Chapter 150: Why Are You Looking At Me? I Have Always Been a Partner of Justice
The Rustbucket tore down a sun-baked suburban highway, kicking up a thick trail of dust in its wake.
Inside the motorhome, things were entirely too quiet.
"Uh... Grandpa?" Ben leaned out from the dining booth, his eyes darting toward the front of the cabin. "Who's driving?"
A sudden, sinking feeling settled in his stomach as he stared at the completely empty driver's seat. The steering wheel was turning by itself, adjusting to the curves of the road with eerie precision.
"Autopilot," Grandpa Max replied casually, not even looking up from the strange metallic device he was tinkering with at the table. "Cooper set it up for me. I have to say, it takes a load off these old bones."
Ben nodded slowly, though his eyes remained glued to the phantom steering wheel. He still couldn't shake that ominous twist in his gut.
Across the aisle, Cooper sat cross-legged, happily soldering a fried circuit board. Catching Max's praise, the blonde kid beamed. "Grandpa Max said my brain is wired just like a supercomputer!"
'Wired like one? Or shaped like one?' Klein, lounging lazily on the nearby sofa, tilted his head to inspect Cooper's skull. It looked perfectly normal. Of course, Klein was just entertaining himself. He knew exactly what the kid's technopathic mutation entailed.
Max reached over and tapped a hidden switch under the dashboard. A sleek display screen dropped down from the overhead cabinets, illuminating the dim interior with a soft blue glow. A digital map of the United States materialized, dotted with dozens of glowing red markers scattered from coast to coast.
Ben, Gwen, and even a mildly curious Klein gathered around to get a better look.
"These coordinates," Max explained, his tone shifting into something far more serious, "represent all the decommissioned Plumber bases across the country."
"Hey, wait a second," Gwen leaned closer, her sharp eyes catching a rhythmic pulse on the upper left corner of the screen. "Why is that one dot in Seattle flashing like that?"
Max's expression darkened. He knew exactly what that strobe meant. "That's a perimeter breach alarm! Someone is breaking into the vault. And given our recent run-ins, this is definitely no coincidence."
"Then let's go bust some heads!" Ben slammed his fist into his palm, a wide, eager grin spreading across his face. "I bet it's those Circus Freaks again!"
Max sighed, effectively pouring a bucket of ice water over his grandson's enthusiasm. "Unfortunately, Seattle is a long way off. Even if we push the Rustbucket into turbo mode, it's highly unlikely we'll make it in time to stop whatever they're planning."
"Well..." Cooper adjusted his glasses, a smug, proud little smile tugging at his lips. "While you guys were messing around earlier, I might have taken the liberty of upgrading your turbo propulsion system."
Klein raised an eyebrow. 'Oh? Is that so?' This was the first time he had encountered a kid with this level of innate utility outside of their immediate family circle. Still, Klein shifted his weight against the cushions. That lingering sense of unease Ben had mentioned earlier was starting to rub off on him. Something about this felt entirely too rushed.
Taking the hint, everyone scrambled to find a seat, strapping themselves in tight. Max slid into the driver's seat, gripping the wheel with a nostalgic gleam in his eye as he snapped his seatbelt into place.
"Alright then! Let's see what the old girl can really do!"
Max flipped a heavy toggle switch. Outside, the rear chassis of the Rustbucket groaned and shifted. Heavy metal panels slid apart, revealing a cluster of massive, high-yield turbo thrusters.
Blue flames erupted from the exhaust. The motorhome lurched forward with terrifying, neck-snapping force. The wind outside instantly shifted from a rush to a deafening howl. Klein, pinned against the sofa cushions by the sheer G-force, blinked in mild surprise. To anyone watching from the highway, the Rustbucket was nothing more than a blurred streak of white and rust, practically defying gravity as it transformed from a clunky RV into a low-flying missile.
Seattle.
The city skyline rapidly expanded in the windshield, towering glass and steel rushing toward them at breakneck speed.
"Downtown Seattle is right ahead!" Max shouted over the roar of the thrusters. "I'm hitting the brakes to bleed off our speed!"
