Ben10 & Digimon Tamers

Heroes and Humanity

Part 02: Humanity and Heroes

The Beginning – Chapter 03

Originally Written: Saturday, May 23, 2015 122AM to 733PM

Song: Itano Tomomi (AKB48) – Dear J

A/N: This story isn't completed. It has like one ten or so chapter story arc left to end it. However, I haven't started on it and haven't thought about H&H since resuming work on JaS. There's a buffer of 100 or so chapters before I run out of story to post. Hopefully it doesn't take me that long to finish up ten chapters. I may start posting twice a week, simply because this story is a bit long to be posting one chapter a week.

I tried to write this Part such that if you hate it completely, you can disregard it including the epilogue of Part 1 if you desire. I also tried to write it so whether or not you like Omniverse, you can still enjoy it. I hope I have achieved these things. Thank you for reading.

…..

"Should one even be able to control their thoughts to such an extent in a dream?" Albedo stared up at the ceiling as his thoughts ran amuck. A solved a long time ago and multiple times at that, Rubik's cube sat on the planked floor next to him, waiting to be scrambled and solved or at least looked at once more. "Could it even be considered lucid dreaming…?" He mumbled, tapping his fingers against his leg. An untouched bag of cold chili fries sat next to the Rubik's cube, grease the bag had soaked up making it all flimsy and floppy.

"No." He murmured, "You're supposed to be able to control what happens in a lucid dream." He shut his eyes, switching to thinking as Hugh, Swamps and Fridge were staring at him again, 'There's no part of my person, subconscious or otherwise, that would enjoy in any instance, being mauled by Tennyson's alien database.' He winced, and then shuddered as he thought of how he should react, but probably would not anyway, if he came across Ultimate Echo Echo again.

He closed his eyes. He gasped and opened them shortly afterward. The nights he didn't dream were so very comforting, but they were so few and far between that looking forward to them remained a futile activity. He ran a hand against his face, paying care to rub his eyes.

"Albedo." Fridge fluttered over to the human.

"What?" The white haired male stretched.

"Well, you know it's been a few days now since breaking you out of prison." Fridge lowered his feet on the ground and wrapped his wings around himself.

"About a week and a half. I'm fully capable of telling time, you know, so whatever you desire to say, say it before I grow bored." Albedo rolled over, flopping an arm over his stomach.

"The presence of Plumbers patrolling Bellwood is increasing..." Fridge trailed off nervously as Albedo shot up to a seated position. "If they start patrolling UnderTown, we'll surely be caught."

"Hm...plausible." He didn't have much choice but to take their word for it. He hadn't left their small living space since he arrived. "Please tell me you have something more concrete in terms of ideas that doesn't come down to a simple, 'Run for it.'?"

Fridge nodded. Albedo was almost certain that if he didn't look odd doing so, Fridge would smile like Swamps did. "It's mainly Hugh's idea though."

Albedo narrowed his eyes as Fridge laughed a nervous, breathy laugh. Hugh's ideas tended to be a bit on the odd side. Despite that, they somehow managed to work. "Alright."

Fridge stood at attention.

"Tell me what a wonderful plan Hugh has come up with now." He spoke in a bored voice, lacking energy.

….

"He's g-going to kill us." Hugh mumbled.

"No." Swamps pointed to the tall, bulky tanned human male sitting next to him. "He's going to have your hide…," Swamps took a moment to snicker, "Humphrey. I can't believe you grabbed the name Humphrey."

"S-shut up. I happen to like Humphrey." Hugh folded his now too short human arms. The wonders of an ID mask. A simple technology for most non-human species across the universe, but more often than not, too advanced a technology for humans to detect.

Swamps waved a pale hand, bright hazel eyes shining with mirth as he continued snickering.

"What he means to say," Fridge stared at Swamps with narrowed blue eyes, "is that I," Fridge pressed a ghostly pale hand to his human chest, pale blue nail polish shining on his finger nails, "personally told Al that this was your plan, Humphrey."

"What!?" Hugh looked at Fridge with wide brown eyes full of horror. "Y-you know that's not true, Frank!" He whined.

"But he doesn't." Fridge grinned, showing off pristine white teeth. 'I love ID masks. They let me smile without looking stupid on any planet that's not Klmyys.' He held up his hands as Hugh threw his cap at him.

"I'm going to die," Hugh moaned, holding his head in his hands.

"No, you're not." Fridge looked out into the ocean, from his place on one of the many folding chairs on the ship's deck. "Al isn't strong enough to hurt you." He took in the feel of the wind blowing through his short deep blue hair. "He's technically a human. You're actually a vaxasaurian wearing an ID mask. He'd probably break his hand if he were to punch you."

