Disclaimer: I do not own Ben 10 or its sequels, spin-off and related characters. All is the property of Man of Action and Cartoon Network. I'm just borrowing them for some non-profit entertainment.
Roots
Chapter Ten: Many Confrontations
Manny wanted to look for his little girl with his wife. But Helen was so much faster than him that she left the Tetramand-hybrid in the metaphorical dust. Inevitably, she ended up searching the station for Minie while he swept the halls for the other kids and other Rooters. Beating up the latter, or reprimanding the former accordingly.
Helen passed him by several times with updates about what people were where and that she had seen evidence of where Minie had been, but hadn't actually found her yet. While she was faster than their daughter, Minie learned to play hide-n-seek from Kenny Tennyson whom was a master at eluding and evading his parents. She never found just one place to bunker down and hide. She found a place. Hid. Then moved. Found a new place. Hid again. Moved again. Hid again. Move. Hide. Move. Hide. That technique, combined with her speed made her near impossible for an adult to find. They had to think like a child.
Neither Helen not Manny had thought like children since they actually were children. Even then, they did not think like most normal, well adjusted children that came from traditional nuclear families. In that one respect they could never fully relate to their daughter.
Not to mention the base was a large station meant to house a much, much larger crew than the Rooters ever were and so there was a lot of ground to cover. Even if Minie hadn't been moving, locating her would have been difficult. Manny had a sinking feeling that the only way they were going to find his baby was by chance if they crossed paths with her movie from one hiding place to another, or if they beat all the existing Rooters and made a station-wide announcement from the control room that it was safe and her parents were here to pick her up.
With that thought in mind, Manny decided the best thing he could do was beat-up as many Rooters as he could find.
That was when he rounded a corner and stopped short. Suddenly finding himself face to face with Swift. One of the original Rooters.
The two froze. Doing nothing more than stare at one another for a few moments.
Swift was the first to react. She shot a beam of energy at him from her tail. The blast caught Manny in the chest and sent him falling backwards on his ass. But she didn't follow up the attack. Instead, she went for the communicator on her wrist. "Proctor, its-"
Manny recovered quickly and jumped on her before she could get out another word. He ripped the communicator off her wrist and crushed it in his hand. They couldn't afford to have the others know they were here yet. Not until after they got their children out safely. Maybe after he knew his daughter was safe Manny might enjoy going a few rounds with whatever Rooter felt like taking on his Tetramand temper and the more than considerable bulk behind it.
Swift struggled to get out of his vice-like hold. Kicking her feet and whipping her tail wildly. Finally, she fixed him with a frustrated glare, her eyes glowing before she shot her energy beams from her eyes directly into Manny's face.
He dropped her instantly and she shot off in the direction of the control room. Without a communicator, she would have to warn Servantis in person. Manny couldn't let that happen. Rubbing his eyes to clear them, he charged off down the corridor after her.
…
Alan did not find Ally.
Instead, his path crossed with a Necrofriggean-human hybrid he'd never seen before. He looked to be around Ally and Devlin's own age and was wearing the same proto-tech armor uniform as the ones Alan and the others had lifted from the store room they came in through. He must be the other kid Helen mentioned. The one that was helping Devlin and Ally search for Minie.
Alan didn't waste time on introductions or pleasantries. He went alien the moment they saw each other, his skin erupting in molten flame.
"You must be Albright's dad." He nodded as if confirming something to himself. "She's two years behind me at the Weekend Academy."
"Is that supposed to mean something?" Alan raised one hairless smoldering brow ridge.
"It means I've got two more years training than she does." The boy spread his wings and flew at the Pyronite.
Alan jumped to dodge the attack. The tip of the boy's icy wing just barely grazed the side of the proto-tech armor with a sizzle and hiss. There was a small wisp of steam. Alan looked at the spot to make sure he wasn't actually injured. The armor blocked the actual blow. The sizzle and steam was just from his heat against the other's cold. They were completely opposing elements after all.
"You might have more training than my daughter." He conceded. "But do you wanna guess how many years of actual experience I've got over you?"
…
Helen zipped around the station, desperate to find her daughter. It took her almost all her life to give birth to Herminie, and Helen was not going home until she had her baby girl back safe in her arms again.
