Anti Ben 10
Chapter 2: Washington D.C
"Come on, is that all you pricks got?" Ben laughed, launching another fire ball at a police car. The officers ran, scattering like cockroaches as the car exploded.
The plan was simple; cause so much destruction and panic nearly every cop in the city was focused on Ben whilst Gwen and Max broke into a few stores and robbed them blind.
An officer grabbed the radio out of his car, one of the few that weren't already on fire. "Listen we're going to need some fire trucks! A shit load of fire extinguishers and, FUCK, anything that carries water! Super-Soakers! Evian bottles! ANYTHING! NOW!"
Several brave officers tried to raise their guns at Ben. He stuck out his hand and a thick line of fire shot out alone the barrels of their weapons. They glowed red-hot in seconds and the officers dropped them, screaming and clutching their singed hands. The guns each exploded with deafening bangs and pops as the heat made the bullets inside fire. Ben heated the road and the twisted pieces of metal sank into the bubbling hot asphalt.
"There's no stopping this monster!" Shouted one cop, who was running away. Ben rose his hand and shot a fireball at the car the guy was running past. The vehicle blew up in a huge ball of fire and some. The cop was thrown off is feet by the blast and flew, actually flew, five feet before crashing hard on the side walk. He didn't get up.
"I'm not a monster!" Ben yelled loudly as he loomed over the unconscious officer. He let a few sparks fall onto the guys uniform, it started smouldering. "I'm an alien!"
At the far end of the street Ben caught sight of the Rust-Bucket as it sped past. Ben smirked and left the officer alone. He rose his hands and sent several fireballs flying into a nearby apartment building. The old place ignited instantly. He then moved to a nearby fire hydrant and shot a torrent of fire at it. The metal heated, the red paint cracked and chips fell off. The metal underneath glowed a furious red. The hydrant exploded, huge chunks of shrapnel flew in all direction, cutting through police cars cutting down police, sizeable chunks took out huge pieces of wall in the surrounding buildings. A huge and furious cloud of steam issued forth from the remains of the hydrant, roaring like a dragon. The boiling hot fog of steam spread rapidly covering the street and hiding everything behind a thick curtain of burning fog. An idea by Gwen which would give Ben ample chance to escape.
.*.
Ben climbed into the R.V back in his regular human body, he saw Gwen sitting at the table with a large bag in front of her full of diamond rings, necklaces, earrings, broaches and other expensive jewellery. She held a necklace up to her neck, admiring herself in the reflection of the window. "If I wore this to school all my friends would be SO jealous"
"If you wore that to school people would wonder how many people you had to sleep with to afford it" Ben laughed. Grabbing a soda from the fridge Ben chugged it down, belched and tossed the can into the garbage. "You know, 'cause you're a whore."
"Make all the jokes you want dweeb, I'm in too good a mood." Gwen turned her back on him and to the expensive stones. She slipped a ring onto her finger with a rock on it the size of a cherry pip "Do we have to sell all of these grandpa?"
"Well if you want to keep some they'll be coming out of your share." Max threw the butt of his cigar out the driver side window and got out the seat "but I'm not losing out."
"Fine." Gwen sighed as she took off the ring and tossed it back into the bag. As she did she saw a set of earrings of white gold and rubies shaped like blood drops. She separated them from the rest of the pile. "I don't think I'll miss out too much if I keep these" She smiled as she handed the rest to Max who stashed them into a bag of his own.
"You do know that no matter what you get it'll never be as good as my watch." Ben sat down with a smug look on his face as he leaned in and held up the strange watch that had permanently attached itself to his wrist. Gwen suddenly shot out her hands and grabbed Ben's hair, pulling down hard she smashed Ben's head into the table. He fell back in his seat, limp and dizzy for a few seconds as his eyes tried to come back into focus. "What the hell was that for?" Ben shouted, grabbing his head. Bells were ringing in his ears.
"Can't say, shields don't talk, remember? Gwen glared.
"You're still going on about that?" Ben groaned as he felt a bump starting to grow.
Ignoring the shouting match going on Max stowed the bag in a cupboard and returned to his drivers seat and pulled out a cigar from his shirt pocket "I think we've got time to get some supplies." Max said to himself as he turned the engine on. "Think I'll make my famous squid and sheep's bladder stew tonight." Lighting a match Max pulled into traffic as Gwen shouted from the back,
"Say it or I break it!"
.***.
A man in a cheap, dark, suit banged on the door of a house. Inside he could hear the sounds of several animals mewling, croaking, chirping or whichever their call was. Not hearing anyone walking towards the door he pulled out a master key to the house from his pocket and clicked the lock open.
Stepping inside he was hit by a wave of amalgamated smells that weren't so much smelled as rammed up his nose. He coughed slightly and held his hand up to his mouth and nose. He looked around the gloomy room, several tanks, perches and cages scattered around the room, some occupied some empty. But animals could be heard scurrying around in the darker places of the room.
"Can I help you?" A voice rasped out. The suited stranger flinched at the sudden sound. "How did you get in?" When he turned he saw a man with pale skin, almost greenish in tinge, long white greasy hair, receding. His clothes were grubby and he was thin and had dark marks under his pale eyes. He looked like he hadn't eaten of slept in a couple of days. The buildings tenant; Doctor Animo.
"Master key." The man said calmly. He'd quickly regained his composure after his initial surprise. "I am still your land lord remember? Perhaps not since your rent is six months late."
