Welcome...to Season 3! There's been some additions; the TV tropes is really growing, and I have a thread over at Spacebattles, so if you guys wanna converse with me there and see some extra info, go for it!
Ben blinked. The light overhead shone in his eyes, and he was tired, hungry, and wanted to go home. Too bad this scruffy alcoholic wouldn't let him leave.
Said alcoholic looked at him disdainfully. "So, let's start with your name."
"...I already gave you it, during the story," Ben said, irritated.
The man gave him a blank stare. "I was asleep," he said flatly. Ben could smell all the alcohol on his breath even though he across from him. Dude smelled like a wine cellar.
Ben glared, insulted. "Ok, let's do this one last time. My name is Ben Tennyson. When I was 10, I got this weird device called the Omnitrix stuck on my wrist, and now I can turn into aliens. For the past 5 years, I've been the one and only Ben 10. You should know the rest: I stopped Vilgax with my best friend, got my former rival some therapy, made a promise with my best friend to meet up again one day and became a member of a higher ranked squad."
"Alright, alright, now that that's out of the way," the man paused to take a quick swig from his flask, "tell me about the scorpion man."
Ben took a moment to collect his thoughts. "Well, it started like this-"
Ben Tennyson stood like a badass guard at the goal and focused on the action in front of him. The ball was rapidly passed between the players, but Ben easily followed it. Most people cheering were confused, but that was to be expected with sports. Suddenly, amidst the flurry of kicks, Ben could see the ball arc towards him-
And in an instant he held the ball in hands. He held it high and mighty as if it was a decapitated head of his fallen enemy. The opposing team gasped; there was no way someone could catch a ball as quick as that.
"How the hell did you do that, Tennyson?" his teammate asked as he got the ball from Ben.
Ben smiled. "Picked it up from an old friend."
"Well, good on them for teaching you that. Keep up the good work!" The teammate kicked the ball back to the field and ran after it.
Ben looked up at the sky and wondered if she was looking up at it too.
Ben managed to save the game a few more times, and soon the game ended at 3-2, Ben's team on the winning side. His team hoisted the boy from off the ground and carried him across the field, chanting his name over the roar of the crowd.
Ben was kind of surprised that his team could even lift him for that long- he was still fairly skinny and short for his age, but he had some serious muscle definition (and he was pretty sure at least two guys on the soccer team were jealous of his abs). Ruby would have called him wiry, but Ben didn't think so, not after all those martial arts lessons.
In any case, Ben was still pretty normal looking for a human teen. His brown hair was thick and fluffy now (bedheads were in, shut up Gwen) and his eyes were still an odd acidic green color. He had actual cheekbones (who knew, right?), a pronounced jaw, and a smile that only came after the braces popped off. He was at least five-five and wholly unassuming.
You know, except for the slender black and green watch on his left wrist.
The watch was as odd as it could get. It was called the Omnitrix, and it looked like a bulky wristwatch, primarily black and green in color, with an odd dial on the watchface, designed like a green hourglass. It turned the user into numerous different aliens, and Ben thought that was the most incredible thing ever. Imagine walking a mile in an alien's body, dealing with the struggles and trials it faced, and utilizing their abilities to help others in need. It was a superhero's dream; he wasn't just Superman, he was Batman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Aquaman, the Atom...everyone in the League! WIth one trillion samples inside the device!
...too bad Ben only had 40 samples unlocked.
(And the watch couldn't tell time either, which also sucked and was generally unhelpful for his curfew.)
Ben quickly put on a pair of jeans and a grey t-shirt with the words "STRAIGHT OUTTA BELLWOOD" in white inside a black box, and a white hooded jacket with green stripes on both arms and a green number 10 on the right side.
"Hey, Ben!" one of his teammates called out. "You up for some post game smoothies?"
Ben gave a wide smile. "Hell yeah!"
After the nice 'get together' at Mr. Smoothy with the soccer team, Ben decided to get some more exercise and walk back home. Also because Ben didn't have a car.
It was a nice evening anyway. It was a special kind of night, the kind that wants to hold the stars and help them to shine all the brighter. It reminded him of the many summer nights he spent with Grandpa Max and Ruby.
To be frank, he hadn't kept up with Ruby the past few years. They'd have a conversation every now and then, but it was few and far in between. Ben could still tell they were good friends, though; they always seemed to pick right back up from where they last left off.
Ben paused to hear the faint sound of footsteps.
Ben walked in silence for a few minutes, continuously hearing the sound of faint footsteps in the background. He sighed and turned around. "Hey! If you're following me, don't expect any money...kinda wasted my allowance on smoothies..."
Nothing.
