Being a hero is not easy. Sure, it certainly has its perks. Being admired and using your abilities to help others never fails to bring a smile to a hero's face. But those smiles, often hide the pain that life brings.
A hero life is a hard one. Doing the right thing is more difficult than it sounds, as when you have the weight of the world on your shoulders. The right choice is never as clear as you'd like it to be.
Case and point, for the Alien Shapeshifter, Ben Tennyson. What was a standard Damsel in Distress rescue mission, turned into a deep conspiracy plot that threatened to end the world.
Emma Frost, a woman Ben once considered a friend and ally with the X-Men. Turned out she was a member of this high-class society of Mutants called the Inner Circle, who had been tracking an ancient Cosmic being called the Phoenix Force. Which turned out, was inside Jean Grey.
They kidnapped Jean to remove this Cosmic Force and destroy it. Or so they claim. When Ben and X-23 crashed the party, they quickly turned aggressive and managed to capture them both.
Now Emma is asking Ben for his help so they can complete their objective and save the world before the Phoenix destroys the world.
A choice, Ben was really wrestling with.
Since, as they speak, the Avengers and X-Men are working together to stop the Mutant Villain, Magneto from starting a war between Humans and Mutants which could lead to the end of the world.
Somehow, this entire situation had become so convoluted that the Young Hero had a hard time wrapping his head around everything. Bad enough that he got a warning from the future from a comatose telepath that judgment day was gonna take place at some point this very day. But it seems there are now two ways that this doomsday could be caused.
Either it's the mutant war that does them in, or it's this cosmic firebird.
He didn't know what the right choice was. He wished on high heaven that it wasn't him that had to make it. But right now, he was the only one that could.
Right now, he had faith that the Avengers and X-Men had the Magneto problem under control. So, he had to do his part here.
He only hoped that there wasn't a third problem that will pop up that could also mean the worlds end.
"Ok. I'll help." Ben said to the White Queen.
"Ben." X-23 started to say in protest only for Ben to interrupt.
"There's too much on the line for me to just do nothing locked in a dungeon." Ben stated with full determination.
Emma nodded, satisfied with the answer. A rattling and a click followed as the door to Ben's cell opened. Emma walked over to him and started uncuffing his arms.
However, she only uncoupled the chain on Bens left arm, leaving the brace firmly covering the Ultimatrix.
Ben rubbed the brace as he glared at Emma.
"We cannot have you interfering again Ben. It's just your presence I need." Emma explained, her eyes sharp as if warning Ben not to try anything.
While Ben really didn't have anything to fear from her telepathy. The Ultimatrix's mental shields ensured that she couldn't do anything beyond reading his mind. However, he was well aware of her ability to turn her body into living diamond.
Despite the fact that Ben is no pushover in a fight as a human. He is still a regular human, and no normal human is going to win a fist fight with literal diamonds.
So, he had to go along with her commands. For now, at least.
As Ben walked out of his cell, he turned to his left at the cell next door. Peering through the window, he saw Laura. Her arms and legs stretched out behind her as she struggled against them. She got even more frantic when she saw Ben as she seemed determined to rip her own arms off just to get to him.
"Let's go." Emma ordered as she walked past Ben, not even acknowledging Laura's existence as she walked away.
Ben shot her a glare from behind, before returning his gaze to Laura. He raised his right hand to her, causing her to stop struggling. Her sharp green eyes staring back into his own as Ben reached his hand across his chest, before stopping just above the 10 on his jacket.
Laura's eyes focused on his hand as he tapped the 10 three times before making the 'OK' gesture with his hand.
The Mutant Teen nodded as she understood his message.
Ben smirked as he turned away and walked after Emma, who watched him approach. A look of confusion on her face. The moment he shared with the clone, she peaked into his mind. And what she saw where the faces of various people, some of whom she recognised. Several of the X-Men, with most of them focusing on Laura. Along with each and every member of the Avengers. There were also flashes of other people, heroes that he's come to know.
The sheer intensity that the Young Man held onto these images was dazzling. Like his mind held onto each and everyone one of them like a vice. Forming an impenetrable wall that she could not pass.
Though, it did reveal something to her.
The world at stake and he was thinking about every single person he cares about. Not a single thought was of any concern to his own life or wellbeing. His will was entirely devoted to protecting them.
She'd only know the boy for a short time. But in that time, he'd displayed remarkable resourcefulness and power. Yet in all those times, she could feel he was holding back. He'd barely shown the full scope of his capabilities.
All the more reason to keep that watch covered. She knew that if he had the chance to transform again, he'd be able to escape with Jean without any effort.
The pair made their way along the corridor in silence. The Blonde Telepath could sense there were a number of questions that the Teen Hero wanted to ask. Though his face did not convey those thoughts, he kept his expression stoic and made no attempt to speak to her. Not even a slight glance in her direction.
