"I am Vilgax, and I have come for the Omnitrixes."
"And I'm guessing you're not one of the good guys," Heatblast shot back, already straining against the net. The flames around his body flared brighter, heat building rapidly until the metal spokes began to soften and bend. A second later, parts of it melted enough for him to tear free.
Right beside him, Crashhopper planted both feet against the wall and pushed. His legs tensed, then released all at once, ripping himself out of the net's grip and dropping back onto the ground in a low crouch.
Neither of them hesitated.
Heatblast charged first, launching a massive fireball straight at Vilgax before closing the distance and following up with a series of punches aimed at his legs. Each hit landed solidly, but the moment Heatblast looked up, he froze for half a second.
Vilgax hadn't moved. Not even a little.
The size difference alone made it obvious now. This Vilgax wasn't just bigger, he was on a completely different level. Easily three times their height, broader, heavier, and built like nothing they had fought before.
It felt like a 10-year-old trying to fight an adult.
"...Okay, that's new," Heatblast muttered.
Vilgax responded by simply reaching down, grabbing him, and flipping him over with a smooth motion that sent him crashing straight into a nearby office building. The impact blew through one wall, then the next, sending papers and furniture flying as employees barely had time to react before Heatblast burst through the other side and kept going, smashing through another structure before finally slamming into a parking lot hard enough to leave a crater.
Back at the street, Crashhopper barely had time to react before Vilgax's hand came down and grabbed him by the head, lifting him off the ground like it was nothing.
Crashhopper struggled, twisting his body to break free, but Vilgax simply slammed him straight into the pavement.
A yellow flash burst out immediately. The impact cracked the ground.
"Sludge!"
The purple, mud-like alien reformed and swung a punch straight into Vilgax's face, dealing no damage.
Sludge paused for a second. "You have got to be kidding me."
Vilgax didn't even bother replying. He swung his leg and kicked Sludge across the street, splattering his body against a wall where it spread out before slowly pulling itself back together.
"Interesting," Vilgax said calmly. "You can switch between different alien life forms."
He turned and reached back into his pod, pulling out a large weapon and firing it without hesitation. A wave of flame roared forward, covering the street in an instant.
Another yellow flash cut through it.
"Quilava!"
A spinning ball of fire shot out from the flames, rolling across the ground at high speed. Vilgax immediately gave chase, his heavy steps cracking the pavement with every stride as he leaped forward again and again, closing the distance.
Inside the crater, Heatblast groaned as he pushed rubble off himself, slowly getting back up. "Oh, that didn't feel good…" he muttered, stretching slightly and wincing. "Man, this guy's tough. I don't think I've ever been hit like that before."
He looked up just in time to see Vilgax chasing the rolling fireball down the street.
"Yeah, that's not good."
Vilgax landed right in front of Quilava, cutting him off and forcing him to stop. The fireball unraveled as he grabbed the smaller alien in one hand, lifting him up easily.
"I've got to slow him down!" Heatblast said, stepping forward and raising both arms.
A concentrated heat ray blasted from his hands, hitting the street ahead of Vilgax and instantly melting the asphalt into thick, blazing tar. It spread across the road, bubbling and slowing Vilgax's movement as his weight caused him to sink slightly.
It wasn't enough to stop him completely, but it bought time.
Quilava took that opening immediately, slipping free from Vilgax's grip, stepping briefly off his arm, then planting a foot against his head and launching himself away with a burst of flame before landing beside Heatblast.
"Nice timing," Heatblast said with a grin.
Vilgax, now partially slowed in the tar, shifted and began pulling himself free.
The Rust Bucket came speeding in and screeched to a halt nearby. Max's eyes widened the second he got a clear look at Vilgax.
"No… it can't be."
"Not so tough when you can't move, are you, punk?" Heatblast called out, clearly feeling a bit too confident.
"Dude, now is not the time," Quilava said, glancing back at Vilgax already forcing his way out. "He's not even down."
The Rust Bucket door swung open, and Gwen leaned out. "Guys, Grandpa says get in. Now!"
"What are you talking about?" Heatblast said, completely missing the urgent tone, and the beeping starting from his Omnitrix. "We're just about to kick alien-"
The Omnitrix timed out mid-sentence, the transformation dropping and leaving Ben standing there.
