Hey guys! Welcome back to another exciting adventure in Jade 10! Get your boats ready because it's time to deal with the mighty Krakken! How will things change this time? You're about to find out, right after we answer some reviews!
Reader: I'm glad you liked it all! Since this timeline sees Ben being older, along with Jade, I figured it'd be alright to show more of them being attracted to each other. Ben literally has to guide her through the events he had to experience firsthand and he wants to make sure she learns the lessons he had to understand the hard way. Ben will definitely gain something to help him be able to fight, but why spoil the surprise? I figured that Big Chill would be a good replacement for Stinkfly, and the name Ice Empress was something a pal of mine said would be her name for the form.
Mace: Hey Mace! I'm glad you liked the chapter. You'll just have to wait and see what comes of that.
MIR: An interesting idea. I'll need to think about it. I'll also take the jacket idea for Jade into consideration.
That looks like everyone. Let the chapter commence! I don't own Ben 10, Jackie Chan Adventures, or any other series that might appear. I do own original characters, concepts, creatures, and other such stuff unless stated otherwise. Action!
Voices
"Talking."
'Thinking.'
"YELLING!"
"Author/Guest/High or demonic entity talking."
"AUTHOR/GUEST/HIGH OR DEMONIC ENTITY YELLING!"
"Whispering."
"Author/Guest/High or demonic entity whispering."
Rust Bucket
Ben took a deep breath as he moved his arms slowly, doing his best to follow along with Jade's movements. After what happened in Washington DC, he decided to try and find a way to be able to help out in fights and defend himself more easily. This led him to ask Jade to teach him martial arts. It felt slow and boring at first to practice these motions, but he began to feel at peace the more they practiced. Jade smiled as she kept an eye on the boy.
"Raise your leg a bit more when you kick, Ben," instructed the young Chan. "You won't be doing as much damage if you don't fully extend." This earned her a nod from the boy.
"Right," acknowledged Ben. "I think I'm getting the hang of this." He kicked a few times, getting a feel for the motion. He lowered his foot back to the ground as he did a slow motion with his left arm. Jade grinned as she nodded her head.
"Good. We've been at it for a while so let's stop for a bit. We have a good while before the trip is over so there's plenty of time for you to finish your training." This decision caused Ben to smirk in acceptance. He playfully bowed to Jade in a respectful manner.
"Of course, sifu Jade." The duo erupted into laughter as Ben stood straight, Jade playfully punching him in the shoulder. Max walked up to the kids with a smile on his face.
"I hope you two packed some bathing suits," stated the old man. "The next campsite has a rather large lake. It looks like it could be a good place for a swim. We could also do some fishing while we're there." The kids looked towards each other with the biggest grins Max had ever seen.
"A day on the water sounds awesome!" cheered Ben. He frowned as he rubbed his chin. "I feel like I'm forgetting something. It's on the tip of my tongue." The boy didn't get much time to think as Jade leaned up against him.
"Well whatever it is, it's not stopping me from enjoying a nice swim," declared the young Chan. "I heard we'd be visiting some beach places and maybe even a water park on our trip, so I got a new swimsuit. I haven't really tried it on yet so I guess you'll have to tell me what you think, Ben." This bit of information caused Ben to blush, burning so hot that steam could have blown out of his ears. He suddenly began pushing his grandfather towards the front of the vehicle.
"Hurry up, Grandpa! We have a lake to get to!" His pushing caused the old man to cry out indignantly as he turned towards the driver's side of the vehicle. The whole scene made Jade laugh as she covered her mouth. Teasing Ben was way too much fun for her, and she wasn't going to let up any time soon.
Illinois
Ben looked out over the water of the lake, taking in the calm night air. It took them a while upon arriving to find a good spot to park the Rust Bucket. Thankfully they were able to find a spot near a dock for the night. They had taken care of supper long before now, so the boy should have been able to get in the water right now. There were two things, however, that kept him on the dock at the moment.
The first was the feeling that he had forgotten something very important. The memory rested just out of reach, and it irked him to no end. The very thought of this information made him hesitant to enter the water. Of course, it wasn't his only reason for waiting. He heard the door to the Rust Bucket open and close behind him.
"Sorry if I made you wait," apologized Jade. Ben turned to face her, only to blush as a twinkle entered his eyes. She was wearing a blue bikini top that modestly covered her chest and a black bikini bottom with a blue wave pattern. She turned around in order to give him a full view before putting her hands as she faced him again. "What's the verdict?" Ben gulped as he tried to think of something to say.
"Beautiful," gasped the boy. He quickly noticed the way Jade smiled at him, blushing deeper as he coughed into his hand. "I mean it definitely fits you well." His eyes widened as he realized how that sounded, only to watch as Jade walked within arms' reach.
"Thanks. You look nice too. Now I need you to do me a favor. Hold still." Ben blinked several times as Jade put her hands on his chest, leaning towards him with a small smile.
She leaned in a bit, the same gleam Ben had in his eyes appearing in hers. "I need you…" The young Tennyson leaned forwards a bit, feeling like this was one of those cheesy scenes from a movie he'd walk in to his parents watching. "To hold your breath." Jade's words caused the boy to return his head to its prior position as he sent her a confused look.
"Hold my breath?" It only took Ben a moment to realize what was about to happen as his companion gained a wicked smile on her face. "Don't you dare…!" The boy couldn't even finish his sentence as he was pushed into the water, forced to hold his breath as he went under. He popped up just in time as Jade walked backwards a bit on the dock.
"Here I come! Cannonball!" The girl rushed to the end of the structure jumping off as she cradled her legs against her chest. Ben quickly swam out of the way as the girl landed, creating a decent sized splash. The boy quickly splashed her as soon as she surfaced, both of them smiling and laughing.
"That was a dirty trick! Now it's my turn!" Ben quickly swam after Jade, the girl squealing playfully as they moved through the water. Max walked out to watch over them, smiling as his grandson began a splash fight with his little crush. The kids soon took a dive under the water, getting a look at the underwater landscape.
Ben trailed behind Jade a bit, enjoying how she looked in this environment. Jade couldn't help but notice something on the lakebed, swimming down towards it. Ben soon followed her, wanting to make sure that she'd be okay. He quickly noticed what she did, a small wooden box that was left ajar. Jade quickly opened the latch, finding a small silver and green amulet inside. She pulled it out to display to Ben, only to feel the need for air as she quickly surfaced.
Ben soon felt the same need, swimming up so fast that he failed to notice the movement of a large creature. The duo resurfaced, much to the relief of Max. Jade took a few breaths before holding up the amulet.
"Score! Lost treasure!" She displayed it to Ben, revealing the intrinsic design on it. The green etches of the amulet depicted a cat's head surrounded by unknown symbols, the eyes of the cat shining. Ben smirked as he sent Jade a thumbs up.
"Nice! All I found was some water plants." He turned his back to his friend to display the greenery that was stuck to it, causing her to laugh. Upon realizing that the amulet had a functioning lanyard, she got an idea. Jade hung her find around Ben's neck, causing him to blush.
"It looks better on you. Green's not really my color. Besides, it makes you look less like a lake monster and more like a lake guardian." She sent him a toothy grin in hopes of making the situation less awkward. Ben chuckled as he nodded his head.
"Yeah. I wouldn't want to look like…" The boy's eyes widened as he realized exactly what he had forgotten. "We need to get out of the water right…" He didn't have a chance to finish his sentence as he was dragged under the waves, causing Max to jerk backwards and Jade to gasp.
