Chapter 10 - Chapter 10
Submitted August 19, 2007 Updated January 2, 2008 Status Complete | Kevin 11 returns from the Null Void and takes a vengeance on the Tennysons. The story continues in the future. Can Ben 5 000 stop him? Read, and find out the details! |
Chapter 10 - Chapter 10
Chapter 10 - Chapter 10
Chapter 10
The capsule slowly landed in front of the theatre. Lantara and Ben met Gwen inside.
- Where were you? You left me here like a piece of junk! – complained Gwen.
- I had to save someone, who’s close to me! It’s something that you can’t understand. – retorted Ben sharply.
- I can’t believe it! Why can’t you step over that day? Yes, I know it was terrible, but you can’t live in the past! I’ve made an unalterable mistake. I know. But I managed to move along and live.
Ben made a step ahead.
- I’ve lost my whole family that day! I was ten! – He shouted.
- So was I! – replied Gwen.
- You can’t imagine what I’ve been through! You can’t feel all those mixed feelings what I have! I thought you’ve changed, but no! You remained the same! – declared Ben.
- Oh, really? And what have you done so far? Abandoned your planet to travel around the universe! You weren’t here to stop Kevin, and that’s why he could do what he did! – yelled Gwen.
Suddenly, Lantara phased through Ben, to face her. She was at her full potential.
- You don’t have the right to blame him! You were the one who abandoned him, in the time of need! You left him all alone! Look at his face! Just look at that scar! It’s just one of the consequences of your decision! – shouted the ectonurite.
- Hey, no one asked you! This is our business, not yours! – replied Gwen coldly.
- I don’t think so! I know him much better than you ever did! And I care about his feelings! He had no one else, just me on that day! And I’ve adopted him and taught him to improve his skills! What did you do? Nothing! You should be thankful! He have lost his family because of you and still saved you a few hours ago! – yelled she.
Lantara was ready to shoot Gwen down with an energy beam, but Ben stepped among them.
- I’ve lost my family too! – shouted Gwen, fighting her tears.
Ben’s eyes grew large.
- What?
- Why do you think I’m all alone? A horde of lymax aliens killed my family, when I was thirteen. They only spared me, because I was in the shower and they can’t stand water. – cried Gwen.
Ben couldn’t say anything. Lantara reverted to her normal shape.
- Maybe there’s not a big difference between us. – said he quietly, after a few minutes of silence.
– Maybe I do couldn’t overstep what you’ve done. – Ben continued. He suddenly hugged his cousin. Gwen hugged him back. They were just standing there in tears. Lantara watched them silently and discovered a little bit of jealousy in her heart.
Meanwhile in New York, Charmcaster walked down to the prison cells. She grew up as well; she wore a long-sleeved, black outfit. She had the same white hair, but it was much longer. She also had a bigger voodoo bag. Her steps echoed in the dark corridor. She raised her hand and mumbled a short spell, which turned on all the lights. She walked further on, until she arrived to her destination. As she looked into the cell, she saw a narcotized, tied up petrosapien, behind a powerful electric field. He slowly looked up to her.
- Sometimes, I wonder why we bother taking prisoners. – said Charmcaster with disgust.
She mumbled some spells again and a chair emerged from the ground.
- I hope he knows why I’m wasting my time here. – nattered she.
Suddenly, Kevin’s voice echoed in her mind painfully.
Yes, I know exactly what I’m doing!
Charmcaster remained silent and waited patiently.
- I’ve gotta save him! – declared Ben.
- No, you can’t go there, it’s too dangerous! Besides, you don’t know if he’s still alive. – replied Gwen.
- I have to try! I owe him. – said Ben.
- I’ll go with you. – assured him Lantara.
- No. I must go alone this time.
- What’s your plan then? – asked the ectonurite.
Ben told them.
- If I won’t come back in five hours, you must take Gwen and leave the planet. – finished Ben.
- We won’t leave you here! – said the females.
- I tolerate no argument on this point. – commanded Ben. He turned into Xlr8.
- Wish me luck! – said he and stormed out, before the girls could reply.
Xlr8 stopped and reverted to Ben. He used Wildmutt’s and Benwolf’s senses at the same time. He found no aliens, the city was calm and clear. He tried to telepathically locate Tetrax, but to no avail. He doubted, that he’s alive. He changed into Brainstorm, to strengthen his telepathic skills. He had to search for a long time, until he could pick up a weak signal of Tetrax’s mind, although he couldn’t locate him exactly. He went Xlr8 again and looked around. The green flashes of the omnitrix were very conspicuous in the night. The kineceleran rapidly found the prison blocks, but didn’t know which cell Tetrax was imprisoned. However, he was fast and easily discovered the petrosapien’s whereabouts. Tetrax was tied up, with a strong metal rope. His armor was taken; his arms were bare. He was floating between wakefullness and sleeping all the time, because a special gas narcotized him. Xlr8 recognized that his crystalline skin has many creeks and breaches.
