Chapter 151: Why Are You So Stubborn?
"Damn it! Do not be so arrogant! Everyone, let's go together!" Dr. Animo's voice cracked with frantic desperation.
The Circus Freak Trio did not hesitate. Fueled by adrenaline and misplaced loyalty, they charged forward as a united front, ready to clash with the approaching heroes.
"Huh... Ah...?"
Mid-sprint, the trio suddenly felt a distinct lack of backup. The air behind them was entirely too quiet. Skidding to a halt, they snapped their heads around.
"Bye-bye, everyone!"
Dr. Animo was already airborne, cackling maniacally from the back of a massive, mutated giant bat. He clutched the stolen special key tightly to his chest, leaving his supposed allies in the dust as he flapped away into the night sky.
The Circus Freak Trio fell dead silent. The rooftop wind howled awkwardly around them.
Oh, you absolute dog!
Didn't you just say we were going together?!
Panic set in. How were they supposed to fight this? They had zero numerical advantage, and the sheer gap in raw power was practically a chasm. Was there even a sliver of a chance to win?
"It seems Dr. Animo abandoned you. Are you ready to die? Hehehehe..."
Hex, fully embracing his bizarre new role as a Partner of Justice, let out a sinister, echoing cackle. He leveled his glowing magic staff directly at the stranded freaks.
Experiencing the sheer, unadulterated thrill of a righteous group beatdown for the very first time, Hex felt absolutely fantastic. The dark magic crackling around his staff almost seemed to purr with delight.
Watching Hex, Klein, and the rest of the heavily armed group slowly close the distance, the Circus Freak Trio instinctively backed away, their boots scraping against the gravel of the rooftop.
As they bumped into the silent, imposing figure of the Forever Ninja, Frightwig lowered her voice to a frantic whisper. "We will hold them off first, then figure out a way to escape."
The Forever Ninja offered zero response. Instead of coordinating, the armored cyborg simply drew its weapon and launched a suicidal, head-on assault against the approaching mob.
The three freaks stared in utter disbelief. Why was this guy so stubbornly rigid?!
With their meat shield charging to his doom, there was only one option left. Run.
The trio spun on their heels and sprinted toward the edge of the rooftop, fully intending to dive off into the city streets below. A tactical retreat was their only hope.
But the moment their feet left the ledge, the air pressure violently shifted.
Gwen thrust her hands forward, her mana flaring to life. A swirling tornado of pink magical energy erupted from the asphalt, catching the three villains mid-air and violently blowing them right back onto the roof.
Before they could even hit the ground, Charmcaster stepped up, her eyes flashing with arcane light. She chanted a rapid hypnotic spell, sending a wave of drowsy, purple dust washing over them. The trio collapsed into a tangled, unconscious heap.
Just like that, the Circus Freak Trio suffered yet another humiliating defeat.
Meanwhile, the charging Forever Ninja met a wall of scorching heat. Hex unleashed a torrent of roaring flame magic, blasting the armored warrior backward until it skidded dangerously close to the rooftop's edge.
"My turn!" Ben shouted, slamming his hand down on the Omnitrix dial.
A flash of blinding emerald light illuminated the night, and Diamondhead stood in Ben's place, his crystalline body reflecting the city neon. He lowered his shoulder and charged like a jagged freight train straight toward the Forever Ninja.
Calculating the overwhelming odds in a fraction of a second, the Forever Ninja quickly scrambled to its feet. Without a moment of hesitation, it executed a flawless backflip over the ledge, plummeting into the dark abyss of the alleyway.
By the time Diamondhead stomped to the edge and peered over, the street below was empty. The Forever Ninja had vanished into the shadows.
Meanwhile, far away from the city lights.
Deep within a dense, isolated forest under the starry night sky.
"You mean to tell me... so many of you went, and only one of you returned?"
The Forever King stared at Dr. Animo, rubbing his temples. A deep, soul-crushing weariness washed over him.
His grand, newly formed Negative 10 was already down to a pathetic two members after a single outing. He had recruited so many, yet here stood only Dr. Animo. Even the Forever Ninja he had personally dispatched was missing in action.
"But at least the key was obtained," Dr. Animo offered, holding up the strangely shaped device with a proud, gap-toothed grin.
Looking at the special key, the Forever King felt a marginal fraction of his headache subside.
Just then, the rustling of leaves echoed through the clearing. An agile figure dropped from the canopy, landing silently before dropping to one knee in front of the Forever King.
"You are alright! This is truly wonderful!"
Seeing the Forever Ninja return in one piece, the Forever King's mood instantly brightened. Hope was not entirely lost.
"My Negative 10... barely has three people left." The realization hit him again, and his shoulders slumped in dejection.
"Hey, what about me?!"
A shrill, indignant voice echoed from the side. Sublimino, who had been standing there the entire time completely unnoticed due to his tragic lack of presence, waved his arms in extreme dissatisfaction.
