NOTE: I want to take the time to say, thank you all for reading this story and giving my work a chance. Priestess 10 means a lot to me and it's one of the few fics I take a lot of pride in. I do hope that this finale is enjoyable for you all and that you all have a great summer or end of your summer.
I want to thank my friend Purple Mage for helping me write this story by proofreading and editing it, so that you guys would get the best work possible.
Stay safe, stay happy, and have an amazing day.
Enjoy and Review!
Chapter 68: Ben 10 vs The Negative 10 (Part 3)
"Previously on Priestess 10…"
-Ben 10 vs The Negative 10 (Part 2)-
The Tennysons and Cooper stared at the league of villains, now dubbed at the Negative 10, confirming the villains with their very eyes. "Animo, Zombozo, Kangaroo Kommando, Rojo Clancy, Charmcaster, Hex(?), and that Adachi guy!?" Ben listed them all off. "Oh man…!"
"Who are the metal heads?" Cooper asked, pointing at the Forever duo.
"Must be Forever Knights creeps. What's up with the horns and the cape on that one guy?" Ben asked.
"Since we took out Enoch, maybe he's their new leader?" Gwen suggested.
"Or maybe Enoch was never really in charge." Max realized the truth.
"The cavalry has arrived!"
The Negative 10 regrouped, facing off against the Investigation Team. "Who the hell are these guys!?" Rojo demanded.
"Some party crashers, that's what!" Kangaroo Kommando responded.
"I have a suspicion." Max replayed the footage of what the Forever King said before destroying the camera. "There's something about what his highness said that makes me wonder." He brought up footage of another man.
"Driscoll, ID number #12906."
"Grandpa, what is it?" Gwen asked.
"The Forever King is an ex-Plumber! When I was still a rookie, a scandal rocked the Plumbers. Driscoll, one of the veterans, was caught stealing advanced technology from alien perps, then using it to attack and kill any aliens he came across, innocent or not. Eventually, he was stopped and thrown out of the Plumbers in disgrace, and as far as anyone knew, he was never heard from again." Max explained, all of the pieces falling together. "But now it's obvious that Driscoll worked his way up through the Forever Knights until he became their leader!"
"So, that's how the Knights knew about the Plumber complexes!" Yukiko exclaimed.
"The sub-energy, the keys, and all of that stuff was being supplied by Driscoll!" Ben yelled.
Now that everyone had adjusted their goggles, the sub-energy was now visible.
"That dinky thing is the sub-energy?" Ben asked.
"I'm guessing it's the case of don't let the size fool you." Naoto assumed.
"Exactly, the material in that container is 20 times more powerful than the sun. Mishandle it and you've got an explosion big enough to blow a continent off the face of the Earth."
The heroes turned to see the Negative 10 had finally arrived at the chamber, the villains lined up to seem as opposing as possible. "There's nowhere left to run, Tennysons!"
"Who's running, metal mouth!? Bring it on!" Ben shouted.
The villains began charging towards the heroes, unaware of Cooper, who had just activated their trap. The floor glowed yellow, breaking the floor apart, and stopping the villains' charge. Suddenly, walls began to sprout up from the floor, separating the Negative 10 into different sections of the chamber, each one being confronted by one of the heroes.
The Forever King stomped towards the three, bloodlust leaking out all around him. "Ben Tennyson. You are the one I've been waiting to deal with the most. As soon as I get my hands on the sub-energy, I'll blow you and that repulsive device out of existence! Nothing will stand in the way of the Forever Knights!"
Activating the Omnitrix, Ben prepared for battle. "Then bring it on, Forever Dork!"
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 blonde 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 blonde 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 the Forever Ninja, Dr. Animo, Charmcaster, baby Hex, Kangaroo Kommando, Rojo, Zombozo, and Clancy. The full force of the assembled villains was for all to see.
Keep rewriting, only glory!
The screen shattered once more to show a wide shot of the Tennyson family clashing against the Forever King and his new army of villains. Ben, Yu, and Adachi were facing off against the Forever King. The Investigation Team, Max, Gwen, and Kenny were battling the rest of the Negative 10.
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.
[Pull the Trigger - Persona Q2 OST]
Within the confines of the Plumber base, unknown to the rest of the world, a battle to decide the fate of billions, or even trillions, raged on. The Tennysons and their allies were currently in a life-or-death struggle against the fractured Negative 10!
Who will prevail in this contest between Good and Evil!?
BOOM!
Chie backflipped repeatedly to avoid getting blown to pieces by Zombozo's pumpkin bombs, the clown's sick laughter twisting her ears. "Can you do anything but laugh!?" She twisted around to jump over the next bomb, kicking against the wall to propel herself towards him.
"Laughter makes the world go round, sweetheart! Try it sometime!" Zombozo dodged Chie's flying kick, twisting his stretchy arm around her leg to swing the kung fu specialist into the opposite wall.
Rebounding quickly, Chie smashed her tarot card with her foot. "Skewer!" She cried out the attack. Suzuka Gongen flashed into existence, bringing her double-bladed staff down onto the zombie clown.
Laughing continuously, Zombozo opened up his body, allowing the attack to harmlessly phase through him. "Gonna have to try harder than that-"
"Mabufu!"
A deathly chill invaded their battlefield, bringing a shiver out of the clown. Zombozo watched as ice exploded into the opening in his body, freezing his insides. "O-Oh~! Chilly!" He laughed, fighting through the cold. Reaching into his pockets, he whipped out two sets of streamers, slashing them at the girl like whips.
Chie danced around the streamers with her expert agility, twisting her body as she closed in before kicking the clown straight in his nose. Unluckily for her, Zombozo grabbed her leg and sent painful jolts of electricity buzzing through her body.
"Guh…" Chie groaned, dropping onto the floor, trying to shake off the shocks. "How the hell did you-"
Zombozo revealed the electric joy buzzer on his hand. "You seem to forget this clown has tricks of his own! Hahahahaha!"
Flipping back on her feet, Chie groaned loudly. "I really hate clowns!"
"WAH!" Yosuke squealed as wasps descended on his location. He rolled out of the way to avoid the deadly insects. Twirling his knives, Yosuke slashed at his tarot card. "Magarula!" Powerful cutting winds swept through the swarm, killing the insects before they could realize what was happening.
"SCREEE!"
"Geh!?" Yosuke flipped away, avoiding Clancy's claws. "Dude, have you ever thought of getting a manicure!? Those things cannot be legal at all!" He bantered with someone who wasn't even capable of speech anymore.
Clancy lunged at him, slashing his claws against the magician's knives. Their struggle continued until Yosuke ended up tripping on his own feet, unintentionally dodging a risky strike from Clancy. Using this opportunity, Yosuke slashed his tarot card once more. "Sonic Punch!"
