Ben 10 - Ultimate Series

Inside the small convenience store, Ben and Gwen were eyeing the ice cream freezer. Gwen was scrutinizing the flavors with unnecessary concentration.

"So, what do you have that's fat-free and less than 3% sugar?" Gwen asked the store clerk.

"Napkins," replied the clerk, impatiently.

Ben rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on, Gwen. Live a little!"

"Ugh, fine. I guess I'll get mint chocolate chip," Gwen said, resigned.

"Great choice," Ben commented, grabbing a chocolate chip one. They paid and left the store, with Gwen starting to eat her ice cream.

As they walked back to the Rustbucket, Ben noticed a truck parked in front, with smoke coming from the engine and one of the owners futilely trying to find a solution. He stopped, observing the scene for a moment, before breaking into a grin.

"Hey, Gwen, hold this for me," Ben said, handing his ice cream to her.

"Wait, what? Why am I—" Gwen started, but Ben was already heading into the Rustbucket.

Inside, Ben looked at the Omnitrix on his wrist. He clicked the button, taking the watch out of disguise mode. The green glow of the device illuminated his face, and Ben smiled, excited.

"Ben 10 is back," he said to himself, before twisting the dial and pressing the button.

In an instant, Ben's body transformed into a black liquid mass with green circuit patterns. He was Upgrade.

Sliding out of the Rustbucket, Upgrade moved to the truck. Merging with the faulty engine, he quickly rearranged the internal parts, clearing the issues and bringing the vehicle back to life. The sound of the engine running smoothly filled the parking lot.

Upgrade slid out of the truck, returning to the Rustbucket as the truck owner looked at the fixed engine in disbelief.

Back in the trailer, Max looked at Upgrade with a raised eyebrow.

"Since when did the Omnitrix start working again?" Max asked, curious.

Max touched the Omnitrix symbol on Upgrade's chest, and a green light flashed, bringing Ben back to human form.

"Just now," Ben replied with a confident smile. "And I'm ready for whatever craziness comes our way!"

Max smiled. "Good to know, because we're going to visit your Aunt Vera."

Ben froze, the smile disappearing in an instant. "What? Boring old Aunt Vera? Oh, come on!"

He fell to his knees, throwing his hands up dramatically. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Gwen laughed loudly, still holding both ice creams. "You're so dramatic," she commented, as Max started the Rustbucket and headed down the road.

_________________________________________________________________________

Gwen was flipping through her spellbook while Ben fiddled with the Omnitrix, cycling through the available alien forms. Both were in high spirits, discussing how they could combine their powers.

"Okay, hear this," Gwen began, excited. "If I conjure a bunch of water and you were Heatblast, we could make a mist cover."

Ben laughed. "That would be awesome... if you didn't collapse from exhaustion or miss and hit me again, like that time with the fireball."

"Hey, I've made progress!" Gwen retorted, with a touch of pride. She extended her hand and said firmly: "Ignis!" A small spark appeared at the tip of her fingers.

Ben raised an eyebrow. "Hmm, not bad. But I can do better without getting tired if we need fire." He clicked the Omnitrix, spun the dial, and pointed to Heatblast. "How are we going to use this?"

Gwen thought for a moment. "What if we combined fire with flammable slime? Like, you as Stinkfly cover the enemies with slime, and I light it up afterward. Even better, if I can spread your slime with wind and then shoot lightning correctly, it could conduct electricity through the slime!"

Ben crossed his arms, intrigued. "Would that even work? There's only one way to find out."

He quickly grabbed some disposable cups from a cabinet, lined them up on the table, and activated the Omnitrix. In seconds, he was Stinkfly, his body covered in the alien's characteristic antennae and wings.

Carefully, he spat slime onto each cup. One of the cups began to melt almost instantly.

"That is absolutely disgusting," Gwen said, wrinkling her nose.

"No, this is science," Stinkfly replied with a mischievous grin.

Gwen hesitated but eventually gave in. "Okay, fine. Let's see where this goes."

They spent some time experimenting. Gwen used her spells to try to ignite or conduct electricity through the slime, while Stinkfly tested different consistencies to see which would be most effective. Both were so engrossed in the tests that they didn't notice the time passing, with the transformation reverting mid-experiment and Ben turning back to human.

From the driver's seat, Max took a quick glance back. "You two, clean up this mess. We're almost there."

They sighed, with Gwen grabbing a cloth to clean up the slime while Ben gathered everything.

"Ah, come on, Grandpa. Just when we were starting to get the hang of it," Ben replied, as the RV stopped after a while in front of a small house. A woman in her sixties stood out with a smile on her face.

She had short white hair, wore a purple dress, and a beige skirt. She waved cheerfully as the RV door opened. "Vera!" Max responded happily upon seeing his older sister.

