The next morning, Ben groaned loudly as he slowly woke up, stretching his arms over his head while half-asleep.
"Oh man," he muttered tiredly. "What a weird dream."
He rubbed his eyes and yawned, still completely out of it, before finally noticing that something felt...off.
The surface underneath him was hard. Cold too.
Ben blinked a few times before looking down.
"...Huh?"
His eyes widened instantly.
He was lying on top of a bulldozer parked right beside the Rust Bucket.
Ben stared blankly at the construction vehicle for a solid three seconds before throwing both hands into the air.
"AH! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!"
Inside the Rust Bucket, the others were gathered around the television while a morning news report played across the screen.
"Despite last night's strange attack and the series of robberies throughout the mall district," the reporter said, "official representatives insist the situation is fully under control."
The screen shifted toward a nervous-looking mall representative standing in front of flashing security lights.
"This was an isolated incident," the representative said stiffly. "The mall remains open for business. Shopper safety is our Number One priority."
Behind him, one of the damaged helicopters was literally hanging sideways from a fountain.
"...Sure it is," Gwen muttered.
Ben stepped into the RV with messy hair and an exhausted expression.
"So..." he started slowly, pointing at himself. "Anybody wanna explain why I apparently decided to become a criminal in my sleep?"
Nobody answered immediately, and Ben looked around.
"Seriously, why would I go alien in the middle of the night and steal stuff like a roller coaster motor and a giant clock?" he asked. "Do I secretly wanna build the world's dumbest theme park?"
"Your guess is as good as mine," Orfevre said while sipping a drink.
"Honestly, I respect the commitment," Gold Ship added while eating chips. "Most people sleepwalk to the kitchen. You committed grand theft amusement park."
"Evan?" Ben asked hopefully.
Evan shrugged from his seat. "I got nothing."
Max folded his arms thoughtfully.
"Well, sleepwalkers usually enter something called a hyper-dream state," he explained. "Their bodies move while their brains are still dreaming. That's why none of it makes sense."
"Yeah," Gwen added, pointing at Ben, "but most sleepwalkers don't have an alien superweapon strapped to their wrist."
"I still say we tie him up," Gold Ship said casually.
Ben looked horrified. "You people are way too comfortable saying that."
"Gwen's got a point," Max said seriously. "Until we figure out what's causing this, we need to keep Ben awake and away from anyone he could accidentally hurt."
Ben blinked slowly. "...Okay."
His eyes started drooping almost immediately.
A second later, Ben shot upright with a scream as freezing cold water hit him directly in the face.
"HEY!" he shouted, coughing. "What was THAT for?!"
Gwen stood nearby holding an empty glass.
"Sorry, cuz," she said unapologetically. "It's for your own good."
Ben wiped water off his face with the most betrayed expression imaginable.
"I miss when you used magic to help people."
Hours passed. Very long hours. And throughout every single one of them, the girls took their mission way too seriously.
Every single time Ben started drifting off, Gwen pinched his nose shut until he woke up gasping. Orfevre yanked blankets out from under him so he smacked into the floor. Gold Ship smacked cymbals beside his ears.
At one point, Gwen dumped ice cubes down the back of his shirt. Ben nearly jumped through the ceiling.
Later, Orfevre smirked and quietly tied his shoelaces together while he was nodding off. Ben stood up and immediately faceplanted into the kitchen counter.
Gold Ship laughed so hard she fell out of her chair.
"You guys are enjoying this, aren't you?" Ben groaned tiredly, barely keeping his eyes open.
Gwen raised an airhorn. "Hm?"
Ben narrowed his eyes. "...Gwen."
She blasted the airhorn directly into his face.
Ben screamed and nearly fell backwards over the couch.
"Okay, maybe a little," Gwen admitted.
Eventually, even the girls started running out of energy.
The sun had long gone down, and the inside of the Rust Bucket had become unusually quiet.
