Omarnosian10: Looks like things are heating up!
Ben: …A heat-based episode… in the middle of December… Seriously?!
Omarnosian10: It would've been last month if the site wasn't having problems.
Shadow: A lotta authors can't argue there.
Rouge: Speaking of authors, what happened to DLBot2016?
Omarnosian10: He got a bit busier recently, so I decided to continue this story without him.
Shadow: Will your Fire Emblem and RWBY crossovers get the same treatments?
Omarnosian10: Not likely anytime soon. I'm still assisting him with his Kamen Rider stories though.
Omega: Does not seem beneficial to you.
Omarnosian10: Eh, he's my buddy, and he and I exchanged ideas, especially on Discord.
Shadow: You mean that IM app with Mickey Mouse's pants as the logo?
Omarnosian10: I KNEW I wasn't the only one seeing it. Anyway, with the holidays coming up, this will be my last chapter for the year.
Ben: You're not gonna update or make any stories until next December?!
Omarnosian10: Wha—I said THE year, not A year. I'll continue in January 2024.
Rouge: Phew.
Omarnosian10: With that cleared up… ON WITH THE SHOW!
Disclaimer: I do not own Ben 10, Sonic the Hedgehog, or any other franchises mentioned here. They belong to Man of Action, Sega, and their respective owners. The transcript used for the majority of this chapter before I edited belongs to Shadow-DJ. Ownerships of OC Alien Forms, including Power-Ups, are in profile.
Chapter 7: Hot and Cold
(Le'Roy's)
The air outside wasn't a normal summer day, it was instead one of the hottest days of the year in Bellwood with many of the people wearing summer clothes instead of their usual to help beat the heat.
(A/N: Hedgehog 10 to this chapter takes place in summer so educationally, Ben will be a high school junior once fall approaches. Remember in Alien Swarm that Ben's birthday was mentioned to have taken place at least two months before. Derrick J. Wyatt confirmed that Ben's birthday is on December 27th, the day the series premiered. This implies that Alien Force and potentially Ultimate Alien took place in Late Winter—Summer.)
In a local café, with the words 'Le' Roys' written in the window, was currently team DARK, all groaning except for Omega, who is in Whale/Turtle/Condor formation to adapt to the heat while spouting a light sprinkle in the air to help cool his team off. The humans of Team DARK aren't wearing their usual jackets and changed to khaki shorts. The former Mobians had to resist the urge to wear more revealing clothing in public. With their former bodies being covered in fur, they have a very low tolerance to heat.
"Mmm, you kids look like you're cooking. (walks up, adjusting glasses while taking a pencil out of hair) Take it you kids want something cold?" asked Mrs. Dalton.
"Yeah… a large chocolate milkshake for us." groaned Ben while Rouge fanned herself. Mrs. Dalton nods before looking at Shadow curiously. Given that he's lived in a space station with air conditioning for most of his life, it's a wonder the self-proclaimed Ultimate Lifeform is even alive.
"…Just a large glass of water… leave the jug," ordered Shadow. Mrs. Dalton wrote the orders down.
"Gotcha. I'll get you kids some help to cool down," assured Mrs. Dalton, walking off.
"Thanks, Mrs. Dalton." nodded Ben. A few minutes later, Mrs. Dalton returns with their orders, giving them to Team DARK.
"Aah~" moaned Ben after he took a sip. As she drank from the shared glass, Rouge took out a nail file and started trimming her fingernails. She glanced at Ben to see him giving her an 'Are you serious?' look.
"What? (shrugs) A girl's gotta trim." defended Rouge. Ben shakes his head at the cliché response before noticing the news is on TV. He turns up the volume with a nearby remote.
"It's gonna be a heck of a heatwave from today all till Sunday, so keep the sunblock handy. In other news, a high-speed pursuit is in place right now. A woman wearing winter clothing has stolen an energy cell of sorts from Nemesis Tower."
"Ha! (points at TV dramatically) Take THAT, Nemesis!" declared Ben, getting weird looks from the ex-Mobians.
"Assumption: Is this 'Nemesis' an old enemy of yours?" asked Omega, getting up. Ben nods with a smirk. Rouge puts away her nail file. Soon, the group left the establishment
"Do you have anything that can let you catch up with us?" Shadow asks Omega. The android nods before presenting the Rhino, Peacock, and Grasshopper Medals.
RHINO!
PEACOCK!
GRASSHOPPER!
CHIMERA: FU~SION!
Using Grasshopper, Omega leaped ahead, getting a head start as Ben, Rouge, and Shadow entered the Proto-TRUK, the latter driving it until they saw the police looking up. Following their sight, they see, unknown to them, Ester running across rooftops with her elastic legs.
"You guys try to chase her on foot. I'll see if I can corner her," ordered Shadow. The couple nods before Ben opens the door and activates the Ultimatrix.
"Looks like this is a job for…" trailed off Ben before slamming the dial and consuming himself in a green flash, turning into a twin-tailed anthropomorphic fox, almost like an older Tails. He mainly has green fur with white fur around his muzzle, front torso, and tail tips. He is wearing a black Ace Pilot outfit with white highlights and a transparent visor. The Ultimatrix symbol is on his chest.
"Sky Fox? I wanted Jetray." pouted the Mobian Fox. Rouge giggles, finding the expression cute. Shaking his head, Sky Fox's tails spun like a helicopter before he flew out.
"My turn," smirked Rouge while activating the Omnitrix and pushing down the dial, turning into a green plant-like humanoid with five tentacles as vines, black seeds on her back, a dress-shaped torso, one pink eye, and bulb-like hair with a ponytail. The Omnitrix symbol is on her stomach.
"Woah, is this my version of Wildvine? (blinks/winks in surprise while examining herself) Well, I'll just call this gal Thornica." shrugged the Florauna before extending her arms and swinging as she followed Ester while Sky Fox lowered himself to the cops.
"Be careful, Mister Tennyson. There's something odd about that thief." warned the Sheriff.
"I'll keep that in mind, Sheriff." nodded Sky Fox before following Ester.
"Thief, this is the Plumbers. Preferable option: surrender peacefully for a civil discussion based on your actions," ordered Omega as he got above Ester, the team following her to a construction site.
