Out in one of the most remote and dark corners of the galaxy, far beyond the patrol borders of any Plumbers space station and Galvin Law jurisdiction, there floated a small planetoid. Its location and orbit practically isolated it from any other populated planet, which naturally made it the perfect place for a certain wanted alien to retreat to in between jobs. This planetoid was covered in heavy foliage, dotted with rugged mountain terrain, with just a few splotches of flat plains, dry deserts, and a few swamps. A single artificial structure stood among the jungle portion of the land with a protective force dome around and over its perimeter. Build like a fort, elegance of a mansion, and heavily armed with both defensive and offensive weapons of various levels, this was a private resort of which no would dare trespass upon. From deep within the confines of the building a dark and menacing looking structure stood among a very dense jungle. In one of the more spacious rooms sat the dark owner of the floating rock on his massive thrown-like chair while facing an alien equivalent of a lit fireplace as he thought deeply.
Surrounding him were his 'spoils of war' so to speak. Pelts skins of various textures and colors were spread on walls, over furniture, and across the floor. Skulls full-bodied skeletons ranging from quadruped to bipeds to even octopeds stood like decorative statues in corners or were organized by size in glass cases. Mounted heads stuffed creatures of numerous sizes filled the gaps in between, their features forever frozen in an expression of ferocity made even more frightening by the flickering of the fire burning within the room. In the stillness, one could almost hear the various death cries each creature may have made in their final moments of life. Wither they were intelligent life-forms or feral, it didn't matter for each and every single one of these alien races had met their untimely end at the hands of this one single dark lord of the hunt.
Khyber the Huntsman was known and feared throughout the entire galaxy. He was ruthless, cunning, resourceful and above all able to adapt to just about any situation he would find himself in. His well-kept weapons were literal shining examples of how seriously he took his profession and how diligently he prepares for each and every hunt. His large collection of exotic trophies was a testament to his many hunting achievements and indisputable proof that he was the best of the best in his trade. His reputation was known by countless species and was the very reason he was sought out by many ruthless employers that didn't want to get their hands dirty. Every prey he has ever targeted, he caught. Every opponent he has ever faced off against, he defeated. No one could match him in single combat. No one.
Except for him…
That blue Plumber…
The young Rovannahgander male…
Rook Blonko.
Flashback
After Tennyson's new partner discovered his ship, he had been forced to make a hasty retreat to the ship's bridge in order to take off and keep them from escaping. His once loyal hunting dog had gone after the human to keep both him and the blue Plumber distracted. What he hadn't counted on was for the large striped cat-like creature to follow right after him instead was rescuing the boy. Apparently he had more confidence in Tennyson's ability to defend himself than he had lead on all along. The Rovannahgander may not have been built for strength, but the fact that he had been able to kick down his door proved that he did possess some power in his limbs.
"It would appear, Khyber, that the hunter has become the hunted!" The blue cat-like alien shouted with some ferocity in his voice as he aimed his blaster at him. "That is not a bad entrance line, is it?" Even when he took the time to talk to his partner through his communicator, he kept his focus on his opponent.
The fight that had ensues after the lighthearted quip had almost been evenly matched. His opponent proved to be an exemplary shot and really made him have to think fast and rely on improvising. The armor the Rovannagander had worn was of the highest quality for it easily took a blast from his own weapon after it had been deflected. If it wasn't for the fact that Khyber had gotten distracted with sounding the command whistle for his old hunting partner adapt, he would have ended the Plumber right then and there.
"You are under arrest Khyber!" Even when the Plumber had believed he had no fight left in him, he had approached cautiously with his handcuffs with full intent on using them. em"In the name of the Plumbers, I order you to surrender your attack dog controlling whistle!" Yet the cat-alien's inexperience had shown through just enough for the hunter to floor him and turn the tables by seizing a weapon of his own.
How clearly did the hunter remember those sharp determine eyes when they locked onto his. The blue law-enforcer had no qualms about fighting up close nor did he shirk from using melee weapons. Every powerful swing was expertly parried off, every deadly thrust was gracefully countered, and every step was matched with its mirrored version. The Plumber had obviously trained extensively for his swordsmanship was far more advanced than one would expect from a rookie. The swords clashed and parried each other in just about every swing and those that have gotten through either of their defensives was dodged and avoid. Even with the constant jarring of the ship due to the fight between Tennyson and his hunting dog, the Plumber never lost his footing. Yet, even so, he still lacked the upper body strength needed to truly match him hand to hand.
"Your weapon is versatile Plumber."/em That cleaver little devise would have made a promising trophy and an equally excellent addition to his personal arsenal. em"But it lacks power."/em His only mistake had been getting overconfident, for it left him open for the Rovannahgander to strike with another weapon feature. A teaser.
"Versatility does have advantages."/em He heard the Plumber countered as his vision blurred. The last thing he saw was the feline alien taking the helm of his ship before temporarily losing consciousness.
