The Chimerian Hammer orbited the planet of Earth slowly, its technology far more advanced than anything those worthless humans could come up with, essentially making them invisible to the world below.
The iron-fisted ruler of the ship floated helpless and harmless in his tank of healing fluid, fighting off grimaces from the slow and painful process of revitalization. But his burning-red gaze fell upon the twitchy form of Dr. Animo as he paced back and forth around the medical bay, writing down numbers on his clipboard and occasionally making adjustments to the settings of his tanks. Cetanu and her pet Xenomorph stood off to the side as they watched the oddly pigmented human ran around in circles, mumbling to himself:
"…twenty-seven over sixteen carry the three…optimal pressure and intake…rearrange the genome sequence…."
"Cetanu," Vilgax growled, making his daughter stand up straight. "You are certain about this? Placing my life in the hands of this…human?"
"Dr. Animo is admittedly not the first person I would think to oversee your revival, father," said Cetanu. "But I've seen his work and it is impressive nonetheless. Once we gave him your DNA code, he was more than willing help accelerate your recovery rate."
"Oh yes, you can trust me, Lord Vilgax," said Dr. Animo with glee as he rushed to the nearest terminal. "When I am finished, you will be even more powerful than you had ever been."
"You'd best be right, human, or I shall throw you into this system's star," hissed Vilgax; Dr. Animo squeaked and doubled his work pace. With the human scientist rightfully frightened, he turned his attention back to his Yautja daughter. "Cetanu, have you done what I asked?"
"Yes, I found the mercenaries as ordered," said Cetanu with a noticeable hint of malice in her voice. "I do not understand why you do not allow me to retrieve the Omnitrix and the girl myself."
"Because you already failed me once, child," said Vilgax impatiently. "It is only because of the data you had gathered for me that you are not currently hurtling through the vacuum of space. Now, show me."
The Yautja seemed hesitant to comply, but her father's leer quickly changed her mind and turned on one of the medicals bay's many viewing screens.
On the monitor were a group of three humanoid beings standing in a row decked out in full body armor that different in different shades of purple with similar styled helmets that had four central lines that made the outlines of their face.
The first of the group was more stooped than his partners and his armor was covered in dozens of openable pads that seemed like storage units for his gear. The humanoid in the middle was taller and more heavily built than either of his partners, making him more durable than them, and his armor seemed to have a more cybernetic styling to it. The last one in the group was the only female, shorter and thinner than the first two, but her armor was a lot sleeker and used less technology than her partners, meaning she relied mostly on her skills.
"Sixsix, Sevenseven, and Eighteight of Sotoragg," Cetanu introduced the armored warriors. "We have already auditioned them as you requested and they – mostly – passed, which should be considered a monumental feat for bunch of technologically-reliant bounty hunters." The female Sotoraggian said something in her native language. "Use your universal translators, for the Black Hunter's sake!"
Eighteight and Sevenseven each tapped a button on their gauntlets, lighting up the lines on their helmets, but Sixsix was perplexed and looked himself over for a button he couldn't find.
"I said, we did a lot better than you did, Yautja," said Eighteight mockingly. "From what I heard, you were defeated by a group of children and an old man. How embarrassing that must have been."
"You…" Cetanu snarled, whipping out her wrist blades.
"Enough!" yelled Vilgax, unamused. Cetanu looked over her shoulder at him for a moment and then reluctantly pulled back her blades. "You are all hired to work for me. Your objective is to retrieve the Omnitrix from the child who wields it on the planet below." Another screen popped up for the Sotoraggians, showing of the Omnitrix. "The one who succeeds collects the reward. Do not disappointment me."
The Tennysons had left the retirement village a couple of days ago, but were still roaming around the vast deserts of Nowhere, Kansas. Endless stretches of wasteland without a single town or wildlife within a hundred miles other than the ravenous vulture, which seemed to be following the Rust Bucket a lot recently. It was the perfect place to get a little bit of training in.
Max was just putting the finishing touches on the obstacle course that he had constructed out of wooden sticks, empty soda cans, extra tires, and lots and lots of rope. When the elderly man gave the go-ahead, Trixie nodded and looked over at Ben with her arms crossed and her brow furrowed in seriousness.
"Are you ready?" asked Trixie.
Ben's response was raising his hand dramatically in the air and slamming it down on the Omnitrix's core (and ignoring Trixie when she told him for the billionth time not to do just that). After a quick transformation sequence, Diamondhead leaned forward with his knees bent and his fingers twitching eagerly.
"Oh yeah," said Ben confidently.
"Remember to use your head this time instead of your fists," said Trixie, not unlike a drill sergeant. "The Petrosapiens are a sturdy race, but they are not invincible nor are they unbeatable. One day you will come across someone who can punch harder or think faster than you, so you will have to rely on your most powerful tool: creativity and unpredictability."
"I know, I know," groaned Diamondhead, transforming his hands into a cluster of shards. "But punching is way more fun."
"Sometimes I regret not letting that Yautja take me away," mumbled Trixie.
The green-haired girl stepped outside the obstacle course and raised her hand in Max's directions. The older man nodded in response and pulled one of the makeshift levers, activating a handmade catapult that threw a bunch of empty soda cans at Diamondhead.
The Petrosapien pivoted, firing a dozen shards from his hands, and accurately stabbing each can in the middle. Grandpa Max pulled another lever and tugged at a rope, dropping down a pair of bullseye targets behind Diamondhead. He spun around a fired off another dozen shards, successfully hitting the center of the targets. Diamondhead grinned cockily. Grandpa Mac activated more of the targets and the Petrosapien was hitting each one with remarkable accuracy that it was almost understandable why Ben was acting so confident. But as he kept shooting more of the targets, it was starting to look less like training and more like Ben trying to show off in Trixie's eyes – Ben pulled unnecessary flips and dives in an effort to look cool only proved her point.
Meanwhile, Gwen was lounging by the Rust Bucket starting to apply sunscreen as she sighed irritably.
"Show off," Gwen voiced Trixie's thoughts.
"Focus, Ben!" shouted Max. "Listen to what Trixie said: less brawn, more brain!"
"Don't worry, grandpa," said Diamondhead arrogantly.
