At the water park, a massive, crisscrossing waterslide loomed like a six-story monster.
"You don't meet the height requirement," the lifeguard said, pointing at a chart. He looked at Ben, then back to the chart. "You're just a hair too short."
"Hey, buddy!" Ben pleaded. "It's half an inch! Is it really necessary to be so strict?"
"No," the lifeguard flatly refused. He then turned to Tyler and Gwen. "You two are good to go."
"Sorry, Ben... we'll meet you at the bottom," Tyler said awkwardly. He was promptly dragged away by Gwen, who was already adjusted to her swimsuit and eager for the thrill. Their screams of excitement soon echoed down the tubes.
"Annoying..." Ben grumbled, walking to a secluded corner of the park. He looked at the Omnitrix. "Height not up to standard? Fine. I'll just pick someone who is tall."
He dialed the watch to Four Arms. But he hesitated. "I promised Tyler I wouldn't mess around with this thing... but if I don't go on that slide, Gwen will never let me hear the end of it."
CLICK.
Suddenly, the Omnitrix screen began to flicker violently. The green light pulsed erratically, cycling through alien icons at blinding speed.
"Hey! Stop it!" Ben slammed his palm onto the dial to force a selection.
WHOOSH!!
A burst of green light erupted. Instead of the muscular Four Arms, a wispy, translucent figure appeared in the harsh sunlight. Ben had turned into Ghostfreak.
"Ugh, not this guy! It's so hot!" Ben felt like he was being slow-cooked. His skin crawled, and his throat felt like it was filled with sand. Staying invisible to avoid a panic, he floated toward the shade of a nearby pool lounge, leaning weakly against a wall. "It's fine... the timer is ten minutes. I just have to wait it out."
At the bottom of the slide, Tyler suddenly stopped. His Carnitrix hissed, and the screen popped up automatically. It wasn't a manual selection—the Predatory Targeting System had locked onto something.
The icon displayed was The Void-Wraith.
"Tyler, is your watch acting up?" Gwen asked, putting her hands on her hips. "Or is there an enemy nearby?"
"I don't know," Tyler whispered, looking around at the crowds of playing children. Was the Carnitrix sensing a threat, or was it just hungry for a kill?
"Tyler! Gwen! Where's Ben?" Grandpa Max called out, walking over.
"He should have been right behind us," Tyler said, twisting the screen back down. They checked the stairs, the lockers, and the snack stands, but Ben was nowhere to be found.
Ten minutes passed. Then fifteen.
In the cool water of a secluded pool, Ghostfreak was shivering. "Omnitrix... are you kidding me? The timer should have run out by now!"
Because of the glitch, the transformation wouldn't end. Ben's consciousness was fading under the heat. Through the haze, he saw a shadow looming over him—a man with glasses and a look of greedy relief.
"Is this... a ghost? Or an alien?" the man, House, whispered. "The Forever Knights will pay a fortune for this. You're my ticket to the big leagues, spook."
House dragged Ben's limp, translucent body away from the park.
"We've searched everywhere," Max sighed back at the Rustbucket. "He's gone."
Tyler looked at his Carnitrix, which had finally settled down. "Grandpa, I think Ben transformed. If the watch glitched, he might have been forced to leave the park."
Suddenly, Tyler's phone buzzed. It was an unfamiliar number.
"Tyler?" a weak, raspy voice sounded. "It's Ben."
"Ben! Where are you? Why do you sound like you're dying?"
"Don't... don't ask. I'm on XXX Street... hurry. Something is wrong... my head feels... heavy..."
The call cut out. Inside the trunk of House's car, Ben had collapsed. The sunlight hadn't just weakened him; something inside the Ghostfreak DNA was beginning to push back against his mind.
"Hey! No phones!" House barked, snatching the landline away from where Ben had crawled to in the study.
WHOOSH!!
Inside the Rustbucket, a red light exploded. Tyler didn't waste a second. He transformed into The Wrecking Star (Cannonbolt), rolled out the window, and tore down the asphalt toward the address Ben had given.
"Tyler, wait! We don't know exactly where—" Max stopped.
On the dashboard, Tyler had left a sticky note with the exact coordinates and a map of the route. He was already miles ahead.
Tyler crashed through the door of House's home, but the room was empty. Documents about aliens were scattered everywhere, and the phone was still off the hook.
"I'm too late," Tyler growled, reverting to human form. He realized Ben's Omnitrix wasn't just malfunctioning—it was a trap.
Meanwhile, in the trunk of a car heading toward a secret fortress, Ben's eyes snapped open. They weren't his eyes anymore. A rare, brutal light flickered in the purple irises as he stared at the back of the driver's head.
Zs'Skayr was waking up.