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Night time in Japan...
Ben was still deep in thought over what Rook had told him. Was he being a bad friend by thinking Mai should die because she could get in his way. Diagon is dangerous; there's no doubt about that but could he be heading down a slippery slope that once he heads down all the way he can never go back up it?
Mai can fight and cure humans from their EVO states, which is a good thing for Ben. However she is standoffish and may be willing to kill Ben, endangering not only her dimension but all others as well. Deep down Ben hated the idea of killing someone, even if it was for the best. If it ultimately boiled down to having to kill Mai to save the day then so be it. Within his mind Ben worried about that dark choice and wondered if perhaps there was another way to go about this. If he did go though with what he told Rook and killed Mai, what will happen to him and the others? The teenaged Omnitrix welder shook from both the cold and sheer horror of what he was planing for someone he didn't really know.
Yuuichi's words were still fresh in his mind and they stung now more than ever before. Were it not for the crunching sounds of his feet on the snow Ben would be totally lost in thought and he was deeply grateful for that little mercy nature has given him. It's amazing how beautiful the snow looks when the moonlight hits it just right, Ben thought as he inhaled a long breath of air, chilling his lungs and teeth with how cold it was. As he continued his long walk he brought up the Omnitrix's main menu and selected the clock feature. As the menu screen faded to a digital clock that read '11:32' stopped in his tracks and froze, eyes wide with shock. "Aw man! I told Nayuki I'd be back at the house by midnight!" he screeched as his fingers raced to find either XLR8 or Fasttrack. Spinning the hard light selection Ben looked for one of his speed aliens and when he saw a visor at the top of the screen Ben pressed the logo and waited for the Omnitrix core to pop up (which only takes a second) before pushing it down with the palm of his hand.
Soon as the light died down Ben started to run but found that his footfalls were heavier than before and his field of vision was lacking. "NRG. Wonderful," he bemoaned as he kept at his streaky pace, the snowflakes hitting the armor melting into drops of water as steam arose for where his feet were landing on the snow covered ground. A solid wall of snow was blocking his path so NRG fired a beam of energy at it, melting it down to a puddle of hot water. A few splashes from when NRG ran over it were all that Ben noticed of the former snow wall. It didn't look like it was natural, since it looked too uniform. Ben couldn't care less about its origins right now as he was running late. Surely Nayuki would be okay with him being a teensy bit late, right?
Just under a bridge NRG ran over a little while ago...
Mai was huddled against a old heater for much needed warmth. She had gone out to kill Ben, as she believes that he is a threat to her homeland. Of course Mai doesn't know the full story of what is really going on. All she knows is that just a day before she met Ben at the market she overheard two people talking about a girl named Julie. Since it was dark at that time and the fact that they were discussing how to dominate the world Mai snuck over and listened to what they had to say on this dark matter.
Yesterday, in a unknown location...
"I see your shoddy knockoff Omnitrix is lacking a certain feature," Albedo cruelly mocked the Nematrix attached to the collar of Kyhber's dog. It worked fine in doing what it was meant to do; turn the dog into creatures that prey on the aliens that Ben can turn into so Kyber's employer can use the Omnitrix's parts to build a stronger version; one that will be beyond whatever Azmuth could ever do or so he thinks.
Kyhber was displeased with Albedo's sour attitude though he kept this to himself. " The Nematrix cannot do quick changes due to its lack of a Geno Stabilizer. Either get the one Ben has or I will make due with yours," the huntsman stated with a guttural growl, his right hand resting on the hilt of his knife.
Albedo was neither impressed nor frightened by these actions. Such mannerisms were the hallmark of those that lacked the brain power of the Galvins. "I'll be sure to keep that in mind. It was easy to fool these simpletons into thinking I'm one of them. I do not enjoy lowering myself to their level, even if it is for the good of our shared goal. Without at least Level 15 tech we are doomed to die out in this wasteland they call home," the white haired hybrid hissed out.
