That night, the sky was scattered with stars.
The Rustbucket was brightly lit, parked in a quiet suburban area where almost no one passed by. Insects chirped and frogs croaked in the distance as a cool night breeze swept through, stirring the grass and trees into a soft rustling. The earthy scent of soil drifted through the air, spreading in all directions.
Lucian had already returned to the Rustbucket. He sat in front of the computer, browsing news reports and tracking Kevin's whereabouts.
Not long ago, he had transformed into Buzzshock, evaded Lieutenant Steel's pursuit, and charged straight at Kevin, who had turned into XLR8, trying to capture him. But halfway through, the Omnitrix ran out of power. With no other choice, Lucian had to give up and return to the Rustbucket. Continuing the chase would only have put him in extreme danger.
Still, the battle hadn't been entirely pointless.
Humungousaur, while ensuring the passengers' safety, had successfully rescued the hijacked bus. The system mission was completed, increasing its defense by 10%.
As for Ben, he had already made it back to the Rustbucket. He was holding a game controller, fully absorbed in Sumo Slammers 2.1.
Earlier, Wildmutt had jumped into a lake to dodge the laser fire from the Special Alien Containment Team and climbed ashore on the opposite side. But the moment he got out, his watch lost power. Soaked from head to toe, Ben had no choice but to head back.
At that moment, Gwen walked over with a cup of milk and carefully handed it to Lucian.
"Cuz, you saved so many people today. You must be really tired. Drink this while it's still warm…"
The milk had just been taken out of the fridge and heated in the microwave before Gwen felt at ease enough to give it to him.
Lucian paused briefly. "Uh… okay. Thanks, Gwen."
Since she was his cousin, he didn't stand on ceremony. He accepted the warm cup and took a small sip.
"Is it good?" Gwen asked, her eyes full of expectation, though she was quietly nervous that it might not suit his taste.
"Yeah, it's good." Lucian nodded, his gaze never leaving the screen.
He needed to catch Kevin as soon as possible. Letting such a powerful enemy roam free made him deeply uneasy. An emotionally unstable Kevin was especially dangerous. After absorbing the Omnitrix's power, he had become ferocious and brutal, like a maddened beast stripped of all humanity.
"Cuz, are you still worried about Kevin?" Gwen asked softly, glancing at the footage of Kevin wreaking havoc on the screen.
"Yeah. Knowing Kevin, he won't let this go. He'll definitely come back for me and Ben," Lucian said grimly.
In a head-on fight, he wasn't afraid of Kevin. But Kevin could freely switch between aliens and had countless ways to launch sneak attacks. Guarding against him was incredibly difficult.
"That kid… sigh…" Grandpa Max shook his head and said nothing more.
"Don't worry, Grandpa!" Ben put down the controller and grinned confidently. "If Kevin shows up again, I'll beat him up for sure. I'll smash him flat!"
"As long as you're both safe," Grandpa Max said with a strained smile.
"Relax, Grandpa," Gwen laughed. "With my Cuz around, there's no way he'll lose to Kevin. He'll protect all of us."
"Breaking news alert…"
The Rustbucket's screen suddenly switched to another broadcast.
On the screen, Diamondhead stood atop the red San Francisco Bridge, smashing cables and destroying passing cars at will. Pedestrians fled in panic, scrambling off the bridge, terrified that even a moment's delay would get them killed.
"Ten minutes ago, a monster appeared on the San Francisco Bridge, causing massive destruction. Dozens of cables were severed, numerous vehicles crushed, and civilian casualties are severe…"
"Authorities have now intervened and are preparing to eliminate the monster to restore peace for the public."
A helicopter hovered above the bridge. Beneath it, Lieutenant Steel clung to the metal frame with one hand, his expression cold and resolute. He was clearly ready to get serious.
"Lieutenant Steel?" Ben froze, then shook his head. "He's no match for Kevin. We've got to go help!"
"Let's go," Grandpa Max said with a nod. He knew those weapons alone wouldn't be enough to stop Kevin.
"This time, we're taking Kevin down for good." A cold glint flashed in Lucian's eyes.
...
San Francisco Bridge.
The long bridge stretched across the dark ocean, starlight reflecting faintly on the water below. Countless cables connected the structure, though many had already been destroyed, snapping apart and collapsing onto clusters of crushed cars.
Diamondhead stood tall and imposing atop the red bridge tower.
Opposite him was Lieutenant Steel, who had just jumped down from the helicopter.
Below them, numerous special forces soldiers aimed their advanced weapons at Diamondhead, fingers poised on the trigger.
"Surrender now, alien monster. You're not escaping today."
Lieutenant Steel, his blond crew cut gleaming under the lights, locked a cold stare onto Diamondhead.
Diamondhead burst into laughter. "You again, you persistent little pest. You've chased me through so many cities and still couldn't catch me. That's just pathetic."
"This time, I won't let you get away!" Lieutenant Steel drew his pistol, aimed, and fired several shots in quick succession.
Blazing lasers slammed into Diamondhead like a torrential downpour, but they only produced faint sparks, completely failing to cause any damage.
Seeing this, the soldiers below raised their laser rifles and unleashed an even heavier barrage.
With a casual wave of his hand, Diamondhead formed a massive crystal wall along the side of the bridge tower, blocking all incoming fire.
"Heh. That kind of attack won't work on me."
As he spoke, Diamondhead slowly advanced toward Lieutenant Steel.
Unshaken, Lieutenant Steel pulled the dagger from his belt and charged forward, engaging Diamondhead in close combat…
...
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