NOTE: Welcome back to another chapter! We're almost done with this season, which means Priestess 10 (Part 1) is almost complete.
Timeline: Season 4 - Secrets of the Omnitrix - Destroy All Aliens - Filler stuff - Persona 4 Arena - Alien Force
Secrets of the Omnitrix will be a seperate "story", because I don't want to make this fic look all messy. So, after Negative 10 I'll be marking this as complete, then Secrets of the Omnitrix will be uploaded as the finale later on.
I might do Race Against Time off-screen.
You can consider P4A as a prequel to Alien Force and I don't think it takes too much thinking to figure what might end up happening around then.
If you have any questions about this stuff, then feel free to send me a PM. I'm more than fine with explaining things a bit more clearly if this didn't make sense.
Enjoy and Review!
Chapter 62: Persona 4 Good Buddy
As the Rustbucket turned to exit the busy highway, taking an old, deserted road, Yukiko allowed herself to relax with a nice cold fruit cup. The delectable taste of cold juicy oranges refreshed her on the hot summer day.
"It's nice being off the highway. Don't you just love the open road?" Max asked his grandkids.
Gwen, who was fiddling with the radio, couldn't find it in her to agree. "Not when you can't get a radio signal."
"Then how about a sing-along? How about that?" Max suggested.
"Oh, really!? I'll be happy to join in, Grandpa!" Yukiko exclaimed from the back. Gwen could feel her brain cells dying as both Yukiko and Max started singing a different version of She'll be coming round the mountain when she comes, with the heiress not really knowing the song and just barely following behind Max.
Stepping out of the bathroom, Ben stopped their terrible singing. "How about a flush along!? The toilet won't flush again!" Used to this routine, the family initiated the over complicated steps of fixing the toilet's issue.
"Hydraulics on!" Max called out.
"You're clear to flush." Gwen gave the 'go' sign. "And hopefully fast."
"Make sure to wash your hands this time!" Yukiko ordered the boy before he closed the door. At the beginning of the summer, Yukiko questioned why the Rustbucket was so overcomplicated sometimes. At first, she figured it was due to the motorhome being pretty old and crusty, but maybe it had to do with all the crazy upgrades her grandfather gave it throughout the years.
Ben, after assuring Yukiko that he did wash his hands, sat down at the table. "This thing can go 300 mph, but it takes four people to flush a toilet!?"
"Hey, our old gal's got character." Max defended his home.
"The Rustbucket's a girl?" Yukiko tilted her head.
"Nope…not giving in to you today." Gwen ignored Yukiko.
HONK!
Max turned to the window to see a modern-looking RV speeding past them. Ben got up from his seat, pointing to the modern motorhome. "No! That's character!"
Behind the Rustbucket three other large vehicles were closing in on them. One of them was a blue monster truck, the second was an orange sports car, and the last was a brown tow truck. "This is a warning! Move that piece of junk in front of us, so we can get what we came for!" The southern truck driver-looking guy inside of the monster truck yelled through his microphone. When they didn't respond quick enough, he rammed into the Rustbucket from behind, sending the Tennysons towards the edge of the mountain road.
"Forget coming around the mountain! We're going down it!" Ben exclaimed.
OP: Glory by BAND-MAID
A stream of stardust appeared, flowing like a peaceful river. The stardust joined together into a string of green DNA, twisting together before entering a single star. The star exploded in a blinding flash of light.
Trapped in conventionality, even denials are obvious!
The light disappeared to reveal Ben, who was busy playing his handheld game. His headphones placed over his ears as he engrossed himself in Sumo Slammers.
(That, there, this, whichever - Hey, isn't it true?)
A green flash changed the image to show Ben now preparing for battle. His eyes filled with a strong sense of confidence. His hand hovered over the Omnitrix's dial, ready to transform into Four Arms.
Why is it before you wake up you build a wall, saying it's impossible!
The scene switched over to Yu Narukami, the Fool was dressed in his Yasogami High uniform. He was peacefully making his way through the streets with his school bag draped over his shoulder.
(No discussions, no ideals)
This time a tarot card shattered the screen to reveal the teen now in his battle stance. His eyes were brimming with determination, his sword gripped firmly in his hands. Electricity bristled around his blade like a static coil.
Calling, calling, calling now!
The Omnitrix, Gwen's spellbook, and Yukiko's fan all popped up with each 'calling' that was spoken.
Even together, it's not the same!
Yukiko and Gwen were next to appear by each other's side. Yukiko was dressed in a pink apron with pink mittens on her hands. In her hands was a pot of disgustingly boiling purple liquid that threatened to spill out.
