Ben 10 and RWBY crossover
Omni: the shapeshifter of Remnant.
Authors note: Hey guys and girls! I was surprised at how many of you still reviewed, and still liked the story. Thanks for the suggestions and I was quite surprised at many of them. I hope the story is holding up to expectations and I hope that I threw a few wrenches. They didn't hit anyone, did they? Welp, I hope you enjoy the 11th installment of Omni. Thanks for reading, and I apologize in advance for any and all grammar, spelling mistakes. Let's get on with the show!
Chp 11: Tears in reality, the battle, and radiation.
"Person or creature speaking."
'Person or creature thinking.'
Ben stares at Ishmael for a few seconds and blinks. He turns to his left and the other Marshalls nod at him and Ben answers. "The White Fang?" Eleonora looks to Toba and Toba glances at her. "You know of them?"
"Yeah. I've had some small scuffles with them since I've arrived in this universe." Ben remarks and Kho scoffs lightly. Toba nods and taps the table. Blue lines run through it and a 3D map of the island forms on it. Ben looks at it and Jeralk puts his hand through a mountain and swipes it to the left. The map moves, and within a few seconds a series of buildings come into view. Ben looks at it, his eyes scanning the buildings. They land on a familiar symbol and he looks up at the marshals. Actaeon nods, gills flaring. "That my friend is a White Fang Base of Operations. And it's been an annoyance for the last time."
Anne grins a little and looks at Ben, tongue lashing at her lips. "What my fishy friend is trying to say is that the White Fang have been a thorn in our side for too long, and we wish to relocate them to a new home." Jeralk smacks her head and she glares at him. "Quit that, you blue haired baboon!"
Jeralk grins at her and smacks her head again. She kicks him in the shin causing him to curse. He smacks her again, and she kicks him again. This continues before a cartoon style cloud of smoke envelops them, and the sound of fighting echoes around the room. Toba sighs and looks at Ben.
"Ignore the idiots Ben. The White Fang have been around on the island for a few months and in the beginning, they didn't do anything of great harm or interest…"
"But something happened, causing them to become a literal base." Ben interrupts and Toba nods. "Exactly right. They went from a simple supply depot to a full blown military base in under a week. It wasn't of immediate concern, so we ignored it."
Ben raises an eyebrow and Klaus raises his zipper. "Let me guess it came back and bit you in the ass?" Toba grumbles and crosses his arms. The other Marshals laugh lightly and Toba sighs. "The White fang are doing something on this island. And we need to stop it."
"Okay. But why do you need me?" Ben asks and Toba smirks lightly. "Before you came along, our plan was to launch an attack on their base, and if possible, take it for our own purposes. You appearing, and with the various accounts of your heroism, give us an extra look on it."
Kho scoffs a little and looks at Ben. "Will you help us human?" Ben looks down at Klaus and the magical bag shrugs. Ben looks up at the expectant gaze of the Marshals and scratches his head. "Boy, oh boy…What did I get myself into…" he mutters. Toba sensing his apprehension, remarks. "The attack is planned to happen in 2 days. If you wish to think on it, you may. Just give us your answer before the attack launches."
Ben nods. "Thanks." Toba waves him off and motions to Eleonora. She nods and pulls a small chip from her pocket. "This is the information we have on the White Fang base. Have a look at it, and if possible, give some insight on it." Ben grabs it from her hand, his thumb rubbing over the smooth metal and nods. The door opens behind Ben, and 2 droids walk in. Their frames were bulky. A large chest accounts for their torsos and long arms with five digits grasp. Their legs were large, wires running down, and their feet were large and slanted. Rectangular heads stare at Ben with light blue optics, and Ben, nervously waves at them. (They are the robots from Black Ops 3. The GRUNTS.)
"These guys will escort you to your room. When you make a decision, come and find one of us."
Ben nods and turns around, the droids moving out of the way and following him out of the room. Ben looks behind him, and watches as the door closes and the guards at the entrance stand at attention. Klaus chitters a little and Ben looks at him. He follows Klaus's zipper, and his eyes widen when Caroline runs around the corner. The two droids whir and step in front of Ben, legs and arms ready to move. Ben pats their arms and moves past them, grunting when Caroline barrels into him. She hugs him, and squeals lightly as Klaus jumps on her head. Ben chuckles lightly and pats her head, causing her to lean into the touch.
The droids stand, and move behind Ben, heads scanning the room. Ben looks at them, and asks. "What are you guys called?" The droids look at each other and the one on the right answers. The voice was male, and was surprisingly soft. "My designation is Cott. And my twin goes by the name Satel. We are Basic Infantry and Guard droids and we are pleased to be in your service."
Ben grins a little and nods. "Nice to meet you Cott, and Satel." Cott and Satel looked almost identical. The only difference was that Cott had a light blue line running on the right side of his body, and Satel had a yellow line running down his left side. Ben looks at them, and a question mark appears above his head. His eyes widen for a second and he points at the Coot and Satel. "Do you guys know of any material that can cause interference on this island?"
Satel looks at Cott and Cott looks at Satel, before they return their attention to Ben. Cott begins. "You are probably experiencing the effects of Mag dust." Ben blinks a little and asks. "Mag dust?" Satel nods.
"Magnetic dust or otherwise nicknamed Mag dust, is a combination of Lightning dust that has grown in deposits of metal ore. During this process, the electric energy of the Lighting dust melds with the metallic ore causing it to be electrically magnetized and with ample time, the two merge together. Mag dust, as its names suggests, has magnetic properties, which is a useful ability. We use it for scrap collection, and other things but it has one glaring weakness. It tends to cause electromagnetic interference, which is detrimental to most technologies without proper shielding. That is the most probable cause for the interference you experienced."
Ben nods a little and grabs his chin. He ducks when Caroline jumps over him, chasing a hopping Klaus, who at some point detached from Bens side. Cott and Satel stare at her and Ben looks at them. "Where can we find some Mag Dust?"
Cott answers as Satel grabs Klaus and holds him out of Caroline's reach. "It's everywhere on this island. You can procure some from the local market. We shall fetch some for you and send it to your room, along with proper shielding for vehicles and weapons." Ben grins.
"Thanks!"
Cott nods and Satel hands Klaus to Caroline, who glares at him. Satel shrugs, whirring at her and looks back at Cott and Ben. The 2 were smirking slightly, or in Cotts case, eyes flashing a light green. Satel rubs the back of his head, metal whirring, and Caroline glares at Ben for a few seconds. Cott turns to Ben and jerks his head to the right. "Come on. Your room is around this corner."
Ben nods and follows Cott, smiling lightly when Satel jogs past him to join his brother, Caroline walks next to him, head tilted to the side peering at him. He smiles and pats her head, grinning when she squeals in happiness. He stops and Klaus chitters from Caroline's hands, zipper pointing at Cott and Satel. They were standing near a door, waiting for them to catch up. They shrug lightly, and jog to them. Cott hands Ben a small key card, and says. "This is your room and this is your key card. Don't lose this; it's a pain to replace." Ben nods and grabs it. Cott starts walking away, Satel following. They turn around and wave, Caroline mimicking the action. Ben swipes the key card, smiling as the door flashes green and opens. He walks in, and runs his hand along the wall. He finds a small button and pushes it, blinking when lights flash into existence. He whistles lowly at the room and looks at the interior.
His eyes widen and a low whistle escapes his lips. The room was well furnished, new furniture shining brightly, and he looks around. Caroline dashes past him, and jumps on the nearby bed, bouncing with glee. He shakes his head, chuckles and slips off his shoes. The rooms' soft tan carpet tickles his feet and he glances down at Klaus. The magical bag was looking around the room, his button eyes darting across his face and he grins at the room. He jumps from Ben's waist, causing Ben to jump slightly, and bounds onto the now visible kitchen floor. Ben chuckles when Klaus hits the tiled floor and slides into the wall. Klaus chitters in pain and Ben laughs before walking into the kitchen. The new fridge shined brightly, and a small stove stood a few feet away, ready to be used. Ben looks at Klaus and comments. "Took the corner a little fast?"
Klaus groans in response and Ben shakes his head, grin betraying his true thoughts. He turns around and slumps onto the nearby couch, sinking into the soft confines, groaning in delight. Caroline joins him, vaulting the couch and landing with a thump. Ben glances at her and sighs, Caroline copying and silence reigns. They both jump when a small 'beep' is heard and they look at the door. The wall near the door was shifting and a small rectangular compartment appears. Ben looks at Caroline and shrugs. He walks over to the compartment and blinks when a small black crystal falls into it. He picks it up and studies the crystal. It was vibrating lightly, and thick black miasma fills the air.
The Omnitrix beeps and Ben looks at it. He deadpans when the small metal arms extend and grab the crystal. They pull and Ben lets go of it. He watches as one of the metal arm hover above the crystal and split into smaller tendrils. He jumps when the tendrils jab into the crystal and he looks at it. He blanches when the crystal starts to melt, and watches with morbid curiosity as the other arms absorb the black slurry. The arms finish absorbing the slurry and retreat back into the Omnitrix, causing it to beep. "Source of Interference found. Acquisition of material and creation of security measures completed. Estimated time until completion: 1 hour."
Ben stares at the Omnitrix and turns to Caroline. She shrugs, her secondary arms scratching her stomach. He sighs lowly and returns to the couch. "I hope they have some decent movies or TV shows.." Klaus agrees with a small trill. Caroline blinks and her eyes widen when a large holographic screen appears. Ben chuckles a little and grabs the remote. He looks up and wonders. 'I hope the others are okay…'
Back with Jaune and Ruby. (7 hours difference between them and Ben.)
Jaune sighs into his hands and Ruby pats his back. They were in Beacons communal Garden. It was a beautiful place, green trees growing wildly, yet still trimmed. Flowers followed the winds caresses, and students lazed around, some in the shade others in the warm sun. Eleanor runs past them, laughing happily as Nora chases her. He looks up and smiles lightly as he watches the little Necrofriggians hover around a sleeping Ren. He nearly bursts into laughter when one of them sneezes, covering Ren in frost. The sleeping gunman shoots up and looks around, confusion on his face. "What happened?"
Jaune loses it, cackling madly, his fist thumping the ground. Ruby was in a slightly better position, giggling into her hands. They all blink when a giggle comes from the right, and Pyrrha walks out of the woods. Jaune raises a hand in greeting, and she returns it. She blinks, red hair stopping in place and giggles when a laughing Eleanor dashes under her legs. Nora vaults over her and Pyrrha gives chase, laughing merrily.
Ruby takes a seat next to Jaune and nudges his side. He turns to look at her and she grins at him before saying. "You like her, don't you?" Jaune sputters and she laughs, hair bouncing. He glares at her and shakes his head. "I don't know. I mean, I like her but not in that way. But with the recent activities, my feelings have started to change."
"In a good way or a bad way?" Ruby asks. Jaune shakes his head. "That's the issue. I don't know." She pats his back and he slumps. He stands up, causing Ruby to peer at him curiously, and walks over to a nearby tree. He grabs it, leans back, and head butts it. Rubies mouth drops open in shock, and watches as he does this. He stops after the third hit and returns to the bench, body dropping into it with a 'thunk'.
