Ben10 & Digimon Tamers
Heroes and Humanity
Part 02: Humanity and Heroes
The Invasion – Chapter 36
Originally Written: Friday, October 30, 2015 1209AM to 157AM
. . . . .
"Is Albedo nuts!?" Kazu yelled, clenching his fists. "He wants you guys to get caught?" Kazu blinked at the others.
They sat in another safehouse closer to Hypnos. Safehouse three Albedo believed it was as he leaned on the wall outside the electronics centered room in the safehouse. Plumbers stood around him, weapons armed. Albedo ignored the Plumbers in favor of watching the others debate.
"He knows we can't beat Bullfrag." Rika folded her arms. Ryo sat next to her, rubbing one of her arms gently, "Why would he suggest a head on attack?"
"A head on attack means that the Incurseans won't be too shocked when we purposely lose." Takato fiddled with his goggles. "They'll think we made a mistake from Bullfrag intimidating and riling us up enough to do something drastic. It's a bit risky, but what plan of ours hasn't been?"
"This is Albedo's plan, not one of ours." Kenta replied.
"One of our plans means we'd ignore Bullfrag and attack Milleous." Jeri smiled brightly as she twirled her thumbs around each other. She sat next to Takato, her hands on her lap.
Takato flushed and rubbed the back of his head, "Yea...ha ha." He laughed softly. The others looked at him and Jeri.
"Oh come on. you know you, Takato, Ryo and Henry, if he were here, would leave us behind and go on to fight Milleous." Jeri held up a finger, "Don't even try to say otherwise." She lowered her head, "At least this plan has you guys jumping to your possible deaths in a way that makes sense."
Kazu and Kenta groaned. Cyberdramon snarled. Albedo was quite certain that he saw Renamon roll her eyes and Guilmon whined as though he was just insulted.
He snorted and rolled his eyes.
"The whole point is we need to get Bullfrag off our asses." Ryo spoke up. "If he thinks he beat the heavy hitters, he'll get off our asses." Ryo's voice sounded frustrated and heavy.
Albedo didn't blame him. It took Albedo, Takato and Ryo a while to explain the plan in full to the others, but they seemed opposed. Albedo didn't blame them either. they only had experience dealing with Digimon and computer programs that managed to cross the physical threshold. Only he had experience with Incurseans, the most experience, he presumed, but he couldn't be sure if that was his own confidence or reality. He personally had no time or desire to track the activities of every plumber on the planet.
He looked at the tiled floor, tired of Rose glaring at him. He rejected the idea to send Plumbers in with them. Rose heavily disagreed, though she understood why. The more opposition sent to attack the Incurseans, the more likely the Incurseans would send in their stronger forces. That would increase the chances of the overall plan failing.
"I'm coming with you nutjobs." Rika spoke up in a sharp, no nonsense voice.
"'Course, wildcat." Ryo spoke in a light voice. "Albedo's got more plans that factor you in, but he wasn't sure you were our brand of-"
"-Don't finish that sentence, Akiyama." Albedo snapped.
Ryo laughed for a short bit before Albedo heard a loud smacking sound. He shook his head as Ryo huffed.
"You're certain this will work?" Yckat looked at Albedo warily.
"I am quite confident in my plan." Albedo opened his eyes, just a bit, red slits peeking out from between his eyelids.
"Intimidation won't work on my squad." Rose snapped.
"You're worse than my Mentor!" Albedo fumed. He felt eyes on him, but he ignored them. "I do one thing, just one thing in a manner you do not approve of and suddenly all bets are off. Suddenly I am the equivalent of Vilgax's son!" He clenched his fist. "I have a minimum of twenty to fifty students who don't just look up to me, but to the Tamers behind me as well. Why in the name of the Null Void would I send them to their guaranteed deaths!? You Plumbers are all the same. All haughty and overconfident in a fashion so unlike mine it's disgusting. At least I can tell you why I'm better and more prepared than you! What the hell have you done that's so very special?" He snarled at all of them, as they fell silent, shocked by Albedo's outburst.
Someone grabbed his wrist and started tapping against it. "You're just pencil pushers, worried because should they wind up captured that would mean you would have to actually-" Albedo turned around, he looked at Ryo, "What!?" He snapped.
