A/N: Uh… hey guys! Anyone in the mood for an early chapter upload? Yeah, I know that these usually don't happen too often anymore, but surprisingly, this chapter ended up being a LOT shorter than I had expected it to be. Like, I'm fairly certain that I adapted the entire first HALF of this Omniverse episode when usually it's the first THIRD. Then the other two thirds are reserved for the next part. But to my shock, I think the quick pace of this particular episode actually allowed me to do a bit more with less length. Heck, I even added a bit on the end that was intended for the NEXT chapter just to add a bit more length and intrigue for next time… and it's STILL shorter than the last three chapters! I dunno, this was just a pretty easy chapter to write overall, so… I guess let's just jump into it, shall we? This is…

Chapter 96: OTTO Motives

…..

"Beloved, must I REALLY wear this?"

"You really wanna get stared at by the ENTIRE restaurant?"

Looma Red Wind let out an aggravated growl. Here she was, Princess and future QUEEN of Khoros, and her husband-to-be was taking her out on their first date… while being forced to wear a dumb mask. Granted, it was a DNA Mask, but it was still dumb. The fact that Earthlings weren't used to interacting or even just seeing aliens regularly by now was all but baffling to her, especially considering that Ben Tennyson had been publicly active for quite a while now. Yet still, here she was, preparing to put on the dumb mask to make her fiancé happy. "Hah… at some point, your world needs to catch up with the rest of the galaxy." she bemoaned.

Manny simply scoffed as he put his mask on. "Psh, don't I know it. Trust me, I don't like wearin' this either…" In a split second, his entire appearance changed to that of a young African American man, and he gave his fiancé a supportive smile. "But hey, it's not like it hurts or anything, right?"

"Well… I will admit, your human form is rather cute." Looma pursed her lips and let out another sigh. "Hmph, very well. I will humor you."

The young man gave a big thumbs up as she placed the mask over her face. "That's the spirit. And I promise, this date will go as smooth as… as…"

But Manny found his words lost as Looma's human form revealed herself to him. Of course, he knew for a fact that the princess was gorgeous, but seeing her like this only affirmed that she was beautiful no matter what form she took. Her appearance was that of a tall, muscular African American woman who equaled him in height, her long, black hair having been pulled back into a pony tail. Her attire was simple; a black tank top with a yellow V-shape on the chest to mimic her armor, a pair of form-fitting yellow pants, and black and yellow sneakers. Overall, she was an athletic goddess, and she didn't waste any time taking him by the arm… while also taking him by the chin to close his mouth.

"Hmhm, beloved, there will be plenty of time to gawk at me later." Looma winked one of her golden eyes. "We do not wish to be late, do we?"

"U-Um… n-no, 'course not." Manny stammered, the couple walking into the restaurant.

As they did, though, regardless of their disguises, many sets of eyes were immediately drawn to them, and Looma was the main target of most people's gazes. Patrons of every gender were left gob smacked by the towering young woman, who couldn't help but notice as she and Manny sat at their table. "…I thought you said that this wouldn't draw too much attention." she whispered to her fiancé.

All Manny could do was shrug. "W-Well, uh… heh, what can I say? Not every day people see an Amazon like yourself walkin' around."

"An… Amazon?"

"Uh, yeah. It's the name of a society of Ancient Greek warrior women who're said to be SUPER strong." Manny explained.

Looma's eyes lit up a little hearing that. "I see. Well, I can certainly respect these "Amazons", though I doubt that they're as strong as me."

That got a chuckle out of Manny as he nodded to her. "Hehe, I heard that."

"Of course you did. I just said it."

Her comment quickly made the young hybrid deadpan and let out a groan. "Ugh, and here I thought it was just Rook who didn't understand human expressions." He shook his head and picked up his menu. "N-Never mind, let's just order our food, shall we?"

"Sounds splendid!" Looma affirmed as she opened her own menu. …However, she quickly realized that she didn't know ANY of these Earth cuisines. "…Beloved, what in the world is a "chicken all-Fred-o"?"

"…This might be a long night." Thankfully, Manny was able to straighten out the menu situation to Looma… in that he ordered for her and told her to trust him on his choice. At her behest, they actually ordered multiple of their selected items since… well, a single one wouldn't be able to fill a Tetramand stomach. They had actually ordered SO much that the servers requested that they move to a table outside so that they could fit it all… and so they wouldn't disturb the other patrons. The waiter seemed very disheveled when he left.

Thankfully, though, Manny didn't seem to mind. 'Glad my Plumber's salary is SUPER generous.' he thought to himself before going back to his date. "Looma, I know it ain't exactly what you're used to, but believe me, you're gonna love the burger this place has. One of the best things on the menu."

"Hm, I will be the judge of that, beloved."

Despite himself, Manny's grin faltered at the nickname. It wasn't that he disliked being called that, but… it was all she ever called him. "Looma, you know… not to be rude or anything, but you CAN call me by my name sometimes."

The princess' eyebrows rose up at that, and there was a hint of sadness behind her gaze. "Oh? Do you… not like me calling you my beloved?"

"I-It's not that at all! I swear!" Manny insisted. "It's just… I feel like it's all you call me. I think I've only heard you call me by my real name maybe… three or four times since we met?"

Looma thought about that for a moment, realizing that her future husband did have a point. "Hm… I suppose you are correct in that assessment. Very well… M-Manny." A clear blush was visible on Looma's cheeks after saying his name so casually. "I will make more of an effort to use your name more often."

Manny had to admit, seeing the normally confident princess so flustered was a stunning sight, one that made him smile inadvertently. "Hehe… ya know, you're cute when you get nervous."

Her blush deepening, Looma reached across the table and pushed Manny by the shoulder, all while holding her face in embarrassment. "Sh-Shut up!" …Unfortunately, she shoved him just a tad too hard, knocking him out of his seat. "AH! Oh no, belo—MANNY!" She caught herself as she stood up and went over to help her dazed date. "By Thragg, what have I done?! Are you okay?"

"Hah… never better." Manny waved off before putting his right hand on his left shoulder. "Just gotta—" *POP* "AAAAAAHHH-HAHAHA!" After popping his shoulder back into joint, the couple went back to causal conversation until their meal arrived… their towering meal of burgers, fried chicken and sautéed spuds. The first thing Manny did was take in a BIG whiff of the food mountain. "Mmm… ah… now that's what I'm talkin' about."

"I must admit… it smells better than I expected." Looma conceded, making sure to bit her lip to prevent any salivating. This spread certainly smelled nothing like the delicacies from her home world, that was for certain. And yet, after sampling nothing but the cuisine at Plumber HQ for several days, this scent was absolutely divine to her. She picked up the most succulent-looking cheese burger she could see from the pile and took a hesitant bite.

And then… Manny saw her eyes dilate, widening to the point he almost thought they'd fall out of her head. That's when he knew; he got her. "…Well?" he asked expectantly.

