faces turned toward Michael.

Then—without warning—they lunged straight for Jen.

Gwen reacted first. Her hands flared with pure mana, and with a flick of her wrist, a glowing barrier of raw energy erupted between them. She pushed forward, and the shimmering wall rushed outward like a tidal wave, sending several ninjas slamming against the hull with a metallic clang.

But some were faster. Leaping acrobatically over the wall, a handful of them twisted midair, throwing kunai laced with dark energy straight at Jen.

Ferox snarled. His monstrous form blurred forward, moving with feral speed as he snatched two ninjas straight from the air—one in each clawed hand. 

With a thunderous crash, he slammed them into the metal flooring, leaving dents in the hull. Another ninja darted toward him, but Ferox caught them with a backhand swipe, sending them careening into the cargo bay wall with a sickening thud.

Jen stood her ground. Water surged around her armored frame before she thrust both hands forward. A massive jet of water erupted from her palms, the force so immense that the charging ninjas were blasted backward, some crashing against crates, others tumbling into their own allies.

Michael, now fully engaged in the fight, charged into the chaos.

With lightning coursing through his fur, he lunged, grabbing the nearest ninja and slamming them into the ground so hard the metal plating beneath them buckled. He pivoted, his fist crackling with energy, ready to shock another attacker—

But before he could react, a ninja caught his wrist mid-strike.

For a split second, Michael felt their unwavering grip, their reflexes nearly inhuman in speed. Another ninja rushed in, their dagger poised to strike—

Then—they stopped.

The ninjas stiffened, trembling as if some unseen force had just paralyzed them in fear. Their grip on Michael's wrist weakened, their breathing erratic. Then, as if something clicked in their heads, they snapped back, clutching their temples in distress.

Without a word, they leaped away, retreating in a blur of movement.

Michael narrowed his eyes, watching as they distanced themselves. "What's going on?" he muttered, his voice laced with confusion.

Jen's water still flowed around her hands, ready to attack again, but even she hesitated. "They... looked scared."

Gwen frowned, lowering her hands slightly. "Scared? Of what?"

The ninjas scattered, moving with inhuman speed as they closed in on Jen from all angles. Their attacks were no longer just calculated—they were relentless, filled with a burning hostility as if they held a personal grudge against her.

Yet, every time a ninja even brushed close to Michael, they would freeze mid-motion, their bodies locking up with tension before snapping away—redirecting all their fury onto Jen.

Jen gritted her teeth, launching herself into the air as torrents of water surged from her hands, blasting several ninjas backward. But they just kept coming, their sheer numbers overwhelming her.

"Venom!" Jen shouted, her voice edged with urgency.

In an instant, her symbiote answered.

Thick black tendrils erupted from her back, snaring the closest ninjas mid-leap. With a powerful whip-like motion, she smashed them into the steel flooring, the impact echoing through the cargo bay. 

One ninja tried to dodge, but a tendril coiled around his ankle, yanking him down and slamming him into another attacker.

Michael's eyes flared. "Stay away from my wife!" He let out a deep growl, he clenched his fists before slamming them into the ground.

A deafening explosion of electricity rippled outward, the shockwave violently repelling the nearest ninjas. Some were blasted back, their bodies convulsing as they hit the floor, temporarily paralyzed by the sheer force of the discharge.

Yet still—they persisted.

One ninja suddenly whipped out a set of throwing stars, their sharp edges glowing with a strange energy. With a sharp flick of the wrist, they hurled them—not at Michael or Jen—but at the ship's wing.

BOOM!

A fiery explosion erupted outside, shaking the entire vessel.

In the cockpit, Shockwave's hands flew over the controls, alarms blaring.

"What's going on back there?!" he shouted as Kevin fought to stabilize the ship.

The ninjas suddenly paused, exchanging silent nods before—in a blur of motion—they vanished into thin air.

Michael exhaled sharply, his fists still crackling with lingering electricity. "This is getting annoying."

Before anyone could react, the ship lurched violently, the explosion having crippled one of its wings. The floor tilted beneath them, throwing them off balance as the ship began to plummet.