"Ben!" cried out both concerned parties. Jade quickly dove under the water after her friend, coming face to face with something she never expected to see. The creature was a giant, bipedal beast with blue eyes, golden teeth, and six gills on its neck. It had four webbed legs, a large tail with a fin, and two tentacles coming out its mouth. Its skin was dark cyan on the upper body and olive on the underside.
'No fish freak tries to eat my friend and gets away with it!' thought Jade to herself. She immediately powered on the Omnitrix, cycling through the list of forms. She smirked as she found the one she was looking for, immediately pressing down on the device. As she was doing this, Ben was struggling to get out of the beast's hold. He looked at the angry creature, unaware that the green of the amulet was beginning to glow.
'STOP!' pleaded Ben in his mind. He felt himself grow still as the monster froze in place. The boy soon noticed that it was looking at him, as if it had heard something. '...Are you hearing what I'm thinking?' The beast seemed to understand him as it nodded its head, causing his eyes to widen.
Before he could say anything to the creature, however, a green flash caught the duo's attention. Ben looked back, watching as something swam into view. It was a humanoid fish that seemed to share traits with several aquatic earth animals, its form slender and feminine. The creature had blue scales, a black loincloth-like flap with blue lines, and an angler fish's antenna. Its hands had four webbed fingers while its feet only had two webbed toes. It wore the original Omnitrix symbol on a black patch over its left pectoral. This was Ripjaws, one of Jade's alien forms, and she did not look happy.
"Tentacles off, freak!" cried the fish in a deep, feminine voice. The flap extended into a full on fish tail as the alien rushed the lake monster. Ben held his hand out in an attempt to stop his friend, only for her to bite the monster's tentacle. The beast roared in pain as it released Ben, allowing Ripjaws to scoop him up and take him back to the surface. Max waited on the shoreline with a fearful expression.
"Ben!" cried the old man. "Jade!" He prepared to jump in after them, only for Ripjaws to leap out of the water with Ben in her arms. She landed behind Max, hitting the ground with a thud. She began huffing it as fast as she could to the Rustbucket.
"RUN! I MADE IT ANGRY!" Max looked confused by the statement, only for the massive beast to rise out of the water. The old man quickly rushed after the kids, entering the vehicle at the same time as them. He quickly started the RV, driving further up the way as fast as he could. Unable to catch up with the vehicle in time, the giant beast sunk back into the water.
Ripjaws set a coughing Ben down on his bed, quickly turning back as the timer ran out. Ben sighed as the amulet stopped glowing. He looked towards Jade, the girl having a concerned expression on her face.
"Are you alright?" questioned the young Chan. "Nothing broken? It looked like it had a pretty strong grip on you." Ben chuckled a bit at his friend's concern, causing her to raise her brow in confusion. He sat up a bit on the mattress, a smile on his face.
"I'm good," reassured the boy. "I think I know what I forgot now." Jade smiled in relief as she rubbed the boy's chin. Up at the front, Max was quickly dialing a number while the kids were distracted. He brought the phone to his ear as he waited for someone to pick up.
"Doc, track my location and get to Illinois fast." ordered the old man. "We just had a run in with what I think is a cryptid."
The next day, the group found themselves at a fish cannery with a pier. The building brought back a lot of memories for Jade due to what it was rather than where it was. She decided that she'd tell Ben the story later as the duo followed Max along the path. They saw a rinky-dink boat at the end of the pier, an old man getting ready for a day on the water. Ben looked at his grandfather as he nodded his head.
"I'm telling you Grandpa, it actually heard me think," regaled the boy. "It was like it had mind reading powers or something." He quickly leaned towards Jade and used his hand to cover his mouth from his grandfather's line of sight. "Totally didn't have that last time." Jade nodded as Max shook his head.
"That's nonsense." stated the elder Tennyson. "An old friend of mine told me that the creature doesn't have any mental abilities." The kids looked at each other, surprised by the statement. He actually called someone on this? Ben returned his attention to his grandfather with a small smile.
"You know someone who has info on that Krakken thing?" Max nodded his head as he gave Ben the shushing sign. He cleared his throat in order to get the sailor's attention.
"Captain Shaw I presume." The old fisherman turned towards the group, a scowl on his face. He remained in his crouched position as he picked up some equipment.
"Who wants to know?" questioned the man. He stood tall with his gear on his shoulder, looking over the group. Max smiled as he placed a hand on each teen's shoulders.
"I'm Max Tennyson. This is my grandson, Ben, and his friend Jade. We chartered your boat for a fishing trip." Shaw never dropped his scowl, the expression starting to give Jade the creeps. The fisherman clicked his teeth in annoyance as he turned his back to them.
"Well, what are ya waitin' fer? An engraved invitation? Get aboard. I ain't got all day." The group climbed aboard before the boat could take off.
They spent some time on the water, making sure to actually do some fishing so that they could keep up appearances. They actually had a pretty good haul going, including a large fish that Jade surprisingly reeled up. Max would sometimes message someone on his smartphone, keeping an eye on the area around them. A large bird flew overhead as the group kept their eyes open. Max decided to start up a conversation with Shaw as he looked out over the water.
"So, anything interesting to catch out there today? I know we've caught some decent fish, but there has to be something you don't see very often out here." Shaw sent Max a look before returning his eyes to the water ahead.
"More than you could ever imagine. This world is full of strange creatures, and this here lake is no exception." Ben smirked as he looked towards the captain.
"So like a big monster with tentacles." stated the young man. Max looked like he wanted Ben to stop talking, not amused by his plan. Captain Shaw sounded his interest as he kept his hands on the steering wheel.
"So, you too have seen the Krakken." Max looked the man's way, now intrigued by this news. "I've been on its trail for years." Handed a picture over to Ben, Max and Jade joining him as they looked over the image. It was blurry like the usual monster sighting photos, though it definitely had the right head shape. Ben handed it back to Shaw, the man stuffing it back in the drawer he pulled it out of.
He then resumed his focus on the lake. "People say my rutter isn't alright, but I know it's out there. Sightings of it go back hundreds of years. Some say it's just a myth, but not me. I could take you to a spot where I personally laid eyes on the beast."
Shaw then looked to the group again, specifically towards Ben. "That is, if you've got the stomach for some real adventure." Jade grinned as she cracked her knuckles.
"We've definitely got the stomach for it," reassured the young Chan. "Lead the way, Cap'n!" Shaw grinned like a madman as he turned the boat in the proper direction. Ben gave Jade a fist bump while Max began to message on his phone again. The water moved by a lot faster as they approached the promised location. Along the way, Shaw decided to display his equipment to the group.
"Sonar, hi def video setup, ultrasound. I've got it all, and I will find the Krakken. Mark my words: it can't hide forever." The man's words caused Ben to smirk as he turned his attention to the water ahead. He was expecting Grandpa Max to pull him aside for a talk about getting his hopes up, though he could understand that this was turning out to be rather different from the last time.
It came to no surprise to him when they came upon an area cut off by yellow tape lined along some buoys. He had told Jade everything he expected to happen just so she'd know if something went off the rails. Captain Shaw definitely looked angry as he read over the tape. "Do not enter! What's going on?" Max frowned as he rubbed his chin.
"This looks official," bemused the elder Tennyson. "Maybe we should turn back." Shaw shook his head in denial.
"Nonsense. This is my lake, and I'll go wherever…" Ben counted down on his fingers, soon reaching his last one as he saw a boat approach.
"Fishing boat!" cried a man. "Stop where you are!" The scientific vessel approached them, the crew on board wearing green jumpsuits with black details. A redheaded man amongst them, the one who called out to the group, quickly drew their attention to him. "I am Jonah Melville, the founder of Friends of Fish."
