NOTE: Here's the next chapter! The plot for this story moves kinda fast due to how it's structured, otherwise it would take far too long to get to where it needs to go.
Enjoy and Review!
Chapter 2: Ultimax
"Where is it?!"
"Where did it go?!"
A singular red and black eye scanned over the Earth from his secret hideout on the moon. "The Omnitrix's signal can't just disappear out of nowhere! That foolish boy couldn't have gotten himself and the watch destroyed so suddenly! How am I supposed to get my full revenge on Azmuth if I can't even steal his greatest-"
BEEP!
The eye shifted to the alert. "What? A signal?" He enhanced the transceiver to lock onto the signature. "It's faint, but it's certainly the Omnitrix's signal. Seems the boy didn't get destroyed and instead disappeared from the Earth. No matter, I shall soon figure out where he's hiding and retrieve the Omnitrix for myself!"
Red and black liquid-like matter expunged itself from the surface of the moon, barreling down towards the Earth like a meteor.
The Rustbucket sped down the streets of Bellwood, swerving through the traffic with the expertise of a racecar driver. Inside, Gwen and Kenny were holding on tightly as Max Tennyson continued his reckless driving.
"Grandpa, will you slow down?!" Gwen exclaimed.
"Can't! The slower we go, the less likely we'll be able to find Ben!" Max responded.
Earlier this morning, Ben's parents sent out a distress call to their whole family in Bellwood about Ben going missing. Thankfully, their parents agreed it would be best for the kids to skip school today to help search for Ben. The twins agreed to help out and were using their enhanced sense of smell to track him down.
Kenny kept his hands on the table to stop himself from falling to the floor. "And driving like a maniac is just going to get us pulled over by the police! Going this fast isn't going to help, Grandpa!"
Thankfully, Max listened to his grandchildren and slowed his speed. He parked the Rustbucket by the park in order to give them all a break. His hands were still tightly gripped on the wheel, matching his tightly woven stress levels. "I know, it's just…"
"We're all worried, Grandpa." Gwen said.
"Yeah. We all want to find Ben and bring him home." Kenny added, coming up to the front.
"It's just, there's always a sign. Whenever Ben went off on his own or got kidnapped, there was always something pointing at where he went. But no matter how hard I look; I can't seem to find the Omnitrix's signal! It just cuts off!" Max exclaimed, glaring down at the wheel.
Kenny looked a bit uncertain. "You don't think it was that Malware guy, right?"
"Can't be. There would have been some sign of a battle or even structural damage to Ben's house." Gwen denied the possibility. "Ben never goes quietly, no matter what's going on."
Poking at the dashboard, Max brought up his tracking system. The scanner was locked onto the Omnitrix's last known location, which was Ben's home. "It doesn't make any sense. Even when Ben was trapped in the Null Void with Vilgax and Kevin, I could still find the watch's signal. But it's not here nor is it in the Null Void."
"Have you tried looking outside of Earth?" Kenny asked.
"I did, Ken. There's no trace of the Omnitrix leaving the Earth." Max answered.
Gwen narrowed her eyes, thinking over their evidence. "If the watch can't be found on Earth, the Null Void, or space…then…" Her eyes widened. "Grandpa! I think I figured it out! At least I hope so!"
"What do you mean, Gwen?" Max asked, clinging onto whatever hope his granddaughter was giving."
"We haven't tried all of our options yet! There's still one last alternate dimension that we haven't looked at!"
It took Max a few seconds to realize what Gwen was alluding to. A look of hope spread across his face. "Kids, strap back in! Gwen, get in contact with the twins and tell them to head to Ben's house!"
"Wait, what are you guys talking about?!" Kenny clearly didn't catch on.
Gwen gave him a flat look. "Are you really that slow?! We're talking about the TV, Kenny!"
"OH! R-right!" Kenny rubbed his head, knowing that he should have picked up on that. He hurried back towards his seat, while Max started the engine back up. Gwen pulled out her phone to call Alice and let her know they had a lead.
Hopefully, their allies on the other side of the world picked up on the same clue.
It had been a pretty stressful evening for Yukiko Amagi. Her day had been perfect up till now, a busy day at the Inn, her boyfriend arrived in town this morning to visit them, and she found some fantastic gifts to send over to the Tennysons. But all of that came to an end when she received a distressing email from Gwen alerting her that Ben had gone missing. It had taken the combined efforts of her parents and friends to stop her from rushing off to the States.
Right now, all the heiress could do was impatiently pace through the living room of her house. Her parents were still handling things at the Inn, leaving her friends to be the ones to watch over her for the time being. The sound of rain could be heard pelting the house, giving off a rhythmic beat to match Yukiko's constant muttering.