"You okay?" Ruby asks, silver eyes alit with worry. Jaune nods. "I tried beating the idiot out of me. It didn't work." She raises an eyebrow and decides to pull up another subject. "Have you given any thought to what weapon type you want to find?"
Jaune groans. "I have but it's hard to decide." Ruby agrees. It's hard to find a weapon that fits. Especially for one of Jaunes stature. While in appearance, Jaune didn't look very large but in reality, he was the largest in their group of friends. He was the tallest, Pyrrha being in 2nd and only a few inches under him. His sweater covered his budding muscles, and while he looked scrawny, he was quite solid. Pyrrha could attest to this, as when he lands a successful hit during their sparring, it tended to leave a fairly large bruise.
He turns to her, rising to his full height, and Ruby couldn't help but release a small 'eep'. She was the shortest in their group and yet when stood next to Jaune, he was 2 heads above her in height. She wouldn't want to be on his bad side, if he ever got angry. She shakes out of her stupor, when Jaune snaps his fingers.
"What?" Ruby asks and Jaune laughs. "Still a scatterbrain eh, little rose?" She glares at him, and punches his arm, frowning when he didn't move from it. He speaks, ducking slightly when a ball passes over his head courtesy of Nora. "As I was saying, before you went off to Candy land, was that I narrowed down the list."
Ruby grins a little and jumps in her seat. "Sensational! What did you narrow it down to?" Jaune laughs lightly as Ruby seemed to vibrate with excitement, her silver eyes twinkling with thoughts. He reaches into his back pocket and pulls out a neatly folded piece of paper, and he unfolds it. He glances at it for a few seconds before handing it to the excited reaper. He glances at Pyrrha, smiling softly when she trips and lands on a vibrating Nora. He is pulled from the sight when Ruby grabs his shirt sleeve and tugs. "Jaune?"
"Yeah Rubes?" He replies and glances at her. She looks at him, eyes confused. "These are all Heavy weapons. Why?"
Jaune grunts a little when his shoulders crack, and looks at her. "I've never liked small weapons. Crocea, despite its appearance is quite heavy, and I tend to fumble with anything lighter than it. So, I took a leap of faith.." Ruby glances at him, and she releases a breath. She grabs her head and shakes it. "Heavy weapons are easy to find, but hard to buy. The only store in Vale that sells a large collection of heavy weapons is a day trip from here, and is known for their expensive prices."
Jaune slumps forward, groaning an 'Aw man' and he looks at her. They both jump when a quiet voice comes from behind them. "What seems to be the issue, Mr. Arc, Miss Rose?" They turn and stare with wide eyes at Headmaster Ozpin. He raises his coffee mug and sips from it, his eyebrow raised. "Well?"
They shake out of their daze and Ruby answers. "It's nothing sir." Jaune nods his head in agreement and Ozpin smiles lightly. "It must be something if my favorite leaders are down and out." Jaune glances at Ruby and she shrugs. He slaps his head and answers.
"I'm trying to find a new weapon. A ranged one if possible and I lean toward heavy weapons, due my size and strength. But Ruby told me the closest store that specializes in heavy weapons, is at least a day travel and are known for their expensive prices. So, there goes that idea.."
Ruby pats Jaunes back and Ozpin hums in thought. "A worry, if anything. I shall lend a hand."
They stare at the headmaster, mouths slightly open and eyes wide. He notices and smirks lightly. "Unless the help isn't welcome?" They shake their heads frantically. "No! The help is welcomed." Ozpin smiles and nods. "Excellent."
The headmaster reaches around his green sash, and displays a small card. He hands it to Jaune, and Jaune grabs it. He peers at the card curiously, reading the artistic title. "Yharms Charms and Trinkets?" Ruby glances at the card and her eyes glisten at the artistic writing. Jaune looks up at Ozpin, eye raised in confusion.
"Yharm is an old friend of mine. He is a collector of odd trinkets and items. If I remember correctly, he had quite an extensive collection of weapons. Don't let his appearance or his shops appearance fool you. He may have something that interests you." Ozpin remarks, a soft smile on his face. Jaune shrugs and looks at Ruby. She nods at him and he smiles.
"Thank you sir." Jaune says a smile on his face. Ozpin nods and Jaune sticks his hand out. Ozpin grabs it and they shake. "If you hurry, you may catch the next Bullhead to Vale." Their eyes widen and they glance at their scrolls. Jaune turns to tell Pyrrha and jumps when she stood behind him, smiling softly. "We got the kids Jaune. Go check out the man's shop."
He tears up lightly and grabs her in a hug, Pyrrha blushing from the contact. She hugs him back and he releases her saying a quick 'Thank you' before running off, a smiling Ruby dashing behind him. Nora jumps next to a smiling Pyrrha and nudges her. Pyrrha turns and snickers. Nora was covered in a thick layer of frost, and the Necrofriggian kids were trilling above her. Nora grins sheepishly, and Eleanor dashes under her legs. Nora growls a little and grabs her. Eleanor, realizing what was coming next, squirmed and screams happily when Nora gives her a noggie, careful of her ears. Ozpin smiles at the sight. Children being children.
With Jaune and Ruby
Jaune stares at the shops entrance and glances at Ruby. After a horrible Bullhead ride(For him, not Ruby.), and after countless wrong turns, they had finally found the shop. It was in an older part of Vale city, and its appearance defiantly threw them through a loop. The door was open slightly; glass cracked and frame creaking with the wind. The sign, hung from the buildings top, paint flaking and the name barely visible. The two glass windows next to door were covered with wood and seemed to be rotting. Ruby looks at Jaune.
"Are you sure this is the right place?"
Jaune nods. "Yep. This is the street and it has the same title." Ruby glances at the building and mutters. "This is sketchy." Jaune agrees. They nod at each other and Jaune walks forward. He grabs the door, and pulls it open. "Ladies first." Ruby glares at him.
"Not gonna happen."
Jaune blinks when Ruby walks in. He deadpans, and follows her, his form looming above her. The shop was odd to say the least. Dust covered the floor; cobwebs hung from the ceiling occupants long dead or moved on. What was once a counter stood to their left, covered in a white sheet, small pieces of it sprayed across the floor. Boxes upon boxes lined the floor, some of the stacks teetering on falling. Jaune walks around Ruby, and lets his voice echo. "Hello? Anybody home?"
Ruby smacks his arm. "Don't do that! Who knows what is in here." Jaune snickers at that. "Nothing we can't handle."
"Are you sure about that?" A voice echoes from behind them. They both stiffen, and turn their heads ever so slowly. A man stood in the doorway, a deep brimmed hat setting upon his head. Cold grey eyes hinted with blue stare at them behind thick glasses. A clean shaven face frowns at them, thin and yet strong. Light grey hair peeks out from under the hat. A large over coat covered thin shoulders and shiny shoes poked from the bottom and the figure raises an eyebrow. His voice, light held untold annoyance and he asked. "What are you doing in my shop?"
Neither Ruby or Jaune answer, both shaking slightly and the man growls lightly. "Well?" Jaune shakes out of his scare, and answers. "Sorry about that. My heart just left for a vacation." He reaches into his pocket and pulls out the card. The man grabs it and looks at it, eyes widening slightly and he looks at the two. "Ozpin sent you here?"
Ruby, finally calming her nerves, nods. The man looks at them for a few seconds before sighing. "Follow me." The man closes the door behind them and moves around the two teenagers, coat fluttering slightly. Jaune and Ruby glance at each other before shrugging and following. They watch as the man walks to a wall and push against it. It creaks and moans as a new door appears and he opens it, goading for them to come in. They walk in and their jaws drop at the sight enticing them.
"Sorry about the mess. I was coming back from the store." The man says while slipping off the overcoat and hat. Grey hair comes into view and they glance at him as he hangs the two accessories on a small hook. Lit candles illuminated the room, giving life to the items with it. Large treasure chests full of odd crystals cover the floor; a large display case held small skulls of indiscriminate origin, and a small counter stood near the back. Jaune looks at the room in awe. There was a full set of knight armor in the far corner, sword displayed in front and shield at the side. Small trinkets tap his heads, some reminiscent of times of old, wood and cloth decaying. The man walks behind the counter and smiles lightly. "Welcome to Yharms charms and trinkets."
Jaune walks forward and shakes the man's hand. "Thank you sir. I'm Jaune Arc and this is Ruby Rose. Headmaster Ozpin told us you can help me." Ruby waves when her name is spoken, and the man nods at them. "Nice to meet you Mr. Arc, Miss. Rose. My name is Yharm Tumoc."
Yharm stands up a little straighter and cracks his neck. "Now what do you need?" Jaune scratches the back of his head and mumbles lightly. Yharm raises an eyebrow. "Pardon?"
Ruby slaps her forehead and exclaims. "He needs a new weapon. A heavy one is possible."
Jaune blushes and Yharm blinks. "Okay." He remarks. He walks from behind the counter and waves them to follow. Ruby grins to herself and whines when Jaune smacks her head. She glares and he returns the action before following. Yharm looks at the interaction with an amused smirk and he asks. "Any particular reason why you need a heavy weapon?"
Ruby opens her mouth to answer, when Jaune slaps a hand over her mouth. He sighs and gulps lightly. "I use a sword and shield, and that puts me at a disadvantage when it comes to fighting at a distance. I can tank most things, but distance weapons are my weakness."
Yharm nods and stops. He moves a tall box out of the way, revealing racks of weapons. Large axes, rifles, shotguns, and other weapons stand on pedestals and Jaune whistles. The one thing that the weapons had in common was the size. They all were far larger than their normal counterparts, and Ruby salivates at the sight. Yharm grins at the reaction. "Go on. Have a gander at my collection. If you find something you like, come and find me."
Jaune nods his head and picks up a nearby axe, grunting lightly at the weight. Ruby grins. "Oh, we will."
30 mins later
Jaune and Ruby return to the counter, crestfallen. Yharm noticing the atmosphere asks. "Find anything worth your time?" Jaune shakes his head and leans over the counter, Ruby doing the same soon after. "I don't know what's wrong with me.."
Yharm raises an eyebrow at that. "What do you mean?"
Jaune looks up and answers. "I don't know how to explain it. The weapons were awesome and well built but they were too light. And that's the issue. When I talk about weight, I'm not speaking of physical weight but something else. I don't know any more." Ruby looks at Jaune with sad eyes and she hugs his waist, her arms rapping around. Jaune returns the gesture, albeit gently and Yharm hums a little. He taps his fingers upon the counter and a few seconds pass before he snaps his right thumb. "I got it!"
Jaune and Ruby look at him with confusion and Ruby asks. "What?"
Yharm grins a little and vaults the counter. He walks past Jaune and Ruby before dashing to a small corner. They watch as he pulls an old crate behind him, grunting from the effort. He sits it in front of them before returning to the corner to grab another crate. He sets the other crate down and looks at Jaune. "These weapons have weight." Jaune blinks at him and looks at the crates. Yharm walks away, and returns with a crowbar. He jams it into the first and pries it open. A thick cloud of dust flies up from the now opened crate and Jaune gasps at the weapon with it.
