Inkaliber: Welcome back! It's time for another chapter of Chan in Bellwood! This is a bit of a continuation of the chapter so there's some fun to be had. I…
Prof. Paradox: Sorry to pop in unannounced, Indisputable my good sir.
Inkaliber: GAH! Paradox!? Would it kill you to knock!? And for the last time, It's Inkaliber in the story space and the Author's notes.
Prof. Paradox: So terribly sorry. You see, I am in need of your indefinite assistance. A certain party of interest underwent dimensional mitosis and they are in need of homing. I can have The Doctor increase your home space with similar technology to the Tardis in exchange. I do believe I still have five favors.
Inkaliber:... Is this involved with the story today?
Prof. Paradox: Quite ironically, even for time.
Inkaliber: Fine. I better get those upgrades pronto or else we're gonna have issues.
Prof. Paradox: Not to worry. I will be acquiring the young ones soon. Tata!
Inkaliber: Of course he just leaves. I better start the chapter before he gets here. Emergency review reading time!
The_Literary_Lord- That is a secret that I will happily reveal later. Thanks for the compliment!
P96822- Ben has indeed gone into a magical growth spurt. In the chapter the man was called Daoshi because he was a high member of the monks of the temple. He is not Grand Master Dashi from Xiaolin Showdown. I figured it would be fun to let Ben and Jade have a moment to be young teens. Giving exposition to those kinds of things is fun and adds some story unique lore.
Lincolnronnie94- Yeah. Jade is going to have an interesting time with Ben now.
Reader (Guest)- I'm sorry that your expectation couldn't be met, but I'm glad that you enjoyed it regardless. I wanted to have that good dynamic be built up and the foreshadowing just felt so well placed. Trust me when I say I surprised myself with the ideas. We are about to see the effects, as well as some other fun things. It is indeed Ben's turn.
That's all of them, so let's begin. I don't own Jackie Chan Adventures, Ben 10, or any other series that may appear here. I do own OC characters, species, objects, and concepts unless stated otherwise.
Voices
"Talking."
'Thinking.'
"YELLING!"
"Author/Guest/High or demonic entity talking. Also, surprise at the end of a section."
"AUTHOR/GUEST/HIGH OR DEMONIC ENTITY YELLING!"
"Whispering."
"Author/Guest/High or demonic entity whispering."
[Language Indicator]
"Machine or alt communication talking/Talking in flashback."
"MACHINE OR ALT COMMUNICATION YELLING/YELLING IN FLASHBACK!"
"Machine or alt communication whispering/Whispering in flashback."
Bellwood, Pennsylvania
Jade finally came out of her former guest room, preparing to head for Section 13. She was still reeling from everything that happened nearly an hour ago, trying to figure out her own feelings. Every moment from Ben doing things for her, the boy paying extra attention to her in her leotard, and even when he grabbed her chest to catch when she was falling. The very memory caused her to feel at her chest a bit, the very place he caught. She felt the phantom feeling of his touch, closing her eyes as she thought of it.
"Aiyah!" cried the voice of Uncle. She took her hands off her chest as she turned around, sighing in relief as the man was only just now walking into the room. "Who left door unlocked!? Shop closed for inventory!" Jade giggled in embarrassment as she rubbed the back of her head, catching the old man's attention.
"Sorry, Uncle," apologized the young Chan. "I had… an urgent girl thing and forgot to lock it back on my way in." The old man sighed in understanding, not wanting to get into such discussions.
"Remember to lock door more often! You let robbers in shop if not careful." Jade nodded her head in understanding.
"I'll remember Uncle. By the way… have you heard from…" She stopped mid-sentence as the man held up his pointer finger.
"One more thing. Why you not in Section 13?" The girl shrugged, feeling no need to lie.
"I was at a friend's house to get my training in because Jackie still hasn't made me a room to train my gymnastics in. I couldn't exactly tell their mom to drop me off at some 'random place.'" Uncle hummed, nodding his head in understanding.
"Will talk with Jackie later. Now you go to section 13." Jade was about to walk away when she felt a sudden urge to stop. "One more thing!" Jade did her best not to show her response, muttering "of course" under her breath.
Uncle put his hands on his hips as he looked at the girl. "Jackie is heading directly to Section 13. Said Rat Talisman brought object to life. Tell him Uncle still needs to translate inscriptions!" Jade looked back at the man, doing her best to make her smile genuine as her eyelid twitched.
"Of course, Uncle. Anything else?" She had apparently made the right decision asking as the old man nodded his head.
"Yes." He sent her a soft smile as he tilted his head a bit. "Did you have fun?" The question actually made Jade pause as a blush appeared on her face. Her smile became more genuine as she nodded her head.
"Actually, I did. It was cool getting to see their home. Not really many surprises." She was finally able to leave as she ran out the door, though Uncle was quick to notice her blush before she turned her head. He narrowed his eyes as he hummed, feeling a need to talk with Jackie soon. He hoped that there truly weren't any surprises, whether they be past, present, or future.
Ben could be found screaming every now and then about something different than when he was in the bathroom earlier. He was still shocked about his transformation, of that there was no doubt. His father was covering his face with his hand, wondering how the boy could scream for the past five minutes, take a drink, fiddle with the Omnitrix for twenty minutes, then find a new thing to scream about only thirty minutes later. Carl didn't even know what was causing this new bout of screaming until he heard what sounded like a mini rant about breasts. He decided to get an answer as he grabbed his son by the shoulders, the boy sitting on the newly returned couch.
"BEN!" cried the man. "Stop screaming! Just breathe!" The boy took deep breaths, trying to focus his thoughts. The boy eventually calmed down, though it was clear that his mind was still in turmoil.
His father sat in the arm chair as he gestured to him. "If you keep screaming, the neighbors will call emergency services. And what's this I hear you screaming about breasts? Did something happen that I need to know?" Ben tapped his fingers together, the boy blushing as he looked down.
"Well… you know how I caught Jade when she fell over from exhaustion?" questioned the boy. Carl nodded his head, realizing quickly what his son was about to say but deciding to let him explain himself. "I kinda accidentally grabbed her boobs without thinking. I was more worried about catching her than where my hands went. I was scared how she would react so I said nothing as I changed my hold to her armpits and moved her." The man mentally sighed in relief before sending his son a soft frown.
"Ben, it was an accident. I know you better than to take advantage of a girl like that, I hope." Ben then held his hands clasped together in front of his face as he took a deep breath.
"I know it was an accident, but what if Jade gets upset and hates me for it? You guys raised me well, I think, so I know that touching a girl anywhere private like that is a big no. It's like one of the universal social rules for guys being around girls. She might hate me forever and go back to China with the request to never come back here again to try and avoid me and…" Carl shook his head as he began to smile.
"Ben, settle down. One, it's not a rule but a social ideal. Two, you're crying like a girl. If Jade hates you it's her decision and we can't blame her." He watched his son send him a glare, telling him he might have wanted to make a different point.
"I don't want her to hate me! I want to ask her out, go on dates with her, and spend as much time around her as possible! If she hates me I lose everything I have with her! I can't lose that.." Ben watched his father send him a sincere smirk.
"You want to make it up to her? Then talk with her about it and explain yourself. It's not the end of the world if she says no. There's plenty of fish in the sea, Son." Ben looked at the floor with a sad look on his face.
His father sighed as he shook his head again. "Look Ben I understand you like her, but you can't expect things to go right immediately. Give it some time. You have the weekend anyway." Ben narrowed his eyes as he clenched his fists.
"A weekend is too long after what happened. She could decide to hate me now and it would set in by Monday." Not sure exactly what Ben was saying, Carl gestured to the boy.
"Oh come on, Ben! What could happen over a weekend?" Ben sent his father a glare, the man gaining a deadpan look of his own. "Just wait. You'll see things can turn around just…" The front door opened, Sandra walking in with a bag of groceries.
"I bought burrito makings~," informed the woman. Carl tensed up as his wife looked towards them. "What would you boys think about…?" She noticed Ben's new form, her eye twitching as her face slowly morphed in shock and terror. Carl sighed as he slumped over.
"I just jinxed it, didn't I? Me and my big…" Sandra suddenly gave her husband a look of anger, one that made Ben wince as he knew it well.
"WHAT HAPPENED TO MY BABY!?" She practically threw the bag of groceries onto the coffee table as she began to squish Ben's face. "You were just a little thing when I left two hours ago. Now you look like you're fifteen years old." Ben grumbled at the woman's touch.
"Mom!" cried Ben. "I'm pretty sure I'm still twelve! The Omnitrix changed or something! I don't know what caused it!" His mother let go of his cheeks, the boy moaning in pain as she growled.
"I swear whoever built that watch is hearing it from me! When Max gets back I'm making him take me wherever I need to go to fix this! I'll…" Ben suddenly stood up, hugging her tightly yet gently. This only made her mood worse at first as it reminded her how much taller he had grown, but she gave a gentle but sad smile as she returned the embrace.
"Mom, it's okay. I'm still me, even if I got a sudden growth spurt. I doubt we can fix it, but I don't think it would have happened unless something serious was going on. The only thing I think can be fixed is the fact that this is the third shirt I put on these past two hours, and it's already kinda stretched." Sandra could only sigh as her son let her go, allowing her to see the frays at the hem of the shirt in question.
"We'll go shopping tomorrow. You'll have to get a new look as I don't think they make the old clothes in your new size." Ben smiled as he nodded his head.
"You see? All this means right now is that you get to take me clothes shopping and I can't really complain about it. Weren't you one of the people telling me I should have a new wardrobe?" Sandra chuckled as she shook her head, Ben smiling at his plan being a success. Carl also smiled, subtly doing an arm pump.
"Nice save," sighed the man to himself. "No sleeping outside for me." He looked at the duo again, only to gulp as his wife was now glaring at him. "...I love you." Sandra crossed her arms under her chest as she growled.
"Oh I love you too dear, but this happened on your watch and you didn't call me when it happened. You can forget the couch because you're sleeping in the garage! If anything else crazy happens, you're finding a motel tonight! This alien stuff needs to stop taking over my life." Carl sighed as he leaned forward, grumbling to himself as Ben shook his head.
