"No!"
Blinding light flared from Heatblast's golden eyes. He brought his palms together and unleashed a surging wave of fire that roared forward, colliding head-on with the incoming fireball.
BOOM!
The torrent of flames, like a raging fire dragon, devoured the blazing orb in an instant, swallowing it in a flood of scorching heat.
Clatter—
The brilliantly lit train thundered past, its cars linked like a steel serpent racing through the underground. It sped across the rails and brushed past the oncoming freight truck by mere inches.
As it crossed the section Heatblast had reforged, the train jolted slightly but stayed on course, continuing safely toward the horizon.
The gold-laden truck, too, soon vanished from sight, rumbling away in the opposite direction.
Moments later, darkness reclaimed the underground tunnel—only two glowing figures remained.
Watching the truck disappear safely, Heatblast exhaled in relief. At least he'd stopped Kevin's plan before it was too late.
He turned sharply toward the half-charred figure standing beneath the streetlight, anger flaring in his eyes. "Kevin, you've gone too far."
"Too far?" Kevin lifted his hand, gathering a burning mass of flame in his palm. "Freaks like me have to do bad things just to survive in this filthy world."
"Ben Tennyson, you ruined everything for me today. I won't forgive you for that."
With a furious shout, Kevin hurled the fireball. It twisted midair into a claw-shaped inferno, sweeping forward in a wave of violent heat toward Heatblast.
"Still won't give up? Then I'll have to knock some sense into you."
Heatblast raised his hand and crushed the flaming claw in an instant.
The scattered flames coalesced again, reshaping into a ferocious serpent of fire. Its molten fangs gleamed as it lunged toward Kevin like a striking bolt of lightning.
Gritting his teeth, Kevin extended his single flaming arm, transforming it into a massive hammer.
"Ben Tennyson, I'll never lose to you!"
The flames on his head flared wildly as he swung with all his might, bringing the blazing hammer crashing down on the charging fire serpent.
BOOM!
A deafening explosion erupted as hammer and serpent collided, unleashing a blast of raw heat that surged through the tunnel in waves.
Though Kevin's strike shattered the serpent, the backlash sent him hurtling backward like a snapped kite. He crashed hard onto the cold steel tracks.
The fiery hammer shattered on impact, dissolving into white-hot vapor that drifted away into the air.
Heatblast froze for a moment, staring at Kevin's motionless body.
"Hey, Kevin! You okay?"
He stepped closer, cautiously approaching.
Unbidden, a memory flickered through his mind—the two of them at the arcade.
A stranger back then, Kevin had invited him to play at that crooked, coin-eating game hall. When thugs tried to pick a fight, Ben had become XLR8 and stepped in to help, punishing the bullies.
If Kevin hadn't tried to destroy the tracks—hadn't gone this far for greed—they wouldn't have ended up like this.
"Hey. Say something."
As Heatblast neared him, Kevin suddenly sprang up, face twisted with fury.
Murderous intent blazed in his eyes. He clenched his fist, flames surging around it, and slammed it forward with a violent roar.
BANG!
The punch landed squarely in Heatblast's chest, shaking the tunnel with a thunderous explosion. Waves of heat rippled outward from the impact, distorting the air.
Heatblast was thrown backward uncontrollably, smashing through several light poles before skidding to a stop.
"Kevin… you've really made me mad this time!"
Gritting his teeth through the pain, Heatblast's body flared in a blinding blaze. The fire burned away the debris clinging to him, turning to drifting ash that vanished into the air.
"So what?" Kevin scoffed, his voice cold and bitter. Half of his body flickered with unstable flame. "No one wants to be friends with a freak like me anyway. Whether you're here or not, it's all the same!"
"No. If you're willing to turn back, we can still be friends—real friends."
Heatblast shook his head slowly. He knew Kevin wasn't evil—just blinded by his own anger and pain.
"Cut the crap, Ben Tennyson. We're not best buds anymore!"
Kevin's body erupted into blazing flames, mutating once again. The half of him that still looked human was quickly consumed by fire, and within seconds, he had completely transformed into a true Heatblast.
"You're too stubborn," Heatblast growled coldly. "Looks like I'll have to knock some sense into you."
He sprang upward, summoning a blazing cloud beneath his feet.
Standing tall atop the fiery cloud, Heatblast streaked through the air like a comet, leaving a burning trail in his wake as he charged straight for Kevin.
"What the—?!" Kevin's eyes widened in shock, completely caught off guard by the sudden move.
Panicking, he thrust out his fiery palm, launching a rapid barrage of blazing fireballs. The searing orbs tore through the air, radiating blistering heat as they hurtled toward Heatblast.
"You've only just turned into a Heatblast—you're still not used to that power, are you?"
Guiding his flame cloud with precision, Heatblast weaved effortlessly through the incoming fireballs, then countered with a fierce burst of flame that slammed directly into Kevin.
Kevin screamed as he was blasted backward, smashing hard into the stone wall behind him. Cracks spread out like a spiderweb across the surface.
He collapsed to the ground, his body flickering weakly as the flames surrounding him dimmed and began to fade.
"I've trained with my Cuz for too long for you to beat me in just a few hits," Heatblast said, his voice calm but resolute.
He stepped closer, each stride measured and steady, until he stood over the fallen Kevin. Lifting his burning hand, he aimed it toward him.
Kevin, drained of all strength, could only stare up at him, regret flooding his fiery eyes.
"Sorry, Ben… I was wrong. I shouldn't have hurt innocent people for my own gain."
That flicker of sincerity in Kevin's dim eyes made Heatblast pause for a moment.
A faint smile crossed his molten face. He extended his hand, flames swirling around his fingers. "Kevin, I'm glad you came to your senses. We're still buddies."
"Thanks."
Kevin reached out—
But before their hands could meet, the Omnitrix on Heatblast's chest began flashing violently, pulsing red before bursting into light. The transformation faded, and Ben's human form reappeared.
He still wore a friendly smile, completely unaware of the danger that had just reignited beside him.
Kevin's expression twisted into a sneer. Without warning, he lunged forward, his fiery hand clamping down on the Omnitrix.
"Hey, Kevin! What are you doing?!" Ben shouted, panic rising in his chest.
"Ben Tennyson, you really are an idiot," Kevin laughed maniacally, yanking at the watch. "Did you seriously think I'd ever submit to you? You're dreaming!"
"Stop! You can't take it off—it's not possible!"
Kevin scoffed, ignoring him entirely. He gripped tighter, pulling with all his strength. A wild gleam lit his eyes. If he could claim this device, he'd be unstoppable.
BOOM!
Suddenly, the Omnitrix emitted a strange pulse. The red dial flickered, then turned a vivid green as a powerful wave of energy exploded outward.
The blast hurled Kevin backward, slamming him into a pile of debris. A faint streak of blue light flashed across his body, then vanished.
Ben was thrown back as well, landing in a heap atop a stack of sandbags.
He glanced down at the Omnitrix glowing with green light and smirked faintly.
"Hero time."
Ben twisted the dial, locked in a selection, and slammed his palm down.
A brilliant green light burst forth, so intense that Kevin had to throw up his arm to shield his eyes.
Tap… tap… tap…
Heavy footsteps echoed through the smoke.
Kevin looked up, eyes widening in disbelief.
A towering, muscle-bound figure emerged from the haze—massive, stone-skinned, and radiating pure power—as it strode toward him.