Chapter 2: The Coop
Ben (Diamondhead) was once again fighting for his life against a legion of mutant animals that Dr. Animo had created. He really hate to admit it but this was really kinda getting redundant for him. Every day it was same old same old. Mutant animals, fish mutants, farm animals mutants… they were all the same! For a man of science… he really didn't have anything original anymore.
"Alright, bring on the next one!" Ben shouted out as he took down another six of those monsters to the ground. And just as he requested, ten more mutant animals showed up to do battle. "Come at me. There's plenty of Ben to go around!"
While Ben was busy fending off the enemy like a true super hero, Cooper couldn't help but admire the guy from a distance. Even against such heavy odds, Ben would charge out against them without a second thought and without even concerning himself of his own safety. It was either he was just wanted to fight or he wants to protect everyone whoever shunned him. But at that point, Cooper could care less about that. He still believed that facing against an army like that without any fear or remorse was a feat that the boy should be proud of. After loading up some gas and making sure the Bunsen burner was on, the blonde technoid charged in with his school-made flame thrower and torched half the playground to ashes. "Hey, leave some for me!"
To say the least, Ben was surprised to see the technopath joining him for the fight, "Cooper?!" he yelled, "What are you doing? Get back inside the school, now!"
"What? And let you have all the fun? In your dreams!" and with that last phrase, he silenced the conversation once and for all. With a half god hero and an incredible mechanist genius… those animals didn't stand a chance. Ben and Cooper used the buddy tactic system, switching from one side to the other, watching each other's backs like they had their own back eyes. The mutant aliens that Animo sent against them surrounded the two boys from all corners, but even that wasn't enough to fight against Ben Ten.
Little did the two of them know… that the students of Madison Elementary were watching close by. They couldn't believe what they were seeing right now. The alien and mutants were more than enough to get them confused, but after seeing Cooper build a weapon out of stuff from the science room they couldn't but wonder. Has the world gone mad?
"Whoa… look at them go!" Cash said in awe as the heroes continued their struggle against the enemy. "Hey, that new kid is fighting with the alien guy!"
"Awesome… he's like a……a…… a super side kick or something!"
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On top of a roof building not far from the school, Dr. Animo, the scientist responsible for this attack was starring down at the city as his mutant army caused chaos all over the city block. "Ah yes…" he grinned evilly as he rode on his favorite bat like chimera, "Screams, chaos, panic! All in the name of science! Isn't that right my pets? (quaaakkk! Roarrr!)" but just as he was enjoying the scene of his terror, he suddenly noted that there was a commotion happening at the elementary school a few kilometers away from his position. "Hmm? What's this? A few stragglers, trying to deny my genius?" but as he looked at who his pets were fighting he immediately grew out an evil grin. "Well well well… if it isn't Benjamin. What a surprise"
With a blow of his whistle, six of his pigeon chimeras soon took flight and flew towards Ben's position.
But then suddenly, he noted another presence fighting, "Oh and what's this? Another Tennyson? No. Hmm… interesting… it's the boy that I fought back in Mt. Rushmore. The cybertronic human! Yes… that's what I need!"
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As Ben saw the enemy's aerial reinforcements approaching he quickly fired a volley of crystal shards at them causing them to break formation. "Geeze… pigeons… I hate pigeons…" he groaned out loud as he punched another one of the chimeras down to the ground. "Cooper, you get those kids over there out of here! I'll hold them off!"
"You can't take them all on by yourself!" Cooper reasoned, but Ben wasn't gonna listen, "This isn't the time to argue! You're the only one around. Get those kids to the gym and barricade yourselves. I'll buy you enough time" knowing well about Ben's hard headed reasons, Cooper hesitantly dropped down his weapons and head to where the students were. "Everyone, follow me to the gym! Hurry!"
The children didn't exactly know what was really going on but if the kid says so then what the heck?
And as Ben promised… he bought enough time for Cooper to evacuate the remaining students. He used his crystalic abilities to the fullest by making blockades, showering the enemies with shards of crystals, heck, he even made a mace out of a chunk of diamonds and began whacking them one by one. "Alright you overgrown meatheads! Who wants some more?!" after showing his prowess might over and over again and again against such powerful enemies, the animal instincts that were still inside the mutants began to react, telling them to pull out and fight another day.
"Ben!" the boy jerked around and noticed Doris Dalton and Principal White in their Plumber uniform.
"Doris? Principal White?" the boy quirked, "What are you guys doing here?"
"Sorry for the late backup" the cafeteria lady smirked as she pulled out a plasma rifle from her back, "I had to clean the kitchen from some giant mouse that came through the back door. I ran into White here when I heard you were fighting out here"
"S… sorry about the delay…" the principal stuttered, "I had a hard time fitting into my uniform again"
But just before they could continue with the conversation any further, another voice showed in, causing them to jerk their head towards the center of the mutant army's line. "Well well well… if it isn't my old friend the Tennyson. Shouldn't you be in school?"
