Imagination Gamer: Let's get into the mystery of this mysterious character of mine. Who is she? What is she? Where'd she come from? What is her purpose? Why does she have such astonishing powers? When did she get to Haven City? How did she acquire such accurate knowledge of Sandover? Let's see if we can't find out. This chapter will mostly consist of a flashback Ben has in his subconscious as he chats with Randall about our mystery character.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything relating to any book, game, movie, or anything that I mention that isn't mine!
The Big Mystery of The Girl
Randall was surprised that Ben would offer to talk about the person that he's kept secret since he found out a lot of things about her that he shouldn't. But, since Ben offered to talk about her for the first time since he started working for Ben, he decided to take this chance of a life-time.
"Okay, we'll talk." Randall agreed in an excited tone.
Ben smiled about it because he's been wanting to get this off of his chest to a friend that he knows he can trust for a long time. Ben has learned that this girl was very mysterious from the start. They talked about where she came from, who she really was, how she got her powers, how she acquired knowledge of Sandover that few possess, and more mysteries about her that even the best detectives in Haven City couldn't solve. As they talked about this Ben begins to reflect on how he solved all of these mixed up puzzles and riddles the girl presented to him without her realizing that she was giving clues.
Flashback: Two Months After The Tanning Disaster
The girl was doing well as an elite guard. She never hesitated to follow orders that didn't involve unreasonable killing nowadays. The child complained very little about what she has to do. Also, she never hesitated to arrest who she deems a criminal running from the Guard. But, the little girl still has a cold, calculating mind that can figure out the most obscure problems. She was still hot-tempered to the point the she was compared to a volcano. She still had a snippy attitude to the point that she was compared to scissors. She was even still was very stubborn that she was once compared to a Yakow. She was once considered clinically insane in the past due to her claims. She was horribly violent to the point of breaking a lot more than bones when she's arresting or killing offenders who resisted arrest. Also, she seemed very mysterious with people she doesn't trust in or out of the Guard. Only a handful of people know her real name, age, position, and the fact she was in the fortress for petty thievery for eight months. But, the biggest mystery of this child who could easily pass for a fit teen warrior is the befuddling mystery of her past. It seemed that no one knew her parents, where she's really from, her purpose for being here, or the origin of her amazing powers.
Anyone who would be foolish enough to ask about it would only get this response from her: "You wouldn't believe me if I explained my past."
Most would just take the response as it is and leave the question alone. Those who don't leave it alone are bombarded with her confusing riddles. But, Ben never left the question alone and he's the boy who arranged her 'treatments' in the first place. He wants to know all he can about this mystery child. He wants to know where she's from, who she is, what she is, why she has these powers, how she knows so much about Sandover, and when she got here in Haven City. But, talking to her about her past is like talking to a brick wall to most who question her. Even the most well-trained psychiatrists become swayed by her fancy words and double talking that most children her age could barely conceive.
Ben learned about this when he sent her to one of those shrinks. It didn't go very well at all because, no matter how hard the doctor tried, he just couldn't get her to talk about her past without being outwitted by her double speak. Ben listened in on the door as the session went down hill faster than a boulder on a near vertical path.
"What is your name?" a gruff sounding man asked.
"My name is of no importance." the girl answered.
"It can't be that difficult to tell me your name."
"Yes, it can."
"Why is it difficult?"
"I just can't tell you."
"Why not?"
"I endanger more innocent lives that way."
"Just give me something I can call you by."
"Fine, you can call me Kay. But, that's all you're getting out of me!"
"Okay, that's something." The man murmured as he wrote down on his clipboard, "Where are you from?"
"I'm from outta town." she deadpanned.
"Can you be more specific?"
"Nope."
"Why?"
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."
"Very stubborn." he muttered as he wrote in his clipboard again, "What are you?"
"An Elfan with a rare ear disorder, Eco powers, and highly trained for the kind of wars that requires a lot more than weapons."
"You don't look like any Elfan I've seen before."
"Looks can be deceiving." she pointed out.
"I know that from my previous patients." he sighed.
"Apparently, you don't apply that experience in later cases." she shot.
"Yes, I do." he shot back.
"No, you don't." she chirped.
"Yes, I do!" he growled.
"No, you do not." she deadpanned.
"YES, I DO!" he shouted.
"No... you... don't." she emphasised
The psychiatrist was trying to keep his patience, but this girl was being a bit unreasonable.
"Kay, who trained you?" he asked almost demanding it.
"A young warrior who is beyond his years in terms of training experience. He claimed a lot more than once that everything he learned was self-taught." she answered.
"What is your purpose?" He asked.
"My purpose is to help others and keep this city safe from those damn Metal Heads, rebels, and other parasites who would rape and kill you for the hell of it!" she almost growled.
"How old did you say you were again?" he asked her, looking surprised at her choice words.
"Old enough to use those words." she muttered, "Why should I tell you my age? How do I know you're not secretly a rapist? Or perhaps a kidnapper who would steal special children off the streets to make a quick buck? It would explain the pressing questions you're asking."
"Uh, my diploma is up there." he answered point to the framed picture.
She got up and looked over the framed document for quite some time.
"Hmm, looks legal enough." she chirped before her tone turned as cold as ice, "But, I still got my eye on you!"
