A/N: Hey, everyone! Welcome back to Ben 10 RWBY Ultimate Omniverse, where IT'S OUR SIX-YEAR ANNIVERSARY! …Technically. A couple days late in that regard, but hey, we're still celebrating in a BIG way. Last year was a very casual anniversary, but that won't be the case this time, oh no. Because not only does this chapter mark the return of a much beloved villain from Ben 10's history, but it's also the start of another three-chapter mini-arc, so buckle up and let's get right into the thick of it, shall we? And I think it's very appropriate that we start this chapter off by checking in on our Monkey Boys given that a certain video game has taken the world by storm these past couple of weeks! This is…

Chapter 98: Double Trouble

…..

Deep in the heart of central Asia, atop the auspicious Mount Huaguo, the mystical Monkey King, Sun Wu Kong, sat upon his iron cudgel, the Ruyi Jingu Bang, in a meditative state. Within the cradle of his Flower Fruit Mountain home, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven had been training his protégé for well over a week, and the results had been—fittingly enough—fruitful. The young monkey boy had learned a great deal in the way of cunning, misdirection, and of course, straight forward combat. However, the lesson that the Faunus boy had been struggling with all week had been stealth… which wasn't surprising to the celestial simian. The young Sun was brash, impulsive and often times didn't exhibit patience in the best of ways. But still, that didn't stop the Monkey King from trying to curb these tendencies through, of course, good old fashioned Buddhist teachings. And did it work?

…Kind of.

*crack*

Wu Kong's eyes snapped open and he raised his hand just in time to catch Sun's mechanized staff in between his fingers, much to the monkey boy's astonishment. With one quick twirl, the Victorious Fighting Buddha flung Sun half way across the mountain top and into a massive stone, which cracked upon impact. "GAAAAAH, COME ON!" Sun shouted before falling flat on his face. "Ugh! I thought I HAD it that time!"

"Ya almost did, bud!" Wu Kong leapt off his staff and took hold of it, plucking it from the ground as he went over to where his disciple had been hiding. "But remember, no matter what angle you approach…" He leaned down and picked up a broken twig, smirking at Sun. "Ya always gotta keep the natural debris in mind."

"UUUUUGGGHH!" Sun fell right to his back, flopping his legs out in exasperation. "I can't believe this! I feel like I'm going in circles!"

"That comes with the territory, young Pilgrim." With a single jump, Wu Kong landed next to Sun and sat cross-legged on the stone ground. "What may come off as easy to someone may not be the same for everyone else. And lemme tell ya, my master knew ALL about that." He leaned over and spoke in Sun's ear; "Because if there's one thing that Tang Sanzang was bad at, it was talking to women. And not JUST because he was Buddhist, he was just a ball of nerves! Heeheehehe!"

Despite his frustration, Sun couldn't help but chuckle a little as well. "Heh, well… I guess I got your old master beat in that category, huh?"

Wu Kong pointed at him, giving a wink. "See? Gotta take the victories where you can. But I've got no doubt that you'll be a master of stealth one day." He stood up and offered Sun his hand. "But for now, I think it's about time we get you back home. I'm sure that girlfriend of yours is eager to see ya, and the others are gonna be comin' back tomorrow from what I remember."

"Yeah, you're right. On both accounts." Sun allowed his master to pull him to his feet, taking a deep breath to prepare himself. "Okay… I think I'm ready to test out that trick you taught me."

The Monkey King nodded in approval. "Alright. You remember how to do it?"

Sun breathed in, holding it for a second as he closed his eyes. "…Take a breath… center your mind… and let the clouds take you where you want to go."

"Do it." Wu Kong encouraged with a nod, watching as his student ran straight for the edge of the mountain and did a front flip off the edge. He wasn't worried, he could get the boy if he didn't come up in ten seconds. '…Nine…eight…seven… six…fi—'

*SHOOM*

A sudden burst of wind signaled a massive updraft from below, and with it came the monkey Faunus himself… riding upon a cloud. "WOOOO-HOO-HOO! YEAH!" Wu Kong beamed with pride as he watched his pupil fly around the mountain peak, summoning his own cloud without effort to join him in the air. "Hahaha! I cannot WAIT to show this to the gang!"

"Glad you're psyched!" The Monkey King nudged his student's shoulder, beckoning him to follow. "Now c'mon, still a long way home, ya know."

"Right! Let's go!" And with that, the two monkeys were off, leaving a cloudy trail in their wake.

…..

Back in Bellwood, another young man was currently undergoing his own rigorous training, though definitely not in the ways of stealth. 23-year-old Kenneth Tennyson was currently beating the hell out of a punching back in his parent's basement, his fists taped up to the wrists so that his hands wouldn't chafe against it. Though even still, that tape was threatening to tear up with how hard and fast his blows were going. So fast, in fact, that his body had gotten too hot and he'd discarded his shirt a while ago…

…Much to the silent joy of his trainer/girlfriend. Winter's mind was already amazed at just how quickly Kenny had improved in the weeks she had been personally training him. Either he was REALLY determined to get into fighting shape, or he really wanted to impress her, though she suspected a combination of both. But when he took his shirt off to prevent overheating… her brain quickly went to a place that even SHE didn't know it was capable of. She'd known her feelings for Kenny were strong for a while, but now, as she watched the sweat fly off his glistening, toned body… Winter was feeling something incredibly new. And she knew exactly what it was.

'By the gods, I've turned my boyfriend into my own weakness.' With that harrowing yet desirable thought, Winter shook her head and spoke up. "Th-That's enough for now, Kenny! I believe you've showed that bag—"

*POW*

With one final punch, Kenny hit the bag so hard that he snapped rope it was hanging from, sending it and the rest of its chain down to the floor. "…who's boss." Winter finished.

"Hoo… hoooo…" Kenny breathed out steadily, supporting himself with his hands on his knees. His chest and back rose and fell with every huff, eventually using one hand to wipe the sweat from his brow. Through these breaths, he smiled at Winter and asked; "So… how was that?"

"…You really need me to tell you?" Winter glanced down at the bag with a raised brow.

"Hah, okay, fair enough, but I still wanna know what my rate is." Standing up straight, the young man raised a fist, the bandages now nearly falling off from all of the sweat build-up. "So, how many punches per second do you think I've gotten up to?"

Her eyes shifting to her scroll, Winter reviewed the footage she recorded of the session, rewinding between shots and replaying them in slow-motion. While she tried to keep her eyes on the time counter, they still managed to drift back to her boyfriend's movements in slomo, watching as every muscle rippled beneath his skin as he moved. And given how glistening his body was, that only made it easier to see.

…It was only when Kenny spoke up did Winter break out of her trance. "Everything okay?"

"O-OH! Um… I-I'd say around two or three punches per second." she managed to hastily reply before slipping her scroll away. "Very impressive."

Kenny pumped his arms into the air, celebrating the news. "Haha! YES! A new record for me!" He bowed his head to Winter graciously. "I can't thank you enough, Winter. I seriously haven't felt this good in years."

"Hm, you're quite welcome." Winter reciprocated before jerking her thumb over her shoulder toward the staircase. "Now head upstairs and hit the showers. The others will be here soon."

"Ah, right! Today's the day Sun comes home. We're doing something special for that, right?"

Winter nodded back to him. "That's the plan. And you'd better hurry before they get here. You wouldn't want your mother chastising you more than I am, correct?"

Before Kenny could respond, a certain voice piped up from the stairwell. "She's right, Kenny." The duo saw none other than Natalie coming down the steps with a hamper full of laundry in her hands, giving her son a stern eye. "Now do as she says before I decide to run the washer."

"A-Alright, I'm going!" With the fear of losing hot water on his mind, Kenny rushed right for the stairs… only to immediately stop and spin on his heel. "Oh, almost forgot!" Without any forewarning, he went over to Winter, gave her a peck on the cheek, and said; "Thanks again." before going right up the stairs, leaving the two surprised women alone.

Winter was completely speechless. It wasn't the first kiss on the cheek she received from her boyfriend, but this one felt… different. It could've been the sincerity in which he delivered it, perhaps it was Natalie's presence making it strange… or maybe it was his natural musk gracing her nostrils, but this kiss hit different. She could feel her face heating up warmer and warmer by the second, all while stammering; "I-I-hah-mah-w-wah…"

Natalie stepped closer to the younger woman in concern. "Winter, sweetheart, are you okay?"

"I… I feel lightheaded…" With that, Winter's legs gave out from underneath her and she nearly collapsed, only for Natalie to catch her and help her over to a nearby couch for her to nearly faint upon. When she was able to regain her senses a bit, Winter stared up at the redheaded woman, asking; "Natalie… what do you call it when you're overwhelmed by… attraction?"

"Hmhm… that, my dear, is the power of the Tennyson male physique." Natalie winked. "My husband has it, Sandra's husband has it, even Ben has it in spades." She pointed back toward the staircase knowingly. "And you, Winter, just worked your butt off to help Kenny regain his. Congratulations, you'll be seeing that in your dreams for the rest of your life."

