A/N: Kept you waiting, huh?
...wait, how are you still here??
Chapter 4:
Complications
As it turns out, the relatively simple date Ben and Natasha planned had subsequently imploded, thanks to the unannounced and completely unexpected arrival of Bobby and Lance, two of their STRIKE teammates garbed in civilian attire.
From the outside, it seemed to be close friends having what seemed to be a double date with a few awkward glances thrown in the mix. In reality, Natasha and Ben were in a precarious situation, as the asset/handler cover they'd built and maintained was seemingly blown, or at least close to it.
"Bobbi!..Lance!", Ben greeted nervously, "you're here..."
"Surprised to see us, Benji", grinned Bobbi, "what am I saying–of course you're surprised to see us!"
"Wait, I thought you were on that...secret mission", said the shapeshifter, his voice lowered to avoid suspicion
"Oh that? No biggie, it practically completed itself. Turns out terrorists aren't so scary when ya blast their hidey hole into smithereens..."
"How did you find us?", asked Natasha, calmly nursing her drink in one hand while internally beating up herself. Even before becoming a Black Widow, being on alert at all times had been drilled into her subconscious since the Academy.
"Funny story–Lance here lost a bet", Bobbi grinned, looking over at the mercenary, "turns out he wasn't as good of a shot as he thought he was"
"I had an off day!"
"Excuses, excuses", Bobbi waved him off absently, "should've thought about bringing your A-game while we're on the job"
"Didn't I have to pull your ass out of the fire right after you jumped in, unarmed–against twenty guys?!"
"Let's not get carried away with the details", the blonde interrupted, tossing the man a wink, "anyways, we agreed the loser has to treat the winner to whatever they want–just so happens I fancied a place nearby"
"And that's why you picked mini-golfing?", queried Ben. While Bobbi was among the few that warmed up to the shapeshifter prior to him joining the team, they'd never really "hung out" as colleagues in the conventional sense. Par for the course for spies of their caliber; personal business remained exactly that, personal.
"Surprised me too", shrugged Lance, "not that it would be the first time I learn something new about her"
"So you followed us", Nat folded her arms coolly.
"Well...", Bobbi trailed off, "let's just say a girl's gotta her secret hobbies...and from the looks of it, I'm no the only one?". The blonde's gaze drifted over to Natasha, while the redhead stewed at the corner of the booth
The shapeshifter threw another glance at Natasha, his supposedly empathic side sensing waves of killing intent in her calm demeanour. If Ben were to wager a guess, the redhead wasn't totally pleased with the interruption and Bobbi's conve were starting to get more invasive.
"Sooo...how long has this been going on?", Bobbi teased, clearly by herself in giddy excitement. Her toothy grin placed Ben in a nervous spell, like a deer caught in headlights. He involuntarily glanced at Natasha, a move not unnoticed by the blonde.
At this point, the shapeshifter would've gladly wished for another alien invasion just to avoid this moment. The only worse than this would be an endless tirade from Nat, or the deadpan glare that was her trademark.
Told you so, Nat wordlessly stared back at the shapeshifter. She remained stoic and reserved on the outside, while her raced internally.
It was bad enough they got caught unawares, but dealing with these two wasn't going to be as easy as anyone else. They were hardened spies after all–albeit a couple as well. She could play her cards right, utilize some subterfuge along with a dose of emotional manipulation. But would Ben be a willing accomplice to her ploy?
"Ehhh...thing is–", Ben weakly attempted an explanation, much to the discomfiture of the redhead. Scratch that idea, she thought, his eyebrow already flickering like a tadpole.
"No wait, don't tell me–", Morse interrupted, her finger held up for emphasis, the blonde's uncanny intuition on full display, "it's been a couple of weeks...months? Possibly before you ever joined the task force?"
"I don't think that's necessary–", Lance offered, trying to reign in the loose verbal canon that was Barbara Morse.
"C'mon, it's pretty obvious with the way they act around each other–especially the Ice Queen herself", Bobbie continued, oblivious to the death glare Natasha leveled at the blonde.
"Hmmm...lemme guess–the ole Handler-and-Asset-secret-romance-play? Is she handling your asset, Tennyson?", Her tone dripped with innuendo.
"That's not–", Ben and Natasha started at the same time, much to the amusement of the other couple. The brunette couldn't get any redder and Nat was at a loss of words.
"Awwww, you kids are so adorable!!", the blonde gushed, clasping her hands together in exaggerated glee. Her eyes widened as she turned to the stuffed animal tucked away at the corner of the booth
"Is that what I think it is?", Bobbi pointed at Nat's plushie, "It's cute...reminds me of Lance here when we first met"
"...actually that's not how we met, Babs", Lance corrected, tossing back some fries offhandedly.
"Pretty sure that's how I remember it...you were absolutely smitten by me at the pier"
"Actually we first hit it off when you were sent to steal intel from me."
"Well, I did make it worth your while, so..."
"Time of my life, really", Lance replied, adding with a sarcastic bite, "but we all know how that story ends, don't we?"
Ben ventured another awkward look at Natasha, feeling trapped in an awkward position. If they tried to leave now it would only raise more suspicions and further cement the ones that already existed. The rumors would fly, and fly fast. In the world of spies, information moved like a wildfire on a dry season.
"So Benji, mind telling us how you landed this one?", Ignoring Lance's objection, Bobbi turned to the shapeshifter with a sly smirk.
"Uhhhh... it's complicated?", Ben's eyes nervously flitted between the two agents beside Nat.
"Oh I know it was, Benji-boy"
"Wait, you knew already?", exclaimed the shapeshifter, eyes widened into saucers, "and you didn't say anything?"
"Hey, don't worry hero", Bobbi replied airily, waving off the shapeshifter, " it's any consolation, I'm pretty sure half the team kinda knew"
"Aw c'mon!"
"Ehhh, some more than others", Lance remarked casually, his posture relaxed as he leaned back, "
"Also, probably reconsider what you two do in the supply closet...", Barbara added offhandedly, "y'know...just saying"
Scandalized, Ben's face went beet red while Nat seemed to squirm slightly in response, the duo sharing the same mortified look between themselves.
"Oh my–naughty naughty", her tone lowered to a hazy murmur as her eyes seemed to interrogate the brunette shapeshifter, "makes a girl wonderwhat else are you hiding, hmmm? Maybe I should see for myself–",
"Morse", the redhead interrupted tersely, momentarily tearing away the blonde's attention, "can I see you for a moment? Outside?"
Natasha's tone had a new edge to it, her arms crossed with an unblinking gaze. Ben felt a chill tingle; he recognized that tone, at it was never something good.
The silence that followed was thick with tension, punctuated by the mechanical clicks of arcade machines and the soft hum of stock music blaring in the background.
"Heh–sure, why not?", Bobbie shrugged lackadaisically, seemingly ignorant of Natasha's glare boring holes into her back.
She promptly shuffled to her feet before turning to address the men at the table, "don't go anywhere boys, we'll be right back!"
"Everything alright?", Lance glanced at Bobbi with a look of concern.
"Nah, it'll be fine", Bobbi glanced at Natasha before turning back to him, "You two have fun, eh?"
Moments later, the redhead and the blonde were out of site. The tension had somewhat dissipated, the conversation entailing Ben and a much more level headed agent in Lance Hunter.
