Chapter 141: Insidious Seven Reborn: Part Four

Disclaimer: I Don't Own Ben 10 Or Any Of The Characters

Disclaimer: I Don't Own The Rights To Nathan Black Or Any Associated Characters, The Rights Go To annihalator2015

Author's Note:

* Hello and welcome to Chapter One Hundred and One.

* Sorry that it's been a while, but life seems to be getting difficult and it's tough to juggle work, my social life and hobbies, along with this gig. I will try to post more regularly in the future.

* I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. Anyway, let's get into it.

Earth-Prime

Thursday, January 31st, 2019

The Suburbs

Ben

The following day I was able to walk properly again. If it hadn't been for the healing factor that the Omnitrix gave me, I most likely would have been bedridden today. I decided to skip breakfast this morning and go out on a short patrol before school. A bad idea, probably, but I really needed the air.

I was grappling toward another rooftop, when I was hit by a barrage of some kind of energy and sent flying. I somehow managed not to be sent to the streets below, but that barely registered with me. My side felt like it was on fire as I got up on one knee and looked around for my attacker.

I saw nothing at first, but I heard the clicking of footsteps from behind me. I turned around to see a young woman with short red hair, wearing light combat armor, gloves and boots.

Combat boots, I thought. That explains the clicking like sounds that I heard.

"Oh, finally I have found you." she spoke as she paced around me.

Maybe I should have just gone to school, I thought as I tried to figure out what to say.

"Yep, you've found me. Now, just who exactly are you?"

"Don't try to convince me that you don't know who I am."

"But I don't!"

"Uh-huh."

"I'm being serious! I have no idea who you are!"

"Sure. Whatever you say, kid."

"Lady, cut me some slack! I have no fucking clue who you are! I've never seen your face before today!"

She stared down at me, clearly unimpressed.

"My name is Rojo. I'm a mercenary. One summer ago, I was hired to work for the Forever Knights. When my contract expired with them, I went my own way. And now, I work for them once more."

Rojo? I still don't remember her. No matter, focus on her employment.

"You're working with them?! Don't you know what they've done?! If you're contract expired, you should never have..."

"What can I say? Money talks. Anyway, I have no idea how a pathetic little kid like yourself defeated my comrades, but I don't care. It's all over for you now."

She pulled out two twin pistols from her belt and pointed them at me.

"I'll be the one to put an end to you. Goodbye."

Oh, come on! You can't be serious!

However, before she could pull the trigger on her pistols, Albedo flew out of nowhere and nailed her with a kick to the side of her head.

"You came to the wrong friendly neighborhood, bitch!"

The woman known as Rojo dropped her pistols as she fell to the ground, unmoving once she settled. I let out a breath.

Well, this "pathetic little kid" happens to have friends, I thought.

"Thanks for the save," I said as I began to stand back up. "Though, a few seconds ago wouldn't be so bad."

"You're alive, aren't you?"

That I was. Couldn't argue with results.

"What about her?" I asked, pointing down at her. "What if she's just faking it?"

He looked down at Rojo, who still wasn't moving.

"Well, I think I have a way to find out."

He then kicked her in the side of the head again, but she still didn't move.

"Really, dude? One kick to her head was enough, but two kicks? That's unnecessary lethal force!"

"Would you rather have had her shoot you?"

"No, but I really think you could have found another way. You could have tried to restrain her!"

"Hey man, she was pointing a gun at my brother. I didn't exactly feel like leaving her conscious."

I sighed.

"Fair enough."

"Well, what do we do now?"

"You go on to school. I call Director Steel to have his people come pick her up, then I'll head to school, as well."

"Okay, bro. I'll see you soon. Be careful."

"You, too."

He then turned and left me by myself.

A Few Hours Later

Madison High School

I was using some free time at the library to catch up on the work that I had missed out on lately when she approached me. I looked up when I felt like I was being watched. Kai was standing there, with a nervous look on her face. I put my pencil down as I spoke.

"What is it?"

"Can we talk now?" she asked in a timid voice.

With a sigh, I shook my head.