It was large. A long rectangular barrel juts out from a thin metallic frame, 5 feet in height and at least 10 inches across. Small wires run along the barrels length, some shining brightly other dull and frayed. The metal frame was in the shape of a torso, thick pieces of metal focused toward the front. A vent was located near the back of the barrel, small hoses filled with a light blue liquid, stabbing into the barrels length. Yharm coughs a little and says. "I hope this big guy can handle the 'weight' you speak of."
Jaune still dumbfounded at the weapon stares at him blankly and Ruby raises an eyebrow. "It's a cannon?" Jaune turns to her, mouth in a large grin.
"No. Not even close. This guy is a M3 Long Distance Compressed Material Gun or otherwise nicknamed…"
"The Hardballer.." Both Jaune and Yharm finish. Jaune runs his hand along its metal, dust following his hand. He stops for a few seconds when Ruby asks. "What's an M3 Long Distance Compressed Material gun?"
Jaune looks at her like she was insane. "You're the weapon nerd, and you've never heard of it?"
"Nope." Ruby answers, popping the 'p'. Yharm looks at Jaune and Jaune returns the glance. They nod and Jaune begins the tale.
"The M3 Long Distance Compressed Material gun came into service near the end of the Great War. It was developed by the Atlas Military for purposes unknown but it quickly found its way to the battlefield. The weapons works off a compression field. Material is loaded into the side compartments, and is then compressed by the Wind dust laced within the barrel. It is then fired at a rather slow velocity, but what it didn't have in speed, it had in power. A single shot, made of steel, had enough power to destroy a small town. It was later outfitted with an Altesian Energy pack, normally characterized by glowing blue tube which made it the predecessor to the weapons you find on today's Altesian mechs. It was a beast of a weapon, but one thing is bugging me."
Ruby raises and eyebrow. "And that would be?"
Jaune looks at the dust cannon and answers. "Hardballers were normally deployed on walls as siege deterrents and long range artillery. It should be triple this size…."
Yharm coughs lightly getting their attention. "I can answer that." Jaune and Ruby wave him on, and Yharm begins. "A few years ago, when I was new to the neighborhood, an old man came to greet me one day. He was old, probably fought in the Great War, and he welcomed me. We got along pretty well, and time passed. A year after meeting him, he died in his sleep, a brain aneurism." Yharm takes a calming breath and Jaune pats his shoulder. Yharm nods in thanks and continues.
"He left something for me in his will. He called it 'his greatest achievement and failure'. Apparently, he was an old Mech driver and he carried a Hardballer. After the Great war, he retired and brought the weapon home with him. He was a mechanic at heart, and so he started tinkering with the Hardballers. He wanted to make a portable, infantry version and as he put it 'something to make the Grimm wet themselves.'"
Jaune bows his head in silence and Ruby sniffles slightly. "Sounds like he was one hell of a man." Jaune comments. Yharm nods his head a soft smile on his face. "He was. After 70 years of failure after failure, he finally perfected it. And the end result is sitting in front of you."
Jaune looks at it and grabs the barrel. He grunts lightly and lifts, the cannon groaning slightly. He stands the cannon up and wipes away the dust, marveling at the black shine. "What'd he change?"
Yharm looks at it and answers. "It fires the users Aura." Jaune stops his rubbing and turns to him. "Can you repeat that?"
"It fires the users Aura."
"Again."
"It fires the users Aura."
"Once more."
"IT FIRES THR USERS AURA!" Yharm screams at Jaune. Ruby giggles at his face and Jaune nods, stupefied. Jaune looks at it in awe. This cannon had the very ability to fire a person's souls as a projectile, something that was considered impossible. He cups his chin in confusion. Why did the man consider it a failure? Yharm sensing his question decides to elaborate. "You're probably wondering why he called it a failure?"
Jaune nods his head 'yes' and Ruby copies him. Yharm answers. "Consumption."
"Consumption?" Jaune and Ruby ask. Yharm walks over to the weapon and kicks it. Jaune grabs the weapon as it started to fall and glares at Yharm. The man waves it off, grey hair bouncing lightly and he explains.
"The weapon works. There's no doubt about that but the issue was in the amount of aura needed to fire it. The weapon gains the aura through small tubes that insert into the users body. When the wielder wants to fire it, the aura is then manipulated into a condensed shell and launched. The jargon used to explain it went over my head, but the old man learned something. The only way for this weapon to be remotely effective on the battlefield, is for someone with a large and deep aura reserve to have it."
Jaune looks at it, thoughts reeling. 'Pyrrha said that I had a large amount of aura, but is it enough to fire?' He looks at the cannon and nods his head. "How much?" He asks. Yharm blinks at him. "Pardon?"
"How much will it cost me to buy this?" Jaune clarifies. Ruby looks at him and does a double take. His blue eyes had hardened into cold sapphires and his jaw was clinched his face hard. This was the leader of team JNPR, and he was growing into the job. She beams at him and he nods at her, his eyes staring at Yharm. Yharm looks at Jaune and nods lightly.
"500 lien."
Jaune and Ruby look at him in shock. "Really?" Yharm nods and kicks the second box. The lid pops open and he lifts it open revealing its contents. Large shells line the box, each stacked with care but covered in dust and dirt. Jaune looks at Yharm and raises an eyebrow. Yharm noticing his confusion, turns to him, ignoring Ruby when she picked up a shell and blew the dust away. "500 lien for the cannon, and…..250 for the shells."
Jaune grabs his chin in thought. '500 for the cannon is fairly cheap, and the shells are normally priced. 750 lien is a decent buy, and we do have Bens card. Oh what the hell…'
"I'll take it." Yharm nods and they shake hands. Jaune follows the man to the counter and pays the appropriate amount. Yharm smiles lightly when the transaction ends and nods at Jaune. "Thank you for your business."
Jaune grins to himself and walks over to the cannon. He lifts is from the ground and looks at it. "How do you use this thing?" Yharm walks over and Ruby looks at them as they look at it. Yharm looks at it and blinks. "Hand it to me." Jaune does and Yharm grunts from the weight. "Show me your back." Jaune turns around and Yharm struggles to lift it. Ruby dashes over and helps. The cannon is lifted to the middle of Jaunes back and Yharm pushes a small button near the back.
With a metallic groan the cannon jerks lightly. The cannons barrel extends to a staggering 8 feet, and four metallic arms shoot out of its body. They slither around Jaunes shoulders, and around his chest before joining in the middle. The morph into a thick metal plate and vibrate lightly before falling silent. Yharm and Ruby release a gasp when the weight of the cannon disappears and they look at Jaune. He was looking behind him, blue eyes sparkling at the cannon and he turns around. He grunts when the extra weight throws him off and he stumbles toward them.
He catches himself, and looks at them. "How does it feel?" Ruby asks. Jaune shakes a little the cannon following his movements and he grins at her. "It feels…..like I found an old friend."
Her eyes sparkle and she dashes around him, voice spouting out praises for the design. Jaune looks at the red blur dashing around him and he grabs her by the hood. She 'eeps' when he hugs her and she returns it soon after. He turns to Yharm, careful as the cannons barrel was near the ceiling and he asks.
"Do you mind?"
Yharm pushes the same button and the cannon shrinks back to it's compact form. Jaune nods in 'thanks' and walks over to the box containing the shells. He bends down and grabs the boxes edges. He lifts, surprised at how little the shells weighed. He shifts one of the boxes to his shoulder and turns to Yharm and Ruby. They were staring at him in surprise, eyes wide and eyebrows raised. Jaune blinks at them. "What?"
"How are you doing that?" Ruby asks, silver eyes filled with awe. Jaune looks at them and then to the shells. He points at them and Ruby nods. "I picked them up?" Yharm shakes his head. "Not that. How are you able to pick them up?"
Jaune looks at them, a dull look on his face. "What do you mean?" Yharm clarifies. "Those shells weight 5 pounds each and there are 50 of them in that box. That is a total of 250 pounds, and that's not counting the cannon."
Jaunes eyes widen and he looks at the box of ammunition. He drops them and flinch lightly at the deep resounding smack they make. He looks at his hands and turns them around, his blue eyes wide and questioning. 'That's not normal…'
An hour later
Jaune and Ruby wave to Yharm as they walk away from the store. Jaune shifts the weight of the cannon and grunts when Ruby elbows him in the side. He looks at her and raises an eyebrow. "When did you get so strong?" Ruby questions and Jaune shakes his head. "I don't know really. Maybe it's apart of my semblance or maybe Pyrrha's training is finely paying off…." Ruby stares at him and reaches for his shoulder. She stops when her scroll starts to ring and she pats around her body trying to find it. Jaune looks at her as she spins in circles patting her body until she finds the ringing scroll. She finds it and looks at the caller, face brightening. "It's Ben!"
Jaune's eyes widen and he looks over her shoulder when she answers the call. The screen blinks from black to white and the frowning face of Ben greets them
"Ben!" They both exclaim. Ben jumps slightly and looks at them. He smirks at them and gives them a two fingered salute. "Yo." Jaune and Ruby look at each other and grin. Jaune looks at Ben and asks.
"How was the trip?"
Ruby glances at him, a deadpan on her face and Ben laughs a little. "Pretty good. The weather was crap though. But I did meet a new friend." They blink at each other when Ben moves the feed to the right. They stare at the black haired girl, and gasp lightly when she turns to them, 4 arms playing with Klaus. Bens voices echoes from the back. "Guys, meet Caroline. Caroline, meet Jaune and Ruby." The now named Caroline looks at the camera and leans forward, before jerking back. Ruby waves at her and Jaune smiles softly. Caroline returns the wave and returns to Klaus. The feed spins back to Ben and he smiles at it.
"She's a little freaked out but she's doing okay." His green eyes narrow at them for a second and they brighten. "Jaune? What's that on your back?" Ruby and Jaune look at each other and Jaune answers. "Well.."
10 mins later
"And that's it." Jaune finishes, Ruby nodding alongside the story. Ben smiles at them, eyes happy. "I'm happy that you found a weapon you liked." Jaune scratches the back of his head and grins. "Thanks." Ruby giggles at him and looks at Ben. "So, did you find the thing you were looking for?" Bens face brightens at the question.
"You have no idea. That transmission, led me to something new. Something I didn't expect. An underground city. An underground city full of aliens, humans, faunus, and robots. Oh it's an amazing sight.." Jaune and Ruby gain surprised looks on their faces and repeat the answer.
"An underground city…"
"Full of aliens, humans, faunus, and robots?"
Ben nods at them. "Yep. And it's not a small city either. It's probably around the same size of Vale city, but with multiple levels. But, the things they've made and the stories being told are just….awesome."
Jaune and Ruby look at each other, smiling at his happiness. Jaune chuckles. "Sounds like a nice place to visit." Ben agrees with him. "It will be.."
Ruby frowns and raises an eyebrow. "Will be?" Ben grunts lightly, and his eyes harden. "The White Fang have a base here. And they're causing the city and local grim some issues. The local military are planning an attack, and have asked for my assistance."
Jaune looks at Ben worriedly. "Are you going to help?" Ben closes his eyes and sighs, the scrolls screening flickering. "Probably. Maybe. I don't know." He looks off screen for a second and turns to them. "Sorry to cut this short but it's late and I have a big decision tomorrow. So, I'm hitting the hay."
