In the magical world of Ledgerdomain, a powerful surge of energy ripped through the land scape. A very attractive female was launched back by the blast. She was dressed in a Magenta bell sleeved coat with black markings across it, purple boots wrapped in black belts, stark white hair tipped in purple tied back into a ponytail down to her thighs, and a purse resembling a face off her hip.
"Wretched lifeless machine." Charmcaster spat getting back to her feet. "Something like you, you couldn't even know of Ledgerdomain, how did you get here?" A large Galvanic Mechamorph in a battle mech form landed. But clearly was in a struggle to stay in his form.
"Sorry, you aren't allowed to know that one." Hackah said pointing one of his primary cannons straight out here, "Now, how about we stop the talking and you just surrender. I'm getting pretty tired of this dance."
"Seems you can't handle an area so full of the energy of life such as this." Charmcaster said, her eyes starting to glow a deep pink. "I wonder how well you can repel my spells now." An arcane rune appeared before her, and a powerful beam fired fourth. Hackah counted with a beam of science, but the beam of magic managed to push back, destroying Hackah's one arm.
"How?" he asked shock as he struggled to reconstruct the weapon, "No good, I'm weakening…"
"Yes, it would seem that your kind doesn't fair to well in a world full of mana." Argoth said walking up beside Hackah. "I suppose it makes sense. As machines, you and mana don't seem to mix. Unfortunately this can also mess with my armor's weapons."
"Yes, so it seems if I wait you out, you won't be able to do anything." Charmcaster gloated.
"Yeah, that is a problem. Luckily, we brought someone who can make use of all the magic floating around in this world." Charmcaster gave a confused look before she became surrounded by a black field of magic, feeling herself growing weaker.
"What the…" Charmcaster swept her hand, breaking the field, "You! I banished you from this realm!"
"Sorry beautiful, but turns out this place isn't as secure as you think." A new figure said. He was dressed in a blue outfit with a metal mask concealing his face.
"How did you get past the door?" Charmcaster asked preparing her mana for an attack, just for the masked figure to drain it away.
"Please, you know you can't defeat me. My ability to drain your magic will make your powers useless." He said, "As for how I got past your locks, that's thanks to my new friends."
"Ledgerdomain, contrary to your spells and tomes, is just another dimension." Argoth said, "A proper dimensional rift can get into it. Normally the door protects you from others shooting in. But a powerful enough rift on the door itself…will force it open."
"Thanks for pointing that out." Charmcaster said casting an evil glare while still facing Darkstar. "I'll be sure to reinforce the spells to keep you out."
"A bit too late I'm afraid…" A new voice said. Suddenly Nazak appeared in a flash and poof of smoke, throwing some kind of bolo around the magical ruler. "Darkstar! Best chance you have! Now!"
Darkstar literally jumped at his chance, grabbing Charmcaster, his hands glowing black, surrounding her with the same aura.
"No!" Charmcaster protested trying to blast him off, but feeling herself growing weaker by the second.
"Sorry, my wire produces an energy barrier blocking fresh energy from entering. Which means" with a snap he pulled the Alpha rune from her neckline, "You wouldn't have gotten any help from this." Without the power of the Alpha Rune, Charmcaster began to age away, falling to her knees.
"You monsters…" Charmcaster cursed. "I will make sure you are all punished for this…"
"And please tell us how exactly a powerless witch is going to stop us?" Darkstar said removing his helmet, revealing a handsome man with blond hair, to which he instantly started admiring himself in the crude reflection of his helmet.
"Shouldn't have taken your hands off me." Charmcaster said her eyes glowing pink before releasing a surge of energy straight up. The beam energy cut off, leaving her in the same position, eyes still aglow.
"What is she doing?" Argoth asked, "Morningstar! Explain!"
"It looks like just a simple projection spell. But in her state, she would need a vessel to project into." Darkstar said going back to admiring his own face, "And who could she possibly be contacting?"
Bellwood…
Ben, Rook, Gwen, and Kevin where sitting around, Ben, trying to explain the concept of video games, while Gwen was again trying to convince Kevin that he needed to get his G.E.D. The moment was ended, when Gwen's eyes began to glow and a voice not her own came out.
"Tennysons, Levin, I don't know how many of you are hearing this. But I need help." Gwen said in Charmcaster's voice, "I know I have done very little to earn the right to ask for it, but please, my life and all of Ledgerdomain is at stake. Use the spell to summon the door to anywhere. Someone forced their way inside, so the lock should be busted. Please, it's taking all my magic just to contact you! Please, I beg you…" With that, Gwen collapsed, getting up holding her head.
"Uh Gwen, what happened?" Kevin asked.
"Ugh…felt like someone was forcing their way into my mind. I wasn't in control." Gwen responded.
"It wasn't just anyone, it was Charmcaster." Ben said.
"Great. Should have known after the deal with Darkstar she'd be back to her old ways."
"Actually Gwen, she was asking for help." Rook said, "I believe her request was genuine. Besides, there is nothing to suggest she is a threat."
"That's because she isn't usually on the Plumbers' radar." Gwen said flatly, "She's more against me than anything else."
