Its currently March, and this is a bit delayed, but it's over... 2020 is over and done with... finally! Here's to us having a great new year and hope everything gets back to normal soon. And what better way to celebrate than a brand new chapter of this story? This is another cut one from the original that I skipped over, Birds of a Feather, so lets see how it plays out with monster girls included.
Following a tip Kevin gotten from the 'boys at the Auto Shop' again, Ben and his team drove along a highway to an overturned truck. Kevin was the one to open the back doors of it by absorbing the metal handle, and that's when a swarm of DNAliens bust out of it. They dogpiled Kevin, sending them down off the highway and rolling down the hill they were on, crashing into a tree. Gwen went to help him get out of the ball of aliens by using mana-steps for a birds-eye view, but more DNAliens appeared out of nowhere and shot acid at her, forcing her to retreat.
Kurumu, having taken her true form, flew around and kicked and knocked down DNAliens with her arms. "I told you this was a trap!" She said. She warned them, but Ben was like: 'Eh. Its a trap worth tripping.' The idiot. She had no idea why she loved him sometimes...
Kurumu was then shot at by laser guns from more DNAliens coming out of the forest when she tried circling around. It was a full-on ambush! Ben and Moka were out of the car like everyone else, but the other 3 were being overrun! Moka of course, realizing the danger, ran towards Ben so he could take off her Rosario, but she was flanked from all sides and fell on her butt on terror. Was it just her, or were the DNAliens getting smarter? Because before the cloak-smashing they did the other day, the humanoid squids never came at her directly or as quickly as they did recently. Or maybe it was on the Highbreeds' orders to keep an eye on her since with her true power, she can easily take out an army with her bare feet.
Either way, it spelled trouble because in her current state; she was about as useful as a Ripjaws on land.
Ben eyed everything carefully, and figured the best alien for the job was one he got from Yokai Academy, from an enemy. Choosing the alien and slamming the insignia down to trigger the transformation: "SPIDERMONKEY!"
After taking his chosen form, Spidermonkey jumped over the DNAliens surrounding Moka and used the webbing from his tail to wrap one of them. Once his target was caught, he swung it around in a circle to knock away the others', sending them off the road. Green acid came from the woods from the still-coming DNAlien reinforcements. Running into the woods themselves, while also being fast enough to nearly dodge the incoming spit; Spidermonkey climbed up the trees as quick as a monkey could then when he was high enough, he shoot webbing right into multiple DNAliens faces, stopping the barrage. Some of them tired tearing off the webbing, but it was too thick.
"EEH! EEH! Keep it on. OOH! OOH! It's good for complexion." The Arachnichimp quipped while hopping in place on the branch he was using. From his vantage point however, he saw another trucking coming and as you'd probably expected, it had more DNAliens. All armed. They fired at Spidermonkey, who jumped away as the branch he was using was struck and snapped by the incoming laser fire. He also saw Moka was surrounded again, but Gwen had stepped up to protect her. Even so, there was no way she could take on all of them by herself for long.
Maybe he should have removed the Rosario BEFORE jumping away...
"Spawn trapping... yeah, that's totally fair" Vampire Ben commented, finding this seemingly endless wave of DNAliens annoying. If Ben would've just chose him, he could EASILY turned this around in mere seconds. But noooooooo. He had to go alien. God forbid this human actually uses his brain and choses the best option, which was of course him. Spidermonkey heard these thoughts and mentally sighed. As he keep evading, jumping from branch-to-branch and tree-to-tree; one of the DNAliens thought ahead and blasted a branch that Spidermonkey was about to land on so by the time he did latch into it, it began to fall to the ground with him on it.
Kurumu, seeing Gwen and Moka cornered, went to swoop down to help clean house, but more laser fire from even more DNAliens came. She was able to evade easily enough due to her superb flying skills, but one stray shot hit the center of one of her wings! It made her cringe in pain, and while there wasn't a gapping hole in her wing, it was still burnt and sent the burning feeling throughout the rest of the succubus' body. Losing altitude and control, she crashed onto the road. She slowly began to get up, but also ended up getting encompassed herself!
All hope seemed lost, seeing this might be the last time they'd get to fight... that is, until a blue blur came out of nowhere, releasing a battle cry, and dashed through the legions of DNAliens with a fury of punches; saving Gwen, Moka and Kurumu. It was shown to be Spidermonkey, who landed on Kevin's car after finishing his attack, then leaped in the direction of Kevin who also needed assistance. Moka, including her inner self, noticed one key detail however... 'Where's the chest plate?'
After saving Kevin quickly, this time using some kind of midair kick combination that chained to each DNAlien, Spidermonkey landed protectively in front of Kevin taking a battle stance, daring the DNAliens to try and attack again. The DNAliens then fled, seeing as their ambush had backfired. A few of them even crowded into the newest truck, with one comedically chasing after it while screeching as if saying: "wait for me!"
As Gwen, Moka and Kurumu regrouped; Spidermonkey offered Kevin a hand to help Kevin up, which he accepted, and also thanked Spidermonkey, calling him Ben and commenting that he's never seen him fight like that before (which honestly impressed him)... but then noticed a second Spidermonkey rubbing his head, and THIS one had the Omnitrix plate on his chest, whereas the one in front of him did not. This left Kevin confused, looking back and forth between the 2 aliens. This confusion was also shared with the others'.
"... so if, your not Ben," Kevin began.
"Then who are you?" Asked Gwen.
(AN: Theme song.)
Chapter 8: Spidermonkey see, Spidermonkey do + Vampire
The space monkey didn't answer... at least, not in an understandable language. It merely made soft monkey sounds, but it did nothing to answer Gwen's question. "Ugh, not this shit again..." Kurumu groaned, as they already dealt with an evil twin thing before. Hearing her speak, the 2nd Spidermonkey looked in her direction. His four eyes widened for a split second, as Kurumu's face and eyes had sparkles dancing around in his vision, but then regained his composure and went over to Ben/Spidermonkey.
His reaction was noted. Gwen and Moka just stared, while Kurumu hugged herself. Kevin smiled, already thinking of a joke. "Always the creepy ones, eh?" He said, having heard the story of a certain group of fanboys; but Gwen elbowed him, effectively shutting him up.
"Are you alright?" The 2nd Spidermonkey asked Ben/Spidermonkey, helping the latter to his feet.
"Uh, yeah. I'm fine," Spidermonkey said. "But who are you? What are you doing out here?"
The 2nd Spidermonkey put all four of his hands on his hips. "Just doing what any fellow Arachnichimp would do in another's time of need."
"Well, I appreciate that. But..." Spidermonkey began, thanking the 2nd Spidermonkey for his assistance.
"And also," the 2nd Spidermonkey cut him off, then spoke in a low tone so only the two of them could hear it. "What are you doing with monsters? You know the rules, don't you?"
"Uh, what?" Ben/Spidermonkey got confused at that one. This alien knew about monsters? That was surprising in itself. But rules? What was he talking about?
"I mean; succubi are beautiful creatures, don't get me wrong, but if anyone were to find ou..." the 2nd Spidermonkey continued.
"Uh, yeah. That's nice and all, but... I'm not one of you," said Spidermonkey, cutting of his double then pressing his Omnitrix faceplate, turning him back to normal. "See? I have this thing called the Omnitrix and I..." Ben went on to explain.
