Chapter 2: A Heroes Journey Begins
Looking around the street hurriedly, I quickly slipped into a nearby alley, making sure I wasn't noticed. Once hidden under a staircase, I began dialing on the Omnitrix.
I scrolled through the selection, choosing the alien I wanted, and then slammed my hand down on the Omnitrix symbol, locking in the hologram of my chosen alien.
I immediately felt my body begin to grow taller, reaching a height of two to three meters. A tail extended behind me, and my hands transformed into bulky claws with three fingers, which could only open and close now.
"XLR8," I said aloud, feeling the transformation complete. "Alright, let's see how fast I am."
Without wasting time, I rushed toward the explosion site, my helmet sliding down over my head as I ran. In my Kineceleran form, everything around me seemed to move in slow motion.
I zipped through the roads and streets, leaping over cars and weaving through pedestrians with ease. The exhilaration of moving at speeds far beyond human limits hit me, and even though I wasn't at my top speed, I was still adjusting to the form.
In just a few seconds, I arrived at the scene of the explosion, which wasn't far from where I had been. I stopped instantly, something unique to XLR8's abilities—unlike FastTrack, another speedster alien, who struggles to stop when moving at high speeds.
Looking around, Ben saw a huge fire raging through a five-story apartment building. " Crape did some plant a boob or something?" I questioned, looking at the damage caused most definitely from a small explosion.
Ben towering XLR8 form, stood in the middle of the street, his sleek black suit hugging his alien frame. White stripes ran down his limbs and tail, and the Omnitrix symbol on his chest glowed an intense green. A few people on the street stared in shock, uncertain of what they were looking at. But I didn't have time to worry about that. The building in front of me was engulfed in flames, and people were trapped inside. I had to act fast.
XLR8 gazed at the burning building, his sharp eyes narrowing as he assessed the situation. Without wasting a second, he bolted forward, his body transforming into a sleek black blur, faster than the eye could track. To the bystanders gathered on the street, it was as if a shadow had darted through their midst, leaving only the faint rush of wind in its wake.
The crowd stood frozen, their minds still grappling with what they'd seen—or rather, what they thought they'd seen. People whispered, confusion rippling through them. Was it a trick of the light? They had barely begun to process the sight of the blazing inferno before them when something even stranger occurred.
Suddenly, people appeared outside the burning structure, each one arriving in a blur, as if materializing from thin air. A woman with dark skin, her pink nightrobe stained with soot and ash, stood trembling on the sidewalk, her eyes wide with terror. Her breath came in shallow gasps, and she barely had time to register the smoke rising behind her before another person emerged.
More and more people began to appear, each one disoriented, covered in burns or dust, their faces mirroring the same terror and confusion. Some stumbled forward, coughing, while others collapsed onto the pavement, barely able to comprehend how they had been transported to safety.
Amidst the chaos, the shadowy blur—XLR8—continued to move in and out of the flames, barely visible to the naked eye. Inside the collapsing building, Ben was a streak of motion, his raptor-like form darting through doorways and hallways engulfed in flames. Every room he entered was like a ticking time bomb, the walls crumbling and the ceiling threatening to collapse at any second.
But he didn't hesitate. His focus was absolute, scanning each room in a fraction of a second, identifying people trapped beneath rubble or huddled in corners, their eyes wide with fear. As soon as he spotted them, he swooped them up, racing back out of the building before they could even scream. The heat from the flames singed the air around him, but XLR8 barely noticed it as he continued his mission, his mind set on one goal: getting everyone out.
With each second that passed, the structure grew weaker, groaning under the weight of its own destruction. Sparks showered down as support beams snapped, the roar of the fire growing louder. But Ben remained undeterred, racing through the inferno with the single-minded precision only XLR8's incredible speed could provide.
Without hesitation, Ben shot forward, his body becoming nothing more than a black streak in the eyes of the onlookers. Unlike other speedsters, he could stop instantly, without stumbling or skidding to slow down. In the blink of an eye, he was inside the building, racing against time.
The heat hit me like a wall as I entered. Flames roared, and the smoke was thick, choking the air. I dashed through the hallways, my senses sharp, leaping over crumbling staircases and running along walls where the floor had already collapsed. Seven people had already been pulled out, but I knew there were more. There had to be.
As Ben sped through the building, he passed the blast zone. His eyes flicked toward the bodies of the victims who hadn't made it—charred and lifeless, too close to the explosion to have stood a chance. His heart sank, but he pushed the grief aside. He couldn't afford to stop now.
I found two kids in one of the apartments, huddled next to a man who was barely alive, crushed under debris. He didn't have much time, but I couldn't free him yet. The kids had to get out first. Scooping them up carefully, I bolted for the exit, making sure not to move too fast. I couldn't risk injuring them with the force of my speed.
Their terrified screams echoed in my ears as I raced through the burning building, but I couldn't stop. "Sorry, this must be scary for you," I muttered in my distorted, alien voice. It didn't seem to help—the sound of my voice only seemed to make them more frightened.
Ben burst outside, dropping the kids safely to the ground before vanishing back into the flames without a word. The crowd outside stood in awe, confused and unsure of what they had just seen. Some of them pulled out their phones, filming as more survivors appeared, each delivered by a black-and-white blur.
I moved through the building as fast as I could, searching every room, every corner. I couldn't run at full speed—moving too fast could kill the people I was trying to save. Time was slipping away, and the building was seconds from total collapse.
It took me nearly two whole minutes to search and find all who were still breathing, a total of seventeen people.
Finally, Ben stood outside, as he looked at the survivors. Some were badly burned, others were injured, but they were alive. Still, he couldn't shake the image of the bodies he had passed—the people he couldn't save. The weight of those lives pressed heavily on him.