"Yup. If he goes bonkers on us, we're mulch." Swamps stretched on his recliner beach chair and folded his arms behind his head. "Breeze feels good. Can't believe he didn't want to sit out here. Can't be good to be cooped up all the time."

"His last place of residence wasn't very...kind to him..." Hugh lowered his brown eyes, focusing on his lap.

"Wonder how the hell he wound up there in the first place." Swamps watched the clouds float on by.

"Who knows what he was up to." Fridge looked around at all the patrons enjoying the cruise along with them, unawares of the four aliens stowed away among them. A part of him wondered how many more aliens were on the ship with them.

Hugh plopped a tablet down on Swamps lap, "Y-you guys need to be more a-appreciative t-that I'm around."

Swamped looked down at the still picture of a heavyset male standing on a podium. "Current holder of the highest IQ in Japan dumps a potential teaching position at Waseda University." He held the table in his hands. He moved to sit up right, with his legs spread hanging off each side of the beach chair.

"What?" Fridge leaned over, as Swamps gave him a better view of the tablet. "No way. Lemme see."

"It's amazing the information you c-can come across when you can work your way a-around a computer." Hugh folded his arms, "Isn't that right, Frank?" He looked at Fridge. "Sean?"

Swamps waved a hand and hushed him.

"Whoa." Swamps sucked in a breath of fresh air, "Almost living what humans call the good life. Says here that it's the most prestigious school in Japan." He pointed at the tablet. "I would kill to be that famous. What the hell happened?"

Hugh reached over and tapped the tablet for a few screens. "T-this is the latest section of his Plumber's description I-I was able to grab."

Fridge looked at Hugh. "Has anyone ever told you you're a bit obsessed, Humprey?"

Hugh scowled, "I-I am not." He snarled with a flush on his face, "Al is my friend. I-I just wanted to know what happened t-that he disappeared off the m-map is all."

"Alright, alright." Fridge gave Swamps a sideways glance.

"Don't." He mouthed in return. He looked down at the tablet. "He broke into whose house?"

"What?" Fridge leaned over. After a few moments of reading, he palmed his face. "Really, Al?" He shook his head. "I don't think those two should be allowed to live in the same country."

"Same country? You mean the same planet. I like Al 'cause he's crazy as fuck, as kids these days say, I think. He's not afraid to say something sucks and here's why. But damn, he's over the top sometimes." Swamps chuckled.

"There's encrypted information I-I can't access yet in the file, but I'll have it figured out soon." Hugh leaned over and spoke softly, "I-it doesn't add up. Being imprisoned for b-breaking and entering d-doesn't leave anyone bogged down with n-nightmares. N-not like that."

"Yea." Fridge nodded, "He's been in the slammer before..." He looked past Hugh, watching some seagulls fly lazily about. "Should we be speaking about this out here?"

"Everyone here came from mostly Bellwood. Bellwood, the place where no one worries about anything, remember?" Swamps frowned.

Fridge shook his head.

"W-which is why w-we're going someplace the locals w-will ask questions before arresting him." Hugh gulped, "H-hopefully." He tapped the screen of his tablet, as he leaned over resting his free arm on his thigh. "H-he's a pretty big, but unknown star in Japan. The education system in West Shinjuku in p-particular adores him."

"Sounds like him." Swamps nodded, "Does he know?" He looked at Fridge. Fridge shook his head and Hugh groaned.

"You know he won't tell us anything about those other friends he texts all day. He definitely won't appreciate us saying going to them is a good possibility of where we're headed." Fridge sighed.

"Have mercy on Humphrey!" Hugh threw his hands up as he shouted dramatically, but not too loudly, "I-I bleed so easily!" He dropped his arms with a loud sigh.

"Weren't you the one who said he's not getting any better cooped up in that house?" Fridge folded his arms over his stomach. "The Landlord was quite peeved about that broken mirror..."

"If I wanted my head handed t-to me on a plate, I'd go provoke M-Mr. Tennyson." Hugh sighed again.

"Stop freaking out already." Swamps snapped. "Enjoy the sun or something. No good to anyone to have half the group unnerved." He laid back down and folded his arms behind his head, "Besides, I think you already got the guy's attention. All of us did."

Hugh frowned and picked up his tablet. "I'm going to check on Al." He stood and walked off with an awkward gait from suddenly having too long human legs in proportion to what he was used to.

"So," Swamps looked at Fridge who laid down on his own chair, "What'dya think of this 'Jen', Frank? Male or Female? Hugh says male, but I've never heard of a human male named Jen."