Somewhere in space, an asteroid space station orbiting a distant red planet began to tear itself apart. As warning sirens blared inside, a hulking armoured figure carrying a glowing canister made his escape through an airlock.
As a sleek ship pulled up beside the disintegrating station, the alien made his way on board and, once the door sealed behind him, he made his way to the bridge. Stepping inside he found two humanoid figures, one male and one female, covered head to toe in highly advanced armour waiting for him.
"Here, one order of Element X" he joked, holding out the canister. He huffed in amusement at how eagerly the female figure snatched it from his grasp " It's useless without any Bicenthum, no one's gonna pay for a bomb with no boom. Where are we gonna find enough?"
"(Gruff alien gibberish)" The male figure pressed a button on the pilot's seat, a holographic projection of a certain planet appeared between the trio.
The brute groaned at the sight "Oh great, the cesspool of the galaxy. Earth"
Inside a major city, clouds of smoke filled the streets as the spiky haired citizens fled in terror from a giant robot. From the speakers came a maniacal laugh, the pilot relishing in the destruction he caused.
"Mwahaha, fear me insects! Tremble and kiss the feet of Lord Doomicus!" the villain cackled, pressing a button that unleashed a horde of smaller drones.
His fun was cut short as a caped figure dropped down in a classic superhero landing, rising to his feet he was quickly joined by 11 female aliens in colour coded 'sailor fuku' costumes "I don't think so!"
Doomicus dramatically reared back "Ultra Ben and the Alien Force?!"
In a flash the alien heroes tore through the robotic hordes, with Ultra Ben using his super suit energy sword to slice the legs of the giant mech in half.
"My Destructoids! NOOOOO!" Doomicus wailed as Ben stood over the defeated villain, his partners standing.
"Anyone who starts trouble in Tennyson Town, will have to answer to us!" Ben held up his fist as the crowd cheered for the heroes.
"You're amazing Ultra Ben!" Stingwing praised, "A true warrior" Crystal Knight agreed.
Ben thanked them for their help as Heart's Fire leaned in "I think you deserve a hero's reward Ben~"
The crowd continued to chant, but their voices began to shift into…Gwen?
Ben! Ben!..Ben…Ben?"
Ben blinked, the scene around him shifting from 'Tennyson Town' to Pittsburgh. Looking down at the comic he was holding, the pages showed a typical shonen hero surrounded by a team of superpowered women in a scene mirroring his daydream.
"Get down from there doofus!" Gwen snapped, causing Ben to drop the book in surprise.
"Ah man, you made me lose my place" he grumbled, leaning back against a large statue of a foot. Oh right, they were at a dumb art museum.
"That's not your personal butt rest, it's an exhibit! Get down before you get us kicked out" she continued, ignoring his complaints.
"And that would be bad because?" he asked sarcastically. Gwen scowled before noticing the book he'd dropped.
"What's this, a manga?"
Ben shrugged "Got it out of the bargain bin at the last comic shop. I was seeing what cool tips it had, y'know, for superheroing"
"Why doesn't it surprise me that you get your ideas from a dumb comic" she snarked, noticing the cover featured a brunette boy with a group of female heroes in impossibly form fitting costumes "...That's a worrying coincidence"
She unknowingly flips the book open a few pages ahead of where Ben had been, bypassing the action scene and landing on some very…different 'action'. As she saw what was on the pages she went bright red "W-what are you-WHY are you reading this?! HOW are you reading this?!" ("Seriously, did no one check the age rating before selling this?" she thought)
Ben looked at her in genuine confusion "Uh, I just said why. I'm getting ideas for-"
"Ideas?" she squeaked, a particularly scandalous panel forcing her to avert her eyes.
Ben frowned at being interrupted but nodded in confirmation "Yeah. I mean, it's a little weird but it does look kinda fun" he said, referring to the exaggerated poses the heroes stuck during their battle.
Not that Gwen knew that.
Clutching the book to her chest, she turned on her heel "When grandpa finds out about this you are in so much trouble" she yelled, running off.
"Wha-Hey!" Ben dropped down from the statue to give chase, but she was already at the doors "What's her problem?" he thought obliviously, leaning back against the statue's base while fishing a bar of chocolate out his pocket.
"Ugh, today totally blows"
His sulking was interrupted as a sleek spaceship roared overhead, heading towards the city. As it approached downtown Ben grinned, pulling out his Plumber's badge and activating it as he hurried to the scene.
"Then again, it looks like things are picking up!"
After a brief detour to grab his hoverboard, Ben arrived at the scene to find the ship having landed in the middle of the street "Ok so…good guys or bad guys?" he wondered as the ship's hatch opened revealing a male version of Technora's species. ("I hope she's doing alright")
The brute roars at the startled civilians "Take me to your Bicenthium alloy!" When the crowd failed to answer, the alien punched the ground in frustration, causing a shockwave to flip cars and shatter windows.
Ben brought up the watch "Definitely bad guy" scrolling along to his first choice Ben called out "Hey jerk, why don't you try picking on someone your own size!" slamming the dial back down.
Back at the museum, Gwen held the offending book out to Max. The man was not faring any better than she had.
"Ben was reading this?" he asked in concern as she nodded "Said he was getting 'ideas' " she shuddered.
"I need a serious talk with that boy, where is he?" a distant explosion caught their attention, the two easily able to see a plume of smoke rising from the city in the distance.
"...I think I know." Gwen sighed before they sprinted for the stairs.