The man gulped silently at the sound of her deadly tone. A chill ran down his spine at the iciness of her voice. Also, he felt a twinge of fear at the look in her eyes that clearly read that she might kill him if he tempts her any further and make it look like a horrid accident. But, she miraculously composed herself and sat back down.
"Uhh... ahh... hmm... l-let's try the inkblot test." he stammered.
"The Rorschach test, eh?" she giggled, "This should be tons of fun."
The psychiatrist looked a bit nervous at the child's giggle as he got out an inkblot and held it up to where she can have a good look at it.
"What do you say to this?"
"I'd say you're not very good at drawing anything that I could name."
"I didn't draw it, Kay."
"Well, whoever did needs to go back to the basics a few more times on structural foundation, shapes, shading, lines, and... well, actually, everything about this is wrong." she rambled.
"No, no, no, no, it's an inkblot, child."
"Oh, if that's the case, then you did a fairly decent job."
"I DIDN'T DRAW IT!" he shouted before he finally composed himself to try to give her a few tips on how to perform this test, "Doesn't it look like a muse or a crocadog or a flutter fly or... something?"
"No," she answered as she used her odd powers to take the blot out of the frame and formed it into a live butterfly, "That's a flutter fly, sir."
The black flutter fly left its perch on the girl's hand and it fluttered around the room which was much to the girl's pleasure. Seeing the fluttering insect prompted some kind of child within her to come out and she tried in a lack luster fashion to catch the flutter fly which wore the mans' patience quite thin. She was at it for nearly ten minutes until it flew by the man who squished it which turned it back into the ink it once was in his hands.
"Killjoy." the girl murmured before noticing it got on his face and in his mouth which prompted her to mutter, "Karma's a bit of a bitch towards a killjoy, isn't she?"
The statement made the psychiatrist give her a very hard look which didn't sway the child in any way. It just made her giggle because the ink in his eyes made him look like a thief or a raccoon.
"Let's try something else." he sighed while using a hanky to wipe the ink off.
"Okay." she shrugged.
"Let's you and I talk a bit." he smiled as he put the hanky back up his sleeve.
"Alright." she smiled.
"Now, what's on your mind?"
"My goggles." she answered.
"That's on your head."
"My... skull?"
"That's still on your head, child." he muttered.
"Oh, I get it, my hair!"
"Your hair is on your head!" he shouted tearing his hair, "This is hair, child! It's not on my mind! IT'S ON MY HEAD!"
"No, it's in your hand." she smiled.
The doctor snarled before composing himself. He wasn't going to give in that easily.
"Let's try another concept." he offered.
"Whatever you say." she answered.
"What do you feel?" he asked.
"My armor?"
"That's what you're touching what are you feeling." he growled.
"The buffed out dents and scratches in my armor from my pervious fight with a few Grunts?"
"That's what you're touching what are you feeling!" he snarled at her before calming down and trying something more specific, "Just tell me how you're feeling."
"I feel pretty peppy now."
"Great." he sighed, "Now we're getting somewhere! Would you like to talk more about how you act when you're feeling this way?"
She suddenly smiled like a demon and told him a bit too evilly for comfort, "Sure, why not? I'm sharing my secrets aren't I?"
She got up from the couch and ran out the room for a moment. She came back a few minutes later holding two drums, a pair of maracas, three flutes, and a ukulele that all seemed to have originated right out of Sandover. She was even dressed like one of the fire dancers from the old village by the sea. She set down a pile of wood, lined rocks around it, and held out a match.
"Ready?" she grinned.
"I-I guess." he murmured.
She grinned like a demon as the lights went out at the snap of her fingers. She struck the match and tossed it onto the wood which lit the fire. Suddenly, The two drums, the three flutes, and the ukulele started to play a much faster and less cheerful version of the Sandover anthem and there was no one playing them. The girl was just dancing wildly around the fire to the beat, shaking the maracas like crazy, and whooping like a savage in a different language. After almost two minutes of this, the doctor regained enough of his nerve to shout at the dancing demon.
"No! No! No!" he stumbled with each time she does a cart-wheel.
"Not that kind of explanation! Will you..." She jumped ten feet in the air, onto a rafter, and did several somersaults. After that, she let go at the near vertical top of her swing, flipped several times in the air, and she stuck the landing.
"Cut it out you...!" She did a very advanced set of cheerleading moves that awed the man in which she combined three front handsprings, a front tuck, a round off, a back tuck, three back handsprings, and a layout twist. She did all of that in that order, away from the fire, and to the beat of the music. She did that all that again in reverse, towards the fire, ending in where she does aerial backflips rapidly, flying over the fire, before landing on all fours in front the flames.
"That's... very impressive. But..." Before he could finish the girl whooped in exhilaration and laughed hysterically from doing all those moves. She was about to continue dancing, but she heard him shouting for her to stop this madness which made her groan in annoyance. She stopped dancing, waved her hands like a conductor, and the music stopped. She put out the roaring flames with an old fire extinguisher and turned on the lights by snapping her fingers. She quickly gathered the old instruments, ran out for a few minutes, ran in wearing her normal slummer attire, and cleaned up the cinders before sitting down smiling at the man. The doctor noticed that despite all the effort she put into all of her moves she wasn't even breaking a sweat or at least winded which hinted that she works out all the time.
"Uhh, okay, thanks for the... odd example." he murmured.