"All available funds must go into my research" Animo said in an uncaring tone. He walked past the landlord to a desk and opened a drawer and pulled out a chequebook. It didn't look like it had been written in very often. "but lucky for the both of us I have been granted more money from the university," he tore off a page and handed it to his landlord. "this should cover the debt and several more months rent. It is all I can spare right now." He tossed the chequebook back into the desk and slammed the draw closed with such force that a small pile of papers were knocked off and thrown to the floor. The doctor ignored them. "My research is nearly complete, once it has been published you shall receive the rest of it and more. I know you have been, more than lenient, in regards to the pet policy."
"What... Are you researching?" The land lord asked, checking the amount written on the cheque before putting it in his pocket. Animo had been right about that, he had been very lenient in regards to the animals. Not that he had known there were quite so many. He knew all these intellectual types were supped to be eccentric, but this seemed to be in a whole other league.
Animo seemed excited, he hadn't had some to talk to about this stuff for some time. "Evolution. And how to control it" He pulled out a weird machine. Animo strapped it to himself, looking half crazy as most of it was made from kitchen utensils. It consisted of a helmet made from a colander that had two metal horns sticking out of the top, with wires wrapped around them and two red lights on top, large round headphones with thick, industrial wires leading down to a large round chest piece that glowed red and hard a dial on it, the straps that crossed his chest were holding onto large circuit boards and many wires and industrial sized fuses.
"what the heck is that?" The landlord asked.
"This," he said, pointing to the device. "is my Transmodulator, phase number one. It creates and evolves mutations at the genetic level."
"And this is important, how?" The land lord asked. He doubted that thing could do...whatever the hell it was supposed to do. All those random parts made it look like it would be better as a toaster oven than anything else.
"With this people would be able make larger and stronger livestock, more food in the world so less people would starve. Help bring almost extinct species back from the brink." Animo stated proudly "The possibilities are endless. Once it's finished and unveiled people will see this spread across the country, if not the world."
The man was a certified wacko. He decided to leave. "Well good luck with that Doc. As long as you pay the rent on time from now on you can build anything you like in here. I'm a busy guy so I got to go." With that the land lord left. Rather hurriedly too.
"A couple more components, that all I need to complete it" Animo said to himself, hardly even noticing that his visitor had gone. His attention was grabbed by a commercial on the TV about the new mega mart opening"So whatever you need, from hairspray to state of the art electronics, you can find it all at the Grand Opening of the districts new Mega Mart!"
He smiled, showing his yellowed teeth. "Ah, just what the Doctor ordered."
.***.
At the same Mega Mart.
Max, Ben and Gwen were shopping, unfortunately Max wasn't picking up what most people would have called 'normal' food.
"Only canned octopus?" Max asked out loud as he looked at it disparagingly "I thought this place prided itself on wide selection."
"Come on grandpa, why do you keep buying that crap when we can afford to dine at fancy restaurants and have a normal dinner?" Gwen moaned "I'm not a Japanese girl, I don't want tentacles inside me every night."
"Nonsense" Max chuckled. After some thought he placed the can into the cart anyway. "You can have fancy dinners any time after summer, but whilst you're with me it's an adventure for your taste buds. Now where do you suppose they keep the sheep's bladders?"
"Ugh, Ben you're supposedly of the male species can you..." Gwen looked around and saw Ben wasn't around. He was no where in sight.
She wandered away from Max and looked between the aisles. She found him quickly, at the cereal aisle "What are you doing?" She demanded.
He stopped shaking a box and put it back on the shelf. "Check it out, Sumo Slammer cards!" Ben pointed to the box's of cereals advertising them. "All I need is the golden one and I'll have the complete set."
"So what? It's just a dumb piece of cardboard."
"HEY! It's not a dumb piece of cardboard!" Ben snapped. "It's a gold Sumo Slammer card!" He put emphasis on each of those words, trying to enforce just how important the card was. "Rarest of the rare. Do you have any idea how many people want one?"
"Then what are the odds that you'll grab the one box that's actually got it in?"
"Duh, I'll just keep looking until I find it. Second, it's not like I haven't earned it, how much did we get from the last heist alone?" Ben folded his arms as Gwen scoffed again.
"You're trying to guilt me? Have we met before? Hi I'm Gwen, I don't do guilt"
"Yeah yeah." Ben waved her aside and raised the watch. There had to be at least one of his aliens that could help in his search.
Before he could press the button someone bumped into him hard and almost fell to the ground.
"My apologies." Animo steadied himself and looked at Ben, who glared back at him very angrily. "I was in such a rush I didn't see you" Grabbing his bag he walked away at a quick pace.
"Jerk" Ben muttered to himself as he rose the watch again.
"Ben, Gwen what are you doing?" Max demanded as he walked down the isle, Ben grunted with frustration.
"Genius here was about to go alien and smash up the store for few pieces of cardboard." Gwen slapped Ben around the head as Max approached.
"They're not just pieces of cardboard!" Ben growled "They're important collectors items and you will respect them!" he waved his finger at Gwen, who grabbed and twisted it hard until he shouted out in pain.
"Alright, Uncle!" Ben shouted. Gwen twisted his finger a little further.
"No, say it properly." She smiled. Feeling Max place a hand on her shoulder she let go of Ben's finger.
"This is not the time or place," He said sternly. "Come on, let's keep going. I've got to meet my contact to move the jewellery. Carlos is not a patient man."
