Chapter 115: Change of Plans... No Change
Back on Earth, while Klein was off tracking down Verdona, Max Tennyson found himself being dragged through the woods by Xylene. Back at the campsite, Ben and Gwen were left on chore duty, grumbling as they folded up the camping chairs and packed away the gear.
Deep in the forest, the Uxorite turned to her companion.
"Max. Max! Max!!!"
Xylene reached out, tugging at Max's sleeve to break him out of his daze. "What in the universe is wrong with you?"
"Uh... I don't know," Max muttered, his brow furrowed in deep thought. "I just have a really bad feeling."
Having served as a Plumber for decades, Max knew his own instincts. He had only ever felt this specific, crawling sense of dread when dealing with one particular galactic warlord: Vilgax.
"Is it Vilgax?" Xylene asked, genuine worry flashing across her alien features.
Max shook his head slowly. "It shouldn't be. Vilgax is highly unlikely to return."
Over the past few weeks, Max had come to deeply understand just how terrifyingly capable his other grandson was. Especially after that one incident where Ben had completely messed up the Omnitrix, and Klein had stepped in, literally scaring the conqueror into a hasty retreat. Because of that, Max was fairly confident this lingering dread wasn't coming from Vilgax.
"Since, as you just said, Vilgax no longer poses a threat, then there should be nothing left on this mudball to hold you back," Xylene said softly. She reached out, taking Max's calloused hands in her own, looking up at him with deep affection. "Why are you so unwilling to come with me?"
Max sighed, his expression softening. "Ben, Gwen, and Klein... they are my whole world right now."
A warm, nostalgic smile touched the corners of his mouth as he thought of his family. He raised his head, meeting Xylene's gaze. "Besides, Roswell is always going to be there, isn't it?"
The forest grew quiet. The atmosphere shifted, thickening with unspoken history. They leaned in, the distance between them closing as they were just about to share a moment...
BOOM!
A massive explosion shattered the tranquility, echoing from the exact direction of the Rustbucket.
"Ben! Gwen!" Max yelled. All romantic tension vanished in an instant. Driven by sheer panic for his grandchildren, the veteran Plumber sprinted back toward the campsite, with Xylene following close behind.
Let us rewind the clock by five minutes.
A colossal, heavily upgraded mechanical drone plummeted from the sky, slamming into the earth just a few dozen yards from the Rustbucket. Dirt and debris rained down on the campsite.
Lightyears away, in the cold vacuum of outer space, Vilgax sat on his command throne, watching the live feed transmitted directly from the drone's optical sensors.
"The Tennyson elder isn't there?!" Vilgax snarled, his fist slamming into the armrest. "Curse it all!... Wait. The anomaly isn't there either!!!"
A cruel, jagged smile stretched across the conqueror's face. "The universe favors me! It is my destiny to claim the Omnitrix!"
The bad news: Max Tennyson was nowhere to be seen.
The fantastic news: Klein was gone.
Vilgax didn't hesitate. He immediately barked a new order to his ship's AI. The plan was changing. They were going straight for the Omnitrix!
To ensure absolute victory, Vilgax authorized the deployment of a swarm of secondary mechanical drones. Of course, he had absolutely no intention of going down to Earth himself. What if Klein suddenly returned from his little errand? Without disposable pawns like Dr. Animo or Kevin Levin to act as meat shields and buy him time to escape, setting foot on that planet was a suicide mission.
Back on Earth, the giant drone received its updated directive. Its massive optical visor flared crimson as it locked onto Ben.
Then came the deafening explosion that had interrupted Max and Xylene.
"Is that one of Vilgax's drones?!" Ben yelled, coughing as he and Gwen dove behind a cluster of trees to dodge a barrage of laser fire. He peeked out, staring at the towering mechanical monstrosity in shock.
"It's here to snatch the watch again!" Ben gritted his teeth, slamming his hand down on the dial. "You want this?! If you have the guts, come and take it from me!"
A blinding flash of emerald light illuminated the clearing.
"Four Arms!"
The Tetramand roared, his massive leg muscles coiling before he launched himself through the air. He crashed directly onto the giant drone's chassis, his four fists flying in a brutal, rapid-fire assault as he tried to tear the machine apart barehanded.
But this was an upgraded model. Four Arms strained, his muscles bulging, but after several seconds of intense dismantling, he had only managed to rip off a few superficial steel plating panels.
Worse yet, as he wrestled with the giant machine, a high-pitched mechanical whirring filled the air. Four Arms glanced over his shoulder. A massive swarm of smaller, heavily armed drones had silently descended, completely surrounding him. Hundreds of glowing red optical sensors locked onto his position, weapons charging with a lethal hum.
Four Arms blinked, his bravado faltering for a fraction of a second. "Oh. Well, that's annoying."
The swarm opened fire.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
But the lasers never reached him. A blinding volley of pure, violet energy beams rained down from the sky, tearing through the metallic swarm like wet paper. Explosions chained together as every single smaller drone was pierced and detonated in a spectacular fireworks display.
