CRUDEN: LMAO, it's fine. I personally like MCU Iron Spider because it's just a metallic version of Ben Reilly's Spider-Man suit.
A Sports Festival
It had been nearly a week since the teens met the son of the Chinese crime family, FanFan Won. Despite losing, FanFan had become relentless, especially since he seemed convinced that Tsukune was the ring leader of the group and everyone else, including Ben, were his underlings. As for Ben, though he was able to get a response from Moka, he hadn't been able to try and spend time with her because...well, he didn't want to release her and have her get mad for waking her up over a "pointless reason." Sure, he could always pose it as a sparring match, but he wasn't sure if he was physically ready to fight her again, mainly because he wasn't sure how strong the Iron Spider suit was and he didn't want to accidently destroy it right away like a dumbass. Despite that, it didn't stop Dreamqueen from incessantly teasing the young vigilante to no end, even offering to "take a hike" for a few hours if they decided to do "that."
Ben slammed his head against the desk in the Newspaper club as he thought about what Dreamqueen had told him. He tried to drown out everything by playing music, not through his headphones, but through a speaker. Did the club care? Probably, but they've just come to accept it at this point. Currently he was playing "Basket Case." Dammit. Now I'm gonna be all self-conscious about that sort of thing. "God damm succubus." he groaned out loud on accident. Kokoa glanced at Ben and then to Kurumu with a confused expression.
"Kurumu isn't doing anything, dumbass." Kokoa replied with a scoff.
Ben groaned and turned the music up louder as the track switched to "Circles" by Post Malone. Just vibe it out Ben. he told himself, Close your eyes, let Posty take you to the sunny shores of Cali. As Ben tried to close his eyes he glanced out the window to see a figure that seemed to be floating, staring at them. "What the fuck?" he asked as he brought Kokoa to him. The two squinted their eyes and groaned, "Oh, it's him." they said in unison. "Okay Kokoa, time spring the trap."
"Okay, do you mean the guy or the plan?" she asked.
"Just go get the glue balloon." Ben chuckled.
FanFan stood atop a flying, insectoid type monster he summoned just outside the windows of the Newspaper club. "Ah, there he is!" FanFan said excitedly as he saw Tsukune diligently doing his work for the club, "Yes, Tsukune is giving his best in club activities again today. Even so," FanFan gripped his chin in thought, "Tsukune is meant to be super strong. Yet his everyday life isn't much different than a normal person's." he smiled, "That's perfect! Now, how should I convince him to join me today?" before FanFan could answer his own question he was hit in the fave by a balloon that exploded and all over his face was a sticky white liquid.
"YEAH, MONEY SHOT!" Kokoa shouted causing Ben to smack the back of her head, a smile on his face.
"I'm proud of you but...don't say that." Ben chuckled. Wiping the glue from his eyes, FanFan saw that one of the windows in the Newspaper club had opened up. Just at the entrance was a makeshift slingshot was made out of two chairs (one set normally, the other set on top of that one with its legs in the air) webbed together, with a makeshift crosshair made using a cut paper plate and some pencils. The actual slingshot part of the slingshot was made of webbing.
FanFan huffed, a slight blush on his face from the humiliation, "How dare you! You try and get in my way again, I'll--AUGH!!" FanFan didn't get a chance to finish as he felt something hard fly into the back of his head. The blow was so massive and so sudden that FanFan fell from his monster companion and crashed into the tree below before bouncing off a branch and landing head first on a rock. Kokoa and Ben stared wide eyed at FanFan's body. Eventually the summoner groaned and began getting to his feet again. The master and student breathed a sigh of relief before closing the window and getting rid of the evidence. FanFan rubbed his head as some girls in gym uniforms ran past him.
"Oh my goooood~ The hammer just totally flew out of my hands." one of the girls said as she.
"You're, like, such a klutz, Saki." her friend laughed, "Like, maybe you should grip it like it's your boyfriend's co--"
"Shut up, Tabii!" the other girl yelled, smacking her friend's shoulder, "He's totes no my boyfriend!" the two paused and stared at each other, "He's like, my client. LOL!" the two girls began laughing together and FanFan felt like he was going to throw up, whether it be from the glue on his face, or the way these women articulated themselves, he didn't know. Finally getting to his feet, FanFan saw what the girls were working on. It was a sign, Sports Festival?
The Next Day...
