Disclaimer: All characters and themes are the property of their respective owners.

Chapter 11: London bridges falling down Part 1

London, 12:41 P.M

Diagon's coming had weakened the dimensional walls of Ben's universe. As the former avatar of the Old One himself Vilgax now knew everything that he knew about these weak spots that he could, in theory, bring about the end of Bellwood. From Gamou's research Vilgax learnt that when all 12 Horoscope Switches are used by one person then a warp gate formed from a dimensional hole can be used to go directly to just about anywhere in the universe. Of course the pull of such a feat would utterly destroy the surrounding arena but since this was Earth, a planet considered less than trash by some species, Vilgax really couldn't care less. Once he across the portal back to Vilgaxia he would then gather the rest of his fleet and drag Earth to its doom. But of course he needed to get to where these holes were and alter them to become warpgates. One such place was in London, and Vilgax was almost giddy about heading home after so long. Ben was a nuisance as always but with their new powers Driscoll and Zombozo were quite ready for their rematch with the grandson of Max Tennyson. Zombozo was now Dark Taurus, a minotaur with robotic arms, a laser sight over his missing eye, blue suspenders, and the Taurus constellation on the form's chest. Drill-like horns gutted out of his head and in his nose was a spiked ring. He stomped the ground hard, causing the road under him to wobble about, and the people on said road to scream and shout in terror. Oh, how Zombozo missed this! To hear the people run in fear at his coming and soil themselves just by looking at him! As both Dark Aries and Dark Taurus went about their business Vilgax prepared to use the 12 Switches to do his dark deed. If he was unable to do so then he had a backup plan in store. One can never be too careful with Ben Tennyson, now can they?

A half hour earlier on a Plumber training base in Earth's orbit

Julie was worried about what was happened to both her new friends and her admittedly oddball boyfriend Ben. Yuki, Erin, Ran and Tojiro were suffering from negative Cosmic Energy addition and Ben's cells were slowly dying from overuse of the Ultimatrix's Ultimate function. Albedo had never planned on using the Ultimatrix for as long as Ben had and never fully tested it for safety and any long term side effects. She silently cursed Albedo's name as Manny sat be her, looking as upset as she was. But he still wanted to cheer her up and she was thankful for his effects in doing so. "Hey, cheer up Julie. Ben's dealt with weirdo body issues before and he's always come on top. He's going to pull though, Jules. He's not one to go quietly into the good night" he told her.

But Julie was still not sure about Ben's chances of survival."Thank you Manny. I really do mean that but Ben never had to deal with a Omnitrix that was killing him from the inside. If only he gotten the Omnitrix he has on now sooner, none of this would be happening. I can't help but feel like this is my fault" she expressed to Manny. She looked like she would have no joy in her life again. Ben was, as much as her father told her otherwise, was the biggest part of her life and if he died then in a sense a part of her would die too. But Manny wouldn't let her sulk in her own misery. Ben and both Gentaro and JK needed her to keep the cheer up and if she was allowed to stew in her own sorrow then she was of no use to anyone.

"Julie, you know Ben ain't no saint. Remember how much he ticked everyone off with how much he loved being the big cheese of the universe? I think you were angrier than even Azmuth about how fat Ben's head had gotten. But he still knew that he had to be the hero to everyone who looks up to him. This life didn't choose Ben but he never backed down from a challenge and don't think that this is all your fault. Well it's not and you know it" he corrected the tennis player. "Besides don't you think he wants to come home to a beautiful girl that loves and cares for him? I know I would!" Manny cheerfully admitted to Julie. The young girl bushed at what he had told her as she never really thought of herself as that way before."But there's more to you than a pretty face. You're smart, resourceful, able to give Ben the business when he needs it better than even Kevin, plus you see Ben as a human being, not some alien freakshow. Trust me when I say that means more to Ben then he lets on but he really loves that part about you" Julie had heard the story about how Kai wanted Ben to stay as Benwolf forever so her can train him as pet and while she didn't share in Gwen's anger towards the selfish girl she knew that it would NEVER work out between those two. But now wasn't the time to sulk as Gen and JK needed them right now. 'Hopefully they're doing all right with all this and their friends will pull though this' Julie thought. If there was ever a time for a miracle, now was the perfect time for that.