"You're welcome, but that's not even my best dance. If I did my best you wouldn't think I was Elfan anymore!" she laughed which made the man very nervous about who or, more accurately, what he's dealing with.
"Err, l-let's do a little word association, Kay." he stuttered.
"Alright." she shrugged.
"Okay, I'll say one word and you say any word that you may think of. Anything that comes to mind." he stated.
"Brain." she replied.
"No, hold on, we haven't started."
"Begun."
"No, Kay, wait a minute."
"Moment."
"Quiet!"
"Silence."
"Stop it!"
"Halt."
"Stop talking!"
"Speaking."
"No, no, no, no!" he shouted angrily, "You don't get the concept!"
"theme."
"No! Shut that hole in your face, you stupid Eco freak!" he shouted.
"Abomination." she repeated almost through her teeth which Ben, whose still at the door, took note of before leaving to go to his observatory to meet her because he feels that this doctors' sanity is not gonna last much longer if she keeps this up.
"Will you please listen!" he shouted.
"Hear." she muttered.
"I said stop it with all of this nonsense!"
"Imprudence."
"No, you idiot child! You do not understand!" the man shouted.
"Comprehend." the girl repeated calmly.
"AAAAAAAAHHHHH!" the psychiatrist screamed while picking the girl up by the back of her collar and the seat of her pants and carried her to the door, "GET OUT! GET OUT! GET OUT!"
"Leave, leave, leave." the girl stated before he opened the door, threw her out of the room, and slammed the door in her face.
The psychiatrist breathed heavily before screaming to himself, "That monster brat is driving me nuts! Who in the name of the Precursors raised her to act like such a stubborn criminal?!"
The girl opened the door just to state, "Barbarian, clod, hooligan, ruffian, vandal."
She slammed the door after she said all of that. The angry and frustrated doctor proceeded to tear out his hair like he hates its molecules, scream like a banshee, and cry like a baby. Despite all the screaming, the girl just calmly walks out of the business with a smile on her face which earned her an odd look from the nurse.
Two Weeks Later
Ben managed to find the girl to have a little talk with her about her past. He has a feeling that she might be more liberal for some reason if he doesn't wear his glasses. He tries to solve why she's more liberal when Ben isn't wearing his glasses by actually looking in a mirror for the first time since his first black out. That fateful event was over 4 years ago when Ben was about to leave college in a month and move on to becoming either a doctor or a scientist. He was being arrested by the Guard for questioning concerning the five missing guards which he had no part in. They were about to restrain him when suddenly everything went black. All that he could remember is hearing the sound of roaring, screaming, claws landing, and guns going off. He woke up with blood on his body, the ground, and on the many guards and civilians he killed. He was distraught, devastated, and confused about what happened and what became of him. After consulting with his older brother about the matter he advised Ben to avoid losing his temper and mirrors. His tricky brother was just joking about avoiding the mirrors. But, Ben took it very seriously to the point that he can brush his hair, teeth, and many other things without a mirror.
Before he walked in the bathroom he told himself, "He was just joking. Nothing will happen if I look at myself. You need to figure this out!"
Ben took several deep breaths before he walked into the bathroom, and slowly looked into the mirror. Nothing seemed to happen when he looked, but he was surprised at the number of changes he went through since the last time he looked in a mirror. He was mature-looking for his age in his opinion to shorten the hundreds of physical descriptions that crossed his mind. He took off his plastic glasses and saw that the most noticable thing about his face is that nearly every aspect of it greatly resembles the Eco warrior: Jak.
"Wow, they weren't joking around when they said that I looked a lot like him." Ben muttered to himself.
He got out a book called: Sandover's History to clarify it. He saw what he deemed the best facial picture of the teen Eco warrior, grabbed a mirror, and did a little comparison. Besides his hair and young age, he looks exactly like him in the face! Ben considered that a major clue as to where the girl possibly came from.
"If she's more comfortable with me without my glasses and I look exactly like this Jak person in the face could she have known him personally or even were best friends with him?" he asked himself, "Now that I think of it, she was the only one who allowed me to approach her when the Underground just got her out of the fortress and her sanity was on a very fine line. I wasn't wearing my glasses for a while then because the Shadow knew of my heritage. But, how did she end up here in Haven City? Was it teleportation? Or a Rift Gate? Or maybe her own powers? Or perhaps..."
His questions were interrupted when the girl walked in wearing her casual clothes: A dark green, V-neck sweater; black, leather, Capri pants; brown, steel-toed, combat boots; black, leather gloves; her eco braces that are permanently fused to her wrists and ankles; her belt that has a holster on the left side with no gun and an old fashioned, islander, Bowie knife that is clipped to the right side of the belt; and her backpack that contains her items and her staffs that are hooked onto the pack that can be unsheathed easily.
"Hi Benny!" she called wearing a pleasant smile, "People will think you're going crazy if you keep talking to yourself like that."
That comment earned her a hard look from Ben because she talks to herself a lot too. Then again, there are times when her sanity is only so-so due to her obviously checkered life here.
"You wanted to talk to me about something?" she asked Ben.
It was almost as if she read his mind. Well, given her powers, she probably can for all he knows.
"Yeah," Ben answered, unsure, "I-I wanted to talk to you about..."
"You're not wearing your glasses." she pointed out.