"Ben. Ben. Ben. Ben. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Where. Where. Where. Where. Ben. Ben. Ben. Little brother. Little brother. Little brother. Burn. Burn. Burn. Burn."
Chie stared at her best friend, greatly concerned about Yukiko's muttering. "Yukiko-chan, don't you think you should rest?"
"Rest?!" Yukiko spun on her heels to glare at Chie. "I can't rest, Chie-chan! Ben's in danger, alone somewhere, and there's nothing I can do to help him!"
Yu stood up from his seat, placing a soft hand on her shoulder. "Still, worrying yourself like this isn't going to help either. We all feel terrible that we can't help."
"Senpai is right, Yukiko-senpai, we're all worried about Ben-chan!" Rise exclaimed.
"Still…" Yukiko's eyes trailed to the floor. While she was busy enjoying her day, her little brother had been kidnapped in the dead of night. Guilt and anger aimed at the culprit and herself burned within her chest. "Grandpa and the others still don't know where he is… What if…what if…"
"You can't think like that, Yukiko-senpai!" Kanji shot up from his seat. "Thinking like that, of the worst possible stuff, is the last thing you should do!"
"Kanji is right, Yuki-chan! We need to keep our beary bright hopes up in times like these!" Teddie added.
"Ben is strong." Yosuke spoke up. Though his eyes glanced away when Yukiko's head turned to him. Still, he continued to try and help. "We know what he can do, you especially, there's no way he'd ever go down like that."
"Hanamura…" Yukiko muttered.
Naoto crossed her legs, face scrunched in concentration. "It doesn't make any sense. How could Ben have gone missing all so suddenly? Certainly, you Tennysons have made a plethora of enemies last year, but I know for a fact that they're all still in prison."
Yukiko nodded her head. "Yes, besides a confrontation with Dr. Animo, Kevin's attack, and a certain incident-" Yosuke flinched. "-All of our rogues have been incredibly silent. There hasn't been any big attack on Bellwood as far as I'm aware."
"Could it be Vilgax? Do you think he's returned?" Yu wondered.
"Grandpa's scanners would have picked up on Vilgax if he had returned." Yukiko's face tightens as she thinks about the warlord. "And if it was him, then he would have made a huge scene about it. Loudly declaring his capture and victory over Ben as he burns Bellwood to the ground."
As disturbing as the thought was, the Investigation Team members had to agree. None of them have had the displeasure of meeting the warlord themselves, but the stories of him told by the Tennysons weren't pleasant ones.
Looking down at her watch, Naoto noticed the time. They had all been so worried none of them realized how late it was getting, so close to midnight. "It's getting late. We can all think more about this with clearer heads after a goodnight's sleep."
"I agree." Yu nodded, then looked at his terrified girlfriend. He took her hands into his own, causing her to stare into his eyes. "You need to get some sleep, Yukiko. Worrying about all of this without rest will do more harm than good."
"Yes, but-"
"By the time you wake up, I'm certain that the Tennysons will have found and saved Ben. He'll likely want to video chat with you as soon as possible just to brag how he took down the bad guy." Yu's reassuring smile helped calm her nerves.
"You always know what to say. I want to argue, yet I can't find fault in your words." Yukiko sighed.
Chie softly touched her friend's shoulder. "We'll all come back in the morning to check on you too. You're not alone in this, Yukiko-chan, remember?" She gestured back to their friends, who were all smiling at the heiress. Yosuke allowed himself to smile as well to show his support.
Feeling the unwavering love of her companions, the heiress smiled softly. "Thank you. I guess, I should turn in for the night-"
STATIC!
"Oh, but where's the fun in that, Yuki-chan?!"
All heads swerved to Teddie; the animated bear quickly shook his head. "I-it wasn't me! My bear-utiful voice has never sounded that sinister!"
"I guess it would be far more appropriate to show my bear-some appearance!"
Turning to the television, the teenagers were all greeted by a familiar phenomenon, one that uprooted their lives two years ago. Appearing before them through the screen was a twisted, nightmarish version of Yasogami High School. The camera panned down at the several figures standing on the roof of the building. As it closed the distance, the team could recognize each of the individuals.
"I-is that…?!" Rise gasped.
"US?!" Chie exclaimed.
"Not just that, look at their eyes!" Naoto directed their attention to the piercing yellow eyes of the doppelgangers. "Those aren't normal eyes! They're the eyes of-"
"-Shadows." Yu finished, narrowing his gaze.
Pushing forward, the Shadow Teddie pulled out a microphone from behind his back. His attire was that of a stage announcer, hair slicked back with a cowlick. "That's right, my darling audience! However, these aren't your ordinary Shadows, but the instruments of your ultimate challenge!"
