Chapter 4: The Curse of Power
(Slums) (Ben's POV)
The sound of birds chirping woke me up this morning. I squinted my eyes as the morning sun blotted my eyes as if it was trying to say 'wake up sleepy head'. As soon as I got up I suddenly noticed that I was sleeping in my favorite rocking chair. I must've dozed off when I was thinking about Gwen last night. My back hurt like I just went to an evil massage parlor and my legs felt so sore that it would take weeks before I could feel them again. I still had Gwen's hairclip in my hands… I must've had a tight grip last night ahehehehe.
Wallace was probably still sleeping and his sister Alexis was probably by his side. Whenever I see those two together I could never see the family resemblance between them. Wallace was so full of himself and Alexis was like the complete opposite of him. He was loud as a monkey screaming and Alexis was even quieter than a ghost. Hell… that girl could stand right next to me and I still wouldn't know she was there. She had a lack of presence, which was good since she didn't like too much attention.
As I moved to the back of my house, I quickly began preparing breakfast in my kitchen to see if there was anything left to eat. I still had a loaf of bread left and a can of soda that I was saving for a special occasion, but I think the situation calls for more than just these rations. I thought I would go fishing again but I think the fish would still be sleeping at this time.
Just when I thought things couldn't get any worst than this…… I thought wrong…
"BEN!!" I jerked my head around and noticed Wallace down by the stairs with a pale face that would've scared even Ghostfreak himself. I stuttered out in shock. "W… what is it?"
"It's Alex, she's not waking up!"
I hastily made my way towards my bedroom and tossed my clothes aside. Alex was lying peacefully on my bed but it looks like she was in great pain. Her head was sweating hard and her breathing rhythm was completely irregular. It almost looked like she was going to die or something. "What happened to her?" I asked Wallace who was also in panic.
"I don't know!" he replied yelling, "I just woke up five minutes ago and the next thing I knew she was burning up!"
I reach out for the girl's head with my hands and tried to get her temperature. Just as I expected, she has a fever. Her head was hotter than my fireplace and it looks like she won't last long without the proper treatment. Sadly though… I didn't exactly have the medical skills to help her. But I do know one person who does…
Lorry Kent…
"This is bad…" I muttered, "We're going to need medicine to help her. Wallace, go downstairs and grab all the towels you can find. We need to keep her warm and keep her temperature down as much as we can!"
"What are you gonna do?"
"I'm gonna pay the doctor a visit" and with that I quickly put on my favorite brown jacket and left the house with a quick dash. The clinic wasn't far from my place…… in fact… it was just right between me and the Dead Garden.
As much as I expected, the whole district was still asleep. Beggars and homeless were lying on the side of the main road with nothing more but their clothes and a thin shred of trash. It doesn't matter where the warmth comes from… as long it could keep them warm, then they could care less about its source.
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The sprint to the clinic wasn't long. It was probably just about a five minute dash for me. The building was as white as the White House in Washington D.C itself. Verdon's men surrounded the premises, keeping eye on everyone who entered and exit the building. They were all heavily armed with guns and weapons smuggled in by some truckers. Mostly those who want to be cured are permitted to come in without a hassle, but those who sought trouble would have a better chance fighting the police at the entrance of the Slums.
It was a square two floored building with six windows and two doors… one in the front and one at the back. Hopefully the good doctor opens up early to treat his patience.
As I approach the door, the guards immediately stood in front of me to bar my path. "Who are you… and what do you want?" the big guy with the crazy tattoo spoke to me. He was as fat as a sumo wrestler but he also had some muscles to back up his weight. A rough guess would say that this guy was the man in charge of security here.
"I'm Benjamin Tennyson and I need to see Lorry… now" I toned at him seriously trying to shake his fear up. But sadly… this guy had more guts than brain.
"Benjamin? Ben… ja… min?" he said stupidly, "Oh yeah… the guy on death row with the boss. You come for some sticks or powder?"
"Neither… now let me pass" I brushed through him but was quickly toppled down with a single push of his hand.
"The doctor… isn't seeing anyone… right now… ahehehehehe" the fat guy either wanting to get pummeled or was looking for the express way to hell. He pulled me off the ground and threw me towards the dumpster which was a little harder than I expected it to be. I groaned out loud and slowly stood back up as his gang members surrounded me. "So sorry… but it looks like Ms. V has a bounty on your head"
"Ms. V?" was Verdon referring to himself as a girl now?
"Yeah… Viper's paying a lot of dough for you" I should've known. Viper… or Vanessa still had a thing for me. I guess I could understand why since she already bedded all the higher ups in Verdon's gang. I was probably next on her bed list. Gosh… and to think that a hooker like her was looking for a man like me. Shouldn't I be happy about this?
"Sorry boys…" I replied as I finally got into a battle stance. "But please tell Vanessa that I'm not on her menu today" the gang immediately pulled out all their weapons which consisted of small firearms like AK-47s, Scorpions, Revolvers, baseball clubs, broken pipes, hammers, axes, shovels and a lot more. Ok… maybe fighting against them wasn't exactly the smartest thing to do, but hell… I an't going to that woman's bed without a fight.
Just when one of them was about to attack me, a sudden voice alarmed all of them, "What's with all the ruckus!?" the fat gang member jerked his head around and quickly noticed a man wearing a white doctor coat looking down at him from the second floor window.
To say the least… I was surprised to see the leader of the gang frightened by his presence. "Oh uh… sorry Mr. Kent… we were just dealing with a minor riff raft. We didn't mean to disturb you"
I knew right away that the man was none other than Lorry Kent, the Death Dealer himself. He may look like a doctor on the outside, but he's as sick as a butcher on the inside. When the doctor saw my face his mood quickly brightened up. "Benjamin? Ah! Benjamin my boy, I've been expecting you"
"You were?" both me and the gang leader said together.
