Ch.2: An Alien In Night Raid

It took them a few minutes to reach the hideout. When they arrived, Leone showed Stinkfly the way to the medical facility where the doctor could take care of Sayo.

"I'll make sure she's okay," said the doctor to Ben, who had transformed back to human. "Her injuries are pretty bad, but not the worst I've seen. Don't worry about it, I'll inform you when she's awake."

"Thanks. Call me when she wakes up. She needs to know what happened to Ieyasu," said Ben and the doctor nodded.

With that, Ben exited the room and found Leone outside.

"So, how is she," asked Leone.

"Bad, but it could've been worse. At least she'll recover," said Ben and Leone nodded.

"That's a relief," said Leone with a smile. "Now, let's get to the meeting room. Everyone's probably there by now and you told us you'll tell everything about yourself once Sayo's wounds are treated."

"Yeah, I did," said Ben with a nervous smile. "Just so you know, the things I'm gonna say may sound a little crazy and farfetched."

"Why is that," asked Leone.

"You're gonna have to trust me on that part," said Ben as they walked towards the meeting room.

When they got there, the other members of Night Raid were already there and Leone had Ben sit on a chair. On his left was Leone, on his right was Mine and in front of him were Akame, Lubbock, Sheele & Bulat, who Ben had been introduced to earlier.

"Well, Ben, tell us about yourself," said Leone.

"Okay, so what do you wanna know? Anything specific," asked Ben.

"Why don't you start with where are you from," asked Lubbock.

"Okay, that's easy to say, but hard to explain," said Ben as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm actually from another world."

"Wow, you were right earlier. This does sound crazy," said Leone as she and the rest of Night Raid were in shock at what Ben just told them.

"Trust me, it gets crazier," said Ben.

"Let's say we believe you. If you're truly from another world, then how did you get here," asked Bulat.

"Well, my partner and I were fighting one of my enemies, who wanted to use some sort of a laser that would've caused the Earth to rotate in reverse. During the fight, the laser malfunctioned and a big portal opened. Rook managed to get away, but I got sucked in after a steel pillar almost fell on top of me. At least we stopped Albedo, but now I'm stuck here," said Ben. "I just hope the Plumbers can figure something out."

"So you saved the planet, but got sucked into this world in the process," said Leone. "Is this "Albedo" really that dangerous?"

"You can say that. He's my evil doppelganger and can do pretty much I can, except he can evolve his aliens to their Ultimate forms," said Ben, surprising everyone.

"Did you say aliens," asked Mine.

"Yeah, aliens. You know, creatures from out of Earth," said Ben with a nod.

"And how are these "Plumbers" supposed to help you," asked Leone. "You don't have a broken pipe."

"We're not these kind of plumbers. We're actually an intergalactic police organization. We capture evil aliens and try to keep the piece in the Universe," said Ben. "With my grandpa being in charge of them, I pretty much joined without hesitation."

"Your grandfather is in charge of an entire police organization," asked Lubbock in shock, which earned him a nod from Ben. "Okay, you capture evil aliens, but what if those alien escape from prison?"

"Well, only a few have managed to escape, but that's what we have the Null Void for," said Ben.

"What's the Null Void", asked Sheele.

"A prison dimension for intergalactic criminals. It's where the Universe's worst of the worst are being held. It's basically an endless dimension of nothingness," said Ben. "Well, a few guys managed to escape. My arch nemesis is one of them. Seriously, Vilgax is like a cockroach. Just when you think you've got rid of him, he just pops out of nowhere. I don't know how many ships of his I had to blow up to get rid of him for good."

"Okay, what about your powers? I've never seen Imperial Arms that have the ability to transform their user," asked Mine.

"Okay, I have no idea what "Imperial Arms" are, but my powers actually come from this," said Ben as he showed them the Omnitrix. "It's called the Omnitrix and allows me to transform into dozens of aliens at this moment."

"So you can turn into more than just that invisible chameleon, werewolf and smelly bug," asked Akame.

"Well, in ChamAlien's case it's actually changing color to blend in with the area, but yeah," said Ben.

"In just how many aliens can you turn into," asked Leone.

"Currently, around 60 maybe more. The Omnitrix stores the DNA of over million aliens, but I haven't unlocked the rest," said Ben, shocking everyone.

"And just what powers do you have," asked Mine.

"Super strength, super speed, pyrokinesis, electrokinesis, cryokinesis, flight, space and underwater breathing. It's actually a question of what powers I don't have," said Ben.

"That's a lot," said Lubbock with wide eyes.

"I have an idea. Why don't you show us another one of your aliens," Bulat asked Ben.

"I don't see any harm in it," said Ben with a shrug before activating the Omnitrix. "You better not give me Way Big."

"Why not," asked Mine.

"You have no idea how many time this thing has turned me into the wrong alien," said Ben before pressing the core down, engulfing him in green light. When the light faded, in Ben's place was standing a plasma-based life-form whose body is composed of a super hot inner plasma body covered by dark reddish brown volcanic rocks. The Omnitrix was located on his chest. This was Ben's Pyronite form he called Heatblast.

"Heatblast? Could've been worse," said Heatblast with a sigh.

"Wow, dude! You're on fire," exclaimed Lubbock as he went up to him and slapped him across the shoulder only to get his hand on fire. "OW! OW! OW! OW!"

"What? Too hot," asked Heatblast with a smirk.

"Don't mind him. He's an idiot," said Leone as she went up to Heatblast. "So how powerful are your flames?"

"It depends. From a small spark, to a flamethrower, to an erupting volcano," said Heatblast as he formed a huge fireball above his head before canceling it. "Also, a juvenile Pyronite can reach supernova temperatures when they have a tantrum, so an adult one can speak for itself."

"Okay, I'm actually impressed. Now, can you change back, cause it's getting hot in here," asked Bulat. "But I wouldn't mind to undress for you."

"He's joking, right," Heatblast asked Leone with a worried tone.

"Yeah. Bulat's a homo," said Leone. "Watch out for him."

"Hey, don't warn him. He might get the wrong idea," said Bulat.

"Can i ask for a restraining order to keep this guy as far away from me as possible," thought Heatblast with a horrified expression before turning to Leone. "Please tell me you and other girls are actually sane?"

"Oh, want to get to know us better," Leone asked with a teasing smile.

"Never mind! Forget I said anything," said Heatblast before the Omnitrix timed out, turning him back to Ben.

"Oh well, your loss. But, there's a good side. I don't think Mine could've handled your hot body," teased Leone, causing her teammate to blush.

"WHAT!? What makes you think I'd like him. Look at him. He's not that impressive. I bet he doesn't even have a girlfriend," said Mine with a smirk.

"Actually, I've had 3 girlfriends. How many boyfriends did you have," said Ben, causing Mine to gasp in shock.

"Crap! I've never kissed a boy, let alone have a boyfriend," thought Mine before smirking. "Oh, yeah? I bet all of them got tired of you."

"Not really. My first girlfriend broke up with me, cause we barely had time with me being a superhero and we barely got a chance to be alone without a mob of fans showing up. As for my second girlfriend, well we never actually got above the usual hugging. As for my third girlfriend, I actually broke up with her after catching her cheating on me with a Loboan," explained Ben, surprising everyone.

"Wow, so you actually have experience in dating. But, what's a Loboan," asked Leone.

"Blitzwolfer's species," said Ben, earning looks of understanding from everyone.

"You mentioned something a mob of fans," said Sheele.

"Yeah, that's because my superhero identity got revealed to the entire world a couple of months ago. And before i know it, the entire Universe learned about me," said Ben.

"What kind of an evil mastermind managed to reveal your identity," asked Mine curiously.

