Ben 10: Justice Incarnate Chapter 44 (Early Preview)

Chapter 44: Denying Your Demons Part 4

The team entered a massive circular chamber. In the center, on a white stone pedestal, was the Helmet of Fate.

Kent walked forward slowly. "Hello again, old friend." The sight unlocked a flood of memories for Kent. He recalled his years serving as Fate with Inza beside him. Her laughter echoed through their home in Salem. Her stubborn insistence that he eat something when he'd been working too long. He promised her he'd live the rest of his life as Kent Nelson with her. "You gave me purpose once, but I found peace in life."

A blue bolt slammed into the pedestal, interrupting his thoughts. In contrast to what the enemy wanted, the helmet immediately vanished, teleporting elsewhere.

Wally reacted instantly, diving toward where the helmet had been. A second magical blast seared the ground and forced him to veer aside.

On a perpendicular platform of floating stone stood Klarion the Witch Boy and Abra Kadabra. Blue and red energy arced around them as they grinned down at their prey.

"Playtime's over, Grandpa!" Klarion called out mockingly.

Kadabra smirked. "Let's get that relic, shall we?"

Kadabra fired twin bursts of plasma across the chamber. Wally grabbed Kent around the waist and blurred them behind a fallen column. Artemis and Kaldur scattered left, while M'gann and Superboy darted right.

A blue bolt of electricity zapped past, barely missing Wally and Kent.

"Friends of yours?!" Wally asked with as much sarcasm as Kent had shown earlier.

Wally pulled Kent away from Kadabra's next shot. The rest of the team dodged as energy blasts peppered the chamber floor.

Seeing this ‘Lord of Chaos,’ Ark stepped forward as he was engulfed in emerald light. He transformed into a crystalline humanoid figure. "DIAMONDHEAD!"

Klarion cackled in amusement at Ark. "Ooh, shiny!"

Diamondhead planted his feet firmly. A Lord of Chaos was new territory. It's best to test the waters first. "Everyone, stay back," Diamondhead called to the team. "Let me see what this brat can do."

"Brat?" Klarion's face contorted with theatrical rage. "I'm older than this planet, you walking paperweight!"

#

While Ben battled Klarion, the rest of the team faced Abra Kadabra.

"Children should know better than to interrupt their elders." Kadabra tossed a handful of metallic discs.

"Move!" Kaldur shouted.

The discs detonated with concussive force. Superboy took the brunt of one explosion. Kaldur formed a water shield to protect Artemis while M'gann flew upward to avoid the blast.

Artemis rolled behind a fallen column and released the arrow toward Kadabra.

Kadabra laughed. "Predictable." He created a blue barrier. The arrow struck the barrier and detonated prematurely. Shrapnel scattered in all directions.

Kaldur rushed forward with his water-bearers transformed into whips.

Superboy vaulted over a broken pillar. "M'gann, now!"

M'gann thrust her hands forward. Telekinetic energy slammed into Kadabra, disrupting his shield. The false magician wobbled in the air.

Superboy capitalized instantly. He leapt upward with his fist cocked and connected with Kadabra's jaw. The impact sent the villain hurtling into a stone wall.

"Did we get him?" M'gann asked, floating closer.

A flash of blue light answered her question. Kadabra materialized behind them. "A decent effort." He adjusted his bow tie. "But as you can see, completely ineffective."

#

Klarion unleashed crimson chaos blasts toward Diamondhead.

Diamondhead raised his arms to form a thick wall. The blasts dispersed across the surface. Diamondhead grinned as he transformed both arms into blades of his own. He charged forward, swinging. 

Klarion narrowly avoids each strike. The witch boy countered with a low sweep of chaotic energy. Diamondhead jumped over and launched crystal shards.

"Too slow!" Klarion batted away the projectiles with a flick of his wrist.

Diamondhead landed and slammed his palm against the floor. Crystal spires erupted toward Klarion like a wave. 

