Chapter 2: The offshoot

Ben Tennyson and the team are in space. They've left their home world with direction to Galvan to repair the watch and be able to fight this recently discovered threath. Nothing so difficult for the saviour of the universe, but he is still brooding on the same fact: "Why Azmuth hasn't apparead yet?". You can always count on Azmuth when A) the universe is facing its destruction or B) his precious watch is malfunctioning. And it's pretty much it. Two reasons for him to appear, either to solve the problem or to give a speech.

It sounds like a simple and effective plan. Yet, little did they know that while plumbers are in space there are more chances to recieve "beepings" of help. After all, they're known for having fast spaceships to cover any emergency. This signal comes from a local base on Earth's moon, the one who keeps the whole quadrant communicated. The beeping from this base makes evident that someone wants to take control of the place. The ship will be there in literal minutes, so Ben activates his watch and can hear it saying again: "Ultimatrix Activated", but with no transformation. He's still a regular human. Kevin tries to use his tools to look out for a way to fix it. Since the last time it was activated properly by sonic emissions, Ben states that this is how it's gonna work again. Kevin and Gwen are worried to try something of that magnitude inside the ship, but doing it outside is not an option since there's no air in space.

While they're arguing about this reckless choice, they get shot from a nearby vigilance tower. The strong impact, while it doesn't damage the ship at all, it makes the young plumbers to fly off their seats and crash against the windshield. Except Ben, he has turned into Big Chill and manages to phase throw it. After making sure his friends are safe too, he goes invisible to the lunar base. Unlike the last time, he can actually hear a sound coming from the Ultimatrix: "Protocol 0-5"

It wasn't surprise for Ben that the same guys who kidnapped his grandpa and almost kidnap him are guarding the base. It is obvious for Ben that are hostages involved: "Is maybe Azmuth who's in there?". After all, he's usually consulted when it comes to high-technology that this base surely has.

His thought wasn't completely wrong. He enters to a room and sees 5 aliens tied in chairs. None of them was Azmuth. The first, tall and stout, has the appearance of a squid, but his skin is like a rock. The second one is the size of an average human. A calf-ish head in a man's body. The third one is also tall, his skin is gelatinous and scaly at the same time. His face has 3 eyes. The fourth one is small, but rougher than the previous three; it's not possible to describe. The fifth one looks really familiar, it is a methanosian, Swampfire species.

Ben proceeds to remove their ties while they tell him what is happening. All of them were monarches in their home worlds, until the ignix came and captured them. Ben realizes that the threat isn't reduced to the Earth: it's universal. "Is Galvan also under attack?", he wonders. More reason to get there fast, but first, he has to protect and recover the base before the whole quadrant commutication system gets under ignix control.

Ben makes sure Gwen and Kevin can assist these leaders with anything that they packed on the ship, while he goes to the presumably most guarded room of the base.

It's not the first time Ben is in this place, as Big Chill, he knows where to go and what to avoid. But suddenly, a strong electrical shock crosses his body and, at the end of the room, a necrofriggian seated on a throne observes pleased how he's writhing. He identifies himself as the Commander Zax'c, a soldier trained to destroy more than 600 alien species. Ben has heard this before.

Zax'c stands up at the blink of an eye and attacks, but Ben, who prefers to remain as a simple fellow necrofriggian instead to reveal that Ben Tennyson was there, flies away as fast as he can. But then again, a necrofriggian can't outrun or hide from another necrofriggian. Also, Zax'c is not alone. Ben managed to be faster than him for solid two minutes, but then he's intercepted and knocked out by Zax'c's brothers (as he calles them).

Ben wakes up in a cell because of the extreme cold. He's still Big Chill, but even as a necrofriggian he struggles to endure this extreme climate that they're generating for his cell. Ben faints away again and has a vision. The Ultimatrix is talking to him.

It repeats the same words: "Protocol 5-0", "Protocol 5-0", "Protocol 5-0", until he demands the meaning of it. The Ultimatrix says " Protocol 5-0 means survive " … and he begins to understand. In the megawhatt prison the Ultimatrix was the one that gave him the right alien to suppress the effects of the loudy sound waves. When the ship was attacked and crashed, Big Chill was able to survive without any problem. Now the Ultimatrix requests him: "The protocol 5-0 needs to do a modification to fulfill his goal". Ben agrees and wakes up for the first time turned into Articguana, the only known alien that can survive the absolute zero.

It's evident that his secret identity has been exposed by this change. The cell is suddenly opening, but Ben is ready to fight the guards. In the fight, there are no signs of Zax'c, just simple soldiers that are no match for Ben. He freeze them with a laser beam and manage to run from the place using his cold breath to reduce the friction. Ben is reaching the exit door, but one of the ignix shoots him. Ben realizes he's not Articguana anymore. The Ultimatrix saved his life again, turning him into Goop. Now is time to go ultimate.

Ultimate Goop looks like a big tornado of corrosive acid. The device on his head now is located in the center of his body, as a heart. A heart that pumps acid and toxins.

Even in his ultimate form, Ben is amused about how easy was his scape. It's like an invisible hand was helping him all along. Gwen, Kevin and the monarches are waiting and they're ready to go. While the ship is lost in the distance, a remorseful Zax'c, seated in his throne with his brothers, look at the sky and say in unison: "Farewell, father".