The fierce electrical storm gradually subsided across Sakaar's scarred landscape, leaving behind an eerie silence that felt almost alien after hours of thunderous apocalypse. Where the Mother of Storms had raged with space fury, now only wisps of residual energy danced through the atmosphere like aurora in the planet's thin upper air.
At the epicenter of the devastation, a solitary figure stood amid the settling dust and debris. Ben's Feedback form crackled with residual lightning, electrical arcs playing across his black and green hide in patterns that resembled living circuitry. The alien's energy-conducting prongs swayed gently in the supernatural breeze, no longer absorbing external power but radiating an internal luminescence that spoke of fundamental transformation.
The Mother of Storms had vanished completely—not destroyed, but absorbed, integrated into Feedback's enhanced biology in ways that transcended simple energy consumption.
"Is the thunderstorm finally over?" Nebula's voice carried a mixture of relief and exhaustion as she studied the data streaming across the evacuation ship's command displays.
Half a planet away from ground zero, the massive vessel that had once served as Thanos's flagship Sanctuary II now functioned as Sakaar's primary emergency shelter. Azmuth's AI systems confirmed what their sensors already suggested—the concentrated lightning energy that had threatened planetary annihilation was dissipating rapidly, while the Mother of Storms' unique energy signature had disappeared entirely from their detection grids.
"Is the King safe?" Caiera asked immediately, her golden features tight with concern.
The answer came not from Azmuth's analytical systems, but from Ben himself. Lightning exploded before them in a brilliant display of controlled power, and Ben materialized from the electrical discharge, having crossed half the planet instantaneously.
He still maintained Feedback's distinctive appearance, but even a casual observer could sense the dramatic change in his energy levels. The alien form that had once been primarily defensive now radiated power that bordered on divine authority.
"The Mother of Storms has been successfully absorbed," Ben reported with characteristic matter-of-factness. "Nebula, you can lift the planetary emergency alert."
His transformation was remarkable to witness. Ben had essentially become a living Mjolnir—the Mother of Storms' space authority had elevated Feedback from his original capabilities into something approaching the Thunder of God. The upgrade represented a qualitative leap that transformed a useful support alien into a genuinely formidable combat form.
Another alien hero had received a significant power boost, and Ben had to admit he owed Malekith a debt of gratitude for making it possible. Without the Dark Elf's infiltration of the Plumbers, this sequence of events would never have unfolded—no intelligence leak about Niflheim, no Mother of Storms release, no enhancements for either Swampfire or Feedback.
However, Malekith's successful deception had also exposed critical vulnerabilities in the Plumbers' security protocols. Their defensive systems were sophisticated but still contained exploitable gaps, particularly regarding identity verification and the authentication of trusted personnel.
That would require immediate attention once the current crisis stabilized.
But security improvements could wait. Sakaar's reconstruction took priority.
"Azmuth, compile a comprehensive damage assessment," Ben ordered.
The AI's response appeared as holographic displays showing the affected areas in stark detail.
"Ten cities sustained significant structural damage with all major buildings either destroyed or severely compromised," Azmuth reported with clinical precision. "Electronic infrastructure within the impact zones suffered complete failure due to electromagnetic pulse effects. However, civilian casualties among Sakaar's population were effectively zero."
The evacuation had been a remarkable success. Thanks to the Plumbers' extensive personnel roster and Sakaar's relatively modest population—approximately five to six million total residents—the few hundred thousand people living in threatened areas had been relocated to safety with impressive efficiency.
"Excellent work, Nebula," Ben said with genuine appreciation. "Cities can be rebuilt. People cannot be replaced."
"Correction regarding casualties," Azmuth interjected. "The prisoners held within the Totem Tower were not included in evacuation protocols."
Ben paused, a sinking feeling developing in his stomach.
"There were still prisoners in the Tower during the collapse?"
Then memory struck him like a physical blow—Tony Stark.
He covered his face with one hand, electrical energy crackling between his fingers as his enhanced form responded to emotional stress.
Oh no. Please tell me Tony didn't die on my watch.
If Tony Stark had actually perished during Sakaar's crisis, the political ramifications would be considerable. Not because anyone would launch attacks against the Plumbers—few entities in the universe possessed that capability—but because Ben would feel genuinely guilty about it.
Despite their complicated relationship, Tony had been instrumental in providing entertainment through countless movies and stories in Ben's previous life. That personal connection created emotional investment that transcended their current adversarial status.
"I completely forgot about the prisoners," Nebula admitted, turning away with visible embarrassment. "The situation was developing so rapidly that all available personnel were needed for civilian evacuation. The detention facilities weren't part of our emergency protocols."