Fireworks went off in the sky above the academy as the teachers and students got ready for the Sports Festival. It kinda looked like a late summer festival with stalls for food, some music playing and spirits seemed high. Ms. Nekonome got in front of the ground and stood on a small stage as she gave the opening "speech" to the students and guests. "Gooooooooood MORNING EVERYBODY!" she yelled out, seeming more chipper than usual, "As you all know, Autumn is for reading! It also seems to be when people mysteriously gain weight." she muttered hoping to gain a laugh from the audience, but instead gained a collective groan from teenage girls who felt that line hit a little too close to home, "Ooh, tough crowd." she mumbled before clearing her throat, "Anyway, Autumn is also the time for sports! Now that beautiful season has come to our school." she smiled, "So without further ado, let's start the 9th Yokai Academy athletics carnival!" she cheered as she jumped up in the air with glee, nearly falling off the platform.
"You think anyone told her her nipples were about to stab through her shirt?" Kurumu asked as she stretched her legs, getting ready for the day.
"Oh thank god, someone said it." Ben laughed. The teens were all dressed up in their athletic wear. First were Yukari and Moka who wore white polos with red accents at the sleeves. They also wore maroon bloomers. Yukari wore knee high white socks while Moka wore black. Then there was Kurumu who wore a white t-shirt with red accents around the sleeves and collar. She also wore maroon bloomers and her traditional 80's looking leg warmers. Tsukune wore a white polo just like Moka and Yukari and had on black shorts. Ben wore a white t-shirt...or at least it WAS until he ripped off the sleeves and ripped down the sides, making a bro tank. He also wore black shorts but disliked how long they were so he rolled the top over until the legs of his shorts were just above his knee. "Seriously, she has to be doing that on purpose. She's like, what? 47 and single? Maybe she's just getting desperate?"
Kurumu sighed, "This is kinda lame. I mean, since becoming second years who cares about sports festivals. I mean, who cares, right?"
"Don't say that!" Yukari scolded, "It'll all be over if you say that!"
Moka nodded, "That's right. And think of all the people that are coming out."
"But do try and be careful," Mizore warned, seemingly out of nowhere with a group of men frozen beside her, "there's a bunch of pervs. Just now these parents kept snapping photos, they wouldn't stop so I froze them." Mizore's outfit was the most drastically different from the girl's, and the closest to what she normally wore. She wore her typical black tank top undershirt with a loose long sleeve white shirt. She also wore her maroon bloomers and even her belt which went from the right side of her waist and slanted so it rested just below her left hip. She also wore her thigh pouch on her left leg and wore her signature purple and violet striped socks.
"God you girls look great in those clothes." Ben mentioned, not realizing he said that out loud. The girls all glanced at him and he immediately snapped to attention, "Uh...what? Do I not get one free pass?" he chuckled nervously. "Anyway...uh, sure are a lot of shady looking people though. And I don't just mean the usual suspects either. Some of these parents look creepy as hell."
'Ah," Yukari snapped her fingers and brought out a blackboard with a diagram of different monsters on it, "See, those are just 'pervert yokai.' They probably came to see us girls in our bloomers. It's because they are extremely endangered species in the human world, so they figure they can just take advantage of younger women." Yukari explained in an...unsettling cheery manner. She then sighed, "In case you couldn't tell, I hate these athletics festivals. It's just an excuse for guys to star at girls in these small bloomers."
"This is such a stark contrast to American society." Ben mentioned, "In the states women willingly wear things that are small like your bloomers, or super skin tight like yoga pants. And it isn't just for exercising, but just going out too. It's a weird culture shift for me."
"Come on guys," Tsukune said with a cheery expression, "Athletics festivals aren't that bad. So let's do our best, yeah?" he said with a fist pump and bright smile, "After all, athletic festivals are for sports, sports means peace and peace means coexistence, right?!" he smiled and nodded before raising his arms to the sky, "LOVE AND PEACE!"
The girls looked at Tsukune with questioning glances, "Um...what's with Tsukune?" Kurumu asked.
"Yeah, 'love and peace'? In sports? Clearly this guy hasn't seen when the Mets and Yankees play each other." Ben joked. "Right, Moka?" he asked but the vampire seemed to be in her own little world. Peace, huh? Moka thought as she stared at Tsukune. Right, I guess it's been a while since Tsukune could be so carefree. What with Fairy Tail attacking, training, and Ben almost dying...again, I guess he's just happy that he can finally have some form of relaxation. she smiled before she clasped her hands to her face as she gained a light blush, Truth is...I even made a lunch box for the two of us! she smiled. While she was lost in her world, Ben had placed his face next to hers so he could see what she was staring off at, sure enough, it was definitely Tsukune. Ben chuckled and flicked his friend in the forehead to get her to snap back to reality, "You can't exactly spend time with him if you don't talk to him." Ben whispered before shoving Moka towards Tsukune.