"So...", Lance ventured, leaning back while eyeing the shapeshifter, "Romanov huh? Not bad, kid–not bad at all"
Maybe this wasn't so bad...
"...then again, she could do worse"
Ben dropped his forehead to the table with a dull thud.
...
The rest of his day almost over, Steve shuffled into the cosy confines of his penthouse. Truly, the supersoldier was exhausted, the past few hours were a rollercoaster of emotions. Picking up the scattered fragments of his life proved even more daunting after the brief reunion with a bedridden Peggy Carter.
He felt weightless, adrift like a leaf in the wind...no direction or destination. The brief reunion with Peggy was supposed to bring some sort of closure, some relief–except it didn't. Seeing the love of his life, her mind and body slowly deteriorating only served to accentuate the same feeling of loss that enveloped him when he thawed out.
A soldier out of time...
Maybe he'd even consider joining Sam's veteran counselling sessions. Unlike the others, he was a veteran with nothing to go home to.
Speaking of home, was greeted by an unexpected visitor waiting for him at the door to his apartment. Sharon Carter leaned against the door, in a more casual blouse and jeans, blonde hair no longer bound in her trademark ponytail.
"We need to talk", she said bluntly. Her eyes were focused, with a sense of urgency that
Steve halted in his tracks, staring blankly at the blonde currently in his path.
"You're not supposed to be here"
"I know...", She placed both hands in her pockets, stiff shoulders upturned in agreement as she pushed herself up from reclining against his door.
"So", continued the supersoldier, "is this about work or... something else?"
"It's about you"
"Lemme guess, Fury sent you to watch over me", he retorted sarcastically.
"Not without reason", her voice was lower, softer, seemingly on edge, "after all, you're still a high priority government asset"
Steve stared silently in contemplation of the spy in his parh before heaving a deep sigh, "Look, Agent–it's been a long day, and quite frankly, I just wanna head in..."
"The files...I read some of them"
"What?"
"The Lemurian Star", she clarified, clearly satisfied to have gotten his attention, "Most of the stuff's encrypted, but I caught a few glimpses–paper trails. Specifically of you, at the battle of New York"
He momentarily froze before regaining his composure, taking care to keep his features emotionless.
"You remember don't you? You were turned rogue by Loki, until Stark brought you back"
"What does..."
"After the war, The council got nervous", she interrupted with a flat tone, "top brass wanted to put you back in a freezer. According to them, you were a walking liability–a threat"
Sounded a lot more like they were scared.
"Fury convinced them to keep you active, under heavy surveillance of course"
He ignored the last part as he pressed on, "Wait, you mean Fury went against the council?"
"Wouldn't be the first time", Sharon remarked, her pocketed hands now folded across her chest, regarding the supersoldier with an unreadable expression, "That's why I'm here...to keep you safe. Left up to the powers that be, you'd be thrown into some dark bunker to rot; worse, you'd be under some twisted doctor's scalpel"
She ventured to step closer, "And I don't want that–neither does Fury"
"I find it hard to believe Fury did this from the goodness of his heart", Steve breaching the gap between them, glaring down at the blonde spy. She remained motionless, gazing up at the super soldier.
"Believe it or not, Fury's got the best of intentions...sometimes"
"Sometimes?"
Sharon sighed, seeing nothing but distrust in his gaze She was risking her cover just being out in the open, and clearly they weren't going anywhere with this.
"Look, you don't have to believe me or trust me when I say I want to keep you safe, but I do"
"Because it's your job?"
"Because I actually give a damn", she snapped fervently, "–this isn't about you, it's about Captain America; what you stand for. Because I'm not just the government's Agent 13. Because my Aunt–"
"What?"
"–nothing, just...help me okay? You don't have to trust me if you don't want to, but help me help you"
Before the supersoldier could answer, a soft blare of 1940s music wafted through their ears, emanating from behind the door. At alert, both agents stepped back, throwing each other questioning gazes
"Did...did you leave your stereo on?", Sharon inquired warily.
"I would remember if I did", Steve carefully stepped to the apartment door, deftly unlatching the lock before silently sliding in, Sharon not too far behind. The blonde's sidearm was already unholstered, held low and ready as she followed his lead.
Beneath the cover of the music playing, there seemed to be a presence in the apartment; hushed voices conversing with strained urgency
"Already told you... cough ...I don't have that level of clearance anymore", came a gruff yet familiar voice, made even harsher with the periodic croaks and labored breaths.
"Then who does, Nicholas?", retorted another voice, clearly older and even more grizzled.
As far as Steve knew there were barely a handful of people who even dared to call Fury by his civilian name.
"We both know SHIELD's got the next best thing to worldwide surveillance", the stranger continued, a menacing edge in his tone as he pressed on, "and I know you've been keeping tabs on the kids"
"Can't you... cough. ..save the interrogation for later?"
Interrogation?
His enhanced senses picked up on Fury's labored breaths and the physical. Cap inched even closer, before he threw quizzical glance at the agent behind him. Recognizing his silent question, she shook her head in reply.
Steve narrowed his eyes as his limbs coiled in anticipation, his form poised to go on the offensive. Whatever had Fury hostage in his apartment was in for a rude awakening.
SLAMMM!!!
Without a second thought, the supersoldier burst into the living room, only to be met with a different scene than what his ears had painted.
Fury sat opposite another man, much older in appearance. In contrast to his graying hairs and tropical shirt , an array of weapons and gadgets were holstered on the unusual body armour strapped to his torso, giving him a gung-ho appearance. Whatever tension had left in the room vaporized as Steve stood awkwardly in their midst.
Another moment passed as the music played in the background of pin-drop silence.
"We both know I don't have that much time...", continued the older man, his attention snapping back to Fury, "I need to find them, while you need lay low"
"What, you planning your retirement party or something?"
"At the rate you're going, I'm convinced you're gonna retire before I do, Nick. Or worse"
"Fury...", Steve's combat stance dropped low, his gaze flitting cautiously between the two house invaders, "I don't recall giving you a key"
The Director wasn't alone apparently, Steve could make out another person in the half darkness.
"Don't recall needing one", Fury grunted in response, almost whispering, "was wondering how long it'll take you to show up...",
He lazily turned in Steve's direction, a strain of discomfort in every motion.
"Well, I wasn't expecting anyone...besides my mailman", deadpanned the supersoldier, glaring at the Director.
"You'll have to pardon the intrusion, Captain", the old man interjected, the partial light illuminating his features as he rose to full height, "desperate times...tend to make uncivil men out of us"
Steve's stance finally relaxed as he straightened before turning his attention to the unfamiliar old-timer
"I don't believe we've met?", Steve ventured, brow raised warily.
"I don't believe we have, Captain", the old timer nodded courteously, "Max Tennyson, Ex-Magister of the Plumbers"
Steve's eyes lit up in recognition, "Tennyson? You mean–"
"I believe you're well acquainted with grandson, yes?"
"Director?", Sharon interrupted, holstering her firearm as she made her way past Steve to check on her boss, "Are we secure?"
"I wouldn't be too worried, Miss", the Ex-Magister's eyes drifted across the room. "...already took the bugs in the apartment–only a matter of time before SHIELD figures out this apartment's a little too quiet..."
Sharon's fingers unwittingly drifted to her communicator, her eyes trained on the Plumber. He was an oddity, the casual demeanour of his appearance contrasted with the severity in his eyes.
Steve's suspicions seemed to deepen, "Fury...exactly how much trouble are you in?"
