NOTE: Welcome back! Sorry, this took so long to update! I will be giving this story a lot more of my focus since I want to finish this season before the end of the summer. Which is funny considering that in-universe this season is around the time of summer's conclusion.
Soon Yukiko will be heading back home to Inaba.
Enjoy and Review!
Chapter 57: Secret Filled Saturday
"The TV World!?" Yu and Naoto exclaimed, staring at the detective's computer screen. The two were currently sitting in their hotel room, partaking in a video chat with Yukiko and the Tennysons. The Persona users watched as both Gwen and Yukiko smacked Ben in the head for the abrupt way of telling it.
"We were supposed to build up to that, doofus!" Gwen hissed.
"What's the point!? We were gonna tell them anyway!" Ben defended himself.
"It's the matter of the situation, Ben. This isn't easy to talk about." Yukiko tried to explain to him, but the boy wasn't having it.
"But it's fine! Grandpa's fine, we're fine, just stop trying to be cryptic!"
Naoto felt a headache coming as she watched the three descend into an argument. It was, in her opinion, a pretty stupid argument, but she'd gotten used to hearing those when it came to Chie and Yosuke. "It says a lot when even Yukiko-senpai is dragged into the dumb arguments."
Yu shrugged, finding Yukiko's irritated expression cute. "Well, it's just a different side of her that they bring out. I don't think that's bad at all."
"You wouldn't say the same if it was Chie-senpai and Yosuke-senpai."
"Of course I wouldn't."
"I think that's enough arguing." Max came onto the screen, stopping the childish argument from escalating further. The ex-Plumber looked at the camera and smiled at the teens. "It's good to see you kids again. Are you guys doing all right?"
"We're doing just fine, Tennyson-san." Yu answered.
"And Grandfather is doing okay as well." Naoto added. "But I think we're much more concerned about you and your recent adventure."
"Any lasting effects of being in the TV World?" Yu asked.
Max hummed, thinking over the question. "Well, I was a bit tired for a few days. Though, that comes with my age anyway."
"That's normal for someone after their initial experience with the TV World. It happened to all of us after being saved." Naoto explains. "Did you acquire a Persona?" Naoto asked next.
Max shook his head. "Nope. Yukiko explained it as the one who once ruled over that world has long vanished, so the ability to gain one no longer exists."
"Could that be true?" Yu questioned mentally. "I do remember Yukiko telling us that Tennyson-san had encountered a different group of people who he assumed were using Personas. But if they gained the ability to use them in the same way we did has yet to be seen."
Naoto sighed in relief, the last thing she ever wanted was for anyone else to ever experience the pain of the TV World. If what the Tennysons experienced truly was the last time it happened, then she was more than fine with it. "That's more than fine, and we're happy to know that you're all okay."
Ben, who was still making funny faces at Gwen, stopped to look at the screen. "Since we got all of that out of the way, what about you guys? Did you find anything super cool yet!?"
Yu smiled at the boy's enthusiasm. "Not yet, but we're heading out to the mountains today to get started on our hunt. We'll find out if this 'Bigfoot' is real or not."
"Cool!" Ben grinned. "I wish we could do something exciting!" Right after he said that, police sirens started to get louder as police cars drove past the Rustbucket.
"Seems you got your wish." Gwen smirked.
"Grandpa! Let's go!" Ben jumped away from the table to reach the front seat.
"Alright, Ben, make sure to buckle up!" Max hurried to the steering wheel.
Yukiko turned back to her friends. "Looks like we have to go, but make sure you guys be careful if something really is out there, okay?"
"We should be saying that to you, honestly. Your family has a much higher knack for getting into some crazy danger." Yu responded.
"Yes, but we face those dangers together. Like, a team."
"And what a powerful team you've got." Yu loved the look of love Yukiko had in her eyes. While some of it was aimed at him, he knew a lot of it was also for the Tennysons. It reminded him so much of how he felt when it came to Nanako and his uncle.
He really wanted to see those two again soon.
"Yukiko! C'mon!"
"Coming, Ben!" Yukiko responded to him before addressing her friends again. "We have to go, bye!" The video call ended with that goodbye, leaving the two to themselves.
"Honestly, I'm pretty happy that I'm not with them at the moment. It's like every single minute, they're stopping some robbery or high-speed chase." Naoto recalled her brief time with the Tennysons.
"I'm sure you had fun." Yu responded.
"Try dealing with Benjamin for more than an hour, then say that again." Naoto said, though the smile on her face spoke volumes of the fondness she held for the boy.
The door to the room opened, revealing Kenji Shirogane. The old man was dressed as he usually was, except this time he had a large backpack of supplies on his back. "So, how were the Tennysons?"
"Just fine, Grandfather. Other than having to stop another crime." Naoto answered.
"It's good to stay busy in this day and age. You kids are too used to sitting around rather than getting out and about." Kenji jokes.
"After last year, I think we've earned some time to sit around." Yu said, getting up from his seat.
"Well, that won't be today. We've got an adventure waiting for us!" Kenji declared.
"Right!" Yu exclaimed.
"Woo hoo." Naoto said lamely.
OP: Glory by BAND-MAID
A stream of stardust appeared, flowing like a peaceful river. The stardust joined together into a string of green DNA, twisting together before entering a single star. The star exploded in a blinding flash of light.
Trapped in conventionality, even denials are obvious!
The light disappeared to reveal Ben, who was busy playing his handheld game. His headphones placed over his ears as he engrossed himself in Sumo Slammers.
(That, there, this, whichever - Hey, isn't it true?)
A green flash changed the image to show Ben now preparing for battle. His eyes filled with a strong sense of confidence. His hand hovered over the Omnitrix's dial, ready to transform into Four Arms.
Why is it before you wake up you build a wall, saying it's impossible!