Max pulled another lever and threw another barrage of soda cans at Ben's head, which he dodged and fired over his shoulder unnecessarily. But while attention was directed elsewhere, a tire came swinging down from above and smacked him across the face.
The Petrosapien was sent flying while his hand was still firing off silicon shards. Max and Trixie ducked behind the wooden boards of the obstacle course – one of the shards punctured the wood and came dangerous close between Trixie's eyes – and Gwen dived out of the way where the shards flew at the Rust Bucket. The redhead paused for a minute until the situation was over before she crawled out…right underneath the dripping sunscreen bottle that Diamondhead had skewered. Gwen let out an irritated growl and Trixie and Max climbed up from their hiding places, glaring at the Petrosapien that was laughing humorously.
"Oops, my bad," said Diamondhead, not sounding at all apologetic.
Deciding to end training early before Ben could cause another disaster (Gwen's words, not Trixie's – though she happened to agree), the Tennysons climbed back onto the Rust Bucket and hit the open road again.
"You rock head," Gwen chided her cousin across the table. "You almost turned me into Swiss cheese."
"I said I was sorry," retorted Ben. "What else do you want?"
"What we want is for you to take the Omnitrix more seriously, Ben," said Max from the Driver's seat. "That is the most powerful and dangerous weapon in the universe attached on your wrist. It's not a toy. You need to put more thought into how you use it."
"That's what I have Trixie for," said Ben. Trixie groaned and rolled her eyes in annoyance from the passenger's seat. "Come on, you guys have seen me in action. I'm the baddest Ben in town. I've kicked so much alien butt, my feet hurt." He propped his feet on the table as if to emphasize his point.
"Yeah, well, one of these days, you're gonna screw around and get your own butt kicked," said Gwen mockingly, shoving off Ben's feet. "And I hope I'm there to see it."
"Dream on, geek face," said Ben confidently.
Trixie sighed despairingly and leaned her head on her hand, staring out the window. She contemplated what her life would have been like if someone else had found the Omnitrix first – preferably someone that didn't solve all their problems with their fists – when the Rust Bucket started to sputter.
"Uh oh, that doesn't sound good," said Max as he stopped the Rust Bucket.
Back at the obstacle course the Tennysons had abandoned, the Sotoraggian siblings arrived at the sight. Sevenseven was waving a scanner-like device around while his younger brother was investigating the course from up close, and his older sister was examining the ground a short distance away.
"This is where the Omnitrix was last activated," Sevenseven informed his siblings. His younger brother said something in their native language; he still hadn't figured out how the translator worked. "I agree with you, brother. A rock pile like this is better off space dust, but that's not the point – hmm, what's this?"
Sevenseven noticed one of the soda cans that Diamondhead had punctured in training and reached for it when a cable came from out of nowhere and snatched the can before he could grab it. The cable stretched back to Sixsix so he could get a better look at the clue, but Sevenseven bounded forward and ripped the cable out of his brother's shoulder in anger. The older and younger brother squared off – Sixsix commanded several cables with weapon attachments from his pack and Sevenseven converted his hands into multi-barreled cannons. Sixsix said something in their language.
"That's big talk coming from a genetic mistake, brother," Sevenseven retorted.
It looked like the Sotoraggian brothers were about to come to blows when a laser bolt zipped between them and burned through the support pole of the course. The Sotoraggians immediately set aside their squabble and start shooting at the piles of wood and tires that started falling on their heads. Seconds later, Sixsix and Sevenseven were standing in the middle of a junk pile that used to be the obstacle course and spun around in the direction that the laser came from. They were none too surprised to see their sister with her one of her laser pistols still smoking before she holstered it.
"If you are done playing macho man, check this out," said Eighteight, pointing to the ground at her feet. Sixsix and Sevenseven begrudgingly marched over and saw what their sister found: tire tracks. "These look fresh – they only left recently. And judging by the fluid mixed in with the sand, we can assume that their vehicle was damaged somehow. They couldn't have gotten too far in its current state. It appears they were heading in the northern direction."
Sixsix said something and took off with his jetpack.
"Not if I get there first!" shouted Sevenseven before he too zoomed away.
With both of her younger brothers gone, Eighteight took a moment to think as she held up the skewered soda can that she had swiped from Sevenseven without him noticing. The female Sotoraggian looked over the can and the silicon shard imbedded in the aluminum…then crushed both in her fist, reducing the shard to green dust before the desert winds carried it away.
Grandpa Max only just managed to get the Rust Bucket to a nearby town before the old RV stopped running altogether. Unfortunately, the town they arrived in looked like it had been abandoned for close to a century.
It was a perfect depiction of those old western towns you would see in the movies with cowboys and robbers shooting up the place, only now everything was either boarded or busted. Even the tumbleweeds were just gathering dust in the corner of the street, which was kind of ironic when you thought about it.
"This place look like it hasn't been used for a long time," said Trixie.
"Not for a while," said Gwen knowingly. "My intelli-map program says this is Slatterville, incorporated in 1857 after the discovery of silver. Went bust in the late sixties when the mine ran out."
"Why does everything that comes out of your mouth sound like a book report?" Ben groaned.
"Ah-ha," said Max, having poked his head under the RV's hood. "I think I found the problem." He pulled out a hose dripping with gasoline and a familiar green shard puncturing the tube. "Leaky fuel line."
"So…still think your way is better?" Trixie asked sarcastically, crossing her arms and glaring.
"Uh…lucky shot?" said Ben sheepishly.
"I should be able to patch this up," said Max, though it sounded like it was a real pain for him to do.
"Sorry, grandpa," Ben apologized, but then immediately went for the Omnitrix's core. "Here, let me help. Maybe Rath. No, wait, Arctiguana."
"You've done enough, Ben," Max interjected. "I'll handle this."
"…Okay," said Ben, shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly. "Guess I'll just check this place out."
The young Tennyson boy walked around with a goofy grin on his face, looking for a new exciting adventure to entertain himself – and that did not sit well with the rest of his party. Gwen and Trixie shared concerned looks with one another and even Max looked uncomfortable with the notion of leaving Ben alone in an abandoned town with a small army of aliens on his wrist. That was a combination that just spelled disaster.
"Maybe you two should uh…," Max said to Gwen and Trixie.
