Undisclosed Location
Central City
Ben reclined comfortably on the couch, gently stroking Ship as the small Mechamorph purred softly on his lap. Ship nuzzled closer, clearly content with its new existence.
"Ship," the small creature chirped happily. Its singular green eye curved into what Ben could swear was a smile.
Ben glanced at the Omnitrix. "Azmuth, How is this even possible? Shouldn't Ship be back in his own universe, with Julie and the other me?"
Azmuth's AI examined the data. "Galvanic Mechamorphs possess the ability to spawn smaller, animalistic Mechamorphs. However, this is only achievable once they have absorbed another animalistic Galvanic Mechamorph."
Ben paused, a memory dawning on him. "Wait, there was that one time when I was Upgrade, playing with Ship. He kind of blorped into me and then blorped out while we were chasing each other around."
Azmuth nodded, his holographic form flickering slightly as the data updated. "Precisely. Ship's data was stored during that interaction, integrated into Upgrade's internal library."
Ben lifted Ship slightly, examining the creature more carefully. "So you're saying when Ship merged with Upgrade back then, he left behind... what? Some kind of blueprint?"
"Ship ship!" the creature agreed, bouncing slightly on Ben's lap.
"More than a blueprint. Think of it as a complete backup of Ship's consciousness, personality matrix, and physical parameters." Azmuth gestured, bringing up a complex diagram of code. "This data remained dormant within Upgrade's transformation matrix, inaccessible but intact."
Ben frowned slightly, still puzzled. "But I haven't absorbed another animalistic Mechamorph since then."
Azmuth tilted his virtual head slightly. "Perhaps not explicitly another Mechamorph," Azmuth clarified, "but you did assimilate those microbots earlier today. With all that excess material broken down and freely available within Upgrade's body, Ship's stored data likely reacted, initiating the reconstruction of his physical form."
"So the microbots from the Fog became... Ship?"
"Essentially correct. When you transformed into Upgrade and absorbed the micromachine swarm, you introduced them into your Mechamorph form. These provided both the raw materials and the technological framework necessary for Ship's dormant data to express itself physically."
"The abundance of programmable matter within Upgrade created the perfect conditions for Ship's dormant data to manifest. The nanobots were already designed to work collectively and reshape themselves. Ship's data simply hijacked that functionality."
Ben looked down at Ship with newfound wonder. "So, he's just like me, a clone?"
"When Ship merged with Upgrade, his consciousness created a backup, a second instance of itself. Both versions are equally 'Ship,' but this one likely missed out on some memories made afterward. Not dissimilar to Sonorosian"
Ship bounced excitedly. "Ship! Ship!"
"He seems to agree," Ben noted with a smile.
Ben thought about the implications. "Baz-L created the original Ship, and he was pretty dismissive of him until he got famous." Ben gently stroked Ship's back. "Julie and I basically adopted him as our pet."
"Baz-L was being unnecessarily judgmental. Smaller Mechamorphs serve important ecological functions on Galvan Prime."
Azmuth nodded. "The Necrofriggian reproductive cycle is quite different, but I see your point."
Ben tilted his head thoughtfully. "This isn't the first time I accidentally created another being. My Big Chill form laid eggs years ago back home." A fond smile crossed his face. "Julie and I visited them once to see how they were doing."
Ben looked down at Ship, who was now exploring the couch cushions. "This Ship was made from a copy saved to Upgrade's mental library. His new body was constructed from microbots I assimilated." He chuckled softly. "In a weird way of looking at things, Ship went from pet to also technically my son." He paused, letting the thought sink in. "Huh. That's a thought."
"If you wish to view it that way, there is some biological precedent," Azmuth admitted. "Though Mechamorphs would consider it more of a bifurcation than a parent-child relationship."
Ship returned to Ben's lap, curling up contentedly. "Ship," it chirped softly.
"I don't think he cares much about the semantics," Ben said with a smile.
Azmuth observed. "Ship appears to have imprinted on you as his primary caregiver."
"Just like the original did with Julie." Ben watched as Ship's purring intensified. "I'll think of something, so you can hang out back at home. I have a bit of a house guest." He immediately opened the shopping app on his phone and began scrolling through the toy section.
