A laser blasts through the air in a New Mexico gas station, causing it to erupt into a furious blaze. Stepping from the flames stood proud a behemoth of a man, large and muscular, he wore orange pants with knee pads, large black boots, a black tank top with a skull on it, and matching skull face paint. "All right, bros!" He boasted as he hoisted a pair of laser riffles, a few younger boys racing to his side with guns of their own, "This is a stickup!" with a sadistic grin he strode into the station, only to be met by a diminutive old lady wearing a blue shawl who approach him as he stepped to the register. "Out of the way, old-timer." He snarled as he glared at the wrench that dared stand in his way. Only, she glared right back, her eyes cold and sure, it ticked him off. "I'll teach you!" He roared as he backed up and whipped out his laser pistols and aimed them straight at her dome.
"Didn't you're mama ever teach you not to hit a lady?" A deep voice cracked as a pair of large green tentacles suddenly wrapped around his arms, hoisting them up and soon lifting him into the air too.
"Gah, BROS!" He called to his boys. Following his signal, they opened fire on the so-called hero, forcing them to drop him in response. Getting a good look at them he recognized them as one of the alien hero girls that had been making the news lately, great.
The Alliance
Gwen wasn't having a great day, an understatement really, I mean what else can you expect when you start your day with two-bit punks pointing guns at your grandma's face? Still, she was doing her heroic duty and showing these guys what for. Nodding to Ben, he dragged Grandma Verdona out of the crossfire as SuckerPunch flexed her tentacles at the crooks. "All right, boys! You want to dance?" She roared as she raised her arms into the air. "Let's dance!" And with a mighty slam, she brought her arms down, causing the ground under her to fracture, causing a shockwave that knocked the thugs off their feet, save for their surprisingly durable leader.
"Nice try, lady," The leader started as he hoisted his guns at SuckerPunch, "But now you'll see what happens when you cross THE FISTRICK GANG!" Fistrick roared as he began opening fire on SuckerPunch, forcing her to back up till she was outside of the gas station, and BOOM! A stray shot hit a gas pump, causing it to erupt into a mountain of flames engulfing the heroine.
"Gwen!" Verdona gasped as Ben's grip on her hand slipped.
"Gave ya fair warning, bro." Fistrick smirked as he turned back to the station, guns pointed at Ben, Verdona, and the cashier, his cronies getting to their feet.
Only before he could fire, "I don't think so!" SuckerPunch roared as she leaped from the fire, landing a punch against Fistrick, sending him into a nearby wall. His cronies tried to assist but were quickly dealt with by an unraveled tentacles slap."Heh, losers." Gwen snarked confidently, only to receive a flurry of laser blasts to her back as Fistrick recovered from his daze.
"Oi! Ain't no one makes a fool of Fistrick! Especially some monster girl freak!" He spat with an almost deranged look in his eyes.
"Oh yeah? Well, no two-bit thug is going to be threatening sweet old ladies on my watch!" SuckerPunch roared as she flexed her arms with a scowl. Only, before the fight continued, a buzzing sound crossed her ears.
VRRRRRRRRR BwOSH BwOSH BwOSH
With nary a moment to react, SuckerPunch was barraged by an ambush of laser blasts, much stronger than the type Fistrick and his gang used, one very familiar to her. Ben gasped as the source of the blast crossed through the flames and smoke, "The drones, from the first night, their back." And right he was, the familiar spaceship-shaped drones flew upon the scene, soon followed by a small fleet of similar drones.
The drones attacked indiscriminately, forcing Fistrick and his gang to dodge laser blasts as they tried to fire back, to little success. "Grrr, this is my heist, you flying metal dipwads!"
"Bro, just let 'em have it!" One of the younger recruits called back as he and the other recruit ran for the hills, taking their chance dodging the fire and then the blast.
Fistrick grits his teeth in fury as he watches his two lackeys escape, and even more so as he sees the so-called hero forgetting him as she battles with the flying menaces. He gripped his guns tightly, "This is all," He hoisted them up with a look of pure derangement, "YOU'RE FAULT!" However, just as he was about to unleash his fury upon her, he was suddenly knocked down as Verdona picked up and hurled a magazine stand at him. He was pissed, "You'll get yours, old crone!" He roared as he began firing at her. She managed to dodge the blast, but they managed to cause enough damage to the station that it managed to caused a piece of the roof the cave in on top of her.
