SZ: And we continue with the spooky month stuff...and in this chapter...we bring in one of the creepiest things in Blazblue.
Z0: Jin's internet history?
SZ: Nope.
Z0: Kagura's Internet history?
Kagura: Why am I always the example?!
SZ: Because you're more or less the Blazblue equivalent of Jiraiya from Naruto. A badass and serious character in battle and when they need to be a leader, other times….
Z0: Your essentially a Young Master Roshi
GT: You cannot deny that you are a Young Roshi. Even got the same dark hair. ...Are you related to Roshi? Someone get a copy of Roshi's outfit including the 50lbs turtle shell.
Z0: *opens dimensional portal and goes in, struggling can be heard till I come out holding the outfit* Shades cost extra…
Kagura:...oh….fair I guess…*takes outfit before walking off*
SZ:...ahem. Anyways...prepare for some spooky shit folks.
Z0: Oh right...it's October *twitches as the yearly change to Halloween Z0 begins*
SZ: Uh oh...uh...we own nothing aside from original content! GT! Start us off before Z0 changes!
Z0: RAH!
GT: *gives a terrified scream before slamming a frying pan into Z0's face, leaving an indent shaped like Z0's face* ...Sorry...Too much FNaF 1-3 on the Switch… *puts it away before fleeing*
SZ: *runs* WAIT FOR ME!
Z0: *twitches as body becomes that of a horrible monster with claws and spikes, fire sparking from a now elongated jaw* Happy Halloween!
"Come on...where is it?" Makoto whispered, rapidly looking around town as she looked at each store and shop on each side of the street.
"Is...she okay?" Kevin asked as he, Gwen, and Ben followed after her.
"I think so," Ben replied, scratching his chin in thought before calling out, "Hey, babe!"
"Busy!" Makoto called back, still rapidly looking.
"..." the older two looked at Ben with raised brows.
"..." Ben shrugged.
"Mou...where is it?!" Makoto groaned as she stopped, "Those two girls I overheard said there was a new clinic in town with a chinese motif, and that it was owned by a Dr. Faye Ling!"
"Babe, I gotta ask.." Ben began as he and the others caught up, "Does that name sound familiar to you?"
"Familiar? I've met her back in school!" Makoto exclaimed, "She owned a very nice little clinic in Orient Town, and me and my friends often visited whenever we were in town...and...eh heh..." she sheepishly chuckled as she rubbed the back of her head, "I met her the first time because I was treated by her because I fell from a tree."
"Yeah, that sounds like a you type of story…" Ben sighed, "So that's why you're bugging…" he rubbed his chin, "Come to think of it...don't some of the Kaka Clan talk about her?"
"They do. I also met Tao through her because Tao came to get some meat buns from her that day I fell out of the tree," Makoto explained.
"Ahh…" Ben noted, "...Leet me guess, Tao had a nickname for her too?"
"Yup. 'Boobie Lady.'"
"..."
"..."
"..."
"...What? You asked."
"Given how literal those names are...I'm just gonna stop that thought there," Ben shook his head.
"Yeah…" Makoto nodded before she resumed searching, "Now if she really is here...gotta ponder why a-" she stopped mid step as she looked ahead, seeing a rather small yet fairly large building with a Chinese motif to it at the end, a few plants and a Chinese lantern placed near the front, "THERE IT IS!"
"You sure?" Ben asked.
"Ben, it looks exactly like her shop back when I first met her," Makoto replied before sniffing the air a bit, "And...oh..oh I remember this scent...it's lunch time, meaning she must've made one of her famous Meat Buns…oh my mouth is just watering from smelling it~"
"...and you're sure about this?" Gwen asked.
"Come on...you guys smell it too, right?"
"Mmm...Hold on," Ben noted as he turned on the Omnitrix and turned into Blitzwolfer, "Hmm…" he sniffed the air, "Ooh~!" his tail started wagging while he wiped his mouth as drool began to form, "Oh, I can smell it now."
"Right!?" Makoto beamed as she ran over to the clinic.
"Wait for me!" Blitzwolfer cheered as he changed back to Ben.
"...Okay not gonna lie...starting to get in the mood for some Chinese food," Kevin admitted as he followed after the two.
"Honestly…" Gwen sighed, about to give chase before she saw something in the corner of her eye, stopping for a moment to see something slither down a storm drain, "...what was…?"
"Gwen hurry up! Don't wanna miss out on this!"
"C...c-coming!" Gwen shouted as she followed after them.
"Mmm...Today seems like another slow day…" a young tanned skin girl muttered as she sat behind a desk, her navy-blue hair done up in a bun as she wore a white chinese outfit with a black sash tied into a butterfly around her midsection, short black tights, sandals, matching bracelets, and an anklet, "Not like yesterday...that one Alien was really finicky before Ms. Litchi treated his wounds…" a ringing sound soon caught her attention as the front door opened, "Hmm?"
"Hello? Anyone here?" Makoto asked as she and the others poked their heads in, "...Ms. Litchi? Hello~"
"...Wait a minute…" the young girl began as she noticed Makoto, "...You're one of those girls that often came to help Ms. Litchi with that Kaka Clan girl Tao!"
"...Linhua, right?"
"Yes...do you need something from Ms. Litchi?"
"Yeah."
"...She is rather busy with lunch, but...I think she might have some time to talk," Linhua said as she stood up and walked over to a nearby door, "Excuse me, Ms. Litchi?"
"Yes, Linhua?" a female voice answered from behind the door.
"One of those girls from that Military Academy is here."
"Which one? Ms. Vermillion, Ms. Yayoi, or Ms. Nanaya?"
"The squirrel girl."
"Oh?...I'll be right there," the voice answered.
A few moments of silence followed before the door was opened, letting a tall, young and attractive woman of Asian descent walk in. Her black hair was tied into a bun while her pink eyes were behind a pair of black-rimmed glasses and pink lipstick upon her lips. She wore a stylish Chinese doctor's uniform with long white sleeves, a yin yang brooch ribbon, a red vest, and a skirt dress that exposed her thighs. Hanging off the green ribbon keeping her hair up was a small panda that seemed to look on at them.
"...Well, this is quite the surprise indeed," she noted, adjusting her glasses a bit, "It's been a long time, Ms. Nanaya."
"Ah I've never been more glad to have been right about a random hunch!" Makoto smiled, "Uh...before I begin...you know what's...going on here, right?"
"If you mean being in the year 2014 and knowing the existence of Aliens and the like, I do," Litchi nodded.
"You wouldn't believe how many times I've had to tell the story," Makoto sighed, "But short version...my boyfriend did it." she pointed to Ben.
"Let's just say I have something special that helped me fix the universe while at the same time...bringing you and many others from your original timeline," Ben added.
"Ahh...that explains the how then," Litchi noted, "...Partially, but still….hmm. And funny thing actually...it was the start of the new year before Linhua and I woke up."
"It was really surprising when we first met an alien," Linhua noted.
"You guys treat aliens now?" Makoto asked, "Wow...but...not like I'm one to ask...how? Aren't Aliens and us Earthlings like totally different?"
"Oh, they are," Litchi admitted, "But our first encounter was kind enough to help us get some books on alien biology."
"Wow…" Makoto awed before a faint tiny little growling noise was heard, "So...about those buns…"
"Ah...so you smelled those," Litchi noted with a giggle, "Don't worry. I've made plenty for some of my patients after their checkup, so I can offer you a few. And while I am at it…" she paused as she looked over at Gwen, "I can check on your friend here if she wants."
"Oh...no thank you. I…" Gwen began.
"Are you sure? You seem to be having some mental stress," Litchi said before looking at her bandages, "Plus I can give you something to treat your cuts."
