Good morning, day or evening Ultras! I hope this catches you at a good time! I had about ninety percent of this chapter typed out by Monday, but I just wanted to take the time to finish it, and really make it worth the wait, so here it is on Thursday! This is because there is a MAJOR plot reveal this chapter. As such, the next chapter will also be a week-and-a-half before it come out on a Monday, back to our schedule.

Trigger warnings: There is one instance of choice language. It is in the paragraph which begins with, "Drop the salute, Agent 10..." However, that is the only thing. There is a battle scene, but it isn't graphic.

I didn't have any soundtracks planned out for this chapter, so sorry about that. You'll just have to find a good song to listen to as you read. Or not, it's really your choice.

Enjoy the chapter!

The Ultra 10 Chronicles: Volume 2: A Hero Earth Needs

Chapter 47: A Returning Enemy

Ellie's Cabin, outside Bellwood

Cooper stood up from over his NanoMech project, stretching his back. "I think that the cabin defenses should be online now," he mumbled to himself.

"Have we heard from Ben or Gwen?" Julie asked. Cooper shook his head.

"Nothing yet." Cooper activated his comm link. "Ben? Gwen? Do you guys have an update on your patrol?"

"It looks like the city is becoming more and more chaotic," Gwen's voice responded. "I'm seeing graffiti all over telling the PLUMMERs or the Galactic Enforcers to go home. I wouldn't be surprised if a riot started in the next couple of days."

"What about you, Ben?" Cooper asked. He waited for a while, but didn't get a response. "Ben, are you there?" Cooper tried again, but was met with the same silence.

"How come he's not answering?" Ellie asked.

"I don't know, I'm going to try to track his suit," Cooper replied. Cooper turned on his computer, activating the beacon in Ben's suit. "Looks like he's downtown."

"So maybe he's just busy right now?" Maddi pipped up.

"I don't think so," Cooper responded. "He's over thirty feet underground."

"How would he get there?" Gwen asked.

"Beats me, but we have to assume that, until he responds to us, he's in trouble. Julie, see if you can bring up the city specs of the utilities in the downtown area, hopefully he's just in some sewer or something."

"Got it," Julie replied. She turned on Cooper's second computer, and started going through the city records Cooper had linked to their surveillance system.

"I'm going to head there and check it out," Gwen said. "Could you send me the street intersection?"

"Looks like Ben is under Roland Boulevard, close to Service Road," Cooper replied.

"Cooper, it doesn't look like there's any sewer lines that run along Roland," Julie cut in. "I still have some more pages to check, but so far, nothing. No electrical, water, gas or sewage. Nothing on that street, or even the streets around it."

"That's odd," Cooper muttered. "There should be at least something there, it's too big of an area to have nothing. Lucky Girl, you'd better wait for some back up before we investigate where exactly Ben is."

"Hurry up, then," Gwen replied. "I don't want to wait around all day."

"I can take your spot at the computer," Maddi offered. "Keep an eye out on the surveillance grid."

"Good idea," Cooper said, standing up from his seat. He held the chair open to Maddi, who took a deep breath from her spot on the couch. With great effort, she stood up on her feet, leaning on the wall as she struggled her way across the living room towards Cooper's seat. After a few minutes of painful gasps punctuating her small steps, she slunk down into the chair.

"Thanks," Maddi told Cooper.

"You're doing much better," Cooper encouraged her. His eyes glowed blue as he telekinetically connected with Morph, who flew towards him, covering his body, and encasing him in his NanoMech armor. Having suited up, Cooper walked to the front door, opening it up and walking through it.

"Let me know if you find anything," Cooper said. "If we don't have to get into a fight, it would be good to avoid one." With that, his suit shifted to produce a jetpack from his back, which ignited, sending him flying into the sky.

"Lucky Girl, I'm about fifteen minutes away from your position."