"This… this flavor! I-It is like an explosion of delectable juices has exploded across my pallet!" Looma hoisted the burger aloft like it was a gift from the gods. "The food substance that has melted across the meat only accentuates its essence! The vegetables give it an extra, unexpected crunch to its texture, and yet the buns are light and fluffy! W-What is this that you called it again?!"

"Uh… a cheeseburger."

Looma leaned across the table and stated; "This cheeseburger is the best cuisine I have ever sampled off of Khoros!" She proceeded to chomp into it more and more, though she made sure to still savor every bite. "Mph! Rmph! The rest of—mrph—my planet MUST—armph—partake in this glorious food!" She swallowed and then let out a gasp of realization. "AH! We shall serve it at our wedding ceremony! This I decree!"

"O-Oh, uh, sure!" Manny supported as he grabbed a burger of his own. "Sounds great! Just, uh… make sure that ya don't OVERLOAD on 'em. I know Tetramands can take in higher calories than humans and still be fine, but I can't imagine it'd still be healthy to eat a TON all at once."

Once Looma finished off her first burger, she immediately went for another. "Oh, I am well aware. Just by tasting it, I can tell that it has an excessive amount of grease." Still, she offered a wink to her beloved. "Thankfully for you, Manny, your wife-to-be knows exactly how to manage her calorie intake. You don't become the mightiest warrior on Khoros by JUST relying on your natural strength, after all."

"Heh, of course not." Manny was about to take a bite into his own burger… but then, the mention of the Tetramand home world reminded him of something. "Hold on, didn't you mention that there was some big event happening over there? On Khoros, I mean?"

"Ah, yes!" Looma smiled after swallowing another bite, the area around her mouth now practically dripping with food debris. "The annual car show that my father puts on every year. It's quite the exciting event."

"Gotta admit, didn't think other worlds would be big into cars… but then again, the ones we have here must be pretty primitive in comparison."

Looma gave a small shrug. "Hm, your planet has a few impressive models… though I have no idea what those "Nikola" type trucks are going for."

Manny rolled his eyes with a disgusted scoff. "Ugh, tell me about it. They're tryin' to be all "futuristic", but they just look like somethin' out of an old video game." He waved his hand to get back on topic. "But back to the car show, I'm pretty sure Ben and his crew are gonna be stoppin' by on their way back from vacation. Hope they take some neat pics so I can see what those off-world cars are like." With that, Manny finally took a bite into his food, unprepared for what would come next.

"…What are you talking about?" Looma tilted her head. "We leave for the car show tomorrow."

And just like that, Manny nearly choked. "URP! HAK-HAK-HAK! W-What?! HAK!"

"Manny!" Looma shouted in alarm, picking up a glass of water. "Here."

Chugging the water down, Manny dislodged his throat and took a deep breath, only to turn right around and exclaim; "WHAT?! Looma, ya can't just spring this on me! I've gotta work tomorrow!"

But the princess simply smiled and shook her head. "No, you don't! I contacted Magister Tennyson this morning and he said that he would be alright with you taking an extra day off." She glanced away with a sheepish smile. "Rather odd, having to ask permission for once."

"You… did that for me?"

"Of course! A healthy relationship is built upon trust and devotion, after all. …At least, according to what I've read." Looma lowered her head bashfully. "As you can imagine, I am… fairly new to this sort of thing." But then, her eyes widened in fear. "O-Oh no, I didn't overstep my bounds, did I? I-I was just hoping to surprise you is all!"

"Well, uh… I wouldn't say that." Manny assured. "I was just… not prepared to hear that news all at once." He sent his fiancé a thankful smile. "But to be honest, I'm kinda psyched to have an extra day off. And I've actually never been to Khoros, so this'll be an awesome learning experience for me. So… thank you, Looma."

Looma gladly nodded back to him. "You're welcome, my dear. It will be a great honor to educate you on your ancestral home. But, for now…" She raised her burger aloft. "Let us feast! ARMPH!"

A laugh escaped Manny's throat and he proceeded to join her, feeling more at ease around her than ever before. 'It's like I'm seein' a side of her she doesn't show a lot of other people.' he thought to himself as he watched her devour her meal. A sight which he thought was truly impressive, and even with food continuously gathering around her mouth, her natural beauty wasn't tarnished in the least. '…I think I can get used to this, actually.'

…..

~Khoros, The Next Day~

In the atmosphere high above Khoros, space seemed to bend in around itself as the Rustbucket IV came to a sudden halt out of lightspeed, having arrived at its destination. "And here we are, everybody!" BUS announced, prompting the ship's passengers to undo their seatbelts and stand up. "We've safely arrived at the red desert planet of Khoros! Home to the Tetramands! Please be mindful of the native Sandrippers and remember; don't aggravate ANYTHING on this planet with four of any body part. You WILL be sorry."

Ben and the others all wore nervous smiles at that. "Ah, heh… thanks, BUS." The Omnitrix bearer set his gaze upon his grandfather curiously. "You sure you'll be okay up here by yourself, Grandpa?"

"You need anything before we go?" Yang asked in concern.

"Nah, kids, I think I'm okay." Max assured. "You all go have fun, and I'll take it easy up here… gah…" The old man winced as he tried to sit up, only to lay right back down on the ice pack he was sitting on. "Hah… that'll teach me to go near the volcano without protective padding."

"You're lucky you only took a short tumble." Kevin added, placing his hands on his hips.

Ben gave a sigh of his own. "Yeah, for sure." Still, he couldn't help but give his grandfather a smirk. "And here I thought you'd be more careful considering Azmuth replaced your WHOLE nervous system."

That got a small chuckle out of Max. "Hah, well, guess I had to break it in at some point, right? But again, don't worry about me. BUS can handle everything here."

"Indeed!" the computerized intelligence affirmed. "You all go have fun! Your vehicles should all be on the hover trailers and connected to the Proto-TRUK, so have a good time at the show!"

Gwen pursed her lips, but relented nonetheless, giving her grandfather a smile. "Well, alright. But we'll bring you back something good from the show as a souvenir."

Max beamed back at her gratefully. "Thanks, sweetie. And make sure to take some good pictures, too. I'm sure there's some spectacular models on display down there."

With that, the whole group loaded up into the Proto-TRUK and took off, with Ben and Kevin's car both hooked up behind it on separate trailers. In no time, they landed in front of the planet's capital city, where the event was already in full swing. As they exited the TRUK, the teens couldn't help but gaze up at the massive, gold and white palace in utter awe, their jaws dropping at the sheer size of the city surrounding it. There was also a very high wall that was guarded on all sides by armored Tetramands, and many of them were riding on big, red Ceratopsian creatures that hat four horns at each corner of their head.

"Woah, it's a LOT more… extravagant than I expected." Weiss uttered.

"What'd you expect it to be like?" Kevin asked. "Were ya picturing mud huts or somethin'?"