"Forgive me for saying this, but… I want to see it MORE than just in my dreams."

Natalie smiled and reached down to caress Winter's hair in reassurance. "And you will… one day. Preferably outside of this house."

Winter blinked in surprise. "Wait… that's really the only stipulations?"

"Mm-hm. You either need to convince my son to move out or book yourselves a hotel room. Don't care which."

The military specialist returned to her senses fairly quickly after that. "Huh… and here I thought you'd also have the "married first" caveat."

"Pssh, honey, I'm strict, but not that strict." Moving over to the laundry, Natalie began loading it into the washer, all while continuing the conversation. "You're both young. Pleasures shouldn't be denied no matter what a bunch of old prudes believe."

"Um… thank you." Despite the topic of conversation, Winter couldn't help but smile at the woman fondly, knowing she had her full support. 'She's more like a mother than mine ever was… at least as far as I can remember.'

Peering over her shoulder, Natalie nudged her chin. "Now, I think you should head upstairs, too. Wouldn't want the others seeing you while in that ensemble, would you?"

With widened blue eyes, Winter's head snapped down to the clothes she currently wore; a pair of bluish grey leggings and a matching sleeveless top that showed off her belly. She didn't even have any footwear, which would definitely be unbecoming if anyone were to see her like this. Pursing her lips, she stood up and nodded curtly. "R-Right, if you'll excuse me."

As she left, Natalie couldn't help but chuckle to herself, amused at how such a prim and proper girl had become so casual in the near two months she had lived on Earth. 'She definitely needed this experience.' she mused to herself. 'A military life is admirable for sure, but sometimes, living like a normal person is just what someone like her needs to come down to Earth a bit.' Once the laundry had been sorted out, she closed the lid to the washer and went toward the stairs herself. 'Winter, I hope you continue down this path, because I see you and Kenny on the way to finding true happiness with one another. I can FEEL it.'

…..

About an hour later, everyone was ready to tackle the day, with Kenny, Winter and Pyrrha waiting in the living room while Frank and Natalie were at work in the kitchen preparing lunch. Romulus was sitting next to his mother on the floor, curled up at her feet as she caressed his back. However, there was one very notable absence. "So you're saying Jaune decided to go on a walk right before the gang got here?" Kenny asked.

Pyrrha nodded with a shrug. "Yes, apparently so. He told me that he had some thinking to do. Wanted to clear his head a little." The Invincible Girl glanced off to the side. "I offered to go with him, but… he said that this was something he had to think about on his own."

"Hm, how strange." Winter pondered. "That almost sounds like he's dealing with some heavy thoughts on his mind."

"I know, and it's frustrating!" Pyrrha groaned, slumping back into the chair. "He seemed totally fine a few days back when we retrieved the unicorn, but now… hah." She shook her head dejectedly. "It's almost like his mood goes through peaks and valleys. Some days he's right as rain, others… he feels like a downpour."

Kenny raised a brow to her. "Has this been a consistent thing since you two met?"

"Well… yes and no." A heavy sigh escaped Pyrrha's lips, recalling their time together from the moment they first met. "Jaune has… always had confidence issues. It was always his dream to become a huntsman, to be a hero like his predecessors before him. But… his lack in skill was always a sticking point with him. Now, since I began training him, he's become leagues better and even a master at swordplay in his own right… but recently, I believe he's had issues with his own leadership skills."

"And when did that start?"

"To be honest… I have a feeling it really got started when Cooper beat all of us by himself after we got back from Japan."

Immediately, the redheaded young man understood. "Ah, right… Team JNPR vs Kamen Rider Build." He winced and shook his head. "Yeah, that was a rough go for you guys."

Pyrrha hummed somewhat solemnly. "Yes, we weren't exactly at our best in that moment. And to make matters worse, I think that's when things began getting tense between Nora and Ren as well… I hope that they're doing alright."

"I'm certain that those two will work out whatever it is they're going through." Winter said with a reassuring gaze. "As for Jaune, though, it's important that you and everyone let him know that he is far from a failure."

"Yes, and I plan on exactly that." Pyrrha nodded. "Once he comes back, we'll—"

*ding-dong*

The conversation was cut short as the doorbell rang, Kenny standing up to answer it. "Be right there!"

Reaching the handle, he opened the door and smiled at their expected guests. Ruby, Neptune, Ilia and Blake all stood on the other side, the latter leading Rema on a leash. "Good morning, everyone!" Ruby beamed. "…Or is it the afternoon already? I dunno, I forgot what time it was."

"Haha, hey guys!" Kenny chuckled as he allowed them through. "Man, I cannot tell you how nice it is to answer the door and NOT have it be a god or something."

"I know, right?" Blake said as she walked in… only to get her arm yanked as Rema's leash slipped out of her grasp. "AH! Rema, no—"

And Pyrrha didn't even get a chance to nab Romulus by the collar as he dashed off as well. "Rommy! NO! Heel—"

"RAUFF-RAUFF! RRRAUFF!" "RRRAUFF-RRAUFF!" But it was far too late. Before anyone knew it, the wolf brother and sister were playing with one another in the middle of the living room, knocking each other into the furniture and coffee table in the process.

Both Pyrrha and Blake sighed, watching their growing wolves tussle and rattle everything around in the living room. "…Remember when they were small and adorable?" the cat girl asked. "I miss that."

The Invincible Girl nodded solemnly. "As do I. …They're still adorable, but much less fun-sized."

The play-fighting quickly moved away from the couches and toward everyone else, with Neptune jumping back to avoid the duo. "Woah! We might need to get these two outside before they knock something over… namely one of us." Blake and Pyrrha got right on it, garnering their pups' attention with some treats before moving to the back door. Once the living room was all clear and the wolves were outside, Neptune took a glance around, noting a certain someone's absence. "So, uh… Jaune around?"

"Nah, he went on a walk." Kenny shook his head. "He's trying to clear his head a bit."

"Hmm…" Ruby narrowed her eyes, knowing her fellow team leader all too well. Once Pyrrha and Blake returned, she eyed the redhead questioningly. "Jaune feeling down in the dumps again?"

Taken aback, Pyrrha did a doubletake. "H-How did you…"

"Kenny just said he went on a walk to think." the Hooded Huntress gave a shrug. "With prior experience, I know that probably means he's getting lost in his own head."

As much as Pyrrha was stunned by the answer, she had to admit, her friend's deductive skills were impressive. "Hah, you're quite perceptive, Ruby. But yes, Jaune's been doubting himself a bit lately, and I don't think Artemis' recent visit has helped in that regard."

Winter's expression hardened, recalling what had happened some days ago. "Indeed. She seemed very dismissive of him. I know that she is a virgin goddess, but still."

"Yeah, that sounds totally unfair to Jaune." Ilia agreed. "I may not have known him long, but I've seen what he can do out in the field. He's not one to be underestimated."

"Exactly… I just wish he could see that for himself." Pyrrha lamented… only to then notice that someone was missing. "Hold on, wasn't Penny supposed to meet us here, too?"

Ruby's smile returned and she rolled her eyes. "Oh, you know her. She's so excited to have her sister with her in physical form that she's been spending every waking moment with her. Right now, they're at the mall with Cooper and Team CFVY as we speak." She waved her hand and assured; "Don't worry, though, she said that we'd meet up once we get to base."

"GYAAAH-DAN-DA-DA-DANG"

Without any warning, a loud, rhythmic roar made everyone jump and whirl around, only to see a certain little robot dragon bumping its head against the window. "Gyah! Da-da-dang-dang!" It sang, almost pleadingly as its green eyes stared at the team.

"Oh! Hey there, little guy!" Kenny went over and lifted the window, allowing the Cross-Z Dragon to fly in. The mechanized creature spun around Kenny in gratitude before landing on his head, the young man laughing at its antics. "Haha, you're welcome."

Neptune's eyes lit up excitedly. "Ooh, there's my little buddy! Here, Cross-Z Dragon! Here, Cross-Zy, Cross-Zy!" As if in response, the dragon roared and shot right over his head, making Neptune yelp before falling right on his rear. Of course, everyone got a laugh out of it, much to the blue-haired boy's chagrin. "Gah! Hey, c'mon, what was that for?!"

Ilia placed her hands on her hips, shaking her head. "My guess? Your "little guy" might not like you that much."

"Oh, you don't know that!" Neptune shot to his feet, wearing a confident grin as the dragon flew back around. "Cross-Zy and I are the best of pals, aren't we?" He went to reach for the Cross-Z Dragon's head to give it a pat… only for it to screech at him.

"GRRRYAAAAAAH!"

Another yelp escaped Neptune's throat as he pulled away, allowing the dragon to fly behind Ilia. "I don't get it! What did I do to deserve this?!"

The chameleon girl narrowed her eyes, exchanging a brief glance with the dragon. "Oh, I can think of a few things…"

…..

~5 Days Ago~

"Okay, Cross-Zy, let's see if you know how to play catch!" Without wasting a second, Neptune threw the baseball at the Cross-Z Dragon, the little beast completely unprepared as it was hit and sent half way across the field. "Great catch! Now ya gotta throw it back! …Hello?"

