Chapter 3: Power Up Power Down
Chapter 3: Power Up Power Down
(Seattle nuclear power plant) (07:30 PM)
When the Rust Bucket came to a full halt at the main entrance of the nuclear reactor, the Tennysons quickly came out to see what the damages were. But surprisingly for all of them there wasn't a monster in sight. No mutated pigeons, no half pig-half dog, nothing. Just a broken down door and some claw marks on the wall of the building.
"It's quiet… too quiet" Gwen noted as she looked around the building. Max nodded in agreement and immediately got a bad feeling about this. He could've waited for Oswald and his buddies to get here, but right now he had to make due with what he's got. The old man quickly grabbed a couple of laser pistols from the secret storage hatch and holstered it down his many pockets. "We'll cover more ground if we split up. I'll go this way. Gwen, you stay with Ben and look on the lower floors. Report in through your communicons if you find something"
But just when Gwen was about to follow Ben in, the boy held his hand up to stop her, "I'll be fine on my own grandpa" he stated, "I think Gwen should go with you instead" and without even waiting for a return argument, the boy headed off, leaving behind two annoyed family members.
"One of these days, he's gonna wish he had me around" Gwen grumbled as she followed Max inside the power plant.
Just as the Tennysons were out of earshot, Cooper soon dropped out of his hiding spot and decided to follow Ben's point of entry. The boy would definitely attract more attention than the other two which was pretty obvious. Ben was like a magnet that drew trouble even if he didn't want to.
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Inside the facility, everything was just as Ben expected it to be. This wasn't his first time being in a nuclear reactor power plant, but it still gave him the willies knowing that this place could contaminate anything or anyone if not properly protected. There were large storage tanks for toxic waste and several computer rooms which the boy didn't have the slightest clue on how to operate. As he slowly made his way through the catwalk leading to the security room he found the place to be oddly quiet.
The place definitely reeked of an ambush but it was possible that Animo may have gotten what he came for and scrammed already. But whatever the case, he still needed to see if there was really any trouble. The mad doctor tends to leave his signature somewhere around here somewhere and it would usually be at the scene of the crime.
As Ben slowly entered another security room, he found out that the whole place had been abandoned and not a single guard in sight. The guards that were supposed to watch the security monitors were all gone and their weapons were still hanging around the locker area. Ben was beginning to hate this situation more and more as he continued his search. But just when he was about to leave the room, he noticed that there was a map of the entire complex stuck to the wall of the room.
He gazed at the map for a couple of minutes trying to figure out where he was. After another check he suddenly found out where the main power core was stored. "The main power room… if that's where they're storing those power rods then Animo must be heading there as well" he resisted the urge of calling Gwen and grandpa Max through the communicon… because if he brought them there then they would be putting their lives at risk. He put the communicating device back into his pocket and slowly turned towards the direction of the main power room.
But then suddenly, his arm got caught in some kind of spider web. "Ugh! Man, the janitor must've had the day off today" he groaned before pulling himself away from the web. But then he realized that no normal spider could actually make web as strong as this. It was stickier and way most moistening than the regular ones. He knew this because he gets to clean the attic of his house every once a month. "Giant spiders? Oh man… talk about original…" he grunted out before pulling out his communicon. "Grandpa, Gwen, there's something not right about this place. I've got a feeling Animo might've brought in some mutant spiders"
The radio frequency was silent for a few seconds before Max finally replied, "Uh yeah… I think we know that already…"
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Deep within the basement of the facility, Max and Gwen were facing a whole pack of giant spiders the size of a Panther Tank with eight large legs that looked like it could tear a car in half and fangs drooling with poisonous toxic waste. At first Max and Gwen thought they were done for, but after a few minutes… they realized something about the mutant spiders.
"Hey wait a minute" Gwen whispered as she moved to a different location of the room. The spiders didn't seem to notice her so she took a small chunk of coal and threw it at the ground near one of the spider's position. The mutant animals quickly rushed to that location for a few seconds but when nothing happened they simply returned to their original positions again, "I think these spiders are… blind"
"They must be relying on quick movements and sound" Max realized before switching to his communicon. "Ben… whatever you do. Don't make any sudden movements or noises. The spiders are attracted to sound"
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"If that's the case… then I know a great way to attract them" Ben smirked, "Where are you guys now?"
"In the lower basement level" Max answered.
