The heat was suffocating.

Kai groaned as he stirred awake, his head pounding and skin coated in a fine layer of sand. The air was dry, thin, and every breath felt like inhaling smoke. His ears rang faintly, like the remnants of an explosion that had already passed. When he opened his eyes, all he could see was desert.

Rugged mountains, endless sand dunes, and an empty sky.

He slowly sat up, trying to recall what had just happened. One moment, he was back home—messing around in his friend's garage, inspecting the strange green device they'd found buried in an old lab. The next, a blinding green light had consumed him, and now…

He looked at his wrist.

"…Still there," Kai murmured.

The Omnitrix. Black chassis. Green hourglass symbol. Sleek, alien, and unmistakable. The same device he'd seen in Ben 10: Alien Force—but now it was real. Strapped to his wrist. Not a toy. Not fiction.

"Okay," he whispered. "This is… this is happening."

He stood up and scanned his surroundings.

The desert stretched endlessly, but one thing stood out: smoke. A thick column rose from a nearby canyon, staining the sky with black. Then came the unmistakable sound of metal scraping against rock. And footsteps. Heavy, clanking footsteps.

Curious and cautious, Kai moved toward the sound, keeping low.

As he reached a dune overlooking the canyon floor, he saw something that made his heart skip.

A man—encased in a crude metal suit—was stumbling out of a fiery wreck near a cave. His armor was dented, smoking, cobbled together from scrap. It looked barely functional, but somehow still standing.

Kai's breath caught in his throat.

"…That's Tony Stark. That's the Mark I."

He couldn't believe it at first, but it was undeniable. The goatee. The voice. The flamethrower arm that spat fire moments later, driving away panicked attackers. It was the scene. The iconic escape. The moment Tony Stark became more than a billionaire arms dealer.

And Kai was watching it happen in real life.

Just then, a blast rocked the cave behind Stark—one final detonation to collapse the evidence. Stark flinched but kept moving, each step heavier than the last. He finally collapsed to his knees in the sand, the suit's power giving out completely.

This is it, Kai realized. He doesn't have much time. Reinforcements could be on the way.

The moment called for action.

Kai looked down at the Omnitrix, its faceplate quietly glowing.

"I guess it's showtime," he muttered, flipping the dial open with a click.

Silhouettes flickered across the green interface—alien forms he knew by heart. He spun the dial quickly, thinking fast. He didn't need raw power. He needed speed. Mobility. Someone who could get Stark out of here and away from danger.

XLR8.

Perfect.

Kai took a breath. "Let's hope this works."

He slammed the dial down.

A surge of green light engulfed him, and in an instant, Kai's body transformed. His limbs lengthened, skin turning sleek and black with blue stripes. A helmet formed over his head, and blades jutted from his heels. The desert around him slowed as he perceived the world in near-freeze-frame.

He was XLR8—a Kineceleran, born for speed.

In the blink of an eye, he dashed down the hill and skidded to a stop beside Tony Stark.

The man groaned, trying to sit up.

"What the hell…" Tony muttered, blinking through smoke and pain. "Who—what are you?"

"No time to explain," Kai said in a fast, distorted voice. "I'm here to help."

Tony stared at the alien speedster. "You don't work for the Ten Rings, do you?"

"Nope. Definitely not. Hang on."

Before Stark could object, Kai scooped him up with surprising care and darted across the desert, sand exploding beneath his clawed feet. Within seconds, the burning cave was far behind them, reduced to a distant smudge of fire and dust.

---

Somewhere Beyond the Canyon – Temporary Shelter

Kai set Tony down beneath a cluster of rocks, shaded from the scorching sun. The metal suit groaned as Stark fell against the stone, exhausted.

"Alright," Tony panted. "Now what the hell just happened?"

Kai tapped the Omnitrix symbol on his chest, and a burst of green light returned him to human form.

He knelt next to Stark, breathing heavily. "I'm Kai. And that thing on my wrist? It's called the Omnitrix. It lets me transform into different alien species."

Tony raised an eyebrow. "So you're telling me you're a shapeshifting teenager who saved me from a war zone?"

"More or less."

Tony groaned, shaking his head. "I've been through a lot in the last three months, but this… this takes the cake."

Kai chuckled lightly. "You just escaped captivity in a metal tank you built in a cave. I think weird is your new normal."