Susano-o appeared next to Clancy and landed the swift punch into the bug man's ribs, blasting him away. But to Yosuke's continuous string of bad luck, the insect lover had grabbed his leg at the last minute. "AW CRAAAAAAP!"
SPLAT!
"Maragion!" Yukiko's cry was followed by several balls of flame, each one moving in synchronized precision at the small magician. Hex raised his staff, conjuring a shield to block the fireballs.
"Insufficient against my power!" Hex declared, hoping to sound intimidating.
"Aw~! That sounded so cute!" Yukiko giggled.
"QUIET, CHILD!" Hex roared, his staff illuminating with light. A burst of concentrated energy surged forth from his staff. The yellow beam melted the floor with its heat, which was enough of an indicator to Yukiko that she needed to dodge it.
Without missing a beat, she responded with her own attack. "Agidyne!" Her fireball was met with another blast of magic from Hex, canceling each other out instantly.
Tapping his staff twice onto the floor, the ground beneath Yukiko liquefied, causing her to sink as if she were in water. With a fling of his staff, the floor constricted itself around the heiress in an attempt to crush her into paste. However, a powerful burst of fire stopped his plans in their tracks. The floor exploded into chunks of metal and embers, revealing an uninjured Yukiko, who quickly blasted the toddler with fireballs.
The other battle taking place in this corner of the chamber was just as heated. Lucy Girl flipped over a rock mutt before destroying it with a burst of mana. She landed on her hands, kicking out both her legs to smash two other rock mutts to pieces. With a simple push, Lucky Girl hovered in the air to meet Charmcaster's glare.
"Don't think too much of yourself just because you broke a few rocks!" Charmcaster hissed.
"I don't have to think about it! I know I'm too much for you to handle!" Lucky Girl stuck out her tongue.
"Little brat!" Charmcaster launched several bolts of magic at the young sorceress. As pink mana vibrated in her palms, Lucky Girl generated a pink shield to block the attacks, unknowingly leaving her open for Charmcaster to teleport behind her. "Let's see you handle this!" A purple blast burned against Lucky Girl's back, knocking her down into the floor.
Smirking, the witch placed a hand on her hip. "What was that about being too much for me to handle?" Her smug attitude didn't last long as pink tendrils wrapped themselves around her leg, dragging her down into the metal floor. Before she could get up, Lucky Girl stomped her foot down on her sternum, grinning like a cheeky little brat.
"Get off of me!" Charmcaster squirmed.
"Say please~!"
"I'd rather get punched in the face!"
"If you say so!" Lucky Girl raised her fist, coated in pink mana.
"Ah shi-"
POW!
"Stand still, you little rodent!" Animo pounded his fist in frustration as Teddie continued to jump and roll around to avoid Ah Puch. The bear was rolling around like some kind of famous video game hedgehog, using his smaller body to fight against the huge mutant.
"Why would I stand still? Wouldn't that be counterproactive?"
"It's 'counterproductive', you illiterate little miscreant!" Animo yelled.
Ah Puch howled, releasing a sonic screech that managed to finally nail Teddie, blasting the bear into the wall. Swirls danced in the bear's eyes, leaving him wide open for Ah Puch to beat down. The mutant's large fist impacted the bear, squishing him like playdough, and popping his head right off. "Hahahaha! How did you like that-eh?" The bear's body dropped down, allowing Animo to see that it was completely empty.
"Bufula!"
Ice exploded in front of the master and pet, knocking them away from Teddie's suit. Animo recovered from the attack to see Teddie jumping back into his suit. "A human body inside of some sort of living bear suit? What a truly fascinating creature you are! I'll enjoy giving your body a full lookover! "
"Ah~! Are you coming on to me?"
…
…
…
"Kill it." Animo ordered.
"EEEKKK!" Teddie screamed, running away from the monstrous mutant.
"Stupid punk, hold still!" Rojo's attempts to punch Naoto failed as the detective used her Persona to help avoid the potentially painful blows.
"Staying still to get hit doesn't make much sense." Naoto said dryly.
"Shut up!" Rojo pointed her blaster at the detective, firing the red beam to kill her.
Naoto shattered her tarot card with a bullet to counter Rojo's attack. "Tempest Slash!" Yamato-Takeru's sword sliced the beam in half, so that it avoided hitting his controller. With another gunshot, the Persona pointed the tip of his blade at Rojo. "Megidola!"
"Gyah!" The explosion from the blast sent the punk crashing into the wall. Rojo gathered herself, glaring at the detective, who was charging up another shot. "Like hell you're hitting me with another one of those!" Rojo whipped her wrist, launching several spiky balls at Naoto.
The detective tried to jump away, but the balls exploded and released smoke that clouded her vision. Not allowing herself to lose her cool, Naoto kept watch for anything that could come at her.
TINK!
Right below her feet was another spiky ball, which exploded in a bright flash of light that distorted her vision. "A flash grenade!?"
"Gotcha!" A metal hand grabbed her by the back of the neck, dragging her along as Rojo stomped through the smoke. Naoto could do nothing but hold out as she was pulled along by the punk, awaiting whatever pain was to come.
It didn't take long since there wasn't much room for Rojo to run. The punk slammed Naoto into the metal wall, causing her to scream in pain. Rojo didn't stop with just one hit, and kept banging her human sack of lumps into the wall. "How does this one feel, bitch!?"
The response given was the slash of an invisible blade against her back, forcing her to drop Naoto onto the ground. Hissing in pain, Rojo kicked the downed detective in the gut, sending her rolling across the ground. "Think you're pretty funny for these sneak attacks, huh? You and that dumb princess with your invisible powers! I'm going to blow you and that stupid manly facade of yours to dust!" Rojo declared.
Naoto slowly picked herself up off the floor, slightly hissing at the pain in her ribs. "I'm not using some facade. I'm simply still learning to be true to who I really am, unlike you, who still refuses to grow up."
"Grow up!? Argh! This is who I really am, kid! I'm gonna beat your brains in!" Rojo fired another beam at Naoto, who responded with her own attack.
Kanji blocked a punch from Kommando, slightly grunting from the metal hitting his skin. He wasn't going to let that stop him though, he's taken much harder hits than this. "Is that all you got, superhero!? My lip hasn't even bled yet!" Kanji swung, his punch strong enough to make Kane feel its impact through his armor.
Reeling from the hit, Kane glared at the teenager. "The hell have you been eating, kid!? This armor was built to withstand punches from even that kid's four armed transformation!"
"I don't know how strong Four Arms is, but I'm certain it's just that my punches are stronger than your armor." Kanji declared, cracking his knuckles.
