A/N: I did warn that there would be delays, but I'm apologizing regardless. Not sure if I can still keep the "weekly chapter" promise, tho.


Chapter 12

War


ROOOOOAAARRRR

"Oh that can't be good", remarked Tony, as the leviathan roar reverberated through the Tower. His fight against the possessed supersoldier had seen the duo crash through the floors of Stark Tower, reaching an abandoned storage loft within the building.

"Okay grandpa", Tony pointed at the Sentinel of Liberty as they faced off, "that up there? That's the real deal! We're in the trenches, Cap! Not to sound cheesy but I could use some of that Rogers spirit right about now! Let's get on that, now!"

The soldier gave no response, merely holding the armored billionaire in his gaze, arcane energy pooling in his eyes. Momentarily, he halted in his steps, clutching his head in one hand as he grimaced.

"That's it! There ya go! ", Tony encouraged," remember what you said? Leave no man behind? Well I'm sure as hell not leaving you behind, old man!"

Steve appeared to struggle, staggering slightly to his side, before coming to an abrupt standstill. Breaths coming in short gusts, the soldier seemed to muster some form of resistance against the alien forces pulling his strings, the grip on his head hardening.

"Steve?", Tony tentatively asked, venturing to approach the soldier. Measured metallic stomps echoed in the halls of the loft as Iron Man approached the Captain.

"Hello? You with us, buddy?"

A stifled grunt cut through the expectant silence.

"Steve?"

The Supersoldier snapped up, his gaze hardened and eyes gleaming with azure energy. He lashed out with a powerful crane kick that sent the billionaire stumbling backwards before following up with a shield bash, the vibranium disk's edge impacting Tony's helmet with the force of a battering ram.

CRASH!!!!!!!

"Yeah, probably should've seen that coming", Tony groaned as he struggled to pick himself and his metallic suit up, before using the suit's thrusters to regain balance.

"Dammit, gotta think of plan B". Tony was definitely convinced that there was more to Steve's condition than just plain mind control. His actions weren't drastically altered, his movements were completely in synch with his documented fighting styles and mannerisms. No delays or feedback. Rather, it seemed like whatever Loki's whammy did, didn't take away his personality but added another layer on it.

Selvig, another mind-victim of Loki, still retained his mannerisms and speech patterns, not to mention his intelligence. Meaning this mind control was completely hands-off. Loki wasn't pulling any strings, making his mind puppets dance from afar.

However the good doctor spoke of the Tessaract as some kind of Apocryphal revelation of some sorts, imbuing him with knowledge beyond human comprehension.

Tony's mind rapidly shifted through the possibilities. Hypnotic suggestion? Optical illusions? Again, too many variables not enough constants. And not enough time either.

CLANGGG

The Captain lunged for another attack, only to be deflected by an energy field quickly deployed by the Mark VI's automated defense system. If he couldn't hurt Steve, he'd make sure the old man couldn't hurt him too.

Quickly cycling through the suit's arsenal, Tony landed on the Protocol he was looking for. "Alright, Cap...guess we're doing this the hard way". Wasting no time, both men charged at each other, colliding in a fierce Shockwave that rippled through the facility.

The two exchanged tirade of blows, metal on man, Cap utilizing his advanced skills against the armored avenger. Tony reeled from an uppercut, responding with blast from one of Tennyson's new toys, the sonic cannon.

WHOOOOOMM

Temporarily stuned, the soldier staggered backwards, while Tony charged his repulsors for another assault. " Put on the suit, he said let's go a few rounds, he said", Tony quipped sarcastically as he aimed his repulsors at the disoriented Captain.

Tony didn't count on Steve's instincts propelling him like a man possessed, dodging under the repulsor's line of fire. With a bout of impressive speed and agility, Steve tackled the billionaire into the wall, latching on his metallic frame while gripping Tony in a rear-end choke.

"Gah!", revving his jet thrusters, Tony thrashed around mid-air, trying to shake the man off his tail. Cap maintains his iron grip, forcing the armored genius to make a not-so-genius last resort.

CRASH!

Iron man sailed out the building's windows, with Cap holding on for dear life.

His only thought was:

He really, really hated magic.


Natasha and Clint watched as the full force of the Chitauri rained down after the Plumber's Defensive formation had been all but eradicated.

The otherworldly biomechanical behemoth of creature, the Chitauri Dragon, had torn through the defense, allowing the main invading forces to pour through, like a vigorous torrent held back by a dam.

Screams and laser fire filled the streets as the Chitauri ravaged anything on sight. Explosions and energy streaks colored the once bustling streets, now reduced to a war zone in a matter of minutes.

"GRRRAhhhhhh!!!!!!!!"

SCREECHHHH!

CRASH!!!

The transformed teen blindly tore through the horde of Chitauri, their biomechanical bodies were viciously rent apart, piece by piece by the Bio-Savartian. Ben was a force of nature, his electromagnetic waves devouring the invaders in his path. He was pure power, pure vengeance, pure carnage.

Clint glanced at the teen's assault, slack-jawed at the shapeshifter's rampage, Chitauri parts flooding the streets as a testament to Tennyson's unbridled fury.

Nat could recognize the signs; blinding rage propelled by grief. Her asset was losing himself in the chaos, and she had to pull him back. Rage could only fuel the soul long enough before consuming it.