~3 Days Ago~

"Mmhmhm…" Neptune sang a tune as he went to the fridge, ready to make himself some lunch. "Ah, let's see… ham sounds good!" Little did he know that the Cross-Z Dragon was right on his tail, flying into the fridge to try and locate the lunch meat for him. "Ah, here it is!" …And then Neptune promptly closed the fridge, failing to notice the dragon at all.

~Yesterday~

Neptune was practicing his throwing arm again, only this time, he was using Tri-Hard. "Let's see if I can channel some Pyrrha energy with this THROW!" He propelled his trident away as hard as he could… right in the Cross-Z Dragon's path of flight. The little creature cried out and folded its neck and tail in, falling straight to the ground as ridged as a stone in fear. "Woops! Sorry, buddy!"

"…Grrrr…"

…..

~Present~

The Omni-Hunters, Kenny and Winter were all giving Neptune an equally unimpressed stare, none too pleased with Ilia's recounting of events. "…Okay, so maybe I screwed up on a couple things." the blue-haired boy admitted. "But two of those situations weren't entirely MY fault! Haven't you ever heard of "wrong place, wrong time"?"

"Maybe, but you NEED to be more perceptive, Neptune." Winter chastised. "What if the dragon's outer shell WASN'T made of Infinitum? You could have seriously hurt it."

"Yeah, and Cooper would be none too pleased." Kenny folded his arms as the Cross-Z Dragon perched upon his head. "Call this personal opinion, but you've got a long way to go before you're Rider material."

Seeing that as a challenge, Neptune narrowed his eyes at the elder Tennyson sibling. "Oh, really? And you think you're so much better?"

Ruby's eyes widened in fear, watching the duo stepping up to one another. "Uh, guys, I don't think this is—"

"Not particularly." Kenny shrugged. "But the way you act is definitely something I'd call into question."

"Well at least I know how to fight." Neptune stated matter-of-factually. "I'll admit, you're getting better, but in comparison to the rest of us, jury's out on how long you'd last out on the field."

"NEPTUNE." Winter raised her voice, getting him to back off. "That is enough." She made sure to furrow her brow at her boyfriend as well, just so he wasn't let off the hook. "And that goes for you as well. Honestly, Kenny, I thought you were better than starting immature fights like this."

The young man's bravado was forgotten about the moment he saw his girlfriend upset with him. "W-Winter, I didn't mean—"

*RUM-RUMB-RUMBLE*

Without any warning, the ground began shaking underneath their feet, causing everyone to drop down to the floor. "AH! What the heck?!" Ilia exclaimed.

Blake gasped and whirled around toward the back of the house. "The pups! The pups, get them inside!"

"Already on it!" Frank called out, much to the cat girl's relief. However, the very moment Romulus and Rema ran in… the shaking stopped. It came just as abruptly as it had started. "…Huh." Frank uttered as he and Natalie entered the living room. "That was so odd."

"Is everyone alright?" Natalie asked

Pyrrha and Blake were holding their respective wolf pups protectively as everyone gathered their bearings. "Yes, we're fine. …But what in the world just happened?"

Kenny rubbed his head, still somewhat disoriented. "Dunno… but that didn't feel like a normal earthquake."

"Agreed." Winter concurred. "It came and went so suddenly, almost as if something had been blasted and created a brief tremor." She peered out the window, scanning the skies for any signs of an aftermath. "Hm… well, there doesn't seem to be any smoke from this angle."

After hurriedly investigating the kitchen window, Frank confirmed the same for the back of the house. "Same around the rear. Nothing seems to be out of place outside."

*Blip-blip-blip* *Blip-blip-blip*

"Oh, that's me." Ruby and Pyrrha piped up at the same time, much to their surprise. Pyrrha looked at her scroll first, making her sigh in relief. "Hah, it's Jaune. I'll be a moment…"

As the redhead went to talk with her boyfriend, Ruby showed off her Caller ID. "And I've got Raven. Who wants to bet that this'll be the answer we're looking for?" She received several raised hands before answering, putting her step-mother on speaker. "Raven? Hi, you felt that too, right?"

"We did, Ruby." the Spring Maiden replied. "And unfortunately, it seems to be another disturbance in Undertown."

"For the love of—it's ALWAYS gotta be Undertown, doesn't it?!" Neptune threw his hands into the air in exasperation.

Ilia seemed much more non-plussed about it, though. "Well, it is a hotbed of alien criminal activity. Maybe something big went south down there."

Raven all but affirmed Ilia's assessment. "That's what the Plumbers here are thinking, too. Which is why we're headed in to investigate. Cooper and Penny are already on their way down and I'll be doing the same as well."

"And Vados and the others?" Ruby inquired.

"She, Coco's team and Qrow will be standing by at Plumber HQ, just in case this could be a targeted attack. With the Ministry pulling more unexpected moves, we don't want to be careless in this approach." The Omni-Hunters all agreed on that assessment before Raven went on. "For now, it'll just be us, so let's head in and stay cautious. I'll see you all in a little bit."

Ruby smiled as she signed off with her step-mom. "Copy that, Raven! Over and out!" Once she hung up, she addressed her team with a determined fist raised and ready. "Alright, guys, it's Hero Time. Let's take this nice and easy, and… well, hope that the Ministry don't have ANOTHER trick up their sleeves so soon after the last one."

"Jaune's on his way to Undertown as we speak." Pyrrha informed, returning to the group. "I say we go nip this in the bud."

Winter gave a single nod. "Yes, very well put." However, she also gave Kenny a serious look. "That said, I think you're safest here, Kenny. I'll call you once we return, okay?"

"And watch over the pups until we get back, please." Blake requested as well.

"Hm, okay will do." Kenny accepted, reaching out to grasp Winter's hand gently. "And hey, be safe, okay?" With one last smile, Winter leaned up and pecked him on the cheek before departing with the rest of the team… leaving the young man to sulk. '…Man, this sucks.' Kenny flopped onto the couch, quite disappointed. 'I SO wish I was part of the action more.'

"GYAAAH-DA-DAN-DANG!"

A gasp escaped Kenny's throat and he whipped his head around, only to see that the Cross-Z Dragon was still there. "O-Oh, hey…" He saw the little mechanized beast land on his shoulder, gazing up at him with its bright, green optics. "…You should probably go with them, too. You'd be a lot more useful to them down there than hanging back, you know?"

"Rrrr…" The dragon seemed reluctant to go, but even so, it knew that was indeed the case. Flying out the window, it left the Tennyson household, ready to join the fight.

Kenny flopped back on the couch once it was gone, an uneasy feeling forming in the pit of his stomach. 'Gah… maybe I should head to Plumber HQ.' he pondered. 'I can at least monitor the situation there.' Standing up and moving into the kitchen, Kenny calling out to his mother; "Mom! I'm off to headquarters. You and dad got the pups?"

He didn't get a reply at first, and when he did, his mother's voice seemed hesitant. "Yes… but are you sure that you should go there now?" Natalie asked. "Things might get dangerous."

"I know, but… I just feel like I've got to." Kenny reasoned. "I can't explain it, but there's a feeling in my gut telling me to go."

With pursed lips, Natalie considered her son's words… but then, something was caught in her peripheral vision. Over her son's shoulder, through the kitchen window, she could see the Cross-Z Dragon, staring directly at them. It seemed to notice her gaze and quickly made haste, but the woman could tell that there was something going on. "…Alright. Just please be careful. Of both yourself and the ones important to you."

"Huh? What do you—"

Taking hold of Kenny's shoulders, Natalie spun him around toward the front door. "No time, honey. Just go, and… come back in one piece." While she could still tell her son was confused, he gave her his reassurance before leaving, though Natalie still whispered a silent prayer to herself when he did. "Please… watch over my son." Just as she was about to go back to the kitchen, she could've sworn she heard a rhythmic cry… and the slightest hint of a smile returned to her face.

…..

As all that was happening, a certain blonde knight was currently meandering about in the park, contemplating recent events. Jaune Arc knew he had come a long way since he had faked his way into Beacon, there was no doubting that. With the help of his amazing partner-turned-girlfriend, he had honed his skills as a swordsman and become a better man and leader in the process. Or at least… he hoped that he had. But every now and then, the tiniest bit of doubt would enter his head, and that's where his walks came in. Often times, he would trapse around and try to hype himself up in a way, encouraging himself to think that things were fine and there were no problems whatsoever. He did it at Beacon, he did it on Patch, and he was doing the same even in Bellwood.

…But recently, it was getting harder to convince himself that things were okay. 'Why is it that it feels like we're always in the backseat?' He asked himself repeatedly. 'It feels like we're falling behind compared to the others. We haven't seen much action, we got our asses handed to us by ONE guy, and our team cohesion just seems… off.' He came up to a bench and planted himself there, his frustration growing by the second. '…And I'm pretty sure Ren and Nora are having a falling out because of it, too.'

