Chapter 186: Solving the Alien X Problem
"So..."
"You Symbiotes can actually sense each other to some extent?"
Ben asked.
A few minutes ago, he had signed an agreement with Venom to jointly fight the Chitauri army, and then he got a way from Venom to find the locations of several other Symbiotes.
"That's right, so you just need to let me possess you and then wander around near where their ship landed, and you might find them."
Venom said excitedly:
"Stop wasting time, hurry up!"
"Let me out, let's go find them together!"
This puddle of unknown substance even squirmed a few times excitedly, looking impatient.
But the problem was, If Symbiotes could sense each other, then Ben didn't need Venom at all right now because he himself was a Symbiote.
"When did I ever say I would let you out?"
Ben retorted.
"Are you going to break our contract?"
Venom roared in disbelief, as if betrayed.
"I didn't sign any contract." Ben pressed his finger on the Little Broken Watch, and the next moment, the icons inside the watch began to cycle.
Soon, he found Overkill in the Parasitic List.
"Without me, you absolutely can't—what the hell?"
Venom was roaring one second and the next he was shocked to find that Ben, who was standing in front of him, suddenly emitted a green light, and then his body began to shrink.
Then, a black Symbiote the size of a head appeared before his eyes.
This Symbiote looked almost identical to Venom. The only difference was the mark of the Little Broken Watch on its head, and its torn eyes were white and green.
"You're also a Symbiote?"
Venom's expression contorted.
"But why do you look so much like me? Did my dad cheat?"
He blurted out, but the next moment he slapped himself hard.
He didn't have a biological father at all.
All Symbiotes should originate from Knull.
Ben grinned.
Classmates who often travel through American Comics know that most protagonists who come to Marvel inevitably end up with a Symbiote.
But he was different; he directly became a Symbiote.
"I have an urge to eat brains right now!"
Ben grinned, revealing a row of sharp teeth.
Hearing this, Venom was delighted.
"I knew it!"
"I knew there must be other Symbiotes in this world who would understand me!"
"Brain, lungs, heart... so much delicious food! But so little time!" Venom sighed, "My brother, hurry and let me out, let's go enjoy this planet's desserts together!"
Venom expressed urgency.
But Ben glared at him, and Venom immediately fell silent.
In reality, he didn't have any bloodthirsty urges at all. If he had any instinct, it was the desire to find a host to possess.
It would be even better if it were Spider-Man.
He thought.
Wait, I'm Spider-Man myself!
Never mind then.
The part on Ben's forehead flowed, bringing the core of the Little Broken Watch to his eyes. He then extended a tendril and began to manipulate the watch.
As mentioned before, Symbiotes can copy their host's abilities.
Because Venom had possessed Spider-Man for a long time in many universes, most Venom-type Symbiotes possessed Spider-Man's superpowers.
And Ben was planning to have Overkill possess an alien hero to acquire their powers.
This hero was none other than—
"Ditto!"
In an instant, Ben transformed into a creature the size of a penguin, with fins growing from the sides of its head like cheeks.
Ditto was a Splixson, so weak he possessed almost no combat power, but he had a very potent ability.
That ability was cloning.
What Ben wanted Venom to replicate was the cloning ability.
At this moment, the instant Ben transformed into Ditto, Overkill expanded explosively, enveloping Ditto like a sphere. Immediately, before Venom, a ferocious and terrifying Overkill Ditto appeared.
Venom, witnessing all of this with his own eyes, went even more insane.
"What exactly are you?"
He truly couldn't understand what Ben was.
Why was the other party sometimes an Earthling, sometimes a symbiote, and could even produce a penguin for him to parasitize?
Hearing Venom's question, Ben glanced at him. The symbiote on half of his face tore open from his mouth, revealing two different faces and two voices overlapping:
"We are, Overkill Ditto."
"Whoa, cool!"
Venom's eyes immediately lit up, completely amazed by Ben's self-introduction.
