Chapter 4 – Blood of the Tennysons
The wind screamed through the shattered gates of the fortress.
A blue blur tore through the courtyard.
Steel armor cracked like paper as soldiers were thrown aside before they could even raise their weapons.
XLR8 moved like a living hurricane.
The knights never even saw him.
One moment they were standing.
The next moment the world spun as they were hurled across the battlefield.
Inside the visor of the alien speedster, Ben’s eyes burned with a cold intensity.
He wasn’t smiling.
He wasn’t joking.
He was hunting.
Three knights rushed forward with plasma blades but XLR8 vanished before their very eyes.
The sound barrier cracked like thunder.
A split second later the knights slammed into the wall behind them hard enough to leave dents in the metal plating.
Ben didn’t stop moving.
Hallways blurred past him in nanoseconds.
Security turrets fired wildly, but every shot struck nothing but afterimages.
Explosions rocked the corridors as XLR8 tore through the fortress like a blade.
Outside, in the RV, Kai Green watched the chaos unfold on the scanner.
Her father, Wes Green, lowered his rifle slowly.
“That kid is leveling the entire base.”
Kai didn’t respond immediately.
Her eyes stayed fixed on the screen.
“Yeah…”
Her voice was quieter.
“But that’s not the Ben I remember.”
Inside the fortress, alarms screamed like wails of a dying animal.
Red lights flooded the corridors.
Knights scrambled into defensive formations.
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“Stop him!”
“Protect the containment chamber!”
XLR8’s head snapped toward the sound.
Containment chamber.
Ben accelerated instantly.
The hallway vanished beneath him.
He smashed through reinforced doors without slowing down.
Metal bent and tore apart as he burst into a massive underground chamber.
Then he stopped.
In the center of the room was a glowing containment field.
Inside it—
A familiar figure lay unconscious.
Gwen Tennyson.
Ben’s heart skipped.
“Gwen…”
The alien speedster stepped forward slowly.
For the first time since the battle began, his movements weren’t violent.
They were careful and cautious.
The containment field hummed quietly.
Gwen floated inside, suspended in a stasis chamber.
Ben slammed his fist against the barrier.
“Wake up!”
The field didn’t budge.
Then—
The doors behind him slammed shut.
Heavy steel barriers locked into place.
Turrets descended from the ceiling.
Dozens of armored knights stepped out onto the upper platforms overlooking the chamber.
Ben turned slowly.
His visor reflected rows of glowing rifles aimed directly at him.
One knight stepped forward, his armor marked with a command insignia.
“So the bearer of the Omnitrix finally arrives.”
Ben’s voice came out low.
“You kidnapped my cousin.”
The knight shook his head.
“No.”
He gestured toward the chamber.
“We protected her.”
Ben froze.
“What?”
The knight’s voice echoed through the chamber.
“She came here willingly.”
Ben’s fists tightened.
“That’s a lie.”
The commander tapped a control panel.
The containment field flickered.
Inside the chamber, Gwen stirred.
Her eyes slowly opened.
She looked straight at Ben.
“Ben…”
Her voice sounded weak.
But determined.
“I’m sorry.”
Ben stared at her.
“Sorry for what?”
Gwen swallowed.
“For letting them catch me.”
The chamber filled with silence.
Ben’s mind struggled to process the words.
“You… let them…?”
Gwen nodded weakly.
“I had to.”
She looked around the chamber.
“At this base… by these knights…”
Her eyes hardened.
“They’ve been tracking him too.”
Ben’s breath caught.
“Him…?”
Gwen’s voice dropped.
“The one pretending to be Grandpa.”
The room went still.
Ben’s rage faltered for a moment.
“You knew?”
Gwen nodded.
“I joined the Plumbers Academy for this exact reason.”
Her gaze met his.
“To find out who’s been using Grandpa’s identity.”
Ben stared at her in disbelief.
“You didn’t tell me.”
“You were gone, Ben.”
Her voice softened.
“You shut everyone out.”
The commander suddenly laughed.
“You Tennysons really are remarkable.”
Ben’s head snapped toward him.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
The knight’s voice carried a hint of admiration.
“Do you know why the entire galaxy watches your family?”
No one spoke.
The commander continued.
“Max Tennyson was one of the greatest Plumbers to ever live.”
He pointed toward Ben.
“And you… the Omnitrix bearer.”
Then he gestured toward Gwen.
“A prodigy capable of mastering alien magic.”
His voice grew darker.
“The Tennysons have shaped the fate of worlds.”
The lights in the chamber suddenly dimmed.
The commander pressed another button.
“And that… is exactly why he wants you.”
A hologram flickered to life in the center of the room.
Ben froze.
The figure that appeared was unmistakable.
The face.
The posture.
The voice.
Max Tennyson.
“Hello, Ben.”
The voice echoed through the chamber.
Ben’s heart slammed against his ribs.
“That’s impossible…”
The hologram smiled warmly.
The same smile Ben remembered from childhood.
“I was wondering how long it would take for you to come looking for me.”
Ben stepped forward slowly.
“Grampa, you’re dead.”
The hologram tilted its head.
“Am I?”
Ben’s fists trembled.
“Who are you?”
The hologram chuckled softly.
“You always were impatient.”
The room seemed to grow colder.
Then the voice spoke again.
And the words struck like lightning.
“I suppose I should thank the Forever Knights.”
Ben’s eyes widened.
“For helping me draw you out of your little exile.”
Silence swallowed the chamber.
Ben’s breath became ragged.
“What… did you say?”
The hologram’s eyes glowed faintly.
“You abandoned your responsibilities after my death.”
Its voice deepened.
“You abandoned the Omnitrix.”
The hologram leaned closer.
“So I decided to motivate you.”
Ben’s entire body tensed.
“You kidnapped Gwen.”
The hologram shook its head.
“No.”
Its smile widened.
“I simply knew you would come for her.”
The lights flickered again.
Then the voice spoke one final sentence.
The words cut straight into Ben’s heart.
“The blood of the Tennysons is too important to fade into obscurity.”
The hologram looked directly at him.
“And I needed to remind you of that.”
The projection vanished.
The chamber fell silent.
Ben stood frozen.
His transformation flickered violently as rage surged through him.
Across the room Gwen whispered softly.
“Ben…”
The Omnitrix symbol on his chest glowed brighter.
Then XLR8 slowly raised his head.
And the knights suddenly realized something terrifying.
The storm they had unleashed was only just beginning.
