Disclaimer: Ben 10 and Bleach do not belong to me.
I would like to gives thanks to both Vandenbz and Pyromania101 for proofreading my work. I appreciate all the work you do and have done for me.
Ultimate Heroes
Aizen waited patiently, though intrigued, as Ulquiorra proceeded to pluck his right eye straight from its socket. If it were anyone else, this procedure would be far more graphic and gruesome, but Ulquiorra possessed a unique and very useful ability. The Espada then held out his eye. "Use what I have witnessed as you see fit," he said before crushing it.
The organ in turn became dust that scattered around the Arrancar gathered. Soon, all of them were filled with the mental images of everything Ulquiorra had seen and felt during his expedition to Karakura Town with Yammy. This was Ulquiorra's Solita Vista. As the images filled his head, Aizen could say, with complete honesty, that he was not prepared for what he was about to witness. Ulquiorra and Yammy had entered the human world and encountered some of Kurosaki's allies, Orihime Inoue and Yasatura Sado.
The latter tried to fight them and was severely wounded for his troubles, forcing Inoue to focus on healing him. Kurosaki himself showed up to aid them, now revealed to be the one responsible for the removal of Yammy's arm. At first Aizen hoped to see if the Substitute Soul Reaper had improved since he last saw him, only for something truly unexpected to take place. A masked stranger arrived, choosing to fight Yammy in Kurosaki's place while the boy tended to his friends. The stranger actually did very well against the Tenth Espada, though through the Solita Vista Aizen could literally feel that Ulquiorra himself wasn't impressed. Yammy and the stranger seemed evenly matched but Aizen was skeptical that this newcomer was going all out. Afterwards Kisuke Urahara and Yoruichi Shihoin arrived on the scene. With the odds stacking against them, Ulquiorra had decided it was time for him and Yammy to leave. While Aizen thought it was a pity that he didn't see any progress Kurosaki had made, what did happen was just as intriguing.
"Well now; interesting indeed." Aizen's eyes slowly opened, a contemplative look on his face. "I think I understand what's going on now. Or at the very least, a high guess."
The Arrancar turned towards their leaders, looks varying between curiosity and confusion on their faces.
"First our dear guest Ben Tennyson shows up in our midst," Aizen mused, "And then this new person has appeared in Karakura Town, an ally to Kurosaki it seems. Considering the fact that Ben told us someone had sent him here, it is possible this same person is responsible for the presence of Kurosaki's ally."
"But for what purpose, Lord Aizen?" Szayel asked.
"That's the question isn't it?" Aizen said, his mouth forming into a small smile. "There are several possibilities, but at this moment, I believe the person behind all of this is doing it solely for the sake of entertainment. They're playing a game and we are the pieces."
Several of the Arrancar scowled at this, clearly not liking the idea of someone toying with them for some twisted sense of amusement.
"What kind of shit are you trying to pull, Ulquiorra?!"
Said Arrancar turned his head to the addressee, who was none other than Grimmjow, sitting amongst his Fraccione. "Grimmjow."
"How stupid are you?" Grimmjow demanded with a sneer. "You had orders to kill the Soul Reaper right? You had the chance to kill him while that masked guy was trashing Yammy." His sneer grew into a feral smirk. "If it was me, I would have taken them down in one blast."
"I agree," Shawlong said, standing up. "While we have yet to see the scope of their abilities, the Soul Reaper and this other human have shown potential as threats. Even if they are deemed worthless, they are still our enemies. Wouldn't it be just as worthless not to kill them?"
"Hey!" Yammy spoke up, indignant at Grimmjow's degradation of him. "Don't go talking trash when you have no idea what's going on, Grimmjow. I got some shots on the masked guy, too. Plus he got help from that sandal guy and the dark bitch."
"So what?" Grimmjow countered, smirking at the larger Arrancar. "Like I said, I would have gotten them all with one blast."
Yammy snarled as he got up. "Oh yeah? Why don't you tell that to the Tennyson kid?"
Grimmjow's face turned sour, his eyes narrowing. "What did you say?"
"That's right!" Yammy was now the one smirking. "I heard he was knocking you around too and the only reason you were winning was because he chose the wrong alien. Wonder how long you would have lasted if he had used a different one."
Grimmjow grit his teeth, casting an eye over at Nnoitra, who was also sporting a smaller smirk of his own. Had that bastard been lying about how his fight with Tennyson happened? Grimmjow swore he'd get back at the Fifth Espada. Severely.
"Enough," Ulquiorra said, deciding to intervene before their pointless bickering worsened. He faced the Sixth Espada. "Grimmjow, if I had attempted to kill the boy, no doubt his allies would have protected him. It would have been a waste of time and effort."
Grimmjow scoffed. "Don't lie to me, you bastard. The truth is you got scared because you were outnumbered and ran away. You didn't even learn anything about the kid. What if he proves to be more of a threat then you realized, huh? What if that masked guy was holding back his true power? What the hell will you do then, Ulquiorra?"
Ulquiorra was completely unfazed by Grimmjow's prodding. "Then I will deal with both of them when that time comes. You can't possibly complain now, can you?"
"Of course not," Aizen said, drawing everyone's attention on to him. "While I am disappointed that I wasn't able to see Kurosaki's capabilities, it was due to forces beyond your control. But I am content with leaving this to you, Ulquiorra. Try and find out what both Kurosaki and this new individual are capable of. And if you are able to, try and bring them to our cause. And if not, then dispose of them."
Ulquiorra nodded his head in acknowledgement. Grimmjow narrowed his eyes, not content with this situation at all.
"Lord Aizen," Ulquiorra spoke up. "Do you believe that Ben Tennyson knows the identity of the masked individual?"
"That too is a possibility," Aizen mused. "But at the same time, it might not be. His presence has confirmed that there are other universes besides ours, who's to say that this new stranger is not from a universe completely separate from Ben's?" He chuckled. "Even if this shadow player is manipulating events for the sake of amusement, I intend to take full advantage of what they have done for us. Though I may need to press Ben's training, while increasing our forces. Starrk," he addressed the First Espada. "Be sure to inform Ben of our new enemy; barring some information of course."
…
Ben was currently sitting on his bed, wearing his regular clothes while the white uniform was in a neatly folded pile beside the bed, staring up at the ceiling and bored out of his mind ever since Lilynette and Starrk had left. He really wished there was some way for him to pass the time, preferably a video game or some comic books.
Just then Starrk and Lilynette entered the room. Ben immediately sat up.
"Hey," he greeted them. "So what did Aizen want?"
"He had sent Ulquiorra and Yammy to this territory of Soul Society's called Karakura Town," Starrk said. "Wanted to check out the enemy's strength."
"What did they find out?" Ben asked, though he was surprised to learn that Soul Society had actually claimed territory in the living world.
"Some new guy is working with Soul Society," Lilynette spoke up. "Blonde hair, wears a mask over his eyes. Pretty fast, pretty strong, and he can absorb energy. He was actually able to hold his own against Yammy. Lord Aizen thinks he might be from another universe too."
Ben's eyes widened. From another universe? Could it be from his? If so, then who was this guy? So far, the only two blonde guys he could think of were Cooper and Michael Morningstar. He was kind of leaning toward the latter due to the super strength and energy absorbing. That made Ben wonder if spiritual energy gave him a power boost like Mana did. Oh great, as if he didn't have enough problems. Michael may be predictable but that didn't change the fact that he was dangerous, especially at full power.
But there was still the chance that this guy wasn't Michael. If so, then who was he? Was he from Ben's universe or a different one? And what would Ben do if they ever crossed paths?
"I think I'd have to see this guy for myself," Ben settled on. "Just to be sure."
Starrk sighed at the fact they weren't any closer to figuring out the stranger's identity. "That's fair I guess."
Ben crossed his arms. "Did Aizen say anything else?"
Starrk opened his mouth to speak but Lilynette cut him off.
"He thinks the guy who sent you here might be responsible for this other guy being here too," she said. "He also thinks the guy's doing it just for fun."
Ben honestly wasn't surprised at the possibility. That theory suited Paradox's eccentric personality and antics. Ben just felt bad that he (possibly) had dragged someone else into this whole mess.
"So Lord Aizen wants to start increasing your training," Starrk told him. "As well as try to recruit some more Hollows."
That caught Ben's interest twofold. Increasing his training? Recruiting more Hollows? Ben wondered if this meant he was going to see Tosen, Gin, or Aizen's Bankai. Come to think of it, he had never even seen Aizen's shikai yet. Ben wondered what his could do.
…
Aizen was still sitting on his throne, replaying what he had seen from the Solita Vista. The fact that he didn't fully comprehend this new fighter's powers reminded him of the fact that they still didn't know much of Ben's own abilities. Then it dawned on him how to achieve two goals at once.
…
Ben, Lilynette, and Starrk were surprised when Ulquiorra, his eye having regenerated in its socket, entered their room.
"What are you doing here, Ulquiorra?" Starrk asked.
"Lord Aizen has sent me to search for any Vasto Lorde available for recruitment," the Fourth Espada answered. "He would like for Ben to accompany me."
All three's eyes widened. "Me?" Ben asked. "I mean, not that I really mind but what about my training?"
"Lord Aizen said you will resume training after this search," Ulquiorra explained. "He requested that you accompany me both to see more of your capabilities and so that you may have a better understanding of the existence of Hollows."
Ben couldn't help thinking something was off about this whole thing. He could argue against it but he knew that it would only make him appear more suspicious. "Alright," he relented. "Do we head out right now?"
"That would be ideal," Ulquiorra stated matter-of-factly.
Ben looked over at Starrk and Lilynette. The former simply rubbed his head while Lilynette shrugged at him with uncertainty. Ben looked over at Ulquiorra. "Alright, let's go."