The brute continued his rampage, preparing to grab a car to throw at a fleeing crowd, when a pair of strong hands caught his right arm. Turning in surprise, he got a double uppercut for his trouble, staggering back as Armizon moved between him and the awed crowds.
Holding his jaw, the alien glared at his attacker "Oh great, a Tetramand. This planet really is a dump" he growled. Armizon snorted "Some people have no taste"
"The only trash here is you!" a young voice yelled, before a series of small explosives detonated against the back of his head. Snarling at the stinging blasts, he attempted to swat at Ben as he passed by only to get forced back by a wave of flames.
"(Gah!) A Pyronite too? What's wrong with this rock?"
"What's wrong, big guy? Can't take the heat?" she taunted charging up another shot.
He growled in frustration before turning back to the ship "Well don't just stand there, start shooting!"
A volley of blaster fire erupted from the ship, staggering both of the 'heroes' as two fully armoured aliens emerged from the ship. Activating their jetpacks, the duo each selected their target; the male focusing on Heart's Fire with a missile barrage, while the female launched herself at Ben with an energy buzzsaw.
Ben barely managed to bring up his wrist blade to block the attack, but the force still knocked him from his board.
"Ben!" Armizon yelled only to get sucker punched by the larger alien "Don't get distracted, I want this to be a good fight!" he sneered.
As the tide of battle turned, Gwen and Max finally arrived at the scene. Upon seeing the two armoured aliens, Gwen gasped in recognition.
"Grandpa, those two look just like that bounty hunter from the desert!" Max scowled, thinking back to the frantic chase through the old mine.
"Is it a coincidence, or are they here for revenge?" he wondered, wincing as Heart's Fire was blasted back into an upturned van by another missile barrage. Parts of her red, rocky 'skin' falling away and exposing more of her 'magma'.
"Oww" she whined before noticing the damage "Hey! That's not for you!" she snapped, charging up her fists and rocketing herself back into the fight.
Max tried not to stare at the sight, as certain attributes became much 'bouncier' with the reduced cover "Azmuth you mad genius….you're going to kill me" he thought shamefully.
Gwen was unsurprisingly less impressed at the sight "At least Ben's too busy to notice this" she thought.
A pained cry shook them out of their musings, the two going pale as they spotted Ben being thrown to the floor by the female hunter "BEN!"
Ignoring the girl's panicked scream, the hunter planted her foot on his chest to keep him down. Keeping her foot secure she knelt down to remove his mask, to savour the look in his wide and vibrant…green…eyes. Pausing as the young hero looked back at her with a mix of fear and defiance, the hunter took a moment to fully appreciate her struggling prey.
("Stranger danger alien gibberish~") she purred, Ben blinking in surprise "Uh, what?"
Max and Gwen noticed the shift in her posture as she reached out to trace a clawed hand over his cheek, with Gwen slowly realising what was happening "You have got to be kidding me"
Max, after getting over his shock, stepped out of cover while pulling something from his pocket. The hunter, seeing movement in her periphery, turned while reaching for a blaster to deal with the unwanted interruption.
Max was faster, aiming a small laser pistol at her before pulling the trigger. The shot hit her head on, knocking her off her feet and allowing Ben to scramble to his feet.
Seeing Max holding out the weapon, Ben's eyes sparkled with excitement "You've got a laser gun? Cool!" swiftly forgetting the alien's odd behaviour in the face of Max's actions.
"When did you-?" Gwen began, while Max took the opportunity to fire twice more at the staggered alien, keeping her on the ground "Just thought I should keep it handy. Lots of…unsavoury characters about these days" he replied, staring down the fuming hunter.
Seeing this the male hunter snarled, preparing two disk like devices while dodging a punch from the flaming 'hero'. Slapping the device onto her stomach ("Watch the hands, buddy!") he kicked her away before throwing the other at Armizon's back as she traded blows with the brute. The devices latching on before delivering an intense shock, bring them to their knees.
The brutish alien shot him an annoyed glare "Hey, that one was mine!"
("Impatient alien gibberish") he shot back, aiming his weapons at the Tennysons and forcing Max to hold his fire. The brute huffed "Bah, I never get to have any fun"
Able to return to her feet, the female hunter brought up her own gun and aimed it at Max. Seeing the male's weapon's aimed at Ben, she angrily waved him off.
("Concerning alien gibberish~")
The brute gave the male a flat look "Maybe she should have 'less' fun" he quipped.
("Resigned alien gibberish") the male hunter sighed.
"No, damn it!" Armizon and Heart's Fire struggled against the shocks as the hunter prepared to fire.
As he prepared to pull the trigger a burst of blue light filled the area, causing all fighters to shield their eyes before it subsided. When it did, three new figures had arrived on the scene, all wearing some variation of a white and gold uniform.
To the right was a female Tetramand, smaller than Armizon (in height at least) but with a costume perhaps more fitting of the name. To the Left was a floating octopus, with the 'head' being a large see-through casing with a digital 'face' protecting its brain. Finally, in the centre was a humanoid alien, bald with blue skin, his uniform resembled a classic 'superhero' costume.
"Who are they?" Ben asked awestruck at their flashy entrance.
"Great, the capes are here. I. Hate. Capes!" the brute snarled, readying himself for battle.
"Rescue formation gamma 4!" the caped alien ordered, the trio springing into action.
The caped alien flew towards the brute, catching him off guard with his speed and delivering a crushing blow to his face. As the brute was thrown from his feet and into the male hunter, the alien hero paused long enough to use a burst of heat vision to remove the devices on Armizon and Heart's Fire.