"Ultimate challenge?" Kanji questioned.
"They are you, the ultimate versions of you! The ULTIMAX versions of your bear-ific desires!" Shadow Teddie waved his hands out towards his companions. "Allow me to introduce your opponents!"
A spotlight shined down on the Shadow Yu; his back turned to the screen. His hand reached down to grab his trusty blade. "Nobody touches his precious Nanako! THE SISTER COMPLEX KINGPIN OF STEEL! NARUKAMI YU!" The Shadow whipped around, posing dramatically with his sword raised for battle.
A kunai stole the spotlight next, illuminating the next opponent. "Wage slave in the boonies by day, hero by night!" Shadow Yosuke stood up from his spot on the roof, grinning sadistically. "CAPTAIN RESSENTIMENT! HANAMURA YOSUKE!" He took a battle stance with his kunai twirling around his fingers.
Following, a powerful stomp captured their attention. Standing beneath the spotlight was the familiar meat-loving addict. "A spunky dragon with deadly legs! THE CARNIVORE WHO'S DISCARDED WOMANHOOD! SATANOKA CHIE!" Shadow Chie kicked out with wind shattering force, striking a martial arts pose similar to Bruce Lee.
A flurry of pink petals consumed the screen before revealing the silhouette of a beautiful figure hidden by a red umbrella. "The passionate princess cloaked in blazing flames!" The umbrella was burned away to reveal the confident priestess. "THE PHOENIX OF LOVE AND FLAMES! AMAGI YUKIKO!" Shadow Yukiko posed seductively with an alluring gaze.
Next, a singular rose rested on the chair behind him. "Blooming roses and bulging muscles!" Shadow Kanji snatches the metal chair, raising it above his head with threatening glee. "THE BLOODCURDLING BEEFCAKE EMPEROR! TATSUMI KANJI!"
Lying beneath her feet, a pistol shines in the light. "The body of a child-the brain of a genius!" She picks up the gun, twirling it around her finger before gripping it correctly. "THE 2000 IQ KILLJOY DETECTIVE! SHIROGANE NAOTO!"
Slender, feminine arms wrap around Shadow Teddie, holding him close. Wearing nothing except for a skimpy yellow bikini was Shadow Rise. "And don't forget about me! The breathtaking beauty who steals the show! THE UNREACHABLE WOMAN OF DREAMS! KUJIKAWA RISE!"
Throwing his microphone upwards, Shadow Teddie started flexing his muscles. "Last but not least! The lovable bear with a huggable pair! THE DREAMBOAT LADIES MAN! TEDDIE!"
The teens stare dumbfounded at the television. The ridiculous poses, appearances, titles, and atmosphere was just too much. Yukiko, who usually would find this stuff hilarious, couldn't find it in her to laugh. "W-what's going on?" Yukiko questioned.
"This is different, too different." Naoto noted.
Shadow Teddie wagged his finger. "Oh, but the differences aren't the only thing! As I so bear-ciciously said before, this is a challenge! The Investigation Team, the saviors of Inaba versus their Ultimax counterparts in the ultimate battle!"
"What makes you idiots think we'll go along with your game?!" Chie shouted.
"Well, why wouldn't you? This isn't just any battle! But a battle with the ultimate prize on the line!"
"The ultimate prize?" Yu muttered, narrowing his eyes.
The Shadows of the Investigation Team moved apart to reveal a golden throne behind them. "If you're so curious, then take a good look!" When the spotlight shined down on the throne, Yukiko could feel her blood run cold. The rest of her friends were in a similar bout of disbelief at the mere sight in front of them.
Sitting on that golden crusted throne was none other than Ben Tennyson. His arms and legs were strapped to the seat, a dark red crown placed upon his head. Ben was stuck in slumber, unaware of the plight he was currently trapped in.
"BEN!" Yukiko screamed. She rushed towards the TV, but Yu held her back in his arms. "BEN! PLEASE!"
"Poor thing, the kid can't hear you. He's sleeping, it would be rude to wake him up. If you want to save him, well you know what to do. But don't take too long, or else the kid might bite it."
Following Shadow Teddie's message, the broadcast ended with a dramatic snap. Static was all that was left to match with the pelting rain outside. Not a single noise came from the teens as they processed the devastating information.
"Ben-chan is…" Rise covered her mouth.
"How did he even get trapped in the TV World?!" Kanji growled.
