Chapter 111: Ben's New Alien, Frankenstrike
Dr. Victor sprinted down the dimly lit metallic corridors, his heavy boots slamming against the grating. Sparks showered from damaged overhead cables, casting erratic shadows across his stitched, monstrous face. Though no pursuers had materialized yet, his glowing eyes darted constantly to the flanks. He refused to let his guard down.
His paranoia proved justified. Halfway down the primary access tunnel, two familiar silhouettes dropped from the upper scaffolding, blocking his only exit.
The Mummy and the Werewolf stood side by side.
Dr. Victor ground his teeth. He had no time to waste on his former subordinates. Without breaking his stride, he thrust his right hand forward. The metallic nodes on his back flared, and a jagged arc of purple lightning tore through the air, aimed directly at the freakish pair.
The Mummy unraveled into a chaotic mess of bandages, shifting fluidly to the left, while the Werewolf dropped to all fours and vaulted to the right. The purple lightning scorched the bulkhead behind them, leaving a glowing crater of molten steel.
Before the two monsters could recover their footing and launch a counterattack, Dr. Victor surged forward. He lowered his massive shoulder, barreled straight through the gap between them, and continued his frantic escape.
Realizing they had been bypassed, the Werewolf unleashed a furious howl. The beast dug its claws into the floor panels and gave chase, the Mummy slithering closely behind.
As the Werewolf closed the distance, its jaw split open in four distinct mandibles. A concentrated, supersonic shockwave erupted from its throat, ripping up the floor grates as it hurtled toward Dr. Victor's back. Simultaneously, the Mummy whipped its arms forward, sending razor-sharp, prehensile bandages shooting through the air to bind their target.
Dr. Victor, intimately familiar with the combat tactics of his former colleagues, didn't even turn around. He sidestepped the sonic blast with surprising agility for a creature of his size. The shockwave shattered the wall beside him. In the same fluid motion, he reached out, caught the incoming white bandages in his massive grip, and yanked hard.
The Mummy was hoisted off the ground and slammed violently into the adjacent wall, collapsing into a tangled heap.
In a pure test of raw power, Dr. Victor vastly outclassed both the Mummy and the Werewolf. Yet, he dared not linger. He had already tested his limits against them once before. Engaging in a protracted two-on-one brawl would only drain his reserves and give that terrifying blue-eyed anomaly time to catch up.
Meanwhile, Ben was moving fast. His usually lazy brain had suddenly kicked into high gear, processing the facility's layout and calculating a much shorter intercept route. He skidded around a corner, his sneakers squeaking against the metal deck, and planted himself squarely in Dr. Victor's path.
Dr. Victor slid to a halt. He stared at the boy blocking his way. A dark scowl twisted his scarred features. He had already drawn Klein's ire, and his original plan was to avoid touching Ben entirely just to be safe. But right now, this kid was the only thing standing between him and freedom. He had to eliminate the obstacle.
The nodes on Dr. Victor's back hummed with lethal intensity. He unleashed a massive torrent of purple lightning straight at the boy.
Ben didn't even flinch at the approaching death ray. A confident smirk crossed his face.
"Let's see what this guy can do!"
Ben slammed his hand down on the Omnitrix dial.
A blinding emerald flash illuminated the corridor. The light faded to reveal a towering, hulking figure that looked remarkably similar to the villain standing across from him. Stitched flesh, exposed metallic conduits, and massive generator nodes protruding from his back.
Ben had transformed into a Transylian. He was Frankenstrike.
Without missing a beat, Frankenstrike raised his heavy, gauntlet-like hands. Emerald electricity crackled between his knuckles before erupting forward in a blinding green beam. The green and purple lightning collided in mid-air, creating a deafening crack of thunder and a shockwave that rattled the entire corridor. The opposing energies neutralized each other, leaving only the smell of ozone in the air.
Dr. Victor took a step back, a cold knot forming in his stomach. He glanced over his shoulder. The Werewolf was baring its fangs, and the Mummy had reassembled itself, blocking his retreat. He was trapped in a three-way pincer attack.
"Damn it!" Dr. Victor cursed, his voice a low, mechanical growl.
This was the worst-case scenario. He never expected the Omnitrix to cycle through its recharge sequence so rapidly.
Frankenstrike didn't give him time to think. The newly transformed hero charged forward, the deck plates groaning under his immense weight. He threw a heavy right hook, followed by a sweeping left.
