A/N: Apologies for the delays...
Chapter 10:
Storm Clouds
...
Natasha's ears rang as the cacophony of chaos echoed through the open streets. The Rooter's ambush highway had turned into a full-blown warzone, the asphalt littered with scorches and blasts of debris scattered across.
The superspy shook her head, an attempt to cling to consciousness even as dark spots dotted her vision. Sandwiched between several upturned cars, the redhead clutched her firearm tightly as she peeked from cover, preemptively scanning her surroundings.
To her right, Kevin's car had slammed into the streets, seemingly fused with the asphalt in a macabre twist of metal and concrete. Cap had barely enough time before unlatching the doors and letting everyone out at the last second, before the vehicle sailed over the bridge and smashed into the concrete underpass.
The aftermath of the crash had snowballed into a massive pile up that clogged the flow of traffic, leaving several cars strewn across the street, their former inhabitants fleeing the scene in a panic. Amidst the ruckus, the Rooters made their move, seizing the opportunity to pick off their victims one by one while Cap and the rest scrambled to regain their bearings.
Steve currently had his hands full, fending off the combined assault of Manny and Terroranchula Phil. As daunting as it was, the supersoldier's quick reflexes and agility kept him a step ahead, if only by a mere fraction. The Rooters were aggressive, pushing Steve well past his limits and pressuring him with relentless attacks from every angle.
PHOOOOMMMMM!!!!!
Leander's energy blast tore through the air, narrowly missing the redhead who ducked behind cover.
"You're gonna keep hiding or what?", Swift yelled as she circled the row of cars like a hawk, trying to pick off the superspy who remained crouched behind the rows of now abandoned cars. She briefly turned signaled to her partner, silently telling him to hold fire while she flushed out their target
The redhead promptly ducked as another blast sailed overhead, searing away at her cover. The superspy took a deep breath, stilling her nerves as she ventured another glance to survey her surroundings. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Swift approach.
Despite her timing the perfect shot as best as she could, Swift was demonstrably faster than any projectile coming her way. Another salvo of shots met with nothing but air, the Rooter easily avoiding the shots thanks to her alien physiology. Aerophibians were known to break the sound barrier on a regular basis, and Swift was no different.
Swift was swiftly cornering the redhead, boxing her in with well placed shots in their deadly game of peekaboo. The Aerophibian hybrid gritted her teeth as she pressed forward, mounting the pressure on her prey.
"I wonder how Tennyson would react when he finds you; two holes where your heart should be," the Rooter taunted, well aware of Natasha's presence hidden somewhere within the mess of cars that dotted the streets.
Swift's tone was taunting, laced with a mix of sadistic amusement and anticipation as she scanned the streets, "I suppose we won't have to wait too long to see his reaction."
The superspy took a shallow breath, careful not to blow her cover
"Y'know what pisses me off?", the Rooter continued after a brief pause, her tone laden with bile, "How alike we are"
Nat resisted the urge to roll her eyes as she squatted behind a nearby upturned truck. The acrid stench of smoke fumes billowing from the wreckage singed her nostrils, as her back pressed against the warm metal.
"Yeah, it's kinda cliche, but it's true", Swift continued, flexing her claws as she continued to scan her surroundings like a hawk, "I read your file, Agent Romanov. Absorbed every last gory little detail"
Nat's resolve finally cracked as she retorted, "Am I supposed to be flattered?"
"You were raised to be what you are, by people you despise", Swift said as she dashed behind the row of cars, only to sneer as she came up empty.
The superspy was nothing if not elusive.
"They don't know, do they?", Swift yelled out, a question seemingly directed at the empty air. Nat remained silent, keeping her firearm close.
"Thought so. You're just a facade, an empty shell parading as a person, playing dress-up hero. It's only a matter of time before everyone sees you, the REAL you. Especially your boyfriend"
BOOOMMMMM!!! Another blast cleared the row of cars that served as Nat's cover.
"You talk too much"
Swift's smug grin turned into a grimace as another shot rang out, outside her field of vision. Her durable Rooter armor took the hit, the bullet bouncing off harmlessly. The impact still rocked the Rooter, causing her torse to buck sideways momentarily.
Within a second, Swift had already materialized in front of the redhead, her eyes glowing, dangerous a and emerald. "And that's where we differ: I don't hide from who I am"
Nat raised her pistols, only for the alien hybrid to zap them out of her hands, the second shot nearly taking her fingers off with them.
The superspy sprang like a hare, closing the distance before sidestepping a claw swipe from the Rooter and latching on to the back. Her arms folded across Swift's neck, attempting to envelope her in a chokehold.
Enraged and irritated, Swift began to buck violently, taking to the air as she attempted to throw off the assassin. The two struggled in an aerial dance of
"On your left!", A familiar voice rang out, prompting Nat to unlatch her spider-like grip on the alien hybrid. She pivoted mid air, landing with her ankles tucke
WHUMP!!!!
Before she could land another blast, Swift was sent flying as Sam launched himself like a torpedo, propelled by his Wingsuit into the Rooter, sending her careening into the pavement.
"You okay?"
"Never better", muttered the superspy as she accepted the offered hand, getting pulled to her feet before eyeing him warily, "I could've used the backup a while ago"
"Needed to get my gear from the car", Sam –and there's some bad news too: Sharon's gone missing"
"Figures", Nat shook her head, her expression filled with weary resignation.
"Looks like she took off after using Sitwell as her personal crash test dummy", Sam shuddered a little bit as he glanced in the direction of the upturned vehicle, "Poor bastard never had a chance"
CRASHHHHHH
Their reunion had barely started when Steve was tossed off by Phil, crashing in their midst in a bruised heap. His shield had taken the brunt of the impact, but the supersoldier was still worse for wear. Multiple burns and scorch marks dotted his brown jacket, a testament to the vicious scuffle he'd just been in.
Despite his best efforts, the supersoldier was eventually overwhelmed by the pure brute force and combined assault of the brawny Rooters. Added to the fact that his shield only served as a conduit to Phil's electric blasts, Steve was practically defenseless against the Rooter's bombardment.
"Uhhhh, any chance we'll be getting reinforcements soon?", Sam's eyes flitted nervously between Nat and the Rooters as their attackers proceeded to corral them like cornered prey.
Nat shook her head, a ghost of a frown gracing her features as she surveryed the scene. Needless to say, the odds clearly were not in their favor; the Rooters simply outnumbered, outmuscled and could clearly outlast them. The team was effectively cornered, and quickly losing their escape window.
Not to mention their "reinforcement" was already well on his way to SHIELD Headquarters. Nat wanted to curse Ben's obsession with doing everything by himself, but another part of her wanted him to stay away and finish the mission. The same part that feared for what else Servantis had in store for them, if Swift's undercurrent of threats were to be believed.
Cap grunted as he scrambled to his feet, the superspy braced for another assault. Swift had already recovered
"Hey, leave 'em alone!", Kevin demanded as he yelled to Servantis, the latter merely silent with his cerulean eyes glued to the screen, the duo witnessing the events on the bridge unfold in real time. The Osmosian grew sick to his stomach, watching the Rooters ambush. There was something eerily familiar about their tactics, the fragmented vestiges of his uncovered memories pointed to the same tactics used while he was still working for the Rooters.
Divide and conquer, then corner the stragglers into a slow and deadly execution.
"If you think this will get Ben's attention…you have no idea what's coming"
Servantis slowly turned to face Kevin, featureless red orbs meeting the onyx-colored eyes of the prisoner. "Oh, but I do, dear Kevin…I have an exact idea of what will happen. In fact, I'm counting on it", he offered in a reserved yet quite disturbing tone.
Kevin paled as he witnessed the Proctor's expression twist into grim satisfaction, the corners of his mouth curved in a smug grin. The familiar itch clawed at the back of his mind again, letting know that what was about to transpire had Servantis' work all over it. It wouldn't be so far-fetched if Servantis burst into a villainous cackle, yet the Proctor re-trained his focus back to the monitors.
"The creation of the Amalgams, your mission, even now…all of this happened because of Tennyson. And now he knows it"
The screens blared with activity, seizing his attention once again. Servantis' low chuckle was unmistakeable as he observed the footage, seeing all the pieces of his plan fall together. Kevin watched on as the footage showed the arrival of a new yet familiar party.