That was the part that made him feel the most upset. If HE was the reason that those two would never get together, he'd never forgive himself. "GAAAAAHH!" He threw his head back, clawing at his hair in self-loathing. "WHY IS THIS HAPPENING?!"

*click-click*

"…Huh?" His despair briefly forgotten, Jaune's ears perked up at the sound of a camera shudder, his eyes darting back and forth to find the source. "Wh-Who's there? Come out!"

"What an excellent scene…" A gasp escaped Jaune's throat and he whirled around, seeing a Japanese man approaching him from behind. His brown hair was tousled, as if completely blown by the wind. He wore a black suit and matching shoes, as well as a magenta undershirt. Said shirt actually matched the camera that he had hanging around his neck, which was held on by a black strap. "I think I'll call it; "A Knight's Despair"."

Jaune stood right up on his feet, backing away from the stranger. "Woah, woah, dude, I did NOT give you permission to take my photo. Who the hell are you?"

The man simply chuckled, trying to defuse the situation. "Ah, my apologies. Sometimes, a scene is just too good for me NOT to take a picture." He let go of his camera and extended his hand. "Let me start over. I go by Kadoya, and I'm a travelling photographer."

"…Kadoya?" Jaune repeated, the name sounding familiar. But then, he recalled what Ruby had said a week ago, about encountering a similarly aloof photographer. "Ah! You're the guy who Ruby met back in Japan!"

Kadoya scratched his chin with a sly grin. "Hm, guilty as charged. So, you're friends with Ruby Rose, eh?"

"Yeah… but what're you doing in Bellwood?" Jaune narrowed his eyes. "You're not stalking Ruby, are you?"

"Oh, no, no, not at all." The man insisted, taking hold of his camera again. "I just happened to be passing through. I haven't been to America in some time, and I wanted to see if there was anything I hadn't captured on film." Kadoya raised a finger next to his head. "But then… I remembered my encounter with Ruby Rose, and I said to myself; "Perhaps taking photos of the town this world's heroes call home would be a nice opportunity". So, here I am. Now… who would you be?"

Hesitantly, Jaune gave his name. "…Jaune. My name is Jaune Arc."

Walking around the bench, Kadoya took a seat, keeping his eyes on Jaune expectantly. "Well then, Jaune Arc… maybe you'd like to share what's disparaging you? Must be pretty bad if you're screaming at no one in particular."

"I… why do you wanna know?"

Kadoya gave a simple shrug. "Well, I seem to be on a role with helping heroes. Ruby said she felt better after I encouraged her, so maybe I can help you in some way?"

Again, Jaune was quite uncertain. Granted, the guy didn't APPEAR dangerous, but there was still something that was a bit off. 'Almost like he's TOO aloof…' Still, he didn't see any better option for an outlet, so ultimately, he decided; 'Screw it, why not?' With a heavy sigh, Jaune sat back down and rested his elbows to his knees, bringing his hands together. "Well… where to start? I guess this really all started a week or so ago. You know I'm part of the Omni-Hunters, right?" He received a nod from Kadoya. "Well, I'm actually the leader of a team within that team. Me, my girlfriend, and my two friends have been a unit for the better part of a year now and recently… things have hit a bit of a road bump."

"Hm, I see." Kadoya listened intently. "How so?"

"Well… compared to the rest of the Omni-Hunters, it kinda feels—at least to me—that we're getting left in the dust." Jaune explained as he began counting on his fingers. "Ben, Gwen, Kevin and Rex are undoubtedly the most experienced, Team RWBY keep on getting sucked into things as if by happenstance, my friends Sun, Neptune, Ilia and Penny have all made HUGE progress, be it in relationships or big power-ups. But us? Aside from my girlfriend Pyrrha, not really much has come Team JNPR's way."

Kadoya tilted his head. "Nothing at all, hm?"

Jaune began thinking hard, and upon further reflection, there was something else. "Actually, Nora DID have something big happen, but… I don't think I can tell you about that." He craned his head down sadly. "Besides, she's… going through some rough spots with our other teammate, Ren… who she has a crush on."

"Ah, a lover's spat." Kadoya smiled in amusement. "Happens from time to time, but if they truly care for one another, they'll probably overcome that."

The blonde knight was all too quick to agree. "Oh, yeah, I know they will, but… I can't help but feel like I could be doing more to HELP them." His eyes drifted downward again. "Honestly… I've just been feeling like an awful leader all around lately."

Perking his head up, Kadoya leaned his back against the bench. "In what way?"

"…Okay, so this is gonna sound kinda weird, but… in a practice session, the four of us lost to one guy." Jaune continued. "Mainly because he has the ability to transform into a Kamen Rider."

With a snap of his fingers, Kadoya wagged his finger at the boy. "Ah, right. Your genius friend who was on the news back in Japan. The boy who made Kamen Rider Build a reality… hah, must have been pretty amazing to see that."

"It is! And it's awesome what Cooper's accomplished, but…" Jaune's shoulders slumped. "I… I couldn't help but feel like I was the reason we weren't effective in that practice battle. If I'd come up with a better strategy, we might've stood a better chance…" He rubbed his neck with a wince. "If ya couldn't tell… I-I'm not exactly the most confident person."

Kadoya smirked. "You don't say?" He received a grimace from the boy, which only made him chuckle again. "Hahaha… Jaune, I can tell you right now that confidence doesn't come naturally to anyone. Confidence is built-up over time… and the way to do that is to find what you are good at and then keep at it until you're a master at it. I get the sense that you're the leader of your team because you're their main strategist, yes?"

"Yeah, but my strategies haven't been good lately—"

"Then keep at it. Just because you're good at something doesn't mean anything will come to you instantly." Kadoya pointed at Jaune, taking him off guard. "Some strategies are best pre-planned, others can be thought up on the fly, but the way to get better at something like this isn't to hope that an idea just comes to you."

Jaune had to admit, he did make a good point. "Okay, but… I also kinda feel like I'm falling behind in comparison to everyone else." He raised a fist over his heart. "Which is why I'm trying my best to become the next Rider that Cooper creates. Because then—"

"You think your power boost will be enough to help you along." To Jaune's astonishment, he saw Kadoya sigh as if he had heard this song and dance many times. "Young man, take it from someone who's watched Riders rise and fall from grace; their hubris can often times be their undoing." He reached down and pulled up his camera. "You may think you need power, but you're missing the bigger picture."

"And what's that?"

*click-click*

After taking a picture of the scenic park, Kadoya responded; "That wanting power for the wrong reasons often leads to big mistakes and regrets." He wore a very serious face as he spoke to Jaune, looking him dead in the eye. "I suggest you take a while to consider if you can handle the responsibility that being a Kamen Rider comes with. Because once you transform, there's no going back on that."

Jaune was slightly intimidated at the moment… but also slightly confused. "Uh, you must be a pretty passionate fan of the show, huh?"

"…Yes." Kadoya said awkwardly, glancing off to the side. "I… enjoyed it in my youth quite a bit." The silence was palpable in those next few moments… but then something else became even more palpable.

*RUM-RUMB-RUMBLE*

"W-Woah!" Jaune was practically thrown out of his seat while Kadoya held on, the ground shaking violently beneath them. "W-What's going on?! Earthquake?!"

"I don't think so." Kadoya remained calm. "It feels different…" Right as he said that, the shaking came to a stop, much to both of their confusion. "Quite strange."

Jaune stood up on shaky legs, reaching into his pocket for his scroll. "Yeah, no kidding. I-I'd better call my girlfriend, she if she's okay." After dialing in Pyrrha's number, he didn't have to wait long for her to pick up, much to his relief.

"Jaune? A-Are you okay?!"

"Pyrrha! Hah, yes, I'm fine. How're you and Rommy doing?"

The Invincible Girl let out a short sigh. "Things are alright here as well. Just a little tremor… but Ruby's on her scroll with Raven right now. From the sounds of it, the source of this might be Undertown."

Rolling his eyes, Jaune couldn't help but groan. "Ugh, of course. That place is a hotbed for this kinda stuff. Really hope it's not something like Sebik trying to drown the world in magma again."

"Or worse." Pyrrha added. "But we'll find out when we arrive. Meet you there?"

"Like I'd miss out. I'll see you in a little bit. Be safe, okay?"

"Same goes for you. Love you."

Jaune grinned from ear-to-ear hearing that. "Love you, too." With that, he hung up and slipped his scroll back into his pocket, looking to Kadoya… who wore a knowing grin. "…What?"

"Nothing." Standing up, Kadoya extended his hand. "So, what do you think your next step will be, Jaune?"

Taking a deep breath, the knight took stock of the situation before him. "Well first, I'm gonna go do my job; be a Huntsman. And that means dealing with whatever troubles are threatening people's lives." He peered over the man, mulling over everything he had told him. "And… I'm gonna try and do what I'm good at." Reaching out, Jaune shook Kadoya's hand. "Thanks for the advice, Kadoya-san."

With a slight chuckle, the photographer nodded. "You're welcome. And please, give Ruby my regards."

