68Chapter 7: Wellbred Woods
"Worthless vermin! Face your end with the rest of your accursed race!" The Highbreed Commander declared. Ben and the others had found themselves up inside another Highbreed facility, trying to cut off more of their Xenocyte supply.
"Good luck on that, buddy! I've dealt with worse than you before!" Chromastone declared as he retaliated by firing an ultraviolet blast at the Highbreed. He and the others worked to face against him and the DNAliens that surrounded them. Julie had sent forth a wave of fire that left a swarm of DNAliens backing away in fear, especially since Fire Kirby was providing some extra firepower. Sword Knight and Blade Knight, meanwhile helped Kevin and Gwen in dealing with the other DNAliens that tried to flank them. Creating a pink wall, Gwen quickly managed to turn defense to offense by sending the wall forward, and Kevin, having absorbed stone earlier, had managed to take out any stragglers with the aid of Meta Knight and his apprentices.
"Indeed. We've defeated one of your ilk before, and we're more than happy to give a repeat performance of our deeds!" Blade Knight declared.
"Silence!" At this, the Highbreed began to launch his claws like darts at the heroes, working to try to impale them. Of course, Julie and the others weren't about to let that happen. Kirby quickly roasted the needles to oblivion, giving Julie an opportunity to unleash a powerful bolt of lightning that left nearby DNAliens twitching. The Highbreed growled at the annoyance, which gave way to a shot of pain as he suddenly felt a cut on his body, and looking to his right arm, he saw purple blood oozing from a freshly formed slash wound. "And now you expose my blood to this...impure air? You will pay for your insolence!"
"Wasn't us, guv, but you're still goin' down!" Sword Knight argued. With that, he and Blade Knight charged ahead, their swords infused with wind and water respectively, and they unleashed a blast of water that, combined with billowing winds, hit with the equivalent force of a tsunami. With that, the Highbreed found himself blown into another energy blast from Chromastone before getting slammed by mana from Gwen and Kevin performing a rising uppercut.
"Hope you like eatin' your teeth. And have you been getting more tolerant to 'infection'?" Kevin smirked.
"You dare?" The Highbreed growled as he slowly turned to the ex-Null Void resident.
"When we fought one of you the first time, he tried to sterilize the area after Humungosaur bit him!" Kevin chuckled. "Didn't work out, though, since that got stopped!"
"How...dare...you mock us?!" The Highbreed snarled, rushing forward in a blind rage, only for Julie to compress some of the nearby floor into a boulder that she launched into his chest while Kirby followed that by turning into a flaming cannonball, and that was followed by Meta Knight unleashing a Sword Beam that Chromastone followed with an ultraviolet blast of energy. The combined assault sent the Highbreed flying into a heap and rolling across the floor of the facility.
"Now, let us finish this!" Meta Knight declared. "Drill Rush!" With that, he flew towards the top of the ceiling, and holding Galaxia forward, he spun like a corkscrew, boring through the ceiling and leaving spiderwebs of cracks to form throughout it. Chromastone and Gwen were quickly follow this by sending flurries of mana and ultraviolet energy throughout the rest of the building, turning the walls into unstable Swiss cheese. With all that, the Highbreed growled, realizing the battle had been lost.
"Know this, Tennyson. You have won this battle, but you have not won the war. Your kind will fall before us, and once Earth is eliminated, no one will oppose us!" With that, the Highbreed ran through the walls, the sounds of teleportation soon ringing out.
"They must have had an escape vehicle ready, but all the same, well done Kirby! And you as well Ben!" Meta Knight complimented his allies. "Now, let us be on our way." With that, the group left the wreck of the facility, happy to throw another wrench into their plans.
Unbeknownst to all, a certain egg-shaped ninja retrieved a hira shuriken, coated in purple blood. "Magolor, requesting a teleport, now!"
"I have what you asked for, Dr. Moro," Yamikage replied as he handed in the blood-stained shuriken back on the Lor Starcutter. Dr. Moro looked at the little metal star with stars in his eyes.
"Perfect! Just what I need to make something out of what I made off with as I left that accursed world!" He chuckled. Yamikage cocked an eyebrow in confusion as he pulled out what seemed to be a simple apple.
"I knew you were not the most sane, but how does an apple help us?" Yamikage asked in confusion.
"Because this is an apple from Whispy Woods!" Dr. Moro revealed. "I wanted to use his fruit to create super-soldiers to fight against Sectonia, but that idiot King Dedede and those completely clueless Cappies said such a thing would be "a crime against nature" and "a violation of a close friend"! Friends? With a tree?"