"I know." Ben sighed in annoyance, "I want to speak with you about your..."
"Why do you have your journal?" she questioned curiously.
"Will you just listen?!" Ben demanded almost in a snarl.
Fearing that he might lose it, the girl tried to calm him, "Alright, alright, I'll listen."
"Good." Ben sighed with relief before changing his tone, "Now, I want to talk to you about personal matters."
"Okay." she answered, "I'm all ears."
"I'm..." Ben stammered, trying to find the right words, "a bit... curious..."
"About...?" she asked, looking a bit confused as to why he's stammering like that.
"...about something that I'd like to know with..." he tried.
"With... what?" she asked.
"...with certain events... that I'm curious about... a certain person who..." Ben tried again.
"Who... WHAT?!" she demanded, having about enough of him beating around the bush.
"Who... has a curious history... that seems to be..."
"Just tell me what you want and quit beating around the damn bush!" the girl screamed, "I hate it when people do that when they can just simply say it in my face!"
"Alright!" Ben shouted, "I'll tell you! I want to know all I can about you! I want to know your name, history, origins, powers, friends, and where you came from!"
"Oh." she realized, "Why didn't you ask me in the first place?"
"Because of the way you respond to the others." Ben explained.
"What way is that?" she asked.
"In riddles, in double speak, or just simply refusing to tell." Ben answered.
"Oh, those ways." she muttered, "Well, you're different from those people."
"How so?" Ben questioned.
"You're nice, trustworthy, never with the guard, and a channeler to boot." she answered happily.
Ben flinched at the mention that he was never with the guard because he was a couple of years back.
"Right." Ben muttered, "So, will you tell me your past?"
"Well, I knew I would have to confide it in with someone one day." she answered, "I just never thought it would be a Dark Sage in training."
Ben was so happy that he was finally gonna find out about this girl's history that he nearly dropped his pen.
"Well, first of all," the child began, "my powers originated from many worlds because I'm a Wanderer."
Ben wasn't too surprised because most of her powers seemed alien to most. But, he was a bit surprised that there was a Wanderer that young.
"I'll try to tell each of my abilities in order." she started, "My multilingual, broad vocabulary, fast learning, and my more mental abilities are of an unknown origin. I just don't remember how I was able to speak perfect Spanish, German, French, Latin, and sixty billion other languages in and out of Earth; read through a 10,000 page book, article, or story in seconds; learn to hack even the most advanced systems, computers, sercurity, and codes without the manual; and all other manner of mental impossibilities all at the tender age of three!"
"Sixty-billion languages?!" Ben shouted in disbelief.
"Well, I started with Spanish, German, French, Latin, and half of Earth's languages. But, I worked my way up over the years."
"Reading through 10,000 page books that fast can't be possible!" Ben doubted loudly.
"It started with 100 pages in seconds. But, with years of practice, my love for books, and life getting in the way of finishing the book I worked my way up."
"Hacking systems like that without a manual?" Ben asked, "That's not possible."
"Actually, I started with code-breaking." she countered, "But, with my constant staying at Predatore which renders me immortal I had years to practice that."
"What sort of mental impossibilities?"
"The same you'd see in a typical run-of-the-mill telepath or telekinetic person. Only I was a bit raw when I started out, but I practiced a lot at night in my home."
"Broad vocabulary?" Ben asked, "How broad?"
"About as broad as a ten year old when I started out." she answered, "Now, it's as broad as yours because I liked to learn new words via dictionaries."
"How fast can you learn an entirely new concept?" Ben asked doubtfully."
"It used to depend on how complex it is." she answered, "it used take days if it's as complex as piloting a space ship. Now, thanks to years of learning from an old friend, it takes seconds no matter how complex."
"All of these powers at three?" Ben asked almost loudly.
"Yes, I got all of those powers at three. But, I don't remember how I got them in the first place."
"Could be post-traumatic amnesia." Ben deduced.
"Could be." she muttered.
Ben continued to listen to her descriptions about her powers and wrote it down in his journal.
"There are certain abilities that I get on October or Oktibre as you put it. But, I can't seem to recall the origin of these poltergeist-like powers." she muttered.
"Any limits to that?" Ben asked.
"Well, don't tell anyone this." she answered, "But, my limits are the same as a certain poltergeist whose name I can't say. Also, don't turn me on when I'm like that or I will go after you relentlessly."
Ben was a bit intimidated, but he would love to see what transformation she has to undergo for those kind of powers to emerge. But, he'll just have to wait.
"My possession power as well as harnessing lightning originated from the Mudokens on Oddworld. I did not have a pleasant time there. I was traumatized for a week after I got back." She explained.
Ben was surprised to hear that she got back from that place and lived to brag about it.
"Do you still have limits to that?" he asked.
"I can only possess one person at a time for a few hours before I start to tire." she answered, "As for lightning, I can only summon one bolt at a time or I could burn myself out."
Ben nodded and jotted this down in his journal.
"My powers of deduction and inference originated from an old friend of mine who happens to be a detective." she continued.
Ben had a pretty good idea who this 'detective' is, but he'd rather not point it out for fear that she might think better of telling the truth.
"Any cons to that?" Ben asked.
"These powers are difficult to control." she sighed, "When I summon these abilities I can see everything around me which can be very distracting and I could be caught off guard easily. I'm currently working on using this in action to do things on the fly and it's starting to work out, but it's still in the testing phase."