They nod at him and say. "Have a good rest." Ben nods and the screen shuts off. Ruby tucks the scroll into her pocket and looks at Jaune. "Think he'll be okay?" she asks. Jaune hums for a second and nods. "He'll be fine. He's a super hero remember?" Ruby smiles and they walk away.
The next morning. ( Sorry about the multiple scene changes. My hands don't listen to me anymore…)
Ben groans and shifts the blankets off of his form. He opens his eyes and blinks at the darkness. 'That's odd..I thought the lights followed the clock.' Ben wonders. He turns his head, hair scratching something. He stills when the darkness seems to moan, and shift in place. He takes a whiff and blinks at the odd smell of….. salt water and lavender? He tries to sit up, but an invisible force holds him down and he struggles. After a few minutes of struggling the force disappears and he pushes away from it.
He pushed a little too hard; however, as his body slowly rolled off of the bed. He hits the floor with a 'thunk', an 'oomph' escaping his lips. He stands up, releasing small curses as he rubs his head, and turns to the bed. He stops at the sight, and his face goes from annoyed to cherry red within a few seconds. Caroline was in the bed, a happy smile on her face, and a shirt two sizes too small for her covering her chest. Ben gasps lightly when he notices his body print next to her and connects the dots. He blushes, and slaps himself. "Don't think on it Tennyson. Don't think on it.."
He looks at the clock and whistles lowly. "It's noon already? The jetlag hit hard this time…"
The chitters of Klaus is heard and Ben turns to it. He blinks when Klaus jumps from Caroline's shirt and stares at the magical bag. Klaus stares back and silence permeates the air. Ben raises an eyebrow and Klaus mimics the action. Ben shakes his head, sigh escaping his lips and he points to Klaus. "I'm taking a shower. Don't do anything damaging.."
Klaus salutes him, and hops away cackling happily. Ben shrugs, enters the bathroom, and before long, steam filters from under the door. Minutes pass, before Caroline stumbles out of the bed, eyes blinking sleepily. She rubs them, and stretches, her arms grasping open air and bones popping into places proper. She looks around the small room, head slightly tilted in confusion. Where was Ben? He was sleeping next to her, if her mind was to be trusted. She stands, her height shown and maneuvers around the room with dazed precision.
She blinks at the small amount of steam, floating above the floor and traces it back to the bathroom door. She walks over, stride long and curious. She bends slightly, and puts her ear onto the door. The sound of running water vibrates lightly through the wooden door, and she blinks when it stops. The door handle shakes lightly, and she stares when Ben walks out of it. He had his eyes closed, so he didn't know of her and walks into her. His body stops when it met hers, and she looks down at him.
He stood for a few seconds before his hand reached up and grabbed something. She squeaks and blushes lightly.
Ben hummed lightly, as he dried off his hair. He looks in the glossy mirror, and nods at his appearance before opening the door. His travel was impeded when he impacted something. He blinks at the darkness, and thinks. 'Did Klaus turn off the lights? He reaches for the sky, and jostles when his hand finds something. He grabs it and squeezes, surprised at the softness and slight fuzziness. His mind stops when he hears a small squeak. He leans his head back, and stares into Caroline's eyes. He blinks, she blinks, and a silence enters the room. Ben's brain crashes and an error message plays.
' has crashed.'
'Reboot in progress…'
'Reboot failed due to overwhelming embarrassment and horror.'
'Assistance is required. Tech support has been called..'
'Tech support has arrived. Gwendolyn Tennyson has found the solution.'
"Wake up, you doofus!"
Ben gasps and quickly backs away, face burning. He looks at Caroline, who was staring at him with a confuse face. Klaus hops into the room, and stops to stare at the scene. His cackling causes Ben to look at him and yell. "Not helping Klaus!"
Ben looks at Caroline, and calms his racing heart and raging hormones. He looks at Caroline and points to Klaus. Klaus looks up at him, and he grins evilly. "Klaus has more food." Caroline's head whips to the small magical bag, her eyes twinkling with delight. To Klaus however, those eyes promised pain and fear. So he did the only sensible thing: he released a screech so high, that it would've made a Sonarsarian jealous.
Ben winces at the scream and watches as Klaus hops out of the room, a drooling Caroline behind him. He shakes his head in amusement, and grabs a set of clothes. He sighs into the air. 'Today's going to be a long day.'
A few minutes later.
Ben walks alongside Caroline, who was happily munching on a sandwich and glances down to Klaus. The small magical bag was grinding his zipper together and Ben pats his head. Klaus glances up at him and hisses lightly and Ben shrugs in apology. He frowns lightly when the magical bag huffs and turns away. He sighs and feels Shifters hum from his back, and he turns his head to the weapon. His mind was still reeling from yesterday, and realizing Shifter could speak was adding to the depth of the reel. Shifter spoke with varying hums, vibrations, and for a reason Ben couldn't decipher, he could understand each one perfectly.
"Maybe this is an after affect from my Spark awaking…" Ben mumbles under his breath. Shifter vibrates a little and Ben sighs agitatedly. "I know. But I'm not the 'space magic' or 'natural energy of the universe' guy. That title belongs to Gwen, but she's not here."
He jumps lightly when Caroline runs past him, and he watches as she turns a corner. He slumps in defeat, and rises when an almost heavenly smell reaches his nose. "Bacon, eggs, biscuits, and…..sausage?" Ben asks. He looks around and smacks his head when he finds the reason. A sign was screwed to the wall, letters boldly proclaiming where the smell was coming from. 'Chow Hall' Ben follows the heavenly smell, pushing back a yawn, and turns the corner.
He didn't expect to a voice to call out to him when he entered. He opens his eyes, and looks around trying to find the voice. The Chow Hall was a large rectangular room, with smooth grey floors, and a plethora of tables. The tables were filled with humans, droids, aliens, and faunus, all enjoying their meals. Ben finds the voice and blinks in surprise. Jeralk was waving at him from a middle table, face grinning and hand outstretched. He calls over. "Hey Ben! Grab a plate and come sit with us!"
Ben looks around as the room goes from chatty to a dead silence, and he sweats a little. He waves at those staring and a few of them wave back. He finds Caroline standing in line, drooling at the food. He notices the absence of a plate, and grabs one for her. His green eyes twinkle when he hands it to her, and she looks at it confusedly. He grabs a few pieces of fruit, and a handful of fries. He looks at the selection and grabs a simple cheeseburger, and walks over to what looked like a modified cooler. He opens it, and ganders at the content. He shrugs and grabs a purple can of what appeared to be soda. He turns around and does a double take at Caroline. Her plate was stacked high with food, some of it running into a big mess. He blanches at her when she balances the plate with her right arms, and grabs a red can. He walks away, and sits at Jeralks table.
He looks up at the others, and shifts uncomfortably at Jeralks grin. He looks over to Eleonora and she gives him an apologetic glance and returns to her salad. He sighs and starts eating, ignoring the obvious glances pointed toward him. After a few minutes off this, Ben sighs and gives a pointed look to Jeralk. The man grins grows a little wider, and Ben has the urge to let him meet Rath. He looks down to Klaus, who was happily munching on a fry, and then turns to Caroline. He shivers lightly at the sight of Caroline devouring the food, and looks back to Jeralks.
He groans a little when Jeralk finally speaks. "Soooo…Are you going to help or what?"
Eleonora smacks Jeralks head, a satisfying 'crack' echoing slightly. She looks to Ben and apologizes. "Sorry about that Mr. Tennyson. Jeralk has very little…tact."
Ben waves her off. "It's fine. And call me Ben. Mr. Tennyson is my grandfather."
She nods at him and Ben returns his attention to Jeralk, who was still eagerly awaiting Bens answer. Ben takes a breath, his green eyes brightening and he gives his answer. "I'll help." Jeralks grin grows to his cheeks and he pumps his fist in the air. Even Eleonora seems slightly pleased with the answer, if the small smirk she had could say anything. Ben raises an eyebrow at the reactions and Eleonora explains.
"Jeralk and I had a running bet with the other Marshalls, if you would stay and help or would you just leave. We are pleased to say 'We were right.' "
Ben grumbles lightly and takes a bite of his burger, Klaus laughing from his side. Caroline makes a confused noise, and Ben pats her shoulder comfortingly. Jeralks face turns serious, and Bens feels himself straighten slightly in his seat. The look in Jeralks eye reminded Ben of a calm, fierce tiger and he couldn't help but grin in nervousness.
"The jokes aside, we are rather relieved that you are willing to help us."
Ben raises an eyebrow at that. "Why? You guys could probably take the base without me, and probably could have done it quite easily." Jeralk and Eleonora nod at his remark.
"You are not wrong. We have the man power to wipe that base from the face of this planet. We could've bombed it from low orbit, we could've released a chemical agent, hell we could've released a virus that would melt their flesh from their bones. But some things popped up and those ideas took the back burner." Jeralk explained. Eleonora takes the reins after this.
"While the ideas were compelling, the loss of life was an issue for some. And with the little information we had of this worlds happenings, we didn't want to bring attention to ourselves. We went over countless battle plans, and the only viable option in the end was an assault from the ground. There was only one thing missing: an odd variable that would be beneficial to the assault."
"And I'm that odd variable?" Ben questions. Klauss chitters with confusion from his side, and Ben pats his head in reassurance, returning his eyes to the two Marshalls in front of him. He grunts lightly in frustration, nostrils flaring uncharacteristically. Jeralk and Eleonora take a quick glance, and nod in sync. They stand from the table, jolting Ben from his quiet internal questioning and looks at them.
Eleonora looks at him and says. "Come. We have much to plan and finalize. For the battle has yet to begin, but our blood has begun to boil."
Ben looks at them and shrugs. He stands and sighs. 'I hope the group back at Beacon is having it easier.'
With the Gang at Beacon.
"Holy crap… Ruby wasn't lying when she told me that you bought a cannon." Yang remarks violet eyes wide. Jaune chuckles lightly at that and scratches the back of his head. He glances at his team as they walked around his newly bought weapon. Nora was running her hands down the barrel, 'oohing' at the smoothness. Pyrrha was studying a round from the ammo box, green eyes finding every detail.
"Yeah. It was odd at first, but after I put it on my back, everything just…worked." Jaunes voice sliding into the air like a knife, catching the attention of those around him.
Pyrrha, and Nora nod at him, agreeing wholeheartedly. "I felt the same way about Magnhild, when I first picked it up." Nora remarked, smile soft, and reminiscent. Pyrrhas voice follows behind. "I experienced the same feeling with Milo."
Jaune nods at them in appreciation, eyes softening for a few seconds before returning to their normal hardness. He walks over to the Hardballer and lifts it to his back. He shifts slightly when he feels the metal band encircle his chest and tighten. He releases a breath as he feels the cannons weight push against his spine. He looks at his friends and grins at their awed faces. Ren the ever stoic one walks forward and speaks. "It's a miracle you can even lift that thing, let alone move and fire with it."
Jaune blinks at this and deadpans. The others look on in confusion, and Ren asks. "What's wrong?"
Jaune looks at them and says. "I haven't fired it yet." The others blink at him and chuckle lightly. Yang walks up to him and punches his shoulder, satisfied when he stumbles slightly from it. Pyrrha smiles at him and speaks, her voice causing his heart to do leaps. "Then I believe a demonstration is in order."