He changed into Fourarms. When Tetrax recognized him, he muttered something.
- Don’t worry, pal! I’ll take you out from here! – said the tetramand, as he ripped the bars apart. Then he recognized the powerful electric field. He transformed into Buzzshock and sucked up all the electricity. He reverted to Fourarms again.
- Ben... – Tetrax began dazedly, when Fourarms untied him.
- I’m here! Don’t worry!
- Ben... – mumbled the petrosapien.
- What?
- Ben... You shouldn’t have come here... – gasped he.
- What are you talking about? – asked Fourarms. Tetrax recognized a shadow behind the tetramand’s back.
- It’s a trap! – shouted he and tried to fire some projectiles, but he was too weak. Suddenly, a voice accosted him.
- Hello, watch-boy!
Fourarms turned around.
- Charmcaster!
- Oh, it’s so nice of you to remember! – said Charmcaster mockingly.
- Yeah, you’re the one I just need, like I didn’t have enough problems! – replied Fourarms.
- Enough chit-chat! Surrender yourself, or you shall be destroyed! – commanded Charmcaster.
- We both know I can’t.
- Then suffer the consequences! – hissed she and created a massive energy beam. But Forarms evaded from it, with Xlr8’s speed. (and he was also carrying the helpless Tetrax.) He ran out of the complex, and then stopped.
- It’s over, we’re safe now. – said he.
- I wouldn’t count on it! – yelled Charmcaster, emerging from the sand. In fact, she was the sand. She raised her hands, streaming a dense mass of sand, which buried them alive. The witch returned to her original shape, but suddenly, a green tentacle erupted from the ground grabbing her. Soon, Wildvine dug himself up, holding Tetrax in his other hand. He put him down softly and his other hand coiled around Charmcaster’s body as well. The flourana stretched her. But she used some spells to create electricity, which ran through Wildvine’s body, forcing him to release her.
- You will not defeat me so easily! – yelled Charmcaster, and threw a few explosive eggs at him. Wildvine fell on the ground.
The witch approached him in the vortical dust. But Ben already changed alien form. He turned into Shockwave (a vocilofluctida, a middle-sized alien with red and white skin and with two enormous paws. His power is to create loud, destructive shockwaves, by rapidly clapping his huge hands, like Fourarms, but much stronger.) and clashed his hands. With an earsplitting boom, a blue bowshock destroyed a few buildings, before it reached Charmcaster and took her down. Shockwave slowly approached her. Suddenly, Charmcaster summoned two vicious rock creatures to destroy Ben. He clapped his hands once more and the wave smashed the creatures into pieces.
- Do not underestimate my powers! I’ve learned a few things, since our last encounter! – said he and transformed into Heatblast.
- As have I! – yelled Charmcaster and raised her hands. She chanted some spells and struck down. Heatblast shot some fireballs, but they have been put out, as they impacted into the massive water-jet, which Charmcaster have just created. The spout hit the pyronite and forced him to the ground.
- Aaaarrgh! – roared he as he changed into Artiquana and froze the flood. Then he went Xlr8 and kicked Charmcaster’s face many times.
She wasn’t defeated yet, she threw dozens of explosive eggs at him. Xlr8 retreated and changed into Benwolf. He opened his mouth and made an ultrasonic howl. Then he jumped into the air and kicked Charmcaster on the face, forcing her to the ground.
- How do like this? I’m not that little boy anymore! – shouted he, and turned into the Mummy. His bandage surrounded Charmcaster’s body. Suddenly, Buzzshock’s green electricity ran up to her on the bandage and knocked her out. The Mummy released her unconscious body. After that, he changed into Spiderweb and trapped her in a cocoon.
Ben reverted to himself, as he ran to Tetrax. He was lying on the ground
- Are you all right? – asked Ben.
Tetrax opened his eyes.
- Ben? Is that you? – His voice was powerless.
- Yes. Can you get up?
- I don’t think so... That venom is still in my circulation... but I’ll try. – replied Tetrax.
