We Are Monsters

by Creaturemaster

Ben somehow arrives in a strange new world where people and actual monsters co-exist (sort of). When he tries to blend himself in with Monster High's skeleton crew, things go horribly wrong! With a darkness lurking just of reach and an absurd amount of ghouls all wanting a piece of him, just how much can Ben take before he'll really "feel like a monster"? Rated T for harems & yuri.

52. A Night to Remember

Greetings and bienvenue, fellow members of Fanfiction! It is I, Creaturemaster back with yet another chapter of We're All Monsters!

Now let me just say that I am a horrible keeper of promises and a wonderful lair. I said I would not write another chapter of this so I could work on my other story, and what do I do? I GO AHEAD AND WRITE ANOTHER CHAPTER! Gah! What is wrong with me!? Long story short, I felt I just had to get this out, considering what'll happened below. I'm not gonna ruin anything, so go ahead and read! Why are you wasting your time waiting for me to shut up!?

As always, comment, review, suggest, and request down below!

Onwards!

"They should have been here by now." Driba mused.

"No, they shouldn't." Blukic argued.

"Yes, they should have!" Driba snapped.

"No, they shouldn't!" Blukic shot back as the air in front of the teleporter sizzled and crackled with brilliant, green energy and suddenly exploded. Once the light died down, ten figures stood in front of the cooling machine, a light cloak of smoke curling off their bodies as they took a short glance around.

"Welcome back, Ben." Grandpa Max smiled. "How'd things go with the Saturdays?"

"Oh, you know. Same old, same old." Ben shrugged as he shifted Jane's weight in his arms; the jungle girl had not stirred for the past half hour, blissfully unaware of what was happening around her.

"Is she alright?" Max wondered, casting a concerned look at Jane.

"Yeah, just really tried." Robecca reassured him as the copper girl took Jane from Ben's grasp rested her over her shoulder. "I'll take her to the med bay before I lie her down." she added as she activated her rocket boots and flew out of the lab and down the hall at a slow pace so as not to wake up her ghoulfriend; Venus followed after, a calculating look on her face and a somewhat mischievous smirk on her lips.

"What's this about a stowaway?" Ben asked as he watched his three ghoulfriends go.

Grandpa Max sighed with slight annoyance as he walked over to a terminal and tapped into the security feed; the screen blinked to life and showed a static image of the cargo bay before the picture became fully clear and showed a perfect representation of Vandalla's ship, the Salty Spectre. The footage remained lifeless for about a minute or so before there was any sign of movement; the heavy, algae encrusted chain of the anchor trembled slightly as something or someone made their way down towards the floor. The anchor didn't move for a few seconds, as if the figure had frozen on the spot, before the chain began to jiggle once more. The figure finally appeared after a few seconds and silently dropped down to the floor, her limbs bent and balanced on her toes and fingers with ease as she looked around, her long tail swishing back and forth with anticipation. Toralei Stripe glanced around the bay, a mischievous look on her face as she climbed back up onto her feet and slightly sneaked across the floor, eager to make trouble. She practically sashayed over to the elevator and pressed a button, her expression turning into a frown when the buttons all blinked a warning red and a key pad appeared behind an opening panel. With any hesitation, Toralei tapped a series of seemingly yet well thought out numbers before pressing the enter key. A loud siren suddenly activated, bathing the room within a bright, red light and making Toralei's fur stand on end as almost a dozen Plumbers of varying species charged into the loading bay and surrounded, leveling their weapons at the were-cat.

"She's been screaming her head off for the past hour or so." Grandpa Max added as the video feed cut out.

Ben sighed and pinched his brow. "Out of everyone from Monster High it had to be Toralei."

"Care to explain?" Max wondered.

"She's rude, obnoxious, and loves to humiliate innocent monsters for her own pleasures through various pranks." Ben explained. "In short, she's a big pain in the ass."

"Ben!" Max sounded surprised. "Watch your language!"

"Sorry. Being sent fifty years into an apocalyptic future ruled by Zs'Skayr for two months really changes a person." Ben apologized. "And c'mon, as if you haven't sworn before."

"Eh, you're right about that, kiddo." Max sighed sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. "So what do you want to do with her? You know her better than anyone here does."

Ben sighed and tapped his chin in thought; as much as he would like to lock Toralei in a cell and throw away the key so she couldn't mess with anyone ever again, he knew he had to be fair. Even to Toralei. "We'll ask her a few questions. And if she doesn't cooperate, I have an idea that just might work."

"You've got a devious idea, don't you?" Clawdeen grinned.

"Yes, yes, I do."

"I like the way you think." Clawdeen's grin broadened.

---

Toralei struggled against the energy cuffs that pinned her hands behind her back, restricting any attempt to escape; even with her advanced knowledge of escape, she couldn't figure out how to snap the energy cuffs of her. And she really wanted them off. Not just because they brought back unpleasant memories of her time at the pound and suppressed any attempt to cause mischief, but they were also digging into her wrists.

The door to the holding cell slid open and last people she wanted to see strolled in, casting stern and annoyed looks at her; Clawdeen sat down on the cold, metal bench next to her, narrowing her eyes and suppressing the urge to throttle the were-cat with all her strength as Ben and Vandala sat down on the metal bench across from her, the later sharpening her large sword with a whetting stone and casting a look that promised Toralei excruciating amounts of pain should she ever get the chance; Ben remained emotionless and unwavering as the doors to the cell hissed shut and locked from the outside, trapping the four of them in the room. It was nearly five minutes before anyone even seemed to breath.

"Alright, Toralei," Ben grumbled. "What's your game?"

"What're you talking about?" Toralei frowned. "I haven't done anything!"

"Except trespassing on an intergalactic head quarters-" Ben listed off.

"Stowing away on me ship!" Vandala interrupted.

"Attempted thievery and release of prisoners-" Ben continued.

"Stowing away on me ship!" Vandala interrupted.

"And attacking an authorized officer." Ben finished.

"And stowing away on me ship!" Vandala yelled, thrusting her sword forward and stopping the razor sharp blade just an inch away from Toralei's nose; another inch or so, and Toralei would have lost a nose and gained a nasty gash on her face. Ben put a calming hand on Vandala's, and the ghost pirate lowered her sword as a light pink blush crossed her face though her grip on her sword remained tight and fast.

"So what are you doing here?" Clawdeen took over questioning.

"I know my rights, and I don't have to say anything if I don't want to!" Toralei snapped. "And I don't want to!"

"I was hoping you'd say that." Ben grinned darkly in his best impression of a villain's voice he could muster as he turned to the Omnitrix and cycled through the roster before selecting the alien he desired. "I'm sure you remember Toepick?"

"No! Not him! Not again!" Toralei screamed, jumping to her feet and running to the door of the room, throwing herself against the glass in an attempt to escape. "Let me out! This is cruel and unusual punishment!" she screamed; no one heard her as Ben slammed a hand down on the Omnitrix and was engulfed in a bright, green light. His skin turned a light lavender in color, his entire body shrinking down to about half a foot tall. Ben felt an itching on his backside and craned his neck to watch as seemingly fragile, butterfly-like wings sprouted and began to automatically flap to keep his small body size airborne. His toes melted together into two small claws as white gloves appeared over his delicate fingers. His cheeks turned pink and rosy as his hair turned violet and curled back. His ears became pointed and elf like as a green and black dress covered him, the transformation complete when the Omnitrix appeared on his chest.

"Fear rrrrrrr me!" Pesky Dust threatened.

Toralei blinked for a second before suddenly bursting out into a fit of laughter, dropping to the floor and writhing around in giggles as tears streamed from her eyes, her chest heaving in and out. "That-that . . . oh, my ghoul, that is hilarious! That has . . . that has got to be the least frightening thing I have . . . I have ever seen!" she gasped for breath as she dried her eyes.

"I gotta admit, matey. She has a point." Vandala added.

"Give it a rrrrrr minute." Pesky Dust purred as he flapped his wings and hovered over Toralei's face, a light sprinkling of dust showering down onto Toralei's face as he flew; the effects were rather quick as Toralei's laughter died down to be replaced by light snoring, a pleasant smile on her face as she dreamed peacefully.

But not for long.

---

Toralei smirked as she strolled down the hallway of Monster High, her sisters at her side and looking just as confident; she wore a red dress with a black underskirt and white leggings with knee-high boots with spikes on the toes and straps running up the length of her boots. She wore a leather jacket with the Monster High skullet over a blood red heart on her left breast and a shimmering, gold belt around her waist. Her sisters wore contradicting outfits that completely opposed the other as usual, dressing in a multicolored striped dress with a ragged skirt underneath that bared resemblance to a spider's web, their hair done up in luxurious buns.

