The Amazing Spider-Man of Young Justice (Season 1)

The Ambush

Back at the cave, where Peter's group was in visible distress. Johnny paced back and forth, his fiery form flickering erratically. "We need to find them," he insisted, his voice filled with urgency.

Triton shook his head. "If your friends are at the kingdom, it's not going to be easy to get to them. The kingdom is heavily guarded, and they don't allow anyone inside who isn't one of their soldiers. Since you knocked out the soldiers we encountered earlier, you wouldn't be able to sneak in without drawing attention."

Peter, deep in thought, suddenly snapped his fingers. "I've got an idea. What if we take the armor from those knocked-out soldiers and wear it as disguises? We could pose as their squad returning to the kingdom."

Triton's eyes lit up with approval. "That could work.

"But what about him?" Conner cut in as he pointed at Ben, whose massive, rocky form would be hard to conceal.

Johnny grinned, "We could take him as a prisoner. It would explain why we're coming back later than expected and why there are fewer of us." Ben glared at Johnny from his idea.

Triton nodded thoughtfully. "I can also bring the bombs with me. If we can get close to the key locations, we could plant them unnoticed."

Susan added, "I can use my powers to keep the bombs invisible until we're ready to place them."

With their plan solidifying, they worked quickly to strip the unconscious soldiers of their armor and gear. Peter, Johnny, Conner and Susan donned the alien exoskeletons, while Triton adjusted his own appearance to blend in more seamlessly. They fashioned a set of chains for Ben, making it look like he was securely bound.

As they approached the kingdom's massive gates, the tension was palpable. The gates, as tall as skyscrapers, loomed overhead, their surface covered in intricate alien designs. Ben, in chains, towered over the others, his rocky features set in a grim expression. Johnny whispered, "Do we have any plan for talking to these guys?"

Triton replied confidently, "Leave that to me."

The guards at the gate were insectoid creatures, their chitinous bodies reflecting the harsh light of the Negative Zone. They had multifaceted eyes and mandibles that clicked together as they communicated in their strange, buzzing language. Triton stepped forward and began speaking in the same alien tongue. The guards responded, their antennae twitching with curiosity and suspicion.

The exchange was tense, the guards clearly skeptical. They buzzed and chattered, their eyes darting to Ben and then back to Triton. Finally, one of the guards typed something on a pad on its arm, and the gate slowly began to open with a heavy, grinding sound.

Johnny let out a sigh of relief as they walked through the gate. Conner, keeping his voice low, asked, "What was that about?"

Triton kept his eyes forward as he replied, "They wanted to know what Ben was, how we found him, and why we took so long to return with so few of us. I told them we encountered unexpected resistance and managed to capture this 'prisoner' after a tough battle. I assured them everything was under control."

Conner nodded, satisfied for now. Triton turned to the group, speaking quickly and quietly. "I'll go with Ben to plant the bombs. Once we're in position, I'll break him out of his chains."

Conner glanced at Peter, Johnny, and Susan. "I'll find the others. I'll send out a signal when we're ready."

Peter nodded, his face set with determination. "Good luck. Be careful."

With their plan set, they split into their respective missions. Triton and Ben moved towards the central areas of the kingdom, where the high-tech castle loomed in the distance. The castle was a marvel of alien engineering, with spires reaching into the sky and an aura of power emanating from its structure. Its walls were made of a material that seemed to shift and shimmer, reflecting the strange light of the Negative Zone in an almost hypnotic way.