Ben felt sorry for her to have an ability she's still a bit raw in those powers after all those years. No wonder she uses those more often than any other power she has.
"My fast speed came from a certain blue hedgehog." she smiled.
Ben knows who this blue hedgehog is, but he didn't question her for the same reason.
"Any quirks?" Ben asked.
"It's difficult for me to stop when I reach up to 200 miles per hour." she answered, "I risk running into walls, signs, trees, or... anything. I'm working on a way to stop myself or at least slow down when I reach those speeds. I also used to burn my clothes at those speeds. Now, most of my clothes are extremely friction and heat resistant"
Ben laughed a bit on the inside from thinking about her running smack dab into a tree, but he shook himself of those cruel thoughts.
"My were-wolf abilities are what I was born with." she explained, "My shape-shifting, terraforming, and changing others originated from the Spore Gods of the Spiral Galaxy."
Ben was shocked beyond belief to hear that because he always wanted to meet the Spore Gods of the Spiral Galaxy. Yet this child had the chance to do so, got in their good graces, and earned those powers.
"A-any limits to those?" Ben asked.
"I used to not be able to control myself when I changed into that." she answered, "now, it's just instinct I struggle with and I learned to change even without the moon which took me a very long time to perfect."
"What about your Sporeling powers?" he asked.
"How do you know I'm still a Sporeling?!" I demanded, wondering if someone knew of this.
"You're still human and I did my own personal study of those near-dead creatures." Ben answered quickly, "You would be worth a fortune if you were discovered."
"That's why I'm so cautious about the number of people who know what I am." she countered.
"Are there any limits?" he asked.
"Yes, there are actually limits to these God-like powers." she answered, "I only have two planets which makes me a Sporeling, my abilities to adapt to survive rapidly still have problems in the control department which makes it dangerous to come near me when I'm sleeping, I can't change into other people unless I know exactly what their genetic code looks like, I have to be very careful when I change or I could make a mistake and probably kill or seriously hurt myself, and I can only mess around with my planets and nothing else."
"Were there any problems in getting used to those powers?" Ben asked.
"I think the appropriate question would be 'what problems did I not have with these powers?'!" she shouted, "I kept messing up on creatures, blowing up barren planets, messing up the weather, making creatures too perfect, making creatures too flawed, making creatures too smart, making creatures too stupid, making mistakes when I change myself, making mistakes when I change others, making mistakes when I change my planets, mistakes, missteps, mess ups, screw ups, flaws, and basically everything was blowing up in my face!"
"Well, you're easily frustrated." Ben laughed.
"Actually, I'm considered very patient." she countered, "It's just that when I screw up way too many times I get really annoyed by it and I just wanna...!"
"I get it." Ben eased, trying to change the subject, "How long did it take to get where you are?"
"How long has Predatore been around?" she asked.
"Almost eight billion years..." Ben started to answer before he realized she answered a question with a question.
"Yep, plus the decades it took to get planet making and creature creating right." she told him.
"Did you still make mistakes?" Ben asked.
"The planet forming went without a hitch because they trained me on that almost exclusively." she answered, "I still messed up on creature creating by making three species too smart, introducing creatures too fast, letting tribes kill too many creatures, and many other missteps like that. But, I learned from my mistakes."
"What about changing creatures and yourself?" Ben asked.
"The length it took me to prefect that is almost the same as the time it took for Predatore's first tribes to form." she answered, "I made many mistakes with that power which very nearly cost me my life or the creature's lives."
Ben nodded and decided to not jot this one down for her sake of sanity.
"My fire channeling is what I was born with." she continued. "My healing abilities are what I was born with."
"Any problems with those?" Ben asked.
"My fire used to burn me which is why I had it fire proofed." she answered, "Also, using a lot of it weakened me. But, with years of practice, I could burn down entire cities which I don't plan to do. I also lose control of it when I get really angry or upset. It rarely happens, but when it does, watch out for fire balls."
It seems as if she had a lot of powers to begin with and earned more and more as she went along until it seemed as if she can't be touched.
"My Underdog-like powers originated from the canine crusader himself." she explained.
Ben was shocked that she met one of the greatest beings in the universe.
"A-anything wrong with that?" Ben asked.
"Well, I felt bad for taking his powers even if it was unintentional." she sighed, "Also, my version of his powers are only half as potent as his. But, on the plus side, I'm not limited to pills like he is."
Ben shrugged and jotted that down.
My Toon-like abilities I earned from my visit in Toon Town." she laughed.
"Any limits to those." Ben asked while trying not to laugh about that loony world.
"I can still get physically hurt and I can only go so long doing anything considered cartoon-like before I start to tire." she answered.
Ben nodded shakingly with laughter and wrote that down
"The fact that my bones almost never break are a bit of a blur, but I'll figure it out eventually." she told him.
Ben was curious about why her bones never break. He made a mental note to do an X-Ray of her bones later.
"What can break them?" Ben asked.
"Eco crystals, an alloy called adamantium, and a really bad fall." she answered.
"How bad?" Ben asked.
"As high as the planet's stratosphere bad." she muttered.
Ben nodded and wrote that down.