"Hmm. How powerful was Whispy Woods, if you'll permit the question?" Yamikage wondered.
"Quite remarkable. Nature bent to his will. He could call forth powerful gusts of winds, use his roots to impale foes from below or leave them in a nasty bind, and rain apples hard as boulders that could also turn into sapling soldiers! He was one true force of the forest!" Yamikage ranted.
"I see," Yamikage acknowledged. "How long will it take for it to be ready?"
"A few days, at least. Hybridization is an incredibly difficult endeavor, even for a genius like me!" Dr. Moro explained. "But fear not, when this is over, Kirby will be as much of a threat to Nightmare as a fly on the wall!"
"Okay, let's try this again," Julie said as she prepared to serve. She and Ben had decided to train in tennis again. Even if she was a superpowered girl now, she still had her tournaments to prepare for. Tennis was still her all-time favorite sport, after all.
"POYO! POYO!" Kirby cheered on for both mommy and daddy as he watched them play. The two waved to Kirby, who had been sat down in the referee's seat as a makeshift highchair. With that, Julie served the ball, and Ben was quick to return the ball back. Kirby watched the ball go back and forth, almost hypnotized by the motion of the ball, though the constant mention of serving was making Kirby hungry. In time, he began to stop seeing the tennis ball as a tennis ball, and more of a giant gumball. A giant, lemon-lime flavored, sweet and sour gumball. Kirby's mouth began to fill with drool, and soon enough, the grumbling in his tummy won over his infantile rationality. Taking a great big inhale, he sucked the tennis ball while also knocking both Ben and Julie off-balance. When he swallowed the tennis ball, his eyes widened before he spat it out.
"Kirby!" Both Ben and Julie scolded Kirby as they glared at him. With that, Kirby's eyes began to water as he let out a small whine, the adorable effect being equivalent to a pile of puppies and kittens all having their charm turned up to 11. With that, the two cooed and hugged the little puffball, more than aware that Kirby had all the ill-intent a newborn chinchilla, and Kirby happily snuggled into the dual embrace of his adoptive parents.
"We can't get angry at you, Kirby. But that doesn't mean we can be too lenient with you if you do something bad," Julie explained to her adoptive son.
"We just want you to be the best...you, you can be!" Ben agreed with his girlfriend as he comforted Kirby. "Just a little something your grandma taught me. People don't have time to waste scolding people they don't care about! Even if we're hard on you, it's only because we love you."
"Poyo! Poyo!" Kirby cooed.
"Meeting begins regarding the matter of an alliance with the so-called Nightmare Enterprise begins now," A Highbreed spoke. "I am Reinrassig III. Seventh son of the Noble Highbreed House of Di Ralla, and direct descendant of the Pure Blooded High Order of Rasecht. I was told that we've lost yet another facility to the protectors of this planet?"
"Unfortunately, the message is true. We have lost another Xenocyte factory," The Highbreed from earlier confirmed.
"No matter. We have other facilities spread throughout the country. Improve security as needed, and continue the hunt for the necessary components," Reinrassig ordered. "Onto the main topic of discussion. Earlier, our facility in Santa Carla was destroyed by those interlopers, and we were contacted by the being calling itself Nightmare. We saw the footage of its monster, labelled Kracko, and offered aid in our quest. The question is do we accept or not?"
"Out of the question!" Many Highbreed immediately answered.
"We do not require the aid of mongrel species!"
"The Highbreed will not be indebted to lesser beings!"
"Your suggestion is of great disgrace, Reinrassig!"
"ENOUGH!" Reinrassig bellowed, silence emerging immediately. "I understand your points. Every cell in my body shudders even thinking about such a thing as heinous as asking for help from lesser creatures. But Earth is the best test ground for later invasion forces as we continue our crusade. Would you prefer that we go after Pyros and be roasted? To cut through the accursed jungles of Aranhascimmia and its monstrous predators? To struggle in the tempestuous lands of Kinet? Earth's numerous climates are ideal ways for us to prepare our invasion for other planets. If we cannot conquer Earth, then our later invasions will be far more futile and fruitless." Reinrassig's points were not ignored, and many Highbreed began to discuss the matter with more uncertainty. "I understand that this idea is anathema to every ideal the Highbreed hold dear, but who is to say that we remain loyal for our entire time?" Reinrassig raised a fist into the air. "When we have observed their technology enough, we will take it for ourselves, and wipe them out with their own powers!" The Highbreed began murmuring in agreement hearing that Reinrassig did not intend on leaving dependent on some mongrel race. "I understand you would like time to discuss this, so let us reconvene in a few hours so we can decide our plans." With that, the other Highbreed left, leaving Reinrassig alone with his thoughts.
