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At the water park, on a massive, crisscrossing waterslide as tall as a six-story building.
"You don't meet the height requirement, so you can't go on the waterslide."
The lifeguard looked at Ben, then at the height chart—which was just a little taller than him—and stopped him.
"Hey, buddy!"
Ben looked at the lifeguard and said, "It's just a little bit off. Is it really necessary to be so strict? Nah, right?"
"No! You can't go!"
The lifeguard flatly refused, then nodded to Zack and Gwen, who met the requirement. "You two can play."
"Ok Ben.. ehm.. then Gwen and I will go first…"
Zack said awkwardly to Ben, before Gwen, already in her swimsuit, pulled him toward the waterslide.
The two sat in the rubber raft together and began to experience the thrilling ride down.
Their excited, joyful screams quickly echoed throughout the waterslide.
"Ugh.. so annoying…"
Ben looked displeased and slowly walked to a corner.
He glanced down at the Omnitrix and tapped the screen. "Height not up to standard? Then I'll just change into one that is!"
As the Omnitrix screen popped open, the figure of Four Arms appeared.
Ben, however, didn't press it. Instead, he hesitated. "I promised Zack I wouldn't mess around with this watch… If I can't keep that promise, Zack will definitely look down on me."
Click.
The Omnitrix screen suddenly glitched, flickering with light and rapidly cycling through alien forms!
"Hey, what's wrong with you?!"
Ben panicked, pressing buttons on the Omnitrix and then smacking it hard.
But the Omnitrix was already malfunctioning, and with Ben's forceful hit…
Whoosh!!
A burst of green light flashed, and Ghostfreak's figure appeared under the sunlight!
"Ugh, I turned into Ghostfreak! Ah.. wait.. My body feels like it's burning!"
Ben felt unbearably uncomfortable, his throat dry, as he quickly turned invisible and floated toward an empty swimming pool at the water park.
He sank into the pool, weakly leaning against the wall—yet even underwater, the scattered sunlight still seared against him.
"It's fine… the Omnitrix only lasts ten minutes. I can endure it!"
Ben encouraged himself, trying to hold on.
At the water park.
Click!
Zack stood at the bottom of the waterslide, looking in confusion at the Carnitrix on his wrist.
The Carnitrix had popped up its screen on its own, clearly displaying the figure of Carnifreak!
"Zack, is your watch malfunctioning?" Gwen put her hands on her hips and glanced around. "Or is there an enemy nearby?"
Enemy?
Zack scanned the area.
A group of kids their age were just running around, laughing and playing.
Damn it, could it be that the Carnitrix itself wanted to start attacking?
"Zack, Gwen… why didn't Ben come down with you two?" Grandpa Max walked over from nearby, calling to them as they stood in doubt.
"Maybe he's still coming down the stairs? Let's go check."
Zack carefully twisted the Carnitrix screen back down, then he and Grandpa Max hurried to the stairwell of the waterslide.
Everyone waited for a while, but when Ben still didn't appear, they all walked up the massive waterslide—only to find that Ben was nowhere to be seen…
And so...
Zack and Gwen searched everywhere while Grandpa Max went to find the person in charge. Everyone began looking for Ben.
More than ten minutes passed in a flash.
"Huff… huff…"
Ben, soaking in the cold water of the swimming pool, weakly muttered, "Omnitrix… are you deliberately messing with me? Usually, the transformation ends in ten minutes, but this time it's still not ending!"
If he had known, he would have gritted his teeth and flown out of the water park, hiding in a nearby apartment instead!
As time went on—
Whoosh!!
Ben's consciousness grew hazy, and his transparent figure began to flicker in and out.
In a daze, he saw an adult figure approaching. A hint of relief appeared on his face. "There… there's hope…"
"Oh my~ Is this… is this a ghost or an alien?"
A man with glasses cautiously came to the side of the pool, looking at the unconscious Ghostfreak. "No matter what it is, the Organization will definitely be interested! If I sell you to them, I'll make a huge profit!"
[This man- IMG]
As he thought, he laboriously dragged Ben's body away and quietly slipped out of the swimming pool lounge.
...
At the entrance of the water park.
"We've searched the entire water park, but we can't find Ben anywhere."
Grandpa Max looked troubled, letting out a deep sigh. "Where did he go?"
Zack glanced at the Carnitrix, which had returned to normal, and said, "Grandpa, could Ben have transformed into some alien and been forced to leave the water park?"
That would explain why the Carnitrix had suddenly activated with killing intent—
And why Ben, a living person, would suddenly disappear!
"That's possible… Let's get in the Rustbucket and look around nearby!"
Everyone returned to the Rustbucket, and Grandpa Max drove without stopping.
The vehicle hadn't been moving for long when—
~~♫It started when an alien device did what it did~~♪
On the desk, Zack's phone rang.
He picked up the phone, looked at the unfamiliar number, and answered.
"Hello, issss thisss Zack??" A cold yet weak voice came through. "It'ssss me… Bennn!"
"Ben? How did you turn into Ghostfreak? And why is your voice so weak?"
Zack stood up in surprise and quickly asked.
"Hmph, don't asssk ssso many questionsss right now. I'm on Eastman Street… You guys need to hurry and find me, my condition is getting worssse and worsssssse!!"
Ben's voice grew weaker and weaker until he couldn't hold the phone anymore and collapsed directly onto the ground.
The intense sunlight not only weakened him—
His brain also seemed to have some mysterious power invading it…
"Ah?! I almost let you run away while I was on the computer! No time to lose!" The man with glasses, Howell Wayneright, rushed over angrily, charging toward Ben.
Beep beep beep.
The call ended.
Whoosh!!
Red light flashed, and the terrifying figure of the MonXTR appeared inside the Rustbucket!
Without a word, he opened the window, leapt out, and rushed toward the location Ben had mentioned!
"Hey, Zack, we still don't even know where Ben is!!!"
Grandpa Max looked at Zack's disappearing figure and shouted quickly.
He silently sighed, then looked at the car window in front of him, startled.
On the car window, there was a sticky note—and on it was precisely the address Ben had mentioned!
Zack had already taken care of all the details; it was just that everyone hadn't noticed clearly!
…
Zack walked into a room, scanning over the various documents and materials about aliens scattered everywhere.
His footsteps finally stopped in front of the landline. He picked it up, his expression darkening.
"This is the phone that called me!! Damn it, I'm too late!"
He searched the entire room but couldn't find Ben anywhere!
Now, Zack could almost confirm it.
Ben's Omnitrix was malfunctioning, and he had transformed into Ghostfreak!
He had to find Ben!!
"Is there any way to track him down?"
Zack fell into deep thought.
…
Meanwhile, on the way to the Organization.
Ben, trapped in the trunk, slowly opened his weak eyes.
But deep inside them burned a rare trace of brutality. He coldly glared through the cracks toward the man with glasses driving in the front seat.
Then, with effort, he slowly closed his eyes again.