"We'll see about that!" Kane reached into his utility belt, tossing several balls around Kanji. Each one exploded with electricity, shocking the teenage delinquent. However, to Kane's shock, Kanji simply stood in the field of electricity as if it was nothing. "How are you…?"
"I use electric-based attacks, so these little shocks ain't shit!" Kanji crushed his tarot card to pieces. "Let me show you a real shocker! "Zionga!" Rokuten Maou brought down his fist, summoning a blast of electricity that sent Kane flying into the far wall.
"G-guh…!" Kane coughed, reeling from the shocks. He looked up to see Kanji approaching him, and quickly reacted by tossing some kangaroo boomerangs. Kanji dodged them, not risking a hit from the sharp boomerangs. This momentary distraction was good enough for Kane to rush the teen and land a punch square in his face.
Kanji reeled back from the hit, wiping away the blood on his lip. "Okay, I guess you're not a pushover after all."
"Of course, not! I'm Kangaroo Kommando, the real one! A hero always wins in the end!" Kane readjusted his gauntlet, strengthening the output of his punches.
"Last time I checked, heroes don't team up with a bunch of villains to kill the kids they're supposed to be protecting." Kanji huffed.
"You should know how TV works, kid! Sometimes, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. A little crossover never hurt anyone."
"We'll see about that after I pound you into the ground!" Kanji and Kane clashed fists, blasts of electricity surging between them.
"Gyaahhh!" Kenny slid across the floor, dropping his lightsaber in the process. The Forever Ninja rushed forward with its blade raised to skewer the teenager.
"Kanzeon!" Rise's voice called through, protecting Kenny from the ninja's attack. "I got you!" She called out to him.
"T-thanks!" Kenny appreciated it.
The ninja was going to try again until Max came from behind, grabbing the ninja and knocking him away. "You okay, Ken?" Max asked his grandson.
"I'm just fine, Grandpa!" Kenny grabbed his lightsaber, scrambling back to his feet. "I just didn't see that one coming."
"Stay sharp and jump in whenever you see an opening. You don't need to risk getting skewered like a piece of meat." Max advised.
"R-right..!" Kenny stuttered a bit. "Is that really all I can do?" He fretted mentally.
The ninja tossed several ninja stars, forcing the Tennyson males to either block or dodge. Max charged in at the ninja, blocking its blade with his arm, then punching it in the chest. But the robot stood its ground, releasing its hold on the blade to switch to its plasma staff. Both human and machine danced the dance, Max mostly on defense to avoid getting punctured.
"Go now, Kenny!"
Rise's voice alerted the teenager to get moving. With a firm grip on his lightsaber, Kenny swung it with all that he had. Unfortunately, the robot's reflexes were too fast for him, and with a simple spin, Kenny missed his attack. The Forever Ninja kicked the teenager away before smacking Max aside with his staff.
"That thing is too fast!" Rise grumbled, wishing there was some way to slow it down. "If only we could mess with it somehow!"
Cooper, who was keeping close to Rise, gained an idea. "Maybe there is!"
"What do you mean?" Rise asked.
"I could try to use my abilities to see inside of it! If we can figure out how to override it, even temporarily, then that could give them their moment to attack!" Cooper explained.
The idol giggled, ruffling his hair. "You're a genius, Cooper!"
"T-thanks…" He blushed from the praise. "But I'm not sure if I can pull it off."
"Don't worry, I'll be here to help you the entire time-"
BOOM!
A massive explosion shook the chamber, disrupting every single fight going on. Stopping in place, everyone turned to where the sub-energy's field had been, not only that, but Ben and the others were battling the Forever King.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
The Forever King's laughter echoed loudly, sending concern throughout the heroes' bodies. The floors and walls started to crumble as a massive surge of power began to fluctuate throughout the chamber. Rise could feel the raw energy building up, reaching the highest critical point possible before it started to condense.
When the dust settled, everyone was greeted by the sight of the Forever King standing triumphantly, his suit brimming with almighty power that was just ready to burst, to eradicate everything around it. But what grabbed everyone's attention the most was his raised arm, something small held within.
No…not something.
SOMEONE.
"No…" Max muttered, horrified. He wasn't the only one as Yukiko, Gwen, and Kenny couldn't believe it either. The heiress released a blood-curdling scream that made the situation all the more unsettling.
Within the Forever King's grasp was a defeated Ben Tennyson, the boy's body unmoving, a complete contrast to the victorious king. Turning to Max, the Forever King dangled the boy by his shirt. "Look, Maxwell, stare at your failure! Today marks the day of my ascension as the most powerful being in the universe and the defeat of Ben Tennyson!"
A Few Moments Prior:
Yu's sword clashed against the metal arm of the Forever King, the teen shoved away by a single swing. He shattered his tarot card, blasting a wave of lightning at the king, who crossed his arms to block the attack. "Not even a dent, huh?" Yu said, seeing the king was undamaged.
"It's because you're not hitting him hard enough! Maziodyne!" Magatsu Izanagi unleashed the red electric attack at the Forever King. The king jumped out of the way of the attack, and pointed his palm at Adachi.
"Perish." The king ordered as a lightning-fast beam struck Adachi, blowing him back, and causing him to drop the sub-energy. The king attempted to grab his goal until a beam of icy blue energy froze his hand in place.
"EYE don't think so!" Eye Guy declared. The Opticoid pointed his palms at the Forever King, shooting green lasers at the knight. The beams pushed him away from the sub-energy, allowing Yu to grab it.
"Nice one, Ben! Agidyne!" Yu changed Personas, adding flames to the mix of attacks on the king. They weren't enough to keep the knight king back, whose helmet glowed with red hot energy. A red laser beam pushed back Eye Guy's attacks, barreling into the Opticoid, and knocking him through the wall.
The king charged for Yu, who rolled out of the way to avoid getting trampled, but the king was faster than he expected and the Fool was punched into the floor. The metal creaked beneath the force of the attack, Yu coughing up blood as his ribs were getting pressed down by the king.
The Forever King attempted to take the sub-energy from him, but several green electric beams crashed into him, knocking him away. Eye Guy had recovered from the previous attack, jumping into the air and taking advantage of the stunned knight. "EYE wonder how much this'll hurt!" Green flames surrounded the king, encasing the king in a flaming tornado.
"Magarudyne!" Adachi's voice echoed out as a wind attack joined in with the flames, strengthening their power.
"Bufudyne!" Yu exclaimed, encasing the raging tornado into a tower of ice. The three stared at the frozen tornado with a bit of satisfaction.
"Do you think that got him?" Eye Guy asked.
CRACK!
SHATTER!
