Chapter 165: Transferred as Punishment
The air hissed as a searing blue beam sliced through the space where Swampfire had just been. Hitting the dirt in a fluid front flip, the Methanosian planted his feet and thrust his right hand forward, unleashing a roaring torrent of fire that engulfed an advancing DNAlien.
A few yards away, Gwen's hands glowed with vibrant magenta light. She swept her arms in a wide arc, sending a concentrated beam of mana piercing straight through a dense cluster of the grotesque mutants.
Alan had originally charged in with his fists raised, eager for a close-quarters brawl. But after taking a few heavy hits from the surprisingly resilient creatures, he quickly reassessed his strategy. Falling back to a safer distance, he switched to long-range artillery, hurling concentrated fireballs that exploded on impact and racked up a solid kill count.
Nearby, Sheriff Mason's service weapon clicked empty. Tossing the useless firearm aside, the lawman threw himself into the fray with sheer grit, tackling a screeching DNAlien to the dirt and raining heavy, desperate punches down on its ugly face.
Klein ignored the grunts and explosions around him, his eyes locked on the towering metal structure looming over the crops. "I'm taking down that weather tower!" he called out, breaking into a sprint.
He barely made it two steps.
The earth shuddered violently as a massive, imposing figure crashed down from the sky, landing squarely in his path.
"Inferior creature! Crawl back to the mud where you belong!"
The newcomer was a Highbreed commander, towering and haughty, his pale armor gleaming in the moonlight.
Klein stopped, tilting his head. "Huh? What are you doing out here?"
It didn't make sense. Setting up a rural weather tower was grunt work. A Highbreed, with their obsessive superiority complex, shouldn't be doing manual labor in a muddy field.
The towering alien froze. His imposing posture stiffened. What was he supposed to say? That he messed up a previous assignment and got demoted to construction duty? The mighty Highbreed commander was currently fighting a losing battle to maintain his aristocratic dignity in front of a human.
Klein's lips curled into a dry, knowing smirk. "Ah. I get it. You got demoted."
He didn't hold back a single ounce of mockery. It was incredibly rare to find a Highbreed in such a humiliating position. Knowing how insufferably arrogant these xenophobes usually were, Klein's inner troll was practically doing backflips.
The Highbreed's pale face flushed with absolute fury. "Detestable inferior filth! Prepare to be eradicated!" he roared, lunging forward with his massive claws extended.
Klein didn't even blink. He casually slapped the faceplate of the Another Omnitrix. "Way Big!"
A blinding flash of ghostly blue light erupted, washing over the entire field.
The lunging Highbreed didn't hit a human. Instead, he slammed face-first into a massive, metallic-looking boot. Dazed, the Highbreed slowly tilted his head up. Up, up, and up. He stared at the fifty-meter-tall titan towering into the night sky and swallowed hard.
Silence fell over the alien. 'No, wait, big brother, would you believe me if I said I was just kidding?'
The moment the blue light faded, the Highbreed instantly recognized who he was dealing with. This was the Great Demon King who had been terrorizing the universe's underworld. Thanks to Ben taking off his watch for a few years, Klein had become the absolute apex predator in the galactic rumor mill. The previous Highbreed commander who had asked Klein if he was Ben Tennyson was just huffing pure copium; deep down, he had known exactly who Klein was too.
As for the demoted tower guard currently hugging Way Big's toe, all thoughts of combat evaporated. Fight? This wasn't a fight. He was about to make a glorious, entirely involuntary sacrifice for his species!
Way Big looked down at the Highbreed, who barely reached his ankle, and let out a booming, triumphant laugh that shook the clouds.
Then, his massive hand reached up and slapped the Another Omnitrix symbol on his chest. "Ultimate Way Big!"
Another shockwave of ghostly blue energy exploded outward. The earth groaned as a hundred-meter-tall colossus materialized, blotting out the moon.
"Oh my god," Kevin muttered, his jaw practically hitting the steering wheel as he and the others stared up at the impossible mass of Ultimate Way Big.
The towering weather machine, previously a looming threat, now barely reached the giant's calf. Two crater-like footprints crushed the wheat field into dust. Sheriff Mason suddenly felt a deep sense of relief that he hadn't tried to arrest this kid earlier. Was this something a human could even comprehend, let alone fight? Thinking about it made the lingering pain in his groin fade into insignificance.
Ultimate Way Big peered down at the Highbreed, who was now roughly the size of an ant, and chuckled—a sound like grinding tectonic plates. As if suddenly remembering his manners, the giant gently nudged the paralyzed alien with the tip of his toe. "Hey, don't just lie there. Get up and fight me."
'I'll fight your %$^@$¥.!'
The Highbreed desperately wanted to curse this monster's ancestors for eighteen generations, but recalling the terrifying rumors about the Great Demon King, he decided it was best to be the bigger person. He wasn't scared. Not at all. He was just deeply concerned about jeopardizing the Highbreed's grand master plan. Yes, that was it.
Gritting his teeth, the alien commander unleashed a flurry of punches and kicks against the colossal toe.
Ultimate Way Big didn't even register a breeze.