"And so it begins…"
...
BOOOOOOOOM
Natasha shielded her eyes against a volley of dust and heat that billowed from the crash and its subsequent impact, her heart sinking a little as she already knew who it was. Debris and smoke filled the air, causing both sides to back away instinctively.
The smoldering crater crackled in a blaze of molten asphalt, leaving the surrounding areas in flames as Ben stepped out of the inferno in his Pyronite form. The volcanic creature's expression was less readable, but his demeanor already spoke volumes. Each step Ben took charred the ground, leaving a burnt claw mark in its wake as he marched towards the group.
For a fraction of a second, time seemed to stand still. Natasha's agile mind, usually so sharp and calculating, struggled to process the surreal sight before her. The scorching heat radiated in waves, washing over the atmosphere around them like an inferno unleashed.
"Ben…?", was all Nat could muster, blue eyes widened with apprehension at the visage of the molten humanoid. Heat radiated off his form in waves, the embers within the Pyronite glowing with fury, practically boiling the air around him.
The shapeshifter paid the redhead no mind as he turned to face the Rooters, his focus squarely on the squad of elite Plumber agents. To their credit, Phil and Swift seemed rather unfazed at the arrival
"You're in the way"
Ben finally said, a low rumble in his tone as he glared holes into the Rooters. That's all they were, a distraction to draw him away from SHIELD. All a damn ruse concocted by Servantis to mess with him, by threatening his friends. Too bad for them, anyways. Threatening the ones Ben cared for never ended well for the other guy.
While Cap and the rest hung back—practically left at the back foot, Tennyson squared off with the Rooters.
Before anyone else to could act, Ben had shot off like a cannon. Propelled by two fiery jets on his palms, the Pyronite launched himself like a cannon, blasting straight into the group.
"Hit the deck!!", Manny yelled out in warning, already diving out of the way.
BLAAMMMMMMMM!!!!!!
Phil posed the most realistic threat from experience, so he had to be taken out first. Double fist to the gut, with an added measure of firepower hit the Terroranchula like a shotgun blast. The Rooter bounced off the tarmac and into the nearby walkways in a smoking heap. For the moment, he was out of commission, and the next person on Ben's list had already made her appearance as she zipped past him in a blur.
Ben slammed both hands into the ground in a molten blaze, within moments he'd superheated the asphalt into a blackened, boiling sludge. Kinecelerans lost their speed advantage within compromised terrain, Helen was no different. Within seconds she was rendered immobile, stuck as the boiled asphalt practically sucked her in like quicksand while she flailed helplessly.
Helen's erratic movements and her lack of chatter should've clued the shapeshifter in on the fact that something was off about the Rooters, but at this point he wasn't much for contemplation.
Without missing a beat, Ben slapped the Omnitrix, switching forms just in time to phase through Leander and Swift's combined attack. Amphibian stretched his tendrils as he returned fire, sending volleys of lighting at the duo. Swift's aerial maneuverability let her escape the line of fire while Leander wasn't so lucky, the lightning blasts catching him mid roll and sending him .
Another flash of light, and Ben had taken a new form. Terraspin spread his large flippers before rotating his entire body like a reverse windmill, creating a vortex of rushing wind that caught Swift in its currents. The Aerophibian hybrid was torn from her aerial advantage and sent crashing into the rows of abandoned cars that dotted the underpass.
FLASSHHHHHHHH
Rapidly switching between forms, Ben was an unstoppable force of nature. Until that point, neither of the two Avengers on the team had seen him let loose, yet remain so clinically detached as he effortlessly dispatched the elite Plumbers. For every alien they could adapt to, he'd switch up his tactics and introduce new problems into the mix. Occasionally they would get in a few hits before trying to regroup, but the Omnitrix Wielder would be quick to recover and pressure them into the back foot once again.
Cap could only watch as the fight wore on with time, as Tennyson made it anything but a fight. He'd already switched up forms again, his Diamondhead form neutralizing Leander's energy beams as he reached forwards, large crystalline hands piercing through the full blast of radiation before his coarse fingers latched on to Leander's visor, grabbing the Rooter and raising him off his feet. With a sharp pivot, the Prypiatosapian hybrid was swung in an arc midair before being sent into the ground in a vicious slam. The metallic crunch cut through the chaos of the fight and filled the supersoldier's ears.
Steve turned to Natasha, the duo tearing their eyes away from the macabre display of violence, sharing a brief exchange of unspoken words. The same question burned through their minds even as the tables had turned in their team's favor.
How long could they watch before they could intervene—pending on if they could?
...
"What the hell do you think you're doing?"
"What do you think this is about?", Servantis retorted, his clawed digits pointing to the Osmosian before levelling at the screen that held their attention for the better part of the last hour. Multiple feeds, all showing the same thing f4rom different angles, the same subject seen through multiple perspectives.
"This, Kevin…is what I want you to see…what you failed to see all this time", Servantis' pupil-less eyes were blown wide open, his expression torn between morbid delight and raw indignance. Like he was guiding a child to solve an obvious problem, "all of that unchecked power, he was never supposed to wield it! You knew it this entire time!!"
"You're gonna get them killed!", Kevin yelled, "And over what? So you can prove your point?"
"So that you can finish the job, Agent Levin", The Proctor's tone pierced coldly through the Osmosian's outburst. Kevin bristled slightly, yet his next words remained trapped in his mouth as Servantis continued.
"Everything led us, led you to this moment. From the time I took you in, trained you..."
"I'm not your damned hitman", Kevin spat as his eyes burned in defiance, "if you wanted to take him out, you should've done the job yourself". Servantis shrugged in an uncharacteristic manner, content to let the youngster rebel all he wanted, knowing it wasn't going to change a thing. The Proctor sighed deeply, his fingers hovering over the console before tapping several keys in succession.
The machinery hissed in response before the locks that powered Kevin's cell died down,
"But he was your responsibility, your mission…and now there are lives at stake", The Proctor reminded, reaching a hand out to the Osmosian, a gesture that received a wary glance from the latter. Servantis withdrew the gesture before rising up to his full height, looming over the Osmosian.
"Your friends—your true friends are in grave danger, Agent Levin"
Kevin's attention momentarily drifted to the monitors that hovered above the consoles, his gaze transfixed on the image of Ben in yet another alien form blasting away the Rooters before switching to yet another form. He felt torn, unable to register anything but the pure chaos unfolding before his very eyes.
"You know what you must do, and you have the strength to do it"
The Osmosian paled over, his eyes glassy and unfocused as he turned back to Servantis. The Proctor's features seemed even wilder than before,
"Save everyone from Ben Tennyson"
...
FWOOOOOOOSHHHHHHH
A blast of water jets from WaterHazard send Phil hurtling across the concrete, bouncing several times with wet thuds before skidding to a halt as his massive furry frame slammed into yet another wall. The Rooter groaned as every nerve in his body seemed to seize all at once; water and electricity did not have a fond relationship, especially with Terrorranchula DNA swimming in his veins.
Phil had loathed every aspect of Servantis' plan. Their goal had been simple; keep Tennyson occupied and away from SHIELD HQ—or at least as simple as the Proctor had led them to believe. Messing with the Tennysons had been a bonus for him, after all the hell they'd put him through, especially the brunette runt of the litter himself. As it turned out, they were all tougher than they looked, both Tennyson and his little girlfriend
What was supposed to be an ambush had turned into a nightmare ordeal for all the Rooters, as the situation unfolded it was clear Tennyson had somehow become a whole different beast in just the span of a few hours. The kid was a tough customer; he pulled punches less, and hit harder than anyone Phil had ever encountered in his layered and perilous history as an Agent.
Despite the Rooters having the clear numbers advantage, the power differential was vast, miles apart even. It felt almost surreal, how outmatched the Omnitrix Wielder made the most elite of the elite plumbers look by comparison.
Phil could see how Servantis' label of "The Coming Storm" started to make sense, judging from his fight or flight instincts rapidly settling in. He summoned every ounce of energy to rise to his feet, just as the Rooter became aware of the distinct damp footsteps approaching.