"Make sure he doesn't somehow blow everything up?" Gwen finished his sentence, which Max nodded in response. "We're on it."
"You know, it's frightening to think that scenario is very probable," said Trixie as she followed the redhead.
And speaking of the walking disaster zone, Ben had stopped just down the street and walked into one of the most desolate and abandoned buildings in town. Judging from the collection of mine carts, pickaxes and shovels, this must have been an old equipment shed that the miners used to store their tools. Having been abandoned for a hundred and fifty years, all of the metal tools were covered in multiple layers of rust and the wheels had broken off the mine carts, tipping them over and spilling mounds of dirt of gravel all over the floor.
"Ugh, talk about old school," said Ben, walking deeper into the shed and picking up a rusty tool. "Look at all this junk."
"Ben! Ben!"
"Benjamin, show yourself!"
That was Gwen and Trixie; it sounded like they were looking for him. Ben hid himself against the shed doors and watched both girls passing his hiding spot without sparing a glance at the old shed. A wicked grin stretched across his face as an even more wicked plan brewed in his mind. He creepily slid back inside the equipment storage as he activated the Omnitrix's core and slammed it down on his desired alien. The bright green light flashed out of the corner of Gwen and Trixie's eyes, making them both turn toward the equipment shed. They turned back around and walked to the threshold of the building with Gwen taking point.
"Calling all dweebs!" Gwen yelled into the shed, her voice echoing against the walls.
But when she was met with no response, Gwen started to look worried.
The redheaded girl hesitantly walked deeper inside the building, but Trixie stayed back for a bit, her eyes roaming around the storage shed suspiciously. Gwen stepped lightly inside the building casting worried glances left and right as she passed the row of mining carts and treaded toward the back where they hanged their rusty tools. While she wasn't paying attention, a shadow creeped across the floor and slid through the gaps in the mine carts, edging closer to the unsuspecting girl. The shadow crept up behind Gwen and suddenly passed through her like a gentle breeze, sending a chill that ran down her spine and turned her breath cold.
"What's the matter, Gwen?" the shadow hissed, molding into shapes in front of her. "You look like you've seen a Ghost…freak!"
The shadow laughed and solidified into a physical form, manifesting an alien that Ben hadn't used for a while: the Ectonurite known as Ghostfreak.
True to its name, the alien looked like the stereotypical ghosts that floated without legs and had claws for hands. Its skin was a deathly-shade of gray with black lines running everywhere along its body with the Omnitrix symbol peeking through its skin on the left side of its chest and a single, vertical purple eye in its head.
The Ectonurite laughed and pointed at Gwen, who was shivering from the sudden cold, until Trixie suddenly walked up and slapped him across the face.
"Ow!" Ghostfreak whined, holding the place where Trixie hit him. "What'd you do that for?"
"I'm surprised I haven't done it sooner," said Trixie honestly.
"You are such a doofus," said Gwen, finally getting her body temperature under control. "You think you're so funny? Get over yourself. You're not scaring anyone."
Ghostfreak looked like he was about to retort when he was cut off by a loud, whistling sound that seemed to come from nowhere.
The Ectonurite and the girls looked around for the source as it became louder and louder with each second. When realization dawned on Ghostfreak, he grabbed Gwen and Trixie by their shoulders and pulled them away. And not a moment too soon as the roof sudden collapsed where they had been standing, creating a cloud of dust and smoke. Ghostfreak pushed the girls behind him and held his arms out protectively as Sevenseven emerged from the haze, transforming both his hands into cannons and aiming at the Ectonurite.
"But he does," Gwen piped in a small voice.
"I think that's a Sotoraggian," Trixie informed them. "They're a hunting species like Yautja, only technologically more advanced. We should get out of here."
"Yeah right, I can totally handle this guy," said Ghostfreak confidently. Despite Trixie's warning, Ghostfreak floated over and got straight up in Sevenseven's faceplate. "Oh man, you put the 'ug' in ugly."
"Hand over the Omnitrix and I promise you won't suffer…much," Sevsenseven demanded, cocking his arm cannons.
"Dream on, metal head," Ghostfreak taunted. "The watch and I are kind of attached, so tough luck."
"Not for long," said Sevenseven menacingly.
"You have no idea who you're messing with," said Ghostfreak.
"I was just about to say the same thing," Sevenseven countered.
"Oh yeah, do you know this one? Now you see me – " The Ectonurite suddenly vanished. " – now you don't."
But while Ghostfreak pulled off the great disappearing act, Trixie and Gwen were still clearly visible; Gwen laughed nervously and pulled Trixie out of the way with her.
Sevenseven took a couple cautious steps back and flinched when his foot accidentally knocked over one of the rusty pickaxes. But while it seemed that the middle sibling of the Sotraggian trio was at a disadvantage to Ghostfreak's powers, it was quite the opposite. What Ben didn't realize was that Sevenseven had altered the filter in his helmet to see ectoplasm – that is to say, Ectonurite substance. And lo and behold, just as Ghostfreak formed out of the shadows behind the hunter, Sevenseven spun around and raised his cannon to Ghostfreak's face.
"You are as arrogant as you are dimwitted," Sevenseven mocked him.
The Sotoraggian sprayed an orange substance from one of the cannon barrels and splattered Ghostfreak. The Ectonurite suddenly turned visible and solid, much to his shock.
"Bwah!" Ghostfreak yelped. "What happened?"
"Your protoplasm is now solidified," Sevenseven answered, pulling back his fist. "Making it easier to do this."
The middle sibling slammed his metallic knuckles across Ghostfreak's face and sent him flying into the wall on the other side of the shed, dropping him on the floor barely strong enough to hold himself up with his arms.
The Ectonurite looked up weakly when he heard metallic thuds and spotted Sevenseven before he brought his hooved foot down on top of Ghostfreak's head. At the last second, Ghostfreak managed to bend his body out of the way and tried to slip past the hunter, but Sevenseven grabbed him by the end of his wispy tail and tossed him over to the side once again. Ghostfreak crashed into a wall of mine carts, knocking them over, right next to the place where Trixie and Gwen were hiding. The redhead and the green-haired girl dashed over to help the Ectonurite, pulling on his arms to help him back up.