"No, no I don't think it did!" Adachi covered his face as the ice tornado shattered to pieces. Standing in front of them was the Forever King, but his armor was clearly damaged this time. It was a good sign to see that his armor wasn't completely invincible.
"I'll applaud you three for you damaging my suit, but that is as far as you'll get to beating me." The Forever King declared.
"And what makes you think that?" Yu asked.
"Because unlike you fools, I have a dream that I wish to accomplish; a goal so grand that there isn't a single thing in the universe that could possibly stop me from completing it!"
Adachi rolled his eyes. "I've been wondering about that since you kept talking about it. What exactly is this grand dream of yours?"
"The complete and utter annihilation and subjugation of all alien life in the cosmos!" The Forever King declared, raising his fist to the air.
The three stared at him as if he was crazy…which to be fair, he likely is. "You want to destroy all alien life? What kind of crazy medicine have you been taking to come up with that!?" Eye Guy asked, clearly mocking him.
"Mock me all you want, child, but with the power of the sub-energy, I'll be one step closer to bringing that dream into reality! As soon as I get my hands on it, you'll no longer be in my way!" The Forever King charged towards the three with surprising speed.
Yu, Eye Guy, and Adachi fired their attacks at him. Green, red, and white joining together into a spiral beam clashed against the hands of the king. He struggled to push back against the beam, slowly getting knocked back from its sheer force. "I…will…win!"
"Not on my-"
FLASH!
"...Watch?" Ben blinked as he turned back to normal. "Ah crud!" His two allies were distracted by his de-transformation, giving the Forever King the chance to push back against their attack with his own. A violent red burst of energy dispersed their attack instantly, catching the three off-guard. It soared towards them with hot fury. Adachi acted quickly, grabbing Ben and tossing the boy away with the sub-energy. He and Adachi were nailed dead-on, both getting blasted out of the chamber.
"YU!" Ben shouted the teen's name. He was also concerned for Adachi, wondering why the man had tossed him out of the way in the first place. Turning around, Ben found the Forever King slowly stomping towards him and the Omnitrix was still on recharge. "If you want this, then you're gonna have to take it from my cold dead hands."
"If you wish." Before the boy could react, the king was already on him. He grabbed Ben by his waist and slammed him into the floor. "Do you want to know why I despise you so much, Ben Tennyson?"
"Because you're balding and my full head of hair makes you jealous?"
SLAM!
"NO!" The king slammed the boy down once more. "It's because your existence represents a change in this world. Your pointless 'heroics' undermine everything I've ever done. As long as you continue to live, then aliens will thrive. I will be the true leader the human race needs to stand at the apex!" The Forever King ripped the sub-energy away from Ben, crushing the container within his gauntlet. Sparks of energy surged from the broken container, forcing Ben to try and block his face. Neither he nor the king noticed the way one of the sparks hit the Omnitrix, causing the dial to turn yellow. "And with this sub-energy, it all ends here!"
The Forever King, powered by the sub-energy, held Ben by his throat, pulling back his other fist to obliterate the boy. "Watch, Maxwell, as your grandson dies in front of you!"
"NO!" Max tried to rush for him, but the Forever Ninja kicked him into the floor. Yukiko and Gwen were in the same mess, Charmcaster and Hex preventing them from doing anything to save Ben. "BEN!"
"ZIODYNE!" White electricity barreled into the king, knocking Ben out of his grasp. Yu Narukami quickly caught Ben in his arms as a gunshot filled the air.
"Maziodyne!" Knowing an attack was coming this time, the king held out his hand to block the red beam completely. Adachi stepped back into the chamber, his suit torn from the attack earlier. "Tch, seems like this'll be a bit harder now."
"You two are still alive? No matter." The Forever King was unconcerned. "With my newfound power, you'll all die here and now!"
"You think so?"
Looking down at Yu, the king saw Ben standing back up to his feet. Even with the sub-energy now in his control, the boy still gave him that same arrogant grin. "Sorry about that, guys, didn't mean to lose like that." Ben cracked his knuckles. "This time I'll beat you without a doubt!"
"And what makes you think that'll happen?"
"What? Scared you'll lose to a little kid!?" Ben challenged the king's ego, eliciting a surge of raw power from the knight.
"You'll regret those words, boy!" His helmet released another violent burst of power in hopes of wiping Ben from existence. Yu was about to intervene to move them out of the way, but Ben was already running straight towards it.
"BEN!"
Time seemed to slow down as Ben got closer and closer to the beam attack. The Omnitrix's dial chose that moment to turn from yellow to green as if sensing the danger Ben was in. Without even looking at the watch, Ben slapped the dial down, enveloping everything in a flash of green.
…
…
"What?" The king muttered, shocked to see that his attack had completely vanished. There wasn't even an explosion to signify that it hit something. It was as if something had taken it all and stored it away.
"Woah! Now this guy looks cool!" The light vanished to reveal that Ben had transformed into another new form. This alien had a black body with a singular green eye in the middle of his head, two antennae, a tail with round plugs on their tips, four-fingered hands, and feet with only two front toes. He had a white chest color and round plugs on the tips of his fingers.
"What kind of alien is that!?" Yu asked, shocked by the newest development.
"I don't know, but I feel a ton of power surging through me! And I think I know what to do!" Ben pushed his hands out, unleashing a blast of electric energy that forced the king to block the attack, managing to push him back a few feet.
"A Conductoid!?" The Forever King gasped. Of all the forms for that boy to have, it had to be the most troublesome one! "I'll kill you quickly, boy!" He charged towards Ben in hopes of crushing his skull. However, the Conductoid easily evaded his attacks before pushing his hands onto the king's suit, absorbing his power into himself. With a burst of power, Ben uppercutted the Forever King upwards, skyrocketing the knight all the way out of the base.
The grin on Ben's face grew exponentially wide. "Now that was awesome Feedback!" He decided on the newest alien's name right then and there.
"Ben!" Yu joined his side along with Adachi. "That wasn't enough to beat him!"
"I know, but don't worry, there's no way I'm losing this time!" With a burst of electrokinetic energy, Feedback chased after the Forever King with his two compatriots right behind him.
With Ben and the Wild Cards back in the game, the rest of their allies were renewed with energy, continuing their battles against the Negative 10.
"Alright, everyone! Senpai and Ben are giving it everything they've got, so it's time to kick some butt!" Rise announced to everyone, using her abilities to strengthen them all.
Chie axe-kicked the clown in the head, squishing his skull like a cartoon. She flinched back, absolutely disgusted by it. "Gross! Just what the hell even are you!?"
"A clown!"
"Clowns don't look like undead zombies!"