"…butt," he finished weakly.
Quilava didn't wait. He jumped into the RV immediately, slipping past Gwen's legs and shifting back into human form as he landed inside.
"Benjamin, get in!" Max ordered sharply.
Ben scrambled in without arguing this time, and the door slammed shut as the Rust Bucket sped off down the street.
Behind them, Vilgax finally pulled himself free from the tar completely, straightening up as he watched the vehicle retreat into the distance, his expression unreadable but his gaze locked on them.
"Believe me when I say you two do not want to pick a fight with Vilgax," Max said, his voice firm in a way that immediately got their attention.
"Yeah, well-" Ben started, then stopped mid-sentence as it clicked. "…Wait. How did you know his name was Vilgax?"
Gwen leaned forward, narrowing her eyes slightly. "Grandpa, what aren't you telling us?"
"It's nothing," Max replied, eyes still on the road, tone a little too quick to be convincing.
"He is lying," Evan said from the side, leaning slightly toward Gwen like he was sharing a secret, except he said it at full volume.
Gwen blinked once. "Not helping."
Before anyone could press further, a loud explosion went off behind them, the shockwave pushing the Rust Bucket forward just enough to throw everyone off balance. Ben and Gwen hit the back wall, while Evan grabbed onto the table to steady himself.
Gwen immediately pulled the curtain aside and looked out the rear window. "Two robot goons, closing in fast!"
Max didn't hesitate. "Hold on!" He pressed harder on the accelerator, weaving the RV through the streets as laser blasts rained down behind them, tearing up chunks of pavement and leaving smoking craters where they hit.
"We can't keep this up forever, Grandpa!" Gwen said, bracing herself as the vehicle swerved again.
"Things are gonna get a whole lot worse if we don't get to Mt. Rushmore," Max replied.
Ben, still trying to get his balance, slammed his hand onto the Omnitrix. Nothing happened. He tried again, only for the RV to jerk sharply, throwing him sideways.
"Why?! What's at Mt. Rushmore?" Gwen asked, gripping the seat as another blast hit dangerously close.
"Gwen, this is not the time to explain!" Max shot back, more serious than usual.
Ben kept messing with the Omnitrix, clearly annoyed. "Come on, work already!"
Another blast shook the RV, and this time Evan didn't wait.
He tapped his Another Omnitrix, and a golden flash filled the inside of the Rust Bucket.
A second later, Feedback leaned halfway out of the side window, his plug-like fingers raised as he absorbed a volley of incoming laser fire. The energy surged through him, crackling along his body before he redirected it back at the drones in a concentrated blast.
One of them took the hit directly and exploded midair, scattering debris across the street. The second drone swerved, narrowly avoiding the return fire.
"You're going to have to trust me on this," Max said, gripping the wheel tighter.
"I'm not going down without a fight!" Ben snapped, finally getting a response from his Omnitrix. He slammed it down again, and this time it worked.
A green flash later, Stinkfly shot out of the RV and into the air.
"Ben, wait!" Max called after him, but it was too late.
Stinkfly weaved through the air, dodging incoming laser fire before turning sharply and spitting a stream of slime directly into one of the drone's cannons. The barrel clogged instantly, overheating before exploding and taking the rest of the drone with it.
"Float like a butterfly, sting like a Stinkfly," he said, hovering in place for a second, clearly pleased.
That moment didn't last.
A blur shot upward from below.
Vilgax grabbed onto Stinkfly's tail mid-flight, the sudden weight yanking him off course.
"Hey, what the?!" Stinkfly shouted, struggling as he tried to shake him off. "Let go!"
"Give me that Omnitrix," Vilgax said, his grip tightening.
"You'll have to pry it from my cold, dead wrist!" Stinkfly shot back, twisting around and firing another glob of slime directly at him.
It hit, knocking Vilgax loose and sending him crashing back down into the street.
Stinkfly didn't slow down, immediately gaining altitude. "Okay, seriously, who is this guy?!"
Below, Vilgax pushed himself up almost instantly and leaped again, closing the distance like it was nothing.
"You have got to be kidding me!" Stinkfly muttered, barely dodging another grab.
Back on the road, Vilgax landed directly in front of the Rust Bucket, forcing Max to swerve hard into a U-turn just to avoid hitting him.
For a moment, it looked like they might get away.