"That does not mean we should not help her." Rook said, "As plumbers, it is our duty to help those who need it."
"Not too sure that extends to villains." Kevin responded.
"But you aren't going to let this drop are you?" Gwen asked.
"I am afraid that I cannot in good consciousness." Rook said. Gwen gave an annoyed sigh.
"Then I guess we don't have a choice. I mean, maybe Charmcaster has changed." Gwen said, "I couldn't have been easy for her to ask us for help."
"But real easy to set us up for a trap." Kevin said.
"I'm not a huge fan of hers either Kevin, but I don't know, I have to agree with Rook." Ben said," If she wanted to lure us into a trap, she would be a lot more subtle about it."
"Then it's agreed. We're helping." Gwen said.
"Alright fine, but when this goes wrong, I get to say I told you so."
The group of four where back at Kevin's Garage. The biggest empty space they have. Gwen was looking for the spell to summon the Door to Anywhere.
"So we're absolutely sure we want to do this?" Kevin asked as Gwen began to produce the spell. "I mean, how are we even going to get in it? We aren't really just going to try to force our way through are we?"
"I think that's the best chance." Ben said "I mean, Gwen, err Charmcaster said that's how the intruders got in."
"I just can't believe that really worked." Gwen said as the Door to Anywhere appeared before them. "I mean, the only way through is to say its real name. And Charmcaster has it constantly changing. But the program I used to get past it once should still work."
Gwen opened her laptop as a series of arcane runes began to shuffle. "Well, all we can do now is wait."
"I hate the waiting part." Ben said, "But it's not like I can just punch through the door as Fourarms or Humungousaur."
"I am impressed Ben." Rook said, "I assumed that you would have attempted to use your alien forms to make this task simpler. Much like the times in your youth when you used your alien forms for the things known as pranks."
"I'm starting to think that the reading material on me might be a bit biased." Ben said before Gwen's Laptop chimed.
"Got it." Gwen said, "Alright guys, get ready." Gwen began to recite the name as the doors began to slowly creak open.
Once inside the magical world, they began to move forward, the doors slammed shut behind them.
"Is that supposed to happen?" Rook asked.
"Not that fiercely." Gwen responded.
"And usually THAT doesn't come with it." Kevin said pointing out to the sky. A series of Scrutin began to descend upon them.
"That's a lot of those bug eyed freaks." Ben said dialing up the Omnitrix. "Alright, let's take these guys out." Ben slammed down on the dial. His muscles began to swell, green eyes began to spread across his body. When the transformation ended, he stood as a large bat-like man with his body covered with eyes save for his chest and face, with black pants with white stripes running down the front of each leg. The omnitrix symbol worn on his belt like a buckle.
"Eye Guy?" The alien form asked, "I was going for Diamondhead. But hey, I don't see anything wrong with this." Eye Guy held out his arms to his side as a series of green energy bolts volleyed off him to intercept the magical fliers.
"An Opticoid, perfect choice for this fight Ben." Rook said firing at any Scrutin that came into his crosshairs, "Their abilities are perfect for swarming enemies like this."
The Scrutins opened fire with the energy bolts from their eye, a powerful beam of yellow came from each, only to be met by Gwen's mana shield.
"Something isn't right here." Gwen said, "Since when are the mana attacks of these things yellow? Kevin, a little help here?"
"You know I'm not a very good long range fighter." Kevin said, "And there isn't a lot for me to work with here. Hey Rook, that armor of yours strong?"
"Yes. In fact the proto-armor is among the"
"Good enough." Kevin said slamming his hand against Rook's chest causing his bod y to become covered with the same blue material of the armor. "Little weird feeling, but it'll do."
"Please do not do that again." Rook said flatly resuming fire against the swarm of flying enemies.
"There's no end to these things." Eye Guy said, "Eye think we need to get to a better location."
"Lame pun aside, I gotta agree." Kevin said throwing a powerful haymaker punch into a low flying Scrutin. "We keep this up we aren't going to get anywhere."
"Ben, do you think you can take an alien form better suited to a retreat?" Rook asked.
"Eye Eye Rook." Eye Guy said hitting the omnitrix symbol on his belt buckle. There was a flash of green light, and the finned turtle alien stood before them.
"Everyone get on." Terraspin said, "We're taking the first flight out of here."
"Ben look out!" Gwen yelled as the Scrutins fired their beams at the tortoise alien. But to everyone's surprise, Terraspin didn't seem to register the beams at all.
"Hey, that's annoying." Terraspin said, "Cut it out."
"That's right, those guys are immune to mana." Kevin remembered. "These guys can't hurt you."
"Shame the same can't be said in reverse…" Terraspin trailed off pulling his head into his shell and began to spin his flippers at high speed creating a powerful current of wind. The wings of the Scrutins caught the powerful current, sending them flying away. Shattering as they crashed into each other or the random floating debris. When Terraspin ended the gust more where coming at them.
"Um Ben, remember that escape plan?" Gwen asked, "I think we should get out of here."