The problem was that Minie was hiding and running from the Rooters. That meant that she was never in the same place twice and while Helen was fast, Minie was also fast. The only difference between them was that Minie's Tetramand bulk lowered her stamina and endurance. She was fast, but she could only run fast for so long. Minie would put on a quick burst of speed, find a place to hide, and rest to catch her breath. Then she would repeat the process. Run, hide, run, hide, run, hide.
Helen found plenty of evidence of her hiding places. A pile of empty food ration wrappers under a desk in a disused barracks. Scattered empty water bottled in a maintenance closet. Crumpled, snotty tissues from where she had been crying. Lost and alone, far from home. With Devy and Ally acting weird and Kenny nowhere to be found. She must be feeling so terrified and alone. Helpless and small. Helen had to find her! She had to find her little girl and get her home safely. Then, once her baby was tucked away safely at home, she was gonna come back here and beat the ever loving kriff out of Proctor Servantis and the rest of his Rooters. Might even beat-up Devlin and Ally too -if Gwen and Alan would let her.
Speaking of Ally… was it getting hot down this corridor or was Helen just…
The Kinecelearn skidded to a halt right before she collided with a wall of pure fire.
And standing in front of that wall of fire was none other than Ally Albright herself. In her Pyronite form. Skin like molten lava, body wreathed in living flame. But unlike usual, she wasn't naked. Instead, Ally wore the same black proto-tech armor that Kevin had pulled out of the store room they came in through. So it was true, what Kevin was afraid of. The kids really were under some sort of mind-control by Servantis and had joined his Rooters. Were doing his dirty work so that he could keep his hands clean. Safe and away from the violence.
"Gurl… You have no idea how much trouble you're in!" Helen growled at the younger woman.
"I thought you were Speedy." Ally informed her. "The Proctor wanted to run a DNA panel on her."
"Like hell he will!" Not that a DNA panel in and of itself was bad, just that Helen didn't want a stranger or a villain sticking her baby with needles, or poking her with swabs, to try and figure out how she ticked. That was something Helen only entrusted her family's xeno-pediatrician with. There was no way in heck she was gonna let her baby any where near an examination room run by Proctor Servantis.
She rushed at Ally, barreling into the younger woman like a battering-ram and knocked the Pyronite off her feet. Helen brushed some soot off her otherwise undamaged proto-tech armor. She wanted to reprimand the girl, or deliver a lecture. But she knew both would be a wasted effort. People under mind control didn't listen to parental authority or reprimands. She was Alan's daughter, Alan could deal with her when this was done.
Helen began running circles around the younger woman. Faster and faster. Creating a vortex of air. Sucking the oxygen out of the emendate space around Ally. Her Pyronite flames were extinguished. Then the glow faded from her molten skin. Finally she passed out and Ally reverted back to her base human form.
…
Kevin did not find Devlin.
But he did find Servantis.
In the control room. Standing beneath the large panoramic window that ran the circumference of the chamber, offering a three-hundred and sixty degree view of the Null Void outside. But Servantis wasn't looking at the window, his attention was occupied my the console in front of him. Monitoring the motion sensors and cameras of the base. Probably looking for Helen and Manny's girl, or perhaps just spying on Devlin, Alan's girl, and that other kid.
Whatever Servantis was preoccupied with, Kevin didn't care. The other Rooters weren't around -probably aiding the kids in their search for Herminie Armstrong. Servantis was alone and without backup. Kevin stepped fully into the room, one hand brushing against the doorframe as he did so to absorb the metal, and morphing his hand into a short, curved assassin's blade.
Though the Osmosian hadn't made a sound, Servantis turned around as if he heard something, and smiled. Smiled at the man that wanted to kill him. "Kevin. I was wondering when you'd come. I have missed our little one-on-one talks."
Talks about how terrible Tennyson was, about how unfair the world was, about how a person had to be cold and vicious to get anywhere in life. At the time, Kevin had thought that Servantis was one of the coolest adults around. But after remeeting Tennyson, and more importantly Gwen, in his teens Kevin realized that the view of the world he'd learned from the Proctor was slanted and bias. An incomplete picture. It was perfectly possible for a person to get by in the world, even live happily, without being a ruthless ass-hole. So long as they had the things they cared most about. Friends, wife, son. Things Servantis didn't understand.
"I'm not here to talk." The Osmosian growled.
"No?" That smile morphed from pleased and welcoming to cunning, sly, and ever so slightly ironically cruel. "But aren't you the least bit curious?"