"Stay down", the shapeshifter's eyes glowed with a menacing glare as he towered over the Rooter, "that's your final warning"
"Heh", Phil couldn't help the chuckle that escaped his maw, spitting out a glob of phlegm as he eyed the shapeshifter, "that kinda hurt, hero. Your gramps teach you that move?". The Rooter was clearly on his last legs, but that didn't stop his abrasive tongue from poking fun directly at Tennyson.
"Where's Servantis?", Ben queried, ignoring the Rooter's verbal jab.
"Heh...guess interrogation tactics clearly weren't part of your Plumbers' training regimen," the Rooter taunted, a smirk playing on his lips. Phil regarded the Omnitrix Wielder with a mocking gaze, trying to aggravate him even more. "You're out of luck if you think I'll spill anything to you, twerp. He's already got you exactly where he wants you to be"
"I can't believe I ever thought you were actually worth something, Phil", Ben spat
"Story of my life", Phil snorted in contempt, grunting sharply as he staggered to his feet, "Here's a lesson, kid; You try to play the hero, and you go nowhere fast. I just chose to do things…my way"
Natasha's eyes widened in horror as the Omnitrix Wielder roughly yanked the bruised and battered Rooter to his feet, Phil reeling back as Ben smacked him clean across the jaw. The sickening crunch of an armored fist meeting solid flesh sent pangs through the redhead's heart, leaving her petrified in shock
Ben never took anyone serious, always managed to find his zone even in the midst of the chaos. The shapeshifting hero she knew was nowhere to be found, having been replaced with a visage of what she'd feared as the worst-case scenario. As if the image of the one she'd once knew had crumbled, shattered and broken forever. She'd witnessed interrogations and been interrogated more times than she could count, and yet the sight unfolding before her made somehow made the assassin's stomach churn.
WHAPP!!!!
THUD!!!
CRUNCH!!!!!
"Where—is—Servantis??!!!", Ben yelled repeatedly with each blow, each resounding with a sickening crunch. Phil's vacant stare and permanent grin was all that was left of his bruised and bloodied face as the Omnitrix Weilder rained down even more punishment. Phil struggled to resist as he weakly tried to grab at Ben's arms. The second time his face met the solid bone of Ben's fist, whatever fight left in him evaporated.
Natasha wanted to yell anything to get him to stop, to get him to calm down. The sheer display on brutality from the shapeshifter felt like a bad dream, an anomaly in his normally easygoing and laid-back persona, even on the battlefield. Before she could will her body to snap out of its trance and move, she noticed something else from the corner of her eye.
The air around the bridge warped as a low hum filled the ears of everyone present, announcing the arrival of the newest guest. The crimson glow of the Null Void temporarily bathed the surrounding area in its hue as the portal crackled through the air with a burst of energy.
"That's enough!"
The unmistakable tilt of Kevin's voice completely took the shapeshifter by surprise. Ben had been expecting Servantis, judging from the Rooter's ambush and the call from earlier. Instead, it was the friend he'd spent the majority of the past few days looking for, only to have him appear out of the blue.
Steve turned to Natasha, confusion etched on his features. The team had done nothing for the past few minutes but spectate from the sidelines, the trio clearly battle worn and bruised while Ben took on the impending threat of the Rooters by his lonesome. It was rather obvious; they were outclassed and Ben had always been their trump card.
Now he wasn't even sure what Tennyson was anymore, the shapeshifter's display of sheer ferocity feeling less like a rescue and more like a crime scene unfolding in real time. With their luck, the authorities would soon be on their way to compound what was already a complicated scene
Now the soldier could sense that the tempo of the battlefield had shifted with the arrival of the Osmosian, his razor-sharp senses detecting that something was genuinely…off about the whole situation.
"How…", Ben began, only to be cut off by the Osmosian. Kevin's gaze swept through the carnage of the scene before him, taking in the extent of the damage that had been caused in the wake of the confrontation between Ben and the Rooters.
His eyes settled on the beaten forms of Swift and Helen in the corner, Manny weakly picking himself up from a blanket of debris that nearly buried him. Scorch marks and cracks streaked the landscape around them as though a miniature war had taken place on the streets.
"You're not hurting anyone else", Kevin narrowed his eyes, channeling a rather menacing aura. The same aura Ben possessed, alongside as twisted scowl that pulled at his features.
The shapeshifter tilted his head, clearly at his wit's end. Clearly not the reunion he'd envisioned, judging from his supposed best friend's demeanor. Kevin's gaze was sunken, hollowed out even more than usual. Something else Servantis would have to answer for. Speaking of…
"Wasn't trying to", Ben attempted to reason, tearing his gaze away from Manny as he struggled to pull Helen out of the concrete that solidified over her frail ankles. He huffed before letting go of Phil Billings, the Rooter slumping to the ground limp without any resistance. "Servantis has been messing with their heads, with your head."
"Funny you should say that", Kevin gestured for Ben to look around, "I could say the same about you"
Ben felt his frustration well up as he clenched his fists. Kevin had finally returned, but the shadowy presence of Servantis hovered over him, clearly pulling the strings. They were still on a timetable with Hydra about to reshape the political landscape of the world in one fell swoop, courtesy of SHIELD's failures and incompetency.
"Can't you see? This is exactly what Servantis wants!!!", the shapeshifter argued, pointing at the rest of the Rooters, "he sent them!! And I'm pretty sure he's watching right now!!"
"It's over, Ben…you're done here"
"It's not over until I get my hands on Servantis!", the brunette shot back in exasperation.
"Revenge isn't the answer, Ben—you know this"
"Did Servantis screw with your head again? Did you forget what he did to you? To the Plumber's Kids? He's the reason my Grandpa's still nowhere in sight"
Both of their eyes narrowed, verdant green against jet-black orbs in a clash of wills as they slowly began to circle one another.
"Oh I remember…", Kevin replied darkly, taking a daunting step forwards as he reached out towards the shapeshifter, "I remember everything!"
No more words were needed; Kevin had seen everything he needed to. Whatever this was, he knew for sure that it was slowly getting out of hand. If Ben wasn't capable of seeing it, Kevin would force him to see.
FZZAAAAATTTTTT
Bolts of red lightning travelled along Kevin's fingertips as he reached out, faster than the Omnitrix Wielder could register. Currents of energy coursed through the Osmosian's arm, channeling energy through to the Orishan's forehead. In that instance, Ben felt the waves of memories and thoughts cascade, flowing through his mind.
Energy swirled and rippled from their contact, letting free a blast of energy that enveloped the duo.
…….
Heavy breathing… panic. Unbearable agony.
He was seeing through a different set of eyes, almost alien in . He was cold, trapped, held against his will.
Chatter flowed endlessly, punctuated by the hum of machinery around him. Multiple lights from angles outside his vision poured him, nearly overloading his unbearably acute senses.
He groaned inaudibly as his massive frame jolt from the effects of the substances flowing into his veins. His monstrous visage yelled back at him through the reflection of the glass nearby.
"Subject is going into shock!! Check his vitals!!!"
He tried to summon any amount of energy to his weakening body.
Fight back. Escape
"We have to pull the plug!"
His teeth rattled as his body continued to spasm in short bursts, paroxysms that nearly shook him off the cold table if it weren't for the biting straps that held him down. Dipping in and out of consciousness, his forms kept dilating, between the human and the monstrous amalgam of alien limbs that defined his alter ego.
Roooaaarrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!
How long had he been here? Days? Weeks? Months?
The flow of time seemed to dilate as he remained
"No", a familiar voice bellowed in the background, cutting through the myriad of voices lost amongst the din. "We have to see him through. The asset is too valuable for us to stop now"
Several more machines poked at his fragile frame, the metallic tinge of blood and viscera filling his lungs. He thrashed around some more, nearly upturning the tables that held more medical equipment. An unfamiliar label caught his eye, even as his eyes darted around in blind panic while his body flailed helplessly
WEAPON XI
S.H.I.E.L.D
Raw dread seeped through Ben's nerves as he read the words scrawled on the cold metallic surface. No, it was Kevin's dread. They were linked, intertwined within the vestiges of his fragmented memories. He could feel every raw sensation, every emotion the osmosian could feel at this point.
"But Director Fury—"
"Commence the next procedure", the familiar voice interrupted, his tone betraying no emotion as he barked out orders.