"N-No, but… considering how Tetramands are, I was imagining something more… simple."

Kevin snickered at that. "Heh, classic mistake. Tetramands may be all about fighting, but they've got class. They're also one of the most technically-minded alien races. TOTAL gearheads." It was only then, though, that Kevin noticed something… mainly that his best friend was in a black short-sleeved hoodie and wearing sunglasses. "…Dude, aren't you cookin' in that?"

Ben gave a single shrug. "A little. But it's better than being recognized and people freaking out."

"Eh, good point." Just as Kevin was about to suggest they head in, he caught sight of something else and quickly put the kibosh on it. "Uh, guys, may wanna leave your weapons in the TRUK, or they'll confiscate them at the gate."

Nora seemed particularly disappointed at that. "Aw, seriously?!"

"Hey, it's either that, or you get your weapon taken by four-armed warrior. And the chances of getting it back are slim unless you're willing to fight for it." The Remnant natives all eyed their weapons reluctantly, but ultimately complied with Kevin's suggestion. …Though he did spot a certain Blonde Brawler trying to get away with it. "You too, Yang."

Yang did a doubletake. "What?! I can't even keep them on as bracelets?!"

"Their detection systems are state of the art. Even if your Dust ammo doesn't work, they can still scan it and see what tech level your gauntlets are."

"Ugh, FINE…" Yang let out a frustrated groan as she took Ember Celica off. "But I'm not happy about it!"

Nora tossed her hammer back into the Proto-TRUK with the same enthusiasm. "That goes double for me, sister."

Rex folded his arms with a; "Hmph, you'd think they'd make an exception for officers of the law and famous heroes like us."

As they approached the gate, though, Vernal could see many aliens outside of the city gate, many of whom were carrying weapons… and all of them were withering in the hot, Khoros sun. What's more, they were actively being watched BY the Tetramand guard, who didn't seem to do anything about it. "…Something tells me these guys don't do exceptions." the former bandit said as she walked past a set of bones that she didn't want to know the origin of.

Once they were at the entrance, they were stopped by the guards and they passed them all over with some sort of beam scanner device, which left two of them in particular rather irritated. …Though not in the usual way. "Agh… the beam scans always make me itch." Rook said as he started scratching himself.

"Oh god, I feel it!" Yang reached up and began itching her head, as if a bunch of little bugs had just been let loose in her hair. "This sucks!"

"That's the Zeebosens." Kevin explained. "They tend to condense on fur or thick hair. Don't worry, the feeling should subside in a minute."

Yang still wasn't too thrilled. "Gah, dammit! This is just off to a crummy start all around!"

Thankfully, the itching did pass, and they were now strolling their way through the city proper. And, as it happened, the show encompassed nearly the ENTIRE city. They saw several high-tech vehicles on display, along with many others getting repaired. There were even booths selling individual parts lined along the sides of the streets. "This is it, guys!" Kevin announced, his arms lifted high. "Welcome to the Khoros Car Show. One stop shopping for all your automotive needs. If you can't find it here, you can find a guy who'll build it for you."

"And I'm assuming these guys are on the up and up, right?" Gwen asked her boyfriend with narrowed eyes.

"Of course! …Mostly." The young Osmosian could already feel the deadpan glares hitting his back, making him raise his hands in defense. "I mean it, seriously! Ya think Gar would risk that kinda thing?" Once again, he was met with skeptical silence. "…Okay, maybe depending on the configuration, a few of these may not be totally legal, but I swear, no one's getting in trouble at this event." And yet again, more silence, this time with a hint of disappointment on everyone's faces and a few shaking heads.

But then, a surprising question broke the silence. "…You are at least certain that I can purchase Crystal Matrix Plasma Resonators here?" Rook asked.

"Agh! Rook!" Weiss grimaced. "Seriously? We're trying NOT to get in trouble here!"

Rook gave her an apologetic look. "I am sorry, Weiss, but… I need those resonators for my TRUK. It is imperative."

Kevin grinned and put an arm around Rook's shoulders. "My man. Don't worry, I can find you those resonators at both a cheap price AND one-hundred percent legally." He made sure to wink over to Gwen for emphasis. "I guarantee it."

It was obvious that the redhead still wasn't completely onboard with it, but she sighed and relented… with one caveat. "Alright, fine… but I'm going to come with you just to make sure that it IS all legal." She shifted her eyes over to the others. "Ben, why don't you take the gang around and see what sort of models they have on display? We'll meet back up front in an hour."

"Sounds good." The disguised hero sent his cousin a thumbs up. "We'll catch you guys later." On that note, the group split their separate ways, though Ben himself couldn't help but smirk. "Kevin's gonna get something not entirely legal in about five minutes."

"I'm betting four." Yang mused, which led to several more bets that ticked the minutes ever downward.

After a minute or two of strolling around, Kevin, Gwen and Rook found themselves gravitating toward a booth that was run by a pink, mustachioed, rabbit-like alien. He seemed modest enough, though Gwen figured that the cute mustache was doing most of that work, along with his way of speaking. "Welcome, honored customers!" the salesman announced. "May you find vehicular contentment in my many and varied wares!"

Kevin whispered to his entourage; "Lemme do the talkin'." He stepped past the other bystanders and picked up a certain part on the salesman's table. "Whaddya want for this?"

"A reverse calibrated leptron transducer?" Rook was both amazed and concerned. "But those have been banned in twenty systems."

"And still legal in three." Kevin emphasized.

After hearing that, the salesman tried to save face. "He-he-hey, I'm just tryin' to make a tayden here, okay? I don't want trouble with the Red Spots." He packed up the rest of his wares and went to close up his booth. "Y'know what? Keep the transducer, consider it a gift!" And on that note, the crowd around the booth dispersed as well, leaving the three Plumbers to themselves.

Kevin was, understandably, quite surprised. "Huh… havin' you around might be okay."

Gwen gave him a scrutinizing eye, though. "Kevin, you're not using Rook as a free meal ticket."

"And I know that." Kevin pocketed the transducer and began walking away. "But gotta admit, it's a lot easier than haggling. Now c'mon, let's—oof!"

"Ugh! Hey, watch where you're—Kev?"

Peering down, the Osmosian saw who he had bumped into, and he wasn't exactly all that thrilled to say the least. "Argit?"

The rodent-like alien shifted his gaze between the three Plumbers in front of him. "And associates, I see." But then, his eyes widened in realization as he started quivering a little. "Oh god… Gwen, R-Ruby ain't here, is she?"

"No… but I get the feeling we should've brought her." Gwen folded her arms over her chest. "What're you doing here, Argit?"

"Up to no good, I can assume." Rook added with a raised brow.

"Hey, hey, I'm just here as a humble car enthusiast!" Argit asserted, waving his hands frantically. "I-I ain't here to cause trouble or nothin'! I'm a solid citizen now, Ruby can attest to that! She's practically scared me straight at this point!"

