Yup, I know this is a little later than I had wanted (not to mention short), but the dreaded beast known as writer's block has sunk its teeth into my brain. Also, my 'b' key isn't working properly.

Just thought I should clarify something from the previous chapter. Nethersian has a hatred for Santa because of a conversation I had with Rakcrack15 which started with me laughing like Santa and ended with a little drabble-session where Nethersian was forced to do Rakcrack15's bidding...

Mjstevie: I felt it was an appropriate response :P Thank you!

Rakcrack15: I forgot to put any more references in! (And I'm too lazy to go do it now!) I wouldn't allow him to use your face. For one thing, that's mean, and another, that breaches your privacy. XD

Eunice: I'm sorry! I know it wasn't very quick this time :( Thank you, though!

ChristellaShinobu: Hahaha! My fault, sorry! Yes, he is going down. Eventually. Because I'm mean and like to make things difficult.

AKA99: Haha, yup. Maybe...

Someone: Muahahahaha! I like you. You can join my evil-take-over-the-world team ;)

Obsessivebookdiva: It can be. Tony Abbott just got voted in as Prime Minister, so we're all screwed now :/ I used to live in Victoria (before I moved to a different state) and that was just a short walk to the beach, though I've never been a big fan. Now I live in the middle of nowhere surrounded y beautiful mountains, great views and plenty of farm land. It's a great place to get inspiration, especially for fantasy stories (the foresty areas are perfect). It is really beautiful.

Avatar Aang: Thank you!

Remisolleke: Thank you for getting my butt into gear! I know it's horrible waiting for new chapters. They're a surprise for both of us! I really just take it as it comes ^^;

Disclaimer: Nup, I don't own Ben 10. Hear that, SOPA? I DISCLAIMED SO DON'T YOU DARE SHUT DOWN ! Don't mind me.

Ben and Syvux flew through several floors of unsuspecting guards and general personnel. It wouldn't be much longer until they reached the final, exterior wall and they would be able to return to their ship and, hopefully, come up with a plan.

So it came as quite a shock (literally) when, just as they were about to pass through the final layer and into open space, they were barraged by a horribly, agonizingly familiar explosion of pain. Syvux felt it first. The sudden electric current seemed to penetrate all the way to his core, paralysing him much as it had the last time he had experienced it. And, like before, he fell to the ground as he regained tangibility and visibility. Then, as it passed through him and reached Ben, he was no longer screaming alone.

Ben had hoped never to feel the mixture of encompassing pain and the feeling of having his body torn from itself (well, Syvux) ever again. Unfortunately, it seemed that lately his luck had turned against him. He hit the ground with a loud thud and remained lying there by Syvux's side. He knew that if he tried, he would be able to move. For some reason, the field didn't have the same affect on him as it did Syvux. Maybe it had something to do with his actual physical body not coming into direct contact with the current. As it was, the fall and the lingering throb of pain kept him in place while the sounds of footfalls and shouting guards grew ever closer.

He knew he had to get up. If he stayed where he was, there was no doubt that they would be recaptured and wouldn't be able to escape again.

Ben groaned and turned his head to face his companion. Syvux was lying on his back, eyes open but unfocused. It was clear that he would be no use in a battle. It was all up to him, then.

Ben forced himself into a sitting position. The sudden onset of pain resulting from this action gave him pause and it was all he could do to remain upright as his head swam with dizziness. He didn't understand. Why was it having such a lasting effect this time? What was different? It certainly hurt more than last time… maybe they turned up the voltage.

A door opened and the room flooded with guards, each one heavily armed and on high alert. He needed to act fast. Getting unsteadily to his feet, Ben reached for the Ultimatrix and slammed down on the dial.

He would get them both out of there or die trying.

Nethersian had ordered the anti-tangibility barrier to be set up around the whole exterior of the ship, ensuring that the voltage was at its maximum setting. There was no way he was going to let the two stowaways escape. He had been infuriated when he was informed that the prisoner they had captured earlier had somehow gotten out of his cell, leaving naught but a partially melted barrier-protected door in his wake.

But it was the boy that really rose Nethersian's anger levels to their peek. Not only had he managed to somehow slip through the anti-tangibility barrier sealed door leading to his private chambers, but he had managed to change his form and slip, quite literally, from his grasp.

To make matters worse, the two of them must have figured out what was going on. There was no way they would just sit by and do nothing while a planet is attacked. If either of them escaped and word got out to the Plumbers, all hell would break loose. Nethersian's army was strong and more than capable at taking down any enemy, but the element of surprise was one of the biggest factors that ensured their success. Through capturing many planets, guards had to be enlisted and, as a result, there were not many soldiers left in his main fleet to go into battle. No. They couldn't get away. Not ever.

"Sir!"

Nethersian turned to see a very terrified looking guard saluting him. "What is it?"

"The barrier has been hit. We have the location of the prisoners. A troop of guards are heading there as we speak."

"Very good. Lead the way."