It was understandable. Given recent events, his trust in her is obviously broken. Not that it mattered to her. This was always the goal. She knew from the very start that she was only using everyone as a means to an end. They were her pawns, nothing more.
At least, that's what she's told herself.
They eventually arrived at the chamber. Jean was still on the table, groaning as she tossed and turned. The Stepford Cuckoos were doing their best to keep her under, but Emma could see the strain the girls where under as she could see the beads of sweat on their foreheads.
Concern immediately appeared on her face as her pace quickened as she tried to reach the girls.
Only for Shaw to stand in her way. The High-class Mutant turned his head towards Ben and narrowed his eyes in clear disgust.
Ben wasn't really phased by that. He'd been on the receiving end of those looks since he first got the Omnitrix as a kid. Multiple people, good and bad, looking down at him like he was less than a patch of mould growing between their toes. He was used to that kind of attitude.
But the look that really gave him the creeps, was the one Selene was giving him. The chilling sensation that creeped up his spine as he locked eyes with her for the briefest moment, before he immediately diverted his eyes, made his stomach twist into a knot.
They were like a hungry predator out for blood. And not the fun hungry that Ben got from the occasional cute girl. Those cold and hungry eyes, like she was a serpent, and he was a little mouse she wanted to wrap up in her coils and sink her fangs into.
That look alone, cause Ben's survival instincts to go on high alert, telling him to run as fast as he could and never look back.
It was unnerving to say the least. But Ben held his ground making sure to keep a good amount of distance between him and her.
"Now that you have returned. I trust there will be no further interruptions, Emma?" Shaw asked impatiently.
Tensions rose between Emma and the Inner Circle. Ben didn't know the full story behind these guys other than what he overheard. But it seems the dynamic isn't as tight knit as he originally thought.
Had something happened since his capture to shake the groups faith in Emma? Or is there a possibility that Emma's position in this group isn't as secure as he thought? Either way it seemed that Emma was risking a lot more bringing Ben here than he thought.
"I assure you. Benjamin's presence here should calm Jeans mind enough to allow us to proceed." Emma assured them.
"And what assurance can you make that the boy won't cause any more problems?" Selene asked her in a petty tone.
"Hey. I got a name, lady." Ben chimed in. "Benjamin, she just said it. And the only promise I can make, is that I'm gonna kick all your fancy rich butts when all this is over. But right now, I'm here to save the world. If you guys are serious about that, then I'd shut up and let Miss Frost do her job."
The collected group of Mutants all glared at the Teen. While Emma looked at him surprised. Despite her actions, he was still willing to stand up for her when he had no reason to.
Ben smirked in his usual cocky attitude. Least he got a better understanding on where everyone stands.
Shaw gritted his jaw as he stepped aside and allowed Emma and Ben to pass.
The White Queen quickly ran to the alter and stood above Jean, she placed her hands on Jeans forehead and started to focus. Jean still groaned and struggled to resist. Emma glanced at Ben with a pleading look.
Reluctantly, Ben walked over to the side of the alter and took Jeans left hand in his. He wasn't sure how this was supposed to work, but he figured holding Jean would do something.
Sure enough, Ben felt this faint tingling sensation in his head. Like his brain was being tickled by a feather as Jean stopped struggling and her face relaxed.
The Five girls also relaxed as Emma nodded to Ben in appreciation as she closed her eyes to focus.
To Ben, this situation did not sit right with him. He was helping a bunch of shady character mess with his friend's mind. While he'd only known Jean for a few hours, she had put her faith in him to help her and protect her.
But now, he felt as though he was betraying her trust to get her to lower her guard. Not that he had much of a choice, the fate of the world was weighing on his heart, and he didn't know what to do.
Worst of all is that his friends are out there fighting and risking their lives, while he was stuck here. He could only hope that they were having more luck than he was.
Captain America is no stranger to war. He'd fought in arguably the greatest war in human history. He'd seen the horrors that war can bring and how it impacts men, women and children alike.
It's because of those experiences, that the Sentinel of Liberty vowed to never allow such a conflict to ever arise again.
Now, more than ever, he wanted to keep that promise.
The Mutant Leader of the island nation of Genoshia, Magneto, has made the first move in an attempt to ignite a war between Humanity and Mutants. A step that involved launching Mutant hunting robots called Sentinels against his very own people.
The Avengers, along with a team of Mutant heroes, the X-Men, banded together in an attempt to stop the attack. But their efforts failed and now Magneto had arrived in New York with a reprogrammed army of giant robots at his command with the intention of annihilating as many civilians as possible.
