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Nexus HWR 20.3 Zodd Part 3- Lynx:

"Ben Tennyson. What are you doing here?"

Pee dribbled down Ben's legs and soaked the pants of his Garata uniform. The question scared Ben into losing control over his bladder. What am I doing here? I can't answer that! Ben's face scrunched up. I came here to get Zod to kill you. Can he read minds? Am I dead already? I can't breathe! I can't- I can't- Ben was not thinking straight as his face paled and turned blue from lack of breathing. He was not responding to the Ant King, and it looked like it was because he forgot how to talk.

"Leave him-" Kara began.

"WAIT! DON'T!" Ben screamed.

Meruem did not move. Kara's face paled though while still down on one knee. She had looked back towards Meruem after seeing the kid's bluing face, but she darted her eyes to Ben again and then realized that Ben was not yelling at her. Ben just screamed that straight at the Ant King, and Kara's thoughts cut off at the panic in Ben's eyes that was not because of fear for his own life.

Meruem's tail swung aimlessly behind him. The bloody tip of that tail dripped, and Kara's vision filled with a red haze as she imagined her head doing a cartwheel and her vision spinning around. "I'm surprised you could tell that I was about to kill her. I told you that I was in your debt. I have now repaid the favor," Meruem informed.

"Th-Thank you," Ben replied in a hoarse voice, bowing his head gratefully to the Ant King for sparing Kara who he knew that Meruem was just about to kill.

She had been the one trying to help him, but now Kara felt ridiculous after the conversation that just went on between these two. The Ant King owed Ben a favor? What? Kara darted a look back to this kid who most of the Kryptonians around them were also staring at in disbelief that he was speaking to Meruem right now.

"Tell me, Ben Tennyson," Meruem continued. Ben's whole body tensed up. "Where are Son Goku, Sora, and Dash?"

The human boy staring back at Meruem pulled his head back with his massive eyes shaking at the question. "I determined to kill them, and they escaped from me in the Saiyan Mountains. You know where they are. Now tell me."

He doesn't owe me a favor anymore! I just saw Zod and Chris do this a few hours ago. I'm so dead. I'm going to die here. Can I get out of it? What if I lie? He'll know. I- I don't actually know though. Right? I left. Sora left too. I'm sure, maybe, Goku and Dash aren't even back there anymore! They probably left too! And I don't know! "I don't know," Ben whispered, truly hoping that he believed that enough that Meruem would accept the answer.

Meruem stared into Ben's scared eyes and the kid looking back at him gulped before clenching those eyes shut and expecting death at any second. I can't even fight him! Goku couldn't beat him. What chance do I have? I don't want to die.

"You did not answer my first question. Why are you here?" Meruem questioned the boy again.

"…I-" Ben began. "I came, to ask for, King Zod's help-"

"He is Lord Zod now," Meruem informed the boy who gulped but then nodded his head back at Meruem's response. "I was the one who owed you a favor. Why not come to me?" Meruem wondered.

Ben dropped his jaw. "I- I don't…" Ben started. Meruem's tail swung to the other side behind him. "I couldn't-" Ben began again but cut himself quicker this time.

Meruem stopped asking after hearing that. He has assisted the Resistance in the past. Is he here for them? Why would they send him to Zodd alone? If he is here for Zod, perhaps he wanted Zod's help in killing me. He came here alone for that purpose? He has an idea as to where Son Goku and the others are, but now is not the time to push the issue. I am done here. "I will find them," Meruem assured the boy who had yet to answer his questions and just closed his mouth again as Meruem got tired of his stuttering. "They stood against me. While the rest of the Saiyans knelt, they fled to continue their fight another day."

Ben nodded back at the Ant King in understanding as to why Meruem felt the need to kill them. Meruem just hummed to himself after Ben nodded. He does not kneel either. He would if I told him. It is not a conscious thought on his part to remain standing. And I know that if he were to kneel now on my order, it would not be true submission. Only a lie. The boy who saved time. Another in the most interesting group to… Meruem tilted his head to the side and stared up and towards a figure in a black cloak who pulled his head back in terror as he arrived on the scene and saw the Ant King glaring up at him.

Ben spun towards Ichigo in panic as he spotted his teammate up there. Ichigo stared straight towards Meruem and pulled away in fear while fully understanding in a single look exactly how this creature had taken over the majority of the largest continent on the planet. "Kurosaki?" Meruem wondered after examining the figure up in the air for a few seconds.

Ichigo's nervous expression filled with confusion. "You know me?" Ichigo wondered back.

Meruem grinned. Very interesting indeed, he chuckled to himself. Meruem floated off the ground without another word. The Kryptonians, human, and shinigami around him all watched Meruem fly up, then they looked around him and spotted three other figures who flew to the Ant King's sides.

The three Royal Guards flew up to the Ant King. Pitou was coated in a white aura, while Pouf and Youpi each had their wings spread to their sides. A set of red wings like Youpi's snapped out of Meruem's back after he floated up using his ki like Pitou. Meruem flapped the wings that he became able to create after eating a piece of Youpi long ago, and he turned away from Zodd and flapped once to fly off to the north. His subordinates flew away with him without another look back at the conquered city billowing black smoke on all sides.

All the excitement of the fight, and what interests me most is the mystery of what those two were doing in the city. Meruem looked thoughtful to the Royal Guards who were closer to him than anyone else on Nexus and could tell he was contemplating something. The Kurosaki doesn't understand how I recognized him. He hardly resembles Isshin, but the resemblance is there.

Ben Tennyson. He is so far out of his depth. He didn't bend the knee. All of them knelt. Kara Zor-El is braver than most. Lor-Zod was solely acting in anger for the death of his kin. Kara Zor-El considered standing against me, but she has considered it before. She measured herself up against my power the first time we met. Seeing if she could end everything then and there. She chose not to fight that day though, and she will continue to remain in obscurity rather than as a major antagonist to the Cooperative. Tennyson would not kneel. He did not kneel. Would he have? I do not believe he would have on his own. The thought did not cross his mind.

He should have considered kneeling. Arriving on that scene with all of them down on their knees, he could have just followed suit. Is he stupid? Foolish, yes. But unintelligent? What were they doing when we got there? Garata. That was his test to see if he could make his request of Zod. The Kryptonians did not take him seriously. He traveled from the other side of the world with Son Goku. Fixed time. Why him, and not the others who were with him? The look on his face when I confronted him that day, he had just witnessed horror. The others with him did not survive the future he reversed.

Rin Okumura. Natsu Dragneel. Sora. Riku. Monkey D. Luffy. Killua Zoldyck. Yet it was Ben Tennyson who survived the time reversal and stopped it. Killed the time traveler. He was missing his watch when I just saw him. The skin of his wrist looked badly damaged. The watch was connected there. I suspect it was his weapon of choice. Even without it, he has moved on with his fight. Against me. I could have killed him. I chose to let him live.

"The Capital 50 were unnecessary this time," Pitou mentioned. "Same with the Rogue Ravagers. There was truly no need for them-"

"Of course!" Pouf exclaimed as their group continued to fly off together. "The King is more powerful than ever before! There was no need for them, and there will never be any 'need' for their assistance ever again! The King's power is absolute!'

"Still though," Youpi started.

Pouf spun to his right and towards Youpi who was farther from the King's right side with Pouf between them. Youpi paused while looking to his left past Pouf who glared his way in fury, but Meruem just looked his way interestedly as to what Youpi might have to say. "Did you not, want to eat Zod?" Youpi wondered.

"You dare question the King's motives? If the King did not devour Zod it is not our position to even think-"

"It's fine, Pouf," Meruem countered his most devout follower from being so harsh on their comrade. Youpi was starting to look guilty and fearing that he had insulted the King or insinuated that he might have made a mistake. "Zod's power would not have been an insignificant amount to digest, it's true." Youpi nodded at the King's words as that was what he thought too. Pitou also looked to her right in interest as to why Meruem had not eaten him then. Their King always made it a point to eat powerful beings that would make for significant increases to his total amount of power, so Meruem admitting that it would have been a lot made them all wonder as to why he would hold himself back.

"It is about administration of my lands," Meruem explained simply to his Royal Guards. "After Bardock's defeat, it is true. I have no equal in strength. No equal in a fight, at the least," Meruem added. "I am the strongest. So getting even stronger is unnecessary- or," he interrupted himself, cutting back and making Pouf stare in shock as it sounded like the King thought that what he just said might be wrong. "At least, it is less important than the submission of this world," Meruem corrected himself.

Pouf bit his tongue that the King would consider the need to correct anything he ever said. Meruem was still questioning himself though as they continued on, Is that truly the only reason I allowed Zod to survive? He was so powerful. I have shown that I can defeat him, and no amount of training or increase in his strength will ever allow him to defeat me now that I have witnessed him fight once.

I never ate Saiyans before. Their competitive and prideful nature was something my genetics did not need to absorb, but I cannot control what my physiology merges with. I ate Bardock. I have become even more competitive as King. My boredom needs to be satiated more often. Despite my long-term goal, I do desire the thrill of being surprised. I want to fight the other Kings now not just to prove I am strongest, but because that thrill of learning new things and mastering them has been supplemented with the thrill of beating a strong opponent at their strongest.

It is not something I ever felt before. Netero's power was a nuisance rather than a thrill to fight against. As I am now, I would have enjoyed my final battle against him far more. I also would have survived. Had I not underestimated him then, had I not underestimated humanity as a whole, I would have done things differently. This world gave me a second chance. It was one fatal mistake that cost me my life before. A second chance is not one I would waste, and yet, I have altered my DNA with that of a species of battle-loving idiots.

Before, I would only allow my opponents to reach their strongest when I was curious as to what their potentials were, if I was certain that it would make no difference in the outcome. If there was a chance that an opponent was stronger than myself, I would never let things go that far. I attacked Bardock while in mid-transformation into his Oozaru state. That decision may have saved my life. Now though, I was excited at the notion that Zod was more powerful than my calculations.

I saw that form of his that I have never seen a Kryptonian take before, and it made my heart race. I attacked Zod at his strongest, because I do believe that I now have power that matched with my intelligence is unrivaled. I must not allow myself to take unnecessary risks though…

I did have Pitou and Pouf deactivate the dome at least, Meruem admitted to himself. I am not disregarding common sense entirely in that case. It is still something I must keep from allowing to dictate my actions in the future. I allowed Zod, Kara, and Ben to live. As Meruem shot off into the north he questioned himself, Would I have made the same choice before Bardock? I believe, another talk with DeVoe is in order. The Thinker may have some new ideas on this genetics change I am undergoing…

The suns of Nexus set on the city of Zodd. A city of Kryptonians was one that would not stay destroyed for long. Heat vision could weld broken steel beams. Fallen walls could be lifted up and repaired. Super strength and super speed made jobs that would take humans days take only seconds for them. All the fires had been put out, and an announcement had been made that orders for construction materials had been put out to their neighbors in order for the city to get back to a fully repaired state as soon as possible.

Ben sat on a blackened couch in Kara Zor-El's apartment. He and his teammates from Garata were all there, except for Chris and Thara who were at the hospital where the former King had been taken. Zod was in bad shape and it was unclear to those gathered in Kara's apartment if he was even going to survive the injuries he sustained against Meruem.

"And what were you doing during all of that?" Winn wondered to the nicely-dressed handsome man who just smirked back at him. Winn was in no mood for joking around though, and he glanced around the apartment's living room that they had swept all the glass and broken furniture to one side of. Ichigo was leaning on one wall near the exit to the kitchen, and Cisco had his chin in his hands as he sat on the burnt couch next to an exhausted Ben.

Mxyzptlk shrugged his shoulders back at Winn though. "What do you suggest I should have done? Interfered with the battle between Kings? Taken charge as the King of the world myself!" Mxy called out and then chuckled again at the thought of it. "I am here for Kara Danvers. Ben Tennyson may have saved her life, but I would have interfered in time myself to teleport her away from the city. As she is all I care about in this city."

"Really?" Ben asked. His voice came out hoarse and he had to clear his throat a few times before continuing. "I wish, you would have done that then. I could have used my favor, to not have to answer… Not that I did," Ben bowed his head and grit his teeth while thinking back on how afraid he was during that whole interaction. "I thought he was going to kill me."

"I don't get why he didn't," Ichigo said. He was back in his human body, and Kon was in the stuffed lion sitting on the armrest of the couch between Cisco and where Ichigo was leaning on the wall.

"What kind of favor did you do for the King?" Kara asked the boy she looked over towards herself as she came out of the kitchen with a tray of water glasses.

Ben smiled and nodded thankfully at her before he picked up one of the glasses and downed it quickly. He was grateful for the drink as his throat still felt dry from when it dried up upon making eye contact with Meruem earlier. He also appreciated the fresh pair of dark green sweatpants he was wearing that Mxy had given him to replace the ones that had gotten soaked earlier. "I didn't do anything, for him," Ben said. He frowned while saying it and gave Kara a look wondering if she thought he had helped Meruem do something bad. She shook her head back though to tell him she did not assume something like that. "I just fought this villain, who could alter time and…"

Ben's voice trailed off. He got quieter while his right hand moved down to his new pair of sweatpants. "…and Meruem, flew to where I was, grateful that I had defeated him. Fixing time," Ben reached into his pocket and gulped. It's there. Did Mxy put it there? Ben looked towards Mxyzptlk who stared right back into his eyes. He must have noticed it if he replaced it from the pocket of my other pants. He did that earlier too when he first gave us uniforms- wait. Wait wait wait.

