A pure white moon hung high in the pitch-black sky, casting soft streams of light over the city.
Outside the hall, the mutated giant crab raged through the streets, swinging its massive claws with ferocious might. It smashed through anything in its way as it relentlessly pursued Swampfire.
Terrified by the sudden appearance of the monstrous creature, pedestrians screamed and scattered in panic, desperate not to draw its attention. Along the road, the giant crab's brute strength tore through obstacles with ease—one careless snap of its claws was enough to shear a streetlight clean in two.
Riding atop his mutated rat, Dr. Animo gave chase. He surged past the armored-vehicle-sized crab and sped forward, trying to block Swampfire's path.
Two monstrous beasts rampaged through the city, leaving chaos and destruction in their wake.
Swampfire glanced back, snorted coldly, and deliberately slowed his pace. Detonating swamp gas here would be foolish—the explosion would cause devastation far beyond that of the mutant creatures themselves.
Leaping onto a power pole, he bounded between the lines and rooftops, occasionally flinging bursts of flame to taunt the beasts chasing him.
Before long, Swampfire reached a deserted soccer field. It was late at night, and no one was around—only the bright floodlights still illuminated the empty field.
"Roar!"
The mutated beast bared its sharp fangs, eyes burning with murderous intent as it glared at Swampfire standing at the center of the field. Moments later, the mutated giant crab thundered in after it, taking position beside the beast. With just one order from Dr. Animo, both would charge to tear their prey apart.
Tap... tap... tap...
The Tyrannosaurus arrived next, its body covered in wounds, head blackened and scorched. Its powerful legs pounded the ground as it joined the others.
Three mutated beasts now stood face-to-face with Swampfire.
Dr. Animo leapt down from his mutated rat, laughing hysterically. Pointing at Swampfire, he shouted, "All of you, attack! Tear that wretched creature apart! I'll take what's left of him for my experiments!"
The command had barely left his lips before the three beasts roared as one, charging forward with earth-shaking force.
"Then I'll end all of you together," Swampfire said coolly.
He thrust out both palms, releasing dense clouds of swamp gas that quickly enveloped the charging beasts.
"What the hell is this?!" Dr. Animo shouted in disbelief.
The very existence of this creature before him defied all logic—it wasn't something that could possibly exist on Earth.
An alien... could it really be?
Excitement surged through him. Dr. Animo swore to himself that he would capture this alien, take it back to his lab, and study it in depth.
But what happened next froze him in place.
The three monsters, their bodies swallowed by thick swamp gas, didn't slow down. They continued to roar and rush forward, their killing intent undiminished.
Swampfire stayed calm. Without even looking back, he flicked his wrist and launched a blazing fireball.
Then, turning his back to them, he lifted his right hand and snapped his fingers.
BOOM!
Thunderous explosions erupted, centered on the three beasts. A wave of blinding fire engulfed half the soccer field, rising like a blazing inferno.
Dr. Animo screamed in terror, scrambling to flee. But the blast caught him in its shockwave, hurling him across the field and slamming him to the ground in a heap.
After a long moment, the roaring explosions died down, and the flames gradually faded.
At the center of the scorched field lay the mutated rat and the Tyrannosaurus rex—both torn apart, blood and bone scattered everywhere. Their lifeless bodies were nothing but charred remains.
The mutated giant crab still clung to life, but its shell was shattered, its once-impenetrable armor split open to reveal glistening, vulnerable flesh beneath.
Swampfire raised his hand, firing one last searing blast of flame that reduced the crab to ashes.
Then he turned toward Dr. Animo, lying not far away.
Beep... beep... beep...
At that moment, the Omnitrix on Swampfire's chest began to flash.
He lifted his hand, ready to finish Dr. Animo off once and for all—but before he could strike, a surge of red light enveloped his body, and Swampfire reverted to his original form.
"Seriously... this crappy watch." Lucian sighed helplessly.
At least all three mutated beasts had been dealt with.
"Just you wait! We'll see who the real winner is!"
Dr. Animo staggered to his feet and made a break for the exit—he planned to activate more mutant creatures.
But the next instant, something tightened around his waist.
"Grandpa, I got him!" Ben shouted, clutching Dr. Animo with all his strength.
"Nice work, Ben!"