The Forever King blinked, startled. "Oh, right. I almost forgot about you. Then I guess we barely have four people."
You just forgot about me like that?! Sublimino's eye twitched. He desperately wanted to hurl a string of curses at his supposed leader.
But the Forever King paid him no further mind. He straightened his posture, his cape billowing slightly in the night breeze. "No matter what, I will complete my master plan!"
Back on the smooth asphalt highway, the Rustbucket roared through the night, its engine humming with reliable power.
Inside the cramped RV, the atmosphere was thick with tension and strategy.
Everyone was gathered together, actively discussing their next move. Because floor space was practically non-existent with so many people aboard, Klein and a few others were casually lounging on the pull-out bed.
Hex and Charmcaster had tagged along. Fully committing to their new identities as Partners of Justice, the two dark magic users unhesitatingly spilled everything they knew about the enemy's movements.
Listening to Charmcaster describe the exact shape and markings of the stolen items, Grandpa Max's eyes widened in sudden realization.
"Why didn't I think of that?"
Max slapped his forehead in harsh self-reproach. He immediately reached for the dashboard, manually overriding the autopilot to engage the Rustbucket's hidden turbo acceleration system. The heavy vehicle lurched forward, tearing down the highway at breakneck speed.
"What is so important about those two strangely shaped keys?" Ben asked, struggling to keep his balance as the RV accelerated.
Max kept his eyes glued to the road, his expression uncharacteristically grim. "Many years ago, the Plumbers assisted a group of aliens in apprehending a ring of intergalactic criminals. To express their gratitude, those aliens gifted us a super-substance known as Sub-Energy."
He paused, letting the weight of the name sink in. "This sub-atomic energy source is terrifyingly powerful. Earth's most advanced nuclear power plants are simply a drop in the ocean compared to its output. Although it has infinite uses, Sub-Energy is highly unstable and incredibly dangerous to handle. To ensure the safety of the planet, the Plumbers decided to hide it. We sealed it away in a heavily guarded base inside Mount Rushmore, locked behind a super-secure protective force field."
Gwen caught on immediately. "And the only way to deactivate that protective force field is to simultaneously turn those two strangely shaped keys. One here, and the other at Fort Knox."
"How would that Forever King you mentioned know about any of this?" Klein asked, leaning back against the pillows and looking curiously at Charmcaster.
"Although I would love to help you, I am sorry. I do not know that either." Charmcaster shook her head, a helpless look crossing her face. "That guy is incredibly mysterious. He has never even revealed his true face to us."
"He dares to call himself the Forever King. Perhaps he is Enoch's superior," Max muttered, his knuckles turning white on the steering wheel. "He knows the Plumbers' absolute top secret. His identity is definitely not as simple as just being the leader of the Forever Knights."
"No matter who he is, we will find out when we get there." Klein's eyes sharpened, a faint, amused smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. A secret boss with a grand plan? He was actually getting interested in this Forever King.
Mount Rushmore.
"Uh... Boss, aren't we the Negative 10? This just feels wrong."
Sublimino, currently crouched deep inside a prickly bush, voiced his deep confusion. Weren't they supposed to be the grand, terrifying villains? What kind of criminal mastermind squats in the underbrush like a frightened rabbit?!
"Are you stupid?" Dr. Animo hissed, adjusting his goggles. "They have so many people on their side. How could we possibly beat them in a straight fight? We hide first. After they open the door and go inside, we secretly follow them. Once we get our hands on the Sub-Energy, we will not need to hide from anyone ever again."
Dr. Animo nodded to himself, feeling incredibly smug. He was indeed a man worthy of the title of Doctor. His intellect was simply on a different level compared to an idiot like Sublimino.
In truth, they had originally planned to break in early. But after wandering around the massive monument, they completely failed to find the hidden entrance. With time running out and the heroes approaching, squatting in the bushes was literally their only option.
"Shh. Be quiet, and squat properly," the Forever King ordered, swatting Sublimino on the back of the head.
Sure enough, the familiar, battered shape of the Rustbucket soon appeared in their line of sight, its headlights cutting through the darkness.
The RV screeched to a halt directly in front of the sheer mountain wall.
The door swung open, and Klein stepped out into the cool night air, followed closely by the rest of the heavily armed group.
Klein stretched his arms, looking around the empty clearing. "Huh? Where is this supposed Negative 10?"
Ben hopped out after him, crossing his arms. "Most of them have been sent to prison by us. What Negative 10 is even left? More like the Negative Zero."
Hey! You little brat! Why are your words so incredibly toxic?!
Hidden in the foliage, the Forever King gripped his sword hilt, trembling with absolute rage. He desperately wanted to jump out and hack someone to pieces. Although he knew what Klein and Ben said was entirely factual, the sheer truth of their mockery only made it burn that much worse.
"You guys, stop chatting and come help me find where the entrance is," Max called out, running his hands along the rough surface of the mountain wall while motioning for Klein and the others to assist.
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