On her right was Ben with a stern look on his face; he had a scar over his right eye and another on the left side of his lip. He wore a heavy, black leather jacket covered in a coat of silvery chains and a pair of fingerless, black gloves on his hands and ragged jeans with holes in the knees, along with a spiked dog collar around his neck. As they moved down the hallway, any monsters that dared to look at Toralei the wrong way were threatened by Ben with either a quick punch to the face or a quick movement of his hand over the Omnitrix; clutched tightly in Toralei's right hand as she sauntered down the hallway, swinging her hips to some invisible beat, was a black leash that was attached to a spiked collar around the neck of Gigi Grant dressed in nothing more than a skimpy bra that showed a good deal of her cleavage and her dark, pink scorpion tattoo with a black thong with gold braces around her arms and ankles.

"Toralei! Toralei!"

With a slightly irked look, Toralei turned to see a mummy and zombie running down the hall towards her as fast as they could, their backpacks slapping against their backs as they ran towards her. The mummy wore a pair of Nile blue glasses with a strip of tape down the middle to hold them together as her brown, gold, and black locks pulled back into a greasy ponytail; multiple freckles and zits dotted her face as she wore a tight, golden top with bandages across her midriff and a pair of blue pants with bandages wrapped around the ankles pulled him past her hips. The zombie had light blue hair and pale gray skin with a pair of white, horn-rimmed glasses her lazy, intelligent eyes. She wore a black and white horizontal striped shirt under a white, red trimmed, cherry-printed top. She wore a pair of deep red pants and long, knee-high, black boots.

"Stop!" Ben growled, cutting the two girls off and starring them down, practically forcing them to fall onto their backs as they flinched under his stare. "No one approaches Ms. Stripe without an appointment or incredibly good reason. Especially nerds like you two."

"W-we do have a good reason!" the mummy trembled.

"Eeeeaaaayyyaaiiiahh." the zombie nodded.

"And what might that be?" Ben's gaze deepened.

"W-we have her h-homework done!" the mummy explained.

"Oh, really?" Ben quirked up an eyebrow.

"Aaaiiyah!" the zombie nodded.

"You wanna know what I think?" Ben growled, grabbing the mummy by the front of her shirt and raising her off the ground with ease. "I think you're lying!"

"N-no! W-w-we aren't! W-we promise!" the mummy trembled.

"Ben, you can put Cleo down." Toralei sighed with a roll of her eyes. Ben looked back at his employer and then to the trembling Cleo in his fist before sighing and throwing her to the ground, her glasses falling off of her face and breaking in two again.

"Hand over the paperwork, nerds." Ben frowned, folding his arms over his chest and watching as the zombie picked up the two halves of Cleo's glasses and handed them to her before slipping off her backpack and digging out a stack of papers, handing them to Ben with fear. "Now get outta here before I declare wedgie season on the both of ya." he threatened, stuffing the papers under his arm and turning on the Omnitrix, cycling through the roster as the two girls scrambled to their feet and took off down the hallway.

"Run, Ghoulia! Run!" Cleo screamed, practically dragging her friend.

"Dorks." Ben grumbled under his breath as he turned off the watch on his wrist and returned to his position at Toralei's side, taking his employer's backpack from her and shoving her completed homework inside before shouldering it over his shoulder as the group continued down the hall, the students flinching and cowering under Ben's stern expression when they weren't practically worshiping Toralei.

"Toralei! Toralei!"

Ben instantly turned to the Omnitrix and slapped the activation button, the green light washing over him and changing his DNA. Ben's arms swelled as his veins popped out, alien blood coursing through them as muscles piled themselves on top of each other. His legs became muscled as he stretched upward, growing taller and taller until he was a good four feet taller than Toralei. Fur began to sprout all over his body, turning white on his chest, gut, hands, and feet, turning orange everywhere else. A few black stripes stretched across his broad back and shoulder, a handful of whiskers sprouting on his face. His eyebrows turned black and became longer as they grew up and off his head. His jaw jutted out as his teeth became sharper. His hands became larger and muscled as a single, black claw grew out of his wrist. The final piece of the transformation was the appearance of a green and black luchador outfit and belt with the Omnitrix on it.

"Lemme tell ya somethin', pathetic scum who are hardly worthy to speak to my mistress, Toralei Stripe, Most Popular Ghoul in School, Queen of all Living Creatures, and Superior Ghoul to All! Nobody talks to her without an appointment!" Rath roared as he balled his fingers into a fist and pointed his razor sharp claw at the approaching students.

"W-we do have an appointment." Frankie quivered, a stack of papers in her hands; Draculaura and Clawdeen cowered behind her.

"Name!" the Appoplexian demanded, pulling a clipboard out of Toralei's back and waiting for an answer.

"F-F-Frankie St-Stein." the young cadaver trembled.

"Lemme tell ya somethin', Frankie Stein! You have Rath's permission to approach Rath's mistress, Toralei Stripe, Most Popular Ghoul in School, Queen of all Living Creatures, and Superior Ghoul to All!" Rath yelled, stepping aside and allowing Frankie to shuffle up to Toralei, bowing before the were-cat; Clawdeen and Draculaura were prevented from coming any closer by Rath as Meowlody and Purrsephone purred and licked their lips as they narrowed their eyes as Frankie with their lips curled upwards into cruel smiles.

"What is it, loser?" Toralei frowned.

"I-I was w-wondering if y-you would like to c-c-come to my p-party?" Frankie stammered, not daring to look Toralei in the eye; the last monster to dare look Toralei in the eye ended up being compacted into an area the size of a dictionary and shoved into a locker by Four Arms.

"Mmmm, I dunno . . ." Toralei trailed off with a mocking tone.

"P-please? I-I'll . . . I'll do all your Biteology homework for a week!" Frankie begged.

"Hmmm . . . I dunno . . ." Toralei smirked.

"I'll do your Biteology and Dead Languages homework for two weeks!" Frankie one upped the deal.

"Hmmm . . . will there be milkshakes and anchovies?" Toralei seemed on the verge of giving her answer.

"Of course!" Frankie smiled.

"Alright, you've convinced me." Toralei shrugged. "But make sure that the anchovies and milkshakes are separate. And that there's chili fries and smoothies for my body guard and lots of ice cream for my sisters. And some hummus and baked pita for my slave here." Toralei purred as she pulled on the leash, yanking Gigi forward and onto her hands and knees. "Would you like, G?"

"Y-yes, Mistress." Gigi said quietly. "I would like that very much."

"Then it's settled." Toralei nodded; Frankie beamed and was about to hand Toralei one of the invitations in her hand when Rath cut her off with a growl and took the letter from her fingers, adding it to the growing stack of papers on his clipboard and marking something down with his pen. "Now if that will be all . . ." Toralei trailed off, looking her nails, a frown creeping across her face. "Oh, dear. It seems I've broken a nail."

"W-would you like us to fix it for you, Toralei?" Draculaura piped up from the back.

"Mmmm, nah. I'll get my slave to do it." Toralei waved them off as she yanked on the leash in her hand. "Slave, I wish I had a perfect manicure."

"L-like the last one, mistress?"

"Duh." Toralei rolled her eyes.

"As you wish, mistress." Gigi said quietly as she folded her arms over her chest and jerked her head downwards, a bright light engulfing Toralei's hands before it died down to reveal ten perfect manicured fingers with delicate red paint on each nail.

"Good, slave. You'll earn that party food yet." Toralei smirked when she noticed that Frankie, Draculaura, and Clawdeen were still standing there. "Are you still here?"

"D-do you want us to be somewhere else?" Clawdeen asked.

"Yes. Somewhere where I don't have to see you." Toralei huffed.

"You heard Rath's mistress!" Rath roared. "Get outta here before Rath kicks your sorry asses into next week!"

"B-but then we'll miss my party!" Frankie stammered.

"RAAAAAAAAAAGGGHHH!" Rath roared loudly. The three ghouls yelped and dashed down the hall as fast as they could, not wanting to get on the Appoplexian's bad side even further; the Omnitrix timed out seconds later, returning Ben to the world in a flash of green light.

"Losers." Ben grumbled under his breath as he slipped the clipboard back into Toralei's backpack and set it back on his shoulder. "Shall we, Ms. Stripe?"

"Lets." Toralei nodded, jerking on the leash and pulling Gigi forward. "Is there any place we have to be, Ben?"

"Other than the usual classes for the first couples of hours, you are free for the day, Ms. Stripe." Ben responded. "Shall I schedule in a shopping spree at the Maul after classes?"

"Please. And make sure to bring enough money this time," Toralei reminded him. "I don't think my slave can handle another round with the manager." she added in a haughty tone.

"This is seriously rrrrrr what you dream about?" a high-pitched voice echoed throughout the dream before sighing. "Oh, well. Time to mess things up!"

Toralei blinked and tried to find where the source of the voice was coming from, but found nothing out of the ordinary. She shrugged it off and yanked on the leash that attached to Gigi's neck, fully expecting the genie to follow without any hesitation; it then came as quite a surprise to her when she felt a tug on the other end.

