Here's the 2nd chapter I know, I know, I took a long time to upload the next one, but I was busy with life and my beta reader for the last chapter couldn't help me because of the same(life).
if you know a good beta reader please send me a message or something, I'm really not that good at proof reading my own stuff.
Disclaimer: Ben 10 is owned by Man of Action and Cartoon Network.
Now here's the chapter:
The early morning sun shined in all its glory when they got out of the ship. To say Ben was impressed would be to understate the sentiment a little, but Ben tried to not show it. Labrid could see through the tough guy act Ben had going, but left him alone.
In front of Ben stood a mountain, a huge mountain as big as the Everest, thanks to the weather it just had a little snow in the highest point of the mountain but there was something else, the whole mountain was a building in disguise. There were a few distinguished differences from a mountain, like the windows which were more than 10 feet tall, the columns which helped form a few terraces and a few ventilator holes, where Ben could see himself going to later, but the academy was well hidden inside the mountain.
Ben looked it up and down and turned to Labrid asking "So, it's a super secret academy but it has windows, and a front door?" Labrid muttered something Ben couldn't hear well but sounded suspiciously like 'here we go again' and answered "Yes, because of research and other security reasons it has to have windows and at least 3 exit points, also mana users have secured the place" Labrid looked at Ben seeing confusion in his face he started explaining "mana users would be magic users in your world, people that use the mana stream to shape the world to their advantage" at that Ben thought like Gwen, but didn't say it out loud.
Ben started looking around noticing the surrounding landscape was green, not the kind of green usually seen in forest areas or deserts but more of a jungle type of green. It was obvious there were some outside training tracks but not many. Ben asked himself if most of the training was inside.
"Indeed it is." answered Labrid to the question. Ben took a moment to realize he said it out loud instead of just thinking it. "Why?" Ben asked Labrid who in turn turned to look at Ben in the eyes to answer, seemingly to see his reaction. "Because the most prominent rookies get sent here, if someone in the galaxy wanted to take out the best of the new generation this academy could be a target." Ben seemed to consider that with a thoughtful expression, but then he asked "why don't you just have them fight, then? If they are the best, can't they handle a little fighting?" Labrid's expression seemed to change, he didn't suddenly become enraged but his face did seem to get more set, tenser, when he answered. "Maybe, but some things you don't want the younger ones to experience, especially if they are too young. I understand that you had to handle Vilgax, but there are some things to which you experienced too early. Now come on, I have places to be."
Then Ben took notice of the sun and saw how early it was here. He whined and said "it's morning? EARLY MORNING? This will affect my busy sleeping schedule." Labrid got a smile of amusement at that and told him "Don't worry, most of the time they go by the universal standard central time, because most of the staff keep to the underground levels. They are in the afternoon shift right now." Ben seemed glad to hear that and they started walking towards the door.
There was not much to walk from the landing port to the entrance of the academy, and so they were upon the entrance of the academy quickly. The entrance was big, as big as Way Big, and the architecture of it was beautiful. It seemed the first floor had no windows in this area and the door was not an exception. The entire mountain seemed to be composed of a marble-like material and the door was sculpted right into the rock. There were two huge column structures which were carved with sculptures. The sculptures seemed to be lifelike with very small details, some kincelerans, some galvan, some tetramands and various other species were present. It seemed to be representative of the structure of the Plumbers and any other armed organization. Support personnel were in the base, with medical supplies, tools and some other jobs. The low importance soldiers were up next, with standard equipment but fierce looks in their faces taking the most space. At the top of the entrance and the bottom of the balcony above it were the special soldiers, snipers, pilots, upper rank personnel. The top of the entrance formed an arc with, what could be assumed, the symbol of the academy in the middle of it.
Opening the door wasn't a problem, it was automatic, and the insides were surprisingly uninteresting. The room was carved into the mountain, but it was made like an actual building, rectangular and with very well cut corners. In the middle of the room was a metal desk with a kinceleran answering phones, typing and using a strange computer. To the back at the sides of the room there were metal doors, presumably doorways into hallways.
Labrid and Ben went towards the kinceleran where Ben could see a plaque with the name K8-E which Ben assumed was Katie. Labrid coughed once, Katie focused on them and asked "What can I do for you?" with a fake smile that didn't reach her eyes and still typing. Labrid gestured towards Ben and said "This is Ben Tennyson, he's enrolling here". When he said that, Katie's fake smile turned into a true one and ran toward one of the hallway entrances quickly, when she came back she told them "The director will be here in a minute, meanwhile I'll be registering the data of the new recruit. You can wait over there in one of the chairs or you can accompany him here". In response Labrid just stood there narrowing his eyes at the kinceleran and face set.
Katie turned to the computer and started moving things with the touch screen. The computer was an advanced model, the screen and keyboard were holographic but only one side of the screen was visible. A short time later she started talking to Ben again, ignoring Labrid, it was an exhaustive list of things she asked from "what is your favorite color?" to "are you good with a long range rifle?"
After the interrogation came the director of the academy, Trix Dregs. Trix appeared in what seemed a standard plumber suit, minus the headgear. I bet Ben thinks that as a petrosapiens her diamond hard skin is enough protection but she still had to wear the suit because of regulation, thought Labrid and greeted the newly made magister.