"My flexibility, agility, sneaking and athletics originated from a certain racoon named Cooper in Paris." she revered, "My skill with a sword and a gun originated from my old days of piracy back in the Caribbean."
It also seems as if she's constantly on the fine line of horrid criminal or honorable hero.
"Any limits?" Ben asked.
"My skills are nowhere near as good as his because I still mess up at times and get caught." she answered, "As for a sword, I still need a bit of work in the strength department."
Ben shook his head at remembering that he already wrote that in a report about how her strength needed tapped into.
"My ability to use plasmids without the adverse effects originated from my time as a Little Sister." she sighed.
Ben was surprised that she ended up in one of the worst places to get stuck in.
"A-a-any limits?" Ben stammered at the memory of being in that cursed city himself.
"I'm limited to how long and how much I can use before I start to... revert back into one of those little brats." she grumbled, "Also, I can only use one at a time or I will immediately revert."
"My Eco channeling abilities originated from... Jak." she said with great sadness, "My Dark Eco resistance and my resistance to pain came from the hell they put me through. As well as the increased potency of most of my powers."
The way she said how Ben put her through hell stabbed him in the chest like the dagger she has sheathed on her belt.
"A-any c-cons with that?" Ben stumbled.
"My Eco powers are nowhere near as good as Jak's." she answered, "Also, my resistance is limited to falling in pools of Dark Eco and getting hurt by Eco."
"I find that hard to believe because I saw you practice and it was amazing." he countered.
"Clearly you've never seen him practice." she countered back, "He's got the experience and he was born with them."
"You have plenty of experience yourself and you learned from him." Ben countered back, "Ever heard the phrase 'may the pupil surpass the teacher'?"
"Yes, but what brings down my potency is that I wasn't born with them." she answered in aggravation.
"But, it seems that you were born with them." Ben countered.
"Prove it!" she shouted.
"I did tests on your blood and it has all the makings of a universal channeler!" Ben answered, almost shouting
"That's because of the way I got those powers!" she shouted in anger which ended the argument.
Ben kept his nerve because he still has questions as to how she got them.
"But, how did you get those powers?" he asked.
"That's the complex part." she answered. "Some of them I get through earning them. such as the Mudoken powers and my shape-shifting abilities."
Ben understood that part because he knows how each race gives others their powers if the person gets in their good graces.
"There is a few I was born with." she explained, "Such as my fire channeling powers, my mental prowess, my healing abilities, and my were-wolf curse."
Ben got that part because all of those seem to come more natural to her.
"A handful I practiced to earn." she elaborated, "Such as my sword skills, weapon prowess, my physical prowess, and my resistance to severe pain that most would find unbearable."
Ben nodded at that because he practiced a lot of things for months that he's now an expert at. He didn't become a soldier, a doctor, a surgeon, a scientist, a Dark Sage, and all manner of professions overnight.
"But, most of them, however, I earned in an odd way." she murmured, "I also have this strange power to earn other people's powers when their blood mixes with mine mostly through transfusion. Powers such as Underdog's, Jak's, the detective's, the Little Sisters', and more."
Ben barely got that because that is an odd power to have. The question to him about that is how she got that power in the first place, but she said that she doesn't know. So, Ben didn't press in on her after that.
"Any limits to this power absorbing?" Ben asked.
"I can only absorb powers via blood transfusion and consuming blood doesn't count." she answered, "I can only absorb one person's powers at a time. It could take days for the powers to fully manifest and it's often degraded versions of the person's powers."
Ben nodded and wrote her description in his journal.
"There are a few powers that I have no idea how I got." she told him, "Such as my hard bones, fireproof skin, and my poltergeist-like powers that seem to emerge on the month of Halloween or Day of the Darkness as some put it."
Ben couldn't help but smile at her knowledge of human and Elfan holidays and how they're pronounced.
"About my history." she answered, "Well, that's a long story."
Ben didn't even ask about her history, she must be able to read minds!
"I got plenty of time." Ben egged on.
"Okay, you might wanna get comfortable." she warned.
She started her story off with when she was three and she was wandering in the woods with no memory of anything. She met several talking rabbits, bears, foxes, and various other woodland animals. Ben found that a bit crazy, but he heard how earnest she was and believed her. She explained how she blew through elementary school due to her mental prowess. How a couple of campers found her and sent her to an orphanage where her details of what happened were a bit sketchy. But, she assumed that's where she got her Poltergeist-like powers that emerge on the month of the Day of the Darkness. She got her Watch That Has Everything by some sort of accident when she was four and ended up in Oddworld. The events were traumatizing for her tender age, but she got through the misadventure with her life. She went on a cascade of adventures involving the various characters she mentioned getting powers from and making friends with a lot of strange characters. She ended up on this world when she turned eighteen, her age reversed back to six somehow due to a severe malfunction, lost a lot of her powers which she regained nearly one year after the crash, and barely survived the crash via meteor. She hesitated to continue after she got past the crash. Ben wasn't gonna let it stop there though.
"How did you survive?" Ben questioned.
"I-I-I don't know if I should continue telling you this." she stammered, "I've already told you too much."
"But, not enough to satisfy me." Ben countered.
"I-I-I..." she stuttered, "I-I don't know if I-I can still... trust you..."
Ben looked a bit outraged that this crazy kid who's obviously been through hell back again still doesn't trust him. But, the reason she gave for her mistrust was understandable.