"Hey, Jimmy might be 10–years–old and a mastermind, but he's not evil," said Ben before putting his arms over his mouth at what he just said.

"Wait, hold on. Your powers got revealed by a 10–year–old kid," asked Mine before she fell on the floor, laughing. "Oh, this is the funniest thing I've ever heard!"

"Hey, I managed to keep my powers a secret for 6 years," said Ben. "If you ask me, I think it's better with everyone knowing about my powers."

"And what did your parents think about them," asked Lubbock, whose right hand was now red due to the burn.

"They actually found out a little over an year ago. They weren't happy at first and even forbade me from using the watch, but soon realized that I was tasked with keeping the world safe," said Ben. "My grandpa, Max, and cousin, Gwen, have actually know about my powers from the very beginning."

"Wow, you're having a one crazy life, aren't you," asked Bulat.

"Tell me about it," said Ben with a sigh.

"I was wondering, could you tell us more about the watch," asked Sheele. "It looks pretty advanced to just transform you."

"You're right about that. The Omnitrix actually more functions than just transform me into different aliens. It's got a communication feature, an Universal translator, a life–form lock, a fail–safe mode, randomizer function and the Master Control," explained Ben, taking everyone by surprise. "So, i told you about myself. Why don't you tell me about this whole Empire?"

"That's fair. Okay, Benny. I'll tell you the terrible history of the Empire," said Leone as her expression changed from excited to somber.

Ben noticed that just by everyone's expressions, the atmosphere changed in a matter of seconds.

"Currently, the Empire is ruled by an Emperor, but he's still a child, who's a marionette manipulated by the Prime Minister. He's the source of all the suffering of the poorest population of the Empire. The higher rank you are and as close as you are to the Prime Minister, you can get away with every crime you commit," explained Leone. "The family from earlier were friends of Honest, so they got away with all those tortures they've done. And before you ask, Honest is the Prime Minister's name."

Ben couldn't believe what he was hearing. Things were a lot worse than he though. The government was oppressing their own people with high taxes, corruption, criminals, who could pay bribes, getting unpunished. And all of that because of the ambition of Prime Minister Honest.

"So, what's your answer, Ben? With your powers, we can defeat the Empire and change the nation," said Lubbock.

"It'll be incredible if you join us," said Sheele.

"Look, I want to help. I'm a superhero and it's my job to protect the innocent people from those freakshows. I want to bring that Honest down, but I'm not quite comfortable about the whole killing part. I mean, tonight is the first time I've done something like that," said Ben.

"Look, Ben. How about we give you a few days to think about it and you can give us an answer when the boss comes back," said Bulat. "What do you say?"

"Yeah, I think it'll be best that way," said Ben with a nod.

While everyone nodded in understatement, Mine was looking at Ben with an irritated expression.

"Just great. We've got a newbie who's got everyone's attention. He's only special because of that watch he's wearing. With it, he's more powerful than any of us combined. I don't like this at all," Mine though to herself as she walked away.

(4 days later)

To say the least, the past few days have quite eventful for the members of Night Raid. From the very first day since he got there, Ben's been using the training area and they've managed to see 8 more of Ben's aliens: On day 1, they saw a white and blue jellyfish with electrical powers, and a what appeared to be a combination between a rooster and a hawk with brown feathers; on day 2, they saw a red, manta ray–like alien with a yellow patagia that could fly extremely fast and shoot lasers from his eyes and tail, and a black and white iguana with a blue face that could shoot freeze rays; on day 3, they saw a large, bulky, reddish–brown alien with rocky skin that could control gravity, and got a little creeped out when they saw a phantom/ghost–like alien with a gaseous appearance; and on day 4, they saw a giant bowling ball with yellow plates that bounced on all surfaces, and a light orange crab–like alien with a large head that could shoot electricity, but Lubbock threw up when he opened his skull plates to reveal his huge brain. After he was done training, Ben told them that these were AmpFibian, Kickin Hawk, Jetray, Arctiguana, Gravattack, Ghostfreak, Cannonbolt & Brainstorm. He figured that since he'd be staying there for a while, then he might train a little.

Currently, everyone was doing their own thing with Ben sitting on the grass in front of a tombstone near a cliff. Ben looked sad as he stared at it. He didn't understand how there could be people, who enjoyed torturing and killing others just for the heck of it.

"Ieyasu seemed like a good guy. He didn't deserve this fate. I gave him a promise to make sure Sayo lives and I'm gonna keep that promise," Ben thought to himself.

Ben then felt two soft, heavy objects on his head. He looked up and saw that they were Leone's breasts. He quickly got up and walked away from Leone with a blushing face.

"Whoa, what are you doing all of a sudden," asked Ben.

"You don't plan on sulking forever, do you," asked Leone with an irritated expression. "Now let's go. I need to properly introduce you to the other members of Night Raid."

With that, Leone started dragging Ben back to the hideout. Before he knew it, they were near the meeting table and saw Sheele reading a book.

"So, you still haven't made a decision to join us yet," asked Sheele.

"Sheele, could you shower him with some warm words for me," asked Leone.

"Well, now that you know the location of our hideout, you'll be killed if you don't become one of us," said Sheele quietly, which creeped Ben out a little.

"Seriously!? Even Vilgax or Zs'Skayr could've said warmer words," Ben thought to himself as he stared at Sheele.

"You should think about it carefully," said Sheele before returning to her book.

Ben approached with curiosity to see the cover of the book she was reading. On the cover of the book was written "100 ways to fix airheadedness" and there were drawings of small elephants on the cover.

"This place is full of weirdos," thought Ben.

"Hey, Leone," shouted an angry voice.

Ben and Leone turned and saw Mine.

"Why are you letting this guy into the hideout," asked Mine angrily.

"Cause he's one of us," said Leone with a smile.

"He's not one of us! He hasn't gotten the boss' permission," said Mine.

Mine angrily faced Ben and gave him a steady stare. Ben looked at her apprehensively as he sweated a little.

"Not qualified! You may have different forms with different powers, but you're just a skinny amateur, not a professional like us," said Mine.

"Oh, yeah? If I'm skinny, then what are you," asked Ben with a provocative tone. "Pesky Dust is more dangerous than you!"

"What was that," asked Mine angrily.

"If you wanna know, I was trained in martial arts by my cousin in case the watch was recharging. What can you do besides shooting with that bazooka," asked Ben, leaving Mine speechless.

"Okay, that's enough, you two," said Leone as she dragged Ben away from Mine before whispering into his ear. "You're the first one to leave Mine speechless. I'm impressed."

(Training grounds)

"Doryaaa! Hiya! Hiya! Hiya! Hiya," bellowed Bulat as he moved with a wooden staff.

"I know you've been here already, but this is the stress release aren, knows as the training grounds. And over there, the one who clearly reeks of sweat, is Bulat," said Leone.

"He's pretty good," thought Ben as he watched Bulat's movements.

Bulat then turned the wooden staff over his head making strong wind that covered the entire training field. He then hit the bottom end of the staff on the ground, forming a shock wave that covered the area and made Ben to cover his eyes from the wave.

"Hey, it's Leone and the alien boy," greeted Bulat when he noticed them.

"Yeah, and you're the one in the armor from the other night," said Ben.

"You're right! The name's Bulat, nice to meet you," said Bulat as he reached his right hand out to greet Ben.

"It's nice to meet you, too," said Ben as he shook Bulat's hand.

"You do remember that he's homo, right," Leone whispered into Ben's right ear with a playful smile.

"Hey, hey! I'm sure he'll misunderstand," said Bulat with a blush.

"He's not even denying it," thought Ben with a worried look.

(Later)

Among the trees, near a lake was Lubbock, who was sneaking through the bushes with a mischievous expression.

