A day had passed since the incident with Dr. Animo. The old RV was now parked beside a large, beautiful, sparsely populated lake at a holiday resort.
Early in the morning, Ryan, still deep in slumber, felt his arms sway from side to side as if someone were gently shaking him. He slowly woke up. He narrowed his eyes slightly and peered at the blurred figure before him. He could vaguely make out Ben.
"Ryan, get up," Ben whispered, seeing that Ryan had opened his eyes. "Gwen and I are waiting for you."
"Ha~" Ryan yawned lazily. He rubbed his eyes and asked, confused, "Is the sun rising from the west? Why are you guys up so early today?"
"Of course we're going for a swim! The lake is huge, the scenery is beautiful, and it looks like fun. If Grandpa were awake, he'd never let us go in the water," Ben said eagerly.
"I..." Ryan hesitated. He felt too old for childish games. But he couldn't bear to disappoint Ben and Gwen. Besides, if he didn't go, it would be like betraying them by not telling Grandpa. What if they got into danger and didn't tell Grandpa?
"Forget it. I'll go with you!" Ryan held his forehead in frustration, sighed, and climbed down from the top bunk.
Gwen smiled faintly, happy from the bottom of her heart. "That's great!"
It took Ryan about two or three minutes to wash up. Then, he and Ben ate a quick breakfast. After that, they tiptoed outside while Max wasn't looking. Ryan pushed open the RV door and jumped to the ground. The fresh air filled his nostrils. The scenery was beautiful, and the air was incredibly fresh.
"It's beautiful," Gwen said, stepping down from the RV and looking intoxicated by the view.
When Ben came down, he carried a large bag containing three swimsuits and trunks.
"Change your swimsuit first." Gwen took out her swimsuit and walked into the nearby woods to change. Ben was more carefree and changed his swimsuit right there with Ryan. After they finished changing, they waited a few minutes more before Gwen emerged in her swimsuit.
"Let's go." Ryan took the lead, walking at the front with the other two following behind. As he approached the dock and looked at the endless, calm lake water before him, he inwardly muttered, "Is there really a sea monster here?" He was very curious.
Splash!
A sound came from the side! Ben had already taken off his swimming goggles and jumped into the water from the dock. His entire body sank into the lake. After a second or two, his head popped out. Gwen was more gentle, taking her time to carefully enter the water.
"Ryan, aren't you afraid of water? Are you still not getting in?" Ben called out from the water, using aggressive tactics on purpose.
"All right, I'll come down." Ryan saw through Ben's intentions, but he didn't expose him. He sat on the dock and slid into the water. Since it was summer and quite hot, soaking his body in the cold lake water felt very refreshing.
Ryan had just stuck his head out of the water and wiped the water from his face when—whoa! Ben, who was sitting next to him, gave a wicked smile and splashed some water towards Ryan, soaking him.
"Okay, Ben, this is boring. I don't want to play this childish game," Ryan complained, turning his head away in disbelief.
Ben splashed water twice more. Then...whoa! Whoa! As if stimulated by a primal instinct, Ryan and Ben began playing this childish game, splashing water and swimming with each other. Even Gwen laughed and joined in.
The three of them only rested on the pillars supporting the dock when they grew tired of playing. Looking at the lake in the distance, Ben was mesmerized. "Ryan, Gwen, can you swim? Swim out dozens of meters in one breath."
"Yes, but Ben, you shouldn't do that. You'll get muscle cramps and be miserable," said Ryan, patting Ben on the shoulder and showing off his arm muscles. He exercised regularly, and his body was toned.
"Dummy, I bet you can't even swim. You can only splash water right here," Gwen scoffed softly.
"What?!" Ben suddenly looked indignant. "You watch this!"
Splash!
He sank into the water, his limbs swinging as his head rhythmically surfaced to breathe. He swam forward with a breaststroke!
"Hey, Ben!" Ryan called out to him from behind and quietly placed his hand on the Omnitrix.
"It's all my fault. I didn't expect him to take it seriously," Gwen said, full of self-blame, though it was clear she hadn't meant any harm.
"Gwen, it doesn't matter. He won't be in danger with me around," Ryan said, comforting Gwen, which made her feel better. She looked up at Ryan and, for the first time, felt a sense of security.
"See, I succeeded!"
Twenty meters away! Ben surfaced, spread his arms, and used his legs to maintain buoyancy. He swayed slightly with a proud look on his face.
"Ben, your swimming skills are better than mine," Ryan said, giving him a thumbs-up. "Now, let's see if you have the strength to come back!"
"Of course I can!" Ben's competitive spirit was aroused. Just as he was about to submerge, he suddenly felt waves and turbulence coming from behind him. His body began to feel a little out of control.
Ryan also looked behind Ben. A huge black shadow was rapidly approaching.
One word flashed in his mind: Sea monster!