Click!
A sharp sound echoed as the room's lights flicked on, driving away the darkness.
Before them stood a massive wooden crate. Painted across it in red English letters were the words: This is it.
Moments later, the crate creaked open on its own, revealing what was inside—a giant rubber ball.
Ben stared for a while before blurting out, "This isn't cool at all! What's so weird or crazy about a rubber ball? I don't get it!"
"I'm with you," Gwen said, nodding. She couldn't understand why Grandpa liked this place either.
Lucian looked at the motionless rubber ball. He vaguely remembered that something was sealed inside it.
"Alright, let's head back. There's really nothing fun here." Lucian shook his head. It was best to leave as soon as possible.
The Ghostfreak problem was still unresolved. He didn't want to make things worse or invite new trouble.
Just then, Ben's eyes lit up with mischief. He pulled out a thin iron rod and tiptoed toward the rubber ball.
Gwen's face changed. "Don't go over there, doofus! The director told us to follow the rules—no touching it!"
"Relax, nerd. Don't you wanna know what's inside?"
With that, Ben raised the rod and tapped the ball.
Thud!
In the next instant, a large hand grabbed the rod and hurled it away.
"We're leaving," Lucian said evenly. He was the one who had thrown it.
"Cuz..." Ben stared at him for a moment, then nodded.
Lucian led Ben and Gwen out of the eerie wooden cabin.
They had no idea that not long after they left, two teenage delinquents slipped inside.
"Mike, there's nothing fun here. Let's just go," said a blond boy, glancing around.
Mike, with his dyed red hair, grinned. "No way. Grandpa told me there's some awesome amusement setup here..."
...
When they got back, Lucian found Grandpa already asleep. Ben and Gwen, worn out from the day, soon drifted off too.
Lucian sat on the sofa, lost in thought.
Ghostfreak was showing signs of losing control. Its escape was only a matter of time—and once it did, the first thing it would try was taking over Lucian's body.
After all, the Omnitrix was on his wrist.
No matter how long he thought, he couldn't find a better plan. The only solution was to defeat the rampaging Ghostfreak and force it back into the watch.
With that thought, Lucian sank into the soft sofa and slowly drifted to sleep.
...
Early the next morning, the rising sun bathed Sparksville in bright light, bringing warmth and clarity to the scene.
Lucian lay on the sofa, suddenly jolted awake by a commotion.
Grandpa Max stood by the glass window, staring in astonishment at the sight outside. "What happened? Overnight, Sparksville looks like it was swept by a typhoon."
Lucian's eyes narrowed, the last traces of sleep vanishing. He rushed to his grandfather's side and looked out the window.
The amusement rides nearby looked as if a giant hand had torn them apart, scattered wreckage littering the ground. Scorch marks were everywhere, and the surrounding power lines hung severed and limp against the dirt.
"I'm going out to see what exactly happened here." Grandpa Max's expression grew grave as he pushed open the door and stepped outside.
Just as Lucian was about to follow, Ben and Gwen woke up. Hearing their grandfather's voice, they ran from their room.
With no other choice, Lucian took the two and chased after Grandpa Max, arriving at the scene.
Ruins and debris stretched across the area, a picture of devastation. Burn marks and signs of electrical discharge scarred the ground, and curious onlookers whispered among themselves.
The Mayor looked distressed—this was going to cost a fortune to repair.
Just after ending a phone call, Grandpa Max came running over, panting. "What happened here? Everything was fine yesterday. Are we rebuilding?"
"No," the Mayor said slowly. "It... escaped."
"It? Who is it?" Gwen asked.
"The Spark," the Mayor replied flatly, his eyes dull and lifeless. "We've always kept it sealed inside that rubber ball. For some reason, it slipped out last night..."
"Some say it's a living electric light. Others claim it's the result of static fields. There are countless theories, but no one truly knows what it is."
Grandpa Max's eyebrow rose as he turned sharply toward Ben.
"Grandpa, I didn't!" Ben protested.
"Grandpa, Ben really didn't cause any trouble," Lucian spoke up. "Yesterday, I took them on a short tour and then went back to our rental apartment. We didn't break any rules."
Hearing that, Grandpa's expression eased.
"It's true, Grandpa. Maybe someone else released the spark," Gwen added quickly. She had no intention of taking the blame for someone else's mess.
The Mayor nodded slightly, expressionless. "Indeed, you weren't the only ones who entered the cabin yesterday."
He turned to glance at a blond boy and a red-haired youth standing not far away. The latter stiffened, guilt flickering across his face.
"Looks like it was these two little rascals," the Mayor said evenly.
Zzzzt!
Suddenly, a streak of golden lightning flashed behind Ben, making him jump.
"Oh my god, what the hell is that?" Ben shouted.
A small black hand tapped his right shoulder. Ben spun around—nothing was there.
"It's on your left," the Mayor reminded him.
Ben turned to his left and froze.
A tiny black-and-yellow figure floated there, its body crackling with electricity as it grinned mischievously.
"Hahahaha!" Buzzshock pointed at Ben, laughing slyly.
"You jerk!"
Ben lunged forward, trying to grab the creature, but it easily dodged him. Buzzshock moved impossibly fast, flickering in and out of sight. After toying with Ben, it turned to Gwen.
It tugged on her clothes, patted her shoulder, stuck out its tongue—every childish prank it could think of, it used, clearly enjoying itself.
Frustrated, Gwen tried to cast her Water Magic, but her spell was too slow to hit the target.
Then, in a flash of gold, Buzzshock darted into a nearby vending machine. The machine began to tremble violently, its surface glowing with intense light.
"What's it doing?" Ben asked.
"It's absorbing electricity. The more power it gathers, the stronger it becomes," the Mayor said grimly, pausing before adding, "and most dangerous of all... it has an extremely hazardous sense of humor."
Tap tap tap!
Before he could finish, the vending machine erupted, launching a storm of soda bottles like bullets toward Lucian and the others.
Lucian flickered aside, dodging the barrage, and sprinted into a shaded alley.
Once he confirmed no one was around, he pressed the Omnitrix. A holographic projection of the alien forms appeared, cycling rapidly through the options.
Four Arms, Swampfire, Stinkfly, Upgrade...
XLR8!
"You're the one!" Lucian's gaze sharpened as he slammed his hand down on the device.
Thud!
A burst of eerie green light flared in the alley before fading to silence.
Looking at his rough, powerful hands, Lucian felt energy surging through him—as if he could overturn a massive locomotive with a single motion.
"Humungousaur?!"