The warehouse was dark and reeked of musty decay from years of neglect.
Gwen, Max, and Ben had taken cover behind various stacked boxes throughout the storage facility. Meanwhile, Asher pressed himself against the grimy window frame, peering intently toward the edge of town. The Omnitrix's faceplate had already popped up on his wrist, the holographic display glowing faintly in the shadows.
Should I go for one?
Or try to take both at once?
BOOM!
A small black speck appeared on the distant road, rapidly growing larger as it approached the town's perimeter. Within seconds, the figure fully revealed itself, a massive crab-like robot with gleaming metallic armor!
"That giant pincer is definitely his primary weapon," Asher muttered, studying the mechanical mercenary's enormous claw. He quickly calculated the opponent's combat capabilities in his head.
I can take him.
"The target is located inside the town," the Kraab announced in a cold, mechanical voice.
Kraab stopped at the entrance to the Slaterville, consulted the navigator built into his cybernetic systems, and confirmed Asher's location through thermal tracking and Omnitrix signal detection.
He raised his angular robotic head and stared directly at the warehouse.
Through the darkness, their eyes met.
Actually, it was entirely one-sided, Asher watching Kraab, while the bounty hunter primarily focused on the warehouse structure itself, scanning for heat signatures.
"Listen up, kid. If you come out right now and hand over the Omnitrix, I'll only kill you," Kraab called out, his voice dripping with arrogance. "But if you don't come out, I'll make sure everyone in this pathetic little town dies screaming."
The naked threat echoed through the empty streets as the Kraab stalked toward the warehouse, each word overflowing with mechanical menace and predatory confidence.
"Charming personality," Asher whispered sarcastically under his breath.
He placed his palm over the Omnitrix display, which currently showed the silhouette of Four Arms.
One punch should knock this tin can into next week.
BEEP!
"Signable entity detected: One of the elite mercenaries sent by the galactic warlord Vilgax, Kraab!"
"Host must transform into Ghostfreak to complete the sign-in!"
The sign-in system's notification suddenly activated, catching Asher completely off guard.
The system's message was clear: Transform into Ghostfreak, and I'll enhance your abilities.
However, Ghostfreak was notoriously dangerous. In the original timeline, this particular alien transformation had its own consciousness, the evil Ectonurite warlord Zs'Skayr, whose personality could completely override Ben's control. It was the only alien in the Omnitrix that possessed an independent mind capable of taking over the user.
That was precisely why Asher had deliberately avoided selecting Ghostfreak up until now.
But if the system was offering to strengthen this transformation...
This could be the breakthrough I need. If I can master Ghostfreak, I'll have access to one of the most versatile aliens in the Omnitrix.
A flash of determination crossed Asher's features as he twisted the Omnitrix dial away from Four Arms and selected the ghostly alien silhouette instead. He spoke with quiet confidence, addressing the alien DNA itself as though it could hear him.
"We're going to fight together. I'll bring out your full potential, your absolute strongest abilities. I won't let you down."
SLAM!
He pressed down on the Omnitrix faceplate!
FLASH!
Brilliant emerald light exploded through the warehouse!
Behind Asher, Gwen, Ben, and Max all stretched their necks to peer around their hiding spots, watching intently as Asher transformed once again. Excitement coursed through them, they never tired of witnessing the Omnitrix's incredible power in action.
Will it be Four Arms overwhelming the enemy with raw power?
Or Diamondhead deflecting attacks with crystalline defenses?
Maybe Heatblast's devastating fire attacks?
But when the green radiance finally faded away, something completely unexpected floated before them.
A phantom-like entity, the kind of terrifying specter that only appeared in the darkest horror movies, hovered motionless in midair!
Ghostfreak's appearance was genuinely chilling. His body seemed to flicker between solid and gaseous states. Black lines crisscrossed his grey skin like veins of darkness, and his single eye could move freely to any part of his body, creating an unsettling visual effect. The very air around him seemed to grow colder, as though death itself had entered the room.
"Sign-in complete?" Ghostfreak's voice emerged, cold, hollow, and haunting, like the whisper of a restless spirit echoing from beyond the grave.
DING!
"Congratulations to the host for successful sign-in!"
"Reward acquired: Blue-tier enhancement, Comprehensive ability upgrade for Ghostfreak!"
Comprehensive ability upgrade?
Exhilaration surged through Ghostfreak's consciousness. This wasn't just a minor boost to one or two powers, this was a complete enhancement of every single ability Ghostfreak possessed. And since this was a blue-tier reward, the improvements would be substantial!
Before he could process the implications further, an entirely new power erupted from within his spectral form. He could feel the enhancement flooding through every aspect of his being, the same overwhelming sensation he'd experienced when Four Arms received his power boost!
At the same time, something else changed dramatically.
Ghostfreak's malevolent eye suddenly intensified with far greater intimidating presence. His psychic abilities strengthened exponentially, the mental pressure radiating from him becoming nearly overwhelming!
These were Ghostfreak's signature supernatural powers, now amplified beyond their original limitations!
"Why do I suddenly feel so cold?" Gwen shivered, wrapping her arms around herself.
"Yeah..." Ben agreed, his teeth beginning to chatter as he hugged his shoulders for warmth. Even Max seemed uncomfortable, his breath now visible in the suddenly frigid air.
The three of them instinctively looked toward the transformed figure.