Iron Man, Black Panther, Thor and Hawkeye attempted to stop the robot army from attacking Genoshia but had since gone missing. Leaving Cap, Wasp and Hulk remaining to protect the city along with the X-Men and the MRD.
An endeavour that grew more and more difficult by the hour. Captain America had no doubt in his mind that had they just been facing the Sentinel army, this battle would've been won instantly. However, what he completely underestimated, was the Mutant leader Magneto.
He had heard about the Villain from Ben and his brief scuffle with him on Genoshia. But even then, the Super Soldier didn't understand the broad scope of his power.
He alone was able to stand up to the assembled heroes and also manage to destabilise every single bridge connecting the island to the mainland. With so many civilians still in the process of evacuation, they are all in danger should the bridges collapse.
He sent Hulk to assist with several of the X-Men to stabilise and rescue the civilians. It was the right call, but that left their forces without their heaviest hitters, leaving the rest to face the colossal army and the Master of Magnetism.
If just one Mutant was capable of causing this much destruction, then Captain America dreaded to imagine what an army of them would be capable of.
Worst of all is how much a bad matchup their team is against Magneto. Doesn't bode well when his main weapon is a metal shield, fighting against a being that can control metal.
But even against overwhelming odds with no hope for victory. Captain America will stand his ground and defend the innocent against those who will harm them.
With a mighty thrust of his arm, Cap's mighty shield sailed across the air and collided with the arm of one of the Sentinel's, knocking its arm off target as it fired a beam of energy from its palm, completely missing its target.
Rogue gave Cap a smile of appreciation as he nodded in response. The Sentinel turned its attention on Captain America and prepared to fire a beam of energy at him.
Suddenly, a primal roar sounded behind the robot as a Wolverine leaped from the ledge of the building he'd scaled. The Clawed mutant slashed his claws at the machines neck and his indestructible claws cut right through the robots' metal armor, decapitating it with ease.
The headless giant tumbled to the ground as Wolverine rolled the moment he hit the pavement and used the momentum to cushion his fall.
Wolverine quickly stood up and stood at Captain Americas side.
"This ain't good." Wolverine growled. "Magnetos got these tin cans running through the street and we don't got the manpower to take em all down."
"We don't need to beat them. Just slow them down long enough for the others to rescue the civilians." Cap reiterated as he raised his shield. A small smile was on his face. He couldn't help but feel a little nostalgic. While it is still unclear whether the man fighting next to him is the same one, he fought alongside during the war. The fact he looked similar was enough for the Man out of Time to feel like he got back a part of him that was lost.
Explosions from both ends of the street they're on caused both veteran heroes to turn and look at opposite ends of the street to see two more Sentinels marching towards them.
Rogue looked nervous as she moved to get close to the pair.
"Ya say that. But who's gonna save us?" She asked with a smug grin on her face as she started to remove one of her gloves.
Wolverine smirked. "If ya need savin. Ya could ask the boy scout to hold your hand."
"Thanks, Suga." Rogue chuckled as she touched the exposed skin on Wolverines arm, causing a wave of nausea to overtake him as he wobbled on his knees before she withdrew her hand. "But I prefer holdin yours."
With that, she smirked with her canines becoming more prominent, like Wolverines, and she clenched her hands as a set of bone claws extended from her knuckles, matching his as well.
The Clawed mutant glared at the young woman. He told her multiple times to give him warning before she absorbed his powers. But the only response she gave him was a cheeky grin.
Overhead, a crimson beam of energy illuminated the night sky streaking towards Magneto. The master of magnetism raised his hands and created a magnetic field around himself which blocked the beam.
Cyclops gritted his teeth as his continued to fire his optic beam at the villain.
Elsewhere, Beast, Shadowcat, Forge and Wasp were all working hard to delay the Sentinels advance a few blocks over.
As much as he had faith in his team. Wolverine knew they wouldn't last long without backup. He only hoped the away team is almost done with the bridges to come back and help.
Unfortunately, that was only wishful thinking as the heroes had barely started on the first bridge.
The Brooklyn Bridge is used 24/7 by commuters coming in and out of the city, thousands of cars cross this bridge on a daily basis. Now the strong and reliable structure swayed and creaked. The metal groaning and the pavement cracking as it seems that any moment now the bridge would collapse.
The people on the bridge screamed in terror as the bridge swayed from side to side as the support beams rippled like the strings on a guitar.
Many citizens abandoned their vehicles in a mad dash to reach either side of the bridge before it collapsed, but many ended up getting trapped in their cars from the chaos and collisions that resulted from the initial destabilisation.
Suddenly one the cables snapped and dropped towards the people below. Massive tons of metal cable dropped down threatening to crush dozens of innocent people. Those who could run, bolted for their lives, others were trapped and couldn't escape and then there were those that were paralysed by fear and could only close their eyes and await their demise.
