Chapter Thirty-Five: UMWA Local 402
"Sweet mother, I'm going to have a hard time giving these goggles back," murmured Capt. Calan in appreciation as he watched one mine level after another pass by. The borrowed night vision goggles were better than anything Providence had available, and it was evident he was enjoying them thoroughly.
"Christmas is coming," grunted Morton. "Ask White Knight."
Rex had gone down first with Six, Holiday, and Bobo clinging to him or draped on top of him, the faint light of the Boogie Pack and a flashlight held by the chimp illuminating the mineshaft. Big Chill was just a few yards behind, following the light and carrying the two blond soldiers. But for the hum of the Boogie Pack, they were quiet, whispering when communication was necessary. Somehow the near-absolute darkness seemed to press close, as if they were entering the maw of some great beast that they did not want to rouse. Small drafts of stale air occasionally rose up like breaths as they moved straight down into the earth.
Perched atop Rex's shoulders, Bobo Haha looked up, his gruff voice reaching their ears.
"EVO ahead, one of Van Nutso's. Watch it."
Moments later they dropped past the huge creature that looked like a cross between an anteater and a brontosaurus. It had long, curved tusks and shaggy fur and huge paws that were designed for climbing. Morton and Calan both tensed, their weapons gripped tightly in their hands, but the EVO, sitting at the bottom of the deep shaft and leaning partially up the wall seemed asleep. In any case, it ignored them and the beam of light that swept over it.
Rex flew part of the way down the tunnel before landing. Big Chill followed suit, setting down his passengers.
"No sign of the Pack," stated Six after a long moment of listening and trying to sense the presence of anything in here with them.
Rex checked the floor, which was muddy and pooled with water. "Looks like the right place."
"It is," rasped Big Chill, swathing his wings right about his lean body. He pointed off to the side. "Down there is where I found the union badge."
"Oh." Rex looked a touch hangdog. "We didn't make it this far."
"Everyone close your eyes. I'm powering down."
It was prudent advice. They all shielded their goggles as Ben deactivated the Omnitrix in a flash of green light.
"Let's move out, people," said Six in a hushed tone. "No noise."
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"How do you propose to do that?" asked Van Kleiss of his guest, making no attempt to hide his skepticism. He gave the vat of disappointing green goop a hearty glare, shifting the look to include Dexter's mimic. The short, green creature made something of a show of reaching into the pocket of its blood red lab coat. Opening its hand flat, the Fusion Dexter displayed a shiny black object that looked like a stone. It seemed to pulse with energy, almost like a heartbeat.
"This," said the Fusion. "Highly refined Fusion Matter. Added to raw Fusion Matter, this will give it the strength you seek."
"It seems very small for such a task," was his critical assessment.
The Fusion smiled. Given that this creature had pale green teeth, it was an unpleasant sight. "Size is no indicator of strength, Michael."
Somehow having his name pronounced by this creature was irksome, as if this copy of Dexter – who called him Michael as a show of defiance, referring to him as an equal – was taking a liberty. He reached for the small mass, but the Fusion curled his hand over it before he could touch it.
"Unless you want to risk having a copy of yourself, Michael, allow me to handle it. Lower the force field and I'll give you what you want, so I can get what I want."
"Once I see that it works, Dexter is yours," promised Van Kleiss. He stepped over to the controls for the force field holding the Fusion Matter inside the vat, the Fusion Dexter a step behind him. When the field was lowered, the Fusion turned his hand over the seething green mass. There was a slight pause, and then the chunk of refined Fusion Matter fell from the green glove and sank into the vat without a splash. Instantly the color turned from pale green to the color of grass until it darkened to something close to a pine green. At the same time the Fusion Matter, which was moving gently about like water in a pool, began to move faster and almost thrash about the container.
"I suggest you return the field," said the Fusion, stepping away as tendrils of the green material started reaching out of the vat. Van Kleiss was almost gloating as he considered his prize, and in his moment of greed he missed the satisfaction that flitted across the doppleganger's face.