Ben generally knew when things just weren't right with people exposed to odd energies and the case with his new friends was no different. While he getting a transfusion of blood to slow down or better yet, halt his genetic breakdown for a short time he felt that Gentaro needed a friendly ear right about now. "Look I know we don't know much about Cosmic Energy but Azmuth's smarter than most anybody in this universe and Emoto's there to help out. Look, I know you're worried but getting all upset over this isn't going to help them any faster" But Gentaro was the sort of person to wear his heart on his sleeve and he was still depressed over all of this.

"How can I relax? I've failed as a Kamen Rider and we still don't know if what your Azmuth is planning with work on them!" Gentaro cried out, fear resounding in his voice. But his fears about how the 'detoxing' were nothing to how worried we was for their state of mind. Higher science was never his field of expertise and if something was way over his head he had both Kengo and Yuki to help him out with that. But Kengo wasn't there and Yuki was poisoned by the dark energies of a Horoscope Switch, causing her to lash out at people randomly. Since the former Horoscopes in Ben's care were not fully capable of controlling themselves with negative CE in their bodies they had to restrained for their own good. Having to strap down people who he cared about, who were always happy to be around him, was almost too much for the happy go lucky boy to handle. JK tried to place a hand on his shoulder but Gen wasn't in the mood right now as he just put his hand back down and sat down by Ben to sulk.

"Gentaor-san, try to hold onto the hope that the others will pull though. Emoto is our friend and I'm sure he'll come up with something" JK comforted the Rider. Hearing that his friends were in the care of someone he could trust, albeit a person who was also a former Horoscope Switcher, helped calm him down. Just then Azmuth walked in with some bittersweet news for both Gen and Ben.

"The good news is after Emoto was willing to test the Cosmic Energy draining technology we are pleased to report that there will no side effects for those undergoing the treatment. However it does take some time to fully drain away all the Cosmic Energy from a person's body and regrettably the process is rather painfully. So you will need to come to the operating room and try to comfort the other before they begin treatment" Azmuth cleared his throat as this next bit was going to be hard to say, especially to Ben who the news affects the most out of all of them. "Ben... I've gone over you latest reading and so far I have found no way to stop your cellular degeneration. You will be dead within the next two months. I'm truly sorry about this Ben" Azmuth then deeply sighed as while his face didn't show it he was hurting inside from the emotional pain of what he told them about Ben's fate. It was unprofessional to get overly emotional over things like, but Azmuth didn't want to lose Ben as he thought of him like a grandson, though he would never admit it. Ben knew from all the times he's been with Azmuth that while he didn't seem like it he did care about people more than he lets on. But his life was never easy with all sort of criminals and warlords wanting to pervert his works into weapons of mass destruction, causing him to lose much of his good humor and making it hard for him to trust others easily.

Gen however was not happy about Ben's grim diagnostic. Bending down to Azmuth's level he wanted to let out all his fears and worries to him by he was unable to do so as he just cried out in sorrow. As JK picked him up Ben asked "Is he going to be OK?"

JK turned to where Ben was sitting and admitted "I don't really know anymore" as they both headed to where the others were.

It was perhaps the hardest thing Gentaro had ever done before. Luckily Erin and Ran were asleep right now, but the moments of bliss were cut off by a odd jerk every now and again. Sure this would cure them but having to hurt his friends to save them? That went against his code of conduct and it made him sick to his stomach just thinking about that. Both girls were sealed into a cylinder that was connected to what one could consider a high tech pump. Although they were sleeping peacefully it still pained Gen when the machine was turned on, draining away the negative Cosmic Energy that triggered their mutations and unfortunately causing them some distress. The process went on for ten minutes but to Gen and JK it seemed like a eternity. When it was done Erin and Ran had to be lead to a recovery station to recuperate from this, but to Gentaro's relief it was just laying down in a nice bed and getting waited on. The food could be nicer though but that's what one expects from a military base, even one in space run by aliens.

When it was Tojiro and Yuki's turn Ben wanted to help them out to where they needed to go. Of course that was easier said than done.