Ben and Gwen reluctantly followed him. As they walked along the isles something caught Ben's eye
"Oh man, I don't believe it" Ben walked almost hypnotised over to a display case showing a full set of Sumo Slammer trading cards. In the middle of the display was the rare Golden Card he needed. He continued staring into the case into the case, he couldn't take his eyes off it. He leaned forward until he squashed his face right up against the glass.
"Let's just go grandpa." Gwen sighed as she looked at the pathetic sight that was her cousin. It wasn't even worth making fun of him over, that was the worst part of it. "We've lost him."
Waiting until they'd walked away Ben pulled his face off the glass. He smiled evilly and raised the watch and pressed the button, the centre rose up and glowed green he twisted the ring to the alien silhouette he wanted. He hoped that would be the one he got. He slammed it down and was blinded by a green light for a second. When the light vanished he'd transformed into the thin, blue skinned speedy alien he had dubbed XLR8. He raced off around the store, faster than anyone could see. If people saw anything at all then it was just a blue blur. He raced around the store; displays collapsed, jars smashed and boxes tore open. Food and liquid scattered everywhere. Can's of soda fired off like fountains as they were shaken at such super speed they literally blew their tops.
Panicking people were running out of the store in the panic and confusion. They raced out with whatever they carrying, making the anti-theft alarms scream out across the store. The staff weren't able to control anything about the situation as they were as confused as the customers, which only made things worse.
.*.
In the electrics department Animo had picked up the last components he needed for his machine. This place really did have everything. True he'd have to reconstruct a couple of machines for the pieces he needed, but the DVD player was cheap enough so it wasn't a great expence.
Then the chaos began, by chance he caught site of XLR8 as he stood still for a second and looked at a large plasma screen TV showing a trailer for the latest action blockbuster. Then he raced off again and the sounds of screams and things breaking, then alarms rang out. People ran out of the store but more more things were still being broken
"Aliens? I had heard of them on the news. I never thought it was true! Now one is here and terrorising these good, innocent people? This cannot be allowed to continue" Animo thought to himself. He ran to the pet department, as he raced he opened his bag and pulled on his machine.
.*.
"I just don't get" Gwen said in a bored tone. She picked up a kitten with her forefinger and thumb by the scruff of the neck, bringing it close to her face so she could look in the eyes "who'd went one of these things as a pet? They get fur everywhere, cough up hair balls, go to the bathroom where ever they want and-" She stopped as the tiny kitten licked her nose. She felt a warm feeling spread in her chest. "OK, that was kind of cute." She held the kitten out over the small pen where it's siblings were being kept. She let it go and watched as it dropped back into the small pen and land on its feet, it looked up at her, confused for a few seconds. Gwen folded her arms and stared down at it coldly. She did not put up with all that warm and fuzzy feelings crap. "but I'm cuter."
She turned was just in time to see Animo pull on his colander helmet "To me my animal friends!" He shouted as he turned the dial on his chest. The machine whined loudly as it charged.
Gwen was just about to throw an insult as the crazy guy who was glaring at the animals like he wanted to do unnatural things to them, but a beam blasted from the horns on the helmet and she found herself silenced. The beams struck a toad, a parrot and a hamster as he fired it repeatedly.
The toad grew to an immense size, shattering its glass tank around it. The great creature that leapt onto the floor and grew as large as a van. Four eyes, and huge horns grew from the side of its head.
The hamster looked like it had part wolf inside it. Eight bright red eyes and huge fangs turned this way and that and it roared loudly.
Gwen screamed as it burst out of its cage. It glared at her, drool running from its large teeth.
The parrot grew to a vast size. Why was the machine so obsessed with making things bigger? It filled the hight of the isles. It's tiny claws were huge and razor sharp talons.
Animo climbed onto the back of the toad. "Come my animal friends! Together we shall stop the alien menace that had been terrifying these people!"
Ben arrived and stopped in front of the giant toad. "OK. Those are the freakiest things I've ever seen!"
The toad shot its tongue out at an incredible speed, but Ben was faster as he easily dodged it. "Too slow Toad boy" Ben laughed.
"Laugh while you can you alien fiend!" Animo shouted furiously "By the end of this day you shall rue the day you came to this planet and faced Dr. Animo!"
"Bring it on freak, show me the best you got." Ben smiled.
The giant hamster/beast roared and charged at him. "Catch me if you can furball!" Ben started running, to him it was more like a brisk walk, as the mutated hamster chased after him.
"What do you think we should do grandpa?" Gwen asked as Animo rode away on the toad, the parrot following.
"Let Ben have his fun." Max sighed "We got all we need. Help me clear some of the registers on the way out."
Ben glanced over his shoulder at the hamster chasing after him. He knew he could beat it in seconds but he'd never beaten up a mutated hamster before and wanted the fun to last a while.
As he ran past them Ben grabbed a dodgeball, turning so he ran backwards Ben waited until the hamster roared at him and threw the ball, jamming itself in the hamsters mouth. Ben roared with laughter.
Not watching where he was going Ben slammed into some shelves. He was knocked off his feet and the shelves toppled slammed into other shelves and caused a gigantic domino effect across the entire store. Ben shook his head, trying to clear it. The hamster leapt at him. Moving at full speed Ben dodged just in time. The hamster slammed into the toppled shelves. Ben rammed himself into the hamster, it flew off the ground, sent it flying across the store until it hit the wall, it slid to the floor out cold.
