A/N: Hey there guys, how's it going? Well, here we are back with Ben 10 RWBY and… you may have already noticed something about this chapter's title. Indeed, it's NOT what I advertised in the "NEXT TIME" portion of my previous Author's Note. Well, that's because I jumped the gun a bit. This chapter DOES partially adapt the first act of "Bros in Space", but really, it doesn't feature the titular "Bros" much at all, so I felt it only necessary to rename the chapter so that it fits the events that happen here. Because indeed, it's time for Ben and co.'s vacation in space to get underway!

Oh, but one more thing, last time I mentioned that Red Son is pretty much based on his characterization from Lego Monkie Kid, right down to his voice. …But I also neglected to say who that voice actor WAS, so I'm gonna rectify that here. So without further ado…

Red Son – Voiced by Kyle McCarley

Alright, so with that said, let's get this space bus a-movin'! This is…

Chapter 91: Space Vacation, Start!

…..

Red Son had to admit, he was expecting something a little… more. Especially from the likes of villains such as these ones. But as he scanned his eyes across the rundown, shoddily kept apartment, the young demon tilted his head back over his shoulder toward the five Ministry members, cocking an eyebrow at them. "So… THIS is where you concoct your evil plans?" he questioned, thrusting a hand up toward the stuffy kitchen. "This place barely looks like it'll hold together! How do you people LIVE like this?!"

"Hey, watch it, buster!" Rojo pointed sternly at him. "Just 'cause we let you in doesn't mean we can't kick ya back out. Besides, this ain't our MAIN base of operations. This is just where we bunk while we're on Earth."

Mercury turned his nose up to the demon while Neo nodded resolutely. "Yeah. May not be the best place on this godforsaken rock, but at this point, it's home."

Red Son pursed his lips with an unimpressed gaze. "Your sentimental blather does nothing to move me." He sighed and shut his eyes, swinging his hand to tell the group to get a move on. "But all right, I'll bite. What is your "main" base of operations?"

With a confident grin, Cinder approached the demon… with a Seer right by her side. "That would be… this place." As if on cue, a large purple portal burst open in the middle of the living room, making Red Son practically jump in surprise.

"GYAH-HAH! W-What in the world?!" Narrowing his eyes and adjusting his glasses a bit, the redheaded demon peered through the vortex, though even then, he couldn't see much. It just appeared to be a dark void which was only slightly brightened by the purple light. All he could make out was a blood red rug and nothing else.

Cinder, though, was nothing but confident as she strolled through the portal, with the others following her over to the other side. She reached her hand out and made a "come hither" gesture toward Red Son, beckoning him to follow. "Hmhm… come and see for yourself." she invited with a conniving grin.

"…Hah, yes, ma'am!" Needing no further coaxing, Red Son crossed the threshold, not even knowing that he just took his first step into another world. Once he did, though, he immediately noticed the change in atmosphere, and with his eyes adjusting to the darker lighting, he could finally see the details of this place. It was gothic in nature, the fireplace and lamps across the walls being the only source of light. …At least from the inside. The windows let an eerie purple hue in for a more natural light, and his jaw dropped when he saw exactly what was outside. A dark, ragged landscape as far as the eye could see, teeming with dark creatures skulking about the land in seemingly aimless directions.

"Well, then…" Cinder folded her arms, waiting for a response. "What do you think?"

"…I will admit, this is FAR more impressive." Red Son smiled widely, though he also added; "Of course, I personally am more a fan of a harder, more metallic aesthetic, but any demon worth their salt would happily call this place home. Whoever owns this place has good taste."

Then, from behind the demon, a certain voice responded. "I am pleased to hear that." The boy's eyes widened and he spun around… only to be met with a sight that made his jaw drop. Standing before him was a white-skinned woman with black veins all over her body, her equally white hair done up in several ties that gave her a regal appearance. Her black and red gaze seemed to bore into him, even if there was no aggression behind it whatsoever. He could just tell that this woman was VERY powerful. And beside her stood a rather intimidating man in all black attire with purple accents throughout, his helmet's visor being the most prominent.

The woman approached and placed a hand upon her chest. "It gives me great honor than an honest to goodness demon appreciates my choice in… artistic visual."

"A-Ah! I see!" Red Son wrung his hands together, ready to appeal to the shadowy woman before him. "So, YOU are the owner of this horrendously evil abode! Well, it is a great pleasure to meet you, Miss…"

"Salem." the witch answered. "I am known as Salem." she gestured to the man standing with her. "And this is my ally, Eon. He is the one who allowed you entry into this universe."

Eon gave a single nod. "Pleasure."

However, Red Son was more focused on what Salem said before. "W-Wait, hold on… did you say universe? Did I just… hop into another world?" He shot Cinder and her group a slight glare. "You could've mentioned that part, you know."

"Why? Is it a big deal?" Emerald questioned.

Blinking in astonishment, Red Son thrust a finger out to the green-haired girl. "H-How can YOU be speaking as if it's not?! I, a demon of Earth, have just crossed over into a different world! Do you peasants not realize what this means?!"

"Oh yeah… you're the first demon to do that, actually." Rojo gave a sarcastic thumbs up. "Congrats, your highness."

"Gah! You—I just… give me a second to test something…" The redhead raised his hand, snapped his fingers and, much to his relief, a flame flickered to life instantly. "Hah… excellent. It would seem that the crossing hasn't affected my powers." He craned his head back to Salem and bowed slightly. "My apologies for the outburst, Miss Salem. As a demon, I was afraid that my powers would be tied to my home world."

Salem hummed in understanding. "I see. Well, it would seem that isn't the case." Her brow furrowed slightly. "So I would hope to see fewer outbursts from you in my home. You are my guest, remember, and I expect guests to be on their best behavior."

Even with that one look alone, Red Son could tell that she meant business. He straightened himself up, placing a hand behind his back as he cleared his throat. "A-Ahem, yes, of course. It will not happen again, ma'am." Placing his other hand upon his chest, he finessed his way to a different topic. "Tell me, though, what is your story? Miss Cinder over there was not privy to telling me the details about your goals or why you are in such a conflict with the… Omni-Hunters, was it?"

"Hm, yes. The children have become a constant issue over the past few months." Salem affirmed, moving toward a window to gaze out over her barren lands. "I will not bore you with the more intricate details. I wish to bring this world—Remnant—to its knees. Humanity needs to know its place… under the rule of myself and my Grimm. To do so, I must gather four ancient relics that an old enemy of mine hid away long ago… and acquire Ben Tennyson's Omnitrix so that I may evolve my Grimm to a new tier of power."

This successfully interested Red Son quite a bit. "Ah, straight forward and to the point. I can appreciate someone who knows what they want." He raised a determined fist. "In fact, your goals and mine are fairly similar… well, I say "mine" when really, it's the goal of the ENTIRE Demon Bull Family. We wish to rule the mortal realm with a clad iron fist and achieve immortality in the process!" But his bravado gave way to frustration as his fist burned. "Grr… but time and again, that BLASTED Monkey King always gets in our way! If our dreams are to become a reality, we MUST remove him from the equation… which you can imagine isn't easy."

"Hmm… I see." the witch nodded. "I can see how he would be an issue. But I would not be so hasty in that wish for immortality, young man." Despite herself, Salem pursed her lips in irritation. "It may seem like a blessing at first, but as someone who IS immortal, believe me when I say that it has many negatives as well."

"AH! Y-You are immortal?!" Red Son's eyes light up in excitement, as if a fire were suddenly ignited within them. "Oh-ho-ho! Then you may be just the person I was hoping to meet!" He wasted no time in bowing to her. "Miss Salem, I beseech you! Please, aid me in my endeavors, and I assure you that your victory will be total and complete!"

"You speak vaguely, boy." Salem sneered. "Tell me what you mean."

Realizing he was rushing things, Red Son quickly reigned himself in. "A-Ah, yes, pardon me. Allow me to explain; long ago, my father, the Demon Bull King, was trapped by the Monkey King in their final battle. Ever since, he has laid dormant, but I believe I have devised a way to free him from the pillar of heaven that keeps him sealed." Reaching into his back pocket, the young demon pulled out a large roll of paper that he unfurled, revealing plans for a gauntlet of sorts. "I designed this glove to be able to move the heavenly staff, but I require the magic of an immortal in order for it to work. …Magic which is incredibly hard to come by."

Salem turned her nose up at the proposal. "So, you wish to ask for a portion of mine. But what do you offer in exchange?"

"For one, my services. Not to brag, but I am quite the capable engineer, be it with robotics or otherwise. Also, the promise of an INCREDIBLY powerful ally in the Demon Bull Family." Red Son broke out into a smirk. "I can arrange a meeting between you and my mother quite easily. And if you help me free my father… you would have someone who's just as powerful as the Monkey King in your corner."

The very idea left Salem very piqued with interest, to say the least. And it was something that the other Ministry members were quick to jump on as well. "I must say, that certainly sounds like an enticing offer." Cinder voiced.

