Disclaimer: Bleach and Ben 10 do not belong to me
Well, everyone. I apologize for the delay. Been a bit busy. You know those moments in Volume I when the characters would act OOC? Well, I'm kicking myself over those moments and the best I can do is lampshade them. I don't think there was any addressed in this chapter but there will be long in later ones.
By the way, anyone know anyone who'd be interested in making a Ben 10/Mass Effect crossover? Or a Transformers/Mass Effect crossover? I'd like to read something like those.
Date with Nelliel part 1
In a Bellwood alleyway, Yoruichi was on a cellphone. This was customized cellphone created, of course, by her friend Kisuke Urahara.
"That's right. Some alien called Clockwork with the power to travel through time." She said into her phone.
"Really? A time traveling alien?" Kisuke replied. "Well given how many aliens are inside that thing, and the fact that one of them can actually bend reality, I'm not all that surprised. Impressed, but not surprised."
Yoruichi frowned. "Ben's walking a thin enough line as it is. We were lucky when we were able to convince the Central 46 that Ben can't use Alien X at will. Otherwise they probably would have ordered his execution right then and there. As for his Arrancar plan; wanting to turn all the Hollows into Arrancar is good intentioned but..."
"But the road to Hell is paved with those," Kisuke finished. "In their eyes, the Central 46 would just see Ben following in Aizen's footsteps. And if they learn of Clockwork, they'd probably fear him using that form to mess with Soul Society's timeline or something. They're already jumpy with Paradox and his abilities. But I'm also curious about that garden you told me. I'm amazed that anything in Hueco Mundo would be capapble of actually producing life, let alone sustaining it. Not to mention all the things Ben did to make it happen. I wouldn't mind having a chat with him while he's Grey Matter or Brainstorm."
"We'll worry about that later," Yoruichi said, knowing what Kisuke was like when he found something interesting to research. Though she was grateful he wasn't as loopy as Captain Kurotsuchi. "This whole situation feels like a bomb ready to go off. One little slip up on Ben's part will be all the fuse needed. If the 46 do declare him a threat, he's gonna need some allies. Though he certainly enjoys his time in the spotlight, he's really a good kid who just wants to help others."
"I understand," Kisuke told her. "I'll see what I can do."
Yoruichi nodded even though Kiskue couldn't see it. "In the meantime..." She pulled an envelope from her jacket, pulling out some pictures. Using her amazing abilities of speed and stealth, she had actually managed to get some photos of Ben's older appearance. She had taken them when Ben and Tia had returned from their date. Sure she could have followed them and took pictures of the actual date, but she didn't really want to intrude on such a special moment. However... "I think Matsumoto might enjoy looking at these." She smiled playfully, knowing how her busty friend enjoyed teasing Ben.
Ulquiorra was at Kevin's house, musing over what sort of false information they needed to feed Harangue. When he had arrived, he had been introduced to Kevin's mother and stepfather. They were rather surprised by the unusual man but were nonetheless polite and hospitable. He and Kevin were currently in Kevin's garage, as he was usually given privacy there due to his constant workings on his car.
"I suspect Harangue wouldn't be satisfied with a simple "Ben is really a good person who truly is a hero."?" Ulquiorra said.
"Nailed it on the head," Kevin answered. He was currently underneath his car, installing some tech while discussing the Harangue issue. "Harangue's the type of guy who wants there to be something wrong. And he's not afraid of twisting things around in his favor."
Ulquiorra's eyes narrowed. "You mean he would purposely deceive his viewers to believe his words about Ben?"
Kevin snorted. "Would? He's been doing it ever since he made Ben his show's topic."
Ulquiorra was sickened. While quite the expert of psychological tactics, he was never one to favor flat out lies. The closest thing he had ever done to a lie was keeping his Segunda Etapa form a secret.
"And that ain't all," Kevin added. "One time, he tricked Ben into thinking that there was this video game being made about him, but it was really this killer, spider robot that knew all of Ben's moves. He actually tried to kill Ben and make it look like it was just some part of his show. If it wasn't for some fast thinking on Ben's part..." Kevin let his sentence hang ominously before continuing on. "And you know what? After all that he acts like Ben was the bad guy, not him. I don't think he even cares if Ben's a threat or not. I think he just wants to ruin Ben's life."
Perhaps in his days as an Espada, Ulquiorra wouldn't have cared. But things were different now and he was disgusted. How in the world the humans hadn't tried to put an end to Harangue themselves baffled him. While Ben had never flat out said they were friends, Ulquiorra hoped that he and the young boy were indeed friends. And he refused to let someone treat his friend this way. Ulquiorra had to admit that he was surprised with himself. He had never acted this way back among the Espada. And yet...Ulquiorra didn't really mind. But he would contemplate these things at a later time. Harangue was absolutely pathetic and he was determined to bring the man down. But Ulquiorra, who was used to defeating his enemies through combat, would need to use a different tactic against this enemy. He could of course simply kill Harangue. He would do so with a clear conscience as he believed that scum like that deserved to die. However, he knew that Ben would not approve. Nor would the others.
"We need to expose Harangue for the fool and fraud he really is," Ulquiorra said. "Perhaps I can convince him to confess to his crimes while under the pretense of siding with him. However, considering that I have already shown skepticism to Ben being a bad person, it would take some effort to convince Harangue that I now agree with him wholeheartedly."
Kevin grinned as he rolled out from under his car. "Now we're talking."
Needless to say, Sandra's little reaction to her discovery had sent the whole house scrambling. Carl and Tia's Fraccion thought something bad had happened so they ran to where Sandra was. So basically everyone in the household instead wound up finding Ben in bed with both Tia and Nelliel. Carl just stood there flabbergasted while Tia's Fraccion had unreadable looks on their faces.
So that's why everyone was now gathered in the living room. Carl was sitting in his recliner while Apacci, Mila Rose, and Sung-Sun stood off to the side. Ben sat on the sofa, with Tia and Nelliel on either side of him, while Sandra paced back and forth fuming. Tia and Ben were berating themselves for forgetting to lock the door. How could they have forgotten something that important? But they were also wondering something else…what in the world was Nelliel doing in bed with them? Nelliel on the other hand was feeling furious that Tia had been sharing a bed with Ben but she was also feeling ashamed of herself. She knew that she must have sleep walked into his bed again and the last thing she wanted was to get Ben in trouble. Finally Sandra stopped pacing and looked at the three of them. Even the two mighty Arrancar felt nervous under her gaze. She crossed her arms and started tapping her foot.
