The forest trembles under my advance as I descend the ramp, the ground splitting with each step, my new armor resonating like the roar of a collapsing era. The Omnitrix bearer stands before me, a mere 20 meters away, cloaked in orange flames that dance in the air like pitiful sparks—Heatblast, the fire alien, his white eyes flaring in his rocky head, his fists raised in a laughable challenge. The red visor of my mask reflects the blaze, and I flex my hands, the **Chrono Alloy Combat Gauntlets** humming, their green veins pulsing with an energy that crackles the air around me. Behind him, Max and Gwen stand frozen, makeshift weapons in hand, but my focus is absolute—Ben Tennyson, the boy I'll crush like the insect he is.
"Show me the power of that watch," I proclaim, my voice a thunderclap that tears through the forest, toppling leaves and silencing fleeing birds. "Or bow." He doesn't speak—the fire in his fists roars, and he unleashes a blast of flames toward me, a wave of heat slicing the air like a desperate scream. I don't even flinch—the fire licks my armor, the red-and-black metal smoking faintly, but it's as if a warm breeze tried to topple a mountain. *Does Ben really think this touches me?* I think, the visor's gaze fixed on him with disdain. I advance, each step an earthquake, the ground shattering beneath my reinforced boots.
The bearer leaps, flames propelling him in a clumsy arc, and hurls a larger fireball, aiming for my chest. I raise my left hand, the chrono claws gleaming, and swat the projectile aside with a casual slap—it explodes against a nearby tree, the trunk cracking and igniting like dry straw. "Pathetic," I growl, my voice echoing like a final judgment. He tries another blast, the fire roaring toward me, but I activate the **Armor Amplification Module (Mark I)** on my right arm with a thought. The green circuits flare, an electric hiss cutting the air, and I lunge forward in an amplified bound, closing the distance in a blink. Before he can react, my right fist slams into his rocky torso, the impact a boom that shakes the forest, hurling him like a stone tossed by a giant.
Ben crashes into a tall rock, a gray structure rising from the ground like a useless marker, the sound of the impact a dry thud echoing through the trees. The stone splits in two, shards flying like shrapnel, and he crumples to the ground, the fire on his body flickering in desperation as he struggles to rise. I stop a few meters away, the ground quaking under my weight, and look down at him with contempt. "Is that all the Omnitrix offers?" I say, my voice slicing the air like a blade forged in eons of war. He staggers to his feet, trembling, and unleashes a river of flames, a futile attempt to stop me. The fire engulfs me, but I press forward, the armor's metal hissing with the heat—a heat the classic Vilgax already ignored, and one I, stronger than him, barely feel. The genetic fragment I absorbed in the tank has made me a colossus beyond that standard.
"You are weak," I declare, emerging from the flames like an untouched titan, the metal steaming but steadfast. The bearer stumbles back, tripping over his own frailty, and I extend my right hand, the chrono gauntlets' retractable claws snapping out with a click that echoes like a death knell. With a swift slash, I cut the air—not to kill, but to humiliate. The claws tear through his rocky shoulder, ripping a line of molten stone and sparks that fall to the ground. He cries out, the sound swallowed by the flames, and retaliates with a flaming punch, his fist striking my chest plate. The blow is a whisper against my strength—I don't budge, just stare as he staggers back. *Ben was never a match for the classic, and I'm more than that,* I think, the visor glowing with the certainty of victory.
"Surrender the Omnitrix," I growl, my voice a roar that makes the ground vibrate, advancing with steps that crush the earth. He leaps back, firing off a sequence of fireballs—three pitiful spheres that explode against my armor, the sound reverberating like hollow thunder. I don't slow, the heat a nuisance less than an insect's buzz, and close the gap in an instant. My right fist, amplified by the module, smashes the ground where he stood, opening a crater that swallows dirt and roots. He rolls away, the fire on his body flickering faster—the watch is nearing its limit, as I knew it would. I know the show, the fragile pattern of that toy Ben calls power.