"It does, Cinder… indeed it does." The dark witch gave a nod to her guest. "Very well. If meeting with your mother is something you can arrange, then I would be glad to welcome her. I believe we can arrange something with the terms you've set, Red Son." Salem extended her hand to the young demon. "Consider yourself recruited."

"Oh-ho, I am very pleased to hear that, Miss Salem." Red Son shook her hand graciously. "And worry not. Once my father wakes up and hears of your mission, I am… at least seventy-five percent certain he will agree as well."

That made Salem's smile switch to a frown fast. "I'm not certain I like that statistic."

"A-Ahem, yes, well… my father has always been somewhat… ornery." Doing his best to renew his confidence, Red Son held his head up and puffed out his chest. "B-But his loathing of the Monkey King is something that I'm sure will help sway his opinion."

Another hum passed Salem's lips, unable to tell if the boy's confidence was genuine. "I would certainly hope so."

*blip-blip* Just then, Eon raised his head slightly, the commlink in his helmet going off. "Oh, one moment, please." The group went silent as he answered. "This is Eon, go ahead. …Yes. …Ah, good, perfect timing. …Yes, I'm directly next to her. I'll inform her immediately. We will see you soon." Once the call ended, Eon turned his attention back to the others. "That was Khyber. He says that our Cerebrocrustacean captive is waking up."

"Oh, very good." Salem wore a subtle grin at the news. "I've been hoping he'd come to sooner or later."

"Hmph, can't believe he's only been out for a few days while Tyrian's still in a freakin' coma." Mercury scoffed. "How the hell is that crazy man STILL not up yet?"

Salem shook her head and moved toward the hallway. "I have no idea. At this point, I would not be surprised if Tyrian has become a prisoner of his own broken psyche in a twisted dream of his own creation…" She trailed off as she thought on that. "…But you are right. He's been asleep for almost two months now and we need all the aid we can get. It may be time to wake him up by force soon." All the same, Salem ushered for the group to follow. "But that can wait for another time. Right now, our favorite brain-crab scientist is due for a visit." She made sure to give a nod to Red Son as well. "You come, too, young man. I believe you'd be quite interested in meeting the good doctor given your affinity for machines."

Scratching his chin, Red Son wasn't too certain, but he wasn't about to refuse the witch either. "Hm, very well. I shall accompany you to see this doctor." He wore a brash smirk as he followed the group. "Still, I doubt he'd be able to comprehend MY vision for the Iron Bull army."

…..

Down in the dark dungeon of the Evernight Castle, Doctor Psychobos could feel himself begin to stir from his extended slumber. Even while unconscious, his brain was still working in overtime, dreaming of equations and new plans for the future. He was also aware of his lengthy torpor, and intended to wake up with dignity. …That intent, though, was quickly snuffed out when a bucket of water was dumped on his head. "BFAH! Ach! W-What is this—huh?" And once he was jarred back to the waking world, he realized something else; he was hanging upside down from a heavy chain on the wall. If his body wasn't so small, he'd worry about all the blood rushing to his brain. "W-W-Where… where am I? What is going on?!"

"Oh, seems like the lil' crab's finally awake. Hehehe…" Psychobos gasped as Khyber came strolling in through the shadows, wearing an insidious grin as he held a bucket in one hand and his hunting knife in the other. He tossed the bucket over his shoulder and instead took out a whetstone from his pocket, sharpening his weapon as he approached. "You're in for a right good thrashin', ol' chap, that you are…"

"K-K-Khyber!" The Cerebrocrustacean jostled around, though much to his chagrin, the locks were tighter than he'd expected. "Please, I-I-I can explain—" *CHKT* "AIEE!"

Swinging the knife directly next to Psychobos' face, Khyber sent sparks off the wall that jumped very close to the brain crab's eye. "Explain? EXPLAIN?! You think you can talk your way out of what you did to me? Manipulating my body against my will, costing me my pray AND my hunting animal, AND the mission resulting in failure?!" He pointed the tip of his knife right at Psychobos' mustache. "You're lucky we were able to escape with your Nemetrix. But now, you're going to pay dearly for—"

"Khyber!" the hunter was cut off when the heavy chamber door opened and SLAMMED against the wall, signaling Salem's arrival. Her piercing red eyes cut through the darkened room, locking on to both of them. "That will be quite enough. I will take it from here."

A low growl escaped Khyber's throat as the witch came in with Eon and Cinder's crew, though he made certain to let Psychobos know; "Don't think you've gotten off easy. Any punishment she has in mind for you… will be MUCH worse than what I can think of."

Salem furrowed her brow at the hunter's remark. "That all depends on what he says next, Khyber. On that note…" She craned her head down to the slightly more relaxed prisoner. "Good morning, Dr. Psychobos. Tell me, do you have an explanation as to why you put your desires before my own?"

Clearing his throat, Psychobos replied; "I t-t-take it from your tone and Khyber's rage that the plan failed, and Malware was either captured or destroyed."

"Unfortunately, the latter." Salem confirmed. "And as a result, the android known as "Penny" has gained a new form with powerful abilities. The Galvanic Mechamorphs have been revived as well." She lowered her head down so that she was eye-level with the Cerebrocrustacean. "But you have yet to answer my question."

"I fail to see where I p-p-put my desires, and I use the term loosely, above your own goals, Lady Salem." Apparently, Salem didn't like that answer, narrowing her eyes as several Grimm hands spawned in from below where Psychobos was hanging. It didn't take him long to notice and he hastily backtracked. "W-W-What I MEAN to say is that the heroes would have been unable to do anything if we had taken the chance to kill Azmuth instead of dividing the beast's attention onto Tennyson!"

The speedy clarification managed to make Salem raise an eyebrow, to which she made the Grimm hands back off of the cowering scientists. "Elaborate, doctor. Quickly."

With a sigh of relief, Psychobos obliged. "Hah… of course. Simply put, if Khyber had stuck to the plan and killed Azmuth, then the heroes would have been unable to figure out how to control Khyber's pet. Not only that, but Azmuth would have been the only one capable of repairing the Helix, let alone use it to restore the Mechamorphs. Plus, with him gone, Malware would have likely finished absorbing Galvan Prime, leaving us with a living planet on our side." There was a short pause as Psychobos took note of the surprised expressions upon the Ministry members, leading him to nod. "Not only that, but ending Azmuth would end any ch-ch-chance of that annoying human being able to restore the Omnitrix should it be destroyed or—in your ideal outcome—stolen."

Placing his hand to his hips, Mercury tilted his head. "So wait, you mean Tennyson could just get a new watch if we stole it from him?"

"Use whatever you have in that head of yours and t-t-tell me what would stop Azmuth from simply reactivating an older model and giving it to Tennyson?" Psychobos went on, tapping the side of his head with his smaller claw. The remark left Mercury annoyed, but the brain crab went on nonetheless. "He could possibly even improve upon it to prevent it from being stolen again." The alien crab's attention went back to Salem. "So in summation, my focus on destroying Azmuth wasn't about my desires being above your own goals. Rather, it was about Azmuth's destruction being necessary for your goals to continue forward."

There was another long, stunned pause on the Ministry's side, before Eon piped up. "…He is correct. I've peered into some other timelines where Azmuth was killed during Malware's attack." This brought everyone's attention to him, all of them very interested. "And to say that Tennyson lost would be an understatement. Honestly, there's a good chance that we could have ended Tennyson and Galvan Prime if we had done the same."

Salem's expression hardened hearing that. "…I see." She shifted her gaze back to Psychobos, still trembling in fear. However, with a snap of her fingers, Salem… made the Grimm arms disappear completely, leaving everybody surprised. "Congratulations, doctor. You have avoided a terrible fate… but still, you should have articulated your motives better, rather than attacking Khyber. And for that, you must still face some form of punishment. Cinder?"

The Fall Maiden scoffed and summoned an obsidian blade, slicing through Psychobos' chain and allowing him to fall… right on his head. "Oof! A-Ah! Of course, Lady Salem!" Quickly scuttling to his feet, he bowed to her in gratitude. "I do recognize that my actions in the heat of the moment were unwarranted, and for that, I will humbly accept any chastisement you see fit."

"Excellent. Because now, your work will continue… from here." The witch gestured to the walls of her castle. "Henceforth, you are confined to Evernight Castle, and will not be able to return to your home universe until I see fit."

"…WHAT?!" Psychobos was expecting a LOT of things, but that wasn't one of them. "B-B-But all of my scientific material is back in my lab on Encephalonus IV! How am I to continue my work on the Nemetrix if it is all back there?!"

Salem wore a condescending smile as she answered; "Oh, a simple matter to fix, really. We'll simply have all of your equipment transported here. I doubt it will take TOO long." She saw the alien raise a claw to make another point, but she beat him to the punch. "And before you say we lack sufficient energy to power it, our supply of Lightning Dust is enough to power a small city. You will be fine here."