I knew that Meruem came to the Wizard King's because I altered time. He showed up after I defeated Nox for the same reason, and I have the Eliacube! Ben felt the cube that his fingers curled around. It felt warm in his pocket. Kara was nodding at him, looking confused herself but at least understanding where Ben had met Meruem before now. I didn't even think about it.

Why?! Why didn't I think about it? That doesn't make sense. Ben started breathing heavier. I should have been thinking about it, he realized. His fingers curled tighter around the cube. I should have been terrified that Meruem would figure it out. That he would realize that I had the time travel device on me still. Meruem would have killed me if he knew!

Ben started hyperventilating, and Cisco patted him on the back in understanding as it sounded like a truly terrifying experience for the kid. None of them understood Ben's real reason for freaking out though. The Ant King would have killed me if he knew. I didn't feel the cube then. Like I can feel it now. But, maybe even thinking about the cube would have told Meruem about it. The Ant King would have been able to tell… Did the Eliacube do that? Did it, change the way I think, in order to prevent Meruem from taking it from me?

Ben felt the cube glow warm in his hand. As if in response to his thought. As if to tell him that he was right, and that it wanted to stay with him rather than get taken. Ben yanked his right hand out of his pocket. He breathed even harder with his eyes shaking in panic. No! Don't think like that! It's just a cube! Ben steadied his breathing and shook his head around. The glow in his pocket lost its warmth and Ben managed to calm himself down a little.

Nox was speaking to the Eliacube like it was more than just a thing. And he was insane. It's just a cube. A strange, powerful, time-traveling cube. Ben shook his head around and just forced the thought of the powerful weapon in his pocket out of his mind for now. The thoughts he just had left an unsettling feeling in his chest though at the idea that the cube had hidden itself by changing his own thoughts. That was not something he wanted to think about though, especially since he knew that there was no chance that he was getting rid of a perfect 'redo' button that had already saved his friends' lives twice in the past.

"So, what do we do now?" Winn wondered.

Everyone looked towards the man who lived in this place and just kicked a piece of broken ceiling fan across his living room floor. He looked to Kara and had a hesitant look on his face that she shared after a second. "The game got interrupted," Kara brought up. She turned to the windows of her living room, or at least to the window frames. The open windows had a cold breeze blowing through them. She looked out into the illuminated city no longer smoking as the emergency workers had quickly gotten any and all fires under control. "So, our fate is up in the air right now."

"But, Zod's in real bad shape right now," Ben started. Kara looked towards him and Ben hesitated but then wondered slowly at her, "You know, when I was trying to talk to the strongest Kryptonian in the city… I mean, you're pretty strong, right Kara?" Ben asked. "If Zod, if something were to happen to him. If he doesn't recover-"

"Ben, stop it," Kara scolded.

"The Kryptonians can't want to be a part of the Cooperative," Ben hissed back. He lowered his voice because he understood that part of Kara's fear was that the other Kryptonians with super hearing were listening to his suggestion of something very bad. Ben continued though, "After what Meruem did to this city? I'm sure, if you could get them to get behind you, and help the Resistance?" Ben lifted his tone hopefully. She frowned at him but he continued quicker as she opened her mouth, "It's why I'm here, Kara. It's why I came."

"Really?" Cisco asked in shock while looking at the kid on the couch with him. "That's… you came here for that? The Resistance didn't send you, did they?" He was in disbelief that someone would send him to do something so dangerous.

"No, I'm here on my own account," Ben countered him back while everyone continued to stare at the kid with varying looks of awe or confusion. "I came so that I could ask Zod to kill Meruem. Maybe, convince him that he would be next. That Meruem wouldn't stop with the Saiyans," Ben muttered, and he rubbed the sides of his head with both hands in frustration that he was right but got caught up in playing Garata rather than actually warning Zod about what he thought would happen. "I don't know anyone else aside from the Wizard King and Luthor who could possible do it. I know the Wizard King won't. And I can't ask Luthor after what he did. I won't."

Ben stopped rubbing his temples and just ran his hands up through his brown hair. "But that's why, I thought if I could get Zod to help…" Ben shook his head around and he winced. He lowered his right hand and looked at the bloody scab on his palm. Ben shook his head around and then lifted his left hand in front of him and summoned his Keyblade. "Forgot," he muttered. Too much had been going on that the physical pain had been the last thing on his mind until he just remembered the glass shard he had pulled out earlier.

"Cure," Ben mumbled. He let the green Keyblade shatter into light particles and then leaned back on the damaged couch again in exhaustion. "What a day," Ben said with his eyes closed. He opened them and then flinched, snapping his head towards the fifth-dimensional being that glanced away when his eyes first opened. "Wait- Mxy. You," Ben shook his head around. "Did you just-"

"Whatever your reason for coming here, Ben," Kara finally spoke up after letting what Ben said absorb for a minute there. He looked like he was already moving on, but she could not let him do so that quickly. "You must keep some of these things to yourself. Or, at least be more careful. The people here still think of Zod as King, even if he has submitted to Meruem. They won't hesitate to kill you."

"They're your people too," Ben argued back at her. "And a lot of them, I'm sure, are more like you and Superman than like Zod."

"If only that were true," Winn muttered. Kara glanced to her fake husband then looked the other way shamefully at the knowing tone Winn had in his response. Ben looked back at him more skeptically himself after seeing the good nature of some Kryptonians today, but he pulled his head back in horror as the human who lived in this city explained what he meant. "The Kryptonians are responsible for the genocide of a lot of different alien species I'm sure you haven't heard of. Ones that could have been huge influences on this world. Ones, that unfortunately challenged the idea that the Kryptonians were the strongest."

"The Viltrumites. The Irkens and the Sontarans. A ton of others. Some people think it was only the Saiyans who were wiping out entire species before the First War of the Gods," Winn paused for a second. He grimaced after Kara gave him a look, but he continued while turning back to the kid, "But both of them were responsible. It was like a tournament to them. Ending with the Saiyans and Kryptonians," Winn finished.

Cisco added on after Winn ended that speech, "And that war between their races dragged the rest of the world in. Collateral damage killing people everywhere. It was, really terrible."

"And Superman, during all of this-" Ben started with his eyes shaking as he feared what he might hear about his hero.

"Back on Awul. Same as some Saiyans you know who weren't taking part either," Kara assured Ben. "Same as myself. Same as Zod, actually. That's why he recognized Ichigo. Clark and myself, and your Saiyan friends, fought against Zod and Darkseid and a lot of other villains… Not that Zod, is a villain." Kara tried correcting herself but it was too late for her to hide her true image of Zod. She sighed and shook her head, before admitting, "But he did come to Aebrith after we beat them- after Tetsuo, beat them. And he and Bardock ended that First War of the Gods. Clark and I came to this continent shortly after and learned what happened, and why the rest of the Kryptonians chose to make Zod our King."

Ben nodded his head slowly. He understood why it was that Zod ruled here, but he had thought the rest of the Kryptonians might just be hateful towards him and to other humans because of Zod's influence and his hatred. It's not just Zod though, Ben understood. They were killing other species long before Zod even came here and took over. Just like the Saiyans? It's hard to understand, when the Saiyans and Kryptonians on Awul were so much different. Goku and Superman are like the complete opposite of the rest of them! Are they really the exceptions? That's, horrible. I'm sure there are people around this world who think the same of humans though. And Chimera Ants? Are there any good ones? I know Killua mentioned a friend of his was a Chimera Ant, so I shouldn't judge them all too quickly.

"I think it is time for me to get going as well," Mxy started up. Everyone looked towards the fifth-dimensional trickster who smiled at Kara and stepped towards her. "I did fulfill my promise-"

"We were getting destroyed out there," Kara snapped at him. "We had no chance of winning."

"Hey, we could have come back," Kon called out. The tiny stuffed lion pointed a stubby arm at Kara angrily for suggesting that they had no chance.

"That was not the deal, my dear Kara. Whether we won or lost was of no matter-"

"Wait, Mxy!" Ben jumped up from the couch before Mxyzptlk could continue trying to get his kiss from Kara.

Mxyzptlk turned towards the boy who stepped towards him, and Mxy stepped backwards which caused Ben to stop in place. "My Keyblade. You know what it is, don't you?" Ben wondered. Someone as powerful as you must have some idea! "Could you, help me?"

"I will not," Mxy responded. "If by 'help you,' you mean take on Meruem because you think that you are some important person who can order me to do such-"

"That's not what I'm saying!" Ben exclaimed.

"That is certainly what it sounded like," Mxy countered right back. Ben opened his mouth again but Mxy shook his head and spoke down to him, "Why you have that weapon is beyond me. You are not even one of the Seven." Mxyzptlk cocked his head to the side and examined Ben closer. He looked at Ben's chest and admitted, "There is a light in you though. What is it, I wonder?"

"You know then," Ben whispered. I'm not one of the Seven? He must be talking about the same Seven Guardians of Light that Neptune 1 talked about! "What are the Keyblades supposed to be used for-"

"I am not permitted to say much," Mxy interrupted Ben before he could ask more questions. "Especially not here with so many prying eyes about." Mxy looked specifically at Winn who pulled back and pointed a finger at himself in confusion as to why he was being singled out. Mxy looked back at Ben though and smirked, "But if we should meet again, and you are alone, I will tell you about the Darkness."

Kara opened her mouth to ask what they were talking about, but she froze and snapped her head down to look at Mxy's right arm. At the mention of the Darkness, Mr. Mxyzptlk's entire right arm from his hand up to his shoulder fizzled away into nothingness. "Alright!" Mxyzptlk shouted in panic as his arm disintegrated. "Alright, I'm leaving. Leaving!" He repeated it anxiously, and his arm suddenly reappeared again. Mxy sighed and then rolled his right shoulder around and muttered, "That hurt, Chuck."

Mxyzptlk did not wait to receive his kiss after that. He vanished without a trace from the apartment, and everyone just kept staring into the empty spot he had just stood in while trying to wrap their heads around what just happened. Kara blinked a few times, then a bead of sweat rolled down the right side of her face. For a second she considered that she had gotten away without having to kiss the trickster, but she thought, He won't forget it. I'm sure he'll bring it up next time he's around. I'll ask him what that was all about when he does. Hold it over his head for some answers. Did, did the Gods just destroy his arm? Is that what just happened here?

"You're uh, pretty important, huh?" Winn wondered towards the kid who dropped back onto his couch in an exhausted and disappointed way after getting nothing out of Mxy there.

I'm not even one of the Guardians, he said. Of course I'm not. Sora and Riku knew that they were before they came to this world. I'm sure all Seven are already here. I just thought… I don't know. I thought it meant something that I had one too. Ben closed his eyes and started breathing heavier after going through even more craziness to add on to everything else that happened today. He said he wasn't allowed to talk about it, but just mentioning "darkness" he got hurt by something. There are rules. Like the rules against what he can and can't do.

Maybe it's not so much that his power actually has limits, but rather that there are those who are intentionally limiting what he can and can't do? A guy with his kind of power? The ones who are controlling him- or the ones who are monitoring, and making sure he's not going too far… how strong must they be? They've got to be Gods, right? And, why is it that they hurt him, but they never hurt Sora when he accidentally lets slip stuff about the Keyblades? Sora always treats it all like super important secrets he's keeping, but then he and Riku go around explaining it to us sometimes?

Maybe. Maybe it's because they're Guardians? Maybe they have that right. Something, even the Gods can't punish them for? I don't think Riku is limited at all by the Gods. He's never brought that up. Or that the secrets he's keeping are for them. How powerful is the Keyblade really? Ben sighed and then thought frustratedly to himself, Not that it's that strong in my hands. I'm the weakest guy in this city. Ben opened his eyes back up and glanced at Winn, then to his left at Cisco and Kon. Okay, maybe I'm the fourth weakest person in the city. Still, not great.

Winn was still looking at Ben who cocked his head to the side and then remembered that Winn had asked him a question. "Oh. Well, the Keyblade is. I think," Ben sounded more unsure after bringing it up. "But I don't really know anything about it. Why I even have the thing is a mystery to me." Ben shook his head and Winn frowned but felt bad as it seemed like the kid had more questions about it himself than he did. I wonder if it was because of the Omnitrix?

I probably got it by mistake, Ben thought dejectedly. I had the Omnitrix, which I also got on accident. Azmuth made it to better understand different species though. It allowed the user to understand all races for the sake of communicating and helping them. Uniting in understanding. It's why I was a natural choice for a Keyblade! That's exactly what Riku and Sora did. Heroes who traveled to other worlds using their Keyblade powers. Saving worlds and fighting darkness. I got one and thought I could be just like them. But, if I only got the Keyblade because I had the Omnitrix…

I'll get it back someday, Ben curled his fists down on either side of his thighs. Hopefully someday soon. For now though, the Keyblade and my ki control are my main powers. My ki isn't as strong as it was as Saiyan Ben either. I just, haven't found my niche yet. Haven't figured out a place for me with the level of strength I'm at right now. What level? Weak. Very weak. Compared to my friends, at least.

How did the Ant King know me? I know it's supposed to be this insanely smart creature, Ichigo was still feeling flustered over Meruem calling out his name earlier. The confusion jumbled up all his thoughts and made his lips curl down even farther at the corners as he tried to come up with a reason for it. I really only came to Aebrith to give Kara that news. I should, head back to Metropolis now. I should.

Right?

