CHAPTER 10: Infiltration
"As requested, one set of Incursean security codes. You're welcome!"
Argit walked over to Warton, who was standing in his office with Kevin after briefing the others on the plan, and handed him a data pad with the list of clearance codes that he promised. Meanwhile, Rook sat in the corner of the office updating Max on their abrupt change in plans via morse code, refusing to risk the Incurseans tracking any visual and/or audio transmissions. The others were gearing up in the guest room where they were briefed.
"Thank you, Argit." Warton received the pad.
"Wow, guess a broken clock can be right once a year," muttered Kevin.
"Hey! I've come through for you guys before!" said Argit.
"Yeah, right before you stab us in the back."
"Hey, I'm actually risking my neck for you guys! I could end up roadkill for giving this to you instead of ratting you out to the frogs! In fact, I was lucky enough that I was able to hack into their systems without being noticed!"
"Well, hooray for you, you deserve a medal."
"Guys! We don't have time for this!" said Warton, "Let's just be thankful we have what we need to get past the Incursean fleet!"
"Yeah, 'cept the only problem now is getting back to Rook's ship when the whole planet is probably out looking for us."
Just as Kevin said that, Rook got up and joined the group. "I have alerted Majester Tennyson of our plan. He does not like it, nor does he like how things have escalated, but he agrees that it's our only option. As for my ship, we do not have to worry about finding it. I have parked it in the forest where we found Agent Warton and Attea, and I have placed multiple security measures onto it so no one can access it."
"Except Rozum and his soldiers may be guarding it in case we may be trying to do just that," replied Warton.
"We shall worry about that when we put our plan into motion," said Rook, "For now, let us update the others and go from there."
After updating the rest of the group, Gwendolyn took everyone outside Argit's building and teleported them several feet away from Rook's ship. That's when Warton scouted ahead and reported that there were indeed soldiers standing guard around the ship.
As everyone struggled to come up with a plan, Ben's eyes suddenly widened.
"Rook, is your ship locked down to the ground?"
"Yes, of course. It is one of my security measures so no one will be able to immediately take off. Why do you ask?"
"Let's just say things are looking up for us," he grinned.
Before anyone could ask questions, Ben got up and rushed into the woods. When he reached a bush that separated him from the ship, he activated the watch and slammed down on it.
The soldiers raised their weapons when they saw the flash of green light, then lifted them up when they saw a tall figure emerge from the foliage.
Gravattack walked out from the shadows and stretched out his hands, which glowed green as he lifted the soldiers into the air while the ship remained anchored to the ground. Then he quickly pushed them into the forest and yelled, "NOW!"
Soon, the others rushed out from the trees (except Kevin carried Gwendolyn since she was still recovering from the teleportation spell) and rushed onto Rook's ship as soon as he remotely opened the hatch. Some more soldiers tried to rush from the trees, but Ben continued to force them back with his gravity powers.
After a few minutes, Rook finally shouted, "Okay, everything is ready! Get on, quick!"
Then Ben changed back to his human form and rushed to join the others. Immediately, Rook fired up the ship and flew off into the sky.
"Phew! Now that was close!" sighed Ben.
"Don't start celebrating yet, Tennyson," said Kevin, "We still got a lotta frogs to clear through."
"Alright, activating the cloaking device," said Rook as he pushed some buttons. After a whirring sound, he pushed some more buttons and said, "Transmitting clearance codes now."
Soon after he had done this, they broke through Earth's atmosphere, immediately coming into contact with some Incursean space fighters. However, the ships paid them no mind as they flew past.
"Wow, impressive! It's actually working!" said Attea.
"Was there any doubt?" asked Ben with a smug look on his face.
A few minutes later, they finally approached Milleous' flagship and flew around to the emergency hatch just as they planned. Rook carefully positioned the ship to properly dock with the entrance, then did so.
"Alright, everyone ready?" asked Rook.
Attea whipped out her pistols, Warton got out his blaster, Ben readied the omnitrix, Gwendolyn lit up her hands with mana, and Kevin absorbed the surrounding metal to armor himself.
Rook readied his proto-tool. "Then let us get to work."
Rook led the way, opening the door of the ship that led into a long hallway that led to the emergency hatch's door on the other side. They crept through the hallway until they reached the door and then opened it . . .
Only to find two Incursean guards standing there!
They turned around to see who was there, but Rook already knocked one out cold. The other one quickly touched his belt, causing a device attached to it to start beeping, and then Attea blasted that one.
"Quick! Shut it off!" said Warton.
Kevin rushed over, grabbed the device, then crushed it in his hand.
