The Rust Bucket kept speeding down the road until, without warning, it began to slow almost instantly.
"Uh-oh," Gwen said, noticing it.
Max glanced down at the fuel gauge and watched it drop fast as the thrusters cut out. The RV gave one last sputter before the engine coughed and died completely.
"Well, that sucks," Fasttrack said, skidding to a stop beside them.
"Yeah, you're telling me," Ben muttered.
A little later, Max was under the RV at a workbench set up beside the road, trying to get the Rust Bucket running again. He reached out for a tool, caught the wrench Gwen handed him, and immediately tossed it right back out.
"This is metric," he said, clearly irritated. "I specifically asked for a half-inch wrench."
"Sorry, Grumpa," Gwen groaned, already sounding tired of being blamed for it.
"Let me help, I know a thing or two about this," Evan said, stepping forward.
Gwen quickly moved aside and let him take her place, more than happy to have someone else deal with Max's repair mood.
While Max and Evan worked on the RV, Gwen and Ben turned their attention back to the mask. Ben lifted it up and held it near his face, and for a second nothing happened. Then the gem's eyes suddenly lit up and fired two thin rays of light that struck the ground nearby, projecting something hidden beneath the surface.
Ben's eyes widened.
"Uh, Grandpa?"
"Not now, Ben," Max muttered from under the RV.
"I think you're going to want to see this," Ben said.
That got Max's attention.
He slid out from under the Rust Bucket and came over, squinting at the projection. What appeared on the ground looked like an ancient map, one that pointed toward something buried for centuries, maybe longer.
Max's expression sharpened the moment he saw it.
"It's the map to the ancient Mayan temple of Ek Chuaj," he said, studying it carefully. "We need to beat the Forever Knights to that temple."
Gwen frowned and looked toward the road ahead. "Uh, I hate to point out the obvious, but how are we supposed to get there without any transportation?"
Ben gave a smug little grin and held up his Omnitrix. "Leave that to me."
Evan looked over at him and lifted his own Another Omnitrix. "I got a new one too."
He activated his Another Omnitrix and turned the dial, selecting the new form he had already named Voidwing. He pressed the dial down, and a golden flash erupted around him.
He dropped down onto all fours as black scales spread across his body. His frame grew larger and sleeker at the same time, becoming built for speed. A cat-like face settled into place, framed by large golden-black eyes. Four mobile, ear-like appendages unfolded from the back of his head, while wide black wings spread out from his sides. A long black tail extended behind him, ending in features that looked like two pairs of tail fins. The golden Omnitrix dial sat on the right side of his shoulder.
The light faded, revealing a completely different alien form.
Voidwing let out a low roar and narrowed his gaze at the Tennysons.
"No. Freaking. Way!" Ben and Gwen said together, both of them staring with the exact same look of shock and excitement.
"You actually turn into a dragon!" Gwen said, circling around him so she could get a better look. Voidwing's body shape was nearly identical to the dragons from the books she had read, although not as intimidating, but that didn't matter as he looked even cuter, and she clearly could not get over it.
"So cool! I want this alien in my rotation!" Ben said, practically bouncing as he ran over to inspect him.
Max stared at Evan's new form for a moment, still a little caught off guard by seeing another alien that went extinct many years ago. Then he shook it off and focused again, because they did not have time to waste.
"Now is not the time. We need to hurry!"
Without waiting another second, he climbed up onto Voidwing's back.
Voidwing did not resist. He stayed steady, letting Max settle in while the others looked on.
Ben and Gwen both seemed ready to climb up too, but one look at Voidwing's back made it obvious there was not enough room for them to sit comfortably.
Their excitement faded just a little as they exchanged disappointed looks.
A moment later, Stinkfly and Voidwing were flying through the air toward the jungle-covered ruins ahead, with Gwen riding on Stinkfly's back and Max riding on Voidwing's.
Max glanced back at the others, then at the temple in the distance.
"Ben, can't you go any faster?"
