As our heroes had begun their journey, in the void of space, a battle between two spaceships was taking place on the border of the solar system.
Vilgax's monstrous warship—a jagged, almost gruesome ship—chased a small ship half its size, a sleeker silver vessel with twin fins and green spheres on its edges. Inside that fleeing ship rested the most powerful weapon in the galaxy: the Omnitrix.
Vilgax, a warlord and conqueror, ruler of the planet Vilgaxia, clenched his fist.
For years, he had been hunting the Omnitrix to create an army of different types of aliens and continue his conquest.
Vilgax's ship was now attacking the other ship, but the smaller ship fought nimbly as it flew to the big ship's side and fired two lasers, causing damage to the hull.
The ship trembled as another plasma blast hit the hull inside Vilgax's ship.
"Hull is damaged by 20%," a humanoid robot reported. "But the system is still operational."
Vilgax, a green alien wearing red armor and having tentacles for a beard with mad red eyes, was seated in his command chair. "I have come too far for it," he announced. "The Omnitrix will be mine, and no being shall stand in my way."
And the chase continued.
---
Far below, unaware of the battle raging in space, the Rust Bucket's engine rumbled as Grandpa Max pulled onto the highway, the last traces of Bellwood fading in the rearview mirror.
Inside, Ben was lying on the couch, playing with his console, while Gwen tapped away at her laptop. As for Rio, he sat in the front with Grandpa Max, watching the scenery blur past.
After forty minutes of driving and talking with Max, Gwen, and Ben respectively, Rio decided to rest. After informing them, he went to bed and fell asleep in ten minutes. As Ben soon took his place in the front seat of the RV, beginning to look at the road.
Three hours later, as the bus stopped at a gas station, Rio woke up. Stretching, he got off the bed and went outside, where he saw Gwen drinking soda and Ben nowhere in sight. Rio walked over to Gwen and said,
"Gwen, let's go and buy some snacks and food for the next few days."
"Huh? Why? Didn't Grandpa say he had prepared food for us for the whole trip?" Gwen said, shooting him a look.
"You should know the specific taste of Grandpa. I've been living with him for years and already got used to it," Rio said in all seriousness, pausing for a moment and touching his nose. "But you guys aren't, and even if I got used to them, it doesn't mean I like them."
Hearing Rio's words, Gwen turned pale as realization dawned on her. "Oh no."
"Oh yes."
Soon, they also found Ben strolling in the store. Together, they bought everything they needed—primarily actual edible, long-lasting food, as well as other snacks. After Max finished refueling the bus, the group hit the road again.
---
Arriving at the campsite at sunset, our heroes began to prepare for dinner. The kids all sat at the picnic table as Rio's AI played upbeat music to liven up the mood.
Soon enough, Max came out carrying a bowl.
"Chow time," he said as he put the exotic food on the table.
The "exotic food" immediately made the kids recoil in disgust, as it was squirming with worms that were alive. Although Rio could maintain his composure, disgust was written on Ben and Gwen's faces.
"Okay. I give up. What is that?" Ben asked.
"Marinated mealworms," Max said proudly. "Hard to find them fresh in-state. You know, they're considered a delicacy in some places."
But before he could continue, a voice came from the mobile, which was playing music.
>"Marinated mealworms, a must-have item for outdoor survival with a very high protein content. Also, 100% organic."
"Shut up, nobody asked you," Rio said to the AI, which always says anything anywhere.
"It may be a delicacy in some places like France or Japan, but—" Gwen said, gagging as she saw a worm wriggling out of the bowl and slithering away, "—it's totally gross in others."
"If this doesn't sound good, I've got some smoked sheep's tongue in the fridge," Max said genuinely.
"Ew," Ben suggested. "Can't we have some burgers or something?"
"Nonsense!" Max said with a shake of his head. "This summer's gonna be an adventure for your taste buds. I'll go grab the tongues." And he left to bring the next exotic dish.
Next, both Ben and Gwen looked at Rio.
"Here you both go," Rio said, handing them each a bag of chips and a burger wrapped in a paper bag.
"Bro, if it weren't for you, we would have surely died on this trip," Ben said, taking the food, performing like he was receiving sacred treasure.
"Hahaha. After ten years of Grandpa's 'adventures'? Obviously, I know what he might do," Rio said, shrugging with a grin.
As they quickly enjoyed a proper meal meant for humans, Rio's AI showed a warning message that he quickly hid.
>WARNING: ENERGY SURGE DETECTED. TRAJECTORY—EARTH.
His fingers tightened around his phone. If his AI was right, then the battle concerning the Omnitrix was taking place in space.
And soon, he would be able to obtain one of the most powerful weapons in the multiverse.
---
Back in space, the battle was going on at full capacity. The ships were approaching Earth and still continued their pursuit.
Finally, a red laser beam from Vilgax's ship hit the rear of the small ship, damaging the engine.
"Their propulsion system is damaged," a robot reported to Vilgax.
"Increase power to the forward cannons. I want their engines disabled, and prepare to board!" Vilgax ordered. "I want the Omnitrix now!"
Robots began preparing a full-force attack from their front cannon.
Almost celebrating his victory, Vilgax was ready to obtain the Omnitrix.
Just as his cannons charged for the kill, in a last desperate effort of defense, the smaller ship fired a green laser from its top fin, which blasted the upper command bridge where Vilgax was currently located.
Although that lucky shot succeeded, it came with its consequences. Vilgax's ship fired its most potent laser, almost destroying the entire ship, leaving nothing but the front somewhat intact.
Before its destruction, the silver ship sent out a capsule, which, after separating from the ship, went hurtling down to Earth to find its destination.
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Hey there! Thanks for reading my work! I hope this chapter is to your liking. Sorry if you expected more details. Also sorry if you felt it was still too much detail.
If these chapters are a mess of grammatical errors, please point it out and I will try to fix it.
Thanks as always for your time, hope you have a fantastic day and please stay safe.