"Grandma!" Ben exclaimed as he ran to the rubble and tried to lift it off her, garnering SuckerPunch's attention.
"Nooo!" She roared as she unfurled all her tentacles before lashing them out at the drones, before slamming them together in a fiery explosion. She then spun around and slapped Fistrick with her tentacles so hard that he was sent flying into a nearby refrigerator section, knocking him out cold.
SuckerPunch rushed over to Verdona and quickly managed to get the rubble off of her, tho she remained unconscious. Ben reached into her jean pockets, pulling out a phone, "We need to get him to a hospital! I'm calling 9-1- Gwen?" He yelped as he was suddenly picked up by SuckerPunch.
"No time! Hospital up the street!" Gwen called frantically as she began leaping away, occasionally unfurling a tentacle to grab nearby buildings to swing on.
Drones inject nanobots into the thug as it turns orange.
As they leaped away, however, Fistrick awoke with a groan. Picking up one of the drones, he grabbed some of the wires, letting them dangle in his hand. "What is this?" Then suddenly, the drone he had picked up sprang to life and wrapped around his arm as a yellow surge transferred into his arm. He tried to toss the drone, but his arm was forced to hold on tight as it clasped around his arm, transforming into a giant white gauntlet with orange circuit grids. Stumbling away in fright, he backed into a pile of the discarded and broken drones, yelling in pain as he was bathed in orange electricity.
Quickly, police descended on the scene, guns drawn as they noticed Fistrick covered in drones, "Freeze!" As the pain ceased, Fistrick breathed heavily as his vision was painted orange. "I said, Freeze!" He heard the pigs bark, anger boiling through him.
"You… ain't… TAKING ME!" He roared as he turned to face the officers, only for a giant orange beam of energy to project from his eyes, nearly toasting the officers had they not jumped out of the way, their cars taking the blast instead. As the beam died down, Fistrick stared at the damage in shock. However, as he walked forward to inspect the damage, he noticed his reflection in a puddle of gasoline. The drones had welded themselves around his body, giving him giant gauntlets and a giant piece of body armor. His helmet poked through the top of the armor, his head helmeted with orange spikes and a giant orange eye. His tank top could be just barely seen under the armor, while his lower half remained mostly unchanged. "Whoa…HOHO...Oh! This is gonna be a BLAST!"
At the local hospital, Ben and Gwen sit anxiously as they watch their grandma lie unconscious in bed.
"Well," One of Verdona's doctors starts as he approaches the kids, your grandmother has suffered a severe concussion, she'll be out for several more hours. Furthermore, she has several lacerations and a broken leg."
"She's...gonna be okay, right?" Gwen gulped as she looked at the doctor with pleading eyes.
The doctor gave her a kind smile, "For a woman her age, she's remarkably strong. She'll be fine after some rest." He then turned to his clipboard, "Now, it says on his admittance form that she was hit by a car bumper. Did somebody back into her?"
Gwen was about to respond before Ben suddenly covered her mouth as he responded, "Actually, the bumper flew through the air after this robot drone blew up the car!"
The doctor looked at Ben puzzled for a moment before shrugging before patting Ben on the shoulder before patting Ben on the shoulder, "...Vivid imaginations are good coping mechanisms in situations like these."
Gwen gave Ben a puzzled look, which he returned with a shrug, "Sometimes leaning closer to the truth is better, not like adults will believe it anyway."
Taking his newfound powers for a test run, the cybernetic Fistrick opted to terrorize a local jewelry store, carving out parts of the walls with his optic blast. "Hahaha! Oh my god, bro! This power is SwEET!" He boasted as he grabbed a handful of priceless jewels, only to open his hand and find them crushed to dust.
"What?! No! Their worthless now!" He roared as he slammed his arms into the counter before grabbing and tossing it behind him, letting loose a gigantic laser blast from an eye lens, cutting through the walls and forcing anyone left in the store to flee in fear.
"Hear me, child of earth!" a thunderous voice suddenly roared in Fistrick's head, causing him to wince as he looked around for the source.
"Where are you...Who are you...and how did you get in my head!?" He cried as he backed into a desk like a caged animal.
"I am a being of higher being. Hear Me!" It bellowed again.