Ben looked down at Ship, who chirped happily in response. A soft smile spread across his face. "Well, I'm definitely not complaining. It's good to have you back, buddy."
"Ship!" the creature chirped happily, seemingly unconcerned with the ethical dilemma.
Ben sighed and scratched Ship behind what approximated an ear. "I guess Harley's going to have questions about why there's suddenly a living blob of technology bouncing around the apartment."
"Your domestic arrangements are not my concern," Azmuth stated flatly.
"Thanks for the help, as always," Ben replied with a roll of his eyes.
Azmuth's hologram gave a curt nod before vanishing back into the Omnitrix.
Ben looked down at Ship, who gazed back at him with his single green eye. "Well, buddy, welcome to your new home.
Ship's purring intensified. "I'll think of something, so you can hang out back at my place. I have a bit of a house guest." Ben immediately opened the shopping app on his phone and started scrolling through some toys.
Ship bounced excitedly. "Ship! Ship!"
"Yeah, I'm happy too." Ben smiled, already adding items to his cart. "Just wait until you meet Harley."
#
The doorbell chimed three times in rapid succession. Ben hurried down the stairs from the apartment above Mr. Smoothie. Ship bounced excitedly behind him, chirping with each leap.
"Hold on, buddy." Ben glanced back at the animated Mechamorph. "You need to stay upstairs for now. We don't want to freak out the delivery guy."
"Ship?" The creature tilted its body in what Ben recognized as a state of confusion.
"Just trust me." Ben gently scooped up Ship and placed him on the landing. "Stay."
Ship made a disappointed sound but remained in place as Ben continued downstairs. At the front entrance, a delivery driver waited with a stack of boxes in his arms.
"Delivery for Ben Tennyson," the man announced.
"That's me." Ben signed for the delivery on a digital pad. "Thanks."
Ben stared at the pile of boxes now sitting in his entryway.
After the delivery driver departed, Ben lugged the boxes upstairs to find Ship already investigating the first package he'd brought up earlier.
"Ship ship!" The small Mechamorph had slipped into a cardboard box, its eye poking out comically from the side.
Ben collapsed onto the couch. "Okay, time to test what we've got for you."
Ship emerged from the box and bounced around the room, clearly excited. Ben grabbed his box cutter and sliced open the first package.
"We need something that won't raise questions when Harley sees it." Ben opened a box and pulled out a robotic vacuum cleaner. "How about this? Practical, and it already moves on its own."
Ship circled the vacuum cautiously before merging with it. The vacuum remained roughly the same size and shape, although it now featured green circuit patterns and a slightly more efficient design.
"Ship," came muffled from the vacuum.
"That's pretty good." Ben knelt to examine it. "You kept it looking mostly normal. How does around feel?"
The vacuum whirred to life, zipping across the floor. It seemed to supercharge its cleaning ability as it even managed to clean a wine stain on the carpet from a week ago.
"Not bad." Ben crossed his arms, watching Ship test his new form.
The second contained a small robot dog toy. It was a standard children's toy with basic movement capabilities and sound effects. Ship approached it cautiously, circling the toy several times before tentatively merging with it.
The toy maintained its general appearance as a robot dog, but it was clearly upgraded, for lack of a better word. The eyes shifted from plain LEDs to a more animated green glow that somehow conveyed emotion.
"Ship?" The robot dog tilted its head, then performed a perfect backflip.
"That..." Ben grinned, watching as Ship trotted around the room. "That might actually work. With all the literal androids and mad scientists around, this will look tame in comparison. I might even use them as an excuse if I say that's what I received online. Plus, Harley mentioned she liked animals."
Ship-dog barked, a sound halfway between an electronic woof and Ship's characteristic chirp, and ran in excited circles.
Shipthen jumped onto the couch and curled up, looking remarkably like a real pet settling in for a nap, albeit one made of metal.
"Perfect." Ben collected the rejected items and began repacking them. "We'll tell Harley I found you while shopping. Just remember to act like a normal robot toy when she's around."
Ship-dog barked again, its tail wagging in agreement.
Ben checked the time on his phone. "She'll be back from her day off in about an hour. Let's clean this up before…"
The sound of keys in the front door downstairs made both Ben and Ship freeze.
