Chương 13: The Relentless Hunt
"Which one is that? And when can I get one?" Ben's eyes sparkled with curiosity and joy as he watched Fred display such astonishing power.
"Yeah, I'm also kinda impressed by that," Gwen remarked, though their moment of awe was short-lived.
Just then, a shot rang out, and SixSix punctured one of the back wheels of the rust bucket. With a loud pop, Max pulled over to the side of the road, frustration etched on his face.
"Those guys are relentless," Gwen muttered.
"I'm sorry, guys. I got careless," Fred apologized, his voice heavy with guilt.
"Don't worry about it, kiddo," Max reassured him. "What we need to do now is find some proper cover. I'd like to keep the damages on the rust bucket to a minimum."
As they all got out of the rust bucket, Gwen suggested, "Maybe we should head over to those abandoned mines?"
Fred hesitated, "But you said some crab guy attacked you, right? He came from the ground. I think those buildings over there will provide better coverage."
"Hmm, agreed," Max nodded. "That way, Gwen and I can provide better long-range support using those gizmos you gave us."
They hurried towards one of the nearby buildings for cover. Max gathered the group. "Okay, gang, listen up. They're after Ben's watch, so they must know its abilities, but they don't know about Fred. First, Fred will go out and—"
Before Max could finish, another bounty hunter crashed through the wall on a hoverboard, his voice dripping with disdain. "How pitiful. To think the Omnitrix fell into the hands of an incompetent boy."
"Hey!" Ben retorted, bristling with indignation.
"No matter. I will be taking you with me. That device is far too powerful to be left in your hands," the bounty hunter said coldly.
"You seem to know quite a lot about this watch," Fred observed.
"Of course, I do. Far more than you," the bounty hunter sneered. "The watch, as you call it, uses alien DNA which it binds to its host's genetic structure, allowing them to transform into various alien species. With it alone, you can tip the balance of good and evil. You have shown yourself to be incompetent and unworthy of such power."
"You really talk a lot for someone who's hunting us," Gwen shot back, her eyes narrowing.
"Hmph. Nonetheless, you, boy, will be coming with me for the removal of the Omnitrix," the bounty hunter declared.
"We can't allow that," Max said, standing protectively in front of Ben.
Suddenly, Kraab and SixSix appeared, shooting lasers at them. Max signaled to Fred not to transform yet. They didn't want to reveal Fred's ability to the bounty hunters too soon. Fred nodded, ducking down and touching the ground. A wall of rock emerged, shielding them.
"Hmm, petromancy?" the bounty hunter wondered aloud, his attention focused on Fred. In that moment, a green flash diverted their attention. Ben had transformed into Grey Matter.
"Ben, I told you not to act rashly!" Max cried.
"But a Galvan might be a good choice in this situation," Fred pointed out, maintaining the rock wall.
Just then, Kraab emerged from beneath them, while the other bounty hunter hovered higher to avoid his sudden appearance.
"Not so fast. We will claim the prize for ourselves," Kraab said, his pincer pointed threateningly at Gwen and Max, charging a laser beam aimed right at them.
Fred hurled rocks and debris at Kraab, who stood unscathed despite the onslaught. Fred smirked, knowing his real plan was in motion.
"You think pebbles will stop me?" Kraab taunted, his voice dripping with contempt.
As the other bounty hunter engaged SixSix, leaving Kraab to face the others, a strange sensation began to grip Kraab. "Huh... What is this...?" he muttered as his mechanical limbs started glitching uncontrollably.
"Now all that's left is…" Grey Matter whispered, skillfully navigating through Kraab's circuits, yanking wires and tearing apart critical components. With a final rip, Kraab froze, completely incapacitated.
Ben leapt out of Kraab's now-motionless body, standing triumphantly. "Who's incompetent now?" he declared, standing atop Kraab's head. Gwen and Max shared a proud smile at Ben's performance.
Their moment of relief was shattered as the bounty hunter crashed through Fred's rock wall, with SixSix clinging to his back. The others gasped as SixSix locked his sights on Ben.
"Nope," Fred said resolutely, stretching out his hand to form a violet magic circle. A thin layer of energy enveloped SixSix, electrifying him and knocking him out cold. "An EMP spell. My own creation. And great against tech-reliant opponents," Fred explained, a satisfied smile playing on his lips.
With the battle over, the bounty hunter stood, his mask retracting to reveal a determined face. "Thank you," he said with unexpected gratitude.
"Woah!" Ben gasped as he reverted from Grey Matter. "You're Diamondhead!"
"Wrong. I'm a Petrosapien. And my name is Tetrax," he corrected. "I need to turn these guys in before continuing my mission." He threw a blue cube at Kraab and SixSix, imprisoning them inside.
"But weren't you going on about taking the watch?" Gwen asked, stepping forward.
"It's in good hands for now," Tetrax replied. "Here, maybe this will help you when you time out." He handed Ben his hoverboard.
"Sweet. Really!" Ben exclaimed, accepting it with a big smile.
"Farewell," Tetrax said, pressing a button on his suit and teleporting away.
Ben gazed at his new hoverboard, eager to test it out. "Can't wait to try this!"
"A lot happened today. We need to be more careful from now on, especially you two," Max said, looking at Ben and Fred as he walked back to the rust bucket.
"How come you two always get the cool stuff?" Gwen pouted, eyeing Ben's hoverboard enviously.
"Because we're the ones actually saving the day," Ben retorted, striding off with a smirk.
"Hmph," Gwen huffed, following behind, with Fred joining her.
"I already gave you that bracelet for self-defense, remember?" Fred noted, walking alongside her.
"Yeah, but it's nothing compared to a spaceship or a hoverboard," she mumbled, her envy clear.
Fred chuckled, appreciating her honest feelings. "Haha, I think I have a spare hoverboard with me. I'll give you one," he offered with a grin as Gwen's face lit up with excitement.
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