Bang! Bang!
Ben maneuvered through the explosions, debris tearing through the air around him.
Most of the thousands of drones had been drawn together, swarming the Powerpuff Girls in a chaotic aerial clash.
Still, several remained scattered across the field—units Princess Morbucks had deliberately positioned earlier. They lingered in zones saturated by her flash-bangs, forming a mobile mini-army she could redirect at him at any moment.
I still haven't made up my mind, he thought, glancing at the translucent gacha panel hovering in front of him.
At first, Ben had considered selecting Anodite Mana Control for a raw boost in strength. Better control over mana should have meant sharper refinement—cleaner output, tighter constructs, more precision.
But the longer he thought about it, the less appealing it became.
If Morbucks could keep up with him—hell, nearly overwhelm him—simply by forcing him to divide his attention, then what would a minor refinement really accomplish?
She was already preventing him from freely conjuring blasts or manipulating the environment with telekinesis.
He twisted aside as another blast from her arm cannon tore past him.
Ben knew he was running out of time.
I need something risky.
His gaze flicked back to the available options.
Heatblast Thermal Resistance.
XLR8 Reflex Boost.
Omnitrix Compatibility Fragment.
The last one made him pause.
Its purpose was exactly what the name implied—a compatibility fragment. A bypass. If someone found the Omnitrix but couldn't get past its DNA failsafes, this fragment could alter the settings and force acceptance.
But as far as he knew…
He was still a warm-blooded Tennyson.
As long as he reached the watch first, he didn't need it.
That left the other two.
Heatblast's resistance—did that mean immunity to fire, or full thermal durability? Either way, energy blasts like the ones being fired at him wouldn't even sting unless they were ice-based. That alone made it tempting.
Then there was XLR8's reflex boost.
Not speed—reflexes.
The time it took to react. To dodge. To block.
He wouldn't gain permanent superspeed, but even brief bursts of a speedster's reaction time would be a godsend in a fight like this.
He could pick either one and walk away satisfied.
Then he noticed it.
One item—quietly sitting among the rest—that made all the others seem small.
Chemical X.
His breath caught.
Chemical X—the experimental compound that created the Powerpuff Girls. The source of their absurd physical power, durability, flight, and near-limitless energy projection. A substance that rewrote biology on a fundamental level.
If integrated properly…
It wouldn't just mimic their powers—it would stack with his own.
Stronger bones.
Cleaner, more stable flight.
Heat breath.
Cold breath.
Laser vision.
Energy projection.
Energy construction.
All layered on top of an awakened Anodite body.
That would be monstrous.
That was why he chose it.
The wheel materialized in front of him and began to spin.
Clack. Clack. Clack.
The icons blurred together—alien fragments, enhancements, resistances—until the motion slowed.
Clack.
Clack.
Clack.
The wheel stopped.
Chemical X Reinforcement (Low Grade) — Acquired.
A prompt appeared immediately after.
Integration Method Detected:
▸ Direct DNA Integration.
▸ System Storage
WARNING: If mixed with your DNA while under the 120% boost of your temporary Lucky Draw, it will result in undesirable effects on body modifications caused by Chemical X after the boost's departure.
A warning… tch. I don't care.
He fired a set of energy bangles from his arm.
The threat of my 120% Anodite boost stopping at any moment is exactly why I need the strength to end this faster.
BOOOOM!
The stray energy rings he fired from his left hand struck the school—
Destroying walls and blasting through classrooms. Just more damage added to his mission progress.
"Mix it with my DNA."
DING!
Agony ripped through him.
His aura detonated outward in a flood of black radiance, washing over the battlefield like a massive shadow.
His shattered arm snapped back into place, bone and muscle reforging in seconds.
Golden light bled from his pores as his cells merged with Chemical X, reframing his mana-overloaded body. His blackened, Anodite-corrupted skin lightened in shade.
His hair brightened—turning a brilliant blond at the scalp—as the new DNA took hold, lifting weightlessly. His eyes ignited, glowing scarlet as raw power surged through his nervous system.
It was building.
Devouring his mana from within—and turning it into something that made him grin.
Ben's eyes glowed red-gold as he fired twin beams toward Morbucks.
She ducked, letting the lasers tear past in a devastating wave—
GRRRR—CACKKKK—
They carved downward, circling back toward the school.
The earth split, concrete liquefying as shockwaves rippled outward as the beams carved glowing scars across the battlefield.
He rolled his shoulders, energy humming smoothly through his body.
Ben exhaled, forcing the conflicting effects within him to settle. His mana flowed richer now, denser, as his altered cells reduced excess aura bleed and redirected it inward—reinforcing his physical form.
He tore through the quieter sections of the school, angling away from the sound of evacuating students.
"How dare you destroy this school!" Morbucks spread her arms wide. "You and your accomplices' sins will be weighed by the scale of law!"
Jet repulsors screamed.
Behind her, five golden briefcases streaked through the air, her grin wide and unshaken. After all, she was destined to become the sworn nemesis of the Powerpuff Girls' legacy—a normal human armed with wealth, intellect, and technology capable of challenging demi-gods.
The briefcases snapped open mid-flight.
Links clicked and folded with mechanical precision, unfolding into armor components that locked around her limbs, torso, and spine. In seconds, she stood fully suited in battle armor.