The witch boy leapt to avoid them, but a crystal spike impaled him through the chest. Ark was a bit taken aback. He had expected a Chaos Lord to be more durable than that.

Gasps echoed through the chamber. M'gann covered her mouth. Wally's eyes widened in shock.

Then came Klarion’s laughter as he grabbed the protruding crystal. "I like you!" He pulled the spike free with a wet squelch. Blood bubbled briefly from the wound before it closed completely.

"What the hell?" Diamondhead muttered.

Klarion seized the opportunity and fired a blast at Diamondhead's crystalline face. The alien moved backward.

Klarion wiped a smear of blood. "My turn."

He snapped his fingers. The crystal wall Diamondhead created earlier transformed into loose clay. Another snap turned a protective barrier near Kent into smoke.

"You didn't think it would be that easy, did you?" Klarion flicked his wrist.

Diamondhead dropped low and swept Klarion's legs. As the witch boy tumbled, Diamondhead uppercut him, sending him flying toward the ceiling, and fired a barrage of crystal shards at Klarion's arms, shoulders, and face. The witch boy shook violently, dislodging the shards. His wounds sealed instantly.

"This is fun!" Klarion clapped his hands together, teleporting directly behind Diamondhead. He smashed his construct fists into the alien's back. "But let's make it interesting."

Diamondhead rolled forward, narrowly avoiding a bolt of chaos magic. He spun and launched a crystal javelin. It pierced Klarion's shoulder, pinning him to a column.

Klarion spread his arms wide, tearing himself free. Red sigils appeared beneath Diamondhead's feet. The floor turned molten, trapping his crystalline legs.

"Ark!" Superboy shouted, starting forward.

"Stay back!" Diamondhead created a crystal cage around himself and Klarion, keeping the others safely outside. "This is between me and the witch boy."

Klarion floated above the molten stone, grinning. "I can do this all day. Can you?"

Diamondhead freed his legs. "You'd be surprised what I can do." A rather devious grin came to Ben. This Chaos Lord could take a hit. Perhaps he could be a bit more liberal with his stronger aliens and let loose.

Diamondhead slammed both fists into the molten floor. The chamber shuddered as crystal columns erupted in a spiral pattern, forcing Klarion to constantly dodge. While the witch boy's attention was diverted, Diamondhead launched himself upward.

"Whoa!" Klarion barely twisted away as Diamondhead crashed through.

Diamondhead grabbed Klarion's ankle and hurled him downward. The impact shattered several spires, but Klarion emerged laughing.

The Petrosapien rebounded off the ceiling to create platforms. Leaping between them, he rained down crystal.

"Not bad for a mortal." Klarion conjured a shield of crackling red energy and blocked. "But boring."

Klarion teleported and delivered a blast to the crystal beneath them both. As they fell, he grabbed Diamondhead by the neck.

Diamondhead broke free with a headbutt and followed with a devastating right hook.

The witch boy gestured at the crystal platforms. They transmuted into writhing black serpents. Diamondhead destroyed two with his fist before landing.

"Now who's boring?" Diamondhead taunted. "Snakes? Really?"

Klarion's eyes narrowed. "Fine. Let's get creative."

He slammed both palms together. The remaining snakes melted into a bubbling tar toward Diamondhead. The substance seeped and hardened around his legs and torso.

"Really?" Diamondhead broke the bindings. He charged forward, morphing his arm into a giant hammer to Klarion’s chest. 

The witch boy crashed through a platform before righting himself. "You want more?" Klarion's form grew, stretching taller as crimson energy crackled around him. "I've been holding back for the mortals' sake."

"Same here." Emerald light flashed again. In Diamondhead's place stood a sleek, semi-armored Velociraptor with black orbs on his feet and a streamlined helmet. A protective visor slid over his face with a mechanical click.

"XLR8!"