The scene switched over to Yu Narukami, the Fool was dressed in his Yasogami High uniform. He was peacefully making his way through the streets with his school bag draped over his shoulder.
(No discussions, no ideals)
This time a tarot card shattered the screen to reveal the teen now in his battle stance. His eyes were brimming with determination, his sword gripped firmly in his hands. Electricity bristled around his blade like a static coil.
Calling, calling, calling now!
The Omnitrix, Gwen's spellbook, and Yukiko's fan all popped up with each 'calling' that was spoken.
Even together, it's not the same!
Yukiko and Gwen were next to appear by each other's side. Yukiko was dressed in a pink apron with pink mittens on her hands. In her hands was a pot of disgustingly boiling purple liquid that threatened to spill out.
Gwen floated in the air, her spellbook in hand. The young girl was comfortably curled up as she read the book to herself.
Break yourself though, go way!
A tarot card shattered the screen again, showing that the girls were now battle ready. Yukiko's smile was dangerously beautiful, her left arm was raised into the air while the right held her fan, pointed right at the screen. She stood with the grace of a maiden, but a threatening aura could be seen on her.
Gwen was still floating in the air, her hands were extended outward, brimming with pink mana. The young sorceress' eyes were bright pink, burning a fierce intensity with a cocky smile.
Even if you lose your way, keep moving forward!
Max and a young chubby boy were up next. The ex-plumber was dressed in his fishing gear, a long green rod held in his left hand and a bucket of worms in the right.
The young blond chubby boy stood nervously next to him. His eyes looked everywhere but straight, his knees buckling with fear.
Our desires won't be stopped!
Another screen shatter brought forth a change from them both. Instead of his fishing gear, Max was wearing a grey exo-suit with blue markings on the suit's visor. His gauntlets vibrated with power, an excited grin making its way to the elder's face.
The chubby boy was even more different. Instead of his usual nervousness and fear, he hovered in the air, covered in blue energy. His eyes were completely white as his hair raised from the power radiating off of him, the boy almost looked omnipotent.
Oh, ah!
Mount Rushmore was the next thing to appear, but the screen cracked like glass, revealing that half of the National Monument had been utterly destroyed.
The whole wide world! Let your emotions spill!
Standing in front of the bright red background was the Forever King. His large frame towering above everyone else. Right under him was a ninja-like robot with a brown exo-frame. Surrounding them were 8 other silhouettes, blackened out, leaving their identities a mystery.
Keep rewriting, only glory!
The screen shattered once more to show a wide shot of the Tennyson family clashing against the Forever King and this new force. Ben was facing against the king, while the girls and Max were going against the other silhouettes.
If we're together! We can seize it! The war is just beginning!
Finally we have the Tennyson family standing together in front of the Rustbucket. Yukiko and Ben stood in front, her arms draped over his chest, holding the boy close to her. All of their wide smiles could be seen as they enjoyed being with one another.
The final shot was of the spinning Omnitrix, before the dial pressed down to envelop the screen in a blinding flash of green light.
Naoto took off her hat, wiping away the sweat on her forehead. Blue orbs gazed up at the radiant ocean color, almost clear of clouds. The detective found herself thinking back to the vast space that laid just beyond their blue sky. Such an epic battle to decide the fate of the entire planet had taken place out there just a week ago. She truly couldn't find herself being able to move past it, unlike the others involved, who treated it like any other normal day.
Well, she supposed that for the Tennysons, it really was like any other day.
For her, it was a mind blowing experience that easily matched the extraordinary year that plagued Inaba. She fought extraterrestrial beings, went to space (something she's wanted to do since childhood), and broke into NASA. The childlike part inside of her was giddy for another high action advent-
WHACK!
"Guh!" Naoto grunted after getting whacked in the face by a branch. The detective fell on her rear, rubbing the spot on her forehead. The masculine head of her senpai reached out to help her back up. Taking it, she let out a small huff of annoyance.
Instead of another massive adventure, she was exploring a mountain range to search for Bigfoot.
"It's been 4 hours, Grandfather. Are you sure we didn't lose the trail?" Naoto asked.
The elderly detective glanced back at her. "You know better than to doubt my sources, Naoto."
"I'm not saying the sources are wrong. Just that you took a wrong turn."
"Unlikely." Kenji rebuked. "Reports claimed that tourists and hikers had spotted a large creature that barely resembled a bear. Its limbs were too long and it was much taller than a grizzly bear. There were also mentions of strange unintelligible noises coming from it."
"Do you think it could be an alien?" Yu asked.
"Potentially, and at the same time it could be something else entirely. We shouldn't dismiss anything that comes up." Kenji responded.
"I know we talked about it before, Grandfather, but when we do find it-"
"We wait to see if it's truly hostile or wishes to be left alone. If it seems like this is its territory, then we tell the authorities to put up warnings. If not, then you kids'll fight it." Kenji explained.
Yu nodded. "Sounds like a plan-" He stopped suddenly, catching his companions' attention. His eyes darted off into another direction.
"Senpai?" Naoto asked, confused by his actions.
"Something's coming." He said, putting the two on alert.
"How can you tell?" Kenji asked.
"Let's just say I developed a sense for detecting abnormalities." Yu answered, reaching for his sword.
Holding her pistol in her hand, Naoto kept close to her grandfather. "Do you think it's our target?"
"Maybe, but I can't be sure." Yu replied.
A tense atmosphere settled between the three as they waited for whatever it was Yu had sensed. The bushes around them rustled as something rushed through them, tempting the three to take several steps back. Sweat trickled down Naoto's face as she prepared herself for the potentially dangerous creature that exited the bushes-
"Hiss!"
Three sets of eyes blinked at the creature that emerged from the bushes. In front of them was a six-foot long large dark green reptile with red beady eyes. The lizard stared at the humans with an analyzing look before hissing at them again.
