Title: Lost Hero
Chapter 1: The Foundation
(Bellwood University)
Bellwood University, a school located in the central district of the city of Bellwood. Surrounded by waters and small islands, the school was probably one of the greatest architectural designs in the entire course of man. The school itself was connected with a system of bridges that passes over the safe waters of the city docks. There were only two entrances to the school and both were always closely well guarded by the prospects and the disciplinary force of the school. The first entrance was located at the north; a brick bridge that stood for years was connected to the city's downtown which made it the busiest places in the entire school. The second entrance was at the shipwright where the school conducts its own private business of tours and transportations.
The city of Bellwood however… was not in the best shape of its life. There were a total of five districts in the city and each and every one of them had their own share of problems.
The first and foremost would be the downtown district which was located right next to the Bellwood University. From morning to afternoon the place would be crawling with so many shoppers and gossipers that would make Christmas look like a girl's slumber party. Shops will sell their goods for an honest price and rarely any bad deeds would be done there. However… when night falls, that will be when the vampires come out. When I meant 'vampires' I didn't exactly mean those who would suck your blood, no. I was talking about vampires that were more interested in the colored papers stashed in your wallet. When the moon comes out, the innocent candy stores will finally show their fangs and open up their back door to the illegal casinos.
Brothels and gabling den were aplenty and if I had a nickel for every time I saw a slut or a prostitute walk through those streets… then sonny… I would probably be… a freakin billionaire.
The second district that was to call to your attention would probably be the Bellwood square. The prettiest and biggest condos and mansion can be seen there and it was here where the city is at its peak. Only the wealthy, the powerful and the snobs would walk through its perfumed garden and rich layered side street. You can easily tell a kid who came from that district through the strong rich stench, clean hair cut and their expensive Caesar clothing. Heck, a poor man could eat for weeks with just their threads.
The third district in the city that came into the neutral list would probably be the school, of course… I already explained the details of that place… didn't I?
Anyway… moving on…
The fourth district that comes onto the negative side of town would be the industrial district. Homes to the only the hard working citizens of America, it was a place any man worth his salt would respect. Everyday you would see drivers moving up their trucks into warehouses, workers, carrying heavy payloads of goods from in and out of town into the docks… and even hobos do their share of work here as well.
During the day, the place seemed well enough to walk through without a care in the world, if you don't mind the pollution coming out of the factory that is. But during the night, everything in this little old town would change. At first glance, no one would really pay much attention here, but in truth… the place had a dark and terrible secret. When the moon is at its peak up in the mighty sky, the once innocent looking railways become the central place for gang meetings, school fret trials, and perhaps even illegal dealings of firearms and drugs.
It's frightening yet amazing to see such a place turn into such a horrible web of crimes…
The last and final district that everyone in the city should know… would be the Slums. It was used to be called Old Bellwood, but with the local mayor abandoning it for the crows to feed on, the residence there soon began to call it the slums. The name probably suits it too. The moment you set foot in this district, you would immediately begin to think that you were sent in another country. There was only one way into the city and that way in was also the only way out. Police cruisers never tread into this place and with good reasons too. The place was the central ground for gang bases, beggars, academy dropouts and hobos.
There's not much difference here during the day and night. The place was probably a total nightmare for any normal citizen of the country. Broken shagged houses, run down apartment buildings, and food stalls lined up the streets. People struggle everyday just trying to earn their next meal no matter how hard it was. However… not everyone here considers this to be hell on earth. Yes… there were actually a bunch of people who were actually able to call this little piece of dump home. You wanna know what kind of people? Well here's a list. Gang members that ruled the majority of the district can turn this place into their heaven. Killers, psychopaths and rapists patrol the streets day in and day out looking for next victims to add to their collection.
There wouldn't be a day where you wouldn't hear the sound of an innocent bystander screaming through the night begging for mercy.
So this is probably as much of Bellwood as it is. There are some good and a lot of bad, but it was still livable, if you know where to go at certain times.
But let's not get ahead of ourselves now shall we? Why don't we return to where we started? To the Bellwood University, where a certain orange haired girl was about to make her un-presidential debut to the faculties of the school.
(Principle's office)
"So… your name is Gwendolyn Tennyson, correct?" said principle Wyatt, the head of the school. The girl in front of her wearing a dashing blue vest and aqua long sleeve T-shirt and long pants nodded back in reply. "I hear you have quite a remarkable status in your old school" the principle continued while adjusting his glasses with his index fingers. The recommendations from the mayor weren't really necessary Ms. Tennyson. I would've enrolled you the moment I saw these score charts. They are very impressive"
"Thank you Mr. Wyatt" the girl smiled proudly at herself after hearing his compliments, "But the mayor said that he wanted me to give you his recommendation just in case"
"Hahaha, that is so like him" the principle laughed softly, "Anyway… everything seems to be in order. Your grades are excellent, you have several achievements already and I hear you were an expert in martial arts" Gwen didn't really needed all of that praise but it didn't stop the man from continuing, "I'm certain you will be an ideal student here in Bellwood University. Welcome Ms. Tennyson" he extended his hand for a shake in which she gladly returned.
"Please… just call me Gwen"
Once their hands were back in place, Wyatt called out to his secretary, "Ms. Royan, will you please come to my office for a moment?" a few seconds later, a woman in her mid thirties entered through the door of his office.
"You called principle?"