"Have I done the right thing in indebting us to these unknown outsiders? Will they come through and prove themselves worthy servants?"
While Reinrassig pondered over his suggestion, Magolor was going through some more potential plans, involving monsters like Coily Rattler and perhaps Octacon. Dr. Moro was currently working on hybridizing Whispy Wood's DNA with that of the Highbreed, and he knew that Kirby and his allies would be willing to go anywhere as long as he brought something against them. Soon enough, he received a call from his master, and snapped to attention. "Magolor!"
"How can I help you, master?" Magolor asked, a catlike smile implied in his eyes.
"Dr. Moro needs a bit of time for his latest project, so I was wondering if you'd be willing to give some monsters as a way to distract a certain puffball and company?" Nightmare smirked.
"What kind of monster did you have in mind? Something big? Masher, perhaps?" Magolor suggested.
"Perhaps, but let's not start too big at the moment. Something small. A way to weaken Kirby and his allies enough for Dr. Moro's pet project to dispose of them," Nightmare argued.
"Well, how about the Simirror Squad?" Magolor offered. "They're relatively recent, and it would be a good way to field test them for our more successful customers."
"Hmm..." Nightmare pondered. A few seconds passed before he made his decision. "Alright. Let's see how this goes. We can reflect on our problems later, but I hope Dr. Moro's project will bear fruit. Though let's send another monster to back them up. Is Fire Lion ready?"
"Oh yes!" Magolor smiled as the sounds of crackling fire and a guttural growl filled the bridge.
Later that day, Ben, Julie, and Kirby decided to enjoy some more time together, going to the park and enjoying the sights of nature before them. Kirby was fascinated by everything around. The green leaves of the trees contrasting the bright blue sky, the birds that flew over their heads, and the butterflies that flew around like leaves in the wind. One particular butterfly caught Kirby's eye: one with its wings being shades of red, orange, and yellow, going from white to yellow to orange to red from the body to the tip of the wings. Kirby smiled, but when she looked at the butterfly, she felt a strange chill crawl up her spine. Perhaps that chill was more literal, as she sudden began cooling the air around her hands.
'Why are my powers acting up looking at that butterfly?' She wondered. Her musings were interrupted when she heard the sounds of screaming, and turned to see what looked like a monstrous lion roaring and growling. The lion seemed ordinary, except for its fur being dark brown and its mane and tail tuft being made of fire. Accompanying it were four creatures likely sent by Nightmare. They all looked like small wizards that were Kirby's size, but their eyes were obscured by their orange hats and red robes. Each wielded a small scepter ending in a glass square bipyramid. The lion let out another roar as it set its claws on fire, causing more flames to grow.
"Well, guess we're fighting Nightmare again," Ben huffed and readied the Omnitrix. Switching between Chromastone and Echo Echo, he finally found the form he was looking for before slamming down the Omnitrix.
"BIG CHILL!" The Necrofriggian announced in a ghostly whisper. With that, Big Chill rushed towards the flaming feline, only for two Simirrors to rush forward before pointing their wands at Big Chill. The Necrofriggian unleashed a gale of cold air at Fire Lion, only for a glass-like barrier to surround the trio of monsters and reflect the ice breath back at him. "WHOA!" While he went intangible and his breath flew through his body, it hit a nearby tree, coating it in ice and frost. "Okay, so don't fire anything at those guys."
"POYO!" Kirby began to suck up air before his eyes landed on some nearby rocks, turning towards them and eventually swallowing them. With that, Kirby began to transform again.
Stone Kirby Transformation
Kirby had pebbles beginning to coalesce around his head before they turned into a crown of rock spikes, also having horns on the side and five decorative rocks on the rim. When Kirby had the crown put on him, his skin changed from pink to tan.
"Whoa, another new form!" Julie noted as she turned towards Kirby, her arms coated in water. Fire Lion attempted to blast her with fire before she used said water to douse the flames.