"Oh yeah who's bad? I'm bad! I'm the best who's next?" Ben cheered. Hearing a loud thump behind him Ben turned to see the giant toad and Animo on its back. "Bring it!" Ben chuckled.
"I appear to have underestimated you. It will take more muscle to deal with you." An odd smile grew on his face. "Perhaps, something more primal." He leapt from the frog onto the parrot as it flew past. He soared upwards and smashed through the glass skylight on the roof and soared out into the city. The toad leapt after them and disappeared from view.
"Hey, I'm not done with you yet!" Ben yelled after him. He made to chase Animo but an idea hit him. "But first..." Zooming at full speed Ben was at the other side of the store instantly and stopped in front of the Sumo Slammers display, smashing the glass with his elbow he grabbed the cards. He only wanted the gold one but never hurt to have a few extras for trading.
At full speed he raced out of the store and into the Rust Bucket. Everyone heard the familiar beeps and a flash of light as Ben turned back to normal.
"Got them" Ben smiled as he held up the cards as Gwen and Max put away the groceries that they hadn't had a chance to pay for in all the confusion. "Now to kick that guys ass!"
"Good idea" Gwen said sarcastically. "But wait, I got a better one. Let's just go and leave the whack-job behind. He hit you, you hit him, he ran away. I say we call that Over."
"No Way!" Ben snapped. "The guy's a dick! He's trying to ruin all my fun. You heard his protect the innocent speech? He's the kind of guy who's gonna just keep turning up and getting in the way. I know it."
"Ben makes a good point." Max said as he pulled a cigar out of his pocket and struck up. "We've got to try and keep as low a profile as possible if we want to keep cashing in from Ben's aliens. We don't need this guy following the aliens around and causing trouble wherever we go. Sooner or later people might figure out we are always in the same place as an alien appearance and put it all together. We've got to deal with this guy, now."
"Fine." Gwen surrendered. She could see she was in the minority on this particular adventure. "Got any idea where he is? Or who he is?"
Ben shrugged his shoulder in a 'hey whatever' kind of fashion. "I don't need to know who he is when I can follow that big ass bird he riding!" Ben pointed out the window and Gwen and Max saw what he was talking about. The huge parrot was far away, but more than big enough to still be in sight.
Max rushed into the drivers seat, turned on the engine and slammed his foot down sending Ben and Gwen flying into the back of the R.V "Hold on!" He shouted over his shoulder.
"You can be a real asshole grandpa you know that?" Gwen shouted as she sat up.
"And you're heavier than you look!" Ben gasped as he threw Gwen off his back. "Lay off the Twinkies."
.*.
As the Rust Bucket raced through the streets following the giant parrot and Animo Max couldn't help but smile "Now this takes me back. Haven't had this much fun since I retired."
"What do you mean Grandpa? I thought you were just a plumber?" Gwen asked from the passengers seat with her laptop, searching the web for Animo.
Max looked suddenly nervous. "Well...you'd be surprised what an exciting job being a plumber can be. Anyway, that doesn't matter right now. What matters is this Animo guy. He messed with a Tennyson. You mess with us and you go down, hard" Max slammed a fist on the steering wheel. Overhead the parrot flew out of sight. "Dammit! Lost him!"
"Hey. I found him!" Gwen shouted triumphantly. "Doctor Animo is a promising scientist that specialises in genetics. Five years ago he won some big science award for research in applying it to plants and animals so they can survive better in more difficult conditions. Apparently he's obsessed with reversing human damage and restoring species we're driving to extinction."
"That sounds noble of him, but doesn't tell us where he's going." Max kept scanning the skies for the big bird but saw nothing. Not so much as a feather.
"In the store he said he needed more muscle to deal with me. Something more primal. That's what he said." Ben thought out loud. He was thinking hard. Was there anything on earth, mutated or not, able to beat him when he's gone alien? He doubted it. Animo would need something big, strong, as strong as some of his aliens at the very least, and would never back down. But those words, 'something more primal' really struck him. They were an odd choice of words. Primal; there was really only one thing that came to mind when he thought of primitive things. "I think I know where he's going."
.*.
"The Natural History Museum? Really?" Gwen asked as they stepped out of the R.V, seeing a massive whole in the side of the building.
"Something tells me we're on the right track" Max smiled as Ben picked up a giant feather "Good thinking Ben."
"Guess even a dumbass can surprise you once in a while" Gwen smirked.
"Well, you should know." Ben smirked back, hearing the watch beep and turn green "Show time." He grinned evilly and cracked his knuckles as they stepped into the huge building.
As they walked though the exhibitions of the large darkened building. The large display cases of fossils and huge skeletons and stuffed animals around them were all very creepy.
They followed sounds coming from deep within the museum. They entered the dinosaur exhibit. Animo was standing next to a giant stuffed mammoth and was fixing something to his device with a screwdriver. Around his feet were remains of a DVD player and several other pieces of electronic equipment that were unidentifiable now they had been dissected for their parts. He stopped and stared as they entered the room."You are not who I expected!" Animo shouted as they approached. "But the only way you knew how to find me is if you are in league with those aliens destroying everything! If you're in league then you're as bad as they and will be punished!"
"It's me you got to worry about" Ben shouted back "Especially since you've got nothing to mutate and protect your sorry ass!"
Animo looked angry, but was still grinning. "Such language from a child, but you are wrong boy. I only needed a few components to take my device into Stage Two; the reanimation of dormant cells!" Animo reattached the centre piece of his device to his chest.
