The surface of the lake was finally calm after the intense underwater battle that had just taken place. Anyone who had witnessed the violent disturbances underwater could imagine the incredible power that had been unleashed during the confrontation.
"Whimper!" But the massive creature actually let out a pitiful whimper that echoed across the water, a cry of pain and defeat!
The morning sun illuminated its massive body as it briefly surfaced, revealing the extent of its damage. Its ancient hide was covered in bluish-purple bruises and welts, clear evidence of a thorough beating. The once-proud predator looked as if it had been systematically beaten by an overwhelming force.
"This... this sea monster, how could it be so badly beaten..." Ben stared at the battered creature, his voice filled with disbelief. The same monster that had seemed so menacing only minutes ago was now reduced to this pathetic state.
Almost immediately after surfacing, the defeated creature dove back under the surface of the lake and disappeared in a flash, presumably fleeing to the deepest parts of the water where it could nurse its wounds in solitude.
"The sea monster was actually driven away by Asher's alien transformation!" Gwen exclaimed with obvious admiration, her small hands clenching involuntarily as she watched the water. "It must be true!"
SPLASH!
A moment later, Ripjaws burst from the surface of the lake, water cascading from his aquatic form. His expression was one of confusion as he scratched his fish-like cheeks, still dripping with lake water.
"I thought it would be a fierce fight," he said with genuine surprise in his voice. "I didn't expect such a big guy to have such a glass heart. My techniques completely shattered his confidence.
"That was so cool! You actually scared that giant creature away!" Ben waved excitedly at the Piscciss Volann, his face glowing with hero worship. "Asher, are you hurt at all?"
"Me? I'm fine," Ripjaws replied with characteristic humility, shrugging his shoulders with a calm expression. He flicked his powerful tail and swam quickly toward the shore, grasping the water's edge with both palms.
Whoosh!
With minimal effort, his entire body shot out of the lake and landed gracefully on the ground next to his cousins.
Ben and Gwen instinctively examined Ripjaw's form, looking for any signs of injury from his battle with such a massive opponent. To their amazement, the aquatic alien appeared to be completely unharmed, not even a scratch marring his streamlined body.
Fighting a creature of that size and emerging unscathed was beyond their comprehension. Not only had he survived the encounter, but he had beaten the monster so thoroughly that it fled in terror!
"This alien transformation is much more powerful than I expected..." Ben said with open admiration, while Gwen nodded enthusiastically beside him. "It should be that Asher himself is incredibly powerful, which makes all his alien forms so formidable."
"It's not that much of an exaggeration," Ripjaws replied with modest humility, showing a gentle smile that would have been reassuring were it not for his rows of razor-sharp teeth. "I simply recognized his weaknesses and exploited them."
"What exactly are your teeth made of? They seem incredibly strong," Ben asked with burning curiosity, standing on his toes to get a better look. He raised his hands and gently patted the Piscciss Volann's intimidating fangs.
Ripjaws looked a bit annoyed by the attention and replied in a lazy tone, "I honestly don't know. Maybe they're stronger than steel."
"Ben, you're being really weird right now," Gwen criticized her cousin, but she couldn't help but walk behind Ripjaws to carefully observe his fishtail. Unable to resist her scientific curiosity, she reached out her hands to examine the appendage.
Beep! Beep! Beep!
Fortunately for everyone's dignity, the Omnitrix chose that exact moment to reach its time limit. With the familiar sound of transformation reversal, the imposing aquatic alien returned to human form.
"Okay, enough staring," Asher said with relief as he looked at his cousins positioned in front and behind him, dark lines of embarrassment forming on his forehead. "I'm not a museum piece, you know."
Gwen's cool hand was still on his back from her earlier examination of his tail, and it remained there even after the transformation was complete.
"Ah, sorry!" Gwen's face turned bright red as she quickly pulled back her hand, realizing what the situation must look like.
"We should tell Grandpa Max about the lake monster," Asher said seriously, his expression growing grave. "After all, this is an important safety issue that could affect other people."
"Will Grandpa really believe us? And... won't he punish us for swimming without permission?" Ben asked nervously, his voice weakening as he considered the possible consequences.
"Don't worry about it. When we talk to him, I'll tell him I was the one who suggested we go swimming," Asher said confidently, patting his chest in a responsible manner. "That way Grandpa won't be mad at you two, he'll direct any frustration at me instead."
"Asher, really?" Ben asked with genuine surprise.
"Of course, Ben. Don't worry about it. Who said we weren't good friends?" Asher assured his cousin with a warm smile.
Later, at the Rust Bucket...
"Ben, don't even try to deny it. It was obviously the two of you who came up with the idea to go swimming, and Asher just went along," Max lectured his grandchildren with a stern expression, his weathered face showing both authority and understanding. "I know your personalities too well, don't try to lie to your grandfather."
Asher stood aside and winked at Ben, indicating that he shouldn't feel guilty about the failed cover story. Max's detective instincts were just too sharp to be fooled!
"Grandpa, it really wasn't..." Ben defended himself weakly, but his protests lacked conviction.
"Do you think I can't see through your little schemes?" Max replied with a mixture of anger and amusement. "Swimming in this unfamiliar lake without proper safety precautions is extremely dangerous! I don't want this to happen again."
"Understood, Grandpa!" In response to their grandfather's lecture, both Ben and Gwen responded in perfect sync.
Then Max turned to Asher with a more serious expression. "Asher, you mentioned that there is a sea monster in these waters?"
"That's right," Asher nodded gravely. "The creature almost succeeded in attacking Ben. Fortunately, I was able to transform quickly enough to chase it away."
"If there really is a dangerous creature in this lake, then Ben and Gwen should not participate in today's planned fishing expedition," Max concluded after careful consideration, looking thoughtfully at his grandchildren.
"What? Why not, Grandpa!" Ben protested, rushing forward with obvious disappointment.
"It would be too dangerous for you two on the boat. Asher and I need to track this creature and make sure it's not a threat to any other innocent people," Max explained with parental concern.
"Grandpa, I actually think it would be more dangerous to leave it on the shore," Asher interjected diplomatically, helping to make the case for his cousins. He calmly presented his analysis: "First, the sea monster has already had experience with Ben, so there's no guarantee it won't return to attack him specifically. Second, we still have to consider the possibility that more of Vilgax's robots could arrive to hunt us down. So staying ashore might actually be just as dangerous as coming with us!"
The logic was sound: keeping everyone together would allow Asher to transform into any alien form necessary to defend the entire family at a moment's notice, rather than having to worry about protecting people in multiple locations.
Max considered his grandson's argument carefully, recognizing the wisdom in Asher's strategic thinking. After a moment of reflection, he slowly nodded in agreement.