"Can become any alien creature in the galaxy! Your Ben Tennyson, aren't you?" The 2nd Spidermonkey finished for him, apparently already aware of who Ben was and how he was able to transform. While this did come as a shock to Ben, it wasn't a total surprise either. Wouldn't be the first time he met an alien(s) who knew what the Omnitrix was, be it a group of heroes or prisoners on a detention center at the edge of the galaxy. Kurumu and Moka however; DID find this shocking.
"Do they know each other?" Asked Moka.
"I hope not" Kurumu softly said, still holding herself. The look this Spidermonkey gave her, or Arcana-chimp or whatever he called himself, freaked her out. Why was it always the weird crowd she attracted? Why not someone normal for once!
Ben shrugged off the praise from the Arachnichimp, though still welcomed it. This guy must be a fan which was again, nothing new. "Yeah. I get that allot," said Ben, then he got an idea. If this Spidermonkey was wiling to help them fight off the DNAliens now, maybe he can continue in the long run? They still needed a large attack force if they wanted to head back to Los Soledad. "Hey. If your willing, maybe you can help us stop those DNAliens?"
The Spidermonkey cocked his head a little to the right, and his 2 left eyes cocked as well. "DNAliens?" He asked, looking very confused and unfamiliar with the species Ben had just named.
"Something's not right here," said Vampire Ben, in a oddly serious tone he rarely used. Ben didn't know how, but he somehow felt his vampire self's eyes narrowing.
'What are ya talking about now?' Ben thought back.
"Out of ALL the times you've fought them, when was the last time the DNAliens ran away without at least putting up a fight first? The minute he shows up, then they run and scream like chickens?" Vampire ben brought up, which was a valid point. The DNAliens usually don't book it unless ordered to, if taken by surprise or if something strong threatens them. But even then, they still TRY to complete the current mission they are assigned before fleeing. "Come on, Ben. Your an idiot, but your not stupid," he continued, then added after a pause: "Least I hope not."
Ben thought about what his vampire half was implying. 'What are you saying?' He asked. Of course, he knew the answer already, but had to be sure. Even though this monster side of him was a part of his mind, he wasn't exactly easy to read.
"I'm saying be careful. And for once... just LISTEN to me!" Vampire Ben stated. "Something feels off... very off..." He warned. This would be easier if the alien before them had an energy signature like monsters did, then Vampire Ben could use that to his advantage. If they used this method the first time, those 2 idiots would have been able to tell Ben and Albedo apart without having to have Ben remove the Rosario and give the Galvan-turned-human a chance to fight back. Inner Moka used this, and Kurumu did to an extent (albeit subconsciously), but they all had their feelings used against them by Albedo's cunning to second-guess themselves.
It wasn't perfect, but it would've been something!
"Ben? Are you ok?" The Spidermonkey asked politely, seeing that Ben was looking out of it.
"Uh. Y-Yeah, so... you don't know what DNAliens are? Those things that just attacked us?" Ben said, covering up the fact he was talking to a version of himself.
"No and I'm sorry. I can't do anything more for you. I have something important I have to do" said the Spidermonkey.
"Well, you helped us... maybe we can help you?" Ben offered.
"Your everything they say you are, and more" the Spidermonkey said kindly, and also put a gentle hand on one of Ben's shoulders.
"Get his paws off" warned Vampire Ben in a threatening tone. This was mainly due to a vampires pride, but Ben ignored it, seeing no issue.
"If only there were someone who knew where there was a cryogenics lab around here..." the Spidermonkey continued.
"Excuse me?" Ben cocked an eyebrow. Did he hear that correctly? What would an alien monkey need to visit a place like that?
"Nevermind. Glad I could help you at least," said the Spidermonkey, deciding not to pursue his last question. After that, he climbed up a tree and jumped along others, leaving the team to watch him go. What a strange monkey.
-TIME BREAK-
An hour or so later, the team returned to Ben's house. In Ben's room, Kevin was looking over a piece of alien tech he found, and Ben was sitting on his open window looking outside. His mind was still on the Arachnichimp that saved them. He had so many questions. First of all, what was he doing all the way out there in the first place? Like it or not, his vampiric half brought up a good point. The second thing was why he asked about that laboratory.
But what Ben really didn't understand... where rules. What was that supposed to mean anyway? And how did he know about monsters? They were from a world parallel to this one, not another planet, so how did he know of their existence? Granted, Kurumu had taken her true shape at the time but even so, he knew what exact species she was. Unless this Spidermonkey was a member of the Plumbers or something, it didn't make any sense.
"How come you haven't asked me what this is yet?" Asked Kevin, as Ben was usually the first to ask whatever tech Kevin was tinkering with. Moka would to, surprisingly enough, but maybe that was just so she could get closer to Ben or something. Learn what his world was like compared to her's. Kurumu? She wasn't interested too much... least until Moka got involved. Those girl had feelings for him. Strong feelings. Even to Kevin, it was so obvious, that it was incredibly hard NOT to notice.
"The Spidermonkey... something's not right" said Ben.
"How ya figure that?" Asked Kevin.
"Comes out of the blue and saves my life. Everyone else's too" Ben answered.
"I repeat my question" said Kevin. Ben just shook his head once before looking out the window again. Kurumu and Moka warned him about this inner vampire he had, how dangerous he was in battle and such. And on top of it, it spoke to him like Ghostfreak did before his original body was destroyed, but he did have a point about that Spidermonkey; plus there were a few occasions the vampire DID end up assisting in some capacity, intentional or not. There was a piece of the puzzle missing, but Ben couldn't figure out where to put it.
Around this time, the other 3 members of the team walked in. Gwen had a smoothie with her, but the other 2 were emptyhanded. All three of them saw Kevin fiddle around with the alien tech he found.
"Oh? New toy?" Asked Kurumu.
"What is it?" Asked Moka.
"See, Ben? Your mistresses have a normal level of curiosity," he said before looking at the girls. "One of the DNAliens dropped it after scurrying off. Trying to figure out what it does."
Kurumu grabbed it before Kevin could react, studying the item in question, mainly because she wanted to get ahead of Moka but she was curious herself. "So what is it, some kind of alien baster?" She asked, thinking it was a kitchen gadget. Maybe she could use it in her own cooking when they get back to Yokai?
Moka then swiped it from Kurumu. "Don't mess with it! You could blow something up!"
Kurumu nabbed it back. "Oh yeah, because you know how to work this shit."
Gwen used her mana to gently take it out of the monster girls' hands and into her own. "Grandpa Max used something like this to clean his ears." She said, causing Moka and Kurumu to slowly glance at each other. Ear cleaner? For DNAliens? Gross... did they even have ears? "You press down on this and..." Gwen said, pushing a button on the bottom out the device.
Blop. HISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!
And a small hole appeared in Ben's bedroom floor. The monster girls couldn't even say 'eww' to this, that word wouldn't be strong enough. Each person nearby looked down into it before the majority of them looked at Gwen. "... guess they use stronger acid." Gwen finished, handing the item back to Kevin, who raises his hands in defense, not wanting anything else to do with it. It rolled on the floor, the monster girls lift their legs away from it so it could roll across the floor. It ended up next to Ben's foot, but he paid it no mind, for he was still looking outside.