"Ben? You up there?" Harley echoed from below.
Ship-dog looked at Ben with what could only be described as panic.
"Quick, act natural." Ben scrambled to shove the opened boxes behind the couch. "Remember, you're just a robot dog toy!"
As Harley's footsteps approached the apartment door, Ship-dog positioned itself in the center of the living room, sitting perfectly still except for an occasional mechanical tail wag. Ben tried to look casual, leaning against the kitchen counter.
The door swung open. Harley stepped in and stopped, eyes widening at the sight of the robot dog. "What's that?" She closed the door behind her.
Ben cleared his throat. "Surprise? We could use a pet around here, but with our schedules, a real dog seemed like too much of a commitment. So..." He gestured to Ship-dog. "It's one of those new AI pet toys. Pretty cool, huh?"
Harley approached cautiously, kneeling to examine the robot. "It looks expensive."
"Got a good deal online." Ben silently prayed Ship would remember to act like a normal toy.
Ship-dog tilted its head, then emitted a perfect mechanical bark before trotting over to Harley and nuzzling her hand.
"Aww!" Harley's face lit up. "It's actually kinda cute! Does it have a name?"
Ben hesitated only briefly. "Ship. I named him Ship."
"Ship?" Harley scratched behind the robot dog's ears, earning what sounded like a mechanical purr. "That's a weird name for a dog."
"It was, uh, pre-programmed." Ben shrugged. "But we can change it if you want."
Harley considered for a moment, then shook her head. "Nah, Ship works. It's quirky. I kinda like it." She looked up at Ben with a smile. "Thanks, Ben. This was really sweet."
As Harley continued petting Ship-dog, the disguised Mechamorph caught Ben's eye and gave him what could only be described as a wink.
Ben let out a quiet sigh of relief. Crisis averted—for now. He just hoped Ship could maintain the charade indefinitely. A secret superhero living with their alien pet and an ex-supervillain under one roof was going to be... interesting.
New Orleans
July 27th, 21:57 CDT
An elderly man walked slowly down the bustling street with a cane in one hand. He turned to a door on his left marked with a large sign: MADAM XANADU - ADVISOR.
Beneath it was:
TAROTS READ
LOVED ONES CONTACTED
FATES FORETOLD.
The man withdrew a golden pocket watch and opened it. His thumb brushed lovingly over the picture of a woman inside, a sad smile appearing on his lips. With a soft sigh, he closed it again and stepped inside.
A dark-haired woman with jewels embedded in her forehead appeared through the beaded doorway. "Bonsoir, monsieur. How can Madam Xanadu be of service?"
Before he could speak, Xanadu tilted her head knowingly. "Ah, there is someone to whom you wish to speak. Your wife, mai non?"
His hand clenched around the watch. "Yes, my Inza."
Xanadu settled into a seat at a nearby table. "Then madam will make contact if fate be kind."
The old man exhaled as he sat down opposite her. "But he so rarely is."
She cleared her throat pointedly and held out her hand.
The man blinked, then reached into his jacket and produced a small roll of bills. "Oh, of course."
Xanadu took it without hesitation, slipping it into her blouse, and then closed her eyes.
The crystal ball at the table's center suddenly flared with a pure white glow. Her hair and the overhead lamp swayed. Curtains rustled as the table trembled slightly, rising into the air. With a rush, the candles blew out.
"Oh, my darling, how I've missed you," 'Inza' spoke. "I'm so lonely here and cold."
The old man broke into hearty laughter. "Th-that's the best impression you could do?"
Everything clattered abruptly back into place. Xanadu smiled, shrugging lightly. "It was worth a try to see if your senses haven't dulled in your old age, Mr. Kent."
"You're one to talk, Madam Xanadu."
Her expression softened. "You know as well as I do, it's nearly impossible to commune with a soul that has crossed peacefully into the Sphere. They have to reach out from their end."
He sighed again. "No, you're right. I should've known better. My little Spitfire would've kicked my can for throwin' good money away on you." He gestured theatrically toward the curtains. "I would have hoped you would put a little more budget into your show. A wind machine." He revealed the concealed device behind the curtains and then lifted the long table cover. "Tire jacks under the table."
