Chapter 11: CHAPTER 11: ASSAULT ON LEERIX PART ONE
It is nighttime on Galvan Prime. The dimly lit streets are quiet, and the buildings and houses stand dark in the night. The normally bustling city street is quiet save for the hum of the many electrical devices and the noise of insects in the surrounding swamps. A pair of footsteps can be heard resounding on the concrete walkways that make up the city proper. The silhouette of a mysterious figure steps forwards out of the shadows. His body is see through and near invisible in the dark of the night. His height is large compared to the relatively small Galvan buildings.
The stranger known as No One stalks forward through the night. His presence cloaked and hidden from the many security patrols on the planet. Certainly, it is a risk coming here, but not one without reward. He pauses as he reaches his destination. A wide-open plaza surrounded by buildings on all sides. The center of the plaza stands empty and quiet. No One crosses his arm in front of him. He reaches out and presses on his forearm, before thrusting his palm outward.
A swirling vortex of air and energy begins to crackle in front of him. The empty space that stood before him is suddenly filled by the visage of a strange stone statue. The statue materializes into place, the hazy gray particles coming together to form a cohesive structure. No One clenches his outstretched hand and the statue suddenly comes to life. Its lifeless grey stone gives way to metallic black and glowing red lines. The stone crumbles away and the figure of Malware is revealed.
"AAAAGGgghhhhh…" Malware's scream dies out as he slowly realizes the pain has disappeared. He pauses and looks around himself carefully. Taking in his surroundings he notices the figure clad in shifting light. Lowering his hands and taking a defensive posture he stalks forward.
"Who are you? Where am I? What has happened to me?" Malware accuses in his robotic voice.
"You may call me No One. As for what has happened to you: I have just rewound time and plucked you from your unfortunate demise." No one told him.
"What? What do you mean?" Malware asked, struggling to comprehend.
"What is the last thing you remember?" No one asked. Malware paused as his electronic brain struggled to bring his memories to the forefront. His clawed hands clenched when he recalled.
"Ben Tennyson…" He hissed with malice. Before the Mechamorph could curse his enemy, No One spoke again.
"Yes, how would you like to get your revenge on Ben Ten?" No One asked. Malware leaned down, his gaping yellow maw inches from No One's face.
"What are you suggesting?" He asked curiously. No One held up a small black cube and handed it over to the living machine.
"This cube contains a clue as to how to reach the Demiurge Hammer. You can use it to erase Ben 10 from existence." He said. Malware took the cube and absorbed it into himself. After a brief pause a low growl was heard from him.
"Even if I believed the Hammer is real, these coordinates are in the Zargas system. I would need a Pulsar Surge Engine to even reach there." Malware complained.
"Then it is a good thing I know of somewhere nearby where you can find one. A certain plumber base in fact." No One said in a sing-song voice. Malware stopped to consider his savior's words carefully.
"What is in it for you? Why help me?" Malware asked suspiciously.
"My only desire is to see Ben 10 destroyed, and the Hammer is your best shot. It has been several years since your defeat. Tennyson has grown much stronger in that time." No One explained. Malware listened intently. His posture straightened and his resolve set.
"Where is this plumber base you speak of?" Malware finally asked.
The atmosphere inside the Rust Bucket was tense. A heavy and palpable silence laid between all four passengers on board. Gwen and Kevin sat up front with Kevin silently piloting the ship, adjusting their course every so often. Gwen held onto the data cube they retrieved from Ben's Vault. Rook and Julie on the other hand sat in the back. Julie half-heartedly played with Ship while Rook sat dutifully performing maintenance on his Proto-tool. Ever since learning of Paradox's warning the group had been heavily divided on how to proceed with their mission.
Gwen and Kevin felt that finding Ben was still of the utmost importance. With the knowledge that three villains were out there searching for the Hammer, they felt Ben needed to be alerted to save the day. No matter what Paradox might say. Having dealt with the time traveler more frequently, they knew of his penchant for not giving them all of the information. Rook and Julie however, were of the opinion that they should have listened to said time traveler. Rook's sense of logic and mission critical thinking made him consider the intel more heavily. He reasoned that a being as knowledgeable as Professor Paradox would certainly know what he was talking about. Even arguments that Ben was in 'unstable condition' had failed to sway him. Having been Ben's partner for so many years, he knew exactly what the young man was capable of handling.
Julie on the other hand was totally conflicted. On the one hand she was very worried about Ben. Perhaps even more so than when they had left. She had a gnawing feeling in her stomach that her former crush was in trouble. Yet at the same time, she was implicitly trusting in Paradox. The man knew more than she could ever hope to know. That alone was reason enough for her to listen to him.