Ben quickly scanned through the map he inspected earlier and noticed that grandpa Max was just two rooms away from the main power room. "Grandpa, you're close to the main power room. Just get through to the control panels on your and you should get to where Animo is"
"Yeah, but how are we supposed to get pass these things without getting eaten or bitten?" Gwen added sarcastically.
But Ben simply grinned as he turned the knob of the Omnitrix. "Leave that… to me" and with a press of a button he quickly turned into Benwolf, the super sonic sound amplifying Yenaidooshi. "Alright… time to make some noise" he quickly made his way towards a small room where it was easy to defend… and after a few testing coughs, he began to do the wolf howl on the full grown moon. "AWOOOOOOO!!" the sound vibrated through the pipes and metals lines across the facility creating a strange and annoying rhythm. The wolf's voice was so loud that even mirror glasses broke and iron chains shook in its wake.
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When Gwen and Max heard the super sonic sound of Ben's they pressed their hands on their ear and endured through the sound. But when the mutant spiders heard the noise they immediately began scampering like an angry hive of bees provoked by an attacker. Before the two Tennysons knew what was going on, the spiders were already gone.
"Looks like Ben really got their attention this time" Max noted as he turned his flashlight back on. Even though he was still worried about Ben, he knew that the power rods were more important.
"You think Ben will be ok all by himself?" Gwen asked a little worried.
"Ben can take care of himself. Right now we have to worry about those power rods" Max insisted as he entered the power core room. From there he could see Animo working on how to get one of the power rods out of its sockets. "Freeze Animo! Consider yourself busted!"
The mad scientist simply looked back at him with his elite pets and grinned, "Ahh… Maxwell… so good of you to join us. I was just about to win my Nobel Prize"
"The only prize you're getting with be handcuffs and black and white T-shirt stripes" the old man shot back aiming his weapon at him. "Step away from the power rods and come peacefully" but obviously the mad man wasn't gonna comply. Where will all the excitement be if he just gave up?
(Example)
Animo: "Alright Tennyson, I know the moment you stepped into those doors that I am beaten. I humbly surrender my self to you!"
Maxwell: "Good! Now tell your mutant friends to do the same"
Animo: "Why of course. My pets, surrender! (Max put the handcuffs on Animo and placed him in the police cruiser)"
Maxwell: "Take him away boys!"
Police Officer: "Yes sir! Thank you for your help Maxwell"
And with that ends another reign of terror from Animo, which he was wise enough to surrender to the Tennysons and their might.
(Back to reality)
As Max threatened the professor with his weapon, Animo quickly waved his hands up to signal his pets, "Allow me to introduce to you my two fine chow chow puppies Tennyson. They're my favorite. My pets… I found some new toys for you to chew on" and with that, the two mutated pups attacked, making Max and Gwen split up.
(Back with Ben)
While Max and Gwen were busy dealing with Animo's loyal pets, Ben was battling for his life for millionth time against the spiders that he attracted with his super sonic sound waves. At first he just expected about a dozen or two of those beings, but when the actual numbers appeared, he was surprised to see a swarm of them coming from all sides of the facility.
Thanks to his wolf like reflexes and strength, he was able to avoid the spider web shots and the poisonous fangs of the mutants. But he couldn't exactly keep this fight on forever. Even though he had enhanced stamina, speed and strength… he was still a ten year old boy who could still feel pain.
After fending off a couple more giant spiders from his position with a super sonic sound attack, Ben quickly realize that it was only a matter of time before he exhaust himself to death. He could already feel that he was about to catch his second wind, and it didn't look pretty. "Come on, you eight legged freaks, I'll take you all on even with my eyes closed!"
But little did the boy know that Cooper wasn't far behind.
When the little blue eyed technopath saw Ben down there facing against the mutant spiders, he quickly knew that he had to help or Ben becomes spider chow. He quickly dashed into the primary control room and looked through the controls to see if there was anything here he could use. "Come on come on… there's got to be something here I could use" seeing that it was hopeless, Cooper quickly focused his mind onto the control panels trying to understand the entire purpose of each and every buttons. After a few moments he quickly got an idea. "I got it!!"
Just before the spiders could resume their attack on Ben (Benwolf) Cooper released the power plant cooling vent which turned the temperature in the room to minus-zero.
