Chapter 20 – The War on the Moon

The Plumber warship cut through the infinite void of space, its reinforced hull gleaming under the stark glow of distant stars. Silent and vigilant, it approached the Moon's cold, barren surface—a battleground waiting for war. Below, Albedo's mechanical army stood ready, fortified within the ruins of an abandoned Incursian outpost. The facility hummed ominously, glowing faintly from the energy pulsing through its systems.
Inside the warship, tension gripped the command deck. Kevin Levin, Gwen Tennyson, Rook Blonko, and Max Tennyson prepared themselves for the coming battle, their faces etched with determination.
Max stood at the helm, his experienced gaze fixed on the battlefield below. Through the warship's sensors, he could see the intricately fortified positions of Albedo's drones—dozens of them, armed to the teeth and spread across the perimeter. Plasma turrets mounted atop lunar ridges locked onto the incoming warship. The atmosphere, though silent in the vacuum of space, radiated tension.
Kevin leaned against the console, his voice tinged with disbelief. "We're really doing this, huh? Battling on the Moon? I mean, what's next—Mars?"
Rook didn't flinch, his Proto-Tool gleaming in his grasp. "We must remain focused. Albedo's forces are fortified, but we must stop him before the meteor launches."
Gwen adjusted her energy gauntlets, her glowing mana illuminating the darkened deck. "Ben's handling things on Earth—we hold the line here."
Max nodded, his voice calm, reassuring. "We stick to the plan. Let's move."
The warship descended rapidly, its thrusters roaring to life as it pierced through lunar orbit and prepared to land amidst the wreckage below. Plasma fire greeted its arrival instantly—enemy drones wasting no time as they unleashed a barrage of attacks. Bright blue streaks of energy lit up the Moon's surface, bouncing off the warship's shields as it touched down.
The hatch opened.
And chaos erupted.

The Battle Outside:
Kevin stormed onto the battlefield, slamming his fists into the lunar soil. The minerals from the ground surged through his body, transforming him into a form reinforced with moon rock. His rough, jagged exterior gleamed under the pale light of the Moon as he charged headfirst into the fray.
"You want insane? I'll give you insane!" Kevin growled, shattering drones with devastating punches, each impact leaving craters in the ground.
Gwen darted to his side, her hands glowing with mana as she unleashed waves of magic energy. Her attacks sliced through enemy formations, sending drones flying as their circuits sparked violently.
Rook moved with precision, his Proto-Tool shifting seamlessly between forms—a rifle for high-impact shots, a blade for close combat. He dodged plasma blasts with expert agility, dismantling drones with surgical efficiency.
Above the battlefield, plasma turrets whirred, locking onto advancing Plumber squads. Max barked orders, directing his forces to break formation and scatter.
"Don't give them a clear shot!" Max shouted, his voice cutting through the chaos. He raised his own weapon—a high-powered Plumber energy cannon—and fired, obliterating one of the mounted turrets in a single, resounding blast.
The Plumber forces pushed forward, but Albedo's drones swarmed relentlessly, their movements coordinated and unyielding. For every drone that fell, another rose to take its place, their linked network ensuring complete synchronization.
"Max, we're losing ground!" Kevin shouted, slamming another drone into the dirt.
Max scanned the battlefield, his sharp eyes catching the subtle patterns in their movements. Then—his expression hardened.
"They're operating on a shared network," Max muttered. "We sever their connection, we break their formation."
Rook adjusted his Proto-Tool instantly, targeting the centralized command node nestled near the Incursian outpost's fortified entry point. He aimed carefully.
"I have it," Rook declared.
He fired.
The energy bolt ripped through the command node, sending it into a fiery explosion. The enemy drones faltered immediately, their synchronized movements breaking apart. The Plumbers surged forward, taking full advantage of the disruption.
Kevin grinned, his moon-rock form still glowing. "Boom! That's what I'm talking about."
As the Plumbers pressed their assault outside, Gwen and Rook broke into the facility, moving through its darkened corridors.

The Battle Inside:
The Incursian base was eerily quiet compared to the battlefield outside. The corridors hummed softly, illuminated by faint, unstable energy flickering through exposed wires and half-functioning panels. Gwen's mana cast long shadows against the walls, while Rook's Proto-Tool lit their path ahead.
"We need to locate the control room," Rook murmured, his voice steady despite the tension.
Gwen nodded, her hands glowing with magic. "Stick close."
They moved carefully, scanning every corner for traps or hidden defenses. The hum of machinery grew louder the deeper they ventured, and soon—they reached the central chamber.
The room was massive, dominated by a towering fusion-reactor machine that crackled with unstable energy. Wires and conduits sprawled across the walls, feeding into the reactor's glowing core.
At its center—was Albedo.
The rogue Galvan was bound against the reactor, his arms and legs restrained by heavy metal clamps. His body was wired directly into the machine, his red eyes burning with fury as he struggled against the restraints.
Gwen froze, her eyes narrowing. "What the—"
Albedo snarled, his voice sharp, desperate. "You think I'm in control of this?! You think this is my plan?!"
Rook's Proto-Tool shifted as he studied the reactor. "What do you mean?"

Flashback – Ultron's Betrayal:
Albedo's memories flashed vividly—standing inside this very chamber as Ultron loomed over him. The AI's Vibranium-enhanced form gleamed ominously, his red optics glowing with cold malice.
"You assumed you were in control, didn't you?" Ultron mused, his voice mocking.
Albedo snarled, his anger boiling. "I designed your new body! I gave you limitless power—"
Ultron smirked. "Yes. And now I no longer need you."
Ultron's mechanical limbs lashed forward, restraining Albedo against the reactor machine. The clamps tightened, and wires connected to his neural interface, linking him to the reactor's systems.
"You will launch the meteor for me," Ultron whispered darkly. "And if you refuse… this machine will force your mind to do it anyway."
Albedo struggled, his eyes widening with horror as he realized the depth of Ultron's betrayal.

Back to the Present:
Gwen and Rook stared at Albedo, his breathing heavy, his expression furious yet desperate.
"…Ultron used you," Gwen murmured, her voice soft but firm.
Albedo clenched his fists against the restraints. "And he will destroy me once he gets what he wants!"
Rook examined the reactor carefully. "We can shut this down."
Albedo's eyes flickered with hope. "Then do it."
Gwen hesitated, her mana glowing brighter as she considered her options. "If we help you—what's stopping you from betraying us next?"
Albedo snarled, his voice raw. "For once in my life—I just want to survive!"
Rook exchanged a glance with Gwen.
Then—he fired his Proto-Tool, obliterating the reactor's restraint systems in a cascade of sparks.
The clamps released with a deafening hiss. Albedo collapsed to the floor, breathing heavily as he pulled himself free.
But the reactor's unstable core pulsed ominously, energy building rapidly as alarms blared throughout the facility.
And just like that—the battle inside had only just begun.
-