Gwen floated in the air, her spellbook in hand. The young girl was comfortably curled up as she read the book to herself.
Break yourself though, go way!
A tarot card shattered the screen again, showing that the girls were now battle ready. Yukiko's smile was dangerously beautiful, her left arm was raised into the air while the right held her fan, pointed right at the screen. She stood with the grace of a maiden, but a threatening aura could be seen on her.
Gwen was still floating in the air, her hands were extended outward, brimming with pink mana. The young sorceress' eyes were bright pink, burning a fierce intensity with a cocky smile.
Even if you lose your way, keep moving forward!
Max and a young chubby boy were up next. The ex-plumber was dressed in his fishing gear, a long green rod held in his left hand and a bucket of worms in the right.
The young blond chubby boy stood nervously next to him. His eyes looked everywhere but straight, his knees buckling with fear.
Our desires won't be stopped!
Another screen shatter brought forth a change from them both. Instead of his fishing gear, Max was wearing a grey exo-suit with blue markings on the suit's visor. His gauntlets vibrated with power, an excited grin making its way to the elder's face.
The chubby boy was even more different. Instead of his usual nervousness and fear, he hovered in the air, covered in blue energy. His eyes were completely white as his hair raised from the power radiating off of him, the boy almost looked omnipotent.
Oh, ah!
Mount Rushmore was the next thing to appear, but the screen cracked like glass, revealing that half of the National Monument had been utterly destroyed.
The whole wide world! Let your emotions spill!
Standing in front of the bright red background was the Forever King. His large frame towering above everyone else. Right under him was the Forever Ninja, Dr. Animo, Charmcaster, baby Hex, and Kangaroo Kommando. Surrounding them were 4 other silhouettes, blackened out, leaving their identities a mystery.
Keep rewriting, only glory!
The screen shattered once more to show a wide shot of the Tennyson family clashing against the Forever King and this new force. Ben was facing against the king, while the girls and Max were going against the other silhouettes.
If we're together! We can seize it! The war is just beginning!
Finally we have the Tennyson family standing together in front of the Rustbucket. Yukiko and Ben stood in front, her arms draped over his chest, holding the boy close to her. All of their wide smiles could be seen as they enjoyed being with one another.
The final shot was of the spinning Omnitrix, before the dial pressed down to envelop the screen in a blinding flash of green light.
"GRANDPA!" His kids yelled at him to do something before they flew off the mountain. The ex-Plumber quickly spun the wheel in time, preventing them from falling to their deaths. Gwen relaxed her body as both Ben and Yukiko hurried to the front.
"What's up with those drivers!?" Gwen yelled.
"Those jerks almost killed us!" Yukiko hissed, glaring at the three vehicles ahead.
"Forget what's up! They're going down!" Ben declared, activating the Omnitrix. "It's time for some real XLR8-tion!"
FLASH!
Instead of XLR8, Ben had transformed into Ripjaws. "Aw man!"
"Not a drop of water for miles!" Gwen groaned.
"Well, this means we might have fish sticks for lunch." Yukiko chimed in.
"Can you stop talking about trying to eat me!" Ripjaws yelled at her.
Max, however, was pretty determined, pressing a button on the dashboard. "We're getting those load-pirates!" The Rustbucket's speed increased, allowing the Tennyson family to catch up to the motor gang. The RV drove past the two smaller cars and the other RV, pulling up right next to the monster truck.
"Leave him alone!" Max shouted, ramming the Rustbucket into the truck, shoving it off road.
"My, my, it seems you can't judge a vehicle by its paint job nowadays." The trucker said.
Thanks to them, the modern RV was able to freely speed ahead, but the Rustbucket was now cornered by the three cars. The two smaller ones continued to ram into the Rustbucket's sides in hopes of totaling them completely.
Ripjaws jumped out of the window, climbing onto the front of the tow truck. "Who needs water when you've got jaws that can cut through steel!" He declared as he tore into the truck.
"Wahh!" The driver cried. He has light brown hair, tattoos all over his body, and is dressed in blue overalls with black gloves. The trucker stepped on the gas pedal in fear, trying to shake the alien fish off.
In the other car was a young woman with jet black hair, dressed in a short white jacket with the ends tied under which she wears a black full sleeved shirt, torn-by-the-edges jean shorts, and green welding glasses. She presses a button on her dashboard, activating a spike that comes out of the tire plate. It slices through the side of the Rustbucket, but not for long, due to Max activating an electrical blast from the wheels that knocks her off road.