Gold Ship was asleep upside down across one of the seats with cookie crumbs all over her shirt.
Orfevre had passed out sitting against the wall with her arms crossed.
Evan was asleep near the back window with his hood pulled over his face.
Gwen stumbled toward the front seat where Max had fallen asleep while keeping watch.
"Grandpa..." she yawned tiredly, gently nudging him. "Wake up... it's your shift..."
Before Max could even respond, Gwen's own eyes closed.
She immediately collapsed beside the seat, snoring softly.
The RV finally fell silent.
Meanwhile, far away from the mall parking lot, Sublimino stood calmly in the empty area where the massive clock tower used to stand. The destroyed remains still smoked behind him, sparks flickering from broken wires while police sirens echoed faintly in the distance.
The hypnotist adjusted his cape with a smug grin.
"Awaken, my slaves," he said dramatically, reaching into his coat pocket. "Awaken and serve your master, Sublimino!"
He pressed the button on his pocket watch.
A powerful sonic pulse blasted outward from the device, spreading invisibly across the entire mall district.
Inside the Rust Bucket, everyone remained asleep.
For about two seconds.
"Ugh..." Max groaned tiredly from the driver's seat. "Gwen... turn up the A.C... I'm cooking over here..."
The inside of the RV was suddenly becoming unbearably hot.
The others stirred awake one by one.
"What the..." Gwen mumbled sleepily.
Gold Ship sat upright with messy hair. "Why does it smell like barbecue?"
Then they noticed the glowing orange light outside the RV windows.
Everyone turned, seeing Heatblast calmly walk out of the Rust Bucket in complete silence, moving like a zombie in a trance.
His entire body burned brighter than usual, leaving scorched footprints behind him.
"Oh no," Gwen said immediately.
Before Heatblast could move any farther, a jet of water slammed directly into the back of his head.
His flames sputtered violently as the force knocked him face-first into the pavement.
Standing on top of the Rust Bucket was a red mollusk-like alien with a grey mouth. With crab-like features on his stomach, which appear to be crab legs forming a ribcage.
A red shell-like rough hexagonal hood, barnacle-like portholes on his shoulders, arms, legs, and hands. Red shoulder pad-like armor above his arm with a few black markings. Three spikes on the back of his legs and cracks on his arms and shoulders.
His legs hung loosely over the side of the RV, the golden Omnitrix dial on the center of his chest.
Evan's new alien form, Waterhazard. His golden eyes narrowed seriously toward Heatblast below.
Apparently, unlike everyone else, Evan had expected this exact thing to happen eventually, so he sat on guard outside and on top of the Rust Bucket. After all, as long as Ben was inside, even if he wanted to leave to cause trouble, he would still need to get out of the RV.
"Whatever's going on," Waterhazard said firmly, "this needs to stop, Ben."
Heatblast slowly rose back to his feet.
He didn't respond; instead, he immediately hurled a massive fireball upward.
Waterhazard reacted instantly, firing another high-pressure stream of water from his hands that collided with the attack midair.
The impact exploded into a cloud of hot steam. Heatblast used the steam as cover immediately. Jets of fire erupted from his feet and hands as he blasted upward into the sky like a rocket.
"Damn it!" Waterhazard shouted.
He slammed his Omnitrix dial.
Golden light exploded outward.
"Big Chill!"
His body transformed into the large moth-like alien as his wings spread open with a sharp flutter.
Without wasting another second, Big Chill shot into the sky after Heatblast.
Above the sleeping mall district, the two aliens streaked across the air like opposing comets, one burning bright orange, the other trailing freezing mist behind him.
Heatblast looked back and fired another barrage of flaming projectiles.
Big Chill twisted through the air gracefully, avoiding several before one exploded beside him and sent him spinning sideways.
He quickly stabilized himself and surged forward.
The Necrofriggian intercepted Heatblast midair and tackled him directly through the roof of a hardware store.
Both aliens crashed and rolled across the rooftop in a shower of sparks and debris.