Gwen felt a smirk pull on her lips when she heard that. "Which I'm very proud of her for doing. But nevertheless, we're keeping an eye on you."

Kevin hummed an agreement before bringing his sights back up… only to then spot something else farther down the street. "No. Way. Over there! Is that who I think it is?" Kevin pointed straight ahead and Argit spun around, where his jaw practically dropped at who he saw.

A group of four purple and black-suited men in matching masks were strolling by, completely conspicuous compared to the show around them. It was almost like they were asking to be noticed. However, that wasn't what drew the two former con-men's attention. One of the purple men was holding a tiny, cylindrical silver robot with small noodle arms and no legs, the robot's head being a rectangular, violet holoscreen with projected eyes and brows.

"You're kiddin'…" Argit glared at the sight of the tiny robot. "Seven YEARS we've been lookin' for that guy!"

"And now he's gonna get what's comin' to him!" Kevin bellowed as he and Argit immediately went into a mad sprint toward the group, much to Gwen and Rook's confusion.

"Wait!" Gwen exclaimed. "Kevin, what's going—"

But she couldn't even attempt to calm her boyfriend down before he made it to the Violet Offenders, snatching the little robot out of their grasp and shaking him madly. "YOU BACKSTABBING TIN CAN!" he practically screamed before punt-kicking him away from the purple men, two of whom restrained him before he could do any more damage.

That didn't stop Argit, though, who scurried over as the two other purple suits rushed after him. Still, Argit was able to get a few good stomps on the bot. "No good, double-crossin' JERK!" Unfortunately, it was only just a few as one of the men hoisted him up while the other scooped up their apparent boss

"Ah! Please, put them DOWN, gentlemen!" the little robot said in a surprisingly deep voice, his holographic eyes showing sympathy for the two boys. "Kevin and Argit are old associates from my days in the Null Void." The purple men followed their boss' orders, freeing the two just as Gwen and Rook made it over. "It's so good to see that you escaped after all! Solid State, boys!"

Argit pointed accusingly at him. "Yeah, no thanks to you! You left us there to rot!"

"M-My deepest apologies." the robot lowered his head shamefully. "Truly, I had no idea that the device would only transport me out of the Null Void! I searched tirelessly for a way to get you out too… but alas."

"Well, as you cans see, we found our own way." Kevin said, clearly unimpressed.

Gwen came up on his left, glancing questioningly at the robot. "Kevin, who exactly is this?"

"His name is Otto. Argit and I met him while we were trapped in the Null Void." Kevin glowered at the robot. "He had us gather materials for a machine that he SAID would get us all out of there, but only he got out an' left us behind."

Otto placed one of his small pincer hands over his chest. "Indeed, but as I said, I feel incredibly remorseful for being unable to bring you with me, even after all that you did to help!" His expression took on a cheerier mood. "But to see that you lads were so resourceful in escaping yourselves leaves me incredibly impressed! You know what, though, this gives me the chance to make it up to you both! And the timing could not be better!"

Kevin grimaced at that. "Timing? What're you talkin' about?"

"I could use some extra muscle for a job I have lined up." Otto explained, flexing his noodle arms for emphasis. "It's high risk, but the profits are immeasurable!"

Neither Argit, Kevin or Gwen seemed keen on finding out what the "job" was… but surprisingly, Rook was. "…Go on."

"HUH?!" Gwen exclaimed.

"Yeah, no, stop right there!" Kevin insisted. "Me and Argit are legit these days."

"Wha—I mean, YEAH!" Argit agreed, hoping no one would notice his brief slip-up. "We've got straight. Totally above board."

Otto gave a dissatisfied sigh. "Aw, that's disappointing. All of your talent is going to waste." All the same, though, he gave a shrug. "Oh well, guess we'd better get started. Boys!" On his cue, the Violet Offenders all pulled out matching laser pistols from their pocket and began shooting into the air, causing the three Plumbers and Argit to make a mad dash away from them. The group's aim quickly shifted down as other patrons of the show began to run away in fear. "Ahahaha! Everybody hit the dirt!" Otto declared. "This is a stick-up!"

The four do-gooders found a bunch of wooden crates to hide behind, though they knew it wouldn't be the most lucrative spot for long. Gwen let out a groan and hung her head. "Well, so much for the rest of our vacation going smoothly." The threw her hands up in aggravation. "A nice trip to X'Nelli, bookended by carnage. …Sounds about right for us."

"Well, I suppose my attempt to coax information out of them went poorly, so that is my error." Rook admitted, though he kept a determined gaze. "Still, we must stop them." He went to peek his head up and yelled; "You are under arres—AH!"

"Woah, hold on there, Quickdraw!" Kevin chided, pulling Rook back down. "You're unarmed, remember?" Instead, Kevin pulled out his Plumber's badge. "Might wanna call for backup."

…..

As all of that was happening, things were much calmer on the other side of town, and the Omni-Hunters were left absolutely astounded by just how many differing models of alien cars there were. Some had wheels and some didn't, instead being more of a hover or even flight-capable vehicle. But even so, none of them came off as looking like any sort of ship. They were all distinctly car or truck-shaped, which impressed even Weiss. "I'm no car enthusiast, but even I have to admit, a lot of these are so sleek."

Yang agreed with her teammate's assessment. "Hell yeah! Makes me wonder if I could ever get one of these myself." She spotted a wheel-less model that basically had the same color scheme as her bike, one with a dome windshield and very rounded proportions. …It also had giant exhaust pipes and a spoiler at the back. Those were no doubt just for show, but Yang loved them all the same. "Good god, this one sings to me."

"Heh, I will admit, a lot of these ARE pretty cool." Ben said, though he wore an unsure expression. "Unfortunately, I don't know if any of these are Earth-legal. We'd have to find something that's got Level 4 tech and nothing higher."

"Ugh, dumb tech rules." Nora rolled her eyes. "Seems like a stupid limitation to me. Otherwise…" Her eyes landed on a heavily armored vehicle that had a MASSIVE cannon on it. It was completely black and covered in spikes, but with a little coat of pink paint… "I would pick up that baby in a heartbeat."

Vernal, meanwhile, wad distracted by a hot rod that appeared as if it drove straight out of a post-apocalyptic movie. It was lined with spikes along the hood, roof and trunk, and even had one sticking out of each of wheel. The front bumper somewhat resembled a cowcatcher, though Vernal knew that couldn't have been for cows. And of course, the engine was BIG and coming out of the hood. The only thing that kept it from looking the part completely was the color scheme; bright red with orange flames burning down the sides. …She still wanted it, though. "Damn… this might be the closest one to an Earth car I've seen. Can't be street legal, though."

