Chapter 29: Evil Alien Hero? Captain Steel Appears
A suffocating wave of summer heat baked the asphalt outside the local electronics store. A massive line of sweating, shuffling teenagers stretched all the way around the block, and unfortunately, Ben and the rest of the Tennyson crew were trapped right in the middle of it.
"We have been standing here for two solid hours, and we haven't moved a single inch," Gwen complained. She wiped a bead of sweat from her forehead, her patience completely evaporating under the blazing sun. Spending her afternoon roasting on the sidewalk just to accompany a certain Dweeb to buy a video game was not her idea of a fun vacation.
"Raging Sumo 2.1 is absolutely worth the wait!" Ben shot back, completely oblivious to her suffering. He bounced on his heels, his eyes gleaming with fanboy fervor. "It is Raging Sumo 2.1, Gwen! Do you have any idea what that means? You can change the color of your character's clothes anytime, anywhere in the game. It is revolutionary!"
"Forget it. I am done waiting." Gwen threw her hands up in defeat. Discussing the finer points of digital sumo wrestling with Ben was a lost cause, and she felt like she was going to melt into a puddle on the pavement. She reached over, grabbed Klein's hand, and pulled him out of the line. "Let's go, Cousin. We are going to find a bookstore with air conditioning and sit there for a while."
Klein offered zero resistance. He let himself be dragged away with a lazy, agreeable nod. He was practically baking in his own clothes anyway, he just had not bothered to find an excuse to leave until Gwen provided one.
"Uh, Ben, I think we will go sit in the bookstore first too. We can come back when the crowd thins out a bit," Grandpa Max chimed in, stepping out of the line to join the other two. After all, video games would still be sitting on the shelves tomorrow.
"You want me to give up my spot? Not a chance!" Ben crossed his arms, planting his feet firmly on the concrete. "You guys go ahead. I will head back to the Rustbucket as soon as I secure my copy."
Grandpa Max paused after taking a few steps and turned back. "Do you want me to pick up a book for you while we are there?"
Ben recoiled as if Max had just offered him a plate of toxic sludge. "I am on summer vacation!" he groaned, his face twisting in utter disgust. "Why on earth would I want to read a book?!"
...
A short while later, Klein, Gwen, and Grandpa Max strolled back toward the electronics street. The oppressive heat felt much more manageable now, especially with the large ice cream cones they each held in their hands.
"Ben has been waiting out here for so long. You don't think he has gone completely crazy, do you?" Gwen joked, taking a small bite of her vanilla cone.
"Let's go check on him," Grandpa Max said, quickening his pace slightly.
A sudden chorus of terrified screams shattered the lazy afternoon atmosphere.
"Ahhh! Run!"
A massive crowd of people suddenly surged out of the electronics store, pouring onto the street like a panicked tide.
Boom!
The entire front wall of the store exploded outward. Bricks, glass, and twisted metal rained down on the sidewalk in a violent shower of debris. As the thick cloud of plaster dust began to settle, a massive, imposing silhouette stepped through the wreckage.
"Four Arms!"
Grandpa Max stared at the towering, four-armed Tetramand in absolute disbelief.
"I told you he went crazy," Gwen muttered, her jaw dropping. She simply could not fathom why the Dweeb would pull a stunt like this over a video game.
Klein stood off to the side, casually licking his ice cream. He saw right through the situation immediately, but true to his nature, he kept his mouth shut. He leaned against a nearby lamppost, perfectly content to act as background scenery while the chaos unfolded.
The fake Four Arms roared, casually backhanding a parked police cruiser. The heavy vehicle flipped through the air and crashed into a fire hydrant, sending a geyser of water shooting into the sky. The responding police officers scattered, scrambling for cover behind their remaining vehicles. They drew their weapons, forming a loose perimeter around the rampaging alien, but none of them dared to step closer.
Seeing that standard police firepower was completely useless against a Tetramand, Grandpa Max turned toward Klein. He needed his older grandson to find a quiet spot, transform, and handle the situation. With this many civilians running around, it was far too risky for Gwen to start throwing magic spells, though it might be an option once the street cleared out.
Before Grandpa Max could give the order, the heavy roar of a military-grade engine echoed down the street. A massive, heavily armored transport vehicle slammed on its brakes, skidding to a halt right at the edge of the police perimeter.
The heavy steel doors swung open. A burly, stern-faced man with a military buzz cut and a jawline carved from granite stepped out.
"I am Captain Steel. This sector is now under our jurisdiction," the man barked, flashing a specialized badge at the police captain in charge.
However, before Captain Steel could even signal his heavily armed tactical team to move in, the fake Four Arms glanced around, realized the street was thoroughly trashed, and simply turned and bounded away, disappearing over the rooftops with massive, ground-shaking leaps.
"Let's head back to the Rustbucket first," Grandpa Max said, his voice tight with concern. "I am sure Ben will have a very reasonable explanation for all of this."
Despite his words, the old man still struggled to believe his grandson would cause such wanton destruction.
...
The moment they reached the Rustbucket, Grandpa Max yanked the door open and marched inside.
"Ben, I sincerely hope you have a very good explanation for what just happened," Max said, his tone dead serious.
