The sunlight was bright, and a cool breeze swept across the lake, sending faint ripples across the surface.
In a large tree nearby, a praying mantis was hunting. Its sharp green scythe-like forelegs clamped tightly around a cicada. No matter how desperately the insect screamed, the mantis remained unmoved.
Boom!
A massive hedgehog-shaped iron sphere fell from the sky, carrying a wave of scorching heat as it smashed violently into the grass. The ground shook violently, and large swaths of grass, trees, and flowers were instantly burned to ash, scattering into the air.
The mysterious iron sphere now stood directly in front of everyone.
"This is bad, Vilgax is here!" Ben cried out. In his memory, this iron ball was Vilgax's transport.
"Vilgax? Who's that?" Ripjaws scratched her head, clearly confused.
Lucian's heart tightened. It looked like there was no escaping today.
Soon, the massive hedgehog sphere split open from the center and rapidly unfolded. A tall alien stepped out from within.
A green, octopus-like head, pea-sized eyes, and writhing tentacles around its mouth gave him a vicious, menacing appearance. Brutality flickered unmistakably in his gaze.
"So it really is him," Lucian clenched his fists silently. Without the watch, it was almost impossible for him to defeat Vilgax.
Still, this Vilgax looked noticeably thinner. He clearly hadn't undergone physical enhancement yet. Compared to the Vilgax from Lucian's own timeline, his combat strength should be far weaker.
Vilgax narrowed his eyes slightly, his deep voice rumbling.
"Hand over the Omnitrix."
"Hey, Vilgax, it's only been a few days. How'd you get so skinny?" Ben mocked. "What, malnutrition?"
"Stupid brat. Get out of my sight," Vilgax snarled, clearly not bothering to take him seriously.
Ripjaws snorted.
"Squid-face, if you've got the guts, come at me. Don't bully my cousin. Only I'm allowed to bully him!"
"Sharp-tongued little pest."
Vilgax roared in anger and charged straight at Ripjaws, his powerful frame surging forward.
He clenched his fist, as large as a sandbag, and swung it down hard, smashing it straight into Ripjaws's chest.
Ripjaws raised her claws, trying to block the blow, but she was blasted away in an instant, sent flying like a kite with its string cut, tumbling across the muddy ground.
Vilgax pressed the advantage and moved in to finish the fight.
Seeing this, Ben rushed in front of Ripjaws. He grabbed a branch from the ground and hurled it with all his strength.
"Get lost, Vilgax! Don't you dare bully Gwen!"
Vilgax snorted coldly and casually snapped the branch in half.
"Then you can die too, brat."
Bang!
Suddenly, a hard stone flew in from behind and struck Vilgax squarely on the head.
Vilgax froze for a split second before erupting in fury. He turned around and roared,
"Who did that?!"
The moment he threw the stone, Lucian turned and ran.
There was no way he was going to face Vilgax head-on right now.
The only thing he could do was rush back to Grandpa and see if there were any weapons in the car.
"Running faster than a rat," Vilgax sneered, rubbing his head as he turned his gaze back toward Ben.
"You stinking squid, I'm warning you—"
Before Ben could finish, Vilgax casually swung his arm, sending him flying. Ben crashed into a large tree before rolling across the grass.
Clenching his teeth, Ben tried to get back up, but waves of pain surged through his body, leaving him unable to move. All he could do was watch helplessly as Vilgax advanced toward Gwen step by step.
Ripjaws opened her mouth, trying to bite Vilgax's arm, but her throat was seized in an iron grip.
"You—" Ripjaws felt suffocation close in, pain overwhelming her.
Vilgax reached out and tapped her chest, striking the Omnitrix symbol directly. A burst of red light flared, and Ripjaws instantly reverted back into Gwen.
"Ah! You monster, let me go!" Gwen struggled fiercely.
Vilgax let out a cold laugh, his eyes fixed on the Omnitrix on Gwen's wrist.
"I finally have you, Omnitrix."
"Let me go, or I'll turn into Four Arms and beat you to a pulp!" Gwen threatened angrily.
Vilgax ignored her completely. Grabbing the struggling Gwen, he turned and stepped back into the hedgehog sphere. It sealed shut at once and shot off into the distance.
"Gwen!" Ben cried out anxiously. He clenched his teeth, as if something had just occurred to him, and immediately sprinted toward the Rustbucket.
…
Twenty minutes later, Mount Rushmore.
In a vast valley, a massive alien warship hovered in midair. Mountains rose on all sides, while wild grass spread endlessly across the land, forming a sea of green.
Herds of cattle and sheep grazed on the plains, letting out low, dull calls from time to time. A gentle breeze swept through the grassland, stirring soft waves across the greenery with a faint rustling sound.
At that moment, a battered old RV raced across the grass, rapidly closing in on the hovering spaceship.
Inside the vehicle, Grandpa Max stared at the marked location on the map, his expression growing more and more serious.
"We're almost there. Everyone get ready. We have to rescue Gwen."
"Got it." Lucian nodded.
Not long ago, after throwing a stone at Vilgax, Lucian had sprinted back to the Rustbucket and told Grandpa everything that had happened.
After hearing the full story, Grandpa Max immediately pressed a hidden button in the Rustbucket, opening a secured compartment and pulling out the Plumber arsenal.
Inside were a laser rifle, a laser pistol, and a powerful laser cannon.
Grandpa Max handed the laser rifle to Lucian, while the compact laser pistol went to Ben. He briefly explained how to use them before they rushed back on the road. They had to reach the alien warship before Vilgax took off.
Thanks to the Rustbucket's satellite global positioning and tracking system, Grandpa Max was able to lock onto the Omnitrix signal and pinpoint Gwen's location.
The destination turned out to be Mount Rushmore, the exact same place Lucian had experienced before.
...
Mount Rushmore, inside the spaceship.
"Let me go, you stinking squid! It's just a watch. I'll give it to you!" Gwen shouted angrily.
At that moment, she was restrained inside a special machine.
Her entire body was fixed within a circular steel frame, her limbs completely immobilized. Most importantly, her left hand, the one wearing the Omnitrix, was clamped by a cannon-like device, seemingly cutting off her connection to it.
Vilgax, holding a blue laser blade, walked up to Gwen. A thick look of greed surfaced in his eyes.
"That's not something you can just hand over. I have to sever your connection to the Omnitrix first before I can remove it."
"The Omnitrix… it's finally going to be mine!"
"When that happens, I will become the most powerful warlord in the universe! Every species on every planet will kneel before me, Vilgax! Hahahaha!"
Gwen ground her teeth in fury, wishing she could bite Vilgax to death on the spot.
That damned alien squid.
Vilgax raised the glowing blue blade and laughed.
"Don't worry. It won't hurt at all. I'll be very quick…"