Even though I protested, we made our way to Aunt Vera's.
She's grandpa's age and, for some reason, likes to pinch our cheeks.
Which hurts.
While eating, I decided... It's too boring here, and I want to see if these Aliens I remembered are here.
I pushed away from the table. "Do you mind if I use the restroom?"
Gwen looked at me like she knew.
Vera waved it off. "Sure. It's down the hall, to the left."
I smiled. "Thanks."
I bumped Gwen as I walked by, then down the hall.
As soon as I went into the bathroom, I went (Ghost Freak.)
Once through the wall, I did some exploring.
Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on how you look at it, I found what I was expecting.
Once I saw the creepy old man that I saw as I walked into Aunt Vera's house, move the dumpster to reveal a hatch. I ran back towards the house.
.
"Grandpa. Grandpa. We have a problem.
I found an old lady who runs up a wall and munches on a fly. Then, Marty, the weird next-door neighbor, is an. Well, it doesn't matter what he is. But he can turn his head and body all the way around, and he can extend his arms and legs way past normal."
Gwen punched my arm. "Ben, you snuck out. Aunt Vera was hurt."
I waved it off. "I'll make it up to her later. I had a hunch that I had to look into, and by the way, I was right.
I came back to get you guys before I looked at Marty's apartment."
Grandpa sighed at me before smiling. "Maybe we should do some investigating. But stay as you are. In a small gathering of people. Talk moves quickly."
"Fine. I can still kick butt as me. You in Gwen?"
"Fine. I don't want you to get hurt. You're useless without me."
I gave her a sideways glare. I rolled my eyes. "If that's what you want to believe."
.
We made our way over to his house, but, as I expected, but hopped was wrong. It was empty.
With nothing there, Grandpa wanted to go back to Vera's house to sleep.
.
When everyone went to sleep, I was in a dark corner of Vera's room waiting for the Alien to come.
In the early morning, I noticed a green slime creeping up Aunt Vera's bed. I was about to stop it when I stopped and thought about it.
As long as I get her back in a short time, it'll cause no harm to her, and when she's in that pod thing, she won't hear anything that might happen around her.
She'll wake up after we're done and think it's another morning.
I watched her get taken over. 'Forgive me.'
Once she was taken out of the room, I snuck out.
I went to the kitchen where Gwen was.
"Where were you now?"
"Around. Nothing to worry about."
"You know, you haven't had that watch for long. But you seem to attract the crazies."
"I know. But.. you've been around me before I had the watch, so I guess it's always happened to me."
"Hey, watch it."
Vera walked in, and Gwen smiled. "Hey, Aunt Vera. I made you some coffee."
She took a step forward, and I grabbed the try as she almost tripped.
Gwen: "Thanks."
"Yep."
Vera looked around with a serious expression. "Where did your grandfather go?"
Gwen had a curious look. "I think he said something about going on a morning walk."
"Well. Behave yourselves, I'll be back soon."
As soon as the door shut.
"She's not herself."
"What do you mean?"
"She has to be taken over, or possessed by whatever is taking over everyone else in this town."
"You have to be kidding me."
"Follow me and find out."
"You're going to get me killed."
I shrugged. "That's not the goal."
.
We walked out of the house and snuck between the houses trying to make it to the Trap door when two old ladies. Well, ladies, look alike started the throw thing at us.
I made a blue mana shield, and we ran for it.
We went and hid around a building.
"Believe me now?"
"Well. Either you are right, or we really made them mad."
"I'll pick the…"
"Guys, what's the matter?"
"Grandpa."
Gwen took a step forward, and I held her back. "That's not grandpa."
The grandpa look-alike paused, probably thinking whether he should continue the act, before deciding not to. "Aren't you a smart one." His arms extended, trying to grab us, and his teeth became sharp.
"Let's get out of here!"
I pushed her slightly. "I'm right behind you."
We ran back onto the road where two old people were carrying a car over their heads.
"Man. Someone didn't skip a day at the gym."
Gwen sighed. "Is it really the right time to make a joke?"
"It's always the right time to make a joke."
As they threw the car at us, I looked behind us to see the Grandpa look-alike coming from behind.