"Agreed. Everyone climb on." Terraspin said pulling himself into his shell. The three climbed on the back of his shell as he released blasts of air current from the holes of his chest. He began to cut through the air with his flippers providing extra lift. Despite being the only flying beings in Ledgerdomain, the Scrutins where no match for the speed of the living hovercraft.
"So, still think this isn't a trap?" Kevin taunted as they managed to finally put distance between them and the flying cyclops.
"I don't think so." Gwen said, "The mana didn't seem right. I don't think Charmcaster is in control here."
"Is Mana really that different from user to user?" Rook asked, clearly ignorant of the use of mana.
"No two people have the exact same Mana. But this stuff feels dramatically different from Charmcaster's." Gwen responded. "Besides the color changing, I can feel the difference. Although I think I'm the only of us that can."
"Guys, we gotta go in for a landing. Omnitrix is running low on power." Terraspin said descending to a floating set of rock, shifting back to Ben before they landed causing a bit of a collapse from the rest of them.
"So, assuming that Charmcaster isn't the one in charge here, who is?" Kevin asked.
"I don't know." Gwen responded. "I don't even know where to look for whoever is behind this. I never really thought we'd be coming back here like this."
"Well, if we cannot find the person behind the attack, perhaps we could find Charmcaster instead." Rook suggested.
"Yeah great, just we have no idea where to start with that either." Ben responded.
"If we had something of hers I'm sure a tracking spell would help, but we don't have anything like that." Gwen said. "Alright, everyone stand back."
"Why, what are you planning?" Kevin asked.
"I'm gonna go full Anodite." Gwen said, "If I do, I'll be able to see all the mana around us. I'm sure I can track Charmcaster down that way."
"Since when do we have to stand back from that? You've gone Anodite tons of times." Ben commented.
"Just do it." She said taking a deep breath. Gwen's eyes shot open, glowing a familiar pink glow. The same light began to surround her until a large pulse of mana exploded off her. Much like before Gwen's skin turned purple, her eyes where white, and her hair changed to a long length of pure glowing mana. This time however, she was dressed in light gray robes that flowed off her form while simultaneously hugging it.
"Whoa." Kevin said dumbstruck. "Since when did you look like that?"
"Grandma Verdonna did show me a few tricks. Such as a more evolved form. I've been working on maintaining it." Gwen then closed her eyes and held her temple as if she was suffering a major headache, "Just using it I tap into so much more. It's like thousands of voices while being drowned in raw power. That's even with back home. Here, it's so much worse. But I can tell what mana is coming from where. So at least we can track Charmcaster down this way. Ben, the Omnitrix ready to go again?"
"Yup. One Terra-Spin coming up." Ben said slamming down on the Omnitrix instead to shift into a large insect alien. He has four eye stalks with small, barely visible, pupils, evenly sized black and white stripes, and somewhat large and set forward forelegs. A strong odor filled the air along with the transformation. This came with the sounds of Kevin and Rook gagging.
"Stinkfly? We need to travel with ya and you turn into the air ANTI-freshener?" Kevin asked holding his nose and waving the air from his face.
"I agree Ben. Lepidopterrans may be superior in flight skills. But their odor makes them very unpleasant to be around for any species with functioning olfactory senses." Rook commented.
"Hey, it's not like I tried for this. The stupid watch chose him for me." Stinkfly retorted.
"Can we focus here?" Gwen asked. Clearly her Anodite form giving her some form of immunity to the stench of the aptly named Stinkfly. "I think I can tell where Charmcaster's mana is. But I'm losing it." Gwen winched in pain and held her head again, "And I'm not sure how much longer I can keep this up."
"Then we gotta fly." Stinkfly said grabbing Kevin and Rook by their wrists, "Just suck it up and hold your breath." Gwen flew off in the direction of Charmcaster's mana with the Lepidopteran, Osmosian, and Revonnahgander in tow.
"We're almost there." Gwen said after a few minutes of flying, "I gotta revert back. She should be just over that ledge..." Gwen landed and fades back into her normal self. Stinkfly landed and flashed back into Ben allowing Kevin to run up to Gwen's side.
"You okay Gwen?" Kevin asked.
"Yeah I'll be fine. I just need a minute." Gwen said shakenly getting back on her feet. "But she's close. Come on." Gwen began to climb up the cliff they were at. Once they reached the peak, the first thing they saw was some kind of large cannon-like device being assembled by the stone creatures.
"What's going on down there?" Ben asked.
"It would appear they are constructing a large weapon of some kind." Rook said, "But I do not see any kind of power source for it."
"Hey Rook, I think I see something." Kevin said, "That Proto-Tool of yours able to work like a telescope right?"
"It will not provide much magnification, but the scope should work." Rook said pulling out the Proto-Tool and activating a scope.
"What do you see?"
"A large number of those stone creatures. There is also some young woman down there. She is dressed in purple with silver hair."
"Charmcaster!" Kevin shouted. "I told you guys she was behind this!"
"I'm afraid you are quite wrong." A voice said behind them as Hackah began to form behind them. "The witch is our prisoner, and now, you four are as well."
