Chapter 3 Trouble in Hell
It was an empty space where Ben was placed, giving him the sign that it was a dream, but his own thought wouldn't allow him to truly be convinced.
"It's been a while, hasn't it been Ben." A familiar voice to only yours truly spoke. He turned around to first notice the blood red hair and bright aqua eyes.
"Rias." He was surprised to see her. "I missed you." He said.
"I did to Ben, but it will be alright now, you can join us, forever and ever and ever and ever…" Ben was confused by her repetitiveness until a Xenocyte crawled on her head and began to morph her right in front of him.
"Rias, get it off you!" He shouted. He tried to save her but the DNAliens grabbed him from behind by the shoulders and held him in place. He tried to fight but they were unusually strong.
"Join us Ben, let's take the world for our own!" Her voice was raspy as she was a DNAlien herself.
Ben shot up from his bed in a state of panic. He looked over to see Koneko resting next to him. Still shaken a bit, he got up find something to eat to see if he could get more shut eye. He opened the fridge to find very little, he took some juice and poured a cup
Kevin was asleep on the couch until he heard some sort of scuffle towards the kitchen. Being careful he snuck up to the room after absorbing some wood. He heard steps coming his way and swung his fist around to see Ben ducking under his attack. He slipped under his reach and twisted Kevin's arm.
"Your not really good at making a sneak attack." Ben said a bit irritated.
"I thought I was found, give me a break." Kevin said. Ben released him after he got rid of the wood as a body.
"Trust me, enemies are the last place to come here." Ben said with confidence.
"How can you be so sure?" Kevin asked.
"Defences, a friend gave me a little plumber tech keep my family and I safe." He said. The two then got something to eat, though Ben was reluctant to talk but the silence became awkward.
"After we left you in hell, where were you?" Ben asked.
"I was taken to the null void by the plumbers during clean up, criminals and monsters have to go somewhere." Kevin said as if he didn't like the question.
"The Null Void?" Ben said.
"Basically a dimension to hold criminals, the plumbers use the void as a first hand prison for the people they catch." Kevin said.
"Doesn't sound fun." Ben said.
"It wasn't exactly my idea, but I was the one that turned into a monster." Kevin said taking a sip. Ben raised his eyebrow. He wasn't expecting Kevin to actually take responsibility for his actions.
"Well, I guess you already served your sentence, you really don't have to make anything up for me, or anyone else." Ben said. He gets that Kevin feels endangered by the invasion, but why does he insist on help him?
"My father was a plumber, until he died during the war." He said.
"The war?" Ben stated.
"Yeah, oh right, you were sleeping through the whole thing." Kevin stated.
"It's not like I wanted to, my whole body was caught on fire, and people were desperate to keep me alive." He said.
"Yeah, my dad's life didn't have much meaning huh." Kevin said. Ben was caught off guard by that, but deep down, he already felt that way for a long time.
"Kevin I…" Ben said.
"Forget it, just let me know when were going to the underworld." He said leaving the room to lay back on the couch.
Ben went back to his room with even more burden to carry. Was Kevin still mad at him, was that why he was mad in the first place? Is he trying to help to become a plumber. If that was the case, why was he working with the forever knights. He could only yawn as the late snack gave him the peace he needed to sleep again. He crept back into the covers and closed his eyes.
After what feels like a second, Ben flipped his eyelids open in reaction of light leaking into his vision. There was no more time to rest, he sat up and woke up Koneko making her yawn in the cutest way possible.
"Are you feeling well rested?" Ben asked.
"Mhmm." She nodded.
"Let's go." Ben said. The two went downstairs to see Kevin and Gwen ready to go.
"I'm not sure what waits for us on the other side, but I know that we have a mission, that is to find Rias and the damage the DNAliens have caused. Not sure how bad it will get, which is why I need your help, both of you." Ben said. He held his hand out as Gwen did the same.
"You in Kevin?" Ben asked. He shook his head.
"I might regret this, but…" Kevin pace his hand on Gwen's.
"What about me?" Koneko spoke up. "I want to see if my sister is okay." She said.
"You just got out of their influence." Ben said.
"I don't care, I know where we were the last time I saw Rias, and I'm tired of just watching, I want to help." She said. Ben smiled and nodded. He was glad that Koneko was still willing to help, though he was still a bit worried about her. She then summoned the magic circle and it enveloped the team.
After a brief moment the light was gone. Ben looked around to see a place he hardly recognized. Hell, what was normally beautiful weather year round, was now a freezing winter wonderland with snow coming down by the foot. Ben shivered, not from the cold, he had an eerie feeling in his gut. This was all wrong.