"Let's hope Jade's having it better than I am. I'm already worried about her hating me after I accidentally caught her by her boobs earlier." He immediately regretted his words as his mother turned towards him, her hands on her hips.
"YOU DID WHAT!? YOU BETTER EXPLAIN YOURSELF RIGHT NOW YOUNG MAN!" Ben groaned as he leaned forwards.
"Me and my big mouth,"
Xiaoling Industries Tower
Valmont stood before some of his extra henchmen, the group looking frightened by their placement here. They had heard that people on their level who were called into his office were usually fired, disappeared, or both in that order. It didn't help that smoke coming from the "dragon statue" behind him was giving him a more frightening appearance. Valmont lightly tapped his cane, spooking the grunts. He smirked, giving off an inviting yet uncertain vibe.
"Gentlemen," greeted Valmont. "I believe you've been informed about our newest hunt for artifacts. Well we have been running into a few interruptions, so you will be helping us target one of these interruptions." He turned his computer screen around, displaying a picture of Jade. "Find this girl's whereabouts and keep her in your sights at all times until my personal enforcers go in to capture her."
He walked away from the screen as he looked each man in the eye. "Of course you will be rewarded for this, high above your paygrade. Any questions? None?" The men looked around at each other, showing no signs of uncertainty or complaints.
Valmont smiled, happy to have thugs that didn't complain for once. "Good. You may leave." The men walked out of the room, small smirks on their faces. Valmont then looked at his screen again, hearing Shendu hiss in the background.
"Be reminded that this may be your only chance to retrieve my Talismans for a long time, Valmont," growled the dragon. "You best hope this works, or your treasure will be out of reach for far longer." Valmont changed the screen to show an operation room of sorts, several machines lined up along the walls and some imaging blurred.
"I assure you, Shendu, that everything has been prepared. It's up to you, my dear friend, to do your part." The dragon hissed a bit, only there was a hint of entertainment at the mention of what he would do.
The Next Day
Section 13
Jade looked over her homework, tapping her chin as she laid on her stomach. She was trying to focus, though a lot was on her mind at the moment. The words of Mrs. Tennyson stuck in her head, especially about how her parents might listen to her. The very idea excited her, even if most of her put it down as impossible. It was like a dream of hers was being dangled in front of her face, another longing of hers just beyond her reach.
She tried to write the math equation down completely, only to quickly erase it with a huff of frustration. She stood up as she walked away from her bed, putting her left hand on her waist as she tried to think of something. The girl rubbed her temples as she leaned against the wall of her room.
"Why can't I think right now?" moaned the girl. "I thought I was over these ideas years ago." She suddenly waved her hand in exasperation as she stood up. "I need to get my mind off of this." She walked into the main area of her and Jackie's quarters, happy that the man was nowhere in sight.
She picked the phone up as she quickly dialed a number, crossing one arm under her chest and grabbing hold of her other arm while it held the device to her ear. She grinned as she heard a voice on the other end. "Hey Gwen! Listen, I can't think straight right now. You wanna head to the mall or something?" She heard a hum on the other end, something she learned was never a good sign from her friend.
"Hmm Oh really?" questioned the redhead. "What's bothering you? Is it about Ben? Did he do something stupid while you were showing off for him?" Jade blushed as she looked away, knowing very well that wouldn't actually mean anything over the phone.
"No it's not about Ben. Well… maybe part of it is but that's for later. Why is that the first thing you ask nowadays anyway? Look, could we just hang out somewhere, please? I don't exactly want to talk about this where others could be listening." She heard another sound over the line, only this one sounded like Jackie.
"JACKIE!" cried the voice of Uncle over the line. "We need to talk!" Jade growled as she heard a line hang up, though she was still on call with Gwen.
"See what I mean!? NO PRIVACY!" The Chinese girl took a few short breaths in order to calm down, taking one long one soon after. "Anyways, we meet up in the mall in maybe an hour, ok?" She heard a soft sigh, this time sure that it was Gwen.
"Alright. I'll see you there." Jade immediately hung up, walking back to her room to change into a more appropriate outfit. She still felt anger over finding that Jackie was listening in on her phone call AGAIN. This was the eighth time he had done such a thing to her knowledge, this being part of the reason she wanted her own phone.
Meanwhile, Jackie was gasping as he patted his chest. He was in an office on base, where he had seen the light for his room flashing on the phone. He had tried to listen in, hearing something about Ben and Jade not wanting to talk around others. This was interrupted by Uncle, the man standing in the doorway with his usual scowl on his face. The archeologist frowned as he turned fully to the old man.
"Uncle," sighed Jackie. "I was in the middle of something." Uncle huffed as he crossed his arms.
"Can call back later!" cried the old man. "We have important things to discuss. Why Jade need to go to friend's house to practice because you can't finish a room? She came to shop instead of coming back here!" Jackie tilted his head, slightly confused.
"Uncle, what are you talking about? What room?" The old man gave his nephew his signature slap in response.
"Room for gymnastics training! You not know Jade was in gymnastics?" Jackie searched his thoughts for a moment, straightening his head again.
"She's taking that at school. She can't be taking it that seriously." The old man waved his hand away from the former movie star, releasing another huff.
"You clearly not pay attention. She have many trophies from Hong Kong that she has not open yet. Delivery men bring new ones yesterday, many trophies." Jackie's eyes widened as he grabbed the side of his face.
"What!? They only just got here!?" He groaned as he rubbed his temples, trying to gather his thoughts.
"Eh! They get lost on way here. One more thing! We need to have conversation with Shin! Jade and Ben are becoming very close! He needs to be more involved." Jackie sighed as he rubbed the back of his head.
"I know, Uncle, but he doesn't return my calls. He's been so busy as of late." Uncle cried out in annoyance as he rubbed his own temples.
"That is because you call in middle of night or work for him! I call him all the time and he answers." Jackie gestured to the phone, as if trying to get his point across.
"I've been trying in the off hours, but he's always on his phone with other calls. With how many calls he must be getting, my voicemails get lost in the madness." Uncle frowned as he returned to the crossed arm position.
"Ba! You just need right time and many calls." His frown softened as he removed his glasses to clean them. "However, that is other thing. Shin must be called over his own relationship with Jade, same for her mother."
Jackie's expression turned to a serious yet confused one as he crossed his arms, letting Uncle explain himself. "He describe Jade as very different girl from one we know, even at beginning. Said he was worried she would become delinquent from trouble at school. Picking fights, wasting good qipaos by never wearing them, coming home covered in food, causing scenes in locker room with other girls… Jade has been handful, yet has shown no signs of such troubles." Jackie looked down as he contemplated everything himself.
"I had heard from Jade that her parents were always busy, but I did not think it was like this. She is a respectable young lady, though brash and in need of wisdom. She did become more violent and concerned when she was worried about… the bully situation." The man rubbed the bridge of his nose, finally beginning to piece things together. Uncle nodded his head, having such an understanding himself.
"Some trophies come with pictures. Jade had beautiful long hair at waist length before coming here. Wore blue qipao when younger, then switch to other colors and different clothes. Looks more sorrowful." Jackie nodded his head as he removed his hand from his face.
"We need to talk with him as soon as possible, after discussing this with Jade. If this is true, she has been needing her parents for longer than we thought." Uncle shook his head in denial.
"Talk with her later. Fight us, she will. Know children very well. She is too much like you in situations such as this. Now, Uncle must research Talisman." Jackie looked away with a small groan, having guessed earlier what the old man was originally after. His frown turned serious as he turned towards Uncle.
"Research later, Uncle. There are some things I learned about the Talismans, things we must prepare for." Uncle's frown turned serious, the old man nodding his head.
Bellwood City Mall
Ben had an annoyed look on his face as he followed his mother through the mall. It was not due to his placement in said mall, but the fact that he had to walk through the area in his father's old clothes. He was wearing a blue and green plaid long-sleeve button up shirt that looked rather baggy on him, some worn blue-jeans, and his father's garage shoes. The boy scratched at his back with a groan, not liking the feel of the material on his skin. His mother looked back at him with an understanding smile.
"Oh don't worry Ben," reassured the woman. "I brought my big bag so that you can put your fathers' clothes in it after you're finished trying on outfits. The store is right up this escalator, so just hold on a bit longer." Ben followed his mother onto the escalator, only to freeze as he saw a sight he actually did not want to see. Jade was here with Gwen, going down the other escalator as they talked to each other.
Feeling like he wasn't ready to talk yet, he looked back in hopes that he could hop back a bit. Those hopes were dashed when an elderly couple came on right after then. The boy could tell that the girls were getting closer as he heard one of them laughing at something, trying to think of a plan. He suddenly pulled out his phone, holding it to his ear as he tried to cover up his face. He looked away a bit as he began to sweat, Jade looking his way as his device actually did most of the job.
She narrowed her eyes as she looked him over, the boy turning his head away a bit more. Thankfully she and Gwen had not noticed his mother, or it would have been game over in an instant. The duo passed by him as Gwen teased Jade, saying something about the young Chan and him that he couldn't quite make out. He was thankful that he and his mother reached the top but he really wanted to know what they were saying about him. He decided to stow it away for later as he followed behind his mother, unaware that Jade was looking back up the escalator.
"Did that guy look… familiar to you?" questioned Jade. "I swear I saw him somewhere before." Gwen gestured around the building, a deadpan look on her face.
"There are hundreds of guys here, Jade," corrected the magical girl. "You have to be more specific." The redhead followed her gaze, only to gasp as she palmed her forehead. "I forgot they put one of those in here! It's one of the hottest new stores, with makeup brands and high quality clothes to die for." Jade grinned as she took Gwen playfully by the arm.
"What are we waiting for? I could use a new lipstick. I wonder if they have blue." Gwen smirked as they walked onto the up escalator. She crossed her arms under her chest as she looked towards her friend.
"I'm sure you'd love to use it too. Maybe Ben would like it too." Jade smiled as she nodded only to realize what Gwen said.
"I… I don't know what he has to do with it. You know he's not into makeup." Gwen didn't let up as she giggled at Jade, leaning a bit closer to her ear.
"I don't know. You seemed a little too relaxed about how he accidentally got a feel of your chest. You even defended him when I was trying to plot with you on getting him back. You wanna get something off your chest with me?" Jade blushed as she looked back at the redhead, glaring all the while.