Soon Ulquiorra and Ben were outside of Las Noches once more. Ben was honestly feeling like he was being shoved from one place to another without really accomplishing anything. It was becoming tedious. He chuckled inwardly. Tedious? Now there was a word Ben never thought he would use.
"I've been meaning to ask," Ben said as he and Ulquiorra departed from Las Noches. "Is there anything out here aside from sand?"
"Yes," Ulquiorra said. "What you see before you is only a small part of Hueco Mundo. There are several other locations, but only a select few such as the Forest of Menos, have names."
"Are there any Vasto Lorde in the Forest of Menos?" Ben asked.
"No," Ulquiorra stated. "The majority of the Hollows there are Gillians and Adjucha, the stages before a Vasto Lorde."
"Do Vasto Lorde have a specific place like that?"
"No," Ulquiorra said again. "Because very few Hollows manage to evolve into them, Vasto Lorde are rare and more or less scattered across Hueco Mundo. Some live among each other, others by themselves, or they may actually mingle among weaker Hollows. However, Lord Aizen did tell me of one possible location to start looking."
"At least that makes things easier," Ben said with a shrug. "Think they'll attack us?"
"That is always a possibility," Ulquiorra admitted. "Aside from being territorial, Hollows will not hesitate to feed on anyone that can increase their power or because of some petty enjoyment through eating human souls."
"Thanks for making me feel better," Ben said sarcastically.
"Whether or not you feel better is unimportant," Ulquiorra told him. "Lord Aizen gave us a task and we will do what he asked of us."
Ben stared at the Fourth Espada. "You must be a riot at parties."
Ulquiorra simply ignored his comment. The situation reminded Ben of when he and Reinrassic III had been stranded on that desert planet. He found himself wishing that Starrk or Harribel had come along, at least then he'd have somebody who'd want to talk to him.
Ben knew this was going to be a long mission.
"Where we are going is very far from Las Noches," Ulquiorra said. "I suggest you assume your XLR8 form before we travel."
Ben raised a brow but activated the Ultimatrix without question. He slammed down the dial once he reached XLR8's image, transforming into said alien with another flash of green light.
"Alright," the Kineceleran said. "Now what?"
"Follow me," Ulquiorra ordered before disappearing in a flash of Sonido.
"Hey!" XLR8 cried out in irritation. "Wait for me!" With that, his visor closed over his face and he dashed across the desert, trying to catch up with his companion.
…
It would have been a sight for any spectator to see as a rising dust cloud was kicked up by a barely visible blur that raced across the desert.
XLR8 wasn't sure where they were going but he was glad that he had followed Ulquiorra's recommendation. He wasn't sure how long it would have taken them if they had walked.
Ulquiorra finally came to a halt, XLR8 stopping right behind him. "We're here," the Arrancar said.
XLR8's visor lifted with a hiss as he took in their surroundings; they appeared to be at the entrance to some kind of canyon. The sight left the hero bewildered, not expecting to see such structures. XLR8 looked over his shoulder. Las Noches was nowhere in sight.
"Where are we anyway?" he asked.
"We're near a reported colony of Hollows," Ulquiorra answered. "Be on guard."
XLR8 nodded. Ulquiorra started walking into the canyon, with XLR8 following. The hero looked around, wondering if they were going to be ambushed. Though he remained alert, he decided to try and at least find some way to pass the time. "So," he said to the Arrancar. "What's your story?"
Ulquiorra looked over his shoulder. "My story?"
"Yeah, what was your life like before Aizen recruited you?"
"Why do you wish to know that?" Ulquiorra asked.
"Well, Starrk and Harribel told me about theirs," XLR8 pointed out.
"Just because they did doesn't mean I should or would," Ulquiorra retorted.
"Sheesh, lighten up, Ulquiorra. If you don't want to tell me, that's fine. I'm just trying to make conversation."
"For what purpose?"
XLR8 shrugged. "Well, if we're going to be teammates, we should get to know each other better. Aizen even said so." He turned his head back to the front. The hero was certain that he had gotten his point across.
Finally Ulquiorra said. "Very well. Back when I was a Hollow, I was born at the bottom of a lightless pit. There were others besides me. While they had forms as black as the darkness, mine was white. I had no mouth, ears or nose. I could not hear, I could not speak, I could not smell, and I could not feel anything I touched."
The Kineceleran faltered, staring at Ulquiorra in shock. "Are you serious?!"
"Why would I lie?" Ulquiorra asked.
XLR8 stood there, dumbfounded. He tried to imagine what such a state would be like and shivered uneasily. "Sorry I asked," he muttered to himself. He noticed that Ulquiorra was going on ahead and dashed to catch up with him.
"The others exiled me from the pit," Ulquiorra continued. "For a long time I roamed the vastness of Hueco Mundo until I came upon an extraordinary sight. You have no doubt noticed the tree-like objects scattered among the desert. They are not true trees but crystals. And I happened to find a massive tree that I assume was the birth place of all the others. Like me, it had no color, had no scent, did not make a sound, it did not interact with anything; it merely existed. I sank into the tree, sank into the void, and felt as if everything had disappeared."
XLR8's eyes never left Ulquiorra as he walked alongside the Espada.
"If happiness exists, it should resemble the limitless nothingness. Nihilism is having nothing and having nothing to lose. If that isn't happiness, then what is? The things I see have no meaning and the things I cannot see do not exist." Ulquiorra closed his eyes. "There is nothing in you. And in me."
XLR8 frowned at these depressing words. "I'm sorry."
"Spare me your pity," Ulquiorra said, the slightest hint of annoyance in his voice.
"I can't even imagine living like that," XLR8 admitted. "I don't blame you for thinking that way but I don't agree with you. Just because you can't see something doesn't mean it's not there." Ulquiorra didn't say anything. The wielder of the Ultimatrix had a feeling that he was being ignored. "I'm serious."
"What proof do you have?" The Espada countered.
XLR8 hesitated as he tried and failed to come up with a good explanation. "Uh, you can't see air and it exists."
"Is that the best explanation you have?" Ulquiorra asked sardonically.
XLR8 wilted as he tried to think of another example to use.
Ulquiorra abruptly turned back to the front, his eyes narrowing. "Seems we have been detected."
XLR8 did a double take, about to ask Ulquiorra how he knew this, but then remembered that he must have used that Pesquisa technique. XLR8 tensed his body, his eyes darting back and forth to prepare for an attack. He became aware of the sound of footsteps, and they were getting louder. Shapes began to appear over the edge of the canyons, staring down at the two trespassers.
"Are they…?" XLR8 began to ask.
"No," Ulquiorra replied immediately. "These are all Adjucha. There doesn't seem to be a single Vasto Lorde amongst them. A pity, but to be expected. Barring any Vasto Lorde who have already become Arrancar, it is said that their exact number could be counted with one hand."
"Whoa, really?" XLR8 tilted his head. "I get that they were rare but I didn't know it was that bad."
Just then Ulquiorra paused. "Wait. There's something else."
One by one the Hollows began pouring into the canyon, effectively surrounding the Arrancar and alien. XLR8 looked around, seeing that they were completely cut off. Then he noticed something moving amongst the crowd, making its way to the front. The Hollows parted and the presence revealed itself. It was a muscular Hollow with a head like a jackal's and a body that looked like it was coated in armor made of bones, a gaping hole in the center of its stomach.
"A Vasto Lorde," Ulquiorra said with a hint of interest. "Do you lead these Adjucha?"
The jackal-headed Hollow ignored Ulquiorra's question. Instead he raised an arm and pointed a clawed finger at him. "Arrancar," he growled. "I've heard of you, the Hollows who tore off their masks and swore loyalty to a Soul Reaper." Several of the other Hollows started snarling and growling at this revelation.
"Guess Soul Reapers aren't very popular here," XLR8 said under his breath.
At once the Vasto Lorde turned to him. "And what is this thing? I can see that it isn't a Hollow or a Soul Reaper." The Vasto Lorde made his way over to XLR8, who stood still but prepared to bolt at a moment's notice. The Hollow leaned forward and started sniffing at the alien.
"Hey, buddy!" XLR8 pushed his nose out of the way. "Ever heard of personal space?"
The jackal Hollow narrowed his eyes and growled. "How strange. Your scent confounds me. What are you?"
Ulquiorra cut him off. "What is your name, Vasto Lorde?"
Said Hollow gnashed his teeth at Ulquiorra. "What does it matter to you, Arrancar?!"
"I can sense that you have power," Ulquiorra stated. "Lord Aizen would welcome someone like you into his ranks. Possibly even grant you a place among the Espada."
"Aizen," The Vasto Lorde said, grinning in a way that made XLR8 think of Grimmjow. "So that's his name. Why would I ever bow to the likes of anyone? Especially that Soul Reaper?"
"Because we can offer you power beyond what you're currently capable of," Ulquiorra told him.
"Oh?" The Vasto Lorde asked, actually looking interested. "Did you actually become stronger by ripping off your mask?"
"Why not come with us and see?" Ulquiorra offered.
At first the jackal seemed to consider Ulquiorra's offer, lightly scratching his chin. XLR8 tensed up. As much as he wanted things to work out smoothly, he had enough experience to have an idea where this was going.
"As tempting as your offer is, gaining this power would mean allowing myself to be subjugated to a Soul Reaper for the rest of my life. I think…not!" The jackal declared before turning to the Adjucha. "Kill them both!"
The Hollows needed no more encouragement, howling before lunging at their prey.