"This guy come with subtitles?" Ben asked Gwen who shrugged
"Breathing life into those that has long been lifeless. I was going to use it to restore great species mankind drove into extinction. Like the humble Dodo. But your alien friends have forced my hand. To counter their power I need to gain some of my own. With some of the most powerful beasts the world has ever known. Observe!" He twisted the disk twice, it whirred loudly as it charged its power. Animo fired the beam at the large woolly mammoth. The light surrounded it, its fur bristled and the eyes that had previously been glass blinked and the whole thing started moving, stepping off the display plinth, tearing up the brackets that had previously held it in place. It trumpeted loudly and moved closer to the Tennyson's with huge thundering steps. "Now, while my new friend holds you here I must find and stop those aliens!" Animo yelled. Running down a hallway Animo left the now un-extinct mammoth behind.
"Now would be a good time to show us you really are the best" Gwen gulped as the mammoth took another step forwards
"Glad to" Ben smiled as he raised the watch and pressed the button "you guys get Animo, I'll handle Dumbo!" He activated the watch. Ben felt himself start to get big, tall and very muscular. An extra pair of arms sprouted from his sides and his skin darkened to a red colour.
After the flash of light disappeared standing of front of Gwen and Max was a large red alien with four yellow eyes, four arms and built like a boulder. "I'm gonna get Medieval on your Prehistoric ass!" Ben smiled and charged at the mammoth. He leapt and head-butted the mammoth between the eyes.
As Ben landed both of them staggered backwards slightly, slightly dizzy after the impact with the others hard skull. Recovering first Ben grabbed the mammoth's tusks and with a twist of the arms slammed the beast down, slamming onto the ground and giving Gwen and Max they opening they needed to get out of the room and after Animo.
Their progress down the hallway was halted suddenly as the giant, mutant, parrot stood in their way taking up nearly the entire space of the corridor. It spread its wings wide and screeched at them loudly. Its evil eyes glaring at the two of them. It started to progress, slowly, down the hall at them. They both took note of the size of its talons. Looking around Gwen grabbed a spear from a display of plastic dummy cavemen. She held it tight and twirled it above her head as she walked towards the parrot. She brought it down suddenly and brutally, smashing the parrot on the top of the head so hard the spear snapped in two. The parrot screeched out in agony, spinning the bird ran away "Ben isn't the only one that can kick ass!" Gwen smiled and tossed what was left of the spear away. Max stood rooted to the spot, speechless.
They raced into the next room. They were too late. Animo fired the beam from his device onto the giant skeleton T-Rex, Gwen and Max watched in horror as the exhibit was surrounded by a creepy orange light. Muscle and skin grew around the bones. The greatest monster of pre-history came to life once again. As it stepped off its display and roared furiously at Max and Gwen they could see not all of the skin and muscle had fully regrown, some of its spine and ribcage could be seen were skin had failed to grow, along its nose as muscles flexed and moved as it turned its head. Muscle and raw flesh was exposed and wept blood.
.*.
Back in the other room.
Ben slammed into the wall. The plaster cracked around him and fell away as he himself collapsed to the floor. He stood up as if nothing had happened and twisted his neck till it cracked.
The mammoth charged towards him. Growling Ben ran towards the mammoth and leapt, slamming two of his fists into the side of the mammoths head. It stumbled and Ben grabbed one of its tusks and tried to flip it over but the mammoth recovered too quickly and tossed Ben in the air with a flick of its powerful head. Ben crashed into a T-Rex skeleton.
"That's it, you're going down, you hairy motherfucker!" Ben shouted as he threw bones off himself.
Roaring, the mammoth charged at Ben as he picked himself up. Throwing himself forward Ben grabbed the mammoths trunk and started spinning around. The mammoth was dragged off its feet, it roared with rage and pain. Spinning faster and faster Ben felt his own stomachs feel queasy. He let go of the Mammoth it flew into an archway. The stone and masonry collapsed and buried it.
Ben staggered to a stop and clutched his stomach tightly. "Oh crap, I'm gonna hurl!" As the room span, and upon finding that spinning was fun refused to sit still again, Ben felt his stomachs reject what was in them he vomited onto the floor. That was going to be quite the adventure of the Janitor.
Hearing Gwen scream Ben wiped his mouth and raced, in a slightly zig-zagging fashion, toward the sound of the noise.
.*.
Max and Gwen dived to the floor as the T-Rex swung its tree-trunk thick tail around. It crashed into a wall demolishing it to rubble.
"I'd love to stay and deal with you." Animo yelled as he hopped onto the T-Rex's back with all the casualness of a rider mounting their horse. "But the alien menace must take priority. But take heed!" He cried dramatically. "Once they have been defeated I shall hunt down their accomplices!"
"Wanna bet?" Ben shouted. He leapt through the doorway and rammed himself into the T-Rex, Animo was thrown from the creature. The monster slamming into, and through, the wall.
Landing on his feet Ben stood up, cracked his four sets of knuckles loudly and looked satisfied with the size of the hole he'd made. His face then changed to surprise as he'd just realised something important "Did I just waste a T-Rex?" His grin widened. "Fuck Yeah!"
Over their heads was a loud screech. Ben looked up to see the parrot diving at them. It stretched out its talons, grabbed Gwen and flew out the hole into the night sky. Gwen's screams and the birds cries echoed as one huge noise into the night.
"GWEN!" Max shouted. Ben chased after the giant bird. "If she dies her mother will kill me."