"Well?" She asked. "Would someone care to explain?" Despite knowing about the girls' feelings she thought they would have waited for something like this. And two girls at the same time? She thought she had raised Ben better than that.
"Nothing happened, mom," Ben reassured her truthfully. "All we did was cuddle, that's all." Tia and Neliel both nodded their heads. And Sandra had noticed that all three did have their clothes on when she found them. Though she was not particularly fond of Tia's choice in clothing and had her fully dressed before this little meeting.
"Oh really?"
I'm sorry," Nelliel spoke up. "The truth is I sleep walked into Ben's bed."
"And I was the one who suggested cuddling with Ben," Tia added.
"But I agreed to it," Ben insisted, not wanting to girls to get all the blame.
Sandra pinched her nose as she tried to talk all this in.
"So…you and Tia agreed to cuddle with each other and then Nelliel came in while sleep walking?" Carl asked, hoping to make sense of this whole thing.
"She must have come in while we were asleep," Ben reasoned. That had to have been the case of else he and Tia would have woken Nelliel up.
Sandra took a few moments, taking a deep breath. "Well, as long as nothing happened…" She said before turning to look at Carl. "Honey, would you mind speaking with Ben while I talk with the girls?"
Carl knew that look in his wife's eyes. There would be no argument about this. This was something serious that they, as parents, needed to sort out. It was just like that time when they discovered Ben's secret and the Omnitrix. Only this time it was along the lines of what parents regularly needed to deal with.
They needed to deal with Ben and the topic of girls, and sex.
"Come on, Ben. Let's go outside," said Carl as he took Ben by the arm and dragged him out to the front porch. This left Sandra facing all five girls with a serious look in her eyes.
Ben was left out in the perch as his father went into the garage for something. When the man exited, he held up two cans of soda. He tossed one to Ben. "Ben, it's time for us to have a man-to-man chat."
Ben grimaced at the implication but couldn't say anything. He was worried about the girls being chewed out by his mom back inside.
The two sat down on the steps in front of the porch and drank their soda as Carl began, "Ben, when I was your age, back in high school I had girls on the mind too. Believe me, it wasn't easy. It was a bit awkward for me to speak to girls, especially to the ones I liked." Ben's eyes widened considerably. "And at that age hormones can get a little out of control."
"Whoa, Dad! Hold on! All we did was cuddle!" Ben defended.
"And that's where it starts," Carl replied. "Ben, there's nothing wrong with you attempting another relationship. Ever since…she left we saw how unhappy you were. I'm glad you're moving on but your mother and I are worried you might be moving too fast."
"I'm not moving too fast, I swear," Ben replied.
"I know, Ben. I trust you, but you're still a boy," Carl smiled and he ruffled his son's hair. "You know, if I was your age I'd be completely jealous of you now. I have to admit you really are something else. You're definitely like Dad."
"Grandpa?" asked Ben.
"He ended up with an alien falling in love with him, and now you have these Arrancars falling for you," said Carl, impressed. "Seems like you do take after Dad after all."
"Well, Grandpa's been great but so have you," Ben pointed out.
"I'm glad," said Carl. "We raised you well but you're still just a kid. Even if you've saved the universe like a million times."
Ben glanced at the door. "I wonder how the girls are doing,"
"Your mom is probably gonna be laying down the ground rules," said Carl. "I mean, it's bad enough that she caught you three in bed together but we do all live under the same roof. She's just worried about her little boy growing up too fast. Also, I don't think she wants to be a grandmother yet, not until you graduate college and get a job."
Ben groaned. "Dad!"
Carl threw back his head and laughed, despite that he was supposed to be serious. "Well, at least I know that you are taking this seriously. But from now on, I think it's best if you take things slow. Dates, holding hands, kissing are fine. But anything other than that...wait till you're older."
Ben nodded with a sigh. "Alright, Dad."
Carl chuckled as he ruffled his son's hair again. While not thinking things through was one of Ben's specialties, Carl was certain that his son would make the responsible choice. He looked back towards the door, wondering what Sandra was telling the girls. Pretty hard to lay down rules when two of those girls were older than she was. He wasn't certain about the other three, Apacci, Mila Rose, and Sung-Sun. They looked around Ben's age so convincingly. However, the girls did seem to respect him and Sandra so hopefully they would abide by her rules. She'd most likely allow the girls to go on dates with Ben but as for...the next step, well he wondered what his wife was gonna say about that.
Then Carl realized something. Marriage. If Ben did ever decide to settle down...would he marry all five girls? That was something else he'd need to talk about with his son.
Sandra paced back and forth in front of the five girls. They weren't human but that didn't matter. What mattered were their feelings for her son. She knew that one day he'd grow up, find a nice girl, and maybe leave the house and start a family, but she wanted to hold onto her baby boy a little while longer.
Now, it was time that Sandra put her foot down, again, on her son's relationship with these girls and establish some ground rules. Carl was outside setting Ben straight, so it was her job to set the girls straight. Awkward as it might be, it had to be done.
"Now girls, I know you all...care about my son very much, but he's still just a boy and there are some things you need to understand," said Sandra. "You girls know what sex is right?"
Normally Apacci or Mila Rose would snap that they did indeed know what sex was, but they knew why Sandra was asking them such a question and it brought a blush to them, Sung-Sun and Nelliel. Tia was able to remain straight-faced but thought she could feel her cheeks slightly warm up. Their reaction was all Sandra needed.
"This...all of this is so hard to take in," Sandra admitted as she started pacing again. "I always pictured Ben finding a nice girl, taking a nice, slow relationship, getting a good job and a good wife, and maybe having some children. I never imagined my son to get some device that turns him into aliens, fighting evil villains like some cartoon hero, and winning five different girls all at once."
The girls didn't know how to respond to that. Was she suddenly against their relationship with Ben? Just because they didn't meet her standards?
"But...given that we are Tennysons," Sandra added with a sigh, "I suppose our family really is anything but normal." She looked at the girls. "What exactly is your relationship to my son? Are all five of you...?"
The girls looked at each other. Tia decided to speak up. "We have decided to share your son."
"Share?" Sandra repeated, not really liking the word; it sounded more like they were treating her son as a slab of meat. "And Ben...?"
"He has agreed to it."
Sandra sighed. "Somehow I knew that was going to be your answer."
"Sandra," Tia said softly. "I'm sorry that we're not what you had in mind for the girl Ben would find. But I promise we would never want him to be miserable. He wants us to be happy, and we want him to be happy too."
The other girls simply nodded, as Tia has pretty much summed up what they were all thinking.
Sandra sighed again. "I know. You girls have shown me over and over just how much my son means to you. I guess...I guess I'm just afraid that my son's growing up too fast."