"We're going down!" Kevin yelled from the cockpit.

Michael's mind raced. They weren't going to make it.

"Shockwave! Open the docks!" Michael bellowed.

A mechanical hiss filled the ship as the docking bay doors slid open, revealing the rapidly approaching ground below.

Jen's heart clenched. "Darling! Be careful!"

Michael nodded. No time to hesitate.

Slamming his Ultimatrix, a bright green light flashed over his body as he shifted forms—Gravattack.

Now a living, miniature planet, he propelled himself out of the ship, twisting midair before activating his gravity field.

The atmosphere distorted around him as he extended his gravitational pull, locking onto the ship as it screeched through the sky.

"Komm schon ... komm schon ..." (Come on... come on...) Michael grunted, his stone-like body trembling under the strain.

With an earth-shaking force, he slowed the descent, the ship's speed rapidly decreasing. Metal groaned as the vessel hovered lower and lower—until finally, with a thunderous quake, it touched down, skidding across the rocky terrain before finally grinding to a halt.

A tense silence followed.

Then—the crew exhaled in relief.

From the cockpit, Kevin let out a low whistle. "Remind me to never doubt you, big guy."

Inside the cargo bay, Jen's symbiote retracted, her breathing heavy as she looked toward the open docks.

Outside, Michael floated down, shifting back to human. He wiped the sweat from his brow. "Okay... das war scheiße." (Okay... that sucked)

Gwen stepped forward, scanning the area. "The ninjas... they retreated. But why?"

The ship's hull groaned as it settled into the scorching desert sand, smoke still curling from the damaged wing. The air shimmered with heat, and the only sounds were the distant whisper of the wind and the faint hum of residual energy from the battle.

Kevin and Shockwave stepped down from the open docking bay, their boots sinking slightly into the sand.

Jen, now back in human form, wasted no time throwing her arms around Michael, burying her face in his chest. He pulled her close, his muscles still tense from the fight, his mind racing with questions.

Kevin, meanwhile, rubbed his temples, exhaling sharply.

"Yeah, great, real fun ride." He shot a look toward Shockwave, then at the massive artifact resting half-buried in the sand. "So, why exactly did we haul this Hand-of-Armadoohuckey all the way out here?"

Shockwave didn't answer at first. Instead, he bent down, gripping the twisted metallic relic and lifting it with a grunt. The object pulsed faintly, an eerie purple glow leaking from its cracks.

"To destroy it." A shimmering blue portal flickered into existence, and from it stepped Professor Paradox, his coat swaying slightly despite the still air.

Shockwave, still holding the Hands of Armageddon, eyed Paradox carefully. "I assume those ninjas work for this... Eon?" he asked, his grip tightening slightly. Then, without hesitation, he dropped the artifact onto the sand with a heavy thud.

Paradox folded his hands behind his back, nodding.

"Indeed. Though I must admit, even I am uncertain of what they truly are." His usually composed expression darkened slightly. "What we do know, however, is that they—and Eon—require the Hands of Armageddon to be fully operational.

"So we're gonna bust it?" Kevin asked with his arms crossed.

"We're going to destroy hand throughout space and time... every version" 

The moment Paradox said it, he took a subtle step back from the artifact.

That was all the warning Gwen needed. With a flick of her wrists, a shimmering mana barrier encased Paradox, Shockwave, Ferox, and Kevin, forming a protective dome around them.

Michael and Jen exchanged glances—then, without a word, they took their positions, moving to opposite sides of the Hands of Armageddon.

Michael took a deep breath, rolling his shoulders as he locked eyes with Jen.

"Ready?"

Jen gave a sharp nod. "Okay Shadow, give me something good." Michael asked as Shadow grunted in the Ultimatrix.

Two Ultimatrix symbols flashed bright red and green, and in an instant, the desert exploded with energy.

Jen's body stretched and expanded, growing towering in size as her skin shifted into white-and-red armor plating, her eyes glowing fiercely. The ground trembled beneath her colossal frame—she had become Way Big.

At the same time, Michael's transformation was... different.