Ben helped him but he was too heavy. At least, Tetrax was in a sitting position, he could see what Ben couldn’t. Charmcaster was sneaking behind his back, planning to stab Ben with a knife. She had little remainings of the coccoon on her clothes.
- Behind you! Aaarrrgh! – yelled Tetrax and with a painful struggle, he fired a projectile at her. It went through Charmcaster’s right leg.
- Ooooouch! Damn it! – shouted she in pain, as she bent down to her knees. She was unable to fight anymore, just shouted and cursed on the ground.
- Let’s get out of here! – said Ben, changing into Fourarms, ignoring Charmcaster’s painful cries. He helped Tetrax to stand up, but suddenly, various aliens appeared from everywhere. Fourarms recognized a lot of flourana, vulpimancer, lymax and other vicious creatures. They were surrounded. The aliens slowly approached them, the ring around Ben grew smaller and smaller. He knew there are too many, and he can’t defeat all of them and protect the helpless Tetrax in the same time. But, he braced himself for the battle.
- Prepare yourself, pal! This is gonna be a bumpy ride! – said Fourarms ironically, to Tetrax.
- We’ll blow them away! – replied the petrosapien with a weak smile.
The distance between them and the aliens was only a few feet. Fourarms faced a dribbling loboan. He opened his mouth to create an ultrasonic howl, but all of a sudden, a purple energy beam struck him down. A moment later, the beam hit another alien. Fourarms looked up to the direction, where it came from. She recognized the flying capsule. Lantara’s upper body was outside, she fired the energy beams.
- Need a ride? – asked she and shot a series of beams, like a machine gun. The aliens immediately replied with explosive seeds, ultrasonic howls, or more energy beams. Fourarms smiled and went Stinkfly. He grabbed Tetrax and flew up, before the ring of aliens could finally close around them. Stinkfly was struggling with Tetrax’s weight; he couldn’t stay in the air for long. The attacks form the ground also endangered his flight. He flew in a crisscross, until he reached the capsule.
- Get him first! – yelled the lepidopterran. Lantara grabbed Tetrax’s legs and pulled him inside, by changing her protoplasma.
- There’s not enough room for me! Go! I’ll follow you. – said Stinkfly.
Suddenly, a loboan howl struck him. He fell down. The aliens billowed around him.
- Ben! Noooo! Hang on! I’m coming! – cried Lantara.
Ben lost the control over the omnitrix. With a red flash, he reverted to himself.
- Go! Just go! – shouted he.
As Lantara glanced back, she saw his arm disappearing under the aliens....
The capsule slowly landed in front of the theatre. Lantara and Ben met Gwen inside.
- Where were you? You left me here like a piece of junk! – complained Gwen.
- I had to save someone, who’s close to me! It’s something that you can’t understand. – retorted Ben sharply.
- I can’t believe it! Why can’t you step over that day? Yes, I know it was terrible, but you can’t live in the past! I’ve made an unalterable mistake. I know. But I managed to move along and live.
Ben made a step ahead.
- I’ve lost my whole family that day! I was ten! – He shouted.
- So was I! – replied Gwen.
- You can’t imagine what I’ve been through! You can’t feel all those mixed feelings what I have! I thought you’ve changed, but no! You remained the same! – declared Ben.
- Oh, really? And what have you done so far? Abandoned your planet to travel around the universe! You weren’t here to stop Kevin, and that’s why he could do what he did! – yelled Gwen.
Suddenly, Lantara phased through Ben, to face her. She was at her full potential.
- You don’t have the right to blame him! You were the one who abandoned him, in the time of need! You left him all alone! Look at his face! Just look at that scar! It’s just one of the consequences of your decision! – shouted the ectonurite.
- Hey, no one asked you! This is our business, not yours! – replied Gwen coldly.
- I don’t think so! I know him much better than you ever did! And I care about his feelings! He had no one else, just me on that day! And I’ve adopted him and taught him to improve his skills! What did you do? Nothing! You should be thankful! He have lost his family because of you and still saved you a few hours ago! – yelled she.
Lantara was ready to shoot Gwen down with an energy beam, but Ben stepped among them.
- I’ve lost my family too! – shouted Gwen, fighting her tears.
Ben’s eyes grew large.
- What?
- Why do you think I’m all alone? A horde of lymax aliens killed my family, when I was thirteen. They only spared me, because I was in the shower and they can’t stand water. – cried Gwen.
Ben couldn’t say anything. Lantara reverted to her normal shape.
- Maybe there’s not a big difference between us. – said he quietly, after a few minutes of silence.