"Hi, Aunt Vera!" Gwen exclaimed with joy and ran towards her.

Vera gave a wide smile before responding. "Gwen, dear, it's so good to see you again! You've grown so much!"

Gwen approached smiling, until Vera enthusiastically pinched her cheeks. Gwen winced slightly but kept a polite smile.

Then, Vera turned her attention to Ben. "Ben, dear, you've grown so much, how's soccer going?"

Ben replied excitedly, "Still the best striker scoring goals."

Before Ben could react, his cheeks were also pinched, eliciting a surprised groan from him. "Ow!"

Vera laughed and pulled him into a tight hug. "Ah, you're so cute! Benjamin, dear, it's so good to have you here too."

"Well, come on in, you'll roast in this heat!" Aunt Vera ushered the group inside. Max entered animatedly, chatting with Vera about recent events. Gwen followed close behind, still rubbing her cheeks.

Ben shrugged and finally entered the house.

Inside, Vera's house had a cozy, old-fashioned feel, with wooden furniture, floral curtains, and a faint aroma of freshly brewed tea. Gwen was already sitting on the couch, fiddling with her phone, while Vera began bringing out cookies and glasses of lemonade for the guests.

Ben plopped into a chair by the window, relaxing a bit after the trip and watching the outside activity, with nothing in particular catching his attention.

_________________________________________________________________________

Ben, Gwen, and Max were sitting at Aunt Vera's table, facing plates filled with a peculiar jelly. Max, as always, seemed to enjoy every bite with enthusiasm, while Aunt Vera watched everyone with a satisfied smile.

"This recipe is a family classic!" Aunt Vera announced, serving Max more jelly. "I sliced the pork chops really thin and mixed them with my homemade cauliflower jelly. A special touch of mine!"

"Delicious as always, Vera!" Max exclaimed, savoring the dish without hesitation.

Ben looked at his plate with some apprehension, poking the jelly with his fork. "Wow, Aunt Vera... this is, um... interesting!" He put a small piece in his mouth, chewed slowly, and swallowed with effort. "Well, I guess I'll leave the rest for those who truly appreciate this kind of thing."

Before Gwen could react, Ben smiled almost innocently and passed his jelly to her plate. "Here, Gwen. You're the expert in exploring new things, you'll love it!"

Gwen looked at him suspiciously but didn't have time to complain before Ben quickly stood up.

"Excuse me, Aunt Vera, Grandpa, I'm going to... take a walk! I need some fresh air after that amazing meal!"

"Of course, Ben, but be back before the streetlights come on," Max informed him as the brunette nodded. He grabbed his jacket and soon left through the front door.

Aunt Vera, ignoring Ben's suspicious tone, smiled at him. "Maybe a candy to help with digestion?"

Ben, excited, took one. "Now we're talking!" He took a bite and, at the same instant, spat it out, making a face. "Argh! Coffee? Is this some kind of prank?"

As Ben wiped his mouth, Max and Aunt Vera started talking about other exotic recipes. Gwen, taking advantage of the distraction, stood up and began exploring the knick-knacks scattered around the room.

She stopped in front of a stuffed bird hanging on the wall. "Aunt Vera, is this a red-billed North American chickadee?"

Aunt Vera turned, surprised and impressed. "Oh, how sharp, Gwen! Did you know that the red-billed chickadee's song is actually a call indicating alarm or excitement?"

Gwen smiled, excited, and responded enthusiastically: "Of course! And the melody is unique among North American birds!"

The two began imitating the bird's sound, laughing together.

Ben, who had just left the room, peeked through the door, rolled his eyes, and muttered: "Dorksville, USA." He left through the door, leaving the sound of laughter and animated conversation behind.

Outside, Ben entered the Rustbucket 2, closed the door, and looked at the Omnitrix on his wrist. "If this is the best of local cuisine, I need to find a mission right now," he murmured to himself, spinning the Omnitrix dial. "Maybe a little action will get me out of this situation..."

Ben spun the dial, looking for the right alien form to escape quickly. His finger stopped on Ghostfreak, the ghostly alien that could phase through walls. It was an obvious choice.

"Ghostfreak will be perfect for getting out of here!" he said to himself, ready to press the dial.

But as he stretched his finger, he shivered, remembering the last time he used that form.

"Actually... maybe not a good idea." Ben turned his attention back to the dial and spun it to Buzzshock.

"This one will be fun!" he said with a smile, slapping the Omnitrix.

A green flash lit up the bathroom, and Ben's body transformed. Now he was Buzzshock: a small battery-like creature with glowing green eyes and a flashing band running from his neck to his waist. The Omnitrix symbol glowed on his chest.