In New Orleans, Louisiana

"Hey, Charm," Sam called out, earning a curious look from the young witch. "I followed one of our gangsters back to their hangout this afternoon."

"Well what are we waiting for?" She asked. "I'm ready to bash some heads in, and beat your record!"

"Soon as it gets dark, the game is on," Sam reminded her. "It's no fun beating them up if they're not afraid of you." And that was it. To see who could take down the most gangsters the quickest. Inwardly, Sam enjoyed doing good again. But there was more than just that. It was CharmCaster. Helping her to get outside of her self and do some good as well. Anytime he could help keep her away from wherever she lived, she seemed to really appreciate it. Within a short while, it was beginning to be getting dark.

"So where is this hangout of theirs'?" CharmCaster asked. She cast a simple spell, creating a map of the city in front of them.

"Right here," Sam pointed to a section of town. "They're hanging out under a highway overpass. It's pretty open, but they've got obstacles to slow down cops and stuff. Garbage cans, grocery buggies, things like that. Looked like they park their bikes across the far end, so that'll be fun, and we'll have to be sure to tip them over."

"It's my turn to do that this time, and I'm going to blow them up with a fireball," CharmCaster said. "You got to pants them last time."

"Alright, then," Sam relented. "Guess that it's time for us to get started on it. Otherwise, it's going to be too dark by the time we wrap it up." CharmCaster nodded her head, and the spell-created map in front of them disappeared. Sam reached into his pocket, opening up his suit, and feeling it expand over his entire body.

"I don't care how many times I see that," CharmCaster said. "It's still some strange mix of creepy and fascinating."

"And your magic casting isn't?" Sam said, now speaking from inside his helmet.

"Touché," CharmCaster responded. The duo ran off into the night, headed off to trash the gangsters' hangout.

Several hours earlier, PLUMMER HQ

Max strode through the PLUMMER base as he went to report to Alpha. He rather disliked the old man. Everything was a war to him. Even when there wasn't a war going on, he was always looking for anything that could possibly become one. Sure, the tendency had probably kept him alive after all these years, probably helped him rise up to the position of Alpha Agent too, but that didn't mean that Max had to like him. And it certainly didn't mean that he wouldn't hesitate to bend whatever laws he needed to in order to het the job done.

And ever since Vilgax had attacked, Alpha had gotten t by much more imposing and dangerous to cross. Agent 01 wasn't too much better either. Max was just praying that it was good news that he'd been summoned for, rather than the ever-imminent threat that Alpha constantly focused on. Taking a deep breath, Max reached for his badge, using it as a passcode to unlock the door. Stepping through, Max closed the door behind him and saluted to Alpha, waiting for his return salute before dropping his.

"Drop the salute, Agent 10," Alpha commanded him. "You know that I never cared much for that pointless shit."

"Yes sir," Max replied, dropping his salute, and folding his hands behind his back. He waited with quiet anxiety for Alpha to continue. Luckily, it seemed that Alpha shared his feeling of urgency.

"Agent 10, you, so far as I can tell, have had more interactions with the vigilante Ultra 10 than any other agent. Is that correct?" Alpha asked.

"It's simply due to circumstance, sir," Max responded.

"I didn't ask for your opinion!" Alpha snapped angrily.

"Sorry, sir. Yes, it is correct, sir," Max responded.

"Then you are the one who knows him best, is that correct?" Alpha asked again.

"That is correct, sir," Max replied.

"As it turns out, Ultra 10 tried to attack a PLUMMER agent," Alpha continued. "And as a result, we have him locked up in the prison section. I need to know what you know about him. Whether or not he is able to escape, what forms he has, what his team's abilities are."

"He wouldn't try to attack a PLUMMER agent," Max protested. "We-I've worked alongside him for several years. He never once showed any indication that he'd put anyone innocent into any danger."

"I seem to remember a time where he tried to kill the villain Doctor Aloysius Animo," Alpha reminded him. "Even if the PLUMMERs were to attempt to stop him."

