July 13, 2012

New Mexico Desert; 6:50 pm

"Are you sure this is the place?" Tetrax asked.

"The locals said this would be the only place someone could be hiding," Kai said. "Besides, there's nowhere else for miles where they could hide a ship."

Tetrax watched as the sun began to pass over the horizon. "We should wait until we have the cover of night."

"No, we go now while the sand is still hot," Kai ordered. "If they've been hiding out here, then they must have some kind of inferred vision. I don't know how it is on other planets, but here on Earth, the deserts can get pretty cold at night. We may as well be walking around with targets on our chest at that point."

The Petrosapien had been curious as to why the girl was wearing such large, thick clothing. From the few times he'd been to this planet, he'd learned that Humans were extremely sensitive to the changing temperatures. Then again, he'd also learned how resilient they were for learning to thrive in such environments that should be considered inhospitable for their species. In the last four years alone, he could see how quickly the planet had degraded and could predict its inevitable ruin. What strange creatures these humans are.

"I'm in position," Ben's voice rang through the earpiece.

"Hold until we arrive," Kai ordered. The two made their way through the dunes as they approached the ravine. It was too far to see anything, so they'd have to go down. Having expected this, Tetrax lifted the girl and began to scale down the rock wall, trying to make as little noise as possible. It took two, maybe three minutes tops, to make it down, and they could see light flickering down a path. Tetrax took the lead as they made their way through the cavern. If there was anything down here, it was best that he take the brunt of what was to come.

The light grew brighter as they approached the end of the path and led to a large clearing in the rocks. Just as they had suspected, a large ship was taking up most of the space. A ramp extending out from the back was the only way inside. Kai whispered into her microphone, "We have the target inside. The mission is a go."

Within minutes, someone could be seen leaving the ship. "SixSix," Tetrax whispered. The bounty hunter went down another path, most likely leading toward the surface. "Let's move." The two rushed towards the ship's ramp, keeping an eye out for anyone else who could be in the cave. With no immediate hint of anyone else aboard the ship, the two walked inside.

The ship was carrying various cargo. Tetrax could spot that they ranged from mining equipment to medical supplies to weaponry. He wasn't sure what SixSix would need all of this for, but he didn't have time to figure it out. Instead, he made his way for the cockpit. He checked the ship's navigation system and transmission logs, but nothing stood out.

The sound of metal scraping caught his attention. "What are you doing!?"

Kai continued to move the metal panels. "These were loose. I thought he could be hiding something here." Once the panel was out of the way, she reached in, unsure of what she should be looking for. "Find anything?"

"No, but it's to be expected. Only a fool would leave evidence out in the open for anyone to find." He continued to look around the ship and was beginning to get curious about the cargo again. Inspecting the medical supplies, they appeared to be commonly used for prosthetics and robotic enhancements. "None of this makes any sense. Why would SixSix be transporting all of these supplies?"

"It's a red herring." Kai noticed the confusion on Tetrax's face. "A misdirect. Whatever his plans are, we're not going to find them at the rate we're going."

"So, what do you suggest?"

Before Kai could answer his question, Ben shouted over the radio. "Can you hurry up down there!? I don't know how long I can-" The line went dead.

"Ben, are you still there?" No reply. Kai grabbed one of the rifles from the cargo. "Clip this bird, and let's move."

Ben did his best to block SixSix's attacks, but it was difficult in his current form. The Omnitrix malfunctioned, turning him into Cannonbolt, whose rolling only made him dig into the sand. He tried to call Kai for backup, but his communicator was hit, leaving him without any way to contact them.

"Stupid watch trying to get me killed out here." SixSix threw a bomb towards him, which he barely managed to tumble away from. "Who was the asshole who decided to make me bait anyway!?" He forgot that he volunteered. He continued to do his best to run and slide around until he heard the dreaded beeping from the Omnitrix. "You've got to be shitting me!" The red flash temporarily blinds the bounty hunter, allowing Ben to ready his weapons. Though without any cover, he was as good as dead. Just then, SixSix was shot out of the sky. Kai rushed toward him while Tetrax engaged SixSix.

"You alright?" Kai asked.

