Chapter 144: Saving the Mutant Brothers and Their Mother
Cannonbolt shifted his weight, his heavy armor plates scraping against the canvas mat. He shot a glance toward Four Arms. The four-armed giant simply offered a curt nod, heavily stepping back into the far corner of the wrestling ring to give him space.
Across the ring, Gatorboy and Porcupine exchanged nervous glances. They had no idea what this massive, armored sphere was planning, but their muscles tensed, ready for anything.
They did not have to wait long. Cannonbolt tucked his head down, curling his bulky frame into a tight, impenetrable ball. The ground rumbled as he launched himself forward, spinning with terrifying velocity straight toward the mutant brothers.
Eyes widening in shock, Gatorboy and Porcupine dove in opposite directions, narrowly avoiding the high-speed projectile.
But Cannonbolt did not stop. He slammed into the elastic ring ropes, the thick cables groaning under his immense weight before violently snapping back. Using the momentum, he ricocheted across the ring like a pinball.
The brothers scrambled, barely managing to throw themselves out of the way a second time.
It was a futile effort. Cannonbolt kept bouncing, his speed multiplying with every impact against the ropes and the mat. The ring became a blur of motion. Gatorboy and Porcupine found themselves trapped in a dizzying storm of heavy strikes, completely unable to dodge or raise their guards.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Heavy, bone-rattling thuds echoed through the arena. Bruised, battered, and completely disoriented by the relentless impacts, Gatorboy and Porcupine collapsed to the mat. It had taken less than ten hits to knock them out cold.
Below the stage, the referee stood frozen, his jaw hanging so low it looked like it could catch a falling egg. 'No way! You can actually win a wrestling match without using your hands or even looking?!'
Watching the massive Cannonbolt finally uncurl and come to a halt, the referee hesitated. He swallowed hard, staring at the alien behemoth. If that guy held a grudge, his frail human body would snap like a twig after just two hits.
But he had a job to do. Gatorboy and Porcupine were sprawled out, completely unresponsive. He had to go up and make the count.
Creeping onto the stage, the referee let out a long breath of relief when Cannonbolt made no aggressive moves. He dropped to his knees and slapped the mat.
"One! Two! Three! A champion is born!"
"Woohoo!"
Deafening cheers erupted from the audience, shaking the rafters of the underground arena.
Cannonbolt and Four Arms did not linger to soak in the adoration of the crowd. They pushed their way through the backstage corridors, hunting down the man in charge.
They found Mr. Overcash in his makeshift office. The promoter slapped on a greasy, enthusiastic smile the moment the two towering aliens squeezed through his door. He immediately began talking fast, dropping subtle hints and grand promises, desperate to convince these two cash cows to sign an exclusive contract and become his permanent star wrestlers.
Cannonbolt let out a heavy, metallic sigh, his patience wearing dangerously thin. He stepped forward, his massive shadow swallowing the promoter.
"Give me the prize money," Cannonbolt growled, his voice vibrating the loose papers on the desk. "Otherwise, I will make you fight us in the ring next."
The greasy smile vanished from Mr. Overcash's face. Staring up at the two fierce, muscle-bound giants, he wisely decided to swallow his sales pitch. With trembling fingers, he slid the promised check across the desk, grabbed his briefcase, and practically sprinted out of the room.
A short time later, after leaving the underground venue behind.
Klein and Ben strolled down the quiet, dimly lit streets of the city. The cool night air was a welcome change from the sweaty arena.
"This is great! After buying Gwen her replacement computer, we still have a huge stack of cash left to spend!" Ben practically skipped down the sidewalk, clutching the check in his hands as if it were a legendary artifact.
Klein walked beside him, hands tucked casually into his pockets. He certainly did not mind having extra funds. A faint, satisfied smile touched his lips.
The two turned a corner and stopped in their tracks.
Standing under a flickering streetlamp were Gatorboy and Porcupine. The mutant brothers looked entirely defeated, their shoulders slumped as they waited by the curb.