Just then, a big, red hand settled itself down on the roof of the vehicle, bringing her gaze up. "Perhaps on your planet, yes." To everyone's surprise, standing before them was none other than Looma, the Princess of Khoros smirking back. "But here on Khoros, there are no streets, thus no laws for what to drive! Haha, amazing, isn't it?"

"L-Looma?!" Ben exclaimed, which only drew even more attention toward their group.

All at once, many of the patrons and spectators began mumbling to themselves. "Woah, the princess is really here!" "She's even more astounding in person!" "Think she's run through all of her suitors yet?" "I dunno, but if she has… think I may have a shot?"

"Grr…" That last one made Looma visibly irritated, but she kept a forced smile for her allies. "I-Indeed! It's good to see you here, Omni-Hunters. I was hoping that we'd meet here on your vacation."

"Psh, I wasn't." Yang scoffed, sending the Tetramand warrior princess a small glare. "In case you forgot, your majesty, we've still got a score to settle."

"Hm! Still sore about how I stood victorious over you, blondie?" Looma rebuked, causing Yang to get fired up, red-eyed, and right in her face, much to her friends' dismay. "Haha! Excellent, your relaxation on X'Nelli hasn't left you soft. In fact, you seem rather rejuvenated, which I'm sure will be good for our rematch." She poked Yang's nose teasingly. "Nice tan, by the way."

Yang pushed her head back against Looma's hand. "Thanks… no lines."

Looma laughed in approval. "Hahaha! Excellent! You will be nice and even for when I defeat you again!"

Of all people, though, it was Ren who decided to get in between the two ladies. "Girls, girls, could we maybe NOT have that rematch here? You know, in the middle of a town where people are staring at us?"

The two women turned their heads and saw that, indeed, everyone was looking straight at them, and many where likely hoping to see a fight. Looma glared at the spectators and stomped her foot threateningly. "Hey! What business do you have watching us?! Return to whence you were, nothing to see here!" At her order, the patrons quickly went back to what they were doing before, leaving the group be.

"Aw, man!" Nora pouted. "I wanted to see 'em fight!"

"Ugh, nah, I need to get a grip." Yang shook her head, calming herself as her eyes shifted back to violet. "I'm on vacation… I'm on vacation." she repeated.

Ben cleared his throat and approached Looma, asking; "So, I take it that your dad wanted you here for the big event?"

"Well, of course he does, but I am here of my own accord." Looma asserted with a bright smile. "The best thing about my father is that he allows me to do as I please, but more importantly, I just couldn't allow my future husband to miss out on this event!" Everyone's eyes widened at that before Looma spun around and called out; "Beloved! I've found your friends!"

From around the corner, much to the Omni-Hunters' surprise, came none other than their friend, Manny, who waved down the gang with a smile. "Hey guys! Was wonderin' when we'd run into ya!"

"Woah, Manny!" Nora beamed, returning the wave. "Hiya!"

"Sup, Nora?" The two shared a high-five before Manny went to spread the love to everyone else, including sharing a handshake with Ben. "You guys look great! Had a nice time on X'Nelli?"

Ben let out a satisfied sigh. "Hah, like you wouldn't believe. I feel great… and not just because I picked up a handful of new aliens while I was there." He reached up and nudged Manny's arm. "But hey, look at you! Getting a VIP pass to the car show! Guess being Looma's fiancé has its perks." All at once, a slew of disheartened groans came form the patrons, catching everyone off guard.

Manny, though, took it in stride. "Heh, yeah, I guess. But honestly? If I'd known how awesome this place was, I'd definitely ask for the day off every year to come here." He jabbed a thumb over his shoulder. "I mean, have you seen these babies? They rock!"

"That they do." Vernal said, still staring longingly at the spikey hot rod.

"Too bad that most of these are probably out of our price range." Ren uttered, which made Vernal sulk a little.

However, Looma saw this and gave a small shrug. "Well, who knows? With any luck, perhaps—"

*PEW-P-P-PEW-P-PEW-PEW*

A collective gasp rang through the whole crowd of people as their eyes were brought skyward, seeing a slew of red lasers suddenly go shooting up into the air. The Omni-Hunters, Manny and Looma were particularly stunned by the sight, with Looma clenching her teeth. "What?! What is going on?!"

Ben furrowed his brow. "So I'm guessing that a laser light show isn't part of the event." *beep-beep-beep-beep* As if on cue, the Omnitrix began going crazy, prompting the hero to answer. "Kevin, what's happening?"

"Ben, we've got a BAD situation here. It's a shootout at the marketplace!" Kevin's response left everyone quite concerned, though what he said next took them off guard. "W-Wait, hold on, they're moving… back toward the front gate? What the hell? Tennyson, you'd better get over here!"

As the transmission ended, Ben craned his head up to Looma. "What could they possibly want at the front gate?"

Looma grit her teeth as an immediate thought came to mind. "The admittance fees. We take multiple forms of currency, but I believe these criminals may only be after one thing; the Taydenite." She whirled around and placed a hand on her fiancé's shoulder. "Manny, come with me. We should take care of this."

"Oh, hell yeah." Manny agreed. "Ain't no way a bunch of criminals are gonna get away with tryin' to ruin the show!" On that note, the pair took a powerful leap, jumping their way toward the city's surrounding wall.

"We should roll, too." Ben advised. "They may need backup." The Omni-Hunters didn't waste any time in going after the couple… though not before Vernal sent a parting kiss toward the spiked hot rod of her dreams.

…..

Back near the front gate, things had gotten out of control. Somehow, the Violet Offenders had managed to infiltrate the gate's guard station, and were currently engaged in a firefight with many Tetramand guards. However, while the armored warriors had to recharge their laser staff weapons, the violet gangsters seemingly didn't have to reload their weapons or anything. "They have recycler clips." Rook noted as he, Gwen and Kevin hid behind another stack of crates. Argit, though, was nowhere to be seen. "They can hold off the guards indefinitely."

"How can WE get close, then?" Gwen inquired, only to see her boyfriend start to pry into one of the crates. "Kevin! What're you—"

"Trust me…" Kevin managed to get into the crate, which held an absolutely MASSIVE engine block. He absorbed it and knocked a fist against his chest. "Okay, let's go!" And with that, the Osmosian took point and led the charge, with Gwen and Rook trailing behind. As the laser fire concentrated on him, he didn't even flinch as they all bounced off his body, leaving him completely unharmed.

"Okay, I give, what did you absorb?" the redhead asked.

"Pressure port infinitum. Tetramand Engine Blocks are made from the stuff." *pew-pew* "Agh, still hurts, though!" Kevin peered back to the two. "If you guys wanna make a move, I'd appreciate it if you'd do it now!"

Gwen and Rook nodded to one another as the former created a pair of mana projected grippers from her hands, thrusting them out to take hold of two purple men and SLAM them together, knocking them to the ground. Rook then proceeded to vault over Kevin's back and deliver a flying kick straight into the other one, sending him to the dirt as well. Finally, the remaining purple man and Otto emerged from the security booth, the latter holding onto a bucket full of Taydenite. "Hands up!" Rook ordered.

