Meanwhile, Ben, Gwen, and Max pressed deeper into the museum, following the twisted trail of Lucy's scientific madness. They rounded a corner, only to be confronted by the Mutant Parrot. The bird, now larger and more menacing than before, advanced on them, its beady eyes locked on its prey.
Gwen, without missing a beat, spotted a spear displayed in a nearby exhibit. With a fluid motion, she grabbed it, testing its weight with practiced ease. Before Ben or Max could react, Gwen lunged forward, wielding the spear with surprising proficiency. She struck the Mutant Parrot squarely on the head, sending it squawking and staggering backward.
"Not bad, huh?" Gwen said, a smug grin on her face.
Ben stared at Gwen in amazement. "Where did you learn to do that?"
Gwen shrugged, twirling the spear casually. "I've had some practice."
"Well, when you start teaching me martial arts, teach me that first," Ben said, shaking his head in disbelief.
They carried on, weaving through halls filled with relics of the past, until they reached the grand atrium. It was too late. Animo, standing proudly before a T-Rex skeleton, held her Transmodulator high. Beams of red energy shot out, enveloping the bones. The skeleton shuddered, and the bones clicked, before the massive reptile materialized.
Lucy hopped onto the back of the reanimated beast. The T-Rex took a step, shattering the ground beneath its feet.
"I love to stay, but I'm off to claim what my father deserves," Lucy said, her voice echoing through the hall. "The recognition, the fame! I will continue his legacy!"
The T-Rex turned and smashed through the wall, leaving a gaping hole in its wake.
Suddenly, the flapping of wings filled the air. Ben, hearing the familiar sound, turned just in time to see the Mutant Parrot diving toward them. The bird wasn't going for him or Max. It was going for Gwen. Acting on instinct, Ben shoved her out of the path of the avian menace. The Parrot screeched as it grabbed Ben's arms with its talons, lifting him into the air. The bird followed Animo and her dino out the hole in the wall.
"BEN!" Gwen shouted.
Just then, 4Arms arrived, bursting through the doorway.
"Mr. Maxwell, is everything alright?" she questioned.
Max pointed to the sky. "4Arms, get Ben!"
Without a second thought, 4Arms took off, running at full speed toward the opening. With a powerful leap, she launched herself into the air, soaring toward the Mutant Parrot.
"Benjamin, I am coming to your rescue!" 4Arms declared, reaching out to grab the bird.
She caught hold of the Parrot's tail, but as she did, a shower of feathers rained down. The feathers where 4Arms grabbed were plucked and she lost her grip. Without a hold, she fell back to the ground. [CRASH]
She crashed, making a crater in the museum lawn.
"4Arms!" Ben yelled.
Shaking her head, 4Arms pulled herself out of the crater she created. Dirt and grass clung to her form as she surveyed the damage. Max and Gwen drove up in the Rustbucket. They hopped out, concern etched on their faces.
"I apologise, Mr. Maxwell, Ms. Gwendolyn. I have failed to rescue Benjamin." 4Arms said, her tone heavy with regret. "That mutant avian got away."
Max placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "It's alright, 4Arms. You tried. We'll figure something out."
Gwen's expression hardened. "We can't just stand here. Animo has Ben. We need to go after them."
"Ms. Gwendolyn is right," 4Arms confirmed. "We must locate them and rescue Benjamin. I will not fail again."
Max nodded in agreement. "Alright, let's get back in the Rustbucket. We need to find them before Animo does any more damage." He climbed back behind the wheel, his face grim.
Clutched in the Mutant Parrot's talons, Ben struggled against the bird's grip. He reached for the Omnitrix, his fingers stretching, but the Parrot held his arms too far apart. He couldn't reach it. The bird hovered above Animo, displaying Ben like a prize.
"Well, well, well," Lucy said, her voice dripping with false sweetness. "Look what the bird dragged in." She circled him, examining him as one would examine a curious bug. "Aren't you a little cutie."
"Yeah, yeah," Ben replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Save it for someone who cares. What's with the Jurassic Park revival tour? Did you run out of hamsters to abuse?"
Lucy's eyes narrowed. "You think this is funny?" She gestures towards the T-Rex. "I'm fulfilling my father's legacy! Something you clearly know nothing about." She leaned closer, her face inches from his. "You have no idea what's coming. You should just go home."
"I'm shaking in my boots. So, what's this about?"
"Who are you anyway?" Lucy asked, stepping back. "What's your name?"
