The three heroes positioned themselves in defensive formation as they studied the newly materialized space-time portal with obvious wariness and growing tension.
In the next moment, a slender figure emerged from the dimensional gateway with predatory grace. He wore an expensive tailored coat that flowed around his lean frame like liquid shadow, and his distinctive hair was arranged in a precise "M" formation with every strand meticulously combed back behind his head. His gaunt features were set in an expression of cold calculation that suggested centuries of practiced cruelty.
"Is this the universe that metalman was describing?" Morlun mused aloud as he surveyed his surroundings with obvious disappointment.
"It doesn't appear particularly impressive."
The Inheritor's pale eyes swept across the futuristic cityscape before settling on Peter Parker with the focused attention of an apex predator who had just identified his next meal. There was something in that gaze that made every instinct Peter possessed scream warnings about imminent danger.
Time reverses to several hours earlier.
Inheritor Family Stronghold
The members of the Inheritor family had gathered around an ornate dining table in their opulent fortress, each dressed in formal attire that seemed more appropriate for a corporate board meeting than a family of interdimensional predators. They sat with practiced elegance while observing a black holographic projection that flickered before them, the mechanical form of Maltruant, who had recently departed from the Time Variance Authority after freezing its operations.
At this moment, Solus, the patriarch of the Inheritor dynasty and father to all the space vampires, set down the silver knife and fork he had been using to consume his meal. He reached for a pristine white napkin to wipe away the crimson stains from the corners of his mouth, then pushed aside the bone china plate that contained the partially consumed remains of an unidentified Spider-totem from somewhere in the infinite multiverse.
Generally speaking, the Inheritors only needed physical contact with animal totem bearers to drain their life essence completely. But consuming the actual flesh and blood of their victims represented a form of recreational indulgence, similar to how humans might choose gourmet cuisine over efficient nutrient paste for the pure enjoyment of flavor and texture.
"You claim to desire cooperation with our family?" Solus inquired with ice-cold formality, his ancient eyes studying Maltruant's mechanical form. "What exactly can you offer us that we cannot simply take?"
The other family members maintained equally frigid expressions, their hands positioned near their respective weapons and ready to abandon diplomacy in favor of violence at the slightest provocation.
Prior to this carefully orchestrated negotiation, the two parties had already engaged in preliminary combat, and the results had been devastatingly clear. Every member of the Inheritor family had proven completely helpless against Maltruant's mastery over temporal manipulation.
Maltruant possessed only two significant weaknesses in combat: first, his bulky mechanical form moved with ponderous slowness; and second, his temporal abilities required tremendous energy expenditure that could leave him vulnerable after extended use. However, his time spent within the Time Variance Authority had granted him access to deeper layers of chronological power that had largely compensated for these limitations.
Within the TVA's facilities, Maltruant had interfaced with space-level temporal forces that had dramatically enhanced his capabilities. In fact, even during this conversation, he was secretly drawing power from multiple multiverse timelines while positioning himself to claim the throne of temporal supremacy.
Maltruant's overwhelming strength served as the foundation that made this diplomatic dialogue possible rather than an immediate massacre.
"I am familiar with your reputations," Maltruant began with calculated flattery, understanding that building rapport was essential for successful manipulation. "The Inheritors of All Things, the Great Hunters, the Slayers of Multiversal Spider-totems..."
Before he could complete his praise, several family members visibly relaxed their threatening postures, particularly the towering figure of Daemos, who preened under the recognition.
However, both Solus and Morlun maintained their suspicious expressions, watching with cold calculation to determine what this mechanical entity actually wanted and what price they would be expected to pay.
As the family patriarch and eldest son respectively, Solus and Morlun possessed far more sophisticated tactical thinking than their siblings. Anyone could offer meaningless compliments, but what mattered were Maltruant's true objectives, his available resources, and the cost of cooperation.
"I understand that your family systematically hunts Spider-totems throughout the multiverse..." Maltruant continued with mechanical precision.