Nelliel smiled. "You are a wonderful mother, Sandra. Ben is very fortunate."
Sandra smiled a little. "Thank you, Nelliel." She looked at the girls. "While you girls aren't quite what I expected, you are all special and I am glad to have met you. I...I guess...I will allow this."
The girls all felt relieved to hear that Sandra was actually okay with this. That made things easier.
"However," Sandra added. "I will be laying down some ground rules. And the first rule is that you girls will not have sex with my son until he is eighteen and consenting."
This caught the girls off guard. They knew usually parents preferred their children waiting until marriage before having sex. There were exceptions that at least wanted their children to wait until they were eighteen but they didn't know what Sandra's view on it was until now. Still, though. She was...really okay with this?
"And I'll be sure to tell Ben the same thing," Sandra went on.
"And...you don't mind that..."
"Normally I would be," Sandra admitted. "Normally I would wind if I found out my son was sleeping with five different women. Or intended to. I think that boys should only date one girl and girls should only date one boy."
The five Arrancar didn't say anything. They only listened.
"But it seems that you've all made up your minds, right? If this was any other case, I would have told Ben to just pick one of you and be done with it."
The girls were a bit upset but Tia and Nelliel at least understood where Sandra was going with this. It was the social norm.
"But...like I said, this is far from normal isn't it? I mean, Ben's grandmother is an alien, Ben can turn into a bunch of aliens. Aliens, Arrancar, Shinigami, this and that..." She sighed. "And...I don't want to do this to Ben. Ever since what happened with his last girl, I didn't want him to go through that sort of pain."
The girls all nodded in understanding. They didn't know what words or gestures they could do to comfort her.
Sandra sighed. "I admit I'm gonna need some time adjusting to this and I will probably fly into "protective mom mode" but please...please just take care of my boy."
"We will," The unanimous reply was.
Sandra then continued laying down what the girls, and Ben, could and couldn't do. At least until they were older. Well, technically the girls were already old enough so this was mostly for Ben's sake. They were a bit impatient as they wouldn't mind showing Ben their affection since he decided to share but...
Anyway, once Sandra was certain that the girls understood, she allowed Ben to come back in and told him the same exact thing. She had a feeling that her husband might have gone a little easy on their son. She knew he was a good kid but Ben was at that age...
Once everything was out of the way and everything seemed to be back to normal, Ben went over to have a talk with Nelliel. Said Arrancar was fearing that Ben was upset with her. So when they went off to the side, she hung her head low.
"I'm sorry, Ben," She said softly.
Ben chuckled as he scratched his head. "Ah, we all got in trouble. But...you're sleep-walking again?"
"I...I couldn't help it," Nelliel explained. "I was afraid."
"Afraid? Afraid of what?"
"I was afraid that the others weren't going to share." Nelliel explained. "Tia and I seem to be on good terms but the other three don't like me."
"What? Why would you think that?"
"Ben, it's obvious they don't. The four of them knew you before I did and they probably think I'm just butting in."
Ben had to admit that there was some truth in that. In this girls had each other for support while Nelliel was on her own. "What, you thought they were gonna...team up against you or something?
Nelliel deadpanned. "Why wouldn't they?"
Considering how the four in question was and Espada and her Fraccion, it surprisingly made sense. But Tia wouldn't do something like that. Ben was sure of it. The other three however...
"Er, would you like me to...talk with them or something?" Ben tried to think of a more preferable solution but he was already in over his head.
"That would be nice, but that can wait," Nelliel replied as she remembered Anne's words. "Ben...I would like to go on a date with you next."
Caught off guard, Ben blinked in surprise for a minute. "Eh..."
Reminding herself that she had to be assertive, at least a little, Nelliel took a step forward. Maybe admiting to how she was feeling could convince Ben. "Ben, I..." She tried to find the right words. "You've been spending so much time with Tia and the others. And not a lot with me." She added with a slight hint of hurt.
Knucklehead he may be, Ben was starting to see the big picture. He realized that he had been spending more with Tia's group and not so much with Nelliel. She was feeling left out! Ben wanted to smack himself right in the face. He looked at her. "Nelliel, I'm so sorry. I didn't realize that...I just..." He couldn't think of any excuse. Now it was his turn to hang his head. "I'm sorry, Nelliel." He looked up at her. "We'll go on a date next. When would you like to?"
"Today," Nelliel said, trying to control the excitement building up within her. She did feel bad that she had guilt-tripped Ben into this but she promised herself she would make up to him on their date.
"Today?" Ben repeated. He didn't mind it but he had nothing planned out. What would they do? Where would they go?
"Yes," Nelliel confirmed. "I don't want to wait any longer."
Sure enough, Ben was feeling pretty bad for ignoring Nelliel all this time. "I'm cool with it. I just...I don't have anything planned."
Nelliel smiled. "That's okay. It's only the first date so it doesn't have to be anything big." She hugged him excitedly. "Just the chance to be with you is good enough for me."
Ben smiled back. Even if she was content with some simple thing, he wanted to make sure the date was special. She, just like the other girls, deserved it.
"I'll let you know when something comes to mind," Nelliel said with a smile as she practically skipped away. Ben turned his head away and felt his face flush when he noticed a certain part of her bounced as she skipped. He couldn't tell if she was unaware of what she was doing or was doing it on purpose.
Just then the house phone rang. Sandra answered it. "Hello? Oh hi, Starrk. How are you and Lilynette?"
Ben did a double take. Starrk? Calling his house?
"Oh we're doing fine. Yes, of course Ben's here. Would you like me to put him on? Sure thing. Ben!" Sandra called. "Starrk's on the phone!"
"Huh. Wonder what Starrk could want." Ben took the phone from his mother. "Starrk?"
"Hey, Ben. How's it going?"
"Fine...all things considered. What's up? Never expected a call from you."
"Don't blame you. Hey, Ben. You, uh...you want to hang out with me and Lilynette today?"
Ben blinked. "Hang out?"
"Yeah. Er, if you're busy I understand and..."
Feeling as if something was nearby, Ben turned his head and nearly jumped out of his skin when he noticed Nelliel was right behind him. Putting his hand on the receiver he glared. "Do you usually do that when people are on the phone?"
"Sorry, Ben. I was curious to hear what Starrk wanted. If he wants to hang out with you, I'm okay with it."
"You are?"
"We have all day to spend together. Besides, it's not often Starrk wants to do something. Go ahead. I'll be waiting for you when you get home."
Ben grinned. "Thanks. " He removed his hand. "Hey, Starrk. I'm good for a while. Where do you want to meet up at?"
