Ben10 & Digimon Tamers
Heroes and Humanity
Part 02: Humanity and Heroes
The Invasion – Chapter 33
Originally Written: September 23, 2015 320AM to 425AM & September 23, 2015 334PM to 523PM
. . . . .
"I. Hate. That. Guy." Kazu spat.
Albedo looked over to him as he sat down at the table. Since the Plumbers discovered his true identity, just as Rose had said, there was always someone watching. Fridge, Swamps and Hugh sat directly next to and across from him at the table. A few plumbers sitting, got up to make room for the Tamers to sit. A laptop sat in front of Albedo with video footage playing on it. Albedo also wore a headset with a microphone as he focused on the footage.
"I dislike him, too." Andromon agreed.
"That guy. I know he's not stronger than us." Kenta sighed as he leaned up against Kazu, worn out.
"We can't afford another loss. Every victory is making the Incurseans more confident."
Albedo ignored Ryo's arm wrapping his shoulders loosely. "Odd, tall, slim Incursean? Appears to be Attea's whipping boy? Sounds like a gym is his best friend?" He spoke, switching through pictures and more video footage.
"That's about right. Guy's a beast." Ryo spoke, leaning further over Albedo's shoulders. "Got anything good on this guy? We lose to him again, and the Incurseans are definitely going to attempt taking one of us hostage."
"If Plumbers can't get past him and neither can we..." Takato spoke with a less than enthusiastic voice.
"Don't be so pessimistic, Gogglehead." Rika responded.
Albedo figured Takato and Rika both stood behind him next to Ryo. "He's the Incursean's newest recruit." Albedo brought up a picture of the Incursean on the laptop. Much taller than the average Incursean, resembling the same one who killed him in his dreams past. A pair of triangle shaped shades hid the Incursean's eyes, the only thing truly hinting that they were stronger than the average Incursean. "Calls himself Bullfrag." Albedo rolled his eyes.
"Bullfrag?" Rika spat.
Kazu groaned. "Oh man!"
"Seriously?" She raised her voice, "We're getting our butts handed to us by a frog man named Bullfrag!?"
"Shh, Wildcat." Ryo shifted behind Albedo.
"Damn it all." She growled out.
"Who comes up with these names?" Kazu rested his forehead on the table.
"His name's not important." Kenta spoke up. "How we beat him, is. He's all business. MarineAngemon can't even get a Kahuna Waves in." Kenta lowered his head.
"Attea put him out on the field because he's kissing up to her. Not hard to do, as Attea will jump after anything with a penis if it kisses up to her. It doesn't hurt him that he has the power to back up his flirting, either."
"Ew." Rika muttered. "So she's a slut?"
"A gold digging slut." Fridge spoke.
Hugh flushed.
"In her position, if she was human, it'd be more like 'Vaginal Politics', than being a slut." Ryo commented.
"Much of the issue isn't Bullfrag per say." Albedo continued, "It's Attea backing him. As much of a gold digging slut partaking in politics of the sexual kind she is, Attea is a general with the proper skills to lead an army." Albedo opened another window on the laptop. "I've been recording footage of your fights with Bullfrag. In this way, we can devise a proper strategy to take him out."
"Nice!" Kazu clenched a fist, grinning.
"I'm sure Renamon would like to get him back for that tongue of his." Kenta nodded.
Albedo remained silent, watching footage of Bullfrag's tongue sweep against Sakuyamon without Attea seeing. He narrowed his eyes.
"A Diamond Shard will go down his throat." Renamon spoke softly, but deadly, "Then I will cut off the tongue by any means necessary."
"Damn straight." Rika approved.
"We need a Terriermon saying here." Kazu chimed in.
"No we don't." The others replied quickly.
Albedo ignored it all. 'That move...It distracted all the other Incurseans, letting them escape...' He rubbed at his temples, 'What are you up to Bullfrag?'
"Dammit." Rika muttered.
"Rika?" Takato questioned.
"Paradox on your nine. No wonder we keep losing."
Albedo turned his head, "The time walker?" He spoke softly.
Professor Paradox leaned against the wall next to some crowded tables. He seemed to be distracted yet again by his pocket watch.
'This just keeps getting more and more interesting.'
"I knew we shouldn't be losing against Bullfrag like this." Kenta spoke, excited that the situation somehow made sense to him suddenly in a way Albedo couldn't understand.