Still the silence continued as the team came to an unspoken agreement. Even as they approached Plumber Base Leerix, there was little conversation. The only reason Rook was allowing them to stop by was because it was on the way to Earth and they needed to communicate with Max back on Earth. Base Leerix was a tri-level facility with each level in the shape of a disk and connected by a large central spire. The middle level was by far the largest and consisted of several stories. Their docking procedure was completed by the book and without any of the usual comments by Kevin telling the technicians to watch the paint. Even disembarking was mostly quiet, despite the hustle and bustle of the busy space bay. As the group exited the Rust Bucket a welcome party was waiting for them nearby.
A tall Gimlinopithecus plumber stood with his arms crossed. He wore the standard plumber armor. His head crest resembled the typical lightning bolts of Shocksquatch's species. The only difference was mostly in his coloring. The plumber was advanced in age, as indicated by a thick bushy white beard surrounded by faded yellow fur. Despite his gruff appearance he cracked a hint of a smile at the group's approach.
"Well hey there! Glad to see you all made it in one piece eh." The plumber spoke. Rook strode forward and shook hands with the plumber. He winced slightly as the alien's strong grip wrapped around his hand but quickly shook it off.
"Magister Ohm, thank you for having us, and on such short notice." Rook said. Magister Ohm's smile faltered only slightly.
"Well sure, a recommendation straight from Magister Max Tennyson still carries weight around here. He ever tell you bout the time we took down a drug smuggling ring on Taurus 4?" Ohm said good naturedly.
"He tells a lot of stories actually." Gwen said. "Gwen Tennyson. Nice to meet you." Gwen greeted then introduced the rest of their party.
"Pleased ta meet you all. Now I know what I said but I still would like to know what your purpose is in coming here if'n ya don't mind." Ohm questioned.
"It concerns information of a sensitive matter. We can discuss more once we are in secure quarters. If you don't mind Magister?" Rook said diplomatically. Ohm frowned but shrugged his shoulders.
"Sure thing eh, follow me. I'll give you all a tour on the way." Ohm said.
With that Ohm lead the group through the plumber base. Leerix was certainly impressive. It was twice as large as the base in Bellwood. All around them a multitude of plumbers of different alien species bustled about the base. They made their way up from the hangar on the lower levels to the main base in the middle levels. Magister Ohm gave them exactly the tour he promised, gushing about the facility like a proud father. Along the way they passed a large dome shaped room that Ohm stopped by and pointed out with pride.
"And this here is the pride and joy of the base. We are not just a diplomatic and security facility but an experimental laboratory as well." He said gesturing into the room. In the center of the room stood a large central pillar connected to the edges of the dome by long walkways. Atop the pillar, enclosed in a faint forcefield and suspended in the air was a cylindrical device with two smaller cylinders attached to either side. Around the central feature were several scientists tapping away at keyboards embedded in the pillar.
"That right there is what you'd call a Pulsar Surge Drive. It's going to revolutionize space travel." Ohm said proudly.
"Oh, that's, very impressive." Gwen said diplomatically. She turned to her boyfriend and whispered. "What is it supposed to do?" She asked.
"The Pulsar Surge Drive is an experimental engine. It's supposed to be twice as fast as the more conventional FTL drives out there." He said loud enough for everyone to hear.
"Ooh, bet you'd like to have one of those in the old Rust Bucket then huh." Gwen said, gently nudging him in the ribs. Kevin however frowned.
"Sorry, did I say experimental? I meant highly experimental. This thing is more likely to blow up your ship rather than propel it forward." Kevin explained.
"Hey now, she might have a few troubleshooting issues but the eggheads tell me she's gonna change things up!" Ohm defended. From up on Julie's shoulder Ship chirped excitedly.
"Sorry boy, I don't think those scientists will appreciate having their work messed with." She told him with a concilatory pat on the head.
"Well in any rate she's far from being ready. The scientists tell me she's got a whole lot more testing before they can deploy her in the field." Ohm said. He gestured for the group to follow him and they exited the laboratory. They headed for a large elevator within the central spire of the base. Once on board they rode the Anti-grav lift up to the highest level. The top disk of the base contained the command rooms, security processors, and other important facilities. It also happened to be where Magister Ohm held his office.
His office was oddly shaped, widening towards the back. On the far wall opposite the door was a large bay of windows with a view into space and a nearby nebula. The room itself was decorated with various medals on one wall, some plants kept in a spot on the floor, and assorted office furniture. The desk was curved and like most of the base made of metal. A monitor sat on one side of the desk and some various papers on the other. Ohm made his way to his office chair and sat down while the rest of the group took position either sitting or standing in the office.
