Reunions of Best/Old Friends

The Alienated Heart is based on the Ben 10: Alien Swarm movie.

Disclaimer: I own no part of Ben 10. All rights belong to the people who created Ben 10 and the Alien Swarm live-action movie. I only own the character Kade Roman and her plot and dialogue.

"Elena?" Ben asked, surprised, and Elena motioned for Kade to move forward. With a shake of her helmeted head, Kade moved closer, pulling it off. Her black hair cascaded in shiny curls down her back and her eyes were just their regular dark brown. No signs of the pain over the last three years remained to be seen on her, but they were remembered in her heart. Her features were back to how they used to be; a mere spell to make them appear that way. There was no indication of dark blue hair or even darker blue eyes.

Ben, Gwen and Kevin's eyes widened and Kade nodded to each of the Tennyson cousins before she turned to Kevin.

"Kev," She said lightly, smiling and he grinned back.

"Az."

Kade's smile widened at her other nickname, being that Kevin was the only one who called her that. And if Kade was to be completely honest; Kevin, Max, Verdona and her own mother were the only ones who actually knew her real name. Ben and Gwen though, exchanged confused glances at the name 'Az.'

"No. Way." Gwen muttered, her arms crossed, as her green eyes darted between the girls in front of her.

"Why are you here Elena? Kade?" Ben asked, confused and Kade titled her head.

"Oh, you still remember me. I'm honored." Elena replied snippily and Kade placed her hand on her shoulder. They shared a look and Elena stepped back slightly and Kade decided to take over answering questions.

Kevin let out a breath, "Hello? Can anyone toss me a clue as to what's going on here?"

Gwen wrinkled her nose slightly and began to inform her boyfriend, "Kevin, this is Elena Validus and you apparently already know, Kade Roman. They're Plumbers' Kids, like us."

Kade flicked her fingers in a wave, smirking, and Elena scoffed, "Not like you, Gwen. None of my ancestors were aliens. I don't have any cool powers to rely on." Kade could hear the unspoken, 'not like Kade' in her sentence. The three-quarter Anodite knew that Elena was envious of her powers, thinking, that if she had Kade's powers, she would stop people from hurting those she loved. At times, Kade herself sometimes wished that she didn't have her powers. Because they're more of a burden, than a gift.

Ben ignored her, speaking to Kevin, "We hung out for a while back in the day. Then Elena's dad quit and so did Kade. And all three of you moved away and we haven't heard from you since."

Elena scowled and stepped closer, her voice holding a biting quality, and Kade's eyes narrowed in an emotion close to hate. "Is that what they told you? That my dad quit, that Kade quit? Considering that you have more power than all the Plumbers combined, you sure don't know much."

Kade glanced down in sadness and anger. Her father had died when she was twelve and her only family were the Plumbers. Two years later, Kade had left the Plumbers and everything she ever knew. And her family had thought she would just leave them? Obviously, they hadn't known her very well, and truthfully, they hadn't. Kade had kept a lot from them all, which had led to Max's mistrust in her.

"Max sure knows how to lie," Kade commented, having regained her composure. The trio looked at her, "Please, like I'd leave when I was so…" The dark-haired girl trailed off and both Kevin and Elena knew what she meant. Unstable.

Ben looked adamant, "Then why don't you tell me? What's going on? What are you doing here with these chips?" His voice dropped slightly in pitch, "Why did you leave?"

Ben's question was meant for both of the girls, but his eyes never left Kade who merely looked back at him impassively and continued speaking, ignoring Ben's question, "We're here to find you. The Plumbers don't exactly advertise. We need your help, Ben. It's Elena's father. He's been abducted and a piece of my past has been stolen."

Kevin raised one brow with a grumpy expression, "Call the cops."

Kade tossed him a look, "They can't help. His disappearance is connected with these alien chips. And my…possession…is distinctly alien."

"We'll help you find him Elena, and whatever you're looking for Kade. You're both Plumbers' kids, and friends."

Kade stepped closer and ran a teasing finger along his jaw. She was good at this, with a single touch she could tell everything about them; Kade could tell what he was thinking, what he planned to do, who he was. Of course, her talents became more elaborate – and seductive – as she grew up. Reading Ben quickly, she could tell Ben was genuine when he said he would help, that he cared; but people had said that to Kade before. Ben shivered slightly at her touch but it was gone almost as quickly as it arrived.