Leaping as high as he could Ben managed to grabbed two hands full of feathers on its back. "How do you land this fucking thing?" Ben shouted. The parrot screeched and tried to buck him off.
"How the fuck do I know you fucking moron!" Gwen screamed as she kicked and struggled and fight to get loose. Then she glanced down and gauged the altitude, then she stopped fighting and started hoping the bird wouldn't forget about her and let go. Hearing a beeping noise she knew Ben's time as the four armed alien was nearly over. Realising this himself Ben had a quick choice to make, hang onto the bird and probably get thrown off and die or let go and land safely while still an alien. The parrot seemed to make up Ben's mind for him as it gave a sudden violent twist in the air which tore out the feathers Ben was holding onto. Ben's fell through the air, falling to the ground. Which suddenly looked a lot harder than he previously remembered. Crashing hard into the road Ben left a small crater just a second before he turned back to normal.
Pulling himself out of the crater Ben looked up to see the parrot and Gwen flying away toward the horizon. "Damn it" Ben slammed a fist onto the asphalt. "Well, I tried. I'm gonna change my name and move to Mexico before Aunt Lili takes out a hit-man on me for getting Gwen killed."
The Rust Bucket screech to a halt by his side. Ben looked up to see Max glaring down at him. "Someone call for a cab?"
"What took ya' so long?" Ben quickly climbed aboard the R.V and Max drove as fast as he could as soon as he was aboard, sending Ben slamming into the rear window of the Rust Bucket. "ASS HOLE!" Ben screamed from the back seats.
.*.
Above the buildings the parrot flew swiftly, in one claw it held Gwen by her backpack, who had a very pissed off look on her face. "Spend the summer with your grandpa honey, it'll be an adventure!" Gwen said with a voice dripping with mocking sarcasm as she quoted what her mother had told her the day all this crap had started.
She looked down managed to see the Rust Bucket doing a valiant job of keeping up with them. There wasn't any mistaking that huge beige coloured vehicle. It as especially recognisable because there couldn't be that many R. V's being chased by dinosaurs. Behind the R.V Animo riding his T-Rex, running at full speed down the road and they were closing in fast.
Twisting suddenly Gwen looked up to see the bird was heading to Washington Monument. What better perch for a giant parrot?
.*.
Back on the ground Max saw the T-Rex and Animo chasing after them in the wing mirror. Until Ben's watch was ready all they could do was stay ahead him "There can't be that many places for a giant parrot to perch." Max thought hard about anywhere a bird might land
.*.
The parrot now sat on top of the giant stone point and held Gwen's back pack in its beak, she swayed slightly in the breeze. Slowly reaching into her pocket Gwen pulled out her mobile phone 'Please God let grandpa have charged his phone.' She thought to herself as she hit speed dial.
.*.
"Once this things charged I'll go four-arms again and slam Animo's butt into the stone age." Ben glanced in the mirror. "He's already halfway there." He watched Animo and the T-Rex start to fall away, it must of been getting tired as it was slowly dropping out of view.
"No, first we find Gwen, then we take care of Animo and his over-grown Yoshi." he slammed his hand on the wheel out of frustration. He needed a smoke. He pushed in the cigarette lighter. "Where could she be?"
He flinched as the tune of Staying Alive played. His cell-phone, in a holder on the dashboard glowed Gwen's name as the tune continued to play. "Gwen!" Max and Ben said together as Max grabbed the phone "hold on Gwen, we're coming!"
.*.
"I can't hold on much longer!" Gwen screamed into the phone. She clung onto the lightning rod for dear life. The phone slipped out from between her shoulder and ear and fell all the way down the great spire of the Washington Monument and to the ground. It shattered to pieces on impact as Ben and Max pulled up.
"Oh no, Gwen'll be next" Max gasped as he saw the smashed phone. Suddenly the watch beeped and glowed green.
"Not if I can help it, after this we'll be so even!" Ben pressed the button and slammed the watch down, feeling the familiar sensation Ben's body changed again.
Once the flash of light was gone Max saw a giant green bug standing where Ben had been. Without saying anything Ben began flapping his wings and leapt into the air.
On top of the needle Gwen's grip was slipping, the lightning rod was too smooth for her to get a proper grip and her hands were starting to go numb. Feeling the pole slip from her fingers she closed her eyes tight and screamed as she wind rushed past her ears and her stomach jumped into her mouth. Any second now the wind would stop and she'd either be in unexplainable amount of pain or dead and she didn't care for either.
But the wind never stopped rushing past her ears and pain or death didn't come. Daring to open one eye Gwen saw the ground moving under her, looking up she saw, what she hoped was, Ben in another alien form, what was it's name again? Something stupid she remembered that much. "Butterfly?"
"Stinkfly" Ben corrected. He smiled proudly "And we're so even for the whole shield thing."
"Yeah whatever" Gwen smiled weakly. The adrenaline in her body was starting to run out. "But... y'know, thanks for the save. Or whatever."
Something flapped overhead. Gwen looked around saw the parrot flying towards them in a rapid, unmistakable dive-bomb, "Incoming!"
Looking over his shoulder Ben saw the parrot heading towards him with a look of malice in its eyes "Hold on." He shouted. He dodged the parrot violently. Gwen screamed ear-splittingly loud as Ben continued to spin and weave through the air. The parrot stayed close behind, trying to bite or grab them with its claws.