– Maybe I do couldn’t overstep what you’ve done. – Ben continued. He suddenly hugged his cousin. Gwen hugged him back. They were just standing there in tears. Lantara watched them silently and discovered a little bit of jealousy in her heart.
Meanwhile in New York, Charmcaster walked down to the prison cells. She grew up as well; she wore a long-sleeved, black outfit. She had the same white hair, but it was much longer. She also had a bigger voodoo bag. Her steps echoed in the dark corridor. She raised her hand and mumbled a short spell, which turned on all the lights. She walked further on, until she arrived to her destination. As she looked into the cell, she saw a narcotized, tied up petrosapien, behind a powerful electric field. He slowly looked up to her.
- Sometimes, I wonder why we bother taking prisoners. – said Charmcaster with disgust.
She mumbled some spells again and a chair emerged from the ground.
- I hope he knows why I’m wasting my time here. – nattered she.
Suddenly, Kevin’s voice echoed in her mind painfully.
Yes, I know exactly what I’m doing!
Charmcaster remained silent and waited patiently.
- I’ve gotta save him! – declared Ben.
- No, you can’t go there, it’s too dangerous! Besides, you don’t know if he’s still alive. – replied Gwen.
- I have to try! I owe him. – said Ben.
- I’ll go with you. – assured him Lantara.
- No. I must go alone this time.
- What’s your plan then? – asked the ectonurite.
Ben told them.
- If I won’t come back in five hours, you must take Gwen and leave the planet. – finished Ben.
- We won’t leave you here! – said the females.
- I tolerate no argument on this point. – commanded Ben. He turned into Xlr8.
- Wish me luck! – said he and stormed out, before the girls could reply.
Xlr8 stopped and reverted to Ben. He used Wildmutt’s and Benwolf’s senses at the same time. He found no aliens, the city was calm and clear. He tried to telepathically locate Tetrax, but to no avail. He doubted, that he’s alive. He changed into Brainstorm, to strengthen his telepathic skills. He had to search for a long time, until he could pick up a weak signal of Tetrax’s mind, although he couldn’t locate him exactly. He went Xlr8 again and looked around. The green flashes of the omnitrix were very conspicuous in the night. The kineceleran rapidly found the prison blocks, but didn’t know which cell Tetrax was imprisoned. However, he was fast and easily discovered the petrosapien’s whereabouts. Tetrax was tied up, with a strong metal rope. His armor was taken; his arms were bare. He was floating between wakefullness and sleeping all the time, because a special gas narcotized him. Xlr8 recognized that his crystalline skin has many creeks and breaches.
He changed into Fourarms. When Tetrax recognized him, he muttered something.
- Don’t worry, pal! I’ll take you out from here! – said the tetramand, as he ripped the bars apart. Then he recognized the powerful electric field. He transformed into Buzzshock and sucked up all the electricity. He reverted to Fourarms again.
- Ben... – Tetrax began dazedly, when Fourarms untied him.
- I’m here! Don’t worry!
- Ben... – mumbled the petrosapien.
- What?
- Ben... You shouldn’t have come here... – gasped he.
- What are you talking about? – asked Fourarms. Tetrax recognized a shadow behind the tetramand’s back.
- It’s a trap! – shouted he and tried to fire some projectiles, but he was too weak. Suddenly, a voice accosted him.
- Hello, watch-boy!
Fourarms turned around.
- Charmcaster!
- Oh, it’s so nice of you to remember! – said Charmcaster mockingly.
- Yeah, you’re the one I just need, like I didn’t have enough problems! – replied Fourarms.
- Enough chit-chat! Surrender yourself, or you shall be destroyed! – commanded Charmcaster.
- We both know I can’t.
- Then suffer the consequences! – hissed she and created a massive energy beam. But Forarms evaded from it, with Xlr8’s speed. (and he was also carrying the helpless Tetrax.) He ran out of the complex, and then stopped.
- It’s over, we’re safe now. – said he.
- I wouldn’t count on it! – yelled Charmcaster, emerging from the sand. In fact, she was the sand. She raised her hands, streaming a dense mass of sand, which buried them alive. The witch returned to her original shape, but suddenly, a green tentacle erupted from the ground grabbing her. Soon, Wildvine dug himself up, holding Tetrax in his other hand. He put him down softly and his other hand coiled around Charmcaster’s body as well. The flourana stretched her. But she used some spells to create electricity, which ran through Wildvine’s body, forcing him to release her.
- You will not defeat me so easily! – yelled Charmcaster, and threw a few explosive eggs at him. Wildvine fell on the ground.