"School time's over, Animo!" Ben shot back cuffing up an iron fist, "But I guess there's enough time for one last biology class. The extra credit… is pounding you to the ground!"
"As much as I like to toy with you Benjamin, I'm afraid that my pets want first bite at you"
"You guys head of the gym" Ben ordered the two Plumbers, "I'll handle these animals myself" but just when he was about to resume his fight, the Omnitrix symbol on his chess began to beep red and before he knew it, he was back to being Ben Tennyson, the human. "Oh man… why now of all times?!"
"Looks like your luck has run out!" Animo laughed out as he ordered his 'pets' to attack, "Sick'em my lovelies!"
"Ben, this way, hurry!" the principal shouted as he hastened his way towards the gym, "We'll lose them through the track field!" Doris, the café lady provided some covering fire with her weapon, but her plasma rifle alone was not enough to take them down. "Come on, this way!"
The chase of cat and mouse went on and on for about five minutes until Ben and the Plumbers finally arrived at the track field. They hid through crates and barrels, move from one room to the next, but the mutant animals just kept busting in through the doors and walls of every room they went into. After another ten or so minutes, they came to the third hallway of the school.
The three of them panted like dogs, crouching down on their knees exhausted from all the running. Ben was still fine since he was still young and fresh, but Principal Ed White and Doris were not exactly in their tight suits anymore. "Do you think we lost them?" asked Ben to the others.
The principal wiped the sweat off his bald head for a moment before looking back up, "Somehow we did it" he said playfully, "Come on now… let's join the others in the gym" but just when he was about to take the sharp turn towards the science lab, Animo appeared, riding another one of his 'pets'.
"Class… is in session!" the mad doctor exclaimed as he moved in.
The three heroes quickly made their way towards the previous room, but it was already too late. The doorway back had already been occupied by another one of Animo's creatures. With both ways blocked out, Ben quickly turned to the boy's bathroom and remembered that he had a secret stash of supplies in there. "Follow me!" he pulled the principal in but Doris was a little unsure. "Doris, come on!"
"I an't going in there!" she shouted back, "That's the boy's room. There an't no way I am ever gonna step into th…" but Ben pulled her in before she could even finish her sentence… and luckily too, because if she stayed there for another millisecond she would've lost her head right about now.
"So what now?" Ed White asked as he locked the bathroom door.
Ben looked around for a moment, checking each and every toilet hoping to find his old supply stash. "Come on… where is it?" after looking at the last toilet, he suddenly spotted his signature plastered on the toilet cover. "Aha! Here it is!" in a move that would even confuse even the very gods themselves, Ben removed the water tank behind the toilet and pulled out a plastic bag filled with fire crackers and several other prank equipments. "These things will just have to do"
To say the least, Ed and Doris were a bit amazed. To think that Ben would actually be able to hide such dastardly equipments in school ground without anyone knowing where it is……… I guess this explains how he was able to pull all of those pranks back in the days.
"Whoa" Doris said amazed, "How you get all these things in here?"
"Oh I had my ways" Ben replied with a smirk up his lips, "This toilet's been broken since last year so I decided to put some stuff in here"
"I'll have to remember to get a real plumber to fix this" the principal added as he looked through the equipments he brought out. "But how are we going to fight off those things with just a bunch of fire crackers, fun sprays and a pack of chewing gum?"
"They may be look like mutated monsters, but they're still animals" Ben explained, "I learned how to scare away animals when I was eight years old. Loud noises and things coming out of spray cans always does the trick"
"Are you sure it'll work?"
"It's better to try it now then doing nothing at all" Doris reasoned, "So how do you work with one of these?"
(School gym)
Back in the school gym, Cooper was busy rallying the students into building a barricade to stop the animals from getting through the doors. He pulled everyone through and got them to cooperate with the resistance by piling up lockers, crates and chairs to make a little blockade of their own.
"Alright everyone, gather around!" the blonde boy called up to them, "We'll make our stand in the basement. Come on" but just as he slowly guide the students towards the lower floors, one of the mutants decided to drop in through the roof, making the children go into panic. But Cooper did not falter. Instead he looked around to see if there was anything here he could use to fight against this monster… and by lady luck's will he set his sights onto a soda vending machine.
With a little focus of his mind and a little twist of the machine's mechanism, the vending machine began shooting out cans like it had gone berserk. The mutant animal that tried to attack kids saw the cans flew right at it and then piff pow and smack… it was knocked out like a light. "Yeah! That's what you get when you mess with the Coopanator! (to the students) Everyone, hurry! Inside the basement!" with the mutant beast knocked out cold, the students quickly rushed into the basement in hopes of finding refuge from this chaos.