Was it someone inside Leam? Or in Rhodar? One of them could have told Meruem I was coming. Warned him about me. But, why warn him? I'm nowhere near as strong as the Ant King just showed himself to be. Apparently he fought Goku too, and won? Ichigo glanced over towards the kid whose eyes were partially open again but looked to be fluttering like he might fall asleep at any moment. I've got a lot of questions for this kid. But, maybe we wait until tomorrow.

Kara was thinking the same thing as she watched Ben nodding off but trying to stay awake here. She glanced behind her and out into the city that the suns had gone down above. "It's too late to have you all heading out now. I also don't think it's safe for either of you in the city without me," Kara added. "As, you probably shouldn't still be here anyway."

Ichigo nodded, as that was true and he was supposed to be out of the city already. "My pass ended already."

"'Pass?'" Ben muttered.

"Did you sneak in?" Cisco wondered, pursing his lips and holding back a laugh.

Ben glanced sideways at him. The brown-haired kid curled the left corner of his lips up a bit, and Cisco and Kon both started laughing at the sly response of the kid. Kara shook her head back and forth but only did so to stop herself from laughing as well. Ichigo sweatdropped though as he wondered why he went through the long process of getting a pass into the city if he could have just snuck in anyway. Then again, he snuck in, and Zod nearly ripped his head off. Probably a good thing I went through the proper channels.

"Ben, you can use my bed for tonight. Cisco and Winn can share Winn's room," Kara continued to the surprise of the human men. "While the guest room is yours, Ichigo."

"Uh, why do we get put together?" Winn asked with a hand raised. Cisco was supposed to have the guest room in their three-bedroom apartment, or at least that was their usual set-up. Winn felt like it made more sense to just have the guests all share the guest room with each other.

"Not to complain or anything," Cisco added, though he was thinking the same thing.

"I can take the couch," Ichigo told Kara. "You take the guest room."

Kara frowned back at him as she had planned on staying on the couch and just had not brought it up. Ichigo walked over to the couch before she could argue and nodded away for Ben who rolled his head around his neck but hopped off the couch to get out of Ichigo's way. "Yeah! We're good out here. We can rough it in the living room, can't we Ichigo?" Kon called out confidently. The stuffed lion then climbed up onto Ichigo's backpack on the floor and fell inside the open zipper.

"I'll take the guest room too," Ben told Kara. "I don't want to impose."

"You saved my life earlier," Kara reminded Ben with a smile at the young boy. "You're definitely not imposing."

"Mxy would have- awwwww…" Ben started yawning. "Sorry, tired," he muttered. He was too tired to have the kind of back-and-forth argument over not taking the credit and being offered it where he felt it was not due. Mxy would have saved you anyway. Doesn't make what I did less cool, I guess. "Yaaahhww- wow, alright." Ben shook his head around after yawning again. "Guest room?" he repeated, looking to Winn now for an answer.

Winn and Cisco decided not to complain anymore after realizing that Kara had been giving herself the couch in the first explanation of who was going to which rooms. They each felt silly now that the younger boys had picked up on it quicker and made sure their host was not going too much out of her way for their sakes. Kara was even staring expectantly at the two older men now who grimaced at how much the kids were showing them up. "I'll take you there. Show you the bathroom too near your room," Winn added to the boy who nodded thankfully at his gracious host.

"Let me get my stuff too, haha," Cisco jogged after them after realizing he had to move his stuff from that room over to Winn's where he would be crashing for tonight.

Kara walked over to the couch and sat down next to Ichigo. "You sure about this? You can have my room-"

"No. Thank you," Ichigo denied her.

Kara sighed but nodded her head. "Alright." She leaned back on the couch and stayed quiet when Winn and Cisco went walking by back over to Winn's room. The two glanced in but decided to let Kara and Ichigo talk just one-on-one as they had been unable to earlier with them in the room when Ichigo broke the news to her.

The two just sat on the couch and stared out the broken windows to the city outside. The badly damaged city was still lively as Kryptonians flew back and forth high above the streets, making Ichigo wonder why exactly they needed paved roads at all with a race of super-powered beings like them. That's not what matters right now. Ichigo looked back to the older woman on his left side who stared harshly and sadly out into the city she lived in. Or, it was the city she lived in. What happens when Zod wakes up? What happens to her now? If Winn isn't allowed to stay, she'll leave won't she?

"Kara? You okay?" Ichigo asked.

Kara glanced sideways at him then bowed her head and looked down between her legs. "Yeah," she replied. A few seconds went by. "No," she corrected herself. They spoke softly. Their voices were no more than whispers. "It's been a… it's been a day." There were few adjectives that Kara could think of to describe the events of the day. It certainly had been "a" day though, and Ichigo nodded his head in understanding as to what she meant by it.

"That uh, woman. The one who stepped out earlier after Thara suggested Garata," Ichigo specified, as there were a lot of women he could be talking about. Kara nodded back at him and gave him an interested look as to what he was bringing her up for. "She seemed very important."

"Jayna-Zod. Zod's grandmother," Kara told him. Ichigo nodded as that was all he needed to hear to know why she was so important. Kara shook her head though, as it was not just Zod's relation to her which she could see he assumed. "Jayna is-" Kara stopped herself. "She was, probably the person who held this city together more than anyone. Held our whole race together, really."

"How so?" Ichigo asked. It was a lighter conversation than a lot of the deep and emotional stuff they could be talking about. Though Jayna was dead now, so it was still a pretty grim conversation.

"Why is it that people band together? Is it by race? By species?" Kara shook her head side to side, though Ichigo questioned if she was right about denying that. "It's by their culture. Lots of races and species have similar cultures and banded together because of it. Unique ones isolated from others who considered them strange. Humans are the most prevalent species on this world, for some reason, but they don't all just band together. They find people from worlds like theirs, or countries like their old ones, and they stay with those people because of the similarities they share."

"And this Jayna, she made a kind-of, Kryptonian culture?" Ichigo wondered, looking back out the windows again.

"More like, she found a way to merge the different cultures of the various Kryptons we came from. Kandorians too. Ancient Kryptonians from our legends. Practitioners of the old religions that they wanted to keep alive. Some of our people would have separated to go create their own countries as theocracies, if freedom of religion was not a thing here," Kara added which Ichigo nodded in better understanding of. "Jayna ran the traditional and cultural side of Zodd, while General Zod, the King, is a warrior. He's the strongest. Kal-El's greatest enemy. The strongest Kryptonian on this planet, I think," Kara admitted, lowering her gaze in shame that she doubted she could reach herself the level of power that Zod had displayed today.

"The House of Zod has a lot of members," Ichigo said. He mentioned it briefly and off-handedly, but he did gaze hesitantly to the woman at his side afterwards and ask, "Is there, anyone else from the House of El?"

Kara frowned deeper and she rose a hand to her forehead that she rubbed frustratedly. "Sadly, they were wiped out."

Ichigo nodded and glanced back away, feeling sorry for Kara at the sound of that. He wanted to stop himself, but he also could see how frustrated Kara was and correlated these conversations together. "Was it Zod?" He asked in a quiet voice, a part of him believing that her hatred for him might be related to the fact that her house was gone and Zod seemed to hate her house.

Supergirl got an even angrier look on her face though while shaking her head in response. "No. It's my grandfather's fault. Seyg-El. He led our people in the early days. Fighting the Saiyans for all that time and getting so many of our people killed. That was, until Bardock killed him. Then Zod came in afterwards and took control."

Ichigo had heard Zod bring up some of that back on the street. He still just frowned deeper though and decided, I'm never going to understand much about the Kryptonians. Different houses. Religions. Wars. Don't even know who Bardock is. Zod mentioned him. Called him a Saiyan. Meruem's defeated both of their races. Now they're all his people. Is it really only the Resistance left fighting against them?

Ichigo's thoughts were disrupted as Kara continued, "But that was Zod with his family around him. The Zod who people chose to keep as their leader after he made peace with the Saiyans, needed Lyta and Jayna. He needed his family. His House. General Zod is a warrior. A military leader. He needed Jayna's assistance in keeping the Kryptonians together, but," Kara frowned darkly and narrowed her gaze outside in the direction of the hospital. "I fear what the injured King, now a subject of Meruem, will do without his family to hold him back."

"The House of El may be no more, but Clark made our family larger himself. Chris and Conner, are like brothers… or nephews to me?" Kara wondered about the phrasing of their relationships herself. "Cousins? Anyway, Chris said it earlier. He called himself Chris Kent straight to Zod's face. Then the rest of the family Zod still had got killed by Meruem. Then he had to surrender his kingdom or watch his son die. As rough a day as it was for us, Zod's had a worse one than I can imagine right now. So what he'll do when he wakes up? When he comes and finds us still in his city?"

Ichigo grimaced and felt chills down his spine at the idea of it. Even after seeing how beat-up Zod looked after his fight against Meruem, Ichigo feared being on the wrong end of Zod's fists now more than ever. I'll be careful, Kara. You know I will be. The one we both need to be real careful of though, Ichigo turned his head and looked towards the same room that Kara was already frowning towards with a fearful look in her eyes for the safety of the kid in there. Ben, you should leave this city the second you get a chance. Honestly, we all should.

Nowhere City

Empty gray skyscrapers rose a hundred stories high all over the floating city just under the dark clouds south of the Saiyan Mountains. There were no shadows to be cast from those tall buildings when the sky was so dark and releasing a constant downpour over the capital of the Organization territory. The city was darker than ever though. Black clouds dropped inches of water every hour on a city that just drained the water off its sides and down through the base of the floating island onto Twilight Town below where the people were suffering from flooding at the moment.

Just inside the front doors of one of the giant empty skyscrapers stood a short figure in a black cloak with their head turned sideways to stare out onto the street. Green eyes watched the water speeding down the street like a shallow river and pouring off the edge of the city only a block away like a waterfall. Clunk. The short figure turned their head and looked past the man with short red hair who sat on the edge of a desk across the first floor lobby as her. Desks and chairs littered the floor as if the building was actually used, despite no one working there. The man on the desk turned towards the end of the room where an elevator clanked in a low mechanical way as it reached their level.

Xaldin stepped out of the elevator. Rank III of the Organization, he was their superior so both stepped forward and stood before the man with long dreadlocks who faced the pair of ginger Nobodies. Xaldin looked from the man with short red hair to the girl with orange hair at his side. "Zodd is now a part of the Cooperative. Bring them into the fold. Xemnas is looking for an alliance with the Kryptonian Lord before any others move in on him. Move quickly."

"Think Zod will talk with us?" The man wondered while putting both hands behind his head and interlocking them. He smirked and added, "He's never wanted anything to do with us before. What makes it different now?"

"Meruem maimed Zod. His enemies may be attempting to take advantage," Xaldin explained.

"Like us?" Braxyr wondered back, and he smirked more as Xaldin did not answer right away. "I get it. I see what we're doing here. And, you think I'm the right guy for the job, huh? I know my Somebody did meet Zod once. It'll be interesting to see the look on his face when he gets a look at me!"

"What do we do if they refuse-" the girl at Braxyr's side started.

"Convince them. Lynxdwengo, the Kryptonians are weak to magic. If they refuse, persuade them." Xaldin glared at the pair who got more serious looks on their faces when they saw him awaiting a serious response.

Braxyr and Lynxdwengo nodded back at their boss. "Good. Leave immediately," Xaldin ordered. A swirling black portal opened up behind him, and he waved his hand in front of him before turning around. A larger portal emerged behind the pair being ordered to step through it and get on their way. Xaldin turned and walked through his own portal, but the other two did not hesitate to go through the one he had made for them.

They stepped into the darkness and then relaxed again after leaving the intense glare of their superior Nobody. "This is just great," Braxyr said in annoyance. He lost his confident and cocky smirk, and he wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead and grimaced deeply while glancing next to him at his partner for the mission. "Not as bad as Saiyans, I'll admit. We actually have a chance of working with them if we do this right. But don't use your magic carelessly, Lynx. One look at our cloaks and the bastards might not even let us speak."

"Fuck," Lynx muttered herself. "Let's just get it over with then." The Nobody girl with orange hair that fell just above her shoulders cracked her neck to either side. Her face was shadowed under her hood like Braxyr's became as he put up his hood before opening back up a new portal for them to exit from. Lynx glared into the light that she marched towards with her partner. How bad could they be? I remember Superman from her memories. That idiot went on and on about him. Gohan talked highly of him too. I'm sure the Kryptonians will listen to reason…

Ben Tennyson walked down a sidewalk on a main road of Zodd. His hands were down in the pockets of his sweatpants, and he looked down at his feet to avoid looks from Kryptonians on the other side of the road who were staring towards him. I peed my pants in front of everyone. Ben did not know for what reason exactly people were staring, but he felt self-conscious about that more than anything at the moment while looking at the new pair of pants Mxy had left him.

That's probably not it. Definitely not! I stood up to him, at least. Did I really? Ben scolded himself for getting all cocky for a second. I did yell at him not to kill Kara. Would Mxy really have stopped it in time? It felt like, he was restrained from doing too much. And the Wizard King could alter reality too, but Meruem still fought against him. Could Meruem have won? I feel like Cartman was being more of a coward than just plain lazy. I think he's scared to face Meruem.

Even when Timmy still had Wanda, he wasn't unbeatable. A Fairy Godparent isn't so overpowered that the Wizard King could just easily win. If it was that easy, he would have taken over the world already. Ben hummed to himself and tilted his head back as he continued walking down the street. He stared up at the yellow dome that once again covered the whole of Zodd. I don't belong in this city. I want to talk to Zod still. What do I even ask him at this point? If when the time comes, he'll stand with Goku against Meruem? He can't say that aloud. Meruem would come back and kill him. So again, why am I still here?