"Obviously," Daemos interrupted with obvious pride, rising from his seat to gesture dramatically toward the wall behind them.
The surface was decorated with dozens of desiccated Spider-Man heads that had been preserved as trophies, arranged in neat rows like some macabre museum display.
His sister Bora regarded him with visible disgust but refrained from commentary. The other family members remained silent until Morlun spoke with characteristic directness.
"Hunting Spider-totems? We're capable of far more than such limited objectives!"
Daemos glared at his brother with mounting irritation. He had grown thoroughly tired of Morlun's constant attempts to overshadow him. Whenever important family business arose, their father invariably spoke the name "Morlun" as if the rest of them were merely decorative accessories rather than capable warriors.
Maltruant showed no frustration at the interruption. Instead, he smoothly followed Morlun's lead and produced a hexagonal black object that he slid across the blood-stained dining table until it came to rest directly in front of Solus.
Every family member's attention immediately focused on the device, observing the bright red fang-shaped pattern carved into its dark surface, a design that resembled an ancient hunter's totem.
"This contains... the power of countless totems!" Solus breathed with sudden intensity.
At this revelation, none of the Inheritor family members could maintain their composed facades. They rose from their seats in unison, staring at the Nemetrix with wide eyes filled with hunger and desperate longing.
The small device actually contained the essence of millions of animal totems!
The Inheritors themselves were technically totem bearers, but they represented the lowest tier of all totem entities throughout the multiverse. They could only survive as parasites, feeding on the vital energy of other totem holders while contributing nothing to the space balance.
But the Nemetrix offered the possibility of complete transformation.
The millions of ownerless totem powers contained within the device would allow them to survive and even strengthen themselves without requiring the constant consumption of other totems' life force!
The Nemetrix, which remained unusable by intelligent species within the Ben 10 universe due to its predatory programming, represented an invaluable treasure when placed in Inheritor hands.
Every family member's breathing became labored with anticipation, including the normally composed Solus.
But none were foolish enough to reach for the device immediately.
Solus withdrew his contemptuous gaze, settled back into his chair, and delivered a withering glare toward his impulsive son Daemos before straightening his posture with regal authority.
"What price will we be required to pay?" he asked with the wariness of someone who understood that nothing of such value came without significant cost.
If Maltruant had been merely another dimensional wanderer, the solution would have been simple, they would dismantle the mechanical entity and claim the Nemetrix by force. However, gauging Maltruant's true capabilities remained frustratingly difficult.
With a casual gesture, Maltruant projected a holographic display showing Ben's universe and timeline, along with several metallic components that clearly belonged to his own scattered form.
"Your task is remarkably straightforward," he explained with mechanical calm. "Take the Nemetrix, travel to this specific universe, and assist me in locating these missing components. I don't require you to actually retrieve them, merely gather intelligence about this reality and determine what makes it unique compared to other dimensional variants."
"Beyond that primary objective, you may pursue whatever activities you find entertaining."
His tone conveyed complete indifference to any collateral damage the Inheritors might cause during their investigation.
In truth, Maltruant's primary concern was the invisible force that secretly protected Ben's universe, making it impossible for the Time Variance Authority to directly intervene in that timeline. As for recovering his missing components, he harbored little hope that these predatory family members could accomplish what temporal manipulation had failed to achieve.
"That's the entirety of your request?" Daemos asked with obvious surprise.
From his perspective, Maltruant's so-called mission was trivial. Providing them with a device containing millions of totem powers was essentially equivalent to offering a free gift with no meaningful strings attached.
Their daily routine already consisted of opening dimensional portals, traveling to new universes, initiating hunting expeditions, and repeating the cycle indefinitely.
As for potential danger, such concerns were irrelevant.
Their cloning technology ensured that no matter how many times they were killed, they could be immediately resurrected within their home universe with all memories intact.