"More than I'm used to", Fury's tone was vitriolic, on edge, "we might have a... situation with SHIELD"
"Wait, SHIELD did this?", Sharon interjected, "are...are we compromised?"
"Can't say for certain", Fury's one good eye hovered over the blonde with distrust before lifting himself gingerly of the sofa
"Who else knows apart from us?", Steve asked slowly
"Just...my friends", the Director subtly eyed the inhabitants of the room.
"Friends is a strong word", Max retorted.
Cap gestured with arms spread, "Is that what we are? All of us?"
"That depends on all of you"
Max interjected, "Whatever this attack was, they're not gonna stop. But we've got to mo–"
BLAM!BLAM!!!BLAM!!!!
The walls erupted in a flurry of gunshots and debris as the walls seemed to spew bullets from the other side. Glass shattered, ceramic shards spewed over the living room in a confetti of chaos.
"Gah!!!!", Fury was unfortunately caught in the crossfire, several projectiles finding their mark in his back and torso. He slumped like a wet sack, as everyone jumped into action under the deafening hail of bullets
"Get down!!!", Max yelled over the assault, pulling Sharon off Fury before diving for the nearest piece of cover.
Without thinking, Steve flung himself over Fury's prone body while more bullets sailed overhead. In the Director's palm lay a USB Drive, managing to gasp his last few words.
"Trust no one"
...
"Well that went well, all things considered...", Bobbi nodded enthusiastically as the two ladies made their way out of earshot. Out there in the cool the evening, the ambience of electronic music and idle chatter gave their moderate cover
Nat remained dangerously silent as she drew to a halt before turning back to face the blonde with an undecipherable look on her visage
"I'd say congratulations are in order?", the blonde continued, unphased as she addressed the superspy, "So, when do I start putting out the wedding china? Pretty sure I–"
"Shut up"
That halted her temporarily.
"Yeesh, touchy!", the blonde joked, hands raised in mock surrender, "if this is about the whole supply closet thing, I promise I didn't see anything...much"
"Is everything a joke to you?",
"Most of the times", shrugged the blonde, hands carelessly tucked into her jeans, "I like to think we're all just part of some cruel cosmic comedy–my therapist seems to think otherwise"
Nat shook her head in disdain, "Did Fury send you?"
"Why would–"
"Did. Fury. Send. You?", the redhead growled each word out, her cold eyes narrowed in suspicion.
"Well, someone's on edge...",replied the blonde, a shadow flitting over her expression as she smirked, "was wondering how long before the Ice Queen lost her cool..."
So that was it, Nat realized. The constant jokes, the teasing, all an elaborate dance to poke and prod at the Black Widow–get her out of her element more than she already was. Classic spy interrogation trick.
Bobbi's expression morphed into a somber grin, "It's really serious, isn't it?"
"Really not in the mood for games, Morse"
"Oh, but you were...minutes ago", she teased lightly in reply before sobering up again, "gotta say, the kid's really softened you up, huh? Never seen you so...relaxed"
Nat bristled in response. Being relaxed was exactly what led her to lower her guard and getting caught unawares by the spy couple.
"Hey, happens to the best of us–just look at yours truly", Bobbi offered, gesturing to herself, much to Nat'a chagrin.
"But it is real, right?", Bobbi said with a knowing look, "you and Tennyson? Not some crazy elaborate cover or seduction plan? I mean, I know you're good, but–"
"So you're curious, is that it?", Nat interjected.
"I was", she nodded in reply, "but seeing you now? I think I already have my answer"
"What are yo-"
"You love him"
That halted Nat in her tracks. That word again. It felt sacred, something out of the reach of her bloodied hands. She was the bloody Black Widow, the Ice Queen according to her peers.
"Spies don't fall in love", Natasha retorted, looking away from the blonde's knowing smirk.
"That's what they tell us", the blonde agent sighed, "what we keep telling ourselves–hell I used to tell myself the same damn thing. But we both know that's not true"
"Isn't it?", countered the redhead, "Not to point fingers, but you and Lance didn't exactly have a happy ever after..."
"Hmmm...helluva low blow, Red", the blonde agent smirked, Natasha replying with a smirk of her own before Bobbi's expression sobered up a little.
A moment of contemplation passed before Bobbi continued, "I think it happened 'cuz we both never wanted to settle down in the first place...guess we just got into the moment
Bobbi gave a small, sad smile before continuing, "But you're different. I know deep down you want that kind of life. Both of you"
Nat couldn't help the sigh that escaped her lips, a complex wave of emotions washing over the redhead. What exactly did she want with Ben? A real relationship was a start, then what? Settling down? Marriage?
"It is what you want, right?", Bobbi peered inquisitively, seemingly sensing the superspy's hesitation
"I don't know", came her weary reply. Right now, Natasha Romanov stood at a crossroads, overlooking the foreboding abyss below. Beyond that, was nothing.
For the first time, she could see nothing ahead.
...
"Gotta say though, I think you're in outta your head kid"
"Story of my life", Ben sighed, already missing the witty repartee of Barbara Morse. One thing Ben had learned about Hunter was just how brutally honest he could be, despite his spy nature. While the shapeshifter had warmed up to him, Lance's pragmatic side was by far, Ben's least favorite aspect of the ex-merc.
"I mean it", Hunter continued, "this whole relationship thing you got going on? Hate to break it to you, but it's probably not gonna last long"
"Lemme guess–she's outta my league..", the shapeshifter replied sarcastically
"Well, there's that", Hunter scratched his chin, "but also cuz she's your handler. More importantly, a spy. Best of the best. World class. No offense kid, you're good too...but she could pull your strings and you'd dance without even knowing"
"Geee–thanks for the vote of confidence, Hunter", Ben said dryly.
"Wouldn't say it if it weren't true; that's my motto", shrugged the ex-mercenary, "Trust me kid, I know her type"
"Do you now?", Ben folded his arms defensively, brow raised in objection.
"I know cuz I was married to one–emphasis on was", Hunter reminded him, regarding the shapeshifter with a critical eye.
"She's not the one to settle down, play house and all that romance crap. Spies don't fall in love, because the moment they do, they become vulnerable. Compromised"
"What does that even mean?"
"Means they lose their edge", Lance tossed the empty smoothie cup into the trash nearby," In our line of work, that's a basically a death sentence"
Ben stiffened in response, "Nat's different"
Lance shook his head sardonically, "Just don't want you to get burned, that's all. Same thing happened with me and Bobby. We tried to settle, leave the spy life. Turns out she's not the same when not peering down a barrel or into a microscope. And that's before I figured out she'd been keeping more secrets from me"
"But that's the difference, I'm not a spy", the shapeshifter pointed. Nat was indeed a tangled ball of secrets, but he wasn't one to jump to conclusions.
They'd made some progress, or so he believed. Even after all this time together with Natasha, Ben couldn't shake off the nagging doubts that squirmed at the back of his mind.
What if it were all in his head? How long before the curtains of illusion fell?
"Exactly. You're her asset. A civilian. Maybe not a normal civilian, but a civilian nonetheless. Wanna know how relationships between spies and assets go? There isn't one. It's just one person lying to the other, and the other lying to themselves"
"I wouldn't be so quick to judge, Hunter" Ben folded his arms, cheeks burning while the agent merely grunted.