Nora grins at the idea. "Yeah! Let's go blow some things up!"
Nora dashes off, Ren being pulled behind her, and the others laugh. Jaune grins at Pyrrha and Yang. "I'll send Ruby a message." They nod before following the dust trail of Nora.
Jaune types a quick message and puts his scroll away. He takes off in a small jog, mouth set in a small grin as he chased after the running form of Pyrrha and Yang. This was going to be a good semester. He could just feel it.
Ben brushes past a potted plant as he followed Eleonora and Jeralk. Caroline was trailing behind him, still eating from the pile of melting mish mashed food. He lets out a sigh as Eleonora and Jeralk started to talk in hushed whispers. He picks up the pace and frowns when he misses the conversation. They stop in front of the War room and enter it. Ben waves Caroline over to a nearby set of seats, and follows the 2 Marshalls into the room. He grins nervously when he enters the room, as the other Marshalls were there. Jeralk and Eleonora take their seats and Eleonora motions to a seat. Ben takes it, sweating slightly when Anne grins at him and leans forward. Her mouth opens but whatever question she was going to ask is cut off when Toba walks into the room, his flames illuminating the dark room.
He takes a sit, and his eyes widen at the sight of Ben and he waves a greeting. "Hey there Ben! Make your decision yet?"
Ben glances at the other Marshalls and gulps lightly at their curious gazes. He takes a breath and nods. "I'll help with the operation." The room feels with silence and Toba smiles. "Outstanding!" The Pyronite turns to the other Marshalls and points to Actaeon.
"When can your divers be ready?"
Actaeon flares his gill and answers. "By the morn." Toba points to Ishmael. Ishmael raises his head and answers. "My troops can be ready by midnight." Toba turns to Kho and Anne, flames brightening. The Tetramand grins and slams his fists together. "The Hell dogs are ready to rip and tear." Anne copies Kho's grin and leans back in her chair. "My Panzers will be ready within the hour."
Toba grins at their answers, and looks to Eleonora and Jeralk. Jeralk sighs and says. "It's a pain but my bombers shall be in the air by the morn." Eleonora nods, a small smile upon her face. "My dancers are ready to deploy when ordered."
Toba stands up and slams his large fists onto the table. "This operation is a 'go' people! Get your troops ready, your weapons loaded, and your morals high. It's time for the White Fang to take a hike."
The Marshalls roar and agreement, and Ben stares at them with wide eyes. He looks down at Klaus, the magical bags grin a little wider and he looks up at them. He coughs slightly and asks. "Are we going 'lethal' or 'non-lethal'?"
The Marshalls turn to him, and Toba nods at the question. "Lethal. The White Fang won't be using non-lethal methods, and so we shall not." Ben frowns at that and stands. "I'll help. But don't expect me to kill unless I have too."
Toba and the Marshalls nod, and Ben sighs. Eleonora turns to him and speaks, her yellow eyes soft. "I shall contact you after your position is determined." Ben looks at her in 'thanks' and walks out of the room. He sighs and rubs his head. "This is going to be one hell of an adventure." He looks over to Caroline and smiles lightly. He shakes his head and walks past her, hands in pockets and eyes closed.
A few hours later.
Ben looks up at the rocky ceiling, back propped up against an oddly healthy tree. The natural glowing Dust crystals give the surrounding town natural ambient light, and he sighs lightly his eyes straining against the low light in the cavern. He looks around the abnormally healthy and green park, marveling at the odd stiffness found in the grass. He jolts lightly when his scroll vibrates loudly from his pocket. He pulls the device out and flips it open. There in bright green letters, was a message from Eleonora. He swipes it open and starts to read it's contents.
"Dear Mr. Tennyson…
After much consideration, and deliberation I believe that I have found a suitable placement for you. You shall be accompanying the 3rd Panzer hunds division during their low altitiude/orbit drop with the 5th Bomber divisioon. After you make land fall you are to push into the White fang base and help the 4th Hell Dogs infantry division destroy base defenses and provide support to those around. Once the operation is done, you are to provide protection detail until intelligence operatives arrive on scene.
Report to the 4th hangar bay at 0800 hours.
Eleonora Grace.
Marshall of the Siege Dancer."
Ben reads over the letter again and sighs into his palm. Klaus cackles from his side, and Ben smacks his head. The magical bags releases a small grunt of pain, and Ben stands to his feet, stretching. He grunts when his bones 'pop' into place and looks around. He smiles lightly at the bustling underground city, feeling a tad homesick but he pushes that away. He grabs the rifle from his back and looks at it. It hums as he rubs the smooth grey metal, the scope dissembling and flashing a bright green before settling on orange. Ben sighs into the air and his green eyes follow the rifles line.
"Seems you're going to be seeing some action tomorrow, eh?" Ben mumbles, the rifles form melting and solidifying. Ben raises an eyebrow at this and looks around, hoping no one saw him talking to the rifle.
He scratches his head for a few seconds, and starts walking back to the city. He grins lightly when Klaus chatters from his side, and he can't help but to agree.
"Klaus is right. You need a name. Any preferences?"
The rifle seems to vibrate and shake, before shifting to Variant 2. Ben, not suspecting this change, nearly drops it. The rifle continues its shifting, now Variant 3 and Ben stumbles. He looks at the weapon in confusion, his eyes raised. He watches as it continues to shift between its forms, and asks. "Ok! Ok! You can shift forms!"
The weapon stops and hums. Ben looks at it with a open mouth, and slaps his head. "I can talk and understand a weapon. What's next? Dimension hopping? Giant robots?"
The rifle seems to chuckle in what he assumed to be laughter, and a light bulb appears over Bens head. He looks to Klaus, a smile threatening to break his face and the magical bag smiles uncertainly at him.
"You can shift forms. Like me, but more liquid than solid. You're a weapon shifting uhhh….weapon! So how about the name…Shifter? For now until a better name is found or thought of.." Bens excited voice whispers to the rifle.
The rifle goes silent for a second before strong pulses shake it's frame, agreeing with the name. Ben grins at the now named rifle and pumps his fist into the air, catching the attention of a few locals who glance at him. He blushes in embarrassment and takes off in a light jog towards his temporary home. His grin shifts into a nervous one as the thoughts of what he may have to do the next morning catches up to him.
Klaus and Shifter hum when they feel his distress, and he smiles at them in thanks. He continues to grin and says.
"Tomorrow is going to be interesting!"
The Next morning
"I said 'tomorrow is going to be interesting' but I didn't expect it to be this interesting. Or this busy.." Ben says amongst the noise of what he found to be the 4th Hangar. The floor was a dull grey with cords of varying sizes and colors stretching across it. The walls were rock, but metal beams hold the mountain above them. Stairways lead to an upper deck, in which non-combat personal were seen directing soldiers and droids to their positions. Large vehicles stand or float in some cases, and Ben couldn't help but feel lost in the hustle and bustle.
Soldiers of varying sizes, species run past him, weapons and armor clinking against their bodies. A squad of droids dash past him, groaning to each other, heavy frames stomping to a vehicle. A Tetramand pushes past him, a thick blades hanging from her back and Ben glares at her. A hand finds its way to Bens shoulder causing him to jump. He whips around, nearly bringing Shifter to aim, but he stops. The hand belonged to a large soldier, whose face was covered with a metallic plate. The armor surrounding his body was black, and rounded at the edges. Red paint runs alongside the man's arms, and the man speaks, voice echoeing from the helmet. (I suck at descriptions. The armor is from Wolfenstein: The new order.)
"Are you Ben Tennyson?"
Ben nods his head and the soldier nods at him. He waves Ben to follow him, and starts walking toward an awaiting vehicle. Ben looks at him, and shrugs before jogging to catch up. The vehicle they were walking to was odd to say the least. The thrusters were on the underside of the vehicles, humming lightly and ready to fire. A ramp lead to the vehicles interior, which was larger than he thought and seats were bolted to the side. He looks at the vehicles side and front, noticing the lack of a window and door, it looked like a large shrimp but he doesn't dwell on it. The soldier walks up the ramp and takes a seat. Ben looks at the interior, awed at the size but his awe is cut short when other soldiers walk onto the ship. He rushes to take a seat, breathing sigh of relief when he is buckled to the seat. He looks at the ceiling, confused on why it was so tall. He jumps when a soldier sits next to him, and is buckled to the seat.
The other soldiers do the same, some talking to those next to them, their armor mimicking each others. Ben gulps a little but a deep mechanized voice stops them from talking. "Oi! Don't forget us!"
Thick footfalls shake the ground, and three large figures enter Bens vision. His mouth drops in shock and he feels his mouth stretch into a nervous/excited grin. "Holy shit.."
Standing well over 18ft tall, and walking on thick metal legs were three large mechs. Their armor heads were thin and wirey, a thick pane of rectangular glass acting as eyes. Their armor was a pale yellow, thick metal surrounding wired frames. Their legs were rather thin compared to their bodies, but one could feel the weight they were carrying. The weapons they were carrying were just as large as they. The first one that entered was decorated with thin blue lines that streaked across its surface like lightning. It was carrying what looked to be a large Lmg, large rounds ejecting from the left side into a round magazine. Ben couldn't help but gulp, those rounds were probably larger than him. ( X0-16 Chaingun from Titanfall.)
The second one to enter the craft was decorated with thick dents and scratches, looking almost haggard in appearance. This one didn't carry a weapon, but its hands were scraped and cracked telling what it could do. The third and last one to enter had polished blue armor, and walked with what one could call grace. Claws gripped two thin blades, electricity coursing around them, and the metal seemed to hum in anticipation. Ben watches as the large mechs stroll past and then turn around, with the polished blue one at the front. They reach to the ceiling and grip a thick metal beam, and Ben looks to the bay doors as they close.
He gulps when darkness envelops them, and the craft vibrate. It starts to lift off and a dim red light flashes to life illuminating those in its vision in a pale red light. He hears the engines of other vehicles and shifts in his seat, catching the attention of the soldier to his right.
"First drop?" The soldier asks. Ben looks at him and nods. The soldier chuckles, weapon clinking against his chest. "Don't worry. We'll catch ya if your chute fails."
A mechanized voice echoes across the metal walls, slow in its pronunciations but with obvious experience. "That will not be an issue, Corporal . As Mister Tennyson is riding with me during the descent."
Ben turns to the voice, and blanches as he comes face to face with the first robot to enter the craft. The mechs thin blue visor stares at him with an emotion Ben couldn't place and he couldn't help but sweat a little at it's stare. The mech bends down, body encompassing those below it and Ben flinches toward the Omnitrix when he notices a flash of movement. He stares at the large finger pointing at him and the mechs now green visor. The mech tilts it's head and makes a surprised beep. "Oh! I'm severely sorry about that. I do need to introduce myself. I am 028-Heavy Assault Siege Drone. Or as I like to be called Jack."
Ben looks up at the mech, now named Jack and shakes the large finger. "Nice to meet you, Jack. I'm Ben Tennyson and I hope we get along."