Ben frowned and stopped walking. People were still staring towards him. He felt uneasy about being under the gazes of so many Kryptonians who could snap his neck before he even had time to think about what was happening. I came here unprepared for what I was going to see. If only I had flown faster, I could have gotten here two days ago. I could have talked to Zod before Meruem… Zod wouldn't have listened to me.

He's nothing like Superman. I should have listened to all the warnings. Though, I guess it wasn't a total loss. Supergirl. Ben lifted a small smile. Chris and Thara too. And Ichigo, I guess. They're all strong too. They're good people as well, so, I mean, maybe they'll help me out? I don't know.

Ben pulled his left hand out of his pocket and rose it to rub his head with. He froze though at the sight of his sleeve sliding back and revealing the blackened skin that was not healing under where the Omnitrix once rested. Zeref's magic. I've heard it's Death Magic. It killed my arm under the Omnitrix. I wonder though, how I survived? Zeref was going to kill me anyway, so it's not like he stopped the magic himself from doing it. Ben started rubbing his head even harder than he was about to a moment ago as too many things were happening in his life and he was getting flustered by it all.

He reached the end of the street to a crosswalk and anxiously glanced back and forth when he got there. No vehicles were going by, but he had seen two Kryptonians sprinting so fast earlier that they probably would have broken half the bones in his body had he just happened to be in their way at the time. "Don't want to get run over," he muttered under his breath, before grimacing and keeping his mouth shut again as he knew Kryptonians watching him were definitely using their super-hearing selectively and listening to every breath he took. He darted a look towards a pair of Kryptonian Guards he spotted down the perpendicular block to his left after noticing them staring right back towards him.

Both quickly looked away, and Ben's eyes shot open wide while his heart raced. He lowered both hands back down and into his pockets again while darting his own eyes back at the floor. Why'd they look away like that? Am I, intimidating? Ben puffed his chest out and calmed his breathing down. Why wouldn't I be?! Meruem knew my name! I mean, I don't like the Ant King, but at least he made me look cool. Or important. Or something. I hope they don't think we're friends though… No. No! If they thought that, they would have killed me already. Maybe, it's because Meruem asked me directly about Dash and the others, and I didn't give him an answer! I might have pissed myself, but I think that was pretty brave. Right?

And what is bravery? Ben wondered in a less enthusiastic way a second later. He pulled his left hand from his pocket again and stared down at the sleeve that had no bulge under where his alien watch should have been. Without strength? I no longer have the Omnitrix. I got exhausted from flying around. Using the Kamehameha, once. I'm so weak right now. I need to get stronger! That was the point of this month, wasn't it? To get stronger? I haven't been training.

I have all these cool powers. I'm ready to get stronger! But when I finally had a chance. When Goku was going to be around, and Kirito, and I could have worked on my different powers with them, I just ran off. I'm not good at any of these powers. I have them, but I'm so weak with them. The Keyblade. My tiny Kamehameha Waves, at least in comparison to literally everyone I know who can use them too. I bet I can't even lift like 200 pounds, even with an aura. I've got tiny human arms.

But who am I kidding?! Even with the Omnitrix I was as half-assed with it as with the rest of my powers. I had almost 9,000 aliens that I never even tested out since unlocking Master Control. Ben hardened his expression and curled his fists in frustration but determination too. It's time to get serious. I need to master what powers I do have. The most powerful weapon in the universe isn't the Omnitrix. "Keyblade," Ben whispered, saying it aloud. He spoke the name of that weapon, but then he felt the Eliacube glowing in his pocket. Maybe it's, more than the Keyblade.

Why is it that the Ant King hates time travel? Ben's eyes bulged and then darted to his right pocket where his hand curled around that tiny blue cube again. If I can master something like this… the King will show up. I can't train with it! I use it once, and I'll be dead in a minute. Unless I go back in time to that cliff where I went back the first time, and just repeat what I said then about it being Nox… Oh man, could that work? I could- I could fix so much! I could get my Omnitrix- WHOA! Ben ripped his hand off the cube in his pocket.

Didn't I freak out over this thing yesterday? Ben thought anxiously after how seriously he was just considering using the Eliacube. I don't even know if it has enough power to get me back that far! Let alone that I'd be able to lie to Meruem about it. I just, I need to focus on what I can control. What I understand! Lift heavier things. Punch harder. Fly for longer. Create larger beam attacks! And, maybe I don't understand it as well, but I can learn how to use the Keyblade better too. I should have been training with it the whole time with the others who can wield it. I'll find Riku after this. Get him to help me master the Keyblade!

Ben had walked another block of Zodd. He got closer to the center of the city and looked towards a missing building that he had gone inside of the day before but had not been rebuilt yet while much of the city around it was still under repair. He was back closer to where the fight with Meruem had ended and the Kryptonian King had submitted to Cooperative oversight. The street was still littered in debris. Zodd Tower was nonexistent. Some people were standing out front of that missing building though. In fact, there was a rather large gathering in the shape of a semicircle around the front of the collapsed area that had been taped off out into the middle of the street where the edge of the pile had been pushed back to at least to keep a pathway around it.

Ben was too short to see past the dozen Kryptonians easily to the ones on the other side of them who were trapped between the semicircle and the rubble pile. He took in a deep breath then stepped off the sidewalk and jogged over to check it out. Ben moved to a gap he saw and squeezed through to get a look at what had so many people's attention. Uh oh, Ben froze at the sight of the cloaked figures in front of him.

One of the Kryptonian Guards in front of the pair of Nobodies was nodding along with what the taller one was saying. The black-haired muscular guard appeared interested, but he glanced to his left at two other guards and cracked a smirk as he could no longer hold it back. "Psh- haha, you can shut up now," the guard looked back at the Nobody whose face was shadowed over at the top. The Nobody's smiling lips flattened out, but his annoyed look made the Kryptonian who just interrupted him glare darker as well.

Ben did not catch much of the conversation he just walked in on. All he heard was the taller cloaked figure saying something about 'dangers of the Resistance now that-' before getting interrupted. A part of him wanted to step back from this exchange now that it was getting confrontational by the sounds of it. His eyes started to narrow though at the cloaked figures with their hoods up who had flat expressions looking dark in the shadows.

"High Lord Xemnas is simply offering our friendship," Braxyr began again after the rude interruption. "And this is a matter that should be brought to Lord Zod himself, or to a council, maybe?" He suggested with the left corner of his lips lifting up in suggestion that the guard acting like a big shot might want to transfer this matter to someone of more importance.

"How about, we just destroy you Nobodies right now?" The guard wondered back.

Braxyr's smirk wiped quickly. The shorter Nobody next to him darted a sideways look at her comrade before anxiously looking back at the Kryptonians. Some of the people around them glanced to the guard who suggested such a thing, wondering if that was really wise, but the guard and a few others who he had laughed with a minute ago about this looked completely serious. "You are not our equals simply because we are now labeled as 'Co-op' members. You are not even humans. You're nothing, Nobody."

"This is a mission of diplomacy," Braxyr began again, though his voice was lower and much more serious as he saw where this was going. "We simply wish for an audience-"

Ben started shaking his head back and forth. That's not a good response, dude. Wait a second, I know his voice! Who… Ben shook his head around even faster. That's not important right now! He reminded himself.

"Hey! Nobodies!" Ben yelled.

The Kryptonian who just interrupted Braxyr himself looked in surprise to his right at the short human boy who had come up here. Ben interrupted the Kryptonian Guard who pulled his head back and frowned even angrier at the human for that, but then looked at the kid in surprise as Ben swung his right hand out and created his Keyblade that he pointed at the head of the taller of the Nobodies.

Braxyr pulled his head back with his eyes bulging under the hood as he recognized the weapon. "A Keyblade?!" Braxyr exclaimed in astonishment. "Who the Hell-"

"Where is Kairi?!" Ben demanded to know. "Where have you taken her?" Ben slashed his Keyblade to the side in anger and then glared from the taller Nobody to the shorter one even shorter than him more to his right side.

Ben looked at that Nobody whose jaw was dropped under her hood. "Wha… Gwen?" Ben muttered. His right foot stepped back and his look of serious questioning broke in an instant to utter shock. "How- what? I don't…" Ben shook his head around.

"You know this Nobody?" One of the Kryptonians wondered to the kid. "Why is it that you know every intruder in our city?" Their voice got harsher and into a lower growl at the teenage boy.

Ben spun to the Kryptonian in surprise at the question, then glanced nervously around at some of the others glaring at him too. "Uh, I don't- she's not…" Ben looked back to the girl in front of him. "She's not, Gwen. I mean, my cousin. I don't think that's really her. Are you?" Ben wondered, tilting his head to the side as that was unbelievable to him. He recognized her face though under that hood, even catching a glimpse of her orange hair too which confirmed it even more.

"It's Lynx," she snapped at him. She sounded and looked annoyed, but her thoughts were racing wildly. What the fuck is Ben doing in this city?!

Ben cocked his head to the side. "Lynx? But, I don't get it. Lynx isn't Gwen with an 'X' in it."

"Short for Lynxdwengo. It's her full name, doofus. Gwendolyn?" She rolled her eyes at the idiot who needed that explained to him. Then she froze. Lynx froze in place and her eyes grew wider and wider under her hood a the sight of the boy staring back at her. "What?" She snapped in a sudden anger. "Get that stupid look off your face."

Ben was just staring back at her with a small smile and a weird look though to the girl who leaned her head back after seeing it. She's so much like the Gwen I know, Ben thought. He did not realize how much he had missed his cousin until that second as he heard this Nobody call him a "doofus" and saw her roll her eyes at him.

"Don't get too attached, kid," the guard mentioned to the boy who glanced back at him wondering what the Kryptonian meant by that. "She's just a Nobody. Not even human, and that isn't much to begin with," he scoffed at the boy who frowned back at the racist who would say such a thing straight to his face.

"Nobodies aren't that different from their Somebodies. She sounds just like my cousin. Like a total dweeb," Ben countered the Kryptonian who rose an eyebrow at the kid rather than get annoyed by it, just out of curiosity at the phrasing.

"I am not a-" Lynx started snapping instantly. The Kryptonians who spun towards her stared with wider eyes themselves just like hers became she instantly started responding in the kind of banter that Ben expected from her. Lynxdwengo's eyes narrowed back much darker after Ben smugly smirked back at her, and his smirk wiped quickly from his face at that look in his eyes that no longer resembled Gwen's at all. "Make your jokes, Ben Tennyson. You're a weakling. And you won't be able to stop me from taking the real Gwen's heart and merging with her, just like Kairi will ultimately be merged too."

Ben flinched and pulled his head back. He had been defending Lynx a second ago, but he felt a lot different about her now as the small Nobody girl smirked venomously at him. "You don't know me. Don't act so presumptuous, you dolt."

"Our mission is to build better relations between the Organization and Zodd," Braxyr spoke up again louder to get everyone facing him again. "We have representatives in every country on Aebrith outside of the Resistance."

"So you think you're entitled to one here?" The Kryptonian guard seeming to lead the group who had gathered here asked skeptically back at Braxyr. His eyebrows narrowed back down and he sneered at the cloaked figure, "It wouldn't take an hour to conquer your entire country. You fakes shouldn't get so cocky. We won't be putting one of your spies in our city. You shouldn't even be here, so the gall to suggest that you get a meeting with the King-"

"Zod, is a Lord," Braxyr retorted before the Kryptonian could finish. "You would be wise to remember that. The real King may not take kindly to those who would blasph-" Braxyr pulled his head to the side. A fist passed by his skull while he moved away from it. Braxyr's open mouth closed and his glare darkened as he turned his head and stared into the eyes of the Kryptonian shocked beyond belief at the speed of the Nobody.

Sparks of lightning jolted off of Braxyr's body. He sped around the punching Kryptonian's back then stopped with his back to the stunned guard who tensed up as he heard the voice directly behind him. "Your lack of diplomacy was to be expected. A shame. Even the Saiyans are more civilized than you Kryptonians," Braxyr's voice took on the same tone of disdain and disgust for their species as the guard had spoken with for the Nobodies.

Bringing the Saiyans into this angered them even more too. Braxyr mocked the people who were a lot more hesitant after seeing just how fast he actually was, "And unlike you, the Saiyans did not get their own country after their submission. They are subjects of High Lord Xemnas." Braxyr turned his head sideways and glared back into the glowing red eyes of the Kryptonian behind him who snapped his head sideways but froze as he locked eyes with the Nobody glaring back from under his hood. "So you would be wise not to make threats you cannot back up. Unless you truly believe you could defeat the Organization, the Saiyans, and all of our allies in 'an hour.' If you do believe that though, I invite you to try. We could use some Kryptonian Nobodies in our ranks." Braxyr smirked vilely at the Kryptonian who was turning them away. Their mission was failing because of this guard, and Braxyr threatened him to his face while knowing that he was too fast to be stopped.

"You're, the Flash's-" Ben started in realization.

Against multiple Kryptonians alone it would be difficult. Several Supermans? No chance. But under this yellow sunlight dome, it's not even a question. Sucks to be you, girl. Barry Allen's Nobody sparked lightning and vanished in a blur that the angry Kryptonians spun after, and which Ben and Lynx turned to after seeing which way all the Kryptonians spun in.

"Should we give chase?!"

"No point. Let's just deal with the one he left behind."