Moka looked back to Ben and then to Tsukune before nodding with determination, "You're right, Tsukune." Moka nodded, "I'll do my best too. So let's have a nice day together." she smiled. Just when it seemed Moka and Tsukune were going to share a sweet moment the other girls began bombarding the teen.
"I wanna too my best with you too, Tsukune!" Kurumu said as she rested Tsukune's head between her breasts.
"You can't take him that easily." Mizore said coldly as she tried to push Moka away while Yukari jumped on them like it was a dog pile.
Ben just stood back and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I should have known." he said as he shook his head, "Maybe I just shouldn't be a wingman for anyone...ever. Because my bad luck follows them wherever." he thought a moment before chuckling, "Of course, the reason for Moka may be a little bit different."
"Nonsense!" the group stopped and looked up to see that FanFan had approached them wearing a nehru vest and black pants, his panda servant close by. "You're all too soft. Sports are supposed to be mighty battles to the death like the ancient Roman gladiators. Warriors revered for their time!"
"Roman gladiators were slaves, dude. Most forced to fight against their will, stolen from their homes. That isn't glorious, it's a death sentence." Ben groaned.
"Regardless," FanFan said, holding up his hand and practically pushing Ben out of the way, "it seems this is a blessing in disguise. Tsukune is on the red team, and I am on the white team. Therefore!" FanFan held his finger in the air and laughed, "This is a battle! A fantastic battle between warriors such as ourselves. If the white team wins, you'll join the Won family, right Tsukune!?" Tsukune and the others ignored FanFan and the girls went back to fighting amongst themselves, practically getting into a wrestling match. "What the hell!? Why are you ignoring me!?" he whined, "Why are you so mean to me! It's completely unfair!" FanFan tried to de-stress himself by petting his panda, but the creature ignored him and played around with a ball, "Et tu, panda?"
Kurumu looked up from hugging Tsukune and groaned, "God, shut the fuck up already. Why'd you even come by for FanFan? You're a guy, so quit clinging to Tsukune."
Ben groaned, "Guys, we went over this, it's fine to swing that way. If the rolls were reversed you'd be calling him a sexist."
"Shut up, Ben." Kurumu and Mizore replied in unison.
FanFan shook his head, "No! I must do whatever I can to get Tsukune to join the mafia." the mafia child smiled and rubbed his hands together, "But since it's the Athletics Carnival it's the perfect chance for our battle!" FanFan felt a sudden chill on his back and nearly jumped out of his skin when Mizore appeared behind him, "Wha--? How did you?"
"Anyways, aren't you missing the point?" Mizore asked as she held her ice claw up to FanFan's chin, "Battles are where both teams carry some sort of risk. If you want us to risk Tsukune, then you'd have to risk something of similar value. So tell me FanFan...are you giving us your life!?" she asked with an almost deranged look on her face. FanFan went to say something, but Ben pulled him and Mizore forward with a webline. As he did so there was a flash of light and an explosion occurred where the two were just standing. From the explosion there was a small crater where it looked like a meteorite landed, and from that small crater stood a somewhat tall figure.
"Jesus, do we have to deal with aliens too?" Ben asked half-sarcasrically, "I already have to deal with symbiotes back in New York, I'm not exactly looking forward to Kal-El." From the smoke a woman appeared. She had fair skin, a beautiful figure, pretty green eyes, long black hair tied in a ponytail covered by a cap, and a dark green dress. She also wore bells as earrings, a bell around her neck and a large pearl necklace. Around the bottom of her dress she had talismans that went all around. "OH! She's a Jiang Shi." Ben shouted out. The teens looked at him with a confused expression, "You know? A Chinese hopping zombie? They're pretty popular in Chinese folklore...Hsien-ko from Darkstalkers is one?" again, confused stares, "Seriously? You're all monsters and you've never played Darkstalkers?"
"You're a super hero, do you read super hero comics?" Mizore asked trying to act like she had a 'gotcha' on Ben.
"Y-Yes. Yeah, I do. Like all the time. Batman Beyond is like my favorite cartoon of all time. Spawn is one of my favorite hero comics." Ben shrugged his shoulders.
The woman stood and smiled as she dusted off her dress, "Oh my, how terribly disrespectful of me. See, it's just in my blood that I get excited when I hear about battles." she chuckled, "But I won't reflect over it for too long, after all, I'm already dead." Ben fist pumped in joy when he had the confirmation he was right. "Ah, hello little brother," she said as she pat FanFan on his head, "I've come to the Athletics Carnival to cheer you on."