The Cerebrocrustacean grumbled, frustrated by the terms… but he DID agree to them, so he had to honor his word. "…Very well, I accept. Just… p-p-please be careful with the transport. Some of the equipment is quite sensitive."

"I will make certain that Hazel knows." Salem assured. "But worry not, because while your movement has been restricted, you have gained something new… a lab partner."

If anything, the news made Psychobos deadpan. "Oh, PLEASE tell me it is not Animo. I'll take Watts, but NOT him."

"No, no, neither of them, actually." Craning her head back, Salem called through the doorway; "You may come in now."

All of a sudden, a burst of flame erupted from the entryway, lighting up the entire dungeon in a harsh, orangey-red glow. And, in the center of the flame, a dark figure stepped through, his silhouette backed by the fire as his glasses shined through. "Hmhmhm… hehehe… AHAHAHA!" With a theatrical spin and flaring out of his coat, Red Son dissipated the whole fire and returned it to his palm, where it took the form of a tiny flicker at his fingertips. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance, good doctor!" He peered down to the shorter scientist, amused by his diminutive stature. "I must say, though, I was picturing something more… imposing when Cinder described your appearance."

Back to being annoyed, Psychobos eyed Salem, pointing his larger claw at the boy. "And… who is THIS exactly?"

"Doctor, allow me to introduce you to Red Son. Our most recent ally." Salem nodded to the young demon. "He is an enemy of the Monkey King, and we just finished up making a deal to work together going forward."

"…Monkey K-King?" Psychobos uttered. "What in the world did I miss while I was cataleptic?!"

Rojo rolled her eyes. "A LOT, Crab Cakes, that's what."

Emerald folded her arms and explained; "Long story short, the Monkey King is an immortal Buddhist sage who's allied himself with the Omni-Hunters." She jerked a thumb over to their new demonic ally. "And Red Boy over here is a demon who fought him centuries ago on his Journey to the West. A fight that ended with… what was it? A goddess' lotus platform that turned into a thousand heavenly swords up your ass?"

That earned a round of snickers through the room, including Khyber and Cinder stifling a laugh of their own. Even Salem couldn't help but slightly smirk in amusement, which Red Son was none too happy with. "G-GAH—UGH!" He facepalmed, running his hand down his face in exasperation. "…Firstly, it's Red SON now, and I suggest you remember that. But… yes, the goddess Kuan Yin tricked me onto her lotus platform, and thus trapped me, bounding me to her services for YEARS." He cleared his throat and got back on topic. "But that is unimportant now. Over the centuries since I escaped the goddess' servitude, I have worked tirelessly to evolve my intellect, studying and adapting mortal technology as it evolved."

This managed to catch Psychobos' attention. "I see… so you literally have HUNDREDS of years' worth of knowledge in that brain of yours."

"Indeed, though in this day and age, engineering and robotics are my staples." Pulling out his blueprints, Red Son showed off the gauntlet he had planned. "And my current project is my biggest yet! In addition to building my army of Iron Bull robots, I have designed this gauntlet to break the seal that my father, the Demon Bull King, is trapped beneath! Doctor, your assistance in this project would be greatly appreciated. I'm certain you must have incredibly expertise in designing machines at this caliber of power, yes?"

"Hmm…" Inside his mind, Psychobos was contemplating the proposal. On the one claw, he knew that Red Son was buttering him up, attempting to play to his ego. On the other claw… it was working. "Oh, this is a VERY interesting project indeed, dear boy! Ahem, v-very well, I will aid you in the construction of this gauntlet. In return, though… a question. Are there any feral demons who would be good candidates for my Nemetrix? It is a device that contains predator DNA and transforms the user into any of said predators. I believe a demonic beast would suit well to be added to the device's compendium."

Mulling the question over, Red Son responded with a nefarious grin of his own. "Oh… I could probably think of a couple. They may be difficult to track down, but I'm certain I could find them. Consider it a deal."

With a clap of her hands, Salem brought their attention back to her. "I am pleased that the two of you are getting on, but before we delve too deep into certain projects… there is something else that needs to be more immediately addressed." Through the door, a Seer floated into the center of the room, and within its glass head, the image of a certain red and blue warrior appeared. "Namely this new nuisance."

Red Son sneered at the sight instantly. "Ah, yes… the one partially responsible for my recent defeat that led me to you. What IS he, anyway… I mean, aside from a tacky dresser?"

"Apparently, he calls himself "Kamen Rider"." Salem answered. "Though I don't have any idea what that is for the life of me."

"And that's where I come in!" Rojo declared, jabbing her thumb to her chest. "As the resident Earth media-savvy member of the group, I've done a bit of research into this whole "Kamen Rider" business. …And lemme tell ya, there is a lot—and I mean a LOT of lore to this franchise." She waved a hand to move to the main point. "But getting down to brass tacks, apparently the blonde dude who copied Iron Man is now copying something ELSE that's extremely nerdy, only this time it's pretty much one-to-one. He's just… made his own version of powers that come from a kid's TV show."

Red Son folded his arms over his chest. "So what you're saying is that he literally brought something that was once a fictional television program… and brought it into existence?" He rolled his eyes and scoffed. "Pssh, children. They'll copy ANYTHING they see on TV these days."

It was Mercury's turn to scoff, wearing a smirk as he nudged Emerald's shoulder. "Says the guy who throws a temper tantrum every five minutes." The remark made both Emerald and Neo giggle, though the demon himself wasn't impressed.

"I WILL end you, Edgelord."

"Bring it, Four-Eyes."

"ENOUGH." Salem demanded, silencing the two boys instantly. "What I want to know is… is there anyway we can COUNTER this new force." Her eyes drifted down to the device on Build's waist, the source of his power. "The invention that gives him power is very similar to the Omnitrix, allowing for different form changes depending on which bottles he inserts. It doesn't change him down to the molecular level, but it DOES give him access to VERY powerful weapons and abilities."

Cinder cleared her throat and offered her own input. "Well, my lady, I recall hearing that he utilized science, magic AND Dust in order to create these powers." She extended a hand toward Psychobos. "And it just so happens that we have all three at our disposal. Perhaps… we could create our own dark counterpart to him?"

The suggestion piqued Salem's interest. "Hm… a very prudent course of action. Doctor, do you believe you could pull it off?"

"Hmhm…" Psychobos scratched his chin whilst chortling to himself. "Miss Salem, you are addressing the one who created a superior version of Azmuth's Omnitrix in a fraction of the time he took to perfect his creation." He gestured up to Red Son. "Simply give us the correct materials and a few days' time, and I guarantee that we will have your counter to this "Kamen Rider Build". We simply need the correct blueprints to base our creation on."

At that, Rojo smiled and brought out her phone, bringing up some images she had saved to it. "I was hoping you'd mention that. I have the perfect candidates for the job…" She flashed the screen to the two, and their eyes widened at the sight.

There, standing side-by-side were two dark and rather intimidating warriors, each in a suit of thick yet flexible material. One was primarily black and silver while the other was dark red, and they both had equally bulky upper body armor that had pipework sticking out all around, resembling engines of sorts. They also had different motifs to them; the black one had a golden bat in the center of his chest and for his visor, while the dark red one had a blue cobra in those places instead. They also shared a similar horn sticking out of their helmets, making for an overall threatening appearance.

Salem took notice in seconds. "Are they… Kamen Riders?"

"Not exactly. They're listed as "Night Rogue" and "Blood Stalk". They're like Kamen Riders, but they're dark counterparts that don't transform with a belt. Instead, they use this." Flipping to a different picture, Rojo showed them… what appeared to be a steam-powered gun with exposed wiring, complete with a little smoke stack up top. Near the muzzle of the gun, though, was a slot and rail system that seemed to be used for Fullbottles, which was made more apparent since there was a Bat and Cobra bottle next to it. "This is called the "TranSteam Gun". Think you boys can make it?"

The duo eyed one another… and shared a smirk. "Again, give us the right resources, a few days… and possibly some volunteers for testing." Red Son answered, clenching a determined fist and lighting it aflame. "Those heroes won't know what hit them! AHAHAHAHA!" Before anyone knew it, the whole room brought out into maniacal laughter… aside from Salem, who simply resolved to smile to herself.

'Beware, Omni-Hunters.' the witch thought to herself. 'Your time of celebration will be VERY short-lived…' She snapped her fingers and called to her Fall Maiden. "Cinder, if you would."

"Yes, my lady." Cinder bowed dutifully.

"I have a new mission for you and your team." Beckoning a Seer over to her, Salem placed her hands upon its crystalline dome and conjured an image within. Cinder, Rojo and the others all gathered around as the witch went on. "You are to go to Vacuo and break this one out of prison… I believe he will be a suitable subject to grant these powers to, provided we can coerce him to our side."

As the red mist within the Seer cleared, the group saw Salem's intended target; a wild-haired bat Faunus with a scruffy goatee and tan skin, one whom Cinder recognized immediately. "…One of Adam Taurus' followers." she raised a concerned brow to Salem. "You're certain we can trust him?"