"He didn't kill the villain, though," Max protested. "That was done by Alex Lewiston. And even when fighting him, Ultra 10 didn't try to kill him!"

"He is a dangerous liability," Alpha cut him off with a snap in his voice. "His temperament is only half of the equation. I am trying to reestablish order after the Vilgaxian attack. He is popular among the people, and we need to take him out of the picture so that we can do our job."

"You still can't do that," Max protested, earning him a dangerous glance from Alpha.

"My job is to keep Earth safe from aliens and magical threats. As far as I can tell, Ultra 10 is both. And so it is my duty to keep tabs on him. And as soon as we can figure out how to control him, he won't be a threat anymore. I need you to help me with that!" Alpha boomed, dangerous anger in his voice. "If you're not going to help me with that, then I'll have to have you reassigned." That silenced Max.

"I'm sorry, sir," Max apologized. "I allowed my personal feelings get in the way of the job." With that, Alpha's anger subsided slightly. Now it was like a hot stove, rather than a roaring bonfire.

"You are a good agent, perhaps the best we have," Alpha said. "And your knowledge and rapport with Ultra 10 is going to be invaluable moving forward. I need you on my side." Max nodded.

"Go visit Ultra 10, let him know that we'll release him as soon as we can. But that for the time being, we need keep him here until we can establish full control over the planet. We're not going to be able to reestablish the local government authorities if people keep advocating for his brand of vigilantism. You are free to go." With that, Max gave Alpha a quick salute, before opening up the door behind him, and leaving the room.

"Alpha has lost it," Max muttered to himself. "He thinks that what he is doing is what's necessary, but he's quickly becoming a dictator." He continued back towards his own station, where his team was.

"You look troubled, Max," Sarah asked him when she saw her partner. He looked around, not seeing anyone else paying any particular attention to them at the moment.

"Alpha's lost it," he whispered to her. "He has Ultra 10 locked up in the prison cells, and he's trying to figure out a way to control him."

"But he's not a threat," Sarah replied. "He's been an ally ever since we started working together."

"That doesn't matter to Alpha," Max replied. "He sees the Omnitrix, and he wants it. It's that simple."

"So what are you going to do?" Sarah asked. Max took another glance around, to make sure that no one was watching them.

"I think that I'm going to try to break him out," he replied. Sarah nodded.

"You're going to need some help," she offered. "I know some agents who aren't a fan of what Alpha's been doing. They could help us." Max shook his head.

"No time. Alpha gave me permission to visit Ultra 10. If we wait too long, he may decide that I'm having conflicting feelings about doing my assignment," Max explained. "And if he suspects that I'm having conflicting feelings, both Ultra 10 and I will be under stricter supervision. If we're going to break him out, we've got to do it soon." Sarah nodded.

"I'm off duty tonight, so I'm not expected anywhere. That may be our opportunity. At least then I can help you," she said.

"Alright, we'll plan to break him out in two hours. I think that the air ducts would be large enough for the kid to fit through. Pretty straight shot to the surface as well," Max said. "You are going to need to get the deactivator from the security agent on guard duty. That'll let him be able to use his Omnitrix again. I'll deactivate the cameras and security alarms, as well as the air filters."

"I'll do that, and meet you in front of his cell at…" Sarah pushed up her sleeve to look at her wrist watch. "Nineteen-hundred hours."

"Then we've both got a lot to do," Max said. "And I'm glad that I can trust you." With that, the two of them said goodbye, as if they had only been making small talk. Max entered the suit-up room, maligning his way to his personal locker. Opening it up, Max grabbed several of his personal tools, things that he'd need. Shutting the door, he made his way casually to the security console.

"Oh, hey Agent 10!" The security agent greeted him when he saw him enter the small room. "What are you up to?"

"I'm just getting a little restless on break, thought that you guys could use a coffee run," Max lied.

"It is pretty boring running security inside the base," the agent replied.