"...b-because of what... p-people like you... p-put me through in the... f-fortress." she explained fearfully and haltingly.
That hurt Ben badly because what happened there was really horrible and he had no idea that he was doing all of that to a child. It still hurts him inside because harming a child that young with Dark Eco is considered the ultimate sin in Dark Demon standards.
"I understand, but we have to put that behind us because I never knew who you were until much later." Ben explained, "Haven't you noticed that I seemed to have 'vanished' after I healed the accidental wound I caused when you finally lost your senses?"
"Yeah, I did notice that." she muttered, "So, you never did all of that out of cruelty?"
"Hell no!" Ben shouted, "I'm not like that! I was just doing my job and I guess I just got so caught up in the torturing that I lost sight of my true nature."
The girl nodded in understanding because she was led astray from her true nature so many times in her life that it could take years to regale those misfortunes that occurred. Or as she put it:
"I understand," the girl sighed, "that has happened to me so many times that it's not even funny."
"So, will you tell me how you survived that crash?" Ben asked eagerly.
"Of course I will since we've put that aside and I'm sure you'll never tell anyone about this." she glared.
"I won't tell a soul." Ben answered, crossing his heart, "No one will know of this tale you're willing to tell."
"Good." she smiled, "Now, I survived the crash because..."
The child told how a young apprenticed warrior who's secretly an Eco channeler saved her life by getting her out of that meteor, riding a Lurker Shark to shore, and giving some of his own blood to save her life. But, their first meeting didn't go well due to her blacking out and attacking him which caused him to avoid her for nearly three weeks from fear. But, upon finding out she has his powers from a Lurker attack and saving his life because he was caught off guard they became close friends. Thanks to that, Jak managed to keep her from being banished from the village, got them to let him train her despite only being an apprentice, and she had the craziest adventures in Sandover because of his antics. The training she went through was rigorous and rough, but worth it. The training consisted of a run across Sentinel Beach before the sun even peaks out, rigorous warm ups in the morning, hand-to-hand combat in the afternoon, staff training in all manner of arenas in the mid-afternoon, Eco power control in the late-afternoon which caused injuries, and sword training up the hills of the Forbidden Forest in the evening which caused a lot of injuries. She talked of the fun times they had in both training and weekend break times like the Lurker Shark incident from teaching her to swim.
"Whoa, Jak was a better guy than the books give credit for." Ben commented.
"Books?" she questioned in surprise, "There are books about him?"
"Yeah," Ben smiled, "the archeologists found them in a tiny hut far away from Dead Town at what used to be a small island."
"Geyser Rock" she murmured.
"That's what it was called?" Ben asked as the girl nodded sorrowfully at the memories of that place, "What was it like?"
"It was so beautiful." she revered, "Sandy beaches, rare flowers in bloom, palm trees, beautiful sunsets, tons of blue eco, geysers everywhere, and our hut that Jak built for us to hang around in and chronicle our adventures."
She sighed dreamily at the memories of what it looked like before Haven City and the Metal Heads which made her sorrow return with a vengeance. Ben saw how pained her expression looked and decided to change the subject.
"C-can you name any sort of incidences you and Jak got into?" Ben stumbled which seemed to cheer her up.
"Do you have a couple of years?" she asked teasingly with a small smile.
"As a matter of fact, I do have that long since I run this place and I don't have a job to go to because working here is my job." he rambled.
"Point well taken." she answered, "A little too well though."
"Oh, sorry." Ben answered, "Continue, please."
"Well, one time, Jak triple-dog dared me to vine swing off Piranha Cliff which is the deepest canyon on the islands." she explained, "When I got on the vine I hesitated to do it because the river at the bottom was full of spiky piranha's. But, Jak got a bit impatient and pushed me when I wasn't looking which sent me across the cliff. But, the vine broke which forced Jak to bungee jump after me. I got finned, spiked, and bit three times each before he grabbed me and got me across. Purely out of anger, I punched him in the face."
Ben was smirking as she told him that laugh-provoking tale.
"Also, when Jak was teaching me how to swim which was no easy task because I used to be terrified of water." she told Ben, "I had to go step by step in his arms until I was confident enough to strike out on my own. I went underwater and far out in open water which seemed to be much to Jak's chagrin. He was flailing his arms wildly, looked terrified, and even splashed me in a desperate attempt to get my attention. I didn't find out what made him throw such a fit until I heard a low growl, felt something swim by my ankle, and saw a lot of orange in the water. I looked under and saw a full-blown Lurker Shark swimming at me with his big, ugly maw wide open which showed his enormous, sharp fangs. I started swimming for my life which prompted Jak to race after me and ram into the creature! The shark started going after the bigger meal and I had to save him by diving under and grabbing his hand six different times to keep him from getting chomped on. I swam up to the surface, leapt out of the water with him, and landed belly first on the beach. Jak saw the humor in this misadventure and started laughing which prompted me to laugh about the whole thing due to adrenaline rush."
Ben started snickering at the misadventure that would've costed those two their lives, but it was pretty funny.
