A lonely stretch of desert highway.
Only one old RV rolled along the empty road—the Rustbucket.
"Ethen, this is your first time meeting Aunt Vera and Uncle Joe, so remember to make a good impression," Grandpa Max said cheerfully as he drove.
"Got it, Grandpa."
Ethen checked his reflection in the small mirror. His hair was neatly combed back, and under his white T-shirt he wore the new Plumber combat suit. The outfit felt surprisingly comfortable.
"Ugh, Great-Aunt Vera's house is so boring," Ben complained, resting his chin in his palm.
Gwen glanced at Ethen, pursing her lips slightly.
"With Ethen around… it won't be boring," she muttered under her breath.
Everyone was lost in their own thoughts until the Rustbucket entered a quiet, eerie town.
The streets were lined with old-fashioned houses. A few elderly folks sat silently on porches or lawns. It wasn't peaceful—it was lifeless.
"So boring…" Ben groaned, staring out the window.
They passed a house where an old man was repairing his roof. He slipped, flipped in the air, and landed on his feet perfectly.
"Whoa! Did you see that?!" Ben exclaimed.
Ethen and Gwen both looked out the window, puzzled. Everything seemed… too calm.
"I think your brain's overheated again, Ben," Gwen said dryly.
"Yeah, twice over," Ethen added with a smirk.
"Hey!" Ben slumped in defeat as both of them laughed.
"Our teamwork is flawless," Gwen said with a grin, high-fiving Ethen.
Ethen chuckled softly—but his expression turned thoughtful.
He remembered what was supposed to happen today.
Better to be prepared.
The Rustbucket stopped in front of a small house. An elderly couple stood waiting by the door.
The woman—plump, gray-haired, and smiling warmly—was Aunt Vera.
The thin, stern-looking man beside her was Uncle Joe.
The door opened.
"Max! Ben! Gwen… and Ethen!" Aunt Vera greeted happily.
Everyone climbed out to say hello.
"Hi, Aunt Vera!" Ethen said with a grin. Then he mischievously pulled out a water gun.
"Here! Let me give you a refreshing welcome!"
"Hahaha!" Grandpa Max chuckled, shaking his head.
Typical Ethen.
Swish!
Water shot out, splashing directly onto Aunt Vera before she could dodge.
Her smile froze—then her skin melted.
"AAAAH!!" she screamed as her body liquefied into a disgusting, pus-like alien creature!
Her "husband" roared, his mouth revealing rows of sharp, jagged teeth.
"Oh my gosh, Ethen, you just killed Aunt Vera?!" Ben yelped.
"I—I'll get a band-aid!" Gwen panicked.
Max's eyes widened in horror. "No… they're not Vera and Joe! They're aliens disguised as them!"
"You little brat!" the fake Vera shrieked. "You're dead!!"
Both aliens lunged forward.
They thought the kid would be terrified—drop the gun and run.
But instead, Ethen smirked.
"Not today."
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Streams of water blasted from the gun, melting their pus-like bodies into puddles of sludge.
The two impostors stared at him in disbelief as they dissolved.
A human… fearless?
"Whew, that was close," Ethen said casually, patting his chest. "Good thing I kept pulling the trigger."
"What's going on? Why would Vera and Joe—?" Max began, confused.
Ben quickly explained what he'd seen earlier.
Max's face turned grim. "If that's true… this whole town might be crawling with these aliens!"
Everyone froze—except Ethen, whose eyes narrowed in interest.
Moments later, several elderly residents stepped out of nearby houses, their eyes glowing faintly.
"He's got a water gun," one whispered.
"Should we rush him?"
"Just knock the gun away first!"
As they muttered, their forms began to bubble and melt, revealing more pus monsters underneath!
Ethen aimed his water gun—
Click!
No water. Empty.
"Out of ammo…" he muttered.
The monsters grinned wickedly and charged.
"Hahaha! What now, kid?!"
"The girl's mine!"
"I'll take the old man!"
They were ecstatic, ready to tear their prey apart.
"Get lost, you freaks!" Max yelled, hurling a rock at one of them.
"Ethen!" Gwen shouted. "They're afraid of water—maybe use that alien that can control it!"
"Good idea."
Ethen smacked the Omnitrix dial, spinning it until the icon he wanted appeared.
"Let's make a splash."
Click!
A green flash burst outward—
And standing there was Water Hazard.
"Nice call, Gwen. We really do make a good team," Water Hazard said, giving her a thumbs-up.
"That's the alien you turned into back when I was Heatblast!" Ben said excitedly.
"Let's call this one… Water Hazard!"
"Sure, whatever you say, Ben," Ethen replied, amused.
The battle began.
"Mission detected: 'The March of the Pus Monsters!'"
"Objective: Eliminate all infected aliens in the town. Show them the power of a Plumber-in-training."
"Reward: 10 points."
"Heh… I like the sound of that," Ethen grinned.
Water Hazard spread his barnacle-like arms wide—Then unleashed a torrent of pressurized water that merged into a massive roaring water dragon.
"Ultimate Attack—Hydro Dragon Cannon!!"
"Oh no!"
"What the heck is that?!"
"Please—mercy!!"
The pus monsters froze in terror, their bravado gone.
The water dragon struck like a tidal wave, blasting them apart.
They disintegrated into sludge—gone forever.
As silence fell, Water Hazard's eyes gleamed coldly.
"Now begins the cleanup," he said quietly.
"Objective: Purge every last alien parasite in this town."