"Do you even know half of what Romanov's capable of?", Lance's voice grated low and ominous, "trust me, not even her files cover everything. She's the Black Widow, she can manipulate the President to start a nuclear war if she wanted. You're not the first to get snared in her honeypot...maybe not the last"
Ben's lips formed a hard line, "Maybe I know about her more than you think"
"Then you deep down, you know I'm right", Lance smirked in reply, opting to switch the topic seeing how tense the shapeshifter had become, "You learn that living with the demonic hell beast that is Barbara Morse"
"Well, that's one way to talk about you're ex–aren't you still dating though?", queried the Omnitrix Wielder.
"It's...kinda complicated", the ex-mercenary admitted with a weary sigh, "probably heard that a thousand times, but that's the spy life for ya"
"But you're always so..."
"Together?", Hunter offered before shrugging, "yeah, I suppose we are–just not in love or whatever you call it"
"But still, there's gotta be some feelings–"
"Gotta stop ya right there kid", the ex-mercenary raised a finger for emphasis,"whatever you think we have, it's not the lovey-dovey, Disney fairytale shtick you're thinking. One of the perks of a spy relationship–it's no strings attached"
Lance's words carried the weight of finality, "Sure it's fine for now, great even. But there's no happily ever after"
The next few moments left Ben muted, the soft hum of electric music filling the contemplative silence left in the wake of Lance's bomb dropped. The shapeshifter glanced at the exit where Nat and Bobbi had left through, the ex-mercenary's comments stewing in his head.
"You okay?",
"Yeah...I gotta step out for now", Ben waved him off, before making his way through the facility till the open air hit his face. He blew out a soft breath, trying to shake away the intrusive thoughts that tore at him from his recent discussion.
Ben trusted her, no argument about that. What he didn't trust was the spy life. It left people jaded, burned out, hung to dry. Nat was every bit entrenched in it as Bobbi or Lance–not to mention how much of her came as a product of it.
Regardless of how he felt about it, the shadow of the spy life would always loom above him and Nat. What would happen if she was forced to choose between him and the life she'd given everything to?
He shuddered at the thought, another sigh escaping his lips. There was some cruel irony in both of his relationships, either involving a choice between both partners. Poor Julie...
BEEEEEP
Ben's introspection was short as the Omnitrix chimed loudly, drawing it's wielder's attention.
"Ben? Ya there?! ", Magister Patelliday's visage popped up, the Pisciss Volann Plumber's expression seemingly on edge, at least more than usual
"Magister Patelliday?"
"Oh thanks heavens, boy!", Replied the Plumber, "we got a situation over at Headquarters! Ya gotta come quick!"
"Wait–what situation? What's going on?"
"Oh it's all terrible, ah tell ya! Oh the inhumanity! They're here!"
Ben's instincts went on alert. Patelliday could be quirky at times, his over-the-top reactions a tad comical, but it took a lot to shake the veteran Pisciss Volann.
"Patelliday?", Ben queried, "Who's here?"
"The Rooters! They're tearin' up the damn place", Replied the bespectacled alien, eyes nearly bulging from their sockets, "and they're looking for yer Grandpa!"
...
"Well, this is a mess", Coulson whistle, whipping his sunglasses off as be gazed at the scene of carnage that was previously the apartment of Steve Rogers.
"Agent Coulson, sir", Sharon spoke up, barely worse for wear.
"Suppose you could explain why it looks like a truck ran into the apartment?"
"There...was an ambush", sighed the blonde, warily gazing around as more paramedics filed in, the others their best trying to contain the situation
"Hydra?"
"Unsure", Sharon replied, turning to see the paramedics hoisting their new patient off the stretcher into the cold steel confines of their unlabeled ambulance, the dark exterior providing extra cover under the moonlight.
"Glad to see you're holding up okay", Coulson's features softened as he turned to the blonde, "wish I could say the same about the Director"
The older man cursed under his breath, completely out of character for the uptight, soft spoken man, but fitting in times like these.
While he was slaving away under Hill's orders, they were getting picked apart slowly, by an enemy they didn't even know
"Sir, we lost the assailant...and Max Tennyson", Sharon added
The Agent's brow rose an inch. Curious
"Any idea what Max Tennyson was doing in Rogers' apartment?"
The blonde agent was stumped. Sure she'd gleaned a little bit from the conversations, but putting the pieces together was near impossible.
"This day just keeps getting better", Coulson sighed, clutching his forehead in frustration. Try as he may, Phil Coulson couldn't shake the guilt that seemingly wore him down as he watched his boss on a gourney, fighting for his life.
What exactly was Max up to?
"Cap couldn't get an ID on our guy, apparently he was wearing a mask"
"So pretty much nothing then?"
"Possibly–but get this, the shooter also had a metal arm"
Phil perked up, intrigued. There weren't that many known terrorists or assassin's with metal arms. Not many that Captain America himself would call "fast"
"Ballistics?"
"Three slugs...completely untraceable", Sharon replied, "possibly Soviet made, we might need–"
"Anyone seen Romanov?"
"Surveillance shows her leaving with Tennyson in his car", the blonde flip
"Where to?"
"Bellwood"
...
"They're saying Max went rogue?"
Nat could feel Ben's apprehension fill the car as they drove Plumber's HQ. Furrowed brows, pursed lips and a nervous glint in his eyes. Ben carries himself with a laid-back attitude, yet every nerve on him seemed rigid, at alert.
"Apparently", Ben grunted, eyes glued to the road, "but I'm guessing it's got something to do with our new friends in black"
"Well, I suppose there goes our plans for the evening..."
Ben responded with a dry grunt, eyes still glued to the road. No quips, no snarky comments, nothing. The spy in her could easily read his emotions, the anxiety roiling of his posture despite his attempts at a calm facade.
The inamorata in her felt concern for the shapeshifter as her eyes traced over his form, glancing over the Omnitrix latched unto his arm before her gaze rested on Ben's face. The usual boyish roundness that defined his features had become a more defined, angular. His large mop of hair had filled out, spilling below his neck in clustered curls of brown.
"So what does this rank on the Tennyson scale?", she half joked, her attempt to quell his agitation with humor.
Her efforts were rewarded with a deflated sigh from Ben as he scoffed in reply.
"Can't say for now", he shrugged, "...who knows, maybe it's nothing"
"We both know that's a lie, Ben", she deadpanned, the shapeshifter recoiling in response
"What makes you say that?"
"Your right eyebrow begs to differ", she remarked, finally eliciting a soft chuckle from the previously tense shapeshifter. Another moment passed as Natasha evaluated his state of mind again.
"Ben?"
Dredged from his murky thoughts, he finally noticed Natasha's concerned gaze. Softly, she traced her hand along his shoulder before clutching his arm gently.
"What?"
"It'll be fine, okay?", She whispered in reassurance, her words warm and feather-light, "We'll figure it out, together"
Together
He managed a tight grin in response, frustration abated by the redhead's warm gesture. His mind was still on overdrive, even as the car sailed past yet another red light, much to the redhead's chagrin
Grandpa Max wouldn't go AWOL unless there was something big on the horizon. The sooner they got to Plumber's HQ, the sooner everything could be sorted.
Everything else seemed to be unravelling slowly, first the date then the untimely arrival of Bobbi and Lance. The spy in her was squirming at the thought, the feeling that they were heading down an ominous rabbit hole.
Ben's gaze flickered over the spy once more before returning back to the road.