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"We've got to find out if Dexter is even still here," Morton said in a whisper. He glanced behind him. "Tennyson?"
They had stopped a hundred feet shy of the tunnel, wary of being seen by the Pack. Ben could hear the hum of the generators, but little else, and all of them had stripped off their night vision goggles since there was a fair amount of light from Gat spilling down the mine. Knowing what was wanted and needed, Ben nodded. "I got this," he announced softly.
"Any way you can let him know we're here?" pressed the sergeant.
"Is that wise?" Six wondered, returning his sunglasses to his face despite the darkness.
"Yes," Morton, Ben, and Rex all replied at the same time.
Ben10 grinned, knowing perfectly well that Dexter would be furious if they didn't announce themselves to him. Dexter was more than capable of mounting a sizable defense, and he was sure the Boy Genius would be able to do plenty of damage on his own if he knew help was here. He thought for a moment or two, considering their resources, and then dug into his pocket and pulled out the union badge he'd found that had lead them back here. He handed it to the ninja. "Hold this a sec."
Drawing back down the tunnel, he turned the corner of a much smaller pocket in the wall and activated the Omnitrix. A Necrofriggian once again, he returned to his companions.
"Thanks," he said to Six, taking the button back. Six's eyebrow raised in surprise at the icy cold touch.
"Quick scout, then get back here," ordered Morton tightly.
Grasping the corroded badge, the gigantic moth threw his wings wide and promptly vanished from sight as he phased between dimensions. Enjoying Holiday and Calan's expressions of shock, he flitted down the tunnel back to Gat, determined to find his friend.
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Dexter had considered and rejected dozens of ideas to get back to Van Kleiss and find out exactly what was passing between his kidnapper and his evil twin. He knew they would come to an agreement - they both wanted one, after all - and he knew he was running out of time rapidly. If it came down to it, he knew he would be better off with Van Kleiss if for no other reason than the man had his glasses and the glasses contained a homing beacon. His Fusion double, he knew perfectly well, would abuse him in countless ways until he was dead, and he was certain that death would be welcome over enduring that creature's attentions.
He paced anxiously, flipping Biowulf an obscene gesture as he passed when the EVO ordered him to be still. Professor Utonium would have swatted his hand, but Dexter had no compunction against making his opinion of the werewolf known. Hands clasped tightly behind his back, he turned and turned, thinking and trying very hard (and unsuccessfully) to stave off the headache threatening to strike him down. It wasn't just stress. He was hungry and dehydrated and exhausted and the strain of keeping up a fearless front was wearing him to nothing. He paused, trying desperately hard to hear the exchange going on between Michael and his doppleganger. Didn't Van Kleiss appreciate how dangerous that creature was?
Didn't he appreciate how dangerous Dexter could be?
Apparently not. It was pure folly to take that thing at its word. Dexter had warned the EVO time and again. Perhaps Michael Van Kleiss wasn't the sort to learn lessons, or at least not until it was too late.
A sudden draft of ice-cold air blew past him. Startled, Dexter raised his head and tried vainly to see. The gust of air had come out of nowhere. This deep underground where the air was a steady temperature, there should have been little to no air movement. He glanced back at the tall, blue-gray blur that was Biowulf, but it seemed the EVO hadn't felt the disturbance. Intrigued, he waited, hoping for more. After a minute nothing happened, and he took another step.
The same thing happened, stronger and faster and colder this time. Something was here. Something –
Ben.
Relief flooded him and he dared to hope that his best friend, his hero, was here. Fighting hard to control his breaths, tempted to pass out on the spot, Dexter tried to see something, anything that would confirm his supposition.
A very faint, metallic ring sounded by his feet. His heart racing, Dexter looked down. It took him a long time to spot the bit of metal intended for him. Leaning over, he picked it up, forced to hold the flat disk almost to his nose in order to see it in the faint light. The paint was too corroded for him to make out the words, but he ran his thumb over the raised letters and realized he was holding the union badge that Ben had found. Had it really only been a few hours ago?