Xanadu chuckled, crossing her arms. "A friend of Zatara's set it up as a favor for a scrying. Immortality isn't cheap, Kent. What was it Franklin told me? In this world, nothing can be certain but death and taxes?" She sighed theatrically. "Well, for me, I've been paying taxes for many lifetimes. Still, we all owe you thanks for stopping that mess in the 80s."
Kent's gaze turned distant. "The Kali Yuga was postponed. Had we done nothing, the world would've ended in Chaos. Yet if there's one thing I've learned from a lifetime of combat, it's that victory is always temporary. Evil creeps back like a cockroach."
"It is the natural cycle of the world," she agreed gently.
"I missed so much time with what truly mattered. My only regret is not spending more time with my dear Inza."
"You'll see your beloved again in the next life."
Kent nodded solemnly, his eyes returning to the watch. "Still, nothing would've pleased me more than to reunite with my bride now."
Suddenly, a firm hand gripped Kent's shoulder, lifting him off his feet. Startled, he turned and found himself staring into a stranger's face. "You will be with her soon enough," Kadabra promised in a thick accent, a sinister smile curling his lips.
Before Kent could react, they vanished in a blinding flash of blue-white light.
Madam Xanadu watched, sighing in resignation. Kent's abandoned cane began to glow softly, rising into the air before disappearing in a flash of golden light.
She shook her head slowly, eyes troubled. "Future events have grown distorted these past months. My visions no longer come clearly. May he find peace."
Central City
August 18th, 22:45 EDT
The lone thief crept quietly through a university storage room. Shelves were cluttered with ancient artifacts.
He paused, glancing at an intricately carved statue. "This? Nah," he muttered, moving on.
His gaze caught on an ornate dagger resting atop a velvet cushion.. "Pretty," he whispered, sliding it carefully into his pocket.
Nearby, he saw a gold coin. He pocketed that too.
He next inspected a dusty clay jar, turning it over in his hands. It looked worthless, so he shrugged and put it back in his pocket. But the jar slipped from his grasp, shattering loudly on the floor. He cringed, then noticed something hidden within the broken pottery. It was a stone tablet etched with strange symbols.
To his surprise, the symbols magically rearranged themselves into readable English. Compelled by curiosity, he spoke aloud:
"I am power beyond your dreams... call to me." His brow furrowed. Then a bizarre foreign chant appeared beneath the English words. The thief squinted at the strange lettering and read hesitantly, "Zarok uthral shalak unthar nakath!"
"Yeah, right," he scoffed, shaking his head dismissively. "Singing 'Polly Wolly Doodle' all day."
He moved on, ignoring the strange tablet, but froze when passing a display case. His reflection stared back. His eyes glowed a haunting, vivid red, and his skin had turned jet black.
"Who's there?" barked a sudden voice. A flashlight beam swung toward him as a security guard stepped into the room. "Control, we have an intruder in building three!"
Panic surged through him. He bolted past the startled guard, racing through hallways and bursting out into the night. His heart pounded as he stumbled down the sidewalk, colliding with a family carrying their infant.
"Hey, buddy, watch where you're…" the husband started, his eyes widening in horror when he saw the thief's face.
"Please, help me," the thief begged, but he sounded unnatural.
"Get away from us," the man shouted, shoving him roughly aside.
Desperate, he turned to another woman, who shrieked in terror and recoiled from him. People stumbled backward as he bumped into them, their eyes filled with fear and revulsion.
"Hey! Watch it! Oh, my!"
"Man, what happened to him?"
He fled into a shadowed alley, leaning heavily against the cold brick wall, chest heaving. Nearby, a policeman writing a ticket turned, noticing the commotion.
"Hey, fella, you seem to be causing quite a disturbance," the cop said, approaching cautiously. "What's going on? Who are you?"
The thief struggled, head bowed, the words forcing themselves from his throat.
"I... am... Karkull!"
His body convulsed, twisting and contorting painfully as the transformation consumed him. Darkness surged outward, shadows swirling violently. In moments, the demon Karkull stood tall, powerful, and terrifying.
"Free again," Karkull thundered. "And forever!"
Karkull crushed the stone tablet in his monstrous grip and unleashed a torrent of dark magic toward the cop. The blast sent him into the wall unconscious.