"...and now I'm talking to myself," Ben said out loud, turning back to the road. He visibly started when he saw the figure in front of him. He stood under the light of the streetlamp like a sliver of darkness. His body looked sleek and fluid, and oh crap, he was running at him-
The attacker took out his weapons in a seamless motion and, laughing eagerly, moved to attack Ben. His claw blades dug into Ben's flesh easily, as he cleaved the arm clean off-
Except it was too long to be a teenage boy's arm. And it was green. Confused, he looked back up to see the boy had suddenly changed form.
The thing looking down at him was a strange humanoid, plant-like alien that had an overall green colored body, and flame-patterned head, colored yellow, red, and orange. He had six red horns with yellow spots, aesthetically resembling flames; two on each forearm, and one on each shoulder, as well as a green horn on each foot, knee, and elbow.
"So," the thing said. His voice sounded horribly congested and deep. "Who sent you?" The thing's arm suddenly grew a root and plugged itself back into where his arm had been cut off.
Ben could see the man's face more clearly now; his attacker was a pale man with golden eyes and a brown ponytail braided to resemble a scorpion's tail. He wore a white sleeveless jacket with leather belts strapped to it, along with white pants. His jacket exposed his bare chest, which was covered with prominent scars. His arms were covered with purple bandages and leather vambraces. He also wore leather boots covering his entire shin with knee guards. He jumped up and clung to a wall like a spider.
"I'm not looking for a fight," Ben growled. "Who are you?"
"Who I am matters not to you." The man laughed. "But...you haven't the slightest clue, do you? Oh, how exciting this must be!"
Ben clenched his fist. "Looks like I'll just have to beat it out of you!" He stomped his foot on the ground, and giant roots with spikes on them came out of the earth, aimed right at the attacker. The man jumped off the wall and onto another, no doubt aiming for a sneak attack. Ben spun around and ignited his fist, landing a powerful blow into the man's chest. He went flying down the alley, but the stranger managed to land on his feet. He clutched his chest in agony, and Ben smiled.
"Whoops, meant to give you second degree, not third degree," he joked. But soon the man's cries turned into sick, twisted laughter. Ben narrowed his eyes and saw the faintest tint of something purple that covered the wound. "T-that's aura," Ben gasped. "How did- who are you?" His palms conjured up some threatening fireballs.
The man bowed. "Someone who's heart and body belong only to my goddess. Anything she wants, I will make it happen."
"Yeah? And what does she want with me?"
"Your ATTENTION!" The man leapt back into the fray; He spear kicked Ben dead in the chest, knocking him to the ground. He then unleashed a wild barrage of punches, cutting Ben's plant-like flesh to shreds. Ben took a deep breath before spewing a flamethrower from his mouth. The man jumped back, annoyed at Ben's cheap tricks.
Ben ran at the weirdo, throwing some flaming punches. The man forced his weapon through him again, piercing Ben's lower abdomen. Ben shrugged off the pain with ease, as he clasped his hands together and hammered down on his head. The man backed away, holding his head, which Ben saw as a perfect opportunity; he struck his opponent in the chest, knocking him back into a trash can.
"Alright asshole," Ben said, no longer interested in fighting. "You're gonna tell me who this 'goddess' of yours is and why she wants me…" he paused. The guy wasn't anywhere near the trash pile he'd just been thrown in. Ben quickly looked around the area; had he fled, or was he just playing the waiting game?
Ben tapped the Omnitrix symbol. "This is Tennyson to Bellwood base," he said, "requesting back up near Main and Maple, I repeat, Main and Maple. Suspect has Hunter gear, and-" Ben couldn't finish his sentence. A tail pierced his side from behind, and it was dripping with-
"And I've just been poisoned," Ben yelped as the man pulled out his tail. He grasped the wound before doubling over in pain.
"How do you like that, you changeling?" The man laughed maniacally. "Soon, your little friend in red will join you!"
"Wait," Ben said groggily. "Ruby? What the hell does she have to do with any of this? Are you from her rogues gallery?"
The man laughed again, this time harder than the last. "You could say that. But no matter, these questions will not matter any longer! A dead man's only question should be where he's heading!" He laughed as he prepared to finish off Ben, but he just chuckled and stood up, his arms crossed. "What, accepting your death with dignity? How thoughtful."
"Well, my arms are folded, and my acting skills are at an all time high. I got my answer." Ben said, as the man looked down to the wound, which was essentially nonexistent at this point. "Regeneration. It's a tricky bastard, isn't it?"
The man's face went from joyous glee to murderous intent. He unleashed a wild barrage of punches, which Ben carefully avoided.
"I think it's time we got this over with!"
Briar-like whips shot out of Ben's right hand and ensnared the attacker. Ben quickly tugged on the whips, making sure the thorns dug into the skin. The man struggled to free himself, and Ben just grinned.
"Let's get you down to the station," Ben crowed, pulling the vines a little bit tighter. Just then, something moved behind him. He shot his head around to see no one there. "Oh, please tell me you came with more idiots who think they could…" Ben turned around, only to see the man was gone; his briar trap had been torn to shreds. Ben frowned but did not dare to revert back. If invisibility or teleportation was this guy's semblance, he best keep his guard up, at least until the Plumbers showed up…
"And that's what happened," Ben said as he finished his story.
