It all started with that EMP bomb.
Honestly, Bante never expected HYDRA to think of using an EMP to counter Iron Man's armor. And electromagnetic pulses were especially devastating to the Omnitrix. Even in the future, Ben 10,000 never fully solved that problem. Maltruant once used a solar pulse to temporarily strip Ben of his transformation abilities.
But for Bante, the situation turned out a little different.
At the time, he was in his office watching Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf when Harry's communication came through. The Sky Council badge used quantum communication technology, so S.H.I.E.L.D. never detected or intercepted the transmission. That's how Bante learned about the attack on Nick Fury.
Clearly, Pierce had reached his limit after watching Fury dismantle HYDRA bases one after another. Losing a base or two was tolerable, but at this rate, there wouldn't be many left in the entire world.
And once Pierce made his move, he wouldn't stop until every threat was eliminated. Bante knew that soon Pierce would seize full control of S.H.I.E.L.D. and come after them.
Steve could have easily infiltrated HYDRA, but when Bante brought it up earlier, it was obvious Steve hated the idea. So a fight was inevitable.
Initially, Bante hadn't planned to use the Omnitrix at all.
Against small fry like HYDRA, the watch would be overkill.
He had already suited up, ready to fight them as Hacker. But then HYDRA, aiming to disable Iron Man, detonated an EMP bomb.
In that single second, the electromagnetic pulse swept across a massive area, including where Bante stood.
And in that instant, the Omnitrix crashed.
It didn't shut down completely. Instead, it entered a strange state. No matter how Bante pressed or prodded, nothing responded.
Then, once the EMP's influence passed, the watch underwent a brief reboot. And during that reboot, Bante gained access to ten new alien heroes.
They included: Ditto, Wildvine, Stinkfly, Cannonbolt, Big Chill, Molestache, Walkatrout, Brainstorm, Nanomech, and the big one... Alien X!
Wait, you're telling me all it took was an EMP blast to refresh the hero roster?
Bante suddenly felt like eating that raw spider sashimi to activate the watch had been a complete waste.
And unlike when Ben Tennyson first put on the Omnitrix and lost his original ten aliens, Bante's previously unlocked DNA samples hadn't disappeared. They were still stored alongside the new ones.
A pleasant surprise, to say the least.
Bante almost wanted to thank HYDRA.
Among the ten new aliens, Molestache, Walkatrout, Ditto, and Nanomech were practically useless in combat. Alien X couldn't be transformed into casually either. That form was a last resort.
As a Celestialsapien, Alien X's genetic code wasn't something the Omnitrix could tamper with. For those beings, it probably didn't matter where they existed. Inside a watch or at the dawn of creation, it was all the same. The two personalities would argue endlessly and never move a muscle.
But Cannonbolt, Wildvine, Brainstorm, Stinkfly, and Big Chill? Those were solid additions.
"As a thank you gift, I'll send them off with an alien hero!"
Bante immediately selected his favorite from the new batch: Big Chill.
He pressed down on the watch core. In a flash, his skin turned blue. His build didn't change much, but three pairs of wings sprouted from his back, wrapping around his body like a wizard's cloak.
Big Chill.
DNA source: Necrofriggian from the planet Kylmyys.
The species resembled a hybrid of human and moth. They had no male or female distinction. In fact, when Ben Tennyson transformed into Big Chill, he once spontaneously impregnated himself and gave birth to a litter of baby Necrofriggians. That earned the form the nickname "Big Mommy."
"Good. Not the Omniverse redesign..."
Big Chill's popularity largely stemmed from its original look. In Omniverse, the design was changed into something hideous. Thankfully, Bante's transformation matched the classic appearance.
As for abilities, Big Chill could exhale freezing vapor cold enough to encase anything in ice. He could manipulate the ice he created, form icicles from his hands, or flash-freeze anything he touched.
And as Ghostfreak's replacement, Big Chill lived up to the name. He could turn intangible and invisible.
On top of that, Big Chill fed on metal, could chew through steel with ease, and possessed extreme resistance to temperature.
That was why Ultimate Big Chill's ability reversed entirely, becoming a fire-based form.
"Big Chill. Awesome!"
Bante glanced down at himself, satisfied. Non-human species. Unusual skin color. Ambiguous gender... the list of traits stacked up. He felt absolutely unstoppable.