"Ride's over, freak!" The trucker declared at Ripjaws. Hitting the brakes suddenly sends the Piscciss Volann flying onto the roof of the modern RV.
Yukiko sticks her head out of the window, pointing her fan at the three criminal drivers. "Maragion!" She unleashes a powerful burst of flames that explode upon contact with the road, sending the three flying off the road and into the sandy desert. The heiress smirks at their victory, retreating back into the Rustbucket. "That takes care of them."
"Good job, Yukiko." Max congratulated his eldest.
"But where exactly did Ben go?" Gwen asked. Looking out the windshield the three saw a guy standing outside of the modern RV, he was waving to get their attention. "Nevermind, I think I know where he is now."
"There's a monster in my hot tub!" Lawrence Wainright, the owner of the RV, cried to the Tennysons. He's an overweight white guy with brown hair and a bushy brown mustache. He's dressed in a blue polo with khaki pants. "With your help I had just gotten away from those drivers, and then I heard this splash!" He explained.
Entering the RV, Yukiko and Gwen marveled at just how modern it looked. Not only was the inside more spacious than the Rustbucket, but it also had a large flatscreen TV, bookshelves, tables, couches, and more! "Woah! Look at how cool this all is!" Gwen exclaimed.
"With much more space than the Rustbucket too." Yukiko noted.
Max didn't like the look in his granddaughters' eyes as they examined the interior. "Sure, if you like all that fancy stuff." He hoped he didn't sound too jealous.
Lawrence led them to the bathroom, afraid to go in there himself. Walking inside, Yukiko sighed at her little brother, who had long since turned back to normal. The boy was just chilling inside of the hot tub without a care in the world. "Benjamin…"
"It's not a monster, but he is pretty horrific looking." Gwen jokes.
"You try finding water in the desert! I almost had to eat a cactus!" Ben exclaimed.
Lawrence was utterly confused by the situation. "I don't understand! There was this creature that came through-"
"You know, the desert can play tricks with your mind." Max interrupted him, putting an end to the discussion.
Yukiko took a towel off of a rack, using it to try and dry off Ben as he got out of the hot tub. Wrapping it around himself, he stepped out of the bathroom to gaze around the RV's interior. "I wouldn't mind traveling in here forever."
"It's the most advanced satellite communication system out there." Lawrence informed them. "Wi-Fi, e-mail, internet, and radio."
"Wow!" Gwen's astonishment only grew.
"Sixty-three-inch plasma with five-hundred channels of satellite TV." He continued to explain as the kids turned to the television.
"It's like a television I'd find at Junes!" Yukiko commented. This RV was much more advanced than the Rustbucket! The only thing she could possibly compare it to would be the futuristic version of the Rustbucket back when they traveled to the future.
"The name's Lawrence Wainright, been on the road all summer." Lawrence introduced himself. "I figured it was time to cash in and see the country, really get to meet people, to enjoy life." Then he saw Gwen was about to touch one of his trophies. "NO! Not my trophies!" His shout startled the young girl.
"My RV has won best in show in sixteen states!" His eyes stared at the golden trophies with pride. Turning to the Tennysons, he rubbed his hands together. "So, can I treat you to lunch for all of your help?"
Max sighed, not really wanting to stay in this RV anymore, but the Rustbucket wasn't in the best condition after their road battle. "Well, I do need a place to do some repairs."
The Tennysons and Lawrence arrived at a nearby stop for travelers. Inside of the station, they found a buffet where they could fill their stomachs for lunch. Yukiko frowned at the selection, wishing they had at least something that seemed healthy. She glanced at Ben, who was filling his plate with all of the junk food he could grab. "Ben, can you at least try not to eat so much junk food, your stomach will be hurting if you try to eat all of that."
"That's a problem for future Ben to deal with!" Ben replied, digging into his chicken leg.
Their waitress arrived with four plates, handing them their more healthy (As healthy as they could be) meals. She was an older woman with puffy gray hair and glasses, dressed in a blue uniform. "Word around these parts is that you took down the Road Crew."
"The Road Crew?" Ben asked, food spilling out of his mouth. Yukiko quickly wiped his mouth with a napkin.
"Finish chewing first." She huffed.
"Barren Highway, Turbine, and Road Rage. They've been terrorizing good folks on these back roads since I had a full set of teeth." She opened her mouth, showing the disgusting sight of her decaying molars.
"That is repulsive." Yukiko's blunt verbal dagger forced the waitress to close her mouth.
Coughing awkwardly to the side, the waitress continued. "They took my ride years ago. Been stuck here ever since."
"Well, we were just doing our job." Max smiled.
