Aww, Man-ara

Echidna panted as she glared at Vilgax. The mercenary had fought for over ten minutes straight with no pause until the current moment. Her adversary was well versed in combat, being far more of a challenge than she expected. He had kept up the pressure, forcing Echidna on the defensive. Despite him being slower than the wild elf, Vilgax's reflexes were quick enough to reduce any damage that was dealt to him by her peculiar sword with a wavy blade.

The alien warlord too was breathing heavily, showing signs of fatigue himself. Without a word, he sidestepped before slamming his body against the side of the charging Tino. While the size and power of the Gal Monster's transformed state managed to be her best asset in the fight, they were far from enough to allow her to stand toe to toe with the more experienced alien. The Gal Monster growled weakly in pain as she fell onto her side, causing the ground to quake slightly upon impact.

"I must commend you two for lasting this long, as very few could do such a thing." Vilgax said. "As such, I will make your deaths swift."

"Sorry, but I'll pass." Echidna replied bluntly.

"So be it…" the Chimera Sui Generis said.

"Actually, I think playtime is over." Zs'skayr's voice said from behind the combatants.

"It's you." Vilgax said in disdain while clenching his fists. "What do you want?"

"It's simple really, I came to retrieve you, Vilgax." the Ectonurite replied while remaining out of sight. "Eon has something important to discuss with you."

The warlord growled in frustration before looking over at Echidna.

"You are most fortunate to leave with your life. It will not happen again the next time we meet," he said before turning around and walking into the foliage.

The wild elf relaxed as she looked at Tino.

"You better transform back and get some rest, little one." she advised with a soft smile.

The dinosaur-like dragon only snorted before closing her eyes. Echidna smirked before turning around, her attention focused upon Nyx as she tended to the three who were unconscious. The brunette hid from the foliage during the fighting, as she couldn't really contribute in any way. Now that it was safe, the woman finally came out.

I should take my leave, I learned everything that I wanted to know about the so called "Deceitful Youth," Echidna thought as she contemplated her next course of action. To think that he is far from what the rumors claim him to be. The boy has a lot of untapped potential, if he could master it, I don't think even a god could defeat him… What is more interesting that he's not corrupted by his powers. It's rare to find such a kind and noble person not be swayed by the power he holds. However, he has a fatal weakness with only being able to stay in a transformed state for only a period of time… I wonder how far he can go.

Airi sighed as Nanael examined the young girl who fell from the sky meticulously.

"Those are some pretty weird clothes," the angel muttered as she hovered around in a circle.

The girl watched the angel in frustration.

"Can you please stop that?" she asked in a demanding manner while crossing her arms in front of her chest.

Nanael frowned as she looked the girl square in the face.

"Listen here, little girl. I am an high ranking angel, a mortal like yourself has no right speaking to me like that!" the angel said in annoyance.

"I highly doubt that," the girl retorted. "I can't imagine an angel with a deformed wing with your attitude being an elite. Besides, aren't angels supposed to be a lot nicer?"

"De-Deformed wing?!" Nanael blurted out as her eyes widened before her face contorted to one of anger. "Don't you dare mock me, you damn monkey!"

"You remind me a lot of a certain cousin of mine…" the girl said dryly, completely unfazed by Nanael's remark.

Airi shook her head as she stepped forward.

"The angels aren't all what you expect them to be, their personalities are as diverse as a human's," the wraith explained while looking over at the blue-haired angel. "Judging by what I know, this one is most likely either a dropout or a failure."

"H-HEY! THAT WAS UNCALLED FOR!" Nanael screamed, becoming flustered by the wraith's comment. Her cheeks began to turn pink as she panicked.

"Guess she really is, based on that reaction," the girl said with a frown.

"By the way, I never properly introduced myself," the wraith said before she bowed. "My name is Airi."

The girl smiled before she brushed a lock of her red hair from her face with a hand.

"I'm Gwendolyn Tennyson, but you may call me Gwen," she introduced herself.

Both Airi and Nanael froze in place as they heard Gwen say her last name. The pair were stunned for a moment before the former servant of the Swamp Witch spoke up.

"Wait… did you just say Tennyson?" the wraith asked. "Would you happen to be related to a boy named Ben Tennyson?"

It was Gwen's turn to be stupefied.

"Y-You know my dweeby cousin?" she asked incredulously.

Airi nodded before looking at the young girl.

"I do, in fact, I also know about the Omnitrix that he uses." she said in confirmation. "But still, I never thought that I would be meeting one of his relatives here…"

"Do you know where Ben is?" Gwen asked hopefully.

