Chapter 32: The Defeated Humungousaur's First Appearance
The heavy door of the Rustbucket creaked open as they piled back inside.
"Where is Kevin?" Grandpa Max asked, glancing at the empty space behind them.
"He got away," Gwen muttered, crossing her arms. Her shoulders slumped, clearly frustrated. It wasn't often she actually swallowed her pride to ask her older cousin for a favor, and seeing it fall through stung.
"It's fine," Klein said, his tone casual. He noticed her sour mood and, without overthinking it, reached out and patted her on the head. "We'll just catch him next time."
Gwen froze. Her entire body went rigid as if struck by a paralyzing spell, and a furious crimson flush crept up her neck, painting her cheeks bright red.
From the corner of the RV, Ben watched the exchange with a dark, gloomy scowl. He was already annoyed that Kevin had slipped through their fingers, but seeing Klein effortlessly fluster his cousin made his stomach twist with an inexplicable, extra layer of irritation.
"I'm going out for some fresh air," Ben grumbled, spinning on his heel. He shoved the RV door open and stomped outside.
"Don't move!"
The sharp, barking command shattered the quiet night. As soon as Ben's sneakers hit the dirt, he found himself staring down the barrels of a dozen high-tech assault rifles. He swallowed hard, his hands shooting up into the air.
Hearing the commotion, the rest of the family scrambled out of the Rustbucket.
"Nobody move!" barked the commanding officer, Lieutenant Steel, his eyes narrowed behind his visor. "Keep your hands where I can see them, or you'll all be turned into human Swiss cheese!"
'Damn it, are they seriously threatening me?'
Klein's eyes flashed with a dangerous, lazy amusement. He casually shifted his weight, fully prepared to send Lieutenant Steel and his heavily armed tactical squad flying into the stratosphere for a late-night cup of tea. The Another Omnitrix strapped to his wrist hummed faintly; its automated kinetic shielding was more than enough to render their pathetic firearms useless.
Before Klein could lift a finger, Grandpa Max stepped in, firmly grabbing his grandson's shoulder to hold him back.
"Officer, what seems to be the problem?" Max asked, raising his hands in a perfect picture of harmless, elderly confusion. He was desperately trying to buy time, wondering if Ben's transformations had finally been exposed.
Unfortunately, while Max successfully restrained the overpowered anomaly that was Klein, he couldn't keep an eye on Ben. Having learned a thing or two from his cousin's ruthless pragmatism, Ben decided that waiting around to be arrested was a terrible idea. He lunged, bringing his left hand up to activate the Omnitrix and take down the aggressors first.
Lieutenant Steel was faster. He lunged forward, his gloved hand clamping down on Ben's wrist like a vice.
"You kids use this watch to contact the aliens, don't you!" Steel demanded, his voice dropping to a harsh, interrogating growl. He didn't wait for an answer, leaning in closer. "Quick, tell me! Where are those alien freaks hiding?"
Before Ben could formulate a sarcastic reply, a tactical operative jogged up to Steel, pressing a hand to his earpiece. "Lieutenant," the soldier whispered urgently. "We have civilian sightings of an alien monster tearing apart the Golden Gate Bridge. If we don't intercept it immediately, the entire structure is going to collapse."
Steel's jaw tightened. He released Ben's wrist, shooting a piercing glare at Max and the kids. "I'll be keeping a very close eye on you," he warned, his tone laced with suspicion.
He raised his tactical walkie-talkie to his mouth. "A-1, extract me."
Seconds later, the deafening roar of rotor blades chopped through the air as a black tactical helicopter hovered directly overhead. A thick rope dropped from the open side door. Steel grabbed the line, expertly clipped it to his tactical harness, and gave a sharp hand signal. The helicopter immediately ascended, yanking the Lieutenant up into the night sky and carrying him away from the scene. His remaining squad members scrambled into their armored SUVs, tires screeching as they sped off in pursuit.
"You know, putting everything else aside..." Klein murmured, watching the helicopter shrink into the distance with genuine appreciation. "That guy really knows how to make a grand exit."
"Cousin, forget about his exit!" Ben yelled, waving his arms frantically. "Those guys can't beat Kevin! We have to go stop him!"
Ben was practically vibrating with anxiety, far more worked up than Klein. It seemed the Dweeb was deeply invested in anything involving his former street-rat buddy. Could it be that he still couldn't let go of his 'good friend' Kevin? Kevin ran around causing massive property damage specifically to spite Ben, and Ben ran around desperately trying to clean up Kevin's messes. What was this dynamic even called?
