Chapter 1 - Chapter 1 - Heroic acts

Troubled Times



Chapter 1



Heroic acts



He sat in the room, gazing into the rain. Darkness covered his features, but when a lightning flashed through the sky, it illuminated his face for a second.
He just sat still, watching the raindrops, as they slowly snaked down on the window. He enjoyed the temporal moment of peace. As he suspected, it didn’t last long...
The door opened creakingly and a young, red haired woman came inside. The man already knew the time has come once again, before she said anything.
- They’re coming. – whispered the woman. She declared, as it would be the most natural thing on the world. The man closed his eyelids and sighed. When he opened them again, his eyes have changed, the lifeless, glassy look disappeared, only courage and audacity reflected in them.
- Brace yourself. – replied the man, and touched the woman’s shoulder as he walked beside her. She smiled back at him. They stepped into the elevator. None of them said a word, until they reached the ground level. Two aliens awaited them.
- Are we ready? – asked the man.
- Yes. Their fast, but we’re prepared. – answered the tall, crystalline creature.
- Good. – The man said. He and his accompaniment stood before the heavy steel gate of the main hangar. There were about fifty men around them, all held different kind of high-tech alien weapons in their hands. They were the resistance, standing against the hordes of the Null Void aliens. Their leader was Benjamin Tennyson, who knew the gate would not hold the enemy back for long, it was damaged during the previous battles... However, this strategy proved to be the best; the aliens can’t overwhelm them only because of their superior numbers. This was the only entrance of the Omni-Tower; the walls were impenetrable for the aliens. This was the only weak point, and the first line of defense. The Omni-Tower was the only fortress in 1000 miles; it surrounded half of the former New York. If this building falls, the only city of mankind on the East Coast falls with it as well.
Ben turned around and looked at his men once more. Nobody required fancy harangues, they all knew what to do; he could see that in their eyes. None of them showed fear or despair. Ben smiled contentedly and focused on the events of the next minutes. They will defeat the aliens one by one. Since he was able to combine his powers, Wildmutt’s heat vision easily recognized the enemy heat signatures, even in his human form. The aliens were approaching rapidly.
- How many? – asked Gwendolyn Tennyson. She stood on the left side of his cousin.
- Not sure... I suppose it’s a bigger horde... – replied Ben.
Suddenly, they heard a scratch on the gate and then another.
- They’re here... – whispered Tetrax, the petrosapien.
Something hit the gate outside and the blow distorted its shape.
- A few more of that, and they will get in. – determined Lantara. The ectonurite was floating beside Tetrax. She was correct, after three more strikes; a breach jawed between the two wings of the gate. A tall and muscular creature was the first. It systematically widened the breach with his paws, and the smaller aliens were already pushing in.
- Stop them! – Ben roared, and the omnitrix flashed, as he transformed into Fourarms.
The black creature jumped inside, as the hole was wide enough for it. The three red eyes on its head looked for a prey. It raised its paws to strike the nearest man with its dirty, but sharp claws. Recognizing its aim, Gwen intervened; her pink energy zap took the alien down. The men behind them ran towards and helped their comrade. They did their best to keep the invading enemy outside, but to no avail, more and more got in. A grey, skinny one tried to punch Lantara down, but she phased through its fists and then wiped its brain out.
- Stay out! – roared Tetrax and shot hundreds of small projectiles at a group of flouranas.
Fourarms grabbed two dog-like creatures and smashed them together. Another one bit his arm and hung on it like a leech. Its teeth did not go through the tetramand’s thick skin; he was able to remove it by swinging his arms. However, he didn’t notice the huge detrovite who snuck behind him. Fortunately, Lantara’s energy beam shot it down. An intense battle evolved between the two parties. Suddenly, a werewolf showed up in the breach. It opened its drooling mouth and made an ultrasonic howl. Fourarms immediately changed into Shockwave to neutralize the threat. He clapped his paws together and the shockwave overwhelmed the werewolf’s sound waves. It jumped into the air and attacked Ben, forcing him to the ground. It stepped on Shockwave’s chest and wanted to howl again. The green flash of the omnitrix blinded it for a moment, as Ben went Wildvine.
When the loboan howled, he closed the leaves around his head and protected himself.
- Now, it’s my turn! – said the flourana. He grew his arms; they coiled around the alien and tossed it away. Gwen just defended a blow with a force field, when Ben joined her as Heatblast.