Heatblast recovered first. He thrust both palms forward and unleashed a massive stream of fire.
Big Chill answered with a freezing breath attack from his mouth.
Fire and ice collided violently between them.
Steam exploded outward as the two attacks struggled against each other in the center.
The rooftop beneath them cracked from the pressure.
Big Chill narrowed his glowing eyes and pushed harder. His freezing breath suddenly split apart into multiple streams.
One beam continued holding back the flames while four others curved around from different angles toward Heatblast.
Heatblast leaped backward and flipped over one of the beams as it struck the rooftop, instantly freezing the entire section solid.
He spun around and launched another barrage of fireballs. Big Chill phased intangible immediately. The fireballs passed harmlessly through his ghostly body before exploding against nearby air-conditioning units.
Meanwhile, below the battle, Max, Gwen, Orfevre, and Gold Ship had already reached the hardware store area.
The family stayed hidden behind a parked delivery truck while watching the rooftop battle overhead.
"Uh..." Gwen said nervously while staring upward. "Should we maybe stop them before they accidentally melt the mall?"
"Look," Orfevre suddenly whispered.
She pointed toward the inside of the hardware store.
Everyone turned toward the large front windows.
Inside, the two elderly thieves from earlier were silently loading stolen equipment into a storage truck parked behind the building. Their movements were robotic and emotionless.
The old man pushed another cart toward the truck without saying a word.
"I recognize those two," Orfevre said quietly. "They're from that hypnotist's show. Sublimino."
Max's expression hardened immediately.
"So that's what's happening," he muttered. "Sublimino must be hypnotizing people into stealing for him."
Gold Ship folded her arms. "Okay, creepy mind-control magician officially moved onto our enemy list."
"So how do we snap everyone out of it?" She suddenly asked.
"I think we should stay hidden and follow them first," Orfevre suggested calmly. "If we rush in now, he might just run."
Max nodded. "Good thinking."
The family quickly climbed back into the Rust Bucket. Max started the engine carefully while keeping the headlights dimmed. Ahead of them, the storage truck slowly began pulling away from the loading dock.
The Rust Bucket followed at a distance. Above them, the battle still continued.
Bright orange flames and freezing blue mist spiraled through the night sky like a storm. Honestly, it was shocking nobody had called the military yet.
Big Chill finally gained the upper hand.
He flew around Heatblast in a tight circle while unleashing a concentrated stream of freezing breath.
Layer after layer of ice rapidly formed around Heatblast's body until he became trapped inside a giant floating block of ice.
Heatblast struggled weakly inside as steam hissed from the frozen prison. Big Chill quickly caught the frozen alien before gravity could do the rest.
His wings flapped heavily as he slowly descended toward the moving Rust Bucket.
He gently dropped the giant Heatblast-popsicle onto the roof of the RV.
The entire vehicle dipped slightly from the weight.
Then Big Chill phased partially intangible and poked his head directly through the RV ceiling.
"What's happening?" he asked. "Why are we moving?"
Gwen looked up at the upside-down ghost moth hanging from the roof.
"We think Sublimino is behind all of this," she explained. "Ben's sleepwalking alien problem too."
Big Chill blinked. "Who?"
"The short hypnosis guy," Orfevre answered patiently. "From the show earlier."
"Ohhhh," Big Chill said slowly. "I kinda stopped paying attention after he made Ben dance like a chicken."
"Yeah, we noticed," Gwen sighed.
Big Chill pulled his head back through the roof.
He noticed cracks beginning to spread through the melting ice block holding Heatblast. Without hesitation, he fired another freezing breath directly onto it.
To make things worse for him, Big Chill phased one arm into the ice itself and froze the inside solid again, repairing every crack from within.
"That should hold him awhile," Big Chill said.
Eventually, the Rust Bucket slowed to a stop. Max immediately shut off the headlights.
