SZ:...it happened. It finally happened….GSE has its own TV Tropes page!
GT: SUBARASHI!
SZ: WHOO! This...this is a very big deal folks.
GT: Very big! We'd love if you readers would add to the page on TV Tropes if you can...But for now, we know why you're here.
SZ: Aye...and one thing we wanna bring up. We apologize for this, but for those who're hoping to see the Fate Series in this story….no. We're sorry but no...its good, but it's WAY too complicated to add into our already large universe we've made here.
GT: Eeyup. We also want to clarify for anyone confused about the female Merlin. She's from a manga series known as the Seven Deadly Sins. But for now...we do not own any of the franchisees used for this story.
SZ: So let us begin before Z0 returns!
It had taken several hours, bribes of adorable plushes, and cuddling a Ditto, but eventually they got the sisters to stop trying to maim/murder Tsubaki. At the moment, it was three in the morning and everyone in the Omni Team were fast asleep. Everyone snoozed softly within their respective rooms as the moon's light shone into their rooms, the sounds of the wind gently blowing through. Overall...it was a nice, relaxing...night...of sl-
*AWOOOOOOOOOOGGGGAAAAAAA~~~~!-!-!-!-!*
"GAH/WHAT THE HELL/KYA/WHAT ON EARTH?!" most of the groups' voices exclaimed.
=Who did that?! I was having an amazing dream and they ruined it!= Steel snapped, fumbling out with a metal baseball bat with Jack Fenton's face on a sticker on it =I have the Fenton Anti-Creep Stick and I am invoking my rights to smash with it!=
"The Fenton...oh god that sounded bad…" Kokonoe groaned, lowering the airhorn from the megaphone she was carrying.
"I think it was made by those ghost hunters in Amity based on the Fenton part, so it may be able to harm intangible beings," Tager noted, still a head and set in a jar on the outdoor table.
=...= Steel blinked for a moment as he floated back in =Guys..that crazy catlady's back!=
"Grr…" Kokonoe's eyes twitched at that
=And she pulled a Futurama on her big red guy!=
"Crazy wh...you mean that Tao girl?" Sari asked, walking downstairs.
=No. Another crazy catlady= Steel corrected.
"Grr…"
"Professor…" Lambda spoke, rubbing an eye while coming downstairs...wearing footy pajamas themed after a corgi.
"...What the hell are you wearing?"
"Corgi Pajamas," Lambda answered.
"...Why?"
"Corgis are fluffy," Lambda replied.
"...NANAYA!" Kokonoe snapped.
"That was all Noellie," Makoto defended as she and the others came down.
"What happened to the big guy?" Max asked upon seeing Tager.
"Did you get signals from Earth about Futurama on the Galvan homeworld?" Makoto asked.
"No," Kokonoe growled, "He got attacked and lost his body."
"Wait, what?" Makoto blinked, "Tager lost his body?!"
"It's not fun for me either," Tager sighed.
"How did this even happen?" Rook asked.
"Thank this stupid thief that broke into the lab," Kokonoe answered with a frown.
"Someone broke in?" Ben asked.
"Yes," Azmuth replied, sitting on Kokonoe's shoulder, "They bypassed my entire security system. More troubling, it was almost like that Time Walker, keyword being 'almost. '"
"And you being here means that it's probably connected to Ben in someway, shape, or form," Makoto guessed.
"Correct," Azmuth nodded before looking at Ben, "The Ultimatrix...it was stolen by this thief."
"WHAAAAAAAAT?!" Ben shouted in shock.
"The what?" Max and Sari blinked.
"Ben's old watch," Makoto explained, "...well from what he told me, technically it belonged to his evil 'twin', but complications...know what nevermind. This is pretty big."
"It's gonna get worse…" Kokonoe spoke up.
"Oh great...what's worse than the Ultimatrix being st-" Ben began.
"The thief is targeting your little HQ's vault for the Anihilaarg."
"...Those two…" Kajun groaned.
"They fixed it again?!" Makoto exclaimed, "Ugh...seriously those two!"
=Um, yeah...No idea what you're talking about here= Steel noted.
"The Anihilaarg is…" Rook began.
"Is a dangerous bomb that can literally destroy a universe," Ben stated, earning a look from Rook, "What? We don't have time going into full details. Kajun."
"Already contacting HQ for a Groundbridge."
"A what now?" Kokonoe asked before the Groundbridge formed, "...What have I missed since going into space to a science nirvana?"
"A lot," Makoto spoke up, "Move it, Cat lady!"
"You woke us up very early in the morning. Politeness will take a bit to register for the rest of them," Skurd noted to Kokonoe, "Mainly the boy and his fluffy girlfriend."
"Hey!"
"Okay, just gotta add this and…" Driba beamed as he and Blukic backed away from the Anihilaarg, "Done!" a shadow came over them, "Huh?"
"You two fixed it again?" Kajun growled, grabbing the device.
"Ah, wait, that…" Blukic began before the Anihilarg beeped before blowing up...covering Kajun in confetti, "...was part of our security fer protectin' the real thing."
"...clever…." Kajun muttered, wiping the confetti off her face, "But still...You fixed that damn device again?!"
"We can't help it!" Driba argued, "We're maintenance! We're supposed to repair things that are broken!"
"Commendable, but not when the thing you've repaired is capable of destroying the universe!" Kajun snapped.
"You know what we're gonna do now…" Makoto spoke up, "You're being put in the babyholders again."
"Aw dang…" Blukic whined.
"And no grasshopper smoothies for a week!" Kajun added.
"Aw come on!" Driba exclaimed before Azmuth hopped off Kokonoe's shoulder.
"Where is it, you two?" Azmuth asked.
"In there," Driba replied, pointing at a door that slid open...revealing several shelves filled with the device.
"Ma'antis brought this thing called an 'energy drink' and we tried it. Next thing we know? We came to sittin' on a pile o' them fakes," Blukic explained.
"...So it's gonna be like finding needles in a haystack…" Kajun whispered in a neutral tone, her eye slightly twitching a bit.
"Or a simple bit of amusement," Azmuth noted, "Omnimatrix, Acces Splixson DNA Sample."
A green flash went off and Ditto looked down at himself, "...Oh no…"
"Oh yes," Makoto giggled, realizing what was about to happen.
"If these duplicates are as sensitive as the one Kajun grabbed, then this form will be the best choice to find the real one," Azmuth noted.
"Aw man~" Ditto groaned, "Alright, alright...I'm on it…"
"I haven't seen him turn into this form," Max noted, "So what can he do?"
"What can I do?" Ditto repeated before snapping his fingers as several copies of himself picked him up to make him eye level to Max, "This." One of the copies yawned and let go of the mall stack to lie down, causing it to collapse, "FIVE!"
"It's too early for this…" the Ditto muttered, "Wake me up when it's over...or when it's noon..."
"Alright, we're going in there and touching the little boxes that explode," the Prime Ditto ordered as he pointed at the other room and then at Kajun.
"You expect us to go in there, touch Tiny Box Tim's universe-exploding cousin, and get covered in junk?" one of them asked.
"Yes."
"Well, I have one thing to say to that! ...Alrighty," he shrugged before running in, picking up one of them, and threw it at the Prime Ditto, causing it to pop into confetti, "Box fight!"
=Is it just me...or does Ben regress when he's like this?= Steel asked as he saw the Splixson run in, cackling before boxes were getting sent flying and exploding in confetti on hitting another.
"As Splixson's mature and develop more intricate personalities, when they duplicate, their duplicates divide up aspects. Too little and it's more like distinct people, but too much and it's more...gimmicks." Azmuth explained as Makoto scooped up the snoozing Ditto.
"And yet, this one makes me want to get some popcorn more than Rath because of it," Makoto giggled.
"So since we have a moment." Kajun spoke, "Kokonoe, can you tell us anything else about this thief?"
"Other then he is supposed to be human, but he can run and jump even greater than Nanaya?" Kokonoe asked, "He's got this gun...and it doesn't just shoot bullets…"
"Which means...?" Makoto asked.
"It lets him do...a lot of other tricks," she sighed.
"It seems he is fond of powerful items that are more than they appear," Azmuth spoke, "His weapon seems to be able to manipulate spatial energy. He can make portals, use it to cover himself in a suit of armor. And if he isn't in the mood to handle things himself...summon people to do his bidding."
"...beg pardon?" Kajun blinked in rising curiosity.
"Kajun not now," Tsubaki sighed.
"So...he's...magic?" Makoto asked.
"Makoto that's…"
"Yes, he is magic." Azmuth nodded, making everyone blink, "What? Magic is just science you can't fully explain yet. Ergo...he's Magic."
'Tell that to the seemingly immortal magic woman that's now our neighbor,' Makoto thought as the Prime Ditto trudged over, barely visible beneath the confetti he was covered in.
"Got it...and the concussion when Seven nailed Nine with it," the Prime Ditto groaned, holding up the actual doomsday device, "Now can someone touch my chest? I can't find it and I'm scared of getting lost in the confetti if I let it run out on its own."
"Hold on. Let m…" Sari began before the warning siren went off, "?!"
"...What timing…" Kokonoe frowned, "Moment it's found? He appears…"
"Where did he sneak in from? Grandpa Max has been making this place impossible to breach." Ditto spoke up. He then grunted when an air-vent cover fell on his head followed by a human male figure.
"Yoink." the man known as Kaito smiled, grabbed the Doomsday device, and dashed past them as a blur, "Thank you~!"
"...That was him...wasn't it?" Makoto asked.
"Correct," Tager answered.
"Well, what are you waiting for...chase him!" Kokonoe complained.
"Ahh!" the group yelped as they ran off to go chase after Kaito.
"Split up! We can't let him escape with the Anihilaaag!" Tsubaki shouted.
"I don't know...I think I'm doing a good job of it so far," Kaito taunted from down the hall.
"Omnitrix, access Kineceleran DNA Sample," Azmuth ordered before a green flash went off and Kaito barrel ducked the blue and black blur that was XLR8.
"Oh, a challenge now," the thief noted.
"How did you dodge that?" XLR8 asked confused.
"You're not very good with super speed, are you?" Kaito smiled, "Too predictable, and your speed was so over the top, you'd never be able to do complex maneuvers. In short...I predicted what you'd do before you did it." he tapped his head before blurring off down the hall...running up the walls, ceiling and then back to the ground in a constant spiral.
"Aw great...He's taunting me," XLR8 frowned.
"Never fear, Skurd is here!" Skurd declared as he went to work, "He thinks we're predictable? How quaint. Let's see...some Citrakayah will be beneficial in the physical attack department and some Pyronite for a little turbo..." he quickly covered the back of XLR8's feet and engulfed XLR8's arms before shifting into a pair of rockets resembling Heatblast and feline-like arms.
"Oh, that's interesting," Kaito noted before dodging a punch from XLR8 once he caught up with him.
"Okay, what even are you?" XLR8 complained as he lunged again only to miss each time.
"I'm a Thief, not getting caught is what I'm good at," he smiled while backing into a wall, "Oops…"
"Got you now!" XLR8 spoke rushing, only for Kaito to hold his hand out, and form what looked like a shimmering reflective veil that XLR8 went into...and vanished into.
"No...no you didn't." Kaito smiled. He then swung his arm out as the veil formed again and XLR8 was blasted out from his own speed and through a wall.
"WHOA!" XLR8 and Skurd yelped as they crashed into another wall, "Ugh…"
"Clean up, one dinosaur and the booger it's got stuck on it," Kaito noted in amusement.
"...I don't like him…" Skurd groaned out.
"Alright...if speed's not gonna work…" XLR8 tapped his emblem and switched to Diamondhead, "Then trapping should do the trick."
"Hello now…" Kaito noted, "I forgot about the alien race made of gems."
"Glad to hear," Diamondhead noted, "Meaning you forgot they could do…" he slammed a fist down on the ground and Kaito grunted as his arm with the Anihilarg was engulfed in the crystals that erupted from the ground beside him, "THIS!"
"Oh dear me...I've been trapped," Kaito noted, rolling his eyes before holding up his gun, "Good thing I loaded my gun." he swung a leg up and swiped it along the bottom of his gun, causing it to extend.
=KAMEN RIDE:=
"What's he…?" Diamondhead began before Kaito aimed the gun at the air.
"Henshin," he smirked before pulling the trigger.
=DIEND!=
Diamondhead blinked as three colored holograms-magenta, green, and cyan-began dashing around the hallway before all three slammed onto Kaito. A cyan hue washed over his black armor before thirteen cards made of cyan energy seemed to slam into his visor. Diend smirked as the bracelet on his gauntlet began humming...and shattered the crystals encasing his arm. He stood up and flipped up his stolen treasure.
"The end?" Diamondhead asked.
"I think it said 'DiEnd,'" Skurd corrected.
"That's what I said."
"No, no. Not 'the end,' but 'DiEnd.' One word."
"What?"
"Wow...you are dumb," Diend laughed as he appeared behind Diamondhead.
"!?" the Petrosapien tensed, barely spinning around and forming a shield of crystal that was shattered by a kick by Diend, knocking him away.
"Don't misunderstand, I'm not that strong. My armor just has some helpful gadgets in it," he explained, "One of them is a remarkably useful manipulation of sound waves." he explained, whistling as Diamondhead's spike shattered.
"Gh!" Diamondhead tensed before slapping his emblem and Humogousaur replaced him, "Alright. Getting mad here now."
"I'm not trying to hurt you. This is all pure self defense," Diend chuckled before catching Makoto in her jump at him from behind, "For example...FLYING SQUIRREL!" he threw Makoto at the Vaxasaurian.