Salem merely smiled darkly in reassurance. "Oh, I'm certain that, if he wishes to be free and have power… he will make the correct decision."

…..

~Earth, Two Days Later~

Since the incident in the Hot Spot, things had decidedly calmed down a fair bit, and in that time, the Omni-Hunters had come to a final decision; they were going on vacation. …Or, at least, half of them were. The other half of the team had voluntarily offered to stay on Earth for various reasons. Blake and Pyrrha wanted to watch over their pups, not wanting to take them into space. Neptune and Jaune were actively competing for the Secondary Rider spot, though Pyrrha could tell that there was something else on her boyfriend's mind as well.

"He's been quite… distant since our practice run against Cooper the other day." the Invincible Girl explained to Blake in a whisper, the duo making their way through the halls of Plumber HQ along with the rest of the Omni-Hunter home team. They glanced over to Jaune, who seemed deep in thought, keeping his head low. "I think he's beating himself up over our defeat."

"Questioning his own leadership again?" Blake implied further. The redheaded warrior pursed her lips in frustration, which was all the answer she needed. "Hah… well Pyrrha, I think he'll be alright. He's just gotta get through this rough patch, which I'm sure you'll help him through."

Pyrrha nodded without question. "Indeed. But what about you? Are you alright letting Sun go with the Monkey King to his home for a few days?"

"Oh, totally." the cat girl affirmed. "I can tell that Sun wants to become a better fighter, and if he can get some personal lessons from the Monkey King, then all the better for him…" She set her sights upon her boyfriend… whose only luggage was a small bindle he had hanging over his shoulder. "But is that REALLY all you need for your trip?"

Sun gave an immediate thumbs up. "Of course! Blake, trust me, if you think this is small, you should've seen how much I survived on while living in Vacuo." He raised a single finger and recited; "In the desert, we have a saying; so long as you've got money in your pocket and a fresh pair of underwear, you'll be alright for tomorrow."

"Ha! You humans and your underwear." The Monkey King guffawed at the front of the group, walking in stride with Ruby. "Always gets a laugh outta me."

Blake deadpanned at him. "Says the monkey wearing pants."

"But at least I'm not wearing underpants!"

"Could we PLEASE change the subject from underpants?!" Ilia exclaimed, blushing madly. "Or lack thereof?!"

Neptune wholeheartedly agreed. "Yeah, there's some things even I'm uncomfortable talking about with my friends. THIS is one of 'em." The blue-haired boy set his sights over to the chameleon girl. "Anyway, I'm surprised you're not going on this vacation, Ilia. No offense, but you seem like you could use one."

Ilia groaned and rubbed her neck, popping some muscles in the process. "None taken. Trust me, I'd go along in a heartbeat, really, but Swift only gets so many vacation days." she shrugged. "A full week just isn't in the cards when it comes to probation."

"Aw, that's too bad!" Penny frowned. "I'm sorry that it didn't work out. I thought Ben was going to try and reduce her sentence, too…"

"Apparently that request is still going through political hell." Ilia sighed. "These things take time, unfortunately. On a lighter note, though, you have a "surprise" coming, don't you, Penny?"

That made the redheaded android brighten back up instantly. "Oh, yes! Rex said that his brother's coming in a few days and he has something to show me!" She started bouncing along down the hall, jumping next to her best friend. "I have no idea what it is, but I'm SUPER excited for it! AH! What do you think it could be?!"

"Haha, I have no clue, Penny." Ruby shook her head. "But don't pester Cooper about it, or you'll just make the wait more agonizing."

Penny threw her head back and groaned. "UUGH! But it already IS agonizing! …Hah, well, at least you'll be sticking around to help me wait it out." Even so, her expression went back to one of concern. "Still, are you sure you don't want to go on vacation with your sister and Weiss?"

Ruby blew a raspberry at the prospect. "Pbbt! And miss out on all of the Kamen Rider action? As if!" She stopped and placed a fist over her chest. "And besides, someone has to lead the team while Ben's away! And he's placed his confidence in ME to do it!" It was her turn to start bouncing up and down. "EEE! I'm so pumped!"

Ilia chuckled as she joined the girls up front. "Hehe, and to think, you were the one saying how worried she was about her effectiveness as a leader the other day." She nudged her hooded friend's shoulder, failing to notice a certain blonde knight doing his best to ignore the conversation. "Looks like Kadoya-san was right. All you needed was a little boost."

"Uh… who now?" Neptune asked, all while the Monkey King's eyes widened.

"Oh, this guy we met while in Japan." Ruby explained. "We ran into him while strolling through the park and he gave me some advice about leadership and stuff."

Clearing his throat, Wu Kong piped up. "A-Ahem, hah, that's all well and good, kids, but you should really know better than to get into conversations with strangers. He coulda been dangerous, ya know?"

That made the girls raise a brow at him. "Well, that's kind of what we thought at first, but turns out, he's just a nice photographer." Penny defended.

'Yeah, bet he takes REAL good pictures of the asses he kicks.' The Monkey King thought to himself before shaking his head. "Ah, well… I guess there's really no harm done anyway. Now c'mon. We're gonna be late if we stick around here too long."

Continuing their way toward the hangar, the team were met with the sight of their friends all loading up their luggage into the Rustbucket IV, with Kevin and Ben even loading up their own cars in addition to Rook's Proto-Truk. They had to admit, they weren't expecting them to be going THAT far, but they figured there had to be a reason. "Yo, guys!" Sun waved down.

Perking her head up, Yang grinned as she waved back. "Hey, there they are! We were wonderin' when you'd get here!"

Neptune watched as Weiss pushed SEVERAL suitcases up the rear ramp of the spaceship on a cart, struggling to make sure it stayed balanced up the incline. "Woah! You guys bringing enough stuff along?"

"Hah… only—gah—the essentials!" Weiss called back… only to nearly lose her grip. "Woa—AH! NO!" But thankfully, Rex came in and saved it at the last minute with a Smack Hand, catching Weiss in his other arm at the same time. "Hah… gracias, mi Corazón."

"De nada, Princessa." Rex kissed her on the cheek and helped her regain her balance, along with pushing the suitcases into the ship.

Weiss leapt off the ramp and went over to her team, wasting little time in giving Ruby a hug. "Oh, I wish you girls were coming with us! The planet that we're going to after stopping by Revonnah is supposed to be beautiful." She titled her head toward Gwen, who was approaching them as well. "Um, Gwen, what planet did you say we're going to?"

With a very exuberant smile, the Anodite answered; "We'll be spending most of our vacation on the planet X'Nelli, the home of the Manzardill race." That last part earned her several questioning eyes, making her explain; "…Arctiguana's species." A chorus of "ohs" rang through the room before she clarified further. "Though, technically, there are SEVERAL types of Manzardill, with Arctiguana being the Polar variety."

"Exactly." Kevin piped up as he and Ben walked out of the ship, with Zed keeping between the two. The Osmosian pulled out his Plumber badge and pulled up a holographic image of the planet, which seemed to have two massive continents at the top and bottom, with mountain ranges peaking at each of the poles, while one massive ocean wrapped around the equator. "X'Nelli is, for all intents and purposes, a lot like Earth. It's in the sweet spot where it's far enough away from the sun to harbor sentient life. But unlike Earth, it's got no axis tilt and as a result, its climate remains consistent all year round. No seasons change, so it stays relatively warm near the center and cold at the poles."

Ben pointed toward the massive ocean. "We'll mainly be staying near the ocean, but there's TONS of things to do on the planet if you explore around. You've got mountain climbing, snowboarding, mud sliding, lava surfing…" The team stared at him incredulously at the last one. "…Well, okay, maybe these activities aren't safe for ALL species, but I'll be damned if I don't try it once as Heatblast."

"I see." Blake nodded. "By the sounds of it, though, you make it sound like one big tourist destination."

"Well… it kinda is, honestly." Gwen affirmed. "X'Nelli's a paradise, and the Manzardills have learned to capitalize on their planet's ecosystem. And shockingly enough, it HASN'T been damaged or overrun in the slightest." She stretched her arms up above her head. "Ah, which is good news for me, because I could definitely use the break."

Weiss concurred with the redhead without question. "I think a lot of us could, really… though hopefully those two won't be at each other's throats for the duration of the trip."

Everyone's sights and ears were greeted by the sound of Ren and Nora… who were in the middle of a squabble as they approached the ship. Ren was dressed in his normal clothes… while Nora was in a much more revealing ensemble of a pink tube top and daisy dukes with flipflops, a wide-brimmed hat adorning her head. "Nora, I'm telling you, it'd be VERY unwise to wear this kind of getup on Revonnah!" the green ninja urged.

"And I'm telling YOU that Rook said that it's gonna be REALLY sunny on Revonnah and I don't wanna get cooked!" the Pink Dynamo argued back, crossing her arms with a huff. "I mean, really, what's the worst that could happen?"

