SZ: *skids in* time for next chapter!
GT: *in a fight cloud with TKO* WHY YOU LITTLE STINKER! I AM SO TELLING YOUR MOTHER ABOUT WHAT YOU DID!
SZ;...ignore that. Anyway...time for today's epi...hoo boy…
Makoto: *pokes head in* Why? Wh…*sees the script*...I NEED AN ADULT!
GT: *pokes head out, sporting a black eye* You are an adult! Well, you're an adult in your sixteen-year-old body, but still counts! *head gets grabbed by a hand crackling with purple energy before being pulled back into the cloud* HAVE AT THEE, LEVEL 0.1!
SZ: ...We don't own anything aside from original content…
Z0: Begin! *flies up as smoke and fire before dive bombing down into the fight cloud, causing a huge explosion*
"Yo, Tsubaki! Me and Rook are heading on a drive-thru run. You want anything?" Ben asked as he and Rook walked past a computer where their friend was currently sifting through all the data Rook gathered the other day.
"I am very interested in this Double Bacon Western Cheeseburger. From what I hear, it is quite unhealthy...but delectable." Rook smiled.
"...Thanks, but no thanks," Tsubaki replied as she focused on the screen, "I'm doing a bit of research right now...see if Makoto wants to come along."
"Right. Where is she anyway?" Ben asked.
"Let me get this straight. You want us to waste valuable time to make a weapon that will let you punch giant fists of energy at your enemies?" Driba asked as Makoto barged into their lab with a request for a crazy new weapon.
"Uh-huh." she nodded her head.
"It can't be done. In order to make such a device, it would take more energy than is available in a regular Plumber ion cannon!"
"It can be done!" Blukic replied, lifting a welding mask as he stopped what he was doing, "We'd just need to take an old blaster and recycle its energy core then adapt it into a gauntlet that fires hard light projections."
"That's stupid and we can't do that! The last time we took apart a blaster, Magister Tennyson revoked our privileges for a month!"
"Ugh...I forgot you guys do this," Makoto groaned, "So can it be done, yes or no!? I mean to both of you in general."
"...Yes/no...maybe."
"That's the best I'm getting, it seems…" Makoto sighed before she saw Ben waving at her, "...Let me know if you come up with anything."
"If we can/can do."
"Oi…" Makoto muttered as she walked over to Ben, "What's up?"
"Me and Rook were just about to head out. Wanna come?"
"Sure. Beats trying to figure out if those two can make something to let me try to emulate my Distortions," Makoto replied with a shrug, "Blukic says they can, but Driba says they can't because of your gramps."
"To be fair, last time we tasked them with an emergency exit...they made it so only someone their size could fit…" Ben muttered, "We try not to give them too much freedom."
"Yeah...that'd be something. So why have them here again?"
"Well, they're still smarter than anyone in the tech labs," Ben shrugged, "That and they were the ones who managed to get my old Omnitrix off when I was eleven, even if it was by complete accident."
"Huh? Why'd ya wanna take it off?"
"I wanted to take a break from heroing...didn't think I needed it again until I was fifteen," he explained, "I guess...somethings just got too heavy for me back then. So I wanted to try and live a normal life for a while."
"Ahh…I see," Makoto nodded, "So...do I gotta wear the uniform or is this a break?"
"Break," Ben replied.
"Good!" Makoto beamed as she tapped her necklace, causing the suit to glow before going into it, leaving her in a pair of black shorts and an orange tee with an acorn emblem on the bust, "Let's get going! ...Wait. Where to?"
"Burger joint. Rook wants to try their Double Bacon Western Cheeseburger."
"I believe you Earthlings call it a…'cheat' day." Rook smiled, "Cheat on what, I do not understand, but it is an excuse to eat very unhealthy food just for the delight."
"Ooh, that sounds delicious!" Makoto grinned, "Onwards to the bacony goodness!"
"Don't go overboard!" Tsubaki shouted offscreen.
"...Fine…" Makoto pouted.
Unbeknownst to the trio, once they arrived at their location, a certain hunter was spying on them from a nearby rooftop. He watched as Ben walked over from the Burger place with several bags in hand. He handed most of them to Makoto, who quickly took them to Rook's truck. Ben stayed behind for a moment to grab some extra condiments.
"Get him," he ordered as his dog barked and rushed forward.
Its body changed as it became a giant lavender and brown skinned worm-like beast. It had a white underbelly, and its back was riddled in grey spikes ending in a pincer like set of spikes at the end of its body. Its wide beak-like mouth opened as it let louse a horrible screeching roar.
"Ahh….finally some down time," Ben sighed in relief once he rejoined the others, "You guys enjoying…"
"Done!"
"That's...that was…" Ben muttered, looking at the empty bag and wrappers around Makoto.
"Disturbing?" Rook asked.
"Impressive." Ben muttered.
