Up in Earth's orbit, a spaceship drifted steadily above the planet, its structure unmistakably advanced, sleek, layered plating wrapped around a glowing core that marked it as the Galactic Enforcers' home base.
A flash of light cut through the bridge, and the team materialized in place. Max staggered slightly as his boots hit the floor, his hand immediately going to his temple.
"Whoa… never did like those transporter disks," Max muttered, rubbing his head as he steadied himself.
Gwen took a step forward, adjusting her footing, while Ben barely registered the discomfort at all. His eyes were already darting across the room, taking in everything at once, the glowing panels, the shifting holographic displays, the faint hum of systems far beyond anything he'd seen on Earth.
Then Gwen's gaze shifted again, more focused this time.
"Wait… where's Evan?"
That was enough to snap Max out of his daze. He looked around more carefully now, scanning the room, counting faces that weren't there.
Evan wasn't one of them.
A small crease formed on his brow, the kind that came from experience more than panic. Gwen crossed her arms, her unease showing more clearly, while Ben… kept looking around, eyes wide with fascination.
For a moment, he forgot about Evan.
A few seconds later, three more flashes lit up the bridge as the Galactic Enforcers appeared. Ultimos stood at the center, composed as ever, with Synaptak beside him wearing his usual analytical expression, and Tini looming behind them with an easy smile.
Ben immediately perked up, all prior thoughts pushed aside as he jumped to his feet.
"How cool is this?" he said, spinning in place as he looked around again. "This is superhero heaven!"
"Close your mouth, super-dweeb," Gwen shot back without missing a beat. "You're drooling all over the place."
Ben wiped his mouth instinctively, then frowned when he realized she got him.
Max exhaled slowly before stepping forward, his attention fixed on Ultimos.
"So why do we have the misfortune of being in Mr. Gadget Guy's company again?"
Ultimos raised his arm, activating a hologram projector. A three-dimensional image flickered to life between them, stabilizing into a rotating figure.
"His name is Sixsix," Ultimos explained calmly. "He escaped incarceration. Notably, he did not bring Kraab or the Predator along with him, an indication of self-interest overriding prior alliances. He has since formed a partnership with Vulkanus."
Synaptak tilted his head slightly as another figure appeared beside Sixsix.
"A Detrovite," he added. "Limited mental capacity. Comparable to Appoplexians, overwhelming physical strength, minimal strategic depth. You are likely familiar with the behavioral pattern."
"They were hired to steal Element X," Ultimos continued.
The room went quiet for a second.
Then all three of them gave the same blank look.
Ultimos paused, then sighed faintly. "Clarification appears necessary."
"Yeah, we give up," Ben said, raising a hand slightly. "What's Element X?"
"Does it have anything to do with Alien X?" Gwen asked, narrowing her eyes as she studied the hologram more closely.
"We are unfamiliar with this 'Alien X,'" Synaptak replied. "However, Element X is a highly unstable component used in the creation of a binary compound. Alone, it is volatile. Combined, it becomes exponentially more destructive."
"How destructive?" Max asked, his tone shifting, more serious now.
Synaptak didn't hesitate. "Sufficient to eliminate a solar system."
"But why Earth?" Max pressed. "There are hundreds, thousands of planets out there in the galaxy. What makes this one so special?"
Ultimos gestured again, and the hologram shifted, displaying a metallic compound.
"Bicenthium alloy," he said. "Extremely rare. Its presence has been rumored on your planet. If Sixsix and Vulkanus acquire both components, the result would be catastrophic."
Gwen leaned in slightly, her eyes narrowing as she studied the projection.
"Why does this look familiar…?"
Ben shrugged. "No offense, Gwen, but we're literally standing in their spaceship. I think they've got this covered."
Max, however, wasn't convinced. His thoughts had already moved ahead, connecting pieces that didn't sit right.
Evan was still down there.
And if something like this was happening, Evan would need to know, before he assume the worst without context.
Max straightened slightly.
"Well, I guess there's nothing left to do but head back down and start looking for-"
"Excuse me," Ultimos cut in smoothly. "The Galactic Code is very clear regarding protocol. Tini, launch Observos 1-4."