"BIG SISTER!" FanFan yelled out with a large smile as he wrapped his arms around the woman and brought her in for a large hug, "I'm so glad I could see you."
"Wait, she's FanFan's big sister!?" the teens asked in unison.
"Wow, femboy has a pretty hot older sister." Ben nodded. He then blinked a few times before bursting into a chuckling fit, "Though, since she's dead, she's actually pretty cold."
The woman smiled sweetly and placed her hand to her chest, "I am Rinrin Won. No need to treat me like an elder. After all, I had died long ago."
"You said that already." the teens said in unison. "Incredible." Yukari said as she placed her hand to her chin, "Not only is she a moving corpse, but she has her own free will. A powerful sorcerer would have to have brought you back."
"Yes!" Rinrin said joyfully, "Zombies such as myself to have free will is almost unheard of." she laughed, "But I assure you I'm dead, after all, I can do this!" she then grabbed her head and pulled it off her shoulders causing the girls to scream in fear while Ben stood still, laughing. "Hm? And what's so funny?"
"Hahaha...I bet your boyfriend's have told you...that you give great head." Ben burst into a laughing fit, Yukari gained a wide grin, Kurumu let out a loud snort, Mizore kept her cool demeanor, Moka kept her mouth closed tight but she did take a couple deep breaths and Tsukune held his hand over his mouth to hide his chuckling. FanFan and Rinrin looked at each other (Rinrin's head still in her hands) they then looked at Ben and tilted their heads in confusion (again, Rinrin's head is in her hands). "B-Because you can take off your head. And 'head' is a double entandre for...nevermind." Ben sighed.
Rinrin attached her head and walked up to Ben, getting right up in his face. She began feeling Ben's arms and legs awing at his muscle. She then gripped his chin and began looking at his face. "So, you must be the American correct. FanFan mentioned you were stronger than you seemed, but clearly my brother wasn't looking at you in the right light. You look more than strong, especially for being a freak of science." she smiled. Instantly, almost as if it was natural instinct, Ben snapped his head forward and headbutted Rinrin's nose, breaking it instantly.
"Holy shit, Ben!" Tsukune yelled out.
Ben held his hands to his face and gasped, "Oh my God, that was a lapse of judgement I'm really...wait...no. No I'm not! Fuck you!"
Mizore grabbed Ben's arm and pulled him with the group, "Just ignore them, let's go. Nothing good will happen if we just stand here talking to them."
"Wait," Rinrin called out after she fixed her nose, "Do any of you want the chance to travel overseas?" she asked, causing the girls' ears to perk up. The girl teens turned back around in interest and Rinrin continued, "You said before, right? That we have nothing to bet on. Well, how about this: If we win today, then we get Tsukune." she chuckled, "However, if Red Team wins, the Won family will take all of you on a tour of China's gourmet and hot springs! How about it!? Still think this isn't a battle?"
The girls began to converse to themselves and it sounded as if they were considering the idea. "Hold on now," Tsukune interjected, "China is the Won family's home turf. We could get in trouble if we accidently do something we aren't supposed to, which makes that place extra scary. Tell them Ben!"
Ben rubbed his chin in thought, "I'm conflicted. On one hand, it's China, and I likely will get us in trouble whether it's on accident or on purpose. So my intelligence tells me 'no'. However, my patriotism and heritage tells me to do anything to beat these commies down and show 'em whose boss. That all being considered, if we decline, we don't risk Tsukune. But if we accept and win, then we get free food, get to go to hot springs, which means naked women. AND I get to put commies in their place?" Ben chuckled, "I say we do it. Let's kick their ass!"
"YEAH!" the girls and Ben all cheered out as they raised their fists in the air, "We totally accept your challenge." Kurumu declared, pointing at the zombie. Rinrin smiled, bowed and left with FanFan who was smiling and waving the whole time. "Alright guys, let's get out there and show those mobsters we aren't just some pushover teens!" Kurumu yelled out with her fist in the air.
"Damn right!" Ben agreed, "They won't know what hit 'em. We're gonna beat 'em so hard that Rinrin chick will think she died again!"
"Yeah!" the girls cheered.
"EXCELLENT!" Ben shouted out and he, and surprisingly Moka, held their hands in the air and played air guitar as a guitar riff played around them. Mizore looked up and began looking around as if she was searching for something.
"Uh...Moka?" Yukari asked, "What are you doing?"
Moka had an almost horrified face, "I-I-I don't know. It just happened, almost as if it was instinct."
"Dude, who cares what Moka is doing. Where the fuck did that music come from!?" Mizore shouted.