"So, you're the famous Ben 10, hmm?" smirked Ester.
"Heh, yeah. That's me all right, and you're at the end of your ropes." nodded Sky Fox, hovering over to Ester.
"Not likely, Ben," smirked Ester cockily. Sky Fox growled a bit as he landed and performed a Spin Dash, only for her to dodge with surprising ease as her visor fell off, revealing her face. Sky Fox's eyes widened in shock at how young she looked, before he curved around a pillar and attacked again, only for Ester to spin and slap him in the—
"GET YOU S****Y CLAWS OFF MY MAN, YOU *****!" screamed Thornica, flinging seed bombs toward Ester that exploded on contact, making her crash into a nearby pool. Quickly resurfacing, the Kraaho/human hybrid only had time to gasp before Thornica landed on edge and entangled her with vines before tossing Ester over her head and slamming her into the concrete.
"Um… shouldn't we stop this?" asked Sky Fox, rubbing his bottom as the males (Omega having swapped Rhino for Hawk and Shadow having parked the Proto-TRUK) stand by and watch Thornica slamming Ester around like a ragdoll.
"Answer; no. I have scanned the criminal's DNA and discovered that she is 50% Human and 50% Kraaho, the latter giving her polyisoprene-like properties, including immunity to blunt attacks," answered Omega. Sky Fox blinked. In another life, the scientific explanation would've gone over his head, but thanks to hanging out with geniuses like Jimmy Neutron, Dexter McPherson, Azmuth & Cooper (occasionally), and Tails, his intelligence has taken a boost to the point he's capable of keeping up with them.
"So she has stretchy powers… Great. (groans before realizing) Another alien kid… I'm calling it; she's a Plumber's Kid." sighed Sky Fox.
"Why're you so sure?" asked Shadow.
"Come on, the only half-human/half-alien guys I met are Plumber's Kids; Alan, Manny, Helen, Pierce, and maybe Cooper and Mik— I mean, Darkstar. Chances are she's one of them too," explained Sky Fox.
"Wanna bet?" smirked Shadow.
"Alright; Loser has to eat nothing but Grandpa's food for a week." wagered Sky Fox. Shadow almost shuddered; he had a taste of Max's cooking when they were on Mobius. Suffice it to say; not even Big could stomach it.
"Deal," answered Shadow. Despite his time in the Sonic Heroes and Team DARK helping him turn more humble, his pride in being the Ultimate Lifeform tends to come out from time to time. With that resolved, they looked back to see Thornica start dunking Ester into the pool headfirst. The Florauna smirked as she slammed Ester back on the concrete. As she did, a metallic orb slipped out of the vines before glowing red hot.
"GOT IT! (slaps symbol) HEATBLAST!" The Pyronite propelled toward the bouncing orb, catching it. It soon started dimming as he absorbed the thermal energy from it; a trick he learned in his first two years with the Omnitrix. Right as the orb lost heat, Ester's hand extended and grabbed it, pulling it out of the Pyronite's grasp. She then pressed the reheating orb into Thornica's vines. She screams as she feels them shrivel and release the hybrid.
"NO!" screamed Heatblast. As Thornica held her slowly healing hand, Ester quickly cartwheeled away from the group and headed to the ledge.
"It's been fun with you Plumbers… but I gotta go. And Ben, I don't think that form suits you. B~ye!" smirked Ester as she jumped off, heading down.
"AFTER HER! (slaps symbol) Mothfrost!" ordered the Necrofriggian, jealousy filling her veins as she cooled her hand, soaring down.
"Observation: Teammate Rouge is resenting the lawbreaker for, as you organics call it, 'making a move on her man'." quoted Omega, switching to his default formation. Agreeing and following the girl, the group went towards a sewer.
"Aren't you gonna turn back?" asked Shadow.
"No way. When I'm Heatblast, I can't feel that heatwave. I'm staying like this until… (forcibly reverts) that." sighed Ben.
"Well look on the bright side Tennyson. At least you're not a walking magma guy and girls can actually get close to you." teased Shadow. Before Ben could reply, Mothfrost reverted and pulled him into the front.
"Comrade Shadow, I must admit that the sight of comrade Rouge feeling the emotion of jealousy is one I would never think to see," noted Omega.
"With you on that." agreed Shadow. Soon, they went towards Undertown.
"Man, it's hot here too…" groaned Ben.
"At this rate, I might get a tan." agreed Rouge, calm.
"Omega, please tell me you have something in your Medals that can make this go faster." pleaded Ben.
"Observation: That is no longer necessary Comrade Ben, for I have found the criminal." countered Omega, looking and pointing up. The group followed and saw the girl before nodding. Omega then switched the Elephant Medal for Grasshopper before jumping up. Shadow forms a Chaos platform with him and the couple on it, levitating up to the large pipe. Ester ran ahead before seeing a danger sign, which made her stop.
"Freeze!" ordered Shadow, preparing a Chaos Spear.
"Turn around slowly with your appendages in the air. And no stretching, missy," warned Rouge. Ben and Shadow also got into a stance.
"Hmm… so you're human now, hmm?" flirted Ester.
"Yeah, I do that," shrugged Ben, preparing to transform.
"Hand over the Fusion device, hybrid. It is not yours nor should it be out in the open," ordered Omega.
"And if I said I can't?" smirked Ester.
"Yeah… not an option, missy. There's four of us and one of you," said Rouge. Ester only jumped back and did a flip before landing across the way.
"One is enough," smirked Ester. The couple transformed.
"SWAMPFIRE/LEGO!"
The Methanosian (UA design) threw seeds onto the pipe in front of Ester. They then sprouted into vines, trapping her… until she slithered out.
"Haven't you learned anything from earlier?" grinned the hybrid… only to frown as she realized she was in a makeshift coffin.
"Yes." grinned Lego. Pounding is heard from the coffin before it slowly expands.
"Hit the deck!" yelled Swampfire, jumping off the pipe. The others followed before the coffin exploded. As the team fell into a small dogpile, the Lego bricks rained harmlessly around them.
"Close… call… Ben." blushed Lego, seeing a plant hand cupping her—
"Sorry!" cried Swampfire, hurrying out of the dogpile. While Lego isn't as physically attractive as some of Rouge's other forms, the principle of the matter still stands.