"Seal the door, now!" he said.
"Why?" asked Ben.
"Because that was a distress beacon! Incursean soldiers will be swarming the place in seconds!"
At that, Kevin rushed over to the door and used his powers to seal the door with liquid metal, which hardened after he finished. Not long after, they heard pounding on the door, along with a muffled voice, "Open up! Surrender in the name of the glorious Incursean Empire!"
"Great! Now what do we do?" asked Kevin.
"I thought you said there'd be no guards here!" said Gwendolyn.
"There wasn't! I swear!" said Warton.
"Yeah, no one usually guards the emergency entrance because we barely use it!" said Attea.
"Ugh, Argit!" growled Kevin, "I swear, if we make it out of here, I'm gonna kill him!"
"Perhaps you were right in saying we should not have trusted him," said Rook.
"That's what I've been saying!"
"Guys, stop it! We knew this was going to be a trap either way, so let's just focus and readjust the plan before we all die!" said Warton.
"Okay," said Ben, readying the watch, "Hope I've got something good dialed in!"
He hit the watch, engulfing himself in a green light. When the light died down, ChamAlien stood in his place.
"Whoa! ChamAlien!" he said, "Haven't seen this guy in a while! Hope I still remember how to use him!"
Then Ben looked up and saw an air vent near the door, so he turned invisible and climbed onto the wall, ripping the air vent cover off and crawling in. Once at the other side, he punched it off and crawled onto the side wall. As the frogs looked at the vent in confusion, he snuck up behind one and knocked him out.
"Hey, what was that?" cried one of the other Incurseans, pointing his weapon around, but Ben soon knocked him out too.
"Open fire!" shouted another one.
As the Incurseans randomly shot laser bolts in any direction, Ben dodged all of them with amazing acrobatics. Then he found the remaining three and used his stinger to knock out two of them while backhanding another, followed by a strong kick.
Then he saw dozens more rush toward him from the other side of the hallway, so he slapped the omnitrix symbol and transformed into XLR8, then he sped toward the frogs and had them all lying on the floor in seconds.
"Okay, guys! All clear!" he yelled.
There was a loud smashing noise, then the door fell down onto the floor with a loud crash. Ben changed back into his human form.
"Kevin!" said Ben.
"What? They already know we're here!"
"Guys, come on! Let's just focus on getting to the command center!" said Gwendolyn.
As the group rushed down the hallway, Warton asked Rook, "Is this usually how plans work out for you?"
"Usually, yes."
Soon, they reached the elevator . . . only to find a lot more Incurseans guarding it. Kevin sprang into action, making his knuckles larger and delivering hard blows to their faces. Meanwhile, Attea started blasting or kicking any other Incursean who got close, and Warton punched and blasted them as well. The room was quickly cleared of enemy frogs.
When Warton tried typing on the elevator controls, there was a beeping sound and an exclamation mark.
"Ugh! They locked us out of the system!" Warton hit the door as he said this.
"Don't worry, I'm on it!" Ben slammed on the omnitrix and transformed into Upgrade. "Honestly, I was going for Brainstorm, but this'll be quicker!"
Ben merged into the control panel and soon opened the elevator doors in seconds. Everyone managed to fit into the elevator, especially when Ben merged into the whole thing and tried widening it a little. Then Ben made the elevator zoom up to their destination and said, "Gwendolyn, hope ya got that sleep spell ready!"
Her eyes immediately glowed pink as she said, "Somnus!"
Thumping sounds could be heard from outside. After a few minutes, Ben opened the doors to reveal all the frogs knocked out cold on the floor.
Ben separated from the elevator and changed back, while the others got out with their weapons ready. Then they all approached a large closed set of doors, which suddenly opened to reveal nothing but darkness.
"O-kay, that's weird," said Ben.
"It's obviously a trap," said Attea.
"Like this wasn't a trap already?" asked Kevin.
"Alright guys, on three," said Gwendolyn, "One . . . two . . . THREE!"
Everyone rushed into the room and the lights turned on to reveal . . . nothing.
The entire command center was deserted, not even Milleous was in his throne!
"Wha—I don't understand! Daddy should've been here!" said Attea.
Suddenly, the doors snapped shut. Rook and Kevin tried prying the doors apart but no luck. Then a green gas started to fill the room, causing everyone to cough and sink to the floor in unconsciousness. Ben tried to activate the omnitrix, but he soon sank to the floor as well. He saw Attea a few feet away from him, so he tried reaching out for her while weakly calling out, "A . . .tteeee . . . aaaa . . ."
Then everything went dark.