Sirens rang loudly as the police came towards the scene, the sharp shrill awaking one of the Omnitrix wielders. Ben groaned as he sat up, ignoring the pain caused by the broken ribs he had. He grimaced as he staggered to his feet as he saw the Batmobile arrive first to the battle scarred scene he stood inside. Pillars of jagged teal crystal, destroyed cars that were burning, holes shaped perfectly in Rath's outline, and rubble from buildings were scattered across the ground, He looked around to see his comrades' condition.
Kevin's feet were dangling out of the broken window he had been thrown into when he attempted to join in the brawl. A slew of curses confirmed that the Half Osmosian was still alive, relieving the concern the younger teen had.
Linker was laying close to the boy in complete silence face down on the ruined pavement, having it be hard to tell if he was alive or dead. Ben couldn't help but stare at the jagged crystals that were imbedded deep within his back. Those were from the genius acting as a shield to protect Ben from Tetrax's attack.
Ben looked up to the night sky before he activated his Omnitrix, transforming into Ice Ridge. The Cryomancian raised his head up and screeched in fury as a pair of ice arms materialized. The hands clenched into fists and Ice Ridge slammed one of the frigid hands on one of the already damaged cars, creating a small yet noticeable indentation into it. The alien turned around to notice both Gordon and the Batman standing behind him, both in silence.
"I'm calm." Ice Ridge muttered under his breath before reverting back to normal.
"What the hell happened here?" Gordon asked as he looked around before noticing Linker's condition. "Someone call an ambulance quick! We got injured over here!" he shouted loudly towards that various other officers who had arrived.
Ben inhaled deeply in an attempt to further calm himself, only to hiss in pain from his ribs.
"Don't force yourself." the Dark Knight advised firmly as he focused on the teen's chest. "How many?"
"I think… at least… two…" Ben replied in between shallow breaths.
"Lay down and stay still." the vigilante said. "I'll ask what happened later."
Ben simply nodded as he complied. He wasn't in the mood to talk anyway. It was becoming increasingly difficult to breathe as his body began to feel heavy. He closed his eyes, allowing himself to slip into unconsciousness once more.
Kai simply scowled as she walked beside Tetrax through the sewers. The pair retreated just before they could finish off the fight, only to leave when the Petrosapien received a call.
"Well, that was a boring fight." the young woman said in disappointment. "I expected that younger Ben to be more of a challenge. And seriously, Albedo is just as stupid as Vilgax back home. They sacrifice themselves just to keep their friends safe… That is just fucking stupid!"
"That is how things are. They are both heroes who protect the weak, but Ben managed to kill Vilgax. Or our Ben to be specific." Tetrax replied calmly. "We can use that heroism against both Albedo and that younger Ben."
"Speaking of which, next time warn me when you're going to gore me like that!" Kai said while glaring towards the Petrosapien. "I was lucky to already be as Swampfire, but that still hurts!"
"Had to make it look as real as possible. That white haired bastard isn't stupid." Tetrax pointed out.
Kai fell silent and stopped walking upon hearing a guttural growl coming from behind the pair.
"Looks like we're not alone." she muttered. "Who is it?"
Tetrax held out a hand, causing a brief flash of blue light illuminating the surrounding area before the alien looked at a monitor that turned on.
"Waylon Jones, or Killer Croc is what people call him." he read out loud. "Mutated human who exhibits behavioral and physical traits like that of the crocodiles you are familiar with. Has been reported to be a cannibal."
A twisted smirk of excitement formed on Kai's face as she activated her Omnitrix.
"I wanted to blow off some steam." she said eagerly. "Hey Waylon! Dinnertime! I'm going to serve you your scaly ass!"
Without looking at the Omnitrix, she raised the device up and pressed the protruding core back in with the tips of her fingers, triggering the transformation. The flash of emerald light briefly revealed Killer Croc's eyes, making them reflect as if they were glowing themselves.
Tetrax only sighed as he heard the transformed woman charge forward.
I Want to Help Him
Ben opened his eyes, frowning when he realized that he was within the confines of a hospital room. He carefully willed his right arm to rise up slightly, noticing a needle that was poking into his arm, connected to an IV drip to keep him hydrated. The skin naturally was still the natural pasty white as usual. He lowered his arm, and sighed only to grimace in pain from his chest.
Memories flashed through his mind of the fight between him, Linker, Tetrax, and Kai. While Linker was able to hold his own, it was a completely different story for Ben. He was completely overwhelmed by Kai, who obviously had much more experience as Swampfire, effectively using the Methanosian's abilities to counter Rath's brute strength. The broken ribs came from Tetrax punching him just after timing out of the transformation. After waking up, Kevin attempted to join the fray, only for him to be thrown through a window by the Petrosapien, and remained still after that. Ben thought he was dead until he heard the profanity in the aftermath. Linker's injuries came as a result of Tetrax's final attack, using his own body to protect Ben, who was very vulnerable.
Ben mentally cursed himself for being so weak back there. Even spending two years in probably the harshest city he has ever lived in, Ben felt helpless. He wasn't reliant on just one form, a lesson he learned after losing Feedback. He was oblivious to his surroundings when the door to the room opened up.
"Ah, you're awake!" a familiar voice said, snapping Ben back to reality.
Turning his attention to the left, he noticed a blonde with blue eyes who held her hair up in twin tails as she entered the room, she was then followed by both Ivy and Batman. The boy's attention returned to the blonde, noticing that she was wearing a nurse outfit that was black with red highlights. The redheaded villainess frowned as she sat down in a nearby chair just as Harley slowly approached him.