Fistrick huffed and puffed as he looked around, his teeth gritting, "Shut Up! I don't know who you are, but ain't no one messes with The Fistri-AAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" He suddenly doubled over in pain as he clutched his head, green electricity bathing over him violently. He closed his eyes from the pain, but when he opened them, everything had changed. He seemed to be in some sort of blue-green void, a giant green circle floating overhead.
"Silence! I have bestowed upon you power the like of which you can not even begin to imagine! But just as easily as I grant you this boon, I can take it away, or turn your power into a prison. Head my words and I shall bring you to salvation!" The voice was loud and deep with an audible age-born growl to it.
"...So what do you want?" Fistirck lamented.
"Only what is rightfully mine. A piece of technology so great it must only be held by me." Suddenly, a hologram was projected from the arm of the suit, "And to your luck, you are already programmed to find it!"
Back at the hospital, the Tennyson duo sat anxiously as they watched their Grandma lie in her bed, tho Gwen's condition was far worse as she tapped on the Omnitrix's faceplate. Seeing this, Ben tried to offer a comforting smile, "Come on Gwen. You heard the doc, grandma will be ok. I mean, come on, it's grandma!" However, the encouragement seemed to have little effect as Gwen continued to sulk, sinking deeper into her chair. "If anything, you should use that big head of yours to figure out what we're going to do about that Fist guy, seeing as you had to let him get a-"
"Oh well, excuse me for thinking grandma's health was more important than some crook!" Gwen snapped as she got in Ben's face, his eyes widening from surprise.
"I-I-that's not what I-"
"Ugh, just leave me alone!" Gwen shouted as she stormed out of the room, leaving behind a baffled Ben.
Irritated, Ben glared at Gwen as he began to march toward her, but as he did so, he noticed her shaking as she held herself, stifling tears. "I-I'm sorry Gwen, I wasn't trying to blame you or anything, Grandma comes first."
"Letting out a sigh, Gwen visibly relaxed, though she clearly held tension.
"Y'know, I've been thinking, TechSupport can do a lot of stuff to machines, maybe if I used her I could make the machines make her better!" Gwen offered, with a strained cheery tone.
"I'm no genius, but I don't think that's how it works." Ben sighed.
"Well then, maybe I can go Amphibian, I've done some research on acupuncture, maybe I can use electricity for something similar!" Ben didn't even give that one the respect of a rebuttal, just leveling Gwen a critical stare. "I just… I just," Unthinking, she tapped the button activating the watch, "I just don't want to feel so… helpless." Gwen sighs as she slouches over the windowsill. Offering a kind smile, Ben places an arm on Gwen's shoulder, earning a smile from her.
BOOM!
Suddenly, the wall next to them is blown open in an explosion, causing Gwen and Ben to duck and cover as they cough away the smoke. Stepping through Fistrick glares at them through his cybernetic upgrades. "Give-Me-THE OMNITRIX!" He roars as he powers up an optic blast.
"Run!" Gwen yells as she pulls Ben to his feet and begins running down the hall, narrowly dodging a laser blast in the process. They sprint as fast as their legs carry them as the mad mobster blasts away indiscriminately, in the process almost hitting a nurse who had just been passing by. They ran, turning corners and passing doors until one caught Gwen's attention. "Stairs!" Gwen called as she grabbed Ben by the back of the shirt and pulled him back.
Nodding, Ben follows Gwen down the stairwell as the sound of a laser blast falls silent. Deciding to state the obvious, Ben took a breath, "Gwen, that's the crook from the station earlier, it's like he's melded with the"
"Robot drones." Gwen finishes, resisting the urge to smack herself for being so careless. Tho they she didn't have much time to lament as the sound of the door above exploding off its hinges rang down the stairwell, dust, and debris soon following as the kids made it to the bottom, the cyberized Fistrick soon landing himself, swiping at Ben as he and Gwen ran out the door and into the parking lot.
"Not to be a smart guy or anything, but don't you think it's about hero time?" Ben asked between panicked breaths as they ran into the parking lot, quickly hiding behind a nearby ambulance.
"Come out you beats!" Fistrick roared as he gazed around like an animal on the hunt, "We can do this the easy way!" His eyelense glowed with energy as he stared at a nearby cliff with a wicked grin, "Or the fun way!" He then blasted the cliff side with a powerful beam causing chunks to roll down headed straight for the hospital.
