Everyone turned toward the sound.
At the villa's entrance stood a middle-aged man in a blue uniform and black tactical boots, his posture rigid and upright. His jet-black hair was tinged with gray at the crown—clearly dyed—and his deep-set eyes carried a hint of arrogance and sly confidence, like a man who had seen and survived it all.
"Who are you?" Humungousaur's gravelly voice rumbled as he turned toward the newcomer.
Wait a second... that face looked familiar.
Grandpa Max's eyes widened in surprise. "Phil?"
"Oh, it's you! Max!" Phil grinned and walked over, pulling him into a quick hug.
"It's been years! You haven't changed a bit!" Grandpa Max chuckled, studying the man's youthful appearance.
"Not true—time spares no one." Phil gave a wry smile. "Haven't seen you since the Vilgax incident. How've you been holding up?"
"Grandpa, who is he?" Ben asked curiously.
"This is Phil," Grandpa explained. "He used to be a plumber too, like me. Only difference is, I'm retired now."
Gwen glanced between her grandfather and Phil, her expression uncertain. They were clearly around the same age, yet the difference was startling—Phil looked vigorous and youthful, while Grandpa Max bore the marks of time. Was Phil just really good at taking care of himself?
"Awesome! Another plumber!" Ben exclaimed, bounding forward with a grin. "Nice to meet you, Uncle Phil! I'm Ben Tennyson!"
Phil shook his hand politely, but his eyes caught on something—Ben's wrist. "Cool watch," he remarked, narrowing his gaze. "Looks kinda familiar."
"Well, that's because he's—" Ben began, but Grandpa quickly clamped a hand over his mouth.
"Alright, Phil," Grandpa cut in, forcing a smile. "You're here to deal with the alien causing all this trouble, right?"
"Of course," Phil replied, his tone full of pride. "When the local law enforcement can't handle something, I'm the one they call." He lifted his sleek laser rifle and aimed it at both Humungousaur and the four-armed creature. "And today's my lucky day—two targets at once."
He tightened his grip on the trigger.
"I wouldn't shoot if I were you, old man," Humungousaur growled, clenching his fists, ready for a counterattack.
"Don't threaten me, monster."
Phil pulled the trigger—but in a blur of motion, Grandpa Max deflected the gun, sending the laser bolt flying harmlessly into the wall.
"Max! What the hell are you doing?" Phil snapped, yanking his weapon back, eyes narrowing with suspicion.
"It's a misunderstanding, Phil," Grandpa said quickly, signaling subtly toward Humungousaur—telling him to get out while he still could.
"Misunderstanding?" Phil scoffed. "Every alien is an enemy of the Plumbers, and you know it."
"No, Phil," Grandpa countered firmly. "That dinosaur just saved us. He took down both the Havoc Beast and the Tetramand. If it weren't for him, we'd all be dead right now."
Phil hesitated. "Even so…" He turned his head, only to find that Humungousaur had already vanished—leaving behind only the battered, unconscious Tetramand.
"Damn it! He got away!"
"Let it go, Phil," Grandpa said calmly. "That one wasn't an enemy—he was just doing the right thing. Besides, a plumber's job is to protect civilians from dangerous alien threats, not to hunt down every creature that lands on Earth."
Phil sighed, turning his head away. "You know, Max, this is all your fault."
"My fault?"
"Yeah. Ever since you took down Vilgax, no alien dares to cause trouble on Earth anymore. Now I'm running out of work."
Grandpa chuckled dryly. "I was just doing my job."
"Fine, fine," Phil said, shaking his head with mock annoyance. "I'll take this Tetramand back and hand him over to the proper authorities."
"And the Havoc Beast too," Grandpa reminded him.
"Got it, Max. I'll take care of them."
"Strange thing, though," Grandpa mused. "We haven't seen a Havoc Beast since we caught one in Denver. Not a single sighting since then."
Phil shrugged. "You know how aliens are. They don't follow logic. They show up when they want, wherever they want. There's no predicting them."
Grandpa frowned, deep in thought. "Still... what are the odds of a Tetramand and a Havoc Beast appearing in the same place, at the same time?"
"Alright, Max—we used to be comrades, closer than brothers." A sly glint flashed in Phil's eyes. "Join me. Let's get back to what we did best—hunting down and punishing rogue alien creatures. Together, we'd be unstoppable."
"No," Grandpa Max said firmly. "I'm retired now. All I want is to live quietly with my grandkids."
"Once a plumber, always a plumber. You sure you won't reconsider?" Phil pressed, trying to win him over.
"Yeah, Grandpa! Let's team up with Phil!" Ben's eyes lit up, his youthful enthusiasm blazing to life. The idea of becoming a hero plumber thrilled him to no end.
"Ben's right," Phil added with a grin. "Come on, Max, you're still as sharp as ever. If you join me, you'll have all the wealth and glory you could want. A comfortable life for the rest of your years—doesn't that sound tempting?"
At those words, whatever hesitation Max had vanished completely. His resolve returned, hard as stone. He took Ben and Gwen by the hands and started toward the door.
"Phil, I told you—I'm retired. Ben's just a kid, he doesn't know better. Don't hold it against him."
He paused at the threshold. "We've got other matters to handle. You take care of these two aliens. Hand them over to the authorities and let them deal out the proper punishment."
Without looking back, Max led the still-struggling Ben out of the villa.
He knew Phil too well. The man standing there now was no longer the same comrade he'd once trusted with his life. Greed had clouded his judgment. He'd lost sight of the ideals that had once defined a plumber.
Lucian, standing near the doorway, had heard the entire conversation.
He let out a quiet sigh.
The boy who slew dragons… had finally become one himself.
Phil kept his back to the group, a glint of cold light flashing in his eyes. Yet his voice rang out with hearty laughter. "That's fine, Max! I believe one day you'll come around. When that time comes, I'll be waiting."
When the Rustbucket finally pulled away, Phil turned toward the wounded Tetramand and the snarling Havoc Beast. A faint, cruel smile curved his lips.
...
Meanwhile, the Rustbucket rumbled down the dark highway. They still hadn't found a place to stop for the night.
"Grandpa, I don't get it," Ben muttered, pouting. "Why didn't we join Phil? And you wouldn't even let me talk about the Omnitrix. That's so unfair."
"Ben," Grandpa said gently, shaking his head, "you don't have to tell everyone everything."
"But Phil was your partner! Can't we trust him?" Ben protested.
"Doofus, Grandpa has his reasons," Gwen said, giving her cousin a light smack on the shoulder.
"People change," Lucian said calmly as he adjusted the Omnitrix on his wrist, cycling through the alien forms. "Nothing stays the same forever."
"You're right, Lucian." Grandpa nodded. "And as for the Omnitrix—it's better to keep it a secret. The fewer who know, the safer we'll be."
Just then, the console screen at the front of the Rustbucket flickered to life.
Grandpa tapped to answer the incoming call.
Phil's frantic voice burst through the speaker. "Max! I need backup! Two Vulpimancers showed up at the meat processing plant off Highway 42! They're too strong—I can't take them alone!"
A thunderous roar echoed through the call, rattling the speaker.
Lucian frowned slightly. Something about this felt wrong—a little too convenient. But his memory of the original events was hazy; he couldn't be sure.
Before he could say anything, Grandpa Max gripped the wheel and spun it around.
"Hang on," he said, voice steady. "We're heading to the meat processing plant."