"Asher, you're finally here!" Ben looked at XLR8 standing behind him with visible relief, his entire body relaxing. The past few minutes had been some of the most terrifying of his life, dodging the robotic drones by what felt like mere inches each time.
Only now that Asher had arrived could he truly breathe easier.
"Ben, are you alright? They didn't hurt you, did they?" XLR8's voice carried genuine concern as he appeared beside Ben in a blur of motion. The speedster's protective visor gleamed in the building's lights.
Ben was still staring at the spot where XLR8 had been standing just a moment ago, his brain struggling to catch up with what his eyes had just witnessed.
"I'm fine, that tin monster didn't touch a single hair on my head." Ben shook his head, then his expression darkened with anger as he stomped his foot. "But they took Grandpa Max and Gwen! Vilgax's robots grabbed them!"
"I know. And I saw exactly what they're planning."
XLR8 looked up at the drone rapidly disappearing into the sky, rage building in his chest like a furnace. Every muscle in his Kineceleran body tensed with the desire to chase after them immediately.
But the voice of reason cut through his fury, cold and clear.
I need to stay calm. I have to.
"Asher, we need to find Grandpa and Gwen right now, or something terrible might happen to them." Ben's voice grew quieter with each word, as if saying it aloud would make his fears come true. He couldn't bear to imagine what Vilgax and Kevin might do to them.
XLR8 took several deep breaths, forcing himself to think rationally instead of emotionally. His clawed hand reached up to touch his chin in thought. "Ben, don't panic. They'll be safe for now."
"Vilgax and Kevin grabbed them to make me lose my cool and chase after them blindly, straight into whatever trap they've prepared. If that happens, then we're all finished."
So they couldn't pursue it. Not yet. Not until he had a better plan.
He needed access to more powerful alien transformations first.
Vilgax's plan had been devastatingly clever in its simplicity. Use a time bomb to draw Asher's attention, then capture Gwen and Max while he is distracted. It forced an impossible choice, save the hostages or save everyone else in the building.
There was no good option.
"I really want to smash those robots' heads in, but..." Ben trailed off, staring at his reflection in the building's glass windows. He looked lost, uncertain.
It reminded him of earlier in the summer vacation when he'd tried to save a kid hanging from a tree branch, only to end up dangling beside him, equally helpless.
Still powerless. Still unable to help when it matters most.
But this time was different.
This time, he didn't wallow in self-pity. Within moments, he straightened his shoulders and lifted his chin, courage returning to his eyes without anyone needing to comfort him.
XLR8 had been about to offer encouraging words, but seeing Ben's transformation, he felt a swell of pride instead.
That's the Ben Tennyson I know, the hero he's meant to become.
"Asher, what should we do next?" Ben asked, his voice steady and determined.
"My transformation time is almost up. Let's wait for the Omnitrix to recharge, and during that time, we'll figure out what Kevin and Vilgax are planning to do next."
XLR8's words proved prophetic. Moments later, the familiar red flash engulfed him, and Asher stood in the speedster's place, his human form returned.
Together with Ben, he made his way to another hotel room on the fourth floor, one arranged by the hotel staff who were also helping coordinate with the police.
Though of course, against threats like Vilgax and Kevin, regular law enforcement would be essentially useless. If anything, they'd just create more confusion and put themselves in danger.
"Asher, I don't know if this helps, but I vaguely remember Kevin telling those robbers something about taking them for a 'big score.'" Ben's brow furrowed as he tried to recall the exact conversation he'd overheard when he first encountered Kevin.
Asher, who had been drawing a blank on where to start, suddenly straightened. "Ben, that clue is extremely important! With that, I can definitely figure out where Kevin's heading next."
"Let's think this through together. Kevin loves money more than anything, and those robbers he's working with want money too."
"'Big score' means making a lot of money fast," Ben added, his expression growing more animated as he caught onto Asher's train of thought.
"Exactly! So if Kevin wants to make big money quickly..." Asher pulled out his phone and immediately started searching for nearby targets. "Let me check if there are any banks or similar locations around here."