"Ta-da~" she said, flaunting the suit as its core charged.
The beam fired—
Then slowed.
Ben's reaction time made it feel like the world had paused.
He sidestepped casually, the beam tearing past and carving a molten line through the ground.
"…Yeah," he muttered. "This definitely was the best roll."
He closed his eyes, feeling Chemical X surge through his bloodstream. When he opened them, he charged the largest mana blast he'd ever attempted.
Before, it had felt like splashing in a leaking pool of magic.
Now, it felt like drowning in it—every crack sealed.
Swish—vurimmmm!!
Zzzzzzz—BBBBBBEEEEERRRRRR!!
BOOOOM!!
Two forces collided in the sky, detonating into a sonic explosion that scattered rain and thundered across the campus.
Beep! Beep! Beep!
Airborne landmines overheated, flashing red before detonating in a chain reaction.
Both combatants were hurled back. Morbucks crashed into the track yard as Ben followed, halting his momentum midair before kicking off again—
Boom!!
Morbucks rolled midair, narrowly avoiding impact. Ben's fist slammed into the ground where she'd been moments before.
He turned just as her blast struck him, sending him skidding across the track.
"Not bad," he said, taking the hit.
It did, however, cost him a cracked rib.
"Mmm, not bad yourself~" Morbucks emerged from the dust, her eyes briefly tracing his frame. "A shame you're a villain. We could've made you my sidekick."
Her fist clenched, the bracelet on her armor glowing red.
"Here—payback!!"
Boom!
The punch should have sent him flying.
It didn't move him an inch.
Ben caught her wrist, his other hand sliding to her jaw, tilting her face upward.
"My eyes are up here," he said.
Scarlet light burned in his gaze. "And the sidekick thing wouldn't work out."
A laser burst from his eyes.
She blocked with her arm cannon.
"It's just that I don't like naughty girls trying to take advantage of me."
"Especially not weak, bratty ones like you~"
"Weak!?" she snapped. "Take a good look—there isn't a single part of me that's weak!"
Her mask sealed as she surged forward.
His lasers bounced harmlessly off her helmet as she fired downward, launching them both into the air.
Ben was about to let go—
When she wrapped her legs around his ribs.
"ACTIVATE RED-HEART PROTOCOL!"
In his moment of shock, she freed one hand and leaned back, cutting propulsion. Her cannon reshaped in her grip, the barrel morphing into a glowing heart as blue energy turned crimson.
Zzzzzzz—BBBBBBEEEEERRRRRR!!
The heart-shaped beam slammed into his face at point-blank range. Heat seared his skin, steam bursting from his pores.
"Aaaahh!!"
He fired his own lasers in reflex—
They failed.
Her energy overwhelmed his output completely.
Ben grinned and opened his mouth instead.
He swallowed the blast, absorbing it directly into his core.
His eyes burned brighter as he expelled the stolen energy in a violent surge.
Morbucks staggered as her systems screamed warnings.
Critical energy levels below 34%
Requesting external battery pack
Systems overheated… Modulator damage: 78%
Arm cannon disassembling
Escape systems online — rerouting power to jetpack
She panted as her helmet retracted.
"Tell me…" she breathed. "Was that… weak?"
Ben panted as well, his body overheated and trembling. He wasn't sure what kind of energy he'd just absorbed—or whether it had been the right choice. It left him strangely drained once it passed through him.
His hair dimmed slightly as he exhaled, smiling faintly.
Her jet wings unfurled, engines flaring.
He reached under her arms, cutting the thrust and pulling her closer as the jetpack fought to launch her upward.
"No," he said quietly, tightening his grip. "You're strong."
He corrected himself, voice lower.
"But you're still a brat."
She didn't fire back.
For once—Princess Morbucks didn't have a response.
Her breath came unevenly, visor flickering as her eyes locked onto his.
Not anger.
Not pride.
Something sharper.
The space between them stilled, the chaos of the battlefield fading beneath the weight of that moment.
For a second—neither of them moved.
Then he leaned in and kissed her.
It wasn't planned.
Chemical X, adrenaline, and combat-heightened instincts collided, stripping away hesitation and sense.
It was strangely nice. Spiteful—but nice.
Her lips were soft. After a moment of stunned confusion, she adjusted, her arms sliding around his neck.
Neither of them understood how it had escalated so fast. There had been no romantic tension—until suddenly, there was.
Maybe adrenaline really was a dangerous thing.
Both of them had plenty of it.
Ben felt her lips part, her inexperience obvious as her tongue brushed his teeth. She trembled, second-guessing herself, trying to pull back.
He didn't let her.
"If you'd like," he murmured, deepening the kiss, "I'd be happy to correct that bratty nature of yours."
His tongue intertwined with hers as his hand going for her rear.
She gasped as his grip shifted, armor cracking under the pressure of his tightly grasping palm. Damage warnings flashed across her visor—a red handprint glowing where the plating fractured.
He grasped her thigh, pulling her closer.
And despite herself… she liked it.
Mmm.
A ringing tone cut through the moment.
A new notification appeared on her visor.
Incoming Call: Father
She glanced at it—
And declined.
Her hand tightened at the back of his head.
She was far too busy to answer.
Claiming her first superpowered kiss.