"I will. I'm sure she'll—"

*WOOOOSH*

All of a sudden, the wind began to pick up and whip around the two, taking Jaune off guard. "HUH?! What now?!" Thankfully, he didn't have to wait long for an answer… though he was left completely slack-jawed at what caused it. From high above, two clouds came zooming down from the sky. One carried the Monkey King himself… while the other housed his student. "S-Sun?!"

"Jaune!" Sun brought his arms out as he jumped off the cloud, which dissipated a second later. The two blondes met in the middle, clasping their hands together with a resounding *SMACK* "Haha! Dude, good to see ya!"

"Hah, likewise!" The knight shook his head, still comprehending what he saw. "Dude, did you just ride in on a cloud?"

With a proud smirk, Sun nudged his head over to his master. "Yep! Just one of the many lessons that Monkey King taught me."

Wu Kong laughed as his cloud floated over to Sun, allowing him to ruffle his hair a bit. "Haha, yep! All it took was a bit of focus… and a few hundred failed attempts."

"Hey, hey, it was more like a few… dozen." Sun waved off before looking back to Jaune. "So, what's up? And why're you out here all by yourself?"

Jaune's brow wrinkled curiously. "Huh? I'm not by myself, I'm with… what?" Much to the young man's astonishment, though… Kadoya was completely gone. "K-Kadoya-san? Kadoya-san?! That's weird, he was just here!"

The Monkey King's expression became a bit more serious. 'Kadoya… here?' He placed a finger upon his chin ponderously. 'I didn't expect him to come to Bellwood… but that can wait.' He floated over and tapped Jaune's shoulder. "Yo, Jaune, whoever you were talking to can wait. I just sensed a pretty big quake around these parts. We kicked it into high gear to get here, so any clue what's going on?"

Getting back on track, Jaune nodded to the two monkeys. "Oh, right! Pyrrha called saying that the origin seems to be in Undertown. We need to get down there, ASAP."

"Well, what're we waiting for then?" Sun jumped and somersaulted backward, summoning his cloud once more while reaching down for Jaune. "Here, I'll give ya a lift!"

"…A-Are you sure? I won't fall through, will I?"

"Nah, just hang on to me and you'll be good." Sun assured, allowing his knight friend to cling to his back. "Alright, let's head down and save the day, huh?"

Wu Kong smirked and gave a thumbs up. "Right behind ya, kid! Let's go!" He allowed the two boys to fly off first, taking a second to scan the area. And, sure enough, he spotted Kadoya behind a nearby tree, the man spotted him in return. With a farewell salute and a knowing grin, Kadoya disappeared into an aurora veil, much to Wukong's frustration. "Ya can't keep gettin' outta dodge that easily." With that, though, he shot off after the boys, intent on figuring out what was happening. 'I've got a bad feeling in my gut, though… and I've got a hunch I'm about to find out why.'

…..

Down within Undertown itself, things were in a slight panic as everyone was decidedly running away from the building that was exploding. It appeared to be an old, dilapidated warehouse, though for what wasn't made immediately apparent. As Ruby's team closed in, though, it was imperative that they put the fire out first and foremost. "Alright, team, look sharp!" the Hooded Huntress called out. "We need to put this blaze out PDQ! Neptune!"

"U-Uh, yes ma'am?" Neptune saluted, visibly perplexed.

"Have you gotten any better with your Semblance?"

The young man blinked in realization. "Oh yeah, I can use that now, huh?" The group collectively lowered their heads and groaned, much to Neptune's irritation. "H-Hey, come on! I'm only NOW just getting a hang of it!" He shook his head and faced Ruby again. "Anyways, I've been getting better, but we don't have any water nearby for me to touch."

"Hm… that is a problem." Ilia conceded. "Anybody have any Water Dust?" No body spoke up, awkwardly looking away as the Chameleon girl deadpanned. "Really? You guys were training to be Huntsmen and yet NONE of you have any Water Dust?"

"Well, to be fair, Ice is kind of just a more effective version of Water." Blake said before rummaging around in her pockets. "But, for this occasion…" She wore a smirk as she produced a vial of Water Dust. "Having access to Weiss' stash can a good thing."

Winter nodded in approval. "Hah, excellent. I'm glad that she gave you permission to do that while she was gone."

All at once, Blake became very sheepish. "Uh… yeah, heh… permission…" The elder Schnee's eyes narrowed at the cat girl, only for Blake to quickly pass off the vial to Neptune. "A-Anyway, we're stalling at this point! Neptune, do your thing!"

Catching hold of the vial, Neptune took a deep breath as he loaded it into Tri-Hard. "I'll certainly give it my best!" Once the vial was in, the trident's blades began to glow a much deeper shade of blue than they were used to, and all at once, the atmosphere began to feel very damp. Neptune raised his weapon and pulled the trigger, activating the Dust's power and causing the moister in the air to coagulate around him. '…Time to put all that practice with Helen to good use.' His expression hardened and he extended his hand, touching the water and activating his Semblance.

"HAH!" His eyes glowing bright blue, Neptune thrust his hand out, pushing the water away from him and toward the billowing flames in a torrent of immense proportions. Before long, it was like a tidal wave had encapsulated the whole building, and the fire was out completely.

"Okay!" Ruby cried out. "That's enough!"

Neptune's breath hitched in his throat as he brought his Semblance down… and he fell back on his behind in exhaustion. "AGH! Hah… holy crap…"

"Holy crap is right, Neptune!" Ilia exclaimed, helping the boy up to his feet. "You singlehandedly put out that fire!"

Pyrrha clapped in appreciation. "Simply spectacular! I would say that your fears are effectively conquered!"

The young man blushed at their compliments, rubbing his neck with a chuckle. "Hehe… w-well, I wouldn't say they're gone completely. Big bodies of water still freak me out… but I can at least wade into a river, so there's that!"

Smiling in approval, Ruby went up and nudged him in the arm. "Well, it's a start. Anyways, you did an awesome job, Neptune."

"Indeed, but our job isn't finished here." Winter reminded. "We still have to sweep the building for survivors…"

"No need for that!" a familiar voice piped up from behind. "I already have the sole occupant of that building right here!" Everyone's eyes snapped open and they spun around… where they saw none other than Ben Tennyson. In one hand, he held the limp body of a strange, turquoise-skinned alien in a full white bodysuit with robotic eyes. In the other, he held a small, black box, and he wore a full smile as if things had gone exactly as expected. "Hello, everyone! I was hoping you would show."

Ruby had to rub her eyes to make sure she wasn't seeing things, even as the Omnitrix-bearer approached. "B-B-BEN?! W-Wha—when, why… HOW?!"

"All excellent questions." Ben said as he set the unconscious alien down. "Though first, I would recommend restraining this cur. He's the whole reason I had to return to Earth earlier than expected, after all." He craned his head around to the once smoldering building. "I had to bust his whole operation on request of the Plumbers. Can you believe it?"

Blake blinked a couple times, taking the information in. "Actually… no, I can't. Didn't Max specifically tell the Plumber higher-ups NOT to disturb you guys?"

Bringing his hand to his face, Ben shook his head. "Ugh, yes, but apparently THIS could not wait. Believe me, I am quite upset about it."

"W-What about the others, though?" Ruby asked eagerly. "Are they back too? I wanna tell Yang and Weiss just how good of a job we've been doing."

"Hah, no, it's just me. I told the others to remain while I took care of this matter personally."

Ilia furrowed her brow, feeling a sense of suspicion come over her. 'Something doesn't seem right. Ben's talking REALLY weird…' Her eyes trailed down to the unconscious alien, seeing just how tattered and beaten up he was. 'And he's usually NEVER this brutal on a bad guy, either.' Her focus shifted back up as she asked; "Ben, who IS this alien? You didn't hurt him too bad, did you? He looks like hell."

The hero winced at the mention. "Ah, yes, him. He is a Techadon Weapon's Master, designated Number Thirteen. He and I actually had an altercation some time back… and apparently, he didn't learn his lesson. He was plotting to take over the planet with an army of Techadon units, but as you can see…" Ben raised a hand to the warehouse. "That plan has gone up in flames."

"Techadons… like the thing that Argit was trapped in back in Remnant?" Neptune asked.

"I suppose so." Pyrrha said as she walked toward the building, pointing at a dismembered Techadon hand and helmet. "And it seems that Ben's already taken care of those, too."

Winter pursed her lips and eyed Ben, raising a brow. "You could have simply called us, Ben. We could have handled it."

The hero smiled to her and bowed his head. "I appreciate the thought, but when I heard about this, I was naturally fearful of how you'd fair. After all, Techadon robots can easily take over any host that they latch onto. And besides… there was a lot at stake here." He lifted the box he was holding. "Because if these components were to fall into the wrong hands… it would make for devastating results. THESE were the reason why the Plumbers wanted me to do this."

Blake and the others warily stared at the black cube-shaped container. "Really? What are they?"

"A stabilizer circuit and a polymorphic crystal. The latter is meant specifically to drive a phase disruptor."

