Grandpa Max pulled the Rust Bucket up to a roadside drive-thru ATM.
Just as he was about to insert his card, a burly, sinister-looking man shoved his way forward.
“Out of the way, old man,” the thug barked, violently pushing Grandpa Max aside.
“I’ve got a massive withdrawal to make.”
He looked up, nodding to a waiting accomplice nearby.
Meanwhile, the kids were checking out the display case at a nearby ice cream parlor.
Gwen looked over the flavors and asked the clerk, “Do you have anything low-fat and sugar-free?”
The clerk scoffed, visibly annoyed.
“This is an ice cream parlor, kid.
Try a napkin.”
Ben opened her mouth to order, but her eyes caught the reflection in the window, a robbery was happening right behind them.
Without a moment’s hesitation, Ben bolted out the door.
As she ran, she gave the faceplate of her watch a sharp twist.
“Duty calls!
Time to dishing out some justice!”
Blake glanced after her, then looked at Gwen and shrugged.
“I’ll just take a scoop of strawberry.”
It wasn’t that Blake didn’t want to help, but he firmly believed Ben needed the field experience.
After all, he wasn’t the main character here; a minor scuffle like this was best left in the protagonist’s capable hands.
Outside, the thieves had hooked a heavy chain from their truck to the ATM.
They slammed on the gas, but the tires just spun helplessly.
The truck wouldn’t budge an inch.
Suddenly, the steering wheel vanished right out of the driver’s hands.
In its place, a pair of glowing green-and-black eyes materialized on the dashboard.
“Sorry, fellas,” Upgrade said, his robotic voice echoing through the cabin.
“Transaction denied due to insufficient funds.”
True to his name, Upgrade could merge with and thoroughly manipulate any piece of technology, turning an ordinary vehicle into a weaponized powerhouse.
With a swift motion, Upgrade ejected the driver onto the asphalt.
The second thief tried to swing a heavy tow chain at him, but Upgrade’s mechanical strength far surpassed a normal human’s; with a casual tug, he sent the accomplice flying across the pavement.
Just as the dazed thief tried to scramble back to his feet, a heavy boot slammed onto his stomach, pinning him flat.
Grandpa Max looked down at the groaning crook.
“And where do you think you’re going?” He looked up and smiled.
“Nice work, Ben.”
Upgrade detached from the truck, shifting back into a humanoid form.
“Oh yeah!
No one can mess with the best!
Bring it on!”
Ben timed back to her human form just as Max led them back to the RV.
“So, what’s next on the agenda?”
“Next,” Grandpa Max smiled, “we’re heading over to your Aunt Vera’s place to spend the weekend.”
Ben’s triumphant grin instantly vanished, replaced by a look of sheer despair.
“Oh, man…
Aunt Vera’s?
Talk about a total snooze-fest!”
Within the hour, they were back on the road, watching the scenery blur past.
Ben slumped against the window, complaining loudly, “This is so unfair.
This summer is supposed to be full of awesome adventures, not visiting ancient relatives in the middle of nowhere.”
Gwen smirked from across the table.
“I like Aunt Vera.”
“Please,” Ben retorted, rolling her eyes.
“That’s only because you’re basically a mini old lady yourself.”
Blake tuned out their bickering.
The name *Aunt Vera* rang a distinct bell in his memories, but he couldn’t quite place the exact plot details.
The only thing he remembered clearly from watching this episode as a kid was that it was incredibly creepy.
Soon, the Rust Bucket rolled into the retirement community.
The streets were entirely populated by senior citizens, prompting Ben to mutter, “People must literally die of boredom here.
I bet the only source of entertainment in this town is watching the grass grow.”
Right as the words left her mouth, Ben caught a glimpse of an elderly resident out the window.
The old man suddenly launched himself into the air, executing a flawless, aerial 360-degree flip before landing perfectly on his feet.
It was a physical feat utterly impossible for a normal human of that age.
“Whoa!
Did you see that?!” Ben gasped, pressing her face against the glass.
Gwen glanced out the window, but by then, the street looked completely ordinary.
“See what?
Honestly, Ben, the heat must be melting your tiny brain.”
When the RV finally parked, Ben was the first to step outside.
She shielded her eyes from the blazing sun and groaned, “Seriously, why do old people always insist on living in places that are hot enough to bake a potato?”
She was so busy complaining that she didn’t notice Gwen sneaking up behind her with a large neon water gun.
Finding her target completely oblivious, Gwen pulled the trigger, blasting a stream of cold water directly onto the back of Ben’s neck before laughing and running away.
Blake stepped out of the vehicle next.
As his eyes scanned the unnervingly familiar neighborhood and landed on the water gun in Gwen’s hands, a spark of memory finally clicked.
(Right…
that water gun is going to be a massive lifesaver later.)
Ben, still wiping her neck, glanced up at a neighboring house.
An elderly woman was standing by the window, staring down at her with a dead, hollow gaze.
As Ben stared back, the old woman’s jaw suddenly unhinged, opening to an impossibly wide, grotesque angle.
She tilted her head with an unnatural, sickening crack, let out a bizarre guttural hiss, and violently slammed the curtains shut.
“Uh…
okay,” Ben muttered, thoroughly unnerved.
“The locals seem super friendly.”
A moment later, Aunt Vera opened her front door, pulling Grandpa Max into a warm embrace.