"It's Leone's bathing time! I won't miss the opportunity to see those breasts," said Lubbock mischievously.

"Then how about I break two fingers," asked Leone as she appeared behind him and grabbed two of Lubbock's fingers before twisting them.

"AAAAAAAAAH," Lubbock screamed in pain.

"You never learn, do you, Lubbock," asked Leone.

"Fuck, i can still go on," said Lubbock.

"Then it's one arm next time," promised Leone before going up to Ben. "So, this perverted idiot is Lubbock."

"Don't you think that was a bit much," asked Ben with a shocked expression.

"Nah, he had it coming," said Leone. "Anyway, the next one should be at the riverbed."

"I think I've had too much emotion for one day," said Ben.

"Ha ha ha. Don't worry. It's a pretty girl, so you can look forward to it," said Leone with a laugh.

(Later)

Ben and Leone arrived at the river where they saw a girl with black hair and red eyes.

"There she is. This one's Akame. Isn't she cute," asked Leone with a smile as pointed to where Akame was.

Akame was sitting on a wooden chair, and in front of her was a large black bird tied to a wooden stick while being roasted over a fire. She turned and looked at Ben with a somber expression on her face.

"Real cute. She's practically a care bear," Ben thought sarcastically.

"Leone, you should eat, too," said Akame as she threw a piece of the roasted beef to Leone.

"Oh, thanks," said Leone as she took a bite of the beef.

Akame then looked at Ben with her usual expression.

"Have you become one of us," asked Akame.

"No," said Ben.

"Then I still can't give you this meat," said Akame.

"I'm not hungry anyway," said Ben. "I have to be careful around this girl. She's one of the few that can put up a decent fight against Blitzwolfer."

"Aren't you being extravagant today," asked Leone.

"The boss is back," said Akame.

"Yo," said a female voice.

They both turned and saw a woman sitting on a wooden chair holding a piece of meat with her right hand. She had short silver hair and purple eyes with an eye patch across the right one. She wore a black suit that showed her cleavage and her right arm was mechanical. This was Najenda, Night Raid's leader.

"Welcome back, boss. Do you have any souvenirs," Leone asked with a sweet smile.

"Putting that aside. Leone, in the job three days ago, it seems you went over the operation time, didn't you," asked Najenda as she began to snap the metal fingers of her metal arms.

"... CRAP," thought Leone in fear as she turned and ran.

Najenda pointed her left arm in Leone's direction, and her prosthetic fired her right arm in Leone's direction. Najenda's arm grabbed Leone by the shoulder and began to drag her back.

"AHHHH," screamed Leone as she was dragged back by Najenda's arm on her right shoulder.

"It's not good to enjoy fighting with a strong enemy too much. Do something to fix that habit of yours," said Najenda with a darkening aura.

"Okay, I promise! Please, let me go," begged Leone.

Najenda let go of Leone and her right hand was drawn back to her arm by the rope connecting them. She then turned to Ben and gave him a curious look.

"And who's this young boy," asked Najenda.

"Of course! Boss, i recommend this powerful guy," said Leone as she put her hands on Ben's shoulders.

"Can you stop doing that," asked Ben in anger.

"Really, how powerful is he," asked Najenda with narrowed eyes.

"Very," said Leone with a confident smile.

"I wonder how powerful this boy could be," Najenda thought as she looked at Ben. "Akame, gather everyone in the meeting room."

Najenda got up and took her overcoat from the back of the chair and put it on her back. The coat had Night Raid's logo on its back.

"I want to hear the results of the previous mission in detail, including this young boy," said Najenda.

(Meeting Room)

Ben and all the members of Night Raid were gathered in the meeting room with Najenda sitting on her chair in front of Ben.

"I see, I completely understand the situation," said Najenda as she looked at Ben. "Before I come up with a decision, I'd like to see one of your aliens."

"Well, if you really want to," said Ben as he activated the Omnitrix before looking at the others. "How about I show you an alien you haven't seen, like Lodestar?"

Ben slammed the core down, engulfing him in green light. When the light faded, in Ben's place stood a greenish yellow-skinned, ogre-like alien with long and misshapen arms that had weed-like spikes coming out of them, pointy fingertips, and a visible belly button. He wore a simple pair of black briefs with a metal dark green waistline with white bolts on it. His eyes were glowing green and could be seen through the bars of a dark green metal cage helmet worn on his head. The helmet had two horns protruding from the sides of it, and also a crest that resembled a toenail in shape. The cage's door had five bars, three of which were in the center of the door. It opened in two halves, with the lock in the very center of the door, staying on the right half. Connected to this cage was his armor, which wrapped around his shoulders and went halfway down his chest, and was connected to his briefs by chains. The Omnitrix symbol was on the helmet's extension covering his chest, with two green metallic protrusions accompanying the symbol on both sides. This was one of Ben's scariest aliens, Toepick.

"Toepick is the last alien I wanted, Omnitrix," Toepick complained to the watch as the members of Night Raid watched him with wide eyes.

"Seriously? This one looks pretty lame," said Mine.

"So what can this one do," asked Najenda.

"I'd show you, but I'll need a volunteer. Just a warning, whoever it is, get ready to go insane," said Toepick.

"Okay, I'll do it," said Lubbock with a smirk. "It can't be that bad, right?"

"No, it will ugly," said Toepick before looking at the others. "You might wanna get behind me."

"Hey, you don't tell me what to do," said Mine.

"But I do, and I tell you to get behind him," said Najenda and everyone complied, leaving Lubbock at Toepick's mercy.

"Are you ready," asked Toepick.

"Yeah, I'm sure i can handle it," said Lubbock confidently.

However, as soon as he said that, Toepick released a small amount of green gas before the door of cage opened with sounds of terrified screams, agonized wailing, roaring, unholy groans and wails, hissing, and deep demonic laughter being heard. Lubbock didn't waste any time before shouting.

"AHHHHH! Stay away from me! Stay back," Lubbock screamed in fear as he paled before fainting with a look of horror on his face.

The other members of Night Raid could only stare in shock. Lubbock was one their toughest members and he fainted in just a few seconds after seeing Toepick's face. What shocked them more was the look on his face as they've never seen him more scared, even after a beating from Leone.

"Told ya it would be ugly," said Toepick before the Omnitrix timed out, turning him back to Ben.

"What the fuck was that," asked Bulat as was trying to get over the shock.

"That's what Toepick does. His face is so horrifying that is hidden behind a cage. Once the cage opens, however, you feel like you've seen your biggest fear," said Ben.

"Then why did you turn into him," asked Mine with anger.

"I wanted to go Lodestar, but the watch turned me into the wrong alien, again," said Ben. "I told you it can do that sometimes."

"Well, I have to say I'm impressed. To have a form that can terrify your opponents in a matter of seconds and make them faint is actually cool," said Najenda before looking at Lubbock. "But is he going to be okay?"

"Yeah, the effect should wear of in a few minutes," said Ben with a nod.

"Very well then. I've made up my mind. Ben, would you like to join Night Raid," asked Najenda.

"I'm dead if decline, right," asked Ben.

"No, that's not going to happen. But we can't let you go either. Honestly, given your abilities, I don't want to get in a fight with you to force you to stay here," said Najenda. "If you don't want to be part of Night Raid, then you'll have to stay here and work at our workshop. But your powers could be useful against our battle against the Empire. I wonder, does he have a form that can defeat Esdeath? So, what do you say, Ben?"

"I was planning to try to go back to my world, but I can't ignore thousands of people with problems, so I want to help them," said Ben firmly.

"Are you willing to sacrifice your life for thousands of people you don't know," asked Najenda.