"Come on, you wench." she grumbled, yanking harder and getting ready to strike the genie across her breasts again when she noticed something wrong with her. Gigi was down on the floor on her side, hacking and coughing fitfully as she clawed at her throat, blood dripping from the skin as frothy, white foam spewed from her lips. Toralei flinched with disgust as Gigi trembled some more, her eyes going mad and rolling into the back of her head as her body began to shift and contort. Deep magenta fur sprouted all over her body, as if a bomb filled with hair suddenly exploded inside of her. Her lower jaw jutted out as her teeth became sharp and menacing. The wave of fur raced over her face, covering her eyes as they suddenly vanished all together. Gigi could feel her ears disappearing as what felt like gills take their place. In actuality, they were sensitive ears able to pick up the tiniest of sounds. Her shoulders and arms swelled as her dull nails became sharp claws. Her legs twisted and formed into the hind legs of that of a dog as the black collar around her neck cracked and finally snapped under the expanding flesh.

Toralei recoiled in utter disgust as the large, voracious beast snarled and clawed at its face for a few seconds before sniffing the air and turning to supposedly glare at Toralei, her lips curling back into a deep snarl as a low growl came from her throat.

"Security!" Toralei cried.

"Yes, mistress!" Ben yelled, turning to the Omnitrix and selecting Gutrot before slamming a hand down on the activation button, engulfing himself in a bright, green light. He felt himself taller and much more muscled as gray colored fur sprouted all over his body. His face bulged forward into a pointed muzzle, lined with sharp canine teeth as a black nose formed on the end. Organs sloshed around inside him and bones crunched and ground together as he felt said muzzle split into four ways and his fingers become longer and tipped with razor sharp claws that could easily slice through most objects. His toes melted into two, large talons as a third sprouted from his heel and a long, furry tail grew from the base of his spine. A mane of fur rose from the back of his neck as spikes rose from his elbows and shoulders. A green and black suit appeared on his body with green wrists bans and a collar around his neck with the Omnitrix symbol on it.

"How dare you turn into that hideous creature!" Toralei screamed.

"I am sorry, mistress," Blitzwolfer apologized before dropping down onto all fours and stalking closer to her, his furry tail swishing back and forth as the Vulpimancer that use to be Gigi snarled and copied his movements. "But your rein of terror ends here."

"Never! C'mon, run!" she turned to her sisters only to meow in terror to find that they had been replaced by a black Vulpimancer with white stripes and a white Vulpimancer with black stripes, excess amounts of saliva dripping from their maws. Toralei looked at her surroundings, horror creeping across her face when she saw the students of Monster High slowly morphing into dogs, Loboans, Vulpimancers, even Orishans and Aguadites that towered over her and threatened to ruin her luscious, fur coat with their liquid build.

"And to top it off . . ." the voice rang out through the hallway before a light engulfed her entire head and died away; Toralei patted her face, horror creeping across her face when she felt squishy, gelatinous bumps and orbs across her skin. She rushed down the hallway, the dogs and aliens all rushing after her, snapping their jaws and barking loudly as they chased her through the hallways, the pack becoming bigger and bigger the deeper she moved into Monster High until Toralei dashed into a Ghouls Room and jammed the door shut with a janitor's mop. Her heart in her throat, she rushed over to the mirror and screamed at the top of her lungs upon finding herself covered in zits and her hair looking as if it had been attacked by a weed whacker.

"NOOOOOO!" she wailed as the restroom door came crashing down, Blitzwolfer and the Vulpimancers that used to be Gigi and her sisters at the front. As one, they all roared and charged at her, ready to tear her body to pieces and use the remains as chew toys when they suddenly stopped in midair, frozen on the spot as if someone had just hit the pause button the TV remote.

"I can make this aaaaaaaall go away." the high-pitched voice rang in the air as Toralei opened her eyes and started breathing again, not even realizing she had shut them or had been holding her breath. She looked to see in the bathroom mirror a small, fairy-like creature with rosy cheeks, dark periwinkle skin, and a green and black dress with an ever familiar symbol on it.

"Y-you!" Toralei cried, jamming a finger at the reflection in the mirror.

"Yes, that's me!" Pesky Dust chirped happily.

"What did you do!?" Toralei screamed.

"You mean other rrrrrrr than turning your dream against you rrrrrrr and changing it into an oh-so satisfying nightmare?" Pesky Dust drawled, a satisfying smile on his lips. "Like I said before, I can make this all go away."

"I'm sensing a 'but'. Toralei frowned.

"Correctamundo." Pesky Dust smirked. "All you gotta do is answer some questions. Simple as that."

"And what if I don't want to?" Toralei wondered.

"Then I trap you in this nightmare for a week. Once the week is over, I'll rrrrrrr come ask the same question again and, should you still remain uncooperative, the cycle will rrrrrrr continue over and over again until you either enter a coma and eventually die or rrrrrrr cave in and tell us what we want to know." Pesky Dust explained. "Your choice."

Toralei bit her lip and glanced at the pack of alien dogs frozen in the bathroom door frame, their jaws wide open and their long, slobbering tongues lolling out past their razor sharp, saliva stained fangs; she shivered at the thought of those teeth digging themselves into her flesh, those dagger-like claws tearing through her clothes and skin and scattering her precious blood all over the bathroom walls and floors while some dramatic music no doubt placed in the background from an undisclosed location.

"Fine." she surrendered. "What do you want to know?"

"Why did you sneak onto Vandala's ship?" Pesky Dust asked, leaning against the frame of the mirror as if he were actually trapped in the reflective surface.

"I was bored, alright?" Toralei frowned. "Especially since my parents grounded me after what I tried to do during the Howliday Dance."

"You mean throwing rotten gargoyle eggs at me and Lorna?"

"Yes." Toralei bit out.

"Good." Pesky Dust nodded. "Why did you attack Hobble and Molly?"

"They were pointing blasters at me!" Toralei defended herself.

"You broke Molly's arm and rrrrrr dislocated both of Hobble's legs before they managed to finally take you down." Pesky Dust frowned. "Thank goodness we had some extra tranquilizer darts from the last time Dr. Animo went to the med bay."

"Is there anything you wanna know, Fairy Boy, or can I be excused to use the nearest litter box?" Toralei snarled. "Because trust me when I say that you just about scared me shitless."

"Hey, watch the language!" Pesky Dust snapped. "Keep saying stuff like that, and I just might rrrrrrr trap you in here instead of keeping up my end of the deal."

"You wouldn't." Toralei narrowed her eyes.

"Try me." the Nemuina threatened; it was somewhat difficult to take the small alien seriously, but Toralei decided it wasn't the best idea to make him any angrier. "Final question. What color is my rrrrrrr underwear?"

Toralei blanked for a split second before answering. "You're messing with me, aren't you?"

"You should have rrrrrrr seen your face!" the Nemuina laughed, slapping his knee as he slumped against the side of the mirror and laughed his guts out.

"Not funny." Toralei frowned. "Now can I leave this nightmare now?"

"Fine. Party pooper." Pesky Dust frowned as he snapped his fingers and engulfed the entire world in a bright, green light that shimmered and sparkled, as if someone had dumped an entire bottle of glitter into the mix.

---

Toralei woke with a start, breathing heavily as sweat dripped down her face. She glanced around at her surroundings, sighing with relief when she realized that she was still in the holding cell at the Plumber Headquarters. Vandalla was holding her sides as she slapped her knee, tears streaming down her cheeks as she struggled to remain on the bench while Clawdeen had failed entirely and was rolling around as she beat her fists on the floor in a fit of giggles; the Omnitrix timed out seconds later and returned Ben to the world in a flash of light.

"What the- what did you do to me!?" Toralei demanded to know as she managed to climb to her feet and back onto the metal bench, her face turned into a deep scowl as a light blush of embarrassment crept across her face.

"You mean other than doing things the hard way?" Ben cocked an eyebrow. "BTW, Vandala and Clawdeen got to see everything."

"WHAT!?" Toralei practically screamed.

"Ghoul, you have one sick mind." Clawdeen shook her head. "Cleo as a nerd is one horrifying image to see."

"Aye, not to mention how ye portrayed Gigi, you scurvy dog." Vandala spun her sword in her hand and around her back before jamming it at Toralei's face and leaving just an inch of space between the sharpened blade and the were-cat's face. "As punishment for stowing away on me ship and portraying my fellow ghoulfriend, you will be scrapping off the barnacles of me ship, washing the anchor, and swabbing the poop deck. Savy?"

"You can't tell me what to do!" Toralei fought back.

"Actually, we can." Ben frowned. "Seeing as how you broke several laws, you are now in our custody to serve your time as we see fit. And seeing as how you stowed away on Vandala's ship, you'll be the one to clean it and serve the crew while they a well deserved vacation when you aren't seeing to Molly and Hobble's every care and need."

"NO!" Toralei wailed miserably.

"Yes." Ben announced firmly. "And if I hear any complaining from Vandala, her crew, or the injured Plumbers, we'll take another trip into that head of yours and turn it upside down, if you catch my drift."

"Fine." Toralei gave up, slumping against the walls of the cell.