Being a hero wasn't supposed to feel like this.
The crowd had grown, and their eyes were locked on him. Many had their phones out, recording his every move. Ben's mind raced, searching for a way to stop the flames from spreading further. And then he remembered something—a trick he'd seen the Flash pull off on TV.
I spun my arms as fast as I could, creating twin vortexes. The air around me shifted, pulling the flames into the spinning funnels. The crowd gasped and backed away, their eyes wide with awe and fear as the fiery spirals grew. I kept going, moving faster and faster, until the flames were completely extinguished.
Ben stood still as the last of the fire died out. For the first time, the crowd got a clear look at him—his black suit gleaming in the dim light, the Omnitrix glowing a bright green on his chest. The onlookers stared in a mix of fear and fascination, realizing they weren't just seeing some superhero; they were seeing something alien.
I could feel their eyes on me, and for a moment, all I could think about were the people I couldn't save. Some had lost everything—their homes, their families. I wasn't sure if I had done enough. Being a hero wasn't about excitement or glory. It was about saving lives. And sometimes, no matter how fast I was, I couldn't save everyone.
Sirens blared in the distance, pulling Ben out of his thoughts. Fire trucks and police cars were racing toward the scene. More people were pointing phones at him, recording everything. He couldn't stay any longer.
Before anyone could approach, ask questions, or get too close, I took off in a blur, disappearing before they could blink. " Hey who or what the hell was that? " A young pedestrians with his phone out recording everything.
" How the hell should any of us no that? Just be thankful it's gone for now." An older man spoke his eyes staring at the direction XLR8 took off. Running into the subway tunnel I hurriedly found a secluded spot and transformed back into my human form. I late out a sigh of relief as a slumped to the ground with a a thud.
Images of the mangled and burn bodies some graphing the last breath, kept flashing through my mind. The sight was overwhelming as l couldn't bring himself to move them fearing potentially harming them in the process. Ben wasn't a doctor or anything so, he could only use my knowledge in concentration to either carefully remove some of the debrie and secure the area.
Insuring their safety until fire fighter's arrive to safely handle their situation. However, having to leave those who receive the worst of it in that situation haunted me a little. But, I know that if I were to have tried to move them I could do more harm than good.
" Come on. Ben this isn't the time to wholly. " I slap my cheek breaking myself out of the negative thoughts. I'd done what I'd could in that situation maybe, I couldn't done more with my abilities. But, hey this was my first time trying to be a hero mistakes are going to be made along the way.
Thinking about it now Brainstorm could have given me ideas on how to expertly move those seriously injured. As my thoughts naturally come to this conclusion I couldn't help and pinch the bridge of my nose in frustration.
" Uhh... why didn't I did think of this earlier this in the moment, XLR8 had accelerated thinking. But, it seems I needed to start consciously using that ability." I muttered to myself, however what done is done anything more I could do.
Dusting himself off Ben looked around for a before once again turning to the Omnitrix, dialing he slammed the watch gently. An eerie, spectral replaced Ben's form as a cold misty left his mouth. Wearing a dark, tattered robe that flows down his form, giving him a ghostly, almost wraith-like look. The robe has jagged, ethereal blue designs that glow faintly, adding a supernatural aura.
His face now mostly hidden in darkness, but sharp, glowing green eyes and a menacing grin are visible, making them look sinister. My hands are clawed and glowing blue, resembling energy or ice, which adds to their intimidating, undead appearance. My feet are pointed, almost talon-like, adding to their ominous presence.
"Big Chill!" I sound out in a soft somewhat ghostly voice. Spreading out my giant wings I became intangible and flew up.
Unknown Location, Headquarters of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Hours later, video clips of a figure moving at superhuman speed began flooding the internet. In a dark room, lit only by the glow of a monitor, a man in a dark gray sweater, black pants, and shoes stared intently at the screen.
"You're telling me you can't find whoever this is?" said the man, his voice a low, measured demand. He was tall, a commanding presence—one eye covered by a familiar eyepatch: Director Nick Fury.
"No, sir. A team's working on it, but whoever or whatever this is went underground as soon as it vanished from the scene. It knows how to avoid our satellite tracking systems. None of our cameras can capture it clearly—it's too fast," replied a voice over his shoulder. "Fury, do you think it's like the Hulk, or maybe just another tech suit, like Stark's?"
Fury remained silent, replaying the footage on the screen, watching the blur of motion as it saved a group of civilians from a burning building.
"It's more likely someone with abilities, like Banner. And it's shown no hostility, at least not yet," Fury said at last, still focused on the screen. "For now, let's assume whoever this is could be friendly. But I want a full investigation. We need to know who this is—and what their intentions are. Understood, Agent Romanoff?"
Fury glanced to his right. Seated on a nearby sofa was a woman with long, curly red hair, dressed in a sleek black leather suit. She held his gaze, legs crossed, the hint of a smile playing on her lips.
"Understood, Director," Agent Natasha Romanoff replied, her voice as steady and sharp as her smile.
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Big Chill
General Information
Species:
Necrofriggian
Home World:
Kylmyss
DNA source:
Unknown
Body:
Humanoid Moth
Abilities:
Cryokinesis
Freeze Breath
Ice Generation
Freeze Touch
Flight
Temperature Resistance
Intangibility
Strong Bite
Space Survivability
Underwater Breathing
Enhanced Strength
Enhanced Durability
Enhanced Agility
Appreance:
Big Chill is a blue and black insect humanoid alien with navy-blue wings, green eyes, and dark blue fur on the top of his shoulders to the bottom of his thighs. Big Chill has light blue spots on his forelimbs, antennas, claws, and head.
The Omnitrix symbol is located on his chest.