The princesses invitation - Part Two

[ Moments Later ]

Cameron darted into the nearest concealed area, desperate to elude the cyborgs. However, their superior vision allowed them to effortlessly track him down, leaving him with no means of escape. The chase ensued for what felt like an eternity, until finally, the Omnitrix booted online, granting Cameron the upper hand once more. Sliding underneath a rocket from one of the cyborgs, he activated the watch, causing a brilliant green flash to illuminate the explosion in the background. Emerging from the emerald glow as H2hydr0, Cameron delivered a powerful punch straight to the face of one of the cyborgs.

In the meantime, Friad soared through the skies, clutching the princess tightly. Confused and frightened, she questioned her attacker, demanding an explanation for his actions.

"Friad, why are you doing this? Why are you attacking me?" she cried.

"My princess... my princess... I know how much you despise this coronation," Friad responded, his voice straining with determination.

"I despise it, but this is not necessary," she pleaded, hoping to reason with him.

"It is necessary... after I'm finished with you, you will never have to become queen," Friad declared ominously.

"You're not planning on...?" the princess began, her voice trailing off in fear.

"My father made a promise many years ago, a promise that I will ensure is fulfilled by putting an end to your family lineage once and for all," Friad revealed, his tone filled with a chilling resolve.

Meanwhile, back with Cameron, he reveled in the exhilaration of his newfound powers as H2hydr0. Fueled by frustration and determination, he engaged in combat with the swarm of cyborgs, who initially overwhelmed him with their long-range tactics.

However, H2hydr0 quickly adapted, retaliating with his own water-based long-range attacks. Forced to abandon their initial strategy, the cyborgs closed in for close combat. Although initially at a disadvantage due to their proximity, H2hydr0 swiftly gained the upper hand, deftly dodging their attacks and unleashing torrents of water with deadly precision.

"It won't be long now," H2hydr0 muttered under his breath, his gaze fixed on the remaining cyborgs. He propelled himself upwards with a powerful blast of water, effortlessly landing on top of one of the cyborgs. With a swift movement, he aimed his palms at the four cyborgs surrounding him, releasing a devastating wave of water that sent them hurtling backwards. Seizing the head of the cyborg beneath him, H2hydr0 summoned a burst of water that tore through the metal, shattering its robotic shell.

"The watch is about to time out... I've gotta find the others before that happens," H2hydr0 contemplated, his mind racing with thoughts of reuniting with his comrades.

[ Meanwhile at the Main Hall ]

Marcy slowly opened her eyes, finding herself still in the Sienna, in the same seat where she had been knocked out by the gas. But the cyborg that had released the gas was nowhere to be seen. Instead, it was engaged in a struggle with Gal, who was attempting to merge with its body. The cyborg fought back with all its weapons, but Gal remained resilient, refusing to let go.

Reacting quickly, Marcy used her laser gun to disable the cyborg temporarily, giving Gal the opportunity to successfully merge with it.

"Great job, Gal," Marcy praised.

Meanwhile, in the main hall, Katherine was enraged. She unleashed a powerful burst of dark energy, pushing all the cyborgs away and creating a safe space for herself.

"Dammit!" she exclaimed in frustration.

However, the cyborgs quickly regrouped and charged towards Katherine, attacking her relentlessly. Despite their numbers, Katherine was able to hold her own against them. While the cyborgs were numerous, they were no match for the formidable opponents she had faced before. However, every time Katherine tried to escape, the cyborgs would corner her, impeding her progress. Even when she teleported away, she still struggled to locate the princess.

In a sudden beam of light, Cameron appeared, diverting the attention of some of the cyborgs towards him. Marcy burst into the main hall, using the Sienna to knock into a group of cyborgs.

"Hey, you two!" Marcy called out. "We need to save the princess. Get in the Sienna!"

"Do you know where the princess is?" Cameron asked eagerly.

"Yeah. Get in, and I'll explain as we go," Marcy replied.

"Got it!"

Katherine released one final burst of power using the orb before rushing into the Sienna, visibly drained. Cameron caught her in his arms, and entered the Sienna. Marcy quickly started the vehicle and they drove forward.

"Shit," Katherine muttered, holding her head. "That drained a lot of my energy."

"Well, at least none of us are having an easy time," Cameron remarked. "I mean, I had to rely on two aliens just to defeat five cyborgs, and here you are taking on a million by yourself."