"Time to charge!" Buzzshock said with an energetic, electric voice before shooting into the sky, a trail of green sparks left behind as he laughed loudly, finally enjoying some freedom after that disastrous dinner.

_________________________________________________________________________

Buzzshock flew through the city streets, his sparks crackling in the air as he enjoyed the night breeze. Ben had decided to transform into Buzzshock to escape the boredom of Aunt Vera's house and explore the city. It was supposed to be just a quiet patrol, but something seemed... off. Everything was too quiet. No sounds of kids playing, no barking dogs, not even the usual noise of cars passing by. It was as if the entire city was holding its breath.

As he glided through a residential neighborhood, something caught his attention. A seemingly normal elderly woman was calmly walking down the sidewalk pushing a baby stroller. Nothing strange there. But as Buzzshock got closer, he noticed there was no baby in the stroller. Instead, there was a large, slimy frog, croaking intensely. The woman whispered to it:

"Soon, master... soon we'll be ready."

Buzzshock blinked his three glowing shock eyes. "What's going on here? Is this some kind of evil frog fair?" He grumbled before continuing his patrol, finding it hard to ignore the growing discomfort.

He moved on, his body emitting faint electric hums. That's when he saw something even more bizarre: an old woman hanging upside down from a beam in the yard of a nearby house. Her tongue stretched out and caught flies in the air with frightening precision, like a predatory spider. She chewed the insect while her eyes moved independently of each other, like a chameleon's. Buzzshock shuddered.

"This is straight out of a horror movie. Why does no one ever warn me about these weird towns?"

He flew higher, trying to distance himself from the scene, but something in another house caught his attention. An elderly man, who seemed like just a regular delivery guy, was pushing a trash cart. The man stopped mid-path and, with a sudden movement, twisted his neck at an impossible angle to look around, as if checking if he was being followed. Then, he dropped the cart and, with supernatural strength, lifted a metal manhole cover and disappeared inside.

"Okay... what was that?!" Buzzshock whispered to himself. He kept flying, now more cautious.

Shortly after, he saw someone familiar: Marty, one of Aunt Vera's neighbors, driving a golf cart down the street. In the back seat was a rolled-up carpet, looking heavy and... suspicious. Buzzshock narrowed his eyes and decided to follow Marty from above.

"If you're carrying something or someone in that carpet, things are about to get serious."

Marty drove to a more isolated part of town and stopped next to a huge dumpster. He looked around before starting to unload the carpet. Buzzshock landed silently on top of the dumpster, his circuits crackling with electric energy. He watched as Marty opened the dumpster lid with unusual ease, as if it weighed nothing.

Buzzshock was ready to intervene when the Omnitrix started beeping. "Oh, great, because of course the watch decides now is the time to revert me! Thanks, Omnitrix, your efficiency is unmatched," he grumbled, and with a red flash, he turned back into a human.

The transformation didn't go unnoticed. Marty turned his head in his direction, his yellow eyes glowing like headlights in the dark. He dropped the carpet and, with an impossible movement, stretched his body to grab the side of the dumpster, his limbs seeming to elongate and melt like wax.

Ben took a step back, feeling panic rise. "Okay, this is beyond weird. It's creepy! Bye, Marty!"

He turned and started running as fast as he could, crossing the street and jumping over a low fence. Marty, however, was much faster than any human should be. He flowed through the fence in an impossible motion, his body deforming and flowing like slime, before reforming on the other side.

"No, no, no! This was definitely not in the tourist brochure!" Ben shouted, picking up the pace. Marty was almost on him, his guttural, animalistic breathing echoing right behind.

Ben stumbled, almost falling, when the garden sprinklers next to him started spraying water. As he ran past them, Marty screamed as if he were being burned, stopping abruptly. He recoiled, clutching his face, as the water seemed to corrode his skin like acid.

Ben, seizing the moment, spotted the golf cart Marty had left behind. He ran to it, climbing onto the seat in a hurry and starting the vehicle. "Come on, come on! Don't fail me now!" he muttered, turning the wheel and accelerating.

The cart shot down the street, and Ben looked back, seeing Marty still standing, writhing under the sprinklers. "I knew those over-maintained gardens were good for something!"

He kept driving the golf cart through the dark streets, not looking back. His heart pounded in his chest, and his only thought was to get back to the safety of Aunt Vera's house.

_________________________________________________________________________

Ben sped the stolen golf cart through the dark streets, feeling his heart drumming inside his chest. Getting home was his priority, and he knew he needed the safety of Aunt Vera's house as soon as possible.

When he finally parked behind Max's RV, Ben got off the cart with a mix of relief and exhaustion. Max was waiting on the porch, and the stern look on his grandfather's face said it all.

"Ben, I told you to be back before the streetlights came on!" Max began, clearly annoyed.