"Harley?" Ben asked in confusion. The face was familiar, yet so different without the white make up she normally wore with her signature costume.
The blonde nodded and smiled warmly.
"It's me. How are you feeling?" she asked.
"Other than my chest hurting from broken ribs, like crap." Ben replied bitterly.
Harley frowned in disappointment and turned her attention towards the Dark Knight, who was standing right in front of the door.
"It is actually five ribs that were broken to one side. Fortunately your lungs weren't punctured as a result." Batman said firmly.
"And why did Harley and Ivy come here?" Ben asked, eying the blonde and redhead. Ivy was the one who answered this time.
"Well, we saw the news, and your fight made the top story. Harley freaked out the moment she heard you were in the hospital." she explained.
"Jeez, word spreads fast here." Ben said dryly.
"It's old news actually, we heard of it three days ago." the redhead corrected him before continuing. "Harley was freaking out of concern towards you. She tried just about everything to get Batman's attention. All it took was us walking towards a jewelry store to do just that."
"And why is she dressed as a nurse?" Ben asked.
"She wanted to help you." Batman answered. "When I approached her, she immediately began to beg me to bring her to you. Ivy didn't have the same intentions as Quinn. She only came because she didn't like the alternative I offered her."
"There was no way I was willing to stay locked up somewhere while Harley was here." Ivy stated in anger.
Ben couldn't help but snicker slightly, only to gasp in pain as a result.
"Ow! Pain!" he hissed through clenching teeth as Harley looked around in a panic, trying to see if there was anything she could do to comfort him.
"Don't force yourself to laugh." Harley said in a worried tone, only to stop when she saw Ben relax a bit as the pain became tolerable.
"Thanks." the teen said with a small smile.
"Now, on the way here, you mentioned you had something you wanted to talk about with Ben and me." Batman spoke up, catching everyone's attention. "What was it exactly?"
Harley nodded as she grabbed a chair and sat next to Ben's bed in it.
"What's going on here?" Ben asked in confusion.
"Well, I talked with Red about this earlier, but with what happened, I'm going through with this idea." the blonde spoke up, her face becoming serious. Ivy's eyes widened as she realized what her friend was mentioning.
"Batman, I want to help out Ben as a crime fighter." Harley declared, causing Ben's eyes to widen as the redhead only shook her head. Batman remained Batman, keeping a stern, silent face upon hearing the jester's declaration. He felt like denying the request immediately, but kept quiet when he heard Ben speak up.
"Why?" he asked. "You're the girlfriend of the Joker. He's the one responsible for what happened to me. You usually don't care about bystanders."
Harley's face saddened as she looked at the boy.
"I don't really know why myself. Maybe it's because you remind me of Mr. J. Or it's because I want to change my life. It could be me wanting to make amends. Or I'm just a big fan of your aliens." She admitted. "But believe me, I am serious here. After what happened to you three days ago, I want to make sure you don't get hurt like that again…"
Batman's eyes narrowed slightly as Ivy listened in silence. Ben closed his eyes to think as Harley gently took the boy's hand and held it.
"Ben, I know I'm not a good guy, but can you give me a chance?" she asked softly. "I'll listen to, and do what ever you say. I'll even be a sexy stripper for you if asked!" the last remark caused the boy to blush deeply.
"Too far, Harley. Way too far." Ivy spoke up.
"Sorry…" Harley apologized before looking towards Ben. "But, I really want to help you, Ben."
Ben gently bit his lip to think.
"I… I honestly don't know. Back in that fight, I thought I gotten through to somebody, but it was just a trick." he said solemnly. "How can I be certain that you're being honest here?" he locked his emerald eyes with the sapphire ones belonging to Harley as he asked that question.
Harley turned her attention towards the Dark Knight, and answered.
"That is why I wanted Bats with us. I seriously will do whatever I can to prove to both of you I'm honest here. Plant a bomb in my neck, put me in a shock collar that I can't remove. Anything! I don't care!" she said without fear.
"I couldn't convince her to change her mind." Ivy said with a sigh. "I don't understand her mind half the time, but I can tell when she's serious."
"Ben, what do you say?" Batman spoke up, intending to hear the boy's thoughts on the matter.
"I'm still not certain, but I suppose I will if she means it." Ben said with a hint of uncertainty.
"Very well, but I will be keeping a close eye on you both." the vigilante asserted. "Quinn, I will give you something to ensure that Ben can protect himself from you should this be part of some scheme."
Quinn nodded without hesitation.
"Well, if you're going to join me, guess we need a name for our group…" Ben pointed out. " I heard about the Justice League, Teen Titans, the Green Lantern Corps."
"Hmm… are you going by some kind of superhero name or something?" Harley asked.
"Jaeger Joker." Batman said immediately. "That was the name Ben addressed himself as."
Harley's eyes widened and glistened in glee.
"Oh! I know! The Quinns!" she blurted out.
"Sorry, doesn't really fit for me. Maybe with some other group with you leading." Ben said. "Hunters?"
"Not a good idea, we already got the Huntress, and she's with those Birds of Prey."
"Hmm… any other ideas?"
"Twilight?"
"OH HELL NO!" Ben said before grimacing in pain again. "I do not want to be seen as a sparkly vampire!"
"I heard about this one group called the Royal Flush Gang. Since you've already got Mr. J's look, maybe we can borrow their gimmick." Harley suggested. "But obviously we won't copy them entirely."