"Yes, would you kindly give young Gwendolyn here a tour around the campus? I'm sure she would want to familiarize herself with the place as soon as possible" he then turned to Gwen who seemed rather uncertain of the situation, "Gwendolyn, this here is my secretary, Ms. Kalia Royan. She's a very helpful woman. So if you need anything, don't be afraid to ask"
"Thank you principle Wyatt" Gwen quickly stood up from her seat and grab her blue cotton jacket and sling bag from the side of the chair. "But I don't think a tour is really necessary"
"Nonsense" the man raised his hand up which stopped the girl from speaking, "It is my duty to make sure every student in this academy is comfortable and settles in as soon as he or she enters through my gates. Besides, she has the key to your dorm room. Ms. Royan?"
"Of course Mr. Wyatt" the secretary bowed in respect before turning back to the 'special' girl, "Come now Ms. Tennyson. The day is still young and you would want to know the school like the back of your hand as soon as possible. Come now, gather your things and we shall be on our way"
"Oh… ok" Gwen then again bowed to the principle and immediately went after Ms. Royan.
By the time they were out of the main building, Gwen immediately took a deep breath to get the tension off her system. She might be a grade-A student but meeting the principle of the school still manages to leave her breathless.
"Ah, there you are Ms. Tennyson" Kalia said in an uncertain manner, "Shall we begin the tour? I'm eager to show you everything" not even waiting for a reply, the secretary quickly made her way towards the garden. There was a statue of the founder of the academy in the garden and it looks like it has been standing there for almost ten or twenty years already.
"Oh before we begin Ms. Tennyson" Kalia began, "Allow me to officially welcome you to Bellwood University. I know it's not much of a welcome since we don't exactly have the man power here"
"Oh that's ok" Gwen chuckled, "I'm not used to all the attention anyway"
"Excellent! Well then… where shall we start?" Ms. Royan took a quick look around the campus and decided to start where they stood, "Oh well, I may as well start here ahehehe" she paused for a moment and poised herself like she was about to give a speech or something, "The island in which we are standing now is called the main square" she explained briefly, "It is here that you will have most of your classes. The main office is the building where we just came out from and the main study rooms will be located there" she pointed to a similar looking building on the edge of the island, "All your classes like, algebra, trigonometry, biology, chemistry, foreign language and arts will be held in there"
"That sure is a tall building" Gwen noted to herself to not look down when she's on the fourth floor of that particular building.
"Yes… well our school thrives on heights nowadays" Ms. Royan joked as she continued with her explanation, "Now where was I? Ah yes… as you can see there are a system of bridges that leads to particular islands of the campus. You will find a map in each of these areas so you won't easily get lost. The boy's dormitory is located north western corner of the school which is also connected to the main entrance of the school. The girl's dorm is over by the east side of the main square. Mrs. Polly Randolph is the caretaker of that place so she will be in charge of the schedule and curfew"
She paused once again to catch her breath before continuing. "The bridge connecting to the south east goes to the observatory and library. It's probably the quietest place you'll find in this entire campus"
"Looks like I'll be spending most of my time there then" Gwen joked but it didn't exactly made the secretary laugh along with her.
"Funny…" she replied sarcastically, "Anyway… I must however warn you not to cross beyond that point. The bridge that goes beyond that is the docks of the school and only authorized personnel can enter its gates"
"Why all the secrecy?"
Kalia eyed her surprisingly shocked, "My young lady, it is not secrets that we are hiding. It is for the protection of our fellow students. A few years ago, three students broke into the docks district and idiotically took control of one of the expensive cranes. The fools did not know what they were doing and ended up injuring more than a dozen of our workers and themselves included. The school had no other choice but to expel them"
"O…k…"
"But enough of our dark history" Kalia continued, "Let's resume with the tour now, shall we?" she then turned to another bridge on the north east. "This bridge goes to the study hall which houses our more… advance classes. Your rooms will be designated and assigned when you receive your schedule" she then turned to the last bridge that was somewhat different from the rest. "The last and final bridge located on the south west of the main square is the Tri-arch Bridge. It is a wonderful masterpiece that was designed by the founder of this academy. Not only did it save money, but it also became a landmark of this school. It connects the cafeteria, the gym and the festival park altogether"
"Festival Park?" Gwen questioned with a raised brow.
"Yes, the Festival Park" she repeated, "It's the place where we hold parties, like Christmas, Halloween, Easter, 4th of July, and so on. I attended many of these parties before and I am proud to say that all of them had been quite successful so far" she chuckled to herself before turning her stare back at the new student, "Well then, I guess this concludes our tour of Bellwood University. I hope you do enjoy your stay here at the academy and as professor Wyatt said: If you need anything, please come to me right away" and with one last bow, she heads off towards the main office building to resume her work.
"Umm… excuse me" Gwen interrupted a little shyly, "Do you mind if I ask you a question?"
"Of course not. What is it do wish to know?"
"About the rumors…… are they true? You know… the one about strange aliens appearing at night"
The secretary's eyes widened slightly as she did not expect that to come from her. She thought that Gwen was a student who didn't care about anything in the outside world, "Young lady…" she replied calmly, "I have no time for rumors. I only listen to facts. The rumors you probably heard about must've just came from kindergarten students who had watched too much of those cartoons"
"Oh… I see" Gwen's face seemed a little saddened to hear about that.
"Are there any more questions?"
"No… thank you for your help Ms. Royan"
"Please… let us skip the formalities" Kalia smiled back at her, "Since the principle seems to like you very much, you may simply call me Kalia" she then paused for a moment before speaking, "Oh that reminds me Ms. Tennyson. I saw in you application that you already have a job in the downtown district, correct?"