Just then, the winds picked up around them. Howling into a tornado that caught the metal cable, halting it in the air and actually pushing it away from the people.
The civilians all looked confused as they wondered what could be happening. Those who were calm enough to check the sky, noticed the silver haired goddess, Storm floating above them. Her eyes glowing white as she commanded the winds to raise the cable away from the civilians.
She then focused the winds to guide the cable back to its original spot. A wave of her hand and lightning flashed from the clouds, striking the point where the cable meets the bridge. The heat of her lightning fused the metal back into place.
Storm smiled as she watched the people escape back to the island. From her birds-eye view she could see a glacier forming on the New York side of the bridge as Iceman used his powers to stabilise his side, allowing citizens to get off the bridge.
However, the sound of cables snapping grabbed her attention as she looked towards the centre of the bridge to see multiple cables snap and the bridge started to collapse.
The Weather Witches eyes widened as she started to fly towards the centre hoping to save as many as she could.
Only for a Giant Green blur to shoot past her. The Green Blur landed on the bridge in a loud crash as Hulk roared as he reached up and grabbed two of the support cables of the bridge and with a mighty tug, pulled the bridge back together, to allow those trapped to cross onto more stable ground.
But, despite Hulks best efforts, some sections of the bridge still crumbled away with cars still on them, leaving several people helpless as they plummeted to the sea below.
The poor people screamed in terror as they approached the water. Fortunately for them, they're silent prayers were answered, when Nightcrawler appeared in a puff of smoke before them. The Blue Elf grabbed onto the scared people and teleported them away, appearing back on the bridge and teleported off once they were safe.
All across the bridge, Nightcrawler popped in and out of reality, carrying as many people as he could so that they may escape to safety.
Hulk groaned as he continued to hold the bridge together until Storm and Iceman arrived to use their powers to stabilise the bridge as best they could.
No one would be able to cross it any time soon. But at least it'll hold together until it can be properly repaired.
That was only one bridge. There were still 20 bridges left that were still on the verge of collapsing. It took everyone present to save one. At this rate, there's no way they would be able to save them all in time.
But they couldn't stop, they had to try. Even if they can't save everyone, they can't give up.
Storm concentrated on the winds carrying her. Focusing the forces of nature around her body as she condensed the pressure behind her and launched herself towards the Queensboro bridge like a bullet.
The Weather Witch prayed that she would at least be able to save a few souls before the rest of the team caught up to her.
Her eyes caught a glimpse of several cars falling off the bridge, heading towards the water. Acting fast, Storm commanded the winds to surge forth to catch them.
However, she soon noticed the cars started swaying in the winds. They weren't falling, they were dangling. Attached to the bridge through a series of strings, glinting in the lights.
Upon further inspection, she saw that the bridge itself was being held together by a series of white strings, fashioned together like some giant spider webs.
Screams caught her attention as another section of the bridge broke away and a car began to plumet to the river below. As quick as the very lighting she commands, a red and blue blur shot out from the support towers of the bridge and caught up to the falling vehicle where it fired out another string which bound the car to the structure.
The lights on the bridge cast over the being, revealing it the be the wall crawling vigilante Spider Man.
The Wall Crawler quickly broke the window of the car and removed the driver and passengers and scaled back up the string to the bridge and placed the people back on stable ground where they ran to safety.
Spider Man let out a deep pant, after single handily webbing the bridge together, to say he was tired was an understatement.
He stood up and rubbed his wrists. All that webbing really took it out of him. He pulled up his sleeves to show his web shooters and ejected three cartridges from each of them. He replaced the spend cartridges with fresh ones from his belt. Didn't take a genius to know that he didn't have the time, nor the webbing to save the other bridges.
Suddenly, his Spider Sense tingled intensely as an unstable section of the bridge collapsed and a woman and child, who'd been making their way across, fell through the debris.
Spider Man instantly moved to save them, pointing his arm out to fire his webs. But, in his haste, he didn't secure his cartridge properly and the web-shooter jammed. The Wall Crawler could only watch helplessly as the innocent mother and child vanished into the void and plummeted to the sea below.
Just when he was about to collapse into a state of utter despair, the winds howled around him as Spider Mans eyes widened to the sight of the mother and child, floating back into view. A miniature tornado, forming some kind of platform underneath them, carried the pair back to the bridge and placed them on solid ground.
The pair tearfully embraced as they felt so overjoyed to be alive.
Spider Man was in shock by what happened and almost believed he was hallucinating. Until Storm float down and landed a few feet away from him.
"Are you alright?" She asked the mother, who nodded tearfully before picking up her child and grabbing Storms hand, thanking her profusely before running back to the safety of solid ground.
