The endless grasslands were swallowed by merciless flames, reduced to charred black earth—bleak and desolate, with wisps of white smoke rising into the air. As the fire lost its fuel, it gradually died down, fading into the scorched ground.
"Crawl, you worthless piece of trash!"
Rath roared, grabbing Vilgax by the ankle and swinging him wildly through the air, stirring up fierce gusts of wind before finally letting go. Vilgax shot backward like a kite with its string cut, crashing hard into a nearby hillside with an earth-shaking boom.
"Vilgax, listen up! You filthy squid trying to steal the Omnitrix! Rath gives you three seconds to get off Earth—otherwise, don't blame me for what happens next!"
Rath stood with his hands on his hips, eyes fierce and blazing. Any ordinary alien thug would've trembled under that glare.
Boom!
A massive shadow burst through the thick smoke ahead.
"Appoplexian! You dare treat me, Vilgax, this way? You'll regret it!"
Vilgax charged forward at blinding speed, his massive legs pounding the ground like a heavy armored vehicle as he barreled straight toward Rath. The green octopus head atop his shoulders glared with eyes full of murderous rage. He was going all out!
"Lucian, run! Come with us!" Grandpa Max shouted, a bad feeling rising in his chest.
"Trying to escape?" Vilgax sneered. "Too late!"
His arms suddenly swelled, muscles bulging with terrifying power, and he brought them crashing down toward Rath with a thunderous roar. Rath raised his arms to block, but the impact slammed him deep into the scorched earth, sending shockwaves rippling outward.
Dust and smoke erupted, rolling across the battlefield.
Beside the Rustbucket, everyone stared anxiously toward the chaos.
"Cuz, please be okay…" Gwen whispered a silent prayer.
"Hurry, transform!" Ben frantically tapped at the watch, but it still glowed solid red.
Gradually, the dense smoke cleared, revealing the scene within. In the dark pit, Rath lay motionless, eyes shut tight.
"Earthling, now you understand my power?" Vilgax stood at the edge of the crater, looking down with disdain.
Suddenly, Rath's eyes snapped open. He clenched his fists, the claws on his knuckles extending sharply, gleaming with cold light.
"You muscle-bound octopus head, listen up! The mighty Rath admits you're strong—but Rath is stronger! Soon you'll be on your knees, begging for mercy!!"
He tightened his fists, ready to charge. Vilgax tensed, shifting into a defensive stance. He wasn't about to get caught in another one of Rath's bizarre combos—especially that ridiculous "One Thousand Years of Pai" move that had caught him off guard before...
Thud!
A red light flashed across Rath's body, and in an instant, he reverted to his human form.
Lucian stared down at his own hands. "Crap. I'm done for."
In his Rath form, he didn't bother watching the timer—too busy brawling and trash-talking like a true street fighter.
Vilgax, who'd been ready for another clash, burst into laughter. "Fate itself must favor me! Let's see you escape now!"
In a blur, he lunged forward and grabbed Lucian tightly in his massive hand.
"Damn it, let's move!"
Grandpa Max spun around, grabbing the two beside him. "Plan change—head straight for Mount Rushmore!"
Staying here would only mean a pointless death, letting Vilgax catch them all in one net.
"But Lucian was captured! We have to save him!" Gwen's eyes were red with tears. She refused to abandon Lucian.
"Damn it!" Ben gritted his teeth, a wave of helplessness washing over him. His Cuz had always protected him. Now that Lucian was captured, he felt utterly powerless.
"Trust me, I don't like it either," Grandpa Max said quickly. "But if we all get captured, who's going to save your cousin?"
"Alright, Gwen, let's go!" Ben resolved.
But just as he started to move, a powerful gust of wind swept in from behind.
"Kid, don't even think about slipping through my fingers," Vilgax said coldly, effortlessly snatching Ben into his grasp.
"No!" Gwen panicked, wildly unleashing her Water Magic.
Water Bubble Spell, Aqua Arrow, Water Dragon Soul... spells flew one after another, striking Vilgax, yet only splashing droplets of water, utterly ineffective.
"Vilgax, release my two grandsons!" Grandpa Max's eyes burned red with fury, wishing he could wield his old weapon once more to blast the enemy into Outer Space.
"Heh, Tennyson, do you really think that's possible?" Vilgax held Lucian and Ben effortlessly.
Clatter!
Not far away, a sharp hedgehog sphere rolled toward them, splitting in two to open its hatch. Vilgax leapt inside, the hatch slowly closing behind him.
"Tennyson, you'd better worry about yourself first!"
"You and this pitiful planet will soon be reduced to dust."
With those final words, Vilgax's figure vanished completely. The massive hedgehog sphere sealed shut, spinning wildly as it charged toward the space battleship in the valley.
In the desolate, scorched wasteland, only two lonely figures remained.
"Grandpa, what should we do now?" Gwen's face was pale, her eyes red-rimmed.
"Let's go. We're heading to Mount Rushmore," Grandpa Max said in a low voice, forcing back the grief in his heart. He knew he had to pull himself together now if there was any chance of rescuing Lucian and Ben.
...
Several minutes later, Mount Rushmore.
A mountain trail wound through steep, gray-brown rock walls, weathered by time and eroded by the ages.
Vroom!
The roar of engines filled the air as the Rustbucket accelerated full throttle, plunging deep into the mountains.
Gwen's gaze sharpened as she spotted a sign at the fork in the road.
"No Visitors Beyond This Point..."
Grandpa Max shook his head. "We're not visitors. We're tenants."
Soon, the Rustbucket came to a halt on a patch of ground marked with a painted circle. Grandpa Max pressed a hidden button on the driver's seat, triggering an audio signal.
Click!
The ground beneath instantly caved in, like a lift, carrying the Rustbucket underground.
Ignoring Gwen's confusion, Grandpa Max pulled her out without a word. He switched on the lights and strode straight into the base's interior.
This subterranean space was filled with compartments of various sizes. Grandpa Max opened several drawers in succession, each time shaking his head in disappointment.
"Where on earth is it?" He couldn't quite recall, his mind a whirl of frustration and anger. But there was no time for venting now. Grandpa Max took a deep breath and continued searching.
"Grandpa, what exactly did you do when you were young?" Gwen scanned the surroundings and couldn't help asking.
Click-clack!
Suddenly, Grandpa mounted a sleek laser cannon, its body crackling with electricity, radiating cutting-edge technology. Peering through the scope, he was rediscovering the feel of the past.
"To put it simply, I wasn't just an ordinary Plumber."
"I was a Universe law enforcement officer—responsible for expelling invading alien species, resolving all manner of supernatural phenomena, and serving under the Plumbers!"