"Uh oh," was all XLR8 could get out before ducking out of the way. It wasn't going to be easy. The sheer number of Hollows gathered made it difficult to maneuver, reducing XLR8 to simply dodging from one side to the other. One Hollow that resembled a grey crocodile with red lines running down his body took a snap at the alien, who leaped into the air before smacking his assailant across the face with his tail. Unfortunately, XLR8 found that someone else had latched onto his tail. The Kineceleran felt himself lifted up and flung through the air, smacking right into the canyon wall.
"Ugh," XLR8 mumbled as he slid down the formation and landed face-first into the sand.
"I don't know what manner of creature you are," the jackal-headed Hollow chuckled as he made his way over to the fallen hero, accompanied by several of his minions. "But you were foolish to come here, especially to align yourself with the likes of that Aizen. I suppose I could do you a kindness and kill you now, but I wonder, what sort of power would I gain if I were to devour you?"
XLR8 weakly pushed himself up, glaring at the Hollow, while also noticing that Ulquiorra was nowhere in sight.
"My pack made sure to separate you and the Arrancar," the jackal replied, figuring out what XLR8 was up to. "Divide and conquer."
"Good strategy," XLR8 said dryly. "In fact, why don't I use it?" He tapped the Ultimatrix dial on his chest.
"What?!" the jackal cried out when his vision was filled with green light, covering his eyes.
XLR8 was no more. Instead he was a small white humanoid with green eyes and attachments on the sides of his head that resembled headphones, designated Echo Echo in Ben's youth.
Once the jackal and his goons were able to see again, they paused when they saw Ben's new form in front of them. They all stared for a brief moment before the jackal threw back his head and cackled wildly, his minions following shortly afterward.
"So you can change your form," The jackal said. "Interesting ability. But what sort of power could a form like this possibly possess?"
Echo Echo grinned at him. "Like you said," he replied in a distorted voice, like he was speaking through a machine. "Divide and conquer!"
The Hollows were taken aback when suddenly copies of the little alien appeared right beside him. All in all there was six of him altogether. Though the jackal Hollow was surprised, he quickly got over it.
"So you can create clones of yourself," he scoffed, making a show of how unimpressed his was. "You still don't stand a chance against all of us."
Echo Echo's grin just grew. "I wouldn't count on it. Wall. Of. Sound!"
All six aliens opened their mouths and each unleashed a scream of ultrasonic sound. Combined, it was a powerful ultrasonic blast that caused the Hollows to fall to their knees, clutching their ears. And even then, the sheer force of the blast was enough to blow some of the closer attackers back. To make matters worse, the attack was weakening the cliffside on the other side of the canyon. If this kept up an avalanche was imminent.
Seeing that their enemies were all disabled, the Echo Echoes ceased their attack. "Time to split," the leader told his clones. They nodded and, one by one, disappeared back into his body. "Or, something like that." With deceptive agility for one so small, Echo Echo leapt into the air and out of the canyon. The Sonorosian looked around. "Well, safe to say that guy's not interested in joining. Better find Ulquiorra and get out of here." He was about to try using his Echolocation ability to find the Espada, when suddenly the ground beneath him exploded. The force knocked Echo Echo off his feet and flat on the ground. He turned over to see the jackal-headed Hollow climbing out of the canyon, snarling at him angrily.
"I will not allow myself to be made a fool out of!" he roared.
"I think it's a little late for that," Echo Echo couldn't resist joking.
The jackal managed to completely pull himself out of the canyon, his eyes fixed on his smaller opponent. One by one, the other Hollows started emerging alongside him.
"Uh…can we talk about this?" Echo Echo asked. "If you don't want to work for Aizen, that's cool. My…buddy and I can just leave without any trouble."
The Vasto Lorde sneered at him. "Why should I let you get away? You came to my territory, expected me to swear my allegiance to a Soul Reaper, and attacked my pack!"
"To be fair, you attacked us first," Echo Echo pointed out.
"It doesn't matter," the jackal said dismissively. "You were dead to rights the moment you stepped into our territory. I don't need a Soul Reaper to grant me power. Once we feast on you and that Arrancar, then I will have all the power I need." He looked over at his cohorts. "Stand down, all of you. I will deal with this pest myself."
The Hollows shifted in place but nonetheless they obeyed their leader's command, moving around to give him more space. Echo Echo shifted into a fighting stance, seeing that this guy wasn't going to go down without a fight.
With a roar, the Vasto Lorde charged. Echo Echo responded by leaping up at him. Not suspecting his opponent to make such a move caused the Hollow to falter, which Echo Echo took advantage of by creating more clones. He and his copies all latched onto the Hollow, their momentum and additional weight causing all of them to fall onto the ground. The Hollow's face reddened in anger at being humiliated in front of his followers.
"Get off of me!" he yelled, swiping at them with his claws. The clones found themselves flung up and slamming into the ground. Quickly they picked themselves up and faced their adversary. They all looked at each other, silently creating a strategy. Nodding, they all ran in different directions until they surrounded the Vasto Lorde. By the time it dawned on him what the Echo Echoes were about to do, it was too late.
"Wall of Sound!" One Echo Echo cried before all of them unleashed a sonic blast.
Being attacked from every angle caused the Vasto Lorde to cry out again, clutching his ears in pain. Echo Echo briefly wondered if his hearing was just like a dog's and, if so, how much pain the guy must be in.
At first it looked like victory was in the bag for Echo Echo, but then the Vasto Lorde raised his head and opened his mouth, a ball of red energy forming in his jaws. A Cero. With effort, the jackal Hollow aimed his head towards one of the Echo Echoes and fired. The poor guy never stood a chance as he was completely engulfed by the Cero, the attack knocked the other Echo Echoes back, leaving them vulnerable.
"I will say this, creature," the jackal said in between deep breaths. "Your abilities of copying yourself and a sonic scream make you more of a threat than you appear, but it seems you're not very good at taking a hit." He pounced upon one of the Echo Echo clones, his jaws encasing the clone's head. The other Echo Echoes watched in horror as the Hollow clamped down. Echo Echo was no stranger to the death of one of his copies: he still remembered what happened when he took on Kevin while the guy was on his Ultimatrix high. But at least Kevin had the decency to blow them up. That was probably more painless than what he had just seen. The Vasto Lorde tossed the body to the side before glaring down at the others. "First I'll make sure you're completely dead before I start feasting."
Echo Echo weighed his options. This guy was pretty good, not to mention there were all those other Hollows besides him. He could always dial in a different alien, but he decided it was time to try a different tactic.
"Time to go Ultimate!" he announced, slapping the Ultimatrix dial. Four spikes popped out of the symbol and a green light coursed across Echo Echo's body.
The jackal's jaw dropped as the alien's body changed. Standing before him now was a blue humanoid robot, his body lined with discs built into his form.
"Ultimate Echo Echo!" the robot cried out in a deeper, even more robotic tone.
"What?!" The jackal yelled, actually taking a step back from this unexpected development. The other Hollows gaped at the strange creature's transformation. "W-what did you just do?"
If his mouth was capable of moving, Ultimate Echo Echo would have grinned. "Let me show you," he settled for a smug tone as he raised his arms. Sonic blasts far larger than the one he had unleashed as regular Echo Echo struck the gathered Hollows, the force blasting them backwards, some even falling right back into the canyon. The jackal Vasto Lorde would have suffered the same fate but he had managed to grab the edge of the canyon, hoisting himself back up. He was persistent, Ultimate Echo Echo had to give him that.
"I won't lose to a freak like you!" the Hollow declared.
"You're one to talk," the evolved Sonorisan snapped. The Hollow responded by opening up his mouth and starting to charge another Cero. "Not again!"
The jackal fired but just before the Cero could connect, Ultimate Echo Echo unleashed a sonic blast from his disks that formed a forcefield around his body. The Cero struck, covering the hero in red light.
The jackal smirked as he watched the explosion of his Cero. Hopefully there would be enough of that strange, transforming creature left for him to at least have a light snack. But his smirk dropped once the smoke cleared, revealing Ultimate Echo Echo still in his forcefield, completely unharmed. The sight made the Vasto Lorde's legs feel like jelly; his Cero, completely useless. What was this creature?
Ultimate Echo Echo lowered the forcefield. "Phew. Talk about a close call. Don't know if I would have lasted if that actually hit."
The Vasto Lorde clenched his claws tightly, angry at the idea of this unknown creature making him look weak, especially in front of Hollows weaker than himself.
"I don't care what your powers are, creature!" he declared. "I won't lose to the likes of you!"
Ultimate Echo Echo sighed deeply. "I don't want to fight you. Please, just let me and Ulquiorra leave!"
Rather than respond with words, the jackal howled into the night sky before lunging at his prey. Ultimate Echo Echo quickly stepped to the side, just barely dodging the attack.
"I didn't want to do this but you've left me with no choice," Ultimate Echo Echo said, deploying some of the disks from his hands and arms. They floated over the Vasto Lorde before making a ring.
"What is this?" the Hollow demanded, eyeing the disks suspiciously.
"Sonic," Ultimate Echo Echo began. "Doom!"
Sonic waves erupted from each disk, effectively creating a sphere of pure sound around the Hollow. The moment it happened, the Vasto Lorde was on his knees, clutching his ears, his howl of pain distorted by the sonic blasts all around him. The hero allowed the attack to continue for just a moment longer before finally ceasing. The attack had been too much for the Vasto Lorde, who crumpled to the ground in a heap.
"I'm sorry it had to come to this," Ultimate Echo Echo said sincerely as his disks floated back into his body. He turned his head back to the edge, where the other Hollows had gathered. They were all staring in wide-eyed shock at the fact that this strange being had so easily taken down a Vasto Lorde.
Ultimate Echo Echo raised his arms at them. "Leave. Now."
The Hollows needed no further encouragement as they scrambled to get as far away from Ultimate Echo Echo as possible.