"...How did you…"
"Dr. Litchi is the best doctor in town," Linhua spoke as she gave a proud smile, "She even makes the doctors over at the hospital look like rookies."
"It's best to just accept she's gonna treat ya…" Makoto shrugged, "It's easier that way."
"...Very well," Gwen nodded a bit after pondering it over, "I was hoping to ask if you had some herbal tea to help with headaches."
"I know a special blend that could help with that," Litchi smiled as she and Gwen walked off, "Linhua helps me plant some of the herbs in the garden out back."
"You have a garden?"
"Of course. The best types of herbs are homegrown, and the garden helps provide a sense of peace and clarity," she nodded before looking back at Makoto, "As for the Meat buns, there's some in the kitchen a-"
"She left the moment you said kitchen," Linhua spoke, pointing to the Makoto-shaped dust cloud standing next to Ben before it faded.
"I swear...I don't know how she makes it so the clouds wave…" Ben muttered.
"Heh. She never changes," Litchi chuckled as she and Gwen entered another door.
"...Okay, I gotta wonder…" Kevin quietly whispered to Ben, "Are all women and girls from their timeline busty and curvy as heck?"
"...Dude. Really?" Ben deadpanned.
"Don't tell me you haven't thought that."
"Counter: Noel," Ben stated.
Noel paused in her poetry writing as Robotboy and Lambda were sitting on the couch watching a cartoon, "Huh…"
"What wrong?" Robotboy asked.
"I have the strangest feeling that I want to shoot Ben with Bolverk when he comes home," Noel noted.
"Don't be weird boy," Lambda stated.
"W-Weird boy?!" Noel gawked.
"From cartoon," Robotboy replied, pointing at the TV, "Talking dog men fun-ny."
"Hmm...It seems you've been putting a lot of mental stress on yourself," Litchi noted, currently massaging Gwen's head as she had a small container of gel nearby, "Have you been staying up late studying? Has anyone put any stress on you? ...Have any family members been causing you annoyance?"
"Honestly? All of the above," Gwen sighed, feeling a sense of relaxation flow through her body as she kept her eyes close, "My cousin is visiting and things at my university have been insane."
"Ahh...that explains it," Litchi nodded, "I recommend giving yourself a day to fully relax. A day to yourself each week to help with the stress. Avoid all types of study, and just enjoy yourself with friends and family."
"That...does sound nice." Gwen sighed, "I suppose the recent events of my life prove that…"
"That's good. Admitting it helps with the stress," Litchi nodded before she stopped massaging, "Now for your tea."
Gwen nodded a bit as Litchi walked over, grabbing a nearby cup of tea before presenting it to her, "Thank you."
"Just be careful not to drink it down all at once. These herbs are particularly powerful," Litchi advised.
"Right," Gwen nodded as she blew on it, taking a quick sip before her body tensed up...following by a wave of soothing relaxation, her mind feeling a sense of peace and clarity like she said...as if all the stress she had just melted away, "Oh my...This is strong."
"I recommend one cup a day to help with the stress," Litchi smiled, "I'll be sure to provide you a bag before you leave."
"Are...you sure?"
"Of course. You're my patient, and I want to make sure your well being is okay, both physically and mentally," Litchi answered with a small kind smile.
"T-thanks…" Gwen muttered.
"Now then...bandages off," Litchi spoke, grabbing the container of gel as she opened it, "Let us see about those cuts of yours. It may sting a bit, but you'll be surprised by the end result."
"Right…"
"Mmm~ Umashi~" Makoto squealed quietly, holding a large meat bun the size of her hand in her hand as she munched on it, "Oh I've honestly missed the taste of these~"
"Wow...you were not exaggerating...these are amazing!" Ben smiled eating one, after having followed her in.
"I know, right?!"
"And the doc just makes these for her patients?" Kevin noted, currently munching on one as he stood against the doorway.
"Usually she makes more for when Tao comes over or when she goes down to the Kaka village to mend to some of the injured," Linhua answered, nudging his leg down, "She normally makes them smaller, but she grew on the bait of making them that big for any patients or hungry people." she tilted her head, "I kinda miss Tao…"
"May need to go to Bellwood then," Ben noted, "The Kaka Clan lives under it."
"Really?"
"Yup. Course they often come up to the surface now and again," Makoto indeed, "Mostly to find any potential mates."
"Wait...but I thought…"
"Oh yeah...I kinda helped fix that whole 'damage with their DNA preventing them from going over 100' thing," Ben answered.
"...How?" Linhua asked with wide eyes.
"Easy, b-" Ben began before a crashing sound was heard, "?! What was that?"
"Oh not again…" Linhua groaned.
"Huzzah~! Freedom~!" a voice shouted.
"...Was that a person?" Makoto blinked.
"Uh...st-stay here! I'll check it out!" Linhua said as she rushed off while slipping on some gloves, "Oh no you don't! Get back here!"
"Linhua, what was that?" Litchi asked offscreen.
"N-nothing, Ms. Litchi! No need to worry! Just focus on the patient!"
"You shall not stop me! I am not going to be denied! I hunger! Get your hands away from me!"
"Get back in there!" Linhua growled.
"Never! I shall not be denied my freedom!"
"..." Kevin, Ben, and Makoto slowly blinked as they turned to one another.
"...Should...should we help?" Ben asked, breaking the silence between the three.
"Might be one kooky patient trying to get out when he's not fine," Makoto guessed.
"Ah-hah! Your skin's exposed on the wrist!"
"Oh not again," Linhua squeaked out, "Ewewew~!"
"...Yeah, I think we better step in before whatever she's chasing comes in here," Kevin spoke.
"On it," Makoto replied as she ran into the room Linhua had gone into...before walking out with wide eyes, "Uh…"
"What's wrong?" Ben asked.
"You, uh...You gotta see it. She's...uh...thumb wrestling with her left arm...and her left arm on her right arm."
"...Huh?" the boys blinked at that.
"Oh no..you don't…!" Linhua grunted, lottery having an arm wrestling match..with herself as her other arm had what looked like lime-green slime on her wrist that was producing the identical limb to her wrestling limb, "You...are going back in that bottle whether you like it or not!"
"Nevah!" the slime snapped, "I am hungry and bored! You shall not capture me again! So sad to say Linhua baby, but this is a fond farewell. I'd say it was nice knowing you...but I'm not a slime of lies~"
"What the heck is that?!" Ben and Kevin blinked.
"Ah!" Linhua squeaked as she spun around to them, breaking the arm wrestling, "I-it's nothing!"
"See?! See?!" Makoto stated.
"Oh joy...idiots…" the slime sighed, "Always idiots...this planet is infested with them! Infested!" a pair of tiny green eyes peeked out of it and looked at Makoto, "...Hello…"
"Oh no. Ms. Nanaya, get a…" Linhua began before the extra arm vanished and the slime shot off her and into Makoto's tail, "...way…"
"AAH!" she cried, "Ew! Ew! EW-EW-EW!" she panicked spinning around.
"For a girl with Squirrel DNA...you act rather dog-like…" the slime's voice could be heard...before a second tail suddenly sprouted next to her normal one, "Oh this is just cute. It's so fluffy...but powerful!"
"AHH! THE HECK?!" Makoto freaked.
"What the heck is going on?" Kevin asked before the second tail 'punched' him in the stomach and proceeded to slap him several times, ending the chain of attacks with an uppercut to his jaw knocking him over...and out cold.
"So...you have more power then the brute with zero taste...amazing~" the slime's voice cheered.
"What the heck even are you?!" Makoto exclaimed, "Also...BEN! HELP PLEASE!"
"R-Right!" Ben nodded...before taking a picture with his phone.