"You're not one to complain," Marcy interjected. "I got taken down by a single cyborg, and I'm supposed to be the experienced one."

"You're right. It's been one hell of a day," Katherine acknowledged. "We're all weakened, and there's a horde of cyborgs hunting us down."

"What about Gal?" Cameron asked.

"Not an option right now," Marcy replied. "Gal has linked with one of the cyborgs, and he's our only hope of finding the princess."

"Well, looks like we're in a bad spot," Cameron observed. "But the Omnitrix should be coming back online soon. We just need a minute or two."

The cyborgs pursued the speeding Sienna through the city streets, causing pedestrians to run for their lives as the car refused to slow down for anything or anyone.

The chase could be described as lucky at best because the cyborgs weren't able to land a single shot at the Sienna which was pretty much an open target.

The trunk side of the Sienna swung open, revealing a determined Cameron perched on top of the vehicle. Activating his omnitrix, he struggled to maintain balance as he addressed the firing cyborgs.

"You're going in the wrong direction!" he shouted. "As a hero, it's my job to make sure you follow the right path!"

A green flash erupted, and in place of Cameron stood ThrowUp, ready to take action.

"Eliminate! Eliminate!"

Recognizing the signal, Marcy focused her attention on driving, exposing the Sienna to a larger, more vulnerable target.

With their remaining power, the cyborgs surged forward, attempting to claw at ThrowUp. But the vomit-spewing alien retaliated by repeatedly pushing them back with a powerful gush of spit.

Though a few cyborgs were momentarily displaced, the rest remained steadfast and resilient. Regrouping, they unleashed a barrage of missiles towards the Sienna. Determined to up his game, ThrowUp countered with a rapid spray of spit, neutralizing all incoming projectiles.

Struggling to maintain balance and fight off the encircling cyborgs, ThrowUp felt overwhelmed. The watch's power was dwindling, but just in the nick of time, Katherine came to his aid, fending off cyborgs attacking from the sides.

Gathering his last reserves, ThrowUp unleashed a massive wave of spit, twirling as he expelled it, aiming to eliminate all the cyborgs at once. Katherine joined the effort, wielding her orb like a knife, swiftly slicing through the remaining adversaries.

With a final collective effort, the battle was won, and the threat of the cyborgs was quelled.

[ Moments Later ]

The Sienna cruised down the road smoothly, with no distractions to hinder its progress.

Cameron broke the silence, "How much farther until we reach this place? I can't wait to finally bring down the mastermind behind all of this."

"Same here. I'm pushing the limits of our speed, but without Gal's assistance, we're moving slower than a snail," replied Marcy.

"Damn. I hope the princess can hold on a little longer. We're going to rescue her from whoever's responsible for all this," Cameron said determinedly.

"It's Friad," Katherine's voice emerged from the backseat. "He attacked me, preventing me from fulfilling my mission to protect the princess."

"Friad? The butler? I guess that makes sense," Cameron mused.

"Seems like you've figured something out, Cameron, that's a first for you," Marcy jested.

"All those palace workers must have been involved. They barely expressed any emotion, except for Friad and the other guy," Cameron continued.

"I despise that guy," Katherine uttered gritting her teeth.

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Katherine. You did everything you could against-" Cameron began.

"-No... I'm a terrible hero. My only job was to protect one person, and I couldn't even do that," Katherine interrupted, her voice filled with self-doubt.

Cameron tried to comfort her, "That's not fair, Katherine. If it were the princess, you would have undoubtedly protected her."

"But that wasn't the case this time, was it? It was the princess, and I failed to protect her," Katherine's voice quivered with regret.

Welcome to the A team," Marcy spoke up, a warm smile on her face. "As an official beginner hero, it's normal for things to not go perfectly on your first mission. Just like in school, you can't expect to get a perfect grade every time. The key is not to get caught up in perfection, but to focus on getting the job done."

Cameron chuckled. "You sound just like Grandpa," he said.

Marcy nodded. "Yeah, that's who I learned this from."

Katherine straightened up, a determined look in her eyes. "You're right. Let's focus on completing the mission, no matter what obstacles come our way."

[ Moments Later ]

The Sienna crashed through the small gate, shattering it into pieces as the team pressed on towards their destination. They gazed ahead, spotting a towering power cord in the distance, a reassuring sign that they were headed in the right direction.

Cameron powered up the omnitrix, contemplating the situation. "Looks like a lightning issue, Static-Brain should be more than enough to tackle this mission."