"Huh," the wielder of the Ultimatrix changed back into Echo Echo in a flash of green light, and then back into Ben in a second burst. "Guess they weren't so tough once their leader was taken down."
"You defeated the Vasto Lorde. That is unexpected."
Ben whipped around to see Ulquiorra walking towards him. His clothes were a little torn and tattered, part of his sleeve had been ripped, but otherwise he looked fine.
"You alright?" Ben asked.
"It'll take far more than a handful of Adjucha to give me any form of trouble," Ulquiorra stated plainly before turning his gaze to the downed Vasto Lorde. "Congratulations are in order. You defeated a Hollow said to be on par with the Soul Reaper Captains. That was no easy feat."
"Well, you know," Ben said casually. "Just a matter of picking the right alien." He wondered, however, if Ulquiorra had managed to see any part of the fight.
"Hmm," was all Ulquiorra said, still staring at the fallen Hollow. "Word will no doubt spread across Hueco Mundo of your existence and your accomplishment here. At least they are unaware that you are a human."
"That's something I guess," Ben said, putting his hands in his pockets. "So what now? Do we go looking for other Vasto Lorde?"
"No," came Ulquiorra's curt reply. "This location was the only one Lord Aizen felt a Vasto Lorde could be found at. To wander around Hueco Mundo on the very slight chance of finding another is a waste of time and effort."
"What about him?" Ben tilted his head towards the jackal.
"What about him?" Ulquiorra asked dismissively. "We have enough unruly Arrancar within Las Noches as it is. If by some chance we were able to convince him to join us, he would no doubt abuse his power; possibly even try to harm Lord Aizen, however futile such an attempt would be. No, Vasto Lorde or not, this one is nothing but trash."
Ben frowned at Ulquiorra. Granted, the guy did just try to kill him and all but Ulquiorra was just so blunt and degrading towards the Hollow. It reminded Ben a little too much of the Highbreed's old views.
"Let us depart before he recovers and tries to attack us again," Ulquiorra recommended. "If he persists, I may have no choice but to cut him down."
Ben grimaced at how nonchalant Ulquiorra was, though he should not have been too surprised after hearing the Espada's backstory. The guy was really more of a machine than a living being. A ghost.
With that being said, Ulquiorra turned in the direction of Las Noches. "Come." Before Ben had the chance to reply, Ulquiorra grabbed his arm.
"Wha…" was all Ben got out before Hueco Mundo became a complete blur to him thanks to Ulquiorra's Sonido. It was still strange being the passenger instead of the runner. Ben had a feeling that he was never going to get used to it.
When Ulquiorra finally stopped, Ben had to firmly plant his feet in the ground to keep from stumbling. Not easy when the ground is nothing but sand. Sure enough, they were back at Las Noches in no time flat.
"I could have just went alien and followed you again," Ben told the Arrancar dryly. "My Ultimatrix still has some juice in it."
"I merely wished to return as quickly as possible," Ulquiorra replied. "Even if you drove off that colony, there was still a chance we attracted other Hollows to our location. I strongly doubt they would give us any trouble, but I would rather not waste my time with more trash."
Ben tilted his head at the Fourth Espada. He was actually a lot worse than Reinrassic. At least good ol' Reiny actually believed in something. Ben wondered if it was even possible to reach out to Ulquiorra.
Well, Ben would never know if he didn't at least try.
…
"Ben!"
No sooner had Ben set foot in Las Noches did something send him flying off his feet and landing flat on his back against the floor of Las Noches.
"Is this going to happen all the time?" Ben grumbled before looking at the cause of his fall. Standing over him with one foot on his stomach was a grinning Lilynette.
"About time you got back," the young looking Arrancar said. "I was getting bored while you were away."
"Lilynette, I barely left," Ben said. He tried getting up but Lilynette's foot kept him pinned down.
"Yeah, and?" she retorted. "Starrk just went back to sleep again, I was bored out of my mind."
"So get a hobby," Ben said, grabbing Lilynette by her leg and pushing her off. Lilynette stumbled before falling flat on her butt.
"Messing with Starrk is my hobby," she said, rubbing her bottom.
"I meant a new one," Ben explained as he got up.
"Like what?" Lilynette asked. Ben wasn't sure if she was being rhetorical or genuinely asking him. Either way, he was stuck as he tried to think of something she could do to pass the time.
"I'll get back to you on that," he said sheepishly.
"So how'd it go?" Lilynette asked. "Did you find any Vasto Lorde?"
"We found one but he wasn't interested in joining so he attacked us," Ben told her.
"Did Ulquiorra take him down?" Lilynette asked.
"Actually," Ulquiorra, who had been standing off to the side while silently watching their interactions, interjected, "He was the one who defeated the Vasto Lorde. With ease, from what I could surmise."
Lilynette's eye widened in amazement. "Are you serious? You took down a Vasto Lorde easily?"
"It was just a matter of picking the right alien," Ben repeated what he had said to Ulquiorra.
"Still, the fact that you have an alien that could easily beat a Vasto Lorde is crazy," Lilynette rubbed her head. "Man, if you were an Arrancar, Lord Aizen would definitely make you one of the Espada for sure."
That got an awkward laugh from Ben.
"I will go and make my report to Lord Aizen now," Ulquiorra told them, departing the moment the words left his mouth.
"Come on," Lilynette said, grabbing Ben's arm and pulling him elsewhere. "Let's go hang out with Harribel. She let me stick around with her and her Fraccione while you were gone and Starrk was sleeping."
"Oh, you're getting along now?" Ben asked.
"Sure!" Lilynette beamed. "I mean, me and her Fraccione still make fun of each other but it's a lot better than trying to hang out with any of the others. I think they were a little worried about you too."
Ben blinked. "Oh really?"
…
As they went further down the hallway, Ben was starting to become more familiar with where they were. Harribel's chambers weren't too far now. When they reached the entrance, Lilynette didn't even bother stopping to knock and just pushed the doors open. Harribel's Fraccion whirled around to face who was barging in on them but relaxed upon seeing who it was. Not that they weren't irritated, mind you. Harribel herself had her back turned to the group, gazing out to the courtyard. She slowly turned.
"Welcome back," Harribel greeted Lilynette and Ben.
"Lilynette!" Apacci snapped. "Just because we let you in here doesn't mean you can just come in whenever you feel like it."
Lilynette smirked at her. "Harribel said it was okay."
"That doesn't mean you should just take advantage of Lady Harribel's hospitality," Mila Rose scolded her. "Show some gratitude."
"Yeah, yeah," Lilynette brushed off casually, earning deep scowls from the two. "Anyway, Ben's back." She yanked him forward for good measure.
"I think they can see that, Lilynette," Ben replied to her.
The girls blinked in surprise upon his presence. Had they been so caught up with chiding Lilynette that they honestly didn't know he was there?
"You're back already?" Sung-Sun asked in surprise. "We thought you and Ulquiorra would be out for much longer."
"Well, the Vasto Lorde we found wasn't interested to say the least," Ben told them. "Ulquiorra figured it would be a waste of time trying to find anymore, so we came back."
"And guess what?" Lilynette asked them. "Ben was the one who beat the Vasto Lorde! Easily!"
This brought greater surprise from Harribel's Fraccione though the Third Espada herself remained composed.
"Well done," she said, bringing everyone's attention onto her. "Though considering your accomplishments against the Espada, I am not surprised."
"He said it was all about picking the right alien," Lilynette grinned over at Ben, who just smiled back and shrugged.
"That is understandable," Harribel said, walking forward. "Why not tell us about what happened?"
Ben took a deep breath to compose himself and work out his story. "Alright, it all started when we first got out of Las Noches…"
…
Meanwhile, Ulquiorra had entered Aizen's throne room. Aside from himself and Aizen, the room was completely empty.
"Welcome back, Ulquiorra," Aizen said as the Fourth Espada bowed. "I was not expecting you to return so soon however. Was the search a false lead after all?"
"Of sorts," Ulquiorra admitted cryptically. Aizen smiled.
"Tell me about it."
Ulquiorra's hand went back to his eye. Using Solita Vista twice in the same day? Ulquiorra must have witnessed something truly noteworthy out there.
As before, Ulquiorra plucked out his eye and crushed it, the particles scattering everywhere.
Aizen closed his eyes and watched the events play out. He saw Ulquiorra and Ben run across the desert, Ben trying to interact with Ulquiorra and becoming uncomfortable with the Arrancar's past, and finally their confrontation with the Adjucha colony and their Vasto Lorde leader. It was intriguing to see one of them have such a pack. Perhaps these Hollows preferred a powerful Hollow to follow instead of a Soul Reaper like himself.
Ulquiorra had given the Vasto Lorde a chance to join them but he refused and attacked alongside his pack. Then came the part Aizen was actually eager to see. Ulquiorra allowed himself to be pushed back by some of the Adjucha, leaving Ben to face the Vasto Lorde alone but still within Ulquiorra's sight. Aizen could see that Ben was holding back considerably during his training sessions and even his battle with Grimmjow, but he had a feeling that Ben would be more willing to go all out when faced with real danger. Since his attempts to see Ichigo Kurosaki's abilities had been cut short, he might as well see more of what Ben could do.
So, Ben transformed into a new alien; a small, unimpressive looking alien capable of copying himself as well as possessing an ultrasonic scream. Deceptively effective, and those abilities allowed him to incapacitate the Vasto Lorde. Ben had attempted to escape but the Vasto Lorde had recovered and attacked him again. After some of his copies got killed, Ben did something that truly acquired Aizen's attention: Instead of changing aliens, Ben revealed his alien had a second form, a Bankai of sorts. For some reason, Ben shouted the name of his new form: Ultimate Echo Echo. Ultimate Echo Echo managed to make quick work of the Vasto Lorde with a powerful attack that the former called Sonic Doom and then scared away the Hollow's followers. After he changed back to his human form, Ulquiorra made his reappearance and the two returned to Las Noches.