"Please don't talk about that in public. Someone could hear you." Gwen only shook her head as they got off the machine.
"Still, you seem awfully close with my doofus cousin. You hang out with him almost as much as you do me. Admit it already. I know you like him." Jade turned crimson as she walked towards the store, having to stop as she almost walked into a well-dressed man.
"S…Sorry. Excuse me." She walked around the man, Gwen quickly following along. The man looked back, his face being one belonging to one of the Dark Hand henchmen. He smirked as he put a finger to his ear, pressing on an earpiece.
"I've found her. West side, second level. I'm staying nearby." He walked into the store, making sure to not look suspicious. He was unaware that two more people were following close behind him, turning in a different direction in the shop.
Ben found himself carrying a large amount of clothes in his arms, annoyed by how his arms were beginning to chafe. His mother was helping him pick out outfits, only she was doing most of the picking. Thankfully next was the shoe department, a place where he knew she would be more lax… he hoped. He sat down at one of the small chairs as his foot was measured, showing that he had indeed gained almost an inch in shoe size. This opened up a wide range of options for him, allowing him to look for things in his style.
He grabbed different pairs, trying to go for something with at least a bit of green in it. It had become his signature color in a sense, hence why he wanted to wear it more. It had nothing to do with the fact that he wanted to look as nice as possible when he talked with Jade about the incident from yesterday. He placed some of the boxes down as he went to try something on, only for his mother to immediately move some of them away.
"Ben, you're going to look like a hooligan with these," admitted Sandra. "I can agree with some of the tennis shoes for exercise, but you need something nicer for going out." Ben groaned as he rolled his eyes.
"Mom, can't I have some say in what I wear?" questioned the boy. "I understand that I look older now but…" His mother turned towards him with her hands on her hips with a particular smile, the look telling him the answer was no before she even said a word.
"Ben, Jade will likely want someone that looks like he's not a kid. Some of the things you picked out are okay, but you need to start showing your best side if you want to make this relationship happen. I don't know much about cultural differences or laws in Hong Kong, but you'll also want to impress her parents by showing them how mature you can be. Your father had to do the same for my parents, and my mother wasn't exactly the easiest to please." Ben frowned as he looked down, actually thinking things over.
"...I guess you're right. I just want to look good and still look like me, you know?" He looked up to see that his mother was sending him a small grin.
"Trust me, Ben. I know you more than you think I do. Still, you can pick a second pair as this was an unexpected trip. Just try not to choose something childish and please, no pictures on the shoes." Ben nodded his head, quickly grabbing the first box.
It took him a while to find exactly what he wanted, as well as a pair that his mother would approve of. He finally settled on some black Vans from his mother's picks and a gray pair of sneakers with green detailing for his own appeal. He was then pulled to the changing room, having both pairs of shoes to try with the outfits they had collected. "Don't take too long in there. I'm wanting to try my hand at some Mandarin cuisines tonight. Got to practice making foods Jade likes for when we have her over again."
Ben nodded his head, sighing as he finally removed his father's clothes. Among the outfits was a pack of boxer briefs, plain black and white shirts, and some larger socks. He slipped a pair of the underwear and one of the black shirts on, pulling up a pair of gray sweat pants afterwards. This was more meant for relaxing at home, though he also planned to use it in workouts. For some reason he felt an insatiable need to get stronger, as if he had a lot of pent up energy.
He regained his focus as he slipped on some socks and the shoes he picked out, bouncing up and down a bit for the feel. He opened the stall door, his mother smiling at him. "It's adorable for at home and workouts, but definitely not for in public or at school. Try something more exciting." Ben rolled his eyes with a smirk, closing the stall door behind him.
He then changed into one of the white shirts, putting on a pair of black jeans and a gray hoodie. He put on the pair of shoes his mother fully approved of, getting a feel for them just like the others. He walked out, earning a small smile from his mother. "Now that's much nicer, and adorable too. I see a casual evening stroll with Jade in your future." The boy blushed as he looked away.
"Mom! One thing at a time please." He quickly shut the door again, earning a giggle from the woman. He sighed as he shook his head, feeling his heart beat faster. He quickly looked through the outfits, trying to find something that worked.
As this was happening, Jade was trying on some pale blue lipstick. She looked in the mirror, humming as she tilted around, making sure it looked good from all angles. Gwen appeared in the reflection, the same knowing smirk on her face.
"I'm still waiting," reminded the redhead. "You can be silent all you want but you can't deny it. You like Ben, and you even put on a show for him yesterday. Why is it so hard for you to just admit it?" Jade rolled her eyes as she tried not to blush.
"Maybe because there's nothing to admit," stated the young Chan. "I can think he's cute and adorable without having to have a crush on him. I can hang out with him without it needing to be a date. Can you just drop it?" All she received was an eye roll and a grin.
"Jade, you're adorable when you want to play dumb. If there really is nothing, then say it to my face. Tell me that Ben is just a friend. Do that and I'll leave you alone." Jade stood straight, a smirk of her own on her face.
"Fine. He's just…" Jade frowned, her nerves fighting her. "Ben's just… He's not… I…"
Gwen's growing smile wasn't helping her as she began to blush darker with each attempt. Jade eventually reached an even darker shade of red than when she had almost passed out, becoming frustrated with herself. She brought her hands to her face, trying and failing to control herself before screaming in her hands. She finally gave up as she leaned over on the makeup table. "Stop smiling like that!"
The Chinese girl saw her friend in the reflection of the mirror, the girl's smile remaining. "Fine! I admit it, okay!? Are you happy!?" Gwen grinned like a cat as she crossed her arms, holding them against her stomach.
"Admit what, Jade? I can't be right if I can't hear what it is." Jade felt her blush slowly die down to a regular level, growling at Gwen as she completely gave in. She looked her reflection in the eye, finally realizing how much it was hurting herself to deny it. She sighed as her expression softened.
"I might… possibly sorta… like your cousin. Ben's just… got a lot against him." Gwen held her victory in the back of her head, deciding to play ally rather than instigator.
"My doofus cousin, who sometimes burps unapologetically in public, is too good for you? I'll need some context on that one with how you're acting. How is the super cool kung fu chick who's apparently a gymnastics rising star too good for him? That sounds like a lot but…" Jade frowned as she looked back at her friend.
"You don't get it. If I had my way I'd have already asked him out myself. The problem is that my father would never accept me being with him. I'm supposed to marry into some big business partner to make him more money and get him more social standing, like all the other girls in Hong Kong. It doesn't help that I already have dishonored him enough that he sent me away. My chances of getting with Ben would have been slim to none even before that hair cutting incident."
Gwen began to frown sadly, not particularly liking that Jade was tearing herself down. The look on the girl's face was one that she knew no one would like, especially not Ben. The redhead decided to try and recover the moment as she shook her head.
"You haven't dishonored anyone, Jade. You probably just scared them as you haven't been talking with them about your problems. How would you view, say, your daughter if she suddenly cut her hair without any warning? You'd be worried about her and want to find out what the reason is, right? Maybe they sent you here so that Jackie can help you where they really couldn't."
Gwen rubbed Jade's back slowly as she thought over her words carefully. "Not everyone is the best at parenting. I noticed this on my summer vacation when I was ten. We met a few kids with parent problems. There was an especially rough case with a boy we met named Kevin."
Gwen frowned as many memories of said boy flowed into her head. "At the time I didn't think anything of it but after our vacation I felt bad for him as I researched him and his family situation. His parents didn't communicate with him about his problems at all and his stepfather saw his differences as a problem. His problems aren't the same as yours but they have similarities. The big difference is that they did nothing to help him while your parents sent you here.
Gwen stopped her rubbing as she crossed her arms under her chest. "Your parents might not have known what to do or how to move around the subject and their schedules. A new environment and new faces might have been the only thing they could think of to try and help you at the time. People can only do so much in areas they don't entirely understand. It goes to show that they might care about you more than you think they do."
She noticed that the Chinese girl was beginning to contemplate her words, deciding to continue. "I bet you that things could be a lot worse if your parents were more like Kevin's or more strict like others in Hong Kong. You wouldn't be the same person or probably have been sent here otherwise. Just… try to think about it." Gwen was about to continue, only to hear a familiar voice chuckle.
She turned around to find the origin of the voice, only to notice Ben's mother was pushing someone into the changing booth. "Aunt Sandra?" She walked away, unaware of two shadows walking to take her place. Jade was in the middle of thinking as she couldn't see the change in her audience. She felt something press against the back of her head, causing her eyes to widen in shock.
"Oh how cute," chuckled a voice. "The kids have drama. So do we," Jade slowly looked at who was behind her in the mirror, being met with the faces of two buff men. Finn stood behind them, looking a little nervous as he looked around. One of the buff goons pushed a gun closer to her head, growling in annoyance.
"Scream you'll regret it, brat," growled the man. "Come nice and easy. No one has to get hurt if you listen." Jade had no choice but to stand up, the weapon still held at her head. She then noticed that Ratso was also there, keeping a lookout. The group was about to walk away when someone looked their way.
"Security!" cried a woman. The other buff grunt shot into the air, scaring people as they began to run away. Gwen and Sandra looked towards the scene, Gwen's eyes widening as she saw some buff guy grabbing Jade into a choke hold and picking her up as he ran towards the entrance of the mall.
"JADE!" cried the redhead. She ran as fast as she could, working her way through the crowd. Sandra's eyes widened as she held her hand out to the magical girl.
"GWEN!" cried the woman. "WAIT!" Ben's stall door suddenly burst open, his mother turning around. She expected to see her little boy, nearly forgetting about his recent change. Instead she saw a very different person, one she could still recognize as her son.
Ben had been in the middle of putting on a green t-shirt, a black sleeveless jacket with a large number 10 on the back, a pair of blue jeans, and the pair of shoes she picked out. The fury in his eyes reminded her of his father, the boy gritting his teeth. He looked around frantically as he assessed the situation, quickly spotting Gwen on the run.
"Omnitrix: uncloak," ordered the boy. The device rose out of his arm, the metal clanging lightly as it morphed back into place. "Sorry Mom. Looks like we'll be paying for this one later." He immediately cycled through the list of aliens as he slammed the changing room door shut, a much more subtle green light than usual escaping it.