"Oh man, who is this guy?" groaned Ghostfreak.
"Remember when I said I wanted to be there when you finally got your butt kicked?" said Gwen with a tinge of regret in her voice. "I take it way back." Sevenseven marched across the equipment shed, knocking away everything that came between him and Ghostfreak. "You're the super guy, do something."
Not really having a plan in mind, Ghostfreak floated over to meet Sevenseven halfway, hovering in circles around the Sotoraggian as the cybernetic hunter followed with his cannons.
"You better keep your claws to yourself," Ghostfreak hissed threateningly.
Sevenseven thoroughly ignored the Ectonurite and pelted Ghostfreak with a volley of laser fire that he could no longer phase through and was whipped back into the mine carts once again. Gwen and Trixie watched helplessly from afar as Sevenseven marched over to the fallen Ectonurite until Trixie gritted her teeth and muttered a few incomprehensible words under her breath.
Ghostfreak moaned weakly as he pushed himself up, only to find Sevenseven's cannon a little too close to his face.
"You were hardly worth the effort," said Sevenseven mockingly, charging up his cannons. "This is going to be the easiest score I have ever – huh?"
The Sotoraggian stopped his cannon charge and looked up as bits of blue dust began to sprinkle down over his head. Sevenseven stared at the strange substance for a moment before his unseen eyes started to get heavy and his whole body went lethargic. The middle sibling stumbled around drunkenly until he tipped over his own feet and landed on his side; loud snores could be heard coming from his helmet.
Ghostfreak blinked his eye once, stupefied, and looked back at Trixie, whose her long, green hair turned blue and wavy while her eyes became round and bug-eyed.
"All that advanced technology," Trixie's voice trilled, slowly reverting to her normal form, "and he still didn't think to build a filter for Nemuina dust."
As if sensing that the danger had passed, the Omnitrix signaled its deactivation mode and turned Ben back into his human form, still covered in the strange orange substance.
"Ben, you okay?" asked Gwen concerned, running over to meet them.
"Whoa, man," Ben groaned, rubbing his sore head. "That was weirder than when I normally go Ghostfreak."
"We should get out of here before the Nemuina powder wears off," said Trixie, referring to the slumbering Sevenseven. "If I know Sotoraggians, it won't be long before the nano-machines in their bodies recalibrate and render them immune to the effects."
Ben and Gwen didn't need to be told twice. The three children ran out of the equipment shed as fast as their little legs could carry them, unaware that they were being observed from the rafters by the elusive Eighteight.
Grandpa Max closed the hood of the Rust Bucket and wiped the grease off his hands when Ben and the girls started running back earlier than he had expected. The first thing he noticed was their sweaty and panicked looks, which he was becoming more accustomed to seeing since the start of the summer.
"What happened?" asked Max.
"Oh, you know, the usual," said Gwen sarcastically. "Some techno-mega creep fell out of the sky and tried to kill us. It said it wanted the watch."
"It was a Sotoraggian, and I don't think he was after the Omnitrix himself," said Trixie. "Most Sotoraggians are mercenaries – guns for hire. They must be working for someone else. Possibly that Yautja we met at Yosemite."
"Just let me go Rath and I'll open him up like a tin can," said Ben cockily, staring at the Omnitrix as if willing it to go from red to green.
"Did you not learn anything this morning?" groaned Trixie.
"We're not staying," said Max firmly. "The repairs are done; we're out of here."
"But grandpa," Ben complained.
Max ignored his grandson's whining and loaded up the Rust Bucket with Gwen and Trixie, waiting impatiently for Ben to hop aboard too. The young boy slouched in disappointment and literally dragged his feet trying to get back on the Rust Bucket, slamming the door behind him with unnecessary force. Max ignited the engine and moved on to the main road with Trixie in the passenger's seat where she usually sits, peeking into the side mirrors on the lookout for Sevenseven. Gwen was sitting at the table looking out the window for the same reason while Ben huffed across from her.
"No sign of metal head," said Gwen worriedly.
"Well, he better not show up if he knows what's good for him," said Ben arrogantly.
The Rust Bucket suddenly rattled, but Max did see anything he could have hit on the road. The children in back heard a loud buzzing noise before a rotating blade ripped through the metal in the Rust Bucket's ceiling.
"I think we just picked up a hitchhiker!" yelled Gwen. The sawblade pulled back and a pair of metallic claws ripped back the edges of the roof, revealing Sixsix's faceplate as he yelled in the Sotoraggian's indecipherable language. "It's another one of those things!"
"How many of them are there?" screamed Ben.
"Don't ask me!" Trixie yelled back.
The youngest of the Sotoraggian siblings swiped his claw at Ben's face, only just missing him by a hair. Seeing how close he was to his grandson in the rearview mirror, Max slammed his foot on the break, bringing the Rust Bucket to a hard stop, and sending Sixsix tumbling into the dirt. Max quickly shifted gears while the armored hunter was disoriented and slammed Sixsix with the grill of his RV.
He saw Sixsix lying on the road behind them in his side mirror and thought they just get away…until the Rust Bucket shook again and is forced to stop. Max stepped out of the Rust Bucket a moment later, scratching his head, when he noticed that the rear tires had been punctured with multiple spiked weapons.
"Well, that's just perfect," Max grimaced.
Sixsix picked himself up off the road a short distance away, mostly unharmed, and turned his faceplate on the Tennysons as they stepped out of the RV. If his face were visible, he would be glaring right now.
"Quick, in there!" shouted Max.
The elderly man was pointing to an entrance tunnel of an old abandoned mine shaft; not the safest course of action but it was bound to be better than fighting a Sotoraggian without the Omnitrix. Sixsix started to follow the humans as they fled towards the abandoned mines when a roar of jets turned his attention towards the skies just in time to see Sevenseven flying towards him with his cannons active.
"I warned you about getting in my way, brother!" yelled Sevenseven, firing on his sibling.
Ben, Gwen, Max, and Trixie dashed into the entrance and turned the corner, pressing their backs against the wall as they took a moment to catch their breath. Being the closest to the corner, Ben poked his head out and surveyed the area. The mine entrance was clear and it didn't look like either of the Sotoraggian brothers was heading their way.
"Phew, the coast is clear," Ben said in relief.