Tini stepped over to a nearby console, her large fingers surprisingly precise as she tapped four glowing green inputs. A moment later, four small surveillance drones launched from the ship, displayed briefly on-screen as they descended toward Earth.
"The Observos will conduct a full scan of the city and identify the perpetrators," Ultimos explained. "In the meantime, a tour of the facility may be… educational."
Max hesitated for only a moment before nodding.
"We'd be honored."
Ultimos gave a polite smile.
"Oh, I'm afraid that will not be possible for all of you. Provision 373-837: No civilian visitors permitted in secure areas of the ship. You and your granddaughter will remain here on the bridge."
Gwen's expression dropped immediately.
"Wait, what?"
Ultimos turned slightly.
"Ben, however, is granted full hero status by virtue of the Omnitrix. Tini will escort you."
Before Ben could even respond, Tini scooped him up effortlessly, lifting him onto her shoulders as he let out an excited laugh.
"Hey! VIP access!"
"How come they get to go?" Gwen protested, stepping forward.
Ultimos had already turned away.
"Regulations," he said simply.
Synaptak followed, his expression unreadable, though the slight tightening around his eyes suggested annoyance more than agreement. The three Enforcers exited the bridge, Tini carrying Ben along as he continued to look around in awe, already asking questions faster than anyone could answer.
The door slid shut behind them.
Max stood there for a moment, arms at his sides, his mind running through the situation from a different angle.
He wanted to go down and make sure Evan didn't assume the worst outcome, but he also couldn't leave Ben here alone, know if they might use that oppotunity to try and kidnap him.
Max exhaled quietly.
He didn't like this. Not one bit.
"Don't worry about us, we'll be fine!" Gwen called after them earlier, her voice echoing faintly in memory before she crossed her arms again, her frustration finally settling in.
She glanced toward the closed door, then back at the holograms still flickering in the room.
"Super jerks."
...
A little while later, the ship's alarm suddenly blared through the bridge, flashing red lights across the polished walls.
The door slid open, and Ben stepped out with a proud grin, now wearing a smaller version of Ultimos' uniform that had clearly been tailored to fit him.
"Presenting Ultra Ben, Galactic Enforcer!"
Gwen and Max stared at him from the bridge, both of them completely stunned as Ben marched forward with as much confidence as he could manage.
That confidence lasted right up until his cape caught under his foot.
He stumbled, flailed, and sprawled across the floor in an embarrassing heap, then gave a nervous chuckle as he pushed himself up.
"I meant to do that."
Max pinched the bridge of his nose. "Ben..."
"What about us?" he asked, already sounding suspicious.
Ultimos turned toward him, calm as ever. "I'm afraid the GCC is quite clear about the participation of non-superpowered beings. You will be much safer here."
Before Max could argue, Synaptak raised a hand and projected a telekinetic beam from his head, forming a glowing barrier that blocked Gwen and Max from moving forward.
"Hey!" Gwen snapped, stepping up to it.
"Sorry, guys," Ben said, acting like nothing was wrong at all. "This is a superhero thing. We'll be back after we kick Sixsix's can."
Then, as if that somehow made everything better, he reached into his pocket, pulled out a few chocolate candies, and popped one into his mouth. He looked over at Ultimos and offered the rest.
"Hey, want one?"
"Ah, local cuisine," Ultimos said with a faint nod. "I certainly would not want to offend your planet's customs."
He took one of the candies and ate it with complete seriousness, as if this was an important diplomatic exchange.
A moment later, the group teleported away, heading down to the mine where Sixsix and Vulkanus were busy digging for the Bicenthium alloy.
For a few minutes, the ship remained tense and quiet.
Then the defense system suddenly erupted into motion.
Warning sirens rang out, and the outer cannons shifted into position. From the windows, Max and Gwen could see the ship beginning to fire toward something outside.
"What's it shooting at?" Gwen asked, looking around uneasily.
Max moved toward the control panel, trying to get a better look, but the barrier Synaptak had placed in front of them kept him from reaching it.
Before either of them could figure out what was happening, one of the energy cannons suddenly exploded then follow by another and another, torn apart from the outside. The whole ship lurched violently from the impacts.
Gwen screamed as the bridge shook around them, and Max reached out toward the controls again, only to hit the invisible barrier with his hand.
Then the ship shuddered a second time.