"Name's Ben," he said. "Ben Tennyson. And you are?"
"That's none of your concern." Lucy said.
"Humor me." Ben said, "Why are you doing all this?"
"Why? WHY?!" Lucy's face turned beet red. "Because they wronged my father!" she shrieked, her voice cracking with emotion. "They laughed at him, called him a madman! He was a genius! All he wanted to do was push the boundaries of science, to unlock the secrets of life itself!" She pointed a trembling finger at Ben. "And they took it all away from him!"
Ben watched her, a strange mix of pity and annoyance swirling inside him. So, it all came down to daddy issues. Typical. "Okay, but mutating hamsters and playing with dinosaur bones isn't exactly gonna win you a Nobel Prize," Ben said. "Maybe you should try therapy instead."
Lucy's face contorted with rage. "Therapy?! How dare you? This isn't about me; it's about justice for my father!"
"Justice?" Ben repeated, a confused scratching his head. "Wait, hold up. Let me get this straight. You're terrorizing a museum, mutating wildlife, all to... what? Get your dad a Verity Award?"
Lucy blinked, momentarily taken aback. "Well, yes!" she exclaimed, as if it were the most thing in the world.
Ben stared at her, mouth agape. "You're kidding, right? You have this crazy tech that can rewrite DNA, and you're using it to get a stupid trophy? Seriously? All of this—the destruction, the giant skeletons—is just one big, elaborate 'please notice my dad' campaign? Talk about unresolved issues!"
Ben shook his head. "You could do so much with that machine. Help people, cure diseases, solve world hunger, you know, the usual hero stuff. Instead, you're throwing a tantrum for your dad."
Lucy's eyes narrowed, frustration coloring her expression. "You don't understand anything! You haven't seen what my father has been through, the ridicule, the rejection! He deserves to be recognized. We deserve it! And when he returns, he will be so proud of me! So just shut your mouth!"
Ben sighed. "Look, I get it. You love your dad, but this isn't the way. Turn yourself in, get help, and maybe, just maybe, you can still do some good."
Lucy scoffed, turning away from Ben, tightening her grip on the T-Rex's reins. "Never! I will continue my father's legacy, no matter the cost!"
A vehicle's engine roared in the distance. The Rustbucket screeched to a halt nearby. Max, Gwen, and 4Arms emerged, ready for a fight.
"Benjamin, are you alright?" 4Arms shouted, her four eyes scanning him for injuries.
"I'm fine," Ben called back, giving her a reassuring nod, all while held tightly in the Mutant Parrot's grasp.
Lucy's face twisted in annoyance. "Can't you see I'm trying to have a moment here?" She turned her attention to Max, Gwen, and 4Arms, perched precariously on the Rustbucket's hood. "If you value pretty boy's safety, I suggest you back off! This parrot can drop him at any time!"
The Mutant Parrot squawked, rising higher, the wind whipping at Ben's face. He could feel the ground shrinking below. He needed to act, and fast.
Ben locked eyes with 4Arms, subtly gesturing at the Mutant Parrot with his head, a silent plea in his gaze. 4Arms needed to trust him, even if it meant he took a fall.
4Arms, understanding the unspoken message, hefted a chunk of broken concrete. She aimed carefully, then hurled it with all her might.
[THWACK!]
The rock struck the Mutant Parrot squarely, and the bird screeched, releasing Ben.
"BEN!" Gwen and Max yelled in unison, fear spiking their voices.
Ben plummeted.
[SLAM!]
He slammed the Omnitrix, activating it in mid-air.
With a flash of pink light, a figure materialized, catching Ben just before he hit the ground. She was slender and humanoid, yet distinctly insectoid. Her dark-green hair was a mess, framing a face with two yellow eyes and antennae. Two dragon-shaped wings fluttered behind her, and a sharp stinger-like tail swayed rhythmically. She wore a sleeveless black-and-white bodysuit, highlighting her unique form.
"Well, that's one way to make an entrance," she quipped, her voice high-pitched and playful. "Guess I'm your personal fly-by-night service now."
She gently floated to the ground, setting Ben down near Max and Gwen, a safe distance from Lucy and her dinosaur.
Gwen, recovered from the scare, eyed the new arrival with curiosity. "Who are you?" she asked, studying the strange alien. "Some kind of... butterfly?"
The humanoid alien giggled. "Stinkfly."
Ben grinned, relieved to be back on solid ground. "Perfect timing, Stinkfly. Can you take down Animo and her overgrown pets?"