"Sounds pretty potent." Ilia concurred. "So, we bringing 'em back to base or what?"

Ben shook his head again. "No, these items have a designated drop-off point that I must take them to, immediately." He sent the team a reassuring smile as he turned around. "But don't worry, once I get back, I'll explain everything in greater detail."

However, Ruby wasn't keen on letting him go just yet. "W-Wait! Raven and Cooper are on their way right now! You should probably tell them what's going on, right?"

"Ah… ahem, yes, well, I would like to, but—"

"DON'T BELIEVE HIM!"

*WHAM*

Everyone let out a scream as a massive, red and gold pillar suddenly slammed down from above, putting a crater in the ground that separated Ben and the others. Craning their heads up, the team were all gob smacked to see not only the Monkey King… but also Sun and Jaune coming down from above, riding on clouds. Sun was taking a more spiral approach to his descent, spinning around the Wu Kong's staff while the king himself glared down at Ben, his eyes flashing from gold to burning red. "He isn't who he says he is!" Wu Kong roared.

"M-Monkey King!" Ruby exclaimed. "And…"

"SUN?!" Blake beamed with delight, as did Pyrrha.

"And Jaune, too!" The girls rushed up to their boyfriends as they landed, with Blake practically leaping into Sun's arms where he spun her around, the couple laughing all the while. Pyrrha, meanwhile, went in for a much calmer hug. "Hah, now that was quite the entrance!"

The blonde knight chuckled as he ran a hand through his hair. "Hehe, yeah… not my first choice, but hey, riding on a cloud is pretty efficient."

"It's amazing is what it is!" Blake said as Sun stopped spinning her, allowing the cat girl to reach up and kiss him upon the lips. Once she pulled away, she looked to him expectantly. "Care to explain where THIS came from?"

Sun could only shrug. "What can I say? When you meditate for about four days straight, you start to realize that some things aren't as hard as you think."

The answer left his girlfriend absolutely slack-jawed. "Four days? How are you awake?"

"I'll tell you the details later…" Sun put on a more serious expression as he and Jaune confronted Ben with the Monkey King, their weapons drawn and at the ready. "Right now, we've got an imposter to deal with."

Ben seemed offended at the accusation. "Ah! Imposter? Gentlemen, I have no idea what you're talking abo—AGH!"

The hero yelped when Wu Kong abruptly changed his staff back to its handheld size, pointing it straight at his jaw. "Shut it, "Ben". Or should I call you something else since I doubt that's your real name."

"W-Woah, hang on a second!" Ruby stepped between the two parties, trying to defuse the situation. "Let's not fly off the handle! Monkey King, don't you think you're being a little quick to accuse Ben of something like this?"

Once again, the celestial simian's eyes flashed red. "Ruby, after spending three weeks in Lao Tsu's 900 Trigram Brazier, I gained the ability to see through ALL kinds of deception, including disguises." He narrowed his sights at her. "Now, stand aside."

Jaune and Sun were both in support of the Monkey King's presumption… as were Blake and Ilia. "Yeah, Ruby… something's wrong here." the cat girl asserted to her teammate.

"Agreed. Haven't you noticed how weird he's been talking?" Ilia added before gesturing to the Techadon Weapon Master's body. "And he doesn't even go THIS far when it comes to beating up just a normal bad guy."

Ruby grimaced at their points, knowing both to be accurate. But going by Ben's expression, he appeared innocent enough… or was that fear in his eyes? "Ben… you ARE who you say you are, right?"

Ben's expression went from fearful to offended in an instant. "Y-Yes, of course! Everyone, we've known each other for how long and you're suddenly accusing me of this? It's outrageous—AH!" But then, without warning, something fast and black flew by Ben's head, making him stumble back. At first, he saw it as a bird… only for it to transform into a full-grown, black-haired woman who was glaring at him with piercing, red eyes.

"No… it's completely accurate." Raven rebuked.

"Raven!" Ruby gasped. "You too?!"

"Stay away from him, Ruby." The Spring Maiden put her arm out and pulled Ruby toward her protectively, her eyes blazing to life as her powers activated. "That is not Ben. I just had a conversation with him over the commlinks before the tremors. He told me specifically that he and the others would be here tomorrow, no mention of any early returns."

At that point, Ruby's face contorted in fear as the others all immediately armed themselves, ready to take down this imposter. "Uh… h-hah, funny, because I don't recall having a conversation with you at all, Raven!" Waving his hand, "Ben" refuted her claim right back at her. "Perhaps you could provide some proof, then?"

Raven's lips curled into a snarl. "You want proof?" She unsheathed Omen and "Ben" flinched, fearing the worst. "HERE'S your proof!" The Maiden sliced forward and "Ben" closed his eyes… only for the blow to never come. Instead, Raven had used her semblance to create one of her portals, much to "Ben's" astonishment. He was even more taken aback when she unexpectedly snapped a picture of him with her scroll. After sending a quick text, Raven crossed her arms, keeping her eyes glued on the imposter. "Now… we wait."

…..

~Khoros~

*blip*

"There's another you standing in front of us saying he's the real Ben Tennyson. help plz."

Between that text, the picture of "himself" that he was staring at, and the portal that had just appeared next to him, Ben Tennyson could tell that he wasn't going to have a relaxing end to his vacation. And the others knew that too since most of them were all right beside him as these events played out in quick succession. The only exceptions were Rook, Max and Vernal, who were back on the Rustbucket IV loading up the remains of the Proto-TRUK. Ben, Gwen and Kevin all soured at the doppelganger's photo, knowing it could only be one person. "…God freaking dammit." the hero bemoaned.

"How the HELL did he escape?" Kevin asked. "There hasn't been any word from the Incarcecon prison, has there?"

"If there were, Raven probably would've told us when we first called." Gwen rolled her eyes. "But let's be real, this is him we're talking about."

Ben pinched the bridge of his nose with a relenting sigh. "Hah, yep, he always knows how to make a sneaky getaway." Pushing his own irritation aside, Ben texted his grandfather about the situation and pocketed his cell phone. "But ah well, duty calls. Guys, hang back and enjoy the rest of the day. Hopefully this won't take long…"

But just as Ben was about to kiss his girlfriend goodbye, she held up her hand and stopped him. "Uh, what're you talking about?"

"Yeah, we're headed back WITH you guys." Weiss declared as she unsheathed Myrtenaster, prompting Nora and Ren to bring out their own weapons.

Rex smacked a fist into his open palm, wearing an eager smirk. "Hell yeah. Dude, we're not about to miss out on giving this evil double of yours a good scare."

"Oh, come on, guys, you don't have to do that." Ben insisted.

"Maybe not." Yang activated Ember Celica, bringing her fists together. "But we WANT to."

"And besides, if this guy sees all of US come through that portal, he'll run for the hills!" Nora gripped her hammer in anticipation. "It'll make breaking his legs ALL the more fun!"

Despite the severity of the situation, Ben couldn't help but smile. Not just at the hyper redhead's antics, but also for just how dedicated his team was to sticking by him. He felt his girlfriend nudge his shoulder. "Besides, we've been recharged and we're honestly ready to head home anyway. C'mon, Green Boy. Let's go kick this dude's ass."

That made Ben laugh and he finally gave in. "Haha! Okay, okay, I can tell I'm not gonna win this one. …Let's go. Hero Time." With that, Ben led the way through the portal, and one by one, they exited through the other side into Undertown, right in the middle of everything. The first thing they were greeted by was the imposter Ben's fearful expression. But then, once the portal closed…

"YAAAAAAANG!" Ruby immediately glomped onto her sister, taking the Blonde Brawler by surprise. "WEISS!" The former heiress tried to deny the embrace, but quickly found herself in Ruby's other arm, now joining Yang in getting the air squeezed out of them. "Oh, thank GOD you two are here! Things have been CRAZY this morning!"

"Huh! G-Good to see you too, sis…" Yang stammered.

"I… can… tell…" Weiss choked out, seeing Blake approaching from behind. "Please… help…"

Thankfully, the cat girl would prove to be their savior. "Okay, let's calm down here." Blake managed to loosen Ruby's grip, allowing her to get her own—and much less vice-like—hugs in. "So, how was vaca—WOAH!" But when she noticed the state of her partner, she was left quite astonished. "Girl! What a TAN!"

Yang beamed brightly and flipped her hair, showing off just how clean her tan was. "You like? No lines, by the way."

"Well, of course, wouldn't expect anything less from you."

In the meantime, Jaune and Pyrrha rushed up to Ren and Nora, meeting them with their own hugs. Though in the case of the two boys, they shared a handshake and an over-the-shoulder embrace. "Yo, man." said the blonde knight.

"Hey, doing good?" the green ninja reciprocated.

Jaune gave a shrug. "Eh, been dealing with ups and downs, ya know? What about you?"

Pyrrha's eyes shifted between Ren and Nora in concern. "Yes, are you two… good?"

The two life-long partners shared a glance and smiled, with Nora giving an affirming nod. "Oh yeah, things are good now."