"It's alright," said Lego before reverting. Hearing a groan, they look to see Ester deflate to normal. Before she could try to escape, Shadow tackled her down to the ground, restraining her.
"You're not getting away again." growled the Ultimate Lifeform. As if on cue…
"Get off of her," said Seebik's voice as the group all turned in confusion. Shadow got off of the pink girl, who just smirked. In front of them were many Kraahos.
"Ester, come here with the device. Now," ordered Seebik.
"Mastermind confirmed." jested Swampfire, DARK huddling.
"Demand: Identify yourselves, Kraaho," ordered Omega.
"(chuckles) So the machine knows what we are. As for your answer, I am Seebik, the tribal chief." scowled Seebik, crossing his arms. Shivering is heard, making him turn to Lackno.
"S—Sir, can we move this along? I'm getting cold out here…" said Lackno, shivering.
"It's cold… to them? But it's over 100 degrees," said Swampfire.
"You're a walking, flamethrowing plant, how could you tell?" asked Shadow, confused.
"Answer, Comrade Shadow; Methanos is closer to its sun than Earth, giving its inhabitants more sensibility to temperature anomalies," explained Omega. Ester took the device quickly and tossed it over to Seebik, who stretched to catch it.
"Speaking of which, considering that I'd be doing them a favor…" noted Swampfire, reverting.
"Aw, but you would've made a good cuddle buddy," pouted Ester. Seebik frowned at this as he motioned her over. Ester just chuckled a bit as the others aimed their weapons.
"Look, we are not here to cause any harm. How about we all just go on our way? Besides, it was fun, Ben. Hope to see you around. Here, or anywhere." smirked Ester. Ben raised an eyebrow while Rouge gave a faint growl in annoyance. Shadow just facepalmed at this.
"Ester, stop talking with those cold cuts," ordered Seebik. Ester looked at them for a moment.
"Cold cuts?" blinked Rouge.
"Explanation: It is a slang term referring to lifeforms that have the ability to sustain in habitats with low temperature," explained Omega.
"They call this low?!" gawked Ben, waving his shirt around.
'When did he take off his shirt?' thought Shadow.
*THUNK THUNK!*
Everyone looked to see Rouge and Ester on the ground, blood dripping from their noses. Interestingly, Kraaho's blood is blue.
"Those… abs…" drooled the girls.
"Women…" scoffed Seebik. Ben narrowed his eyes. A misogynist, huh?
"Ester, go back to the hotspot. Warriors…eliminate the outsiders," ordered Seebik calmly as his warriors raised their guns. After wiping her blood, Ester stood.
"Seebik, you cannot. That's Ben Tennyson over there." countered Ester, shocked.
"Correction; we are team DARK, an independent team of Plumbers, and assaulting officers of the law is a legal offense. Proceeding with this course of action will have you arrested." pointed out Omega, earning a bewildered nod from the other DARK members.
"Not now, Omega." sighed Rouge after wiping her blood and standing.
"This isn't the Kraaho way, Seebik." pleaded Ester. Seebik darkly glared at her, getting a flinch.
"The Kraaho way is what I say it is. Now, go back to the Hotspot," commanded Seebik. Ester looked down and headed off.
"Hey, you can't talk to her like that," glared Rouge. Ben nodded while the Kraahos… linked arms and started repeatedly stomping on the ground, confusing the group.
"…Wha…what are they doing? I thought they were gonna finish us off…" asked Ben, clearly confused by this behavior.
"Omega…" started Rouge.
"Analyzing. (eyes flash) Analysis complete: It is praying to the Kraaho God of the Sun, Solina. It is performed before tribal execution," explained Omega.
"Execute this!" scowled Ben, activating the Ultimatrix and turning into—
"Uh-oh…" winced Shadow.
"Observation: The Ultimatrix has once again given you the incorrect transformation," noted Omega.
"No offense love, but I think that form's more suited for me," said Rouge.
"Ripjaws?! On the surface?! In a heatwave?!" roared the Pisciss Volann (Omniverse design with the symbol on the chest). As soon as he finished, he fell to his knees, gasping.
"Unfortunate. Chaos—" choked Shadow, almost drooling blood. 'What was that?'
"Looks like it's up to us, Omega." frowned Rouge, scrolling through the Omnitrix. Just as Omega prepares to change armors…
"SSSHHHRRRIIIEEEKKK!" A flurry of winds froze the Kraaho to the ground as a new fighter joined the fray. It's a twenty-foot-tall penguin, with robotic red eyes and a grey steel coating instead of feathers. Its beak is three feet long, the inside of its mouth is a fan, and the tips of its wings are razor-sharp. It also has a familiar red collar.
(A/N: Credit goes to Dioga beta in Ben 10 Fanon Wikia, the only person to make a Kraaho predator as far as I know.)
"An Aptendytes Ferrous?" gulped a Kraaho soldier. The Ferrous slid across the ground, cutting across the Kraaho and aiming straight for Ripjaws. It would've succeeded if Rouge hadn't tackled her boyfriend out of the way.
"Omega, what is that thing?" asked Rouge, helping Ripjaws up.
"Explanation; an Aptendytes Ferrous, as said by one of the Kraaho. It is the natural predator of the Kraaho, capable of lowering their body temperatures to the point of negating their elastic capabilities," said Omega.
"And three guesses as to what it's doing here." scowled Shadow, summoning a Chaos Spear. 'Why didn't it work earlier?'
"It's… the… dog…" grasped Ripjaws. 'I could really go for something to drink right about now.' As if the heavens heard him, a large jet of water hit the Kraaho and the Ferrous, washing them away. At the same time, water drops onto Ripjaws, rehydrating him before stopping. The group looks up to see Ester on top of a pipe's valve, retracting an arm; having used it on a pipe above the fish-like alien.
"Sorry Seebik, but I cannot allow you to harm them. Come on. (grabs Shadow's hand) This way, I know a place where they cannot follow." assured Ester as she took off with DARK, making Seebik angrily growl.
(Sewer)
"It looks like we lost them…" commented Rouge, looking behind. Sighing, her boyfriend reverted.