His form glowed, then shattered like glass, reforming into something mechanical, precise, and unnatural. His once-human limbs were now sleek and metallic, his body forged from a mysterious white metal with black circuit-like stripes running along his frame. His fingers flexed, emitting a faint whirring sound.

On top of his head, a winding key spun slowly, clicking into place.

But the most striking feature was the transparent, crimson glass embedded in his chest. Behind it, an intricate set of interlocking gears turned with absolute precision, each movement synchronized in a mesmerizing, clockwork rhythm.

He was something ancient yet futuristic, a being built not just of metal, but of time itself.

Shockwave took a step forward, eyes widening slightly as he studied the transformation. "A Chronosapien..." he muttered.

Michael flexed his new robotic fingers, his movements slow yet deliberate, like a machine running through its first activation cycle. Then, suddenly, he snapped his hand shut into a fist, and the air rippled around him as if reality itself had stuttered.

Jen, now towering above, tilted her massive head downward. "So... what are you calling this one?"

Michael looked at his reflection in the red glass on his chest. He could hear the gears inside him, feel time itself responding to his presence. "Clockwork."

Paradox's voice rang out, firm and commanding.

"Alright, you two—begin!"

Michael and Jen nodded.

Jen crossed her massive arms, summoning a searing blue beam from her chest, cutting through the Hands of Armageddon like a blade of pure energy. 

Michael extended his metallic arms, unleashing a piercing beam of white chronal energy from his hands.

The combined attack blasted into the artifact, its dark surface splintering, cracking, burning.

But then—A tremor shook the air.

The shield Gwen had raised around the group flickered, cracks spreading across its shimmering surface.

Kevin's gaze snapped toward the source. His stomach dropped. "Wait—what's happening to their watches!?"

All eyes turned to the Ultimatrixes. The once-green symbols glowed sickly purple, the circuits running up Michael and Jen's arms corrupting, pulsing, twisting.

Paradox's face went pale. "No. I've been deceived." His voice, usually so calm, was filled with dread. "Stop! Stop now! They're using your energy to open a breach!"

Too late. The Hands of Armageddon detonated.

A shockwave of purple and black energy ripped through the desert, hurling Michael and Jen backward, their forms slamming into the sand like fallen meteors.

From the swirling storm of crimson and violet light, the artifact rose again, intact—no, reborn. Its glow intensified, and then—

The ninjas returned.

Dozens, no, hundreds, poured from the rift, moving like phantoms, their silent footfalls deafening in the wake of destruction.

Then... another figure emerged.

Standing atop the Hands of Armageddon, their body clad in near-identical armor to Clockwork, but with crackling purple lightning surging around their limbs. Their silhouette radiated power, a twisted mockery of time itself.

Their head lifted, a soulless, robotic voice echoing through the storm.

"I... am free."

Eon.

Jen groaned as she pushed herself up, dust falling from her massive form. She cracked her knuckles, eyes blazing with defiance. "Not for long."

Eon's head snapped toward her. Their eyes burned with something... more than malice. Fury.

Before anyone could react, Eon raised a single hand.

A bolt of searing purple energy ripped through the air.

Jen barely had time to shield herself before the beam struck.

Then—

A horrifying sound.

Crack.

Jen froze. Her massive hands... blackened, cracked, and crumbled. Into dust.

"JEN!"

Gwen gasped, Kevin stumbled backward, Shockwave clenched his fists.

Jen looked down at herself, confusion flashing in her massive red eyes—then horror.

The cracking spread. Her arms disintegrated. Then her legs. Her entire body collapsed into a pile of dust.

A deathly silence followed.

Eon laughed. A hollow, mechanical sound, devoid of joy—just pure, unfiltered malice.

Way Big was gone.

Then—

From the dust, Jen rose again—human once more.

She stumbled, looking at herself, then at the pile of ashes where Way Big had once stood.

"...What just happened?"

Shockwave's expression was grim. "Eon irradiated Way Big with accelerated time." His voice was quiet, heavy. "That transformation is gone. Forever."

Michael's metal fists tightened as he sprinted back toward the group. "So, if any of our alien forms get hit, they'll just... cease to exist?"