"We… just had to work some things out." Ren added.

"HAH! Phew, that's a relief." Jaune wiped his brow. "Was kinda worried that things would get outta hand."

Nora bobbed her head back and forth. "Well… they kinda-sorta did, but only for a little bit. But now…" She did an U-turn while spinning her hammer, which encouraged the rest of the team to group up along with them. Just like that, the Omni-Hunters, Raven, Winter and Wu Kong were all confronting the Ben Tennyson doppelganger with glaring eyes. "How about we figure out what to do with THIS punk?!"

Ben raised a brow to his double with a scrutinizing gaze. "Yeah, I was about to suggest the same. So, whaddya have to say for yourself THIS time… Albedo?" The imposter Ben raised his finger and opened his mouth, as if he was about to retort… only for him to spin on his heel and sprint away. "Heh, well look at that! You were right, Nora."

"Knew it!" Nora flashed her teeth with a twisted grin, putting on a guttural voice as she declared; "Now let's BREAK HIS LEGS."

Wu Kong came forward with Ruyi Jingu Bang at the ready. "You want me to stop him? You guys are still technically off the clock, right?"

But the Omnitrix bearer shook his head. "Nah, it's alright. Just give me a few seconds and I can—"

CROSS-Z FLAME!

However, Ben wouldn't get the chance to go hero just yet, as from up above, he and the others were all left surprised by the arrival of the Cross-Z Dragon, which breathed down blue flames to cut Albedo off. The wall of fire brought the imposter to a screeching halt, spinning to make a break for it. "Gah! What in the world is—"

"HENSHIN!"

A shout and a flash of light from behind alerted Albedo to the presence of someone else… and when he turned around, he was immediately hit by a motorcycle. "AUGH!" The Galvan-turned-human was flung straight into a nearby dumpster, impacting it so hard he left a visible dent. The box he was holding was also thrown up into the air… but was caught on the way down by a pair of red and blue gloves.

Hagane no Moonsault! RabbitTank!

YEAH!

Dismounting his bike, Kamen Rider Build tossed the box around in his hands playfully, all while chuckling to himself. "Hah, well, glad that whole thing was cleared up before we got here." Cooper set his sights over to the group and sent them a wave. "Hey guys! How was the vacation?"

"Cooper! Ha, great timing!" Gwen applauded.

"Dude… how'd you know to do that?" Kevin asked.

The Rider nudged his head over to the incapacitated Albedo. "Well, I saw Ben running away from Ben and figured out the rest from there." He nodded down to the box in his hand. "Plus, I had a feeling him trying to run off with this was pretty telling, too." He raised his hand up and called out; "Ladies! Would you kindly get that loser secured for us, please?"

As if on cue, two more figures came flying out from the sky, accompanied by green jet thrusters. One was clearly Penny, who brought out some Floating Array blasters to aim at Albedo. Meanwhile, the other… was a very sleek white and black robot girl with green highlights all across her body, complete with a big, V-shaped visor. "Woah… since when did we get ANOTHER robo-girl?" Weiss asked.

"Heh, since I gave Vados her own body."

"…THAT'S Vados?!" the vacationers exclaimed, to which Ruby nodded.

"Yep! Say hi, gals!"

In perfect unison, Penny and Vados craned their heads toward the team, the latter bringing her visor up and retracting her mask so they could see her face. "Salutations, everyone!" they said in perfect synch.

Needless to say, the group of vacationers were flabbergasted. "Well… that's a pretty big deal." It was then that the Blonde properly noticed the Cross-Z Dragon as well, which came down to circle around their heads. And Yang instantly recognized it. "…Oh my god, are you kidding me?" Her eyes lit up in excitement. "You're already planning on finding your sidekick?!"

"Ah, partner, actually." Build corrected. "But yes, I'm planning on finding the perfect candidate for Cross-Z… and I might be pretty close to finding out who that'll be." However, the genius shook his head to get back on track. "But that can wait. Right now… we've gotta bring Albedo in." On that note, the team went in to apprehend the criminal… but then…

*FLASH*

A red burst of light caught them by surprise as the dumpster crumpled completely under the weight of Humungousaur… or rather, Negative Humungousaur. Albedo had transformed into his own Vaxasaurian form, which was visibly a bit different than Ben's. The skin was a dark grey rather than brown, and his eyes were blood red, as was the Omnitrix symbol on his chest. "GRAAAUUGGHH! You think me DEFEATED?!" With his massive tail, Albedo effortlessly whapped Penny and Vados away, though the android sisters managed to regain control in midair. "I dared not transform until this moment. The eyes… they always give me away. But NOW you've forced my hand!"

"He's got an Omnitrix, too?!" Ruby screamed. "You've gotta be kidding me!"

Negative Humungousaur pointed to the symbol on his chest. "This is no Omnitrix, girl! In case you're completely dense, which I assume you are, this is a device made to change my DNA and stabilize my transformations. The new and improved Ultimatrix."

Raven's eyes blazed to life at the insult. "I don't care what it is! You will NOT insult my family any further, you monster! Stand down at once!"

"I don't think so." Albedo pointed to the box in Cooper's hand. "In fact, you're going to give me back those components NOW, otherwise, things will become… unpleasant."

"Fat chance, Albedo!" Ben rebuked, with everyone taking a fighting stance. "There's at least TWENTY of us and only one of you!"

"Uh, might wanna try that math again, bud."

*POW*

From out of nowhere, a bright red laser beam hit the ground next to the team and began spreading a line of fire next to them, forcing the group to double back. Their eyes were drawn up… and there stood Cinder's team. …With a battalion of Grim. Rojo was the one doing the firing, and she wore a cocky grin while doing so. "I'd say this evens the odds a bit, don't you?"

"Oh for the love of—of COURSE you guys just had to show up!" Rex flung his hands up, transforming them into his Smack Hands. "Lemme guess, you're in cahoots with the evil twin here, aren't you?"

Mercury rolled his eyes in disgust. "Unfortunately, yes. As much as I despise the idea of working with another sound-alike."

Negative Humungousaur's eyes widened at Mercury's voice, but decided to save that comment for later. "Ah, you must be the group that my liberator told me about. The Ministry of Darkness." In one mighty leap, Albedo landed directly next to them. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"Likewise, Albedo." Cinder grinned maliciously. "I must say, the prospect of having our own evil Tennyson on our side is quite enticing." She extended her hand toward Kamen Rider Build. "But before we get down to business… the box, if you would please."

But Build wasn't hearing any of it, taking out the Drill Crusher in its gun mode and aiming it at the Ministry. "You can have it over my cold, dead—" *BANG* "GAH!" From behind, a shot rang out and the box was blasted right out of Cooper's hand… where Neo jumped in to grab it out of the air. "NO!"

"Oh no you don't!" Yang shot herself forward to intercept Neo, bringing her hand back for a punch. "Hand it over you little—" *CRASH* Unfortunately, Yang wound up punching through nothing more than an illusion as Neo deftly retreated back to her team, where Emerald came in to intercept Yang's charge. "GAH! Are you freaking kidding me?! What was that?!"

Emerald snickered at the question as she struggled against the Blonde Brawler. "Hehe, oh, you're gonna love this one, ya bimbo." She kicked Yang away, putting some distance between them before shouting; "Yo, Kuromori!"

CHK-WHRR! BAT!

The area began reverberating with the sound of a certain funky beat, bringing the heroes' attention behind them to see Yuma approaching. Kevin's eyes widened in disbelief. "Hold on! That's the bat dude I clobbered in Menagerie!"

"Ah, yes… you." Yuma spat venomously, his eyes narrowing at Kevin loathingly. "I think it's about time I get my revenge on you." He raised the Transteam Gun and said; "Vaporize." while pulling the trigger, enveloping him in a cloud of black mist.

BAT! B-B-BA-BAT!

FIRE!

As fireworks exploded out from the dark mist, the cloud dissipated, revealing Yuma in his Night Rogue form to the astonishment of many. "…HUH?!" Sun shouted, echoing the sentiments of the vacationers as well. "The bat dude is freaking NIGHT ROGUE now?!"

"…Yeah, we meant to tell you all about that once everyone was home." Blake admitted.

With his focus now squarely on the masked warrior, Build shifted his aim in kind. "Better now than never, I guess. But this time, I'm taking that cheap knockoff of a gun! And Kuromori, your time as Night Rogue is gonna be nothing more than a memory!"

This only got a laugh from Night Rogue as he summoned his… STEAM BLADE! "Go ahead, Daniels. I'd like to see you try!" He proceeded to quickly spin the valve on the weapon three times, pulling the trigger to unleash another cloud of black mist.

Devil Steam!

The haze coagulated into black goop and took the form of a Ravager Grimm, which spread its wings and let out a shrill screech. Night Rogue thrust his sword out at the heroes and ordered; "ATTACK!" Cinder wordlessly supported the action with a snap of her fingers, causing the rest of the Grimm horde to go in and swarm the heroes.