"Let's hope it doesn't escalate into something more dangerous," Marcy added, her eyes fixed on the power cords.

Suddenly, Robert swooped in front of the Sienna, forcing it to veer sharply and come to a stop with its side facing him instead of the front.

Cameron pushed the door open and stepped out with a determined grin on his face.

"Eliminate! Cameron! Primary objective: Eliminate Cameron!" a robotic voice blared.

Cameron smirked. "Will you look at that, I guess it's time to be a hero!" With a quick motion, he activated the dial on the omnitrix.

A brilliant green flash dazzled Robert's eyes, and when the light faded, Static-Brain stood confidently before him.

"Eliminate new target. Same target!" Static-Brain declared with a sly grin.

"Uh-oh, it seems this artificial intelligence has gained some sense of recognition. Yes, indeed, I am the same target as before, but now even stronger and smarter. I am Static-Brain!" Cameron proclaimed.

Before anyone could react, a powerful surge of electricity shot through Static-Brain's head, jolting him back a step.

Meanwhile, the Sienna surged forward, plowing through the dense forest as it approached the towering antenna in the distance. Dark clouds loomed overhead, and a horde of cyborgs emerged from the forest, hurtling toward the Sienna at great speed. Acting swiftly, Marcy halted the Sienna midway to allow Gal to enhance its capabilities.

"We're almost there, Katherine," Marcy called out. "I'll divert these pesky cyborgs, while you make your way to the main area and save the princess!"

Katherine nodded firmly, her gaze fixed on the antenna. She maneuvered the upgraded Sienna away from the antenna, engaging in a fierce battle with the pursuing cyborgs. With Gal's extraordinary powers, he deftly neutralized the rockets launched by the cyborgs, countering them with precision lasers that detonated the projectiles before they reached their target.

Katherine plowed through the thick forest, finally coming to a stop in front of a cluster of massive power cords where Friad stood, with the princess cowering behind him.

I hadn't anticipated for the three of you to be involved in any of this, let alone be present during the unfolding events... you and your family have managed to achieve something unprecedented – you've managed to surpass the capabilities of AI and its predictive abilities."

"Both I and my entire family are full of surprises that will not only astonish you, but drive you away from here."

"So, you believe that means you'll defeat me and foil my entire plan?" he scoffed.

"Yes... I will fulfill my mission, and nothing will stop me from doing so!" she declared with determination.

"You're fighting for the wrong side!"

Katherine employed some cunning hand maneuvers, causing the sphere to thrust forward and strike Friad, who smirked before retaliating with a powerful punch, sending Katherine sliding back.

They exchanged smiles before unleashing their full arsenal against each other; Katherine utilized her sphere repeatedly in an attempt to repel Friad, who skillfully utilized his advanced cybotic limbs to dodge and evade her attacks.

Friad decided to change tactics, taking the offensive by extending his arms towards his opponent. In response, Katherine swiftly shifted her position and adopted an offensive stance with the sphere.

"You're fighting for the wrong team, Katherine! You're a hero, fighting for what's right. Supporting this princess is not right!" Friad exclaimed as they battled.

"But she hasn't done anything wrong, and you're the one who is doing wrong," Katherine retorted, continuing her relentless assault.

"Context! Context!" he repeated while fighting. "Yes, she may not be at fault, but her family's actions have caused harm! Her bloodline... they have wronged me!"

"Her family?" Katherine halted her attacks, bewildered. "What did th-"

"-I was meant to be royalty!" Friad interrupted, his anguish evident.

Static-Brain and Robert exchanged a barrage of long-range attacks, launching missiles and firing electric blasts at each other.

Meanwhile, Marcy stood on the roof of the Sienna, defending herself and Gal from the cyborgs that were chasing them.

Now, we return to Katherine and Friad. Both of them lowered their guards and relaxed.

"I come from the Griffen family," Friad revealed, "we were destined to be the next rulers, to reign for the next hundred years. But the first heir of the Sane throne murdered my father and took his place as king."

May was puzzled. "That doesn't make sense. A hundred years have passed since then, so if you were alive back then, you would be about 90 years old at best. But you don't look-"

"Remember, May, he is an AI!" Katherine interrupted.

"Yes! I discovered AI technology in my thirties and used it to create an AI version of myself with my own brain. That's when my plan began. I gained the trust of your family and waited for the perfect moment," Friad explained.