"This has been quite the day," Aizen mused as the visions ended. "Thank you, Ulquiorra. That will be all."
Ulquiorra bowed. "Of course, Lord Aizen." He turned around and made his way out of the throne room.
Aizen leaned back in his throne, his smile growing ever so slightly. It all made sense now. The reason the Ultimatrix made the alien forms more powerful was because it gave them an "Ultimate Form" that increased their power drastically. Aizen had no way of knowing but it was highly likely that all of Ben's aliens had an Ultimate form and he still didn't know how many of those Ben had.
"Perhaps I should reconsider trying to find new recruits," Aizen said aloud. "And focus on the one I already have."
…
Meanwhile, Ben had just finished wrapping up his story to the girls. He decided to keep the part about him going Ultimate a secret, though he was still wondering if Ulquiorra had already seen it and possibly reported it to Aizen. Ben still needed a way to find out if that guy could really be trusted or not.
"And then we got back to Las Noches," Ben concluded. "Where Lilynette decided to knock me down and use me as a footrest."
"Oh lighten up," Lilynette scoffed. "That's nothing compared to what I usually do to Starrk."
"I believe it," Ben muttered, earning a scowl from her.
"That aside," Sung-Sun spoke up, "I am very impressed with you. This Echo Echo alien has its uses."
"Hey, Ben!" Lilynette suddenly shouted. "Can your Echo Echo clones turn into clones of your human form?" This caught the other girls' interest.
On the other hand it made Ben cringe, bringing back a particularly unpleasant memory. "Yeah…they can."
"Did they each have their own Ultimatrix as well?" Harribel asked hesitantly. The other girls' eyes widened at her question and the implications from it.
Ben nodded. "They did."
The girls were silent as the words sank in. Ben easily figured out what was troubling them. Creating copies of himself, each with their own Ultimatrix? It had never really occurred to Ben before but in all honesty, he had no interest in doing so. "But I don't plan on doing that ever again," he spoke up, snapping them out of their stupor. "For some reason, my clones had really exaggerated personalities and that was from just two of them." He rubbed his forehead as he remembered that whole fiasco. "I can't even imagine what would happen if I had more copies like that."
"What?" Mila Rose shook her head. "Why would your copies act like that?"
Ben shrugged. "Maybe it was a glitch, maybe it was because I never made human copies before. I don't really know."
Lilynette groaned. "Seriously? You never bothered to see what went wrong?"
"I had other things to focus on," Ben replied. "Besides, like I said, no way was I planning on cloning myself like that again so I decided not to worry about it."
"You should still try to learn all you can about your Ultimatrix instead of leaving it to chance," Harribel told him wisely.
Ben nodded his head, while he didn't make it a high priority, he did acknowledge that she had a point.
After that, there was nothing but silence. Nobody said a word, everybody just stood, letting the silence hang amongst them.
Finally Ben couldn't take the silence and spoke. "So, anything you want to do?"
Harribel's Fraccione looked at each other with uncertainty. Lilynette tapped her chin as she tilted her head back, as if the ceiling would provide her with the answer.
"I…guess we could always spar some more," Mila Rose said.
Ben crossed his arms. "I don't mind sparring with you girls, but there's more to life than just fighting."
"Not in Hueco Mundo," Apacci said bitterly, thinking back to her days as a Hollow.
"Well why don't you try?" Ben asked, causing the girls to stare at him. "Come on. I mean, I get that Hueco Mundo is survival of the fittest but things are different for you all now. Now you can actually have fun!"
Sung-Sun scoffed into her sleeve. "Like what?"
"Well, like," Ben started to say before he remembered that there really wasn't much to do in Las Noches as far as he knew. What could they do? There wasn't really much out here except sand. Why couldn't Hueco Mundo be a beach instead of a desert?"
Ben's eyes widened. "That's it!" he snapped his fingers for emphasis.
Lilynette raised a brow. "What's it?"
Ben grinned. "You girls up for swimming?"
"Swimming?" Harribel asked. "Where do you plan on swimming? There's no large bodies of water in Hueco Mundo."
"Not yet there isn't," Ben replied before activating the Ultimatrix. After slamming the dial down and going through the flash of light, Ben was now Armodrillo. "Just watch!" Armodrillo dove off the balcony and down towards the sandy ground below. Lilynette, Harribel, and her Fraccione watched as Armodillo disappeared into the ground, sand flying everywhere.
"What's he doing?" Apacci asked.
"Does it look like we know, Apacci?" Mila Rose snapped at her.
"Hey, I was just asking a question, Mila Rose," Apacci snapped.
"Knock it off!" Lilynette shouted at them, for once not in the mood to go through their typical argument routine.
Down below, Armodrillo had managed to dig a pit. It was difficult to tell exactly how large it really was but it didn't look very deep. Armodrillo popped out of the ground again and quickly formed a ledge of hardened earth around the pit's rim.
"There," he said, brushing his hands together. "That should do it."
"Do what?" Lilynette shouted down to him. "What are you making?"
"I'm making a swimming pool!" Armodrillo shouted back.
"A what?!" Lilynette, Apacci, Mila Rose, and Sung-Sun all shouted together as Armodrillo tapped the Ultimatrix symbol and turned into Water Hazard.
"A swimming pool!" Water Hazard repeated himself as he started blasting water into the hole.
"Why are you making a swimming pool?" Mila Rose asked.
"Well, we need something fun to do," Water Hazard replied. "But since there isn't much, I gotta use what I have."
"But a swimming pool?" Sung-Sun asked.
"Yeah," Water Hazard encouraged her. "Las Noches will become our own little beach!"
A few more minutes passed and soon the makeshift pool was complete. Water Hazard then leaped into the air, using his blasts of water for extra propulsion to land beside the Arrancar.
"That takes care of that," Water Hazard before he transformed back into regular Ben. "Now we just need some swimsuits and towels."
Lilynette looked back down at the pool while Apacci, Mila Rose, and Sung-Sun all raised an eyebrow at him.
"You're serious about this," Mila Rose realized.
"I wouldn't have just made that if I wasn't," Ben replied with a grin.
Apacci looked towards her leader. "Is this a good idea, Lady Harribel?"
Harribel crossed her arms, her gaze drifting back and forth between the pool and the one who just made it. "It is different," she settled on. "But I do not see the harm in it. And I am certain Lord Aizen would not mind."
"But we don't have any swimsuits," Sung-Sun pointed out.
"It should be easy to get some made," Lilynette said, looking away from the pool. "Or we just dive on in and have Ben dry us with one of his aliens."
Harribel's Fraccione still seemed hesitant about the situation. Ben wondered if they were that nervous about trying something new for once.
"I…guess we can," Sung-Sun decided on.
Ben smiled. "Cool. I guess I can use that outfit Aizen gave me as swimming clothes. I'll go get it."
"Wait for me!" Lilynette called. "Don't want you getting lost!"
Ben laughed. "Come on, Lilynette. I've gotten much better at finding my way around here."
"I'm not taking a chance," Lilynette said, grabbing his arm and pulling him.
"Hey!" Ben exclaimed as Lilynette yanked him out of the room and down the hallway. The last he saw of Harribel and her Fraccione was shared looks of bemusement.
…
Lilynette burst into their room, still pulling Ben along for the ride. Starrk, who was sleeping on his usual bunch of pillows, grumpily turned around to face them.
"What's with all the ruckus?" he said drowsily.
"Ben made a pool and we're going swimming!" Lilynette declared.
Starrk blinked several times as he registered her words. "What?"
"It's true," Ben said. "I used Armodrillo and Water Hazard to make a pool for everyone to enjoy. Want to come?"
"A pool, huh?" Starrk laid back, staring up at the ceiling. "Nah. I'll pass."
Lilynette scowled. "Come on, Starrk! This is your chance to do something fun and you're going to blow it off by sleeping again?!"
"Pretty much," Starrk said, turning over so that his back was to them.
"To be fair, I kinda saw that coming," Ben said as he picked up his spare pants. They weren't swim shorts but they'd probably be more comfortable swimming in than his jeans.
Lilynette growled at Starrk and looked like she was about to attack him only for Ben to quickly put a hand on her shoulder.
"Come on, Lilynette," he told her. "Let's get my clothes and go swimming."
Lilynette huffed, showing that she really wanted to punish Starrk for his laziness. "Alright," she grumbled before glaring at Starrk. "Hey! Ben's about to change! Can you at least get up for that?"
Starrk's response was a soft snore, indicating that he had fallen back asleep. Lilynette rolled her eye and groaned in an exaggerated manner. "Ah, well," she said to the human. "Since he's asleep, you might as well change anyway."
"Uh, I guess," Ben said, uncertain about changing with another person in the same room.
"Relax," Lilynette said, patting him on the back before heading for the door. "I'll wait outside."
Seeing that there was no real alternative, Ben shrugged and began getting undressed.
…
In no time at all, Ben had changed and stepped outside the room.
"All set?" Lilynette asked, leaning up against the wall.
"Yep," Ben said as he slowly closed the door so they wouldn't wake Starrk back up. "How about you? Going like that?"
"Yeah, I'll be fine," Lilynette said. "Besides, you can use one of your aliens to dry us right?"
"Sure thing," Ben said casually.
Lilynette grinned. "Great! Let's go!"
…
Instead of going to Harribel's chambers, like Ben had assumed, Lilynette led him straight out to the courtyard. Harribel and her Fraccione were nowhere in sight. Ben wondered if they had changed their minds. Lilynette on the other hand was taking off her boots.