Sandra felt a cold breeze pass her by, opening the door to find that Ben was gone. If she had turned around in time, she would have seen two well-dressed men running out of the store. Instead she saw the cold breeze as she breathed out fog.
"Please. Be careful." Back with Gwen, she ran through the people as she kept an eye on the Dark Hand. She ran into a darker area, waiting until no one was around before switching into her Lucky Girl attire with magic. She then decided to try out something new she was working on, creating a pink platform beneath her feet as she shakily rode it above the crowd.
"Nice and easy," moaned the redhead. "Now… forward!" She leaned forwards, floating above the people as she tried to catch up with the villains. As she drew closer, eyes began to appear in the shadows. She readied one of her usual spells, unaware that a Shadowkhan was about to leap at her.
It would have succeeded in its attack too, if not for the fact that ice froze over it. The shinobi fell to the ground, shattering before turning to black smoke. More of the enemies leapt into action, only for a figure to pop up and breathe freezing air onto them. The figure disappeared once again, a cold air soon following beside Gwen.
"Gwen!" breathed a raspy, chilled voice. The girl looked around, confused as the cold feeling drew closer to her. "Where's Jade!? I heard you yell her name!" The girl looked straight ahead, shocked by the occurrence.
"Ben!? You're here!?" She shook her head, quickly regaining her composure before she could fall off her platform. "The Dark Hand has her. They're right up ahead!"
The cold wind blitzed forwards, freezing more ambushing Shadowkhan in its path. Jade wriggled in the strong man's grasp as she was loaded into the back of a van, two goons gagging her before getting to work binding her limbs. Gwen floated out of the building, the second buff goon noticing her as he aimed a pistol at her. He would have fired if not for the fact that his hand was frozen over. He was then sent flying backwards, crashing into another grunt as the rest of the group looked towards the assailant.
The being was a humanoid, moth-like alien, with four wings and two antennae-like wing folds. He had a black body with blue patching on his slender chest and running along his legs and arms, the latter reaching up to the back of his neck. Cyan patches that resemble ice chunks appeared on his legs and arms while thick black lines bordered the back end of each wing, containing three cyan patches of their own. It had a blue face with harsh black lines surrounding his eyes and mouth, all meeting at the center of his face. He also had a black marking on his head that extended over his scalp, forcing the remaining blue parts of his forehead into a Y-shape. His eyes were bright green, with small darker spots inside. His mouth was shaped into a frown showing four bluish-white teeth. The insectoid had three pointed fingers and a thumb on each hand, along with three toes on each foot: two in front and one behind.
The creature flapped in the air, hissing a bit as he looked over the group. It didn't take long for them to notice the Omnitrix on his chest, the symbol having the golden ring of incantations on a silver slope leading to it. Jade moaned through her gag as a wave of relief washed over her. The way she was being handled brought about an angry hiss from the insect. Ben began to breathe out frost subtly as he growled.
"Release the girl. I WON'T ask again." He froze the ground in front of the goons with an icy breath, the men gasping as he hit their guns as well. The look in his eyes actually frightened them, the thought that he was just a kid being lost on them. The grunt with the frozen hand hopped into the back of the van, Finn and Ratso quickly joining them.
"Drive!" cried Finn. "Just go! We've got the objective!" Ratso slammed the back of the vehicle shut behind him, the van taking off almost instantly. Ben was about to take off after them when more Shadowkhan stepped out of the shadows, some popping up from Ben's own shadow and above them on the roof of the mall.
"WHY CAN'T YOU STUPID NINJAS TAKE A HINT!?" He flew in a spiral as he breathed his freezing breath, hitting any enemies that could not get out of the way in time. Gwen was forced to land as the Shadowkhan on the rooftop leapt down at her, two of them crashing into each other. She slung spells around the area as the icy alien continued to freeze anything in his path. A sword almost hit him from behind, only for him to turn intangible as he saw the enemy coming.
Soon the boy had enough as he flew around while remaining intangible, flying through every enemy turning them all into icicles. He looked around, huffing as he tried to see where the van left. He was about to continue on when a dart was shot into his neck. He pulled it out, immediately beginning to feel dizzy as he floated around a bit. The boy fell to the ground, Gwen looking on in shock.
"Ben!" She was about to run over, only for several black vans to pull up to the mall. The girl only had a moment to think before a hard hit to the back of the neck caused her to black out. Two well-dressed men stood over the duo, watching as Ben reverted to normal. A few men walked out of the vehicles with guns at the ready as one of the duo put his hand to his ear.
"Tell Director Fury that Tennyson is in custody, along with his accomplice," informed the man. "We're bringing them back to HQ. Prep the equipment." The men quickly grabbed up the two kids, unaware that a very angry yet frightened woman was hiding with a phone to her ear.
"MAX!" roared Sandra as quietly as she could. "GET YOUR KEISTER BACK HERE! NOW! JADE'S BEEN KIDNAPPED AND GOVERNMENT AGENTS HAVE ARRESTED BEN AND GWEN!" She heard the line go dead on the other side, hoping and praying that the situation would be resolved soon.
Location: Unknown
Jade found herself strapped to a chair, huffing as she was in a hospital gown. All of her clothes were taken from her including her underwear for unknown reasons. She wriggled around, trying to find a way to break free. She stopped her movement when a large screen came to life, a camera over top of it. Valmont was in the picture, wearing his dragon mask while standing in front of Shendu's statue.
"Greetings, Chan Yu," greeted the man. "Or would you prefer Jade? I would hate to be rude. After all, you are our guest." Jade looked away, growling as she felt no need to speak.
Valmont had expected it as he shook his head. "Of course I must apologize for taking your clothes but after that last incident we can't have you escaping again. It would be so rude for you to leave when you only just arrived. Then again, you are a brat." The girl still made no conversation, keeping her eyes off the man.
Valmont smirked as he had an idea. "Nothing? Well I suppose dishonor runs in your family. Doesn't it, Chan Yu?" Jade growled as she felt her fury begin to build up. She eventually took a deep breath, remembering what the others taught her.
"The only dishonorable one is you, whoever you are," growled the girl. "Kidnapping girls, hiring men that are willing to kill anyone, and not to mention they damaged my clothes. You will get nothing from me, not my rage or any information." Jade was about to say more, only for a dark chuckle to cause her nerves to skyrocket. Valmont moved out of the way, revealing the face of Shendu's statue.
"Strong willed, for a child," stated the dragon. "Such an interesting trait for a female. Most of your kind are more inclined to obey than speak out of term." Jade felt an unknown fury rise within her, along with the most terrible feeling of deja vu she had ever felt in her life. "You hold recognition in your eyes. Interesting." Jade growled as she jostled in her seat, the fury within her still burning strong.
"I've never seen you before! What are you talking about!?" Shendu only chuckled, his laughter fueling the fire within her.
"It matters not, Miss Chan Yu. Soon we will become very familiar with each other." Valmont's mask hid a small smile as he nodded to two men in the room.
"Speaking of, I do believe we need one final check," stated the man. "After all, there's one place that young girls can hide something to escape. Gentlemen, try not to break her virtue." The screen went dark as the lights turned on, revealing a table with straps on it. Jade's eyes widened as fear replaced her fury.
Elsewhere
Ben groaned, his body feeling stiff as he was stuck in an uncomfortable position. He tried to move, only for his arm to remain firmly in place. He finally opened his eyes, finding himself in what appeared to be an acrylic containment cell. His left arm was clasped tightly by a vice of some kind, the Omnitrix being his only line of defense against the limb being squished. The boy growled as he looked around frantically, seeing a few people around the room.
"What's going on!?" roared Ben. "Let me out! You can't keep me here! My friend…" Maria Hill stood up from a table in front of the boy, revealing her presence to him.
"Will be handled by Section 13," stated the woman. Ben looked her way, his eyes narrowing in anger. "Your flippant use of an alien device in the midst of the public is precisely why you are here. You can't expect to use such a weapon and not become a security risk." The boy growled as he leaned forward, only for a door to the side of the room to open.
An African-American man walked into the room, a single brown eye on display as the other was hidden behind a black eyepatch. He wore a black trench coat, a dark gray long-sleeve shirt, black dress pants, and black loafers. Ben frowned as the man looked his way, seeing a scrutinous and disapproving look in his eye. The boy was about to say something when another figure entered the room. His eyes widened as he recognized this man rather well.
The individual had blonde hair, blue eyes, and fair skin. He was wearing a military uniform consisting of the red, white, and blue colors of the American flag. A large star shape was plastered on his chest and a shield with the same motif as his uniform hung from his back. This was Steve Rogers: AKA Captain America, a member of the Avengers and a war hero. The two men stood at the table with Agent Hill, the one-eyed man looking Ben directly in the eye.
"Ben Tennyson," greeted the man. He held up a folder, several documents inside it. "Fury, Director of SHIELD. You've been causing quite the mess playing hero. Chasing criminals through populated areas, resisting arrest from government officials, property damage, and my personal favorite: receiving bans from a five star hotel for entering a restricted area and an entire mall. All of this at the ripe old age of ten, with two years' worth of incidents following suit."
He placed the folder on the table, his eye still on Ben. "You've built up quite the reputation, young man." Ben let a serious frown form on his face as he sat up a bit, as much as the clamp on his arm would allow at least.
"I've had some moments I'm not proud of," admitted the boy. "I was a kid and still am, but I've been working hard to be better than I was." Fury tilted his head a bit, the action appearing to be more of a mockery than out of confusion.
"So you actually do know you're a kid. Then maybe, as a kid, you should have left certain incidents to grown-ups. Every time you turn on that weapon, you expose the civilian populace to danger. You…" The boy lowered his head a bit, still keeping his eye on the man.
"The Omnitrix isn't a weapon. It may come across as one, maybe, but Azmuth said that what he built was a way for other races to learn from each other: to bridge the gap and end wars through understanding each other. People who want to use it for their own selfish goals made it out to be a weapon, and I'll admit I swung my fists with it without considering the purpose of the watch at first. I grew up after that summer vacation was over, spending the past two years helping others while trying to understand the many aliens I've unlocked." Captain America decided to speak as he nodded his head.
