"We can discuss this," Hex said weakly, watching Four Arms approach with the resignation of a man who knew his words meant nothing. "There's no need for violence."
"Relax. I'm not going to hurt you." Four Arms' eager grin did absolutely nothing to reassure the dark magician. "I just want to borrow a few things."
One massive red hand reached down and lifted Hex effortlessly, pinching the back of his robes like a cat being scruffed. The sorcerer dangled helplessly, legs kicking at empty air.
Then Four Arms launched himself skyward.
The Tetramand's powerful legs drove into the museum floor, and his enormous body rocketed through the hole his earlier punch had blown through the wall. Within seconds, he was bounding across rooftops with his captive in tow.
"Asher, what are you doing with him?!" Ben's voice echoed behind them. His power armor's repulsors flared to life, lifting him into the air as flames jetted from his palms and boots. He shot after Four Arms, struggling to keep up with the alien's incredible leaps.
"They're gone..."
"What a bunch of weirdos..."
"Well, at least we're safe now. But those statues, what a shame they got destroyed!"
The remaining museum visitors slumped to the ground in relief, too exhausted and shell-shocked to do anything but sit there and process what had just happened.
Grandpa Max rushed to the crumbling wall and peered outside, but Four Arms had already vanished over the cityscape. Ben's armor was just a glinting speck disappearing into the distance.
"Where did those two run off to?" Max muttered, scratching his head. "They disappeared in a flash. How am I supposed to find them now?"
"Need to find someone?" Gwen appeared at his side, the Charm of Luck glowing softly at her throat. She smiled with the confidence of someone who'd learned exactly how useful her particular brand of magic could be. "Lucky Girl's intuition can track down anyone."
"Then lead the way, Lucky Girl." Max nodded and followed Gwen out of the ruined museum, both of them breaking into a jog as they pursued Ben and the four-armed alien.
In an empty lot on the outskirts of town, Hex found himself bound hand and foot with rope that Four Arms had apparently brought along for exactly this purpose. His Staff of Ages, the Archamada Book of Spells, and every magical trinket he'd been carrying had been stripped away and piled on the ground nearby.
Not that he had the strength to use any of them anymore.
"Perfect. Everything's sorted!" Four Arms clapped all four of his massive palms together in satisfaction, surveying his haul with obvious delight.
FLASH!
The Omnitrix timed out, and the towering crimson Tetramand shrank back down into a teenage boy with messy brown hair. Asher immediately reached for Hex's belongings, grabbing the Staff of Ages in one hand and flipping open the Archamada Book of Spells with the other.
Hex watched his possessions being claimed, and it felt like his heart was literally bleeding.
"What do you think you're doing?!" he protested, though his voice came out more like a pathetic whine than a threatening demand. "Those belong to me!"
"Old man." Asher's expression shifted to one of mock righteousness. "When you hold these things, who knows what kind of damage you'll cause? That fire in the museum this morning? That was you. The stone exhibit hall with the collapsed walls? Also you." He shook his head gravely. "So today, in the name of justice, I'm confiscating these dangerous tools!"
Hex's eye twitched.
When did I ever, those weren't even,
He wanted to scream that Asher himself had caused half that destruction, but the words died in his throat.
"This is amazing!" Ben landed nearby, his armor hissing as it vented heat. He powered down the suit and rushed over, eyes shining as he looked at the magical items scattered across the ground. "We get to keep all of this?!"
That was when Hex's last shred of hope evaporated.
He'd thought, foolishly, in hindsight, that once Asher transformed back to normal, he might have a chance to reclaim his belongings. Maybe snatch the staff while the boy was distracted, or cast a quick spell to escape.
But Ben was still here. And that power armor wasn't just for show.
If Hex so much as twitched wrong, he'd be blasted into next week.
"Oh, and this robe of yours looks pretty nice too." Asher reached over and yanked Hex's sleeve robe right off his body. The dark magician was left shivering in his thin undergarments, trembling with a mixture of cold and pure, impotent rage.
Bandits. These children are absolute bandits!
Asher pulled the sleeve robe on over his own clothes and blinked in surprise. "Hey, this actually feels good. It's cool to the touch, and there's some kind of..." He flexed his fingers experimentally. "Some kind of enhancement effect?"
Another treasure acquired!
Delicious.
"Asher, why are you wearing a dark magician's clothes?" Gwen's voice cut through the air as she and Max arrived on the scene. Her eyes widened when she saw Asher holding the Staff of Ages and wearing Hex's distinctive robes. "And you're taking his stuff?"
"Grandpa! Gwen!" Asher greeted them with a wave, then straightened his posture and adopted an expression of solemn duty. "On behalf of everyone this villain attacked today, I hereby confiscate his tools of destruction. From this moment forward, these items belong to us!"
"I don't know..." Grandpa Max scratched the back of his head, looking uncomfortable. "Taking someone's things doesn't seem quite right."
"Think about it, Grandpa." Asher gestured dramatically with the staff. "In his hands, these weapons would hurt innocent people. In our hands, they become tools for saving lives! If we give everything back to Hex today, we're basically helping him terrorize the world tomorrow!"
He launched into an elaborate justification, weaving together logic and rhetoric in a way that left Ben, Max, and Gwen blinking in confusion. By the time he finished, they were all nodding along despite themselves.
Only Hex wanted to curse.
I came here to retrieve the Archamada Book of Spells, and now I've lost everything I own!
And this brat is wearing my clothes!
"Boy." Hex's voice dripped with cold fury. "You think what you're doing is justice? You're placing yourself above the law, using your personal judgment to punish others. That's not heroism, it's vigilantism!"
Asher looked at him flatly.
"I just wanted your stuff," he said without a shred of shame. "What about it?"
Before Hex could respond, Ben raised one gauntleted hand, the repulsor in his palm beginning to glow.
"Sit still and don't try anything funny," Ben said casually. "This thing doesn't have great aim."
Hex's mouth snapped shut.
This was bullying. Pure, blatant bullying.
But as the loser of this confrontation, he could only swallow his pride and stay silent.
Wee-ooo, wee-ooo~
The distant wail of sirens announced the arrival of law enforcement.
A few minutes later, several officers in tactical gear escorted a thoroughly humiliated Hex toward an armored transport vehicle. Before they loaded him in, the dark magician turned to glare at Asher, who was still wearing his robes and holding his staff.
"Remember this," Hex hissed, his skull-painted face twisted with hatred. "I am Hex, and I never forget a grudge!"
"Sure thing." Asher waved cheerfully. "Next time you visit, bring more magical equipment, okay?"
Hex's eye twitched violently as the officers shoved him into the vehicle.
Ben and Gwen, meanwhile, had changed out of their hero gear well before the police arrived. By the time the authorities showed up, they looked like nothing more than three ordinary kids who happened to be standing around an empty lot.
No one would believe these children were the same heroes who'd just dismantled a master magician.
The moment the armored vehicle disappeared around the corner, Ben whirled on Asher.
"Okay, Asher, I know you don't need any of this stuff," he said, practically bouncing on his heels. "You've got the Omnitrix! So can I have the magical gear? Please?"
"Ha!" Asher laughed and clapped Ben on the shoulder. "Good try, cousin. You guessed the first part right, I don't need these for myself." He grinned and held up the staff and spellbook. "But you got the second part wrong. These aren't for you."
He turned to Gwen, whose eyes went wide.
"They're for Gwen."
Of course Asher wanted to boost Gwen's combat capabilities. The Charm of Luck was useful, but it was reactive, it helped her avoid danger rather than fight back against it. If she was going to keep joining them on missions, she needed more options.
And what better options than the Staff of Ages and the Archamada Book of Spells?