Chapter 8 - Chapter 8

Chapter 8



A huge explosion shattered the area, as the bounty hunter in the black armor threw a grenade to destroy his opponent. As the smoke cleared up, the features of Fourarms became visible. The grenade did not damage him.
- Long time, no see, Sixsix! I thought Tetrax and I kicked your butt for good last time! – said Fourarms.
As Sixsix realized, his attack was a failure, he activated his jetpack and flew up. Then he shot hundreds of laser beams at the tetramand.
With a green flash, Fourarms changed into Xlr8 and avoided the pelting lasers. He ran up to a building’s roof and jumped into the air. He became Cannonbolt and hit Sixsix. Both of them fell down, their impact made a crater in the ground. Cannonbolt stood up first and crawled out from the crater. All of a sudden, Kraab appeared and grabbed him with his nipper.
- I suppose we have some unfinished business. – He declared and threw Cannonbolt away. The pelarota destroyed a few smaller buildings before he hit the ground.
Sixsix said something on his own language.
- Stop complaining! Let’s find him before he changes into something else! – yelled Kraab and drilled a shaft into the ground. Sixsix scanned the area from the air. There was smoke and dust everywhere, he couldn’t see anything.
Meanwhile, Kraab emerged from the ground. He saw a green flash in the smoke. He fired lasers at that direction.
- I know you’re here somewhere. You will regret what you have done to me! – shouted he.
Behind him, a shadow evolved from the smoke. A green energy blast struck Kraab down.
- Think again! – said Eye Guy.
Suddenly, Sixsix charged at him from the air. He grabbed him and flew higher. Eye Guy quickly transformed into Stinkfly and spat some goo into Sixsix’s face. He couldn’t see anything and crashed into a building, but he was still holding the lepidopterran’s sting.
- Let go of me! – yelled he.
Sixsix got rid of the goo but a purple energy beam hit him on his chest. Stinkfly freed himself and watched Sixsix spining as he fell down.
- Need a hand? – asked Lantara. Suddenly, a red laser almost struck her down.
- Wow! – said both of them jointly.
-I’ll handle this! – declared the lepidopterran and flew above Kraab, who shot the beam. Stinkfly went Upgrade and fell upon the robot, to merge with him. This attack was successful, with green electric discharges, Upgrade fried Kraab’s brain out. As he turned into his original shape again, Kraab collapsed. Upgrade reverted to Ben.
- Oh yeah, who’s bad?! – enthused Ben.
Then he heard a noise from behind. He looked back and recognized Sixsix, who trained his weapon at him.
The bounty hunter said something on his own language again. Ben’s answer was a wide grin, as he saw what Sixsix couldn’t. Lantara became visible behind him at her full potential. She phased through Sixsix’s armor and knocked him out, reaching inside his brain. The ectonurite even shot him with an energy blast. Sixsix fell into a swoon.
Ben looked at Lantara with a questioning visage.
- What? – She asked. Her chest closed as she reverted to her normal shape.
- Maybe that last energy blast wasn’t necessary.
- You have to defeat your opponent assuredly. – replied Lantara.
- Yes, mom, you’re right. – joshed Ben.
- Gimme a break and let’s go! – smiled Lantara.
They entered the capsule and left the small planet of Dactola behind. As they accelerated to hyperspace, Lantara asked Ben.
- Where should we go next? Any ideas?
Ben scratched his head.
- Well, I was wondering... if we could visit... home. – speculated Ben.
- Good idea! Next stop: Earth! – agreed Lantara.