"Huh? Oh yeah… I'm an editor for the Damien Corporations"
"Ah I see… the Damien Corps is also an investor here in the Bellwood University. I just hope it will not interfere with your studies"
"Don't worry, I already told my boss of my situation. He'll pull something out for me"
"Very well then… I wish you luck Ms. Tennyson and hope to see you again soon" and with that they both parted ways.
(Girl's dorm isle)
Right after Gwen was finished with the tour she immediately went off towards the girl's dormitory to get herself a room. She wanted to settle in as soon as possible. She still had a whole week before classes start, but she was in a rush for another reason.
The island of the girl's dorm was a lot bigger than she had expected. There were six large buildings, each with their own unique styles and a large garden equipped with a fountain to sooth one's soul. As she entered the area with her luggage she was immediately approached by a lady probably in the same age as the principle's secretary. "Are you a student here, young lady?" she asked in a very strict tone.
"Y… yes…" Gwen nodded.
"Then show me your identification" Gwen quickly pulled out her school ID which seemed to have checked out. She never thought to see two strict people at the same day.
"Very good" the old lady's mood then immediately turned to a caring mother which seemed to have lightened Gwen's brain tension, "Sorry for the tone earlier. You can't trust anyone nowadays" she then moved out to give the girl some breathing room, "My name is Polly Randolph. I'm the care taker of the girl's dormitory. Your name is… Gwendolyn Tennyson, correct? (nod) Well then Ms. Tennyson, allow me to show you around the dormitory" she then returned the ID to the girl and showed her around the island. "As you can see, there is only one point of entry into the girl's dormitory so you don't have to worry about a thing about those sniveling perverts on the other side of the campus" he gestured to the boy's dorm which was still visible even thought it was far away.
"That's good to know" Gwen agreed since she didn't like any peeping toms either. "Back in high school, it was just a battle just trying to get a shower"
"Absolutely!" Polly shouted till the top of her lunges, "Anyway, allow me to explain the rules of my dormitories. All residence here on the island are allowed to go in and out as they please so long as they follow the rules. There is no dress code here in school so you may anything as you see fit, as long as you wear your IDs. Curfew is at 11 PM sharp from Sunday to Thursday. There is no curfew on Fridays, Saturdays and holidays. A maid will tend to your room every Saturday to make your bed and get the laundry done. There is a mini-cafeteria in each of the dorm so you don't really need to walk all the way to the main cafeteria for food. We serve breakfast, lunch and dinner according to the menus. Think of it as a… a restaurant in a hotel"
"Wow… that's terrific!" Gwen said amazed by the whole system.
"Yes… thank you very much" Polly smiled back at her, "Now where was I? Oh yes. There are showers on every floor of the dorm so there's no need to be picky. Any misbehavior will be dealt with severe punishment, is that clear Ms. Tennyson?"
"Yes Mrs. Randolph"
"Good… now let me show you to your room. I'm sure you'll really love this place"
"You have no idea" she muttered under her breath.
By the time they arrived at one of the rooms in the dorm, Gwen's eyes widened so much that it was a miracle that they haven't fallen off and rolled down the floor. The room in the dorm was way better than all the dorms she had been in. There was a wardrobe, a mirror, a balcony just like every other rooms, a study table, a tea table for guests (if she has any guests) and a comfy bed suitable for one person to sleep on.
"Whoa! This is my room?!" she again said amazed by everything she saw.
Polly smiled at her surprised expression. She must've done this a few hundred times already but she always loved to see the looks on their faces. "Yes it is" she nodded, "Each room is for one person only. Not only does this accommodate you, but you may also bring a friend in here to. Be warned though. I only expect females to be in here when I come to check it up"
"But what about that security guards by the bridge?"
"Oh you mean Alfonse and Edger? Oh don't you worry about them. They're…… my kind of boys and they can really scare those perverts away"
Gwen was really happy to be in such a large room. She still couldn't believe that she was actually going to stay here for the rest of her college life. "Wow… this dorm really is perfect. You got everything!" but Polly didn't agree. In fact, her face seemed rather saddened when she then went on to open the glassed door that connected to the balcony, "I thought so too" she began, "I thought that this dorm was the perfect place for all girls like you Gwendolyn. I thought it was perfect, until I saw this…" as Gwen looked out the window, her heart nearly sank when the view killed her happiness.
On the opposite side of a large amount of water, was none other than the slums. You could see the homeless and the poor fishing across the river banks trying to get their next meal and the massed gang fighting happening all across the area.
"Is that…"
"Yes…" Polly answered, "That is the infamous city slums. The worst part of the city. It's because of this view that makes my dorm imperfect. Those sniveling boys at the boy's dorm have a terrible sense of hygiene but they have the view of the Bellwood square! OH!! If only I had picked the right area I would've made the perfect dorm! (ahem) Sorry about that. I guess I shouldn't let myself get carried away like that. Well then, I'll leave you to your unpacking"
"Wait!" Gwen called out, "Can I ask you something?"
"Ask away child. I'm always free"
"Do you know anything about the rumors of aliens? You know… the one that's been going on around the city?"
"You mean those stories about those different creatures that appear and disappear when a crime is being committed?" Gwen nodded back in reply, "I'm sorry, but I've only heard about rumors of it. I've never actually saw them with my own eyes. I bet it's just some silly story a bunch of kids conjure up with their fantasies and comic books. I tell ya, cartoons nowadays can brainwash even the elders!"