Not even a second after the words left his lips, the wall down the tunnel tracks collapsed and Sevenseven walked into the mine casually like a scene out of the Terminator.
"Don't you get tired of being wrong all the time?" snapped Gwen, leering at her cousin.
"The Omnitrix!" Sevenseven demanded as he advanced on them, one hand held out while the other pointing his cannon threateningly. "Give it to me!"
Grandpa Max stepped between them and spotted a sheet of bent metal leaning against the mine wall (which seemed unrealistically convenient). Max grabbed the metal and tossed it at the Sotoraggian with all his might, but Sevenseven obliterated the sheet with a single laser blast, never pausing for a moment. Seeing this, the Tennysons immediately spun around and started running down the tracks in the opposite direction. They raced around the curving tunnels with Sevenseven in hot pursuit, seemingly taking his time to enjoy the thrill of the chase, knowing he could easily catch them if he wanted to. Ben looked down at the Omnitrix pleadingly.
"Come on, come on," Ben begged the watch, fruitlessly tapping the activation button. "Do something. Anything."
Ben and the others turned right down another tunnel and Sevenseven accidentally tripped on a piece of the mine railing, smashing into the opposite wall with his shoulder. The Sotoraggian was unharmed, but it did give the Tennysons a few desperately needed seconds to run. Unfortunately, it turned out they didn't have anywhere left to run – they ended up in the center of the mine where there was a massive hole in the ground that must have gone down for miles.
"Now what?" asked Trixie desperately.
Max started looking around the chasm for something that would take them to safety when his old eyes fell on an abandon lift that was hanging on a wire leading to the opposite end of the canyon. The lift did not look too sturdy and the wires must have been a hundred years old, but they didn't have much of a choice with the cyborg mercenary on their tail.
"Everyone, get in," said, Max, pointing to the lift.
Sevenseven ran out of the tunnel just in time to see Max pulling the lever activating the machine while the children climbed into the lift. It took a lot more muscle than expected, but Grandpa Max managed to pull the lever and get the machine going just as Sevenseven confronted him. The old man stared down the cybernetic mercenary before he took off and made a daring leap off the edge of the platform, barely grabbing the lift by the edge and dangling over what was likely a ten-mile drop. The children helped Max into the lift while Sevenseven shook his head in disappointment.
"What a pathetic excuse for prey," said Sevenseven. "This almost isn't worth the Taydens. Almost."
Sevenseven reached up to the wires with his metallic claws ready to snap them apart and let them drop to their deaths when the middle sibling was blasted in the side of his ribcage. As his older brother hit the floor, Sixsix zoomed into the canyon from above and flew in the direction of the lift. The younger sibling fired on the Tennysons, hitting the side of the lift and jerking them around. Max held the children close to him protectively. When the lift stopped swinging, Trixie chanced a curious peek and quickly ducked her head back inside, barely dodging Sixsix's shot.
"The other one is back," Trixie informed them. "Facing one Sotoraggian was bad enough, but facing two is even worse."
"We need a plan," said Max.
Meanwhile, Ben continued to tap the Omnitrix relentlessly until the device finally turned green and the core raised up.
"Yes!" Ben cheered. "Who need a plan when you have the watch?" He stood up and distanced himself from his family to make room for his transformation. "I'll take care of this."
"No, Ben, that's just what they want," Max warned.
But naturally, Ben was too arrogant and thick-skulled to heed his grandfather's warning and slammed down on the Omnitrix's core (Trixie didn't have the will to tell him off, afraid the Sororaggians might shoot her head off her shoulders). When the green flash faded, Diamondhead stood above them as he morphed his right hand into its bladed form. The Petrosapien threw all caution to the wind as he jumped off the edge of the lift and tackled Sixsix out of the air.
The two aliens plummeted into the depths below – Max and Gwen shouted Ben's name with worry – until the Sotoraggian pulled up and they started flying in an upwards arc above the Tennyson's heads. They slammed into the canyon wall and dropped to the ground; Diamondhead landed on top of Sixsix, crushing him with his massive weight. Diamondhead stood up slowly, shaking his pointed head, as his family's cart rolled by and disappeared into the mines again.
"Ben, come on!" yelled Gwen.
"I'll catch up," said Diamondhead, raising his pointed hand threateningly at Sixsix. "First I'm gonna put some dents in this walking soda machine."
Diamondhead pulled his arm back as SixSix ambled to his feet when he suddenly felt a pressure around his elbow and looked back.
Sevenseven had recovered, spinning around with the Petrosapien, and flinging him into the canyon wall. Diamondhead felt his whole body rattling from the impact and shuddered again when he belly flopped back on the ground. He rubbed his arching head as he pulled himself together while the Sotoraggian siblings finally put aside their differences and advanced on him together.
Diamondhead turned on them and jumped with both of his hands in their bladed forms, but both Sotoraggians effortlessly sidestepped his charge and Sevenseven returned the attack with a right hook. He blocked the knuckle with his forearm and managed to punch the middle sibling across the face, but then Sixsix came up from behind with an unknown weapon in his hand and jabbed the Petrosapien in the chest. Diamondhead staggered backwards, his whole body shaking from the strike, and Sevenseven slammed his fist into the Petrosapien's abdomen while Sixsix bashed him across the back with a blunt weapon. When it looked like the Petrosapien could barely stand, Sevenseven lifted him over their heads and slammed him back down on the floor, making an imprint of Diamondhead in the ground.
Diamondhead was limp and unconscious – he was helpless against the Sotoraggians. The two brothers loomed over their prey when Sevenseven suddenly threw out his arm and shoved his brother aside.
"Back up!" snapped Sevenseven. "That reward belongs to me." Sixsix snarled something in their native language. "I did all the hard work, so I deserve the reward." Sixsix said something again and this time Sevenseven grabbed him by the throat. "You leave our mother out of this!"
The Sotoraggian siblings once again descended into petty squabbling until a smooth, silver orb flew out of the tunnel and landed at their feet. The brothers stared at the sphere in curiosity until it released a surge of electrical energy. Both brothers screamed and flailed in pain until the electrical device finally deactivated and the Sotoraggian brothers fell unconscious on the floor. Eighteight casually walked in on the scene, grabbed Diamondhead by one of the spikes on his back, and began to drag him out.