"How about Mr. Smoothy's?"
"Sounds like a plan. Do you want to meet up right now?"
"If it's alright with you."
"Sure thing. See you then."
"Later, Ben."
With that Ben hung up. "Well, at least Starrk wants to actually do an activity. Wonder if he's only do this cause Lilynette bugged him into doing it."
Nelliel giggled at that. "Who knows? Maybe it was all Starrk's idea?"
Ben chuckled. "Can just imagine Lilynette's reaction." That caused them both to laugh. "Well, I better get going. I'll be back as soon as I can. I promise." Ben started heading out the door.
"Ben!" Nelliel quickly called. "Before you go..."
"Yeah?"
Nelliel suddenly grabbed Ben by his jacket and crushed his lips with her own. Ben was completely shocked as he noticed Nelliel's lips were very, very soft. And the kiss had the same effect on him as Tia's kisses did. Unfortunately the unexpected action left him in too much shock to properly respond. Nelliel tried to contain her excitement as she finally shared a kiss with her man. Sure it was she who initiated the kiss but she was certain, nay determined, for mutual kisses to be quite commonplace in their future. She finally pulled away, giggling at Ben's dumbfounded look.
"Hurry back, Ben," She said sweetly acting like a newlywed housewife.
Unable to get the speech part of his brain working, Ben numbly nodded his head and stumbled out the door like he had just been clubbed. Nelliel giggled some more as Ben dizzily made his way towards his car.
As Ben drove along the street, he caught the sight of people taking pictures of him driving while others waved or pointed excitedly. Such was the price of fame. Still, at least the neighbors respected him enough to not push down his door. They were still a close community and defended their own. His neighborhood was pro-Ben Tennyson and didn't believe any of Harangue's nonsense. Though if they ever found out about five beautiful girls staying at his house, he didn't know what they would do.
Speaking of Harangue, Ben learnt that the guy had hired Ulquiorra to dig up some dirt on him to use in his smear campaign. Honestly, the bespectacled middle-aged man seemed obsessed with denouncing Ben and calling him a menace. Either the guy needed something so people would listen to him or he didn't have a life. From what he'd learnt about Harangue from the internet thanks to Jimmy, the man was divorced. It seemed that his obnoxious attitude had driven away his wife and kids.
Ben trusted Ulquiorra but still Harangue needed dirt and Ulquiorra had an obligation to provide it. However, Ulquiorra was also obligated to Ben so the 4th Espada so while he provided information to Harangue; said information was going to be used as a weapon against the man and have everything backfire on him. Kevin was helping him and the older teen was devious. Ben smiled. It was good to know that two of his former enemies were getting along and looking out for him. 6 years ago, he and Kevin had been bitter enemies but now Kevin was like the big brother he never had. He'd become part of their family. It was hard to hate the guy and Ben still regretted when he wanted to kill Kevin that time when the Osmosian had gone mad from absorbing the Ultimatrix, becoming the being known as Ultimate Kevin. Now, Kevin's only 'evil acts' against Ben were some mild teasing for some laughs. Nothing malicious at all.
As he got closer to Mr. Smoothy's, Ben was wondering about what Starkk wanted to do. The guy wanted to hang out and he claimed Lilynette wanted to hang out as well. Those two Arrancar were not as antagonistic as most of the Espada. Starkk had been friendly, or at least didn't hold any contempt towards Ben. He and Ben never really hung out in Las Noches as the man preferred to nap. Still, Starkk respected the bearer of the Ultimatrix. When Lilynette had been loyal to Aizen, she had been upset when Ben betrayed them but she soon turned to joining the good guys. She was still a bit of a brat but now as much as she was in Las Noches.
His mind went back to the date he was going on with Nelliel. That meant the use of the ID mask again because Nelliel was like Tia and looked like a mature woman in her twenties. However, she was still very childish. So much like the little Nel he met in Hueco Mundo. He grinned to himself as he remembered first meeting her and her "brothers".
"I'm going on a date with Ben!" said Nelliel on the phone excitedly.
"That's wonderful news, Nelliel-sama!" said Dondochakka on the other end. "Finally, you will win his heart!"
"Just make sure to invite us to the wedding," Pesche added, causing the green-haired Arrancar to blush.
"Oh, stop it!" Nelliel giggled. But then she gasped. She needed a plan and an outfit. What would she wear? Also, where would they go on their date? Deciding to worry about what to wear first, she decided that she would go to the mall first.
"I'll call you two later," She said. "I have to go get some new clothes."
Her two Fraccion chuckled mischievously. "Got it, Nelliel-sama. Just make sure you don't Ben a heart attack!"
Nelliel flushed when she realized what they were talking about.
Ben soon arrived at Mr. Smoothy's. Sure enough, Starrk and Lilynette were waiting. Ben chuckled to himself when he noticed several girls were eyeing Starrk while sporting blushes on their faces. Lilynette spotted Ben and waved.
"Hey, Ben!" She called. "Over here!"
Ben got out of his car and went over to them. "Hey, guys. Good to see ya."
Starrk nodded and actually gave a small smile. "Same here."
"Can you believe this was all this lazy bum's idea?" Lilynette asked, pointing at Starrk with her thumb. "Starrk actually want to do something?"
"She started smacking me, thinking I must have hit my head," Starrk grumbled.
"What was I supposed to do?" Lilynette asked. "You're the guy that just lays around all day and suddenly you want to go do something?"
Ben laughed at their antics. If he hadn't known they were two halves of the same being, he would have thought they were siblings. "So, how you two been?"
"Fine, I guess," Starrk said. Then he sighed. "Actually, there's something I wanted to talk to you about. Let's get some smoothies first."
Ben stared. "You actually want a smoothie?"
"Your cousin showed us some. But it's okay with you, I'll just have single flavors."
"Gwen told you about some of the smoothies you like," Lilynette stuck her tongue out in disgust. "How can you drink that stuff and not get sick?"
Ben rolled his eyes, knowing that everyone questioned his tastes. They were a lot better than Grandpa Max's taste in food.
The three ordered their smoothies and went down to drink.
"So, guys, what have all have you been up to lately?" Ben asked as he started drinking.
"Starrk's gonna become a bounty hunter," Lilynette answered. Saying it so blunt and casual caused Ben to choke on his smoothie and start sputtering. Starrk groaned.
"That could've gone better," He muttered.
"Sorry," Ben said once he got his breath back. "But seriously? You want to become a bounty hunter?"