Ah, yes. A two-way street of pure, unadulterated trouble!
Oblivious to Klein's internal, mischievous trolling, Grandpa Max quickly ushered his grandchildren back into the RV. The engine roared to life, and the Rustbucket tore down the road, chasing the military convoy toward the bridge.
...
Golden Gate Bridge
High above the panicked traffic, Kevin stood balanced on the massive suspension cables, his body fully transformed into the crystalline form of Diamondhead. He laughed maniacally, his arms glowing as he continuously spewed jagged diamond shards, slicing through the thick steel support cables like a hot knife through butter.
Boom! Boom! Snap!
Massive steel cables snapped under the relentless assault, whipping through the air and crashing violently onto the bridge's roadway below.
"Man, I just love doing bad things like this!" Kevin cackled, admiring his handiwork. "Huh?"
He paused, the sound of heavy rotor blades catching his attention. He turned his crystalline head to see a black tactical helicopter approaching rapidly, with Lieutenant Steel dangling from the extraction rope beneath it.
Kevin sneered. He raised his right arm, the crystal shifting and sharpening. With a sharp thrust, a volley of razor-sharp diamond projectiles shot through the air. They slammed into the helicopter's tail rotor with devastating precision, shattering the blades and causing the chopper to spin erratically out of control.
"Gotcha!" Kevin cheered. His right hand shifted back into a palm, and he formed a mock pistol with his fingers, raising it to his mouth and blowing away the imaginary smoke.
Seeing the helicopter failing rapidly, Lieutenant Steel didn't hesitate. He drew the tactical combat knife strapped to his thigh, sliced cleanly through his harness rope, and plummeted through the air. He landed heavily but perfectly on the thick bridge cables, his boots gripping the steel wire as he rose to confront the alien menace.
Across the dizzying drop, their gazes instantly locked in a deadly staredown.
...
"The Lieutenant's going to get it!"
"Quick, cover the Lieutenant!"
The Rustbucket screeched to a halt at the edge of the bridge just as Grandpa Max, Klein, Ben, and Gwen arrived at the scene. The night air was filled with the frantic shouts of the S.A.C.T. operatives scrambling to set up their heavy ordnance.
On the cables above, Kevin was just about to lunge forward and finish off the stranded officer. Down below, two soldiers hoisted a massive, experimental laser energy cannon onto their shoulders. The weapon whined as it charged, releasing a blinding, concentrated blast of pure energy. The beam struck Kevin square in the chest, blasting him off the suspension cable in a shower of sparks.
Unfortunately, while the blast managed to knock Kevin down, the Petrosapien armor absorbed the brunt of the impact. He was completely unharmed. Lieutenant Steel, however, had lost his footing in the shockwave and was now dangling precariously over the dark, churning waters of the bay, clinging to the slick steel cables with both hands.
"Annoying pests!" Kevin snarled. The smoke cleared, and he casually patted the soot off his crystalline chest, stepping out of the blast crater with a menacing glare.
"Kevin!" Ben yelled, his blood boiling at the sight of his former friend. Seeing Kevin prepare to rain diamond shards down on the vulnerable soldiers below, Ben didn't waste a single second. He scrambled out of the RV and raised his wrist.
"Kevin thinks he can transform into any one of my ten alien heroes," Ben muttered, a fierce grin spreading across his face. "But let's see him try to copy this! He definitely doesn't have this one!"
Ben slapped the Omnitrix dial.
"Humungousaur!"
A blinding flash of emerald green light illuminated the bridge. As the light faded, a massive, towering bipedal dinosaur with thick, armored scales and a heavily muscled physique made a ground-shaking entrance.
Humungousaur didn't waste time posing. His massive, tree-trunk legs pumped as he charged across the bridge, reaching out just in time to catch Lieutenant Steel before his grip failed. The giant dinosaur gently lowered the officer to the safety of the roadway. Looking down, Humungousaur blinked in surprise at Steel's heavily bruised and swollen face.
'Man, Kevin really hits hard,' Ben thought.
"Kevin!" Humungousaur bellowed, his heavy footsteps cracking the asphalt as he charged toward the crystalline mutant. Lieutenant Steel leaned against a squad car, catching his breath as he stared up at the retreating back of the massive dinosaur, his mind racing as he tried to process what he was seeing.
Hearing his name bellowed over the wind, Kevin stopped his slow advance toward the 'pests' and turned around. His crystalline eyes widened in genuine surprise at the sight of the towering Vaxasaurian. He had never seen this alien before, but the glowing green hourglass symbol on its chest gave it away instantly. He recognized Ben.