The Fall Maiden's eyes went to Neo hastily. "Now, give the components to Albedo before—" *FLASH* In the middle of the chaos, the Ministry could see Ben transform into Shocksquatch, electrocuting several of the Grimm to make a path for himself. "…That happens."

"You won't be gettin' away with this, eh!" the Gimlinopithicus growled, jumping and leaping across the Grimm while the rest of the heroes worked on killing them.

"Oh, but I will." Negative Humungousaur ensured as he charged in as well, not caring that he stomped on a few of the Grimm to get there. With one swing of his tail, Albedo sent Shocksquatch careening away, and quickly rolled back over to Neo. He opened the faceplate on his Ultimatrix and yelled to her; "Now! Insert the stabilizer chip so I may remain in alien form longer!" Neo complied, mostly out of fear. She opened the box and plucked out a small, red cube-shaped device, inserting it into a similarly shaped slot. There was a brief surge of red energy, but otherwise, Albedo seemed pleased. "Excellent. Now… the polymorphic crystal. So I may achieve ULTIMATE power!"

"NOOO!" Shocksquatch jumped out of the building he was hurled into and let loose a potent electric blast… which was intercepted by Cinder and redirected into the air.

With a condescending smile, Cinder wagged her finger down at the hero. "Ah-ah, we can't be having that now, can we?"

Shocksquatch was left to stare in complete aghast silence as Neo placed the tiny crystal into the Ultimatrix. Albedo's lips curled into a malevolent smirk as the faceplate closed, rotated, and then clamped down to his chest with sharp, pointed anchors. From there, his form mutated further, increasing in height slightly while the signature spiked shell emerged from his back. The end of his tail solidified into a jaggedly spiked wrecking ball, and over his eyes, a horned mask appeared, adding even more menace to his appearance. Finally, his muscles rippled as his flesh tore away, revealing metallic piping under his skin. Overall, it made for a startlingly horrifying Ultimate Vaxasaurian, who threw his head back and laughed at his victory while everyone was left completely stunned.

"BAHAHAHAHA! YES! Finally, after all these years, my plans can FINALLY come to fruition!" Albedo clenched his fists, which transformed into quadruple-barreled rocket launchers that he fired directly at Shockquatch. The Gimlinopithecus tried to counter with another lightning blast, but that only made the projectiles' detonation more potent, blowing him away and back into human form for good measure. "And you want to know the best part, Tennyson? Unlike your feeble Omnitrix, MY Ultimate forms have NO time limit!"

Struggling to his feet, Ben glowered at his evil double, slightly worried after hearing that. But even so, he wasn't about to give in. "Yeah… well if you think I need Ultimates to take you down, then you've got another thing coming!"

Within the Grimm skirmish, a certain celestial simian heard Ben's proclamation. And after seeing Albedo evolve his form even further, he knew he HAD to get in on this. "Hah, alright, time to stop holdin' back." Jumping straight out of the Grimm horde, Sun Wu Kong focused on the energy flowing through him before expelling it in a massive burst of light… which dissipated the entirety of the dark beasts, including Night Rogue's summoned Ravager.

"WHAT?!" Yuma shouted, seeing Build drop out of the bat Grimm's talons and land in a crouch in front of him. "He could do that this entire time?!"

Putting away his Drill Crusher, Cooper opted instead to pluck out a different pair of FullBottles for the occasion. "Apparently so! Now, where were we?"

Ninja! Comic!

BEST MATCH!

Are you Ready?!

"Build Up!" At his word, the Snap Ride Builder snapped the two halves of Cooper's favorite form together over his body, and in his hand, the Yonkoma Ninpoutou appeared.

Shinobi no Entertainer! NinninComic!

YEAH!

"The winning formula… is decided!" And just like that, Build and Night Rogue went into a clash of blades, all while everyone stared up at the Monkey King in amazement.

Wu Kong pointed his staff down at Albedo, his usual smirk plastered across his features. "Alright, so you've got what you wanted. Big whoop. But now… you've gotta deal with ALL of us, me included. So, whaddya say to THAT, copycat?"

If anything, though… Albedo only laughed some more at Wu Kong's expense. "Hmhm… hahaha! Ah, my liberator was RIGHT! You truly ARE as simple as you appear! HAHAHA!"

The Monkey King's nose scrunched at the slight against him. "…Do you even KNOW who you're talking to?"

"Oh, I do… the Victorious Fighting Buddha. How quaint." Albedo chortled as he began slowly circling around Wu Kong. "The one who set me free informed me quite well of you in advance of my arrival here, after all. In fact, oh "Great Sage", he knows YOU rather well!" He shifted his gaze around to everyone, his tone overtly smug. "Do you wish to know HOW my escape wasn't reported yet? Because sitting inside my cell back in the Incarcecon Prison, there is a perfect, mindless duplicate of myself… made of monkey hair."

Immediately, Wu Kong's eyes widened in alarm, and the Omni-Hunters were left confused. "W-What? But master, you're the only one who knows that technique!" Sun asserted.

Swallowing hard, the Monkey King could only assume the worst. "Yes… but there was another who DID know that technique. But… B-But I thought… no, that's impossible!"

"Oh, but is it… old friend?"

*KRA-CHAM*

Without any warning, the ground beneath everyone began erupting with purple energy, which shot out in all directions and forced them all to fall back. Albedo was the only one who was unmoved by the tremors, his smirk still present as the purple light took on… a giant, monkey-like form. It didn't remain giant for long, however, as it shrank down and solidified into a 7-foot-tall monkey man. He resembled Wu Kong in many aspects, though he also had many features that distinctly made him his own simian.

His fur, in contrast to Wu Kong's golden brown, was pitch black, and his face was a deeper shade of tan. The markings around his eyes were bright red and he wore a brownish-red scarf around his neck that flowed down his back to his tail. His armor was similar to Wu Kong's, but again, completely black with blood red accents and some hints of yellow as well. And while he didn't have any feather ornaments on his head like Wu Kong, he DID have a fairly intimidating cudgel in his hand, one tipped on either end by massive bludgeons.

But easily, his most distinctive feature… were his six ears. "…No way." Blake muttered, shuffling closer to Sun as she felt waves of fear emanating from the black-furred monkey. "Is that…"

"It's gotta be." Sun affirmed, taking hold of her hand. "…But I really wish it wasn't."

"Hehe… been a while, bud." said the dark monkey as he floated about ten feet away from Wu Kong. "Long time, no see."

With a twisted grimace, Wu Kong glared back at his dark reflection, his fears all but confirmed as venom dripped from his voice; "… Macaque."

…..

A/N: And that, I think, is a good way to cap off this rather hectic chapter. Albedo has returned, regaining the ability to transform into Ultimates. The vacationing Omni-Hunters have come back to Earth prematurely to face the threat. The Ministry have converged upon the team to put even MORE pressure on them. And finally… The Six-Earred Macaque has made himself known to our heroes. And who, pray tell, voices the Great Sage that Informs the Wind?

Macaque – voiced by Alejandro Saab

Gotta keep that Lego Monkie Kid casting consistent, ya know? But of course, we also have to honor the memory of Billy Kametz, the original voice of Macaque before his tragic passing. Still VERY sorrily missed.

With that said, though, it seems that a lot has happened with Sun himself since he went off to train with the Monkey King! Dude's flying around on clouds like it's nothing now! Granted, there's still room for improvement in certain areas such as stealth, but still! CLOUD. RIDING.

Meanwhile, it seems that Kenny's improved on his own training quite significantly as well. …And there's no doubt that Winter is QUITE happy with the results, hehe. Though the fact that he's headed to Plumber HQ in the middle of all this IS somewhat worrying. Wonder why he thinks he should be there… well, I'm sure we'll find out soon enough. In the meantime, it appears Cooper and Yuma are continuing their Rider Rivalry of sorts. Though the latter technically isn't classified as a Rider, but you get my point.

And hm… seems Jaune's dealing with some self-confidence issues regarding his leadership role. I mean, wouldn't be the first time, but he's definitely gotten himself down about it here. Thankfully, a certain passing through photographer has come to give HIM some words of encouragement this time! Hey there, Kadoya-san! Been a while since we saw you… though I've got a feeling he's been keeping his eye on things in the background considering how he operates. Who's to say we won't see more of him very soon, eh?

But man, Albedo REALLY tried to pass himself off as Ben, he really did. Too bad he was outed by Wu Kong and Raven before he could make a clean getaway. Though in the end, he still ended up getting what he wanted; unlimited access to Ultimate forms. So now, where does his plan go from here?

Well, join me NEXT TIME to find out, as the confrontation continues… with a big ol' Monkey Fight. And if any of you are familiar Wu Kong and Macaque's FIRST fight, then you know it's gonna be crazy. But as the two sides are duking it out underground… Salem initiates the SECOND phase of the plan; storm Plumber HQ with a gaggle of mutants… and yet another new ally in a cobra-themed suit. Uh oh… this could be bad… unless a new hero emerges to combat this evil. Next time; Wake Up Burning. Thanks for reading, everyone, and I'll catch you all next time! And of course, as always, stay safe out there!