"Sorry, little brothers," Eighteight apologized sarcastically. "But to the victor go the spoils."
Diamondhead groaned, his head pounding like someone had taken a jackhammer at it. The Petrosapien mumbled incoherently as his luminescent eyes slowly flapped open and he began to take in his surroundings. It looked like someone had taken him out of the mines and brought him back to Slattersville. When he looked around, Diamondhead couldn't see a trace of Sixsix or Sevenseven, which was an immense relief, but when he tried to stand up, he realized that his wrists and ankles were bound together.
"Wh – wha? What happened?" Diamondhead mumbled. "What's going on? Where is everyone?"
"It's about time you woke up." Diamondhead snapped his head around, spotting Eighteight causally sitting on an upturned mine cart leaning her head on one arm and the other draped across her lap with her laser pistol in hand. "Billions of lifeforms on this planet, and the most dangerous weapon in the universe ends up on the wrist of a foolhardy boy."
Glaring at the Sotoraggian woman, Diamondhead expanded his arms into swords, cutting the bindings on his wrists and then cut up the ones on his ankles before standing.
"Well, like I told your buddies," said Diamondhead cautiously, "this thing doesn't come off. Believe me, I've tried."
"Of course it doesn't," said Eighteight, like it was the most obvious thing in the universe, turning her head toward the sky. "Its power utilizes alien DNA, which binds to the host's own genetic structure. It cannot simply be removed like taking off a hat."
While the female Sotoraggian wasn't looking, Diamondhead charged at her and took a quick swing at Eighteight. The eldest of the siblings effortlessly flipped over the mine cart, watching Diamondhead puncture the rusted metal with his hand. When she landed, she buried her foot underneath the cart and then flipped it into the Petorsapien's face with minimal effort. The Mine cart smacked Diamondhead squarely in the jaw, sending him and the cart flying across the street into the dirt.
"And to make it worse, your choice of warriors is based solely on brute strength," Eighteight chastised him. "You don't have any plan – you just go into a fight, fists swinging, and hope you can land a hit. You never stop to consider your actions at all. If this were Sotoragg, you would be Akul meat by now."
"Hey, I kick my fair share of alien butt," Diamondhead argued.
"Such as your recent success in the mineshaft with my younger brothers," Eighteight taunted him.
"It was two against one," Diamondhead complained, rushing at the woman and taking a swing.
"Oh man, you wouldn't last two minutes on Sotoragg," said Eighteight mockingly, easily blocking the Petrosapien's repeated attacks with one hand. "On my home world, there is a rite of passage where you have to fight twenty of the most powerful assassin drones armed with only what you can scrape together in the unforgiving jungles, while avoiding the deadly flora and fauna. You were moments away from losing your life against two Sotoraggians and one of them is a mutated mistake, no offense to Sixsix. But you have the Omnitrix. In the hands of someone skilled, victory would have been swift and effortless."
After block another couple of blows, Eighteight uppercut his jaw as if to prove her point. Diamondhead fell on his back again, suffering an even worse beating that when the brothers had teamed up against him. It was painfully obvious now which of the Sotoraggian siblings were superior – Eighteight was handing him his butt without even trying. Diamondhead tried to get back up, but Eighteight pressed her foot into his chest to keep him pinned down.
"The Omnitrix is not some toy for your amusement," said Eighteight. "It is the ultimate weapon – the perfect weapon. It is the single most important object that could determine the fate of the entire universe in an unspoken war between good and evil."
"And whose side are you on," questioned Diamondhead.
"I'm on my own side," said Eighteight simply. "I don't care what happens to the rest of the galaxy, but I do care about protecting my own hide. That's the only reason I haven't dragged you to the guy who hired me while you were unconscious."
"You're a good guy – er, girl?" asked Diamondhead surprisingly.
"Me? Good? That's rich," Eighteight laughed amusingly. "I just said I'm looking out for myself. I was paid a lot of money by some freak wanting the Omnitrix, and normally I'd have no trouble carrying out my job. But I'm not as dimwitted or shortsighted as my brothers. I know what will happen if the Omnitrix gets into the slimy hands of that creep. He'll raze the entire galaxy, which will make my life a lot more difficult. That's why I've altered my mission slightly to retrieve the Omnitrix and make sure it didn't fall into the wrong hands. Since it is attached to you, I'll bring you along until we can get it removed."
"Oh no," said Diamondhead defiantly, pushing off Eighteight's boot and taking a stand. "I'm not going anywhere."
"It's not your choice to make," said Eighteight firmly.
"It is now," growled Diamondhead.
He suddenly pounced on her, which Eighteight did not seem to expect since she did nothing to protect herself. Both fighters hit the ground and Eighteight accidentally threw her laser pistol away. Though it wasn't visible underneath her helmet, Eighteight was irritated now. She punched the Petrosapien in the face, not only throwing him off, but also forming some deep cracks in his silicon body. The female Sotoraggian stood up, brushing the dirt off her armor.
"It's disturbing how little you know about that alien's strengths or weaknesses," said Eighteight. "You barely scratched the surface of its potential."
"Yeah…so what makes you such an expert?" Diamondhead questioned.
"Because I…," Eighteight began, but suddenly trailed off. Diamondhead couldn't see what she was thinking, but the way her head was bowed almost seemed…mournful. "You know what…it doesn't matter."
And on that note, the Omnitrix decided to time out and changed Ben back to a human. Eighteight picked him up by the back of his shirt.
"Hey, put me down," Ben demanded aggravated, taking a few fruitless swings at the Sotoraggian.
"We've wasted enough time talking," Eighteight said before searching the ground. "Now…where's my pistol?"
"Looking for something, sister?" Sevenseven walked out from behind the nearest building, holding Eighteight pistol in his claws. "Of the three of us, you were the last one I expected to be a traitor, sister. I am both angered and impressed. But you're not leaving this planet with the Omnitrix."
"I've always been the better fighter, brother," said Eighteight factually. "What makes you so sure this is going to turn out any differently?"
"We brought a little insurance," said Sevenseven, looking over his shoulder.
"Hey, hand's off!"
"Let me go!"
"Curse this frail human body!"