-TIME BREAK-
Later that same night at 2:15AM, while the rest of the Tennyson residence was asleep, Ben himself was lying awake. While Moka and Kurumu each used a spare blow-up mattress to sleep in Ben's room (which they found comfortable by the way), Ben was unable to fall asleep in his own bed. He just stared up at the ceiling with his arms behind his head.
"Personally, I think grey is a bit too bland" commented the Vampire living in his head. The only response Ben gave was bringing his left arm around so he could stare at the Omnitrix nonchalantly. "Can't sleep either." He continued.
"You actually sleep in there?" Asked Ben with a cocked eyebrow, slightly interested.
"I mean... a bit cramped, but; ya get used to it" Vampire Ben answered. Ben didn't respond to that and just continued to stare upwards. After a few seconds of that however, he looked to where Moka and Kurumu were. Both were sleeping peacefully, which was kinda cute honestly, and it appeared to be a deep slumber for them both. Kurumu was wearing a gown of some kind, but thankfully it wasn't see-thru or anything. Moka on the other hand wore PJ's she bought from a shopping spree with Gwen and Julie a while back, which were pink and had bats all over them fittingly enough.
Sure they wouldn't get up, Ben got out of bed and the room itself as quietly as possible, closing the door as slowly as possible to ensure they DON'T wake up. He was about to do something really stupid, but didn't want either of them involved because knowing them, they'd WANT to get involved. Be it for doing the right thing, the thrill, or just simply wanting to be close to him. He took the form of Big Chill in the hallway and phased out of the roof, exiting the house without waking anyone up.
If only he noticed one of the blow-up mattress' moved ever so slightly right as he shut his bedroom door...
-TIME BREAK-
Moka began to stir in her bed, then sat up, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. She glanced at the clock. It was 2:45 in the morning... nowhere near the time to get up, but she was kinda thirsty. She thought about getting a sip or 12 from Ben, but waking him up might be rude. He probably won't say no to her, but it was still rude. Besides, there was some tomato juice in the fridge, seeing as she was the ONLY person in this household that drank it. Though still a bit groggy, she began to wake up a bit as she made her way to the kitchen. She got some of her favorite drink, got a small cup, and took a few small gulps before washing the cup and putting it back where she found it.
Of course, Sandra didn't mind if the kids left their stuff in the sink, but Moka couldn't do that to her. She was kind enough to open their home to her and Kurumu, so it was one of the least of things she could do. Once she went back to Ben's bedroom however, that's when her eyes widened! Where was Ben? How did she not notice he wasn't even in the room?! "Kurumu! Kurumu, Ben's...!" She went over to Kurumu's bed to try and get her up, but color her surprised to see her bed was empty too. In fact, unlike Ben's, she thought ahead and stuffed it to make it look like someone was still there.
"Where'd the hell they go?" Asked Inner Moka, sensing Outer Moka's distress and seeing through her Rosario eye that her pink-haired counterpart was left all alone.
"I... don't know..." Outer answered. This wasn't unlike Ben, for he'd go on missions with Gwen and Kevin, so he must have had a good reason... but Kurumu?
-TIME BREAK-
Big Chill landed at this cities cryogenics lab. He couldn't believe he was actually doing this, but that Spidermonkey mentioned a cryogenics lab before he left. This wasn't the only one in Bellwood by any means, but it was the closest one to where they met on that stretch of road. It wouldn't hurt to just check real quick, right? Ben learned that the hard way when they first met Morningstar...
"Just get a Mad Scientist Kit from Walmart. It's easier!" Said Vampire Ben, but Big Chill didn't bother to respond. He was about to move on in, but when he took a step forward, he tripped and groaned.
"What the he...?" He asked out loud, but looked at this foot and noticed it got wrapped up by... "Cords?" They originated from a nearby streetlamp, but how and why were they wrapped up on his foot? He was about to phase through it when he also noticed a pair of feet not too far behind him, which were wearing high socks and dress shoes. Hoping it wasn't who he thought it was, he continued to look up only to find his assumptions were correct. Standing above him was a certain blue-haired girl in her school uniform, wings and tail out (having followed him that way), and arms folded across her large chest while looked down at him with a not too happy expression. She was also tapping her fingers along one of her arms.
"Oh. Kurumu. What are you doing here?" Big Chill said nervously but trying to play it cool. While she wasn't as bad as Inner Moka when it came to how she deals with annoyance, she can still get pretty angry, especially when her Destined One does something without her knowledge and/or she's not part of it.
"Good question. Mind sharing?" the succubus snarkily answered; pulling the I don't know, you tell me card.
'I really should have gotten lessons from Mizore...' Big Chill thought before verbally answering. "Look, i-it's not what you think, I was..." he tried to make an excuse.
"Trying to sneak out and play Hero yourself?" Kurumu cut him off.
"No but... yes, well..." Big Chill fumbled, but that's when Kurumu took a step closer, still looking aggravated. The Mothman assumed she was gonna yell right in his face... but her expression softened and then hugged the alien, burying her face in his chest, making him cock an eye and look down at her since he was a few inches taller than her. "Uh, Kurumu?"
"She's right. You really ARE a doofus sometimes..." she said, quoting a name his cousin rarely calls him nowadays, but will use it when Ben does something dumb. "Ben. I worry about you, even BEFORE you admitted you were human," she admitted. "You can do so many amazing things, and you rarely need our help..." she continued, but it appeared she was talking about when they went to school together rather than the current war they were involved in. "... but I want to help you. Be there for you. Give you a shoulder to lean on. Push you back up when you go down. Your so precious to me, and I don't want you to di... you to..." she tried to get out, but it was pretty obvious to Big Chill what she was referring too. Admittedly, he still had nightmares about what could have happened if they didn't work together to save his life that day when he was powerless.
"Kurumu..." was all he could say. She looked up at him, and even though he was in alien form, she could see he was the same boy she loved in those large green eyes. In fact, a transparent image of Ben's face was overlaid over Big Chill's. The stared at each other for a bit, unmoving...
BOOM!
The moment was interrupted by the sound of an explosion and a loud alarm going off. Both friends looked in the direction of the sound, and deduced it was most likely coming from inside the lab. Inside, a familiar Spidermonkey ran away with a piece of equipment in his hands as 2 security guards chased him, but he was too fast. Four reinforcements came from the front to try and cut the intruder off, but the monkey used nimble fighting moves to knock them all down. First he kicked the first 2 from the set of 4, did a sweep kick to take care of those behind him, and finally jumped up and on the remaining 2 one-by-one before hopping away again. He tried using his tail webbing to swing up and away using a balcony, but a 7th guard thought outside the box and blasted it with a high-tech laser gun.
Sure it caused some property damage that was gonna come out of his paycheck, but it also caused the Spidermonkey to fall to the ground with nothing to support his weight. Shaking off the disorientation, he had no time to react when 3 more guards on each side of him began to close in on him.
SPLOOSH!