As the capsule softly sleeked in the hyperspace Ben fell into his thoughts.
Eight years passed by, since he had lost that battle against Kevin. Eight years away from Earth. It’s a long time. From a child, Ben grew up to a handsome young man. He also decided to grow a beard. He learned how to subordinate the omnitrix to his own will. He had a lot of experiences. He had visited many planets in the universe, alongside with Lantara. Although he missed the school studies, he wasn’t barbaric. Every places he visited, he adopted something. For example, on Galvan Prime, he went to the Universal Database, and found everything about Earth, beside thousands of other planets. He downloaded the data into a small circle-shaped trailer record and spent his time studying it, when they were traveling in the hyperspace. He had changed a lot in his attitude. As he was thinking about this, suddenly Gwen came to his mind. He found that strange, because he never had a thought of her, since he left Earth. Then he touched his scar. It remained on his face, just as Lantara predicted. Even his alien’s inherited it. Then he forgot the scar and thought something else. Lantara and he made a good team, just like Max and Xylene did. He had a good relationship with the ectonurite, they understood each other. As the time passed by, Ben learned to overstep on her outside looking and appreciate her inside.
He spent a lot of time thinking about old times. He remained silent and Lantara did not want to disturb him. She knew Ben would tell her what he wants, if he wants to tell.

After a few days, the capsule came out from hyperspace in our solar system. This time, Lantara knew exactly where Earth was, she didn’t make the same mistake twice. In fact, she slowed down a bit early. Ben looked out and saw the Saturn. But they soon left it behind, they were approaching Earth faster, than Ben thought. Two hours later, Lantara prepared to enter Earth’s atmosphere. The orange flames appeared around the capsule, but Ben didn’t paid attention to the phenomena, he got used to it.
A couple of minutes later, Lantara put the capsule down gently. She helped Ben to get out from it. What Ben saw, wasn’t the sight he counted on. New York had been completely destroyed. Half of the city was under water, half of them burnt down. The smoky remains of the skycrapers were still there. There were petrosapien projectiles everywhere.
- Kevin. – whispered he the word.
- Look! – Lantara pointed to a spaceship, its front was in the ground. Green weeds grew around the vehicle, which seemed so familiar to Ben.
Finally, he realized whose ship he is looking at. It was Tetrax’s, the Resolution.
- No! – Ben said.
They could see traces of battles everywhere. Suddenly they heard a noise.
- Well, well, well, look who’s back! Welcome home, Ben Tennyson! – said a raspy voice behind them. Ben looked up and recognized Vilgax.
With a green flash, Ben transformed into Fourarms.
- I see, you have learned a few things about the omnitrix!! But you will fall now, no matter what you turn into! – roared Vilgax as his muscles began to grow. He immediately struck down, but Fourarms quickly snapped out of it... maybe it was too quick for a tetramand.... Vilgax’s fists couldn’t harm Lantara eighter, because she changed her protoplasma to avoid the strike. She soon reached her full potential and fired many energy beams. She even grabbed him with her tentacles and Fourarms hit him. Lantara released him, as he flew backwards.
- What are you doing here? You’re supposed to chill out in outer space! – yelled Fourarms.
- That was before you’ve disappeared. You should know me better! You cannot stop me! I’ve decided, if I can’t have the omnitrix, at least I’ll have the satisfaction of destroying your homeworld. – replied Vilgax and picked up a burnt out tank to destroy Fourarms with it. He threw it upon the tetramand, but he smashed it into pieces. He ran to Vilgax, and punched him. Again, Fourarms was too rapid for a tetramand.
Vilgax flew through a skycraper, which collapsed on him. But he survived and jumped high in the air. He wanted to stomp Fourarms, but he avoided it, with awesome speed. Vilgax blinked.
- How are you so fast? – asked he.
- It’s one of my newest skills. – replied Ben shortly, and changed into Spitter. The enormous amount of slime hit Vilgax’s chest and made him retreat. Then he became Cannonbolt. Lantara fired a more powerful energy beam at Vilgax’s head. He fell down. Cannonbolt jumped in the air, and hit him on the stomach. Lantara wanted to phase through his head and knock him out, but unexpectedly, Vilgax grabbed and tossed her away.
Cannonbolt changed into Brainstorm. This alien form was a lacetiguan, like Xylene. He used his telekinetic skills and threw many huge rocks and other debris to Vilgax. He fell off. A second later, he stood up and made a counterattack. Brainstorm focused on Vilgax himself. A green aura surrounded him and sent him back rapidly. Vilgax banged into a thick, strong wall. He fell down to the ground. A moment later, Ben already towered above him, as Diamondhead. Vilgax blinked. He couldn’t understand how Ben got here so fast. He flew back at least five hundred feet... A petrosapien can’t be that fast... He looked up to Diamondhead. Even he got frightened by his expression.
- As you said, I’ve learned a few things. – said Diamondhead coldly. He formed a spear from his right hand.
- And I shall stop you right now. – continued he, as Vilgax tried to stand up. Surprisingly, a massive fire beam came out from Diamondhead’s left hand. The heat melted Vilgax’s armor. He forgot what is pain like during the years. Now, he got a revision.
He looked to Ben once more. He saw, that Diamondhead’s left hand was like Heatblast’s.
- Impossible! – said he. This was his last word, before the petrosapien spear went through his body and tore him to shreds. Diamondhead reverted to Ben. He felt Latara was watching him.
- What was this all about? – asked she.
- You know, this was the guy I told you about. I had to do it. I had to make sure. He must be stopped. – declared Ben.
- You don’t have to apologize for me. You make decisions; you know what you’re doing. – replied the ectonurite.
- I’ve never wanted this to happen. I’ve never wanted to see Earth like this. – said Ben emotionally.
- I know. This is not your fault. – answered Lantara.
- Yes it is. I should have been here, to protect her.
- Don’t blame yourself. – said Lantara and put her arms around him.
A few minutes later, Ben stepped away from her.
- I need to see someone. Alone. – said he.
- I understand. I’ll wait here. – agreed Lantara.
- You will be all right? – worried Ben.
- Oh, I’m a tough girl, I can protect myself, you know that. Go. – smiled Lantara. She knew exactly whose Ben going to visit.
Ben smiled back, before he transformed into Xlr8. His face disappeared behind the windshield and he stormed out.