"You think you can take us?" Ben asked, "Then you shouldn't have revealed yourself right away." Before Ben could slam down on the Omnitrix and transform, an energy attack cut through the air hitting the rocks. From the source of the attack, Michael Morningstar began to emerge from the smoke. His zombie form having been healed thanks to the raw magic from Ledgerdomain.
"Hello there Lovely Gwen." He said smirking evilly.
"Michael." Gwen said, "What are you doing here, I thought Charmcaster kicked you out."
"Thank us for that." Hackah said, "We got in here without magic, so we brought him with us."
"Shouldn't you be morphing by now Hackah?" Kevin asked, "Never seen you stay like the blob so long."
"Unfortunately he doesn't work so well in here." Michael answered for him, "But luckily, I've never been better." The mana vampire summoned his mana and unleashed an attack forcing the group to jump aside. While the dust from the attack was still in the air, a green flash pierced through it as a red manta-ray flew out of the small cloud. Said alien had a black jump suit with a white belt and stripe down his back.
"You really think that overgrown frog has a chance against me?" Michael taunted.
"I don't have to alone." Jetray responded. "And another thing, I'm a stingray, not a frog!"
"And I've wanted to do this a long time!" Kevin shouted out earning Michael's attention. Kevin was already armored up in the stone of the ground. His stone fist collided with Michael's face knocking him back and onto the ground. "That's for feeding off my girlfriend!"
"I better get out of here. Nazak has a better chance than me here." Hackah though aloud beginning to melt down to slide away.
"Where do you think you're going?" Gwen asked as a pink wall slammed down in front of the Mechamorph. Followed by walls on all other sides of him trapping him in a cube. Michael raised up into the air.
"Big mistake, thinking you can just muscle your way to victory here." Michael said drawing the magic to him.
"Oh no you don't." Jetray said dive bombing him and firing his lasers forcing the villain to abort his magic collection. "You didn't really think I'd let you go all golden boy did you?"
"Or that we would allow you to do anything else." Rook said pointing the Proto-Tool directly at Michael's face. "I will fire if I see one move."
"Now, one of you, tell us what's going on here." Gwen demanded.
"You think I'll tell you?" Hackah asked from his Mana prison.
"What about you Darkstar?" Jetray asked landing directly next to him, "Or do I have to be all zappy for you to explain anything?"
"You're wasting your breath. I don't know anything." He responded, "I was just promised domain over this realm if I helped them capture Charmcaster. Now there was one other thing…what was it? Oh yes, now I remember. There also was the little thing of having to deal with you four."
Almost instantly stone creatures raised from the ground, grabbing each of Ben's team, smashing open the mana cage that held Hackah.
"Ledgerdomain will always work to protect its ruler." Michael said, "Shame you didn't realize that."
"Holding me won't exactly work to well." Jetray said firing off his eye lasers. A golden mana shield was raised to block them.
"Don't test us Tennyson." He responded as more of the earth creatures emerged, "But before I deliver you, a little insurance policy." Surrounding Ben in dark energy he began to drain. When Jetray's head went limp, he flashed and was back in human form.
"Ben!" Gwen shouted in concern for her cousin.
"How dare you!" Rook said, "Why do you not call off these creatures and fight us like an adult male!"
"Don't worry, he's still alive." Michael said ignoring Rook's incorrect use of a figure of speech, "Just unconscious. It was made clear. You all had to be alive."
The group was carried by the stone creatures to where the large cannon was being constructed. Close to it, Charmcaster was bound with an unknown wire to a growth of rock. Nazak and Argoth watched as the last pieces of the cannon where loaded into place.
"Finally." Argoth said, "I will finally be out of this cursed suit. I can almost taste my freedom."
"I know master." Nazak said, "Of course the girl still won't reveal what she did with the Alpha Rune."
"I will not let you use it." Charmcaster spat noticing the group of the stone creatures bringing Ben's team. "You have got to be kidding me. I called you guys for help and you let yourself be captured?"
"Not something we really planned." Gwen said. Michael raised his hand causing the ground to burst up for more spires. "You, ninja man. How about some more of that energy nullifying wire?"
"I have a name you know." Nazak said tying the rest to the spires of rock. He made sure to relieve Rook of the Proto-Tool once he bound him. "Let's see how tough you are without your toy Plumber boy." Rook gave no remark back just an angry glare.
"Ugh…what hit me?" Ben asked managing to come too.
"Oh thanks for finally joining us Ben." Kevin remarked.
"Hey, you ever have the energy sucked out of you? It hurts!" Ben snapped.
"Be silence you two." Argoth ordered. "You have been an annoyance boy. First stealing what should have been rightfully mine, then forcing me into retreat. But now, it means nothing. Once I get my hands on the Alpha Rune, I'll finally have the power to open my prison, and release the true me."
"What are you exactly?" Ben asked.
"Wouldn't you like to know?" Argoth asked. "But that is a secret that will remain with me until I feel free to reveal it."
"There is just one thing I am confused by." Rook said, "You are not in a plumber containment suit. It is very clearly your own. Why do you need to be freed from it? Why not simply let yourself out?"