"Was it like this when you were here last?" Ben asked Koneko, but he saw the same expression on her face as he did his.
"No, last time, we were hunting down strays, and we were ambushed, but that was before we knew about those things." She said turning to the forest next to their current position. She began to walk forward without any words, and with a fast pace too. Ben and the others followed her as he figured it was the last place she remembered.
A few hills later, Koneko stopped and looked around frantically. She turned around to Ben and shook her head in despair.
"We were here when they attacked." She said. Ben looked around to see that there was no trace of a struggle left. Nothing but a foot and half of snow covering everything like a blanket. Ben stopped to think.
"If hell is being taken over, then the first place we should scout is estate. Maybe Sirzechs is hold up there." Gwen said.
"That, if he wasn't taken over." Ben said. "It's a place to start though." He said before he heard high pitched scream from behind him. One of those things grabbed Ben from behind and kept him in a tight squeeze. He mustered his strength in attempt to break free, but it useless.
"Ben!" Gwen yelled before shooting the thing in the back of the head with her magic.
"That's not right, I can usually throw those things." Ben said. He took a closer look at them though. He noticed that red glowing spots were breaking out from its skin, or whatever you could call it. "Whatever that was, it seems like the DNAliens found a way to stand against devils." He concluded, but it was not over.
More of the horrific sound came out of the bushes and began to surround the team. Ben reached for the omnitrix and pressed the dial. He scrolled for a second and slammed the watch activating the transformation once again.
His skeletal structure was the first to morph. His spinal cord curled making him out to be some sort of primate. He grew an extra set of arms and eyes. Small fangs grew while he was covered in blue hair.
"Spidermonkey!" He shouted before jumping in the air and pouncing off one of those Devil Aliens and sending a web to make it unable to move. He used his end like a rope and swung it around him clearing a space and sending the two other flying to the trees. With a go, the others began to fight. Kevin absorbed wood, while Gwen unleashed her magic. Koneko however was having trouble with their increased strength, catching her right hooks and throwing her against the trees.
"Fine." She whispered under her breath. Her cat ears and cat tails appeared before she sent a ball of energy clearing them in one swoop.
"Oo oo, that's new." Spidermonkey said.
"A trick my sister taught me." She said. By then the Devil Aliens fled, the sounds soon died and all was left was the powerful wind blowing thru the air.
"Now that, that's taken care of let's get to the…" Spidermonkey was interrupted when he stepped into a snare and was get dragged into the bushes at high speed.
"Ben!" Koneko yelled and the three chased after him.
Spidermonkey struggled as he was getting dragged across the snow until he fell down a hole. He landed pretty hard into what looked like a makeshift shelter underground. He shook his head in a daze and saw a group in shady cloaks surrounding him.
"Who are you? What's your business?" One of the hooded figures said in a feminine voice.
"I should be the one asking the questions lady!" What's the deal with the trap and dragging me down here?" Spidermonkey said.
"Wait, look." One of the others pointed at the omnitrix on his chest. Everyone gasped and Spidermonkey was confused. They all took their hoods off. The first thing he noticed was the long red hair falling out of the hood. His heart dropped when his vision cleared.
"Ben?" She said before Spidermonkey changed back.
"Rias." Ben said before getting up to hug her before falling flat on his face from the trap. "Oww." He whimpered in embarrassment. He looked up with a bloody nose to see her, Akeno, Irina, Xenovia, Rose, and Kiba.
"Oh sorry." Rias snapped her fingers and the snare snapped in half. Ben jumped up and tackled Rias in a tight hug.
"I was so worried, I thought you might have been taken." Ben said. Rias gently pushed away.
"So you know?" Rias asked.
"Yeah, I do, after I saw Koneko I…" He was interrupted by the sound of people falling behind him.
"Have we ever thought jumping, oh I don't know, one at a time?" Kevin said as Koneko climbed off of him and Gwen. Rias rushed passed Ben and hugged her.
"I was so worried, I thought I would never see you again!" Rias said worryingly.
"I'm okay President, thanks to Ben." Koneko said. Rias turned to Ben only about halfway.
"Thank you, for saving her, but now's not a good time for a reunion." Rias said without any eye contact. Ben thought it was only in his head, but didn't she seem a bit cold?"
"Oh, well I, um." With her expression, Ben didn't know what to say so he changed the subject.
"After saving Koneko, she told me what went down here, so I'm here to help in anyway I can. Plus, Grandpa Max went missing, and I need to find him too." Ben said.
"Max isn't missing, he was just here a few days ago, said he needed to go back to the human world to take care of the threat there, so he left everything to us." Kiba spoke.
"Well if any case I'm here to help." Ben said.
"We have it under control, the best thing for you to do is go back home." Rias said sounding exactly like she's trying to push him away. In fact, everyone seemed to be a bit cold towards him.
"I'm not sure I understand. Isn't hell taken over?" Ben asked.
"No, just the important parts, the sapped our devil's magic to make those things more powerful, and to create the non stop blizzard." Xenovia stated.
"Okay then, I can just get rid of that and we can rush into a full on attack." Ben said.
"I already have it figured out Ben, we have the situation under control, now go home." Rias said in irritation. She turned her back to Ben spacing the gap he didn't know about until now. Irina then placed a hand on his shoulder getting his attention.
"Let's do something about your nose." She said.
In the next room Ben and Irina had the space to themselves. She was tending to Ben's bloody nose, but that wasn't his concern.
"Are you mad at me too?" Ben popped the question.
"I'm not, but it seems like the others are holding something against you it seems." Irina answered.
"But I came here to help, why would they be cold to me, I mean were family." Ben stated.
"Believe us when we say we have this under control. Yes we have issues, but Rias already made a plan to fight back, I just pray that everything gets back to normal." She said putting the medical supplies away. The certain opened up to show Akeno.
"Hey Akeno." Ben said weakly.
"Rias says that it's best for you to leave as soon as possible, Koneko regained her magic so she's gonna see you off." She explained. Ben sighed.
Kevin and Gwen were waiting for Ben before he stepped outside with Koneko and Rias.
"Before I go let me ask you, what's the real reason why you want me to leave?" Ben asked.
"There's no reason for you to be here, everything is set, and Grandpa is tying up loose ends. There's no reason to go out of retirement for us." Rias stated. Was she mad because he wasn't here sooner?
"If I knew you were in trouble I would've been here sooner." Ben stated.
"Well you weren't and because of that, Kuroka Koneko, my brother. They've all been taken over by those things, but it doesn't matter now, I have a plan to take care of them, and at this point you have no reason to be here." She said. Ben's heart was beginning to crack. It wasn't his fault. He didn't know, yet Rias is mad at him.
The teleport circle formed under Ben, Gwen, and Kevin, but something didn't seem right.
"Are you okay?" Gwen asked.
"Last time they were at war I was in a coma, even though I couldn't do anything I still hate my self for not helping." Ben said. Rias stopped as he heard him.
"The pain and loss everyone had to go through, I still carry it with me. I even wanted to stop and stay in the estate forever, not having anything to do with being a hero again." Ben stepped outside the circle as Gwen and Kevin were transported out.
"But this time, I'm not leaving."
"Ben stop." Rias felt her walls hold no power over his words.
"This time is different, I'm right here." He raised his voice.
"Please, just go home." Rias felt teary eyed.
"And as long as I live, even if I have to carry the burden again, so be it." He stepped up to to her.
"Anything, to protect you." Ben grabbed Rias and kissed her on the lips. Somehow Rias didn't even try to fight. A tear went down her cheek as she kissed him back. She just wanted to be with Ben again. She misses sleeping next to him and coddling when his guard is down, she still yearned for him. He broke the kiss and smiled before slamming on his dial, turning him into Jetray before taking off into the sky.
"Rias, what happened?" Akeno and the others ran out of the shelter after hearing the sound of something going faster than the speed of sound.
"That idiot." She cried smiling. "I guess he's still our Ben after all."
Jetray flew towards the city as the blizzard was getting thicker after each second. He had to descend a bit before the wind picked him up and threw him off course. He squinted trying to look through the whiteout condition before seeing a large metal tower that stuck out like a sore thumb.
Meanwhile in the Gremory estate, a Devil Alien sprinted towards the Devil King's office and bursted through the door.
"Master, we have an unidentified flying species heading straight for the tower." He yelled in a panic before getting knocked in the face. The fist belonged to who was supposed to be Sirzechs, but he was deformed, similar to Koneko.
"You do not come in my dwelling unannounced, understand?" He roared with power.
"But master, we;ve confirmed that it's a threat against you and your plan." The minion spoke.
"Then get out there and take care of it!" He yelled. The minion then ran out like it's life depended on it. Sirzechs stood up and faced the window that gave a great view of the tower.
"You will not stop us, you cannot stop us. We are inevitable, Ben Tennyson."
Jetray stooped down to get a clear view to find that he flew right into a strong hold. He ascended a bit hoping that no one noticed, but it was too late as the sirens sound.
"Uh oh." He said as energy blasts began shooting from the ground. He swooped in and dodges a few before shooting his energy ray from his tail, blowing up the hangers and building that they kept their supplies and energy weapons in. Smoke emerged from the stronghold and the heat from the intense fire began to drive all of the DNAliens away. Jetray landed in the middle of the sight and turned back into Ben, but his job wasn't over
"Now all I need to do is destroy this thing." Ben said scratching the back of his head. Time stopped for a moment as he sensed a presence from beyond the snow drifts. A shadow appeared with two cat ears and a tail.
"Oh no, not you too." Ben said as the shadow became clear as it came closer. "Kuroka." Ben said.
"Hello Ben, wonderful weather it is isn't it?" She said with a distorted voice that sounded like her.
"That's odd, I figure you'd run away like the rest of them, and sound a lot less sexy." Ben retorted sarcastically. The controlled Kuroka giggled.
"Haven't you noticed? We as a species are evolving to live and conquer anywhere we want. As for your friend here, she's fighting so hard to stay conscious, well I don't blame her, she has a nice body, even I wouldn't want to cover up."
"Hot yes, but that's my girl you have, and she looks way more beautiful without your ugly makeover." Ben joked which pissed the Devil Alien off. She screamed in a manner that Ben had to cover his ears. Next thing he knew, Kuroka was in front of him with a knee in his stomach.
"How do you like that?" She whispered in Ben's ear.
"You don't know? The saddest role is more for Akeno than anyone else." Ben said before slamming the dial.
As the DNA coursed through his veins, his body simply melted into a green goo. A floating device came in and picked up the goo and gave it a humanoid shape.
"Goop!" He said in a distorted. "But, I think I'll try to fill that role for a moment." Goop jokes. Kuroka tried to throw a punch, but it went right through him. With a giggle he wrapped his goo around her arm.
"You seemed to be wrapped up in something." He said.
"We'll see." Kuroka said before activating her magic point blank. Exploding Ben in too puddles of slime. Kuroka laughed at herself, but only for a moment. The device that gave Goop his shape flew over and picked up the puddles.
"What?" Kuroka questioned.
"Too bad, but if you can hold still." Goop tried it again but held her wrists behind her back and began to squeeze. "I need my real girlfriend back." The omnitrix glowed engulfing both him and Kuroka as she screamed.
The glow faded, Goop turned back into Ben and saw Kuroka lying next to him. He sat up and look for the Xenocyte to see that there was no sign of it. Maybe it was destroyed with the DNA fix? Ben looked over to Kuroka, opening her eyes slowly but still loking sleepy.
"Slime bondage, really?" Kuroka whispered.
"I don't know, it's not like I wanted to hurt you." Ben said.
"Depends on your definition of hurt, but you know…" She grabbed Ben's hand. "I think I found my new kink." She cooed, Ben turned red and not from the cold. He couldn't help but smile though.
"I missed you too." Ben said. The storm grew stronger, making Kuroka shiver, almost freezing.
"I'll take you someplace warm, but first I need to take down this tower." Ben said.
"How? It's way big, and I remember them building it, and they didn't make an off switch." Kuroka said shivering.
"I'm not sure." Ben said. He scrolled through the dial to see if there is anything to help him. He stopped when he saw one that looked exactly like a dinosaur. "Or maybe I am." Ben slammed on the watch.
His body began to change. His entire body began to grow, and growing the features of a dinosaur with tissue as hard as stone. As the transformation completed Kuroka couldn't help but stare up in amazement.
"Humungousaur!" He roared a powerful roar.
"You are… huge!" She said.
"I don't think you've seen the half of it." He roared. He concentrated for a moment before growing many stories tall, almost as big as the weather tower.
"This is no good for the community, time for a bit of destruction." He said as he began to push. Slowly but surely, the tower began to tilt. He grew even bigger as he had to increase his strength to topple it over. The tower began fall after a few moments of struggle. The tower then crumbled to the ground dismantling it into large pieces. Humungousaur turned back into Ben.
He looked up to the sky and saw how the clouds were breaking. The beautiful light of the sky revealed back to itself as it once before. The sky that Ben missed so much. He looked over to see Kuroka purring for the heat before giving a cute sneeze making Ben giggle.
"You don't have a cold do you?" Ben asked.
N-No, I'm fine." She said. Ben kissed her on the forehead and felt the heat on his lips.
"Alright, let's get you back to the shelter, you need to rest after the DNA fix." Ben said.
"No, I can at least walk." She said before getting light headed and fell into Ben's arms. He picked her up bridal style, and headed back to the shelter.
Back in the Gremory Estate, the Devil Alien in control of Sirzechs growled. He punched the desk in anger as the temperature in the room began to increase.
"Master, what shall we do?" The minion asked.
"Rebuild, we cannot afford to have the underworld be liberated by those filthy virmen." Sirzechs said. "But we before we do anything, we must kill Ben Tennyson."