"Son, no one's denying the good you've done," began the hero. "The fact of the matter is that you're too young to be fighting the good fight. I was where you once were myself: wanting to make a difference in the world. I didn't get the chance to help others until I was at the right age to join a war. I had to make the world a better place in smaller ways in all that time."
He looked the boy in the eye, almost seeing a reflection of himself in them. "Wars aren't meant to be fought by children, same with any criminal. The good fight is fought by soldiers and people qualified to handle the big threats. You need to step back and let others take up the fight." Ben frowned a bit as he rolled his shoulders, Fury understanding the situation.
"The captain has been called in to use the Omnitrix in your stead," revealed the head agent. "We've given you and your family multiple warnings, Benjamin. You've consistently ignored them and shown no respect or regard for national security. There's no more chances: the watch comes off. Effective immediately."
The clamp began to whir a bit as energy began flowing into it. "Had Stark rig this up himself, tested on some of the most powerful alien DNA altering technologies in the galaxy. It'll work here. The time for playing is over." The device began to pull at the Omnitrix as a man pressed a button, only for said man to release that button as the door to the room suddenly opened.
"If you think you have any right to make decisions over MY Omnitrix, then you are a fool," stated a gravelly voice. "I could overload your machine before you could even physically remove it." Ben's eyes widened, recognizing the voice.
"Azmuth?" questioned the hero. He and everyone else in the room looked towards the door, watching as a floating device entered the room with Max following in behind. A hologram of a creature similar to Graymatter formed on top of the device, the Galvan looking much older. Ben grinned as he saw Gwen walking alongside Max. "Gwen! Grandpa!" The duo looked his way, both of them shocked by his new appearance.
"BEN!?" cried Gwen. "What happened to you!? You look like you went from Zero to Hero like Hercules! It's only been two days!" Ben gestured to the Omnitrix with an embarrassed chuckle.
"Blame the Omnitrix. I can't tell if I'm still twelve or if I lost a few years." Director Fury leveled his glare towards the new arrivals, ignoring the shock they felt.
"Magister Tennyson," growled the director. "You are overstepping your boundaries here." Max shook his head in denial.
"Technically, as the head of the Plumber's on Earth, I'm in charge of all alien matters. It's unfortunate that things have to come to this. The moment you decided to mess with the most powerful device in the galaxy, you put my entire division on red alert. All matters involving the Omnitrix or alien technology go through me…" The hologram device floated forward as Azmuth squinted his eyes.
"And the Omnitrix is my property," added the old amphibian. "I gave young Tennyson my approval to keep the Omnitrix, advancing his status to Guardian Inquisitor when I received the warning signal that an Alpha Level Threat became active." Captain America actually gained a serious look of concern at this.
"Alpha level?" questioned the soldier. "What are you…?" The Galvan remotely rotated the device to face the man.
"An alpha level threat, Captain, is a threat to an entire planet. The energy pulse that triggered your sensors was a warning message for travelers to avoid the planet lest they risk their lives. Your planet is under threat from a power no weapon you possess can stop, and you choose now of all times to mess with something you could never hope to understand. I would rather let the Omnitrix be lost forever than see another of my works be abused by warmongering fools!" Fury was about to say something as he pointed towards the exit, only for an excruciatingly loud alarm to sound off. Ben's left arm twitched as the Omnitrix's tubes glowed and the liquid inside became extremely active while the core began spinning.
"Warning!" cried the device. "Alpha threat detected within scanner range! Threat Code: Zodiac. Warden Protocol: Engaged. Emergency unlock of DNA sample 'Highbreed': Approved. Beginning transformation." Azmuth looked towards Ben in shock, something that was not common for the elderly Galvan to display.
"Code Zodiac?" gasped the Omnitrix's creator. "Shendu has returned?" His question went unanswered as an emerald-green light flashed from the acrylic container. The new being inside broke through the restraint of the clamp with ease, as well as shattering the acrylic walls. The creature stepped outside of the frame, towering over the people in the room.
It was a white humanoid plant-like species with black hands and feet, a forest green face with four lime green eyes, along with eyes on his chest. Above his black hands and feet were grayish splotches that tempered off before his elbows and knees. He had multiple wings upon his torso, the largest ones being on his back. The underside of said wings were yellow with huge electric green splotches upon the surface. The alien ignored the weapons pointed at him as he looked towards the hologram of Azmuth.
"We will speak later, Azmuth," stated the creature in a deep voice. The old Galvan nodded, expecting as such. "Gwen, hop on. We are saving Jade, whether they like it or not." He didn't give the girl time to reply as he picked her up, bashing through the wall outside as he avoided gun fire. Captain America brought a hand to his ear as Fury looked towards Max.
"I hope you realize the Council won't take no for an answer," stated the director. "This was the best scenario I could work out for your family." Max immediately shook his head in acceptance.
"I'll have to talk to the head director of the Plumbers soon if your council keeps targeting the Omnitrix and trust me: I'm far more reasonable than she is," informed the old man. "By her word, the Earth Plumbers could be disbanded. When my division goes, all protection we offer Earth goes away. If you think things are hard now, your council will see what happens to a planet with no protection from outside sources."
Azmuth's device deactivated as it teleported away from the building, returning to the Plumber base for his talk with Ben later. Max nodded his head as he looked at his watch. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have an angry mother to try and appease. Some days I miss the paperwork." The old man walked towards the exit, Fury stopping his men from trying to detain him. They had bigger things to worry about now.
Meanwhile
Jade breathed heavily, blushing as she had a mortified look on her face. The doctors had been more thorough than she would have liked, keeping well within Valmont's one request. She had never felt so exposed and defiled in her life, beginning to wish that she had just left her hair alone back in Hong Kong. If she had known it would lead to a situation like this, she would have made a scene when it was just her and her parents. She suddenly felt a chill roll down her spine, feeling like the room had gained an unwelcome new arrival.
What she could feel yet not see was the arrival of Shendu's astral form, the serpentine body slowly slinking around her body. The dragon relished in the girl's reaction, chuckling by her ear and causing goosebumps to dot her entire body. It was fear and anxiety from his subjects and captives that the dragon lived for, even in his stone state. It was the same fear most of the noble animals felt before he and his new brotherhood stole away their souls, and it was this girl's entire capture and treatment that he loved. He could almost taste her sheer terror as he drew closer to her chest to possess her.
"Come now, Child," chuckled the demon. "Time to open up." He was about to dive in, only for the sound of stone being torn asunder to fill the base. "What is happening!?" Someone else clearly wished to know as, in another room, Valmont appeared on a screen before a technician.
"What on Earth is happening!?" roared the man. "Multiple alarms have been triggered in the facility!" The technician gulped as different cameras showed a consecutive line of something breaking through wall after wall.
"S…some kind of monster has broken through the walls!" cried the rotund man. "In fact, it's breaking through my wall!" He ducked under the counter with a girlish squeal as two large hands broke the wall apart. Ben's new alien form walked in, seeing Jade a few windows over. Valmont scrambled to put on his dragon mask before the alien could even see his face.
"What do you think you're doing, Shendu! Possess her already!" The alien looked towards the screen, crushing it in his clawed grasp.
"That shuts him up," growled the alien. Shendu suddenly flew into Jade's body, the girl arching her back with a silent scream as her eyes rolled toward the back of her head. "JADE!" A few grunts tried to get in his way, only for him to swat them away. One tried to shoot him from behind, only to be trapped in a block of ice by Gwen's freezing spell.
The redhead dodged out of the way of a goon's fist before using his motion to throw her over her shoulder. The large alien made his way through more walls, firing his claws off to his right in order to pin a skinny grunt to the wall with his clothes. The big guy tore the restraints off of Jade, holding her close as he looked her in the eye. "JADE! SNAP OUT OF IT!"
Jade felt the world shift as she was pulled into her mind, finding herself in a location that looked like a mix between Bellwood and a castle one would expect to find in China. She slowly walked around the area, dressed in a blue qipao with a silver phoenix design hewn upon it. She was confused by her current location, especially with what she's wearing. She peeked around a corner, looking over the area. She began to moan in concern as she looked around.
"Hello?" questioned the young Chan. "Anyone?" She was answered by a large thump behind her, causing her to turn around. Shendu stood before her, his form now humanoid as he stood at 20 feet tall. Jade felt the rage build up in her as she took two steps back, the dragon chuckling at her display of rage and fear.
"A land on the cusp of where you wish to be and where your people are," began the dragon. He looked down at her, making the distance between them even more apparent. "Or is it a lingering memory from before your life that causes this appearance? In the end… it will all be destroyed as I take over your entire being. Oh but please, do run as I LOVE to play with my meal."
Jade had no choice but to run as the massive dragon stomped his foot upon where she once was, shattering the tiles of the ground, his tail breaking pieces off buildings as he moved. He continued to try and attack her, making the girl feel a headache with each thing he destroyed. Jade soon found herself hiding in a building, holding her head as Shendu cleared a massive part of the city. "And now, to truly break you. With your form, I will destroy the ones you cherish so deeply."
Jade looked outside in terror, watching as Shendu was about to destroy a statue of Ben that towered above a few of the smaller buildings. She began to see flashes of their time together begin to burn as the dragon attempted to smash it with a fist. Jade felt her rage actually burn as well as the feeling of terror, good chi beginning to swirl around her.
"DON'T TOUCH THAT!" Shendu looked towards her, surprised by the voice that echoed her own. The girl leapt far higher than even she was expecting, rising to meet the dragon face to face. She attempted one of the flying kicks she was well known for, Shendu raising a hand to block it. What he did not expect was for green flames to ignite upon her foot as she burned a footprint into his palm, causing him to roar in pain as he took two steps back. Jade landed on top of one of the buildings as the villain looked at the singed part of his hand.
"...Hmm. That voice. That vile magic." He glared at Jade, the girl still growling as the fire on her foot built up around her. The silhouette and eyes of an old man appeared behind her, one Shendu was very familiar with.
The dragon growled as he clenched his fists before grinning. "I should have known. Only you would be foolish enough to follow me from the grave. I actually rejoice at your return, for it means I can gain my rightful revenge upon you. After I take this mortal form from you, I will make you watch as everything you have built in both of your lifetimes is destroyed, Lo Pei."