"Not really," Starrk admitted. "But, heh, Gwen's parents were kind enough to give us a home so I figured I might as well earn my keep. Unfortunately the only thing I really know to do is fight."
"And sleep your butt off all day," Lilynette added.
Ben looked at the table. He was pretty sure Starrk would make a good bounty hunter. He was a deadly force when motivated. But he didn't have access to any of his powers or abilities.
"Been training with your grandpa to get used to fighting without my powers," Starrk told Ben as if he read the boy's mind. "Can't be much of a bounty hunter if I can't defend myself."
Ben was genuinely surprised. "You're training with Grandpa?"
"He suggested I become a member of the Plumbers but I don't know about that.
"But what do you need training for? You're the Primera, the most powerful Espada."
"While I'm stuck in this gigai, I can't use any of my powers. I need to adjust to that before I get into any tough spots. Let me get used to being a human before I become some space cop."
Lilynette grinned. "You'll kick ass, Starrk!"
Ben noticed several patrons expressing shock at hearing Lilynette and just grinned. The little Arrancar sure knew how to draw attention to herself. Especially since she looked like a little girl. If Starrk was aware of the disproving glances some of the parents were shooting him, as if they blamed him for Lilynette's language, he didn't show it.
"But," Starrk said. "That's not the only reason I called you here."
Ben looked at the Primera. "What's up?"
"Starrk's got a date with my teacher," Lilynette answered.
Ben guffawed. "W-WHAT?!"
Starrk scratched his head. "Got a call from Lilynette's school. Heard she's been causing trouble in class."
Lilynette snorted. "That place is for babies. I can't stand it." She looked at Ben now. "Bottom line is: Starrk got called to the school since he's my "legal guardian" and the moment he shows up: all the ladies go gaga over him."
Ben gave Starrk a sly look. "Wow. Who knew?"
Starrk snorted. "You're one to talk."
"Anyway, he goes to see my homeroom teacher and she's all head over heels for him. And once she finds out he's single..."
"And she's decided to discuss your behavior over dinner with him or something?" Ben finished as he tried to hold back his laughter.
Starrk sighed again. "Basically."
"And being such a big wuss, Starrk caved in and said yes."
"And you wanted me to help you out?" Ben asked.
"Yeah. You seem to be the expert on women, so I thought you could give me some pointers."
Ben frowned. Just because of the situation he was in, apparently everyone assumed he was an expert. Oh boy.
As for Nelliel, she had gone to the mall to see what she should wear for her date with Ben. Of course, she was also wondering where they should go. Since it was a last minute thing, she knew it would have to something simple. After all, they'd have plenty more dates where things could be romantic like straight out out of her books.
"Nelliel-chan! Nelliel-chan!"
Nelliel blinked. Was somebody calling her name?
"Nelliel-chan! Over here!"
Nelliel turned her head towards a beauty salon. She gasped when she saw Charlotte waving at her.
"Charlotte!" She called happily. She ran over. "What are you doing here?"
"Ah, this is where I work, Nelliel-chan." He then did an exaggerated hand motion to point out the beauty salon to her. "I help all these young ladies become so beautiful."
Nelliel smiled. She and Charlotte never really interacted much but she was grateful to him when he helped her and Ben against Nnoitra and Tesla. And, given his personality, a beauty parlor was actually ideal.
"So, Nelliel-chan," Charlotte said. "What brings you here?"
"Ben and I have a date today and I was trying to find some nice clothes to wear."
Charlotte gave Nelliel a wicked smile. "Well, I know a nice lingerie store that could help for after the date."
Nelliel blushed bright red at Charlotte's implications. "B-Ben and I aren't that far yet!"
"Yet," Charlotte teased. "But I have a feeling that you will be soon."
Nelliel wouldn't deny that she had considered those kind of thoughts...but Sandra's stern lecture quickly snapped her to attention.
"We're not gonna rush things," She told him, not wanting to go through all the details.
Charlotte shrugged his shoulders. After all it was her business and he didn't want to be too nosey. "So what do you have planned?"
"Err...nothing. I kinda sprung it on him at the last minute."
Charlotte shook his head. "Nelliel-chan, something like dates should be planned in advance. Wanting a date right away is probably gonna put some pressure on Ben."
"I know. It's just...I couldn't stand Ben spending so much time with the others and not with me. I know we couldn't do something really romantic today but...I'm okay with it since I'll finally get some time with him."
Charlotte nodded in contemplation. "Well, then. Why not go to the gym?"
Nelliel raised a brow. "The gym?" What kind of place was that for a date?
"Mmm-hmm. The gym would be a perfect place for the two of you. Some nice working out, getting all hot and sweaty...and giving Ben a little tease of things to come."
Nelliel felt her face heat up once again at the same time she frowned in annoyance. "Where would you come up with something like that?"
"Oh the girls in there are gossiping all the time," Charlotte pointed back to the parlor with his thumb. "Always going on and on about the things they do for their men, their men do for them, this and that."
Nelliel looked at her feet. "Going out to eat sounds better."
Charlotte just chuckled. "Whatever you decide, Nelliel-chan. Well, I'd better back to work. Have a good date with Ben."
"Thanks!"
Ben helped Starrk the best he could. It was an awkward talk but Starrk really didn't have any other place to turn to for dating advice. It just felt weird that a teen was giving dating advice to a guy who could possibly be hundreds of years old. It did make him feel a bit important but he quickly dismissed that thought. He really didn't need to stroke his ego. Ben was about to advise Starkk to be himself but then he amended himself. Starrk's usual behavior was that of a lazy slacker. Not very attractive to women who wanted a man that could provide for them and a potential family. All this teacher knew was that Starrk was Lilynett's guardian. Wouldn't she be surprised if she ever learnt that the two used to be one entity which split apart because of loneliness. So, Ben just told Starrk to be polite and a gentleman, and also to pay for everything. Since Starrk didn't have any money, he'd need some help there.
Now, as he was driving home, Ben was considering what to do about his date with Nelliel. He couldn't do the same thing he'd done with Tier. That would send a bad message. No, he needed to consider something else. The Pier? They had a small amusement park at the pier and he and Nelliel could have fun. But, thoughts of the pier reminded him of...her. Dammit, why was it so hard?
Or, he could just make things simple and go to the movies, but then Nelliel might think he didn't think she was special since it did not compare to his and Tier's date. This was tricky. Then an idea came to him! He knew exactly who to go to for advice: Grandpa Max! Considering how popular his grandpa was with women and knew what it was like to be with alien ones, surely he could help. Activating his car's computer, Ben called Max.
"Ben?" Max's voice said from the computer. "Well this is a surprise. What can I do for you, Ben?"