"BEN~!"
"Sorry, Just wanted to show you later," Ben replied as he brought up the Omnitrix and activated it.
"Hm?" the slime pondered before the tail went back in and the slime extended towards Ben as he pressed down on the raised core, making a flash of green light as he was replaced by Wildmutt...with the slime on his Omnitrix now sporting the symbol on its 'forehead' as well.
"Awoo?" Wildmutt pondered.
"Oohh my~! Now this feels...intoxicating," the slime shivered in delight, "So much DNA...all the DNA I could ever ask for...all at once...why...this must be the nectar of the gods themselves~" he made two little tentacle arms as they wiggled around in excitement, "Oh I dare say I've found my new forever home...Hello, lover~ Skurd is here, baby~" he sighed as he caressed the Omnitrix Faceplate.
"Rowr?!" Wildmutt freaked before changing back into Ben, "Get off my Omnitrix, you little snot!"
"Mmm….no."
"NO!?"
"You heard me...this is my nirvana...my paradise. Why would I leave my all you can eat DNA buffet!?" he responded, "Though...it is dreadful that I'm stuck to an annoying boy with no taste to his DNA...but this...oh this…" he began cuddling the Omnitrix again, "Yes Skurd can get used to this. Don't worry, baby...I won't leave."
"...Linhua…" Makoto began.
"Remember that I said we get alien patients. One showed up with him on them," Linhua explained.
"Well, can you get it off Ben because I don't want a talking booger watching things of utmost privacy."
"Ew...Like it's my dream to watch life forms procreate…" Skurd shivered, "Disgusting…"
"Well you can't just hang off my boyfriend's watch like that!" Makoto argued.
"Well sad to say, I'm not leaving." Skurd crossed his little tentacle arms and turned away from Makoto, "So it seems...we are at an impasse…"
"Mmm...what hit me…?" Kevin groaned, finally coming to.
"A stupid talking booger," Makoto growled.
"Parasite, actually," Linhua corrected, "It seems to bond at the genetic level and we had to resort to using something it hadn't tried before to remove him from the patient."
"And glad you did...otherwise, I never would have met this lovely thing right here, hmmhmhm…" Skurd replied as he cuddled the Omnitrix again.
"Stop that!" Ben and Makoto snapped.
"No."
"Oh, I feel like we got another headache…" Kevin groaned.
"Hey! He's not attached to your wr-" Makoto began before blinking a bit, taking a few sniffs real quick, "...blood."
"Hmm?"
"I smell blood...both fresh and rotting nearby…" Makoto whispered, rushing over to a nearby window before gazing into the small alleyway next to the clinic...and saw a dead alien body laying there, "?! OH MY GOD!"
"What's...OH GOD!" Ben shouted.
Skurd moved Ben's arm out so he could see, "Hmm...tragic that...oh well. I'll go get the shovel."
"Cold," Kevin muttered as Linhua rushed out to check the body.
"...His body has been drained of all his vital fluids…" Linhua whispered as she looked, "It's as if it was dragged in by something..and was drained dry rather than be eaten whole…" she whispered, noticing some insect-like bite marks covering the corpse before she spotted what looked like black-slime dripping off its shoulder, "...Oh no...that explains it."
"Explains what?" Ben asked.
"Lately, both humans and Aliens have been going missing...most of the time due to being too close to the entrance to the sewer or by storm drains," Linhua explained as she reached up, cautiously and gently closing the dead body's eyes, "The next day or so...they're found like this. And from what a few rare witnesses saw...they say they saw black slim dragging that person into the sewer."
"No relation…" Skurd quickly replied.
"...Black slime…" Makoto whispered as she pondered it over, "Where have I heard that before…?"
"...Sounds familiar to me, too," Ben noted, rubbing his chin in thought with his left hand.
"You have a rather long nose hair in the left nostril," Skurd noted, looking up at Ben's face.
"...We may need to investigate," Ben suggested, "Kevin, mind calling Rook? We may need someone up here in case that thing escapes to the surface."
"...Wait. You're not going into the sewer are you?" Linhua asked, "With that creature down there?!"
"You saw what I just did...This is my life...so...we've gone from a Scooby Doo adventure...to some CSI level stuff…" Ben muttered, "Or would this be more Supernatural?"
"Eh, maybe half-and-half," Makoto replied.
"I feel like I should get Gwen…" Kevin muttered.
"Wha...No, let her relax…" Ben waved off, "But if you see the Doctor...can you get her to help get this thing off?"
"Never!" Skurd shouted.
"I'll see what I can do when I see her," Linhua spoke.
"Thanks."
"Oh god...it smells just as bad down here…" Makoto groaned, covering her nose as she and Ben looked through the sewers, "And it mostly smells like rotting blood and corpses…"
"Phew...It's bad enough that I can smell it easily," Ben cringed before digging into his pockets and pulled out a pair of nose plugs and gave a pair to Makoto, "Here."
"Thanks," Makoto sighed in relief as she quickly put it, "The only downside of these things...we sound ridiculous."
"You didn't before? Skurd countered.
"Hey~"
"Oh grow some thicker skin," Skurd huffed.
"Mmm~!"
"So uh...Makoto, did you remember anything else on this black slime?" Ben asked, the group unaware of something moving in the shadows behind them.
"Trying…" Makoto muttered as she titled her head to the side a bit, "Hmm...black slime...smell of corpses and rotting blood...hiding in the sewer...in fat...back when we first found the Kaka Village and when you went Goop, Tao and the Kaka Clan women kept calling you Green Squiggly."
"Glad that was nipped in the bud early…" Ben muttered.
"Hmm…" Makoto pondered further as she kept thinking it over...before it slowly dawned on her, her eyes slowly widening in a mix of realization...and fear, "...Oh...crapbaskets…"
"Babe?"
"Ben….we need to go," Makoto spoke, fear heavy in her voice as the water behind them rippled up a bit, "We need to go now!"
"What? What's wrong?" Ben asked.
"She's setting up some red flags for a horror film," Skurd noted, "Honestly, so many mistakes made…I think the film The Cabin in the Woods had the best reason for all those mistakes."
"Not now!" Ben panicked.
"I'm just saying...always have a genre savvy person in the room!" he spoke before the Omnitrix activation sound was heard...and Skurd suddenly began blasting fire, making Ben and Makoto panic as his flames hit the walls...and seemed to scare something away.
"H-how...what?!" Ben asked as the sewers were alight with flames for a while.
"Why do you think I'm on the watch and not you? I feed on DNA...and by doing so can copy the abilities, traits and appendages of my host." Skurd explained, "And with the Omnitrix...I have an entire galaxy's worth of DNA at my tentacle tips."
"...Okay I have to admit, that's kinda cool," Ben admitted, "Still...what did you fire…"
"Ben…" Makoto spoke, earning his attention as she had a look of dread on her face, "Don't...look...behind you…"
"I'll look…" Skurd turned around, "Once again...no relation…" he arched one eye in confusion at what he was seeing, "Also...do not panic, my boy...that is how you die."
"...oh no…" Ben whispered as he cautiously turned, coming face to face with what looked like a Noh Mask...attached to a large living mass of black slime with bits of it red, the smell of rotting blood and corpses hitting his senses.
"I told you not to look behind you…" Makoto squeaked.
"...t….a….wh….y…." the creature seemed to whisper, barely forking any words as it seemed to examine Ben...as if examining a piece of potential food, "En...gy….d….s...smell…...d…cious…."
"I called dibs!" Skurd snapped as he blasted fire at the creature, making it screech and back away, "Back! Back I say! Why aren't you running?" he turned to Ben, "Are you stupid?! RUN!"