"So, guess you're Stone Kirby, then?" Big Chill wondered as he decided to fly towards the Simirror duo, who retaliated by sending what looked like glass planes, though as he went intangible, he saw them slice through the frozen tree with total ease, and the tree fragments toppled like a house of cards. However, Kirby soon ran towards them, coalescing rock around one of his arms before turning the stone into a massive stone fist, one he used to uppercut one Simirror into oblivion. "Well, you're definitely packing a punch to fear!"
"POYO!" Kirby smiled hearing Papa praise him. With that, he flew above another before suddenly coalescing stone around his body, turning into a heavy rock that fell like an anvil from an old cartoon and squished another Simirror, knocking its wand out of its grasp. With that, Julie sent a blast of water into Fire Lion, though its flaming body simply evaporated it.
"Well, okay, that didn't work, so how about we cool things even more!" With that, she unleashed a gale of frigid air from her hands, Big Chill immediately following suit with his Necrofriggian breath. With that, Fire Lion found its body coated in a thick layer of ice.
"I've heard of people being cool cats, but this takes the cake!" Big Chill chuckled. That chuckling stopped as cracks began to form within the ice, and the beast broke out, sending chunks of ice everywhere. The other Simirrors tried to protect the beast, but were quickly frozen when an intangible Big Chill ran through them, which made them easy pickings for Julie to unleash her geokinetic abilities to sink them into the ground, leaving only the fiery feline. Said big cat let out a defiant roar, only for Kirby to cut it off by turning to stone above him and landing on its back, making it roar in pain. With that, Julie summoned a torrent of water into the cat, weakening it further while Big Chill quickly chilled it with his ice breath. The Fire Lion did not let up, though its chest heaved with exhaustion. With that, Julie elected to finish the fight, and sent forth a powerful bolt of lightning that ultimately reduced the beast to ash.
"Is it ready? Fire Lion is no more!" Nightmare needled Dr. Moro.
"Just about. Just a little added growth serum, and..." Dr. Moro assured his master. The sounds of roaring and the creaking of wood rang out, and the mad doctor made a sinister smirk, one Nightmare shared.
"Excellent," Nightmare chuckled. "This shall be most interesting."
"Should I give Kirby his new...gift?" Magolor slyly wondered.
"Yes..." Nightmare smiled. "His final present! Highbreed Woods!"
Soon after the fiery feline had been defeated, Ben had transformed back to his human self while Julie and Kirby were taking a couple deep breaths.
"Okay. At least we got through that," Julie huffed. "Surely that's the worst he'll throw at us."
Julie's pleas, unfortunately, went unanswered as a monstrous being stood before them. It resembled a Highbreed, but rather than pure white, its skin, or rather its bark, was a light tan. The membranes within its wings were leaf-like in appearance, the normal orange appearing at the tips like leaves in autumn. Its face was similar to a normal Highbreed, but the chest had a massive mouth similar to that on a jack-o-lantern. Its limbs still ended in black wood but looked like gnarled roots, giving them the appearance of roots of a burnt tree. The horns atop its head extended to a much larger extent, and with the leaves and apple-esque fruits growing off them, they more closely resembled branches. Turning to the trio, the chest mouth let out a monstrous roar.
"What...is that?!" Julie could only ask in horror.
"I have no idea," Ben could only mutter as he reactivated the Omnitrix. "But we still gotta take it down!"
BGM - Blazing! Boss Battle from Kirby's Return to Dreamland
Turning the Omnitrix, he found the form he wanted: Humungousaur. With that, he transformed into the Vaxasaurian and let out a vicious roar. "HUMUNGOUSAUR!" With that, Julie coated her hands in fire as Kirby prepared a stone fist. The trio unleashed a vicious assault, with Humungousaur and Stone Kirby simultaneously slugging it as Julie unleashed a powerful blast of fire. However, the best was undeterred, merely being pushed back. At once, it punched into the ground, causing numerous roots to jut from it, quickly wrapping around the Vaxasaurian like an octopus's tentacles. For Stone Kirby, the mouth on its chest actually began sucking up Kirby as it stood up. Julie could only watch on shock as Kirby was sucked into its chest mouth and was then chewed up.
"KIRBY!" Julie and Humungousaur cried out simultaneously. With that, the Vaxasaurian began to grow, and numerous changes became obvious. Spikes grew along his tail, armored plates littered his head and back like a Stegosaur, and the scales on his shoulders and arms grew and split. His strength increasing like his size did, he ripped his wooden bindings apart, and slugged the monstrous hybrid, causing it to cough up Kirby, who sported some bruises and, more critically, had been deprived of his Stone ability.