"I see… thank you Mrs. Randolph" and with that, the old lady left the room to let her tend to her things. The moment she knew that she was out of earshot, Gwen took a seat on her comfy bed and sighed disappointingly at the ceiling. She was really hoping that someone in school would know something about the aliens that were working as vigilantes, but all leads seemed to lead to the same conclusion. Not wanting to think about it any further, the girl decided to unpack before the other students return to their dorms.
As she opened up her suitcase, she noted that she had brought only a few change of clothes for her stay here. Her parents were able to grant her some cash before sending her here so she could buy some new clothes. The rest of the things inside the suitcase were just some knickknacks and mementos from her previous life as a child. After she brought all of the things out, she realized that it would take her all day just to get her things sorted out. So with no one looking, she waved her hand in the air and said, "Kasa orga yelamatergo!" immediately, the objects that had been littered on the ground began to float and began sorting themselves out. Her clothes folded themselves and flew right into the wardrobe. Her perfumes, colognes and other beautifications arranged themselves neatly on the mirror table and the rest of her things were put around to give her room that Gwen look.
"Yup… I still got it" she said to herself before checking in her suitcase. She then noticed that there was still one object that was not sorted out. It was a picture frame. But it wasn't the frame itself that made it valuable… it was the picture inside of it. It was a picture of her and a boy with similar colored eyes wearing a black and white T-shirt with a strange looking watch on his left arm. The two of them were smiling, their arms entwined with one another and their faces were covered with what appeared to be a birthday cake.
Gwen had not smiled this affectionately ever since she came to this godforsaken city. She would look at this picture for all eternity if she was given the chance, but right now she had more important matters to attend to.
(The Slums) (Ben's POV) (11:20 AM)
I awoke today at the call of my alarm clock and the rays of the sun. The sun light shone brightly through my ragged window as if it was trying to tell me something. At first I tried to go back to sleep by shifting my sleeping position to the other side, but it looked like the sun had its way of following my face. As it continued to annoy me I finally got up and said, "Alright, alright I got it! Geeze, can't a guy get a bit of sleep around here?"
A few minutes later, I got out of my mattress and yawned out so loud that my stomach was groaning along with it. I guess it was no surprise, seeing that I haven't anything but cabbage and leaf plants that grew outside my house. Yeah sure, there wasn't much of a taste, but at least I still get to eat something. After cleaning myself up and combing my hair, I began to do my usual routine exercise of fifty pushups on the floor and fifty pull-ups on a metal bar above my favorite doorway. It was rigorous work, but at least I would be able to know if my body could still keep up with my strength.
After finishing that routine, I got back up on my feet and prepared breakfast… or should I say brunch since it was already way past ten o'clock. Today I had saved up my best meal for last. Last night I was able to catch myself a salmon from the shore with my made up fishing rod. I didn't really expect it to work back then but now it seemed like luck does seem to play a good part in this.
I managed to build up a fire using an old wooden chair that I found on the streets. Living in the slums was indeed a difficult life but if you knew your survival skills than you might actually just make it out another week or two.
As I waited for my meal to finish, I decided to take a little stroll around the house to see if there had been any damage done. Usually everyday, some street punk gangsters would fight over by the alley next door and sometimes they would resort into using bricks and stones. I didn't mind them throwing those things in my house, in fact it actually saves me time looking for these materials. I could use these large stones to make a small tool that I could use to rebuild my house and I've been saving up bricks to build myself a chimney. I tried lightning a chimney made out of wood once, but it didn't exactly work out so I thought that if I find enough of these little rectangle pieces, I wouldn't have to worry about getting cold anymore.
Nights can be really chilling down here in the slums and often a lot of guys would freeze to death if they didn't wear proper protection. But it didn't really matter around here. In the slums, people die every day or get beaten up by some gang members.
There was a clinic here run by a guy name Dr. Lorry Kent who treats the wounded and the ills. He says that he was here to do charity work, but I don't believe in anything that he says. Don't let his appearance fool you. He may look like a good doctor on the outside, but once you get to know him real well, you'll find out that he's one of sickest guys I know. Sure he treats his patient without a fee but not all of them go too well, until he found a new source of income. Cocaine sticks, powder, cigarettes, you name it, he's probably got a shelf full of those crap. He was under the protection of the Verdons, the most powerful gang in the entire district who now controls the only power generator in the area.
There are total of at least twenty five gangs here in the district, but most of them were just wanabes, trying to look tough even though they know they're not. There was no police force here in the slums, so it didn't matter who got hurt, raped, robbed or killed. The mayor said that he didn't have the funds to stretch his police force any further than the industrial district so it was up to everyone to defend themselves. But as you can see, things were going from bad to worse. I didn't have any friends here in the district, nor anywhere for that matter. The only people who approach me are either my enemies or my new employers.
In case you didn't know, I'm actually a vagrant, a person who would do almost anything, like cooking, cleaning, delivering a package, or some other menial task for a few petty dollars. Money weren't really needed here in the slums since barely anyone sells anything useful. Well… at least not for me.
A few moments later, I began to hear some strange noises coming from the nearby house. The tenants there often changed by the week, but now it seemed like it they were changing it to days. I saw two men wearing black leather jackets with a snake symbol at their backs. Those guys definitely had to be members of the Verdon gang, but from my point of view, they seemed to have joined in recently. They were dragging a girl probably in her mid teens through the road and into the house. She was trying to struggle to break free from their grips but they seemed too strong even for her.