"AAAAAHH!" Ben and Makoto screamed as they ran, the creature shaking the fire off as it soon gave chase, clawed bone-like limbs shooting out of its body as it attempted to grab them.
"N..! M...mi...m...ne! K..KEKEKEKEKEKEKEKEKE!" the creature cackled out before it began to spew out a massive hoard of demonic-looking bugs at the two.
"OH GOD!" Makoto freaked as her tail shot up, "It's like it's Noel's worst nightmare!"
"ACHOO!"
"...Bless you," Robotboy noted as Lambda just blinked, seeming to not notice nor care about the saliva on her face from Noel's sneeze.
"Thank you...and gomen, Lambda."
"...?" Lambda just tilted her head at that as Noel ran off to get some tissues and a washcloth.
"WHY!?" Ben and Makoto cried as the bugs kept chasing them.
"This reminds me of The Birds...Hitchcock was a man ahead of his time," Skurd spoke as the couple kept panicking and running, "Oh lord you're dumb…" he sighed as the Omnitrix sound was heard...and he began spewing Spidermonkey's webbing out and formed a massive net to catch all the bugs, after a moment another activation click...and he spewed fire along the strand of webbing in his little mouth...and burned the net and the bugs, "Good thing I don't smell because that must smell...awful~"
"NO KIDDING!" Makoto barked.
"Okay...that's...wow…" Ben spoke while looking at Skurd and then at what he did.
"My dear boy, I've lived a long life jumping from one idiot to another to survive. Now with this at my disposal...I'm part of the strongest weapon in the universe." Skurd smirked, "Face it...you're stuck with me, and I can tell if you kick it...so too does my ultimate buffet...so...protecting you means protecting my ultimate meal. So let's call this an investment in a new and wonderful partnership."
"Right…" Ben muttered.
"I mean...he's an annoying ball of snot…" Makoto muttered covering her nose, "But...he did save us...and he's got a freaky useful power…so a thank you is in order"
"You're welcome,"
"Doesn't mean I want you stuck to my boyfriend!" she countered, making Skurd's eyes narrow in shock at how quickly she changed tune.
"KEKEKEKEKEKE!"
"Right, right. Big ol' slimy first! Argue later!" Makoto yelped as Ben quickly turned the Omnitrix on and turned into Overflow, who quickly fired several pressurized water bullets from his palms at the insects, tearing them apart on impact as they exploded into black slime.
"Ew...Even the bugs are made of the stuff, too…" Overflow gagged, "...Wait. Wh-"
"RIIIIIYA~!" The creature screeched as it rose out of the ground, taking the form of a shark with its face on the nose of said 'shark and lunged right at him.
"GAH!" Overflow freaked as he fired some water to propel himself back, making the creature miss in its lunge, "That was freaky! ...Gotta remember it when I use Goop on a criminal."
"It's getting back up!" Makoto exclaimed as the creature rose up from the ground, contorting its body as it stood straight, "Oh please don't let it…" the creature's side bulged out before a yellowed series of bones emerged from it, ending in razor sharp bone claws, "IT CAN DO THAT!?"
"This was a mistake! A horrible mistake!" Overflow panicked.
"MASSIVELY SO!" Makoto freaked as she and Overflow quickly jumped to the side, dodging the clawed slash from the creature.
"...g...a..g….A...Azure...azure! Azure! AZURE! KIKIKIKIIKIKI!" the creature sputtered out before it contorted its body, morphing into a large spider as it aimed its thorax at the two.
"...DODGE!" Skurd shouted.
"AHH!" Overflow and Makoto freaked as they quickly ducked...just barely dodging the massive venom purple beam that fired from the creature's 'thorax', the smoke from it melting the walls and pipes in the area, "Ohh…Not good..."
"Ben...Now's a good time to pull a miracle!" Makoto exclaimed.
"No miracle, but perhaps a Skurd," Skurd chuckled.
With that, he extended out and engulfed Overflow's right arm. It shifted and twisted until the arm had turned pitch black with gold 'discs' on the side with gold 'plugs' over his claws.
"Hey this looks like…" Overflow began before seeing the slime monster charge at him, "GH!"
He aimed his transformed hand out at the monster. Electricity crackled off the fingers before an electricity-coated blast of water shot out of his palm and struck the monster, making it shriek in pain while it was sent back from them. Makoto and Overflow looked at the arm with surprised looks.
"Did you just...mix and match alien powers by transforming his arm?" Makoto asked.
"I don't just mimic things upon myself," Skurd replied, "My entire body can mimic the DNA...and by bonding more of myself to my host, I can essentially alter myself...with them. Sadly this power is borderline useless on any normal host. But...thanks to the Omnitrix...well...as you can see, I have far more capability~"
"...Okay, that is really useful," Overflow noted.
"No kidding," Makoto agreed with a nod before tensing, seeing the creature slowly creeping back up as it writhed around a bit, "Guys...it's getting back up!"
"Mm...t...H...gry~! R-"
"Roy stop!"
"?" the creature stopped for a moment as a figure landed between them, holding onto a large segmented, red, black and white bo-staff as they stood up.
The figure turned out to be Litchi, only she seemed to be wearing a different outfit compared to her other. While her outfit was still Chinese in nature, her hair had been let free into a ponytail with her panda still on her head with the end of her ponytail sporting a yin-yang accessory. Her impressive chest and black lacy bra were exposed by the open red vest with gold trimming and buttons and separate blac sleeves she wore along with a hint of a black thong being exposed by her split long red skirt and had her feet covered by red slipper-like shoes.
"Wh-wh-what?" Overflow gawked.
"...I am confused on how to feel…" Makoto muttered, "Also this day has gotten just...weird…"
"I'm more shocked the monster's name is Roy…" Skurd spoke, "Talk about a let down...I was expecting some unintelligible mess of vowels, with a title like: From beyond the gates of sanity! But...no...it's just 'Roy'…"
"You know this thing?" Overflow asked after shaking off his surprise.
"Shh…" Litchi hushed the two, cautiously approaching the creature, "Roy...can you hear me? It's me...Litchi."
"..." the creature said nothing as it stared on at her.
"Roy, if you can hear me...please stop," Litchi begged, "I know you're still in there...so please...try and fight it...if you can hear me, please…"
"...l….ch...Li...tch…" the creature whispered, feeling as if that name was...familiar to it. Small memories began to flow into its mind...kind memories...but then me and more memories began to slowly seep, causing it to screech out as it held its head and began to thrash about, "Wh?! Who...wh….GYAAAAH~!"
"Roy, wait!" Litchi called out as the creature began to run away, running into a nearby pipe as it slithered in, "...No..I thought I had him that time…"
"Um...So did you name it Roy or something?" Overflow asked as he reverted back to Ben.
"Best check the squirrel girl and this woman's blood later with some fire," Skurd warned, "It could've been a form of It from It."
"..." Litchi took a sigh as she turned to face them, a rather serious look on her face, "You two...come back with me. I have some...words to say to you…"
"Uh oh…"
"Heh...and th-" Skurd began.
"That includes you as well, Mr. Skurd."
"Why am I in trouble?! You were the one who kept me in that bottle working on some weird concoction!"
"Wait, what?" Ben and Makoto blinked at that.
"It was an antidote...for him," Litchi sighed, "I'll...explain once we're back in my clinic."
"Yes, ma'am."
"No! I refuse to leave!" Skurd cried as they were trying to get him off the Omnitrix, "You can't make me!"
"Wow...you were not kidding," Gwen blinked as she, Rook, and Kevin stood nearby.
"What are you looking at?" Skurd responded, "Don't think I won't mess you up! I mess you up good!"
"Oh please. Wha…" Kevin began to ask.