"Yes yes yes. Don't touch him you idiots!" the good doctor yelled to his guards, "He's with me for this week. Come inside Benjamin, the door is unlock" the guards slowly lowered down their weapons in response to the man's orders and disburse. The fat guard had a darting look at me but I simply ignored it. As I walked into the clinic, I realized that the place smelled like a hospital.
I never liked hospitals nor do I like the white rooms either. It made me look like I was in some kind of asylum or something. Like a place for madmen………… hell……… maybe I was mad after all.
As I entered the lobby of the clinic, Lorry Kent was already there to greet me. "Ah welcome… please Benjamin, come in, come in. Would you like some tea? Coffee? I have some lovely toasts back in my kitchen"
But I simply waved it off, "Cut the good doctor act Lorry" I spoke out of line, "I know what you really are. You can fool Verdon and everybody else with that face mask, but you can't hide what you really are from me" the doctor slowly paused himself on the mirror and nodded to me. He may have fooled everyone else with his act, but when I found his true nature by accident, I realized that he was even more evil than Vilgax himself.
Oh… did I ever tell you guys about Vilgax? No? Well maybe next time…
Just when I was about to open my mouth again, the air around me suddenly got a lot colder than before like someone turned the air conditioner on to maximum level. The cheery smile that the doctor carried on his face soon vanished from his lips and was instantly replaced with a smile so sadistic that it would make Satan jump into a pool of holy water for ten days and ten nights. Trust me…… he was evil… no doubt about it.
"It seems like I still have ways to go to fool someone of your caliber Mr. Tennyson" the tone of the doctor changed almost instantly like a clown replaced by a Goth dude. "Seeing that you have been the only one to see my true self and live… I guess there's no used hiding it from you"
"Damn right you can't" I replied sternly, not taking my eyes off him.
"So what can this humble doctor do for you? I sell the finest powder this side of the state and produce natural remedies that can take you to heaven with a single drop"
"Sorry, but I an't here for your miracle potions doctor" I shifted my eyes back and forth from the wall and him, trying to get a feature of my surroundings. "I need medicine…… real… medicine. For fevers…"
"Ah… a simple task not even worthy of me" he chuckled softly as he turned to his medical cabinet. "Let me see… I should have something for a fever. I don't really have that many patients nowadays so there should… aha! Here we are" he took out a strange bottle from the backside of the cabinet and showed it to me. "Here… take three teaspoons of this after every meal and take a lot of rest. Once you start to feel better, call me in the morning"
"Thanks doc, but it an't for me" I replied honestly, "It's for a friend"
"Oh… is that so… well then. If your friend should not make it, please send his carcass to me. You know I pay a handsome fee for a fresh body" see what I mean about him being a sicko? Lorry Kent is a man who just doesn't sell weapons and drugs to the Verdon gang. During his free time, he likes to dissect stuff down in his basement. His favorite hobby was dissecting human bodies and taking out their organs so that he could put them on display in his trophy room. Trust me… it an't a place for the weak hearted. That's probably another reason why dead bodies kept disappearing on the streets too…
"Sorry doc, but I an't planning on letting anyone die just yet" just when I was about to reach for the bottle he suddenly shifted it away from me.
"Ah ah ahhh" he waved his finger in front of me, "How are you going to pay for it?"
I raised a brow of confusion, "Aren't you supposed to be doing this for charity or something?"
He laughed, "Oh please… that excuse is so old Tennyson. Can't you think of another reason? Unless you can pay… I can't give you this bottle. I have to eat too you know" I would've spit in front of his face right on the spot, but I kept my opinion to myself. I quickly reach for my wallet, but suddenly I realized it was no longer there. Dang it… I must've dropped it during that fight in the mall.
"Sorry, but I'm broke at the moment…"
The doctor thought for a moment and slowly analyzed my body. If I couldn't pay it with cold hard cash, he would think of letting me pay with one of my limbs. "Hmm… none of your body parts interest me Tennyson. But I would give you this for that watch" he gestured to my Omnitrix which I quickly hid right away.
"Sorry… it's a family heirloom"
"Then if you have nothing to offer in return than I cannot give you this for free" I really had to fight an urge to whack this guy silly and going Fourarms on the place, but if he teased me one more time I'm really gonna.
…
…
…
No…
Alex's life is on the line here. I can't afford to lose my temper right now. "Alright fine doc, you win" I submitted, "What do you want me to do?"
His grin grew wider by the second, "Ah… a favor for a favor eh?" he smirked, "Perhaps I might have a task for you Mr. Tennyson. I shall respect your offer. Here is the medicine bottle you require. Come back to me later this evening and we shall discuss our…… transaction hmhmmhmmhmmhm" the moment I had the bottle in my hand I quickly dashed away from the clinic and back right towards my house. I hope I wasn't too late…
(Girl's dorm) (Bellwood Academy) (Gwen's POV)
I woke up pretty early today back in my room at the girl's dormitory. Ever since yesterday's event, I've been a bit anxious about really starting my mission on finding Ben. After I changed into my favorite aquaberry coat, I quickly grab my breakfast from the cafeteria and lock myself in my room so that no one would disturb me from my 'work'.
I placed my breakfast meal next to my laptop and slowly called Cooper through it. Hopefully he would have some results about that DNA sample I got for him. I rang his laptop for awhile until he finally answered. When the screen showed the face of him, I noticed that he was just waking up from his sleep.
"Haa…" he yawned in front of my face with an innocent expression. "Yeah… this is Cooper, call me again in about ten minutes and I'll get back at ya…"
"Cooper, it's me!"
"Yeah yeah I know…" he groaned, "Do you know that seven o'clock is considered to be too early in Bellwood? Students in the academy aren't even up yet you know, especially on a weekend"
"So I've noticed" I replied a little annoyed. After Friday nights, students will probably be out partying with their pals drinking until the sun comes up. Their hang-overs will definitely take its toll on them and I doubt I'm gonna be seeing anyone until the noon. "Anyway, back to business. What do you have on the DNA samples I got for you yesterday?"
