BEN 10: THE ONE WHO DEFIES GODS

CHAPTER 9: SANDWORMS

As the winds carry the particles of the sand from the desert to me, I stand proud and tall, facing the desert in front of me. Tio watches me, carrying Myu in her arms, as the duo wonders what I am doing. Indeed, I am doing nothing but enjoying the warm air while waiting for the other girls to arrive.

The sun is already up. Sorry but I am not an early riser. The sky is rather cloudly and the path is surrounded by mountains, thus it's difficult to see the sun in the sky.

Today I changed my social outlook and outfit after being forced into listening to Shirasaki-san's lecture. No fancy attire – but a green jacket with a black shirt over it and blue pants. My entire appearance screams "I AM BEN 10" if not for my black messy hair and mint-green eyes. Nah, I am not Ben 10… BUT I am Bad Ben. Remember, Bad Ben doesn't flirt with girls.

After traveling with these girls for months, I am so well aware that my life is on the brink of danger 24 hours a day. You don't underestimate the young ladies of a fantasy world.

Alright, let's introduce my party to the audience again. We have…

Ruby – is a blonde vampire who possesses a petite body… Her appearance can be bewitching. Trust me, never look down on a petite girl. Her abilities could send me to the afterlife if I weren't an immortal. Her name, Ruby, comes from her red eyes.

Shea Haulia – started as a worthless bunny girl and now has become the main tank player of my team. She carries a hammer and can pound and flatten you. She looks like another active girl with a dweeb personality yet don't let your guard down. She has light blue hair and eyes. She is a member of the Haulia Rabbitmen Tribe.

Tio – wow, appearance can be deceiving… now comes a dragonborn who takes a woman form. Tio's attire and appearance suggest she is an eastern "human" but indeed she is a dragonborn. She can be seductive at times, but she is a good babysitter for Myu.

Myu – STFU, this is my daughter.

And now… I hear footsteps headed toward me… When I turn around, my classmates walk out of the town… with Meld-san who has already recovered from injuries. They are led by Ruby, Shea, and Kaori Shirasaki who will become the new member of my party.

Kaori Shirasaki – is a Japanese girl. She is a girl of my age and a classmate… a friend. A best friend. I was antisocial back then… and she and I became friends. Anyway, we share the same homeworld with our classmates. All of us were summoned as heroes to this world of Tortus.

Shirasaki-san's class is the Healer.

"Hi, Tennyson-kun, I'm ready."

"Mm," I give a nod to her. Shizuku Yaegashi, the best friend of Shirasaki, embraces her in her arms as a "goodbye."

Last night, I asked Yaegashi if she wanted to come with us, but she declined my offer. She said she entrusted Kaori-chan to me because she knew I could protect her better. And she would still practice and sharpen her sword skills so that she could face demons and monsters in the future.

Shizuku Yaegashi is a samurai otaku. She is great with katana and her family, Yaegashi also owns a dojo school. Sometimes she is a musclehead but she enjoys her life that way.

She suddenly kicks the back of my legs.

"Ouch… What's that for!?" I groan in pain as I fall to the ground on my front.

"If I find a single scar or injury on Kaori when we meet again, I will kill you."

"You violent gorilla woman!" Well, it's not the best way to treat women.

"You friend thief!" Wait, I am stealing a friend now?

She lets out a sigh. "Now, Kaori, don't make Tennyson wait. It's already afternoon."

"It's because Benny wanted to eat lunch," Ruby points out.

"My new motto is "Don't work before having a meal." I just came up with it," I sarcastically say as I raise my left hand to see the Omnitrix.

Two girls approach Shirasaki.

"Good luck, Kaorin! I'll be always on your side!" For some reason, I felt shivers through my spine when she said that.

"Take care!" Another girl with glasses says.

"Thanks, Suzu-chan, Eri-chan," Shirasaki replies with a big smile. Sure, the girls get along awfully well.

I am foreseeing this trip will be even more chaotic, ha. Dunno, I don't care anymore. I tap the faceplate of the Omnitrix to open a large portal in front of me… The portal is connected to the dimensional garage. A black car with a green X-shaped pattern on the hubcap spanning across the sides.

"Whoa… what is that?!" Meld Loggins exclaims in astonishment as he grabs Endou and asks. "I've never seen anything like it before."

"Nothing special," I answer his question. "Just a coach powered by magic."

"Isn't it a car?" Endou questions. I wink at him. All the others show surprised expressions at my creation —

Ladies and gentlemen! Behold the beauty of DX Mark 10!