"I hope that we get along as well, Mister Tennyson. May we have a glorious drop together." Jack agrees before standing up and returning to his place. Ben releases a sigh that he didn't know he was holding, happy that the meeting went well. He stares up at the red light and looks to his right at the soldier. He looks at the weapon slung to the soldiers chest in slight confusion and restrained awe. The soldier sensing his gaze turns to him and follows his line of sight.
"You interested in the 'Liquefier'?"
Ben nods and the soldier pulls the weapon into the dull red light and Ben gazes at it. The weapon was in the shape of a claw, the lower piece longer than the top. The top was lined with small spikes that crackles with small amounts of electricity and it ended in a small prong. A small cylinder juts from the top of the weapon, acting as an improvised sight. The weapon has a thick cylinder near the back of its stock which seemed to fit over a shoulder. Small jolts of electricity echo from the weapons odd trigger traveling through the weapon and jolting to the small prong.
The soldier starts explaining the weapons purpose and its uses. "This little beauty doesn't have a true name, at least not one that we know off. But it is highly dangerous to anything organic. Nick named the Liquefier do to what happens when it hits a target. It fires a protonic current, whatever that means and when it hits a biological entity, it liquefies them. Don't be in the way when this little girl goes off."
Ben pales at the mental image and looks around at the other soldiers, noticing a few soldiers holding the 'Liquefier'. The ship jolts and a voice echoes from the wall. "3 minutes to drop."
The sound of weapons clinking and being reloaded filled Bens ears. He takes a calling breath and pulls Shifter to his chest. He feels his heart start to beat faster, and the blood starting to pool into his feet. He flexes his fingers in fear and trepidation. The voice comes over the room once more. "1 minute to drop. Get ready boys and girls."
Soldiers quickly stand from their seats, some cracking their bones and others offering silent prayers. Ben unbuckles his seat straps and stands on unsteady feet. Klaus chitters reassuringly from his side but Ben ignores it in favor of watching the bay doors open. Soldiers stand straighter and some bend their knees in preparation for the jump. The three mechs beep and whir to each other before nodding. The bay doors finally open, the thick metal breaking into small segments and jut into the crafts floor. Bens green eyes sparkle slightly as lazy white clouds fly past and the endless expanse of blue sky greets him. Wind whips into the craft, cold and biting into Bens unprotected skin. A man walks past them all, a small helmet covering his head. Stark grey pants cover his legs, and a thin tan vest covers his chest. He stops near the bay doors edge and turns around, hand gripping a bar attached to the wall. Dark sunglasses cover his eyes and he has to yell over the bitter whipping wind.
"Prepare weapons!"
The soldiers load their weapons, the sound of magazines entering and weapons powering up feels Ben with excitement. The mechs bend their knees hands grasping at nothing and the once red light flashes a bright green. The man at the front yells to them. "Move, Move, Move!"
The first two mechs dash, heavy metal feet thumping against the crafts floor. They reach the edge, both of them 'whooping' when the jump. The soldiers quickly take off in a small sprint behind them and the first ones to the edge take the leap. The ones behind them following, some letting out happy yells and others giving thumbs up to those behind. Ben feels the blood pump into his ears, and he swore he could hear bells toll in the air.
He releases a breath he was holding, steam escaping his mouth and despite his shaking legs, he grins. He bends his legs, Klaus laughing from his side for some distorted manner and when the soldier in front of him runs and jumps from the craft, he moves. He never takes the first step, as Jack grabs him in his large hands and dashes to the edge.
"Hhhhooolllyyyy CRAP!" Ben yells as he feels Jacks feet leave the crafts floor, and gravity take control. Jacks fingers grip around Bens waist, nearly crushing him but Ben wasn't focused on that. He was focused on keeping his eyes partially open as the wind caused them to sting and burn. He turns his head and sees three more crafts, identical to the one he was on disappear into the cloud layer. He coughs slightly when Jack falls through a rather full cloud and looks down. Smatterings of small black dots were falling in front of them, no doubt the soldiers and he blinks when a small gray dot comes into view. He blinks uncertainly as the once small dot becomes larger and larger and shifts in Jacks grip. He looks to his left his hair whipping and blinks when they pass a falling soldier. Within a few seconds they pass more soldiers and they catch up to the other mechs. The mechs look to each other and nod, a silent agreement passing. Jack rights himself, metal feet pointing toward the ground and pulls his weapon to his shoulder. Ben looks to him and yells.
"What's going on?!"
Jacks blue visor brightens and he answers. "We're initiating the raid."
Two small rectangular boxes shoot out of Jacks shoulders and Ben gets a glimpse of small red tips. He looks back to the island, panicking as he could now see individual details of the White Fang base. Tall grey walls built to stop the Grimm; no doubt lined with defenses and sniper towers. The buildings were a light grey, various plants growing over their roofs; probably to conceal their presence. He feels Jacks metal tighten and he watches as the two missile pods on his shoulders let loose their dangerous volley, small missiles raining toward the ground. The large weapon against Jacks shoulder roars as he pulls the trigger.
Ben gulps as he hears the blood rush through his veins, each pump of his heart sending a new wave of nausea. But despite the feeling of nausea, Ben couldn't stop the grin stretching across his face. He watches in seemingly slow motion as the missiles and rounds make their way toward their intended target. A group of White Fang soldiers were mulling about, never knowing of the approaching barrage.
A lone missile impacts the ground between the group of soldiers, their remnants flying through the air painting the air and ground a lovely red. In response to the explosion, a siren sounds it's loud cry. Turrets jump out of the basses wall, large barrels spinning dangerously their deadly payload ready but some never got the chance to fire as the missiles and rounds fired from Jack tear them asunder. But some survived the onslaught and fire, red hot lead firing into the air.
Ben looks to the ground as they approached it, rounds flying past and some even hitting Jacks armored body. They hit the ground, Ben's teeth slamming together with a hard 'clack' and Ben looks around. Various White fang soldiers glance in their direction, some gaping in fear at the large mech and some firing their weapons at them.
Their rounds never reached, as a small shimmer surrounds Jacks still form the bullets bouncing off. Another large crash sounds from behind them, Ben turning to look. The second mech had landed on top of the wall, weight causing the wall to crack but not break. It raises it fist, noticeably larger than what Ben thought, and slams it into the wall. The wall cracks and another punch shatter it completely.
Jack bends down, Ben blinking when the large mech lets him go and stands up. The turrets on the wall turn their glowing barrels toward the now grounded mechs.
White Fang soldiers dash out of the various buildings, some in a state of undress and other without armor. A few raise their rifles toward the towering machine, but meat their ends when bullets rain down from the falling soldiers. The echo of opening parachutes reaches Bens ears, the Paratroopers landing and firing their weapons.
The shimmer reappears in front of Jack, the rounds fired by the White Fang bouncing harmlessly away. The ground shakes, Ben slipping slightly when a Talpaedan bursts from the ground. More join the hulking yellow alien, rounds impacting their armor and pinging away. They slam their arms into the ground, and large barriers of solid rock crash through the ground. The Paratroopers dash to these barriers, dodging oncoming fire from the White Fang and some shout in thanks. Ben getting the idea dashes to a nearby barrier, and hunkers down the rock barrier shaking from the rounds impacting it.
The Talpaedans sensing that their job was done, digging into the ground. From the holes they arrived in poured soldiers and droids of various size and shapes. Many of them took cover behind the rock barriers others standing and firing at the White Fang. A few brazened the hail of bullets and energy blasts, and jumped over the barriers holding small cylinders. They jammed the cylinders into the ground and pulled, a thin black sheet following them. They slam the other end into the ground, a few getting hit and falling to the ground. Ben watches as some of the soldiers dash to the odd black sheets, and take cover behind them.
A few White fang abandon their rifles and draw glowing red swords and charge to the invaders. Some were met with bullets, quickly dying and others were turned into red paste courtesy of Jack. Ben flinches when a large droid vaults over the barrier he was sat against, and charges at a lone White fang soldier. The droid looked like Satel and Cott but thicker armor. The White Fang grunt swings his sword at the droid, heat radiating from the blade. The droid dodges and produces what looked like a medieval club. It was small, with thick spike jutting out of the top.
The grunt overextended his reach, falling forward giving the droid time to take the club and smash it against his head. Ben flinches and feels some vomit jump into his throat but he couldn't look away as the grunt fell to the ground, head split and bleeding. He reaches to stop the droid, but the droid raises the club and smashes it through the man's head splattering blood across it's metal. It turns and is gunned down by bullets.
Bens green eyes were wide were shock and disgust at the sight but for some reason, it didn't affect him as much as it should. He looks at the open ground between them and the buildings, eyes watching similar scenes. A White Fang soldier struggles against a droids strength, before having his arm ripped off and beat with it. A Tetramand kicks a White fang soldier who had crossed the barriers surprisingly, the soldiers' chest caving in due to the force.
Ben hadn't realized it but he was gripping Shifter to the point of his hand going numb. The sounds of the battlefield were drowned out by his beating heart and the actions of those around him play in slow motion. Something takes grip over him and despite his objections; he vaults over the rock barrier and dashes to the second line of barriers. His shoulder slams into the surprisingly hard black sheet and the soldiers make room for him.
Another group of White fang soldiers dash from a nearby alley, their white uniforms covered in dust and grime. Some were gunned down, the others dived behind a large truck. A nearby droid stands up, trying to throw a grenade but it's head jerks back when a round passes through it. A soldier near the droid yells.
"Sniper!"
"Anybody got a bead on him?" A faunus soldier next to Ben yells, his thick horns protruding from his helmet. A soldier pokes his head above, panning the area and ducks down. "Found 'em. Far left building about, 200 yards and on the second floor window."
Ben raises shifter to his shoulder and looks around till he notices the snipers glint. He aims toward the directions said and finds the snipers glint. He watches and ducks when the glint is blinded by a flash from the muzzle. A bullet hits the barrier, shaking the black material.
He watches as Jack aims his large weapon in the direction and fires a hailstorm of rounds at the sniper. He doesn't look but a soldier pops up and nods. "Snipers dead."
The leftover White Fang grunts stand up and run toward the center of the base. A few made it away, many didn't ripped to pieces in their retreat. The soldiers vault over the barriers and dash toward the buildings, some rolling to avoid oncoming fire. Ben peeks over the barrier and his eyes widen when an arc of lightning pass by and hits a still retreating White fang. The grunt explodes in a slurry of blood and water, nothing left but a few scraps of clothing. The grunt that was running near him, stops when this happens covered in the leftover of his comrade. He soon meets the same fate, and Ben looks to his right. The soldier that he sat next to ran toward a partially destroyed truck, the 'liquefier' aimed toward the ground.
Ben shakes his head, and joins them against the building. He peeks around the corners that lead to a main street and gulps lightly. Rounds screamed down towards them, some veering off course and others hitting true. He hears a crash and turns around, watching a group of soldier kick down a door and breach into a building. The sounds of gunfire and screams reach his ears and he looks down.
He runs past the soldiers into the main street, head low and body hunched. He slams into a pile of crates, groaning lightly. They quickly join him, taking cover behind the stack of crates and abandoned vehicles. The ground shakes and he sprints around the stack of crates to a large piece of rubble. He gasps lightly when a White fang soldier whips around the piece of rubble, sword raised high to end his life. Ben falls backwards, the familiar triangular shield protecting him from the sword strike. The sword hits the shield, orange sparks flying through the air.