From the way Voidwing moved, Max knew they could have reached the temple in no time at all. The problem was that only he could properly read the map projection and tell where they were supposed to land. Because of that, he and Voidwing could not just speed off and leave Ben and Gwen behind to wander around until they somehow found the place themselves.
"I'm sorry, Grandpa," Stinkfly groaned, flapping his wings harder. "I am not used to flying with this passenger. And I am not as fast as Evan's new alien."
He strained forward again, his wings buzzing loudly as they pushed through the air.
Then he winced as the temple came into his view.
"We must be close," he said.
That was when the Omnitrix on Ben's wrist started beeping.
"Oh no!"
At the same time, Voidwing spread his wings wider and increased his speed, banking hard as he made a sharp U-turn to keep them moving toward the temple.
"Brace yourselves!" Stinkfly shouted.
A second later, Ben's transformation timed out, and he and Gwen dropped from the sky.
Fortunately, Voidwing reacted fast enough. He twisted in the air and caught both of them before they could hit the ground and get injured.
"Thanks…" Gwen said, catching her breath as she held onto Voidwing's front leg for support.
Voidwing had to retract his teeth so he would not accidentally take a chunk out of Ben from how he caught him.
"Couldn't you hold me in a better position?" Ben complained. "And your alien seriously doesn't have any teeth?"
As they flew closer to the temple, Voidwing slowed just enough to hover in place and look down.
Below them, they could see a helicopter parked near the entrance, along with a group of Forever Knights standing guard.
One of the knights stepped up to the temple door and placed an explosive charge against it. The others backed off, and after a moment the charge detonated.
It did absolutely nothing.
The heavy stone door did not even budge.
"Still not open," Enoch said impatiently. "Use a bigger charge this time. Idiots."
Max narrowed his eyes. "Let's go around them and try to sneak in the back."
Voidwing angled away from the entrance, making sure not to get too close to the knights' line of sight. He circled around the temple and landed on the opposite side, where the group quickly moved toward the rear wall.
Once they were back on the ground, Voidwing returned to human form, and the four of them rushed up the steps at the back of the temple.
They came to a stop in front of an ancient engraving carved into the stone wall.
"There is always a secret entrance in these temples," Max said, walking up to examine the carving.
He ran his hand along the wall, feeling for anything out of place. At the same time, Ben's attention drifted downward, landing on the mask attached to Max's belt. Before Max even noticed, Ben reached over and took it.
Max kept feeling along the wall, still searching.
"Come on… where is it?" he muttered.
Then he turned around and saw Ben holding the mask up against his back while staring at the wall.
"Ben, what are you doing?"
"The mask showed us how to get to the temple, Grandpa," Ben said, looking around. "Maybe it can show us how to get in."
He held it over his eyes, and the green glow from the gem lenses tinted everything in front of him.
A moment later, he spotted one brick in the wall glowing a slightly different shade than the others.
"Ha! There it is." He pressed the brick.
The stone shifted sideways with a low grinding sound, revealing a hidden passage behind it.
The group immediately stepped inside and moved through the dark hallway beyond. The air was cooler in here, damp and stale from centuries of being sealed away.
Evan raised two fingers and formed a small ball of fire above his hand, using it as a light source as they continued deeper into the temple.
"The sword should be in the center chamber on the lowest floor," Max said, keeping his eyes forward as he walked. "There should be some stairs nearby."
"Stairs?" Ben echoed. "Oh man, where is the express elevator when you really need it?"
"Ben!" Evan called out, but it was too late.
Ben had not been paying attention and took one step forward too far.
The floor dropped out beneath him.
"Ben!" Gwen shouted.
Evan reacted instantly, leaping past her with Zero-G so he could stand in the air and grab Ben by the leg. Max lunged forward at the same time and caught Ben's other leg, both of them pulling him back before he could fall into the bottomless pit.
Ben dangled for a second before they hauled him up onto the platform.
"Thanks," Ben said once he was back on solid ground.
"Phew," Max muttered, picking up the mask again. "That was close. Almost lost the mask."
He started walking off like nothing had happened, mask now attached to his belt, while the others stood there staring after him.