"I know, Grandpa, but... I was attacked by Aunt Vera's neighbor! He's completely bizarre! He stretched his arms and lifted a dumpster like it was nothing. Something's seriously wrong with him and probably this whole place!" Ben explained, gesturing frantically.

Max furrowed his brow, pondering, but quickly pointed to the parked golf cart. "And what's this?"

"Ah, it's a long story..." Ben admitted, scratching the back of his neck. "Basically, I flew around town as Buzzshock, I saw, among other weird things, him carrying a carpet like it had a corpse, but the Omnitrix ran out of power at the worst moment. I had to escape, so I took the cart."

Max sighed deeply, but before responding, he turned to the RV. "Wait here. I'll get something to help us."

A few minutes later, Max returned holding... a fanny pack. Ben looked at the object and raised an eyebrow. "Seriously, Grandpa? A fanny pack? What are you going to do with that? Carry our keys and discount coupons?"

Max just smiled enigmatically and unzipped the fanny pack, revealing a stun gun and a pen with a peculiar design. "It's not the fanny pack that's important, but the contents. This stun gun and this pen here... let's just say it was a 'loan' from the Forever Knights when we were looking for you as Greymatter. It can turn into a sword."

Ben's eyes widened, and he took the pen to inspect it. "You stole this? Grandpa, you're more badass than I thought! Wait, it turns into a sword? How does that work?"

"You'll find out at the right time. Now let's take a look at Marty's house before we head back."

Arriving at Marty's house, Max quickly started picking the lock with a skill that made Ben raise his eyebrows. "Seriously, Grandpa, where did you learn that? I didn't even know you were so... stealthy."

"When you've been a Plumber for so long, you pick up some useful skills," Max replied as the lock clicked.

They entered the house, and Max turned on a flashlight, illuminating the interior. The musty smell typical of old people's homes made Ben wrinkle his nose. "Why do these houses always smell like mold or mothballs?"

Max ignored the comment, focusing on inspecting the place. Everything seemed normal at first glance, but Ben pointed to a corner where the carpet was disheveled. "Wait. What was he rolling up there? Something was moved."

Max nodded, but they didn't find anything else out of place. They decided it was best to head back home and rest.

Back at Vera's house, Max said goodbye. "Ben, sleep well. Early tomorrow, we'll continue investigating. For now, there's nothing more we can do."

Ben sighed, still frustrated, but agreed. "Okay, Grandpa. Good night."

Later that night, as everything seemed calm, something started moving in Aunt Vera's room…

_________________________________________________________________________

The next morning, Ben came downstairs, wearing his rumpled pajamas. Max was in the kitchen, finishing up the coffee. The strong, comforting aroma of fresh coffee filled the air.

"Good morning, guys!"

Max, who was finishing preparing the coffee in the small kitchen of the RV, responded:

"Good morning, Ben! Hungry? Coffee's almost ready."

Gwen was helping set the table, while Vera was leaning on the counter, making some snacks. Everything seemed peaceful until Gwen decided to grab the fresh coffee pot to offer Vera some.

"Vera, want some coffee?" Gwen asked as she approached with the pot.

That's when Gwen tripped slightly, and the pot dangerously swayed toward Vera. Her reflex was immediate: she dramatically jumped back, stretching her legs and grabbing onto the cabinets and counter with an exaggerated motion to avoid the coffee.

"AAAAHHH! ARE YOU CRAZY, GWEN?! YOU WANT TO BURN ME ALIVE?!" Vera screamed, her eyes wide and clearly overreacting. She jumped down from the counters and pointed her finger at Gwen. "YOU'RE CLEANING THIS UP IF I GET DIRTY! YOU... YOU!"

Gwen blinked, surprised, and tried to defend herself: "I just wanted to offer you coffee... It wasn't on purpose!"

Before the argument could escalate, Max narrowed his eyes, observing the unusual behavior. He brought his mug to his lips but, upon seeing "Vera's" strange reaction, stopped. Something wasn't right. He interrupted with an ironic laugh and said:

"You know what could solve this? More coffee!"

He took the mug he was holding and threw some of the liquid directly at Vera. However, instead of a burn, her skin began to melt and dissolve! The liquid dripped to the floor, revealing that it wasn't the real Vera, but a slimy, green creature with visible pink internal organs.

"AAAAAAAA Damn you!" The green creature screamed.

"Aunt Vera is... dissolving?!" Gwen's eyes widened, frozen in shock.

"That's not Vera, Gwen!" Max said quickly, grabbing more water from the tap. "It's some kind of slimy shapeshifter!"

Max threw more water at the creature, which screamed in pain before completely dissolving.

