Linker opened his eyes, squinting them briefly due to the lights being to much for him. Allowing them to adjust to the lighting, the former Galvan recalled what happened to him. As his mind remembered what happened, he didn't bother looking around to know where he was. The sounds of the various monitors were more than enough for him.
That's right… Tetrax and Kai… he thought bitterly.
He tried lifting an arm, only to find that he couldn't. He tried moving the other, only to get the same result. Noticing he could move his head, he looked downwards to see that his arms and feet were not restrained. That meant only one thing.
Fuck me. Fuck me to the fucking moon. he cursed in his mind.
He tried to speak, only to realize that he had a feeding tube down his throat. Groaning, he closed his eyes as he waited for a nurse to come check in on him. His arms and legs were paralyzed, but he still felt the rest of his body, from his screaming bladder to his steady heartbeat. A peculiar situation he was in that he could remedy with a simple transformation, the only things preventing that was the fact that his mouth was full of tube, and his paralysis.
Big League Troubles - Part 2
"I can't believe this is happening to me." Ben groaned as he and Harley were in the back of a police car, handcuffed.
"I hope Batsy doesn't throw me in Arkham for this! I'm innocent!" the jester whined.
"Sbut up you two." the officer snapped at them as he got into the driver's seat.
"This HAS to be discrimination!" Ben responded angrily.
"Oh please. Like a psychopath like Harley was following the law." the policeman countered bitterly. "And what about you, Joker Jr.?"
"Do not call me that!" the Omnitrix wielder screamed. "I'm the Jeager Joker!"
"Any Joker's a Joker to me." the officer commented as he turned to face the pair. "If you're not related to the Joker, then why are you with Harley Quinn of all people? Trying to score with her or something?"
Ben's mouth clamped shut as anger filled his eyes.
"Hey, why aren't we heading to Gordy's workplace?" Harley pointed out, snapping Ben out of his anger.
"Oh, because someone else wants you dead, Quinn." the officer said before he pulled into an alleyway.
"Who is it exactly?" Ben asked.
The officer remained silent before undoing his seatbelt and drew his gun.
"Why Mr. J himself." he said while pointing it towards the pair. "And I want you two to make him really furious."
Ben and Harley's eyes widened in horror upon hearing that, for different reasons.
"Ugh, finally." Linker said after clearing his throat when the pipe was finally removed. "Was starting to choke on that thing."
"I apologize for the inconvenience, Mr. Tennyson." the nurse said apologetically.
"Can I be left alone for a moment?" the white haired genius asked.
"I understand, but I need to check your condition. You've had some surgeries in the past two weeks, with some serious damage done to the spinal cord from those crystals that were embedded in you." The nurse explained.
"I am aware. I can't move my arms or legs at this time." Linker stated calmly. "But I should be able to shortly."
"You had two shattered vertebrae, plus damage to the spinal cord itself." the nurse informed the genius.
"Could you please get the doctor for me then?" the former Galvan asked.
"Very well, He'll be here shortly." As soon as the nurse left, Linker cleared his throat once again.
"Omnitrix User Access Voice Recognition Mode: User Albedo." the genius declared.
The scarlet Omnitrix's core raised and glowed green for a second.
"User recognition confirmed." the alien device stated, the green light flashing in time with each syllable.
"Command Code 9-10-8: Playlist 2, Number 5." he ordered.
"Commencing Polymorph transformation." the Omnitrix announced before emitting a green light that engulfed the genius for a moment, being replaced with Goop. At the same time, a shrill incessant beep filled the room.
The polymorph groaned as he floated in place. He flexed his arms and legs briefly before nodding in approval before speaking up.
"Command Code 9-10-8: Playlist 2, Number 1. Silence" Goop said before he was engulfed in a flash of light, being replaced with Swampfire. The Methanosian immediately slumped to the ground, groaning for a moment before his body went to work, regenerating the damaged portions of his body.
"Command Code 10-1-1." Swampfire said once he felt his arms and legs again.
"Reverting back into manual mode. Undoing transformation." the Omnitrix announced before he reverted back to normal. Once the light died down, the genius tested one of his arms. A satisfactory smile formed on his face as he felt the arm rise and his hand coming into his field of view.
He greeted the doctor and nurse with his thumb raised high into the air, the only visible part of his body to the pair when they entered the room, the rest himself concealed by the bed.
"I'm okay!" Linker called out.
Inside one of the interrogation rooms, Ani floated in the air in a sitting position with her legs crossed, smiling. Gordon was on the phone, his eyes widen to hear about how the cars were indeed in working order, as if they never were submerged in the first place. Hanging up when he was finished, the man turned towards the witch.
"Is that all you have for me, Commissioner Gordon?" Ani asked. "If you want to know about how I fixed those cars. It's magic. Simple as that."
"I see. I believe you, but that is not going to go with the higher ups." the redheaded man stated.
"Trust me, the whole corrupt cop thing will be on their minds once you start the investigation. The cars will be overlooked." the witch said before floating over towards the man. "Anyway, is there anything else you'd want me to tell you about for now?"
"That's all for now. I got your statement, and seeing how you've fixed the cars, you've also wiped clean of any possible evidence to actually convict you. While tampering with evidence is enough to arrest you right there, I can't prove it was you." the officer said dismissively.
"Understood. And rest easy, I won't pull a stunt like that again." the childish witch said before reaching into a sleeve of her cloak, pulling out a pink airhorn attached to a purple canister. "If you ever need me, just press this twice quickly." she gently placed the airhorn into Gordon's hand and curled his fingers around it. Once she knew he was holding it, she removed her hands and smiled. "With that, I bid you farewell!"
She darted underneath the table, escaping Gordon's line of sight. When the Commissioner looked underneath, he saw no trace of the witch. He looked around the room, noticing that nothing was disturbed and the door remained shut. She pulled a Batman on him.
"Wow, this has been an…interesting day so far." he said while looking down at the airhorn. He recalled what Ani told him, and out of curiosity, he simply pressed on the button once, bracing for a loud shrill. Instead, he heard nothing. He removed his finger and stared at the airhorn, wondering how it can call the witch. He decided to leave the room so he can figure out what to do next.