"Hey. They were pretty good," Makoto shrugged, "Oh especially that Western burger. Just the right amount of BBQ sauce, and the bacon was nice and cr-" she paused as her ears twitched, "...Uh...guys?"
"...Oh no…" Ben groaned as the ground began to rumble.
The new worm monster burst from the road as its beak opened with another roar. It looked at Ben before spitting globs of acid, which hit the ground in front of them and began eating at the concrete.
"Ugh...alright…" Ben sighed while jumping out of the truck as he slapped the Omnitrix, turning into Diamondhead, "Let's make this fast, Slimey. There's a triple cheeseburger with my name on it." he declared as he aimed and began firing crystal shards at the beast.
The beast flinched a bit from the shards before burrowing into the ground, rising up to move to another part of the area just as Diamondhead fired off some more shards at it.
"...So glad my friend Noel's not here," Makoto noted.
"Why is that?" Rook asked.
"She'd pass out upon seeing this worm," Makoto noted.
"I have not seen an alien like this," Rook admitted.
"Well...Imma callin' it a Slamworm since it likes to slam things and it's a giant worm."
"WOAH!" Diamondhead freaked as he was tossed into the air, landing in Slamworm's mouth as he tried to keep it from closing, "I came here to eat lunch, not be lunch! Also...a little help here guys!"
"Try shooting down its mouth!" Makoto shouted
"Duh…" Diamondhead groaned as he aimed and began shooting his shards into the rotating grinders that were its throat.
Suddenly, Slamworm began shaking back and forth before tossing Diamondhead to the ground. He groaned as he got back to his feet before avoiding another strike as Slamworm kept bashing its head into the ground.
"Guess he bit off more than he could chew." Diamondhead smirked, putting his hands on his hips, "Hahaha…" he chuckled.
"That joke was rock solid, Ben!" Makoto snickered.
"Thanks!" Diamondhead beamed before noticing Slamworm about to tunnel back down, "...Nuh-uh. You're not goin' anywhere pal." he slammed his fist into the ground, sending out a wave of crystals at the beast before surrounding it, "Ha! Gotcha!"
"Okay! Now g-" Makoto began before her ears twitched, "...There's that whistling again…"
"Whistling?" Rook repeated before Slamworm fired some slime at Diamondhead, who quickly made a shield of crystal to block it.
"...Okay. First off; that was gross. Second.." Diamondhead began as he looked past the shield...and saw no sight of Slamworm anywhere, "...well that was just rude..." He muttered as he changed back into Ben, "Seriously...that was odd. It's like I'm a target for monsters lately...and I thought Japan had problems with giant monsters."
"It must have belonged to the guy with a Buglizard and Crabdozer," Makoto noted.
"...It had a collar?"
"It had a collar," Makoto confirmed.
"...Who do you think is behind these attacks?" Rook pondered.
"...wait. There's only one guy who does the whole mutant animal Schtick...Dr. Animo," Ben realized.
"Who?" Makoto blinked.
"Animo. This creepy scientist guy who's been bothering me since I was 10!" Ben exclaimed, "He has this thing about making freaky mutant animals to fight for him. Frogs, Bats, Prairie Dogs... You name it, he's made it a mutant monster that tried to eat me."
"...I am not familiar with this nutball of which you speak, but a Dr. Animo is locked up at Plumber Headquarters," Rook stated.
"...We're heading back to HQ, aren't we?" Makoto asked.
"Hya Rook!" Ben cheered pointing forward.
"Of course...and on a day off, too…" Makoto muttered.
"So you think this Animo guy has been sending crazy alien predators on you from within his cell here?" Makoto asked.
"Yeah. He's...got some control over animals. He learned it from another...D-List enemy of mine." Ben explained, "He then mutates them with his Evolution ray which he wears on his head...and...looks like a cauldron."
"...And how's he gonna react to me when he sees...well…" Makoto paused as she pointed ot her tail and ears, "These?"
"Uh….I kinda don't want to think about it," Ben admitted as they passed Blukic and Driba who who were working on the computer system, only for Driba to end up electrocuted for a good few seconds, "Hey guys." he waved to the Galvan, "But I know he's gotta be behind all this. he always is."
"I find this hard to believe he seems more like a wild eccentric then major threat." Rook argued.
"Well, yeah. But he's a recurring eccentric." Ben added, "Ever since I was ten years old."
-flashback-
"Curse you, Ben Tennyson! Curse you and your meddling ways!" Animo shook his fist at a ten year old Ben, who stood over a defeated mutated kangaroo.
-time skip-
"You haven't seen the last of me, Ben Tennyson!" Animo growled as Ben defeated a mutated bullfrog...and uprooting most of a forest.
-time skip-
"I'll get you if it's the last thing I do, Ben Tennyson!" Animo rubbed his neck as Ben smirked, having defeated Animo's mutated snail...at the cost of a few city blocks.
-end flashback-
"Pfft! He...he really said that?!" Makoto snickered.
"Eh...After the 15th win, I stopped paying attention to all his 'Curse You, Ben Tennyson' speeches." Ben admitted.