"Haa… give me a moment" he said through yawns. He ruffled through a bunch of papers for a minute and quickly pulled out one that came out of the printer. I kept a grin on my face knowing that my theory was right. "The DNA was bogus" my chin literally dropped on the table as he spoke those words at me.
"W… what?!" I raised my voice.
"I managed to find some DNA of Ben but it was mixed with a Petrosapien and a Kineceleran DNA as well. I don't think the commander will take this as a report"
"But can't we trace him using the Omnitrix energy?" I theorized to which he nodded back dumbly in reply.
"I already tried that" he spoke up as a map appeared on my laptop screen. It was a map of the city but there were some green paste on it like someone had barfed on the screen or something. "The green goo you see on the map are Omnitrix energy signature" there were so many of them. Some were lighter and some were darker in some corners. "Whenever Ben uses the Omnitrix or changes into one of his alien heroes, it creates an energy spike which contaminates everyone within a six mile radius"
"That's a pretty large ground to cover" I replied holding up to his words. "But does it effect any of us out there?"
"Luckily the Omnitrix energy is only temporary" he explained, "It won't effect anything but it will last for about six to seven hours after explosion"
"That would make it a perfect camouflage. Do you have anything else?"
"Not at the moment" he replied, "The other agents on the field haven't reported anything either. It looks like I'll have to count on you again. Check out some of the addresses I gave you yesterday. Just make sure to be incognito while you're at it"
"Actually I was planning to head off to Old Bellwood" I replied.
Just for a moment there I thought I saw Cooper's expression changed for a minute, "Th… the Old Bellwood? You mean the Slums?"
"The one and the same" I answered while taking a sip off my coffee, "I have a hunch that I fight a clue or a hint of him there. If he wants to hide from the world, then that would be the perfect place to be"
"I don't think that's a good idea" Cooper said suddenly, which made me confuse. He scrambled around his head as if he was trying to conjure an excuse or something. "The district requires a special pass to get in and only those with proper authorities can go in. And trust me… not even Ben would want to go there. He's just not the type to mess with that kind of crowd. The place is run by gangs and thugs. You'll be in grave danger before you even get ten steps out there"
But just when I was about to reply, I noticed that there was another call waiting for me on my screen. "Oh… hang on a moment. It looks like the Witch is calling me again"
"Witch? Oh you mean Paullina? Ouch…" his face was mixed with a pain and amusement. As a second screen popped into my screen I put up my professional face so that I can face her directly.
"Agent 501, report in" came the queen of prune's voice.
"This is agent 501, Gwendolyn Tennyson, reporting ma'am" I replied in the most professional tone I could find. "Is there something the matter?"
"I need a status report on your work Ms. Tennyson…… Now…"
"No offense ma'am, but it's only been a day since you last contacted me" I explained roughly, "I need more time to file in an adequate report"
"That is an adequate reason Ms. Tennyson" she replied holding her eyeglasses up, "But what I want from you is results. Have you located the Omnitrix and its holder?"
"No, but we have a picture of him" I briefed, "We managed to get a glimpse of him changing into XLR8. Cooper has the info" the old hag's face was slightly surprise when she didn't notice Cooper smiling at her from the sidelines with a goofy grin. "I'll have him send you all the info we've been able to get. I'll report again when I have more information about the target" for once in a very long time, Paullina's face suddenly crumbled under my words. Her expression was priceless. I guess she didn't expect this much in just one day from a girl like me. I guess she doesn't know what it means to be a Tennyson ahehehehe.
"Oh… I um… I see. This will suffice for now Ms. Tennyson" she replied a little shock, "I will deliver the information back to the commander. Your orders remains unchanged so keep us posted" and with that her face disappeared from my computer.
Cooper then appeared out of the screen with a grin, "Man! Did you see the expression on her face?! Oh man, the others will be thrilled to hear this. Gwendolyn, the one that subdued the witch! Hahahahahahaha it's priceless" I couldn't have agree more too. To see that old woman eat her words was probably once a year experience hehehehehehehe.
After our little laugh, I quickly returned back to my original position, "Ok, so what's our next move Cooper? Since you don't want me to go to the Slums, I'll have to look at the other areas you recommend"
"Great! I'll meet you at the restaurant behind the office. You know, that you ate last night? See you there in five minutes" and with that the screen turned off. But that last sentence made me wonder. How did he know where I ate last night? I was probably just being paranoid, but it still made me curious" So without waiting for another second, I quickly finished up my breakfast and teleported my way to the meeting ground. Hopefully we'll be able to get some more decent information to give Paullina when she contacts me again tomorrow.
(Slums) (Ben's POV) (11:15 AM)
I returned to my house about ten minutes after I got the bottle from the doctor. I was surprised that Wallace had not left his sister's side ever since I left. His dedication as a brother was something to be admired, but sadly I didn't have time for that. Once I got a clean spoon from my cabinet, I quickly rushed towards Alex's side so that I could give her, her medicine. "Ok Wallace" I called the boy who seemed like he was ready to do almost anything to save Alex. "Hold your sister up"
He did as I requested and gently raised the young girl's head to the spoon. "Alex…" he whispered to her, "Listen, uncle Ben here is giving you medicine that's gonna make you feel better ok. So hang on for a minute" uncle Ben huh… I guess that name works.
When Wallace was finally able to get a good angle, I slowly spoon fed Alex three table spoon of the bottle contents and quietly put her back to bed. I don't exactly know how long it would take for the effect of the medicine to kick in, but I hope it's soon. Alex won't be able to last against such fever forever.
The two of us waited in that place for about an hour or so and I kept feeling Alex's forehead to get her temperature. After awhile I noticed that her temperature had stopped rising. I did a little analysis on her for a moment and noted that she must've been sick for a long time now. No wonder she was feeling this terrible. "Well… looks like we stopped her fever" I could hear Wallace letting out a huge sigh of relief when he heard that. I smiled and quickly tucked Alex in for the day. "Alright Wallace, listen up" the boy stiffened up on me, putting all of his attention of my words. "There's some bread and jam in the granary. You two can share it. After that you give her three teaspoon of that medicine again alright?"