Ben and Harley were in a decrepit concrete room with a black leather sofa. The officer who held them prisoner was sitting in a collapsible steel chair with his gun drawn.
"You two sit on the sofa." he pointed to with his gun.
"Why are you doing this?" Harley asked as she took a seat. "You're really playing with fire here."
The officer only chuckled and spun his gun around on a finger expertly before pointing it towards the jester's head just as Ben sat to the left of her.
"I finally got something to rattle the Joker. Trust me, when I took that picture of you two kissing and showed it to him, I heard his reaction was just perfect to take advantage of." Bob said with a smirk. "If I play my cards right, I'll topple the Joker for good! If not, at least I'll ruin you, Quinn."
Ben growled before noticing Harley's face becoming mortified as Bob reached underneath his seat. The man replaced the gun into its holster as he held up a roll of duct tape. He rose and went over before tearing some off the roll in order to cover the pair's mouths and restrain their legs together so as to make escape impossible, albeit with some difficulty from the pair kicking him in resistance. The policeman nodded in satisfaction before speaking up again.
"Hang tight you two, I'll be back in a while. Still on the clock after all." he said in a mocking manner. With that, Bob left the pair behind, closing the door behind them.
Once alone, the pair looked at each other. In the dim light, Ben saw Harley looking at him apologetically. Ben simply shook his head before twisting his body enough so that the Omnitrix was in her line of sight. Gesturing with his head, he conveyed what he wanted her to do. The jester's eyes widened as she nodded in understanding. The pair fumbled multiple times before Harley managed to activate the alien device. Seeing the holograms, she carefully cycled through Ben's roster before she accidentally pressed down on the core, triggering the transformation.
In a flash of light, Ben was replaced with the alien he transformed into earlier. The handcuffs that restrained him were torn apart during the transformation, allowing the transformed Ben to move his hands freely. The first thing to do was remove the tape covering his mouth. Despite the shape of his hands, they were quite nimble and precise.
"FUCK HIM! THAT FUCKER IS FUCKED AFTER I'M FUCKING DONE WITH FUCKING KICKING HIS FUCKING ASS TO FUCK! FUCK HIM TO FUCKING HELL!" the alien screamed at the top of his lungs. After taking a moment to calm down, he looked at Harley. "Fuck… I'm sorry for my fucking vulgarity just now, but I needed to get that off my fucking chest."
Harley simply giggled and nodded happily. The alien examined Harley and frowned.
"Sorry, but I'm fucking afraid of fucking hurting you as this guy. And why must I fucking say 'fuck' at least twice in every fucking sentence?" the transformed Ben asked no one in particular. He looked down and used his hands to tear the tape binding his feet free from Harley's with utmost care. Once free, Harley giggled again and leaned against the alien and sighed in relief.
"Now, how do we fucking escape before that fucking fucker comes back?" the alien said before he looked at his hands. "Fuck, I fucking forgot. I didn't fucking see what this fucker does. Judging by the fucking huge size of these fucking hands. They must fucking do something, maybe something that's fucking useful."
The transformed Ben got up, having Harley glare at him briefly in the process, and clenched his fists before he did a quick jab. As his arm went outwards, it stretched considerably, punching through the wall like it was tissue paper before it retracted back to its original length. He then smirked as he once again swung his hand, this time, downwards to the concrete floor as a slap. The ground immediately cracked as the ground around the pair shook for a second.
"Fuck… Better be fucking careful with that." the alien said in amazement before he raised a finger. "Just got the fucking perfect name for this fucker!"
Harley looked at the transformed Ben eagerly.
"I am going to fucking call this form, motherfucking Jack Slammer!" the alien declared.
Harley raised an eyebrow as she contemplated the name for a moment before nodding in approval. Jack Slammer smirked before gently scooping the jester up and cradling her in one of his arms.
"Fuck yeah! Let's get the fuck out of here!" the alien said excitedly. "Smells like fuck here. Do you fucking agree with me on that?" The jester simply giggled and nodded in agreement.
With that, Jack Slammer made a straight path to freedom for himself and Harley. Naturally, he still said "Fuck" whenever he spoke.
Ivy was in her apartment, tending to the many plants that were inside it. The redhead wasn't too thrilled with her current living conditions, feeling out of place and confined to a place where she didn't belong. She was still deep in thought over the kiss between Harley and Ben, or unintentional as they claimed.
"Dammit Harley. I stick my neck out for you, and even went along with this stupid fascination of yours to make you happy. But what you did prove what I feared… You're obsessed with that boy like you were with that accursed man…" the metahuman spoke to herself in anger. "I need to figure out how to help her…"
The way she felt towards the blond jester made her heart wench in pain, knowing that she was more focused on Ben than herself. She didn't hold any animosity towards the young boy because he was a child, but
"Perhaps I could be of assistance." a girl's voice spoke up from behind the redhead. Turning around, she saw a teenage girl with a sword sheathed to her back. She raised her Omnitrix into view as a smirk formed on her face. "If you team up with me, I'll let you know of every alien this baby can turn me and Ben into, like Swampfire, Heatblast, and Diamondhead to name a few. "
"I don't see why I should help a complete stranger." Ivy said firmly while crossing her arms.
"You can help Harley get over her obsession with a child." Kai said with a smile. "Get her to focus on only you, and nobody else. Not the Joker, Tennyson, or any other man. Just you alone. But before that, let's get to know each other first. Besides I don't want to decapitate someone else who I could reason with."
"I'm listening…" the redhead said, skeptical of the teen's remarks.
"Fucking finally!" Jack Slammer said when he punched a steel fire door with his free hand, seeing the brilliant sunlight of outside. Carrying Harley still, the Poterian walked towards the exit. "FUCK! MY FUCKING EYES! FUCK YOU, FUCKING SUNLIGHT!" Only to be blinded by the light to the point that he staggered backwards, nearly dropping the jester in the process. It took longer than it would with a human to have their eyes adjust to the sunlight before Jack Slammer finally emerged. He carefully set down Harley before he reverted back in a flash of crimson.
"If it means anything, I was actually holding back with the swearing as Jack Slammer." Ben commented before he carefully pulled off the tape covering the jester's mouth. Harley simply smiled at the boy and grinned.
