Chapter Forty-Nine: Cause and Causatum
Easing a bit closer to Dexter, Ben checked the Omnitrix yet again. Nothing. He looked away in disappointment and asked, "So what did you remember?"
Shifting uncomfortably, Dexter quietly said, "I remembered when Van Kleiss kidnapped me. He used the same phrase than as now about getting out of his way."
"Yeah," mumbled Rex. "He re-hashes the same bylines now and then."
"And of course you didn't listen," concluded Ben.
Dexter made a face as if that was the most rhetorical thing his friend could possibly have said. "Of course not, Mr. Tennyson. You know me better than that. I had already been drugged, but I still tried to fight him. I think he would have killed my father if I hadn't."
For that Ben had no reply. They were quiet for a few minutes, waiting. Finally Rex couldn't take it any longer. He slipped bonelessly back onto the rocks and lay spread-eagle. "Think those shots took out Van Kleiss, too?" he asked.
"He was on that thing's back, so he got hit," Ben reasoned. "I - ah!"
"Ben?"
The brunet broke into a broad grin and pointed at Agent Six making a few quick jumps to land firmly atop the body of the huge EVO. Rex pushed himself up on his elbows and smiled. He could easily ready the ninja's body language and he let out a sigh, reassured that they were finally safe. He waved, and Six leaped off the creature.
"It's Six, Dex," said Rex, sprawling again. "Dunno what happened yet, but we're good."
A long sigh escaped the redhead and he leaned against Ben. Tennyson smiled and held him in a one-armed hug, too relieved to talk for once.
"Hey!" called a gruff voice and all three boys turned as Bobo Haha climbed over the berm just behind them. Loose pebbles cascaded down the small hill as he made his way toward them. "You kids make it okay?"
Ben, who knew of Dexter's intense dislike of talking animals, opened his mouth to warn the chimp off when Dexter, squinting and frowning in confusion, asked,
"What is that robot doing here?"
"Robot?" echoed Rex, looking around for something clanking and mechanical. "There's no- ow!"
He broke off as Ben snacked him smartly on the arm, making faces and desperate gestures to shut up and play along behind Dexter's back. Bobo, suddenly remembering Morton's warning to avoid the Boy Genius, slid to a halt.
"Oh," said Rex as understanding dawned. "That robot! That - wait!" He gaped in shock as real understanding hit him with as much force as one of Six's backfists. "Wait! Dex - you made Robo Bobo?"
Six approached in time to hear Rex, and he took in the situation in a flash. Dexter kept staring at Bobo, more confused than Ben had ever seen him, and that was saying something. It was quite entertaining, actually. Slowly Dexter said, "Yeah. Back in fourth grade. It was a custom order. I thought it was a little weird but I needed the income to start the Megabot project. Why is it here?"
It was Six who answered. "It's . . . a Providence decoy," he said, making up a lie on the spot. "We bring it along on a lot of missions. Mostly for the sake of distracting EVOs." He turned to the chimp. "Why don't you go help Dr. Holiday with Mr. Morton?"
"Right," agreed Bobo, seizing on the chance to escape.
It was so absurd a fabrication - and a situation - that Dexter bought it. Had he been any less tired, he would have figured it out in a minute and had a meltdown. As it was Dexter just nodded, not really able to see Bobo clearly enough to make out that he was, in fact, alive. He stared after the EVO, frowning and on the verge of saying something caustic, and Ben, who had no idea of what Rex and Six were going on about but glad to avert disaster, hastened to distract him.
"Agent Six, where's Van Kleiss?"
"Breach transported them away. They're probably back in Abysus." Six looked at his partner. "Are you injured?"
"Null-Void blowback," Rex replied, jerking his thumb back toward the gunships. He sagged against Dexter again, and the three teens slumped together in a tired, dirty heap, none of them able to muster enough energy to move or even care. "We were too close to the beam. Feeling better than five minutes ago. Another ten and I'll be fine."
"Lucky," grunted Dexter, who knew perfectly well what he and Ben were in for tomorrow.
The ninja nodded, unsurprised that Rex was recovering so quickly, and tuned to the two DexLabs representatives. "And you?"
"Hungry," volunteered Ben without hesitation.
Dexter closed his eyes. "I want my father."
OoOoOoOoOoOoO
At the base of the C-57D's ramp Patrick Utonium paced and fretted. He had long ago given up threatening to terminate Dearborn for not letting him leave the ship. The Marine wouldn't budge, having trotted out the ages-old, annoying-but-valid argument that DexLabs Security worked for his son, not him, and standing orders from Tyrannosaurus Dex would not permit Utonium to enter an unsecured zone.