"What are we supposed to do now?" Gatorboy groaned, rubbing his scaly forehead in distress.
Before Porcupine could answer, a sleek black car glided out of the shadows and pulled up right in front of them.
The tinted window rolled down with a soft hum, revealing a man dressed in a sharp black suit.
The man leaned out slightly, his expression twisted in disgust. "Oh my, you really are a bunch of weirdos and good-for-nothings. What a perfect combination of failures."
Instead of getting angry, the two massive mutants shrank back. They dared not retort.
"Please, just give us another chance," Gatorboy begged, his voice cracking. "We will get the money, I swear! Just please do not hurt my mom."
Standing a few yards away in the shadows, Klein and Ben exchanged surprised glances.
The man in the black suit remained completely unmoved. His eyes were dead, his tone dripping with icy impatience. "You know exactly what happens when you lose. The boss is going to turn her into a small coffee table."
Without waiting for a response, the man rolled the window back up. The black car's tires squealed against the asphalt as it sped off into the night.
Gatorboy and Porcupine stared after the taillights, panic written all over their strange faces.
"Uh, what exactly just happened here?"
Ben was the first to step out of the shadows, breaking the heavy silence.
Porcupine spun around, his quills bristling defensively. "What do you want?" he snapped, looking thoroughly upset.
Gatorboy, however, let out a defeated sigh and decided to talk. "We got mixed up with the wrong gang and owe them a lot of money. They took over our family farm and kidnapped our mother to use as a hostage. Now that we lost the championship prize money... who knows what they will do to her."
"You big mouth! What a long tongue you have!" Porcupine glared at his brother, furious that he was spilling their life story to strangers.
Ben turned his head, shooting a questioning gaze toward Klein.
Klein met his eyes and gave a slow, subtle nod.
"We can help you," Ben declared confidently. "Uh, I mean, we and Four Arms can help you."
Klein nodded again, silently backing up his cousin's promise.
Porcupine looked torn between gratitude and despair. "Who knows where they even have her locked up? Where do we even start looking?"
"They said they were going to turn her into a small coffee table," Klein mused aloud, piecing the clues together. He suddenly remembered a passing comment Grandpa Max had made earlier that day about wanting to visit a specific local landmark. "Is there an old lumber mill somewhere nearby?"
The Old Lumber Mill.
"Where is Four Arms?" Porcupine asked, glancing around the dark, silent exterior of the abandoned facility.
"Why are you in such a hurry?" Klein replied smoothly, his tone entirely unbothered. "Just wait. At worst, I will just take you guys inside and chop our way out."
With Klein leading the way, the group stepped through the massive, rusted doors of the old lumber mill.
Click. Click. Click.
Suddenly, rows of harsh industrial lights flared to life overhead, blinding them for a split second.
From the shadows between the massive logging machinery, a dozen men in black suits stepped forward. They gripped heavy wooden clubs and thick metal chains, forming a tight circle around Klein, Ben, and the mutant brothers.
"You two brothers have really disappointed me. I honestly thought you would have the money to pay me back by now."
A figure stepped out from the deepest shadows. Mr. Baker looked every bit the classic mob godfather. He wore a pristine tailored suit, a fedora resting neatly on his graying hair, and carried an air of absolute authority.
Seeing the mob boss approach, Ben did not hesitate. He reached into his pocket and whipped out the prize check. "That is right! We have it! Take the money and let her go right now!"
Klein watched the exchange without a hint of surprise. He had expected Ben to make the heroic choice, and he did not bother to object. It was just a little less cash in their pockets. No big deal. Besides, he was not the one who destroyed Gwen's computer in the first place, so Ben could carry the stress of replacing it.
"Oh, what a big surprise," Mr. Baker sneered, snatching the check from Ben's hand. He inspected the numbers, a cruel smile stretching across his face. "But I also have a big surprise for you."