The main event of the festivities was beginning to get underway and the students, staff, and visitors began to bunch together on the track. Ben, Tsukune and the others were making their way to the front so that they could get a good view of the events. Inside one of the many set up sat the Headmaster with Ruby by his side dressed up in a bunny girl dress with nylon leggings and black high heels. Hitting a lot of fetishes today. Ben thought. Ruby tapped the microphone she was holding, "Is this thing on?" she called out over the speakers. She gained some whistles of approval, but it was fairly obvious they were focused on her looks and not what she had to say. "Alright, before we start the day proper, let's go over the main things parents and students can't do while in the carnival. First is the use of monster powers, the second is showing your true form. That last one should be obvious. If you break this rule you will be forced to leave the grounds. Thank you!" she said with a smile, "Now, first on the bracket is the girls 100M dash!"
"You know," Kurumu started as they watched the first group of girls take off on a mad dash, "It's great we accepted the battle and all that. But aren't the competitions team based?"
Mizore nodded, "Yeah, it doesn't really matter how well we do if the rest of our team doesn't pull their weight."
"I noticed that earlier." Tsukune whined.
Yukari chuckled, "Not to worry, Tsukune. Whether it be Majong or horse racing, I've never lost!" she said with a confident smile and a thumbs up.
"Don't all of those rely on luck!?"
"Hahaha." The teens turned around to see Rinrin sitting in a lawn chair fanning herself as well as FanFan relaxing on the back of his panda servant, "They aren't based on luck, Tsukune. Gambling requires knowledge, experience and calculation. It's a mental battle that requires all three." she smiled, "If you didn't know that, you really are an amateur. You cannot oppose me and win against me."
Tsukune and Ben looked to each other then back to the Chinese zombie, "You stole that from Kakegurui." they said in unison causing the zombies eyes to widen slightly, "That was totally a line in Kakegurui, the whole damn series is about gambling." Tsukune added.
"WHOOO! GO GET 'EM KOKOA!!" Ben shouted. The other teens turned to see Kokoa on the track getting ready for the race and they too began to cheer for her.
"What the fuck?" she asked herself, a slight blush on her face. "I-It's not like I feel happy with them cheering for me or anything." she in fact, was very happy and suddenly more eager than before. The runners got into their ready positions. Kokoa looked at her competition and figured she already had the race in the bag. Then, suddenly, another racer showed up to her left. The woman wore a black dress similar to Rinrin's and stood with her arms extended outward instead of getting down in a crouched stance like the other girls. What the hell is this chick's problem? Kokoa thought. The starting gun went off and Kokoa took off as fast as she could, however so did that strange woman next to her, and she was jumping! What the HELL!?
"Wow, look at that!" Ruby exclaimed, "White Team lane 3 has a rocket start! And she's the only one using a jumping style!"
"WHAT THE FUCK!?" Kokoa yelled out.
Rinrin watched and had a goofy smile on her face, letting out only slight laughter every now and then. The teens looked at Rinrin and then to the mysterious racer and realized it was just like her. "Why the hell is there a zombie running in the race? She's one of your friends, isn't she!" Tsukune, Kurumu and Yukari yelled in unison.
"I don't knoooooow~ Maybeeeee." Rinrin smiled.
"Despite all that, it looks like Kokoa is giving her all!" Ruby shouted. The teens watched with baited breath as Kokoa began to catch up, until the zombie suddenly tossed a small ball in front of Kokoa that blew up. "Agh! An unexpected bomb attack!" Ruby shouted again. Ruby groaned and held her hand over the microphone so the others couldn't hear her. She turned to the Headmaster and groaned, "Sir..."
The Headmaster nodded and leaned forward, bridging his hands together and resting his chin on them. "Yes, unfortunately that's the work of the Won family. Such a troublesome bunch." he sighed, "And I received multiple transferral notices the other day. Which means those zombies are already our students. So we can't forbid them from competing." he leaned back in his chair and groaned, scratching his chin in the process, "However, the bomb attack was interesting, so I'll allow it." he smiled with a thumbs up.
Ruby, slightly baffled by the Headmaster's reasoning, cleared her throat, "Um...after further discussion we have decided that no action shall be taken! The remaining events shall resume as planned!"
"Bullshit, bullshit, bullshit." Kokoa and Ben said in unison as Ben washed the ash and gunk off her face and Kokoa massaged her legs.
"Fufufu." Rinrin laughed, "As expected of the Headmaster, he's such an understanding man. I had some zombies excelling in taijutsu transfer in as students in advance. I said so before right? Luck isn't required in battles. We'll do anything we need to do in order to win. That is the way the Won family fights."