With the people safe, she turned around to face Spider Man, who was still looking at her in awe.
"Thank you for your efforts." Storm said as she held out her hand to shake Spider Man's hand. "Surely this bridge would have collapsed before any of us could have arrived."
"I should be the one thanking you." Spidey replied, snapping out of his stunned state. "Those two would've been shark food if you didn't step in."
He held her hand and shook it while Storm smiled as she admired his work. "I'm sure you would have been fine without assistance. But I'm afraid the crisis is not over. There are still many innocent people in danger."
Spider Man nodded in agreement as he properly set his web shooters and swung over to the bridges railing.
Just then, the other X-Men and Hulk arrived on the scene, Iceman taking a quick moment to marvel at the giant spider web, holding the bridge together.
"Wow, and I thought the mansion had a spider problem." He quipped with a slight smirk.
Spider Man chuckled in response as he glanced at the Walking Ice Cube. "If you're setting up Spiders in your mansion, I should really rethink my living arraignments."
Iceman chuckled only for Storm to get in between the pair. "This is no time for jokes. The bridges are becoming more unstable, and we are running out of time.
"We can't just do this one at a time. We need to hit multiple bridges at once." Spider Man stated. "I can handle the next bridge over. But we need to take care of the ones across town."
"I can get there faster than everyone." Nightcrawler stated.
"Won't take me long to get there." Hulk boasted.
"I can make it to the next bridge." Spider Man said, "But we still have uptown to worry about."
"Iceman and I can make it there. But that still won't be enough to save them all in time." Storm said in a worried tone.
Iceman tensed his arms as he generated an ice ramp and slid up it. "Won't know unless we try."
"He's right." Spider Man agreed. "We need to keep our cool and save as many as we can."
"I'm always cool." Iceman joked. Which only made Spider Man grin.
"Then we are agreed. Priorities the most unstable bridges first and focus on the civilians." Storm ordered as the group split up, each heading towards their designated section.
As he swung across the city to the next bridge, Spider Man could already tell that they didn't have enough to save everyone. He didn't know the full situation as he just started saving the bridge, but something big must be going down if the other Avengers are not around and only a handful of the X-Men showed up. If Ben and the other Avengers were here, they could handle the situation easily. He could only hope that wherever they are now, it was important.
If Ben had a list of the most stressful moments in his life. This moment would certainly be on it.
He could handle the group of villains glaring at him. However, this, combined with the fact that the unconscious woman next to him is basically a ticking time bomb for an ancient destructive force that could end the world, and the doomsday prophecy looming over his head.
Needless to say, the Young Hero was glad he was in therapy. He's gonna need to schedule an earlier appointment after tonight.
Ben sat beside Jean, holding her hand, while Emma and the Cuckoos psychically probed her mind. The fuzzy sensation in his mind, gave Ben the indication that things were going well. But he still couldn't tell if that was a good thing.
Suddenly, Ben felt lightheaded as an extreme case of vertigo caused him to sway and almost lose his balance.
Jean groaned as her brow furrowed. Emma's did as well as her eye suddenly sprung open, gasping as she stepped back.
Ben then felt a sharp pain in his hand as he yelped and released his grip on Jean and also moved away. For such a petite woman, she had a grip like a vice. Though, he couldn't help but wonder if that was her telekinesis at play.
"What happened?" Shaw asked, annoyed at yet another interruption rather than concern.
"It's her psychic link with Scott Summers." Emma explained. "She can sense that he's in danger."
"I thought you said that the Boy would be enough to calm her?" Selene interjected.
The White Queen shot her a glare. "Her connection with Scott is far greater than Benjamin's. So long as he's in peril, she will continue to fight. I must alleviate the problem."
Doubt was clear as day on all the members of the Inner Circles faces. Throughout the entire night, they have faced nothing but one interruption after another. Whatever patience they had before was now gone.
"Very well, Emma. Go if you must." Shaw said, but his sudden cooperation resulting in a raised eyebrow from Ben.
Even Emma seemed taken aback by this sudden change in attitude.
Shaw then gestured to the door as the other members moved closer. "The Cuckoos are fully capable of getting Miss Grey to open the remaining doors."
Emma was shocked. They were going to continue the ceremony without her. With just the girls? No, that can't be, she's been preparing for this moment for years, training her mind and powers to be able to face the Phoenix Force and destroy it. The girls were never meant to face this danger. They were only meant to support her as the doors were opened. Shaw must have another plan. He had to.
"And what about the little firestorm waiting on the other side?" She asked as she looked back to the Cuckoos. Who were still focusing on keeping Jean under.
"I have faith they can contain it." Shaw replied casually.
For the first time since they've known each other, the Alien Avenger and White Queen both shared the same thought.