"A komodo dragon?" Kenji questioned. "What is one of those doing out here?"
Yu carefully approaches the komodo dragon, much to Naoto's worry. "Senpai, I don't think it's safe to approach that thing." She didn't notice how the lizard twitched at being called a 'thing'.
The Wild Card shook his head. "It's fine, I don't mean any harm nor do I think it does either. If it did then it would've attacked already." With an odd level of carefulness, Yu kneeled down in front of the komodo dragon. "Hey, I guess you're a long way from home aren't ya?"
The dragon didn't respond, simply staring at the human. It was only once Yu had gotten closer that the komodo hissed loudly, vanishing from sight. The disappearing act caught all three off guard. "What!?"
"Nice one, Komodo!" A young boyish shout came from the bushes. Suddenly a brown, three fingered claw shot out at Yu. Thanks to the teen's trained reflexes, he caught the claw with his hand and yanked on it hard.
"Woah!" Flying out of the shrubs was a young boy with brown skin. He tumbled across the ground in front of the group, giving them a better look at his appearance. His hair was strange, black with a spiky tuff of white hair on top. He was dressed in yellow sweatpants, an orange shirt with an "S" on the front, and a black undershirt. In his hands was a weird orange staff that was connected to the claw in Yu's grip. From Yu's perspective, the boy looked to be around Ben and Gwen's age.
Grumbling to himself, the boy quickly got back up. "Hey, no fair!"
"Not fair?" Yu questioned. "Says the kid who attacked me first."
"Oh yeah? Well, let's see you handle this one! Komodo!" The boy shouted. His shout was the only warning Yu was given to release the claw and dodge the invisible komodo dragon that tried to tear his face off. With his grappling claw free, it retracted back to the staff to give the boy free use of it again. "Fiskerton!"
"Woo!" Naoto felt the hairs on her neck stand up, alerting her of danger. She pushed her grandfather out of the way as a large creature almost crushed them from above. Looking back at it, she took in its features.
The creature she assumed was this "Fiskerton" was an eight-foot-tall gorilla-like creature. It had tawny fur that got lighter around his neck, face, hands, and feet. His red eyes stared down at the two, his sharp teeth glistening in the sun.
"Is that thing some kind of alien?" Naoto questioned.
"I'm not sure, but it definitely wants to hurt us!" Kenji and Naoto hurried to their feet to avoid getting hit by Fiskerton's fists.
"Naoto! Kenji-san!" Yu tried to hurry over to them, but the boy and komodo dragon got in his way.
"Not so fast, bowl-cut! You're dealing with us!"
Yu grabbed his sword, however he didn't remove it from the sheath. "Look, kid, I don't want to hurt you."
The boy gave a cocky smirk that reminded Yu of Ben. "Too bad, because I totally want to hurt you! I'm getting sick and tired of you stupid knights!"
"Knights?" Yu questioned before blocking a strike from the boy's staff. The Fool refused to attack a kid, so he settled for blocking each of his attacks. It surprised him just how well the kid knew how to fight with a staff, as if he was trained to fight with it.
Naoto moved her grandfather out of the way and shot her tarot card. "Megi-"
"Naoto, don't hurt them!" Yu ordered her as he moved to avoid getting swiped by the komodo dragon.
The detective turned to her ex-leader. "What!? Then what am I supposed to-" She dodged a grab from Fiskerton. "Fine! Tempest Slash!" Yamato-Takeru striked the ground between herself and Fiskerton, causing dust and dirt to cloud his sight.
"Gyah!" Fiskerton cried, attempting to wipe the residue from his face.
"Fisk!" The boy cried. Yu took this distraction as his chance to trip the boy up, and pin him to the ground with his foot. "H-hey! Get off!"
"Not until you've all calmed down-woah!" Yu ducked out of the way to avoid getting bit by Komodo. Using his sword, Yu blocked the lizard's bite from reaching him.
Thinking quickly, the boy activated the grappling part of his staff, shooting the claw towards a branch. With a strong yank of his arm, he ripped it off the tree to whip the branch into Yu's face.
Luckily for the Wild Card, he noticed the action and jumped back to avoid the sneak attack, allowing the boy and Komodo to regroup with Fiskerton, who was now getting the dust out of his eyes.
"Just who is this kid?" Kenji asked, coming up to the teens.
"No idea, but I'm starting to think we found our 'Bigfoot'." Naoto motioned towards Fiskerton.
"He does match the description of the reports, but then that would mean this boy is behind all the scare so far." Kenji said.
"What do you think, Senpai?" Naoto asked.
"I don't know about them, but I do think there's more going on here than we know." Yu responded.
"What do you mean?" Kenji asked, curious.
"The boy mentioned something about knights, and the only knights that I can think of are the ones that Yukiko and the Tennysons told us about before."
"The Forever Knights…?" Kenji hummed. "If the knights were involved in some sort of business then it would be best to get to the bottom of it."
Yu called out to the boy and creatures, gaining their attention. "Hey! Look, we don't know what's going on here, but we aren't who you think we are! We're not with-"
"Shut it!" The boy cut him off. "Even if you're not dressed like them, who in their right mind would walk around with a sword other than a knight?!"
…
"I'm starting to get Benjamin flashbacks…" Naoto groaned.
"Do I really look like a knight?" Yu asked, concerned.
"Of course not!" Naoto exclaimed.
"Young man, we're not here to cause trouble. We're here to search for a creature-" Kenji was interrupted by the claw getting shot at him, grabbing his wrist.
"Knew it! That's all I needed to know!" The boy pressed the button, pulling Kenji towards them. Until a rubber bullet shot past his head, scaring the brat enough to release the old man.
"I suggest listening. or else I'll have to start dishing out my own brand of punishments!" Naoto growled.
"I don't think you needed to go that far." Yu sweat dropped.
