Four Arms grabbed a nearby car to block the raging flames, but it quickly melted into molten iron, dripping onto the ground.
Feeling the scorching heat, Four Arms roared in fury. He yanked a utility pole from the sidewalk and swung it wildly, channeling his brute strength as he brought it crashing down.
Swampfire dodged to the side, forming a blazing fireball in his hand that glowed with searing light before hurling it straight at his opponent.
"Useless! You're no match for me!"
Four Arms smashed the fireball apart with a swing of his fist. It burst into strands of heat that vanished into the air. Then, with a mighty stomp, he shattered the ground beneath his feet, releasing a violent shockwave as he charged forward at blistering speed.
Both his strength and speed were extraordinary—formidable even by the standards of the vast universe.
Seeing no way to evade, Swampfire clenched his fist, crimson flames igniting across his arm as he boosted his power and charged head-on.
BOOM!
Swampfire's flaming fist collided with Four Arms' iron punch, exploding with terrifying force. The impact sent cars tumbling, debris flying in every direction, leaving a vacuum-like zone at the center of the blast.
"Not bad... but compared to me, you're still far too weak!"
Four Arms bellowed, unleashing raw power as he sent Swampfire flying backward.
As he fell, Swampfire quickly flicked out his hand, scattering several small seeds around Four Arms.
"Rise."
The instant he spoke, thick vines burst from the cracked ground, tearing through the pavement like living dragons. They whipped wildly, blocking out the sunlight.
Under Swampfire's control, the vines twisted and intertwined into a massive green web that swiftly ensnared the stunned Four Arms.
He tried to break free, but a vine lashed him to the ground. More followed, swarming and binding him tightly in their coils.
"Whoa, that's awesome! What a cool move!" Gwen shouted, her wide eyes reflecting the shimmer of green vines.
"That's the ability of a Methanosian," Grandpa explained with a grin. "They can control plants to fight alongside them."
Buzz!
A black Hummer roared in from the distance and screeched to a halt near the battlefield.
A blond man with a buzz cut stepped out, dressed in tactical black combat gear. A jagged scar ran across his face—from his forehead, across his nose, down to his right cheek—giving him a harsh, intimidating look.
At the same time, several black-clad soldiers climbed out of the vehicle, each wielding a heavy laser cannon. Without hesitation, they took aim at both Swampfire and Four Arms.
"Reinforcements from headquarters?"
The wounded security captain, supported by his men, coughed as he limped forward and looked at the blond man.
The man nodded, pulling out an identification badge and holding it up. "Lieutenant Steel, Alien Containment Unit. We specialize in neutralizing extraterrestrial threats. This area is now under our control."
"Then we…" The captain hesitated, his words trailing off.
Glancing at the battered and injured officers, Lieutenant Steel's expression remained flat, devoid of emotion. "You can leave. Don't slow us down."
The captain gave a bitter chuckle. Lieutenant Steel was certainly direct—but he wasn't wrong. Staying here would only get in the way.
With a weary sigh, the captain gathered his remaining men and led them away, frustration and helplessness etched on their faces as they left the scene.
Lieutenant Steel turned sharply and shouted, "Prepare the laser cannon! Wipe out every last one of those damn alien monsters!"
"Yes, sir!"
Two squad members moved into position—one operating the cannon while the other carried its power supply. They took aim at Swampfire and Four Arms ahead.
Golden energy particles rapidly gathered at the cannon's muzzle before erupting into a blazing beam of light that roared forward with searing heat.
Swampfire, anticipating the attack, leapt clear of the blast radius and landed on the balcony of a nearby apartment building.
Four Arms, still bound by vines, wasn't so lucky. The massive beam engulfed him completely.
BOOM!
The golden laser struck with terrifying force, blowing Four Arms backward and shredding the vines that restrained him. They burned to ash midair, scattering in the wind.
"Damn it! You're all dead!"
Four Arms clutched his chest, half-kneeling on the cracked pavement. The road for fifty meters ahead had been carved into deep trenches, smoke curling upward from the molten edges.
Even a thick-skinned Tetramand couldn't take a direct hit like that without serious damage.
He turned to glare up at Swampfire on the balcony, eyes blazing with hatred. "We'll see about this next time. The next time we meet—it'll be your end!"
Kicking off the ground, Four Arms launched himself skyward and bolted into the distance with incredible speed.
Lieutenant Steel immediately ordered another volley, but the target's agility was too great. The laser cannon blasts struck several buildings instead, reducing them to rubble before the firing stopped.
Watching as Four Arms vanished from sight, Swampfire jumped down from the balcony, ready to give chase and confirm his suspicion.
He wasn't sure if that had really been Kevin. Since their battle in New York, he hadn't seen him—and back then, Kevin had been possessed by Ghostfreak.
But judging from what he'd seen just now, Four Arms hadn't shown any signs of possession.
Had Ghostfreak released Kevin?
No—impossible.
With Ghostfreak's personality, there was no way he'd willingly let go of such a powerful host body.
The more Swampfire thought about it, the stranger it seemed. He took a step forward, preparing to pursue Four Arms—
Beep beep!
The Omnitrix on his chest suddenly began flashing.
"Sigh, I knew it," Swampfire muttered.
He dodged several stray laser shots and darted into a shadowed alleyway. Then, moving at full speed, he leapt forward several times before vanishing completely.
By the time the special forces rushed in, the alley was empty—only scattered trash remained.
"Report! The target has escaped the area," one soldier called out.
Lieutenant Steel gave a curt nod. His face remained expressionless, but a cold glint flickered in his eyes.
...
Elsewhere, after escaping the encirclement, Swampfire reverted to his normal form.
He returned to the Rustbucket with Grandpa Max and Gwen.
Still fuming, Gwen slammed the door open and stormed inside, every heavy step making the floor creak beneath her.
Four Arms hadn't just wrecked the sales site—he'd nearly killed her. There was no way she was letting that slide. She was going to teach that doofus a lesson before he went completely off the rails.
But when Gwen entered the Rustbucket, what she saw nearly made her explode.
At some point, Ben had returned and was sitting calmly on his stool, headphones on, controller in hand, completely absorbed in his video game.
"Stop right there, Ben Tennyson! Have you lost your mind today? Abusing your watch to steal a game cartridge and injuring so many people? Your brain must be fried!" Gwen stormed forward and yanked the headphones off his head.
"I'm sure he has a perfectly reasonable explanation," Grandpa said with a good-natured smile...