interfere. He understood how he felt—someone running around pretending to be you, wrecking things and dragging your name through the mud. Anyone would be furious. You'd want to find that person and make them regret it.
Lucian kept his eyes fixed on the battle. If anything went wrong, he'd step in immediately.
At the same time, his peripheral vision stayed alert. Everything pointed to the impostor being Kevin. But Ghostfreak's absence was strange—too strange.
Could Kevin have killed him?
No. That didn't seem likely. Ghostfreak was slippery—if it couldn't win, it could always escape. Almost no one could stop it.
Still, once they caught Kevin, they'd get their answers.
Meanwhile, the two XLR8s continued clashing in bursts of lightning speed.
"Who are you?! Why are you pretending to be me?!"
XLR8 roared, his claws slicing through the air as he unleashed a furious barrage.
"Me?" The impostor smirked coldly. "I'm you, Ben."
"You're… Kevin!" XLR8's eyes widened as he froze mid-attack.
Kevin chuckled, his tone mocking. "Heh, not bad for a dimwit like you."
In a flash, he reappeared, lounging casually on a chair with his legs crossed.
"I thought Ghostfreak took over your body," XLR8 said through gritted teeth. "Guess that's not the case anymore."
"Ghostfreak? You mean that pathetic shadow thought it could control me—Kevin Levin?" Kevin scoffed, eyes narrowing. "Heh, what a joke."
"Then what happened?" XLR8 demanded.
"Why should I tell you, Ben Tennyson?" Kevin shrugged lazily. Then, smirking, he added, "But sure, why not? That thing's dead. I killed it. Now it's nothing but dust in the air."
"What?! That's impossible—you beat Ghostfreak?" XLR8 clearly didn't believe him.
"Believe it or don't, buddy," Kevin said, his voice turning dark as he rose to his feet. A suffocating killing intent filled the air. "Because soon, you'll end up just like it—dead by my hand."
"You're the one who trashed the Sumo Slammers sales booth, aren't you?"
Kevin grinned wickedly. "That's right. I'm gonna destroy your reputation and make sure you take the fall for me!" He burst out laughing, the sound edged with madness.
"So, you can switch between alien forms freely now, huh?" XLR8 asked, tightening his claws.
Kevin nodded. "After absorbing your watch's energy, I can transform into any alien I want—just takes a little focus."
He paused, eyes narrowing. "The only downside is, I can't stay human for long anymore. And that's your fault! You turned me into this freak!"
"You're the one who tried to drain the Omnitrix, not me!" XLR8 shot back.
"Don't care."
Kevin's voice dropped, and before the words even faded, his body began to swell—muscles bulging, skin shifting red—as he transformed at blinding speed into the hulking Four Arms.
"Come on, Ben! Let's finish this!"
Four Arms slammed his fists together with a thunderous crack, then charged like a raging beast, barreling straight toward XLR8...
...
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