Kevin knew he shouldn't entertain the Proctor. Knew the older man was just trying to distract him. There was nothing Servantis could say that Kevin wanted to hear. But to spite that, the Osmosian found himself asking, "About what?"
Now the smile was triumphant. Servantis thought he'd won something. "Think about it." He said. "Since Devin Levin never existed… Haven't you wondered who your real father is?"
"No." Replied the younger man quickly. Perhaps a touch to quickly. Kevin had been inside Servantis' head. He already knew and he chose not to care. "No. I'd really rather just kill you, grab my kid, and go home."
Seravntis looked so disappointed. Like Kevin had just told him Christmas was canceled. "You'd rather go back to Earth where you'll be doubted and distrusted for the rest of you life. Where you have to live off the charity of the very same man who took you away from your wife and son in the first place. Where every day will be a constant struggle to earn back the trust of the people closest to you. Rather than come back to me?"
The older man shook his head, taking a step closer to the Osmosian. Slowly closing the distance between them.
"Kevin, you were at your greatest, your most spectacular when you were one of my Rooters. Come back to me. Come back to where you belong. Together, you and I can change the world!" He was right in front of the younger man now. He took Kevin's chin in his hand and looked him over, the other hand running over his metal-armored hair. "You look so much like your mother. My perfect Kevin…"
"Don't touch me!" The Osmosian swung upwards with his bladed hand.
The Proctor just barely managed to jump back before the weapon could make fatal contact with his neck or chin. The worst he got was a gash up the cheek. It bled, but it wouldn't be fatal. "I'm disappointed. Devlin is much more devoted, but he hasn't got all your powers. He'll never be as great as you, Kevin. No Osmosian will ever be as perfect as you."
Kevin didn't want to hear it. He didn't give a flying kriff how 'perfect' Servantis thought he was or how much the man wanted him back with the Rooters. He was to young to notice as a child, he didn't know what to look for and wasn't experienced enough to realize he had to look out for anything at all. But now that he was older, Kevin realized Servantis was unhinged. Insane. Completely off his rocker, bat-shite, couple screws short of a chop-shop crazy. Kevin had plenty of experience with crazy.
You can't reason with crazy. You can't talk them down, or logic them out. You just had to neutralize them. Take them down, or take them out so that they weren't a threat anymore.
Following up his slash with a punch, Kevin morphed his other hand into a hammer and swung at the Proctor, aiming for the older man's head.
Servantis threw up a shield of psychic power to block the blow, just as he did on the soccer field the day he took Devlin away. But this time, Kevin was prepared. He angled his blade hand and thrust up under the shield. The knife connected with the sleeve of the Proctor's proto-tech armor, skidded ineffectually up the wrist a bit -creating a few sparks along the way- before Kevin changed tactics.
You can't cut proto-tech armor. It was virtually indestructible. But blunt force attacks could still injure the person inside the suit. The same way a gun shot wouldn't kill a person wearing kevlar, but it would give them one heck of a nasty bruise.
Kevin morphed his knife hand back into a real hand, and grabbed Servantis' wrist. He pulled the older man hard. Spinning him around so that his back was to Keivn, the shield of psychic energy no longer between them. He then brought the hammer down on the Proctor's back, stunning him. Servantis went down. Belly flat on the ground. Kevin stepped on his lower back, holding the older man down where he lay.
"You used me as a child." He said. "Played on my anger and frustration to manipulate me into doing your dirty work for you. If it wasn't for you, maybe Helen, Manny, Alan, and Pierce could have lived normal lives. You messed with my head. You messed with Max's head. You messed with my mother's head! But ya know what? I'm not even mad about that."
He pressed his heel down harder on the small of the Proctor's back until he heard a crack. Even if Servantis survived this encounter, he would be paralyzed from the waist down.
"No. The thing I'm mad about… the thing that I hate you for… is Devin. For over half my life I believed my father was a great, selfless, and heroic Plumber! That he sacrificed himself for his partner, the Earth, and me. He was something I always aspired to be. The kind of Plumber I tried to be. The kind of man I tried to be. The kind of father I was going to be. I named my son after him! And he doesn't even exist! One tiny little flourish to get Max to look out for your secret agent. That is why I hate you!"
Servantis hollered in pain. His back hurt so much it made listening difficult. He was having trouble feeling his legs and Kevin's foot on the small of his back was torture! Servantis grit his teeth. Unable to roll over and face the younger Osmosian he muttered to the floor. "You named your son after your father? I'm flattered."