"And they'll be out of a job once the new highway opens." The Tennysons and Lawrence looked out the window to see the construction site. "No more sitting ducks for them to pluck off."
Looking down at the noisy boy with food all over his face, the waitress smiled. "I hope you saved room for dessert. We got the best ice cream on this side of the rockies."
"I guess we could go for some ice cream, right, Ben?" Yukiko continued to wipe the food off his face with a napkin.
"Yeah!" Ben grinned, not realizing how terrible of a decision this would be until a bit later.
Standing over the hill across from the station was the Road Crew. Barren watched as Max repaired the Rustbucket, itching to get his hands on the sweet ride. Behind him, Road Rage stomped his foot with impatience. "We're wasting time! I'm itching to do this!" He complained, scratching his head with his chain sickle.
Turbine scrunched her face at her disgusting teammate. "Maybe, that's because you haven't washed in days. You smell more putrid than a possum in a barrel of pickles." Turbine sniffed his armpits, realizing she was right, but he was proud of his smell.
Back down at the station, Yukiko and her siblings stayed next to Max to help him work on the Rustbucket. Ben held his stomach, all of the junk food and ice cream he had eaten earlier was coming back to bite him in the ass. "Ugh, I need more ice water. I don't feel so hot."
"Hot? Do you have a fever." Yukiko touched his forehead, hoping that the boy didn't get sick again. "I told you not to eat all of that junk food."
Ignoring her, Ben entered the Rustbucket to get some more ice. That was when Gwen and Max realized what he was about to do. "Don't use the ice maker!" It was too late, Ben opened up the freezer and was pelted by a wave of ice and water. Which caused the window wipers and sprinklers to turn on, spraying Gwen.
"Pfft! Hahahahaha!" Yukiko laughed, helping Ben off the ground and pushing the ice off of him. "I c-snrk-completely forgot about that! And Gwen got soaked too! Snrk!"
The young sorceress glared at her older sister. "I swear, you're going to get hit by karma at some point! I know it!"
SCREEE!
The Tennyson kids turned around to see the tow truck from earlier speeding right towards them, causing them to jump out of the way before it could crash. Luckily, it stopped before it could collide with the Rustbucket. Barren stepped out of the truck, allowing Road Rage to continue his part of the plan. On the other side of the RV, Turbine pulled up to corner them, stepping out of her car to shoot metal bolts from her gun.
"Grandpa!" Gwen got Max's attention, dodging out of the way to avoid getting shot. Max rolled out from under the RV, seeing Turbine standing over him with a wrench in her grasp. Before she could strike the old man, a pink fan slammed into her head, knocking her to the ground.
"Away from my Grandpa, you…you…" Yukiko struggled to come up with an insult. "Ben and Gwen do this so easily."
"Yukiko, move!" Max grabbed his granddaughter, moving her out of the way of Turbine's line of fire. The two were going to continue fighting her until the sounds of an engine starting caught their attention. Max saw Barren sitting in the driver's seat of the Rustbucket, preparing to leave with his home. "Get out!" His cry went ignored as Barren stepped on the gas pedal, forcing granddaughter and grandfather to scramble out of the way.
Ben glared at the Road Crew, who were stealing his grandfather's home. "It's Hero Time!" He selected Upchuck and slapped down the dial.
FLASH!
"Let's eat!" Upchuck's tongues grabbed several oil cans to charge up. He fired at Turbine's car, but missed his shot.
"What is that thing!?" Turbine stared at the little alien.
"Whatever it is, it's about to be roadkill!" Road Rage laughed like a madman, swinging his sickle at the Gourmand. It wrapped itself around the alien hero, Road Rage dragging him around like he was some kind of ragdoll. The crazy trucker continued to destroy the station as he dragged Upchuck along for the ride.
"Ben!" Yukiko took aim, firing at Road Rage, who saw the flames coming and quickly retreated into his vehicle. Upchuck was tossed into the buffet table, left groaning in pain until he saw the food on the ground.
"An Upchuck dream come true!?" He ate the pizza, but quickly barfed it back out. "Aw great! I'm a bottomless pit and I can't digest the good stuff!"
"Will you get back up and help!" Gwen barked at him. She tried to toss pink disks at Turbine's car, but the female road thief spun her car to avoid Gwen's attack. The sudden movement caused Gwen's eyes to widen, she opened up a forcefield to stop the car from ramming into her. Due to the little time she had to strengthen it, the car broke through the shield and sent Gwen rolling across the ground.