"Are we, Ben? Am I? Really? Because life's been pretty hard for the last three years. And I don't recall you ever looking us up. Any of us, Elena, Victor or me. I was unpredictable and powerful…which really wasn't a good mix. And Max threw me out into the gutter, like a dog."

Kade's magic slipped and for a moment the younger Tennyson's saw anger roiling in blue eyes – the colour of the deepest part of the ocean – that should have been brown. Suddenly the chips began to crackle and glow and the glimpse of her eyes was gone. Kade lifted up her hand, blue mana glowing from her palm. All but the sellers knew of Kade's powers, powers that only grew even more from the last time they saw each other. She passed her hand over the chips and she gasped in shock as the mana disappeared. The two sellers near the chips stepped back in worry, horror etched on their faces at the display of power.

"They're awake," Kade mumbled as she looked at Elena.

"What is that?" Ben asked quickly, "Kade? Elena?"

"I don't know." Elena protested.

Kade shook her head, worry clear in her voice, "They should never have woken up. They were completely inert! I scanned them more than once!"

Kevin and Gwen spoke at the same time.

"It's a double-cross."

"A trap, Ben."

"Oh, so help me, Kev…" Kade trailed off, glaring daggers at her best friend. Kevin trusted Kade more than anyone else, but the way he accused both Elena and Kade, was really playing on the young Anodite's nerves.

"No! I swear it!" Elena protested again, "We just wanted your help!"

"Don't wanna impose on your little dysfunctions, so..." Kevin mumbled but was silenced with another sharp glare from his blue-jacket-wearing friend. The chips began to crack and whistle and started to shake in their canisters. With a shatter, they broke free, spiraling into the air in complicated patterns. Kade's eyes widened.

"Shit!" Kade cried, conjuring mana to her hands in orbs and lifting them up defensively. This is bad, this is really, really bad. She balanced herself slightly in front of Elena, her stance protective and slightly menacing.

"Kevin," Ben started, "I think you were right about these not being ordinary computer chips. Stay down!"

The chips continued to buzz and swirl and Kade glanced over to Gwen. "Gwen!"

Gwen looked up at Kade's warning and expertly flipped backwards out of the way of the incoming nano-chips, and fired back a pink mana orb, "Ben! I don't mean to backseat drive, but it might be a good time for the Omnitrix."

"Not!" Ben retorted, continuing to turn the Omnitrix, but was only met with a gold, flickering figure, "I think it's having a meltdown or something."

Kevin chuckled and looked at the raven-haired girl next to him, "Don't sweat it, dude. If you can't handle it...I know two people who can." Kevin smirked at Kade. "Anytime you wanna power up, Az."

"I don't always listen to you, you know that Kev?" The 'no-nonsense' face Kevin gave her made Kade stop talking.

Kade bit her lip and moved slightly away from the small group, not waiting for Kevin to answer, letting power flow through her. Her eyes flashed open and the entirety of her eyes became a pure, dark blue. Kade's hair grew into long, dark blue tendrils, her body becoming the same colour. She had changed into her Anodite form, becoming her natural state of a humanoid body made of pure mana.

"Happy, Kevin?" Kade asked, her voice thrumming with power, and Kevin shrugged. Elena, Gwen and Ben, who had not ever seen her other form, looked at her in awe. Gwen recognised the Anodite form she was in, having a similar one herself, but she had never seen blue mana.

"We need you ready to fight; I know how you prefer that form."

Kade shrugged and floated into the air. She made a 'come-hither' gesture to the nano-chips and they shot forward. She fired mana expertly at swarms of chips as Kevin ran over to a support beam and began to climb it. Kade's hair slashed like knives through the chips. Halfway up, the Osmosian absorbed the metal and swung around, breaking apart a group of nano-chips. Kade slashed out a hand and blue mana followed her arm and cut a swarm of nano-chips in half and she entrapped another group in an orb that she swiftly combusted. Floating back down to the ground and landing beside Kevin, the Osmosian and the Anodite high-fived.

Kade grinned like a Cheshire-cat and cracked her knuckles, the smile looking eerie on her Anodite almost-expressionless face. "I was hoping for a fight."

XXXXX

Chapter 2 up!

Dedicated to Papercrane26 for his support.

Follow, favorite and review please! Constructive criticism is always welcome.

~ Raven