Out of nowhere; a giant, long body of ooze knocked the guards off their feet. This wouldn't hurt them, but it did knock them unconscious. The ooze then appeared before the Spidermonkey, having taken a human-like shape with a UFO-like device above it. Understandably, the Spidermonkey was in shock. "Its me, Ben," said the ooze-thing, which was Ben having switched to Goop thinking it would be more effective here. "What are you doing here?" Goop continued.
Before the Spidermonkey could answer, the 7th guard on the balcony took aim with his gun, targeting both aliens since they were so close together. He didn't notice that behind, a girl stared at him with narrowed eyes...
KICK!
"GAH!"
Both boys downstairs looked up at the sound of the noise, just in time to see Kurumu float down to join them. With how fast she descended, her skirt did go up for a few seconds. Goop didn't even see the guy up there! Kurumu really proved her worth this time around, considering what happened just now and outside before they went in. If she hadn't come along, one of them could very well have just died. She noticed the Spidermonkey's facial expression towards her, which came across as creepy and pervy, and pulled her skirt down farther out of embarrassment. She didn't mind if Ben was looking, but still...
"Apartar ojos, Boots!" Warned Vampire Ben, telling the monkey to avert his eyes in Spanish. Of course, he wasn't heard by anyone but Ben/Goop, though this did show a different side than what was normally expected of the vampire... he almost seemed protective in a way...
"Focus! Why are you here?" Goop repeated, waving a slimy arm in front of the Arachnichimp to get his attention.
"I... needed some equipment" the Arachnichimp admitted, getting back to his senses after being called out.
"For you, or your Banana?" The vampire snapped, still harping on the aliens earlier actions towards Kurumu.
"So... you just decided to take it?" Goop asked, rhetorically. He didn't even have to say what that sounded like.
"Oh no, I'm sure he's just borrowing it" Kurumu sarcastically remarked.
BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!
The trio were suddenly barraged by gun fire that they evade by moving their bodies in various poses from more security guards... with laser guns? Kurumu was caught off guard by this, thinking only aliens had access to advanced technology like that. Then again, with all the crazy shit that happens in this American town...
The Spidermonkey used his webbing to acquire one of the guns and aimed it at the guards, shocking Kurumu and Goop!
Goop: NO!
SPLOOSH!
Goop quickly encased the thieving monkey in his body, turning into a ball and bounced away out of an exit while the laser fire was still coming. As more guards came, Kurumu landed in front of them, which confused them... until invisible waves came out of her eyes. Seeing as all the guards were men, they stopped dead in their track and stood motionless. "So sorry about that. Can we just forget this ever happened?" Kurumu 'asked' in a sweet voice. Her response was all the men giving synchronized mumbles... their version of yes in their current states.
Goop wondered where Kurumu was by the time he bounced out, but saw her flying out seconds later. Seeing as they weren't being chased or shot at anymore... he didn't need to think twice about it. He owed her big time.
-TIME BREAK-
They took shelter in the desert by some large rocks for cover. They also made a campfire for warmth since it was a bit cold out. The Spidermonkey was looking over the piece of tech he "borrowed" while Ben and Kurumu looked right at him. Sure he may have saved them from the DNAlien swarm, but he appeared to be nothing but a thief. Maybe a bit like Aladdin in a way, seeing as he had enough morals to help them, but that was only because Ben was one of his kind at the time.
"What am I supposed to do with you? I do owe you, but your just a common thief" Ben said.
The Spidermonkey glared in Ben's direction, apparently taking offense to that. "How dare you!" He shoved Ben with both his right hands, pushing him into Kurumu. It wasn't too hard of a shove, so neither of them were hurt or fell to the ground.
Upon both of them recovering however, the agitated succubus, also having enough of the stares she had gotten from the monkey previously, responded by growing her nails out. "Watch the paws, monkey-boy!" She warned him, looking eager to tear into him as well. Both sides glared at one another, until the monkey's expression softened and he turned away, looking regretful for what he just did.
"No. I'm sorry. Your both right. I am a thief... but not a common one" he apologized, then added a statement that made the 2 friends cock an eyebrow each. "My name is Simian... Prince Simian." Kurumu was about to call bullshit on that one, not believing it for a second. A monkey of royalty? When does THAT happen? Ben even folded his arms across his chest, but the self-proclaimed 'prince' sat down and continued before either of them could say anything back. "Let me tell you my story: I come form a planet known as Aranhaschimmia. We have a legend of a warrior named Ja'Fred, who lead my people, the Arachnichimps, against an army of powerful aliens invading our planet..."
Both Ben and Kurumu listened carefully to Simian's story. Admittedly for Kurumu, while she didn't like this guy for his stares, she found it interesting to hear of another live forms culture. Heck, she was learning extraterrestrial customs at Ben's side before Moka did! Score!
"But it seemed hopeless. Weeks went by. Months even. We were outnumbered and no match for the invaders far superior tech. It appeared Aranhaschimmia, our home... was lost..." Simian continued the story, which appeared to be tragic, but he wasn't finished. "That is, until one night, Ja'Fred noticed a light coming from a cave. Inside, he found a crystal, which was refracting light from the enemies campfires. This cave, was actually a naturally-formed tunnel that lead to the enemies rear flank. Not wanting to waste such an opportunity, he lead his tired and beaten army through the tunnel and launched an last-ditch effort sneak attack. The aliens never saw the attack coming, and were forced to flee. Ja'Fred was able to save our planet... but it never would have happened without that crystal."
The tale sounded believable enough to Ben and Kurumu, but what did that have to do with Simian stealing from a lab?
"Ja'Fred was then crowned king of Aranhaschimmia, with the crystal becoming a symbol of our monarchy... Ja'Fred... was my father," Simian said, catching both succubus and human by surprise, then the aliens tone softened again to a more depressed tone. "But... he died suddenly just as I was finishing school, and I was of course next in line to be crowned... but then our crystal was stolen. My people thought it was a sign I wasn't fit to be king and take my fathers place... so I was exiled, and a military dictator took over. I took a ship and left..." Simian finished.
Both human and monster felt sorry for the monkey. Though Kurumu was having a hard time believing monkeys' could be royal... what room did she have to talk? This was an alien species, not a normal animal, so him coming from a society that one wouldn't expect this treatment from didn't seem too out there. Reiny was apparently royalty based on how he described himself, so Simian's story wasn't too big of a stretch.
"... So that's his origin story before meeting Dora..." Vampire Ben commented.
"So, that's why you needed the equipment?" Asked Kurumu, trying to make more sense of the situation.
"What are you going to do?" Asked Ben, having the same intent as Kurumu.
Simian clutched one of his four fists, speaking determinedly. "Prove I am worthy of the throne, AND my father's legacy! I'm gonna get that crystal back! I've managed to track it down near your planet so once I got off my ship... well, you know..."
Ben and Kurumu didn't need him to explain further, it was obvious what he was getting at. Talk about being in the right place at the right time! So if he never landed his ship when he did, he never would have been able to help them fend off those DNAliens. "Ok so, where's your jewel?" Asked Kurumu.
"Hidden in a highly secured fortress. That's why I need more equipment to help me break in. And also you should both pretend you never saw me. If I am caught, then I'll at least have gone down fighting for my people. Besides, I'm sure you have your own..." Simian said, telling them both where his stolen item was and where he was going. But as he was about to ask them to stand down, Ben offered his help.