...
The scene that greeted Ben and Nat as they stepped into the Plumbers'facility was that of civil unrest. It seemed a reoccurring theme for the Plumber's HQ to be a hive of activity, there was an underlying tension to the chaos, like holding a match next to a powderkeg.
A domestic feud between the Plumbers staff and the newly arrived Rooters caused a stir within the facility as the men in black began to take control of the facility, which clearly did not sit well with many a staff of the Plumbers. Unable to voice their concerns, they could only react with subdued hostility as their stations were being annexed.
A sense of Deja Vu swept over Ben as he watched yet another tense standoff. The Rooters seemed to ruffle more than a few feathers everywhere they went.
"Hey, watch it!", bellowed one of the Plumbers as they were accosted by one of the Rooters garbed in black before getting shoved out of the way brusquely.
The Caucasian Plumber was familiar to Ben, his red-hued uniform a clear giveaway to his rank and position as a member of Alpha Squad. The same squad that met their end at the Battle of New York, and whose collective demise was laid at Ben's door.
"Hey! What the hell's going on!", Ben didn't need to be told once to intervene, promptly putting himself in between the two.
"Step aside, Tennyson", ordered the Rooter, "we have this under control,this facility is under Rooter management and we have orders to utilize all resources available for our mission"
His mask glowed red menacingly, no doubt trying to intimidate the Omnitrix Wielder. Fat chance, he'd dealt with worse
"And what mission would that be?", asked the Alpha Squad member.
"Lemme guess–its classified?", Ben queried, opting to stand his ground, facing the harsh glare of furnace-head. In that moment, Ben just wanted to rip off the stupid helmet, disregard the intense levels of radiation beneath.
"More like it's above your pay grade, junior", came a darkened grunt from behind the shapeshifter. Ben turned to see none other than Phil Billings himself, in all his rugged glory. The man towered over him, a mountain of muscle that seems to eclipse the shapeshifter
"Phil Billings", Ben growled, glaring up at the Rooter, "no surprise I'd find you here"
"I'd say it was nice to see you again, junior, but we both know that's a lie", Phil's tone had an edge to it, no doubt dredging up the sordid details of their collective pasts in his mind.
"Well, lying sounds right about your alley", Ben retorted, his arms folded abruptly, "finally drop out of scamming hotel owners, didya? Or did you also lie on your Rooters resume?"
"Still the same cocky little shit, I see", Phil chuckled, a low rumble underneath his breath before continuing, "can't say I'm surprised... you've learned nothing since the last time"
"I learned that the Null Void keeps scumbags in, not letting them out"
"Does that include ole Maxie himself? What about your pal, Levin?"
By this time, their little standoff had become the focus of the tension as all nearby activities halted, all eyes on them
Ben gritted his teeth in response, his frustration bubbling to the surface once again, "Cut the crap, Phil–what the hell are the Rooters want here?"
"Same thing everyone does–clean up all your messes", the older man jeered while the shapeshifter frowned, "heard about the incident at Undertown, back in Bellwood. Still slinging that thing without a care in the world, huh?" Phil gestured to the Omnitrix.
There was a sharp intake of breath from the shapeshifter, Ben's hand subconsciously drifted to the device in question. Undertown was always a sore spot for him, one out of many that put a large dent on his conscience. One that Phil somehow, conveniently knew how to exploit.
Natasha could see his muscles tense again, the shapeshifter frozen in place with a dark stare etched on his visage. Many a time, she'd wake up to Ben whispering to himself in the dead of night, his voice hollow and broken.
"It's all my fault...", He'd whisper as she'd cradle him in silence. She well understood the trauma behind it all, having the lives of many weighing heavy on your conscience. They'd hold each other through the night, her presence keeping the horrors at bay
Snapping back to reality, her eyes narrowed dangerously at Phil as he stepped closer, breaching the distance between him and Ben.
"Looks like you brought company", the Rooter continued, throwing a curt glance at Natasha,"I'm surprised you don't come with a leash too–then again, she probably doesn't need one for you"
Ben looked about 5 seconds before slugging the larger man across his face, his left eye row twitching alongside his fist. Natasha moved to intervene before a shrill voice overhead broke the tension and grabbed their attention.
"Now just a lick-peddlin' minute, Mista high flootin'!"
"Magister Patelliday?", Ben whipped his head around, along with Nat, who did a double take.
The Magister was tall and lanky, his pale skin crawling with scales, with an unnaturally large maw that jutted out like a piranha. Aside from the usual Plumber garb, Patelliday wore spectacles atop his snout, his dull purple eyes peering through the thick lenses comically.
"None of your concern, fish-sticks"
"Ah'll be the judge of that, Mistah Billings", retorted the Pisciss Volann, his posture slanted as he assumed an air of authority, "as the second in command, and in the absence of the first, ah'm in charge of all personnel around here–'specially the Tennysons"
"Seems you forgot, you don't give the orders around here anymore, Magister", Phil bit back, the last word laced with venom, giving it a mocking bite rather than a recognition of office
"Well, last ah checked, neither do you", It was the Magister's turn to glare at the Rooter, matching his height and gaze, "Tennyson's with me; and if you gotta a problem with it–take it up with yer boss "
Phil grunted, his gaze flitting between the two before reluctantly taking a step back, all eyes glued to him. The Rooter gave a disgruntled huff, these mooks were hardly worth his time. The Rooters had much bigger fish to fry after all.
"Whatever, just keep your boy and his lady friend out of our way", he sneered as before turning to the redhead, "Don't get lost, sweetheart"
Her eyebrow quirked in response as she watched the Rooter slink away, "Try not trip on your beard, Krampus"
Phil's derisive growl as he brushed his way past the Plumber agents was followed by Ben's barely suppressed snicker.
Unlike Tennyson, something about the Black Widow unnerved the Rooter. He hated those pretentious pricks at SHIELD, and the redhead was no different. Yet in the midst of his verbal spat with Ben, he could sense the raw, visceral killing intent coming from the redhead, buried beneath her calm demeanour.
Who knows, maybe he'd finally get to see a Black Widow in action.
"C'mon you two... chop,chop!", Patelliday urged as he commandeered the duo, ushering them deeper into the complex with no time to spare. As they made their way through the twisting labyrinth of metallic alien halls, the second in command did his best to brief the duo on the situation.
Nat found Patelliday a little quirky, perhaps eccentric due to his over-the-top southern accent, but also surprisingly amiable yet adept as a Plumber official. At the very least she'd take the walking fish man over Rumlow or Jack any day.
"Quite a situation we got here", said the Magister, "first the Null Void projector just went uppity, then the Rooters hijacked the doggone place–pretty much turned everything inside out, something about security measures or somethin'"
"I think I'm sensing a pattern here", Ben turned to Nat, the redhead nodding in agreement. From the incident at the boat, it would seem the Rooters always appeared with a specific goal in mind.
"But why would Grandpa Max just leave? Without telling anyone?", Ben continued.
"Better question–how did he even get past security?",Nat thought out loud, turning to the Pisciss Volann, "last I checked the Plumbers complex wasn't so...complex"
"Perks of a lotta renovation, darlin'–", Patelliday remarked, his webbed fingers clawing his chin in contemplation, "as fer ya Grandpa, surveillance cams got him using the maintenance hatch a couple-o'-hours ago–just after the Rooters showed up"
The shapeshifter was beyond bewildered. Nothing about this case looked, or felt normal. Deeper they went, encountering fewer and fewer personnel as they pressed on.