"I'd go get you folks coffee myself, but these old bones hate going up and down those stairs, you know what I mean?" Max made a show of popping his knees. "I could just stay here and keep an eye on the monitors while you make the run."

"I guess that it wouldn't be a bad idea," Agent S33 admitted. "So long as you don't leave the security room while I'm getting it.

"Nope, I'll stay here the entire time," Max promised. With that, the security agent exited the room, running down the hallway to get the cups of coffee. As soon as the door had closed behind him, Max stood up, pulling out a computer spike from his pocket. He plugged it into the security terminal, watching the menu pop up.

"Now to set it onto replay for the next couple of hours," Max muttered to himself as he typed furiously on the keyboard. After a moment, the computer confirmed that the prison camera was in fact on a replay loop.

"Now to shut off the alarms, and to shut down the air filter," Max muttered to himself. He continued to type furiously until he saw his friend approaching, carting two cups of steaming hot coffee. With a few last clicks, he ensured that the air filter was off, and closed out the menu, just as the agent was struggling on opening the door.

"Let me get that for you," Max offered as he opened the door for the agent, who muttered a thank you as he walked past Max, and sat down in one of the chairs.

"This one's yours," he said, offering one of the steaming cups to Max, who took it with a curt nod.

"Any jailbreaks happen while I was away?" The agent asked, chuckling at his own joke.

"It was just like you said, 'it's pretty boring running security inside the base.' Nothing happens," Max brushed off the question as naturally as if it were a truthful response. The two agents sipped their coffee and talked for a couple of minutes, before Max stood up.

"Well, I'd better be leaving now. I've got to check on my son and daughter-in-law," Max fibbed.

"That's right, I heard about that," Agent S33 replied. "I'm sorry that that happened to your family. You definitely didn't deserve something like that happening to your family." Max thanked him for his concern, and exited the security room. Walking down the hall, he checked his wrist watch, seeing that it was time for their little operation. He turned down the hallway towards the prison hold and saw Sarah standing at the gate, as casually as if nothing were happening.

"What's up, Agent 10?" She said cheerfully as she fell in line beside Max as he walked past her.

"Do you have the deactivator card?" Max asked her, his voice hushed. She nodded in response.

"I went to talk to the guard, and swiped it off of him."

"So is he still there?" Max questioned. Sarah shook her head.

"Nope. I mentioned that his keys were gone, which he started freaking out about. So I told him that I'd stay at his post while he went back to his locker to try to find them," Sarah chuckled.

"Smart," Max commented. "Though we don't have too much time before he realizes they aren't in there."

"Then let's do this," Sarah replied, opening up the door to the prison hold for Max to walk through. Once inside, they found Ultra 10's cell quickly, and Sarah swiped the deactivation card she'd swiped from the security guard, opening up the cell. The ceiling lights turned on, illuminating the dark room.

"Are you back for more threats?" Ultra 10 questioned, as he blinked in the bright lights, his eyes trying to adjust to the sudden change.

"No threats, and no questions," Max deadpanned. "We're getting you out of here." Sarah walked from behind Max to Ultra 10, swiping the deactivator card through the cuff covering the Omnitrix. With a beep, and several lights blinking, the metal cuff loosened and fell to the floor. Ben rubbed his wrist, relieved to have the heavy metal lock off of his arm.

"At least tell me why you're breaking me out?" The kid questioned. Max sighed.

"Sarah, go open up the air vent," he ordered. She nodded, and jogged out of the cell to do as she was told. With that, Max turned back towards the kid. "The man in charge of the PLUMMERs is known as Alpha. I don't even know his real name, but he's been in charge for decades. He's the one who ordered Clive, Agent 01, to lock you up. He wants to find a way to control the Omnitrix, and the person that it's attached to." Max turned around to head out of the cell. Ultra 10 stood up to follow him. They made their way down the hallway towards the air vent.