He thought that one day he would also find a host and introduce himself in this manner.
He had already decided what he would say then:
"We are, Venom!"
Awesome!
Venom was instantly ecstatic.
But Ben had more important things to do.
At this moment, he felt two different consciousnesses existing within him: one was Overkill, and the other was Ditto.
Both were him, but one was influenced by the symbiote's instincts, and the other by Ditto.
Ben directly used the cloning ability.
The next moment, his body split down the middle, and another Overkill Ditto appeared, followed by four, then eight, then sixteen... until the entire room was filled.
Venom watched, increasingly astonished.
He didn't know what Ben was doing, nor what he was.
But clearly, the other party had no intention of paying attention to him.
So Venom shrank back down, observing everything with an egg-frying gaze.
"Ability replication successful."
Suddenly, Ben, from Overkill's perspective, spoke.
Then, all the Dittos simultaneously widened their eyes, emitting a green light, and instantly merged into one, returning to Ben's original form.
However, Overkill did not revert. Instead, it clung to the watch, dyeing half of Ben's hand black.
Ben said, "Then let's give it a try."
Immediately, he shouted:
"Mask!"
The next moment, the symbiote Overkill instantly enveloped his entire body. He donned the symbiote battle suit—
This was a battle suit far more ferocious and terrifying than his original black one. The liquid symbiote flowed out like threads, resembling potent venom.
The patterns on his face and body were particularly horrifying, like a nightmare!
Nightmare Hacker!
Possessed by Overkill, Ben didn't feel a significant increase in power.
After all, this was the first time the symbiote Overkill had possessed him, and the improvement it brought was minimal.
Fortunately, Ben wasn't aiming for a slight increase in power.
"Let's try the cloning ability."
Instantly, another Ben appeared, dressed exactly like him.
However...
"Little Broken Watch cannot be replicated."
This did not surprise Ben.
Overkill's replication ability wasn't yet powerful enough to copy Little Broken Watch.
But it was sufficient.
Ben deactivated the cloning ability, and Overkill slowly receded, gradually returning to the area around Little Broken Watch, dyeing the watch black.
Then he said, "Later, I'll transform into Alien X..."
"Wait a minute," Overkill immediately said, "I can't possess Alien X and then create a second Alien X."
Alien X's body transcends time, space, dimensions, and existence itself; he is the void and the infinite.
This was not something Overkill could influence.
"I know, I just want you to come with me to the consciousness space," Ben said.
Overkill immediately understood.
Of course, he understood, because he was also Ben.
"Alien X!"
Ben transformed into Alien X once more. At the same time, Overkill instantly possessed him, but in the next moment, it was as if it had hit a barrier and was repelled.
It splashed everywhere like shattered water.
Then, all the fragments gathered again, piecing together a face:
"Alien X rejected me."
—
Inside the consciousness space.
The infinite starlight was as bright as the cosmos.
In the boundless starry sky, two giant female faces floated quietly.
Enara seemed to still be angry. Upon seeing Ben appear, she immediately spoke in a mocking tone:
"The annoying one is here again."
Oyana, however, no longer showed any anger. She comforted, "Don't be angry, Enara. At least he's not trying to be clever this time."
"Sorry, it was my fault last time, so I've decided to discuss all the proposals with you slowly."
Hearing this, Oyana said in a relieved and loving voice:
"Benny, you finally understand. You are one of the Triumvirate, and you should represent the voice of balance."
"Then let's start discussing the proposals immediately."
"Wait a moment." Ben raised his hand.
Enara immediately frowned and asked, "Ben Parker, what do you want now?"
Ben said, "I do want to discuss with you, but in the real world, I also have my own matters to attend to."
"You want to leave?"
Enara raised her voice: "You want to leave?"
"No, I want to let another consciousness in," Ben pointed at his watch.
When Overkill didn't come to this world with him, Ben had already realized that Alien X had rejected Overkill.