Once they dragged her into the house, they placed her on the table and began tearing off her clothes. I could not bear to watch what would come next so I quickly closed the window and looked at the poster of the Old Bellwood sign. I knew I could take on those guys alone, but starting a fight with the Verdon gang would probably just be like signing my own death contract. I had the power to overtake them and overrule this whole district but I did not want any attention drawn to me. In truth, could just wipe out this entire district off the face of the map with just a simple push of my watch…
… or should I say… the Omnitrix.
Yeah, this little green machine may not look much, but it's the only thing I have left on me. To tell you the truth, this little machine here could actually transform me into different kinds of alien heroes. It might be hard to believe but it's the truth.
As I looked back up onto the poster of Old Bellwood, I lost my own thoughts in its beauty, as if trying to leave this world ahead of the others.
The question in your head right now will probably be like this.
'How could such a peaceful community like this turn into a nightmare realm?'
Well it probably started when the mayor decided to cut the power to the district. At first it was all fine, since a lot of us could live with generator powers for a few weeks. But then came the water problem. The mayor of the city told us that the city was under shortage of water and decided to stop the flow in Old Bellwood. A lot of people began to complain and soon, revolts were being formed right in downtown to testify against this injustice. Everyone thought that the mayor would soon come to his senses and undo what he had done, but he only made things worst. He then cut off the Old Bellwood and placed an iron wall around the district to keep the people away. After that he isolated the place, not even allowing a single person, even a police officer to go in there without a good reason.
With no electricity, no water, and no protection, the Old Bellwood district became a lawless land. A place where people were no longer bound by the laws of the country, a place where all chains can be cut without regret, a place where only the strongest… can survive… and that… is what turned the district into a pile of garbage you see now.
After a couple of minutes later I noticed that the struggling sound had already stopped on the other house. I took a peek through the hole on my wall and looked as the two men exited the house with evil grins plastered on their faces. The girl that they took inside was no longer there. It was either they let her go when they were done with her or her body floats among the riverbanks.
When people die here in the Slums they are not given a proper burial. Instead, when a person dies, the looters would immediately swarm onto the victim, taking their clothes and whatever belongings they could find in that person. There was once a chapel here near the entrance of the district. The priest there would gladly bury whoever died and even though he did not know their names, he would still slab a stone up his grave and mourn for the deceased. But now, the graveyard was already full to its maximum capacity and the chapel had been turned into a gang base. I do not know what happened to the priest or even know that he still breaths, but some how I knew… he was probably the last decent man to live in this accursed place.
After another ten minutes had passed, I soon noticed that my food was already done. With speed of lightning, I ate through my meal faster than a pack of piranhas eating a cow. The fish I had taken hours to catch was instantly gobbled down in just about thirty or forty seconds.
"Thank you lady luck" I said to myself before going out of my house. As I expected when I came out, there was a dead body lying right on my doorstep. It was an old man who was probably trying to find a place to sleep, and when he was about to knock on my door, that must be when the grim reaper came to take him.
I wandered near the shores of the district, where the beggars fished for their daily meal. But this was a disaster waiting to happen. When one person catches a fish, the others would come and tackle him just to get a bite off its gills. This was probably why I couldn't really 'Go Hero' any time I wanted. I couldn't really tell who the victim was and who the benefactor of the incident was. Another reason would probably because I…
"Hey!" I stopped mid sentence of my own thoughts as a voice echoed behind me. I turned around and saw that there was another group of gangsters battling each other for supremacy. I ignored it and continued to take my morning stroll.
I looked out of the shore and saw Bellwood University just on the other side of a thick chunk amount of water. It would be so easy to escape from here by just swimming over to the other side, but the last five people who tried it, didn't even made it a quarter of the way when the sharks came for him. If it wasn't the sharks that would get you, then it would probably be the snipers on the watchtower or the gun boats patrolling the sea. The mayor had made it clear that no one escapes the district unless they pass through the main gate, which I do a lot of times. I never go pass the industrial district unless of course if my job requires me to. The pay was minimal but at least it was honest work… I think.
Just as I passed through the fishing area, an old worn down newspaper suddenly slapped against my face, covering my sights. I got annoyed by its flaps and immediately tore it away from my face. At first I would've just thrown this piece of junk away, but when I caught a glimpse of the head line page, I became intrigued.
After analyzing the first few sentences for a minute, I realized that this wasn't just any normal newspaper. This was actually a newspaper from four years ago. It was a relic, an antique!
'Head Lines Today'
'Alien Hero Saves Orphans!'
'Who are they?'
The picture on the front page was one I would've treasured forever. It was a picture of XLR8, one of my hero forms smiling with a bunch of kids. I remembered that day well. The orphanage was burning and there were still some kids trapped in there. At first I planned to turn into Upgrade, another one of my alien troops and morph with the fire truck to help cook things down. But as usual, the watch doesn't always follow my every command so I ended up turning into another different kind of alien.
But now you're probably wondering… how could such a hero turn into a street rat like this? Shouldn't heroes have like super cool mansions to hide their true identity? A base of operation with tons of gadgets to fight against evil doers? Well… to be honest I used to have all of those and more, but they're gone now and I barely even have a penny to call my own.
"Hey Ben!" a voice called out to me as I turn to the streets. I jerked my head around and was immediately greeted by a twelve year old kid named Wallace. He had blonde hair, pale skin and deep brown eyes. He was probably one of the last decent people around here.
"Hey Wallace…" I greeted back with a smile, "Shouldn't you be with your sister?"
"Nah, Alex's got the cold so she's staying home today. Don't worry I made sure I hid her real well under our new hideout"
"Oh… alright then" I replied boringly and then I continued walking. I could tell that Wallace was still following me behind so I stopped and looked at him, "Do you want something from me?"