Max quickly scooped up his granddaughter, turning to see Yukiko getting dragged around by Road Rage's sickle. The constant dragging was forcing Yukiko's dress up a bit, giving the sick bastard enough of a view of what's underneath. "What a great view! Hahahahaha!"
Yukiko's face turned red, she growled at the unhygienic creep. "Why you dirty little-Kya!" She was swung into Upchuck before she could finish her threat. Both brother and sister tumbled into the car wash.
FLASH!
Ben turned back to normal, laying on top of Yukiko. When he realized that the operating system was still on, he tried to move but discovered that their feet were stuck in the conveyor belt. "We're stuck!" Looking ahead, the boiling hot wax had been turned on and they were getting dangerously close to it. "And we're going to be ultra hot waxed!" He and Yukiko struggled to untangle themselves to escape.
Max acted quickly, tossing a Plumber tool at the switch button for the hot wax, turning it off. However, his grandkids were still stuck, so they had to deal with getting spun around by the scrubs. Max and Gwen hurried to the other side, awaiting Ben and Yukiko, who were drenching wet until getting blasted by the air drier.
Gwen couldn't help but laugh. "I guess that karma finally kicked in! Pfft!"
Yukiko raised a brow. "What do you mean?" Gwen pointed at the window, allowing Yukiko to see her reflection and the poor frazzled state that her hair was in. "My hair!" She screeched loudly.
As Yukiko tried her best to fix her hair, Max checked on Ben. "Are you okay, Ben?"
"Do I at least look better than her?" Ben pointed at Yukiko. His hair was also frazzled from the scrubs.
"Actually, it's an improvement." Gwen grinned.
Recovering from the fight with the Road Crew, Max hung up the pay phone after contacting the police. "The police haven't seen it anywhere, we'll have to search high and low." Max told his grandkids.
Ben, who was eating another bowl of ice cream, grinned. "Hey, look at the bright side, with all of the insurance money you'll get you could buy something brand new! Like the deluxe RV!" Ben pointed at Lawrence's motorhome.
SMACK!
"Ow!" Ben gripped his head. "What did you do that for!?"
"The Rustbucket is Grandpa's home, Ben!" Yukiko exclaimed. "We can't just replace it, plus it has all of our belongings!"
"But it smells!" Ben complained.
"And it breaks down all the time!" Gwen added.
"And it's like family." Max's words silenced the two. "I'll search every inch of the southwest if I have to!"
"With what, Grandpa? Everyone bailed out of here when the Road Crew came back." Gwen reminded him. "Everyone is afraid of them."
HONK!
Turning to the parking lot, the Tennysons saw the waitress pulling up with Lawrence's RV. "Hop on in! Ol' Wainright is letting me take it for a quick spin around the block!" Seeing their ticket to get the Road Crew, the family of four hurried out of the station.
"Is it right for us to take his RV considering we're about to go battle some dangerous criminals?" Gwen asked.
"As long as we return it in perfect condition, Wainright won't be upset." Max replied.
"And we're pretty careful when it comes to collateral damage." Ben added.
"Yes, everything should turn out just fine." Yukiko giggled.
Suddenly, Gwen had a feeling that they were about to make another enemy and it wasn't the Road Crew.
"Woah! Check out this gaming system!" Ben exclaimed, playing a video game on the large TV. Both he and Gwen took this chance to play around a bit with the cool stuff in Lawrence's RV before they catch up to the Road Crew. "It's all in HD and he's got every game ever made!"
Yukiko was relaxing on the massage chair next to Ben, enjoying the feeling of her muscles relaxing. "Maybe I should get one of these for Father on his birthday. Junes does sell some of these."
"This satellite could pick up anything." Gwen said, changing the channels. "Police reports, weather alerts, and roadside emergency calls-" As she did so a police report happened to come on.
"Robbery in place! Escape vehicle is some kind of tricked out RV in downtown Agustus!"
"Tricked out RV?" Max caught that piece of info.
"Agustus is only five miles from here!" The waitress informed him.
"Go!" Max ordered.
"With pleasure!" She stepped on the gas. "It's payback time!"
By the time they arrived in Agustus, the Road Crew were already gone from the bank. "Darn, looks like we missed them!" Max cursed.
"Let me see what else I can pick up!" Gwen searched through channels.
"Don't rush, because of me! I'm only on level two!" Ben was too focused on his video game.
"I would also like a few more minutes on this chair." Yukiko spoke up, a pleased smile written all over.
Gwen gave the two flat looks before another police report was picked up. "The conductor of the Continental Express, we're under attack near Cross Creek, heading to base 499 to make a delivery! Cargo in jeopardy!"