Kyhber ignored Albedo's outburst and continued. "This...Diagon threatens not only my lively hood, but our own lives as well. If we are to re-create our universe we must destroy this one to gain the necessary material to do so. Can we trust you to carry out this task?" he asked in a grim tone.
Albedo nodded and brought up the alien selection screen, scrolling though the different forms until he stopped at Dark Brainstorm. "As long as your employer stays away from my people then I shall carry out your wishes." His face contorted in fury as he added "If I ever see Malware again then you shall pay for your arrogance with your lives," as Kyhber just clicked his tongue to show Albedo he understands the deal the two of them are making. "Good. I will rondevu with once I gain the necessary component. If I don't succeed-"
"Then your life will be forfeit, young Galvin," Kyhber interrupted. "Do keep that in mind, will you?"
Not too far from where Kyhber and Albedo were having their little chat Mai was there, having overheard everything they had said. Needless to say she was both disgusted and angered by what these two had stated. She only had heard about Ben from what Yuuichi had told her and she shared much of his viewpoint on the Omnitrix user: immature, bratty, foolish and cocky. Since it was dark during this time Mai could only make out Albedo's voice and since it was the same as Ben's her worst fears had come to light.
The Omnitrix was going to be used to attack the townspeople she had at long last gotten to understand her. Gaining friends was a long and painful struggle for Mai and she wasn't going to sit by and let them do whatever they pleased. If it boiled down to killing Ben to stop this madness, then so be it.
Present time...
NRG was making better time than he first thought. If he could keep up this steady pace he may get back to the Minase's house before morning. However Ben's luck is never as he intended it to be, as the Omnitrix flashed a red light a few times then powered down, turning Ben back to normal form.
Ben groaned in annoyance and he had to fight the urge to say 'This couldn't be any worst', having to bite his lip to keep his anger in check. As if on cue Mai walked towards Ben, a long sword held firmly in her hand. "Mai? What are you doing out here in this time of night?" Ben asked as his breath shot out as white air due to the biting cold. He was worried when Mai entered a ready stance he recognized as one from ikaido, her face set in a scowl at Ben. As he took a step back to regain his bearings he asked her outfront "You're going to kill me, aren't you?" She only nodded to confirm what he had asked of her.
With a heavy sigh Ben activated the Omnitrix and scrolled though the selection screen until he found Diamondhead. Without a word he pressed down on the dial and became DiamondHead. "You're...not human," Mai gasped as she lowered her sword after she saw the hulking form of Diamondhead.
"Yup. Is that going to be a problem with you, little lady?" DiamondHead barked harshly at the teenager. "I promised Rook that I'd try and see your side of the issue, but if you're going to kill me, then so be it." DiamondHead morphed his right arm into a blade of pure crystal and pointed the tip of it at Mai. She did not flinch at this gesture as she merely shifted her footing to begin her attack.
"Let us battle until only one of us stands alone as the victor."
"I've got no prob with that, Mai. Let's do this thing! It's hero time!"
With those words said the two combatants clashed their weapons together, causing sparks to fly out and hit the ground. Neither would back down and no quarter was asked for, as Mai danced around the battleground, her sword being used to block Diamondhead's strikes. The crystal alien was not deterred from this and stepped back to fire off spikes at Mai. The teenaged swordmaster deflected most of the spikes but one clipped her thigh, as blood flowed from the fresh wound.
"Give it up! I'm a real hero and you're just a poser!" Ben rudely spat out, causing Mai to frown at his rudeness.
With her teeth clenched, Mai growled in anger and with as much force as she could muster used her sword to send a energy crescent at Diamondhead, knocking him down when it connected. "I know that you are addicted to your power, fool! I also know that you wish to kill everyone here. I won't allow you to go about your dark designs for my home!" Mai roared in anger.
Before Diamondhead could react Mai jumped to a nearby skyscraper and bounced between that and a building that was close by until she was up on the roof of the skyscraper. Ben groaned at what Mai did then switched to Jetray and flew to where Mai was. He fired off a nervo-shock blast at the female fighter but she deflected it with her sword's blade. Jetray landed on the roof and changed to Crashhopper, then tackled Mai with enough force to knock out a normal human.