CLICK

Romanov snapped into action, gun safeties popping off as she readied her arsenal for action. "We gotta move!", she yelled at the Archer before turning to the shape-shifting teen.

Surrounded by a graveyard of Chitauri parts, Ben transformed back in a dull flash of light. His expression darkened as his face fell, eyes glassy and unfocused.

"...no-no-nonono..it's all my fault...", Ben muttered, his hands hung limply by his sides, the Omnitrix's communicator beeps going unanswered. In part, the teen shouldered the blame for the untimely demise of Alpha Squad.

"Tennyson!", Nat approached the teen as he muttered to himself. Clint on the other hand, had already began mounting another offensive, sending off a flurry of arrows at the invading forces.

"Dammit! Get the kid's head back in the game, Nat!", yelled Clint as he expertly sniped down several Chitauri riders from the sky, their bodies instantly combusting on impact.

Placing her hand on his shoulder, Nat attempted to gain Ben's attention, to snap him back to reality. He'd just witnessed things go horribly wrong as a result of his intervention, and was beginning to spiral. Their current predicament felt eerily similar, indeed it was Undertown all over again.

Clearly, the young hero wasn't wholly accustomed to losing so many in a moment, or having their deaths weigh heavy on one's heart. Always the hero, he'd probably resolved to save as many as he could possibly save. She on the other hand, had become acquainted with the feeling over the years as a double agent, the harrowing reality of losing lives on the field. A vision of a teenage girl wielding a pistol. Having her target drawn up for her.

A living, breathing target.

Your ledger is dripping, gushing red

Ben really wasn't like them. He wore his heart on his sleeve, he felt every pang, every emotion genuinely. Didn't resort to compartmentalizing or locking down his emotions, like agents of her caliber. In their field, assets with such qualities were often liabilities on the field. But he wasn't just her asset, he was her teammate.

Nat cupped his face in her hands, peering directly into the teen's eyes. Her piercing gaze met his verdant orbs, while she spoke as softly as she could while the cacophony of distressed civilians and alien gunfire rang out in the background

"Ben, look at me. It's not your fault, you did the best you could",

"...no...I sent them out there..."

"You didn't know, Ben", she chided, "even they knew the risks of their jobs".

Natasha would've found it comedic if the situation weren't so dire. Here was a teen who had saved the world - the universe - getting a pep talk from a trained assassin.

"Remember what your grandpa said", she continued, "that this..this is part of the job, Ben. Knowing that sometimes, despite your best efforts you can't save everyone". Ben slowly absorbed each word, her beautiful visage framed in his vision. His mind clouds were slowly parting as he focused on his redheaded handler.

"But you can save everyone else, Ben. Don't let the Plumbers' sacrifice be in vain. You're a galaxy saving hero, remember?"

Ben blinked in response.

"Now go be a hero"

Her words seemed to have the intended effect, as Ben shook off the dour spell clouding his mind. Refocused, he nodded at the superspy, who gave a small grin in reply.

"Okay...I'm okay...", Ben took shallow breaths, taking a step back before returning his gaze back to the femme fatale, matching her grin with an even smaller grin.

"Great, all's well and dandy!! ", Barton's voice could be heard over the din of Chitauri screeches and laser-fire . "You guys mind getting with the program?"

Another arrow was let loose with a sharp thwing, accurately piercing the skull of a nearby Chitauri on the rooftops taking aim at the trio.

"Got it", Ben rolled up his sleeves, eyes burning with reinvigorated will, "what's the new plan?"

Nat pointed at the Chitauri Leviathan swimming through the New York skyline, the cosmic cetacean accompanied by its metallic growls and screeches emanated from the Chitauri soldiers deploying out of its chassis like the twisted version of the Trojan Horse.

"Take the big guy out. We'll focus on the streets, take out the low level goons and keep civilians off the streets. Try to take that thing out as soon as possible, keep the collateral damage to the minimal. Think you can handle it?"

Nodding grimly, the teen activated the Omnitrix, twisted the dial and slapped it down. If Ben couldn't step up now when people needed him most, what kind of a hero would that make him?

"It's hero time!"

FWOOOSH!

Ben's form was once again engulfed in a blast of emerald light, clearing to reveal a familiar black and blue velociraptor-like creature.

"I'll catch up after I'm done with big-ugly", the Kincereleran rasped, " Stay safe, both of you". Clint merely smirked, while Natasha clocked her pistols in reply, curtly nodding at the teen.

ZZOOOOM

Like a bullet out of a gun, Ben sped away from sight, heading towards the direction of the Leviathan. Clint hacked a short cough at the cloud of dust left in the teen's wake.

"Seriously, that doesn't freak you out?", Clint turned to the redhead, eyebrows raised in exasperation, "Not even a little bit?"

Nat rolled her eyes as she jogged forward with her longtime partner in tow. "Barton, I've been to an underground alien city, fought a humanoid Rooster and petted an alien Toad with smarts that rival SHIELD's best", she deadpanned, sending multiple rounds into another wave of invaders.

"And here I thought I'd seen it all when a Thunder-god showed up", Clint nicked another arrow, taking aim at the approaching Chitauri. Tennyson was definitely a force to be reckoned with, and definitely the one to look out for. Deep down, the Archer was grateful the teen hero was on their side.