Ben took a moment to think before nodding.
"Since I presume that that Jeager Joker name is going to stick with me, may as well take it further. Though, I feel maybe we'd be better off not taking too much from that Royal Flush group. Hmm… Since it's going to be both Harley and myself, with Linker and Kevin most likely joining us… how about Wild Card?"
The blonde nodded in agreement while her redheaded friend frowned.
"Wild Card? Really?" Ivy asked.
"Well, think about it. With Harley, we can't say we're the Justice Friends or something. Plus since I'm going to be known as the Jeager Joker, and with how me and Harley look, I figured we use the fact that the Joker card is usually seen as a wild card for the name." Ben explained. "Plus there's the fact I have the Omnitrix."
"When you put it like that, it makes some sense." Ivy admitted as Ben turned his attention to the Dark Knight.
"I'm not asking you to join, Batman, but I won't mind if you at least check in on us on occasion." the boy spoke up. "Are you alright with this?"
"I won't allow it." the vigilante said firmly with a scowl. "That is too much of a risk to take."
Both Harley and Ben looked at the Batman with dejected looks, with Harley looking the worse between of the two, looking like a kicked puppy.
"Get back here bitch!" a pimp said furiously as he chased after a girl who was scantily clad down an alleyway, firing at her as he ran. She was wearing an white dress shirt that was tied in the front, leaving her cleavage completely exposed while wearing a navy pleated miniskirt. The girl yelped when a bullet ricocheted off the brick masonry, scoring into a brick.
The girl counted the shots that were fired, causing her to stop in place before turning around when she reached a certain number. She was afraid, but the fear was controlled.
"Well, well. Bitch finally came to her senses." The pimp said in satisfaction as he walked up towards her. Once close enough, he raised the hand that held the gun, preparing to pistol whip her.
"Yeah, I did." the teen of seventeen years said as a small smirk formed on her lips. Twisting around, her long black hair, held up in twin tails, swung in the air and smacked the pimp the face, distracting him. The girl seized on the opening and drove her knee into the man's crotch as hard as she could. The man howled in pain and lurched forward. However, the girl then grabbed the arm holding the hand and turned around him twisting the arm to have the gun's scalding barrel be held just under his chin, threatening to burn his skin while the girl slipped her finger over the pimp's own trigger finger.
"So, Glen." the girl said darkly while narrowing her rich brown eyes. "I dare you to call me that again."
"B-bitch, you think you're smarter than me?" he asked.
"How many shots are left in your pistol?" the teen asked in response. "I say you're out."
"Bitch, I got more than enough lead in this gun to cap your ass." the pimp threatened.
"How about we play a game?" the girl asked. "Russian Roulette with a twist."
"What kind of twist?" Glen asked.
"One round. If you live, I'll come quietly after you beat me to a bloody pulp and never do this again. If you lose, well, it's obvious. Wimp out, and I'm going to the police. " the girl replied without fear.
"Bitch, what makes you think you can make demands?" the pimp retorted with a snarl.
The half Asian girl smirked and gently pushed down slightly on the barrel, causing Glen's eyes to widen.
"You're playing, no matter what you say." she responded with confidence.
She slowly slid her finger out from the gun and smirked. However, before the pimp could say anything, the girl reached down and grasped his groin as hard as possible. On instinct, the man instinctively pulled down on the trigger on reflex, firing the final round into his own skull, leaving a small clean entry point as the top of his skull exploded, the bullet going through the brain and killing him in the process. The body slumped down to the ground as blood oozed out of the exit wound with some brain matter dangling just slightly over the edge of the wound.
"I lied. You had just one shot left." Katherine Ardente said with a look of disgust at the side of the corpse, before bringing a hand up to wipe off the blood that splattered onto her face. She closed her eyes and sighed.
"Well, things just went to shit…" she said bitterly before turning around as she heard a police car come by before glancing over her shoulder just as an ethereal glow appeared behind her. "So, what now? It was in self-defense."
Kevin sighed as he walked with Ivy, Quinn, and Batman outside of the hospital. The half Osmosian only had a few stitches across his back and the nape of his neck. He was lucky to not have any serious injuries, or any small shards of glass damaging his spine. He remained silent for the most part, only giving short responses when spoken too.
Inside his mind, he was loathing himself for being so weak and helpless as he was now. While he knew the risks, he actually was able to fend for himself if he absorbed any electricity or was stuck in that monster form of his. Linker did say he could do more, but the young teen had no idea how to do so. He also didn't feel comfortable knowing that he owed his former enemy for restoring his human form. And being a bystander just didn't set well with him.
"Hey, are you feeling okay?" Harley asked, gently poking the boy's cheek to get his attention.
"I'm fine…" Kevin responded, glancing over towards the blonde.
"No, something's bothering you." the blonde pointed out. "What's troubling you?"
"Harls, just leave him be." Ivy said with a sigh.
"Red, something is eating away at Little K. I know what I'm talking about." Harley pointed out with a frown. "Remember, I am a former psychiatrist."
"Fine." the redhead relented with a sigh and shrug. "Knock yourself out." At the same time, Batman simply remained silent, keeping a close eye on the ex-girlfriend of the Joker.
"Now, tell me what's bugging ya." Harley said softly.
"I'm fine…" Kevin repeated sternly before walking away from the blonde.
"That's enough Quinn." Batman said firmly, causing the blonde to fall silent.