Ben had silently thanked the Ultimatrix a hundred times when he had been given Rath. He was the perfect choice for this situation. The guy was a enemy-defeating machine! So it was that Rath was evening out the odds with each guard he took out. Of course, much of this time battling was used up by yelling pointlessly at the enemy and, on occasion, an inanimate object. But that wasn't the point. The point was he was winning. And he was feeling good.

Until Nethersian walked in.

The Emperor was the last person Ben wanted to meet in this situation. Not because he couldn't handle it (Rath was more than capable at holding his own against the guy), but because it wasn't his place to pick a fight with the guy Syvux, his friend, had waited ten years to face. But Syvux was in no shape to beat up anybody.

So he was faced with a choice. He either fought back (which Rath was itching to do) or surrender. Surrender wasn't an option. He wasn't even going to consider it. So when the guards parted to make way for their leader, Rath muttered a quick apology to the incapacitated Syvux and charged.

When the Rust Bucket popped up on their radar, they weren't sure whether to be happy or nervous. They were happy that they had finally caught up to Ben and would be able to apologise, but there was still the unanswered question of the Arkhirathi. Why had Ben willing sided with it? If Ben had become friends with it, did that mean it wasn't a threat? And what about all those attacks, even on Ben himself? There were too many unanswered questions and the only way to get the answers was to go and ask the people directly involved.

Max figured it would be a good idea to alert them before just going aboard. They may not take kindly to an invasion. He reached out and grabbed the small radio device, homing in on the ship directly ahead of them.

"This is Max to Rust Bucket. Come in, Rust Bucket. Are you there, Ben?"

He waited a moment but there was no reply. He tried again. Still nothing.

"Something must be wrong," Gwen came to stand over his shoulder. "Surely, he would pick up if he could?"

"Or he could still be mad at us," Kevin supplied. "If it were me, I would still be mad."

"But this is Ben we're talking about. He's not the type to not try to fix things. And it was us who wronged him, remember? If we were trying to make up for it, which we are, then he would answer. Something must have happened."

"Fine," Kevin rose from his seat and headed towards the back of the ship, gesturing for Gwen to follow. "We'll go and check it out and report back to you."

"Be careful," Max called out as they left.

Kevin had been expecting to find Ben sitting in the cockpit looking smug at making them come to him. He hadn't expected Gwen to be right, even if she usually was. The ship was void of any form of life. No sign of Ben or the Arkhirathi (the latter of which he was grateful).

With purposeful steps, he strode over to the controls and examined the navigation before picking up the radio receiver.

"Hey, there's no one here," he looked back at Gwen who looked rather unnerved by the lack of Ben.

"Are you sure? Where could they have gone?" Max replied.

"The controls are set to follow another ship at a constant distance. They must be onboard."

"I bet it's a ship for that Kirian Empire Rionle told us about," Gwen murmured. "She said they had been lucky to find it."

"Then we know what we've got to do."

Rath had been wrong. Nethersian was stronger than he looked. Not only had he failed to even land one hit since the start of the fight, but he had received plenty himself. Things weren't looking good.

Syvux could hear Rath flinging insults and trying to land blows from his spot on the floor. He could slowly feel hiss body regaining mobility but it was much too slow for his liking. If he wasn't able to get up soon, he could say goodbye to his freedom. Or his life. There was no way Rath could win against the Emperor in a prolonged fight, and that was exactly what this one was turning into.

Rath growled in frustrated anger as he dodged a blow from Nethersian, only just managing to get out of the way in time. He wasn't sure how long he had left before the Ultimatrix timed out, but he knew it wasn't long. Only a few minutes at most.

And then, because life clearly hated him that day, he was proven wrong. Again.

With a flash of green, Rath disappeared to be replaced by Ben.

Nethersian quickly took advantage of the situation and grasped Ben tightly around the throat, lifting him almost a metre off the ground. His grip continued to get tighter and tighter, blocking off Ben's airway as he continued to struggle to draw breath.

Syvux, although unable to see what was going on, had a vague idea about the situation. He knew that he needed to move now, or it would be too late. Ignoring the way his body screamed in protest, Syvux slowly pushed himself up on his elbows and rolled onto his side. Maybe, if he could get in the right position, he would be able to blast the Emperor without wasting time trying to stand.

Ben's vision swam as the black dots that had been creeping up on the edges began to take over. He knew he was suffocating. He knew that he didn't have long. But he also knew that he was helpless; there was nothing he could do. Syvux was still unable to move and nobody else, besides Rionle, knew he was there. He was going to die, and his family and friends would never know what happened.

And then he was proven wrong. Again. Something slammed into Nethersian, knocking him off balance. In his fading consciousness, Ben was aware of yelling. The guards were shouting something. And there was something that sounded suspiciously like his name. Then he was falling, crumpling into a heap on the floor. His vision swam again and he thought he saw a familiar figure rushing towards him before he was claimed by oblivion.