Back in the Rust Bucket, Asher quickly assembled several low-powered time bombs using spare parts and his memory of basic explosive mechanics. They weren't particularly powerful, more like firecrackers than actual demolition devices, but something was better than nothing when facing alien mercenaries.
His technical skills were limited in human form. If he needed anything more sophisticated, he'd have to transform into Grey Matter.
"Asher, is this time bomb for me too?" Ben asked hopefully, watching his cousin work.
"You're thinking too much," Asher replied without looking up. "This is a defensive weapon for when I'm in human form. But don't worry, when I get the chance, I'll definitely upgrade your gear properly."
"Okay!" Ben nodded enthusiastically and returned his attention to the air gun in his hands. He carefully cleaned and inspected the weapon, treating it with the same reverence he showed his most valuable possession, his Sumo Slammer card collection!
"Asher, if those aliens come after us, will those bombs actually stop them?" Ben asked curiously, still examining his air gun.
Asher smiled slightly as he tossed one of the completed bombs into the air and caught it smoothly. "These are for buying time. I'm limited by the materials we have available, I can't build anything more powerful right now."
Ben gestured with his air gun aggressively. "If one dares to show up, I'll blast it with a shot!"
But behind the Rust Bucket's reinforced walls, danger was already approaching.
A long trail of fire streaked across the sky like a meteor cutting through the air itself!
The purple-armored figure descended like a predatory falcon, swooping over the Rust Bucket's roof before hovering directly above it!
BEEP! BEEP!
The mercenary's locator confirmed the target.
"Targets confirmed. Right here."
THOOM!
The bounty hunter dropped onto the roof with tremendous force, the entire RV shaking from the impact!
"What was that?!" Asher's head snapped up toward the ceiling, his expression immediately turning serious.
Had one of Vilgax's hunters already found them?
SHING!
Ben instantly raised his air gun, aiming it at the roof.
Several tense seconds passed. The roof remained eerily quiet.
Until...
SCREECH!!!
The hunter's armored hands gripped the sunroof and tore it open with brute force, staring down at Asher, Ben, and Gwen like a purple demon examining its prey.
"What... what IS that thing?!" Ben stared in shock at the mechanical horror above them.
"Ben, Gwen, be careful! He's here for me," Asher said slowly, his eyes narrowing as he assessed the threat before them.
SixSix's cold, mechanical gaze swept past Ben and Gwen without interest, focusing entirely on the Omnitrix glowing on Asher's wrist.
'There it is, the Omnitrix. On this kid's arm.'
HISS! HISS! HISS!
Countless small ports opened across the purple armor, and rope-like tentacles emerged from the holes, extending down toward the interior of the vehicle!
"You want this watch?" Asher glanced down at the reddish Omnitrix, then suddenly grabbed one of the time bombs from the table and hurled it upward at the bounty hunter. "Then catch!"
SNAP!
SixSix's hand shot out like a fly-catcher, instantly seizing the flying object. He slowly brought his closed fist forward and opened his palm.
It was a bomb with brightly glowing numbers counting down!
Rage flickered across the face beneath SixSix's mechanical helmet.
'I've been tricked.'
"Hope it doesn't have an expiration date!" Asher called up mockingly.
The time bomb didn't need any activation, once armed, it would detonate in seconds.
HISS!
SixSix released the bomb instinctively, but it exploded directly in front of him!
BOOM!
The detonation's force sent the bounty hunter flying backward off the roof. The entire Rust Bucket rocked violently as smoke filled the air around them!
SixSix crashed onto the road behind them with a thunderous impact, rolling several times before finally stopping!
Through the rear window, Asher could practically see the fury radiating from the alien mercenary.
"This alien doesn't feel like the others we've fought," Ben said with lingering fear in his voice.
"You're right, Ben. This time, whoever's behind the attack to steal the watch is far more dangerous than those robots before!" Asher nodded solemnly, his expression turning deadly serious. "Everyone, stay alert in case that purple guy comes after us again!"
"Don't worry, I'm accelerating now. He won't be able to catch up for a while!" Max called back confidently from the driver's seat, maintaining his composure as he pushed the Rust Bucket to its limits.
"Thanks, Grandpa!"
Asher watched as SixSix became smaller and smaller in the distance. He released a breath of relief.
'We should be able to outrun him.'
SLAM!!
A violent impact struck the side door!
Asher, Ben, and Gwen whipped their heads toward the sound!
Why was the door making noise while they were driving at high speed?
The entire side panel was suddenly wrenched open by something outside. A robot that looked like a nightmarish fusion of human and crab clamped its pincer onto the top of the vehicle and forcibly tore the door away with its other hand!
Its heavily-armored alloy body was far more imposing than SixSix's, radiating an aura of overwhelming power!
"Ahhh!!" Gwen stumbled backward in terror, only feeling marginally safer when she reached Asher's side.
"Surrender the Omnitrix, Earth child," Kraab stated emotionlessly, his mechanical pupils fixed on Asher like targeting systems. It wasn't a request, it was a command.
"So, Omnitrix is what this thing is called? I normally just call it a watch and that's it," Asher replied casually, stalling for time while his mind raced through options. He put on his best curious-kid expression.
"'Watch?'" Kraab's mechanical laugh held nothing but contempt. He shook his head slowly. "Shortsighted human. The device on your wrist is the Omnitrix, the most powerful weapon in the universe! But don't worry... when you leave Earth with me, you'll understand exactly what it is!"
"That depends on whether you can take me!"
SCREECH!!!
Max couldn't hold back any longer. He roared and twisted the steering wheel hard to the right!
The Rust Bucket suddenly swerved in a violent turn, tilting so far to the right that the tires on the left side nearly lifted off the ground, leaving black skid marks across the pavement!
Kraab, who had been too focused on conversation to prepare for the maneuver, was caught completely off-guard. His body swung outside the vehicle uncontrollably, he could only clamp his pincer desperately onto the roof paneling!
"I'm... going to... kill you..." Kraab's furious voice was torn away by the rushing wind.
But he never finished his threat.
Ben took a deep breath, raised his air gun with both hands, and aimed it carefully at Kraab's mechanical body.
FWOOSH!
The compressed air projectile fired with perfect precision, striking directly into Kraab's optical sensor, one of his few vulnerable points. The damage to his vision system made him scream in pain and involuntarily release his grip!
In the same moment, Max jerked the steering wheel back to the left, stabilizing the Rust Bucket's wild tilt!
CRASH!
Kraab slammed into the pavement hard, bouncing and rolling across the road before finally coming to a stop!
Max, Asher, and Ben had executed a perfect coordinated counterattack without any prior planning at all!
"That... that was..." Ben's heart pounded wildly in his chest, his expression frozen in disbelief as he slumped back into his seat.
He'd actually helped fight off an alien bounty hunter?!
"Ben, Grandpa, thank you! We fought off those aliens together!" Asher's grateful words were filled with genuine admiration and pride for both his cousin and grandfather.
Only then did Ben fully process what had just happened. He couldn't contain his excitement any longer. He gave Asher a triumphant high-five, both of them cheering loudly!
"Don't run! You're all dead!!"
But the celebration was short-lived.
Kraab surged forward like a mechanized cheetah, his four scythe-like legs pounding the ground as he charged after the Rust Bucket with terrifying speed!
Meanwhile, SixSix soared through the air like a falcon, his jetpack blazing as he pursued them from above, radiating lethal intent!
Two mercenaries, hunting them simultaneously!
Asher looked down at the Omnitrix again, but its display still showed it wasn't fully charged!
'Come on... just a little longer...'
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