"You haven't been to many circuses, sweetheart." Zombozo bounced towards the kung-fu girl, bringing out his mallet to squash her. Chie spun out of the way, dropped to the ground, and sweep-kicked the clown. But Zombozo bounced on his behind and spun his mallet into her sides, blasting Chie into the wall. "Fighting you has been fun, girly, but I have a date with a certain family." He continued to talk as Chie stood back up. "I especially look forward to getting my hands on those girls again... Last time I had them, it was a real knockout!"
"What?" Chie asked, anger slowly building.
Zombozo was more than happy to keep talking. "Oh, I remember the look on the tall one's face as I broke her! Both physically and spiritually, I crave another laugh like that-"
"Mabufu."
Zombozo stopped talking as his legs were completely frozen in place. He tried to break out of it, but the ice was much harder than before. "Nice trick, but I still have my hands!" Reaching into his sleeves, he pulled out several sharp caltrops and threw them all over. "Let's see you get through this dangerous trap, little miss!"
She did, effortlessly by the way, simply jumping into the air to kick the clown in the face. However, he expected that and pulled out a seltzer bottle. "Say cheese!" He pushed the handle, spraying green acid at the teenager. But before the acid could touch her, she vanished from sight, surprising the clown. "What!? Where did you-"
BOOM!
The ground around him suddenly exploded, causing all of his caltrops to be blown away. Zombozo grabbed his hat to keep it from flying away as well. "Okay, no more Mr. Nice Zombozo! Quit running around and show yourself!"
"Assault Dive!" Suzuka Gongen smashed into Zombozo's back, knocking him into the air as if he were a ball. The clown struggled to balance himself midair, hoping to see where his opponent was. At least he did wonder until he felt a cold chill shiver down his spine. As he turned his head, he saw the terrifying glare of Chie piercing his soul.
"W-what!?" Zombozo cried seconds before Chie's boot smashed into his nose.
"Anyone who hurts Yukiko-chan answers to me, you stupid clown! Galactic Punt!" She declared, her powerful kick sending the clown crashing into the floor, leaving him in a huge crater. She landed right next to it with expert grace, then grinned. "I win."
Yosuke broke free from Clancy's grip, leaving him to free fall towards the floor. Thanks to his Persona, he managed to slow his descent, but the bug man was still on his ass. "Jeez! Can't you give a guy at least a second to catch his breath!?"
"SKREE!" Clancy attempted to bite him, but Yosuke ducked down to avoid the attack. He then broke his tarot card to launch another attack.
"Tentarafoo!" Susano-o opened his palm, releasing a burst of energy that caused Clancy to scream in pain. The bug man gripped his head, unable to think with the massive headache he was getting. He started slashing and attacking wildly in hopes of hitting his opponent.
Yosuke twirled his knives, whistling softly as he observed his confused enemy. "Y'know, the best way to deal with wild beasts is to confuse them, or at least that's what I think. Anyway, you were the most disturbing guy I've ever had the displeasure of meeting."
"KREEEE!" Clancy screamed, charging straight for Yosuke, seemingly figuring out where he was. The magician wasn't scared this time and slashed his tarot card to pieces, grinning like the idiot he was.
"Brave Blade!" Susano-o grabbed the pointed ring around his body, transforming it into a long blade. With a single swipe, Clancy was slashed across the torso, the force sent the mutant soaring across the chamber. He let out one last cry before dropping defeated.
"Phew…" Yosuke exhaled, dropping to his butt. "I never want to fight that guy again."
"The boy's new form means nothing! As long as I, Hex, am here, he'll never stand a chance against my power!" Hex declared, shooting crystals at Yukiko. She blasted each one to pieces with her flames, not giving an inch to the magical toddler.
Knowing that Ben was still fighting was filling the older sister with pride and strength. "Are you sure you don't need to be put down for a nap?"
"QUIT TREATING ME LIKE A CHILD! I AM HEX!" The toddler's temper tantrum was reaching its critical point. All of his magical energy was building into his staff, his emotions focusing on the heiress. "I AM ALL-POWERFUL AND YOU ARE NOTHING!" A black sphere boomed out of the staff, sucking in everything around it. "FIGHTING IS FUTILE!"
Yukiko smirked, building up her power. In her eyes, she could see the two brightest lights in her life constantly filling her with strength. With a wave of her hand, the tarot card shattered like glass. "As long as those two are still fighting, then I'll keep on fighting as well! Maragidyne!" She unleashed the multitude of fireballs, each one stacking against the black sphere. It seemed like the sphere was sucking up all of the flames, but within mere seconds, the fireballs proved to be too much for the sphere to handle. The tidal wave of flames swallowed the sphere before crashing into the gaping Hex, who screamed as his skin burned harshly. He dropped to the ground defeated, Yukiko fanning herself off victoriously.
"It seems you really did need a nap." She giggled.
Lucky Girl backflipped away from Charmcaster, then launched two mana discs at the witch. Both were shattered by bolts of magic, the witch huffing and puffing to blow Lucky Girl's house down. "Yes, keep throwing around your pretty little mana like some ignorant child! At this point you'll never be like me, a true sorceress!" Charmcaster conjured a purple spear, tossing it at Lucky Girl.
Lucky Girl created a pink sphere, allowing the spear to touch it, then dispelled both with her mana control. "I don't need or want to be like you! I'm Lucky Girl, I'm Gwen Tennyson, which means I'll be who I want to be!" A pink tendril bolted towards Charmcaster, grabbing her wrist, and dragging her close to Lucky Girl. Charmcaster attempted to disrupt the tendril with her own mana, but the construct was much stronger than she thought.
With mana brimming in her other hand, Lucky Girl balled it into a fist, and shot it forward with righteous justice. "And my lucky road starts with beating you!"
POW!
Charmcaster crashed into the opposite wall, her eyes rolled back into her skull, and a large red mark printed on her face. The witch slumped to the floor, unconscious and defeated. Lucky Girl took off her mask, admiring her work. "Martial arts and magic is one heck of a combo!"
Teddie jumped over Ah Puch's fist, clinging onto the mutant's arm, much to Animo's annoyance. The mutant began shaking his arm as if Teddie was some disgusting substance that refused to let go. "Release my creation at once, you little rodent!" Animo yelled.
"Make me!"
"Crush him with the other hand, my pet!" Animo ordered. Ah Puch did as told, raising its other fist to crush the bear into paste.
"Eeep!" Teddie slid around the arm, causing Ah Puch to smash its own arm instead. The mutant screamed in pain, hopping around cartoonishly, its arm stinging. Ah Puch continued trying to hit Teddie, but the bear kept crawling all over its body, which led to a very hilarious game of 'why are you hitting yourself'.
"Are you a bear or are you some kind of spider!? Quit moving around!" Animo shouted, growing far more frustrated than he wished.