"Let's go save the world, shall we?"


"That's it, I'm programming martial arts countermeasures in the next suit", Tony grumbled as he manoeuvred haphazardly through the air, weighed down by the unfortunate quarry called Captain America.

"This is really not a good look for you, Boy scout!", the billionaire spun horizontally like a drill, before barrelling into the rooftops of the nearby buildings. At the very least, outdoor fights gave him superiority in terms of range and movement.

With Olympic level agility, Cap gracefully leaped on the rooftops, landing and rolling to a crouched position. He stared down the billionaire, seemingly weighing his attack options. Within interior environments, the supersoldier held a clear advantage however in open areas like the rooftops.

Their scuffle had swiftly turned into a rooftop chase, the Armored avenger's attention split between keeping Cap off his back and keeping Chitauri claws from his new suit.

Tony knew he wasn't getting anywhere with this fight, Cap's personality wasn't one to back down, relentlessly hunting down the billionaire with narrow minded zeal.

Down below, the chaos raged as the Chitauri's assault on New York intensified, bolstered by the behemoth newcomer. The Avengers needed to muster an offensive if they hoped to save anyone.

"C'mon Tony, think!", the tech genius mumbled. This wasn't magic, it was science. Something to interrupt neuro-synaptic functions...maybe...

Time to bring in the big guns

Cycling through the protocols, Tony's vision was temporarily clouded by a sea of bizarre code, half of which certainly seemed alien.

"Okay, kid, where's the recalibrator?", Tony scanned through the myriad of protocols available on the HUD.

GZZXXXZZTT

"What the hell?"

Tony blinked as unfamiliar symbols glitched unto his system, a new comms window opened on his left view.

The unidentified caller's visage manifested on-screen, resembling some kind of anthropomorphic grey frog, rectangular black pupil set in bulbous green eyes.

Four tendrils grew from his chin, two from his upper jaw, giving the appearance of a beard. His clothing consisted of a green tunic with black sleeves, metallic cuffs at the end of the hands and feet.

"Finally! And here I thought Tennyson could conjure a half decent communication line using Galvan Tech! "

"Jarvis, are you reading this?", Tony asked.

"It would appear so, sir", the butler AI responded.

"Is this some kind of glitch? What exactly am I looking at? "

"You're looking at the smartest being in 5 galaxies, Stark", the figure spoke, "Azmuth of the Galvan".

"...who?", Tony's expression was colored in bewilderment.

Part of him hoped this was just an after effect of getting hit too hard by Cap a minute ago.

"You may also know me as the one who built the device on Tennyson's arm: The Omnitrix. Ring any bells?"

"I guess Tennyson wasn't completely pulling my legs when he said an alien made his watch", Tony drawled, " nice try Yoda, but it's gonna take a lot more than that to..."

"Engage System Override: Mechamorph Guard Protocol Lambda!!"

In response to the Galvan's command, The viridiscent circuitry lining the billionaire's armor flared to life, releasing a swarm of mechamorph nanites.

Floating round the Billionaire's hovering form, mechanical buzzing cloaking the suit in a halo of energy. The nanites formed a beehive like pattern, nullifying the incoming attacks of the encroaching alien forces.

"Now if there are no further interruptions...", Azmuth folded his arms with an air of sagely finality, staring down the billionaire through the comm window.

"That's it", Tony muttered, "I'm getting this suit locked down. What is this, community group chat???".

The Galvan cleared his throat, "Let's get down to the matter at hand, shall we?"


Natasha Romanov and Clint Barton raced through the chaotic streets of New York, fighting off the prevalent Chitauri invaders while attempting to rescue as many as they could. The fleeing civilians were directed by the spy duo away from the streets, to the relative safety of the underground subways

The Archer was currently attempting to free open a bus full of trapped civilians all the while Nat held off multiple waves of invaders.

"How much longer?", Nat shouted, her eyes darting towards yet another approaching Chitauri warrior. A series of well paced pistol shots put him out of commission.

"Just...a...little bit more...", Clint strained against the door with all his might, managing to wrench open the compartment. The frightened inhabitants wasted no time in getting out, scampering out of the vehicle in a frenzy

"You sure it was smart, sending away our big gun?", Clint took his place beside the redhead, letting loose arrow after arrow into the mob of invaders.

Ignoring the question, the redhead pointed at the buildings. "We've got people up there, they'll be running into the line of fire"

"Like fish in a barrel", Clint sourly noted, "looks like we'll need to call in some kinda calvary".

TTZZZZZAMM

As if on Cue, a wall of lightning descended on the streets, decimating the unlucky invaders in its path. The wall swept up the biomechanical monstrosities in its path, smoking metallic parts left in its wake.

Thor Odinson landed unceremoniously on the pavement in a burst of debris, passively clutching his side as he greeted the two SHIELD agents.

"Lady Romanov! Archer! We must rally our comrades! The Chitauri will not stop till they decimate everything in sight!"

"Where's ole' hornhead?", Clint asked as he retrieved a stack of arrow shafts from the Chitauri corpses.

"Regretfully, Loki has escaped once again"

"Of course", Clint rolled his eyes. He stopped however, when Nat threw him her trademark glare.