Enara and Oyana exchanged a look.
Then, both of them said in unison, "Let the symbiote Overkill enter the consciousness space..."
Next, their two voices diverged.
Oyana: "Approved."
Enara: "Vetoed."
"Not approved."
After pronouncing the verdict, Oyana looked at Enara in surprise.
"Enara, why did you veto it?" she said sadly, "I thought you would agree."
"Because he is not one of the Triumvirate," Enara said matter-of-factly.
"He is, of course," Oyana and Enara began to argue. "He shares a consciousness with Benny, right, Benny?"
Ben nodded and said, "Oyana is right. Overkill belongs to the parasitic sequence. He is a symbiote, but he is also me."
"That's the problem," Enara said impatiently.
"He is not purely you."
"His thoughts can be influenced by the symbiote organism, which disqualifies him from participating in our judgment, and from representing balance."
Enara declared loudly:
"Ben, you stay."
"Overkill, as you, will handle all your affairs."
After hearing her words, Oyana seemed to find them reasonable. Her white face nodded, and then she looked at Ben pleadingly.
"Benny, please stay."
Hearing this, Ben scratched his head and said, "I think you've misunderstood something."
"I didn't intend for Overkill to stay here in my place," he explained. "I intended for Overkill to come in, split off a version of me, and then leave a consciousness that belongs only to me here."
Upon hearing this, Enara and Oyana exchanged glances once more.
Then, they both said in unison, "Allow the Symbiote Overkill into the consciousness space. Agreed."
"Motion passed."
Meanwhile, outside the consciousness space.
Overkill was contemplating how to handle the current situation.
"It wouldn't be good if Uncle Ben and Aunt May found out I've turned into a blob of snot... Huh?"
The next moment, he saw Timed-out Superman suddenly move.
He extended his palm and drew a circle in the air.
Instantly, a massive suction force pulled Overkill up, drawing him into the consciousness space.
Overkill felt like he had fallen into a toilet with the flush button pressed. After a moment of dizziness, he found himself in Alien X's consciousness space.
Before he could even figure out what was happening, Ben said, "Then let's begin, Overkill."
Upon hearing this, Overkill didn't hesitate and immediately possessed Ben.
Immediately after, two Bens appeared before Enara and Oyana.
Oyana said in a long, happy tone:
"Two little Bens! That makes it four titans."
"It's still three titans. We're the same consciousness," the two Bens said, pointing to their heads together.
Then he said, "Alright, the one with the watch goes back, the other stays."
"What a shame..."
Oyana said.
But this time, no one objected.
The Ben without the watch stepped forward and said, "Then I'll stay and discuss the motions with you. But in exchange, if we have any urgent matters, we'll discuss ours first, okay?"
Enara: "Agreed."
Oyana: "Of course, I agree too."
The two Bens exchanged a look and laughed simultaneously, "Then, motion passed."
"I'll be going now."
The Ben with the watch waved goodbye, pressed a button, and vanished.
No-Watch Ben and Overkill remained in the consciousness space together.
Overkill had no right to participate in the motions, but he needed to possess No-Watch Ben's hand to ensure the cloning ability was activated.
"Then let's begin. What's the first motion? Should we revive the dinosaurs?"
Enara shook her head. "Dinosaurs weren't extinct in the first place, so why revive them?"
"Let's start from further back," Oyana said gently. "The motions we've accumulated are as numerous as stars in the cosmos."
"The first motion is, should we revive the god killed in Knowhere? He was so pitiful..." Oyana said sadly. "I pity him so much."
"Vetoed!" Enara declared. "Reviving trash just makes it more trash."
Then, both of them turned their gaze to Ben.
"Vetoed," Ben said, siding with Enara.
"There are many aliens living in Knowhere. If the god is revived, those people will be doomed."
Oyana thought for a moment, then nodded.
"You have a point."
"Next motion..."
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