"As well as I can be," Ben replied. "Did you find anything?"

"Nothing substantial. Tetrax will have to capture SixSix if we want any information." Kai pulled out two hoverboards, handing one to Ben. The two began to fly away when someone began to shoot at them. "Of course, he has backup."

Ben looked back to see someone flying towards them wearing similar armor to SixSix. They split up, and the second alien continued to follow Ben, firing lasers and missiles with reckless abandon. He did his best to dodge the incoming attacks, but it's difficult when in an open area. Thankfully, Kai was following behind, trying to take down his pursuer.

The bounty hunter fired another barrage of missiles, causing smoke and sand to fill the area and obscuring his vision. Switching to thermal, he'd lost sight of his target and searched the area but couldn't find him. A flash could be seen through the smoke before it dispersed, revealing a hulking Vaxasaurian.

Ben belted out, "Humungousaur," then charged the assassin. He wasn't used to this new form, which only added to his issues moving through the sand. Thankfully, Kai could continue firing, guiding him to where Ben could slap him between his large hands like a fly. "Thanks for the assist."

"We're not done yet," Kai reminded him. They restrained him and then made their way back to find Tetrax carrying an unconscious SixSix. "That could have gone better. My grandfather isn't far away with a team ready to search every inch of their ship. Whatever it was they were here for, they'll find it."

Wes was there within minutes, and they had the two bounty hunters in custody. Tetrax stayed behind to help with the investigation while a transport took Ben and Kai back to base. Ben felt slightly disappointed with how smoothly it had gone, even with the mistransformation. It made him nostalgic for the high jinxs he'd gotten into when he was younger. Still, any job ending in no casualties is a job well done.

"Thanks for having my back out there," Ben said.

Kai playfully punched his shoulder. "That's what partners are for. We still have plenty more missions before the end of the Summer."

July 13, 2016

Northern Texas; 10:20 pm

"You alright, Ben?" Gwen asked. "You've been staring out the window since we left Amarillo."

"Yeah, I was just remembering something," Ben said, watching her reflection in the window.

"Was it that time you thought you could take on the 72oz Challenge and wasted Grandpa's money?"

"No, but that is pretty funny thinking back on it."

"You were so confident you could do it too. You almost went back as Upchuck just to prove that you could." The two started laughing as they reminisced. Still, Gwen wasn't going to let it go. "Ben, tell me what's really going on with you."

He sighed. "I've just been thinking about the past a lot. The trips, my time with the Plumbers, fighting with Mom and Dad…. Us…."

Gwen knew what he meant. Ever since they left Bellwood, she kept thinking about the past—everything they did brought back memories for better or worse. "Things are different now. We're different now. It doesn't mean that those moments we had didn't happen, though."

The two stared at each other in silence until Max's booming voice pulled apart. "We're coming up on a truck stop." He pulled into the parking lot alongside the other RVs and semi-trucks. "Let's rest here for tonight."

"Actually, I'm gonna go for a run," Ben said, grabbing his jacket.

"I'll come with you," Gwen insisted.

"Good luck keeping up." Ben slammed down on the dial of the Omnitrix, illuminating the parking lot with a green flash. He was about to speed away when he noticed how upset Gwen looked through XLR8's visor. "It's nothing against you," he tried to reassure her. "I just need some time alone."

"Okay, just try to stay out of trouble, please."

Ben gave her one of his signature shit-eating grins. "Do you know who you're talking to?"

Gwen smacked his arm, causing him to chuckle before speeding off into the distance. She looked at Max, who was preparing his bed for the night. "Can I ask you something, Grandpa?"

"Of course, Pumpkin," Max answered with the warmest smile.

"Who's your favorite?"

Max was taken aback by her question. "Come on, Gwen. You know I don't pick favorites." Of course, he didn't. He was Grandpa Max, after all. "Why? Did something happen?"

Gwen gave him a knowing look. "I just wanted to confirm that I was just being stupid, that's all." Gwen hugged the old man before locking herself in the bathroom to get ready for bed.

Max groaned as he collapsed onto his bed. He wondered how much longer he could continue protecting those kids. "Just a little longer," he pleaded.