"Thanks." she said gratefully. "Though, I actually find it kinda fun being carried by you like this."
Ben laughed nervously for a second before he removed the duct tape binding Harley's feet together and helping her up.
"Thanks again." Harley said.
"That device… that's an Omnitrix isn't it?" a female's voice asked from behind the pair. This made them realize that they had a small, yet nervous crowd surrounding them the whole time.
"Relax people, don't need to call the cops on us. We're the victims for the record." Harley declared before freezing in place upon realizing what she just heard. Ben was already looking at the girl who spoke to them. The girl was standing close to them, wearing a black trench coat and a matching fedora, with the former being almost too big for her.
The unfamiliar person gestured to the pair to follow her before she started weaving through the crowd.
"Come on, Harley." Ben said before he followed after the girl. The jester followed suit, feeling a little self-conscious about still being handcuffed.
As the pair followed the girl, they were led into a secluded alleyway. Once alone, the girl removed her fedora, revealing her true face.
"Told you that always works." Ben commented immediately. "Even if you're not human. Trench coat and Fedora!"
The girl had looked no older than fifteen years old. Her face was just like that of a human's but she had soft, teal skin that looked delicate with amber eyes that had horizontal pupils like that of an amphibian's. Her ears were pointed at the tips, giving the allusion of an elf. The long, silky lime green hair fell down when she removed the fedora. The front of her throat was a soft cream color instead of the teal. Her appearance gave off an impression of someone kind hearted, yet was naïve.
"Who are you?" Ben asked, blushing a little at the sight of the alien.
"I am Ewte." the alien introduced herself. "I am of the Caudatian race. Nexia subspecies."
"I'm Ben." the Omnitrix wielder responded.
Ewte's eyes widened upon hearing that.
"As in the Ben 10!?" she asked incredulously before she smiled. "I didn't recognize you there at first, but I can tell you are not like that tyrant from that other dimension."
"Okay…" the boy asked in confusion.
Without any hesitation or warning, the Caudatian closed in and kissed the boy on the lips. Like Ben's, Harley's eyes widened for a bit before giggling. "Boy, aren't you popular with the ladies." she teased. Ewte broke the kiss and looked at the boy in concern.
"You're troubled by something in the past… and your appearance is connected to it." she said somberly.
"Did you read my mind or something?!" Ben said in disbelief.
"I'm sorry, I thought you'd know about what the Nexia can do. Nexia are the most empathic of the Caudations, but the weakest as well. However, we make up for it in several ways. One of which is to understand the feelings of others if our heads are very close to the cranium of another's with some pleasurable stimulation." Ewte explained. "Kissing is the easiest way to do that."
"Oh, so you don't have the hots for our little hero here." Harley said teasingly. "Shame, you two look good together."
Both Ewte and Ben blushed deeply, with the Caudatian's cheeks becoming purple opposed to the normal pink Ben's were.
"I-I'm flattered to hear such p-praise, but I'm not allowed to marry… " the alien fumbled while averting her gaze.
Ben blinked and looked at Ewte in confusion.
"How come?" Ben asked.
"All Nexia are female, and all other types are male." Ewte explained. "As such, I have certain…obligations." her face saddened as she looked downwards.
"Well, that backfired on me…" Harley said with a frown. "I was just joking around here."
"Oh. My apologies." the Caudatian said before nodding towards the jester.
"So, what did you want with us?" Ben asked.
"I am looking for somebody named Albedo. Perhaps you know him better by his alias, Linker." the alien explained. "He is a good friend of mine."
"Isn't that a coincidence…" Harley muttered while starting to narrow her eyes a little. "We know him ourselves."
Ewte's eyes glistened with excitement as she looked at the jester.
"Where is he?" she asked.
"He's in critical condition at the hospital, plus is in a coma." Ben stated. "He protected me and wound up like that." The Caudatian froze in place upon hearing that.
"Who did it?" she asked.
"An evil Tetrax." Ben responded. "He was with an equally evil Kai, who has an Omnitrix as well." the alien's face became serious and dark.
"It appears that I arrived too late…" Ewte said darkly. "I can't prevent them from coming here then."
"What's wrong with them being here?" Harley asked.
"They're able to give my race a foothold here." the Caudatian answered. "My kind must not be allowed to continue their practices."
"I see…" the jester responded, narrowing her eyes again. "Just what do they do exactly?"
"Fight anything and everything they find strong to extinction." Ewte said ominously as her eyes narrowed. "And this place is going to be paradise for them."
"Anything we can do to help?" Ben asked.
The alien shook her head before replacing her fedora.
"Not until Al is active once again." she responded before walking off. "I'll be taking my leave for now, but don't worry, I'll be seeing you all again very soon. Especially you, wielder of the Omnitrix." Ewte giggled and left the pair behind.
The sun had long since set when Batman took to the streets once again. Normally he'd be patrolling the city, but he came to the rooftop of GCPD, summoned by the Bat Signal.
"What is it Commissioner?" the vigilante asked as he announced his presence. "Isn't it supposed to be your day off today?"
"You wouldn't believe the day I had. Remember that supposed Metahuman that 'attacked' some police cars earlier today? She actually came to me to talk." Gordon explained. "Here's the kicker, she actually wants to serve as my informant."
"Did you arrest her?" Batman asked firmly, narrowing his eyes a bit. "The fact remains is that she caused water damage to the vehicles at least, on top of assaulting officers."
"Here's the thing, I actually have nothing to pin it on her. No eyewitness testimony, and she actually reversed all damages she did to the cars. Hell, some are actually better than they were before, and they have the exact same parts." Gordon commented before he reached into his trench coat to pull out the envelope Ani gave him. "There's more than just that Batman. She actually gave me this, a list of recent wirings of the officers who were in those cars from the various gangs and syndicates who are buying them off."
The Dark Knight opened the envelope to examine its contents. It was several sheets of white paper with a list of the officers involved, with the names of various criminal organizations and transaction numbers beside them.
"Interesting." he murmured to himself. "Have these been verified?"
"Only got the first three processed, and they are all legit so far." Gordon confirmed. "The little lady really has done her work here."
"I see…" the Batman said before replacing the list back into the envelope carefully. "May I hang onto these for a while? These may have a connection with the current events."
"Ah, you mean with Kai and Tetrax?" the Commissioner questioned. "Our little informant actually mentioned them as well. Not much, just confirmation that those are their names. That and an Omnitrix is involved with them."
The Dark Knight's undivided attention turned to Gordon upon the mention of the alien device. At the same time, he realized a key thread upon the mention of the Omnitrix. Everything was beginning to make sense regarding the bizarre crime scenes. The harbor, the murders at the park, the power vacuum in the criminal underground that appeared once an unfamiliar party appeared. Their attacks on Ben and his group were probably connected as well. If that was the case, then the motive and connecting thread between all of them became clear. Ani's message also helped clarify the truth.
"It was for attention…" he voiced his realization.
"Attention?" Gordon asked, confused by the comment.
"The Park, the attack on Ben's group. and all the events amongst the criminals lately are connected. All those don't seem connected at first, but there is one likely possibility that can connect them all almost perfectly. It was all just grandstanding." the vigilante explained. "Those two were possibly trying to get my attention."
"I see. It does clarify a lot of questions." Gordon said in agreement. "I think Ani was actually helping us out there with that announcement of hers in more than one way. For a troublemaker, she might be very clever."
"I still don't get one thing. How does Bane fit into the picture?" the Dark Knight questioned.
"Wait, Bane's back?" Gordon asked in surprise before reaching into a pocket. "Maybe we can ask Ani for what she knows."
"What do you mean?" Batman asked as the man pulled out the airhorn the childish witch gave him.
"Ani said she'd come if I use this horn." he explained. "Here's the weird part, the thing's pretty quiet." He used the horn as the witch instructed him, pressing it twice in quick succession.
"The pitch is at an ultra high frequency. Inaudible for the normal range of human hearing." the vigilante stated, the cowl picking up the normally inaudible shrills.
"Gah! This is why I am not a big fan of you, Batman… You just have to always explain things." Ani said in annoyance as she stepped out from behind the Bat Signal.
"It actually worked." Gordon said in amazement while looking at the horn briefly.
"There's an explanation to everything." Batman stated to the witch bluntly.
"And true magic does exist." Ani countered before sighing. "I'm not here to argue with Mr. Pragmatic over there. What do you need info on, Commissioner?"
"Do you have anything on Bane possibly being involved with Kai and Tetrax?" Gordon asked.
The witch nodded and smiled at the police officer before floating up into the air, causing the Dark Knight to focus his attention on her.
"Ah, I can't go too much into it, but yes, Bane is connected to them. He's being extra cautious due to the Omnitrix wielders, especially Linker. He already acknowledges their power and the threat that one can pose to him. However, he has no intention on obtaining one himself at this time. Batman is a higher priority for him." Ani explained. "And for the record Batman, we don't have the time to explain how I know all this. Ben and Harley are going to need you soon. They were abducted by one of the Joker's cronies earlier. They escaped, but not before Ben used his Poterian form, Jack Slammer."
"Poterian?" Gordon asked.
"It's an alien race known for their brute strength and forearms, which are capable to stretching considerably. Their strength is actually capable of creating localized tremors if they hit the ground hard enough. They also have a tendency of being considerably vulgar when talking." Batman explained. "It is one of the forms that Linker has informed me about."
"Yeah, Jack Slammer is pretty entertaining to listen to if you don't mind him repeating the same curse word in every thing he says. He's a lot smarter than Rath though." Ani added. "Anything else?"
"Does the list you given to Commissioner Gordon have any considerable relevance to anything you've just said?" Batman asked.
"I'll let you guys figure out who it is, but one of those corrupt cops on that list is the Joker lackey that I mentioned before." Ani stated. "And before I am asked, I don't have anything to gain by lying to you two. Besides, Bat-Mite would complain to me about ruining things."
Batman fell silent, having his next question be answered preemptively, and was actually taken back slightly by the mention of a certain being from a different dimension. One that only he really knew about. This detail in fact revealed volumes regarding the witch herself.
"I see. Am I able to contact you as well?" Batman asked.
"You got the frequency already, just play something at that range thrice quickly so I can tell if it's you or Commissioner Gordon that is calling for me." Ani said as a frown appeared on her face. "Hate explaining things in science, always ruins the fun of magic. See ya later Bats."
Gordon looked around, noticing that once again, Batman was gone without any sign.
"Got him just before he went over the ledge behind us." Ani smirked proudly. "He can't pull that on me."
"Okay, I don't know if I should be amazed by that or be afraid." Gordon commented.
"Go for the first, I'm not going to wreck havoc." the witch reassured him before floating around him happily.
"That's good, I guess. Anyway, before I forget, can you tell me more about how you compiled all that info for that list of yours?" Gordon asked.
"I would normally say it's just all magic, but it's just some simple mundane research I've done mainly." Ani responded with a shrug. "Same kind of things you can do, right Batman?" she then raised her cloak to reveal a bug that was planted on her when Batman left. "Don't worry, I'm not going to destroy it. I've got nothing to hide from you." She then replaced the listening device back where she plucked it.
Gordon was legitimately shocked at the fact that the witch knew about the small device that was placed on the girl's cloak, and where it was exactly without any looking around.
Just how much does she know?
"Hey, what did you think of that Ewte girl?" Harley asked as she walked behind the Omnitrix. The pair were heading back to their apartment in order to notify their friends what has happened.
"I honestly don't know." Ben replied before he noticed a familiar redhead standing not far in front of them. "Ivy, talk about lucky. Everything alright?" Ivy didn't even acknowledge Ben's remark.
"Hey Red, how are you doing right now?" the jester asked with a warm smile. "We got quite the story to tell you."
"I already have a good idea of what it is." the redhead said threateningly. "I see you two also were indecent."
"Indecent? Ease up there for a second, Ivy, we didn't do anything naughty!" Harley protested.
"Ever since two years ago, your obsession shifted over to that boy right there." Kai said as she stepped into view from behind the redheaded metahuman. "Bet you want to procreate with his aliens. Am I right?" Harley stood mortified at the accusation as all blood went to her face, the blush showing through the make up. Ben only stared in complete shock before looking at the jester.
"Red, hang on a second. I think you've got the wrong idea here!" Harley said before Kai wrapped her arms around Ivy's waist, only for the redhead to gently stroke the side of her face endearingly.
"No, Kai here helped me realize the truth. I don't want to lose you Harley, not to any man, especially to a child of all things." Ivy responded before focusing her attention to Ben. "I have no intention of hurting you, Ben, but please, stop with what you're doing to my sweet little Harls. Just leave her with me. I love her, after all."
"Ivy…" Ben said before he saw Harley actually walk towards the redhead. Once close enough, she kissed Ivy passionately. The redhead returned the affection twice fold as she wrapped her arms around her.
"Ohhh, looks like you're getting dumped again." Kai mocked the boy with a triumphant grin.
"Shut up Kai." Ben said with a smirk. "I didn't even see Harley like that at all. If she wants to be with somebody else, that's her call." Kai's grin turned into a snarl as she looked at the pair, who broke the kiss so as to catch their breath. The pair looked at each other in a loving manner.
"I love you too Ivy. I see Benny as a little brother, and nothing more than that. So don't worry about me falling for him. That kiss we had was an accident, remember?" Harley said in reassurance. "Yeah, I am a big fan of the aliens, but I don't even want to try with having their children. For all we know, some could lay eggs in me and have them explode through my chest like in that one movie franchise. That isn't fun at all."
"I see." Ivy said with a smirk. "Guess I was just overreacting with that at least." Her smirk soon gave way to a frown. "But Ben is still not a good influence for you. Just like that lunatic you used to fawn over."
Harley narrowed her eyes and as best as she glared at her lover in anger.
"Don't you dare compare Benny to the Joker. Benny's sweet and kind. He doesn't kill people like that bastard. He even saved me earlier!" the blonde said furiously in the Omnitrix wielder's defense. "Can't you get with the fucking program! He's a good guy!"
"Harls… Why do you take his side?" Ivy asked. "You said you loved me, but yet you're defending him! I don't want you to change!"
"Maybe I want to change! I'm tired of going to Arkham over and over again. I want to live a new life where people aren't afraid of me!" Harley responded. "Ben is the one who can help me realize that. He can help you as well. Can't you see that?" she turned around and walked back to Ben.
"Shut up! "Ivy snapped as tears formed into her eyes. Kai quickly activated her Omnitrix, transforming into Big Chill before wrapping her arms around the redhead and flapped her wings.
"Let's go Ivy, we did what we could." the Necrofriggian said solemnly, causing Ivy to nod in agreement before they rose into the air. The pair took off, with Harley and Ivy both looking at each other with hurt eyes as the distance between them grew by the second.
"Red…" Harley whispered softly once her lover was no longer in sight. She then turned her attention towards Ben as tears formed in her eyes. "Ben…" she said before leaning against the boy, crying loudly. Ben wrapped his arms around the blonde to comfort her the best he could. As she said herself, Ben too felt the similar sentiment towards the jester, seeing her more of a big sister than a woman. Either way, he wanted to comfort the former villainess in her time of need as her "brother".
After a half hour passed when Harley managed to collect herself and remained silent as she and Ben finally returned home. Repairing the goggles could be done another day. Right now, it was imperative of what has become of Ivy be shared to Kevin and Batman.
"So, what's the plan then?" Kevin asked once he was caught up to speed.
"We need to tell Batman as well." Ben said. "And I know Commissioner Gordon is our best shot of contacting him."
"I see." Kevin said while crossing his arms. "I guess we have to get moving then."
"I…I want to stay here." Harley said softly from the couch. "I can't do it… not tonight." all trace of her energetic self was replaced with melancholy.
Ben placed a hand onto the blonde's shoulder in a reassuring grip.
"I promise you Harley, we'll get Ivy back. This has to be Kai's doing." he promised. "I want her back as well. She kinda helps keep us in check." Harley couldn't help but smile a bit at that.
"You promise? We'll rescue Red?" she asked, looking hopefully into Ben's eyes.
"Even if it turns the world against me, I'll do anything to bring her back to you." Ben answered with conviction.
"Alright, not to break the mood or anything, but what are we going to do exactly? Linker's in a coma, and all that is here is two kids and a criminal as far as people see." Kevin asked.
"I guess we need to make that Wild Card group a reality then." Ben said before getting up.
"So, we're really going through with that idea?" Harley asked with a small smile.
"Well, I'm game for that if you ask me." Kevin said with a smirk. "So, who's going to be the boss?"
"I nominate Ben." a familiar voice said, catching the entire group off guard. Standing out on the balcony was the white haired genius and Ewte, who was only wearing her trenchcoat. Ben, like the others, was shocked to see the other Omnitrix user up and on his own two feet.
"How are you here?!" Ben said incredulously. "Were you supposed to be paralyzed and in a coma?!"
"Damage was easy to fix as Swampfire, and I just woke up. Still a little uneasy with my balance." Linker explained. "Still, I overheard everything you told Kevin regarding Ivy and Kai. I'll assist in anyway I can. Preferably from the technical role. Also, I already got these for us." He held up five smooth snow white half masks that all covered the right side of the face completely as well as the forehead and left eye. He stepped inside, only for Ewte to support him after he lost his balance a bit.
They approached the couch and the genius sat down, placing the masks onto the coffee table in front of it. He then took one and placed it onto his face causing a "10" and the spade card suit symbol to appear over where his left eye was located.
"Imagine what you want to have appear on the mask." Linker explained before the decal on the mask shifted into the Omnitrix symbol located on the right side. "You can change it at will, so don't worry about it the first time. If we are going by that card motif, then we need to be a little more creative than to focus on only the Royal Flush."
"I'm going to go for Ace of Clubs then. It can be eleven in Blackjack and I was called Kevin Eleven." Kevin announced before taking a mask of his own.
"Queen of Diamonds then for me." Harley said as she claimed her own mask. She placed her mask on, her mask adopting a red diamond where her covered eye with a small "Q" on her cheek just as a red eye shaped decal appeared on the left side.
"I'll be a Queen as well, but of Spades." Ewte declared before revealing she herself already had her own mask. On it was a Spade with a crown adorning it on the right as well with a black "eye" on the left .
"Don't worry, I can vouch for Ewte." Linker reassured the group. "I owe a lot to her, especially with her skills as a battle tactician. Anyway, as for myself, I'll be the Eight of Spades." His mask changed to feature eight spades, positioned like it is on the card on the right side.
Ben smirked and claimed his own mask.
"I'm not going for King. Instead, I'm going for the one card that will really spite a certain clown Harley and I are familiar with. It also fits with my new hero name." Placing the mask on, a black Omnitrix emblem appeared on the left side where his right side was featuring an angular crack decal starting from the forehead and going inwards. A streak that looked like flowing green tears from a white eye that was within the crack. " I am the Jeager Joker. Therefore, I am claiming the Joker spot." A smirk formed on the boy's face as Harley smiled.
One by one, those who didn't place their mask on yet did so, with the right sides of their faces adopting appearances to reflect their chosen card.
"Anyway, all in favor of Ben leading?" Linker asked. Majority was in favor, with only Ben and Kevin opposing. Ben felt that Linker was better suited, but the genius refuted that the boy was better suited due to being more familiar with Gotham than himself. Kevin's reason was because he wanted to be in charge, which it was almost an unanimous "No." by everyone but the Osmosian himself.
With that, Wild Card was officially established.
"Think we're going to get sued for this?" Harley asked.
Gordon groaned when he came onto the rooftop once again. He just wanted to go home at this point, but he recalled Ani telling him that he was going to be expecting company looking for his help at this time. When he opened to door to the rooftop, the Commissioner was taken back by the sight before him. It took him a moment to recognize most of the group from their outfits or hair colors. Only one of them was a complete unknown to him.
"Hey Commissioner," the Jeager Joker said with a smile. "Glad we met up with you here. Saves us the trouble from going inside and causing an uproar."
"I got to say, I'm honestly surprised to see all of you again, Ben. Though, where's Ivy? Isn't she supposed to be with you guys?" the police officer asked.
"Her absence is part of the reason for why we are here. We need you to contact Batman." Linker answered calmly before turning to the others. "Guess we need to change our ensemble for next time. Can't have us be recognized."
"Agreed." Ewte said before stepping forward. "I know this is our first time meeting. As you know about my comrades already, I apologize for not revealing my own identity. You may, however, call me Gecko Spade."
"Okay. What's up with the masks?" Gordon asked out of curiosity.
"Well, you know how Bats is part of the Justice League? We've formed our own group. The name is Wild Card." Harley answered.
"I see. Batman is not going to like hearing this. Especially with you kids." Gordon said with a sigh. "Give me a moment to turn on the Bat Signal." He went to the signal, only for a newcomer to make his presence known.
"No need to, Commissioner." the Dark Knight said as he stepped out of the shadows with a stern look on his face.
"Hey Batsy, been a while." Harley said in a friendly manner. The vigilante didn't respond, instead focusing on the green haired boy.
"What you are doing is not a good idea, Ben." he warned the boy.
"Shut up Batman. Do you know how much shit Harley and I went through today?" the Omnitrix wielder snapped. " We were captured by a lackey of the Joker, and Kai has taken Ivy prisoner!"
"It didn't seem like she was forced against her will." Batman countered.
"You saw that?!" Ben said incredulously before raising his voice. "And you just did nothing?!"
"There was no need to." the Dark Knight said indifferently. "Nor any need to right now."
"I am starting to realize that you don't see me as an equal." Ben said as his anger started to rise. He attempted to punch the masked superhero, but the fist was easily caught.
"Calm down Ben." Batman said, attempting to diffuse the situation without violence.
"It's Jeager Joker, not Ben!" the boy said as his anger rose even more. He withdrew his fist and immediately activated the Omnitrix. Without looking, he transformed into Jack Slammer.
"I wanted you to fucking acknowledge me as an equal, but no! I am always am just a fucking kid to you! I risk my goddamn life and even went out of my fucking way to not get in your fucking way of the two years I've been here! Two goddamn fucking years and letting you handle the bleached shit that I think murdered Gwen! And I am treated like I'm playing with fire and don't know fucking shit! I am going to fucking kick your fucking chapped bitch ass until it's a bloody shit stain like it's supposed to be, you condescending bitch who gets off on kicking everyone's fucking ass over and over again!" the Poterian screamed. "AT THIS POINT, FIGHTING YOU IS GOING TO BE THE ONLY WAY TO GET IT THROUGH YOUR FUCKING EGO FILLED SHITHEAD!"
"Make that two of us." Harley said venomously as she stepped up besides the transformed Jeager Joker. The white of her mask became pitch black as the diamond had a crack appear "Red is in danger, and Gotham's Great Protector, the fucking Batman, didn't bother helping her, and doesn't even now."
"There was no need to because-" Batman attempted to explain before being interrupted.
"Hey, save some for the Club as well." Kevin said as he placed a hand on the rooftop, developing a shell of concrete that covered his entire body and mask, except for where the different colored eyes of the mask were: black on the left while the right one was white to stand out inside the Club symbol it was positioned at. "Just looking at this guy just pisses me off. And hearing you two just makes me hate him even more."
"That sounds kinda pathetic. Rugged Ace sounds better if you ask me." Gecko Spade suggested.
"Heh, I like that. Let's go with that instead." The newly christened Rugged Ace said in approval before clenching his fists.
"Hey, everyone, can we just take a moment to calm down and talk this over?" Gordon asked, becoming worried of the escalation of hostility towards the Dark Knight.
"It's best to let Batman handle this." Linker warned the Commissioner with a sigh before turning to the masked Caudatian. "Are you going to join the fray too?"
Gecko simply shook her head. "I don't stand a chance against someone that fit, Spade Link."
"Spade Link?" the genius asked before a smile formed on his face. "I guess I can go with that."
The alien giggled and kissed him on his exposed cheek as he wrapped an arm around her waist in response.
Batman's eyes narrowed as he saw who he was up against. He can win, but the challenge was going to be the transformed Ben. He had an idea of what to anticipate, but the weaknesses were unknown to him. Either way, this fight was going to leave a bitter taste in his mouth.
Standing a fair distance away from the rooftop of GCPD was Ani as she sighed with her arms crossed while turning away from the upcoming fight.