The witch approached him in the vortical dust. But Ben already changed alien form. He turned into Shockwave (a vocilofluctida, a middle-sized alien with red and white skin and with two enormous paws. His power is to create loud, destructive shockwaves, by rapidly clapping his huge hands, like Fourarms, but much stronger.) and clashed his hands. With an earsplitting boom, a blue bowshock destroyed a few buildings, before it reached Charmcaster and took her down. Shockwave slowly approached her. Suddenly, Charmcaster summoned two vicious rock creatures to destroy Ben. He clapped his hands once more and the wave smashed the creatures into pieces.
- Do not underestimate my powers! I’ve learned a few things, since our last encounter! – said he and transformed into Heatblast.
- As have I! – yelled Charmcaster and raised her hands. She chanted some spells and struck down. Heatblast shot some fireballs, but they have been put out, as they impacted into the massive water-jet, which Charmcaster have just created. The spout hit the pyronite and forced him to the ground.
- Aaaarrgh! – roared he as he changed into Artiquana and froze the flood. Then he went Xlr8 and kicked Charmcaster’s face many times.
She wasn’t defeated yet, she threw dozens of explosive eggs at him. Xlr8 retreated and changed into Benwolf. He opened his mouth and made an ultrasonic howl. Then he jumped into the air and kicked Charmcaster on the face, forcing her to the ground.
- How do like this? I’m not that little boy anymore! – shouted he, and turned into the Mummy. His bandage surrounded Charmcaster’s body. Suddenly, Buzzshock’s green electricity ran up to her on the bandage and knocked her out. The Mummy released her unconscious body. After that, he changed into Spiderweb and trapped her in a cocoon.
Ben reverted to himself, as he ran to Tetrax. He was lying on the ground
- Are you all right? – asked Ben.
Tetrax opened his eyes.
- Ben? Is that you? – His voice was powerless.
- Yes. Can you get up?
- I don’t think so... That venom is still in my circulation... but I’ll try. – replied Tetrax.
Ben helped him but he was too heavy. At least, Tetrax was in a sitting position, he could see what Ben couldn’t. Charmcaster was sneaking behind his back, planning to stab Ben with a knife. She had little remainings of the coccoon on her clothes.
- Behind you! Aaarrrgh! – yelled Tetrax and with a painful struggle, he fired a projectile at her. It went through Charmcaster’s right leg.
- Ooooouch! Damn it! – shouted she in pain, as she bent down to her knees. She was unable to fight anymore, just shouted and cursed on the ground.
- Let’s get out of here! – said Ben, changing into Fourarms, ignoring Charmcaster’s painful cries. He helped Tetrax to stand up, but suddenly, various aliens appeared from everywhere. Fourarms recognized a lot of flourana, vulpimancer, lymax and other vicious creatures. They were surrounded. The aliens slowly approached them, the ring around Ben grew smaller and smaller. He knew there are too many, and he can’t defeat all of them and protect the helpless Tetrax in the same time. But, he braced himself for the battle.
- Prepare yourself, pal! This is gonna be a bumpy ride! – said Fourarms ironically, to Tetrax.
- We’ll blow them away! – replied the petrosapien with a weak smile.
The distance between them and the aliens was only a few feet. Fourarms faced a dribbling loboan. He opened his mouth to create an ultrasonic howl, but all of a sudden, a purple energy beam struck him down. A moment later, the beam hit another alien. Fourarms looked up to the direction, where it came from. She recognized the flying capsule. Lantara’s upper body was outside, she fired the energy beams.
- Need a ride? – asked she and shot a series of beams, like a machine gun. The aliens immediately replied with explosive seeds, ultrasonic howls, or more energy beams. Fourarms smiled and went Stinkfly. He grabbed Tetrax and flew up, before the ring of aliens could finally close around them. Stinkfly was struggling with Tetrax’s weight; he couldn’t stay in the air for long. The attacks form the ground also endangered his flight. He flew in a crisscross, until he reached the capsule.
- Get him first! – yelled the lepidopterran. Lantara grabbed Tetrax’s legs and pulled him inside, by changing her protoplasma.
- There’s not enough room for me! Go! I’ll follow you. – said Stinkfly.
Suddenly, a loboan howl struck him. He fell down. The aliens billowed around him.
- Ben! Noooo! Hang on! I’m coming! – cried Lantara.
Ben lost the control over the omnitrix. With a red flash, he reverted to himself.
- Go! Just go! – shouted he.
As Lantara glanced back, she saw his arm disappearing under the aliens....
Nice chapter!