"The mission is indeed that simple," Maltruant confirmed with a mechanical nod. "However, I must warn you that this particular universe possesses certain unique characteristics. If you intend to operate there, I strongly recommend wearing the Nemetrix for additional protection."
"Then what are we waiting for?!" Daemos slammed his palms against the table's surface, his eyes sweeping across the assembled family members before pausing meaningfully on Morlun.
"Father, I shall undertake this mission immediately. This represents an excellent opportunity for me to..."
Before he could complete his enthusiastic declaration, Solus interrupted him with brutal dismissal.
"Morlun will handle this assignment and retrieve the Spider-totems from that universe."
Daemos felt as though ice water had been poured over his head, his expression shifting to murderous fury as he glared at his favored brother.
Solus's decision obviously meant that the privilege of wielding the Nemetrix would belong to Morlun exclusively.
Morlun, Morlun, always Morlun! Daemos thought with bitter resentment. Anyone would think Morlun was his only son!
"Don't concern yourself with family politics," Morlun replied as he reached out to claim the Nemetrix, though his mind was already working to determine the device's origins and whether they could potentially create multiple copies.
After all, they possessed advanced cloning technology that might extend to artifacts as well as biological entities.
However, Maltruant had obviously anticipated such thoughts and immediately provided clarification: "I have implemented certain restrictions within the Nemetrix. It cannot be considered truly yours until my mission has been completed to my satisfaction."
"Your warnings are unnecessary," Morlun replied with a dismissive snort.
He left his seat and walked directly toward the location where the Master Weaver was imprisoned.
The space entity existed within a massive cocoon constructed from interdimensional webbing. At the center of this organic prison, the bound Weaver served as both captive and unwilling transportation system. Every strand of silk extending from the cocoon's heart connected to infinite Spider-universes throughout the multiverse.
"I hadn't expected you to have successfully imprisoned a deity," Maltruant observed with slight surprise, though his tone carried obvious contempt.
From his perspective, any so-called "Spider God" was genuinely pathetic, and the fact that such a being had been captured and reduced to serving as the Inheritors' transportation system was simply ridiculous.
For a god to fall to such degrading circumstances is truly laughable.
Morlun offered no response, instead using chains forged by Jennix to control the Master Weaver's abilities, forcing the space entity to open a pathway to Ben's universe.
The space-time portal materialized without any apparent difficulty.
This development caused Maltruant to frown with confusion.
During his time within the Time Variance Authority, both he and Kang had discovered that some form of divine protection surrounded that particular timeline, preventing TVA personnel from entering the reality directly. That was precisely why he had sought alternative methods for accessing Ben's universe.
He had anticipated that Inheritor family members might be able to penetrate these defenses, but he hadn't expected the process to be so effortless.
The ease of access gave him the uncomfortable feeling that someone was deliberately targeting the Time Variance Authority specifically while allowing other entities to proceed unimpeded.
In fact, his suspicions were entirely accurate.
The force preventing TVA interference was Alien X's consciousness.
However, even Ben remained unaware of this protection. On the day when Ben had first acquired the Omnitrix, Ouyana and Enara had reached a rare consensus and had immediately nullified the Time Variance Authority's jurisdiction over Ben's timeline, implementing a blanket refusal that prevented TVA agents from entering their reality.
Originally, Enara had advocated for the complete elimination of all TVA personnel and the entire Kang Dynasty as a permanent solution.
However, Ouyana had obviously refused to approve such extreme measures, forcing them to settle for the more moderate approach. Using Ben's existence as their baseline justification, they had deployed a "deny access" protocol specifically targeting the Time Variance Authority.
They had not implemented defenses against other potential threats, as such decisions required extensive debate and they had many other space issues demanding their attention.
Returning to the present moment.
"I anticipate receiving positive reports from your mission," Maltruant stated as he prepared to depart the Inheritor stronghold.
The mechanical entity was obviously intrigued by the Master Weaver's presence and capabilities, but he chose not to reveal his interest directly. Extended absence from the Time Variance Authority represented a significant risk that he couldn't afford. He didn't dare underestimate Kang's investigative abilities and was concerned that the Survivor might discover evidence of his unauthorized activities.
