"Infinity Stones cannot remain in proximity for extended periods," Gamora stated with grave certainty, her voice carrying the weight of hard-earned wisdom. "Prolonged contact between multiple Stones leads to catastrophic resonance cascade failure."
She paused, listening to the psychic whispers that only she could hear. "That's what my father told me, and it's what we learned directly from the Soul Stone's accumulated knowledge."
Nebula turned sharply toward Ben, her expression serious. "He never lies about universe principles," she confirmed. "Whatever else Thanos might have been, he understood the fundamental laws governing universal forces better than almost anyone."
Within Gamora's mind, Thanos's spectral form nodded approvingly at his daughter's acknowledgment. "This restriction was established by entities far beyond our comprehension," he explained in his characteristic measured tone. "When six Infinity Stones converge, the resulting interaction can only produce destruction—either of the surrounding reality or of the Stones themselves."
Gamora dutifully repeated his words, though speaking on behalf of her tormentor clearly left her uncomfortable.
"In that case, separation seems like the obvious solution," Ben replied with a casual shrug. "The four Stones currently under Plumber control aren't stored together anyway. The Mind Stone remains integrated with Eunice, the Power Stone is secured in Sakaar's vault system, and the Time Stone is mystically sealed within Kamar-Taj's dimensional barriers. I only carry the Space Stone when specific applications require it."
But Gamora continued shaking her head, her green skin pale with anxiety. "That's still not safe enough. If something compromised your organization's security, an enemy could potentially acquire all the Stones simultaneously. Besides," she gestured at the crimson energy flowing around her body, "the Reality Stone has achieved cellular integration with my physiology. Separation might not even be possible."
"Asgardian mystical techniques could handle the extraction process," Nebula suggested pragmatically. "We have access to magical resources now."
"You're being naive, sister," Gamora replied with bitter laughter. "Do you think our father would simply allow that to happen? Don't forget—he also possesses considerable magical knowledge and power. He's already demonstrated his ability to resist mystical interference."
The Collector, who had been following this conversation with growing excitement, finally interjected by raising a single finger to capture everyone's attention. "I feel compelled to clarify the current situation. Miss Requiem has already transferred ownership of the Reality Stone to my collection. In exchange, I've agreed to provide specialized assistance in resolving her... paternal haunting issue."
"Is that actually true?" Nebula demanded, glaring accusingly at her sister.
"Why else would I seek him out?" Gamora replied with a defensive shrug. "But once the soul contamination problem is resolved, I'm willing to transfer the Soul Stone to you."
The proposal represented a reasonable compromise from Gamora's perspective. While she still believed the Plumbers had acquired too many Stones for optimal safety, the alternative—allowing her psychological deterioration to continue—was unacceptable. She'd already noticed subtle changes in her thought patterns, whispers of suggestion that sounded suspiciously like her adoptive father's strategic philosophy.
The temptation to gather all six Stones and reshape reality was growing stronger each day. The power to restore her murdered homeworld, to undo the countless genocides Thanos had committed across the galaxy... such possibilities were becoming increasingly difficult to resist.
What Gamora didn't realize was that Ben could potentially accomplish similar goals through entirely different methods. While he couldn't resurrect the genuinely dead, his Omnitrix contained enough genetic information to recreate entire extinct species. Gamora's own DNA carried the complete genetic template of her people—with sufficient biological material and the right technological applications, restoring the Zen-Whoberi civilization might not require Infinity Stone intervention at all.
"You should have asked for my help first," Nebula said, her voice carrying hurt along with irritation. "Not made deals with random collectors!"
"Random?" Tivan protested, clearly offended by the characterization. "I'll have you know I've been facilitating space commerce for millennia!"
Gamora's expression grew apologetic, vulnerability showing through her usual stoic facade. "I didn't want you to see me in such a compromised state. The psychological degradation has been... humiliating."
The relationship between the two adopted sisters remained complex, layered with years of forced competition, genuine affection, and shared trauma. Neither had developed healthy emotional communication skills during their upbringing under Thanos's abusive training regimen.
"Trading Stones for Stones seems reasonable enough," Ben interjected, trying to redirect the conversation toward practical solutions. "I don't actually need to possess every Infinity Stone personally—they're tools, not trophies. I just require access when specific situations demand their power."
The Collector blinked in confusion, clearly misunderstanding Ben's intent. "My dear Big Chill, while I appreciate your enthusiasm for becoming part of my collection, even ten million specimens of your caliber wouldn't approach the value of a single Infinity Stone. You'd need to significantly increase your offer!"
Ben resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the Elder's mercenary instincts. "I'm suggesting Stone-for-Stone exchange, not specimen acquisition. Here's the proposal: you temporarily hold the Reality Stone while I borrow the Soul Stone for immediate applications. Once I've completed my objectives, we reverse the arrangement."