"Contain it?" Emma questioned aloud. "What are you talking about? We're destroying it."
A cold chill ran up Ben's spine as a dark aura flowed out of everyone, aside from Emma, causing the young hero to tense up.
Shaw grinned as he tucked his hands behind his back. "Those plans have evolved." He said in a calm and chilling voice.
Emma's eyes widened as she realised what the Black King was implying.
"Sebastian, you can't control the Phoenix. No-one can." She protested, desperately trying to reason with the man.
"Ah, but I believe it wants to be controlled, Emma. And through the centuries, it's been searching for a telepath capable of handling its power." Shaw replied in a condescending attitude. As he walked past Emma until he was standing over Jean. Staring at her like she was some rare treasure.
Meanwhile, Emma frantically looked to the other Members of the Inner Circle.
"You... You can't all agree with this? Leland? Pierce?" She asked, hoping, praying that any of them would have some semblance of rationality left in them.
The two men closed their eyes and turned away from her. Her heart sank, all this time she thought she knew these people. That they were her friends and that they were all working towards a noble cause. Now it seems that everything she thought, everything she believed in, it was all a lie.
"We do." Selene spoke up behind Emma as she walked over to Shaw. "And before you fell in love with the X-Men, you would have as well."
The Black Queen didn't need superpowers to be able to cut Emma with those words. Even she knew she was right. Had she been told of this plan when she first joined, she would've been all for it. Emma had been devoted to the Inner Circle's ideals. She followed any request that Shaw gave her.
But then she met the X-Men. She felt their bond and was welcomed into their family. The love they shared, the dream for a better future. Without realising it, she'd fallen in love with them and wanted to save them. Deluding herself into thinking her actions for the Inner Circle was for their sake.
"Y-You are all fools." She hissed at them. "The Phoenix will consume the girls just as it would have Jean. This is not what the Inner Circle stands for. You must realise this?"
A chuckle echoed across the chamber from Sebastian Shaw. His devilish grin on full display as he and Selene stood under one of the hanging banners in the room. One that displayed the image of a flame.
"You are correct, Emma. This is not the teachings of the Inner Circle that we once preached to you when you first joined our ranks." He looked up at the banner as the others gathered around him to stand in a menacing line-up. Shaw turned to Emma and his mask broke away as he revealed his true colours.
"The Inner Circle has always been a visage. We are the Hellfire Club. And the power of the Phoenix will be ours."
Emma's eyes widened in shock. This could not have been the goal this whole time? She believed in Shaw, she trusted him. And he lied to her. How could she have been so blind?
"Well that certainly clears things up." Ben suddenly spoke up grabbing everyone attention.
The young hero waltzed up to Emma's side as he reached for his watch. "This entire night, I've been second guessing myself on what the right thing is to do. But thanks to you powdered weirdos, it all makes sense now."
Shaw chuckled at the Teens declaration. "And what do you intend to do, boy?" He asked with amusement. "You've already attempted to defeat us and failed. What makes you think now will be any different?"
"Cause this time I won't be going easy on you old timers." Ben responded with a smirk.
That comment certainly seemed to enrage Selene the most. The vein mutant seems to take more pride in her appearance than Emma does.
The Black King, however, did not seem phased by the Shapeshifters confidence. And merely sighed in response. "The brashness of youth. Blind and ignorant to the reality of the world. Failing to understand that with age. Comes wisdom and experience. Leland."
On Shaw's orders, the heavyset mutant raised his right arm and waved it down. The sound of stone cracking above them was heard as X-23 dropped to the ground, grunting pain as her bone cracked from the impact. She tried to move but Leland's powers kept her pinned.
Ben's eyes widened as he instinctively took a step forward to help her. Only for Selene to pounce like a jaguar and grab X-23 by the throat. Purple energy flowed along the Black Queens hand as she started draining the Young Mutants life energy.
The Young Hero froze, anger clear on his face as he watched Selene literally drain the life from his best friend.
"Let her go! Now!" Ben snarled at the Black Queen, in such a primal tone that Wolverine himself would be impressed.
Selene chuckled at the Teens threat. "You are in no position to make demands."
"But I am in a position to break every bone in your body in less than a millisecond." Ben snapped back without a second's hesitation, reaching for the watch again.
In response Donald Pierce raised his hands, glowing with energy and Shaw chuckled, unfazed.
"Make any move and Selene will drain the Clones lifeforce until it is but a shrivelled husk." Shaw warned as he stepped forward.
Selene punctuated his statement by tightening her grip on X-23's neck as she hissed in pain.
Ben snarled as his body shook with rage. The look in Selene's eye conveyed her intentions clear as day. If Ben makes a move, then Laura is done for. Even if Fasttrack or XLR8 could get to her before she drains Laura's lifeforce. Ben still needs to select the alien and transform first.