Harley gave a hurt look towards Kevin, causing Ivy to look at her friend in curiosity.
Why are you wanting to help these people, Harley? I know you are strange at times -No, make that most of the time- but this isn't like you at all. Ever since you've first saw those aliens two years ago, you were fixated on them, and you started to talk less and less about the Joker. I understand that you're a fan, but what is going on here? Do you actually want to be friends with Tennyson, or is it something more?
The blonde slumped her head as she held herself while turning towards the Dark Knight.
"Why can't you trust me?" she asked sadly. "Yes, I've done a whole lot of bad stuff with Mr.J- I mean the Joker, but I seriously want to help Ben and the others…." Trailing off briefly, Harley began to sniffle a bit as she fought to keep back the tears the were welling up in her eyes. "I-I feel responsible for what happened to Ben… Ever since he appeared two years ago, I grew to admire his aliens. And then I learned the truth about him…" she paused on occasion to sniffle.
"You never showed sympathy towards anyone before." the Batman said indifferently. "You only cared for how the Joker felt."
"Yes, but I'm serious here!" Harley said defensively as she raised her voice a bit. "I want to make things right for Ben! He didn't deserve what happened to him! We even made a deal!"
"You are a career criminal Quinn." the vigilante stated. "I only agreed to your proposition only because it allowed me to keep a better eye on you. And that is all I will do. Anything more is too much of a risk."
"You are heartless, Bats. Don't you dare think that I can't feel guilt or anything. I may be messed up in the head, but I'm not the damn Joker!" Harley screamed as tears flowed down her cheeks. "I don't care what you do with me! I WILL make things right for Ben, and you are not going to stop me!"
Ivy's eyes widened as she stepped back in shock. She honestly didn't expect her close friend to hold such feelings towards the younger Omnitrix wielder. Even the Dark Knight became slightly rigid from Harley's accusation. The metahuman had a slight suspicion that Harley managed to even catch the Batman off guard slightly. Harley slumped to her knees as she began to cry, causing Ivy to go over and kneel right beside her friend in order to comfort her.
Standing nearby, Kevin clenched his fists, making up his mind on what to do.
Two weeks came and went in Gotham. It was nighttime when Ben was finally discharged from the hospital. His body felt weak and sluggish, moving around very little due to needing to allow enough time for his ribs to heal enough to go home. Linker was to remain in the hospital for far longer, due to the severity of his injuries. Between internal injuries, possible spinal cord damage, and being in a coma, the genius was stuck in intensive care.
Ben had frequent visits from Harley, most of them supervised by the Batman himself, plus a few visits from both Commissioner Gordon, twice for police interviews, and once for personal reasons, apparently taking a shine to the boy. He even had Bruce Wayne himself come pay a visit, who said that the Wayne Foundation will cover all medical expenses for himself and the others.
Harley was the most frequent visitor overall, coming almost daily to visit the brunet. The two talked about various things, from everyday life for each of them to the various forms Ben could turn into. When Batman wasn't around, two police officers stood guard just outside of the room during her visits. The boy gradually became more comfortable around the blonde, eventually looking forward to her visits. Though the night before his release, Harley opened up to the boy, telling him about how she felt regarding what happened to him. Ben didn't fault her for the past two years, and actually openly admitted that he saw her as a friend now. Hearing this brought a smile to the girl's face, as well as hugging the boy to the point that Ben almost had one of his ribs crack.
She also did something that caught the boy off guard completely. A quick peck on the cheek. Harley said it was just for good luck, but the boy blushed deeply whenever he thought of that moment. He was confused by why she did it, but kept it to himself, recalling that she'll be waiting for him tomorrow.
When he came out, he was surprised to see Harley waiting for him beside a red car that looked like it came out of the Fifties or Sixties. The blonde was clad in her signature jester costume, causing Ben to freeze up slightly, his fear of clowns emerging from the recesses of his mind. However, he calmed himself down, knowing that Harley didn't mean any harm or to scare him.
"Come on, we better get you home, Benny." Harley said as she opened the door to the passenger's side of the car. Ben nodded and walked towards the car, noticing from the corner of his eye the Dark Knight keeping an eye from the shadows. The boy nodded before taking his seat. He looked down at his pasty white skin and sighed. His ID Mask was broken, only serving as just a fashion accessory around his neck for the time being. Harley quickly mentioned she came out in costume so as to make sure that Ben wouldn't be as out of place. Gotham was slowly learning about the Jeager Joker through the grape vine, so it made little sense to hide his true appearance any more, at least under that title. Once getting into the driver's seat herself, she drove off, not like a maniac like Ben expected, but as a law abiding citizen.
"I really had to go through a lot of hoops to do this without Bats getting on my case." the jester said calmly.
"Can't blame you." Ben said with a slight smile. "What was it he had you agree to this time?"
"Other than him trailing behind us, I had to move into your place with Red, going to a shrink twice a week, supervised naturally, give Gordy all that I knew on Mr. J, again supervised, and swore never to break the law again. One arrest and I'm back in Arkham for life." Harley said before stopping at a red light. "I know I'm repeating myself here, but I really do want to help you. I worked my butt off the past two weeks trying to prove myself to Batman that I can be a better person."
"It's nice to know that you honestly making an effort." Ben said with a smile. "I hope Ivy follows your example."
"Red's been very grumpy about what I'm doing, but she isn't causing any trouble either." the Joker's ex-girlfriend said with a sigh. "I don't know what to do with her." She noticed the light turning green before she pressed her foot against the gas pedal, making the car go forward.
