NO NEED TO FEAR! DOCTOWHODAT IS STILL HERE!

I dunno about you guys, but I feel like changing my name.

Edited: At first, I was thinking about expanding the flashback at the beginning, but instead I added a small line about horseradish that psuhes forward Pacifica's interests in the way I interpret her character evolving.

The Games Rich People Play

Chapter 3: The Billyonaire

DAY 1- 3:00 P.M.

The afternoon slowly dragged on as more people began pouring into the main ballroom. Pacifica was a bit surprised at how many people were already at the party.

By this point, other areas of the mansion had started opening up. While the main ballroom housed all the dance floor and food, the courtyard was providing entertainment. Numerous comedians, musicians and singers were lined up in the schedule, and guests were already spectating the acts. Pacifica also noticed a door leading to a large art room, with various pieces from all over the world.

Too bad she couldn't take part in any of that. No, Pacifica was forced to simply sit at a table and look like some kind of trophy. Though at this point she wasn't really surprised. Ever since the Northwest party incident she had become overly aware of how much her father valued her as a testament to his high status rather than his own flesh and blood. Her mother wasn't much better, being a passive yes-woman type of wife, and she seemed to care about her daughter's wellbeing as much as her husband.

She would like to say that she didn't care too much, but it hurt. It honestly hurt that her own parents saw her as nothing more than a tool for their own reputation. It hurt when she realized that at one point, she was on the path to take their place and become as heartless and self-obsessed as them. It hurt that she felt more comfortable with people completely unrelated to her.

Not that she hated her newfound friends, of course. If anything, they were the best thing to happen to her in a long time. Wendy had almost become like a big sister to her. Soos wasn't the wisest of individuals but he'd only truly feel bad if he didn't make you smile by the end of the day. The Grunkles were an interesting duo of old guys. Even though Stan liked to con people, he cared about the ones close to him. And Ford was always excited to show everyone scientific stuff he worked on.

Mabel had continued to be Pacifica's rival, but their rivalry was on far friendlier terms than it used to be. Things could get heated, sure, but their competitions were harmless to themselves and others. Besides, nothing against Mabel, but Pacifica was clearly the one with better fashion sense. Though she couldn't deny Mabel was still really innovative with her styles.

And then there was Dipper… She sighed.

Dipper Pines, the boy who used to hate her guts. Way back when, where Mabel had chosen not to hold a grudge, Dipper despised how she treated his sister. Any time they had met, they'd always fly into a battle of insults, usually having to do with her hair, and him being a dork. Nowadays, she couldn't really blame him. He was trying to stick up for his sister, after all.

But then, that night happened. Amazing how one ghost could change everything about your life in one night (though to her credit, at least she didn't need four like that old guy from that Christmas story). She still wasn't quite sure what happened during that party that caused them to warm up to each other quickly. They had started the night with their usual shtick, taking jabs at one another, but ended the night laughing together, and enjoying each other's presence. Maybe it was the near-death experience both of them had, or the adrenaline from all the running.

She hadn't seen much of him or Mabel after that. Or anyone really. Her father had been furious at how "terrible" the night had gone even though it had been the best party yet, and grounded her for the rest of the summer. If that weren't bad enough, some three-dimensionally challenged mad demon decided to plunge the town into an apocalypse. And the less details she remembered during that time, the better. She'd finally met up with the twins then, but everything that had happened had… left her in a foul mood, to put it nicely. She acted much like she did before, bossy and a bit hostile. She wasn't proud of it, but Mabel didn't hold it against her, and surprisingly neither did Dipper. When all that was done, the summer ended with the twins celebrating their birthday and going back home, her family having a "financial crisis", and Pacifica left to wonder what direction she was going to head in.

She gave her answer the next summer when she started hanging out with them a lot more, tricking her parents by saying she would be with her "school friends". Thus, she was finally able to meet up with Dipper once again. They turned into fast friends, and she joined him on his adventures whenever she got the chance. When Mabel went off to have her own adventures with Candy and Grenda, she'd often stay behind with him and whatever he was dealing with. They still had their verbal battles with each other, but they were based more on playful quips than biting insults.

The summer after that, Dipper and Mabel found themselves trying their damn best to make sure she could hang with them. Using their knowledge of the town's weirdness, they'd bust her out when she was under lock and key. That they would go out of their way to get her made her realize just how close their friendship had gotten.

But the summer before now, things had started to get complicated. One day, while Mabel was dealing with her own thing involving "vengeful unicorns", or something like that, Pacifica stayed behind with Dipper on a haunted factory case. There was a lot of running involved, and maybe some screaming. But that wasn't what had made things weird, oddly enough. Rather, it was the conversation they had at Susan's later.

"Still can't believe how violent they got after we said we liked ketchup." Pacifica tilted her head.