Jade growled as she was about to go for a random attack, only for the shadow behind her to temper her. It then did a motion, the girl following along. She looked to Shendu as he tried to get a sneak attack on her, only to send the punch forward with more force. This caused an outline of her fist to fly off in the form of good chi as it struck the monster in the gut, sending him skidding backwards. She then created from thin air a scroll with the words banish written upon it in ancient Mandarin, only for Shendu to breathe fire her way.
She held the object up firmly, repeating the word upon it. The energy from the scroll flew forwards, hitting the flames and causing them to disappear into thin air. Shendu however quickly moved away from the incoming chi. Jade saw the quick look of concern on the dragon's face before he could fix it, smirking as she could feel the spirit attached to her chuckle quietly. She took a step forward as several closed scrolls formed around her, each and every one of them written in the same language as the last.
"I don't know what's going on, but you're getting out of my head right now." She was about to fire another spell at Shendu, only for her enemy to send multiple buildings toppling over like dominoes. The girl held onto her head screaming in absolute pain, her scrolls vanishing as she tried to keep everything together. She looked up just in time to see the dragon attempt to squash her, the girl resummoning one of the scrolls with the word repel just in time as he clapped her between his hands. The dragon laughed like the villain he was until he felt a large amount of chi burning his hands.
His arms were bounced back as a shield of swirling chi protected his target. The shield dissipated as Jade had another scroll in hand, the words "reduce" floating above her head as she fired the spell at the dragon. Shendu was unable to dodge as the spell hit him, shrinking him down to her size of 5 feet. He growled as he looked over the size forced upon him, looking up as Jade landed before him with a small ring of fire. The duo growled at each other before they clashed, a massive ring of green fire surrounding them as each one had an eye glowing.
On the outside, Jade's body screamed in a double voice as she pushed herself out of Ben's grasp. She held her head as her eyes glowed green and red respectively.
"JADE!" cried both Ben and Gwen. The girl laid her back against the side of the operating table as the two sides fought for dominance. The true owner of the vessel waved her hand around in an attempt to make the others stop.
"Stay back!" cried Jade. "There's some evil dragon guy in here, and HE'S trying to kill everyone!" She threw her head back in another silent scream as Shendu pushed her to her knees mentally. He then assumed more control as both eyes turned red. He made the body roll its shoulders as he chuckled.
"Oh how right you are, Lo Pei: oh great Chosen One," agreed the dragon. He snapped the body's fingers as he said something in a language that sounded rather demonic, a dress appearing in front of her as he ripped off the hospital gown to replace it. Ben immediately tried to cover his eyes in order to not see anything he shouldn't, only to forget his chest eyes. The boy couldn't help but be enamored by what he saw, even as Shendu slipped the dress on in an unintentionally provocative way. "It will do for the time being."
He looked towards Ben and Gwen as he made fire form in the body's mouth. "Now, foolish children, BURN FOR ME!" He breathed the flames towards them, Ben immediately shielding Gwen from the attack. His base instincts proved to be correct as light chi formed over his body like a barrier and blocked the fire, only natural heat passing through. Gwen's eyes widened in shock as she felt magic in both the barrier and the fire. Shendu suddenly stopped his torrent of flames as Jade punched his mental form in the jaw, sending him reeling backwards.
She then engulfed both of her fists in burning chi before striking at the villainous dragon a few times. She sent him hurtling backwards towards the ring of fire, the flames burning his back as he roared in pain. Jade used the distraction to quickly regain control of her body, both eyes now glowing green as she coughed up smoke while her throat felt like it was burning.
"BEN! Are you alright!?" The alien took a few deep breaths as he sent her a thumbs up.
"It's like Ghostfreak all over again! This must be one strong ghost guy, but you're showing him what for!" Jade smiled at this, only to scream as she felt a hard punch to her gut. Shendu sent her flying backwards, the flaming spirit catching her before she could touch the ring. The dragon growled as he tore out a chunk of the ground.
"THIS ENDS NOW!" roared the villain. He threw the piece at a life-size statue of Gwen, causing it to crumble and shatter. Jade screamed both mentally and physically to her knees as she felt memories of Gwen fading, the reduction scroll being caught in the ring of fire. It burnt to a crisp as the ashes flew off, Shendu immediately returning to his monstrous size as he grabbed her. "SAY GOODBYE TO YOUR EXISTENCE, LO PEI!"
He began to crush the form of Jade, the girl screaming more as the buildings began to change shape into the form of dark spires. On the outside, Ben and Gwen began to see Jade's robe open, showing that her skin was burning as something began to take its place. Ben looked towards Gwen, all of his eyes displaying his rage.
"Gwen, do something!" roared the alien. "Magic is your thing!" The redhead shook her head in denial as she gestured to their burning friend.
"I've never dealt with possession magic before!" cried the magical girl. "You have how many aliens and you're telling me to do something!? Don't you have a new guy that can fix this!?" Ben racked his brain as he tried to think of something, anything, that could save Jade. His multiple eyes widened as he stood tall, his expression shifting to show his determination.
"...I have to use him. There's no other way." Gwen looked towards the huge alien as he twisted the dial of the Omnitrix, reaching a certain entry he always avoided like the plague. "I just hope I can control him." He pressed the Omnitrix almost hesitantly, a green light overtaking him.
Gwen lowered her arm, only to look terrified by the form her cousin had taken. The being was a phantom-like alien with a gaseous appearance and claw-like hands. It had white skin with black lines running all over him, the lines leading to a single green eye. The Omnitrix peeked out from the skin on its chest, the device looking like it was partly obscured. He looked over himself, as if trying to discern if something was wrong or not. Gwen was about to yell something, only for the eye to move along the lining and look at her.
"No time to yell at me," hissed the creature. "Make sure the body does not leave until I give the all clear." He turned intangible as he flew into Jade's body in the same spot Shendu did, causing it to collapse to the ground. Gwen rushed over to her, making sure to cover her private areas.
Inside the mind, Jade's mental form was beginning to fade as the black towers now darkened the sky. Shendu relished in the feeling, taking his time in crushing her spirit. He looked down as her form began to jitter, looking into her half closed eyes.
"Say goodbye to your loved ones, 'Chan Yu.'" He began to laugh as he prepared to kick Ben's statue over. He stopped in his tracks, however, as the dark spires stopped growing. In fact, massive black tentacles with green stripes suddenly wrapped around them to keep them in place. "WHAT NOW!?" He suddenly felt a slice at the back of his neck, causing him to roar in pain as he dropped Jade, a white figure zooming by as it caught her still faded form.
"I've got you!" Jade felt her form begin to stabilize a bit as she looked up, a little concerned by the ghostly creature that was carrying her. He dropped her off on the ground, allowing her to see the Omnitrix symbol on his chest as she rested on one knee. "Stay here. This creep's MINE!"
He flew so fast that it left a streak through the air, Jade watching on in amazement as the line darted straight for Shendu. The dragon roared as he tried to punch the specter, only for Ben to shift out of the way and score a long line across the villain's chest. This caused a dark light to bleed from the area, Shendu actually howling in torturous pain as he fell on one knee.
"IMPOSSIBLE! NO MORTAL SCARS SHENDU, AND LIVES TO TELL THE TALE!" He looked towards Ben, growling as the specter brandished his claws.
"At the moment I am no mortal. I am GHOSTFREAK. Now get your filthy, yellow bellied, decrepit spirit out of my FRIEND!" The boy cut Shendu across the cheek, causing another display of dark light to pour out. Shendu's spiritual form began to naturally reduce in size as dark chi started bleeding out of him. The dragon was soon at his opponent's size as they began a push battle in the air.
Jade watched on as she tried her best to collect herself, feeling the fire spark in her again. Shendu slapped Ben away, the hit making Jade's eyes stabilize as she put her faded hand forward creating a new scroll. The parchment was blank, though pure light chi still radiated from it. Ghostfreak clashed with Shendu again, this time having his spectral tail grabbed. Shendu smirked as he tried to stretch the alien apart.
"YOU ARE A FOOL, CHILD! I WILL TEAR THE SKIN FROM THIS FORM AND DEVOUR YOUR SOUL PIECE BY PIECE!" He was not expecting the boy to chuckle as his green eye shined brighter.
"Let me give you a HAND with the skin." Tentacles similar to the ones holding the spires suddenly sprouted from Ben's torso, striking Shendu and holding him in place. The dragon felt an unknown fear take over him as the alien literally peeled its skin off, revealing a gray body and a white upside down skull were hiding beneath. "JADE! NOW!" Shendu was only able to turn his head towards the girl as she smirked.
"Get your scaly, ugly butt out of my body," huffed the young Chan as the fire spirit formed behind her. "BANISH!" The word appeared in faded ancient Mandarin writing before growing large, the energy firing at Shendu. Ghostfreak released the villain just in time as the chi hit Shendu, his form destabilizing slightly as the claw marks left on him began to scar. The evil dragon was sent flying out of the body, the chi actually surrounding his spirit as Gwen watched him fly through the roof and away from the area. Shendu crashed into his statue, Valmont's office shaking as the dragon roared.
"This isn't over, Chan Yu!" roared the dragon. "We will meet again! And next time I'll keep you nice and close to watch your loved ones die!" Valmont looked towards the statue with an annoyed yet smug look.
"Not so easy is it, Shendu?" questioned the villain. "How does it feel to lose to a little girl?" The man had to run out of the room before a torrent of flames could disintegrate him. He closed the door behind him, wincing as the flames burnt the other side. He knew that he would be losing a lot of money this day.
Back with the kids, Ghostfreak flew out of Jade's body. The girl moaned as the burnt skin slowly returned to normal, good chi ensuring there would be no scarring. The girl slowly looked up, Gwen being the first thing she saw. The redhead was looking at her in relief, almost ready to hug her. The mood in the room dropped as Jade tilted her head.
"[Mandarin] Who are you?" questioned Jade.
Section 13
Jackie paced near the phone, his nerves beginning to eat at him. Jade had not returned from her trip to the mall, the hours having gone by substantially. Thousands of scenarios began to play in his head over what could have happened, too few of them being good. No matter what he thought of, however, he wouldn't be prepared for what came next. Captain Black stepped into the office, the kung fu master looking towards him.