"Hey, Ben!" She called. "Aren't you coming in?"
"Huh?" Ben shook his head. "Oh yeah, sure. I was just wondering where Harribel and the others were at."
"Eh, they'll come if they want to," Lilynette said before she gave Ben a mischievous grin. "Or do you really want to see them in bathing suits?"
Ben blushed at the accusation. "That's not the reason! I was just curious."
"Mm-hmm," Lilynette nodded her head playfully. "Sure." Laughing, she leaped into the air and dove into the water. Since there were no large bodies of water, Ben wasn't sure if the Arrancar actually knew how to swim, so he tried his best to make sure the pool wasn't too deep or too shallow. "Come on, Ben!" she called after she breached the surface of the water. "This feels great!"
"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Ben called. He took a running start. "Cannonball!" he yelled as he leaped into the air, curled up into a ball, and dove into the water.
"Hey!" Lilynette yelled as water splashed her.
Ben laughed once he came up for air. "Sorry, Lilynette."
"Oh you're gonna be sorry!" Lilynette stated. "Take that!" She splashed some water on him, drenching the hero even more. Ben shook his head, his soaked hair flinging all over the place.
"So it's a splash fight you want?" He grinned at her. "Bring it on!" He splashed some water at her in return.
The two went back and forth, splashing water at each other, relaxing, having a good time. They were so caught up in their game that they never noticed the other presences making their way towards them.
"So, you guys already started, huh?" they heard Apacci say.
Ben started turning around. "Hey, you made it. I almost thought you weren't going to show…" his words died at the tip of his tongue. "Whoa."
Apacci, Mila Rose, and Sung-Sun stood at the edge of the pool. Mila Rose and Apacci were wearing white bikini tops and bottoms while Sung-Sun was wearing a white one-piece outfit. Harribel stood behind them, though she was still wearing her usual attire.
Apacci rolled her eyes at Ben. "Careful, don't want to overflow the pool with your drooling."
Ben's mouth, which had actually been hanging open, snapped shut. Lilynette laughed behind him. "Uh…sorry," he told them.
"Eh, if I have to be ogled," Mila Rose said. "I'd rather it be by someone who treats us nicely instead of some pig like Nnoitra." Then she grinned at him. "Course I guess I can't blame you. I am pretty good looking compared to those two, aren't I?"
Ben certainly wasn't going to argue with that.
"Oh please, Mila Rose," Sung-Sun, covering her mouth with her hand like she would with her sleeve. "Are you so insecure that you need to flaunt your body to make yourself feel better?"
"What was that, Sung-Sun?!" Mila Rose growled. "If anyone is feeling insecure, it's you! I mean, what the hell is up with that outfit? You ashamed of your body or something?"
If Sung-Sun had a retort, it died the moment she and Mila Rose were suddenly drenched. Apacci fell to her knees, clutching her sides with laughter while Mila Rose and Sung-Sun faced the one responsible, who happened to be none other than Lilynette.
"Come on!" she said to them. "We're here to have fun, not put up with your arguing. Now are you getting in here or what?"
Mila Rose clenched her fists and clenched her teeth before running towards the pool. "You're dead, Lilynette!" she dove into the water.
"You'll have to catch me first!" Lilynette taunted her as she started swimming away. Mila Rose surfaced and started swimming after her.
"Get back here!" she yelled.
Apacci was down on all fours, laughing her head off at the comical show she was witnessing. But her laughter was cut short as she found herself suddenly pushed towards the pool. A brief cry was all she managed before falling in. She immediately broke the surface and glared at Sung-Sun who averted her eyes from the other Arrancar, an innocent look on her face.
"Dammit, Sung-Sun!" Apacci shouted.
"I have no idea what you're talking about," Sung-Sun retorted. "You slipped and fell in, that's all."
"You liar!" Apacci started swimming towards the edge of the pool, looking ready to leap out and pick a fight with her.
"That's enough you two," Harribel said. "Ben Tennyson went out of his way to make this pool for us and instead you want to spend your time arguing. Enjoy yourselves."
Both girls lowered their heads. "Yes, Lady Harribel," they replied at the same time.
"Hey, Harribel," Ben said as he swam to the edge of the pool and rested his arms there. "Aren't you swimming?"
Harribel shook her head. "No. I am content with simply watching all of you, and keeping an eye on the towels." Sure enough, Ben noticed some towels under her arms, for which he was grateful. Still, he felt bad that Harribel was being left out while they were all trying to have a good time. Unfortunately Lilynette had a wicked idea.
"Oh that's too bad," she teased, bringing one hand to her mouth. "I bet Ben wouldn't have minded seeing you in a swimsuit."
The heads of Harribel's Fraccione all snapped towards Ben while he turned to glare at the troublemaker responsible, who just stuck her tongue out at him. Ben was about to snap at her when his mind found itself imagining just what it would be like seeing Harribel in a bikini. The image froze him in his tracks and a light blush started to form on his cheeks. Unfortunately it was visible enough for the other girls to see.
"You bastard!" Apacci roared, pouncing on Ben and shoving his head under water. His arms flailed wildly as he tried to break free, but no such luck. Ben had to remind himself that Apacci, and by extension the other girls, were very strong. Looked like he needed to go alien to get out of this one.
The familiar green light flashed through the pool, symbolizing that Ben had gone alien…and out of Apacci's grasp. She looked back and forth through the water, trying to figure out where he could have gone. Suddenly she felt something cold and scaly latch onto her legs and drag her underwater.
Suddenly something burst out of the water, an alien none of the girls had ever seen before. It looked like a humanoid fish with an angler sticking out of its head and a protruding jaw with pointed teeth.
"Whoa, another alien!" Lilynette said excitedly. "Who's this guy?"
"Ripjaws!" the new alien said with a deep voice.
"I can see that," Sung-Sun retorted, looking at said alien's jaws.
Apacci's head popped out of the surface, hacking and coughing water. She weakly glared daggers at Ripjaws.
Mila Rose threw back her head and laughed at Apacci's state. In retaliation, the horned Arrancar girl splashed a small tidal wave of water right in her face, the water going into her nose and open mouth. Mila Rose grabbed her throat with one hand and rubbed her nose with the other as she became the one coughing.
"Ha!" Apacci taunted. "That's what you get for laughing at me, Mila Rose!"
Exhaling a breath of air through her burning nostrils, Mila Rose lunged at her teammate, pushing her into the water. But Apacci had managed to grab her at the same time and pulled Mila Rose down with her.
"This is great!" Lilynette chortled at the constant splashing the other girls were making as they wrestled with each other.
Ripjaws watched the fight with a little more apprehension. "Are they going to be okay?"
"They'll be fine," Sung-Sun reassured him. "At this rate they'll wear themselves out…or drown. Whichever comes first."
Ripjaws shivered at the nonchalant way she said that. "I should probably break this up," he said, scratching his scaly chin.
"Good luck with that," Lilynette told him as Mila Rose and Apacci kicked up more water.
Ripjaws sighed before diving. A moment later he surfaced, having managed to push the two girls away from each other. Both were panting heavily from both the fight and lack of air underwater, though that didn't stop them from glaring at each other.
"Alright, break it up," Ripjaws told them sternly. "We're supposed to be having fun. Can't you girls get along for five minutes?"
"We got along when we are fighting you," Sung-Sun pointed out.
"I mean besides that," Ripjaws countered.
Unknown to him, Lilynette had another wicked idea in mind. Slowly she began wading over to the fish alien, who was so focused on keeping Mila Rose and Apacci from fighting that he didn't notice her. The other girls did however, but when Lilynette brought a finger to her lips, telling them to keep quiet, they got the message and decided to play along.
"Wait till I get my hands on you, Apacci!" Mila Rose threatened convincingly.
"Ha! I'd like to see you try, you boar!" Apacci said back. The two tried moving past Ripjaw's arms to attack each other again.
"Oh come on!" Ripjaws groaned as he tried pushing them back further.
Lilynette positioned herself right behind Ripjaws before leaping in the air. "Gotcha!"
"Huh?" Ripjaws felt Lilynette suddenly latch onto his back, the extra weight throwing him off unbalance.
"Get him!" Lilynette shouted to the other girls.
"What?!" Suddenly Sung-Sun, Mila Rose, and Apacci all tackled Ripjaws into the water. Of course, since he could now breathe underwater, he wasn't as desperate to surface for air. But that didn't mean he was going to take this trick lying down. His arms grabbed the closest assailant, who happened to be Sung-Sun. She found herself lifted into the air and flying backwards, landing in the far end of the pool. She shook her head, her wet hair swishing as she tried to collect herself.
Having not expected such a move, Mila Rose and Apacci were stunned, leaving them wide open. Mila Rose was next. Ripjaws lifted her up bridal style and by the time the Amazon realized what was happening, she was flying through the air and splashing right next to Sung-Sun, who wound up getting another face full of water. Sung-Sun frowned at her teammate but it was short lived as Mila Rose surfaced, accidentally smacking Sung-Sun in the face with her own wet hair as she shook her head.
"What?" Mila Rose asked when she noticed her teammate's scowl. But that too was short lived as Apacci, shouting in indignation, splashed them both.
Having dealt with those three, Ripjaws turned his head to look at the last guilty person, who was still latched onto his back. Her situation dawning on her, all Lilynette could do was gulp.
"H…hi," she said weakly.
Ripjaws gave her a toothy grin as he reached back, pried Lilynette off, and tossed her overhead. He made sure to throw her slowly so she could have enough time to catch a breath before diving into the water.
"Nice try," Ripjaws said, crossing his arms. "But nothing can beat Ripjaws when it comes to fighting in water."