"Wait. You don't have to steal anything else. Let me help you" Ben offered. Now Kurumu didn't have an issue with Ben helping Simian, that's just who he was and one of the many things she liked about him, always putting others before himself. Despite how she felt about this primate, she'll follow Ben wherever he goes.
"Sooooooo... your just gonna ignore the fact he almost killed someone?" Vampire Ben commented again, mentioning when Simian pulled a gun on the guards a while ago.
'Pipe down. He's just a kid. His dad's gone and he has to step up like...' Ben thought back, trying to explain Simian's point of view and how it mirrored him in a way.
"PLEASE don't compare him to you! That's completely fucking different!"
'But his mentor's gone.'
"YEAH! And YOURS is still alive!"
'*sigh* Why do I even bother?...' sighed Ben.
"Remember what I said..." Vampire Ben warned, reminding Ben of his concerns the first time they met Simian.
'Yeah, yeah; I remember' Ben said, blowing his other self off. Did he have a point? Yes. Ben wasn't gonna say he didn't, but it didn't seem like anything out of the ordinary at the moment. Simian was trying to get back what was rightfully his, was that so wrong?
-TIME BREAK-
It took some convincing for Gwen and Kevin, and Inner Moka wanted nothing to do with it though she was never heard by anyone except her Outer self, but the entire group was on board. Taking Simian's ship, they left earth and went to the moon. Simian briefed them with a map of the fortress that he had in his ships computer, telling them the best way to where the crystal was located. There were a few other pathways Moka saw and pointed them out, asking what those were, but Simian said they were just maintenance tunnels.
Once they dawned the proper suits so they could breathe (provided by Simian), a hatch opened at the bottom of the ship, which also had a downwards escalator built-in. The monster girls had to admit, this was pretty cool. They were most likely the first monsters to ever try something like this. The suits fit them too, though Kurumu's bust was the most noticeable; and it was kinda stretching out the suit in the chest area, but at it least it wasn't ripping.
"Yeah, I've had enough with moons after this" said Kurumu, having not mentally recovered from the last time they went to the moon.
"Can't argue with that, but what do we do with the extra arms?" Said Kevin, agreeing with Kurumu, then pointed out these space suits were more fitted for Simian's own kind due to the extra set of arms the suit came with.
"You never used to have a problem figuring out what to do with an extra set of arms..." Ben joked with a smile.
"Ha ha. Your funny." Kevin said, dryly.
Not far ahead was the fortress Simian was talking about. It was guarded by red robotic drones patrolling the front. "Those drones are the first line of defense. If their radar spots something, they make a beeline for it and explode." Simian explained. "I could dodge a couple."
"Good. Cause I can't." Ben said, as he couldn't use the Omnitrix in this suit. He and Simian looked at Kevin.
"Don't look at me. I gotta touch something" the older teen answered, as his powers won't work while in the suit.
The 3 boys looked at they're female teammates. Kurumu couldn't take her true form for that would cause complications to the suit itself, and Moka's Rosario was inside the suit with her. That left only one person...
Sliding down the rocky slope, the group took their chances with Gwen leading the charge, throwing balls of mana at the robots. The plan worked, the way was cleared for them to enter the facility, but more started coming from around the side. Gwen had no choice but to stay behind and buy them as much time as possible. Once inside, there was a mechanism on the wall that opened the door, but it was too heavy for Simian to move on his own, so the rest of the group pitched in and moved it with little effort due to their combined strength. The next room was thankfully a decompression chamber, so it allowed them to that off the space suits and breathe normally.
Kevin commented to was nice to be out of those "monkey suits"... meaning no offense to Simian of course, which the space monkey didn't take any. There was another mechanism like the one at the front, so they all pitched in again... only for an army of explosive drone awaiting them on the other side.
"SHIT! CLOSE IT, CLOSE IT!" Said Kurumu, the first one to notice. Thankfully they didn't open the door all the way, so the robots couldn't go through. Kevin took it upon himself to absorb the metal from the mechanism and distract the robots. As Simian tossed the Osmosian an old-fashioned walkie-talkie; he, Kurumu, Ben, and Moka continued onward; following the monkey's lead as he knew where to go. They came to a long hallway.
"Which way?" Asked Ben.
"It won't matter, it's all connected" Simian said.
"Fine, let's try left" suggested Kurumu. The group did just that...
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
Only for doors to start slamming shut from the ceiling above and block their path. "... ok, the other left" said Ben, so the group tried that...
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
Only for the same thing to happen in the opposing direction. To make matters worse, the ceiling above them began to slowly push down, threatening to crush them into moon pies! The four of them tried but even with human, alien and monster strength; raising this roof was a difficult task. "Nrgh! Can someone reach my watch?" Ben asked.
Simian tried as he was the only one with extra limbs, but he was on the far side across from Ben, with Moka being closer to Simian and Kurumu closer to Ben. "Too far!"
"Ben? Guys, ya there? Just checking in. Everything's cool on my end" came Kevin's voice from the talkie, having called in. Ben dropped out of instinct when he saw the ceiling was coming down. Worse: it was on the other side of one of the doors, so they had no means of getting it back.
"We hear you! Everything's NOT cool on THIS end! Get over here!" Shouted Ben.
"He can't hear you. You have to hold down the button!" Simian said.
"You have high-tech space ships, but shitty communicators?" 'Asked' Kurumu. Go figure. Aliens have incredible travel means, weapons that could cause explosions, but still relied on standard communication.
"Wait! I have an idea!" Said Simian, shooting some webbing from his tail at Moka's Rosario. Using one of his extra arms to yank it back...
Moka: OW, OW, OW!
Yeah... it didn't work. "S-Sorry," the Arachnichimp apologized. It was a smart move though, Ben had to admit. Inner Moka's power could be just what they needed, but his hand were nowhere near the item in question.
Beeping noises came from the Omnitrix, causing the others to look in Ben's direction. Did he let go of the ceiling?... No, but Ben was looking at said watch in confusion. "You can't..." said a voice in Ben's head, but before he could question it, the dial landed on a human-like shape and pressed itself down, making Ben glow in a flash of green light... was it just the group, or did the roof feel lighter? That's of course when they noticed Ben somehow, seemingly effortless, lift up the block trying to squish them, with one hand! He turned his neck back so he could look at them, and they saw that his eyes were dark green and his Omnitrix wasn't on his arm anymore. "But I can" he said with a cocky smile, showing off his strength.
That lasted for about 2 seconds when he was shown to struggle, and was then forced to use both hands like everyone else, moving them back to square one. "Ugh... yeah... this is really heavy," he admitted.
"Let ME out, you idiot!" Shouted Inner Moka, for if 'Ben' didn't waste time showing off, he could have taken off the Rosario like Simian attempted to and most likely their combined power would be more than enough to not only lift this block, but also perhaps cause the mechanics of it to fail and stop pushing down all together.
"Great. Not even the vampire can raise the roof" Kurumu commented.
"Hey! At least I'm helping!" 'Ben' argued, but even he had to admit this was bad. "If YOU have ideas, spill! Or we're gonna be Stuffed Pancakes for the maintenance crew!" He continued, for if this continued any longer, they were gonna be crushed. Literally.