"I've been helping people I don't know ever since I got the Omnitrix six years ago. I'll be betraying everything I go by if don't help those in need, and this place needs to be rid of that Prime Minister Dishonest, and I'll be more than happy to help. I'll just need to get used to the whole killing thing," said Ben with determination.

"You're willing to sacrifice your life for the sake of others. You really are a hero," said Bulat.

"Bulat was originally a skilled imperial soldier, but learned about the corruption and became one of us," said Najenda.

"It's our work to eliminate the evildoers in the capital. It's much better than working under those rotten people," explained Bulat.

"But even if you just kill bad guys little by little, the world won't change greatly, will it," asked Ben.

"I see. Then Night Raid is more than perfect for you," said Najenda.

"And why is that," asked Ben.

"Far south from the capital is the hideout of an anti–imperial force, the Revolutionary Army," said Najenda.

"Revolutionary Army," asked Ben.

"The Revolutionary Army, which started out small, had grown into a large–scale organization by now. Then, eventually, a unit to handle covert jobs, such as assassination and information gathering was created. That's us, Night Raid! Right now, we're exterminating the capital ticks. But, when the army takes action, we'll take advantage of the confusion and take the Prime Minister out," answered Najenda with a somber face. "Killing the Prime Minster is the only way to change the country for the better."

"And will this new country treat its people better," asked Ben.

"Of course," said Najenda with a nod.

"Then sign me up! When the time comes, I'll make that Minister whish he was never born," said Ben with determination.

"I like the sound of that," said Najenda as she extended her right arm at Ben. "Welcome to the life of carnage, Benjamin! As of this moment, you're officially a member of Night Raid!"

"Always happy to help," said Ben as he shook Najenda's hand.

"Very well," said Najenda as she looked at Akame. "You'll be trained first by Akame."

"Excuse me," Ben mentally yelled.

"You're free to kill him if he causes you too much trouble," said Najenda.

"No problem," said Akame with a neutral expression.

"No problem!? Is she crazy," thought Ben as he stared at the red–eyed assassin.

(The Next Day)

Ben was not pleased at all as he was wearing a white apron while peeling some tomatoes. And since Akame was in charge of cooking, that meant he'll need to cook as well.

"This is stupid! I'm a superhero and now I feel like some dumb housekeeper," complained Ben as he was peeling a tomato.

"It can't be helped. I'm in charge of cooking the base's meals, and naturally, that duty falls to you as well," said Akame while eating some grapes.

"Cook? The only thing you're doing is eat the ingredients," said Ben.

"I don't know what you're talking about," said Akame.

"You're a terrible liar," said Ben. "Why are we doing this in first place? Weren't you supposed to be teaching me Night Raid's infiltration methods," asked Ben irritated.

"Yes, but we need a request to do that, and you have a lot to learn," replied Akame.

"What do you mean by that," asked Ben in anger.

"You were sent to this dimension by your overconfidence and carelessness," replied Akame. "If you had been more careful, you wouldn't be here."

"Okay sure, next time I'll just let myself get hit by a steel pillar," said Ben sarcastically. "Plus, how was I supposed to know that Albedo's laser would malfunction? I'm not a fortuneteller!"

"Your carelessness in that battle is what caused it to malfunction," said Akame.

"Look, Rook and I managed to beat Albedo. That's what counts," said Ben in irritation. "Yeah, I ended up here, but I've got friends that can get me out of here. I just need to wait for them to show up. Let's not forget that I joined Night Raid to help you free the people from that jerk face and learn how to be an assassin, not to waste my time with things I most likely never need to do."

"Ben...," started Akame, but Ben interrupted her.

"The talk is over. Let's just get this cooking done. I'm not familiar with the area, so I'd like to use one of my fliers to check it out," said Ben with anger as he cut a carrot over a wooden board. He was cutting so hard that when the blade hit the surface of the board, it made a noise that sounded throughout the kitchen.

Akame looked at Ben with confusion. She didn't understand why he assumed her concern as an insult. She knew he was strong, but he was new to killing people and that was something that he needed to practice on.

(Later)

"MORE," said Mine, Bulat, Lubbock and Sheele at the same time.

They were all sitting at the dinner table, their arms stretched in Ben's direction, wanting second portions of food as they held their bowls up.

Ben gave a weary sigh as he served more rice for everyone. Being the cook in the group was tiring. Ben had learned how to cook so he wouldn't depend on his mother's or grandfather's dishes. Just thinking about them made Ben feel nauseated.

Soon, everyone finished eating, and Ben was washing the dishes with an annoyed expression.

"I look like a domestic housekeeper! I wanted to fight bad guys, not wash some dumb dishes! How's this gonna help in being assassin," thought Ben.

"For a newcomer, a cook's apron is the best. It looks good on you," said a female, provocative voice.

"What," shouted Ben as he turned around, but stopped when he saw everyone standing behind him. "Where are you going?"

"A request to kill someone in the capital arrived," replied Mine.

"Finally! I was staring to think i'd be stuck here all day," said Ben with a smile as he walked up to them.

"Sorry, Ben, but you can't come with us," said Bulat, taking Ben by surprise.

"And why not," asked Ben in confusion.

"It's because Akame is not going on this mission and she's supervising you. That means you also need to stay here. If it were me who was supervising you, then you would've come, but i'm not," said Sheele with a gentle smile.

"Akame and the new guy are house maids, so just here and chop a few cucumbers for me," said Mine with a mocking tone.

"Keep up that attitude and you'll never get a boyfriend," said Ben with a smirk.

"Oh, yeah? You may have 3 girlfriends, but how many girls have you kissed," asked Mine.

"A fair amount. Most of them were actually fan girls that kissed me. What's your excuse for not having kissed a boy," asked Ben with a provocative smile.

"For your information, I have kissed a boy," said Mine, but it was clear to Ben that it was a lie.

"Yeah, I don't believe it," said Ben with a smirk as he walked up to Mine.

"It's the truth," yelled Mine.

"Really? Then you wouldn't mind telling us who was it and when," said Ben.

"HOW ABOUT I KISS YOUR RIGHT NOW," shouted Mine out of nowhere before blushing at what she just said while the others looked at her in shock.

"I didn't see this one coming," said Lubbock.

"Is that so? Okay, then do it," said Ben with a smirk.

"WHAT," asked Mine with a look of shock.

"You said you could kiss me right now. If you're so confident, then do it. Kiss me," said Ben as he looked at Mine in the eyes. "I dare you!"

Mine couldn't help, but blush at what was going on. She just blurted out that she could kiss Ben right now and the teen hero was daring her to do it! She never backed down from a dare, but kissing Ben was something she couldn't do. Right? She looked at him and for a moment, she felt lost in his green eyes. She gulped and, as fast as she could, she pecked him on the lips before backing away to hide her blushing face.

Ben was, in one word, surprised. He dared Mine to kiss him, but he didn't think she'd actually do it. What was more surprising was that she kissed him on the lips. He did dare her to kiss him, but he didn't say where. It could've been on the cheek. He shook his head before looking at the girl.

"Well, now you can say you've kissed a boy," said Ben with a teasing voice.

"Can't you just shut up," asked Mine.

"Okay, you two. That was quite the show, but we need to get going," said Bulat as he picked Mine up and dragged her out of the kitchen.

"Okay, Benny, spill! How did it feel to be kissed by Mine," asked Leone as she hugged Ben from behind.

"Can you stop doing that," asked Ben with a blush.

"Nah, I like your embarrassing expression," teased Leone.

Suddenly, Akame pulled Ben with her hands, freeing him from Leone's embrace.

"Leone, Ben and I will go take some lives," said Akame as she dragged Ben out of the kitchen.

"You're talking about hunting for dinner, right," asked Ben as he didn't know if he should be glad to be saved from Leone or bothered by Akame's words.