"We'll just see about that!" Apacci shot back, lunging at him. Ripjaws moved effortlessly to the side, causing Apacci to fall face-first into the water. Her head shot up and she started rubbing her nose, water having gotten up inside it.
"Ha!" Mila Rose laughed. "Now you know what it's like!"
Apacci growled, deciding to forget her animosity towards the hero and focus back on her teammate. The two looked ready to go another round when Sung-Sun splashed both of them. Angrily, they tried to splash her at the same time, only for Sung-Sun to disappear under the water before they could get her.
"You know what, Ben?" Lilynette said, watching the three try to water-fight each other as she swam next to the alien hero. "This pool thing was a really good idea. Glad you thought of it."
Ripjaws rubbed his neck. "Aww, thanks, Lilynette. Glad you liked…" his response was cut short as Lilynette splashed water in his face.
"Ha!" Lilynette cheered. "Got ya!"
As the five played around in the pool, Harribel stood off to the side, her arms crossed as she watched them all have a fun time.
…
Eventually everyone decided that they'd had enough swimming for now and started climbing out.
"That was…actually fun," Apacci found herself admitting.
"Yeah," Mila Rose added. "I don't remember ever doing anything like that in…well ever."
"I never imagined what it would be like to just relax and enjoy ourselves," Sung-Sun confessed.
Lilynette smiled at the trio. "See? Great idea, right?"
"I'm glad you all had a good time," Harribel said as she walked towards them. She then turned her head towards Ripjaws, who was the last one to climb out. "Thank you, Ben Tennyson, for doing this." She handed him a towel.
Ripjaws shrugged before transforming back into Ben in a flash of green light. "You're welcome," he said as he dried himself. "At least I found something for us to do."
"Well, well. Look at all of you."
Everyone turned to see Gin walking towards them with that ever present smile upon his face.
"Hey, Gin," Ben said, waving at the Soul Reaper.
"Hey, Ben. What's going on here?" He spotted the pool in the distance. "What's this? An actual swimming pool? You made this, Ben? Let me guess. Armodrillo and Water Hazard right?"
Ben nodded. "That's right."
"That's actually a pretty good idea," Gin rubbed his chin in thought before grinning at Ben. "Or did you make it so you could see the ladies in swimsuits?"
Ben rolled his eyes, not rising to the bait this time. "What brings you here?" he asked instead.
Gin pouted when he saw that he wouldn't get the reaction he wanted. "Well, Grimmjow and his Fraccione have gone AWOL." While this surprised Ben, the girls were utterly shocked by the news. Harribel's eyes narrowed.
"They went to Karakura Town didn't they?"
Gin nodded. "Seems Grimmjow wasn't happy with just letting Ulquiorra handle things. Speaking of which, did Starrk already tell you about the new guy Ulquiorra and Yammy ran into, Ben?"
"He and Lilynette did," Ben said. "I might know who he is but I'd have to see him in person to be sure."
"Understandable," Gin said. "Anyway, Tōsen is about to retrieve them. Wonder how Lord Aizen's going to react to this. Anyway, just wanted to let you guys know. See ya later." With that he left as abruptly as he had arrived. Though now the atmosphere was a lot less cheerful.
"This is ridiculous," Mila Rose scowled. "Grimmjow's gone too far this time."
Harribel turned towards Ben. "Grimmjow believes that this mysterious new man, alongside a Soul Reaper named Ichigo Kurosaki, are potential threats that need to be eliminated. Lord Aizen decided to simply keep an eye on them and, if they proved to be threats, let Ulquiorra deal with it."
"He probably just wanted to prove that he could take them out," Apacci scoffed. "He was making fun of Yammy for how he got beat up, bragging about how he could take down the Soul Reaper and the other guy in one blast, and Yammy reminded Grimmjow about how you beat him up."
"Those like Grimmjow are both prideful and love fights," Harribel explained. "Grimmjow is powerful but he is also full of himself. I wouldn't be surprised if he did attack simply to rub it in Yammy and Ulquiorra's faces."
"Serves him right if he gets killed," Sung-Sun said.
Ben stared at Harribel's group. He and Grimmjow were anything but best friends but he was surprised at how he was so disregarded by the others. Ben had a feeling the only reason the Espada worked together was because of Aizen alone.
"Hey, Ben," Lilynette said. She had dried off for the most part but her clothes were still soaking wet. "Think you can use one of your aliens to dry us off faster?"
Ben chuckled. "Sure thing, Lilynette." He activated the Ultimatrix again and transformed into Terraspin. "Now for a quick blow-dry!" He dove into his shell as his limbs contorted into more fan-like structures that started spinning fast.
"Ben!" Lilynette shouted as sand started getting kicked up everywhere, the force of the wind threatening to lift her off her feet. "This isn't what I had in mind!"
"This way's faster!" Terraspin shouted back.
"Faster at getting us dirty!" Apacci yelled at him.
Terraspin spun for a moment or two more before he slowed down to a stop. "There," he said as he turned back to normal. "That should…do…" The words failed him as he took in his handiwork. The girls were definitely drier, but their hair was now a total mess. Apacci and Lilynette's was sticking up all over the place, though Lilynette didn't have as bad due to her helmet. Mila Rose's was poofed out everywhere like she had experienced a bad shock, and Sung-Sun's was sticking straight back, looking like a horn of hair. Ben was torn between panicking and laughing.
"Uh…sorry?" he said with a sheepish smile.
…
Once the girls got their hair straightened out, the group decided to go their separate ways. Harribel and her girls went back to their chambers while Lilynette and Ben returned to theirs.
"Oh man, that was awesome!" Lilynette said, clutching her sides. "The looks on their faces were priceless!"
"I'm glad Harribel was there to calm them down," Ben said. "They looked ready to kill me. Again."
"Oh they wouldn't," Lilynette said, patting him on the back. "I doubt they'll ever say it but I think they like you a lot more than they let on. Or at least, hate you less than anyone else."
"You think so?" Ben asked her.
"Aside from Lord Aizen, you're the only guy who's actually nice to them," Lilynette pointed out. "I doubt they really want to get rid of you."
Ben rolled his eyes. "That makes me feel so much better."
Lilynette just giggled at him as they went inside their room. Predictably, Starrk was still snoozing on his bed of pillows. It amazed Ben had long somebody could sleep. Even he wasn't that lazy, not even when he was ten. Lilynette's grin widened. She made her way over to Starrk, who rolled over on his back. Lilynette raised a hand before shoving it right into Starrk's mouth. Ben blanched as Starrk's eyes widened. Lilynette pulled her hand out of his mouth and stood back as Starrk shot straight up, sputtering and coughing.
"Hey, Starrk!" Lilynette chirped. "We're back."
Starrk gave her a half-lidded glare in response. "Yes, Lilynette. I noticed." He flopped back onto his pillows. "So, how was the pool?"
"It was fun," Lilynette said as she sat down beside him. "Harribel's Fraccione joined us but Harribel herself didn't."
"Huh," Starrk said, already half-asleep. "I wonder why?"
"Who knows," Lilynette said as she leaned back, using Starrk's own body as a pillow. "It was still nice. And it's all thanks to Ben."
Ben smiled as he climbed onto his own bed, thinking some rest would actually do him some good. "You're welcome, Lilynette."
As his head hit the pillow, Ben thought about all the interesting things that had happened today: battling a Vasto Lorde, learning some more about Ulquiorra, swimming. It had been an eventful day.
Then Ben's thoughts drifted to the mysterious new guy in Karakura Town. What was he like? Was it possible for them to become allies? How did Soul Society recruit him?
That in turn made Ben think about Aizen. He still wasn't sure if the guy was all he said he was. For all he knew, Aizen had lied about Soul Society or he was telling the truth but was just as bad as they were. But the guy was very charismatic and he had a way of putting doubt in your head. Ben needed to find a way to learn Aizen's true colors.
…
Speaking of whom, Aizen was sitting in his throne room. By now Tōsen had returned and was no doubt bringing the Sixth Espada here to face the consequences. During his little excursion, Grimmjow had managed to lose all of his Fraccione. Apparently Soul Society had taken the arrival of the Arrancar seriously and had stationed some Soul Reapers there.
Aizen smiled as Tōsen and Grimmjow approached his throne. Grimmjow was bleeding from a cut on his side, a burn on his shoulder, and a nasty wound on his torso that Aizen was certain would leave a scar. But none of this deterred Aizen in the least.
"Welcome home, Grimmjow," he said to the Sixth Espada, who simply had his hands in his pockets, as if he wasn't bothered by his actions at all.
Tōsen noticed this as well and frowned. "Well?" he asked the Arrancar. "Don't you have anything to say for yourself."
At first Grimmjow said nothing. "Not a damn thing," he said with disinterest.
"You bastard," Tōsen hissed at him.
"It's alright, Kaname," Aizen said, causing the Soul Reaper and Arrancar to look up at him. "I'm not upset. Not at all."
"Lord Aizen…" Tōsen started to protest before Aizen cut him off.
"I feel that Grimmjow's actions were out of loyalty and a desire to serve." His eyes landed on said person. "Is that not so, Grimmjow?"
Grimmjow scowled and his eyes narrowed. "Yeah. That's right."
Tōsen snapped, grabbing Grimmjow by his collar. "What are you doing, Tōsen?" Grimmjow asked in a tone that implied he was ready to go toe to toe with the Soul Reaper. Tōsen wasn't pleased by Grimmjow's disrespect and insolence.
"Lord Aizen!" he said pleadingly. "Allow me to execute this man!"
"Kaname," Aizen said softly.
Grimmjow's face went from tranquil anger to a smug smirk. "So that's how it is. You just don't like me. Can a commanding officer have that kind of attitude?"