"...Now I'm mixed on 'should I be afraid of this guy because I'm a Beastkin?' and 'Oh this guy just screams Saturday morning cartoon villain!'" Makoto admitted as she laughed a bit.
"Here is his cell," Rook spoke as Tsubaki was already waiting for them.
"So...Ben has a nemesis who has bothered him since childhood… Why am I not surprised?" Tsubaki sighed.
"Hey...I was adorable." Ben pouted, "It's Animo's fault for having his schemes ended by a ten year old. I mean...I timed out before I could really punch him and had to improvise on how to stop him most of the time."
"...Regardless, if he's capable of mutating living creatures, it's best not to underestimate him," Tsubaki advised.
"Open it up." Ben sighed.
Tsubaki nodded, moving her badge over the pad before the cell door opened...revealing a room full of stuffed animals.
"...See? What did I tell ya? Guy's cuckoo crazy."
"Did...he...rip apart a bunch of fluffy animals to make...creepy frankenstein's monster's?" Makoto asked, "...That's freaky."
"Yes, seemingly harmless," Rook said as he looked around before noticing a small trail of ants on the floor.
"Yeah...Know what I don't see however? Animo!" Ben waved his arms, "Guy with green skin and an exposed brain...would be kinda hard to miss!"
"I'm sorry, exposed what?" Makoto asked.
"Weird thing...after losing the super body he gained in the Null Void, he did some experiments to boost his animal control power...resulted in his brain being exposed and visible via glass dome." Ben explained.
"...Ew~" Makoto gagged.
"...Still, where exactly is he?" Tsubaki pondere before noticing the ants.
"...Okay. Why are you guys looking at ants?...wait. Why are ants even in here?"
"Ants are native to this planet and normally live underground," Rook explained as he examined the ants.
"Yes...but not so many different species of ants moving together," Tsubaki muttered, "Fire ants, leaf cutter ants, black ants...something's wrong here…"
"...and...into the wall?" Ben asked as he pushed the toilet with his foot and moved aside to reveal a medium sized vent tunnel.
"Well that explains why there's no Animo," Makoto noted, "We got a jailbreak."
"I'm going after him," Ben sighed before ducking down and crawling through the tunnel, "Animo, it's back to your padded cell after this!"
"...Rook. You and Makoto follow Ben. I'll keep an eye out and see if Animo is somewhere on the surface," Tsubaki stated.
"Of course/got it."
"Ahh...why did it have to be a sewer?!" Makoto complained, covering her nose as the trio carefully walked through the sewers.
"These tunnels connect all over the city, he could be anywhere." Rook sighed as his ProtoTool flashed a light.
"Not anywhere…" Ben pointed to a trail of ants going down a tunnel.
"Well...Follow the Ant trail, I guess," Makoto shrugged, "So mind explaining what you meant by him being in the Null Void, Ben?"
"Yeah, I still don't know how he ended up there...and made a machine which fed him power making him super ripped...started calling himself...Devo...Deva...I don't remember," he shrugged, "Grandpa was in there for...reasons pertaining to faking his death...don't ask." he held a hand up, "He was fighting some kinda war with him for months 'till I jumped in and helped."
"...Wow. Your grandpa's pretty c-" Makoto began before the trio encountered a fire ant...a giant fire ant the size of a small car, "...AHH!"
"Oh...that is not normal…" Rook muttered.
The ant opened its jaw...and spat a fireball at them. Makoto jumped back as Rook and Ben rolled to the sides. Rook grunted as the Ant chose to attack him first and began chomping away with its sharp mandibles.
"Giant Fire breathing Fire ant...Totally Animo." Ben laughed.
"KILL IT!" Makoto shouted.
"Alright, alright." Ben sighed dialing the Omnitrix, "Let's fight fire with…" he slammed the dial down as his body turned into a multitude of vines and plant matter. Replacing Ben was an alien colored in black and olive green plant matter with red petals on his shoulder and along his head forming a fire pattern, the Omnitrix located just over his stomach, "Swampfire!" he roared as he stretched his hand and punched the ant away from Rook, "Yes! Finally for once exactly what I asked for!"
"Gh...!" Makoto pinched her nose.
"Oh uh right...sorry about that." Swampfire spoke as he rushed and kicked the ant down a path, he then crossed his arms as a fireball hit him, "Okay. So you wanna play that game, huh?" he smirked as his hands ignited with fire.
The giant fire ant shook off the attack before firing a fireball at Swampfire, only for him to roll out of the way of the attack before sending out streams of his own fire at it, causing it to screech in pain as it began to retreat.
"Oh no you don't!" Swampfire shouted as he chased after it...only to run just as more Fire Ants and Black Qnts chased after him, "Some help please!"
"Oh for…!" Makoto began before noticing more ants surrounding them, "...Well...this is a fine pickle."
"Pickle? These are giant ants," Rook corrected.