Lynx froze. Her jaw dropped as she stared the direction she realized Braxyr had just run off in and abandoned her. Sweat covered the Nobody's face as a dozen plus Kryptonians turned back towards her. Each of their eyes seemed to glow red. She shook in place and stepped backwards. I don't have time to make a portal!

She had been unable to track the movements of her comrade nor of the Kryptonian who tried attacking Braxyr even slower. Fear filled the Nobody who suddenly remembered the feeling very clearly. If she had a heart, she knew it would have been racing at that moment as the Kryptonians all looked ready to kill her. "Hold on!" A voice shouted in front of the girl who stepped back from the Kryptonians.

"Move, Tennyson," a Kryptonian woman to Ben's left snarled.

Ben put his back to Lynx and held his Keyblade up in front of his body while protecting the shorter girl behind him. She stared at his back that looked broader than she remembered it being in Gwen's memories. Lynx's eyes trembled at the sight that confused her more than anything. "Why?" She gasp-whispered at the boy who stood nothing to gain by standing in front of her. "I just told you, I'm going to kill Gwen-"

"I don't buy that. You have Gwen's memories, and I can't see someone who's as smart as she is thinking that that's important or anything-" Ben started arguing back. His eyes bulged as one of the Kryptonian's eyes glowed brighter red. "Protect!" He yelled out.

Twin beams of red light hit the bubble barrier that Ben created out of his Keyblade. The Keyblade shook violently in his hands, and he darted his eyes to where the beams hit his weak magical barrier and made the entire thing crack in an instant. The Kryptonian was not even putting that much power into their heat vision, not wanting to burn through the body of the girl she aimed at as it could go through the rubble pile behind her and potentially damage a building or the road on the other side. It's going to break!

Ben threw his hands up to the sides of his temples and put all his fingers outstretched against them. Krillin, please let this work. I'm not sure if I've got this, but no better time to try! Ben clenched his eyes shut. "Solar Flare!"

A hand reached out and grabbed Ben by the back of his shirt. The bright flash of white light went off, and the Kryptonians about to fly forward and smash through the cracking magical barrier winced and pulled their heads back at the blinding light that hit them. "That isn't, sunlight," an enraged Kryptonian snarled at the pain in his blinded eyes by the energy that did not feel like sunlight at all despite being called a "solar flare."

Lynx yanked Ben back into the dark portal she created in the moment that he made for her. Then she closed the barrier behind them, gasping in relief that she got it shut in time. The two kids put their hands down on their knees at the same time and started panting for breath after that terrifying exchange. Lynx froze though as she lifted her head a bit and noticed him panting in the same way that she was. She pulled her hands off her knees quickly and then leaned her body back, scrunching up her face. "Why did I do that?" She muttered in frustration. "I should have left you out there."

"After I just saved your butt?" Ben snapped back, standing straight up too and frowning at her for saying that. She glared back at him then humphed and turned away with her arms crossing in her black sleeves. "What?" Ben asked. "Am I wrong? Did you have some master plan on how to get out of that, after your friend abandoned you."

"Hey- that's not…" Lynx tried to argue with it, but she just ground her teeth after a second and then turned back away from him again. "Fucking Braxyr. Asshole. Dickhead."

"Whoa, that's a new one," Ben admitted, scratching the back of his head while listening to the mouth on this Nobody who definitely had a 'broader' vocabulary than his actual cousin. She glared back at him though for comparing them again, and Ben held his hands up defensively at that look he could figure out pretty easily. "So you're not Gwen. That's cool. Doesn't mean we can't be, friends?" Ben wondered, cracking a goofy smile at the girl who gawked back at him.

She lifted a hand up and angrily took her hood off. Lynxdwengo stomped towards Ben in the dark portal realm that they had entered, and she shoved a finger into his chest that pushed him into taking a step backwards. "We are not friends. I told you, I'm going to do whatever it takes to get the real Gwen's heart. I'll make it my own."

"But, why?" Ben wondered back to her. "What's so important about that, that you would fight for it?"

"What do you know?" She snapped. "Honestly? Are you seriously asking me that question, like you know? You who have a heart." She ground her teeth and glared even more angrily at the boy who pulled his head back this time and then scratched his left arm with his right and glanced away.

"Sorry," Ben muttered. "I guess, I don't know," he admitted.

Lynx opened her mouth to shout at him about that. She stopped herself though. Why? She wondered why she did not immediately continue yelling at him. Then she looked at where he was scratching with his right hand, and her eyes bulged. "What the- your Omnitrix!" She snapped her head back up from his left wrist that Ben curled his right hand around after she stared towards it. "What happened?"

Ben looked back into her eyes. His expression was confused, uncertain, and Lynx suddenly realized what kind of look she had on her face and quickly looked away. "Not that I, care." Her expression darkened more and she growled in a lower tone, "Not that I even could, care. Don't tell me I wouldn't do it. Like you know what it's like. Not having a heart, it's empty, Ben. I remember what it was like. I know the difference, even if you can't see it."

Ben stared back at Gwen's face and his eyes scanned up and down, left and right. He tilted his head to the side. "Are you sure? I mean, you look exactly like Gwen. Okay! Sorry, sorry," Ben held his palms up defensively but tried to keep smiling at the girl who ground her teeth and glared at him in a way trying to make him stop looking at her like that. "I just don't get it though. I really don't, Lynx." Ben called her by her nickname and the Nobody flinched that Ben was speaking to her like this. He stepped back closer to her and she lowered the arm she had kept pointing at him after pushing a finger into his chest. Ben held his hands up to his sides to show he was definitely not going to do anything, though that was not why Lynx had pulled back anyway.

He opened his mouth but froze with it open. I can't say anything about Roxas. Or Axel. Those are secrets. "Uhh," Ben started. He had excuses he wanted to argue about but no longer made sense if he did not have the examples to explain to her why she did not need to be acting like this. "Do you, really have to follow Xemnas though?" Ben wondered. "I'm sure you could-"

Lynx started shaking her head at him. "Of course that's it." Ben got confused as to what she was talking about, but Lynx lifted her incredulous look to him and asked, "You're with the Resistance, aren't you?"

"That's not- I mean, I'm not against them. I've been fighting with them, sure."

"You're an idiot."

"Your side has slaves!" Ben exclaimed back at the girl who stared back in surprise at that emphatic shout at her that had a lot of conviction in it. "I mean, doesn't that upset you? Doesn't that make you angry?"

"Nothing 'upsets' me," Lynx snapped back at him. "What don't you get about that? Emotions are in the heart. I might remember that Gwen would have been pissed off by our allies having slaves. I can recall that it would have disgusted her, but I am not her. You get that now? Do you get that I don't have any moral qualms about what we do, because I don't have a sense of morality?"

"That can't be right," Ben started countering.

"It is," Lynx hissed back. "See? You still can't wrap your head around it. What it's like to not have a heart. That hatred of our Somebodies for getting to exist as 'real' people while we can't."

Ben shook his head back and forth and looked down at the floor in this dark realm sadly. "I don't even get, how you exist. I mean… Does that mean, Gwen must have fallen to the darkness?"

"She didn't tell you," Lynx muttered. That sounds about right. He would have just gotten upset over it. "I'm stunned you didn't as well, to be honest," Lynx admitted. Ben looked back at her and she grimaced that she was talking to him like this, but she did want to know the truth too. "Last thing I remember from her memories, you had run off into Castle Oblivion like an idiot to get Riku back."

"But I did get him back!" Ben snapped back at her. "She really didn't believe I could do it?" Ben asked, sounding offended even though he remembered how Gwen had shown up in Castle Oblivion back then. He had seen images of her fighting against the darkness, but the thought that she had fallen so deep into it that a Nobody was created still surprised him. Then again, I saw Gohan when he was in the middle of being turned. Noxagh's the one who took Kairi. Barely a few seconds of being a Heartless, and Gohan was strong enough to make a Nobody. Of course Lynx would exist. Gwen's that strong too.

"I bet it was Timmy Turner, wasn't it?" Lynx asked skeptically after examining his facial expressions for a few seconds. She crossed her arms in a doubtful way that he was telling the truth. "You had nothing to do with it."

"That's not true! Sure, Timmy was there. So were Sora and Gohan. But I summoned the Keyblade while fighting Ansem. And I got Riku back to himself. He's beaten Ansem back down for good now."

"Good for him," Lynx remarked sarcastically. "Took him two years. You know how many of us Nobodies were created by Riku alone?" Ben winced and pulled back at the question. Lynx smirked at him though and wondered, "If you really think our Organization is so monstrous for being a part of the Cooperative, isn't it Riku you should be mad at? Hell, our ranks are full of psychos who he created. Psychos who terrorize this world thanks to him-"

"Stop that!" Ben yelled at the girl who kept smirking for a second at him but then frowned angrily as Ben shook his head in disappointment at her. "Why are you saying such things, just to upset me-"

"Because we're enemies, doof- you fucking imbecile!" Lynx cut herself off from the normal insult Gwen would use against her cousin, to instead curse him out and glare at him much more furiously. "Your comrades killed a lot of Organization members at the Dread Fort. We've needed to recover some of our strength since then." Lynx smirked while Ben dreaded the implication of such a thing. "I know you came here with Goku. With Natsu and Riku and Straw Hat Luffy. You're all our enemies. We will come to face each other-"

"Then why did you just pull me through the portal with you?" Ben wondered. Lynx froze. She tensed up and Ben asked her seriously but still full of confusion too, "Really. Why would you do that? It's because it doesn't matter that you're not Gwen. You're still my friend- my cousin."

"I am not your real cousin. I'm not even real!" She yelled at the aggravating boy who sounded like he ignored everything she had said thus far.

"You sure look real, dweeb," Ben countered her in a joking tone. Ignore all that other stuff, Ben reminded himself. What was it I was thinking about yesterday? Be more like Sora. Look for the good in people, even when it's hard to find. Ben latched onto how she had saved him from the Kryptonians as much as he had saved her. "You could have left me back there, but you didn't. It doesn't help you to take me with you, does it? I don't have a Nobody for you to go merge me with-"

"Shut up about it," Lynx snapped. "I am not your cousin. I'm a copy. A fake-"

"Who cares-"

"I do! Get that through your thick fucking skull!" Lynx shouted a the top of her lungs in the dark void they argued in. The bickering teenagers stared into each other's eyes that widened after Lynx's enraged shout. He looked worried after hearing her shout like that, and she pulled her head back with confusion and disgust over her expression. "Why? Why are you concerned? I have told you over and over that I plan on hurting Gwen. I know you. I know you shouldn't be, ignoring that!"

"The Gwen I know wouldn't even think about doing something like that. And you remind me of her," Ben admitted. "So, a part of you must be questioning it too, right?" He asked it and Lynx could hear the hope in his tone that he was right about her. "Somewhere inside, you've got to know that you don't need to do this. That you don't need to follow their orders and go on stupid diplomatic missions, where your own comrades abandon you. Where your 'enemy' needs to save you?" Ben wondered, suggesting that maybe he was not the 'enemy' she claimed him to be and rather could be the real friend and ally that he suspected she wanted.

He's, not sounding like a complete idiot, Lynx realized. What's up with that? He's supposed to be a dumbass. Where did he get some sort of fucking wisdom from? I mean, he's wrong. But at least he's making sense with it. Whatever happened after Castle Oblivion that led him here, he actually looks pretty cool- Lynx cut her thoughts off short. I did not just think that, she thought with a bead of sweat dripping down the side of her face. "Hahh," Lynx rose her right hand and pinched the bridge of her nose.

Then she reached behind her head and lifted her hood back up. "Wait-" Ben started, as it felt like she was ready to end this conversation now when he still wanted to go on trying to convince her.

"There's no point in us talking any longer. I will be taking Gwen's heart. When the time comes, you'll pick between us. We both know you'd pick her."

"That's not-" Ben started. She glared at him, and Ben held his tongue rather than lie to her that she was wrong about that. "It doesn't need to come to that though," he said in a softer voice. Sure, I'd definitely protect her from you. Why is that the only option though?! Ben curled his fists frustratedly. "We don't have to be enemies, Lynx. I… don't want us to be."

Her head pulled back under her hood. She turned away as she was worried he could see her eyes still even under the shadow of the front of her hood. What is wrong with him? "You just don't get it, Ben. You never could. That's all there is to it."

"It's more complicated than that-"

"That's just it though," she countered him, spinning back and glaring her green eyes back into his of the same color. Lynx glared coldly into his eyes and stated firmly, "It's not complicated. It's actually quite simple really. I'm a Nobody," she pointed her right thumb at herself. Then she stuck out her pointer finger at him, "And you're the cousin of my Somebody. In order for me to become whole, I need her to go away. Forever. You're not going to allow that, are you?"

"That's-"

"Are you?!" Lynx shouted, demanding a 'yes' or 'no' answer.

"Of course I won't," Ben replied. His expression hardened but then he winced as she lowered her hand and pulled her head back, before turning away from him with a short satisfied humph like she knew that would be his answer. He still bowed his head though because he saw for a split second a look on her face after he responded. She hoped I would actually say something else, Ben thought in pain after seeing that look. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I really, am."

"No you're not," Lynx muttered back.

A portal opened in front of her and she walked out of it. Ben gulped but ran forward after her and out of the portal, just in case she was going to close it and trap him in there after he just admitted that he was truly her enemy. "Lynx, can't we talk about this? Can't I, convince you not to go down this road?"