"Okay!" Teddie's voice was much closer than he thought it would be. The bear latched onto Animo's back, hugging the doctor tightly. A struggle began between the two as Animo fought to break free of the bear's hold, but Teddie's muscles proved to be far greater.
"Release me at once!"
"Gotcha, Doc!" Teddie quickly let go and dropped to the floor. The doctor was confused until a large shadow loomed over him. He looked to his side to see Ah Puch's arm was swinging right for him.
"Ah poop…"
SMACK!
"GAH!" Animo flew across the chamber, sliding across the floor, leaving his pet to have no commands, but it knew that it had to crush the little red and blue bear beneath it. Ah Puch opened its mouth wide with a primal scream as it rushed the little bear.
Teddie grinned, swiping at his tarot card with his claw. "Bearsona! Mabufudyne!" Kamui loaded up a missile of ice, then blasted it at the open mouth of Ah Puch. Though it couldn't see the Persona, Ah Puch felt the missile enter its body, freezing him quickly. The mutant tried to do anything, but it was fruitless in the end, and it fell to the ground. All of its insides were stiffly frozen solid, effectively killing the mutant.
Teddie did a little dance to celebrate his victory. "A bear-ific outcome for yours truly! Oh, I wonder if Yosuke or the others are done yet! Perhaps I could get a smooch from Yuki-chan or Chie-chan!" He turned around to receive a boot to his face.
"LIKE HELL YOU CAN!" Chie shouted, fire burning in her eyes.
SHATTER!
Rojo cursed as her right gauntlet crumpled to pieces, she only had her blaster left to work with. "Dammit, kid, you're really starting to piss me off!"
"And?" Naoto raised a brow.
"What the hell do you mean 'AND'!?"
"I mean that being angry seems to be your default emotion. Or are you just not used to not getting your way? Seems you really haven't mentally matured past the age of 15." Naoto continued to tear into Rojo's spirit.
"SHUT UP!" Setting her blaster to maximum power, she unleashed the most powerful attack her suit was capable of.
"Tempest Slash!" Yamato-Takeru effortlessly sliced through the blast once again. The Persona sailed towards Rojo, slicing through more of her armor and knocking the punk back a bit more. "Are you ready to surrender yet?"
The female punk shook with fury. She couldn't believe what was happening to her. "No way! I'm not losing to some kids again! I'm not some pushover!" With no weapons left, Rojo resorted to her bare hands and charged at Naoto. The detective didn't bother to say anything else, instead pointing her pistol at the floating card.
"Megidola." The almighty attack exploded right in Rojo's face, obliterating the rest of her armor and leaving the punk in nothing more than a skin-tight bodysuit. Her eyes were rolled back into her skull, limbs spread out wide like a star.
"I may not be the most feminine girl around, but I don't run around like I'm in denial of everyone else. You can reflect on your life choices back in prison."
Kane grunted as he whiffed his next punch, leaving him open for Kanji to land a blow to his jaw before also striking the man's liver. He stumbled backward, wincing as the teenager was wearing him down. "Maybe I should've spent more time getting back into shape." His overweight appearance was doing him no favors in this fight. He tossed two smoke pellets at the teenager to blind his sight, but Rokuten Maou blew the smoke away with a swipe of his arms.
"I ain't good at math, but I'm starting to think I was the worst match-up for you." Kanji said.
"Ha! You kids have too much energy nowadays, y'know that? Back in my day, I wouldn't even need this armor to keep up with you." Kane boasted.
"Huh, you're not exactly an easy guy, Mr. Superhero. Some of those punches did hurt." Kanji responded.
"Hahahahaha!" Kane laughed at that. If the guy was being honest, it was a bit relieving to be fighting this kid. Something about him just reminded the TV star of himself and his brother when they were younger. As punkish as the kid looked, he could see that softness in his eyes that reminded him of the kids who loved his show. "You're a strange kid. But I think it's time we finished this, don't you think?" He took off his gauntlet and replaced it with a pair of brass knuckles from his pouch.
"Heh, I think, old man!" Kanji didn't even bother with his Persona for this one, taking off his school jacket so that it wouldn't get in the way. "Bring it!"
"ORA!" Both released a manly cry, crossing fists, and nailing one another in the jaw.
…
…
…
Kanji faltered for a moment, the pain of the brass knuckles scrambling his brain, but his spirit refused to go out. A bright ember of fighting spirit that would continue to burn until the day he died, one that snuffed out his opponent's with ease.
"...Damn, kid…you really do hit like a truck…" Kane coughed before falling forward. He hit the ground face first, silently declaring Kanji as the winner.
Kanji coughed a bit, struggling to keep himself standing up right. "I once heard that when men cross fists, they can see into each other's hearts." He stared down at Kane with a bit of softness. "I guess you weren't that bad of a guy, just misguided and stupid. Hopefully, you can become a better guy while in prison."
Max continued to battle with the Forever Ninja, struggling to keep up with the adapting speed of the robot. There was nothing Kenny could really do as he watched his grandfather get knocked down to the floor.
Rise, with her Persona activated, placed her hands on Cooper's head. "Okay, Cooper, I need you to focus really hard. I'll do my best to keep the connection stable."
"R-right!" Cooper's eyes glowed blue, he searched for the robotic ninja and found its 'spark'. Reaching into it, Cooper forced the robot to stop its attack.
"What?" Max questioned until he saw Cooper and Rise. "Of course!" Making use of this advantage, Max smacked the bot away from him. "Kenny, you have to strike it now!"
"Wait, really!?"
"YES!" Rise's voice boomed in his head. "We can't keep it still for long! It's programmed to fight back anything that controls it and Cooper's struggling! So give it a good whack!" Rise encouraged.
"Y-yeah…!" Kenny could feel the saber being drenched in his sweat. The boy's nerves were starting to get to him. This was his chance to attack and beat this thing, but what if something went wrong? What if he missed? What if the saber suddenly stopped working? What if he-
"KENNY!"
The ninja managed to break free faster than they expected, turning its attention to the ones who invaded its systems. Before it could rush for the support members, Max got in its way, but the robot was tired of the old man. It took its staff and sliced through the arms of the exo-suit, leaving Max with nothing to use for attack. It kicked the old man aside before taking its swords out to impale the support members.
Rise had used more energy than she thought while trying to help Cooper, because there wasn't much she could do in terms of keeping the bot at bay. The idol held Cooper's body close in hopes of at least protecting him. "Senpai, hel-"
STAB!
When there was no pain to follow the attack, Rise opened her eyes and gasped. Standing between herself, Cooper, and the robot was Kenny. The older Tennyson kid had taken the attack that was meant to kill them, the blades stuck in his shoulders. "KENNY!?"