"Brats like him don't listen unless you get physical."
"Why do I feel like you're referring to Ben?"
The boy glared at them, ready to continue fighting until something flew down between the groups, causing him to pause. Confusing the group even more was the prehistoric creature that had just touched down. It was a teal and green Ornithocherius with black wings and purple eyes. It was about six feet tall with a very wide wingspan.
"What the!? Zon!?" The boy gasped.
"Zon?" The teens and Kenji were utterly lost in the situation.
"Squah! Squah!" Zon screeched loudly, making the boy, Fiskerton, and Komodo panicked.
"Ah, crud!? They're here!?"
"ZAK!"
Behind Zak and his brothers, two clearly adult figures entered the clearing. The first was a tall dark-skinned African American man with black hair that had a streak of white down the middle. His eyes were of different colors, his right eye is pale blue and the other is dark brown. Over his right eye was a lightning shaped scar. He was dressed in an orange vest over a full-length black bodysuit, an orange belt, gloves, and knee-length boots.
The next person was an adult white woman of slender build with long pale blonde hair. She was dressed in a full-length black bodysuit worn underneath an orange vest that reaches down to her mid-thighs, orange elbow-length gloves, black boots, and an orange utility belt. A sword was also strapped to her back.
"M-Mom!? Dad!?" Zak cowered as his parents loomed over him.
His mother grabbed his shoulders, looking the boy in the eyes. "Zak! What have we told you about running off on your own, especially with danger lurking all around us!?"
"I know, I know! But I have a perfectly good reason!"
"Then explain?" His father requested.
"I'm just busting those Forever Knight guys we're running after!" Zak and his brothers pointed at our main group. His parents eyed the three for a brief moment before giving their son a dead stare.
"Zak…those aren't Forever Knights." His mother said.
"What!? But he has a sword, it's totally knight-like!" Zak pointed at Yu.
"Wrar!" Fiskerton agreed.
"Boys…" The father sighed.
"We'll talk about this later." The woman said to the three. She then turned to Zon. "Good work, Zon."
"Squah!" Zon squealed happily.
Looking over at Yu and the Shiroganes, the parents approached them. "We'd like to apologize for our boys there, they tend to get a bit excited."
"It's no problem, miss. We're just glad nobody got hurt." Kenji replied.
"I think it's best if we introduce ourselves. My name is Doc Saturday and this is my wife, Drew Saturday." Doc introduced them. "Behind us is our son Zak, Fiskerton, Komodo, and our daughter Zon."
"My name is Kenji Shirogane. Next to me is my granddaughter Naoto and her friend Yu Narukami." Kenji returned the introductions.
Naoto looked at the kids. "Those are your kids too?"
"Adopted, but they're our kids all the same." Drew answered with fondness.
"Again, sorry for all the hassle our kids gave you. But we must get going." Doc and Drew turned to leave until Yu spoke up.
"Excuse us!" His call got their attention. "It may not be completely in our place to bring it up, but we heard that you guys are dealing with a group called the Forever Knights."
"And how would you know about that?" Doc asked.
"An old colleague of mine and his grandkids have had a few encounters with this group. And it's unfortunate to say that I am also familiar with them as well. If you're going against them, then we would like to help." Kenji explained.
The Saturdays glanced at one another before turning back to them. "And how exactly are you familiar with them?" Drew asked.
"Considering what my previous career was, I know that the Forever Knights are an organization that specialize in collecting alien technology and exterminating anything not from Earth." Kenji explained. "So, why exactly are you after them?"
"Alien?" Zak raised a brow. "I thought they were after Cryptids."
"Cryptids?" Naoto repeated.
"You're not wrong, Zak, neither are you Mr. Shirogane." Doc brought up his gauntlet, activating a projection screen. "The Forever Knights are a separated organization of human supremacists. Anything not human must be captured, experimented, and terminated."
Even after knowing all of that, Zak and his siblings felt uncomfortable knowing that they'd be targeted by such a group. It was one thing dealing with the threats they already deal with, but supremacists would stop at nothing to get their 'perfect' utopia.
"Yukiko did mention that they tried to kill Ben when they first encountered the knights." Yu said to Naoto. Things like discrimination and bigotry disgusted them, there were long lines of groups like this throughout history. It didn't matter what the reason was; there was no excuse for hurting others because of your own fears or beliefs.
"And to answer your question, Cryptids are animals that may or may not exist." Doc explained.
"So, those three over there." Naoto looked at the younger Saturdays.
"Exactly." Drew nodded.
"Makes them pretty different from aliens, I guess. Mythological creatures born here on Earth versus out there in the universe." Yu was surprised by how much really existed out in the world. His initial thoughts of Personas, Shadows, and the TV World being the only extraordinary things he'd ever experienced were utterly shattered in a single summer. Aliens, mutants, pocket dimensions, time travel, and cryptids. There was just so much out there that he truly was ignorant about, and who knows just what else could be out there?
"Are you saying that the Forever Knights mistook cryptids for aliens?" Kenji suggested.
"Exactly. Whatever it is that they have planned can't be allowed to happen. So, we're here to stop them." Doc answered.
"Do you have any idea on where they could be?" Naoto asked.
Doc changed the holographic screen to a detailed map. "We tracked down their location to these mountains, but they've managed to elude us for the most part. Luckily, we were close enough for Zak to locate their exact point."
"Yeah, but my powers also picked up these guys over here." Zak informed his parents. "Are you guys cryptids or something?"
"Not exactly, we're 100% human. Though, perhaps your powers mistook our abilities for cryptids." Naoto replied, mulling over the question.
"Or maybe something wanted us to meet. And I think it would be good for us to work together on this." Yu held out his hand.
Doc took the boy's hand. "Sure, but if it gets too dangerous, don't be afraid to pull out. The same goes for you too, kids." The scientist turned to his kids.