Lynxdwengo's teeth bared and she snapped her head sideways to the boy who came up to her left side. He recoiled a bit at her harsh look, but then his expression softened even more and he just stood back straight and looked down into the shorter girl's eyes again in a way that looked too mature for what Lynx remembered of him in her memories. "You don't need to do this," Ben said, sounding like he was pleading with her. "Help me instead. Gwen isn't here. I left her behind with Gohan, where you won't ever be able to hurt her."

"That's not true. We have our ways," Lynx retorted smugly to the boy who got an even more upset look on his face as he did not know if that was a lie or the truth. He feared that Lynx knew what she was talking about, and yet his fists only curled for a second before he let go again and just shook his head back at her. "What?" She snapped. "I mean that. We'll get her. I'll get her."

"She wouldn't hate you," Ben whispered. Lynx froze. Ben continued in a soft tone to her, "Gwen. She, wouldn't hate you just because you exist. You could be our friend. Hell, you know us better than anyone-"

"You don't…" Lynx started. She stopped herself but still backed up a few steps from the boy who was freaking her out. She shook her head around at the hopeful look on his face that appeared like he really thought she would consider something like that. "You, have no idea what it's like," Lynx hissed. Her expression shaken by the nice words he was just telling her narrowed in fury back at him. "Allowing me to be your friend? Act like your cousin? When I know that I'm not."

Ben opened his mouth but she snapped at him first, "Shut up! Just shut up!" Ben glanced around after she yelled it, and he noticed the city of Zodd back to his right side which looked to be in the west considering the positions of the suns. He snapped his gaze back onto Lynx after realizing that she had taken them out of the city but not too far. She continued at him in a loud and angry tone, "You think I want that? You think you know what I want? You don't know. What it's like to know that you aren't the original. To have memories of your life, only it isn't your life."

"Not until you've merged with your original," she finished, her expression darkening more than ever at that definitive statement. The tone told Ben she was not going to change her mind on that point more than anything else, and everything else derived from that point in the first place. "I am with the Organization 100 percent, because the Organization moves to get us all our hearts. That is our purpose. The purpose of every member, is to restore our hearts. Why would I abandon them when our goals align so perfectly?" She wondered of the boy who cared nothing for her reason for existing.

"I'm not even half a year old," she scolded him. "And I already hate the cards I've been dealt. So I'm going to change it. You're right, Gwen was smart. So I am smart. And I know better than you, that this is how things must go."

"I don't want to fight you, Lynx. There has to be a way we can help you without letting you kill Gwen-"

"Whoa! Looks like you made it out of there, huh?" Braxyr appeared out of his sprint and wind slammed into Lynx and Ben. The girl had to raise her hands quickly and hold her hood up as it was getting blown off, and she pulled it back forward to shadow her face again. "I'm not interrupting something, am I? Weird you brought him with you-"

"You fucker," Lynx snapped at the speedster Nobody who looked back at her in surprise and then rose his eyebrows in amusement. "You think this is funny?" She snapped louder. "Leaving me back there?!"

"Hey, they were all watching me, weren't they?" Braxyr wondered back at her. "You had a moment when I ran off and they were all looking at me. If you just sat there gawking and nearly got killed because of it, then that's on you. Is that what happened? They turned on you while you were sitting there slack-jawed, and this guy had to come to your rescue?"

Ben sweatdropped as Braxyr sounded like a complete dick, but he found it hard to argue with the guy's logic. Lynx was shaking in her black boots though. "You could have teleported away in that moment. Am I wrong? Think back," Braxyr told her. "You know how fast Kryptonians are? You think I could have run to you, grabbed you, pulled you into the Speed Force- which I can barely even manage myself, mind you. And then turned back the other way and escaped from them? All of them? No. They didn't expect me to suddenly leave you behind. You should have expected that, and opened your portal the second I bolted."

"Just shut up already. Alright? I get it!" Lynx yelled at him. "We fucked up our mission anyway," she added, as there was no point in staying pissed at him when the both of them were about to be in trouble together.

"Psh, who cares?" Braxyr wondered. "This was a long shot anyway." Braxyr turned back to the boy who was still watching them, and he bounced his right eyebrow up again at the way the kid was looking at him. "What? You got something to say, pipsqueak? Cat got your tongue? Can't find the right words to come at me, bro? What?"

He's speaking so fast. I mean, Flash did too, but he wasn't such a douche. Ben shook his head back at the speedster but continued glaring at him. That's right. As much as this thing with Lynx and Gwen sucks, that's not all that's important here. "Tell me, Flash's Nobody. Where is your Organization holding my friend? Where is Kairi?"

Lynx glared back at Ben but again was surprised by the intensity on his face as he demanded an answer from the speedster. Braxyr smirked dangerously back at Ben though. His head tilted back, and he stared down from the shadows of his hood. "Wouldn't you like to know?" He mocked the boy.

Ben opened his mouth, "Just tell-"

"It's not just her. We're going to get all your friends. The whole batch that Ansem took at the same time that day. You brought half of 'em here to Aebrith with you. So many for us to merge with their Somebodies." Braxyr smirked more then laughed at Ben's anxious and worried expression for his friends. "Every last one of them will be merged and lost forever. In order to make us stronger. Hahaha," Braxyr taunted the kid who finally bit down then started smiling in a smug way back at Braxyr.

"What? You got something to say?" Braxyr wondered in a cocky tone at the kid who thought he could act tough now after Braxyr had seen how upset and frustrated he had gotten already.

"You'll never get your Somebody," Ben replied. Braxyr rose an eyebrow then slowly started lowering the corners of his lips as Ben smirked back at him. "Sorry to tell you, but your Somebody died in Metropolis."

Braxyr's eyes grew huge and shook. His expression covered in shock as he scanned Ben with rapidly darting eyes blurring on his face as he searched for any twitch to tell him that Ben was lying about that. Lynx grit her teeth and glanced away regretfully, and Ben's expression covered in panic as he understood her look of regret was for his sake like he had just said something that was about to get him killed. Braxyr's expression twisted in rage. "You little shit!" Braxyr yelled, and he raced forward-

Braxyr's right arm froze in mid-vibrating jab. Ben did not even have time to panic or let out a yell. But he did not need to. Ben darted his eyes to the right while the hooded figure had his hood blown off by the wind of the woman stopping short right next to them, her eyes glowing red and her expression intense. "You," Braxyr growled. He darted his gaze back to Ben but then stopped vibrating his arm and lowered it down. "Let's go, Lynx."

"Wait a second," Kara Zor-El started. She floated in between Ben and the Nobody who she could hear from a distance was about to kill him which was why she raced in so fast that Ben was still blinking in shock at her appearance. "Why do you," Kara hesitated as the man she was speaking to rose his hood back up while turning away.

This Kryptonian is even more of a threat than several of the others at once, Braxyr thought. He sped into the dark portal, and Lynx glanced back once more into Ben's eyes before chasing after Braxyr.

Ben gasped and lowered the right arm he got halfway up towards the girl he wanted to shout out towards but failed to think of anything he could say to stop her. "Damn it, Lynx," Ben muttered. I don't get you. Not one bit. It didn't seem like you were evil. Just, like you want a heart really badly. That's not a bad thing, right? It shouldn't mean we have to be enemies!

"Ben," Kara began slowly.

"Thanks for coming when you did, Kara." Ben smiled while looking to the hovering blonde woman on his side. "I was afraid that-"

"Why did that Nobody look like Barry Allen?" Kara asked.

Ben's smile dropped from his face. "Oh man," it slipped out before he could stop himself. He knew that Kara had gotten bad news the day before, and he rose a hand up and rubbed his forehead while feeling his heart sink in his chest. His smug smile about telling Braxyr how he would never get his Somebody suddenly felt even worse and he regretted it entirely while looking at the anxious awaiting expression on Kara's face. "I'm sorry, Kara," Ben began, knowing he had more bad news to tell the Flash's friend.

"James Olsen? Or Jimmy Olsen," Kara wondered to her old friend who she floated next to. She hovered out front of her apartment windows where she had brought Ben back to and dared not go too far from now that he had apparently made more Kryptonian enemies in the city. "Do you know him?"

"I do," Ichigo started back. He paused and found it hard to say what he needed to, and he could see that she already knew the truth just from that hesitation. "I'm sorry, Kara. I'm really-"

"How?" Kara asked. Her voice cracked and she sounded really hurt, and Ichigo glanced behind him to see Winn stepping back from the broken windows and dropping to sit on the coffee table too, putting his head in his hands in disbelief. "How, Ichigo? Tell me."

"I don't…" Ichigo started back. "I'm not sure. It was, during the Battle of Metropolis." Ichigo stopped again and he sighed while lifting a hand and rubbing his forehead with it while in his shinigami form. He glanced up towards the sky above and the three suns beating down through the yellow dome. Then he turned back to Kara and started, "Clark introduced us. He was, looking for an interview at the time."

"He'd gotten one with Trunks and one with Tetsuo, and I guess Clark told him about me. I didn't want to do the interview. And, I never saw any report with my name on it. He didn't write anything about me. Guy kept asking. Hounded me over getting that interview, but I said no and, and he respected that. I respected him for it," Ichigo told her, and Kara lifted a small smile but closed her eyes and bowed her head thinking of her good friend.

Ichigo continued in a soft voice but loud enough for Winn to hear him inside as he looked to also have known Jimmy pretty well. "I only know that he didn't make it, because he was a reporter. The news, they made a big deal out of it. Cat Grant did a whole In-Memorandum for him after the battle. A collection of his best work, or something."

"Ms. Grant survived then," Winn said. He lifted his head and turned to Kara, mentioning that as a bit of a consolation for them.

Kara nodded her head and finally took in a deep breath and opened her eyes back up. Ichigo could see the loss in those eyes so crushed by all the news she had gotten in the past two days. "James too," Kara shook her head in disbelief still. "I just- I shouldn't have left."

"Kara, don't do that," Winn said, stepping closer to the edge of their living room and then holding his arms to his sides to make sure he kept his balance near the high windowsill that still had no glass in it. "You couldn't have seen this coming."

"I still should have stayed," Kara whispered. "I knew Tetsuo was dangerous. So I left?" She asked herself. Kara turned to Ichigo who frowned but looked away as he did not know what to say to her about that, as he had stepped down from the government entirely and ignored everything Tetsuo was doing himself. She continued frustratedly, "I'm supposed to be a hero, and I just, I just ran from my problems."

"You said you came here for an important reason too," another voice spoke up from the apartment.

Kara looked back to see Ben coming around the corner from the room he had been resting in after a tense morning. "You guys don't have to stay here, by the way," Ben added.

Kara just shook her head at the kid who was still not careful enough and not treating this city with the level of caution that he needed to be. She clenched her eyes shut thinking of the news he had given her too, and then she snapped her eyes back open with an angry expression spreading over her face. "Luthor, killed so many of my friends," Kara whispered. "And I was here. Not there. Not where they needed me to be."

"Kara-" Ichigo began.

"James got killed during the attack," Kara started. "But Luthor had already killed Clark. Cut Kal-El's head off?" Kara asked, thinking of how horrible that must have been for her cousin. "And not just Clark, but the Jedi too? Obi-Wan," Kara muttered the name of a friend of hers in the Order who she knew was dead without even asking specifically about him. "And Tetsuo," Kara added, making Ichigo look at her in surprise that she would mention his name. "Maybe it wasn't that Clark and Trunks failed. Maybe I was the one who was wrong, but Luthor was better at manipulating him than the others were at keeping him in the light? And maybe, if I was there too, it could have been different."

"But I wasn't. And not just them, but Barry, and Oliver too?" Kara asked in disbelief at the thought that they had both fallen as well. She looked back towards Ben who had known them, and Ben bowed his head and turned away from her crushed look that he did not want to see again after what he told her earlier.

Kara had apparently known Barry Allen, and since Ben knew that Barry and Oliver were friends from the same world, he decided to ask if Kara had known him too. That really sucks, Ben thought while lifting his gaze back to the hurt Kryptonian woman.

"Barry was one of my closest friends," Kara whispered. "And, I only saw him once the whole time I was on Nexus. I didn't even see Oliver at all!" She exclaimed in frustration that she had never gotten a chance to meet him here. "Lex Luthor killed every last one of them. His robots killed the Green Arrow. And the power he got from Tetsuo, he used to kill the Flash. That, th-that bastard," Kara's fists shook at her sides in so much rage. Her eyes did not glow red, only reddening because of the tears she was holding back thinking about all of her lost friends and family.

Ichigo felt hair on the back of his neck all stand up. He turned his head the same way Kara looked as she noticed a similar sensation of dread rising within her. Ichigo grimaced at the sight of the man who stunned him to see. I don't think the bad news is over yet, Kara, Ichigo thought apologetically for the woman who floated into the path of the man heading towards them.

The figure flying their way turned his head and said something to the two men behind him. They looked reluctant, but the pair nodded back at their leader and then flew off. The former King of the Kryptonians flew up to Kara Zor-El who looked him in the, eye. Zod had an eyepatch over his right eye so he could only stare back at Kara with his left. "I'm, glad you're alright," Kara began to the leader of the city.

"Don't lie to me, girl," Zod retorted. "I know you would have been thrilled had I fallen to that fucking Ant."

Zod moved to the left and glared past Kara and into the building where Winn fell over at the look Zod stared his way. Zod was ignoring that older human man though, and he stared at Ben Tennyson instead. "You. Why were you really here-"

Ben's face covered in panic. He thinks I was a distraction for Meruem! Sweat drenched the kid who shouted out, "I wasn't!"

