P.S. Because the plot requires it, the episode with the Omnitrix self-destruct program will be moved to the grand finale.
...
The sky was clear and bright.
White clouds drifted across the blue expanse like soft marshmallows.
Inside the Rustbucket, Grandpa Max was making breakfast.
Lucian, Ben, and Gwen were all still lazing in bed.
Beep beep!
All of a sudden, the Omnitrix on Ben's wrist started flashing.
Four Arms, XLR8, Diamondhead, Heatblast... it kept cycling nonstop.
"What's going on?" Ben jolted awake and stared at the Omnitrix in shock.
"Ben, come eat before it gets cold!" Grandpa called from the other side.
"Okay!"
Ben glanced at the Omnitrix again and found that it had already returned to normal.
Soon, Lucian and Gwen were up too.
After a quick wash, the three of them sat down at the table and waited for Grandpa Max to bring out the food.
"Heh, today's nutritious breakfast is ready. Eat up while it's hot!"
Grandpa Max set the dishes on the table.
Ben looked at the food in confusion.
It just looked like regular eggs and bacon.
That definitely wasn't Grandpa's usual style.
"Grandpa, is this gopher bacon and salamander eggs?" Ben couldn't help asking.
"Of course not." Grandpa Max shook his head. "It's American scrambled eggs and grilled bacon."
Ben was full of question marks, but his hunger quickly won out over his confusion.
The group dug in.
After breakfast, Ben let out a loud belch right in front of Gwen.
"Ugh. Ben, you're disgusting." Gwen covered her nose.
"Oh man, Gwen, why are you being so nice today? Aren't you supposed to yell at me?" Ben felt like he was dreaming.
Gwen smiled. "How could I scold my dearest cousin?"
"Okay, now I'm gonna throw up." Ben spread his hands.
Before long, everyone climbed out of the Rustbucket and got ready to take a walk.
Suddenly, a large passenger bus came speeding in from the side, packed full of people.
Vmmmm.
A black spaceship descended near the bus.
Two aliens appeared in front of them.
"It's Kraab and Sixsix!" Gwen cried out.
Ben instinctively turned to look at Lucian, only to realize Lucian had no intention of transforming.
"What's going on? Normally by now Cuz would already be beating the stuffing out of alien weirdos," Ben muttered.
Lucian smiled and patted Ben on the shoulder. "Ben, it's your turn for the hero to make an entrance."
"So you're not going in, Cuz?"
"No, no. I think you're better suited to being the hero. The capable should do more." Lucian grinned.
"Oh yeah! This is awesome!" Ben jumped up excitedly. "Finally, it's my turn to be the hero!"
Ben pressed down on the Omnitrix, switched to Diamondhead's icon, and slammed it.
Boom!
A towering body of gleaming green crystal took shape, sharp spikes jutting from his back. He stood proud and imposing, brimming with power.
"Diamondhead!"
Diamondhead roared and charged forward, clashing fiercely with Sixsix and Kraab.
Many of the passengers on the bus witnessed the scene and started cheering him on.
"Go, big rock guy!"
"Diamond dude, beat up those lousy alien freaks!"
"Mr. Diamond, you're so cool! I love you!"
"Go, rock big brother!"
"Oni-chan, saranghaeyo!"
Encouraged by the crowd, Diamondhead fought even harder.
His hands sharpened into spikes, and with a burst of crystal shards, he blasted Sixsix to the ground in an instant.
Diamondhead rushed forward and started pummeling Sixsix mercilessly.
But then Kraab attacked him from behind.
Kraab was incredibly strong. He put his full force into a punch and sent Diamondhead flying.
When Diamondhead hit the ground, he carved a deep trench across it.
"Ben, are you okay?"
Gwen was frantic as she hurried over to check on him.
Diamondhead scratched his head, got back to his feet, and looked at Gwen in surprise. "Bookworm, did you take the wrong medicine today? You're actually worried about me?"
"Of course I am." Gwen gave a dry laugh.
At that moment, Kraab stretched out his powerful arms, lifted the nearby bus, and hurled it straight at Diamondhead.
Diamondhead snorted coldly and slammed a fist into the ground.
Bang!
In an instant, a massive crystal hand burst up from underground and caught the bus steadily.
Then Diamondhead controlled the giant hand and gently set the bus back down on the road.
"You've got a death wish!"