"You got it, Dad!" Zak exclaimed.
The Saturdays and heroes trekked through the mountain range, closing in on the base of the Forever Knights. Zak turned to Yu, a question brewing in his mind. "So, what are your abilities anyway? You guys brought it up earlier, but didn't really explain. Your friend also did something when he fought Fisk."
"I'm a girl." Naoto corrected.
"Really!? Wow…you dress like a boy."
"I know."
"To answer your question, Zak, our powers are called 'Persona'. The manifestation of one's soul, which we call upon to aid us in battle." Yu explained.
"Manifestation of one's soul? How exactly does that work?" Zak asked. Fisk made a noise, also wondering just how their powers worked.
Yu tried to figure out a way to explain before realizing something. He opened up his palm and summoned his tarot card. "Can you see this?" Judging by the look on Zak's face, he could indeed see the tarot card.
"Your Persona is a tarot card?"
"Wree!"
"Wait, you can't see it, Fisk?" Zak turned to his brother. Fisk shook his head, confused as to why only Zak could.
"It's due to Zak's own abilities that he can see the card. And my Persona isn't the card itself, but the key to summoning them. Come forth, Izanagi!" Crushing the card like glass, his Persona came to life.
"Woah! So cool!" Zak exclaimed, grinning at Izanagi.
The Fool dispelled his Persona, finding himself reminded of Ben when he saw Zak's look of excitement. "So, you care a lot about cryptids, huh?"
"Yeah!" Zak exclaimed. "They're family!" His words gained noises of approval from his siblings. "Which is why I hate it when people hurt or mistreat them. Not all cryptids are bad or mean, they simply want to be left alone or find a home."
"Guess, that's why you were so upset when you ran into us. Mistaking us for the Forever Knights, who are hurting cryptids... can't exactly blame you." Yu said, smiling at him.
Zak couldn't help but return Yu's smile. "Yeah, well, I'm sorry for attacking you guys like that. Looking back at it, that was pretty stupid to assume you guys were with the knights. I just really want to stop whatever it is they're doing."
"You know, you remind me a lot of a certain kid I know."
"Really?"
"Yup, he's pretty headstrong, arrogant, loud, and a bit slow."
"Wow, thanks." Zak frowned.
"But, he cares a lot for the people around him and enjoys helping people. He'll put himself in danger time and time again to save people he doesn't even know simply because it's the right thing to do. He's without a doubt a cool hero." Yu finished. He chuckled to himself, knowing that if Ben had heard any of that it would go straight to his head.
Zak mulled over Yu's words, wondering just who this kid could possibly be. "Heh, you think I'm just like him?"
"Yeah, I like to think I'm pretty good at judging people's characters." Yu responded.
Naoto's dry voice cut in. "You are a bit more mature than he is though."
"Ha!"
"...That's not saying much." The detective sighed.
"Everyone, quiet! We're here." Doc's voice cut off any chance for further talk. Gathering together, everyone stood on the edge of a cliff. Surveying the bottom, they saw a massive excavation site had been set up in the midst of some sort of temple ruin. A multitude of Forever Knights could be seen working on machinery, digging and combing through the ruins for something. Several knights were standing guard, leaving no holes to be exploited in their defense. There was a lot of noise coming from the center of the site, but it was too far down to see normally.
"Doc, can you see what they're doing down there?" Drew asked. Her husband was using their binoculars to get a closer look. His eyes widened when he realized what exactly the Forever Knights were up to.
"I should've realized it sooner!" Doc reached for his gauntlet, typing something on the keyboard.
"What is it, Dad?" Zak asked.
"This ruin used to be the Mayan temple of Ek Chuaj, home to the Sword of Ek Chuaj." Doc explained.
"Used?" Drew turned back to the ruins. "I thought this temple still stood even though it was centuries old."
"Either it collapsed due to weakened infrastructure, or someone tripped the booby traps inside that were designed to keep people from reaching the sword." Doc responded. "What kind of irresponsible fools would mess with such fascinating history?"
Kenji, Naoto, and Yu felt that it might be better to keep the truth of what happened a secret for the moment of who other than the knights could be responsible for the temple's ruin.
"There's something else down there too, isn't there, Dad? I can feel it." Zak's eyes were glowing orange, surprising Yu's group.
"Must be his powers." Naoto surmised.
"You're right, Zak. Down there is the Mayan God of Death, Ah Puch, or at least what's left of him." Doc said, feeling uneasy. He had seen just how injured and burned the supposed guardian was, as if something wanted him dead. But the question of what could've done that would remain a mystery to him.
Kenji gasped. "You're saying that the guardian of the Sword of Ek Chuaj is a cryptid!?"
"Exactly, and it seems like the knights are trying to use him for something."
"I really don't think we're gonna like what it is either." Yu chuckled a bit.
Drew gazed at the guarded perimeter. "We need to get down there now, but it's too guarded to attempt to sneak around."
"I think splitting up would be our best bet. One team causes a distraction to lure some of them away while the other strikes." Kenji suggested.
"Sounds like a good plan. In that case, Zak, you and Fisk-where did they go?" Everyone turned to see Zak and his siblings had disappeared.
"WHOO!"
Zak, while riding on Zon, yelled at the top of his lungs, gaining the attention of the Forever Knights. Fiskerton, while carrying Komodo, slid down the cliffside and was screaming loudly as well. It would seem that they had decided to use a much more direct approach in dealing with their problem.
"You have got to be kidding me…" Kenji groaned.
"They are so grounded!" Drew growled.
"Come on!" Doc ordered, sliding down after his kids. Drew quickly joined him to ensure their kids didn't get themselves killed.
"Grandfather-"
"You kids follow after them, I'll find a more safe way down!" Kenji left the two alone.
