The brilliant green light faded, revealing crystalline perfection.
Diamondhead's body shimmered with aquamarine radiance, nearly blinding the Circus Freak Trio. In their eyes, he wasn't just an alien, he was a walking fortune!
"He, he can turn into an alien too!" Acid Breath stammered, his voice cracking with disbelief.
Frightwig's olive eyes gleamed with avarice as she stared at the sparkling Petrosapien. "He looks incredibly valuable. Those diamonds are beautiful." She glanced down at the cheap ring on her finger, her expression souring by comparison.
After their initial shock wore off, Thumbskull took a deep breath and cracked his knuckles. "Who cares what he turns into? Whether it's some alien or a fancy metal suit, anyone who gets in our way is getting stomped!"
The other two nodded grimly, shoving Ben aside as they adopted combat stances to face Diamondhead.
THUD!
Ben's armored body hit the ground hard. He couldn't even rise, every muscle screamed in protest, completely drained. He didn't have the strength to speak, much less fight.
"Ben, rest up. I'll handle things from here," Diamondhead said, slowly raising his crystalline head. His sharp gaze swept over the three criminals before him, completely dismissive. At his current power level, these thugs posed no threat whatsoever.
"Right..." Ben forced out the single word through gritted teeth. His trembling hand found the arc reactor on his chest and pressed down.
HISS.
The nanotech armor retracted smoothly, panels folding away until Ben lay gasping on the pavement, his shirt soaked with sweat.
The arrogant declaration from Diamondhead struck a nerve with all three villains.
When Ben had faced them, he'd at least called their three-on-one tactics shameless. But this glittering crystal freak dared to claim he'd handle all three of them simultaneously?
"You've got a death wish!" Acid Breath's eyes blazed with fury. He opened his grotesque mouth and spat a stream of corrosive liquid directly at the Petrosapien!
"Disgusting," Diamondhead muttered with obvious distaste. He stomped the ground in front of him.
CRASH!
Massive green crystal formations erupted from the earth, growing instantly into a translucent wall that blocked him like a fortification. The geometric beauty of the crystalline barrier would've been breathtaking under different circumstances.
SIZZLE!
The corrosive acid slid uselessly down the smooth diamond surface, dripping to the ground and leaving only faint etch marks behind. The wall held firm.
But that display only inflamed the Circus Freaks further.
"Grab him! If we catch him, we'll have infinite wealth!" Acid Breath's voice rose to a manic pitch. "Look at him! He can create diamonds! We'll be rich beyond our wildest dreams! No more pathetic robberies!"
Thumbskull and Frightwig stared at Diamondhead with predatory hunger, breathing heavily. They weren't looking at an enemy anymore, they were looking at their retirement plan.
"Interesting." Diamondhead stepped out from behind his crystalline wall, regarding them with cool amusement. "You're the first enemies who've wanted to capture me for money rather than the Omnitrix. Your priorities are a bit... limited, but I suppose it's understandable."
His tone dripped with confidence, the absolute certainty of someone who knew they couldn't lose.
"You arrogant punk! You're about to die and you're still running your mouth!" Thumbskull rubbed his oversized thumbnail-covered forehead, then charged forward with the same tackle he'd used to pin Ben down. He had to knock this diamond freak flat!
"Really?" Diamondhead's expression shifted to mild disappointment, as if mocking the strongman's complete lack of self-awareness.
Thumbskull's fury intensified. His speed increased as he barreled forward, he would take this glittering idiot down!
WHAM!
The two figures collided with tremendous force, the impact reverberating through the street.
Diamondhead's crystalline body rocked slightly backward from the blow. His feet carved shallow trenches in the asphalt as the ground beneath him cracked from the feedback force.
But he stabilized almost instantly, completely unharmed.
Thumbskull, on the other hand...
"AHHHHH!" The strongman's agonized screams pierced the night air.
His face had turned bright red and swollen where it had connected with Diamondhead's chest. Bruises bloomed across his torso and arms. He flew backward through the air, tumbling head over heels while howling in pain.
"Charging headfirst at a Petrosapien." Diamondhead brushed a speck of dust from his shoulder casually. "Not your brightest moment."