"He's got access to all the unlocked DNA I've got in the Omnitrix right now," Ben explained.
"Like this!" Skurd sprouted the four arms of...Fourarms...before Ben fell over with a yelp with Skurd's face squished to the floor, "...Mistakes were made."
"Okay, can we save the reprimanding me like the dumb girl I am 'till after you get the glob of snot off my boyfriend?" Makoto turned to Litchi.
"NEVAH!" Skurd shouted in a dramatic tone as he used his new arms to drag Ben away as Rook and Kevin chased them.
"...Hold," Litchi sighed as she walked over.
"You will never take me a…!" Skurd began before Litchi jammed her index and middle finger on the arms, making them tense up, "...why can't I move? Why can't I move?!"
"I temporarily paralyzed it, so you have nowhere else to go, Mr. Skurd," Litchi stated before turning back towards Makoto, "As for your question, Ms. Nananya...it's a bit of a long story...predating to my previous job."
"Previous job?"
"Yes...as one of Professor Kokonoe's assistants in Sector 7."
"...WHAT?!" Makoto gawked as her tail shot up.
"You once worked alongside Makoto's former employer?" Rook blinked.
"Yes...along with the person currently known as Arakune," Litchi nodded, "But...he went by another name once. Lotte Carmine..or 'Roy' as we liked to call him."
"Arakune...Ooh, I like that," Skurd noted, "Though from how you talk, he wasn't always a pile of blood and decaying sludge."
"No...he wasn't," Litchi shook her head, a sad tone in her voice as she looked at a loen flower near the window, "I met Roy when I first joined Sector 7...He was Professor Kokonoe's apprentice at the time and tried to prove himself to her with this theories on the Boundary. She...turned him down each time. I decided to try and help him on the projects and...I've never met a more curious mind like his. He always talked about the possibilities the Boundary could hold...possibly even leading to alternate realities. Later on though...I noticed how...unhinged he slowly got whenever he tried to talk of the Boundary, the Azure Grimoire, the Black Beast...all things relating to Seithr. I was scared for him, I really was...but...whenever I was around him, he was always...calm. Like the stress he built up from trying to impress the professor faded away. We truly got close and…"
"...You fell in love," Gwen realized, earning a small nod from Litchi as she blushed a bit.
"Aw~" Makoto responded, before stopping and thinking for a good second, "Oh no…" she gasped, realizing where this was going.
"Yes...his condition worsened as time went on, even having trouble remembering things…growing insane. The Professor had me look after him to make sure he didn't try to hurt himself...but...that all changed soon," Litchi continued with a sad sigh, "One night..I went to his room to help him relax, but...something was wrong with him. He had this...look in his eye before he walked out and locked me in. When I finally got out...I heard he had fallen into a deactivated Cauldron to try and further test his theory. When they got him out…"
"...He came out as this Arakune creature…" Rook surmised.
"Yes….that is the result of what happens to a person when there is too much Seithr around them, and the Boundary is filled with Seithr...so it's unwise to go in due to fear of mutation."
"A mutation?" Ben pondered as he looked at his Omnitrix, 'Why didn't it detect genetic tampering when we were around? Did Skurd block it by being on the Omnitrix?'
"Yes...After he got out...I left Sector 7 in hopes of finding him," Litchi continued, "Eventually, I came to Orient Town...and found Linhua, who was weak and hungry..."
"...Wait. So that means…"
"Yes...she was an orphan…" Litchi answered, "Her parents were killed by the NOL...she hated them for what they did. I couldn't stand by and let her get consumed with revenge, so I took her in as my apprentice and gave her a home. As time went on when I wasn't out searching for Roy, I taught her all I know on medicines, and she became someone truly exceptional...After two years..." she paused as she gave a small smile, "We became like a family. And even if we were thrown here into the pass...we kept each other strong."
"...Oh, so that's why you have Skurd…" Makoto spoke up as she helped Ben up, "You were hoping to make an antidote for Roy."
"Yes. I had hoped he was somewhere here in this time, too...and I was right. I manage to stop him at times before he could harm any more innocents, and...hopefully reach out to him."
"So...a beautiful doctor trying to help heal some big monstrosity and get him back to normal," Kevin noted, "...Sounds like a twisted up version of Beauty and the Beast."
"Kevin…" Gwen whispered with a frown.
"Tell me it's not true," Kevin whispered back.
"...Dang it, you're right. It kinda does actually."
"Just because it's right doesn't mean you need to validate it…" Skurd replied.
"I am not an it...you're an it!"
"Don't hate me 'cause you ain't me…" Skurd crossed his little tentacle arms.
"Grr…"
"Let's not fight," Makoto sighed, "Right now, we have a mutated scientist down in the sewers eating aliens and humans to try and sustain himself."
"Maybe the Omnitrix could help…" Ben offered, "It can repair damaged DNA."
"?!" Litchi's eyes widened at that
"Oh shoot. Did I forget to mention that?" Ben blinked.
"Clearly…" Skurd sighed.
"...Explain," Litchi said in a very serious tone.
"Gah!" Ben flinched.
"Oh...Yeah, Ben did this once!" Makoto spoke up, "He used it to help Tao and her clan, got rid of the whole 100 limit thing...you would not believe how many men they have literally abducted…"
"He also used it to cure people who got turned into DNAliens by the Highbreed and cured the Highbreed of their sterility," Gwen noted.
"...Then...I might have a chance...a chance to finally cure him," Litchi whispered, a hopeful tone in her voice as she began to tear up.
"If I may…" Skurd spoke, "Your chances would be better...if we had his core." he explained, earning a few stares, "You've poked and prodded me for weeks. You think I learned nothing from listening to you talk to yourself? Ugh...okay listen, that thing sustains itself with a thick layer of decomposing matter made of other life forms. But...in order for such a life form to live even if turned into a single cell like organism...it needs...a nucleus...IE...a Core...the actual part of your beloved...ick...Roy...I'm just going to mentally call it Arakune, the Thing from Beyond Sanity. Take that, Lovecraft...your work's not so special…"
"...We'll need to prepare then," Litchi spoke, earning everyone's attention, "He has a nest somewhere within the sewer, someplace big enough for him to rest in."
"Right…" Makoto cringed.
"May need to stockpile on nose plugs," Ben noted.
"Or hazmat suits…" Makoto muttered.
"We'll have someone up here to keep an eye on things and in case Arakune is seen," Rook added.
"Good idea," Ben nodded, "...Gwen, you and Kevin stay up here with Rook."
"What?"
"Gwen...that thing was coming after me because of the Omnitrix," Ben explained, "Imagine what would happen if he saw you."
"Also I don't want to see this thing...just hearing about it makes me wanna barf…" Kevin added.
"...Fair I guess," Gwen nodded, "Just stay safe down there, Ben."
"We all know that even if I want to...it's impossible for me…" Ben sighed in a defeated tone.
"Well good thing you have me now," Skurd replied, a smug tone to his voice.
"Oh joy…" Ben and Makoto groaned.
"I mean...he does seem to offer unique abilities…" Litchi noted sheepishly, "It seems pairing him with your watch has made him into the ultimate symbiote."
"Slimebiote…" Skurd corrected.
"Ahh. My apologies."
"Ugh...fine...he can stay...till this is over!" Ben added, "No offense, but I don't want you around when me and Makoto are...and that is the end of that sentence…" he stopped himself.
"Agreed," Makoto whispered.
"...Wait. What should we tell Linhua when she gets back?" Kevin asked.
"...I really hate lying to her," Litchi sighed, "Just...tell her I needed to head out real quick and left Gwen in charge."
"Right." Kevin nodded.