As Ben and Gwen flew towards the parrot he pulled up at the last second and dodged its snapping beak. As Ben flew around the great obelisk of the Washington Monument he placed Gwen on his back. The parrot followed them close behind, screaching with fury.
On the ground Max watched the spectacle. Racing into the construct he charged up the stairs, quickly getting out of breath "I need to start training again" He panted to himself.
.*.
Outside Ben was doing his best to avoid the parrot. As it tried to grab Gwen he dropped and dived suddenly the claws missing Gwen's head my inches "watch the nails Polly" Ben shouted at the bird as he spun through the air and tried to get further away from the bird.
All the spinning and diving was getting to Gwen. She didn't think she'd be able to go on an air plane ever again after this. "Oh I think I'm going to be sick!" Gwen groaned clutching her stomach.
"Spew on me and I'll feed you to the bird myself" Ben warned.
.*.
Inside the monument Max panted as he reached the top, resisting the urge to pull out a cigar. He wanted a smoke but he needed all the oxygen he could get his lungs on even more. "Would it have killed the founding fathers to install an elevator?" Looking out the gap that made the viewing platform he saw Ben flying toward the monument. Max leaned out of the viewing window as far as she could, reaching his arms out.
Ben got the idea "I can't shake cracker-breath." Ben shouted to Gwen over the wind "You're going to have to trust me."
"Trust you? Trust YOU? I wouldn't trust you as far as I-" Then she screamed as Ben dived. She lifted off his back, flying up (screaming all the way) he grabbed Gwen and twisted so as he flew down she was next the needle and letting go Ben let her fall into Max's arms and he dived away and pulled up. Max held tightly onto Gwen the parrot flew straight at them. Max didn't have enough time to pull Gwen in as it stretched out its claws.
"FUCKING BIRD!" Ben shouted as he collided head first into it. His head slammed into the parrot, right between the eyes. They both fell out of the sky, dazed and hurt by the collision. They both slammed into the ground.
Ben grabbed the bird at the last minute and used it as a giant feather cushion.
Sitting up Ben heard something crack, a loud and sickening crack. Ignoring it he flew up to the window to Max and Gwen.
"Ben, you ok?" Max asked.
"Him? What about me?" Gwen asked in a horse voice. She glared between Max and Ben. "I lost my damn cell-phone."
"I'm fine." Ben panted, ignoring Gwen completely. He was sure something inside him was broken, or cracked at least, but in the alien body he had no clue what. He wasn't looking forward to turning back into his human body even more than usual.
Hearing something roar below them Ben turned and saw Animo. He had arrived and the T-Rex looked like it had its second wind "Besides its time for round 3; final round!" Diving out of the window Ben flew at Animo as fast as he could.
Once he was close enough the T-Rex tried to bite him but he was too quick, zipping clear as easily as a fly avoiding the swatter. Flying around Ben punched the T-Rex hard in the side of its huge scaly face, making it stagger.
"So they've summoned another ally." Dr Animo growled in anger. "I underestimated those people! More than just accomplices I see. I should never have let them go." He turned the T-Rex slowly to keep his eyes on Ben as he flew around their heads. "I must say I'm not really surprised you aliens managed but beat the bird and hamster. But not even you are not strong enough to defeat the most powerful predatory beast of the prehistoric world, a perfect killing and eating machine."
"If it's so perfect why's it extinct?" Ben laughed as he hovered for a second. Taking advantage of this the T-Rex swung its tail around. Slamming into Ben he was sent flying into a lamp post. The huge metal pole bent in half from the force, almost wrapping around him. Ben collapsed to the ground "Oh fuck man, that hurt!" Ben coughed and gripped his head with his claws, more sure than ever something was broken, or would be when he was human.
"What's the matter bug-man? Not able to keep up?" Animo laughed as the T-Rex stomped closer, growling and roaring. Drool running from its huge fangs.
"Not bug-man" Ben growled, flapping his wings as hard as he could and shot into the sky shouting, "Stinkfly!"
Suddenly diving Ben shot a thick green goop from his eyes that hit the dinosaur in the eye, half blinding it. It pulled back, roaring in fury and pain and surprise. Pulling out of his dive he shot past the flailing head of the T-Rex and punched Animo so hard he flew clean off the T-Rex's back. He fell and landed hard onto the ground, clutching his sides and gasping. "And I'm the best!"
Picking himself up Animo turned the dial on his chest and shot a bright red beam at Ben, who easily dodged and flew at him again. He whirled around, up and down, dodging this was and that so fast Animo could barely keep up. Ben flew right overhead and dived. He grabbed the helmet and yanked it off Animo's head, the strap easily snapping. He shot up and away from the doctor, gaining as much height was possible.
Animo roared with fury, "Give me back my Transmodulator you alien bast-"
Ben threw the helmet down hard, it smashed to pieces as it struck the ground. The horns sparked, electricity shot across them and as they shattered to pieces they sent out a wave of energy. That spread quickly through the area. The wave started reverting everything it had affected back to normal.
The T-Rex roared as its skin and muscle shrank, rotted away and disappeared. In just slightly longer than the blink of an eye it was back to the fossilised Skeleton. With nothing to support its ancient frame the bones collapsed, breaking under their own weight and the weight of other bones crashing onto them. A cloud of ancient dust rose from the shattered, no worthless, bones.
The wave struck the parrot, which was just starting to wake up and it shrank back down, losing it's primal ferocity and reverted to its normal, gentle, form of the popular household pet.