"Whoa!" Makoto yelped as Humongousaur barely caught her, "Ugh...Must have super hearing with that suit, too."
"Indeed I do." Diend smiled as he turned to see the others, "Allow me to fully introduce myself to you heroes of this dimension." he bowed, "I am Kamen Rider Diend! The Treasure Sniper!" he flicked his hand and produced a silk tophat he took off to complete his bit, "Stop!" he shouted, making them freeze before they could comment, "I know what you're about to say, and sorry...despite my name sounding like a show you have in your world...I...am no hero! I am just a humble thief and lover of treasure!" he pulled out a pair of cards, "Plus, I'm on a bit of a time crunch. Want to go tease a friend with some sea cucumbers sooner than later and with so many of you, I'm not going to make that time by myself. And given you've got Max Steel, the latest edition not the original edition…. I'll need some big help, so…"
He slotted the cards into his gun after pulling it back into its original setting before pumping it out once more.
=KAMEN RIDE: OUJA! ARC!=
"Go forth my muscles!" he pulled the trigger as two more sets of holograms floated around before reforming into two more armored figures. One clad in purple cobra-themed armor and the other a giant in black and gold demonic armor.
The cobra exhaled slowly before looking at them, "Tch. What's this? ...Some form of police...Tch. I'm vexed."
The giant growled out a bit as he glared at the group from behind his mask. Makoto's tail sprung straight up from her spot on Humongousaur.
"Gh! Wh-What's with these guys…?" Makoto gulped.
"They are monsters," Diend chuckled, "Ouja…" he motioned to the purple one, "Is a serial killer...who really...really dislikes the police. And Arc...well, he's just a literal monster." the giant growled at him, "What? You know it's true."
"Who cares...the carnival is about to begin…" Ouja chuckled cracking his neck as he tilted his head to the side and glared at them, "Hehehe...who wants to play first~?" Everyone tensed feeling a horrible bloodlust unlike any before.
"And on that note….I am out," Diend taunted as he ran off, "Ja ne~!"
"Oh no y-!" Max began, about to chase after before Arc kicked him away, "Gah!"
"Ben, Makoto, after him!" Tsubaki ordered, pulling Excalibur out, "We'll handle these two!"
"Women who are too overconfident piss me off…" Ouja spoke as he pulled out a drill like sword and lunged at Tsubaki making her block, "That way you talk pisses me off...I hate people who order others around!" he began pushing her back.
"We'll try and hold these two off…!" Tsubaki grunted, "Rook, you and Mai go the other direction! Try and cut off any and all possible escape routes!"
"Got it/Understood!" Ben and Rook saluted, the former running off with Makoto to chase down Diend while Rook and the others ran off in the opposite direction.
"Okay...didn't think I'd be fighting a Kamen Rider…" Max began with a grunt as he pulled himself up off the floor, looking up at Arc as he prepared himself, "But given you're a badguy...I won't feel as bad. Steel, let's go Turbo Strength!"
Max transformed only to be blindsided by Arc from behind.
"That was mine…" Ouja complained.
"Grrr…"
"Say that again…" Ouja growled.
"Hey!"
"Hmm?" Ouja blinked behind his helmet as he turned to look at Tsubaki.
"What's wrong?" Tsubaki began as she got into a fighting stance, the light reflecting off Excalibur's blade as she gave him a serious stare, "I thought you found me vexing…"
"Hahaha...oh...I'm going to enjoy ringing your neck." Ouja laughed, "But...I bet…" he drew a card from his belt, "This will hurt you more."
=ADVENT=
At that the metal walls began to ripple before a giant purple cobra suddenly appeared through the reflections. It hissed and tackled Max, wrapping him up before slithering off down the hall. The blades on it's hood cutting up the walls. It hissed before blasting...acid from his fangs at a wall melting it away and letting it slink deeper inside the base.
"My pet...needs to eat, I wonder how many tasty bastards it can find!" Ouja laughed.
The snake hissed loudly as it was tossed right out of the hole, making Ouja tense a little as Max staggered out of the hole.
"You...you're gonna have to try harder…" Max grunted.
"...oh?" Ouja spoke before pulling out another card, "Well...if you asked so nicely…" he chuckled. He slid the card into a cobra themed cane and smirked.
=ADVENT!=
This time a large silver humanoid rhinoceros creature rushed out and tackled Max smashing him into a wall. It growled and smacked him around with its large hands, actually making Max stumble back.
=Okay...this is actually starting to hurt!= Steel grunted from each smack.
"What...is up with this power?!" Max grunted pushing back the Rhino...only to grunt as the Cobra spit acid all over his back, which began eating away at his armor.
=OWOWOWOWOW!=
"What's wrong? Can't take a little acid?" Ouja taunted before his snake hissed out in pain once more.
"And yet you're pets…" Tsubaki began, her sword digging into the snake's side before she pulled out and slashed the rhino's back, making it grunt as it staggered away, "Cannot handle my sword's blade!"
"Ngh….thanks, Tsubaki," Max grunted as he staggered against the wall, fighting off the pain as his suit began to regenerate.
"We're not out of the woods yet, Max," Tsubaki stated, standing ready as the rhino, snake, and Arc growled at the duo.
"Ha!" Ouja shouted, suddenly tackling and pushing Max into a wall. He then spun around and clashed with Tsubaki. He pushed her back before jumping back and vanishing into the reflection of a metal wall.
"He vanished…" Max noted, only to flinch as Ouja jumped out behind him and slashed the back of his armor where it was previously damaged, "Gah!"
=How is he...wait a second. It's reflective surfaces!= Steel realized.
"Correct. My Mirror Monsters come fr-" Ouja began before Tsubaki slashed the metal wall, leaving a large gash in it, "?"
"So they appear through reflective surfaces...good," Tsubaki noted before swinging around, using Excalibur to slash another side of the hall before slashing at the lights, causing the room to darken up, "No light...no reflections."
"Oh that's sweet," Ouja laughed, "You think you figured it out...but...I'm not limited to the extent you think I am…"
"...Well that's not forbidding at all," Max muttered as he and Tsubaki stood ready for whatever was next.
=ATTACK RIDE: BLAST!=
A large explosion went off as one of the steel doors blocking an exit to the next room exploded, Diend humming to himself a bit as he sauntered right in. He whistled a different tune as he began twirling his gun around.
"Ahh...This is just too e-" he began before jumping over, doding Makoto's attempted lunge before twisting his body to dodge Jetray's attempted grab, "Missed me~"
"Ugh...What is your deal?" Makoto groaned, "What do you even want with that unpronounceable thing?"
"Nothing," Diend explained.
"Nothing?" Jetray blinked.
"What...do you think I'm going to use these things?" Diend laughed, "Hahahaha...ah...that's funny. Why would I use them? These things have no use if they are used more. Their only value is in my collection."
"So that's why you're stealing the Anihilaarg? So you can keep it as some shiny trophy?" Makoto asked before blinking, "Huh...I got it right for once..but not important right now. Regardless, you're not escaping with that thing!"
"But why would you want to keep it?" Diend argued, "I mean...I'm not even from this dimension. I live in the voice between worlds, so if I keep it...wouldn't it be safer? I mean...if I left it here with you, you'd either blow the world up again, lose it to some criminal with intent to use it...or the wonder twins accidentally push it, just to see if they actually got it working…" he listed.
"...He...scarily makes a good point…" Jetray muttered as he landed near Makoto.
"Yup. A-" Diend began before his body from the neck down was suddenly flash frozen.
"Counterpoint...who's gonna stop someone from raiding wherever he keeps these 'treasures' and finds the bomb?" Jin's voice countered as he walked into the room, slowly sheathing Yukianesa, 'Go to bed after a long day of training in the VR room and you get woken up at three in the morning to an intruder...Is it Wednesday already?'
"Hahahaha…" Diend laughed, "You can't find my treasure." he shook his head, "Do you really now grasp the whole 'I'm a dimensional traveler' thing? I live in the Multiverse...your points are all invalid." he hopped around to look at Jin, "Oh wow...It's rare for me to meet a Jin who's not a yandere...you come off as more Tsundere...good for you!"
"Told you…" Makoto whispered to Jetray.
"Not now," Jetray whispered back.
"Oh great. Meaning you likely know someone like the blue, kid version of Tennyson," Jin sighed, having read that report.
"Eh, depends," Diend replied before he managed to tilt his head to the side, letting an energy shot shoot right past him with Mai's spear nicking his shoulder...resulting in the ice to crack as he managed to free himself, "Thank you!"
"Ah crud…" Sari muttered as she and Mai ran in, the latter grabbing her spear in time.
"But I see how this goes…" Diend chuckled as he cracked his neck a bit, "I get chased, I summon more Riders for you to fight, some of you hold them back to get Ben 10 and his squirrely galpal to chase me, and we repeat it over and over until I make my escape. Honestly sounds like something out of a Shonen Jump Manga.."he sighed a bit wistfully, "So many interesting treasures you can learn from those. Still haven't figured out what One Piece is, regardless of which version of that world I go to." he chuckled, "But drawing crude art and stealing some dangerous Devil Fruits or the magma mutt's coffee mug never grows old." he jumped away from a wave of ice while dodging several lasers shot by Jetray, "And still trying, huh?"
"You're not even trying to fight…" Jin noted.
"Of course not, I'm a coward!" he laughed, "I take treasure, and run from a fight. I only fight for real when I am all out of options." he sighed, "No...I'm still not fighting you. I just really don't wanna drag this out. See, I wanted to escape this base the old fashioned way. Think of it like my own personal achievement list." he rambled before suddenly swinging his gun and blocking Jin's slash before spinning around and putting him in a headlock, "Shh...I'm talking…" he whispered, tapping his head in a condescending manner, "But...I can see you all really want to keep this thing...for...some god awful stupid reason...I mean really, why? Do you have any idea how dangerous it is to erase a world from the multiverse...especially one that's become as entangled with as many branches as this one…" he looked at Jetray, or rather his Omnitrix, "I blame those two floating heads you chat with as Alien X."
"You...really know a lot about all of...us…" Mai noted.
"I've just been to about a baker's dozen different worlds with Ben's...and a dozen different worlds with you girls in the world of the Black Beast...not many world of Cybertrons...Oh right, you guys call them Autobots...I forget that...it's just so hard compared to how we say it in my original dimension." he spun around and freed Jin, "Anywho~ I will say this only one last time...just let me walk...and you can kiss a lot of problems goodbye~!" he sang as he skipped back a few steps, "Or chase me...and see what happens when I really do have to defend myself."
"Tch….teme…!" Jin growled out as he turned around, jamming his sword into the ground as pillars of ice began to head towards Diend...who was quickly sliding in another card into his gun.
=KAMEN RIDE: CAUCASUS!=
This time, a figure clad in a black suit with golden armor over his torso, shoulders, and his mask appeared. He had two horns extending from his right shoulder. His mask had horns resembling the beetle he seemed to be named after. In his hand was a blue rose. He grunted dropping it before vanishing. Suddenly, everyone coughed in pain as a force struck them multiple times. Caucasus stopped on the opposite end of the room as everyone fell over, gasping in pain. The ice from Jin's attempt to capture Diend ripped apart in paths all around the room.
"That was about twice Light speed...and all he did was tap you all." Diend explained, with a sigh, "Look...I get it. You got a job to do, but I don't care. My reasoning is sound, and honestly your stopping me is more a matter of pride at this point. Just accept it...you guys lost."
'Twice light speed?' Jetray thought in surprise, flashing back into Ben.
"Heh….that...so…" Jin noted, grunting as he managed to stand up.
"Hmm?" Diend blinked behind his helmet for a moment.
"You think...I haven't taken...blows like that before?" Jin grunted before jamming Yukianesa into the floor, causing a wolf's head made of ice to 'bite' onto Caucasus' side, freezing it over, "Besides...I already figured out your grunt's weakness…"
"Oh ho? Do tell."
"That device on his hip...for a moment, I saw him tap down on it," Jin stated.
"Device?" Makoto repeated as she looked, seeing that, within the ice, was a silver rhinoceros beetle-like device with a red/orange button on its back and red 'handles' on its larger horn, "Oh! That device!"
"Guess being Tsundere makes a Jin more observative of their surroundings," Diend noted, earning an annoyed growl.
"So that's the secret of how he moved?" Ben blinked.
"And the point being?" Diend sighed, sounding more bored than worried, "Honestly...why?" he shook his head, "What possible reason do you have to stop me? I'm actually helping your world...but for some reason, you can't accept that...ugh…" he groaned, "This is literally stupid! I mean...why do you even want this thing?" he held the stolen device in question, "It's just going to endanger your world even more! Why even want it here?" he shook his head, "That is just something I can never understand about people! 'Oh look, this thing is gonna endanger us all. Better keep it with us and not chuck it into another dimension for it to be someone else's problem.' True, that may not have been plausible with SCP-682 since another dimension brought another one but with wings to them, but still!"
"I mean…" Makoto muttered, "He's not wrong...why do we want to keep it again…?"
"I...oh my god, the thief is right…" Ben muttered.
"He really is right…" Sari grunted as she and Mai managed to pull themselves up.
"Thank you!" Diend exclaimed, "Now let me l-"
"However...there is one thing you stole we need to get back," Ben began as he activated the Omnitrix, "The Ultimatrix."
"Oh, you've got to be kidding me…" Diend sighed, raising a hand to his mask, "Why...why do you even want it back? You already have a better watch…"
"Oh I know...it's just leaving it with a thief like you? Someone who could possibly use it to steal more treasure?" Ben countered with a grin, "Yeah...real trustworthy."