"This is gonna get old." Swampfire groaned as he grabbed several pods from his arm and tossed them into the ground.
After a few moments, vines burst from the ground and surrounded them, keeping the ants from getting any closer. He then swung his arms out and sent blasts of fire, igniting the vines around them and making the ants back off. Swampfire then flashed back to Ben, who rotated his alien roster once more; and with another flash, he was replaced by Big Chill.
"Okay. So Fire didn't work...Let's try ice," he spoke before unfolding his wings and floating up, he then unleashed a gust of icy wind as he spun around and froze all the ants surrounding them and put out the fire barrier he put around them, "They...are taken care of, right?" he asked as Rook tapped one, making it shatter.
"Very taken care of," Rook nodded.
"Good..now l-" Big Chill began before noticing more ants, "...Oh for…"
"Take another look," Makoto spoke, making him blink before they noticed the ants walking away, "Whoever's controlling them-betcha it's this Animo guy-is probably calling them back to the 'colony'."
"Colony?" Big Chill repeated.
"That is what a large cluster of ants reside in. They often take the form of mounds of dirt, sand, or even gravel," Rook explained.
"...Might as well follow them," Makoto suggested, "It could lead us to Animo...or better yet..."
"We could ride on one!" Makoto declared, the trio riding on top of one of the ants carrying some equipment.
"You want to explain why this was a good idea!?" Ben complained.
"Simple. We ride it until we get to the entrance of the colony, sneak in, find this Animo guy, and bam! Knock him out and return him to his cell in time for dinner!"
"Any idea where we currently are?" Rook asked into his badge.
=It seems you are leaving the city limits, heading towards the desert= Tsubaki answered =Also, Makoto...Why did Blukic come in here earlier asking for how long your arms are in centimeters?=
"Oh that? I was asking if he and Driba can make something so I can use my Distortions in a way again," Makoto answered.
=Makoto, are you trying to cause a Butterfly Effect?! Do I have to worry about a second coming of...um...the you-know-what before the first one even shows up?!=
"...Ohh…." Makoto paled at that, "Uh...No, no, no! Hard-light tech. No Seithr, Tsubaki! Honest!"
=...You better not be lying, Makoto…= TSubaki frowned as she cut communications on her end.
"Heh...and you rip on me for making stupid ideas," Ben smirked at Makoto.
"Aw, shut it," Makoto pouted before looking at Rook, "Hey, Rook. How do ya know so much 'bout ants, anyway? Did you have a ton back home?"
"Not really," Rook replied, "When I learned I was coming to Earth, I read a fascinating guide book by Myrzel of Valdus Prime. He explained that ants are the dominant life-form on your planet."
"...You're kidding us," Ben deadpanned.
"Well, ants do outnumber humans here nearly 200,000 to 1 and are found on every continent except 'Ant'arctica, ironically," Rook replied.
"Heh-heh...Antarctica…" Makoto giggled just as the ant they were riding on got outside, "Now...let's see how…" she began as she looked ahead...seeing the skyscraper sized anthill in the distance, "...Welp. That doesn't scream 'Hey. I'm the bad guy hiding right here.'"
"Yup," Ben agreed, "...And I'm guessing there's no doorbell, so…"
"Wait," Rook spoke, holding his hand up just before Ben could activate the Omnitrix, "I have an idea."
"...Huh?"
"...This better be mud…" Ben muttered as he was covered in a green-ish goop-like substance.
"Not mud...Pheromone," Rook explained as he began to cover himself in the stuff, "Ants instinctively attack any intruder. With these secretions, we'll smell like members of the colony."
"Ugh...It reeks," Makoto grumbled, a clothespin over her nose.
"...If you smeared us with ant goop for nothing...we're gonna have some problems, man…" Ben frowned as he shot Rook a stink eye.
With that the trio, just walked around the ants and up to the main entrance. A larger brown ant with sharper fangs and horns walked up to them making them jump in shock. It sniffed the air around them for a moment before backing away and letting them pass.
"...You got lucky," Ben whispered to Rook as they walked inside.
"Let's just find Animo already…" Makoto muttered, "I'm gonna have to wash my tail twice just to get the stench out of…"
"Yes, my pets...Build! Construct! Grow!" a voice dramatically declared.
"...That him?"
"Yeah…" Ben sighed as he walked and climbed the steps to the platform, "Dr. Animo!" he called out, grabbing the attention of the mad scientist.
"?!" Animo tensed as he turned, "Ben Tennyson!"
Makoto cringed in disgust. Like Ben had said; the top half of his skull was replaced with a green-tinted glass case, exposing his brain to plain sight. His skin was a sickly shade of green while he had long white hair, red goggles covering his eyes, and a dark-blue lab coat-like suit with black fingerless gloves, combat boots, and green antennae that seemed to be connected to his brain.
"Okay. First off, what's the deal with sending freaky mutant aliens after me?" Ben demanded.