Ryo stared at him, inclining his head in a bit of a nod. He continued tapping against Albedo's arm.
'Morse code...? I believe it is.' He looked down at his hand that Ryo held. The subtlest glow surrounded his hand. He sighed.
"Look guys." Ryo spoke, "Trust him. If not him, then me." Ryo held out a hand, tightening his grip on Albedo's hand. "If not me, then the other tamers. Henry Wong is in Hypnos. Alpha protocol says we need to get him out. We need to get past Bullfrag to do so." Ryo looked down at Albedo's hands.
Albedo looked up at him. Try as he might, he couldn't sway the fear that clenched his core when Ryo spoke of Jenrya. Nor could he stop shaking. He fully blamed the Incursean's attacking Terriermon.
"If this is how we do it, we'll do it." Ryo looked at the Plumbers assigned to trail him. "If you oppose the idea, fine, let us know, but be constructive about it."
Rose breathed heavily, "Understood sir."
"I mean, seriously, this man's so dangerous he can take on Tennyson one on one in hand to hand combat."
Albedo groaned loudly. He heard the smirk in Ryo's voice. "Just air it all to the world you numskull." He muttered.
"Understood."
"Yes sir."
"Good. I need you all to keep an eye on our friends while we're away."
"Yes sir!" Albedo heard a chorus of voices. Albedo wrenched his hands from Ryo's. He stalked into the room and passed the Tamers. He swore Jeri didn't look surprised at all, and Kazu looked way too surprised. He entered the bathroom and closed the door behind him.
He leaned up against it and stared at his hand. He breathed heavily, feeling himself shiver. He shook out his hand. 'Is this a side effect from that shock?' He shook his head, 'Is it related to the other odd things I've done?' He thought of one of Tennyson's allies with brown hair so light it sometimes seemed orange.
He walked to the mirror and rested his hands on the sink in front of it. He looked down at his hands for a long while.
"Can he really go up against Ben Tennyson one on one?" Kazu asked loudly.
"Maybe." Ryo answered.
He couldn't tell if it was a truthful reply respective to Ryo's point of view, but to Albedo Ryo suddenly sounded very unsure. He imagined Plumbers stationed themselves outside the door.
"At least until Ben utilizes the Omnitrix." Ryo continued.
"No way in hell." Rika snapped.
"If he's that good. I'm sure you guys need the extra help." Kenta suggested.
Albedo pulled at his hair and held in a scream. Curse Ryo to hell and back. Curse everything to hell and back.
"He's needed for surveillance." Ryo countered, "But I'm sure he'd really like to. The risk of being mistaken for Tennyson is way too high though."
Albedo looked in the mirror. He dropped his hands from his hair and poked at his pale skin. He wished Jenrya stood here next to him, even if for a short while before he truly realized the monster his mentor was trying to turn him into. He pulled downward on a cheek, focusing more on his pale fingers sliding down his skin.
'Feel free to throw whatever you have at me.' He glared at himself in the mirror as he heard Rika question how dumb the Incurseans really were if they were mistaking a white haired male for a brown haired one.
Albedo looked at his hands once more, his train of thought lost. Jenrya knew how to be calming without even trying. Not that he needed calming. More like something to keep from knocking out all the idiots around him. He nodded. Yes, that explained it better. Now, if only Jenrya hadn't been avoiding him.
He backtracked and leaned against the bathroom wall. He looked at his hand. Then he looked at the other one. Then he looked at the lights. He ignored his reflection in the mirror as he lowered his head.
Least his kids had some faith in him he guessed. He slid to the floor, bending his legs. A portion of him debated on letting everyone out there fend for themselves against the Incurseans. Luckily for them, his children, Fridge, Swamps, Hugh and Jenrya were also out there.
He finally allowed himself that sigh he kept holding in, as he leaned the back of his head against the wall. 'Would any of those fools mind if I fell asleep here?' Ryo did keep mentioning that he needed to rest.
He imagined Jenrya's silver eyes pleading at him and Terriermon's beady black ones scrunched up in pain. He stood and clenched his fists. He shook out his hands and motioned to leave the room. He stood in the doorway, wondering when that apartment had warmed its way in his heart next to a serving of chili fries.