"Maintenance..." Hearing 'Ben's' analogy about that gave Moka an idea, the vampiress gasping in realization. Back on the ship, Simian showed them a map of the facility, and there were a few small pathways on the map that Moka took notice of. If there were some around here, that was their ticket out! "The tunnels! Were there any around here?" Moka asked Simian.
"Grr... manholes are further down the hall!" Simian said, struggling to keep his strength up.
As 'Ben' was still struggling to lift the block, his eyes widened a bit. Holes... THAT'S IT! "Yo, succubus! Reach into our pants!" He told Kurumu, who snapped her head in his direction and gave him a sour look in response.
"Seriously?! This is no time to jack you off, asshole!" She snapped at him, not that she wouldn't mind doing that for the real Ben someday. If they could, the rest of the group would facepalm. Simian technically could, but was using all four of his arms as his life currently depended on it.
"Our pants, POCKET!" 'Ben' snapped back at her.
"For what?"
"Just trust me!"
"Even if I did, I don't have an extra limb!"
"Use your tail, you idiot!" 'Ben' ordered. Inner Moka even had to agree. While Kurumu didn't have an extra limb in the traditional sense, she DID have something than can be substituted for one. Of course, the succubus whined cause if she used her tail, that would mean whoever was behind her would have an exclusive view once the tail lifted up a certain article of clothing. If this was her human Ben, she wouldn't mind.
PRESS!
The block they were holding seemed to either get heavier, or they were getting weaker trying to hold it up. Either way, they were running out of time! "Kurumu! Just do it already!" Moka said, the fear of dying kicking in.
The succubus debated with herself for a few seconds. "... arrrrrgh!" She finally gave in, and reluctantly did as 'Ben' asked, trying not to imagine the perverted stare of the monkey across from her. She dug into the humans/vampires back pocket, ruffling out a few items: some loose change, Ben's wallet, a note from Julie (Kurumu had to suppress a growl), that weird acid ear cleaner, his house keys and... OOOOOOH! She got it now! Of course, she was unable to use it without a finger for pressing the button.
"Look alive, King Kong!" Kurumu said to Simian, tossing the item with her tail. It landed just shy of his right leg, but he quickly used his tail webbing to nab it and pick it up with one of his extra arms. Already knowing what to do with it, he sprayed a large portion of it on the floor behind him, making a large hole big enough for them all to get through.
"Alright, let's MOVE!" Said 'Ben' and with that, he summoned all his strength to push the block all the way up to the ceiling. This sadly, broke the gears inside that allowed it to go down slowly, and it was coming fast! But thankfully, the group had just enough time to get down the newly created hole, with Simian going first as he was closest. The vampire used his vampiric speed to nab Moka and Kurumu, narrowly escaping just as the slamming block almost caught Moka's long pink hair.
They ended up on the floor of the level under, taking a moment to breathe. After recuperating, they continued on their quest. "Luckily for us, you had this bottle of DNAlien residue remover" said Simian as he handed back the ear cleaner to 'Ben' with his tail. This gave 'Ben' pause, but he continued walking with the group.
Later on, they came up to a heavy-duty door that blocked their path. It also had a keypad on the side for ID's. "This should be easy for a vampire" said Simian, turning to look at 'Ben'. 'Ben' eyed him, and didn't move at first. Something really wasn't sitting right with him about Simian.
"What are you waiting for? Break it down!" Snapped Kurumu, having enough of this wacky experience and just wanted this mission over with. Honestly, fighting the Highbreed seemed so much easier. All this trouble for a space ape's jewelry.
'Ben' still didn't move, but eventually made a fist and rushed forward. He was just about to punch it when...
*Beep, beep, beep, beep... boop.*
FLASH!
POW!
...
...
...
Ben: OWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!
Ben had changed back to normal, shaking his hand around to try and shake off the pulsing pain. He held his wrist as he looked at his fist, which was cartoonishly inflating and deflating with each pulse. He glared down at the watch, knowing who was most likely responsible.
"You did that on purpose" Ben whined, though it was unclear if he was making comments to the watch, or whom was living inside it.
"Hey. Not my fault you have a fucking limiter" Vampire Ben said, which wasn't wrong.
Ben turned to the group, specifically Moka. "Think she'll mind?" He asked.
"Probably." Moka honestly answered, as her secondary self didn't like getting woken up unless absolutely necessary but even then, she'll still find a way to throw shade at the person who caused her purposeful or accidental awakening. Having no choice as they doubted anyone working here will give them a code, Ben released the third vampire on their side. Just like the rest of them, she wanted this over and done with as quickly as possible, so she kicked in the door, making a piece of it fall down off a steep bridge and making a delayed crashing noise.
"First the floors, then the robots, now I have to fix the door too! What yer guys problem?" Said a green alien waiting for them, holding a wrench as a weapon. He was a security guard apparently. Simian however, was undeterred, and rushed forward; also shoving the green man off the bridge, not caring that he was now falling and screaming to his death. As Ben's Omnitrix was still recharging, he had no way of saving the poor guy, but Kurumu was already sprouting her wings and dove off after him. She managed to grab him a mere second from greeting the floor.
"I don't supposed you'll tell me what's going on here?" Asked the guard, thankful that Kurumu saved his life but was wondering why a bunch of kids were here.
"I ask myself the same thing..." Kurumu said as she arose back to the bridge. From this guards actions, he was clearly inexperienced or unprepared for what was going on. Heck, if he was a guard, shouldn't he have something other than a common tool as a weapon?
Simian got into a large room with a crystal on a large pedestal. At last! He's finally found it! He tried reaching for it, but that's when he was electrocuted by 2 rods of a defense system at the base of the pedestal just as he was about to get his paws on it. Ben and Inner Moka, who chased down Simian the moment he ran off, arrived and saw he was in trouble. Even with her vampire speed, there was no way Inner Moka was gonna be able to help him without getting shocked herself, and Ben was still powerless for some time. Kurumu arrived a second later, and saw the same thing. Growing out her nails as far as she could, she swiped at the rods doing the shocking though Simian was already unconscious because of how long he was exposed to it.
Inner Moka and Ben were about to make a move when, "Wait." Kurumu suddenly said in a serious tone, getting their attention. She looked like she had a couple of things to say...
-TIME BREAK-
Simian didn't know how long he was out, but he felt he was gently shook by something. Coming to, he saw that Ben and his monster friends were around him. "Sim? You ok?" Ben asked. Simian looked around, and saw the power was out. The only lights came from the emergency lights around the room, and the crystal was gone from its original spot.
"Ugh... w-where's the crystal?" Asked the blue monkey, glad his allies were concerned about him, but more concerned about the crystal.
"Don't worry. We got it. It's in here," said Ben, showing a case that was small enough for the crystal to be in. "Found it in a storage room nearby, figured I'd put it in here in case of residual electricity or radiation."
"Ya know, we make a pretty good team, don't we?" Said Simian, reaching for the box that contained the symbol of his royalty, but Ben moved it out of his arms' reach, leaving Simian confused. "What?"
"That guard. He was just doing his job," Ben said, as that was still bothering him.
"Ben, I needed that crystal back, one way or another," Simian tried to explain his actions.
"That shouldn't matter, he wasn't trying to hurt anyone" Inner Moka interjected.