With a snarl of rage, Kevin raised his hammer hand to deal a final death blow to the Proctor. "I have no father!"
But the blow never fell.
Both men were distracted when the command chamber door suddenly opened and Swift flew through. "Proctor! Trouble! The Amalgams-"
And Manny was a half-step behind her. "Kevin! We're made!"
Both stopped short upon seeing the Proctor on the ground. Kevin standing over him, poised to deal the final death blow with his hammer. The four of them stared at each other for half a moment. Not quite sure what to do next. How this was going to play out now that both Servantis and Kevin each had back-up in the room.
"So, looks like we've already won then." Manny noticeably relaxed. With their leader down, the other Rooters had no choice but to surrender and give back the children they took. … Right?
Swift didn't say anything. Upon seeing her leader on the ground, she flew at Kevin, eyes glowing and knocked the younger man off the Proctor. Kevin went tumbling to the ground, rolling away from the prostrate Servantis. Swift knelt by her boss' side, helping him turn over on his back.
"Ah, ah! Don't move me!" Servantis groaned, barely managing to be keep his voice under control from the pain. "Spine. L4 and L3 -probably."
"You're paralyzed." Her eyes went wide with concern.
But she didn't get the chance to do much about it. Manny came up behind her while she was distracted. Stepped on her tail to keep her down on the ground and hit her hard on the back of the head to knock her out. The Aerophibian-hybrid went down, unconscious on top of her leader. Servantis heaved a second groan at having her weight heaped on top of him, but at least there was no danger of him being moved and causing further damage to his spine now.
Manny offered Kevin a hand up.
"Where're the others?" Asked the Osmosian.
"Still all over the place." Supplied the Tetramand.
"And the rest of the Rooters?"
"Donno."
The door to the control room slid open again and both men jumped.
Gwen and Ben stood in the doorway.
"The rest of the Rooters are also all over the place." Gwen supplied. "But its the kids that really matter. Kenny came with us, but he ran off after Devlin."
Kevin wasn't listening. He jabbed a finger at Ben. "Baby! You were supposed to keep him away from here!"
"Me?" Ben blinked in confusion.
That was when Helen entered, carrying an unconscious Ally over one shoulder. "What, Ben's here now? Isn't that counterproductive to the plan?"
"What plan?" Asked Ben.
Kevin, Manny, and Helen looked awkward and uncomfortable for a couple moments. But just before any of them could answer, Alan walked in carrying an unconscious Necrofiggian-human hybrid. Dylan Billings.
"This brat thought he could- wait, what's Ben doing here?" He stopped short, tossing Billings ungently on the ground. "You can't be here. The whole point of us doing this was to keep you away from the Rooters."
"Why?" Ben demanded, getting very frustrated and fed up with being treated like a sheltered child. "What is going on here that's so terrible I'm not allowed to know about it!? Since when did you all listen to Kevin anyway? Alan, last I checked, you hated Kevin! What the kriff is going on!?"
It was at that point that Servantis began to laugh. Low and dark in the back of his throat. Seemingly oblivious to his position prostrate on the floor, the Proctor laughed as if he was the victor and not Ben's Team, Kevin, or the Amalgams at all. "I've very glad you asked that, Tennyson."
He might not be able to move thanks to Kevin. Paralyzed from the waist down now -probably permanently. But his mind was undamaged and all he needed to use his powers was his mind. Servantis closed his eyes and thin red lightning crackled from the jewel on his forehead. Tongues of power licked out from his head and arched their way to the gathered group.
"Tennyson, look out!" Kevin pushed Ben out of the way, knocking the other man against a side wall.
But it wasn't Ben the Proctor was aiming at. Two bolts of lightning hit Ally and Billings respectively. It shocked both teens back to consciousness. Billings stood from the floor. Ally struggled out of Helen's grip and morphed into her Pyronite form. Both teens ignored the rest of the adults around them and focused their attention on Ben who looked like a deer suddenly caught in the headlights of an on-coming semi. If he didn't know any better, he would have thought that his friends' kids were about to attack him.
And they did!
Billings blew a breath of ice that would have frozen the Hero of the Universe solid if it weren't for the sudden shield of mana Gwen threw up around him. The chilling breath collected on the barrier, forming a wall of ice so brittle it shattered almost the moment it was done forming. If the attack had hit Ben, it most certainly would have killed him. Ally followed up Billing's ineffective ice attack with a fire one of her own. Tossing handfuls of flame the size of softballs at the Hero of the Universe.
