Chapter 3: The Predator Awakens

The neon lights of the roadside diner flickered lazily against the darkening sky, bathing the parking lot in a dull glow. Inside, Alex sat at the booth, pushing the last few fries around his plate as a strange, nagging sensation gnawed at him.

He still couldn't remember anything beyond his name.

Not where he came from.

Not how he got here.

Not why a second pod had landed next to Ben's.

And yet, the feeling of wrongness hadn't left him.

Something was watching them.

Alex's fingers unconsciously tightened around his fork. His instincts screamed danger, but when he glanced around, everything seemed normal. Ben was slurping his soda obnoxiously, Gwen was scrolling through her laptop, and Grandpa Max was chatting with the waitress.

But outside the diner, just beyond the reach of the lights, something moved.

A Silent Threat

Perched on the rooftop of a distant gas station, a drone hovered in silence.

Its single red eye zoomed in on the Rustbucket, its scanners flickering. A small antenna extended from its side, transmitting data across the stars.

[PRIMARY TARGET DETECTED: OMNITRIX]

[SECONDARY TARGET DETECTED: UNKNOWN DEVICE]

[ORDER RECEIVED: INITIATE CAPTURE]

The drone whirred softly as two more of its kind uncloaked, drifting closer toward the diner.

Inside the warship far beyond Earth's atmosphere, a shadowed figure loomed over a glowing holographic display. His piercing red eyes locked onto the two signals below, and his metallic fingers clenched into a fist.

"Deploy the hunter-drones. I want them taken alive."

The warship's engines flared, beginning its descent toward Earth.

Back at the Diner

Alex tensed.

He didn't know why, but his skin prickled as if something unseen was creeping toward them. The air felt thicker, and the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end.

He glanced at Ben, who was still happily munching on his burger, completely oblivious.

"Something wrong?" Gwen's voice pulled him from his thoughts.

Alex hesitated. He had no proof that anything was off—just a gut feeling. But still, he couldn't shake the creeping dread curling in his chest.

"…I don't know," he admitted. "Just feels like… we should leave."

Ben raised an eyebrow. "Dude, we just got food. I'm not going anywhere until I finish this burger."

Gwen rolled her eyes. "You'd probably say that if the diner was on fire."

Grandpa Max, however, noticed the serious look on Alex's face. "Your instincts telling you something's wrong?"

Alex frowned. "I—"

CRASH!

The diner windows exploded inward as three hunter-drones smashed through the glass, sending customers screaming. Sparks flew as metal claws dug into the tables, and their glowing red eyes locked onto Ben and Alex.

[TARGETS ACQUIRED.]

"…Okay," Ben muttered. "Maybe you were onto something."

Drones Attack!

The diner erupted into chaos. People scrambled for the exits, tables flipped, and dishes shattered as the drones zeroed in on their targets.

One of the machines lunged straight at Ben, its claws whirring, but Grandpa Max grabbed a metal tray and slammed it into the drone's eye, sending it reeling back.

"Outside! Now!" Max ordered.

The kids didn't argue. Ben, Gwen, and Alex darted toward the door, ducking as one of the drones fired a blast of red energy that blew apart a table behind them.

The moment they hit the parking lot, Ben's face lit up.

"Alright, time to go hero!" He flipped open the Omnitrix, the green interface glowing as he slammed down on the dial.

FLASH!

In an instant, Ben's body shifted and changed, his skin hardening into crystalline green armor as his body grew taller and bulkier.

"Diamondhead!"

With a grin, he turned just as the first drone charged at him.

"Let's see how you like—"

ZAP!

Before he could finish, the second drone fired a pulse blast, hitting Diamondhead square in the chest. He grunted as the force sent him crashing into a parked truck, leaving a massive dent.

"…Ow."

Gwen winced. "That's embarrassing."

Alex barely had time to react before another drone turned to him. Its red eye flickered as it scanned his wrist, and the screen on its side flashed with a message he didn't understand.

[UNKNOWN DEVICE DETECTED.]

[RETRIEVAL PRIORITY: HIGH.]

Then it lunged.

Alex's instincts screamed at him to move. He barely dodged to the side as the drone's claws ripped through the pavement where he'd just been standing.

"What do you mean, retrieval priority?!" he shouted. "I don't even know what this thing is!"

The drone didn't respond. Instead, its arms split apart, revealing dual plasma cannons.

"Oh, that's bad."

Alex raised his arms, expecting the worst—

Then his watch reacted.

The First Transformation

The strange black-and-red device on Alex's wrist suddenly lit up, glowing with an eerie crimson light. Symbols and data flashed across the screen at an inhuman speed, and before Alex could even think—

The watch activated.

A bright red light engulfed his body, similar to Ben's Omnitrix transformation but… different. It felt less structured, more instinctual—like something deep inside him had been unlocked.

His skin rippled, his muscles twisted and shifted, and in an instant, his entire form changed.

When the light faded, Alex was… different.

His new body was sleek and feline-like, covered in dark metallic fur that shimmered like liquid steel. His fingers ended in razor-sharp claws, his eyes glowed a piercing yellow, and when he inhaled, he could smell everything—the oil in the trucks, the sweat of the fleeing customers, the burning circuits of the damaged drone.

Somehow… he knew this form.

A Predator.

Something designed to hunt mechanical beings like these drones.

"…Okay," Alex muttered, flexing his new claws. "This is weird—but cool."

The Hunt Begins

The drones hesitated, their scanners struggling to identify Alex's new form. Taking advantage of their confusion, Alex sprang forward.

He moved like lightning—one moment crouched, the next lunging through the air with predatory grace. His claws ripped into the nearest drone, tearing straight through its armor as if it were paper.

Sparks flew as the drone screeched and collapsed.

The other two quickly turned their weapons on him, firing blasts of plasma, but Alex's new instincts kicked in. His enhanced reflexes allowed him to dodge effortlessly, his body twisting and flipping through the air like a phantom.

"Alright, I'll admit," Ben grinned, watching from the wrecked truck. "That's pretty awesome."

Gwen looked between Alex and the downed drone. "His watch didn't just copy an alien… it turned him into something that hunts these things."

Max narrowed his eyes. "That means whoever sent them… might know what Alex's watch is."

Alex didn't hear them—he was focused.

The last drone tried to flee, rocketing into the sky, but Alex pounced, kicking off the pavement and slashing through its thrusters. The drone spiraled out of control before crashing into the ground, where Alex finished it with one final strike to its core.

The parking lot fell silent.

Alex panted, looking down at his claws as the last bits of metallic liquid dripped from them. Then, just as suddenly as it had begun, his body flashed red—and he was human again.

His legs immediately gave out, and he stumbled backward.

"Whoa—" Ben caught him before he could fall. "Dude! That was awesome! What was that?"

Alex, still dazed, looked down at his watch.

"…I don't know," he admitted. "But it felt… natural."

Grandpa Max looked at the wreckage around them, his expression serious. "We need to figure out who sent these drones. Because something tells me this won't be the last time they come for you."

Alex swallowed, his gut twisting.

Somehow… he knew Max was right.

To Be Continued…