"THAT DOES IT! NOBODY HURTS KIRBY!" Humungousaur roared in fury, unleashing a series of wild punches at the tree/Highbreed hybrid and making it stagger.
"DITTO FOR THAT!" Julie concurred as she unleashed a powerful blast of electricity. "Time to fell you!" With that, Julie concentrated and formed a sword of ice, starting to hack through the wooden tendrils it sent forth. The monster roared in pain at Julie's slicing, and it didn't look happy as it reached to the fruits atop its head. Plucking them, it dropped them to the ground; when they landed, the fruit grew monstrous vine-like tentacles as they, and a single eye opened on each of their cephalothoraxes before revealing a lamprey-like mouth, the "teeth" made of tough roots. All in all, they resembled gross Xenocite/apple highbreeds. Julie turned her attention to them as she and Humungousaur decided to go for them, especially since one of them had taken a bite on his tail, making him roar in pain. Kirby had shook himself and his attention to one of the Simirror wands left behind. His infant gears turned before he smiled and went to suck it up. With that, Humungousaur, Julie and Highbreed Woods turned to Kirby as he underwent another transformation.
Mirror Kirby Transformation
Kirby looked around as a mirror suddenly appeared before him. Looking at his reflection, he and the mirror suddenly began to spin before it broke into pieces. Beams of light began to shoot from the mirror fragments, forming into a ball that turned into a small wand and a violet and sky blue two-pointed hat, with a reflective front rim with blue edges and a gold and silver hexagonal gem at the crest. As the hat landed on his hand, he grabbed the wand, the mirror fragments forming its square-pyramidal tip.
"I see Kirby has a new power. The Mirror Ability, from the looks of it," An arriving Meta Knight commented.
"How did you-?" Humungousaur asked, quickly cut off.
"Your roar wasn't exactly the quietest, though I think I was the only who heard," Meta Knight quickly answered, much to Humungousaur's embarrassment. "I don't recognize this monster, but I wouldn't be surprised if Nightmare is making strides to use your current conflict with the Highbreed to their advantage."
"No kidding!" Julie huffed as she slew two monstrous apples. "Wouldn't be a surprise if they teamed up at some point."
"Indeed," Meta Knight concurred. "But let us focus on today's problem."
"Good point," Humungousaur noted as he slapped the beast with his tail. The staggered beast was left vulnerable as Meta Knight unsheathed Galaxia and sent a sword beam to slice off its right arm from the elbow down. The beast roared in pain before it stuck its remaining arm into the ground. At once, Humungousaur and the others noticed the greenery looking sicker and weaker, as if they hadn't been watered in weeks. They turned to the Highbreed Woods, and realized it was regrowing its arm as it absorbed nutrients and water from the surrounding soil and greenery. After its arm regrew, it began altering into a wooden gatling gun, and as it revved up, Kirby took action.
"POYO!" He declared as he erected a mirror-like wall in front of everyone, and when the gatling gun arm fired a large amount of seeds, they were transformed into glass stars that flew back into its gun arm and simultaneously sliced into it and jammed it up. With that, the beast tore off its gun arm and regrew a plain one in its place. Kirby was not deterred, and began sending mirror images of himself to pummel the monster, making it growl in pain. Seeing the monster struggle, Meta Knight, Humungousaur, and Julie rushed forth. Meta Knight turned his cape into wings and began flying around, making swipes across various parts of the monster's body while Humungousaur pummeled the beast with his massive fists as Julie sent powerful bolts of lightning that scorched the beast's bark.
If they thought that the beast would yield, unfortunately, they were gravely mistaken. Instead, the onslaught of attacks enraged Highbreed Woods, and it let out a bestial roar.
Nightmare gleefully sneered at the display before him. The Omnitrix Wielder, the veteran Star Warrior, the Jambastion High Priestess, and the one fated to slay him were all unable to land decisive blows against Dr. Moro's great creation.
"Marvelous," he mused. "Simply marvelous. This beast has proven more than worth its weight in Taydenite! Even if it should fall, I do believe it'll be a treat for our potential allies to observe! Their natural physiology enhanced with that of beings beyond their understanding of the universe itself!"
"So, I take it that you're happy how things are going?" Magolor wondered.
"Oh yes," Nightmare smiled. "Even if it should fall, it will most definitely be eye-catching for our potential new clients!"