He stomped on the pedal. Nothing happened.
Cooper swallowed hard, his face draining of color. "Uh oh."
Ben whipped his head around, glaring at the blonde boy. "Please tell me you didn't forget to install a high-speed braking system to go with your extreme turbo thrusters!"
'Damn it. No wonder I had a bad feeling about this,' Klein thought, letting out a long, exhausted sigh.
Ben groaned in absolute disbelief. His hand hovered over the Omnitrix dial, ready to slam it down and turn into Diamondhead to physically anchor the RV to the asphalt. Before he could, a firm hand clamped down on his shoulder.
Klein pushed Ben back into his seat, his expression completely unbothered. He didn't say a word, simply raising his left wrist and slapping his palm down onto the faceplate of the Another Omnitrix.
A brilliant, quiet flash of blue light flooded the cabin. In Klein's place stood a towering, biomechanical entity made of shifting black liquid metal and glowing green circuitry. Upgrade!
"You've got talent, kid," Upgrade's synthesized, dual-toned voice echoed through the cabin, "but when it comes to raw technological integration, you're still a few centuries behind a Galvanic Mechamorph."
Without another word, Upgrade melted into a puddle of liquid circuitry, seeping directly into the floorboards and dashboard. The Rustbucket instantly underwent a radical transformation. Its rusted white exterior rippled, replaced by sleek, armored black plating laced with glowing green geometric lines.
The wildly out-of-control vehicle instantly stabilized. The thrusters cut out, replaced by advanced repulsor lifts that brought the heavy RV to a smooth, screeching halt right in front of a towering high-rise building.
Before anyone inside the cabin could even catch their breath, the glass doors of the building burst open. A massive crowd of terrified civilians poured out onto the street, screaming at the top of their lungs as they scattered in every direction.
Upgrade peeled himself out of the dashboard, reforming into Klein in a flash of blue light. He casually adjusted his collar, looking out the window at the fleeing mob. "Well. Looks like we won't have to search very hard."
The group piled out of the Rustbucket and pushed their way through the shattered entrance. Judging by the plush velvet carpets, crystal chandeliers, and polished marble floors, this was a high-end luxury hotel. Now, however, the brightly lit lobby was completely deserted, leaving behind an eerie, suffocating silence.
"Keep your guard up," Max whispered, drawing a heavy blaster from his coat as he took point, sweeping the area with practiced precision. "We don't know what's waiting for us."
Ben, Gwen, and Cooper nodded in grim unison, falling into a tight formation behind the veteran Plumber.
Klein, on the other hand, strolled in dead last with an arrogant, lazy swagger. His hands were stuffed in his pockets, his footsteps heavy and entirely unbothered, practically broadcasting his arrival to anyone listening.
Yet, strangely enough, their ascent was completely unobstructed. They didn't encounter a single trap, henchman, or mutant beast. The eerie peace held all the way up as they rode the glass elevator to the penthouse suite.
"This is way too weird," Ben muttered, leaning against the glass. "How come there's no—"
Ding.
The elevator doors slid open, instantly cutting off his complaint. Standing right in the middle of the sprawling penthouse was an absolute rogue's gallery. Charmcaster, Hex, Dr. Animo, the Circus Freaks, and a hulking, unfamiliar robotic entity. Every single headache they had dealt with over the summer was gathered in one room.
"Now this," Klein murmured, a dangerous, amused smirk pulling at the corner of his mouth, "is interesting."
Klein's eyes sharpened. He cracked his knuckles, fully prepared to tear the penthouse apart and turn this into a spectacular, one-sided massacre.
"You villains!" Ben shouted, striking a heroic pose. "Prepare to face justice!"
Without a single word, Hex turned on his heel, briskly walked across the room, and positioned himself squarely behind Klein. He raised his glowing Staff of Ages, aiming it directly at Dr. Animo and the rest of his former allies.
The entire room froze. Every single pair of eyes slowly turned to stare at the master magician in absolute disbelief.