"Grandpa, I need some help. Nelliel wants to go on a date and I can't think of anywhere to take her."
"I see," Max said. There was some silence as Max pondered some good suggestions for his grand-son. "Well, first off, what are some of the things she likes to do?"
Ben shrugged. "Reading mostly. There wasn't much stuff to do back in Hueco Mundo." He growled. "She had to put up with Nnoitra always challenging her to a fight."
"Nnoitra. One of the other Espada, huh?"
"And one of the worst."
Knowing that they were getting close to a sore subject, Max went back to their original one. "So, has Nelliel shown any new interests during her time in the living?"
Ben grinned. "She has a bit of a sweet tooth. Ice cream mostly but she likes other sweets too. I would've taken her to the Pier and got her some cotton candy but..." The silence that followed was all Max needed to know.
"I understand. Ben, I've been doing some thinking. These girls mean a lot to you but we both know that society wouldn't understand the bond that you all share."
"That's for sure."
"If you're serious about these girls, then I think it's best if you take them on dates...offworld."
Ben did a double take. "Offworld? As in go to other planets?"
"It would be for the best. Other species are less likely to judge you than humans would. Besides, most races out there are grateful for the human who saved the entire universe."
Ben thought about Max's suggestion. "That makes sense. But...what if Bellwood's in trouble?"
"What do you think I've been doing all this time?" Max asked in amusement. "I'm thinking your Arrancar friends can help with that."
"Huh?"
"Starrk showed me that thing that allows them to leave their gigai whenever they wish. The Arrancar are extremely powerful and can only be seen by a select few. I think they'd be perfect."
Ben stared straight ahead but his jaw hung open. "Arrancar...defend Bellwood?"
"While I'm not sure how many people could actually see them in their spirit forms, I'm willing to bet it's a select few. I'm sure Mila Rose, Sung-Sun, and Apacci wouldn't mind."
"Well, they are having trouble finding a decent job. Still..."
"I have the authority to deputize them until we can make them official Plumbers. If they're interested that is. But we can talk about that later. Let's get back to help you with your date. What do you say, Ben?"
"Well, if I can take the girls someplace where we don't have to worry about people judging us, I guess it couldn't hurt. Still, I better keep that ID Mask just in case they want to do Earth stuff."
"ID Mask?"
"Yeah, Paradox left me this ID Mask that lets me look like my future self."
"He did? Strange. Paradox has been quite active in your adventures lately. I wonder why."
"Maybe he's decided to be a little more social," Ben suggested.
"I doubt it. I'm thinking there's something coming and Paradox wants you to be ready."
Ben groaned. "Gee, thanks, Grandpa. Now I'm gonna have a bad feeling all day."
"Sorry. Anyway, keep the ID mask. It could come in handy even offworld. You have plenty of enemies that aren't on Earth."
"Heh-heh. Good point."
"Since Nelliel has a bit of a sweet tooth, I know this planet that deals with some of the greatest ice sweet this side of the galaxy."
Ben's eyes widened. "No way. Alien ice cream?"
"It's a universal favorite, Ben. And I do mean universal. They have flavors that would put any on Earth to shame. I have a feeling Nelliel would love it."
"Well, sounds like a good a plan as any."
"It's called Bachanal. It's pretty much a planetwide resort making it's funding off intergalactic tourism."
"A resort planet?" Ben asked in amazement.
"Resort, amusement park, gambling halls, the planet deals with all sorts of entertainment and excitement."
"That...sounds like it's gonna cost a fortune." Ben admitted.
"Don't worry, I've been getting all kinds of requests from the administrators to have you come and visit."
Ben perked up. "Really?"
"Course. Ben Tennyson actually spending time at their resort would earn Bachanal even more publicity than ever.
Ben grinned. "That's perfect! Thanks, Grandpa."
"No problem, Ben."
"Hey, Grandpa."
"Yeah?"
"How do you know Ichigo's dad?"
Max chuckled. "After all this time you're just now asking me?"
Ben laughed sheepishly. "Slipped my mind."
"Isshin patched me up once when I doing some Plumber business in Japan years ago. I'm surprised we were able to keep the whole thing hush-hush. Isshin respected my privacy and never asked how I got those injuries. We became pretty good friends after that but we never stayed in contact with each other. Anyway, Isshin's always been an eccentric kinda guy but he's a dedicated father. Bragged constantly to me about his son and daughters."
"Heh. Kinda weird that he's Ichigo's dad. The two act nothing alike."
Ben had met Ichigo's father and even if the man was a former Shinigami Captain and a doctor, he just acted really goofy. The man just seemed to act more like a child but he could be responsible since he was raising three kids all by himself. His children did love him, even if he could be annoying at times. Now, thanks to Grandpa Max, he had an idea on what to do on his date with Nelliel. Offworld sounded good and alien ice cream did sound better. He just needed to know the name, its coordinates and they were good to go.
Nelliel would love this.
"So, this is all surveillance equipment," said Ulquiorra as Kevin showed him the inside of his car's trunk.
"Yeah, just some stuff I managed to get back in the day," said Kevin. "Not available on Earth."
Ulquiorra may not know much about machines but what he saw appeared very sophisticated and advanced by Earth standards. "So, we will use these devices to collect information on Harangue?"
"That's right," Kevin grinned. "These babies will record everything they see and send them back to a computer."
Ulquiorra had to admit that this was a good idea and Kevin's technology did appear similar to his own ability to record with his eyes.
"Now, time to plant some bugs," Kevin said, rubbing his hands together.
"How should we do it?"
"First we need to get inside Harangue's office. I say that you call him out, claiming you have something on Ben. While he's gone, I can sneak in and set up the equipment."
"What should I tell him? I fear he could use even a lie to harm Ben's reputation."
"Relax, I'll take care of it."
Meanwhile, Ben had finally made it back home.
"Nelliel!" He called once he got inside.
"She left a while ago, Ben," Mila Rose told him from the dining room. She was doing some more of her homework before school started tomorrow.
"Really?" Ben had one hand on his chin. "I'll go check the bookstore and see if she's there."
"What's up?" Apacci called from the kitchen.
Ben gave a nervous grin. "I'm uh, I'm taking Nelliel out today."
Mila Rose snapped her pencil in irritation while Apacci gave a slight growl. Ben frowned at their actions. Nelliel was right about them not liking her and that didn't sit well with him. He would have a word with them but first he'd take Nelliel on her date. Running upstairs to get the ID mask, Ben quickly donned it as he headed out the door.
