Hello, everyone! Welcome back to the next episode of "Compassion"! I'm sure a lot of you have been waiting for the next chapter to come out sooner or later, so I apologize for all of the delays I've been experiencing. To put it bluntly, this has been due to a lack of inspiration and need to write this story. With the Ben 10 series getting rebooted, along with the fact that I've lost touch with the series in general, I haven't really found the motivation to write "Compassion". Plus, there's still the job search thing going on for me.
That said, I don't want to let my fans down. So I'm back in the writing groove and better than ever! Here's the next chapter of "Compassion"!
COMPASSION
It wasn't easy for Raya to go back to sleep after what had happened an hour ago. She was practically tossing and turning in her bed, muffling her frustrated screams with her pillow as she placed it over herself. Her parents had gotten the Plumbers to take Zs'Skayr and his Ectonurite brethren away once they had reformed, but it didn't make her any less disturbed by the fact that he was so desperate to kill her.
'Who the hell is Malgax?!' she inwardly asked out of anger, 'Huh…' she sighed through thought, relaxing herself upon her divan, 'I'm not gonna figure anything out just by thinking too much…' she admitted to herself, starting to shut her eyes, 'Maybe… we'll all find out tomorrow…' she suggested, falling back asleep soon afterwards. Another two hours passed before the alarm in her room went off, making her awaken with a long yawn.
"Good morning, sweetie!" her mother's voice echoed over the intercom, catching her attention as she sat up, rubbing her eyes, "We've got pancakes for breakfast in the kitchen!" she mentioned, while her daughter stretched her arms up.
"Okay, thanks…" she responded out of gratitude, "I'll be down in a minute…" she muttered, getting up from her bed as she arched her back, grunting a little. Taking a moment to look over at her birthday gifts on the dresser: the Pokémon egg from Leslie, the fingerless gloves from Christina, and among others, her friendship bracelet from Rachael. A serious expression came across her face as she clenched her fists, taking a deep breath of air. Moments later, she walked out of her room in her day clothes, also bearing the new gloves over her hands. She tied her brown hair up into a ponytail, while also slinging a backpack over her shoulders, heading out.
"Awesome as I wanna be~," Rainbow sang as she pulled out more pancakes from the pan on the stove, placing them onto a plate. Kenny happened to be there and the counter as well, solemnly enjoying his food without saying a word. He then saw his sister appear from the elevator door, walking towards him.
"Morning," she greeted, taking her seat right beside her brother, "Is dad up at base now?" she guessed, taking a bite out of her pancakes.
"Yep," the rainbow haired woman responded while washing her hands in the sink, "After what happened last night," she started to say, "he's gonna try to get some answers out of Zs'Skayr," she told them, glancing off to the side. She then took notice of the new gloves her daughter was wearing, making her arch an eyebrow. "Why do you have those on?" she asked curiously, getting her attention as she just finished a sip of her milk.
"I was gonna head out to do some training after I go see dad for the interrogation," she explained in reply, much to the surprise of those around her as their eyes widened.
"Oh, no, no, no," Rainbow repeated to her, "I'm not letting you anywhere near that psycho, even if he's behind bars," she stated in a defiant manner, causing her to cringe in realization, looking away.
"S-Sorry…" she apologized with a stutter, "I just… wanted to know why he was after me…" she confessed, making her mother develop a frown across her lips.
"We all do, sweetie," she noted, walking over to her and embracing her lovingly, "Don't worry," she reassured, giving her a kiss on the forehead, "Your dad's got everything under control," she added, causing her to crack a small grin. She finished her breakfast a few minutes later, going over to the door, but not before grabbing a blue hoverboard from the wall, which was underneath a form of green light.
"Hey, sis?" Kenny chimed in, catching her attention as the sliding doors opened, turning to face him. He was blushing slightly while glancing off to the side, appearing to be somewhat embarrassed. "Th-Thanks for having my back last night…" he stammered out of gratitude. Raya just smiled at his words, waving goodbye as she headed out. While making her way to the elevator, her expression darkened once again, still contemplating over what to do.
'I really wanna get some answers about this Malgax guy…' she said to herself, folding her arms over her chest, 'but if I'm not gonna get anything from Zs'Skayr, then I guess my next option is…' she continued through thought, entering a new room that had a large, pedestal-like machine in the center of it. She walked up to it, standing at its center with a resolute look on her face.