Then Vilgax stepped forward and grabbed the Rust Bucket mid-movement, his grip stopping the entire vehicle in place like it weighed nothing.
Inside, everything lurched forward.
"Not good!" Gwen shouted.
The door suddenly burst open.
Feedback jumped out, his body crackling with stored energy after draining everything he could get, including Gwen's laptop, and amplifying it further with Electromagnetic Pulse.
He drove a charged punch straight into Vilgax's chest.
The impact released a surge of energy that forced Vilgax back several steps, his grip loosening just enough for the Rust Bucket to break free and speed off down the road.
Feedback landed lightly, not even glancing back at the RV as it disappeared into the distance. His focus stayed locked on Vilgax, who straightened up again like that hit barely slowed him down.
Inside the RV, Gwen looked back through the window, watching the distance between them and the fight grow.
"Where are you going? We need to help them!" she shouted, turning toward Max.
"We will," Max said, his voice steady. "But first, we need to get some special help."
Gwen crossed her arms slightly. "Let me guess. At Mt. Rushmore?"
Max didn't answer this time. He just kept driving.
Gwen leaned back, frowning. "Grandpa… you're really freaking me out."
Back with the two Omnitrix users, they kept moving, barely giving Vilgax a second to properly line them up. Stinkfly stayed in the air, zigzagging between rooftops while Feedback dashed across cables and metal structures, using anything conductive to keep himself mobile and charged.
Vilgax chased them across the rooftops with long, heavy strides, every landing cracking concrete and bending steel. He lunged upward, grabbing onto the edge of a building and pulling himself up in one motion before swiping at Stinkfly mid-air.
A burst of electricity shot out and hit him square in the chest, forcing him back a step.
Vilgax dropped to the street below, landing hard enough to leave a crater before immediately straightening up again, like nothing had happened. His eyes locked onto them.
"I'm growing tired of this."
Before either of them could respond, he moved again.
Before either of them could react, he grabbed a nearby truck, lifted it over his head like it weighed nothing, and hurled it straight at Feedback.
"Heh?"
Feedback barely had time to raise his arms before the truck slammed into him, sending him flying into a building. The impact triggered an explosion that blew out windows and filled the street with smoke and debris.
"Partner!" Stinkfly shouted and got tackled out of the air a second later.
Vilgax slammed him into the ground and pinned him there, one massive hand wrapped around his body. Stinkfly struggled, wings buzzing wildly, but it didn't do much.
Vilgax's claw glowed red as he pressed it against the Omnitrix core.
In a red flash, Stinkfly reverted instantly.
"Hey! How'd you do that?!" Ben shouted, now human again, squirming in Vilgax's grip.
"…A child?" His tone shifted, not in surprise, but something closer to annoyance. "The Omnitrix is in the hands of a mere child!?"
The grip tightened slightly as he reached for the watch, and then a sudden surge of green energy burst out from it, blasting Vilgax backward and straight through part of a building.
Ben dropped to the ground, scrambling back.
Vilgax stepped out of the debris a second later, completely unfazed, brushing off dust like it was nothing.
"It seems the Omnitrix has already merged with your DNA," he said, walking forward again. "And I assume it's the same with the other one too."
Ben didn't wait around to hear more. He turned and ran.
Vilgax moved to grab him, but a powerful electric blast slammed into his side, forcing him back again.
"Ben, run!" Feedback called out.
He stood near a street pole, both antennae plugged into it, draining electricity directly from the grid. Sparks crawled across his body as his output ramped up.
Ben didn't need to be told twice. He bolted.
Vilgax looked down at his arm, flexing his fingers slightly. There was actual damage this time small, but visible.
"Interesting… the power of your Conductoid DNA seems to be much more potent than that of other Conductoids."
Feedback exhaled slowly, clearly annoyed.
"And I could say the same about you."
He had already absorbed a ridiculous amount of energy from the surrounding area and pushed it even further using Electromagnetic Pulse. By all logic, that last hit should've done way more than just scratch him.
"Seriously… what are you even made of?" he added under his breath.
Vilgax didn't answer. He simply started walking forward again.
"Yeah, alright. Guess we're doing this the hard way."
Feedback reached up and tapped the Omnitrix dial on his chest.
It reacted immediately.
