Chapter 18: The Seeds
Ben had returned to the Watchtower after days of isolation and turmoil in Themyscira. But something within him had changed. The black crystals beneath his skin had begun to glow with clear pulses, as if communicating with something far greater.
Inside the control room, Ben gathered with Batman, Green Lantern, and Cyborg. The analysis conducted by the team on one of the crystal fragments that had fallen from Ben's body revealed something unusual.
Cyborg, gesturing toward a large screen:
"It's not just an organic crystal… it has a structure similar to genetic code, but it's written in a cosmic tech language... as if it's an encrypted message."
Ben (tense):
"A message from who? Kairos?"
Batman:
"Not necessarily. But if the message is embedded in the crystal, someone likely put it there intentionally."
Green Lantern activated an energy field around the tiny crystal. Slowly, the code began to glow, and a holographic image appeared: Azmuth's face.
Azmuth (from the recording):
"If you're seeing this, it means the seeds have begun to grow. Don't be afraid, Ben. What's happening to you is not a disease... it's the beginning of a new cosmic possibility."
Silence filled the room.
Azmuth (continuing):
"When I created the Omnitrix, I didn't design it just as a transformation device. It was meant to be a gateway to understanding all life's potential. Kairos... was only a prototype — one that was rejected. But he didn't die."
"I hid the seeds inside you from the moment you first wore the Omnitrix. And now… they've begun to awaken."
The message ended, and tension hung heavy in the air.
Ben (softly):
"Azmuth... he knew from the start."
Green Lantern:
"This isn't just a transformation… it's a shift in the nature of reality itself. And Kairos isn't just an enemy… he's an alternative version of existence."
Batman:
"If these seeds are building a new reality — and Ben is the only key — the question isn't how we stop Kairos... but whether Ben can control the seeds before they control him."
Ben looked at his hand, where a network of glowing crystals pulsed beneath the skin — like a second heart. He felt something inside him demanding shape, voice... existence.
And as he walked out of the room, he whispered to himself:
"I'm not just the key... I'm the door."
Meanwhile, in the depths of the galaxy, the true Kairos opened his eyes for the first time in centuries — and smiled.
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