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The RV tore through the winding roads of South Dakota, its engine roaring louder than the distant rumble of an approaching storm. Tension hung heavy in the air. No one spoke. Ben stared out the window, fists clenched. Gwen gripped the edge of the table, her thoughts racing.
Max's eyes didn't leave the road. He knew they had very little time.
Suddenly, the RV screeched to a halt at what looked like a sheer, ordinary cliff face. Nothing remarkable. Nothing suspicious. Just rock, trees, and silence.
"Are we lost?" Ben asked, eyebrows raised.
Max didn't answer. He stepped out and placed his palm on a flat section of the cliff. A thin line of green light scanned his hand. The rock trembled—then split open, revealing a hidden metallic tunnel leading deep into the earth.
"What the...?" Gwen whispered, stepping out of the RV.
As they followed Max inside, the tunnel lit up with soft, green energy. The temperature dropped, the smell of metal and ozone filling their nostrils. The walls pulsed with alien circuitry. At the end of the path, an immense chamber opened before them—an underground fortress unlike anything they had ever seen.
Holographic displays floated in midair. Strange devices hummed softly. Alien artifacts—some glowing, some dormant—lined the shelves and walls. And at the far end, mounted like a gruesome trophy, was the severed, preserved head of Vilgax, eyes closed, as if in eternal slumber.
Ben's jaw dropped. "No way..."
Gwen took a step back, visibly shaken. "This... this is real?"
Max turned to them. "Stay close. This base is older than you can imagine. And some of these systems aren't exactly childproof."
But Ben had already begun to drift away, curiosity overpowering caution. He walked past what looked like a crystalline map of the galaxy, ran his fingers along a cylindrical artifact pulsing with red light, and finally stopped before a strange, sealed door—one that looked unlike any of the others. It was smoother. Sleeker. And it had a glowing sigil in the shape of a spiral.
"Whoa... What's behind you?" he whispered.
A panel on the side caught his eye. He reached for it.
"Ben, no!" Gwen's voice echoed faintly behind him.
Too late.
As Ben's hand touched the interface, a soft blue light engulfed him. A security scan began—but instead of denial, the system beeped affirmatively.
"Genetic signature: Partial match. Access granted. Deploying Unit."
Ben blinked. "Wait, deploying what?"
A hatch opened from the ceiling—and a small, mechanical object dropped from above, latching onto his wrist before he could react. It clamped down, locked in place, and began to glow.
It looked like a watch. A really cool, sci-fi-looking watch.
Ben screamed, tugging at it. "Get it off! Get it off me!"
The watch pulsed.
And then—everything exploded in green light.
The First Transformation
Ben's body convulsed as energy surged through him. His skin shifted color. His limbs grew, stretched, mutated. His eyes glowed red. In seconds, he was no longer Ben Tennyson—he was something else. Something huge. Towering. Muscular. Red-skinned. With four bulging arms.
He roared, shaking the chamber.
"BEN!" Gwen's voice cracked.
Max Returns
Meanwhile, Max had just finished securing his combat suit—a sleek black-and-green exo-armor, fused with alien tech and standard military gear. His blaster snapped into place on his back.
He looked around. "Where's Ben?"
"I told him to stay close," Gwen said, panic rising in her voice. "He—he found some weird door and... something grabbed him."
Max's face hardened. "No... it can't be."
Together, they ran toward the transformation chamber.
There he was—Ben, or rather, the creature that Ben had become—staring at his four hands, overwhelmed and terrified. He was massive. Heavy footsteps echoed with each movement. But his eyes—those were still Ben's. Scared. Confused.
Gwen stepped back. "Is that... is that him?"
Max didn't hesitate. "Ben, listen to me! You need to calm down."
"I didn't mean to!" Ben growled in a voice that shook the walls. "This thing—it grabbed me! It changed me! What's happening?!"
Max moved closer. "That's the Omnitrix. It chose you because of your DNA. But it's not a toy. It's the most powerful weapon in the galaxy."
Ben staggered. "Make it stop! I don't want this!"
"You've got about ten minutes before it wears off. Just hang on."
True to his word, within moments, the Omnitrix beeped—and a bright green flash engulfed Ben. He collapsed to his knees, back in human form, panting, sweating.
Max knelt beside him. His tone was serious, but calm. "Ben, listen to me carefully. I can't remove the watch. Not yet. But from now on, you must never use it. And no one must know it exists. Understand?"
Ben looked up. "But why?"
"Because if the wrong people find out... they won't stop until they rip it from your body—and they'll tear this world apart to get it."
The Call
Max led them into a command center. Holographic screens lit up as he interfaced with the main console.
"Connecting to S.H.I.E.L.D. secure line," the computer said.
Moments later, the image of Nick Fury appeared—gruff, eyepatched, and visibly under pressure.
"Max," Fury said. "You're a hard man to reach."
"I've activated the base," Max replied. "Situation's critical. I've got the gear. But I also have two minors under my protection."
"You always did know how to complicate things," Fury muttered. "I can offer a safe zone. Coordinates will be sent. But you'll need to move fast. We're picking up chatter—Loki's not wasting time."
Max nodded. "Copy that."
The Enemy Watches
High above, cloaked within the clouds, a stealth aircraft hovered. Inside, Loki stood by a window, arms behind his back, watching the mountain with an amused expression.
"You're certain this 'Magister Max' is our priority?" he asked.
Beside him, Hawkeye, eyes glazed with mind control, responded coldly. "He's more dangerous than he looks. His base holds tech older than anything on Earth."
Loki smiled. "Then we pay him a visit."
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Back in the base, a red alert blared.
"WARNING: Unidentified aerial entities approaching. Security lockdown initiated."
Max spun toward the screen. Gwen grabbed Ben's arm. His wrist lit up again.
The storm was here.
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