Sixsix presented himself, dragging Grandpa Max by the shoulder in one hand and carrying the girls by their napes in the other. Eighteight observed the obvious threat and laugh.
"You think I care what happens to those humans?" said Eighteight mockingly.
"You don't," said Sevenseven knowingly and then turned his cannon on Ben. "But he does. So here's what's going to happen: Sixsix and I are going to take the Omnitrix and split the billion Tayden reward among ourselves, and then we are going to break you in half, sister. The only question is will we do this the easy way or the fun way?"
"We'll do this just like we settle all disputes on Sotoragg," said Eighteight.
"That's just what I like to hear," said Sevenseven eagerly.
Sevenseven cocked both of his arm cannons and unleashed a hailstorm of red laser fire, but Eighteight press Ben close to her chest and jumps away out of the volley. Sevenseven followed his older sister with his laser storm as she landed back on the ground and tackled her way through the door into an old rundown saloon. The female Sotoraggian dashed across the room and leaped over the bar counter as Sevenseven's bullets started flying through the walls and smashing up everything from the termite-eaten furniture to the dusty old bottles on the shelves. Eighteight dropped Ben unceremoniously on the ground and pressed her back against counter, which was barely holding up underneath the Sotoraggian's barrage.
"What are we waiting for?" Ben complained to the mercenary. "We gotta save them."
"I don't give a slag what happens to them," said Eighteight harshly. "My priority is keeping the Omnitrix out of my brother's hands."
"Well, it ain't my priority," Ben returned, glaring at the woman. "That's my family out there."
"You can't save them," stated Eighteight. "My brothers may not be as strong or skilled as me, but it is still two against one. You would soon be overpowered and captured. The only real course of action is for me to retrieve my pistol and we can shoot our way out of here."
"But – " Ben started.
"Stay here," Eighteight commanded, pointing to the spot where 'here' meant before leaping over the counter.
As Sevenseven all but obliterated the front door of the saloon, Eighteight leaped out of the smoke and landed in a crouch with her hands reaching for the handles sticking out of her jetpack. She whipped out a pair of buzzing-red laser daggers, tossing the first one at Sevenseven, spinning around, and then throwing the second blade at Sixsix.
The middle sibling dodged the blade with a short sidestep, but their slow-minded brother doesn't think to dodge in time and fell to the ground with an energy knife in his shoulder; Sixsix hissed a bunch of Sotoraggian swears.
Sevenseven shook his head in disappointment at their younger brother and turned back toward his sister just in time to see her charging at him. The taller mercenary raised his hand cannon, but Eighteight jumped up, using her brother's arm to support herself, and then kick him across the head. Sevenseven landed on his back again while Eighteight plunked her favorite weapon out of the air when her carless brother tossed it. The woman cocked her laser pistol and was checking its charge when Sixsix bounced up and tackled her to the ground.
While the siblings were fighting among themselves, Max took the opportunity to carry Gwen and Trixie to safety.
Sixsix straddled his sister's waist and pinned her chest with one hand while he used the other to beat her across the face. The youngest sibling managed to get in two swings before Eighteight returned with her own punch, knocking him off balance. She pulled up her knee and kicked her young brother away. Sixsix slid across the ground, but was very stubborn as Eighteight knew quite well.
The youngest sibling revealed a rocket launcher hidden in his forearm and shot one of the missiles, but Eighteight whipped out a laser sword from her jetpack and sliced the missile in half – the two pieces exploded behind her.
The woman moved into a stance with her sword pointed at Sixsix when Sevenseven landed behind her. The taller Sotoraggian took a swing at her back, but Eighteight saw the attack coming and caught her brother's forearm over her shoulder before flipping him over. He landed on top of Sixsix and Eighteight blasted both of her brothers with her laser pistol that crated a controlled explosion in their area. Unfortunately, both of her brothers emerged from the smoke relatively unharmed and both sounded very angry.
As the siblings were wailing at each other, Ben watched the entire scene from the safety of the saloon. Even though Eighteight made it clear that she wasn't a good guy, Ben couldn't deny how awesome she was. He watched the woman kick Sevenseven in the face and slam Sixsix in the ground when he heard a familiar ding coming from his wrist. The Omnitrix was active again.
"All right, hero time," said Ben is a hushed voice.
Unfortunately, while Eighteight and Sixsix were wrestling with each other, Sevenseven turned and spotted Ben through the hole in the wall. Ben noticed and ducked back behind the bar counter.
Deciding to take advantage of his sister's momentary distraction, Sevenseven walked inside the saloon looking for the boy. Ben could hear Sevenseven's mechanical footsteps from his hiding place and quickly activated the Omnitrix core. Immediately, his first choice was Rath. For a moment, Ben seriously considered using him and beating Sevenseven to a pulp…but he hesitated and remembered Trixie and Eighteight's words:
"One day you will come across someone who can punch harder or think faster than you, so you will have to rely on your most powerful tool: creativity and unpredictability."
"And to make it worse, your choice of warriors is based solely on brute strength. You don't have any plan – you just go into a fight, fists swinging, and hope you can land a hit. You never stop to consider your actions at all."
That's when Ben decided to stop think with his muscles are start thinking with his head.
He turned the dial on the Omnitrix, searching for one alien in particular, as Sevenseven approached the counter. Just as the Sotoraggian was about to reach over, a flash of green light made him jump back in surprise. He recognized the flash and started blasting the bar into splinters. Sevenseven kicked up a few of the wooden fragments that littered the floor, but was surprised to find that there was no smoking remains.
Meanwhile, Gray Matter hopped around the rafters, padding his way across the beams without the Sotoraggian being any the wiser. Sevenseven started to scan the building for any potential hiding places when Gray Matters landed on top of his head. Yelping in surprise, Sevenseven scurried back and forth, swiping his hands around his head in an attempt to knock the Galvan away.
"Get off!" Sevenseven demanded. "Get off me, you tiny little – "
"Hmm, there should be a nerve cluster in here somewhere," Gray Matter hummed as he started digging through the crevice in Sevenseven's armor.