Otto gasped and raised his arms, dropping the bucket. …And then the purple man did the same thing, dropping Otto. Then, as if on cue, Argit reappeared behind the three Plumbers. "Hey-hey, good work, team! I think we can let the locals handle the rest, though—GAH!" Argit was then practically bowled over by several Tetramand guards, who apprehended Otto and his goods… before running over the hapless Argit once again. Even so, he shakily gave a thumbs up. "HAK-HAK! T-Totally had your back."

"Gah! Oh, blast it all!" the robot "mastermind" lamented as Looma, Manny and the Omni-Hunters all entered the scene, just in time to see him and his gang get carted off. "My carefully thought-out plan! Thwarted!"

As Otto continued to ramble the team were… understandably very perplexed. "Uh… I'm sorry, what?" Weiss questioned.

"Yeah, what the heck?" Rex scratched his head. "We only just got here! How'd things get wrapped up this fast?!"

"Huh, I didn't even have to go hero for this." Ben mused before giving Gwen, Kevin and Rook an approving smile. "Nice one, guys! You got that all wrapped up nice and efficiently."

Gwen let out a sigh, still frustrated that it even happened. "Yeah, though I wish we could've finished this vacation without at least ONE more crazy thing happeni—HOLD ON!" The redhead did a doubletake when she saw a certain Tetramand couple standing with the others. "Looma! Manny!"

Rook smiled at the duo's presence. "Ah, so you did make it, after all." Rook approached Manny and offered a handshake. "It is good to see you, my friend."

"Same here, man!" Manny reciprocated. "How was Revonnah?"

"Well… it got off to, how you would say, a stoney start. But ultimately, it was quite enjoyable."

"…A rocky start." the Tetramand hybrid corrected. "But glad to hear ya had a good time."

Yang and the others approached him as well. "So, how're things on Earth going? Is my sister doing a good job leading the rest of the team?"

Manny let out a laugh and gave a thumbs up. "Haha, oh hell yeah! Actually, I heard that she and Coop led a pretty successful mission just a few days ago. And ho boy, you will NOT believe what they did." Everyone leaned forward, urging him to spill the beans. "Heh, okay, get this; they rescued… a freakin' unicorn!"

"…HUH?!" the team exclaimed all at once. "A… An ACTUAL unicorn?!" Weiss exclaimed.

"Yup, and Pyrrha rode on its back, too."

Nora threw her arms up in the air. ""GAH, DAMMIT! We miss all the good crap! I would've LOVED to ride on a unicorn!"

"…If it'd let you." Vernal muttered.

"Hah… well, I guess I'm glad that Ruby and the others are doing well back on Earth, at least. That's a relief." Ben wiped his forehead.

Meanwhile, Kevin was suddenly feeling very small under the gaze of Looma, her hardened expression inescapable to him. "Ah-Ahem, uh… Looma." He waved sheepishly.

"Kevin Levin." the princess returned with a huff, closing her eyes and turning her head away. "Enjoying the car show? Stolen any engines lately?" her voice dripped with sarcastic venom. "I saw that you were coated with infinitum."

"I-I only absorbed it, I swear." the Osmosian pleaded. "Seriously."

Gwen stepped up and raised her hands, hoping to stop any escalation from the princess. "He's telling the truth. In fact, he was the whole reason why we were able to get in close and bring those gangsters down."

"Hmph, I see." Looma scoffed. "Well, in that regard, you did well. We rarely get any troublemakers trying to disrupt the event, so—"

"WHERE ARE THEY?!"

All at once, all conversations stopped and the group's attention was brought back down the street toward the palace. "Oh boy, I know that voice." Kevin said.

Sure enough, approaching the team with a Tetramand guardsman flanking either side of him, was the ruler of Khoros himself; Warlord Gar. The war-torn Tetramand wore a scowl upon his features as Looma gave a happy gasp at his presence. "I want to know EXACTLY who—AH! Looma!"

"Daddy!" Looma rushed up to her father, who immediately opened his arms to run into. The princess giggled with delight while the larger Tetramand gave a booming guffaw which echoed across the entire town. "Hehehe! Are you surprised?!"

"HAHAHA! I certainly am! Here I was thinking that you would be missing out on the festivities!" Gar smiled widely. "Oh, but it is so good to see that you are home, my dearest Skull Crusher. Your mother will be THRILLED when she returns."

That took Looma by surprise. "Oh, mother isn't here?"

"Ah, well, much as your mother values a good Tetramand Powertrain, just now, she's off quashing a rebellion in the Crooked Mountains." Gar sighed wistfully. "Oh, how I wished to go with her, but you know your mother. She's quite strict when it comes to me following my commitments. I already said I would oversee the Khoros Automotive Showcase, so that's exactly what I'm doing."

Looma nodded in understanding. While her mood was slightly tampered by her mother's absence, she felt immense joy hearing of her escapades. "I see. Hah, I remember when she used to take me on her missions when I was little. It was enthralling watching her work."

Gar beamed with pride as he settled his arm around Looma's shoulders. "Haha, don't I know it. Such a spirited woman." He raised a brow down to his daughter. "But what brings you here, Little Thrasher? I thought you were taking a leave to Earth to court your betrothed."

Looma scratched her cheek and giggled again. "Hehe, yes, about that… I have brought another surprise!" She thrust a hand over to the group, which Manny was standing in the direct center of. "Ta-da! Guess who I brought back with me!"

As his and Gar's eyes locked, Manny suddenly felt quite intimidated. Still, he did his best to put on a smile, even though his confidence was in the toilet. "Uh, hehe, h-hi there, Gar! How's it goin'?"

Much to Manny's dismay, Gar's scowl returned. "Manny..." he growled as he closed the distance between them, towering over everyone. He raised his armed and yelled; "GRRRRAAAAHH—HAHAHAHA!" But just like that, his façade went away and he instead pulled Manny into a welcoming hug, much to his and everyone else's shock. "Hahaha! Best of Battles to you, son! How have you been?"

"Uh… fine, I guess." Manny answered. 'I think I almost soiled myself, but otherwise, I'm good.' He cleared his throat and placed a fist over his chest. "I-It's good to be here, sir. I'm honored to have been invited."

"Ah, you need no invitation, lad!" Gar assured. "As my future son-in-law, you are welcome here any time! This IS your ancestral home, after all. I take it that you must be eager to learn about your race's great and storied heritage, hm?"

"Y-Yeah! Of course!" Manny rubbed his neck. "Though, uh, I did only just get here and I was hopin' to take a gander at what you got goin' on here with the car show, too…"

Gar was more than happy to hear that. "Haha! Then you are in luck, my boy! The Khoros Automotive Showcase has been a tradition for well over five hundred years!" He shifted his gaze toward the Omni-Hunters, focusing in on Ben specifically. "Ah, but where are my manners? I'm assuming that you and your team had a hand in stopping these violet offenders, Ben Tennyson?"