As a new wave of agony washed over his consciousness, he could briefly make out the faces of his new captors. Amongst the many staff that were covered in medical gear, one stood in the shadows, clad in both black and darkness. His vision swirled as unconsciousness began to take hold of him, pulling him into the wakeless abyss.
…..
Ben let out a sharp breath as the vivid images faded from his mind, and the world slowly came back into clear focus. A chill coursed through his unfamiliar form as he looked down at his trembling hands. These tremors were the lingering aftermath of delving into Kevin's disturbing memories of the past. The emotions and sensations were overwhelming, too intense, leaving the shapeshifter's thoughts in disarray.
His surroundings gradually came into focus, revealing the eerie emptiness of the place. Abandoned cars line the road, their shattered windows reflecting a world gone mad. Ben balled his fists, his breath ragged as he attempted to gain focus, and a distant, echoing yell still ringing in his ears.
"Ben!!!"
The air was filled with the distant wail of police sirens wail, growing louder with each passing second. Ben clutched his throbbing head as he turned to see Kevin's unconscious form on the cracked pavement. For a moment the shapeshifter was transfixed in place, fearing the worst for his friend.
He barely registered the footsteps that approached, nor did he recall seeing Nat and Cap rush to the scene, with the passing threat of the Rooters being pacified for the time being. Manny was still the only one conscious enough to even move, and he was preoccupied with caring for his Kineceleran companion.
Cap was the first to reach the duo, promptly following the shapeshifter's vacant gaze to the dark-haired youth now prone on the ground. Natasha exchanged a worried glance with Cap, the grim implication of their situation sinking in. Stepping closer, he placed two fingers on the Osmosian's neck, nodding sharply once the supersoldier confirmed a pulse.
"He's still breathing", Steve nodded back to the Omnitrix Wielder, still in alien form. Ben nodded slowly in reply, turning to acknowledge the concerned redhead beside him. He shrank a little at Nat's battle-weary gaze, the redhead's eyes carried a mixture of emotions too complicated for words, so she simply swallowed silently before nodding in reassurance.
More sirens filled the air, the cacophony of noises nearly drowning out their words completely. Within moments, the highway was overtaken with a bevy of armored vehicles that soon filled the streets, with the familiar logo emblazoned on their sides.
"Shit…of course they had to show up now", Natasha cursed under her breath, color draining from her face as more units pulled in. A heavy breeze kicked in as multiple choppers descended, multiple guns and searchlights aimed at the group.
It didn't take long for the SHIELD units to pour out of the vehicles, garbed head to toe in tactical gear that glinted in the eerie ambient light, a stark contrast to the abandoned cars and shattered windows that painted a grim backdrop. Clearly, Hydra had chosen to pull out all the stops, hoping to kill two birds in one stone.
The last agent to emerge from a vehicle was none other than Rumlow himself, barking orders to everyone within range. The troops marched in formation, quickly surrounding the group with firearms raised and ready.
" Stand down!!"
Ben growled as his laid eyes on Rumlow—he was definitely the last person he needed to see right now. Nat seemed to have the same sentiments as they glared at the bevy of agents that held them at gunpoint.
"We have you surrounded!! Get on the ground!! Now!!!"
Taking on the squad posed little to no issue for Ben, but there were too many complications. The Rooters were a full set of wild cards, and as for Kevin…he needed to get everyone out as soon as possible. It didn't help that several sniper dots hovered dangerously over the trio, and while the Captain had his shield, Natasha was far from bulletproof.
The Rooters had barely regrouped before they too were dragged into Hydra's firing line, multiple gunmen keeping their weapons primed on the Plumber
"Rumlow? This wasn't part of the deal", Swift called out, her arm looped around Leander as he dragged them both, her breath hitching with every labored movement they made. Her hand clutched her ribs gingerly; Tennyson had definitely broken something nasty.
"Do me a favor and shut the hell up, freak", the Hydra agent snapped, leveling a crude glare at the Rooter before signaling to his men. "Keep your sights on 'em, weapons hot. If anyone so much as twitches, open fire"
"Trust me Rumlow, you don't wanna be here", Steve warned, trying to keep the situation from escalating even further. There was already enough collateral damage without SHIELD, or Hydra for that matter, stepping in.
"On the contrary Captain Rogers, I do", Rumlow dismissed bluntly, keeping his narrow gaze trained on the supersoldier, "You and your merry band of psychos have been all over the news. And as of a few moments ago, you're officially a matter of National Security. I've got orders from the Secretary to bring you in. All of you"
He turned to the shapeshifter, "That goes for you too, hotshot. You might be able to take some of us out, but you're not stopping everyone else from getting pumped full of lead"
"Wanna bet on that?", Ben sneered as he took a step further, ready to lay the smackdown on the most punchable face he'd ever encountered.
FZZZZZZZZTTTTTT
A low hum crackled through the air, drawing everyone's attention to the Osmosian as he began to stir. Bands of red lightning coursed through his body, contorting and twisting like a puppet on invisible strings.
"Ben?', Nat turned to the shapeshifter nervously, herself unsure of what to do next. The surrounding agents quickly grew skittish at the display, some sharing nervous looks amongst each other. For the first time in years, Ben felt a shiver trickle down his spine.
"The hell—"
"Get back!!", Ben yelled in warning
THOOOOOOOMMMMM
Eerie laughter rang in the air, clear and ominous. The air split violently as energy crackled through the air, the Osmosian's body erupting in a blast of energy. The agents surrounding them were thrown aback, the energy surge sending shockwaves that played havoc with their equipment and their composure.
Kevin's bloodshot eyes shot open; his canines bared in a wolfish grin as his form began to shift in a violent metamorphosis. Multiple appendages sprang from his back, one limb taking a rocky texture and swelling in size. Crystalline growths sprouted from the second, his still humanoid face sprouting a familiar growth as several more features began to materialize on his skin.
Ben felt an overwhelming sense of Deja vu. He and Kevin fighting on a bridge, surrounded by multiple SHIELD Agents. Yet again, he'd seen Kevin transform into his Amalgam form. But how?
"He touched the Omnitrix", the shapeshifter whispered in realization. Cap and Nat turned to him in bewilderment, as Ben's fingers instinctively flew to the dial in preparation. As he slammed on it, Rumlow barked back at his entourage.
"Open fire!!!!"
A chorus of sharp reports rang out as the soldiers discharged their weapons in unison. Muzzle flashes erupted from the barrels, and a volley of bullets flew through the air with lethal intent.
The relentless assault lasted for a few seconds before the firing ceased, revealing the barrage of bullets dangling uselessly in the air.
Not a single round had managed to find its mark, courtesy of the Osmosian using his Galiliean appendage to suspend the projectiles in a gravitational field. His visage had swollen twice it's original size, now a mass of writhing limbs each sampled from the Omnitrix's menagerie of genetic data.
"Hehehe…", Kevin cackled as he slowly turned to Ben, his voice warped with his new transformation, "really, hero? Is this what you're fighting for???"
Ben's eyes widened as Kevin let out a devastating roar, violent gusts of wind whipping apart the surrounding areas, the shrieking noise shaking the Earth to its very foundations. The agents surrounding them were flung backwards, Kevin's gravitational field tearing up the tarmac into chunks and flinging the debris like grapeshots whilst he remained at the epicenter of the seismic storm.
"Shit—fall back!!!", Rumlow's orders were drowned out in the devastation that followed, erasing whatever semblance of control he assumed he had over the situation. Several cries and yells followed as Kevin's attacks became more erratic; streams of acid dispersed like rain and fiery bolts of lightning rained down overhead in a caustic shower of brimstone
WHOOOOOOMMMMMMMMM
Switching forms to Gravattack, Ben harnessed the fundamental forces to create his own barrier, acting as a buffer to keep Kevin's seismic onslaught at bay. Kevin hovered overhead, towering over the shapeshifter with a malignant grin. Turbulent winds whipped violently as their opposing forces clashed, an unstoppable force meeting an immovable barrier.
"Dammit Kevin!! What the hell do you think you're doing?!!", the Galilean yelled through gritted teeth, his arms slowly being worn out from the effort of keeping Kevin's gravity storm at bay.
"Finishing what you started!", the Osmosian retorted, his face contorting into a vicious snarl, "You're not the only one who can let loose when you feel threatened!!"
