B10 #4 – Earth

As Rook Blonko stepped off the cruiser onto solid ground again for the first time in several hours, his few belongings in hand, he was greeted in the docking bay by Magister Patelliday, an aged and able Pisccis Volann.

"Rook Blonko, reporting for active duty," the Revonnahgander saluted.

The Magister returned the salute with a sharp-toothed smile. "Welcome aboard, greenhorn. Glad ye could make it! Follow me, and we'll get ye set up."

Hefting his bag, Blonko followed fish of prey. He tried to keep his eyes forward as he walked, as etiquette and protocol demanded. However, all of the 'hustle and bustle'—that was what Scout and Tack usually called it—drew his attention as a strong wind would carry a leaf. The Earth's Plumbers base was far more lively than the Academy had been. Clearly, there was enough work to be done that everyone in sight was coming and going one way or the other.

He was surprised, however, when he was taken to a tech lab and given an entirely different body armor to change into by a pair of Galven Plumbers. Having worn his white Plumber uniform since basic training—and having seen every other Plumber in the same gear—he was uncertain why he was given the blue armor at all.

"This is PROTO-Armor; state of the art tech went into this," Patelliday grinned. "I heard ye were an ace at using a PROTO-Tool in the Academy, so we figured ye'd be a prime choice for the armor. Durable, but be nice to it. It's the only one of its type right now."

Blonko rolled his shoulders experimentally. "It is somewhat loose."

"Press that switch," Blukic pointed to the lock on his bracer.

Doing so, the Revonnahgander was startled when the action resulted in the material tightening around him until it was no longer uncomfortably slack.

"It's designed to fit the wearer in every way possible," Driba explained as he walked along the Plumber's arm and shoulders, double-checking the fastenings. "Height, weight, it's all been taken into account. Should you lose…or acquire…a limb through some freak accident, the PROTO-Armor will accommodate the change."

Blonko was not entirely certain how he felt about the probability of losing a limb, much less how high such a possibility had to be to be prepared for it. But before further inquiries could be made, the entire base trembled from a great impact overhead, and the alarms began to shriek as the lights turned red.

"Wait here!" Was all Magister Patelliday said before dashing out of the lab.

As he was told, Blonko remained with Driba and Blukic, even as he watched others hurrying past the doors and windows. It was so strange to finally graduate, and to be stationed on Earth was incredible. To think, he was standing on the same planet as Ben Tennyson!

He could privately confess that the boy had been an inspiration for his joining the Plumbers. While his homeworld was n0t widely known in the galactic community, the Plumbers outpost had allowed for many stories and legends about the young man to reach his curious ears. The chapter and a half of required study at the Academy had only enticed him further to work his hardest to become a Plumber. His bunkmate, Tak, had once met the Earther and told him and Scout about him on occasion.

And now, he could hear more—even witness new legends for himself!

When the alarms were finally shut down the lights returned to normal, someone came for him. Needless to say, he was more than mildly startled when none other than the commander of Earth-base's Plumbers entered.

"Just heard you arrived," Maxwell Tennyson smiled. "Glad to see you made it here safely."

"Magister Tennyson, sir!" Blonko straightened as he saluted the aged Earth man. He was somewhat confused when he was offered a handshake in place of a salute, but did not question it. "It is an honor to meet you, sir."

"I wish I'd known you were here sooner; your new partner was barely in the door before he took off again," the Magister smiled sheepishly, and shrugged. "Ah well. It'll give us a moment to chat." Offering Blonko a seat, he opened one of the two file folders he had brought with him. "I've noticed that you were well-noted by all your instructors. Graduated top of your class. That's pretty impressive, even when you consider what happened to the Academy!"

While the humiliation of that final assessment had burned—he and every other Plumber had privately sworn vengeance against the Vreedle Brothers for the destruction of the Plumbers Academy—Rook Blonko had passed with honors and had graduated alongside his friends without further incident. He wished that Tak and Scout had been able to come with him to the Sol System, but both were needed elsewhere, and he respected them too much to disagree with their choices.

"Among your class, you were the most skilled at using the PROTO-Tool—not an easy piece of equipment," the Magister went on, his tone impressed. "Even says you modified yours yourself."

The Revonnahgander had, at first, been unaware that he had taken the most state of the art tech in the known universe as his weapon of choice. It had simply struck him as complex enough that he could enjoy deciphering his own uses for it. As training went on, and more recruits commented upon his weapon and who made it, he was far too adept at using it to pass it off for something less versatile.

"It is a very complicated mechanism," he conceded. "However, its many uses make the training to use it worthwhile."

"Well, I'm sure Azmuth was happy to hear someone knows how to work it properly!" Max Tennyson chuckled. "It's one of the reasons he sent us the PROTO-Armor for you." He would have laughed harder at the amazement on the young Plumber's face, but chose to be nice. "It's good to have a full set, huh?"

Blonko looked at his armor with new amazement. He was aware of the friendship between the First Thinker and the Human Magister—it was frequently talked about back at the Academy—but he never would have considered the two would speak very frequently, or at all casually. Much less, that the Galven himself had made his new gear specifically for him. Such a thing was unheard of.

"I don't doubt that things'll be weird for you at first, but I think you'll fit right in, given time."

"Magister, if I may ask…?" He was given a casual wave to proceed, "No matter how high my standing in the Academy, it is hardly a substitution for the experience required to earn the right to such technologies. Why, then, have I been granted such access?"

"It's important for you to be as well-equipped as possible. Trouble has the tendency of following your new partner around," his superior chuckled, "so you'll want that advantage. You've earned your place, now you just have to live up to it."

"I understand, sir," Blonko nodded. "But who is it I am to be partnered with that such precautions are necessary?"

Smile broadening, the human man passed him the second file he carried. Blonko was silently pleased at the smell of paper—everything had been digital back at the Academy—and carefully opened the manila cover. Height, weight, age, favorite color, worst fear, distinctive body marks—everything about his new partner was there. However, before he could absorb anything, amber eyes shot to the name and picture upon the first page.

Benjamin Kirby Tennyson

Ben Tennyson. Ben 10. The wearer of the Omnitrix, the greatest invention of Azmuth, and hero of the galaxy.

And he was Rook Blonko's new partner.

"Gwen and Kevin left just today," Maxwell Tennyson sighed. "A while ago, I sat down with the only other person who could give me an idea of what to look for in a new partner for Ben. You were handpicked out of four dozen other graduates. You're resourceful, even if you lack experience. You think on your feet, and that's a trait needed for this job, and for working with my grandson."

The Revonnahgander found he could do little more than look from the Earth man to the file in his hands, and back again. Truly, he had no idea how he was supposed to respond to such a startling assignment. So much had been given to him in such a short period of time—he did not think he had even been on the planet for more than three hours yet!—and now he was to be partnered with the one person he could actually consider a hero.

"Now then!" The Magister clapped his hands loudly. "Sorry to throw you out into the field so soon after you got here, but there's a bit of a situation going on that Ben has run off to look into. He was heading for an alien grocery store, I think it would be a good idea if you met him there. You ready to go to work, Rook Blonko?"

There was no answer, except—

"Yes, sir!"

AN: I have decided to post this today, since tomorrow's my BDay, and hope someone likes it. I'll be writing these and posting at random, but I hope people like them. Ben+Rook, but their relationship will be soft and gradual, don't expect to find any NSFW.

Thank you for reading! Hope you like it!