Underground Nexus – Moments After the Blast
The world went white.
Scorch's vision registered nothing but searing light. Her body spun end over end as molten crystal and steam whipped around her. The shockwave ripped through the chamber like a hurricane, tearing at her armor and slamming her into the stone floor. Pain bloomed across her limbs, but she forced herself upward, claws scraping the ground.
Beside her, Waterdrop was shredded apart in a cascade of glistening droplets—each fragment of his form hurtling outward. For a heartbeat, each droplet reflected the explosion's light, painting fractured rainbows on the walls. Then, as if drawn by an unseen will, the droplets coalesced, reassembling Hikaru's form in a protective sphere of water. He coughed, water sloshing off his back.
"Scorch!" his voice rippled through the water barrier. "You okay?"
Scorch coughed, raising a claw to her mouth. "Yeah..." Her pink armor was scorched, one forearm bent at an odd angle. "Let's move."
In the blinding aftermath, the Heatblast form of Ben Tennyson loomed like a living torch. Flames still danced across his skin, and his eyes glowed molten gold. He staggered, one hand outstretched, the other pressed to the numb side of his face where the blast had grazed him. The Omnitrix timer glowed—1:47—warning him that this form would expire soon.
"Ben!" Scorch yelled over the roar. "We've got to get out before this place collapses!"
Heatblast nodded, fire sputtering from his wrists. "On it!" He clenched both fists, sending a wall of flame down the tunnel to clear debris. "Everyone, follow me!"
Tunnel Collapse
They sprinted through the corridor, the ground trembling beneath every step. The walls cracked, sending ribbons of steam and sparks into the air. Conduits burst, showering them with scalding water. Scorch used her kinetic charge to prop herself against the wall whenever the tremors jolted her off-balance. Waterdrop melted into his fluid form, coating the rocky floor to cushion falling debris—but then recoalesced instantly whenever a ledge crumbled.
Heatblast's flames carved a glowing path, but each blast weakened the old concrete. Tunnels began to buckle, and the ceiling groaned ominously.
"Left!" Heatblast shouted, veering down a side shaft marked with faded Plumber sigils.
They reached a low archway that led deeper into a service conduit. As they passed, a massive chunk of ceiling gave way, crashing behind them with bone-shaking thunder.
Scorch exhaled a fracture of kinetic energy that crackled around her claws. "That was too close."
Hikaru's voice came from within his watery form. "We've lost the nexus, but I can't detect Sharim's energy signature anymore. He might've—"
A final boom reverberated down the tunnel. The damp walls buckled, and the service conduit began collapsing as well.
Heatblast tapped the Omnitrix. The timer blinked—0:12.
"Time's up!" he growled. Flames collapsed into his human form as Ben fell to one knee. He gasped for air, sweat and soot mingling on his face. "Move! Move!"
Scorch grabbed his arm and pulled him forward while Hikaru emerged from his watery cocoon, then solidified behind them. Together, they hauled Ben along as the tunnel behind them crumbled into rubble.
Service Conduit Exit – 1:25 P.M.
They burst into a maintenance alcove lit by a single flickering bulb. The fresh air was thin, but it tasted like salvation. Scorch leaned against the wall, breathing hard. Ben collapsed to the ground, staring at the ceiling as his human form reasserted itself.
"Is… is everyone alive?" he panted.
Hikaru threw off his Elementatrix glove and shook out his fingers. "We all are. But that was too close. And Sharim… he's gone."
Scorch's eyes were hard. "Gone or deeper into the labyrinth. We have to find him."
Ben sat up, rubbing his shoulder. "He could be anywhere underground by now. The nexus blast might've tunneled him through solid rock."
Hikaru nodded. "I can trace residual kinetic fluctuations—if he's still tapping his speed mutation, I might pick up a trail."
Scorch touched the tempo-loop at her wrist, which was still faintly glowing. "He won't last long without releasing more energy. We have to hurry."
Old Plumber Outpost – Passageway
They climbed a rusted ladder out of the service alcove and found themselves in a forgotten Plumber outpost—corridors lined with ancient lockers and dusty file cabinets. Maps of Earth's underground grids hung framed on the walls, now stained by decades of moisture.
Ben shook his head. "I didn't know the Plumbers had bases under the city."