"So you mean that he wants me to become a PLUMMER or something?" Ultra 10 asked.

"More like eliminate you, and put the Omnitrix on someone he can control, most likely himself," Max corrected. "And that's not what the PLUMMERs were created to accomplish. We're to protect Earth, not control it. So we're getting you out of here." The duo caught up to where Sarah had unbolted the grate, revealing a small duct Ultra 10 could barely fit through.

"It's too small for either of you," Ultra 10 observed.

"The cameras and sensors are off," Max explained. "No one knows that we are helping you escape. We'll be fine fitting back in." The kid nodded, and climbed inside the air duct.

"Follow the duct towards the outside," Max instructed him. "There's a fan towards the entrance that should be turned off. You might need to use your watch to get past it, but it will lead you to the outside." Ultra thanked the two agents, and continued his way down the duct, trying hard not to make too much noise.

"Sarah, let's replace the grate, and get out of here," Max suggested. "It does no good to hang around the scene of a crime." Sarah nodded, and the two of them lifted the grate to fit over the hole. No sooner had they done so, then they heard an alarm go off.

"Sounds like our friend returned to his post and saw that the kid was gone," Sarah surmised.

"Which means that we've got to get out of here!" Max exclaimed. They quickly bolted several bolts into the grate, enough to make it not seem suspicious, and they both took off down the hall, hading in the opposite direction.

"Hands up!" A gruff voice shouted from behind them. "Stop or I'll shoot!" Both Max and Sarah stopped in their tracks, raising their hands above their heads, and turning around to look at the owner of the voice. It was the security guard that pulled the alarm.

"Do you think we can take him?" Max mumbled to Sarah, who shrugged.

The guard was quickly flanked by two additional PLUMMER agents, while two more appeared around behind Max and Sarah.

"I think that it just got a little more complicated," Sarah muttered back to Max.

"By the authority of the PLUMMERs of Earth, I'm putting you both under arrest," one of the agents said in an authoritative voice. He came up behind Max and Sarah, cuffing their hands behind their backs. Several more agents showed up on the scene, including Agent 01.

"Where is the kid?" He demanded of Max and Sarah. Neither of them opened their mouths. "Find him!" He demanded, with several agents hurriedly braking off to search for Ultra 10. Agent 01 walked forward to peer at Max and Sarah in the face.

"Maxwell Tennyson and Sarah Wheels… Agent 10 and Agent 44… Helping a prisoner escape. What am I going to do with you?" Clive tisked.

"You know that Alpha's plans for the Omnitrix goes against everything the PLUMMERs stand for!" Max shouted at Clive.

"Alpha is the leader of the PLUMMERs," Clive spoke back, his voice icy calm. "Whatever he says is in the interest of the PLUMMERs, that is in our interest. And the Omnitrix is in our interest to control."

"Sir?" An agent buzzed over the communicator Clive had on his gauntlet. "We found several bolts missing on an air vent. It's possible that Ultra 10 escaped through there."

"Then send some agents to the outside!" Agent 01 barked into the communicator. "And get agents ready to search the city for him!" He forced his eyes shut, annoyance evident on his face. "These new agents are absolutely useless. They've got no experience, and they're too afraid to make a mistake. Not like you, Max. You were the best." Max glared at Clive in the eyes.

"Which just makes this whole situation that much more difficult to deal with. You're a hero amongst the PLUMMERs. For you to do something so wrong as breaking a prisoner out of confinement," Clive looked over to Sarah, who glared back up at him. "And then to bring your junior partner into the crime as well…" Agent 01 sighed deeply.

"Strip them of their utility belts, gauntlets and badges, and put them into the prison hold," Clive commanded. "We're going to have to do an investigation to see if there's any way that Agent 10 could have been coerced into breaking the kid out. But even if he is guilty, I want him treated as well as one of us!" With that, the PLUMMER agents shoved Max and Sarah towards the prison cells.