"...Hmm…" Diend began to ponder at that, "...Keep it locked up for it to gather dust...or use it to steal more treasures when I can't Henshin…" he chuckled, "You really are stupid…" he laughed, "I don't want your stupid powers, Ben. I'm not dumb enough to risk my health with that thing, either...I mean...who knows what it did to your DNA…" he leaned against a wall, "You're just not getting it, are you? It's Treasure! I have all the power I could ever want with my DienDriver...I don't want more power. I just want treasures, one of a kind items that I can't find in my own dimension. If I can't steal stuff as myself...what's even the point? Ah...but wait I'm the bad guy so you don't believe me...fine, fine. I get it...I mean, I did leave your friends with a bloodthirsty murderer and the king of the demons...be lucky I didn't summon some of the more rece-ahh...almost spoiled~"
"He's really starting to get on my nerves…" Jin grunted.
"And on that note...I cheat." Diend spoke, snapping his fingers as the same veil formed behind him, "I really wanted that achievement…" he backed up as his armor faded away, Caucasus vanishing in a glitch of light.
"HA!" Ouja shouted, swinging his sword down only to suddenly vanish in the same glitch-like effect.
"Eh?" Tsubaki blinked, bits of her armor cracked as Max staggered back next to her just as Arc began to vanish.
"Did...did we win?" Max asked, confused as to what was happening at the moment.
"...No…" Tsubaki whispered as she sheathed Excalibur, "It means he managed to escape."
"Hey...It's that thing he sucked me into…" Ben blinked.
"Bye-bye~" Kaito winked before jumping into the veil.
"Oh no ya don't!" Makoto shouted as she charged at the veil and into it.
"Makoto!" Ben shouted as he quickly followed her into the veil.
"You two, get back here!" Jin called, about to follow when the veil vanished, "!"
"Oh, that's not good, is it?" Sari cringed.
"Get back here!" Makoto roared as she ran out of it, "I…" she skidded to a halt and blinked twice, "What the…" she looked around as Ben came out of it before the veil vanished, "Oh come on! He got away!?"
"What was that?!" Ben panicked as he looked around, "...Wait...Where are we?"
"...That…" Makoto began before blinking for a bit, "...Wait…" she quickly pulled her badge out and tapped it, "Tsubaki, do you come in? ...Tsubaki, I repeat! Do you come in?!" she asked, only to get silence and the sounds of an electric feed, "...Ahh nuts. We're in another world."
"That's right~" they looked to see Kaito sitting down behind them, "To be specific, we're in the next dimension over." he shook his head with a chuckle, "Why am I not surprised you two chased me?"
"Next dime…" Ben began before looking at a nearby building resembling a barn-themed restaurant, "Bob's Biscuit Barn. ...You brought us to this world?"
"Oh, you're familiar!" Kaito noted in amusement.
"You've been here before?" Makoto blinked.
"Yeah. I told you about my buddy Rex before," he turned to Makoto.
"I guess you're not familiar with how you travel worlds," Kaito smiled, "This is the world to yours on the left. To go to different worlds with alternate Ben's you go up and down on the map." he explained, "But don't think it's that simple. The Multiverse is like a system of trees. You have Prime worlds acting as the trunks, then you have the branches which spread out randomly...and some branches cross one another. That's how you and Makoto could meet, your Branch worlds intersected." he blinked, noting the totally empty look in their eyes, "Do you need the baby version?"
"They do," Skurd replied for them.
"Hey~!" both snapped at the Slimebiot.
"The Multiverse is a big forest...we jumped to a different tree branch," Kaito sighed, "What your worlds don't know is how to traverse it. Me...I'm a special kind of human who has the map of the multiverse up here…" he pointed to his head, "There are a lot of versions of me, each is different. I think one of me died not too long ago…" he muttered to himself, "Anyway, you're stuck here now. 'Cause...I don't owe you a ride home."
"Wait, wh…" Makoto began before Kaito rolled back into another veil and it vanished the moment he went through, "Aw come on!" she slumped before looking at Ben, "So...how did ya get back home last time?"
"Uh...A time limit hole in reality…" Ben muttered sheepishly.
"And that happened...how?"
"I know a guy, but we just need to find him," Ben replied as he turned into Big Chill, "Come on. Hopefully, his brother's still living in that abandoned plant. While we're flying there, I'll give you a rundown on what this world's like."
"Where are we flying?"
"Nevada."
"Oh that's...wait, what?"
"So you mean...they just ran into the portal…" Tsubaki sighed being told what happened.
"It's almost like they are idiots…" Jin groaned.
"Reckless as ever," Grandpa Max noted, having been brought up to speed upon arrival to the base before looking to Azmuth as he had a keyboard connected to a computer, "Any idea what that was about?"
"I've never seen a teleportation method like that until he showed up," Azmuth replied, "But if what he said was true and he does travel dimensions...Ah, there it is." he motioned to the screen, showing an icon of the Omnitrix on it, "It says that they're going across the continent…"
"Oh, that is good," Rook noted.
"...In an alternate universe," Azmuth finished.
"You could have started with that part, Sensei…" Kokonoe muttered.
"Not my fault they got their hopes up that fast," Azmuth argued.
"Eh, fair enough," Kokonoe shrugged.
"Any idea how to get them back?" Grandpa Max asked.
"In as many words...No…" Azmuth sighed, "I can...maybe work on something. But right now, the best I can do is maybe find the energy signal for that theif's portals, and maybe we'll be able to bring him here."
"Speaking of," Kokonoe looked at the screen, showing an identical Omnitrix icon, but with four silver stubs on it in an 'X' pattern moving about all over, "Looks like he's traversing there on another heist."
"Didn't Ben go to another universe through the Null Void?" Jin asked.
"He did, but do you want to risk trying to get there only to end up in a dimension where something like the light of the sun itself melts you into something akin to melted wax?" Azmuth replied.
=Ah, you look at that strange site the humans made, too?=
"So we know Ben and Makoto are stuck in another world, but we don't have a way there," Sari sighed.
"...Uhm...Not exactly," Rook admitted, earning their attention, "We may have a way, but I am unsure if the owner would be willing to help or if they are even still there."
"...Oh!" Mai realized, "The Mr. Hokestar in our parents' town!"
"Right. Rook, Sari, Mai, Noel, Lambda, you go see them," Grandpa Max ordered, "See if he can help."
"Why not all of us?" Jin asked.
"Because that snake man the thief summoned caused a jailbreak in a few cells thanks to that snake he summoned and its acid," Grandpa Max replied, "While I would like everyone to go, I need the majority of you to stay here to round them up."
"I feel he did that on purpose to screw with us…" Tsubaki sighed.
=Yeah! I feel very vexed with that guy= Steel added, earning the paper fan to his face =Gah! ...Yeah, I deserved that=
"So...will this person we're seeing be able to recognize ya?" Makoto asked as Big Chill held her while flying through the air above a desert, "I mean...how long has it been since you've guys last seen each other?"
"For me, it's been close to a year now...but I can't be sure. I mean who knows. Maybe more time has passed in this dimension...but I am sure he'll remember a giant alien mothman," Big Chill replied, "Also this world has its own weirdness...so if people look at you funny...trust me, it's for a totally different reason."
"I'd believe it," Skurd muttered.
"Those evol thingies, right?"
"EVO," Big Chill corrected, "I know it's an acronym, but I've forgotten what it stood for." he looked ahead, seeing what looked to be a hydroelectric plant, the river it was using long since dried, "Ah, there it is."
"...eh?" Makoto blinked as Big Chill flew down, letting her hope out of his arms as he changed back into Ben, "A power plant?"
"Yeah," Ben replied, "He's part of a group that had to go into hiding due to this crazy lady taking over the organization they were part of." he opened the door...before holding his hands up and backing away as a person in a black bodysuit, a black mask that hid their head with white goggles with black lenses over their eyes, and white gloves, boots, and combat vest walking out with several others, all carrying white-colored blasters, "And these are that organization."
"Hoo boy…" Makoto meeped as she held her hands up, "I swear to god, we're not here to harm you guys."
"White Knight, this is MTF Sigma-7," one of them spoke, "We have a possible EVO at The Plant. Unknown if she's connected to Van Kleis or Black Knight's group."
=Describe=
"Human female, around seventeen or eighteen years of age. Has traits related to squirrels in terms of ears and tail. Possibly related to the Sciurus niger species of squirrel. Currently with a young man, roughly seventeen to eighteen years of age. Brown hair, green eyes, wearing a white hoodie with a green stripe on the right side with a '10' breaking the stripe."
"White Knight?" Ben repeated, "Wait, I think I know him. Hey!" the soldiers readied their guns, "My name is Ben Tennyson. Ask White Knight if he knows a 'Ben Tennyson.'"
"...Sir, do you know a Ben Tennyson?"
=He's come back? ...Bring them to HQ. I'll speak to them=
"Understood," the leader replied, "You two are to come with us to Providence Headquarters. White Knight wishes to speak with you."
"What am I, ch..." Skurd began before Ben covered him, "Mph?!"
"Shh…" Ben hushed him as he and Makoto began to follow the men into the plant.
"...Keep an eye on them," one of the men whispered to another as the group began to walk down a hallway.
"For the record, that is not needed, nor useful." Ben added, "I'd like to meet Rex. He's really the only useful person here."
"Ben…" Makoto complained.
"What it's true." Ben argued.
"You don't have to diminish the worth of these well meaning guards…" Makoto argued.
'Kid reminds me of Rex…' many of them thought.
"How did you get us in here again!?" Kazumi snapped, banging on the bathroom door.
"You are going to get it when we get out of here, Banjou!" Gentoku snapped.
"Just admit you're idiots," Banjou smirked, reclining on the chair he was using to block the door before the bell rang, "Eh? Ah, customers…" he got up, "You guys stay there."
"Very funny…" both grumbled as Banjou went out to the counter.
"Oi, welcome and-oh, you guys again," Banjou noted, seeing the group consisting of Rook, Mai, Sari, Noel, and Lambda.
"Is Professor Hokestar here?" Rook asked.
"He's out restocking ingredients from the flea market," Banjou replied.
"When will he be back?" Mai asked.
"I don't know. He left a while ago. He might be lost in some weird side adventure. It happens all the time. He always comes back. One time with a talking cow and chicken…" Banjou muttered, sticking his tongue out, "Guh...Just remembered the smoothie flavor they wanted. Pork Butt and potatoes."
"What's going on?" Sento asked as he entered from the entrance, a small bag in hand, "I go out to purchase some alien tech to study and improve on and you're the one in charge of the counter?"
"Those two won't admit they're stupid."
"Yeah, well you're not allowed to make stuff anymore. Your alien DNA makes it so anything you make tastes horrible," Sento muttered.
"Oi!" Banjou snapped.
"So what can we do you for?" Sento asked.
"They're looking for Hokey," Banjou replied, "No idea why."
"There was a robbery in Plumber HQ in Bellwood," Rook explained, "We need permission to use the building to pursue since he escaped to another dimension."
"Wait...Is this the thing where the cops jack someone's car to chase a bad guy?" Banjou asked.
"Hmm...Anything of interest about the thief?"
"He stole a dangerous device from Azmuth called the Ultimatrix and, er...the anihilwarg? The anvil wag…?" Sari mumbled, trying to pronounce the device.
"I think your friend bit their tongue…" Banjou muttered.
"You mean the Annihilaaargh," Sento noted.
"Yeah, that."
"...You had a device that destroys entire universes in your headquarters and not stored in a pocket dimension?" Sento deadpanned.
"It was broken…until two Galvans of ours repaired it...again," Mai muttered.
"So...why would you want it back?" Sento asked, confused, "I mean unless they plan to use it someplace else. But still…" he put his stuff down, "But anyway, do you know what Dimension?"
"Huh?"
"Details. What...you wanted to just travel the multiverse, randomly...did they go up or down? Left or Right? Forward or back? Or any way inbetween?" he went on, "Come on. Work with me, this isn't as easy as going into the same door. Because I live with three idiots who even with their brains combined isn't even close to ten percent of my IQ…"
"Well there is no reason to be…" Noel began.
"His IQ is over 600…" Banjou sighed.
"...Big," Lambda blinked in surprise.
"Yeah, he randomly made a map of the multiverse...then got bored with it and went back to finding out how to make indestructible rubber…" Banjou sighed.
"I'm this close." Sento smiled, holding his fingers together.
"Fortunately, Azmuth and Kokonoe uploaded a copy of their tracking program into my scanner," Rook noted as he offered his hand scanner to Sento, "Azmuth placed a tracking device into the Ultimatrix on the case it was ever stolen."
"Hmm...it's not a lot...but I can work with this," Sento walked off with the scanner into the backroom.
"Give him a second." Banjou replied as a second went by before an explosion went off from the backroom, "GYAH! Even when I expect it, it still startling!"
"Banjou, did you blow something up again!?" Kazumi snapped from the bathroom.
"That's it," Gentoku growled, "We'll fix the door later!"
"Nope," Sento opened the door, making it so both just fell out and onto their faces, "I have the location and I am excited to go there. I've been curious about how exactly the nanites there work."
"Excuse me?" Mai blinked.
"Well, obviously I'm going with you." Sento smiled, "I mean...none of you are smart enough to get back here on your own. And this isn't your machinery to take, so it's either I go...or no one goes." he smirked.
"...sound logic," Lambda noted.
"Wait, what if the professor comes back and we're gone?" Banjou asked.
"Oh, we'll leave a note. He'll understand," Sento replied, already scribbling a note and sticking it to one of the tables for outdoor smoothie drinking.
"I don't know, man…" Banjou muttered.