"Scanning… (Eyes glow) Scan complete. Status of Kraaho; They are dragging their injured away to a different tunnel, most likely their habitat. Status of Iron Emperor; it appeared to have retreated, most likely to its master." noted Omega.
"Iron Emperor? (wipes blood) I thought you called it Appendites Furious?" mispronounced Shadow.
"Correction; Aptendytes Ferrous. Answer; I dubbed it Iron Emperor by analyzing Ben's designations for his forms and concluded how he would name it. Additional information; I also dubbed the other predators you told me of in the same process." explained Omega.
"…He's right, I would name it that." blushed Ben. 'Am I becoming the Mikey of the group?'
"We can't run away. It's not a problem if they're made of tungsten or… tuna fish or whatever. We got to stop them from whatever they got planned." said Rouge.
"They have what they want, they won't be any trouble," said Ester, confused. Suddenly she noticed energy cuffs on her wrists as Omega scanned her. "…What are you doing? Is this how cyborgs treat those who help them?"
"Negative hybrid; while the assistance is appreciated, your misdeeds cannot be forgotten. (eyes blink) Scan complete; the only object found in your possession is an inactive Plumber's badge." explained Omega.
"Inactive what?!" gasped Rouge and Shadow, the latter pulling it out of one of Ester's pockets as a necklace.
"That's my mother's, give me that," said Ester. Curious, Shadow transfers energy into it, the yellow-then-green symbol blinking to life.
"…Your mom… was a PLUMBER?" asked Rouge in shock. Ester sheepishly laughs.
"Someone better pick up the phone… cuz I CALLED IT!" whooped Ben.
"Remark; It was nice knowing you, Comrade Shadow," said Omega, patting Shadow on the back. The latter's confused until he remembers the bet.
'Son of a…'
"So there was a Plumber's kid in Bellwood this whole time?" asked Rouge in equal surprise. Omega took the badge from Shadow, scanning it.
"Scan complete; this Badge does possess data of one Ashley Thompson and is confirmed to be valid," noted Omega.
"Your initials… are E.T.?" snickered Ben. Ester rolled her eyes.
"You're not the first one to make that joke."
(Alley)
"It's too cold up here for the other Kraaho to follow us, so we should be safe here," said Ester, climbing out of a manhole cover, followed by the others. Coming out last, Omega pressed a button on his badge, turning off Ester's cuffs.
"Of course… it's only about 100 degrees… in the shade," said Ben flatly, noticing the makeshift soccer field.
"Hey, Ester!" Suddenly the group found themselves surrounded by Kinecelerans.
"Hey ML-E. (pats her head) These are my friends; the little one here is ML-E. And this is her cousin K8-E. (teen waves) The boys are N-8. DJ. E-N. And finally, N-D." introduced Ester, the boys waving.
"Are all XLR8s named after letters and/or numbers?" asked Rouge.
"Surprised me too when I found out." nodded Ben. At his voice, the four younger kids ran towards Ben, looking excited while K8-E and N-8 just chuckled.
"Cool!/You're Ben 10!/You're awesome!"
"Hey, ya want to play? (gets out soccer ball) Boys on girls. 5 on 5 maybe?" asked ML-E shyly, looking up at Ben with hopeful eyes. At the mention of his formerly favorite sport (having given it up after Julie cheated on him), Ben hesitated. On the other hand, those alien puppy eyes…
"Alright, (sighs, then looks at Team DARK) If that's OK with you guys," asked Ben. A normal group of heroes would've denied "interloping with a criminal". However, given that they're a team of anti-heroes (Ben's status being debatable)…
"Sure, (lightly stretches) I can use some exercise since I wasn't invited to the first/last Olympic Games against that team of plumbers and princesses." shrugged Rouge.
(A/N: Only the first Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games is semi-canon so far)
"…"
"Long story." sighed Shadow, wanting to leave it at that.
"OK." With that shelved for later, the groups began their boys vs. girls match (with Shadow and Omega refereeing). Given that Team Boys had more Kinecelerans (it would've been all if the Ultimatrix hadn't glitched and given him XLR8 instead of Fasttrack), they had the advantage in speed. However, with Ester's elasticity (and Rouge getting Slime as intended), scoring a goal is proving as difficult to the boys as the girls getting the ball. It wasn't long into their match, and after Fasttrack scored a goal the kids began wiping sweat off their heads.
"What's up, everyone?" asked Slime.
"The heat is kinda making it…a lot harder to go full speed," explained K8-E as she whipped her brow, adjusting her necklace a bit to let some air through. Even reptilian species have limits to their cold-bloodedness. Getting an idea, and hoping he doesn't get the wrong alien again, Fasttrack slapped his symbol, becoming…
"Water Hazard! (stretches a bit) Let's get you all cooled off, okay?" noted the Orishan (UA design). Reaching upwards, he sprayed water in the air to help cool the Kinecelerans, who cheered a bit at this. Pouting at her boyfriend changing before she did, Slime reverted. Ester shivered a bit from the moisture in the air, breathing out a bit.
"Let me guess… being half human has some benefits?" hummed Shadow.
"(chuckles) Same with having a robot for a teammate… (sighs) Like you probably guessed, my mother was a human agent of the Plumbers, and my father was a Kraaho. He… died when I was very young, Seebik raised me in his place," explained Ester.
"How exactly did he die?" frowned Shadow.
"I don't know… Only Seebik knows, and he told me it was a Plumber mission gone wrong." frowned Ester. Gaining suspicions, Shadow shelved them for now.
"Anyway… why were you so stubborn about not letting us get the fusion device? In the wrong hands, it could take out an entire city block," asked Shadow.
"The other Kraaho just want it to be warm. Planet Earth is the only sustainable planet in this part of the galaxy, but it's nowhere near as warm as the homeworld. We were going to be slaves to a group of pirates, but the Plumbers were able to save us. We got the Hotspot as a place to live here. Since then, we have lived on Earth." explained Ester.
"And your planet is galaxies away, so you can't just go back there… why not find a warmer planet?" asked Shadow. Ester shrugs.
"The only two warm planets in this galaxy that could sustain us are Venus and Mercury… but they don't have a sustainable atmosphere. So yeah, kinda stuck here unless we want to move to Pyros, but that's a literal star," explained Ester, noticing ML-E, N-8, and DJ playing jump rope. She chuckled as she went over to have some fun to get her mind off of this. Watching, Shadow saw Ben come to his side, arms crossed.