"I guess, he really is just like Ben, huh?" Yu turned to his friend with a smile.
"That is not a good thing!" Naoto huffed. The Persona users hurried down the cliffside to join the Saturdays.
"GAH!" Several knights went down as Zak's Claw smashed into their bucket heads. Zon used her wings to smack some aside, then touched down for Zak to get off her back.
"Thanks, Zon."
"Squah!"
BAM!
Looking to the side, Zak smirked as Fisk bashed around a few more knights as he and Komodo arrived. "Fisk! Komodo!"
"Weee!"
"Hiss!"
Zak gazed over to where Ah Puch was and frowned. If they wanted to stop these guys, they'd have to free him. But before he or his siblings could move, their path was blocked off by the oncoming knights. "Here comes the cavalry!"
"Some dumb kid is attacking us with these aliens!" A knight yelled.
"Hey! I ain't dumb and my family aren't aliens, they're cryptids! Which is like, way cooler!" Zak yelled at him. His siblings started making noise to agree with him.
"Stand down, brat. You're surrounded!" The knights had the boy surrounded on all sides. Zak and his siblings stood close to each other, but even then, they weren't exactly worried.
"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that." Zak smirked.
"And why is-"
"Get away from my kids!"
"SWOSH!
"GYAH!" Multiple knights were sent flying as a tornado of fire blew through their circle. Drew swung her Tibetan Fire Sword with motherly fury, fire forcing the knights to spread out. Right next to her was Doc, using his Battle Glove to unleash a devastating earthquake as he punched the ground.
"Mom! Dad-"
"You are in so much trouble, young man! How many times do we have to tell you to not rush into situations recklessly!?" Drew scolded them.
"We'll talk about this more later, we need to focus on the task at hand right now!" Doc exclaimed. He saw the knights were regrouping themselves, coming back with more vigor than earlier.
"Ziodyne!" A bolt of electricity sent them flying once more. Yu and Naoto joined the Saturdays in the dig site. The detective turned to the knights and unleashed her own attack as well.
"Deathbound!" Yamato-Takeru swung his blade, knocking away the knights as if they were bowling pins. Naoto frowned as more knights rushed in almost endlessly.
"Tch! They're persistent." She clicked her tongue.
"We need to focus on getting to Ah Puch." Doc said. The Cryptozoologist turned to his son. "Zak, get over to Ah Puch and use your powers to get him free."
"Are you sure? Isn't he some kind of god or whatever?" Zak was unsure.
"You'll be fine, you don't need to control him for long. Just enough to get him out of here." Doc reassured his son.
Yu came to the boy's side. "I'll cover him!"
"Wee!" Fisk offered to help him as well.
"Right! Fisk and Yu will be covering you as you do so, while the rest of us will keep the knights busy!" Doc finished giving the command. "Go!"
"Right!" The three rushed for Ah Puch, but some knights weren't going to let them get there easily.
"Raikouzan!" Izanagi took his spear, slicing the air to unleash a lightning cut attack that blasted the knights back. Yu looked down at Zak. "So, you can control cryptids?"
"Yeah, but it's more like influencing them. I can't take away their free will, especially if they're too strong for my powers to work." Zak explained. The three reached the containment unit that was holding Ah Puch prisoner. The few knights guarding the cryptid attacked, but were easily handled by Fisk and Yu. With them taken care of, Zak approached the container, noticing how Ah Puch struggled in his binds. "Hey, hey! It's okay, we're gonna set you free, okay?"
Yu noticed the burns all over the cryptid's body and it didn't take him long to realize who was behind it. "Yeah, probably best to not let them find out it was Yukiko." He looked down at Zak to see his eyes glowing once again, then a few moments later Ah Puch began to calm down. The Mayan God's eyes were glowing the same color as Zak's, meaning that he was under the boy's control.
"Slowly now…" Zak muttered as Ah Puch's body began to fight against the restraints. The guardian grumbled and gurgled in pain, its body still reeling from the untreated wounds that it suffered. "I know it hurts, but it'll all be over soon."
There was something about the way Zak used his abilities that slightly unnerved the Wild Card. In a similar fashion to Ben, he was a boy who possessed such raw immeasurable power that could be used for good. But it was also power that could be used for all the wrong reasons, especially since the world was apparently crawling with cryptids. The power to raise an army that could conquer the world with ease.
It made him happy that such powers were being used by kids with strong hearts.
Stuck in his own thoughts, he failed to notice the looming shadow over them. The shadow raised its arm, revealing three shurikens. The shurikens were tossed with expert aim at the three. Fisk's hearing picked up the sound of metal swishing through the air and reacted, quickly pushing Zak out of the way. The action disrupted Zak's concentration, setting Ah Puch free of his control. The shurikens embedded themselves into Fisk's sides, causing him to scream in pain.
"Fisk!" Zak cried.
"What!?" Yu turned to see who had tossed those weapons. A flash of yellow made his reflexes kick in, prompting him to block the yellow blade that tried to slice his head off. That was when Yu was finally able to see their assailant.
Crossing blades with him was a brownish-maroon armored ninja with a utility belt and a shoulder pad on its right shoulder with the Forever Knights' logo on it. It had a yellow v-shaped eye with another sword on its back.
"A robot ninja!?" The Fool gasped before getting kicked in the chest. The ninja shot three more shurikens at Yu, each one was blocked by the teen's sword. "You know, I'd think this was cool if it wasn't for the fact that you're trying to kill us!"
"Fisk!" Zak's cry brought his attention back to his injured ally. "Hold on, buddy! I'm gonna pull these things out!" The ninja turned to the two and rushed for them.
"Zak!" Yu sprinted towards the kids, crushing his tarot card. "Zio!" The bolt zipped towards the ninja, but the robot expertly dodged the attack, allowing it to hit the containment unit. The explosion that occurred sent Zak and Fisk flying off to the side. "Guys!" Yu forewent the ninja and left to make sure the boys were alright.