After making sure that the last of them were in, Cooper quickly got to the other side of the gym to find where Ben was.
(Back with Ben and the Plumbers)
Ben, Ed and Doris armed themselves for battle with fire crackers, fun sprays and a few packs of chewing gum, Dr. Animo began his siege onto the door of the bathroom. "Are you guys ready?" Ben asked as he chewed a whole pack of gum in his mouth. The two adults were doing the same too but weren't quite used to having a whole pack of gum in their mouths. Their reply was so mixed up that Ben couldn't exactly make up the words. "I'll take that as a yes"
And just when Animo's pets broke through the door, they quickly threw out the fire crackers to pop in some smoke. And just like Ben theorized, the animals began panicking through the sound of small-loud explosives. "Let's get out of here!" Ben yelled out to which they gladly followed. Again another chase began, and with the hallways and school ground filled with Animo's creatures, it was difficult just trying to stay alive.
The trio used up everything they had in their arsenal against the first line of attackers and it was just enough just to get them outside.
"You can't run from me Tennyson!" Animo yelled out riding his pet were-bat. "This time, you shall meet your end"
"Oh I don't need to run" Ben mocked back at him, "I can you on right here right now"
But Animo simply laughed at his bluff, "HA! You? You and what army?" Benjamin didn't really have to point out the obvious because when Animo looked what was behind the boy's back, his body literally froze like he had turned to ice.
Behind Ben was Grandpa Max, Gwen, Oswald Hudson and the entire regiment of the Plumbers… all friends of the Tennysons…… well… all the… really… really old friends that is. "Does that answer your question?" Ben countered folding his arms with a grin.
With Animo cornered and outnumbered for once, he took a gulp of his saliva and thought that a retreat would be the best course of action against this fight.
Oswald then took to the field with a grin on his face, "Alright troops… ready… aim…… and…"
"RETREATT!!" Animo yelled out finally to his minions. He then grabbed onto one of the mutated pigeon's legs and flew up high away, "I'll be back Benjamin, and the next time… you won't be so lucky! You can count on it"
"Bring it on anytime, old man!" the boy yelled back grinning ear to ear.
(10 minutes later)
When things started to quiet down a bit from the recent attack by Animo and his pets, Ben, Gwen, Cooper and Maxwell regrouped with the other Plumbers to discuss what had just happened. Today had just been a strange one for the Tennysons. Not only was this attack completely unexpected by any of them… but it was also completely meaningless. Animo wasn't the kind of person who would just go to people's town just to destroy it. Usually he would have a more sinister plan like… turning the world's chicken population into T-rexes…
Science proven: Chickens are related to the great dinosaur T-rex. But I don't have a clue why
"Thanks for the help Oswald" Max shook the hand of his ex-boss as they prepared for departure.
But the old Hudson simply waved it off, "Oh don't mention it. It's nice to finally see some good old action once again. Anyway, I'm taking the rest of the Plumbers here for a little routine patrol around the city to see if there are any of those mutants left behind. I'll call you if anything comes up"
"You do that" Max replied turning his head to Cooper and his grandkids, "I'm taking the kids back home"
While the oldies were busy chatting near the Rust Bucket, Gwen suddenly noticed Ben's little black eye that he got from Cooper today. "Whoa… what happened to you?" her words betrayed her reaction when she giggled at him jokingly.
"Don't ask…" Ben huffed crossing his arms.
After the rest of the Plumbers disburse from the area to hunt down the remaining mutant animals lingering in the city, Max decided that it was time he took the kids home. With all the craziness that's been happening, he knew that a little calm and peace can help these kids relax. Once they all boarded the Rust Bucket, they immediately drove off.
"So grandpa" Ben questioned, "Any news on Animo?"
"Not exactly" he answered while putting the RV on autopilot, "This whole attack on the school was just a diversion. While you were busy fighting off Animo, some of his mutated chimps stole a lot of electronic equipments from downtown" but of course Ben knew that that already. He knew that Animo wasn't the kind of person who would attack blindly at a random city by choice. It just wasn't his style to cause chaos and mayhem to an entire city block.
"So what does he plan to do with all those junk?" Gwen asked.
"I don't know…… and that's what really bothers me"
(Dockyard warehouse 18) (Animo's lair)
After that little skirmish back in Bellwood city, Animo returned to his secret hideout in an abandoned warehouse over by the dockyard which he transformed it into a lab filled with all of his evil gizmos and gadgetries. When he and his army of mutants returned safely to the warehouse, the evil professor grew out an evil grin as he saw a group of his finest mutated chimps carrying some electronic hardware on their mouths.