"We could get kicked out because of how revealing your outfit is!" Ren insisted, though he couldn't help the slight blush upon his cheeks. "B-Besides, um… w-wouldn't you feel uncomfortable if all of those people… ogle you?"

As much as it frustrated Nora to no end… she knew her best friend had a point. '…You're lucky I'm saving myself for YOU, Renny.' She ultimately rolled her eyes and opened her backpack, pulling out her white shirt and pink skirt. "Ugh, fine! But you're being REALLY difficult recently, Ren, I hope you know that!"

The young man sighed, thankful that his pestering worked. '…Even if I don't WANT to do it.' His gaze trailed over to the rest of the team, to which he waved over to Jaune and Pyrrha. "Oh, hey there guys."

Right as she was about to slip her shirt on, Nora gasped and zipped right over to her friends… with her shirt instead landing on Ren's head. "Ah! I'm glad you guys could be here to see us off!" she said as she hugged Pyrrha. "It's such a bummer you won't come with!"

"Hah, I know, I know." Pyrrha soothed her hyperactive teammate. "But someone has to stay behind and watch Rommy. And of course, Jaune can't stand the idea of leaving me by myself, can you, dear?"

"A-Ahem, y-yeah…" Jaune coughed into his hand awkwardly. "R-Right. It'd just feel wrong if the rest of our team went and you didn't."

Nora agreed as she separated from the embrace. "Yeah, then we'd just be "JNR", and I'm pretty sure I said this in the past; NO ONE wants that."

There was a collective hum of agreement before another voice chimed in. "Hey there guys!" The group looked back to see Vernal and Raven approaching… the former toting her own suitcase behind her. "You guys ready to do?" the former thief asked, taking several aback.

"W-Wait, hold on!" Neptune pointed at her. "Vernal, since when are YOU going on this trip?!"

"Since last night." Raven answered with a somewhat serious expression. "You didn't REALLY think I'd send a bunch of teenagers on vacation into deep space without adult supervision, did you?" Her remark earned several annoyed glances, especially from Yang, but the Spring Maiden waved them off. "Oh please, don't give me that. In any case, this provides an opportunity for Vernal to relax as well… and if you ask me, she needs it."

Vernal soured at her word, but chose to ignore the remark. "Ahem, well, I think we're just about done talking about this." She nudged her chin toward the ship, making her way toward the open hatch. "C'mon, let's load up. The sooner we leave, the sooner we get to Rook's home planet."

At the top of the ramp, Rook and Rex appeared as well, the Revonnahgander urging the group to follow Vernal's lead. "Indeed. I would prefer to get there just as the sun sets." He sent the team a smile. "I believe you will be quite surprised by what will happen then."

"Hehe, alright, alright, we'll be right there!" Ben assured before turning back to the team. "Well, this is it. We'll see you guys in ten days."

"…Does it always gotta be ten with you, dude?" Sun asked.

"I-It's purely coincidence!" Ben insisted. "We're gonna spend two days on Revonnah, a week on X'Nelli, and then our last stop will be a day on Khoros."

Once again, everyone was confused. "Khoros?" Ruby titled her head. "Looma's home planet? Why're you stopping there?"

Without missing a beat, Kevin pulled out a flyer from his back pocket and unfurled it, showing that it was an advertisement for… "The Annual Tetramandian Car Show! Why else would me and Ben load up our rides? This'll cap off our vacation in the ABSOLUTE best way possible!" He crinkled up the paper in his hand and pumped a fist into the air. "It's gonna be SWEET!"

A round of silence followed before Blake's eyes trailed toward Gwen. "…I get the feeling this is mostly a him thing, right?"

"Yeah, though Rook said he'd like to go as well." Gwen sighed. "I love my boyfriend, but I'll never understand gearheads." After shaking that off, Gwen offered her friends a smile. "But hey, you guys take care. I'm sure that you'll do a great job keeping things peaceful while we're away."

"I know they will." Ben assured, facing Ruby as he did. "Because I know they'll have a great leader." He reached up and placed a hand on Ruby's shoulder. "I've said it before and I'll say it again; Ruby… you're in charge."

The Silver-Eyed girl broke out into a wide smile and saluted him. "I won't let you down, Ben! Have a nice vacation, all of you!"

"Heh, we will, sis." Yang embraced Ruby tightly. "And don't forget, you've got mom and Cooper to help you out, so you got this!"

Raven stepped up next to the two girls, giving Ruby a smile of her own. "Exactly. I'm here to help you if you need it, Ruby. So don't be afraid to ask, okay?"

Ruby nodded resolutely. "Mmhm! You betcha!" She pulled away from her sister's embrace and gave a final wave. "Now go on, you've got a schedule to keep!"

…..

Once goodbyes had all been exchanged, the vacationing Omni-Hunters made their way into the main bridge of the ship… where a surprising face was waiting for them. "Heya, kids!" Swiveling around in the main captain's chair… was Grandpa Max, wearing khaki shorts, his favorite shirt, and a pair of sunglasses to boot. "Glad you're all here. Just in time, too. We're just about to ready for liftoff."

"G-Grandpa Max?!" Ben and Gwen echoed, the hero reaching a hand up to his head. "What the heck are you doing here?"

"Well, when Raven said that you could use some chaperones on your vacation, I naturally jumped at the chance." Max explained, bringing his shades up while standing to join his grandchildren. "I've been meaning to take some vacation days myself, at any rate. Think about it, it'll be just like old times… only now, we're vacationing in space."

"Ah… heh, yeah, like old times. Would you excuse me for just a second?" Gwen chortled awkwardly before zipping over to Vernal, taking her by the arm and leading her to the back of the bridge. "Did you know about this?!" she whispered harshly.

The young woman raised her hand defensively. "Woah, tone it back a bit, Red. Raven said she needed chaperones, she didn't mention how MANY would be coming along. This is news to me, too." Her brow scrunched a bit, seeing the discontent upon Gwen's features. "You seem… annoyed that your grandpa's here."

Gwen sighed and her shoulders slumped. "Well… a little. Don't get me wrong, I love my grandpa, but… I was hoping to use this vacation to get some…" She glanced over her shoulder and nudged her head toward Kevin. "…relief with him, you know?"

"Relief? What're you—oh. …OH." Her eyes wide in realization, Vernal saw Gwen nod, affirming her thoughts. "Okay, I get ya. If that's the case…" The former thief gave the redheaded magic-user a wink "I'll cover for you two when we're on X'Nelli."

Her features lightening up a bit, Gwen became hopeful once again. "Really? You'd do that?"

"'Course. Just say when and I'll make sure you have the private time you need."

"I owe you SO much after this."

Clicking her tongue, Vernal refuted the offer. "Girl, just have a hell of a time with him and consider us even."

Gwen reached out and placed her hand over the older girl's in gratitude. "You are SO awesome."

"Well aware of that, thanks."

Just then, though, they had an unexpected visitor. "Whatcha whisperin' about?" Nora muttered, spooking the duo and making them jump almost to the ceiling. "AHAHAHA! Oh my gosh, you gals need to relax! C'mon, Max says he's about to explain something REALLY important to us for our trip!"

Gathering back with the others, Max took to the co-pilot's chair and started typing in some commands into the console. "Alright kids, I'm sure you know how the Rustbucket IV operates by now, but there's still one last thing that I need to show you."

"What? You mean this space bus has MORE stuff to it?" Rex inquired.

"I REALLY wish you'd stop calling it that." Kevin grumbled. "It's not a freakin' bus!"

Max cleared his throat, bringing their attention back to him. "Ahem, in any case, the onboard computer system hadn't been fully completed before the first official flight to Galvan Prime. But, with Cooper's help over the past couple of days…" He pressed a button and allowed what happened next to speak for itself.

Right above the ship's center console, a dark holo-screen appeared… and after a bit of loading, something popped up; a pair of big, blue, pixilated… and very anime-esque eyes. Their sudden opening took nearly everyone aback, as did them trailing across the screen as if they were… looking at them. That collective thought was all but confirmed when a voice piped up from the ship's speakers. "Woah, woah, woah! Are you kidding me? Are THESE the Omni-Hunters?! Haha, FINALLY! Time to go, go, GO!"

"W-What the…" Weiss and many others did a doubletake. "Max… what is this?"

"I think it'd be better if he introduces himself." Max declared, nodding to the pixel eyes.

The voice, which somewhat resembled that of a young boy, responded in kind. "Sure enough! Hey there, everyone! I'm this vessel's Bionic Utility System." Those words appeared on the screen vertically next to the artificial being's eyes for everyone to see. "But you can call me…" In just a split second, though, all but three of the letters disappeared, leaving the first letters of each word to form a single word; "BUS!"

Almost instantly, his cheery disposition managed to win everybody over… except for Kevin who was on the receiving end of a cheeky smirk from Ben. "…Goddamn it."

"It IS the Plumber Space Bus!" Ben thrust his fists into the air. "VINDICATION!"

