"Why do you keep calling me Diamondhead? That's a ridiculous name. I'm obviously a Petrosapien," Tetrax muttered, a hint of exasperation crossing his crystalline features.
Asher heard the familiar voice and his face lit up with relief. He emerged from behind Tetrax's bulky form, his eyes sweeping across Max, Ben, and Gwen. A weight lifted from his shoulders. "Thank goodness you're all safe. It looks like those bounty hunters were only targeting me after all."
"Asher, you're okay!" Max's tense expression melted away as he walked forward and pulled Asher into a warm embrace.
Ben and Gwen stared at the towering crystal warrior standing beside Asher with obvious curiosity. They had assumed this "Diamondhead" was Asher's transformation, but seeing them standing side by side made it clear this was someone else entirely.
Two Diamondheads? How was that even possible?
"By the way, I should introduce you." Asher gestured toward the imposing Petrosapien beside him, quickly explaining Tetrax's origins, his real name, his true purpose for being there, and most importantly, the identity of their actual enemy.
Vilgax!
"Vilgax?!" Ben and Gwen spoke the name in unison, their voices sharp with alarm. Max's expression remained stoic, as though he'd suspected this all along.
They had never expected the infamous warlord himself to be behind the hunt for the Omnitrix. Although neither Ben nor Gwen had encountered Vilgax directly, judging by Tetrax's grave tone and serious demeanor, the alien conqueror was clearly a threat beyond anything they'd faced before.
"There are too many people around you," Tetrax said bluntly, his glowing eyes fixed on Asher while ignoring the others. "Aren't you worried Vilgax will capture them and use them as leverage against you? They're liabilities."
His words were cold and pragmatic, delivered without a trace of sympathy.
"Tetrax, you're wrong about that," Asher replied firmly, his gaze unwavering. "They're not liabilities. They're my best friends and my family. The reason I can be this strong is because of them."
The conviction in Asher's voice resonated through the air. For a fleeting moment, Tetrax saw echoes of the warriors from his own homeworld reflected in the young human's determination. Those Petrosapien warriors had fought with the same fierce resolve to protect their families, drawing strength from their bonds to become far more powerful than ordinary soldiers.
Unconsciously, Tetrax found himself developing a measure of respect for Asher.
"Besides, we've helped Asher plenty already," Gwen interjected, folding her arms across her chest with a defiant expression. "Big guy, if you're here to help us, then help. Don't try to stir up trouble."
Under Asher's persistent gaze and Gwen's pointed words, Tetrax found himself yielding first. He lowered his head slightly, as if conceding defeat. "Fine, let's move on from this topic."
He redirected the conversation. "Asher, your strength is impressive. Those two mercenaries were defeated by you in succession. If we fought one-on-one, I don't think I'd be your match."
His admission caught Ben and the others off guard. They hadn't witnessed Asher's battles with the mercenaries firsthand, but instinct told them those enemies had been far more dangerous than the cannon fodder they'd faced before. Yet Asher's performance had been extraordinary.
"Then Asher could just transform into Four Arms or Heatblast right now and pummel those freaks into submission!" Ben exclaimed enthusiastically, throwing a few shadow punches.
"If I have to fight two of them at once, I'll hit a stalemate," Asher said calmly, his rationality keeping his assessment grounded. He understood his limitations, and acknowledging them was how he would continue to improve and eventually overcome Vilgax.
Only by maintaining this mindset would he grow stronger.
"That's true," Tetrax agreed, nodding with a glimmer of admiration in his crystalline eyes. He mentally gave Asher credit for his mature perspective.
"The Omnitrix has a limited transformation time," Asher continued, his brow furrowing as he stared at the device on his wrist. "If I get stuck in a prolonged battle, that's a serious tactical disadvantage."
The time limit was his greatest weakness right now. He needed to find a way around it when facing Kraab and SixSix together.
"That's why you need to use your intelligence as much as your strength," Tetrax said. "Combine wisdom with power, and you'll be prepared for any battle."
In the original timeline, Tetrax had been much more direct and critical with young Ben, bluntly telling him he relied too much on brute force. But Asher was different. His tactical skills were already on par with Tetrax's own, perhaps even better in some respects. Tetrax would have felt ridiculous lecturing him about strategy when Asher clearly understood combat principles better than most seasoned warriors.
So his advice came across more as encouragement between equals.
"You're absolutely right," Asher acknowledged with a slow nod. He glanced at the red Omnitrix, still recharging, then shifted his gaze toward the cave entrance. "The Omnitrix is still cooling down, and those mercenaries haven't caught up yet. That gives me time to figure out how to take them both down."
"Tetrax, why aren't you helping?" Ben asked, confusion evident in his voice. "You can't possibly have a good impression of Vilgax."
Tetrax was silent for a moment before responding with careful deliberation. "First, I don't want to make an enemy of Vilgax. Helping you and directly fighting his mercenaries are two very different things. At least, not at this stage."
He paused. "Second, I'll be leaving this planet soon. You need to defeat those mercenaries with your own strength."
He couldn't keep intervening on their behalf. Asher and Ben needed to learn through experience, through reasoning, and through strategy. If they couldn't grasp these lessons, that would be their problem to solve.
"I understand," Asher said, nodding. "You're protecting your own people by staying neutral. I respect that." He extended his right hand toward Tetrax. "By the way, I haven't properly introduced myself yet. My name is Asher."
Tetrax regarded the outstretched hand for a moment, then let out a dismissive sound. "Hmph."
Despite his gruff response, he reached out and shook Asher's hand. The crystal-to-flesh contact was brief but meaningful.
The atmosphere between them settled into something almost comfortable.
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the underground network, the situation was far less friendly.
Kraab's mechanical systems whirred and clicked as he made adjustments to his cybernetic body. SixSix hovered nearby with his jetpack, pulling out a communication device and remotely dialing into Vilgax's command center.
The device projected a holographic screen, and almost instantly, Vilgax's imposing form materialized. His incomplete, heavily scarred body radiated menace even through the transmission, and his voice carried the weight of absolute authority.
"Well? Did you retrieve the Omnitrix?" Vilgax asked, his tone brimming with confidence. He clearly expected success to be a foregone conclusion.
Instead, the screen revealed two battered mercenaries. SixSix's armor was dented and scorched. Kraab's mechanical body showed obvious damage.
"You were beaten this badly by a human child?" Vilgax's voice shifted to disbelief, his red eyes narrowing dangerously.
"Vilgax, as you can see, we've taken quite a beating," Kraab replied, his mechanical voice devoid of its earlier arrogance. Fear crept into his tone. "That kid's strength is beyond what we imagined."
"Did he transform into a Pyronite?" Vilgax asked quickly, his mind immediately going to Heatblast's devastating power.
"No. It was a Petrosapien who taught us this painful lesson." Kraab deliberately omitted mentioning Ghostfreak. If he was going to be humiliated, at least SixSix would share the shame. Better to spread the embarrassment than face it alone.
At least this way, it looked like both of them had been overwhelmed together.
"Other alien forms... he's mastered them that thoroughly already?" Vilgax's eyes filled with twisted fury and killing intent. For the first time, he felt a genuine sense of threat from this human child.
The boy was growing far too quickly.
"So the two of you are refusing this assignment?" Vilgax's voice dropped to a dangerous growl, his patience clearly wearing thin. He was on the verge of erupting in rage.
Were they turning against him?
But Kraab's next words took an unexpected turn.
"We're not saying we won't do it."
He paused for dramatic effect.
"We're saying we need more money!" (TN: We need more funds to take care of the ops)