"Good." Vandala smirked as she took off her captain's hat and pulled out a chisel from within. "You can start with the barnacles." she smiled as Ben pulled a remote out of his pocket and pressed a button, releasing Toralei of the energy cuffs as Vandala handed her the chisel; the were-cat grumbled under her breath as the doors unlocked and she made her way down the hall as two heavily armed Plumbers appeared on either side of her and walked her towards the loading bay; Vandala set her hat back on her head, pecked Ben on the cheek, and floated after her, a devious smile on her lips as Aye phased through the floor behind her and clapped his tentacles happily.

"That was fun." Clawdeen smiled as she wiped her eyes and climbed off the floor, her breathing finally having returned to normal.

"Thanks," Ben simpered. "Did I mention that I love to hear you laugh?" he added.

"Aw, your just saying that." Clawdeen flushed a light mahogany as Ben wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close.

"I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean, now would I?" Ben replied.

"True." Clawdeen blushed further. "Now you gonna kiss me or what?"

"I knew I fell in love with the right ghoul." Ben smirked as Clawdeen hugged him, resting her head on his chest; she sighed happily as Ben rubbed his hand up and down her back, a slight purr that sounded more like a growl escaping her lips as she was petted. She moved her head off of her chest and edged her lips closer to Ben's, her blush getting deeper as Ben rested a hand on her cheek and pulled her closer, bringing the both of them together. Ben couldn't believe how soft Clawdeen's lips were, almost like silk, as he passionately kissed her, not even minding the slight grazing he felt when her fangs brushed against his own. Clawdeen was an utter amazement as she felt her hands up and down Ben's strong arm, playing with his muscles as she slipped her hands under his shirt and ran them against his rock hard chest. She could just barely feel Ben sliding his hands down her back, rubbing them across her ass without hesitation, a move that surprised and intrigued her as they finally parted away.

"You just love playing with danger, dontcha?" she smiled, resting her head on his chest once more.

"I eat danger for breakfast." Ben joked. "And speaking of eating, I hope you're hungry for tonight."

Clawdeen cocked an eyebrow. "Tonight? What's happening tonight?"

"You remember the time I acted as Casta Fierce's bodyguard?" Ben said. "It turns out that money is identical to the money in my dimension. Meaning, I can exchange said money for proper currency and then take all of you wonderful ghouls out to dinner."

"Why?" Clawdeen wondered. "Not that I'm not looking forward to it."

"I realized a while back that I haven't actually taken any of you on an actual date." Ben replied. "It's either been a dance together, a trip to lunch that's been interrupted by a crime, or a movie at Spectra's house."

"Where we goin' then?" Clawdeen asked.

"Well, considering you really don't have anything but the clothes off your back and limited money to buy more with, it'll be something rather casual. Any preferences?" Ben asked.

"Any place where I can get my claws on some good meat." Clawdeen shrugged. "Knowing the others though, finding a place might be a bit difficult."

"You insult me with your lack of faith in my capabilities." Ben cracked. "Just spread the word and be ready by seven."

---

Skelita hummed tensely as she ran a comb through her marigold and black locks, the cool, night air whistling through her bones and ribcage; it tickled slightly.

"Nervous?" Ben wondered.

"Si." Skelita admitted.

"No te preocupes." Ben smiled as Skelita's eyes widened and she threw her skeletal arms around him in a tight hug.

"Since when have you learned Spanish?" she wondered.

"When you turn into a luchador Appoplexian enough times, you pick up the lingo a little." Ben smiled, returning the hug.

"Why're we waiting?" Spectra wondered, phasing out of the ground next to them. "I thought you had a driver's license?"

"I do," Ben nodded. "But it only can hold about five people. Last I checked, there were eighteen of us."

"So how are we getting to the restaurant then?" Twyla asked, melting into existence from Nefera's shadow; the mummy was wrapped u in the embrace of an all too eager Whisp as Gigi floated nearby on her wispy tail, ready to pry Nefera lose should her sister get too cozy for comfort.

"Rook's giving us a lift," Ben replied. "He and Rayona are going to the amusement park at the pier."

"Are you sure letting Rook go to an amusement park is a good idea?" Frankie wondered.

"Other than the slight chance he might get hooked on cotton candy or something like that, I doubt it's something to be worried about." Ben shrugged it off. "And if things get crazy, he or Rayona can always call us." he added as the Proto-TRUK came up the street and parked in front of Ben's house; Rook and Rayona waved from the front seats as the back doors popped open.

"All aboard." Ben directed the ghouls towards the vehicle.

"I do not believe we are anywhere near railroad, Ben." Rook noted.

"I believe it is an earth expression, Blonko." Rayona replied. "Although I am curious as to why your partner is taking so many girls with him on his date."

"It is a polygamous relationship." Rook told her before catching sight of Venus kissing Robecca on the cheek and taking Jane's hand in hers. "There may also be some attraction to other girls as well within the relationship." he added as Avea ducked beneath somewhat low frame of the back door and stood rock still in the middle of the floor as Jane morphed herself into a small, Capuchin monkey and bounced off of the hybrid's back before jumping onto Venus's shoulder; Bonita and Gigi closed the doors behind them, the genie glancing nervously at the inside space of the vehicle until Whisp gave her a reassuring squeeze before returning her attention to Nefera.

"Hey, Rayona. Looking forward to another date on Earth?" Ben greeted Rook's girlfriend.

"I am." she nodded. "I can only hope that it will end better than last time."

"Why? What happened last time?" Spectra asked, sensing a good story.

"Relax, Spectra. It was already all over the news." Ben calmed his ghoulfriend. "Harangue reported about it, but it was on the news."

"I can't stand that guy." Spectra huffed. "He gives reporters a bad name. I wish I could take him down a few pegs."

"I think you already did that when you hit him into the river," Ben grinned. "Nice hit by the way, Jane." he added; the monkey chattered happily and gave a thumbs up.

"But what happened?" Spectra pressed.

"Long story short, Attea and Looma came back trying to claim Bullfrag and Four Arms as their husbands while I was on a date with Ester." Ben explained. "Now they don't want anything to do with me and, as far as I know, are currently trying to obliterate the other with their private fleet."

"Seriously?" Clawdeen raised an eyebrow.

"Yep." Ben nodded. "That's part of the life I lived before I met you ghouls."

Ben? If I may interrupt, there are some questions I would like to ask you." Rook cut in from the front seat, turning the Proto-TRUK around a corner and halting at a stoplight.

"Ask away, dude." Ben leaned back in his seat.

"Very well. Considering you went on a date to the Bellwood Pier and Amusement Park with Julie Yamamoto, what do you recommend me and Rayona do there?" Rook asked as the light turned green and he drove forward, turning a right and speeding up to the appropriate speed limit.

"First, don't get attacked by a Galvanic Mechamorph." Ben said with a deadpanned tone.

"I can only assume that you are being sarcastic and that you are also referring to Ship?" Rook guessed.

"Yep." Ben nodded. "Anyways, I'd start off with some food and then go for some carnival games. You know, win Rayona a stuffed duck or something."

"Interesting." Rook mused as he stole a quick look at his girlfriend to see how she was reacting to the suggestion; she didn't seem to hear as she was taking in her surroundings with a look and stature that was usually reserved for some children. "Anything else?"

"If some sleazy and cheap game owner cheats you outta your money, beat him at his own game," Clawdeen piped up with a memorable smirk on her lips. "And before the park closes, go on the Scaris Wheel."

"I believe it is called a Ferris Wheel." Rook corrected the werewolf.

"Not where I'm from." she grinned.

"Ah, yes. I remember." Rook nodded before he stepped down on the brake and eased the vehicle to a halt. "We are here." he added.

"Thanks for the lift, Rook. We'll call you if we need a lift back home." Ben said as Gigi popped the back doors open and practically threw herself out into the open air as Avea carefully backed herself out of the back of the Proto-TRUK with Bonita directing her out; Jane shifted in a small sparrow and flew out of the vehicle, flapping her small wings before resting on Venus's head when she had emerged ou into the open air.

"Good-bye, Ben. I hope you are successful in your dating ritual." Rook said once he was sure all the ghouls were out of the Proto-TRUK.

"Uh, yeah. You too." Ben smiled somewhat awkwardly before the Proto-TRUK drove a distance down the road and suddenly morphed into its spaceship form with a swift and loud clanking of machinery before it blasted off into the night sky, becoming little more than just a blip on the horizon. "Geez, talk about an exit." he shook his head before turning to his ghouls. "Shall we?"

"Definitely." Frankie nodded. "I'm so hungry!"

Ben shook his head with a smile and took her hand in his and Spectra's in the other and led the both of them towards the entrance of the restaurant with the other ghouls following closely behind; the restaurant had a brick exterior with a small plaza outside decorated with some tables sheltered by umbrellas for customers that wished to eat outside. The building itself was considerably large and had a slanted, green roof with the company's logo on the front above the doors.

"Pakmar's Intergalactic House of Everything?" Lorna read the name of the restaurant aloud.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, Ben, but doesn't Pakmar hate you?" Lilith wondered. "Especially after you destroyed his Bomb Store?"