Shaking his head, Ben denied the claim. "Actually, sir, that's not the case." He jerked his thumb over to Gwen, Kevin and Rook. "These three are the ones who brought down those guys."

"Hm! I see." Gar reached forward and shook each of their hands… using all three of his. "Well, I am certainly grateful to all of you. You all have done Khoros a tremendous service!" He nodded down to his former future son-in-law. "That goes for you, too, Kevin. Things may have not worked out with the marriage, but you're still more than welcome on Khoros."

While Gar's words were reassuring, Kevin couldn't help but sweat nervously as he saw Looma glaring at him out the corner of his eye. "Uh, hehe, thanks Gar. I appreciate it."

"H-Hey, let's not forget the guy who went to get backup!" Argit announced as he pushed his way forward, having recovered from getting trampled, placing his hands on his hips.

His presence was enough to take everyone else off guard. "Argit?!" Nora exclaimed. "What the heck are you doing here?" she pointed an accusatory finger at him. "Didn't Ruby give you a good talking to after our last run-in with you?"

"Lay off the pointing fingers, Hammer Girl." Argit batted Nora's hand away. "Yeah, Ruby and I had a chat, and as a result, I'm a changed man now." He raised his head proudly and placed a hand over his chest. "A respectable member of society who's only here as a car enthusiast, nothin' else!"

Neither Ren, Nora, or anyone else seemed convinced of that. "Why do I find that so hard to believe?" the green ninja questioned.

"Now, now, while I usually would approve of a little squabble, this is neither the time nor place." Gar said, mediating the situation. "This is a moment to be celebrated, after all! Thanks to your efforts, the show has been saved. Thusly, all of you shall be my honored guests for the rest of the show!" He went back over to Manny and Looma, taking each of them under his arms. "Come! You young heroes deserve a fitting reward!"

"Honored guests?" Weiss smiled excitedly, clapping her hands together. "That's great!"

Kevin, though, was a bit more cautious as they followed Gar. "…Don't get your hopes up. I suspect things aren't done here yet."

Yang tilted her head at that. "Huh? Whaddya mean, Kev?"

"That guy we stopped? His name's Otto. He screwed me and Argit over back when we were in the Null Void YEARS ago." the former conman explained. "He's an evil genius, so there's no way he'd allow himself to get caught THIS easily without having an ulterior motive."

Rook was in full agreement. "Indeed. My intestines do not speak will of this either."

"Uh… come again?" Argit grimaced.

"He's saying his gut's telling him there's something no bueno going on here." Rex clarified.

Vernal furrowed her brows at that. "Yeah… and I kinda agree. We should keep close to Gar, make sure he and the princess are safe."

"Pretty much what I was thinkin'." Kevin concurred, keeping his eyes locked on the royal family. "Otto wouldn't pull a stupid stunt like that. Not for chump change."

Ben sighed, slightly frustrated that this might not be over. "Okay. For now, follow them and stay on your toes. I trust you about this Otto guy, Kev, so if you're right… we may be in for an even bigger fight on our hands."

As it happened, things had gone relatively smoothly for about half an hour. Gar had chosen to lead the group on a trip around the palace, crossing the entire show in the process to see almost everything it had to offer. However, once they reached the rear of the royal house, Gar suddenly made a beeline for the place, ushering them to keep following. "This way, my friends!" he declared. "As a reward for saving the show, you must see my private vault."

His announcement made Looma give a short gasp. "Ah! Daddy, are you sure? You almost never let anyone inside. That IS where you keep the Big Four, right?"

"Er… the "Big Four"?" Manny asked.

"Yes! The four most valuable cars in my collection!" Gar clarified as the group approached a big golden door on the side of the palace, guarded by several Tetramand warriors. "Worth more than the rest of the show put together! I trust that all of you are worthy to see them."

While the idea was exciting to many, others still held to their earlier concerns. "One moment. This vault of yours…" Rook started.

"Is it anywhere near where you put Otto and his goons?" Kevin finished.

Gar hummed ponderously, though he didn't seem worried. "Hm, I suppose. But there are three meters of stone between the pens and the vaults. Nothing could possibly—"

*BOOOOM*

…And just like that, the vault door was blown open, sending the Tetramand guards and their Quadceratops mounts sprawling away. And, zooming out from the dust and debris, came four very distinct vehicles. The one in the lead was a sleek, aerodynamic racecar… that appeared to be made of pure Taydenite. Following behind it was a red and yellow treaded vehicle with an elevated cockpit that had a bubble-shaped dome. Then came a blue flying craft that had twin spinning prongs at the rear thruster, and then finally came a red, three-wheeled vehicle with a big sail-like structure sticking out the top.

And, behind all of their wheels, were the Violet Offenders, with Otto in the passenger seat of the Taydenite car. "Ahahaha! Look at that! It's freedom!" he announced as he and his gang rushed straight toward the Omni-Hunters and the Red Wind family.

"Gah… crap baskets." Ben deadpanned.

…..

Meanwhile, things were much less intense in the Land of Darkness, where the black clouds seemed to swirl around the Evernight Castle. It was as if the weather itself was signaling a foreboding event about to happen… which was very much the case. Salem was currently making her way through the hallowed halls of her home to the usual meeting room, where she had ordered the Ministry to gather at once. Fortunately, they had heeded her call and were present and accounted for when she opened the double doors. …Though the fact that the sheer amount of noise they were generating drowned out her arrival was rather irritating.

She scanned her eyes around the table, watching as Fistrick and his boys kept egging on Dominique's girls from across the table, all while Skull and Hog tried to calm things down. Watts and Animo were busy discussing the next step in their research while Rojo, Mercury and Emerald were lost in their own conversation. The only ones who were silent were Cinder, a seething Bashmouth, Eon, Hazel and of course, Neo… though the mute girl seemed much more reserved than usual.

Thankfully, though, Salem had come prepared. "Shall I get their attention?" came a deep voice from behind.

"Yes, my dear. If you'd please." Salem allowed. Just like that, a HUGE burst of purple energy erupted from behind the witch and pulsed through the room, breaking off into several lightning bolts and crackling directly next to many of the noisy loiterers. Several screams followed, but ultimately, Salem now had everyone's attention. "Ah… much better."

"WHAT THE HELL, BRO?!" Fistrick

"M-My word!" Watts exclaimed. "As much as I hate to agree with this heathen, I must agree! That was completely unnecessary, Lady Salem!"

Salem simply smirked. "Perhaps… but my dearest Viktor wanted to test out the new toy he built for himself…" She craned her head up as Viktor emerged from the shadows behind her, revealing his new mechanical arm attached to his elbow. It appeared to be made of a rather tough metal and it had some sort of hose that connected it directly to the coils coming out of his back. In addition, it was in a cannon-like configuration, though it transformed back into a normal hand by his own will.