Zod paused and he grit his teeth for a second as the kid interrupted him. "I don't suspect, that you were a spy for Meruem. Why would you have remained in the city in that case?" Zod lifted a hand and rubbed his forehead. His head was pounding. His heart was racing. Zod had ignored his doctors, and he dragged his hand down his face to glare at the boy whose lingering presence in his city meant he still had a chance to get some answers. "So now, give me your request. You lost. You were going to lose that match," Zod added with a glare at Kara telling her not to try and argue about that.

"But I want to know, before you leave. So tell me. Ben Tennyson, what did you come to my city for?" Zod wondered at the boy. The fact that Meruem knew him alone was enough to pique Zod's interest in the child and what he could have possibly come to risk his life to ask.

Ben hesitated. He did not hesitate because he was unsure about asking the question any longer, rather just because the question no longer seemed to matter at all. Some of the others could tell from that look on his face what he was thinking and noted the irony of how the most important request he refused to give up on and nearly got killed for could no longer be important. "I was," Ben began. He sighed and slouched his shoulders while looking back at Zod and into his one good eye. "I was going to ask you, to kill the King."

The Kryptonian leader continued glaring down at the child, but he could see that Ben was not lying about that. He had told the others too and Zod could tell they were still in disbelief at his reason for coming to the city. "Really," Ben continued, just in case they were doubting him. "The Wizard King told me that you were probably the only other person who could, when I asked him." But why did I need Meruem out of the way in the first place?

Wait a second. Why am I here? When did killing Meruem become the most important thing to me? My Omnitrix was taken! By Zeref, not Meruem. Ben gulped and his eyes lowered from Zod down to his feet. Oh my God. Is it the cube? His eyes shifted to his right pocket again. Meruem will come and kill me if I use it, so the cube wants me to get Meruem out of the way so that I start using it more?! Is that it? AHHH!

Wait! Calm down. That's not- you're just thinking that, because you didn't think about the Eliacube while Meruem was here. It's freaking you out! That's all. Taking down Meruem means stopping the Cooperative. We can't go home until that happens. Until we help Gray and the Resistance stop the Co-op leaders and free the slaves. Relax, Ben calmed his racing heart that had skyrocketed at the idea that he had done all of this solely for the Eliacube.

"How are you," Ichigo started. Zod glared back at the shinigami who paused at the look from the Kryptonian Lord. He continued though, "Doing? I mean, are you alright?" Ichigo wondered. Zod and Ichigo both stared at each other, wondering if he had asked it out of courtesy, or fear, or if he cared at all about how Zod actually was flying around like this after the injuries he had suffered the day before.

"Rejuvenator Pod," Zod remarked curtly. He was not going to spend his time explaining their technology to this teenager. Nor did he bother wasting time asking why Ben could possibly think that he was going to take on that request. Not that I don't want the Ant dead now. I shouldn't say that aloud again. Fuck. I have work to do. Relations to create. Rules to enforce. I don't have time for them.

"Do you think-" Ben started again before Zod could say what he came to say and leave. Zod glared down at the boy but did not interrupt him. He stared interestedly at the human who had proved himself less of a joke than Zod first saw him as. The leader of the city still glared darker at him though as Ben continued, "You would be able to beat Meruem, if you fought again? I mean, if the time comes and we're all fighting him…"

Then having Zod on your side would be a huge help, even if he can't win, Ichigo finished in his head for why he figured Ben was asking. He looked to Zod himself where he stood on midair a little out of the way of Zod and Ben's line-of-sight. Is Zod thinking about it? Or, maybe he's just confused as to why Ben's asking like he's still going to try killing Meruem even after what we just saw yesterday. I know I am. Kid's got a death wish, Ichigo looked back to him again but saw Ben really looking serious as he faced Zod and hoped for an answer.

"You're a fool," Zod finally replied. Ben frowned back at the man who considered killing him again, only to glare sideways at Kara Zor-El who was not suffering from the same injuries that he was at the moment. His eyes snapped back onto the boy in an even angrier way though as Ben's fists clenched at his sides.

"Fine," Ben replied. "Then it's up to Goku again." Ben shook his head and glared away for a second over to a wall of Kara's apartment in frustration. "He's got to be the only one left who could beat Meruem, even if he's not strong enough right now," Ben finished softer while admitting that to himself. "He'll do it though. I know he will."

Ben's belief in Goku was strong. He needed to not give up hope, and it was easy not to when he knew how hard Goku was training right now. Zod could hear that faith in the boy's tone. I've seen Son Goku's strength before, Zod thought while considering the sentiment. It is nowhere near enough to match the Ant King's, and matching his power would not even be enough. Only one who far surpasses the Ant King could ever have a chance to defeat that thing. I could feel it in every movement it made. Every time I attacked, it had predicted my move.

He was toying with me. I am stronger than him, and he was still toying with me as if I were a little kid! "You are mistaken. It is clear now, none can defeat Meruem." Zod paused for a second and frowned back at the boy who glared at him for denying what he was saying. If it really is possible though, Zod thought despite what he just said aloud. Then killing this boy might bring Son Goku against me. I have enough problems to deal with right now without having to worry about that.

"Get out of my city, Ben Tennyson. You are banished from Zodd. Never to return." Ben froze and pulled his head back as Zod declared that at him in a dark tone threatening him to say one word against his banishment. This time, Ben heard a promise in that tone that he would not survive opening his mouth again.

"We never finished the Garata match, so Ben's-" Kara began.

"You are banished as well, Danvers," Zod sneered at the woman who he glared to his right at. He stared into her eyes while Kara stared back in shock for a second. "Never return to this city. You are not welcome. It was Kal-El alone who just by being alive allowed your presence. Not because I feared Superman, but to keep tabs on him through you. Which was apparently pointless, as Ben there told me about Superman's death, and you did not."

Ben winced and he opened his mouth but quickly closed it again in fear of an instant faster-than-light death from one of the most powerful people on Nexus. "You stood against me and stood ready to fight against my will. This is your punishment. Exile, Kara Zor-El, to the world beyond our walls. You, and all of your human acquaintances are henceforth banished from this city."

"You included, Cisco Ramon."

"Eep," Cisco yelped and stood up straight in the hallway where he was crouched and holding his breath hoping not to be noticed. He stepped out and looked towards Zod with a nervous expression but held his palms up above his shoulders. "Wait, why me? I mean, my King, our deals-"

"Are all off," Zod told the scientist. "All of Kara Zor-El's acquaintances are banished. You are no exception." Zod paused then admitted with a grunt, "Dealing with the Resistance is no longer an option anyway." The annoying arguments the Kryptonian girl was going to make to him about leaving Cisco out of this got swallowed back down as Kara and Cisco both knew that was the truth.

Zod glared at them and added while looking directly into Cisco's eyes, "Though, I am certain Meruem won't take long to subjugate the rest of you. When Leam is under Cooperative control, if you survive that conquest, I may consider a renegotiation of past trade deals. Until then, let your people know that none of them are welcome here. All Resistance-aligned persons will be executed should they approach Zodd."

Cisco closed his mouth that he had opened to claim that he was not actually a representative from Leam. The way that Zod just threatened execution for all people aligned with the Resistance though made him decide not to counter Zod that he was actually just a Resistance member and not affiliated with Leam at all.

"Now begone from here," Zod ordered them. "You have only five minutes before I will loose the ZGC on you should you remain in my borders." Zod glanced one last time back into the apartment and at the strange human child who had actually come to him to ask for his help in stopping Meruem. Did he suspect that the Ant King would come to subjugate me before long? His intuition is incredible. Out of everyone, he was the only one who came to warn me. The only one who dared? Impressive, Ben Tennyson.

I just got these pants! Hold it in! Ben stared straight at Zod when the Kryptonian glared back intensely one last time towards him. He had questioned if Zod was taking it all back and deciding to kill him then and there rather than let him leave, and he only let out a gasp of relief for the first breath he took in a minute once Zod had finally flown off.

Ben put his hands down on his knees. I'm so stressed out. Every day it feels like I'm talking to supervillains who could kill me with a flick of their fingers! Why do I put myself in these situations? Sooner or later, I'm definitely going to get myself killed.

"You really came here to ask Zod to kill Meruem?" Kara wondered while floating down and landing in front of Ben. "That was your whole plan?"

"Why'd you even bring it up?" Winn muttered back to Ben too.

"He asked-" Ben stopped snapping back at the man. Winn was looking around his apartment with a grim expression on his face. The man turned and stared out into the city that he called home. He looked to a distant yellow barrier, imagining the world outside.

Cisco walked over and patted a hand down on Winn's shoulder. "Eh, it's not so bad out there, Winn. You've lived the nice and comfy life for too long."

"Can't imagine it was actually that nice for you here," Ichigo added himself. The shinigami floated over and landed in the living room, then he walked around the corner and they heard a door open followed by sounds of a struggle. A few seconds later Ichigo came walking back around the corner, rolling his right shoulder out, inside of his human body. He continued to Winn who had a bead of sweat dripping down his face wondering what just happened in his bedroom, "Were the Kryptonians really that welcoming to you?"

"Well, not really… but they were getting better," Winn added.

"And Winn always being around made for a normalization of Kryptonians and humans coexisting," Kara agreed. "I wanted my people to see a human like Winn. A nice guy."

"Oof," Cisco coughed into his left hand and turned away from Kara's "husband" who she just called a "nice guy." Winn rubbed his forehead while Kara laughed and gave him an apologetic look.

She smiled after a second of looking towards Winn and Cisco. She closed her eyes and imagined what Ichigo said before too, Ms. Grant is still alive. A lot of my friends are dead. But I've made new ones on this world, Kara's gaze shifted past Ichigo and Ben as she turned and looked outside. She could see the ZTV station from here out her broken windows, and she sighed but shook her head as she decided against wasting the time to go tell her boss that she quit. Don't have the time for it.

Kara lifted her fists at her sides and stared down at them. "Maybe I have spent too long in this city though. Trying to make better relations between humans and Kryptonians. Working a normal job, while people suffer out there. A lot of people." Kara's lips flattened and her expression hardened a lot more seriously. "Me and Clark took a backseat when we settled down in these cities."

"Taking part in wars? Changing policies of countries just because we have the strength to do so and people can't argue? And changing them because it matches our morality? I guess, I wasn't sure if it was the right thing to do-"

"Slavery is always wrong," Ben said. He stepped up behind Kara who glanced back at the boy who said seriously to her, "All the other stuff I don't really get either. But I don't need to. That's what makes it easy. Good and evil. It's not hard to figure that out this time, you know?" Ben wondered while looking to Ichigo who flinched when the kid asked him the question directly. "You were NEG, right?" Ben wondered to the guy whose alignment in their last war he imagined he had figured out already. "I know it was hard for a lot of you to figure out when to start fighting with us, instead of against us."

"Well you, suddenly attacked Metropolis," Ichigo muttered, though he sounded guilty about it anyway. Ben opened his mouth to counter right away, but Ichigo continued first, "I should have though. You're right. I should have known the Underworld were already in the city. I was, ignorant."

"Hey guys, I know this is a pretty intense conversation and all," Winn began. He really did not want to interrupt them, but he just glanced back into their kitchen at a digital clock on the microwave. "We really need to get going though."

"Probably should have stayed in your shinigami form for a few more minutes," Kara mentioned to Ichigo.

"I should probably go find the traders I came here with," Ichigo muttered. "Though I'm sure they left yesterday without me."

"I'll fly you out, if Kara can get the other two?" Ben wondered to the woman next to him who smiled at the boy then walked back towards Cisco and Winn.

"Where's Kon, Ichigo?" Ben wondered while floating up and behind Ichigo who grimaced but reluctantly lifted his arms up so Ben could lift him by the armpits.

"Put him in a Capsule," Ichigo replied. He grunted as Ben floated him up in the air and then out the broken windows. Really should have just grabbed him and dragged him outside the city before doing that. "Where'd you learn how to fly? Did you know how before you came to this world?"

"No, humans from my world couldn't fly like this," Ben responded. "But Goku and Gohan always told me that it wasn't impossible for me to learn."

"You really know them well, huh?" Ichigo asked as they flew across the city towards the one gateway, one that Ben followed Kara towards as he had not come in through it on his way inside.

"Yeah! Goku's one of my best friends. We're like family!" Ben called out extra loudly which caused Ichigo to raise one eyebrow at him before suddenly noticing lots of dark glares aimed their way from the buildings they were flying between. He honestly could not blame the kid for shouting that out at him in an attempt to remind all the Kryptonians not to kill him. Ben actually thought Ichigo was asking just to give him the excuse to bring it up loudly and publicly in front of all these people who might want him dead.

It worked, or at least no Kryptonians attacked Ben and Ichigo on their way out of the city. The group of five did see some friends at the gate as they landed on their way out. It seemed that Chris and Thara had heard of their banishment and came to see them off. Ben stepped up to Chris and held his hand out before leaving.

"Thanks Chris. Now I owe you one," Ben told him.

"Let's just call it square," Chris replied to the kid who smiled and nodded back accepting that that was fine too.

"You take care of yourself out there," Thara told her best friend who she pulled into a hug that they held for a few seconds. "Don't get into too much trouble."

"I plan on it," Kara countered, and Thara pulled back and frowned at her friend for saying something that would make her worry. Kara looked determined not to sit back anymore though when Thara looked into her eyes, and she got more surprised by the expression full of conviction on Kara's face. "I'm done sitting around. The world needs Supergirl. It might need Flamebird too, one day."