"...mmm…" Kokonoe muttered as she sat before a computer, a cup of coffee near her as she stared at her reflection. She didn't know why...but she felt like someone mentioned a certain former assistant/apprentice of hers...and what he became to try and prove himself to her. Even if those theories of his were...truly unhealthy to obsess over and highly illogical.
"You look troubled, child." Azmuth spoke up.
"Hmm?" Kokonoe raised a brow, looking over to see him looking at her, "...It's nothing. Just...thinking back."
"I see…"
"...question, Azmuth," Kokonoe spoke, turning in her swivel chair to look at him, "If you could go back in time...would you fix a mistake you've knowingly had a hand in making, like...driving a former apprentice insane because they wanted to prove themself to you?"
"...It's an interesting question you pose." Azmuth admitted stroking his whiskers, "I suppose...yes...there are many mistakes I wish I could change. Ascalon...Malware...Albedo…" he listed, "Oh how I wish I could undo those moments. But...what's happened has happened. Even if I changed time...time would just try and replace those tragedies with another…" he shook his head, "So...yes, Kokonoe, I do want to, with all my heart, do such a selfish deed. But...I also know that I can't. So...I strive to fix the mistake in the future. I created the Omnitrix to counter the pain my Ascalon caused, I tried to heal Malware of his pain, I tried to guide Albedo down a better path. Sure only one of those things worked out...but I'm old, so I'm better off letting the young deal with problems."
"...Lotte Carmine," Kokonoe spoke, deciding to just bite the bullet and tell him, "He was a former apprentice of mine should I kick the bucket. He showed promise….too bad he focused so much on his theories about the Boundary, the Azure Grimoire and the like...I get what he was trying to do, but….ugh. My ego kept getting the better of me and I shot his down everytime...it kept driving him insane...thank god Litchi was able to keep him sane for long….least until...that night."
"That night?"
"The night he fell into the Boundary through a reactivated Cauldron Sector 7 had...it resulted in him mutating into a creature known as Arakune, a creature that just...feeds on whatever can sustain it….and the worst part? There's no way to cure him...I've tried everything I can to turn him back, but...it was a lost cause, especially after he escaped from the lab. After that, I just….gave up on him, thus...driving another assistant away."
"Hmm…" Azmuth noted, "My girl, you and I are a lot alike…" he admitted, getting her attention again, "We are smarter than anyone around us...but we kind of stink at talking and dealing with others. The mistakes and failures we have caused, because of it." he sighed while looking up at the ceiling of the lab, "Being smartest in the room is more of a pain because the simple answer is lost on everyone else...but I learned, even the dumbest of little creatures from a backwater little world...can have a gem of wisdom long since forgotten. I won't say he changed me into a good person...but I feel like I can't stop supporting that little idiot. Because he can save and reach out to people I can't…" he snapped his fingers as suddenly Kokonoe's computer screen opened a new window, showing a long sequence of code, "This is my formula for the Omnitrix's greatest power...Genetic Repair."
"?" Kokonoe raised a brow as she read what was on the screen before her, her eyes slowly widening as she read on, "This...I...how…"
"My Omnitrix is my greatest work in eons…" Azmuth spoke, "You thought it was just a silly transformation device. No...that silly watch is no mere weapon...it...is the Noah's Arc of the galaxy." he smiled, "And that little idiot using it...is Noah. So...how he uses it to preserve life is up to him. But I know in the end...he'll do the right thing even if he screws up along the way. But if a certain assistant wanted to use my notes for genetic repair and augmentation for a good reason...who am I to say no?" with that, he began walking away.
"..." Kokonoe said nothing as she focused on the screen before her, ruminating over those words Azmuth told her, "...maybe…" she reached over to a nearby communicator and turned it on, "Tager, it's me. I'm gonna be busy for a bit...listen to Azmuth for the time being."
=Very well= Tager replied.
"Okay…" Kokonoe whispered as she turned the communicator off, cracking her fingers before taking a drink of her coffee, "Let's do this…"
"Oh god..even with the nose plugs, I can smell it," Makoto whispered as she, Ben, and Litchi were back in the sewers, walking down a path with the walls covered in bits of black slime.
"It must mean we're getting close," Litchi spoke, eying her surroundings, "Stay alert...Even the Kaka Clan have trouble keeping track of him…those poor kittens..."
"Honestly, if I didn't know this was a person...I'd want to totally vaporise it as NRG…" Ben muttered.
"Focus boy...It's always the idiot who thinks he's funny that dies fastest...after the loving couple who is too busy thinking of getting in each other's pants...next to the pretty girl...oh...oh my...your chances of survival just dropped to the negative…" Skurd spoke, looking at Ben and Makoto.
"Wh-?! Hey~"
"What? Not my fault you both fit the first two tropes."
"...You know, since you're attatched to Ben arm and the smartass guy...that means you got a low chance of not dying too," Makoto smirked.
"What? N...no. That's just stupid."
"You think you're funny, buuuuuuut…" Makoto paused as her smirk grew, "You're also bit of a egotistic jerk, and a know-it-all, and we all know what happens to those two, so….you're even lower than we are."
"Drats...you're right...curses...the woman may just out live us, boy. She's sassy, annoying in a likeable way and attractive by human standards...she may as well be Sigourney Weaver…" Skurd muttered.
"H-how do you know so many movie references?" Ben asked.
"The good doctor is not cruel...she lets me watch TV…" Skurd replied in a huff.
"He tends to enjoy the movie channels the most," Litchi noted.
"I have a respect for the greats of filmmaking…" Skurd added.
"Just wait until…" Makoto began before Litchi stopped them, "?"
"We're here…"
"?" Ben and Makoto blinked as they looked past her.
What they saw was what was once possibly one of the main rooms helping to keep the city's sewage and water in check, but...it almost looked...no. It looked really nightmarish. Connected to two large pipes was a large cocoon-like hive as various demonic insects and bugs crawled about the area, the stench of rotting blood, corpses, and something else entirely heavily permeating the area.
"This looks like something out of the Resident Evil films...the sequels…" Skurd muttered.
"It looks like something from the game Carrion," Makoto gulped, hugging Ben from behind with wide eyes and a straight tail.
"Future game?" Ben guessed.
"Six years from now," Makoto replied, "Even in 2199, it was friggin' nightmare fuel. Same with the FNaF series..."
"You have to be making this up at some point…" Skurd muttered.
"August 8 of this year will be my proof for the latter," Makoto stated.
"Keep your eyes peeled," Litchi spoke quietly,bringing out her bo-staff as she carefully stepped forward, "Roy could be hiding out in here…"
"R-right," Ben nodded as he and Makoto followed, looking around the area as more of the demonic bugs crawled around. He even swore he saw a massive demonic-looking centipede crawl by with what looked like eyes on its body.
"May as well watch out back and above us," Skurd advised, "Those are the common spots that the monster tends to appear from."
"...What about below?" Makoto asked.
"...Oh don't be ridiculous. How could it come from b-we're standing on top of it, aren't we?"
"Yup," Makoto squeaked, her and Ben standing on what looked like a rafflesia flower with spikes as the end of the petals.
"...MOVE!" Ben shouted as he and Makoto jumped out of the way just as the flower closed up, letting it contort and morph back into Arakune.
"In...der…...i...tru….f...m...f-food...g….t...g...ggigigigigigiggigiggi~!" Arakune sputtered before raising its head up high, "WRIIIIIIIIIIIIIII~~~~~~~!" he screeched out, earning the bugs' attention as they looked down at the intruders. No...at the food.
"Oh come on!" Ben panicked.
"Stop panicking! That's how you die!" Skurd shook a tentacle at Ben, "Change boy! Change!"