"Hold on guys," Maddi's voice spoke from the comm link. "It looks like Ben's suit is on the move!"

"Where is it going?" Cooper spoke into the comm link attached to his armor's gauntlet. Lucky Girl stood beside him in her black leotard, black masquerade mask and purple sash around her hips.

"Umm… Eastward," Maddi said. "And up towards the surface too!" Cooper and Gwen moved eastward, until they came to a large storm drain. Cooper looked down the grate, but couldn't see much though the shadows.

"Lumos," Gwen cast the simple light spell, and a ball of light passed through the metal gate, illuminating the abnormally long way down the grate. In the light, they could see messy brown hair.

"What the?" Ben questioned, before realization dawned on him. "Gwen? Are you up there?"

"I'm here too," Cooper shouted down. Falling to a knee, he hefted the heavy cast iron grate up and out of the way. Ben's head poked out of the manhole.

"A little help out?" He asked, prompting Gwen and Cooper both to help him out.

"So why were you down there in the first place?" Cooper asked. Ben helped him replace the grate over the hole.

"There's some kind of PLUMMER base down there," Ben replied, standing up. "Which reminds me that we've better be getting going. Those PLUMMERs aren't too happy with me being out of there."

"Why not?" Gwen asked.

"Long story," Ben replied. "The short of it is that I could be dangerous to them, so they want to take the Omnitrix for themselves."

"I knew that they couldn't be trusted," Cooper muttered.

"Not all of them are in on it," Ben said. "I don't quite know how it all works out, but Agent 10 and another agent helped me break out of there. So there's obviously some sort of division." To their right, they heard several people running their way.

"Think that's those PLUMMERs?" Gwen asked.

"Let's not stay around to find out," Cooper said. Ben and Gwen nodded. Cooper's suit shifted, forming jetpacks, which ignited, sending him off into the sky. Ben activated his Omnitrix, disappearing in an explosion of green light.

"JetRay!" Ben shouted, and with a flap of his leathery wings, he too shot off into the sky.

"Levitatum," Gwen chanted, the Charm of Telekinesis on her hip glowing as she likewise rose into the sky, zooming off in the direction that Ben and Cooper had just disappeared. "Cooper, we'll follow you to wherever the team is hiding out."

"Copy that," Cooper's voice came through the communicator.

Onboard the Spirit of Resistance

"…He is a dangerous vigilante, and his powers are a danger to Earth! If you do not help us apprehend him, then you are enabling him to endanger Earth!" Alpha angrily shouted through the hologram image projected across the front porthole of the command deck.

"For the last time Alpha," Ultimos repeated. "We are not here to meddle in the affairs of Earth. You asked for our help against a common enemy, and we provided it. We do not want to occupy or police your planet!"

"Then stay off the surface until we find him!" Alpha demanded. "He could take the form of any one of your soldiers at will!"

"My ships still need to make several repairs before we can pull back," Ultimos said. "If I cannot obtain the materials needed lawfully, we will be forced to take them."

"You do that, and you'd be stealing from a Galactic PLUMMERs protected planet," Alpha warned. However, before their argument could go on any longer, an alarm started blaring throughout the command deck.

"Sir, our sensors just picked up a ship headed our way," one of the officers urgently reported. "It could be a counter attack." Ultimos ended the communication with Alpha, instead signaling his two battleships.

"Synaptak, Tini, prepare your ships for engagement immediately," Ultimos commanded. "Time is of the essence!" Just then, the ship came out of FTL speed, already within battle distance.

"My ship is receiving repairs," Synaptak replied. "It may be some time before I can even take off."

"I'm ready for a fight!" Tini shouted. "I'm pulling The Freedom-Fighter into support position beside The Spirit of Resistance!" Out of the front porthole, the Spirit-Breaker open fired on The Freedom-Fighter, pounding it with it's heavy ship cannons.