Grandpa Max moved swiftly, lunging forward in a single stride and yanking the DNA Transmodulator off Dr. Animo's head.
"No!" Dr. Animo's eyes went wide in horror—that device was his life's work.
Crash!
With a sharp crack, the DNA Transmodulator hit the ground, shattering into fragments of blackened debris.
Immediately, a ring of crimson energy pulsed outward from the wreckage, sweeping rapidly in all directions.
All previously mutated creatures—like the oversized hamster and the green snake—were engulfed in the red wave and instantly reverted to normal, their genes stabilizing.
"My DNA Transmodulator!" Dr. Animo cried, tears streaming down his face.
Ben and Gwen exchanged a glance, then shrugged.
Beep-boop! Beep-boop!
Dozens of police cars screeched to a stop nearby, red and blue lights flashing across the night. Armed officers poured out, surrounding the area with weapons drawn, the tension palpable.
They had tracked the chaos caused by the mutated creatures—unstable threats that posed a grave danger to society—and had come to neutralize them once and for all.
"Freeze!" the squad captain barked, raising his pistol.
Grandpa Max lifted his hands calmly and gestured for Lucian and the others to do the same.
Before long, Dr. Animo was handcuffed and escorted to the waiting patrol cars. Prison awaited him.
After a brief round of questioning, Grandpa led Lucian and the others back to the Rustbucket.
"Cuz, you were amazing today! You took down three monsters like it was nothing!" Ben said, gesturing animatedly as he relived the fight.
"Yeah, cousin, you were awesome—so manly!" Gwen said, her eyes gleaming with admiration.
Grandpa Max chuckled from behind the wheel. "This time, Lucian's Bellwood's hero. Without him, no one could've stopped Dr. Animo's plan."
Lucian smiled faintly but didn't say a word.
With the Omnitrix, dealing with someone like Dr. Animo was hardly a challenge.
"Breaking news just in…"
The TV screen suddenly switched to footage of Swampfire battling the Spinosaurus.
A news anchor narrated, "Recently, mysterious monsters have appeared in Bellwood—vicious, bloodthirsty, wreaking havoc and injuring countless civilians."
"But in humanity's darkest hour, an unknown hero rose to the occasion. Fearless and powerful, with swamp gas in one hand and fire in the other, he vanquished the monstrous threats and saved the city from destruction!"
"We proudly call him—the Light of the City!"
"Let us honor this incredible hero!"
The scene cut to interviews with eyewitnesses.
"Were you there when the unknown hero fought the monsters?" the reporter asked, holding out a microphone.
"I saw it!" an excited young man exclaimed. "Our hero was unstoppable! With just a snap of his fingers, he blew that mammoth to bits—he's like a god!"
Another girl jumped in eagerly, "It's true! I saw it too! He even took down a Spinosaurus!"
"I'd love to meet that hero~" a young woman added, her eyes full of admiration.
...
Turning off the TV, Ben grinned at Lucian. "Cuz, you're famous now! Tons of girls want to meet you!"
"Of course they do—look how amazing our cousin is," Gwen said, pouting playfully.
"Yeah, Lucian," Grandpa Max teased with a rare mischievous smile. "You're an adult now. Thinking about getting a girlfriend?"
"Me?" Lucian shook his head. "Not right now."
He didn't have the time—or the luxury—for that. If the original storyline was anything to go by, countless dangers still lay ahead. Lucian had to move fast, collect more alien DNA, and keep growing stronger.
Only then could he survive in this world.
"Alright, kids," Grandpa Max said with a grin. "To celebrate this victory, tomorrow morning we're going fishing. Time to enjoy the lake!"
"Oh yeah! Awesome!" Ben cheered, pumping his fists.
Lucian rested his chin in his hand, lost in thought.
It had been ages since he'd watched Ben 10, and much of the original plot was blurry. He could only vaguely remember a few major villains.
But… he was sure there was some kind of monster in that lake.
He couldn't recall its name—but one thing was certain: better safe than sorry.
"Hiss…"
Suddenly, a sharp sting shot through his arm.
Lucian rolled up his sleeve and froze. A faint green pattern slithered beneath his skin, twisting like a living snake across his forearm.
He rubbed his eyes, but the "snake" faded away, disappearing as quickly as it had appeared.
As if it had never existed at all.
"Was that… an illusion?" Lucian muttered under his breath.