Airi closed her eyes and shook her head.

"I'm sorry, but I don't know where he is," she replied before she averted her eyes to the ground. "Besides…I can't face him yet."

"What did he do this time?" the young girl said in a not so surprised manner.

"Before I answer, I should explain who I am to avoid any future misconceptions. I was once a devout servant for a powerful sorceress known as the Swamp Witch… until Ben made me question myself." Airi began as she started telling Gwen about her past briefly.

Gwen's face became mortified as the wraith told her about not only her true nature, but of some of her actions while serving the Swamp Witch. The young girl backed away in fear when she heard Airi admitted to killing people. Fortunately, Gwen fought against her fear to stay when the wraith pleaded her to hear her out.

Airi managed to calm Gwen down as she began to recount her adventures with Ben. The young girl was shocked when she heard that her cousin was tortured by a person that he saved.

"How can someone do such a thing!?" Gwen said in disbelief, forgetting all about her earlier fear.

"Believe me, the world is filled with more people like that than you would like to think. Even the kindest people would do deplorable things for their own personal gain." Airi said while glancing over at Nanael, who frowned in response.

"DAMMIT!" Ben screamed as he punched a tree as hard as he could before grimacing in pain.

"I know how you feel, Master," Cerate said bitterly before kicking the very same tree, toppling it over in one blow.

"To think that the three of us were defeated so easily," Stella said solemnly as she sat down next to the slumbering Tino, who had reverted back to her human form.

The black-haired girl had her metal hairclips back in place and wearing her white cape once again. The petite girl was in a deep slumber, curled up in a ball next to the blonde who was beside her for warmth.

"I'm fed up with being so helpless when I'm a human…" Ben said as he looked at the alien device which was still flashing. " I'm nothing but a weak kid…"

"Master, you're far from weak." Cerate said with a frown on her face. "You managed to endure that sick bastard torturing you several times, and didn't let it affect you!."

"Cerate's right. From all the scars I've seen on your body, you haven't given in to your rage. If it were me, I would've lost myself." Stella added.

"I know, but I don't want to be so pathetic against foes like Vilgax," Ben said with a downcast look on his face. "There might come a time where the Omnitrix becomes broken, and I can't transform. What am I to do then?" an exasperated sigh escaped from his mouth as he turned around. " I'm going for a walk…"

Both blondes fell silent, unable to come up with some kind of answer as their Master took off.

A heavy silence filled the air soon after that. The Gal Monsters only looked at each other before the currently only adult amongst the group spoke up.

"Umm… How about you two teach him on how to use a weapon like you do Stella?" Nyx asked.

The Gal Monsters looked at the woman in disbelief, causing her to become a little uneasy.

"D-Did I say something wrong?" she asked timidly.

The blondes looked at each other before they put their hands to their faces.

"Why didn't we think about that sooner?" Stella asked.

"We're idiots alright…" Cerate groaned. "Nyx, you're a freaking genius!"

"Th-thanks," she said nervously.

"That really is a good idea." Echidna said as she came out of the forest, carrying a collection of moderately sized fish and dead rabbits. "Anyway, I brought dinner."

"I can cook." Nyx offered softly, "That's if everyone's okay with it."

"PLEASE DO!" Stella pleaded as if her life depended on it.

Nyx looked at the Gal monster in bewilderment.

"You have no idea how horrible Cerate is with cooking. I may not be the best cook, but the stuff she makes can kill even the undead by smell alone." Stella warned as she rose to her feet.

"HEY!" Cerate protested. "It doesn't taste that bad!"

"Don't even get me started on how you somehow made the water catch on fire that one time…" Stella added.

"Wait… what?" Nyx said in disbelief.

"Trust me… Cerate is able to do even the impossible when she cooks," the blonde explained with a sigh. "I think her cooking alone can cause the apocalypse,"

"That's just mean, Stella!" Cerate pouted.

"Sorry, but I am only stating the facts," Stella said before going over to the other blonde and knelt beside the other blonde as she whispered in her ear. "I know you want to be helpful, but Master's really distraught. I'll leave it to you to cheer him up."

Cerate sniffed a little before nodding in understanding. The girl rose up and went off in Ben's direction.

Stella couldn't help but smile slightly as she looked over at Echidna.

"So, what weapon do you think would work best for my master?" she asked the wild elf.

Within a castle, its lord lay on the floor inside his bedchamber, his chest forced open from the inside, his ribs strewn all over the ground. Standing inside the hole was Melona, baptized in the man's blood as she licked her lips in satisfaction.