"Guys... there are more lives at stake back ho-" Simian tried to explain his actions.
"Then there were the humans back on earth. You were going to kill them too if Ben and I didn't step in" said Kurumu.
Simian appeared to be speechless. "... But... but, I..."
"What would Ja'Fred think?" Ben said, using parts of Simian's backstory to make a point, which got the Arachnichimp's attention. "He risked his life for you and your world, you think he wants you running around and throwing anyone in your way off bridges?" Simian turned away, unable to met Ben's gaze. "If your going to try and make your planet a better place, you can't start by murdering people on another! It makes you no better than those aliens that invaded yours" said Ben, adamantly.
Simian was silent for a moment before heaving a sigh. "Your all right... I never thought of it that way..." he admitted. "All I wanted to do was lead my people as good as my father... maybe even better... But in doing so, I let my emotions and pride get in the way and cloud my judgement. So if I don't put aside my principles to become a leader... I'll never be a good one... thanks, my friends" Simian thanked them, for opening his eyes to his mistakes.
"Your welcome," said Ben, then presented the case to Simian once more. With a smile, the alien primate slowly reached for the package again...
...
...
...
Kurumu's nails got in the way, shocking the monkey and making him recoil back. "Ya done?" She said, flatly.
With them calling out his bluff, the prince's face twisted into rage and gave a monkey-like screech before moving in to attack. If they weren't gonna hand over the crystal willingly, then he'll just take it by force! Since Kurumu was closer, she was his first target. She swiped at him, but he nimbly dodged thanks to his monkey-like reflexes, then punched her across the face pretty hard with his upper right fist, the other one aimed at her body. She ended up crashing into one of the electric rods, but thankfully there was no more electricity flowing through it. She was still a bit dazed however.
Becoming angry himself, Ben gritted his teeth. "Hold this," Ben growled, tossing the case to Inner Moka, who had to fumble with it a bit before actually catching it as she didn't expect it.
Once she saw what he was doing... "Are you crazy?"
Ben ran toward Simian and tackled the four-armed monkey into a wall, holding him there. Since Ben's watch still needed to recharge, he was forced to fight hand-to-hand, though this showed a side of him that neither Inner Moka nor Kurumu had seen before. He was fighting off a villain... without his powers... and doing a decent job too, for a human anyway. It also showed them how far he was willing to go when someone is hurt... even if he couldn't use his abilities to defend himself at the time. The only other time he did this was with Kuyo, and you'd think after an experience like that would make him hesitate... but no. He rushed forward anyway, guns blazing. It just caught the monsters' completely off guard.
"I told you something was up with this guy!" Vampire Ben said.
'Yeah... you were right...' Ben thought back.
"Ya need some juice? I got plenty?" The vampire offered.
'No thanks. THIS... is personal,' Ben claimed, and it was. "You don't deserve to be king!" He shouted at Simian.
"HA! You moronic human! I made it all up on the fly!" Simian admitted. Now that his cover was blown, he saw no reason to lie anymore. "The Highbreed said your an issue, but you were so EASY to fool! You AND your disgusting monster friends!" He continued, and calling his friends disgusting just made Ben angrier, and it was quite apparent on his face. So this is how he really thinks. "You know what this place REALLY is? An intergalactic communication center, and the crystal is its power source! Without it, no one across the galaxy can call for help as the Highbreed invade! And its thanks to ALL of you!"
So that's how it was! This guy didn't appear at the right place at the right time... it was a set up! That's also how he knew about Moka's Rosario when he tried to pull it off! He was hired by the Highbreed, and was using Ben and his friends from the very beginning! Simian was no king, he wasn't a run-of-the-mill thief either... he was a con artist! Rotten to the core, and will use ANYTHING and ANYONE to achieve his goals! Ben elbowed the "prince" across his face, and with surprising strength, threw him into a corner of the room. This was also done by his own strength, and not borrowing it from someone else.
"*whistle* Not bad, mister pro wrestler" that someone commented.
Despite the blow to his majesty's face, he arose back to his feet, though he was a bit dazed for a second. "No hard feelings, my friends; but that crystal is leaving here with me" he said. Kurumu recovered fully from his attack, and used her wings to swoop right at him, then tried swiping him again and again, about 5 times in a row. Just like before, he dodged each strike. However when he tried punching her again, she caught both of them in both of her hands and before Simian could use his other set, she Charmed him. Of course, she found this disgusting, but saw no other choice.
It worked and Simian stopped attacking, his eyes showing the Charm had an effect on him, so the group lowered their guard...
...
...
...
"Psych" he smiled evilly at them, his eyes almost immediately having changed back! What the...?! Simian shot webbing at Kurumu, and due to the force behind it, she was stuck into one of the upper walls, She struggled to get out, but it was very tight. But her Charm... why didn't it work?
Now it was Inner Moka's turn. Not that she cared too deeply for the succubus, but this monkey was clearly a threat. "Your turn." She said to Ben, tossing the case back to him and rushing at Simian. She tried kicking him, but he jumped up to the ceiling and shot a web at her. She lifted an arm, catching the webbing that way and yanked him down, catching him by surprise. Once he was in range, she punched him and he flew into a wall. Simian wasn't ready to quit, and turned Inner Moka's own strategy against her and yanked the webbing in the same fashion. Instead of pulling her close however, he spun her around before letting her go and she crashed into a wall herself.
"Hand it over, Ben. Only one of us is leaving with that crystal" Simian threatened Ben, looking at him once Inner Moka and Kurumu were out. Ben looked down for a second, seeing his Omnitrix was green now. Either it instantly recharged to protect him, or it just happened to finish recharging, he wasn't sure but it didn't matter. Humungousaur was probably his best bet but... maybe Simian deserved... a monster of an alien...
"Let's see what Vampire Me has to say about..." Ben began to say, going for the Omnitrix, but that's when Simian webbed his arm, preventing him from using it. Just like with Inner Moka, he spun Ben around, but instead he hit the pedsetal in the middle of the room. Ben dropped the case holding the crsytal due to the impact, along with him becoming frozen with pain.
"I don't think Vampire You has much TOO say..." Simian laughed, taking the case as was heading for the door.
"Oh, I've got PLENTY to say to you, banana-breath!" Vampire Ben said, not that anyone was able to hear him.
Kurumu saw this and summoning all her strength, she broke free of the webbing encasing her, and gave a battle cry as she swooped down after the monkey. Although not expecting it, he spun around and blocked Kurumu's deadly nails from stabbing him with his upper arms as the other set was holding the case. They were like sumo wrestlers, holding each other back with locked arms.
"Still mad I resisted your Charms? You don't think we've evolved since then?" Simian taunted her. Of course, she had no idea what he meant by that. Since then? Evolved? What was he talking about?
"We trusted you! Felt bad for you and you used us for those High-Bred assholes! Don't you know they'll destroy you too?" Kurumu said to him.
"You really think I care? You know what this crystal is even worth? It'll be a real steal when I'm done with it!" Simian said, revealing his motives. So this was all about a monkey and his money. "I really wish it could be different, dear succubus. But I've got places to be, and I don't have time to monkey around!"
POW!