However, he also needed to maintain surveillance over the Inheritor family's operations.
His optical sensors focused on Daemos for a moment, and before his form dematerialized, he inadvertently revealed a cold sneer of anticipation.
Time advances to the current moment.
Primus Technologies Laboratory - Earth
Ben was deeply engaged in the complex process of attempting to replicate the Omnitrix's sophisticated systems.
"There's no need to worry about establishing the Omnitrix data network," he muttered to himself while manipulating microscopic components with precise tools. "Eunice has already integrated all the genetic templates I've collected into Primus's central database. As long as we can establish a connection to the cloud servers, we can download the information directly."
The current version of his Omnitrix contained an impressive amount of genetic data. While it couldn't match the original device's million-species capacity, it still housed several hundred thousand different alien templates.
Part of this collection originated from voluntary genetic contributions provided by various species affiliated with the Plumber organization, while another significant portion had been acquired from the Collector during Ben's time in the space void.
When he had visited Knowhere, he had negotiated a "trade agreement" with the ancient being. Later, after Thanos's defeat, Eunice had returned to the void in Ben's place and systematically copied the genetic samples from the Collector's vast archives.
However, the sheer variety was overwhelming, and most of the extinct species weren't necessarily more powerful than his current transformations, so Ben rarely considered utilizing their abilities in practical situations.
"I also need to account for scenarios where connection to Primus becomes impossible," he continued, programming local storage solutions.
He configured the replica device to contain genetic data for all the alien heroes that had appeared throughout Ben 10's documented encounters, including the reality-warping capabilities of Alien X.
"I'm not entirely certain this replica watch can withstand the space forces involved in an Alien X transformation," Ben admitted with obvious concern.
This represented his first attempt at replicating the Omnitrix's full functionality, and there were undoubtedly significant differences compared to Azmuth's original masterpiece.
Azmuth's intellectual capabilities were unique among all Galvan individuals. Even Ben's Grey Matter transformation could barely compare to the creator's natural genius. Ben sometimes suspected that Azmuth was a genetic anomaly who had transcended the normal limitations of his species.
"The project also requires implementation of the Ultimate Evolution plugin..." he sighed with mounting frustration.
The undertaking was so monumentally complex that Ben was seriously considering recalling Eunice from her current assignment to provide technical assistance.
But Eunice was currently stationed in Wakanda, collaborating with Stark and other brilliant minds to research antimatter annihilation weapons and develop solutions for the approaching multiverse collision crisis.
Wakanda - Advanced Research Facility
The most intelligent individuals on Earth had gathered in Wakanda's state-of-the-art laboratories, their combined intellectual resources focused on preventing space catastrophe. Eunice and Shuri emerged from a sealed research chamber, carrying data tablets filled with complex calculations to present to T'Challa.
Shuri was preparing to deliver a detailed scientific briefing when T'Challa raised his hand to signal her to remain silent.
"Don't explain anything I won't understand," he said with practical directness. "Just tell me how much funding you require!"
T'Challa was undeniably intelligent, but he was obviously far inferior to Shuri in terms of theoretical physics and dimensional mechanics. He found his sister's research completely incomprehensible, and since he couldn't contribute meaningfully to the scientific discussion anyway, he preferred to simply approve whatever resources they needed.
"This isn't about money!" Shuri replied with obvious irritation, glaring at her brother's oversimplified approach to space crises.
"I have one piece of good news and one piece of bad news. Which would you prefer to hear first?"
"The good news is that after extensive calculations, Eunice and I have developed a method to preserve both universes and prevent the collision crisis from occurring."
T'Challa's eyes immediately lit up with hope and relief.
"What's the solution?!" he asked with obvious eagerness.
"That's where the bad news comes in," Eunice interjected with mechanical precision and disturbing calm.
"We need to blow up the other Earth."