Tony leaned back, smirking despite the pain. "Touché."

Tony blinked. "Excuse me?"

Tony looked at him with a mixture of suspicion and awe. "That thing on your wrist… is it alien tech?"

"Yeah. Not from around here. Honestly, I don't even know how I ended up in this universe."

Tony nodded slowly. "You're not the only one out of place, kid. I've been feeling like that for years."

They sat in silence for a moment, the desert wind whistling past.

Then Kai asked, "Do you think you can walk?"

Tony flexed his leg with a pained grunt. "I'll manage. Might need a crutch. Or a miracle."

"I've got ten of those," Kai said, holding up his Omnitrix. "Just say the word."

---

Later That Day – Edge of the Desert

By the time the sun dipped low, Kai had guided Tony through miles of rough terrain. They finally saw the shimmer of a U.S. military convoy in the distance—sent after Stark's GPS beacon had briefly reactivated during the suit's final moments.

Tony squinted at the soldiers approaching in Humvees.

"Well, this is going to be an interesting debriefing," he said. "Any chance you want to stick around and explain things for me?"

Kai smiled. "I think I'll hang back. Don't want to shock the world too early."

Tony held out his hand. "Thank you, Kai. For everything."

Kai shook it. "You're welcome. And Tony? You're going to do great things. Just… be careful who you trust."

With a flash of green light, Kai disappeared into the dunes, the Omnitrix glowing softly on his wrist.

Tony watched him go, a thousand questions swirling in his mind.

"Aliens," he muttered. "Huh. That's new."

And so, the desert turned silent once again.

But something had changed.

The universe had just gotten a little bigger.

The press room buzzed with anticipation.

Cameras flashed. Reporters murmured. Every eye was locked on the man behind the podium—unshaven, pale, but alive. Tony Stark had returned. The billionaire genius who'd been missing for months was suddenly back, and the media was starving for answers.

Kai watched from the edge of the crowd, standing near a side pillar in the back. He wore a borrowed hoodie, his face partially hidden under the hood, blending in. The Omnitrix glowed softly beneath the fabric on his wrist, unnoticed.

Tony cleared his throat and leaned into the mic.

"I never got to say goodbye to my father."

The room quieted instantly.

"I would have asked him… what he thought about what we do. About the weapons we build. About the lives we take. And after everything I've seen out there—after what I went through—I know what he would've said."

He looked directly at the cameras.

"He would've said it's time for change."

Whispers rippled through the room.

"Effective immediately," Tony said, "I am shutting down the weapons manufacturing division of Stark Industries."

Gasps. Reporters burst into shouts, overlapping each other.

"What do you mean by that, Mr. Stark?"

"Is this permanent?"

"What does this mean for your shareholders?"

Tony held up a hand. "I've made my decision."

In the back of the room, Kai nodded silently.

There it is, he thought. The first domino.

This was the moment Tony Stark stopped being a merchant of death and started becoming Iron Man.

But for Kai? The day was just beginning—and he had no plan, no money, and no place to go.

---

Later That Evening – New York City

Kai stood in the shadows of a dark alley just off Times Square.

The city pulsed with energy: neon signs, honking cabs, people moving fast like time was chasing them. But for Kai, the world had slowed down. He sat on a stack of crates, his stomach rumbling painfully.

He hadn't eaten in over a day.

He'd made it to New York thanks to a ride from a National Guard medic who thought Kai was a trauma survivor from a nearby village. But now he was alone, broke, and invisible in a city that didn't care.

"Okay," he muttered. "Alien watch. Superpowers. Zero dollars."

The Omnitrix glowed faintly, as if waiting.

Kai sighed and opened the dial. He scrolled through the holograms until he found the one he'd hoped not to use: a skeletal figure with one eye, draped in writhing shadows.

Ghostfreak.

"I just need food," Kai said quietly. "I'm not robbing banks or anything."

He pressed the dial down.

The world around him dimmed as his body transformed. His skin turned pale gray and translucent, his arms stretching into eerie tendrils. A single, glowing eye opened on his chest. Cloaked in darkness, he became a silent wraith—half-ghost, half-nightmare.

He drifted from the alley, intangible, slipping through the wall of a small convenience store like smoke.

Inside, the clerk was half-asleep behind the counter, earbuds in.