When Ben saw this he immediately wondered, "Whoa… talk about lady luck…" but just when he was about to head off to where grandpa Max and Gwen were, the Omnitrix symbol on his stomach began to turn blue, telling that another vision was coming by. "Oh man… not again…" after another jolt of pain, he could feel another wave of fluid flowing into his body, further enhancing his abilities.
He could see Cooper inside the main control room just right above him smirking at his own work, but the blonde kid couldn't see that there was another spider right behind him, readying to lay its poisonous fangs onto his neck.
When the vision ended, Ben knew right away that if he didn't act fast, Cooper would soon become worm food in a matter of seconds. "Cooper!" he yelled out before leaping through the control room. And with a single movement of his arm, he cut the giant spider that was about to attack the poor boy… in half. To say the least… Cooper was amazed.
"Ah… hey there Ben" the blonde boy said playfully, "Cold weather we're having huh?"
Ben was not really pleased to see Cooper here, but since he did save his life against the mutant spiders… he was willing to reconsider his options. "Cooper, what are you doing here? I thought we dropped you off back home!"
"Uh… I kinda hitched a ride with you guys" he answered playfully, "Thought you might needed some backup" but before Ben could continue their conversation, the Omnitrix symbol on his stomach began beeping red and after a couple of seconds, he was back in his human form. "What do we do now?" Cooper questioned.
"Grandpa and Gwen are probably fighting Animo right about now" Ben analyzed as he thought for a moment. Even though he wasn't good in school, thinking in battle was something he was already used to. "I'll give them a call through my communicon" he picked up his communicator and dialed Max's number. "Grandpa, it's me Ben. The spiders are taken care of… how's your end with Animo?"
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Max and Gwen were having a little trouble battling the two mutated chow chow dogs at the moment. Not only were the dog vicious and dangerous, but they were also incredibly large as well, which made it all the more harder to stop them. Gwen built up a force field to hold them off but like they say… nothing in this world was invincible.
"Ben!" Max called in through his communicon, "We're in a bit of a situation right now. Animo's trying to get the power rods from the core. You have to activate the lockdown system in the main control room!"
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"The what?!" obviously, Ben wasn't the best person to know what to do with computers. But luckily for him, Cooper was an expert with mechanics. "The security override system!" the blonde boy noted before turning his attention to the control panels. "If my computer skills are right, the lockdown system should go down right about……… now"
"Warning!" came a computerized voice, "Security override, activated. Power core now in lock down"
Ben and Cooper grinned…
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Just when Animo was about to take one of the power rods out of its sockets, it suddenly strapped itself back into the slot and locked down, making it almost impossible to take out. "NOOO!! My power rods!" and soon later, he noticed Gwen had managed to defeat the two puppies down to size.
"They were never yours to begin with" she added as she fired a lightning bolt from her hands. With none of his minions left standing, Animo knew right away that he had to go now or risk getting captured by the Tennysons again. "You have not seen the last of me, Tennyson!" he quickly began running through the corridors to avoid arrest. Gwen and Max gave chase.
"Ben, Animo is making a break for it at the main exit. Stop him!" Max ordered through his communicon.
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As Ben received the order from his grandpa, he quickly looked back at the map and plotted the fastest course to the main exit. "Come on" he gestured to Cooper, "We can cut him off through here" as they made it to the catwalk overlooking the main entrance, he immediately saw Animo running with nothing but the clothes on his back and a small slicer that he used to rip the power rods. When the boys came down to block his path, Ben posed up in front in the most heroic way possible. "Freeze right there Animo!"
The madman turned his head towards Ben and Cooper and gritted his teeth angrily.
Soon later, Max and Gwen arrived on the other side of the hallway with their weapons in hand. "It's over Animo. The Plumbers will be here any minute now. There's no way you can get out of here"
"Oh but Max… I have more than just my pets as my weapons" the crazy scientist replied holding a grin. And with a press of a button on his suit, the mechanical bio suit armor that was in the form of an albino gorilla came in through the roof. "Behold! My glorious creation! The mechanical bio suit! And with its newly improved upgrades… not even the Omnitrix can stop me now!"
But then his words suddenly gave its weakness away. "Wait a minute… did you say… mechanical?" Ben taunted with a grin. "Oh Cooper… I think you can take it from here"
"It'll be my pleasure" the blonde boy replied as he cracked his knuckles.