The grump jotted down a few notes, and then finished the rest of his flask. "So, you're sure he was a scorpion faunus?"
Ben nodded. "Absolutely."
"And you're sure he made reference to Ruby?" he pressed on.
"Yeah." Ben nodded. "Usually when people say little red, they mean Ruby. I learned this after our enemies continuously called us 'brat' and 'little red'. Like, constantly. If they didn't say it, we'd call it a miracle."
"Interesting," The grump said, sitting back in his chair.
"By the way," Ben said slowly, "I don't think I ever got your name."
"My name is isn't important right now, kid," the grump brushed him off, pulling out his phone. He dialed a number and held the phone to his ear, studying Ben carefully. Ben couldn't help but feel intimidated by him. His personality felt eerily familiar; maybe he was that creep Kylie was always joking about, maybe he was one of the dudes that gave Kevin a hard time at the shop, or maybe he was that hobo Rook always pestered him about. He just seemed...familiar.
"Hello? Yeah, hi…" The grump said lazily. "Listen, I have someone here that might know something about an enemy of yours...yeah, yeah, just as confused as you are. Lemme put them on the phone…" The grump passed Ben his phone, and Ben just awkwardly pressed it up to his ear.
"Hello?"
"Hello?"
Ben immediately knew that voice. He didn't expect to hear her tonight, or… at any time in the future, really. They were both so busy. But there was no mistaking that voice.
"Ruby?" Ben asked.
"BEN!?" Ruby yelled, loud enough for the grump to hear it from where he was standing and enough for Ben to pull the thing away from his face.
"My poor ears," Ben deadpanned, bringing the phone back.
"Sorry, just, wow, your voice sounds different. Less squeaky and stuff." Ruby laughed. "Guess puberty worked out for you."
"Yeah, yeah...uh, listen," Ben asked worriedly. "Do you know anything about a scorpion guy?"
Ruby paused. "What scorpion guy?"
"Y'know, scorpion dude, blade gauntlets, super crazy and deranged. Tried to slice my Omnitrix arm clean off?"
"Ben, I have no idea who you're talking about."
Ben froze. "But, he like, mentioned you specifically. He tried to poison me and then said he'd poison you or something like that. Are you sure this isn't a villain from your side of life?"
"Sounds like it," Ruby said, still confused. "But I really haven't faced a scorpion dude or anything like that. I've faced some mobsters, yeah, but…"
"...I have a feeling we might've been forced into a conspiracy."
"What kind of conspiracy? CIA hiring journalists to spread propaganda and gather intelligence, or 'JFK's head just did that'?"
"I'm thinking more along the lines of 'government poisoned alcohol'," Ben said, eyeing the grump.
"...I see you've met my uncle." Ruby sighed.
"THAT'S YOUR UNCLE QROW?" Ben yelled, his entire vision of Ruby's cool uncle ruined. When Ruby described him, he had this vision of a stone cold badass wielding a scythe and punching creeps in the face, not one of the creeps that deserved a punch to the face.
"You know what? Give me that." Qrow snatched the phone away from Ben and glared at him. "You just lost your phone privileges." He walked over to a corner and quietly conversed with his niece. Ben sat in his seat, awkwardly waiting for them to finish up.
Eventually Qrow came back, annoyed. "You're picking her up at the train station tomorrow at 10 AM."
Ben blinked. "What?"
"She's coming over here to do some investigation with you, and, if need be, she'll be bringing her team," Qrow said, taking the last swig of his flask. "You're free to go."
"Um, alright," Ben said, still processing. "It was...nice…"
"Don't even lie to me, kid."
"Alright, see ya." He rushed out the door.
Ben sighed as he laid down in bed; today was eventful, and it was nearly one in the morning. He had to be up by eight to pick up Ruby, which was a whole different can of worms. He tried to get himself comfortable in bed, and closed his eyes…
And felt like he was being watched. He opened his eyes again, and saw a flash of something white pass by his window. Ben shuddered, but shook the feeling off. Birds flew by his window all the time. It was probably just paranoia from facing that Tyrian guy. He didn't know where he lived, thankfully.
And he was right.
Someone else knew where he lived.
Red eyes glared at Ben from afar, logically tearing the boy apart. He hated just even looking at him, the boy that wielded such a powerful device and yet did so little with it. Who cared about this shithole planet, when there were so many other problems going on in the universe?
He growled as he decided not to make himself known just yet. The time wasn't right. Everyone needed to be with him in order to get a good look at their powers.
So, until then, the red eyes just waited.
Ben frowned as he examined himself in the sun visor's mirror. "Great," he huffed. "My hair looks stupid, my shirt is wrinkled, and I have a zit the size of Kansas."