"Good, you understand," said Akame calmly.

(Forest in the outskirts of the Night Raid hideout)

Ben and Akame were walking through the forest, both carrying huge straw baskets on their backs.

"Hey, it's okay to get out of the hideout every once in a while, but is this really okay," asked Ben.

"There isn't a problem with us going to the mountains," said Akame calmly before stopping. "We've arrived."

Ben watched the place where he and Akame were. It was a source of a lake, the water being crystal clear.

"This place looks nice," commented Ben.

"We must eliminate the underwater prey," said Akame as she began to undress.

Ben looked back and noticed that Akame had begun to undress, which caused him to violently blush. She was now only in bikini.

"Wh–what are you doing," asked Ben in shock.

"These clothes allow the most underwater mobility," said Akame calmly. "The targets are large river tuna."

"And what's a large river tuna," asked Ben, confused.

Akame did not answer his question. She ignored Ben and jumped. Akame dove into the river and less than a second later, several fish began to fly out of the water and into the straw basket.

"Okay, that's something you don't see everyday," thought Ben with a shocked expression on his face.

"Fuh wah," said Akame as she emerged from the water, her lungs finally having oxygen in them. "Erase your presence and swim along the riverbed. When the prey comes close, strike in an instant. Can you handle it?"

"Can I," asked Ben with a smirk before activating the Omnitrix. "I've got the perfect guy for the job."

Ben slammed the core of the Omnitrix down, engulfing him in green light. When the light faded, in his place stood and alien that resembled a number of traits with Earth's aquatic life, such as an alligator, an eel, a leech, an anglerfish, and a shark. He had grey scales and green eyes. He had neck and arm braces, and a green phosphorescent light on his head. He also had one fin on his back and two long fins on his arms. He also had a long tail that resembled a loincloth, and a belt where the Omnitrix symbol was. This was Ben's Piscciss Volann form he called Ripjaws.

"Ripjaws! That's what I'm talking about," said Ripjaws before diving into the water. "I'm the sea's apex predator!"

(Later)

"In the end, even though you were an aquatic alien, you still weren't able to fish more fish than Akame," said Leone with a provoking smile.

Ben, Akame, Leone & Najenda were gathered at the dinner table eating several dishes prepared with the fish that was caught by Ripjaws & Akame.

"She only caught one or two more fish than me," protested Ben. "Besides, I would've gotten more if Ripjaws hadn't munched a couple of them."

"No apologies, Benny. Be a good loser," said Leone. in a provocative tone that earned her Ben's annoyed look.

"For a first time, he did good," Najenda praised Ben as she put a piece of fish in her mouth.

"Not good enough," said Akame firmly.

"She's underestimating me too much. I'll show her that I'm more than capable of surviving in this world. She'll be singing a different tune when I show her Way Big," Ben thought as he gave Akame an annoyed look.

"Leone, tell me about the request we recieved a few days ago," ordered Najenda, which caught everyone's attention.

"Our targets are Ogre of the Capital guards, and an oil merchant named Gamal," said Leone with a serious voice. "What the client told me was..."

Leone recounted how she met the client in a graveyard. The client was a woman, who had her fiance incriminated by Ogre at Gamal's request. Ogre had been bribed to incriminate the client's fiance, who had been sentenced to death. She also reported that she discovered all this thanks to her fiance, who had heard a conversation between Ogre & Gamal.

"She begged with tears in her eyes to avenge her fiance," said Leone with a sad expression. "And I promised her that we'll send those two to hell."

"And this is the payment for the job," said Leone before placing a nag with many coins in it.

"That person saved so much money," asked Ben in shock at the amount of money.

"I caught the scent of a venereal disease from her, so she must've been selling her body to earn all that," answered Leone with no emotion in her voice.

Ben looked horrified at Leone. He couldn't believe that something like this could be happening.

"Did you check out her story," asked Najenda.

"They're guilty. I observed them for some time from the attic of the merchant's shop," said Leone.

"Very well, Night Raid will accept this request," said Najenda with a somber expression. "We will deliver divine punishment upon the heads of these heinous monsters and send them to hell."

"Taking out Gamal will be simple, but Ogre is a formidable one," said Leone. "Ogre is a demon and very skilled with a sword. Even the hitmen are scared by him. He's always surrounded by a huge crown of subordinates, he's never alone. He's so careful that Gamal delivers all payments to his personal chambers. But, on his days off, he goes drinking on main street right by the palace.

"Okay, so we know when to strike," said Ben.

"But that area is heavily guarded. They already know how Akame looks like, so we can't send her," said Najenda.

"Shall we wait for the others to come back," asked Akame.

"But we don't know when they'll return, right," asked Ben.

"Correct," answered Akame.

"In that case, send us! We'll take care of it," said Ben in a determined voice as he put his fist on the table.

Akame, Leone and Najenda turned their attention to Ben.

"Oh? Are you saying you can take on Ogre yourself," asked Najenda with a playful smile.

"Careful how you answer that, cause you just might need to back it up," said Leone.

"That's not a good idea," said Akame in a serious voice.

"Good idea or not, I don't care! While we're wasting time talking nonsense, that freak might be using his power to incriminate more innocent people," said Ben in anger. "I may be a superhero, but I'm also a Plumber. That guy is misusing his authority to do what he wants and get away with it! Corrupted law officers is one of the things I hate the most and I'll personally take him down for good! If I let him get away just like that, then I don't deserve to call myself a hero."

Akame was staring at Ben in amazement at his determination.

"Understood. I appreciate your decision so go and defeat the demon," said Najenda with a satisfied smile.

"Well said, Benny," said Leone with a smile on her lips. "It's good that you're dedicated!"

"Leone, Akame, I'll leave the oil merchant to you," said Najenda.

"What do you think, Akame? The Ogre will be easy enough for me," said Ben with an arrogant smile.

"Where is this self–confidence coming from? You haven't had a successful mission until after you have given your first report," said Akame in a serious expression on her face. "If you're so full of yourself, you'll end up dead."

"She keeps underestimating me! This Ogre might be dangerous, but he's nowhere near on Vilgax's level," thought Ben.

(Later that day at the Center of the Capital)

Ben and Leone were walking down one of the streets in the center of the Capital.

"If you go straight that way, it'll lead you straight to main street," said Leone as she pointed the way to Ben.

"Okay, I got it," said Ben as he began to walk towards main street before turning in a dark valley.

Leone followed him and saw him just in time for him to slam the Omnitrix's core down, engulfing him in green light. When the light faded, in Ben's place stood a vampire–like alien with pale skin, green eyes, and sharp yellow teeth. He wore a black jumpsuit with a green chest and markings, black gloves with green fingers that possessed sharp claws, and a green mask with spikes on it. His head was rather large and featured green eyes, and his head spikes were part of his suit and they did not cover any part of his body. He also had green flaps under his arms, which resemble the wings of a bat. The Omnitrix symbol was on his stomach. This was Ben's Vladat form he called Whampire.

"Whampire! That Ogre won't know what hit him," said Whampire as he was about to take off when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Cool transformation. I didn't know you had a vampire in that thing," said Leone. "Then again, you did say you have dozens of aliens in it."

"Yup, and if I can take on an intergalactic warlord, then I can sure as hell take on Ogre," said Whampire with a smirk.

"That's what I like to hear," said Leone as she let Whampire go. "Before you go, would you like to hear a story about Akame?"

Whampire stopped in his tracks and looked at Leone. She told him how Akame and her sister had been sold as children to the Empire, and how she had been trained to be a killer.