"This armor is mine yes." He confessed, "But the armor under it, the very reason I was captured, THAT is the armor I seek to free myself from.
"So you're going to take the Alpha Rune and use it to power that cannon. You'll literally blast the armor to pieces." Gwen pointed out, "But anything strong enough to destroy your indestructible prison suit has a chance to kill you."
"That's where you're wrong." Argoth said, "I'll survive it no matter what. Besides, if I blast free even one part of the suit, I can escape it. But none of this really matters." Argoth got directly in Charmcaster's face, "Now, tell me, where did you hide the Alpha Rune?"
"Maybe if you hadn't had your lackeys announce that that's what they were here for you'd have it right now." Charmcaster mocked.
"Come now gorgeous, we aren't threatening to hurt you." Michael said, "Just hand us the Alpha Rune, and you can be free. Of course, I'll be the one ruling. But we can always start over."
"You get out of my home." Charmcaster said, "So help me once I'm free I'll seal your magic so you can never recover your face. And never again break a girl's heart." Rook looked back to the Galvanic Mechamorph, seeing him struggling to hold form.
"Even though you are our enemies, I feel it important to point out, I believe your comrade is in pain. Possibly even sick." Rook commented, "Of course, Galvanic Mechamorphs cannot get sick. So I suppose that can't really be the cause of his distress."
"Hackah, you said you would hold it together." Argoth said.
"I'm sorry master." He said trying to force himself back into his default form, slight pink starting to overtake the green on his lines. "I can't help it. The mana, I'm absorbing it. I can feel myself overloading…"
"Then return to the ship!" Argoth snapped. "You will be punished for this. If you were more competent, the mission would be done before this point."
"Yes sir. I'm sorry sir." Hackah said managing to shape his arm into a cannon and firing a beam creating a portal.
"So that's how you got in." Gwen said, as Hackah slipped through the portal.
"Yes it is." Charmcaster said, "They said they used the portals to force open the Door to Anywhere. But if that thing was how they did it, I don't know how they'll be getting out."
"I'll summon the door and send them on their way." Michael said.
"But the whole plan hinges on you getting the Alpha Rune from me. And I'm not about to give it up." Charmcaster commented.
"That's it." Nazak said drawing his sword. With a quick swipe and a gasp from everyone, his blade just missed the young sorceress's neck, and the Alpha Rune was found dangling off it.
"No…" Charmcaster muttered, "But how did you find it?"
"You didn't have a chance to actually hide it after we attacked you and forced you into retreat." Nazak tossed the mystic charm into the air before catching it. "Then it hit me. You were pretty sure we'd never find it. Making us think you hid it. And you did, under an invisibility spell."
"That was actually pretty clever." Gwen said.
"Yeah I know." Charmcaster said, "That's why I did it."
"But now I have it." Argoth said as Nazak handed him the Alpha Rune. "The Alpha Rune, a source of near infinite magic power. I am holding the source of my freedom in my hands."
"Ben…can you transform?" Kevin whispered, "I mean, the Omnitrix has to be charged by now."
"No good, he has my arms bound." Ben said. "Gwen, think you can manipulate it?"
"Ben you can't be serious." Gwen said, "We don't know what'll happen if we expose the Omnitrix to Mana." Gwen said. "And even if that wasn't the case, I can't manipulate my fingers enough for it."
"I can." Charmcaster said, "I should be able to do it. I mean, I saw you use it against me enough." Argoth and Nazak currently had their backs to the heroes, loading the Alpha Rune into the cannon.
"Ben, you can't be serious." Kevin said, "We don't know if we can trust her."
"Hey, I'm right here. Besides, I don't think we have much of a choice."
"She's right." Ben said, "Listen Charmcaster, just move the plunger and drop it. Anything I have has to at least be usable right now." Charmcaster nodded in agreement. Her fingers where surrounded by a purple aura while the Omnitrix did the same. The triggering plunger was raised up, then slammed down causing the transformation flash.
In the human teenager's place was instead a large tiger with wrestling boots with cut open toes, braces with fringe off the side, greet shorts, and a split open vest. "RATH!" The tiger alien yelled ripping the cable apart. "Alright, someone really useful. Now Rath is going to smash some annoying Bad Guy faces!"
Rath's shouting drew the focus of the villains. "Great. We don't need this right now. Darkstar, you're the only one who can fight easily here. Hold him off."
"Fine." Michael said causing stone creatures to appear, "But I want this realm under my control ALONE the second you are free." The stone creatures charged Rath, ready to take him down.
"You stone freaks want a piece of Rath? Well come get some! Rath will give you all the pieces of him you can handle!" Rath shouted jumping into battle, "In fact, once you've had enough, Rath will give you even more of Rath!" His large claw emerged from each wrist, effortlessly slashing through the stone bodies.
"What kind of savage is that?" Michael asked. "Fine, if these stupid things can't take you…" Once again channeling the magic of Ledgerdomain to him, Michael began to glow with a golden energy. With a mighty roar, pieces of stone was sent flying off of Rath's form.