It was then that Karkull moved to the street and attacked anyone who got in his way.
"Freeze!"
Police fired their weapons, but bullets merely ricocheted harmlessly off the monstrous form of Karkull.
"What the?" an officer shouted in disbelief.
Karkull unleashed chaos, demolishing police cars with violent swipes of his clawed hands. With inhuman strength, he effortlessly lifted a police cruiser and hurled it over a nearby building.
The Flash arrived in a blur of motion, time seeming to slow around him as his perception accelerated. The police cruiser hung almost motionless in his view.
The Flash sped into action. He dashed vertically up the building's side. At the optimal point, he launched himself toward the airborne vehicle. Flash pulled the driver's-side door open and extracted both officers from inside.
The cruiser completed its arc, crashing into a barricade as Flash returned to street level. Officers scattered, but thankfully, no one was hit.
His momentum carried them to a rooftop across the street, where he deposited them safely. "Stay here," Flash instructed, already turning back toward the entity.
Flash stood in the middle of the street, facing Karkull directly. "That's enough destruction for one day. Who are you? What do you want?" Flash circled Karkull at high speed, creating afterimages as he assessed his opponent.
"Stay out of Karkull's way, mortal." The demon tracked Flash's movements with surprising accuracy. "What I want is irrelevant to you, mortal." Karkull thrust his hand forward. A blast of emerald energy erupted toward Flash, who easily sidestepped it. The magical energy struck a nearby bus stop, instantly reducing it to molten slag.
Karkull sneered. "Still here?" He raised his hand, preparing another strike, but Flash blurred into a cyclone around him, whipping debris up in a spiraling whirlwind. The sudden storm forced Karkull off-balance, momentarily disoriented.
Flash accelerated again, circling Karkull rapidly, creating a vortex that lifted the demon slightly off the ground. Karkull growled in irritation, swinging his arms blindly through the windstorm.
The demon slammed both fists into the ground. A shockwave of magical energy expanded outward in all directions. Flash leapt over it, but the disruption to his running pattern broke the vortex.
Flash changed tactics, delivering a series of high-speed punches from multiple angles—striking Karkull's torso, back, and head in rapid succession. His fists became a blur, hitting with the force of small-caliber bullets.
Karkull barely flinched. The demon's skin absorbed the impacts like rubber.
"My turn." Karkull's hand shot out with unexpected speed, catching Flash's wrist mid-punch.
The demon's grip tightened painfully. Flash vibrated his molecules, attempting to phase through the hold, but something about Karkull's magical nature prevented it.
"Interesting trick," Karkull observed. "But useless against me."
The demon hurled Flash through the air. Barry controlled his trajectory, using a light pole to pivot and redirect his momentum. He landed in a crouch, immediately accelerating back toward Karkull.
Seeing that this thing was resilient, Flash tried something he didn't normally use on regular criminals. Flash ran circles around the demon, tightening his path with each lap. He planned to create a vacuum, depriving Karkull of oxygen to make it pass out. It worked on most opponents. Even most meta-humans needed to breathe.
However, Karkull seemed to just soundlessly laugh in the vacuum.
The demon thrust both hands into the ground. The street beneath Flash's feet suddenly softened into a tar-like consistency. Barry's foot sank into it mid-stride, throwing him off balance. He tumbled forward, rolling across the pavement and coming to a stop against an abandoned taxi.
Flash pushed himself up, shaking his head to clear it. "This isn't working."
Flash sprinted forward, grabbing a manhole cover along the way. Accelerating to supersonic speed, he used the metal disc like a projectile, launching it at Karkull's face.
The improvised weapon struck with tremendous force, actually staggering the demon backward. Flash followed through, delivering a supersonic punch to the same spot. Karkull stumbled
Karkull roared. "You will suffer for that!" The demon's body erupted with magical energy. Tendrils of green power lashed out wildly, slicing through concrete and metal indiscriminately.
Flash dodged most of them, but one caught him across the back, tearing through his suit and leaving a burning gash. He gasped in pain but kept moving, using a parked delivery truck for cover. Flash pressed his hand against his wound, checking the severity. The suit's material had partially protected him, but the magic had burned through it easily. He needed a new approach.