"Jade?" questioned Jackie. He had been bugging the captain to keep looking everywhere for his niece, hoping that everything would turn out alright. The way Augustus sighed brought a look of terror to Jackie's face.
"She's in the hospital, the Tennyson kids refusing to leave her side," revealed the captain. "I have a jeep ready to go whenever…" The kung fu master pushed past his old friend, the feelings of guilt and terror hitting him harder than anything he had ever felt. The car ride took too long for his liking, his nerves eating at him more and more. Upon reaching the hospital, Jackie slowed down as he allowed Captain Black to lead the way.
They reached Jade's emergency room, only to see Uncle standing in front of it. He turned to them as they approached, his expression unreadable. He shook his head in denial as he gestured down the hall.
"Maxwell arranged a private room," informed the old man. "Follow." Augustus looked confused by this change as Jackie pushed past him, a parental mode having taken hold of him. "Jade's spirit has been badly damaged by attack. Sheep Talisman I feel was involved." Jackie clenched his fists, his eyes narrowing in fury.
"Shendu," growled the archeologist. He looked towards the chi wizard as they stopped in front of a room. "Is there anything that can be done? How bad is the damage?" Uncle shook his head as he placed his hand on the doorknob.
"Maxwell has already gone to gather the ingredients needed. As for Jade… it is best you see." He opened the door, revealing that said girl was waiting patiently with an unsure expression as Ben held her hand. The way she looked around was skittish and frightened, the look in her eyes breaking something within Jackie. The girl looked their way, shrinking back a bit.
"It's okay," soothed Ben. He knew at this point that she couldn't understand his words, but the way he gently rubbed her hand was enough to calm her down. "They're the good guys. Trust me." The boy's smile made Jade relax as she returned to her resting position. Gwen, looking upset, decided to clarify the instance as she looked at the new arrivals.
"She doesn't remember a lot right now," revealed the redhead. "She thought she was back in Hong Kong until she got here. The only new thing she can remember is Ben. If it weren't for him she'd be panicking and fighting the doctors more. Grandpa said she's been crying for her father and mother." Jade finally seemed to have a look of recognition as she pointed at Jackie.
"[Mandarin] Chan Kong-sang!" cheered the girl. Jackie looked towards her with a hopeful smile. "[Mandarin] I have watched all of your films. Very funny." The man's smile quickly faded as he held his mouth in terror, only for the door to open again.
"I've got everything," said the voice of Max. The group looked his way, the man having various strange and obscure items in his possession. "It's time to start believing in magic, Augustus. You're about to see it in action." Captain Black narrowed his eyes in annoyance, only for Uncle to shake his head.
"It will take four days to complete the spell," revealed the chi wizard. The believers in the group looked at him in shock as he took the ingredients from Max. "Soul magic very difficult to handle. It must be crafted with utmost care. Will have to pull all-nighters to complete. Jackie, bring Uncle lots of coffee. Will need it."
He held up his pointer finger as if to make the importance of his next words known. "One mistake and I have to start over and each day that spell not made the more damage becomes permanent. Jade only has two weeks." Ben growled as he shook his head.
"Then I'm not leaving either, unless she needs sponge baths or something," revealed the boy. "After those, I'm coming right back in." Max nodded his head, knowing that there was no stopping Ben at this point. The look in the boy's eyes could tell an experienced adult everything that was going through his head, and only Jade held a place in his mind at the moment. Jackie looked towards Ben with a frown.
"What exactly happened?" questioned the kung fu master. "How did she lose her memories?" Ben nodded his head, thinking of a way to tell the truth without revealing the alien madness.
"Jade was kidnapped by the Dark Hand," revealed the boy. "Gwen and I were there when it happened and we tried to keep up, but some jerks decided to get in the way so we lost them. We then broke into a hidden bunker and found her strapped to a table in a hospital gown. I don't think either of us could handle the thought of what they might have done to her to make her look as broken as she was when we found her."
He was proven correct as the thought caused Jackie to clench his fist. "When we got to her and undid the restraints, she was being taken over by some 'Shendu' guy. He was probably using the Sheep Talisman if he works with the Dark Hand. He was attacking her from inside her mind so…" Uncle quickly shook his head, interrupting the story.
"Not her mind," informed the man. "Evil demon was attacking her soul. Sheep Talisman detach soul and enter another soul. Spell would be much simpler if only her mind was damaged." Ben nodded his head, understanding the difference. Captain Black looked between the young Tennysons as he sent them a soft glare.
"You people need to stop talking magical nonsense and focus on the important part of the story," growled the man. "How did two kids break into a secure base that even we couldn't find, get her out, and bring her back here without getting caught or killed? There's not a scratch on either of you. Maybe your grandfather and the three of us should step outside and…" Gwen rolled her eyes as she growled.
"Oh for the love of…" Growled the redhead. She powered a spell in her hand, shocking everyone as she pointed it at the captain. "Sorry Ben, but I'm tired of this charade. CHAMELEO!" She hit the captain with the spell, causing him to gasp as his skin tingled.
The light dimmed as the man looked down, surprised that his outfit had changed colors to look like a rainbow regurgitated on him. He watched it change even more colors as Gwen twisted her hand. She then deactivated the spell keeping the rainbow colors on his uniform. "If that doesn't look like it's real, I could show you so much more until you believe it." Jade was once again scooting back into the headboard of the bed as she curled her head into Ben's arm.
"[Mandarin] WITCH!" cried the girl. "[Mandarin] WITCH! Daddy, help!" Ben soothed her once again, rubbing the back of her head as he whispered promises to her that she didn't understand. Jackie suddenly put two and two together as he pointed towards the redhead.
"You're the girl who runs around with the aliens!" cried the man. "The one who kept trapping people in ice and teleporting away!" Gwen rubbed the back of her head as she chuckled.
"Invisibility spell, actually," corrected the girl. "I'm nowhere near figuring out how to teleport people safely yet." Uncle rubbed the bridge of his nose as he sighed.
"Aiyah!" cried the old man softly. "How slow are you!? Same hair color, eyes, body size… You not notice how very simple costume was!? Uncle noticed first time he saw her in costume! Said nothing after talk with Maxwell!" Jackie looked towards the man, shocked that he knew.
Uncle pulled out the first ingredient as he blocked out all other noises. "Now shush! Uncle must concentrate. If not needed, leave." The others reluctantly left the room, only Ben remaining as per his word. The old man saw no harm in it as he focused his mind.
He began by tearing a strange smelling plant in half, dropping the seeds into a large metal bowl. He then chopped up what looked like part of a dried up eel, making sure that the cut was fine before adding it to the mix. Upon finishing any cutting that needed to be done, he poured a large amount of yak's milk into the mix. He stirred it slowly for two days, taking short breaks every now and again. Ben could be seen in the passing time continuously bringing Jade things to try and jog her memory, as well as using a translation book to communicate back and forth with Jade only making her laugh because of bad translations.
Uncle then began mumbling his chant as he sprinkled garlic into the mix, a small puff of fragrance lifting into the air as the mixture boiled. The rest of the third day was spent slowly adding special ingredients. Ben apparently began to improve in his simplified Mandarin as he continued to work with Jade, said girl correcting him by pointing to objects he mentioned and saying the correct word. On the fourth day, the boy got Jade to giggle several times as he was telling a story.
"[Mandarin] My father then try painting house Mother's favorite color make up for mistakes," continued Ben. "[Mandarin] He realize when dry that paint was no for outdoor walls. House look worse when Mother return. He sleep on couch for week before they fix paint together." Jade giggled once again as she almost fell backwards.
"[Mandarin] I wish I could meet your parents," sighed the girl. "[Mandarin] They sound funny." Ben winced as he tried not to correct her, knowing full well that it would not help anything. Jade looked down as she sighed. "[Mandarin] My parents are always on business calls so I do not know if they have funny moments or not."
She curled up into herself as she looked to her feet. "[Mandarin] The last time I got to do anything fun with them was when we went to the beach when I was ten. My father was given a weekend to rest after a work related incident and so he decided some time away would be good. It was one of the best times in my life: the only day they smiled at me and I knew it was because they were happy to be with me and I didn't dishonor them for once. I miss it the most out of all of my time with them."
The girl sniffled as her eyes began to water. "[Mandarin] Mean girls at school continue to tell me how much I dishonor my family, some finding time to throw things at me. I would be the one to get in trouble for my clothes being messed up, from both teachers and my parents. I was told what colors weren't right for me to wear. Every day I feel like I dishonor everyone just by being alive. It hurts more than I could ever describe, yet Mother and Father are always too busy or upset at me to hear my words."
Tears began rolling down her face as she broke at the reminder of these memories, Ben doing his best to brace her. "[Mandarin] The worst girls found more than one way to insult me. My clothes being too tight, making me scared to wear my Qipaos over fear of them being ruined, pulling my hair while saying it looks ugly, implying that my gymnastics make me look like a floozy… When my breasts began to grow in, they even teased me in the locker rooms about how much uglier I was becoming. I love my family, even with Mother and Father never giving me time, but I am beginning to hate Hong Kong. I've even been contemplating cutting my hair to get them to stop pulling it."
Uncle perfectly avoided reacting to these words as he added another ingredient to the mixture, hearing Ben whisper calming words to Jade as she continued to bawl. The old man kept everything he heard in mind for later, knowing full well that each and every one of them would be important for when he and Jackie spoke with Cousin Shin. Ben carefully rubbed the tears from the girl's face, doing his best to smile at her. She returned the smile as she cuddled his hand close. Uncle stirred the mixture one last time, watching as it turned green with a slight glow.
"Hacha!" cried the chi wizard. "Uncle is done!" The door suddenly burst open, Jackie having been listening on the other side.
"It's done!?" cheered the man. He was suddenly pushed to the side a bit as Gwen ran into the room. He moved out of the way so that Max and Captain Black could join them, the two men looking exasperated at his eagerness yet understanding it. Uncle slowly turned the mixture some more, the magic beginning to flow out as it became a mist inside the room. He looked towards Jade as he took a deep breath.