"So, you went all golden, huh Golden Boy?" Rath asked, "Well let me tell you something! Just because you're all super powerful now, doesn't mean Rath won't still kick your butt out of this world, then kick your butt even harder once we're out of here!"
"A lot of talk from a kitty cat." Michael taunted.
"Kitty cat? RATH WILL SHOW YOU KITTY CAT!" Rath jumped at him with claws and fangs bared, but with no effort Michael blasted the irate tiger back. The mana of the Alpha Rune began to become exposed as the cannon was charging up to fire.
"Ben! How about you free us?" Charmcaster asked, "At least then you won't be being tossed around like a joke."
"Let me tell you something girl who we don't know whose side she's on yet, when Rath frees you, it'll be on Rath's own schedule and when Rath decides!" Rath yelled in Charmcaster's face. "And Rath decides to free you now!" Rath swiped at the stone with his claw cutting it and the wire holding her in half. He then proceeded to pick up the stone halves and break the spires of Kevin and Gwen before head-butting Rook's apart.
"About time." Charmcaster said, "So, do you have any real plan here?"
"Yeah, it's called punch the guy a whole lot!" Rath yelled jumping back in the battle, only for Michael's magic to overpower him again.
"How about this, me and Charmcaster will handle Michael. Rook, get the proto-tool back from Nazak. And Kevin?" Gwen said.
"Yeah?"
"Try to keep any stone creatures off us."
"Why do I always get this kind of job?"
"The rest of us lack the ability to create armor from the world." Rook answered not telling the nature of the question.
"Okay seriously, we have got to teach this guy what rhetorical means." Kevin said beginning to armor up. Meanwhile Rath was having almost no luck against Michael. His power at magic, and long range battle prowess trumped the reckless close ranged alien's strength.
"So, any last things you want to tell me?" Michael asked preparing his mana for a powerful blast into an orb around his hand.
"Yeah, Rath has something to tell you." Rath snapped from under Michael's boot, "RATH WILL DESTROY YOU!"
"Somehow I guessed you were going to say that." Michael said pointing the mana orb at Rath's face.
"Did you guess this would happen?" Gwen asked earning his attention before a large surge of mana blasted him in forcing him a few feet back.
"What did you do that for?" Rath asked, "Rath had him exactly where Rath wanted him!"
"Yeah, you wanted him about to blast your face off." Charmcaster said sarcastically. "Listen, me and Gwen will take him, you go after the tin man over there."
"Yeah yeah, you know, Rath is getting really tired of being told what to do." Rath growled running over to engage Argoth.
"So, you two are going to face me? Knowing full well I can absorb everything you can throw at me?" Michael taunted, "I am the ruler of Ledgerdomain! Nothing you two can do here can top me!"
"He has a point you know. He has a near infinite reserve of mana to draw upon here." Charmcaster said.
"You claim to be the real ruler here, do you have some kind of failsafe in case someone tried to take over?" Gwen asked.
"No. I've been busy trying to bring my father back." Charmcaster responded, "And honestly feeling a little guilty about how I treated you guys the last few times. Especially since you came to help me now."
"So sweet. I'm glad you two can bond, just as I'm about to destroy you." Michael taunted firing off two power beams of mana that was met by combined shields of Gwen and Charmcaster.
At the control panel of the cannon, Nazak was preparing the cannon before noticing Rook behind him. "So, I take it you're here for your stupid little toy?" He asked not taking his eyes off the readings, "Do you really think you can take it from me? Especially without it?"
"I believe I can." Rook said entering a battle stance. An annoyed sigh came from Nazak.
"Do you really want to do this?" Nazak asked turning around, leaving the control panel unattended, "The only reason you've been able to hold me off if that tool of yours. And now you don't have it."
"The Proto-Tool may be the most versatile tool in the universe, but it is just that a tool. A tool is only as good as the person using it." Rook said trying to strike Nazak with a high kick which was easily blocked.
At the front of the cannon Argoth was waiting for the energy to fire, tearing both his weaponized suit and the armor under it to be peeled from his true form and finally free him. One thing he did not expect however, was a human teenager turned into an Appoplexian charging him like some kind of deranged wrestler. By the time Argoth had noticed the tiger alien, he was already on top of him.
"What's the matter giant alien warlord guy?" Rath asked holding Argoth in a headlock, "Can't break out of this lock either?"
"Ugh, Appoplexians…" Argoth said easily lifting Rath up while still in the head lock and slamming himself and Rath head first into a rock formation breaking the headlock. "Always so sure of themselves. Even if they are hopelessly matched." He flicked his wrists causing energy blades to appear, "But the claws are effective at least."
"Oh you want to fight that way huh? Well that's the exact direction Rath likes fighting!" Rath said popping his own claws. With a savage primal Rath charged the armor clad alien. Rath managed to dodge a couple blows before bashing Argoth around with a few of his own.
"Yeah! Is that all you got Mr. Invincible Alien Warlord?" Rath taunted, "Cause Rath has enough to spare! Heck, Rath has DOUBLE to spare!"