"Hooray!" BUS cheered as well, only to then ask; "What are we celebrating?"

The teens all laughed and Gwen explained. "Well, Ben was just referring to how your… erm, "body" resembles an earth bus made for space travel."

The artificial intelligence understood that right off the bat. "Ah, yeah! Actually, my form WAS designed in-part to be like that. I mean, what OTHER vehicle can carry this many people?" His pixelated eyes scanned the group, greeting them one by one. "But it's very nice to meet you, Mr.'s Ben, Kevin, Rook, Rex, Ren and Max. As well as you Ms.'s Gwen, Yang, Weiss, Nora and Vernal. I can't wait to start transporting you around the galaxy! It's gonna be a blast!"

"Hehe, thanks, big guy." Yang giggled. "But please, no need for formalities."

"Alright then!" BUS's eyes closed happily, making it look like he was smiling even without a mouth. "So, my internal navigation system says that our first stop is Revonnah. Should we leave immediately, or is there any last-minute stuff that needs to be taken care of?"

Weiss shook her head. "No, I think we're pretty much good to go."

"Excellent! Well then… seatbelts, everyone!" Without any warning, the seats on the bridge all moved up behind everyone and knocked them down into them, where they were then forcibly strapped in… a bit too tight before the seats moved back to their original positions. "And of course, the leader deserves the captain's chair!" On that note, Ben was plopped down into that exact seat, much to Kevin's chagrin.

The Osmosian attempted to loosen his seatbelt strap, only to find it was a futile effort. "…Oh god. PLEASE let this be a normal space trip."

"With Ben Tennyson?" Gwen asked next to him. "Hah, no way." Kevin groaned and smacked his head onto the seat in front of them, only for the redhead to give her cousin the thumbs up. "Ready when you are, Ben!"

An eager chuckle passed the hero's lips as he grabbed hold of the steering handle in one hand and a lever in the other. "Haha! I hear that! Ladies and gentlemen, please keep your arms and legs inside the seats at all times. Ready for… BLAST OFF!" With a pull of the lever, the Rustbucket IV became airborne and launched out of the Plumber hangar, blasting up into the atmosphere and through the stratosphere. And then, once they made it past the moon…

*CHYOOM*

They went straight into lightspeed, shooting across the universe in one massive jump. The team remained plastered to their seats as a few seconds passed, but that was all they needed in order to get to their destination. Once they came to a halt, they were instantly greeted by the sight of a different planet before them in the distance. "And here we are!" BUS announced. "Welcome to Revonnah, everybody! Beware of the Muroids, they can be NASTY."

"Hah… hah… I can attest to that." Rook affirmed as he and everyone else caught their breath after the jump. "Is everyone alright?"

"Erp, I think I may need the bathroom when we land…" Nora burped.

Thankfully, it was then that the seatbelts finally loosened up, allowing everyone to stand back up. "Okay, word of advice, BUS." Weiss placed her hands on her hips, evidently annoyed as she pointed at the screen. "Maybe give a word of WARNING before you just suddenly strap everyone in like that, huh?"

BUS's eyes became visibly saddened at her reprimanding. "Oh, sorry… I thought I gave plenty of warning, but I guess I didn't."

Yang was a bit more empathetic to the artificial being. "Ah, it's alright. Just be a bit gentler next time, okay? Don't just strap us down like we're a bunch of ragdolls again, okay?"

"Hm! Okay!" His eyes becoming more determined, BUS gradually and steadily brought himself down toward the craggy, mountainous planet, which didn't have any oceans to speak of, only large rivers running across its surface. "We're coming in for a landing, people. Next stop, the Rook Family household!"

As the team gathered near the windshield, Rex gave the Revonnahgander a nudge with his elbow. "Bet you're glad to get home, huh, Rook?"

"Yes… I have not participated in the harvest in sometime." Rook confirmed, though his expression was somewhat downcast for just a moment. But then, he put a smile back on as he lifted a hand to his friends. "And it will be good for you all to dig in and get your hands dirty."

"Eh… not exactly a big fan of that idea." Weiss winced a bit. "I'd rather not get my nice clothes mucky and stuff."

Rook, however, was undeterred by her words. "Weiss, I understand your concerns, but believe me, you will LOVE Revonnah at harvest time. We have majestic, rugged terrain and—oh! And the people! You will see, Revonnahganders are gentle, peace-loving farmers. They will welcome you all with open arms!" But then, as if on cue…

*Shyooo—KOOM*

A flash of red fire suddenly exploded off to the right of the ship, forcing BUS to pull some evasive maneuvers. "AH! Doesn't exactly scream "open arms" to me!" Vernal shouted as more bursts of flame erupted in the sky before them. "What the hell is going on?!"

"Worry not." Rook pointed down to the ground below, where several Revonnahganders were gathered and watching the bursts of flame explode in the air. "It is the opening of the harvest. For millennia, my people have launched fires into the sky during the harvest to fend off the mindless, crop-destroying rodents. Those being the Muroids that BUS mentioned earlier."

Nora zipped up to get a better look at the explosions. "Oh, like fireworks! Awesome! I can totally get behind blowing stuff up to celebrate."

"…So long as WE aren't one of the things getting blown up." Ren added under his breath.

It didn't take long for the gang to come to a landing, the Rustbucket IV descending upon a landing strip not too far away from a certain large house upon a craggy cliff face. The outcropping the house was on was relatively flat, all things considered, with a large field out front that was home to two things; rocks and the plants that grew OUT of those rocks. The moment the group stepped out of their spacecraft, Rook spotted a rack full of bladed farming tools with long handles that he instantly gravitated toward, taking one up and performing a brief kata with it. "Ah… the tools of the trade."

"Er, what trade, exactly?" Kevin asked.

"Farming, of course. Here, I will show you…" Rook strolled up to one of the many stones and STABBED the bladed end of the tool into it, plucking one of the orange-colored fruits from the plant growing within. The fruit went sailing up and he caught it with one hand, presenting it to his friends. "Behold, the fruit of Revonnah; Amber Ogia."

The teens inspected the fruit, noting that it seemed almost transparent and gelatinous on the inside with a very thin skin. But then, Rook took the Amber Ogia back, opened his mouth wide… and shoved the whole thing into his face. The team were galled to see only about seventy percent of the fruit making it down his gullet while the rest dribbled down his suit. As Rook let out a satisfied "ah…", there was nothing but complete silence from the others.

At least until Yang summarized their thoughts rather well. "…Bruh."

"And I have now lost my appetite." Gwen uttered.

Weiss cringed at the sight herself. "Eugh… please tell me there's other stuff to eat besides… that?"

Rook wiped the remainder of the Amber Ogia from his fur, stating; "We have several different recipes for it. Come!"

Despite their earlier discomfort, the group followed their guide, leaving Weiss to sulk. "…Great." But before she joined the group proper, she couldn't help but peer down over the edge of the cliff, seeing how high they were. "Wow… HAH!" A gasp escaped her throat, however, when she saw several beady red eyes come moving up the side of the cliff, causing her to run straight to her friends. "GUYS! We've got—"

"BLANKO!" But the heiress was cut off when, of all things, three young Revonnahganders came dashing out from behind the house. They were all clearly girls, each donned in similar brown dresses. The one in the lead—and the tallest of the three—had periwinkle blue fur on her face and long, indigo hair, being the first to reach Rook with a tight embrace.

"Welcome!" spoke the second shortest, her complexion covered in dark blue fur while her stark white hair was done in a long braid.

Finally, the shortest of the bunch also had dark blue fur, though she was a bit scruffier in appearance. The only one not wearing lipstick as she still seemed too young for that, but old enough to where she didn't have a tail. Her black hair was also short and frayed at the tips. "Welcome home!" she exclaimed as well.

"Our space-travelling brother! All of the neighbors saw you land!" the eldest girl beamed in excitement, breaking the embrace before noticing the others behind Rook. "Oh! And these must be…"

Rook nodded to her. "Ah, yes, where are my manners?" He turned to his friends and gestured to the trio of ladies. "Everyone, I would like you all to meet my sisters." In order of age from youngest to oldest, he introduced them; "Rook Shi, Rook Shim, and the eldest… Rook Shar."

"Woah, big family." Ben noted before starting their own introductions. "Hi, I'm—"

Shar placed her hands together in greeting, her younger sisters doing the same. "The famous Ben Tennyson and his team of Omni-Hunters." The teens were taken aback a bit, but Shar explained; "Word has spread far and wide of your accomplishments, even to our humble planet."

"Considerably fast, at that." Shim added cheerily.

Yang couldn't help but smirk at that, nudging Weiss' arm. "Hehe, hear that, Weiss-cream? We're famous galaxy-wide!"