"Have no fear citizens, the Galactic Enforcers are here to help" he proclaimed proudly, before flying after the recovering villains.
Heart's Fire and Armizon blinked at his bombastic attitude before the smaller Tetramand approached them and lifted them back to their feet "On your feet sisters, the battle is not over yet!" she exclaimed cheerfully before hurrying to aid her comrades.
Meanwhile the octopus alien, using advanced psychic abilities, restrained the female hunter before slamming her off the road repeatedly "I recommend you surrender, this does not need to escalate any further"
"What..am I looking at?" Gwen asked, having joined her grandfather and cousin as they watched the newcomers handily deal with the villains.
"No way….it's a whole super team!" Ben cheered, moving to reclaim his hoverboard before heading back into the fight "Come on guys, this is our first team up!" He told his 'partners'.
"Wait Ben-(sigh) That boy" Max shook his head, readying his weapon as he moved to cover his overeager grandson.
As the brute countered the caped alien and prepared to strike back, Ben pointed at the road beneath him "Heart's Fire, aim low!"
Just like with her battle with Vilgax, the fiery 'hero' unleashed an intense burst of flame that reduced the asphalt to a tar like sludge. Having lost his footing the brute was an easy target for the caped hero, who landed a swift one-two punch that sent him into the muck.
Turned to address Ben and Heart's Fire, giving the pair a winning smile and thumbs up before pausing at the sight of the watch on Ben's wrist.
"Could it be?" a groan from the brute brought him back to the matters at hand and, with the aid of Heart's Fire, they clashed once more.
Ben looked over to see Max and the octopus alien handling the male hunter. The alien hero used his powers to turn the hunter's missiles back at him while Max kept him off balance with well placed shots.
"Man, grandpa should join in fights more often!" he smiled, before turning his attention to the two multiarmed beauties who were dealing with the female hunter.
While the two had a definite strength advantage, the hunter proved more agile. Using her jetpack to 'jump' around the pair she peppered them with blaster fire while slicing at them with an energy sword whenever they got too close.
"Tch! Hold still, don't think I'm going to let you off easy for what you did with my 'partner'!" Armizon threatened, swinging at her foe who took to the sky to avoid the attack.
"Armizon, thunderclap!" Ben instructed, earning a vicious grin from the 'hero'.
"Hey golden girl" she called out, the smaller hero giving her a curious look "Follow my lead" pulling their arms back the two brought all their hands together for one massive shockwave.
The female hunter was caught between the two shockwaves and slapped back down to earth, with her two partners being thrown beside her as the heroes all moved to surround them.
As Ben prepared to order his 'partners' to go for the knockout, the caped alien stopped forward to address them.
"By the provisions set forth in the Galactic Code of Conduct, I order you to surrender. Do you yield?" he asked as Ben watched in disbelief.
"What are you doing? Just kick their butts before they-" Ben winced as the male hunter activated a flash bang, with the villains escaping aboard their ship in the confusion "...Escape" Ben groaned, watching as the ship vanished behind the clouds.
As he covered his face with both his hands, the three newcomers finally got a good look at the device on his wrist. "I thought so. It IS the Chaquetrix" the caped alien announced, drawing everyone's attention.
"You know about the watch?" Ben asked, as Max and Gwen tensed behind him.
"It's said to be a noble tool for the preservation of life, although it's unclear how."
"By summoning superheroes, obviously" Ben replied confidently, as his 'partners' stood tall behind him.
The caped alien, after a moment of thought, smiled widely "I see, yes that makes perfect sense!"
Max raised a brow at his words, while Gwen openly gawked "He's just being polite for Ben's sake…right?"
"We've heard rumours that its wielder took down Slix Vigma and his Megacruiser. " The Tetramand added "An impressive victory" Ben smirked at the praise.
"We'd also heard that it was being misused by a human child" the octopus alien replied snootily "Clearly 'those' rumours were true"
"Misused?!" Ben snapped back, while Armizon and Heart's Fire glowered from over his shoulder.
"You want to try saying that again, brainiac?/ Who do you think you are anyway?" they threatened, the alien flinching away while the caped one snapped his fingers.
"Of course, how rude of us not to introduce ourselves" as the three struck 'heroic' poses he gestured to each of them in turn "I am Ultimos, and these are my junior partners Tini (the Tetramand) and Synaptak (octopus). Together we are the Galactic Enforcers!"
For once Max, Gwen and the 'heroes' were in total agreement ("What a bunch of weirdos")
Ben however, was shaking with excitement "This is great! I didn't think we'd meet another alien hero team"
"I'm still unconvinced. Defeating Slix Vigma was probably sheer luck" Synaptak replied, Ben frowning at his dismissive attitude.
"As if" Ben shot back "We've fought all kinds of bad guys. We even kicked Vilgax's butt!"
The Enforcers were visibly shocked "You were the ones who defeated Vilgax?"
Armizon and Heart's Fire smiled proudly, with the flaming 'hero' pulling Ben into a side hug "We taught him not to mess with us, right partner?"
"I-Impossible!" Synaptak shot back "Only Max Tennyson has ever managed to best Vilgax, and that was decades ago"
Ben, to Synpatak's surprise, smiled "Oh you mean my grandpa?" he asked somewhat mockingly.
"Ben, I don't think-" Max suddenly felt very uncomfortable as the three heroes turned in his direction "Um, hello…"
"I can't believe it" Ultimos began excitedly "THE Max Tennyson, right here! Your exploits are legendary in the Galactic peacekeeping community"
"O-oh, is that so?" Max replied nervously "I-I'm sure it must be exaggerated, or sensationalist gossip-"
"Nonsense! Your actions at Tannhauser Gate were an inspiring example of heroism!" Ultimos continued, oblivious to Max's growing unease.
