Bang! Crash! BOOM!
Ben gripped one of Tony Stark's legs, swinging the two-ton armored form around like a child would a stuffed toy. He slammed him into the packed dirt of the arena floor again and again, each impact carving another crater into the ground, sending shockwaves of dust and debris into the air. The exoskeletal armor Tony wore, cobbled together from the Red King's old war machine, was heavier than his own suits, yet in Ben's hands, it felt as light as a rag doll.
After a few more brutal, ground-shaking slams, Ben decided the display had grown tiresome. With a final, contemptuous flick of his wrist, he tossed Tony's body into the deepest of the pits he'd created.
A deep thud echoed through the arena. A plume of thick, gray dust billowed up, and when it cleared, it revealed a figure lying motionless, half-buried in dirt and shattered metal.
Tony lay there, his eyes wide and vacant, staring blankly up at the alien sky. He seemed to see nothing at all. His hands were crossed placidly over his abdomen, a portrait of serene finality, as if he had passed away peacefully in his sleep. The only sign of life was a faint, whimpering sound that escaped his lips—the aggrieved, defeated sob of a child.
In truth, Tony was far from dead; he wasn't even seriously injured. The armor's protective systems had kicked in, absorbing the worst of the kinetic force. But the chasm of power between them was so vast, so absolute, that the very will to resist had been scoured from his soul. The suit he had poured a week of frantic genius into, the unstable Extremis virus that had pushed his body to superhuman limits—all of it meant nothing in the face of Ben's casual, overwhelming strength. He had been beaten like a child. What was the point of fighting back?
The armor, so painstakingly repaired, was now spiderwebbed with fresh cracks, threatening to fall apart at any moment. He couldn't win the fight. He couldn't win the argument.
Forget it, Tony thought, a wave of pure apathy washing over him. Whatever happens, happens. He let his head loll back, resigning himself to his fate.
Ben, however, frowned, looking down at his own clenched fist with a critical eye.
The power output is a perfect match for Four Arms, he analyzed, but… the execution is flawed. Because my body structure is different, lacking the second pair of arms, many of the combat techniques ingrained in the Tetramand DNA are useless to me. And while the strength of a single arm is a powerful fusion of Four Arms and my own spider-enhancements, the overall combat effectiveness is actually weaker.
It was a logical conclusion. The synergistic power generated by four limbs working in concert far exceeded the sum of their individual parts. This new Genetic Overlay function, while revolutionary, still had its limitations. Even if he could borrow the abilities of any species, fundamental differences in biology would inevitably dilute their full potential.
If I fused with the Atlas template, it would probably be a better fit, he mused. The Eternal DNA was not only stronger than a Tetramand's, but the species also had a bipedal, two-armed structure identical to a human's. Though their natural fighting style was a bit… direct, Ben was more than capable of learning advanced martial arts to compensate.
Glancing down at Tony, who was still playing dead in the crater, Ben decided the experiment was concluded for now. He looked up at the announcer, who took the cue instantly and declared that Tony Stark's championship challenge had ended in failure.
And so, the long-awaited match concluded with an abrupt, anticlimactic whimper. It wasn't exciting, and it certainly wasn't bloody, as Tony had survived. Yet, the crowd was more than satisfied. How could they complain? They had witnessed a rare appearance from their King, Ben himself. For the people of Sakaar, just seeing him was a monumental event. As for Tony Stark losing so pathetically? Well, that was only to be expected.
"Seriously, Ben, you can't just stand by and watch Earth die, can you?"
Having soaked in a nutrient-rich recovery pool for a while, Tony was re-energized, his despair giving way to a frantic urgency. To be honest, the moment he saw Ben, a huge weight had lifted from his shoulders. Even though he'd been humiliated in the ring, he didn't care. He hadn't come all this way to win a gladiator match. He had come to beg for help. And despite Ben's cold words during their "fight," Tony refused to believe he would truly abandon the planet.