Spotting the kids, her face lit up with genuine delight.
“Oh, I can’t believe it!
Look how much you two have grown!”
She stepped forward, affectionately pinching Ben and Gwen’s cheeks.
Then, her eyes drifted over to Blake, who had dark hair and brown eyes, standing slightly to the side and taking in his surroundings.
Noticing her curiosity, Grandpa Max stepped in to explain.
“This is Blake.
He’s the son of an old colleague of mine.
His parents asked us to look after him for a bit.”
Aunt Vera’s smile widened, and she immediately reached over to pinch Blake’s cheeks as well.
“Oh, he must be such a good boy.
Look at those sharp features!
You’re going to grow up to be quite the heartbreaker, young man.”
“Wh-Why do I haff to get pinchth too…?” Blake mumbled, his face squeezed tight.
Hearing Aunt Vera heap praise on Blake, Ben’s chest swell with an inexplicable wave of pride.
She crossed her arms and lifted her chin high, a smug expression on her face as if to say, *Of course he is, look who picked him.*
Noticing her cousin’s bizarrely triumphant behavior, Gwen couldn’t help but deadpanned, “Hey, dweeb.
What are you looking so proud for?”
Ben shot Gwen a sharp glare, quickly turning her head away to hide the faint pink on her cheeks.
“None of your business.”
With the introductions out of the way, they entered the house.
The moment she crossed the threshold, Ben wrinkled her nose.
“Ugh…
why do old people’s houses always smell like someone’s dirty socks?”
When dinner was served, the culinary nightmare only intensified.
A solitary platter sat in the center of the table, piled high with a strange, brown, gelatinous mass.
It looked like a giant mold of jello, but the odor wafting from it was entirely unappetizing.
Grandpa Max, ever the adventurous eater, dug right in.
“Oh, Vera, this is absolutely wonderful!
What exactly is this delightful brown dish?”
Aunt Vera smiled warmly.
“It’s pureed pork chops!
And those white chunks mixed in are cauliflower!”
Hearing the description, Ben froze, her spoon hovering inches from her plate, completely lacking the courage to take a bite.
“So, Ben,” Aunt Vera asked, turning her attention to her granddaughter.
“What exactly have you been up to this summer?”
Ben didn’t skip a beat, offering the absolute, unvarnished truth.
“Smashing alien freaks into a pulp.”
Aunt Vera simply chuckled, assuming it was the wild imagination of a child.
Taking advantage of the moment while Aunt Vera was distracted by Gwen’s questions, Ben swiftly scraped her portion of the brown sludge onto Gwen’s plate.
Blake, taking a page out of her book, stealthily slid his portion onto Grandpa Max’s plate.
Seeing that Ben’s plate was clean, Aunt Vera walked over carrying a crystal bowl filled with dark nuggets.
“Finished already?
Here, Ben, why don’t you have some candy?”
“Candy?!
Now we’re talking!”
Ben grabbed a piece and popped it into her mouth.
The very next second, her face contorted in pure disgust, and she violently spat it out onto a napkin.
“Blech!
What kind of psycho makes coffee-flavored candy?!”
Blake, who had been reaching out to take a piece, instantly froze.
He smoothly retracted his hand.
“Uh…
you know what, I think I’ll pass.”
Aunt Vera put on a look of exaggerated disappointment.
“Oh, what a shame.”
Suddenly, Ben bolted from her chair, heading for the hallway.
“I’ll be right back, I need to use the restroom!”
Once inside, she locked the door and leaned her back against it, exhaling a stressed breath.
“This place is insane.
These old people are out of their minds.
I need to get out of here for a little bit.”
Her eyes fell on the Omnitrix.
A brilliant idea flashed through her mind.
She turned the dial to a specific silhouette and pressed it down, her body dissolving into a bright flash of light as she transformed into Ghostfreak.
To be fair, Ghostfreak was a living childhood nightmare for many, possessing a ghostly, monochromatic appearance, an ethereal voice, the ability to turn invisible, phase through solid matter, fly, and completely ignore physical attacks.
Back in the living room, Gwen was following one of Aunt Vera’s suggestions, pressing a large seashell against her ear to listen to the ocean.
However, instead of the soothing sound of rolling waves, a creepy, echoing voice vibrated from the shell.
“Neeeeeerd…”
“Mega-neeeerd…
hahaha…”
The terrifying, hollow voice caused Gwen’s pupils to shrink in sheer fright.
Fortunately, she quickly recognized the mocking tone.
“Ben?!”
Seeing that her cover was blown, Ghostfreak drifted away, seeking out her next target for a prank.
She floated over to Blake.
Blake was currently leaning against the sunny windowsill, his eyes closed as he enjoyed the warm breeze, completely relaxed.
Ghostfreak drifted closer, hovering inches away from his face.
It was the first time she had ever looked at him from this close.
Up close, his clean, sharp jawline and perfectly balanced features were undeniably handsome.
Ben found herself completely losing her train of thought, staring at him in a daze.
She lingered there for a long moment.
Ultimately, she couldn’t bring herself to startle him out of his peaceful rest.
“Softie…” she whispered in a tiny, gentle voice.
With a faint, fluttering sensation in her chest, Ghostfreak turned and quietly phased through the wall, drifting out into the mysterious town.