Ben watched the scene and, after thinking for a moment, said, "So that explains the behavior of the people here!" he exclaimed. "That carpet being carried must have been the real Marty, and one of these imposters took his place. He even dissolved to pass through the fence to catch me and ran from the sprinklers!"

Max narrowed his eyes at Ben. "Why didn't you mention this before?"

"So much happened yesterday that these details slipped my mind!" Ben scratched the back of his neck, embarrassed. "But anyway. We need to go to the dumpster. I bet we'll find answers there."

Max nodded. "It doesn't matter anymore. We need to prepare. Grab as much water as you can. It seems to be their weakness."

Gwen took a deep breath, trying to compose herself. "Okay, let's go!"

With that, Max went to the garage and returned with a huge water jug on his back, while Ben and Gwen armed themselves with improvised water guns. The trio hurriedly headed toward the town to reach the dumpster as quickly as possible.

______________________________________________________________________

The town was eerily quiet as they started running through the streets. The tension grew with every corner. Suddenly, creatures began emerging from the shadows. Limax, semi-humanoid blobs with a translucent green hue and pink internal organs, advanced toward them. Their multiple eyes glowed menacingly, and their amorphous bodies stretched and deformed as they moved. Some had extra arms, while others sported fins or grotesque protrusions.

"Look who crawled out of the dumpster!" Ben shouted with a sarcastic grin. "Hey, you piles of goo! Can't you find something better to do?"

"They're surrounding us!" Gwen shouted, gripping her water gun tightly.

Ben pointed to an exit. "This way! Let's go!"

They ran through the narrow streets, but with every step, more of them appeared, blocking the paths. Gwen shot water bursts at one of them, while Max used the jug to splash water at another group. The creatures screamed and dissolved into slime upon being hit.

"We're running out of water!" Max warned, panting. He shook the empty jug. "This is going to get tricky."

Ben looked around, trying to come up with a plan, while Gwen faced the slowly advancing Limax, who were closing in like predators stalking their prey. "We need to find more water, or we're toast!"

"This isn't good... not good at all!" Ben scanned the area, looking for an escape while continuing to fire his water gun. But the Limax were too many, and the creatures began tightening their encirclement.

"Any brilliant ideas, Ben?!" Gwen shouted, already preparing to use what little water she had left in her gun.

Ben looked up at the sky, then at the streets, and finally at the creatures surrounding them. "Not yet... but I'll think of something!"

The trio fought off the enemies, quickly exhausting their water supply. Ben, now holding an empty water gun, threatened the creatures.

"Hey, you piles of vomit! Stay back! You disgust me!"

One of the creatures approached and, in a menacing tone, replied, "We are the Limax. And we don't like being insulted."

Ben pressed the Omnitrix, and after selecting a silhouette, transformed into XLR8.

"XLR8! I'll do more than insult you!" He dashed toward the Limax, slashing at several of them, but soon realized it was futile—his attacks weren't doing any damage. Max spoke up immediately.

"Ben, we can't waste any more time here. Get us to the dumpster, fast!" he warned, using the last drops of water to fend off a Limax.

"Being fast is my thing, Grandpa," XLR8 replied before grabbing Gwen and Max and sprinting toward the dumpster.

With Gwen and Max holding on tight, XLR8 ran at full speed through the streets, dodging attacks from the Limax. They navigated narrow alleys, jumped over small barricades, and finally reached a giant dumpster leaning against a concrete wall.

"Hold on!" Ben shouted as he used his speed to kick open the dumpster lid and jump inside with the other two.

Inside, they found a secret entrance to an underground cave system.

"What is this place?" Gwen asked, her eyes darting around.

XLR8 looked around, quickly analyzing the area. "I don't know, but we're about to find out."

XLR8 grabbed Gwen and Max before running along the cave walls, using his speed to cover more ground and explore the surroundings. He weaved between stalagmites and tight passages, while Gwen and Max tried to see anything in the faint light of the sparks that appeared whenever XLR8 ran along the rocky walls.

"This is getting weirder," Max commented, pointing to what looked like a gelatinous substance coating the floor and walls.

"Not weird, Grandpa. Gross!" Gwen replied as XLR8 slowed down upon noticing a large open chamber ahead.

They finally arrived at a hall illuminated by a pulsating red light. In the center were several translucent cocoons, suspended by viscous ropes that seemed to pulse like veins. Inside each cocoon were trapped bodies—the missing elderly.

"What are these things?" Gwen asked, looking at the cocoons in horror.

XLR8 approached one of the cocoons, peering inside. His eyes widened as he recognized the face inside.

"Aunt Vera!" he exclaimed.

Before he could do anything, Max touched the Omnitrix symbol on XLR8's chest, deactivating the transformation and bringing Ben back to human form.

"Easy, Ben. We'll handle this together," Max said, holding his grandson's shoulder.