Two gasps at the sight as Gwen quickly activates the Omnitrix, "Come on SuckerPunch SuckerPunch SuckerPunch!" In a flash of pink, she was…"Sapphire! Again?" Gwen groaned, but there was little time to waste complaining. Staring at her hands and back to the boulders, she paused to think before turning to Ben, "In rock, paper, scissors, Rock and Rock cancel each other out… right?" Earning a shrug from Ben, with little other choice, she morphed her hands into shard cannons, firing them at and in the way of the boulders, hoping to use the traction to stop them. Unfortunately, the effort only served to worsen the threat as the shards got stuck in the boulder, turning it into a giant spiked ball of doom. "Oh, come on! Really?" Gritting her teeth, she came up with a new plan. Racing in front of the ambulances, she began firing in front of them, giving little care to the size or placement of the shards, just letting them pile up. Eventually, they were piled up so high that they managed to dwarf the ambulances themself, turning into a diamond wall of sorts.
"Gwen behind you!" Ben yelled as the boulders quickly approached. Racing out of the way, Saphire just barely managed to avoid a spiked boulder as it and the others crashed into the Ambulances, pushing them back and visibly denting a few but stopping them. Gwen sighed in relief as Ben walked over and patted her on the back, and then rolling continued. Somehow, through some domino effect, a few of the boulders resumed rolling, now down the hill and to a bridge where people were working. "Uh, cuz."
"Yeah, I know!" Gwen races toward the boulders, trying in vain to catch up, till eventually she skids to a stop and looks around frantically. 'Come on, Gwen, think, think, more shard won't work, can't destroy the bridge…" It's at that point she looks down at her hands, if she can make blades and shard cannons, what else could she do? Taking a deep breath, she pressed her fingers onto the ground, earning a confused look from Ben. Her crystal arms shook for a moment before coming to a rest as shards grew from the wrist. Then suddenly, the crystals came pouring out of her arm, racing down the road. She wasn't used to this, but trying to use as much focus and brain power as she could, she grew the crystals past the boulders before gripping the ground, through some means causing the crystal path the shoot up in the middle. The boulders approached it and, to her relief, slid right along the divide, drifting off the bridge and into the lake below. "Huf Huff, got it!" Gwen panted as she turned to face Ben.
A yellow eye appeared before her Ben tucked away in his arms as a hand covered his mouth, "Peek A Boo!" She was blasted by the full force of a charged-up laser blast, sending her flying a mile away till she landed in a truck.
"Ow, did anyone catch the number of that-GOODNESS GRACIOUS!" She barely had time to get out of the way as Fistrick came crashing down just where Saphire had been, destroying the car and causing an explosion that wrecked the other cars nearby. Sapphire panted as she hid behind a piece of debris to catch her breath. How badly she wanted to run away, to not deal with this guy… but grandma and Ben were there, he'd get them, she didn't want that. Steeling her nerves, she forced herself up as she surveyed her surroundings, an idea forming. "Hey Fisty!" she hollered, gaining her foe's attention. Like an animal, he pounced on her, her judo training coming in handy as she managed to throw him off her and into a nearby truck, majorly ticking him off.
"You… are so… DEAD!" He bellowed as he shot a laser blast at her, only for her to hold up a single crystalline blade. The blast reflected off the laser and into the oil, causing a brilliant eruption that sent the creep shooting off into the distance.
"Robots, they never learn."
Once all had calmed down and Gwen timed the duo filled in the now awake Verdona, a painful bile filling Gwen as she recounted it all. When me and Ben were talking I accidentally started the watch, he must have tracked it somehow." Gwen concluded she and Ben finished.
"I see, well, it could have gone a lot worse. And besides, now that I'm in a new room, he hopefully shouldn't be able to find me even if he connects me to you youngins." Verdona replied cheerfully, tho her voice was still weak and strained. She gave Gwen a kind look as she reached for her, "It's alright, dear."
"It's not alright, Grandma!" Gwen shouted back, "Don't you get it, Fistrick is only like that because of me! Those robots are after me! Now he's after me! You and Ben were almost killed because-" She cut herself off, she breathed heavily, trying hard not to cry. "With how delicate this thing is to you, even the smallest thing can set it off. What if I bump the chair in the middle of the night and it activates? What then? So long as I have this.. this… this curse! I'm a walking target, and you guys are in the crossfire."