"…Okay, I gotta admit, that's pretty badass." Rojo commented.

Reaching up to Viktor's chest, Salem ran her hand across it tenderly. "I agree. Make the most out of an awful situation, right, love?"

"Hm, indeed." Viktor clenched his new metal limb. "And with this, I will get back at the Maiden who took it from me."

"I guarantee it." Salem approved before turning her attention back to the others. "For now, though, it is time for us to discuss the matter of which I brought you all here for. And to that end…" She craned her head back to the darkened hallway. "Red Son, you may have the floor."

Marching proudly into the room with his head held high, Red Son graciously bowed to the witch. "Thank you, Lady Salem! I assure you, this meeting will be well worth everyone's while!"

Animo scoffed at that. "Hmph, it'd better be! Watts and I were in the middle of running a very important test with the Gene Slammers when you dropped this on us!"

Red Son, however, simply waved that off. "That can wait, old man. Because let's face it, when it comes to inventions…" He raised his hand and snapped his fingers… prompting a dark figure to fly in and land directly in the center of the table, taking everyone aback. There, Night Rogue stood up and loomed over almost everyone, his head raise in superiority. "MY creation is far greater! Ahahaha!"

"Tch, yeah, if yer keen on lookin' like a Batman wannabe wearin' an engine block." Dominique commented, prompting the rest of the Street Sharks to laugh at her joke.

Yuma turned to the ladies and nudged his chin at them. "Yeah? Well this bat will gladly turn you fishies into chum if you feel like it."

"Oh, I see how it is!" A scowl took its place on Dominique's features as she stood up and got in his face. "Ya wanna take this outside, ya bugger?"

"ENOUGH." Salem asserted, which quickly planted Dominque's butt back into the chair. Night Rogue also stepped away, lowering his head a bit. "We did not gather here for petty squabbles."

Bashmouth growled impatiently. "Yeah? So then what ARE we here for?"

Speaking up again, Red Son was more than happy to answer that. "I'm glad you asked, my scary dog alien compatriot! For you see, today is FINALLY the day that your group's salvation arrives!" His eyes trailed across the room, where he was met with equal parts confused and angry stares. "Up until now, the Ministry of Darkness has had some great successes, but none which have proven to permanently deal with the Omni-Hunter problem. But no more! For now, I bring to you the alliance which will shake the very foundations of Earth AND Remnant! EON! The warp gate, if you'd please!" At his request, Eon obliged and opened one of his portals directly in the center of the room above everyone, leaving many confused.

"Uh… why's it up there?" Emerald inquired.

"Wait for it…" Not long after Red Son said that… an incredibly potent wind came blustering through the vortex, nearly blowing everyone out of their seat. In seconds a wild whirlwind appeared from the portal and settled over the table, where it continued to blow everything around that wasn't nailed to the floor. The villains were forced to hold onto the table, the only ones left unaffected being Salem, Viktor, Eon and Bashmouth.

"WHAT IS HAPPENING?!" Cinder screamed.

Red Son spread his arms out, shouting over the whirling winds; "Ladies and gentlemen, please, allow me to introduce to you…" All at once, the twister ceased and everything became calm again as everything clattered to the floor. "…my mother."

There, flying just above the table… was an incredibly beautiful woman with a very threatening aura. She was Asian in descent with shoulder-length black hair done up in a very ornate bun, which held up two braids at the back and was stylized like a pair of bull horns on either side of her head. A golden headpiece, which also resembled the head of a bull, decorated her forehead, with a chain that hung down just above her brow. She wore a red dress with intricate golden throughout, and she wore a black neckpiece that extended out into pointed shoulder pads. Her belly was left a little exposed, and she wore the Demon Bull Family crest as a charm over her waist, held up by more golden chains. Her feet were adorned with simple black slippers, and upon her right cheek near her eye, was a single a beauty mark.

Most prominently about her, though, was the weapon she held in her hand. It was a large, gold and red fan made entirely of metal, stylized to resemble a raging fire. She kept a firm grasp on the golden pole upon which it was attached, and her red lips curled into a sinister smirk as she spun around in midair to face Salem. "Thank you for such a dynamic introduction, my dear son." She closed the distance between herself and Salem as Red Son bowed his head. "And you must be Salem. My boy has told me much about you." She extended her hand, her pointed nails painted black. "I am Princess Iron Fan. And I believe you and I have MUCH to talk about."

Immediately, Salem could tell; going by this woman's aura alone, they would definitely get along. She readily accepted the handshake. "That we do, Princess. We certainly do."

…..

A/N: Yeah, if you couldn't tell, that part with the Ministry was the part that wasn't intended for this chapter. I know, it DOES feel a bit tacked on, but trust me, this'll lead into some intriguing stuff that happens in the next chapter. All the same, though, we DO have the official introduction of Princess Iron Fan to the cast! And yes, she's directly based off of her Monkie Kid counterpart only she's… well, a human and not based on a Lego Minifig. On that note;

Princess Iron Fan – Voiced by Gwendolyn Yeo

Aside from Iron Fan's introduction, though, we've got a LOT of other stuff to go through with this chapter. For one, we see Manny and Looma's first official date! And it goes over pretty well, all things considered. Heck, even Looma's first impression of human food is a rousing success… if a little messy. Thankfully she's not Squidward levels of addiction, but still. And overall, it seems that she and Manny are beginning to grow closer. Plus, of course, Gar's just thrilled to have him as a future son-in-law. That's a good dad right there.

Speaking of, though, this chapter DOES mention Looma's mother, and we will indeed see her in the future. And her first impression of Manny is going to be quite interesting, for sure. Until then, though, we get to marvel at all the fancy vehicles that space has to offer with this car show. And predictably, Kevin's in the market for some slightly dubious parts. Well, at least Gwen and Rook are there to keep him in check… but they're ALL right to be skeptical of Argit's presence. That rat's word is as good as the jacket he wears, and I bet it's FULL of holes.

…Also, EVERYONE wants a car. Yang, Nora, Vernal, they want 'em and Khoros has them. Though jury's out on whether they can actually GET any. Still, everything goes back to Otto and his team of purple men. Seems that their initial "plan" was all a ruse to get into Gar's private collection of valuable automobiles. How will the Omni-Hunters put a stop to this?

Well, we'll just have to find out NEXT TIME! While Princess Iron Fan and Salem have their own discussion about future evil plans, our heroes get into a high-speed chase with Otto and his goons… which results in the Proto-Truck getting hijacked and Otto pulling a move that NO ONE would've ever expected. Thankfully, though, they've got their OWN back-up plan… in the form of a certain intelligent space bus that's been hiding a little trick under his hood. Next time; Robo Throwdown. Omni-Hunter… GATTAI! Thanks for reading, everybody, and I'll catch you all next time! Stay safe out there!