Carefully, they opened the cocoon, and Vera fell into Max's arms. She was weak but conscious.

"Is she okay?" Ben asked.

"Weak, but alive," Max replied, helping Vera sit up.

"Thank goodness! She's okay!" Gwen exclaimed, relieved.

Before they could celebrate, a deafening sound echoed through the cavern.

The trio looked ahead and saw a massive purple and red spaceship at the back of the cavern. The Limax were carrying the cocoons into it, while others began to gather and surround them.

"Return the merchandise to the marinament!" one of the Limax ordered.

"Marinament? For what?" Gwen asked, confused.

"To eat, of course," the Limax replied coldly.

Ben was furious. "Hey, you're talking about my aunt! You're gonna pay for this!!!"

Max placed his hands on Ben's shoulders before speaking. "Well said, Ben. But calm down. Now's the time to use something more useful. Go Stinkfly."

"Stinkfly? Why him?" Ben asked, confused by his grandfather's suggestion.

"Think, Ben," Max replied with a smile. "If we get the slime at the right consistency..."

Ben's eyes lit up. "Ah, now I get it! Hero time!" He activated the Omnitrix, finding the silhouette of the insectoid alien. With a green flash, his body transformed into Stinkfly.

"Gwen, use your magic to spread the slime!" Max instructed, already running toward the ship. "And Ben, try to make the slime more liquid!"

"Ventus Spiralis!" Gwen attempted to cast, but the spell came out weak, barely moving the substance. "Darn it, it's not working!"

"Come on, Gwen!" Stinkfly taunted as he flew in circles. "I thought you were better than this!"

"Shut up and keep spitting, bug head!" Gwen retorted, trying another spell. "Aerius Movere!"

This time the spell was stronger, but it went in the wrong direction, almost hitting Stinkfly. "Hey! The target's them, not me!"

"Sorry!" Gwen shouted, focusing again.

The Limax advanced en masse, their bodies merging into larger and larger forms. "Your tricks can't stop us!"

"Oh yeah? How about some slime to the face, you walking jelly?" Stinkfly fired a precise shot, melting one of the Limax. "Oops, looks like you're falling apart!"

"Insolent!" another Limax shouted, stretching its arms like tentacles.

"You know what your problem is?" Stinkfly taunted, dodging the attacks. "You need to loosen up! Oh, wait... you're already half-melted!"

"Ben, Gwen, get ready!" Max suddenly shouted, aiming his laser gun at a large pipe on the wall. "I'm ending this party!"

"What are you gonna..." Stinkfly started to ask, but Max had already fired.

"Ben, get out of there! And protect your wings!" Max warned as the pipe began to crack.

Stinkfly grabbed Gwen and flew up quickly, his wings flapping hard as he balanced in the air. The pipe exploded, releasing a powerful jet of water that hit the remaining Limax.

"NOOOOOO!" the aliens screamed in unison as they dissolved.

"Looks like you needed a bath!" Stinkfly mocked, hovering at a safe distance with Gwen. "Though I think you overdid it with the hydration!"

"Now I'll take care of the ship!" Max announced, running toward the alien vessel. "Keep the rest of them busy!"

"Leave it to us, Grandpa!" Stinkfly replied, turning his attention to the remaining Limax. "So, who else wants a beauty treatment?"

"You pests!" a larger Limax roared. "You'll pay for this!"

"Ooh, someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed," Stinkfly taunted. "How about some slime to brighten your mood?"

Max ran to the ship and, with a precise movement, activated the laser sword. Without hesitation, he cut through the side entrance, making his way into the dark, damp interior.

Inside, the corridors were coated in a viscous substance, with the acrid smell of something alive. He had barely taken a few steps when three Limax appeared, sliding along the walls.

"Human interference detected."

Max didn't respond. With a quick shot, he aimed at a panel on the ceiling, releasing energized cables that fell to the ground. The electricity coursed through the hallway, temporarily blocking the Limax.

Advancing through the corridors, Max remained alert. The slimy sounds of alien bodies echoed all around, and he knew they would regroup quickly. Reaching a junction, he realized he was surrounded. The Limax emerged from all directions, their grotesque forms merging into a single, larger, more threatening body.

Max quickly looked around and spotted another exposed control panel. He cut the cables, directing an electric discharge at the Limax. Even though they were immune to heat, the electricity seemed to affect them, forcing them to separate into their smaller forms.

Without wasting time, Max continued toward the ship's engine room, guided by the growing hum. Arriving at the location, he saw the pulsating energy core surrounded by control systems.

"End of the line, human!" roared the lead Limax, lunging forward, its tentacles stretching toward Max.

