Both Diamondhead and Flame Wingman charged toward the Eye of Cthulhu at the same time. The one-winged alien moved in a fast circle around the towering monster, hurling fireballs at it while the crystal alien supported him from below, sending crystal shards flying toward the Servant of Cthulhu surrounding them.
His hands shifted into blades, and he cut down several of the smaller enemies before switching back to launching more crystal shards at the massive floating eye. Even then, the larger target barely seemed to care as his shards shattered on it.
"This is getting nowhere," Diamondhead said as another crystal blast slammed into the Eye of Cthulhu. Unlike the smaller eyeballs that burst apart after one or two hits, this one held together through the attack with only minor damage.
Behind them, Hex was locked in battle with Ah Puch. The guardian spirit kept pressing forward, forcing Hex to stay on the defensive as he tried to hold it back with whatever magic he had left.
The Eye of Cthulhu suddenly rushed downward, trying to crash into the two aliens. Diamondhead rolled aside at the last second, while Flame Wingman leaped upward to avoid the strike. The moment it missed, Flame Wingman fired another wave of flame, and Diamondhead followed with another barrage of crystal shards toward the giant eye as it turned to chase them again.
Not far away, Charmcaster sat in a meditative stance, trying to recover her mana. Without Noir's boost, though, her recovery was much slower than Hex's, and she was still struggling to gather enough mana to do anything useful.
"Grampa, we need to do something!" Gwen called out, clearly wanting to help but not knowing how.
Max looked just as troubled. "I know, but when it comes to magic, I'm just as clueless as you are."
He handled aliens. Not magic.
Seeing that he was making no real progress against Ah Puch, Hex snarled in frustration and ordered the Eye of Cthulhu to release more of its servants to protect him. He had already noticed how little damage his attacks were doing to the guardian spirit, and he was running out of options.
Gasping for breath, he turned his gaze toward the Tennysons and his niece. His teeth clenched in anger, and he sent several Servants of Cthulhu toward them while keeping the rest around him to slow down Ah Puch as best he could. He was dividing his forces as much as he dared.
The moment they came in close, Max and Gwen stepped forward to meet them.
Gwen grabbed a mop and shoved one of the floating eyeballs away, while Max picked up a bucket and slammed it into another one that got too close to Charmcaster.
The impact was heavy, and the strange tearing sound that followed made both of them freeze for a second in shock. Part of the large floating eyeball had been torn open, revealing a wide mouth lined with sharp teeth as it lunged toward Max.
Reacting quickly, Gwen swung the mop again and knocked it away before Max brought the bucket down on another eyeball. That one also split open, showing another mouth underneath, but before it could bite, Max smashed the bucket down harder and stopped it cold.
"Ben, boost me! Then help the others!" Flame Wingman shouted.
Diamondhead immediately turned toward his family and Charmcaster, who was being circled by a small swarm of Servants of Cthulhu.
"You got it!" Diamondhead said.
Raising his hand, he formed several crystal platforms across the tower roof. Then he turned and rushed toward his family, cutting through the servants with ease as he went.
Flame Wingman sprang onto the crystal platforms one after another, using them as stepping stones. His single wing spread wide as he launched himself high into the air, flying over the massive eyeball just as it turned sharply toward him.
Flame gathered around his dragon maw, then spread across his body as he angled himself into a dive.
"Skydive Scorcher!"
He slammed down with his dragon maw hand directly into the Eye of Cthulhu, driving it hard into the metal roof below. The impact shook the structure, sending up a cloud of dust along with the ugly sound of flesh tearing.
Flame Wingman leaped clear of the impact zone, crimson blood covering his body as he stared into the dust cloud ahead.
The Eye of Cthulhu rose again from the haze, and this time its true mouth was fully open. Rows of sharp teeth lined its enormous frame, and a long, twisting tongue lashed out from within.
"Gross..." Flame Wingman muttered.
Before he could move, however, the blood clinging to his body tightened and stiffened around him, slowing his movement.
The Eye of Cthulhu roared and lunged at him with even greater speed, slamming into him and sending him flying off the tower.
"Evan!" the Tennysons shouted.
Their voices caused Charmcaster to snap her eyes open. She turned toward him immediately.
The massive eye kept descending after the falling Flame Wingman, clearly intent on tearing him apart. Diamondhead saw it and rushed over, then jumped after them.
At the same time, Charmcaster looked back toward Hex and saw that he was still struggling against Ah Puch. Without wasting another second, she reached into her bag and threw out a few magical bats and stone golems to help the guardian spirit overwhelm him.
"CHARMCASTER!" Hex roared in fury. He was already fighting a losing battle against Ah Puch, which could not be killed, and his mana reserves were too limited to cast any of his stronger spells.
Charmcaster, Max, and Gwen quickly ran to the edge of the tower and looked down at the two falling aliens and the massive eyeball chasing them.
As they dropped through the air, Flame Wingman locked eyes with Diamondhead from a distance. No words were needed. They both knew exactly what had to be done.
The Eye of Cthulhu fixed its attention on Flame Wingman, completely ignoring Diamondhead as it went after the closer target.