Mai however was not a normal human and just as Crashopper was about to get off she stabbed him with her sword in his left shin. The bug alien howled in pain and with his free leg leapt into the air and threw Mai down hard onto the roof, knocking the wind out of her lungs. "I don't like hurting girls so let's just end this before someone gets hurt," he offered in a threatening tone of voice. " I doubt you see things as I do, but you're sorely outmatched here."
"That's because I'm not insane like you!" Mai bellowed as she grabbed Crashopper's throat. Ben soon found it hard to breathe and if he didn't break free from her grip he would die. With the last of his strength he turned the dial and morphed to Rath. He soon grasped Mai's arms and slammed her back onto the door leading inside.
"Lemme tell ya something, Mai the Swordmaster! Rath is gonna go dogwild on you!" the tiger alien thundered. For the first time since she met Ben she felt afraid of what Ben Tennyson could do.
Deep within his mind Ben was however fighting his basic instincts. Mai looked frightened at how close she was to death at Ben's then knew that Mai for all her bluster is just a innocent girl fighting to save her world. The Omnitrix wielder felt like a fool for thinking about killing a girl that was as much a hero as he is. With much effort he calmed down, placed her down and turned back to human form.
"Why...why did you stop when you had the chance to kill me?" Mai quietly asked as she replaced her sword back into its sheath.
"This is a wild guess here, but I think you just heard something from Diagon or Albedo. Plus Rath tends to go overboard even though he means well," Ben replied in a gentle tone. "I acted like a tool and I hope that in time you'll forgive me for what I nearly did to you," he added as he hung his head down in shame.
To his surprise Mai picked his head up and told him "Perhaps with time we can both forgive ourselves for our foolish actions." As she stepped back to get a better view of Ben she added "Time will tell if you can save us from not only this...Diagon but ourselves as well. This Albedo however must be dealt with before-"
A laser beam tore though Mai's heart, missing Ben by the skin of his teeth. The young girl had only enough time to gasp in terror before she fell down and darkness overtook her.
Soon Dark Chromastone hovered overhead within Ben's line of sight. He was the same as the last time Ben saw him. "Albedo," Ben hissed at the being that may have very well murdered Mai. "You killed her, you sick freak! What kind of a-"
"Isn't this coming from the young man who nearly doomed the Conductoids to extinction? If you have any brain power you will keep your ignorant mouth shut while you are in my presence, human germ," Albedo rudely interrupted in his usual condescending tone. "I don't know how you managed to live this long, but soon I shall correct Azmuth's greatest mistake: Giving you the greatest power in the known universe!"
"You're insane, Albedo. I don't give a hoot as to what Vilgax and the Guild did to my old Omnitrix. All I care about is stopping you before you do anything else stupid," Ben boldly declared as he tried to find a alien that can stand up to Dark Chomastone. He was forced to settle with Stinkfly before Albedo shot him with a laser beam.
"How dare you even think that Galvins are stupid?! You humans are fools and the shame of the universe! I will drive you to extinction for your foolishness. Then I shall harness Diagon's power for my own once the greater threat has been neutralized. The Galvin will thrive again!"
It didn't take long for Ben to realize that Albedo had gone off the deep end. Stinkfly didn't have any energy attacks, but his goo could only hold Dark Chromastone for so long. Hacking up the biggest loogie he could Ben spat it at Albedo as it hit the latter dead center, trapped in a wall of alien mucus. It's not much, but Stinkfly is buying us some time. Ben then was cut off from his thoughts by Mai's pained mummers. She looked faint and pale from the energy beam Albedo hit her with, even though there was no blood or exit wound on her person.
Ben knew that sometimes it's the wounds you can't see that are the deadliest of all. In a blind panic he took Mai in his arms, flew down to ground level then changed back to human form and dialed the others back home.
If he's lucky then they could save them both...or die trying.
Minase Residence...
