Chapter 12: That Light, A New Hero
As they walked back toward their quirky accommodation for the night, the weight of their recent adventure settled upon them.
"So, what's the plan?" Ben asked, breaking the silence. "It seems like our only option is to play dumb. Act like we know nothing."
"Easy for you to say," Gwen retorted, wringing her hands slightly. As the resident good girl, the very idea of lying to her grandpa made her stomach twist into knots. "You're already halfway there."
"Alright, alright," Klein said, waving a dismissive hand as he walked ahead of them. "We can't exactly run away, so let's just go find Grandpa and get it over with." He was the picture of calm. What was the worst that could happen? A stern lecture? He'd long since maxed out his skill for letting scoldings go in one ear and out the other.
They soon arrived at a bizarre, oversized house. Klein pushed the door open, revealing an interior that was just as strange as the outside. The entire structure, from the furniture to the wallpaper, was rotated a full ninety degrees. The walls served as the floor, and the floor was now a wall.
"What do you all think?" Grandpa Max stood in the middle of the chaotic room, hands on his hips, a grin of deep satisfaction on his face. "This place is really something else, huh!"
"What do we think? We really don't know anything!" Gwen blurted out, her nerves getting the better of her. Grandpa Max's innocent question had landed like a critical hit, triggering her guilt-ridden ultimate move.
"Heh heh…" Ben quickly scrambled to cover for her. "Grandpa, she means this place is super fun! We don't know what to think, it's so awesome!"
Klein watched his grandfather's face, searching for any flicker of suspicion. Seeing none, he remained silent, letting the flimsy excuse hang in the air.
…
The next morning, a voice boomed from outside, shattering the morning peace.
"Ben Tennyson! Gwendolyn Tennyson! Klein!" Grandpa Max's tone was stripped of all warmth; he wasn't even using their nicknames. "You three, get out here! Now!"
"Ah! Oh—!" The shout jolted them from their sleep. With a collective yelp of surprise and pain, all three tumbled from their beds.
Because there were only two beds in their rotated room, Klein had once again shared with Gwen. Their bed was bolted to what was technically the floor but was now serving as a vertical wall. When they fell, Gwen landed squarely in Klein's arms. It was also worth mentioning that she had, at some point during the night, ended up sleeping on top of him.
"Gwen?!" Klein grunted, more surprised than anything.
"We're so dead!" she squeaked, her panic overriding any potential embarrassment. She'd already used up her entire quota of shyness the night before.
"Ugh, seriously?" Ben groaned, rubbing his head from where he'd hit the 'floor.' "You're such a kid! The first rule is don't admit to anything unless you're caught red-handed, got it?!" He spoke with the unearned confidence of a seasoned professional.
…
The three cousins emerged from the house to a scene of even greater devastation. The area looked worse than it had after the giant rubber band ball incident.
"What happened?" Gwen asked, her eyes wide as she took in the fried circuits and blackened scorch marks dotting the park.
"Looks like a typhoon paid a visit last night," Grandpa Max replied, his arms crossed and his gaze stern.
"A typhoon? Right! A typhoon!" Ben latched onto the excuse, relieved that his grandpa was being so… considerate. "I mean, you know, with all these weird natural phenomena and stuff."
Klein's interest was piqued. He hadn't heard anything remotely resembling a typhoon during the night.
"Looks more like some old-fashioned brat's tricks to me," a new voice drawled. The park Warden strolled up to them, casually munching on a box of popcorn as if he were watching a movie.
"Brat's tricks?" Grandpa Max's eyes narrowed, flicking toward his three grandchildren.
"Nah, not them," the Warden clarified, gesturing vaguely with his popcorn. "It's that light."
"That light?" the four of them asked in unison.
"Some say it's a freak static electricity event. Others have… different opinions," the Warden continued, completely unfazed.
"You locked it in the rubber band ball," Grandpa Max stated, a question lingering in his tone. "How did it get out?"
"Normally, it wouldn't have," the Warden said, finally fixing his gaze on the three kids. "Seems someone didn't follow the rules."
Ben sighed, his shoulders slumping in defeat. "Alright, fine. It was us."
"We'll be having a long talk about this later," Grandpa Max said, his expression darkening with disappointment.
Suddenly, a high-pitched, metallic laugh echoed through the park. "Hahahaha… Haha… Hahahaha!"