Panicked yells surrounded the duo as the rest of Rumlow's crew scurried in a mad scramble to avoid the onslaught. Cap and the rest of the team didn't fare much better, barely able to find cover amidst the rubble that dotted the ravaged tarmac.
"You're gonna get everyone killed!!", Ben grunted, reaching his arm back before slamming it into Kevin's gravity field. The barrier collapsed with a thunderous clap, shockwaves rippling away from the impact in a spiralling pattern that sent the Osmosian careening backwards.
"I guess I have you to thank!", Kevin gloated, his voice even more guttural and distorted than before, "everything I am is because of you! Not Servantis, not the Plumbers, not SHIELD. You started everything! And I'm gonna end it!"
"You're insane"
Kevin lunged directly at him, the duo meeting in a clash of fists that left them wrestling at each other for dominance
"On the contrary", the osmosian jeered, "I'm saner than I ever have been"
Ben's eyes narrowed with concern, as the osmosian's condition seemed to worsen. Every passing passing moment served to remind him of that time…the last time Kevin had turned out this way.
The Forge of Creation. Aggregor.
Was it about to happen again?
…..
The results were truly well beyond what Servantis' expectations. The distraction was effective enough to pull Tennyson exactly where the Proctor wanted him to be. He understood what made him tick, knew what made the famed intergalactic hero. The shapeshifter wasn't one to be intimidated or swayed, but his loyalties were a noticeable exploit. A grandiose powerhouse with
The ambush on the other hand, was the perfect setup to observe the Omnitrix Wielder as he let loose, gauging just how much of a threat Tennyson could be. The Rooters were the unfortunate test subjects, but someone as meticulous as Servantis would always have a failsafe waiting around. Specifically, one Kevin Ethan. Levin. The silver bullet loaded in the gun, ready to fire at a moment's notice—the Rooter's ambush serving as the perfect powder keg to set off the chain of events.
"What will you do now, Tennyson?" he mused aloud, encircled by the low hum of monitors and the array of equipment, his morbid fascination undiminished as he continued to observe the unfolding events. Levin's transformation marked an unforeseen twist however, the almagam powers had always been a tough nut to crack, even for an enhanced mind like Servantis.
It was feral, like a beast caged within the miniscule confines of the human mind. Having all the abilities of Tennyson could be an asset, but not with the caveat of putting a leash on his asset. At least, there was always that safeguard; Kevin's mind was still at most, human by nature. Servantis still had his hooks dug deep, ready to pull if need be. Osmosians were naturally a difficult species to handle, after all.
The last time the Osmosian went berserk, it cost them the mission. And worse, it nearly exposed the entire program, forcing the Proctor to resort to less than favorable bargains with some rather unsavory figures. Once his supposed allies were done with their global plans, he could be rid of them once and for all.
"Proctor!" Swift's voice sharply cut through the commotion, the cacophony of battle sounds seeping through as well. "We require an immediate extraction!"
Servantis grimaced, "Negative, agent. Your order stays the same. Take the level 20 threat out. This might be our only chance t-
"Don't gimme that crap!!", his subordinate snapped, cutting him off immediately, "Not like this...not with the kids and civilians still in the way. Levin is out of control and Tennyson can snap any minute, and a lot could get hurt! I didn't sign up for this, and they sure as hell didn't!"
"You forget who you're talking to girl", Servantis sneered, his words laced with a razor tipped edge. Swift however, was completely undeterred
"Pull us out...",
"Agent Swift, I'm ordering you to—"
"PULL US OUT!!!"
Her outburst was enough to give him pause, however it did nothing for his already soured mood. He'd trained her to be better than this after all. The battlefield was no place for children, and the little girl he'd brought in those many years ago had been hardened into a weapon
"…pull us out or I walk", Swift demanded, her tone carrying an air of finality. Another pause filled their conversation, punctuated only by the chaos on the streets as Ben and Kevin's battle continued to wear on.
Servantis was so close. He could feel it. A situation this delicate required the full cooperation of his team. Swift's sanctimonious protests had no bearing on his decision-making process, yet the thought persisted; The Rooters needed Levin to finish the job, but they also needed the element of subterfuge. Unnecessary attention was undue for
"Fine", he sighed. There was no rush after all—and like Servantis said, they weren't SHIELD. Or Hydra. The distinctions were irrelevant at this point. He had what he needed, the final piece of his plan.
"Bring Levin with you"
Servantis had spent years planning this very moment, he could wait another few moments. He was a surgeon, and this was still his operating table. Swift represented something he once admired in himself; the ability to follow orders, yet do so without blind trust. In any case, he'd gotten the data he needed. After all, everything was still going according to plan.
…….
This was definitely not according to plan, Ben thought as he was tangled in a mass of vines courtesy of Kevin. He fought against his bindings, but more just seemed to sprout up out of nowhere and tightened alongside the shapeshifter's
"Gotta say, this new form is even better than the other ones!", Kevin mused as he flexed his other alien arms, sprouting even more vines. The vines continued to snake across Ben's gargantuan arms, limiting his movement down to his fingers. Ben groaned in exasperation, the fight slowly beginning to wear at the shapeshifter. He'd been in alien form for hours on end and the energy output had slowly begun to task his body.
"Kevin", he attempted to reason while trying to squeeze out enough muscle room to escape, "we don't gain anything by fighting! If I don't get to SHIELD HQ, Hydra could kill millions!"
"You're not going anywhere, hero", Kevin growled, "now it's just you and me. And I'm gonna finish what I should've all those years when we were kids"
"Do you really think—ugh!", Ben gritted his teeth in effort, "killing me is gonna solve anything??!!"
"You're the coming storm, Tennyson", the Osmosian's eyes glowed radioactive, the hazardous energy spikes practically boiling the air around him with an audible hiss, "All this time I've blamed myself for everything I've done, for being a monster. When it has always been you! The Almagam Kids, Alpha Squad…everything went wrong because you couldn't leave things well enough alone!"
Ben's eyes narrowed, "If you really think that what happened to you is my fault...then you're just as delusional as he is"
Kevin didn't notice the car behind him had begun to levitate, before it swung at him with pure centrifugal source. Like a pendulum, the massive projectile slammed into Kevin with a metallic crunch, stunning him temporarily and allowing the shapeshifter to break free. Without skipping a beat, Ben dove straight for Kevin, slamming his shoulder into the Osmosian's gut. The reaction was instant as Kevin fell to his knees, with the wind nearly completely knocked out of him.
Ben glowered at Kevin, his fists humming with gravitational energy, "You never were the brightest, Kevin...I just didn't expect you to be this goddamn stupid"
WHOOOOOOOMMMMMM
A glowing portal ripped through the air, bathing the surroundings in its eerie glow.
"Levin!!", came Swift's voice, the Rooter having gained enough strength to move on her own. She gestured at the portal, before nodding to the rest of the Rooters as they began to flee.
"I'm not finished yet—"
"We're too exposed out here", Swift shook her head in disagreement to whatever childish argument the almagam wanted to offer. The agent was currently low in patience and rather high in exhaustion. "This has gone on for too long. Servantis is waiting"
The words seemed to strike an unseen chord in the Osmosian's mind, pulling him out of whatever state he was in prior.
In the distance, more sirens began to wail, alerting them to the incoming arrival of reinforcements. Kevin grunted in frustration, turning back to the shapeshifter as the rest of the Rooters made their escape.
"We're not done, hero—you and I have unfinished business", Kevin seethed, the mention of the Proctor's name enough to dissuade any further conflict. One way or another, he was going to settle the score. For now, the Osmosian had the others to look out for.
The portal slipped close behind Kevin with a crackling fizz, leaving Ben and his team alone with the devastation that remained. One could barely recognize the highway in the aftermath of their encounter with the Rooters and particularly from Kevin's rampage. Ben had done his best to mitigate the damage, but the shapeshifter's mind seemed elsewhere. Like a broken record, the same words kept repeating in his mind as he remained rooted to the spot, the smell of burning asphalt singeing his nostrils.
Not again.
…….
"What the damn hell, Rumlow?!!!"
"We had a…complication", Rumlow sighed as he rode in the back of the truck with his men. The remaining few that had managed to avoid the brunt of the Osmosian's rampage managed to draw their forces back. A tactical retreat would be the official name for what they'd done, if only what they fled from weren't so…cataclysmic.