"We will need to draw him out ", Thor continued, "Alas, he is not one to remain in a fight for long preferring to stick to the shadows while his army does his twisted will"

"Thor!", Natasha called to his attention the frantic screams of civilians trapped within the high buildings, the resounding clash of glass and metal as the menacing Chitauri legion laid siege to their establishments.

Thor Odinson wasted no time whirling Mjolnir like a Slingshot, flying to the rescue. Like a humanoid missile as he sailed into the upper floors of the nearby buildings, using his momentum to clear out the numerous floors of the alien threats.

Glass shattered and concrete have way as Thor's rampage threw multiples invaders out of the buildings

"Where the hell's the National Guard?", the Archer wondered aloud, avoiding a Chitauri's corpse falling on the street, "the Army? Airforce? It's bloody mayhem out here, and all we get is radio silence?".

Local law enforcement could barely muster any kind of resistance, forming meagre perimeters while taking potshots at the invading forces.

"Probably jumping ship as we speak", Nat flipped on her communicator, "This is Romanov, do you read me?"

"Loud and clear", Coulson's voice crackled back from the device.

"Where's Fury? It's a damn war zone out here, we need backup!", the redhead demanded, "

"Fury's been summoned by the World Council, pending an investigation to prior events, unfortunately the Hellicarrier's been put on standby until further notice. Afraid we can't get any guns up in the sky. For all intents and purposes, the Avengers are on their own".

"Bloody beaurocracy", muttered the superspy. The Council most likely wanted plausible deniability, if this situation were eventually resolved. A common tactic to avoid the blame for any losses or casualties.

Another aspect of the spycraft she despised. Everything was supposed to be done "by the book", they say. Only, the book was decided by whoever was in power, and those in power were often found undeserving of it.

"Can't we get someone else on the line?", Clint argued as he launched a rapid fire flurry of arrows into more Chitauri.

Fighting an invading force was difficult, not factoring the overwhelming amount of potential collateral damage, both human and otherwise.

Screw it.

If they weren't getting official help, they had to improvise under the radar. "Phil, deploy SHIELD Carriers to the subways", Nat instructed, "use the local channels to gain access to the underground. We need to get civilians away from the streets and into those tunnels"

"Nat, we don't have..."

"We don't have time to play the waiting game, Coulson!", she snapped. "We just watched the Plumbers lose their lives to keep the hostiles at bay! Damn the protocols! There are lives at stake here!"

Phil gave a pause at the outburst, hesitant to respond. Moments later the silence was broken as he relayed commands to the SHIELD personnel under his command."All SHIELD Carriers, deploy to the nearby coordinates! Evac crew! Tactical Response! Let's get this show on the road, people!"

Multiple personnel ships were immediately deployed from the Hellicarrier, the air filled with the subtle rush of engines as the airborne vehicles moved towards the hotbed of alien activity that was New York city.

"Assistant Director Hill's gonna have my ass for this", Phil added, "but evac's headed your way. Good luck, guys"

Nat cut the line in a huff, before launching back into the fray. Regrouping with the Archer behind the cover of a partially demolished truck, the duo made their stand against the legion of Chitauri invaders.

"Just like Budapest all over again", Nat commented.

"You and I remember Budapest very differently", Clint sighed.


"Diamondhead!", Ben's form was another crystalline creature, composed of durable pale green crystals instead of Chromastone's dark violet. He also sported four crystal shards on his back, two jutting out from his chest, the back of his head sharpened like a spear.

The shape-shifting teen wasted no time sprinting into action. Slamming his bulky foot in the ground, he generated a large chunk of diamond from the ground. Using it as a ramp, he sprung off the jutting mass, leaping high into the air toward a mob of approaching Chitauri soldiers.

Ben curled himself up mid air, his crystalline body sprouting a mass of spikes. Spinning rapidly as he descended, Ben opened up, unleashing the spikes in a grapeshot blast. The hail of crystalline shards barraged the Chitauri soldiers, turning them into pin cushions.

Scratch ten, Ben smirked.

The Leviathan roared once more, it's bloated form cutting through the air and through the scyscrapers dotting the city. Ben resumed his chase, using his diamond shards to form platforms for easily navigating the city.

"Hey Ugly!!", Ben yelled, trying to get its attention, before launching a massive diamond spike into it's midsection.

GWWOOOOAAAAARRR

The beast bellowed in retaliation, altering its flight path through the city. It swivelled mid air before charging at the offending Petrosapien.

Ben quickly dug his hands into the ground, deploying a massive diamond structure the shape of a battering ram. The large horizontal column smashed into the charging leviathan, forcing it to temporally retreat.

"Oh no you don't!"

Ben didn't give it the chance. He peppered the beast with more shards, while deploying crystalline barriers around the buildings like a giant corral, limiting its movement.

Conjuring a diamond-slide, Ben glided round the leviathan with ease, systematically dismantling its armor and limbs with a myriad of crystalline attacks.

Ben slid forwards on a crystalline platform, firing more shards at the beast. The leviathan lunged with a vicious roar, destroying the slide as it stormed towards the hero. It's Maw snapped open, revealing an array of enormous metallic teeth threatening to clamp down on the teen.

Thinking fast, Ben launched another flurry of crystalline projectiles, using the recoil to propel himself mid air.