- Are you okay? – asked Gwen, she was quite worried. Beside them, Tetrax just fired a spiny crystal ball, which smashed a few aliens.
- Let’s just barbeque these guys! – suggested the pyronite.
- Agreed. – smiled the woman. A circular hole opened on her force field, right in front of Heatblast, who raised his hands and shot a massive fire beam into the middle of the alien intruders. The burnt creatures ran apart, but they rolled on the ground a bit and continued the fight.
- Hmm, not as effective as I thought so. – determined Heatblast and transformed into Eye Guy. His beams took the aliens down one by one. Meanwhile, Tetrax, Lantara and the other men managed to roll the enemy back to the breach. Ben and Gwen flooded the hole with energy beams, keeping the aliens out.
- We need to close this once and for all! It won’t survive another attack! – shouted Ben.
Tetrax ran to the hole.
- I’m on it! – replied the petrosapien creating a crystalline wall. Ben helped him, using Eye Guy’s laser as a burner. Concentrating on their work, they did not know about the werewolf behind Tetrax. After Wildvine knocked it out, it lied on the floor unconsciously for a few minutes, but came to and wanted to take revenge...
The sound waves were too close and too intense, Tetrax roared in pain. First, some creaks appeared on the petrosapien’s crystalline body, and they widened as the werewolf kept howling. He collapsed.
- Noooooo!!!- Ben shouted and fired dozens of energy beams, but none of them hit the werewolf. He could not succeed even with the help of Gwen and Lantara. Eye Guy changed into Brainstorm.
- I’m gonna fry your brain! – hissed he vengefully. The werewolf sensed the new menace, and jumped up to get away.
- No you won’t! – roared Brainstorm. His thought waves easily reached the werewolf’s mind; it chilled, and then dropped down dead.
Brainstorm panted, he was still furious. Only then, they realized that the ultrasonic howl also destroyed a part of the crystal wall that Tetrax created. A smaller group of aliens jumped inside again. Those who were outside successfully weakened the incomplete blockade. It was a matter of time, before it would collapse. Brainstorm went Artiquana to freeze the intruders, but the breach was getting bigger and bigger.
- Ben, we can’t hold them back! – cried Gwen, shooting an energy beam.
- Retreat to the higher levels... – said Tetrax. He was barely alive; he had creaks and wounds all over his body.
- We can’t give up the hangar! – refused Lantara.
- We won’t. I’m going to blow it on their heads. – replied the petrosapien. He took a grey ball out of his utility belt. It seemed like a hand grenade.
- No, you can’t do this! – said Artiquana and reverted to Ben.
- We must, or they’ll occupy the whole tower! – gasped Tetrax. He was weakening.
- I won’t allow it! – declared Ben. In that moment, the crystalline wall broke into pieces and the aliens pushed inside.
- You have no choice! – answered the petrosapien and armed the grenade. Three blue lighter began to twinkle on the weapon.
- No! I won’t leave you here! – shouted Ben.
- I wouldn’t make it after all! Go! – commanded Tetrax. The surviving men got in the elevator, only he, Ben, Gwen and Lantara remained in the hangar.
- There has to be another way... – began Ben, but when he looked at the invading creatures, he knew Tetrax was right.
- It’s been an honor... Now get out of here! – roared Tetrax, right before a huge vulpimancer jumped on him.
- No!!! – shouted Ben. Gwen and Lantara dragged him inside the elevator. His eyes met with Tetrax’s for the last time, and the elevator door closed.


Tetrax held the grenade in his palm, when the aliens forced him to the ground. The blue twinkle on it got faster and faster; finally there was a long beep.
The petrosapien smiled and said:
- It’s sack time, boys!
The explosion destroyed the joist and the whole hangar collapsed, killing all the aliens who were inside. The ruins also blocked the breach, so nothing could enter the Omi-Tower again.


Ben Tennyson sat on the floor, resting his arms on his knees. Gwen and Lantara stood beside him, but no one said a word. Tetrax was close to them all, he fought the last twelve years with them, yet Earth was not his own planet. They couldn’t believe he’s gone. A few crystalline pieces was all that left from him.
- Ben... – accosted him Gwen, after a few minutes of silence.
- It’s my fault... I could have warned him a few seconds before...– stammered he.
- No, it’s not your fault. Nobody could save him. – said Lantara. She received no respond.
Ben went to his room and locked the door. It was still raining. He sat down to his armchair and watched the rain, just as he did before the battle. Sinister thoughts haunted him.
He attempted to figure out the circumstances, which eventually led to Tetrax’s demise.
After a few minutes, he jumped to a conclusion. He even said it aloud.
- They are way too organized...

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