"Magister Trix, a pleasure to meet such a young and illustrious member" said Labrid with a small smile.
"Magister Labrid, likewise a pleasure to meet you. Your career is extensive and impressive, I'm glad to meet you in person." Trix responded.
"How is it going with the new academy?" asked Labrid with enthusiasm in his face.
"It is a thankless and frustrating task, but it's progressing. I see you're enrolling a new cadet, tough not the most colorful if I'm not mistaken." She was talking with a straight, poker face. Ben and Labrid couldn't see a twitch or sign of emotion coming from her, both were impressed by the effort.
"Really? I would think the one that defeated Vilgax multiple times, has enemies that haunt nightmares and has one of the most respected plumbers alive as a grandfather would be the most colorful" said Ben with a smirk and eyes staring straight to Trix, challenging her to disprove his claim.
Trix returned the stare and responded "I would think so too if not for the diversity and peculiarity that we now gather here. Most of these recruits would say the same. We have a galvan straight from getting an education by a special ops instructor, a tetramand martial artist that seems unbeatable in a hand to hand fight, and an appoplexian that actually uses his head. A human with a device as powerful as the omnitrix beating Vilgax is nothing compared to what they had to go trough to get what made them special."
Ben didn't seem to deflate at that instead his smirk got bigger and his eyes shone with excitement as he said with a mysterious voice "You have yet to see what I can do".
Trix blinked and her chest inflated a bit showing signs that she was going to laugh but it never came, instead she said "you can leave him in my care, sir. I will show him to the barracks he will be occupying with his new squad." At that Labrid looked at her, then at Ben seeing he was telling him with his eyes he was going to be ok, and then he looked back to Trix, nodded and started walking towards his ship.
Ben saw Labrid go and then turned to see Trix, the green of her diamond hard skeen glistened in the light of the reception and she seemed to be studying the omnitrix in Ben's wrist. When the staring of Trix began to make him uncomfortable he started talking, trying to get her attention off of the watch. "So, you were going to show me where I'll be living the next…"Ben let it drag on because he didn't know exactly when he would graduate. Trix stopped staring at the omnitrix and answered Ben's unsaid question, "it'll be a year or two before you get to go home, and yes I will show you. Follow me." She started walking towards the door to the right and Ben followed.
In almost no time they were upon an elevator just to the side of the door in the hallway it led to. Once there Trix started explaining the layout of this academy. "The cadet levels are the floors from three to six and the basements two and five. Basement five is a solid hologram projector chamber and basement two is the armory and gun range, both are quite spacious and students are free to go there on their free time from three to nine in the afternoon. We go by the twenty eight hour day here so lights out will be at twelve and morning call is at six. Classes are in the floors three and four, don't get lost in the way to class. Finally cater quarters are floors five and six. Each cadet will bunk with three others which will be your squad, get along with them or work with them, your choice but you can't change squads so I would suggest trying to get along." They passed four floors on the elevator and three doors to get to room AD5, Ben's new home.
When Trix opened the door Ben could see a feline alien with lean muscles wearing a gray shirt and black pants, he was male and was reading something. To the side, in a bunk bed there was a galvan wearing black and cleaning a gun that seemed too big for him, about twice his size. Above the galvan was a kinceleran girl, she was shining some kind of protection and was very focused doing it.
Trix stepped forward and the three of them formed a line saluting her. "cadets" said Trix and the trio said "yes, ma'am" at the same time like a chorus. Trix looked at each of them and Ben stepped beside her as she said "I see you're preparing for tomorrow. I bring you the last of your squad. This is Ben a human." They had different reactions, the feline looking one looked like a kitty that just lost its yarn ball, the galvan looked at Ben with scorn and the kincelerian looked sad for a second before giving him a big smile. "Ben this is Taxx an appoplexian, Joth a galvan, and Mattie a kinceleran" Ben stepped forward to greet them and as he started giving Taxx a handshake Trix left. "Good to meet you" said Ben before getting his hand almost crushed. "Good to meet you too, sorry about the hand, I don't control my strength sometimes" Ben doubted that but moved on. "Hello" he said to the galvan as he stretched his hand and he responded grasping just a finger. "what's your thing?" asked the galvan as he began greeting the kincelerian. "Nice to meet you" Ben said, returning the smile that she was giving him. "Nice to meet you too, Ben." Then Ben turned to the galvan, "my "thing" is this" said Ben while raising his arm and pointing his right index to the omnitrix. Everyone seemed astonished to see the omnitrix and were staring in shock at Ben.
"Not so bad now huh?" said Ben as he jumped toward the top bunk opposite to where Joth and Matie were and left his things on the floor. "Tomorrow we'll talk more, I'm tired and there's a good chance of having a long day tomorrow. Don't worry about the lights, I can sleep with them on." Then he started getting comfortable, after a minute the trio snapped out of it and went back to what they were doing before he came back, one by one they started going to sleep too after finishing their activities all three of them wondering what surprises the human in their squad would show them tomorrow.