"R-right!" Ben panicked as he quickly turned the Omnitrix on, randomly selecting an Alien as he pressed down on the symbol, changing him into Shadow Edge, "..."
"...Pressed too fast?" Makoto guessed.
"..."
"Well great. Now wh-"
"A Kagemusian Zan?!" Skurd exclaimed in shock, "My dear boy, you didn't tell me you had this form!"
"?" Shadow Edge raised a brow at that as he quickly dodged a demonic bee's lunge at him.
"They are an incredibly rare species due to how hard they are to find," Skurd explained, "No one has even seen one in eons!"
"..."
"Ahh, my dear boy...you've barely scratched the surface of it," Skurd stated, "While yes their speed is top notch and capable of making after images, their combat abilities are so much more...though to explain, somewhat think...what was the name of that one ninja from that commercial? ...Oh yes. Ryu Hayabusa from Ninja Gaiden."
"..."
"Well obviously you shouldn't be that violent to normal types...but here, my dear boy...do it! Rip it, my good boy! Rip it good!"
"Oh this sh-AHH!" Makoto cried out when a praying mantis managed to cut up her arm a bit.
"…" Shadow Edge's eyes narrowed before becoming a blur, appearing right behind the demonic bug with his claws extended before the mantis demonic bug fell into pieces.
"Ahh mou...should've put my Proto-Armor on instantly," Makoto muttered as she tapped her pendant, gaining her armor and Proto-Gauntlets as she quickly turned and punched away a large demonic roach, "Also gross!"
"Yes! Good, my dear boy! Good! But you must move faster! Strike with more intent! These monsters are nothing but creations, not alive and not natural! Let this form work to it's full intent! Or you shall lose your beloved! Let the form guide you!" Skurd ordered Shadow Edge, "Focus on the attack...and…" he began spreading over the alien as he began forming thin plates of Diamondhead's crystals like armor over it, "Let me handle Defense…"
Shadow Edge seemed to nod before he vanished in a blur, more and more of the demonic bugs being ripped and sliced in half by a black and dark blue blur.
"So fast…." Litchi whispered using her bo-staff to knock away from demonic bees that tried to come at her, "I can barely keep up with him."
"No kidding…" Makoto whispered, "Oh! I think I see the after images!"
Arakune shrieked, startling the two as he lunged up at Shadow Edge just as he stopped. The slimy mutation brought out one of its bone claws before swiping at the alien...only to end to end up hitting an afterimage as the real one appeared behind him.
Shadow Edge grabbed Arakune from behind while his scarf-like attachments wrapped around it, kicking its feet against the wall as it began to shoot up further into the air. When it was about to drop, it began to spin in place before it began to pick up in speed until he was a literal tornado of black and dark blue. Skurd picking up on the intent spread himself to Shadow Edge's back...and formed into a mass of Heatblast's burning armor...as jets of flame propelled them down even faster as now both Mutant and alien were swallowed up in a flaming twister.
Makoto yelped as she held her arms up, letting her gauntlets form a small energy shield she used to cover her and Litchi as they slammed into the ground resulting in a powerful explosion. The shockwave and heat spread across the room as it pushed the remaining bugs away and burned most of them up in the process. As well as starting to burn away the…alterations Arakune made to the area.
"Oh...well...it was creepy before...but now…" Makoto muttered, looking around, "This is neither a step down or up, babe…"
"Amazing…" Litchi noted with wide eyes as her panda had his eyes covered with a paw.
"Oh lord..that was fast...yet exciting," Skurd muttered as Shadow Edge walked out of the smoke, the Slimebiote barely hanging onto the Omnitrix, "Next time dear boy...warn me before you attempt that."
"..."
"Well you were so intent on making it hard enough to hurt, I just went with the first thing I could find. Not my fault the first thing to pop up was a Pyronite DNA sample."
"..."
"...Well, at least we were able t-"
"G….gh…." Arakune gurgled out, making everyone tensed as they looked to see the slime monster rising out of the crater...albeit weakly while trying to maintain its body.
"..."
"I know, I know. I just said one of the trigger sentences for a monster to not be truly defeated," Skurd sighed.
"And you give us flack," Makoto deadpanned.
"Nevermind that! We just need to hurt it enough to get to the core! Hack and slash, boy!" Skurd ordered, "Don't worry...it's all just slime...Once we get the core, we can heal the poor man turned into the beast!"
Arakune shouted at he lunged at Shadow Edge, claws out as he attempted to grab the Kagemusian, only to end up hitting an after image one more.
"Yes! How do you like that? You hit nothing! Nothing!" Skurd taunted before he spread along Shadow Edge's arms and morphed them into Chromastone's arms, "Fire away!"
Shadow Edge began dashing around surrounding Arakune with afterimages, before pelting it with laser blasts from every angle. Shadow Edge came to a halt as Skurd changed DNA once again, changing Shadow Edge's left arm into that of Diamondhead as he formed a crystal sword.
"What...too predictable?" Skurd asked.
"..."
"Well there's no need to be snippy…" Skurd laughed, "Ha! Snippy!"
"..."
"...Oh you have no sense of humor. Also dodge!"
Shadow Edge said nothing as he ducked, letting Arakune-taking the form of a shark- miss in his lunge as he fell into the water below. The Kagemutian Zan stood ready, keeping an eye out for the mutant before he jumped to the side, letting Arakune miss in another lunge...and heading right towards the girls.
"Oh geez!" Makoto yelped, about to dodge before Litchi did a rising kick to Arakune's 'snout', making him grunt before she slammed her palm into his stomach, a ripple being seen for a moment before he shot back and crashed into the wall, "...woah."
"I apologize for that, Roy," Litchi whispered as Arakune slid down the wall, "But I'm not going to let you harm anyone...not until I reach out to you."
"..."
"The boy makes a point...he's probably lost in some state of delirium from the mutation. We need to contain him so you may attempt healing him!" Skurd translated.
"Ben said all that?" Makoto blinked.
"No, I just made it sound smarter…" Skurd replied as Shadow Edge glowered at him, "Accept the truth!" he shook a tentacle at Shadow Edge.
"Think we could use Diamondhead's power to seal him up?" Makoto asked.
"..."
"He says...maybe…" Skurd translated.
"Diamondhead?" Litchi repeated before pondering it over, "...Petrosapien?"
"Yep," Makoto nodded.
"...That could work," Litchi whispered, "..We'll need to cover all the exits so he doesn't escape."
Shadow Edge nodded as he pressed down on the Omnitrix symbol, engulfing him in green light as Diamondhead took his place.
"Oh thank god I can talk for myself now!" Diamondhead spoke as he punched both hands into the ground.
Walls of crystal began covering every exit, every crack, every crevice and every potential escape. Arakune took notice of this before it attempted to leap into the water, only for a wall of crystal to block his escape. He attempted to turn before a wall of ice suddenly burst up in front of him, boxing him in as he turned back and forth.
"Yeah...no," Makoto frowned, icy mist coming from her Proto-Gauntlets, "You're not not going anywhere."
"Gh…." Arakune tensed, still looking around.
"Roy...listen," Litchi spoke, getting Arakune's attention as he looked at her, "It's okay...we are here to help you...here to heal you."
"...l?..h...h...hea...?"
"Hai. Roy...it's me. Litchi Faye Ling. Remember?"
"...chi...Li...Litchi…" Arakune whispered, his voice sounding more clearer.
"Finally, a word that makes sense," Diamondhead muttered under his breath, earning a sush from Skurd.
"...Litchi? What..is going on? Where...am I?" Arakune...no. Roy asked before noticing Diamondhead, "And...is that...an alien?...heh...I knew they existed in one way..."