Sucker punching Kurumu dead center in her face with a free arm, he forced her to let go and fall backward, then began to make his escape. Not wanting to waste anymore time, Simian booked it, also knocking down Kevin and Gwen in the process. He got back to his ship, but as Gwen and Kevin where chasing him, Ben and his 2 harem members stopped them, noticing one of them was in her unsealed form. Which meant one reason only: something serious must've just happened.
"Guys, it's ok! Let him go" said Ben as Simian's ship flew off into the void of space.
"Let him go?" Asked Gwen.
"Then how are we supposed to get home?" Asked Kevin.
"Luu's gonna loan us his shuttle" Ben explained.
"Uh, who's Luu?" Asked Gwen.
"The techy that runs this place. Kurumu saved his life and he told her what was really going on."
-FLASHBACK-
"Wait." Kurumu suddenly said in a serious tone, getting their attention. She looked like she had a couple of things to say.
"What's wrong?" Asked Ben, then he saw the alien that Kurumu saved walk in slowly behind her, still looking quite shook up form his close experience with death.
"It's a lie. He's been lying the whole time," said Kurumu, pointing to the currently unconscious prince. "This isn't some fortress. It's a communication center, and that crystal's been here since day one."
Inner Moka then spoke up, folding her arms. "I had my suspicions, especially when the other Moka heard him say he knew that ear cleaner was of DNAlien origin."
"He did?" Asked Ben.
"Oh... right. You were Vampire You" said Kurumu, remembered that Ben didn't recall anything while said transformation was active.
Ben then realized something. "Now that you mention it, he did try to remove Moka's rosary..." he said with fingers under his chin. Just how many more lies had Simian told them?
"Yeah... how DID he know that?" Asked Kurumu.
"That's not important right now. When he wakes up, he's gonna want that crystal, one way or another" said Ben, seeing as Simian had a habit of almost killing people. First the officers on earth, then this green alien in this place.
That's when Kurumu presented a suitcase-like object, and grinned evilly. "Leave that to me, sweetie."
-END FLASHBACK-
That was told as the group was walking through the moon base to Luu's ship in a hanger. So that was the truth about Simian. A con man. But he screwed up when his life was threatened first with the block trap, and then with the DNAlien ear cleaner, after claiming he DIDN'T know what they were. It goes to show if someone lies, its going to come out, sooner or later.
"The guys no prince either. Believe me," said Ben.
"But, now he has the crystal and..." Gwen was saying.
"You mean this?" said Kurumu with a smile, presenting to crystal in all its glory to the group.
"Oh, you little thief" Ben playfully joked with her, and she playfully giggled back. The only ones surprised were Kevin and Gwen.
"Wait... if SHE has the crystal..." said Kevin.
"What does he have?" Asked Gwen, finishing Kevin's question.
"Oh-ho, don't worry about that. He's gonna love it." Kurumu said, still smiling and walking onto the ship with everyone else to head back home to earth. Kevin and Gwen just looked at each other, shrugged it off, and joined the rest of them.
-TIME BREAK-
Somewhere back on earth, Simian was meeting with the Highbreed that hired him to deliver the package. "Seriously, that Tennyson kid was way overrated. Tricked him and his enitre team into helping me, and they didn't have the slightest clue" Simian gloated.
The Highbreed stood emotionless, appearing to not care about what Simian said, he just wanted the transaction completed. Then again, Highbreed rarely show emotion. "Sounds like you made a monkey out of him. No offense," said the Highbreed, who presented a case and opened it. It was filled with 3 bars of what appeared to be gold, but it had a glowing hue unlike normal gold.
Simian's eyes could only be described as dollar signs, eyeing the prize almost mouth-watery. "Oh-ho, offend me all you want..." he said, not caring for the pun and went for the case with the gold, but Highbreed slammed it closed before the 'prince' could get his hungry paws on them.
"First... the crystal, as we agreed" said the Highbreed in an intimidating tone, not going to part ways with the cash unless payment was exchanged.
"Uh... y-yes, of course" said Simian, a little nervous. While they had an agreement, this alien could still very easily tear him apart if pissed off. Going back for the case he stole from Ben and his monster groupies, which Simian hid nearby with he awaited his client to arrive, he walks back and hands it to the Highbreed, who opens it.
...
...
...
He was looking at it in silence, not closing it and staring right into the box. Maybe he was admiring its beauty? He then slowly turned his head back down to Simian. "... Is this some kind of joke?" He asked, sounding a bit annoyed.
Simian cocked both sets of his left eyebrows. The crystal was inside, what was he talking about? "Uh... a joke?" Asked Simian, who then hoped up on a nearby rock to get a view of what was going. "What do you mean a jo...?" He didn't get to finish his question, for what he saw inside made his eyes widen. If that wasn't enough, the Highbreed slowly pulled out between pinched fingers... a pair of women's panties. Simian couldn't believe his eyes! All four of them! Simian backed up and trembled in fear, and fell off the rock and tumbled to the ground as the shadow of a not-so-happy Highbreed loom over him.
The con man... got conned.
"What sort of monkey business were you up too? You were supposed to get the crystal" said the Highbreed.
"I-It's all a big misunderstanding. J-Just a mistake..." Simian pleaded with his employer.
"Yes..." said the Highbreed, dropping the case. He still had the underwear in his fingers until he discarded it to the side. "Trusting you certainly was," he continued the Highbreed, as he raised his arm to attack. Simian closed his eyes and braced for the pain that would follow...
ZAP!
From out of nowhere, 2 beams of energy hit Simian's body. A feeling came, but it wasn't pain. Quite the opposite actually. Simian also felt his body morphing, but couldn't explain it. It felt like energy, strength and... rage. The Highbreed couldn't explain it either, as he was shocked himself as Simian's shadow now loomed over him. Opening his eyes, which glowed and he now had 3 pairs for some reason, Simian gave a gorilla-like roar before the camera clipped away as a quake-like effect shook the screen.
Watching this from not too far away was someone wearing an odd piece of equipment, someone who Ben had fought not too long ago. A tall, muscular man with white hair, pleased by his handiwork. He then approached, seeing what he had just created. Yes! It was a success!
Simian, or at least what used to be Simian, saw the man and still under the effects of whatever happened, charged over to the man to attack him, but the man showed no fear and didn't move a muscle. Either it was luck or Simian came to his senses, the enraged primate stopped. He then looked at his hands, which were much bigger and filled with muscle. He also noticed he was hovering in the air somehow, but that was actually due to actual spider-like legs coming out of his back. His body was also no longer a monkey, but a gorilla shape.
"Wha... What happened to me?" The alien questioned, his voice deeper than it once was. This didn't make any sense. He then eyed the human below him, having a feeling he was somehow responsible. "What did you do?... Who are you?"
The man smiled at him. "Not to worry, my dear simian; I'm a friend," said the man, though he appeared to be using 'simian' as the scientific name of apes rather than addressing him by his actual name. "In fact, I think we can help each other..."
You might notice that events were slightly altered from the original CAPU2's flashback, also giving more context to what exactly happened. You may also notice Kurumu had a more prominent role in this chapter. This is cause for Simian's eventual return, he'll have more of a reason to go after Kurumu as he does in CAPU2. Hope you enjoyed, and I'll see ya in the next chapter.