Ben had wanted to try some lethal techniques he learned while on Kinet. While the upper echelon of Citrakayah fighters were renowned hunters, chasing after prey of all kinds, Kinecelerans mastered the art of assassination. Their superior speed allowed bounty hunters to kill an opponent before they realized anything happened. Would that be helpful here? Not really, as this Klarion would just regenerate himself. A perfect punching bag.

The world slowed to a crawl around him. Dust particles hung in the air. XLR8 darted forward and struck Klarion with a flurry of slashes before the witch boy could process the first hit. One hundred strikes.

While XLR8 is fighting, Ben notes that it felt different. There was a faint awareness of everything that moved in the room. Ben brushed it off as he continued to fight.

Klarion's body jerked with each impact, blood spraying in slow-motion arcs that hung in the air. The witch boy's regeneration struggled to keep up.

XLR8 completely outclasses Klarion in speed. He circled him, creating five perfect afterimages that appeared to stand completely still around Klarion. The witch boy's eyes darted between them, confusion evident on his face.

"Over here!" XLR8 called from behind.

Klarion spun, hurling a bolt of chaos magic that passed harmlessly through an afterimage.

"No, here!" Another voice called from his right.

Klarion pivoted again, firing blindly. The real XLR8 ducked under the blast and delivered a punishing uppercut.

XLR8 appeared above the still-rising Klarion, slamming both feet into his chest. The witch boy crashed down. Then, XLR8 was beneath him, delivering another uppercut. Like something from a fighting anime, XLR8 juggled Klarion's body in mid-air with strikes too fast for the Lord of Chaos.

"Love me some Kineceleran Pinball," XLR8 taunted from all around.

Klarion's body became a bloody mess, reforming only to be shredded again. He tried to cast a spell, but XLR8's claws severed his fingers before he could.

For the others that watched from their own, seeing a hero be able to go all out with little consequence of the other’s death was… unnerving. 

XLR8 raced up the wall, kicked off, and delivered a flying knee strike to Klarion's back. The impact sent the Lord of Chaos careening.

XLR8 accelerated further, racing in tight circles around Klarion. The air pressure dropped sharply as a vacuum formed. 

Klarion's physical body reacted. "Trying to... suffocate me?" Klarion wheezed. "Won't... work..." The Lord of Chaos didn’t need air to live, but he did need it to speak.

He slammed both palms together. A shockwave of crimson energy burst outward. The Kineceleran ran away in an instant across the floor.

"My turn." Klarion grinned, firing bolts of chaos magic in rapid succession.

XLR8 weaved between them. Where he stood a millisecond before, only an afterimage remained to take the hit. Many afterimages appeared simultaneously around the chamber, confusing Klarion's aim.

"Stand still!" the witch boy snarled.

"Make me." XLR8 raced around the chamber at high speeds.

In a burst of speed, XLR8 delivered a thousand punches. They struck pressure points that would paralyze a normal opponent. Even with Klarion's regeneration, the sheer volume of attacks kept up with his supernatural regeneration.

Klarion was forced to alter his perception of reality to try to keep up. He then conjured a dome of red energy, attempting to trap the speedster. XLR8 vibrated through it. He delivered a punch that broke Klarion's jaw. XLR8 continued and unleashed a barrage of kicks. They appeared as dozens of limbs striking simultaneously.

XLR8 moved so fast he created a speed mirage, appearing all over. From each position, he launched simultaneous attacks on different parts of Klarion's body. To the observers, it looked like Klarion was being assaulted by an army.

Klarion staggered under the assault, regenerating tissue rupturing almost immediately under fresh impacts. He managed to grab one of XLR8's legs, only to find it was another afterimage.

The real XLR8 appeared behind him, spinning into a devastating tail whip. The blow connected with Klarion's spine, sending him hurtling across the chamber.

A green light flashed. Diamondhead appeared mid-sprint, hurling crystal spears that pierced Klarion's shoulders, pinning him to a wall.

Another flash. XLR8 returned, racing toward the pinned witch boy. His entire body vibrated at impossible frequencies, his tail becoming a blur of concentrated mass. The technique he once taught Flash and Superman.