"It doesn't matter…"
Eyes shifted to the heiress; her eyes obscured by her hair. Yu was forced to let go when he felt the heiress' body heat increasing to scorching levels. "Yukiko-"
"It doesn't matter!" Her bangs swished, allowing the team to see the fury burning in her eyes. Without warning, a blazing aura ignited around her, knocking her friends back. "They dare to taunt me, while holding my little brother captive! How he got taken doesn't matter, all that matters is saving Ben and burning the ones responsible to ASHES!" Yukiko rushed towards the door, grabbing her shoes and the keys to her scooter.
"YUKIKO!" Yu and Chie were the first to jump to their feet. The rest of their friends hurried after them to stop Yukiko from doing something stupid. They stepped outside to see the heiress was already driving off towards Junes. "Dammit!" Chie cursed.
"She's not gonna listen. Not when Ben's life is on the line." Naoto said to their leader.
"We don't have a choice then." Yu turned to the others. "Usually, we'd plan these out better, but it looks like we won't have that luxury again. We're going after Yukiko, and we'll save Ben!" He turns to the detective. "Let the Tennysons know what's going on! It'll bring them some comfort to know where Ben is and that we're on the way to save him."
"Right!" Naoto quickly started sending an e-mail to Max, while they all climbed onto their own scooters. The Investigation Team took off into the summer night, quickly chasing down their runaway heiress.
"Are you certain he's in this TV World place?" Bella asked from her spot on the couch. She was munching on a bag of chips, spilling crumbs all over the floor. Alice snatched the bag away from her sister with a disapproving glare.
"If you're going to eat in someone else's house, don't make a mess." Alice scolded. She rolls her eyes when Bella sticks her tongue out at her.
Gwen, who was floating cross-legged in the air, held her spellbook in front of her. "That's what I'm trying to figure out."
Clearly still getting used to the magic abilities of her niece, Sandra speaks up. "Can your magic tell if he's okay?"
"Not really, Aunt Sandra. I'm trying my best here." Gwen responded. She knew her words didn't bring comfort, but she wasn't in a position to feel comfortable herself.
"We've never been inside of the TV World before, but I assume from your stories that it's pretty vast." Alice said.
Max nodded his head. "About as vast as the Earth itself. Yukiko and her friends always had to enter through the Junes TV in order to not get lost."
"And that's why I'm trying to locate where Ben is. His trail stops here in front of the TV, so I'm just following it through the dimensional crossway until I-" Gwen's breath hitched, causing them all to perk up.
"What is it, Gwen?!" Carl asked.
"I found him! Ben's signature!"
"Really?!" Kenny exclaimed.
"Well, more like his general location! Either way, it's likely a dungeon or something!" Gwen memorized the dungeon's signature, then broke the connection. "If we want to save him, we'll have to leave now!"
"We'll come too-"
"No!" Max interrupted his son and daughter-in-law. "What we're getting into is gonna be dangerous. I won't be able to look Ben in the eyes if something bad happened to you two while we were trying to save him."
"But-"
"Don't worry, Mr. and Mrs. Tennyson!" Bella flipped off the couch. "We'll bring him back! Just sit tight and watch!"
"We'll be back real quick, promise." Kenny added.
Carl held his wife in his arms, conflicted expressions visible. Understanding their powerlessness in this situation, the parents nodded their heads. "Just bring him back home safely, please."
Gwen smiled at her aunt and uncle. "We promise."
"Let me grab some gear from the Rustbucket before we jump in." As Max turned to the doorway, he noticed something bright red flashing straight towards the window. Decades of experience honed his senses enough to warn him of what was coming. He turns back to his family, leaping forward. "GET DOWN-"
BOOM!
An explosion tore through the Tennyson household as if it were tissue paper. Everyone was sent flying into the opposite side of the living room from the force of the boom. Smoke and debris filled the destroyed room, loud stomps filling the ringing air. Gwen slowly sat up, holding her stinging head. She looks around to see Sandra, Carl, and Kenny had been knocked unconscious, stuck under some rubble. Quickly Gwen used a construct to push the debris off of them, and thankfully none of them were badly wounded.
Suddenly, a black and red tendril shot through the smoke, wrapping around her waist. The young sorceress was hoisted into the air and dragged towards the one responsible. All of the smoke cleared away to reveal his monstrous appearance. Gwen's eyes went terrifyingly wide. "Wait… You're Malware?!"
Malware's body had gone under drastic changes since the last time they had seen him. He was much bulkier and more animalistic than before, with a slightly hunched posture and spikes on his back. His head resembled a dinosaur's, with the mark on his neck now acting as a fanged mouth. A massive cannon replaced his right arm, while his left hand was a sharp claw. "Correct, child, and I'm afraid it's irresponsible to keep promises you can't keep!"
Gwen struggled to break free from his grasp. "Grandpa's scanners didn't detect you!"