The beast continued to roar in agony, especially when Mirror Kirby sent a series of square mirror panes that had razor sharp edges, slicing into its wooden flesh. The quartet had managed to inflict several cuts and dents into Highbreed Woods. All the blows did nothing to deter the beast. Quite on the contrary, it made it go mad. Highbreed Woods let out another bestial roar, planting its legs into the ground. With that, a massive array of roots grew like weeds, encasing all of them in a circular wall of wood.
"This can't be good. Ben, can you get an aerial view of the situation?" Julie noted.
"Worth a shot!" With that, Humungousaur hit the Omnitrix symbol and turned into an Aerophibian.
"Jetray!" With that, Jetray took the skies, but before he could go too high, the roots quickly worked to try to impale him, forcing him to go around dodging the attacks. Worse still, the ground became a minefield, as more roots, these laced with spikes. While Highbreed Roots original seemed based on an apple tree, now it bore a greater resemblance to a dynamite tree, as its fruit, once red and round, now had a greenish, gourd-like shape. Its body also expanded, becoming thicker, and was littered with spikes, and its head vanished from view, swallowed by the rest of its body. When it shook its whole body, the fruits were unleashed, but instead of turning into monsters like they had before, they exploded like shrapnel grenades.
With that, Julie and Kirby quickly made their defenses, Kirby creating a mirror shield that deflected some of the shrapnel while Julie formed an ice wall that was thick enough to endure the blasts. The beast continued its assault, however, and sent forth several more grenade fruits, littering the area with sharp seed shrapnel and bitter-tasting fruit flesh. At once, the beast fired several spikes from its body, and while the grounded trio were able to shield themselves, Jetray wasn't so lucky, and one of the spikes nearly took out an eye. Worse, it was coated in a strong irritant that made him scream in pain, making him fall to the ground. "GAHHH! IT BURNS!" In his panic, he also began firing several neuroshock blasts, some striking Highbreed Woods with little effect but one striking Kirby and knocking the Mirror ability out of him. "Sorry, guys. But this...really hurts!"
"Calm down, Ben," Meta Knight instructed. "But it may be a good idea to change into Swampfire. It may provide some relief."
"Y-yeah. Gotcha," With that, Jetray hit the Omnitrix Symbol and transformed into his Methanosian form.
"SWAMPFIRE!" The Methanosian gasped in pain. "Gah! That still smarts a bit. But this ain't over yet!"
"It was quite the investment to create this beast, Master," Dr. Moro noted as he wrote observations in his notebook. "But I dare say that it was worth every penny!"
"Indeed," Nightmare sneered. "All that and more! Look at those foolish fighters trapped like rats in a cage! This should certainly prove a worthy showcase to those stubborn Highbreed!"
"Their loss if they decide not to take your offer!" Magolor added. He, too, was glad to see just how much Kirby and company were struggling against their latest product. Even still, now that this beast had proven effective, it was certainly possible to market it to other customers. "So who do you think should get our new product? I hear the Incurseans are looking for more mercenaries to bolster their forces!"
"That...may not be such a bad idea," Nightmare mused. "I suppose they are quite rabid for violence and conquest, and we haven't made any deals with them for a couple generations. It may not be such a bad idea to restart our business relationships."
"I was thinking a bit closer to my home," Dr. Moro mused, his glasses shining sinisterly. "How ironic that the accursed Whispy Woods be beaten by beast borne of his biology! And the look of despair on that king-sized oaf as we wreck the rest of his kingdom? Priceless!"
"An equal valid suggestion, my dear doctor!" Nightmare complimented his minion's cruel mind. "Even should it fall, I dare say that it would be easy enough to recreate, wouldn't it?"
"Indeed, milord," Dr. Moro concurred. "I am a scientist, so before I did anything, I copied the genes of all monsters again and again to ensure that more splicing could be done in the future. With any other alien species, I can always use my mosyrintos to obtain a blood sample." At the snap of his fingers, syringes with wings buzzing look those of mosquitoes buzzed around him.
"Excellent!" Nightmare grinned. "I hope you're ready, Kirby and company. Your fights are going to prove most entertaining and cathartic to watch!"
The fight could best be described as a mess, now. Highbreed Woods had taken almost complete command of the battlefield thanks to its roots almost completely encircling the area around the combatants. Kirby was smarting, as was Swampfire, his eye still searing with pain. His regenerative factor, thankfully, had started lowering the pain, and it would most likely pass soon enough. However, it still didn't look good at all. Highbreed Woods let out another series of air bullets, one striking Swampfire and tearing his right arm from his shoulder. Kirby and Julie gasped at the injury, but were more surprised when a vine grew out of Swampfire's shoulder and snaked towards the vine, reconnecting it and dragging it back like a winch. In a few moments, the arm had reattached to its joint, and the wound completely vanished. "Let's do this! Time to turn you into mulch!"