"I have no tolerance for those who commit discord," Tōsen told him. "That is all."
Grimmjow's eyes narrowed again. "For the group's sake?"
"For Lord Aizen's," came the curt reply.
Grimmjow laughed. "You're good at pulling that righteous bullshit, aren't you?"
Tōsen's hand drifted to the hilt of his sword. "Yes. Righteousness in a great cause, something your own actions lack. For justice without a great cause is no different than senseless murder."
Grimmjow frowned, trying to figure out where Tōsen was going with his preaching.
"However," Tōsen went on as he began drawing his sword. "Murder in the name of great cause is…" Then in one quick moment he severed Grimmjow's left arm from the shoulder down. "Justice."
Grimmjow roared in pain as his arm fell to the floor. But Tōsen wasn't done yet. "Hado #54! Haien!" He slashed the air with his sword, sending a purple blast of energy at Grimmjow's dismembered arm, reducing it to ashes.
"Fuck!" Grimmjow screamed in both pain and anger. "Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!" His face was absolutely livid. "You bastard…my arm…" He started gathering energy in the palm of his remaining arm. "I'll kill you!"
"Stop, Grimmjow," Aizen said, freezing the Arrancar in his tracks. "If you were to attack Tōsen here, I would no longer have any reason to pardon you."
Grimmjow seethed at this. Tōsen had robbed him of a limb and he was going to get away with it? Seeing that there was no way he could win in this situation, Grimmjow stormed out of the throne room.
…
Later, Aizen made his way down a flight of stairs to the lower levels of Las Noches.
"Playing with your subordinates again?" a playful voice asked as Aizen turned around a corner. "That's not a very nice thing to do."
Aizen just smiled at the voice. "So you saw, Gin?"
Sure enough, Gin was leaning against the wall with a smile.
"You knew Kaname was going to act like that from the beginning," Gin said in amusement. "With the way you kept egging him on like that."
"Perhaps," Aizen said, nonchalantly.
"You know, it's ironic, really," Gin said. "Grimmjow tore off Ben's arm during their fight, then he gets his own cut off. That's karma isn't it?"
Aizen paused in his steps as he realized the same thing Gin had. He actually let out a small laugh at the irony of the situation.
"Think that's why Tōsen cut off his arm?" Gin asked.
"I couldn't say. It's possible though."
"But we lost five Arrancar too," Gin added, though he didn't sound at all bothered by their loss. "I get that they were just Fraccion but I thought they'd do better than they did."
"That is not an issue," Aizen reassured him. "After all, they were only weak Hollows before they became Arrancar. The plan hasn't changed in the slightest."
"Are you still going to look for more Vasto Lorde?" Gin inquired. "Heard Ulquiorra and Ben ran into a nasty one earlier."
"Yes they did, and Ben revealed a new trick," Aizen said. "The Ultimatrix gives his aliens a stronger secondary form. Ultimate forms."
"Ah!" Gin said in realization. "So that's why it's called the Ultimatrix. And what Ben meant when he said it made that Albedo guy's aliens stronger."
"Yes, that was the same conclusion I made. It was clever of him to keep such a feature a secret."
"And how clever it was of you to put him in a situation where he'd actually use it," Gin added. "So I guess it's safe to assume he can do that with all his aliens?"
"As a precaution, let's assume that," Aizen said. "And we still don't know the exact amount of aliens that are within the Ultimatrix. Suppose he had over a hundred, a thousand, or possibly even more."
Gin whistled. "No wonder that Vilgax guy was so eager to get his hands on it."
"Yes and it makes Ben both a valuable ally…and potentially a dangerous enemy."
"So, are you gonna work more on him than trying to find more Vasto Lorde?" Gin couldn't help asking.
"I won't deny the benefits of such a notion," Aizen replied. "Though I will need to be careful. Ben may have a naïve sense of morality but he is undoubtably intelligent. He is still suspicious of me and I wouldn't be surprised if he tried finding out what my true motives are. I should be fortunate he didn't witness what happened to Grimmjow, that would undoubtedly cast doubt upon me at the very least. I need to keep Ben distracted while at the same time preparing for the upcoming war."
"How do you plan on doing this?" Gin asked, truly curious to know what his leader had in mind.
Aizen's smile grew slightly. "Aside from his training, he seems to be getting along very well with Harribel's group. Perhaps I can encourage them to spend just a little more time together. After all, what normal young man would resist the company of a group of attractive women?"
Gin chuckled. "Lord Aizen, are you playing matchmaker?"
"I am merely having them spend more time together," Aizen said in a tone that suggested otherwise.
"You know, I'm surprised," Gin said. "You haven't once tried to use Kyoka Suigetsu on him. Are you worried that he might have an alien that can counter it?"
"Considering the powers of the aliens I've seen so far, such a claim wouldn't be far-fetched. But no, I find myself intrigued. He's so different, so new."
Gin snapped his fingers. "So that's how it is. You think Kyoka Suigetsu would be too easy. You want an actual challenge. If I didn't know better, I'd think Ben was bringing out a more playful side of you, Lord Aizen."
"A more playful side?" Aizen mused. "Hmm. You might be right, Gin."
"So, think Ben will actually hook up with any of the girls?"
"Who's to say? He might, he might not."
"Wouldn't it be something if he managed to actually hook up with Harribel?"
"Harribel?" Aizen imagined Ben and Harribel holding hands together. "Now that would be something to see." He sighed in amusement. "But first, I need to find someone who can take Grimmjow's place among the Espada."
"Maybe you should give the spot to Ben," Gin suggested.
Aizen let out a completely genuine laugh, startling Gin. "Now that would be something. I can already imagine the reaction of the other Espada. But no, aside from the fact that he isn't an Arrancar, doing so would only cause more harm than good in the long run. It'll have to be someone else."
Gin quickly composed himself. "Awww, that's a pity. Ben would probably make a really good Arrancar." And with that, he left the room, leaving Aizen to his thoughts.
"Yes," Aizen said to himself at Gin's departing words. "He would, wouldn't he?"
End of Chapter
Man, oh man. For awhile I thought I would never complete this chapter. I just feel bad because I was hoping to have it up by Halloween. Sadly, my job had other plans.
TIM: No worries, Bigby. You shouldn't try to force yourself. Just write when you feel like.
Bigby: Hey, Incredible Muffin. Glad you could make it! What'd you think of the chapter?
TIM: It was great! We finally got to see an Ultimate form.
Bigby: Oh I hear ya. It's just not an Ultimate Alien story without….Ultimate Aliens. I bet the fans have been anxious to see one of them by now.
TIM: And we got to see some more Ben and Harribel moments. Always a plus.
Bigby: Hey, if I want to pull their pairing off, they need to at least interact with each other right?
TIM: True, true. Can't wait until our stories connect more.
Bigby: You mean when Ben and Ken meet? Same here. That's going to be fun to write about.
TIM: You're not gonna get upset just because Ken can hold his own will you?
Bigby:….Okay if it was any other time, I might have. But I've wised up since then. A little anyway. I promise I will do better to behave when it comes to characters' strength levels. No guarantees but I will make an effort.
TIM: Hmm. Cool. By the way, I noticed Mila Rose didn't seem to mind Ben getting flustered by her figure. Why is that? Are you turning your story's pairing back into a harem?
Bigby: I had a feeling someone was going to point out that out, so I might as well address it. No, this story is still a monogamous pairing. That segment was inspired by a scene from a Bleach fanfic called White by Melkor's Mercy. While that fic is harem fic, mine still isn't.
TIM: Huh. Why'd you include it then?
Bigby: Meh, considering how much Harribel's Fraccion like to one-up each other, I wouldn't be surprised if they fought about who was the best looking. And considering Ben's one of the few guys who treats them respectfully and reacts to their looks, they might turn to him for an opinion.
TIM: Hmm. Okay I can see that. So anything else you want to talk about?
Bigby: Just something for the readers. One: I know this is a little late but I want to shout out to Hero-Time10, who actually made a TVtropes page for this fic and the original.
TIM: Really? That's great!
Bigby: Yeah. Thanks Hero-Time10! I appreciate it! Also, my readers, remember my Bigby's Den thing I made at the end of my chapters? I decided to scrap that and instead I created an actual fic called Bigby's Den. It was actually inspired by stories such as Times with the Muffin, created by my pal here. Thanks again for the inspiration, man.
TIM: Sure thing, Bigby. Glad I could help inspire you.
Bigby: In short, it's a series of one-shots where I run a House of Mouse-type club called, of course, Bigby's Den where I interview various fictional characters as well as updates to my story plans. I'm told it's actually a lot easier than lengthy author's notes.
TIM: Hey, if that's what you want to do, Bigby, go for it.
Bigby: Thanks, man. If anyone's interested in reading it, just go to my profile page and you'll find the link there. Also, would anyone be interested, or know someone who would be interested, in writing a crossover between Ben 10 and the cartoon Miraculous: The Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir?
TIM: That one show you told me about?
Bigby: What can I say? It's grown on me. I would love to see a crossover between the two shows but I don't want to risk writing my own. I'm doing what I can to stick to the stories I already have. No need to make more since we already know how much trouble that causes.
TIM: *laughing* Good point. So, are we going to see some more Harribel and Ben interacts in the next chapter?
Bigby: I'd say that's a safe assumption. But I'll need to plan this chapter out thoroughly. Since most of the canon action happened on Ichigo's side of things, I have free rein on the Arrancar side. The tough part is deciding what to do.
TIM: Well, you've gotten this far, I know you'll think of something.
Bigby: Well then I'll do my best not to let you or my readers down. Take care everyone! See ya next chapter!