Times like this, Ben really wished he had Master Control.
Suddenly, a hand gently touched Ben's shoulder causing him to turn and see Emma, looking down at him with gentle, apologetic eyes.
"I'm sorry, for all of this, Ben." She telepathically said. "I never intended this to happen."
The Alien Hero calmed down, slightly. As he reached up and placed his hand atop of Emma's and looked her in the eye.
"It doesn't matter now. The only thing that matters is what you do now. You want to save the world. Then let's save it." Ben responded in his mind.
Emma nodded as she stood by Ben in a fighting stance.
A look of disappointment appeared on Shaw's face as he shook his head. "So, this is where your allegiance lies, Emma? After all the Hellfire Club has done for you?"
The Blonde Telepaths eyes narrowed. "All this time, you have been using me for your own gain. I believed I was making the world a better place."
"You were using your power to manipulate the world just like the rest of us, Emma." Selene interjected. "Don't try to act pure hearted now. You may not have been privy to our true objective. Your actions and methods have always been your choice. Just because the X-Men have cracked that ice shell of yours, doesn't mean you aren't still the cold hollow little girl who wants to bring everyone to their knees."
With each word, Emma's whole body tensed. Like a red-hot dagger stabbed into her soul. She couldn't deny it. It was true, all of it. How could she stand there and speak of virtue, when she lacked any.
"So what?" Ben spoke up, surprising Emma.
"Sure, Emma may not be as flawless as her Diamond body. So what? She's only human. What matters is what she does to make up for it." He then stood tall and stood side by side with her as he continued. "And at least she still has enough humanity to still recognise went things have gone too far. You think she's hollow. When she has more heart than all of you combined."
The White Queen was stunned. Despite all she's done, he was still willing to stand up for her. And he wasn't embellishing, he really believed every word he spoke. It was quite touching to hear those words, even when she didn't deserve them.
Ben glared at the Hellfire Club with vigour. He really didn't care about Emma's past. She may have done some bad things in her past. Things that he probably would've put her in jail for had he known about them at the time. But right now, she was fighting to save the world. That's good enough for him. What happens after that is anyone's guess. For now, she's on his side and that's all he needed.
Emma raised her hand to her brow as Ben raised his arm. The High-Class Mutants all looked stunned and annoyed by the display from the pair. But Shaw shook off his annoyance as he gestured to their captive.
"It doesn't matter. There's still nothing you can do to stop us."
Emma responded by placing her hand to her brow, only for Shaw to smirk.
"Please, Emma. Do you really think I would willingly work with you all these years and not prepare countermeasures to your power?" Shaw stated as he tapped his temple with his finger.
The Blonde Telepath grimaced. They really were at a stalemate. Both heroes could make a move without putting Laura's life in danger. Which only made Ben frustrated as if he could just transform, he could take these guys down easily. But so long as Laura was in danger, he didn't dare make a move.
He looked at the Teen Mutant with concern. Her eyes weakly opened as she gave Ben a weak grin. The Young Hero looked confused as her eyes drifted to her hand, which was still clenched with her claws extended.
Her right hand then opened, revealing Ben's car keys in her hand.
Bens eyes widened as her thumb was firmly pressed on the button on the keychain.
A smirk appeared on the Young Avengers face as the Villains took notice.
"And what has you grinning, boy?" Shaw asked.
"Nothing. But you might not want to stand there." Ben responded in a cheeky tone.
Before anyone could ask why, the mansion shook as the sound of crashing sounded above them. The booming grew louder and louder, before the wall behind them, a few meters up, exploded and the DX Mark 10 flew into the room.
The Hellfire Club scattered to get out of the way of the incoming vehicle. The car landed on the ground without making a sound. The vehicle was still in stealth mode, so its noise cancelling tech was still active.
Making use of the distraction, Ben immediately activated the Ultimatrix and slammed the dial down.
A flash of green light and the Teen Hero transformed into Big Chill. Without missing a beat, he then tapped the dial again and four spikes popped out of the dials ring. A wave of energy washed over his body as his body changed. The blue parts of his body became red, the edges of his wings, antenna and the crests over his eyes all gained a flame like pattern with yellow, orange and red colouration.
"ULTIMATE BIG CHILL!" He cried out in a deep raspy voice.
The Evolved Alien flew forth and quickly got to X-23's side.
"Laura, are you ok?" He asked concerned.
X-23 groggily lifted herself into a sitting position, with Ult. Big Chill supporting her.
"I am alright." She responded. "I can feel my vitality recovering. Out of everyone here, she is by far the most dangerous."
Ult. Big Chill nodded in agreement. "Best to take her off the table."
With that he unfolded his wings and flew right at the Black Queen.
