Chapter 22 : Vilgax 5

In front of the entrance to Mount Rushmore's Plumber base, a figure descended from above, the sound of jet pack engines echoing through the air.

Upon witnessing the dire state of the colossal gateway, a multitude of negative thoughts flooded Max's mind. Despite his knowledge of Kevin's plan and the formidable power of the young boy, he struggled to maintain his composure.

Because his enemy's name was Vilgax, an intergalactic Warlord. This title was not merely a boast but was earned through the blood and bones of countless beings, including a substantial number supplied by the Plumbers and many of his allies.

That was enough for Max; he wouldn't allow Vilgax to take any more lives on this planet.

Following the path of destruction, he eventually reached his target. Seated in front of the training area entrance was a teenage boy, leaning against the wall, with closed eyes, seemingly motionless. In a state of panic, Max called out, "Kevin," and rushed to his side to assess any potential injuries.

Thank Alien X, Kevin opened his eyes upon hearing the call, waving towards Max. This gesture acted as an emergency heart medication for Max. After ensuring that Kevin was in perfect condition, Max let out a sigh of relief and said, "You scared the shit out of me, son."

Max's suppressed emotions made him unable to refrain from cursing. Kevin just smiled in response, "The restroom is at the end of the hallway, and there are plenty of spare clothes in the storeroom, though I'm not sure they'll fit you."

"Hahaha..." the boy's joke elicited laughter, and Max's mood relaxed accordingly. After a moment, he brought up the crucial matter, "Where's Vilgax?"

Pointing into the room, Kevin said, "In there, trapped in the world's largest ice cube."

The former Plumber furrowed his brow slightly, "Is it enough to contain him?"

"The odds are about 60/40, and not in our favor."

"So, what's the next step?" Max asked.

"There are many options. The first is to bring down the entire Mount Rushmore, bury Vilgax under 6 million tons of rock, earth, and steel." Kevin spoke casually, as if this were just a trivial and insignificant matter.

"That might not be advisable. Too many variables, and the outcome may not align with our predictions. Plus, we don't know how the government and the military would react." Hearing Kevin's audacious suggestion, Max wasn't horrified or angered by the idea .

As a guardian of the Earth, if sacrificing a wonder could secure the safety of the planet, he was willing to personally demolish any renowned structure.

After all, the Plumber had wreaked havoc on similar structures in the past, and one more wouldn't make a significant difference. Thanks to advanced technology and collaboration with various governments, they could conceal these actions from the public and swiftly restore the affected areas.

"So, the second option is to wait for Gwen and Ben to take control of Vilgax's spaceship and launch a full-scale assault on this area. Numerous Alien technologies could easily obliterate planets. The Chimera Hammer, Vilgax's iconic warship , might not have the power to wipe out Earth entirely, but its destructive potential easily surpassed that of seven nuclear warheads."

This time, Max didn't immediately respond; it was something to consider once Ben and Gwen had complete control of the ship. Following that, they needed to assess the ship's weaponry, its damage potential, and their effective range before determining its usability.

Seeing Max's lack of reaction, Kevin presented the final option, "Lastly, the classic choice."

He raised his right hand, holding an oddly shaped device resembling a hybrid of a large flashlight and a handgun.

Max exclaimed, "Null Void Projector."

Max immediately recognized one of the Plumbers' most powerful weapons. This weapon could bypass all defensive measures, regardless of an individual's strength or resilience. A single shot would pull the target into the Null Void.

"Exactly, small but mighty, unstoppable. It baffles me why you haven't considered using it against Vilgax."

With a wry smile, Max provided an answer, "It's not that I haven't considered it; it's just that there hasn't been an opportunity. The Null Void Projector isn't Earth technology; it's a war prize from The Great Onslaught era. Back then, Vilgax was believed to have died for a few years... or at least that's what we thought. So, there hasn't been a chance to use it."

"So, what about today? I haven't seen you actively seeking it out."

"That's on me. The Null Void projector works well, but our understanding of the Null Void is limited. There was a time when I encountered someone who had been sent into the Null Void by the Plumbers. He returned to this world with minimal physical damage, proving that escape from the Null Void is possible, especially for someone as formidable as Vilgax. Who knows how long he can be held there. The weapon we used was specially crafted for Vilgax, requiring considerable time and resources to ensure it could inflict severe damage or even destroy Vilgax and his descendants. Unfortunately, theory and reality often diverge significantly."

"No need to blame yourself. Just by looking, it's apparent that Vilgax's body has undergone extensive modifications. In fact, he can no longer be considered purely Chimera Sui; labeling him as a cyborg is more fitting."

The conversation continued for a while before being interrupted by a beep from Kevin's phone. It was a message from Rojo, stating that the artificial intelligence on Vilgax's ship had been defeated, and soon the entire ship would follow Kevin's command.

This was part of their deal. Kevin would use all his resources to help the Tennyson family rescue Ben and defeat Vilgax. In return, all the spoils would belong to Kevin.

Initially, Kevin expected Max to strongly oppose or at least demand the destruction of the ship's weapons. To his surprise, Max immediately agreed, seemingly unconcerned that Kevin might misuse the ship and its firepower to harm Earth.

On the contrary, Gwen appeared slightly dissatisfied with this request. Unfortunately, at that time, the women's rights movement was not powerful enough, so her opinion was completely ignored by the two men.

It didn't take long for Ben and Gwen to escape the Warship, returning to the Plumber base.