Ben was sitting cross-legged on the floor, furiously mashing buttons on his handheld console. "What are you talking about?" he asked, not even looking up from his newly acquired copy of Raging Sumo 2.1.
"You are out of your mind! You completely trashed the electronics district just for a stupid video game, and you even smashed up police cars!" Gwen snapped, her temper flaring the moment Ben tried to play dumb.
"What are you even talking about?!" Ben finally paused his game, dropping the console into his lap as he looked up at them with genuine confusion.
"Ben, we already know you transformed into Four Arms and caused a massive scene downtown. We were standing right there when it happened. Do you really have nothing to say for yourself?" Grandpa Max frowned deeply, his disappointment heavy in the air.
Perhaps it was because Ben was naturally prone to causing mischief, or perhaps the coincidence was just too great. The Four Arms they saw destroying the street looked exactly like Ben's transformation. Down to the last muscle. There was no room for doubt in Max and Gwen's minds.
"Yes, I do have something to say! I want to know what evidence you have that I did any of that!" Ben shot to his feet, his own anger boiling over. Being accused of something he had absolutely no memory of doing felt incredibly unfair.
"Today... downtown..."
Right on cue, the small television mounted in the corner of the Rustbucket flickered to a breaking news broadcast. The screen displayed shaky, amateur footage of Four Arms tearing through the electronics street, tossing cars like toys.
"Look right there." Gwen pointed triumphantly at the screen, crossing her arms as she glared at Ben.
"This is impossible! That is not me!" Ben pointed frantically at the red giant on the television. He looked back at his grandfather and cousin, desperately hoping to see a flicker of belief in their eyes.
Unfortunately, Grandpa Max and Gwen only stared back with stern, unforgiving expressions.
Desperate, Ben turned his gaze to Klein. The older teen was leaning against the counter, a faint, playful smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.
"Cousin, you definitely believe me, right?" Ben pleaded, looking at his favorite relative like a drowning man looking at a life raft.
Klein met his gaze, his expression completely deadpan. "Ben, just go turn yourself in."
That single sentence snapped Ben's last straw of hope. He froze, completely petrified, before his knees gave out. He collapsed back onto the sofa, staring blankly at the ceiling. If even his own cousin thought he was a criminal, what was the point of fighting it? His life was over.
Just as Ben was fully embracing his despair, a soft snort broke the silence. He turned his head and saw Klein covering his mouth, his shoulders shaking slightly as he completely failed to hold back his laughter.
Ben blinked, the realization hitting him like a freight train. "Awesome! I knew it! I knew you believed me, Cousin!"
Grandpa Max and Gwen turned to look at Klein, completely baffled by his sudden amusement.
Still chuckling, Klein reached out and tapped the television screen, right on the chest of the rampaging alien. "He doesn't have the symbol."
"Symbol?" Grandpa Max and Gwen exchanged a confused glance before the realization finally dawned on them.
Klein reached down and grabbed Ben's left wrist, lifting it up for them to see. "Exactly. The Omnitrix symbol."
...
A short while later, the entire group was back at the ruined electronics street, standing amidst the rubble of the shattered storefronts.
"I have to find the jerk who is ruining the good name of aliens everywhere!" Ben muttered furiously. He kicked at a piece of broken concrete, scanning the alleyways for any sign of a giant red footprint. "The only person allowed to ruin an alien's reputation around here is me! Well, and Cousin, but mostly me!"
"Alright, great detective, have you actually found anything useful?" Gwen asked, resting her hands on her hips. They had already combed through the immediate area, and she was getting tired of walking in circles.
"No," Ben admitted, his shoulders slumping in defeat.
Just as he was about to give up, a flash of crimson caught his eye deep within a narrow alleyway. He snapped his head around. It was Four Arms, lurking in the shadows!
"Hey! Don't you run!" Ben dropped the chunk of rubble he was holding and sprinted straight into the alley.
Klein, Gwen, and Grandpa Max immediately took off after him.
"Damn it!" Ben cursed as he ran. The fake Four Arms was moving incredibly fast, bounding over dumpsters and chain-link fences with ease. Ben was already losing ground. "Let me turn into Fasttrack. I will catch up to him and beat him into the pavement!"
He slapped his hand down on the Omnitrix dial. A familiar, pathetic whirring sound echoed out, followed by a dull red flash. At the most critical moment possible, the watch betrayed him yet again. Ben smacked the faceplate two more times, but the device remained stubbornly dormant.
"Forget it! I will just chase him down myself!" Ben yelled, pumping his legs harder as he continued the pursuit on foot.
He tracked the hulking red figure through a maze of backstreets, finally skidding to a halt in front of a massive, heavily fortified building. The sign above the reinforced doors read City Mint.
"He went inside!" Ben pointed at the heavy metal doors as the rest of his family finally caught up to him. Without waiting for a plan, he pushed the doors open and charged in.
Klein and Gwen did not hesitate, rushing in right behind him.
Grandpa Max arrived a second later, leaning heavily against the brick wall to catch his breath. He wiped a layer of sweat from his brow and let out a long, exhausted sigh. "Who on earth said retirement was supposed to be relaxing?"
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