"This is where it ends," Max replied, aiming his laser sword directly at the containment field of the core. With a precise strike, he destabilized the system, triggering a chain reaction.

Alarms began to blare, red lights flashing frantically. "Engine overload imminent. Destruction in progress," announced a robotic voice.

The lead Limax screamed in rage, its tentacles shooting toward Max, but he was already moving. Rolling to the side, Max ran toward the nearest exit. The Limax pursued him relentlessly, their grotesque forms contorting as they slid along the walls and ceiling.

Finding a side hatch, Max opened it with a precise shot. He began descending the side of the ship, using the laser sword to cut cables and create footholds while the Limax followed, deforming their bodies to bypass any obstacles.

When one of the Limax almost reached him, Max pushed it away with a swing of his sword. "Ben! A little help here would be great right now!" he shouted, trying to buy more time.

"On my way, Grandpa! Hang in there!" Stinkfly shouted, dodging in the air while carrying Gwen on his back. Max continued running on the ground, dodging the Limax chasing him. Stinkfly fired his slime to slow down the aliens, but they kept advancing relentlessly.

With a focused expression and beads of sweat dripping, Gwen held on tightly to Stinkfly. "Ben, get me closer to the ship!" she requested, her voice showing growing exhaustion.

"What? Gwen, are you crazy? These slimy things are everywhere!"

"Trust me!" she insisted. "I have a plan, but I need to be in the right spot!"

Stinkfly hesitated, but Max, who was running nearby, shouted, "Do as she says, Ben!"

With a sharp turn, Stinkfly flew over the Limax ship while Gwen began murmuring words of a spell. Her hands glowed in shades of blue and purple, and she raised her arms, channeling her energy into the ground beneath the ship.

"Now!" Gwen shouted, pouring everything she had into the spell. The ground around them began to tremble, and massive amounts of underground water were pulled to the surface. In seconds, the water rose like a giant wave and began flooding the ship through its holes and cracks.

Inside, the Limax tried to resist, but the force of the flood was overwhelming. They screamed as they were swept away, their bodies dissolving in the water.

Stinkfly flew in circles around the ship, trying to keep Gwen steady. "Gwen, it's working, but are you okay?"

"Just... a little more..." Gwen murmured, her body trembling from exhaustion. When the last drop of water was pulled from the ground, she practically collapsed onto Stinkfly.

"VICTORY!" Stinkfly shouted excitedly, but soon realized Gwen was almost unconscious. "Hey, hang in there, cuz!"

"Ben, get her out of here!" Max ordered, jumping to safe ground as the ship began to creak under the weight of the water. "This thing won't hold much longer."

Without hesitation, Stinkfly shot away from the ship, carrying Gwen, who was nearly passed out, on his back. As he flew, he felt the weight of her exhaustion but knew he couldn't stop. "Hang in there, Gwen! We're almost there!"

Stinkfly landed in the part of the cave where the elderly's cocoons were. He carefully placed Gwen on the ground, her body limp. "Gwen, are you okay?" he asked, concerned, shaking her gently.

With effort, Gwen opened her eyes and gave a weak smile. "Remind me... to never do that again."

"Noted," Stinkfly replied with a tense smile before turning his attention to the cocoons.

Max ran over, his gaze fixed on the pulsating cocoons. "We need to get them all back to their homes so they think they never left and that all of this was just a nightmare."

Stinkfly approached one of the cocoons, examining it. Before he could do anything, the Omnitrix began to flash red, and with a flash, he returned to human form. "Great, just now," he muttered, looking at the watch.

As he thought about what to do, something caught his attention: a puddle of Limax slime near one of the cocoons. His eyes lit up with an idea. He crouched and scooped up some of the slimy substance.

"Ben, what are you doing?" Max asked, cautious, as Ben rubbed the slime on the Omnitrix.

"Testing a theory," Ben replied with a half-smile, pressing the watch's button. The Omnitrix glowed yellow for a brief moment before returning to red.

"YES!" Ben cheered, clapping his hands. "I knew it would work!"

"Work what?" Max asked, furrowing his brow.

"The Omnitrix scanned the Limax DNA!" Ben explained excitedly. "Now I have another alien in the collection!"

"Cool, but... how about saving the elderly first?" Gwen murmured weakly from the ground, raising her hand as if to remind him.

Ben looked at the cocoons and shrugged. "Good idea. As soon as it recharges, XLR8 will take care of this in the blink of an eye!"

_________________________________________________________________________

Hours later, everything in the community had returned to normal, and the Tennysons were preparing to hit the road again. Max was closing the trailer doors while Gwen finished saying her goodbyes.

"Don't be strangers, you hear?" Aunt Vera said with a warm smile.

"We won't," Max assured, waving.

"Goodbye, Aunt Vera," Gwen said, hugging her.