"Raya to Undertown," she echoed into the system surrounding the machine, "One to transport," she mentioned. All of a sudden, a cylindrical glass wall came down over the dais, covering her completely before she disappeared in a flash of green light.
EPISODE II PART I
Over the past several years, Bellwood hadn't changed too much in terms of adapting to the human and extraterrestrial society. Aside from people zooming around on their hoverboards, the rest of the environment seemed to be as normal as ever. One that had been altered drastically was access to Undertown. Despite it being a regular tourist destination years ago, the numerous amounts of crime related activity down there made the environment feel hostile, and thus, humans and aliens alike were advised to avoid it. At the desolate, highway tunnel entrance, a green flash of light appeared, dissipating soon afterwards to reveal the Tennyson girl standing right before it, holding her hoverboard in her left arm.
"Ugh…" she groaned, letting go of her mode of transportation, having it float beside her, "Looks the same as it did all those other years…" she commented, stepping onto the board before heading into the tunnel. Passing by the multitude of lights within, she finally reached the underground city suburbs, floating above its polluted lake before reaching the main area of the alien populous. "Now where to start…" she wondered, looking around at the various buildings and shops, along with the vast amount of extraterrestrials in the area. She came down from exceptionally high position, landing within the market center of the city. Pressing a button on the side of her transport, the brunette haired girl folded it up, allowing her to stuff it inside of her backpack before walking off.
"Fresh tentacles for sale!" one rabbit-eared alien cried out, holding sticks with live tentacles squirming around upon them. Raya just passed by most of the carts and bazaars, looking around almost aimlessly for a sign of guidance. Just then, she spotted a familiar face in the distance, having shaved spots on the side of his hair and a black ponytail.
"Just my luck," she joked, walking over to the person in question. It was Devlin Levin, who was currently speaking with a tusked extraterrestrial while standing before his bazaar, having laid out eight marked taydens on the counter for what appeared to be four sets of ammo.
"Sorry, kid," the vendor apologized, crossing his tentacle-like arms over his chest, "Gonna need twelve more taydens if you wanna get four of these…" he explained indignantly.
"Aw, come on," the gray hoodie wearer pleaded in a semi-convincing tone, causing him to arch an eyebrow, "Clips like these are easy to find anywhere else for even better prices," he mentioned sneakily, giving off a smug expression, "So unless you wanna lose a potential customer, I say you oughta' make a deal," he suggested as the alien before him growled.
"Ugh…" the Tennyson girl groaned, rolling her eyes in exasperation as she walked up to them, "Scamming, Devlin?" she questioned, getting the attentions of the two at the market stand, "Really?" she asked, causing him to cringe out of surprise.
"R-Raya?" he stuttered out of confusion, blushing a little, "Why the heck are you here?" he asked, not getting an immediate reply as she walked up to the counter.
"How much for the clips?" she asked, reaching into her backpack.
"Twenty taydens for four," the seller replied, just as she took out what appeared to be a small box, opening it to reveal several marked, pale green crystals inside of it.
"I'll take two," she said, handing him twelve of the shards, "You can give the others to him," she added, gesturing towards the young boy.
"Uh…" he uttered, somewhat surprised and confused.
"You got yerself a deal!" the vendor agreed, taking all twenty taydens, while his customers grabbed two clips each.
"Thanks," the brunette of the two said in gratitude, stuffing the ammo into her bag, walking off with her longtime friend, who still seemed befuddled.
"Why'd you do that?" he asked, arching an eyebrow towards her.
"Because I know that you don't like having to use your powers for self-defense," she responded, smiling at him, "We humans gotta help each other out," she mentioned with a little giggle.
"Hybrid Osmosian," he corrected, "And thanks," he added as he grinned himself, "but I gotta ask," he continued, causing her to stop for a moment as he did as well, "what the heck are you doing here of all places?" he questioned curiously, "Shouldn't you be… back home where it's safe?" he kept going, making her sigh deeply.
"News travels fast…" she muttered, looking up at the pipeline running above the city, "I'm looking for answers about something Zs'Skayr told us last night," she explained, trotting off. Devlin quickly jogged after her, walking at her left side.