Ben sounded his disgust as he pointed into his mouth, letting Jade know that the man was telling lies. Not seeing this interaction, Jonah decided to continue. "We've closed off this portion of the lake for an environmental study. You'll have to turn your boat around." Shaw growled as he leaned against the edge of his boat.
"Suppose you make me, fish hugger." Ben could tell that a few of the men on board the other ship looked very willing to make them turn around. Obviously seeing it himself, and not wanting to expose the existence of the Omnitrix to these men, Max decided to clear his throat.
"Technically, since I chartered the boat, I'm currently in charge." stated the elder Tennyson. "Isn't that right, captain?" Shaw grumbled as he walked towards the cabin of the ship. Ben motioned for Jade to get ready, moving his arms quickly. This was a sign for her that a speedster would be better in this situation, the girl nodding in response.
The Friends of Fish vessel escorted Shaw's boat away from the area. As they grew further away, however, a beeping soon sounded from the fisher's setup. The man's eyes widened as he saw a blip fast approaching them.
"The sonar!" cried Shaw. "It's found something!" Ben prepared himself for his usual lines as he saw a massive fin approach them from behind.
"More like something found us," stated both Ben and Jade at the same time. They looked at each other, surprised by the occurrence. Captain Shaw ignored the looks on their faces as he kept his eyes on the approaching beast.
"It's the Krakken!" The creature dove under them, its mass causing the water to turn violent. The boat rocked as the captain tried to keep control of his vessel. "It's heading for the docks!" Ben nodded to Jade as he pointed to the area.
"Go!" cried the boy silently. "It's going to destroy the docks! There are people there!" Jade nodded as she quickly transformed while the captain was still focused on the beast. Jane Runny ran off of the boat and across the water, hoping she wouldn't be too late.
People were relaxing and enjoying their day on the docks, unaware of the danger they were in. Captain Shaw repeatedly sounded the horn of his boat, trying to warn everyone. The civilians looked towards the boat, only for the Krakken to suddenly rise from the water. It roared as its tentacles extended from spots near its mouth, slamming down and shattering the docks. Everyone who was on the docks fell into the water, some onlookers on the shore crying out in fear. Captain Shaw just watched on with a pair of binoculars in his hands.
"I told you! It's real! The Krakken is real!" He lowered the visual gear as he took a deep breath of satisfaction. Max sent a glare the sailor's way as the man turned towards him.
"Sail now, gloat later." ordered the elder Tennyson. He then turned his attention to the kids, only to see that Ben was the only one there. The former Omnitrix hero smiled as he pointed to the ongoing scene.
"Jade's already on it." reassured the young Tennyson. Max looked to the scene, watching as a familiar orange blur rushed over the water. The Krakken began to crash down towards the unsuspecting people, only for Jane Runny to snatch them up one at a time. She was able to get each and every person out of the way before the creature even touched the water again, earning its ire. Jonah Melville looked at his crew with a frown.
"Get us out of here!" cried the man. His boat began to speed away from the area, though this had caught the Krakken's attention. Remembering what Ben told her about this event, Jane quickly rushed towards the boat. The Krakken soon caught up with the ship, rising in front of them. The crew tried to turn the ship in a different direction, but the beast splashed them away with its tail.
Wanting to keep the time line close to the same as what Ben knew, Jane Runny quickly created a small hurricane to redirect the Krakken. The beast dove under the water as it swam around to the front of the boat. The speedy hero ran onto the deck as the Krakken rose up out of the lake. It latched onto a crate, beginning to pull it away. Jonah tried to leap for it, only for Jane to hop in his way.
"Not so fast, thief." growled the speedy alien. "I know what's in that crate and you're not going any further with it." The denial caused the man to growl as the Krakken took the wooden container and its contents into the water below. "Now you're gonna come quietly so the police can…" Jane Runny had little time to react as something grabbed her by the shoulders and lifted her into the air.
She growled as she looked up, only to be met by the screeching face of a pterosaur. "What the heck!? Don't tell me Animo got out or something!" On the ground, Ben couldn't believe his eyes either. He knew the Friends of Fish boat was getting away, but they had bigger problems.
"That thing's got Jade!" cried the young Tennyson. "That better not be one of Animo's pets!" Max frowned as he turned towards Shaw, the man ready to harpoon the Krakken.
"Captain!" cried the elder Tennyson. "Jade's been taken! I need you to follow that flying creature now!" The fisherman growled as he watched his prize dive deep into the water below. He let go of the harpoon gun as he glared where the beast once was.
"One day, monster." growled the man. "You'll be mine." He quickly ran to the controls of his boat, turning it to follow the flying beast. They followed the duo for a bit, only for something rather large to begin catching up behind them. Ben looked up to see what was going on, only for his eyes to widen in utter disbelief.
Flying above them was a massive orange airship, the vehicle dwarfing their boat. Shaw looked up with eyes even wider than Ben's. "What the blazes is that!?" Max quickly began typing into his phone, a scowl on his face. Jade finally had enough of being carted around by the avian dinosaur and quickly began vibrating her arms.
"Let me go, you overgrown turkey!" growled the speedy alien. She continued to vibrate her arms until the creature cried out from the motions messing with its grip. She thankfully landed on the sturdy branch of a tree upon being released, carefully running down as fast as she could. She arrived on the ground just in time as the airship stopped overhead. "What the heck?" A bay door opened as three figures ran out.
The first was an eight-foot-tall creature that looked like a mix between a gorilla and a cat. It had tawny fur that became lighter around its neck, face, hands, and feet. It also had red eyes and a mouth full of sharp teeth. Jade nearly mistook it for some form of bigfoot or something, but it definitely didn't have the right build from the videos. She then turned her attention to the second creature.
This one appeared to be some kind of small komodo dragon. It had fangs and claws, along with dark green scales and red, beady eyes. The way the beast looked at her, she could tell that it was ready for a fight. She happened to pay attention to how deadly a bite from such an animal would be, so she definitely prepared to find some way to restrain it. The last member of this trio surprised her in all honesty.
The third arrival was a boy around her and Ben's age. He had black hair with a large white-blonde tuft near the front, brown skin, and dark brown eyes. He wore yellow sweatpants, an orange shirt with an "S" on the front, and a black undershirt. He had some kind of clawed scepter in hand, quite possibly some kind of magical weapon. The boy aimed the object at her as he narrowed his eyes.
"Hold the cryptid still so I can communicate with it!" cried the young lad. Jade growled in response to being called an "it", not liking the tone in this guy's voice. The big cat thing ran up to try and grab her, only for the girl to swiftly kick it in the face and send it flying backwards. The beast rolled across the ground, moaning from the impact to its head. "Fisk!"
Jane Runny had to quickly zoom out of the way as the komodo dragon tried to bite at her. She then grabbed its tail in preparation to fling it. The reptile was a lot heavier than she expected it to be, but she was still able to spin around as she threw it back towards the airship. The tall humanoid creature began to stand up, only for its eyes to widen as its quadrupedal crashed into it and sent them both falling to the ground. "Komodo!"
She heard the screeching as the pterosaur came back for another round. The speedster smirked as she quickly ran in a circle. This created a small tornado, the dinosaur suddenly flapping its wings rapidly as it tried to escape the cyclone. It was unable to do so as it was spun around by the large amount of wind. When the spiral finally stopped the pterosaur was sent hurtling towards the group.
Fisk slowly stood up while holding Komodo, huffing as he tried to stand up. The hairy beast groaned in annoyance as he saw his incoming aerial companion. The pterosaur crashed into the duo, creating a bigger dust cloud than before. "Zon!" Jane Runny stretched as she prepared for her next move.