A bolt of golden-yellow lightning zipped past them. Wires on nearby poles sparked violently, and appliances shorted out with pops and fizzles. A fire hydrant nearby burst, sending a powerful geyser of water shooting into the air.
"Is that the light?" Grandpa Max asked the Warden, shifting into action mode. "How do we catch it?"
The Warden shrugged, plopped down on a park bench, and took another bite of popcorn. "We? No, no. It's you. You let it out, you get to catch it."
…
Grandpa Max led the three of them down the now-abandoned street, scanning the area.
"So, what's the plan to catch it?" Ben asked, looking around at the eerily quiet street. Not only was the creature gone, but even the electrical disturbances had ceased.
"I don't know," Grandpa Max admitted. "Let's find it first."
"Hahahaha!" The electronic cackle erupted again, this time from directly above them.
"Agh—!" Grandpa Max was suddenly hoisted into the air by the back of his underwear. "That hurts!"
Thud.
The light let him go, and he dropped unceremoniously to the pavement.
"Don't worry, Grandpa!" Ben declared, slapping the face of his watch. "I know just the hero to teach this little punk a lesson!"
A flash of brilliant green light enveloped him. When it faded, the gelatinous form of Upgrade stood in his place.
"Uh… a dweeb in a high-tech goo-suit?" Gwen deadpanned. "How exactly are you going to stop a creature made of pure energy with that?"
"Just watch me! I've got a plan!" Upgrade's voice echoed, sounding unusually irritable.
Gwen's lips curled into a knowing smirk. "You didn't get the alien you wanted, did you?"
Upgrade shot her a glare through his single green optic before turning his attention back to the sky. "Don't run, you little punk!" He fired a plasma blast from his hand at the zipping light and then stretched his body to give chase.
It quickly became apparent that Upgrade was a poor match for the creature. His plasma blasts passed right through it, and the one time he managed to wrap a gooey tendril around it, a powerful electric shock coursed through his body, forcing him to let go. Being an organic-metallic life form had its downsides.
"Take this!" In a moment of frustration, Upgrade ripped a manhole cover from the street and hurled it like a discus.
The heavy metal disc sliced cleanly through the light. But instead of dissipating, each half of the creature's body instantly regenerated its missing part, turning one enemy into two.
"No way!" Upgrade cried out, stunned.
Watching from the sidelines, Klein sighed. This clearly wasn't working. With a flick of his wrist, he slapped the dial on his own Omnitrix. A deep, cerulean blue light flared.
"Feedback!"
The two Megawhatts, still cackling and mocking the stunned Upgrade, were snatched out of the air before they could even react. Feedback held one in each of his plug-tipped hands. Just as he secured them, the green light of the Omnitrix timed out, and Upgrade reverted to a very surprised Ben.
"Ah! Ah!" The two creatures struggled fiercely, unleashing continuous streams of electricity. It was utterly useless. Their power was nothing compared to Feedback, who simply absorbed every last volt they could discharge, the energy crackling harmlessly into the conductors on his head and tail.
Feedback casually transferred the Megawhatt from his right hand to his left, holding both struggling creatures in one grip. He then raised his right index finger and lightly tapped the Another Omnitrix symbol on his chest.
A beam of blue light shot from the symbol, sweeping over the captive aliens.
[Genetic sample recorded.] The familiar female electronic voice announced.
"Ben, come here. Pick one," Feedback said, extending his left hand toward his cousin. "Touch your Omnitrix to it."
Ben, still a little dazed, did as he was told. The moment the Omnitrix made contact with the Megawhatt, its green hourglass symbol flashed yellow. A moment later, it returned to its usual green. Ben twisted the dial and saw a new silhouette appear among his transformations.
"Cool!" he breathed. He never knew the Omnitrix could do that.
With the task complete, Feedback looked around, spotted a giant decorative light bulb—Fantasia Park had nothing but oversized props—and unceremoniously stuffed both little punks inside, screwing the top on tight. They were locked up again.
As for whether the Megawhatts were innocent or just mischievous, Klein couldn't bring himself to care. He wasn't a hero. He barely concerned himself with the lives of humans, let alone some random energy-based alien.
…
Once again, the Rustbucket rumbled down the highway, driving off toward the horizon.
Back at the park, the Warden watched the old RV disappear into the distance. He shook his head and couldn't help but mutter to himself, "Strange things happen every year, but this year… this year's something else entirely."
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