The Bloody Hunter frowned as he looked down at a chessboard, carefully examining the pieces that were on it as he was deep in thought.

He placed a finger on top of a black knight.

"Vilgax has been acting on his own, putting pressure on the younger me who is looking for his friend," he said while moving the finger to a white king as he spoke. He then looked over at the white queen that was in a far corner from the king. "However, Airi is avoiding him, most likely out of uncertainty."

He moved the knight, as well as a pawn and a bishop, all black, so that they were surrounding the white king and a collection of different white pieces.

"Wes, Hex, and Squidface have all placed pressure upon the kid's group." He took a white bishop piece and placed it next to the queen. "And now Gwen has shown up."

He looked a lone black pawn that was in the end row of enemy territory.

"Menace… She could play a major role for either side. But I will not interfere with Paradox on that issue."

He looked at another black pawn that stood in the center next to a white one.

"I want to avoid playing a big role in this world's history. But I will be collecting future pieces for the white king."

He looked at the black King and Queen pieces, which were both off the board.

"Whoever is to become the Black King is still unknown. I have cemented Elina's role as a white piece instead of a black one."

"What are you doing?" Melona asked as she snuck up from behind the teen. She snaked her arms around his neck, coating it in blood while looking over his shoulder. "That's a pretty unusual setup of chess pieces."

"I was just thinking about my next course of action. I have Elina under my thumb now, but I wonder who to go after next. I would go after Claudette, but even Ultimate Shiftlash will have great difficulty against her sword."

"Hmm… What about the little slut's older sister?" the slime suggested.

"Hmm… she would work quite nicely, but I need someone who is easier to manipulate first. Ben already has Nyx and Airi, we need someone who doesn't play a direct role in the future," the future Ben said before realizing something. "Wait… an angel will work quite nicely. I even know of one that Heaven would not care about losing."

Melona smirked as she closed her eyes.

"Hmm… An angel as a slave… I actually like the sound of that." she said. "I think I'm falling for you."

The Bloody Hunter smirked as he raised a hand up to gently stroke one of Melona's rabbit ears. The slime shivered in response as she kissed him on the nape of his neck.

"I have three other candidates besides the angel, all of which have something I can use to manipulate them," he said. "However, one of them will be very challenging due to her strong will. Even if she has been resurrected, the Swamp Witch has little control over her."

Melona blinked in surprise as a familiar face popped into her mind.

"Are you talking about Menace?" she asked.

The Bloody Hunter chuckled as he shook his head.

"No, I am talking about the pirate Liliana," he corrected her. "She has only recently been revived to be Airi's replacement. However, she doesn't want you to know about her until she deems it necessary. Besides, Menace has a one-track mind, and it's set on rebuilding her nation. "

"I see. Well, I guess we'll be paying this Liliana a visit soon enough. But all this talk of you getting more slaves is making me horny…" the slime said while rubbing her chest against the teen's back.

The Bloody Hunter turned around and wrapped an arm around her waist. He grinned slightly before spanking the slime, eliciting a soft moan from her.

"You're such a tease, you need to be punished," he said before spanking her again.

"Mmmm… I've been a really bad girl," the slime moaned sensually before her clothes receded into her body, becoming nude in front of the future Ben.

"Heh, I thought you were above everyone else," the brunet said with a smirk upon seeing the nude slime.

"I am, but you seem to be the only one who can be my equal." Melona admitted before turning around and bending over. "I won't mind if it's just you. You've proven yourself worthy of my approval."

The Bloody Hunter chuckled as he began groping the slime's rear, causing her to gasp in surprise.

"You will not regret this decision, my lovely slime," he reassured her before he spanked her once again.

"Just shut up and spank me already!" Melona cried out while wiggling her ass at him.

Ben sighed as he sat upon the top of a moss covered boulder, looking up into the sky as grey loomed above.

What am I going to do? How can I become stronger? I don't want to be a hindrance to everyone else. Is there someway to deactivate the limiter so that I can become Shiftlash permanently?

"Ben?" a familiar voice called out to him with uncertainty.

The brunet lifted his head as he recognized the familiar voice of Leina.

"Oh, it's you Leina." he said when he looked over his shoulder, noticing the blonde standing behind him. "Been a while since we last met."

Leina nodded as she approached the boy slowly.

"It has been indeed a long time. Almost a month has it been?" she mused. "I see you have changed quite a bit since the last time we spoke. Are you alright?"