An idea formed in his mind. Flash burst from cover, racing toward a construction site across the street. He grabbed a length of high-tension cable, then circled back toward Karkull. Running around the demon, Flash wrapped the cable around Karkull's body, pulling it tight. Flash, accelerating, creating a tremendous static charge in his wake. The electricity arced through the metal cable, superheating it around Karkull's legs.
The demon howled, not in pain but in rage. He tore through the cables like they were string, then fired a concentrated blast of magic that Flash barely avoided. The green energy struck a fire truck, causing it to explode.
Undeterred, Flash reappeared directly before Karkull, weaving rapidly around him, delivering sharp punches from multiple angles in quick succession. Seeing a new opening, Flash sprinted forward, tackling Karkull forcefully into a nearby building. They crashed through the brick wall. Karkull quickly retaliated, gripping Flash's shoulder and hurling him fiercely through another wall, back onto the street. Flash slammed into the pavement with a painful groan, dazed.
Karkull descended slowly toward the fallen hero. "You're fast for a mortal, but a mortal is all you are."
Summoning his remaining strength, Flash pushed himself up and launched into a rapid flurry of punches against Karkull's torso and head. Despite the impressive display of speed, the blows seemed ineffective.
With swift brutality, Karkull's clawed hand caught Flash by the throat, lifting him into the air. Flash struggled, his fists still striking weakly until Karkull, bored by the hero's efforts, slashed viciously across Flash's chest, drawing blood and staggering him back as he fell.
"You don't have the tools to defeat me," Karkull mocked.
The creature began to rise, surrounded by a sickly green aura.
Flash activated his comms again. "Guh… Any available League members, this is Flash. I think I need magical support against a... thing in Central City, downtown financial district."
Karkull raised both arms, summoning a swirling vortex of emerald energy above him. The air crackled with magical discharge, and Flash felt the hairs on his arms rise beneath his suit.
"Your people have forgotten the old powers." The vortex grew larger. "Let me remind you."
As Karkull charged a massive magical attack, a sudden yellow blur shot through, scooping Flash up just before the blast obliterated an entire parking lot.
Kid Flash, carrying the injured hero over his shoulder, raced clear. "Flash! You okay?!" Kid Flash skidded to a stop beside him, eyes widening at Flash's condition. "Whoa, you look terrible."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Flash managed, clutching his wounded chest. His regeneration was active, though noticeably slower. "I'll live… We need to evacuate civilians. That thing is charging up for something big."
As if on cue, Karkull released his gathered energy toward a nearby parking structure. The blast vaporized concrete and steel, reducing the entire building to smoking rubble in seconds.
Kid Flash stared in shock. "What is that thing?"
"Dunno. Calls himself Karkull." Flash straightened, pushing through the pain.
"Right..." Kid Flash's voice cracked slightly. "So, any ideas?"
Flash's eyes narrowed as he watched Karkull prepare another attack. "Until help arrives, we keep people safe and keep him busy."
Suddenly, a powerful, four-armed red alien landed heavily on the street. Fourarms, all muscle and momentum. He launched himself forward, tackling Karkull mid-air and slamming him hard into the asphalt. The pavement cracked beneath the impact.
Karkull hissed, clawing at Fourarms, but the alien was relentless. He pinned Karkull with two arms and pummeled with the other two, landing heavy, thunderous blows to the creature's face and torso. Each punch sent shockwaves through the ground. Dust kicked up around them with every hit, but Karkull barely flinched.
Snarling, Karkull broke free, striking Fourarms with a backhand swipe that sent him skidding backward. Fourarms recovered fast, ripping a fire hydrant from the ground and swinging it like a club. It connected with a dull crunch, bending against Karkull's shoulder. Karkull staggered.
Fourarms didn't let up. He tackled Karkull again, this time driving him through a parked truck. With a final grunt, Fourarms lifted the twisted wreckage and hurled it at Karkull, launching the creature skyward.
"Let's see how you handle air mail," Fourarms muttered. He grabbed a nearby wrecked car and hurled it at Karkull mid-flight. The second vehicle slammed into him with a metallic crunch, and both monster and car went flying further. Fourarms chuckled. "Might've sent it farther than I should've..."
#
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