"Kevin, he absolutely cannot be Ben!" Gwen frowned tightly, staring intently at the person who looked exactly like Ben, her mind racing. "Who is this person? Why is he pretending to be Ben? And why could I sense Ben's Plumber Energy on that part?" These questions swirled in her mind like unsolvable riddles.
"Ha-ha, you've seen through me! Indeed, as you said, I am not Ben." The person standing before them took another leisurely sip of his slushie, revealing a sly smile. "Alright, now for the fun, prize-less guessing game. Put on your thinking caps and guess who I really am!"
He spoke with a grin, his casual demeanor seeming indifferent to everything. Gwen, however, remained deep in thought, her mind working like a high-speed machine, constantly analyzing and deducing the possible true identity of the person before her.
Just then, an idea flashed through her mind, and she couldn't help but exclaim in surprise: "Ah! Albedo, could you be Albedo!!"
Hearing Gwen call out his name, Albedo nodded in satisfaction, snapped his fingers with a crisp sound, and laughed heartily. "Ha-ha, excellent, Miss Gwen! Congratulations on getting it right! However, I regret to inform you that there's no prize this time." He playfully winked at her.
With his identity ruthlessly exposed, Albedo no longer needed the disguise. Without hesitation, he removed the green jacket and casually tossed it onto the sofa.
His gaze then turned to a cardboard box beside him. He retrieved his own red jacket from it and swiftly put it on. Then, he removed the green contact lenses and brown wig, finally revealing his true appearance: short white hair, blood-red pupils, and a face eerily similar to Ben's—but paler, with faint dark circles under his eyes from long confinement in the laboratory.
"Albedo, what exactly are you trying to do? And how did you escape from the heavily guarded space prison?" Gwen demanded. Albedo's lips curled into a slight smile as he spoke slowly: "What I want shouldn't be hard to guess! As for why I'm here…"
He chuckled dismissively. "That kind of prison can't hold me. I am Albedo! What? Does my identical appearance to Ben make you forget my Galvan identity?" His tone was mocking, almost playful.
Just as Gwen was about to question further, Albedo raised a hand. "Enough, my friend. Let me formally introduce my partner. I bet you'll get along famously."
Gwen's mind raced, trying to guess who this partner could be. Within moments, her curiosity was answered: from the shadows, Vilgax stepped forward with heavy, measured steps.
Both Gwen and Kevin froze in disbelief, their jaws nearly dropping.
Especially Kevin, who forgot to struggle, eyes wide with shock. The enemy they least expected to see standing with Albedo—Vilgax—was now before them.
Kevin blurted out: "Wait… you two are cooperating to steal the Omnitrix. After you get it, how do you plan to split it? Are you going to take it apart and share the components?"
Albedo merely smiled, cruel and amused. Vilgax's expression remained cold and unreadable.
"That is of no concern to you two," Vilgax said. "Right now, I only want Ben's life. And the Omnitrix…" He glanced at Albedo briefly before continuing, "It will fall into the hands of someone truly worthy. When that happens, Ben will walk right into the trap. Then… the Omnitrix and Ben's life are mine for the taking."
Albedo, meanwhile, was entirely indifferent to the Omnitrix. His Ultimatrix outclassed it in every way except species diversity, so he looked down on it as trivial. He only played along for his own amusement.
Clapping his hands, Albedo drew attention. "Alright, chat time is over. Let's prepare… prepare to wait for Ben. And before he arrives, you two can enjoy a nice, long nap."
With a swift motion, Albedo activated the Ultimatrix. A dazzling red light flashed, and before them appeared Dust Fairy, his Nemuina form.
Kevin's eyes widened in disbelief. "Whoa… you can actually turn into Nemuina!"
Gwen, still puzzled, asked, "Nemuina? What's that? Does it do something special?"
Kevin explained hesitantly: "Uh… well, it's not super special, I guess. But this race is very rare—almost extinct! That's why I was so surprised to see one."
Albedo ignored their chatter. She hovered before them, raising both hands. Dream-like sleep dust poured forth from her palms.
"Alright, your little chat is over. Sweet dreams, my friends!!" With that, Kevin and Gwen fell into an instant, deep slumber.