Fleeing a crime scene never felt so oddly cathartic.
"You had a job, Agent", Director Maria Hill's stern voice filtered through his comms, "contain the situation before it got worse. Now we've got a proper shitstorm on our hands. I've got everyone barking down my ear, from the National Guard to the Pentagon!! What part of that is contained???"
"Yeah, well I wasn't counting on your boy to go all Godzilla on us", the agent sighed as he massaged his temples, trying to calm his already frayed nerves. "And I'm not even gonna talk about whoever—or whatever the hell he was fighting"
"Maybe you should've taken the situation more seriously", Maria barked back, reprimanding the agent "and now the damn floodgates are open, and you bet your ass the press will have a field day with this one. Goddamnit, we already have a lot on our table without getting bombarded by the public."
"We'll handle the press", grumbled the agent, his brow caked in sweat and blood, "besides, it's not like Tennyson's our problem anymore at least"
"He's everyone's problem, Rumlow", the SHIELD Director stressed, the frustration evident in her tone. She'd barely a week in her new office as Director and
While it didn't seem like it at first, Rumlow had begun to seriously question Hydra's partnership with the Rooters. Although initially beneficial for their course, the rogue plumbers were more trouble than they were worth.
At the very least, they could handle that pain-in-the-ass Tennyson, keep him in check. What he saw today was…well, unbelievable didn't cut it. As Strucker would say; they lived in an era of miracles. He wasn't particularly big on religion or the like, and he definitely didn't care two licks about the loudmouth with a fancy wristwatch. He trusted in his gut, and his orders.
And if Hydra had any chance to lay claim to this era, compromises needed to be made. Allying themselves with the Rooters was indubitably, one of such concessions. Brock Rumlow hated that feeling, the sheer helplessness of the situation as he could only retreat while the two powerhouses went to town on each other.
If there was any more indication of how dangerous Tennyson could be, it was clear and evident on the bridge. Proof that the so called "heroes" couldn't be trusted, with all that power in their hands. If all went according to plan, all that power would soon be in Hydra's hands, free to be put to actual good use.
Project Insight was Hydra's door into the new world, and the Rooters were part of the key.
……
"Everyone alright?", Cap called out, moments after the portal closed. The aftermath of the fight left the group picking up after themselves. Running a hand through his
"Not even close", Sam shook his head, glancing warily in Ben's direction as the shapeshifter cradled Natasha in his arms. The redhead had slumped in his arms from pure exhaustion,
"Nat? Nat?"
Stepping closer, Cap placed an arm on the brunette's shoulder. "How is she?"
"I don't know", Ben turned to Cap, trepidation clearly visible in his gaze. The adrenaline from the fight had worn off, leaving the shapeshifter on his last legs and barely able to support his own weight, much less the now unconscious superspy.
"We need to get her out of here", the supersoldier opined, crouching down to loop an arm around her before gently hoisting the redhead up.
"No hospitals though", Sam pointed out, taking a deep sigh as he clutched his side uncomfortably, "unless we want more trouble from SHIELD. Specifically, more bullets from their goons".
And of course, there was still the doomsday clock over their heads, ticking ominously. Before the team could make their move, their attention was drawn to a roar of engine jets as the wind around them picked speed. Ben was instantly put on guard as he recognized the familiar hull of a SHIELD Quinjet materialize completely out of thin air, decloaking to reveal the advanced aircraft landing on the streets.
"Sorry I'm late", came a familiar voice, causing the shapeshifter's eyes to widen in surprise as the owner of said voice alighted from the Quinjet's landing gear, "living under the radar isn't what it used to be"
"Coulson?"
The older man nodded as he pulled off his trademark shades to survey the area, shaking his head in quiet disapproval before gesturing to the team, "Quite a mess we've got here, huh?"
…….
"Well…it's about damn time…"
"You've gotta be kidding me", Ben exhaled as he was greeted to the sight of a very much alive Nick Fury, in what seemed to be an intensive care unit. Lab equipment and monitors occupied every inch of space, save for the hospital bed in the center of the underground facility.
"Lacerated spinal column, cracked sternum, shattered collarbone, perforated liver, one hell of a headache", Fury shrugged, "there's no kidding about that, Tennyson"
"Don't forget your headache", Coulson chimed in
Coulson had extracted them from the streets just in time to avoid the authorities and the media from swarming the team, and soon they'd arrived at an inconspicuous hideout. The base was largely makeshift, but managed to have all the utilities necessary to run a covert operation within the back end of absolutely nowhere.
The rest of the team was just as dumbstruck. Fury was apparently well enough to stand on his two feet, as they adjourned in the meeting room. Natasha had barely gotten her wounds treated when she finally opened her mouth to speak, her voice raspy and cracked with strained cadence.
"They cut you open, your heart stopped"
"Tetrodotoxin B", Fury revealed, shifting his weight gingerly as he continued, "Slows the pulse to one beat a minute. Banner developed it for stress. Didn't work so great for him, but we found a use for it."
"Why all the secrecy? Why not just tell us?", Steve queried, still incredulous as the sight of the Director. Clearly, cheating death was only par for the course in their line of work.
"Any attempt on the Director's life had to appear successful", Coulson explained. As he put in, Coulson was essentially the inside man for Fury, carrying out the necessary procedures on behalf of the ex-Director while keeping them one step ahead of SHIELD itself.
"Can't kill you if you're already dead", Fury's steely gaze never wavered from the shapeshifter as he dryly remarked," Besides, I wasn't sure who to trust"
"Somehow I'm not surprised", Ben rolled his eyes offhandedly before turning to the Director's right-hand man, "How'd you find us?"
"Wasn't too hard", Coulson nonchalantly shrugged, his tone tinged with subtle yet grim humor. "Just had to follow the trail of chaos and uh…wanton destruction of public property"
The shapeshifter shrunk a little, prompting the older man to throw him a grimace in apology.
"It's all over the news", Fury added, levelling his one good eye at the shapeshifter, "The shills at the media are already calling it the second Invasion. Others are calling it the alien apocalypse, the first signs of the end. Congrats Mr Tennyson, you're famous. Again"
The last part was more of an accusation than a mere statement of facts. The shapeshifter was already aware that for most of his career wielding the Omnitrix, SHIELD had often covered his tracks. A glaring fact the Director would always hold over the shapeshifter's head for as long as he could. Ben couldn't deny that he had been careless at times, a rather small understatement as of late.
"Let's just say it's been a long day", Ben huffed, leaning back with folded arms, "I can't exactly help it if I've got a bunch of maniacs hunting me down for the past few days"
"We could say that", Fury drummed his fingers on the table, "we could also say that you didn't listen to me when I told you to stay out of this"
Ben arched a perplexed eyebrow, seemingly puzzled at the former SHIELD Director's words. It took a few moments before it dawned on him, the realization causing his bright verdant eyes to widen with clarity. He refocused his gaze back on Fury, silently studying the battered and bruised man with a curious expression. It took a few moments before Ben's words resumed.
"So…that was you?"
Cap's attention darted to Fury, his tone quizzical. "What's he talking about?"
"The Drive", Ben clarified, never taking his eyes off Fury, "when I opened it using Upgrade, there was a hidden subroutine on the drive. It had Fury's digital fingerprints all over it. Figured it was set to activate when someone—me, broke into it using anything other than a typical system"
The former Director slowly leaned back on his chair, "World Class encryption, and you broke into it mere seconds. I would be impressed if I didn't already expect that from you, kiddo. But more importantly, I expected you to listen"
"Listen to what? To some program telling me not to get involved? When my Grandpa's still out there?!"
"I didn't need you to get involved for a reason, Tennyson; this isn't New York all over again, and you getting involved nearly cost me the entire operation. The last thing I need is you getting involved and bringing even more trouble, especially the Rooters—to my goddamn doorstep"
"Is that why you lied to all of us? To Nat? Because you have trust issues?"
