Bounty Hunters

Ben stormed off to a nearby abandoned mining town, his frustration palpable with every heavy step. Gwen followed after him, worry and determination etched on her face. Meanwhile, Max and Fred worked on fixing the Rust Bucket.

"For a vehicle that's teched out with Plumber technology, you'd think it would be Ben-proof," Fred said, handing Max some tools. "Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to badmouth Ben or anything, but how did such a vehicle fall prey to a random misfire?" He admired the intricate parts of the Rust Bucket, eyes wide with fascination.

"Haha... We can never be prepared for everything, kiddo. That said, we've finished things up here. How about we go fetch the others?" Max replied as he closed the hood, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"On that note, we haven't talked much during this trip, have we?" Max said as they got inside. Fred sat in the front seat this time, feeling the weight of the conversation.

"Yeah, I guess I've gotten along quite well with Ben and Gwen," Fred replied with a small, thoughtful smile.

"Well, I'm glad to hear that. Even with how things are now, I still want all of you to enjoy this trip," Max said, his voice warm with genuine care. "Speaking of, I heard from your grandparents that you plan on going to a Plumber school after you finish the seventh grade," Max continued. "With how you handle yourself, I'm sure you'll rise up in no time," he added with a proud smile.

"Yeah, even before my parents passed, I always wanted to be a Plumber and get to travel through the cosmos," Fred replied, his voice tinged with both sadness and hope as they continued to talk.

"Ben! Ben!" Gwen cried, her voice echoing through the abandoned town as she searched for him. Ben noticed her voice while he entered one of the old buildings. Mischief sparked in his eyes as he turned on his watch, transforming into Ghostfreak. Gwen's alarm grew as she passed by the building, seeing the eerie green light of his transformation. She entered the building, calling out Ben's name, her heart pounding. The vibe of the place was spooky, making her tense. Soon after, she heard some noises of things falling, causing her to jump. Ben, as Ghostfreak, manifested in front of her, laughter echoing in the dim light.

"Haha, very funny. Can we go back now?" Gwen retorted, trying to steady her racing heart.

"Oh, come on now, I didn't mean to freak you out like that," Ben said, his voice playful yet apologetic. Suddenly, the ground shook with something approaching them from below, getting closer and closer. Ben grabbed Gwen, moving her to safety as the object burst from the ground.

"Hey ugly, watch where you're going or burrowing..." Ben said, standing in front of Kraab, the cybernetically enhanced Piscciss Premann.

"The Omnitrix. Hand it over," Kraab demanded, his metallic voice dripping with menace as he took a few intimidating steps forward.

"The whatsa mawhozit?" Ben remarked, his eye moving through his body to his back to look at Gwen. "Okay, I'm lost. What's robocrab talking about?" Ben asked, genuine confusion in his voice as his eye faced Gwen.

"Um, hello? Why else would an alien from space track you down? It wants the watch, doofus," Gwen replied, frustration seeping into her tone.

"You don't have to get all snotty about it," Ben retorted as his eye moved to the front of his face, locking onto Kraab. "No can do, mister Crab. Me and the watch have gotten attached, you see," Ben said, defiance lacing his words.

"If that's how it is, then I'll have to use force," Kraab said, snapping his claw with a menacing click.

"Ohh. Then we'll see about that," Ben declared with a smirk, confidence radiating from him as he turned invisible. Gwen, left alone to face Kraab, felt her heart hammer in her chest. She couldn't do much against the formidable enemy and darted away.

Kraab, ever cautious, took a few steps back, scanning his surroundings. He knew Ben was there, somewhere. As Ben crept closer, trying to surprise Kraab, the alien's specialized sensors pinpointed his location. Kraab's mechanical arm shot out, spraying Ben with a sticky orange substance, making him visible again.

"Not the experienced one, are you?" Kraab taunted as Ben blinked in surprise.

"What the... How is this possible?" Ben stammered, utterly bewildered by his sudden visibility.

"I solidified your protoplasm. I bet you thought you had the upper hand," Kraab sneered, his punch sending Ben crashing into some crates.

"Ben!" Gwen cried out in alarm, fear gripping her heart. It was now or never. She aimed her bracelet at Kraab, a self-defense gadget Fred had given her, since her magic training hadn't begun.

"Red for stunning, right?" she muttered to herself, hands shaking as she pressed the red button. A small antenna emerged, firing a tiny red laser that narrowly missed Kraab and shattered a crate behind him.

Seizing the moment, Ben grabbed Gwen and flew out. But the Omnitrix began timing out, causing them to plummet to the ground. They hit the dirt hard, but relief washed over them as the rust bucket skidded to a stop nearby.

"What happened?" Max exclaimed, seeing the two in disarray and Ben covered in the gooey substance.

"A crab monster ambushed us out of nowhere, calling the watch the Omnitrix and attacking us," Gwen explained, her voice trembling.

"That can't be good," Max said gravely.

"Was he that tough?" Fred asked, eyeing Ben's condition.

"Nah, he got lucky. Once I go alien again, I'll show him a thing or two," Ben boasted, still catching his breath.

"Too bad for you, he's not as patient," Fred remarked, pointing behind them at Kraab, who was charging at full speed.

"This could be troublesome. Get in!" Max ordered. Ben and Gwen clambered into the rust bucket, Ben protesting, eager to fight again.

"No, let's not risk it now. Besides, your watch is still on time out. I'd prefer you face such an opponent as a team," Max insisted as they sped off. Suddenly, another attacker appeared—SixSix leapt onto the roof of the rust bucket, sawing at it.

"Grandpa, we have more company!" Gwen shouted, panic in her voice.

"I'll handle this," Fred declared, a fierce determination in his eyes. His hair turned a ghostly white, and the colors of his clothes inverted in an instant. In his half-ghost form, reminiscent of Danny Phantom.

"Good thing these transformations are battle-ready," Fred muttered under his breath. With a swift movement, he grabbed onto the seat of the rust bucket, his touch turning the entire vehicle intangible.

SixSix, who had been sawing at the roof, suddenly found himself plummeting through the now-ghostly vehicle. As the rust bucket roared forward, Fred's transformation held strong, ensuring their escape. The sense of urgency and the thrill of the moment pulsed through his veins, knowing that every second counted.

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