"Yeah, but he's never been willing to turn down a customer. Even me, when I actually want to buy something." Ben replied. "And right now, I would like to buy you lovely ghouls some dinner."

"Fair enough." Avea shrugged. "I just hope they make chairs for centaur hybrids." she added as Ben grabbed the handle of the door and held it open for all seventeen of his ghoulfriends, entering the restaurant himself once they were all through.

"Good evening, ladies. How may Pakmar serve yo-" Pakmar recited in a mannered voice before he recognized Venus, Robecca, and, to a lesser extent, Jane. "Oh, no. No no no no no no! Not you!"

"Yes, it's us, Mr. Pakmar." Venus waved politely. "I see you started a restaurant after your bomb shop blew up."

"Yes, and you are not welcome here!" the diminutive alien snapped angrily. "Wherever you three are, there is Ben Tennyson!"

"Present!" Ben waved as he pushed himself to the front of the group.

"Get out of Pakmar's restaurant!" Pakmar roared at the top of his lungs.

"Hey, chill out." Ben said in what he hoped was a calming voice. "We're just here to eat, nothing more."

"No! You leave Pakmar's restaurant before you ruin it! Like always!" Pakmar yelled; it was hard for the ghouls to take him absolutely seriously, considering his height and high-pitched voice.

"C'mon, what are the odds that I'll destroy your restaurant?" Ben wondered. "Seriously, how could I possibly get into a fight just trying to eat dinner?"

"Pakmar's answer is firm!" Pakmar huffed, turning up his nose and folding his arms over his chest.

Frankie rolled her eyes and bent down so that she was around the same height as the diminutive, little alien. "Please, Mr. Pakmar? We promise not to break anything." she pleaded. "And if we do somehow manage to break anything, me and the ghouls will work as waitresses for you until all the damages have been paid for."

Pakmar tried to remain stern, but with the combination of Frankie's sweet, pleading eyes and the idea of such beautiful girls working for him, drawing in more customers and thus more money, was slowly eroding away his nonindulgent exterior. "Ugh, Pakmar know he will regret this." he sighed as he fiddled with his black tie and cummerbund. "Right this way, Ben Tennyson and friends."

They were led through the maze of tables and chairs, a considerable amount of them filled up with not only regular Bellwood citizens, but also a substantial amount of aliens from Undertown and the surrounding area; while no one really gave the rather large group a passing glance, there were some whispers when they walked by and finally stopped at row of three tables that would each normally sit six people each. Put together however, and they sat all eighteen of them with Ben sitting at one end of the row and Avea taking the other end due to her unique body structure, leaving the ghouls to find their own seats between them.

"Ben Tennyson's waiter will be with him momentarily." Pakmar bowed before backing away, grumbling under his breath about how he was getting too old for this kind of thing.

"Thanks, Pakmar!" Whisp giggled before latching onto Nefera's arm once more, resting her head on her shoulder as the mummy sighed and took a look at the menu, scanning over the list of choices. "What are you gonna have, Nefera?"

"Hmmm, I dunno." the mummy tapped her chin. "Any suggestions?" she asked before she immediately regretted it.

"Ooh! How about the Caesar Salad and soup!" Whisp decided. "With a side of tentacles!"

"Tentacles?" Nefera cocked her eyebrow, peering down at the menu with disbelief.

"This is technically an alien restaurant, Nefera." Ben spoke up. "They're bound to have some alien delicacies here, which apparently includes tentacles."

"Aright. Might as well give it a try." Nefera sighed Whisp happily squeezed her shoulder. "It's pretty close to calamari anyway."

It was at that moment that their waiter arrived with a slightly nervous expression on her face. She was a short, human girl whose height was so short that she wouldn't have even reached Ben's chest should he have been standing up. She had silky, black hair and pale, almost white skin that really brought out her dark, green eyes. She wore a pair of black pants and a red vest with gold trim and black straps around her shoulders with brass buttons on the open vest.

"G-good evening, m-my name is Azami." the short girl trembled slightly. "C-can I st-start you off with a f-few drinks?" she asked politely.

"Good evening, Azami." Jinafire greeted the waiter politely. "I would like some of ice tea, please."

"I'll take some tea, too." Robecca chimed in. "But can I get some ginger tea, if it's not too much trouble?"

"S-sure." Azami stammered, pulling out a notepad and scribbling down the orders. One by one, the ghouls all ordered their drinks, usually ordering a simply soda, glass of water, or a unique alien drink on Whisp's part. The waitress now seemed to be little more than a nervous wreck as she finally made her way over to Ben. "A-and what will you have, sir?" she asked.

Ben tapped his chin thoughtfully as he glanced over the drinks menu. "First off, you can just call me Ben. Second, I think I'll order a glass of lemonade, if you don't mind."

"Y-yes, Ben." Azami wrote down the order before a thought occurred to her. "You aren't the f-famous Ben 10, are you?"

"Guilty." Ben shrugged with a smile, lifting his wrist up to show the Omnitrix.

"I-It's an honor!" Azami stammered, attempting to get down on her knees and bow down before she thought that it was ridiculous and seemed caught between trying to shake his hand and trying to give him his personal space. "I-I'm terribly s-sorry, Mr. Ben 10, s-sir. I-I'll . . . I'll just . . . g-go get your drinks!" she said quickly before scrambling to her feet and scampering off.

"What was that all about?" Lilith wondered.

"Probably her first day on the job." Twyla guessed, feeling more comfortable in the darkest corner of the table that was available. "We should give her a good tip."

"I'll make a mental note." Ben nodded as Azami wandered over to another table where a couple had just taken their seats near them and were glancing over the menus.

"Sparkling mineral water for the both of us, and don't skimp on the ice." the man said curtly without even looking up from his menu; Azami wrote the order down and made her way towards the kitchen.

She came out of the kitchen a few minutes later on wobbly feet, carrying a large tray of drinks with one hand as she tried to balance herself. She slowly made her way over to their table, practically dancing on her tiptoes as she tried to avoid colliding customers with the tray. She was nearly to her table when she suddenly tripped on the rug and sent the tray flying right at Ben and the ghouls; Ben instinctively slapped the Omnitrix and engulfed himself in a bright, green light, changing his DNA at the molecular level. First was the light covering of light and dark blue fur. It covered his whole body as he shrunk down to the size of a large bulldog. He was forced to hunch forward as his spine arched that way, a long tail sprouting from the base of his spine. His arms became thin, yet strong, designed to pull himself up and down, left and right, and whichever direction he pleased. He lost two fingers on each hand, but gained a second pair of similar arms that split out from his sides, thankfully already covered in skin and fur. Three pairs of green eyes appeared on his face as the fur on his head was flipped up and back. His jaw jutted out in an ape-like fashion as two, sharp canine teeth poked from his bottom lip at the corners of his mouth. Two green sashes appeared across his chest like an X with the Omnitrix symbol in the center, finishing the transformation.

"Heads up!" Spidermonkey chattered as he shot out a glob of webbing from his tail that attached itself to the front of Azami's vest, pulling her back up onto her feet as the Arachnichimp quickly jumped out of his seat and caught the large tray before dashing all around and on the table to catch the falling drinks, each one landing safely on the tray without spilling so much as a drop of their respective liquids. Once he was sure that everything was secure, Spidermonkey handed the tray back to Azami and jumped back into his seat as the Omnitrix timed out.

"Th-thank you." Aazami stammered, her face flushing with embarrassment.

"No problem." Ben waved it off as Azami gave the drinks to their respective patrons; Jinafire was given a teapot that she quickly heat up with a short blast of flame from her lips. "So, is this your first night?"

"Y-yes, Mr. Ben 10, sir." Azami nodded her head.

"Please, just call me Ben." he said. "And don't worry about it. The first day's always the hardest; it'll get easier as you go on."

"Th-thank you, Ben." Azamai said quietly, pulling out her notepad again. "May I take your order?"

"I'll have the Caesar Salad and soup with a side of tentacles, please," Nefera ordered. "And my, uh,

friend, will have the same thing."

"With extra croutons!" Whisp added.

"Right, with extra croutons." Nefera agreed.

"Would you like any kind of sauce with your tentacles?" Azami asked.

"Do you have any ketchup?" Whisp asked kindly.

"Yes, we do." Azami nodded.

"Then I'd like some please!"

"I'm sorry, but do you have any hummus and baked pita?" Gigi wondered. "You seem to have a lot of exotic foods."

"Yes, we actually do." Azami allowed a small smile. "Mr. Pakmar wants to cover as many palettes as possible, what with the various races the universe has to offer. Would you like some?"

"Yes, please!" Gigi grinned happily as she folded up her menu. One by one, the ghouls all ordered various dishes, with Robecca ordering a simple meal of xeno-fish and chips and Clawdeen giving Pyroxivore steak a try, claiming it shouldn't taste too much different than regular steak; Jane ordered a simple palette of exotic fruits with extra dried mangoes and Venus simply asked for the lights on her side of the table to be turned up brighter if it was possible and a bowl of whatever was in the compost pile out back. Azami was about to take Lorna's order when the freshwater monster was interrupted by a loud snapping noise; the entire table turned to see where the noise was coming from and found it was the man of the couple that had taken a seat near them, an irked look on his face.