"[Ancient Mandarin] Great healing power of the Spirit Realm. Heal the soul of Chan Yu. Undo the damage that the demon Shendu has done." He began to chant in the language he had chosen, the mist beginning to form around Jade. Ben hugged her to keep her from freaking out, still giving her the same smile.
The girl slowly slipped into unconsciousness as she leaned onto his shoulder. She quickly found herself waking up within her mind again, the damage from Shendu still being visible as black spires were laid in pieces all around the ground. She walked through the area, once again wearing the qipao of her dreams. She heard a bird chirping as she continued onwards, entranced by the melody. She suddenly stepped on something metallic, looking down to see what it was.
It was the remains of Gwen's statue, the right side of her face to be specific. She picked up the shard, feeling like something was missing when looking at it. She watched the metal shift a bit as it floated away from her hands, more metal pieces rising into the air. The statue put itself back together, though there were still cracks in the surface. Jade winced as she felt memories flow back into her. She gasped as she hugged her stomach, tears forming in her eyes.
"GWEN!" cried the girl, her English having returned to her as it echoed her Mandarin. She looked at the statue as she began to think harder. "Why did I forget you? What's happening to me?" She heard the tweeting again, following the noise to a different area.
As Jade walked through the mindscape she touched pieces of buildings, the structures beginning to put themselves back together. With these buildings came new memories, though there were still bits missing from each one. She followed the bird song as it grew louder and louder, at some point running as she heard the sound of small flitters. She soon found an area she definitely did not recall: an ancient Chinese temple defiled by black spike structures. She walked around the area in order to give it a closer look, only for a hand to wave her over.
"I was wondering when you would find your way here," stated a masculine voice. She turned towards the man, gaining a sense of deja vu at the sight of him. He had light skin, a long light black beard with a mustache, and dark blue eyes that were uncommon for an East Asian person. He wore long green robes and a unique shoulder-belt she recognized but also didn't. "Shendu shattered and twisted this sacred place upon entering your soul, yet with time it has begun to heal again and is about to be complete. Come and sit while we still have time."
Jade felt obligated to bow and sit before this man, his garb and presence feeling holy in some nature. A small orange bird landed before the duo, a fiery red pattern to the tips of its feathers. "Thanks to your Uncle's hard work, you will recover before any lasting damage can settle. You still need to recover small pieces, but time will restore that which is lost." Jade felt a need to say something, a question in her mind answering itself.
"You're the fiery guy that was floating behind me. You're Lo Pei." The man slightly bowed his head in confirmation.
"Yes, and no. I am but an echo of who you once were, a man Shendu knew well. We share the same past, present, and future. You have been born into a powerful destiny and must hold a horrifying burden that comes with it. By the final decree of the Emperor, you have been called to balance the world and defeat evil within both the darkness and the light. Do not be fooled, for there is evil within the light."
Jade began to feel a bit frightened, only for her past self to rub her cheek. "Fear not, Chan Yu. The allies you have gathered are as powerful as they are reliable. In your darkest hour, they will be there by your side. As will I, in spirit at least."
He produced a scroll, taking a feather from the bird. The tip of said object glowed as he wrote upon the parchment. "There is much you need to know, yet my time in consciousness is nearing its end. As such, I pass the knowledge you require upon you in the form of my last spell. There is much that you must prepare for, but this will be your guide to my old memories and a powerful weapon in combating Shendu."
He nodded his head as the scroll began to glow with light chi, green flames rising from it. "You will need to master meditation to return here, where the phoenix will help you tame the power you are about to receive. Be strong, Chan Yu. Face your destiny." He pushed the flames towards the girl's chest, the dark spikes around the temple shattering as she let loose a scream of power.
Jade suddenly gasped as she woke up, her eyes carrying the same color as Lo Pei's before returning to her natural brown hue. She pushed herself up off of Ben's shoulder, patting at her body in order to get a feeling of herself. She looked around the room, her eyes immediately landing on Gwen as the redhead sent her a hopeful look. Jade felt pain in her chest as tears began to fall from her cheeks.
"Gwen." The redhead was immediately by her side, allowing herself to be hugged close as tears wetted her shoulder. "I'm sorry! I forgot all about you and everyone! I…" Gwen cooed, rubbing at Jade's back as her friend fully transferred to leaning on her.
"It was that 'Shendu' guy's fault, not yours," reminded the girl. "You didn't mean to forget anyone. Just let it all out." Ben also hugged the girl close, feeling the way she was shivering. The trio parted, only for Jade to gasp as she realized she was in a hospital gown.
"Please tell me you did not call Mother and Father! I will never be allowed to return if they find out I was hospitalized! Wait… That stupid Dragon made me strip naked in front of Ben! MY LIFE IS OVER!"
She plopped back against the back of the bed, grabbing a pillow to cover her face so that she could muffle her scream. The adults in the room were shocked by this outcry, looking between the three kids for some form of explanation. Ben blushed brightly as he rubbed the back of his head.
"I mean… I might have left that out…" admitted the boy. "Eh! I covered my eyes as best as I could but I kinda had more than usual at the time. I…" Jackie held the sides of his head as he began to freak out.
"MORE THAN USUAL!?" cried the man. "HOW CAN YOU HAVE MORE THAN TWO EYES!?" Ben gulped, having forgotten secrecy in the heat of the moment. He would have to explain that one later. Jade shifted a bit as she uncovered her right eye, trying to hide her face from Ben as she looked towards Gwen.
"He saw everything, didn't he?" questioned the young Chan. "Please tell me the truth." Gwen nodded her head, causing Jade to cover her face again.
"If it makes you feel any better he actually tried to cover his eyes… until Shendu started attacking," admitted the redhead. "For what it's worth I think you look beautiful. I think Ben agrees. By the way, just give him a look. You'll thank me later."
Jade hummed in confusion as she slowly lowered her pillow, facing her head a bit towards Ben. At first she only saw his face, noticing how his cheeks were not as full as they were a few days ago. She let the pillow drop entirely when she realized he was sitting higher than her. Her cheeks blushed madly at his new appearance, looking at his form multiple times. She backed up a bit as she looked his way.
"Please tell me you're not taller than me now. I mean you were always going to eventually be taller but that was years away and…" Ben chuckled as he shook his head, showing off the new Omnitrix.
"Blame the watch, or gauntlet now," revealed the boy. "I have so got to talk with Azmuth after you check out." Jade looked Ben up and down a bit once more, nodding her head slowly.
"[Mandarin] I believe I'm checking out already. Maybe tall guys aren't so bad." The girl soon noticed Ben was blushing a bit as his eyes widened, terror beginning to set in her. Max cleared his throat, getting the group's attention before any more drama could happen. The elder Tennyson nodded to Ben specifically.
"Ben, you have an appointment that's long overdue," stated Max. "You'll have more time with Jade later. Time to say goodbye for now." Ben nodded his head, feeling a need for fresh air as he followed the old man out. Jade leaned towards Gwen, her expression still showing her terror.
"I said that out loud, didn't I? Please tell me he didn't understand me." Gwen shrugged with a mischievous smile on her face.
"Oh he's been teaching himself Mandarin ever since you were put in here. You even helped him learn. What he understood of that is out of my understanding." Jade moaned as she flopped back into her pillow again, only this time she didn't stuff her face in it. Jackie nodded his head as he let loose a sigh.
"We will talk later, Jade," stated the kung fu master with a soft smile. "For now, just rest and let the doctors take care of you." Jade muttered something under her breath at this, the words "shut up" barely being audible. "Excuse me for a moment." Jackie walked out of the room, going a bit down the hall.
He sat down in one of the waiting chairs, a lot of thoughts beginning to flow through his mind. The events of the past week all began to fit together a puzzle in his head, one that increasingly worried him. Echoes of Ben's explanation and the fact that he mentioned having "more eyes than normal" added fuel to the fire. He would have brought attention to the fact that moment, but something stopped him. That very thing entered his mind as he imagined the stone arrangement of the Omnitrix's symbol.
"If you see someone with this symbol, defend him with your life," echoed the voice of the Daoshi he met in China. He couldn't understand why, but the very thought of bringing it up in that moment put his nerves on edge. He knew Captain Black well, but he had the strangest feeling that unwanted ears were listening. He rubbed his temples as he looked up at the roof. He removed his hand from his face, revealing that a serious frown had formed.
"What manner of mess have I brought you into, Jade?" questioned the man. He heard the door open, looking towards it as Uncle stepped out. The chi wizard winced as he let a hiss escape from his teeth.
"Jade is going to be VERY moody after this," stated Uncle. "Best hope period does not hit before her mood is over." Jackie groaned at this, having completely forgotten that such times had yet to hit.
Inkaliber: And that's all I wrote! Ben deals with his newfound changes while also trying to find a way to talk with Jade again. This plan is put on hold when Jade is kidnapped and he and Gwen find themselves under arrest by SHIELD. After receiving encouraging words from Azmuth, as well as Shendu's presence activating the Omnitrix, Ben helps Jade to fight off the evil dragon inside her. After recovering from her soul being damaged, Jade now has to deal with her new capabilities as well as the fact that Ben's changes excite her.
Prof. Paradox: Hello again!
Inkaliber: PARADOX! KNOCKING! You nearly gave me a heart attack!
Prof. Paradox: So dreadfully sorry. The Doctor just finished and I have brought your newest housemates. As we agreed…
Inkaliber: I know the drill. Who are they, anyways? You made it sound like there were a lot of them.
Prof. Paradox: Oh it's only four. Versions of them have importance in the mirroring worlds you've been viewing.
Inkaliber:... You brought the two couples, didn't you? They either all came from the same branch or separate ones. I'll know when I go in there and see if Ben and Jade are making out or not.
Prof. Paradox: As perceptive as always, Indisputable.
Inkaliber: It's Inkali… Just forget it. I'll get them settled in later. I've got to end the chapter. Go bother some Ben that needs a lesson in time or something.
Prof. Paradox: Brilliant idea. I'll just be on my way. To-do-loo!
Inkaliber: That guy gets on my nerves sometimes. Now where was I? EHEM!
How will things go for the heroes from here on? What has happened to Ben? Will Jade be able to look her crush in the eye again? Let me know what you think down below and I'll try to get back with you ASAP. This is Inkaliber, signing out.