"You can't stop me," he shouts, his voice distorted by the flames, and raises his hands to conjure a wall of fire, a roaring barrier between us. I stride through without hesitation, the armor hissing as the heat licks my joints, and seize his rocky neck with my left hand. The chrono claws dig into the stone, the sound of metal on metal cutting the air, and I lift him off the ground like he's nothing. He flails, his flaming fists pounding my arm, but it's like a child striking a fortress—I tighten my grip, the red visor blazing into his fiery face. "The Omnitrix will be mine," I say, the lie flowing easily, my voice a thunder that drowns the crackling flames. I don't want the watch—just a sample—but he'll believe what I want him to believe.
A sharp beep pierces the air, red pulsing on his wrist, and the Omnitrix times out. The flames vanish in a green flash, and Ben reverts to human form—the scrawny boy, messy brown hair, green eyes wide with fear as I hold him aloft. He kicks at the air, hands clawing at my arm in vain, but I'm a mountain, and he's less than dust. "Weak," I repeat, tossing him to the ground with a sharp motion. Ben hits the earth, rolling a few meters, the air escaping his lungs in a hoarse groan. The watch on his wrist blinks red, useless for now.
I loom over him, the red visor flaring as I look down, the armor steaming but unscathed by Heatblast's fire. Max and Gwen shout in the distance, running toward him, but I ignore them—my focus is on Ben, on the depleted Omnitrix. *Time to take what I came for,* I think, the chrono claws gleaming as I prepare for the next move. The forest around us falls silent, save for the crackling of burning trees—the stage is set for the next play.
The boy lies at my feet, a fragile figure sprawled in the dirt, his brown hair dusted with earth, his green eyes wide with fear and exhaustion. The Omnitrix on his wrist blinks red, a depleted artifact that no longer shields him. My new armor hums around me, the red-and-black metal steaming from Heatblast's futile fire but unscathed—I am a colossus the Omnitrix bearer could never hope to face. Max and Gwen shout in the distance, their voices cutting through the forest's silence as they rush toward him, but I pay them no mind. My focus is Ben, and what he carries.
I crouch, the ground trembling under my weight, and seize his wrist with my left hand, the **Chrono Alloy Combat Gauntlets** glowing with green veins pulsing like living arteries. He writhes, a feeble effort, kicking at the air as I lift his arm. "Stay still," I growl, my voice a low thunder that makes the air shudder, squeezing just enough to draw a groan but not to break—not yet. With my right hand, the retractable claws extend with a sharp click, precise as a surgeon's blades. *Time to take what I came for,* I think, the red visor's gaze fixed on the Omnitrix. I slide a claw beneath the edge of the watch's cover—the metal yields with a faint snap, and I rip it off in a swift motion, exposing the inner core, a tangle of pulsating green circuits glowing like the heart of an alien machine.
"Scan," I command the armor's system, my voice dry and authoritative. The visor flickers, red beams sweeping across the Omnitrix's exposed core in rapid, precise lines. Data dances in my vision—molecular structures, energy signatures, fragments of technology beyond what the classic Vilgax ever grasped. Ben's eyes widen, yanking his arm in panic, but I hold him steady, the chrono claws digging into his skin without mercy. "Ship," I say, the internal communicator humming as it activates. "Receive and store the data." A short beep confirms—the robots in the command chamber are archiving everything, every scrap my visor captures. It's not the whole watch, but it's what I need—a sample to dissect, to unravel, to shape for my empire.
With a precise motion, I snap the cover back onto the Omnitrix, the fit clicking into place as if nothing had been violated. Ben stares at me, his chest heaving with rapid breaths, but my work with him is done. "The Omnitrix will be mine," I proclaim, the lie resonating like a final decree, my deep voice drowning out the forest's sounds. I release his wrist, tossing him to the ground with disdain—he lands on his back, the air escaping in a hoarse gasp, his body trembling in the dirt. *You have no idea what I just took, Ben,* I think, the visor glowing as I rise, the armor creaking like a titan awakening.