At the same time, he sensed the agents gathering outside his office.
Due to his temperature-based abilities, Big Chill's eyes could perceive thermal signatures alongside normal vision.
"Surrounded?"
He wasn't worried. Without moving his feet, his body faded into transparency. A translucent finger reached out and pressed the button to open the office door.
The agents outside, poised to breach and ambush him, were caught completely off guard.
The lead agent snapped into alert mode, raising his pistol at the doorway. The moment Hacker stepped out, they'd greet him with a hail of bullets.
But several minutes passed, and no one emerged.
The door hung ajar. Wisps of frigid white mist curled out from the gap.
The team leader frowned, signaled his men with a tactical gesture, and crept forward cautiously.
He pushed the door open. A biting cold slammed into him.
It felt like stepping through a portal into a frozen wasteland. Every surface inside the room was coated in a thin layer of frost.
"What the...?"
The agent froze.
"No one's here?"
Hearing that, the rest of the team rushed in. Then they all stood there, stunned.
How could no one be here?
Hacker had entered the office and never left. That was a fact.
Where did a whole person go?
Bante felt like he'd shifted into another plane of existence. He stood in the exact same spot, but the agents couldn't see him at all. Physical objects passed right through him.
His gaze swept over them slowly. He stepped forward, extending his arms from beneath his cloak-like wings, brushing them across the agents' bodies.
Even though there was no tangible contact, every single one of them shuddered violently when Bante's arm passed through.
The next instant, ice bloomed from their bodies.
Crack!
Unlike the cartoon version of Big Chill's ice, which anyone could shatter, Bante's power was far more lethal. The moment he made contact, he could freeze the blood inside his enemies.
Ordinary humans couldn't survive such extreme cold. Their frozen blood would rupture their vessels, killing them instantly.
With that done, Bante didn't linger. He floated upward, phasing through the ceiling and leaving the office, now a frozen morgue, behind.
But he didn't return to the surface immediately.
Instead, he searched for the interrogation rooms where Barton and Natasha were being held.
Those two weren't exactly heavy hitters, but they were still "fellow Avengers." A little detour wouldn't hurt.
If Pierce decided to use them as hostages, it would complicate things.
Not that Bante cared personally.
You captured them, Pierce. Why should I surrender?
But the others would hesitate. They'd fall for it.
Under those circumstances, Bante couldn't just slaughter everyone either. The Sky Council was technically an alien organization. Maintaining a decent public image mattered.
Inside the interrogation room, Bante freed Natasha and the others.
They were wary of Big Chill at first, but upon spotting the Sky Council insignia, they relaxed a little.
At least this wizard-looking thing wasn't HYDRA.
"How many aliens has your Sky Council stashed on Earth?"
Hill wasn't really asking. It was more of a complaint.
Before Bante could answer, she added, "Pierce is probably HYDRA. We need to get out of here and find Fury."
"You go ahead."
Bante's voice came out raspy and hollow.
"I'll support your soldiers."
Hill nodded.
"Once we secure a plane, we'll come back for you."
The two groups split up. Bante continued phasing upward, arriving just as Cap and the others found themselves pinned down.
Those supposedly impenetrable energy shields meant nothing to him.
Sure, they could block ice projectiles, but they couldn't stop the sudden drop in temperature.
Bante strolled forward leisurely, opened his mouth, and unleashed a howling gale of arctic wind. In seconds, the entire base was swallowed by a freezing vortex.
White mist and icy gusts swirled everywhere.
Steve was reminded of that moment months ago in New Mexico when Loki had wielded that blue cube. The Casket of Ancient Winters.
Big Chill's power couldn't compare to the Casket, but it was more than enough to temporarily freeze a S.H.I.E.L.D. base.
Just then, Hill and the others piloted the last functional aircraft through the snowstorm.
The hatch swung open. Natasha and Hawkeye stood on either side, Clint with his bow drawn and alert. Natasha shouted over the wind.
"Get on the plane!"
Bante reached out, phasing his hand straight through Tony's armor. From the inside, he disengaged the suit's locking mechanisms and hauled Tony out.
"Fall back, soldier."
He said to Cap.
"But what about Hacker..."
Steve didn't want to leave anyone behind.
"Worry about yourself, not Hacker."
/-\
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