"Why don't Appoplexians ever shut up?" Argoth yelled in rage activating blasters off his shoulders. Rath's look feel before a pair of laser beams blasted him across the rocks.
Meanwhile Gwen and Charmcaster's shields where broken through by the near limitless mana of Michael. To try to give themselves a breather, the two raised up to stone, but it was quickly eroding fast. "Gwen, do you think you can turn into that Anodite thing you can do?" Charmcaster asked, "If your luck has to do anything, at least stop these freaks from taking over my home."
"I don't know, if he starts absorbing my mana while I'm like that, he could wind up absorbing the whole of me." Gwen said, "Besides, I exhausted most of my ability to form that trying to use the elevated form."
"An ELEVATED form? I don't believe it, while I'm trying to defend my home you get even more from just being born into it!" Charmcaster yelled. "It doesn't matter, I think I can do something that might compensate for it." Charmcaster pulled several of the idols used to summon her rock creatures from her purse.
"How long have you had those on you? Didn't you think of using them?"
"They wouldn't have lasted two seconds before they were destroyed, if not turned." Charmcaster said, "But I only need them for one. I just haven't perfected this spell yet." She tossed them on the ground summoning the rock creatures as normal. Suddenly they all piled onto Charmcaster, cracks forming in their stone barrier.
"Charmcaster!" Gwen yelled out in odd concern for the one time, possibly still, foe. A surge of purple mana exploded off the pile of rock creatures, destroying what was left of the barrier in the process but stopping Michael's assault. When the mana cleared, Charmcaster was standing surrounded in a stone armor. Her head was wrapped in the mouth of one of her stone creatures with a visor similar to her mana barriers allowing her face to be seen. Her chest was covered by a face-like design. And several small spikes where found on both arms and legs.
"What is that?" Gwen asked.
"Something I've been working on." Charmcaster said, "you have your genes, I have this."
"Do you really think an extra layer will work against me?" Michael asked.
"It does more than just add a layer to me." Charmcaster said, "It greatly increases my power. But why don't you see that for yourself!" Charmcaster fired off a large surge of mana. Rather than absorb it, Michael had to raise his own mana wall to protect himself.
"Whoa…" Gwen gasped, "He can't absorb it all at once. You could beat him."
"Yeah, as long as this thing holds together." Charmcaster said under her breath to herself, "Gwen, I have a plan on actually beating him. But you HAVE to use your Anodite form as bait."
"You really expect me to let him drain me away to nothing? And that is a literal nothing." Gwen retorted.
"I need time prepare the spell, and the armor is the only way I can be strong enough to use it on him." While Charmcaster was explaining this to Gwen, Michael attacked again, but Charmcaster's wall was enough to just hold it off. "Please Gwen, I can tell it's already starting to fall apart."
"Alright, I think I can use the basic form." She said, "Just make it quick okay." Gwen closed her eyes and opened them, transforming into the basic form of an Anodite in a bright flash. "Alright Michael, all this power, think you can handle it?"
"Poor poor Gwen." Michael said, "Do you really think I won't be able to drain you dry just because you increased your power?"
"I hope so." Gwen said firing off a blast of mana. Charmcaster pulled a powder from the armor around her purse.
"And I hope this works…" Charmcaster said pouring it into her palm. "Sigillum Potestatem!" the powder raised up from her palm and began to flow out Michael, who had just managed to begin to siphon off Gwen's power.
"Sorry Lovely Gwen, but this is the end of us." Michael said with dark humor watching Gwen literally fade away, "But you'll always be a part of me." Gwen was too weak to give a good comeback. But Michael was so worried about absorbing Gwen's mana to notice the stuff flowing behind him. It began to flow around him, forcing him to disconnect with Gwen causing her to drop to the ground and shift back to normal.
"What is going on?" Michael asked as the glow began to swirl around him, causing him to twitch before turning his head to the sky, golden rays shooting off into nothingness. When the glow died off, he fell to the ground, aged into a grey skinned zombie-like being. "What, what did you do to me?" He asked feeling himself weakened.
"I sealed your powers." Charmcaster said, her stone armor crumbling off her, "Your body will never be able to hold mana in any sense. You can't drain it, you can't use it. You'll be like every other human who ever lived."
"Now if you don't mind." Charmcaster said, "I have a realm to reclaim." Charmcaster's eyes began to glow bright as several pulses of mana came off her.
Rook was one of the first outside the group in that battle to notice. "It would seem that your magical ally has fallen."
"A small set back." Nazak said, "But it would seem that your fighting style is different from most things I have seen."
"Yes, it is something never seen off my home world." Rook explained, "It was a shame that I never mastered it before joining the plumber's academy, otherwise I would be executing this move correctly. But even an inferior use of the stonecutter is more than enough to defeat the likes of you." Rook charged him, his fingers held against his palm. With one sure thrust, he smashed it into Nazak's face, cracking the mask.
"Nice move, but do you really think it would stop me?" Nazak asked, his voice sounding a bit different through the cracked mask.
