Chapitre 20: The Trap
"Here, try these on now," Fred said, handing Max and Gwen the new bracelets he had been working on as they settled into a diner booth.
"Wonder if they have pancakes here," Fred mused as he sat down.
"Easy there on the sweets, kiddo," Max advised, a hint of a smile tugging at his lips.
"Fine, maybe an egg sandwich. No, make it a grilled cheese," Fred decided, sitting down with a grin. Max shook his head slightly, amused by Fred's antics but pleased with his progress.
"Alright, about the new bracelets," Fred began, excitement evident in his voice. "I upgraded the stun ray to incapacitate even a Tyrannopede at max power. There are three levels to it. Also, there's an EMP ray, a small laser to cut door locks, and the barrier I mentioned. It will wrap around your body for efficiency and is always active like a passive skill. An AI will adjust its strength depending on the threat, and it has shock absorption too."
Max and Gwen listened, though only a few of Fred's technical terms registered.
"Sounds like you were busy," Max remarked, impressed.
"Yeah, where's mine?" Ben asked eagerly, thinking all the tech Fred described sounded cool.
"All that stuff in just this little bracelet?" Gwen marveled, examining hers.
"I know, right? I'm awesome," Fred said, reminiscing with joy. "Ever since I was young, I studied all sorts of technology my parents had."
"Our orders are here," Max said as their food arrived, and they began to eat.
"Yeah, by the way, that guy you turned into was awesome. He took that laser blast like it was nothing. Can't wait till I can turn into him," Ben said between bites.
Their meal was interrupted by a news broadcast showing havoc at a jewelry store, caused by a strange cybernetic woman.
"It's that robber from the gas station," Gwen exclaimed, recognizing her.
"It seems our work's not done. Come on," Max said, getting up.
"But wait, wasn't she different before?" Fred noted.
"Yeah, Fred's right. Maybe she fused with those robot drones," Ben speculated as they climbed into the rust bucket.
"Then maybe she might come after us if you use your watch. We have to be careful about this," Fred cautioned.
"If that's the case..." Ben began, a plan forming in his mind. He shared his idea with the others as Max drove off to a safer, less crowded location.
"Here goes nothing," Ben muttered, standing alone on a desolate street. He turned the dial of the Omnitrix and waited, the seconds stretching into eternity. Finally, in the distance, he saw her flying towards him.
Ben transformed into Upgrade just as the woman closed in. "Found you," she snarled, firing at him.
"Give me the Omnitrix!" she demanded, but before she could finish, a giant purple hand struck her to the ground.
"What... You tricked me!" she screamed, realizing it was a trap.
"You messed with the wrong guy," Ben said, leaping at her and merging with her tech. She tried to strip Upgrade off her, but he was already merging. She attempted to fly away, only to be enclosed in a purple box, unable to shake him off.
"Get off me!" she screamed, but Upgrade had already taken control. "I'll teach you not to mess with me and my family," Ben growled. As he took full control, he was suddenly pulled into her mind space.
"Listen to every word. Be afraid. You cannot run nor hide from me. I will find you and I will retrieve my Omnitrix and I will destroy you," an alien voice thundered, scaring Ben off the woman before he could disable her fusion with the drones.
"What happened?" Gwen called out, watching from a safe distance.
"Plan B!" Max yelled. Fred stretched out his hands, firing two purple mana beams at the woman.
"Ha, is that all you've got?" she taunted, seemingly unharmed. But moments later, the tech from the drones fell off her, and she reverted to her normal form
"What! What did you do to me?" the woman cried, her voice laced with panic. Before she could react, Gwen charged
Gwen charged forward, determination in her eyes. She aimed carefully and fired a level one stun ray, striking the woman. The thief writhed in pain before collapsing to the ground, unconscious.
"Well, that's the end of that," Gwen said, her voice filled with a mixture of relief and triumph.
"Ben, you alright?" Max called out as he rushed to his grandson's side. Ben was shaken but got up and shook his head, regaining his composure.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Ben replied, though his voice wavered slightly.
"What happened?" Max asked, concern etched in his features.
"Uh, I just experienced the weirdest thing ever," Ben said, trying to make sense of it as he began to explain his bizarre encounter.
As Ben described the alien voice and the ominous warning, Max's expression changed. He didn't want to believe what he was hearing. It couldn't be... there was no way it was him. Yet, the nagging suspicion in Max's mind refused to quiet down.
They returned to the rust bucket, Max still feeling a lingering sense of uneasiness. He tried to push it to the back of his mind for now.
"Anyway, I think we should have some rest before any other adventures," Max suggested, the sun still high in the sky and the night far off.
"How about we head to the campsite in this area?" he proposed, and for once, the kids eagerly agreed, craving a break from the constant action.
"Lately, it's been event after event. I forgot that this is actually a camping trip," Fred remarked, shaking his head.
"Yeah, talk about a crazy summer," Gwen added as they climbed into the rust bucket.
"Let's make that stew Fred made once," Ben said, the thought of a hearty meal bringing a smile to his face.
As they drove off towards the campsite, a sense of calm began to settle over them. For the first time in a while, they were looking forward to a simple, peaceful evening under the stars. Max glanced at the kids in the rearview mirror, feeling a surge of affection and determination to protect them from whatever lay ahead.
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État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone