Chapter 61: The Battle for Bellwood Part 2
This is the longest chapter of the story (so far). Almost twenty pages, 7500+ words. Holy shit.
I realized that it's been over sixty chapters and I have not once made a reference to Hitler. Considering that the High Breed are just like the Nazis (IN SPACE!), I consider this a personal shame. So I added in a few references here. I regret nothing.
As for Newt's training, I did have a scene depicting what would happen to him once he used it in real battle, but it was so heartbreaking I cried. Like the 'big fat tears rolling down my cheeks while I sobbed' kind. So I'm showing you the aftermath instead.
By the way, the song Newt sings near the end is "With Me" by Sum 41. It's so beautiful; you guys need to check it out sometime.
On with the show!
It took a bucket-size blob of ice water to wake Ben up.
His eyes snapped open and he shrieked, practically jumping off the ground. He shivered as water dripped down his face from his hair. He could taste something metallic on his lips-blood. Where had that come from?
Suddenly the ice water was being drained from his person. Ben looked up to see a white mask in front of him, familiar gray eyes turned savage due to the jagged black line where the pupil should be. Her hands glowed a bluish green color as the water collected itself around them. And then some of the water went back to his face, specifically his nose, and the blood immediately disappeared.
As the rapid healing finished, Ben looked up and gasped. There was hundreds of the High Breed armada just above him, looming dangerously over the old military base. He didn't need a college degree to see where there first stop was.
And then he heard the sounds of explosions in the distance. Ben turned around to see some of the armada ships veering dangerously off to the side, fire taking over the ships. He could just barely make out five blobs jumping off the wrecks and landing on the next few ships, already continuing their path of destruction.
"…what," was the first thing Ben said.
"Cordelia and the others are taking down as many of the armada as they can," Carter explained quickly. She pointed to the jump gate which, despite its totaled state, was still spewing out more ships. "Unfortunately more are still coming, and we need a plan of attack to get to the controls."
"Also we have no idea where the control room is," Sam added in unhelpfully. "I'm still trying to wrap my head around the strength of the backup supply. That eagle attack earlier should have destroyed the gate, and yet it's still working."
Beck paled visibly. "Oh no."
"What is it?" Kevin asked, dread filling him.
He pinched the bridge of his nose. "They could be using a version of my carbon machine. Basically it's a way of using carbon as an efficient energy source," he quickly explained to the others who didn't know what he was talking about. "If they're using that, no wonder the backup's working so flawlessly."
"Is there any way of destroying it?" Cooper asked.
"If they followed the plans, then the only way to destroy it is by overheating it." Beck turned to Sam. "Come with me. I'll give you a quick rundown of the schematics so when you see it, you'll know where to break it."
"Why can't you destroy it?" Sam asked as Beck began to pull her away.
"I don't have the fire power, and I can't destroy any of my creations, even if it has fallen into enemy hands," Beck answered as a holographic version of the carbon machine appeared out of a flat disk in his hands.
As that was happening, Ben had been thinking (which was normally a dangerous thing, but right now it was blessing). "I got it!" he said finally snapping his fingers. "We break into the High Breed control room and force the High Breed captain to make the ships' retreat."
It took a moment for that to sink in. "That's your big plan?" Dark Star deadpanned.
Ben raised an eyebrow. "Hey, how many times have I beaten you?"
The villain glared at him. "Twice. But just at this moment I can't imagine how."
"The main control tower will be the most heavily guarded building in the city," Azmuth pointed out.
"Precisely my point," Dark Star said. "How do you propose to get inside?"
"That's where I come in," Sam said walking up to them. She held up a thin black disk. "I know how to disable the backup generator, and I can easily get through the guards."
"But you need a lot of fire power to destroy the carbon machine," Beck reminded her. "Taking out all those guards will drain you."
Kevin smirked. "Leave it to me."
Back at the car
It was decided that Evan would remain on the battlefield, since the troops would need a second in command to tell them what to do. Ben didn't really trust anyone else to do the job for him-one of his teammates was a criminal, one was only a scientist, another was a time travelling pacifist (for the most part), and the rest were just teenagers with very little battle experience. Coupled with the fact that Evan was great with a gun, and the decision was unanimous.
That left the others in the Dodge Challenger, with Sam in the passenger seat, Carter and the Tennyson cousins in the back, and Kevin in his rightful place as the driver. Gwen, though, found this odd. "We're going to drive to the control tower?"
As she clipped her seatbelt into place, Sam turned to her, took off her mask, and gave her a grin. "You haven't seen the modifications on this car, have you?"
"And you have?" Carter fixed her friend a look. It was returned by a Cheshire cat grin.
Kevin quickly pressed a silver button on his dashboard. Instantly the inside of the car turned black with green Tron lines spreading out as the design. As the ceiling of the car turned black, Ben looked up and asked, "Where did you get all this stuff?"
"When didn't I?" Kevin shot back. As the outside of the car suddenly sprouted new weapons, he continued, "Every time we found some alien tech, I tossed it in the trunk, and whenever I had free time…" he trailed off as the car lifted, the doors suddenly sprouting wings, the tires enlarging, and on the roof, rocket launchers.
"You work on the car," Gwen noted. "Is this what you and Evan were working on, when you should have been teaching him how to drive?"
"I did teach him how to drive," Kevin said flatly. "He was actually testing the weapons out while he was at the wheel. Why else do you think I don't want him driving my car?"
"…Because you're territorial," Sam told him putting her mask back on.
"And unless this thing has flame throwers like the hearse, I won't be impressed," Carter said, putting an elbow against the window and leaning her masked face into her hand.
Kevin looked at the rearview mirror and gave her a Cheshire cat grin. "Oh, you'll be impressed. Trust me." With that he started driving.
As lasers started hitting the windshield, rockets were launched at the DNAlien line. In a single stroke and a cloud of dust they were gone, leaving only a crater. "Okay, yeah, now I'm impressed," Carter admitted as they drove past the carnage.
Just as they were about to go through the alleyways, a truck appeared out of nowhere, barring the passageway. "You're not going to stop, are you?" Ben asked, understandably worried.
"Nope." With another press of a button, Kevin sent three more rockets at the truck. They pierced the metal, completely tearing through and destroying whatever was inside. Gwen quickly used her powers to fly the car out into the air to dodge the debris and fire. The mana sphere faded just before the car landed on the other side of the fire wall, making the landing bumpy and violent.
As his head hit the back of his seat, Ben snapped, "And this is why we always wear our seatbelts-mph!" Carter clapped a hand over his mouth.
"Shutting him up now!"
"Thank you!" Kevin told her as he continued driving. At that moment the armada started to rain down lasers at them, at least the ones Cordelia and her crew hadn't taken down yet. Kevin was able to dodge them, though the ride was less than pleasant.
Kevin swerved towards a building, sending more rockets at the wall. Going through the newly made hole, the car went through the building. Lasers were sent in through the roof, landing just behind the car's trail. Kevin quickly drove out of there, just after a laser completely destroyed the building.
"Tell me, am I going to get blamed for all this property damage?" Sam asked Carter suddenly, since the thought just popped into her head.
"You might have been a few months ago," Carter said honestly. "Now I'm not so sure."
Kevin quickly parked in front of the control tower, a pink and purple thing that looked kind of like an alien water tower. "Run to the control room, then we fight," Ben ordered.
"I was afraid you were gonna say that," Kevin whimpered as he pressed the auto attack button on his dashboard. Moving out of the way, the car drove by itself towards the DNAlien horde, shooting lasers and rockets all by itself.
As it disappeared into the night, Sam put a hand on Kevin's arm and said, "Your car will never be forgotten." He gently laid his hand on hers and stared up at the sky, trying not to cry.
"Oh my god it's just a car, not your first born child," Carter snarled as she started to run into the control tower. Everyone quickly followed her up the steps, though why the DNAliens didn't put up an elevator or an escalator was beyond them.
Gwen put it in the best terms. "The High Breed have star ships but they haven't invented the elevator?"
"It's like they want everyone to hate them," Sam agreed. "Even though we already do."
They eventually came upon a platform with a giant red egg-shaped door. "Beck's already told me where the carbon machine is," Sam told them. "Just in case you can't convince the commander to call off the attacks, you've got a backup plan."
She and Carter quickly fist bumped. "Don't die," the Goth said.
"Don't worry; I have a habit of surviving," Sam said before she walked down to the other side of the platform. Kevin absorbed some of the metal off the control tower wall and, with a jovial wave to the others, went after her.
"You don't have to come with me, you know," Sam told him quietly when he caught up. "I'm part of the Pride. I can handle myself. Besides, I think you're friends need you most."
"If you haven't noticed, they've got Gwen and another member of the Pride with them," Kevin said. "They'll be fine. I think you need me the most." He gave her a wolfish grin.
Normally, behind the mask, it was hard to tell if a person was embarrassed. If Sam was blushing, it would be impossible to see. But steam began to curl out of the mask, though that went unnoticed by the fire user. "Just-just don't get in the line of fire," she stuttered out. "You don't want to get cooked inside your armor."
As the two of them disappeared behind the bend, Carter willed a water whip into her hand. She and Gwen turned to Ben, who had already turned to dial on the Omnitrix. "Its hero time!" he shouted before slamming it down.
"SWAMPFIRE!" The alien quickly set a flaming hand against the doorway, incinerating it. The three of them ran into the control room and posed dramatically.
"Tennyson!" the High Breed commander exclaimed. "That is you, isn't it? All of you lesser species look alike to me."
"Yeah, yeah, you're all superior and pure-blooded and we're all maggots," Swampfire said. "I don't have time for that today."
"Do not mock me Tennyson," the High Breed warned.
"How can we not?" Carter scoffed. "You High Breed take after Adolf Hitler, one of the most ineffectual dictators in human history. His own guards, the Storm Troopers, thought he was insane and plotted to kill him."
"…I was going to give you the option of dying quickly with the rest of your insignificant race, but now you'll just die slowly at my hand," the High Breed said as the DNAliens began to surround the three heroes.
"You just had to mention that, didn't you?" Gwen muttered to Carter.
"How about neither option?" Swampfire suggested. "Call it off."
"Foolish children," the High Breed sneered. "Enough of this! Destroy the other two. Leave Ben 10 to me." The DNAliens quickly rushed at the group.
Gwen didn't have her laser weapon-which was well and good, since the High Breed command center was hardly the place to leave unconscious humans lying about- so she used her karate skills to take down DNAliens. Carter was using tai chi ch'uan to send her water whip at the enemy, hitting weak spots and having them fall to the floor. Most of the DNAliens in the room-there weren't that many- were unconscious when Carter suddenly cried out, "NO!"
Swampfire had been rushing at the High Breed when it punched him right in the face. The weight and the velocity was enough to destroy the head, and Ben fell to the ground in a heap, vines erupting from the neck.
"So it ends," the High Breed said resolutely. "Just as your grandfather destroyed himself trying to defeat me, so you too fall at my-!"
Suddenly the vines wrapped together, revealing the head of Swampfire once again. "I'm kind of mad now." He sent balls of fire at the High Breed, sending it back.
Another High Breed jumped down from higher ground, trying to hit Gwen. She quickly put up a shield so the alien hit that instead of her. A giant disk of ice was sent at the High Breed, crashing against him and sending him reeling away from the redhead. It hit the control panel instead, shattering it.
And then, to add the cherry on top, things suddenly started to explode at the side of the control tower. From the windows, Carter and Gwen could see the jump gate slowly fizzle out, the purple hues becoming blue until it turned black, the gate completely out of energy.
"YES!" Carter cheered as she and Gwen hugged.
Just moments before…
"This won't take long," Sam said as she punched out the guards of the control room. She then melted through the doors and she and Kevin walked inside the purple room with dozens of DNAliens manning the pink carbon machine. It was large with silver tubes jutting out of it, forcing it to look like an orb stuck in a spider web.
"That's the carbon machine?" Kevin said disgustedly as the DNAliens started to surround them.
"Beck's version looks a lot less sinister," Sam told him, "and much smaller. This is going to be harder than I thought." She then punched out a DNAlien that was going to attack her.
The two of them then started to beat up the DNAliens, Kevin with his boxing skills and Sam with her Northern Shaolin kung fu. It was actually fairly easy to defeat them, and Sam was starting to think that it would still be this easy-
A High Breed jumped down from higher ground and landed just beside them, startling them. "I figured it was getting too easy," Kevin grumbled as he cracked the knuckles in his hands. He turned to Sam. "Go destroy that thing. I'll keep Tiny busy."
"And I'll leave you with a little gift," she said as she sent a ball of fire at the High Breed. It dodged, leaving it distracted long enough for Kevin to start pummeling it.
Sam ran up to the carbon machine, took out her broadswords, and sliced the egg in half. Lifting the top up, she revealed the innards of the machine, the engine, the pulsing pink veins, the fluids. Her lips curling in disgust, Sam put her hands on the engine and sent an enormous quantity of fire into its heart. The flames licked the inside of the orb, and the heat was sent out through the spider web tubes, each pinpoint exploding as it collapsed in on itself.
She heard a scream behind her, and then the sounds of metal hitting metal. Sam turned around in time to see Kevin in a crater, his metal armor ripped to pieces. He was being pressed down by the High Breed's foot, and from the look of things, he was near death.
While panic and fear was welling up inside her, Sam smelled flesh burning. She turned to look at her hands; black holes were appearing where skin once was. It was happening all over her body, flames searing skin while red light shone through.
"So it's come to this, huh?" Sam said quietly, taking off her mask. Tears were welling up in her eyes. She didn't expect an answer, but it was nice to pretend.
The red light was growing brighter and angrier. "Just this once, Kirche. Just this once." And she closed her eyes.
Red light exploded out of her, the flesh dissolving with fire replacing it. In the place of Sam was Kirche, with flaming hair writhing around and the hem of her dress jagged and burnt. Taking a deep breath the goddess turned around, her angry face suddenly neutral. She walked down the spider web and stood on the metal floor, her feet melting prints into it.
The High Breed was screeching something, backing away from the extreme heat. Kirche was walking up to it, daggers in her hands. Except the blades were growing, becoming broadswords instead.
"Insolent wretch!" the High Breed was saying. "You dare to-!" It was cut off when both swords suddenly plunged into its chest. Fire started to spread out from the wounds. Kirche slid the blades out as the High Breed was set ablaze. It screamed as it quickly died, turning into a pile of ash at the end.
The broadswords turned back into daggers. Kirche stared at the pile and said, "They thought they were better, but every race always comes to the same conclusion. War, bloodshed, screaming, death. And it always, always ends in fire. The earth weeps while flames sear the ground and the blood of children spills on the grass. And it never ends, a brutal cycle that survives through the eons. Not one race is immune, and yet they refuse to see it. They must put the blame on someone else."
The goddess turned to Kevin. He had slid off his metal armor, and now he stood before Kirche, a terrified look on his face. She walked up to him, towering over him by at least a head. Her face wasn't angry; instead she looked resigned.
"Do you ever tire of the fighting? I do. And I'm tired of being blamed for something I can't control. But I can't step down. I am the designated scapegoat, and that is all I ever will be." She smiled sadly yet hopefully. "But not to the people who matter. No matter how I act, someone will see through me, won't they?"
Instead of looking scared, Kevin smiled softly. "Yeah, they will."
"That's fine then. That's just fine." Red light washed over her, and instead of Kirche Sam appeared, small holes in her uniform where her skin burned. She pitched forward violently, coughing, her lungs rattling. Kevin held her as she slowly began to breathe again. She finally stood up and gave him a scared look.
"What happened? Where's-oh." She finally saw the pile of ash where the High Breed once was. Sam groaned and asked, "What else did she do? She better not have-!"
He just held onto her tightly, kissing her forehead. "Nothing's wrong. We just had a little heart to heart."
Sam struggled out of his grasp and said incredulously, "Kirche? A heart to heart? How much smoke did you inhale?"
Kevin snorted and said, "Come on, I'm sure Ben needs help."
Speaking of which…
Swampfire fell back as the High Breed hit him. He continued to fall back at the High Breed continued to pimp slap him. It only stopped when Swampfire was on the ground.
The High Breed held up a fist and shook it menacingly. "You're finished, insect."
"Doubtful," Carter said as pillars of ice suddenly appeared at the feet of the High Breed. They grew taller and wider, thickening until they were all connected together. And then the circle tightened around the alien, trapping it in a frozen cocoon. It struggled hopelessly before giving up.
Swampfire stood up and gave Carter a high five. "Now give the order and let's end this invasion," Gwen said once she joined the party.
The High Breed laughed derisively. "I don't have the authority to call off the invasion. Only the High Breed Supreme could end the attack, and he is beyond your reach, safe on the home world."
It was Carter's turn to laugh. "You really think we didn't come prepared for that?" She held up a phone as Sam and Kevin appeared on the scene. "Bad news guys," the Goth told them, "we need to go to the High Breed home planet to call off the invasion."
"And the hyperspace jump gate hasn't gone offline." Sam gestured to the gate, which instead of dying was still going strong, despite the millions of sparks flying out of it. "What does it take to destroy that thing?"
"At least the carbon machine's destroyed," Kevin pointed out hopefully.
"And we have a ship," Carter said, speed dialing someone.
Suddenly DNAliens were appearing around them, all of them carrying lasers. "Oh, come on!" Swampfire cried out as he prepared for the onslaught.
…And then Manny Armstrong barreled through, punching out aliens. "Step aside, alien freaks, you're in my way!" he roared.
"Manny!" Gwen cried out happily.
"Hey Gwen!" he called out as he ran towards them. A blur of blue passed her, the wind picking up exponentially. All the weapons the DNAliens were carrying were stolen. It turned out that Helen Wheels had picked them up; she smiled as she dropped them on the floor.
And then someone front flipped through the air, quills suddenly detonating the weapons. As they blew up, a teenager with black hair with a white stripe in the middle and quills jutting out of his skin appeared. "Pierce, I presume," Sam said.
"Then that means…" Swampfire looked around.
"How's it going kids?" Max Tennyson called out, flying in on a gray bat squid…thing. Carter had to take off her mask and rub at her eyes to make sure her vision wasn't failing her.
As Max landed the abomination, Swampfire ran up to him, quickly changing back into Ben. "Grandpa!" he cried out as they embraced. He was quickly followed by Gwen, thus ensuring at least one family moment in the war.
"And Max Force!" Manny yelled out, startling everyone.
Max gave him a look. "What did I say about calling us that?"
"I think it sounds cool," he said bashfully. While it did have some merit of coolness, Max Tennyson would obviously not allow it.
"What are you doing here?" Gwen asked when she finally let go. "I thought you were going to stay in the Null Void until you cleaned it up."
"Pretty much got things under control there," Max reassured her. "Anyway, after all the work I put into uncovering the High Breed conspiracy, there is no way I'm sitting out the final round."
"Then you've arrived just in time to see the end, Max Tennyson," the High Breed sneered.
"No he didn't," Carter said, smirking.
Just moments before…
Newt had settled Ship down on the ground, since there was no need for the Mechamorph to shoot wildly at the ground troops. Instead, he followed Evan's leadership and fired shot after shot at the enemy, relishing the fallen humans littering the ground.
And then he got a call. He frowned, taking it out and ready to scream at the caller, but then he saw the caller ID. He answered with a confused, "What's up?"
"Turns out the High Breed control tower isn't the place to end the invasion," Carter said hurriedly. "That would be on the High Breed home world. I need Ship to take me there."
He took a look at the fizzling jump gate and immediately understood. "I'll send Evan along. He'll be better backup than me. And don't hurt Ship." He ended the phone call before she could retort. He then called for Evan and immediately explained the situation.
"What about you?" he asked afterwards.
Newt smirked, but there was something almost melancholy about it. "I'll stay here. Someone needs to keep up morale." Evan nodded grimly and boarded Ship. The mighty Mechamorph then lifted itself off the ground and flew off.
"You know, you don't have to go through with this," Paradox told him from behind. Newt whirled around, startled, before his heart rate calmed down. "Seriously, you have other options."
Newt gave him a half smile. "I know, but this option leaves everyone happy."
The professor raised an eyebrow. "Does it?"
"No, but at least she'll have a great story to tell her kids," Newt said as he waved goodbye.
Back in the control tower
"You have a plan," Sam stated, slightly amused.
"Oh yeah." Carter jerked a thumb at the gate. "The hyperspace jump gate is like a door out from the High Breed home world to here. It should also work as a door in. And I've got the thing that'll take us there." She turned to Max. "Think you can hold the line here?"
"Keep them from retaking the control room?" he asked with a grin. "Consider it done."
Carter then ran out towards the broken window to peer outside. "Where are you going?" Manny asked.
She took off her mask so everyone could see her wolfish grin. "Just taking a breath of fresh air." And then she jumped off the building.
"CARTER!" Ben screamed before she reappeared. She was riding on top of Ship, the wind blowing through her hair, her triumphant grin for all to see.
"SHIP!" her pet cried out, just for emphasis.
"Oh, she's good," Max Tennyson said approvingly.
"All aboard who's coming aboard!" she yelled out. Sam and Kevin shared a look before running after her, quickly followed by Ben and Gwen.
Before disappearing inside the ship, Ben turned around and said, "If we don't make it back, it's up to you guys."
"Forget that man," Manny said dismissively. "We'll see you when you get back." Grandpa Max gave his grandson one last smile and a wink. Ben grinned and went with the others.
Once inside the space ship, they found Evan at the controls, his mask and wig off and his brown hair in its usual ponytail. "Thank you for flying Air Force," he announced as everyone took their seats. "Keep your hands and feet inside the vehicle at all times, don't fire off any weapons unless told to do so, and whatever you do, don't eat the in flight meal."
Sam took off her mask and wig and rolled her eyes. "Can we just go?"
"Ugh, fine, ruin all my fun," Evan said as he flew the space ship away from the control tower. Before they neared the jump gate, he said, "You know, after not having a scene all chapter, now would be a really great time for some witty banter."
"Considering that you're a main character in this story, you don't have the right to complain," Azmuth said from the passenger seat.
"What is Bug Eyes doing here?" Kevin asked rudely.
"I am not leaving the Omnitrix unprotected."
"Ben worries about you too," Gwen told him, a satisfied little smirk on her face.
Azmuth turned to face her. "I am only concerned with the Omnitrix, not Ben," he insisted.
"Keep telling yourself that and maybe we'll believe it," Sam scoffed.
"Jump gate coming up," Ben announced. He turned to the Omnitrix. "I'm going to change into my flight suit." A flash later and Brainstorm appeared. Evan immediately got out of the driver's seat and let him take the wheel.
"With my oversized cranium and intellectual superiority that naturally follows with it, this is obviously the correct form to pilot this vehicle under these trying…conditions," Brainstorm said as he pressed buttons with his claws.
"You do realize that this vehicle is my dog, right?" Carter asked dryly from the backseat. "Also you have one of the smartest beings in the universe right next to you. Don't you think he should have a say?"
"Or better yet, just let me drive," Azmuth said. Brainstorm chuckled. "Are you inferring that you're smarter than me because your head is bigger?"
The Pride went, "Oooooohhhhh." And then Evan added, "Oh no, he didn't!"
"I'm implying that I'm smarter than you because my brain is bigger," Brainstorm shot back.
"Are you gonna take that?" Sam goaded the Galvan.
"Well, here's the best way to end the argument," Kevin said seriously. "Incoming!" Shots were being fired at them from one of the High Breed spacecrafts. Brainstorm went to dodge…only for the star ship to suddenly explode. Out of the fire and smoke a blue shape could be seen, and a black ribbon stretched across the sky.
"Good ol' Phineas!" Sam cheered as Ship dodged the sinking ship. Many more of the armada surrounding them was suddenly struck down, with vague multicolored blurs jumping off the falling debris.
"We have the best grandparents ever," Carter stated as the jump gate loomed overhead.
"Prepare yourself," Azmuth warned them. "The jump gate can be disconcerting."
As Gwen braced herself, she asked curiously, "How does it work?"
"It converts you into faster-than-light tachyons-"
"Broadcasts them to the receiver on the opposite side of the galaxy," Brainstorm rudely interrupted.
"…then reconstitutes you," Azmuth finished as Ship finally went through the jump gate.
It was… a bumpy experience to say the least. The passengers weren't being stretched limb from limb or felt like it was happening, and they certainly didn't feel their bodies turning into tachyons. But it was definitely uncomfortable.
When it was finally over, they found themselves on the High Breed home planet, a place full of machines and trees. Anachronisms; go figure.
Evan immediately went to the back and vomited. Everyone else shook off the aftereffects. "We've arrived," Azmuth said finally.
"Is everybody besides Evan okay?" Gwen asked. Everyone groaned. And then Ship screamed out his name as a bright flash appeared from the left.
"We've been hit!" Kevin shouted panicking.
"Go to the High Breed main tower," Azmuth ordered, "the tall one over there." Brainstorm steered Ship through the smoking ruins of the planet. Before they could reach the tower, the tailpipe was hit, and Ship went down, crashing through one of the walls of the outer defense and finally hitting the inside of the tower. He landed painfully.
Carter went to the controls and stroked the panel. "Good Ship, very good. We'll be back soon, just hide and stay out of danger okay?" she pleaded. Ship's normal bleating sounded out through the cabin. And then the crew left him.
…Except Ben stumbled to the ground and fainted again.
He was standing in a meadow at night, the moonlight casting the trees and flowers in a silvery sheen. The flowers were a multitude of colors, red, pink, purple, and even some blue, and the grass was soft under his bare feet. Though why he was barefoot was beyond him.
He could hear a soft lullaby through the air, something soft and clear. It was Latin, and the voice giving the words life was something he recognized.
Ben started to run, not giving notice to the hazy and dreamlike quality of the meadow. He could see the singer, a young lady clad in white, her back to him. He spun her around, rudely interrupting her song. She huffed, and said in a snappish tone:
"This isn't how it goes."
"No," Ben said breathlessly, "because I remember."
She raised an eyebrow and stepped back. His eyes flickered over her outfit: bare feet, a white skirt pooling to her ankles and both sides slid up way past the thigh, a plain white corset top with sleeves attached, revealing only the shoulders. A rope of ice crystals was weaved through her black hair like an impromptu tiara, and instead of only one sharp canine all of her teeth had a wolfish quality to them.
He paused at her piercing gray eyes and said again, "I remember everything. All of it. And I know what I have to do."
"Doubtful."
"In that case, can you show me? We don't have much time."
She rolled her eyes-or one eye rolled, since one was hidden by a triangular bang that completely covered the left half of her face. "Sure, I have some time to spare."
He held out a hand. "Come on. We have a universe to save."
She grabbed it without hesitation. "Don't be so dramatic." She grinned the manic grin he loved so much-
Someone slapped him awake. "We're here!" Carter whispered. Groggy, Ben looked at the impressive door they were hiding in front of. Two of the High Breed were on the ground, unconscious. Ben had the feeling there were more bodies behind him, but he didn't want to check.
"We convinced the guards to take them to their leader," Gwen said quietly. "And then Sam took care of them."
"It had to be done," she said shrugging her shoulders.
Ben stood up, holding his head. "So that means…"
"Yup." Kevin nodded. "You wanna do the honors?"
He looked for Azmuth; Evan was holding him. "Hide him," Ben hissed. He obliged to the protests of the Galvan, cupping his hands and covering the alien.
Ben shrugged off his jacket and stood in front of the doors. With a deep breath he did some fancy footwork, pushed his arms out, and let the tornado-like winds push the doors open. Debris from the earlier fights along with the unconscious bodies of the fallen High Breed were picked up and tossed into the room like rag dolls.
Ben Tennyson put his jacket back on and walked into the High Breed Supreme room with the wind blowing savagely behind him. He took in the sights of the older High Breed sitting on their thrones, saw their fat, decaying bodies, and finally let the air settle.
As the others walked into the room-Azmuth no longer covered- Ben said, "Call off the invasion. Now."
Now THAT is how you make an entrance! Ventus cheered inside Ben's head.
"I've read reports of your tenacity, Ben 10," the High Breed Supreme drawled out, "but I never imagined your gall would exceed all description." The leader was an ugly fat thing with an orange crown surrounding its head. Clearly all the other High Breed took after it.
"I said, call off the invasion," Ben said once more.
"Just like that?"
"Uh, yeah. What have you got to gain by hurting us anyway?" Ben asked. "All these attacks on Earth, the armada, taking over Galvan Prime and other planets; seriously, what's the endgame?"
"You are mongrels, inferior life forms," the High Breed Supreme. "Your very existence is an insult to our purity."
"Oh great, we're talking to Adolf Hitler in space," Evan snapped.
"You didn't get that from all the Nazis he has working for him?" Sam told him.
"Enough with these lies," Azmuth told the High Breed dismissively.
"You accuse me of dishonesty," said the High Breed Supreme. "Your race is the Galvan, correct? A slightly more intelligent form of pond scum."
"Don't be fooled by his posturing, Ben," Azmuth told the boy. "They aren't attacking because of their supposed superiority. They're attacking because they're dying out. They're ridiculous belief in racial purity led to inbreeding, a loss of resistance to disease, and finally sterility. This is the last generation of High Breeds, is it not?"
"You are correct vermin," said the High Breed Supreme. "But we will not perish alone. In a matter of hours, my fleet will not just destroy Earth, but every known inhabited planet in this galaxy. The fall of Galvan was the signal of our final attack to begin. Enjoy your last few breaths, vermin; you will not live to see the last of the lives of the universe."
"You complete and utter dick," Carter snarled at it. "You think that just because you're dying you can take the rest of us with you."
"I can, and I will."
"That's it I'm murdering your ass." Carter took out her scythe and prepared to kick some High Breed butt when Ben grabbed her arm.
"I have an idea," he told her. "Omnitrix, can you repair the genetic damage to the High Breed? All of them?"
"Genetic manipulation on that scale will require all available power," said the Omnitrix.
"Guys, look at the Earth," Gwen said, pointing to the video feed attached to the ceiling. There was gigantic golden glow appearing on the little blue planet. And then there was a golden flash inside the room. The flash turned humanoid, with arms and legs and a familiar face attached along with it.
"Newt!" Carter exclaimed. "What are you doing?"
And then he opened his mouth.
"Through it all, I've made my mistakes.
I stumble and fall, but I mean these words."
Blood was spurting out of his eyes and nose, but he was smiling as he was condensed into a small ball of light.
"Genetic reconnaissance sequence is ready," said the Omnitrix.
"No!" the High Breed Supreme shouted. "What are you doing?"
"Wait for it," Ben called out triumphantly. The small ball of light smashed into the dial of the Omnitrix, entering it and turning green. Ben held up his arm as the Omnitrix grew even brighter.
And Newt's voice rang out throughout the room.
I want you to know,
With everything I won't let this go.
These words are my heart and soul.
There was something coming out of the Omnitrix, a white vibration that stretched throughout the throne room and beyond. It was going throughout the planet-no, past the planet thanks to the jump gate. It was blinding and beautiful and it became haunting as Newt's voice faded away.
I'll hold on to this moment, you know,
As I bleed my heart out to show,
And I won't let go.
When the light faded, the High Breed Supreme roared, "What have you done?!" Everyone turned to see that he was red. In fact, all the other High Breed in the throne room had something added to them, be it becoming a different color of the rainbow or some kind of extra appendage attached to them.
"I ordered the Omnitrix to reprogram your DNA," Ben explained.
"And judging from the new look, I'd say it worked," Kevin said.
"Omnitrix?" Ben looked at his watch.
"Programming complete," it said. "All High Breed in range of transmission are now genetically transfused with random species from Omnitrix database."
"In range of transmission?" the High Breed Supreme parroted. "With the jump gate's open for the attack-!"
"Every High Breed in the galaxy is now a…uh, how'd you put it?" Azmuth asked the teenagers.
"He called us mongrels," Gwen told him, smirking at the High Breed.
"Welcome to the kennel club," Kevin joked.
"How could you do this?" said the High Breed Supreme.
"He just saved you," Sam said like they were slow.
"You have made us impure. There is only one honorable act left to us."
"No," said a familiar voice-well, to Ben at least. A High Breed with a green arm suddenly appeared behind them. "There is another way."
"Reiny!" Ben exclaimed happily.
"You know him?" Sam asked puzzled.
"I know a lot of people."
