Chương 14: IT
With the bounty hunter debacle behind them and the rust bucket now fixed, the gang continued their vacation journey. The road stretched out ahead, promising new adventures.
Fred sat in the front seat, headphones on, his laptop balanced on his lap as he immersed himself in a game. Whenever he wasn't tinkering, this was his go-to activity. Ben, on the other hand, was busy making bizarre faces at a kid in the vehicle next to theirs, enjoying the silent competition.
"I don't really get why you're making those faces. Your normal look is already plenty ugly," Gwen teased, rolling her eyes. But Ben paid her no attention, too engrossed in his game.
"Ugh, gross," Ben remarked, watching the kid eat with his mouth open. "If that's how it is, then maybe I should pull out the big guns." He ducked down out of sight and reappeared as Stinkfly, popping up to scare the kid. The child's father caught sight of Stinkfly and sped up to escape.
Ben burst into laughter, doubling over and falling to the floor of the rust bucket. His mirth was short-lived, though, as the vehicle came to a sudden stop, sending him flying to the front. "Hmph, should've slammed it harder, Grandpa," Gwen mumbled.
"Oh, I guess you'll handle it, Ben," Max said, noticing Ben already transformed.
"What are…" Ben began, but his words trailed off as he spotted a crashed propane truck ahead, flames licking dangerously close.
"Hero time," he declared, jumping out and flying towards the scene.
"There's someone trapped inside!" a bystander shouted as a crowd gathered near the accident.
Ben landed near the truck, but the fire blocked his path. "Ah man, Heatblast would be perfect right now," he muttered. An idea sparked in his mind. "Hey!" He took to the air, firing goo from a distance to smother the flames.
"I bet if I had Overflow, this wouldn't be such a hassle," his mind wandered, but the fire was now manageable. He flew to the top of the truck, using his stinger to cut through the roof of the truck, creating an escape route for the person trapped inside. He carefully guided the terrified man out, ensuring his safety before turning his attention to the truck itself, stabilizing it and preventing an imminent explosion.
"Now, now, I know you all want to thank me…" Stinkfly began, a hint of pride in his voice as he addressed the onlookers. But his moment in the spotlight was cut short when he saw Max in the distance, signaling him to wrap it up.
Understanding the urgency, Stinkfly gave a quick nod and took to the skies, flying back to the rust bucket. The gang continued their journey, the thrill of the rescue still fresh in their minds as they drove off.
"We've finally arrived! Quickly, close your eyes. I've been planning this stop all summer," Max said, excitement bubbling in his voice as the rust bucket came to a halt. Carefully, he led the three out of the vehicle, their eyes obediently shut.
"Okay, now open them!" Max's excitement was palpable.
"Tadaa! Welcome to SPARKSVILLE!" he declared, arms wide as if unveiling a hidden treasure. But as Ben, Gwen, and Fred took in the sight of the town, their enthusiasm quickly deflated.
"I don't even know what to say," Ben muttered, looking at the empty, bizarrely quaint town.
"Come on, this place is fantastic! Look, there's the world's biggest fish bowl!" Max continued, still beaming with excitement.
"I still don't get it," Gwen said, unimpressed.
"Yeah, it looks kinda bland," Fred agreed, munching on a pack of chips.
"How many do you have?" Gwen asked, raising her voice slightly in exasperation as she watched Fred snacking yet again.
"Can I have some?" Ben asked, his curiosity piqued.
"Hmm, sure," Fred replied, handing Ben a few chips.
"Welcome to Sparksville. I, the mayor, wish you a happy stay," a man greeted them, his voice dull and unenthusiastic.
"Here, take these. While you check it out, I'll check us in," Max said, handing them tickets before heading off.
The three shrugged and wandered towards a building with a sign that read "The Jack-a-pole."
"Tickets, please," the mayor requested, his monotone voice barely registering excitement.
"Reminds me of Larry from Gumball," Fred remarked, though the others didn't catch the reference.
"Aren't you, like, the mayor?" Gwen asked.
"Indeed, I am. Those who wear the crown are burdened with many hats," the mayor replied. "Mind the signs," he added, leading them on a tour of the town.
Despite Sparksville's dull appearance, the trio managed to have fun during their tour. Eventually, they arrived at a shed, isolated from the other buildings.
"This place will be the last stop of our tour. Through this door, you'll find our greatest attraction," the mayor announced as the doors creaked open.
Inside, they were bombarded by warning signs, cautioning against approaching or using electrical devices near the attraction.
"I've had it with these signs," Ben ranted as they finally reached the end of the path. Before them stood a massive ball of rubber bands.
"This is it?" they remarked, unimpressed.
"And with this, the tour is over. You can stay as long as you like. And mind the signs," the mayor said before walking away.
"What a big letdown," Ben sighed, with Gwen nodding in agreement. Fred, who already knew what to expect, remained indifferent.
Desperate for excitement, Ben transformed into Four Arms and lifted the giant rubber ball. For once, Gwen didn't object.
"If things go south..." Fred began, but Ben quickly cut him off.
"Come on, loosen up a bit. Even Gwen is with me here!" Ben said, grinning as he tossed the ball around.
"Fine. But don't say I didn't warn you," Fred said, walking off to the side and opening a bag of marshmallows. With a flick of his fingers, he conjured a small flame in front of him, ready to roast them.
Ben's playful antics quickly took a turn for the worse. He dropped the giant rubber ball, and it bounced off the ground, smashing through the roof. Panic set in as they raced to stop it from causing more damage, but before they could, Ben timed out of his transformation.
"Okay, maybe this wasn't a good idea," Ben admitted, glancing at Fred.
"Nope, I'm not cleaning up your mess," Fred said, nonchalantly munching on his roasted marshmallows.
"Fine, whatever. We'll just have to play dumb," Ben decided, touching the rubber ball with his left hand.
"Easy for you to say!" Gwen panicked, her eyes wide with worry.
"It'll be fine. Come on, let's get outta here before anybody sees us," Ben urged, leading the way back to the hotel Max had booked.
As they walked into their room, Max greeted them, "Oh, you're back. So... how was it?"
"Why? Why are you asking? We didn't do anything!" Gwen stammered, her voice betraying her nerves.
"It was great. So great, in fact, that we'll be turning in early," Ben said smoothly, giving Gwen a reassuring look that said, "Just be calm. No one saw us." He then headed to the bathroom to freshen up.
"Clean," Fred muttered, a magic circle appearing above him and dropping down, leaving him as spotless as if he'd just showered. "Well, off to play games," he announced, setting up his laptop at the desk and diving back into his digital adventures.
The gang's decision to retreat early was driven not just by the day's chaos but also by the need to avoid any further mishaps. Tomorrow would bring new challenges, but for tonight, they found solace in their own routines, knowing they'd dodged a bullet... at least for now.
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