"I'll be with you in a moment, sir." Azami said politely before returning to Lorna and taking her order of seasoned lamb chops with french fries on the side. She about to take Skelita's order when the loud snapping of the man's fingers interrupted them once again. "Please be patient, sir." Azami said politely, though the ghouls could easily tell that her patience was starting to wear thin. The waitress then successfully managed to take Skelita's order of tacos, Frankie's order of pepperoni pizza with extra cheese, and Bonita's request of one of the old aprons in the kitchen when the man interrupted them a third time; Azami sighed and excused herself from the table, promising to come back to complete their order as she strolled over to the couple's table with a strained smile on her face.

"Yes, sir?" she asked.

"Alright, toots. What do you people have to eat?"

Ben narrowed his eyes as he watched Azami list off the restaurant's specials and the staffs recommendations and Pakmar's favorite dish, none of which seemed to please the man in the slightest. "Never mind, toots. Just bring us an appetizer. And where are our drinks?" he added.

"My apologizes, sir. We are rather busy at the moment." Azami apologized. "As for the appetizer, do you have any particular dish in mind?"

"Whatever is the most popular." the man frowned. "Now go get our drinks!"

"Yes, sir." Azami nodded as she moved away from the table and returned to Ben's table. "I'm sorry about that. Now, what would the rest of you like to order?" she asked with a slight edge in her voice.

"I'll take the crab legs, me hearty!" Vandala laughed as she swung her sword in the air, forcing Azami to duck to avoid getting hit by the blade. "Sorry about that, matey. Sometimes I get a little to excited." Vandala apologized.

"No worries. Considering the unique clientele we serve, I'm learned to dodge things worse than swords." Azamai smiled. "Anything else you'd all like?" she asked before an ever familiar snapping caught her attention.

"Hey, waitress! Why ain't you getting our drinks!?" the woman spoke up with annoyance in her voice.

"I will get them momentarily, madame." Azamai said through gritted teeth. "Please hold on for another moment." she said before returning to Ben.

"I guess we'll start off with some chips and salsa." Ben shrugged.

"Would you like that served before or with your meal?" Azami recited.

"Whenever you can." Twyla piped up. "With that rude couple consuming all of your time, I don't think you'll have much of a chance to bring it to us upon request."

"Waitress! Get our drinks!" the man demanded. Azami sighed, thanked the ghouls and Ben, and made her way to the kitchen; the couple were frowning deeply and drumming their fingers on the table as Azami came out a few minutes later with twin glasses of mineral water filled to the brim with crystal clear ice. The couple roughly took their glasses from Azami and took a single sip before doing a spit take all over her front, shoving the glasses back at her.

"What is this!? Did you get this putrid mixture from the tap!?" the man growled.

"And mine has too much ice in it!" the woman screeched. "Take it back, and do it right!' she demanded. Azami could do nothing else but take the glasses and head back to the kitchen, coming back out with a basket of tortilla chips with a side of spicy salsa.

"Your chips, Ben." Azami said politely as she set the chips down in the center of table, water dripping from her uniform.

"Here, girl. Clean yourself up a bit." Clawdeen told her, reaching into her purse and pulling out a small towel that she handed to the grateful waiter.

"Thank you." Azami said before a loud snapping caught her attention; with a defeated sigh, Azami handed the towel back to Clawdeen and made her way back over to the couple's table.

"Yes, sir?" Azami recited.

"We're ready to order, toots." the man frowned.

"Geez, talk about rude." Bonita whimpered slightly when she caught sight of Azami's tired look; the poor girl must have just started tonight and was already exhausted thanks to the one couple practically working her to the bone and seeming to take every opportunity available to make her job miserable.

"Was I always like that?" Nefera asked.

"Unfortunately." Frankie sighed unhappily. "Does this happen a lot? I haven't really been to a lot of restaurants, considering I've only been alive for about a year and a half."

"Normally, no." Gigi shook her head. "But in my previous line of work, there was always a couple bad eggs. I can only assume that the same applies to restaurants and their clientele."

"And she's still taking their order!" Spectra noticed worriedly.

" . . . I want my salad made out of leaf lettuce without any spinach of any kind in it, and I want the tomatoes and croutons off to the side, and with the ranch dressing separate. For my soup, I want it made at exactly eight-eight degrees, no hotter or colder. And I don't want any turkey, beef, or ham in it, strictly chicken . . ." the woman rambled on as Azami did her best to keep up.

Ben frowned. "If this keeps up, it's gonna take until the next ice age before we even get our order to the kitchen!"

"Maybe it won't take that long," Bonita said hopefully. "Maybe they have some Kinecelerans as waiters or cooks?"

" . . . the steak should be cooked to an absolute perfection of medium rare with the most expensive spices you have on hand without any salt, pepper, dill, garlic, or parsley of any kind-"

"What kind of spices would you like then?" Azami asked politely.

"Whatever is the expensive! And don't interrupt me!" the man snapped. "And for my side, I want my grilled Methanos tubers grilled to perfection with any grill lines on them at all."

"So, you don't want them grilled?" Azami cocked an eyebrow.

"Yes, I want them grilled! I just don't want them with the grill lines!" the man snapped.

"B-but, that's not possible!" Azami protested.

"Of course it is!" the man growled. "Now back in the kitchen before I report this to your manager. And where are our drinks!?"

"I will be back right away, sir." Azami said quickly.

"You better." the woman threatened as she sulked on the table, neither one looking pleased whatsoever; any other table within the vicinity pretended not to notice, though Ben could see the sympathetic looks they gave Azami as she made her way back towards the kitchen.

"This is gonna be a long night." Ben sighed.

---

It was roughly an hour before Azami came back with their food, having to make four trips just to bring them all their food, of which they were grateful to her; the rude couple that Lilith had dubbed "Satan's Customers" had gotten their meal roughly around half an hour before them, and were just starting to sample their meals with disastrous results.

"Hey, toots!" the man snapped his fingers loudly.

"Yes, sir?" Azami sighed, trying to force a smile on her face.

"My steak is too cold! What are you people doing it back there, dipping it in molten lava?" the man frowned.

"No, sir, we only do that upon request." Azami apologized. "I'll take it back and have it cooked longer."

"And my soup is too hot!' the woman added. "What kind of knuckleheads do have cooking back there!?"

"Pyronites, madame. They can not exactly control how hot they cook the food." Azami replied. "Shall I take it back and have it cooled down?"

"Yes." the woman frowned, practically shoving the bowl into Azami's hands. "And my water doesn't have enough ice! Get more!' she added gruffly before returning to her salad as Azami made her way back to the kitchen; Ben noted with annoyance that the woman dumped her tomatoes and croutons and drowned the whole thing in ranch dressing when she ordered it all to be separated from each other while the man drummed his finger impatiently on the table.

"Anyone else seriously contemplating on beating the ever living crud out of them?" Whisp frowned as she slurped up one of her tentacles; everyone raised their hands before quickly dropping them so the rude couple wouldn't notice them and get suspicious.

"As much as I would like to go Humungousaur on their butts, we can't attack them for no reason." Ben frowned quietly. "Other than being beyond rude, they haven't done anything wrong legal wise."

"Darn it." Vandala snapped her fingers wistfully before an ever familiar snapping noise caught their attention. "And the couple strikes again." Vandala frowned darkly as Azami left a freshly seated trio of aliens from Undertown to see what the couple wanted now.

"What's taking so long, toots? Why aren't you getting our meals?" the man frowned.

"I'll check on them when I make my next trip to the kitchen, sir." Azami promised.

"No, you'll go get them now! Don't make me talk to your manager about this." the man threatened; Azami yelped and scurried back to the kitchen as fast as she could, coming back out seconds later with a steam steak and bowl of soup in her hands.

"'bout time." the man frowned. "And I didn't get any ketchup with my Methanos tubers." he added.

"I'm sorry, sir?" Azami asked confused.

"I wanted ketchup for my tubers, toots."

"I'm sorry, sir, but we only bring that out if it's requested." Azami apologized. "Mr. Pakmar says it's a waste of money."

"Are you smart-mouthing me?" the man narrowed his eyes at the short waitress.

"N-no, sir." Azami gulped.

"Then go get me some ketchup!" the man demanded.

"I-I'm sorry, sir, but I can't go against my managers orders." Azami gulped.

"Whatever happened to, 'The customer is always right', hmmm?" the man frowned.

"And my water doesn't have enough in it!" the woman chimed in. "And my soup has turkey in it! I specifically asked for no turkey! Take it back, take it all back and do it right!" she screeched, shoving her entire meal with the exception of the salad at Azami. The short waitress gulped and nodded, quickly making her way back towards the kitchen before the man snapped his fingers again.

"Where do you think you're going?" he frowned.

"T-to the kitchen." Azami replied.