"As are the tales of the…'revelry'...in the aftermath" Synaptak added flatly "Both were…'very' impressive" Tini smirked, turning a curious gaze over to Ben.
Max winced at Gwen's accusing stare.
While Max dealt with that mess, Tini approached Ben appraisingly "What, is there something on my face?" he asked, his (adorable) look of confusion earning a smile.
"You fight bravely, you've defeated mighty enemies and your bloodline is strong" she said, earning a pleased if embarrassed laugh from the young hero "You must have learned much from your grandfather"
"Well…I guess being awesome runs in the family"
Her eyes glinted, setting Armizon and Heart's Fire on edge "I'd be honoured for a chance to work 'closer' with you~"
When Ben went to innocently accept her offer, Armizon stepped between the two "Armizon?"
"Oh no. 'This' here? Not happening" the 'hero' said, glaring down at the shorter alien.
Despite only reaching Armizon's chin, Tini glared back as she stepped forward "And why not?"
"He's got all the 'partners' he needs, runt" Armizon took her own step forward, bringing them practically face to face and (press~) literally chest to chest.
"Yeah, you tell her!" Heart's Fire cheered her fellow 'hero' on, her sudden moves combined with their display proving to be (bwoing~)...rather distracting for Max and Synaptak.
Gwen groaned at the scene "Are we really doing this now?" a low, but steadily building, wave of noise caught her attention "...Oh no…" looking back, her feelings of dread were confirmed.
Now that the danger had passed, the crowds had begun to trickle back for a look.
And what a look they were getting.
A small mercy was that most of the crowd was too focused on the two amazonian beauties ,and their fiery 'cheerleader', to notice them. But that wouldn't last long, and Gwen's worries increased as she spotted cameras being brought out.
"We need to get out of here!" she said hurriedly with Ultimos nodding in agreement.
"Indeed. We can continue this playful banter after the mission is complete"
"What?" Gwen asked flatly. Did he not see what was happening?
"We should return to our ship and get to tracking those villains down" he continued, tapping a button on his belt with the eight of them vanishing in a blue flash.
Reappearing inside the ship's bridge, Ben was immediately awed at the sight with even Gwen having to admit it was impressive. Max however…
"(Ugh) I never did like those transporter disks" holding his head until the room stopped spinning.
A loud chime rang out, with Ben's partners looking weirdly (to Ben) distressed "What, no! We can't go yet!" Heart's Fire said frantically.
"Don't worry" Tini replied, kneeling beside Ben "He'll be in 'good hands'~" Unbeknownst to them both Gwen and Synaptak had matching scowls.
Armizon's eyes twitched "You-!" the watch finally timed out, with Ben feeling utterly lost at the interaction "What was that about?"
Tini shook her head "Just girl talk. Don't worry about it"
"Oh, please. Who'd believe that?" Gwen snarked, only to be drowned out by a boisterous laugh from Ultimos.
"Haha! Glad to see you getting along with the locals, Tini"
Gwen and Max shared disbelieving looks "Is he for real?" she whispered, jumping when Synaptak sighed heavily nearby "Unfortunately"
Surprised at the admission, Gwen looked back and forth between Ultimos and Ben. The pair seemingly totally unaware of the powerplay they'd just watched.
"...I didn't think it was possible, but I think we've found someone as dense as Ben" she muttered.
Max cleared his throat "Maybe we should get back on track?" he suggested "Starting with who those guys were. Those armoured aliens looked a lot like someone we've had a run in with in the past"
"Ah, you must have met SixSix" Ultimos realised "Indeed there is a connection" moving over to the table at the centre of the room, he brought up a holographic display of the two hunters "The male is SevenSeven, while the female is EightEight. They are his older siblings"
"So gearhead was just joining the family business, good to know" Ben quipped, getting a laugh from Tini much to Synaptak's frustration.
"Their current partner is called Vulkanus" Ultimos brought up the image of the hulking brute.
"A Detrovite" Synaptak chimed in, looking down at Ben "Limited mental capacity. All brawn and no brains, I'm sure you know the type"
Ben glowered back "They're not all bad, and just because someone's strong it doesn't mean they're an idiot!" thoughts of Technora, Armizon and even Tini coming to mind as he snapped back at the arrogant hero.
"That's right Ben" Tini agreed, smiling at him before shooting an annoyed glare at Synaptak that made him deflate.
"I-I didn't mean…" he tried to backtrack only for Ultimos to shake his head disappointedly "That was most unbecoming of a Galactic Enforcer, I'll set up a refresher sensitivity course for you later" he said, Synaptak inexplicably seeming to pale at the thought.
Ignoring the chastised hero's haunted mutterings about 'slideshows', Ultimos continued the briefing "EightEight and SevenSeven recruited Vulkanis to help them steal" he paused dramatically "Element X!"
The three earthlings shared a blank look "And that is?" Ben prompted.
"It is one half of a devastating explosive compound" Synaptak answered, still sulking.
"Indeed. We believe that they've come to Earth in search of the missing piece, Bicenthium Alloy" he brought up an atomic model of the two elements "When combined together, they can produce enough power to destroy an entire solar system"
"Ok, that's terrifying" Gwen gulped, before staring intently at the models "But it also seems kinda..familiar?"
"Alright, now that we know what we're up against we should get back down and-" Max began, only for Ultimos to politely interrupt.