Too Close

Another handful of shards created a new slide on a nearby building, allowing the teen hero to maintain momentum.

He slid up and over the rooftops, the mechanical monstrosity hot on his heels. Behind him, Ben could hear the menacing growls of the Leviathan as it gave chase, the otherworldly sounds getting ever closer.

Time to end this

He launched himself from the platform, clapping his hands together and generating a massive crystalline spike. Firing spikes from his back, he used their momentum to propel himself back towards his behemoth of an attacker.

The beast charged at the teen, the duo meeting mid air: Tennyson lunging with a massive spike and the leviathan's widened maw ready to devour the shapeshifter. Time seemed to slow as they clashed

"Take THIS!!!!"

BLAMM!!!

Ben struck true, lodging the spike deep within the eye of the beast. The bio-mechanical Behemoth bellowed in agony, landing in a heap. The descent threw another explosion of dust as the Chitauri Leviathan plummeted to the streets, Tennyson's fall only lodging the spike deeper into its skull, silencing it's dying throes.

Ben panted slightly as he climbed off the massive beast, the acrid smell of smoke and asphalt hitting his alien senses. In a way, there was some form of catharsis smashing alien baddies.

"Tennyson!", Nat's voice filtered through the Omnitrix's communicator.

"Nat? I'm at the rendezvous point, where are you guys? There's a whole mess of bad guys over here! "

"We...ran into some complications"

"Got our hands full as it is, hero", Clint remarked. His voice barely made it through the raucous of Chitauri in the background.

"Help's on the way. Keep the civilians off the streets and away from the buildings", she warned,"for now, you're gonna be on your own. Think you can handle it?"

Looking up, the shape-shifting hero could still see more hostile forces incoming. Looking down, another mob of Chitauri soldiers advanced the teen warily, Laser Spears pointed at the ready.

The teen grinned as he slammed down the dial on his chest.

Bring it on!


Above the cityscape, Iron Man hovered within a swarm of nanites, the myriad of microscopic machines forming a protective bubble around the Armored Avenger.

"Jarvis, what the hell just happened? "

"Unsure, sir", JARVIS replied, "I do believe it may be related to the new upgrades Mister Tennyson added to the Mark VI. This creature seems to possess control over the nanite structures stored within the suit's mechanical framework".

"I detected Galvanic Mechamorph nanites used by Tennyson's form, within your armor: the form he calls 'Upgrade'." Azmuth elaborated, leaving Tony with an incredulous expression plastered on his face.

"Can we get a time out?", the billionaire gestured with his arms, "what the hell are you and how are you doing that?"

"If you think I am going to waste precious time explaining Galvan physio-mechanics to your primate brain, think again. Especially when you have little capacity to comprehend it. "

"I dunno Froggy, how much time ya got? ", Tony demurred, eyebrow raised with indignation. Of all the most bizarre things he did today, talking to a grouchy frog-alien definitely took the cake.

"Well, it would seem you and Tennyson do have a few things in common after all"

"Which is?", inquired the billionaire.

"Your matching egos, juvenile brashness and most damnable, fooling with things beyond your comprehension", Azmuth replied bluntly,

"I'd say my comprehension's pretty good, even better than most"

Azmuth held his head wearily, "If yours is the best mind humanity has to offer, I truly fear for humanity's survival"

"...sounds like my boarding school Principal all over again"

"Do all humans have the same irritating sense of humor on this miserable mud ball of a planet?"

"Nah, we save it up for the few actual geniuses, like my old man used to say", quipped the billionaire, "Ever tried it? I'm gonna take a wild guess and say no"

"Ah yes, the famous Stark humility. Explains why your tech has barely scraped Level 3"

"Awful high and mighty for a genius yourself, pal. How much does your brain weight again? A gram?"

"Are you so naive to judge my intelligence based on the relative size of my species?"

"Just calling it as I see it, Grumpy Smurf"

"And you wonder why humanity has yet to advance technologically", Azmuth would've rolled his eyes if he could.

"You're talking to the guy who built a self sustaining energy source in a cave", piqued Tony.

"And I created an entire civilization of techno-organic humanoids"

"Bet you didn't do it with a bunch of scrap, huh?"

"That is entirely irrelevant"

"Yeah, this conversation's been a real blast", Tony cut in, "but unless you're gonna help, I've got company". Another wave of Chitauri descended on the armored avenger, forcing him to pivot out of the way.

The First Thinker shook his head in disapproval. "The Captain is trapped in his own mind, as are you. It's going to take a lot from his body, more than you think, to free him"

"Am I supposed to understand what that means?"

"Tell me, Stark," asked Azmuth, "what are you willing to sacrifice to save your own ally? This is where you and Tennyson differ"

A series of metallic screams echoed behind Tony, alerting him to the plight of his pursuer. Apparently the invaders didn't see the Captain as an ally, as some of the Chitauri charged the supersoldier en masse.

"It would seem the Captain has encountered some form of trouble", announced Jarvis.

Dammit Rogers, Tony groaned. Now he'd to babysit the old man too. Channeling the arc energy into his jets, he took off in the direction of the Captain.

"Hey Froggy", Tony addressed the Galvan as he sped through the air, "can these nanites function within a holding pattern? I wanna try something". A plan had begun to form in the genius' mind.