"...Mutant aliens?" Animo repeated, "I don't know what you're talking about! ….To be honest, I wasn't planning on eliminating you until Phase 2."
"He does plans with multiple phases? Yeesh, he is a Saturday morning bad guy," Makoto muttered, "Next he's gonna totally blab his pl-"
"As for my plan...Did you know there are quadrillion ants living here on earth, each continent housing different kinds...except for Antartica?"
"Actually...I did…" Ben mutered, shooting a look at Rook.
"The device before you generates a mutagenic pulse! It will turn every ant on the planet much like my pets here with me, Dr. Animo, as their king!" Animo declared, "The world will be my ant farm!"
"Oh gross…" Makoto shuddered in disgust.
"Quiet you…" Dr. Animo began before blinking twice, "..." he pulled up his goggles, blinked twice, and covered his eyes again, "...Are...Are you half human half squirrel alien or half normal squirrel?"
"Um...Half human half normal squirrel…" Makoto wearily answered.
"Oh my goodness! That is a wonder of science…" he awed.
"Should I add in another charge?" Rook asked.
"Oh, grow up, ya brats! I'm not that type of interested!" Animo snapped as he shook his fist, "Ben, who are these two anyway? They aren't your normal entourage?"
"New partner and apprentice," Ben replied.
"Oh, has Gwen went off to college already?" he asked.
"Early admission." Ben nodded.
"Good for her. A smart girl," Animo noted before looking at the two, "Though truly? You have an apprentice? I feel sorry for which one of them is the apprentice."
"Hey!" Ben complained.
"I'm sorry, but it's clear you are rather hot headed..." Animo muttered.
"Ah come on!" Ben complained.
"Now then...as much as I like to play catch up, I must proceed with my plan into becoming the Ant King!"
"Actually ants are lead by a queen rather than a king," Rook interjected.
"Yes, well I am not a queen type…" Animo countered.
"You have a robo-ant suit with extra arms, don't ya?" Ben sighed.
"...Nooo…" Animo replied slowly, looking away from them.
"...This is not your guy," Rook noted, seeing how Animo's schemes tended to go now.
"Ya think?" Ben deadpanned.
Outside the complex, the alien looked down at the tracks Ben's sneaker left. He looked forward before patting his dogs head, "Flush him out." he ordered.
"Look, Dr. Animo...I will be the first to admit an army of giant ants...is pretty cool," Ben admitted, "But come on. You know how this is gonna go: you sic mutant animal, I go alien, stop you in an ironic manner...and you're back in your cell by dinner time."
"Wait, really?" Makoto asked with a raised brow, "That explains why he's got a plaque above that cell with his name on it."
"Yeah...ahem. Anyway, me and my p-" Ben began.
"That is a Kormite Power core…" Rook muttered, looking on at a lone ant that was carrying some equipment.
"...Uh Rook…?"
"Keep chatting. I got this," Rook waved off as he walked off.
"...Well that was rude," Makoto muttered, "...I think you're rubbing off on him."
"Wait, ME?! You're the one who ignores orders," Ben frowned.
"Oh, and like you haven't?" Makoto countered.
"Oh for…" Ben groaned before turning back to Animo, "How about this? We just beat up Animo then argue later?"
"...Deal," Makoto gave a thumbs up in response.
"Good. Anyway, let's smash this picnic."
"Do your worst, Ben Tennyson! Nothing can stop me!" Amino gloated as he laughed, pressing a button on the console behind him as the metal poles slid and grew upwards while it began to spark with red electricity.
"Okay, I'm burning this place down. Come on, NRG," Ben spoke, dialing the Omnitrix before slamming it down.
Makoto closed her eyes from the green flash before blinking and seeing Rath in his place, "Must have spun it too far or not far enough."
"AH! Lemme tell you something, new Omnitrix that keeps turning me into the wrong thing! YOU KEEP TURNING RATH INTO THE WRONG THING!" he roared before extending his claw and stabbing an ant that lunged at them, "Ah fine...Rath is better anyway!" he roared, kicking the giant soldier ant away before rushing Animo, "Lemme tell ya something, Dr. Animo, Rath is gonna kick your butt all over this mountain you made out of an ant hill!"
"Come to me, my ant army!" Animo declared as his goggles and brain glowed, "Destroy Ben Tennyson and capture the girl!"
"Ew~! His brain glows?!" Makoto exclaimed in disgust before spinning around and punching an ant that tried to attack her from behind, "Also...wait. Did he say 'capture the girl?!'"
"I did!" Animo exclaimed, "You are a fascinating one of a kind specimen worth my personal study."
"...I NEED AN ADULT!" Makoto freaked.
"Oh get over it! It's just the wording!" he shook his hand, realizing where her train of thought was going, "Frankly, you are far too young for me, and that is just creepy."
"The wording alone was just creepy!" Makoto argued.
"Shut up and punch something, Makoto Nanaya!" Rath roared while piledriving an ant onto another ant.