Xlr8 ran to Gwen’s place, at least the last one he knew. He found nothing there; the house was ruined and empty. As he came out, he had an idea. He changed into Brainstorm and tried to telepathically locate his cousin. He dilated his mind and after a few attempts, he could reach Gwen’s. Then he reverted to Xlr8 once again and ran away to find her.
He had to intercept the whole country. When he arrived to his destination, he became Ben. Only then he recognized Gwen, who was in big trouble. She was surrounded by a bunch of suspicious, dirty men.
- Come on, sweet heart, you know what we want! – said one of them. The others laughed.
- Don’t make this harder, than it supposed to be. – said another.
- Never!- hissed Gwen.
- All right, we’ll get what we want, this way, or the other! – yelled the one, who seemed to be their leader.
He slapped Gwen on the face, she fell on the ground.
- Fresh meat, boys! – laughed their leader.
- I don’t think you’ll enjoy this baby! But I will! – grinned he. Gwen wanted to stand up, but he floored her. She was helpless.
Ben couldn’t hear their talk very well, but it became obvious for him, what they are planning to do with Gwen.
- You’re not going anywhere, until you satisfy us all! – roared the leader. Gwen kicked him on the stomach. The leader groaned, then slapped her again. Gwen lost her consciousness. Then there was a green flash.
- Take your dirty hands off her! – shouted Fourarms as he came out from the shadows.
- Stay away, freak! She’s ours, wait your turn! – replied the leader angrily. He turned to Gwen again.
- I said, leave her alone! – yelled the tetramand, and punched the leader. He hit the ground far away.
- What do we have here? A hero! –said another man. He held a chain in his hands. The other two had a baseball bat and one of them had a small knife. The one with the chain attacked first. Fourarms grabbed the chain and gave it a pull. Then he punched it’s owner. Then all the others attacked him, but he defeated all of them. The group ran away cowardly. Gwen came to. She recognized Fourarms.
- Ben? – asked she weakly.
Ben turned into himself.
- It’s all right now, I’m here, Gwen....

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