A pure silver moon hung high in the pitch-black sky, its starlit glow scattering tendrils of light that reflected upon the vast ocean below.
San Francisco Bridge lay in utter ruin, piled high with wrecked vehicles. The bridge deck was shattered beyond repair, bearing deep gashes and cracks. Large and small fragments of concrete littered the surface.
Kevin 11 lay sprawled on the ground, a purple Ghostfreak hovering beside him. An inverted skull, its center embedded with a violet spectral eye, paired with a pair of white, sharp claws that glinted with a sinister coldness.
Compared to when it had first escaped the watch, the Ghostfreak's skin had become more intact, no longer ragged and torn. Particularly its tail, now fully exposed—black and white, matching the coloration of its tentacles.
"This is... the Ghostfreak after Omnitrix calibration."
Blitzwolfer's gaze darkened. He hadn't expected the Ghostfreak to truly survive, let alone recover to its peak state.
"Ghostfreak!" No one was more shocked than Ben, his face frozen in horror. "Weren't you killed by Kevin? How can you be here?"
"Heh heh~ I'm not that easy to kill." Ghostfreak gave a sinister chuckle. "And I don't go by Ghostfreak—that's just the filthy name you gave me!"
"From now on, call me Zs'Skayr!"
"Zs'Skayr...." Ben, now transformed into Ghostfreak, murmured to himself.
Far away on the bridge deck, Lieutenant Steel frowned deeply, the scar on his face twisting. "Another alien monster has appeared...."
This was arguably the most challenging case he'd encountered since joining the special forces—utterly unprecedented. Four aliens had emerged from the same location. Lieutenant Steel was even contemplating deploying nuclear weapons.
In the shattered crater, Kevin braced himself with both hands and slowly rose to his feet.
"Heh, I thought you could handle those two punks yourself. Looks like I was overestimating you~" Zs'Skayr sneered, mocking the frustrated Kevin 11.
"Shut your mouth, freak!" Kevin 11 lunged forward, trying to grab Zs'Skayr by the throat.
Zs'Skayr dissolved into a phantom, slipping through Kevin's grasp.
"If you're so powerful, why don't you go kill Lucian and Ben Tennyson!" Kevin roared furiously at Zs'Skayr.
"Calm down, I'm just stating the facts~" Zs'Skayr waved dismissively, turning to face Blitzwolfer and Ghostfreak. "Alright, we've got more important business to attend to. Let's deal with those two brats first."
Kevin snorted coldly, his anger subsiding as he tacitly agreed.
Glaring at the menacing pair, Blitzwolfer clenched his claws and feigned disdain. "Kevin, so you were just bragging about killing Ghostfreak! Loser's gonna be a loser—putting on airs when you can't back it up. I say... you're no match for Zs'Skayr."
"What did you say?" Kevin gritted his teeth in fury, like a volcano ready to erupt, spewing blazing rage.
The ever-cunning Zs'Skayr stepped in to restrain him. "Don't get worked up. He's deliberately provoking you, trying to stir up conflict between us so he can reap the benefits."
"That sly Zs'Skayr..." Blitzwolfer thought to himself, his expression unchanged.
Ghostfreak seemed to read his cousin's mind and quickly chimed in, "Exactly! Maybe Kevin's become Zs'Skayr's lapdog now, dancing to his tune! Hahahaha!"
"Ben Tennyson, you listen to me!" Kevin clenched his fists so tightly they cracked. "Soon, you'll be kneeling before me, begging for mercy."
Zs'Skayr, however, remained unhurried, floating silently in midair, his form faintly visible.
"Mockery won't work on us, children~" Zs'Skayr spoke in a hollow tone, his violet pupils glaring at the two. "I must clarify one thing: Kevin is not my subordinate. We are merely partners."
He had no choice. If he didn't clarify things now, Kevin would lose control. And Kevin as a monster was more temperamental than ever.
"Partners?" Blitzwolfer's eyes flashed.
"Exactly. Last time at New York Plaza, I possessed Kevin's body and fought your transformed Humungousaur. In the end, I transformed into XLR8 and escaped your pursuit." Ghostfreak paused before continuing.
"I was actually thinking of keeping control of that kid's body indefinitely. After all, who would willingly give up the ability to freely transform into ten different alien bodies~"
"Did your conscience suddenly kick in later, making you decide to spare Kevin?" Ghostfreak scratched his head, unable to resist asking.
Blitzwolfer shook his head. Based on his understanding of Zs'Skayr, that was absolutely impossible.
"Wrong." Ghostfreak grinned grimly, revealing a mouthful of crooked, ugly teeth. "Later, I discovered I couldn't fully control Kevin's body."
"Why?" Ghostfreak asked curiously.
"Because this big shot here isn't some born freak—I'm a half-breed alien!" Kevin piped up first, bursting into laughter. "Otherwise, how do you think I got my superpowers?"
It was through Zs'Skayr's words that he'd learned of his mixed-blood alien heritage. At first, Kevin was utterly shocked, but that shock soon turned to delight—because now, he wasn't the freak everyone called him.
"A mixed-blood alien, and you still can't possess him? That's pretty lame~" Ghostfreak muttered under his breath, glancing at Zs'Skayr.
"Kid, watch your tone." Zs'Skayr gritted his teeth, forcing himself to calm down. "Kevin's a half-Osmosian. I can't control him. But you? I could take over your body in seconds!"
Osmosians could not only absorb matter but also release and replicate it to enhance themselves. Though Kevin was a half-breed, he was still half-alien. Zs'Skayr found it difficult to fully control him.
"Osmosians..." Blitzwolfer murmured silently, his mind flooded with memories.
Indeed, in the original story, Kevin was an Osmosian hybrid, which is why he could absorb others' energy—though only one-tenth of the target's power. Ghostfreak couldn't fully control Kevin precisely because half his bloodline was Osmosian. Thinking about it, it made sense: in the original story, Ghostfreak couldn't possess Ben's alien form, only weaker lifeforms like Earthlings...
"So you two colluded to take us on together," Blitzwolfer snorted coldly.
"Clever. But I never expected you to dodge my attack just now. I thought my timing was perfect—almost foolproof~" Zs'Skayr's tone was disappointed as he shook his head.
Blitzwolfer's gaze remained calm, offering no reply.
He certainly wouldn't reveal that his heightened senses and agility, combined with Ghostfreak's overwhelmingly dense ghostly energy, made detection nearly impossible to evade. Still, a chill ran down Blitzwolfer's spine. Though he'd dodged the ambush, a split-second delay could have left him gravely wounded by Zs'Skayr.
"Alright, Kevin. Let's move together and finish them off!" Zs'Skayr chuckled.
By now, Kevin's anger had largely subsided.
"Ben Tennyson, come on! Let's have a proper fight!"
The hideous Kevin 11, his massive lower body surging forward, charged at his opponent with fierce momentum...
...
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