"Been better. Only just realized that I'm pathetic while I'm human. I guess I have been relying too much on the Omnitrix…" he replied in self-loathing.

The woman frowned upon hearing him.

"What makes you think that way?" she asked.

"Let's see… I was attacked several times by the same person who I saved, and he always managed to get the upper hand and gave me most of these scars that I have on my body," he replied bitterly. "That and when I tried to help save a friend of mine, the guy who attacked us not long ago easily beaten me with only one blow!"

Leina frowned, able to relate to the boy's frustrations slightly.

"Ben… I was told by a person who I look up to as beingthat I was weak," she admitted . "Yes, hearing that disheartened me quite a bit, but I am not letting that hold me back."

"It's not that. I'm just tired of this exact same thing always happening to me. I am a hero, dammit! I don't want to be the victim…"

Leina fell silent for a few moments as she closed her eyes to collect her thoughts.

"Why?" she asked, breaking the silence.

"Huh?" Ben asked.

"Why do you beat yourself like this?" the blonde asked sternly. "You told me you were a hero. You shouldn't let such trivial concerns affect you, am I wrong?"

"You don't understand! Cerate and Stella are risking their lives to protect me, when it should be the other way around!" Ben snapped.

"I don't see anything wrong with that. Isn't it natural for comrades to support each other?" Leina said with a sigh. "I think this is a matter of your ego."

"My ego?" the young boy asked in confusion.

"It has gotten out of hand." Leina said. "I firmly believed I was Risty's equal until I was given a crushing defeat by her hand. It was then that I finally realized the difference in strength between us. Since then, I have been wondering how I can prove to not only Risty, but to myself that I am not weak. Although my situation was different, it does bare some similarities to what I'm seeing with you. You are still only a child, Ben, so of course you will not be strong enough to defeat everyone you face. However, you can learn from those encounters, and grow up into one who is capable of protecting everyone he cares for. "

"She's right. We're only children, Master., Cerate said as she came into view, catching Leina and Ben off guard. "But like was said before you left, you are far from weak. You're resourceful in the middle of a fight, managed to catch two Gal Monsters, as well as being able to hold your ground despite being injured. Don't even get me started with that fucking hunter. Only the strongest willed can cope with such incidents like you have. Even if you couldn't use the Yummytrick ever again, I will still be proud to call you my master. I fight alongside you because you are strong."

"Cerate…" Ben said, surprised by the Gal Monster's choice of words.

Leina fell silent, smiling slightly as she allowed the younger blonde to take over.

"Listen, the reason Shit Squid attacked us was because he sees us-no, you-as a threat. He's SCARED of your strength. Moping around like a whipped little bitch will only work in his favor!" Cerate continued as she approached the boulder.

Ben chuckled softly as a small grin formed on his face.

"You know what… you're right… Vilgax has to be scared of me…" he said as he rose up.

"Master, I promise you this. I will obliterate that big green bastard single-handedly the next time we meet!" Cerate vowed as she clenched a fist in front of her. "I was off guard this time, but it won't happen again."

"I do not fully understand what is going on exactly, but I can tell you one thing. You are not weak, or a victim. " Leina added with a smile.

"Thanks you two," Ben said as his grin turned into a smile. "I wouldn't have been able to get this far if I really was weak. If I was weak, I wouldn't have met either of you. Heck, I would've been dead long before I met Airi."

Cerate nodded as she looked up at the boy.

"So, what are you going to do now, Master?" she asked.

"I say we head to Amara for any leads on where Airi is," Ben said firmly. "That and I start learning how to use a weapon. I think I really need one since I don't think this will be usable for quite a while."

The boy held up the Omnitrix, which was still flashing red.

"Point taken." Cerate said in agreement. " But first, there's dinner. Nyx is cooking."

Leina's head turned towards the Gal Monster upon hearing Nyx's name.

"Excuse me, did you just say 'Nyx'?" she asked.

Both Ben and Cerate looked at Leina in surprise.

"You know her?" Ben asked in confusion.

Lovlila frowned as she floated in the air on her back. She was currently waiting outside of the throne room, where Paradox was inside, talking to the person they both came here to converse with.

"Really wish that Master can hurry it up. Of course, Ani knows that this is really important, but she's bored!" she said before rolling onto her stomach.

The Gal Monster blinked upon sensing a powerful presence outside. Her eyes widened upon realizing who it was.

"It's him." she muttered before she flew off towards the exit hastily.

