A/N: Ben 10 does not belong to me in the least. Sadly…
"Hey hey, how's your girlfriend?" Manny piped the moment he walked through the door. Pierce ignored him, going to their computer and sitting down, intent on finding answers. "Alright, alright. That's cool. Don't answer. I see you're worried."
"Manny, don't be so insensitive. That girl saved his life, he's just returning the favor." Helen scolded him. "Pierce, how is she?" She looked at her brother, noting the look on his face, a look she was very use to.
"Rachel's looking after her." Manny snorted, having been put through Rachel's medical expertise on a prior occasion. "And her brother and sister are with her." Helen nodded, quieting Manny before he could ask what she knew he would ask.
"That's good." Pierce entered into the database, typing into their files and looking for any record of these people. The sister sounded foreign, but by the end of their meeting, her accent had faded, only punctuating a few of her words. Odd. And the brother… "What're you looking up? Our latest mission?" She was beside him in a second.
"No, that family." Manny strode over, leaning down and peering at the screen as well. "Different names and no common last name. I'm curious." Helen shared a look with Manny. "They could all be adopted, but I don't think so. Meena…" Manny smirked and Helen shot him a warning glance. "Meena only has a few months left." Helen rested a hand on her brother's shoulder. "And then her brother will take her home, to her family. One last time. I want to see if I can find anything on them. Maybe we can help."
"Pierce… You know we can't just…" As much as Helen would love to help this girl who had saved her brother's life… "She's not a Plumber. Introducing her to our secret, looking for a cure… That's against protocol."
"Her sister had powers. They might be Plumber's kids, like us." Helen let a smile return to her face. "If they are, it wouldn't be a breach." Pierce hit enter and frowned when nothing came up. "Of-course, I'm just guessing on the spelling of their other names…" Helen rose, thinking. "I suppose I can just type in only what they gave me." And so he did.
And they watched as five hits came up.
"Is that them?" Helen asked calmly. Pierce blinked at the screen as Manny crossed his arms.
"'Meena Strong, a fourteen-year-old car crash victim, died of her injuries on Oct. 25, 2011.' 'Ranna Calin, age 26, was taken from her home on Feb. 3, 2008. Any and all information pertaining to her whereabouts would be welcome in locating her.' 'Miranda 'Ranna' Calin, a tenth-grader at Mercy Lewis' High School has been given high honors in photography for her piece 'Symphony'.' 'Syrus Battle, 89, died in his home on June 15, 2012. He is survived by his brother, his wife, Clara, three sons, a daughter, six grandchildren, and two great grandchildren. Services will be held on June 20 at the Allerban Funeral Home, from 3p.m., to 6 p.m.' 'Syrus Battle, pictured at right, plays with his brother, Max, left, in the newly constructed park in downtown Freecot.'" Manny shook his head. "I guess there's no record of them. You sure they're from around here?" Pierce hit delete, leaning back and gazing at the empty screen.
"It's possible they've just never done anything the garners their names in the papers." Helen suggested quietly. Manny raised a brow. "What?"
"And they're not even in the Plumber database?" Helen shrugged.
"If they're just normal people, why would they? If they just lead a quiet life, there wouldn't be a need." Manny didn't buy that, but said nothing more. Pierce pushed away, rising from his seat. "Pierce?"
"I'm going to bed." Helen watched him walk away, then she glared at Manny. He looked alarmed.
"What? I didn't do anything!" Helen shook her head.
"Hey, hey, I need some soup," Cook eyed Rachel leaning in the window. "Come on, Cook!" Cook stopped in her work, walking over and leaning against the frame, her eyes narrowed on the cat girl. "For Meena! She's sick and stuff, so I—"
"Rachel?" The brunette looked at the woman standing in the doorway.
"Ranna, is everything okay?" Rachel moved away from the window and Cook returned to her station, preparing a new bowl of soup for the girl. "Has her fever gone up?"
"No, she's resting." Ranna gazed around her. "She works here…" Rachel shrugged lightly, seating herself on a bar stool. "Has she been fired yet?"
"What? Fired?" Ranna raised a hand, looking down at her palm.
"It's to my understanding that as a waitress and a new recruit, she only has so many 'sick days'. Correct?"