Diamondhead leaped into the air and appeared right in front of Kraab, unleashing a flurry of punches.
With one slick combo, he smashed Kraab flat to the ground and knocked him unconscious.
Sixsix grabbed a passenger and pointed his gun at Diamondhead, trying to threaten him.
Diamondhead fired a crystal spike. It ricocheted off the bus, then bounced straight into the barrel of Sixsix's gun.
At that exact moment, Sixsix pulled the trigger.
Boom!
The gun exploded in his hand.
The blast damaged his jetpack, and it shot him straight into the sky, carrying him out of sight.
Without even looking back, Diamondhead walked over to the bus.
Seeing the damaged tire, he stretched out a hand, clenched it in midair, and repaired the tire with crystal.
"You can go now," Diamondhead said calmly.
Wow.
"Diamond big brother, you're so manly!"
"I like you so much, big brother~"
"Diamond big brother, you're my hero!"
"I totally love you. Mwah~"
The bus was full of beautiful women, and Ben was so embarrassed he almost couldn't handle it.
Suddenly, a familiar figure appeared in Diamondhead's line of sight.
A lovely face, beautiful black hair, a slender figure, and elegant bearing.
"Kai?"
Diamondhead froze.
By the time he came back to himself, the bus had already driven away.
"Last time with the werewolf, didn't she leave you heartbroken?" Gwen couldn't help asking.
"That's true." Diamondhead shook his head and stopped thinking about it.
...
After they returned to the Rustbucket, the Omnitrix on Ben's wrist started flashing again.
Just as Ben was about to ask about it, Grandpa Max turned around from the driver's seat and said, "Today is a good day. To celebrate Ben defeating Sixsix and saving all those passengers, I think we should make a trip to the pizza place."
"Yeah, Grandpa's right." Lucian walked over to the stunned Ben and gave him a thumbs-up. "Ben, you're the real hero."
"Heh, not really. Compared to you, Cuz, I'm still a rookie."
Even so, Ben was so happy inside he could barely contain it.
Before long, they arrived at the pizza place.
Grandpa Max took Ben around to enjoy all kinds of activities.
Bowling, billiards, maid café service, gaming companions, pizza... there was everything.
Ben even got kissed on the cheek by two gorgeous women, and he felt sweeter than honey.
As they walked out of the pizza place, Ben finally snapped out of his excitement.
"Grandpa, the Omnitrix felt really weird today. It kept jumping around."
Grandpa Max smiled kindly. "It's probably nothing, Ben."
"Yeah, Ben, don't worry about it." Lucian smiled too. "The Omnitrix is just a device. It shouldn't affect your mood."
"Really?" Ben's expression turned complicated.
"And another thing, Ben," Lucian continued. "The Omnitrix is meant for fun. Don't hold yourself back. Being happy is what matters most."
"Cuz, you've been acting really weird today. Just like Grandpa and the others." Ben's face looked even stranger now.
At that moment, a delivery truck drove in from the distance.
Right as it reached the turn in front of the pizza place, it slammed into a drifting stop.
A bunch of game cartridges spilled out of the truck.
Ben's eyes widened. He walked over and couldn't help shouting, "Whoa! Sumo Slammers Intergalactic Showdown!"
"Isn't this the new version that's not supposed to come out until next year?"
At the same time, Grandpa Max and the others walked over.
Ben lowered his head gloomily. "Uh... I'm supposed to return this to the owner, right?"
"Eh, the truck's already gone. Just play it as much as you want!" Grandpa Max said with a smile.
Ben's expression became even weirder.
...
Out in the countryside, Grandpa Max had specially bought a luxurious wooden table and a giant TV to give Ben the ultimate gaming setup.
"All right, now you can have even more fun," Grandpa Max said.
Ben sat in front of the TV and laughed loudly. "I don't know why you guys suddenly started being so nice to me, but... keep it coming!"
Gwen laughed softly, acting like a proper lady. "Ben, want me to go buy you some snacks?"
"Sure, Stinkfly girl~" Ben replied without the slightest politeness.
"Oh, Ben." Gwen gave him a playful pout.
Then the three of them went back into the Rustbucket, leaving Ben outside alone to play.
Wearing headphones, Ben focused on his Sumo Slammers game and laughed nonstop.
Suddenly, three figures came running from the end of the road.
Lucian, Grandpa Max, and Gwen!