The summer heat was oppressive as the line for the new Sumo Slammers: Rebellion arcade game stretched down the block.
"I'm melting, Ben," Tyler groaned, wiping sweat from his brow. "It's just a game. Can't we come back tomorrow?"
Ben looked at him with a dead-serious expression. "Correction, Tyler. This isn't a game. This is faith."
Tyler's mouth twitched, but before he could argue, every screen in the arcade went black. Curses erupted from the crowd. It wasn't just the arcade—the entire block's power grid had been sucked dry.
Tyler felt a familiar chill. The Carnitrix on his wrist hissed and the screen popped up. [THREAT DETECTED: BIO-ELECTRICAL VAMPIRE.]
As the shops began to close, a man with a golden crew cut and a cold, military gaze marched toward the scene, flanked by a squad of heavily armed special forces. Captain Steel began a sweep of the area, mentioning "power-sucking aliens."
Tyler slipped his hand into his pocket to hide the red glow of the watch. "Ben, back to the Rustbucket. Now."
Once inside, Tyler laid out his theory. "In this city, with this kind of localized blackout? It has to be Kevin."
"If he's sucking power, he's going for a payday next," Max added, steering the Rustbucket toward the local Mint. "Dong Wu wanted fame, Vilgax wanted the galaxy, but Kevin? Kevin just wants to get rich."
Inside the Federal Mint, electricity crackled across the floor. A half-meter tall Spark-Imp (Buzzshock) was frantically stuffing stacks of high-denomination bills into a sack, cackling with glee.
"Hahaha! I'm finally gonna spend it all!" Kevin cheered.
Suddenly, a shadow fell over the entrance. Tyler stepped into the factory, his expression calm. He looked at the Carnitrix. The watch initially recommended The Cosmic Horror (Way Big) and then The Fallout-Forge (NRG), but Tyler shook his head. "Too much collateral damage."
He toggled the dial to the Calibrated Library.
FLASH!
A pillar of deep red light engulfed the doorway. Out of the light stepped a two-meter-tall entity. Its head was a jagged, blooming flower of fire; its body was composed of dark green, rotting peat that looked like a heavy coat, and its limbs were thick with fiery red spikes.
The Bog-Stalker.
Kevin froze, his eyes widening as he recognized those iconic, jagged fangs. "Ahhh! Why is it you again?!" He scrambled back, dropping the money. "Look, you helped me at the arcade, but you can't keep coming to steal my cut! Take it! It's all yours!"
"Kid," Tyler's voice was a low, earthy rumble. "I'm not here for the money. I'm a hero."
Tyler spread his palms, igniting two spheres of green-tinted flame. He hurled them at Kevin. Kevin dodged, his body sparking with stolen electricity. "What kind of hero looks like a nightmare from a swamp?!"
Tyler noticed the flames were weaker than his Pyronite form. He took a deep breath, venting a massive cloud of concentrated methane gas from his pores.
BOOM!!
The gas hit the green flames, creating a pressurized "Fire Cannon" that blasted Kevin out of the air like a mosquito hit by a flak gun. Kevin hit the floor, smoking and snarling. "I'm stronger now... I'll take your power too!"
He lunged at Tyler, hands glowing with electricity, intending to touch the watch and absorb Tyler's DNA.
Tyler revealed a jagged, predatory smile. "You want my DNA? Go ahead and try to survive it."
Outside, Ben and Gwen rushed toward the entrance.
"Look! It's a new one!" Ben shouted. "I've gotta give him a name!"
"Forget that, Ben!" Gwen pointed toward the horizon where a fleet of black SUVs was approaching. "Captain Steel is here. We have to finish this fast!"
New Transformation Log
The Bog-Stalker (Swampfire Variant)
Traits: A humanoid mass of methane-producing plant matter. Its head is a permanent flame encased in dark petals.
Special Move: Biogas Ignition. By mixing its high-pressure methane with its palm-sparks, it creates localized thermobaric explosions that mimic the power of heavy artillery.
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