"Bye, everyone! I'll be back!" He called in his older voice as he left. Unaware that Apacci and Mila Rose both shared an annoyed glance that Nelliel had beaten them to the punch.
Feeling confident in his older appearance, Ben drove his car right to Nelliel's workplace. He smiled to himself. A bookstore was the ideal place for her and he hoped this place his grandpa suggested would be an ideal dating spot. Parking the car, Ben got out. Hearing several gasps, Ben noticed that several people saw him getting out. Obviously they were expecting Ben Tennyons, not this older man. But hey, his mom said he could easily pass off as his own uncle so everyone could easily believe he was a family member. He flashed the watching patrons a grin and even saw several girls swoon when he did. Fighting down a chuckle, Ben made his way over to the bookstore.
Luckily enough, Nelliel was in the bookstore and over the moon.
"You were right!" She joyfully said to Anne. "All I needed was to be a little assertive and he said yes!"
Anne smiled at her friend. "See? Now what did I tell you?"
Just then the two heard the bell on the door ring, meaning they had a customer. Since she was still on shift, Anne turned around to greet the arrival. "Hello! Welcome to oh...wow."
Nelliel noticed Anne was staring open mouthed at whoever came in. Curious, she turned around and felt her eyes widened when she noticed Ben, wearing his ID mask, standing there. When he spotted her, he gave that smile. It was either because of how much she cared for him, or because she saw what a man he was gonna grow up to be, but she found herself weak in the knees seeing that smile.
"Hey, Nelliel. I found a great spot for our date. We can head out whenever you want."
Nelliel felt very conscious as she could practically feel everyone's eyes on her. Still, she was giddy when Ben mentioned their date.
"S-Sure, Ben," She said before freezing at her slip.
"Ben?" Anne asked.
"Name's Benjamin." Ben told her. "Ben for short. Nice to meet you."
"Same here," Anne replied, looking Ben up and down. Ben didn't gave indication that he noticed but Nelliel did and she found herself slightly annoyed.
"I'll be ready soon," Nelliel told Ben, who nodded.
"I'll go wait in the car until you're done," With that, he turned around and headed out the door. Nelliel looked back at Anne and noticed her head tilted a little. Nelliel turned her head where Anne was looking and her annoyance grew when she realized that Anne was looking at Ben's rear. Once Ben left, Anne looked back at Nelliel with a coy grin on her face.
"Well, well. You, girl, have good taste." Nelliel frowned and Anne laughed. "Can't blame a girl for enjoying the view. Those muscles, that beard, that butt." She laughed again when Nelliel's frown turned into a full out scowl that would put Ichigo to shame. Then Anne looked at something behind Nelliel. "And it looks like you've made some enemies."
Confused, Nelliel turned around and noticed several of the girls in the store, co-workers and customers, were sending glares her way. Some subtle and some out in the open.
"They're jealous that you've got such a hunk all to yourself," Anne explained.
Not all to myself. Nelliel thought to herself. But she quickly removed that thought.
"But seriously, Nelliel," Anne smiled. "I'm proud of you. If that guy's as sweet as you say as he is with those looks, you've really won a prize. I'm proud of you."
Nelliel smiled back. "Thanks, Anne."
"Now get out there and make sure that man gives you a good time. If he doesn't, I'm kicking his rear all the way to the moon."
Nelliel laughed at her friend as she headed towards the door. "Alright. Bye!"
Ben didn't wait too long when Nelliel came out of the store and happily headed towards his car. Nelliel got into the passenger side and once Ben was certain she was buckled in, Ben started up the car and pulled out.
"I wasn't expecting you to wear the ID mask," Nelliel told Ben as they drove. Not that I'm complaining, she added to herself. "So...where we going?"
Ben smiled at her. "A special place Grandpa told me about. But we'll need the Rustbucket III."
Nelliel blinked. "Oh? How come? Are we leaving Bellwood?"
"Yep. We're going off-world."
"Off-world?" Nelliel's eyes widened. So far, the only worlds she was familiar with were Soul Society, Hueco Mundo, Hell and the living world. But to be able to travel to another planet, that was an opportunity she could not pass up. "You mean to another planet?"
"Yeah," he confirmed.
"Oh!" Nelliel had not expected that one. "The place Grandpa told me about is on a different planet. But from what he told me, you're gonna love it."
"Really? What's it like?"
"Uh uh." Ben grinned. "Spoilers."
Nelliel pouted. But then she giggled. Ben was surprising her? Oh, she couldn't wait. Then she realized something. "Um, so does this mean you won't need the mask?"
"Nah, I'll keep it on. Grandpa recommended that I still use it on other planets. My enemies aren't just on Earth after all."
Nelliel nodded, a small frown on her face.
"What's wrong?"
Ben's words snapped Nelliel out of her musing and she replied back. "Nothing, Ben."
Ben didn't believe it for a moment but he decided to respect her wishes and left the matter alone for the moment.
As Kevin and Ulquiorra were putting a plan in motion to expose Harangue, Ulquiorra suddenly asked, "What does it feel like to be in love?"
Kevin, completely taken by surprise, took a moment to answer, "That's a bit of a random question. What brought this up?"
"During my free time I've been studying the literature and came across something called a romance novel," said Ulquiorra.
"Oh, those things," Kevin sighed. "Yeah, those make me gag. Kinda sappy if you ask me."
"So, real love does not function that way," Ulquiorra concluded.
"Not exactly." Kevin pondered as he tried to think of the right thing to say. Talking about things like love wasn't exactly his cup of tea. "It's different for a lot of people. Little girls imagine fairy tale romances but they grow out of it. Usually. As for real love, well it's pretty subjective."
"Just like the love shared between you and Gwen Tennyson," stated Ulquiorra.
"I guess..." Kevin smiled a little at
"As I've been told, you were on bad terms with the Tennysons in the past,' Ulquiorra noted. "What changed?"
"Well, first of all, it was because I wanted to be a Plumber like my dad. Of course I needed to support myself so I did things my dad wouldn't have been proud of," said Kevin.
"You were trying to survive. You should not apologize for that," Ulquiorra pointed out. The Arrancar firmly believed in doing what was necessary in order to survive.
"I know, but part of me enjoyed that," Kevin admittedly guiltily. "Then I met Ben and Gwen again after half a decade. Things sure changed after that. Gwen and I grew closer and... well...we fell in love."
"She made you a better person," Ulquiorra understood.
Kevin nodded. "Yeah. She's always there for me, telling me when I mess up, but also supporting me when I'm down. Sometimes I feel like I ain't good enough for her. She's just amazing. Top of her class, a black belt, and she can use magic. Me? I'm an ex-con who doesn't even go to school."