"Each time she carried out her duty, she could feel more of the darkness of the Empire. One day, she was sent to kill the boss. Luckily, she succeeded in persuading her to defect from the Empire and join the revolutionary army that cared only about the people. Unfortunately, by that time, it seemed most of the comrades she had grown up and trained with were all dead," explained Leone.

Whampire stared at Leone in astonishment as he listened her telling him about Akame's past.

"Do you understand what I'm trying to say? She has lost a lot of comrades and doesn't want another one to die. She's just concerned about you," said Leone.

"I think I get. But, I just want to show her that I'm more capable than she gives me credit for," said Whampire. "Look, I'm gonna share something with you, but I want you to keep it a secret for now from the others."

"What is it," asked Leone.

"You remember me telling you about the many features of the watch," asked Whampire, earning a nod from Leone. "One of them is the fail–safe. It automatically kicks in when I'm about to die. If I get too close to dyeing, the Omnitrix will turn me into the alien that'll help me survive."

Leone's jaw hit the ground at this information.

"You're messing with me, right," asked Leone in shock.

"Nope. And that's only a small part of what the watch can do. I'll tell you all about it when the time's right," said Whampire, surprising Leone. "Look, Akame is concerned about me and I get that. I'm also worried about my family and friends back home! Both of us are concerned and for the right reasons. Look, I know I'm new in Night Raid, but you're more than just my teammates to me. You're my friends and the only people I can trust in this world. So, if can count on you, can you count on me?"

"Of course, Ben," said Leone firmly with a nod. "Now go and make that Ogre pay for his crimes."

"Not a problem," said Whampire with a smirk before flying off.

(Later)

It was now night in the capital, and Gamal, the oil merchant, was walking through the halls of his mansion that was built in the style of Oriental architecture.

Gamal was an overweight, out–of–shape bald man with spots on his head, a small nose and a big mouth, which gave him a toad–like appearance. He was wearing an orange kimono shirt with matching pants and black boots. He was also wearing a green cloak with two circles that resembled toad's eyes.

"Hahh, that bathroom will never be the same. Oh well, time to get back to living the dream," muttered Gamal.

"I've got a better idea," said a female voice.

Gamal's eyes widened as he felt two strong hand wrapping around his neck.

"Gah," said Gamal as he felt a blade piercing his chest.

While Leone was holding him from behind, Akame appeared and pierced his chest with Murasame. Soon, Gamal's body fell dead on the floor, covered in blood.

"You're lucky to have been killed by two chicks," said Leone with a mischievous smile. "Well then, now all we need is to wait for Ben to defeat Ogre and the mission is over."

When Akame heard that, she looked thoughtful and looked with a worried expression towards the direction of main street. This didn't go unnoticed by Leone.

"Hey, Akame. Are you feeling okay," asked Leone. "Don't you think you're overreacting a little?"

"I'm just worried," said Akame.

"Look, I know that, but you need to have faith in him. He's in a whole different world and we're the only people he trusts and counts on. I know that the others and I can trust and count on him as well, but what about you," asked Leone.

"I do trust him. I just can't help it," said Akame before looking at Leone. "I'm gonna go and check on him."

"Okay, two things. One, that's crazy. And second, you're not going anywhere without me," said Leone with a smirk.

"Then let's move. Let's make sure that we keep our distance," said Akame before the two girls left.

(Main Street)

Ogre was walking out of a bar with a satisfied smile on his face.

"Well, that's 2 more sentenced people," said Ogre as he faced the building. "I can always find what I'm looking for in this place."

Unknown to him, he was being watched by a certain teen hero from the roof of the building.

"I bet this is Ogre," muttered Ben. "I'll need to take him off guard, but there are too many people here. I need to take him somewhere else, but how do I do that? I'll need to watch him for now, so I'll need stealth for this one."

Ben activated the Omnitrix and slammed the core down when he saw the icon of the alien he wanted, engulfing him in green light. When the light faded, in Ben's place was a greenish–white, phantom/ghost–like alien with a gaseous appearance and claw-like hands. He had black lines all over him and green chains over his front side which lead to his neck, waist and center/chest, giving him the appearance of being contained in a straitjacket, but with his arms out freely. He also had two cuffs on each of his arms. The Omnitrix symbol was located on the center of his chains. This was Ben's Ectonurite form he called Ghostfreak.

"Ghostfreak? I was going for ChamAlien, but Ghostfreak is better," said Ghostfreak as he looked at Ogre, who started walking down the street. "Now to lure him somewhere private."

Ghostfreak turned intangible and chased after Ogre when he heard a young female voice.

"I don't like Ogre," said a little girl to her 2 friends as they eyed Ogre. "My parents are dead because of him."

"Be quiet, Cleo! You don't want anyone to hear you, right," asked the girl on her left.

"You're right, I don't. But I just can't help it," said Cleo as she walked away into an alley.

Ghostfreak heard the conversation and came up with a plan.

"I can't believe I'm thinking of doing what I'm about to do," thought Ghostfreak as he went after the girl.

Cleo was a young girl around 12–years–old with brown hair and blue eyes. She was wearing a light pink T–shirt, a light purple skirt, and red boots.

She sat down and leaned against a wall before sighting.

"I wish there was someone, who could just deal with Ogre," muttered Cleo, but wasn't expecting an answer.

"I can help with that," said a faint, whispery voice.

"Who said that," asked Cleo as she trembled in slight fear.

"Don't worry. I'm not gonna hurt you. I heard you lost your parents to Ogre and wanted someone to take him down," said the voice and Cleo nodded. "I can take care of him, but I'm gonna need your help."

"What do you want me to do," asked Cleo.

"First, I need you NOT to freak out when you see me," said the voice and Cleo nodded. "Good! Second, I'll need to take over your body to lure Ogre somewhere private. And yeah, I know how that sounds, but I promise that you'll be fine after that."

"How can I be so sure that you'll keep your promise," asked Cleo.

"Because I'm a superhero and it's my job to keep people safe. Look, if you allow me to take over your body, I'll treat you an ice cream. How does that sound," asked the voice.

"Show yourself and I'll think about it," said Cleo.

"Fair enough," said the voice before revealing himself to Cleo, causing her to gasp. "I know I look scary, but I'm actually a good guy. The name's Ghostfreak, by the way."

"Okay, let's say I believe you. How can you take Ogre down," Cleo asked Ghostfreak with slight hesitation.

"I'll need to catch him off guard and no one can resist a little girl in help," said Ghostfreak. "I'll just need you to lure him away from public eyes and then you'll be free to go."

"You said you'll treat me ice cream if I help you, right," asked Cleo and Ghostfreak nodded. "Make that a double and we have a deal."

"Fine by me. Now, get ready," said Ghostfreak as he went at Cleo before entering her body, easily taking control of her. "Man, I can't believe I'm doing this."

Ghostfreak, now in Cleo's body, exited the alley and it didn't take him long to spot Ogre as he was being praised by several civilians.

"Here goes nothing," muttered Ghostfreak/Cleo as he went up to him.

"I just love my job! I can do whatever I want whenever I want," Ogre thought to himself as he walked down the street.

"Sir Ogre," called out a voice.

Ogre turned around and saw Cleo walking up to him.

"What do you want, kid," asked Ogre.

"I need to talk to you about something," said Ghostfreak/Cleo.

"Then what are you waiting for, an invitation? Spit it out," said Ogre angrily.

"Speaking about it in public might be a problem. Can we go somewhere private," asked Ghostfreak/Cleo and Ogre nodded.

However, unknown to them, they were being watched by Akame and Leone from the roofs.

"Who's that girl," asked Akame.

"I don't know and I don't see Ben anywhere," said Leone.

"Let's follow them and make sure the girl doesn't get hurt," said Akame and Leone nodded before following the duo.