Paradox nodded solemnly. "Yes. Except for Clockwork. I do not believe any other transformation could survive. Be careful you two."

Jen's fists shook with rage as she activated her Ultimatrix.

"He's the one who should be afraid."

With a slam of her palm, green energy surged, morphing her body into Swampfire.

Then, another light flared.

Her form shifted again, bark-like skin hardening, her hands igniting with emerald-blue flames as her body became more powerful.

Ultimate Swampfire.

The ninjas narrowed their eyes and rushed toward her. Others... froze when they caught sight of Michael. As if they feared something greater.

Michael noticed. His robotic eyes flickered, scanning their movements. "Take them down. Hard."

With a flick of his wrist, he fired a beam.

The moment it hit, time itself warped. The ninjas slowed to a crawl, their movements sluggish like they were stuck in quicksand.

Jen took full advantage—

BOOM!

A massive fireball erupted from her hands, engulfing dozens of ninjas in searing heat.

Across the battlefield, Ferox heaved a boulder the size of a car and hurled it into a cluster of enemies, crushing them instantly.

Shockwave took aim.

His railguns whirred, glowing with energy before he unleashed hell, the explosion ripping through enemy lines.

Gwen wove intricate symbols in the air, summoning celestial stars that rained down like divine judgment.

Kevin swung through the battlefield, using Spidermonkey's agility, webbing ninjas up midair before shifting to Chromastone, releasing a blinding ultraviolet blast that sent bodies flying.

But in the chaos, one presence never wavered.

Eon. They stood at the heart of the battle, unmoving, their cold, robotic glare locked onto Jen.

And then—

Eon raised their hand, firing a beam straight at her.

Michael's instincts kicked in. He flashed forward, spinning the key atop his head. A red aura flared to life around him as he fired a counter-beam.

The two clashed.

Eon's energy pulsed violently, sending ripples through time itself.

Then—

Eon buckled. The force of Michael's attack overpowered them, sending them skidding back across the battlefield.

But Eon barely seemed fazed.

They lifted their head, their glowing purple eyes seething with unfiltered hatred.

"This has nothing to do with you."

Michael tilted his head. "Then why are you so focused on Jen?"

Eon's aura darkened. "You will never understand... SHE DOESN'T DESERVE THIS!"

With a howl of fury, Eon unleashed a colossal beam, raw with rage and destruction.

Michael's sensors blared a warning—there was no time to react.

But Jen shoved him aside, narrowly avoiding the attack. The explosion behind them shattered the battlefield.

Eon stepped forward, their voice venomous with hatred.

"Our paths are intertwined." They lifted a hand, energy crackling at their fingertips.

"I will annihilate every Jen Tennyson in existence." Before Jen could even move, Eon's beam struck her head-on.

A terrible crackling sound filled the air.

Her body froze. Then, Swampfire disintegrated. Ultimate Swampfire crumbled.

Jen collapsed to the ground, her Ultimatrix flickering.

Eon took a step forward.

"This is your end."

But then—

A scarlet light erupted. Michael's Ultimatrix pulsed.

His body shifted—twisting, morphing, his form flickering with raw Chaos Energy.

When the light faded.

Michael stood tall, transformed. His hedgehog-like body crackled with golden sparks, Chaos Energy surging around his form. His eyes flashed red.

Before Eon could react,  Michael teleported in front of them in an instant. His foot snapped forward.

CRACK. 

The impact sent Eon rocketing across the battlefield, slamming into the ground with a shattering force.

Michael landed, crouching beside Jen.

"You okay?" His voice was lower, almost a growl. Jen groaned, slowly pushing herself up. "Yeah... I've had worse."

She cracked her neck, shaking off the dust.

Ferox hurled a ninja aside as Kevin lifted another with brute strength before slamming them into the ground.

Kevin frowned. "It's weird that they don't talk."

With a flick of his wrist, he activated Gravattack's power.

The air rippled as a gravitational field formed, suspending a dozen ninjas midair, their limbs thrashing in slow motion.

"Probably just to intimidate us," Gwen speculated, summoning celestial stars that rained down, knocking out more of their silent attackers.

Kevin squinted.