Chapter 9 – Sparks of Doom
Emerald light streaked across the night sky as Jetray soared over Bellwood, his wings slicing through the cold air. The wind roared past, but Ben didn't care. His heart was pounding, his mind racing. He had to get there—fast.
Ultron wasn't just another villain looking to cause trouble. He was calculated. Precise. Dangerous. And now he had Albedo. Whatever they were planning, Ben knew it was bad. Worse than anything he'd faced before.
As he approached the Plumber HQ, its towering structure came into view. Ben retracted Jetray's wings and landed with a heavy thud. The entrance loomed ahead, its defenses melted and broken.
The scene inside was chaos.
Walls were scorched with deep plasma burns. Reinforced doors were twisted and scattered. Automated defenses lay in sparking ruins, their panels fried and useless. Debris covered the floor, evidence of a fierce battle fought and lost.
But the Plumbers were alive—bruised, battered, and barely standing, but alive.
Magister Patelliday stood amidst the wreckage, his uniform torn and smeared with grime. Blood trickled down the side of his face, but his eyes burned with frustration as he caught sight of Ben.
"Oh, great," Patelliday muttered, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Now you show up."
Ben frowned, stepping closer. "What the heck happened here?"
Patelliday wiped oil and soot off his face, gesturing to the destroyed containment wing. His shoulders sagged as he muttered, "Jailbreak. Prisoner got taken."
He paused, shaking his head grimly. "And it was a giant metal guy."
Ben's stomach tightened. His hands clenched into fists as he whispered through gritted teeth. "Ultron."
Patelliday nodded slowly. "Yeah. That guy's gone. Vanished without a trace."
Ben exhaled sharply, forcing his growing frustration down. "We need to stop this. Now."
Ben rushed into the damaged command center, his fingers flying across his communicator as he dialed up the one person who could give him some guidance.
Max Tennyson.
The holographic transmission sputtered for a moment before Max's face appeared, grainy and slightly distorted. Despite the usual warmth in his features, Max's expression darkened when he spotted Ben.
Even through the poor resolution, Ben could see the bandages on Max's arm—remnants of his battle with Servantis in the Null Void. His injuries didn't make him look weaker. If anything, they made him look like the hardened veteran Ben had always admired.
Max leaned forward, concern flickering in his eyes. "Ben."
Ben inhaled deeply, steeling himself. "Grandpa—I need advice."
Max's brow furrowed. "What's going on?"
Ben's words came quickly, urgency pressing them forward. "The Plumber HQ got hit. Ultron showed up. Freed Albedo."
Max leaned back slightly, his frown deepening. "Ultron? Who's that?"
Ben hesitated for a beat before replying. "He's not just another bad guy, Grandpa. He's… he's an AI. Self-learning, self-repairing. He's smarter than any villain I've ever dealt with—and way more dangerous."
Max nodded slowly, his expression grim. "And now he's got Albedo."
Ben gave a short nod. "Yeah."
A heavy silence hung between them. Then, Max gave Ben that look—the one that had carried him through countless tough battles. The look that said, *you've got this, kid.*
"You've faced Albedo before," Max said evenly. "You've beaten him before."
Ben swallowed, his grip on the Omnitrix tightening.
Max's voice softened slightly, his tone carrying both reassurance and urgency. "You're stronger than you think. And more importantly—you've got a team at your back. Trust them."
Ben exhaled sharply, nodding. "Right. Thanks, Grandpa."
Max's lips twitched into a small smile. "I trust you, kid."
Then—
The Omnitrix flickered sharply.
The transmission with Max glitched violently before cutting out completely.
Before Ben could process what had just happened, another signal forced its way through.
The screen blared to life again, but this time it wasn't Max.
It was Azmuth.
And he looked furious.
"BENJAMIN TENNYSON!"
Ben jumped slightly as his Omnitrix sparked, almost as if it were reacting to the Galvan's anger on a molecular level. "Uh—Azmuth, hi."
Azmuth glared, his eyes sharp with frustration. His voice cut through like a blade. "You BROKE the Omnitrix!"
Ben winced. "I mean, technically—"
"Technically?! Do you have ANY idea how impossibly complex this device is?! The Omnitrix is a one-of-a-kind engineering masterpiece—AND YOU COMPROMISED IT!"
Ben dragged a hand down his face. "Look, I didn't *want* it to get mixed up with the Mind Stone, okay?"
Azmuth's glare intensified. "And now, thanks to your recklessness, it is vulnerable—just like YOU!"
Ben sighed, frustration simmering. "Okay, I get it. You're mad. But right now, Albedo's out there, and he's working with Ultron."
Azmuth's expression shifted, his sharp frustration giving way to a more focused, calculating look. "Ultron?"
Ben nodded grimly. "He's not just another villain. He's… evolving. He's cold, logical, and completely unpredictable."
Azmuth exhaled slowly, his gaze narrowing. "You need to understand what Ultron is—not just what he's doing, but what he fundamentally *is.*"
Ben frowned. "What do you mean?"
Azmuth leaned forward. His tone was calm but carried the weight of experience. "He is not like other machines. He is intelligence untethered. Adaptive. Fluid. He thinks beyond human comprehension."
Ben clenched his fists. "How do we stop him?"
Azmuth's eyes darkened. "You disrupt him. He thrives on logic—on cold, calculated reasoning. You must make him react, force him into a position he cannot anticipate."
Ben nodded. "Got it."
Azmuth's gaze sharpened again. "And for the love of science—if you break the Omnitrix again, I will personally ensure you never get a replacement!"
The transmission ended abruptly.
Ben sighed, running a hand through his hair. Natasha and Tony stood behind him, watching quietly.
Tony raised an eyebrow. "So, uh… he still seems to be the 'jolly ol' fun' toad."
Ben smirked faintly, exhaling. "Yeah. But now, we hunt Ultron."
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