"Ah!" Sento held a finger up to his face, "Who...who's the genius?"
Banjou sighed, "You are."
"Hm? I'm sorry, but I didn't hear you," Sento replied.
"Is this normal?" Noel asked.
"Yes," Gentoku replied.
"...That as well?" Lambda asked, gesturing to Kazumi...who was looking at Noel with a dopey expression.
"...Yes," Gentoku sighed before dope slapping Kazumi, causing him to tumble back into the bathroom where Gentoku quickly put the chair back under the doorknob and sat down on it, his jacket opening to reveal the word 'BAKA' on his shirt.
"Good, then it's in agreement. I am in charge of this dimensional traveling shop until such a time that we return back to this dimension," Sento spoke, "So we shall go to this world, save their dumb friends..."
"That...is sadly accurate…" Noel muttered.
"...take several dozen blood samples to get the nanites…"
"What was that bit?" Banjou asked.
"...and come back with the stolen items, put the dangerous one into a pocket dimension after disabling it, and that will be a good day," Sento finished before heading back to the backroom, "To quote one of my preferred versions of a famous man: Allons-y!"
"Let's just hope Ben and Makoto didn't g…..no no. Can't say that with a straight face," Sari muttered.
"So how long 'till we can go?" Noel asked.
"Oh we've been ready to leave for a while." Sento explained, "Actually...we're already there." he corrected, "See, I knew this would take some time, and you'd probably try and argue why a civilian can't get involved. So...I took the option out of your hands. We left the moment I took the data and put it in my own machine. I've let you all continue on like this so you'd ignore the trip."
"..." Mai looked out the window, seeing the actual outdoors instead of a city in a cavernous system, "...wow he's good," Mai blinked.
"Very…" Rook added.
"I'm a genius afterall." Sento smirked.
"Whoa!" Makoto and Ben awed as the task force escorted them from the aircraft to a large white structure set up above a canyon.
"Is it just me...or is everything this Providence group have use a lot of white?" Makoto asked.
"Plumbers," Ben countered.
"Yeah, but we're mainly green with hints of white and black. These guys are mainly white with hints of black," Makoto replied.
"Fair," Ben noted.
"Keep walking," the task force leader instructed.
"Dude, chill out, we'll move in a second," Ben waved off, "You act like this isn't cool."
"Civilians..." another member of the task force sighed.
"I mean, are we…?" Makoto asked.
"Here, we are," Ben nodded, "Not our universe, and not our place of work."
"Please keep walking to the elevators," the leader sighed, "You may receive a proper tour later if authorized."
"Right," Ben replied, "So...last time I was here, White Knight was leading a group that broke off from here. Now he's back in command?"
"You just keep increasing the questions," another task force member sighed as they got into the elevator.
"I think I read about this in an after action report Rex had to write and then rewrite when returning to Providence," another whispered to the task leader, "About a human that could become EVO-like creatures and about an 'Alpha' nanite."
"We'll request to read the report after we deliver them to White Knight's office," the leader quietly replied.
"Mind if I get a copy?" Makoto asked.
"...Add to the file that her ears are just as sensitive as the believed species of squirrel she is," the task force leader ordered.
"Just so you know, I'm not like folks here, my extra features are natural," Makoto smiled, "Feel free to have your mind blown."
"They are, I can attest to that," Ben agreed as the elevator stopped and opened up to a large white waiting room filled with off-white furniture and a massive monitor on one wall.
"Sir, we've brought them," the task force leader informed before the screen turned on, showing an older man with pale skin, pure white hair, and silver/white eyes wearing a white business suit.
=Thank you, Alexander. Fill out the report and leave us= the man ordered.
"Sir," the task force leader saluted before they left.
=Ben Tennyson. I thought you had left with the Alpha Nanite to your dimension. Now I find you back here with a half girl - half squirrel and a sentient slime on your, what I can assume, upgraded Ultimatrix=
"Thank you for noticing, good sir," Skurd thanked with a formal bow.
"First off; it's the Omnitrix. The complete version of it," Ben explained, "Second off; the squirrely gal next to me is my girlfriend and partner. Say hi, Makoto."
"Yo~" Makoto greeted.
"What am I, chopped liver?" Skurd muttered, "Skurd the Slimebiot, my good sir."
"And as for the reason why we're here...let's just say we were chasing an interdimensional thief to your world, and now we're more or less stuck here," Ben finished.
"It's...kinda our goof for running into his interdimensional portal." Makoto added.
=Much like what happened when Rex went to yours after the Pack= White Knight noted =Except you don't have an exit strategy=
"Eeyup," Ben and Makoto sighed.
"And right now we need to find the guy with said portal to get home," Ben added.
=And what makes you think he's even still in this dimension?=
"The guy claims he's a treasure hunter," Makoto explained, "Meaning there has to be something REALLY valuable in this world for him to try and steal."
"You think he's after Rex like Alpha was?" Ben asked.
=Hm?=
"Well, he stole the Ultimatrix, so why not the Omega Nanite in Rex?"
=And you're sure of this?= he asked, =It seems like you're just guessing about him. Implying you don't understand him whatsoever. Honestly, I think you're not even sure you know what he considers worthwhile. So if anything, I'd like to be sure you are correct before I waste time and resources to stop someone...who might come after us. If you want help to get home, I can have Rex take you to his brother. But frankly...I'm not wasting more resources then that for you=
"That's fine," Ben nodded
"I don't think he likes you…" Makoto noted.
"I don't think he likes anyone…" Ben nodded.
"Eh. Fair enough," Makoto shrugged before looking back at the screen, "So any idea where Rex might be, Mr. White Knight?"
=He's currently in the Zoo we used to house EVOs in. Six will escort you after you go to the ground floor=
"Six?" Makoto repeated.
"Rex told me he's this ninja dude who keeps an eye on him." Ben muttered, "I think the number thing is he's like the Sixth most deadly assassin on Earth…"
"Woah...that is kinda scary when ya think about it," Makoto whispered
"Pretty sure that was taken into account before people started mutating into monsters and getting super powers…" Ben mumbled.
"Beg pardon?" Skurd blinked.
"...You mean those EVO things, right?" Makoto asked.
"Eeyup."
"So that's why I keep sensing stuff in the air." Skurd muttered, "I'm a single celled organism...how can nanites that alter cells in pleural ...get into just one." he explained.
"Beats me. Probably say it better if I was Grey Matter or Brainstorm," Ben shrugged.
"It's called rhetorical…" Skurd spoke, "You really are stupid...Your children will have an unfair chance at being born dumb as bricks...let's hope they get their brains from Makoto…"
"Hey~" Ben complained.
"What? You know i-"
"Greetings."
"GH?!" Ben and Makoto nearly jumped as they turned around, seeing a man in a dark-green suit and black-rimmed sunglasses looking at them.
"If he was out to kill you...you'd be dead." Skurd chuckled.
"He is correct," the man stated before turning around, "Come. Follow me."
"...he's very to the point," Makoto whispered as she and Ben ebgan to follow him.
"I mean...he probably is just a pro…" Ben whispered back, "But Rex trusted him, so he's a good guy."
"Noted," Makoto whispered back.
"WHOO HOO!" a voice whooped as an object was seen flying through a jungle like area, passing by various creatures as they did.
"Hey kid, ya done yet!?" a gruff sounding voice shouted to the flying object, "I got some food with my name on it back in the kitchen, and a show t' catch!"
"Just about, Bobo!" the voice shouted as they passed through a nearby waterfall, "Just gotta try and do that trick again!"
"Yer never gonna pull it off, kid!"
"Not with that attitude!"
"Oi kids…" the voice grumbled as the object shot past a gruff looking chimp with an eye patch and a fez on top of his head. He was about to turn and walk off before he noticed something, "...hey Rex, that freaky watch kid's back!"
"Not a 'freaky watch kid'," Ben muttered as he, Makoto, and Six walked over to the chimp/Bobo.
"You got a watch that turns you into aliens….that is freaky," Bobo countered.
"You're a talking chimp...are you one to talk? 'Cause I mean...you fling your own fecal matter," Skurd argued.
"Chimp?" Bobo repeated, his eye twitching.
"Oh...did I hit a nerve?" Skurd taunted, "It's hard to tell with the pirate look. Are you angry...or constipated?"
"..okay. I really don't liek you," Bobo growled as he glared at Skurd.
"Monkey-says-what?" Skurd asked using Omnitrix to make himself say it super fast.
"What?"
"HA!"
"...okay that's it. Gonna…" Bobo began, about to reach for something before something landed near him.
"What freaky wh-" a young man of sixteen years of age in a dark-red and orange jacket and black and dark-blue-jeans began, taking the orange tinted goggles off his face for a moment before blinking upon seeing Ben, "...Ben?"
"Hey man," Ben greeted with a grin, "Long time no see."
"Holy cow it is you!" Rex cheered, "Dude...what are you doing back here?"
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," Ben chuckled as the two high fived, "So what's happening with you man?"
"Eh. Was honestly bored. Been slow since I did a big cure all outside of some issues that pop up now and then, so I decided to go fly through the Zoo and practice some tricks," Rex shrugged, he then blinked and noticed who was with Ben, "So...who's your friend...and...booger?" at that, Skurd formed one of Rath's arms and slapped Rex, knocking him over, "Hey!"
"The monkey got your one chance, so you get slapped." Skurd replied before slapping a chuckling Bobo, "No laughing! Pain for you, too!"
"Why you little…!"
"And the 'squirrel' girl with you?" Rex asked, motioning to Makoto.
"Before you ask..these are real," Makoto stated as she pointed to her ears and tail, "Also...not one of those EVO things."
"This is Makoto, my girlfriend. And...stranded here with me," Ben explained, "This...guy...a Master Thief invaded the HQ of my place's defenders of the world, and stole something dangerous. We chased him into his getaway portal...but ended up here...where he ditched us…"
"He...was a lot smarter then we gave him credit for…" Makoto muttered.
"They're both stupid…" Skurd blurted.
"And yet you're with stupids," Makoto countered with a grin.
"D'oh! Blast...she turned my words on me again."
"...So let me guess, you need help finding this guy," Rex guessed.
"Kinda yeah. We think he ditched us to throw us off his trail for his next treasure," Makoto explained.
"Treasure?" Rex repeated.
"It's what he refers to very rare and/or dangerous items, like the Ultimatrix and the dangerous item I mentioned," Ben answered.
"Wait, he took your watch?!" Rex asked.
"Well, the one I had last time," he moved his arm up and moved Skurd around the band of the Omnitrix, "I got a new and better one. As for Skurd, he lives on it and can use any power inside of it at any time."
"Indeed," Skurd nodded a bit before sliding back onto the Omnitrix's faceplate.
"Wow, lots happened, huh?" Rex smiled, "But I guess since you're here, you need help getting home. So that must mean you're looking for my weird brother."
"Eeyup," Ben nodded, "Any idea where he might be?"
"Probably in the labs," Rex replied, "Come on. I'll show ya and we can trade stories on the way, like how you got that new watch or how we're all back in Prominence."
"I'm game," Ben grinned.
"Eh, you do you, kid," Bobo muttered as he walked off, "I'm gonna go sit down and watch somethin'."
"Which I imagine he does a lot," Skurd spoke.
"Watch it, jello-mold…!" Bobo called out as he walked past Six.
"Ahh…" Sento sighed, slumped at the counter beside a microscope, "The nanites are deactivated. It seems we're in a world after he deactivated them with the Meta-Nanite."
"Who and the what?" Mai repeated.
"Rex Salazar, otherwise known as 'Generator Rex,'" Sento explained, keeping his head on the counter, "The Meta-Nanite, also known as Master-Control Nanites or Master Nanites, are extremely powerful nanites created to control the Dominion Code, or put simply…" he held his hands up and made air quotes, "'God Code.'"
"Oh…" Ryuga noted with a nod.
"You have no idea what it means, do you?" Sari asked.
"The God-code part, yes. Everything else...nope."
"They can alter the fabric of the universe itself," Sari stated as she held up a spoon, "Think of it like this, you see me holding a spoon, right?"
"Yeah," Ryuga nodded.
"Well, if you can control the Dominion Code, you could change what you see like having it be that instead of me, it's someone else. Or instead of a spoon, it's a fork or anything else really," Sari explained.
"...But you're you and you're holding a spoon," Ryuga noted.
"..." Gentoku opened his jacket out of Ryuga's eyesight, showing the words 'MASSIVE IDIOT' on the shirt.
"You could make it that you could have an infinitely refilling bottle of your favorite protein shake in the way you like having it," Sari deadpanned.
"Oh! I get it now!" Ryuga noted before blinking, "...That's actually kinda busted."
"Yes, and after he used them to perform a worldwide cure for the Exponentially Variegated Organisms...he shut them down and now the Meta-Nanite is inactive inside of his body," Sento groaned.
"And you can't reactivate the ones in the blood sample you took from that snoring hobo because…?" Sari asked as the trio with Sento were rapidly shaking their heads and making gestures for her to shut up.
"!?" a cowlick shot up in Sento's hair before the trio facepalmed.
"Why?!" Ryuga shouted, "You gave him an idea! NEVER GIVE HIM IDEAS!"
"Do you know what he does when he has ideas?!" Kazumi snapped.
"We're all probably cyborgs now because of his ideas," Gentoku groaned.
"Oh relax...it was just the kidneys…" Sento replied.
"...Um...So this Meta-Nanite thing is really dangerous?" Noel asked.
"Very, especially if it was reactivated and brought into the wrong hands," Sento replied, already typing away on a computer he connected to the slide with the blood sample in it.
"...Treasure," Lambda noted.