"No, but it allowed me to get this back." Rook taunted revealing he had managed to grab the Proto-Tool back during the strike. "And given the lack of your gear during our fight, I would believe that yours isn't working. But the Proto-Tool is still functioning enough for this." In response to that, Nazak simply raised his arms in surrenderance.
"Hey guys, could use a little help here" Kevin said the stone creatures easily outnumbering him.
"Sorry about that." Charmcaster said, the flow of mana waves leaving her. She waved her hand, the yellow drained from the stone creatures and purple replaced it causing them to stop. "And now that I have that back, I think it's time to take care of the last of them." Stone creatures raised from the ground and grabbed Argoth.
"What the?" Argoth said, "Let me go!" he shouted ripping the arms off of the stone creatures. "Ha! Is this all you got?"
"Yeah, but Rath has more for you! Light speed sucker punch!" Rath roared out throwing a powerful punch square in Argoth's face before scaling a rock growth. "Meteor Elbow Drop!" He threw himself off it, crashing into Argoth elbow first. He then grabbed him and threw him up into the air, jumping up after him. "Re-Entry Suplex!" throwing his arms around Argoth's form, he arched his back and dropped down. A powerful crash and smoke filled the air.
"Master, I would hate to bring this up, but I think the Plumber is right. Without the magic user, we don't stand a chance here." Nazak said.
"I do believe a retreat is in order." Argoth said activating a transcoder. "Hackah, open the portal, we're leaving." He said as a bright light opened behind them. "You beat us yes, but you haven't won. Now that it's reached full power without firing, it has begun overloading. Soon the cannon will explode, releasing all of the Alpha Rune's power with it. Goodbye my thorns." He seemed to be smirking as Nazak and him disappeared into the portal.
"Wait! Take me with you!" Michael pleaded in vain as the portal closed.
"Looking at weak zombie guy makes Rath want to puke!" Rath said, "Now, Rath will take this cannon apart." Before Rath could rush in to break the cannon turned time bomb, the omnitrix began to flash and revert him back to Ben.
"Really? NOW you change back?" Ben yelled at the alien device on his wrist.
"This is bad. We cannot stop the cannon from overloading." Rook said looking at the controls.
"I'll try to contain it." Charmcaster said. "I've handled the Alpha Rune's power before, I might be able to trap the energy back into something."
"And if not?" Gwen asked.
"Then it'll blow just like he said."
"Well you don't have to handle it alone." Ben said, "Once the Omnitrix charges up, I can go Feedback and help drain it."
"I'm afraid that idea won't work." Charmcaster said darkly. Suddenly the Door to Anywhere appeared and the stone creatures grabbed Ben, Rook, Gwen, Kevin and Michael, "Remove them from my home at once!"
The stone creatures seemed to understand. The door swung open, revealing the middle of Bellwood. The stone creatures tossed each of our heroes and the mana vampire out into the streets. Before any of them could even attempt to make a dash back into the magical realm, the doors slammed shut.
"All that magic, my power…all gone…let me in! Return it! Undo the seal!" Michael yelled against the door slamming his fist into it. But soon he couldn't swing his fist forward due to a pair of energy cuffs attached to his one wrist.
"I doubt we need Plumber facilities to hold you without that power of yours, but your crimes still fall under our jurisdiction. Especially with the attacking of our officers." Rook said grabbing the other wrist to finish handcuffing him, "I must say, I understand why Kevin was so hesitant on helping the young woman. The way she removed us after our attempts at helping her was quite uncivilized."
"See, I told you." Kevin said, "In no way did she want us there. And the second we weren't needed, she wanted us gone."
"I don't think so." Gwen said, "I think she doubted her own ability to contain the energy. Maybe I'm still remembering when we were younger, seeing a part of her that could have made us friends, but I think she was trying to protect us.
"So do you think she survived? That she was able to handle it?" Ben asked.
"No idea. Guess we'll know if she needs us again." Gwen responded. "But for now, let's get Michael in a nice solid cell."
"Yeah, preferably one I don't have to look at." Kevin joked.
"Ditto on that buddy." Ben responded.
Argoth's Spaceship…
Argoth and Nazak appeared from their portal, scars of the battle still present on them. "The original plan failed. I am sorry master." Hackah said.
"It doesn't matter, did the failsafe plan stage work?" Argoth asked. Hackah activated a button causing a tank full of pink energy to emerge.
"Yes sir, all the mana I absorbed into my system. Enough to bring me to the edge of a total system failure. It should be enough to power the weapon." Hackah said.
"Perfect. This plan may have failed, but the loses of Today's battles are the foundation for the victories of tomorrow's war."
Alright, finally got this chapter done. It was a lot harder than I thought it would be. Now I know the fight scenes a bit lame, but I'm not good at fight scenes, especially when multiple ones are going on at once. Anyway, there was a personal theory of mine used in this chapter. That Galvanic Mechamorphs naturally absorb small amounts of energy from their surroundings to power themselves. Like how in the real world animals breath.
And of course given "Ben 10: Destroy all Aliens", seemed to treat the Omnitrix being flooded with mana, I'm pretty sure tech and Ledgerdomain won't work together well.
