Chapter 33: An Unholy Alliance
Kevin, a twisted hybrid of ten different aliens, jabbed a hardened elbow toward the side of Humungousaur's thick neck. The Vaxasaurian barely flinched. With casual disdain, Humungousaur's massive hand clamped around Kevin's arm, prying it away as if it were a child's. A flick of his wrist sent the mutated teenager flying.
Though Kevin's body possessed ten percent of the abilities of ten different alien heroes, his raw strength was a pale imitation of the genuine article. He couldn't even match Four Arms, let alone the walking mountain of muscle that was Humungousaur.
Bang!
Kevin slammed into an empty car, the impact crumpling the vehicle's frame like a tin can.
"Ben Tennyson!" he roared, scrambling out of the wreckage, his eyes burning with resentment. "You're the one who made me a freak! I can't change back because of you!"
He charged again, a blur of mismatched limbs and raw fury, only to be met with a single, contemptuous punch that sent him tumbling across the asphalt once more. Driven to irrationality by his rage, Kevin was relying on brute force alone, making him utterly predictable. In moments, he was battered and bruised, the pain finally piercing through his anger and restoring a sliver of his sanity.
"Dweeb!" Kevin spat, staggering to his feet. "Do you really think I'm the only one who's got a problem with you?"
"What's that supposed to mean?" Humungousaur rumbled, cracking his knuckles.
Boom!
A sound like an incoming missile shrieked through the air, resulting in an explosion just behind the dinosaur-like alien. As the smoke and dust cleared, a familiar, menacing figure emerged from the crater.
"This," Kevin snarled with a vicious grin, "is what I mean!"
"Vilgax!" Humungousaur's eyes widened in shock. "What are you doing here?" How could his greatest nemesis be working with a street punk like Kevin?
Vilgax remained silent, but Kevin was more than happy to explain. "I ran into this guy while I was out wrecking stuff to frame you. He mistook me for someone else at first, kept demanding something called the 'Omnitrix'—must be that weird watch of yours. Since we both have a score to settle with you, we decided to cooperate."
Humungousaur gritted his teeth, his gaze shifting between Vilgax and Kevin as they began to circle him, cutting off his escape.
"And where is the other child?" Vilgax's voice was a low, synthesized growl as he scanned the bridge, his tone laced with caution.
"Right here, you overgrown squid!"
Vilgax whipped his head around at the sound of the voice. Standing there, cool and composed, were Diamondhead and Gwen, the latter glowing faintly with the vibrant pink energy of her Anodite form.
"Excellent. Everyone has arrived," Vilgax declared, a cruel smile spreading across his face. "Today, I will finally reclaim my Omnitrix!"
At his words, the air crackled with tension. Everyone tensed, preparing to launch their attacks. The chaotic battle was about to erupt.
"Wait a moment!" Vilgax suddenly shouted, holding up a hand toward Diamondhead. He knew this was the troublesome one, the boy who could transform into a Tokustar. The presence Ben gave off was entirely different from this one's.
"Who's got time for you?" Klein retorted flatly.
Bang!
Diamondhead didn't bother to stop. He closed the distance in a flash and drove a crystalline fist directly into Vilgax's face. The squid-faced conqueror was sent flying, the sheer unexpectedness of the attack leaving him momentarily confused as to who was supposed to be the villain in this scenario.
Scrambling back to his feet, Vilgax deftly dodged a volley of razor-sharp diamond shards and a bolt of pink mana from Gwen. Instead of retaliating, he charged straight for Humungousaur, who was already re-engaging with Kevin.
"Your opponent isn't me!" Vilgax yelled over his shoulder at Klein. "Look at that ship!"
Instinctively, Diamondhead and Gwen glanced toward a large cargo ship moored not far from the bridge. It seemed perfectly ordinary.
CRACK! BOOM!
Suddenly, the ship split in half from the middle. The containers stacked on its deck burst open, spilling their contents everywhere.
"Peanuts?" Gwen muttered, bewildered.
A massive wave radiated out from the destroyed vessel, swelling with impossible speed. Seawater surged over the bridge, forcing everyone to shield their faces. When the water receded, they lowered their arms to see a colossal figure standing where the ship had been. It was a monstrous, bipedal creature with the head of an elephant.
"Hahahaha!" Vilgax gloated, glancing triumphantly at Diamondhead. "Child! Can you not transform into a Tokustar? This is the opponent I found just for you!"
With his distraction in place, Vilgax turned his full attention back to ganging up on Humungousaur. Seeing Ben about to be overwhelmed, Gwen immediately flew to his side, her hands blazing with energy.
Klein, however, simply stared at the giant Zobiesan lumbering toward the bridge. With a casual shrug, Diamondhead leaped off the railing, slapping the Another Omnitrix symbol on his chest in mid-air.