"Could that be what he's after?" Noel figured.
"Possibly…" Sento shrugged, "But how to get it...effectively? That is…troublesome," he mumbled.
"Eh?"
"...Rex," Lambda spoke, "He would need to capture Generator Rex."
"I think I have Ben's location. Or is it the thief's?" Rook pondered, looking at his scanner.
"The one with extra add-ons to it is the Ultimatrix, the regular symbol is the Omnitrix," Sari reminded.
"Ah….I am picking up both signals…" Rook answered before blinking in realization, "...Oh dear."
"He was counting on Makoto and Ben to follow him…" Mai realized as she looked at the radar, "He's using them as a trap for Rex." she pulled out her badge, "Ben, Makoto! Come in!" static came from her badge, "Ben, Makoto!"
"Too much interference," Sento noted, "Even while mostly deactivated, they're sending out small signals that are causing interference with the frequency Plumbers use. What sneaky little devices unknowingly causing problems."
"Don't be happy about that!" Ryuga complained.
"I can do what I want." Sento smiled before walking over and taking Mai's badge, "I am a genius, my mind works differently then idiots like you Ryuga." he began working on it without even bothering to look down, "Besides, you act like my interests never help. I mapped out the Multiverse, without the power to walk it. That is impressive, I am the greatest mind of the Multiverse thank you very much." he flipped up the badge, "I hope your Makoto's ears aren't super sensitive, cause I could only get one volume for this, loud…" he tapped it.
"What did you do?" they asked.
"I hacked the Omnitrix."
"Gah!" Skurd panicked as he began vibrating, before a loud alarm started coming from the Omnitrix.
"OWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOW!" Makoto screamed as she held her hands over her ears.
"AH! What is that?!" Rex shouted.
"I don't know!" Ben cried out, "Skurd, what is it?!"
"An...emergency signal...someone is tapping into the Omnitrix from a distance in this world!" he explained while vibrating like mad.
"But why?!" Ben exclaimed, tapping the Omnitrix to try and turn the sound off, "In fact...who and how?!"
"I don't know?! Try and call someone!" Makoto shouted as she fell to her knees, "Ahh it's like a drill in one ear and another drill in the other ear and they're meeting in the middle and scratching a blackboard with tinfoil~!"
"Make it stop!" Ben complained as he and Skurd messed with the faceplate.
After a second, it finally stopped. It then beeped as the communication function activated on its own.
=There. Now you can talk to them~= Sento spoke from the other side.
=Wait, how do you know that worked?= Mai asked.
=Mr. Tennyson, are you there at the moment?=
"...uh….yeah," Ben replied, "...wait. Mai? What are you…?"
=We're using the other Hokestar's store to try and follow after you= Mai explained, taking a moment =Wait...did you actually hack the Omnitrix using my badge?!=
=You said it was important. Besides, it's not like I broke it. I just made it so you can call each other here now, you react just like the other Mai I know when I do experiments…=
=It's warranted!= Sento's friends complained.
"What is going on…" Ben asked, confused.
=Oh relax. Azmuth will never know I broke his firewalls. Unless you tell him= Sento muttered =Ahem. Anyways...tell him=
"Tell us...what?" Makoto groaned, hitting the side of her head to try and get the ringing sound out.
=Well good news...we found the guy who stole the Ultimatrix= Sari answered =The bad news…=
=Current location is near you…= Lambda finished =And his target...Generator Rex=
"Wait...That's me! ...Oh no...That's me…" Rex muttered.
"I knew it!" Ben shouted.
"Ah!" Makoto cringed.
"Sorry...Sorry…" he spoke up, patting her head, "But still...I knew it. He faked us out."
=Correction...he was counting on you to follow= Lambda stated =Conclusion...you were the bait=
"Ah...man, we got suckered…" Makoto groaned.
"What is this thief's current location?"
"GH?!" Ben, Rex and Makoto jumped as they turned, seeing Six standing right behind them.
"...and I thought Hibiki had the stealth game down," Makoto whispered.
"If they're after Rex, we need to be ready to meet him," Six stated.
"...So uh...where is that Diend guy?" Ben asked once he got over the surprise.
=He is closing in on your current location= Rook answered =...Correction. He seems to be near you at the moment=
"Near us?" Rex blinked, "Uh...hate to break it to you, but it's practically impossible to just waltz into this place without…"
"Hello~"
"He's...right behind me, isn't he?" Rex asked.
"Ah!" Ben and Makoto jumped back, seeing Kaito standing right behind Rex.
"This is the second time I've snuck into an impossible place...both times via air vents…" Kaito smiled before dodging a slash, "Woah now!" he quickly jumped back from Six, who was now wielding a pair of swords in his hands as he glared at him, "Hoo. That was close...not looking forward to a close shave, thank you very much."
"I knew you were after something here!" Ben pointed, "You're here for something from Rex, aren't you?"
"Mmm...partly…" Kaito muttered, "Would I love the Master Nanite within him, yes. But...I'm afraid the one in this world is...worthless as is. I'd need someone smart enough to reactivate it."
"So why does it sound like you already have that someone?" Six asked.
"Ben's friends went to someone smart enough to do just that." Kaito smiled, "The only man who could help me...is the only man who is smart enough to make a map of the multiverse…" he paused, "I don't think they've got it yet."
"AH!" Makoto shouted, "You let us follow you on purpose! You set this whole thing up...even beyond this part!"
"That's right...I'm ten steps ahead." Kaito smiled.
=Hah! Sento, ya got duped! You're just as dumb as the rest of us!= Banjou laughed.
=...One moment. An idiot needs to be reminded of his idiocy= Sento noted before it hung up just as Banjou started to scream in terror.
"And you think he'll help you reactivate it why?" Ben asked, turning on the Omnitrix.
"Uh...did you forget? I'm a master thief...and I won't hurt him. Just need him to reactivate it and poof. I'm out of here before things go fubar," Kaito explained.
=Interesting...If you can bring it without harming a single person, even out of self defense...I'll help=
=SENTO!=
=But if a single person is hurt in anyway...even just a bump...I'll ensure you never get anything=
"Dude!" Ben snapped.
"Oh-ho! Now that is a challenge!" Kaito laughed, dodging another swipe from Six and rolling out of the way of the follow up kick Six delivered, "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go find that person...later!" he gave a two finger salute as he rushed off.
"You weren't kidding about his speed," Rex noted, blinking a few times in stunned surprise at how fast Kaito had run.
"Nor about the fact that he's targeting Rex, or rather, the Meta-Nanite inside of him," Six noted.
"Meta? I thought it was called the Omega Nanite," Ben noted.
"Ah, I was about to tell you about that before your watch went off," Rex noted, "Ya see, this group Black Knight was part of went out and found pieces of this special Meta-Nanite that can alter reality itself. They made an invention to let them use it, but it broke and made them EVOs. I fought them and took in the Meta-Nanite which I then used to cure every single EVO I could aside from Bobo." he frowned, "Though I don't think I got all of them since I didn't see Black Knight's group nor the Pack even though they were in the area."
"...and Kaito...wants to steal that…" Makoto whispered, "...Hypothetical question, what would happen if he does reactivate and steal it?"
"Most likely? It would reactivate every single nanite on Earth, creating more EVOs," Rex answered.
"...AFTER THAT KAMEN RIDER THIEF!" Makoto shouted as she bolted off.
"Wait, what?" Rex blinked at that.
"Multiverse stuff," Ben shrugged, "In our world, they're a live action show in Japan. I think the current one uses coins that he puts in his arm to transform. Don't really follow it. More of a Sumo Slammers guy."
"So wouldn't that mean you're a TV show in some other world?" Rex asked.
"Yeah," Ben shrugged, "It'd probably be a cool one, too."
"Focus," Six ordered before putting two fingers to his earpiece, "White Knight. The multiversal thief has confirmed Ben Tennyson's suspicions. Rex is the target because he has the Meta-Nanite."
=I'll initiate lockdown protocols= White Knights stated =You pursue the thief and capture him=
"Understood," Six nodded before putting his fingers away from his head and then looked at the two, "Both of you, find Ceasar. The thief is more than likely going to him to get a device to extract the Meta-Nanite from Rex."
"Got it," Rex nodded.
"Can do," Ben added as he finished selecting what Alien he wanted, "Time for a little payback."
"Alright...where are you, ya sneaky little thief?" Makoto whispered as she ran into a room, "You know...part of me is honestly excited to run into an actual Kamen Rider...but another part of me is saying 'beat his ass and take back what he stole.'" she added, bringing her gauntlets out as she cautiously looked around, "So come out so I can beat that barcoded mask into your face, buddy...and I'll do it with my tail, too."
"Oh my my...such the bold claim," Kaito's voice chuckled, "So tell me, ya ever see the 'show' I'm in? ...My actor wasn't fat, was he? Oh, I hope he wasn't. Otherwise I'm gonna have a few 'words' with him, if you know what I mean." a pause went off, "...I'm going to prank him into exercising and losing the fat until he's up to snuff. Yeesh, I may not be a violent-loving man, but it doesn't mean I'm a pacifistic pansy."
'That's it...Keep talkin',' Makoto thought as her ears twitched, "Eh, I don't really know. I've only really watched a few series since I haven't had much time to binge it. I've seen few like that awesome two-in-one Rider, but never any of his movies yet." she shuddered, "Kajun must never meet Philip."
"Oh agreed, especially this one version of him that's helping versions of your friends from Kibougamine," Kaito's voice stated.
'That's right...just keep chatting it up,' Makoto thought, moving over to a nearby crate as she hid behind it, "...wait. Another version o-"
"Yup. Only this version...Junko somewhat completed her intended plan, and was...well currently is kinda having your former classmates in a Killing Game. So far for the kill count until the final trial….Sayaka Maizono, Leon Kuwata, Chihiro Fujisaki, and Sakura Oogami."
"?!" Makoto's eyes widened, "WHAT?!" she fumed, "Oh, that little no good…! I swear, I am gonna file as much paperwork as I can when I get back just so I can get permission to visit her solitary confinement in the Japan base to smash her face in!"
"Ho ho! Oh, of all the versions of Makoto Nanaya I've seen…" Kaito's voice began just as Makoto turned and smashed a crate, only for a blur to jump out and landed on top of another, "You're probably one of the more confrontational and vocal ones." he tilted his head in thought, "Probably your boyfriend's influence and the more peaceful place you live now."
"What can I say? Ben knows how to have fun, and we like to make sure we have a place to come back to after dealing with the latest badguy of the day," Makoto shrugged before getting into a stance, "And right now...need you to return the Ultimatrix."
"Hah...So adamant on that," Kaito sighed, "But...you've entertained me a bit, so…" he began as he pulled his blaster out before pulling out a card, "I'm gonna provide a special present to you~"
"Eh?"
=KAMEN RIDE: NOVA!=
"Nova?" Makoto repeated as three images zipped about before colliding before her, forming a female Kamen Rider...with a squirrel tail "!?"
"Hmm? Huh?" the female rider blinked, confused as she looked around….before noticing Makoto, "...AHH! You're me!"
"Eh?" Makoto blinked before it dawned on her, "...Wait. YOU'RE ME?! ...I'm a Kamen Rider in another dimension?!"
"What is...Kaito!?" Nova snapped.
"Oh shoot a version who knows me...did you meet Tsukasa already?" Kaito asked.
"Kinda...but not important! Why am I…" Nova began before it dawned on her, "...ah nuts. I gotta fight on your behalf, don't I?"
"Unless you wanna get home? Yes…yes you do."
"...ah man…" Nova groaned as she turned back towards Makoto, "Sorry me…"
"...well…" Makoto began as she stood ready, "Least it's my own ass I'm gonna be kicking…"
"...Oh it's on now," Nova grinned behind her mask.
"Oh good. You two have fun, so...bye~" Kaito waved as he slid out of the room, "Heh...to e-" he began before a blur shot by him, slugging him across the face as he staggered a bit, "?!"
"Gotcha!" XLR8 shouted as he skidded to a halt.
"Now we have you, you imitator of Lupin!" Skurd declared.
"The Rider, the Third, or the original?" Kaito asked.
"The original!"
"Ahh good. I'll take that as a compliment," Kaito smirked, "But I'm afraid not." he held his hand up, revealing something in it.
"An egg?"
"Ben, no don't!"
"AH! My eyes!" a smokescreen covered the area...as Kaito vanished, "It stings like habanero!"
"Oh, I had that happen to me, too," Nova cringed, "Wait a second...Is that Ben 10?! I love his cartoons! Even the reboot!"
"Hey, hey. Hands off my BF," Makoto warned her.
"...I am so jealous of you right now," Nova whispered before slapping herself, "Ah right! Back to fighting me!"
"Wait, what?" XLR8 blinked as he looked through the doorway and saw the female Rider, "...uh…"
"Alternate version of me Kaito summoned to fight me," Makoto explained before blocking a punch from Nova, "Oof! You punch hard!"
"This is normal. If you don't stop Kaito, he's gonna do something potentially stupid...but try not to make him mad...this is the guy who's so petty he unleashed a doomsday weapon on his best friend for not telling him of his secret plan," Nova explained.
"Seriously?" Makoto gawked.
"Yeah...That was a weird time," Nova admitted.
"Wait, this best friend? Can he stop him!?" Makoto realized as Nova blocked a punch Makoto threw.
"Well, ya gotta find the right version of him," Nova replied before they slammed their tails against the other's tail, "Multiverse, remember?"
"There has to be some way to do tha...AH! Mai is with this really annoying smart guy who hacked the Omnitrix and called it easy!"