Flame Wingman shifted his stiffened hand to his Another Omnitrix and activated it. The dial opened, and the interface unfolded.
It immediately began drawing in the blood coating his body, pulling it away and breaking the hold it had on him.
[Data Upgrade Detected. Blood Manipulation is now available.]
His gaze snapped back to the massive eyeball as it closed in, mouth wide open and ready to bite down on him.
Using his right hand, Flame Wingman caught the upper lip. His legs pressed against the lower lip, and he held himself steady just enough to keep from being swallowed whole.
With his left hand, he reached for the Omnitrix dial and waited for the perfect opening.
Above him, Diamondhead changed shape. Both arms extended forward, and his body sharpened into a long, deadly spike. The new form let him cut through the air faster as he fell.
He slammed into the back of the Eye of Cthulhu, forcing it downward even faster. Diamondhead tore through its body from behind, and the sharpened tip of his crystalized form lined up with Flame Wingman below.
Without hesitation, Flame Wingman tapped his Omnitrix.
A golden flash erupted.
The Eye of Cthulhu crashed into the ground below with a massive impact, sending dust and debris high into the air. The S.A.C.T. soldiers stationed around the crash immediately moved in, only to see the remains of the giant eye before them. Then crystals burst outward from inside it, splitting it apart even further.
Stepping out from the wreckage was a black, crystallized alien with two Omnitrix dials on his body.
Diamondhead and Noir turned their attention toward Lt. Steel as he stared at them. His soldiers raised their weapons, but Steel quickly lifted a hand.
"Hold your fire. This is one of ours."
He noticed the Omnitrix dial and recognized that this was someone they could trust.
Diamondhead and Noir held their gaze for a moment, then gave a slight nod. Stinkfly's wings spread from their back, and Diamondhead leaped upward and flew away.
...
Later, they watched with immense satisfaction as the Las Vegas Police Department shoved Hex into the back of a police car and drove him away toward a brand new prison cell, while nearby, S.A.C.T. soldiers worked to contain and clean up the remains of the Eye of Cthulhu.
Floodlights illuminated the destroyed area around the tower while agents moved around carrying equipment, scanning the massive chunks of flesh left behind from the battle. Some soldiers looked uneasy every time the remains twitched.
Ben honestly couldn't blame them.
Nearby, Charmcaster held up the Staff of Ages from where Hex had dropped it earlier. She stared at it for a few seconds before stuffing it into her bag for safekeeping.
She still couldn't properly use it, at least not yet, but she knew something like this could become useful someday.
"Well, it's been fun," Charmcaster said brightly, dusting off her outfit. "But I think I'm gonna take off now."
"What're you going to do now?" Gwen asked curiously.
"Well, first I need to study more and improve my skills," Charmcaster started.
"Nerd," Ben joked immediately.
Gwen elbowed him in the stomach hard enough to make him hunch over. "Ow! What was that for?!"
Charmcaster rolled her eyes before continuing.
"Then... I think I'll take a trip of my own. I'm not completely sure where yet, but I know there are other sorcerers out there, along with tons of magical artifacts and ancient spell scripts hidden all across the planet." She smiled slightly. "I wanna continue my training and become a real master sorceress."
"Well, good luck to you," Evan said while leaning back against the Rust Bucket. "At least that's a good start."
Charmcaster smiled softly at that, a faint blush appearing on her face.
Honestly, if it weren't for him, she probably never would've found the courage to leave Hex behind and start walking her own path. For most of her life, she had just followed her uncle around, listening to whatever he said and convincing herself that it was the only future she had.
Now, for the first time in a long while, the future actually felt open.
"Thanks..." Charmcaster replied quietly with a small grin.
She scratched the back of her head awkwardly before suddenly reaching into her bag and pulling out the Keystone of Bezel.
"Here."
She placed the gemstone into Evan's hand, making everyone look at her in confusion.
"Although this could help me, I think it'd be better in your hands instead," she explained. "Besides... with my current strength, using it would probably hurt my growth more than help it."
Her gaze lowered slightly as she remembered the feeling of being bonded with Noir earlier. The power had felt incredible. Effortless. Like she could do almost anything.
But the moment Noir separated from her, reality hit immediately.
She had felt weak.
That was when she finally understood what Evan meant back in the RV when he talked to Gwen about borrowed power. No matter how amazing a boost felt, if your own foundation stayed weak, eventually that borrowed strength would become a ceiling instead of a stepping stone.
"Thanks," Evan replied, looking down at the gem for a moment before slipping it into his pocket.
Charmcaster smiled again before noticing the disappointed look on Gwen's face.
Knowing Gwen was basically Evan's family, Charmcaster reached into her bag once more and pulled out a small book.
"I think you'll find this useful."
"The Compendium to Level One Magic?" Gwen said in surprise as she accepted the spellbook. "Wait... why would I need this? I can't use magic."
"I don't know. Your cousins are all talented, even Ben over here," Charmcaster replied while tilting her head toward him.
"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?"