"He's been gone for hours now. I'm worried about Ben, Yuuichi. Why hasn't he called us by now?" Nayuki whimpered as Mishio held her in a comforting hug. Tears had fallen in a steady stream since midnight hit and everyone was worried about Ben except for Yuuichi.
His arms were crossed and he looked rather annoyed over Ben's unexplained tardiness. "If Ben wants to be stupid as hell, then that's his problem, not ours!" he snarled in disgust. Rook and Jun were stunned by how cold he was being towards Ben. Luckily Mishio and Nayuki were there to try and talk some sense into him.
After taking a deep breath Mishio explained "You did not state the reasons as to why Mai needed better care from Ben. Therefore you're at fault too, you know." She took the time to sip some black tea and went on to say "Do you really think it's wise to drive away one hope for another? I know you will make the right choice in the end."
Nayuki nodded as she mummered a "Yes" to let Yuuichi know she agrees with Mishiio as well. "Ben's more than just a cute guy. He's brave and steadfast in his beliefs, just like you and Mai-chan. We have to look for him because we're scared that someone could have hurt him or worse," Nayuki said as she bunched up a bit of her skirt, trying to keep from going into a panic over Ben.
Finally Yuuichi gave up and growled "Fine. Jun and I will go look for the great and mighty Ben 10, but we don't-" A sharp ringing cut Yuuichi from his triad against Ben as Jun picked it up and answered it.
"Yello, Minase Residence."
"Jun, it's me! Albedo's attacking and he hurt Mai bad! You got to come over to the city and help me! We're by the riverside near the town square!" As Ben was telling him this the sounds of battle raged on. In fear Ben shouted "Hurry!" before the line went dead.
Jun's face went pale at what they had just overheard. "We have to go save him now. I don't know what a Albedo is, but Ben sounded terrified out of his wits over whatever it was."
Yuuichi rolled his eyes despite Jun's panic. "Ben may be a idiot, thou he does seem to be likable to some people," he snipped as he casted a glace at Mishio and Nayuki. Rook, who was upstairs heard everything and ran down to where the other were. "Stay here with the girls Rook. I don't them being left alone for too long with this Diagon freak," he ordered without giving Rook a chance to offer his aid.
Soon Jun and Yuuichi ran out of the house to where Ben and Mai were right now.
The City, near the riverside...
Ben was now in his Shocksquash form trying to shock Albedo away from him. Albedo however was blinded by his anger and was now in the form of Dark Feedback, a creature that looked like a black lizardman with one red eye, red striping on his chest and the Prototype Omnitrix near his neck. Two long tendrils were on his head and at the ends of not only them but his long tail and each finger were bronze plugs that were tipped with a sharp spike at the ends of them.
Ben was unsettled by this and not just because of the sharp bits on Albedo's person. Years ago Ben first unlocked his own version of Feedback and loved what the form could do. Not too long after that he began to overuse Feedback, endangering his ability to control other forms. When Malware destroyed the Feedback form Ben was tramatised for years before Azmuth managed to restore the form shortly after Vilgax damaged the Ultiamtrix during his battle with Diagon.
"Albedo, I'm beggin' ya here, please don't use that form!" Ben begged of his red hued 'twin', his voice prenaunt with terror as his blind electric attacks were absorbed by Dark Feedback. There was too much pain associated with Feedback, from Ben's addiction to him that he had to fight to overcome, to his horror over how Malware killed the form by ripping him from Feedback and dissolving it to dust.
"I shall use whatever form I want too, human! For far too long I never got to taste the power of the Omnitrix, even though I helped that worthless old fool build it! If I cannot have the True Omnitrix then I shall just absorb the power of it!" Albedo screamed as his tail raised up to strike Shocksquash's Omnitrix located on his green belt.
Before the attack could land on its intended target Jun ran towards Ben, blocking Albedo's tail from harming Ben. Jun paid a heavy price for his heroic deed as the spike went into his left eye, rendering it blind for as long as he will live.
