A/N: Ben 10 does not belong to me in any way.

Pain erupted as they pressed into his chest, breaking through him as though he was nothing, simply trash, something to be "taken care of". He wasn't, but it's not like they cared. As far as they knew, he was nothing, an alien hybrid, unwanted, below them. Who were they to say he was beneath them? As a Plumber, he had fought numerous battles, all for the protection of Earth. If they were faced with some of the things he had fought, they wouldn't survive. Then who would be judging? Not them. And what had they ever really done for Earth's protection? From what he knew, tried to kill some of the most valuable Plumbers that had ever lived, claiming they were all that was needed.

The pain stopped and as he stared up at the sky, silence descending upon him. A figure blocked his already dimming view for a brief moment before they moved away. Leaving him here, he supposed.

To die alone.

"O-oh! S-sir, are you alright? No, you're hurt!"

He was cold. Was this really how it was all going to end? Ambushed and taken down without a fight? Just like that?

"A-ah, p-please hold on! I-I'll get you to a hospital! O-oh, but I can't… P-Please hold on, everything will be alright!"

Well. He supposed he had to die sometime, but he had just hoped it would have been a good many years down the road. Married with some grandkids…

Eh. Kids are annoying any way.

"N-no! D-don't go to sleep! S-sir, you can't give up!" The cold spread through, his eyes closing fully and darkness descended upon him.

Pierce opened his eyes to dim lights. Hissing out a breath, he lifted a hand, placing it on his chest, his fingers feeling out the bandages and the raised, throbbing, probably red, skin beneath. He suppressed a shudder as pain shot through his form. A quick breath and he raised himself up on his elbows, his head swimming until his eyes focused, taking his time to peer around the room he was in.

He was on the bed, a simple wood framed bed with a plain blue comforter. The lights were on, but dimmed, and, with what light there was, he could make out a small table in the middle of the room with a vase of flowers and a chair next to it. A set of drawers with a small radio atop it. A closet, with its doors closed, and a door showing out into a hallway with a few pictures hanging on the walls. Light came from the end of the hallway, what he assumed was the living room. He could hear the faint echo of cars, so he guessed he was in an apartment or a house situated away from the road a ways. He was going with an apartment.

"I told you, I'm not going back." Was that… That was the same person he heard… wasn't it? Another sharp breath as he pushed himself up. Pain and he braced his hand tight against his chest, breathing deep, shuddering breaths. "No, I'm not going home."

"You're needed back home." A man's voice, one he didn't recognize. Soft, but deep. There was something about it though, something that seemed off with the way he was telling her what to do… Her father, maybe?

"I'm staying here. Tell him that. And tell him, next time come himself, not send you. His word carries nothing if not said himself. He can't order me around forever." He had to give her credit, she was going down fighting for her freedom.

"D'A—"

"It's Meena. My name is Meena Strong. Get it right." An exhaled breath and Pierce steeled himself against the pins and needles shooting up his legs as he rose, willing himself not to collapse. "Now, please leave. I have to go to work. And don't follow me again. I'm not your responsibility. Go take care of him."

"No matter what you wish, my orders are to protect you from anything and everything. I will inform him of your wishes, but I will follow my orders to the letter. I'm to remain here to ensure your safety." He didn't know what was going on, but the girl who had been with him when he… Pierce had to pause in his attempts at getting closer to the door. What had happened? He was sure he was dead, but maybe she made good on her promise and got him to a hospital… In any case, he was alive.

"From my neighbors, or from any who might seek my affections?" He noted the malice in her voice. This must be a reoccurring conversation then.

"My orders were clear." Pierce stalled once more, moving towards the ground before he knew what was happening. He braced his hands out, catching himself at the last moment, his knees hitting the carpet, head bowed as he sucked in a sharp breath, the fire roaring across his skin. "What was that?"

"What?" He closed his eyes tightly.

"That noise. D'A—Meena, is someone else here?"

"Yes. A friend from work." Her voice didn't waver.

"A friend from work… Meena, it is that boy?"

"No, the psychotic one with gold eyes." Psychotic… Gold eyes? Rachel? Rachel Calico?

"You're lying to me." Pierce had been found out. But why had he been hidden? "Who is it, Meena?"

"I told you, Fitori. My friend from work."

"Does she not have her own home?" He dug the heel of his palm into his forehead, grinding his teeth together, trying to dull the pain in his mind. Footsteps and he raised his head weakly. "Meena, if you're lying—"

"Fitori. Leave. Now." The girl's—Meena's—voice grew hard and the footsteps stopped moving closer to him. "Do I have to repeat myself?" There was silence and then he heard the door open quietly.

"I suggest you limit yourself to encounters with outsiders, Meena." The man's—Fitori's—voice was quiet. The door closed and there was a long moment of silence. Pierce raised himself on his knees, looking down the hallway. The shadow of a girl grew on the wall until he saw her turn down it, moving toward him quickly with a box in her hands. Not knowing what to expect, though she did defend him and protect him, and probably saved his life, he was still cautious. Years of being judged based on his appearance created a guarded man and this girl was no exception to his rules. He raised his arms up, ready for anything she might try to do, having no issue with attacking a girl.