The Sotoraggian continued flailing and swinging without any results until Gray Matter finally found what he was looking for and ripped a select number of wires out of Sevenseven's armor. Sevenseven's armor began shooting sparks from the most random places and his limbs twitched out of his control. He smashed through the saloon wall and staggered drunkenly around the street until Gray Matter pulled another set of wire. Sevenseven's body seized up and the power drained from his suit before he fell backwards, stiff as a board.
"One down!" shouted Gray Matter.
Back over at the fight between Sixsix and Eighteight, it looked like the elder sibling was holding the advantage as she brutally beat her brother left and right across the face until he suddenly rushed in and wrapped his arms around Eighteight's waist. Before she could counter, Sixsix activated his jetpack, shooting them straight into the air until he flipped in the air and rocketed back down, slamming his sister head first into the ground.
Eighteight groaned as she leaned against the edge of the crater they had just made. She will admit, her youngest brother was wildly unpredictable, and that's why he was so dangerous.
Sixsix loomed over his sister and looked ready to finish her when he spotted Gray Matter only a few feet away. The youngest sibling pulled out his rocket launcher again when Eighteight kicked him in the back of the knee, sending his missile flying wildly into the sky. Sixsix muttered angrily in his native tongue and turned on his sister, deciding to finish her and then retrieve the Omnitrix.
Sixsix straddled his sister and choked her throat with one hand while his other transformed into an energy saw. The younger sibling slashed down on her head, but Eighteight stopped him by his wrist just inches away from breaching her helmet. Though Eighteight was slightly stronger than her brothers, Sixsix had the leverage over her and it was hard to concentrate when he was choking her. The energy saw was getting closer….
"If you're gonna do something, do it now!" screamed Eighteight.
"Guess who?" Gray Matter chattered, landing on Sixsix's shoulder. The Galvan reached inside the crevice of his armor and grabbed another handful of wire "Wonder what happens when I do this?"
Gray Matter pulled the wires and the jets of Sixsix's pack suddenly spark to life, blasting him into the air. The Sotoraggian and the Galvan spiraled through the air, smashing through buildings, crashing into mine carts, and even bashing their way through the water tower support beams. Their joyride ended with Sixsix smashing face first into the dirt and sliding up next to his disabled elder brother and shut down along with him. Gray Matter looked over his shoulder for a moment to observe the water tower before it started tilting in their direction. The Galvan hopped out of the way, but not before he heard Sevenseven's little commentary.
"I hate this planet."
CRASH!
Eighteight straightened herself as Gray Matter climbed up on her shoulder and Max, Gwen, and Trixie came out of hiding (but kept a considerable distance away from Eighteight) as they watched their fallen foes be doused in the water supply that should have dried up decades ago, but conveniently didn't.
"Only one way to beat the desert heat, don't you think," said Gray Matter jokingly.
"Pretty smart for a foolhardy boy," Eighteight complimented.
The Galvan smiled in appreciation before jumping off – he didn't want to push Eighteight's charitable nature. The eldest Sotoraggian pulled out an orange, egg-like device and tossed it between her brothers. The device flashed bright orange and Sixsix and Seveneven were nowhere to be seen until Eighteight picked up the egg device, displaying her brother's squashed forms through the transparent glass. The Omnitrix timed out once everything was settled and Ben transformed back into a human as Eighteight slipped the containment device into her belt.
"Well, I guess I should get going now before my employer figures out I double-crossed him," Eighteight told the Tennysons. "You guys owe me some serious Taydens."
"Say what?" Trixie sputtered outrageously.
"The reward for the Omintrix is worth fifty billion Taydens – fifty BILLION!" Eighteight informed them, emphasizing the word 'billion'. "I am turning down an early retirement and a life of luxury for you humans, so you owe me."
Trixie muttered some very choice words in a language nobody understood.
"What about this?" asked Ben, holding up the Omnitrix.
"You're not worth the trouble of hauling around," said Eighteight bluntly. "Too mouthy. Nah, I think I'll just leave it here until I can find someone to get that thing off your wrist."
"Wow, thanks," said Ben appreciatively. Eighteight started walking away, retrieving a device from her belt, when Ben called out. "Wait, you never told me how you knew so much about Diamondhead."
"And if you don't want me to pop your head like a wumpa fruit, you won't ask again," Eighteight replied harshly.
Ben 'eep'ed and wisely chose to keep his mouth shut. The Sotoraggian woman activated the device and her body was consumed in a vibrating red light until it flashed outwards, momentarily blinding the humans. When their looked back, Eighteight had vanished.
"How is it that you always manage to attract the strangest of people?" Trixie said to Ben.
"Guess it must be my charming personality," said Ben jokingly.
"Right…," said Gwen, rolling her eyes. "By the way, I got something I've been meaning to give to you."
Without any warning, Gwen pulled out a bottle of sunscreen and poured it all over Ben's head; Trixie nearly doubled over with laughter.
"Hey, what'd you do that for?" yelled Ben angrily.
"Wouldn't want that big head of yours to get sunburned," Gwen answered teasingly.
This time, Trixie did fall over.
Back aboard the Chimerian Hammer, Cetanu watched a viewing screen of what looked like a fiery comet exiting the Earth's atmosphere before it spun around and took off into the black void of space. The Yautja could hear her father's enraged hiss, and she was fairly certain it had nothing to do with Dr. Animo injecting another one of his mutated concoctions into Vilgax's bloodstream.
"Betrayed…," Vilgax hissed furiously.
"I warned you the Sotoraggians couldn't be trusted," said Cetanu, almost feeling a hint of pride. She ran her hands across the computer terminals, bringing up a complicated series of scanners. "Fortunately, our sensors indicated that the Omnitrix is not with them, which means that they must have left it behind."
"The Sotoraggians will be punished for this, you can rest assured, my daughter," Vilgax hissed. "And as for the boy who wields the Omnitrix, it appears that we have severally underestimated him. Whether it is because of the girl's help or not, we now know that the child is far cleverer and fiercer than originally predicted. But I shall not be denied."
Many people who were reading this were probably expecting Eighteight to be the traitor based on her appearances during the chapter, but she is not a real ally to Ben. Her motives are completely selfish and if she ever needs to, she won't hesitate to betray Ben when the opportunity arises. So Eighteight is neither and friend nor an enemy, but the first truly neutral character of the series.
Next episode: Tourist Trap