He gestured lazily with his free hand, directing their attention to the machinery behind him.
Gatorboy and Porcupine gasped. Their mother was tightly bound to a massive wooden log. The log was resting on a heavy conveyor belt, slowly sliding downward. At the very bottom of the belt spun a massive, screeching circular saw. It was positioned perfectly to slice right through the log, and the woman tied to it.
"Is that your mom?!" Ben yelled, his eyes darting back and forth. He looked at Gatorboy, who heavily resembled a humanoid crocodile, then at Porcupine, who was covered in sharp spikes, and finally at the completely ordinary, middle-aged human woman tied to the log. The math was not adding up in his head.
Gatorboy nodded, speaking as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Yeah. We get our looks from our Dad's side of the family."
Standing nearby, Klein blinked. He genuinely could not even begin to imagine what kind of bizarre species their father belonged to.
Despite inching closer to a spinning blade of death, the woman raised her head and glared at her sons. "Did I not tell you two to stop hanging out with those gang brothers?" she scolded, her tone thick with maternal disappointment.
"Sorry, Mom," Gatorboy and Porcupine mumbled in unison, dropping their heads like scolded toddlers.
Mr. Baker threw his head back and laughed, a harsh, malicious sound. "Oh, how touching..."
"Tsk. Shut up."
Klein's cold, impatient voice cut through the laughter like a knife. He was still mentally trying to picture Porcupine's father, and the mobster's cackling was ruining his focus.
Mr. Baker stopped laughing, his face twisting in outrage. "You little brat!" It was the very first time anyone had ever dared to speak to him with such blatant disrespect, let alone a literal child.
Klein tilted his head, looking up at the mob boss with an expression of utter boredom. His eyes drifted to the check still clutched in Mr. Baker's hand.
In a flash of movement too fast for the older man to track, Klein reached out and snatched the paper right back.
"Is this yours to hold?" Klein asked dryly. He casually tossed the check over his shoulder, letting Ben catch it. "Forget it. I have had enough fun playing along for today."
"Get them!" Mr. Baker roared, his face turning purple with rage.
The armed thugs charged forward, raising their weapons.
Klein did not even flinch. Ignoring the men rushing at him, he casually raised his wrist and slammed his hand down on the faceplate of the Another Omnitrix.
A quiet blue light flashed, illuminating the dusty air of the lumber mill.
Where the boy had stood a second ago, the towering, armored form of Humungousaur now crouched.
Without missing a beat, Humungousaur triggered his growth ability. His muscles expanded, his bones shifting and cracking as he rapidly swelled to a massive twenty meters in height. His broad shoulders slammed into the ceiling, effortlessly tearing a massive hole through the roof of the old lumber mill. Wood and metal rained down around him.
Reaching out with one colossal hand, he casually plucked Gatorboy and Porcupine's mother off the conveyor belt, lifting her far away from the spinning saw.
The charging gangsters skidded to a halt, dropping their clubs and chains. They stared up at the giant, dinosaur-like monster towering over them, their mouths hanging open in pure terror.
'No way! Boss, you want us to take down this absolute monster?! Are you kidding me?!'
Humungousaur looked down at the trembling thugs, his glowing blue eyes narrowing. He spoke in a deep, ominous rumble that shook the floorboards. "To avoid exposing my secret identity, I suppose I will just have to eliminate every single one of you."
The gangsters fell to their knees, practically on the verge of tears. We do not want to know your identity at all!
Gatorboy and Porcupine, catching onto the threat, immediately raised their hands and swore loudly, "We promise! We will never expose your identity!"
Deep down, the brothers were secretly rejoicing. They realized just how lucky they were. If this terrifying monster had stepped into the wrestling ring earlier, they would not have lasted a single second.
Humungousaur gently lowered the woman to the ground near her sons. "Protect your mom," he instructed.
Then, he slowly turned his massive head to glare down at Mr. Baker. "Prepare to suffer."