"What do I look like, a Cerebrocrustacean? Of course they can, I built the damn things! Although as I am forced to point out, you'll need a focusing conduit to maintain the energy field throughput".

"...create a negation field using the feedback loop? ", Tony surmised. Bits and pieces of an idea slowly formed in his mind as he focused on the Captain.

Romanov had cured Barton by recalibrating his sensory functions, or just knocking him upside the head. Cap on the other hand, had a different physiology compared to the Archer. He needed something more...drastic.

Azmuth stroked his tendrils as he caught on, a mite impressed at the billionaire's intuitive skill. "Perhaps that could work," the Galvan replied, "if you were at the precise level of proximity. Though with your irrational and foolhardy tendencies, you'll have a better chance of getting yourself and the soldier killed in battle"

"Your optimism really warms my mechanical heart, Frog-eyes"

Tony dove straight for the mob of Chitauri, rapidly deploying the field ouf nanites into the horde. The result was instantaneous; the nanites fried the internal augmentations of the biomechanical species.

"Alright Cap, now to get you...aghck!", in his rush to the rescue, Tony had neglected the fact that the soldier was still under mind control orders to eliminate him. Finally sizing his chance, the soldier grappled the airborn avenger, this time attempting to take him down with a choke hold.

"Stark, the field isn't very stable!", warned Azmuth, the comma window distorted from the feedback

"How...much...juice...do I have left?", Tony squeaked.

"Armor components are holding at 50% sir", Jarvis declared.

"The field could kill you - bzzt- both! Get out of there, now!", the Galvan's feed all but gone, Tony promptly shut off his HUD. He needed maximum energy for this impromptu operation.

There seemed to be a science to it, after all . Somehow Loki had planted some kind of neural network to override the Captain's, like a foggy blanket of information. Explained why Barton and Rogers could still function as they did.

Of course, he'd figured it out, partly in thanks to the talking frog. Tony would deny the last part vehemently. To anyone that would ever ask him.

What are you willing to sacrifice to save your own?

"Jarvis! Maximum energy output!"

"Sir! I advice you listen to the Galvan! ", Jarvis' tone had risen sharply, his usual veneer of collected calm replaced with an outburst of concern.

"Steve's a tough guy, he can take it!"

"But what about you sir??!!!"

"Now, Jarvis!!!!"

You were never one to make the sacrifice play, Stark

BBBBZZZZZZZAAAATTTT

A plume of energy sprouted from the armor, amplified by the nanite swarm surrounding it. The energy pulsed through the two men, contained within the field set up by the nanites.

Both men howled in pain as the field's closed energy washed over them. The nanites acted like a large oven, holding in the energy that nearly cooked the two alive.

Steve was the first to collapse, Tony sinking to the floor a moment later with a metallic clunk. The billionaire sagged as his armor had essentially become dead weight, the arc reactor glowing faintly against the black background of the armor, it's circuitry now functionally inert.


Down in the streets, the battle raged on. The myriad of Chitauri soldiers were mowed down by the one-man army known as Tennyson as he barrelled through the streets in a blur of metallic yellow. Nearby civilian's could only cower in apprehension as the two alien forces clashed on the streets

Using Armodrillo, Ben dug his jackhammer fists into the ground, tremors remodelling the streets into walled off sections, cutting off the Invaders while giving civilians cover to escape.

"Go on! I'll hold 'em off!", Ben yelled to the civilians as he faced down the Chitauri swarm.

Ben shrugged off laser blasts as he made short work of any Chitauri dumb enough to engage at close range. His fists hit like piledrivers, smashing into the invaders and sending them flying.

An aerial beam tagged the Talpaedan, knocking him backwards. Ben took quick glance upwards, sighting more Chitauri riding on their alien chariots now focusing on the hero.

FLASHHH!!!

Switching forms, Ben took to the air as a Leptidopterran, insectoid wings beating furiously as he soared through the atmosphere.

"Stinkfly!"

Using the pollen ducts on his four eyes talks, he unloaded rapid slime shots to neutralize the Chitauri Chariots, while using his aerial maneuverability to remain a step ahead of their laser fire.

"Two tons of putrid power, pals!", Ben grinned cockily as he dodged their fire, firing off even more globs at his attackers.

The Chitauri riders screeched in retaliation, levelling their artillery at the Leptidopterran as they took off in hot pursuit. Pressurized streams of acid crossed against frantic laser fire, distorted screams of agony echoed from the Chitauri caught by the caustic assault from Stinkfly.

FLASH!!!!!

Ben roared as his new form smashed into the ground, massive fissures erupting from the crater in a blast of debris and asphalt.

For a moment, the Chitauri could see nothing in the haze that emerged from the impact.

Out of the dust cloud, a reddish four armed Goliath stride out, large thumps echoing through the streets. The Tetramand sported unique Black and Green gladiatorial armor, and unlike Ben's younger form, sported a full beard and a much longer hair tied up into a flowing ponytail.

"You guys ever heard of the old reminder?" Ben clenched his fists as he adopted a battle stance. Breaking into a full sprint, he dashed towards the remaining Chitauri.

"Mess with Ben, you get the Ten!"

