Franklin POV
One week later.
I finally finished. A whole week of rebuilding the base, and it's officially done. This place isn't just a hideout anymore, it's a fortress. Multiple levels, each with their own purpose. I've got a full lab for research, a training room, living quarters, and even a hangar bay where my jet is coming along.
And before you ask, why build a jet if I already have a teleporter? Easy:
This jet isn't going to be normal, it's designed for multiple environments. Space, deep sea, high atmosphere, you name it, it'll survive there.
…because it's going to look freaking awesome.
Moving on. I set up an OverWatch command center too. That's where Ned, Betty, MJ2, and Beth will be stationed. They're the brains, and trust me, these guys know their way around computers. Ned and Beth especially they're scary good.
Kamala? She surprised me. She wants to be a hero. So she's training with Hector and Ted right now. No serum yet, I told her I want her to build a solid foundation before I consider it. Truth is, the real reason is different. I don't know what my super soldier serum would do to her if her Inhuman gene suddenly activated. That's why I've been looking deeper into her DNA, trying to be careful.
Of course, what she really needs are Terrigen Crystals. But that's easier said than done. The only reliable stash is in Attilan, and I doubt the Inhumans are just going to hand over their most valuable resource so I can experiment on a "random" young hero. And I'm not about to risk stealing from them.
My best bet is still to locate Terrigen here on Earth. But before I can even scan for it, I need a small sample as a baseline. That's a problem for future me. Right now, I've got everyone gathered in the main room of the base for a tour.
"Okay, does everyone have their tablets?" I asked.
"Yes," they all replied.
"Good. Open the map, it'll show you exactly where you are in the base, plus every room and corridor. You can also use it to communicate with each other."
Hector raised his hand. "Uh, Franklin, why does my map say there's a room labeled special time with Yolanda and Ava?"
I nearly choked.
"That's… not on mine," MJ2 said.
"Or mine," Peter added.
I forced a nervous laugh. "You probably got Ava's tablet by mistake. Just switch."
Truth? That room was supposed to stay secret. A little prize for me and the girls.
Hector smirked. "Nah, I think I'll hold onto this one."
I turned away quickly, whispering to the Omnitrix."Erase 'love-making room' from Yolanda and Ava's tablets. Now."
"It is done, host."
I spun back with my best poker face. "Alright, let's continue the tour."
We hit every wing, OverWatch, the upgraded med bay, the training room. The training sim was my favorite part; it works like the X-Men's Danger Room. Light-based holograms that can generate scenarios from petty crooks to Justice League heavy-hitters.
When we circled back, I asked, "So? Thoughts?"
"This is so freaking cool," Ned and Peter said in unison.
"I love the medical wing," Soledad added. "The tech you built into it? If a hospital saw this, they'd be green with envy."
"The armory's big," Ted said, "but you've only got two weapons in there."
"I'm building my own instead of buying. My clones needed a break anyway after working nonstop."
Courtney folded her arms. " Cindy said they begged her to drag you out for some air."
"Where is Cindy B, anyway?" I asked. "Haven't seen her all week. She hasn't even been in school."
"She's fine. Just under the weather," Courtney said quickly.
I frowned. "The same Cindy who healed a broken arm in seconds is sick? Sure."
She looked nervous. "Fine. She didn't want me to tell you, but she's… on her month."
"Oh." Me, Peter, and Ned all spoke at once.
The girls tried to hide their reactions, but I caught it.
"Glad I don't have to deal with that," I muttered. "My only worry is giving birth in one of my alien forms. But that will happen in a few years… that's future Franklin's problem."
They all froze.
"…What?" they said together.
"Not important," I backpedaled.
Before they could press me, alarms blared through the base. Perfect timing, as always. I sprinted to the console and pulled up the feed, then froze.
"What the fuck"
"Language, Franklin!" Soledad scolded.
"Sorry. But look."
Holographic screens lit up, and everyone gasped. New Attilan was hovering over New York, surrounded by an entire android army swarming like angry bees.
My satellites should have caught this earlier. The fact they didn't scared me.
I armored up, nanotech sliding across my skin like liquid metal. The teleporter hummed to life.
"Franklin."
Kamala's voice. I turned. She looked pale.