"I'll… keep that in mind," Thara replied. Her voice sounded apologetic, as despite saying it, she did not plan on leaving Zodd any time soon to take part in the conflicts of the outside world again. Kara shook her head back at her friend in a way telling her not to be sorry though. "I'll miss you, Kara," Thara finished after seeing Kara's accepting look there.

"And I you," Kara replied. She started to turn, but she froze and then leaned forward and gave her friend one more hug. Kara took in a deep breath then pulled back from the hug and nodded at her childhood friend who stepped back and nodded at her too.

The exiled group left the city of Zodd out a gate that was not being used much today. There were people camping outside of the city, but the Zodd Guard Corps, or ZGC, had shut down the gate for the day as the city underwent reconstruction after the previous day's battle. The group who left the city were shocked by how many people were gathered outside though in all directions around the gate.

"More people than I've ever seen out here," Cisco admitted in shock of his own.

"Maybe the Nobodies weren't the only ones who came to take advantage of Zodd joining the Cooperative," Ben suggested. He had told the others about what had happened with the Organization members earlier when he got back to Kara and Winn's apartment. "They're just the only ones who can make portals straight inside to skip the line."

"Could be," Kara admitted in agreement. "So Ben," she began, moving past that while the boy walking with her turned to face her. She stopped and wondered to the kid, "What are you going to do now?"

"Also been wondering that myself," Winn mentioned.

"Well," Ben paused for a second and he hummed thoughtfully. He had already been considering it though since Meruem had defeated Zod. I'm relying on Goku again, right? Yeah, Goku. "I think I'm going to head back to Resistance HQ. I need to start training, before me and my friends head out together to destroy the Cooperative at the end of the month. You know this is the first month, right? They made a dating system."

"Yeah, I heard that… wait, what did you just say? Before that?" Cisco asked, not letting the kid just move past the first part of his response onto something boring like the calendar.

Ben shrugged at the man who definitely heard him correctly. "You just saw Meruem beat Zod in like a minute," Ichigo muttered to the kid next to him. "And you still want to do this?"

"Not really," Ben replied. "But we didn't really want to keep fighting Luthor either, right? When he was killing everyone. When he was obviously stronger than all of us, combined?" Ben tried reminding the shinigami of that. "You fought him then too, right?"

Ichigo hesitated at the look Ben was giving him. He shook his head back at the younger teen who had too hopeful of an expression on his face. Ben questioned after Ichigo shook his head back at him, "Where are you going now? All of you?" Ben added, looking around at the others too.

"Leam," Kara replied. She glanced at Winn who looked back and nodded in agreement with her decision. "It's the safest place now. I've worked in Leam's capital of Remano for ZTV too, and I have some friends in the city."

"I'll come with you then," Ichigo told her. Kara and her older male friends looked to Ichigo who added, "Remano's where I came in from. That's where I'll be heading back to Awul from too." Ichigo said it but the words tasted bad in his mouth. None of the others said anything against it though, which somehow made him feel worse than if one of them had said what he expected them to. They can all use help here. What am I going back to Metropolis for?

My family. My mom and sisters. My friends. Orihime- Ichigo shook his head around but did glance to the west after imagining a certain orange-haired girl's face. It's time I go home. Isn't it?

"Kurosaki?"

How the Hell did the Ant King know who I am? Is that bad? Am I in danger because of that? What about Aizen? And Gin? I hear they're on this continent too. Captain Hitsugaya never gave me any answers about the other shinigami, but if he's the Captain in Rhodar then there have to be others to get some answers from. In all my time in Leam before coming here though, I never did see Leam's Captain. Not that I'm sure he'd be happy to see me.

I should at least ask him before I go. Byakuya…

"Hey Kara, could we talk for a second before I leave?" Ben wondered to the woman who was confused at what he was asking for but nodded back at him. It was a little weird because it sounded like Ben wanted to have a private conversation, and the other guys all gave Ben funny looks for not just asking in front of them.

Kara floated up in the air and then floated higher as Ben made sure he was out of range of the others. He gulped and hesitated for a few seconds, before asking her, "Could I have a strand of your hair?"

Kara stared into the kid's eyes from a couple feet away and just tilted her head to the side with a blank look. "Seriously?" She asked, as she was not expecting this and did not even know how to react to the question. Ben hesitantly nodded his head back at her showing he really was serious about it. "Hahh, and why would you need a strand of my hair?" Kara asked the kid who she seriously hoped was not just being creepy.

"Well, I have this watch- or, I had a watch," Ben said and rubbed over his left wrist which Kara had noticed looked scarred and blackened. She lost her frustrated expression and got a lot more interested as Ben made arm movements and explained what his Omnitrix was and what it could do. "…Back on Awul, I never did get to meet Superman. I always wanted to so that I could add Kryptonian DNA to the Omnitrix. So that I could turn into a Kryptonian."

Kara thought about it for a minute. Ben was looking at her hopefully, and Kara stared back into the boy's eyes that she examined closely. She could see no ulterior motives for him asking. Giving Ben the powers of a Kryptonian? I mean… that's not dangerous, because he's a good person. She thought she might hesitate for longer, but Kara lifted a hand and plucked a single strand of hair from her head which made Ben smile wide that she was doing it. He deserves it. From what you've said and done since we met, I think you would only use your powers for good. "Alright, Ben. I believe that you'll get the Omnitrix back. I hope this does you good."

"I'll put it to good use," Ben promised the woman handing off her DNA to him.

I got something out of this trip after all! Someday, I'll save someone thanks to this moment. I'm glad I asked, Ben smiled proudly as he held the hair in his hand.

"Did Kara just, give him a piece of her hair?" Cisco asked with a bead of sweat dripping down the side of his face.

Kara snapped her head down and spotted the three men down there staring up in confusion at her. She brought her gaze back up though as a brighter white veil surrounded Ben's body.

"Thanks Kara! I really appreciate it. Now, I have to get going!" There's still a lot to do! It's still early in the month. "You take care! All of you guys," Ben called down to the others too who he waved down at in a much better mood than they were in.

The three men below him raised their hands and waved at the strange kid seeming way too happy to have received Kara's hair. They all looked expectantly back at her after Ben had flown off, and Kara face-palmed and dragged her hand down her face at the thought of explaining what just occurred.

Ben flew off on his own away from the others he had left Zodd with. He sped up and his aura got larger still, and Ben punched his fists in front of him a couple of times as he went with a huge grin on his face. As time passed and he got farther and farther from Zodd, occasionally glancing up at the suns to judge the direction that he was flying in, Ben's mood started to drop again.

It took me four days to get here. I used a lot of power yesterday. This isn't going to be a quick trip. Slow it down, Ben's aura thinned and he slowed his flight over Arachne's Deadlands back towards Resistance territory. He flew higher up in the air to avoid being seen and rose up above the thin cloud cover overhead.

I know I told Zod that Goku's got this, but was I just trying to convince him to let me live too? Ben wondered as he flew off all on his own over Aebrith. I know Goku isn't strong enough. Goku said so himself! Even with a month of training, I doubt it will be enough for him to suddenly overcome Meruem's strength. Not to mention all of Meruem's allies. It's not just Goku alone though.

I wanted Zod to help even if it had to be Goku, but maybe Kara will join in when the time comes? She seems like she wants to do more. If she's not as strong as Zod, and Zod got his ass beaten though, then it's not like she's going to be able to stop Meruem either. Ben frowned and hummed to himself wondering about things much too serious for any fourteen year old to be considering. He even thought that himself, about how this was more than what he should be taking on, but he shook his head of those kind of thoughts. I need to take this seriously! Sora and Riku, and Kairi, are really important when it comes to bigger things than the wars on this world. They're in danger here. I've seen them die before! They might get killed again if we go after Meruem without a good plan, and then… then what?

I don't really know. But it'll be something bad. I can't say I'm not important when I saved their lives. Unlike me, they are the Guardians of Light. So I need to do what I can to keep protecting them! But… how?

Maybe, we'll actually be able to get the Wizard King on our side? Meruem attacked him too like he took on the Saiyans, and the Kryptonians now. A guy like Cartman has powers different from the kind of strength that Zod had which Meruem was able to defeat. Reality-bending powers. Wishes! Is that it? The Fairy Godparents are just that much stronger?

I know Timmy's looking for them! He ran off right outside of Dressrosa just because he sensed one. If just one Fairy Godparent could make the Wizard King one of the only bastions of non-King-controlled territory on Aebrith, then if we could get a whole bunch of them, then maybe we can take him on! One could wish my Omnitrix back to me before we even get started in the next fight!

…Though, can I really rely on people we don't even know coming to our aid? I don't know how many fairies there even are. Let alone relying on Cartman to help us. He's just as likely to just side with Meruem and become one of his Lords, like Zod is now. Ben rubbed the side of his head in frustration. Who knows? I need to! I need to, figure it out. Figure something out!

After seeing Meruem's strength up close, talking to him again, I see now what he really is. He seemed civilized when he came and thanked me for stopping Nox. Sora said it though. What the War of the Saiyan Mountains was like. I saw the remains of some of the people who Meruem killed here. I saw Chris' grandmother's body, with no head on it. Meruem's the monster Gray and Killua said he was. I believed them already. But seeing it for myself was different.

He's the most formidable enemy I've ever faced. Stronger than any before. Luthor could at least be reasoned with— the murderous asshole that he is— he still left when it was clear he couldn't win. Meruem wouldn't care about that. He would have killed every last Kryptonian had Zod not submitted. I think Zod knew that. I think, we could all tell that Meruem was going to just keep going until they surrendered.

So how do we win against something like Meruem? I need to figure that out. Someone has to try something different. In order to save the people oppressed by the Cooperative. In order to defeat the evil villains who lead them like Zeref and Xemnas. Rescuing Kairi, and getting the Omnitrix back. Defeating Meruem. Freeing Aebrith from his grasp. How? How do we do it?

There has to be a way…

A/N Thanks for reading! The group in Zodd gets banished to end this chapter, and Ben heads off on his own back to Resistance HQ while the rest head for Remano. We meet Lynx and Braxyr in this chapter. Two more Nobodies in the Organization, of the Flash and of Gwen. Flash's has been around for a long time, as he was one of the Heartless bad guys in the first Castle Oblivion arc like Rin was which meant he got turned into one long before a lot of the rest of the Nobodies who we've seen so far. Hope you guys liked their characters and the conversation between Ben and Lynx too! Let me know in a review below what you think, and what you think is going to happen next! 'Til next time!

Limit-Breaking chapter 132 . Apr 12

Damn, I was not expecting all of that. Life can keep you busy like that but damn I Was not expecting that lol. First of all that crazy stuff with sylar and the dude quon nerfing him was cool and pretty funny.

Shortening the review down here 'cause it was a long one, which I like! XD Glad you liked the Sylar and Quon arc. Leader of the Resistance is definitely a busy guy. Sylar has been arrested powerless, but I suppose there's a chance his means of stealing powers still exists so the potential in the future... who knows? Didn't really think about that to be honest, but it got me thinking. Numbuh 4 had a lot of flashbacks but there's about a 2 month gap where he suddenly has scars around his eyes- new eyes, and he's got his gunblade Djinn Equip Kargath too. We'll see what happened then someday... though no spoilers for now! Meruem tells his Royal Guards earlier this chapter that it's more about administration at this point and taking everywhere over rather than getting stronger, as he believes he's already the strongest. Might be why Zod got off "leniently" if you can really call it that. Ben's trying his best still. Whether it's finding out more about his Keyblade, getting help against Meruem, allies for the Resistance, or just getting stronger in general, he's really trying. His enthusiastic mood near the end after getting a Kryptonian hair replaces with frustration and thoughtfulness though as he needs a new plan now that Zod can't beat Meruem. We'll see what decision he comes to by the end of this full Chapter 20. Until then, thanks for the review and hope you enjoyed the new chapter!

Smlluffy67 chapter 132 . Apr 13

WELP AT LEAST MY BOY CISCO RAMON IS STILL ALIVE I HOPE BUT BEN NEEDS TO HOPE THE KING DOESN'T KILL HIM AMAZING CHAPTER AS USUAL BUT IT FEELS LIKE MERUM IS JUST TO POWERFUL AT THIS POINT HOPEFULLY THINGS START TO GO BEN'S WAY FOR ONCE.

Cisco survives another day! He does get banished like the rest of them though. Meruem's strength is no joke since beating Bardock. The strength of the Saiyan King, a Super Saiyan God, added to Meruem's strength and his immense intellect makes the Ant King a force to be reckoned with for anyone. We'll see how our heroes come to deal with that kind of force. And if maybe Ben can succeed in finding the way himself.

bowser3000000 chapter 132 . Apr 13

A doubt the Avatar of the past are alive too?

I had never considered it before. Though, if I have to pick, I'm going to go with: unlikely. As we've seen Aang enter the Avatar state which I believe means he's drawing from the strength of previous avatars too. I had him face off against Cooler, and he really needed all the power he could get against him. I'm not saying it's impossible or I won't change my mind at some point in the future, but I think it works better for Aang's character if the previous Avatars are still spirits inside of him, or in a separate spirit realm, rather than all revived at once when each of them was already a reincarnation of the others... just seems like it'd get confusing to me. Anyway, good question, and won't just say 'no spoilers' on this one because I'm not spoiling anything as much as just spit-balling myself on the idea. Thanks for the review! Hope you enjoyed the chapter!