Four Arms looked up. Gwen floated a few dozen feet in the air, her physical body replaced by the glowing, ethereal purple form of an Anodite. Her hair flared like violet fire as she looked down at him, crossing her glowing arms.
"Need some help down there, Dweeb?" she asked, a smirk evident in her echoing voice.
"Thanks, but I've got this big guy!" Four Arms shouted back, turning his attention to the giant drone. He raised all four fists and resumed his violent, percussive assault on the machine's armored shell.
Gwen just rolled her glowing eyes. If the Dweeb wanted to play hero, she would let him tire himself out. She stayed hovering in the air, ready to intervene the second he inevitably messed up.
Down below, Four Arms was throwing haymakers that could shatter boulders, but the impacts merely left shallow, insignificant dents on the drone's hull. Vilgax had spared no expense, purchasing the ultra-dense alloys for this specific model at an exorbitant price. While it looked identical to his older units, its defensive capabilities had been exponentially multiplied.
Four Arms paused, panting slightly as he tried to think of a new strategy.
"What is going on here?!"
Max's voice cut through the chaos. Four Arms and Gwen looked over to see their grandfather sprinting into the clearing, Xylene hot on his heels.
Without a single word, Xylene stepped forward, her eyes glowing as she prepared to join the fight.
But Four Arms scowled. He already harbored a deep grudge against this alien woman for trying to steal his grandfather away. "I can handle it! We don't need you meddling!"
Xylene wasn't about to coddle a stubborn child. She raised her hands, her telekinetic powers flaring to life. She didn't target the drone directly; instead, she seized control of the muddy earth beneath its massive metallic feet. With a sharp upward gesture, she violently flipped the ground itself.
The giant drone lost its balance, toppling backward. Four Arms, caught completely off guard, lost his grip on the chassis and tumbled off, face-planting into the dirt.
Max didn't waste the opening. He whipped out his heavy Plumber laser cannon, braced his feet, and fired a blinding, concentrated blast directly into the drone's center of mass.
The sheer kinetic force of the shot sent the colossal machine skidding backward across the dirt. It crashed heavily into the ground... right next to the Rustbucket.
Sparks flew as the drone immediately righted itself. Its chassis split open, extending dozens of metallic, whip-like tentacles. Before anyone could react, the tentacles lashed out, wrapping around the Rustbucket. With terrifying speed and precision, the drone began to violently dismantle the beloved RV, ripping off armor plating, engines, and structural supports, instantly welding the stolen parts onto its own damaged body to repair and upgrade itself.
In a matter of seconds, the assimilation was complete. The giant drone stood taller and more heavily armored than before, while the Rustbucket was reduced to a stripped, pathetic metal chassis.
Max dropped to his knees, his eyes wide with horror. His heart bled as he stared at the skeletal remains of his pride and joy. His beloved car... it was just gone!
Up in the air, Gwen's violet aura flared with sudden, intense fury. The Rustbucket wasn't just a vehicle; it was their home! Without it, they didn't even have a place to sleep tonight!
"That is it!" Gwen yelled. She decided right then and there to rip this oversized tin can to shreds and see if she could glue the RV back together with the scraps.
Channeling a massive surge of Mana, Gwen thrust her hands forward. Violet energy wrapped around the giant drone, lifting its multi-ton frame effortlessly into the air. With a vicious twisting motion, she used her telekinesis to violently wrench the drone's massive feet right off its legs.
Before the machine could even process the damage, Gwen unleashed a devastating, concentrated beam of pure Mana, blasting the drone point-blank.
Her original intention had been to vaporize the thing entirely, but the ultra-dense alloy held firm, preventing total destruction. However, the sheer concussive force of the blast tore a massive, gaping wound right through the drone's chest plating.
Four Arms didn't need an invitation. He leaped into the air, grabbing the edges of the smoking, jagged wound. With a thunderous roar, he flexed all four arms, forcefully prying the armor plates further apart. He plunged his hands deep into the machine's exposed chest cavity, ruthlessly tearing out thick bundles of wiring, power cores, and hydraulic lines.
Sparks showered the clearing as the giant drone spasmed, its optical visor flickering wildly before finally dying out. The colossal machine went completely rigid, crashing back down to the earth, motionless.
Meanwhile, in the cold void of outer space.
Vilgax sat in absolute silence, his unblinking eyes fixed on the live feed still broadcasting to his command console.
The giant drone wasn't completely dead. It had simply been crippled, its secondary backup systems still quietly transmitting audio and video back to the conqueror's ship.
The fact that the drone had collapsed and gone motionless was actually a direct override command from Vilgax himself.
Analyzing the combat data, Vilgax's tactical mind quickly calculated the odds. Even with its upgrades, the drone stood absolutely no chance against an Anodite, a Tetramand, a veteran Plumber, and a telekinetic Uxorite all attacking at once. It was a mathematical impossibility.
So, he ordered the machine to play dead. It would lie dormant in the dirt, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike when their guard was down.
The plan had changed yet again. He was reverting to his original strategy: wait for an opening, and capture Max Tennyson.
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