Ben pressed the Omnitrix, and the hero selection interface popped up instantly. He flipped through it quickly.
"I'm turning into Four Arms to stop that bus!"
He slammed the watch down, releasing a burst of green light.
"Roar!"
In the next instant, Wildmutt appeared inside the Rustbucket. Scratching his head, he let out a sigh.
"Ha, that's hilarious. The four-armed guy turned into a giant alien dog."
Gwen rolled her eyes. Her clueless cousin had picked the wrong alien again.
Covered in orange fur, Wildmutt growled softly, extended his sharp claws to pry open the door, and charged off after the bus.
"Wildmutt alone won't be enough to deal with Kevin. I need to help," Lucian said, pressing his own Omnitrix.
Thud!
A flash of green light burst out, and XLR8 appeared, its slender tail flicking behind.
"Cuz, take me with you!" Gwen called, stepping closer. She wanted to help fight Kevin too.
"I'm off."
XLR8's raspy voice came just before he blurred into a streak of blue light, shooting out of the Rustbucket and vanishing down the road.
"Cough, cough…" Gwen choked on the smoke trail left behind, her face covered in soot.
Grandpa Max, his expression stern, turned from the driver's seat. "Hold on tight, Gwen. We need to catch up. I'm worried Kevin might try something again. The kid's really not in good shape."
"Okay!" Gwen quickly nodded, buckled herself into the passenger seat, and sat upright.
Vroom!
With a deep roar, the Rustbucket launched forward like an arrow from a bow, racing ahead and leaving two blazing red trails in its wake.
...
On the other side, the massive bus was completely overtaken by Upgrade. Its surface was covered in black-and-green metallic organic matter, and Kevin was at the wheel, driving it recklessly downhill.
Cars along the way were slammed aside. When a huge truck appeared in its path, Upgrade detached a spinning saw blade, slicing the vehicle clean in two before continuing its rampage without slowing down.
At the end of the road was a vast, bottomless lake. If the bus plunged into it, none of the passengers would survive.
Inside, people were screaming in terror, pounding on the windows and crying for help.
"Oh God, someone save us! I don't want to die yet!"
"Waaah! I've never even had a boyfriend! I haven't tasted love!!"
"I've got parents and kids at home! My family depends on me—what'll happen to them if I die?!"
"Mom! I want my mom!!!"
"If only superheroes were real! They'd save us for sure!"
"What superheroes? You think this is a movie?!"
...
For a moment, cries, pleas for help, and angry shouts blended together inside the bus.
The driver's eyes were bloodshot. Controlled by the Upgrade, he was tightly bound to his seat, unable to move, forced to watch helplessly as the bus sped toward certain doom.
"Roar!"
Wildmutt leapt into the air and landed on the roof of the bus, trying to figure out how to save everyone inside.
Suddenly, Upgrade's head formed from the slick metal surface, gleaming with a cold, wet sheen.
Kevin's green, circular eye glared as he sneered, "Sorry, Ben. No pets allowed on board!"
The moment he spoke, Upgrade's body split into two sharp blades that swung in from both sides with a deadly sweep.
Sensing danger, Wildmutt dodged to the side.
Swoosh!
The twin blades sliced through the air, grazing Wildmutt's flank and cutting off a tuft of orange fur—a close and deadly call.
With a furious roar, Wildmutt threw himself forward, lunging at Upgrade's head. But before he could reach it, a massive fist slammed into his back, crushing him against the roof.
Pain seared across his body. Gritting his teeth, Wildmutt clenched his claws and pushed back against the pressure, straining with all his strength until he finally broke free from Upgrade's grasp. He stumbled backward, retreating to the edge of the roof.
"Good buddy, you're done for!" Upgrade sneered coldly.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Sharp spikes erupted from the metal beneath Wildmutt's feet, driving straight toward him.
"Roar!"
The violent attack forced him back. Losing balance, Wildmutt tumbled off the roof and hit the ground hard. He pounded the pavement in frustration—he couldn't beat Kevin like this.
Meanwhile, the out-of-control bus was now less than twenty meters from the lake.
Inside, the passengers screamed in panic, faces twisted in terror as they shouted for help.
"Please, someone save us! I don't want to die!"
"I haven't even had a boyfriend yet! I've never been in love!!"
"My parents and kids depend on me! What'll happen to them if I die?!"
"Mom! I want my mom!!!"
"Yoo-hoo! I'm in a generous mood today—free fish food for everyone! No need to thank me!" Kevin laughed wildly.
Free fish food indeed—but the cost would be every passenger's life.
Just as Kevin's twisted plan was about to succeed, a blue streak tore across the highway, darting between cars and blocking the bus's path.
XLR8 stood at the edge of the lakeshore, the dark, endless waters behind him, but there was no trace of fear in his stance.
Facing the charging Upgrade-controlled bus, XLR8 tapped the Omnitrix on his chest.
"Humungousaur!"
..
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