"Next time you pick a fight, try not to call a girl 'it.'" The boy's eyes widened as the alien ran straight towards him. She was nearly at him when Max and Ben ran out of the foliage.
"Jade!" cried Max. "Stop!" The speedster quickly skidded to a halt, creating some drag marks on the ground. The rude boy fell backwards on his butt, taking a moment to process everything. Jane Runny growled as she pointed to the boy.
"He and his little zoo friends started it! He called me an 'it'!" Ben growled at the other boy as Max shook his head in denial.
"They're friends of mine, the ones I called about the Krakken. They mistook you for a creature like it." Jade was about to argue further, only for the Omnitrix to let loose its time out noise. She was prepared to run away, only for the device to unleash its usual flash. She growled as she stomped her foot in frustration.
"Darn it!" cried the young Chan. "I swear this thing just hates me sometimes." The new kid stood up as he got a better look at Jade.
"You're a human," stated the boy. "A human girl." Jade leveled a small glare at him as she crossed her arms.
"Wow. Way to figure it out, Captain Obvious." The dark skinned boy quickly cleared his throat as he blushed in embarrassment, something that caused Ben's frown to grow. Before anything else could be said, the sound of running caught the group's attention. All eyes turned towards the airship as two people came rushing out of the entrance.
The first was a man with dark skin and black hair that had a large white streak down the middle. His left eye was brown while the right one was pale blue with a scar leading towards it. He also wore an orange vest worn over a full-length black bodysuit, an orange belt, gloves, and knee-length boots. He also has a black, studded glove that he wears over his right hand. He had a serious look on his face as he looked over the group, only for it to soften a bit when he saw Max.
The one eyed man was accompanied by a Caucasian woman with long, pale blonde hair and dark brown eyes. She wore a full-length black bodysuit worn underneath an orange vest that reached down to her mid-thighs, orange elbow-length gloves, black boots, and an orange utility belt. She had a scabbard on her back carrying a sword that depicted some strange head for the guard. She noticed the groaning cryptids of their group on the ground, concern definitely evident on her face. She then turned her eyes to the new boy, quickly kneeling to look him over.
"Zack!" cried the woman. "Are you okay, honey!?" The boy, now identified as Zack, groaned as he pushed her hands away from his face.
"I'm fine, Mom," grumbled Zack. "Just surprised." He suddenly pointed to Jade, the girl looking away with a harrumph. "The cryptid Zod grabbed was actually a…" The boy was stopped in his tracks as the man walked over to him.
"Let's talk about it later, Zack," stated the man. Zack crossed his arms with a huff as he looked away from the big guy, only to notice Ben's glare upon him. The orange wearing man ignored both boys as he smiled at Max. "Thanks for calling this in, Max." Zack looked back towards the adults he arrived with, Jade and Ben doing the same for their current guardian.
"You know these guys?" asked the trio. Max gestured Jade over, the girl quickly taking her place beside Ben. Zack looked to the now rising cryptids, calling them over. Happy that they weren't going to be thrown around again, the beasts quickly stood behind the new arrivals. The elder Tennyson smiled as he returned his attention to the group in front of him.
"Kids, meet the Saturdays," introduced Max. "They specialize in cryptozoology and archeology. This is Doc Saturday, his wife Drew, and their son Zack. I'm not familiar with the cryptids they brought with them." Doc smiled as he nodded towards each creature.
"The Fiskerton Phantom is Fisk," listed Mr. Saturday, earning a huff from the gorilla-cat. "The komodo dragon is Komodo. Finally, the Ornithocheirid is Zon. Zack named all of them himself of course." Said young man laughed a bit in embarrassment, earning a nod from Max.
"Quite the family you've built, Doc." The elder Tennyson placed a hand on Ben's shoulder. "This is my grandson, Ben. Next to him is our family friend, Jade Chan. We were on our Summer road trip when the creature attacked us."
This earned him a nod from Doc, the man understanding why it was such an urgent call. Max then pointed back towards the docs where Shaw was waiting. "We have our guide waiting nearby on the shore so that we could meet in private without him seeing the cryptid that flew off with Jade. I figured there was some kind of misunderstanding or there was another cryptid on the loose." Zack frowned as he pointed towards Jade.
"More like she looked like she was about to hurt those guys on that boat the Krakken took the crate from," accused young Saturday. "I had Zon go after her because I thought she was a cryptid about to go on a rampage or one of Argost's goons." Max looked to Jade with a confused look while the Saturday parents gained serious frowns.
"Is that true, Jade? From what I could tell there was nothing wrong with those 'Friends of Fish' people." Jade scoffed as she fully turned towards the old man.
"Because they're not friends with any wildlife," revealed the young Chan. "I have a friend back in San Francisco that's obsessed with this wildlife stuff. Jonah Melville is a poacher that hunts after rare species of wildlife to sell to the highest bidder, dead or alive." Ben nodded his head in response to her words. Doc and Drew looked each other in the eye, their serious expressions still intact.
"We've dealt with Melville ourselves recently," admitted Drew. The woman returned her attention to the Tennyson group as Doc gestured for the cryptids to get back into the airship. "He was planning to sell some cryptids he discovered to an unknown bidder, but we stopped him. In the end Jonah escaped with the money his buyer meant to pay him with." The woman's husband turned to the group as he nodded his head.
"Tell your captain to head back to shore and make sure he stays there," ordered Doc. "Assuming that you're still up for an adventure, Max, you'll be riding with us from here." The elder Tennyson smiled as he nodded his head.
"I think we could use a more sane guide," accepted Max. "We'll head back to shore and wait for your airship. No doubt they'll be going after the Krakken with better equipment." Doc nodded as he walked towards the airship. Zack looked like he had more to say, only for Drew to pull him along.
Night soon fell over the small lakeside town, the people made to stay away from the lake after the Krakken attack. The Tennysons and Jade only had to wait a few minutes for the Saturdays to arrive and pick them up. The ship went unseen as it borrowed a power from Komodo that no one in the vacationing group expected, the ability to camouflage. Ben and Jade couldn't help but marvel at the creature as it looked like it was almost entirely blending in with its environment. Ben looked at Zack, the dark skinned boy resting with his back against a rail, with an interested look.
"So, is this guy a cryptid or something?" questioned the young Tennyson. "He seems more intelligent than what I've seen from komodo dragons." Komodo seemed to chuckle at the comment while Zack shook his head.
"Komodo is a mutant komodo dragon, not a cryptid," informed the young Saturday. "He's been like this ever since we found his egg. We have no idea why he evolved the ability to camouflage, but he's been in our family so long we never really thought to look into it. Everyone in our group, human and non-human, is considered family. I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to them."
Both Ben and Jade nodded their heads, each understanding what Zack was talking about. Speaking of Zack, he rubbed the back of his head as he looked towards Jade. "Sorry about mistaking you for a cryptid earlier. I've never met an alien before and I didn't hear you speak." Jade looked down in thought for a bit before sighing to herself.
"I guess it's alright," relented the young martial artist. "I'm still salty about being called an 'it' though." Ben crossed his arms as he frowned.
"Yeah," agreed the young Tennyson. "Totally not cool." Jade smiled at her friend as she patted him on the shoulder.
"Ben, I love the energy but please don't bandwagon." Ben nodded his head as he relented, taking a few steps back. Jade then returned her attention to Zack as she nodded her head. "Next time you think of calling something an 'it', make sure it is an animal and not an intelligent creature." The son of their hosts chuckled as he nodded his head.
"I can try," accepted Zack. "Some cryptids already make it hard to tell what their gender is. I'm pretty sure that a lot of aliens will have the same problem." Both Ben and Jade chuckled in response to his words, having an idea of how that works out. They soon heard the sound of creaking metal, turning to watch as the adults were preparing a round pod.