His plan was straightforward—use the Soul Stone to heal the spiritual damage Corvus Glaive's weapon had inflicted on Looma during their battle on Jotunheim. While her physical injuries had healed, the weapon's soul-cutting properties had left lingering effects that conventional medicine couldn't address.
As for the Reality Stone, leaving it with the Collector temporarily served multiple purposes. Malekith wouldn't be able to track it to the Plumbers, and Tivan's security systems were reportedly among the galaxy's most sophisticated.
The Collector pressed a finger to the vertical blue stripe decorating his lower lip, a gesture that apparently helped him think through complex negotiations. "Stone-for-Stone exchange appears equitable on the surface," he mused, "but upon reflection, this arrangement essentially makes me a storage facility for your organization. I gain no net increase in my collection's value."
"You're not losing anything either," Eunice pointed out logically. "At least one of the two Stones remains in your possession permanently."
"True, but if I must possess one Infinity Stone regardless, why should I care which specific Stone it is? Both are equally priceless space artifacts. The Soul Stone isn't inherently more valuable than the Reality Stone." Despite his words, the Collector's expression betrayed eager anticipation, his gaze fixed hungrily on Ben's disguised form.
Even someone with minimal social intelligence could read his transparent desire for additional compensation.
Ben sighed internally. Meeting such a shameless negotiator was exhausting, but he preferred avoiding unnecessary conflict. The Elders of the Universe possessed irritating immortality traits, and they maintained surprisingly good relationships with each other despite their individual eccentricities. Creating enemies in that demographic seemed strategically unwise.
"In that case, let's expand the scope of our arrangement," Ben proposed, a new idea forming. "What collectors truly value are unique specimens, correct? Rarity trumps raw power in most cases."
He gestured toward his own form. "You're interested in my genetics, but you don't necessarily need me personally. Suppose I could provide you with my genetic material, plus several other races that literally don't exist anywhere in this universe? With your cloning technology, you could culture entire populations of genuinely unprecedented specimens."
The Collector's eyes widened with genuine excitement. "You're claiming to possess genetic templates for species completely unknown to this reality?"
"Multiple species," Ben confirmed. "In exchange, I'd want access to genetic samples from various specimens in your collection—not the specimens themselves, just biological material for analysis."
This represented a fundamentally different type of trade than the Stone exchange. While Infinity Stones possessed roughly equivalent space value, genetic material could range from worthless to priceless depending on its rarity and applications. If Ben truly possessed DNA from non-native species, those samples would be beyond valuable—they'd be literally unique in the universe.
Better yet, the trade wouldn't diminish Tivan's collection in any way. He'd be trading copies for originals, gaining exclusive specimens while retaining everything he already possessed.
"A bargain!" the Collector declared without hesitation. "We can begin immediately!"
But before anyone could respond to his enthusiasm, the world exploded around them.
BOOM!!!
Superheated flames erupted through the chamber wall like dragon's breath, the blast wave shattering hundreds of display cases in crystalline cascades. Priceless specimens scattered across the floor as heat waves and shock effects reduced a significant section of the repository to smoking ruins.
Ben could feel the Collector's breathing stop for three full seconds as the destruction registered. Then the Elder's fury erupted with volcanic intensity.
"WHO DARES DESTROY MY COLLECTION?!"
The smoke was too thick to reveal the attacker's identity, but Ben's enhanced senses detected rapid movement through the chaos. A crimson blur streaked between the remaining display cases, moving with predatory grace toward their group. In the span of a heartbeat, a skeletal canine form burst from the smoke clouds, jaws gaping as it targeted Ben's throat with lethal precision.
Nebula was still processing the attack when the creature's fangs pierced Ben's neck—and passed harmlessly through his intangible form. The beast's momentum carried it past its target, sending it tumbling into another row of collectibles with bone-jarring force.
The Collector's anguish intensified as more specimens shattered.
The crimson hound recovered quickly, claws scraping against the metal flooring as it regained its footing. Ben had already turned to face the threat, the blue glow of his eyes visible through his shadowy hood.
He opened his mouth and released a torrent of sub-zero air, the temperature differential with the superheated chamber creating an instant ice age throughout the repository. Most of the remaining collection froze solid within seconds, though Ben's spider-sense continued warning him that the danger hadn't passed.
Red light pulsed within the ice as the draconic creature's body temperature spiked dramatically. Then the frozen water exploded into superheated steam as Jörmungandr broke free, preparing for another assault.
But the fire dragon's attack had been a distraction—the real threat was already in motion.
Through the concealing steam clouds, a tall figure moved with assassin's grace. Khyber the Huntsman crouched low, using his considerable height and agility to approach Ben's position undetected. His right hand drew a dark-metal dagger from his thigh sheath, the blade angled toward Ben's chest like a striking serpent.