Ben was horrified by the scene before him. "Jun! NNNOOOO!" In fury he grabbed Albedo's tail and threw him into the cold sea, then powered down to human form with tears in his eyes. "Jun dude, please...please don't die one me." It was taking all of Ben's willpower not to break down and cry, but he was faultering badly over how badly Jun and Mai were hurt. "You were the first friend I had coming here and I acted like an ass," he sobbed. Yuuichi came soon after and he was furious about what fate befell Jun. Ben turned his head to look at the angry young man and was only able to croak out "You have every right to hate me, but Mai and Jun need our help right now."
Yuuichi's face burned from the anger he had felt right then and there. "What kind of help can you offer that will useful, you sack of shit?!" he bellowed out as he swung a punch that connected his Ben's face, leaving a bruise that will heal in time.
No matter how much pain Ben was in right now, innocent lives always mattered more than his own. "Hate me later. If you care about your friends then HELP MEEE!" he hollered, even though his eyes were watery with his tears. Yuuichi just huffed up and picked up Mai in his arms. Ben followed suit and placed Jun, who had fainted from the shock of losing his eye, onto his back.
Without so much as a word the two teenagers carried their friends back to the house they called home. Deep within his mind Ben feared that it shall be his house no longer, but he knew that this was all his fault.
Some scars never heal, no matter how much you want them too, Ben thought as he trudged though the cold snow. Up ahead Yuuichi stormed back, his face awash with rage over what happened.
Later...
After being underwater for over a hour Albedo resurfaced in a rage. Thanks to Dark Jetray he was able to escape, but Ben got away and his chances at getting the Omnitrix were now gone for good. Ben would take pains to ensure that Albedo cannot gain the Omnitrix and Albedo knew that all he had left was revenge.
For when the Dream Eater Parasite was removed from his head it took his face along with it despite the aid of talented Galvin doctors. The ID Mask that covered the damaged remnants of his face fell off and shattered, exposing his real face being held up by staples and crude stitching. With the aid of his Omnitrix he locked onto Ben's signal and followed him closely, in the hopes of setting his feud with him once and for all.
Back at the Minase Residence...
"Not only did your 'old friend' critically injure one of my friends, you allowed Mai to get hit by one of his attacks too! We should count ourselves lucky that Mai doesn't have brain damage thanks to her healing powers!" Yuuichi roared in anger towards Ben. The brunette boy had covered his ears because of the loud shouts of Yuuichi, but even that action wasn't helping him at all. "I don't really care what the hell you call each alien form of yours; when a dark version hurts either of my friends, then you have become my enemy too!"
Rook knew he had to act fast before Yuuichi did something he would regret. After he grabbed onto Yuuichi's wrist he calmly said "Ben misunderstood what Mai was trying to figure out. Thanks to both her stubbornness and your anger issues Jun has suffered permanent damage to his left eye." Even when Yuuichi tried to break free Rook held on firmly and continued. "What happened is regrettable, but we can't dwell on it forever. It is best for both parties to admit mistakes were made and move on with our lives."
Ben turned and looked at the sleeping Jun, Nayuki and Mishio sitting by his side with Mai asleep closeby. His ruined eye was removed along with the optic never that connected it and the wound was sealed via Electrocauterization with Rook's Proto Tool. Ben felt great guilt over what happened early and while Nayuki, Mishio, Rook and Jun will not blame him, Yuuichi and Mai may still harbor ill feelings towards him.
Unbeknownst to the group Albedo was waiting outside, ready to settle the score once and for all. I will gain the power of Diagon and then I shall bring a new era to my people! Even Azmuth will bow before the greatest mind the Galvins have or will ever know in this or any other universe! he thought to himself, an insane look plastered on his heavy scarred face. He was unaware that four others were watching him with baited breath, awaiting the moment when the victor will be reveled and the loser shall lose it all.
The last duel between Ben and Albedo was close at hand...
Next time: What will happen to Jun and Mai? Will Ben ever forgive himself? Will Yuuichi chill out? And will Albedo lose this battle or does he have a trick or two up his sleeves?
Find out in the thrilling conclusion of "Oh My Mai!"