Nat's eyes darted around warily, while Ben was still gleaning information from the Magister. The eerie feeling that accompanied the alien headquarters had the redhead feeling like Alice, going deeper and deeper into the rabbit hole.
"...as fer why, I'm guessing that Cerebrocrustacean fella got to 'im", Patelliday continued as he led the duo across the elevated platforms of the Hangar, that served as the storage artificial heart of Operations.
The Satellite Hub stood in the center, housing the central Operation Room that served as the new Monitoring station. Previously occupied by Intelligence staff, the now evacuated room's gargantuan doors slid open with a mechanical hiss.
"What in tarnation–", Patelliday's spectacles fell off his snout.
In the center of the facility stood the familiar visage of Servantis, hands clasped behind his back, surrounded by multiple holographic monitors displaying numerous feeds and readings.
"For the last time, we're working as fast as we can!", came the familiar grating voice of Driba, one half of the Galvan duo. Perched atop the monitors, the two were engaged in combing through the systems, seemingly at the behest of the Head Rooter
"Speak for yourself", grunted Blukic, "I've been working twice as hard!"
"Just get on with it!", Servantis snapped, tiny sparks dancing around his cranium, much to the discomfiture of the Galvan duo. For a second, Servantis' face darkened with a feral glare before his mask of civility slipped back on as be turned to see Ben and Nat make their entrance
"Ahhh, our guests have arrived", Servantis greeted, his tone dripping smug satisfaction, "I told you I'd be seeing you soon, Tennyson"
"Loving what you've done with the place–", Ben quipped, stuffing his hands in the pockets of his flak jacket dismissively, "only missing is a dictator chair"
"Technically that would be quite impractical", Driba corrected, finger raised for emphasis.
"And accurate, when ya think about it", Blukic grumbled, his bulbous throwing Servantis the dirtiest look Ben imagined only Galvan could make.
"So, the prodigal son returns", the Proctor ignored the Galvan duo as he eyed Natasha warily, "I'm guessing this isn't a casual visit"
"Yeah well you guessed it. So how about you cut the crap and tell us what's your play?"
Servantis smirked, "Oh? What do you mean?"
"You show up out of nowhere and suddenly Max is missing? And you reported him rogue", Nat interjected, "What's your angle here?
"Oh, but there's no angle Miss Romanov", the Proctor's hands smirked, slowly stalking towards the duo, "You see, Maxwell went rouge because he's hiding something, something that belongs to me"
Ben folded his arms, "Yeah, well from what I've seen, I'm willing to be that he's got a pretty good reason"
Servantis chuckled darkly,"Ahh you Tennysons...thinking that you're the hero of your own stories, always meddling where you don't belong"
"Yeah, kinda runs in the family...", Ben remarked facetiously
"Oh I can tell, judging by that watch on your arm", Servantis watched the shape shifter's hand flinch towards the Omnitrix
"But enough about you", the Proctor continued, "what we're really after is Kevin Levin"
Ben's eyes narrowed dangerously, alarm bells blaring in his head. To his knowledge, Kevin was rarely sought after–by well meaning folk.
"You wouldn't happen to know where he is now, would you?"
"Careful Ben", Patelliday warned, "he's gonna–"
Fzzzztttttt
Wild sparks of red lightning arched from Servantis' cranium, zapping the second in command into unconsciousness. The Pisciss Volann collapsed in a heap, steam wafting off his plumber armor.
"Patelliday!"
Blukic shuddered, "Aw, nuggets"
"Oh don't worry, he's fine...and it seems Max was keeping tabs on Kevin as well ", Servantis remarked before turning to Ben, "shame, I was hoping to...extract that information from you"
"Open up and I'll show you, crab puff", Ben growled, his hand hovering over the Omnitrix. Servantis spared the shapeshifter a momentary glance before pacing across the room, much to everyone else's consternation.
"You see, Mr Tennyson, I always believe that in every being in the universe, regardless of who they are, lies both a man and a monster. Order and chaos. Truth and lies. The eternal struggle behind one's reason and the deep dark recesses or primal desire..."
Nat's hand subtly drifted to the back of her jacket, gliding over her concealed firearm. Good ol'spy instincts; always be equipped in any situation, even on a date.
"So look at yourself and tell me; who's really in control?", Servantis stated, he stopped right in front of Ben as their eyes met once again. Verdant orbs amidst the crimson sea.
"Man or monster?"
Ben wasted no time lashing out with a right hook, intent on knocking off that sickening grin on the Proctor's face. Servantis was prepared, calmly sidestepping the punch before grabbing the offending arm, twisting it around in one smooth motion. In a blink, Ben was under a standing arm lock submission hold, his Omnitrix arm held tightly within Servantis grasp while the rest of his body was bent outwards at an obtuse angle.
"Tsk-tsk-tsk...bold but predictable", Servantis remarked, seemingly almost disappointed, like a parent reprimanding a child, "did you forget Cerebrocrustaceans can read minds?"
"Hey–what are you..."
"As you can see, Agent Romanov, Plumbers HQ is on lockdown...", Servantis turned to Ben, "and I'm taking you in until further notice"
"No one's taking anyone anywhere", Nat's pistol clicked loudly, her eyes flashing dangerously as she took aim at Servantis. "Let him go!"
The Proctor's eyes widened, the air crackling with a low hum as arcs of crimson lightning ran across his cranium," Ohhh, she's quite the specimen, isn't she?"
Without warning, Phil sprang from behind the superspy, grabbing Nat from behind. His form dilated, shifting into that of his monstrous Terroranchula form with a burst of energy. Her gun clattered uselessly aside, leaving the redhead struggling against his superhuman grip
"What's the matter, sweetheart?", gloated Phil, his massive maw revealing a line of tanned teeth, "you lost? Don't worry, I'll take real good care of you"
"Nat!", Ben protested before turning to Servantis, "this is between me and you!"
"Don't fool yourself Tennyson, this is bigger than either of us", Servantis nodded to the other Rooter, "Besides, she's more valuable as a bargaining chip–to ensure your cooperation and just in case we need to apply a little... pressure"
"Gah!!!", A jolt of pain shot up Ben's arm as Servantis twisted further. The submission hold was precise, cutting off Ben's access to the Omnitrix with his other arm.
Nat's spy senses kicked into overdrive, the redhead's legs shooting forwards before swinging them laterally against the sides of Phil's knees, the simultaneous pop causing him to buckle in surprise. One of the many tools available in the assassin's handbook–she took a tiny bit of satisfaction in the fact that a pressure point strike to the ligaments could work on an enhanced alien hybrid just as well as a regular man.
Without pausing, she slammed the back of her head hard into the soft his nose, drawing first blood as Phil screeched in surprise, his grip slackened as he reared back in agony.
She kicked off with her momentum, shooting herself out of the distracted Rooter's grip, landing in a crouched three pointed stance. Without missing a step, the redhead sprang into action, making a beeline for the two.
"Nat, wait!–", Ben yelled, Servantis' cranium charging with red lightning.
Danger!
She ducked under a blast of electricity, swerving to avoid the next and flipping over the third, her movements faster than Servantis could anticipate. The Proctor wasn't so easily impressed, very few people could dodge pure lightning at such a close distance.