"You got a bad feeling about this too, huh?" noted Shadow.
"Not from Ester… but from this Seebik guy. Right now, Omega's rifling through Plumber files to see what happened to her parents," answered Ben.
"Good to know…" hummed Shadow, his mind drifting to his own lost loved one.
"Shadow, I beg of you! Give them a chance to be happy!"
'Maria…'
(The Hotspot)
Seebik followed his men towards a large drill-like device hidden from a village that was near a large molten area, likely near the base of a mostly inactive lava tube, as many Kraaho were working on a large drill-like device as the orb was put into it.
"Lackno, are we ready? (Lackno nods and looks down) What is wrong?" asked Seebik, seemingly concerned.
"I am just unsure about this, sir. I mean… I want to get warm as well, but this is a bit extreme." answered Lackno, earning a glare from Seebik as he backed up a bit.
"We got it, sir." confirmed a Kraaho. Seebik nods, smirking as magma creeps out of the ground.
"Good…if we cannot go back home, we may as well make this new one more habitable for us. And if anyone has any problem… well, as I have always said, my word is the law. (looks at magma) So, how long before this comes to Topside?" questioned Seebik.
"You mean, Bellwood sir?" asked Lackno as the magma was sent through a tunnel.
"Soon…it'll be 'New Bellwood.'" evilly chuckled Seebik. Lackno nods, looking down a bit at this as the magma flows up towards the surface, no one noticing a red jewel coming out.
(Back on the Surface)
The ground shook, making the six kids yell out in surprise. The group turned and saw that many people were running as lava began to creep out of the ground, melting the asphalt under it and cars got eaten by it.
"Oh no… I—I didn't think…" began Ester.
"That Seebik would do something like this?" frowned Shadow. Ester looks down, ashamed.
"We don't have time to point fingers, we gotta get the people off of the streets. (looks at kids) Can you kids help us get the people off of the streets and out of their cars?" asked Ben. The kids nodded before going off.
"I'll go with them; my powers are useless in this scenario." chimed Shadow. Getting a nod, the Ultimate Lifeform took off.
"What about us?" asked Rouge.
"Situation analysis: Magma levels rising to critical levels, unsustainable for any Chimera formation and present Omnitrix Geno-archetype forms except for Prypiatosian-B, Pyronite, Celestialsapien, and Kraaho. Suggested course of action: Activate Chimera Arctic Formation!"
WALRUS!
POLAR BEAR!
PENGUIN!
CHIMERA: ARCTIC!
Clapping his hands like he's seen in one of those 'mangas' Blukic lent him, Chimera then slammed them into the ground. Ice began to spread from where he struck towards the lava, slowing and cooling some of it down.
At the same time, Rouge looked through the Omnitrix and slammed down, transforming. In her place is a quadrupedal reptilian alien with light blue skin. She has three digits on the front legs and two on the back, with a small tail. Her three fins have a white gradient. Her lips and eyes are pink. She is clad in a black parka-like attire, only leaving her head, fingers, and toes exposed, with the cuffs on her wrists and ankles being white like her collar. The Omnitrix symbol is located above her chest.
"BLISSARD!" The Polar Manzardill inhaled before releasing a powerful blast of icy energy, cooling down a path of hardened lava before repeating the process. Seeing more lava coming, Ben decided to go for a different approach, turning into a green Mobian Echidna with silver gladiator-like armor, Shovel Claws, and the Ultimatrix on his chest.
"Cestidna!" The Mobian performed a Dig, creating a wide hole that lava started flowing through. Gritting his teeth, Cestidna created an underground funnel before leaping out of a river. The people from above (including the returning Kinecelerans) saw this, confused. The lava got closer but began to fill the funnel and cool at the river.
"OK, that should do it… but gotta make sure that the flow works right…" noted Cestidna, rushing back.
"We got as many people away from the streets, now what?" asked K8-E.
"Dude… whoever is doing this, it ain't gonna be pretty if we don't slow it down," said N-8 nervously. Cestidna nods and looks at them.
"Look, you two. I need your help here. You two are older, so you have better speed and control, right? (they nod) Good; create a vortex with your arms." ordered Cestidna.
"Wait, you want them to do what?" asked Ester in surprise.
"Excellent suggestion, comrade Ben; diverting lava flow with improvised aerokinetic abilities results in a minor decrease in temperature as well as retaining from flowing into unprecedented paths," noted Omega, keeping up his ice barriers.
"If you have a better idea, let's hear it." crossed Cestidna.
"But…" Ester looked at her Kineceleran friends in concern.
"(sighs) Look, you two. I know it's not easy, but if you want to help your families and friends back in Undertown before that lava gets there, you must help us out. Please." said Cestidna. The two looked at each other… and nodded before the Mobian slammed on his symbol, turning into XLR8 (UA design).
"OK…now!" At once, XLR8, K8-E, and N-8 spun their arms outward, creating three blue/black vortexes that sent the lava toward the funnel. Seeing the plan succeed, the three Kinecelerans kept it up until Team DARK regrouped, along with the kids.
"Update: Kineceleran Plumber Helen Wheels shall be here shortly to take comrade Ben's place," noted Omega. Nodding, XLR8 separated from the Kineceleran teens, the latter keeping up the vortexes.
"Alright kids, keep an eye out for any stragglers but keep out of sight," ordered XLR8. They nodded and sped off while XLR8 and Blissard reverted.
"OK Ester, we are serious here. We need to get there, now." frowned Rouge.
"You're asking me to betray my people…" said Ester, unsure. Shadow walked over and put a comforting hand on Ester's shoulder.
"They already betrayed you, Ester." pointed Shadow.
"Please Ester, a lot of innocent lives are gonna be in a lot of trouble if we don't," said Ben… as Ester gave a confirmed nod at this.
"Follow me."
(Hotspot)
Seebik smirked as his warriors were gearing up for an invasion of sorts.
"Soon my friends, we shall conquer new Bellwood… once we remove the stragglers. Soon, we shall have enough power to create one to make this world our own. Unalaq made a mistake in believing we can live with these cold cuts." monologued Seebik.