Dr. Victor ducked under the first punch and leaned away from the second. Capitalizing on Ben's lack of experience with the cumbersome body, Dr. Victor stepped inside his guard and delivered a brutal uppercut to Frankenstrike's jaw.
Frankenstrike stumbled back, shaking his head to clear the ringing in his ears. The sheer mass of his new form threw off his center of gravity. He grunted, recalibrating his stance, and lunged at Dr. Victor again.
He threw a straight punch aimed at Dr. Victor's chest. Dr. Victor easily swatted the strike aside and immediately retaliated, throwing a devastating right cross aimed at Frankenstrike's temple.
But this time, Ben was ready.
Frankenstrike's left hand snapped up, his thick fingers clamping down on Dr. Victor's incoming fist like a steel vice.
"What?!" Dr. Victor gasped, his eyes widening in shock. He couldn't believe the boy had adapted to the Transylian physiology's combat rhythm so quickly.
Before Dr. Victor could pull away, Frankenstrike pulled his right arm back, the generator nodes on his back flaring with green energy. He drove a lightning-infused punch directly into Dr. Victor's face.
The impact sounded like a cannon firing. Dr. Victor's feet left the ground. He flew backward through the air and crashed violently into a massive, abandoned generator block, denting the thick steel casing.
Dr. Victor groaned, using the dented machinery to prop himself up. His mechanical eye flickered. He knew running was no longer an option. If he turned his back now, Frankenstrike would simply run him down. His only chance of survival was to crush the boy right here.
Roaring in defiance, Dr. Victor pushed off the generator and charged at Frankenstrike.
He never made it halfway.
A blur of fur and muscle slammed into him from the side. The Werewolf tackled Dr. Victor to the floor, its claws tearing at his armor. The beast opened its four-part jaw, aiming a lethal bite at Dr. Victor's neck.
Dr. Victor shoved his massive hands into the beast's mouth, holding the snapping jaws at bay before violently hurling the Werewolf across the corridor.
He had barely managed to get back on his feet when a flurry of white fabric whipped through the air. The Mummy's bandages lashed around his arms, torso, and legs, pulling tight with crushing force.
Dr. Victor roared, his muscles bulging as he strained to snap the ancient bindings. The bandages began to fray under his immense strength.
But his time was up.
Frankenstrike closed the distance in three massive strides. He locked his hands together, raised them high above his head, and brought them down like a sledgehammer onto Dr. Victor's skull.
The villain crumpled to the floor, completely unconscious.
Back in the main control chamber, the dust was finally settling.
Grandpa Max stood near the console, rubbing his chin as he stared at the pile of ash that used to be Zs'Skayr. "The big boss that Dr. Victor planned to resurrect has already said his goodbyes. I think, this time, it's really over, right?"
A quiet blue light pulsed through the room, and the chilling form of Ghostfreak melted away, leaving Klein standing in his place. He adjusted his collar and gave a slight nod. He had thoroughly enjoyed tearing the arrogant phantom apart, but the novelty had worn off. He was tired of playing.
Gwen walked over, kicking a piece of rubble aside. She looked at Max, her brow furrowed. "But what about Dr. Victor? I wonder if he's been dealt with yet."
"That big guy doctor can't cause any more trouble."
Klein, Max, and Gwen turned toward the entrance at the sound of the deep, echoing voice.
Frankenstrike ducked his head to fit through the blast doors, casually dragging the tightly bound, unconscious body of Dr. Victor by one leg. The Mummy and the Werewolf trailed cautiously behind him, keeping a respectful distance from the heroes.
Frankenstrike tossed Dr. Victor onto the floor like a sack of potatoes. He looked down at Max. "Grandpa, what should we do with him?"
Max rubbed his chin again, his brow creasing as he considered the logistics of detaining a rogue Transylian scientist.
Before Max could formulate a plan, Klein shoved his hands into his pockets and spoke up. "Grandpa, where is the spaceship Dr. Victor wanted to use for his broadcast?"
Max blinked, momentarily caught off guard by the question. He studied Klein's calm, unreadable expression. Though he had no idea what his anomalous grandson was plotting, he trusted the boy's judgment. Max nodded and led the group out of the facility, handling the winding paths toward the launch pad.
