Commissioned by Knight-Bishop on DeviantArt. I do not own Ben 10 or The Mask.
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In the glow of the night sky, two figures stared back at each other. One of them was a rough and tumble biker chick, sworn to revenge after a string of humiliations. One of them was a young man with a superhero's build, his large green head shining in the moonlight. Each of them watched and waited, neither wanting to make the first move.
Rojo swung first, her fists striking the chiseled muscles of her foe. A second blow connected, then a third. As she aimed again, a hand caught her fist straight on.
"Ah ah ah. You didn't watch Mr. Rogers growing up, did you. Let's talk, shall we?"
Suddenly wrapped into a tornado, Rojo found herself at a classroom desk, the green-headed freak now wearing a cardigan and old sneakers.
"It's OK to feel mad sometimes, boys and girls. What matters is how you handle that anger. How do you feel, little girl?"
"I'm going to smash your head in, you piece of shit!!!"
"Oh, that's bad language, boys and girls. We don't want to hear that now, do we? It looks like someone needs some time in…the Naughty Chair!!!"
Another twister, and Rojo was strapped in a chair, the Masked Avenger pulling a lever and volts of electricity coursing through her body.
"Now, have we learned our lesson?"
Through gritted teeth, she snarled back. "You….can't….win!!!!"
The Masked Avenger scratched his chin, a green question mark forming over him. "Well, according to the author, you're about to be arrested in about 4 minutes and 13 seconds. Which happens to be just enough time for me to do this!"
A wrestling ring suddenly appeared in the street, pyrotechnics shooting off and loud music blaring. "The following contest is scheduled for one fall! And introducing the champion…"
Now in green wrestling shorts and boots, the Masked Avenger took in the roars of a nonexistent crowd. "The undisputed, the unbeaten, the unbelievable MASKED AVENGER!!!!!"
A bell rang, and Rojo was quickly on the Masked Avenger's shoulders, as he threw her into the mat. "A vicious F5 from the champion!!!"
Staggering back up to her feet, she was immediately rammed in the chest by a tackle. "Spear! Spear!!!"
Rojo couldn't take much more, and the Masked Avenger knew it. Waving his hand in front of his green head, he prepared to deliver the final crushing blow - the five knuckle shuffle.
Dropping his open palm into her stomach, she winced from the impact, and he held her shoulders to the mat. Three seconds later, a bell rang, and the Masked Avenger celebrated another triumph.
As the wrestling ring disappeared into thin air, he was ready to go back to Gwen and Grandpa Max, who had watched all this from a distance away. Until…
"Freeze!!!! Both of you, put your hands up!!!!"
Sure enough, more cops had arrived, drawn in from several counties as the news of masked Rojo's rampage had spread throughout Georgia. He complied, unsure what to say to the officers. After all, they were more than familiar with the reports of a green-headed monster who had wrecked havoc.
"Hey, leave him alone!"
It was Max, putting himself between Ben and the various police forces. Carrying himself with the air of an agent, he sternly explained.
"This man is a hero. He's the one who put a stop to this woman's rampage, he's the one who kept millions out of danger. Yes, he can be a little destructive, but I'll have you know he's the best damn hero I've ever seen!"
Within the Masked Avenger's large head, Ben couldn't believe what he was hearing. He really was a hero - he had stopped mass destruction, and he had done it without harming anyone. Grandpa Max really believed in him - and even with all his powers, this was the greatest power of all.
Somehow, Max's speech worked - as paramedics tended to fallen officers, the Rojo was cuffed and placed into a squad car, once and forever leaving Ben's life.
As the Tennysons walked back to the RV, Ben, still masked, looked at Grandpa Max, deep thoughts filling his mind.
"Grandpa Max, did you mean what you said back there? About me being the greatest hero you've ever seen?"
Max smiled. "Every word of it, kiddo. You have proven to be a hero beyond what I could have ever imagined. I'm so proud of you."
Ben grinned a large toothy smile. "So, can we go out for tacos?"
"How about tomorrow? All of us are due for a good rest, you most of all."
Reaching for the back of his head, Ben gave a quick tug and soon emerged with mask in his hands. "Thank you Grandpa Max. You're the best teacher ever."
———
It had been a few days since the colossal fight in Georgia, and Ben Tennyson was finally getting to enjoy his summer vacation. He had gotten to walk the beaches in North Carolina, ride roller coasters at Busch Gardens, even climb to the top of the Washington Monument. His boredom at the start had changed to excitement, enjoying all the sights as well as the journey.
He and Gwen still bickered on occasion, but they had learned to be more respectful towards each other - at the end of the day, they were the only cousins each other knew. And with Grandpa Max by his side, he felt like he could handle any challenge that came his way.
He hadn't worn his mask since the fight, but it always sat nearby - if there was ever trouble, he knew exactly what to do.
On the outskirts of Philadelphia, the RV was suddenly stopped by a massive traffic jam, cars stopped for at least a mile ahead. At first, it looked to be a regular accident - until people started fleeing their cars.
Looking out the windshield, Ben stared at a man riding something unusual - it appeared to be a giant mutated frog. As it hopped in the air, car after car was crushed from its landings. Ben wasn't expecting to see this kind of sight today - but he was ready to go.
"I'm on it, Grandpa."
Pulling out his mask, he stuck it to his face, the sensations of raw power rushing through him as it enveloped his head.
A tornado burst out of the RV, roaring towards the giant animal. As it stopped, there he stood - flowing green cape, slick brown hair, and thick green rubbery face on the job again.
"The Masked Avenger is ready for action!!!"