Chapter 42: Ultimos is Poisoned, and Clockwork Appears
"We are in need of aid. Would you be willing to temporarily join the ranks of the Galactic Enforcers?"
Ultimos extended the formal invitation to Klein and the rest of the group, his posture rigid and heroic.
"That is a wonderful idea!" Tini boomed, her four massive arms crossing in absolute approval.
"That is a terrible idea!" Synaptak countered instantly, his mechanical tentacles twitching with clear irritation.
"It seems I hold the deciding vote..." Ultimos stroked his chin, pondering the situation for a brief moment. Despite his teammate's protest, he nodded firmly, deciding to extend the invitation regardless.
Ben, naturally, could not refuse the chance to play superhero. Klein and the others had no real reason to decline either, considering it was only a temporary gig.
"This is the Galactic Enforcers' Code of Conduct," Ultimos announced proudly. "The first twelve thousand pages might be a bit dry, but given the current emergency, we can review the regulations at a later time. For now, please don your official uniforms."
Ultimos pressed a button on his belt. A massive, leather-bound tome—thicker than it was wide or long—crashed onto the metal platform from above, kicking up a small cloud of dust.
Klein stared at the absurdly oversized book, a deadpan expression settling on his face. 'So, you guys were late to stop the villains because your bureaucratic procedures are too cumbersome?' he thought, mentally rolling his eyes at the sheer inefficiency.
Noticing the deeply skeptical looks from Klein and the Earthlings, Ultimos quickly cleared his throat and moved on to the next step.
Tini scooped Ben up, placing the boy onto her massive shoulder. "Come along! Let us get you into uniform!"
Ben shot a desperate, pleading look at his beloved cousin, begging for a rescue. Gwen simply crossed her arms, tilted her head, and chose to coldly ignore the dweeb's silent cries for help.
Klein flatly refused Ultimos's well-meaning offer. The idea of wearing that skin-tight, brightly colored spandex looked incredibly awkward, especially for a kid his age. He had a reputation to maintain.
Seeing that Klein was passing on the wardrobe change, Gwen also chose to stay by his side in her normal clothes.
Grandpa Max actually looked tempted. He shared a lot of Ben's enthusiasm for heroics and seemed genuinely interested in trying on a cape. However, after catching the deeply judgmental side-eye Klein was giving the spandex suits, the older man cleared his throat and ultimately decided against it.
A few minutes later, the automatic doors to the conference room hissed open. Ben strutted out, swimming in a loose, yellow-and-white uniform that heavily mirrored Ultimos's own heroic attire.
"Please welcome!" Ben announced loudly, striking a dramatic pose. "Ultra-Ben!"
He marched proudly toward the group, chin held high. Unfortunately, his grand entrance was cut short when his foot caught the edge of his oversized cape. He tripped, flailing his arms wildly before planting his face directly into the metal floor with a loud smack.
A heavy silence filled the room.
"Uh... I did that on purpose," Ben muttered awkwardly, peeling his face off the floor and flashing a strained thumbs-up.
"Alright!" Ultimos declared, completely ignoring the boy's clumsy display. "Let the Galactic Enforcers set forth to apprehend the evildoers!"
The alien superhero strode over to the main control panel, his fingers dancing across the glowing interface as he prepared the ship's teleportation array to drop them directly at their destination.
Ben stood off to the side, casually unwrapping a chocolate bar he had stashed in his pocket and taking a large bite.
"What might that be?" Ultimos asked, glancing down at the dark brown square.
"Chocolate," Ben mumbled around a mouthful. "You want a piece?"
"Ah, a local delicacy of this planet," Ultimos smiled warmly. "Of course. I would never refuse such a kind gesture from a fellow enforcer."
He accepted the piece of chocolate, popping it into his mouth with a gracious nod.
Sometime later, at an abandoned iron mine.
The teleportation beam deposited the group behind a massive, rusted excavation machine. Klein crouched low, peering around the heavy tread tracks to secretly observe their targets. A short distance away, the hulking figures of Mochana and Kraab were violently tearing into the earth, excavating raw iron ore with heavy machinery and brute force.
In truth, Klein was highly opposed to this stealthy approach. He harbored a deep distaste for this kind of sneaky, voyeuristic behavior. It reminded him far too much of a certain time-traveling professor's annoying habits. 'Looking right at you, Paradox,' he grumbled internally.
However, Grandpa Max had strongly suggested a tactical surprise attack to gain the upper hand. Out of respect for the old man's combat experience, Klein reluctantly played along, keeping his head down.
"Ugh... so cold! I am freezing!"
A frail, trembling voice echoed from directly behind Klein's position.