"Kevin! Come fight me if you dare!"
"That's exactly what I intended!" Kevin shouted back.
Diamondhead raised both arms, unleashing a rapid-fire barrage of jagged diamond shards. The projectiles whistled through the air, but they were utterly useless. Humungousaur simply raised his thick, armored forearms, the diamond shards shattering harmlessly against his tough scales.
With a deafening roar, Humungousaur and Diamondhead charged at each other simultaneously.
Bang!
The impact echoed across the bay. Diamondhead, vastly outmatched in raw physical weight and strength, was sent flying backward, skidding violently across the pavement. Humungousaur let out a booming laugh, his blood pumping with adrenaline. This was real power!
Kevin groaned, pushing himself up from the cracked asphalt. He shook his head, his crystalline body suddenly shimmering and shifting. The sharp edges melted away, replaced by thick, crimson muscle as he morphed into the towering, four-armed Tetramand.
"Again!"
Four Arms roared, launching himself forward. He collided with Humungousaur, their massive hands locking in a brutal grapple. The collision of their fists echoed like continuous dull thuds over the bridge. Humungousaur possessed overwhelming, brute strength, but Four Arms was significantly more agile, using his extra limbs to parry and strike from unexpected angles. For a long, grueling minute, the two titans were locked in an absolute stalemate, neither able to gain the upper hand.
"Lieutenant, the energy cannon is ready!"
Down on the roadway, the S.A.C.T. operatives watched the two alien behemoths tearing up the bridge. Seeing that they were locked in a brutal stalemate, a soldier rushed over to Lieutenant Steel for orders.
"Aim at that four-armed monster!" Steel ordered sharply.
Two operatives quickly adjusted the heavy tripod, locking the targeting laser directly onto Kevin's broad back.
"Fire!"
The cannon unleashed a blinding, thick beam of concentrated plasma. Kevin, completely consumed by his furious brawl with Humungousaur, didn't even notice the glowing light behind him.
"Ben Tennyson! You're going to— Ahhh!"
The energy beam struck Kevin with devastating force. He was blasted off his feet, sent flying through the air, and tumbled violently across the asphalt, rolling for dozens of meters before finally coming to a halt in a smoking heap.
Humungousaur paused, lowering his fists. He looked back over his shoulder. Standing next to the smoking cannon, Lieutenant Steel met the giant alien's gaze and gave a single, respectful nod. The arrogant, hard-nosed officer was silently indicating that they were even—repaying the life-saving favor from earlier.
Humungousaur snorted, a small smirk crossing his reptilian face. He didn't feel that his victory was unfair in the slightest. As his older cousin Klein always said: A win is a win. If you don't agree, keep crying about it.
Groaning in pain, Kevin pushed himself up from the wreckage. He gritted his teeth, preparing to lunge back into the fight, only to realize his crimson skin was fading. A flash of red light washed over him, and he found himself forcibly transformed back into his scrawny, human form.
Seeing his opponent depowered, Humungousaur lost interest. He turned his massive back on the boy and began to walk away.
"Ben Tennyson! Why are you leaving?! Come back here and continue fighting me!" Kevin screamed, his voice cracking with rage and humiliation.
"It's not worth it," Humungousaur rumbled, turning his head just enough to look over his shoulder. "You're not worthy."
Seeing Humungousaur walk away without looking back completely shattered Kevin's fragile ego. The sheer disrespect provoked something deep and unstable within his absorbed DNA. His body began to convulse violently. A sickly, pulsing light erupted from his skin as his form shifted, twisting and mutating in a grotesque display. Flesh, crystal, magma, and fur merged together in a chaotic frenzy, transforming him into a monstrous, asymmetrical hybrid possessing the features of all ten of the Omnitrix's original alien heroes.
Kevin gasped, looking down at his mismatched, freakish claws. Panic flared in his eyes. He focused, trying to force his body to transform back into his human state, but it was completely useless! The genetic lock had slammed shut.
"No!" Kevin roared, his voice a distorted, multi-layered screech of pure agony and fury.
After thrashing and raging against his new, permanent nightmare of a body, his Stinkfly wings snapped open, vibrating with a deafening buzz. Fueled by blind, unadulterated hatred, the amalgam monster launched himself into the air, diving straight for the retreating Vaxasaurian.
Humungousaur didn't notice the incoming threat in time. With a sickening crash, Kevin slammed into his back, tackling the giant dinosaur to the ground.
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