"Apologies Max Tennyson, but the Galactic Code of Conduct is very clear on our protocol" he dramatically pointed at the rooms control console "Tini, launch Observos 1 through 4"
As she carried out her orders, Ultimos gave the Tennysons a confident smile "The Observos will scan every inch of the city, rest assured they will find those villains"
"In the meantime, perhaps a tour of the ship is in order?" he suggested to Max, Ben lighting up at the chance to see a spaceship where he WASN'T a prisoner.
"Now you're talking!" Ben cheered, heading for the door before finding Synaptak in his way.
"Oh, I'm sorry" he said sarcastically "But according to the Galactic Code of Conduct, provision 373-837, 'No civilian visitors in secure areas of the ship'. You will need to stay on the bridge" he finished smugly.
"Civilian? I'm totally a hero!" Ben argued, holding up the watch.
"Wielding the Chaquetrix does not make you a hero!" the psychic hero shot back.
"Well why not?" Tini asked, Synaptak reeled back like he'd been slapped "Tini, you can't be serious?"
She frowned "Can't I? He's defeated Vilgax, how much more heroic can you get?" she countered.
"Hmm, it seems that I have the deciding vote in this matter." Ultimos said, stroking his chin thoughtfully. After a few tense seconds, he smiled "I agree with Tini"
"Yes!/What?" Tini/Synaptak yelled, while Ben pumped his fist in celebration "Alright! You rock Ultimos"
"Just looking out for a fellow hero, especially one who carries the hope of the galaxy" he laughed as Gwen realised something "Wait, what about me?"
Ultimos had the decency to look embarrassed at his forgetfulness "Ah, apologies miss. Unfortunately you ARE a civilian and will need to remain here"
"We can't leave her here by herself" Max pointed out "I'll-"
"Excellent point, Max Tennyson!" Ultimos cut in "Synaptak will stay with young? ("Gwen" Max supplied) Gwen. Tini will serve as a guide for Ben, and I will serve as your guide"
"Wait I don't-/That's a bad idea!/I must protest-" Max/Gwen/Synaptak started, only for Ultimos usher Max away.
"Would it be ok if I asked you some questions? Your career has been a great inspiration to me" Ultimos asked, with Max feeling an impending sense of dread.
Tini hoisted Ben up onto her shoulder, to make sure nothing happens to him of course. Certainly not to hold him while giving him a view down her chest plate. (Not at all)
As the four made their way out, Gwen and Synaptak could only watch with slow building frustration.
"I dislike that boy immensely" the hero grumbled with jealousy.
Gwen sighed "Try living with him"
As the tour progressed, Tini took pride in how Ben's eyes lit up at everything they passed. The pair joked and traded stories about their past battles as she led him to the armoury. Ben eagerly checked out each bay, stopping at the spare uniforms.
"This place looks awesome! And those costumes look so cool too, if I didn't have this (he gestured to his suit) I'd probably want one"
Tini gave him a once over with a smirk "It definitely suits you, but I think you'd look better out of it~"
Ben tilted his head curiously "You mean, my normal clothes?" he deactivated the suit causing her to chuckle.
"Not exactly-" a sudden alarm (thankfully) interrupted her.
"Is that a good alarm, or a bad one?" Ben asked. "It's from the Observos, it means they've found something!" Tini explained, picking Ben up once more as she hurried back to the bridge.
Regrouping, they found Synaptak sorting through the transmissions from the probes while Ben noticed how worn out Max looked as he trailed in after Ultimos.
"You ok grandpa?" Max nodded slowly "Yeah just…Ultimos had a lot of questions….So many questions"
"Aha! There they are, Observos 2 has a confirmed sighting" the telekinetic hero said, setting it to full screen.
The assembled heroes watched as Vulkanus used two excavator scoops as shovels to gather up large amounts of rock, with EightEight and SevenSeven directing him from above.
("Impatient alien gibberish") SevenSeven said, gesturing for him to hurry up.
Vulkanus snarled "You know, this would go a lot faster if you two decided to help!"
Max studied the scene intently "That's a strip mine! They must be after the iron ore, could that be the 'Bicenthium' you mentioned?"
"We'd better get down there just in case" Ultimos decided "Max Tennyson, Ben. Will you fight by our side?"
"Of course!" Ben answered immediately "We took down SixSix, we can take down them"
"Then let's depart" Ultimos gave an apologetic look to Gwen "I'm afraid you'll need to remain here. The Galactic Code of Conduct is very clear on non super-powered, or untrained, individuals participating in operations"
"So I'm stuck up here alone?" she asked exasperatedly, Max stepped forward "I'll stay too, someone needs to look after her"
Ultimos' disappointment was obvious, but he quickly rallied "A commendable attitude. Ben, are you prepared to head out?"
Ben slapped his Plumber disk back on, though not before retrieving the last of his chocolate from earlier "Let's do this!"
Moving to the transporter pads, Ben held up the treat to Ultimos "Thanks for vouching for me, you want some?"
"Ah, local cuisine. Well, I would hate to offend your planet's customs" he took a small piece.
As the four were teleported to the surface, Gwen noticed Ben's hoverboard on the ground "(sigh) Clumsy doofus" picking it up, she turned to Max "Are you really going to leave Ben down there with them?"
Max snorted "No, I just wasn't going to leave you up here….also I needed a break from Ultimos' fanboying for a moment. Come on, I'll see if I can set the teleporter up to follow them"
Gwen gave him an amused look "Maybe Ben does take after you after all"
Max shuddered slightly "That's what worries me"
Ben and the Enforcers arrived behind a workshed, watching as Vulkanus dumped another batch of iron ore into an industrial container.