Weiss rolled her eyes at that. "Well, hopefully for the right reasons, at least…"

But right as introductions were about to begin proper, another Revonnahgander suddenly ran in from between the three sisters. This one was undoubtedly the smallest of the bunch, only barely making it up to Shi's height. And it was apparent that this one was the youngest as well, since he still had his tail. With a hairstyle similar to Rook's, but much spikier, it didn't take much to deduce that it must've been his younger brother, especially since he practically jumped into Rook's arms. "Haha! Young One!" Rook greeted, spinning the little guy around in a hug. "You have grown!"

"Blanko! It is so good to see you!" the Young One greeted.

"Likewise." Rook placed him onto the ground, ruffling his hair playfully only to then notice his little brother's tail. "…Hm, so your Bi'nthak has yet to fall."

The Young One scrunched his face in irritation, his tail wagging despite himself. "Hmph… no. Father says that it is sure to fall soon, but I grow impatient with it. I want to pick my name already!"

"Haha, I know. I, much like you, was rather irritated with how long it seemed to take. But I am certain it will not be long before it happens." Rook moved his body so that his friends were visible to the Young One. "For now, though, I would like you to meet—"

But judging by how the boy's eyes lit up the moment he spotted the hero, he knew exactly who he was. "BEN 10!" the Young One rushed up, smiling from ear to ear. "I cannot believe that Ben 10 is here on Revonnah! The outworld tesserbursts are full of all your exploits!"

"…Outworld what now?" Ben scratched his head.

Kevin, thankfully, explained it in simpler terms. "Think of it as… intergalactic TV or radio. You must be gettin' reported on every week or somethin'."

Smiling back down to the Young One, Ben replied; "Ah, neat! That actually sounds pretty cool."

At that moment, though, the front door to the house opened, bringing everyone's attention toward a pair of Revonnahganders standing there to greet them. The one on the left was a male who, while appearing old, still seemed quite fit. If he were human, he'd likely appear to be just a bit younger than Max. His fur was dark blue and he sported a white beard on his chin. Next to him was who they could only assume to be his wife, her light blue furred features also aged, but in a graceful way. Her hair was done up in a headdress that matched her dress, and her eyes remained closed as the duo stepped out of their home.

"I see you have allowed yourself to return home for harvest, Rook Blanko." the man said in a gravely and irritant tone that didn't go unnoticed by the team.

"…My parents." Rook curtly introduced. "Rook Da and Rook Bralla."

Just from where they stood, the Omni-Hunters could easily tell that the tension between father and son was immense. Just by the way they were laser-focused on one another with furrowed brows, it was unmistakable. Thankfully, it was Max who broke the ice. "A-Ahem, so, you're the ones who've raised this fine young man." the old Plumber came forward first and extended a hand to Da. "It's a pleasure to meet you both. I'm Max Tennyson, Magister of Earth. Your son's been quite the hard worker at my base stationed on Earth."

Da gave a short hum and accepted the handshake. "Hm, so you are the famous Plumber who had vanquished Vilgax many years back. An impressive feat." The patriarch shifted his eyes off toward the distance. "Sheriff Wat-Senn informed me of your arrival two days prior."

"Ah, I'm glad he delivered the message." Max nodded to both Da and Bralla. "Thank you for allowing us to stay on your property for a couple days. I think it'll be good for the kids to get in some hard labor on this little trip we're on."

Bralla opened her eyes to respond. "Ah, I see…" Her gaze trailed over to the teenagers, who all flinched as she wore a knowing smile. "Well, if it is hard labor that they have come to seek, then we will put them right to work tomorrow. Provided they can handle a Stone Scythe."

The group simultaneously deflated at that. '…Grandpa, WHY?!' Gwen screamed in her head.

"Ruby's missing out." Vernal noted. "She would've loved to use one of those, I think."

"Well, please, come in." Bralla gestured as Da and Max did so. "Supper is nearly ready."

As they all filed into the home, though, Weiss doubled back a little to check back over the cliff. To her shock, none of the beady red eyes she saw from before were there. 'It's like… they all vanished or something.' The former heiress shook her head, focusing back on getting to dinner.

…..

After everyone had properly introduced themselves to one another, the table was set with a practical smorgasbord of sustenance. Or rather, tables, since there were two of them set up. The larger table was big and round, unlike the family's main table which was long and angular. However, the entire group ended up mixing and matching who went where, upon the Young One's insistence. And so, Ben, Yang, Rex, Weiss, Nora and Ren sat at a table with the Young One and his sisters at the round table while everyone else sat at the main table. …Da didn't seem too happy about it, but Bralla made sure to quell that before it became an issue.

The food, though, was unique in and of itself. It was all a certain shade of orange, which left Rex and Weiss in a state of moral quandary. "So… ALL of this food is made from Amber Ogia?" the EVO piped up.

"Indeed." Rook affirmed. The tables were thankfully close to one another, so no one had to raise their voice. "And I must say, mother, this is quite the impressive assortment."

"Hmhm, well, when I heard that we would be having company for harvest time, you can be assured that I worked laboriously to prepare all of this." Bralla said pridefully, which made Da smile a little. "It is not every day that my cooking is shared among off-worlders, after all."

As he scooped up another mouthful of food into his mouth, Max savored the taste wholeheartedly before swallowing. "Ah, well, consider me impressed. I've sampled some Amber Ogia dishes in my time, but never ones THIS good." He set his sights to the kids with a single finger raised. "Fun fact; on this planet, everything is made from Amber Ogia. Tools, clothes…" He gently tapped his finger against the table. "I'll bet even this table is made from the resin."

"Correct." Da nodded. "We take great pride in what we can accomplish through Amber Ogia." He glanced toward the children with his eyes slightly narrowed. "So it would do the younglings well to sample the dishes before them."

Without needing to be told twice, the teens began putting whatever seemed good to them on their plates and began eating. Surprisingly to them, it wasn't bad! Each dish had a unique taste, with some looking like meat while others resembled soup or noodles. They weren't sure how it was possible since it all came from the same thing, but they kept eating, so it wasn't too big of an issue. "Huh, I guess Rook had a good reason to stick a whole one in his mouth earlier." Nora mused.

"Pfft, males." Shi rolled her eyes. "Always shoving them down their gullets like animals."

Young One stuck her tongue out at her from across the table, though he quickly diverted back to Ben with a glimmer of fascination in his eye. "So, what's it like to transform?"

After swallowing his own mouthful of food, Ben pondered on the question before answering; "It sort of feels like… a good stretch." Back across the table, though, he couldn't help but notice Rook's two youngest sisters all giggling to themselves, all while eyeing him cheekily. "Uh… heh, i-if you guys have any transformations you wanna see, just feel free to say so."

Shi and Shim only kept giggling, which was starting to get on Yang's nerves. "Alright, what the heck is so funny?"

"Hmhm…" Shar, who had seated closer to the two, leaned over and pointed to the utensil that Ben was using. "Ben, you are eating with a backscratcher."

"Ah—AGH!" Ben dropped the small, forked utensil in disgust, all while the rest of the table burst out laughing. "What the heck, man?!"

*knock-knock-knock*

Just then, a light rapping at the large window made all laughter cease, and Bralla stood up to answer. Opening the wooden shudders, she was met with a surprising sight. "Oh! Why hello there." she smiled. "Good evening, young miss."

"Good evening, Rook Bralla." Standing on the other side of the window was a young Revonnahgander woman. She seemed to be around the team's age, maybe a little older, with dark blue fur, long, wavy purple hair, and wearing a striking yellow dress with loose sleeves. She also had a headband full of flowers in her hair, and a radiant smile that seemed to brighten up the room. "Forgive me for intruding so late, but I saw Rook Blanko return and I wanted to be the first to—oh." It was only then that she spotted her quarry, and Rook didn't hesitate to lock eyes with her. "…Hello, Blanko."

Rook abruptly stood up, nearly taking the whole table with him. "Rayona… you look well."

A light blush appeared upon the girl's cheeks. "As do you. Um… might you accompany me to the festival? I-If you are free, of course."

The whole interaction left the Omni-Hunters absolutely astonished. Some of them couldn't even believe it… and they found it all the MORE unbelievable after what Rook said next. "I… do not know the plans of my guests." he gestured to the team, who at this point were slack-jawed. Nora's chin practically hit the floor. "B-But I will see you there!" Rook assured.

"Oh… very well." It was obvious to everyone that she was disappointed, but Rayona kept her smile all the same. "Perhaps another time then. I will see you later!" With a wave goodbye, Rayona left as Bralla shut the window… and her eldest son didn't miss her unimpressed gaze.

"…It appears to be a fair festival this year." Rook stated, avoiding the topic all together as he sat back down.

"Hmph… it would be fairer if our eldest son were around more." Da emphasized, also wanting to move past what had just happened. "The Muroids have been unusually aggressive, taking more than the amount we set aside by custom."

Gwen couldn't help but scratch her chin at that. "Interesting… have there been any changes in the ecosystem lately? I've read that sudden abnormalities can alter the behavior of animals."

But Bralla shook her head. "Not a one, as far as we know. The rains have been consistent, and there have been no major tremors or other disasters either."

"Hmm… that may warrant an investigation." Kevin pondered.

