July 12, 2012
Plumber's Outpost, Mojave Desert; 1:40 pm
"That's him, right?" asked Generic Soldier #1. "The kid that took out the traffickers?"
"Yeah," replied Generic Soldier #2. "Rixby's kids watched the whole thing go down."
"Guys, keep it down," warned Generic Soldier #3. "If Tennyson hears you talking bad about his grandkid, it'll be a lot worse than just cleaning the shitters."
The Plumbers' voices lowered, but Ben was sure they were still talking about him. He had been the main topic of discussion since his last mission. After they returned to base, the siblings dropped out of the program, and their dad took an emergency leave of absence. Needless to say, the other initiates avoided him like the plague in fear of meeting a similar fate.
Max offered to send him home, but Ben didn't mind it. The fewer people he had to protect, the better. Still, one person continued to grace him with their presence, even if it was just to poke fun at his expense.
"I'd like to see them talk after you go Yenaldooshi on them," Kai said as she bit into her sandwich.
"Let them talk. At the end of the day, I've done more good for this planet before I hit puberty than they will ever have in their entire careers." Ben took a bite of his own sandwich. "And it's Blitzwolfer!"
Kai couldn't help but smirk. "At least it's better than Benwolf." Ben glared at her but chose not to give her the satisfaction of fighting back. Not wanting to let the conversation die down, Kai spoke up. "It's been quiet since the trafficking incident. You think we'll get to go on any more missions before the Summer's up?"
"I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm sure I'll get something soon. I can't go a week without running into some kind of trouble."
"Take me on your next assignment."
"No way, I don't want to have to babysit you the whole time."
"Please," Kai rolled her eyes, "you know that I'm the second-best initiate here. If it weren't for you, I'd be the one they took on all the missions."
"If it weren't for me, there wouldn't be a Junior Plumber Initiate Program." Ben got up and tossed the remains of his lunch. As he left the room, he could hear Kai tossing her tray as she rushed to catch up to him. A hand slabbed against his back, irritating him. "What the hell!?"
"What, does the puppy think he's the big dog now?" Ben stood tall against her. He was a few inches taller than her, but it was enough to eclipse her frame. Kai smirked, sidestepping him, "Calm down. I know you're all bark."
Ben watched her and debated proving her wrong. Even without the watch, he was sure he could take her on. He had the experience and had no problem fighting a girl, but he knew better than to pick fights. He was at the top of the program, so he needed to act like it. With a heavy sigh, Ben followed her down the hall.
Since the beginning of the program, the two had quickly fallen into a routine. Plumber course in the morning, lunch, and training in the afternoon. After dinner, Kai would drag him around to watch movies, play sports, or even just hang out in the common room. Aside from the occasional mission, they've done this almost every day. Some of the other initiates would ask if they were dating, but Kai would quickly dismiss them, saying, "he's just a pet," which may have given them the wrong idea. Not that he cared anyway.
Once in the gym, the two separated to focus on their individual regiments. Ben grabbed his headphones, getting lost in the mindless routine he had grown so comfortable with. The music did well to keep his thoughts away, but there were times when they refused to leave him alone. This had been one of those times.
He had told himself time and time again that he no longer cared what others thought of him so long as he was doing the right thing. But after the mission with Bret and Jema, he couldn't help but feel the weight of their words. Max has consoled him, reassuring him that these things happen. After all, he'd experienced his fair share of trauma already. He couldn't compare himself to normal kids who just jumped into this crazy world of aliens and secrecy, even if everyone else thought otherwise.
He was so engrossed in his thoughts that he hadn't noticed someone turn off the treadmill. He caught himself before he slammed into the console and turned, screaming at the source of his annoyance. "What the hell is your-"
"Never thought I'd see the day you'd take training seriously," the crystal-like man said.
"Tetrax?" Ben asked. "What are you doing here?"
"I was in the galaxy and thought I'd stop by to check on the Savior of Earth." The Petrosapien had mostly stayed the same in the last four years, having spent them helping Azmuth and Myaxx with their research. Max had given him full reign to come and go as he pleased, but he used the privilege sparingly as he wished to avoid interfering with Earth's intergalactic presence. He would have avoided visiting altogether if it hadn't been for a certain teen getting himself into some trouble. "How about we go a few rounds? Show me how much you've improved since last I saw you."
Ben couldn't hide the excitement on his face. "You got it, but not here." The gym would not survive a brawl between the two of them. He grabbed his things and led the alien outside when Kai stopped him.
"Where are you going?" she asked.
"Me and Tetrax are gonna spar a little bit."
Kai looked up at the diamond man, and her face scrunched up. "I don't think that's a good idea."
"Nothing's gonna happen," he said as he continued to walk, dismissing her worry. "Besides, if anything does happen, we're in the middle of a highly advanced military base."
His words did little to reassure her. "Just be careful," she pleaded. "Please…"
Ben was taken aback by her sudden shift. A part of him wanted to tease her for being so protective of him. After all, he'd known Tetrax for years, and he had helped them when the Omnitrix was in self-destruct mode. Still, he knew how dangerous it was to blindly trust someone. He'd seen many betrayals during his adventures and heard even more from the Plumbers around the base.