Gwen blinked. "Okay, can you say 'obsessed'?"
"Once he gets that sword, he'll be himself again, right guys?" Ben asked, glancing between them.
"Let's hope so…" Evan said, sounding a little unsure as they all followed Max down the wooden stairwell in the center of the pit.
Max moved carefully as he descended.
"Stay sharp," he warned. "The ancient Mayans were notorious for setting-"
A sharp crack echoed through the chamber.
Ben held up a broken ladder rung in his hand. "Booby traps?"
Then the ceiling above them groaned.
A heavy rumble rolled through the temple, and the structure started to cave in. Large boulders crashed down from above, smashing through the staircases and sending dust and debris everywhere.
"Move it!" Max shouted.
The whole group broke into a run, racing down the remaining stairs as fast as they could.
Evan wasted no time. He activated his Another Omnitrix without even looking at it.
A golden flash burst behind them.
"Crashhopper!"
His body shifted into the new form, and he crouched low before launching himself upward like a spring. He slammed his head into one of the falling boulders and shattered it before it could land on the others.
Using Zero-G, he stepped onto the air itself and kicked off again, smashing into another boulder and breaking that one apart as well.
"You guys go on ahead!" Crashhopper called out, smashing through another rock that was about to fall on top of them. "I'll catch up later!"
The Tennysons did not waste any time. They kept running down the stairs as quickly as they could. A grappling hook shot out from his wrist and buried itself in the rocky wall ahead.
Max thrust his arm forward. "Hold on!"
Gwen and Ben grabbed on just in time as Max swung them across the chasm, carrying them to the other side in a single arc.
They landed in a heap and rubbed their heads, each of them wincing from the rough landing.
Crashhopper looked ready to jump down after them, but before he could move, an arrow struck his back.
An electrical shock ran through him, making him flinch hard just as another boulder dropped on top of him and sent him crashing down below, without anyone noticing.
"Thanks, Grandpa," Gwen said, looking up as Max was already heading down the staircase at the far end of the hall.
"You two coming?"
"What about Evan?" Gwen started to ask, but Max was already too far ahead to hear her clearly.
The two of them hurried after him.
"Remember when he made this stuff fun?" Ben asked as he ran beside Gwen. "I miss the old Grandpa."
"Honestly," Gwen muttered, "I'd eat a whole bowl of dung beetle soup if I knew it would bring him back."
At last, they reached the center chamber.
There was a pedestal in the middle of the room with a perfect mask-shaped indentation waiting for the Mask of Ah Puch. In front of it stood a massive stone door marked with the same symbol.
"This is it," Max said, stepping up to the pedestal with the mask ready in his hands.
Then two pairs of hands suddenly shot out of the shadows and grabbed Ben and Gwen.
Both kids were yanked backward into the darkness before they could even react.
Max snapped around at once, pulling out his blaster as another torch flared to life in the dark chamber.
The light revealed Enoch standing there, hands behind his back.
"Who says you cannot get a Plumber when you need one?" he asked.
Around him, the Forever Knights raised their energy swords, revealing that Ben and Gwen were completely at their mercy.
Max stood frozen for a moment, knowing exactly what would happen if he made the wrong move.
Enoch gave a pleased chuckle. "Without you bringing the mask, we would never have been able to enter the great chamber."
Max's jaw tightened. Then, with a long, reluctant sigh, he lowered the blaster and tossed it aside.
Enoch stepped forward and took the mask from him.
"Now," he said, his smile widening as he looked toward the prisoners in the dark, "I believe it is time to toss the garbage."
Enoch led them to the chamber with a bottomless pit, where they were now completely at his mercy.
"Legend has it that the Eternal Pit of Despair is bottomless," Enoch said with a cruel smile. "Let's find out."
Before anyone could react, he suddenly shoved Ben forward and kicked him straight into the abyss. Ben went hurtling down into the darkness, screaming all the way.
"Ben!" Max and Gwen shouted.