Ben tried to approach Gwen but was scared off as she leveled him with a killer glare. He sighed, "Look, Gwen, I get it, but it's not like there's anything we can do about it, seeing as it doesn't come off. Besides, Grandma and I know what we signed up for, and we can handle it."
"...maybe you can."
"Ugh. Bro… did anyone catch the number of that truck?" Fistrick groaned as he awoke in a crater of smoke. Suddenly, a splitting, strenuous pain crossed through his body.
"I take it your task in retrieving my Omnitrix has been… less than satisfactory." The voice asked, an almost playful tone in its voice.
"Ugh, bounce off!" Fistrick spat as he leveled a glare at nowhere in particular. "Thanks for cluing me in that I was dealing with that hero chick league! No power armor's worth this, I'm ou-GACK" Just as he finished his little run, he felt his body tighten as the bile in his throat was stopped in his tracks while his muscles tensed. He tried to yell but was barely able to make a single sound as he toppled over, landing headfirst into the road.
Perhaps I did not make the terms of our… arrangement clear. You, my disciple, WILL be claiming the Omnitrix for me. You WILL conquer the so-called hero. And you WILL not spit in my face or on my name. Or I can guarantee you that I WILL prove damnation a mercy compared to what I shall bring upon you." The voice lectured with a violently methodical tone. "Am I clear?"
Fistirck felt his body relax as he gasped for air, "Huf Huf Huf… y-yes master."
Later that evening, as Ben and Verdona had clonked out to dreamland, Gwen, with a heavy heart, made the decision to correct her mistake. Leaving a note on Verdona's bed and leaving her phone with it, Gwen snuck out of the room, sparing only a moment's glance at her family. "I promise, this is for the best." And so she made her escape. She left the hospital and raced away. She's not sure how far she walked, but soon enough she was forced to take a breather at a bench in a park.
Suddenly, a young voice catches her ear. "Look at me, Grandma! Look at Me!" a little girl, maybe half her age, cheers as she crosses a hopscotch path, her grandma standing nearby clapping for her. She jumps into her grandma's arms as she hugs her, "I'm glad we can spend the summer together."
However, her attention is soon stolen as a nearby radio blares to life, [Reports say that an unidentified assailant with access to powerful weaponized technology has been going on a rampage, they've blown up several police barricades before arriving at the Police Academy Training Center, just outside of Albuquerque!}
Back in the hospital, Ben awoke with a groan as he yawned. "Ugh, what time is it? Gwen?" It was then he noticed the sudden lack of redheads in the room. "Gwen!"
"Ben?" Verdona yawned as she awoke, her movements drawing attention to the note on her. "What's that?"
Ben took the note,
"Dear Grandma and Ben,
I'm sorry, but I can't allow you to pay for my mistakes. No matter how much I can't run from the watch but I can from you. It's for the Best,
Love, Gwen"
Ben and Verdona looked at each other, aghast as what Ben had read sank in. But before they could digest it Verdona accidentally hit the TV remote, causing it to turn on.
[The siege at the Police Training Center continues...Early reports say several officers have been injured.] A newscaster explains as flashes of bright orange light flare in the background in intervals.
Ben and Verdona share a knowing look. "I gotta go, Grandma.
"Hold up!" Verdona hissed as she attempted to rise from her bed, "I'm coming, too." Only to be pushed back down by Ben.
"Yeah, no. Look, Grandma, I can appreciate this whole thin as a twig strong as an oak thing you have going on, but you're sitting this one out." Ben then noticed Gwen's phone, "I got this."
The parking lot of the police academy was in chaos as paramedics frantically tried to push in while avoiding laser fire. "They need us in there!" One of the paramedics called to another as they exited an ambulance, not noticing as Ben crept out from the back, having hitched a ride.
Suddenly, a blue blur zipped past them before blitzing onto the scene, jabbing Fistrick several times before skidding to a stop. "Who told you you could start the party without me? I'm hurt." XLE8 snarked. She then began spinning on one wheel as she began delivering a flurry of kicks to Fistrick's face and chest.
Enough!" He suddenly yelled as he grabbed her leg, he then spun her around by it before releasing, throwing her into a nearby car. "He wants the Omni-whatever. Give it!"