"Seebik!" Seebik turned to see Ester, looking livid as she walked in at this. Seebik scowled at her, seeing the Plumber Badge necklace around her neck. "You cannot do this, this is not your planet to conquer."
"How long can we stay in this hole, Ester? A generation, or maybe two, I think not. We need a world, Ester, not some hole the Plumbers gave us when you were a mere child." growled Seebik before noticing Team DARK walking up from behind her. "The Cold cuts and the machine?"
"Kraaho Clan Head Seebik, you and your warriors are under arrest for assaulting Plumbers unprovoked, and acts of eco-terrorism. Demand: Settle this peacefully or we will be forced to use violence," warned Omega, Team DARK prepping for a fight. Seebik's men all aimed their weapons.
"Why does no one try and do the peaceful route?" asked Ben, activating the Ultimatrix and slamming down at the first option. Rouge did the same with her Omnitrix while Omega remained in Arctic Formation.
"Elast-Elk!" In Ben's place is a pale green Kraaho with his face and hairstyle, wearing a black/white/green weather jumpsuit with the hood down. The Ultimatrix symbol is on his right pectoral.
(A/N: Name is made by Derrick J Wyatt—may he rest in peace—and the clothes are by PowerMaster17's version of Ben's Kraaho form… whose name will be used by Rouge's)
"Hot Slick!" In Rouge's place is a hot pink Kraaho with her face and hairstyle, wearing a variation of her Raider outfit. The Omnitrix symbol is on her belt buckle, below her…
'Even as a Kraaho, her chest is bigger than mine!' If this was an anime, Ester would've been crying crocodile tears.
"How'd you two get Kraaho DNA unlocked?" whispered Shadow.
"One of the goons almost grabbed me when we were retreating and touched the watch," responded Hot Slick.
"You cold cuts mock us with our blood?! Men, leave nothing behind!" scowled Seebik, his men firing their weapons.
"I got Seebik… you guys get to the generator," suggested Ester before they scattered.
"We may be cold cuts, but we're creative cold cuts! Elastic Gatling!" shouted Elast-Elk, jumping over a group and punching every one of them in rapid-fire thanks to his stretching.
"I already had a manicure and I'm not letting you sexists ruin my hard work. Slick Eagle!" scowled Hot Slick, stretching her leg before performing an axe kick, which launched her into the air and knocked down some goons.
"Considering how nonchalant he was about the people above, Omega, I think you should add attempted murder charges to the list. Chaos Attack!" Shadow teleported into the middle of a group before assaulting them with Chaos-empowered punches and kicks.
"Affirmative. Commencing Chimera Arctic Arm!" Staying in place, Omega's upper body began spinning clockwise. Freaking out (and forgetting that Omega is a machine), the goons couldn't do anything to protect themselves from the Polar Bear Claws, freezing on impact. Once the closest were trapped in ice, Omega froze the ground before sliding and spinning, becoming a mobile tornado of frozen terror.
"HYAH!" Ester ran at Seebik, kicking him in the stomach. He grunted before growling and swinging a fist her way, launching her back, her tiara falling off. Ester glared and wiped blood off her lip before charging at him, stretching her fist to make contact with his face.
"Hrk! (snaps head back briefly) I see I need to accelerate my plans!" growled Seebik, taking out a remote device from his coat.
"NO!"
"Goodbye, cold cuts!" Seebik maniacally laughed, twisting the dial to 'MAXIMUM' and holding the remote up. Ester braced herself, expecting earthquakes, or raining lava, but… nothing happened. Blinking, Seebik brought his remote down and reset the dial. Again, nothing happened.
"Oh I'm sorry, did you need zis?" The two look at the generator (across lots of frozen and/or knocked-out goons) to see Team DARK standing around it, with NRG (UA design) spinning the Engine on his finger like a basketball… before flicking it up. While the Engine was in the air, Seebik held Ester in a lock before stretching an arm toward it… only to be hit by a Chaos Spear.
"Bon appetit." chuckled NRG, before opening his suit, showing his true form's head (UA design with 5YL clothes and symbol) with his mouth open… and the Fusion Engine getting in, the Prypiatosian-B absorbing the energy gluttonously. NRG chuckles before belching and covering his mouth. "Zat is a good fusion engine."
"It's over, Seebik. All your men are down and you're outmatched and outnumbered. Surrender." ordered Shadow, Omega pushed the machine into the lava flow, letting it melt, and seal the hole. Dropping the remote and releasing Ester (who grappled to Team DARK's side), Seebik gained a crazed look in his eyes, moving them between Ester and Team DARK.
"I… NEVER! IF MY WAY WON'T BE THE KRAAHO WAY, THEN THERE WILL BE NO KRAAHO!" Seebik slammed his fist on the remote, destroying it. Suddenly, another earthquake occurred.
"What the—I thought the thing was destroyed!" shouted Hot Slick, leaning against NRG (who sealed his armor).
"Negative; the disturbance has a different origin than the Kraaho device." shook Omega, switching to his base armor. Before anyone could ask him, a wall suddenly exploded, with Seebik jumped into the dust cloud. Once it cleared, standing in front of what looked like a broken open docking bay was a large, bronze version of The Abyssal Forge from the Darksiders 2 DLC of the same name.
"What is that thing?!" gawked NRG, Team DARK being on guard while the machine was charging up.
"That's… the legendary Armor of Nogu, my people's god of fire. It was lost for centuries!" gasped Ester.
"Negative, hybrid; according to Plumber files, including your female parental unit's, it was rediscovered over a decade ago." shook Omega.
"My… my mom…" echoed Ester.
"Ah… The Coldcut that Unalaq betrayed us for… How satisfying it was that I cleansed our people of the traitor with this very armor." chuckled Seebik through a speaker, the Armor clenching a fist. Zooming on it, Omega found traces of dry Kraaho blood on it.
"…"
"…"
"…"
"…Did he just imply what I think he just implied?" frowned Hot Slick. Beside them, Ester covered her mouth in horror, tears threatening to escape her eyes.
"OK, we are definitely not letting him get away with this!" NRG punched his palm.
"The dawn of a new age for the Kraaho begins with me!" declared Seebik before the Armor spat out a large fireball. The group quickly scattered to dodge it.