The bounty hunter had studied Ben's capabilities extensively through Vilgax's intelligence reports. He knew the Big Chill transformation specialized in cryokinetic attacks and dimensional phasing. He also knew that high-temperature steam would obscure vision and mask his approach, while the fire dragon's aggressive assault would focus Ben's attention elsewhere.
As Ben raised his arms to defend against Jörmungandr's renewed charge, Khyber smiled with predatory satisfaction. Victory was within reach.
But instead of connecting with his target, the hunter's blade met unexpected resistance as a feminine figure interposed herself between them. The metallic ring of weapon meeting armor echoed through the chamber as Eunice caught the dagger's edge in her bare hand, then delivered a devastating kick to Khyber's head that sent him staggering backward several meters.
Eunice examined her palm with surprise, noting the shallow cut Khyber's weapon had managed to inflict despite her vibranium-enhanced construction. "Impressive. What kind of metal can damage my body?"
"Who are you?" Khyber demanded, his tactical assessment shifting to account for this unexpected variable. "How did you detect my approach? I adjusted my body temperature to match the ambient environment—thermal camouflage should have been perfect."
"I can hear your thoughts," Eunice replied, pressing her fingertips to her temple in a gesture that emphasized her telepathic capabilities. "Mental stealth is considerably more difficult than thermal concealment."
Meanwhile, Ben had successfully evaded Jörmungandr's second attack and identified the mastermind behind the assault. After encountering Vilgax on Morag, he'd suspected other threats from Ben 10's universe might eventually surface. Khyber's appearance confirmed that pattern was accelerating.
He couldn't help wondering what other enemies might be preparing to emerge. Would the Highbreed follow? Aggregor? Charmcaster? The possibilities were both numerous and concerning.
"Quite an impressive collection you've assembled here," Khyber commented, his gaze sweeping across the repository's countless specimens before settling on Gamora and the Reality Stone energy surrounding her. "I heard mention of something called an 'Infinity Stone'—that sounds valuable enough to be worth collecting."
He shifted into an attack stance, the dark-matter dagger gleaming with malevolent purpose.
"Be careful with that blade," the Collector warned, though his eyes gleamed with obvious desire for the weapon. "It appears to be constructed from dark matter—incredibly rare and extremely dangerous."
Another item for his wish list, clearly.
"Dark matter explains how you penetrated my defenses," Eunice observed as the cut on her palm sealed itself with visible regeneration. The Extremis virus's healing factor operated even faster than Ben's enhanced recovery serum. "But you'll find that technique has limited applications against adaptive opponents."
Ben remembered Khyber's traditional equipment from his original universe—a bone dagger and a blue-furred alien hound named Zed. The red-scaled dragon and dark-matter weapon represented significant upgrades, probably acquired during his dimensional transition or through his alliance with Vilgax.
Notably absent was the Nemetrix device that had allowed Khyber's pets to transform into Omnitrix predator species. Without that technological advantage, the hunter was operating with significantly reduced capabilities.
"Nebula, protect Gamora," Ben ordered, spreading his wings as he prepared to engage the intruder directly. If Khyber had followed him across dimensional barriers seeking the Omnitrix, this confrontation was inevitable. Better to end the threat quickly and decisively.
"The Omnitrix!" Khyber's excitement was palpable as he spotted the device's distinctive silhouette beneath Ben's transformation. "Even more valuable than I hoped!"
Both combatants charged simultaneously, while Jörmungandr prepared to support his master's assault.
But before the dragon could launch itself at Ben, concentrated energy beams erupted from Eunice's eyes, striking the creature mid-leap and sending it tumbling across the chamber floor.
"Don't fight in here!" the Collector pleaded desperately as more of his precious specimens faced destruction.
Eunice shared his concern—not for sentimental reasons, but because she'd heard Ben's proposed trade arrangement. Every destroyed specimen represented potential genetic material that wouldn't be available for future Primus integration. The loss would be strategically significant.
Her internal temperature began climbing rapidly as she channeled the Extremis virus's energy reserves. Her vibranium body slowly shifted from silver to cherry-red as the heat built toward dangerous levels. When she unleashed her optical blast, the attack resembled Superman's heat vision amplified to devastating intensity.
The beam struck Jörmungandr's abdomen with tremendous force, launching the fire dragon completely out of the chamber and into the repository's outer corridors.
Unlike the Mind Stone's more exotic energies, this was pure Extremis power—biological enhancement pushed far beyond normal human limitations. Eunice's vibranium construction allowed her to withstand internal temperatures that would incinerate organic tissue, enabling energy output that exceeded most technological weapons.
"Hmm. High-temperature attacks don't seem particularly effective against that creature," she noted analytically as Jörmungandr's roars echoed from the distance. "Its physiology appears adapted for extreme thermal environments."