"Yeah, it's an issue when you own a Horseradish factory. They were rivals with an old ketchup factory, but it was a one-sided battle cause… well, Horseradish."

"Hey, you can do some great things with Horseradish. Especially when it comes to cocktail sauce. But you just can't slather it over everything like they suggested. Like, what the heck even is fried Horseradish? How do you even fry that? The cook in me is crying."

He pulled out some files detailing the rivalry. "The last records say the company tanked, so I'm guessing the triplet owners lost it… and judging by the horseradish on their ghostly forms, they all fell into one of their own vats."

"Eugh. That has to be the grossest way to go."

Dipper snickered. "Heh. You're making that face again."

"What? Am not." Pacifica denied.

"You did the "eugh" and everything."

She smiled. "No way. You're imagining things."

"Really? Then why are you so defensive about it?"

"Because a certain supernatural mystery dork likes to tease me about it." She replied, though it was playful.

Dipper raised his eyebrow. "Hey, I may be the mystery dork, but you're the one going on adventures with him."

She shrugged. "Touché." But following the dork was something she took pride in. If anything, she felt like she needed to go out of her way to see him. Her days just weren't complete nowadays if she didn't see him… she needed to look into his dark brown eyes and see him smile at her.

… w-wait, no. She just wanted to see him in general is all. That was it.

He pointed his fork at her. "Still, I wouldn't have known to look at the records in the first place if you hadn't suggested it. I was so sure they were vengeful workers of some kind. Never even thought they were the owners of the place."

"Aw come on, it's only cause my dad owns the mudflap factory."

"Don't sell yourself short, Paz, you're a certified business wiz. I know you've been studying that kind of stuff. You knew extensively all the business terms those ghosts were shouting about. And let's not forget who was the one that actually convinced them to go to the afterlife willingly." Paz blushed. "Telling them to become employees of hell and using their horseradish as a torture method... I'd consider that a really smart move."

And there he was, praising her again. She still didn't think it was that impressive, he was the smart one after all. That didn't mean she didn't feel good getting praise from him. He was kind, and caring, and when he complimented her it… it made her flutter inside…

…B-but that was just something he did for everyone he cared about. No need to get so worked up about it.

Dipper got up. "You know what? I'm ordering you a slice of pie. You deserve it."

"Come on, Dipper, you don't need to do that."

"Oh come on, it's your recipe! We both know you love it! You even gave it to Lazy Susan so you could have it when you were too tired to cook! So, too bad. Pie for you."

Pacifica chuckled. She still didn't think it was necessary. After all, Dipper was the one who got them out of most scrapes. Sure, he'd be scared, anyone would be, but he'd always brave through his fears to get everyone on the monster hunt to safety. Like in the factory, when they were surrounded by the three ghosts. He had used Mabel's (borrowed) grappling hook to shoot a line to the ceiling. Pacifica remembered how he'd dropped some important notes for his journal, just to make sure she wouldn't be left behind… and that wasn't the only time.

She drifted off into thought about it. Dipper was always the most determined to get her out of her parents house. She loved how much he wanted to help her. How he wanted to show her the world and all the weirdness it had to offer. She loved the exciting adventures they went on. She loved showing him all the new recipes she found from cooking competitions and famous chefs. She loved seeing her favorite symphonies, side by side with him. And she loved rocking out with him to his favorite metal bands (even if she didn't personally see the appeal of all of them by herself). That he could stand in the face of danger, yet still be as compassionate to those who needed it. And if she could indulge, his muscles were quite firm after years of mystery solving. She'd had the chance to feel them earlier when he was escaping with the grappling hook. She hoped Dipper hadn't seen her blush. Remembering she was still hanging with him, she pushed that thought out of her head to rid herself of another blush. She looked to Dipper to see if he noticed, but he was still waiting for her pie. She sighed in relief, and drifted back into her thoughts. Though... while she was happy to spend time with him, she couldn't help but feel... upset. He was going to go back home soon. And it would be another nine months before she got to see him again. Until then, it was back to dealing with vengeful schoolmates and handling her father's crap. She wouldn't mind spending more time with him beyond summer. In fact, she'd quite love that too.

Just then, a realization clicked in her mind. Pacifica's eyes slowly widened as she noticed that her thoughts in the last half hour had a recurring theme to them. Specifically, one word in particular.

Love.

"Oh no." She thought to herself.

It was at that point that she had realized she had fallen in love with him. Pacifica supposed it wasn't out of nowhere. She had been hanging out with him and his adorable nerdiness for a good few summers now, and only got closer to him as time went on. His antics were probably drilling into her heart since the end of that first summer.

And yet, it confused her at first. She couldn't get to sleep that one night, wondering how Dipper of all people managed to win her heart without even knowing it. Needless to say, she had to figure things out- Paz kept her feelings under wraps for a while until she knew what she wanted to do about it.