"That should be enough" Vulkanus said, tossing the scoops aside "Once we get this purified, and bond it to Element X…BOOM" he cackled "You threaten the capes into freeing your brother, and then we start taking whatever we want"
Ben held up the Chaquetrix and prepared to make his selection "They've got no idea we're here. We can jump them before they even know what hit th-Ultimos?"
Ben stared in shock at the shaking Ultimos, his skin now withered and grey "C-c-c-cold. So…c-cold" he moaned before collapsing.
"What's wrong with him?" Ben asked in concern as Synaptak flew to his leader's side.
"It appears to be Sucrotaxonite poisoning. But how did…wait" wiping a smudge of melted chocolate from the corner of Ultimos' mouth "The 'local cuisine' " he muttered angrily.
Ben held his hands up placatingly "I was just trying to be polite! I didn't know it would hurt him"
"I should have known you couldn't be trusted!" Synaptak yelled, gently setting Ultimos down as he turned to his partner "Don't worry Tini, I have the situation under control"
Shoving past Ben, he rounded the shed and posed dramatically "GALACTIC ENFORCERS, ENGAGE!" The villainous trio turned in surprise "By provisions set forth in the Galactic Code of Conduct, I order you to surrender"
Ben slapped his forehead "Why'd you do that?!"
"As the leader, I announced our presence and intentions with authority!" the hero replied arrogantly.
"And you wasted our chance to surprise them!" Ben snapped. Synaptak scoffed in reply.
"I think I can handle-URG!" Ben and Tini blinked in surprise as a truck collided with the psychic hero launching him back, leaving him unconscious under its crumpled bulk.
Tini barely had time to register the attack before Vulkanus barreled into her, tackling her through the wooden shed as they traded blows. SevenSeven dove after them, raking her with laser fire to give the Vulkanus openings.
"Alright that's it. Time to call in the cavalry!" slamming the dial down, Ben managed to summon XLR8 just as EightEight dropped down in front of him. Grabbing Ben's wrist the hunter pulled him in close, part human shield and part…well.
("he needs an adult alien gibberish~") she chuckled, XLR8's cheeks puffed out in anger.
"Nope!" in a burst of speed Ben found himself out of EightEight's grasp, and instead he was now held (tightly) by XLR8. Blinking at the sudden turn, Ben looked around and found EightEight picking herself up some distance away
"Thanks for the save, partner" he said gratefully, she smiled happily as she squeezed him a little tighter "You can thank me properly later, it's been a while since we've had any fun afterall" she pouted.
"Ah, sorry" Ben apologised "Once we kick these jerk's butts we'll hang out, your choice"
XLR8 grinned brightly, thoughts running wild "Ooh~, now that's motivation-ACK!" her distraction allowed EightEight to land a shot on her back.
As the 'hero' staggered forward, the hunter took her opportunity to swoop in and snatch Ben away "Not agaaaaaaiin!"
"GRR, GET BACK HERE!" she growled, speeding off after the hunter.
While they engaged in their game of 'keep away', Tini managed to get some breathing room in her own fight. Glaring at her two opponents, she spotted Ben being carried away by EightEight over their shoulders.
"No!" catching Vulkanus' punch, she swung the startled brute up at SevenSeven. As they crashed to the floor, she used her powerful legs to leap after the young hero.
Picking themselves up, Vulkanus and SevenSeven watched in silence as the three women fought over the increasingly dazed boy. Sharing a look, they then both turned back to the container of ore nearby.
("optimistic alien gibberish?") he asked, Vulkanus nodding in agreement "Yeah I got it. Who would have thought her weird kink would come in handy"
("angry alien gibberish") the hunter warned as Vulkanus rolled his eyes "Oh shut up, you know I'm right"
It was at this moment that Max and Gwen teleported down into the mine, the pair finding themselves right beside the pinned Synaptak.
"Well, things seems to be going well" Gwen jokes, spotting the frail Ultimos as well as hearing Ben's screams as he was snatched out of EightEight's grasp mid-flight by Tini.
"...Maybe I should have just gone with them in the first place" Max sighed "Too late for that now, help me get him out from under here. See if we can get him back into the fight" the two working together to try free the trapped hero.
Ben groaned as he felt himself drop, secured against Tini's chest plate while they landed back on the ground "(Urg) Thanks..but why are you here?"
"You needed help, who knows what that deviant had in mind for you" she replied, growing confused as Ben shook his head.
"You should have focused on stopping the other two…or getting 'brainiac' back"
Tini shook her head stubbornly "No, I must protect you!"
Ben frowned "I could have handled that myself (probably), besides XLR8 was here" the speedster appeared in a blur as she snatched Ben out of her grasp "Yeah thanks, I've got it from here" she cut in snippily, with Tini preparing to argue.
Their argument was stopped dead when EightEight opened fire, blasting Tini onto XLR8 and causing her to drop Ben. Pulling out the same disk her brother had used earlier, she managed to tag them both leaving them writing on the floor.
Seeing the pair in trouble, Ben attempted to summon his second 'partner', EightEight was faster. Snatching his arm once again, she then pulled him down into an (unnecessary) armbar hold/headscissor combo.
("seriously someone call the police alien gibberish~") her synthetic modulator still managing to sound husky, as she enjoyed seeing him struggle.