His red arm shot out, gripping one unlucky Chitauri. Spinning on one foot, he used his victim like an improvised bat whacking away the few that attempted to flank him.

Ben leapt into the air, using his victim like a sledgehammer, delivering a power drop that smashed through half of the attacking force.

Tossing the Chitauri aside, Ben reared up his arm, delivering a thunderous blow that sent another flying into the building with a resounding boom. Following up his assault, Ben charged the group, using his four arms to clothesline the platoon, before ripping them apart with his lower arms.

Clocking back all four of his fists, Ben let them fly in a barrage of relentless punches that decimated the alien warriors attempting to mount an assault upon seeing their comrades fall to the red brute.

Ben became a destructive tornado of limbs and punches as he tore through the horde, ripping and tearing through the invaders like they were ragdolls. He was a bull in a China shop, a red hurricane of mayhem that took apart every last invader in his path.

"GRRRRRAAAAHHHH!!!!!!!"

Clapping his four arms together, Ben unleashed a seismic blast that rippled through the area, completely clearing all debris along with the brokhen husks of the Chitauri. The nearby humans could only watch in awe at the lone Tetramand, standing triumphant in a cleared circle, surrounded by a graveyard of his own making.

"Hell yeah! Feels good to be back!", Ben broke into a premature celebration, bellowing at the top of his lungs. Part of why he enjoyed what he did: the adrenaline rush of fighting.

As the rush died down, Ben turned to the crowd of onlookers, petrified as they stared back in silence. The looks on their faces spoke volumes of the carnage they'd witnessed, Ben's primal display of power.

"Everyone! Head to the tunnels!"

No response. Some warily stood back, others frozen in spot as they gazed upon the Tetramand's intimidating form.

"Uh...everyone?", Ben wasn't a total stranger to the stares and the looks, he'd seen plenty in his past career as a hero. It was one thing to be looked at in awe, it was another thing when everyone viewed you in such a despondent manner.

To the residents of the city, they'd just seen aliens fall from the sky and wreak havoc on their city. Ben was a welcome reprieve, but he too was alien, like the Chitauri. Otherworldly. Terrifying. Their perception had already been colored.

"Is the world ready for Ben Tennyson? Not just the hero, but for me?"

An uncomfortable silence smothered the streets, as Ben rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. A nervous chuckle escaped his lips as he surveyed the crowd, besides themselves in terror.

Another rang out, startling the wary civilians. Taking to their terror-stricken heels, they fled into the relative safety of the nearby subway. Ben swiveled on the spot, catching sight of the another Chitauri scout on the roofs. A single thought rang through his mind, the same that kept him going in his long and storied crime fighting career.

It's Hero Time

Ben clenched his fists before bending his knees in a crouched position. With enough force to leave a crater in his wake, Ben shot up into the air in one powerful leap. The ground cracked with the recoil from the resulting force.

"Incoming!!"


"Rogers! Rogers, you with me?"

Steve slowly opened his eyes to the visage of Tony staring down at him, his armor already worse for wear

"Tony? What happened? ", the Soldier groggily sat up, his eyes no longer swimming in the azure blue pools of Loki's enchantment.

Tony's faceplate opened to reveal his bruised face dotted with sweat and grime. A weary sigh escaped his lips, followed by a dry chuckle.

" Oh man...what did I do?", Steve tentatively asked as he observed the billionaire's contused visage.

"Oh this? It's nothing" Tony merely shook his head as he stood, "Right now, we've got a city to save". Never mind that he'd just risked his life to free Steve from Loki's control, using alien tech he'd barely familiarized himself with.

He'd get to brag about that later, anyways.

The duo stood at the roof top's precipice, surveying the chaotic streets below. Aliens, gunfire, screams...this was nothing like Steve had ever seen.

So much for seeing his fair share of wars. No matter the age, it never seemed to have a shortage of ceaseless, violent conflict.

War is a language understood by all races, Fury would say.

"By the way, you owe me a new liquor cabinet"

"I'll..uh...see what I can do", Steve couldn't suppress his grin. Leave it to the billionaire and his relentless witticism, even in the most fire situations.

"Glad to have you back, Cap", Tony clapped the supersoldier on the shoulder, shakily finding his feet. Steve slung the man's arm over his own shoulder, supporting his unsteady companion.

"JARVIS, I'll be needing the Mark VII. Deploy it to my coordinates"

"Roger that, sir. Do try and avoid blowing this one up", the AI companion sarcastically added

"I don't remember adding a sarcasm parameter in your coding, JARVIS", retorted Tony. While I'm at it, gotta study this "Galvan Tech", pretty wild stuff.

"Alright, let's go save the world".


The rooftops exploded in a shower of debris as Ben crashed through the building, taking out the scouts. Taking off into a sprint, Ben leapt from rooftop to rooftop, taking out more scouts and snipers along the way.

Ben couldn't help feel a little uneasy at the reactions of the crowd. A few odd looks he could understand, but the entire crowd felt like they were shell-shocked. Sure, he could chalk it up to them having just encountered the monstrous Chitauri and their ferocious assault on the city, but still...

Wrenching himself from his thoughts, Ben made another leap, his four eyes scanning for further threats on the horizon. Another leap saw Ben landing on a bizarre looking building, whose architecture stood out from the rest of its neighbors. It's structure was esoteric, almost rustic in its appearance.