A sound pierces the silence—a high-pitched sonic scream reverberating through the trees, followed by a magical crackle that pulses the air with mystical energy. I turn my head, the visor adjusting to track movement at the forest's edge. Two figures emerge, swift and resolute. The first is a woman with long black hair, clad in a black tailcoat, top hat, and fishnet stockings—**Zatanna Zatara**, the League's magician, her hands already glowing with blue runes as she mutters a spell. Beside her, a woman with blonde hair tied back, leather jacket, and high boots—**Black Canary**, Dinah Lance, the sonic scream fighter, fists clenched and eyes narrowed in alertness. They're not the League's biggest names, but they're famous enough—and I know why the true heavyweights haven't come.
*Superman must be facing an invasion in another galaxy,* I think, the visor tracking the pair as they approach. *Batman's lost in Gotham's shadows, Wonder Woman battling gods or tyrants, Flash racing against time rifts, and the Green Lanterns patrolling the cosmos. These two are what's left—renowned heroines, but not the League's apex.* The League is always tangled in greater crises—planetary disasters, cosmic threats that make a forest skirmish seem like a whisper in the wind. I'm a shadow they haven't yet sized up, and that gives me the stage I want.
"Stop now!" Black Canary shouts, advancing with firm steps, her lungs filling for a sonic scream as she faces my towering form. Zatanna raises her hands, the blue runes flaring brighter, and murmurs, "Etativel!"—the air around me vibrates, a force trying to lift me, but I plant my feet, the ground cracking under my weight, resisting the spell with sheer brute strength. Max and Gwen halt, hesitating, while Ben drags himself back, his gaze darting from the heroines to me. I stand my ground, the soil steaming around me, the armor unscathed from the fight with Heatblast.
"Bearer of the Omnitrix," I say, my voice a roar that shakes the trees, the visor's eyes locking on him for a moment. "You've survived for now. Enjoy what little remains." But then I turn to the heroines—I won't retreat, not now. Black Canary steps closer, opening her mouth to unleash a sonic scream, the air already trembling with the power coiled in her throat. Zatanna points at me, muttering another spell—"Ecaf ed al edro!"—trying to conjure a magical cage around my face.
I don't wait. With a swift step that makes the ground quake, I activate the **Armor Amplification Module (Mark I)** on my right arm, the green circuits blazing with an electric hiss. Black Canary's scream erupts—a sonic wave that splinters the trees around me—but I'm already moving, the module propelling my fist in a devastating arc. The blow strikes her shoulder before the sound fully hits me, the impact echoing like thunder as she's hurled back, spinning through the air and crashing against a tree with a dry thud. Zatanna's magical cage forms, but too late—I spin, the chrono claws slashing the air, and the spell shatters in a burst of blue energy.
"Who are you?" Zatanna demands, her eyes narrowing as she adjusts her top hat, her hands already tracing new runes. Black Canary rises, trembling, her left arm dangling as she glares at me with fury. I plant my feet, the red visor blazing, the armor steaming but resolute. "Vilgax," I reply, the name echoing like a final challenge, my voice a thunder that makes the ground quake. *Let them come,* I think, the chrono claws extending again. *I'll show them what it means to face a conqueror.* The stage is set—and I won't yield.
The forest falls silent for a moment, the echo of my strike against Black Canary still reverberating as she crashes into the tree, the trunk splintering with the impact. She rises, trembling, her left arm dangling, but her eyes burn with a fury that almost amuses me. Zatanna stands a few meters away, her hands tracing blue runes in the air, her top hat slightly askew as she mutters spells with cold precision. Ben crawls backward, Max and Gwen frozen in shock, but my focus is on the two before me—heroines daring to challenge me. *Let them come,* I think, the **Chrono Alloy Combat Gauntlets** humming, their retractable claws glinting green against the twilight.
"You'll pay for that," Black Canary growls, straightening herself, her chest swelling as she prepares another scream. Zatanna doesn't wait—she raises her hands and shouts, "Eidroc ed ogaf!"—ropes of blue fire sprout from the ground, snaking toward me like flaming whips. I plant my feet, the soil cracking under my weight, and activate the **Armor Amplification Module (Mark I)** in both arms. The implants hum, the green circuits flaring brightly as the metal expands, artificial muscles swelling with raw power that makes the armor plates creak. My arms grow, becoming masses of contained strength, and I swing them through the air—the impact unleashes a shockwave that shatters the magical ropes into blue sparks, Zatanna's spell dissolving before it can touch me.
Black Canary charges, her sonic scream erupting like a sound spear—the air vibrates, nearby trees crack, and the wave hits me square in the chest. I brace myself, my boots sinking into the earth, but the sound reverberates through the armor, an irritating buzz that doesn't bring me down. "Weak," I growl, my voice a thunder that cuts through her scream, and I advance with a step that shakes the ground. My amplified arms swing, my right fist aiming for her torso, but she's quick—she rolls aside, the strike smashing the ground where she stood, opening a crater of uprooted dirt and roots. Zatanna seizes the moment, shouting, "Odnof ed al edro!"—a cage of blue energy forms around me, its bars glowing with mystical force.
I flex my swollen arms, the chrono gauntlets humming louder, and shatter the bars with a double blow—the amplified metal tears through the magic like paper, blue fragments raining to the ground. "Your tricks are useless," I say, my voice echoing like a final judgment, and turn to Zatanna. She steps back, murmuring another spell, but Black Canary flanks me, fists clenched. "You talk too much," she snaps, leaping with a spinning kick that strikes my shoulder. The impact is solid—she's stronger than she looks—but I barely shift, the armor absorbing the blow with a dry clang. *These two are persistent,* I think, the visor's eyes tracking their movements.
"Enough," I growl, and lunge at Black Canary, my amplified arms glowing as I raise my left fist. She tries to dodge, but I'm faster—the strike catches her side, hurling her several meters back, the air escaping her lungs in a cut-off scream. She hits the ground, rolling, but rises in an instant, her eyes blazing. Zatanna yells, "Epsid ed ogaf!"—a blue fire spear flies toward me, fast and precise. I cross my swollen arms, the impact exploding against the metal in a shower of sparks, heat licking at the joints, but I stand firm, the ground cracking further beneath my feet. "You'll need more than that," I say, my voice a roar that drowns the crackling flames.
Black Canary charges again, her lungs filling as Zatanna mutters another spell in the background. I ready another strike, the arm implants humming with renewed power, but she's clever—she stops a few meters away, plants her feet, and unleashes a sonic scream straight at my face. The sound hits like a sledgehammer, the mask's visor trembling, fine cracks spiderwebbing across the red glass as the buzz fills my head. Before I can react, she leaps, her right fist swinging hard—the punch strikes the already-damaged visor, and the glass shatters with a loud snap, fragments falling to the ground. My face is exposed, my right eye narrowing against the forest air, but I don't falter—the genetic fragment in my body keeps me steady, and the pain is just a whisper.
"Big mistake," I growl, my voice now raw, unfiltered by the mask, a primal thunder that makes Black Canary hesitate for a split second. I pivot, my amplified arms roaring with the module's power, and swing an open-handed strike—the blow catches her chest, sending her flying into a nearby tree. The trunk cracks with the force, and she slumps to the ground, the air escaping in a hoarse groan as she struggles to rise. Zatanna steps forward, her hands glowing with more complex runes, shouting, "Otreum ed al edro!"—a wave of blue energy envelops me, trying to immobilize me, the magical threads tightening like chains.
I flex my swollen arms, the armor creaking as I break the magical bonds with a roar, blue fragments exploding around me. "You don't understand," I say, my voice echoing through the forest, my exposed eye blazing with fury as I lock onto Zatanna. "I am Vilgax." Black Canary rises, shaky but determined, and Zatanna prepares another spell, the two positioning to flank me again. *Ben's out of the fight, but these two are a real test,* I think, the chrono claws extending once more, the arm module still humming. The stage is hot—and I'll show them what it means to face a conqueror.
The twilight fades, the sky above the forest deepening into a rich purple, the shadows of the trees stretching like claws across the ravaged clearing. The visor of my mask lies in fragments on the ground, shattered by Black Canary's scream and punch, my right eye exposed to the cool night air creeping in. Black Canary breathes in short gasps, her blonde hair plastered to her sweaty face, her left arm dangling but her fists still clenched, her blue eyes burning with a determination that almost intrigues me. Zatanna straightens her top hat, her black hair flowing, her hands tracing blue runes that glow like will-o'-wisps, her face hardened with a mix of caution and resolve. Ben crawls away, the Omnitrix red and useless on his wrist, sheltered by Max and Gwen at the clearing's edge, but my focus is absolute—these two heroines are the challenge before me, and I'll bring them down with my own hands.
Black Canary moves first, her feet light on the earth as she spins, her good arm launching a spinning punch aimed at my chest—the technique is precise, the strike of a trained fighter. I activate the **Armor Amplification Module (Mark I)** in my arms, the green circuits sparking as the metal expands, artificial muscles swelling until my arms become pillars of raw strength, the armor plates creaking under the strain. I block the punch with my left forearm, the impact ringing like a hammer against steel, and she uses the rebound to leap, her lungs filling—a sonic scream erupts like a sonic blade, sharp and focused, slicing the air toward my exposed face. My eyes flare red, and I fire a laser beam—the beam collides with the scream in a boom that shakes the treetops, the heat vaporizing the sound in a flash that lights up the clearing, her attack undone before it can reach me.
Zatanna steps in, her feet gliding with grace as she traces an arc with her hands. "Otsiv ed aluz!"—the air before me twists, a blue mist rising like a mystical mirror that reflects my distorted image, the spell aiming to confuse me. I charge forward, the ground splitting under my steps, and slam my amplified fists together—a shockwave bursts forth, the magical mirror shattering into luminous fragments that fall like broken glass, the illusion dissipating in a blink. "Your reflections don't fool me," I say, my voice a deep rumble resonating in my chest, my eyes locked on her as she steps back, her fingers already tracing another pattern.
Black Canary flanks me, running in an arc with an agility that defies her fatigue. She leaps, spinning midair like an acrobat, and lands a double kick on my right shoulder—the impact echoes, the armor vibrating, but I pivot, my swollen arms swinging like living hammers. My left fist catches her midair, striking her side with an amplified blow that resounds like muffled thunder—she flies back, her body spinning out of control, and crashes into a tree, the trunk shuddering with a dry snap. She slumps to the ground, the air escaping in a hoarse gasp, but rises, her eyes flashing as she braces a hand on her knee. "Your resilience is a hollow effort," I say, my voice cutting the air like an invisible blade, and turn to Zatanna, who's already preparing her next move.
The magician raises her hands, her fingers dancing in a swift circle. "Otnasid de otnav!"—the wind around me condenses, a mystical gust morphing into a blue whirlwind, its edges sharp like spinning blades trying to cut me. I plant my feet, the ground cracking beneath my weight, and cross my amplified arms—the whirlwind slams into me, the howling winds tearing at the earth around me, but the armor holds, the wind fragments ricocheting off as if I were a living wall. The module in my arms hums, and I stride through the whirlwind, each step an earthquake that crushes the ground, the wind unraveling into disordered gusts as I close within meters of her. "Your winds lack the strength to move me," I say, my voice a rumble that drowns the howl of her magic, and swing my right fist—she leaps back, the strike hitting the ground, the shockwave uprooting rocks and roots in a boom that echoes through the forest.
Black Canary charges again, her trembling body still moving with precision. She runs, spinning into a low leap, and aims a sweeping kick to unbalance me—the kick strikes my left leg, the metal creaking, but I stand firm, a mountain against a stream. The **Chrono Alloy Combat Gauntlets** glow, their retractable claws extending with a sharp click, and I swing downward—she rolls away, the chrono metal slashing the air and embedding into the earth, a smoking line marking where she'd been. "Your agility only delays the inevitable," I say, my voice a contained thunder resonating in the clearing, and fire a laser from my eyes—the beam strikes the ground ahead of her, exploding dirt into a cloud that makes her stumble, her arms raised to shield herself as she staggers.