"Let's not forget the time he tried to teach me how to jet ski by using the A-Grav Zoomer!" she laughed, "I was hanging on for dear life, making clumsy jumps, and racing through the water clumsily on the ski's. I lost my courage and my balance which caused me to jet ski right into the beach which caused me to crash through several things. I destroyed half of the Sculptor's hut, crashed into a group of Lurkers, broke through rocks, knocked down several palm trees, and scared a group of seagulls away. All before I crashed, front-first, into a sentinel which caused me to let go of the bar and half of the old sentinel to come crashing down onto me. Jak saw that I let go of the bar, came back, looked around the beach, and found me in the rubble of the sentinel which was very amusing to him."
Ben was laughing at the clumsy accident that took out most of the beach.
"Oh, also, the time Jak got me to sneak into Samos' Eco stores so Jak could practice. But, the Eco got on me by mistake and that's where he found out I could channel all kinds of Eco." she explained, "But, I destroyed most of Samos' hut in the process due to the fact I had no control over it! So, both me and Jak faced an angry sage and had to rebuild his whole hut. But, Jak was happy about it because he realized that he's not the only powerful Eco channeler in Sandover after all. But, he told me that I really needed to learn how to control it first."
Ben shook his head with mirth at that event. Also, he thought to himself that it was a strange way for a Channeler to discover their abilities as well as their limits. But, one thing struck him when she heard her explain that.
"Wait a moment, he told you?" Ben asked, remembering the history books making many accounts of Jak being mute. The girl seemed to get what Ben was assuming and rephrased what she said.
"I meant that he told me through hand signals, facial expression, and mind speak." she corrected.
Ben nodded in understanding and continued to take notes of what she was explaining.
"I'll never forget the time Jak took me for a joy ride down the Fire Canyon after he stopped Gol and Maia." she told Ben, "I was hanging on for my life so I won't fall off and get myself killed. But, Jak bumped into a stalagmite and I ended up falling off and landing on the sinking stalagmite hanging on for dear life! Jak turned back and got me just before the lava touched my toes. By the time we got back to Sandover, he mentally asked me if I was okay. But, I ended up punching him in the face so hard that it knocked him out! I dragged him back to Samos and revived him though because I felt so bad for hitting him that hard. I almost broke his jaw for crying out loud!"
Ben looked a bit shocked to see that the girl has a bit of a violent streak which indicated how rough her life was.
"I remember the time Jak tried to teach me how to use a sword by using sticks made of wood." she said, "At first, I kept messing up in every way and getting pummelled by Jak's light, yet rough blows. But, after getting hit over the head, something just snapped in me that reminded me that I already knew how to use a sword that rivals even the most infamous of pirates! So, I started bouncing back and pummeling him right back which bruised him badly to the point that he mentally screamed for me to stop. When I did, I saw how bad I hurt him which made me feel just awful for losing control of my strength. Jak complimented me on my skill which cheered me up because Jak is incredibly hard to impress especially in terms of swordsmanship!"
Ben was impressed that I impressed one of the greatest warriors in the world.
"I think I've heard enough of you're crazy misadventures with him. Let's move onto the major details, kid."
"Don't call me kid." she retorted.
"Then, what is your name then?" Ben asked hopefully.
"M-my name... is..." she wavered.
She was hesitating to tell him her true name. But, when he looked into his eyes that shone with the same trustworthy light as her old friends of the past, she told him her real name.
"My true name is Katherina. But, you may call me Kate or Kaitlin."
Ben smiled that he's one of very few that actually know her true name, much less her name in general.
"Your smile looks just like his and I even feel the same warmth from it. Like... I can trust you." she smiled.
Ben smiled because this kid actually trusts him despite his faults and the fact that he can be a bit shallow at times. They continued talking and managed to kill the entire night by the time she finished her stories of unbelievable adventures, undying friendships, awesome power, and complicated disputes. Kate looked at the time and realized that she has been talking to this guy almost all night and she's got several things to take care of with the Underground, Krew, and several other personal affairs.
"Precursors!" she shouted, "I-I gotta go! I'm late for several previous engagements."
She got up, put on her pack, sheathed her staffs, and ran out the door so fast that she sent several papers flying out the windows and the door.
"...and that's what I found out about her." Ben finished as they approached Randall's home.
"That kid is full of surprises, Benny." Randall stated in a surprised tone.
"Yeah, I never would have guessed that she was a Wanderer." Ben muttered.
"What's a Wanderer?" Randall asked.
"A Wanderer is someone who pretty much wanders the universe in search of friends, adventure, fun, or a combination of the three." Ben explained, "They are usually immortal, but she seems to age. How did she get her hands on that watch is beyond me. Maybe it was a gift, or an accident, or maybe a fluke in delivery, or was it intended for her, or perhaps..."
SLAM
Randall already went into his house much to Ben's chagrin.
"Great talking to you to, Randy." Ben muttered sarcastically.
Ben walked away to head home and try to think over why he didn't touch his chemicals, read his usual books, wrestle with the creatures, and yell at randy for his mistakes. Also, why he wrote in her book, daydreamed even though he has a terrible imagination, talk about her with one of his least trusted assistants, and stayed quiet all day in his labs.
Imagination Gamer: I am really sorry I took so long. School was hectic and I needed the vacation. So, I could barely write due to stress and low inspiration. I hope this was worth the near year wait. Now, I wonder why Ben is so concerned over the girl... I mean Kate? Could something bad have happened to her or what? We'll find out in the next chapter which I'll hopefully finish faster than this one.