The mask hides the surprise on the faunus face, but it didn't matter as the sword was pushed into the shield with more force. The shield didn't budge, and Ben looks at the faunus through the sparks and his finger unconsciously brushes past Shifters transformation button. Shifters form melts into the warm liquid metal, arcs of electricity jumping from the shiny depths before stopping and forming a new shape.
With the transformation done, Ben looks down at the weapon in wonder before he looks up. The shield had started to melt and the faunus on the other side noticed it and pushed harder. Ben raises the newly transformed Shifter and whe3n the shield melts away completely, he pulls the trigger. The weapon kicks with more force than Ben expected, and he watches as 4 small metal fragments shoot from the weapon barrel, superheated by some unknown mechanism. The superheated fragments tear through the faunus armor, bringing crimson with them when they exit.
The body of the now dead faunus shoot backwards from the force of the shot, sword flying out of limp lands. Ben watches this all with horror struck across his face, green eyes wide with sick realization. He was the one that caused that wasn't he?
Vomit jumps out of his throat, his hand trying and failing to stop it. The bile cascades past his fingers and leak onto the ground, his body lurching with every new wave of sickness. Klaus is thankfully silent during this, button zipper set in a firm frown. Ben falls forward, his mind swirling with thoughts that he couldn't control, and it didn't help that he was looking at the body of the man or woman that he had killed.
'Look at what you've done! You killed someone. What happened to your 'Hero's code'? Did it fly out the damn window when you arrived in this dimension?! Maybe those back home were right. You're no better than the very criminals you fight.'
Soldiers ran past him, some glancing in his direction but otherwise unknowing top his dilemma. Ben looks around, green eyes dilating and focusing wildly. He tries to stand, but his legs fail to listen, becoming lead weights that kept him in his position. His thoughts crack and shatter, much like a broken code in a computer. As he tries to cope with what he's done, a kind wizened voice echoes through his very soul. He couldn't understand what it was saying but it causes him to stop his panicking. He looks up at the sunny sky, the White fang base turning into a beautiful vista of trees and mountains. Cold grey metal was at his feet, sneakers walking toward a metallic door. The door opens, letting sunlight and a light breeze in. A figure was standing on another metal platform, back straight and presence kind. The sun blocked his view of the figure, but a sense of déjà vu rushes through him. The faint smell of pine rushes to his nose, followed by a faint scent of granite and fresh air.
He watches with mute voice, as the scene playing in front of him moves toward the figure. Khaki pants come into focus, and before long a red and white Hawaiian shirt soon follows. Ben gasps lightly his green eyes wide in shock, his voice shaking when he whispers. "Grandpa?"
The figure turns around, showing a wizened face, wrinkles sat deep into the slightly tanned skin. Kind eyes gaze at him, a smattering of white hair blew in the warm wind and Max Tennyson spoke, his words slow yet warm.
"Hey there kiddo. How ya been?"
Ben opens his mouth to answer but his own voice cuts him off. "Pretty decent. How about you Grandpa?" Ben looks to his right, mouth open in shock as he walks past himself. His hair was combed slightly, green eyes alit with happiness. He was wearing a pair of khaki cargo pants, and a black t-shirt. One thing stood out though, and that was the absence of the Omnitrix on his copies left wrist. Green eyes watch the copy walk up to his Grandpa, and start to talk.
"I've been pretty good. The Plumbers are keeping me busy, and well fed." Max spoke with a chortle. The copy Ben chuckles lightly at that and stares off into the wilderness, green eyes tinged with uncertainty. Max sensing something was wrong, asked.
"Something wrong, Ben?"
The copy Ben doesn't answer, body hunched in thought and a few minutes pass without a word spoken. The copy Ben shifted in his feet and answers. "Hey Grandpa?"
"Yes Ben?"
"Have you ever had to uh…kill someone?" The copy Ben asked with an odd look to his face. Max blinked at the question and turned to the vista in front of them. He didn't answer right away, eyes unfocused and posture a little hunched. When he does answer, he answered with a question.
"What brought this on?"
The copy Ben stays silent at this and Max sighs loudly. The older man turns around to the copy Ben and puts his hand on his shoulder. The smile he wore was strained, and the look in his eyes made the copy Ben crack.
"I….I've been thinking on a few things. Things that I've never thought of before, and some of them, scare me."
Max seems to hum at this and he asks. "What scares you about these 'thoughts'?"
"What scares me is that these thoughts are not my own. And what they say and what they mean, are all true." The copy Ben said these words with a visible shake to his body. The hand gripping his shoulder tightened and Max Tennyson asks another question.
"What do they say? And what do they mean?"
"They say that my work as a hero isn't over. They say that I'm going to lose something. They say that I may have to become the one thing I don't want to….a Monster. And it scares me that, I know that these thoughts are my own and that they are right."
The copy Ben raises his left hand and turns it until his wrist is facing the sun. 3 diamond shaped red marks shine brightly, shaped in a triangle. The copy Ben rubs the marks and Max looks at them. "They still bother you?"
"Yeah. The Omnitrix hasn't been on my arm for over 2 years, yet they haven't changed nor healed after I took it off." Max nods at this and looks around. He nods and starts to speak.
"Ben. Life is something all beings should cherish but not all of them do. But you can't save everybody. No matter how hard you try, no matter what you do, you can't save everybody. That's a fact of life, and people either have to accept it or at the very least understand it."
The copy Ben raises an eyebrow at this. "Yeah. But what does this have to do with 'killing' someone?"
Max chuckles lightly. "I was getting to that. In every man's life, he will have to make a choice. This 'choice' may not come until the end of his life, or it will come in the beginning. And this 'choice' is 'their lives or mine'. And for many the answer is obvious, but for some there is no 'right' choice. The old saying of 'kill 1, save 10.' comes into play."
The copy Ben stays silent at this and Max hums lightly. He waits for a minute, silent and the copy Ben mumbles something under his breath. Max doesn't catch it but he continues talking.
"Choices are hard. They are hard not because of what they mean but because very few are right and very few are wrong. What may be 'right' to you may be 'wrong' to someone else. If you ever have to make a choice, follow your guts. And don't let the choice you picked weigh you down, life is too short to worry over the small things."
The copy Ben stays silent and the world blurs into a solid white.
Bens green eyes refocus and he gasps, his lungs taking in the precious oxygen. He looks around, looking for the odd scene and something clicks in his mind. 'I remember that. Me and Grandpa had that conversation a year before he disappeared. I guess I forgot about it.'
He looks around and lifts his hands. He raises them to the side of his head and smacks them against his cheeks with a satisfying 'smack'. With his cheeks burning in pain, he steels his resolve. "Come on Tennyson. You've fought galactic warlords, omnipotent beings, and a veritable god. This is nothing compared to that."
With a nod of his head, he stands up and takes off in a dash. His vision was still swimming when he impacted against a concrete barrier. He shakes his head a little, pulling Shifter to his shoulder. A Pyronite slams next to him, flames trickling away and forming a small ball. Ben looks at the small ball of flame and watches 5 others join it. The Pyronite stands up, dodging a few stray shots and points his finger at a group of White Fang hiding behind a turned over truck. The balls seem to jump in joy before shooting off toward their intended target, flames trickling behind them.
Ben doesn't watch the destruction, but considering the large explosion, they apparently did their job. He pokes his head above the barrier, pulling Shifter to his eye and aiming around the battlefield. He blinks in confusion when the ground starts to rumble, and looks to the soldiers around him. Some of them shrug, but return to firing. A building further down the street explodes in a shower of rubble and a large grey fist knocks a Tetramand out of the way. Thick metal legs step over the rubble, a thick streamlined body following them.
The Atlasian mech stands up in all of its dust powered glory and turns it's red baleful glare toward the intruders. It's arms break apart and reassemble into a round barrel. It's fires, the blue ball of energy impacting the ground causing it to shatter and crack. Ben ducks as it continued its barrage, the balls of energy flying over head. The soldiers focus their fire onto the mech, rounds pinging off its armor but this seemed to irritate the bot. It roars, voice reverberating through speakers and it charges toward the soldiers. Ben looks at it with wide eyes, and brings the Omnitrix up to his eyes. He raises his hand to slam it down but stops when the ground starts to shake again.
His eyes jump to the sky when the large body of Jack jumps over them, and runs toward the opposing automaton. Jack's feet digs deep trenches into the ground as he charged toward the Atlas mech. Blue bolts of energy fly toward Jack, the mech brunting the damage. Ben watches Jack close the distance, and his eyes widen when the stolen Atlas mech deploys a large metal hammer. It swings the hammer, tempered metal groaning and Jack spins around the strike.
Jack pulls his rifle to his shoulder and jams it into the Atlas mechs stomach. He lifts the mech off of the ground, weapon impaling the stolen mech and he pulls the trigger. Metal fragments screech as the rounds tear through the Atlas mech, it's roar dwarfing the others. Ben watches as the stolen mech tries to shoot Jack, but its movements halt and the glow within it's eyes dulls and fades. Jack stops firing; the body on the end of his weapon falling limp and pulls it off. The soldiers next to Ben yell their approval, and he finds himself joining them. Klaus cackles from his side, seemingly happy at the mechs destruction.
Ben looks at Jack, and grins lightly when he turned around and gave a quick thumbs up. Ben dashes from the cover, joining a group of charging soldiers and grins when one bumps his shoulder with a smile. Shifter kicked against his shoulder as he fired at a group of White Fang soldiers.
He aims at them and blinks a little, an odd feeling traveling through his body. He blinks when the 'feeling' takes control of his hands and moves it toward the building at the end of the street. The building was nigh identical to the others, but it had a large antenna on the roof. Ben blinks it realization.
"Is that the.."
He cuts himself off when a door at the building's entrance opens. He watches as a dark figure steps through the door, a flaming head of hair coming into view. The flaming head of hair belonged to a tall faunus man. The familiar white mask covered the mans eyes, a thick frown settled upon a pale face. Black shoes walked across the paved ground, black pants covered his legs and a long black coat fells across his shoulders. The man raises his arm, a thin red katana pointed towards them and his mouth opens.
Ben watches as White fang soldiers run from the door to join the fight, their rifles firing wildly. Ben gulps lightly as the odd feeling falls to the pit of his stomach.
He turns to his right, and throws a small rock at the Pyronite. She turns to him, eyes narrowing and Ben yells. "The red haired faunus has aura. There's a good chance the men who came with him have it as well."
The Pyronite blinks her eyes, flames dimming slightly. She curses under her breath, Ben catching a few of the words. He ignores her cursing and returns to aiming at the red haired faunus. He watches as the man disappears in a burst of speed and reappears near a soldier. The soldier raises his weapon to block the oncoming strike. The sword strikes the rifle, causing the soldier to buckle under the strength of the red haired faunus. A Tetramand jumps at the red haired faunus, fists pulled back.