"Aren't you gonna do something good today boss?" he asked with glittering eyes. "You know… like turn into one of those alien dudes and…" I immediately covered his mouth to stop him from saying more. The kid may be well, but sometimes his mouth just keeps blabbering without stop, "Oh… sorry…"
"You do know that only you and your sister knows of this right?" I asked cocking up a brow.
He nodded back dumbly, "Of course! So what are you gonna do today? Go out to the other districts and punch off some goons!? Or or… maybe you can hit those pampas windbags over by the power generator?"
"No and no…" I answered, "Today I'm just gonna go to my field and tend to my farm"
"Oh cool, can I help?"
"Why don't you go and help your sister instead?"
"Oh come on Ben. A guy's gotta have his pride too you know" I would've laughed when he said that to me a few years back. But I knew that he meant it. A year ago, I saved his life when he and his sister were being chased by thugs from the Verdon gang. I chased them away, but it was only by accident of course. Ever since then, the kid and his sister had wanted to pay me back with whatever help they could provide. Heck, they were even ready to help me rob the bank of the city if I asked them to.
"Alright, you can tend to the cabbages" I answered finally, "You make sure there are no worms and I'll make sure they're taken care of"
"You got it boss!" he saluted and followed right back to my garden.
(Bellwood University) (Girl's dorm) (Thursday) (Author's POV)
A few days had pass ever since Gwen moved in to the girl's dorm. Usually she would've took this time to explore and learn more about the school and its teachers, but instead she used up her remaining time to find out about the alien sightings that has been going on around the city. She went to the downtown district and began asking the locals there if they saw anything, but most of the information they gave out were usually irrelevant or redundant.
It was true that the aliens they saw were real and that was good enough for her. She then went to the local police office and asked the chief there if there were any clues to where the aliens might've originated from. Surprisingly for her, the chief was very cooperative and was kind of happy to have such a vigilante on his side. With him around, crimes in the districts other than the slums have lessoned substantially.
After gathering all of her necessary data and information, Gwen decided to return back to the dorm to conclude her reconnaissance mission. The room that she was meant for sleeping and private use had been turned into some sort of a base of operation. Her bed was full of newspaper articles relating to the aliens that had been seen throughout the city, her study tables had pictures of all the different aliens that had been appearing and the wall that had been sparkly clean was now littered with maps of each of the districts.
Once she entered her room, she immediately locked the door behind her and picked out a pack of cigarettes from her sling bag. The dorm didn't have any no-smoking policy so she didn't have to worry about others finding out. After lighting one stick up, she picked out her cell phone and speed dial one of the numbers on her list. The other line rang for a few minutes before someone finally picked it up. "Hello?" came an old man's voice.
"Grandpa Max? It's me… Gwen…" she answered back.
"Gwen! I'm so glad to hear from you! I didn't expect you to call so early!" said the old man who was referred as Max, "How's the academy? Is it alright there?"
"Yeah… class hasn't started yet" she replied puffing a smoke out of her mouth, "I'm still getting used to the city. It's a lot bigger than I expected though"
"Good good… very good" Max chuckled, "But I'm sure this wasn't exactly a normal greeting call"
Gwen nodded to herself before speaking back, "I've been doing some digging around the city grandpa" she began, "And for once the 'intelligence' may be right. He's here… I'm sure of it"
"Are you sure? (pause) So the rumors of those aliens appearing in the city are true then? (nod) Alright then… did you find anything useful?"
Gwen walked out to her balcony and looked at the sad state of the slums, "A lot" she answered, "I asked around and found plenty of information. Ben is definitely here"
"Are you following a hunch or is it just plain superstition?"
"I knew you were going to ask that so I went to some of the crime scenes as well. I found traces of Omnitrix energy" she could already imagine how her grandfather's expression would be, "It's feint but it's definitely the same"
"Well… this is indeed a big breakthrough for the Plumbers" Max replied feeling a bit shaken, "Now I know that your mission is important, but don't let it get to your studies. Also, don't forget about your job as well. I'll send everything you need from HQ. Alright? Love you… and take care"
"Thanks grandpa. I owe ya one" and with that she hung up and returned to her task of fixing up her room. She didn't want to get caught by the caretaker when she finds out that she turned her room into a base of operation.
(Slums) (12:14 PM) (Ben's POV)
I walked out of my cabin again today after having a full course meal of cabbage soup and cabbage stew. Sure, they didn't have a lot of flavor but once you try them once in awhile, you kind of get used to it. I whistled out my favorite song through my mouth and wore my favorite long brown winter jacket. It was mid afternoon so probably, everyone was out having a tan or something. During this time of day, everyone would want to get warm as soon as possible before night hits. If you think its cold during nights, just see how cold it gets during winter.
I huffed out a cold sound and slowly made my way towards the river banks. I ran out of lures to use for my fishing rod so I had to fish things the easier but more dangerous way. I had to turn intro Ripjaw, my aquatic alien form. Unlike the other aliens I have, this one was only used during my underwater operations. It had gills to make me breath without drowning, and large jaws to rip through even the toughest steel hence the name Ripjaw.
As I found a quiet spot under a few layers of stones, I quickly took off my favorite jacket and stretched out a little bit to get the stiffness off my skin. When I made sure no one followed me I quickly transformed so I can have something to eat for dinner tonight. If I was lucky, I will be able to catch enough fish to feed me for a whole week.