"This is a drone we developed for underwater reconnaissance," introduced Doc as he was talking to Max. "If we can find out what was up with that crate it took, or find wherever it's resting, we could counter Jonah before he strikes." Max walked over to the machine his companion just described, whistling as he rubbed the metal shell of it.
"It's an impressive piece of technology, Doc," complimented the old man. "There's a reason I always said your tech was hard to beat." Doc looked back at the approaching kids with a soft smile.
"I think a device that can turn a human into something else entirely has me beat, Max. Still, the drone will do the job." Doc looked to where Drew was piloting the ship, cupping his hands. "We're here!" His wife nodded her head as she made the airship slow to a stop.
Once they were at a full stop, Doc pushed the device into the water. It sank deep into the water, turning on as its creator sat down at a control system. "Now let's see if we can find our Krakken." A small propulsion device on the back of the drone willed it to move forward, a rutter changing its trajectory. The device dove deeper and deeper into the water, soon spotting a shipwreck.
Doc's eyes widened as he noticed a small, veiny sphere in the midst of it. "Is that…?" Drew nodded her head as she got a view of the feed from a small screen.
"That's an egg," stated Mrs. Saturday. "Looks like our Krakken might be a mother." Ben and Jade smiled at each other, Jade quickly holding her hands behind her back as she rehearsed her lines in her head.
"That must be what was in the crate it took!" cried the young Chan in mock surprise. "Jonah's been stealing her eggs!" Max nodded his head as he sent a serious look towards the young Chan.
"Looks like it," agreed the old man. He then turned towards Doc as he once again nodded his head. "We need a closer look." Doc nodded as he pushed forwards on a control rod. Before the drone could get any further, Shaw suddenly appeared in front of the drone with a harpoon gun in hand.
"SHAW!?" cried Ben. Unlike Jade, he had genuinely forgotten that the old fisherman would be there. "We told him Jonah was dangerous and yet he still came back! That's crazy!" Max sighed as he rubbed his grandson's shoulder.
"That's exactly what I was worried about." The drone sunk to the bottom of the lake, the camera fizzing out every now and again. Shaw didn't seem to notice the arrival of another boat as he looked over the egg. He swam up towards his boat, only to be suddenly hoisted up as he reached the ladder. Doc stood up from his seat as the drone finally gave out.
"That man is going to get himself killed," stated Mr. Saturday. An explosion soon rocked the area, forcing the group to look out the window. Sure enough Jonah had blown up Shaw's boat like Ben expected him to, the old fisherman being tied up as the vehicle began to sail off. "After them!" Drew immediately put the airship into throttle as the engine began to power up more.
"Hang on!" cried the woman. Everyone was shocked when the vehicle suddenly jerked, causing Jade to fall back a bit into Ben's arms. Doing his best to ignore the awkwardness of their situation, failing slightly as he blushed, Ben looked at Jade with a frown.
"Either Ripjaws or Ice Empress," advised the former Omnitrix wielder. "Let's finish this before it can get out of hand." Jade nodded as she quickly pushed herself up.
"Right," acknowledged the young Chan. She quickly activated the watch with a grin, cycling through the forms. She grinned as she stopped on the one of her choosing. "Let's go Ice Empress!" Jade rapidly pressed down the Omnitrix, slowly transforming into the below zero degree moth.
"Let's cool them off," hissed the creature. She turned intangible as she fell through the floor of the airship. Zack's eyes widened in shock as he looked between Ben and the newly created thin layer of ice. Komodo was released from his harness by Doc, allowing the airship to become visible again. Upon seeing the floating vehicle, Jonah growled in anger.
"It's those Monday freaks again!" roared the poacher. "Blast them out of the sky!" The men quickly moved to battle stations as the airship drew closer. They began firing on the craft, forcing Drew to pull it back a bit. Jonah grinned as he felt his victory was at hand, only for his boat to begin slowing down.
"Brace for impact!" cried the person at the helm. Jonah turned around to see what was going on, only for his eyes to widen as he saw a rather large chunk of ice in their path. The ship turned as if to avoid the ice, only to crash right into it. Thankfully there was no damage to the hull, other than some messed up paint, but now every man was thrown onto the deck. The head villain growled as he quickly raised up.
"What the heck!? How does ice form on a lake in the middle of Summer!?" He turned towards the helm of the boat with a growl. "Get us moving!" He gained no response as more of his men began to stand up.
One of the men thought he saw something, only for a cold mist to wash over him. Another saw the attacker and opened fire, only to have the same fate befall him. Realizing that something was very wrong, Jonah ran over to the helm. "I said to…" The Poacher's eyes widened as he saw that the goon inside was frozen, though it was clear that this was a casing as the minion looked towards him with his eyes.
"What's the matter?" asked the raspy voice of Ice Empress. Jonah slowly turned around, his eyes widening at the sight of the humanoid moth. "Getting cold feet?" She was prepared to freeze his feet, only for the man to grab his companion's weapon and aim it at her. She turned intangible as she dove into the boat, avoiding a large amount of fire.
Jonah grabbed at the wheel as he powered the throttle. The boat suddenly took off, scraping against the ice before shooting off towards the docks. Ice Empress growled as she flew towards them, doing her best to keep up. The villain quickly pressed multiple buttons, dropping several barrels into the water. Ben's eyes widened as he remembered this part.
"Jade!" cried the young Tennyson. The bug girl quickly realized that something was off when she saw the barrels in the water. She did her best to fly out of the way of the floating objects, finding her concerns to be well founded as they began to explode. The Saturdays' airship had to rise higher in the air to avoid the explosions. She tried to go intangible to dodge another one, only for the heat to get to her as she was pushed back. Seeing this, Jonah decided to risk it as he watched the moth fall into the water.
"Let's run over this overgrown moth!" cried the villain. "Maybe salvage its wings for some extra cash!" Ben felt his heart race as his worry began to grow. Unlike Stinkfly, Ice Empress could not pull herself up to a tree with her abilities. The amulet around Ben's neck began to glow again as he began to bang on the glass of the airship.
"Stop it!" He watched as Ice Empress coughed up water, unaware of the approaching boat. "Stop it!" The girl looked up just in time to see the ship drawing closer, unable to get her wings to move properly. Zon flew out of the ship as fast as she could, the pterosaur actually being slower than the boat.
Ben's eyes finally glowed green as the amulet was so bright the others in the ship could see its light. "Don't touch her!" Max was about to pull his grandson away from the glass, only for a shockwave to send everyone falling onto the floor of the airship. Down in the water, the shockwave actually reached the returning Krakken. The beast looked up to see the boat rapidly approaching the floating bug, roaring as it unleashed its tentacles. It spun around to swipe its tail at the boat, actually creating enough pressure to send the vehicle into the air.
Jonah watched in shock as his boat barely missed hitting the ice created by Ice Empress. Zon was able to grab the bug woman by her shoulders before lifting her out of the water and flying her to the shore. Jonah growled as he saw the Krakken rise in front of him.
"Screw this!" Jonah turned the boat around again as he sped back on his way. He walked away from the wheel for a bit as he hung Shaw's legs over the side. "You'll have to act as bait, old timer." The villain quickly pushed his tied up captive into the water below, quickly returning to the helm as the old man began to sink.
"Shaw!" cried Ben, his eyes still glowing. The Krakken seemed to hear his concern as she swam over to the old man. She lifted the fisherman up with one of her tentacles before gently placing him on the bank near Ice Empress and Shaw. Everyone's eyes widened as the beast then returned to the water. Ben's eyes and the amulet finally stopped glowing as the boy grabbed his head.