The lights flickered.
The reinforced glass in front of them suddenly cracked, then shattered as something crashed through it with enough force to send fragments flying across the room.
A small figure landed in front of them.
He only stood about 120 centimeters tall, but there was nothing small about the presence he carried. He was a black-furred anthropomorphic hedgehog with golden eyes, a patch of white fur on his chest, a black nose, a tan muzzle, and small triangular ears with tan inner fur.
On his head were six quills, four curving upward and two curling downward, with matching spines on his back and a short pointed tail. Golden stripes lined his quills, traced the edges of his eyes, and ran along his arms and legs. He wore white gloves with black cuffs and gold tongues, along with brown boots to match, also trimmed in black and gold.
Bright golden rings were strapped around his wrists and ankles, and the golden Omnitrix dial was visible on his right shoulder.
Max and Gwen recognized him instantly.
"Stand back," he said, clenching his left palm.
The two of them immediately stepped away.
"Chaos Spear!"
He snapped his arm forward, and a spear-shaped construct of chaos energy shot out, striking the barrier with a sharp blast before shattering it completely.
The broken barrier and shattered window opened the bridge to the vacuum of space, and the sudden pull nearly dragged Max and Gwen outward. But before the vacuum could take them, he moved fast, closing the distance in an instant and placing his hands on both of their shoulders.
"Chaos Control!"
In the blink of an eye, the three of them vanished from the ship.
A second later, they reappeared on Earth, right in front of the Rust Bucket.
Max bent forward slightly, taking in a deep breath of fresh air as relief washed over him.
"Incredible... instant teleportation..." he muttered.
Gwen coughed a little as she steadied herself, then looked up at the short alien standing in front of her.
"Wow," she said, still catching her breath. "So what do you call this new alien?"
He look directly at her. "Eclipse."
His expression tightened a little as he looked around. "Where is Ben? I can't sense him on the ship."
"They teleported to a mine somewhere," Gwen said, though even she knew that was barely enough to narrow it down.
The difference between Earth and orbit was obvious. Even though the Tennysons had only been off the planet for a short while, to Evan, who had stayed behind on Earth, it had felt much longer. They had left in the morning, and now the sun was already sinking toward the horizon.
"I'll get the Omnitrix tracker," Max said, straightening up. "We can use it to locate Ben, as long as he's still on Earth."
He headed into the RV, moving with the practiced ease of someone who had spent the past while gathering anything that might prove useful. After coming out of retirement, Max had made sure to keep several tools and devices on hand for situations exactly like this.
A moment later, he returned with a handheld tracker.
"Here," he said, handing it to Eclipse. "It's locked to the signature of Ben's Omnitrix. It should point you right to him."
Eclipse took the device and looked at it for a second before nodding. "On it."
His gaze shifted, focusing as the tracker began to guide him in the right direction. Once he had the location, he disappeared in a blur, using his teleportation to cross vast distances in only moments.
Max didn't waste any time after that.
"Get in," he told Gwen, already climbing into the Rust Bucket. "We're following him."
Gwen hurried in after him as Max started the engine, then activated the massive Omnitrix tracking system he had installed in the Rust Bucket. The device lit up, locking onto Ben's signal and guiding them after him.
With that, the Rust Bucket roared to life and sped off, racing to catch up before the situation on the ground got any worse.
...
Reappearing at the mine, Eclipse narrowed his golden gaze as he looked down at the chaotic battle unfolding below.
Sixsix was firing nonstop at XLR8, but the speedster twisted and darted through every blast with ease. Sixsix growled in frustration and followed up by throwing grenades at him, using all of his extra arms to keep up the pressure. XLR8 still slipped past most of it, moving so fast that it almost looked like he was everywhere at once.
Nearby, Vulkanus charged forward and swung his massive fists at him, but XLR8 leaned and shifted around every strike without much trouble. He crouched low, then circled around Vulkanus in a blur, striking from different angles. The hits barely seemed to bother the huge alien, but they were enough to keep him off balance.
Sixsix kept firing as XLR8 ran up the side of a beam, then flipped off of it and kicked Sixsix square in the chest, sending him crashing down to the ground while XLR8 landed safely nearby, laughing as if none of this was serious at all.