Ben stopped to give her his full attention. "Why don't you come along to make sure I don't get myself into any trouble? I could always use a new partner." He knew how sharp Kai's instincts were, so he'd be a fool to ignore her. Well, a bigger fool than he already was.
"Don't be so full of yourself, Tennyson. I just don't like seeing my pet get hurt." She tried to act smug, but Ben could tell that she seemed more relaxed at his suggestion.
Not wanting to keep Tetrax, they continued their trip to the surface. They drew a lot of attention along the way. There was a small set of Plumbers that watched them as they went. The older, more close-minded ones had their weapons ready, waiting for the Petrosapien to give them a reason to fire. But there were also a lot of younger operatives that followed them, excited to see what was to come. By the time they stood in the center of the helipad's makeshift arena, a sizable crowd was placing bets on who would win.
"So much for friendly sparring," Ben said, smirking.
"Just focus on your target," Tetrax lectured. "Rules are simple: stick to your Petrosapien form, stay within the circle, and the winner is decided by knockout or submission. It's a draw if there is no clear winner by the time the Omnitrix times out. Sound fair?"
"How about we make things interesting?" Ben suggested. "Winner can make one demand of the loser."
"Ben…" Kai warned.
Tetrax slammed his fists together, causing them to crack and then harden. "Still as cocky as ever." Without another word, a Plumber blew a whistle, signaling the start of the bout.
Ben slammed down on the dial, transforming into an almost mirror image of his opponent. With spiked fists, he rushed forward with precise movements. His strikes were swift despite Diamondhead's size practically cutting through the air. But Tetrax, having more experience, effortlessly brushed them away. It was almost as if he was just playing with the teen. Feeling frustrated, Ben switched tactics, opting to encase the man's legs to prevent him from dodging. Now, with a stationary target, he widened his arm to slam it down onto him. At the last moment, Tetrax fully encased himself, protecting himself from the assault.
"Come on, I thought you were smarter than that." Tetrax shook his head. "Let me show you how a Petrosapien should fight." The crystal shield shattered, shards flying towards the teen. Ben blocked them without much thought, briefly distracting him long enough for Tetrax to go on the offensive. Heavy jabs pushed Ben back as he barely kept his guard up. He was about to fall out of the arena when a wall formed behind him, pinning him in place.
Ben could feel his defenses crumbling under the colossal weight of Tetrax's attacks. His arms cracked and chipped and would soon shatter if he didn't find a way out of the corner. He felt his head slam back against the crystal wall, giving him an idea. He dropped his arms, allowing a shot to his chest, slamming him straight into the wall. The pain spread throughout his body but gritted through it as he used his now free arms to control the crystal wall, sending pillars to push his opponent back. Tetrax broke through to continue his assault, but walls were being put up to block his vision as he aimlessly busted through them.
"You can't keep running, Ben!" Tetrax screamed as he broke the last of the walls. He was caught off guard as there was no sign of the young teen. Searching around the helipad, all he could find were the scattered remains of crystals and rubble. The crowd was silent in anticipation, watching him as they waited for what was to come. All except for one. He spun on his heels, swinging a heavy right hook, sending Ben flying out of the arena and ending their brawl.
The crowd erupted with a mixture of cheers and pains of the money they had lost. Kai rushed forward. "Are you okay?"
"Feels like I got hit by a semi-truck," he said, reforming his chipped jaw. The familiar beeping began as he reverted to his human body. He looked up to the diamond man hovering over him. "How did you know where I was?"
"Knowing how to read a crowd is just as important as knowing your environment," Tetrax said. "While everyone else was watching me, she was watching the ground. It goes to show the level of teamwork you must have to be able to predict his next move."
Kai was silent, feeling guilty that she was the cause of Ben's loss. The boy, however, wasn't upset by the defeat. He knew that there was still more he had to learn, and that kind of knowledge could be the difference between life and death. He dusted himself off and reached out his hand. "That was a good fight."
Tetrax shook the boy's hand. "You've improved since we last spoke. But I didn't just come here to give you a few pointers." His face turned serious. "I've been tracking one of Vilgax's old contacts. If the trail led here, then it's best to assume that you're a target."
"Shouldn't we get the Plumbers involved?" Ben asked.
"They aren't aware that we know they're here," Tetrax said. "The element of surprise is our best course of action, and the Plumbers aren't the best at subtlety."
"I'm going too," Kai interjected.
"What, no!" Ben screamed.
"I know the lay of the land. You'll waste too much time blindly combing through the desert." Kai stood her ground as the alien observed her. After a moment, Tetrax nodded, giving his approval. Ben, however, still wasn't having it. "We're partners now. I gotta make sure you stay out of trouble, remember?"
Ben wanted to refuse her, but he couldn't deny she had a point. Once again, he knew he'd come to regret it if he didn't allow her to come along. So, after much hesitation, he relented.
"Best get ready," Tetrax ordered. "We leave at dawn." The trio turned to head inside when they noticed the once noisy crowd had long since dispersed, leaving a notably angry Max Tennyson in their place. "After we clean up this mess, of course."