"That is indeed a rather large zit," the driver commented. "Perhaps if you weren't so lax in using those treatments..."
Ben glared at Rook's human disguise. "Dude, you're not helping." Rook's human form took on the appearance of a Korean-American young adult, probably old enough to be in college. His hair was neat and close to his scalp, not unlike how he usually wore it He wore a dark blue buttoned-up shirt and dark-washed jeans. (Carl and Sandra bought them for him. How thoughtful.)
"Why the sudden care of appearance? You are usually never like this," Rook questioned, "Is this person we are picking up someone important?"
"Kind of," Ben replied. "I haven't seen her in a while."
"Oh, I see. Because of this, you want to trick this girl into thinking that you are a successful person. I also hope that you are employing factors such as your body language, voice, and social category."
"...yeah, I'm factoring that, dude," Ben lied, like a liar.
"Excellent! Now, tell me about this girl."
He relaxed a bit. "Eh, I traveled the country with her for a summer. It was pretty wild."
"Do you mean that old friend Magister Tennyson often talks about?" Rook asked with a sly grin. "The one you had a crush on as a child?"
"I did not have a crush on her!" Ben spluttered. "We're just best friends! You know how it is."
Rook made a noncommittal humming noise. "I suppose I do."
"She also went to my school for a bit, but left for training."
"Training?"
"She's a huntress. And a pretty good one too. The last time we saw each other, we kinda made a promise to improve who we are as people and as fighters. To just be better, I guess."
"And have you kept this promise well enough?"
"Obviously," Ben scoffed. "I mean, I have a good enough understanding of all my alien forms. Why do you ask?"
"You are not usually one to keep promises. You still owe me twenty dollars for losing that 'saltine cracker' challenge."
"I keep telling you, the economy is terrible!"
"And yet, you are rich whenever we eat out," Rook countered, pulling into a parking spot. "Checkmate," he said with a smug smile.
Ben rolled his eyes. "Whatever. I'm gonna go pick her up. You stay in here, ok?"
"Right," Rook said as he tried his best to look casual.
Ben stood by the station she had texted him. He felt he should be holding a sign or something, like a taxi driver at the airport; he hadn't seen Ruby in quite a long while, and maybe something about her changed. Whether it be new style of fashion, new hair cut, hell, maybe even new face, huntress work could change a person...and plus, he also looked like a different person too.
"Who you waiting for?" a female voice asked, to the right of him.
"Ah, just a friend," he awkwardly said, trying to avoid a conversation.
"Ah. That's neat. I'm meeting up with one myself," the girl went on. She sounded very...familiar.
And that's when Ben finally looked over.
He took in short, choppy black hair that went from a black to red gradient. He took in a red-dyed denim overall dress with a black t-shirt underneath. He took in red tights that faded to a deep black near the foot, tucked into black combat boots.
He took in stunning silver eyes set in a familiar, young, heart-shaped face.
"Hiya," Ruby grinned, awkwardly smiling.
Ben didn't know what to say, but he knew what to do. He grinned as he gathered her up in a big hug. They both laughed as Ben held her tightly.
"Glad to see you back in town!" he said happily.
"Just visiting, really. Nothing too special!" Ruby explained as Ben released her. "Holy crap, you grew up! Like...wow. You're almost taller than Yang!
"...almost?"
Ruby then snatched up Ben's Omnitrix arm and ogled it. "And hello to you, my old friend! Been seeing some old faces on the news. Also, those new guys? You have to show me some of them!" Ruby was still as hyperactive as she was at age 10, something Ben was relieved to see.
"Does Grandpa Max know you're in town?" Ben asked curiously. "You know how much he'd love to see you again."
"As long as he doesn't make me eat some really bad squid, I'll be happy to see the guy," Ruby joked. "But should he choose to…" She quickly pulled out a folded up weapon, spinning it in her hands as it gracefully turned into a wicked looking scythe. "Well, you get the picture."
"Glad to see you're still using the Crescent Rose," Ben noted.
"Oh, yeah. If you're lucky, maybe you'll get to see it in action today." Ruby elbowed Ben playfully. "But, knowing that we're essentially a karma magnet…"
"I'll see it today?"
Ruby nodded and smiled affectionately. "Just like old times." Ruby looked over Ben's shoulder, and her grin fell in alarm. She quickly folded up her weapon and hid it, the gun immediately disappearing from sight. Ben turned around to see a security guard walk up to them, face grim.
"Is there a problem here, kids?" she asked with forced politeness.
"Not at all, we're just catching up," Ben said with forced calm. Ruby fiddled with the handle of one of her suitcases, but that was the only sign of her nerves.
The security guard gave a sharp smile. "Well, I already know the girl just checked out and got her luggage, I can see her ticket in her hands, so I suggest you kids move along now."