"Do you really find it hard to believe that I can change the frequency of my own energy signature?!" A burst of static shot through his arm, electrocuting the girl. Gwen's screams were music to his ears. "Now if I heard correctly, you know where the Omnitrix is, right?! Where is the boy?!
Heavy breaths escaped Gwen's throat, her eyes glaring fiercely at the evil Mechamorph. "Over…my…dead body."
"That can be arranged-"
"LET HER GO!" Bella's foot smashed into Malware's face, knocking him into the opposite wall. She sprints forward on all fours and headbutts the Galvan creation through a wall. Before she could lay down another attack, a sizzling burst of energy blows her through the air. Malware's tendrils shoot out, wrapping around Bella's throat. Then smashes her into the floor with a loud crash. She roars loudly, transforming into her werewolf state and tears through his trendril with her claws. Bella charges back into the battle with the ferocity of a wild animal.
Alice checks on Max, the ex-Plumber was struggling to get up. He had used his body to protect her and Bella from the explosion since they were the nearest ones to him. Max's left shoulder was bleeding pretty badly. "Mr. Tennyson!" She cried. Alice tore off some fabric of the curtains to wrap around his wound.
"D-don't worry about me." Max grunts as he shifts his body. "We need to stop Malware."
"You're in no condition to fight. Leave that to us and focus on getting Kenny and the others out of here." Alice finished securing the wound, then transformed into her werewolf state.
"GAH!" Bella is dragged through the floor, her body crashing into the kitchen. Malware's huge frame slams into her, burying the young girl into the floor. Pink walls materialize around him to try and crush him, but the Mechamorph blows them apart by releasing a wide beam. It tears through more of the house much to their horror.
Malware fires at Gwen, who is shoved out of the way by Alice. The werewolf girl crosses her arms to block the attack. Though she's still sent flying into the wall from the force. Alice kicks off the wall, launching herself at Malware. She and Bella converge on top of Malware with a flurry of devastating blows. Their assault is brief when Malware's body releases an eclectic pulse that brutally shocks the girls. His claws swipe with lethal intent, tearing through Alice's shirt and drawing gushes of blood.
"ALICE!" Bella screams until Malware's cannon is aimed right at her face. She tried to jump back but several tendrils captured her to hold her in place. Bella's face paled as the light building up from his weapon filled her vision. Moments before the weapon could fire, a small device was thrown between Bella and the cannon. It opened to generate a barrier to protect the wolf girl, but it couldn't hold up against the full might of the beam. Luckily, it had absorbed enough of the blow to keep Bella from getting killed. Malware dropped her unconscious body to turn to the one responsible.
Max and Gwen glared at Malware. "That's enough, Malware!"
"It's never enough! Not until I've gained the Omnitrix! My revenge on Azmuth will no longer be denied!" Malware declared. "I am his greatest creation, the one he feared more than anything, and I'll prove my superiority by destroying him with his proudest achievement!"
"You're such a broken record!" Gwen shot disks at the Mechamorph. Malware deflected her disks, then fired his own shots which prompted Gwen to put up a barrier. Max pulled out an energy grenade to throw at Malware. The evil creation tried to absorb the grenade, but a pink pillar smashed into his chin, leaving him open to take the explosion head on. Gwen kept her shield up to block the smoke. "Did it hurt him?"
Her question was answered by a huge black and red tendril smashing through her shield. It crashed into Max and sent him flying into the wall. He cried out loudly as he fell to the floor, losing consciousness.
"Grandpa!"
Malware barreled into Gwen, throwing her into the ground. His huge fist smashed into her, causing blood to cough out of her mouth. "I'd be more worried about yourself, girl!" His hand wraps around her waist. "Last time, take me to the boy or else!"
"I-I'd never do that!" Gwen grunts.
"So be it." His voice was cold, venomous to the touch. Malware's liquid-like skin started to pour into Gwen, confusing the sorceress. Then a torrent of pain shot through her body, red electrical lines zigzagging through her skin.
"W-what are you d-doing?!" Gwen screamed.
"Merging with you!" Malware answered.
"B-but I'm not-"
"For a normal Galvanic Mechamorph this would be impossible, but I am far beyond their capabilities! It won't be a perfect merge, but as long as I can reach the Omnitrix none else matters! Unfortunately for you, there's a higher risk of fatality!" Malware declared, laughing maniacally.
"G-GYAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!" Gwen's screams echoed loudly. Malware's body continued to invade her body, the lines breaching through her eyes to reach the brain. Pink and red colors flashes between her eyes as if her powers were trying to fight back.
"STOP!"
Malware paused in his corrosion of Gwen, turning around to see Alice holding Bella in her arms. The young werewolf looked terrified, struggling to keep herself awake as her wounds healed. "I-I'll tell you where Ben is… Just stop killing her."