"...Know what? Fine...a bit peeved my day off got interrupted, so,.." Makoto began as she cracked her knuckles, "Time to use some ants to vent!"
"I doubt…" Animo began before Makoto punched an Ant, sending it flying and hitting against a wall, "That...was a big splatter...so...Squirrel powers and super strength...fascinating…"
"Rawrg!" Rath roared as he punched another Ant.
"You may be powerful, but in sufficient numbers, Ants can bring down any prey!" Animo declared.
"Lemme tell you something, giant mutant ants! Rath is not just any prey! You just bit off a snack bigger than your eyes can chew!" Rath roared, punching the Ants away, "Cosmic Drop!" he spun around, performing a closed fist backhand to another Ant, "Incursean Ambassador!" an Ant jumped at him, only for Rath to jump up and perform a roundhouse, "Sirius Butt-Kicking!"
"Oh? So your moves are space and star themed, too?" Makoto asked as she backfisted an ant, sending it crashing into the metal wall.
"Lemme tell ya somethin', Makoto Nanaya! Rath was naming his moves before you were born!" Rath replied as he performed a clothesline on a charging Ant, "Cosmic Clothesline!"
"Eh, true. But can they do this to a degree?" Makoto asked, winding her arm just as an Ant came charging at her, 'I know there's no Siethr, but this is still strong!' "Sirius Jolt!" she slammed her fist hard into the ant, sending it rocketing back as it bounced around between the stone wall and metal spire, hitting a few ants in the process before crashing into the stone wall, "Whoo!"
"Huh, not bad," Rath noted before the two heard chittering and looked up, "Bummer."
"Oh gee…" Makoto gawked before a large swarm of mutated ants jumped down at them, engulfing them in a pile.
"In a few minutes, Tennyson, you'll be nothing but bones!" Animo shouted, "...Oh, but leave the girl intact my ant army! I need her alive!"
"Again, I need an adult!"
"You are an adult! ...Well technically you are near young adulthood, but still!"
"Oh, yeah? Dr. Animo, you terror of mutant...uh, mutants! Rath is gonna-Ow! Now you're asking for it, giant ants!" Rath snarled, "Rath will squash you like a bug! A giant bug! MANY GIANT BUGS!"
"Rook, some help here please!" Makoto exclaimed before a tether wrapped around her and Rath's arms before dragging them out from underneath the ant pile, "...Took you long enough." she looked at the device he had under his arm, "So what's that for?"
"A Kormite Power Core," Rook replied.
"Lemme tell ya somethin', new alien partner that I never wanted in the first place but I'm begrudgingly beginning to like in spite of myself, Rath is gonna…" Rath began before his Omnitrix timed out, "Oh that's not good."
"That's worse!" Makoto replied as she pointed at the charging swarm.
Ben, in his panic, slammed the dial of the Omnitrix just as the swarm lunged at them. A green flash shone before a figure rocketed past the swarm sending them flying away. With a whoop, the figure landed several meters between them and Animo, revealing itself to be a humanoid grasshopper-like alien with a pale-green exoskeleton, a pointed head, and a leotard made of black and green with the Omnitrix symbol on his chest.
"Hey! New alien!" the alien awed.
"...Yep. I am so glad Noellie isn't here," Makoto muttered to herself.
"Is...is this 'Noellie' afraid of arthropods?" Rook asked as he held an ant's mandibles apart to keep it from biting him.
"Unless it's a butterfly, she'll faint or scream and flee," Makoto replied as she punched another Ant.
"I wonder what I can do with this…" the new form Ben took pondered.
"It doesn't matter what you do, Ben Tennyson!" Animo declared, earning his attention to see Animo donned in a red and brown armor resembling an ant...with a pair of mechanical arms under his normal ones, "For you face the Ant King!"
"Knew it…" Ben's new form spoke, "But, really? 'Ant King?' Still might wanna work on that name," he then jumped...and cleared the distance between the platform and the very top of the anthill tower, his head crashing into the rock wall with almost no effect, "As for...my name…" he grunted, digging his head out of the rock, "How about Crashhopper!"
With that, Crashhopper jumped back down, landing on a spike extending from the machine before jumping and slamming into a straight line of the ant swarm, knocking them out of his path and off the machine. His legs touched down...and pushed again, sending him tackling into Animo's armored torso and knocking him down. Animo grunted before being tackled again...and sent through the control module for his machine, tearing it asunder.
"So what does that Kormite thingy do?" Makoto asked as she punched the ant Rook was fighting with away from them.
"It may be the key to ending this," Rook replied as he picked it up and deployed his grappling hook to get up to higher ground on the machine.
"...That doesn't really answer my…" Makoto began before noticing an elevator nearby, "...And of course he would build an elevator into this thing…Saturday morning cartoon villain logic for the win."
"Woohoo!" Crashhopper cheered as he landed on Animo before jumping off his back, "Had enough, Animo? Because I'm having a blast!"