Hex stood tall, his skeletal face completely deadpan. "Why are you looking at me?" he demanded, his deep voice echoing with righteous indignation. "I, Hex, have always been a steadfast partner of justice."
He wasn't an idiot. He had personally experienced the sheer, overwhelming terror of Klein's power. Fighting that monster was a guaranteed death sentence. Selling out his temporary coworkers was the only logical survival strategy.
"Uncle, you really are..." Charmcaster's mouth twitched violently, utterly exasperated by her uncle's shameless cowardice. Then, her gaze shifted to Klein. The annoyance melted away, replaced by a soft, almost predatory smile. "But I suppose you have a point... It has been a long time."
With a graceful, swaying step, Charmcaster crossed the distance. Before anyone could react, she lunged forward, throwing her arms around Klein in a sudden, zero-frame embrace.
Thanks to their slight height difference, Klein found his face buried directly into her soft, generous cleavage. Klein blinked, his mind momentarily blanking. He swore to the heavens, this was the absolute first time in his two lives he had ever been subjected to a literal face wash.
Initially, his cosmic senses had detected zero hostility or magical intent from the witch, which was why he hadn't bothered to dodge. But this sudden, aggressive display of affection had genuinely short-circuited his brain.
Beside him, Gwen's jaw dropped. Her shock instantly morphed into pure, unadulterated fury. She glared at Charmcaster, her eyes practically shooting lethal lasers.
Charmcaster simply peeked over Klein's shoulder, flashing the younger girl a smug, deeply triumphant smirk.
That was the breaking point. Gwen bared her teeth, pink mana sparking violently around her fists. If Max hadn't immediately grabbed her by the collar to hold her back, she would have lunged forward and fought the silver-haired witch to the absolute death right then and there.
While the atmosphere on Klein's side of the room had devolved into a bizarre romantic comedy, the remaining villains were experiencing a deep existential crisis. Seriously? Two of their heaviest hitters had defected before a single punch was even thrown! How the hell were they supposed to win this fight now?!
"Did you forget our agreement?!" Dr. Animo shrieked, his goggles practically vibrating with rage. "Didn't we agree to conquer the world together?!"
The rest of the rogue's gallery bristled, glaring daggers at the traitorous magicians.
Hearing this accusation, Hex slammed the butt of his staff against the floor. "You are spouting absolute nonsense!" he roared, his tone dripping with offended dignity. "I, Hex, am an absolute pillar of justice! I have never once harbored such vulgar thoughts as conquering the world!"
After delivering his impassioned speech, Hex subtly shifted his eyes, stealing a nervous glance at Klein. Seeing that the overpowered anomaly was too busy being smothered by his niece to care, the master magician let out a long, quiet sigh of relief.
Dr. Animo and the remaining villains, however, were sweating bullets.
Acid Breath, Frightwig, and Thumbskull exchanged terrified looks. The Circus Freaks still had fresh nightmares about the brutal, humiliating beatdown Klein had handed them last time. They were seriously contemplating dropping to their knees and surrendering on the spot. But then, a stray thought crossed their minds: their primary objective for coming to Seattle wasn't actually to fight. Plus, they still had the numbers advantage... right?
'Let's just wait and see if anyone else runs away first,' the trio silently agreed, shifting their weight nervously.
Dr. Animo was trapped in the exact same mental loop. Looking at the sheer firepower standing across the room, he knew his grand dreams of world domination were temporarily dashed. However, he had already secured what he came for. All he needed to do was stall long enough to make a clean getaway. Therefore...
'Let's see who makes the first move to run,' the mad scientist thought, adjusting his collar.
Dr. Animo's manic eyes met the terrified gazes of the Circus Freaks.
'Huh! You're not running? Well, if you're staying to fight, then I'm not running either.''You're not running? If the mad scientist is confident, then we're not running either.'
Both factions stared at each other in a bizarre, silent standoff. Seeing that the other party was holding their ground, neither side wanted to be the first to break formation. And so, out of pure, stubborn misunderstanding, they all stayed exactly where they were.
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