"499 is code for missile silo!" Max explained.
"Looks like there's only one target big enough to hit with a missile. The new highway!" Gwen gasped.
"And once it's out there'll be lots of traffic on the back roads again! Lucky for you, I know a shortcut to Cross Creek!" The waitress got to driving, picking up speed again.
Yukiko got out of the chair, stretching her limbs. "Alright, Ben, fun's over."
"Just let me finish this one level!"
"Ben!" Max turned to him.
"Ugh! Fine!" Ben turned off the game, hurrying to the front.
The tricked out Rustbucket was currently running side-by-side with the train, loading up the missiles, Barren grinned at their successful retrieval. "The new highway grand opening ceremony is about to end with a bang!"
Wainright's RV caught up to the stolen Rustbucket, allowing Max to see the damage done to his home. His eyes hurt from seeing the added parts thrown onto the Rustbucket. "Oh no…what did they do to her!?"
Yukiko glared at the tricked out Rustbucket, she hated seeing her grandfather hurt, and silently promised to roast each one of the Road Crew for their sin. "Nobody ruins my Grandfather's home…!"
Noticing the heroes right behind him, Barren activated the flame boosters. "Time to barbecue up some tailgaters!" The flames were blasted at the modern RV at max level in hopes of burning them to ashes.
"It's attacking us!" Gwen cried.
"I know you don't mean it, girl!" Max spoke as if the Rustbucket could hear him.
Yukiko opened the window. "Not on my watch!" Using her abilities, Sumeo-Okami came to life above them. Her sword bashed away the flames before they could reach the RV, then she used her sword to slice through the boosters to stop the flames permanently.
Ben opened the door of the RV, activating the Omnitrix. "Time for me to hitch a ride!"
FLASH!
"Or become it!" Upgrade jumped over to the train, slithering on its roof towards the Road Crew. The waitress watched Upgrade with wide eyes, not expecting to see that today.
"That's quite the Grandson you got there." She said to Max.
THUD!
She looked back to see Yukiko using a pink glass-like platform to follow after Ben. "And quite the granddaughter too."
"I know!" Max was proud of them all, but he was more focused on getting his home back. "Mind if I take the wheel?"
Upgrade merges with the claw that was attached to the Rustbucket, using it to grab Road Rage, however Turbine was quick to jump onto him. Using her gun to undo the screws on the claw, causing it to fall to pieces and save her ally. She grinned at her short victory until a pink object flew into the train car.
SMACK!
"KYAH!" Turbine slid across the floor, groaning in pain. Road Rage saw Yukiko enter the train car and grinned, he reached for his sickle, prepared to tear through the teenager. That was until the interior of the train shifted from gray and silver to black and green.
The two Road Crew members saw Upgrade's eye appear on the wall. "What? You've never seen a train come to life before?" The Mechamorph moved the last remaining missiles out of the way, so that Yukiko could fight without the risk of blowing them all up.
"Maragi!" She unleashed her flames on the criminals, forcing them to scramble to avoid getting roasted. Turbine turned with her gun, firing rapid fire bolts at the heiress, and each one was incinerated before they could reach her. Yukiko's anger was visible, a burning hot aura threatened to burn the two to ash for the sins they've committed.
And seeing as Upgrade had blocked off their access to the other side of the train, there was only one possible other option for the two to take. One that the Tennysons wouldn't expect at all.
Road Rage and Turbine jumped out of the train car right as it was going over a hill, surprising the two that they'd pull such a sudden move. Yukiko and Upgrade watched as the two rolled down the hill towards their parked vehicles.
Back with the others, Max was trying his best to avoid getting shot down by his own motorhome. "Let's see if there's anything useful to fight back with!" He pressed several buttons on the dashboard, but it wasn't anything impressive. All the buttons did was activate a coffee maker and seat warmers. "Heated seats and a cappuccino machine?"
"Shouldn't have expected anything helpful from a regular RV, Grandpa." Gwen sighed. "I guess, the Rustbucket wasn't so useless after all-Guah!" She cried as they were being rammed by Road Rage and Turbine.
"I don't know how to stop them!" Max exclaimed.
"But I do! Grandpa, get ahead of them!" Gwen ordered her grandfather. Sticking her head out of the window, Gwen's hands vibrated with mana. She pointed her hands at Road Rage's wheels and grinned. "Eat it, creep!" Several disks descended onto the tow truck, slicing through his tires and hood. Road Rage's truck toppled over into the dirt, taking the creep out of the battle.
Speeding past Turbine to catch up with Wainright's RV was Upgrade, who had taken over the front of the train with Yukiko in the conductor's seat. "Who needs train tracks!?"