"Oh. That. Well, Boss understands that if she comes in sick, no one will ever come back. And Cook threatened him." Ranna smiled, her eyes shifting toward the form of Cook hard at work in the kitchen. "So, she's cool? Then why're you here?" Ranna turned her gaze to Rachel, her green eyes looking at her intently.
"So my brother causes no more harm to our sister, I'm taking him home. I came to say good-bye." Ranna raised a hand to stop Rachel's protest. "Mefaalis understands and will be happy of our leaving. Take care of her, Rachel Calico. She needs someone like you." Rachel couldn't argue with her there. The Kid was hopeless without her. "It's nice that you can walk among people without hiding. Your mother, I assume, is not the same." Rachel's eyes narrowed and her fingers twitched. "My sister needs someone like you, so she can be herself. Before she leaves this world for good. Good-bye, Miss Calico." Ranna turned, pressing a hand against the door and stepping out of the small diner.
"Hey, hold up, how'd you—" Rachel reached out but Ranna looked over her shoulder, smiling. A pause and Ranna tapped her cheek. Rachel heard the click of plastic beneath the woman's nail and she stopped. A moment passed and Rachel returned the smile."Take care of yourself." Ranna stepped away, disappearing from sight.
Meena awoke with a start, blinking up at the ceiling of her bedroom. Fluttering with the fan, a note was taped directly above her. She squinted, peering at the scratch paper. "'Dear… Meena,'" She blew out a breath, sitting up slowly and rubbing at her head, yawning. "R-Rasavas?" She heard nothing and her elder sister didn't respond to her call. She supposed they were out. Or they left. She stood up on her mattress, pulling the paper down and reading it silently. Her eyes widened in horror, then narrowed in rage at the two separate hands and two separate notes on the paper. "S-syvin…" She told herself not to cry, but tears slipped down her cheeks as she crumpled the note into a ball and hopped off her bed, intent on burning the paper that condemned what remained of her time here, now cut in half of the original agreement. "Our arrangement is now void, Brother. Anything you would have gained from this is now lost…" She hissed, knowing he couldn't hear her, but cursing him all the same. "I will not return home, not for you, and not for Father."
A week later and Pierce entered the diner, his ID mask in place. Rachel greeted him at the door, all smiles and giggles, asking him if he was checking up on Meena and telling him he should have come sooner. "So she's okay?" Rachel laughed, punching his shoulder.
"Okay? She's perfectly fine!" Rachel paused, tilting her head to the side in thought, tapping her chin. "Ah, well, now that I think about it…"
"What?" She shrugged lightly.
"I keep telling her she needs to brighten up, that she should get a boyfriend. God knows half the guys that come in here ask her out. Poor kid just smiles and apologizes. Though, I gotta wonder if she turns them all down because she's hiding him in her closet. Ah well. What can I do ya for, buddy?" Pierce gave her a look and she blew out a breath. "Change of subject is a fail. Alright, she's been a little down lately. Tripping and stumbling. Slammed into a door the other day. Poor girl fled to the back room and just cried." She settled herself against the hostess podium, sighing. "I'm a little worried. Ever since her family left… It's like she's just counting the days for something." Pierce leaned in close. "Hey, I have a boyfriend ya know."
"I think she's sick." Rachel pulled away, giving him a dark look. "She said she only has a few months left, that's why her brother wanted her home so badly." Rachel's face fell and her eyes locked on the form of Meena, currently smiling and laughing with a group of teenagers in a back booth.
"No… She never said…" Pierce shook his head. Right. Because who would start off with 'Hi! I'm Meena! I currently have six months to live! Nice to meet you!'. "Well… that's a downer… She can act so happy for the customers… But I guess…" Rachel shook herself, perking up and waving over at the brunette. "Heya, Meena~! Look who's here~!" Meena straightened, her dark eyes catching Pierce's form and the boys at the booth glared at him. Pierce raised a hand in greeting and she excused herself from the table. "Don't be fooled by the smile she gives you, unless it's sincere. Then I suggest you try to keep that smile on her face." Rachel stated, walking towards the table to take their orders and make sure they didn't revolt and attempt to attack Pierce. "Sweetie, take a few minutes, hm?"