But unfortunately, the water here was not very inviting. Not only was the place cold, it was also very dirty and the sharks in the area made it impossible for me to hunt peacefully. After swimming through several corals and obvious tunnels where fish would hide, I was able to score a salmon and a few goldfish to my granary. I kept those little guys in my large mouth and let them stay there for awhile. In a matter of minutes they would soon run out of water and eventually die. I know it's cruel, but this is the way for me to survive.
Once I knew they were dead I immediately head back for the surface but wouldn't you know… one of the sharks was chasing me! "Oh crap" I thought out to myself. I could've easily killed that shark, but right now my body was too weak to even fight. I needed to save up my energy for swimming. If I run out of power now, then I can kiss my ass goodbye.
I swam as fast as my tail could take me and trued to make it back to ground level. But as I approach the beach, two more sharks appeared and noticed my presence right away. As if I wasn't having enough problems as it is! I easily dodged their bite attacks and swam faster. An alien fish was always faster than these guys… and once I was able to hit the sands, the predators soon give up the chase.
"Phew… talk about a close call" came a voice I recognized easily. When I turned my head up, Wallace waved at me with a goofy smile on his lips. "So what did you catch today boss?" he asked me with a smirk. I frowned at him and quickly turned back to my human form.
"What do you want now Wallace?" I asked annoyingly, "If you want food, you're gonna have to get it yourself" I know it was cruel for me to say that, but it was the truth. If the kid wanted to survive he had to look for his own rations and not depend on others to feed him. If he couldn't do that then there was no way he and his sister could remain here any longer.
"Oh don't worry about that" he replied to me waving his hand around, "I already ate with Alex this morning. I stole a couple of spam cans from a Verdon gangster last night. I beat him up so bad he didn't even know what hit him!" I find it hard to believe for a ten year old kid like him could actually take out a full grown man. "Let me guess" I smirked at him, "The guy was probably goofing around with food on his pockets and he was also probably half drunk. You were just walking by and saw him feint and with no one looking you looted his body. Am I right?" the blonde haired boy looked back at me amazed on my deduction.
"How'd you know that?!"
"Because that jacket you're wearing doesn't belong to you and it reeks of beer and whiskey" I explained to him gesturing to the black leather jacket he stole from the gang member, "It's probably best if you just burned that thing Wallace. You wouldn't the gang following you again now would you?" he nodded back and quickly tossed the jacket into the river. "Man… for once I thought I did something cool"
"There's nothing cool about stealing Wallace" I lectured him, "Stealing is a crime and crime must be paid"
"Oh come on! That guy probably stole all those things from someone else!" the boy reasoned out well which made me hard to find a well placed reply. It was true. If you steal from a thief, does that make you a thief? I chuckled at him as he looked back at me with a serious expression on his face.
"Alright… you win Wallace" I admitted, "You wanna have lunch? I can share these salmons with you if you want" his eyes widened with delight almost instantly as I said that. "Really!?" he inquired to which I nodded back in reply, "Yes… but bring your sister along too. We wouldn't want her to miss out on a good meal" but just when I was about to head out back home, the town bell suddenly rang out telling the people what time it was. I looked back and widened out my eyes making them pop out like those in the cartoons.
"Oh shit…" I cursed, "I'm gonna be late for work! Wallace, you take these fish to your sister and start a fire. I'll be with you shortly. Make sure no one else sees them!"
"Oh cool!" he replied, "Are you gonna turn XLR8 again?" I changed instantly to the form he requested and dashed off like the wind.
If you guys are wondering what my job was… then let me tell you. I do a lot of odd jobs around the industrial district but this one was a little different. If I was lucky, I might just be able to get this job permanently and get myself a new apartment.
It was a pizza delivering service. Sure… it was simply… but it could still make my life a whole lot easier to live. By the time I got there, I still had about ten minutes to spare. I shifted my gaze up and made myself look proper. Once I entered, the aroma of pizza and cheese drifted to my nose making my stomach growl. I shifted the smell away and turned my attention towards the office. The boss was expecting me, that much I was sure about.
"Hello?" I greeted out to the chubby looking man behind the desk.
"Who are you?" he asked in a mafia godfather manner. I kept my temper check and entered. "Uh… I'm Ben… you hired me for the delivery service"
"Oh yes yes I remember" the boss sighed, "Sorry Benjamin, but I'm afraid your services are not required here" I raised my brow in shock, "Apparently the job was already taken by one of my employee's nephew. He needed the job to help pay through college you see. So I'm afraid that job is already taken down"
"Oh… I see…" I looked down towards my feet looking a little disappointed.
"But if you want, I can hire you for a janitor" he offered. "We need someone to clean up after the customers leave"
"Sorry… I'll try to find some other work" I didn't want to stay in there any longer than necessary. Being a janitor was good too but somehow it just didn't feel right for me. After I left the pizza parlor I put my hands back in my pockets and head on home. Today couldn't possibly get any worse than rejection from a job.
But just when I was about to go XLR8 again, another voice called up to me. "Hey Ben!" I jerked my head around and noticed several workers carrying heavy loads waving at me. The guy who I worked with at factory approached me, "Listen… are you busy right now?" I shook my head in reply, "Good! Cuz I got a job for ya!" I was immediately all ears to him. I would never refuse a job from anyone as long it was honest money. "I got my shift full right now and it seems like I forgot to make a small delivery of things to the downtown district. Can you deliver this over by the Notrol hotel?"
"Notrol hotel?" I questioned out, "You mean that five star hotel on main street?"
"Yeah that's it!" he smiled, "Get it there in one hour and I'll give you ten bucks! How about it!?"