"Better switch to something suited to turn the heat down instead of up. (slaps Ultimatrix symbol) BIG CHILL!" The Necrofriggian phased through another fireball before breathing ice at the Armor. The ice melted on impact, creating steam that clouded the Armor. Growling, it began swatting the air within, blinded.
"Ester, you need to get your people out of here before this guy adds more blood to that armor." frowned Hot Slick. This got a teary-eyed glare from the hybrid.
"You're asking me to run from the man who—"
"Ester, I get it… The stab of betrayal… the need for vengeance… but if you don't focus, then dozens of other families will suffer the same thing you did." frowned Shadow. Ester frowned, hands trembling, eyes flickering between the fight and the soldiers… before nodding, wiping her tears, and stretching over.
"Hold still, you pest!" roared Seebik, barely grazing the Necrofriggian.
"No thanks, don't want any blood on my hands." shrugged Big Chill, dodging another punch.
"Omega, spot any weaknesses in that thing?" asked Shadow, preparing a Chaos Spear.
"Scanning. (eyes flash) Structural anomaly detected; if the Armor suffers enough damage, the power core will expose itself briefly for a cooldown period." explained Omega.
"Thanks. (leaps toward fight) Elastic Drill Drive!" Hot Slick dove towards the Armor, feet first and legs twisted like a drill.
"Wha— (gets hit by technique, rearing head back) ACK! Insolent impostor!" growled Seebik, preparing to grab Hot Slick, only to get hit by several Chaos Spears.
"Don't forget about us, you tyrant!" scowled Shadow, body glowing with Chaos energy.
"Comrade Benjamin, have you heard what we discussed?" asked Omega, arms sparking with eel electricity.
"Give him enough hits to expose the core for a bit, yeah. Hail Storm!" Big Chill exhaled more, releasing a cloud with bits of hail that struck at the Armor.
"Activating Eel Whips!" Omega lassoed them around the Armor's fist before it could slam into his teammates.
"Release me this in—"
"Initiating Eel energy charge!" Electricity coursed from the whips and onto the Armor, tasing Seebik greatly. Suddenly, it slumped backward, the 'ribcage' opening to show a turquoise glowing orb.
'Why does the energy from it feel familiar?' Shelving the thought for later, Shadow threw a few Chaos Spears at it while Hot Slick followed by copying Elast-Elk's Elastic Gatling. Omega, instead, entangled his whips around it and pulled, attempting to take it out. Soon…
"ENOUGH!" The Armor lit up with the core covered (and Omega retracting his whips) before crossing its arms. With another shout, it spreads them, unleashing a wave of flames that knocked Team DARK down.
"I'm gonna feel that tomorrow." shook Big Chill.
"For you cold cuts… THERE IS NO TOMORROW!" With another roar, the Armor reared back its head, the fire in its mouth intensifying and growing larger.
"Analyzing. (eyes flash) Warning; attack is reaching 700° and rising," noted Omega.
"And let me guess, the Armor is following suit?" asked Big Chill dryly.
"Affirmative."
"So we can't get close to the core anymore. Fantastic." groaned Shadow sarcastically.
"Anyway we can turn the heat down?" asked Hot Slick.
"If being a hero isn't working, then how about being Ultimate? (slaps symbol, evolving) ULTIMATE BIG CHILL!" The hyper-evolved Necrofriggian flew to his teammates.
"You weren't kidding about some Ultimates being nothing but color changes and minor details." whistled Shadow. Eying her lover's wings (and trying hard not to think of them being wrapped around her), Hot Slick then stretched her hands over Shadow and Omega's shoulders.
"You two, remember that team Move we made during that Metal Overlord mess?" grinned Hot Slick.
"You talking about the time you formed your own Teams before getting your group name?" frowned Ultimate Big Chill, vaguely recalling his lover telling him the story during his time on Mobius.
"We made a lot of Moves during that time, Rouge." frowned Shadow.
"Inquiry; I believe I acknowledge what teammate Rouge is alluding to, given Ben's current form brings the name to my processor." nodded Omega. Shadow blinked, looking at Ultimate Big Chill's… flame-like wings…
"Got it, but I don't have a Chaos Emerald on me and I can't freeze time without one." countered Shadow.
"Then we improvise; you and I can keep that tin can still while Benny and Omega do their thing," replied Hot Slick. Shadow blinks.
"…That can work."
"Now prepare for your demise, cold cuts." laughed Sebik, lowering the Armor's head…
"CHAOS BLIZZARD!" Before Seebik could fire, the Armor's limbs got ensnared by either Shadow's Chaos Chains or Hot Slick's stretched arms. Seeing Ultimate Big Chill in the air with Omega — Arctic Formation in his feet, the Armor fired the miniature sun-like projectile. In response, Ultimate Big Chil took a deep breath before firing the largest stream of plasma he could muster at the attack, with Omega plunging his arms into the plasma and giving it a cyan tint. Once the attacks collided, the clash of elements equaled in the air… for a moment or two before the 'sun' was absorbed into the plasma, empowering the stream. Seebik could only watch helplessly as the stream made contact with the Armor once Shadow and Hot Slick retreated.
"No… (steps forth) No… NOOOOO~!" With a scream of defiance, Seebik had the Armor charge at the duo, arm preparing to slam onto them… only for it and everything else to freeze. Ultimate Big Chill chuckled at the ice-covered mech.
"Anyone asked for a large order of cold sore loser?"
(Minutes later)
"Ex-Kraaho Clan Head Seebik, in addition to previous state charges, you are under arrest for attempted genocide, theft of highly dangerous machinery, and homicide." recited Omega, escorting the handcuffed criminal to the back of the Proto-TRUK with the villagers watching. The frozen Armor (with the back hatch broken open) gets loaded into a Plumber Tank.
"Don't forget tyranny." Before Seebik could react, a stretched-out fist knocked him out cold. "That was for my father, you [*******]!" Similar curses in the Kraaho language were thrown by some villagers toward the traitor.
"Yeah!" Rouge high-fived Ester. Lackno walked over to Team DARK.
"Here, These are the plans he had. (hands papers to Shadow before sighing) I am… sorry for this, Ester. I… I had no idea what he has done to your father." frowned Lackno.