"This human once cured an ailment of mine by changing my DNA," Reiny explained. "At first I thought the impurity a curse, but I have since learned otherwise. Fellow High Breed, we can live!"
The High Breed in the room talked amongst themselves in their own garbled language. "It is decided," the High Breed Supreme said once they were finished. "The High Council elects you High Breed Supreme. Lead us wisely."
Reiny bowed. "I will try," he said humbly.
A little while later
Lo Soledad was no longer in shambles.
In fact, it looked exactly like it did back in its heyday. The buildings looked newly constructed, the roads no longer cracked and covered in weeds, and the snow and the weather towers were gone. Only the jump gate remained.
"Newt did this," Carter breathed when she saw it. "Where is he?" she demanded to know.
Charlie shook his head. "I have no idea. He disappeared right before you guys left."
Beck took some goggles from out of his tool belt and put them on. After a moment, he said, "He was last seen in the heart of the compound. Maybe there are some clues."
Carter and a newly deformed Ship immediately ran towards the middle of the place, leaving everyone in their dust. Everyone else soon followed because the last of the armada was gone.
It only took ten minutes to find the blood.
It was everywhere: on the ground, on the weeds, even against the side of the building. Beck did a quick scan and whispered, "That's almost four liters. No one could survive that."
"Just what did he do?" Dark Star said somewhat horrified. Suddenly a flash of blue light appeared, and the blood was gone. It was replaced by Professor Paradox and a completely healthy and refreshed Newt.
When he took in their shocked faces, he said, "You thought I was dead, didn't you?" He was immediately glomped by Ship, the Pride, Gwen, Beck and Charlie.
And to finish it all off, Max took a silver cylinder out of his coat pocket, uncapped it, and threw it at the jump gate. With a flash of light it detonated, and the explosion quickly ate away at the gate, making it like it was never there.
"Fusion grenade," Max explained.
"I need one of those," Evan said when he finally looked up.
Suddenly Carter's phone rang. "Come home, it's past your curfew," Cordelia said when she picked up.
"Cordelia?" Carter said, shocked. "Where are you? What happened to all of you after the armada disappeared? And since when did I have a curfew?"
"We all went home before the remaining armada left. And you have a curfew just for tonight. No 'happy to be alive' sex for you," she teased.
Carter shut off her phone, growling out, "Damn you Cordelia." She then sighed and said, "Cordelia's being impossible today. Let's just get home."
"So they're all safe?" Newt asked hopefully. She smiled.
"They're fine. Now let's get going." Ship chose that moment to change into his gigantic ship form. As the Pride and other Slayers boarded, Ben quickly grabbed Carter by the arm.
"I'll see you at school tomorrow?" he asked hopefully.
She smirked. "Oh, definitely. Oh right, I almost forgot." She turned to Max. "Are you going back to the Null Void?"
"Nope." Max shook his head. "After seeing Ben's recruits in action, they need training from an old pro. You all sure don't need me anymore."
Sam snorted. "They'll always need you." With that statement the old man was pulled into another hug by his grandkids.
Suddenly Kevin's car drove all by itself towards them, its extra weapons hidden away. It stopped dead right in front of Kevin. "How…?" he began.
"You're welcome," Newt called out from within the spacecraft.
"Good for you, huh?" Sam said. She turned to Carter. "I think I got another ride home." She then walked over to Kevin, who took her hand and led her into the car.
Evan took Gwen's arm and said, "Come on, you can help me drive." He then led her into the ship, though she wasn't exactly protesting.
That left Carter and Ben alone in the middle of the base. Dark Star had disappeared during all the excitement (they'd get him some other time). Max and the rest of the young recruits were gone, along with the Null Void abomination he brought along. Kevin and Sam had long since driven away. Everyone else was tucked away inside Ship. Carter and Ben smiled at each other-
"Nice working with you again Ben," Paradox interrupted, a shit-eating grin on his face. Both teens grumbled. "It's time to take Azmuth home."
"There's a lot of rebuilding to do back on Galvan," the alien said happily.
"Before you go, can you reengage the master control?" Ben asked. "That DNA wave seems to have reset the Omnitrix."
Azmuth studied it. "Yes, it has. And it seems like your friend Newt left quite a bit of power in it, thus making it usable again. Have fun figuring it out." The Professor and the Galvan then disappeared in a flash of blue light.
Ben turned the dial on the watch, studying the new aliens. "Oh man, I don't recognize any of these guys." He turned to Carter and settled down, the holograms fading away. "I can figure it out some other time."
"I'll have you know that I only have a couple hours till curfew," she said, smirking.
"Then we better make this count," he said, leaning in.
This seems like a good time to go on hiatus, but I won't. I still have some time left before I head off to college and I got a few more chapters that I want to upload. But this story is eventually going on hiatus, no doubt about that.
So, thoughts anyone?