Ben 10: Justice Incarnate

Delirious Outta My Mind

The warehouse echoed with gunfire. Bane, Aqualad, Superboy, and Megan huddled behind a pile of crates, bullets from Kobra soldiers zipping overhead. In the center of the chaos, Snowflame fought both Mammoth and a contingent of Kobra soldiers, his body blazing with a strange blue fire.

Mammoth charged at Snowflame, fists raised. As soon as he made physical contact, his movements faltered, a look of confusion crossing his face. Snowflame grinned wickedly, taking advantage of the momentary lapse to deliver a bone-crushing punch that sent Mammoth reeling.

The teens and Bane remained hidden, watching the spectacle unfold. Bane leaned against a crate, chuckling softly to himself.

Aqualad glanced at him, brow furrowed. "You are familiar with this... individual, Bane?"

Bane shrugged nonchalantly. "He's a sponsor. He actually gave me money to keep distributing Venom. Who am I to reject it?"

The teens exchanged uneasy looks. Megan's eyes widened in disbelief. "Did... did that man snort cocaine? Doesn't he know crack is whack?"

Bane laughed at the phrase. "Yeah, he does that a lot. Gives him crazy blue flame powers and shit. If you touch him in that state, you'll be tripping hard. I should know."

As if to punctuate Bane's words, a Kobra soldier was blasted by a wave of blue flames, his body slamming into a wall and crumpling to the ground.

Superboy peered over the edge of the crate. "Should... should we help him? Enemy of my enemy and all that?"

Bane's expression turned serious. "All I want is my island back. How we do that doesn't matter. Besides, we agreed you would take down my enemies or die trying."

Megan frowned, her eyes narrowing. "We did not agree to that last part."

Bane waved a hand dismissively. "Semantics."

Aqualad sighed, his gaze fixed on Snowflame. "What could we expect with Snowflame once Kobra is defeated?"

Bane shrugged again. "All he cares about is that drugs are circulating across the globe. Turns out he liked the way the Venom felt as it traveled the world."

Superboy blinked in confusion. "Feels?"

Bane chuckled darkly. "Don't look at me. That's all his drug god religion mumbo jumbo."

Aqualad's expression grew thoughtful. "If I did not know any better, I would have assumed he was an acolyte of Dionysus."

Superboy tilted his head. "Who's Dionysus?"

Aqualad explained, "He is the god of wine-making, insanity, madness, ecstasy, and theatre."

Superboy crossed his arms. "Well, if I can't beat off a room full of dudes, then what have I been training for this whole time?"

Bane's gaze lingered on the boy. "I... What?!"

Before anyone could respond, Snowflame let out a triumphant roar, sending another wave of blue flames that scattered the remaining Kobra soldiers. The battlefield fell into a tense silence, the crackling of Snowflame's flames the only sound.

Aqualad tightened his grip on his water bearers. "We need to decide our next move. If Snowflame is this powerful, he could become an even greater threat once Kobra is out of the picture."

Bane's eyes gleamed with a dangerous light. "Then let's make sure he stays useful to us. For now."

Superboy narrowed his eyes at the fight. "Okay. Let's try this. Megan and Aqualand can cover us at range. Bane, the two of us can sneak around their backsides and slip on in."