"I'm sorry, but no. I have to focus on catching up on my classwork."

She looked disappointed.

"But it's important!"

I stood up and collected my things. Clearly I wasn't going to be able to get anything else done with her here. My best choice was to go back to class.

"I'm sure it is, Kai. But my grades are more important. If I'm unable to graduate, my mom will have my head."

"But..."

"Kai, I'm sorry. I really am. It'll just have to wait."

As bad as I felt about it, I walked away without another word.

Later That Day

We all gathered together for lunch again that day, nothing really interesting happened. But when the bell rang, Nathan whistled at me and I turned to look at him.

"Hey Tennyson, mind staying back for a minute or two? I just want to talk to you about something, if that's alright with you?"

Why do I have a bad feeling about this?

Regardless of my thoughts, I nodded at him.

"Um, sure man. What's on your mind?"

"Listen, you seem like you've got a lot on your chest, lately. If you ever need to talk to someone, to just vent, you can come on over to my place." Nathan wrote something down on a Post-It-Note, his address I assumed and handed it to me. "I'm aware it's rather out of your way, but if you ever need a place to just vent, you're always welcome at my place."

I took the Post-It from him and sure enough, when I looked at it, I saw an address scrawled on the pale tan paper.

"Thanks. If I'm ever going through something too heavy for my counselor to help me through, I'll consider you."

He nodded.

"No problem. All I ask is that you give it some thought. See you later, man." He said before giving me a wave as he stood up from the table and walked away.

I decided to follow his example and got up to walk out of the cafeteria myself.

Kai

Minutes Later

After lunch, I decided that I was going to approach Ben again. And so, once he finally got up from the lunch table, I followed him out of the lunch room and once he was relatively by himself, I spoke out.

"Ben?"

He stopped and turned around. He didn't say anything to me, so I had to speak first.

"Can we, uh, you know, talk now?"

He just stood there without speaking, as if he were thinking. As he stood there, that's when it dawned on me.

What am I doing here?! He's turned me down the last two times that I've asked him and he'll no doubt do it again.

"Actually, you know what? Forget it. I wouldn't want to inconvenience you."

He looked surprised.

"Are you sure? I can..."

"No, I'm sure! I should just go. Sorry that I bothered you."

Besides, you would have just blown me off again, anyway, I thought as I turned and began to walk away.

He was probably confused, but I couldn't bring myself to care.

Epilogue 1

Clancy

Downtown Bellwood

After escaping from custody once again, I walked the streets of Downtown Bellwood late at night. I desperately wanted to go to attack Tennyson again, but I knew better. I had been caught twice. This time, I needed to lay low for a while. I needed to plot out my revenge.

Epilogue 2

Enoch

The Forever Knights' Main Headquarters

I was sitting at my desk with my feet up when I heard the doors open behind me. Footsteps, then silence.

"Are you just going to stand there or are you going to speak?"

When there was no response, I retracted my legs and turned in my chair to face my assistant.

"Smith..." I growled, beginning to get annoyed.

He finally spoke up in a panicked tone.

"Your team has failed. Ken Tennyson was apprehended and his mind was reworked by S.E.C.T., Gorvan is in a S.E.C.T. hospital after his head injury, Hex is in S.E.C.T. custody. As for the rest of the team, Leon is waiting for his new orders, both Clancy and Rojo have escaped from custody and Zombozo went rogue, feeding on unsuspecting citizens in the city."

I closed my eyes and nodded with a smile on my face. After a few seconds of silence, Smith spoke once more, with confusion.

"Um, Sir?"

"I never intended for them to succeed. I set them up to fail, even."

I opened my eyes to see Smith with a look of confusion on his face.

"Sir, what does that..."

"What you're about to see is my fine creation. Originally, I had our video editing team working on it, but I've found that when you want something done, you have to do it yourself."

I knew that Smith was confused. That was all well and good. I pulled out a remote from my desk and pointed it at the wall, pressing a button on it as I did. A projection screen slowly moved down from the ceiling, until it took up an entire section of wall. I pressed another button and a recording—an altered recording, at that—of the recent attack on my company began to play.