"He?" XLR8 questioned, only to be cut off as the Fistrick charged another laser blast. "To be frank, I prefer zips to zaps!" She snarked as she raced out of the way before slashing Fistrick's back. However, before Fistrick could continue, a loud rumbling sound drew their attention as a tank approached, its barrel pointed at them. Waving to the shocked Fistrick XLR8, spied out of the way just as the tank fired, blasting the cyborg thug a fair bit away. XLR8 smirked under their mask, only for the tank to almost immediately turn its aim to her. "Are you kidding?"
However, before it could fire, its body was suddenly blasted by a powerful laser, knocking it away, smoking as the policemen inside quickly leaped from it just before it erupted into a fiery explosion. "Sorry, bros! The dino is all mine!" Fistrick growled as he leveled a glare at the officers, his visor slowly lighting up as he charged a laser blast.
With no time to waste XlR8 charged forward, grabbing two of the officers and rushing them to an ally, she was just about to turn back for the other officer, only for Fistrick to fire quicker than expected. But just before she could attempt a last-minute save a young boy jumped onto the scene pushing the officer out of the way.
"Ben!" XLR8 gasped, just as Fistrick began charging again. Acting on instinct, she rushed forward and grabbed her cousin and the officer, tossing the officer to one alley while rushing into another with Ben. "What are you doing here Dweeb for Brains?!" XLR8 hissed as she lifted her mask to glare at Ben.
"Oh, you know, just thought it'd be 'for the best.' Ring any bells?" Gwen shot back with a glare of his own.
And then, BEEP BEEP, "That certainly does!" XLR8 gasped, BEEP BwOOSH! And in a flash of dark green, XLR8 had been returned to Gwen. "Oh great! Just great! Thanks a lot!" Gwen seethed as she stared at the watch intensely. However, before they could argue too much, the sound of Fistrick's loud stomps rang loudly behind them, "Come on!" Gwen ordered as she grabbed Ben by the sleeve and dragged him away. They ran and ran until they eventually found the doors to a gym at the academy, which they didn't hesitate to barge into.
They held their breath as they held tightly to the wall, they listened to the sound of Fistrick's large metallic stomps. Once they could hear him get far enough away, they let themselves breathe, sighing as they composed themselves. Though there were greater issues to discuss, "Gwen, what were you thinking, just running away like that?"
Gwen scowled at the scolding, "You're the one always getting on my case about being a hero and doing the right thing, so I did. I'm not letting you two get killed over me, over my weird watch!"
"Gwen, it doesn't matter if it's your weird watch, you're my weird cousin! And besides, did you even think about what would happen after summer? Did you expect Grandma to just go home and tell your folks, your brother, that you just disappeared? Do they not get a say in that?"
Gwen's scowl deepened, tho not out of anger but frustration as her face flashed with guilt. Unfortunately, they had little time to sit on the thought as the sound of a frantic laser blast caught their attention. "Great, what? Fistrick's going to shoot the town up looking for me."
Suddenly, a ringing sound blared from Ben's pocket. "Oh, your phone!" Ben gaped as he fished it out and tossed it to Gwen
Gwen sighed as she saw her Grandma's name, but relente,d knowing Ben wouldn't let her get out of it. "Grandma, now's not exactly a great time. Kinda got a whole indestructible cyborg chasing after me."
"That's why I'm calling. Listen, if you can't beat him from the outside, maybe fighting from the inside will work!"
"Inside, what are you…" She gasped, "GRANDMA! You're a genius!"
Ben smirked at her, "Guess you're not better off without Grandma either, huh?"
Fistrick stomped around outside as he desperately searched for the Omnitrix-wearing brat, then suddenly, BEEP BEEP the tracker signal on his arm display lit up, a smirk creeping across his face. "Gotcha."
He blasted open a wall of the gym and strolled inside, It was empty. He looked around, but all he could see was gym equipment, and all he could hear was the sound of creaking fans. Cautiously, he wandered in, scanning the room for the punk kids who thought they could make a fool of the Firstickk. Then suddenly, "Gotcha." A pink light shone down on him as TechSupport revealed themselves to be possessing the fan above him. He barely had time to react as she suddenly leaped from the ceiling, jumping off the fan as Fistrick blasted it, and covering the cyborg thug. She wrapped her way around him, seeping into his tech as Fistrick tried to pull her off. Alas, it was of no use. Before he knew it, he was covered, every part covered by the drones was now coated blue with pink circuitry across it. "Alright! Time to end this-AAHHH!" TechSupport was suddenly interrupted as they were coated in green electricity.