Even though they knew intellectually that this was Asher, that the ghostly entity floating before them was still their cousin and grandson, they couldn't suppress the primal fear that rose within their hearts. Their bodies trembled involuntarily.
That's the fear of ghosts and the supernatural, hardwired into human instinct!
BOOM!
SCREECH!
At that precise moment, the warehouse door was struck by tremendous force from outside!
With the first impact, the heavy metal door bent inward dramatically, warping from the sheer power behind the blow!
With the second impact, the warehouse door was torn completely from its hinges and crashed inward, the massive force shaking dust from the rafters!
The Kraab slowly stalked into the warehouse, backlit against the entrance like the Grim Reaper coming to collect souls.
But Ghostfreak had already vanished from his previous position.
He'd entered complete invisibility mode, though he remained precisely where he'd been floating all along.
"What the hell? Where'd they go?" Kraab's mechanical voice carried confusion as his optical sensors swept the warehouse interior. His advanced cybernetic eyes scanned for heat signatures, movement patterns, electrical activity, but found absolutely nothing.
The bounty hunter quickly glanced down at the tracking device integrated into his systems.
The Omnitrix signal is still here!
This didn't make any sense to Kraab's tactical programming.
"Can't see me?" Ghostfreak's face twisted into a smile of dark amusement.
He floated directly in front of Kraab, deliberately positioning himself in the robot's direct line of sight. He even followed the movement of the mercenary's visual sensors, staying perfectly centered in Kraab's field of view!
Yet the Kraab behaved as though Ghostfreak were completely invisible, his enhanced optical systems providing zero information about the phantom floating mere inches from his face.
This invisibility ability... it's been enhanced to the level of complete imperceptibility!
The system's upgrade had taken Ghostfreak's invisibility far beyond simple light refraction. Now, when Asher activated this power, he became undetectable by virtually any sensory system, visual, thermal, electromagnetic, you name it. He'd essentially achieved perfect stealth.
"Fine. Very clever, using some kind of cloaking technology." Kraab's synthesized voice turned calculating as he analyzed the situation. His mechanical gaze shifted toward Gwen, Ben, and Max, his thermal sensors immediately locking onto their heat signatures. "But as long as I capture your friends, you'll come out of hiding on your own!"
The bounty hunter took his first step toward the three humans cowering behind their inadequate cover.
"Bounty hunter..."
Ghostfreak's voice suddenly materialized directly in front of Kraab, cold, mocking, and dripping with malevolent amusement.
"Here I am."
"WHAT?!"
If Kraab had been capable of genuine fear, he would have jumped backward in terror. As it was, his mechanical systems registered maximum surprise as Ghostfreak suddenly appeared from absolutely nowhere!
The phantom had been standing directly in front of him the entire time.
How is that possible? My sensors detected nothing, absolutely nothing!
Kraab's tactical processors struggled to understand the situation. His cybernetic enhancements included some of the most advanced detection systems money could buy. He'd hunted targets across a dozen star systems. Nothing had ever completely evaded his sensors like this!
"Don't even think about touching them. You'll have to go through me first!" Ghostfreak's expression hardened, his voice becoming even more chilling. His tone turned absolutely bleak as supernaturally cold wind seemed to swirl through the warehouse!
The battle began!
"WHOOSH!"
Ghostfreak's figure blurred forward with frightening speed and threw a punch directly at Kraab's angular robotic head!
CLANG!
Kraab reacted with surprising swiftness, raising his massive pincer claw to block. His mechanical expression remained arrogant and dismissive, clearly not taking the ghostly alien seriously.
Until Ghostfreak's seemingly ethereal punch connected with the reinforced metal pincer.
BOOM!
The entire pincer trembled violently from the impact force, actually shifting several inches closer to Kraab's own face from the unexpected power behind the blow!
That single punch had delivered considerably more force than this species should have been capable of generating!
'What kind of Alien is this?!'
"How did you do that?!" Kraab demanded, genuine shock filtering through his synthesized voice.
He immediately retracted the giant pincer, clenched his other mechanical hand into a metal fist, and swung it viciously at Ghostfreak's spectral body, shouting questions while attacking!
WHOOSH!
Ghostfreak simply dropped straight through the warehouse floor, his body phasing completely intangible as it merged seamlessly with the earth itself. He disappeared without a trace once again!
Kraab's powerful punch hit nothing but empty air!
This prey is more dangerous than the bounty suggested.
For the first time, the arrogant mercenary felt genuine difficulty in completing his mission.
"You chose to hunt me alone as a solo mercenary?" Ghostfreak's voice echoed from everywhere and nowhere simultaneously, the sound seeming to originate from the walls themselves. His words carried dark, mocking laughter that raised goosebumps on human skin.
"Did you really think this through? Because I'm starting to wonder... what's going to happen to you?"
"Show yourself, you coward!" Kraab snarled, his earlier confidence beginning to crack.
The Kraab raised his massive pincer high and slammed it down onto the warehouse floor with devastating force!
CRASH!
The concrete shattered, sending countless fragments flying outward in an explosive spray of debris and dust!
But it accomplished nothing.
Ghostfreak maintained perfect invisibility as he circled behind Kraab's position, watching the frustrated mercenary with cold amusement. Without any hesitation or warning, Ghostfreak's hands silently clenched into fists the size of heavy sandbags, preparing to strike from the blind spot directly behind the overconfident bounty hunter.
This phantom's hunt had only just begun.
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