Selene, having recovered from the shock of almost being hit by a car, caught a glimpse of the Evolved Alien flying right at her.
Acting fast, she shot her hand at him. Only for Ultimate Big Chill to go intangible, her hand passing right through him like air. Her eyes widened in shock as the Alien Avenger moved to the side, became tangible again and grabbed her wrist with his own hand. She struggled in his grip, but he was too strong as he tightened his hold.
"Normally, I'd freeze you while making some cold based pun and leave it at that." Ult. Big Chill said in an upbeat tone, before a dark shadow appeared on his face. "But you hurt my best friend. And I can't let that slide."
With that flames burst from the hand gripping Selene's arm, and she screamed in pain as the fire engulfed her hand. A few seconds later and the flames subsided, the arm steaming from the blaze as Selene doubled over, panting heavily from the pain. Ult. Big Chill dropping his hold on her and she clutched her arm.
After a moment to allow the pain to drop down to a simple throbbing. Selene looked at her hand, her eyes widened in shock at what she saw. Her hand was black, dark as the night, from her fingertips to her forearm. But it wasn't burnt, nor was the skin singed and flaking. It was smooth and cold to the touch. The steam wafting off it was due to how cold the limb is.
"Fire so cold it burns." Ult. Big Chill stated, in a chilling voice. Selene looked up at him, still cradling her hand. "Good luck using your powers through fourth degree frostbite."
The Black Queens eyes widened in shock. She looked at the black, mummified looking appendage. In an instant, this being did this amount of damage to her. In all her years on this world, she's never seen a creature quite like him. What kind of being is he?
Ult. Big Chill stepped back from the Psychic Vampire. Keeping his guard up as he wasn't about to let her get the drop on him again.
Normally, the young hero goes to great lengths to pull his punches when it comes to his opponents. He knows just what kind of damage his aliens could do to people. So, he's always taken great care to never go all out on his opponents so that he doesn't kill them or cause irreversible damage.
Aliens like Big Chill are especially hard to control. A misuse of his powers could give people severe frostbite or hypothermia if he ever goes all out.
However, in cases like this holding back would only cause more problems. He and Laura both knew Selene was the most dangerous member of the Hellfire Club. That life-force draining ability of hers could turn the tide of the fight easily should she get the drop on any of them.
Taking her off the table was the top priority. Then when everything is settled, he can undo the damage he did to her with Clockwork.
Until then, she can suffer on the sidelines while he takes care of the others.
However, before he could move on. Selene got to her feet, her dead arm hanging limp at her side. A deadly aura surrounded her as she glared at the Alien Teen with pure hatred.
"You, pitiful, disgusting, insect!" She cursed at him.
"I know you are but what am I?" Ult. Big Chill quipped back. Not the most original comeback, but a classic.
"You dare to defile me with those filthy hands?" She continued, completely ignoring his joke.
"Umm, phrasing?" The Alien Teen commented, barely able to hold back a chuckle.
Despite his efforts, Selene was not reacting to his antics at all. Like she was filtering out everything but her desire to kill him.
"I don't know where you came from, creature. But I will make sure your death is excruciating!" She was practically frothing at the mouth as she spate those words at him. Like a rabid animal.
Ult. Big Chill scoffed at her. "Look, Lady. It's over, you can't touch me and even if you do. Well, check your hand to see the end result."
Selene chuckled in response. Before evolving into a full blow cackle. Despite literally being colder than anything on Earth, the Alien Teen felt a chill roll down his spin.
"No matter the century. Men are all the same. You always underestimate my power." The Black Queen said as she raised her black hand.
Suddenly, colour returned to the limb, as if the clock was turned backwards, her hand returned to normal as if nothing happened.
The Evolved Alien got into a fighting stance; things just took a serious turn. She then pointed her hand at the Alien Teen and the debris around her floated into the air. A flick of her wrist and the rubble surged towards the Alien Teen.
Ult. Big Chill quickly turned intangible and allowed the debris to pass through him. He quickly checked behind him to make sure no one was hurt. In the chaos he managed to catch a glimpse of Emma facing off against Shaw. The Blonde Telepath has shifted into her diamond form and engaging in hand-to-hand combat.
X-23 was facing Peirce and Leland at the same time, waving around Peirce's energy blasts and avoiding Leland's mass manipulation with her skills.
This gave Ultimate Big Chill the peace of mind to face off against Selene as he turned to face her.
However, to his surprise, she was nowhere to be seen. He frantically scanned the area trying to find her, but she had just vanished into thin air.
The sound of stone cracking behind him made the Evolved Alien whip around and unleash a blast of ice-flames at the sound. But all he saw was a cracked piece of stone.
Hearing the sound and reacting quickly, broke his concentration on his intangibility as he became physical.