Fred sank to his knees, his mind a maelstrom of raw emotion. Memories crashed over him—visions of his parents lost to a villain's cruelty, echoing every atrocity that led him to this moment. In that breathless silence, as the weight of all his regret and rage pressed down, he slowly began to morph back into his normal form. His hair deepened to a cosmic black and his eyes shone with glittering silver, as though his very soul was now painted in the sorrow and fury of his past.
A soft, disembodied voice broke into his reverie:
"Oh, my heart aches seeing such a young child go through such raging emotions."
Another voice replied gently, "Oh, he'll be fine."
"Besides, he's technically a grown man trying to live out his childhood dream," the first voice continued with a teasing lilt.
"Now that's harsh of you," the second countered softly.
Fred muttered, his voice low and strained, "What do you want? It's far too early for our meeting, isn't it?"
Matimba, interjected lightly, "Hmph, and we're trying to console you."
Rhandzu's soothing tone bridged the space between them: "Now, now, Matimba. I'm sure Fredrick didn't mean to sound cold—he's just drowning in rage right now."
Fred's voice cracked as he admitted, "All this time, I thought I'd tamed that anger... but when I saw what Animo did—how he desecrated everything—I just don't think people like him should be allowed to live."
Matimba and Rgangatho fell silent, their eyes fixed on him, sharing his pain without interrupting. "Anyway," Fred continued bitterly, "it's not like you guys will ever fully understand. I just... I—" His words faltered, and he began to stutter.
"Fred! Fred! Fred!" His name started softly, then rose in urgency until he finally turned his head. There, by the corner of his left eye, Max, Gwen, and Ben beckoned from near the rust bucket.
"What's gotten over you?" Gwen asked, concern weaving through her tone. As Fred glanced around, his cosmic-black hair slowly shifted back to its usual hue. He looked dazed, as if still not entirely present in the moment.
"Are you alright?" Max inquired quietly.
"You took off without warning, disappearing into the sky…" Max pressed gently.
"Y-yeah, I'm okay," Fred managed, though his voice trembled with the weight of his inner storm.
Ben's voice piped up, "What about Animo?"
Fred's eyes darkened as he recalled the villain's atrocities. "He—uh, he wanted to mutate every living thing on Earth," he replied, rising to his feet with difficulty.
Ben frowned, incredulous. "Wait, how did you know that? And why wasn't I there to kick his—"
He paused, a wry smile tugging at his lips as he glanced at the flickering Omnitrix on his arm. "Also, now I don't even need to spin the dial to transform!"
Gwen pursed her lips. "It seems you got it again this time, cool," she said half-amused, half-concerned. Fred simply gave a tired shrug as he dusted himself off and walked back toward the rust bucket.
"Did something happen?" Gwen asked Max as they boarded again. Max merely shrugged, equally baffled.
As the rust bucket lifted back into the sky, returning to the scene where Animo lay unconscious, a swirling portal opened nearby. A strange, inky vortex swallowed Animo whole, closing as if he had never existed.
Ben stared, shaking his head in disbelief. "So, you mean to say Animo actually succeeded in turning everything into creepy mutant things, but you reversed time and rushed ahead to stop him?"
Ben's tone was incredulous, as if he couldn't believe such impossible events.
"Whether you trust me or not, I'm telling the truth," Fred responded firmly.
Gwen, ever the scholar, mused, "Turning back time is possible. The spell in those ancient books was complex—it required maintaining the right quantum entanglement of temporal flux and a harmonic resonance between macrocosm and microcosm." Her explanation trailed off as Ben interrupted her impatiently, "Okay, professor, can we get back to summer vacation now?" Gwen huffed and pouted as she looked out the front window.
Fred smiled wryly. "I didn't use a magic spell, really—it's an alien specialized in time manipulation."
"Wait, you mean I can do that too?" Ben said, his eyes alight with mischief as he imagined all the possibilities.
"I could turn back time on food and have infinite fries," Ben continued with a goofy grin.
"With the power to manipulate time and all you can think about is having infinite fries?" Gwen retorted, rolling her eyes.
Max grumbled, "It's a shame we didn't spend more time at Gator-Fest."
"Oh well, there's always next time," Max said, trying to sound optimistic.
Then, with a sudden burst of enthusiasm, Ben burst out, "Oh, oooh, I have an idea of what we could do!" Ben exclaimed, his voice filled with mischievous excitement.
Gwen raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "I never expected you to come up with something like that, Ben," she said, half-amused and half-incredulous.
Ben flashed a smug grin. "What can I say? When the world feels upside down, sometimes you just have to flip it even further."
Before anyone could respond, Fred's joyful shout cut through the chatter as he zoomed past the group. His laughter carried on the wind, infectious and liberating.
In the blink of an eye, the scene shifted dramatically. The gang found themselves not on their usual familiar terrain but on the red, dusty surface of Mars. Above the atmosphere, Fred's prized spaceship soared—once the formidable vessel of Vilgax, now claimed, remodeled, and reborn under Fred's steadfast determination. Its sleek lines and powerful engines were a testament to Fred's vision for a better future.
On Mars, the mood was electric. The air, tinged with the scent of adventure, buzzed with possibility. The group plunged into a playful competition—a hoverboard race unlike any other. Ben led with his signature flair, executing daring maneuvers on his board, while Gwen glided gracefully, her curiosity and spirit shining bright.
Max, never one to be outdone, was riding a cutting-edge hover-buggy—a futuristic vehicle reminiscent of a beach buggy but with the ease of a hovering car, skimming effortlessly over the Martian surface. Laughter and shouts of delight filled the air as the friends raced against one another, their worries momentarily forgotten in the thrill of competition.
"Look at us!" Fred called out, his voice bursting with unbridled joy as he rode alongside, his eyes sparkling with promise and hope. "This is freedom!"
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