"Where are you going boss?" he asked.
"I'm going out for a little walk. I lost all my money and my wallet yesterday" when I meant walk, I meant 'look for a job so I can get some dough'. It was hard for me to get work, but hopefully there was somebody in the industrial district that needs a help of a hero. "You stay here and don't answer the door to anyone else but me ok?" his head automatically nodded back to me like a 'yes' boy in the top brass working district.
After I put my favorite coat back on, I quickly rushed out of the house and into the wild streets of the city. When I arrived at the gates connecting to the districts, I noticed that the guards had been doubled today for some reason. The SWAT teams stationed there were more heavily armed and they definitely had more personal than the last time I checked. But this only puzzled me even more. If the mayor of the city could support more security, why couldn't he support the slums? I was beginning to think something was crooked around here, but it didn't matter. It's not like it was effecting me personally anyway.
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But just when I was about to head off towards the gate, a hand suddenly appeared out of the dark and pulled me away like a crane or something. I huddled back and looked at my attacker but saw nothing but darkness. Whoever came for me had to be very good in being stealth.
"Gee Ben…… is that a way to treat your ex-lover?" came a female sadistic voice which I recognized very easily. I lowered down my fists and let out a soft sigh.
And then out of the shadow, wearing a black leather jacket with a snake symbol on her back and purple lipstick was none than…… Viper… or in another name… Vanessa… and of course my recently named Ms. V. How surprising…
"Vanessa…" I groaned, "What do you want now?"
She chuckled at me, "I'm glad you still remember me Bennie Bunny" I shivered at that nickname she made for me. "I've been so lonely without you"
"Then why don't you go and find another plaything?" I grunted, "You got plenty of them don't you?"
"Oh, but none of them are as interesting as you" she cooed as she cornered me to a wall. I could've easily just pushed her back, but as far as I know… she would not come alone. She would have three or four of her goons hiding somewhere in the dark just in case something goes terribly wrong. "You of all people should know that I care for you… just like a lover should"
"You were never my lover Vanessa" I replied sternly. "Now if you're done then let me pass. I have things to do"
"Oh… are you going to look for jobs again?" she giggled evilly like everything that I've been doing was a laughing matter, "Benny honey… if you want money, I can get you as much as you like. All you need to do is stay by my side for three hours… and I'll make your life such a place that heaven can't even begin to compare. She reached out for my legs as a gesture to her point. Her big soft chests were touching my back and her words felt like it could melt a guy in seconds. Any man who takes in her pheromone are completely hypnotized and would do anything that she commanded… but I persevere. "Come on now… what do you say?"
"I say you're whack" I quickly brushed myself to the side and avoid her soft gripping arms. "I told you before and I'll tell you again: I am not your plaything!" I raised my voice slightly trying to intimidate her. But my words simply added to her humor.
"Ooo… feisty one are you" the poison queen chuckled, "I like that in a man. Especially one with big rods to back it up. It only makes me want to have you more" she turned her back on me and slowly walked away with her guards. But before she left, she had one last comment for me. "Oh and Bennie…… if you're ever lonely, you know that my door is always open for you. Come by anytime and I'll even have all the girls come in your room with no charge at all" and with that she vanished from my sight.
She was probably referring to the brothel that she owned at the edge of the district. She converted a small elementary school ground into one of the worst places on earth. The place served more than a hundred men and or women a day and I tell ya…… it an't really that pretty as it sounds. I've been to that dirty places from time to time but I never really got inside the building myself. Verdon's men loved that place and hell they would go there every day if they were given the chance.
As I shifted my jacket off, I quickly headed back towards the district gate and made my way to the industrial area to get some hard earned money.
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The industrial district was as busy as it'll ever be in the afternoon. Right before workers go out for their lunch breaks, this is the time when they will work the hardest. I looked around, trying to find someone who needs some help or something. It didn't matter what I had to do, as long as I get paid, that's fine with me.
But sadly… the world didn't have that many opportunities for me. I passed through some of my usual spots where jobs were aplenty before, but today didn't seem like my lucky day. Everyone was doing fine and no one around needed help at all. My stomach groaned out a little bit, reminding me that I didn't have any breakfast this morning either. I guess I should've accepted Lorry's breakfast offer after all.
Oh man… just remembering that guy's name reminded me that I still have to visit him later this afternoon to even up the deal. But I'll probably do that later. He didn't look like he was in a hurry so I can just take my time here and visit him tomorrow.
"Man… looks like jobs aren't coming easy nowadays" I said to myself as I entered my favorite bar. J's Bar is the name of the place. It wasn't the most popular hangout for the workers but I still find it very refreshing. The employees there were nice and the proprietor of the bar is a good friend of mine.
The big guy attending to the drinks and food wearing a bartender's tunic was named Chicolo Vicentes, but most people just called him Chico for short. He was widowed two years ago when his wife died of a heart attack. I saved his life once when a truck nearly smashed into him during his bar's grand opening. Right after that, he became my first of few friends in the entire city. He has a son named Alberto, who was also studying in high school and helping his papi out with work during his free time. The two of them were a
As I entered the bar I noticed that both Chico and Albert watching TV wrestling. "Hey Chico, uno café?" I called out to him which he smiled brightly in return.
"AHH!! My hero! Welcome, welcome! Please, have a seat" he offered, "How can I possibly help you at this dire time my friend? You always know that my door is open to you when you need it ahahahahaha! Can I offer you a drink? It's on me"
But I simply waved it off, "No thanks Chico. I couldn't possibly"
"Ah… you are the same as always Benjamin" he replied holding his smile, "Always the modest one. But if it not a drink you are after, than what is it?"