A ghostly blue light erupted from beneath the bridge.
"Way Big!"
BOOM!
The newly appeared titan landed in the sea, displacing a volume of water that generated a wave far larger than the first. Standing at an equal height, Way Big faced off against the Zobiesan. Without a word, both giants charged.
BANG!
Their hands met in a thunderous clap, locking them in a contest of pure strength. Way Big's muscles bulged. With a grunt of effort, he twisted his grip, flipped the Zobiesan clean over his head, and hurled the elephantine monster into the distance.
BOOM!
An even larger wave crashed against the coastline. It's worth noting that, in accordance with the old saying 'when immortals fight, mortals suffer,' Captain Steve had already ordered his team into a strategic retreat. Though he was reluctant to leave, the repeated, frantic persuasion of his subordinates finally convinced him.
Back on the bridge, the battle raged.
Gwen did her best to alleviate the pressure on Ben, but Vilgax and Kevin fought like madmen. They completely ignored the searing pain of her mana blasts, their focus locked entirely on Humungousaur.
CRASH!
Vilgax and Humungousaur collided again, the impact shaking the already damaged structure.
Humungousaur sneered, "Vilgax, you don't actually think that thing can beat my cousin, do you?"
Vilgax sneered back. "I never thought it could. But I don't need it to beat the boy. I just need it to keep him busy. Now, child! Hand over your Omnitrix!"
"Ben Tennyson is mine!" Kevin shrieked, enduring Gwen's attacks. His body was a canvas of cuts and burns, but he still lunged at Humungousaur with single-minded ferocity.
Vilgax saw his opening and lunged for the Omnitrix on Humungousaur's wrist. He had to end this quickly, or he'd be forced to flee again just like last time.
'What kind of grudge is this?' Gwen thought, gritting her teeth. She knew her dweeb of a cousin was easy to dislike, but she never realized his ability to attract this level of obsessive hatred was so potent.
Don't mistake the villains' focus for a weakness in Gwen's power. Her Anodite abilities were formidable, and each blast left Vilgax and Kevin staggering. That they continued to press their attack on Humungousaur despite the pain was a terrifying display of how deep their obsession ran.
It had to be said, while Ben's Humungousaur transformations often suffered setbacks, the alien's ability to take a punch was second to none. He'd been knocked down several times already, yet he kept getting back up as if nothing had happened. In another location, this fight would be much easier; Humungousaur could increase his size to gain an overwhelming advantage. But on this crumbling bridge, growing any larger might send them all plummeting into the sea before the fight was even over.
Vilgax panted, the Anodite's energy attacks taking their toll. Enduring this punishment to snatch the Omnitrix was a feat only he could accomplish. If the elephant-nosed creature could just hold on a little longer, victory would be his.
With that thought, he risked a glance over at Way Big's fight. The Zobiesan was already frothing at the mouth, being beaten into a pulp.
Vilgax hesitated for only a second. He extended a hand and beckoned. A saucer-shaped drone flew to his side. Grabbing onto the machine, Vilgax made a quick getaway.
"Hey! Vilgax! Where are you going?!" Kevin screamed, watching his ally abandon him without a shred of hesitation. Vilgax completely ignored him.
BOOM!
Vilgax glanced back just in time to see the Zobiesan get vaporized by a direct hit from Way Big's cosmic ray. Running away had indeed been the correct choice.
Back on the bridge, the odds had shifted dramatically.
"Heh heh... heh heh heh... Hahahaha!" Humungousaur, who had been on the receiving end of a beating for so long, began to laugh like a man possessed. "Kevin! It's just you left!" Finally, it was his turn.
Kevin's blood ran cold. He saw Gwen and the now-attentive Way Big eyeing him menacingly, and a cold sweat broke out across his brow. But then his eyes met Humungousaur's triumphant, mocking smile, and the veins on his forehead bulged once more.
"Ben Tennyson! I'll fight you to the death!"
With a final, desperate roar, Kevin's vestigial wings vibrated, and he launched himself at Humungousaur, tackling them both over the edge of the bridge.
Just as Humungousaur was about to hit the water, a shimmering pink tether of mana wrapped around his waist, arresting his fall. Kevin, however, plunged into the cold sea below.
...
A short while later, the Rustbucket was stopped at a police checkpoint. Grandpa Max rolled down the window.
"You folks," Captain Steve began, his expression serious. "Are you absolutely sure you don't know any aliens?"
"Of course!" Grandpa Max said with a folksy grin. "We don't know any aliens."
From the back of the RV, Klein and the others exchanged subtle, knowing smiles.
Captain Steve sighed, a hint of a smile playing on his own lips. "Alright then. Have a good trip! And... if you happen to see that dinosaur alien, please thank him for me."
He motioned to his subordinates, who cleared the way for the old RV to continue on its journey.
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