Animo cocked up a curios brow wondering how such a mere boy would be able to stop his rampage. At first he thought that Ben might've gone crazy or he was just bluffing, "HA!" the madman laughed, "And how do you supposed to do that? Are you gonna throw a pencil at me… boy?"
"Nope" Cooper said plainly, "I was thinking more in… the pounding kind of way" he took out a pair of black fingerless gloves from his pockets and let out a tiny sadistic grin on his lips. With a little focus onto the bio mechanical suit of Animo, the boy was able to take control of the armor, bending its system to his will.
"Wh what?!" before Animo could even get himself out, his gorilla armor suddenly turned on him, giving him one of the most painful and humiliating wedgies a child could ever see. "NOO!! Put me down! I created you! Put me down!!"
"Whoa… how are you doing that?" Ben questioned a little intrigued with the new gear Cooper put on his hands.
"Mind amplifying gloves" Cooper answered as he gestured to his fingerless gloves, "I've been working on these things for awhile. With these, I can use my technopathic powers without getting a major headache"
"I demand you to put me down this instance!" Animo whined like a child being given the spanking.
"I think you'd better do what he says Cooper" Gwen mocked with a grin plastered on her lips.
"Ok, if you say so" and just as Animo requested, he was dropped down to the ground with a loud bang sound in the end. He tried to stand back up, but his old body didn't have the stamina to fight anymore. After Max cuffed the madman's wrists together Cooper let out a smirk, "This is wickedly awesome! So… what are we doing tomorrow?"
And by the time the police force arrived onto the scene, Ben and his family and new found friend, left the power plant and head on home for a nice relaxing night. Who knows what kind of adventure they'll have tomorrow morning?
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Epilogue (The next morning)
It was another beautiful morning here in Madison Elementary school. After Animo's recent attack on the school, everyone thought that they would have the day off, but thankfully Principal White had some connections with the Plumbers cover up team and had the place repaired in just a matter of hours. Class eventually resumed and students were coming in from the school bus to make it to school on time.
The Tennysons were also urging for a normal day as well. After experiencing such a heavy battle last night against Animo's mightiest chimeras, something normal seemed like something they all desired.
The Rust Bucket soon drove in through the side of the road and from it walked out Cooper and Ben, both dressed up and ready for a normal day… hopefully.
"Alright you two" grandpa Max stated as he lowered down his window shield, "Be good in school and I'll come and pick you guys up later in the afternoon"
"And try not to break anything while you're at it" Gwen added which was only replied with a bleh sound from Ben.
And when the Rust Bucket was no longer in sight, Cooper immediately let out a small stretch off his arm. "Oh boy. I am so happy that my parents moved here. I never thought that everyday in Bellwood could be so exciting!"
"Trust me. Those kind of days are normal here in this town" Ben replied holding a smirk. But then he quickly remembered something. "Oh yeah that reminds me" he picked out something from his pocket and handed it over to the technopath's hand, "I asked grandpa to get you one. We could use someone like you on the team… and seeing that you saved me twice, I think you deserved it" Cooper slowly opened his hand and saw a communicon with his name on it. It was the same one that the Tennysons were using to relay messages to one another.
"Oh cool! My very own communicator!" he squeaked out loud as he tinkered with the device a little bit.
"Actually, we call it the communicon" Ben clarified for him, "But yeah… it is a communicator"
"Thanks Ben… you're the best" and without any warning whatsoever… Cooper gave Ben one of the most brotherly hug the world has ever seen. Ben of course was not used to all this emotional hugs, but what the hey… at least he's got himself a new friend and that has to count for something.
"AH! Ok ok ok… stop it with the hugging already" the wielder of the Omnitrix pushed the boy back to break the hug.
But just when they were about to go into the school, a car explosion occurred making them jerk their heads to the source of the sound. "What the heck!?" Ben yelled out as he looked at the scene of the crime.
Apparently the circus freak trios were causing mayhem again they were robbing a small candy store of all its candy and money. Yup… this was just another day here… in Bellwood.
Ben and Cooper looked at each other for a moment knowing full well what their intentions were. As they grew out grins on their faces, Cooper quickly put on his fingerless gloves while Ben readied his Omnitrix. "You know what time it is?" Ben began…
"It's hero time!" and with that… the two heroes of Bellwood charged in… ready to take on any foe, anywhere and any time.