"Tini! Get your shields up!" Ultimos shouted into the communications console, trying to get a signal into Tini's ship. Unsure if she got his message, Ultimos turned to his command crew. "Unleash everything we've got on the Spirit-Breaker! We've got to knock out those guns! Tini can't take that kind of hitting for long!"

"Our weapons systems are still cycling," Tszardak, the weapons engineer replied. "They aren't able to fire yet."

"Ultimos, my-" Tini's fuzzy voice came through the communications console broken up and choppy. "Auto defense mainframe is dest…Freedom-Fighter is failing…"

"Tini? Please repeat! Do you copy?" Ultimos tried to reach her over the interrupted channel. However, nothing more came over. "Synaptak? Do you copy?"

"You're choppy," Synaptak's voice came back through. "But…hear you."

"How long until you're able to take off?" Ultimos questioned.

"I'm firing the engines…" the response came back broken up. "…To leave Earth's surface." The command deck light up in an amber flash of light as an explosion rocketed the Freedom-Fighter.

"Weapons are cycled, firing on the Spirit-Breaker!" Tszardak announced. All at once, a dozen cannons fired on the Spirit-Breaker, causing some damage, though most of it didn't phase through the kinetic-disruptor shields. Slowly, the cannons onboard the Spirit Breaker realigned to prepare to fire on the Spirit of Resistance.

"Synaptak! If you can hear me, do exactly as I say!" Ultimos shouted at the communications console. "Pull up to the Freedom-Fighter and evacuate the crew! The ship is lost, and we're going to have to save as many lives as we can! I can take Vilgax's firepower for long enough time for you to execute the evacuation."

"…Copy," Synaptak's response came. Finally, Vilgax's ship cannons fired on the Spirit of Resistance, rocketing the ship from the impact.

"Shields at seventy-nine percent and dropping," one of his navigational officers reported.

"Keep firing on his cannons," Ultimos commanded. "The more we can take out, the longer our shields will withstand." Outside the porthole, Ultimos saw The Negotiator rise through Earth's clouds, entering space and cruising up beside the Freedom-Fighter. Although he couldn't see it, Ultimos knew that all of the available crew members were frantically hurrying across the tractor beam bridge, trying to retrieve whatever crew members or other valuable goods the flaming ship held. At this point, the Negotiator's tractor beam was the only thing keeping it from falling down to Earth.

"Shields down to forty percent," the officer reported again.

"Culdahl, input the coordinates of the nearest PLUMMER outpost," Ultimos commanded. "We've got to get the calculations done as soon as possible!" Culdahl nodded, frantically typing away as he entered the coordinates.

"Shields down to twenty-five percent," the officer sounded through the command deck.

"Synaptak! What's the status of the evacuation?" Ultimos tried.

"The crew's been evacuated," Synaptak. "We're trying to move the Freedom-Fighter from falling to Earth."

Drop it the moment you jump," Ultimos ordered. "My shields are gone, and we're pulling out too!"

"Coordinates calculated," Culdahl announced.

"…Affirmative," Synaptak's choppy voice came through. Ultimos saw the Negotiator shoot off, dropping behind bits and pieces of The Freedom-Fighter.

"Shields at five percent!" The officer just about shouted.

"Hit it!" Ultimos shouted. Culdahl pressed a button, and the Spirit of Resistance shot off, away from the Earth, and away from the Spirit-Breaker, leaving nothing but a trail of smoke in their wake.

Vilgax's Command Deck onboard the Spirit-Breaker

"Open all communication channels," Vilgax commanded. "I want my message to be broadcast on every audio and video device!" His crew worked feverishly to do as their lord commanded.

"We've commandeered the radio and television frequencies," one of the crew mates reported. "You are live."

"Citizens of Earth, PLUMMERs, and especially you, Ultra 10…" Vilgax began. "I came to your planet peacefully, to right a wrong done to me. And yet you repay me by firing on my ship, killing my crew, and damaging my property. This is unacceptable behavior. Behavior I shall have to punish!"