Going on the offensive, she whipped out a throwing knife from under her sleeves and sent the weapon hurtling through the air at whistle speed, aimed squarely for the Proctor's forehead.
Already anticipating the attack, Servantis leaned out of the way, deftly dodging the projectile with relative ease. But Nat was already on the move, her distraction sufficient enough for Servantis to loosen his grip, allowing her to tackle Ben out of harm's way. The duo tumbled together, Ben ending up underneath the redhead as she straddled his prone form.
"Woah, she's even cooler than I remember!", Driba exclaimed
"Shut up and keep your voice down!", Blukic hushed, the Galvan technicians having taken up hiding beneath the consoles, their miniature size proving effective for their cover.
"You okay?", Ben and Nat asked each other at the same time. Yet another uncanny feeling of déjà vu rang at the back of the shapeshifter's mind.
"Not gonna lie, that was hella hot", The shapeshifter offered a weak smile, the redhead rolling her eyes in response before pulling the shapeshifter to his feet.
"...wait, did you bring knives to our date?", Ben queried
"Really? Now?"
"I thought you left your guns in my car!"
"Good thing I carry two...and you're easy to get by", she quipped, before turning as a loud screech interrupted their conversation.
"That's it", Phil growled as he wiped his bloodied face, his unnatural grin widening with malice, "I'm gonna tear that bitch apart"
"I'm kicking his ass first", Ben sprang to his feet, dialing up the Omnitrix before activating the device in a blast of verdant light.
"Alright! Who's first?!", Ben roared in his Tetramand form, slamming both pairs of fists against his open palms.
The combined lightning discharge of Servantis and Phil's Terroranchula form danced across the room, causing electronics in the room to go haywire.
"Ben...", Nat turned to the shapeshifter, both nodding in agreement. The redhead promptly swerved right, finding cover behind his back, allowing Ben to go all out. Fourarms reared back before bringing his palms together in a crash of seismic applause.
BOOOOMM!!!!
The wave of compressed air sent the Rooters flying backwards, disoriented, giving Nat the opportunity to pop out of cover with a volley of well placed shots. Attempting to retaliate, Phil drove both his fists into the ground, electrocuting everything in his vicinity.
"Nat!", Ben yelled with an outstretched hand. Taking the hint, the redhead leapt into his opened palm before running across his arm, allowing him to safely deposit her on his back.
With Nat clinging on his back, Ben launched himself into the Terroranchula, sending him reeling with a double uppercut. The grunt attempted to charge the Tetramand, only for the red giant to tackle the beast, diving for it's legs while Nat leapt above, peppering the Rooter's face with a barrage of shots from her Widow's bites.
Servantis seethed in as he pressed his attack, sending blast after blast to throw the of balance.
BLAMM!BLAM!BLAM!!
The redhead raised her arms, firing off more cover shots, the Proctor forced to go on the defensive as he erected a barrier of energy using his electrokinesis. His frustration only grew as the fight progressed, Nat and Ben collaborating in a strange dance of brawn and tactics.
Time seemed to slow for him as he studied the duo. They were practiced, in synch. Two halves of a single whole, two actors in a single performance.
The Rooters found themselves unable to keep up, pushed back by the duo's teamwork. Phil grunted under a barrage of fire, Natasha ensuring to mix in explosive rounds that showered his face in molten shrapnel. Frustrated, the berserker growled, crackles of lightning singeing the air around him as Phil cloaked himself in lightning and charged straight for the redhead, her bullets bouncing uselessly of his shield.
WHAMMM!!! Like a bull in a china shop, Ben dove in at the last second, intercepting the Terroranchula's charge with his own.
The two bruisers slammed into each other in a melee of might and muscle, the raw power of their collision sending a shockwave that rocked the foundations of the facility. Both Servantis and Natasha were thrown off balance from the sheer force of the wave, both recovering just as quickly with Servantis' brow quirking with intrigue as he observed the clash.
Phil's grin split his face as multiple of lightning coursed through his body, enveloping both of them as they fought for dominance. Around them, electronics began to sizzle and spark, the tingle of raw lightning wreaking havoc on their sensitive circuitory.
"Awww, not the Smoothie-Locator 3000!", Driba lamented, "we worked hard on that!"
Blukic gave his partner a quizzical look, "...you mean I worked hard on that"
"Fun fact, kiddo", the Terroranchula's grin gree conceited, his voice distorted amongst the din of electric noise.
"Tetramands don't do so well against lightning"
Ben's eyes widened.
FZATTTTTTT!!!!!
"Grahhhh!!!!!"
"Ben!!", Nat shielded her eyes from the display, unable to intervene without risking harm to herself.
The shapeshifter gritted his teeth as he stood his ground, trying to keep them from shuddering as energy coursed through his nervous system. Taking a page from Natasha's book, Ben dug his heels in, mustering enough momentum to twist out of Phil's monstrous grip and sweep the Rooter off balance.
Ben spun on his heels, hauling the massive Terroranchula in a cyclone of furious red. After generating enough centrifugal force from the spin, he let Phil loose, sending the Terroranchula hybrid flying straight at Servantis like a runaway freight train.
CRASSSHHHHHHH!!!!!!!
Sure enough, the Proctor had ducked at the last moment, his precognitive abilities proving useful for his defensive capabilities. Phil crashed headlong into the facilities wall in a mess of wiring and debris, short-circuiting himself in the process.
The resulting reaction was a seizure of fireworks and lightning as the energy feedback galvanized the Rooter into a mess: steam billowing off his body as he collapsed into the ground, his clothes in tatters as he reverted back to human
"Hmmm, looks like I underestimated your... efficiency", Servantis seethed as he glanced at the wreckage left in the wake of the devastating knockout.
"Won't be the first time", Nat cocked her head held up her Widow's bites, while Ben cracked his knuckles confidently with a shit-eating grin on his face
Servantis remained seemingly indifferent, his visage a chiseled mask of cold collectedness. Dusting off the nonexistent dirt on his Uniform, he straightened, his hands clasped together once again behind his back as his crimson eyes remained fixed on Tennyson.
"You know you're only making things worse for everyone else...not just yourself"
Ben frowned, unnerved by Servantis' apparent ataraxy, "I'm doing fine on my own, thank you very much"
"Shame the same can't be said about the denizens of Undertown...or Alpha Squad", the Proctor's tone had a sharp edge to it, causing the shapeshifter to fall silent, "you never consider it, do you? The repercussions of your actions? How everyone else suffers for you and your mishaps?"
Nat frowned. She could see in Ben's clenched fists that Servantis' words struck a tense chord in the shapeshifter; and it seemed to be a reoccurring theme. She wanted to reach out, comfort him; but reminded herself that the threat was still present. What was he playing at?
"Did it ever occur to you? Every time you dial that device for the sake of your so called heroics? I wonder, is it the man...or the monster behind the watch?"
Mechanical sirens blared through the halls as a drawing the attention of the duo, the very walls reverberating with a buzz of mechanical clicks.
"Warning! Warning! Intruders located within the premises!", came the automated voice of the PA speaker
"That's...not good", Ben and Nat shared a look, trepidation in both pairs of eyes before settling on the Proctor.
"Ahhh, that would be the rest of the Calvary", Servantis' self assured smirk returned, "Unlike you, I don't take half measures or vain theatrics when dealing with threats–and I take threats to the Plumbers very seriously..."
