Phoenix: Hey everybody
V.C.: E-ey there Phoenix (burp) h-how is everybody doin'?
Frostwing: V.C., have you and K.N. been binging Rick and Morty again?
K.N:Aw jeez Frostwing, I dunno. Maybe we have, would you be mad if we did?
Phoenix:(sigh) Grewt, sorry everyone those two might be stuck like that for a bit.
V.C.: W-why you apologizin' Mo(burp)rty?
Frostwing:(Rolls eyes) Whatever, let's get this chapter over with.
K.N.: I dunno Frostwing, I don't like the sound of this, maybe we should do something different?
Phoenix: Oh please, don't be rediculous, on with the chapter.
V.C.: And remember Morty, the disclaimer's in a previous chapter.
Frostwing: Except now we have to add that we don't own Rick and Morty, thanks to the both of you.(glares)
Previously:
Four Arms suddenly came charging, fists swinging, ready to fight. "Where is he? Where is he? I got him this time!"
"Calm down Tennyson, I took care of it."
Four Arms went to speak, only for the watch to time out. Enveloping Ben in a flash of green light, fading to reveal an upset Ben. "Aw man!"
"C'mon." Kevin chuckled. "We ain't that far away, we should catch the others no problem."
Chapter 8: Vilgax...?
Ben and Kevin continued to walk along the dirt path that led to Animo's base. Kevin stopped Ben in front of a run-down, wooden shack that appeared to be beginning to rot.
"Here we are, King Animo's (cough)(cough) 'castle'."
Ben blinked in surprise before giving his friend a skeptical look. "You sure Kev?"
"Positive."
"But it's so..." Ben trailed off, unsure of how to describe the mad doctor's home. "Broken down."
"Yer grandpa lives in a run-down RV."
"So?" Ben arched a brow. "Animo's the leader of the Null Void."
Kevin rolled his eyes. "Benji, Max is one of the greatest Plumber history ever knew."
"Point taken."
With that said, the duo entered the shack unsure of what they would find. To their horror, they saw all the girls scattered across the floor battered and defeated.
Kevin absorbed the wood of the floor and turned his hands into maces. "Alright Squidface, show yourself!" He shouted out in rage.
Ben hovered his hand over the Ultimatrix. He steeled his anger and focused on the task at hand, fighting Vilgax.
"Gwahaha!" A laugh bellowed from the shadows. "Finally, Ben 10 and Kevin Levin, two of the people I hate most."
With that said, a large, tall, muscular green skinned humanoid alien with the head of an octopus, the tentacles tangling together to form a mangy beard, appeared.
He had two glowing red eyes that were filled with malice and wore bronze armor that covered everything except his arms and head. On his right arm, he wore a long black gauntlet that went from his wrist to his elbow.
On his forehead was a glowing vibrant red symbol of an S with two dots, one on the inside of each curve. (look up the mark of skath)
"Ya think this is funny?!" Kevin glared in fury at his opponent. "This is serious Vilgax! You raided what's basically my home and knocked out my friends! Not to mention the girl I like! YOUR GONNA PAY!"
Kevin charged at the Chimera swinging his spiky fist and narrowly connecting with his shoulder. Vilgax didn't make any note of pain from the attack and grabbed the Osmosian by the neck before throwing him five feet away, through the wall.
Ben slammed down the core of the watch, forgetting about Scarlett for the moment and becoming enveloped in a flash of green light that faded to reveal a tall, lanky alien made of purple crystalline alien with several magenta stones surrounding his body and an Ultimatrix symbol on his chest.
"CHROMASTONE!" Ben shouted out his alien's name before charging up pinkish purple energy in his hands. "Come get some, Vilgax!"
Vilgax darted forward, jumping high into the air and landing down with a hard punch to the durable alien's chest.
Chromastone skidded across the floor for a minute before unleashing the charged up energy, which hit the same shoulder Kevin had hit earlier.
Thus time, Vilgax flinched, a small flinch but a flinch nonetheless. He leapt forth, looking to deliver another punch.
Chromastone narrowly dodged the attack and responded with an uppercut to the face that sent Vilgax back a few feet. The Chimera quickly shook off the attack and charged once more.
Before Vilgax could reach Chromastone, however, a wooden hammer whacked Vilgax in the side, bouncing him off to the side.
"Forget someone?" Kevin asked, raising his hammer fists in a battle ready stance.
Vilgax's eyes narrowed in annoyance. "No, I had hoped you would be smart and stay down. But clearly that isn't the case."
"Never has and never will." The wood in Kevin's body fell off as he turned to Chromastone. "Hold still Tennyson." He instructed before he began to absorb Chromastone's durable crystal.