"Wish I could tell you, but I don't know what to do." Ben said while pondering what he could do about Harley.
"It's nothing to worry about." the jester said reassuringly. "Probably letting her look at you as Swampfire would make her day. She's been quite curious just how that guy works exactly."
"I'll think about it. Even then, it depends on if that's allowed or not." the Omnitrix wielder commented.
"True, Bats is kinda paranoid about what Red and I do with you guys." Harley admitted before stopping at another red light. "Kinda fun actually to see how you and him react, especially when I do this."
Just as Ben turned his head, Harley leaned in to kiss him with her eyes closed. While it was intended to just be a peck on the cheek, the older woman didn't realize it was on the lips instead until she pulled back and opened her eyes to a flushing Ben who held two fingers to his lips in disbelief. Underneath her white makeup, she blushed deeply while averting her gaze in embarrassment.
"Th-that wasn't meant to be on the lips…" she said nervously. "I-I was just messing around."
"O-Okay…" Ben said, just as nervous as the jester herself.
With that, the pair drove off when the light turned green, unaware of the fact that somebody saw the kiss from within a nearby vehicle that was parked with a camera in hand. The person chuckled softly while looking at the picture of the pair mid-kiss.
A cloaked figure stood on the roof of the tallest building of Gotham while humming a haunting, tender melody unique all its own, the lyrics known only to the figure. The figure kept humming for a bit before stopping, eyes opening to take in the night sky.
"Well then, I still cannot believe I'm here." the figure spoke, the tone revealing to be that of a young prepubescent female.
She raised her hands up to pull down the hood, allowing her hair to come free. Her hair was predominantly bubblegum pink, but the underside of it was of a shade of light purple. It was held within two long, thin pigtails that ended with arrow like points, with one being pink while the other purple. Two tiny witch hats floated just above her head near the twin tails, giving the allusion of petit devil horns. Her pale white face looked exactly like that of a child's with brilliant blue eyes with white pupils.
Lovlila Ani, the Time Soldier, sighed as she casually jumped off the ledge, only to float in the air instead of plummeting to her death. Ani silently flew off, the cloak obscuring the rest of her body from the world.
She didn't belong in this world, and she went through great lengths to ensure that not even the omnipotent beings of this universe were even aware of her. She normally traversed through various dimensions, usually just for entertainment. As one of countless clones of herself, or "sisters" as they preferred despite going by the very same name, a good amount of them were recruited to assist a Professor Paradox who was in charge of one reality where the Ben Tennyson he was connected to was forced into a medieval land that was like that from a fantasy world. This Ani was one of them, and was charged to keep an eye on other realities that could become involved. Working under Paradox allowed the being of over three thousand years of age to escape the confines of Space-Time, granting her eternal life as a result.
However, she agreed on the condition she helped the Time Walker who allowed her to escape the confines of time. She has already helped him out before by breaking a curse that was placed on a future version of the Ben Paradox was secretly assisting in any way he can. The spork worshipping cult she founded amongst her sisters turned out to be key in helping out the Ben who also went by the title of Jeager Joker, albeit a different person altogether.
Ani weaved through buildings with absolute ease. Flying through the air was child's play for her. Her abilities in magic were second only to that of the Celestialsapiens. Amongst her repertoire was dimension travel, reversing the laws of physics, creating flowers instantly and controlling them as saw like projectiles, summoning tsunami waves while far from land, and then condensing the very same amount of water into a sphere the size of a bowling ball before making it explode, and turning the two twin tails into whatever she wanted, from gauntlets, a razor sharp sword capable of slicing through steel like it was nothing, to a comfy recliner.
Due to this, she and all her sisters were forbidden from becoming directly involved with the timeline of whatever dimension they were in, unless it was deemed necessary. As such, only three have been involved with direct interactions between themselves and the Medieval Ben's group. She was especially warned to not get involved within the affairs of this reality, as there are powerful beings like Darkseid and Trigon that must never learn about the powers she possesses, or of the Celestialsapiens' existence.
She hated being in this reality, but Gotham was the one place she hated the most. It was because of only one person, the Batman. Ani held contempt towards scientists, physicists, and barbers, as they disproved magic as she would claim. The Dark Knight himself held similar feelings towards magic, as he always wanted an explanation to things. The pair never met, but it was obvious they would not work well together.
Ani flew around a bit more before landing of the edge of a nearby roof, her eyes surveying the street.
She was here to find somebody. She was told to keep an eye out for something that could possibly be a risk to the formerly isolated reality, which began to connect with other realities, affecting the reality in various ways. Paradox sent her as this world was a candidate of not only connecting with the realm referred to as Gainos, but itself also connecting with other worlds that were isolated themselves from each other.
Bitterness was put aside, for the sake of ensuring that the stability and safety of the dimensions remained intact. Ani would do anything to make sure that nothing changes. She didn't hope that nothing happened, as whenever someone does so, she KNEW that the cosmos answers with the intention of crushing that hope.
"There they are…" Ani said when she noticed Ben and Harley driving below her. "Seeing how they didn't explode by now, that means things are not good…"
"I have to agree with your deduction, young lady." a man's voice said.
"You!" the Time Soldier yelped in surprise, recognizing who it was. "How did you find me?!"
"I was informed about you." the man replied calmly. "However, do not fret, young one. I am simply here to ask what your intentions are."