"You're supposed to be getting me ketchup." the man growled.

"I-I'll get some from the kitchen." Azami promised.

The man suddenly looked over at Ben and the ghouls; several of them flinched upon being sighted Jane suddenly morphed into a parrot and flew over to Ben's shoulder, cowering behind his head with her head under her wing. "Those girls have a ketchup bottle," he said, jamming a finger at them like a prosecutor would at a guilty defendant. "Just borrows theirs. It'll save you another trip to the kitcehn; if you were smart, you would have thought about that, hon. But then again, you Asian types never really were too bright to begin with." he chuckled at what he thought was a funny joke.

The ghouls and Ben all shared looks of annoyance. "C'mon, girls, be a good sport." the man beckoned to them with a finger. "Bring some of that over."

Whisp grabbed the ketchup bottle and held it protectively to her chest without letting go of Nefera; a quick snap of her Nefera's fingers summoned Jane to land on the floor in front of the table before she morphed into a large, saber-toothed tiger, a deep growl escaping the extinct carnivore's lips.

"Get your own." Whisp hissed; the couple leaned back, clearly intimidated.

"Call of your mangy mutt." the man demanded.

Jane snarled and shared a look with the table of ghouls before Venus and Robecca got out of their chairs and stood on either side of their ghoulfriend, a cloud of steam escaping Robecca's ears as two, long vines sprouted out from Venus's palms, the tips igniting as she narrowed her eyes at the couple. "Make us." she hissed.

With the couple thoroughly frightened, the ghouls returned to their seats and went back to eating their meals, making small talk between mouthfuls of their food; Azami quickly made her way back towards the kitchen and opted to remain behind its secure doors before she could be belittled for another round.

"That's showing 'em." Twyla smiled between bites of juicy strawberries; they were really the only food other than nightmares that allowed Twyla a full nights of sleep without having serious stomachaches or ending up in the bathroom the whole night.

"And talk about racist." Ben frowned. "I mean seriously, they have no problem with coming to an alien-owned restaurant surrounded by customers and staff that are aliens, and yet he decides to pick on the one human waiter I've seen so far? Geez." he rolled his eyes as Azami came back out of the kitchen with the soup and glass in hand, setting them down on the table and turning on her heel to see if Ben and the ghouls needed anything before the woman cut her off.

"This still is cooked properly!" the woman shouted, spitting out a mouthful all over Azami. "What is wrong with you alien freaks? If you're so technologically advanced, why is it so hard to make soup at a proper temperature!?"

"Those two give humans a bad name," Avea grumbled under her breath. "Well, them and Harangue."

"And my glass is wet!" the woman continued. "There's water all over the sides! Did you give me a wet glass on purprose!?"

"That's it, toots," the man slammed his hands down on the table and stood up. "We've had enough of your screw ups. Expect to hear from your manager about this!"

"I doubt we'll ever come here again!" the woman yelled indigently. "And I'll make sure you'll never work here in this town again!"

"You people are complete idiots!" the man berated. "And you have some of the biggest freaks for customers here! Especially them!" he added, jamming a finger at the ghouls.

At this point, Azami had fallen to her knees and was sobbing uncontrollably, crying in some foregin language that the rude couple took as to be some form of bounderish swearing, at which they yelled louder and louder, insulting her and berating her with all they were worth; the patrons at the surrounding tables finally had enough and got up in midmeal to leave, grumbling under their breath as they walked, flew, oozed, and slithered towards the door.

A loud bang and crack suddenly echoed through the entire restaurant, bringing everything to a standstill; everyone but Azami turned to see Ben hunched over the table with his fist in his plate of spaghetti, marinara sauce splattered everywhere with the plate in pieces beneath Ben's fist. "I came here to eat, not to watch an innocent waiter get belittled by the worst humanity has to offer." he said in a low voice.

"You know it's highly unintelligent of people to refer to themselves in the third person." the man narrowed his eyes at Ben.

"I wasn't talking about myself." Ben moved away from the tables and marched up to the couple; Jinafire excused herself from the table and followed Ben, kneeling down next to Azami and comforting her, talking to her in the tongue the short waitress was using. "Ever since you got here, you've been nothing but abusive to her! Constantly snapping your fingers, taking forever to decide, giving her complex and meticulous orders, ordering stuff on the side only to dump it right into the food, sending your food back over and over and over again, delaying our meal, and then insulting and threatening her without any hesitation!" Ben yelled. "The only civil thing you've ever dine this evening is decide to leave and never come back!"

The man beat a fist against the table and stood up to his full height, standing a good two feet taller than Ben. "You have about five seconds to take your freaks of nature and sit down, runt." he growled between gritted teeth.

"Make me." Ben narrowed his eyes.

He didn't even see the blow coming. One minute he was starring down the father of all jerks, and the next he was down on the ground looking up at the ceiling; he could hear the ghouls screaming in the background, their yells soft and fading as he felt Spectra's cool and calming hands gently touch his head, begging him to respond. The screaming increased as the couple and the ghouls traded insults, Azami crying harder towards the back of the battle as Jinafire continued to comfort her, a dangerous amount of smoke drifting up from her nose.

"How dare you attack my boyfriend!?" Lilith screeched, her wings spread wide to make herself look bigger.

"Take a hike, freak! Or you'll end up just like your wimp of a boyfriend!" the woman yelled.

Ben pushed away Spectra's hands and climbed to his feet, a dark look on his face. "My name is Ben Tennnyson, Bane of Vilgax, Victor of the Highbreed Invasion, Destroyer of Malware, Master of Khyber the Huntsman, Scourge of the Deathless Incursean Empire, Bane of Albedo, Nemesis of Zs'Skayr, Champion of Maltruant, and Wielder of the Omnitrix. And you, you sorry piece of shit, just made a big mistake."

"How so, alien boy?" the man smirked deeply, folding his arms across his chest. "You're a hero, and you can't touch us!"

"Oh, but I can." Ben grinned. "You attacked me and threatened my ghouls. That gives me grounds to defend myself in any way I so chose." he smiled upon seeing the horrified looks that crossed the couples face as he turned to the Omnitrix and slammed down on the activation button, engulfing himself in a brilliant, green light. His frame shot up about three feet, drawing about even with Viktor Stein as ever last strand of hair was sucked back into his body, making him completely bald. His bare skin then slowly turned a light green as his jaw jutted outwards and his tongue became long and elastic, just barely staying inside his changing mouth. Before anyone could even seen the alien's eyes, a pair of dark sunglasses appeared on his face, discouraging the view as the transformation continued. Ben's fingers molded together into three digits as muscles piled themselves onto his arms, chest, and legs, his toes turning into two long digits. A black bodysuit with green cuffs on the wrists appeared on his body, a green stripe materializing on the clothing as an airtank of sorts appeared on his back. The Omnitrix appeared on the breathing device, the transformation complete.

"And I chose to beat the ever living crap outta yous two and make ya leave us good folk in peace." Bullfrag grinned, cracking his knuckles. With a loud croak, the Incursean snapped out his long, elastic tongue and wrapped it around the man's ankle, yanking him down to the floor as he dropped down to the ground and swiped the woman's legs out from underneath her. With the two of them dazed, Bullfrag grabbed them by the back of their shirts and hefted them up into the air and onto his shoulders, making his way towards the entrance as the woman screamed and beat her fists against his back as the man hollered death threats that seemed downright pathetic to what Bullfrag had faced in the past. The Incursean then pushed his way through the crowd of paused patrons and drop kicked the rude couple out the doors and onto the street where they were promptly splashed by a wave of water when the Proto-TRUK as he sped down the road towards the Bellwood Movie Theater Complex.

"Oh, yeah, Bull to the Frag!" the Incursean snapped his fingers at the couple as they picked themselves up and ran back to their car in a rush, leaving the restaurant as fast as they could. Bullfrag dusted off his hands and turned around to return to his table, only to be cut off by a stern Pakmar tapping his foot with impatience. "Oh, Bullfrag is in so much trouble, ain't he?"

"Trouble? Trouble!?" Pakmar screamed. "Trouble does begin to describe what you are in!"

"I think I'm currently in your restaurant." Bullfrag mused.

"RAAAGH! Get out of Pakmar's restaurant! Out out out!" Pakmar yelled.

"Wait! Mr. Pakmar!" Frankie begged as she rushed through the maze of chairs and tables with Spectra, Nefera and Whisp, and Jinafire with a sniffling Azami on her shoulder.

"Oh, it is you." Pakmar grumbled. "You are the one that convinced Pakmar to bring in Ben Tennyson, what with your big eyes and tight stitches! What do you want from Pakmar!?"

"Ben was defending himself," Frankie explained. "That couple attacked him after he stood up for one of your waiters when she was just trying to do their job."

"Really?" Pakmar asked in a tone that said he wasn't the slightest bit convinced.

"It's true!" Spectra exclaimed happily. "I got it all recorded on my iCoffin!" she said, digging out the device and holding it down for the diminutive alien to see; Pakmar watched the video clip with an unwavering emotion, his eyes never straying from the moving image on the screen, not even when Bullfrag appeared and dealt with the rude couple in a rough manner.