Stinkfly cracked her knuckles, a mischievous glint in her yellow eyes. "Oh, honey, that's what I do best." She launched herself into the air, her wings beating rapidly.
Lucy, seeing her airborne, sneered. "Think you can stop me, insect?" She yanked the T-Rex's reins, sending the behemoth charging forward. "Rexy, get her!"
The T-Rex roared, its massive feet pounding the earth. Stinkfly dodged the reptile's jaws with ease, darting around its head like a pesky mosquito. She fired streams of sticky green slime, coating the dinosaur's eyes. The T-Rex roared in frustration, swiping wildly.
The Mutant Parrot swooped in, talons extended, but Stinkfly was too quick. She twisted in the air, narrowly avoiding the attack. She fired a stream of slime at the Parrot, gunking up its wings. The Parrot struggled, its flight becoming erratic.
"Having trouble flying?" Stinkfly taunted. She spun around the Mutant Parrot, and with a quick strike, her stinger plunged into the bird's head.
The Parrot went limp, plummeting towards the ground.
Stinkfly smirked. "Fly like a butterfly, sting like a Stinkfly."
The T-Rex, slime dripping from its eyes, recovered quickly. It snapped its jaws at Stinkfly, but the Lepidopterran was too agile, dodging each attempt with a flick of her wings.
"Having a bit of a rawr time, Rexy?" Stinkfly joked, circling Animo. "Maybe you need a breath mint."
Seeing Lucy distracted by Stinkfly's antics, Ben knew he had to act. He scanned the surroundings, spotting a parked car. A plan formed in his head.
"What are you doing, Ben?" Max called, concern etched on his face.
Ben ignored him, sprinting towards the car. He scrambled onto the hood, then leapt onto the T-Rex's back, landing clumsily near Lucy. With a yell, he tackled her off the dinosaur.
They landed hard, Lucy scrambling to keep her Transmodulator headgear in place. Ben wrestled with her, grabbing for the device.
"Get off me, you pest!" Lucy screamed, struggling against Ben's grip.
As they grappled, Ben found himself face-to-face with Lucy, his body slightly rubbing against hers in… places. A slight blush rose on her cheeks, a flicker of surprise in her eyes.
Despite the awkwardness, Ben didn't let up. He finally managed to yank the Transmodulator off her head. He raised it high above his head, and slammed it onto the ground, crushing it into pieces.
"NOOO!" Lucy's scream echoed through the air.
With the device destroyed, a pulse went through the museum. The T-Rex shuddered, its bones clattering as it collapsed back into a skeleton. The Mutant Parrot became a normal bird, chirping softly before flying away.
Stinkfly landed beside Ben, brushing imaginary dust off her suit. "Ow... is it already over? I was just getting warmed up." She looked around at the scattered bones. "Well, that was rather quick, wasn't it?"
The police arrived soon after, sirens WAILED through the air. They cuffed Lucy, who spat venomous words at Ben. "You haven't seen the last of me, Tennyson! My father's work will live on!"
As they led her away, Ben felt a pang of something—pity? Regret? But he quickly squashed it down. She was a danger, and he stopped her.
Max clapped Ben on the shoulder. "Good work, Ben. You handled that well."
Ben beamed, pride swelling in his chest. "Thanks, Grandpa Max."
Stinkfly held up her hand. "High Five."
Gwen grinned, meeting Stinkfly's palm with her own. [Squelch] A stream of green goo covered her hand. "Eww!"
A fit of laughter bubbled from Stinkfly. Ben joined in. It felt good. A weight had been lifted.
Gwen glared at them, a playful smirk tugging at her lips. She attempted to wipe it off on Ben's clothes. "You two are unbelievable!"
Ben dodged her attack, his grin widening. "Hey, it's just a little slime!"
Max shook his head, chuckling, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "Alright, alright, let's get out of here. Sandra and Carl are still waiting for us."
They piled into the Rustbucket, the interior smelling like mothballs and old road trips. As Max drove, Ben recounted the highlights of the fight, exaggerating his own awesomeness, of course. Gwen rolled her eyes, interjecting with witty remarks and corrections. Stinkfly, perched on the dashboard, added commentary, often giggling at her own jokes.
The sun dips, painting the sky in orange and purple. Soon, the mansion appeared, a beacon of comfort. Despite the craziness, Ben couldn't help but grin. This was his life now, and he's more than happy to embrace it.
***
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Advance chapters are in my P@|r3on - Najicablitz