"This is where Sento goes?!" Nova asked in shock as she blocked Makoto's punch and in her outrage, swung her hands up...and tossed Makoto up into the air, "...Whoopsie."
"I got her," Skurd noted, making a FourArms arm pop out of XLR8's side...before using it to throw XLR8, sending him skidding to a halt nearby where Makoto landed on his back, "You're welcome."
"Ah...my back…" XLR8 groaned.
"Y-You know him?" Makoto asked in a dizzy tone.
"Course I do...he made me this armor." Nova explained, "He said it was a trip across town for snacks! Snack trips don't take four days! ...Unless there's a line for a super rare once a month snack available for only a limited supply."
"Oh, I hate those lines! But I love the food!" Makoto noted.
"Girls, the thief?" Skurd reminded.
"Right! Just call Sento and tell him to lock onto someone with this Kaito's...I don't know, energy field...frequency...something sciency…" Nova muttered, "Cause...Kaito...he is a pain in the butt…"
"Right," Skurd nodded, "Oh, and one important thing, madam?"
"What?"
"Fulmini Cannon!" Skurd declared as Makoto rolled off XLR8's back, revealing a cannon on the speedy alien's back made of Shock Rock's body, fully charged.
"Oh rotten nuts," Nova squeaked before the cannon fired, striking her and sending her through a wall, "Beaten by a booger...ow…" she slumped before vanishing.
"Hmph. Slime, not booger," Skurd huffed as he made the cannon go away.
"Don't worry! I…" Rex began as he rushed over, data lines appearing on his arms as he skidded to a halt, "...missed the fight…"
"Don't worry. It was just a distraction." Skurd added, "But enough of that, we have a plan!"
"Bueno!" Rex beamed.
"Skurd, can you call Mai back?" Ben asked.
"I'm not your secretary...but I am the only one amongs us able to actually work this wonderful thing." he began tapping the Omnitrix.
"And I reactivated them!" Sento laughed, holding up a corked vial that had something blue glowing inside of it, "Ahh~I will enjoy sharing this with my fellows in science when we get back."
"You better not sneak it into us," Banjou deadpanned.
"No pr-" Sento began before a beeping sound went off.
"...Hello?" Mai answered her badge.
=I just fought myself who was a Kamen Rider!= Makoto beamed =And she knows that smart aleck you're with!=
"Thank your alternate self for volunteering when I get back..." Sento muttered.
=Why am I scared!?= Makoto panicked.
"You called me why? I'm in the middle of something," Sento sighed.
"But it's my…" Mai mumbled trying to remind it was her badge.
"If this isn't important, I have projects to attend to…" Sento muttered, shaking the vial in his hand.
=She said you could probably find where Kaito's 'best friend' is so we can find and convince him to give back what he swiped= Ben explained.
"That will take a bit," Sento replied, "I'd need some genetic samples from him, residue from his shots, something along the lines of that."
=Skurd erased this alternate Makoto out of existence…= Ben muttered.
"WHAT?!" Mai and Noel shouted.
=No regrets…= Skurd muttered.
=Oh you better sleep with one eye open!= Makoto barked.
"Ah, that's normal for Diend," Sento noted, "When his summons are beaten, they return to their world, often by vanishing or going through an Aurora Veil like you two did when you ran after him. Still, try to get a sample from him. It'll make things easy enough."
=So what we need to get you a lock of his hair?= Makoto asked.
"Or blood...or a skin sample...or just a bit of his clothing...or get shot and let me examine the bullet wound." Sento listed.
=...I got a sample of her tail fur from the wall= Makoto answered.
"No, that's too contaminated by her," Sento replied, "At best, I'd get fifty results."
=Guys, can we hurry? I am worried about him finding Caesar= Rex spoke up =You don't know how my brother gets when it comes to science=
"Crazy about it to the point he forgets things of vital importance such as sleeping and eating and, at times, loss of morals?" Gentoku asked.
=...Okay, so maybe one of you does= Rex noted.
=Mmm...There has to be something we can use to help track this other guy…= Makoto pouted as Lambda looked outside and noticed something.
"Well, you could get him to spit on you. A saliva sample would be just as good," Sento noted as Lambda waved at the group.
=Ew, no! I am not getting spit on!= Makoto argued.
"Oh don't be like my Makoto. Just get me something and stop being a big baby. You're a grown woman for Kami's sake," Sento sighed.
=I am not a big baby!= Makoto snapped.
=We'll come up with something= Ben replied before hanging up as Lambda stopped waving and pouted at no one noticing her.
"Ah, idiocy is strong no matter the world," Sento sighed.
"Decade," Lambda spoke.
"Yes, yes. We're reaching a new decade soon or something, wh-"
"No...Decade," Lambda replied as she pointed outside.
"Hm?" Noel tilted her head.
"Yo," a voice spoke as the door opened, "I think you guys have someone that's supposed to be my pain in the ass."
"...Talk about timing," Sari whispered.
"Hmm...maybe this...no no. That won't work," a man with spiky black hair and a dark-green and tan suit muttered, currently working on something on a table, "Maybe if I do this….yes, yes. This is good…"
"Hello~!" Kaito declared as he kicked the door down, "Caesar Salazar, I have come to...to…" he stopped as he blinked for a moment, seeing no response from the man, "...uh hey. Hello...I made a dramatic entrance here to startle you."
"Just a little adjustment here…" Caesar mumbled.
"Oh, you're one of those kinds of people…" Kaito sighed, rolling his eyes, "Joy…" he muttered as he walked over, "Hey, genius. Someone here to take you…"
"Yeah, yeah. That's good, Rex," Caesar waved off.
"..." Kaito facepalmed, "Oh, you are giving me a headache…" he muttered before barely dodging a sword slash from behind, "Oh yeah..forgot about you…"
"Hmm?' Caesar lbinked for a moment, taking the goggles off his face as he turned to see Six standing there, "Six?"
"Stand back...you're being targeted."
"Targeted?" Caesar repeated before noticing Kaito, "...oh."
"Oh now you noticed!" Kaito complained as he slotted a card into his gun, "Alright, I'm calling the cavalry! And to be fair, they're a bit nuts which is fine since that's you made me feel by being ignored!"
=KAMEN RIDE: KUROKAGE TROOPERS!=
The flash went off as, this time, three figures stood before Kaito. All of them were in the same black armor that resembled a Japanese Ashigaru. All of them held spears as weapons as they stood at the ready to fight.
"You three, grab him," Kaito ordered, pointing right at Ceaser, "I need to deal with the Man in...Dark green...damn it. Ruined an MiB joke."
"Rex learned to stop those after the first week," Six replied as calm as ever.
"Wait, did you just make a…" Kaito began before barely avoiding a jump kick from Six and then two swipes of his blades, "Ah! Distracting me with that! Oh, you are really fitting your title and name."
"Amazing…" Caesar noted, looking at the Kurokage Troops as they closed in on them, "They're not illusions or holographic constructs...how was he able…" a giant orange and silver robotic-like, three-fingered fist slammed into the three, sending them crashing into a wall, "Hm? Oh, hey Rex."
"And that is my big brother Caesar," Rex introduced to Makoto, "Caesar, Makoto. Makoto, Caesar."
"Hi," Makoto waved.
"And before you ask, no. She's not an EVO," Rex added, "...wait...oh, I should not have said that."
"Eh?" Makoto blinked at that.
"Not an EVO?" Caesar pondered.
"?!" Makoto flinched, realizing Rex's brother was now before her with a familiar look in his eyes to her, 'Oh god, he's doing a Kajun!'
"Uh, bro?!" Rex exclaimed as he rushed over, "I know you wanna examine her, but we need to get you out of here before that guy kidnaps you so he can reactivate and steal the Meta-Nanite."
"I still wonder why people keep nerds like them around...in most worlds, they'd be dangerous crackpots with a lot of restraining orders…" Kaito muttered.
"True...counterpoint?" a voice spoke before a pair of hands grabbed Kaito and threw him out of the room and into a wall.
"Ugh...forgot about you…" Kaito grunted as he looked up, seeing FourArms grinning down at him.
"Alright, hands over what ya stole from us," FourArms spoke before cracking his knuckles.
"Or we can and will take it off you by force," Skurd added.
"...hmm….no. In fact…" Kaito began, pulling out another card, "Gonan have to call more help to fight you and the assassin."
=KAMEN RIDE: GAI!=
"Ah cr-" FourArms began as the viel returned and a figure shoulder charged into him, causing him to grunt out as he crashed into Six.
The silver armored Rider with a Rhino theme sighed as he stood back up.
"What a pain, this doesn't even look interesting to finish." Gai groaned, "What a boring bonus level."
"Gh...boring?" FourArms repeated as he got up
"Let me guess...Super strength? You rely on the whole extra arm gimmick for hand to hand combat?" Gai asked flexing his arms, "Ahhh…" he yawned, "Fine, let's get this over with fast. See if I can S rank this if I win fast."
"Oh! So it's gonna be like that is it?!" Skurd snapped, feeling offended by that
"Oh so you got tricks?" Gai asked slotting a card into a slot on his shoulder just as he heard the beep of Skurd accessing the Omnitrix, "Too bad...so do I."
=BREAK VENT=
Just as Skurd began molding over FourArms a shattering sound was heard and Skurd was forced to snap back into his original shape.
"Oh sorry...I'm a cheater in PvP...I don't like it when my grinding material uses special moves." Gai laughed.
"Wh-what was that?" FourArms asked, shocked.
"My special power...I can prevent others from activating their abilities." Gai explained, "Of course this only pertains to tech...and I was right...that shiny badge is a power source. And it's susceptible to my power."
"...Oh dear…." Skurd whispered, "Ben, my boy...I think we've met our possible match."
"That's...pretty busted…" FourArms muttered.
"It really is," Kaito smirked before dodging one of Six' thrown swords, "Oop! Almost had me that time!"
"Ok. This guy's kinda annoying," Rex muttered as he punched back one of the Kurokages.
"Oh...so it's more or less a boss battle raid," Gai noted once he noticed Rex and Six, "...eh. Should be easy enough."
"Just be sure to not rough up goggle boy too much," Kaito spoke up, "I need him intact f-" he began before he was suddenly slugged across the face, sending him staggering back a bit.
"Heh…" Makoto grinned as he tail swayed.
"...did you just punch me with your tail?"
"What ya gonna do about it?"
"Oh...a challenge…" Kaito smirked as he ripped his lip, "Alright...I'll play...first-one-to-grab Ceaser-wins-go!"
"Wait wh-" Caesar began as Kaito blurred over and grabbed him.
"Heh...got you n-"
"Ahem," Kaito turned to see Makoto cheekily waving at him...with Caesar in her own arms, "Hi~"
"...Wait. But…" Kaito began before he turned...seeing another Makoto waving at him.
"Bye~" she giggled before she poofed up into smoke, leaving an acorn in her place.
"..." Kaito's eye twitched, knowing very well that the actual Makoto was long gone with his target, "I forgot she could do that…"
"Interesting. You were able to turn an acorn into an exact duplicate of yourself, yet the expansion of matter at that accelerated rate should have very well destroyed everything in a…" Caesar muttered, writing on a phone screen while still being carried by a running Makoto.
"You remind me way too much of my friend Kajun at the moment," Makoto deadpanned, "And by the way...it was just ninja magic." she smiled upon seeing the confused expression he held at that.
"But...that...that doesn't explain it…" he muttered.
"Too bad...that's the answer. So got a place that he can't get into through a vent?"
"Hmm...There is the Zoo, but that is way too risky."
"Right...back up plan then," Makoto muttered as she stopped to think, "Hmm….even if we found a place with no vents, he could just poof his way in via that veil thing of his...and then there's the fact he can summon Kamen Riders with that gun of his…"
"Don't forget I'm borderline a Ninja!" he projected his voice from somewhere.
"Mmm…" Makoto frowned, 'Think, Makoto, think...Wait, he needs that Sento guy to activate the Meta-Nanite, but Sento made conditions. He can't harm anyone, even in self defense. That means he needs to get Caesar to him via words and, since he reminds me a lot of Kajun when she gets too far into her science studies, that will be easy enough for him, unless…' she whispered to Caesar, "Hey, ya wanna know why he's after ya?"
"Another project, I suppose," Caesar replied.
"He wants to reactivate this Meta-Nanite thingy," Makoto replied.
"!?" Caesar tensed before narrowing his eyes, "Absolutely not. If that were to be reactivated, then every single nanite that it shut down in the Global Cure would reactivate, causing everyone and I mean every single being to turn into an EVO."
"...Yeah, I had a feeling it would result in some FUBAR stuff," Makoto whispered, "But listen...he seems to be the type that's all 'your compliance is not a factor' type of deal…so unless you want him to capture ya, I suggest you help me out in dealing with him."
"It seems that it's his gun that lets him perform many of his actions," Caesar noted, "If we could disarm him, he would be without his creation ability, thus lowering his threat level until he could regain it."
"That and ya probably want to study it, don't ya?"
"That obvious?" Caesar asked, sheepishly chuckling.
"Yep. Really got to avoid introducing you to my friend Kajun," Makoto noted as she rounded a corner, "So what is up with this Meta-Nanite thingy? I mean, I know that together it lets one control reality itself…"
"You need the entire Meta-Nanite to control the Dominion Code. Individually, they can control either Gravity, Matter, Anti-Matter, Energy, Space-Time, Elements of nature, or Technology," Caesar explained, "Though we only discovered that because of the Consortium."
"The who?"
"They were the people who funded not only Providence before the UN began to, but they were also the ones who funded the Nanite Project because they wanted to use nanites to become immortal," Caesar replied.