Yaegashi smiles and then gives me a hug. "You too, I don't care if you die but I will kill you if you make Kaori cry."

"I-I know…" I try to escape her hug as she tightens the grip on my back. "Now release me– AH AAH, time-out! Time-out!"

Damn, does she secretly want to bleed my back?

She pushes me and… I crash into Kaori, we both almost fall to the ground, only to be saved by Shea who quickly lifts both of us under our arms.

"Let's go, Bennison!"

I snap my fingers and the headlights suddenly flash as a signal.

"You three get in the back."

-(TRANSITION)-

Gruen Desert. This is the place we have to pass through to get to our new destination – another great labyrinth. But the car wildly running in the desert isn't DX Mark 10 anymore. Though I included 4WD and offroad features, DX Mark 10 isn't suitable to ride for this kind of terrain.

We can't even see a single tree here. Just mountains… and sand. And perhaps sandstorms? I don't know exactly but the window views are all blinded by the sand that storms on the glass panes.

This is the rust bucket. Unlike the last time, it's ME who is actually driving the vehicle. Sitting next to me is Kaori Shirasaki… well because I will hate it if other girls sit there and try to flirt with me while I am ACTUALLY driving. I mean, Shirasaki, unlike the other girls, is innocent and naive. Or perhaps I am biased to view my best friend like that.

Oops, sitting on her lap is Myu. Somehow I became Myu's "father" figure and now I'm seriously enjoying the position. Having a daughter without a wife or a girlfriend – perhaps this is the meaning of "freedom," lmao.

"Bennison!" Shea asks. "Can I have this milk?"

I turn around to see what Shea grabs… she takes a carton of milk out of the refrigerator.

"Uh, you can, but don't touch the blue one. I am experimenting to create a new flavor!"

I declare proudly as I turn the steering wheel to avoid a big boulder of sand.

"Aw, what are you making, Tennyson-kun?" Shirasaki asks.

"Um, smoothies, uh, don't mind. I just miss the flavor back in my homeworld so I am trying to recreate it, haha."

Wait, do rabbits drink milk? Er, forget it. They are also mammals, after all.

"Benny…" Ruby says with a monotonous voice. "Next time, I will sit next to you."

"O-oh," I sweatdropped. "You sure will."

I notice Shirasaki acting pouting in the corner of my eyes but I choose to ignore her. Girls are too much to handle – yep, I found the truth on the night we held a party in Horaud. Maybe because I am surrounded by girls all the time, I came to be able to read them more skillfully. Nah, I'm not bragging.

"That's right~ Daddy is amazing~ Myu-chan, do you want some cold water?"

"Yeah! Thank you, Kaori!"

And the two girls next to me also get along so well. Shea walks to the duo and hands Shirasaki a bottle of water she brings out of the refrigerator.

Right after Myu has gulped the water, I hit the brakes to slow down, causing Shea to lose her footing and her body to almost fall onto the dashboard.

"Bennison!" "Daddy!"

Our view was all overwhelmed by the strong gales that carry a large amount of sand and swirl around us.

"Guys…" I warn my party members… but with a smirk on my face as a sign of enjoyment. "Seems that we are facing a storm.."

"Don't get carried away," Ruby says, pulling my right ear.

"AHH, how did you get here!?"

She is like a vampire… sneaking around.

"What's happening?" Tio says… we all look up at where Tio is looking at.

Alright, I think we have invaded a sci-fi monster world. It is… the fricking SANDWORMS… Each of them is at least 60 - 300 ft if I am not wrong. Their number is… one, two, three? No…

A large number of sandworms, earthworm-like desert monsters, were congregating on a sand dune to their right. Their heads poked out of the top of the hill.

Wondering why they are here, I remember we are in a desert. It's prone to encountering a sandworm…

"Master, what are we gonna do?" Tio asks for my plan. I am pretty sure this is a piece of cake for a dragon but…

"What am I gonna do?"

"Hmm?"

"Just stay in the car," I shift the gear to auto-pilot mode and get up from the driver's seat. "I will clean this mess."

When I walk toward the door, Ruby grabs my arm. "You're gonna do it alone again, Benny."

"Yeah," Shirasaki who is a healer agrees with Ruby. "We are a party after all."

"No, I want to keep the fun to myself this time," I reply and open the door. When Shirasaki tries to follow me, Ruby and Shea hold her back. I close the car door.

"Now then…"

Fortunately, the sandworms didn't have very good perception abilities themselves either. Unless someone was unlucky enough to walk over their lairs, they wouldn't be spotted.

"Transform!"

END OF CHAPTER (9)