Covered in red brickwork and chalk-white columns, with a shell blue roofing and lined with windows as far as one could see. A glass window in the peculiar shape of an eye was prominent on the Northside of its topmost roofing.

Ben stopped in his tracks, scanning his surroundings. This building felt...weird. Even in his brutish form, he could something pulse within the architecture. Something...otherworldy.

His amber eyes followed southwards, catching sight of a lone individual standing on the same building, statuesque in appearance. They wore a yellow hooded robe obscuring their features, exposing only their pale forearms.

"Uhhhh...hello?" , Ben waved to the mystery person, trying to get their attention. "What're you doing here? It's not safe!"

Sudden screeching alerted the teen to another swarm of Chitauri making their way from the portal looming over the city. Snapping back to the enigmatic figure, Ben watched as they made their way towards the building, seemingly targeting the hooded figure.

"Watch out!", Ben took off in a sprint, making his way to protect the figure, whoever they were.

SLASH!!!!!!

What he didn't expect, however, was for the supposedly helpless individual to summon a large sword made of golden energy that slashed the approaching horde, cutting through them like a hot knife through butter. Their motion was fluid, effortless and graceful, ending with the figure bowed in a martial stance.

"What the..."

Not wasting any time, the figure opened what appeared to be a handheld fan, their practised motions conjuring bands of energy that soared through the air and into the chariot riders.

The energy bands moved with frightening speed an accuracy, cutting limb from limb, disembodied biomechanical corpses crashing noisily unto the rooftops.

Twirling around in a mystical dance, the hooded figure weaved their hands in an unusual pattern, conjuring esoteric symbols from thin air. The symbolic runes pulsed with energy, bound in a complex geometric pattern seemingly held together by the stranger's will.

Pushing forward, the hooded figure sent the mystical construct like a barrier, the pattern expanding as it flew towards to remaining attackers.

Ben's mouth was agape as he watched the conjured mystical rune decimate and entire squadron of Chitauri in a blast of golden light. Specks of brilliant gold danced in the air, the immediate threat all but dispatched by the stranger.

Danger averted, the hooded figure relaxed their stance, hands to their side. Taking off their hood to reveal a pale, bald-headed lady, her eyes twinkling with hidden knowledge and unbridled fascination at the teen.

"Master Tennyson", she announced, "I've been expecting you"


TO BE CONTINUED


A/N 2: If this chapter seems short, it's because I split it up into two parts. Don't worry, the next one isn't too far behind. Editing has been a nightmare.

This has definitely been one of my most challenging chapters yet. And we haven't even gotten to the climax! *sobs softly*

By the way, thanks for all the reviews and the comments. I hope this chapter isn't too short for your tastes.

RESPONDING TO REVIEWS PART 1

Ben: Thanks. I'm definitely gonna implement some of your ideas

Guest: To be fair, Ben's family is even weirder. Aliens on both sides of the family, alien weapons lying around the house...maybe Ben and Nat have a competition to see whose family is weirder.

Marvelesque1Der: You're right, Nat isn't the type to indulge a teenage boy's fantasies. Good thing Ben will be a lot more mature as the story (and their relationship) progresses

Guest: Don't worry, there will be fluff in their relationship.

EbayUserGreen: Waybig could cause some...issues. Specifically because of how big he is, he could end up crushing civilians. Besides, I'm saving him for a certain purple grape boi

Jeremy Steinmark: What's your preferred hairstyle for Nat? Personally I like her first movie appearance in Iron Man 2

Bennyson: Good idea. Personally I never liked Rook because he felt a tad...generic. His dialog with Ben was just textbook buddy-cop drama stuff and while I liked their friendship, I feel we can do something else here with Nat.

Rave: A handler is someone in charge of something. Ben is classified as a high value asset for SHIELD, so they kinda need someone to keep tabs on him, act as a liaison. Spy stuff. So she's his partner officially bub under the table, she's kinda like his manager.

Guest: This is an alternate time line where Ben's identity isn't revealed in Ultimate Alien, thanks to SHIELD wiping off all evidence.

Guest: Sounds like a dope intro. Or maybe Nat explaining Ben to the World Council

Guest: I understood that reference *points*

Flash: I kinda see Nemesis as a disgruntled competitor to Stark. Maybe his company value tanks, so he decides to steal sensitive Stark tech using his own suit.

Guest: Well, the task force is technically SHIELD, so...we'll see

Pete42: No, there will not be a love triangle. I can't stress how much I HATE love triangles. Hate them. I can talk about how they're a cheap way to create drama or tension in a relationship, or about how they require levels of mental gymnastics that make my brain melt.

That said, "Sun's going down" isn't making it into the story. There are a bunch of other ways to calm the Hulk down.

Mark: Yayyyyyyy

DuckBoi: Awww

Guest: We'll see

Eren: I like that...not sure what it means but I like that.

Ben 10 Supreme: Sounds awesome

Noobmaster69: Dang, Drax was there? I just missed him!

Rave: Oh definitely. I have a fun gag in mind for their interaction.

Guest: Yes, Ben still lost feedback.

Benny: Hmmm...not bad.

Bennyson: Yeah, Pakmar reminds me of the cabbage guy from Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Excelsior!!!