Three metallic spikes extended outward, forming a triangular frame as yellow energy spread across his body. The transformation didn't completely change him, but it built on what was already there.
His legs grew slightly larger, stronger, and more reinforced. Gold spikes and battery-like bolts emerged along his arms, shoulders, back, and hips, all humming with contained energy.
The electricity around him intensified, arcing more violently than before.
"Super Feedback."
Ben paused and glanced back. "...Okay, that's new."
Vilgax narrowed his eyes, actually pausing this time as he took in the change.
Feedback smirked slightly. "Round two."
The gold spike along his left shoulder pressed down one after another, locking into place as electricity surged through his entire body. It wasn't just the usual blue-white current anymore; this time, it burned a deep crimson, flickering and snapping across his arms like it was barely being contained.
Feedback brought both palms together, angling them forward.
A dense orb of red electricity formed between them, compressing tighter and tighter as the air around it crackled.
"Piercing Bolt!"
He fired.
It didn't stay as a single blast for long. Mid-flight, it split apart into multiple sharp, arrow-like streaks of crimson lightning, spreading outward before snapping back inward, all of them locking onto Vilgax from different angles.
Vilgax's crimson eyes widened slightly, and then the attacks hit.
Each bolt struck from a different direction, detonating against him in rapid succession and finally sending him flying backward, straight through a building. The structure gave way almost instantly, collapsing down over him in a cloud of dust and debris.
"Awesome!" Ben shouted from a distance, eyes wide. "Since when can your Omnitrix do that? I want that too!"
"Not the time!" Feedback shouted back, already moving. He knew this form was temporary, so there was no point wasting it.
He charged straight toward the ruined building, but before he could reach it, the entire collapsed structure shifted. Vilgax shoved it aside and rose back up, lifting the wreckage with both hands before hurling it directly at him.
The spike on Feedback's other shoulder pressed down. Crimson lightning flared again.
"Bolt Slash!"
With a sharp swing, he sent out a glowing crimson slash that cut clean through the building in front of him, splitting the debris in half before the slash curved downward and kept going straight at Vilgax.
The alien warlord charged toward him anyway.
He jumped just in time to avoid the slash, then came down hard right where Feedback had been standing a moment earlier. Feedback leapt back, barely avoiding the impact as Vilgax smashed into the pavement and left another crater behind.
The spike on Feedback's right hip pressed down next, overcharging him again with more crimson lightning. He moved in immediately, striking Vilgax fist to fist, and for a brief moment, they actually held.
Then, Feedback pushed as Vilgax was forced back a step.
Feedback followed through immediately, pivoting into a sharp kick to Vilgax's leg, and the blow was enough to make the alien warlord drop to one knee. Before he could recover, Feedback drove a punch straight into his face.
Vilgax's head snapped to the side, a visible fracture forming along part of his mask and breathing tube, and a thin line of dark purple liquid began to drip down from the impact point.
Vilgax slowly turned his head back, touched the blood with his fingers, and looked at it for a second.
"Interesting… all of that for a drop of blood."
He wiped it away, amused.
The metal spikes on his arms retracted suddenly, and his already massive arms bulked up even more, growing thicker and stronger as he shifted again.
Feedback clenched his teeth and prepared to charge, but before he could move, his Another Omnitrix suddenly flashed red.
His transformation ended immediately, and Evan was left standing there as a human again.
He looked down at his wrist, then saw the Another Omnitrix locked in recharge mode.
"You have got to be kidding me," he muttered under his breath.
"So it seems that was your limit," Vilgax said, already walking toward him.
Evan barely had time to react before a massive hand grabbed him and lifted him clean off the ground.
"Now… where is the other Omnitrix?"
Vilgax's gaze swept across the area, scanning for Ben and not seeing him anywhere.
Not getting an answer, Vilgax gave Evan one last glance, then tossed him toward the massive sphere waiting nearby. Before Evan could recover, Vilgax entered it as well, and the machine sealed shut and rolled off through the street, smashing through another building on its way out.
A moment later, Ben poked his head out from the remains of a broken building, just in time to see the sphere disappearing into the distance.
"Okay, this is bad. Really bad."
He wanted to activate his Omnitrix, but recalling how Vilgax could track him, he stopped himself and quickly ran off to search for a telephone booth to call Gwen.