Soon Shaw and Jade were brought back on board, medical attention given to both. Thankfully neither of them had injuries, though they quickly needed to be dried off before any sickness could set in. Ben also found himself being observed, though it was for a different reason. Drew looked over the amulet around the boy's neck in great interest.
"This looks like it's Egyptian in origin," appraised the woman. "The symbols seem to depict something to do with the spirit, but they seem to be incomplete. Still, it's definitely some kind of magic. By the looks of how you seemed to be commanding the Krakken, I say it's a powerful magic." Ben quickly shook his head in denial.
"I don't think it's power is controlling things. When I first saw the Krakken, I thought it was reading my mind as it stopped when I yelled for it to. I think it lets me communicate tele…telpa… With my mind." Jade did her best not to laugh from her seat in a nearby spinning chair.
"I'm not trying to make fun or anything but my Uncle Jackie said the exact same thing when trying to think of the word 'telepathically'," informed the young Chan. Ben grumbled a bit as he crossed his arms, only for Jade to lean back in the seat. "Hey, at least you make it adorable." These words caused the young Tennyson to look away with a blush. The amulet glowed slightly once again, though this time only two of the symbols joined it.
'She thinks I'm adorable. Score!' Ben looked towards Jade again, only to notice her cheeky smirk as Drew tried not to laugh. "The amulet let you hear me, didn't it?" Jade said nothing as she stood up from her seat, walking away from the duo.
The amulet's glow faded as Ben groaned, hugging his head in his arms. "That was so embarrassing." Drew sent the boy a smile as she nodded her head.
"Trust me, all boys do embarrassing things around the girls they like," stated Mrs. Saturday. "You should have seen my husband when we first met. Still, she had a similar reaction that I did. Play your cards right and you might just make this work." Ben's eyes widened as he sat up straight, a grin appearing on his face.
"You do!?" He quickly slumped again as he cleared his throat. "I mean… cool. Good to know." Drew chuckled as she shook her head, ruffling the boy's hair like she would her own child.
Shaw had to be sent home immediately as he still had it in his mind that the Krakken was a monster to hunt. Even telling him how it saved his life didn't seem to help. In the end all they could do was leave him in town and hope he wouldn't follow them. The cries of the man saying the Krakken was his to claim was heard in the background as the airship took off. Doc groaned as he rubbed his temples.
"I do not understand how that man functions," groaned Mr. Saturday. He approached the others as he shook his head. "He's missing something my father liked to call common sense." All three kids chuckled at the jab, Komodo joining in behind them. Max crossed his arms as he shook his head.
"Let's focus on finding Jonah before he can make off with the Krakken's eggs," corrected the old man. "Where would he go to hide such large eggs?" Jade and Ben secretly grinned at each other once again, knowing exactly what to say.
"The crate the Krakken took mentioned a cannery," recalled Jade. "I bet ya he's probably holed himself up there." Drew smiled back at the duo as she piloted the ship.
"Good eye, kid," complimented the woman. "You might wanna strap in. We'll need to get there quickly." Everyone quickly scrambled to get to some form of seat as the airship once again zoomed through the air. Zack looked at the others with a small frown.
"He'll probably be expecting us," guessed the boy. "We'll need a good plan to deal with him and his guys. Anyone have any ideas?" There was a silent pause as the group kept their eyes on the world ahead of them. Ben looked down at the amulet before smirking with his arms crossed.
"I have an idea, but it's probably gonna sound stupid at first," revealed the young Tennyson. Everyone but Drew slowly looked towards him, judgmental looks on their faces.
The next moment saw the airship sitting in a clearing, its occupants by the lakeside. Ben stood legs deep in the water while wearing a wetsuit the Saturdays had onboard. The wetsuit was mostly orange with some black areas in the underarm, forearm, and leg areas. He went barefoot in order to feel the lakebed, something that was more a preference than any actual strategic value. Zack held the sides of his head as Ben kept his eyes on the water.
"This is incredibly stupid," groaned the cryptid whisperer. "You want to try and talk the Krakken into working with us? As soon as she finds out where her eggs are, she's going to bolt for them. We need to think about these things." Ben sent a smile back towards the Cryptid whisperer.
"Exactly. If we can work together with the Krakken instead of fighting against it, we can finish this with no problems." Ben then ignored anything else Zack had to say as he looked towards the lake again. He took a deep breath as he closed his eyes, the amulet glowing once more. "Mama Krakken!"
He opened his eyes as a pulse shot throughout the lake. Before anyone could react, the beast rose from the water with a roar. It pulled itself onto the bank as it looked down at the boy. "Hey there girl. Thanks for your help earlier tonight."
The Krakken nudged herself against Ben while cooing, causing the adults to jolt a bit. "We're trying to help you too. We know where your eggs are and how to get them back. If we work together, those poachers won't be able to bother you anymore. Can we work with each other to get them off your lake?"
The Krakken seemed to think over this proposition as it stared down at the human. The water cryptid lowered its head to the boy's level, as if presenting herself. "You want me… to place my hand there." It was more of a statement than a question as he slowly brought his dominant hand to the mother's nose. The amulet and his eyes glowed brighter as he made contact, green symbols running from his hand across the Krakken's body.
In his head he saw a scene of a more masculine Krakken swimming into view, roaring as it pierced the water. In the real world, the symbols around the cat head insignia of the amulet completed themselves as they formed hieroglyphics. The relic sunk into Ben's skin as the lanyard disappeared. The Krakken slowly pulled away before swimming back into the lake. Ben looked to his hands as green energy formed around them, creating constructs of the Krakken's arms and claws.
He looked back to the others as the head of the beast formed over his head as a mask. "I think she said yes." Everyone looked gob smacked by the sudden change to the boy, none more so than Jade and Max. Ben moved further into the water, green energy forming the legs and tail of the Krakken. Jade took a few steps forward, a concerned look on her face.
"Ben!" cried the young Chan. The magical boy looked her way, his expression hidden behind the energy mask. "Be careful out there. I'd hate to see you be turned into chum." This statement made Ben chuckle as he sent his crush a clawed thumbs up.
He then jumped into the water, moving at high speed. Jade quickly powered on the Omnitrix before pressing down on it, turning herself into Ripjaws. She quickly jumped into the water before taking off after him, leaving the others to rush to the cannery by foot. At said destination, Jonah could be found in some form of aquatic machine with arms. A crane lowered him to the docks, the Krakken's other egg in his grasp.
His now unfrozen goons, as well as a few others, approached him with villainous smirks. He passed the egg to the closest goon, the man almost dropping it from its weight. This caused Jonah to growl as he sent a glare the man's way.
"Careful with that, or else you'll be cleaning up the world's most expensive omelet!" roared the head poacher. The massive egg was slowly placed into a glass tube, resting on top of a second egg. Jonah jumped out of the mechanical suit as he practically hugged the tube. "After we sell these babies to the highest bidder, we'll be kicking back on a beach in the Bahamas. Let's get these onto the boat."
The villains began to cart the eggs to the boat, only for the Krakken to suddenly burst through the dock behind them. The monstrous mother roared as she extended her tentacles in a display of intimidation. Jonah, however, gained a look of excitement as he patted the container with the eggs inside. "The bigger the Krakken, the bigger the payday! Open fire!"
Most of the goons began to bullets at the Krakken, though the beast shook the attacks off as she roared in fury. She knocked a few of the villains into the water as she tried to reach for her eggs. One man tried to load a grenade launcher to fire, only to have said object pulled away and crushed by glowing green tentacles.