After watching the pathetic display for a few moments, Klein got bored. He reached down with his right hand and casually plucked the weather tower from the earth like a weed. With his left hand, he pinched the Highbreed and gave him a gentle, upward toss.
'Just get it over with! Give me a quick death!' the Highbreed screamed internally as he tumbled through the air.
Ultimate Way Big gripped the base of the weather tower with both hands, squared his shoulders, and swung it like a baseball bat.
The impact was deafening. Even holding back most of his terrifying strength, the weather tower instantly shattered into scrap metal against the Highbreed's body. The alien commander became a twinkling shooting star, vanishing over the distant horizon.
"Awesome! Home run!"
A flash of blue light illuminated the field, and the hundred-meter titan vanished, leaving Klein standing calmly in the dirt.
By now, the rest of the DNAliens had been completely wiped out.
Sheriff Mason dusted off his uniform and walked over to the half-Pyronite teen. "Alan, I reckon I owe you an apology. We really did misunderstand you."
A flash of green light signaled Swampfire reverting back to Ben. "Hey, Cousin," Ben called out, jogging over to Klein and giving him a thumbs-up.
Klein simply tilted his head toward Alan. "Go on."
Taking the cue, Ben turned his attention to the fire-wielding kid. "Alan, you want to join our team? There are way too many alien threats out there, and we could really use someone with your kind of firepower." Ben was actively trying to recruit more muscle to help his cousin out.
Before Alan could even open his mouth, Sheriff Mason stepped right in between them. "No way. He's staying right here. He still has to help me sweep the town for any mutants that might be hiding."
Are you kidding? The town finally gets its own supernatural deputy, and these city kids want to poach him?
Alan rubbed the back of his neck and smiled at Ben. "It's fine, man. You guys can come find me anytime you need backup."
Later that night, the Rustbucket pulled up to the entrance of Klein's house.
Klein stepped out of the vehicle and leaned back toward the driver's seat. "Kevin, make sure you get Ben and Gwen home safe."
Kevin threw a lazy salute. "Don't sweat it, boss."
But to Kevin's surprise, the passenger door clicked open, and Gwen stepped out onto the pavement.
Klein blinked, his usual indifferent expression cracking into mild confusion. Gwen crossed her arms, a triumphant, smug smile playing on her lips. "Didn't you say it yourself? That I could sleep at your place?"
Klein opened his mouth to argue, but she cut him off smoothly. "I already texted my mom. She knows I'm with you, so she's perfectly fine with it. What? Am I not welcome?"
'...No, of course you're welcome.'
Klein let out a helpless sigh, a faint smile touching his lips, and gestured for her to follow him inside.
Watching the front door click shut behind them, Ben and Kevin exchanged a long, meaningful look from the front seats. Both let out a collective, helpless chuckle.
"Keep your eyes front, Dweeb," Kevin smirked, putting the car in gear. "Hurry up, or your mom is actually gonna kill you."
"Oh, right! Drive, Kevin, drive!" Ben panicked.
Late at night, the quiet atmosphere of Klein's bedroom was broken by the soft click of the door handle turning.
Klein, lying in bed, turned his head toward the sound. "Gwen, what is it..."
The words died in his throat. His face instantly flushed hot, and he quickly snapped his gaze toward the ceiling. "What are you doing?"
Gwen stepped into the room, moving with a slow, deliberate grace. The dim moonlight caught the sheer black stockings hugging her slender legs, drawing the eye upward. It was a sight that demanded attention.
"Klein, look at me," she said softly. "I don't believe your eyes are empty."
Her pretty face was dusted with a faint, rosy flush. She looked breathtakingly alluring, her expression a captivating mix of nervous shyness and absolute determination. She hadn't called him 'Cousin'—a clear line drawn in the sand. She was making her move tonight.
A sudden, heavy heat coiled in Klein's abdomen. His jaw tightened. "Gwen, calm down first."
"Calm down?" Her voice was a soft murmur. "I am very calm."
She closed the distance, standing right at the edge of his bed. As she leaned in, the smooth cascade of her hair brushed his shoulder, bringing with it a sweet, intoxicating scent that clouded his senses.
"I've waited for this moment for far too long."
Reaching out, her slender fingers gently cupped his cheek, her touch cool against his burning skin.
Klein finally let out a breath, the last of his resistance crumbling. Who was he kidding? What was he actually running from?
Gwen rose slightly on her tiptoes, leaning down to press her lips against his. They were soft, cool, and incredibly sweet.
Surrendering to the moment, Klein closed his eyes, letting himself sink into the sensation. The contrast of her youthful innocence mixed with this sudden, mature boldness left him entirely intoxicated. The air in the room grew thick, a heavy, unspoken haze of desire wrapping around them.
With a gentle push against his chest, Gwen guided him back. Klein obediently let himself fall flat against the mattress.
A faint pulse of magenta mana flared from her fingertips, and the bedroom light clicked off, plunging the room into darkness.
In the pitch black, the silence was deafening. Then, Klein felt the distinct, textured friction of nylon brushing against his leg. A small, soft hand found his right hand, intertwining their fingers, before slowly beginning to trace its way upward.
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