Kai floated silently through the shelves, phasing his hand through a rack of candy bars, grabbing a few Snickers and energy bars. He spotted the soda fridge and reached in—two bottles of Coke hovered midair for a second before vanishing into his chest-space.

Sorry, he thought. I'll pay it back one day.

He floated back through the wall, reforming in the alley with a soft green flash as he returned to human form. He collapsed onto the crate, tearing into a chocolate bar like a starving animal, then chugged half a Coke.

Finally… something in his stomach.

As the sugar and caffeine hit his system, his thoughts started clearing.

He leaned back, breathing deeply, staring up at the stars between the rooftops.

"Okay. I'm in a different universe. I've got the Omnitrix. No way home. And Tony Stark is alive because of me."

It felt overwhelming. But also… kind of exciting.

He had power. Real power. And this world? It was full of threats. He didn't need to wait for Thanos or aliens to invade. There were dangers every day—terrorists, corrupt CEOs, unstable tech. And someone had to do something.

He looked at the Omnitrix.

"I could be a hero here," he whispered. "Or something close to one."

But he knew the risks. One wrong step and SHIELD—or worse—might come knocking. They didn't know who he was. They wouldn't trust him. Heck, he barely trusted himself yet.

Still…

"I saved Tony Stark. That means something."

Kai reached into his pocket and unfolded a piece of newspaper he had taken from the bus stop earlier. Stark's face was on the front page. "Weapons Division Shutdown Shocks Wall Street."

In the smaller column, he read a line that stuck with him:

> "Mr. Stark was vague about what he planned next, but sources say he has locked himself in his workshop, citing 'something important' to work on."

Kai smiled. "Yeah. I know what you're building."

The Mark II. Sleek. Fast. Red and gold.

The suit that would fly.

And when it was finished, the world would meet Iron Man.

Kai stood, dusting off his hoodie.

"Okay, then," he said. "If Tony's building his armor, I need to start building my path. If I'm stuck here, I'm going to make it count."

He looked toward the skyline, where the Stark Tower construction was still incomplete.

"I'll keep my distance," he muttered. "But I'll watch over him. Make sure the future doesn't get too far off track."

Kai opened the Omnitrix again, scrolling through the forms.

Jetray. Fast. Aerial.

Perfect for rooftop travel in Manhattan.

He smiled and activated the transformation.

A flash of green light flared in the alley, and in seconds, Kai's human form became Jetray—sleek red armor, wide wings, sharp tail.

With a powerful thrust, he launched into the sky, soaring over traffic and rooftops. Below him, New York sprawled like a sleeping titan. Somewhere in that maze of lights and towers, heroes were still being born. And villains were rising.

Kai was no longer just a visitor.

He was part of this world now.

And he had a mission.

Two months.

That's how long it had been since Kai emerged in this world. Since fire bloomed in a desert canyon and a man in a suit of scrap metal carved his way back to life.

Since Iron Man was born.

Now, the world couldn't stop talking about him.

Every TV in every deli, bar, and electronics store flickered with the same face—Tony Stark, bold and smirking, in his now-iconic red-and-gold armor. Footage of his high-speed flights, weapon tests, and headline-grabbing antics played on repeat.

He was more than a billionaire now. He was a symbol. An icon. A hero.

Kai tried not to feel bitter. He was proud of what Tony was becoming. He should be the center of attention. But watching from the sidelines sometimes felt… strange.

And while Tony soared through the sky, Kai was stuck on the ground—delivering pizza.

---

Brooklyn – "Crispy Crust Pizza" – 4:42 p.m.

"Order up, Kai!" shouted the store manager, tossing a hot box onto the counter.

Kai jogged up, catching the box midair. "Where's it going?"

"Apartment 3B, Van Brunt Street. Twenty-five-minute guarantee."

"On it."

He slid his delivery bag onto his back and sprinted into the alley behind the store. Once out of sight, he flipped open the Omnitrix.

"Just this once," he muttered. "Gotta keep the streak alive."

He selected XLR8, slammed down the core, and transformed in a flash of green light.

In a blink, he was gone—racing down the sidewalk at super-speed. To the average person, he was a blue blur trailing behind a gust of wind.

XLR8 zipped between cars, ran across park fences, and bounced off lampposts, all while balancing the pizza bag carefully. But by the time he screeched to a stop outside the building, he sighed.

Crushed on one side again.

He groaned, reverting back to human form. "This always happens."