"It's a long story," Diamondhead spoke.
"For now, we're here to help make you not so slimy," Makoto added.
"...I'm afraid that is impossible," Roy sighed.
"No, Roy. It is possible...our friend here c-"
"Even if he could, the damage is too far done," Roy cut Litchi off as he looked at himself, "This...this I became...it's changed my DNA down to the genetic level...to the point that this is my body now...and I can feel it still...that uncontrollable hunger and insanity seeping back into my brain. Even if you could restore my body, my mind would regress and…" he paused as he turned away, "I don't...deserve to be amongst humans anymore...I've killed and eaten so many innocent people, both man, women...and child…"
"Roy….y-"
"No, Litchi. I'm afraid there's no saving my soul...into after all the horrible things I've done," Roy countered, "I'm afraid there's only one option...kill me."
"?!"
"Why do smart dudes never listen to the hero…?" Diamondhead sighed, "Yo dingus...I can repair DNA! In fact...Omnitrix, scan him for any damaged DNA."
=Scanning= the Omnitrix spoke as a yellow light scanned Roy =Error. Genetic Damage detected, but unable to restore. Insufficient data of target. Sending error report=
"See? Y-wait, what?" Diamondhead blinked.
=Genetic damage is currently at 95.64 percent. Unknown energy signature detected that is preventing the damage from increasing=
"...Oh geez…" Makoto whispered, "Then...there's no way to restore him…?"
=Negative. Energy signature recorded and data sent with error report. Genetic restoration requires data on unknown energy signature=
"What...AH! I forgot! The Omnitrix doesn't mix well with magic!" Diamondhead shouted.
"Magic...Why does it always have to be that stuff?" Makoto groaned, facepalming.
"Omnitrix, is there anything you can do?" Diamondhead tried.
=Recommendation: Capture and quarantine subject until future Updates=
"Well...That's both good and bad. Bad that we need magic, but good in that there is a way to fix you back up," Diamondhead noted, looking at Roy.
"So until we can deal with the magic...we need to keep him in something." Makoto noted, "Litchi...if we can jam him into a diamond container, can you hide him somewhere 'till the Omntrix updates?"
"...I think so," Litchi whispered as she pondered it over, "Hopefully, I can make something that could help Roy stay…"
"G...gh…" Roy grunted as he held his head, "Please...hurry. I feel that...thing is coming back...that side that wants to fe…"
"Got it!" Diamondhead replied as he ran over and put his hands to Roy, quickly engulfing him in crystal.
"Thank...ha….ank...ank ank ank!" Roy sputtered out before shaking his head, "Tha...nk…..y...ou…"
"Alright...and now I'll condense and cover it in a few extra layers…" Diamondhead spoke as he began working.
"At least there is a way to cure him," Makoto noted.
"Yes...a way...finally a way…" Litchi whispered as she fell to her knees, tears dripping down her face, "A way...to finally end this nightmare…"
"Okay...that's as tight as I can make it," Diamondhead put down the crystal prison in the form of a large cylinder which held their...captive...patient...Prisoner. He was their prisoner.
"...Okay, yeah. We dodged a bullet not going down there," Kevin muttered, seeing Arakune screeching and trying to claw out of the crystal container to no avail.
"Ghastly, isn't he? Though when he was sane, he did seem quite cultured," Skurd noted.
"But we can't fix him 'till we find a way for the Omnitrix to get past the magic that...sustains this," Makoto muttered, "I hope Azmuth does something soon."
"Hmmm…" Gwen's eyes flashed magenta before grunting and holding the side of her head, "Okay...ow...oof...It's almost as bad as when I looked at Mai or Noel…"
"Worse than her attempts to hide that she's writing some admittedly good poetry?" Ben asked.
"ACHOO!"
"Noel, you getting cold?" Robotboy asked in concern, looking up from his hand in the game of UNO the three were playing.
"I don't think so...I feel fine," Noel replied, wiping her nose with a tissue.
"You've been strange." Lambda added, "Very strange…" she pulled a card from her hand, "Reverse card…" she put it down before looking at Noel indicating who was next.
"Eh?! A-Ah…" Noel slumped as she started drawing several cards until she got a matching color.
"Honestly, I get the feeling you're gonna be in trouble when we get home," Makoto noted with a giggle.
"Planning on telling this 'Noel' girl what's been said?" Skurd asked.
"Don't start agreeing with my girlfriend!" Ben complained, "In fact, time for you to go!"
"Absolutely not," Skurd stated, hugging the Omnitrix.
"What makes you think you can stay?! This is my arm and my Omnitrix!" Ben complained as he began bashing Skurd against a wall.
"Oof! Ugh! Ooh, you…" Skurd spoke between hits before making a Rath arm pop out and flick Ben's forehead, making him fall over, "Ha-ha!"
"Will you go away!?" Ben snapped, "I don't want a creepy little germ following me around! Least of all when I want alone time with my girlfriend!"
"I would try the method we originally did, but I don't think it will work this time because of what he's attached to," Litchi noted.
"No. No it would not, madam!"
"Fine! I'll find some way to get you off...I'm sure Kajun would love a new test subject," Ben frowned.
"Oh, I think she would," Makoto agreed, "Especially one that can do what Skurd can do."
"Wait...why does this fill me with a sense of terror?" Skurd asked as he began sweating, "Now let's be civil about this. How about a deal? I leave the Omnitrix whenever you two need space? That seems fair, right? Right?"
"...Hmm…Deal."
"Phew…" Skurd sighed in relief.
"I believe we should be heading out then," Rook spoke up, "We still have things to prepare for back home."
"Yeah. This was pretty much an interesting trip," Ben noted, "Got a degree, got involved with a scary magic lady, met some folks from the other time, and helped with catching a slime guy to cure later. Oh, one more thing? Certain frequencies can cause it to break so be careful."
"Wait...unbreakable diamonds shattered by sound…"
"Yeah, it don't make sense to me either." Ben shrugged.
"If you're ever in Bellwood, give us a call and we can show you where the Kaka Village is," Makoto offered.
"That would be nice," Litchi noted, "It's been a while since I last spoke with Torakaka or Taokaka."
"I bet she misses you, too...but probably mostly the meat buns," Makoto muttered.
"I'll be sure to bring her some," Litchi giggled.
"Knowing the brat, she's probably getting impatient waiting back home," Kevin muttered before Gwen elbowed his side, "Ow. What?"
"Gwen," Ben spoke earning his cousin's attention, "It was good hanging out with ya again, if not just for a bit."
"...Same," Gwen nodded with a small smile, "And don't worry...when the time comes, I'll be there to help."
"I know you will," Ben nodded.
"Well it's been fun, but I have a PhD to rub in my best science friend's face," Makoto smiled, "See ya when the world is in danger again, Gwen!"
"Oh yeah, we did get those," Ben chuckled.
"And just when I managed to forget that…" Gwen muttered with a twitching eye.
"Later!" Ben shouted as he and Makoto jumped into the truck.
"Take care," Rook waved as he hopped into the truck and drove off.
GT: Alrighty, well that was spooky. Especially the bit on Arakune's 'nest.' ...Yeesh… *shudders*
Z0: *sealed inside a magic coffin to keep me from destroying life as we know it*
GT: ...SZ, how did he get in the coffin?
SZ: I...don't know…
Z0: RAAAHHHH! *coffin jumps around*
GT: Okay…*backs away with SZ* This is not good. I think he's turning into a Dracula. We're gonna get out of here, folks. Right, SZ?
SZ: *runs screaming*RIGHT!
GT: So until next chapter, please Read and Review! *flees*
Z0: *coffin chips as a demonic red eye peers out* Halloween Z0 is here~