I looked all around us and decided to throw out my arms, and a blue ball surrounded us.
"What's this blue stuff?"
"It's what saving us."
We rolled out of the way. And Gwen started to look sick.
Once we are safe and near where I want, I drop the ball, and Gwen falls to her feet. "Next time, warn me."
"Noted. Get the gate."
I slowly backed into the fenced area as I watched the advancing aliens.
I hit the button and turned to (Four Arms.)
I grabbed the dumpster and threw it at the four aliens.
I opened the trap doors and then turned the badge go change into (Echo-Echo.) "Wrong alien. (Wildmut.) 'Better… I still hate this transformation. It feels.. weird. But I can track better than him.'
I grabbed Gwen's shirt and threw her on my back as I jumped down the hole, then went full throttle all the way through the cave system. As I came up to a wall, I raised my head and closed my eyes as I went through a wall. As soon as the wall crumbled, I turned back to myself.
Gwen stood up and knocked the dust off herself. "Hey! Do I look like a Crash-Test dummy?"
"Well… you are a dummy. So."
"Benjamin!"
I held my hands up. "Kidding. Kidding… Kinda. But on a serious note. I don't know what's in front of us, but I picked something up."
We moved a little further and found a ledge. We looked down and saw giant eggs.
'Bingo.'
I made a blue platform. "Step on."
She looked at it and went to step on it before stepping back. "No thanks."
"It won't hurt you. I've been practicing."
"I'm not stepping on it."
I groaned loudly, and it vanished, and I started walking. "Fine! We'll walk. But just remember, I offered a faster option."
"Don't trust whatever that was, so it's fine."
.
We searched through the field of eggs until we found Grandpa.
I ripped it open, and he immediately woke up.
Grandpa fell a little, and I caught him. He rubbed his head as he stood up. "Oh, I was out for a walk, and then.. oh, I can't remember what happened next."
I moved to the next egg and looked at it when the Vera look-alike and the others showed up.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you."
I pointed at the egg, then at her. "Well…. I don't care what you think."
Morty: "Well, you should."
They shed their false disguise, and they turned into a green goo, and you could see their organs inside them.
We backed up until Gwen hit the ship and opened it up. Inside were a bunch more eggs.
"You get these eggs to safety. I'll keep the uglies Busy."
Grandpa: "Got it."
(Heat Blast.)
I fired a constant stream from each hand at them, and it didn't do anything.
I frowned. 'Wait! I forgot about…' I looked up at the water pipes. I grinned.
"Let's make it rain."
I turned the dial just enough to get (DiamondHead.)
I grinned wider. 'I got it right the first time this time.'
My hands morphed and fired like crazy up tiny thin shards and poked through multiple pipes, raining down water
They all tried to separate their bodies so the water wouldn't hit."
"Come on. You won't melt."
I fired more at the same spot, and it busted a pipe wide open.
It came down hard, and they started melting and scurrying into its ship.
Luckily, I kept it busy long enough to allow them to get the eggs out of the ship.
Grandpa walked next to me as I timed out. "We should put them all back in their condos, so they'll think they never left."
Gwen walked to the other side of me and had a slight wine in her voice as she said. "But that'll take hours."
I looked down at the red in my watch. "I can use XLR8. I'll have it done before they notice. Once my watch recharges."
Gwen smiled. "I'm fine with that."
Grandpa picked someone up. "You sure?"
"Yeah. It won't be hard."
He started walking. "I'll get this one myself."
.
A few days later. As we leave.
Vera: "Don't be strangers."
Grandpa waved as he walked into the Rist bucket. "We won't.
Gwen walked up to her. "By Aunt Vera."
"By dear. Oh, this is for the road." She handed her a green Jell-O. "Ben told me how much you loved my gelatin mold. This one's lime with chunks of grouper and chickpeas."
"Uh, thanks."
She walked by me. "You're welcome."
I smiled as I made my way to Aunt Vera.
"I hope you weren't bored here."
"Oh, not at all. I had a blast."
"Well, that's good to hear. Have fun on the road."
"I have a feeling this will be one of the best summers I'll ever have."
"Good to hear. I know your grandfather loves your company."
"It's Mutual."