That was what spring break was supposed to be for. Pacifica wanted to confess this week (or at least try), but instead she was stuck on an island resort, millions of miles away, "living it up" with the rich and famous. And she couldn't even do anything on that island to pass the time, being under close watch by her father.

Oh well. At least she got to meet Mr. Wayne. He seemed like a pleasant man. With any luck, she could meet other people who had some heart…

*ahem*

Pacifica's thoughts ceased as she heard someone clear their throat. A young boy was standing right in front of her. He seemed to be around her age, and he was dressed incredibly fancy. Definitely trying to impress someone. And judging by the fact she was the only girl within his immediate vicinity, she could guess who that someone was.

"I couldn't help but notice that you were over here all by yourself." He strolled around the table until he was right next to her. "Such a beautiful girl shouldn't be alone on a night like this."

"Yeah, well, it happens sometimes. I think I'm fine, though." She replied, hoping he would get the hint.

"Nonsense, you shouldn't be on your own. Luckily, I'm here now to keep you company." Oh goody. That response alone told her how much he thought of himself as a Casanova. He clearly wouldn't be getting any hints of any kind.

The situation was beginning to make her uncomfortable. "That's… nice, but I don't even know your name."

"Charles Wright. The heir to Scimitar Weapons Industries." He gestured to her. "And you need no introduction, Pacifica Northwest. Your father's recent accomplishments have made your family very noticeable lately."

Great. Another bad side effect of Dad's "comeback". An increase in guys wanting to woo her. Not that it wasn't expected, she did look amazing after all. But she only had her eyes on one boy right now. "I can guarantee you that I'm quite okay. Good bye." She asserted. It wasn't so much a hint, more like a sign post to the face.

"And I guarantee you'll be even better with me here." He put on a smile that told Pacifica 'I'm trying really hard to look seductive and I don't know that it's way too obvious'.

This was getting tiresome. Pacifica had to think of a way to get rid of this douche before he ruined her night anymore. Taking a quick look around the room (disguised as an unimpressed "hmph"), she scouted the room for possible escape routes or distractions. After a few seconds, a unnoticeable grin grew on her face.

"Come now, Pacifica… can we get to know each other? A girl of your elegance would have much to talk about with a man of my stature."

Pacifica faked being slightly interested. "Well… I would, but I'm feeling somewhat parched. A dry throat is no way to carry a conversation."

"Allow me, my dear. I'll fetch you a drink." He insisted, heading off to the refreshment table. And right through a thick crowd of people. As soon as he pushed his way through, Pacifica immediately stood up and sped off into a large group of people herself. She didn't care if her father got a little miffed, she wasn't sticking around to wait for Narcissus himself to come back.

Thinking about the fake task she sent him on, it irked her a bit. He left to go get her some punch… but the way he hurriedly left to go get it told her a lot about his intentions. To him, it was a simple stepping stone to getting her into bed. By itself it wasn't anything to get that worked up over, but it reminded her of that day. Dipper got her a piece of pie because he wanted her to feel good, not himself. Strange how such small details could make her miss him.

Hmph. Well, she wouldn't be missing Mr. I'm-so-amazing at least, that's for sure.

…

…

…

"…wait a minute…" A stray thought crossed her mind. Had there really been only one guy taking interest in her? Once more she decided to take quick glances around the room. Surely enough, her instinct had been right. She had spotted more than several guys ogling her, all the while trying not to make themselves obvious.

Pacifica began walking even faster, cursing her good looks for betraying her.

30 minutes earlier…

"Rotten, spotlight-hugging useless dullards…." A young boy mumbled to himself, fixing his small tux as his limo took him up to the Whimsley estate. "I bust them out of jail, get them awesome equipment, and hand them vengeance on Ben Tennyson on a silver platter, and how do they repay me? By trying to steal leadership of my team, and doing their best to cook me when I don't comply! Honestly, it's like working with neanderthals!"

The stone-faced teenager with a short dress beside him spoke up. "Agreed, sir. But you shouldn't worry about those two now. You came here to relax, not work yourself up even more, Mr. Billions."

"Mazuma, please, I think I deserve to rant just a bit about that nonsense." The last thing Billy Billions wanted was to see those dunces ever again. If he never saw them again, it would be too soon. "But yeah… you're right. This is my vacation. A time to relax and meet new rich villain friends! No more worrying this week. Best of all, I can relish the thought that Tennyson could never even hope to get into a place like this!"

"That's the spirit, Master Billions!"

"Alright, now remember Mazuma: We can't do anything explicitly villainous or heroic while we're on this trip. Island security will permit you and your functions so long as it's only for my sake, and my sake alone. And of course, my sake does not include said villainous activity."

Mazuma nodded robotically. "Of course, sir. I'm running through Island rules. I will set up countermeasures to prevent either of us from breaking any you may forget."

Billy gave her a look at the "you may forget" part. "I swear, I may not have programmed sass into you, but it almost feels like you have it sometimes."

"Apologies, Master Billions."

Billy waved his hand, not caring anymore. He noticed the Whimsley out the window. "Ah, almost there! That place is gonna be filled to the brim with my type of people, Mazuma."

Mazuma still analyzing files, replied. "It will be hard to impress them, Master Billions."

"Impress them? Ha! Please. I don't grovel or beg to people, Mazuma. Especially in light of recent events. If anything, I'll make sure they'll have to impress me!" He clenched his fist in pride. "And no one on this island is gonna change that."

"Mr. Billions! I see you made it!" Horace Whimsley said to Billy, pulling out his hand.

Billy shook it very pridefully. "Well, obviously. A party like this can't be devoid of my grandness you know." Billy suddenly turned his head, thinking he heard someone snicker at him.

"Right…" He rolled his eyes while the kid wasn't looking. "Now, Mr. Billions, I'm sure you're aware of our rules, right?"

Billy turned back to Whimsley. "Honestly, Mr. Whimsley, I'm appalled you would assume the worst of me." He ignored the "really?" look the host gave him.

A grin came over Whimsley's face, as if he remembered something funny. "Well, regardless, I know someone's definitely keeping their eye on you tonight, along with my security. So behave."

The heck did that mean? Oh well, Billy had other things to focus on. "Mazuma, search for a group filled with tech savvy individuals like myself." He picked up a glass of non-alcoholic punch from a servant's plate.

Mazuma's eyes begin scanning the surrounding area, before stopping on a group of five individuals. "Those five are of various companies specializing in technological fields, including Scimitar Weapons, Farson Inc., Metropolitan Mechs, and Wayne Enterprises."

Billy nearly spat out his drink at that. Bruce Wayne of all people was here?! "Bruce Wayne? He'll surely be impressed by my dominant personality! It's the perfect group to interact with."

Mazuma raised an eyebrow. "Forgive me sir, but I thought you weren't going to "grovel"?"

"Oh, come on Mazuma. I'm not kissing up to anybody, I'm just showing them how amazing I am! Besides, I know the works of the other four. It'll be easy to take those fellas down a notch." He rebutted, walking towards the group. Mazuma merely shrugged.

As they got closer, Billy could hear Wayne speaking to the other four. "I'm sorry, but I'm really not interested. All departments are too busy on other things anyhow." He had been mostly saying this to a chubby one, whom Billy recognized as the owner of Farson Inc.

"All I'm asking for is a bit of research notes, Mr. Wayne."

"Yes, but from the medical and biotech branches, Mr. Farson. You've given me very little reason as to why a weapons industry would need medical info. I'm sorry, but no."

"Bah…"

"Well then Mr. Wayne, perhaps you could assist Scimitar Weapons with our latest police weaponry. Nothing lethal, by the way. We could use some expertise from some of your branches." This one came from a middle-aged man, whom Billy knew as Johnathan Wright. Next to him was his wife. Billy took this as an opportunity to intervene.

"If your previous models are anything to go by, then you need his help more than you think, Mr. Wright." Wright jumped a bit from the sudden entrance of the small teen.

A little miffed by his remark, Wright was more confused by his presence than anything. "…And… who are you exactly?"

"Billy Billions." Before Billy could even react, Wayne spoke up instead. "Son of Caru and Janatha Billions of Bellwood. I've heard of your work. Including your most recent work." Eugh, not good. Had word about that really gotten around so quickly? He'd thought it'd be mostly local knowledge at this point.

"Where have I heard that name before…" Farson Inc.'s CEO was lost in thought.

"Ah, yes, the well-known philanthropists. Always travelling the world from what I hear." That came from the CEO of Metropolitan Mechs. "Which begs the question… where are your parents, little boy?" She narrowed her eyes at him.

Billy clenched his fists. "Unimportant. They're not here, that's all you have to know." He didn't notice Wayne frown slightly. "Then again it's not as if they need to be here. Despite what you may think, I'm not a little boy. I'm seventeen, thank you. I am perfectly capable of attending this event on my own."

"Seventeen? Please."

"I agree with that sentiment." Wright proclaimed. "After all, you certainly sound like a young child who has no idea what he's talking about."

"Do I, Mr. Wright?" Billy pretended to go into thought. "If I remember right, your company's weaponry has been known to malfunction constantly. Now, in a town like yours, filled to the brim with crime, one would speculate that might be intentional. But don't worry, I don't assume such bad implications Mr. Wright. Because if one were to look closely at your products, they would realize it's more incompetence than anything." Wright was struggling to keep himself from bursting out in anger, drawing the group's attention from Wayne, who just shook his head. Billy simply smirked.

"I remember now!" The Farson Inc. CEO suddenly shouted, taking Billy by surprise. "Billy Billions, the boy who came back from another dimension, stuck in the body of a child! Hahaha- Your body doesn't age!" Billy's eyes widened.

Hearing this, Wright's anger slowly changed to laughter of his own. His wife and the owner of Metropolitan Mechs soon followed suit. "Oh, now that is priceless. Here you are talking down to me about weapons, and yet you can't even figure out how to turn yourself back to normal!" He continued to laugh. Billy was beginning to get infuriated.

"That's not the same thing you dolt! Building a machine to correct my temporal disfigurement is a hell of a lot more complicated than making a damn peashooter!" This didn't stop them from laughing more.

"Temporal disfigurement! What a hoot!" Billy was getting very close to building a makeshift death ray at this point, and that only increased as Wright continued. "And what's this young lady? I thought she was real at first, but then I noticed the eyes! What, did you have to build yourself a babysitter?" Now Mazuma was angry. She could just fire one eye laser, right at this moment…

Wayne stepped in front of them, preventing anything drastic from happening. "Mr. Billions, perhaps it's best to leave. After all, you did provoke the situation."

"I… what? I'm the smartest out of any of these idiots!"

Wright got a bit angry again. "Really now-"

Wright was cut off by Wayne. "However, I do believe this returned pettiness is unwarranted for a frustrating problem of yours." The others finally stopped, clearly not wanting to look bad in front of him. "Maybe it's best if you two avoided each other for the remainder of the weekend."

Billy looked at him for a few seconds, scrutinizing his face. "…Very well, Mr. Wayne. I'll be on my way. After all, I don't want to do anything that will prevent me from enjoying this island's many attractions." He began walking away, Mazuma following. "After the event, however…" He whispered, and Wayne's eyes narrowed.

After getting a good way's away, Billy began ranting. "The nerve of those assholes… I've got something in store for them for sure once this week is over. They'll see what happens when they make fun of Billy Billions."

"You must relax, sir. As Mr. Wayne said, we should probably not get worked up over insults from those who craft inferior robotics."

"I know." Billy replied, a bit aggravated. "Still, I'll have to thank Mr. Wayne for shutting them up, at least."

"And if I may add, Master Billions…" Billy turned his head to her. "Attempting to exact vengeance outside the resort may attract the attention of Tennyson and the plumbers."

Billy snapped his fingers, just now remembering that. "Drat! You're right. Outside the resort, they'll be keeping a close eye on me. Those ingrates might as well of gotten off scot-free." Billy pinched the bridge of his nose. "Oh well. Minus this aggravation, I still got the rest of this week to have a whole plethora of fun. Not even Tennyson can annoy me now."

"Man, these things are delicious!" Another voice rang out from Billy's right, freezing him in his tracks. Mazuma's eyes widened. Both of the recognized that voice very well.

"Should you really be consuming so many of those?"

"Yeah, you're gonna give yourself a stomachache."

"I can't help it! There's something about pigs in blankets that makes them taste so good! I think it's the buttery croissant they wrap the little dogs in."

Billy just stood there, trying to comprehend the voices partaking in this conversation. The familiar voices continued.

"I am confused. Are they dogs or pigs? I had assumed that eating domestic canines was frowned upon."

"No Rook, it's just a weird name they've gotten. They're made from pigs. No dogs in those sausages."

"I see. Still, perhaps you should slow down?"

"What, did you and Julie want some?"

"Eh… I think I'll pass this time Ben."

The last word echoed in Billy's mind. "Ben. Ben. Ben. Ben. BEN."

No.

No, no.

"No no no no no no…" Billy kept repeating in his head as he stormed through the crowd, Mazuma trailing behind. "No, please, no, for the love of whatever god there was, NO-"

As he emerged from the sea of people, he was distraught to find his worst-case scenario come true. A brown-haired teen with a green and black shirt, and a futuristic looking watch, scarfing down hors d'oeuvres. Or to put it simply, the one and only Ben Tennyson.

"Tennyson?!" Billy shouted in disbelief, which caught said hero's attention. "What are you doing here?!"

Ben nearly choked on the small sausages he had been eating. His girlfriend Julie, the one wearing a pink dress, handed him a glass of water. "You?! Didn't we arrest you a month ago?"

"I… apologize." His cat-like humanoid partner, Rook, spoke up. "It seems it slipped my mind, but I had meant to tell you that Billy was released early because he had paid bail. But I had not anticipated him to be here."

Billy crossed his arms. "Yeah, well, join the club catboy."

"Revonnahgander."

"Whatever. Now can someone explain to me how you three rags managed to get into a place full of riches?!" Billy pointed his finger at Ben. "Hero or no, no one can get in here without being invited, and to be invited, you have to be rich! The superhero angle doesn't cut it Tennyson, so unless you somehow won the lottery, I fail to see how you got here."

Ben smirked. "Thing is Billy, we did get invited. True, being a superhero alone doesn't get you free access, but you can still get in if you were invited by someone else who was invited."

"That is true. Part of the reason why superheroes cannot simply come in is because not all of them have the budget to participate in the establishments of the island. But an old friend of Ben's has invited us along with him, and is funding our recreational activities here, so long as we agree not to take part in Plumber or Superhero business during our stay."

Billy arched an eyebrow. "Really? Sloppy, idiotic Tennyson managed to make a blueblood friend? Who the hell would invite someone like you to a high-class event?"

"Why not ask him yourself?" Ben pointed behind Billy. Looking behind him, Billy discovered that his first day here only kept getting worse.

"Eddie GrandSmith?!"

"Hey Ben! I was just talking to Whimsley and-" Eddie stopped, noticing the diminutive Billions in his path. "Oh. Billions. Just when I was hoping I wouldn't see you again."

"Of course someone like you would invite Ben."

"Well, his team had been working hard, and I hadn't caught up with Ben in a while." He shrugged. "Then again, you wouldn't get how good of a person he is, would you?"

"Hardly. My unaging body will support that."

The group behind him groaned. Julie came to the defense of her boyfriend. "Billy, all of us are really sorry about what happened to you, but that's bullshit. What happened to you was your own fault."

"I agree." Rook stepped forward as well. "If anything, Ben would have more of a reason to be angry with you. Had you succeeded, Ben would have been transported to Dimension 12 with his family none the wiser."

"Yeah, well it didn't. Your stupid diamond skull reflected it back at me, so I'm the one who's rightfully angry."

Ben stopped Rook and Julie before they could continue. "Guys, just give it up. I've been through this with him several times before, and he just won't listen." Ben then focused on Billy himself. "However, he certainly is my responsibility in one way. I'll be keeping my eye on you Billy."

"Newsflash Tennyson, you don't need to. This island's security already keeps close watch of heroes and superheroes. I couldn't plan anything even if I tried. And you couldn't "go hero" without getting kicked out either."

"He doesn't need to." GrandSmith interrupted. "There is such a thing as "reporting", you know."

Billy realized this must have been what Whimsley had meant. He threw his hands up in the air. "Unbelievable. Just another thing you've decided to ruin for me, Mr. 10."

"You mean like when you tried to ruin me by turning the public against me just last week?"

"And it would of worked had those geezers not-" Billy would have gone on, had it not been for the fact that someone bumped into him and nearly pushed him over. Righting himself, he turned to see a teen girl, quickly walking away. "Hey, watch where you're going!"

When the girl turned around, however, Billy felt as if he had been hit by a truck. It was almost as if the world around him blurred as he looked at the girl in front of him. She had beautiful blond hair, that went down past her shoulders. Even from a few feet away, he could tell it was soft by how shiny it was. Her blue eyes sparkled, and Billy could swear they were as blue as the ocean. She had a dazzling purple dress, which emphasized certain… parts of her figure. Needless to say, Billy was dumbstruck.

"Sorry." She said to him, in a very beautiful voice. "I just need to be somewhere quickly."

"Take me with you." Billy thought, lost in her beauty. What came out instead was less comprehensible. "I… you…uh-uhm… s'okay." The girl smiled, then left through the next crowd. Just like that, she was gone as quickly as she had arrived.

"Great, what are you gonna do now? Zap her with a kid ray?" Billy jumped when he heard his nemesis talk again.

"H-huh?!"

"I would not put it past him." Rook added. "Considering how unreasonable he is." Wait, use a kid ray on her? Never. Such an angelic person couldn't be inconvenienced with something like that. She was amazing. He had to find her. He could start in the direction she had gone in…

"Maybe we should just stay close to him, just in case." Julie recommended.

"Oh right. I can't go anywhere with those jerks around." He thought for a second, wondering how he could distract him. An idea formed in his mind. "Mazuma!"

"Yes sir?" He gestured for her to listen closely, and whispered in her ear. "Of course." Her eyes turned red, and she walked towards Ben and Rook.

"The hell are you up to, Billions?" Ben said, getting in a defensive stance, Rook doing the same.

She stopped right in front of them, raised her arms, and…

"Mr. Tennyson and Rook! I offer a hug of apology in response to our behavior!"

Ben and Rook were caught off guard by this, and lowered their arms a bit. Both of them replied in unison. "Wha-?"

Seeing her chance, Mazuma wrapped them in her arms lightning fast, and proceeded to give them that hug. A hug that held them in place with great strength.

"Grk!" Ben said, losing a bit of air in the process. Neither he nor Rook could get out unless they resorted to using the watch or Rook's proto-tool, both of which were forbidden and not on person respectively. Julie and Eddie were doing their best to get the two out, with no success.

As the two of them were being crushed by "affection", Ben noticed one thing missing from this scenario- a certain rich boy who had it in for him. "Crud… he's gon-ack!" Ben said as Mazuma finally released the two of them. "It was a distraction…" He said in a daze.

"So it would seem." Rook said in the same state.

Julie cringed as she knelt down beside the two. "Yikes. That might hurt in the morning."

Billy chuckled as he made his way past various people and groups. That was almost too easy. A little payback at Ben and a chance to find the mystery girl. Maybe this night would begin to look up after all!

Or maybe not. He'd been searching for about ten minutes now, and couldn't find a trace of her. He was beginning to get a little discouraged. And he had such high hopes this night would turn around…

Getting a bit cramped inside the crowd of people, he made his way to the "outskirts" of the ballroom to get a fresh breath. If security wasn't so tight, he could get a cambot to look around. Unfortunately, he couldn't and it seemed he would have to give up…

That is, until he noticed movement from behind a pillar a little bit away. "Could that be…?"

Sure enough, as he got closer, he found it to be the same girl. Why on earth was she hiding? Well, she hadn't seemed to notice him yet, so it was time for him to work his charismatic magic and go introduce himself.

As he approached, he noticed she was apparently on the lookout for something. Perhaps a friend or…? Later. "Hello!" The girl jumped a bit, not expecting him. As soon as she looked at him though, his confidence seemed to crumble. "O-oh, sorry, I was just wanting to say hi, cause I didn't before, a-and well, here I am, so um.. uh…"

"…You wanted to say hi?"

"Yes! Yeah, hello, hi, how are you, I-I-I mean, I'm… Hello! Uh, not that I am hello, my name is Billy's… I mean, my name is Billion Billys, I mean Billious Bins, I-I mean uh…" The girl was just staring at him, likely wondering what was happening. He cleared his throat. "What I'm trying to say is, my name is Billy Billions."

The girl was silent for a second, and then slowly smiled. "Well, it's nice to meet you. I'm Pacifica Northwest." She offered a handshake. Billy's legs nearly melted as he shook it. "So… not to sound rude, but can I ask what you need?"

"Me? Well I, um, uh… I wanted to apologize. I was a bit hostile earlier."

"Oh, that? It's fine honestly. I should've been more careful not to knock you over kid."

"Kid?" Usually Billy would get mad, but here he was worried instead. "Oh! No no no. I'm older than I look."

"Really?" Pacifica asked, eyebrow raised.

"Yeah, honestly! Truthfully! Cross my heart and hope to die! Well, not really, but you know…"

Pacifica chuckled. "Right." She looked back toward the center of the ballroom, but stiffened as she did so. "Shit." She scooted farther behind the pillar.

"What's wrong?" Billy inquired.

"Hurry, pretend you don't see me." She whispered to him. That would be hard to for him, but he did it anyway. He whistled and look at random places around the room, trying to act natural. Another young man strolled by, giving Billy a quick glance. He kept going though, paying him no heed.

"Did the teenage guy with a cup of punch go by?" Pacifica asked him.

"Uh, yeah."

"Good." She emerged from the pillar, but not completely. "That jerk has been trying to cozy up to me. He just won't take a hint."

"Have you tried leaving the ballroom?"

"Let's just say I'm kinda stuck in this room for now and leave it at that."

Billy looked back at the retreating figure, and pondered for a moment. A few seconds later, he received another great idea. "What if he was the one who went to another room?"

"I doubt it. He seems pretty confident that I'll be here for a while. And he's kind of right."

"But not if he sees you go somewhere else." Billy rebutted.

Pacifica raised an eyebrow again. "So… lure him away? How would you do that?"

"Give me a sec." He pressed a button on his wristwatch. Only a few seconds later, Pacifica was stunned by the arrival of another person, a tall blonde girl. "Uh, before we go on… Mazuma, our friends are still getting "refreshments", right?"

"Indeed sir."

"Alright then! Pacifica, my android assistant Mazuma, Mazuma, my new friend Pacifica."

"Android?"

"Oh yeah, I'm a robotics expert. I designed her myself."

Pacifica wasn't sure what to think of that. "Uh…"

Billy seemed to realize what he said, and struggled to correct himself. "I mean, to be my bodyguard! She protects me and stuff."

"And I help get him required items from the top shelves." Mazuma added.

"Yeah, that too!" In his haste, he only realized after he said that how embarrassing it sounded. He pinched the bridge of his nose again. "Ugh…"

"So…" Pacifca wanted to change the subject. "How will she help us?"