The Forever Ninja ignored them in favor of staring down Ah Puch. Taking out a syringe of liquid, the ninja plunged it into the cryptid's neck. The guardian's eyes snapped open, a bellow of rage erupted from its throat, shaking the entire site.
Yu, who had just finished healing Fisk, snapped his head back to the guardian. His eyes widened as he saw the rampaging cryptid heading straight for them. The Fool quickly summoned his Persona to block the beast. "Raijiz-"
POW!
Ah Puch's fist slammed past Izanagi and into Yu, sending the teenager flying across the dirt. The Saturdays stared in horror as Ah Puch beat on his chest like a rampaging gorilla. Then he raised up his arms to crush the two into grapes. "Ah crud!"
SMASH!
"Zak!? Fiskerton!?" Drew turned her attention to the screaming cryptid. Her worry grew even more as she saw the guardian send Yu flying across the dig site. "We need to help them!"
"I'll head over to-Gya!" Naoto cried as she was kicked into the dirt. Her eyes widened as the Forever Ninja aimed its sword to pierce her through the chest. That was until Komodo jumped onto its face, giving the detective the chance to get up.
The ninja grabbed Komodo and slammed him into the ground, but quickly turned to block Drew, clashing blades with her. Flames burst to life, forcing the ninja to jump away, only to back up into Doc, who slammed the ninja into the ground. "Go!" He ordered Naoto, who nodded her head quickly.
When the dust settled the ninja was nowhere to be found. "What!? Where did he-"
"Doc! Behind you!" The scientist raised his glove to block several shurikens. The ninja came rushing in, engaging Doc in a hand-to-hand fight. Its swift strikes slowly gained the edge in their scuffle until Drew joined in, slashing at its back. The ninja flipped over her to avoid the sneak attack, bringing out its own blades and striking her. Drew blocked the yellow blades as best as she could, but this thing was fighting her with a form of martial arts she didn't recognize. It did not take the robot long to put her on the defensive.
Doc's power glove clashed against one blade while Drew's sword clashed against the other. Putting the two vs one in a momentary stalemate. "Guess, this one might take awhile, huh, honey?" Doc smirked at her.
"Yes, dear, we might have our work cut out for us this time." Drew returned.
Fisk, with Zak on his shoulders, dodged the wide attacks that Ah Puch was throwing. Even with the beast out of control, just one of those hits would hurt like hell. "Eeek!" Fisk squealed when a punch came a little too close to hitting.
"Just keep dodging, Fisk! I'll figure something out!" Zak informed his brother. Searching around for anything that could help, Zak noticed several crates by some machines. "Got it!" He shot the grapple at the crate, and swung the wooden box at the cryptid. It smashed against its head, but did nothing to distract it. Well, some rotten fish clamper onto the ground.
"Fish!? Why is there fish in these crates!?"
"Wee!" Fisk grinned, taking one of the fish to eat. He opened his mouth to bite down on the seafood, but it was yanked away from him at the last minute. The gorilla-cat's teeth clanged together cartoonishly.
The brothers blinked as Ah Puch held the fish in his hands like a weapon. "Uh oh."
SLAP!
Zak was sent flying off of Fisk's shoulders, hitting the ground with a loud grunt.
SLAP!
Ah Puch used the fish like a mallet, bashing Fisk on the head with it.
SLAP!
Fiskerton was then slapped across the rear with fish, screaming loudly from pain and embarrassment.
SLAP!
"Wraahh!" Fiskerton spun cartoonishly through the air before hitting the ground. Swirls present in his eyes as he was lost in a daze.
Zak rubbed his head, really hoping that nobody just saw him getting smacked by a fish. When he saw Ah Puch stalking towards the downed Fiskerton, he jumped to his feet. "Fisk! Get away from him!" His eyes glowed orange, forcing a connection to Ah Puch.
The cryptid stopped in his tracks, a yellow glow growing in his eyes. However, the drug injected into him kept him from fully succumbing to the boy's control. The guardian thrashed around, crying out like a wild animal to free itself.
"C'mon! C'mon!" Zak yelled. "Just calm down!"
"RAH!" Ah Puch's screams grew louder. The creature picked up a boulder, and tossed it at the boy who was hurting his mind.
"Megidola!" A blue blast destroyed the boulder before it could hit Zak. Though, the boy hadn't flinched, still trying to gain control over Ah Puch.
"Zak!" Naoto joined his side. "Where's Senpai?"
"I-I don't know…but I'm trying to get control over him, but his mind is too out of control. Guh!" Zak held his head, a splitting headache forming.
"Stop using your powers if you can't gain control over him! You're hurting yourself!" Naoto exclaimed.
"N-no! I can do this!" Zak raised the Claw, forcing himself even harder. Which earned him an even harder pushback from the guardian.
"RAAAAHHH!" Ah Puch charged at the duo, wishing to stop the pain in his head. Naoto was prepared to hold him back, but before she could call out an attack something happened. A blade of white crashed down between Ah Puch and them. It only took Naoto a moment to realize who exactly that was.
Zak's connection to Ah Puch suddenly broke, he fell over into Naoto's arms, groaning in pain. "W-what is that!?"
"That's Senpai." Naoto answered him. They both turned to see Yu standing tall as his Izanagi-no-Okami stood over him with a mighty presence.
"Good job holding him still, Zak." Yu smiled at the boy. Izanagi-no-Okami vanished, then reappeared in front of his blade, raising it up. Yu stared at Ah Puch with a look of pity. "I can tell you're in a lot of pain, so I'll make this as painless as possible."
"RAAAHHHH!"
"Myriad Truths."
The Forever Ninja kicked the Saturdays away with a split-kick. The robot would've continued fighting, but a beeping noise alerted it of its new objective.