"Some work…" I confessed.
"Ah… I see. The working class as always" he replied, "Unfortunately, I do not have much to offer you today. As you can see, my bar is only active when the moon is bright and I cannot afford another waiter. I'm sorry"
"No need to apologize. I'm already used to job rejections"
"Then at least treat you to a glass of lemonade" he insisted, "It's the least I could do. Please" I couldn't refuse because he already poured me a glass of lemonade for me. I didn't have the rights to reject his offer so what the heck? I gladly took the glass and slowly sipped through its contents to quench my thirst. "There, you see? All better"
"Yeah… but it still won't fill my pockets any time soon" I sighed.
(New Bellwood) (Gwen's POV) (01:20 PM)
When I arrived at the main entrance of New Bellwood, my eyes couldn't even begin to believe what they were actually seeing. The entire district was nothing like the other areas of the city. The houses here were so clean that they made my school look like a beggars nest. The buildings and stores were lined up so well and neat that it felt like I wasn't on earth anymore. I felt like I just landed in the top side of Thagar IV, the planet of perfection.
The residents of that planet were very keen to everything being neatly aligned and nothing should be out of order even by a millimeter. If one thing should be caught out of place then its instant death. Man… talk about order.
"Well this is… clean" I muttered to myself as I walked through the street looking for the house that Cooper addressed to me. "I feel a little out of place" and with good reasons too. All the houses here looked like mansions and castles and dog houses looked like they were meant for people to live in. The people here must be so damn rich that they could even afford their own private jets. Hell, I even saw one of the dogs with a jeweled collar. The entire slums could eat for an entire month with that thing alone.
But just as I walked through the super cleaned sidewalks, I noticed a cool BMW car parked right in front of one of the houses. It was painted white and blue and it had such an appearance that it just made me want to get one. I had the money and with that unlimited cred that grandpa Max sent me, I could afford probably ten of them in one week. "Oh man… I have so got to get one of those" but then I quickly realized that I had already fallen off my mission track.
I scooped myself away from the house and proceeded to my destination. After awhile, I finally came to the right place. Address 443/12, yup, this was it. I just hoped that the people living here were not snobs like the ones I met in school. I placed my finger on the golden doorbell and rang it thrice to get the inhabitant's attention. But while I waited, I noticed the name of the tenants on the side door.
Robert, Damien?
Wait a second, Robert Damien? The same Damien that I'm working for back in the Damien newsletter! Whoa, talk about coincidence.
After a few minutes later, the butler of the household appeared and gestured to me, "Can I help you madam?"
"Yes, I'm working for the Damien corp. newsletter, and I'm working on publishing the story about the recent aliens that have been appearing the city. I heard that Mr. Robert Damien had a close encounter with one of them and I was wondering if I could ask a few questions, if that's alright" I quickly showed him my ID and smiled professionally.
"Ah, I see…" the butler nodded back at me, "I'm very sorry, but Mr. Damien had left for a fishing trip this morning with his lady and I don't think that they'll be back until the end of the week. However, I think I can support you on this topic" I raised a brow of curiosity at him, "Let me tell you one thing young lady. If you bring this word of alien to anyone in this district they will simply deny it. I myself have been saved by one of these aliens and I am quite intrigued by them as well. I have only seen an alien with crystal like figures but I have heard that there were many more"
"Yes there are, but is anything more you can tell me about them?"
"I'm afraid not, my good lady" the butler guy seemed polite enough to be speaking the truth so I didn't want to pressure him anymore than necessary. "But I do know where you can get more information about them" this of course intrigued my curiosity, "I have heard that several police officers in the downtown district had been hiring private detectives to find these creatures" private detectives? I guess this was too be expected seeing that Ben was a vigilante after all.
"Hmm… maybe I will, thanks for the heads up. I'll do that. Thank you for your time sir" I knew that this was just a quick ask and go operation, but I still wished I could've interviewed the guy a little bit more for some larger details.
"With pleasure young lady"
As I slowly got away from the large mansion, I took out my cell phone and dialed Cooper's number to give him a heads up of my report. He was still using the same ring tone since elementary school, the Sumo Slammer opening song. It was probably a prehistoric game right now for him, but I guess geeks like Cooper find it hard to take down a bad habit.
"Hey Gwen" he answered finally. "What's the ten four on the investigation?"
"Not so much" I replied flatly, "The owner wasn't home"
"Well we still got plenty of leads left. You could try the fire department near downtown" he said cheerfully.
"Actually…" I stated out, "I was planning to head off to the Old Bellwood district today. I got a good hunch that I'll be able to find more info th…" I suddenly heard a bunch of thumping sound coming from the phone before I could finish my sentence. "Cooper, what's wrong?"
"Oh uh… nothing!" he stammered, "I just fell off my stool that's all ahehehehe. Anyway, since you're so interested about the Slums, I'll send one of the agents over to check it out one more time. Why don't you head off to the farmlands outside the city? You're closer than some of the agents there anyway so you can finish off some loose ends. (beep beep) Oh, I got another call, later Gwen" and without even waiting for my reply, he hung up, leaving me hanging with a new and boring task. Does he even remember that I'm the one in charge of this mission? Man…
But it's strange though… this was the third time that he tasked me on a mission and the third time he threw me off my own course. It was like he didn't even want me anywhere near the slums. I know that he can be overprotective at times but come on… I faced off tougher bad guys before, so what can a bunch of armed thugs possibly do to me? But anyway, I'll just let the other agents handle that work line for me while I check the outlying farmlands for some clues on Ben's whereabouts. Who knows, I might get a jackpot hitting the unlucky slot machine.
(Slums) (Ben's POV) (Lorry Kent's clinic) (03:00 PM)
If words could kill a man right at this moment, the doctor right in front of me would be doing back flips for a life time while suffering at the bottomless pits of hell having thorns pierced into his throat and limbs for all eternity.