"Will do, ma'am," Ruby said sweetly, and Ben grabbed one of her suitcases before she could protest. The two walked out, smiling and laughing at each other as the security guard watched them leave. They kept up the charade until they were well out of sight.
"Jesus fuck, we gotta be more careful," Ben rasped, nearly dropping the suitcase.
"I know, I know, I fucked up!" Ruby said frantically. "God, I hope the rest of my team doesn't catch wind of this."
"Believe me, if you were on my team, Kevin would've already heard about and prepared a Comedy Central roast for you," Ben joked, leading Ruby to the Proto-Truk.
"Oh. My god," she said derisively. "Please don't tell me you drive around in this thing."
"What? No," Ben said. "One of my teammates does. He lives with my family since rent is too damn high."
"Ok, that I can get," Ruby admitted as Ben opened the back for her. "But why use a disgusting looking truck with your grandpa's face on the side?"
Rook shot her a look, one of hurt and confusion.
Ruby blushed. "Sorry."
"Your friend is...very interesting," Rook said slowly. Ruby couldn't tell if it was a comeback or not, so she settled on feeling indifferent.
"Ruby, this is Rook Blonko," Ben said with a smile. "He's apart of the Zeta Squadron. I don't always get him, but he's cool."
"The feeling is mutual," Rook agreed.
"And Rook, this is Ruby. She's a second year huntress at Beacon Academy, and leader of…"
"Team RWBY!" Ruby smiled brightly.
"Your team is literally just your name?" Ben asked incredulously.
"Well, there's a W where the U would be."
"So, should it not be pronounced Roo-WUH-be?" Rook inquired.
"No, it's still pronounced 'Ruby'," Ruby answered with a shrug.
Ben blinked. "That's...stupid. Please don't tell me you named your team."
"No, some old guy drinking coffee did." Ruby smirked. "He's weird, but ok, I guess."
"Perhaps we should move on," Rook said, looking down at the watch Carl and Sandra had given him for Christmas. "I believe we have to meet with your grandfather at his restaurant in a half hour."
"Right, right," Ben said, getting in the back of the car. "Come on, since Rook here wants to be Mr. Punctual."
Police cars suddenly barreled down the street. The trio watched them pass by, before sharing a glance with one and other.
"Should we go help them out?" Ruby asked. "I haven't seen a police car go that fast before."
Rook looked down at his watch and back to the road. "We do have time to kill." That's all Ben needed to hear.
"Meet you two there!" He jumped out of the car and into an alleyway, racing right to a giant brick wall. He activated the watch and turned to the icon of a moth-like alien. "Big Chill should let me cut right through these walls." He grinned as he slapped down the watch and-
Collided with the wall. Painfully. He fell to the ground with a flop and shook his head. "Lemme tell ya something, brick wall!" he yelled. "You are in Rath's way! And anyone that gets in Rath's way...GETS A SUPLEX."
Rook and Ruby cringed as they watched Ben attempt to supplex a wall. Ruby carefully observed Ben's newer alien form; it resembled an orange and white bipedal tiger with scruffy fur. He had large black claws coming out of each of his wrists. He was also muscular and had green eyes, and Ruby was forcibly reminded of the furry community.
"What's with steroid fueled Hobbes back there?" Ruby asked.
"That," Rook sighed, "would be Rath. Rath's species are rather... short tempered. And not particularly smart."
"...does he need help?" Ruby asked.
"Ceres tends to let him figure it out by himself," Rook said as he drove after the cop cars.
After a few seconds, Rath finally gave up on the suplex. "YOU WIN THIS TIME!" he yelled as he hopped over the wall.
He pounced from building to building, following the Proto-Truk closely. They both arrived at the scene of the crime; police cars had surrounded a bank, where some criminals were holding people hostage. Rath jumped down from a building and down to the ground, kicking down the doors to the bank and ignoring the cops behind him.
"Wow, subtle," Ruby said dryly as Rook pulled into the backside of the bank. His human disguise fizzled apart (admittedly catching Ruby off guard) and he picked up his weapon.
He grinned slyly. "Then let us be the subtle ones."
Rath burst into the room, immediately establishing his dominance. The group of robbers broke their focus away from the hostages and onto Rath.
"LEMME TELL YA SOMETHING, ROBBERS WHO ARE PROBABLY EITHER PAYING OFF STUDENT LOANS OR A REALLY BIG RENT!"
"See?" One of the robbers prodded one of his partners. "This guy gets it."
"RATH MAY NOT HAVE THE POWER TO ARREST, BUT HE HAS THE POWER TO FIERCELY INTIMIDATE YOU!" Rath smashed his hands on the ground, causing the group to scatter and the hostages to take this moment to flee. Rath roared as he ran at one of the robbers and knocked him to the ground.
One of the bad guys aimed his gun at the distracted Rath, but a red blur suddenly passed him and snatched the gun out of his hand.