"Then secure it! Now!"
"Yes, sir."
He knew his wrath wasn't nearly as effective or impressive as Dexter's, and Dearborn's stoic patience as they waited to hear from Number Four and Bobo Haha was infuriating. They had witnessed the battle on the surface and overheard all the Providence radio chatter. Bobo had appeared early on in the skirmish, tired and dirty and sarcastic as he reported the situation to Dearborn. It was Utonium who ordered the Null-Voids to be charged, confident that Dexter would recognize the sound and know to get out of the way. It had worked. Wally was still riding high on being the one to shoot the rampaging EVO, and he had gone with Bobo on a recce.
The silence and lack of activity was maddening. He considered bolting away to find the boys himself, but Adrian Dearborn was younger, stronger, and a lot faster than Utonium. He did not want to endure the indignity of being wrestled to the ground for his own good.
His heart skipped a beat as he detected movement on the road into the mine. Light reflected off white body armor of the Providence troops, and then Wally was running toward them. His grin said everything.
"Got 'em, Professor," was the KND's excited report. "Six says Van Kleiss has vamoosed. Plus, we've got wounded. Walking wounded."
It suddenly seemed as if he could breathe again, and Utonium could not help but smile at the Australian's we. He smiled down at Wally, resisting the impulse to hug the bearer of such wonderful news. Instead he said,
"Grab the medical kit. We'll do what we can here."
"Right!"
As Number Four dashed into the gunship, Utonium turned to the security officer, daring him to stop him now. Dearborn gestured.
"All secure, sir."
He hurried forward, not quite able to run. Fear dragged him down and slowed his legs, and the unfamiliar armor made him clumsy. He had seen battlefields before – or at least the shattered remains of Townsville when his daughters got done thrashing whatever villain or monster foolish enough to challenge the Powerpuff Girls. Somehow this was different, smaller and almost intimate. Perhaps it was because Dexter was directly involved, and he had no Chemical X flowing through his veins to make him invulnerable. Perhaps it was because he knew what Van Kleiss truly wanted from the boy and he dreaded to find out what Dexter might have endured. Perhaps it was because once again he hadn't managed to protect his child from that nightmare that mimicked Dexter's form.
Rex was the first one he spotted, his spikey hair making him look taller than he really was as he was silhouetted against the glowing nova sticks. Regardless of his own feelings for Providence and its heavy-handed methods, Utonium felt a surge of gratitude toward this young man. No matter what, Rex would always have a place in his esteem, as would Six and Holiday and even White Knight, who had spared neither expense nor man power to help get Dexter back.
He saw Ben next and relief filled him because he was walking very close beside Dexter. His son had his arms folded tightly against his chest in a defensive gesture. Instantly the Professor knew that Dexter had lost his glasses. Ben had an arm around the younger boy's shoulders and was carefully guiding him, his head bent as he talked. Utonium felt a pang. Bad enough his son had been kidnapped and terrorized, but he knew how distressing it was for Dexter not to be able to see. Overwhelmed by his own emotion, he stumbled to a halt, wondering if he would ever be able to put into words how much Ben's devotion meant to him.
"Dexter."
He tried to call out, but his voice failed. Ben heard him, and looking up, he waved, leaning down a bit to tell Dexter and aim him in Utonium's direction. Still too far away for the redhead to have a chance to see him, the Professor hurried forward, feeling strangely breathless and spent.
"Dexter!"
"Dad?"
His voice was hoarse and he was filthy and his lab coat was gone and he was one of the most beautiful things Utonium had ever seen. He ran the last few feet and wrapped his arms around Dexter's scrawny form, hugging him tightly. Instantly Dexter stiffened, alarmed by the unfamiliar feel of body armor where he had expected fabric. He raised his arms sharply, pushing away, but Utonium would not let go.
"It's me. It's me," reassured the Professor, aching anew for having frightened him. "Chip wouldn't let me come unless I had armor on."
"Oh," was Dexter's quiet response, not yet inclined to relax or feel safe. He was trembling as he laid his gloved hands on Utonium's chest. Normally he would have latched onto his father's lab coat, but the armor afforded no purchase where he could cling. Without a coat to hang on to, he looked up as if making sure the Professor really was really there.
