The next day, as dawn's first light cracked over the horizon, Max was already behind the wheel. The elderly tend to sleep light and wake early, and by the time the kids stirred, the Rustbucket was already pulling into the heart of Washington D.C.
"Go get yourselves cleaned up," Max said with a cheerful grin, tapping the dashboard as the radio hummed. "I heard a massive new superstore just opened up here—they have everything. Let's go grab some supplies!"
"Sweet!" the three responded in unison.
Moments later, the dusty RV pulled into the parking lot of a gargantuan supermarket. It was a hive of activity, swarming with shoppers.
"I'm going to grab some food. You kids go pick out a few things you like." Max turned and immediately headed toward the pet and plant section. He didn't even glance at the grocery aisles.
"Ben, Gwen, let's look around," Cian said, naturally taking charge as they wandered through the sprawling store.
As they passed a particular shelf, Ben froze, his eyes locked onto a display. "Sumo Slammer cards! They might be hidden in these cereal boxes!"
The shelves were lined with Riot Sumo branded snacks. It was the hottest IP in the world at the moment; a gold-edition card was the ultimate status symbol for any ten-year-old. Just like the original timeline, Ben immediately began tearing into boxes with frantic energy, while Gwen followed along, grumbling but curious.
Cian, however, kept his hands in his pockets. He patrolled the entrance like a silent sentry. Heh... Dr. Animo. Come on, hurry up and help me advance my Glitch Template.
THUMP! THUMP!
Suddenly, a series of strange, heavy vibrations rattled the floor. The ground groaned under an immense weight. Cian ducked into a blind spot of the security cameras, his gaze sharp and predatory. Where is he going to pop out?
CRASH!
With a deafening roar of falling masonry, an entire section of the wall collapsed. A massive shadow charged into the store—a creature that made a hippopotamus look like a toy. It was a gargantuan, neon-green North American Bullfrog.
Perched atop the mutant beast was a man with wild, unkempt hair and a horn-adorned helmet. Dr. Animo adjusted his orange goggles and cackled. "What I seek is right here!"
"AAAHHH!" "HELP! It's a giant mutant frog!"
Panic erupted. Shoppers abandoned their carts and fled in every direction. Some were too paralyzed by fear to even scream.
"He's here," Cian whispered. He stood up slowly, his eyes locked onto the target. Prey.
He raised his left wrist. He scrolled through the distorted icons on the Glitch Watch until he reached the silhouette of the Thep Khufan. He slammed the dial.
A pillar of blood-red light shot toward the ceiling. From within the crimson glow, a towering, horrific silhouette unfurled.
"W-what is that?!" "There's another one over here!" "This one is even worse than the frog!"
People fleeing toward the entrance tripped over themselves, some even falling to their knees in a daze of terror as the light faded.
Ssssss...
A tall, shambling creature wrapped in ancient, tattered bandages lifted its head. A blood-red crown sat upon its brow, and the eyes peering through the gaps in the cloth were twin pits of crimson fire.
This was Glitch Snare-oh.
"What? What is this... this anomaly? A real mummy?" Animo stared down from his perch, eyes wide behind his goggles. He wasn't afraid like the civilians; he was fascinated. "Just an ancient relic! Frog! Kill it!"
The giant bullfrog couldn't track stationary targets well, but under Animo's command, its tongue lashed out like a whip, a blur of pink muscle aimed straight for Cian's head.
"Heh."
Cian let out a chilling, rasping laugh.
Fwhip!
The bandages covering his body suddenly uncoiled, transforming into hundreds of writhing tentacles. They snared the frog's tongue mid-air, wrapping around it with impossible strength. The giant frog blinked in shock, pulling back with all its might, but the bandages held firm.
Up on the frog's back, Animo went silent. His smug grin vanished.
"This... this is..."
Animo's hands began to shake. His breath hitched as he stared at Cian.
As the bandages unspooled to trap the frog, they revealed what lay beneath. It wasn't a dry corpse. It was a raw, flayed, muscular humanoid form, dripping with a substance that looked like fresh blood. Those weren't clothes—they were his skin being peeled back to form weapons.
"What kind of monster are you?!"
Cian's red eyes met Animo's. The doctor's heart hammered against his ribs in a frantic rhythm. The "mad" scientist was suddenly sane enough to realize he was looking at something from the deepest pits of hell. He lost his balance and tumbled off the back of the giant frog, landing hard on the floor.
Nearby, the remaining shoppers caught a glimpse of Cian's raw, skinless form. Their eyes rolled back, and they slumped to the floor, fainted from sheer psychological shock.
Croak!
With no one to command it, the giant frog panicked. It began to thrash, knocking over shelves and lunging blindly.
"I can't have you causing collateral damage," Cian rasped. He narrowed his glowing eyes. The bandages holding the frog's tongue suddenly slackened, causing the beast to stumble back.
Before it could recover, Cian's limbs blurred. Bandages shot out from every direction, weaving a web around the frog's legs and torso. The beast struggled, trying to tear through the cloth, but as more of Cian's "skin" unraveled, the restraints grew thicker and stronger.
It was the ultimate binding technique: a cocoon of raw muscle and ancient cloth.
"Sleep."
Cian's flayed face twisted into a grimace as he jerked the bandages tight. With a violent pull, he slammed the giant frog into the floor. The beast groaned once and went limp.
"Phew... handled."
Cian attempted what he thought was a reassuring smile as he looked at the unconscious people nearby. "Is everyone okay? Wait, why did you all faint because of a frog?"
"Cian... no, Mummy-bro," a trembling voice came from behind a cereal display. Ben was shivering, refusing to look up. "Next time you ask that, maybe look in a mirror first."
Gwen stood with her back turned, eyes squeezed shut as if she were contemplating the very meaning of life.
[Ding! Host has defeated the Mutant Bullfrog. Dr. Animo has abandoned his counterattack and fled the scene in terror. Progress +1!]
Wait, Animo just ran away? Cian looked around. Sure enough, the doctor was nowhere to be found. He had been literally scared out of the plot.
[Template Progress: 5/100. Critical Milestone reached. Unlocking Glitch Watch Authority... KILLER MODE!]
Cian stared at the notification in his mind.
Killer Mode? That sounds... exceptionally violent.