"If it regards to your game, don't worry about me interfering." Ani responded in a calm, mature manner. "I am here simply to keep an eye on things. My master has expressed concern towards this reality becoming dangerous due to outside influences."
"I see… Nothing escapes him." the man admitted. "Still, what are you planning to do now?"
"Watch, wait for the moment when I am needed." the Time Soldier said with a sigh. "So, how many realities will be involved here, Eon?"
The Chronian only smirked and gently placed a hand on top of Ani's head to pet it gently.
"We'll find out in time, Lovlila Ani." he responded as the girl batted the hand away with a scowl. "I'm not even aware of what is going to happen here. I haven't even done anything in this reality. I simply am watching, like you are."
"Is he here at least?" Ani asked firmly.
"No. I can assure you, he has not even been here at all. Ever." the time traveling alien answered. "But he does still live, unfortunately. He is in a world that is looked over by another being."
"Good, we do not want him getting Doomsday's form. I do NOT want to think what the Ultimate would be like…if it could even exist in the first place." Ani commented before shuddering in fear. Even she couldn't stand up to a being like that. The monster himself was already invulnerable to almost all conventional means.
Eon nodded in agreement.
"The boy is far too dangerous than the Ben Linker is familiar with." he stated before sighing. "Listen well, Time Soldier. I have a message for your master. Tell him that I am as wary as he is about this world. If things come to it, I will... support him if he truely needs it." The last part was forced, laced with bitterness after a brief pause. "But only in regards to matters of this world. Even then, we are still enemies, despite our current 'truce' back in Gainos."
"Very well, at least I don't need to worry about you here." Ani said.
"I am going to take my leave for now. I have other matters to attend to back home." Eon said before he turned away while holding out his right hand, which brandished a purple device. Without saying a word, a large circle of ethereal blue light materialized in front of him. The Chronian lowered his hand and walked forward, vanishing into the light as it he was stepping into a liquid. Once he vanished into it, the portal faded away from existence, leaving the Time Soldier to narrow her eyes while frowning.
"Damn it…" she cursed under her breath. She wanted to stop Eon right there, but she couldn't due to the agreement between both Paradox and himself. The Chronian was surprisingly holding up his end of the agreement, something that made Ani uneasy about. As long as he did, Paradox, herself, or her thousands of sisters could do nothing about it. She flew off upon noticing that the car Harley and Ben were in was out of sight, intending to find them again.
Kevin groaned as he heard the doorbell ring. The boy came out of the bathroom while putting his shirt back on. He just always, ALWAYS has to be interrupted by something the moment he actually tries to relax.
He opened the door only to raise an eyebrow upon seeing an unfamiliar woman in costume, standing in the doorway.
"If you're selling something, I'm not buying." the half-Osmosian said dryly before closing the door.
"Wow, never thought I'd be mistaken as salesmen…" Batgirl said in amazement.
she rang the doorbell again. Kevin opened the door a crack and glared at her while flipping the finger off before slamming the door closed without a word.
"Thought by approaching him like this, I'd avoid scaring the kid and talk to him about his friends." the masked redhead muttered in annoyance. "May need to pull a 'Batman' on him if he keeps this up…"
Batgirl attempted one more time. This time, Kevin didn't open the door, but he did respond.
"GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM HERE YOU DAMN HAG! TOLD YOU ALREADY THAT I AM NOT INTERESTED IN WHATEVER SHIT YOU ARE SELLING!" the boy screamed in rage.
The girl sighed while closing her eyes, taking a deep breath to calm herself down.
"I am so going Batman on his ass…" she said under a strained tone.
A cell phone was picked up and answered almost as soon as it started ringing, or rather, laughing.
"What is it Bob?" the person asked, his lips in a frown.
"Boss, your girl has cheated on you." the man on the other end reported. "And with a kid of all things!"
The Joker narrowed his eyes as his frown became a scowl.
"If this is a joke, I'm not laughing." he said threateningly.
"I have a picture of Harley kissing that boy on the lips!" Bob said firmly. "The worst part is that the kid is copying your style!"
"WHAT?!" the Clown Prince of Crime screamed in disbelief. "Send that picture over to me right now!" he hung up and waited in silence. A few seconds later, a text came and the Joker saw the attached photo.
"And here I thought I could give you another chance, Harley…" he said bitterly as he tightened his grip on the cellphone, causing the screen to crack slightly. "But for her to stoop that low behind my back. Even I have some standards in my women. A pedophiliac wench will just ruin my image! Speaking of which, that brat she's with is not getting away with stealing my look ." the psychopath paused to take a closer look at the boy in the photo…
"Hold on a second… that kid looks familiar…" he mumbled while trying to recall where he met the kid. In the end, he simply shrugged and went back to seething in response to the sight of Ben and Harley's kiss.
"As of right now, you are dead to me Harley Quinn. I got one hell of a punch line coming for you and your lover boy." he said humorlessly while narrowing his eyes in contempt. He tightened his grip, effectively crushing the cell phone as his hand was injured by some of the jagged fragments of the device. The madman paid no heed to the pain, his mind focused more on an suited method of killing both Harley and Ben.
CCR
Blazorna: TIS THE SEASON TO BE-GWAH! *gets bricked* Okay, I know I suck at singing!
Anyway, hey again everyone. Sorry for the wait, but I was busy focusing on the original Misplaced Hero, some pain from a bladder infection, researching stuff and things regarding the DCU, dealing with how to get rid of my old tv, and some new games.