Max and Gwen walked out of the needle and the parrot took flight, landing on Gwen's shoulder. It nuzzled its furry head up to her cheek in a display of genuine affection, or possible apology. "don't even think about sucking up to me now. I don't go for that cute crap." She warned. She looked to Max. "Look Granpa," she indicated the bird. "Breakfast.
"A parrot Gwen?" Max said as he pulled a cigar out of his shirt. He really needed this after tonight. "That's just wrong."
Gwen said nothing, but just stared at him and thought about the octopus and sheeps bladders back on the Rust-Bucket.
"I told you Animo" Ben said as he landed in front of him. He grabbed the control dial and tore it off the doctors chest. He crushed it between his alien hands. "I'm the best" The beeping started and the symbol in the middle of Ben's face flashed red. Having just enough time Ben head-butt Animo, knocking him out.
As Ben turned back to human his left leg gave way under his weight and his ribs were on fire "Ben!" Max shouted as he ran over to him.
"FUCK!" Ben shouted out in pain and anger, clutching his ribs as it got harder to breath.
Max checked Ben's leg and could tell it was broken, the break looked clean though. Pulling Ben's arms away from his chest he raised Ben's shirt to see bruises already developing. Several of his ribs were broken and one of them was in danger of puncturing his lung
"We need to get you a hospital now" Max scooped up Ben and ran to the R.V, Gwen held the door open with a worried look on her face. She wasn't aware of it on a conscious level, or she might have tried better to hide it.
"N... No hospitals!" Ben gasped as Max placed him onto a bed "what... Will you t... Tell them?"
"Ben a rib is about to cut into your lung, we need to get you professional help" Max rushed to the front of the R.V and started it up, Gwen sat next to Ben making sure he didn't get worse
"No" Ben shouted, making him go into a coughing fit, "Wait... For watch. Go... Diamond head."
Gwen got what he was saying, go Diamond Head and he's got no ribs to care about and he'll heal in seconds. Go to the hospital the vacation is cut short and Ben spends the rest of the holiday in a cast and bed.
"It... could work grandpa." Gwen found herself saying, surprised that she was both agreeing with Ben and Ben had two good ideas in one day.
Max didn't like it. All in all he'd trust a medical degree than alien technology any day. But he sat in the drivers seat and got the the engine running but he didn't drive away straight away, his mind moving as fast as XLR8. "OK no hospitals, but we need something for the pain."
"One things for sure." Gwen muttered as Ben writhed around on the bed, trying and failing to not move his injured leg and side. "Tylonol isn't going to deal with that."
Grabbing Gwen's shoulder he screamed at her. "I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU GIVE ME! JUST DO SOMETHING!"
Gwen reacted, partly out of a decision, mostly out of instinct. When Ben screamed in her face she reacted the same way each time. She punched him as hard as she could across the cheek, knocking him out cold. She rubbed her knuckles gently. "Solved the pain problem Grandpa."
.***.
As Ben woke he felt something on his head, groaning loudly as the pain started to come back Gwen jolted awake next to him
"Grandpa, he's awake" She shouted as she took off the wet towel and pulled him up into a sitting position. The burning sensation in his rubs made him cry out "Quit being such a baby." She scolded. "Maybe we should take you to the hospital. See if they can write you a large prescription of 'Man the fuck up'."
"Fuck you too Gwen." Ben growled as Gwen put Ben's arm around her shoulder, making shout out in more pain. "Next time I'll just let the parrot eat you!" He yelled at her. Standing up Ben put his weight into Gwen instead of his broken leg.
Opening the door Max helped Ben out of the R.V where he saw they were well out of the city and in the middle of a deserted road.
Raising his arm Gwen pressed the button for Ben and turned it till the out line they wanted came up "I hope this works." Gwen crossing her fingers (behind her back so Ben couldn't see. There had been a few times when the watch turned Ben into something he didn't want be.)
Letting go of Ben Max and Gwen watched as he slapped it down and a bright green light flashed. Once it had gone standing in Ben's place was the large form of Diamond Dude, giving a large sigh of relief Gwen asked "how you feeling?"
"Much better." Ben felt his sides where his ribs were supposed to be, for a few seconds he felt deep cracks in his crystalline body, but they quickly healed until they were smooth and flawless again "I love this thing." He looked at the symbol of the watch on his chest. He sat down in the dirt, nothing to do now but wait to turn back. He looked at Gwen "Nice punch, by the way."
"Aww, fuck you." Gwen blushed slightly, she felt some guilty pleasure for knocking Ben out when he was so hurt.
"You're gonna pay for that." Ben said, an evil grin spreading on his alien face. "But later. Maybe when you're sleeping. Or showering. Or in the bathroom. Some time you're off your guard. I haven't decided yet." He said with a confirming nod.
Taking a cigar out of his shirt pocket Max lit it by striking the match off of Ben's shoulder. He took a few long puffs, feeling his nerves calm "Want to hear the news?" He asked
"What news" Ben asked, letting Gwen throw stones at him as hard as she could
"Dr. Animo was arrested and is being blamed for the destruction of the Mega Mart, Natural History Museum and the destruction of a valuable Mammoth and T-Rex skeleton." Max smiled "We get off Scott free."
Thinking for a second Ben stood up "Alright, first something to eat, I'm starving. Second we go rob a bank and roll around in the cash."
"Sounds like a plan." Max rubbed his hands together as he held the cigar in his mouth "I'll make my famous squid and sheep's bladder stew."