End of Flashback
Ever since then, there hasn't been a day that has gone by that the hunter hadn't thought about him. The Rovannahgander had managed to face him in direct combat and escape with not only his life, but also that of his obnoxious human partner, Ben Tennyson. That loud month little whelp and the Omnitrix may be the ultimate prey to hunt, but this, Rook, proved to be an adversary not to be taken likely. True he may have only been able to find his ship's location through the use of a tracker, but he had been able to infiltrate his vessel with little to no effort without setting off any of the security. He had been able to engage the hunter in combat and had actually been able to hold his own, even managed to floor him. Twice!
Not to say that there was never a time when whatever prey he was after didn't fight back, or even managed to turn the tables on him, if only temporarily, but this had to have been the first time that had actually been tracked down by someone else, fought to a near standstill and be made to lose his quarry. Even when Khyber had managed to immobilize the cat-like alien with his specialized trapping muck he had been able to hold his own against him until his partner intervened. Then there was that time during the surprise ambush where he begrudgingly agreed to act as a mere decoy so that Malware could steal those Galvin codes.
Flashback: Malefactor
He had tracked Tennyson down to some minor festival his community was having that day. It wasn't too difficult to figure out exactly where he would be seeing how the human children flocked to him for a chance at hitting a small target that was rigged in an apparatus that would cause him to fall into a vat of water. Following the plan he had his ex-hunting dog transform into a Buglizard in order to cause confusion and mayhem; forcing the boy into action. Yet even though Khyber had been focused on the battle between the two, he couldn't help but notice that the Rovannahgander was missing from the fight. Knowing better than to believe that the law enforcer abandoned his partner, the only logical sense was that he was searching for the huntsman. His guess proved right when the blue Plumber located him in minutes, gained the high ground, and attempted to pounce on him from behind. If the hunter hadn't heard him at the last moment he might have succeeded.
"You should know by now." The alien hunter stated as he unsheathed his dagger and began to advance on the slightly stunned Rovannahgander. "No ones gets the drop on Khyber the Huntsman."
The Plumber merely shook off the wariness before getting a hold of his Proto Tool and having it turn into an electric baton. "There is a first time for everything." With that declaration he stood his ground and prepared for battle.
Surprised that the cat-alien chose to stand and fight rather than put distance between them for a long-range fight, Khyber had to pause. "This is between me and Tennyson." Why would this Plumber risk getting into an armed conflict for a partner that had always treated him as second rate?
"When you let your pet run ramped threatening innocent civilians, I make it my concern!" The fact that he was actually willing and determine to take the hunter one-on-one was impressive enough. The fact that he could be drawn into a direct conflict simply by getting others involved was information too valuable to ignore.
End of Flashback
Even now as he watched the flickering flames in his 'fireplace' the huntsman could conjure up the image of the Rovannahgander. From all of his previous observations when he had been stalking Ben Tennyson it was only natural that he would end up observing his unique partner as well. How easily he remembered the way the cat-like creature moved when in pursuit of his own quarry. His agility and acrobatic skills were uncanny much like that of a large jungle cat in pursuit of prey. When engaged in a fight, the blue-clad alien tended to spar at close range more than anything else. His personal encounters were proof of that. He could still clearly see the Plumber's sunset-colored eyes focused on the task at hand and fearless like a top jungle predator. The Plumber's marksmanship was of the highest quality, for the hunter has yet to see him miss what he aimed for.
Even when he was relaxed and calm, the Rovannahgander seemed acutely aware of his surroundings and thus far, to his knowledge, has never been caught with his guard down. Not even when his human partner convinced him to spend the day at a public community-swimming hole and got him to take off the armor to swim. His pristine toned physic and gleaming striped coat caught many an eye that day, much to the Tennyson boy's strife. The way the Earth females practically surrounded the Plumber with offers to help him brush his fur after a swim had been a serious blow to hometown hero's ego. Especially when the friendlier, more attractive ones, began massage the alien's muscles after a few vigorous laps around the pool. Although the actions were uncomfortably similar to how Rovannahganders tended to court one another, Rook had either been too polite, too embarrassed, or quite possibly too comfortable to persuade them to stop. Even still, as if somehow sensing that not all that were observing him were friendly, he stayed alert to everyone and everything around him.
The huntsman couldn't recall the last time he had been this… intrigued. "It's been some time since I've had a worthy challenge." Khyber mused to himself as he weighed the pro and cons of his desired choice and planned how to carry it out successfully. "What do you say, my friend?" The menacing looking alien asked an equally menacing looking saber tooth feline-like alien that lay at his feet as he rubbed at its head. The beast gave a ruffed grunt of appreciation and anticipation once it sensed its master's mood. "Then let the hunt begin."
Ben 10!
He's a kid and he wants to have fun!
But when you need a superhero, he gets the job done!
Ben 10!
With that device that he wears on his arm!
He can change his shape and save the world from harm!
Ben 10!
When trouble's taking place
He gets right in its face
Ben 10!
When lives are on the line!
Its hero time!
Ben 10!