"What the-" He looked at his hand incredulously, before he was suddenly ensnared in a web of orange energy. Rook smiled as he fired another web at some more robbers who had also had their guns snatched away. Another bad guy tried to fire his gun, but Rath grabbed it and shattered it in his massive hands.
"RATH IS- OW!" Rath retracted his hand and looked down. There was a strange, red crystalline splinter in his palm, digging deep into his skin. "OW! THAT ALMOST HURT!" He fake-wailed as he knocked the guy out.
"What happened?" Ruby asked as she sped over. "Did Rathy-poo get a boo-boo-!" She paused as she looked down at the splinter. "That...that's Dust."
"NO, IT'S A CRYSTAL!" Rath yelled back.
"No, you idiot, that's Dust! As in, the crystal Dust?! You know, the kind of Dust that I used to freeze and shock my enemies with?" Ruby countered.
"I- RATH KNEW THAT!" Rath defended himself as Ruby pulled the splinter out of his hand. She approached one of the bad guys and held him up by the collar.
"Where'd you get these weapons?" she yelled.
"We- we just got 'em down by the docks!" the crook spluttered. "This dude in fancy get up gave it to us! Honest!" Ruby sighed as she dropped the guy on the floor.
"We gotta get to your base," Ruby said. "Now."
The diner wasn't that busy, to be honest, but that didn't shock Ben. All of the seniors tended to flock this place during the earlier hours, so it was a relatively quiet Saturday morning. A few waitress waved at Ben, who was a regular at this place. Ruby looked around; it had been some time since she had last been inside, but it still looked familiar.
"This way," Ben said, as he and Rook led Ruby to the backroom and into a small side pantry. He closed the door, and suddenly, the room went dark.
"Uh," Ruby said awkwardly, "can someone get the light?"
"Oh, of course," Rook said, pulling the chain to what Ruby assumed was a lightbulb. Suddenly, a green circle opened at their feet. Ruby gasped, before they were encased in a pod that plummeted to the lower levels. She felt sick just being on it, but Ben and Rook were fine.
"Yeah, the motion sickness is the norm for first timers," Ben reassured her as they reached the bottom. The doors opened to reveal something out of a Men in Black movie; aliens and humans (at least, that's what Ruby assumed), walking around and discussing things, people rushing to get to training, computers with strange alien language on them...Ruby could tell Ben liked it here.
"I am going to go inform Ceres of this 'dust' crystal," Rook announced. "You two go check in with Magister Tennyson. Maybe he'll have something cooking for the both of you!"
Ben grimaced. "We're...not exactly fans of alien food, dude."
"Not since we had to eat Grandpa Max's cooking for a whole summer," Ruby fake gagged. "Remember that meat loaf that blinked at us?"
Rook pouted lightly. "But Magister Tennyson is a master chef!"
"Right," Ben said sarcastically as Rook walked off.
"So, this is the official Bellwood base, huh?" Ruby smiled. "Pretty sweet."
Ben grinned. "Tell me about it! I'll introduce you to the team later, but for now, follow me!"
Ben led Ruby down to a side area, down to something that looked more like a hallway in an apartment. "Most of the people here are kind of like people in the military. They're discharged to a base, and stay here for a year or so. Grandpa Max lives here full time, though. Grandma Verdona kinda rotates." Ben stopped at Room 10 and knocked on the door. The two of them stood there for a second, as the door opened.
"Well, this is a surprise," Max greeted cheerfully.
"Grandpa Max!" Ruby cried out as she rushed forward. Max extended his arms wide, and Ruby rushed into his, picking up the man with minimal effort. Ben was surprised by Ruby's strength, but not enough to elicit an over the top reaction.
"It's so good to see again!" Ruby gushed.
"Great to see you too, kiddo," Max agreed. "Judging by your strength, I can tell a lot has changed since we last saw each other. Now could you put me down?"
Ruby's face turned as red as her cape, and she set down Max. "Sorry! I'm just super happy to see you right now!"
"Grandpa Max has been operating as the Bellwood magister for a few years now," Ben explained. "Plus, his diner upstairs is...pretty popular."
Ruby shot Ben a look.
"Don't worry. It's normal food," Max reassured her. "The health code didn't appreciate the idea of me using 'alien cuisine'."
"Oh thank god," Ruby sighed.
"What about you? How's your dad and sister doing?"
Ruby beamed. "Dad and Yang are doing great! Dad recently submitted an application for a teaching job at Beacon, and Yang's a part of my team, so family's pretty close."
"That's great to hear, kiddo," Max said as he walked back into the kitchen. Max's kitchen had a very ALIEN aroma to it. Ruby took quick note of some foreign ingredients and an alien blaster sitting on the counter. "You two came just in time; I'm making a quick brunch!"
"Oh, what's cooking?" Ben said, having not eaten since 9 AM.