"Target selected," another crew member reported.

"As such, I am compelled to display a show of force. I will level a city with my ship cannons. The largest city on the continent. But I am a gracious lord, and will give those pitiful creatures one minute to prepare for their deaths," Vilgax continued.

"Countdown initiated," a third crew member said.

"This could have been avoided. However, capitulate to me, name me as your planet's conquerer, and give me Ultra 10, and I may be willing to forego any further… discipline," Vilgax said the last part with a sneer. "You have my terms. Act wisely."

"Three… Two… One," the third crew mate said, speaking into a microphone. "All cannons fire on the target." Immediately, dozens of cannons fired at once, over and over again on the target, the city stretched between the oval-shaped island and the mainland. Explosions rocketed the city as buildings exploded. Cars blew up and debris filled the air as the laser blasts brutally smashed through concrete, steel, stone and anything else in its path. The laser fire went on for several minutes before Vilgax ordered the cannons to cease. In its wake, New York City was a heaping pile of ash, rubble and carnage.

A/N:

That's where I'm cutting it off for the chapter. Big things are happening this chapter! Ben's running from the PLUMMERs (again), the Galactic Enforcers have had their butts beaten, and Vilgax has just leveled New York City. He came back with a vengeance, simply murdering more than eight million, and sticking the blame squarely on the PLUMMER resistance and Ultra 10. He even told those people just before they died, purely to relish in their terror and panic. Yeah, he's a monster. But a dangerous monster that means business. Any ideas what is going to happen next? Any other comments, ideas or critiques? Leave them in a review, and don't forget to favorite and follow the story while you're at it! Thanks for reading, and have an awesome day!

Review Responses:

Amanny: And here I thought the PLUMMERs were just getting along with Ultra 10... If the team finds out that PLUMMERs have captured Ben, they are going to be really pissed and will no doubt find a way to save him. And if the Galactic Enforcers got the word of Ben being captured, they will definitely come help him. I think the PLUMMERs are wrong and stupid, they refused to believe Ultra 10 and his team can actually help defend Earth, and believe the PLUMMERs themselves can defend Earth and its people. They are not bad people I will say but not good either. Which reminds me I wonder how Max will react at Ben getting captured and treated as a criminal.

Thanks for the review, Amanny! You guys always seem to project something right after I start writing it. Not that I'm complaining, hopefully it means that I'm pacing the story out somewhat well. Just funny how it's consistently the next chapter or so where your projections are either answered or dispelled. Still, I enjoy reading them! So thank you for the review!

Yeah, the PLUMMERs are really botching up the whole situation with Ultra 10. However, Alpha has his reasons to want to control the most powerful weapon in the universe, even if they're stupid reasons. People who shouldn't be trusted have a hard time trusting others, and we can see that clearly in the figure of Alpha. However, to Max's credit, (Sarah's too!) he has a moral compass, and tries his best to follow it. Yeah, he does some really shady stuff from time to time, but he at least tries to do what he thinks to be right. Such as seeing Ultra 10 as the hero he actually is, rather than the threat Alpha sees him as. Hope you enjoyed their little breakout scene.

As for the Galactic Enforcers, your can see their conundrum, (At least, I hope you can.) where they are outside their jurisdiction, and don't want to prompt a secondary war between the Galactic PLUMMERs and the Galactic Enforcers. However, that's not really a problem anymore, as they've been driven off in disgrace by Vilgax's surprise attack.

yraj2004: Does Ben have Clockwork, as then he could initiate the Tetramand trial of combat, then reverse time to get out of the mess.

Thanks for the review! No, Ben does not have ClockWork unlocked yet. However, he knows nothing about his aliens' cultures at this point, meaning that an alien he is up against would have to inform him about the Trial of Combat, in order for Ben to even know about it. However, he's out of PLUMMER custody for the time being, though that didn't make any of it any easier.