Aiden was the first to react. He turned sharply and shouted to the two beside him.
In the distance, a giant robot — over ten meters tall, with four spider-like mechanical legs — was stomping through the forest, crushing trees under its weight as it advanced straight toward them.
"It saw us!" Aiden yelled.
"Okay!"
Ben was a little slower to react, but being a boy, his instincts kicked in quickly. He turned and sprinted toward the campsite without hesitation.
Gwen, however, froze in place. Her small, pretty face went pale with fear, and she couldn't move.
Without thinking, Aiden grabbed Gwen's wrist and pulled her along.
"Th-thank you!" Gwen gasped, her face flushing red as she followed his lead.
Grandpa Max, though older, was surprisingly agile. He climbed out of the pit they had fallen into and quickly took the lead, running ahead of the three of them.
Fortunately, Aiden had good stamina from regular exercise. Even while pulling Gwen, he managed to keep up with Ben and Grandpa Max.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The robot's movements thundered through the woods. Its four mechanical legs smashed through trees like toothpicks, and its glowing red eyes locked onto the group as it gained on them.
"I remember this part from the original story," Aiden thought while running. "But wasn't it supposed to be a smaller robot? Guess my being here changed a few things…"
A massive cannon on the robot's right arm began to glow red, charging up energy.
The next moment, a blazing red beam shot out, tearing through the night sky and landing directly in front of them!
BOOM!
The blast erupted with a deafening explosion. Fire tore through the trees, consuming half the forest in an instant. The shockwave nearly knocked Aiden off his feet.
All four of them stared in disbelief at the burning jungle ahead.
The robot's cannon arm still smoked as a cold, mechanical voice echoed in its system. Vilgax's command came through the control feed:
"Eliminate the four Earthlings. Recover the Omnitrix."
"Don't just stand there!" Grandpa Max snapped, pulling Ben and Gwen forward.
"No," Aiden said, gritting his teeth. "If I don't transform now, we're all dead."
He released Gwen's hand and sprinted straight toward the robot.
"Aiden! What are you doing?!" Grandpa Max shouted.
Aiden didn't look back. "Grandpa Max! Ben! Gwen! It's after the watch on my arm. I'll draw it away—just go!"
For a moment, Grandpa Max's eyes watered. He felt powerless—an old man watching a kid step forward to protect them.
Ben and Gwen were frozen, tears threatening to spill. Even though they had only just met Aiden, his courage left a deep mark on their hearts.
Then—thud!
Aiden tripped and fell to the ground.
The Omnitrix on his wrist slammed against the dirt, and its faceplate flipped open with a mechanical click!
The robot instantly detected the signal. It aimed its cannon again, red energy swirling at its core.
"Aiden!!"
Ben and Gwen screamed in unison. Ben tried to rush to him, but Grandpa Max grabbed his arm, holding him back.
Another beam of red light charged—then fired!
"W-What's this screen thing?" Aiden gasped. His pulse raced as heat flared behind him. He had no time to think—he slammed his palm down on the Omnitrix dial!
The second his hand made contact—
BOOOOOM!!
The laser hit. The entire area exploded, flames erupting high into the air. The firestorm swallowed Aiden whole.
Grandpa Max's expression darkened. "Aiden… I'm sorry, kid. This is all my fault. If I hadn't brought you here…"
Gwen covered her mouth, shaking her head. "No… it can't be."
"The target has been neutralized," the robot droned, turning its massive frame toward the blast zone to confirm the kill.
The three could only watch helplessly as it drew closer.
Then—
A voice echoed through the smoke.
"Who said I'm dead?"
It wasn't Aiden's normal voice, but the tone—confident, fiery—felt unmistakably like him.
"What the—?" Ben and Gwen's eyes widened.
BOOM!
A blazing red figure burst through the smoke, landing beside Grandpa Max like a meteor.
His entire body burned with fire. His skin was molten red rock, glowing with energy. He stood tall and imposing, staring down the robot with fierce determination.
"Fireman…" Grandpa Max whispered in awe.
Aiden—no, Heatblast—had made his debut.