Anyway, with how things are going, I feel for the time being it's most effective to have the chapters for MHG be shorter in comparison to the original. That way, I can put them up at a somewhat frequent pace.
Rather I take seven months in between chapters? I sure as hell don't.
Moving on, I got a new poll up, this time what you guys want to see happen. Unlike the last one, you can actually see the ongoing results if you wished. However, if you take part in this poll, READ CAREFULLY and think thoroughly on your options. Some options are not what you'd think. For example, the "Harem with Harley" option doesn't guarantee that Ben is getting a harem with Harley being a part of it. And the "Gwen" one doesn't guarantee that I am bringing a new Gwen in. It could be focused on just Gwen's death or something else altogether.
Anyway, I will say this much straight up: Digitrix is that exclusive form for Ben I mentioned before, while Slayberos is a new one for both MH stories. I'm aiming to make Digitrix surpass Atomix in strength, but isn't a guaranteed Gary-Stu form, due to how the DCU is. Doomsday comes to mind as a potential counter that can curb stomp Digitrix. For how he works, I strongly suggest looking up Kamen Rider Decade's abilities on the Kamen Rider Wiki. It should give you an idea of what to expect. (Kamen Rider is pretty much similar to Power Rangers, but is more drama based usually and is known to actually kill off characters, good and bad alike. That and they don't have giant robots.) The name of the form should also give a hint to how he works.
Surprised people haven't figured out that glaring, yet surprisingly subtle inconsistency that is present in the first chapter yet regarding a certain major incident. I told you all to be detectives! Try to solve the mystery yourself! The "Who?" and "How?" at least can be figured out! I really am curious of what theories you got about it. Don't be afraid to share your thoughts in the reviews! I might actually comment on them.
I bet those who have read the original MH may have recognized a familiar face: Katherine Ardente. Remember that poll regarding the forms? Well the winner was Jack Slammer as the one most of you wanted to see appear first. This Katherine is going to be important to Jack's debut. Is she the rival I mentioned? Possible love interest for Ben? Who can say. Not even I know myself! (Yes, still winging it.)
I will say this much; don't expect her to be a carbon copy of the original.
While brief and humorous, I've began to expand the amount of characters who will interact with Ben's group frequently, beginning with Batgirl. I want to add more characters, but need to establish some things first to truly make Ben and co. fit in, as well as looking up how some of the characters behave.
On that note, I am desperately asking here for suggestions of any DC heroines/villainesses that could interact well with Ben and Harley. Or at least be on friendly terms. May have romantic tension between Ben and one or some of the ladies, depending on their age. And for the record, Batman's Lovers won't be included, with the possible exception of Batgirl if you count that one scene in the Killing Joke movie. Part of the reason why is the possibility of Damien Wayne appearing, and I don't want to botch his origins. The romance depends on the demand, everyone.
Now onto some trivia that involves both MH stories. It's a special present due to the holiday spirit.
1. In the original MH, I had considered Katherine to be just a character who is killed off.
2. My favorite MH OC is the Bloody Hunter, who also seemed to have been a fan-favorite as well.
3. The whole interconnecting "Omniverse" that currently consists of the Misplaced Hero series, the story Ben DxD by Cybertramon001, the We're All Monsters/ Once Upon a Tennyson series by Creaturemaster, and the Bleach: Ultimate Alien series by Bigby the Big Bad Wolf was created unintentionally. The original idea was for Rogue Ben (the Ben of MH) just interact with three separate universes that didn't connect with each other. However, things didn't turn out that way, and I decided to fully embrace it. The others have as well.
4. The planned length of the original MH was meant to be no more than twenty five chapters max. Due to some unexpected issues with some plans, and a harem poll I held for the story, I had to do some drastic revisions, which in turned extended the story considerably. The length of this story is unknown at this time if you were wondering.
5. Every rant Rath says is of whatever is on the top of my head. I only apply editing to what Rath says if I need him to say something specific and important, but only after finishing the rant.
6. MH Rath speaks in the third person, except for doing the "I know!" remark. This is because he is actually dumber than most other Raths.
7. I make sure Ben is put on equal terms with others for better drama. That is why Ben doesn't have Atomix or Feedback in MHG. Actually had to downsize the roster considerably for Rogue Ben at the start because of just how much overkill most of the forms are in a medieval fantasy setting.
8. I went back on my word before, twice. Originally, MH was not supposed to have romance, but that didn't adhere. Same with a harem. I am adhering to the "No lemons with Young Ben", for obvious reasons. This time around, I intend to stick to what I say completely, unless persuaded.
9. I try to approach a story in a way that isn't expected. Expect the unexpected for MHG as well. This is also why I did the crossovers with fellow fanfic authors as well. This also led to backlash in the past for one of my earlier stories.
10. I created Frothy for the sake of giving myself misery for your enjoyment even before the idea of the original MH was even conceived. *Gets judo chopped by Frothy* GACK!
11. The second crossover over in MH, MonsterS Unleashed, has no connection with the Marvel event of the same name. It was just sheer dumb coincidence.
That should be enough for now. Thanks for sticking up with me so far, and I hope you vote on the poll and see you all- GUERK! *Gets bricked* OW! Oh, questions. Thanks for the reminder Fourth Wall. *Gets bricked again* Ow! Okay, I'll reply to the other comments as well.
Reishin Amara: I agree, but only to a point. If they didn't try to make Suicide Squad a DC version of Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy, and actually had the director embrace the grittiness and violence that would guarantee an R rating, actually made the Joker a central plot point, etc. it would have been so much better.