"Try this on for size!" cried Ben, his mind powers making his voice echo. The man took a few steps back as the boy looked like a ghost Krakken possessing a kid. The villain tried to get in a strike, only for his opponent to unleash a roundhouse kick just like Jade instructed him to. A few more men ran over with guns in hand, only for the hero to jump high in the air. Ben couldn't help but cheer out in excitement as he spun like a tornado, causing both goons to watch in shock as he fell towards them with clawed fists reared back.
Back with the Krakken, she threw aside more goons as she approached her eggs. She was about to grab them with her tentacles when Jonah swung around in the diving mech, grabbing the container in his grasp. She roared as she tried to chase after the man, only for him to start firing lasers from one of the suit's arms. These actually began to affect the Krakken as she slowly scooted backwards, one of her feet nearly going off the edge of the dock. Ripjaws suddenly leapt from the water, soaring high before she landed on the body of Jonah's vehicle.
"Try picking on someone your own size!" roared the fish alien. She lowered herself to the arm that held the container, ready to break it off. The laser arm was pointed at her face, only for the alien girl to bite the weapon clean off. Jonah growled in anger at this, watching as the creature bit into the arm that held his prize. The container with the eggs dropped towards the water, Ripjaws quickly leaping after them.
She tried to get a good grip on the container, only for Jonah to swing around and sock her in the jaw. This caused the container to break on the dock and for the surprisingly sturdy eggs to roll towards a plank that was hanging off the edge. A few men tried to run for the objects, only for Ben to kick them into the water below with a flying double kick. A few men tried to fire at him, only for the boy to form an energy construct of the Krakken's hide over his back to block the bullets. A majority of the goons ran inside to grab more weapons, an apparent leader among them pointing towards a huge gun mounted on the wall.
"Grab the big one!" cried the grunt. "That'll kill it!" The last goon ran into the area, only to cry out as something invisible bit down on his leg and dragged him out. The villains turned around to find the man gone. "Where's Frank!?"
Zon suddenly flew into the building from one of the windows, shattering the glass as she picked up one of the goons by his shoulders as she lifted him above an open trap door. She dropped him into it in order to avoid bullet fire. Fisk jumped down from the rafters with a roar as he socked one of the villains in the jaw. Two of the men backed towards a shadowy part of the cannery, only for an orange light to shine behind them. They turned around to see the Saturdays standing at the ready behind them, their weapons drawn as Drew's sword is revealed to be a flame blade.
"Might as well give up now," advised Zack. "Otherwise, this is gonna hurt." The men looked like they were willing to fight, only for Komodo to become visible. The head goon looked towards the massive gun he planned to use, only to see it pointed in his face. Max was on the other end, a glare on his face.
"We can either do this the easy way, or the hard way," offered the elder Tennyson. "Look at your odds before you decide." Before anything could be said, the tail of the Krakken broke through the wall. The Saturdays grabbed onto hooks that swung over the floor, Fisk returned to the rafters, and Komodo and Max moved back into the room the big gun was in. This allowed them to dodge the extremity as it broke the floor apart in its wake, sending the goons into the water below.
Back outside, the three fighters and the Krakken quickly approached the eggs. Ben and Ripjaws tried to keep Jonah from reaching the unhatched babies as they leapt on his suit. The Krakken used her tail to smash the board holding the eggs, lifting them up to eye level as Jonah let loose a growl.
"My eggs!" roared the poacher. He crashed into the beast's tail, sending the precious cargo towards the water below. Ripjaws growled as she and Ben leapt towards the water.
"They're not your eggs!" roared the fish alien. She caught them midair before hitting the water. Jonah glared at the girl as he pressed a button, dropping his vehicle from the crane. Ripjaws was about to swim away when he crashed into her, sending the eggs floating away. He then turned her around as he used the arms of his suit to punch at her.
"Saving babies. Heroic, but not very smart." He went for another punch, only for Ripjaws to grab on with both hands.
"Neither is being a poacher in a world of superheroes, yet here you are." She spun him around a few times before throwing him towards Ben. "Batter up!" Ben grinned as the tail construct behind him grew larger. He swam in circles a few times in order to wind up before smacking Jonah's vehicle upwards, causing the villain to hop out of the water for a bit as he screamed.
The mech landed back in the water, an obvious dent in the metal. He growled as he watched the Krakken retrieve her eggs, giving chase as she tried to swim off with them. He brought the large arms of his suit together, creating a shockwave of electric energy that let loose a loud screeching noise. This harmed the Krakken, forcing her to drop her eggs to where he could nab them. It looked like he was about to get away until Ripjaws crashed into him, sending them both crashing into the shipwreck where Shaw found the second egg.
Jonah grabbed Ripjaws by the throat with the crushing claw, hoping to pop off her head. She quickly grabbed at a nearby chain, yanking it to where a small anchor crashed into the metal of the diving mech. She tried to pull the crushing arm off of the machine, only for an electrical current to run through it and shock her. She was forced to let go as the villain rocketed off with the eggs. Before he could get very far, however, Ben came rushing in with a much larger Krakken fist construct. He punched at the face of the suit, cracking the glass and dislodging the eggs from his hold.
'Hands off!' cried the boy, both verbally and mentally. Jonah was surprised to hear the voice as the boy swam around him. Ben swam at such a high speed that the mech began to spin like a top. Jonah tried to create another shockwave, only for a familiar anchor to crash into the electrified arm and cut it off. The magical boy finally stopped his motions as he grabbed the eggs, soon taking off with them.
Ripjaws soon followed suit, staying between her guy and the still spinning Jonah. The villain was finally able to get his suit under control, gulping as he looked green in the face. He growled as he saw the kids racing towards the nest, powering his thrusters to max speed.
"I've had enough with meddling heroes!" roared the man. He watched as Ben quickly set the eggs in the nest, Ripjaws looking over them. "Looks like you'll both be sleeping with the fishes!" He prepared to strike the duo down, only for the Krakken to suddenly swim in front of him. The cryptid bit down on the mech, crushing it slightly to where water began to seep in from several areas.
The monstrous mother pulled the vehicle to pieces, forcing Jonah to hold his breath as he was now exposed. He tried to stab at the beast with a knife, only for the blade to break on her teeth. He mentally cursed his luck as the Krakken let loose a low growl. She was about to chomp down on the poacher, the man shielding his face with his arms. Before any devouring could begin, however, Ben swam up beside the beast.
'Stop!' The Krakken came to a complete standstill before turning her attention to the boy. 'This creep's not worth it. Just stay with your eggs. We'll take care of him for good.'
The cryptid looked the boy over before retracting her tentacles. She rubbed her head against him one more time before swimming back down to her eggs. Ben then turned his attention to Jonah, the Krakken face construct that covered his head creeping the man out. 'Care to do the honors?' The villain was confused by the question, only to be turned around as Ripjaws had a fist cocked back.
"Gladly," accepted the fish alien. She punched Jonah square in the face, taking him to the surface as he passed out. She then hung him by his suit from a wooden post, patting her clawed hands together. "You just hang there for a while. I'm sure the police have a nice dry cell for you back at the station."
Ripjaws quickly dove back into the water as a police boat was indeed on its way, the sirens blaring loudly. She swam around for a bit, soon being joined by Ben. Now that they were not in the midst of a fight, the boy couldn't help but swim circles around his friend.
'That was awesome! We make the most epic team out there! I feel like a hero again!' Ripjaws chuckled as she rolled her eyes. She swam in his way as she crossed her arms.
"If you ask me, you never stopped being one. You just pushed that to helping me out with really getting me a greater insight to this whole hero thing. Now that you've got powers again, you'll make a great sidekick.~" Ben chuckled both physically and mentally as he punched the fish girl in the arm. Ripjaws let loose a fake yelp as she rubbed the area, the magical boy quickly swimming a circle around her.