After two months, he'd mostly stopped using XLR8 for deliveries. Too risky, and too hard to keep the pizza intact. But every now and then, when tips were tight or streets were packed, he made exceptions.

He knocked on the door, handed over the pizza, and smiled through the awkward "why is it warm on one side" look from the customer. A mediocre tip and a halfhearted thanks later, he stepped back out onto the stoop.

Across the street, he heard yelling.

Sharp. Angry. And young.

Kai turned.

At the corner of a quiet school playground, three kids—probably fifth or sixth grade—had a smaller boy surrounded near the fence. One of them shoved the kid hard enough to send him to the ground.

"C'mon, Parker! You gonna cry again?"

Kai narrowed his eyes.

Parker?

He jogged across the street without thinking, setting his delivery bag aside as he approached.

The small kid on the ground looked maybe 8 or 9. Messy brown hair. Oversized backpack. Big eyes hidden behind cracked glasses. His lip was bleeding.

Definitely Peter Parker.

Kai stepped between the bullies and Peter, arms crossed.

"Hey. You three like pushing around kids half your size? That your afternoon hobby?"

The biggest one scowled. "What's it to you, delivery boy?"

Kai smirked. "One, that pizza paid for your school's fundraiser. Two, I really don't like people who beat on someone just because they're smaller. So how about you buzz off before I call your moms and read out your report cards?"

The smallest bully blinked. "You know our moms?"

Kai pointed at his head. "Pizza guy. I know everybody's address."

That worked.

The three kids glanced at each other, muttered a few curses, and slunk off—threats forgotten, egos bruised.

Once they were gone, Kai turned and knelt next to Peter.

"You alright?"

Peter looked up, still wary. "You're not gonna hit me too, are you?"

Kai's expression softened. "Nah. I only hit people when they start it."

He offered his hand.

Peter took it slowly, letting Kai help him up.

"You're bleeding a little," Kai said, pulling a napkin from his back pocket and gently dabbing Peter's lip. "That looked like it hurt."

"It's fine," Peter muttered. "They're just jerks."

Kai raised a brow. "You stand up to jerks a lot?"

Peter gave a small nod.

Kai grinned. "Good. That's the kind of thing heroes are made of."

Peter looked up at him, confused.

"Iron Man's a hero," Peter said. "He has a suit and flies and shoots stuff. I'm just a dumb kid with books."

Kai tilted his head. "You ever hear what Iron Man was before the suit?"

Peter shook his head.

"A prisoner in a cave. Surrounded by enemies. Barely got out alive. He didn't have armor. Just his brain. And a lot of guts." Kai ruffled Peter's hair. "You remind me of him."

Peter blinked. "Really?"

"Yeah," Kai said. "Being a hero isn't about powers. It's about what you do when it's hardest to stand back up."

Peter smiled, just a little. "You should tell my Aunt that."

"May?"

Peter's eyes widened. "Wait—how'd you—?"

"Lucky guess," Kai said quickly, waving it off. "Look, Peter, those kids? They're nothing. They want to feel strong by making someone else feel small. But one day, you're going to be the one helping people. Trust me."

Peter's smile grew.

"Hey," Kai added, reaching into his delivery bag and pulling out an untouched slice. "I, uh… had an extra. Want it?"

Peter's eyes lit up. "Really?"

"Yeah. Take it. Payment for letting me play hero for five minutes."

Peter took the slice, and for the first time since Kai had seen him, he looked genuinely happy.

As Peter walked away, still nibbling the slice, Kai sat back on the stoop, watching him go.

So that's him, he thought. The future Spider-Man.

He'd expected someone louder. More confident. But he wasn't disappointed. Even at eight, Peter had a spark. And when the bite came, when that fateful moment happened—he'd grow into something incredible.

Kai looked down at the Omnitrix on his wrist.

Maybe his job wasn't to change everything.

Maybe it was to nudge things in the right direction.

He smiled, stood, and grabbed his bag.

As he turned to leave, he glanced up at the nearest TV screen in a storefront window. Iron Man was flying again—rescuing a convoy in Gulmira. The crowd around the store cheered. A new kind of hero was rising.

And somewhere, a boy named Peter was walking home, dreaming of suits and justice.

And Kai?

He was still the pizza guy with an alien watch and no idea how long he'd be here.

But now… he didn't feel quite so lost.