"I trusted Pierce", Nick grunted, poiting at the picture laid out on the table that displayed a younger portrait of the man in question. "The man declined the Nobel Peace Prize, saying that peace wasn't an achievement, it was a responsibility. That was before he sent a Death Squad gunning for my head"
"Nat mourned for you, y'know", Ben clipped, visibly perplexed at the man's cold demeanour. "She kept it together for the sake of the mission, but I could tell it hurt her. And I couldn't do anything about it"
"Ben—", Nat shook her head, gesturing for the shapeshifter to drop it, but he was clearly far from done. Ben leaned forward, his hands pressed firmly on the table as though he was interrogating the injured man in front of him. Fury elected to stay seated, lazily tilting his head upwards to meet the brunette's gaze.
"She's an Agent, Tennyson", retorted Fury, his lips pressed into a fine line, "we all are. Everyone in this room understands the risks that come with the job, the hard calls we need to make. Everyone except you"
"She trusted you!", Ben finally snapped, vitriol evident in his rising tone, "more than you trusted her. More than you deserved"
The silence that followed was palpable, unbroken even by the man supposedly in charge. Fury's fingers drummed on the table for a few seconds as he took in the shapeshifter's outburst. Nicholas Joseph Fury was a shrewd man, amongst many other things. He understood the true spy world, truly understood the ugliness of it. How it took many a man and turned them into something else, unrecognizable to the average perception
Tennyson's persisting naivete was a curious case for the former Director. The kid had seen and faced the worst the universe had to offer, yet retained some form of viridity that clearly did not belong to one with his caliber of experience. Jury was still out on whether this particular Tennyson trait was to be lauded or disparaged.
"Sitwell said the Rooters and SHIELD had been working together for a while", Ben pressed on, his tone low and his nerves aflame, "Care to explain that?"
The Director's lone eye seemed to scan the shapeshifter for a tense moment, reclining on his chair as he pondered the best way to deal with the shapeshifter's impromptu interrogation. Despite the life saving chemics currently swimming in his veins, Fury remained focused
"Fury, I swear if you tell me that it's classified…"
"You remember the assault on the Forever Knight Base back in the war, Cap?", Fury asked suddenly, calling the supersoldier's attention. It was Steve's turn to raise an eyebrow, wondering where the line of questioning was leading.
"Yeah, I remember the assault on the Forever Knight Base during the war," Steve replied, his tone measured, uncertain of where the conversation was headed. He recollected, "We got some intel about the Tessaract's location through some dealings between the Forever Knights and a third party."
Fury proceeded with the lesson, his words adding a layer of complexity to their shared history. "It was the Rooters who provided us with that crucial intel," he disclosed
"So what, you just had to make a deal with criminals and psychos?"
"I'm not gonna sit here and explain myself to you, Tennyson. You may not like what it is we do here, and quite frankly, you're welcome to leave at anytime", Fury sat up and leaned closer, his face taut and grim "but don't sit here and play the judge. There's a lot you don't know about what it is we do"
"You mean like Weapon XI?"
That was enough to stop the Director in his tracks, Fury's fingers no longer tapping on the aged oak table. The silence that followed stretched for what seemed to be an epoch, nervous tension slowly filling the atmosphere within the room. The dim lights of the underground facility flickered above them, accompanied by a low electric hum.
"That was supposed to be off the books", Nick finally said, letting out a deflated grunt. The mere mention of that damn project already brought up a myriad of unpleasant memories in the former Director's psyche.
"What's he talking about?", Steve turned to Nick with a querying glance, his expression clouded in confusion.
"You and SHIELD…", growled the shapeshifter.
"It was different back then—"
SLAMM!!!!!!
"…you had Kevin cut open like a lab rat!!! For your goddamned experiments!!!", Ben slammed his open palm on the table, eliciting a startle from the previously stoic Fury. "Go ahead, tell everyone what you did!! Tell them!!"
After another bout of silence, Fury hung his head before he spoke again. "We were…desperate. SHIELD had always been at the forefront of National Security—"
"—and you needed something, someone to use against me", Ben fumed.
"We needed a guarantee", Fury clarified, clearly unappreciative of the interruption as he let out a deflated sigh, "After the last invasion courtesy of our old friend Vilgax…the Council wanted an assurance that we had a fighting chance for the next invasion. Believe it or not, the Plumbers and SHIELD weren't so far part back in the day. Our shared interest: Global security"
"Servantis reached out, offered us a chance to weaponize some alien hybrids he'd been experimenting on. I never trusted the bastard; any more than I wanted to throw him. But we were running out of options—I got outvoted. We kept the whole thing under wraps, no digital traces, completely off the record…and we kept them under lock and key"
"All of that because you couldn't get to me"
"Better than having a bunch of alien hybrids running around unchecked—the safest hands are still our own", Fury argued, taking a deep breath of the cold stale air from the underground facility, "Your pal Levin was the worst of the bunch. Nearly took off the heads of anyone who tried to help him"
" You were torturing him!!!"
"We were treating him", Fury pointed out matter-of-factly, keeping his tone level "whatever happened between you two before we got our hands on him clearly took a toll on him. Didn't catch the whole gist of it from the medical jumbo, except for one ; Cellular degeneration. His mutations were like cancer, feeding off his own body piece by piece. Eventually he stabilized, and we thought"
"Sooner than later, Levin went berserk and broke out again, killing a lot of people in the process and leaving the facility in an absolute bloodbath. Somehow, he dropped off the map after that, we never found a trace of him. So, we buried the whole thing completely. As for the rest of your Plumber's kids, we wiped them clean, gave them new identities and buried the whole project. Left no trace of the facility, burned all the paperwork. As far as the brass was concerned, it never happened"
"You're a monster"
"You're one to talk, Tennyson", the former SHIELD Director leveled an accusatory glare at the shapeshifter, "last I checked you were ready to end him when he got out of control, like a rabid dog. I wonder what happened to THAT Tennyson…"
There was a truth to the former Director's words; a truth that rang in Ben's ears like a siren. He had tried to put Kevin down. Permanently. Not just because of the fact that Kevin had begun hurting too many people, or the fact that his abilities had left him a deranged, uncontrollable psychopath, but simply because he believed that he'd lost his friend
The Forge of Creation. Aggregor was on the verge of absolute power, obtaining the powers of an infant celestialsapien all for himself. Absolute power for the sake of being the absolute being, the madman had once claimed in his brazen and long-winded speeches.
Despite Ben's efforts, the Omnitrix Wielder had failed to stop him. Kevin had stepped up to Aggreggor after "borrowing" the last dregs of energy the Omnitrix had left. The Osmosian's new form was able to take the fight to Aggregor, using the combined powers of Ben's alien collection all at once game the Osmosian the edge over the power-hungry madman.
In a fit of overzealous glee, Kevin went on to absorb the powers Aggregor had grafted artificifally unto his own frame. The team watched in horror as the once terror of the Andromeda Galaxy was reduced to an emaciated shell of himself, drained of virtually all life force.
Their horror only intensified as the sound of Kevin's maniacal laughter filled their ears. The realization later dawned on them that Kevin had taken more than just Aggregor's powers when he fought the madman. Whatever they thought was left of Kevin had seemingly eroded, annhiliated at that moment at the edge of all existence.
Ben's fists clenched so hard it felt like they were going to draw blood, "I was willing to do whatever it took to keep him from hurting people. You and SHIELD on the other hand just couldn't keep your hands to yourself" He spat out the name like it was bile.
"Get off your high horse, kid", Fury snapped, rolling his eyes in dismissal." We both wanted the same thing with Levin; Keeping him from becoming a threat again. The difference was I saw the bigger picture"
"You saw a weapon", Ben pointed out with a sneer as he stepped closer to the Director, drawing the attention of the others. Cap pre-emptively stepped forwards, ready to intervene.
"I'll only say this once, so I need you to listen very carefully;Don't you ever compare yourself to me again—ever. Because We. Are. Not. The. Same. And we will never be the same. Because you might keep telling yourself that you're doing this for the greater good, but in reality you're just doing this for yourself"
The Former Director stared blankly at the shapeshifter before Coulson intervened, stepping in between the two in an effort to mediate the rising tensions. The balding man raised a hand in
"Ben, that's enough"
Natasha tugged on his arm, beckoning on the shapeshifter to focus on her. Her voice was low, but firm as their gazes met. "Ben, we need to focus on the launch. We can talk about this later."