(Later)

Ghostfreak/Cleo and Ogre were now in a dark alley. They were alone on the street, but were watched by Akame and Leone from the roof of a building.

"This girl has a weird voice for someone her age," thought Ogre. "Is this place fine enough?"

"Yeah, it's more than perfect," said Ghostfreak/Cleo as she suddenly charge at Ogre with inhuman speed and punched him right between the legs, causing him to groan in pain.

"Wh–what the hell," groaned Ogre as Ghostfreak/Cleo did a back flip and smirked. "What are you?"

"I'm the last guy you'll ever see," said Ghostfreak/Cleo before the Ectonurite came out of the girl, much to Ogre's shock.

"You're free to go. Get out of here," Ghostfreak told Cleo, who nodded and ran away.

However, Ogre was not the only shocked as Akame and Leone also stared with wide eyes.

"Wow, I didn't see this one coming," said Leone. "Who knew Ghostfreak can do that?"

"Apparently, he can posses people's bodies and used that girl to lure Ogre away from the public. It payed off, but can he take care of Ogre," said Akame.

"Let's see what happens," said Leone as she said on the edge of the building and watched.

"Who are you," asked Ogre as he slowly recovered from the blow to the nuts.

"I'm the guy who's gonna kick your butt," said Ghostfreak as he pressed the Omnitrix, engulfing him in green light.

When the light faded, in Ghostfreak's place stood a sasquatch–like alien with yellow and black fur, along with grey fingers and toes. He had four fingers, as well as two bolts on the side of his wrists. He has green eyes with black pupils and yellow lightning bolt-shaped horns. He wore a green and white belt where the Omnitrix symbol was located. This was Ben's Gimplinopithecus form he called Shocksquatch.

"Shocksquatch? Okay, I did want something with muscles," said Shocksquatch as he looked at Ogre.

"What the hell is this? Are you in possession of Imperial Arms," asked Ogre in shock.

"Nah, I'm just your friendly neighborhood superhero and I'm here to make you pay for your crimes," said Shocksquatch as his fur sparkled and charged at Ogre.

"Don't make me laugh! I won't be defeated by the likes of you," said Ogre as he brought his sword out and slashed at Shocksquatch, but the alien hero dodged the slash and punched Ogre in the ribs with an electrified fist, stunning him.

Shocksquatch didn't waste any time and delivered several more punches to Ogre before sending him into a building with an uppercut.

"You're good, but I'm still stronger than you! Weaklings, like you, don't matter in this city! I pass on the judgment on people! Do you think you can judge me," asked Ogre as he charged at Shocksquatch with a raised sword.

Shocksquatch saw the attack coming and jumped backwards.

"You say your tougher, but do you have the balls to back it up," asked Shocksquatch in a provocative tone.

"I'll show you! No one mocks me," said Ogre as he slashed at Shocksquatch, who managed to catch the sword. "Tell me, do you belong to that group Night Raid? Who hired you to kill me? Was it the bitch fiance of the guy that was executed the other day?"

"Wow, you're smarter than you look," said Shocksquatch as he continued to block the sword with his hands.

"So I'm right. I knew I should've killed her as well. No, it's not too late to kill her," said Ogre in a ruthless voice.

"BE QUIET," shouted Shocksquatch as his fur sparkled and sent a jolt of electricity at Ogre, who screamed in pain.

Shocksquatch then sent a blast of electricity at Ogre, striking the demon. He then sent a small electrical bolt at a trash container and used his electrical telekinesis to throw it at Ogre, who slashed at the container, splitting in half. But, that was only a distraction as Shocksquatch quickly slammed his fist on the ground and sent an electrical charge at Ogre which slightly paralyzed the demon. Shocksquatch used the opportunity and jumped behind Ogre before wrapping his arms around his neck, and electrocuted him, causing Ogre to scream in pain and agony. Shocksquatch continued this for a few moments, before he felt Ogre's body going limb. He let go of the demon, who fell on his back with a groan. Shocksquatch noticed Ogre's sword before picking it up.

"Any last words, freak show," asked Shocksquatch as he raised the sword above Ogre, who only groaned in response. "Then piece out!"

Shocksquatch electrified the blade before piercing it through Ogre's throat, ending his life for good.

"Well, that's the end of it," said Shocksquatch as he dusted his hands before hearing clapping behind him.

He turned around and saw Leone and Akame standing there.

"Nice job, Benny," said Leone with a smile.

"Thanks, but what are you two doing here," asked Shocksquatch.

"Akame was worried about you and wanted to check if you're okay," said Leone.

"You did good," said Akame in her usual tone, but it was clear to Shocksquatch and Leone that she was relieved.

"Thanks," said Shocksquatch with a smile before his eyes widened in surprise at what he saw behind the two girls. "Cleo!?"

Akame and Leone turned around and saw the girl from before.

"Wow, you actually did it," said Cleo as she walked up to them. "So, you're part of Night Raid?"

"Yeah, you can say that," said Shocksquatch as he approached the girl. "But I thought I told you to run."

"I know, but I just couldn't help myself," said Cleo as she looked down in shame. "I know it was dangerous, but I was worried."

"Nah, it's okay. You were worried and I get that, but don't do it again," said Shocksquatch and Cleo nodded.

"I'll try to stay out of trouble. I promise," said Cleo.

"Good. Before I forget," said Shocksquatch as he placed a few coins in Cleo's hands. "I think I owe you some ice cream. I won't be able to join you so buy yourself whatever flavor you like, okay?"

"Okay! Thank you so much," said Cleo in a happy voice as she wrapped her arms around Shocksquatch's waist. "You really are a hero."

"No problem," said Shocksquatch as he petted Cleo's head. "By the way, you call me Ben."

"Okay, Ben. I don't know how to thank you," said Cleo as she let go of Shocksquatch before the Omnitrix timed out, turning him back to human. "So, this is how you look like?"

"Yeah, and I'd appreciate it if you don't tell anyone that you've met me, okay? Gonna keep a low profile so we can wipe the Empire from all evil," said Ben and Cleo nodded.

"I promise I won't tell anyone about you and Night Raid! You have my word for it," said Cleo as she looked at Akame and Leone. "I'll be rooting for you to defeat the Minister!"

"Thanks, kid! But there's no small problem," said Leone with a serious voice. "Now that you've seen us, there are two ways this can go on. One, we kill you or two, you come with us."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, are you serious," asked Ben in shock.

"That's just how it is," answered Akame in a natural voice.

"I understand. I think I'll go with you," said Cleo, taking Ben by surprise.

"Are you sure about it," asked Ben.

"Yeah. Because of Ogre, my parents are dead and I don't have any other family," said Cleo. "For the past several weeks, I've been living on the streets. It's a miracle I haven't encountered some rapists by now. I don't think I can handle it any longer and I'd like to be somewhere safe."

"That sounds bad. What do you think, Akame," Leone asked her comrade.

"I don't mind, but let's see what the boss will say," said Akame.

"That's cool and all, but shouldn't we be heading back now," asked Ben.

"You're right! Let's move," said Leone as she picked Cleo in her hands and ran towards the hideout, followed by Akame and Ben.

(Night Raid hideout)

"Excellent job on dealing with the target," said Najenda with a satisfied smile before looking at Cleo, who was hiding behind Ben. "Now, what shall we do about her?"

"I don't want to cause trouble," said Cleo as she grabbed Ben by the pants. "I just want to be somewhere safe."

"I understand. It's obvious that you can't kill people, so can you any chores," asked Najenda.

"Well, I can make a few meals and do the laundry," said Cleo.

"Very well. You'll be helping Akame with the meals and Mine with the laundry," said Najenda and Cleo nodded.