"My parents told me what happened…" he noted, glancing off to the side, "You really shouldn't be here of all places after that," he stated while placing his right hand onto her shoulder, causing her to stop with a sigh.
"I… need to know about the guy he was working for," she told him reluctantly, turning around to face him, "Malgax," she stated. The name caught the attention of a certain alien lurking around the area, widening his eyes upon hearing it. He turned a corner to see the two kids, keeping himself concealed as he eavesdropped on their conversation.
"Mal…gax?" the Levin boy questioned, arching an eyebrow, "Never heard of that one before…" he admitted, looking off to the side in thought.
"Well, he apparently either wants me dead," Raya began, walking away once again with him, "or he's coming to the Earth," she suggested, clenching her gloved fists tightly.
"So… you're here to get information about this Malgax guy?" the ponytailed boy guessed, receiving a mere nod in reply, "Well then, why not go to the interrogation of that freak you caught last night?" he questioned, folding his arms over his chest.
"Because my parents won't let me near him, duh…" she answered, walking ahead, "You should know why…" she mentioned, making him groan in realization.
"Point taken…" he muttered, following her. Meanwhile, the extraterrestrial that had been listening in on their conversation ran off, heading down the alleyways of Undertown's city streets before stumbling through a door to one building, entering a darkened room.
"Boss!" he exclaimed, with the voice emanating from the face upon his torso as his actual head remained silent, "We've got a situation down at the markets!" he stated as a figure's hand was up against the wall.
"Huh…" a male, raspy voice sighed deeply, as the appendage upon him was actually a prosthetic, metal arm, "I don't have time for any shenanigans…" he muttered, turning his head to reveal his dark red eyes, "If it's the red spots, then leave them be," he advised, "There's no need for any of us to bother them…" he mentioned, clawing at the wall with his metallic fingers.
"No! Boss, I'm serious!" his subordinate yelled, "Tennyson's daughter is down there right now and-!"
"Tennyson's?" his mysterious superior interjected in question, fully turning to face him, revealing his face. His right eye was artificial as well, widened with the left upon hearing the news. "What business does she have here?" he asked, tilting his head to the side.
"I-I don't know exactly…" the lackey responded with a stutter, "but I overheard her sayin' she wants info on a guy named Malgax…" he explained. Hearing the name made the shadowy figure grin evilly, stepping out into the dim light to reveal himself as Psyphon.
"Get the men ready," he ordered to the alien with him, "This is an opportunity we cannot waste…" he added, clenching both of his fists tightly. Back in the Undertown market square, Raya and Devlin were still trotting around, as the latter was becoming all the more wary of what the former was trying to accomplish.
"Look, Raya…" he began, catching her attention while continuing on, "say you find somebody to talk to about this Malgax guy," he proposed, "What's gonna stop that person from trying to kill you, too?" he asked somewhat worriedly.
"I'm the daughter of two famous superheroes, I know self-defense," she listed off before coming to a stop, smiling at what she saw ahead, "and I've got someone in mind to help me interrogate whoever I meet," she finished, making him look up and gasp to see what she was grinning at. There was a male Revonnahgander standing there, appearing to survey the area. He had periwinkle fur and black markings upon his face, which was all a mess upon his head, signifying that it was his hair. He was also bearing black and blue armor over himself while donning a blaster-like weapon upon his left shoulder.
"Oh, not him…" the Levin boy muttered with a frightened expression, but then saw the Tennyson girl jog towards him, "Hey!" he cried out, trying to stop her to no avail.
"Kyoto!" she yelled, catching the armored alien's attention as he perked up to see her approach.
"Raya…?" he uttered in both confusion and shock, also taking notice of the young boy with her, "And Devlin…" he grumbled, narrowing his eyes as the two came over to him.
"Glad I finally found you," the brunette haired girl confessed, smiling brightly, "I was beginning to think-" Before she could even finish her sentence, the young Plumber grasped her by the right wrist.
"What are you even doing here?" he asked in a serious tone, "After last night, you shouldn't even be allowed out of the tower," he mentioned, making her blink in surprise, "Did he sneak you out?" he inquired, glaring the ponytailed boy, who flinched in surprise as he put his hands up in a placating manner.
"No, Kyoto," the new teenager answered, taking her hand back from him, "I just happened to run into him on my way here," she said, causing the one behind her to sigh in relief.