It didn't matter. They were here or well on their way. More than ever before, he had to stay right here and not let the Ur-Dexter drag him off . . .
He closed his fist on the button, holding it tightly a moment before slipping it into the pocket of his lab coat. He was about to turn when suddenly Biowulf's clawed hand clamped down on his arm. Dexter gasped, offended at the touch, and immediately commanded,
"Unhand me!"
"What did you have in your hand? Show me!"
He struggled to free himself. "Release me, you running dog!"
"Biowulf!" Van Kleiss called from over by the containment tubes, interrupting their spat. "Bring him here now."
Openly glad to be getting rid of him, the EVO hissed in Dexter's face, baring his fangs in savage display before hauling the boy to Van Kleiss. Dexter glared right back and went only reluctantly, dragging his feet and trying to see around him, desperate for a glimpse of Ben or Rex. All too soon he was standing by the vat of Fusion Matter again, where Breach and Skalamander and I-Bol watched their leader and his experiments.
At first Dexter's attention was caught and held by the horrific creatures in two of the glass tubes. Fusion EVOs. The experiment was finally successful - if such abominations could be deemed a success. Even from a distance, Dexter could tell they were Van Kleiss' dream come true. Aggressive, powerful, and dark green, the one-time insects filled the chambers, writhing and scrabbling to be free. Unable to restrain his revulsion, Dexter recoiled. He looked at the vat of Fusion Matter. Not tall enough to see over the top of it, his curiosity was nonetheless satisfied when a dark green tendril rose up and touched the force field.
Horrified, he looked at his doppelganger and Van Kleiss as they regarded the monsters they had created. Michael gestured at the two creatures and immediately they grew calm in their small prisons. Smirking in satisfaction, Van Kleiss turned and faced Biowulf. Even with his terrible vision, Dexter could tell the man was extraordinarily pleased with developments.
"Master," said Biowulf, his desire to tattle evident.
"What is it, Biowulf?"
Michael was practically oozing with arrogance now. Dexter looked past him to his Fusion. Was that what he looked like when he was being smug?
"He picked something up just now," said the EVO, keeping his grip on Dexter's arm. "He refused to show me what it was."
"Because you asked so politely," Dexter sneered,trying his very best not to see his Fusion.
Amused now that he had what he wanted, Van Kleiss looked at Dexter sternly. "Well, Dexter?" he asked, speaking as if to an unruly toddler. He held out his mechanical hand for the object in question. "Hand it over."
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Whatever was this child up to now? After so much quality time in his company, Van Kleiss had a new respect for Dexter. He'd been quite right about the Fusion Matter, and he could only surmise that the boy was equally right about his mimic. Devoted as Biowulf was, he was also completely jealous of his leader's esteem. It came as no surprise that his EVO lieutenant would want to make trouble for what he viewed as competition. What might he have that would upset Biowulf so?
"Well?" he prompted.
Dexter scowled, his blue eyes narrowing as he glared up at Van Kleiss. Bracing himself, the boy tried to wrestle free of Biowulf's hold. He nodded for the EVO to release him, and Dexter made a show of settling his lab coat back into place and adjusting his gloves. Brat. Van Kleiss leveled his own glare, but given that Dexter couldn't see him well enough to be really aware of his displeasure, the effort was wasted.
"This?" he asked on open contempt, staring up at Van Kleiss as if in challenge. In a gesture identical to the one he had seen minutes before, just in red in green, the boy reached into the pocket of his white lab coat. Opening his hand flat, Dexter displayed a shiny black object that looked like a stone. "Anthracite."
He turned his hand over and instantly the chunk of coal fell away from his purple glove and clattered to the rough stone at his feet. For the span of a few heartbeats, Van Kleiss stared, the motion stirring his memory, Dexter's voice echoing in his musing.
. . . The Fusion Matter used to create dopplegangers is more . . . refined.
. . . Highly refined Fusion Matter . . .
Suddenly he knew he needed to end this transaction now. Turning abruptly, he spoke to the waiting Fusion.
"Take him. He's yours."