Her oversight was understandable but unfortunate. Tony wasn't the only prisoner held in the Totem Tower's underground sections. Supergiant, Ronan and his Accuser subordinates, plus various criminals that the Plumbers had apprehended during recent space operations—dozens of entities with varying degrees of power and threat potential.
Ben didn't particularly care about most of them. If they had died, it would simply save resources that could be better allocated elsewhere.
But Tony's survival mattered for multiple reasons.
Ben rushed back to the Totem Tower's ruins, using Feedback's enhanced electrical senses to scan for life signs among the debris. Bioelectrical resonance patterns allowed him to distinguish living organisms from electronic interference, and after several minutes of careful searching, he located a faint but steady signature buried beneath tons of collapsed superstructure.
The rescue operation required delicate work—too much force could destabilize the remaining debris and crush any survivors, while too little would leave them trapped. Ben used precise electrical manipulation to heat and weaken structural supports, allowing gravity to do most of the work as he carefully excavated access routes.
"What happened up there?" Tony asked as Ben finally reached his improvised shelter. "Did someone detonate a nuclear device?"
Despite the circumstances, Stark appeared relatively unharmed. He had reacted quickly when the building began collapsing, sealing himself within his hastily constructed armor. While the suit was primarily an exoskeleton built from salvaged materials, its energy shield had successfully deflected falling debris and provided protection from electrical discharge.
Ironically, Tony hadn't been buried by the Mother of Storms directly, but rather by the battle between Ben and Malekith that had brought down the Tower's upper levels.
"I'll explain later," Ben promised as he helped Tony navigate the unstable rubble. "Right now we need to get you to medical evaluation."
After Tony's extraction, Ben inquired about the other prisoners' status. The news was mixed—more than half had perished in the collapse, including Ronan the Accuser.
But the circumstances of Ronan's death proved particularly interesting.
"He wasn't killed by falling debris," Nebula reported, reviewing the security footage that Azmuth had managed to recover. "With Ronan's enhanced Kree physiology, the building collapse couldn't have harmed him significantly. He actually used the chaos to attempt an escape."
She paused the holographic replay, highlighting a specific sequence. "Unfortunately for him, Supergiant intervened."
The footage showed the telepathic member of the Black Order not fleeing with the other prisoners, but instead using her mental abilities to control and restrain anyone attempting to escape. When Ronan resisted most violently, she had simply killed him with a focused psychic assault.
Ben found Supergiant's behavior puzzling but potentially advantageous. Her abilities were genuinely impressive—easily the most versatile and mysterious of Thanos's former lieutenants. If she could be convinced to abandon her past loyalties, she would immediately qualify for sheriff-level responsibilities within the Plumbers.
When Ben finally met with Supergiant in the temporary detention facility, he was struck by her unusual composure. Her blue-toned skin carried an almost regal quality, and her eyes held the depth of someone who had witnessed space-scale events without being broken by them.
"I don't want freedom," she stated before Ben could make any offers.
Her direct approach was refreshing compared to the usual prisoner negotiations.
"What I want is death," she continued with calm certainty. "My father once promised that if I helped him achieve his great vision, he would grant me the release I sought. He was on the verge of success when you defeated him at the last moment."
Her expression remained neutral, but something like disappointment flickered in her eyes. "Thanos died, but I survived. If you wish to grant me anything, kill me cleanly."
"You could simply commit suicide if death is your goal," Wanda interjected with characteristic bluntness.
She had accompanied Ben to the interview, curious about the motivations of someone willing to prevent prison breaks while remaining captive herself.
"That is not the same thing, witch," Supergiant replied with a slight shake of her head. "Perhaps in your understanding, death is merely death. But for my people, the manner and context of one's ending carries profound significance."
Ben could understand such cultural differences, having encountered similar belief systems throughout his travels. Some Earth religions taught that suicide prevented entry to various afterlives, leading to complex moral frameworks around death and honor. Perhaps Supergiant's species held comparable beliefs about the proper way to achieve whatever spiritual state she sought.
He had no intention of exploring the theological details. If Supergiant genuinely wanted death, he could accommodate that request.
Using Feedback's enhanced lightning manipulation, Ben granted her wish with a single, precisely calibrated electrical discharge. The attack was instantaneous and painless—the psychic energy that comprised her consciousness simply ceased to exist without trauma or suffering.
With the prisoner situation resolved, Ben returned to the evacuation ship to discuss Sakaar's reconstruction with Caiera and the senior staff.
"I've been thinking that our original city planning left much to be desired," Ben mused as he studied holographic layouts of the damaged areas. "Sakaar's cyberpunk aesthetic was visually impressive but functionally backward. This crisis provides an opportunity for comprehensive urban redesign."
Urban planning itself wasn't particularly challenging with their current resources. In the past, Ben would have needed to consult specialists and spend months on environmental studies. Now he could simply delegate the entire project to Azmuth's expanded AI network.