And then Utonium wrapped his arms around Dexter again as reaction started to set in upon the boy. Finally, finally it was safe to give in to his emotions, to be frightened and revolted and desperate. Aware that they were the center of attention, Utonium gently turned Dexter, guiding him off to the side a little way to give his son some semblance of privacy. He glanced up at Ben to follow, and Ben smacked Rex on the arm to join him. Dexter didn't make it far before his legs gave out and the Professor eased him to the ground, holding him as he quietly broke down. Rex stood by looking as if he wasn't sure what to do, but Ben crouched and put a hand on Dexter's shoulder, assuring his friend that he was not alone.
OoOoOoOoOoOoO
Leaning heavily on Holiday and Ruffin, Chip Morton kept a sharp eye on the Professor and Dexter. His leg ached terribly but he was far more concerned about Dexter's condition than his own. The kid had been through a lot lately and odds were good he'd plunge right back into his lab and a world-class case of depression. It was painful to see someone so young and talented go through such misery and frustrating that there was nothing he could do to help.
"Hey, Blondie, how's the hoof?"
He turned and looked at Bobo Haha. The chimp had been gathering up the nova sticks and he looked as if he was carrying a small sun in his hands.
"Feels great," Chip grunted. "I'll take my gun back, now."
"What gun?" wondered Bobo a little too innocently.
"The one I let you borrow." Morton let go of Holiday and hefted his Null-Void rifle, bracing it against his hip to aim almost point-blank at the EVO. "The one you're about to return."
"Oh, that gun. Heh." Bobo pulled the Null-Void pistol from where it was tucked into the waistband of his pants. "I thought it was a present."
"You thought wrong. Hand it over."
With a disappointed grumble, Bobo relinquished the sleek handgun. Morton immediately returned it to his empty holster, resisting the urge to wipe it off first. He'd clean it later.
"Any time you get tired of it or upgrade . . ." hinted Bobo, gazing longingly at the gun.
"Talk to White Knight," suggested the head of DexLabs Security. "I've got the sense he'll be feeling pretty generous soon."
Bobo snorted and rolled his eyes. "Obviously you don't know my boss."
Morton gave him an arch look. "Obviously you don't know mine."
They all looked over as Number Four came trotting up, weighed down by a medkit and trying to look serious, not excited. He surveyed the small group of people, somehow able to see past the curtain of blond hair falling over his eyes. Avoiding the gushyness going on over by the Professor, he briskly asked, "We've got wounded?"
"Over here," called Holiday. She reached for the kit, but Wally stepped back out of range. The KND operative was shocked that the Mr. Morton was somehow the person injured, and he had to be sure of his assistant when working on such a cool and important adult.
"You don't get squeamish, do you?"
Holiday, with three PhD's and years of research and experience to her name, blinked in surprise that quickly turned to amusement when Morton sighed in resignation. "Um . . . no."
"Okay, you can give me a hand," decided Wally magnanimously. He stared at Morton's bandaged leg for a moment. "So. Acid burns. Where do I start?"
OoOoOoOoOoOoO
When he saw his friend shiver, Ben wrapped Dexter in his soccer jacket as they walked back to the gunship with a handful of Providence troops. The Professor had been called away to help with the wounded and after transferring the prototype disruptor to Dexter's arm, he charged Ben10 with his son's safety. Used to babysitting his best friend (and even though Dexter hated the word babysit, they all knew that was exactly what Ben was doing), Ben escorted Dexter and Rex the short distance to the C-57D. Dearborn met them outside the ship and pointed them up the ramp. They were happy to obey and happier to sprawl in the row of seats across the back of the cabin. It was warm and quiet in the ship, and all three teens took a moment to appreciate these facts. Ben got his first good look at Dexter, and all he could think of was when Buttercup had carried him and Dexter away from the steel mill on the outskirts of Pittsburgh. Dexter was pale and his eyes were still red from crying and fatigue, and he looked lost. Something about his friend's stance reminded him of that horrible, traumatic incident this past July, and he took the feeling as a warning not to fail in his duty. The Omnitrix was finally building up a charge again, so if anything happened Ben was at least in a position to go hero.
He took the seat next to Dexter and smiled as his friend leaned heavily against him. Wrapping an arm around the younger teen's shoulders, Ben knew he was opening himself to Dexter latching on to him and not letting go for a week, and so he wasn't in the least surprised to feel Dexter's small hand clutch his. He returned the pressure briefly in unspoken understanding and support. A sudden shift in weight pressed Dexter closer, and Ben cracked an eye open to see Rex on the other side of Dexter, leaning heavily against him and as good as asleep. Dexter made no protest, and as Ben watched, the Boy Genius' free hand moved slightly to let him hold onto Rex as well. For Dexter, who did not like to be touched, such a move was huge, and Ben had a last, conscious thought before sleep claimed him:
Welcome to the family, Mr. Salazar.