"I don't know why, but seeing that city above New York… I've got a really, really bad feeling. Please, be careful."
I forced a grin, though my chest tightened. "Hey, I stopped an alien invasion and saved the Multiverse. Not to brag, but I think I can handle a bunch of tin cans."
She didn't look convinced. Ava and Yolanda gave me the same warning look.
"Alright," I added, softer. "I promise, I'll be extra careful."
Kamala smiled faintly. That was enough.
The teleporter roared to life, and I stepped through.
I appeared under the city, dialed the Omnitrix, and slammed down.
"Jetray."
Wings snapped out, and I shot into the sky. As soon as I got close to New Attilan, the android swarm broke formation and came straight for me. I didn't hesitate, beams fired from my eyes, slicing through them like hot knives.
Weirdly enough, they weren't putting up much of a fight. Their aim was sloppy, and they dropped like paper drones. Too easy. Too deliberate.
I broke through the swarm and pushed into the city, only to notice something that made my stomach sink.
No civilians.
The Omnitrix pinged, strong signal nearby. I followed it, weaving through empty streets until it led me to a crash site. One of the Avengers' jets was half-buried in rubble, smoke curling from its fuselage.
I landed, shifted back into my normal form, and stared.
"Okay… floating city, robot swarms, no civilians, and a downed Quinjet. What the hell is going on here?"
No answer. Just the sound of heavy footsteps.
I spun, expecting maybe Cap or Natasha. Instead, a squad of sleeker, more advanced androids closed in on me.
"Yeah, not who I was hoping for." I slapped the dial. "Forearms."
Four massive fists cracked into motion. I barreled into the androids, smashing them aside. At first it was easy, until one of them caught my punch mid-swing. Its grip tightened, metal crushing into my knuckles. Pain shot through my arm, and I actually dropped to a knee.
Then—thwip!
An arrow whistled in, lodging in the android's head before exploding. The grip loosened, and I yanked free, flexing my aching hand.
I glanced up. A figure stood on a rooftop, bow drawn.
Hawkeye.
He let another volley fly, precision-perfect, each arrow slamming into an android's head with pinpoint accuracy. One by one, they dropped.
I smirked. "Okay, I honestly don't know who's better, you or Green Arrow."
He shot a grapple arrow, zipped down, and landed in front of me. "We've never had a contest to find out. But I'm pretty sure it's me."
"Noted. Now can you explain why the hell New Attilan looks like Skynet's summer home?" I asked, dropping back to my regular form.
"Not here. Those were just patrols. Come on."
He led me across the street, into a ruined building. A hidden hatch opened beneath the debris, and we slipped inside. The door sealed behind us, shutting out the chaos above.
Two minutes of winding tunnels later, we emerged into a wide underground chamber.
The place was packed with civilians, hundreds of them, but it was obvious this wasn't the whole population of New Attilan. The missing ones made my chest tighten.
We finally reached the central chamber. That's when I saw them.
Iron Man. Captain America. Black Widow. Banner. Thor. Ant-Man. The Wasp. And standing nearby, the entire Inhuman Royal Family.
But my eyes went straight past them all to the giant bulldog at the center.
"Holy crap… that's a big dog."
I ignored everyone else and walked right up to it. The dog stood beside a blonde girl with a black streak through her hair.
"Hey, big guy. What's your name?"
The dog barked.
"Lockjaw? That's actually a badass name. Wait, you're an Inhuman too?"
Another bark.
"Fascinating. And your power is…?"
Another bark.
"Teleportation? No way! That's cooler than half the aliens I got. I don't even think I've got one that can do that."
The chamber went dead quiet. Civilians stared. Heroes stared. Even the Royal Family looked stunned.
Wasp tilted her head. "Is… he actually talking to the giant dog right now? Or he just messing with us?"
"Knowing him?" Iron Man muttered. "Probably both."
I turned back, shrugging. "You can't expect me not to be curious. And yes, I was talking to him. I can communicate with any intelligent species. If the brain's wired enough, I can get the language."
Black Widow folded her arms. "That's… useful."
"Exactly. But now I want to know something else." I crossed my arms, staring at the group. "You're all looking like someone just set the world on fire. So what happened here? Because I flew into floating Inhuman city over New York full of killer robots, and I gotta say, that's new."