"What did you do?" Nat yelled as she took aim at the Proctor, her instincts flooded with urgency as the alarms blared.
"Oh please, don't bother with the interrogation Agent Romanov", Servantis dismissed, " we both know you're out of ammo"
"The Plumber's Systems...", Ben realized, eyed widening only further.
"As the old saying goes–"The gloves are off", Servantis curled his lip in con"it's official: Ben Tennyson and his allies, including Max Tennyson, are now considered Rogue Threats in the Plumber's Database...and the Facility itself. You're branded the level 20 equivalent of dangerous fugitives"
"You can't–"
"Oh but I did...", Servantis interrupted, tapping his hardened cranium with a single clawed finger "before you even threw the first punch. All it took was a little rerouting of protocols and a little bit of...misdirection. And all just the way I wanted it to"
Ben and Nat watched as the automated defenses of the base were slowly being activated
"Ben!"
"Driba?", Ben turned to see the the Galvan pop his head out of the console
"It's not just here...it's all over the Plumber networks!", The miniature alien raised his datapad in alarm, "whatever Servantis did, it placed you as the Plumber's number one target!"
"An' the galaxy's biggest pacify with lethal force tag", added Blukic grimly, "ain't no telling how much time yer got before Headquarters' defense systems kick in..."
"Oh, and don't worry–", Servantis added, almost like a promise, "I'll be sure to take what's mine...after I'm done with Levin as well"
"You...maniac!", Ben rushed forward, grabbing the Proctor by the neck
"Ben, wai–"
BEEEEP!!!! The Omnitrix's dial crackled with faint sparks before releasing a burst of energy, that shrouded the shapeshifter. Moments later, Ben's form had changed once again, this time back into human.
"What...", The brunette staggered back in shock while Servantis plopped back down on his feet, another smug smile etched on his face.
Servantis chucked in amusement, "And another thing you didn't consider: The Omnitrix's signals can be disrupted with an electric burst at just the right frequency"
"Watch out!!!", Nat yelled as the Cerebrocrustacean hybrid's cranium opened yet again, the Proctor reaching out to grab the shapeshifter
He willed his body to move, but he wasn't fast enough. For the second time, time seemed to stop.
Crimson energy from Servantis' head to the tips of his fingers, arcing towards the shapeshifter. However, another flash of red moved in between, the brunette feeling himself being nudged out of the way once again.
KZZZAAAATTTTT
Nat's eyes rolled in her head as she slumped to the ground lifelessly with a
No...
"Nat! Nat!! No–Nat please, wake up!"
"Oh, this is interesting", Servantis' pulled back his hand, disregarding the redhead currently unresponsive on the ground and the Omnitrix Wielder frantically trying to resuscitate her as he clutched her in his arms
Servantis would've found it quite comical of it wasn't so pathetic. He merely nursed an amused chuckle as he watched the brunette fumble about with his unconscious paramour.
No–No–no–
"What–what the hell did you do to her?"
"Me? Oh nothing much...", Servantis chucked once again, "though I have to say, I didn't expect such a brash move from the Black Widow herself"
All my fault
"Ben, you gotta move it!", He could hear Blukic yell in the background
You know what happens when a spy falls in love?
"Ben!!!"
They lose their edge...and in our line of work that gets you killed
Ben's gaze grew venomous, "You...you did this!"
"Oh please, stop lying to yourself Tennyson", Servantis dismissed with a wave, seemingly content to watch the young hero writhe in self-loathing and guilt, "we both know who's really responsible...another victim of the relentless crusade known as Ben Tennyson"
Warning! The overhead PA system announced, Wanted Fugitive Number Thirteeen dash five zero sigma, Benjamin Kirby Tennyson, stand down! You are wanted by the authority of the Plumbers!!
The walls unfolded in a series of metallic whirs and clicks, revealing an arsenal of inbuilt automated turrets, laser sights immediately zeroing on the brunette.
"Time's ticking, hero!"
Save her
BWEEEEMMM
"All turrets activated!!"
"Ben!!!!"
BEEEEEP!
The Omnitrix popped back up with a flourish, illuminating Ben's features steeled in determination.
Flashhhhhh!!!!!
BOOOMMMM!!!!
The walls exploded in a blast of debris as Cannonbolt's ball form bolted through the tunnels of the Plumber's HQ, past the clusters of alarmed staff. The ground shook with low rumbles, reverberations that echoed through the facility, echoing the thunderous beats of the hero's torn heart as he rushed past everything, everyone in his path. No matter what, he had to get out–get her out.
All the while a hail of gunfire assailed the hero, buffeting him from every direction. Arburian Pelarota used their ball form to hide from external threats, but for Ben, it was a shell to safely transport Natasha Romanov.
While in his curled up state, Cannonbolt could only "see" by reading electrical signals through the hairs that peeked through his arms plates. While subjected to nonstop firepower from all angles, he was essentially running blind.
Get out!!
His mapping went haywire as his instincts flew into overdrive, adrenaline pushing him like a battering ram as he continued to mow down more walls standing between him and getting Nat to safety
BOOOOMM!!!
Another wall crumbled. Ben was a wrecking ball, demolishing all in his path
He could hear the faint thump of her heart, hear the soft puffs of breath that filled his heart with hope. He crashed through yet another wall, coming out the other side in a tangle of wiring and scrap. His senses no longer blinded by cannon fire, he could map out the exit through the tunnels.
WHIRRRRRRR
Metallic scrapes echoed through the chambers as the doors automatically began closing, sealing off the only route of escape through the elevator.
The Garage, Ben's thoughts rushed to him in the heat of the moment.
Ben picked up the pace, mentally slamming the gas as he revved harder, propelling himself like a railgun towards the exit, frenetically edged on with urgency.
THHHOOOOMMMM!!!!
The Plumbers stationed at the garage barely had enough time to scramble out of the way as the equivalent of a rocket launcher blasted through the Hangar, leaving nothing but a debris field in it's wake
From the Surveillance center, Servantis watched the feeds with a wry grin on his visage. So much chaos...his encounter with Tennyson had taught him far more than he'd anticipated.
He could see it, even now, on the horizon.
The Storm was coming
For now, he'd bigger fish to hunt down. Time to collect his prize.
...
...
...
..
.
A/N:
Hey guys, sorry for the delays, I've had exams for a while so I had to hold off till I was done.
But I'm done now, so the old schedule can resume right?
Hehe...moving on...
I kinda felt like these last 3 chapters were slow burns, introducing the characters and their dynamics as well as a lotta setup. Going forward it's gonna be a lot different now, more action and more canon elements featured.
Don't forget to drop a review if you liked what you read, and if you didn't...drop a review and tell me why.
Also thanks to everyone on the Discord, y'all are awesome.
Response to Reviews
Guest: Thanks for trusting in me! Hopefully I don't disappoint you...and myself
Bennyson: Thanks!
Cman6465: Well, the accords are gonna play a different role in their relationship...
Reader2020italia: Quite a lot of fun theories.
-I don't think I'll introduce the Biomnitrix. The idea of mixing aliens never really stuck with me
Ben: Yeah, me neither. The Retcon was also kinda stupid and invalidated a lot of character moments for Kevin
Ultimatrix 105:
-I actually plan for Ben and Nat to be married much earlier than that
-Yes, Ben will meet Natasha's adopted family.
-I doubt I'll do a DCEU Crossover, but fingers crossed eh?