"In other words you cheat!" Kurumu complained, "What about those things you said earlier about the things you said earlier about mental battles!?"
As Kurumu was arguing with Rinrin; Moka, Tsukune, and Ben stared onto the track as they saw more explosions go off and more members of the White Team get points. "So much for a peaceful and bloodless Athletics Carnival." Tsukune groaned.
Several more events go by and the White Team was ahead. The current score was 187-76, White in the lead. "Man, to think that even with the events Ben excelled in we're still one hundred points behind." Tsukune groaned, "Well, at least Mizore and Kurumu are up next." Right now the Second Year Girls Obstacle Course was in progress with Kurumu and Mizore neck and neck with each other. The two continued running and started to catch up with the zombies that were on the White Team. Damn, these guys are too fast. Kurumu thought, But, we have to at least win this one! "Oh no! Even Mizore and Kurumu may not make it!" Tsukune shouted in fear as he bit his finger nails to practically nubs while Rinrin smiled and continued fanning herself.
"Oh, I see the problem." a female voice said from behind Tsukune, "Sorry Tsukune, I need to borrow your shoulder for a bit." Tsukune felt something rest on his shoulder followed by a strong vibration as something fired and hit the vampires. The two undead creatures collapsed allowing Mizore and Kurumu to finish first.
"What the?" Ruby asked, "Uhhhh...it appears Mizore and Kurumu of the Red Team have finished first!"
"Looks like we'll be lending you our power, Tsukune." Tsukune turned around to see Mizore's mom, Tsurara, as well as Kurumu's mom, Ageha, and Yukari's mom, Fujiko. Rinrin stood up and stared at the mothers with a forced smile.
"Hey wait, that was just plain cheating!" FanFan yelled out.
Tsurara smiled and waved it off as if it was nothing, "Oh please, the bullets I fired were made of ice, so they don't cause any noticeable harm and melt right away." she laughed, "Besides, I say we are both cheaters today, aren't we? No sense denying it, after all we heard about everything you have done today from the Bus Driver." Rinrin could only smirk, "So, let the best cheater win?"
From that moment forward the mothers weren't holding anything back. Tsurara using her expert techniques shot down the zombies from afar with her sniper bullets, Ageha used her succubus charm to seduce the male zombies into not participating and Fujiko made voodoo dolls of the different zombies and prevented them from participating. FanFan and Rinrin sat and watched as their, basically army of zombies fell one and the Red Team came closer and closer to surpassing them. "Damn it!" FanFan growled.
"Don't worry, FanFan. This just means that the parent's event this afternoon is the true battle." FanFan turned to his sister to see her cocky attitude from earlier had diminished and she began to look more monstrous the more frustrated she became. Gray veins spreading through her body and her teeth becoming sharp. "Next time, I'll just have to personally compete." she grinned sinisterly.
Once most of the events were over it was then time for lunch. Kurumu, Mizore and Yukari all spent time with their mothers, having a nice picnic. Ben was more than allowed to join them for food according to Tsurara, but he was more partial to eating lunch with Kokoa. Ben and Kokoa sat up in a tree, Kokoa had a cup of noodles while Ben was eating a small cup of oatmeal and drinking a sports drink. "You know, my sister probably made you a lunch. You should have ate with her."
Ben nearly choked on his food, "No. She's with Tsukune right now, I guarantee the food made was for him." Ben took a drink of his sports drink and offered it to Kokoa. She decline but he practically forced it on her, "Drink it, you need to recover your electrolytes. Especially with all that salt you're inhaling." Kokoa chuckled slightly and took a drink from the bottle, "Dang, didn't even wipe the rim? That's like...an indirect kiss, ain't it?" Kokoa's face became extremely red and she nearly spit out the drink, causing Ben to burst out into laughter. "Relax, who cares? Anyways, we need to talk about our ultimate plan for the final event."
With Tsukune and Moka, the two had walked off, away from the track for quite a ways. "Well...uh...the Athletics Carnival has been pretty crazy, huh?" Tsukune asked Moka with a nervous chuckle. "But uh...thanks to everyone's mothers we're totally saved. Guess they were like our strongest helpers, huh?"
Moka blushed and fidgeted in place before bringing up a a box she had wrapped in cloth, "Actually, Tsukune...I was hoping I could be of some help too. So I prepared this earlier." Moka layed out a cloth and placed her box on it. She opened up the box to show all the food she had prepared earlier in the morning. Tsukune stared in awe at the assortment of food, and best of all there was enough for the two of them! "Your parents wouldn't be able to come cheer for you, right? Well, I thought this could help make up for it."