XLR8's tail connected with Klarion. The witch boy's body tore free from the crystal spikes and blasted through the wall behind him. Then another. And another. Walls of ancient stone disintegrated as Klarion's body carved a path of destruction through the Tower.

Many stared in amazement at the trail of devastation.

"Did that do it?" M'gann asked hesitantly.

The air shimmered as Klarion stepped through a tear in reality, brushing dust. "Cute." Klarion snapped his fingers. Gravity reversed, and almost everyone slammed into the ceiling.

With Wally and Kent Nelson

While all the fighting was going on, Wally was busy helping Kent recover from the explosions. Thankfully, they were out of range of whatever gravity manipulation that kid was pulling off. As much as he wanted to admonish that Ark had a speedster alien that was clearly faster than him, Wally did his best to cover Kent as they crawled across the room and avoided attacks. Soon, they crouched near a large bell. Kent asked for help to stand. Kent then raised his cane and hit the bell.

As the bell tolled, it gained both Klarion's and Kadabra's attention. Picking up Teekl in his arms, Klarion ignored Ark and took off into the air as Kent and Wally walked into the bell. Klarion followed them in without hesitation, with Ben as XLR8 racing after them.

Wally and Kent appeared on the roof of the tower. Floating just above their heads was the golden helmet.

As Kent reached for the helmet, he was nearly hit by a stray bolt of Klarion's magic. However, it still detonated in a small radius with them inside. Wally and Kent endured the blast to see that XLR8 had tackled Klarion as he attacked, causing him to miss.

XLR8 pinned Klarion to the tower's stone floor. "Not so fast, magic man."

Klarion pressed his palm against XLR8's chest and released a chaotic pulse that sent the speedster backward.

XLR8 recovered on the wall before he pushed off with explosive force. He circled Klarion at speeds that left afterimages. The witch boy spun frantically, firing blasts that always hit empty air as XLR8 remained one step ahead.

XLR8 closed in. His claws tore across Klarion's chest, arms, and face. A hundred more hits instantly.

Klarion’s wounds sealed almost instantly. He slammed his fist into the ground, sending a wave of chaos energy outward. 

XLR8 leapt over it, somersaulting through the air. "Too slow." XLR8 vanished again.

Klarion raised a barrier around himself, but XLR8 was already inside it. The speedster delivered a barrage of strikes that made Klarion's body jerk.

Wally slid to a stop beside Kent, who clutched his chest. It seemed that with all the action going on, Kent's heart was reaching a limit. "Mr. Nelson," Wally gasped, grabbing Kent.

Klarion teleported away from XLR8 toward the two. "You think you can run from me? I'm chaos incarnate!"

XLR8 screeched to a halt. "And I'm getting really tired of your act!" He lunged forward, but Klarion created a wall of crimson energy between them. XLR8 ducked beneath it, his velocity barely diminished. The speedster alien accelerated. 

Klarion's expression shifted from rage to confusion as XLR8 appeared behind him, then to his left, then to his right.

XLR8 struck from all angles. He landed hundreds of hits to disrupt Klarion's focus.

Kent stood, even though he had to groan through the pain, before raising his cane as he began to cast a spell. "Certe toto sentio nos in kansate non iam adesse!" At the end of the spell, he slammed his cane down on the ground, creating a golden shield around the helmet, Wally, and himself, just in time.

"No!" Klarion whirled toward XLR8. "This is your fault!" Klarion's fingers elongated into talons, dripping with dark energy. He slashed at the air, sending waves of destructive force toward XLR8.

The speedster alien weaved between the attacks. XLR8's tail whipped and caused an arc of displaced air to knock Klarion.

XLR8 saw individual particles of Klarion's chaos magic drifting through the air. XLR8 ran literal circles around him, creating a vacuum that disrupted Klarion.

XLR8’s claws shredded Klarion's form faster than even the Lord of Chaos could regenerate.