"I saw him when the Invasion first started, but I did not think anything of it." Albedo commented, resting on an arm.
"Is he really a Time Walker?" Hugh asked.
"Yes. He travels through time and space as though both are his playthings, though they are not." Albedo turned around, looking at Takato, Rika and Ryo. "Is it really that important that the Time Walker is so close?"
Rika nodded, "It means we're, one of all or all of us, is in some kind of a 'Not my fight.' " She scowled. "I hate 'Not my fights'."
Albedo looked at her confused, "A 'Not my fight'?"
"A 'Not my fight' is a fight you're not fated to win, simply put." Takato answered. "That ranges from you just getting your butt handed to you, you only paving the way for someone else to make the victory or you just found yourself in a fight you're not supposed to be in at all and are going to die because of it."
Albedo stared at him, lost for words.
"Or any other variation of that." Takato shrugged his shoulders, his smile lacking confidence and reassurance.
Albedo turned around, and rested his chin up on his folded hands. "This changes the strategy I was forming immensely." The Tamers never ceased to annoy him, but Albedo was certain that Jenrya would be devastated should one go missing permanently, all just to free him. "Does he provide you with any more elaborate details?"
"No." Rika snapped. "It makes it so annoying. Sometimes I wish he wouldn't show up at all."
"Sometimes he helps." Kenta added.
"But that's very rare." Renamon commented.
"You mean to tell me this Time Walker Paradox guy silently shows up like some stalker instead of just taking the easier way and waking up to you and saying 'Be extremely careful. Things aren't in your favor?'" Swamps held up a green hand, staring at him confused, "Just in case it wasn't already obvious."
Ryo grinned, "Pretty much."
"The hell?"
"He's Tennyson's ally." Albedo spoke as though that explained everything.
Kazu nodded, "Few of 'em make sense, and not the good, doesn't make sense kind of way."
Takato only laughed nervously as Swamps groaned.
"Maybe you get bored easily when you can travel through time." Fridge spoke up softly as he looked around at the group. "I can't imagine that ability remaining entertaining for long."
"Sometimes a logical explanation doesn't make something not completely ridiculously stupid." Rika spoke frustrated, "If he's warning us about not fighting Bullfrag, it's a bit too late for that."
Ryo rested a hand on Albedo's shoulder. "Let's take a break. Eat, drink, refresh our minds. Then we can worry some more about this Bullfrag."
"Phoo! Phoo!"
"I am hungry." Guilmon spoke after curiously watching everyone in silence for a long while.
"I believe Terriermon would say 'You're always hungry.' Andromon looked at the red dinosaur digimon.
. . . . .
Albedo stretched and rolled his shoulders. On Galvan Prime, he worked way longer than this. With Ryo behind him, he was also quite certain the Tamer wasn't going to let him work himself ragged while Ryo and the others took a break. He held in a yawn as he rubbed his eyes.
"He is doing that." Albedo sat at a table in Safehouse Six watching more footage of Bullfrag.
Ryo sat next to him. Cyberdramon stood behind him.
"Why?" Albedo tapped a finger on the table. "Why not just take you down? He's winning."
Around him and Ryo sat various Plumbers, including Rose's squad. In his opinion, way too many people to look after him during an Invasion.
Kazu and Kenta left with their respective Digimon to check up on Jeri, Ai and Mako some time ago. Rika and Takato stayed at the safehouse, but had gone to sleep hours ago. Safehouse Six was too far from Rika's home for Ryo to feel safe about Rika traveling so late under the circumstances. From the footage and Takato himself, Bullfrag recognized Justimon and Gallantmon as the largest threats and thoroughly thrashed them if left next to them too long.
"What's up?" Ryo took a deep breath as he worked to hold in a yawn.
"Bullfrag. He's toying with you." Albedo scowled. "He's putting on a flashy show for Attea." Albedo pointed to the screen. "See here. When he launched Gallantmon's shield like a frisbee? Right towards the others."
Ryo leaned in and watched the footage. "Yea." he nodded.
"He did that on purpose. He wanted Gallantmon over there." Albedo looked back at Ryo. "Attea gets to see Gallantmon run like a dog."
Ryo looked at him.
"See it?"
Ryo nodded.