"My break is now." Rachel grinned, patting the younger's shoulder.
"That's the spirit. Hon, he was worried 'bout you, okay?" Meena nodded. "Catch up with him. I'll handle them." Meena nodded once more and Rachel skipped forward a few steps. "Well, hey there guys. What can I get for ya today?" The boys grudgingly gave Rachel their orders as Meena smiled at Pierce.
"Hello, Mr. Pierce." He rubbed at the back of his neck, returning the smile, glancing at the teens still glowering at him. "Miss Rachel suggested that we catch up." She looked at the clock.
"You free now?" Considering how well his last date here at the diner went, he wasn't all that full of confidence. Not that he would consider this a date. They were just friends and he was just worried about her health and just wanted to catch up. Definitely not a date.
"I have twenty minutes. I'll tell Cook." Meena turned away from him and Pierce saw the boys cheer quietly in victory. "Cook? I'm going on my break now, please." Cook peered at her, then frowned over at Pierce. He waved. Cook knew him. Really knew him.
"Take as long as you need, Kid. He's a good one." Meena wasn't sure, but she supposed she had longer than twenty minutes. "Go on then." Meena returned to Pierce's side and as he held the door open for her, he smirked at the teens. They hissed and booed while Rachel rolled her eyes, muttering about men and their egos.
"Have you been well?" Meena sat in the grass beside him, gazing out over the city of Bellwood, the place she called home. She held her knees to her chest, her hands clasped under her legs to make sure her skirt didn't slip down.
"Me? I should be asking you that." Pierce smiled over at her and she ducked her head. "Yeah, I've been fine."
"As have I." Silence reined as they sat together, looking out at the city as the sun continued to set. "This… This is where I found you…" Pierce started, looking around. That's right… Above them, at the top of the hill, was where the Forever Knights had attacked him, almost killed him. Where she had helped him when he needed it most.
"Yeah." Meena lifted her head a bit, looking up from under her lashes at him with an almost guilty look on her face.
"Do you… Do you know who attacked you?" He kept her gaze as he answered simply, wondering why she was being so timid all of a sudden. Polite was normal, but this… Like she was afraid.
"Yes." She looked away again and he heard footsteps in the grass above them. He was just turning to look when something blindsided him, knocking him down.
"M-mr. Pierce!" He heard her shrieking, felt himself hit the ground. He tasted copper. Blood. Something—or someone, most likely—had hit him, knocking him away from her. "No, get away from him!"
"Girlie, shut up!" A man's voice. No, not quite a man… A teen. Their age. Who in their right mind would—"See? I told you she's pretty."
"For once, you've done something useful, Brennan. Meena Strong, huh? Cute." He shook his head, raising himself from the ground. The world spun and his vision was blurred. He wasn't sure, but he thought he heard a cracking, like his mask beginning to break. Which would suck because he didn't have an unlimited supply. "Looks like your boyfriend's down on the job. Hows about we walk you home?" He made out their forms. Three of them—or six, he wasn't quite sure—and Meena standing in the middle.
"Mr. Pierce!" He raised a hand up, signaling that he was alright, coughing as he struggled to stand, failing due to the currently distorted world he was seeing. "No, don't—Let go of me!" Some held her back while another two came towards him. "Leave him alone!"
"Don't start yelling, Meena. Someone might come looking." One crouched down and Pierce got a good look at his face. "Don't worry. We'll take good care of her." The guy's hand reached toward his face, probably thinking about tossing him further down the hill, further away from them.
"Don't you touch him!" Pierce's eyes shifted to her form, watching as one of them hit her, sending her to the ground.
"Hey, don't bruise up her pretty face." He heard them laughing and that's when he had enough. Screw the mask. Who cared if they called him a freak. If Manny and Helen went around as themselves(though they did invoke mass terror) he could shed his insecurities to take down these punks.
Meena was off-limits.
Hm. Not quite where I was going, but I felt like I needed some action. Like a kidnapping or a failed kidnapping. That'll depend on what my mood is like and how long, exactly, I want to make this story. It's totally possible that it's on the longer side. We aren't even close to the major event that will happen to these lovely children. Not even close.
Ciao~