Chapter 31: Freelance Work
"Quite the fancy place you got here," Max remarked, taking in the grandeur of Phil's suite as they stepped inside.
"Yeah, well, it's something I managed to negotiate with the manager after I helped him out with a couple of things," Phil replied with a sly grin.
"You must've been busy, huh?" Max said, his tone a mixture of curiosity and concern.
"It just shows how much alien activity has increased lately here on Earth," Phil replied, his voice taking on a serious note.
"Inconsistent alien activity," Fred added, his eyes narrowing.
"As Fred said, this all smells fishy to me," Max agreed, his suspicion evident. While they were talking, Ben was busy stuffing his face with food, and Gwen simply observed them, her eyes flicking between the speakers.
"And that's why we should work together. Think about it, Max. If you, me, and your grandkid there were to collaborate, we'd make a killing as plumbers," Phil suggested, his tone persuasive.
"If you want to be a plumber so bad, why don't you enlist in the division that operates near our solar system?" Fred retorted, his voice challenging.
"It seems you know your stuff, huh, kiddo?" Phil replied, a hint of admiration in his voice.
"Yeah, my parents used to work there as well. I'm sure it's better than freelancing; it's less risky that way," Fred said confidently.
"Freelance work has its perks as well, kid," Phil replied, his tone lightening.
"Anyway, why don't you think it through the night?" Phil said as he got up. "Come on, I'll show you your rooms," he added.
"Actually, we'll sleep in the Rust Bucket," Max interjected, his voice firm.
"Oh, come on, Grandpa. I know the Rust Bucket is a lot better than it used to be now, but can you please let us spend the night here?" Ben pleaded, his eyes wide with hope.
"Okay, Ben. Let's stay here," Max agreed, relenting to his grandson's request.
"Great, come on," Phil said, leading the way.
Late in the night, as they were sleeping, Gwen suddenly woke up to get some water. As she rose, she noticed the door to their room was slightly open. As she went to close it, she saw that Phil's door was also ajar. Her heart skipped a beat as she checked to see if anyone was missing, and there it was—Max was gone.
"Hey, guys! Guys, wake up!" she said urgently, shaking the two awake.
"Mmm, what is it this late at night?" Ben muttered, groggily sitting up.
"Grandpa Max is missing, and I think Phil is gone too," Gwen said, her voice trembling.
"Hmmm, you think it's something to do with the alien activities?" Fred said, startling Gwen as he was already awake and standing behind her.
"Wait, aliens! You mean plumber stuff?" Ben jolted awake completely. "Why didn't you say so?" he said, rushing to turn the dial of his watch. "What are you guys waiting for?" he prompted everyone to get ready.
"We don't even know where they are," Gwen replied, her voice tinged with worry.
"Looks like it's time to use that alien Fred unlocked for me," Ben said, turning the dial and slamming it. He transformed into a Sotoraggian like Sixsix, but his armor was black and white.
"Hunter!" Ben chanted before he completed the transformation.
"Isn't this the guy that wanted the watch?" Gwen asked, her eyes wide with recognition.
Ben answered, but what he said sounded like gibberish to them.
"Hold on a minute," Fred said, stepping closer to Ben and pressing the Omnitrix. "Okay, now try speaking," Fred instructed.
"Now I can track down Grandpa Max," Ben said, his voice clear and determined.
"Since when were you able to turn into this guy?" Gwen asked, her eyes wide with surprise.
"A week ago. Fred lost at rock-paper-scissors," Ben replied in a smug tone.
Gwen glanced at Fred with a look that said, "Really?"
"It's a long story. It was this or master control," Fred remarked with a sigh as he started flying, carrying Gwen along as they followed Ben.
As Hunter, it was easy for Ben to track down Max's signature. "Huh, weren't we there before?" Gwen remarked, recognizing the surroundings.
"Mount Rushmore!? What's he doing here again?" Gwen wondered aloud.
"I'm sensing more than two life signatures," Ben said, his voice tense. "I'm going ahead," he added, accelerating.
"Rock-paper-scissors?" Gwen asked, glancing at Fred as they flew.
"Yeah, I lost to Ben in a game," Fred replied, speeding up to avoid further conversation.
"It's a shame, Max. I really wanted to work together with you," Phil said, his voice tinged with regret. "I really thought of you as a friend," he continued, backing away slowly.
"Friends don't send Orc Beasts at each other," Max retorted, defending himself from the creature. It swung its giant claw at him, but Ben swooped in just in time, rescuing Max and placing him in a safer spot.
"Grandpa, are you alright?" Ben asked, worry etched on his face.
"Ben, is that you?" Max replied, his voice filled with relief. "Did you see Phil by any chance?"
"Yeah, he was running away from here," Ben responded.
"We have to stop him," Max said urgently. "But first, let's take care of this guy," Ben added, analyzing the creature with his suit's smart AI.
Max got up and went to the drawers, searching for something. "Keep it distracted," he told Ben.
Ben attacked the beast, firing lasers and various munitions from his suit while hovering slightly. "This thing is tough," he muttered, dodging its sluggish moves. "Grandpa, now's a good time to step in," he called out.
"Not this one. No. No..." Max muttered as he searched frantically. "Got it," he said, pulling out a small orb. "Ben!" Max shouted, throwing the orb at the beast.
Ben flew away as the orb released a green gas. The Orc Beast inhaled the gas and collapsed. Just then, Ben timed out, falling from the air. "Awww man," he groaned.
"Let's hurry and chase after Phil," Max said, picking Ben up and rushing out.
"What's going on?" Ben asked, confused.
"Phil stole a Null Void Projector. It's a weapon that can create a portal to alternate dimensions," Max explained as they ran to the rust bucket.
"That doesn't sound good," Ben remarked, concern in his voice.
"You don't know the half of it. It's used as a plumber prison," Max added as they reached the rust bucket. To their shock, Phil's car was still there, but Phil was nowhere to be found.
"What happened here?" Max wondered aloud, his mind racing with possibilities.
[Want more exclusive content and early releases? Join me on Patreon at patreon.com/Writing_when_bored]