The artificial intelligence had access to urban development knowledge from hundreds of civilizations that had joined the Plumber alliance. The final plans would represent the crystallized wisdom of countless advanced societies, optimized for Sakaar's unique environmental and population requirements.
"What about the damaged natural ecosystem?" Brunnhilde asked, though her tone suggested she hoped Ben would personally handle the restoration work.
The former Valkyrie clearly wanted an excuse to spend more time working alongside him on planetary rehabilitation projects.
"We'll wait for Eunice.'s return," Ben replied. "She has the Reality Stone, which makes large-scale environmental restoration much more practical than manual reforestation efforts."
His AI friend was currently engaged in planetary transformation work elsewhere, but her particle manipulation abilities would make quick work of ecological repair once she became available.
"There's also the matter of assembling a rescue team for Thor," Ben continued, shifting to more immediate tactical concerns.
He explained his suspicions about the Heaven mission, and given Thor's complete communication blackout, it seemed increasingly likely that all four team members had been captured or eliminated.
"Have Loki return immediately—his cover is blown anyway. The rescue mission will be handled by Brunnhilde and Loki working together," he decided.
Caiera nodded and began implementing the new orders through the Plumber communication network.
"Any other immediate priorities?" she asked.
"Contact Beta Ray Bill and have him escort the dwarven craftsmen back to Sakaar. We'll need Korg to take command of the evacuation ship and provide support to various Nine Realms during the general offensive," Ben continued, his tactical mind already planning several moves ahead. "It would be ideal if the dwarves could produce additional artifacts for our forces before the final battle. Also, reach out to Looma and request her immediate return."
Caiera efficiently transmitted each order to the appropriate recipients across multiple star systems.
The responses came quickly. Beta Ray Bill acknowledged his instructions with typical Korbinite efficiency, though Ben could sense underlying concern about the escalating conflict's scope. Leading evacuations rather than participating in direct combat wasn't Bill's preference, but he understood the strategic value of preserving civilian populations.
Loki's response from Vanaheim carried more complexity. Since he had been coordinating with Frigga throughout his supposed conquest, the battle for that realm had been deliberately prolonged and ineffective. Dark Elf forces had sustained heavy casualties while making minimal territorial gains.
Learning that his deception had been exposed, Loki abandoned all pretense and openly allied with Vanir defenders to eliminate the remaining Dark Elf contingent entirely.
"That fool Thor has been deceived again," Loki muttered to himself as he read Ben's message. His brother's trusting nature had been exploited countless times throughout their childhood, and apparently divine maturity hadn't improved his judgment.
"Return quickly—Thor requires your assistance," Frigga urged, appearing beside her adopted son in full golden battle armor. Her noble bearing and determined expression transformed her from queen to warrior as she spoke. "But I never expected that Angela was still alive and imprisoned in Heaven. I will join this rescue mission personally!"
"Of course you will," Loki replied with fond exasperation. "But after we rescue them, I hope you and father will finally tell us exactly how many children you've produced over the millennia."
The number of previously unknown siblings was becoming genuinely concerning.
Plumbers Headquarters - Command Center
"Beta Ray Bill and Loki are already en route," Caiera reported, "but there's been a complication with Princess Looma's mission."
Ben looked up from the reconstruction plans with sudden attention. "What kind of complication?"
"You remember those Ravager mercenaries who were hunting Peter Quill that I mentioned previously?" Caiera began carefully. "Our intelligence network discovered they've been working for an entity called Ego. The Ravager leader, Yondu, has apparently been locating Ego's lost children across the galaxy for years—and then killing them on his orders."
Ben's enhanced electrical field flickered as he processed the implications.
"Peter Quill doesn't know that Ego wants him dead," Caiera continued. "He accepted an invitation to visit Ego's planet, and Ben Sr. discovered the true situation through the Plumber intelligence network."
The tactical picture was becoming clear, and Ben could already predict what had happened next.
"So Mom and Dad decided to intervene and rescue Peter Quill," Ben concluded.
"Princess Looma accompanied them to provide protection," Caiera confirmed. "Normally her strength would ensure their safety, but she may not be able to return quickly given the distances involved."
Ben shook his head grimly. "No—Looma is no match for Ego. This situation is far more dangerous than anyone realized."
The Living Planet represented one of the Celestials' most powerful creations, an entity whose capabilities extended far beyond conventional combat power. If Ben Sr. and May had walked into that situation expecting Princess Looma to handle whatever they encountered, they were catastrophically unprepared.
"I need to go there personally," Ben decided, his voice carrying the electrical resonance of his enhanced form. "Prep a ship for immediate departure."
The general offensive against the Nine Realms would have to proceed without him. His family's safety took precedence over everything else.
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