Klein snapped his head around. His eyes widened slightly. Ultimos, the previously towering paragon of alien justice, looked completely wrecked. His naturally dark skin had taken on a sickly, ashen hue. His bulging muscles seemed to have deflated, leaving him looking frail and emaciated. The mighty hero was currently squatted on the dirt, hugging his own knees and shivering violently.
Synaptak floated forward in a panic, extending his mechanical tentacles to prop up his fading leader.
"What happened to him?" Ben asked, his voice laced with genuine alarm as he rushed over.
"This is clearly a severe case of sucrose poisoning!" Synaptak declared, his large brain pulsing with agitation. His optical sensors zoomed in on the hero's face. "Wait... what is this residue?"
The floating alien pointed a tentacle at a distinct brown smudge lingering at the corner of Ultimos's pale lips.
Ben swallowed hard, rubbing the back of his neck. "Uh... I might have just given him some chocolate earlier."
"I knew I could not trust you primitive apes!" Synaptak shrieked, his tentacles flailing as he glared furiously at Klein, Ben, and the rest of the humans.
"Hey, how was I supposed to know his ultimate weakness was a candy bar?!" Ben shouted back, throwing his hands in the air. "Who even comes up with such a lame character flaw anyway?!"
Klein scowled, shooting a deadly glare at both Ben and Synaptak. They were supposed to be conducting a stealth operation. Shouting at the top of their lungs completely defeated the purpose of hiding behind a giant metal bulldozer.
Predictably, the echoing argument did not go unnoticed. Across the quarry, Mochana and Kraab stopped their digging. The two heavily armed mercenaries exchanged a glance before raising their weapons, slowly and stealthily advancing toward the source of the noise.
Seeing the situation rapidly deteriorating, Klein decided it was time to step in. He was fiercely protective of his own, and he was not about to let a floating brain yell at his cousin.
Without a word, Klein marched right up to Synaptak and delivered a sharp, echoing slap directly against the alien's large glass containment dome.
Smack!
The sharp sound cut through the argument instantly. It was a clear, physical demand for the alien to get a grip.
While Synaptak was still frozen in stunned silence, completely bewildered that a human child had just slapped his life-support jar, Klein shoved the floating apparatus aside.
"Move out of the way," Klein ordered, his tone flat and authoritative. "I will save him."
Klein raised his left wrist. His fingers danced over the faceplate of the Another Omnitrix, quickly dialing in the specific alien he needed for this exact problem. Once the silhouette locked into place, he slammed his palm down onto the core.
"Clockwork!"
Since their cover was already blown, he figured there was no point in keeping his voice down anymore.
A blinding flash of eerie blue light erupted in the shadow of the machine. When the illumination faded, a completely different entity stood in Klein's place. The alien was a bulky, mechanical figure constructed almost entirely of polished brass. A transparent glass casing formed his chest, revealing a complex array of spinning gears and cogs bathed in an eerie blue glow. The symbol of the Another Omnitrix sat proudly in the center of the glass.
The large winding key attached to the top of Clockwork's head began to rotate with a heavy, metallic grinding sound. The gears within his chest spun faster, glowing with intense, temporal energy.
A concentrated beam of eerie blue light shot forth from his chest plate, washing directly over the shivering, weakened form of Ultimos.
Synaptak and Tini tensed. Misunderstanding the temporal beam as an attack, the two Galactic Enforcers lunged forward to protect their fallen leader.
"Wait!"
The command echoed from within the blue light. It was not weak or trembling. It was loud, booming, and filled with absolute authority.
Synaptak and Tini froze in their tracks.
The eerie blue light dissipated into the air. Ultimos stood tall once more. The sickly gray pallor had vanished, replaced by his healthy, dark complexion. His muscles bulged with renewed vigor. Clockwork had simply reversed the hero's localized time to a point before he had ingested the toxic chocolate.
"Thank you," Ultimos said, placing a fist over his heart as he looked at the brass alien with deep gratitude.
Clockwork merely let out a mechanical huff, completely ignoring the heartfelt thanks, and turned his bulky brass back on the superhero.
Ultimos did not take offense. Even in the short time they had spent together, he had already deduced that this detached, indifferent attitude was simply Klein's natural personality.
Before anyone could celebrate the recovery, a deafening screech of tearing metal shattered the moment.
The massive excavation machine they had been using for cover was violently hoisted into the air and tossed aside like a child's toy, crashing into the dirt with an earth-shaking thud.
Through the settling dust, Mochana and Kraab loomed over them, weapons primed and glowing with lethal energy.
"Well, well," Mochana sneered, his heavy voice dripping with malice. "Where did these little mice come from?..."
His threat trailed off as the dust cleared completely, revealing the fully recovered Ultimos, two enraged Galactic Enforcers, and a glowing, time-manipulating brass alien staring right back at him.
Mochana's sneer instantly dropped. "...What the hell!"
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