"Ben! Yukiko! Stop the Rustbucket!" Max ordered them.
"We're on it, Grandpa!" Yukiko shouted back before they took off ahead.
Wainright's RV was once again rammed by Turbine, the constant slamming was pissing off Gwen more and more. "I've so had enough of her!" Opening her spell book, Gwen aimed a spell right at a nearby fruit stand. The fruit levitated at Turbine, filling her vision with crushed fruit. She tried to wipe it off in time, but she ended up driving up a ramp and flying right into a police billboard. This didn't stop her though as she quickly jumped onto the roof of Wainright's RV as they were driving past.
Barron activated the targeting system, ready to blow the highway sky-high. "Let them fireworks begin…" He was about to fire until Upgrade, with Yukiko standing on his roof, pulled up next to him.
"All aboard!" The two jumped off of the train right as the Omnitrix timed out, Yukiko held onto the Rustbucket's roof with Ben in her arms. The two slid into the RV through the sunroof and were ready to confront Barron.
"How did you rats get in here!?" Barron demanded.
"We aren't rats, you thief!" Yukiko hissed.
"And I wouldn't worry so much about how we got in here! It's time for you to get out!" Ben and Yukiko walked towards the front.
"Oh yeah?" How're you gonna do that, kids?"
"By knocking you out." Yukiko raised her fan to strike him.
"Hit me all you like, girlie, but even if you do you won't have any way to disarm the missiles! Which launches in 10 seconds by the way!" Barron explained, laughing. He then decided to ask a pretty insensitive question. "How do you two like my new wheels?"
Ben furrowed his brows in thought before realizing something. "That's it! What's new isn't always what's improved! Yukiko, let's show him the Rustbucket special!" The heiress was confused for a moment before realizing what Ben meant. Brother and sister began turning on the electronics in the Rustbucket with Ben finishing the job by flushing the toilet.
Barron stared at the two in confusion until the dashboard started to shut down, and by extension the missile launch. "NO!"
"You might've tricked out the Rustbucket, but we still know all its tricks." Ben grinned.
"Tch! Who needs missiles!? I'll fire off some lasers and finish off the grand opening myself!" Barron scoffed.
"Seems you still have one final lesson to learn!" Yukiko opened up the freezer, which caused the window wipers and sprinklers to go off.
"I can't see a thing!" Barron was forced to stop the Rustbucket. His anger was at an all time high at the brats who dared to get in his way. "You little brats are gonna pay!" He got out of the driver's seat, marching towards them. But his anger was laughable compared to the fury that Yukiko possessed. Barron actually found himself stepping back in fear of the heiress as she whipped out her fan.
"Now…what was that about me hitting you as much as I wanted?" Yukiko asked a little too sweetly.
"U-Uh…I-"
SMACK!
SMACK!
SMACK!
SMACK!
SMACK!
Yukiko sent the larger man flying out of the door of the Rustbucket, and unfortunately for him, he landed right in front of Max. The ex-Plumber picked him up by the scruff of his coat, dragging him back into the Rustbucket. "Let me show you why nobody messes with my ride! Now take a seat!" Max shoved him down into the passenger seat. "...Or not!" Max activated the ejector-seat, sending Barron flying into the summer skies.
Yukiko and Ben smiled proudly at their grandfather. "Y'know, Grandpa, the Rustbucket rocks!" Ben admitted.
Unknown to them, standing outside the door was Turbine, she tried to launch a surprise attack but a pink tendril wrapped itself around her middle, lifting the female car thief into the air before slamming her into the pavement. She tried to get back up, but Gwen simply slammed her down again, knocking her out this time. "And that was for hitting me with a car." Gwen huffed.
Back with Road Rage, he sat in his turned over truck until the waitress pulled him out of it by his collar. She held him up, glaring into the man's soul. "And this is for everyone else on these roads!" She declared before spinning him around and judo kicking him in the ass.
The Tennysons and the waitress returned to the station with Wainright's RV and the Rustbucket after turning the Road Crew over to the police. "Thanks for your help." Max thanked the waitress.
"Anytime." She responded.
"You took my RV!" Wainright's voice interrupted them, the man stomping over with an angry hiss.
The waitress didn't look sorry at all. "Oh, I must've forgot to tell you that I borrowed it." She knew the guy never would've agreed if he knew what she was planning to do with it.
Wainright glared at her and the Tennysons by extension before stomping into his RV and slamming the door, which had the unfortunate effect of bringing the entire thing to pieces. Seems all of the damage it had taken during the battle with the Road Crew had been too much.