"Not bad for a former 'Doctor Fake,' eh, Kid?" The old man then lost his balance and fell into Wally's arms, and his cane fell to the side. "Sorry. I'm not as strong as I used to be. The bubble will give you just enough time to do what you need to do. Let me just… rest for a bit…"

Wally's eyes went wide. "I have no idea what I need to do."

Kent opened his watch, looking up at Wally. "Have faith in what you can't explain. Believe in what you can no longer deny." With that, Kent passed out in his arms, his watch falling out of his hand as it hit the floor.

Wally could only look upon the scene, stunned.

Outside the barrier, XLR8 and Klarion continued their fight. XLR8 speed-blitzed Klarion again before allowing the being to regenerate and burn more energy. Klarion howled with frustration. Trying to track the speedster's movements was a moot effort. He considered that an omnidirectional attack had the best odds of making contact. channeled power through the ground, causing stone spikes to erupt everywhere. "Stay still, you insufferable bug!"

XLR8 vaulted over a particularly large spike. "Sorry, not my style." He accelerated into Klarion and cut off a hand.

The severed appendage dissolved into red smoke as XLR8 created speed mirage duplicates.

Each "copy" landed devastating combinations. One XLR8 swept Klarion's legs while another drove a knee into his face. A third delivered a spinning kick that sent the witch boy tumbling across the roof.

Klarion continued to assault the bubble with as much magic as he could in between dealing with XLR8. He gathered a massive sphere of chaotic energy between his palms, preparing to hurl it at Kent's protective shield.

XLR8 saw the attack forming. The world slowed to a crawl around him as he accelerated to intercept Klarion's attack with another mass strike. The impact sent Klarion careening into one of the tower's stone gargoyles.

"Why won't you just die?!" Klarion seemed to reveal something more demonic.

"Trust me, I've heard that one before." XLR8 ran in a spiral pattern that generated a localized tornado, lifting Klarion off his feet. XLR8 darted in and out of the vortex to strike.

When the vortex dissipated, XLR8 was waiting. A tail whip drove Klarion through another stone fixture.

Wally quickly checked Kent's pulse and breathed a sigh of relief. He put a bare hand near his nose and mouth to feel light breaths. Kent would live so long as he didn't get attacked again.

Klarion began firing shots with each hand to take Wally's attention away from Kent. "I want that helmet, and I want it now!" he growled.

XLR8 dashed between the magical projectiles. Klarion seized the opportunity, conjuring spectral chains that wrapped around XLR8's legs, tripping him.

"Got you now!" Klarion's eyes blazed with triumph.

XLR8 vibrated his body, phasing through the magical restraints. "Not quite." He executed a spinning kick that caught Klarion under the chin, snapping the witch boy's head back.

Through the bubble, Wally could hear him, looking up to the helmet, then down to Kent. "Wally, we're in trouble," M'gann's voice cut through telepathically.

#

Within the tower, Kaldur and Superboy were trapped in electrical cages. While Miss Martian kept one hand out to deflect shots telekinetically, Artemis shot at Kadabra. "Tell Kent we need Doctor Fate."

Wally watched from M'gann's perspective as Artemis' shot was deflected by Kadabra, and she, too, was trapped in an electrical cage. Unable to do anything, as one headed right for M'gann.

#

The jolt snapped the connection between Wally and M'gann. Bringing his mind back to the rooftop with a gasp.

Outside, the witch boy created an entire field of chaotic energy over the roof of the tower, sending electricity coursing through his body.

Klarion smiled wickedly. "You're fun, shapeshifter, but I've got a date with destiny." He turned his attention back to the protective bubble.

Gritting his teeth, Klarion paused, then formed a magic circle around his feet. Gathering power between his hands until they expanded to create two red hands that instantly shot out and managed to get a grip on the shield surrounding the helmet, Wally, and Kent.

From behind, a new flash of emerald light erupted. The spectators saw what appeared to be a ghost. A single eye stared out at them. "GHOSTFREAK."