All Kenny wanted to do was scream in pain, but he figured doing that wouldn't look cool, so he swallowed it down into his stomach. "I-I'm fine! I'm not gonna let this guy win!" He recalled the words Chie had said to him before the Negative 10 broke in.
Don't get too hung up on what you can't do, and instead focus on what you can do!"
"There isn't really much I can do, but…!" He pressed the button on the hilt, igniting the lightsaber to pierce through the Forever Ninja's chest. "I can always do my best to help! That's what I can do! HRAH!" With one final scream to hype himself up, Kenny pulled up on the blade and sliced the Forever Ninja in half. The heroes watched as the bot fell to the ground, and allowed themselves to relax.
Well…Kenny tried with two swords stuck in his shoulders.
Rise caught him, not caring too much about the blood staining her clothes. "Kenny!? Are you out of your mind!?"
"Probably, yeah…ow…" He was thankful for the adrenaline at the moment. "But… I couldn't let you guys get hurt, could I?" His smile caused the idol to blush brightly, choosing to instead focus on his injuries.
"Boys…" She huffed a smile.
The Forever King crashed into the face of Abraham Lincon, laying flat on the president's head. With a flex of his power, he levitated himself upright, leaving a crater on the national monument. Anger burned inside of him, sweet promises of slaughtering Ben Tennyson and his party of ants fueling his fury. A bright streak soon joined him outside of Mount Rushmore. He quickly saw it to be the three meddlesome fools who continued to get in his way. "I have had enough of your games!"
"Too bad, Forever Dweeb, I personally enjoy playing games!" Feedback declared, touching down below the presidents' heads.
"Aw, is the king pissed that he's about to be overthrown?" Adachi mocked.
The Forever King crashed down in front of them, his helmet glowing with power. "Talk all you want, but you will all die here!" His blast was absorbed by Feedback, fueling the Conductoid with power instead.
"Say that when you're not about to get wrecked!" Feedback blasted him, pushing the king back against the rocky wall.
"Go, Izanagi! Raimeizan!" His blade buzzing with electric power, the Persona slashed the chest of the Forever King, keeping him pinned against the rocks. But a burst of power allowed him to speed towards them, his large fist coming down on the Fool. However, Feedback intercepted his kattack with a blue energy ball in his hands, pushing it against the king's fist and blowing it back.
"What!?" The Forever King gasped.
"Atom Smasher!" Magatsu Izanagi crashed into the Forever King, blasting him into the air. The twisted Persona didn't stop there and wailed on the king for a few more moments. Feedback was already in the air, sticking his antennae into the king's armor, draining more energy from him, the Conductoid laughing as the power filled his body.
A metal hand wrapped itself around Feedback's throat, a boost from his boots propelling the king and Feedback into Washington's face. "I will not lose to you, boy!" He smashed Feedback into the rocky surface. "Your transformation into a Conductoid means nothing! All I have to do is wait out your time and then I'll finally be able to kill you, Ben Tennyson!"
"Then it's too bad that'll never happen!" Yu's voice interrupted him. "You're losing this fight, Forever King! Cross Slash!" Izanagi twirled his blade twice, striking the king in his sides, knocking him away from Feedback. Izanagi pushed further and landed another heavy attack on the armor, sending the king downwards.
Adachi waited for the king to reach him before firing his next shot. "Vorpal Blade!" Magatsu Izanagi struck the king into the wall. "Maziodyne!" A red beam of electricity followed right after, obliterating the surrounding mountain terrain. "Tch!" Adachi clicked his tongue and jumped to the side, dodging the blast of energy.
"I've had enough of you!" The Forever King reached him faster than he thought, grabbing the twisted Fool by his head. "Do you fools truly think that an ant can bring down a mighty dinosaur!?" He asked, increasing his grip on Adachi's skull.
"Raijinzan!" Izanagi stabbed right into the king's arm, forcing him to drop Adachi to the ground. Yu landed by the king, pointing his sword at him. "Maybe not one, but an entire army of ants can bring down a dinosaur no problem! You're not just fighting one of us, you're fighting us and everyone we've created bonds with! We're all fighting to beat you!"
"Pathetic dribble that means nothing in the face of power!" The Forever King declared.
THUD!
Feedback landed on his shoulders, pressing his hands on the suit. "Then let's see how much of that power you've actually got!" The Conductoid exclaimed before absorbing more and more of the suit's energy, weakening the king. "He's not wrong, it ain't just me you're fighting! This watch has a buttload of aliens that can easily kick your tin-canned butt!" Feedback's absorption came to an abrupt halt when he was grabbed by the face and smashed into the ground.
"No creature alive can match the power of the sub-energy!" The king then swiped his arm, knocking the on-coming Yu into the forest below. With a turn of his head, Adachi was blasted off the mountain as well, leaving himself and Ben on the national monument. He picked up Feedback and swung the alien hero across the mountain, then took off after him.
Feedback straightened himself out and held out his hands. Spheres of electricity flew out of his plugs and connected, creating an energy field to blow away the Forever King. But it wasn't enough as the knight plowed through it like a linebacker, then brought his massive arms down on Feedback. The Conductoid pushed back against his arms, absorbing more and more power from him. "Your attacks are looking pretty weak, king! Are you really trying against me!?"
"Taunt me all you want, but your time is running out! Only a few more minutes left before everything crashes down for you, Ben Tennyson!" The Forever King declared. He couldn't see the smirk that spread across Feedback's face.
"If that's the case, then I'll end everything right here!" Feedback unleashed a powerful explosion of electric energy to knock his opponent back. Pointing his hands downwards, Feedback flew into the air with the king in hot pursuit.
Down below, Yu and Adachi watched as the white and red streaks continued flying through the air. The Fool grinned, having no doubt about how the fight was going to end from this point on. "Get him, Ben."
"Yu-kun!"
"Partner!"
The two turned around to see everyone else arrive, with Gwen using her magic to keep the defeated Negative 10 captured for the moment. Yukiko wasted no time in asking the obvious question. "Where's Ben!?"
"Up there." Yu pointed towards the sky, allowing everyone to see the finale of the battle.
"And you guys aren't helping him, because…?" Gwen asked.
"Can't you tell?" Adachi sighed. "The kid is gonna win."
High above in the sky, Feedback continued to soar higher and higher until a metal glove grabbed his leg. He grunted at the king, who pulled him downwards and grabbed his face. "You really love grabbing people, don't you!?" Feedback joked.
"You have been a thorn in my side that I would gladly remove! Don't you see that I'm simply trying to help the human race by making us more powerful!?"