The man turns to the Tetramand and pulls out what looked to be a sheathe and points it at the four armed alien. A flash of light ejects from the sheathe and impacts the alien. Ben's green eyes widen at the sight, but sighs in relief when the Tetramand continues his charge. The man sneers and turns his attention to the alien barring toward him. Ben takes a breath as he watches the fight and boy was it a fight. Thick red fists flew toward the red haired faunus at impressive speeds, and the man dodged or deflected the strikes. He sliced and fired at the alien, but the armor and thick skin of the alien stopped the onslaught. It was a stalemate, but who knows what the red haired faunus had in store for them.
They needed to separate the man from the battlefield, lest he win the battle with the Tetramand and join the fight against them. He nods his head and throws another co kat the Pyronite. She whips toward him, a tick mark visible within her flames.
"I swear if you throw one more rock at me.."
"We need to separate that guy from this battle. Can you guys do that?" Ben asks. The Pyronite growls out a word Ben couldn't understand, but doesn't question him. She taps the shoulder of the faunus next to her and whispers something to him. He nods and waves at a group of soldiers in a nearby building. He gestures to the red haired faunus and Tetramand, the other soldiers looking toward them. The faunus soldier makes another gesture, and the soldiers in the building give a thumbs up.
A soldier leans out of one of the buildings window with his weapon aimed at the fighting duo. He pulls the trigger, a small cylindrical object shooting from the barrel. Ben follows the object and watches it land between the Tetramand and faunus. The Tetramands eyes widen before jumping to the ground. The man looks at the ball in confusion and Ben could see the ball twitch. The ball erupts into a bright light, a high pitched sound echoing with it and Ben winces lightly at the sound.
Once the sound dies down and the light disappears, Ben peeks over his cover. His blinks away a few white spots from the bright light. The red haired man was stumbling lightly, sword flailing wildly at some unseen enemy. He wasn't alone in his pain, as the ones behind him were on the ground screaming.
He turns to the Pyronite, with a raised eyebrow and open mouth. She seems to chuckle. "That was a high powered flashbang. It is normally non-lethal, but to those with heightened hearing and sight: it's torture."
Ben glances back at the red haired faunus, his eyes widening when he sees the man glare toward them. The Pyronite notices this as well, and continues her explanation.
"The only issue with them is, that they don't last very long against beings with an increased healing factor."
Ben blinks when the ground starts to shake, and his mouth drops open in shock when the large fist of one of the mechs crash through a building and impacts the red haired man. The man is launched across the battlefield, slamming into the ground, his body bouncing like a rock skipping on water. He crashes through a building, and shoots into the forest. Ben grins at the this and dials through the Omnitrix. He slams the face plate down, the familiar green flash blinding those near.
A black and blue blur races through the battlefield, following the destruction made by the red haired mans body. A quick 'Thanks' is heard before the blur disappears through the large walls and into the forest. The Pyronite looks around and shrugs. She stands up, and points toward the White Fang soldiers.
"Charge!"
Xlr8 dashes around a fallen trees, his hyper fast reflexes allowing him to jump and maneuver through the forest. He whistles lowly when he passes over a large ditch, probably made by the mans body. "What is this guy made of?" Xlr8 whispers to himself. He blinks to himself when the destruction leads to a wide clearing and he stops at the edge of it. He looks around and releases a quick curse when he sees the man standing in the middle of the clearing.
He blinks when he hears the man's voice. It was deep, with an unnatural smoothness following his words.
"A new age is upon us, and yet the humans still try to fight against the inevitable. Humanities demise will not come from the Grimm. It will come from us, the White Fang and nothing can stop us. Not the Hunters, not Atlas machinations, and not even the Grimm."
Xlr8 decides at this point to step in. "Yeah. That's not gonna happen while I'm around buddy."
He wheels into the clearing, visor put away revealing his reptilian face. The faunus stares at him for a few seconds before drawing his sword. Xlr8 bends his knees in preparation of the strike, but the faunus speaks. "What manner of creature are you?"
Xlr8 sighs into the air. "I don't have the time to tell you the whole story. But I'm the guy who's going kick your butt."
The faunus sneers at this and opens his mouth to retort, but Xlr8 has already sped behind him, his claws raised high to slash at the man. His claws meet the red blade of the faunus with surprising force, and he speeds back to his original spot. His visor was covering his face, but Xlr8s eyes were narrow and his mind racing. 'This guy is fast. Fast enough to be able to track me and he's strong. My claws nearly broke from that impact.'
The faunus man turns to him and stares for a few seconds, humming in thought. He smiles at Xlr8 and the smile made Xlr8s body tense.
"Ah. I remember now. That woman mentioned something about a shapeshifter within Vale. The forms seen were so odd and so powerful, some word use the word alien. What are you doing this far from your home Shapeshifter?" The man asked.
Xlr8 gulps a little at this. Seems he's becoming famous in places he didn't know about. He hisses lightly, his tail swishing behind him angrily. "While I'm happy that my name is being passed around, me being here is of no concern to you. I'm here to help those on this island, and hopefully get home before dinner."
The faunus seems to hum at this and stands a little straighter. "How I hate fools like you. But I must admit, sense hearing of your escapades I'm a little excited to fight you."
"The feelings not shared. But as the old saying goes: Game On." Xlr8 remarks and dashes forward. Only to stop halfway when the Omnitrix on his chest starts to beep. He stares at it his green eyes twitching. "Oh come on! Can I not get a break?"
He looks up at the faunus man, and blinks when he sees the man has disappeared. He whips around, his claws holding back the man's blade. He wraps his tail around the man, and throws him away. The man slides across the ground, and seems to warp back in front of him hilt pointing toward him. Xlr8 curses and dodges the flaming round that was fired at him. The Omnitrix starts to beep faster and Xlr8 starts to sweat. The man is upon him in a second, mouth set in a deadly grin and Xlr8 panics. Klaus seemingly forms from nowhere, his mouth open. A small ball shoots from his confines and explodes in a wave of white smoke.
The smoke covers the both of them, the Omnitrix taking this time to release it's final beep and revert Xlr8 back into Ben. Ben coughs in surprise, and jumps away from the faunus man. He looks down at Klaus, who was grinning wildly. "You are awesome." Ben whispers to the small bag. Klaus grins at him, and frowns when the smoke starts to dissipate. Ben pulls Shifter from his back, the weapon melting into the odd shotgun. He waits for the smoke to move awaqy before aiming Shifter at the faunus man.
The faunus takes notice of him and looks at him. Bens fingers twitch, when the white mask of the man moves from him to the surrounding area. The man sniffs at the air and looks back at Ben.
"The shapeshifter has seemingly disappeared. And in his or its place a human boy, who smells oddly like it. By this conclusion, this must be your true form."
Ben grins nervously at the man, his body still rigid. An odd sense of cockiness takes hold and Ben lays Shifter of his shoulder, the flames tickling his head. "Yup. Now, are you going to give up quietly, or do I need to kick your butt?"
The man stares at him for a few seconds, before a laugh escapes his lips. Ben raises an eyebrow at this, his mouth setting into a thin line.
"Quite the contrary, Shapeshifter. I am going to fight with all that I have, and I hope you do the same. But before that, do you have a name?" The man asks. Ben blinks at him and shrugs. The man had already seen his face…
"Eh why not? My name is Ben Tennyson. Or as my friends call me, Ben 10." Ben replies with a small bow and flourish of his arms. The man hums and nods.
"My name is Adam Taurus. May we have a glorious battle."
Ben watches Adam disappear, the hair on his neck standing on end. Adam appears next to him, sword on a deadly pass toward his head. Ben ducks under the sword, Shifter pointed at Adam and pulls the trigger. Ben clicks his tongue when he sees Adam dodge the slow moving shrapnel. The man continues his onslaught, his sword and hilt unleashing their deadly intent. Ben dodges and weaves, the attacks nearly hitting their mark and he aims at Adam.
Spit flies from his mouth when he feels Adams leg connect with his back and he crashes into a tree. He wipes a little blood from his mouth and turns to Adam, his green eyes alit with determination. Adam sees this and replies with a cocky 'come hither' motion. Ben takes a step forward, grimacing lightly when his body aches from the movement.
'Ok..He's stronger than I thought. I felt my spine crack when he kicked me. I need to either stall him long enough for the omnitrix to recharge, or find a way to be him before that.' Ben thinks. He glances down at the Omnitrix, frowning at the dull faceplate.
"Plan A it is then." Ben whispers. He runs forward, Shifter slamming against his shoulder as he fired. Adam reflected some of the projectiles back at Ben, the shrapnel slamming into the ground. Ben moves his head to the side, the round passing barely an inch from his head. Adam disappears from his sight, Ben's green eyes widening when he notices a single round making its way to him. He ducks, the bullet passing through his hair, taking a few strands with it and the red blade of Adam comes into view with a deadly target in mind: Bens chest.
Ben feels Shifter growl from his hands, and pulls the trigger. A large burst of air fires from the barrel of Shifter, pushing the blade back surprising Ben and Adam. Ben doesn't let the chance go, and swings Shifter at the faunus. With a satisfying 'crack', Shifter slams into the side of Adams face causing him to be pushed back a few feet. Ben pulls Shifter back to his shoulder and grins when the Omnitrix flashes a bright green.
"Alright! This fight just became fair."
He pulls the Omnitrix up and dials through it. He blinks when a heat passes over him. He looks up at Adam, and gulps at the furious looks on his face. The red lines of his mask were alit with fury, and his aura was whipping around his form.
"I underestimated you Ben Tennyson due to your abysmal aura levels and your obvious weakness as a human. But I see now, that you do not need aura to fight. I will not make the same mistake twice." Adam voice growled out. Ben sweats a little when Adam pulls his sword to bare, its red glow even brighter than before. The sword begins to grow in brightness, almost to the point of blinding Ben. He gulps when Adam raises the sword, the bright glow intensifying and swings it at him.
A blade of red hellish energy flew from the blade and made its way to Ben. Earth was torn asunder and Ben slams the Omnitrix down, the familiar green flash taking place. A second after this is when the red blade of energy impacted causing the ground to shake and explode.
Adam sheathes his blade and walks forward. He speaks to the air. "It seems the stories of you were false. You were strong, yes but I was stronger."
He stops halfway when a thick voice called out from the smoke and rubble caused by his attack.
"Are you sure about that? Because I didn't feel a thing from that last attack."
He stares at the being that emerged from the smoke. Dull grey armor covered the beings body, looking almost like an antique oven. Three red glowing slits stared at him, holding an almost hungry look to them. the joints of the armor were dark, with screws holding them in place. The being walked forward, the armor clinking and banging together. He shifts in place when a burst of heat washes across the clearing and the being stops. It spoke in an accent he could not place but it was thick, thicker than molasses.
"Stonger than I? Hah! A child could beat you, but I guess NRG can do the job just as well."
Adam frowns and draws his blade. The being now called NRG rolled it's shoulders and grips the air. The battle has just begun..
Chapter end.
Authors note: Hey guys and girls! I apologize for the late update, but graduating really threw a wrench into my plans. But I'm rather happy that I finally got this chapter out. It was going to be longer with a surprise at the end, but I'll push that back to next chapter. I hope you all enjoy the chapter/story and if you have any questions/concerns/ideas please PM me. Sorry for any grammar of spelling mistakes. And I bid you all a good day.
Luckyplains13, signing out.
