Ben 10: Unlimited: Discontinued

Chapter 18 Lines in the Sand

Captain Atom smirked. "Bad call."

Ultimate Swampfire nodded. "Yeah, no kidding."

As they moved into the confined space, Ultimate Swampfire realized that his enhanced powers would do as much damage to his friends, as well as Mantis, so he slapped the Ultimatrix dial, turning back into Swampfire, then slapped it again.

"FASTTRACK!" this alien was about Ben's height, with a humanoid body, blue fur and a vaguely feline face.

The three heroes found Mantis using the electricity from the third rail to charge up his own powers. A bolt of energy sent Captain Atom flying, while Fasttrack rushed forward in a blur of motion; he sent a barrage of super-fast punches into Mantis' face and, while they didn't do much damage on their own, they began to add up.

"Captain Atom?" Superman called out to his teammate, who was on his knees.

"I'm okay!" he said, "It'll just take me a second to adjust to the energy!" True enough, he stood up a moment later, looking more angry than anything else. He sent a huge blast of nuclear power at Mantis, with Fasttrack barely dodging in time.

Before Mantis could get up from that, Superman flew at him, punching him a few times, then pressing a button on the grey box on Mantis' belt. In a boom reminiscent of thunder, a white, swirling tunnel appeared behind him. Both Fasttrack and Captain Atom had to brace themselves for a moment; it felt like they were being pulled in.

"What in Sam Hill is that!?" asked Captain Atom.

"A Boom Tube." Explained Superman, after headbutting Mantis, "An extradimensional doorway back to Apokolips."

"Got it," said Captain Atom, "now duck!"

Superman did so, just as Captain Atom sent a bolt of energy into Mantis, sending him hurtling into the portal. After a few more seconds, the portal closed.

"Nice work, you two." Superman looked satisfied.

"Thanks," said Captain Atom, "but what's stopping him from coming right back?"

"You mean, besides this?" Fasttrack held out the Boom Tube generator in his hand. "I swiped it off of his belt right before you hit him."

Captain Atom looked impressed. "That was only about a second of time to react!"

Fasttrack shrugged. "I'm not called Fasttrack for nothing." He handed the generator to Superman, who crushed it effortlessly.

"Superman!" the three heroes turned to see Lois Lane jump over some debris and rush towards them. "Lois Lane, 'Daily Planet'."

Superman smiled. "Yeah, Lois, I know."

Lois smiled right back. "Would you care to comment on what just happened here? I'd like an interview… one on one."

Fasttrack and Captain Atom glanced at each other, knowing smiles on their faces.

"I'm pretty sure there's something we have to do someplace," Captain Atom said, "right, Fasttrack?"

The blue alien nodded, and they left, leaving the other alien with the reporter. After they were gone, Lois turned to Superman.

"You're late."

Superman grinned. "I was busy."

"Like I wasn't?" Lois looked down at her notepad. "But I've already written the story up and filed it, so now that we're both off the clock?"

Without a word, Superman picked her up bridal-style, and flew up through a hole, created during the battle, and off for their date.

Outside, Captain Atom and Fasttrack said their farewells; Fasttrack zoomed off, but before Captain Atom did the same, he heard a voice calling him.