Vilgax marched through the forest in great frustration. Victory was within his grasp, but he had no choice but to retreat upon Zs'skayr's message. Despite his "intense disapproval" towards it, his agreement with Eon was too important to disregard completely, as the Chronian had the only means to return him back home.

Walking beside him was a muscular bald bandit covered in scars from head to toe. His ebony eyes were the telltale sign of him being the current host of the Ectonurite.

"So, why do you want to remove Tennyson from the picture so badly?" Zs'skayr asked.

"Silence Zs'skayr, I am not in a good mood." the Chimera Sui Generis said in a threatening manner.

"Listen, I need the Omnitrix to become complete, while you simply want it. We will simply be at odds with one another. Eon has definitely proven that he can give us what we each want without interfering with one another. Remember what he said? We need the brat alive." the Ectonurite stated without any fear.

Vilgax turned around and grabbed the alien ghost's host by the head, crushing it like it was nothing. Blood oozed out from in between the fingertips. The warlord simply relinquished his grip before shaking as much of the gore off his hand as possible before continuing on.

"I really hate when you do that," Zs'skayr said in annoyance as he emerged from the ground. "Although, I am fortunate that I grew my second skin."

The Ectonurite turned tangible, revealing himself to be wearing the second skin that the Omnitrix created when Ben turned into Ghostfreak.

Vilgax growled before he stopped.

"I am aware of what you said about Tennyson, however, I also know that there's a second Tennyson, one who is older," he explained.

"Ahh, you mean the one who Eon has labeled the 'Bloody Hunter'?" Zs'skayr asked. "I remember him saying that he is actually a future version of the young Ben here."

"Exactly. I may not understand how time works, but I know one thing, the future is never set," Vilgax admitted. "Why have him be an enemy when he can become an ally?"

"So, that explains why you've been acting on your own," Eon said as he came out from behind a tree. The Chronian now had the body of a young man. "You have been attempting to turn the Bloody Hunter into an ally for our ends… Very interesting. You usually don't do that sort of thing."

"Precisely," the warlord confirmed. " As much as I'd like to kill the boy, I realized how useful the future self can be. With his knowledge, we can complete our goals, as well as changing any future events that will not be… favorable for us. I have been attacking Tennyson to make him afraid, but I know once will not be enough."

"I know, but be aware Vilgax, Ben may re-unlock the Toku'star form. It was the same one that he easily defeated you with after all." Eon warned the towering alien.

Vilgax's growl turned into an infuriating scream as he ripped a tree out of the ground before throwing it.

"I see… that would be most inconvenient for us," Zs'skayr said in slight concern.

Eon chuckled as a sinister grin formed on his face.

"True, Way Big is one of Ben's strongest forms. However, there is only one person who can easily defeat it, and it is not the Bloody Hunter."

"Who are we talking about exactly?" the Ectonurite inquired.

"One of us besides myself knows exactly who I'm talking about," Eon replied. "He's encountered her once before."

Vilgax became silent as he listened to the Chronian.

"Interesting," the Ectonurite said in fascination. "To think that this world would have a counter for such a threat. I would like to know who it is, but that is not important right now. Progress on my part has progressed smoothly. "

"That reminds me. In regards to the plan, we have a problem developing. Melona has willingly aligned herself with the Bloody Hunter," Eon pointed out in a calm manner. "However, there is also a silver lining in this."

The time traveler paused to make sure that at least the alien ghost was paying attention.

"The Swamp Witch isn't pleased with what has been going on lately. She has been losing key servants one after another. If any of us, Tennyson included, weren't here, she wouldn't be in such a situation," the Chronian continued. "Undermining the Swamp Witch has been part of my own personal plans from the very beginning, although I haven't done much in that regards, thanks to both versions of Tennyson. She is now in a vulnerable position where her plans will be easily ruined should she fail to regain control of Melona."

"What about the Queen?" Vilgax spoke up, becoming interested in the conversation.

"The Queen is a lot more difficult. As I've formed an agreement with her, I cannot use the same tactics. The only leverage I can possibly have is knowing where her sister is," the time traveling alien confessed. "However, the current queen is not the one I am concerned about. It's the next one… She will be a formidable adversary once becoming queen. Apparently the Bloody Hunter already has taken action to ensure that he has control of some kind in the future…"

The three aliens fell silent as Eon looked at the purple device strapped to his wrist.

"Vilgax, you've actually did well, however, we must switch tactics. Tennyson will likely expect you to attack again." the Chronian replied

"So, who do you think shall be next then?" the towering warlord asked while clenching his fists.