They arrived at the massive launch silo. The towering spacecraft sat on the platform, its thrusters idling with a low, thrumming vibration.
Klein stared up at the sheer scale of the vessel. A faint smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. He raised his wrist and tapped the faceplate of the Another Omnitrix.
A quiet blue light washed over the launch pad. In Klein's place stood a sleek, biomechanical entity composed of black and blue circuitry. He had transformed into Upgrade.
Upgrade's liquid-metal body stretched forward, latching onto the hull of the spaceship. His blue circuitry rapidly spread across the metallic surface, infiltrating the ship's mainframe and overriding its core systems.
Watching the massive vessel light up with glowing blue lines, Gwen crossed her arms. "Is Cousin trying to hijack this entire spaceship?"
A moment later, Upgrade's single glowing eye and face emerged from the exterior hull plating, looking down at the group.
"Ben," Upgrade's synthesized voice echoed from the ship's external speakers. "Throw Dr. Victor inside."
With a loud hiss, the heavy iron airlock doors slid open.
Frankenstrike didn't ask questions. He scooped up the bound Dr. Victor, wound up his pitch, and hurled the unconscious villain straight through the open airlock. The heavy doors slammed shut behind him, sealing tight.
"You guys need to get away from here. Now." Upgrade instructed, his voice vibrating through the metal.
Max didn't need to be told twice. He grabbed Gwen's shoulder and signaled for Ben to follow, rushing them back into the safety of the access tunnels.
The launch pad trembled. The thrusters ignited with a deafening roar, spewing a torrent of blue-tinged exhaust. The massive spaceship, fully under Upgrade's control, lifted off the platform and shot into the night sky, tearing through the atmosphere.
Once the vessel reached the upper stratosphere, the blue circuitry peeled away from the hull. Upgrade detached himself, free-falling through the icy air.
Mid-fall, a flash of blue light illuminated the clouds. Upgrade shifted forms, transforming into the crimson, manta-like shape of Jetray. He spread his wings, caught the updraft, and banked sharply, gliding smoothly back down to the Earth's surface.
Jetray touched down near the launch facility. The blue light flashed one final time, and Klein stood there, casually dusting off his jacket.
Ben, having timed out of his Frankenstrike form, ran over with Max and Gwen.
"So," Ben panted, catching his breath. "What exactly did you do up there?"
Klein looked up at the fading contrail in the sky. "I tampered with the ship's navigation systems. I have no idea which corner of the universe it's going to fly to, but Dr. Victor will never be able to return to Earth for the rest of his life."
He paused, his expression perfectly neutral.
What he didn't mention was the little extra surprise he had left behind. The vengeful anomaly had also hardwired a highly sensitive self-destruct program into the ship's core reactor. If Dr. Victor somehow managed to survive the deep-space detonation, only then would Klein consider their debt settled.
After all, Dr. Victor had dared to deviate from Klein's carefully orchestrated script earlier, ruining his fun. And Klein absolutely despised having a bad experience.
"Then... how do we deal with them?" Gwen asked, pointing a thumb over her shoulder.
She looked at the Mummy and the Werewolf, who were currently huddled together, looking incredibly out of place and nervous. She then turned her gaze back to Klein.
"I think it's best if you just let us go," the Werewolf muttered, exchanging a panicked glance with the Mummy. The two monsters were practically whispering under their breath, terrified of drawing the blue-eyed boy's attention.
"Grandpa."
Klein turned to Max. He widened his eyes, softening his features into an expression of pure, innocent expectation. It was a rare moment where he actually attempted to play the role of a helpless child, silently demanding that the adult handle the boring cleanup work.
Max stared at Klein. He reached up, rubbing his temples in sheer distress. He let out a long, heavy sigh and shook his head helplessly at his grandson's blatant manipulation.
Seeing that Max wasn't buying the act, Klein instantly dropped the innocent facade. His face returned to its usual lazy indifference. He shrugged and walked away, not bothering to waste another second on the monsters.
With the crisis finally averted, the family piled back into the Rustbucket, the engine sputtering to life as they continued their cross-country road trip.
As for the Mummy and the Werewolf, they didn't wander Earth for long. Max made a quick call on a secure frequency. Shortly after the Rustbucket departed, an extraction team from the Plumbers arrived, took the two terrified aliens into custody, and promptly deported them back to the Anur System.
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