Scorch's tone was clipped. "Most have been decommissioned for years. This one was kept as a last-resort safe haven."
Hikaru studied a fractured map. "If we follow this supply shaft past the hydroelectric pump station… it leads to the flooding tunnels beneath the bay."
Ben's face darkened. "That's where he could cause the worst damage. If he overloads a flooding turbine with his kinetic pulse…"
Scorch silenced him with a glance. "Then we stop him before he reaches it."
They moved forward, but Ben hesitated at a locker marked BIOSECURE. His eyes darted.
"Guys... what if we find more Plumber tech down here? Weapons? Restraints?"
Hikaru shrugged. "Possibly. But I'm not sure how effective an alien-resistant net would be against someone who can phase through steel."
Ben winced. "Yeah… good point."
Flood Tunnel Entrance – 1:52 P.M.
They reached a heavy steel hatch fitted with a hydraulic pump. Hikaru switched to Waterdrop—his fluid form shimmering.
"Let me handle this," he said, melting through the hatch's seams.
The others watched as the wall dripped and reformed, leaving a three-meter-wide opening. Beyond lay a cavernous tunnel, half-flooded by seawater. Pipes groaned overhead, and the distant hum of turbines echoed like a heartbeat.
Scorch readied herself. "Stay close. He might be anywhere in here."
Ben grinned despite himself. "Underwater chase? Sounds fun."
Hikaru's watery form paused at the tunnel's edge. "I'll scout ahead. If he's here, I'll find him."
He flowed forward, translucent limbs drifting through the water. Scorch and Ben followed as far as the knee-deep waterline, the cold biting through Scorch's armor and Ben's shirt alike.
Flood Tunnel Depths – 2:10 P.M.
The tunnel stretched on, lit by emergency lights that flickered intermittently. Waterdrop's fluid arms tapped the walls, sending ripples of sonar-like pulses. Every so often, he paused.
"There," Hikaru whispered in his own voice—despite being Waterdrop—pointing to a section of wall. The tiles had been scorched, and the water around it shimmered with unstable heat.
Scorch's claws sparked. "Fresh trail. He's coming."
Ben cracked his knuckles. "Then let's greet our favorite speed demon."
They pressed on, and ahead, in the glow of a failed floodlight, they saw the silhouette of Sharim. He stood on a raised platform, the seawater lapping at his knees. His form was still mutated: bone-spikes, twisted limbs, and the tempo-loop glowing weakly on his wrist.
He stared at them with hollow eyes.
Scorch's heart clenched. "Sharim... we're here."
He didn't move.
"Hikaru," Ben whispered, "Heatblast—"
The Omnitrix glowed faintly green, then again black with orange—mimicking the Elementatrix's glyph.
Ben shook his head. "Not now." He turned to Scorch. "We need to talk to him one last time."
Scorch stepped forward, water dripping from her fur-like head crest. "Sharim. Please. This—" she gestured to the cavern, the turbines, the tunnels "—this is your home. But it's tearing you apart. You don't have to be alone in this."
He lifted a clawed hand, but didn't lunge. Instead, he whispered:
"He told me to leave... to save them..."
Scorch nodded. "He being me? Or someone else?"
Sharim's eyes flickered blue. "Both."
Hikaru—still fluid—pressed forward. "You're running out of time. That tempo-loop is fading. We can treat you, stabilize you... but you have to come with us."
Sharim shook his head. "No more running. No more promises."
He darted forward—too fast to track. In a blur, he phased through Scorch's arm, reformed behind Ben, and struck the steel railing. The impact sent a shockwave through the tunnel; water surged up around them, drenching everyone.
Ben stumbled, arms spread. "That was low, buddy."
Scorch roared and lunged, but Sharim phased again, skipping through the tunnel walls. The sound of metal tearing followed him like a train.
Overhead, the turbines groaned louder. The floodgate behind them began to close automatically.
Hikaru formed a wall of water to hold back the rising tide. Scorch grabbed Ben's shoulder.
"We can't stay—this place is locking down."
Ben nodded, jaw set. "We chase—no stopping."
They sprinted after Sharim, splashing through the knee-deep water, the closing floodgate echoing behind them like a ticking clock.
Far ahead, the silhouette of a twisted, broken speedster glowed just out of reach—leading them deeper into the submerged darkness.