Fury might have been blind in one eye, but he could clearly see the camaraderie between the duo had extended to more than just mere acquaintances, or being comrades in arms. Of course, he'd harbored suspicions at first, till he'd eventually confirmed what he already suspected to be true. Agent Natasha Romanov had been compromised, for a long time.
"Gotta say, I expected better from you Romanov. I knew you'd be deep into this…cover. Just never thought you'd be the type to spill"
Ben completely froze in his tracks, his verdant eyes blown wide as saucers "What?"
Judging by the shapeshifter's reaction, Fury realized his blunder; he'd let himself slip up with a faulty assumption that the spy had been the one to divulge the secrets and judging by the way Natasha had reacted, she understood the thinly veiled implication without him explicitly admitting it.
Much to his chagrin, Fury had realized rather too late that he'd wrongly assumed she was the one who told him. Nat felt her cheeks burn in a vitriolic combination of rage and ignominy, rooted to the spot under the weight on Ben glaring burning holes into the redhead.
"It's not-"
"You knew?", Ben asked, hurt and confusion clouding his features as he shifted his interrogation to her.
She raised her hands in a vain attempt to dissipate the rising anger in his tone. "Ben, please…just hear me out"
The Omnitrix Wielder blinked, regarding the superspy as though she'd grown a second head. He exhaled harshly, tossing the nearby chair aside and proceeded to storming out the door. A pin drop could be heard in the room, but not before the entrance to the meeting room slammed shut with a resounding clang.
Cap shook his head morosely, eyeing the former SHIELD director with a sarcastic sigh.
"And you wonder why you have trust issues"
……
"Ben!! Ben, just wait—"
The Omnitrix Wielder paid no mind as he continued marching on with a furious gait, with Nat not too far behind. He wasn't in a rush, but he wasn't going to stick around for much longer. Any more goddamned surprises from the Director's mouth and the shapeshifter didn't trust himself not to put the injured man right back in the intensive care unit.
Ben heard Nat's steps echo in staccato behind him, the redhead finally catching up to him. The shapeshifter surprised her by abruptly halting in his tracks, dropping his head low while he addressed her, his back still turned to her.
"How long?"
She felt her throat dry up as she responded. "What?"
"How long did you know???!!!!", Ben yelled in query, nearly causing the redhead to flinch. He finally turned to face her,
"Before…before we met", she admitted with a heavy sigh, unable to meet his burning gaze. Ben shook his head as Natasha turned away from him, letting a wet chuckle escape his lips.
"I wanted to tell you—I swear I did", Nat continued tentatively, a tense knot tightening in her stomach, "but you've been acting different lately and I didn't want…"
"Don't you dare put this on me!", he snarled, cutting off the redhead without so much as an afterthought, "you tear into me for keeping secrets when you've been holding on to this??!!"
Nat sighed in frustration; they were clearly going nowhere with this. She attempted to refrain, taking a deep breath while keeping her tone level, "Ben, I know you're mad at me, and you have every reason to be"
"I'm not mad", the shapeshifter muttered through clenched teeth, "I'm disappointed. Because for the first time in a long while, I was wrong to trust someone. To fully trust someone"
His eyes glistened with the sting of betrayal as he continued "…and that's on me"
"Ben, I want you to know I had no intention of hurting you", she tried again, her voice only marginally stronger than before, "I just wish you would let me explain"
"And then what, Nat? You manipulate me into believing you? Again?"
"I would never—"
"Never what? Lie to me?", He threw up both arms in exasperation, "I mean, who are you even? Is Natasha Romanov even real? What we had…is that real, when you've been lying to me this whole time?"
"…that's not fair"
His glare turned "…like that hospital fire?"
She felt breath leave her lungs for a moment, replaced by a shaky gasp that left the redhead in utter shock. He clenched his jaw as he continued to stare back at her, letting the realization sink in
"How?", was the only word that could escape her bruised lips.
"I read your file", Ben's words were hard like flint and twice as cutting. "And believe me when I say there's a lot of stuff down that rabbit hole. I was willing to overlook that, all of that, because deep down I wanted to believe…wanted to fool myself into thinking you were a better person than that"
She felt her heart turn to ice, choking up her lungs and throat as he said with an air of judgement and finality.
"You're not"
Nat struggled to find her words for the first few seconds after he'd uttered his. She simply stood there, letting the cascade of emotions wash over the both of them before she found her tongue again.
"That's low…especially for you Ben", she'd never felt more exposed until that moment, standing in front of him in an underground bunker.
"So was hiding Kevin from me"
Taking a step back, she inhaled deeply, her once-emotional demeanor now replaced with an icy resolve. Gone was the Nat who longed for more than just the life of an agent, the one who let people in, who was vulnerable. In her place stood the austere embodiment of cold conviction and logic, the spy known as the Black Widow.
"Kevin had nothing to do with this", spat the agent as she turned on her heel, before turning back to glare at him, "you just wanted to prove your point. And you've done just that"
It was his turn to be silent as her gaze narrowed, the space between them feeling as wide as an ocean.
"Congratulations, hero", she bit out the last word, her cold blue eyes burning with malice
"Hope you feel proud of yourself"
…….
Desert winds whipped against the battered Rustbucket, creating a haunting symphony of rattles and scrapes as it raced down the endless highway. Max gripped the steering wheel with white-knuckled determination, while Allen continued to scan the desolate surroundings anxiously
"You think they're still following us?', Alan's voice trembled with concern, breaking the heavy silence within the RV. Max grunted in reply, his brow creased with worry.
"Best thing we can do is lay low and get you as far away from the Rooters as possible"
"I still don't get why they're after me", the boy wondered out loud, "I mean, I know that I'm a hybrid and all, but last I checked—"
"Hold that thought", Max interrupted, his tone sharp with urgency. Ahead of them, were several figures dressed in all too familiar dark tech suits.
"Is that—"
"Trouble", Max grunted before immediately jerking the steering wheel to the left
The Rustbucket swerved wildly, its tires rapidly deflating. Max fought with every ounce of his experience to keep the RV from veering off the road. The squeal of tires echoed off the veteran's ears as he swerved, managing to avoid the collision by taking a detour.
It didn't take long for something massive to slam into the sides of the car, sending both passengers nearly flying from their seats
"Come on out old man!!!", Kevin's warped voice barked
Max gritted his teeth as he pushed back against the Osmosian, but to no avail as suddenly the car went airborne. However, this was hadly the feat of the vehicle despite it's numerous Plumber-grade gadgets and on-board weaponry.
This time, it wsa Kevin who held the car suspended in mid air, for all of a few seconds before he let gravity resume its work on the RV. The vehicle plummeted from it's elevation, the two passengers almost weightless during the descent before the resounding, violent crash at the hands of steel meeting the sunbaked road.
CRASSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Max desperately fought to be conscious even as the RV warped around him like a metal cage, the chassis having been worn out from all the punishment it took in it's youth. Like its owner, the Rustbucket had seen many a better day before now
"Alan…", Max gasped weakly against the steering wheel, even as the lights began to dim around him. The last thing the veteran saw was the looming, terrifying visage of the almagam Kevin slowly striding towards the mangled heap of the RV
"Time's up old man… Servantis is waiting"
…….
...……..
TO BE CONTINUED
…………
……………….
A/N:
Damn, that was a rush!!!
I've soooo been looking forward to this chapter ever since I started working on this story, and it turned out pretty different from what I'd envisioned! To be fair, this entire story turned out much more different than I'd envisioned, and while some parts may not have worked out so well, I hope this one did!!
As for my month-long hiatus; I must apologize for my tardiness, as you can't rush inspiration. She's a fickle mistress that leaves you during the day and comes crashing into your room at midnight without warning. Not gonna lie, there were times I looked at this blank page and NOTHING came to my head.
Other fanfic writers, mind dropping helpful hints on how to keep inspiration flowing when writing fanfics?
But here we are, ready for the soon-to-be-written finale, and its been one helluva journey writing this. I hope you stick around till the end, you guys are the reason I do this. If I made any errors, lost a few words, go ahead and out it in the reviews.
Any suggestions, story ideas and reviews are welcome. Yeah, I even saw some unwarranted hate comments! But hey, any interaction is better than no interaction (I think)! The next chapter will deal with the fallout of Kevin's new state, or as I've called it: Metamorphosis
See you soon.
EXCELSIOR!!!!