"Ben, Makoto! Some assistance please?!" Rook's voice shouted from above, making Crashhopper lookup.
"Corona Upper!" Makoto's voice shouted as a few ants were suddenly punched into the air before falling down below, "Hey, Rook."
"...He built a…"
"Yes, I know. He built an elevator into it."
"...Hya!" Crashhopper shouted as he jumped up to join them, landing near the two just as some ants surrounded them, "What's the plan?"
"I can set the power core to detonate," Rook answered.
"Great pl-" Crashhopper began.
"I sense a 'but' coming…" Makoto interrupted.
"But the resulting explosion will not only destroy the ants and the anthill, but us and several populated areas as well."
"Bad plan!" Crashhopper complained.
"But what if I were to re-adjust the power core's frequency to atomize just the ants?"
"Better plan!" Crashhopper and Makoto cheered.
Everyone then blinked when the elevator dingged and Animo walked out calmly, "Curse you, Ben Tennyson! Curse you and your meddling ways!"
"Told you so…" Crashhopper shrugged to the others, "Also...he built an elevator into this thing?"
"Yup," Makoto deadpanned.
"Of course I did! You think making this thing was easy?!" Animo argued, "And heaven forbid I would add stairs to this...that would be a nightmare."
"...Okay. That I'll…" Makoto began before her ears twitched, hearing a growling sound, "...Please tell me that was someone's stomach."
Everyone turned to see the alien dog land in its true form before them. It growled as it glared at Crashhopper.
"Mutant dogs, too?" Crashhopper complained, "One theme at a time Animo!"
"...Ben, look," Makoto whispered to Crashhopper, earning his attention as she pointed at a familiar collar around its neck.
"...That collar ag-"
"That's not one of mine," Animo spoke before much to his and the trio's surprise, the dog transformed into something large and massive.
The new creature was a giant fat grey-skinned alien with stubby legs and arms. It had a rounded head with a large mouth as its tongue extended outward with its roar. Pink sacks of some alien goo covered its entire body, over its back, chest, and three around its neck.
"...Ooh~ But it soon will be!" Animo smirked upon seeing that.
"It...changed…" Rook muttered.
"Ben...I think I know why all those aliens that came after you had the same collar…" Makoto whispered in realization, "...They're all the same one!"
"Aw man~" Crashhopper complained.
"Obey me!" Animo shouted while putting his hands up to his head. His telepathic ability gained the alien monster's attention...and resulted in it charging at him, "Oh no…" he panicked, running for the elevator, only for the beast crash into him and the wall...demolishing the elevator and leaving Animo buried into the rubble, "...ow…"
"What do you think was gonna happen?!" Makoto shouted before tensing as the monster's attention turned back towards the trio, mainly staring at Crashhopper.
"I'll handle ugly!" Crashhopper shouted, rushing as he slammed and tackled the creature from behind several times...only to bounce off its thick hide, "Big boy...is built thick…" he grumbled before jumping around a swipe of its arm.
"...What if…" Makoto muttered before Crashhopper tried to jump towards the monster again, only to end up trapped in one of it's pink sacks, "...Oh, I just realized something….I think that dog...thing changed into a predator for your new alien's species!"
"A little late, don't ya think?!" Crashhopper complained as he tried to free himself from the sack, only for his arms to sink into the slime-like substance, "...uh, Rook...partner, a little help here please?!"
"Gladly partner!" Rook smirked taking his prototool as it transformed to its rifle mode, "Hold still!" he ordered before firing a grappling hook that wrapped up Crashhopper before pulling him free.
"Phew...thanks," Crashhopper sighed in relief as he landed, "Now t-"
"Uh...guys?" Makoto spoke up, making them look at her as she pointed to the top of the spire, red energy beginning to form at the tip.
"...Oh that is not good," Crashhopper whispered before quickly jumping out of the way of the monster's lunge, "...Okay. This guy needs to go."
"Agreed…" Makoto muttered before taking a look at Animo, "...Hey Ben, wouldn't you say this thing is an invader?"
"Uh duh."
"And we're in an anthill...Shouldn't we let nature take its course?" Makoto asked with a grin.
"Oh!" Crashhopper realized, "Okay you guys take care of the tower, I got this!" he smirked skipping over to Animo, he then grabbed and yanked off his helmet along with the antena that extended from his brain dome. Quickly lifting his knee up, he raised the helmet before slamming it into his knee, breaking it upon impact.
Every single ant within the area stopped what they were doing, mandibles clicking as they felt whatever was controlling them gone. They then all looked at the massive monster...no...at the Invader in their colony, prompting them to leap up and pile on top of it.
"Well that didn't take too l-woah!" Makoto yelped as she was suddenly lifted up just as Rook used his grappling hook to get higher up.
Rook plugged the core into a secondary control panel before he worked like a mad man to adjust the power. Makoto went to work keeping any spare ants that now considered them threats from interrupting his work.