"Indeed!" Meta Knight concurred, his cape turning into bat wings. With that, he took flight and began making numerous slashes. The beast flinched at the blows a glowing Galaxia inflicted, but it unleashed another bevy of exploding fruit, threats that Julie quickly shielded the grounded allies with through a stone barrier. Once the threat seemed abated, she sent the stones at Highbreed Woods while Swampfire was quick to assist with twin jets of fire. It was then, however, he had an idea.
"Hey Kirby! Suck these seeds up!" With that, he threw an array of seeds into the air, and Kirby was quick to inhale them, transforming yet again.
Leaf Kirby Transformation
Kirby found himself surrounded by a cyclone of green leaves, all of which began to concentrate around his head. With that, his skin changed into a light green, and atop his head was a crown of leaves, two withered leaves in the back, and an emerald with a gold bezel on his forehead. His crown completed, he beat his chest like a gorilla as four leaves orbited him before raising his arms to send them forth.
"Ah! Excellent. You've brought forth Leaf Kirby, one attuned to the will and power of flora!" Meta Knight noted as he sent a Sword Beam that sliced off some of Highbreed Woods' branches, making it roar in pain again. With that, Leaf Kirby began throwing leaves like kunai, and they were as sharp as knives as they cut into the monster's wooden flesh. Kirby wasn't done just yet, and began spinning towards the beast, leaves surrounding him and turning him into a makeshift blender. As Highbreed Woods sent out more tendrils to try and impale the infant Star Warrior, Kirby simply danced around the roots before sending all the leaves out to shred them into mulch. As the beast roared in pain, Swampfire, Julie, and Meta Knight continued the assault, not giving the beast any quarter. However, it was obvious this was naught but a prolonged tit-for-tat battle, but that was when Swampfire had an idea.
"Hey! Root Face! Is that all you got?" The beast growled in indignation at this. "Because all you look like is a lotta glorified firewood!" Highbreed Woods let out a louder roar at this insinuation. "And I've seen bigger explosions from firecrackers!" That tore it, as the monster began to inhale, only for Swampfire to suddenly grab Kirby.
"Once you're in there, create as many leaves as you can and send them everywhere you can send them," Swampfire whispered to Kirby just before he threw him into the beast's gaping maw. The beast was surprised, but nevertheless tried to chew up Kirby, only to be distracted as Swampfire began sending out large amounts of methane gas. As this happened, Kirby began following Ben's orders, and began sending leaves everywhere he could, some impaling the roof of Highbreed Woods' mouth and others going deeper into his body. The monster no longer trying to chew him up, Kirby began creating an array of leaves around him in a massive tornado. Soon, the leaf tornado shredded the monster's insides, and just at that moment, Swampfire snapped his fingers as a massive cloud of methane enveloped the monster's stem. The very volatile cloud lit up in a plume of flame, roasting the monster's exterior, and as it let out one single tear from one of its four eyes, its blackened wood began to spread across the roots that had surrounded the battlefield. In a few moments, the beast began to crumble away like a house of cards, its now desiccated fruit plopping harmlessly to the ground before disintegrating into dust in the wind. Emerging from the remains of the monster, Kirby turned back to normal and embraced a now-human Ben Tennyson.
"Nicely done, you two," Meta Knight complimented with a nod. "You did very well against such a horrible beast. But I worry that Nightmare grows ever stronger. That monster is not one I ever encountered before, but I recognize some of the powers from the stories of an old comrade of mine: Kit Cosmos from the planet Popstar. He spoke of a powerful sentient tree that defended his forest fiercely, and I noticed that this beast bore quite a few similarities with it."
"That may be true. But I definitely saw some Highbreed elements as well," Julie pointed out.
"Indeed. I can only assume that Nightmare wants to infuse more species into his works. He has a devious and creative mind when it comes to monsters, whether they be natural beasts from throughout the universe or new beasts he makes with his own power," Meta Knight solemnly noted before lightening up. "But that shouldn't dim your sense of achievement. You all did incredibly well, and I have no doubt that sooner or later, you'll be powerful enough to stand up against Nightmare and any others who threaten your home!"
"Good to hear, Meta Knight," Ben said as Kirby snuggled into his hug. "Good to hear!"