"Don't forget Peter! He's still on Earth! And your family, your friends… can you really just leave them to Ultron?"
"I can rescue them myself," Ben stated flatly. His words weren't just for Tony; they were a message broadcast to the entire world. The Plumbers could ignore Earth. They had acted as its guardians, but they were under no obligation to be its selfless saviors. Do you want the protection of the Plumbers? Then you must accept our authority. This was the question now facing every leader on Earth. He found their hypocrisy nauseating—they treated him with suspicion and arrogance, hoping he'd stay away, but the moment a real crisis hit, they came crawling, demanding selfless contributions.
Even if Ben was an Earthling, he could simply evacuate everyone he cared about. Sakaar was a much bigger, safer home than Earth could ever be. If humanity wanted the Plumbers' help, they would have to submit to their rule. He wasn't interested in their grubby politics; this was simply a warning to the planet's disgusting politicians. Don't cross the Plumbers. Otherwise, the thunder of Sakaar would fall upon their heads, and it would be a storm they could not weather.
"Look, Tony, this isn't my call to make alone," Ben said, softening his tone slightly. "The Plumbers had a branch on Earth, remember? But you—and others—decided you didn't need 'aliens' and went off to build Ultron. Frankly, the council was ready to write Earth off entirely. It was only because of me…"
He let the sentence hang, letting Tony connect the dots. Ben had a great deal of influence.
Tony, of course, bit the hook. "You're Earth Base Commander of the Plumbers! Can't you make them change their minds? If you're willing to speak to King Sakaar, maybe he'll listen. Right now, besides the Plumbers, no one can stop Ultron!" he pleaded. "If Ultron wipes out humanity, do you really think it will just stop there? Or will it spread its twisted ideology across the entire universe?"
"Of course I can talk to him…" Ben said with a lazy smile. "But why should I clean up your mess?"
He leaned forward. "I seem to recall someone calling me an 'outsider.'"
You little brat, you really hold a grudge! Tony thought, but a flicker of relief ignited within him. If Ben was willing to joke about it, it meant there was a chance. The only question was the price.
"As long as Earth is safe, you can have the entire Stark Group!" Tony said, the words heavy in his mouth. It was a difficult offer, not because he was attached to the money, but because the company was his father's legacy—one of the last frayed connections to the old man with whom he'd been at odds for so long.
Ben just rolled his eyes. "Do I look like someone who's short on money?"
He almost laughed at the offer. He didn't just look down on Stark Industries' wealth; he found it utterly insignificant. The Plumbers already controlled a vast star system, with the value of a single planet dwarfing that of an entire nation. On Earth alone, Ben's personal wealth was incalculable. Besides Primus, he controlled the massive anti-metal vibranium mines of Antarctica. His personal fortune was comparable to that of Wakanda. Placed next to Ben's total assets, the mighty Stark Group was little more than a shell company.
Tony choked, his grand gesture rendered worthless. "If not money, then what do you want?" he stammered, running a hand through his messy hair. "I'm so poor all I have is money!" he blurted out, uttering a phrase that would have made every working-class person on Earth want to strangle him. "You don't want my skills, do you? Come on, forget the Plumbers, even Primus's tech is more advanced than mine… except for Ultron."
Tony truly felt he had nothing left to offer. Only his AI had been a creation that transcended the times, but if Ultron were the solution, he wouldn't be here, humbling himself before Ben.
"Actually, Ultron is outdated, too," Ben said, ruthlessly shattering the last shard of Tony's pride.
"That's impossible!" Tony retorted, his voice cracking. "Ultron may have gone crooked, but it's undoubtedly my greatest creation! There is no artificial intelligence in this world that can surpass it!" He refused to believe it, convinced that not even the Kree Supreme Intelligence Ben had once mentioned could hold a candle to his AI.
Ben always preferred to argue with facts. He snapped his fingers. "Eunice."
A moment later, a holographic projection of a beautiful, blonde young woman materialized before Tony. In a matter of seconds, she elegantly and irrefutably demonstrated her vast superiority to Ultron in every conceivable metric.