Then Sixsix launched a volley of missiles toward the canyon wall.
The explosion tore through the rock face and triggered an avalanche.
Chunks of stone and debris began crashing down toward XLR8 and the Galactic Enforcers below, forcing everyone to react at once. At the same time, Vulkanus took advantage of the distraction and grabbed the cart full of iron ore, turning to run it back toward his ship.
That was when Ben's Omnitrix timed out.
He stumbled back into human form, staring up at the falling avalanche with a worried and annoyed expression.
Eclipse's eyes narrowed even further as he looked at the scene below. In the next instant, he jumped.
"Chaos Control!"
He vanished, then reappeared right in front of Vulkanus and slammed his fist into the larger alien's face. Before Vulkanus could fully recover, Eclipse disappeared again and reappeared behind him, driving another punch into the back of his head.
Ben gasped as he turned and saw Synaptak and Tini struggling to get back up while the avalanche kept closing in.
"This looks like a job for Ultra Ben! Only I can save Tini!" Ben announced.
Before he could do anything else, Synaptak shoved him aside.
"Stand aside, earthling," he said, forcing himself to concentrate as he raised an energy barrier over them.
Eclipse kept moving in short flashes, blinking in and out around Vulkanus so quickly that the larger alien could barely keep track of him. Every time Vulkanus turned, Eclipse was already gone, only to strike again from another angle. The repeated hits did not do much damage at first, but they did make Vulkanus angrier by the second.
Then Eclipse suddenly reappeared in front of Sixsix.
He drove a knee into Sixsix's stomach, snatched his weapons away, and vanished again before Sixsix could even recover.
Vulkanus roared in fury, swinging wildly as Eclipse kept flashing in and out around him, attacking from all sides without giving him a moment to breathe. Sixsix tries to help his partner, only for Eclipse to appear behind him and hit him hard on the head with a metal shove, knocking him down.
He then disappears once more to attack Vulkanus again. After a few more strikes, Eclipse paused.
"It is getting boring."
He was quickly realizing that chipping away at Vulkanus like that was not getting the job done. So he tossed the stolen space gun aside, raised his palm, and aimed directly at Vulkanus's face.
"Chaos Blast!"
A crimson burst of chaos energy exploded outward from him, swallowing Vulkanus and Sixsix in a powerful blast. Everyone below watched with wide eyes as the explosion tore through the area, wrecking the ground around them and damaging part of their ship in the process.
A few seconds later, the Rust Bucket pulled to a stop at the edge of the canyon. Max and Gwen quickly stepped out and moved forward, both of them taking in the scene in front of them.
Eclipse was standing on top of the defeated pair, his boot grinding into Vulkanus's face as he looked down at the injured alien beneath him.
"Is that all?" Eclipse asked, sounding cockier now as his alien personality started to blend more strongly with his own. "I didn't expect you to be this weak."
He lifted his foot off Vulkanus and walked forward, planting it hard onto Sixsix's head and pressing his face into the dirt.
"I shouldn't be surprised," he added. "After all, you're facing the Ultimate Lifeform. Losing really shouldn't be much of a shock."
His senses sharpened as he noticed the Galactic Enforcers starting to recover and move toward him. Ben caught sight of the golden Omnitrix dial on Eclipse's shoulder and opened his mouth, then closed it again. He knew better than to draw too much attention when Evan was like this.
They seemed ready to say something, but Eclipse did not even turn around.
"Save your pointless words," he said flatly. "I'm not interested in working with deadweights."
With that, he disappeared again using Chaos Control.
A moment later, he reappeared back inside the Rust Bucket. He tapped his Omnitrix dial and returned to human form, then sat down on the couch like nothing had happened.
Some time later, Max, Gwen, and Ben returned to the RV.
"Heh? You're back?" Evan asked in a lazy, casual tone. "I thought you switched teams."
That got a reaction out of Gwen and Ben, more than it probably should have, since Evan almost never joked around like that.
Gwen let out a small laugh. "Yeah, he got kicked out."
"Hey!" Ben snapped. "I didn't get kicked out! I left willingly!"
Max smiled a little, watching the three of them bicker like regular kids for once. He did not say anything, only turned back to the driver's seat and started the Rust Bucket.
Soon, the RV was moving again, driving off down the road.