I was now standing in front of the gates of Lorry Kent's butcher shop which used to be the basement of this place with teeth gritting and clenched hands. I could hear sounds of chains rattling, knife slicing through plain meat and silent screams of pain coming from the other side. This was where Lorry does his little hobby. Other than selling powder and slimes to Verdon's men, he always makes time for his own personal pleasures. Usually when a guy in the slums is looking for pleasure, he'd usually go for the district brothel for the night and come back recharged.
If you really want to know what the man does inside there, trust me… you'll be having nightmares for weeks after you get a glimpse of it.
On the first impression you get when you see Dr. Kent, you'd say that he was nice guy who likes to help the poor. But after you get to know him better you'll see that he was nothing more but an old crook……… however…… once you get to know him personally… like me… you'd think that the asylum would look like the fun house already.
The guy was a psychopath, no other word can possibly describe him better other than that. He likes bodies… dead bodies to be exact. Once he gets a sample of a corpse, he just douses into the thing and begins treating it like a play thing. He didn't really care who or what the specimen was, as long as it used to be a living thing, he was plainly happy. First… he would like the skin of the subject, and after that he would kindly give the thing a name so that he could differentiate it from the rest.
After that he would begin cutting the body up letting the blood flow down into his bank of infinite blood. The basement he commandeered was turned into a medieval torture room more realistic than the ones in the haunted houses you'd see in the theme parks.
After he drains the blood from the body, he immediately begins cutting the major limbs of the body and sewing them together to create the 'perfect body' for his supreme collection. Heck, I don't know what his tastes are, but one thing for sure, the person he's gonna take to the bed would definitely be a freak. Heck, there was one time I even saw him putting a horse's head in a human's body with limbs from various other animals I couldn't even describe anymore. I don't know why people like him exist around here, but he had his uses at times. I had to admit that without him, I would still be having that stupid cold last month.
"Sorry to keep you waiting Mr. Tennyson" I was quickly snapped away from my thoughts as the good doctor came to me poking his head out the door to his butcher shop. "I hope you did not wait long, I was kind of into my… hobby. Would you like to come in?" he offered which I was glad that I refused. "No thanks" I answered back plainly, "Just what do you want me to do?"
"Oh I just want you to deliver this package for me" he held out a small box outside the door and gestured it to me. It wasn't big or anything, but I could tell from the weight that there was powder inside and probably a couple dozen sticks too. "I want you to deliver this to Ms. Vanessa. She'll be waiting for it at her office. But you probably know that place already" hell yeah I do… he's talking about the elementary school brothel in the Slums district, near Verdon's territory.
"Why don't you deliver it?"
"I would love to… but my 'work' seems to have taken my hands full at the moment" if there was a lie anymore unconvincing as that, I would really laugh my head off and roll it on the floor like a bowling ball. "Now off you go… chop chop" and without even waiting for my reply, he slammed the door right in front of me and with a defining click sound at the end.
Great…… just when I thought that this day couldn't get any worse, I had to be wrong. Visiting one bad place was one thing but visiting the two most unsightful sights in the entire district in one day was too much for me. But I made a promise. I had to do this favor… because my pride counted on it. Hell… it was probably the only thing left I own.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The trip to the brothel didn't really take that long. I just walked about four or five minutes through I shortcut I found about two months ago. One thing about the slums that I like, was because of the many alleyways that were hidden in the shadows. Wallace told me most of the hiding spots he found. Whenever he was chased by the Verdon gang, he would always go to one of these places to cool down his heat level. The boy was a true street kid. Thanks to his small size, he could practically fit through sewer pipes that were no longer in use.
When I finally set foot on the brothel elementary school, I suddenly got the feeling that the day had just gone darker for some reason. I could see shadows coming from windows, two or three people in one room doing nasty positions. Disgusting sounds emanated from the corridors and moans of pleasure could be heard in almost every corner. Yeah… this was heaven alright… a temporary heaven for those with money.
This was one of the least places other than Verdon's fortress that I would visit. The place was practically sin school as far as I can tell. The rooms that were meant for learning for kids were turned into make out rooms and fag outs. The teacher's lounge was reserved for the prettiest and sexiest 'menageries' the school had. Very few ever wanted to come out of that room ever again after they went in for the first hour.
As I walked through the corridors, none of the guards even noticed me passing by. They were just too busy admiring and flirting with their 'pets' as they would call them than to even look at me. Knowing that everyone here was a Verdon gang member, I quickly hid my Omnitrix and walked right through the guards like I own the place. But just when I thought that things couldn't get any worse, I was wrong again.
I suddenly felt a couple of hands tugging by my leg. I looked around and noticed several ladies in the mid twenties wearing nothing but bras and panties licking their lips, trying to get my attention. Usually, a normal man would've fallen under their spell and go at them like a wild animal. Heh… I could already imagine a guy getting turned on by these ladies and pounding them on the floor the next minute. Hell I could even imagine 'him' wearing a Viking hat and saying 'who's ya daddy!?' as he banged these girls.
But sadly… I wasn't exactly a normal man. I was Ben Tennyson and I had a purpose to live…
"Sorry ladies, maybe next time" I politely took my leave and head towards the principle's office which was turned into… the Viper's lair. I know already who was on the other side and I know that I wasn't gonna like it.
Vanessa… or Viper as her underlings called her. The mistress of prostitution, the queen of mankind's fertility, the creator of the greatest pleasures of life, the egg before the chicken! Well… you get the idea.
I slowly took a deep breath and exhaled gently. I knew this package was too good to be true. I knew the moment Kent gave me this tiny box. Vanessa must've somehow know about my deal with the doctor and asked him to find a way to bring me to her… personally. She must've bribed him with either bodies or green to make him agree to such a deal.
As I raise my hand to knock on the door, I suddenly began to hear strange moaning and whip cracks on the other side of the principal's office. Viper was probably torturing another poor victim into working into slavery. The useful ones only get one meal a day and I must say that it wasn't exactly a double cheese burger sandwich.
