A pale band of dawn slowly rose along the distant horizon.
Faint light spilled across the shattered San Francisco Bridge, glinting coldly in the rearview mirrors of abandoned vehicles.
Lucian stared at his own hands, his heart sinking.
Of all times to revert, it had to be now. No warning, no time to react. In a single second, he was forced back into his original form.
Without Feedback's energy to sustain it, the massive electric cage quickly ran out of power and vanished before everyone's eyes.
The sudden turn of events left Zs'Skayr frozen for a moment.
"Th-this…" When he saw Lucian's appearance clearly, he burst out laughing. "Hahahaha! Luck is truly on our side! Now that you've lost the Conductoid's support, let's see what tricks you've got left!"
Qyskaar let out a cold sneer.
"Looks like fate still favors us."
"But…" Qyskaar turned his head, gazing toward the steadily brightening sky. "Dawn is almost here. We have to deal with this brat before the sunlight reaches us!"
The two ferocious Ghostfreaks bared their claws and lunged at Lucian together.
"Don't you dare hurt my Cuz!"
Gwen rushed forward, forming a blue Water Dragon Soul that surged with dense magical energy, barely forcing the two attackers back.
"Lucian, we're here to help!" Grandpa Max shouted, hoisting his laser cannon and firing at the strongest of them, Zs'Skayr.
Zs'Skayr shifted into a spectral form, slipping past the laser blast with ease.
"You think the few of you can stop us?"
"And don't forget this great hero!"
Ben showed no fear as he ran to Lucian's side, standing shoulder to shoulder with him against the terrifying Ghostfreaks.
But Ben's Omnitrix was still recharging, glowing a warning red.
"Hehe Such touching family bonds," Zs'Skayr mocked with a wicked grin. "This old Ghostfreak almost shed a tear"
"Enough talk," Qyskaar snapped, extending his pitch-black claws as he charged forward. "Let's wipe out these pests already."
"Don't forget about us!"
A powerful voice rang out from behind them.
Captain Shaw, his short blond hair gleaming, stepped forward with dual pistols in hand. Behind him, a squad of fully armed special forces raised their heavy weapons, all aiming squarely at the two Ghostfreaks.
"Captain Shaw? Awesome!" Ben cheered, suddenly finding him a lot more likable.
Lucian's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Looks like saving Captain Shaw wasn't a waste after all…"
Suddenly, the ocean below began to churn violently, as if some terrifying creature were stirring beneath the surface.
"Ben Tennyson, we're not finished yet!"
Kevin 11 stomped down on a jagged reef, launching himself upward with explosive force. Midair, he used Heatblast's power to rapidly dry his soaked wings.
Then, with a thunderous flap, he hurtled downward and slammed into the ground right in front of Zs'Skayr.
"Hehe~ Now this is getting interesting," Qyskaar said with a sinister chuckle.
Zs'Skayr's violet eyes gleamed.
"So, who do you think is the real winner now? With Kevin here, none of you can stop us."
"Oh, come on~ Couldn't you just stay in the ocean?" Ben rubbed his forehead. Seeing Kevin always gave him a headache.
"Hmph, Ben Tennyson!" Kevin roared, his face twisted with rage. "As long as you're still alive, I'll chase you to the ends of the earth!"
"Cuz… what do we do now?" Gwen asked anxiously, instinctively moving closer to Lucian.
"I'll cover you," Grandpa Max said in a low voice, his eyes never leaving the enemies ahead. "Find a chance to escape. The faster, the better."
Facing three powerful alien threats, Captain Shaw frowned deeply.
"Captain, the enemy is too strong. Should we order a retreat?" a subordinate whispered.
Captain Shaw's gaze turned icy as he barked, "Silence! We are soldiers. We do not retreat in the face of battle, especially not in front of civilians!"
"Yes…" The soldier lowered his head, ashamed.
"Wait for my command. Be ready to fire!" Captain Shaw shouted.
No matter what happened today, he would not back down. It wasn't just because of his position. These people had saved his life. If he ran now, he would never forgive himself.
At that moment, Zs'Skayr looked up at the ashen sky. The growing light in the distance told him there was no more time to waste.
"Attack! Let's strike together and wipe out all future trouble!"
Qyskaar let out a low laugh.
"Perfect. That's exactly what I was thinking."
Kevin's crystal right arm morphed into a massive battle axe as he strode toward the group.
Lucian kept his hands in his pockets, his voice cold.
"You really think I don't have a way to deal with you?"
"Open the Random Scrapped Hero Chest," Lucian said silently to himself.
[Successfully opened Scrapped Hero Chest]
[Obtained Alien Hero: Sandbox]
[Sandbox: One of the aliens originally chosen by Ben for Kenny. Its core is a green box that can fully contain its body. It can render its form irregular, flowing like sand.]
[Abilities: Freely alters its shape, moves without restriction, and possesses immense power capable of creating sandstorms.]
[Weakness: The green box at its center is vulnerable. Like an anti-gravity device, if it is seized and shut down, the body becomes a pile of immobile sand.]
Beep!
A strange sound rang out as Lucian's calibrated Omnitrix shifted from red to green.
Whenever a new hero was acquired, there was no need to wait for the watch to recharge. Only the next transformation required a cooldown.
Lucian pressed the Omnitrix. A hologram of Sandbox sprang up, and he slammed his hand down.
Thud!
Lucian's lean body rapidly broke apart, dissolving into countless grains of yellow sand. The storm of sand surged outward, releasing a powerful presence that forced everyone nearby to shield their eyes.
When the green light finally faded, the scene became clear.
Lucian was gone.
In his place stood a towering humanoid figure made entirely of fine yellow sand. Dust and grit swirled endlessly around it, and several green eyes of varying sizes gleamed from its head.
At the center of its body was a green box, embedded with the Omnitrix symbol.
"Sandbox!"
"What?! How is that possible?!" Kevin shouted in shock. "Why did your watch recharge so fast?!"
Zs'Skayr and Qyskaar stared in disbelief, rubbing their eyes as if they couldn't trust what they were seeing.
"That's awesome! Cuz, you're insanely cool!" Ben laughed proudly, pointing at the three enemies. "You freaks aren't getting away today!"
Gwen's pale face immediately brightened with a joyful smile.
Grandpa Max's lips curved upward, his eyes filled with relief and pride.
"Amazing. Continuous transformations," Captain Shaw said, clapping openly. "In all my years in the military, I've never seen a watch this incredible." He laughed heartily as he looked at the imposing Sandbox. "Alright then. Let's take care of those three freaks together!"
"You're asking for it!" The moment Kevin heard the word "freaks," he snapped. Flames burst from his raised palm, surging violently outward.
"Arrogant."
Sandbox let out a low roar. His body scattered into a swirling mass of fine sand, spinning faster and faster until a terrifying sand tornado formed, roaring as it swept toward the enemies…
...
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