"I have to head out," Cyborg said, after confirming the details of the distress signal. "Perfect timing—I can test my new diving mode too."
As he spoke, Cyborg activated the underwater configuration in his body. The nanometal at his neck rippled and reshaped, forming a gill-like breathing apparatus.
"I'm coming too," Ben said immediately. "This feels like it's going to turn into something interesting. I've still got six minutes of transformation time left—more than enough."
A missing submarine in the Atlantic triggered a very specific storyline in Ben's memory.
Aquaman—Arthur Curry.
This kind of incident was exactly how the Atlantis arc usually began. If they handled it poorly, it could escalate into outright war between the surface world and Atlantis.
…
Thirty seconds later—deep in the Atlantic, at the bottom of the Mariana Trench.
Ben and Cyborg stepped out of a Boom Tube and into the crushing dark, arriving directly in front of the nuclear submarine that had gone silent.
When Justice Mountain had been built, Ben—while transformed into Grey Matter—had worked with Superman and Batman to construct an Earth-based Boom Tube system, using Mother Boxes collected from earlier battlefields.
As Grey Matter, Ben spent nine minutes absorbing and mastering the Apokoliptian tech encoded in the Mother Box. In the final minute, he taught Superman how to use super-intelligence to rewrite the Mother Box's control layer—seizing permission access while completely cutting off Apokolips' signal channels.
Cyborg now carried one of those reprogrammed Mother Boxes as well. That let them open Boom Tubes at will and teleport anywhere on Earth.
Ben stared at the submarine.
A huge rupture gaped across the hull—like something had simply grabbed it and torn it open by force.
"Wow," Ben muttered. "This is brutal. The hull looks like it was ripped apart. And… it feels like someone's still inside waiting for us."
Based on the earlier recording, there had definitely been the sound of seawater flooding in. The likely sequence was obvious: someone tore the outer shell open from the outside, seawater rushed in, and then the invader butchered the crew.
And the key point?
The enemy hadn't left.
Ben's Kryptonian hearing and X-ray vision had already locked onto their exact position.
"We need to finish this fast," Ben said. "I've got five minutes left—otherwise I won't have time to fly back. You scan the scene. I investigate."
With the plan set, Ben shot through the breach at full speed and entered the sub.
Even without tapping the Speed Force, Kryptonian speed could still rank among the fastest "speedsters." The only thing limiting him here was water resistance; if this were on land, he could have cleared every hostile in seconds.
But even underwater, the enemies couldn't react.
In a single exchange, Ben confirmed what he'd suspected:
Atlantis soldiers.
He didn't hold back. He threw a punch at roughly seventy percent power.
Atlantis warriors were stronger and tougher than normal humans, and their armor was advanced. After running the numbers with his sharpened Kryptonian cognition, Ben was confident the blow wouldn't crush the man's skull—just knock him out.
While Ben neutralized the hidden attackers inside, Cyborg began a full-spectrum scan of the submarine from outside.
"The hull was pried open by raw strength," Cyborg reported. "Who has that kind of force at this depth? Also—missiles are missing. And it looks like torpedoes were launched. This wasn't just one fight."
Cyborg's scan showed multiple distinct engagements. He relayed the results through comms, then moved to enter the submarine to locate the main control systems.
"I'll see if I can restore the security footage," he added.
Inside, Ben finished in about a minute. Every enemy went down, and he seized the last one—someone who looked like the squad leader.
Ben locked the man's arms with his right hand and clamped his other hand around his throat.
"Atlantian," Ben said coldly. "Where are the sub's missiles? Why did you attack this submarine?"
"What missiles?" the enemy snapped, genuinely confused—then his anger surged. "Surface-dweller—you attacked us first!"
Ben went silent.
His instinct said the man wasn't lying. Heart rate, micro-tension, voice strain—everything checked out.
But Ben didn't have Wonder Woman's Lasso of Truth.
He had to move with uncertainty.
"Cyborg," Ben asked over comms, "what did your scan find?"
After dumping the unconscious Atlantians outside the submarine, Ben regrouped with Cyborg.
"I've finished a physical scan of the interior," Cyborg answered. "Besides the traces from your fight, there are at least two other completely different sets of combat marks. I'm still trying to restore the onboard surveillance."
Cyborg projected a 3D model of the submarine, highlighting every distinct battle signature.
Ben made a decision immediately.
"Doesn't matter. We take the whole sub back. The base can store it. Once my cooldown is over, I can transform into Upgrade and repair it."
Time was almost out. Ben planned to drag the nuclear sub straight through a Boom Tube.
"One more thing," he told Cyborg. "Plant trackers on them. We might need it."
Together they left the submarine. Ben swam beneath it. Before Cyborg opened the return Boom Tube, he implanted micro-tracking devices into the Atlantians' armor and gear.
If this incident was tied to Atlantis, tracking them would cut out weeks of investigation—maybe even lead them directly to Atlantis itself.
"Done," Cyborg confirmed. Then, using the Mother Box integrated into his body, he opened a Boom Tube wide enough to swallow the submarine.
Ben braced himself and shoved with everything he had, forcing the massive sub through the portal and into Justice Mountain's submerged cavern.
Once it was secured, Ben surfaced and climbed onto the rocky shore. A warning tone sounded—
His transformation ended.
A flash of red light.
The Omnitrix emblem returned to his right wrist, and the hourglass icon turned red again.
Cyborg emerged from the water more calmly. Ben smiled at him.
"This just started," Ben said. Then he added, urgent and practical:
"Oh, and send the others a message. Meeting—now. This involves Atlantians. The League needs to mobilize as a unit."
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 80)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 80)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League (Chapter 74)
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter20)
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