NecrorexSparda Juubi-No-Kishin: What caused Ben's change, blood or chemicals? (based off what I could make out) - It was a result of an experimental batch of Joker Venom that the Joker used on Ben, so chemicals is the answer. More so, thanks for the Joker Mode idea. I can actually use something like that. After all, experimental means possible unexpected side effects.
Dragon Rider 66: What does the sword look like? (referring to Excalibur) - This is the exact same Excalibur from Ben 10 Omniverse that Kai eventually obtains and weilds, so it just looks like a generic sword for the most part if you ask me. If there's a DCU version, I am not aware of it. I may sound knowledgeable like a comic buff, but to be frank, I honestly just know about as much as a casual reader would. (I have picked up things like that tradition of the Flash dying in almost every major comic event that usually led to a continuity reboot. Is it wrong of me to label Flash as the "Kenny" of DC?)
10speed12- Thanks for the correction, that goes to prove that I am far from being an all-knowing being of all things comic books. I don't follow much in Marvel, so I really had no idea Taskmaster was more prominent than I thought. Obviously not on major antagonist levels still.
Lycan wolf entity: Are you going to give Harley and Ivy temporary hero names? Will you be doing something like that thing you did with Creaturemaster sometime down the road of this story? Will any other characters from Ben's world be in this story? Will Harley stop hitting you with bricks? Will that chicken be my friend too?
*Gets bricked for each question asked before falls into a puddle of my own blood, dead.*
Harley: MR. B! *frowns* I'll answer for him, but not in order. First off, I only bricked him twice! The rest is bricks from the Fourth Wall itself. I'm being serious here! Red and I aren't going to give ourselves any new names as far as I know. Then again, who can say? Mr. B REEEEAAAALLLLLY does want to do collabs like he's doing over in the other story, but he doesn't want to make this a story people hate. Anyone interested, please contact him. ONLY requirement is that you're decent in grammar and can handle long lengths. Mr. B does like doing crossovers of over 20k words, minimum, per chapter.
Finally, Frothy will be willing to be your friend. * Face becomes expressionless while eyes widen as far as possible and doesn't blink while standing still silently for a minute. After which, speaks up in an ominous, flat tone* But be warned… You will be forced to see horrors that make the Saw movies look like a preschool cartoon.
Jonathan: We already got the Deadpool who loves driving Creaturemaster up the wall visiting in the other story. Though we alre-
Rathpool : LEMME TELL YOU SOMETHING JONATHAN, WHO IS A GUEST REVIEWER THAT RATHPOOL PRESUMES IS A GUY EVEN THOUGH HE MAY ACTUALLY BE A GIRL IN DISGUISE! RATHPOOL AND RABBIDPOOL ARE MORE THAN ENOUGH THAT ANY MORE WILL CAUSE THE WHOLE SPACE-TIME CONTINUUM TO FART AND BURP TO DEATH!
Rabbidpool : Bwaaaaahh! *Waves plunger in air*
Harley: As you can see, we got that covered already, twofold. Deadpool versions of Rath and a Rabbid. Between them, a rabid chicken that can use a chainsaw that also has rabies, myself, and the Fourth Wall, we got it covered. Any additional Deadpools will be stuffed into an empty Adamantium cookie jar with a lock. Anyway, for that wish. Let's just say that you're not the only one!
Blazorna: *groans and comes back to life after Rabbidpool uses the plunger on face* oww….
Rathpool: GOOD! NOW RATHPOOL DOESN'T NEED TO PERFORM CPR ON BLAZORNA IBARA, FORMERLY KNOWN AS BLAZORNA AKA KAMEN RIDER THORN AND BLAZORNA SANTORI BEFORE THAT! NOT THAT RATHPOOL WAS HOPING TO DO CPR JUST BECAUSE THAT WAS WHAT RATHPOOL WANTED TO DO, FOLLOWED BY DOING BALLET ON A FLYING NUKE.
Blazorna: You know that didn't make much sense.
Rathpool: I KNOW!
Rabbidpool: Ba buaba bwah.
Rathpool: RATHPOOL AGREES! RATHPOOL ALSO WANTS CHIMICHANGAS AND TACOS!
Blazorna: Thanks for covering for me, Harls. I'll take it from here.
Harley: Sir, yes sir! *Salutes cutely*
Blazorna: Okay, next up…
masterart: I plan to include more DCU girls than just those found in Batman, though I also do have a few from some other properties in mind too. *Cough*GwenpoolAndHyperDimensionNeptuniaForExample*Cough* But that is dependent on if you and the others want to see more "outsiders" come in via that poll.
In fact, I'll give you guys this generous proposition. If you are alright with this becoming a multi-crossover, Ben will get a harem, guaranteed. And Harley will be in it, too, as well as some other DC girls at your request. (Teen Titans and Batman ones have better odds) To state it right now, I will reserve the right to deny the request if I feel it won't work. Just mention it in your review and/or the poll.
Anyway, that is about it for now, so make sure to cast your vote if you haven't already. If you have any requests, ideas, suggestions or questions, make sure to leave them in a review or PM.
Happy Holidays and Happy New Year everyone. See you all next time. See ya!
*Gets murdered repeatedly by Frothy with the chainsaw* GYUAAAAAAAAAAHHHH! …Dead…
Harley: Don't worry, Mr B. died 23,435 times already. Nothing to worry about.