"Uncle, Aunt, can you let me go? I can walk by myself," Asher said quietly, his head lowered. His expression had shifted from his earlier act, no more pretending politeness, just cold detachment.
"Of course, Asher."
Before her true identity was revealed, Aunt Vera maintained her disguise well. She and her husband carefully set Asher down on the ground.
Though they released him, the couple positioned themselves on either side of the boy, creating a pincer formation that made escape nearly impossible.
Hidden figures lurked in the nearby grass, observing Asher's emergence but making no move to intervene. They merely whispered among themselves in hushed, urgent tones.
"Inside... there are more..." "Three people total..." "This small one... let them bring the other two to the master..."
As Asher passed through the grass, the shadowy figures closed their eyes, maintaining an eerie, ritualistic silence.
Asher tilted his head, glancing suspiciously at the vegetation. Something felt wrong, but the grass had gone quiet again. Perhaps he was just being paranoid.
Biu~
Openly, he activated the Omnitrix. He pressed the device's faceplate, and the holographic display twisted to reveal XLR8's silhouette.
Only this could make him feel safe.
"Asher, what kind of watch is that? It looks like a very interesting toy," Aunt Vera said, noticing the Omnitrix on his wrist. Her smile didn't reach her eyes.
Asher forced a reluctant smile in return. "Yeah, Grandpa bought it for me. I'm the only one who has it!"
After he answered, the two adults beside him lapsed into an uncomfortable silence. The atmosphere grew heavy and strange as they walked. Pedestrians along the way glanced toward the trio, particularly at Asher in the middle, with deliberate but subtle interest.
After several minutes, they reached the entrance of a small store. The building had no back door, only a single entrance, it looked like a dead end with no escape route.
"Asher, let's go buy some candy, shall we?" Aunt Vera stopped at the store entrance, her expression unsettling as she addressed the boy.
Asher understood her intention perfectly but continued to play dumb. "Okay, Aunt Vera. Can I also get some chips and chocolate hazelnuts?"
"Of course. I'll come inside with you. Your uncle will wait for us at the door."
Vera nodded and gestured to her husband, who immediately planted himself at the entrance like a guard post, motionless.
Asher and Aunt Vera pushed open the store door and entered.
The temperature inside dropped noticeably. Asher couldn't help but shiver.
The store appeared abandoned, no owner in sight, just fully stocked shelves.
Outside, several pedestrians gradually converged on the building, blocking the ventilation openings and positioning themselves beside the windows, feigning casualness.
Asher took in every detail. Without really looking, he grabbed a large bag of various snacks and handed them directly to Aunt Vera.
"That's quite a lot."
Vera maintained her facade, though impatience flickered across her features. She extended her hands to accept the snacks.
"Aunt Vera, I need to use the restroom," Asher announced. Before she could respond, he jogged toward the single-occupancy bathroom at the back of the store.
"Run wherever you want, there are no windows in that bathroom anyway. Children are such a hassle," Vera muttered, dropping the bag of snacks carelessly on the floor.
Her neck elongated grotesquely, her head floating toward the ceiling. Her arms stretched to several meters in length, resembling chains. She had completely abandoned her human disguise, transforming into her true monstrous form.
Biu~~
Suddenly, emerald light erupted from the bathroom!
"What's happening?!"
Vera stared at the green glow, her fierce expression faltering with confusion.
BOOM!
The bathroom door exploded outward!
XLR8 emerged, unmasked, combining both raw power and striking appearance.
He regarded Aunt Vera with mild disappointment. "You've completely ruined my image of Aunt Vera."
"You... what kind of creature are you?" Vera stammered, staring in disbelief. "Did you... did you eat that child??"
XLR8 fell silent for a moment, genuinely speechless.
He'd actually become the "weird thing" in a monster's eyes. Was he really more monstrous than the actual monster?
"It doesn't matter what you are!" Vera's expression twisted with renewed fury. Her mouth opened wider, revealing rows of razor-sharp teeth like a predatory beast. "The King will be delighted when I present you to him!"
"Then let's settle this," XLR8 said coldly.
His visor snapped down over his face, and his entire demeanor shifted into combat mode. His aura transformed completely, sharp and deadly.
This frigid presence, like the edge of an executioner's blade, made Vera instinctively recoil. Her hair stood on end as her biological instincts screamed warnings of a powerful threat.
This creature...
Was nothing like the weak human prey she was accustomed to. This was a hunter, dangerous and lethal.
WHOOSH!
XLR8 exploded forward like a striking cheetah. His legs became a violent blur as his body moved like the wind itself, completely invisible to the naked eye.
Only when that cold presence passed through Vera's position did his claws flash out!
Vera's head separated from her body, flying through the air!
Though her severed head displayed an expression of rage, she wasn't dead, but she was furious beyond measure.
She'd been defeated in a single strike!