Chapter 2: The Sect of Iron Shadows
Ben stood his ground, still pulsing with the remnants of transformation energy. The group of robed warriors moved like shadows, weapons glinting in the moonlight. There were at least six of them, all surrounding him in a semi-circle.
He glanced at the Omnitrix. Its light was fading fast. The transformation had ended, and his body felt heavy, as if the strange qi that powered his new form had been drained all at once.
"Great," he muttered. "One fight in, and I'm already out of juice."
The leader of the group stepped forward. He was tall, lean, with sharp cheekbones and eyes like cut obsidian. On his back, he wore a curved blade wrapped in dark cloth. Strange runes glowed faintly across his arms.
"You wield a heavenly artifact," the man said, his voice cold and commanding. "Yet you have no sect robe, no spiritual signature. Who are you?"
Ben lifted his hands, palms forward. "Look, I have no idea what you're talking about. I just landed here—wherever here is. I'm not looking for trouble."
The man's eyes narrowed. "Ignorant… or deceptive. Either way, the Grand Elder will decide your fate. Bind him."
Two warriors lunged forward.
Ben instinctively dropped into a low stance, dodging the first strike and elbowing the second attacker in the gut. Even without an alien form, years of experience kicked in — he may not have known martial arts, but he knew how to fight.
He spun, swept the legs of another attacker, and ducked as a blade came flying for his head.
But fatigue was catching up. His movements slowed.
One of the warriors moved unnaturally fast — vanishing for a split second and reappearing behind Ben. A strike to the back of his neck sent a wave of numbness through his body. His knees buckled.
He hit the ground hard.
Before darkness claimed him, he heard the leader's voice again.
"Take him to Iron Shadow Sect. Chain the artifact. He may be the one the prophecy spoke of."
Ben awoke in a stone chamber.
It was cold, lit only by blue lanterns hanging from the walls. The walls were carved with ancient runes, pulsing softly like breathing symbols. His arms were shackled in glowing cuffs that wrapped around both his wrists — including the Omnitrix.
He tugged at them, but they didn't budge.
"Great. First I get sucked into a black hole, then I crash into kung fu Hogwarts, and now I'm in medieval alien prison. Classic Ben."
The door creaked open.
A girl stepped inside — maybe his age, dressed in dark gray robes, her long black hair tied in a braid down her back. Her eyes were sharp, curious.
"You're awake," she said. "I saw you fight. You don't belong to any sect. You're not even from this continent, are you?"
Ben blinked. "Try 'not from this planet.'"
She stared.
He leaned forward. "Okay, listen. I don't know how I got here. That thing on my wrist — it's not from your world. It lets me turn into aliens. You know, weird creatures. Heroes. But now… it's acting strange. Like it's reacting to this world."
Her eyes narrowed, stepping closer.
"I felt it when you transformed. It wasn't just alien. It was qi. That's impossible. Unless…" She glanced at the glowing runes on the cuffs. "Unless your artifact is something beyond the heavens. Beyond the Five Realms."
Ben raised an eyebrow. "Is that a good thing or a 'they're going to cut my arm off and throw me off a mountain' kind of thing?"
She smirked. "That depends. The elders think you're dangerous. The Iron Shadow Sect doesn't take chances. But I think… you might be more than that."
She pulled out a key — thin, black, etched with symbols — and inserted it into one of the cuffs. With a quiet hiss, it released.
Ben winced. "You're just letting me go?"
"I'm Mei. Disciple of the outer sect. I think you're part of something big. Bigger than any of us. But if you want to survive, you'll need to learn how this world works."
The other cuff clicked open.
Ben looked down at the Omnitrix. It pulsed once — green, but with a faint swirl of blue.
"Welcome to Murim, alien boy," Mei said, turning for the door. "Let's see if you can become more than just a fighter."
Ben stood slowly, feeling the weight of this world press down on him.
For the first time in his life, he wasn't the strongest, the fastest, or even the smartest in the room.
But he still had the Omnitrix.
And he was ready to evolve.