Unbeknownst to the victorious quartet, someone had taken a vested interest in the fight. An Arachnichimp with yellow eyes and stripes on his tail pulled out a small communicator before beginning to talk.
"Master Reinrassig, come in please. Agent Simian, with an urgent message," The Arachnichimp announced.
"Speak quickly. Time is valuable in these moments," Reinrassig answered.
"You're not going to like what I'll tell you, but..." Simian said.
"THEY DID WHAT?!"
"HOW DARE THEY!"
"ANY CHANCE OF ALLIANCE IS OFF!"
"WE WILL NOT HAVE OUR PERFECTION TAINTED BY LESSER CREATURES!"
"BE QUIET!"
Reinrassig's loud voice echoed in the halls, bringing immediate silence.
"But Reinrassig, they dare infuse our pure blood with lesser DNA to create genetic abominations as your Arachnichimp spy reported!" One Highbreed complained.
"Perhaps, but who wouldn't want the opportunity to use our superior genetics to improve their subpar genetics experimentation?" Reinrassig argued back, a claim that many Highbreed were willing to concede. "Still, this would be a breach of trust, but I will not deny the effectiveness of Nightmare and his monsters. Let us bring this discussion up another time...
...
...
...
...
...
...
with the Highbreed Supreme."
That shut all of them up. "I am as outraged by this as you. But in times like this, we must be ready to adapt and overcome. I have a feeling that whatever being they spliced our DNA with was nothing more than a pathetic little sapling that would have withered in our world. And look how our genetics improve it to such a powerful force. One that gives Tennyson and his allies such struggles. If this is the kind of bargain we must make to ensure our plans go through, than what other choice do we have than to stomach it? I will alert the Highbreed Supreme to this upcoming meeting, but I beseech you to think about what is at stake with this mission. We will not let mongrel races sully any more planets than they already do, and it is our destiny to cleanse what inhabited planets exist and ensure only we can take them for ourselves! If it means making bargains with those willing to ally or, better yet, supplant themselves before us, then so be it! But we are Highbreed, and we are superior! Whose galaxy is this?!"
With that, the Highbreed all began chanting the same answer, ending the meeting with the same phrase ringing through the halls.
"OUR GALAXY!"
"OUR GALAXY!"
"OUR GALAXY!"
"OUR GALAXY!"
"OUR GALAXY!"
"OUR GALAXY!"
"OUR GALAXY!"
"OUR GALAXY!"
"OUR GALAXY!"
"OUR GALAXY!"
Voice Cast:
Highbreed - Kevin Michael Richardson
Chromastone - Dee Bradley Baker
Blade Knight - Eric Stuart
Sword Knight - Eric Stuart
Kevin Levin - Greg Cipes
Meta Knight - Eric Stuart
Yamikage - Eric Stuart
Dr. Moro - Darren Dunstan
Kirby - Makiko Ohmoto
Reinrassig III - Richard McGonagle
Magolor - Clancy Brown
Nightmare - Andrew Rannells
Big Chill - Dee Bradley Baker
Humungousaur - Dee Bradley Baker
Jetray - Dee Bradley Baker
Swampfire - Dee Bradley Baker
Simian - Diedrich Bader
Author's Note:
Welcome back everyone! Did ya miss this little story of mine? Anyway, back to business. I know last chapter I introduced Marx, but while he will definitely play a part later down the line, Magolor will be the main minion of Nightmare for now. Marx is more of a "Season 3" and beyond villain.
Plus, now comes the addition of brand new transformations in the form of Stone Kirby, Mirror Kirby, Leaf Kirby! Hope you like what I did with them. And a small hint involving a certain boss from Kirby. •̀⩊•́
On a bit more serious note, I want to make a request. Please do not send so many suggestions to me, or at least suggestions that pertain far beyond the current season in Ben 10. What I mean is that I'm more than happy to see suggestions for anything up to "X=Ben+2", but I don't want suggestions beyond that. Otherwise, it overwhelms me, and I'm honestly having trouble with keeping with all the suggestions you give me. I sincerely appreciate it, but right now, it's too much. To be clear, this is not a total ban, but I want there to be some restrictions.
Next Time: Paradox
A strange experiment in the 1950s has begun to rear its ugly head. As Ben and the others pass by the Los Soledad military base, they encounter a bizarre monster that starts hunting them down. Encountering the mysterious Professor Paradox, the team soon find themselves running out of time.