"I'm sorry, I should have been here when you woke up!" She rushed in, depositing the box on the table and opening it. Raising his chin, he could make out what appeared to be a first aid kit. Lifting his face also enabled him to see something he had originally missed: a mirror.

His I.D. mask was in place, his disguise hiding his true form.

"Between rushing to the store for medicine and supplies and food and Fitori's visit…" She paused, letting out a soft breath. She seemed familiar to him, but he couldn't place her. And he wasn't one to typically forget a face. She brightened, looking over at him. Her smile faded, however, when she got a good look at him. He stiffened, wondering if she could somehow see through the façade. "No… Your injury!" She practically dived at him, pulling up his shirt before he even could guess at what she was planning, and poking around his torso. Another sharp hiss and she pulled her hand away. "S-sorry…" His shirt was discarded beside him and she was leaning toward him, fingers shifting around the red stained bandages, skirting the outer edges of the deeper wounds. "Must've broke when you got up…" She smacked herself in the forehead with the heel of her palm, rising in one fluid movement and moving toward the table. "Stupid, stupid, stupid! I should've been here! Stupid Fitori…!"

In all honesty, he'd never met a girl so… bold? She had no issue with her close proximity in his personal space, but it seemed more like concern for his life rather than a total disregard to his limits. She knelt back down with a little container of ointment of some kind, gauze, and tape.

"U-um, this may hurt…" She gave an apologetic smile up at him and he gave a single nod. "I-I'm sorry in advance…" Her fingers pressed into his skin as she undid the clip, unwinding the bandages from around his form. He shuddered, fingers digging into the carpet, head thrown back, suppressing all noise. "I-I'm sorry…" Her voice was a whisper as the tape fell around him. She reached for a towel, pressing it lightly against his chest, taking up the blood that was slowly slipping down his skin.

White dotted his sight at the pain, his body reacting to the touch of the raw material against his skin, a fire burning in his veins. A scream escaped his lips and he couldn't hold himself up anymore, collapsing against her, his mind fleeing from the pain that he was being subjected to.

Cold reached his skin and he wondered if he was dying again, having no issue with going through with it this time if he had to live with this torture she was submitting him to just to stay alive. The pain dulled and he felt something like gel slide across his chest, some slipping into the wounds. It stung, at-first, but even that dulled and his senses returned to him. He was so close to her, something he would never have done of his own accord, but now that it was done… He opened his eyes, gazing up at her blearily, his cheek against her shoulder. Straight, dark brown hair with bangs that almost hid the tears coursing down her cheeks as she continued applying the salve to his torso, fingers moving slowly, gently, barely touching his skin. "I'm sorry…" Her whisper vibrated through him. She closed her dark blue, almost black, eyes tightly for a moment, then opened them, biting at her bottom lip, knowing what she was putting him through. Her cheeks were pink, as were most when one was crying. The gauze bound his wounds, the ointment numbing him against the feel of it against him, wrapped around and tightened to protect and heal. Tape was slipped over the end, holding it in place. "I'm so sorry… I didn't mean… I'm sorry…"

Worn from the trial he had just been subjected to and mist clouding his thoughts, he slipped into the blessed relief of unconsciousness.

He opened his eyes slowly at the light touches on his skin. The room was dark and all he saw was a shadow above him, hands reaching for his wounds. Movement he hadn't thought possible in his condition and he grabbed the figure, pulling them down and, in a fit of strength that cost him dearly, pinned them beneath him, glaring. His breath hitched in his throat but he hid his discomfort. "Why are you here?" His voice was dark, low. The words burned his throat and he realized he hadn't drank anything in some time. "Tell me." He peered into the darkness and saw eyes glittering up at him.

"I-I thought i-it would be better t-this way…" The voice was a whisper. An intruder, likely knowing the girl was asleep.

"What would be better?"

"Checking your wounds." He noticed movement and a hand shifted from beneath him, reaching for the nightstand. His hand shot out, gripping the smaller wrist tightly, pinning it to the edge of the hard wood of the headboard. Their breathing stalled. "I-I'm sorry, I-I didn't mean to startle you…" Pierce narrowed his eyes but slowly retracted his hand. A moment later light flooded the room and his pupils dilated, momentarily blinded. "A-ah, sorry!" He shook his head, bringing back his sight. He blinked down at the girl beneath him. She gave a hesitant smile. He pulled away, sitting on his knees as she straightened, holding out a hand. Again, he was blindsided by this turn of events. "I, um, never introduced myself. I'm Meena Strong."

What had he gotten himself into this time, exactly?

Ahh, the second chapter~ told ya it would be longer~ this is gonna be sooo much fun, I just know it ^-^

Until the next time, thank you for reading~