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Giant fists rained down like meteor strikes. The ground quaked violently with every impact. In just a matter of minutes, the local criminal underworld lost an entire gang, and the old lumber mill was completely razed to the ground, reduced to nothing more than a pile of splintered wood and twisted metal.
Standing amidst the dusty ruins of the destroyed lumber mill, Gatorboy, Porcupine, and their mother wrapped their arms around each other, weeping openly in a tight family embrace.
"We are so sorry, Mom," Gatorboy cried, wiping his scaly face. "We will never hang out with these bad people ever again. We would not dare."
"It is just a pity we do not have enough money to redeem our farm now," Porcupine added, his voice heavy with guilt.
Their mother gently patted their backs, offering a warm, forgiving smile. "It is okay. At least you have both finally learned your lesson and are willing to take responsibility for your actions."
Hearing the word 'responsibility', Ben shifted uncomfortably. He thought of his own situation. He was fully prepared to take responsibility for breaking Gwen's computer, but it still stung.
He looked over at Klein, who gave a slight, encouraging nod.
Taking a deep breath, Ben stepped forward and held out the check to Gatorboy. "Take it."
Gatorboy stared at the paper, his eyes wide. "The championship prize money? No, we cannot take this from you." He tried to push Ben's hand away.
"Trust me," Ben insisted, pressing the check firmly into the mutant's large hand. "You guys need this way more than we do."
Overcome with emotion, Porcupine lunged forward and wrapped Ben in a massive, crushing hug. "I do not even know what to say! No one has ever been so good to us!"
"Uh-huh... great..." Ben wheezed, his face turning slightly blue. The hug was incredibly painful, considering Porcupine was covered from head to toe in sharp, rigid quills.
Standing a few feet away, Klein watched the chaotic, heartwarming scene unfold, a faint, genuine smile resting on his face.
By the time everything was settled, the sun was already beginning to rise.
Klein and Ben quietly slipped back into the Rustbucket.
Inside, the smell of breakfast filled the air. Grandpa Max was busy at the stove, humming to himself as he prepared a meal, while Gwen sat comfortably on the sofa, deeply engrossed in a thick book.
The moment Ben stepped through the door, he stopped. He took a long, deep breath, and then the words spilled out of his mouth like a waterfall, confessing everything he had done.
Gwen lowered her book, raising an eyebrow as she pieced his frantic rambling together. "Let me get this straight. You thought you broke my new laptop?"
"Yes! And I am really, really sorry!" Ben pleaded, clasping his hands together. "I will definitely make it up to you! I swear! Oh, I know! How about I do all of your chores?"
Gwen's eyes gleamed with sudden interest. "For the entire summer?"
Ben hesitated for a fraction of a second before nodding firmly. "A promise made is a promise kept."
Gwen stood up and extended her hand. Ben shook it, sealing the miserable deal.
Believing he had successfully earned his cousin's forgiveness, Ben let out a massive sigh of relief and obediently marched over to the sink to start washing the dirty dishes and chopsticks.
Once his back was turned, Gwen reached into her bag, pulled out her pristine laptop, and then produced a small, sleek USB drive.
"Hey, what is that, Gwen?" Klein asked, walking over and pointing at the little device with genuine curiosity.
"This?" Gwen smirked, deliberately raising her voice so it would carry across the RV. "It is my new fingerprint scanner. It locks the system so only I can open my computer."
Over at the sink, the sound of scrubbing abruptly stopped. Ben froze, his shoulders stiffening. Slowly, he turned his head, his eyes wide with betrayal. "You mean... I did not actually break it?!"
"That is right!" Gwen chirped happily, sitting back down. "But I am really glad you are being so responsible about it. Oh, by the way... that pot in the sink needs to be scrubbed twice. Grandpa's stewed snails stick to the bottom really badly."
Ben stared at the greasy, foul-smelling pot in his hands, his face crumpling in utter defeat. "Oh, man... how annoying!"
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