"Let me go! I need to attend the Truth Prize ceremony and prove I'm the greatest scientist in the world!" Dr. Animo screamed like a madman, struggling against the police restraints.
"I'm sorry, Animo, but what's waiting for you is prison," Ben replied calmly.
He reached up, yanked the gene mutator off Animo's head, and without hesitation, smashed it to pieces underfoot.
"NOOO!!"
Dr. Animo collapsed to his knees, clutching the broken scraps of his invention like a dying animal, howling like a pig being slaughtered.
In the distance, the Triceratops, giant pigeons, Tyrannosaurus Rex, and Therizinosaurus began to either shrink back to normal or crumble into skeletal remains.
Ever since Animo unleashed mutant creatures at the supermarket and ambushed Ben and Grandpa Max, his downfall had been inevitable.
"Wooo-wooo-wooo~!"
Police sirens wailed in the background.
"Alright, Grandpa, time to hand him over," Ben said, nodding toward the officers pouring in through the main gate.
"Hey, hey! What's going on here?!"
"Sir, drop your weapon and raise your hands!"
A few officers mistook Grandpa Max for a hostile and immediately rushed him.
Max raised his hands, confused. After a round of panicked explanations—and confirmation that Animo was a wanted criminal—the mix-up was quickly cleared.
Once the cuffs clicked into place, Dr. Animo's fate was sealed.
"What the heck even happened here? How did you guys take down all those monsters?" one officer asked curiously while hauling Animo toward the patrol car.
Max grinned proudly and pointed back at Gwen, Ben, and himself. "My grandkids handled it."
"Hah! What a joke."
Everyone around scoffed and looked at the kids with amused disbelief.
"You idiots!" Animo barked suddenly. "It's true! Just slap the Omnitrix on his wrist and you'll see—he'll turn into a four-armed alien!"
The escort officers exchanged a look… then chuckled.
"Originally we were gonna send you to max security. Now we're thinking... maybe the psych ward fits better."
One officer patted him mockingly on the back.
Dr. Animo's face twisted in fury and humiliation. As he was dragged away, his bloodshot eyes locked onto Ben, filled with venomous hatred.
Ben just stretched and yawned. "Well, now that the mad scientist's gone, time to get out of here."
"Ugh... we were supposed to go fishing tonight," Max groaned as he walked back to the rusted RV. "Guess we'll try again tomorrow. Let's eat, kids. You must be starving."
"Dinner."
Ben winced. Grandpa Max's cooking was far more terrifying than any mutant dinosaur or robot from space.
"Nooo…" Gwen and Grandpa Max muttered at the same time, trudging reluctantly toward the RV. Ben was the only one who dared eat the mystery stew without flinching.
Later that night, over a "questionable" dinner, the TV flickered on with the evening news.
Gwen changed the channel, landing on the Truth Prize ceremony.
"I wonder who won this year," she said, interested.
"You nerd," Max muttered, snatching the remote and flipping channels.
"Hey! Give it back!" Gwen reached across the table.
Suddenly—"Breaking news! Reports of alien sightings continue to rise—"
Max had stopped on the news.
The footage was grainy, barely visible, but it showed the blurry outline of Four Arms fighting the mutant dinosaur. The clip cut to various street interviews.
"I saw a guy this morning—on fire! I swear, he was from a UFO!"
"I saw one made of diamonds!"
All of them, without exception, were rescued by Ben.
Their eyes shone with admiration. Their voices trembled with excitement. One thing was clear—They were fans.
Ben's alien forms—especially Four Arms and Heatblast—had developed a growing underground following.
"Dude, Ben! You're on TV!" Gwen grinned, nudging him with her elbow.
"If they found out you're all those aliens, they'd probably chase you down for interviews," Max added with a chuckle.
Ben gave a half-smile. "I'm not into that. Being a low-key hero suits me better."
He leaned back, a little uneasy.
Because while the news hadn't revealed his secret yet… the fame was growing.
Later, Ben asked Grandpa Max about their fishing plans for tomorrow. Gwen handed him her laptop.
Ben typed in the name of the lake.
The first headline made his eyes narrow.
"Lake Monster Spotted at Popular Fishing Spot?!"
"What a joke," Gwen said over his shoulder. "Fake clickbait."
"Yeah, probably nothing," Ben said casually.
But he wasn't convinced.
He bookmarked the article.
Just in case.