"Mistress…" came another voice in the room. It didn't sound like the guy Viper was torturing, "It appears you have a visitor"
"Who is it!?" she demanded to know, "I'm busy!"
"Uh… it's a Ben Ten delivery service" I joked half heartedly. Quickly I began to see the change in mood of the girl. She always was a strange one to me, even before the lockdown of the Old Bellwood. "Lorry Kent, sent me to deliver this package"
"Oh Bennie honey" she cooed before signaling her bodyguards to open the door. When I walked in, I noticed that there were several naked figures of both male and female lying on the floor. They were alive, but the white sticky stuff on their bodies gave me the impression that they were too exhausted to resist anymore. "Hi there Bennie sweetie" again, Vanessa cooed to me, putting her hands around my shoulder, trying to temp me into becoming hers. "Did you miss me already? I didn't even know that you wanted me so badly… hmmhmhmhmhmhm" she pressed her breast on my back and tried to temp me even more. I kinda felt like I was being teased by a succubus or something.
"I got a package here from Lorry, he said to give it to you personally" I stated by showing her the box I was carrying, but she simply pushed it away like it was nothing more but trash to her. "Now now… who cares about some silly old box? I'm more interested in the delivery boy that comes with the package" great, now I'm being added to the list of things you can buy off the internet. Crap…
"Sorry, but I got to go now" I replied hastily but Viper was just so darn persistent. She grabbed my arm forcefully with her claw like hands and pulled me closer to her body.
"Oh Ben, Ben Bennie bunny. I should've known" she hissed to me venomously, "You can't show your true self to all these people" she then snapped her fingers up and before I knew it, the two guards that were standing in front of the door nodded and began dragging the limping bodies out of the room. I guess this place has its own room service after all. After the last of them were gone, Vanessa turned her attention back to me. "Now come on Bennie, you can't possibly resist me forever. Out of all the people in this little hell hole, you're the only one who hasn't been on a bed with me"
"I think I'll keep that record, thanks" I forcefully pushed myself away from her slutty body. Just touching her skin made me feel like I need a whole month worth of path just to wash the stench off. "I told you once and I'll tell you again: I'm nobody's plaything. Now if we're done here, I'd like to go home now"
"Oh now you're just breaking my heart sweetie. Isn't there anything poor old Viper can do to heal that wounded soul of yours?" she then opened her leg wide open to me like she just saying 'do me' a thousand times. "Come on now. I can get you anything and anyone you like"
"Sorry, but I don't go out with older women. Especially one with one too many piercing" her sly snakelike face immediately soured into an old prune with wrinkles growing on the cheek bones. I knew that Viper wasn't one who would often get rejected at since she held all the power in the city slums other than Verdon of course. I could already tell that the whip she was holding back on me was getting really tempting and I wished she would take it already and hit me. Because if she does, the peace treaty between me and Verdon would come to a complete close and the slums will once again become a war zone between gangs.
Hell I didn't even need to worry about the police. Only a cop with a death wish would actually come here looking for someone to arrest.
But sadly, the girl stayed her hand and lowered her wrinkles as she smiled at me. "My my my Tennyson. I like it when you're feisty. It makes me want you even more now hmm hmm hmm…" her insatiable grin appeared to me again, as if trying to provoke me into slapping her silly. Come on Viper. Just hit me once… just once and I'll give you a night that you'll never forget. "I see you're not attracted to cups and smell. I see that you are certainly a unique customer. So tell me… what do you want in a girl? Hmm? Is it looks? Charms? Innocence? Brains or maybe you're looking for a certain type of girl?"
"Nothing that you can give" was my straight answer. I looked at her straight in the eye and smirked. I knew that hit the spot in her head. I was about to open my mouth again to say the punch line of my sentence but before I could even let a word out, my vision suddenly began to glow blurry. "Ughh…" I groaned slightly. I could see that Viper was also a little confused on what was happening so I have to say that she didn't poison me.
So if it wasn't her… than it could only be one thing.
The Omnitrix…
Oh shit…
"Bennie?" Viper cooed to me, "Is something the matter? You don't look very well" I don't feel well either. I tried to focus my eyes but as I gaze back at her she began to see about sixteen of Viper's face all across my eyes.
"I… I have to go" I abruptly left the room banging the door of the office. My mind went completely numb for a minute there and everything I saw was becoming twisted and out of shape. It almost felt like I was Alice in Strangeland or something. When I somehow managed to coop my body out of the gutter I felt like my body was about to explode. My blood rushed through my veins like they were on a traffic stop going to work. My head felt all sweaty but my mouth was breathing cold air. Call it strange but it was the truth. Something was wrong with me but I'll tell you about it some other time.
Right now… I had to get home…… fast…
(Bellwood academy) (Gwen's POV) (08:00 PM)
"Haaa…" if you're wondering why I'm sighing then you'd better pull up a chair and probably a hot cup of joe because this is going to be one long story I'm telling. After Cooper told me to head off towards the outlying farm, I was quickly dragged into a wild goose chase which was probably barely even worth my time. The clues the farmers gave out were useless to track Ben and as far as my scanners can confirm, there were barely even traces of Omnitrix energy littering the area.
I went on over and over through corn crops and cabbage field digging for clues that probably never even existed. Chased pigs with strange hair samples that were probably half contaminated and going through stables that smelled like my brother's room. To sum it all up, I had a bad day looking for Ben. I probably haven't even move since I found that wallet of his. Oh man… that reminds me… I also have to report back to Paullina about my day. If I don't file in a report for every weekend, she'll never let me hear the end of it. She'll probably go on yakking and yakking and before you even know it, she's probably talking about a totally different topic.
I really wanted to finish off my report but my hands were too numb from plowing the earth all day long. Man… whoever thought farming could take so much out of you? If that's how manual labor goes, then give me an alien invasion any day.