Retreat and bring back the specimen.
Reaching for a smoke bomb, the robot tossed it on the ground to blind the Saturdays. "It's trying to escape!" Drew yelled.
"Let it! We need to get to the boys!" Doc exclaimed.
"Zon! Let's go!" Drew ran over to her daughter, who was happy to fly her over to the other side of the field with Doc and Komodo running to catch up. When the three arrived, they saw Zak being comforted by the teens and Fisk, their son staring at the ground with self doubt.
"What happened? What's wrong, Zak?" Drew knelt down to check on him.
"And what happened to Ah Puch?" Doc asked.
"He's gone…guys. I couldn't save him." Zak's voice lacked its usual vigor.
"I'm sorry, Zak." Yu apologized.
"C'mon, let's find Mr. Shirogane and get back to the airship." Doc said.
The Shiroganes and Yu stood in front of the Saturdays' airship, Zak had already been taken into the ship by his siblings. Leaving the parents to save their farewells to the group. "Again, sorry for all the mess this caused." Doc apologized.
"Don't worry about it, we were glad to be of some help." Kenji and Doc shared a handshake.
"We're glad to have had your help, Mr. Plumber." Doc smirked.
"You knew?" Kenji raised a brow.
"There was only one other reason as to why you guys would know so much about aliens and the Forever Knights." Doc explained.
"Can't fault you there, but I'm an ex-Plumber. Retired years ago." Kenji corrected.
"Is Zak going to be okay?" Yu asked, he had been racked with guilt since leaving the dig site.
Drew gave him a reassuring smile. "It's not the first time something like this has happened, and I'm afraid that it won't be the last. Don't feel bad for what you had to do. I'm glad that you protected our sons from getting hurt. Zak will recover in no time."
"If he's anything like another boy we know, then Zak will grow stronger from this." Naoto said.
"Yes, I'm sure he will…" Drew didn't sound so sure of her own words. "You kids take care now, okay?"
"We'll do our best, Saturday-san." Yu responded.
With their goodbyes said, the Saturdays left in their airship leaving the three below to think about the events of today. Naoto turned to her grandfather. "Grandfather, what were you doing the whole time? I thought you were going to join us down there."
"I was, but I realized that I'd just get in the way, so I took my attention elsewhere." Kenji reached into his coat's pocket. "I hacked my way into one of the computers the Knights were using while they were busy fighting all of you. While erasing all of the data stored in their systems, I came across a file that seemed too suspicious to leave behind."
"And you didn't see it fit to tell the Saturdays?" Naoto questioned.
"After seeing the look on young Zak, I figured it was best to leave them out of whatever issues continue with the Forever Knights. Their specialty is cryptids, not aliens." Kenji explained.
"So, what is it that you found?" Yu got them back on topic.
"This." Kenji held out a small file, handing it to the kids. Allowing them to see the name on the file.
PROJECT - N10
"N10? Number 10? What does this mean, Grandfather?" Naoto asked.
"That's the thing, I don't know."
"What!?"
"Open it."
The two opened the file, only to see that every single page was completely blank. No matter how you look at it there was truly nothing about the file that stuck out other than the name. "If there's nothing there, then why bother with it?" Yu questioned.
"I only pointed it out, because the file was completely empty unlike everything else. There's no leads or clues…just a roadblock."
Yu stared at the file, utterly confused. It was obvious that there was some importance to the file whether or not it was old or new. It's something the Forever Knights wanted to hide and he could only wonder what it could be.
Sitting inside a massive medieval castle, within a dark red illuminated throne room, was a singular person. Their true appearance was hidden behind a silver plated high-tech battle suit with black shoulder pads, gauntlets, and boots. Their red cape extended just above the floor, keeping it from getting defiled by germs. The helmet consisted of three horns on the front, the middle being the longest. Finally, the last piece was the Forever Knights' symbol on the chest.
SLAM!
A knight hurried into the throne room, kneeling down in front of the armor. "Lord Forever King, the Forever Ninja has returned with the necessary specimen!"
"Good. My plans are a step closer to being achieved."
"Also!" The king gave his attention back to the knight. "Enoch has just informed us that he and his men have apprehended Ben Tennyson and are currently working on removing the Omnitrix. Soon the device will be in our-"
"I could care little about that wretched device." The king denounced the information.
"Milord…!?" The knight squeaked.
"Inform Enoch that this is truly his last chance. If he fails to remove the Tennysons from my way, then the consequences shall be dire."
"Y-yes, Lord Forever King!" The knight responded quickly.
"Begone from my sight." With his order given, the knight hurried out of the throne room. "Soon, everything will fall into place and nobody, especially those meddlesome Tennysons, can stop me!"
Chapter End
NOTE: I hope you all enjoyed the chapter and what's in store for the future. Let's get to the post-chapter discussion.
1. This will be the last time for a while where we'll see the Saturdays. They were just here to expand the universe for a bit and add some color to the chapter. They will return in the future.
2. Yu did kill Ah Puch with that last hit. He wanted to end the battle with one hit, which is why he resorted to Izanagi-no-Okami instead of other powerful Personas that he has in his arsenal. His remains have been taken by the Forever Ninja, so who knows what'll happen with those. I also felt like I needed to establish once more that Yu is currently the strongest of the cast members at this point.
He honestly could probably take Vilgax one on one. Probably.
3. I want to make Driscoll seem like he's more of a threat than he initially was on the series. There was absolutely no build up to the Negative 10 in the Classic, so expect him to have a bit more meat on his bones.
4. I alluded to Perfect Day at the end there, which does mean that it happens a couple of hours or a day after the events of this chapter.
5. We're finally done with all of the original content! Which means we're back to the Ben 10 episodes of S4!
Next Chapter - Perfect Day