His fingers flew across the screen.
There!
Near the city center sat the most luxurious bank in the entire city, a fortress containing countless gold bars and massive amounts of cash.
"They're definitely hitting this place, I'd bet anything on it," Asher said with absolute certainty, already standing up from his seat. "We need to leave now, before they can make their move."
"This time, we'll be the ones setting up the ambush." Ben clenched his fist with fierce determination, his eyes blazing with righteous anger.
"By the way, Ben..." Asher reached into his pocket and pulled out the toy air gun, pressing it into Ben's hands. "If you run into any of those robbers, use this to scare them off. It looks real enough that they won't know the difference."
The two boys exited the room together and approached the hotel staff, managing to borrow some money for taxi fare. Given the time bomb situation, there were no cars on the roads, making their journey surprisingly quick and smooth.
After Asher and Ben stepped out of the taxi, they immediately began surveying their surroundings with tactical awareness. Pedestrians moved about their business, unaware of the danger lurking nearby. The boys' eyes swept across the bank's exterior.
Standing guard at the bank's main entrance were numerous fully armed security personnel, their body language tense and alert. This level of security was unprecedented, even high-value banks didn't normally deploy armed guards like soldiers preparing for war.
Asher's expression grew puzzled. "Did these people somehow find out in advance that Vilgax's robot army was coming? Are they actually preparing to fight back?"
"Ha! Robot army? Vilgax? Kid, you've got quite the imagination there!"
A blond man in his forties walking past them overheard Asher's comment and couldn't help but laugh. "Let me guess, you probably believe in alien heroes too? All that stuff about transforming aliens and monsters? That's just fairy tales for children."
Asher didn't take offense. Instead, he adopted an innocent, curious expression. "Sir, do you know what's actually going on?"
"Well, today's the day for the armored cash transport," the man explained, his tone suggesting he was sharing common knowledge. "They're moving a massive shipment of money, probably arriving via the highway soon. That's why they've got all this security. By the way, kids, don't go spreading wild stories about robots and aliens. People might think you're crazy."
The blond man patted Asher on the shoulder in a patronizing gesture and walked into the bank, clearly dismissing the boys' concerns as childish nonsense.
"An armored cash transport?"
This was the key information Asher needed.
"But we don't know how to get to the highway, and we don't have any transportation," Ben said, his face falling with disappointment.
"Highway? I know exactly how to get there," Asher said with a dismissive wave of his hand.
His eyes had already spotted two electric scooters parked casually by the street.
Ahem.
He cleared his throat, walked over to the scooters, and stepped onto one with an air of righteous purpose. "This is a scooter dedicated to the cause of justice! Ben, we're borrowing these to intercept the armored truck near the highway."
These were even electric-powered, the speed would definitely be sufficient!
"I've never done anything this exciting before!" Ben's eyes lit up with barely contained enthusiasm as he mounted the second scooter. The thrill of taking action, even if it technically involved "borrowing" someone's property, made his heart race.
The two boys took off toward the highway, with Asher leading the way with confidence.
Meanwhile, the armored truck rumbled along the highway like an armored fortress on wheels. Several heavily armed security personnel clung to mounting points on the vehicle's exterior, their eyes constantly scanning for threats.
Should any lunatic actually be crazy enough to try robbing an armored car...
"Boys, take them down! The money's ours!"
A dark, manic voice suddenly cut through the air!
The security guards raised their weapons with one hand, their eyes widening in disbelief at what they saw approaching.
Flying straight toward them was a black-haired boy who appeared to be around eleven or twelve years old. Armor covered his body, crackling with electricity. He was flying, actually flying through the air!
Surrounding him were several other figures, all similarly armored and transformed, their bodies bristling with technological enhancement!
This is impossible!
One guard's mouth fell open. "What the hell, is this some kind of science fiction movie?!"
But the proof was right in front of their eyes, defying everything they thought they knew about reality.
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