Ancient Ruins

The gang snuck into the basement, Fred turning everyone intangible as they phased through the walls. "Urgg, do we still need to hold hands like this?" Ben complained, clearly annoyed. As soon as they entered, he let go of Gwen's hand, becoming visible again.

"I don't like it either, but..." Gwen began, but as she scolded Ben for making a fuss, she let go of Fred's hand, also becoming visible.

"Enough, you two. This is serious," Max said firmly, moving ahead and turning visible as Fred let go of him.

"Next time, I'll just go Ghostfreak instead," Ben muttered, following Max. Fred and Gwen trailed behind.

"Is it me, or does Grandpa seem different?" Gwen whispered.

"Jee, I didn't notice," Ben replied sarcastically. "Ever since we came here, he's been like that."

"I'm sure it'll be alright," Fred said, though his tone carried a hint of doubt.

Max turned into an office, holding a small location device that pointed at a safe. "It's here," he said, his voice filled with anticipation.

"Looks like it's my turn," Ben said, activating the Omnitrix and transforming into Grey Matter. He hopped onto the safe, his small hands working quickly.

"You know, out of context, this looks a lot more incriminating," Fred joked, smirking.

"Got it," Ben said as the safe clicked open. Max eagerly stepped forward, opening it to reveal the Mask of Apuk. His face lit up with joy and excitement.

"Finally! After over forty years of searching, I've finally found you," Max said, holding the mask as if it were a long-lost treasure.

"It's improper to expose children to such vulgar expressions of intimacy," a voice echoed from behind them, accompanied by the sound of footsteps.

"Pffft," Fred stifled a laugh, recalling how Max never hid his relationships from Ben and Gwen in the original series.

"It's those Forever Knight guys!" Ben exclaimed, hopping off the safe.

"It seems you've heard of us," the leader said, stepping forward. "Although I recall you being retired from the plumbing business, Mr. Tennyson. I'd love to get better acquainted, but I'm afraid I'm running a bit late on holding the world at my mercy. So, without further ado, hand over the mask."

"Over my dead body," Max growled.

"Gladly," the leader replied, signaling to his men. "You heard him, men. Grant his wish."

Two Forever Knights stepped forward, pulling swords from beneath their coats. Their armor clanged as they moved.

"You know, it just hit me," Fred began, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "Why are you even wearing coats and fedoras? It only makes you stand out more. I mean, you're always wearing that clangy armor, which I hope has air conditioning—especially on days like these with the sun fully out."

"What the! Where the hell did you come from?" a security guard burst in, drawn by the commotion.

"Fred!" Max called, urgency in his voice.

"Right," Fred said, stepping forward as Gwen pulled Ben back. Fred positioned himself in front of them, a mischievous smile spreading across his face. "I've always wanted to do this," he muttered, his eyes gleaming.

"Solar flare!" Fred yelled, striking the iconic pose Krillin used. A blinding light erupted, dazzling everyone in the room except Max and the gang, whom Fred protected with a barrier.

"Nice work," Max commended as they took the chance to escape. Behind them, the Forever Knights stumbled, clutching their eyes, struggling to see.

"Woah! Will I be able to do that too?" Gwen asked, excitement in her voice as they ran through the passage they had entered from.

"I guess sure," Fred replied casually, keeping pace.

Max pressed a button on his tracking device, calling the rust bucket to their location. As they reached the exit, Max kicked the door open, and there it was, waiting for them. "Okay, that's a cool feature," Ben remarked as they climbed in.

The rust bucket roared to life and sped away. But it wasn't long before a strange car began tailing them. From its top, a Forever Knight popped out and started shooting at them.

"Hang on tight," Max said, swiping the dashboard screen and activating the rust bucket's enhanced speed. The vehicle transformed, its wheels folding as it soared into the air, leaving the pursuing car behind.

"It doesn't matter," the Knights' leader said confidently, urging the driver to continue.

Meanwhile, inside the rust bucket, Ben sat in the back, fiddling with the mask. Suddenly, its eyes began to glow. "Uhhh, Grandpa!!" Ben called out, a hint of panic in his voice.

"What is it, Ben?" Max responded as Ben hurried closer.

"The mask, it's—it's glowing!" Ben exclaimed.

Max immediately engaged the autopilot and moved to the back. His eyes lit up as he inspected it. "Well, I'll be! It's the map to the ancient Mayan temple of Echtua," Max said, his excitement palpable. "Well done, Ben. I'll set course for there now."

Returning to the driver's seat, Max adjusted their trajectory, pushing the rust bucket to full speed. The journey was far from over, and the stakes were rising by the second.

The rust bucket landed beside the undiscovered Mayan temple, concealed within the dense jungle forestry. The gang stepped out, marveling at the ancient structure towering before them.

"Wait!" Fred called out, pointing to the sky behind them. "I think they must've placed a tracker on the rust bucket somehow," he said, gesturing at a helicopter approaching from afar.

"It doesn't matter. If we can get the sword before they do," Max said, his focus unshaken.

"Yeah, but wouldn't entering through the main entrance allow them to find us faster? Why not look for a hidden entrance to buy more time?" Fred countered.

"Hmmm, fine then," Max reluctantly agreed as they began searching around the temple's perimeter. "The entrance should be revealed by a hidden mechanism..." Max muttered, pressing against various stones, trying to uncover the entrance.

Ben, watching Max struggle, suddenly thought of something. He grabbed the mask from Max. "Ben, don't play with that," Max warned.

"I was just thinking, if the mask led us here, then maybe..." Ben said, placing the mask on his face. As he looked at the wall, glowing patterns emerged, guiding him to one of the bricks. With a firm push, a hidden entrance revealed itself.

"Impressive," Gwen admitted, slightly surprised.

The group entered, descending into the temple's depths. "It's so dark in here. Can't they install a few lights or something?" Ben grumbled as the tunnel became darker with each step.

"Hold on," Max said, pulling a torch from the wall and lighting it. The passage illuminated in flickering light, revealing that the narrow path they were on abruptly ended at a steep edge. Ben, who had been ahead, yelped as he lost his balance and plummeted.

"Ben!" Gwen shouted, panic rising as his voice echoed down the chasm.

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