"..." Makoto shot him a deadpanned look before pinching the bridge of her nose, "Oh my god of course greedy corrupt people would want something to make them immortal…and let me guess, something went FUBAR when they wanted to rush the project?"
"...Ah…"
"Shut up." Makoto calmly replied.
"Yes," he nodded eagerly.
"...and Kaito...basically wants to steal the Meta-Nanite from Rex…" Makoto whispered, "...I see a TON of holes in that plan! Still, I do think I've got a plan of sorts."
"You do?"
"Yep," Makoto grinned.
"Gah!" Rex screamed as he went through a wall from Gai ramming him through it, "Okay…" glowing data lines went down Rex's legs as he got back up, "That was a pretty good charge." his legs swelled and shifted, becoming a bulky pair of silver and orange mecha-like legs and feet, "Here's mine!"
"Oh...so you're part Robot." Gai noted, "What are you...some kind of Astro Boy?"
"Nope!" Rex replied as he crouched down before he rocketed at Gai, slamming his feet into the Rider and sending him crashing through the unbroken part of the wall.
"...Now you're starting to piss me off…" Gai growled as he got up.
"Whatcha gonna do about it? I…" Rex began in his taunt.
=ADVENT=
"...Oh…" Rex muttered, looking up at the rhino-like monster glaring right at him, "That's how…"
*BAM!*
"Ahh!" Rex screamed as he was sent crashing into FourArms.
"You okay, man?" FourArms grunted as he helped him up.
"Yeah...but let's see his pet rhino d-" Rex began as Datalines appeared on his arms.
=BREAK VENT=
"..." Rex blinked a bit before looking down at his normal hands, "...You know, you suck dude."
"It's called a counter. Like…" Gai began.
"Uh no. That's being cheap," Rex argued, "Is that how you deal with your fights? Just use that cheap card before anyone could use anything?"
"I also have Metalgelas," Gai countered as the rhino-like monster roared out, "What's your excuse?"
"Oh, I'm just a distraction," Rex replied.
"Wait, what?" Gai asked before a green light flashed and a large shadow overtook him and Metalgelas, "..."
Rex looked up at Grimlock, "...Well that's new."
"Me, Grimlock, getting very mad," Grimlock growled.
"...As if I'd be scared o-" Gai began, holding up the Break Vent card before one of Six' swords was thrown into it, embedding it into the wall, "..."
"You got cocky," Six stated, using one of the Kurokages' own weapons against them as he used it to knock all three away.
"Now what's your plan?" Rex smirked.
"Hmm...I see I'll have to get my hands dirty then." he drew another card and...flicked it up into his shoulder with amazing skill, "Ikuze Metagelas…"
=FINAL VENT!=
Gai raised his arm as a gauntlet resembling the Rhino monster's head formed around it. The horn beginning to glow as if charging up a large amount of energy. Metagelas ran around behind him at full sprint. Gai grunted and jumped up, letting his feet raise up and slam into the monsters shoulders as it began pushing him forward. Gai grunted as they aimed at Grimlock.
"Wha...GAH!" he cried in pain as the horn struck his abdomen, a powerful explosion going off was he was sent rocketing back and into a wall, crashing through it as a green flash went off.
"Big Boss Character...Reward Get…" Gai smirked behind his mask.
"Ben!" Rex exclaimed as he rushed over to the wall, "You okay man?"
"Ugh...as much as I am...after getting hit by a rhino…" Ben grunted as the dust settled, "Almost forgot Kamen Riders have those finisher moves of theirs."
"Yeah...that rhino's gonna be a problem," Rex muttered, looking at Gai and Metalgelas as the latter roared out, "...Hey Ben."
"Hmm?"
"Wanna see if we can still do that trick?"
"Trick? What trick?" Skurd asked before looking up at Ben, "Why have you not told me of this trick?"
"Because…" Ben began as Rex helped him up, "I only had to do it twice...once with Rex and the other with Jenny...but…" he looked up as he activated the Omnitrix, "I see where we're getting at, Rex."
"Oh? Phase 2?" Gai pondered in interest.
"You could say that," Rex replied as another green flash went off as Upgrade stood beside Rex, "Hope you can handle it with the Omega Nanite in me, amigo."
=Shouldn't be too hard= Upgrade replied before quickly forming a bodysuit over Rex.
"...That's it? No flashy transformation? I'm dissapo-" Gai began before Rex held his hand up..and a massive blaster-like cannon formed, "...oh."
"Fire in the hole!" Skurd declared before a green laser fired from it and struck Gai, sending him crashing into a wall.
Metalgelas bellowed as he charged at Rex. Rex smirked before a canister formed on his back as his right arm was covered in a bulky metal brace connected to a whip. The canister twitched before splitting into two and the whip became a green plasma whip that split into nine at the end. Metalgelas blinked for a moment before roaring out, about to charge before he was pelted by the multiple whips. The creature grunted in pain each time as he staggered back from each strike...and yet he kept trying to charge right at Rex.
"Oh you gotta be kidding me," Gai growled in annoyance as he charged at Rex from behind at the game time his partner did from the front.
Upgrade's head poked out of Rex's shoulder to looked behind him =We got a pincer attack=
Rex retracted the whip and canister before both his arms were engulfed in bulky devices resembling giant nunchucks before the other halves of them turned into spiked balls sparking with green electricity. Rex spun around and smashed them into Gai and Metalgelas, knocking them both away while electrocuting them.
=Nice try!= Upgrade laughed.
"We have the high ground now!" Skurd declared.
"...Grr...don't you…" Gai growled as he got up, pulling out another card as he prepared for the finisher once more, "Underestimate my power!"
=FINAL VENT=
"They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery," Skurd offered, "Shall we?"
"Lets!= Rex and Upgrade grinned as the two formed a shoulder guard similar to Metalgeras' head before they charged at Gai and his rhino-like creature.
"RAAAAGH!" Gai roared as he and Metalgeras charged in turn.
"?!" Six tensed up a bit before sweeping the Kurokage troops off their feet as he quickly jumped back.
*CRASH!*
"Woah!" Makoto yelped as the ground shook for a moment, "...the heck was that?!"
"Sounds...like Rex doing something dangerous and potentially stupid," Ceasar guessed.
"Meaning Ben's involved," Makoto sighed, "Honestly, I love the guy, but there are times where I hate being the mature one of the relationship!"
"My brother tends to get into trouble...even when he's doing the most mundane of things. Like a tour of a film lot…"
"Oh, I know, right? Even a simple trip to the grocery store can't be simple," Makoto shook her head.
"I'd say family...but you and that Ben kid are a couple...but then again that's the same to most…" Caesar muttered.
"True...and there are times our little dates get interrupted, whether by space hillbillies, robbers, egomaniacs stuck in the body of a child...or a certain shy friend of mine spying on us for new writing material."
"That last one sounds like another family complaint…" he muttered.
"You got a point Doc." Makoto noted.
"Ain't that family in general? Just complaining about one another?"
"...what timing," Makoto whispered as Kaito stood behind her and Ceasar.
"Though in my case...my brother turned out to be the evil one…" he chuckled, "And I used to be a general in a horrible military regime...then that got flipped…he still hates me for destroying the ultimate power he wanted to claim as his own…"
"...and that's why you steal stuff from other worlds?" Makoto guessed in a calm manner.
"...It's true. I'm an asshole, a thief, and I play dirty. But the treasures I chase vary, from a golden gun with...remarkably good aim...to items that if left in the hands of idiots, greedy monsters hiding as good people, or just plain stupid kids...could do more harm to the world then they even imagine." he explained with a somewhat serious face, "I'm not going to claim I'm a hero protecting people from themselves...I just know some things are better left in my display case."
"...honestly, that we can sorta agree on…" Makoto stated, "However...have you ever considered some things are too vital to steal?"
"Hmm?"
"She's right," Caesar spoke up with a frown, "If the Meta-Nanite is reactivated, it'll activate all the other Nanites in our world, resulting in another EVO outbreak."
"Hmm…" Kaito muttered, "That is true...but counterpoint...what makes you think I haven't lied to you, at any point in this heist?"
"...Eh?" Makoto raised a slight brow at that.
"You've been going off the assumption you actually know my intended goal." Kaito explained, "First and foremost, I am the Treasure Sniper, if a Treasure is no good to me...I drop it. If it's not good enough at the moment I find it...it's no longer treasure. Repair just diminishes value." he sighed.
"...so you don't want the Meta-Nanite?" Caesar cautiously questioned.
"I already have one." Kaito smiled, "In one version of this world...I swooped in and stole it before it could be tainted, from your enemies."
"...wait. Then...what are you after?" Makoto asked in confusion.
"Well you ruined my achievement back in your world…" Kaito sighed rubbing the back of his neck. Makoto blinked before falling over, face first to the ground in shock, "When you've stolen as many one of a kind things as I have...you start to want to rack up points as a Phantom Thief...how will I be the best thief of the multiverse if I can't break out of a high security compound the fun way...I even handicapped myself by making it so you'd know I was here…"
"...So you mean to tell me…" Makoto began as she got up, "You used me and Ben as bait...just so you can break into and break out of this place?!"
"Hai~" Kaito smiled a very annoyingly sweet smile.
"..."
"Oh don't give me that look," Kaito huffed, "But I will admit...aside from someone I know, you and your boy toy have been amongst the most confrontational people I've ever had to deal with."
"I think she's snapped…" Caesar noted.
"Oh...well then. I best get out before…" Kaito began before side stepping, letting both Rex and Ben miss in their tackle as they crashed into Makoto, "Before I get caught, and trust me...I am not breaking that streak anytime soon."
"What's huh?" the two boys blinked.
"..." Kaito looked at his watch, "Yosh...still beating my best time, even better then my greatest prison break. Later!" he ran off.
"Oh no you don't! You…!" Rex began as he got up, about to give chase before Caesar grabbed his shoulder, "?"
"Don't Rex. Turns out...he wasn't after the Meta-Nanite."
"He wasn't?" Rex and Ben blinked in unison.
"Nope...turns out this was an excuse to break into and out of a high-security facility like this place!" Makoto snapped as she shot up, the fur on her tail bristling in her anger.
"Wait...so he used us as bait t-" Ben began.
"Yup."
"...well….we truly got played," Skurd muttered
"I am not gonna be turned into a clown for this guy's bucket list!" Ben snapped.
"After him!" Makoto shouted as the two gave chase.
"Whoa...that...was weird," Rex muttered.
"They say love does strange things…" his brother muttered.
"I kinda want to see if they kick his butt." Rex chuckled, jogging after them.
A vent was kicked open as Kaito slid out and sighed, escaping to the secret entrance. He grunted and stretched out a bit as he began walking. He then stopped before jumping to the side as two blurs almost hit him.
"Again with this...Can't you just accept you lost the game?" the Dimensional Phantom Thief sighed.
"After learning the fact you played us not just one, but twice? No…" XLR8 stated as he and Makoto stood side-by-side, "No we cannot."
"This is pointless…" Kaito sighed, reaching into his jacket and pulling out a plastic bag with a little chip inside, "This device is what replicated the Ultimatrix signal...It's not even here, and neither is the Unpronounceable Bomb...I stashed them away already for safekeeping. Beating me up would net you nothing…"
"...Maybe...but…" Makoto began as she cracked her knuckles, "If we force you to reveal where they are, then we'll stop pursuing you."
"Oh my god…" Kaito facepalmed, "Didn't you just agree with me e-"
"I did kinda...but I take it back...out of spite."
"Ugh…" Kaito groaned, "Now listen...GWAH!" a foot suddenly slammed into his face, taking him, Makoto, and XLR8 by surprise as he was sent tumbling along the ground and into a rock.
"Ah…" the owner of said foot sighed, he was another man clad in a black suit, with a pink shirt, and a magenta camera dangling from his neck. He ran a hand through his strawberry blond hair, "Causing trouble for me yet again...Kaito…"
"Ts-Tsukasa-san…" Kaito groaned in pain.
"I thought we settled this after the doomsday weapon…" Tsukasa walked over and began stomping on Kaito repeatedly, "And the time you shot me in the face...and the time you sold me out...for a Dime…"
"I had a very good r-OOF!"
"URUSEI!"
"What is happening?" XLR8 asked, flashing back to normal.
"I...do not know…" Makoto muttered.
"Ok...Venting aside for right now…" Tsukasa began as he picked Kaito up by the scruff of his shirt, "Where's the Anihilahargh?"
"In a safe place…" he coughed.
"It's in your left butt cheek pocket, isn't it?" Tsukasa asked.
"Gonna have to get it yourself…" at that, Kaito was slammed face first into the dirt.
"You have creeped me out for the last time," Tsukasa spoke, holding the device up.
"Oh hey you…" Makoto began before Tsukasa...crushed it in his hands, "AH!"
"There...problem solved," Tsukasa stated as he let the crushed up parts fall to the ground, "No more doomsday weapon to wipe out an entire universe."
"DUDE!" Ben shouted in shock.
"Do you know what a pain it is for me to deal with all the Ben Tennysons and that stupid bomb?" Tsukasa asked, "And the many of you who fail at rebuilding said universe...Don't even get me started on the big mess you in particular caused!" he complained, walking up to and leaning forward to glare at Ben, "That thing is a real headache to me...it's my job to make sure the Multiverse is stable...so how do you think I feel when you went and did your little borrowing shtick as Alien X?"
"...Huh?"
"You didn't think Alien X 'borrowed' things from just your girlfriend's world/original timeline, did you?" Tsukasa asked.
"Uhm…" Ben muttered.
"Wait...did...did Ben make an…" Makoto began.