"Thank you!" Tsukune practically shouted out with joy, "This is perfect." Moka smiled and went to feed Tsukune the food she prepared, but before anything could happen a group of Won family zombies came hopping by and completely destroyed everything. The two didn't even get a chance to eat.
"Ah...the lunch I made." Moka said sadly as she looked at the food that was now spread out across the ground.
"Looks like the afternoon's highlight has started!" Ruby said excitedly as she pointed to the sky, "It's time for the Parent and Child mock calvary battle! It's a simple game where the parent and child ride piggyback and try to steal each others hats." she explained, "Of course, violence of any sort is prohibited. Furthermore, this is a bonus game where the points are multiplied based on the number of remaining participants. It's the perfect chance to show the other team whose boss!" As Ruby explained the rules of the game, Ben hopped on Kokoa's shoulders for the final round.
"I don't see...ugh...why I'm the legs here." Kokoa complained as Ben adjusted himself on her shoulders.
"Because my body has adhesive abilities, so the hat can't be stolen from me." Ben explained as he put on his top hat, "It's not cheating because they said no monster powers, and I'm not a monster sooooo..." Ben said with a shrug. Looking around Ben saw his friends sitting on the shoulders of their parents, and he saw the zombies on top of each other, he also noticed FanFan was carrying Rinrin on his shoulders, "Huh, I figured it'd be the other way around." Before Ben knew it the final competition started. Looking ahead he saw the Red Team and White Team going at it, hell, Kurumu even accidentally took off Rinrin's head when she reached for the hat. As the White Team began to push back the Red Team Kokoa began moving forward, "Wait, wait...what's that?" Ben asked pointing ahead.
Behind Rinrin, from seemingly out of nowhere, Moka appeared riding Tsukune, except it wasn't the Outer Moka. It was the Inner Moka, and Ben noticed that she looked pissed. "Your crimes...call for punishment." Moka warned, "I'll have you pay for those crimes with that body of yours!"
"Fuck I wish that were me." Ben said as he saw Moka's thighs against Tsukune's face.
Kokoa's eyes widened and she jerked her head back, nailing Ben in the junk, "FOCUS YOU HORNDOG! Your dick is drilling a hole in the back of my skull!"
"Sorry." Ben groaned out as he tried to catch his breath. Before they knew it, Moka had kicked Rinrin and FanFan to the ground, "OH! RIGHT THERE, KOKOA GO NOW!!" Kokoa dashed forward with great speed, allowing Ben to grab Rinrin's hat before it hit the ground.
"ABSOLUTELY NOT!!" Ruby shouted out, "Moka, you've transformed AND acted violently, you totally broke the rules!"
Moka tossed her hat and sighed, "Whatever. But I'm still pissed. Tsukune, hop to it, I have more skulls to crush."
"Please crush mine with your thighs." Ben mumbled.
"DUDE! Seriously? Like a drill!!" Kokoa complained. In a matter of minutes, the White Team and Red Team began actually fighting, arguing over who was cheating first. Taking advantage of the situation Kokoa and Ben rushed through the 'battlefield' and grabbed hats as they fell, making a giant tower.
"AND THAT'S THE GAME!" Ruby shouted causing parties from both teams to stop dead in their tracks, "And at the end of the day, with 576 points is...TEAM SCARLET with Ben Reilly and Kokoa Shuzen!!" she began clapping as small confetti cannons shot off.
"WHAT!?" Both teams shouted in unison, "Did we really just get cockblocked from our vacation by Ben and Kokoa?" Kurumu asked with a disappointed expression. Ben and Kokoa cheered as they approached their group.
"See guys? We keep Tsukune!" Ben said excitedly, but nobody seemed to have the same enthusiasm, "And, we stuck it to those commies. That's a massive win right?"
"Chinese gourmet and spa, Ben!" Kurumu shouted as she walked away in a huff.
"Way to drop the ball, dumbass." Mizore scolded as she caught up with Kurumu. Yukari then left and so did Tsukune, but he at least thanked Ben for saving him. Finally Kokoa left and it was just Ben and Moka.
"S-So..." Moka said as she rubbed the back of her head, "You wanna...get something to eat?"
"Oh thank God." Ben said with a smile, "I'm glad you're hungry, because I'm starving. How about we go to my dorm, I make some food and we watch a movie? Like an action flick or something."
Moka smirked, "I think I'd like that." the two began walking to Ben's dorm, "Where did that music come from anyway?"