Klarion's concentration wavered for a moment. Ghostfreak approached Klarion, who fired blast after blast of chaos magic through the intangible alien.

"Can't hit what you can't touch," Ghostfreak mocked.

Klarion's eyes narrowed as he studied the new form before him. "What... are you?" For the first time, confusion crossed the witch boy's face. His magical senses detected no life force or soul from the mortal, yet it was alive. 

"Something even chaos can't predict," Ghostfreak responded, his clawed hand passing through a nearby column.

The claws sank in as Kent's cane began to burn. When the cane ran out, the shield would break. They screeched against the shield. 

Ignoring it, Wally looked down at Kent. "A test of faith," he agreed.

Ghostfreak circled Klarion, incorporeal and untouchable. The witch boy fired blasts of chaotic energy that passed harmlessly through the phantom. Klarion growled in frustration, dividing his attention between breaking the shield and keeping Ghostfreak at bay.

"Stand still, you freak!" Klarion shouted, his hands still working to tear apart the shield.

"Make me," Ghostfreak taunted, passing through Klarion's body just to unnerve him. The witch boy shuddered as the cold essence of the ghost alien violated his personal space.

Standing, Wally took the helmet in his hands, but Klarion grabbed his attention before he could put it on. "Hey, dumb kid. You put that on, you may never get it off!" he warned as he ripped the shield apart.

Ghostfreak saw his opportunity. As Klarion focused on Wally, Ghostfreak dove straight for the witch boy's chest. This time, instead of passing through, he plunged his consciousness into Klarion's form.

Klarion's body stiffened, his eyes widening in shock. "Get OUT!" Their voices overlapped as they battled for dominance.

Inside Klarion's mind, Ghostfreak found himself in a maelstrom of chaotic energy. The witch boy's consciousness was ancient and utterly alien. It kind of reminded Ben of other astral species he’s met.

"You think you can possess ME?" Klarion's voice boomed from everywhere at once. "I am CHAOS INCARNATE!"

Ghostfreak pushed deeper. "And I am the thing that will haunt your nightmares!"

The two beings were now locked in a struggle of wills.

Ghostfreak's perception shifted. The swirling chaos parted to reveal Klarion's true form: a flaming red diamond-like object. It made Ghostfreak's consciousness recoil. This was a fragment of chaos itself given sentience.

"See what I truly am?" Klarion taunted. "I am eternal." The diamond-like core sent waves of crimson energy washing over Ghostfreak's consciousness. Memories from countless eons. "Let me show you what happens to those who peer too deeply into chaos," Klarion hissed. The diamond core flared, targeting the darkest corners of Ghostfreak's mind. Tendrils probed at the Ectonurite's consciousness. It seemed to sense something buried within.

Ben already knew he was attempting to make contact with Zs'Skayr.

"There’s something locked within," Klarion taunted. "I can feel it. Let's set it free, shall we?"

Ghostfreak felt the pressure building, the familiar sensation of losing control. But Ben had faced this before. He'd learn to overcome Zs'Skayr's influence repeatedly.

"Been there, done that," Ghostfreak countered. "Got the t-shirt."

Ghostfreak pushed back, projecting his own thoughts into reality within this mental battlefield. 

"What? How are you…?"

"Not my first rodeo in someone else's head," Ghostfreak replied. "I've had to learn how to keep control of my own mind."

Klarion had an advantage in his own mental domain, but Ben had experience with these types of encounters.

All this Chaos Lord stuff was still new to Ben, and he was playing things by ear. He couldn't win this battle of wills against a being as ancient as Klarion. But he didn't need to win. He just needed to stall for the expert on the matter to return.

"You can't hold me forever." Klarion struggled. “And when I break free, I'll tear your friends apart atom by atom."

"Big talk," Ghostfreak taunted, continuing to project stability into the chaotic mindscape. "Let's see how long we can keep this up."

#

Wally raised the helmet as Klarion’s body writhed on the floor. He contemplated one more time before he put the helmet on, and he saw only darkness.