"Wouldn't want him to get lonely," Enoch said coldly, gesturing to his guards.
They answered by shoving Gwen and Max over the edge right after him.
All three of them dropped fast through the dark shaft, the walls rushing past them as the wind roared in their ears. Ben did not waste a second. He slammed the Omnitrix and transformed into Four Arms, then drove all four hands into the pit walls, digging in hard and stopping their fall before they could crash even deeper.
He looked up just in time to see Max and Gwen still dropping toward him.
Four Arms reached out and caught both of them with two arms, holding them steady before they could be thrown off balance.
"That's it," Gwen groaned as Four Arms pulled her onto his back. "I am so going to band camp next summer."
Four Arms grunted and started climbing back up the shaft, using his strength to pull them upward piece by piece. Rock crumbled under his grip, but he kept going until he finally hauled them back to the top of the chasm.
Once they were out, Max immediately re-fastened his belt and began attaching his Plumber gloves and weapons again, moving fast as he got ready for a fight.
Four Arms glanced over at Gwen, who was still looking a little dazed from the drop.
"Grandpa," he said, "I think Gwen needs a second to catch her breath."
"No can do," Max replied sharply. "Enoch may already be at the sword."
"Grandpa, ever since that alarm went off, that sword is all you have been thinking about!" Four Arms shot back. "You three need to keep your eyes on the prize and remember what is important."
"We do remember!" Four Arms said. "Do you? Because maybe you have not noticed, but Evan is not with us right now!"
That made Max stop.
He turned, scanning the chamber quickly as if he had just realized something obvious had gone missing.
Then Evan's voice echoed from the entrance.
"I'm here…"
They quickly turned.
Evan was walking toward them, one hand pressed against the wall for support. Blood was running from a cut on his right eyebrow and streaking down his face, staining the front of his white shirt.
"Evan!" Four Arms shouted, immediately rushing over to him.
"Evan! Are you okay?" Max asked, hurrying forward too.
"I'm fine…" Evan muttered. "Let's get this over with. I'm tired."
He pushed past them and kept walking toward the chamber, where the great stone doors now stood open.
Four Arms and Max followed close behind. Gwen, still recovering, finally opened her eyes and noticed Evan's condition.
She started to say something, but she stopped herself, seeing the fight happening through the doorway.
Inside, the Forever Knights were being thrown around like rag dolls by a huge monster with purple skin, red eyes, and pointed ears. It wore a mask over the upper part of its face and had no visible teeth, only a long, unsettling tongue. Circular earrings hung from its ears, and it wore ancient Maya clothing with blue fabric and yellow trim, along with a blue loincloth. Linen bandages wrapped around its left thigh, left wrist, and knee, while a gold bracelet encircled its right hand and a ring sat around its left foot. Leaves were attached to the ends of its sleeves, and its bare feet moved with sharp, quick steps across the stone floor.
"That thing looks familiar," Four Arms said, narrowing his eyes.
"It must be Ah Puch," Max said at once. "The Mayan god of death and the underworld. He is the guardian of the Sword of Ek Chuaj."
"Why can't these places ever be protected by, I don't know, the guardian of cheerfulness?" Gwen muttered as she came in behind them. "Is that too much to ask?"
"I think that would make it too easy," Four Arms said.
He watched as Ah Puch hurled another Forever Knight across the room.
"Looks like he is taking out the bad guys for us."
"Ben, Ev-" Max began, but stopped when he saw Evan moving again.
Evan had already started forward, despite the blood on his face. His hand moved to his Another Omnitrix, activating the dial and turning it before he pressed the dial down.
A golden flash burst through the chamber.
When the light faded, SAM stood in his place.
Tall, armored, and imposing, the mechanical figure stepped forward with heavy metallic footsteps that echoed through the chamber. The plating of his armor opened slightly as golden fire spilled outward from within, illuminating the stone walls around him.
The Forever Knights and Ah Puch both turned toward the new threat as SAM advanced, his glowing form cutting through the darkness with cold, determined purpose.
The air in the chamber seemed to tighten as he kept walking.