"Now, ya mind tellin' me what all the hush hush is about?" Magister Ohm said with his arms folded. Rook produced the data cube from his pocket and handed it over.
"We received this storage device from Ben 10. We believe it has clues to his location. However it is spatially locked to this base." Rook explained. Ohm looked surprised.
"Huh, ya know as far as I know he only ever stopped here once." He stated looking the device over. "I guess it was to encode this data cube you have here." He said. Ohm took the cube and inserted it into a slot on his desk where it protruded slightly. He turned his attention to the monitor on his right. A few tense moments passed before a ding was heard and the Magister's screen filled with information. Ohm looked at the data perplexed.
"Well this can't be right?" Ohm observed.
"What? What is it?" Gwen asked concerned.
"These coordinates are…" But Ohm was interrupted by the sudden blaring of an alarm. The lights in the office began flashing red and the windows sealed over with metal walls.
"What's going on?" Julie asked, scared.
"Automated defense systems. They only activate if we have hostiles approaching. Hang on a minute." Ohm said seriously. He typed on his keyboard and a holographic projection came on screen. Another plumber was visible on screen.
"Commander, what in the heck is going on?" He asked brusquely.
"Magister, we have a hostile incoming at incredible speeds." The plumber explained.
"Show us what we're dealing with Commander. Visuals on screen." He ordered. The plumber nodded and in another second the image changed to show a view of outer space. Center screen was a red, black, and yellow blur. It was propelled by twin engine fire from its feet. The rest of it looked vaguely humanoid although much more streamlined with twin wings protruding from it's back.
"Readings are saying it's a galvanic mechamorph sir." The plumber reported.
"No way. Is that?" Kevin asked eyes wide.
"Malware." Rook finished.
"Who?" Julie asked.
"Malware is an old enemy of Ben's. He's been a nuisance for years but last anyone saw of him he was eradicated." Gwen explained. "Or at least we thought." She finished.
"Magister, enemy is approaching fast. He'll be here in less than 30 seconds." The plumber warned.
"Well take aim and fire then!" Ohm ordered, slamming his fist onto his desk. The group could hear the shifting of metal as the base's turrets turned to aim at the intruder. The guns fired, shooting white hot laser energy into the dark void. Their aim was on target but the lasers bounced off of Malware as a shield protected him.
The group watched in horror as the Galvanic Mechamorph pierced through the hull of the base. He landed in a smoking crater, slowly rising to full height. His body shifting to a more humanoid form. Immediately the surrounding plumbers took aim and fired at the intruder. But again the weapons seemed to do nothing as the thick liquid metal that made up Malware's body absorbed the impact. Shifting his forearm into the shape of a weapon, Malware began taking fire on his attackers, laughing maniacally as he did so. An errant blast hit the camera recording him and the group in Ohm's office saw only static from that point onward.
"We've got to go and help!" Gwen shouted.
"I don't understand. Why is he here? What does he want?" Julie asked.
"He must be after the Surge Drive!" Ohm explained. "There's nothing else on this base worth stealing." He said.
"Not if we can help it." Kevin said pounding his fist into his palm. The group ran out of the office, intent on stopping Malware.
Many levels below, Malware continued to wreak havoc on the base. His technological mastery was more than a match for the Plumbers and their weaponry. Several blasts of energy cleared the halls of most of the Plumbers as Malware continued to advance into the heart of the base.
"Your resistance is futile. I will acquire the Surge Drive." Malware taunted as he blasted more plumbers. He passed into a hall where a defensive line of plumbers were stationed at the other end. As soon as Malware came into sight they released a volley of laser fire. The sudden onslaught was even too much for Malware and he ducked back into an alcove. His attention was drawn downwards to a control panel inset into the wall.
"Hello, what's this?" He said to himself. His fingers grazed the panel and slick black tendrils extended from his fingers into the control panel. A short circuit emanated from the keyboard as Malware hacked into the base's mainframe. His tendrils slithered into the machinery like an infection into a wound. In a few moments he managed to bypass the security system and take control. Turrets popped out of the walls then and turned back to fire on the plumbers.
"Too easy." Malware laughed. He made his way further down the hall, past the incapacitated plumbers.
Above decks our heroes rushed to the central elevator. They reached it and Ohm attempted to input his commands into the computer. A red error message popped on screen and Ohm again furiously tried typing in commands. But the system would not yield. It's error message flashed in bright red letters, taunting them.
"Dang it! It looks like Malware's hacked into the security network. I'm locked out." Ohm explained.
"We have to get down to the laboratory before Malware reaches it!" Rook exclaimed. "Gwen can you teleport us there?" He asked.