When she came to, she found herself floating in a blue-green void that she wasn't sure was real, a giant green circle floating above her.
"Head me now, child." A hauntingly deep and robotic voice blared down on her. "Be not afraid, the end is near, and in it shall be salvation. It is inevitable, I am inevitable. Do not fight what is known, the Omnitrix is mine!"
Gwen was barely able to process what the voice had said as they felt their body being tugged on as Fistrick yanked her off, throwing her onto a nearby treadmill.
"Bad move, bro." He growled as he walked over, stomping on her, his eye lens beginning to glow. However, before he had the chance to fire, Gwen quickly reached for the handles of the treadmill, bending them around his arms as she seeped into the machine before clocking it into overdrive. Fistrick tried to keep up but was soon swept away as TechSupport let go, landing by a pull-down machine. And as he tried to get up to fight back, he was delivered a flurry of punches amped up by the machine's weights. "Ugh... bro..." Fistrick groaned as he fell to his knees.
"Let's finish this!" Gwen ordered as she leaped from the machine to Fistrick once again. Pink electricity sparked from them for a second before Techsupport sloshed right off, and as she did so, the drones on Fistrick's body began to decouple before falling apart and deactivating.
Fistrick groaned for a moment before looking down at his body. "I-I'm free!"
"Well, considering all the armed robberies, I wouldn't jump to conclusions." TechSupport snarked as she reformed to her base form.
Fistirck glared at her a moment before sighing as he gave a friendly smile. "Hey I get it, but listen, I got info on the creep that kept me in that tin can. You really wanna hand me in before I tell ya?" TechSupport paused as she considered his words, having more than a few questions of her own, all while not noticing as he slowly reached into his back pocket and pulled out a pocket knife.
"Hey! Big mean and ugly!" Ben suddenly cut in as he ran forward with a weight in his hand. "Hands off the dweeb!" he yelled as he whipped the weight forward, throwing it directly into the crook's face. It landed square, knocking Fistirck out instantly, and forcing him to drop the knife. TechSupport gave Ben her best attempt at a thankful smile, however, they were soon interrupted by the sound of policemen quickly approaching. "We should probably go."
The next morning, Verdona was discharged from the hospital, albeit with the need for crutches for the time being. "Mh, it's good to feel fresh air again." Verdona sighed as she and the kids headed for the Rustbucket. "Come kids! Let's get this show back on the road!"
However, as they walked, Gwen began to dally, causing Ben to bump into her. "Hey! Watch it!" Ben yelped, though he calmed down as he noticed a distant look in Gwen's eyes. "What's up dweeb?"
"I don't know, it's just, when I went TechSupport and hacked that first dude, it's like interfaced with something. It was like I was floating in space, then I saw this big green circle and heard a voice. He said not to be afraid… and that he was bringing salvation." Gwen explained, the sound of a clicking door handle gathering her attention. She saw Verdona staring at her as she held the door open, with a frown that was not stern or angry but something else. "Grandma, you look afraid."
Verdona paused momentarily before making a gulping sound as she strained a smile. "I'm fine, and you'll be too, just so long as we stick together."
Gwen smiled back as Ben punched her teasingly in the arm, "I like the sound of that plan." However, as she and Ben filed into the Rustbucket, Verdona hesitated. Her fist balled tightly as she weekly punched the side of the RV, taking a fleeting moment to stare behind her and up at the sky, and knowing to her that far above her, an old face was doing the same as they stared down at the earth.
Author's Note:
Dun Dun, things are starting to get real, and a certain someone is nearing their return.
Hope y'all enjoyed. Since Ben became more mature with grief, I wanted Gwen to do the opposite, become more bratty and argumentative.
Now get ready, next stop is going to be a BIG twist. Enjoy.
Old fashioned Soul 2360: Really great to see this story continuing! I hope this one doesn't get abandoned like nearly every version of this concept!
Oh don't worry, I don't plan on abbanoning it, I got plans far into the future.