Asher explained everything about the Buzzshocks' situation, including his read on their emotional state. Thanks to Ghostfreak's heightened intuition, he could sense that these little aliens were deeply unhappy, trapped in darkness, longing for a freedom they could barely remember.
"They're actually kind of pitiful when you think about it," Ben said, genuine sympathy in his voice. "Imagine never seeing the sun. If I couldn't show off my Sumo Slammers collection every day at school, I'd go crazy too!"
Those cards were his pride and joy, something he brought to school to show all his friends.
"Ben, I didn't expect you to be so understanding." Gwen nodded approvingly. "I feel the same way. Despite all the trouble they cause, they deserve our sympathy."
This was the natural kindness in their hearts. Unlike naive do-gooders who helped indiscriminately, the Tennyson cousins understood that compassion required both empathy and action. They had something like the Omnitrix, they did have the Omnitrix, and they'd use it to help others.
"Violence won't solve this problem," Asher said after a moment, his expression turning serious as he looked toward Mirage Paradise's main lights. "We need to handle this carefully. Our top priority is controlling the situation before these little guys accidentally hurt someone. They don't mean any harm, but their abilities are dangerous."
He strode purposefully toward Mirage Paradise, with Ben and Gwen following close behind.
Inside Mirage Paradise, chaos reigned supreme.
The Buzzshocks were having the time of their lives, each one showing off in their own unique way.
"AHAHAHA!"
One Buzzshock balanced on a skateboard, riding across walls and ground with reckless abandon. Whenever it lost balance and fell, it simply transformed into a ball of crackling light, then rematerialized on the skateboard to continue its joyride.
"Can you please stop causing trouble?" Max looked utterly defeated. One Buzzshock stood triumphantly on his head, gripping a tiny pirate flag and pretending to navigate the high seas, shouting excitedly with each imaginary wave.
Another Buzzshock perched on his shoulders like a mischievous parrot.
His expression was pure resignation. These little aliens were far more troublesome than Ben had ever been. By comparison, his grandson was an absolute angel.
The other Buzzshocks played everywhere else, swinging from the elk decorations, climbing the oversized thermometer, dancing across various carnival attractions. They were having an absolute blast.
Electrical malfunctions followed everywhere they went.
"How can they have so much fun in such a boring place?!" Ben stared at the scene in stunned disbelief.
"Ben, that's not the important part right now." Asher crossed his arms thoughtfully. "We need to figure out how to catch them."
"How about using this?" Ben pulled out the air gun he'd been carrying and hefted it in his right hand, his confidence returning slightly.
"There's no need," Asher replied, shaking his head. "They're not like Vilgax, they're not truly evil. They're just mischievous."
"Wait, what is that thing?"
A familiar voice came from beside them.
Asher and the others turned to see the Happy Country owner standing nearby, staring at the air gun in Ben's hand with wide eyes.
When Ben inadvertently turned toward him, the pitch-black muzzle pointed directly at the man's chest.
The Happy Country owner instinctively raised his hands in surrender, his face going pale.
"Hahaha, boss! This is just a misunderstanding!" Asher laughed awkwardly but politely, quickly reaching out to push down Ben's air gun. "This is a one-to-one scale replica water gun modeled after a Desert Eagle. It's just a toy."
"Oh!" The Happy Country owner let out a shaky breath and patted his chest. "You startled me. I thought you kids were carrying actual weapons."
Asher quickly changed the subject before the man could dwell on it. "Boss, it's dangerous here. Why haven't you evacuated?"
The Happy Country owner blinked in confusion.
He looked at the three children standing before him, suddenly feeling like he was the child in this situation.
Shouldn't he be the one asking them that question?
"We're staying because..." Asher realized how strange this sounded and explained, "I managed to catch one of those Buzzshocks earlier, so I want to try catching them again."
"No way." The Happy Country owner's expression turned grim. "The Buzzshocks this time are much stronger. Rubber gloves won't be enough to contain them anymore."
His face showed genuine distress. "I was deceived by that ghost, the one you mentioned! He must be the mastermind behind all this. Otherwise, why would they all escape at once?"
Hearing this assessment, even Ben and Gwen looked at Asher with peculiar expressions.
Asher's face darkened considerably. He directly interrupted the Happy Country owner. "Boss, we should focus on figuring out how to catch these little guys right now."
His tone carried a hint of... irritation.
"Catch them?" The Happy Country owner looked stunned. He didn't dare try capturing them himself, he'd just been hoping they wouldn't cause too much damage.
"Yes. Tell me everything about their habits and behaviors. Summarize it in your own words." Asher's expression grew serious, taking on an unexpectedly mature tone that made him sound far older than his years.
The Happy Country owner's smile froze under Asher's intense, commanding gaze. He'd initially wanted to humor the children and send them away to safety.
But under Asher's solemn, authoritative stare, his patronizing smile gradually faded. His tone became equally serious. "These little guys are just like children. Sometimes they chat inside the rubber ball, sometimes they sleep the day away, and at night they cause trouble constantly."
"They'll fight with each other, but they always make up the next day."
"Even if they were fighting to the death one moment, they'd work together as a team the very next day. They're basically a group of hyperactive kids."
He sighed heavily.
"Wait. You're saying they have the concept of fighting?" Asher's eyes lit up with sudden interest.
"Yes, but it's usually just harmless squabbles. They won't actually kill each other," the Happy Country owner confirmed with a nod.
Asher's expression shifted as his mind raced through possibilities. The world around him seemed to fade away as he focused entirely on this crucial piece of information, thinking rapidly through potential solutions.
He had a plan.
Suddenly, a light of inspiration flashed in his eyes.
The Happy Country owner sighed again. "Let's just stay away from them, "
"HEY! CAN YOU ALL HEAR ME?!"
Asher spread his arms wide and waved vigorously toward the Buzzshocks scattered throughout the park, shouting at the top of his lungs.
WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!
The Buzzshocks' small heads all turned in his direction. Even Max and the Happy Country owner looked at Asher in disbelief, their faces showing identical expressions of shock.
Wait... did Asher forget that he hasn't transformed into an alien hero yet?
"Can you all come over here? I need to talk to you," Asher called out unabashedly to the Buzzshocks, his voice loud and his expression completely sincere.
The Buzzshocks perked up with interest.
Every other human they'd encountered either ran away in terror or froze in fear. But this human boy was actually waving at them? Inviting them over?
How fascinating!
And the brown-haired and orange-haired humans beside him looked interesting too.
All the Buzzshocks stopped what they were doing, transformed into streaks of golden light, and flew directly toward Asher.
Everyone except Asher looked absolutely terrified.
The Happy Country owner's face showed pure disbelief. "Kid, I'll give you credit for courage, that's not just bravery, that's insanity!"
"It's fine, boss. You should move farther away. Ben, Gwen, you two should also keep your distance. I have a way to deal with them." Asher spoke calmly, his confidence unwavering.
Fooling a group of adults might be beyond his capabilities right now. He'd need to become more experienced for that.
But fooling a bunch of alien children? He was absolutely confident about that.
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