"Not this many people." She responded. "But maybe I can get Kevin and I down there." She added.
"The rest of us will just have to make our way down the central shaft." Ohm said.
"Good luck!" Julie wished them. Gwen nodded her thanks. She focused for a second before opening her eyes with a bright pink glow. The energy surrounded her and Kevin and in another instant, they were gone. Once Gwen and Kevin had left, Ohm approached the elevator doors. He pried the steel doors apart with his bare hands.
"Come on." He said before turning to Julie. "Eh, sorry are you gonna be able to hold your own?" He asked. Julie smiled confidently at him.
"Ship, it's go time!" She said. Ship chirped excitedly and enveloped the young woman in her standard battle armor. In another instant Julie stood several feet taller and had a multitude of weapons standing at the ready. She smiled proudly back at Ohm. The senior plumber however did not look amused.
"Yeah that's impressive and all kid but you're not gonna be able to make it down the elevator shaft like that." He said pointing a thumb over his shoulder. Julie frowned and looked ahead. Indeed her current size was too large to fit comfortably in the shaft, much less make it through the door. Julie was at a loss for words. Ship's battle armor mode had always protected her before and she had used it to go into battle alongside her friends in the past.
"I… I don't know. What should I do. I don't know if I can get Ship to make us smaller?" Julie said. As if responding to her thoughts Ship chirped happily. The battle armor began to shrink and warp around her. When at last it took form again Julie's height was back to her normal size. However, the armor was now form fitted around her. Her helmet and face plate remained mostly unchanged. She now had a set of pauldrons on her shoulders and a small set of bladed wings protruding from her back. On her right arm sat a pair of wrist mounted energy blasters. On her left arm a shield projector sat on the outside of her wrist and an energy projector sat on the inside. Julie looked down at herself, shocked but impressed. She tested out her new suit, testing its powers. With a mere thought her hands transformed into a variety of weapons and more blasters appeared on her shoulders and elsewhere on her body.
"Woah cool." She whispered in awe.
"All right, then. Let's go." Ohm said, seemingly satisfied by the girl's transformation. As a unit they began descending the shaft. Ohm's ape-like form allowed him to jump from wall to wall more easily while both Julie and Rook had to take the service ladder.
Several levels below, Gwen and Kevin materialized in the midst of the battle's aftermath. Several wounded plumbers sat on the ground nursing their injuries. They pointed the duo in the direction of Malware, although his trail of destruction was easy enough to follow. The pair caught up to Malware as he was overriding a blast door.
"Malware!" Kevin called out. The Mechamorph turned to glare at them.
"You two. You're allies of that accursed Ben 10. Is he here as well? How fortuitous." He taunted.
"Ben's not here, but we don't need him to kick your butt." Gwen responded.
"No matter, once I retrieve the Pulsar Surge Drive I will be on my way to destroy him once and for all." He said.
"Yeah, like we'd let you anywhere near it." Kevin said, sticking his hand out to absorb the steel of the nearby wall.
"I don't have time to deal with you insects directly. So these will have to suffice." Malware stated. Suddenly a group of remote defense drones emerged from the walls. They were bipedal with an oblong head and blasters instead of hands. Most telling though was that they each had Malware's red and black technoplasm enveloping them to various degrees. The droids attacked the two plumbers with blasts of laser fire. They retreated even as Gwen's energy shields blocked most of their fire. Malware then was free to proceed to the laboratory. Following the schematics he had downloaded from the mainframe, Malware made it to the laboratory in no time. He came upon the sealed laboratory doors and groaned in annoyance.
"Another nuisance." He growled lowly. Malware took both his claws and shoved them into the door itself. His viscous body spreading along the door frame and snaking its way into the internal mechanisms. In another minute Malware had bypassed the security systems and the door slid open with a hiss. Malware made his way inside. The scientists inside scattered, leaving their work behind, unequipped to deal with a villain of his magnitude.
Malware approached the Surge Drive. He reached one claw out to grab the device but was repelled back by the force field. Malware glared at the force field before plunging his hands into the control base upon which it sat. His technoplasm once again infiltrated the machinery. He soon was plugged into the main network itself.
"Grrrr. The shield generator is encrypted. It will take time for me to break through it and claim my prize." He spoke aloud. "No matter. With my connection here I can control the whole plumber base. All I need to do is bide my time. Soon the Pulsar Surge Drive will be mine. And after that, the Demiurge Hammer." Malware said aloud.
He began to cackle sinisterly as a running list of numbers appeared on the multiple screens around the room. His vile tendrils spread through the machines like the roots of a tree, granting him access and control over the numerous systems in the base.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone