NOTE: College has been eating up my time and I'm also sick. Sorry, about upload not being as fast for all of my fics, but I have a personal life that comes first.
Enjoy and Review!
Chapter 42: Super Persona Hero Buddy Adventures
A very cartoony sun shone brightly above the clouds as three children played happily on the playground. That was until a bowling ball wielding maniac, a purple wizard, and a humanoid cat wielding a trash can appeared out of nowhere. The children ran away in fear as the villains rampaged all over the playground.
"Who will protect us from the nefarious deeds of the League of Evil Doom Fiends!?"
Suddenly, a bright light appeared behind the villains, they turned to see three mighty heroes standing triumphantly.
The first was Four Ar-I mean-Handy Buddy! The four-armed hero caught the bowling balls quipping with an exaggerated Scottish accent. "Ye won't be taking me out of the game anytime soon, Bowling Ball Bandit!"
The next was Heatblas-I mean-Fiery Buddy! The fiery hero had been stuck in place by the wizard sticking gum under his feet. "Gumdrop Wizard is gumming up my feet! Time to get unstuck and turn up the heat!" Fiery Buddy melted the gum, freeing himself.
Finally there was Wildmu-I mean-Doggy Buddy! The Kitty Litterer picked up his trash can to attack Doggy Buddy, but Handy Buddy called out to his companion. "Watch out, Doggy Buddy! It's the Kitty Litterer!" Doggy Buddy smirked, turning around to kick up a wave of dirt at Kitty Litterer.
All three villains landed in a trash can, defeated by the Super Alien Hero Buddies. "The forces of good and fairness, uniting to form…"
"THE SUPER ALIEN HERO BUDDIES!"
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Yukiko was rolling on the Rustbucket's floor, laughing hysterically at the cartoon. Kenny was holding his sides as tears were falling from laughter.
Gwen was holding back her laughter and just chose to smile evilly at her doofus cousin. "Ben~? Is it just me or are those super lame-o versions of your alien heroes?"
Ben was the only one who didn't find the cartoon amusing. In fact, the boy was downright pissed off that someone was using his likeness for a cheap children's cartoon. "Someone's paying for this! Big time!"
OP: Ancient Romantic by P-Maru Sama
Ancient Romantic!
(U! Ha! U! Ha!)
(U! Ha! U! Ha!)
A rotating shot of the Omnitrix comes into view before latching onto Ben's wrist. He's seen standing with Yukiko, Gwen, and Max in front of the Rustbucket.
For a split second the landscape around them glitches out as purple lighting cracks the sky above.
The miracle of humankind that I met at once was a loss if neither Edison nor Watson knew (Loss!)
Ben stands on top of a broken spaceship, staring out at the clear blue sky above him.
Below him was Yukiko, who stood in the shadows of the ship. Her eyes transfixed on her tarot card.
Mr. N was surprised at such a situation since the earth was created (Unexpected!)
Gwen walked past the two, her eyes focused on her spell book. She shut the book instantly, her eyes glowing with blue mana.
Max stood in the back and in his hands was a broken picture frame.
The ancient civilization and the school playground that I ran yesterday are all connected.
The scenery changed to Inaba. Yukiko is seen running through the town with the rest of the Investigation Team.
SHATTER!
Yukiko was now running around with the Tennysons. Ben, happily leading the charge with the Omnitrix ready.
SHATTER!
Yukiko was smiling brightly, her arms draped around Ben's chest as he proudly stood in front of her. His face is full of confidence and aspirations.
SHATTER!
Older versions of Ben, Yukiko, Gwen, Max, and Yu appeared. The Tennysons were standing around the married couple as Yukiko held a small blue bundle of blankets in her hands. She smiled warmly at her newborn baby.
The invitation to unravel the true nature of this romance is an initiation from ancient times.
Ben sat inside of a blue limousine. In front of him were both Igor and Maragret, the attendant holding a large blue book in her hands.
Sitting next to Ben was Yu, whose tarot card expanded into a blinding flash of light.
All members! Go in! Aye-aye!
Ben charged into battle first, slapping down the dial and transforming into Four Arms. Gwen came in next, hands glowing bright with mana. Yukiko summoned Sumeo-Okami, unleashing waves of fire. Max joined his grandkids, his own personal blaster ready to battle.
Let's dance in such an era! Dancing all right!
Yu appeared next with his sword drawn. Izanagi jumped out from behind him, his blade sparking with white electricity.
Naoto Shirogane dropped down in front of him with her gun pointed at the screen. Her Persona: Yamato-Takeru appeared next to her in a flash of light.
Rise Kujikawa descended downwards gracefully, with her eyes closed shut. Her Persona: Kanzeon had appeared behind Rise. Placing a red-colored headset over her user's eyes.
Rehabilitation! Introspection! I'll do it one after another! The past and the future are all mixed together!
Yukiko had her arms wrapped around Four Arms' neck as the two glided through a massive tornado. Four Arms loudly strummed his guitar.
Kenny and Lucky Girl stood back to back, facing off against an army of robots. The elder brother held a baseball bat in his hands, while Lucky Girl's hands vibrated with mana.
Collapse! Situation! Hurry up!
A familiar looking creature appeared dressed in shadows, its purple eye glistening with malicious fury.
The feelings of hundreds of millions of years are romantic over!
Three new aliens appeared on the screen. A Frankenstien's monster, a werewolf, and a mummy all stood in front of a large satellite. Above them the sun transformed into a massive purple eyeball.
March! Send! Do in! Do in Love! There is one love in any era!
The Rustbucket was speeding towards the satellite with its boosters activated. The Tennysons inside were determined to stop whatever was about to happen.
A, B, C, D, E, F, G, you can see!
Chie, Yosuke, Kanji, Teddie, Nanako, Rise, and Naoto held each letter as they flashed across the screen.
H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, you caught!
For the last remaining letters were each held by Ben's aliens as they flashed across the screen.
Ancient Romantic!
Yukiko fell through the air, unable to stop herself. Ben reached for her as fast as he could, his hand only inches from her's.
(U! Ha! U! Ha!)
(U! Ha! U! Ha!)
The Tennyson family had stopped their journey momentarily, because the Rustbucket once again needed repairs. Luckily for them they were near the amusement park known as Planetary Studios, which coincidentally would be hosting a panel for Super Alien Hero Buddy Adventures; a show that had stolen the looks of Ben's aliens.
Ben glared at the poster with all of the hate his 10 year old body could muster. "It's bad enough they rip me off with some bad cartoon! Do they have to make me look like some total dweeb!?" Ben tore the poster off the wall.
Yukiko scolded him. "Ben! You can't just tear the poster off just because you're upset. It's not our property."
"My aliens, my property!" He replied. Ben crumpled up the poster and tossed it into the trash can.
Max walked over to his grandkids after checking on the Rustbucket. "Well, it's just like I thought. It's the distributor. I saw a garage a few blocks back, let me see if I can get another one."
"What about Planetary Studios?" Gwen asked.
"True. Ben's been bugging me all summer to take him to see Kangaroo Commando." Max said.
"Kangaroo Commando?" Yukiko asked, confused.
"It's an action show that Ben likes. Guy dresses up in a Kangaroo themed suit and fights crime." Kenny answered. Yukiko just blinked owlishly at him. In her mind all she could picture was a kangaroo with boxing gloves, standing in a boxing ring, and punching Teddie in the face. After having that mental image pop up, she started snorting like a pig.
"You four go explore the park. I'll meet you guys back here at four. Kenny, Yukiko, keep an eye on these two." Max said.
"Yes, Grandpa!" His grandkids replied. Max nodded his head and retreated back to the Rustbucket. When he left Ben turned to the teenagers. "Alright, you guys can go."
"Go where?" Kenny raised an eyebrow.
"I don't know. Somewhere else and explore. We don't need babysitters." Ben said.
Yukiko narrowed her eyes slightly. "Ben, if I left you alone, you'll have somehow burned down this entire park in under five minutes."
"You have so little faith in me!"
"No, I have tons of faith that you'll blow something up."
Gwen spoke up next. "At least you can trust me to walk around by myself-"
"You'll manage to join him in whatever chaos is happening, which will just lead to a bigger mess." Gwen deflated a bit after hearing that.
Kenny decided to finally cut-in. "Okay, Yukiko. I may not know everything you guys have done so far this summer, but leaving them alone won't be too bad. Trust me, I've known them a lot longer."
Yukiko deflated a bit at the reminder that she hasn't known Ben or Gwen for longer than a month. She knew that Kenny didn't mean any harm by it and sighed. "Fine. I'll let you two off on your own."
Both grinned excitedly. "Cool-"
"But! I will be setting some ground rules." Yukiko's strict tone shattered any excitement from the two. "First, if anything bad happens then Gwen has to call us right away. Secondly, if I catch either of you at the epicenter of something exploding then that's it and you'll be sticking with us for the remainder of our time here. And finally, Ben." Yukiko's eyes bore down into the boy without a shred of mercy. "Disrupt that panel about the cartoon in any fashion, and I'll know if you do, then you will be suffering from a severe punishment. Am I understood?"
"Y-yes, ma'am!" Ben and Gwen saluted her.
"Good!" Yukiko's radiant smile returned in full force. "Have fun, you two!" She waved them goodbye as they ran off.
Kenny whistled in awe. "Damn. I don't think I've seen anyone other than mom and aunt Sandra put them in place like that before."
Yukiko giggled. "Oh, it's nothing. They don't listen unless a little bit of force is applied."
"A little?" Kenny sweat dropped. The aura that Yukiko had put out even had him shaking in his boots. "So, what do you want to do first?"
"I'm not sure. First time here after all. Maybe we could get some souvenirs?"
"Fine by me."
Ben and Gwen stood in front of a Kangaroo Commando cut-out. "I still don't understand the appeal of some old guy jumping around in his underwear." She stepped back when Ben suddenly started doing jump kicks and punches.
"I wouldn't expect you to appreciate Kangaroo Commando, but I watched his show when I was just a kid. Hyah!" Ben did another kick. "He made me want to be a superhero!" Ben turned back around and bumped into a bigger body. He looked up to see a man dressed up as Handy Buddy.
"I'm Handy Buddy! Watch me no-Guh!" The employee tripped.
"Wait…Four Arms doesn't dance around and fall on his butt like a goof." Ben glared at Handy Buddy.
"Who's Four Arms? I'm Handy Buddy, me boy-o. Shake." He held out his hand for a handshake, but Ben rudely smacked the appendage away.
Ben stormed away to where Gwen was, the sorceress was reading another poster. "Meet Tim Dean. The creator of Super Alien Hero Buddy Adventures." Just the sight of the poster was ruining Ben's mood again. The two turned around to see more actors dressed as his alien ripoffs walk past.
"I think it's time to pay Tim Dean a visit." Ben growled.
"You do remember Yukiko's warning about disrupting the panel, right?" Gwen asked.
Ben turned to her. "I'm not going to disrupt it. Just a little constructive criticism…" He ran off towards the panel.
Gwen rolled her eyes. "Right…constructive…"
Soft brown eyes thoroughly scanned the amusement park grounds. She knew that she had to be careful or else risk her father's assigned guards finding her. It wasn't every day that she got to explore such a massive theme park in a different country. Finally, one of her father's extensive business trips managed to work out for her.
Curly auburn hair bounced as she hid herself in the crowds of people. A Fiery Buddy themed cap that she had bought earlier helped keep most of her hair covered. She peered down at the flier in her hand.
Phoenix Ranger Featherman R and Power Rangers: Meet & Greet!
Featuring guest -
Pink Argus - Yukari Takeba
The young girl had been over the moon to hear that one of the Featherman Rangers would be appearing at a panel here at Planetary Studios. She had to hurry or else risk getting caught or worse, not finding a seat!
"Ben, wait!"
"Wha-?" The young girl was knocked over by the stampeding Ben. She fell to the ground with a grunt, dropping the flier and her hat. Revealing the soft curly hair underneath.
Ben didn't even register that he had bulldozed past her, his attention completely focused on getting to Tim Dean.
Gwen did stop momentarily to help the other girl up. "I'm sorry about him! He's an inconsiderate doofus! Are you okay?"
"I-I'm okay…" She weakly responded.
Gwen blinked at the girl's accent. "Huh? You're not American, are you?" The other girl stared at her wide eyed. "Sorry! It's just that the way you speak kind of gives it away that you're unfamiliar with English."
She realized that Gwen didn't mean anything by it and should've expected people to realize that. "I'm Japanese." She had been going through lessons with her private tutors at her father's demand.
Gwen shook her head. "It's fine. In fact, one of my cousins is half Japanese and grew up there her whole life. Which is why I was able to pick up on the speech. Anyway, sorry for all the trouble. I got to make sure Ben doesn't do anything stupid. My name is Gwen, by the way."
"My name is Haru Oku-I mean-Haru. Only Haru." Haru corrected herself.
Gwen didn't seem to notice the slip up. "It was nice meeting you, Haru. See ya!" Gwen waved goodbye before chasing after Ben.
Haru stood in place as she watched Gwen turn the corner. She bent down to pick up her hat, stuffing her hair back underneath it and readjusted her backpack. Haru stared at her poster for a moment, glancing at the time the panel was supposed to start. She still had at least an hour before it started, which was an ample amount of time.
Looking back at the direction Gwen had run off to, Haru allowed her curiosity to get the better of her just this once.
Ben skipped through the long line of kids waiting for Tim Dean's autograph. Not even bothering to wait before taking the photo of Fiery Buddy and ripping it in two. "Hey! That's a Tim Dean original!" Tim hissed.
Ben scoffed. "Original? You totally stole those heroes from me-I mean-those alien heroes in the news!"
"Prove it." Tim rolled his eyes. "Take him away, Fiery Buddy." Tim ordered the mascot. Ben turned around to see the Fiery buddy mascot and Handy Buddy grab him by the arms.
Ben wouldn't go down without a fight. "His name's Heatblast! And he doesn't rap when he talks! And why's Four Arms scottish!? It doesn't make sense!" Ben yelled his complaints as he was dragged away from the booth and tossed down by Gwen's feet.
"Something tells me that isn't too open to constructive criticism." Gwen smirked.
Ben brushed off his clothes as he stood up. "Then maybe it's time for some destructive criticism." Ben brought up the Omnitrix.
"You really want Yukiko to light your butt on fire, huh?" Gwen shook her head.
Ben scoffed, walking past her as he scrolled through his roster. "I'll just show this guy what a real hero looks like in a flash and Yukiko won't even know what's happening." Ben hid behind a cardboard cut-out of Fiery Buddy.
FLASH!
Heatblast pointed a finger at Tim Dean's table, conjuring up a small fireball. He was prepared to shoot until a large explosion shook the ground beneath them.
"Ben!" Gwen hissed.
"What? It wasn't me." The two turned around to see Kangaroo Commando hanging on a pipe for dear life as the building he was on was burning down. "It's Kangaroo Commando! He needs help!" Heatblast propelled himself into the air to go save his hero.
Unbeknownst to the Tennysons, Haru was hiding behind a corner. Her brown eyes were as wide as saucers from the mind-blowing scene she just witnessed. The disguised girl had caught up with the Tennysons but decided not to make herself known after seeing Ben get dragged away by the mascots. While Gwen seemed nice, Ben on the other hand had run into her earlier and didn't bother to apologize. Nor did he look apologetic for the scene he had caused with his outburst. She was about to walk away until she witnessed Ben transform into one of those aliens that had been appearing on News channels all summer.
Haru's mind went into overdrive to process what she had just seen, figuring that she probably wasn't supposed to see that. Now she was confused by what she was supposed to do now. Would it be better to ignore what she had just seen and leave or confront the Tennysons?
A soft pull in her chest was enticing Haru to the latter. For the 2nd time that day, Haru decided to let her curiosity take control.
"So, what exactly are we looking for again?" Kenny asked. He and Yukiko were exploring one of the many gift shops of Planetary Studios. Such a wide range of selections was like heaven for Yukiko, who wanted to find the perfect gifts for her friends and family back home.
Yukiko popped her head out from the rows of costumes and party masks. "Well, I saw these and thought maybe I could dabble a bit."
"Is this in any way related to the whole cosplay obsession that Gwen told me about?" Kenny asked.
Yukiko looked bewildered. "Cosplay obsession? I don't have a cosplay obsession." The heiress had said that while holding multiple Halloween horror villain costumes. Right next to her on the floor was a small basket of masks.
Kenny sweat dropped. "Yeah…sure. Why do you like dressing up in the first place?" It didn't really seem like something someone of Yukiko's background would find interest in.
"Oh, well, you remember our talk about the TV World, right?"
"A whole different dimension filled with Shadow creatures that attempted to kill you and your friends."
"Exactly! You see, there were times last year where our spirits weren't exactly the highest. So, Yu-kun decided he would do things to make the situation seem a little brighter. On his own free time, he would go out and buy us all these different kinds of costumes to wear while we explored dungeons. Suits, swimsuits, Featherman Rangers, cheerleaders for us girls, uniforms from other schools, and even some unsavory ones…" Yukiko trailed off. She remembered when Yu had somehow convinced the girls to wear the "Battle Panties".
She wouldn't have minded them if it was just the two of them and not the whole team.
"Do I even want to know?"
"No."
"In that case I can see why you like it so much. Must've been fun traversing with your friends, while wearing goofy get-ups." Kenny smiled.
Yukiko giggled, the fond memories brightening her mood. "Yes, it's the reason I want to do it with Ben and Gwen so much. There's just a weird sense of enjoyment from getting into crazy situations while dressed up like a werewolf or a sentai character."
"If it'll make you feel any better, I'd be happy to join in. As long as you don't put me in a skirt or something." Kenny shrugged.
"Oh no. I don't think a skirt would work too well for you. Though, Yosuke-kun managed to wear that short one spectacularly somehow. Yu-kun also looks great in that delinquent female uniform. Maybe, I could convince him to wear it again?" Yukiko trailed off into her own mumbling. Thinking of what other feminine outfits she could possibly convince her boyfriend to wear.
Kenny blinked in shock. "W-wait! They cross-dressed!?"
"Story for another time." Yukiko waved him off as she scuttled off further into the store. Leaving Kenny standing alone in the aisle, a feeling of pity for Yu began to swell up inside of him.
"Hopefully, Ben and Gwen aren't causing any issues right now. Would hate to ruin this good mood that Yukiko's in."
"Who are you!?"
Heatblast just finished putting out the raging flames after saving his childhood hero. "Just your all-time biggest fan!"
Kangaroo Commando didn't look pleased. "Is that why you're trying to ruin my stunt show?" Looking past the stuntman, Heatblast noticed the tiny audience that were there to watch his stunt show.
"S-sorry! I can fix this! No problem!" In classic Ben fashion, he ended up just making the situation worse. The fireball he shot ricocheted off of the building and towards the audience. Gwen reacted in time, pushing the small family in front of her out of the way.
Haru, who was silently hiding by the bleachers, gasped at Ben's recklessness. Then decided now would be the right time to move as she watched Kangaroo Commando kick Heatblast into the bleachers.
The Pyronite glared at his hero. "Hey! It was an accident!"
Gwen addressed the family she just saved. "Hey, pretty realistic, right? I think we'd be able to enjoy the action from over there!" She and the family ran to the other side of the stage. A crowd began to form to watch the spectacle between Kangaroo Commando and Heatblast.
Kangaroo Commando used his built-in fire extinguisher to put out the flames and by extension Heatblast. "Who put you up to this!? Tim Dean!?" He fired a grappling hook at the Pyronite, dragging him down the bleachers. "Isn't it enough that he knocked my TV show off the air with that stupid cartoon of his! Now he has to ruin my live shows too!?"
Heatblast melted the wire and shot the grappling hook away from the stuntman. Kangaroo Commando grinned in anticipation. "Alright. Now we're giving the public what they want."
Heatblast was confused until he noticed the large crowd surrounding them. "OH! I get it! Hollywood!"
Haru, who was close enough to hear them, deadpanned. "He definitely doesn't get it." Her opinion on Ben wasn't the highest at the moment.
Heatblast and Kangaroo Commando propelled themselves to the roof of the stage set to continue their 'battle'. The Pyronite fired off multiple fireballs, purposely missing to avoid hitting his hero. The stuntman dodged them by swinging around on his grappling hook, landing on the water tower. Everything about the battle had excited the crowd immensely.
Kangaroo Commando motioned for Heatblast to come at him, which the Pyronite was more than happy to oblige. Unfortunately for him, the stuntman dodged, leaving him to fall into the pool of water below. Kangaroo Commando smirked in pleasure at being one of Tim Dean's cartoon heroes. "All in a day's work for this superhero!" He bowed to the crowd.
Haru looked over to see a soaked Heatblast quietly making his way out of the pool. Figuring this was her chance, the disguised girl slicked back behind the bleachers to cut him off. She saw the Pyronite walking over to Gwen, the weird symbol on his chest was blinking red.
FLASH!
"Ben! You, okay?" Gwen asked.
"Yeah, but better news! I'm gonna be Kangaroo Commando's partner!" Ben celebrated.
"Not if Yukiko kills you first. Remember when she said NOT to cause a scene." Gwen reminded him again.
"Hey, as far as she'll know this was just a stunt performance between that stupid Alien Buddy show and Kangaroo Commando. C'mon! I wanna go talk to Kangaroo Commando!" Ben turned around to leave but was cut off by Haru standing in front of his path. "Uh? Who are you?"
Gwen gasped lightly. "Haru!?"
"Who?" Ben asked.
"The girl you bulldozed past when you were on your way to embarrass yourself to Tim Dean."
"Doesn't ring a bell."
"Of course, it doesn't." Gwen pushed him aside. "What are you doing here, Haru?"
Haru pointed at Ben. "He turned into those aliens in the news."
Her declaration made both Tennysons go still as statues. She had seen Ben transform!? Of course, she did with their luck. Gwen tried to salvage the situation. "I think you might be seeing things, Haru. Ben can't turn into an alien."
She shook her head. "I know what I saw. He used that watch."
"Look Haru, I'm telling you that Ben-"
"Give it up, Gwen." Ben shrugged.
"What!?" Gwen rounded on him. "Ben, we can't just-"
"It's just like with Eddy. Can't exactly fool her at this point, can we?" Ben said.
Gwen groaned; she hated when Ben had a point. The sorceress turned back to Haru. "Okay, fine, Haru. That fire alien was Ben, but you have to promise not to tell anyone, okay! A lot of bad things could happen if too many find out Ben's identity."
Haru was about to agree before an idea popped into her head. She lifted a finger. If there was one thing Haru has always wanted it was friends her own age. Gwen was nice enough to help after she was knocked over by Ben. In Ben's case, what she had seen from him so far left much to be desired, but he was those alien heroes in the news, so he couldn't be all that bad. Maybe, she could finally have some friends after all. Haru lifted up a single finger. "One condition."
"What is it?" Gwen asked.
Haru pulled out the Featherman flier. "Join me for this."
Ben and Gwen took the flier from her, reading it over. Ben's face scrunched up. "You want to see some Power Ranger rip of-UGH!" Ben grunted from Gwen's elbow hitting his ribs.
"What he means to say is that we'd be happy to join you." Gwen corrected. Haru smiled brightly, happy that they agreed to join her.
Ben grumbled. "Sure, but there's something I want to see first though."
The Tennysons plus Haru were waiting in line for the Kangaroo Commando autograph that Ben had wanted. Due to the spectacle created by the stuntman and Heatblast, Kangaroo Commando's popularity had skyrocketed compared to earlier.
However, not everyone was happy about Kangaroo Commando's new fame. "NORTH!" Tim Dean, followed by his mascots, interrupted the signing. "That was pretty low! Stealing Fiery Buddy to try and save your pathetic stunt show!"
"Me!?" Commando erupted from his seat. "Clearly you sent him to try and intimidate me!"
"Listen, old man. Super Alien Hero Buddies will bury you!" Dean threatened. "And I'll be there kicking in the last mound of dirt!"
North wasn't intimated at all. "We'll see who buries who!"
Ben decided to speak up. "Uh, Mr. North. I need to tell you something about Heatblast-"
"Save it, kid." North rudely cut him off.
"Heatblast?" Haru tilted her head.
"It's what he named the fire one. He named all of them." Gwen answered her question. "Anyway, what a nice way to greet your fans, huh?"
Ben tried to excuse the man's rudeness. "I'm sure he's a busy guy."
Haru shook her head. The way that North had dismissed Ben had reminded her of her father too much. "You didn't deserve his rudeness."
Ben huffed lightly. "You just wouldn't get it. Anyway, we should hurry up to get on Kangaroo Commando: The Ride!"
Both girls stared at him like he was an idiot. "Uh? Earth to doofus? Did you forget what we promised, Haru?" Gwen motioned to the flier.
Ben rolled his eyes. "We have like twenty minutes left before that panel thing starts! I'm sure this ride won't take too long as long as we hurry up! I'm sure the ride is like a mile long!"
Unfortunately for Ben the line was NOT a mile long. In fact, there was barely even a line or people willing to go on the ride. The three kids waited for the coaster to pull back up before getting on themselves. Ben and Haru took a seat next to each other, while Gwen took one behind them. "Guess no one wants to hop on board and ride with your hero." Gwen said.
Haru was a little excited. She always enjoyed rides that really got the blood pumping. "This is going to be fun!"
For the first time since he met her, Ben could finally say he liked Haru's attitude. "See! Haru gets it! Those losers just don't know what they're missing!" After he finished talking the ride commenced. From the top of the rail the kids could see the entire park, they took in the sights before the coaster dropped down inside of the cave.
"Only Kangaroo Commando could come up with a cool ride like this! Whoo hoo!" Ben cheered as lasers flew over their heads. "These special effects rock!"
RUMBLE!
Suddenly, something similar to an earthquake shook the cave. Rocks fell from the ceiling, crashing down onto the rails, and breaking them apart. The kids gasped as the path in front of them had been broken to pieces.
Haru closed her eyes, not expecting something so dangerous to happen on her supposed to be fun day. The girl silently apologized to her father for her soon to be death.
"Hello!? Good time to go hero!?" Gwen's shout at Ben had brought Haru's attention back to her companions. She looked to her left to see Ben slapping down the watch's dial repeatedly.
"I can't!" Ben exclaimed, panicking.
Suddenly the ride came to a halt just as it was about to take a dive towards their doom. The three turned around to see Kangaroo Commando holding back the coaster. "Kangaroo Commando!? YES!" Ben celebrated being rescued by his hero.
"Wow! Such strength!" Haru was amazed by the stuntman's strength to hold back something as heavy as a roller coaster.
"Well, duh! He's a superhero!" Ben responded as if it was obvious. Haru just shook her head at Ben's lack of comprehension.
The stuntman tied the capable to a pillar to keep the coaster from falling, then propelled himself over to them, undo the safety bars. "Let's see what we can do about those safety bars!" He pulled out a blowtorch, slicing right through the bars.
"EEEKKK!" They all look up to see a woman dangling from the broken rails, using her purse as a means of hanging on.
"Fear not! Kangaroo Commando is here to save the day!" He used his grappling hook to swing himself over to her.
PING!
"Finally!" Ben exclaimed as the Omnitrix was ready to be used. "A little help from a friend!"
FLASH!
Haru gaped at the up-close form of Four Arms. She had seen pictures of the alien in the news but hadn't thought that she would ever get to see it in person. She had assumed that Ben was just Heatblast, not any of the other aliens. She and Gwen were picked up by the Tetramand and tossed onto his shoulders. "Hang on! I got a partner to help out!" Four Arms parkoured across the rails.
Kangaroo Commando landed outside of the ride with the woman in his arms. The crowd applauded him for his rescue until a piece of the rails above them broke off, falling towards them. Luckily for them Four Arms appeared in time and caught the rail. "Need an extra hand? I got four!"
"Hm. You must be one of them new animatronic devices." Kangaroo Commando said.
Four Arms shook his head. "Actually, I'm just a kid. That's what I've been trying to tell you!"
From the sidelines, Haru and Gwen watched the exchange. "Does he understand what a secret is?" Haru asked.
"No. Not when he feels it's convenient for him." Gwen responded.
BOOM!
Looking up, more of the ride was crumbling to pieces and another coaster filled with people was in danger. Kangaroo Commando stepped forward. "In that case, step back, these kids need my help!" He leaped into action. Four Arms wasn't far behind.
Kangaroo Commando grabbed two of the passengers, while Four Arms went for the last two. "Thanks, Handy Buddy!" The girl said.
"The name's Four Arms! Not Handy Buddy!" Four Arms corrected her. He ran across the track as it crumbled to pieces behind him. Oddly enough the children in his arms weren't concerned at all about their lives being in danger.
"You could get into a lot of trouble ripping off Handy Buddy like that!" The girl glared at him.
"Sue me!" Four Arms groaned. He jumped down, barreling right through the Handy Buddy balloon in the process.
"That had to be on purpose." Haru sighed.
"Oh, it definitely was." Gwen agreed.
Four Arms glanced down at his idol. "We could team up!"
"Tried that with Marsupial Man until I caught him putting all of my gadgets in his pouch. I go solo." Kangaroo Commando walked away towards the wreckage.
Gwen and Haru joined up with Four Arms, who looked dejected after being rejected by his hero. "Why is he so upset? It's not like this is another stunt show."
Gwen hummed. "I'm not sure. I mean doesn't this whole accident and rescue seem a bit convenient?"
Haru had to agree with Gwen on that one. It felt a little too convenient that Kangaroo Commando just so happened to be at the ride when it started to fall apart.
"This was no accident!" Kangaroo Commando exclaimed. He picked up a white glove he found within the wreckage. "Someone rigged this ride with explosives." He placed the glove into a zip lock bag, showing it to the crowd. "Someone who wore this ink-stained glove! The kind used by animators!"
"TIM DEAN!" Both the stuntman and Tetramand shouted together.
Haru and Gwen seriously stared at the two as if they were idiots. Though, Haru was a bit more subtle with it than Gwen was. "He just so happens to find a glove?" Gwen used her brain.
"Because he's a crime fighting genius and I will be his partner!" Four Arms defended the stuntman.
"He realizes that's an actor, right?" Haru asked. The two watched as Four Arms tried to jump away, but only ended up falling on his butt after turning back to normal.
"With Ben, it's best to assume he doesn't know." Gwen responded.
"I can hear you!" Ben yelled.
"Why would I want to blow up your stupid ride!?" Dean exclaimed. He was being confronted by North and several security guards.
"So, Planetary Studios could tear it down and build your stupid ride!" North exclaimed. He walked over to the curtains, pulling them back to reveal several concept arts for a theme ride and explosives.
"Those aren't mine!" Dean defended himself. "I mean the sketches are, but not the explosives!"
"Gentlemen, I believe we've caught the culprit red handed." North declared. His word was enough for the guards to haul away Tim Dean just as the Tennysons and Haru arrived.
Gwen glanced at the bagged glove in North's hand and yanked it away. "Wait! That glove can't possibly belong to Tim Dean!" Her declaration caught everyone off guard. "It's a right-handed glove! Dean did all of his sketches left-handed!"
"Hey! Whose side-MGBF!" Ben's outcry was stopped by Haru covering his mouth. Ben glared at Haru, whose response was a chilling smile that reminded him too much of Yukiko.
"That doesn't prove anything!" North yelled.
"Even those weak villains on your old show could've pulled off a better frame job!" Dean fought back.
Ben broke out of Haru's grasp just to make the situation worse. "You want to talk about weak villains? Bowling Ball Bandit? Kitty Litterer? That fur-ball doesn't even meow right!"
"That's it!" Dean had enough of the bullshit today and lunged at North. The security guards acted quickly to break up their fight.
"Nice going, Gwen! We could've put that slime ball animator away for good if you hadn't opened your big mouth!" Ben exclaimed.
Haru shook her head again. "There's more, Ben."
"Eh? What?" Ben tilted his head.
"Didn't North say he handles all of his own special effects? Including explosives." Gwen reminded him.
"So!? No way Kangaroo Commando would blow up his own ride!"
"He's an actor, Ben. Kangaroo Commando isn't real." Haru hoped that it would get through Ben's head.
"And he'd do anything to save his show. We need to keep an eye on him." Gwen turned to Haru. "Sorry, Haru. But this is important for us to do."
The disguised girl shook her head. "It's fine. I want to help!" Haru huffed proudly. This day had been life changing so far and there was no way she was going to separate from her friends now after getting so deep into this.
Haru was starting to regret her decision after Ben had transformed into Stinkfly. The name was appropriate for the putridness that radiated off of the alien bug. Gwen had said that she'd get used to it after a while, but Haru severely doubted it. The three were following behind North in the air.
"Uh…this is a major waste of time. We should be taking the animator guy! Because if that's not a crime then I don't know what is!" Stinkfly looked over to the television screens, which spoke of a special broadcast of Super Alien Hero Buddy Adventures. "I got a premier for you!" Stinkfly barfed at the screens, giggling to himself.
"Childish." Haru huffed.
"Real mature, stink breath." Gwen said. "Look! North's heading to his dressing room! Take us down."
Stinkfly had enough listening to her. "I'll land when I'm good and ready!"
FLASH!
"AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" It seemed that the Omnitrix was good and ready, because it turned him back to normal mid air. The three luckily fell into a pool and kept their young lives.
Haru groaned as she felt her wet clumpy hair. "Does it do that often?"
"You have no idea." Ben groaned as they swam to the edge of the pool.
"Hey, you kids! Get out of there!" A security guard yelled at the other end of the pool. The three quickly climbed out of the water and ran for it. They quickly hid behind a wall, stopping to catch their breath.
"This has gone too far! It has to stop before someone gets hurt!" The kids perked up at the familiar voice. Peering through the open window they saw North seemingly taking to thin air.
"Who's he talking to?" Ben asked.
"Himself." Gwen answered.
"He is an actor." Haru said.
"You don't tell me what to do!" The three ducked back down. However, before they could continue listening in, they were grabbed by the security officer. Realizing they had left a wet trail of footprints leading right to them.
"If I catch you three sneaking around again, you're out of the park!" He threatened. Though, his gaze lingered a bit more on Haru. "Wait…don't I know you from somewhere?"
Haru quickly panicked, reaching up, she blanched to feel that her hat was no longer on her head. It seems that she had lost it after falling into the pool. Haru couldn't let herself get caught now! If her father finds how she was sneaking around and ditched her guards, then she'd be in big trouble.
Thankfully, Ben acted quickly. "She's, our cousin! Distant relatives and all that! You must have her confused with someone else!" Haru gasped quietly at seeing Ben come to her defense so quickly.
The guard quirked an eyebrow before relenting. "Fine. Just stay out of trouble!" He turned and left.
When he was gone, Haru felt a wave of relief wash over her. Turning to Ben with a grateful smile. "Thank you, Ben."
Ben felt something stir in his chest, but he ignored it. "No problem. Though, what was that about? You famous or something?"
"N-no!" Haru lied. "Like you said, he mistook me for someone else. We should refocus."
"Haru's right." Gwen said. "North was talking to himself."
"Haru did say he was an actor. Maybe he was just practicing lines from his show or something." Ben defended North again.
"Face it, Ben. Your hero's the villain."
"Will that be all?" The cashier asked. She was a bit shocked by the number of items that the two teenagers had lined up onto the counter.
"Yes. This will be all." Yukiko replied. She and Kenny waited as the cashier scanned each one of their items. As they did, a conversation from a few other shoppers caught their attention.
"Did you hear about that ride collapse earlier?" A woman asked her friend.
"Oh yes! It's a good thing nobody got hurt." The other woman replied.
Kenny turned to them, ignorant to this information. "Uh? What ride collapse?"
"Oh, you didn't hear about that superhero roller coaster that had a major accident earlier today?"
Yukiko had a sinking feeling in her gut. "What superhero roller coaster?"
"I think his name was Kangaroo Commander?" The woman said.
"No, it was Koala Commando!" Her friend got it wrong too.
"Kangaroo Commando." Kenny corrected them both.
"Yes, that one!"
"What exactly happened?" Yukiko asked, silently hoping her gut feeling wasn't true.
"Well, there were several explosions that had gone off, endangering several passengers and such. Thankfully, that Kangaroo Commando and some Four-Armed cartoon character saved the day!" The woman answered.
Kenny didn't even have to look at Yukiko to know that the heiress wasn't happy in the least. He felt the red-hot aura pulsating off of her body, shifting his eyes to her direction, he shivered in fear at the chilling smile. He really pitied his little sister and Ben at the moment.
"UGH!" Ben shivered in fear.
Haru tilted her head. "What's wrong, Ben?"
"I don't know…I just feel as if my life is suddenly in danger." Ben answered.
The three walked into the center of the park just as the live broadcast of Super Alien Hero Buddies was about to begin.
TZZZT!
Suddenly, the broadcast was interrupted by a live video footage showcasing Abel North dangling over a vat of acid. "How original. Dangling over a flaming vat of deadly chemicals." Gwen said.
"Maybe he's really in trouble?" Ben ran behind the escalators to transform. "Time to XLR8!"
FLASH!
As someone who really loves to garden, Haru LOVED this newest form. Though, it seemed like Ben hadn't meant to turn into it. Either way, she was pretty excited to see what a plant alien could do.
"Oh, man!" Wildvine groaned. He grappled up onto a pole to hurry and help North, but a familiar scream stopped him.
"Help! Someone help me!" Dean screamed as Kangaroo Commando kidnapped him.
"Kangaroo Commando!?" Gwen gasped. "Wait, how can North be in two places at once?"
"I'm so confused." Wildvine said.
"We have to hurry!" Haru exclaimed. Wildvine grappled over to the warehouse as the girls followed after him. He pried the door open to find the place on fire and explosions going off in the back.
From the control room of the warehouse, a man activated a switch. Several mechanical dragon heads sprouted from the ground. "That is so fake!" Wildvine wasn't intimated.
Until they shot fire at him.
"Not fake! Not fake!" Wildvine cried as he maneuvered around the waves of fire. The mechanical heads turned in every direction he went, cutting off his path. The plant alien gasped when he had nowhere left to run. Each head was aiming right at him, charging up one final shot to burn the plant to ashes.
Baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby~ Yeah!
Several pink wind arrows descended from above, piercing the mechanical heads. Each one exploded like fireworks. Wildvine covered his eye to block out the bright flashes. "What happened?" He questioned.
"Need a little help?"
"Huh?" Looking up Wildvine saw the one who came to his aid. The person was a woman dressed in a pink stylish superhero attire.
She wore a large pink helmet over her head with a large pink and silver bow in her hands. On her hip was a small silver gun attached to the silver belt. She twirled her bow in her hands before posing dramatically like a bird. "Featherman Ranger! Pink Argus!" As if on cue an explosion went off behind her to finish off the dramatic entrance.
The guests of the park were all gasping and cheering excitedly, all believing that the footage on the TV was all fake. "Go plant guy! Go pink ranger!" A kid cried out.
"Pink Argus!?" Yukiko squealed right next to the boy. She had always been a Phoenix Ranger fan as a kid.
Kenny sweat dropped. "S-shouldn't we go help them?"
"After I see Pink Argus in action!"
"...Okay…"
Pink Argus touched down next to Wildvine. "I have to say, I don't think I've ever seen a creature like you before. Though, I hope you are okay, Mr…?"
"The name's Wildvine, Ms. Power Ranger rip off-GUH!" Wildvine grunted as a pink arrow was lodged into his gut.
"Would you like to repeat that?" She conjured up another arrow. A cartoonish tick mark pulsated on her helmet.
"N-no…I think I'm good." Wildvine groaned. He looked over to see North dangling over the vat of acid. "Mr. North, hang on!" However, before he could do anything the converter started to move, bringing out a chained Tim Dean.
"Please don't hurt me! I-I just do drawings! I'm not even that good!" Dean pleaded.
Wildvine was even more confused now as he addressed Dean. "Wait a minute. Didn't you kidnap Mr. North?"
"No, you overgrown weed! He kidnapped me!" Dean accused until he noticed North dangling right across from him.
Pink Argus was confused. "I'm not too sure what your history is, but if neither of you kidnapped the other then who really did it?"
"Pity you won't have time to figure it out and save them both!" A familiar voice came over the intercom. Neither hero had time to figure it out as both Dean and North were being dropped into the vats of acid.
Wildvine made his move, hurrying over to Dean and grabbing his chain. The plant alien began pulling the animator up away from the acid.
Pink Argus masterfully aimed her bow at North. With the precision of a master archer, the arrow impacted the chains binding him, pushing the stuntman away from the vat. Then she quickly produced another arrow and fired at the chains, slicing them and allowing North to fall on the catwalk.
Just as he landed, Haru and Gwen arrived to see North lying down in front of them. Gwen knelt down, using a spell to slice through North's chains. Pink Argus jumped over to them, confused as to why two kids were here.
Haru gasped loudly. "Pink Argus!?"
The Featherman Ranger smirked under her helmet. "At least someone knows who I am. What are you kids doing here anyway?"
Wildvine swung over with Dean in his arms. "They're my sidekicks!"
"Never call me that again." Gwen hissed.
"No time for arguing. We need to get out of here!" Pink Argus exclaimed. Just as she said that large metal crates were knocked over towards them. Wildvine quickly wrapped everyone up and carried them to safety as the warehouse continued to explode.
Back inside of the control room, the mastermind activated the speakers. "Attention, Parkgoers! I regret to inform you of the demise of that hasbin Abel North and talentless animator Tim Dean!" After hearing that both Yukiko and Kenny decided now was the best time to head over and help.
The group was safe and were walking into the hallway of the control room. "Hasbin?" North questioned.
"Talentless?" Dean was equally offended.
"He must've taken over the park's master control center. I told him this had gone too far!" North huffed angrily.
"Told who?" Haru asked.
Wildvine knocked open the door and quickly turned the chair with the master mind on it. The plant gasped, remembering something important. "Of course! I should've figured it out! Episode 10, the first season, Kangaroo Commando had his brother on! His twin brother, Kane!"
Kane glared at the group. "I'm the real Kangaroo Commando! I built all the gadgets and special effects! While you took all the credit!" Kane accused North.
"So, why did you kidnap Dean?" Gwen asked.
"Because he ripped off my idea!"
"Can't anyone come up with anything original in Hollywood!?" Wildvine complained.
"Now the world will know who the real creator of Super Alien Hero Buddy Adventures really is!" Kane pulled out a smoke bomb. Tossing it at the group. Wildvine and Pink Argus jumped through the smoke, both being unaffected by it. However, Kane was nowhere to be seen.
Haru got out of the room first. Followed by Dean and North, she watched as two cables shot through the smoke and ensnared the two men. Kane ran past her, knocking her over and grabbing his brother and Dean. Acting quickly, the young girl followed after Kane as he ran out of the building.
"Ben!" Gwen called out. Wildvine and Pink Argus followed her out of the building to catch up with the others.
As Kane reached the outside rooftops, Haru jumped onto his back. The twin brother grunted from the extra weight and interference, dropping his hostages to reach for Haru. He grabbed the girl by the scruff of her shirt and tossed her across the rooftop. "Back off, girl! I don't want to hurt you!"
Haru didn't give up, she pulled off her bookbag and unzipped it. Reaching inside she pulled out the one thing that Kain wouldn't have expected.