"What the kriff is going on!?" Ben demanded again as he scrolled through the aliens in his watch while dodging ice and fire from both children.
"Its mind control." Gwen explained.
While at the exact same time Kevin growled. "This is why I didn't want you along. Jeezus, Tennyson! You never listen!"
He absorbed some mater from the floor to reapply his armor and jumped in to protect Ben. The Osmosian smacked Billings across the face with the back of his metal -which was instantly covered in frost- and the Necrofiggian boy went down. …But got right back up again. Alan likewise jumped in to put himself between Ally and the Hero of the Universe -mostly because he didn't want Kevin actually hurting his little girl. Kevin wasn't exactly known for being gentle with his opponents.
Gwen threw a bubble shield around both teenagers, momentarily trapping them and giving the adults a moment to catch their breath and adjust to their children now being the enemies.
"But why are they attacking me!?" Ben demanded.
Billings and Ally flared their powers. Filling Gwen's bubble shield with frost and flame which mingled into steam. Ally's fire vaporizing Billing's ice, turning it to hot steam, the warm air expanding, putting pressure on the bubble that held them. Stress fractures and cracks appeared on Gwen's shield.
"You don't get it do you?" Kevin snarled. "You were the real target here, Tennyson. You're the Coming Storm!"
...
Kenny knew that in the straight up fist fight there was no way he could beat Devlin. While Aunt Gwendolyn had tried to teach him karate right alongside his older cousin, Kenny had never been very diligent or committed. It took to much effort and there were other things he wanted to do more. Sitting on his butt playing video games was much, much easier and took far less effort than waking up early every morning and sweating like a mule before breakfast. So, Kenny knew that he didn't have a chance of beating Devlin in a hand-to-hand fight. At least, not a fair one.
But Kenny did have one advantage that Devlin didn't have. Kenny had the Omnitrix -well, a fake one- and could transform into and use the powers and abilities of a number of aliens. Sure, some of them were aliens that Devlin himself already had running through his system, hidden in his blood, just waiting for the right spike of adrenaline to let them out. But he knew the Osmosian wouldn't let them out. Devlin hated his mutant form and went out of his way to try and avoid using it. -Which was why he was so devoted to his martial arts.
So long as Kenny had his aliens and Devlin was afraid of his own, Kenny would be the victor.
He didn't even bother toggling through his faux-Omnitrix. There was no point anyway, the stupid watch never gave him the alien he wanted. Kenny slammed his hand down on the watch face and transformed into Wildvine. Swinging out with one of his long tentacle-like vines, Kenny smacked Devlin across the chin.
The blow sent the Osmosian staggering backwards, spitting a bit of blood out of his mouth as he did so. He glared back at Kenny and grinned with bloody teeth. "This is how you're gonna beat me unconscious and take me home? With flower-power and bitch-slaps."
"No." His younger cousin assured him. Wildvine had much more in its arsenal than flower-power and bitch-slaps. "With this!"
Kenny sprouted a number of seeds from his back. Just a handful. These he sent flying at the Osmosian.
Devlin dodged the projectiles, but then they were never meant to actually hit him in the first place. The seeds burst the moment they impacted the floor, sending up a cloud of thick gas that filled the corridor around Devlin. A sedative -sleep gas- that should be enough to put the older by down but leave Wildvine blissfully immune. That way Kenny could drag Devlin back home without any further problems.
At least, that was the plan. Unfortunately, Kenny forgot one minute, tiny, footnote, of a detail that turned out to be rather significant.
There was a cough as the gas cleared just enough for Kenny to see that Devlin had transformed into his mutant form. Four arms, Stinkfly's wings, XLR8's tail, eyes and teeth and claws.
"Nice plan." Devlin gave credit where credit was due. "But you forgot something. Wildvine was one of your Dad's original ten, that means I've got a bit of him in me -which means I'm also immune to his organic substance attacks."
Great. But maybe that was for the best. The faux-Omnitrix timed out at just that moment, so it wasn't like Kenny could have continued to use Wildvine's bio-substance attacks anyway. But now he was a normal human again and Devlin was in his mutant form. That meant that Dev was more than capable of splattering him across the walls and all Kenny could do against his older, larger, and more powerful cousin was try and stay alive long enough for the watch to recharge.