"I think I shall send Animo next," Eon said with a smirk. "Besides, he is perfect for furthering Ben's torment. But still, I can't help but wonder how you were able to persuade him into letting you use some of his mutants, Vilgax."

"I don't need to tell you, Chronian." the alien warlord replied curtly.

"You're right, you don't need to." the time traveling alien replied calmly. "Animo already expressed both his anger and thanks towards you for what happened to his swarm. While he is angry for the fact that you lost all of them, he is pleased with the data that was collected."

"What is that human planning exactly? From what you've told us, he is a brilliant, yet simple minded human, obsessed with only one goal," Zs'skayr asked. "How does he play into our plan?"

Eon only smirked.

"He is quite important actually." he replied. "As for his given role, I can't indulge on such information at this time, unfortunately. It's a precaution to prevent our alliance to fall apart. I will fill you both in when it's time."

Nyx kept a careful eye on the fish she was cooking near the open flame while the rabbit carcasses were being cooked above it with a makeshift spit made out of a tree branch that was debarked by Stella. She prided herself in her talent of creating delicious meals with simple ingredients, one that was convenient when in the outdoors where ingredients can be scarce.

Despite focusing her attention to the fire, the woman couldn't help but feel the sense that something or someone was watching her from above. It wasn't a threatening presence, but it didn't make any effort to hide either.

"Umm… Stella, do you think we're being watched?" Nyx asked the Gal Monster.

The blonde, who was sparing with Echidna, blocked a strike from above with the tip of her blade.

"Too busy right now…" she replied before forcing the mercenary's peculiar sword back.

Echidna however leaped back and ceased her attack while lowering her weapon.

"There is another presence here," she said in a serious tone.

The Gal Monster frowned as she stared at the elf.

"I guess the cat's out of the bag," a voice said from a tree above them. "Oh well, things happen."

Stella looked upwards as she heard the voice.

"Great… It just had to be the harpy," she said bitterly upon noticing who took off from the tree and was now flying above everyone's heads. "What the hell do you want, Puia!?"

The Bloody Hunter looked at Melona as he grasped the door handle. The pair were covered in dried blood, neither paying much attention to that.

"You all set?" the brunet asked.

"Yep. Now it's time to get down to business," the slime replied while holding up the severed head of the lord, whose face was frozen in fear and agony.

The Bloody Hunter nodded as he opened the door, coming face to face with a servant girl who stared at the pair for a moment before focusing upon the head that Melona held.

"Boo." the teen said sarcastically, causing the servant to snap out of her shock.

A bloodcurdling scream filled the air as the young woman ran for her life while alerting the guards in the process.

"Showtime!" the future Ben said as a sadistic grin formed on his face. He reached for the red broadsword that stood near the doorway before activating the weapon, exposing the chainsaw blade hidden within it.

One of the guards came forward with a poleax in hand.

"What's going on… MY LORD!" he cried out upon seeing the head. He lowered his weapon and got into a fighting stance. "What have you two done?!"

"Nothing much, just fulfilling my end of my contract." The Bloody Hunter said casually, stepping to the side before Melona fired an acid bullet from her left breast.

The guard screamed in pain as his flesh melted away as soon as the projectile connected with his face. Within seconds, the man collapsed to the ground, his face dissolved to the point that the skull was exposed while a gory soup seeped out of the nostrils and eye sockets.

"We have two objectives here, the first is to secure the castle and deliver the head to Lord Vance. The second is to find that obese little bastard. He has to be here. I'll handle finding the fat blob. You kill anyone who stands in the way however you like, Melona."

"Music to my ears!" the slime said eagerly as a sadistic grin formed on her face. "May I borrow that sword of yours?"

The Bloody Hunter smirked and casually tossed the sword to his partner. Melona grinned as she caught the sword by the handle as the blade dug into her flesh.

"Oooo… I didn't know it vibrated. It feels sooo… gooood…" the slime moaned as she held the blade handle, reveling in the arousing rhythm of the vibrations that the sword gave off.

"Hyper vibration crystals. Gotta love them." the teen said as his smirk grew.

Haven't done this kind of thing in over a year. Man, talk about nostalgia…

After losing my family, I still did the whole hero gig for the next two months… but it wasn't the same… Vilgax dying at my hand sickened me to the bone, and for some reason, it still does. Every time I fought, it reminded me of them… we were a team that always won in a fight. And we were inseparable.

The Bloody Hunter watched as a small group of guards came into view, all armed to the teeth. He noticed for one, it was quite literally with the dagger he held with his mouth.