"I've had it with being grabbed today!" Ben thought, flexing his right palm and activating a new 'taser' feature Ultra-T and Cerebra had installed after the 'Bevin incidents' "Wish I'd remembered I had this earlier"
As he struggled with the pressure, Ben brought his hand up blindly and slapped his hand against her. As was his luc, he unknowingly caught her rear ("distorted moan~") and caused her to spasm briefly before letting go.
"(Gasp!) Oh man, I'm glad that worked" he massaged his sore neck as EightEight managed to compose herself.
("very illegal alien gibberish~")
"No…you…won't!" With a burst of jealousy fueled strength, Tini and XLR8 managed to tear off the disks. Staggering to their feet once more.
Before the fight could continue, the villains ship hovered overhead with Vulkanus leaning from the bulkhead hatch "We got the ore, now stop messing around with the human….you don't know where he's been"
EightEight let out a 'tsk' before flying up to join them, the worn out heroes could do nothing but watch as they once again escaped. Ben hung his head as he punched the ground in frustration.
"We had them! If I hadn't given Ultimos that stupid chocolate we could have taken them down together" he felt a pair of arms pull him into a hug. Looking up in surprise, Ben met XLR8's gentle gaze.
"It's not over yet 'partner'. Sure this kinda (totally) blew up in our faces, but I know you" she smiled proudly "You don't give up, it's part of your charm~"
Missing how true those words were, Ben smiled back while Tini watched the scene thoughtfully.
"I should apologise to you Ben" she began, catching their attention "I let my feelings distract me, and failed to stop them"
"Hey, don't be so down. Yeah you messed up but so did I, and so did-"
"Ben!" The trio turned to find Max and Gwen leading a mostly recovered Ultimos, and a very embarrassed Synaptak over to them "Speak of the nerd" Ben quipped.
XLR8's icon started to chime "(sigh) Never enough time. Don't have too much fun without me~" she winked, vanishing in a flash of red.
"I take it they got away?" Gwen asked, relieved that there were down to only one problematic alien again. "Rather it be none, but take what you can get" she thought.
"Yeah, they're probably on their way to mix up their bomb. Where could they do that?" Ben asked, Synaptak hesitantly raised a tentacle "It would take an enormous amount of heat to bind the Bicenthium and Element X together"
Max inhaled sharply "Like the forge in a Steel Mill?"
"Is there such a place nearby?" the hero asked, Gwen gestured to the mine around them "Hello? Pittsburgh, 'Steel Town USA'?"
Ultimos cleared his throat "Interesting theory. But the Galactic Code of-"
Ben let out a frustrated groan "Enough with the dumb code!" Ultimos and Synaptak let out scandalised gasps while Tini felt herself blush at his forceful tone "If we're going to stop them, we're doing it the Tennyson way" he smirked.
At the closest steel mill, Vulkanus dipped another batch of ore into the smelter while SevenSeven watched.
("alien gibberish?") he asked, Vulkanus grunted back.
"Don't rush me gearhead, only the purest mixture will combine with Element X to give us the 'boom' we need" raising a hand, he watched as the molten metal dripped from it "Heheh, perfect"
A sudden blast tore a hole in the roof, the villains were caught off guard as the Enforcers dropped down into the factory.
Vulkanus snorted, unimpressed "You capes never learn"
"Wanna bet?" Ben called out from behind them. Vulkanus turned only to be launched off the walkway by Pinball "Galactic Enforcers! Formation: Surprise party" he said cheekily as Ultra-T formed up behind him before bonding to his suit.
Synaptak grabbed SevenSeven telekinetically and pulled him towards Tini, who grabbed the flailing hunter before body slamming him down into the floor. As Pinball rolled back from Vulkanus, Ultimos rushed in to land a solid punch on his back.
EightEight, spotting Ben, attempted to grab at him only for his 'upgraded' suit to catch her hand first. EightEight brought up a blaster only for Ben to last out with his energy blade and slice it in two, twisting her arm to keep her off balance.
"Sorry, not this time" Ben smirked behind his visor. Activating his jet boots, Ben delivered a boosted kick to the hunter's stomach, driving her back "Ok, this is awesome. We need to do this more often" Ben said, admiring Ultra-T's work.
"Affirmative~" Ultra-T agreed happily ("I understand what Pinball means about Ben being 'inside' her. It is most satisfying~")
When EightEight pulled out her own energy sword, the 'hero's' 'face' narrowed in determination "Let's show her what true technological superiority looks like"
While the villains were busy getting beaten into the floor, Gwen flew in on Ben's hoverboard and snagged the container of Element X.
"Hey grandpa, heads up!" she yelled, tossing it into the air for Max to bullseye with his blaster. "Not quite the family bonding I had in mind this summer, but I'm not complaining" Max quipped.
Back on the floor, the heroes successfully drove the villains back to the smelter. Ben signalled for Synaptak to hold them in place, while Tini moved onto the walkway.
Vulkanus flexed, causing Synpatak's hold to weaken "Hah! You think he can hold us for long?"
"He won't have to. Tini?" Ben gestured for the hero to act.
Smiling viciously, the muscular beauty grabbed hold of the smelting vat...and pushed it over. The molten metal failed to harm the trio…but it did pin them down and with a quick burst of freeze breath from Ultimos, the fight was done.
"My, that was exhilarating." Ultimos laughed. "No plan. No rules!"
"Yeah, that's the Tennyson way. 100% satisfaction guaranteed" Ben joked, letting Ultra-T detach and Pinball rolled up.
"I can confirm that statement to be true" the technopathic 'hero' agreed. "No complaints from me" Pinball chuckled.