"What music?" Ben asked, "Are you talking about the guitar thing?" Moka nodded, "Oh, you only hear it if you believe." Moka felt she now had more questions than before, but felt best not to bother asking. After all, it doesn't really matter if she gets to spend time with him.
Several Days Later...
Ben was on his way to class when he was suddenly stopped by Ruby in the hall, "Ben!" she called out as she rushed over to the human, "Sorry to stop you, but, you have a phone call." Ben cocked an eyebrow in confusion. Who the hell is calling me? It can't be Kaine...did Laura get the number for the school or something?
Ben walked over to the telephones that somehow connected to the human world. He still really couldn't figure that part out, magic most likely. As Ben approached the phones one of them began to ring. For some reason Ben had a strange feeling about this, like he was about to get some news he wouldn't want to hear. Please let May be okay. Please let May be okay. he thought. "Hello?" Ben answered in English.
"Hello, Ben. It's been a while...'son'." Ben's heart nearly sank when he heard the voice. A voice he thought he wouldn't hear for the rest of his life. It was Miles Warren, the Jackal, also known as the man who cloned Spider-Man. The man who created Ben and Kaine. "You're probably surprised to be hearing my voice, aren't you?"
"What do you want?" Ben asked with a hint of anger in his voice.
"Oh c'mon? Is that the way you address your father?" the villain chuckled.
Ben groaned in annoyance, "Fuck you. You aren't my father. Now quit playing around. What do you want?"
Miles chuckled, "Well, it isn't of my own volition. Your friend, Dr. Reed Richards, approached me the other day. Said he had a sample of some of your lung tissue. I've gotta say, I wasn't sure what he meant at first." Miles clicked his tongue, "I didn't want to help him, but I was intrigued. Especially since it was from my greatest success." he chuckled, "Though it seems I was wrong about that too. Richards figured that since I created you I could see what was wrong with you. I thought it was the standard thing, some accelerated aging and whatnot. But I'm afraid it's much worse than that. Benjamin, I'm afraid that you aren't my perfect creation. You're dying. Quite rapidly I might add." Ben nearly fell over due to the news. "Yes, it seems that you are going through a mutated and extreme strand of Cell Deterioration. Your body is breaking down from the inside out. Before you know it your organs will be non-existent."
Ben took a moment to breath before he began asking questions, "How long?"
"Two, maybe four months tops." Ben couldn't believe what he heard. His life was finally starting to get so much better and now...this? Was he not allowed to be happy? "Upon hearing my estimates Dr. Richards said he'd get started on a cure right away, but I told them it'd be fruitless. Even if they were to make a perfect cure, you'd still only have a 37% chance of surviving." Miles chuckled, "I'd say 'I'm sorry' but, you're kinda the reason why I'm locked up for life anyways. So, I suppose I'll follow your example. Fuck you." Miles laughed, "The only reason I told you was to have the satisfaction of letting you know you are cursed. That you are my creation. And that I cannot wait for you to be waiting for me at the gates of hell." Miles hung up and Ben was left at the phone booth alone.
He gripped the phone in his hand, nearly crushing it by the force of his grip. A tear dripped off Ben's chin and landed on the ground bellow him, "It's not fair..." he whispered. He then began yelling at the top of his lungs as he repeatedly slammed the phone back into its place. Ben then began punching the phone box before ripping off the wall in anger and slamming it into the ground, "AAAAAAAAAAAAGH!!!" Ben began taking a few deep breaths, calming down slightly. He looked up from where he threw the phone box to see Kokoa standing with a surprised expression on her face. "How much did you hear?"
"Um..." Kokoa looked around, "You know just the important stuff." she said lightly.
Ben walked up to Kokoa and gripped her shoulders causing her to yelp slightly, "Kokoa...you CANNOT tell anybody." Ben's grip tightened and Kokoa could see his eyes puffed red and the tears stream down his face, "P-Please. I can't...I can't let them keep worrying about me!" He cried as he dug his face into Kokoa's shoulder, "They're always worrying about me. If they hear this they'll think I'm just a liability. Please, I can't have that happen. I can still help. I can still fight! I'm...I'm not dead yet, dammit!"
"Yeah." Kokoa replied, "This'll be a secret between you and me...for now. But you'll have to tell them eventually." Ben looked into Kokoa's eyes and the two nodded before clasping their hands together.
It seems now Ben is on a time limit.
To Be Continued...
A/N: Hey, remember to Favorite, Follow and Review.
Real Quick Review: Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1-2. Fantastic. The game feels great, the physics are great. It probably is one of the best games to come out this year, unironically.