Tennyson appeared on the screen, in costume and walked up to my desk where I sat in the footage. He grabbed the back of my head and forced me forward, so that my face impacted the top of my desk. He pulled me back so that I faced him and he pulled off his mask. When this happened, the camera had a good angle on his face for several seconds.

"Listen to me and listen well! Do not make me come back here. If I have to come back to beat you even further, I will kill you! Do we understand each other?"

"Yes." I spoke in a slur, as a victim would.

"Good." He said as he let go of me.

Then he went for my keyboard, picked it up and whacked me across the face with it. Once I went back down onto my desk, he dropped the keyboard.

"Glad that we have an understanding. See you around, Enoch."

That's where the footage ended, showing nothing but static. I turned to look at Smith, who looked even more confused.

"What is this?"

"Hmm. The beginning of my master plan. It's not finished, the last thing remaining is my dramatic intro, but I can do that anytime."

"No, I mean, why are you doing this? Tennyson is just one guy. Is he really a threat to you?"

I turned away from him in my chair, heaving a sigh. I felt my temper beginning to flare, but I wouldn't allow it to get in the way of my passion.

"More than you know. Tennyson has ruined my family, he's ruined my company, he's ruined my life. So, I intend to ruin his. Once the world sees this footage, he'll have nowhere left to hide."

"You do are aware of the possibility that the media can find out that it was faked?"

I ignored him as I stood up from my chair. I walked over to the portrait of my uncle on the far wall, slightly obscured by the shadows. I gently stroked the canvas of the portrait.

"I promise that I'll finish it, Uncle. I will make them pay for what they did that night. You will be avenged."

Silence filled the room, until Smith approached and spoke again.

"Um, sir?"

I turned to look at him, now feeling annoyed by his presence.

"Yes, yes, what?!"

"I just wanted to tell you that Subject 20PY had a seizure this morning. I think he may be nearing the end."

"Ah, good. Well, once he expires we'll extract the DNA and move on with Subject 21PY. Wayne wanted his project and so, I gave him Project Diablo."

When Smith didn't answer, I walked over to my desk and began shutting everything down for the night.

"Well, I'm turning in for the night. Come fetch me after breakfast tomorrow morning and we'll go pay the test subject a visit."

I began walking toward the elevator up to my private penthouse.

"Well, uh, good night Mr. Enoch!"

I smirked as I continued walking, not answering.

Author's Note:

* And that's it for this chapter. I hope you all enjoyed. I know it may have been shorter, but it is what it is.

* How do you think things with Enoch will turn out? I'd really like to know if you have any theories.

* I think that's going to do it for me, I'm going to go though, so have a Bwen-tastic day and bye.

Review Responses

Daniel6 (Chapter 140): I got bit by a German Shepherd once. Behind my left knee. Not fun. Would not recommend it.

Thanks, Daniel. I hadn't planned to ever get bitten by a German Shepherd, but the less, thanks for the review, as always.

Guest Review (Chapter 140): Hi, I've just caught up to the latest chapter and I have to say good job. The story can be a bit confusing at times, especially with bens mood swings but overall it's good. I would love to read more Ben/Gwen centric stuff with this story, at times it seems like you drift away from that but I digress. Keep up the good work.

Thank you. Most guest reviews that I get on here tend to be quite negative, so thanks for the change of pace. I'm glad that you're enjoying the story, even if I think my writing is mediocre at best most of the time. I do realize that it tends to get confusing, but as a story gets longer, the plot holes and confusion began to arise. Everything has problems if you look hard enough.

As for Ben/Gwen stuff, when I originally started this story back in 2017, most of it was supposed to be Bwen. But you know how it goes. Rewrites upon rewrites, the changing of the tone. I try to sneak in little moments here and there, to break from the story that I care about telling more than their actual relationship. Nevertheless, thanks for the review, as always.

Next Chapter: Subject 20PY escapes from the Forever Knights' Tower and it's up to Ben to stop him from wreaking havoc in the city.