A literal axe.
"The hell!?" Kane questioned as Haru charged him with the weapon. She charged at him with her weapon pulled back. Kane actually flinched back in fright from the small girl. Though, he was shocked to not feel an axe cutting through his skin. Looking back he found Haru was knelt down beside Dean and North, cutting them free. Kane glowered at her. "You damn brat!" Kain grabbed her by surprise, making Haru drop her axe. He used his boots to jump to the next rooftop. "Nothing will stop me from getting my revenge! Nothing!"
Wildvine, Pink Argus, and Gwen reached the rooftops in time to see what was happening. The plant alien made a reach for Haru. Pulling her out of Kane's grasp and onto the rooftop. "You, okay?" He asked her.
Haru nodded her head appreciatively. "Yeah!"
Wildvine smiled at her before engaging in a fight with Kane. His punches were dodged, leaving him open for Kane to kick him away. The twin brother stomped down on Wildvine's body, though the plant retaliated by tossing Kane off of him. Wildvine pinned Kane down onto the rooftop just as the Omnitrix flashed red.
Seeing as there was no plant monster attacking him, Kane easily batted Ben away. "Looks like I'm not the only one who isn't quite what he appears to be." Kane approached Ben until a pink arrow grazed right by him. Turning back to the other rooftop, Pink Argus was preparing another shot.
Kane quickly pulled out some grenades, throwing them at the others. Gwen was forced to act quickly, putting up a magic shield to protect herself, Dean, North, and Pink Argus from the explosions.
Seeing that they were taken care of, Kane picked Ben up by his collar, holding him over the rooftop. "Learn not to meddle where you don't belong next time, kid!" Kane prepared to drop Ben off the roof.
That was until a pink object spun through the air, smashing right into Kane's face. The impact forced him to stumble back, and drop Ben right onto the safety of the rooftop. Haru quickly grabbed the pink object, realizing that it was a Japanese styled fan. "Where did this come from?"
Haru didn't have much time to ponder it since Kane was getting back onto her feet. Acting quickly Haru did the only thing she could do. Taking the fan and using it like a hammer and repeatedly bashed Kane on the head with it. By the time she was done Kane was unconscious with several comically large bumps on his head.
Ben sat there frozen stiff as Haru cheered triumphantly over their victory. She didn't even seem bothered that she just beat a grown man into a comatose state with a fan. "Man…I'm getting Yukiko flashbacks…"
After all was said and done, Kane was being loaded into a police vehicle. The Tennysons, Haru, Pink Argus, Dean, and North were watching. North turned to Dean. "Dean, those Super Alien Hero Buddies of yours aren't half bad."
"You really think so? Because, Kangaroo Commando has always been a major influence on my work." Dean admitted.
"What about me?" Ben asked.
"Sorry, kid." North apologized before he and Dean walked away.
Gwen chuckled. "All's well that ends weird."
Haru approached Ben. "Uh, Ben."
"Yeah?" He turned to her.
The young girl had a small blush on her face. "Thank you for saving me. And I'm sorry for judging you so much at first."
"You judged me?" Ben hadn't realized.
Haru just giggled. "Don't think too much, Ben. I hope that we can all stay friends after this."
"Of course, we can, Haru! Especially since you know Ben's secret and all. When can we see you again?" Gwen asked.
The question seemed to have wiped Haru's smile out of existence. Reminding her that she may not ever see Ben and Gwen again after today, going back to her lonely lifestyle. Though, she didn't want to burden her friends with the details of her private life. It wasn't their problem to deal with after all. "I-I'm not sure. Though, I hope that it'll be sometime soon."
Gwen had a suggestion. "Why don't we all take a group photo together? That way we can remember the day we met?"
Haru beamed at the suggestion. "Yes! I would love that!"
Yukiko, who was watching the cute interaction with Kenny, agreed to this. "I think that's a wonderful suggestion." Then her eyes turned murderous. "This doesn't excuse you two from your punishment, however." Her words sent a shiver down the Tennyson kids' spines.
Haru turned around to Pink Argus, who was watching their conversation from the back. "C-could you join in too, Miss Argus? I missed out on your meet and greet, and I'd really appreciate it!"
Pink Argus walked over to them. "Sure. But..." She took off her helmet, revealing the neck-length light brown hair. "Just call me Yukari."
Haru slipped quietly into her hotel room after taking a shower. Now dressed in her bright pink pajamas and bunny slippers, she relaxed on her bed. The young girl had gotten a stern reprimand from her father for sneaking off and doing whatever she wanted the entire day. Telling her it was a waste of time to focus on anything that had nothing to do with Okumura Foods.
Shaking her head, Haru reached for her bag. She pulled out the framed photo she would always treasure for as long as she could.
The picture was of herself, the Tennyson kids, and Miss Yukari. She, Ben, and Gwen were making funny faces into the camera. Yukari was stifling her own laughter at the kids, trying her best to look professional. The polar opposite of Yukiko and Kenny, who were bursting out laughing.
Haru hoped that she could meet the Tennysons again. No…not hoped. This photo was a promise that they WILL meet again one day.
Her first friends.
Chapter End
NOTE: I hope you guys enjoyed the appearances of an 11-year-old Haru Okumura and Yukari Takeba. Now let's discuss the chapter!
1. While S.E.E.S has met Max; Yukari has no idea who Ben and Gwen are, which is why she doesn't really question them on that half. Now about the case of Wildvine and Gwen's brief use of magic you'll have to wait to see about that.
2. Haru is a kid here, so her personality isn't completely like her cannon counterpart just yet. When we see her again in UAF then she'll be more in line with her cannon counterpart.
3. Yukiko wasn't in this chapter much, because I wanted this to be a more kid-centric chapter. Which is why I ultimately came to the decision to include Haru. A business trip involving her father dragging her to America to see how overseas business is handled.
4. Kenny will be around for the next few chapters, so also expect him to do a bit more. Originally, I was going to have Yu here in his place instead but decided to have Yukiko and Kenny interact more.
5. Haru's axe was her summer-Christmas gift from the Tennyson family.
6. There was no way I was going to introduce our first P3 character into this story and not play "Mass Destruction".
7. Phoenix Ranger Featherman R is the Shin Megami Tensei version of Super Sentai. Power Rangers are the Americanized versions of Super Sentai. So, that's the parallel in this story.
Next Chapter - The Unnaturals