However, before Kevin could cover more than half his body, Vilgax attacked. He delivered a jumping kick to Chromastone, separating the two of them and sending the alien hero flying.
"Ugh, that hurt..." Chromastone groaned in pain as he lay on the nearby ground. Kevin quickly glanced at Chromastone then back at Vilgax before lunging forward.
He threw a punch that Vilgax caught before responding with a punch of his own. Kevin fell back, grunting in pain before attempting another strike.
Vilgax dodged this strike and jumped back to confuse Kevin. The warlord's plan worked as Kevin blinked for a second in confusion. Allowing Vilgax to surprise him with a strong sucker punch followed by a right hook.
Kevin fell to the ground as Chromastone rose to his feet. "This...isn't...working." He panted before reaching for the Ultimatrix symbol and tapping it.
He was emerged in another, much quicker flash of light that faded to reveal a humanoid creature made of fire that resembled a skeleton.
"HEATBLAST!" The teenage hero exclaimed before shrugging. "Eh, not what I expected but it could work." He turned just in time to see Vilgax throw a left hook that connected to his jaw. The shot sent the Pyronite to his knees as Vilgax approached him.
"Ben Tennyson." He grinned, grabbing his neck and forcing Heatblast to stare into his enemy's face. "This was a warning, today you live. But know this, we're coming for you and everyone you've ever cared about."
With that, Vilgax delivered one final punch to the face, knocking Heatblast unconscious and forcing Ben to revert to his human form.
Later:
"Ben! Ben! Wake up Ben!" The hero's eyes slowly opened, fixing his gaze on the one calling his name.
"Raven...?" Ben blinked in surprise before sitting upright. "Where are we?"
"Bellwood Tower."
"What?! But what about the-."
"It's under control, Robin and the other Titans are helping Animo with the Null Void." She frowned. "We need to talk."
Ben mirrored her expression. "What about?"
"Your fight with Vilgax."
Ben's frown deepened in annoyance. "Your not gonna start goin' off on me about what I shoulda done, are ya?"
"No." Raven shook her head. "We have more important things to talk about."
"Like?" Ben arched a curious brow.
Raven let out a heavy sigh before speaking. "The enemy you encountered in the Null Void...was not Vilgax."
"What?" Ben's eyes widened in surprise and confusion. "Are ya nuts? Of course it was Vilgax. Ya know, 'Ben Tennyson I have come to conquer Earth and capture the Omnitrix!' That guy, ring a bell?"
Raven rubbed her temples, fighting the headache that was beginning to develop as she explained things. "No, Ben. That was a clone of Vilgax, did you notice anything off about his appearance? A red S with two dots, perhaps?"
Ben thought it over for a second before nodding slowly. "Yeah, now that ya mention it, I did. What was that?"
"That was the mark of my father, Trigon." She sighed. "A powerful demon with a vast array of powers and skills. One of them is creating enhanced clones of anyone."
"Oh."
"Yes, oh." Raven nodded. "I received a vision of Vilgax and an odd spector go into my father's realm. I wanted to warn you, but I was too late."
"Odd spector?" Ben asked, voice filled with concern and slight fear. "C-can you show me your vision?"
Raven arched a brow but agreed without question. Ben became paler and paler as the projection of Raven's vision continued. By the end, he looked ready to faint.
"No...no way."
"What?" Raven asked in curiosity and concern. "What is it?"
"A team up, two of my worst enemies uniting with a deity who can destroy anything and everything." He stared Raven dead in the eyes. "Vilgax and Zs'Skayr are working with Trigon."
"Who's Zs'Skayr?" asked Kara as she walked into the room with a glass of water.
Ben turned to her and said "If I'm gonna say it I only wanna say it once so can we get everyone in here, or am I clear to go so I can tell them in the living room?"
The two shared a glance then Raven said "Okay you can go to the living room."
"But you're gonna need new clothes your old ones got all torn up." Kara said.
Ben got dressed out of his hospital gown and into a white jacket with dark green stripes down the sleeves and sides, and a black undershirt with a green circle with the number ten in the color white on it on his chest he also chose a pair of black jeans.
When he got out of the room both girls looked at him wide eyed and with mouths open. "Well? How do I look?" Ben asked. "Ya mean besides totally hot?" Kara asked. Raven and Ben blushed and Raven said "You look good Ben."
Ben smiled and said "Thanks I had hoped I would look good." Ben and the two girls walked into the living room where all the girls and Kevin were seated on the couch. Kevin had Jinx laying down with her head on his lap. Kevin was playing with her hair affectionately. Ben opened his mouth.
To Be Continued...