'Yeah right. She'd make a better sidekick as she's the cute one.' Ben quickly remembered that he was using his mind powers, covering the face part of the construct head as he turned towards Jade. He found that she wasn't there, causing him to look around in confusion. He didn't have much time to look further as his target suddenly swam around from behind him, draping her arms on his shoulders.
"So you think I'm cute, huh?" Ben tried to find the words to say in response to his crush's question, only for a net to suddenly lift them up. "Hey!" The duo were lifted out of the water before their captor began rowing towards the docks. A familiar jingle began to ring through the air as they grew closer to the destination.
Meanwhile, Doc was giving a statement to the police as several more boats showed up to cart off the group of villains. Max had his arms crossed as Jonah was the first loaded into a vehicle, getting his own private ride. He nodded his head as the vehicle began to sail off.
"Good riddance to bad rubbish," sighed the old man. The sound of rowing soon filled the air, drawing both his and the Saturdays' attention. They turned to find Shaw rowing a small boat towards them, a big grin on his face as he had something rather large in a net hanging off the back.
"I got not one, but TWO Krakkens!" cried the fisherman. "The eggs must have hatched! Imagine these monsters mounted on my wall!" The man failed to notice the green flash behind him, the police thankfully sharing his lack of awareness. The sight after the light cleared caused Drew to smile knowingly while Doc chuckled with his arms crossed.
"I'd check your catch again, sir," recommended Mr. Saturday. "I think you caught something else interesting." This seemed like a dismissal to Shaw, causing him to growl as he turned back to his catch. He raised his lantern to the net, only for his eyes to widen as he saw Jade cuddling up to Ben. The boy chuckled as he waved slowly.
"Um… hi guys," greeted the boy. "This isn't what it looks like." The fisherman couldn't help but gawk in confusion, taking off his hat as he scratched his head.
"I could have sworn they were…" began the fisherman. "Maybe I have spent too much time on the water for the past few days." The other adults couldn't help but chuckle at the situation before them.
The next day
Ben once again found himself in the medical area of the Saturdays' airship. He was rather confused, just like everyone else, why the amulet was now fused to his chest. He couldn't take it off and it felt like it was part of him. Drew looked over the hieroglyphs on the face of it, humming in interest. She stood up straight as she nodded her head.
"According to the hieroglyphs, it seems like the amulet has magical properties linked to the soul," appraised Drew. "It seems to depict that when you place your dominant hand on a non-human creature, you gain the ability to call on an avatar of its species. It then grants you the capabilities of the creature in question, such as the ability to breath water. It has a form of attunement to it, so I believe the amulet will be stuck there for the rest of your life." Ben hummed as he tapped at the relic that was now stuck to him.
"Not like I haven't been stuck with jewelry before," grumbled the young Tennyson. He shook his head as he thought over what he heard. "So if I did this with a cat, I'd be able to balance on almost anything and see in the dark. Stuff like that?" Drew nodded her head.
"That would be the gist of it." This information caused Ben to hum. Zon flew closer to the duo, having grown curious of what they were doing. Ben got an idea as his eyes and the medallion glowed.
"Mind if I pet you fella?" The pterosaur shrieked angrily in response, causing Ben to wince. "Sorry, girl." Pleased by the correction, Zon lowered her head a bit. Ben used his dominant hand to pet her, the same symbols now spreading over her body.
A scene of a male counterpart to her species soaring through the air filled Ben's mind. Once he stopped petting Zon, he created constructs of wings over his arms. He flexed them a bit as a grin formed on his face. "I can get used to this." Jade walked over with her hands behind her back.
"So that's it then?" questioned the young Chan. "How do you explain his telepathy?" Drew crossed her arms with a small smile.
"That's the other thing," revealed the woman. "The amulet seems to enhance what its user already has available to them. I can confidently say that the body part constructs are a part of this enhancement. I'm sure you can tell what this means." Ben's eyes widened as he looked down at his hands, allowing the wings to dissipate.
"I have magic in me?" questioned the young Tennyson. "How does that work out? I've never had magic before. I don't think I have any magic users in my family." Drew shook her head in denial.
"Some people are just born with magic, like Zack was. You might be the first person in your family to have this kind of power. It's ultimately up to you what you want to do with it. You are literally the start of a new legacy." Ben smirked at this speech, nodding his head.
"I think I know what I'll do first…" He suddenly jumped off the observation table and ran towards the main area. "I'm gonna pet Komodo and Fisk!" Jade rolled her eyes at the boy before quickly chasing off after him. Drew couldn't help but chuckle as she followed after them, wanting to make sure they didn't hurt themselves.
Soon the Saturdays and the vacationing group found themselves standing outside the airship, the Rustbucket parked on the other side of the entrance. The kids had sad smiles on their faces as they looked at each other, the adults standing behind them. Max decided to speak first as he nodded his head.
"We should really get back to our Summer road trip," stated the old man. "I understand that you're going to oversee a conservation effort here, Doc."
Mr. Saturday nodded his head, confirming Max's suspicions. "Someone has to make sure no one goes after the Krakken and her eggs again," stated Doc. "Once we get everything set up, we have a few rumored cryptid sightings to check out." The two men walked towards each other, initiating a strong handshake. Drew walked towards them as she nodded her head.
"Don't be a stranger," requested the woman. "Hopefully next time you call us, it'll be for better circumstances." This earned her a nod from Max, the man sharing her hopes. The kids walked up to each other, none of them able to find the right words to say. Zack decided to be the one to speak up as he gestured to Ben and Jade.
"Guess this is goodbye," began the cryptid whisperer. "Again, sorry about the 'it' comment." He quickly received a dismissive cry from Jade as she rested her hands behind her head.
"I'm over it now," revealed the Omnitrix wielder. "Happened too long ago for me to stay mad. Just remember to check for the watch before you say anything." Her dismissal caused Zack to chuckle, the boy rubbing the back of his head.
"I'll remember. You already brought it up to me once." Zack then turned his attention to Ben, a confident smirk on his face. "You better not make yourself look foolish with my friends' avatars, Tennyson." This declaration caused Ben to smirk as he crossed his arms.
"I don't typically make myself look like a fool, Saturday," stated the young Tennyson. "Next time you see me, I'll be kicking the bad guys' butts while they can't even see me. Maybe I'll swoop down to get a good kick in or something." Silence quickly passed over the trio. Jade broke the silence as she held out a fist.
"Until next time then," offered the young Chan. Ben and Zack soon added their fists to the circle. The trio lightly bumped fists before pulling their arms back. Soon the Saturdays were left to watch as the Rustbucket drove away from the lake, the vehicle bouncing a bit as it drove over a speed bump. Inside said vehicle, Ben could be found sitting beside Jade at the small dining table.
Ben was a blushing mess as he looked out the window. The reason, one might ask? Jade was laying against him while she held his hand, a small smile on her face.
There goes another chapter! Ben gets a new and unique power in the form of a magic amulet. We also get to see Jade's rendition of Ripjaws, the alien taking in a different color for its design than the others. We also get a look at the Saturdays being present in this universe. Finally, it looks like Jade is starting to pursue Ben in the romantic sense.
I had planned to update last week, but real life made things a bit complicated for me there. Hopefully the extra-long chapter made up for it. Next time we'll see just what changes when the group makes a pit stop at a certain retirement community.
What did you guys think of the chapter? Did you like how the Saturdays were brought into the story? How about Ripjaws' design? Do you like how Ben and Jade grow closer each time we see them? Let me know what you think down below, and I'll try to get back to you ASAP. This is Inkaliber, signing out.