Gwen and Max quickly scrambled away, leaving Wainright to mourn the loss of his prize winning RV. The two approached the Rustbucket, where Ben and Yukiko were waiting for them. "The ol' gal is gonna need lots of work." Max sighed.
"Don't worry, Grandpa! I got you covered!" Ben said before activating the Omnitrix.
FLASH!
XLR8 quickly got to work, dismantling all of the tech the Road Crew had added to the Rustbucket, turning the old motorhome back to normal. Yukiko watched as Max's smile returned in full force at the sight of his home being restored. "I really love the Rustbucket, Grandpa."
"Really?" He turned to her.
"Yes, it's like home, a second home." Yukiko's radiant smile increased Max's mood. He brought her in for a hug, appreciating Yukiko's presence on this trip more and more.
"I'm happy that you feel that way, sweetheart."
With the Rustbucket restored, the Tennysons pulled off to continue their summer vacation. "We'll be coming round the mountain when we come!" Max continued to sing. "We'll be driving the Rustbucket when we come!"
Ben opened the freezer, noticing that everything was melting. "Freezer's broken again!" He held a melting bucket of ice cream, but then he shrugged instead of complaining. "Ah well." Ben brought the bucket over to his cousins, a spoon in each of their hands. All three took their turns digging into the melted chocolate ice cream.
Yukiko brought her little siblings closer, whispering into their ears. They all shared a devilish smile before sneaking up to their grandfather. "We'll be driving the Rustbucket when we co-MUGH!" Three spoons of ice cream were shoved into his mouth, cutting off his singing.
"Pfft! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Max smirked as the sounds of his grandkids laughing filled his ears. The cold sweet taste of ice cream was savored by his taste buds alongside their laughter, keeping his eyes focused on the road, Max couldn't wait to see where the Rustbucket would take them next.
ELSEWHERE:
Rojo, dressed in an orange prison uniform with the sleeves torn off, stared at the Forever Ninja with a rebellious gaze. The all-female prison was under chaos from the prison break of fellow inmates, giving them the perfect time to meet undisturbed. "And what do you want with me, robo-punk!?"
The ninja held out its hand, allowing a holographic projection of the Forever King appear in front of her. "Rojo, I have a proposition you-"
"Whatever the hell it is, I don't want it! All I need is my freedom and I finally got my chance." The punk turned away from the two, walking away.
"Even if it means missing out on revenge?"
Rojo stopped, turning to look at him. "What are you talking about?"
"Trust me when I say that I am the one who organized this prison break, giving you the chance to claim your freedom. Nothing that I have planned goes against your goals."
"If my freedom is guaranteed, then why should I continue wasting my time with you?" She pushed.
"Because the ones responsible for putting you in jail, not once, but twice, can be yours for the taking."
Memories of the Tennysons and their friends echoed through her mind, summoning burning anger within Rojo. "You mean I can get my revenge on those little Tennyson twerps if I cooperate with you?"
"Exactly, both your freedom and your revenge are guaranteed in full. All you have to do is work with me. Your answer?"
Rojo stared at the hologram, then turned back to the chaos happening around them. Realizing that if she tried to leave on her own it would only be a matter of time before the guards blocked off all the exits. But if the ninja and king here were going to help her escape, then she might as well take her shot.
And get some tasty revenge while she's at it.
"I'm in."
Chapter End
NOTE: I've realized just how weak this episode actually is and I'm pretty glad to have it out of the way. I don't know why I used to think this was a good episode when I was younger. Next chapter is going to be a Yukiko & Ben adventure, so I'm going to get a head start on that! Anyway, let's get to talking:
1. Didn't bother covering any of the Road Crew's segments like I would the other episodic villains. I really didn't care much for them as I was writing this episode and just felt like getting past it. Their parts are also very short and it doesn't take much to realize what it is that they're after.
2. Yukiko has the better sense of emotional maturity to realize why the Rustbucket is important to Max. The other two doofuses are still young enough to not fully understand. Obviously in AF they have a better grasp on the important of the Rustbucket to Max. Which is an episode I can't wait to write!
3. Gwen is my favorite character to write now. I don't know when this happened, but at some point I've just really enjoyed writing her and her powers.
4. I don't consider Upchuck drinking a previous cardboard cut out's inside as "human food". That has always made no sense to me, so just consider his ability to eat food later on as Celestialsapien meddling.
5. Rojo is our next member of the Negative 10, as you all expected, I'm sure. Who's next? Well, you'll see!
Next Chapter - Ready to Rumble