Max took off the lid of his pot to reveal a squid bathing in boiling water. "Zadorian Golash!" Ben and Ruby grimaced. Suddenly, tendrils shot out of the pot; two of the tendrils wrapped themselves around Ben and Max and picking them up. Without a second thought, Ruby picked up the blaster on the table and shot at the pot. The squid shrieked, as it retreated back into the pot, dropping Ben and Max on their feet.
Max chuckled to himself. "Guess I didn't cook it long enough."
"Uh, no thanks," Ben said as he awkwardly stood up and brushed off his shirt. "I'm...oddly not hungry."
"Me too," Ruby grinned nervously. "Train food really filled me up." (That was a lie. Train food was and always will be flavorless and boring.)
"Well, best not keep you. Have you introduced Ruby to your leader?" Max asked as he threw some spices into the pot.
"Not yet," Ben told him. "I thought it'd be more important to just drop by real quick."
"You probably should. She's been asking me about Ruby's weapon recently," Max said.
Ruby's eyes lit up. "Yes. Please. Introduce me to a fellow weapon lover."
Ben rolled his eyes. "Alright, alright. I'll catch up with you later, then," he told his grandpa.
"Brunch is still on the counter if you want some!" Max called out as the two turned to the door.
"So, what's so special about this leader of yours?" Ruby asked curiously.
"Oh, you'll see," Ben said slyly. "She's something else."
"She is absolutely terrifying and everyone in the squadron has feelings for her," Rook said flatly.
"That can't be true," Ruby laughed. "No woman can have that much power."
"It's true," a voice said from the sidelines. Ruby looked over to see an old, familiar face. One that was doing much, much, MUCH better than where he was when she last saw him.
"Kevin!" she cheered.
"Hey Red," Kevin said, smiling slightly. His hair was longer and sleeker, tied into a loose ponytail that fell over one shoulder. He was much taller and broader, wearing a black shirt that stretched over his chest, paired with a gray plaid button-up and dark-washed jeans. Military style combat boots were on his feet, adding to his imposing height. His dark eyes were kind though, set in a square-jawed, strikingly handsome face.
"Kevin and I joined at around the same time," Ben explained. "Ceres saw some huge potential in both of us."
"Which is funny, considering she wasn't particularly thrilled about leading her own team," Rook said with a sardonic smile. "She thought she was just here to work on her mechanical engineering degree while working with the Plumbers."
"I mean, she's doing that now, but yeah. She didn't expect to be leading a team," Ben hurried to explain. "Honestly, no one wanted to be a part of the team at first."
"It was all kinda random," Kevin continued. "One day we were just minding our own business, doing our own separate training routines, next thing you know, we're in a team together."
"I mean, it was a little more complicated than that, but I guess that's a good way to end it," Ben said, shrugging. Ruby just stared at him, question marks in her eyes.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Kevin said, pouting a bit.
"I dunno. I don't really think you should be on the 'highest' squadron yet, that's a lot of stress on someone, right?"
"Well, what level would you say you're on?" Ben asked her. "You and your team, I mean."
"Uh, second year." Ruby mulled it over. "We go on more skilled missions now, like abandon towns ravaged by Grimm and taking down some larger stuff."
"Yeah, that sounds similar to what we do," Kevin said, pursing his lips a bit. "Except replace 'abandoned towns' with 'within the city or on the outskirts.'"
"Or sometimes on a different planet," someone else added. Ruby turned to see a girl with lightly tanned skin, curly black hair with green highlights and a rather heavyset figure. "Remember that one time we went to that Upchuck planet to mediate in their civil war, and then they just ended up eating the planet?"
"I...I have way to many questions about that," Ruby stated.
"We all do," she said. She held out her hand to shake. "I'm Kylie Dombrowski. You?"
"Ruby Rose," Ruby greeted. "...have we met? I feel like we have."
As they shook hands, Kylie smiled back. "Well, I used to go to that summer camp with your sister. I literally met you and Ben when you visited."
"...WAIT," Ruby said, freezing in place. "Are you the one who kept demanding pictures of Echo Echo?"
"Yep!" Kylie chirped. "And I finally got a few!"
"That's this year's birthday present, I hope you know that," Ben told her.
"Yeah, I also remember you were really close with Weiss or something," Ruby said. "I remember seeing you two together frequently."
Kylie just smiled. "Anyway, where are you guys going?"
"To see Ceres, we found dust in some basic guns," Ben explained.
Kylie frowned. "Yeah, that's... that's not good. I think Ceres is still in the lab, come on."
Ruby felt a bit at home when she entered the lab. Sometimes she would spend weekends coupled up in her mechanics lab back at school, fixing or improving her weapon, and this felt like an extreme version of that place.
A few people were still running about, wearing lab coats and holding papers. There was a constant, frenzied feeling in the air that Ruby adored. Rook walked up to one of the few scientists sitting down, gently interrupting the scientist as he sipped his coffee. "Excuse me, Dr. Lloyd?"