All eyes shifted toward Tony and Ant-Man. Both of them looked… guilty. Mostly Ant-Man.
I groaned. "Why is it always the scientists?"
Ant-Man rubbed the back of his neck. "Okay, look. A week ago, I finally finished a project I've been working on for years. An AI. It was supposed to solve all the world's problems. Hunger, wars, climate, you name it. I even scanned my own brain and… Tony's."
I raised an eyebrow. "Wait. You combined two brain scans? I'm guessing it took Tony's narcissism and your anger issues and mashed them together?"
"HEY!" Tony barked.
Ant-Man winced. "That… kind of. Anyway, when Ultron came online, I hooked him to the internet. Thought it would speed up his learning. And it did. Except all he saw was the worst of humanity. And he hated it. I've never heard so much rage in a voice before. Then he hijacked one of my machines and, well, shot me. I should've destroyed him right then, but I didn't. And now…"
Tony sighed, stepping forward. "And now it's worse. While I was poking around Inhuman systems, Jarvis tried to help me hack in. Ultron got there first. Tore Jarvis apart from the inside. Murdered him. That's why I knew something was wrong in New Attilan. Except when I came here, Black Bolt and his family swore they weren't behind it."
Medusa spoke up, her voice sharp. "Because we weren't. Ultron made his move. He hijacked our systems, built his body, and unleashed his android army. His plan is simple: wipe out humanity and 'upgrade' everyone into machines. He's upgrading our dispersal device to spread a nanite virus over New York. And once he's finished here, he'll expand across the world."
Crystal added, her face pale. "The worst part? The device is ancient, older than our people. Normally it only releases Mist for one or two chosen Inhumans at a time. But he's modifying it to flood an entire city. Once he triggers it, nothing can stop it."
I threw my hands up. "Okay, yeah, 'giant robot plague virus' definitely qualifies as a problem. So let's just smash the thing before he finishes it."
The Royal Family all shouted at once: "NO!"
Karnak stepped forward. "That disperser is sacred. It is the only one of its kind. Without it, no new generations of Inhumans can ever undergo Terrigenesis."
I blinked. "Wait, you mean you only have one? And you've never tried making another?"
Gorgon growled. "We've tried. We don't know what it's made of. It's a relic of our ancestors. Without it… our people's future ends."
"So let me get this straight. We've got a psychopath robot hooked up to the internet, commanding an army of drones, and his master plan is to turn the entire human race into toaster people."
"Pretty much," Black Widow said flatly.
"Yep," I muttered. "Just another Tuesday."
Tony opened a suitcase, projecting a glowing hologram of New Attilan. He zoomed in on the far side of the city, where massive pods lined the streets.
"He's been herding civilians here. We still don't know what the pods are for, but whatever it is, it's not good. At the top of the central tower is the dispersal machine. That's his endgame. Our plan is simple: Thor, Hulk, and Gorgon will be the sledgehammers. While they cause chaos up front, the Royal Family and the rest of us sneak inside and stop the machine."
"Cool plan and all," I said, folding my arms, "but here's what I don't get: why doesn't Black Bolt just, y'know, scream the problem away? Isn't he supposed to be the most overpowered guy in the room?"
A ripple of surprise ran through the group, probably wondering how I knew that, but Medusa answered evenly.
"Because his voice would level the entire city. That means our people and New York below. His power is… too much."
"Fair enough," I nodded. "But let's be real. Even if we smash Ultron's body, he's still got Wi-Fi. He'll just download himself into another hunk of metal and pop back up somewhere else. We need to cut off his internet access first. Which, I can do."
Tony narrowed his eyes. "How?"
I smirked. "After we win, I'll explain. For now, just trust me."
Cap cut in, taking control. "Alright. For now, we put Omni's ace in the hole in our back pocket. Black Widow leads infiltration, she's the expert in getting places unseen. Hawkeye, Karnak, and the guard detail run support. The rest of us will focus on clearing civilians and keeping Ultron pinned. If he shows up, we have to put him down fast. We can't risk him escaping and starting this all over again somewhere else."
I cracked my knuckles, grinning. "Sounds like a party. Let's go kick some robot ass."