"A-Alice…" Gwen muttered.
"Oh, really?" Malware didn't buy it. "Tell me."
Alice felt a grip on her wrist and looked down to see Bella glaring at her. "D-don't… you can't."
"If we don't tell him, then he's going to kill us all." Alice tore her wrist free.
"You'd sacrifice Ben to save me?" Disgust filled Bella's voice, stinging Alice's ears. The oldest twin didn't look happy, but she felt there was no choice in the situation. She was suddenly shoved aside as Bella forced herself to stand up.
"As if I'd settle for that! He may be an insensitive idiot most of the time, but he's still my first friend!" Bella shouted. "I'd die before letting anyone kill hi-guh!" Bella felt a hard strike to the back of her head. As she felt her consciousness slip once more, the last thing she saw was the regret in her sister's eyes. "Y-you…"
"I'm sorry. I can't lose anymore family." Alice apologized. With Bella unconscious, there was nobody stopping her. Alice glares at the Mechamorph. "If I tell you, you have to promise to leave us alone."
"Fine by me." Malware promised.
"S-stop…!" Gwen hissed as much as she could.
Alice refused to listen, pointing at the television. "He's in there. The TV leads to a different dimension. There is where you'll find Ben and the Omnitrix."
Malware, not buying into it so easily, extended a tendril into the television. To his surprise, he felt the screen ripple like water. "Ah, so you're telling the truth."
"You've gotten what you wanted, so leave us alone." Alice ordered.
"Not yet." Malware's words turned her blood cold. He raised Gwen into the air, keeping the sorceress trapped in his grasp. "I can't let me guard down in some unfamiliar place, one that you all seem quite familiar with, so I'll be taking this one with me. She'll even be good leverage to use against Ben Tennyson."
Disgruntled growls emerged from Alice's lips. "You promised…!"
"And what made you think I'd keep it?!" Malware yelled. She lunged forward to attack him, only for Malware's cannon to ignite loudly. A powerful blast emerged and collided with the wolf girl's body. Alice spiraled through the air before crashing into the kitchen cabinets. Her body fell to the floor with a soft thump.
Gwen could only watch in horror as Alice's body seemed trapped in a quiet stillness. "No…"
She is yanked down to look at the Mechamorph face-to-face as he steps towards the television. Malware's fingers brush against the screen lightly, the screen rippling like a stone in water. "Now then, destiny awaits." He and Gwen vanished from Earth, leaving the Tennyson household in disarray, while police sirens could be heard growing closer.
After entering the TV World once more, the Investigation Team gathered their weapons and followed Rise towards the Yasogami High dungeon. The twisted apparition of their town's only high school filled them with a sense of uneasiness. It was like a haunted mansion filled with only the worst creatures the world has ever seen. Which, to be fair, it likely was.
"Let's go." Yu commanded.
"Right!"
As they stepped inside of the dungeon, Rise immediately noticed something was off. Her movements stopped, drawing the attention of her allies. "Rise, what's wrong?" Naoto asked.
"This dungeon doesn't feel normal. Not like the ones we typically go through. The floors are all scattered, and I can't even seem to find the end."
"Can you at least feel Ben?" Yukiko asked.
"I-I think I can, but…it feels like something is blocking me. It's likely he's still on the roof but I can't find a path towards it!" Rise answered.
"That's because there's only ONE way! And to reach it, you'll have to earn it!"
"It's Teddie again!" Chie yelled, looking up at the school's intercom.
"My bear-vil double!" Teddie growled.
"The hell is he talking about? Earning our way?" Kanji wondered.
His question was answered by the stairway shifting mechanically, taking the form of five different pathways. Lights and screens popped out above the stair paths, cutting on with each of their faces visible.
"Are we supposed to take these paths?" Yosuke wondered with careful hesitation.
Yukiko's eyes darkened with black flames, irritated at these insipid games. "I don't have time for this! Ben's life is in danger and I refuse to play by some silly rules!" Summoning her Persona, Yukiko prepared to obliterate everything in her path.
Then the intercom loudly interrupted her. "Ah, Ah! I wouldn't do that if I were you, Yuki-chan! If you don't follow the rules of the game and earn your way to the prize, then I'm afraid we'll have to cancel the prize!"
"Cancel?!" Kanji growled. None of his friends like the sound of that threat either.
If it wasn't suffocatingly hot already, then Yukiko's anger was clearly proving otherwise. "You dare hold his life against me?!" She would have shown why their threat was a mistake if Yu hadn't grabbed her arm. "Yu-kun-"
"Now isn't the time to be losing our cool, Yukiko!" He sternly advised. "Right now, they have Ben's life at their mercy. We have no choice but to go along with what they're saying if we want to save Ben."