"Any time now, Rook!" Crashhopper panicked as more and more ants climbed up.
"I have it!" Rook cheered before pushing a lever as the energy wave suddenly changed.
A loud sound went out from the device. Suddenly, all the ants began shaking violently, several of which exploded in large fiery explosions. Crashhopper cringed as the swarm of ants covering the Alien predator began exploding...covering it in a large blast. He then gasped as he heard a familiar beeping sound. It was a time out beep...the same tone as the one from his old Omnitrix. The monster was timing out and returning to its original form. The Alien dog shook off the shock, giving Crashhopper one last growl before it ran off. Crashhopper then turned his head to see Animo running as best he could with his mechanized Ant King suit only for Rook to block his path. Rook then stood up as his ProtoTool aimed forward and locked onto him. Makoto landed right next to Crashhopper just as he timed out back to Ben.
"Aloysius James Animo," Rook recited his entire full name to get his attention for his rights.
"Ooh...He middle-named you!" Ben taunted.
"You in trouble~" Makoto added.
"Nooo…." Animo cried in defeat.
The dog whined as it walked back to its master, its head hanging in defeat.
"No, no, old friend. You did your job," he spoke, "Tennyson got lucky this time. But next time there won't be a petty mutation freak to get in our way."
Ben sighed as he sat in the Proto-TRUK as they flew back into Plumber HQ. They had Animo locked up in the back with all his tools and tech kept in a container up front with them. But during the entire flight back, something continued to bother the bearer of the Omnitrix. His key suspect in all the attacks on his life turned out to be a false lead...and now more information...only lead to more questions.
"It had...an Omnitrix…" Makoto muttered, "Only...instead of aliens…"
"It turns into predators for the ones I have…" Ben added, "It's like that thing is a Ben eating monster…"
"Yes...the Crabdozer is the predator of Pyronites...and Buglizard for Lepidopterans." Rook added, "I did think you were paranoid at first...but it is clear that someone is out to get you. Someone...very dangerous."
"Yeah…" Ben sighed, "But...how did they get an Omnitrix anyway? The only people to make them are Azmuth and Albedo…"
"Albedo?" Makoto repeated.
"Azmuth's student who was jealous of never getting recognition for his work...went crazy, made a copy Omnitrix...only his copy linked up with mine...and made him into my literal evil doppelganger," Ben sighed, "Thankfully an accident made him more...literal...his hair's white and eyes red."
"He is listed as a very dangerous person in the Plumber database, the knowledge and wisdom of a Galvan with the powers to become all the same aliens as Ben." Rook added, "He even created a more dangerous Omnitrix; the Ultimatrix."
"Yikes," Makoto cringed at that before blinking, "Wait...you said you had the Ultimatrix thingy…"
"I...forced him to give it to me," Ben shrugged.
"How?"
"Threatened to blow it up while attached to his arm," Ben smirked.
"...Wow," Makoto blinked.
"Yeah...still…" Ben paused as she sighed again, "If it's not him...who could've made that predator-infused Omnitrix?"
"Maybe someone with a vendetta against Azmuth?" Makoto guessed.
"Who though? We've already ruled out Albedo, and I doubt there's someone as smart as him out there..." Ben stated, "Ugh...this is troubling…"
"...Well, at least we stopped the nefarious Dr. Animo," Rook said, hoping to lighten the mood.
"Yeah..." Ben smiled.
"Aw...they're bonding," Animo spoke from the back of the truck.
"Shut up!" Makoto snapped at the prisoner.
"I shall get you next time, Ben Tennyson! You and your alien partner and half-human half-animal girlfriend too!"
"G-girlfriend?!" Ben and Makoto exclaimed, blushes forming in their faces, "She's not my/I'm not his girlfriend!"
"Really…?" Animo asked, "I think it'd be better to date someone in your line of work, Benjamin… It'd make life so much easier…"
"Well...yeah, but…Ugh! Are we seriously talking about this?!" Ben exclaimed.
"Well his logic is rather sound," Rook spoke.
"Just keep driving, Rook," Both of them simply replied.
SZ: And done….sorry GT's not here. He's...busy with something at the moment.
Z0: He working, we'll just wrap this up folks, another chapter done, Animo defeated, and the world saved from giant killer ants.
SZ: Eeyup. As for how we had Animo act more or less in this chapter...well...he and Ben have been at it for so long within the series...uh...care to explain z0?
Z0: We didn't write him that differently from how he is in the show. Even Ben 10,000, *cough* Spoilers *cough* treats Animo less like a true threat and more...like a goofy ecentric nemesis. He's been around the Tennyson family for years and dealing with him has just become second nature. He's...he's like Doctor Doofenshmirtz, a threat on paper...but with how use to him they are...its more like a typical afternoon.
SZ: Exactly. Still...this is gonna be one hell of a fun fic.
Z0: Tune in next time as we try and keep the universe from being rebooted cause Ben failed to use Alien X the right way.
SZ: Read and review folks!