"You're OK, Lackno… He deceived us all…" said Ester, hugging herself. Ben walked over, looking at Ester in confusion.
"Hope I'm not stepping over any boundaries, but… who was your dad, anyway?" asked Ben. Ester picked up her Tiara and dusted it off, placing it back on her head.
"He was the chief before Seebik… he met my mother when the Plumbers saved him and the tribe and brought them here… your Grandfather and his old partner helped us relocate here when the Kraaho first arrived," explained Ester. Ben hides a wince.
'Hope she doesn't mean Phil.'
"Speaking of Seebik… What are the chances that he'll try to weasel his way into a lighter sentence by saying something about the Armor affecting his mind or whatever?" frowned Rouge, arms crossed.
"Negative, teammate Rouge. I have discovered schematics of the Armor's control system from within; no evidence of mental tampering can be found." shook Omega, throwing Seebik's unconscious body into the vehicle and closing it.
"So no mental asylum for this maniac," smirked Shadow. Omega nodded before he and the rest of Team DARK watched the Kraaho bow before a surprised Ester.
"What's going on?" blinked Ester. Lackno walked over, carrying over Seebik's blue coat.
"Before he has used the Armor, you have defeated Seebik in unarmed combat, you are now the chief, Ester Thompson. What do you decree the Kraaho way to be?" asked Lackno, bowing his head. Ester looked at the others and smiled as she looked at her people while the Plumber collected Seebik's loyalists, the former armed with freeze guns.
"Coexistence with those on the surface. We can live with Undertown, not enslave it. Let us not be like those who stranded us here. Let us work for a better tomorrow." said Ester
"You'd allow it?" asked Lackno, looking at Team DARK.
"Consider this your reformal period." nodded Ben. Ester smiled before clearing her throat and walking over to Team DARK.
"I'll take the first step… by doing my own time." surrendered Ester, putting her wrists out.
"Frankly… can you two do it without me and Ben? Our dinner reservation's coming soon and I rather be presentable?" asked Rouge, hugging Ben's arm and glaring at Ester.
'This *** is mine, not yours, *****!'
"Sure… (sweatdrops while Rouge pulls Ben away) Omega, how much you wanna bet she's gonna make her claim tonight?" asked Shadow.
"Answer; That is called a sucker's bet."
(Plumbers HQ)
"Well, luckily no one was badly injured, thanks to your team's quick thinking, Shadow," noted Cooper, looking over the schematics. "Manny is handing Seebik over to the Plumber holding cells as we speak."
"Good riddance." scoffed Shadow, arms folded.
"Inquiry; what shall become of Miss Thompson?" asked Omega.
"She's with Magister Tennyson and Patelliday right now," assured Cooper. Curious, they went into another room that occupied Ester, Max, Patelliday, Rouge… and a lipstick-covered, dazed Ben, the latter two's hair damp from showering.
"Well, Miss Thompson. You're lucky you're just a minor in this situation, plus you DID help stop Seebik, prevented casualties…so I am thinking for stealing the Fusion engine…which Ben ate I might add…" said Patelliday, giving Ben a stink eye. Shaking from his daze, Ben responded in kind.
"Hey, it's not like I had anything that can hold it without burning to ashes," remarked Ben. While Shadow would've been safe from cancer, the heat would be another story. For Omega, while the android cannot feel pain, none of his Formations can withstand the heat without becoming liquefied metal. At least, none he currently has access to anyway…
"…Fair. Anyway, I am thinking that a sentence of community service would be fine," confirmed Patelliday.
"That seems fair, how so?" asked Ester. Before anyone could make suggestions, beeping is heard. Taking out his phone, Ben checked it and winced.
"Sorry, but our reservation's in a few minutes and I'd rather avoid fangirls." sighed Ben.
"Speaking of girls…" grinned Rouge, rearing back her hand and—
"HEY!"
"This *** is mine, *****! Not yours, not those *****, mine!" The next thing Ben knew, in a show of impressive strength, Rouge slung him over her shoulder (with him facing her behind) and dashed off.
"…Never took Rouge to use that kind of language." blinked Max.
"Ironic for an ex-thief to be possessive, ain't it?" chuckled Patelliday.
"This gives me an idea… Ester, I'm sure your father left you some funds, right? (hybrid nods) Well, as a start, how about paying for their night out?" suggested Max.
"I can do that." nodded Ester, hoping that it won't be too expensive.
"Now that food is mentioned, I could go for something to eat," hummed Shadow, rubbing his stomach.
"Well, you're in luck. Ben called ahead and told me you'd like to try some of my recipes this week. I got something cooking already and should be done soon." chuckled Max, exiting to the kitchen. Shadow pales.
"Observation; It seems comrade Ben is intent on you upholding the bet from earlier today," noted Omega. Shadow only had one thing on his mind as he walked towards his doom.
'**** YOU, TENNYSON!'
Ben: …Dark. No pun intended.
Omarnosian10: Oh come on, this isn't the first time I showed blood in my stories.
Shadow: I think he's referring to the fact that you had someone dead in the story.
Omarnosian10: Come on, Seebik was willing to kill thousands of people in canon and went rogue. You can't tell me this isn't something he would do.
Rouge: …He's got you there.
Omarnosian10: Anyway, I figured I'd give Ester's parents names. Unalaq is from the Legend of Korra series since both the Water Tribe and the Kraaho are Eskimos. Ashley Thompson, on the other hand, is one of Tara Platt's (Ester's VA) roles; specifically one of the playable characters from the survival horror video game Obscure.
Shadow: Is Ester's mom the same person?
Omarnosian10: Considering she was killed before the second game, I'm debating on either a version that never went through the sequel, or survived, or an AU version altogether.
Omega: That's likely for the best.
Omarnosian10: Now, I know this chapter brought plenty of questions to mind.
Shadow: Not that many, but yeah. Why did I cough blood in this chapter?
Ben: Why did you have me turn into RIPJAWS?!
Omega: What was it about the energy core that Shadow found familiar?
Rouge: How long until Ben and I lose our V-cards to each other?
Males: ROUGE!
Rouge: What, we're all wondering about it.
Omarnosian10: Except for that last one, all questions and more will be answered in upcoming chapters. SMOKEBOMB!