As much as she wanted to deny it, she knew that her boyfriend was right. Ben's life was at stake and rash actions would just get him killed. Yukiko lessens her fiery pressure and dispels her Persona. "Fine."
"Thank you, and I'm sorry." He apologies softly, then turns to Rise. "Can you-"
"I'm trying, Senpai, but these paths are our only option. I can't even tell where they lead." Rise responded, wracked with guilt.
"If I were to make a guess, we'll likely be facing our Shadows at the ends of these paths." Naoto noted the screen above the paths.
There were four singles: Yu, Yukiko, Yosuke, and Chie.
Two doubles: Naoto and Kanji, then Rise and Teddie.
The leader turned to face his team. "Guys, this dungeon is going to be a lot different than the ones we've faced before. But our goal remains the same. No matter what, we're going to save Ben and stop whoever is responsible!"
"That's right, Sensei!"
"Yeah, Senpai!"
"No duh!"
"You got that right, partner."
"We have to." Yukiko swore to herself.
With their resolve strengthened, the Investigation Team gave one last look to each other before walking down their respective paths, fully unaware of what awaited them.
The first to reach their destination was Yu, to his surprise, the end of his path was the rooftop of the dungeon. "The roof?!" His eyes scanned quickly, landing on the golden throne with the young hero trapped on it. "Ben!" The Wild Card sprinted forward to reach Ben, but a shining blade struck the space between him, stopping Yu cold. "What?!"
"Did you really think it would be that easy?!" Looking up, the leader found his Shadow standing on one of the jagged spikes jutting through the roof. "If you want to reach him, then you'll have to beat me first!" He leaps down, landing behind his sword and tore it out of the concrete to twirl in his grasp. "However, just know that it won't be so easy."
Taking his sword out of his sheath, Yu prepared himself for battle. "Don't get so full of yourself. My friends and I have faced far worse than this!"
Shadow Yu smirked at the declaration. "I wonder about that…truly."
Without any other words, the hero and Shadow pressed steel against steel, sparks dancing between them. One held eyes of determination and hope, while the other held eyes of twisted nightmares and carnage.
Yukiko and her Shadow faced off in an abandoned classroom, not a word being shared between the fiery women. The heiress wasted no time in shattering her tarot card. "Maragidyne." The Shadow didn't move as the torrent of massive fireballs collided with her, devastating the entire classroom.
Chie kicked down the door of the auditorium, glaring at her dark double sitting on the stage at the other end of the hall. "I finally found you, faker!"
"Faker?" Her Shadow stood up. "I think you're the fake one around here! You're comparing yourself to me?! HA! You're not even good enough to be my fake!" She stepped back with a dark chuckle.
Chie growled at her copy. "I'll make you eat those words!"
"You won't even get the chance!"
The two charged at one another, connecting their legs in a fierce exchange. The force of their clash created a shockwave that cracked the walls and the floor.
"Well, well, if it isn't the bond ruiner himself." Shadow Yosuke sneered as his original arrived in the classroom.
"How do you-"
"I'm YOU, remember?" Shadow Yosuke jabbed with his kunai. "All of your loathe and self-hatred is felt by me! The Ultimax manifestation of your desires."
Yosuke took a deep breath before prepping his own weapons. "I'm not gonna deny it. I've learned my lesson from that already, but you're standing in the way of my goal!"
Shadow Yosuke chuckled. "Yeah, you're always in the way of your own goal, aren't you?"
"Why are you the only one dressed skimpy?!" Rise yelled at her counterpart.
Shadow Rise scoffed, crossing her arms to push up her breasts. "Jealous?"
"W-why you…?!" Rise hissed, blushing brightly.
"Don't worry, Rise-chan! I think your breasts are big enough!" Teddie exclaimed.
"Exactly, Rise-chan! Your bouncy boobs are beary good for me!" Shadow Teddie chimed in.
"YOU DON'T HAVE TO ADD THAT!" Rise yelled at both of the bears. Her double just soaked up the compliments.
"Thank you, boys~!" Shadow Rise blew a kiss at both bears, causing their eyes to turn into bright cartoonish hearts.
"AH~! RISETTE~!"
"I'M RISETTE, DAMMIT!"
Shadow Naoto hid behind Shadow Kanji, the tough-guy double cracked his knuckles as the originals arrived inside of the locker room. Shadow Kanji's face twisted into a freakish grin. "Oh~! Seems our lovely rivals have appeared, Naoto~!"
"R-really?" Shadow Naoto peeked out to see.
Kanji punched his palm. "Alright, you two, out of our way before we make you!"
"Eep!" Shadow Naoto squeaked.