However, when the Incurseans invaded, everything changed. I tried to save everyone, but it happened once again… Grandpa was executed by that fatass emperor to set an example for the human race. I guess that was when I finally broke. I never enjoyed killing till then. Unlike Vilgax, which was simply me ripping his head off, I made sure the fucker really suffered. Burning his eyes out with acid as Shiftlash, breaking every bone in his arms as Four Arms, then ripping his legs off as Dinostrike. Afterwards, I impaled his fat ass as Speedspike and finally feasting on his guts as Wildmutt while he was still barely alive.

Melona charged forward, tossing the head to the boy as he caught it without looking. The slime turned her hands into blades before swinging them, leaving a path of death and gore in her wake.

I allowed the frogs to leave after I made Attea swear to answer my call whenever I needed her as well as to never attack Earth I returned home, I was welcomed as Ben 10 the Hero. However, I didn't care about that anymore.

The fame didn't matter. The publicity had no form of satisfaction towards me. However, when I tortured that Incursean, I never felt such joy felt so liberating. People say revenge only brings despair after you achieve it were wrong. While I felt bad for killing again, it wasn't anything near as bad as it was with Vilgax. It left me completely satisfied actually. I was also celebrated for being a murderer… although no one except for Gwen and Attea knew that.

However, that satisfaction also birthed that budding desire to be bathed in blood once again.

At first I could control it, but that urge soon overwhelmed me… My first victim of the bloodlust was a simple bank robber. After that, I began to leave a trail of corpses behind me. I originally tried to resist it, but soon gave in as soon as I felt the man shot me in the shoulder as Shiftlash.

That form always intensified the urges whenever I was him… It was like Shiftlash himself was trying to encourage me to do such things. Now that I think about it, I also was more aggressive. This isn't like Ghostfreak, but it makes me wonder if something's up with that form…

Focus, man, you have a job to do… last thing I need to happen is that other alternate version of me showing up… Fighting him once during the Time War was bad enough. To think he not only mastered the Ultimatrix, but has managed to augment it so he can utilize the powers of multiple forms at once.

Ultimate Shiftlash with the speed of Ultimate Speedspike and the Strength of Four Arms…

Damn it! Stop thinking and get your ass into gear, Blood! You can't let them succeed.

With that, the Bloody Hunter snapped into action, running through the slaughterhouse of a hallway as his comrade kept the guards' attention upon herself, allowing the teen to slip away unnoticed to a lower level.

"Now, where will you be hiding at, goblin?" he said out loud while going down a spiraling stairwell. "You have something that I want."

I must weaken the Swamp Witch in any and all ways possible… Remove her control over her elite. Diminish the size of her army as much as I can. Prevent her from killing that damned Wes. Perhaps I can even free her… As well as keeping her from dying…

Once he arrived at the bottom, he stopped to open up a portal, in which he placed both hands into before pulling out a pair weapons.

"Been a while since I've used these," he noted.

The sword in his left hand was a blue version of the chainsaw sword that he lent to Melona while his right hand clutched a katana. The Bloody Hunter twirled both blades nimbly before he smiled.

"Prepare yourself Dogura… I am going to relish bathing in your blood after I carve your carcass into a mask for me to wear."

Airi and Gwen watched as Nanael left without saying another word, not wanting to be involved with the wraith any further.

"Talk about being high and mighty..." Gwen said dryly. "Hope I don't ever see her again."

"Agreed." the inhuman maid said with a sigh. "I won't be surprised if she becomes a fallen angel for that demeanor of hers."

"So, how long has it been since you first met Ben?" the redhead asked. "I don't recall you telling me how long you've known him for"

"It has been almost a month since I've first met him," Airi replied. "As you recall, I haven't seen him in a long time."

"Hold up… did you just say a month?! Ben's been gone for almost two where I came from!" Gwen interjected.

Airi fell silent as she heard the young girl's remark.

What did she mean by that? the wraith thought to herself.

A flash of light caught the attention of both girls, causing them to turn around to see a newcomer.

"It's simple actually, time in Gwen's world moves faster than here," he explained. "Basically, if a year passed here, two-and-a-half years will go by there. "

The pair were confused for a moment before they recognized who it was.

"Ben?" they asked in questioned unison.

The Bloody Hunter chuckled as he leaned against Elina's spear with a smirk. His blindfold was a dark green while wearing a regal looking green cloak stained with blood. The back of his cloak had the Omnitrix emblem embroidered in glistening gold thread.

"Close, but wrong." another voice said coldly.