"But you're working on getting a GED?" Ulquiorra asked.
"Yeah, she's helping me with that," Kevin explained. "She wants me to better myself and she makes me feel like I could be better than I could be."
"So, love is to support someone for better and for worse," Ulquiorra said. "That is insightful, Kevin Levin."
"Well it's more than that," Kevin added. "Love is...well is making the people that matter most to you happy. To make sure that nothing bad happens to them."
"That seems a rather difficult task,"
"Well, sure you can't protect them from everything. But like you said, love's about supporting each other. You go through the hard times together."
"And this love? It's powerful enough to withstand anything?" Ulquiorra asked.
"Ever heard that love conquers all?" Kevin asked. Ulquiorra shook his head. "It can if you're willing to try. Course, love is a feeling. It's kinda hard to describe."
Ulquiorra cupped his chin in thought. Love was a feeling. It was understandable that one like he, who had little to no emotions, would have trouble understanding it.
"Why all this anyway?" Kevin asked. Then it came to him, causing Kevin to grin. "It's about Orihime isn't it?"
"Correct."
"You're in love with her?"
"I'm not sure I could call it love," Ulquiorra answered. "But something about her makes me feel differently. She is always in my mind...and I think about her time in Hueco Mundo."
"Feeling kinda guilty?"
"Perhaps. While I did not harm her physically, I toyed with her mind, in hopes of turning her completely to Aizen's side. And when she suffered abuse under Loly and Menoly, I did not thing to stop it. In fact, I interfered when Kurosaki tried to. It was only thanks to Harribel and Nelliel that she was safe."
Kevin whistled.
"And yet, as I was dying, she didn't seem to hate me. She certainly didn't fear me. Instead she was sad for me. Pitied me. Why she would after all that I, that Aizen, that we all put her through, I cannot comprehend."
"Seems like Orihime alright. She's just too nice of a person sometimes." Kevin figured.
"An interesting phenomenon in a world of violence," Ulquiorra noted.
"Maybe that's why she interests you so much," Kevin theorized. "She's something you're not used to."
"Perhaps, Kevin. Perhaps."
"Maybe you should spend some time with her," Kevin offered. "You know, have her come here. I'd say you go visit her but aside from the whole Harangue thing, isn't her home like Shinigami Central?"
"Somewhat. Karakura Town is a place of incredible spiritual power, though no doubt thanks to Ichigo, his father, and the other Shinigami who have decided to take residents there."
"Then it might be better if Orihime came to visit you."
"Hmm. Maybe."
Nelliel was trying to contain her excitement as she strapped down in the Rustbucket III. Not only was she going on her first date with Ben, they were actually going to outer space! Nelliel couldn't help but wonder what space would be like, not to mention the planet they'd be going towards. She also couldn't help but gloat in her mind how her date was the first one offworld and not the other girls.
"Ready, Nelliel?" Ben asked as he started up the engine.
"Ready," She replied back. But then as an afterthought. "Are you sure it'll be okay with just the two us?"
"No sweat. I've handled this thing plenty of times in the past. Don't worry, Nelliel."
Nelliel let out a breath. "Sorry, I guess I'm nervous and excited. My first time in outer space!"
Ben smiled at her. "Don't worry. I'll make sure you enjoy it."
Nelliel smiled back. "I know I will."
Once the engine was started, Ben took off from the ground. Once they made some good air, he set the jet to fly right up to the atmosphere. Though Nelliel was no stranger to all this fast flying, she found herself hold on tightly as she felt them leaving the atmosphere. The g-force was having a powerful effect on her. She closed her eyes to help her ease through it. After what seemed to be an eternity, the jet righted itself and the g-force was over.
"It's over, Nelliel." Ben said softly. "I've activated the artificial gravity
Nelliel opened her eyes. Curiously she looked out the window. "Oh, wow."
Space was beautiful in her opinion. The vast darkness mixed with the lights of the stars. It had a majestic feel to it all. Then Nelliel turned her head, gasping. "Ben! Is that the Earth?"
"Uh-huh." Ben couldn't help but smile as Nelliel was undergoing a childlike wonder to her surroundings.
"It's beautiful." Nelliel practically whispered as she looked at the distant Earth.
"Yep," Ben chuckled. "No place like home." He set the coordinates Max had told him for the planet Bachanal. "But, hopefully this planet will be loads of fun."
Nelliel smiled as she got out her seat to get a better view of the outside. "I'm sure it will, Ben." She said, though her attention was on the spectacle outside.
Back in Hueco Mundo, Loly was searching through the wreckage of Las Nochez.
"Come on!" She screamed in frustration as she looked through Szayel's old lab. "There's got to be something!"
"What are you looking for?" Menoly asked her.
"Something to get us to wherever Tennyson's at!" Loly snapped angrily. "Without getting found out by those Shinigami!"
Menoly was really worried. Loly was obsessed with getting her revenge on Ben Tennyson. Menoly could understand her anger but how could they pull it off? Ben was apparently allied with the Shinigami, and he was friends with the remaining Espada. While Loly was confident she could go up against them, Menoly knew that unless they had a good plan, they wouldn't stand a chance. Even if she didn't know it, she always was the one with the common sense.
"But even if we get to the living world, how are we gonna find him?" Menoly asked.
"Oh, we will," Loly answered. "We'll find him and we will make him suffer. His friends, his family, they're all going to pay!"
Menoly looked at her, worried beyond belief. Sure there was that hatred against Orihime but that paled in comparison to the rage Loly was feeling now. This revenge thing; yes she wanted to avenge their Aizen-sama...but looking at what it was doing to Loly, Menoly wondered if it was really worth it in the end.
End of Chapter
Well, everyone. That's the end of the first part to Ben's date with Nelliel. I know there wasn't any action in this chapter and I intended to do the full date but I figured that would take too long and I've made you guys long enough. But now that I can do the rest of the date in another chapter, I'm able to add some action scenes in it.
So, in the next chapter, Ben and Nelliel go to the planet Bachanal to enjoy all that they can. But just because Ben's left Earth, doesn't mean he's left trouble.
It was tricky at first, but I found that I can somewhat balance working between two different stories. This one and my Transformers story, Dawn of the Dinobots. Now I've completed DotD and I'm going to take a break before I make its sequel. I want to write other stories but unfortunately, I can't think of anything to write about.
Anyway before we go, I will address something. You know how in the last chapter, me and Sallem were debating whether or not to add Yoruichi into Ben's harem. I've decided not to. I'm perfectly content with the girls that Ben is paired with. I'm gonna write this story my way!