Albedo watched Ryo look at the other Plumbers sitting around them. Some weren't even paying attention to him or Ryo. Albedo leaned back in the chair and folded his arms as he looked at the computer screen.
"Al and I are gonna have a chat." Ryo spoke up. Some Plumbers moved to stand, but Ryo waved a hand, "Privately."
Albedo stood shortly after Ryo.
"Is that a good idea?" Rose asked, watching him.
"I'm taking Cyberdramon. In such an enclosed space, Albedo's not getting past him.
Rose looked at Albedo with a sneer.
"You had so much faith in me before." Albedo quipped.
"I'd have even more if you weren't so secretive." Rose folded her arms.
"I'm sure the Incurseans would really like to know who's in the ranks of Earth's Plumbers."
"Come on sunshine." Ryo spoke, "Stop riling up my comrades."
Albedo glanced at Yckat's bone straight tail. He locked down his laptop and strolled after Ryo with his hands in his coat pockets. He heard Cyberdramon's heavy footsteps behind him. He couldn't say if it was a warning or not. "I'll be fine." He spoke casually, but loud enough that Hugh, Fridge and Swamps could hear him.
He followed Ryo outside the Safehouse and closer to the apartment's ground floor.
"What are you saying, Albedo?" Ryo eventually asked. He stopped walking and turned around.
Albedo shook out a hand, "Think Ryo." He spoke as he wiggled his fingers. An odd tingly reminiscent of Jenrya's effect on him ran through his hands. As Ryo paced, he looked at his fingers, "Jenrya..." He murmured.
"You can't ever just tell me anything straight can you?" Ryo ran a hand through his hand, "Bullfrag's Tennyson, isn't he?"
"The ridiculous name didn't give it away?" Albedo lowered his hand and smirked.
"You sure it's him?"
"More sure than I am that it is not." Albedo shifted his weight on his legs. "I know Tennyson's fighting style. The general parts he uses no matter the alien form he takes. I've spent years studying it." He leaned against the wall. "He's leading you away from the other Incurseans, giving you and the others time to retreat. He does it after he puts up a real fight, such that to Attea and the Incurseans, he's telling you to quit while you're ahead."
"But?" Ryo raised his eyebrows, "I know you've managed to intercept Incursean communication. You wouldn't accept anything else."
Albedo nodded, looking at Ryo with ever so slightly squinted eyes. At least someone regularly recognized and accepted his superiority. "It won't work for long. Since he's a new recruit, it's not normal for him to be on the field as a grunt. He should be in training." Albedo looked at Ryo as the white haired male scratched his arm. "The situation is making the other Incurseans quite jealous."
"She's testing him."
"More than likely. The Incurseans will start looking to take one of you hostage, not because Tennyson wants to, but because of Attea's short temper and lack of patience. Even with kissing up to her, she will have him punished if he doesn't cease with the showboating."
"And if Bullfrag really is Tennyson-"
"-He is." Albed glared at him.
"So he is," Ryo held up his hands, "What can we do about it?"
"Milleous more than likely wants Bellwood locked up tight. If he's like any other of Tennyson's villains, he thinks Tennyson and any of his allies who lie mostly in Bellwood are the greatest threats. He's not looking at Japan." Albedo lowered his eyes. Though he was right for sure about Bullfrag being Tennyson, he couldn't say he was one hundred percent about Milleous. He was confident about it, but there was still a chance of error.
"And Bullfrag would want to get to Bellwood asap to take Milleous out." Ryo looked at him.
Albedo blinked, looking at the time. He rubbed at his arm, 'What is this feeling?' His mind raced, 'It feels like Jenrya, but it's more distant, and weaker...' He heard Ryo calling for him and Cyberdramon growling, but he ignored them both. A sharp, shocking, stabbing pain ran through him in a long burst. 'Terriermon...' He thought as his body seized up on him. He heard something crackle like the sparks of electricity and glass shatter as he fell to his knees.
He looked at Ryo as the male caught him and leaned against the wall. He wasn't sure how he knew, but he just did.
"-do! -do!" Ryo called him.
'Terriermon.' he willed himself to speak. He wasn't sure he was though, as Ryo watched him wide-eyed. 'They're attacking-', his vision dimmed. He slumped against Ryo, dazed. Then he fell unconscious.