"Ben, what are you going to do once you learn the truth of her death?" she asked somberly. "The criminal that is responsible is going to move forward. The true killer of your dear cousin is going to fight you very soon… In a sick twist of irony, you are already familiar with the murderer, Jeager Joker."
She fell silent before closing her eyes and sighed softly.
"Your cousin needs you… Just like Ivy needs Harley."
Form Name: Jack Slammer
Race: Poterian
Home World : Constra 235
Bio: Poterians are native to the jungle world of Constra 235. They are the apex predators of the planet due to their intellect, immense strength and durability. Their arms and feet evolved for use in a jungle environment, allowing them to traverse through the treetops with no difficulty at all and at great speeds, capable of reaching 80mph. They currently are close to becoming a space faring race through their own technology. Those who are already part of intergalactic society found success as being part of the construction and demolition industries, where their abilities are most compatible with. The strength of the Poterians are renowned to easily rival that of the Vaxasaurian race despite being about the size of a human.
Poterians normally are composed and quiet, but are extremely easy to rile up. When that happens, their infamous habit of spewing obscenities in every sentence they say becomes obvious, which is more known than their own strength. To note, Ben is actually holding back with what he says as Jack Slammer, leading to him saying "Fuck" so often.
Combat for Poterians focuses on their arms, which are their greatest assets. Their ability to create tremors was born from competition from other species before they developed sentience, and is used to disorientate enemies. However, they cannot run due to their feet being more for grasping than walking on.
The only true combat weakness is their eyesight. They are very slow to adjust to lighting, taking at least four times longer than a human's. A flash of light will leave them vulnerable for a considerable amount of time. While they can take a massive beating, they can be easily be killed with a simple bullet to the head. Also, their anger can easily be used against them, making them act without thinking.
Stats.
Strength: 8
Speed: 1 (on foot)/5 (treetop traveling)
Intelligence: 5
Endurance: 7
Combat Skill: 7
Weakness: sudden changes to light intensity. Short temper
CCR - PLEASE READ FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!
Blazorna: *Stands with Frothy, both dressed in full on riot gear* I WARNED YOU PEOPLE! I WARNED YOU ABOUT THIS! *calms down* With this chapter, I bring an end to the first arc, dubbed "Still Standing", I have also officially cemented the relationship between Ben and Harley. It is a sibling relationship that is going to remain platonic. That's right, they aren't hooking up. Oh, the stuff that implied otherwise? That was just important for the story. There's still going to be a harem as promised that's including Harley, but Ben's not part of it in any way. Please remember that you cannot really complain as I've warned you about it beforehand when I had that poll up. That and there's ONE little detail not a lot of people are aware of regarding Harley. One that would probably change any negativity you may have with this decision. Just watch a video regarding ten little known facts about Harley Quinn.
For the record, Ewte and Ivy are also off the table for love interests for Ben, for obvious reasons. I do intend to preserve canon relationships, hence why I'm pairing Harley and Ivy together. Getting back on topic, I already have a female love interest, or two, already lined up for Ben. You will have a good idea of who it might be if you think about it.
Frothy: Bukbuk.
Harley: *Also in riot gear* At least I'm with Red, so I'm not complaining. Still, mind telling us about Ewte?
Blazorna: Ewte was actually going to pop up sooner or later. And if you thought that kiss was just spontaneous, don't forget she knew of Linker before they arrived in Gotham. That and she was always intended to be with the genius.
Harley: Oh, and tell us about what you have planned for Wild Card. Or else I'm calling for the squirrel.
Blazorna: NOT THE NUCLEAR FIRE SQUIRREL! I can't dwell too much on this to avoid spoilers, but Wild Card is going to have an changing roster as the story progresses. Each Card Suit is actually going to play some kind of role. I'm going to just say that those who are Spades are going to be more on the technical and support side of the group. Linker could have been in another role, but he seems better more for support than being front line. Also, their masks are going to change as the story progresses, so I hope you enjoy them.
Anyway, I have a few Batman characters in mind who could fit right in the group as well. Here is one I am seriously considering: Riddler. I actually loved him when he was a reformed private investigator. Actually made the comics during that time feel more like a genuine mystery story with his appearance in my opinion. This is what actually inspired me to set MHG up with a solvable mystery at this time that you readers can actually solve if you actually take the time to think things over, or just enjoy without being using your brain. Speaking of which, want to ask your readers something.
The question is, has anyone figured out HOW Gwen actually died, and WHO killed her? Despite any concrete evidence to confirm it, the pieces ARE there, and here's a hint that may make it easy to deduce. If you reread the very beginning, Pay close attention to what the weapon the Joker used, and what happened to Gwen. Let's make this interesting actually. I've set up a new poll, One that determines the love life of Ben in this story. If the majority of you figure out who the ACTUAL Killer is , I promise Ben will get his own harem as well, guaranteed. No misunderstandings or misleads, and would be just girls. This means TWO harems, and Ben is in charge of one. I've also made an option for those who are OPPOSED to this. If they are the majority of voters compared to the total of those who chose the others, Ben's harem will be denied.
HOWEVER, if ANYONE is able to correctly deduce not only WHO is the Killer but also correctly guess HOW Gwen died, You get to not only circumvent the poll results and guaranteeing Ben's Harem ,unless I have a considerable majority who doesn't want the harem to happen. But they also get the honor of nominating someone for it. Aside from the obvious exceptions I've mentioned before. This isn't going to be restricted to just DC or Ben 10 girls either. Rias Gremory from Highschool DxD? Makoto Niijima or Futaba Sakura of Persona 5? A Cerate from the original Misplaced Hero? I am open to just about ANY character, only on the conditions that she isn't married in canon at the start, she can actually mesh in with the atmosphere when it's serious, not a mary-sue or overpowered even by DC standards, and is humanoid.
If anyone is an actual detective or actually is really good at solving mysteries, It all may ride on you. For any review or PM guesses, only the FIRST guess will be counted. This also applies if you put multiple guesses in the same post. You guys all have until the next chapter to vote and tell me your guesses. Why the next chapter? Because it will have the answer in it. Best of luck and THINK CAREFULLY! Prove to me you don't just act on what's in front of you without considering everything.