"What do you mean by 'the promised moment'?" May asked, curious.

"My father swore to kill the tenth dynasty queen on this very day, and she was not your mother, May. She was actually the ninth queen. You are the true tenth queen," Friad revealed.

Understanding dawned on Katherine. "That's why your mother was so eager for you to become queen. She believed that by doing so, the promise made by your father would not come true."

"My mother thought she was the tenth queen," May whispered, realizing the truth.

"Your family's history is indeed twisted, and I will be the one to end it. Originally, I planned to create an AI duplicate of you that would relinquish all rights to me and my lineage. But now, I believe killing you would be the better option," Friad declared.

Katherine's fists crackled with power from the sphere as she met Friad's fist-to-fist in the middle of the area. A powerful clash of energy erupted, but with a determined glow in her eyes, Katherine emerged victorious.

"That won't be happening," she declared, her voice filled with resolve.

"Yes, it will!" Friad exclaimed. "I will set things right! I will restore the way things were always meant to be."

Suddenly, Friad raised his hands, and a bolt of electricity surged into him. The cyborgs melted into small silver puddles that merged with Friad, transforming his entire body into a cybernetic form.

"Eliminate! I will eliminate the obsolete and make things right!" Friad proclaimed, his voice distorted.

Realizing she had no choice, Katherine embraced the power of the sphere, allowing it to envelop her arms as her eyes turned pure white.

"You're not alone in this," Gal (Sienna) arrived in the area with Marcy and Cameron seated on top of the Sienna.

Friad, now a cyborg, attempted to punch the Sienna, but Gal showcased his exceptional driving skills by effortlessly evading every punch while simultaneously firing shots at the cyborg.

In response, Friad withdrew his fists and launched a rocket towards the Sienna. Acting swiftly, Cameron sprinted forward and leaped towards the rocket with the omnitrix activated. Just as he landed on the watch, Marcy swiftly fired a laser gun, causing the rocket to explode instantly.

Emerging from the wreckage was the formidable blue alien, Gorantuala. With a powerful punch to Friad's face, he sent him sliding back into one of the antennas, which propelled him straight into Katherine. Seizing the opportunity, Katherine swiftly punched Friad in the face.

Using the orb, Katherine landed safely on the ground beside Gorantuala and Sienna, who had been activated into battle mode by Marcy.

"Do you think it's time we unleash the full power of the Ultimate superhero teamup on him?" Gorantuala inquired, cracking his knuckles.

Katherine nodded emphatically. "Absolutely."

Gorantuala lunged forward, meeting Friad in the middle with a powerful tackle. The two wrestled with each other, evenly matched in strength. However, to everyone's surprise, Friad managed to overpower Gorantuala, throwing him into the air. As Gorantuala grinned mischievously, he fired a sticky web down onto Friad's face.

In an instant, Katherine teleported in front of Friad, her fists charged with dark energy. She delivered a barrage of punches, her fists moving so fast they appeared to be surrounded by a cloud of darkness. Just as Friad was about to counter, Katherine leaped back, allowing Gorantuala to crash down on him with a powerful quadruple axe handle slam, forcing Friad's head to jerk downwards.

The omnitrix on Cameron's wrist suddenly flashed green, transforming him back into his normal self. Friad smirked, but his expression quickly faded as Katherine lifted him into the air within a sphere of energy.

"Marcy!" Katherine called out.

"Now!" Cameron shouted.

The Sienna's cannon charged up, collecting a massive amount of energy that it unleashed in a wide, thick green beam. The beam engulfed Friad before he could react, leaving him incapacitated. Exhausted, Katherine fell to her knees, panting heavily, while Cameron collapsed backwards, also catching his breath. Marcy leaned tiredly against the control panel, wearing a satisfied smile.

A few moments passed as the team caught their breath and collected themselves. They bid farewell to the princess, grateful for her assistance, before continuing on their journey to bring their long adventure to an end.

"That was one for the books," Cameron remarked, holding a cybernetic chip. He glanced down at the omnitrix, which still glowed red. "I hope you guys understand now why I don't use those jumbo aliens like Gorantuala."

"Yeah... it's been stuck in the red for a while now," Katherine acknowledged.

"Today really showed that we all have the potential to be heroes. And both of you have proven that you're ready to become peacemakers, regardless of your age," Marcy declared.

"I guess you're right," Cameron conceded, a sense of pride and accomplishment filling his voice.