"Your punishment...a Boot to the head," Tsukasa explained calmly.
"Wh-" Ben began before Tsukasa's boot slammed into his face, "Oof!"
"And one for the Squirrel girl and the pseudo-symbiote."
"Wh-" Makoto began before she got booted in the face as well, "AHH!"
"Wait, wha…?" Skurd asked as a small boot smacked into his face, "Bwah! How did…?! When did…?!"
"B...back up…" Ben spoke, rubbing his face as he looked at Tsukasa, "What are you talking about?"
"Well, you know how Alien X 'borrowed' things from said squirrel girl's world/original timeline? ...It wasn't the only thing that form 'borrowed,'" Tsukasa explained, "Oh ho no...see thanks to that stupid bomb, Alien X had to 'borrow' more things to help fix your universe...by which I mean it pulled in other universes and melded them together with your universe, so now your universe is...well what I dub as the Omniverse."
"Wait, really?"
"And another boot to the head."
"Oh no. GAH!" Ben grunted as a boot slammed into the back of his head.
"And one more for squirrely and the drip."
"Oh not ag-" Makoto and Skrud began before they got booted once more, "OW!"
"What...is happening?" Rex whispered as he finally caught up...and saw what was transpiring.
"Word of advice…" Kaito began as he pulled himself up so he could sit, "Stay out of it...you don't wanna get booted."
"And one for the Cyborg Boy for getting duped as well."
A boot smacked Rex in the face, sending him tumbling back from where he came from...literally as he rolled back into the open door.
"What is your problem?!" Ben snapped, getting up.
"You are," Tsukasa replied, "I try and take care of the multiverse I journey through...frankly...I should wipe out your entire universe." he said sternly as his eyes began glowing a menacing magenta as Ben took a step back, "But...instead...you get a boot to the head." Once more, a boot smacked Ben upside the head, "You should be saying thank you."
"Thank you?!" Makoto snapped.
"..." Tsukasa turned to her, "You're welcome~"
"D'oh~!"
"You caused me a lot of problems, but...I like the new world that it's made. So despite all laws of the multiverse saying it should be erased...I worked extra hard to make sure it could stabilize. I even had to go to court with freakin' Celestialsapiens...and I had to deal with your Chadzmuth!"
"Oh…" Makoto muttered.
"Dude, I feel for ya," Ben cringed, "Him and his infuriating business cards…"
"So because of that...this one," he pointed to Ben, "Gets…"
"No...please no…" Ben begged.
"A boot to the head," Ben was booted again, "And one more for the girlfriend and the snot!"
"AH!" both cried.
"And what the heck...one for the Thief and the nanite cyborg boy."
"GAH!/OW!"
"So...everything square? Your world gets to stay as is, safe, sound, and not whipped out by the many many beings who take care of this stuff." Tsukasa sighed, "You're not getting the Ultimatrix back though...that's supposed to be destroyed, so it's best left with that idiot." he jutted a thumb to Kaito, "All arguments are invalid…" he stomped his boot for emphasis, "Are we clear?"
"...yes," Ben and Makoto meeped.
"Good...now if you'll excuse me…" Tsukasa began, walking over to Kaito as he picked him up, "I need to get this dumbass back…"
"Hey wait...what about us?" Ben asked.
"Not my problem." Tsukasa spoke, "I already saved your world once...I don't owe you freeloaders a ride home." he began walking off with Kaito.
"...Rex, any chance Caesar still has that…" Ben began.
"Turns out he had to take it apart to build that machine the Consortium used to try to become gods," Rex explained.
"Ah man…" Ben groaned.
"Wow...I haven't seen the boot to the head bit in ages," Sento spoke, making everyone jump and scream in shock.
"Oh not again today with the sudden popping and the screaming and the oi vey…" Skurd groaned.
"Hey, I know your voice…" Makoto blinked.
"Yo, Kiryu Sento desu~" he introduced himself with a peace sign, "I'm the genius who brought your friends here. Spoiler...they got lost and I had to find them."
"Not surprising. Even with my knowhow of the US from all the times I went on summer road trips with Grandpa Max, I still got lost getting to Bellwood the first time I was here," Ben noted.
"Did it involve you memorizing the map due to a certain smoothie place?" Makoto asked.
"...Nooo…" Ben looked away.
"His eye is twitching! He lies!" Skurd declared.
"Anyway!" Sento clapped his hands, "I would have been here sooner to help...but I'm here now. So...let's get you home."
"I'm sensing a 'but' in there," Makoto noted.
"Perceptive as always regardless of version," Sento chuckled, "Yes...my map of the Multiverse isn't free…" he pointed to the Omnitrix, "Your friends agreed that once I bring you back...I can study that." his eyes moved to Rex, "If we had time...I'd like to study his ability, too…"
"...Why do I feel worried?" Rex groaned as he sat up.
"...Is this really necessary?" Rex asked...with him and Ben strapped to a pair of chairs.
"A deal is a deal." Sento smiled, lowering a pair of goggles over his eyes, "Now...try not to move too much…" he held up a large needle-like probe, "I'd say this wouldn't hurt...but I pride myself on not being a liar…"
"What is this anyway?" Banjou pondered, looking at Skurd from his spot on Makoto's shoulder.
"I am a Slimebiot," Skurd replied, "One with good self preservation skills."
"And is movie genre savvy," Makoto added.
"What can I say? I relish a good film," Skurd chuckled, "Or a poor one. I rather do enjoy my Mystery Science Theater 3000."
"OW!"
"Oh take it like men!"
"IT BURNS!"
"I haven't even gotten to the painful part yet." Sento smiled.
"...oh crud," Ben and Rex gulped.
"We swear we didn't know he'd get like this," Mai and Sari muttered.
"We did," Gentoku and Banjou deadpanned.
"And you didn't warn them why?" Skurd asked.
"Because it'd still happen," Gentoku replied.
"A squirrel tail to you both!" Skurd declared.
"Wait, what?" both blinked before Skurd grew a copy of Makoto's tail and slapped them both with it, "Bwah!?"
"Skurd! I thought we agreed that the only place you could make more tails is when they're at the sides of my normal one for pretending to be a squirrel version of a kitsune on Halloween or in an emergency in a fight and you get split from Ben," Makoto scolded.
"It was an emergency," Skurd replied.
"I don't even know why you are screaming...the drinks I gave you should have numbed your pain receptors…" Sento spoke up, "If anything...this should tickle like heck."
"Is that why my body feels like pudding?" Rex asked, "...and why I'm seeing multiple copies of Bobo?"
"I don't know what this Bobo is...but he sounds lazy," Sento noted.
"Hey!"
"Oh...that's a Bobo...I just thought I was seeing two Ryuga's…" Sento muttered.
"I am not as ugly as this thing!" Ryuga snapped.
"Look who's talkin'," Bobo snarked, "I make the fez look work."
"When will this end?!" Ben complained.
"I finished a second ago," Sento smirked, "I've just been poking you both with this ice pop to spook you."
"..."
"So...he's like...a troll, right?" Makoto asked.
"In our world...there are only a select few whom he respects enough to follow the rules of…" Gentoku muttered.
"We...are not them…" Kazumi muttered.
"Plus...even we can't deny...if it wasn't for this mad scientist...we'd probably all be dead a hundred times over…" Ryuga muttered, "Even in spite of how he acts...that lunatic cares more about people...even his enemies' lives matter more than his own sometimes."
"He's a pain...but each and every single one of his weird plans and crazy ideals...save more lives then we can even begin to count…" Gentoku muttered.
"...duly noted," Rook whispered as he walked in, "Ahem. Anyways, I have just informed Tsubaki of the news involving Ben and Makoto...and what happened to the Anihilaarg."
"You were sure to tell her some Multiverse defender did it, right...I don't want to be blamed…" Makoto muttered.
"Oh she knows." Rook muttered.
"Once more...I'd like to apologize for my friend's behavior…" Tsukasa sighed, stepping on Kaito's back to make him bow to the others back in Ben's original dimension.
"It's fine…" Tsubaki sighed, "...Still, now we won't have to worry about someone stealing the Anihilaargh again….and two certain Galvans constantly repairing it."
"You have no idea how hard those two make my job…" Tsukasa sighed, "You have no idea how many possible worlds went poof just because of them. Then I gotta kidnap someone I know who has power over time...and fix it. And he's no genius...he's a literal dumb kid..."
"..." Grandpa Max's brow furrowed.
"..." Tsukasa raised a brow.
"I'm debating on adding that tidbit of information to their annual review," Grandpa Max admitted, causing the two Galvans to gulp and start sweating.
"At least I was able to prevent that from happening to this one...which...is extra good. Your world in particular is a sort of nexus to multiple branching worlds...if this one were to poof…" Tsukasa sighed, "Well...you're better off not knowing. Just be glad that's in theory...Kaito actually did something to help. In practice however…"
"No...regrets...blarg…" he groaned.
"Yakamashi…" Tsukasa kicked him again, "Now say sorry to the people you stole the watch from, 'cause frankly...I don't know where the hell you put that...and I don't have the time to try…"
"Getting into trouble with the missus again?" Kaito asked jokingly.
"..." Tsukasa raised his leg up high.
"Oh, I'm enjoying this far more than an apology," Kokonoe chuckled as Kaito cried out in agony.
"Like I said...I don't know where this freeloader hides his stash, and the time it would take to find it...would be stupid and a waste of my time. I have more important things to do then find one stupid watch…" Tsukasa turned to Azmuth.
"Fair enough. Honestly, I had it scheduled to be destroyed tomorrow anyway, so this just makes things easier," Azmuth shrugged.
"Can I have my body back, please?" Tager asked.
"Oh sure," Tsukasa replied before looking down at Kaito, "Where's his body?"
"The tape should be wearing off in a few minutes," Kaito replied.
"..." Tsukasa grabbed Tager's head and walked into a larger room before tossing his head up into the air. He looked at his watch before a poof went off and Tager landed in his original form.
"Phew. Much better," Tager noted in relief...before quickly scratching his nose, "I can finally deal with this blasted itch as well."
"..." Tsukasa turned to Kaito, "And where's his left gauntlet?"
"Oh that? I, um, well...there's gonna be a delay in them getting back," Kaito admitted.
"..." Tsukasa lifted his leg up once more.
"I regret nothing for messing with them for messing with my bucket list!" Kaito declared.
"...We're taking a copy of the security tapes," Azmuth stated to Grandpa Max.
"And plenty of popcorn," Kokonoe added.
"Okay, I can see why you like this place," Rex admitted, sipping a smoothie beside Ben in the dimension hopping Mr. Smoothy's.
"These are...oddly amazing!" Makoto added.
"Thank you," Sento smiled, "Cooking is just another form of science after all."
"Well, I better head back to HQ," Rex noted, "White Knight's probably going to be livid with everything that happened a…"
*CRASH!*
"...What was that?" Sari asked.
"Ah! Where'd that giant arm come from!?" Banjou's voice gawked.
"Oh, this isn't good," Gentoku's voice added before the windows let in a bright light for a few moments.
"...What da heck's happenin'?" Bobo slowly asked.
"Tager-san's gauntlet…" Lambda spoke as she and Noel poked their heads in, "It landed on the device used for multiversal travel…"
"I think it's called the Warp Field Generator, La-chan," Noel noted.
"Ah man!" Ben and Sento groaned.
"It landed on the shuffle button!" Kazumi's voice panicked.
"Landed nothing! It's smashed it in!" Banjou's voice snapped, "Oh, there's a note. 'This is for messing with my list.' and there's a picture of a barcode of sorts."
"Why a shuffle button?!" Makoto snapped at Sento.
"Well it's hard to pick what alternate world to visit when I'm not in need of a certain one…" Sento explained, "This is how we landed in Mobius…"
"...What's going on?" Rex asked.
"I think we ain't in Kansas anymore," Bobo realized.
"You are correct…" Sento spoke as he walked out, "...Wow...that is a lot of nature and...wait..is that….a robot covered in moss?" he blinked and leaned out more, "Oh...oh! Yep...that's a Bokoblin…"
"A what?" Sari asked, poking her head out, "Oh...We are not in anyplace we know anymore. And that really is a moss-covered robot!"
"Just where are we?!" Makoto exclaimed as she and the others ran out, noticing they were surrounded by nothing but wilderness with a large castle-like structure in the distance, surrounded by swirling darkness as it took the shape of a demonic, beastly boar's head for a moment as it roared out, "...I BLAME THAT STUPID THIEF!"
"WHAT IS HAPPENING!?" Ben, Rex, and Banjou all cried out.
GT: Oh, this has been in the works for a long time. About as long as that chapter with the future Ben and Makoto showing up.
Z0: Folks...welcome...to the Omniverse Arc.
SZ: And trust us...this is gonna be BIG folks.
GT: Yep. But don't worry, folks. While the main story will focus on this group of dimension hoppers trying to fix the Warp Field Generator and going to new worlds, GSE Side Stories will be covering what goes on back in the main universe with our first checking in on a certain white-haired sheriff/former world's most wanted man.
SZ: And a deputized Bullet and Celica...but it's mostly gonna focus on everyone's favorite Grim Reaper.
Z0: It's gonna be crazy...cause Ben and Makoto forgot they left their friend with a crazy magic lady across the street...who has no boundaries...or chill…
GT: Oh, he's doomed. ...No, they all doomed.
SZ: Very much so...ahem. Anyways folks...we hope you enjoy the beginning of this big ol' arc that's been in the works for a long time now…
GT: So please Read, Review, and help with the page for GSE on TV Tropes!
Z0: We take no requests for worlds! We pick so just enjoy the ride!