"Well, it looks like you found your place," said Ben with a smile before looking at Akame. "So, Akame. What do you think? I think I showed you that I can take care of myself."

Suddenly, Ben felt his hoodie being taken off and before he knew it, he saw Akame taking his shirt off, leaving him naked from the waist up.

"What the heck are you doing," asked Ben in embarrassment.

"Leone, boss, hold him," ordered Akame as she held his hands.

"You got it," said Najenda as she stood up from her chair.

"Oh, this is gonna be fun," said Leone with a mischievous smile.

"Wait, what do you think you're doing? This isn't right," said Ben as he tried reaching for the Omnitrix, but Akame held his hands to stop him from transforming.

Najenda and Leone then took his pants off and he was now in just his socks, sneakers and green underwear.

"This can't be happening," said Ben in embarrassment.

"Is this normal around here," asked Cleo as she stared at the scene before her in confusion.

"Of course it's not. Don't get any ideas," said Ben with a red face.

"Thank goodness," said Akame relieved.

Ben looked at Akame and saw that she was smiling at him.

"Damn, she's cute when she's smiling," thought Ben.

"I've seen friends die from poison because they wanted to be tough and not report the wound, but you seem to be undamaged," said Akame happily. "For a first mission in Night Raid, you did very well!"

"Thanks, Akame," said Ben as they shook hands.

"Akame was hoping you'd come back unharmed. She would've been lonely without you," said Leone.

"You learn to communicate with your comrades while cooking and you also learned that hunting targets can be difficult. Didn't you notice that everything you did these days was beneficial to you," asked Najenda with a smile.

"Oh, really," asked Ben, impressed, before turning to Akame.

"I'm sorry, Akame. I know I've acting like a jerk these days. I hope you'll forgive me," said Ben.

"It's alright. Just keep on coming back alive," said Akame with a gentle smile.

"Sure, as long as you keep on taking care of me," said Ben with a smile as well.

"Wow, I wonder what your intentions are saying that while almost naked," laughed Leone.

"You're the ones, who stripped me," Ben cried angrily.

"Okay, next you'll be working with Mine, so do your best," ordered Najenda.

"Say what," asked Ben, stunned, as he dressed.

"Wow! From the frying pan into the fire. Hope you're ready for this one," said Leone.

"This cannot be happening," said Ben in shock.

(In the forest)

Mine, Bulat, Sheele & Lubbock were walking through the forest towards the hideout.

"I got chills all of a sudden," said Mine, feeling that something bad would happen.

(Meanwhile in Plumbers' HQ)

Gwen, Max, Rook, Kevin, Lucy, Carl, Sandra, Kai, Azmuth and Professor Paradox were seated around a table in the meeting room.

"This is bad. We have no idea where Ben is and on top of that, Albedo is gone as well," said Max.

"I'm sorry, Magister. I know I was supposed to look after Ben," said Rook in shame.

"It's not your fault, Rook," said Gwen.

"Yeah, he can get himself in pretty nasty situations sometimes," said Kevin.

"They're right. We just need to hope that he's alright," said Max.

"But how do we find him," asked Carl, Ben's father.

"That's a good question," said Max.

"Let's look on the bright side. At least he's alive," said Lucy, causing everyone to look at her. "I mean, he couldn't be dead thanks to the Omnitrix's fail–safe mode."

"She's right. Where ever he is, he's alive," said Azmuth. "However, I'm concerned as none of the scanners have located the Omnitrix anywhere in the Universe, which could mean that he might be in another dimension."

"But aren't there, like thousands of dimensions," asked Sandra, Ben's mother.

"Actually, they're endless and Ben is perfectly fine," said Professor Paradox.

"And how do you know that," asked Kai.

"I'm a time walker. I know everything, and I know where Ben is," said Paradox, surprising everyone.

"And aren't you gonna tell us where he is," asked Gwen.

"Why, he's in dimension 38," said Paradox, confusing everyone, but Azmuth's eyes widened.

"Are you absolutely sure," asked Azmuth.

"I've never been more sure in my life," said Paradox and Azmuth sighed.

"This is possible the worst dimension he could end up in," said Azmuth.

"What's wrong with dimension 38," asked Lucy.

"Because dimension 38 is a land of kill or be killed. That place is ruled by an emperor, who's only a child and is being manipulated by the Prime Minister. To say the least, the life in the capital is a nightmare if you're not of wealthy family. The authority figures can do whatever they want to whoever they want and get away with it! Innocent people are executed just for sake of it," explained Azmuth and everyone stared at him in shock.

"That is, unfortunately, correct," said Paradox.

"Then why are we standing here for? Let's go get him back," said Max. "Who know in how much trouble he's in?"

"I wouldn't worry about that," said Paradox. "I don't know if it'll make you feel better, but Ben is not in the capital. He's actually joined a group that's fighting against the Empire."

"That's a small relief, but what kind of a group has he joined," asked Carl.

"An assassination group called Night Raid," said Paradox. "They eliminate mainly high–ranking officials."

"Hold on a minute, are you saying that Ben has joined a group that kills people," asked Lucy in shock and Paradox nodded. "No! I refuse to believe it! I know my cousin and he'd never kill someone."

"Actually, he has already taken the lives of two of Night Raid's targets," said Paradox as he showed them images of Blitzwolfer ripping Aria's heart out and Shocksquatch electrocuting Ogre. "The first was was a family, who lured people from the country before torturing them to death. And the second was the captain of the police, who abused his power and sentenced people to death."

The Tennysons, Lucy, Kevin, Azmuth and Kai couldn't believe their ears. The Ben they all knew had joined an assassinating group and even took lives of two people!

"Then what shall we do," asked Kevin.

"There will be many battles ahead and he'll help, so I suggest a few modifications to the Omnitrix will be needed," said Paradox. "I'll go visit him in a few days local time. I won't have a problem in bringing some of you with me. Unfortunately, you won't be able to stay there, but that doesn't mean you can't help him when it's time for the final battle. And with Albedo also in that dimension, he'll need all the help possible."

"Well, that's a small relief," said Max before looking at Lucy. "Lucy, why don't you go with Paradox and Azmuth."

"Hold on, why not us," asked Carl as he gestured between Sandra and himself.

"I'm not trying to hold you back, but be honest. Will you be able to leave Ben in that dimension once you see him," asked Max. "I don't like this at all, but Ben and Night Raid need to concentrate on taking down the Prime Minister. I'm sure Lucy will report back to us."

"I guess you're right," said Sandra before looking at Lucy. "Please make sure that Ben's okay, Lucy!"

"That's okay," said Lucy with a nod. "Unfortunately, Max is right. As much as I want Ben to be back, he's got a job to do. And I don't know about you, but I don't care if he became an assassin. He'll always be my favorite cousin, no matter what!"

"I'm glad to hear it, Lucy," said Carl.

"Well, if that'll be all, I'll be leaving now," said Paradox as he looked at Azmuth and Lucy. "I'll come back soon to pick you up."

With that, Paradox left the group.

"Well, while Ben's not around, we'll need to keep the planet safe," said Max. "I'll try to contact Verdona to let her know what's going on."

"Don't worry, grandpa. We'll make sure nothing goes wrong," said Gwen and the others nodded.

"Good. You're all dismissed," said Max and everyone left the room. "Ben, I hope you're doing well."

To be continued...

Hey, everyone! I hope you liked the battle between Ben and Ogre. Cleo is an OC of mine I came up with on the spot, so I'd understand if you think her inclusion was sudden. She won't be doing any assassinating, but will be doing chores in the hideout. In case you're wondering about Sayo, she will be part of Night Raid! Also, Toepick will appear again in the story. The next chapter will be focused on Ben and Mine, and a certain aggressive alien will show up.

R&R