Though he wasn't proud of it, Kenny turned his tail and ran. Back down the corridor in the direction he'd originally come.
Of course, XLR8 was also one of Dad's original ten which meant that Devlin had that one mixed in him as well. Kenny was barely around the corner before Devlin was once again in front of him.
"I'm afraid I can't let you go, Kenny." He said, asymmetrical eyes glaring in a way Kenny had never seen before and it unnerved him. "The Proctor will want to know how you got into the base."
"Your mom! That's how." It wasn't just a 'Yo mama!' joke. It was actually the truth. Aunt Gwendolyn carried him and his dad over to the base on one of her mana panels and she was also the one to find the open hole in the exterior plating of the station's armor. Of course, Devlin didn't know that. All he heard was a 'Yo mama!' joke.
With a snarl of rage, the flames of Devlin's Pyronite arm flared. That was Kenny's only warning before the older boy shot a blast of fire at him. Kenny just barely managed to duck back behind the corner before the attack flashed by the side of his head. The worse he got was a bit of singeing of his hair.
"Do I talk about your mom that way!?" The Osmosian bellowed.
Kenny might have snapped back with another snarky comment, but his watched beeped at that moment to indicate that it was recharged and he could once again transform. This time he did try toggling though the aliens. Sure, it almost never gave him the one he wanted, but there was still that point-zero-zero-one percent chance that it just might work right and give him the one he asked for when he asked for it. Kenny raised his hand to slam down on the watch face. But Vulpimancer paw closed around his wrist before he could.
Emerald eyes suddenly wide with panic, Kenny stared at Devlin's paw covering the faux-Omnitrix.
For half a second neither of them breathed. Neither of them blinked. They were both staring at Devlin's hand over the Omnitrix.
Then, as if reading each other's thoughts, their eyes met.
"Dev, don't-" Kenny tried.
But the second the younger boy opened his mouth the moment was broken. Kenny blinked and Devlin's hand tightened over his cousin's wrist as he absorbed the power of the faux-Omnitrix.
A shudder passed through the Osmosian's body. His grip loosened on the other boy's wrist and Kenny pulled his hand way. The Omnitix looked powered down, like it had timed out, but it was just recharged. Not timed out -drained. Devlin absorbed the Omnitrix! Just like Kevin used to do. With horror struck eyes, Kenny stared at his older cousin, no longer recognizing him.
He still had the wings and tail, one Pyronite arm, one Tetramand arm, one Vulpimancer, but his second Vulpimancer hand was replaced by a Galvanic Mechamorph tentacle. He still had two Tetramand eyes, but a third eye from Blitzwolfer. Upchuck's mouth, Waybig's head ornament, and Snare-oh's bandages. Kenny took a step back. Not sure what to do. This had never happened before.
Devlin turned back to his cousin, grinning an unfamiliar and slightly deranged grin. "Kenny… you've been holding out on me…"
…
Minie ran until she had to stop to rest her muscles. Her thick Tetramand build wasn't suited for the speeds she ran at. Her own body weighed her down.
She looked around. Was this the corridor Ally took her down when they brought her to this place? Which direction did they come? Everything looked the same! How did people not get lost in this place!? What would she do if she couldn't find her way out? Why did Ally and Devy even bring her here in the first place!?
Her legs rested, Minie shot off again. Looking for something familiar. Running until she once again tired and had to pause to rest.
This continued for some time. Until, she stopped looking for a way out, or something familiar and just started looking for a place to hide and cry. She didn't know where she was or why she was brought here. She didn't know who these 'Rooters' were or why they wanted to stick her with needles. Devy was acting strange, fighting with her daddy and his mommy. Ally was acting strange too, handing her over to strangers with needles! What was going on!?
It was like she was trapped in an episode of The Scary Door!
Minie found what looked to be an empty bedroom and slunk inside. She hid under the desk and waited -listening to make sure no one was following her. Where she heard no one she stepped out again. This time to try and figure out where she was. The desk she was hiding under was bare, so she started opening drawers, looking for something that might tell her something. She didn't find anything of that sort, but she did find some old -and probably expired- protein bars. These, she tore open and devoured. It wasn't her beloved sugar, but it gave her the calories she needed to resume running.