"Easy. Watch this!" He whispered in Mazuma's ear, and she nodded. Her eyes locked onto Pacifica (which made her feel a bit nervous), and began transforming. Her hairstyle changed, and her dress became longer. Before long, Pacifica was looking at… herself.

"Huh. That could work."

"You're… taking this a bit better than I thought." Billy noted.

"Let's just say I've experienced weirder." Billy and Mazuma-Paz looked at each other, and merely shrugged.

"Um… so I probably need to keep an eye on Mazuma, to make sure no funny business happens… will I see you later tonight?"

"Sure. Anyone who can help me ditch jerkish creeps are good in my book. After all, you already did proclaim me as your friend."

Billy's eyes widened. "Oh s-s-sorry, I didn't mean…" He was stopped when Pacifica put a hand on his shoulder.

"It's fine. Thank you, Billy."

Billy was dumbstruck again. "No… no problem."

Pacifica eyes caught sight of a certain someone once again. "Crap, here he comes!" She nearly dove back behind the pillar, and Billy snapped out of his stupor.

"Alright Mazuma, initiate plan "Fakeout Lure"! I'll follow right behind what's-his-face."

"Charles Wright." Pacifica said from her spot.

"Yeah, Charles Wright!"

"Yes sir!" She left towards on of the large exits, making sure she got Wright's attention. While waiting for him to notice her, Billy suddenly realized what Pacifica said.

"…Wait, what was his name?"

"Charles Wright. His dad is the guy that owns Scimitar Weapons."

"Pacifica! Wait, my darling!" Said heir to Scimitar Weapons shouted in the distance.

Billy looked back at the young man as he chased after Mazuma. He grew an evil grin. "Well. I might have even more fun with this than I thought." He muttered as he followed Wright through the exit.

Pacifica watched Billy disappear, finally giving her a chance to relax. That took out one of her potentially annoying followers. The rest hadn't made a move, so she could only assume they were nervous or that they decided they were "unimpressed" with her.

She was glad she was able to make a new friend, despite her being 99% sure the kid had a crush on her (now she knew how Wendy felt with Dipper). Regardless, he'd been a pretty nice guy. She'd have to make sure to find him again, somehow.

She considered going back to her seat, but by now her dad would have already noticed she was gone, so there was little point. So, she might as well go see what else the night had to offer. Especially now that Wright couldn't bother her. But if he did manage to bother her again, she knew she would have to be very firm, and get him off her back once and for all. She already loved someone else, and no cocky daddy's boy was going to change that.

But for now, a glass of punch. Ironically, trying to avoid the guy actually did make her thirsty.

Two down, two to go. For those of you who guessed Billy Billions, awesome.

Now before I go on, yes, I said there would be no crossover pairings. But as you've probably guessed from the dialogue, Billy's crush is gonna be little one-sided, and I don't really consider those types of things "pairings" so to speak.

Also, my first attempt at writing someone falling in love. Or rather two people. I hope it wasn't too cringey. I'll do my best to get better.

I suppose I should explain the Ben 10 continuity, cause that might seem a bit confusing how I have Omniverse elements and yet Julie's still Ben's girlfriend.

As I've said in a previous chapter, I came to realize that I despise Omniverse…

For the most part.

While I certainly hate it more than other shows I think are bad, it's certainly not the worst thing ever, and did a few things I like. (it's still pretty bad though). Among them are:

-Billy Billions, obviously. Aziz Ansari as a time-stunted kid villain is brilliant. (fun fact, the names I picked for Billy's parents reflect Ansari's Tamil background)

-Rook, as I've said.

-While I felt a lot of worldbuilding was contradictory or started to make things "crowded", there were certainly interesting ideas in there.

-New transformations were fine.

-and I actually really like Derrick J. Wyatt's diverse artstyle. (though some of his artistic choices did baffle me)

But on to what's different from that continuity:

First off, Ben isn't an absolute jerk now, and definitely not a chick magnet. After the Ultimate Alien finale, he's done his best to drop his arrogant attitude, though still antagonizes his enemies during a fight, and has snarky behavior. Just like the Ben in UA said, he's also come to regret his fame. We'll see later how much so. And finally, he's still no genius, nor is he the most organized guy around, but he'll focus on the mission when he needs to.

Secondly, Julie. 1. I really couldn't get behind Ben and Kai's relationship. Their bickering was too annoying, and I never really believed they had feelings for each other. Sure, the show told me, but I couldn't believe it. 2. I think Julie got gypped. I'll agree, UA kinda fucked up their relationship, but putting her on a bus in OV didn't really feel right. Especially since the writers would always say that they used OV as an opportunity to fix things. Anyway, after the mess with Diagon, she's taken up the call and decide to become a plumber herself. So she, Ben and Rook are a three man team.

With that out of the way, I'll see you next time with our third guest.