The redheads turned around to see another one standing behind them, this one wielding the Queen's sword. He wore a brown tattered cloak, while his lower face was covered by a black scarf with tattered tails that reached the back of his waist. It was impossible see his emotions as his ebony eyes showed nothing but indifference.

The blindfolded Ben was the one who spoke next.

"You sure have the most impeccable timing, Gwen. I've been waiting for you to arrive." he said in a lustful manner while licking his lips.

Airi immediately summoned her scythe and glared at the first one.

"Who are you?" she demanded while shifting glances between the Bloody Hunters.

"We are one and the same. We were once called Ben Tennyson, but we are only pieces of him after the Omnitrix was destroyed while using Overclock. My brother and I are born from that," Blindfold explained calmly. "I am the Sanguine Slayer. My brother is known as the Demon Breaker."

The Demon Breaker began to chuckle as he got into a fighting stance, his emotionless eyes soon lighting up with maniacal excitement.

"Can I have the wraith?" Breaker asked eagerly.

"Of course,Breaker." his twin replied casually with a smirk. "It will be fun breaking you both into our playthings, after I take care of business first."

The Sanguine Slayer held up his left arm, revealing his Ultimatrix before activating it.

In a flash of light, both Gwen and Airi were in shock at what form the Slayer became. Smirking at them was Way Big.

"The time has finally come for everyone to know that a new power has arrived," the Toku'star declared before looking up towards the sky and shouted as loud as he could. " We stand above all! Mortals, Demons, and even the Gods!"

"Oh man… we are in so much trouble," Gwen said while hiding behind Airi's back.

"That is a quite the understatement," the wraith added before another flash caught their attention.

"You got that right!" a crazed looking green Shiftlash said while brandishing his sword. His outfit was similar to the others, but instead had a black headband in addition to it.

"As it has been for as long as people can remember, the Queen's Blade has allowed only women to participate!" Way Big continued. "However, this will change! This Queen's Blade shall become a fight for the future that ANYONE can take part in! Many of you have heard stories of unusual individuals, like the infamous Deceiving Youth for example. I am one of them, known as the Sanguine Slayer! I shall crush all who attempt to stand in my way in forging the path for the future Eternal King!"

He then looked up at the sky.

"Eon, I know you're listening as well, and I'm calling you and all your friends out as well."

"So… The gauntlet has finally been thrown," Paradox said solemnly as he heard the challenge.

"What's going on exactly?" a female's voice asked in confusion.

"A fight to decide the fate of this world's future, Your Majesty," the Time Walker replied humbly.

A voluptuous girl laid on her belly nude on top a stone alter as a mummy was giving her a massage.

Her short black hair stood out in the room that was lit by torches as her blue eyes focused upon Paradox.

"I see… but would it affect my plans to rebuild Amara?" the resurrected princess of Amara, Menace asked.

"I'm afraid so. If you don't partake in it, all your efforts will go to waste," Paradox said solemnly before making his voice more positive. "However, should you win, restoring your nation to its former glory will be very easy."

Menace paused to contemplate while kicking her legs slightly.

Converse Corner of Randomness

Heh, quite a few bombshells this time around.

I apologize for not having Menace's debut be what a lot of you were expecting, but at least I kept my word. She's going to be more prominent next chapter, so don't chew my ass out just yet.

Also, for those who didn't get it, the chapter title is a play on Amara and the phrase "Aww, man" .

Now, I will confirm that Ben's ninth form is in fact Way Big. As I said before, I won't be using aliens who are overpowered like Alien X. However, I realized something regarding Way Big that doesn't make him as overpowered as some of you would think him to be. What it is exactly, I won't say one bit what it is, but I'm not talking about the weak point.

Now, on to the questions. Note that these were asked in a PM. They are not copied word for word, nor were directly asked as a question.

Q:What's your favorite Ben 10 alien?

A: Rath. He is as entertaining for me to write with as it is to watch.

Q: Will we be seeing other Ben 10 protagonists in Misplaced Hero?

A: Besides Paradox and Gwen, I never really had planned on involving any other characters like Rook or Kevin (UAE era).

Q: How many Bens are there going to be?

A: That's tricky to answer. All the Bens who showed up so far are all technically the same person from the same timeline, just different points. I don't plan on having any more showing up. Four of them will be more than enough.

Q: Are you going to be using Rebellion characters?

A: If you all noticed, two have been referenced, but no physical debuts will occur for a good while still.

That'll be all for this chapter. Please keep up the continued support, especially the reviews.

Till Next time!