"Us?!" Feedback questioned. "You're nothing more than a psycho who wants power! Don't try and act like you're a hero when your goals involve hurting other people!"
"A child like you could never understand the fear of the unknown! Of discovering just how much more power the universe holds over this tiny, insignificant blue planet!" The king roared, bringing Feedback's head between his hands, attempting to crush him like a grape.
"You're right, I am a kid! But I'm the kid who's about to kick your butt!" Feedback's hands grabbed the centerpiece of the knight's armor, tearing it off and revealing the sub-energy. Without missing a beat, the Conductoid stole the sub-energy, and absorbed the power into his body.
"NO! NO! MY POWER!?" The Forever King felt his suit grow heavier, all of the systems beginning to shut down from the loss of his coveted power source. All he could do was stare at the bustling Conductoid in fear.
Feedback pointed his antennae behind him, pushing his palms against the king's armor. "And for the record…you didn't just lose to me! You lost to humans and aliens!" With a mega burst of power, Feedback and the Forever King descended on Mount Rushmore like a brilliant meteor.
Yukiko watched the sight, her mind flashing back to all of the events this summer, every time Ben saved the day and proved himself. She couldn't help but wonder just how far he could go and how brightly he'd continue to shine in this world.
BOOM!
A massive explosion rocked the mountain, forcing everyone to hold on tight to avoid getting knocked down by the wind. The group wasted no time in hurrying to the destroyed mountaintop to see who was victorious. A ton of smoke still blocked their view, but there was something they could easily make out: the bright red cape that belonged to the Forever King.
Fear swept through them for a brief moment until the dust fully cleared to reveal Ben standing triumphantly over Driscoll's destroyed armor. The boy was holding the cape over his head like a trophy, grinning like an idiot. His foot was placed on top of Driscoll's chest. The old knight was unconscious, but alive.
"And the victor is: Ben 10!" Ben declared proudly.
After the complete defeat of the Negative 10, the villains were all tied up and left for the police to eventually arrive and take them away. Seeing the destruction that had been caused to the national monument during the battle, Max used a hologram to keep the ruined Mount Rushmore under wraps.
As everyone was talking and saying their goodbyes, Yu couldn't help but turn to Adachi. There was a question burning on his mind. "So, why did you save Ben back then?"
"Why do you care?"
"I was about to grab him, but you did it before I could." Yu explained.
Adachi didn't respond immediately, his mind flashing back to certain memories.
"Adachi-san! I drew this in class today, do you want to see it!?"
"Adachi, make sure to get some rest today, you look tired."
"Adachi-san, I see you managed to get some cabbages today."
Pushing those thoughts away, Adachi turned away from Yu. "The kid reminded me of someone, so don't think too much about it."
"Hmph, fine then." Yu smiled softly. Looking over he saw the Velvet Room door waiting to take the Investigation Team back to where they were before everything began. Even if Adachi didn't want to be completely honest, he was at least happy that the ex-cop was fine with returning back to prison.
"Yukiko-chan! I'm going to miss you!" Chie cried, hugging her best friend.
"I-it'll be fine, Chie-chan. I won't be gone long." Yukiko comforted her best friend.
"True." Chie dried her tears. "Summer is almost over after all."
"Eh?" Yukiko stopped.
"Summer is almost over. So, you'll be flying back to Japan for school and stuff, ya know?" Chie repeated, not noticing the stunned look on Yukiko. "Uh… Yukiko-chan?"
"N-nothing…" Yukiko said, giving a strained smile. "I look forward to returning home after all!"
Yu walked over to Ben, ruffling the boy's hair. "Good job today, kid. You looked like one hell of a hero."
Ben puffed his chest. "Well, duh! I always win, no matter what! But…uh…thanks for helping me out and stuff."
"No, problem."
"And thanks too, Adachi." Ben said to the twisted Fool. Adachi didn't verbally respond, he just shrugged his shoulders and looked away. "Weird guy."
"Yeah, he's pretty weird."
After the long battles they had faced, and the string of goodbyes that followed, the Tennysons finally arrived at Cooper's house. It kinda set in for Yukiko that a simple task of taking this boy home turned into a giant battle against good and evil. Her life really did become extremely weird, all because of this summer vacation.
She watched as Ben and Gwen followed Cooper to his front lawn, seemingly still caring about that dumb movie ticket. "Okay, Cooper, only two hours until the world premiere. So, which one of us gets the extra ticket?" Ben asked.
Cooper stared at the two of them, having sorta forgotten about it. But knowing that he wasn't really truthful with them, he finally came clean. "Uh, there is no extra ticket. There are no tickets at all."
"WHAT!?"
"Pfft! Snrk! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Yukiko and Max laughed hysterically, enjoying the shock and disbelief coming from Ben and Gwen.
"What do you mean!?" Gwen asked.
"I figured you guys wouldn't even talk to me unless you had to, so I made up having the ticket!" Cooper explained before entering his house and leaving the two stunned.
"Well, look at the bright side of things." Max got their attention. "You two can finally agree on something: being mad at Cooper." He chuckled a bit more, walking back into the Rustbucket. "C'mon, let's go, we're burning daylight!"
Yukiko allowed herself to relax in her seat, thinking back to what Chie had said. She wasn't wrong about the summer almost ending. Eventually, she'd have to say goodbye to Max, Ben, and Gwen. To say goodbye to the best summer vacation of her life. It didn't seem real, but all things must come to an end. Even their-
"Why do you look so gloomy for!?" Ben's shout spooked her.
"Don't be rude, doofus, she was thinking about something!" Gwen slapped him on the head.
"Yeah, but she looked sad for some reason! Yukiko looks better when she's laughing like someone who just got away with murder."
"Why was that the first comparison you came up with?"
"Ben isn't wrong, Gwen." Max spoke up, keeping his eyes on the road. "Yukiko has a beautiful smile that I'd much prefer to see on her face."
"True…" Gwen admitted. "I also do like your smile, Yukiko."
The heiress stared at her family for a brief moment, feeling a brief sense of deja vu. In mere seconds, she was laughing again, finding their concerns and words funny. But they were right, smiling was much better than being all mopey. So what if the summer was about to end? They'll make the best out of these last days no matter what!
"Yes, and I think all your smiles are beautiful as well." Yukiko gave the widest smile she could possibly muster.
The Rustbucket continued down the road, leading Yukiko and her family on their last adventure.
TO BE CONTINUED IN…
PRIESTESS 10: SECRET OF THE OMNITRIX!
NOTE: Thank you for reading and look forward to the conclusion of this summer vacation! I will be taking a break from Priestess 10 for a while to give back some attention to all the other fics I had to put on hold.
I will upload a sorta preview of the movie, so that will be soon.