Chapter 6: Target Locked (Rewrite)

Previously:

After an intense battle against Vilgax's drones, Ben, Alex, and the Powerpuff Girls managed to destroy the enemy forces, forcing a retreat. But the Tennysons now know one thing for certain—those attacks weren't random. Someone is specifically hunting their watches.

A Moment to Breathe

Inside the Rustbucket, the atmosphere was tense.

Ben sat with his arms crossed, occasionally glancing at Alex's watch. "Seriously, how do you not know anything about it?"

Alex, still recovering from his transformations, sighed. "I told you—I don't remember."

Gwen raised an eyebrow. "Not even a little?"

Alex hesitated. "…I remember my name. That's it."

The silence stretched between them. It was obvious that none of them completely believed him. Even Alex himself wasn't sure if he believed it.

Why did it feel like something was… missing?

Before anyone could press further, Grandpa Max turned from the driver's seat. "Alright, listen up. Those drones will be back, and we can't just sit around waiting for them."

Ben leaned forward. "So what do we do?"

Max smirked. "We keep moving."

Gwen frowned. "Is that really the best idea?"

"Would you rather sit here and let them drop an army on us?" Max countered.

No one argued.

With that, the Rustbucket rumbled to life, heading down the road again.

Alex leaned against the window, watching the trees blur past. His watch hummed softly, the lights pulsing in a steady rhythm.

He had a feeling that trouble wasn't far behind.

Elsewhere…

Far beyond the Earth's atmosphere, inside a dark metallic chamber, red lights flickered. The room was filled with floating holograms, displaying footage from the earlier battle.

A deep, robotic voice rumbled.

"Subject X-002 has been identified."

Another voice—sharper, colder—responded.

"Proceed with the next phase. Send the upgraded units."

A massive mechanical door slid open, revealing rows of advanced combat drones standing at attention. Their eyes glowed ominously.

"Target: Alex."

An Unwanted Encounter

Back on Earth, the Tennysons had stopped at a small gas station, refueling the Rustbucket and grabbing snacks.

Ben shoved a handful of chili fries into his mouth. "Mmf! I needed this."

Gwen rolled her eyes. "Try chewing, caveman."

Meanwhile, Alex stood off to the side, staring at his watch.

Something felt off.

Like… something was watching him.

His instincts screamed at him.

Then—

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

Max's scanner suddenly blared inside the Rustbucket.

Gwen turned. "Uh… guys?"

A distant hum filled the air. It grew louder, closer…

Alex's blood ran cold.

Drones.

The Attack Begins

From the sky, black metallic figures dropped like meteors, slamming into the ground with a thunderous crash.

The dust cleared, revealing sleek, upgraded drones—taller, more humanoid in shape, and armed with energy blades on their arms.

Ben wiped his mouth. "Man, can't we have one peaceful stop?"

WHRRR!

The drones' optics locked onto Alex.

"Primary target acquired."

Alex tensed. They were after him. Not Ben—just him.

Max shouted. "Everyone, move!"

ZAP!

The first drone fired, sending an energy blast straight toward Alex. He barely dodged, rolling behind a parked car.

Ben slammed his Omnitrix. "Time to fight back!"

BEEP! FLASH!

A bright green light engulfed him, and when it faded, XLR8 stood in his place.

"Let's go!"

In a blur of blue, Ben rushed forward, zigzagging between the drones and delivering rapid strikes to their joints. One drone tried to slash him, but he dodged effortlessly, landing an uppercut that sent it flying.

Meanwhile, Alex's watch flashed, signaling a transformation.

BEEP!

His body shifted, morphing into a lithe, armored wolf-like alien with enhanced reflexes and razor-sharp claws.

Alex took a stance. "Alright, let's dance."

WHOOSH!

He darted forward, weaving between laser fire, before leaping onto a drone's back. His claws sliced clean through its circuits, making it spark violently before collapsing.

Gwen used her surroundings, grabbing a metal pipe and swinging it like a staff. She managed to knock a drone off balance, giving Ben an opening to kick it into a wall.

Max pulled out his plasma rifle, taking precise shots at the drones' exposed joints.

Even with their teamwork, though, the drones were relentless.

And they were still focused on Alex.

A Dangerous Discovery

Alex ducked another attack, but a drone managed to grab his arm, its metal fingers tightening like a vice.

BZZZT!

A surge of electricity coursed through him.

His vision blurred.

His watch flashed erratically.

Somewhere deep in his mind, a voice whispered.

"You… are not complete."

FLASH!

Suddenly, his watch overloaded, sending a shockwave outward. The drone holding him was blasted backward, its circuits fried.

Alex collapsed, panting. His watch was glowing—but it looked… different.

For a brief second, he could see data running across its interface, as if something was rebooting.

What was happening to him?

Final Push

Ben, still in XLR8, skidded to a stop next to Alex. "Dude! You okay?"

Alex shook his head. "I don't know…"

The drones recovered and began closing in.

Ben gritted his teeth. "No time to figure it out now."

He turned toward Gwen and Max. "Cover Alex! I'll finish this!"

Gwen nodded, stepping in front of Alex. Max reloaded his weapon.

Ben disappeared in a blur, his speed creating a small shockwave. He dashed between the drones, delivering precise strikes to their weak points.

CRACK!

One drone's leg snapped under the force. Another's head spun backward as Ben landed a spinning kick.

Finally, he leaped into the air, racing up the side of a truck, then launched himself down, delivering a devastating final blow.

BOOM!

The last drone collapsed in a heap of sparks.

For a moment, everything was still.

Then—

The remaining drones flickered, as if receiving a command.

"RETREAT PROTOCOL ENGAGED."

They took off, vanishing into the sky.

The battle was over.

Aftermath & Questions

As Alex sat up, Gwen and Ben stared at him.

Ben frowned. "What was that? Your watch… it freaked out."

Alex looked at his wrist. His watch looked normal now… but something had changed.

Gwen tapped her chin. "That shockwave… it wasn't normal. Your watch might be more advanced than Ben's."

Alex exhaled. "I don't know what's happening to me…"

Grandpa Max folded his arms. "We'll figure it out. But for now, we need to stay ahead of whoever is after you."

Ben smirked, patting Alex's shoulder. "Guess that means you're stuck with us."

Alex chuckled. "Yeah… I guess so."

But deep down, he had a feeling…

This was only the beginning.