Another whizzing trip through the halls and corridors of the base and Minie found herself taking refuge in an empty maintenance closet, chugging down water she'd stolen fem the galley. This place was so big and there was so much ground to cover. It would be hard to find a way back home without help. Usually, in a situation like this, she would turn to Ally, or Devy, or Kenny for help. But Devy and Ally were acting strange and Kenny wasn't around. Minie wished he was. OUt of all her big kid friends, Kenny was the coolest!
After finishing the last water bottle, Minie poked her head out of her closet hiding place to make sure the coast was clear. When she was satisfied that it was, she was once again zipping through the base.
She didn't get very far this time.
By pure happen chance and not any real skill or forethought on the anyone's part, Minie crashed headlong into someone's shins. She staggered backwards, dizzy from the collision and sudden loss of forward momentum. She looked up at one of the old men that Devy called his new team. The big pony-tailed man who was trying to help the flying lady stick her with a needle. She took a step back, afraid to take her eyes off him. Minie wasn't ready to start running again and she wasn't sure how else she could escape such a big and scary grown-up.
"Well, if it isn't the brat we've all been looking for." He bent down and picked her up by the collar of her t-shirt. "Why don't you let Uncle Phil take you back to the infirmary so we can get that blood test, hm?"
"You're not my uncle!" Minie snapped back and lashed out with her foot. Throwing all her Tetramand muscle and strength into the kick.
She caught Phil in the collarbone and the old man hollered in pain, dropping the little girl. Minie hit the ground running. Trying to put some distance between herself and the Rooter. She felt rather good about her self just then. She'd never really taken the time to develop the physical power she got from her daddy. Running and racing was always so much fun. But maybe beating up bad guys could be fun too! And it would give her something to do when her speed gave out on her and she couldn't run.
Minie's speed gave out on her and she couldn't run.
She leaned against a wall panting. She didn't give herself enough time to rest. She couldn't have put more than maybe one corridor of distance between herself and Phil this time. That meant that he could find her if he looked. Minie glanced around the corner, and sure enough, there was -not Phil- but a Terroranchula-looking monster coming after her down the corridor. For one terror filled moment of indecision, Minie didn't know what to do. Then, she decided, since she couldn't run, she would stand and fight. Just like her daddy would if he were in this situation. Minie never really tried fighting before, but she wasn't weak!
Stepping out from behind the corner, she faced her opponent. Glaring up at him with all four of her Tetramand eyes.
"Aw, what's this? The little munchkin grew a spine?" The monster teased.
Minie didn't say anything in reply, she did not want to give the bad guy the validation of bantering with him. Instead, she lashed out with another kick, this one aimed at his shins. People always seemed to be in so much pain whenever she ran into their shins. Putting the strength and power she inherited from her daddy into the blow, she did far more damage than when she just ran into people. The Terroranchula-hybrid went down, howling in pain.
"You little brat!" He hollered. "I'll kill you!"
"No. You won't!" Said another voice from behind the Terroranchula.
Uncle Pierce appeared at the end of the hall. He sprinted to cross the distance between them, extending one of his quills and pulling it from his elbow as he ran. He jabbed the Terroranchula in the neck with it the moment he was close enough. Not deep or anything, certainly not deep enough to kill the creature. Just enough for the sleep-sedative in the quill to enter his bloodstream. The Terroranchula fell asleep almost instantly and turned back into a human -Phil Billings.
Pierce stepped over the unconscious man and knelt down to be on eye level with his niece. "Are you alright? Did they hurt you? Let me look at you."
Minie did a little twirled so that her uncle could see that there was nothing the matter with her. Then she launched herself into his arms in a fierce hug. It was so good to see the familiar face of someone she knew!
"You're mom and dad are gonna be so happy to see you." Pierce said, standing. He took Minie by the hand. "Now, lets find a way out of here."
"Wait." She pulled on him. "We can't leave yet! There's something wrong with Devy and Ally! We have to help them!"
"I'm sure Kevin can handle that." Pierce assured her.
But Minie didn't know who that was. She'd never met any 'Kevin' before and she did not trust a stranger to take care of her big kid friends for her. "I'm not leaving without them! You're a grown-up, now that you're here I can stay! I've got 'supervision'. Now lets go find them!"
The little Tetramand girl started pulling on the Quilqupine's arm. To spite her size and age, she was already much stronger than her uncle and it was all Piece could do to keep up with her and avoid getting his arm pulled out of its socket.
"Alright! Alright!" He said. "Lets try and find the control room."
...