"Trust me, I'm always ready for a good time with you~!" Shadow Kanji winked. Then his gaze shifted to the killjoy detective. "There's enough of me to go around for you too, Naoto~!"
She double-checked her bullets, then locked the chamber back into place. Naoto pointed her revolver at the two. "I'm good, thanks."
Swords clashed against one another, sparks dancing between the Wild Card and his deranged double. Their mastery of swordsmanship showed itself through this exchange of strikes. However, only one of them was going to come out on top. A warrior that's gone through several hundreds of battles with his blade will always have the edge over the one that merely copied his prowess. Yu deflected a strike, then countered with a slash that knocked his opponent back.
His double dropped to his knee, clearly exhausted from their heated clash. "H-how are you so strong?!"
"Isn't it obvious?! I have something worth fighting for, while you're doing all of this for nothing but sport!" His tarot card appeared above his palm, then was crushed like glass. "Come forth, Izanagi!" Silver light flashed brightly, forming into the Fool's powerful Persona. Izanagi loomed above like a phantom. "As long as I have my bonds, then I can't ever lose when something important is on the line! Izanagi, Raimeizan!"
Izanagi's weapon crackles with overwhelming electrical power. He lunges forward at blitzing speed. The Shadow's eyes widened as the Persona struck, cutting through him and releasing a painful shocking force that burnt his body to a crisp. He dropped to the ground like a heavy sack of potatoes.
Yu dispelled his Persona with a relieved breath. He stared at the charred corpse of his Shadow with a look of contempt. "That was easy. Perhaps, I was just too strong for even a Shadow of myself." His eyes locked onto Ben, walking past the corpse to reach the boy. "Hang on, Ben, I'm coming."
"Bonds, huh?"
The Fool stopped, eyes widening at the voice. He quickly turns around to see his Shadow standing back up. The charred body shakes his limbs as if he were loosening his joints. Yu could only look dumbfoundedly at his opponent. "But how-"
"Ah~! I don't really get all that 'bond' stuff you keep going on about. Trusting others, depending on them, and fighting for them doesn't suit a guy like me." He reaches up to his face, tearing off his burnt skin as if it were a suit. He continued to do so for the rest of his body, revealing a completely different person underneath the skin.
Standing in front of Yu Narukami was a young man with bright red hair, blue eyes with a cross-shaped scar across his face. He wears a Yasogami High school uniform and an olive green button-down shirt with black collar and cuffs and a yellow band on one sleeve emblazoned with a black star inside a circle. He wears the uniform jacket around his waist. His sneakers are yellow and black. "Honestly, it disgusts me."
"You, you're not a Shadow?!" Yu exclaimed in shock.
The young man turned around with a nasty grin. "Never was, I'm something far more dangerous. I have to say, I didn't like the old guy's plan at first but…" He points at Narukami. "That look on your face made all this tedious shit worth it."
Narrowing his eyes, Yu stepped forward. "Old guy? I don't know who you're talking about, but first I want to know one thing! Just who are you?!"
The young man raised both of his arms, summoning a pair of twin blades. "The name's Minazuki Sho, Wild Card. Welcome to the beginning of the end."
Yukiko closed her eyes, taking a moment to destress. Flames burned all around her, evident from her explosive attack a bit ago. Seeing that her opponent was clearly annihilated by the blast, Yukiko looked over the exit. "Time to find Ben."
BA-BUMP!
"KYA!" Yukiko dropped to the ground, clutching her heart. It wasn't just her heart either, her entire body felt like it was rupturing in pain. Seeing her fan had been dropped, Yukiko reached to grab it. However, a foot kicked the object away from her, stealing her attention to realize that the one standing before her was her Shadow. "You're alive?! How did you-"
"It'll take far more than that to kill me. Not that you'll have the chance to do so." Shadow Yukiko's entire body was charred black. She reached up and started tearing away the burnt flesh in grotesque fashion. Yukiko could only watch as the pieces of black fell to the floor to reveal the truth underneath.
"You're not a Shadow?! Just who are you?!" Yukiko questioned.
The silver haired cyborg opened her palm, summoning a huge double-ended axe. Her piercing red eyes locked onto Yukiko's burning coal orbs. "My name is Labrys." She raised the axe up, much to Yukiko's horror. "Ben's true sister."
SLASH!
Chapter End
NOTE: Well, things certainly escalated quickly. While both groups figured out where Ben had gone, they find themselves placed in very dangerous situations just as quickly. Malware makes his move and has Gwen captured, while Labrys and Sho have the Investigation Team trapped in a dangerous game. Where are S.E.E.S. and how did this entire situation come to be? You'll just have to wait till the next chapter to find out!
Have a great day!