Harley: You know you've got to have them riled up now, especially after what you've done with the poll. Or intimidated.
Blazorna: Hey, I told them to think it over, and I'm putting my faith in their intellect. Now, onto the questions!
*Questions this time will result in the summoning of Fuzzy the Nuclear Fire Squirrel, the Antithesis of Blazorna's existence.*
Wait… IT HAS A NAME NOW?! FFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCKKKK!
Frothy: Buk bwak bakaw.
Blazorna: I hate you so much right now for naming it, you foul fowl.
Harley: You know how Superman has Kryptonite as a weakness? Fuzzy serves that role for Mr. B. and there's a reason we have this called the Converse Corner of RANDOMNESS. Stupidity is norm here. Anyway, what do we have this time?
NecrorexSparda Juui-No-Kishin: The Chemicals used in Joker Venom, were they in a sense a less potent form of the same chemicals that made the Joker? Also did you fully beat Batman Arkham Knight? If so, what a hell of an ending, yeah? If not, then well how about Scarecrow's new look? (All edited for punctuation.)
*Fuzzy appears in a puff of smoke*
Blazorna: Stay back you damn cancer inducing vermin! GYUUUAAAAAAAHHHHH! *gets caught in an explosion created by Fuzzy.*
Harley: I presume you're under the impression that the Mr. J in question is similar to the one in the Killing Joke story? Well, there's a little something that we need to keep in mind regarding him. Hint: Mobius Chair. So we can't really confirm that kind of thing.
*Three more explosions happens behind Harley and Frothy followed by a Wilhelm Scream*
All three can be summed up in one sentence if they're all about the same subject. Mr. B has NEVER played ANY of the Batman Arkham games. So he doesn't even know how the tutorial begins in the very first game. Don't think he will either anytime soon. He got himself a certain game called Persona 5. A LOT of games were heavily influenced by what the previous two entries had. Just the first play through typically is at least 80+ hours, and that's not counting time spent for level grinding and relationships. Yes, it is part dating sim, but you may regret having a harem in it. Then that Nier:Automata game, and that new Zelda on that one new system. And let's not forget the DLC for those games and the ones he has already. The only thing that will catch his attention is a game like Senran Kagura.
Blazorna: GOT PEACH BEACH SPLASH COMING!
Harley: *deadpans* See?
Zanzar: What happens next and when is the next chapter?
Fuzzy, don't bother for this one. NEXT!
johnathen: *Fourth Wall goes on strike, refusing to list the comment due to how long it is*
God dammit… jonathen, sorry about that. Well, we can at least answer it in order at least.
Rathpool is currently in churro rehab right now with Rabbidpool, but he will appreciate hearing that once out.
Mr. B, what's your response?
Blazorna: *burnt to a crisp and raises head to speak in raspy voice* Bwaaaak… *passes out*
Harley: Been with him long enough to translate that for you. He's grateful for that, and he's going to say that he does have a Fourth Wall breaking form already being developed. The Wedgie one… ehhh… If any, Jack Slammer can pull that off very well.
I'm a reformed good guy in this story and Batman could send me back to Arkham for what I say about the video, no matter how funny it was. Sorry!
Well, seeing as this is becoming the norm now, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and let the god damn War for the Harem commence! Just please remember to be civil about this. Keep the reviews coming, especially questions, Mr. B obviously needs to suffer more for your entertainment. See you all next time in the next chapter which kicks off The Gwen Arc.
Wait… Fuzzy, stay away from us. You focus on only Mr. B!
Fuzzy: *squeaks and explodes with everyone caught inside, creating a giant mushroom cloud.*
Edit: This would have came out a whole lot sooner but a lot of shit happened at once in July that not only kept me busy, but also greatly lowered my morale.
My parents have moved a great distance away, a distance that would be too expensive for me to visit frequently and would be too hot for me to handle, even in winter. Because of the move, one of the cats I grew up with had to have been put down, as he wouldn't have fared well. I loved that cat to death, and didn't want to give up on him. He pulled through several near death experiences and rebounded quick, but a tumor in his mouth would've been a losing battle for him, especially being an old fat cat with arthritis and diabetes. Then a week later, my other cat, which I saw as my baby, was put down due to kidney failure… God, I still cry whenever I think about them…
Also have not been working for over six months, but I have not been let go or fired from my job. I don't know where I stand on this. Also where I have been living at has been getting worse the longer I've been there. Police are called out almost every two hours, and the area where I am at is making the local news pretty frequent as well for the wrong reasons.
Gets worse, as I lost the property manager who was doing her best to improve the conditions of where I am at and is replaced with one who isn't doing as much. The company that manages the place does not give a fuck about living conditions enough that they didn't bothering calling an exterminator for an ant infestation that has reached my apartment, which is on the second floor. Been three weeks since I called them last about it, and only managed to get them to take action when I got a third party involved to put pressure. Also, need to add that they prioritized landscaping over building security! They added rocks instead of the security cameras the place desperately needs! I want to move out right now, but can't due to being under lease and not being able to afford moving to a better place as well, which is tied to my job issue. It's a miracle I still have a place to call home. Plus my best friend was technically kidnapped. He is safe and sound so that's a relief.
Finally the lead singer of my favorite band, Chester Bennington of Linkin Park, commited suicide. The band's music really pulled me through my childhood, which at one point almost had me consider giving up on life because I was bullied everyday in almost every way possible before the internet really became mainstream. The news of Chester's passing really shook me to my core.
I was close to my breaking point there. And even seeing a therapist only helps so much. Don't worry, I have no suicidal thoughts or anything self-destructive. If anything, it's been having me think of some things that I've been putting off for far too long.
I'm sorry for that rant there everyone, but I needed to get this off my chest and so that you understand the situation that I have to deal with... I'm not going to stop writing, but just expect the next few chapters to come out slow for a while as I deal with all this. I greatly appreciate the patience you've all shown so far, and I ask that you continue to do so for the time being. Thank you, everybody. It means more to me than you realize.
Before I forget, I got a surprise for you guys, but to make it interesting, not going to say it here. You'll have to go check out a different story of mine that contains a blight of my past that I'm not proud of doing.