The unexpected outcome left Frightwig and Acid Breath staring in shock.
Thumbskull had gotten demolished, and he'd taken even more damage than when fighting Ben's armor!
But this was supposed to be Ben's little brother! How could he be this powerful?
"You two, who's next? Don't keep me waiting." Diamondhead's gaze shifted to the remaining villains, his tone calm but laced with unmistakable arrogance.
This was the invincible Diamondhead, warrior of crystal and diamond!
"Attack together! I refuse to believe he can handle both of us!" Frightwig bit her lower lip hard enough to draw blood. She lunged forward, and instantly her prehensile hair extended like striking serpents, wrapping around Diamondhead's knees in a crimson net!
SNAP!
The hair-tentacles constricted tightly.
"Got you!" Momentary triumph flashed across her face.
"Nice technique, but the tensile strength is lacking." Diamondhead glanced down at the crimson strands binding his legs with academic interest.
SHING!
His right arm transformed seamlessly, the crystals reshaping into a gleaming blade that glinted with razor-sharp edges. He swung downward in a precise arc!
"HISSSSS!"
The snake-like hair recoiled instantly, the individual strands screaming in what almost sounded like genuine terror. They retreated toward Frightwig's scalp as if encountering their natural predator. The slower tentacles found themselves severed cleanly, falling to the pavement while still twitching.
The blade's cold gleam reflected perfectly off Diamondhead's faceted body, emanating lethal intent.
"My hair!" Frightwig stared at her severed locks with genuine horror, touching her head protectively. Then her gaze snapped to Diamondhead, now filled with fear rather than greed.
She took an involuntary step backward.
"You... you're not Ben's little brother at all, are you?" Acid Breath maintained his previous misconception, asking incredulously. "How can you be so much stronger than him?"
"What?" Diamondhead's expression showed genuine confusion. "Little brother? Where did you get that ridiculous idea? Ben and I are cousins!" He straightened to his full crystalline height, voice resonating with absolute authority.
"I'm the strongest one!"
A chill ran down the spines of all three Circus Freaks.
This kid was the real powerhouse all along!
He could transform into an invincible alien form!
The trio exchanged desperate glances and silently reached the same conclusion, they had to work together or they were finished.
Frightwig's remaining hair-tentacles whipped forward again, attempting to entangle Diamondhead's crystalline body from multiple angles. Acid Breath circled around, looking for an opening to strike.
SLASH!
Frightwig's hair was severed again with contemptuous ease, this time nearly catching her scalp. She jerked back just in time, barely avoiding serious injury.
SPLASH! SIZZLE!
Acid Breath's corrosive spit streamed down Diamondhead's torso, eating into the ground where it dripped off. But the Petrosapien's body remained completely unscathed, the acid simply couldn't affect his crystalline structure!
"ARRGH!" Thumbskull charged back into the fray despite his injuries, throwing a wild punch directly at Diamondhead's face.
Diamondhead didn't even bother to counter. He simply stood there and let the blow connect.
CRACK!
"AHHHHHHH!" Thumbskull's scream was even more agonized than before. He clutched his hand, which was now bent at an unnatural angle, and stumbled backward, tears streaming down his face from the sheer pain.
They attacked in combination.
And they all got demolished anyway.
At Asher's cosmic-level combat experience and with Diamondhead's superior abilities, the gap couldn't be bridged by mere numbers. Not with opponents this weak. They'd need an army, and even then, it wouldn't be enough.
"So... is that all three of you have to offer?" Diamondhead's eyes blazed with cold intensity as he spoke in a low, dangerous tone. The killing intent radiating from him felt impossibly real, completely at odds with the fact that this was a twelve-year-old boy's transformation.
Acid Breath and Frightwig's faces drained of color. They'd completely given up on attacking, instead retreating step by step in unison.
This person...
They were absolutely no match for him.
The power gap was so vast it bordered on despair.
"Find the boss! We need the boss to deal with this diamond freak!" Acid Breath's eyes were bloodshot as he screamed hysterically.
It was their only option left.
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