Ahead of them, the storage truck rolled toward a large warehouse near the edge of the mall district. The area around it was dark and mostly abandoned, with only a few flickering streetlights barely illuminating the building.
Waiting outside the entrance was Sublimino himself, looking just as smug as ever. He was a short man with a receding hairline, sunglasses over his eyes, a scar running down his right eye, and a red tie under a white suit with a red cape-like blazer, white pants, and black shoes. He looked less like a mastermind and more like someone who had spent way too much time trying to make himself look important.
Big Chill quickly moved back into the RV and tapped his Omnitrix, transforming into Ghostfreak.
Without hesitation, Ghostfreak floated out through the doorway, turning intangible and invisible as he drifted through the night air toward Sublimino.
"Hypnosis..." Ghostfreak said with quiet disdain. "With an ability like this... and this is what you choose to do with it."
He wasn't exactly someone fit to lecture others about morality. He knew that better than anyone.
Still... Even he could see the wasted potential.
He simply could not help seeing how much better that ability could have been used.
With Sublimino's hypnotic abilities, the man could have become rich legitimately. Famous, or at the very least, useful to society. He could have helped thousands of people around the world.
People with trauma. Addictions. Mental illnesses. Fear disorders.
The man practically possessed an ability to influence the human mind itself.
Instead, he had decided to turn innocent people into puppets and make them steal for him like some cheap criminal stage act.
What a waste.
For a brief moment, Ghostfreak floated silently behind him, considering ending it right there and then.
It would be easy. Too easy, especially for someone like him.
All he had to do was phase his hand through Sublimino's chest... grab his heart... and squeeze it long enough to make it stop.
And nobody would ever know.
The dark thought lingered for only a second.
Then he remembered Ben's future self. He remembered just how easily revenge could twist someone into something ugly. He also remembered what Max wanted from him. His grandfather wanted him to become more of a hero instead of... well, his current self.
Someone who is willing to do evil for the right reason.
Ghostfreak let out a long sigh and moved behind Sublimino instead.
Without another word, he shoved both ghostly hands into the hypnotist's head. A pulse of eerie energy exploded outward.
"AAAAAGHHH!"
Sublimino screamed violently as his senses overloaded all at once.
The hypnotist collapsed onto the pavement twitching before finally passing out cold.
At the exact same moment, the hypnotized civilians nearby suddenly blinked in confusion. The elderly people looked around blankly.
"Huh?"
"Weren't we at bingo earlier?"
Ghostfreak floated down silently and reached into Sublimino's coat pocket. He pulled out the stopwatch device responsible for the sonic hypnosis pulses.
The alien stared at it for a moment before crushing it with his clawed fingers.
"No more mind control."
After that, Evan made an anonymous call to the police and requested Lt. Steel under the name SAM.
Not long after, Lt. Steel arrived at the warehouse with his officers and found Fasttrack waiting for him.
The two exchanged a quick greeting while Fasttrack explained what had happened. Steel listened carefully, his expression growing more serious the more he heard. Sublimino's hypnosis was impressive, but it was also dangerous in the worst way possible, especially when used on random civilians. Turning innocent people into obedient criminals just to make a few easy bucks was exactly the kind of thing that made a bad situation worse.
Once he had the full picture, understanding that Fasttrack's friends were being brainwashed and didn't cause trouble willingly, Lt. Steel ordered his men to take Sublimino away. And deciding not to blame Ben for all the trouble he caused, as he is just another victim in this.
Before they left, he nodded toward Fasttrack and thanked him for the help. He also handed over a special contact number so they could reach each other more easily next time something like this happened.
Fasttrack nodded, gave a small wave, and sped off into the night.
He ran right past the Rust Bucket, which was hidden in a dark alley nearby. By the time Lt. Steel and the rest of the S.A.C.T. officers had moved out, the RV rolled back into view.
The side door slid open just long enough for Fasttrack to zip back inside.
Once he entered, Max immediately drove the RV away from the warehouse district.