Ch.4
"Are you sure Tim will be okay with us visiting him?"Gwen asked the next morning as they got back on the road.
"It won't hurt just to check up on him."Max replied.
"You heard the way he yelled at us."Ben said,who was sitting across from Gwen in the booth."I doubt he'd want us back there."
"Too bad.We're going anyway."Max said sternly."He's my friend and its my job to make sure he's alright."
"Whatever you say,Grandpa."
   It was silent for awhile until a news broadcast suddenly aired on the radio.
"Just at midnight last night,Johnson's Electronics was robbed.The store manager,who was the only one remaining in the store,claimed that the culprit was a man of six feet whose entire body was enveloped by tiny,squirming,blue creatures who seemed to dissolve anything electronic he touched.The man then left,leaving the store empty with nothing but bare shelves."
"Those sound like the nanonytes!"Gwen exclaimed."Grandpa!We have to get to that computer store!"
"I thought we were visiting Tim?"Max said.
"But if those nanonytes are out there,sucking all the energy from anything technoogic,we have to stop them immediatly!"Gwen exclaimed."We can see Tim later!"
"You're right.Of course we have to stop the nanonytes."Max agreed.He then turned the wheel and the Rust Bucket made a sharp U-turn,heading for Johnson's Electronics.
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"Whoa.They weren't kidding when they said that this place was robbed clean."Ben gasped as the manager let them in.
"It looks as if this store was just built with it being so empty."Gwen agreed.
"Now the question is,where did the nanonytes take off to?"Max asked.
"More like,where would they go?"Gwen corrected."What would be the one place where there is a massive supply of technology?"
   They thought for a minute before arriving at a conclusion.
"The Observatory!"
   They quickly ran out of the store and hurried into the Rust Bucket.
   Ben and Gwen quickly buckled themselves up as Max pulled down a lever in between the driver's and passenger's seats.There was a whirring sound as rocket boosters rose up in the back of the RV.
"Hold on tight,kids!"he cried,pushing a button on the dashboard.
FWOOOSSHH!
   Flames erupted from the rockets and they were speeding down the road,towards the Observatory.
"I hope Tim's okay!"Max said as they reached the Observatory and ran inside.
   They immediatly stopped as they entered the lobby of the building,right where the nanonytes were in the process of terrifying all the employees and visitors.
   Ben stepped forward.
"Heatblast will put a stop to your antics,nano-freak!"he cried.
   He slammed down the Omnitrix.
"'Bout time you started working for me."Heatblast grinned,seeing that the Omnitrix actually came through for him for once.
   The nanonytes turned its head and glared at him.
"Careful,Ben."Max said."Those nanonytes look like they can cause some serious damage!"
"Don't worry about me,Grandpa.You and Gwen just get these people out of here!"
"Got it!"
   As Max and Gwen gathered everyone up,Heatblast and the nanonytes sized each other up.The nanonytes then thrusted a fist at the Pyronite,who quickly blocked it with a large shield of flames.
   There was a sound similar to a banshee's cry as the nanonytes quickly withdrew its burnt hand.The damaged
nanonytes rained down onto the ground.
   Heatblast smiled.
"I knew that would be your downfall!"
"Ben!Don't get too confident!"Gwen cried."There's a high probability that they'll still kick your butt!"
"No way,dweeb!These little bugs can't even  touch me!They'll fry their circuits if they do!"
   Heatblast laughed at the nanonytes' weakness.But that was shortlived,however,when the nanonytes' eyes suddenly fired off beams of sapphire energy that sent Heatblast into a wall.
"Whoa.Didn't see that comin'!"he groaned,sitting up.
"What was that,Grandpa?"Gwen asked as they got the last person out.
"It's a technique very similar to Upgrade's second ability that the nanonytes must've learned by collecting all the energy from the electronic items it absorbs."Max replied.
"Upgrade's second ability?"Heatblast asked."Oh!You mean that eye-beam thing!"
"Yes.The nanonytes can now fire off a high-range positronic beam from both or one of its eyes,allowing for long-distance attacks."Max said.
"See,Ben?Not so tough now,are ya?"Gwen sneered,sticking her tongue out at him.
"Oh,shut up."Heatblast growled."It just so happens that I have long-distance based attacks as well!"
   Heatblast aimed his palms forward and sent a blast of fire at the nanonytes,who were quick to react.They quickly formed a large hole in the midsection of their body.The fire went straight through that hole.
"Hey!That's cheating!"Heatblast complained.
"Well,apparently they aren't playing by the rules!"Gwen said.
   Suddenly,the nanonytes turned to her.Their eyes glew a brighter blue.
   Heatblast gasped as he realized what they were about to do.
"Gwen!Look out!"he cried,running towards the nanonytes.
   But it was too late.They fired twin positronic beams at her.
"Twista Combitines!"
   A large,energy cobra appeared in front of her.The positronic beams harmlessly crashed into it.But they were still strong enough to destroy it.
"Ungh!"Gwen moaned as the blast created by the two forces knocked her down onto the ground.
"Gwen!"Max cried.
  Gwen gasped as the nanonytes stood over her.It combined its fists into a giant mace shape.It then held it high over its head and prepared to swing it down onto her.
   Suddenly,Heatblast was on the nanonytes' back,struggling to get them away from Gwen.
"I don't think so,pal!You better stay away from my cousin!"
   The areas where his hands contacted with the nanonytes started to smoke.The banshee-like sound rang throughout the lobby.
   Then,a deep voice took over.
"Your cousin,huh?"
"What?"Heatblast's eyes widened."You can talk?".........