"Very well." Pakmar frowned. "Ben Tennyson can stay. But his girlfriends must work for Pakmar to pay off the damages!"

"Actually, I don't think there were any damages, other than to that rude couple's pride." Nefera noted, glancing behind her to see nothing out of the ordinary; no tables were knocked over, no chairs were destroyed, nothing was damaged. Even the food and drinks, however ill-prepared the rude couple claimed them to be, remained sitting where it was, not a single stain to be seen. "If I remember correctly, we only had to work for you if there were damages. Seeing as how there are none, we don't have to work for you." Nefera smirked as Whisp squeezed her happily.

"AGH! Fine! You beat Pakmar at deal!" Pakmar huffed. "How is crying Earth girl doing?"

"Wǒ dà jiào! Tāmen wēixié yào ná zǒu wǒ de gōngzuò!" Azami sputtered before burying her head into Jinafire's chest and sobbing some more.

"She is speaking Chinese," Jinafire explained. "Loosely translated, she is explaining what ails her. She is still upset."

"Why's that?" Bullfrag scratched his head. "You know, besides the obvious."

"Her family needs the money," Jinafire explained. "They are trying to save up enough money so that they can bring her brother over from China. They were separated when they were unable to obtain enough money to come to America before tickets became scarce."

"Ah, that explains it." the Incursean nodded before the Omnitrix timed out and brought Ben back to the world. "Well, Azami, I've got a nice tip waiting for you if you're willing to still be our waiter." he promised with a smile.

Azami sniffed and wiped her eyes free of tears before speaking. "Wǒ xiǎng zhè hěn."

"She said she would love to serve us." Jinafire translated before speaking to Azami herself. "You are also quite welcome to join us."

"If it's okay with Pakmar that is." Ben interjected.

"That is Mr. Pakmar to you!" Pakmar snapped. "And Ben Tennyson must pay extra to have waiter friend dine with him!"

"I'd be my pleasure." Ben smirked, digging in his pocket and pulling a stack of Taydens and shoving them into the small alien's hand; the diminutive alien's eyes widened upon seeing the stack and all but practically pushed Ben, Azami, and the ghouls back to their table.

---

"So, everyone enjoy themselves?" Ben asked as he and the ghouls strolled down the sidewalk; Rook had called earlier to say that the movie had taken longer than expected and that he had to return Rayona home before the sun rose on Revonnah, ensuring that Ben and the ghouls would be without a ride home. Neither party really minded this all too much; this gave them more time to simply talk and relax before they would turn in for the night.

"Other than the rude couple, it was rather pleasant." Gigi smiled.

"Speaking of rude couple . . ." Whisp frowned as a slightly familiar car came roaring down the road and screeched to a halt in front of them. The driver's door popped open and the man from the restaurant stormed out of the vehicle, water stains still present on his outfit despite having been dried for nearly an hour or so.

"You!" the man snapped. "Who do you think you are!?"

"You mean other than Ben Tennyson?" Ben rolled his eyes. "And before you launch into some senseless babbling, it's your fault you got kicked out of the restaurant. Even if I wasn't the one to throw you out, Pakmar wouldn't have tolerated anyone, even you, if it meant the majority of his customers were sent packing."

The man clenched his fists tightly before screaming at the top of his lungs and rushed at Ben, ready to punch him in the face. Before he could even attempt to do that, Jinafire swiped his legs out from under him with a swish of her tail, sending him to the ground where he was promptly pinned by Vandala and Nefera's swords pointing just an inch away from his face. "If I were you, ya scurvy bilge rat, I would turn yer ship around and head back to the deepest, ocean trench you crawled out of." Vandala threatened, inching her sword so close that the tip of the blade actually touched the man's nose.

"Now, I was being gentle with you and your date," Ben began, folding his arms across his chest as a broad smirk formed across his face. "My ghouls on the other hand, are not so gentle. And I could maybe . . . forget . . . the time they beat you up, dragged you off, and made you disappear forever." Ben tapped his chin. "I could possibly hold them off long enough for you to run away, but I can't make any promises . . ."

The man's face paled considerably as the ghouls all developed grins that were akin to hungry lions and tigers that just had the biggest, fattest, plumpest gazelle handed to them on a silver platter slathered in barbecue sauce. Stammering multiple apologies between fits of whimpering, the man scrambled to his feet and ran back to his car in a nervous wreck; the man broke several speed limits and possibly a world record getting out of there as fast as possible.

"That's what I thought." Ben grinned.

"Nobody touches our man!" Lilith roared into the night. "NO ONE!" she screamed.

"Or our girl." Venus and Robecca added, hugging Jane tight.

"Or my girl!" Whisp added before suddenly grabbing Nefera's face in her hands and pressing her lips to hers, wrapping her fingers around the back of her head and digging her fingers into the mummy's long locks and tracing her soft lips with the tip of her tongue before jamming it between them and down her throat, moaning softly as she slid her hands down around Nefera's waist and pulled her close, the genie having to stand on her tiptoes the whole time just to accomplish her sweet, sweet goal. By the time she had parted the kiss, Nefera was gasping for breath and Whisp had mischievous smile on her lips; Ben and the rest of the ghouls were starring at her wide eyed and slack jawed, almost unable to comprehend what had just happened.

"What . . . what just happened?" Nefera wondered.

"Whisp just kissed you big time." Ben responded, rubbing his eyes to make sure they weren't playing tricks on him.

"Why?" Nefera asked, her eyes nowhere but trained on Whisp with a blank expression.

"You have such a wonderful body," Whisp began, squeezing Nefera's left breast for emphasis; the mummy squeaked with surprise. "Also, you have such a beautiful face, even without your make up. And did I mention that you are totally awesome with those swords!?" Whisp grinned. "I've been trying to find someone that's as awesome as me for several thousand years; as you can imagine, being trapped in a lamp kinda limits my searching time, and Ben only ever seemed to fit the bill. But then you came into the picture and I was immediately ensnared in your beautiful eyes!"

"Well . . . this is a little sudden." Lorna spoke up after a few moments of silence.

"But not at all unexpected." Ben agreed. "I mean, with the way Whisp has been growing so close to Nefera and how she was practically latching onto her the whole time during dinner."

"I will admit that I did not see this coming." Gigi blinked. "And I'm her sister! Although I probably should have seen this coming, considering how crazy my sister is after being trapped in the lamp for so long. Longer than me even!"

"I-I . . . I don't know about this . . ." Nefera seemed to push Whisp away with her words.

"It's okay, Nefera! I can wait for as long as you need!" Whisp cackled happily as she soared up into the air and exploded into black, blue, and pink fireworks before reappearing in a puff of black smoke in front of Nefera.

"Well, we better get home before my Mom freaks out or something." Ben yawned.

"I call the spot next to Ben!" Spectra exclaimed.

"Ditto!" Bonita chimed in. "I-if that's okay with everyone." she added timidly. The ghouls and Ben made their way down the sidewalk towards Ben's house, talking about the past events of the night and about what they planned to do tomorrow; none of them noticed Nefera and Whisp following from a distance before Nefera stopped the both of them under a street lamp.

"Something wrong, Nefera?" Whisp asked with concern.

"Yes." Nefera nodded before swiftly grabbing Nefera and smashing her lips to Whisp's, hugging the genie tight against her body and purring happily when Whisp's arms slid across her back and across her sides before sliding down to her ass and pinching it slightly before Nefera broke the kiss and allowed Whisp to hug her, burying her face into the mummy's cleavage where she released a happy sigh. "Now everything is alright." Nefera smiled.

"I thought so." Whisp purred happily.

"Don't get any ideas though," Nefera said quickly. "This remains a secret until further notice, okay?"

"Whatever you, babe." Whisp sighed happily.

"I'm gonna have to carry you home now, aren't I?" Nefera cocked an eyebrow.

"Please?" Whisp pleaded, her eyes growing big and deep; it was like starring into the eyes of an innocent little kitten that merely wanted to curl up in your lap and be loved.

"Fine." Nefera surrendered. Whisp squealed happily and jumped into Nefera's arms, cuddling up to her new, secret love as they moved to catch up with the group.

And there we go!

Now lemme just say that the events of this chapter were actually inspired by something that happened to me. Long story short, I was at my local

Olive Garden and the waiter was trying to take our order when this elderly couple across the way tried to get his attention, even though he was waiting on us at the moment. Now I don't mean any disrespect to this elderly couple, but this got the idea in my head to see how Ben and the ghouls would react to even an even more disrespectful couple.

As for Nefera and Whisp, that's just where the story went. I mean come on, as soon as I wrote that little bit with Whisp during the dreaded chapter 44 (for those that have no idea what I'm talking about, be warned that the chapter has a massive amount of sex in it), I knew this was going to be a running gag that just happened. Love it, hate it, either way, I like it.

As always, comment, review, suggest, and request down below!

Hasta Luego!