Zatanna seizes the moment, her eyes narrowed in focus. "Otreum de aluz!"—the air ignites, a net of blue energy forming above me, dropping like a mystical web to trap me. I flex my amplified arms, the chrono claws gleaming with a cutting green light, and slash—the metal tears the net apart, the blue threads dissolving into sparks that fall like fading stars. "Your webs can't hold a titan," I say, my voice echoing like a decree that shakes the leaves, and advance toward her. She mutters quickly: "Otsirc ed al edro!"—the ground beneath my feet glows, an eruption of blue crystals bursting forth like sharp spikes, aiming to pierce me. I fire another laser—the beam slices through the crystals, the heat melting them into smoking puddles, and I close the gap, my amplified right fist slamming the air in front of her—she's hurled back by the shockwave, crashing into a rock with a muffled cry, her arm falling limp as she slides to the ground, her top hat rolling away.
Black Canary rises one last time, her wavering body still holding raised fists, her blonde hair falling over her eyes. She charges, spinning into a leap that blends grace and desperation—a high kick aims for my neck, but I catch her leg with my left hand, the chrono claws digging into her boot without tearing. "Your final act is noteworthy," I say, my voice a rumble cutting through the dusk, and pivot, slamming her to the ground with force—she hits the earth, rolling several meters, the air escaping her lungs in a hoarse groan. Before she can recover, I fire a precise laser—the beam strikes the ground beside her, exploding dirt and dust into a cloud that engulfs her, the impact throwing her against a tree. The trunk cracks with the thud, and she collapses, her body limp, her eyes closing as unconsciousness claims her.
The clearing sinks into a heavy silence, the night now reigning over the sky, cold stars blinking above. My amplified arms deactivate with a hiss, the metal shrinking back to normal, the armor steaming but untouched by their efforts. *Ben survived by luck, but these two fell as fate demanded,* I think, glancing at the boy in the distance, now beside Max and Gwen, the three staring at the scene with pale, shocked faces. Zatanna and Black Canary lie defeated, the ground marked by smoking craters, broken trees, and traces of dissipated magic—a testament to my supremacy. The stage is clear, the Omnitrix data secured in the ship, and the next step beckons.
I turn to the ship's ramp, the ground splitting under my heavy steps. "Robot," I call, my voice a command resonating like a deep drum, the internal communicator humming in the armor. A drone floats to me from the entrance—a small metallic sphere, its green light blinking in blind obedience. "Prepare the vehicle," I order, ascending the ramp with steps that make the metal vibrate. In the lower chamber, the drone hums ahead, activating a ground transport—a black-armored tank, wide and robust, with plasma cannons on its flanks and reinforced plates gleaming under the internal lights. It's an agile war machine, designed to cut through Earth like a lethal shadow. Five Czarnians emerge from the chamber's shadows—Krag, Tira, Jek, and two others—their new weapons glinting with a cold sheen, their pale faces etched with silent loyalty.
I enter the tank, the seat molding to my colossal weight, my hands gripping the controls with a firmness that makes the metal creak. The Czarnians take their positions—Krag and Tira in the rear compartment, hands on their weapons, Jek and the other two clinging to the external handles, their red eyes piercing the darkness beyond the ramp. "Ship," I command, the communicator humming again. "Leave orbit. Disappear." The engines roar, a deep sound that shakes the clearing's ground, the metallic hull shimmering as the stealth shields activate. The ship shoots skyward, tearing through the clouds in a blur that vanishes beyond the atmosphere, out of Earth's reach or the League's sensors.
The ramp lowers one last time, and the tank rolls forward, its wide tires crushing branches and rocks as we exit the clearing. The forest swallows us, tall trees forming a shadowy corridor, the sky a dark strip studded with cold stars. The Czarnians are alert, their red eyes scanning the shadows, weapons ready for any movement. The drone hovers beside me for a moment before retreating to the chamber, its task complete. "Let's put this plan into motion," I say, my voice a deep rumble echoing inside the tank, my eyes fixed on a destination I keep secret—a random corner of this world, a point on the map where the next act will rise. The vehicle surges forward, the forest's shadows closing behind us, leaving Ben, the fallen heroines, and the devastated clearing as echoes of a chapter closed. The game moves on—and I set the rules.
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