"She's not just an AI," Ben added casually. "Eunice is a true, thinking lifeform." He gave Tony a pointed look.
Tony was utterly defeated. He slumped to the floor, staring at Ben as if he were looking at the devil himself. "What else could you possibly want from me?" he whispered.
His entire life, his entire identity, had been one colossal setback since Ben Parker entered the picture. His so-called genius was a ridiculous joke. His intelligence was nothing compared to Ben's. While he was dying from palladium poisoning, Ben had already discovered a new element. While he was still tinkering with his early Mark armors, Ben was already fielding energy shields, anti-gravity systems, and healing syringe. His groundbreaking armor felt less like advanced technology and more like a rusty tricycle in the age of starships.
And now, this. He had been so proud of creating a true AI, believing he had reached the apex of that field of science. But Ben had immediately produced the upgraded, living Eunice.
Damn it! Tony's mind screamed. Is there anything you can't do? Why does the world need a Tony Stark when it already has a Ben Parker?
"Ben… what do you want?" he asked, his voice barely a croak. "What else can I possibly give you?"
Ben arched an eyebrow, his expression shifting into one of theatrical contemplation. "I understand. Tony, you did a big business, you made a good living. You thought you were a genius inventor who could protect the world with your little robot army. You didn't need a friend like me. You said I was an 'outsider.' But now you come to me and you say, 'Ben, help me kill Ultron.'"
He leaned in, his voice a low, mocking purr. "But you don't ask with respect. You wave your stinking money around and tell me what to do. You don't offer friendship."
Tony blinked. "? ? ?" No, buddy, are you serious? Just as he was about to protest, Ben continued.
"You want my help? It's simple. First, all your assets are forfeit. They will be used to create a reparations fund for everyone who was harmed by you and your creation."
"No problem," Tony nodded immediately. He didn't care about the money. He could always make more.
"Second," Ben said, a wicked grin spreading across his face. "From this day forward, whenever you see me, you will call me 'Brother Ben.'"
"What?" Tony's eyes widened in disbelief. "Ben, do you have any idea how much older I am than you? Your dad is practically my age!"
"Hmm?" Ben cupped a hand to his ear, looking at him sideways. "What was that you called me?"
"… Brother… Ben," Tony ground out, swallowing his pride.
"And third," Ben continued, clearly enjoying himself. "Right now, you are going to shout: 'Tony Stark is a big idiot with an IQ lower than an elementary school student. Compared to Brother Ben, he is like an uncivilized gorilla.'"
"Hey, don't push it, Parker!" Tony shot to his feet, his face red with fury. "I will not admit you're smarter than me!"
"What did you call me?"
"Ben… Brother Ben…" Tony nearly choked on the words, his face turning a shade of purple. He glanced around. He was trapped. He had to compromise. "Okay, fine! I admit I'm not as smart as you! But only by a little bit!"
Ben just smiled, saying nothing.
"You…!" Tony trembled with rage. Forget it, he thought desperately. No one else is here. I'll just shout it and deny it ever happened later!
He took a deep, shuddering breath and yelled, "I, Tony Stark, am a big idiot with an IQ lower than that of an elementary school student! Compared to Brother Ben, I am like an uncivilized gorilla! There! Are you happy?"
"No problem, gorilla," Ben replied, hopping down from the window ledge and turning to leave.
Seeing this, Tony scrambled to follow, his face alight with excitement. "Where are we going? To see King Sakaar? Then back to Earth to kill that rebellious son, Ultron?" He was ready for a fight.
Ben stopped him with an outstretched hand. "Why are you following me?"
"You don't need to go."
"You're still a prisoner, Tony. You'll stay here, in the Sakaar Arena. Oh, and by the way, since you lost the championship challenge, you're going back to the basement. You can sleep on the floor."
With a final, dismissive gesture, Ben kicked him back into the room, slamming the door on his face and leaving him alone with his shattered hope.
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