Dr. Lloyd was a skinny man with silvery hair and dark grey eyes, trapped behind old-fashioned spectacles. If he didn't pull them off so well, Ruby would be inclined to call him a dork. The doctor merely smiled mischievously. "Are you looking for my best student? Because she's currently testing out a new weapon. I would recommend approaching her cautiously."
"Noted," Ben said, and he immediately transformed into Diamondhead. Everyone gave him a strange look. "What? He said be cautious."
"That I did," the doctor chirped. He held up his mug in a lazy salute. "Have fun~"
As they walked away, Ruby whispered. "He's so weird."
"But much more preferable to the last guys," Ben muttered, shuddering. The crystal shook with him, making a merry shattering sound.
Ruby remember one of the Galvans back at the Rushmore base. "Yeah, okay, fair."
And that's when Ruby finally saw her.
And yes, a woman could have that much power.
The girl-woman? It was hard to place her- had abandoned her lab coat on her chair, revealing a black t-shirt with a white circuit board design, form-fitting jeans, and personalized blue tool belt, and black Converse sneakers. She was tall and fairly curvy, perfectly sculpted muscle visible as she moved her bronze arms. Her hair was black with natural blue highlights, ending scruffily halfway down her neck. Her face was diamond shaped with high cheekbones, complete with glacial blue eyes underneath thick black eyebrows. What was odd, though, were her snake-like pupils and white, cat-like horns jutting out of her black hair; clearly she was some sort of alien-hybrid. Dark blue lips were pursed as she studied the gun in her hands, the silvery material not unlike Ruby's own folded weapon.
"Yo, boss!" Kylie greeted ever so casually. "Are we interrupting you?"
Ceres aimed the weapon at the circular, metallic shield 20 yards away, ignoring the walls surrounding it. She breathed once, let it go, and let out a shot that sounded like a bomb falling from the sky. The shield exploded almost instantly, pieces of it shooting out in the containment field, embedding themselves into the walls. Ceres eyed the leftover fire and nodded once, picking up a clipboard and making a few notes.
"My new weapon is working within parameters so far, so I've got some time." She smiled beatifically at her team. "What's up?"
"We have a bit of a problem on our hands," Ben said.
"...what did you do this time?" Ceres sighed.
"Why you gotta assume I did it?" he demanded to know.
"Because it's either you or Kevin who accidentally fucks up," Ceres said bluntly. "Granted I do the same damn thing, but you two are literally magnets for trouble."
"Well...it's the magnet attracted me," Ruby said.
Ceres turned to look at her, and Ruby had to force down the blush that threatened to bloom. Stunning blue eyes quickly looked her up and down, cataloguing everything she saw with scientific ease. "Let me guess, you're the mysterious Ruby Rose Ben's been going on about recently," Ceres said, shooting Ben a teasing smirk.
Ruby blushed. This woman was too damn powerful, and she damn well knew it.
"Y-Yeah. Anyways, are you familiar with Dust?"
Ceres tapped her pen against her lips, and Ruby had to tear her eyes away from the sight. "Hmm. I've heard about it and seen it, but I've never handled any before. I never needed any for my weapons, and no one else besides Kylie really uses it. Why do you ask?"
"Well, we found it in a normal earth gun," Ben explained. "Rath crushed a gun in his hand, and...well, we found it." Ben handed it to Ceres.
Ceres bit her lip, revealing sharp, shark-like teeth that wouldn't be uncommon on an anime character. She studied the red crystal, turning it over in her hand once, before nodding. "Yeah, we're gonna need to send this to analysis. I literally can't tell you anything about a material I've never really handled."
Ruby suddenly grinned. "...but I think I know someone who does."
"Yeah, Ceres will be sending an airship," Ruby said into her phone. "It's already on course, so I recommend packing a bunch of clothes, your weapon and some ammo."
Ben smiled, proud of Ruby; look at her, being a leader and stuff! Ben always felt she had more of a leading spirit that he ever did. To compare the two of them, Ruby was absolutely doing much better than he was right now. Sure, he was a part of the big leagues, but not leading them. Plus, she took down those robbers from earlier without even using her weapon! That was a huge step up.
"Alright, see you guys in an hour or so," Ruby said as she left the call. "Still feels weird to lead girls older than me."
"...What?"
"Yeah, my teammates. They're all, like, two years older than me."
"You're 16 now, right?"
"Yeah, why?"
"...ok, yeah, you win," Ben chuckled.
"I dunno," Ruby drawled. "You can still shapeshift into a bunch of aliens, much of which I've yet to really see…so, say, if we were to fight..."
"Wanna test that theory later on?" Ben joked.
Ruby looked around and gave a sly smile. "How about now? We got time to kill…"
Ben smirked. "You're on."