"And why here of all places?" the Revonnahgander asked, folding his arms over his chest, "I doubt that you're running any errands…" he mentioned, pretty skeptical of her intentions.
"You're smart as ever, Kyoto," the Tennyson girl complimented, developing a serious expression on her face, "I'm here for answers on the guy who sent Zs'Skayr to attack me," she explained, "Malgax," she stated in addition. Unbeknownst to the three of them, there was movement going on around them, as extraterrestrials with weapons were roaming through the market streets, frightening vendors and customers upon seeing their firearms.
"Malgax?" the rookie officer uttered in befuddlement, "That's a new name on me…" he admitted, glancing off to the side in thought for a moment, "What do you need me for?" he questioned, changing the subject.
"The interrogation stuff," his close friend replied, crossing her arms over her chest, "I can ask all the questions I want," she began, "but I'm gonna need someone to help me get the answers I need," she told him, holding out her right hand to him, "Think you can help?" she asked nicely. Kyoto was surprised, but turned his periwinkle face away in thought, thinking of what could potentially happen.
"Say I help you out," he suggested, "Who'd we try and get info out of?" he asked, narrowing his eyes again.
"That's your call," Raya replied, shrugging her shoulders, while Devlin was starting to sneak away out of fright, "Whoever you think might be a good catch on info is good enough for me," she admitted, grasping the back of the young boy's hoodie as he yelped, getting yanked back over instantly.
"Aw, come on…" he groaned, "Why do I have to be here?" he asked, gesturing towards himself.
"Want me to tell your parents you were here?" the brunette haired girl asked sarcastically, making him cringe in realization before glancing away.
"Okay, okay…" he repeated in understanding, placing his hands in the pockets of his hoodie, "By the way," he continued, directing his attention onto the young Plumber, "why are you here of all places?" he questioned skeptically.
"Orders on behalf of our Earth's new President," he responded, causing him to blink in surprise.
"Oh yeah," the Tennyson girl noted, grinning a little, "Second President of Earth, Carter Jones," she recalled, glancing up at the pipelines above the city, "I think he'll help make the Earth better than that weasel…" she muttered, causing the two boys to chuckle.
"Jones' ordered the Plumbers to survey the area in order to keep alien crime from entering Bellwood," the Revonnahgander explained, while vendors were beginning to close their shops around them, taking notice of the oncoming, armed extraterrestrials, "He thinks that Undertown's gonna need a sweep through at some point to try and-!" His sentence halted as he and the others could hear the sounds of blasters buzzing, enticing them to see that they were surrounded by the felons in question.
"Oh… great…" Devlin muttered, "Way to open your big fat mouth," he mocked to Kyoto, who merely groaned in response. A drop of sweat rolled down Raya's head as she reached into her bag, pulling out a pistol-like weapon, readying it with a click.
"We're not looking for any trouble," she claimed, sounding willing to reason with the vigilantes while still keeping her weapon ready for anything.
"Heh, heh, heh…" a familiar voice laughed, making her eyes widen as she and the others turned to see Psyphon approaching them, "Raya Tennyson…" he uttered, "I never thought I'd see your face, much less here," he confessed, sticking out his right arm as a laser gun was embedded onto it, "I've heard you're looking for some information…" he mentioned, grinning evilly as the three kids grimaced in fright.
"We're screwed," Devlin bluntly said, gulping down his pride, along with those of his comrades.
END
Uh oh. Looks like Raya, Kyoto, and Devlin have gotten themselves into a bit of trouble right at the start. Will Raya find the information she's looking for? Stay tuned to find out! In the meantime, more Omni Force facts!
It will be brought up in a later point of the story, but the reason Raya is so doted by her parents is because of her past. As a young girl, she witnessed a traumatic experience right before her eyes, where her mother was almost beaten to death. Afterwards, Rainbow felt a responsibility to really take care of her only daughter, paying attention to her and only her throughout the span of her childhood.
In that time, she gave Kenny little attention, where he was usually taken care of by Kai Green: the family's usual babysitter. He became pretty bitter that both of his parents weren't giving him enough affection, and thus he plotted to separate them in the past as Chrono Spanner, only to fail and bring them even closer together.
With that done, I'd like to reveal the notice that I'm gonna be starting a new one-shot next! What's it gonna be about? Well, you'll have to find out soon!