"Make it twelve and we got a deal" I counteroffer to which he accepted. "DEAL! Just tell the clerk that it's from Damien corp. and give him this" he quickly handed me a small box with books in it and headed off back to the factory.
Looks like this day wasn't gonna be so bad after all.
"One hour… please… I can get there in one minute" with no eyes watching me, I quickly turned into XLR8 and dashed off towards the hotel.
(Downtown district) (Gwen's POV)
After cleaning up my room and making sure all the suspicious devices and gadgets were well hidden from prying eyes, I quickly left for the downtown district to do a little more digging on these alien heroes that have been appearing now and then. I had some of my textbooks with me and some of my more personal notes just in case I forgot something. The place sure was busy during the holidays and everyone was either shopping or just sightseeing.
Today I was going to do my investigation in a hotel called Notrol. Apparently that place caught on fire a few months ago due to a generator power surge. A lot of people were trapped on the higher floors and there was no way anyone could get out. But when the fire fighters were about to abandon the place a bug-like alien appeared and rescued everyone who were trapped inside. But not only that, the alien also put out the fire using some green gross slime from its mouth. Although it took a week to get the stench out of the rooms, it was heck of a lot better than rebuilding the entire hotel from scrap. The hotel manager must be really grateful for that alien.
By the time I got inside, I immediately approach the head clerk of the hotel who was dressed in a red suit. "Excuse me sir…" I greeted, "I'm looking for the hotel manager. Is he available for the moment?"
"Do you have an appointment with him madam?" he asked in a semi-gayish tone.
"Umm no" I admitted flatly, "I just came into town and wanted to ask him a few questions. It's a completely unexpected drop in"
He looked back at me for a moment before letting out a girly smile, "I'll see what I can do. Please wait here for a moment and I shall return to you" he slowly wiggled his body away and went through the officer door faster than a dog. I put my purse down and waited since I didn't really have anything better to do. There were a lot of elite class family members in this place so it wasn't a surprise seeing that it was a five star hotel. There was a spa on the sides, a restaurant at the corner and several armed guards stationed at every door. Security here was tight and it wasn't really a surprise seeing what happened during that fire accident.
"Excuse me"
I startled slightly towards the new voice that crept behind me. "I'm looking for the head clerk. I got a package here from Damien corp" as I turned around, I noticed a teenager, probably the same age as me wearing a long brown jacket and fuzzy hair standing right beside me. The guy was well built and I could already see muscles coming through his inner shirt.
The clerk on the other side of the desk analyzed the package he delivered and smiled, "Ah… yes… we have been expecting this. The head clerk will be here shortly. Please wait a moment. He's in the office right now"
"Ok…" the boy replied not changing his expression. The features on his face were incredible. The guy practically had muscles on his cheeks and his collar bones were strengthened like he was some kind of athlete or something. Before I even knew it, I was already starring at him. He had such a handsome face and his eyes looked so focused that it could just suck my soul away.
He then shifted his power gaze at me as he noticed my stare. His emerald eyes were so powerful that it paralyzed me into a stone. "Green eyes? What are the odds of that?" I thought to myself.
"Is there something on my face?" he said finally which made me blush. "It's not polite to stare you know" he added with a chuckle. I quickly jolted my head back to the desk lowering my face under my hair. Oh man… I must've really looked like a complete idiot starring at him like that. "Sorry" I apologized shyly. Great… now I'm acting shy, "You just reminded me of someone" I explained.
"Yeah… I get that all the time" he replied sarcastically.
It wasn't long then till the head clerk reappeared from the office. "Excuse me young lady" he gestured to me, "The manager wishes to know that if your questions relate to anything about the alien insect that saved his hotel"
"Well… kinda" I replied honestly, "Is something wrong about that?"
"Well a lot of journalists have been coming to him lately asking the same questions over and over again. Are you a journalist by any chance?"
"No, I'm a student of the Bellwood University" I explained, "I just wanted to ask him for my own benefits of course"
"Oh I see…"
"Why are you interested in those aliens?" I jerk my head back to the delivery boy. "Don't tell me you believe in those things"
"Actually, it's my assignment" I said in a professional manner, "My professor asked me to research about this topic"
"Oh really?" he raised a curious brow at me, "Is school starting already? I didn't even hear the bell ring" I let out a feint blush on my cheeks as the boy hit the nail on my excuse. He was right, the school hasn't even started yet and he was able to read me like an open book. I could not conjure a reply at that moment so I kept silent. The boy grew out a grin and immediately turned to the head clerk, "Hey… I got a delivery for you from Damien corp"
"Damien? Oh yes, the package!" the head clerk replied after analyzing the package, "You're pretty early. I'll tell them that I received the package. What's your name?"
"Benjamin… but they all call me Ben" my eyes widened slightly in shock as I turned my eyes towards him again. Was this all just a freaky coincidence? I couldn't really tell.
"Very well" the head clerk replied, "I'll tell your employers that the package has been delivered. Here's the receipt" he handed the boy named Ben a small piece of paper and smiled cheerfully as he looked inside the package.
Just when Ben was about to walk away I stopped him, "Ah hey!" he turned around towards me with a confused face. "A… are you a student of the academy?"
"Nope" came his instant reply, "Used to be though" he added before vanishing to the streets. I couldn't help but get the feeling that… that boy was… no… it was probably just all a big coincidence. There was no way he could've been my cousin… my cousin who has been missing for five years.
"Miss" the head clerk alerted me, "The manager will see you now" I nodded back and slowly made my way towards the back room. But my mind remained on that boy.