"I'm gonna rock and roll FOREVER! You can't stop my talent, you lameass basta-" Tojiro's shouts were blocked off thankfully by the soundproof nature of the cylinder he was placed in. JK couldn't stand to see the man that was his friend act out like this. Tojiro was always friendly and never bore any ill will toward anyone, even if he can be manipulative at times. Still it seemed like he calmed down enough to show him a note he made saying "When you're better we should practice some more. I thought about our old band back in middle school and while I don't want to go pro anymore I still want to rock out with you because you're my friend. " Tojiro gave JK a sincere smile and a hearty thumbs up as if to say "Of course! We rockers have to stay together, right?" JK then headed back to where Manny and Julie were with the others, feeling better about life now that there was a light in the darkness.

Yuki was able to go in without insentient to Gentaro's relief. But then was something she wanted to say before the cylinder was sealed. "Gen-chan, we've known each other for years now. We always have been the best of friends but lately I have been thinking about the good you did for everyone back home. I was so worried that Kengo-kun would get hurt fighting the Zodiarts but you were able to become Fourze and save him from that fate. In fact you were able to make so many friends that Amanogawa High School is a much better place because of what you've done for all the students there. " She was blushing because this next thing she wished to say was embarrassing but it needed to known now. But the cylinder was closed on her before she could say it. Hot tears were falling down her cheeks as Gentaor asked her kindly if she was alright but she could hear nothing though the glass. But then a odd little miracle happened right there and then. As it would turn out Yuki's tears were fogging up the cylinder. Seeing her chance she wrote something near and dear to her heart and hoped that Gentaro felt the same way as she did. On the tube she wrote "I love you" in Kanji on the condensation in the tube. Gentaro was so happy to hear or rather see that! He always was close to Yuki and hoped that she loved him as much as he did, but he was afraid that she might reject him. Plus his first love, Nadeshiko had her body destroyed by Foundation X so Gentaro was a little paranoid about letting people get that close to him again. But there it was, clear as day. Taking a piece of paper he wrote "I feel the same way you do" on it and showed it to the girl he cared about. But the bliss caused by their declaration of love was cut painfully short by a fit of rage caused by the dark energy in Yuki's body, causing her to scream and claw at the glass furiously.

While it wasn't really Yuki talking it did upset Gentaro a good deal. But as soon as it happened Yuki was herself again, very upset at herself for what she did, although it wasn't her fault. But Gentaro just smiled and placed a hand on the tube, letting her know that he loved her and that he would be by her side. He would never let his anger get the better of him ever again.

As Tojiro and Yuki drifted off to sleep as luck would have it in Ben's universe the alarm went off, hurting JK's ears. A holo-screen hummed to life and showed a map of all seven continents of Earth, with a flashing red dot on London. A smaller screen then blipped in from the dot and showed Gen and Ben that Vilgax was attacking the people of London, trying to get to somewhere important to him, but where and why? That didn't matter to Azmuth right now. What mattered was saving lives. "You mission is to stop Vilgax from gaining ground in London. Both Tojiro and Yuki will be monitored by Manny and Julie so focus on your mission. Don't fail these people" he told the two boy matter of factly. Ben was used to how Azmuth dealt with crises but Gentaro wasn't too pleased with Azmuth's bluntness. Having to drag the Rider out wasn't how he wanted to get him out before he said something he would regret, but it was the quickest way. Trust wasn't something Azmuth gave out freely and even harder to regain as Ben found out the hard way. Better Gen stay on his good side then deal with an unhappy Gavan.

Though the runway was cleared no ship could make it fast enough to get there on time. But Ben and Gen didn't need a Plumber ship. Though Gentaro has the Cosmic Switch it wasn't usable now since his freinds were not totally well and he unsure about how they're doing right now. But he had a backup Switch: The S-1 Rocket Switch Nadeshiko made for him before her passing. She wasn't dead as Gentaro knew but her physical body was converted to the SOLU Switch and then destroyed, regrettably by the hands of himself and Kamen Rider OOO. With the Mega Burgermeal Foodriod the propriety of the Club the S-1 Switch was the only thing he had left of her. He would treasure it forever but now he had no choice to call upon its powers. Setting it into the Fourze Driver he transformed into Fourze and activated the S-1 Switch, turning his white suit orange. Now as Rocket States, with the Gyro, Drill and Sheath Switches in the driver should he need them he brought the two Rocket Modules to life and flew down to where the action was as Ben, in the form of Cannonbolt flew close by him as they reentered the atmosphere.

As always feel free to let me know what you think in the review section!