"I see~" Tini said, drawing warning looks from his 'partners'.
"I know he's great, but she should find her own man" Pinball muttered unhappily while Ultra-T's circuits flashed in frustration "Partner-Ben is perhaps TOO desirable for his own good" she agreed.
With the villains defeated, and Element X destroyed, the Tennysons watched as Ultimos and Tini brought the encased villains outside for extraction. With that sorted, Ben approached Tini to give his farewells.
"Things got a bit rough in the middle there, but it was fun working with you" he held out his hand to shake "Maybe we can team up again?"
Tini instead pulled him into a bone crushing hug "Farewell Ben. Hopefully our next meeting will be more 'pleasure' than business~" shooting Pinball and Ultra-T a defiant look as they fumed behind him.
Synaptak let out a defeated sigh as he floated next to a frustrated Gwen "Yeah, I'd prefer her with you too"
Once Tini let go, and Ben popped his back straight, Ultimos approached with an Enforcer badge.
"Ben, your unorthodox methods are just what we need to combat this new breed of criminal. I officially extend an invitation for you to join the Galactic Enforcers!"
"Thanks!...But no thanks" Ben replied, surprising Max and Gwen "I'm already part of a hero team" he offered the badge back only for Ultimos to refuse.
"Keep it. In case you ever need our help"
"Or if you just want to talk!" Tini suggested with a wink.
"Ah, it warms my heart to see you've become such good friends" Ultimos laughed while Gwen and Synaptak shared a long-suffering look. Activating the transporter disk, Ultimos pointed dramatically skyward "Galactic Enforcers, awaaaaaay!"
As the Enforcers teleported away, Gwen spoke up "Did you mean what you said, about being part of a team already?" wanting to be hopeful, but having a pretty good (bad) feeling what he meant.
"Of course I did" Ben said holding up the watch "And they're way cooler than those guys"
"Aw Ben~" Pinball gushed, pulling him into a hug as Ultra-T slid her way around them both to join in.
"Yeah…cool" Gwen huffed, shaking her head while Max sighed "Well, it was almost a nice moment"
-Prisoner Transfer Ship, Zeta 9. 2 weeks from now-
Vulkanis grumbled as he rattled his cuffs, glancing at SevenSeven and EightEight in the cell opposite.
He'd get out, he always did.
He just needed a decent distraction and-
The ship shook violently as the guards raced past their cells, weapons ready as the sound of blaster fire echoed from outside the cell block. The three prisoners moved to try to get a better look, when the guards were thrown back by a hail of lasers and missiles.
As they waited for the smoke to clear, the sound of metallic boots 'clinking' off the ship's floor echoed throughout the room. The sound drew closer, a figure emerged from the smoke to reveal…
(excited alien gibberish!") EightEight cheered, with SevenSeven adding his own sounds of celebration.
Vulkanus just laughed "Hah! We end up here trying to bust you out, and now YOU'RE here freeing us! What are the odds?"
SixSix gave him a disinterested look before moving to his sibling's cell, blasing open the doors before removing their cuffs. As he did another figure entered the room, his large claw snapping impatiently.
"Yeah yeah. It's a real heartwarming reunion. Now would you hurry up?" Kraab snarked, earning three sets of snarls "Oh bite me you tech fetishists"
Seeing the group start to leave, Vulknanus banged on his cell door "You're not just gonna leave me here are you? Guys?"
Kraab turned to the hunter trio "He any good? SevenSeven made a 'so-so' gesture.
"HEY!" Vulkanus snarled, punching again and succeeding in denting the door.
"Alright, alright. Don't get your armour in a twist" Kraab muttered, blasting lock before cutting his cuffs off.
"Hmph, thanks for the early release" Vulkanus quipped, stepping out the cell.
"Unfortunately for you, your freedom doesn't come free" a raspy yet powerful voice replied.
Vulkanus turned, ready to give the speaker a piece of his mind only to have to (surprisingly) look up .
He wished he hadn't.
"You.." Vulkanus gulped as he stepped back, taking in the figure's hulking frame and heavily burned red armour.
"Me" Vilgax sneered, glared down at him with his one good eye from the charred face.
-Non Canon Omake-
Gwen exited the Rustbucket with a leaflet for 'Bancroft Academy', sighing happily at the features and courses listed.
"Ah, one day" she said wistfully, imagining how great it would be to attend.
Her moment of bliss was interrupted by the sound of Ben grunting, followed by the sounds of…women giggling?
"Oh what now?" Gwen snapped, moving to investigate while trying to calm herself "Ok Gwen, don't get too worked up. It's probably just something dumb and not-"
She froze as she rounded the R.V.
There, panting and red in the face, was Ben.
And he was crouched in front of XLR8.
Between her thighs.
"Please tell me this isn't what it looks like" Gwen begged, her high pitched plea drawing the pair's attention to her.
"Oh hey dweeb" Ben greeted casually.
"Don't 'Hey dweeb' me. What are you doing?!" she snapped, utterly flustered at their positions
"Well I mentioned how that crazy alien girl kept putting me in holds, and XLR8 offered to help me practice breaking out of them" he explained" Right partner?"
"Hmm? Oh yeah, right (wink)" the speedster giggled, to the confusion of the young hero.
"Oh really?" Gwen asked dangerously.
"Yup, now if you don't mind leaving us to it? I'm 'really' close" XLR8 said impatiently.
"Shouldn't that he's close to-" Gwen paused as her words fully sunk in "Oh gross!"