Once I managed to get my foot up from the bed, I noticed my phone began ringing. It was Grandpa Max calling me. "Hello? Gwen speaking" I answered in a very tired tone.
"Hey Gwen, how ya been?"
"In truth grandpa? Not so good" I answered, "I've been through and around the outskirts of the city looking for clues and nothing seems to come up. I'm pulling out all my leads but I can't seem to get a pin point on the Omnitrix. Ben hasn't gone hero for a whole day now and it doesn't sound like him"
"Don't worry sweetie" he cheered me up, "You said it yourself 'He's here… I know it' didn't you? I've set up blockades in and out of the city. The Washington National Guard had also issued a small state of security so it shouldn't cause any panic. How's Cooper by the way?"
"He's fine" I groaned, "Still being the lab boy that I remembered" I added chuckling, "He's been really helpful but I think he's kind of overprotective about me sometimes"
"He's only worried because you're probably the only friend he has left" I could tell that grandpa Max was smiling at me for this. "He…… he and Ben were really close… almost like brothers back in the days. So I don't think he could take losing you too. He may look older, but inside that kid is still the young boy that I knew seven years ago"
I smiled and knew right away that grandpa Max was right. He was usually right. Ben and Cooper were close and I was probably the only person other than Ben to hang around with him. It's not often that you would cross a person with super powers or a strange destiny in life.
"Yeah… you're probably right grandpa" I said finally. "I'll do better tomorrow. Hopefully by then I'll be able to get some decent results"
"I'm sure you'll make me proud honey. Oh but don't neglect your studies. Finding Ben is important, but keeping your appearance in school is also important. Understand?"
"Come on gramps. It's college. How hard can it be?" I gave out a smirk telling him that school wasn't anything hard. I probably know more than all of the teachers here combined.
"I'm just looking out for ya honey. Oh and don't worry about your report to Paullina, I've already dealt with that"
"Thanks grandpa… you're a life saver"
"I know Gwen. I'll call you again some other time. Bye…" and with that we both hung up at the same time. With no report to do and everything all well and done, I decided to retire early on my bed. I felt so tired that I couldn't even change into my PJs. Oh wait a second…
'Snap…'
With a press of a button on my new Exo-suit, my super body armor quickly morphed into my pajamas. I got to say that this was probably the best invention Cooper made in all his life. I bet in a few hundred years this thing will probably hit the market becoming the latest fashion trend the world would ever known. Heh… I can see it now. Cooper the seamstress.
I can…… see… it… now…
Zzzzzzzz…zzzzzzzzz
(Slums) (Ben's house) (Ben's POV)
I walked into my house looking like a drunken old man carrying a bottle of beer in his hands that night. I must've looked like a total fool after I came out from Vanessa's brothel. I tripped over a trashcan and right then… my ten minute walked had turned into a half an hour struggle to get back to my house. Every step I took came with a jolt of pain to my head and body. I vomited about three times on my way here and to make matters worse I even had to knock out two of Verdon's men who tried to ambush me on the way.
When I finally got back, Wallace was there to greet me, "Hey Ben, you ok?"
"Not now Wallace…" I groaned annoyingly as I scanned around the room. "I got… to go… use… the bathroom argghhh!!" again a jolt of pain stung my body. I felt like I was having acupuncturing therapy only except of using needles, he was using wax lit candles.
"Hey Ben, let me help you" the kid tried to help me back on my feet but his hands only added to the pain. I forcefully pushed him out of the way and got up on my own two feet. "Wah!?"
"Get out of my way!!" I yelled out angrily for the first time in months. "I don't have time for this!" when I finally got to my restroom I immediately slammed the door and barricade it with a chair. I ruffled up the room and accidentally tore the sink from the wall. My mind was going numb and my body felt like it was on fire.
This is probably the best time to tell you why I'm like this…
Why my body was becoming this way…
I…… I was changing…
Changing into… something… something I don't even know about.
When I finally managed to calm down I felt like my bones were turning to nothing but dust. The veins on my face were strangely apparent that it could be seen if you looked at me up close. If you think that this was caused by some food poisoning then don't be afraid because it's not. This was caused by something much more sophisticated and a lot more dangerous than one could imagine.
So to say… it was the device strapped onto my wrist.
The Omnitrix…
I guess the saying 'All Power Has Its Price' must be in work here. It is because of this cursed device that concocted me this decease. When I first wore the Omnitrix in my arm, it injected some kind of liquid fluid into my body, strapping me with its own DNA signatures. Every time I change into an alien hero, the effects become more painful and unbearable. I cannot tell when it will come or how long the effects will last, but I know when it is happening.
There are three signs that I should be wary to this decease…
I begin to feel pain coming through my head
Blood comes out from my mouth and nose
Signs of mutation to my limbs
The third one is probably the most painful one of all. Every time the Omnitrix activates, I would see my hand grow claws, my feet turn to dinosaur hind legs and my eyes go yellow like a cat. It takes a lot of my energy just to change back but it was well worth it. When this first happened to me, I panicked when I looked at myself in the mirror. I even thought that my old archenemy Kevin Eleven was back to get me.
Kevin…
There's a name I haven't thought in a while. I won't go much into details with that guy because I'm probably guessing you're bored to death huh.
If you're wondering how I got this decease in the first place, don't bother asking, because I probably don't have the answer for that either. It just kinda came to me one day or something.
"Hey Ben, are you alright in there?" I heard Wallace banging through the door of my restroom. Even after what I just did to him, the guy's still there for me. Sometimes I wonder if that was either unbelievable loyalty or just plain annoyance. Hell, even if I break his ribs to bits and he'd still probably be knocking on my door the next stay waiting for my next order. I don't know why, but he was that kind of guy. "Yo Ben, you still in there? Come on answer me"
"Yeah…" I answered coolly as the pain finally subsided from my stomach. "I'm still here…"
I'm still here……
But for how long?