Charmcaster ignored him completely.
During the battle, she had watched Evan and Ben fight together almost perfectly. The two barely needed words to coordinate. They just understood each other naturally and combined their abilities without hesitation.
Part of her wanted that too someday.
Not just with Noir, but with Evan himself.
"Even if you aren't good right now, with enough training and practice, you'll eventually learn to use magic, Gwen." Charmcaster smiled lightly. "I'm looking forward to seeing how far you can go."
"Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!" Gwen cheered before immediately wrapping Charmcaster in a tight hug.
"Okay, okay, that's enough of that," Charmcaster laughed while pulling herself free. "I guess I'll see you guys around."
She paused for a second, then grinned mischievously before suddenly stepping toward Evan and hugging him as well. She leaned toward his ear.
"You too, Ever."
Before Evan could even respond properly, Charmcaster stepped back, pulled out a small purple marble from her bag, and tossed it onto the ground.
A cloud of purple smoke burst outward.
And then she was gone.
The group stood there quietly for a second afterward.
Then Gwen immediately opened her new spellbook and started reading.
"So... you even inherited your father's charm," Max teased with an amused smile while looking toward Evan.
After all, despite her small frame and youthful appearance, Stay Gold had apparently become surprisingly popular among female Plumbers thanks to how dependable she acted during missions.
"I don't know what Father is like. She is barely home," Evan replied.
Then he looked down at the items in his hands.
The Keystone of Bezel. The small magic stone golem. The magical bat Charmcaster had given him earlier. And a chunk of Eye of Cthulhu
Charmcaster had also handed him a magic notebook that shared texts between it and another notebook; she wanted to use this as a way to contact him and keep in touch later on.
Evan opened the interface of his Another Omnitrix and dropped the items inside.
The device immediately absorbed them.
[Data Upgrade Detected. X-Ten Mode is now available.]
[Data Upgrade Detected. Stone Soldier is now available.]
[Data Upgrade Detected. Bat Swarm is now available.]
[Data Upgrade Detected. Watcher Mode is now available.]
Evan smiled slightly as he began reading through the new abilities and functions added to the system.
Nearby, Ben looked over at Gwen, who was practically vibrating with excitement while flipping through pages of spells.
"Excited?"
"Excited? Of course I am!" Gwen rambled happily. "I'm gonna need the entire summer if I wanna memorize every spell in this book! Ooh, I can't wait to try these out on whatever creepy alien or bad guy we run into next!"
Ben and Max shared amused, satisfied grins before climbing back into the Rust Bucket.
Gwen barely even noticed herself getting dragged inside because she was already too focused on reading.
Meanwhile, Evan simply floated in after them, still scrolling through the Another Omnitrix interface as the Rust Bucket slowly drove off.
...
The next day, at the side of the road, Max suddenly pulled the RV over, getting all three of his grandkids to look up from where they were sitting.
"So, Evan, are you excited?" Max asked all of a sudden.
"Excited? About what?" Evan asked, which made Max hesitate for just a second before he decided to keep his real plan to himself.
"Oh, you'll see," he said with a mysterious smile.
Ben narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Okay, that's definitely old man code for 'something weird is about to happen.'"
Max just chuckled and leaned back in his seat.
A moment later, a black car pulled up beside the Rust Bucket. It honked three times, drawing everyone's attention.
Max looked down at it and smiled when he saw the side window roll down, revealing Stay Gold.
"Yo, old man. Sorry for the sudden notice," she said cheerfully.
"Not at all," Max replied with a grin. "Now, what are you waiting for?"
Ben and Gwen exchanged a confused look, then both turned toward Evan. He looked just as confused as they were, until his eyes suddenly widened.
The RV door swung open.
A shorter girl wearing a short red dress over white pants rushed into the RV at full speed. Her silver-white hair flowed wildly behind her.
"BIG BROTHER!" she shouted at the top of her lungs before rushing straight toward Evan.
The moment she got close enough, she suddenly leaped into the air and performed a flying drop kick aimed straight at his face.
"Royal Guard!"
Evan reacted instantly, blocking the attack and reaching out to catch the girl by the ankle. He held her upside down without even taking a step back.
The girl laughed loudly even while dangling there. "As expected of Gold Ship's big brother. You're way more fun than Gold Ship's sisters."
"Huh? What was that, brat?"
An irritated voice suddenly came from the doorway, causing Gold Ship to flinch slightly.
Evan released her immediately, and Gold Ship quickly scrambled behind him for safety.
Standing at the RV entrance was another girl around Evan's age with vibrant orange hair. Her hair parted in the middle, with distinct white streaks in her bangs extending down toward her shoulders. The orange gradually softened into a golden hue near the ends and around her face, while a single ahoge stood proudly on top of her head.
Her sharp purple eyes glared directly at Evan with an almost imperious intensity.
"Ever..."
"Orfevre..."
The two stared directly into each other's eyes, and the tension inside the RV immediately rose.
Even Ben and Gwen could feel it.
Ben slowly leaned toward Gwen. "Why do I feel like we're about to watch a boss fight?"