He approached them and slowly analyzed every piece of equipment they brought him. "An excellent work again… my pets" he said finally, "You have done just as I thought you would do. With this I will now be able to perfect… my cloning device" he then walked towards a giant machine which had two identical beasts roaring inside of it. "Patience my lovelies. For once I install these devices into the computer circuits, you shall become the perfect clones! But I need one more thing……… a nuclear power cell…"
(Back with the Tennysons)
The trip back home was a lot more difficult than Max thought it would be. What was supposed to be just a few minutes ride turned into a half an hour traffic stop with no pit stops along the way. The damage caused by Animo's minions was more severe than he had imagined it would be. Not only did the madman attack the downtown area, but he also attacked the local police station and the fire department thus making the authorities unable to send aid to the other areas.
But Max didn't mind the long run. His grandkids were enjoying the ride and Cooper seemed to have gotten himself two partners to play with. They were playing with a deck of cards and they seemed to be enjoying every moment of it. It was like the incident that happened a few hours ago didn't even happen. As he looked back at them, a sad thought came into his mind… one that would make him wonder for the rest of his life.
Usually when an attack of this scale happens, kids like Ben and Gwen would usually go into panic and run around like scarred ants that had lost their queen. But now, they have gotten used to war and battles. Ever since he brought his grandkids through the countryside all summer long, they had changed considerably like they had undergone some sort of a secret military training routine. They were no longer the sweet innocent children that he knew last year… instead they had turned into living weapons capable of leveling cities if they wanted to. Ben had the power of more than ten dangerous alien species in his Omnitrix. Gwen could summon lightning storm out of her hand and her tactical skills made her all the more dangerous to her enemies.
Max didn't want to admit it, but as he looked back at the experience they had during their summer vacation, he could tell that those two grandkids of his can actually take out the entire Plumber organization if they wanted to.
"Max, Maxie, are you there?" the old man's thoughts shook right off when he noticed his radio chattering at him. He recognized the voice as Oswald. With a flip of the switch he turned the tune in.
"I'm here Oswald" Max replied, "What's up?" a computer screen suddenly popped up from the air condition slot and Oswald's face was on it.
"We've just finished rounding up the last of the mutants in the city and we've managed to de-mutate their DNA structures" the boss of the Plumbers explained, "But that isn't the craziest news yet. When we analyzed their DNA, we found more than six of them have almost identical structures"
"So you're saying their clones?"
"Almost…" Oswald replied holding his chin up, "The clones aren't as thoroughly strong as the original copy due to its unstable energy system. I'll have some of my men look into it. But if these things are really clones then that would explain how Animo was able to get so many of them. You'd better be on the watch for any activity. Call me if you need help" but just when Oswald was about to hang up, one of his Plumber agents whispered to his ear about something.
"Is something wrong Oswald?" Max wondered as he noted his old boss's expression.
"It seems like some of Animo's mutants are attacking a nuclear power plant facility near Washington" he briefed back.
"You mean the nuclear power plant that they never finished?"
"The very same. I'm sure he's there looking for power rods for his cloning machine… if he has one that is. Would you mind going there and check it out for me? My men are all tied up at the moment"
"Sure Oswald, I'll see what I can do" and with that he hung up. "Kids, you better strap yourselves in because we're heading to Seattle. Animo is attacking a nuclear power plant there"
"Oh, can I come?" Cooper asked with his eyes sparkling. Max then suddenly remembered that he had a third passenger now and he didn't exactly had the power to fight against monsters"
"Sorry Cooper, but you're gonna have to sit this one out" the old man stated, "I'll drop you by your house and pick you up again tomorrow. Besides, Ben and Gwen have more experience in this" he couldn't believe he just said that. To think that he would actually use his grandkids as weapons was just unimaginable. He hated himself for doing that, but the circumstances demanded risks.
"Oh come on!" the blonde kind whined, "I helped you guys out before. I even helped Ben here fight off those alien guys"
"Sorry Cooper, but if grandpa says no… then no" Gwen lectured, agreeing with grandpa Max. "Besides, it'll be much safer with just the three of us"
"Oh man… no fair" a few minutes later, the soon arrived on the door of Cooper's house which was surprisingly only a few blocks away from Ben's place… they were practically neighbors in the neighborhood. But just as Cooper got out of the RV, a sudden thought came into his mind.
"So what do you think Animo wants from that nuclear power plant?" Ben spoke up finally after being silent for so long. Max quickly pulled out a scanner and initialed a theory of cloning. "Well if he's building what I think he's building… then he'll probably be after the nuclear power rods from the main nuclear reactors"
"But didn't the government confiscated all nuclear rods from the power plant?" Gwen tilted her head aside as she remembered reading something about that place in the World Wide Web.
"That was years ago" Max answered, "A new company tried to resume the project and unfortunately Animo wants his hands on those rods"
"So what are we waiting for?" Ben smirked, "Let's hit the road!"
And with that, the trio Tennysons strapped themselves in and drove off in turbo mode… little did they know… that Cooper was hitching a ride on the roof strapped with his own belt.