But, back at the larger table, the others were still stuck on the scene that had just played out. "Are… you… KIDDING me?" Nora blurted out, her eyes shooting between the Rook sisters. "Your brother… is a dumbass for passing that up."

Ren quickly went to cover Young One's ears. "Nora, there are children at the table."

"Your earthen euphemisms are strange… but I am inclined to agree." Shar said with a frustrated grimace. "Every girl in the region used to be after our brother. But he only had eyes for Rayona… and yet he STILL manages to botch it up."

"I'm just kinda surprised he's… well…" Weiss rubbed her neck sheepishly. "…interested in romance at all, honestly."

"You sound surprised." Shim tilted her head.

Rex could only give a shrug. "It's just… he always seemed like kind of a stiff on Earth. We didn't think he'd have TIME for romance with how dedicated he is to the job." But, just then…

*KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK*

Everyone's heads snapped to the shut window again, the knocks being much more forceful this time. Da grumbled and went to stand up himself. "Grr… no doubt another foolish girl attempting to court Blanko. I will handle—"

"You will do NO such thing." Bralla asserted, glaring at her husband for good measure. "I will get it." Once more, Da groaned as he sat back down, allowing his wife to open the shudders. "Hello, may I help—AAH!"

Bralla's sudden shriek put everyone on high alert, the Omni-Hunters collectively standing at the ready while the Rook children all screamed and huddled together. And for good reason, too, because on the other side of the window… was a large, hunched creature with a long muzzle with a bulbous nose and gnarled teeth, pointed ears, and beady red eyes that seemed to glow in the dark. Its back was covered with a hardened shell, and its tail was pink and slender. It let out a loud shriek into the home, which Da took as an immediate threat.

"MUROIDS!" the man bellowed while grabbing a flare gun. But before he could even shoot it off… *BANG* A shot went off, startling him a bit, but not as much as what he saw next. Armed with her Ember Celica, Yang flew into his field of vision and PUNCHED the Muroid right in the snout, belting out a battle cry as she careened through the window and got the giant rodent out of there.

"Team, let's move out!" Ben called, ushering them all outside. They made sure to use the door, and to say they were taken aback by what they saw was an understatement. There had to be at least a dozen of the massive, quadrupedal rodents around the house, and all of them were growling at Yang as she fought the one from the window… a bipedal one. The Blonde Brawler was still holding her own, but once the Muroids caught sight of the other Omni-Hunters, many of them began to hightail it away. With one last uppercut, Yang sent the last Muroid rolling away… quite literally as it curled up into a ball to follow its brethren.

"AND DON'T COME BACK!" Yang shook her fist after the retreating beasts. Breathing heavily, she spun back around to rejoin her team. "Is everybody okay?" she asked as the Rook family came out as well. "Sir, none of you are hurt, right?"

Da shook his head, though he appeared to be somewhat lost in thought. "No, but… hmph, thank you. For protecting my home and family."

Yang could tell it was a begrudging thanks, but she took it all the same. "You're welcome. But man, you guys have got a LOT to deal with."

"Yeah, I can see how those things would give you a lot of trouble." Gwen agreed, though she noticed that the rest of the family seemed fairly shaken. "…Is everything alright?"

Shar pursed her lips, craning her head down. "Not exactly." Her eyes shifted up to her brother. "Blanko… have you ever seen anything like this?"

"Why? What's the matter?" Ben looked to Rook as well.

Staring off into the night where the beasts had disappeared, Rook's features hardened, the Plumber visibly concerned. "That Muroid from the window… it stood on two legs. It is HIGHLY unnatural."

For some reason, that sent off a warning signal in Ben's mind, and for good reason, too. It reeked of familiarity, and not in the good way. "Native animals suddenly evolving and adapting at an unnatural rate? …I don't like that. Not one little bit."

…..

Several miles away from any Revonnan settlement, out in the barren wastelands where very little Amber Ogia grew, a practical battalion of Muroids were making their way into a carefully hidden base, all of them carrying canisters full of the orange fruit. They filed into the bunker in droves and carefully set their acquired bounty down… before loyally scurrying over to their master. "You gentlemen made the correct decision in contacting me for this." Said a certain mad doctor as he scratched one of the Muroid's chin. "This operation could not have gone smoother." Animo said confidently.

"Hahah, yeah, tell me about it, bro." Approaching from the shadows, Fistrick led his crew to retrieve the cannisters, with Hooligan, Vandal and Crush each taking one. "We're practically rollin' in this crap! Soon, we'll have MORE than enough to make up for what we lost with the whole Megawatt shitshow! Hahahaha—" *WHAM* "AUGH!"

Without any warning, Fistrick was knocked to the ground by a heavy, metal paw, one which grabbed the cannister he was carrying. "Ya goddamn idiot! It's YER fault that shitshow happened in the first place!" The group of thugs started to cower as their boss emerged from the shadows, his red eyes glaring down upon them. "I swear, sometimes I'm SHOCKED at how stupid ya'll can be!"

Before things could get more heated, Thunderhog and Exo-Skull came out from behind the large canid alien, defending their mohawked allies. "W-Woah, woah, let's not get too heated now, huh?" Skull encouraged, trying to soothe the situation. "Now's not the time to focus on what happened back then."

"Yeah, you guys got a new lease on your bad guy mojo!" Hog continued as well. "Why bring up bad memories at a time like this?"

"They are correct!" Animo declared. "Soon, the Amber Ogia will ALL be ours for the taking, once we initiate our ULTIMATE move upon the people of this planet." He grinned maniacally toward the Metallikanine in charge. "Wouldn't you say so, good sir?"

"Grr… yer damn right!" Lifting the cannister, the alien opened his mouth and CRUSHED it, allowing all of the Amber Ogia juices to dribble down his throat. "Hmm… yeah. An' once we gather it all an' give Salem her cut, we'll use OUR half to brew the BEST beer in the galaxy! An' THAT'S the bottom line, BECAUSE BASHMOUTH SAID SO!" Howling into the night, Bashmouth led a collective cheer, his followers more than happy with his proposal. "Now… time to unleash the RATS of WAR!"

…..

A/N: …Uh oh. Welp, if you thought Fisttrick being a threat in the original episode was enough, now we've got at least EIGHT villains on Revonnah to worry about this time. Fisttrick and his gang, Animo, Hog and Skull, and of course… Bashmouth. This is gonna be quite the tussle coming up, that's for sure. Also, for those wondering, no, Muroids aren't an Omnitrix-compatible species in this universe. Sure, for alien animals, they ARE intelligent, but I don't think they're THAT intelligent. Never made much sense to me, honestly.

But to take things from the top of the chapter… yeah, things are really moving and shaking when it comes to the Ministry on all fronts. We got the ones on Revonnah and then we've got Red Son quickly getting himself on Salem's good side. I mean, when you're a demon who's got scientific know-how and ambitions of freeing your IMMENSELY powerful father, it only makes sense you'd be offered a good spot right off the bat. Wonder how that meeting between Salem and his mother will go, though…

On the other hand, we've got Psychobos managing to worm his way out of a tormenting punishment. Special thanks to MM Studios for suggesting how the dialogue for this scene should go, by the way. Always appreciate the help, man! But as a result of this, his punishment's been reduced to merely being stuck in Remnant for the time being… and Salem's immediately assigned him and Red Son to work on a certain project to counter Kamen Rider Build. …Yes, Night Rogue and Blood Stalk ARE coming. Stuff's about to get REAL.

With the heroes, though… oy, just when you think they'd be able to catch a break, Raven throws in one condition into the mix. Can't just go off into space unsupervised, they've gotta have a couple adult chaperones on this trip. Though let's face it, a bunch of teens going to a paradise planet unsupervised… yeah, you can probably see why Raven would be cautious about that. That said, at least it's just Vernal and Max, so there's familiarity here.

But YES, the Plumber Space Bus is now officially a thing with its onboard artificial intelligence! Meet BUS, and I've already got a voice actor in mind for him… but that can wait until next time. I wanna keep you guys guessing for a little bit on that front.

And we end on a bit of a peek into Rook's home life… which is filled with awesome siblings, an understanding mother, and a grouchy father who may be just a bit TOO rooted in tradition *tugs at sweaty collar*. Oy, almost as bad as family gatherings around the holidays. But hey, at least things aren't AS bad as what happened in the canon episode… so far, at least. Oh, and I also gave Bralla a bit more dialogue here. Always felt there could be more to her character, so hopefully that came across well.

For now, though, next time! After a rather… unfortunate series of events that happen at the harvest festival, Ben, Rook and the others head out into the desert to see just what the heck is going on with the Muroid infestation. It doesn't take them long before they come across the villains, though… but unfortunately, things aren't going to be as easy as they seem. As they soon discover, Fistrick and his gang have some new toys to play with… ones that don't JUST grant mutant power… but DUST power as well. For sure next time; Bros in Space. Thanks for reading, everybody, and as always, stay safe out there!