"Ah, goodbye, dear. Oh, this is for the road," Aunt Vera replied, handing Gwen a gelatin mold. "Ben told me how much you liked my gelatin mold. This one's lemon with grouper chunks and chickpeas."

Gwen froze for a moment, trying to hide her disgust. "Uh... Thanks," she murmured with a forced smile.

Aunt Vera then turned to Ben. "I'm sorry, Ben, if there wasn't enough excitement here for you. I hope you weren't too bored with the tears."

Ben laughed, remembering the recent battles. "Not at all, Aunt Vera. It was way more fun than I expected. And thank you for everything."

"Well, have fun on the road," Aunt Vera said, hugging Ben warmly.

As Ben climbed into the trailer, Aunt Vera added playfully, "Oh, and Ben, keep up the good work dealing with all those aliens you were telling me about."

Ben froze for a moment before slowly turning around. "Heh... You're... joking, right?"

Aunt Vera let out a laugh. "Haha, of course, dear."

Ben laughed, relieved, as he climbed into the trailer. Max started the engine, and they set off for another adventure.

As the RV disappeared down the road, Aunt Vera let out a long sigh and looked up at the sky. With an enigmatic smile, she murmured to herself, "Ah, if only they knew what their grandfather did for a living..."

________________________________________________________________________

Ben looked out the window, watching the community disappear on the horizon. He was still thinking about Aunt Vera's words. "Do you think she knows about the aliens?" he asked Max, trying to sound casual.

Max kept his eyes on the road, but there was a small smile on his lips. "Aunt Vera has a very vivid imagination, Ben. Sometimes, it's best to let people keep their ideas."

Gwen leaned back in her seat, holding the gelatin mold like it was a ticking time bomb. "Well, all I know is I'm not eating this. Anyone want it?"

Ben, curious, took the gelatin mold from Gwen's hands. "You know what? I think I'll try it."

Gwen's eyes widened. "Ben, no! It has... chickpeas and grouper! You don't even like that stuff!"

Ben scooped a piece with his finger, examined it briefly, and popped it into his mouth. He chewed slowly, with a thoughtful look. After swallowing, he shrugged. "It's actually not bad."

Gwen looked at him in disbelief. "I knew it. Grandpa's infecting you. First the smoothies, now this!"

Max laughed loudly as Ben made a face. "Maybe my taste buds are evolving," he replied with a smile.

As the three laughed, the trailer rolled down the road, ready for new adventures and, who knows, more eccentric gelatin molds in the future.

________________________________________________________________________

The cave entrance was silent, except for the distant sound of water droplets echoing off the damp walls. A viscous remnant of Limax slowly slid across the floor, glistening under the faint light from the opening. Suddenly, a beam of light shone on it.

"Got you," said a deep, confident voice. A tech-like device resembling a vacuum was activated, sucking up the Limax with a sharp, intense sound.

The man holding the device, clad in white armor with tech-like details, observed the tube filled with glowing slime. "This one's still alive," he commented, lifting the tube to inspect it.

"If one survived, others might have escaped," said his partner, who was a bit further back, adjusting his tactical helmet. He wielded a futuristic-looking weapon, with a blue glow indicating its power. "Seems the Magister and his grandkids didn't soak them enough."

The first man let out a dry laugh. "When I heard about slimy aliens, I expected Sludgepuppies trying to restart the war. That would've been a more interesting challenge."

"The Limax aren't warriors. They're just opportunists," the partner retorted, examining the area around the cave. "They took advantage of the space station being inoperative and used it to capture humans. All to sell on the black market as food."

"Huh. Humans as intergalactic delicacies," the first man said with disdain. He adjusted his helmet's visor. "A disgusting idea."

The partner sighed as a distant sound made them both alert. "It hasn't even been two weeks since the station fell, and the workload's already increased tenfold."

"What did you expect?" the first man replied. "We lost almost 70% of Earth's agents in that mess. Now, the responsibility falls on the few of us left."

Before they could continue, a Limax emerged from the shadows, moving quickly and aggressively. It lunged with a gurgling sound, shooting like a jet toward the two.

The nearest man reacted instantly. With a quick motion, he drew a weapon that emitted an intense blue glow. A pressurized water beam shot out, hitting the Limax head-on and dissolving its gelatinous structure with a hissing sound.

"That's the part I like," he said as the remains of the Limax dripped to the floor. He activated the suction device again, cleaning up any remnants of the creature.

"Less talk, more work," the partner said, advancing through the cave with his weapon ready. "If there are more of these around, we need to finish them off before they try to escape again."

The two disappeared into the cave's darkness to eliminate any remaining threats. The glow of their weapons and suction devices was the only thing lighting their way as they followed the trail of Limax slime.