46Ownership Disclaimer:
Ben 10 and Kamen Rider W do not belong to me.
Ben 10 belongs to Man of Action and Cartoon Network.
Kamen Rider W belongs to Toei and Bandai.
Chapter 1: Where the Wind Blows
The wind, a force of nature man has come to rely on for centuries. Whether it be to help in the navigation across the world's great oceans, or to help in the grinding of wheat, wind is something that one never can stray far from. And it was that force that a teenager came to feel as he arrived at his destination.
Futo, the "Windy City". It certainly lived up to its name, with the windmills crossing the sky like trees in a forest. The teenager, in question, was a sixteen-year-old American male, having brown hair and green eyes. His attire consisted of a green jacket, a black shirt, and blue jeans. The only other things he carried was a black duffle-bag over his shoulder and a brown suitcase in his right hand.
This was Ben Tennyson, otherwise known as Ben 10.
"Wow, Gwen wasn't kidding about this place," Ben said to himself in English as he noticed the various windmills, pinwheels, whirligigs, and wind-chimes scattered all over the place. "This has got to be the most eco-friendly city in the entire world."
Ben noticed the polite and friendly way everyone seemed to greet each other even in passing. Even within a few seconds, Ben felt like his body was being filled with positive energy simply being here. Smiling, he put down his suitcase, reached into his pocket, and pulled out a folded, white sheet of paper.
"Okay," he wondered as he unfolded it. "How do I find the Narumi Detective Agency?"
"Um, excuse me?" Ben lifted his head to see a young woman looking at him quizically. She wore orange shorts and a short sleeved, light pink hoodie over a yellow t-shirt. Her black hair was tied in a ponytail, a brown jacket draped over her left arm and a white satchel with various designs draped over her shoulder.
"Did you just say the Narumi Detective Agency?" All of this, just as her previous question, was in Japanese.
"Yes I did," Ben replied in Japanese. "Would you happen to know where it is?"
The girl smiled as she held up a piece of paper. "I'm heading there myself. Do you want to come with me?"
"Yes, thank you," Ben thanked, picking up his suitcase again.
"You're welcome," The girl replied happily as she held out her hand. "Oh, I'm Narumi Akiko."
"Tennyson Ben" Ben said in turn, shaking her hand as he remembered that people introduced themselves by their family name first in Japan. As he did so, he couldn't help noticing her lack of reaction to his name, a rarity nowadays. "So does that mean…"
"The agency belongs to my father, Narumi Sokichi," Akiko replied before lowering her head. "But...I haven't seen him in a long time."
Ben cringed as he recognized the possible meaning. "Sorry."
Akiko's smile returned. "It's okay. Maybe he'll be in the office and I can surprise him."
"Ummm, if that's the case, I could come by at a later time," Ben offered. "I wouldn't want to get in the way of a family reunion."
"Well, do you have a case for my father?" Akiko inquired curiously.
Ben scratched his left cheek. "Yeah. Something like that, I guess."
"Then it's settled!" Akiko said, suddenly grabbing Ben's arm and yanking him down the road.
"Hey, what-" was all Ben could say as Akiko essentially dragged him along, grunting as his suitcase occasionally bumped against his legs.
Unbeknownst to them, a man had been watching the entire spectacle in amusement and intrigue. He wore a black business suit and a white scarf sporting a great, red blotch like a bloodstain. His hair was neatly combed to the right, the tips of his longest bangs somewhat obscuring his eye. Originally, he'd just been pleased to see that a tourist, especially an American one, had been impressed by his wonderful home. Futo was a beautiful jewel of the world that everyone deserved to visit at least once. What really caught his attention, however, was when the boy introduced himself.
Ben 10. What sort of wind had brought the likes of him to Futo?
Adjusting his suit, the man turned around and started walking away. He would have to inform his superiors of this unexpected development. He smiled as he suspected they wouldn't be too bothered about the American hero in their city. After all, he'd actually been quite the boon to their business, even if he himself was completely unaware of it.
"Oh, you really came all the way from America?" Akiko asked in wonder.
Ben grinned. "Yep, I sure did."
"Your Japanese is actually pretty good," Akiko replied, impressed.
"Thanks, but I can't take the credit," Ben said with a smile. "My grandpa and cousin were the ones who made sure I got it down-packed. That and I watched a lot of anime with subtitles to practice with." He added, rubbing the back of his head with a sheepish smile.
"Oh, we're here!" Akiko exclaimed, pointing to a rectangular building.
In the sign on top of the building, between the words Kamome and Billards, were two pool sticks criss-crossing each other. Above the sticks was the 8 ball and below was the 3 ball. The 9 ball was to the far left and the 2 ball on the far right. On the roof of the building were some more wind ornaments. One was a pair of red, half spheres like cups that spun in a circle while the other three were bird-shaped whirligigs, their wings spinning like propellers. Akiko then went over to a smaller door to the left of the hall's twin door entrance. Ben was about to join her when he heard the sound of tires coming to a halt behind them. He turned to see a unique motorcycle had parked.
Kevin would probably recognize the model right away, was but if Ben had to make a guess, he'd say it was a customized Honda. The back of the vehicle was green while the front was black. The driver wore black dress shoes and pants, a black vest over a white dress shirt with black, vertical stripes, and a red necktie. Taking off his helmet to reveal messy black hair and brown eyes, the man reached over on his left and pulled out a black fedora. Taking a moment to brush his hair out of the way, he placed the fedora on his head and gave the two a suspicious look and said evenly.
"Do you…have business with me?"
Akiko turned towards him and, given her lack of reaction to him, the man was not her father, Ben determined. A partner, perhaps?
"What does hard-boiled mean?" she asked, pointing towards the door.
Curious, Ben turned towards the door, noticing a wooden plaque next to it. "Narumi Detective Agency"was what the plaque read. Attached to the bottom was what appeared to be a piece of cardboard. Written on the cardboard were the words "Solving all cases with a hard-boiled style!".
Ben could only raise a brow at the sign.
As the man entered the building followed by Ben and Akiko, they were greeted to a rather unusual room. The first half of the room was painted green, while the other half was white past an archway. To the right was a coat rack of which hung multiple fedoras, a radio, a dart board, and a pool table, while to the left, there was an assortment of furniture such as several chairs, a couch, and a coffee table. There was a kitchen, a small table where the motorcyclist put his helmet down, and a desk at the far corner.
The man walked over to a bookshelf from across the aforementioned desk and pulled a large paperback from it. "Not being swayed no matter what the situation may be. It's a man-among-men lifestyle." As he sat at the desk, he showed the book he'd been musing over, and Ben saw that its title, in English, was The Long Goodbye, and the cover had the picture of a revolver. "That..." The man continued in a theatrical fashion as he ran a finger along the brim of his fedora. "is hard...boiled."
Suffice to say, Ben had been trying to keep a straight by the man's attempt to seem cool, but Akiko was less subtle when she plopped her jacket and backpack down. As the man scrunched his face in annoyance, he picked up a cup of coffee. No sooner had he taken a sip before Akiko pulled out a piece of paper.
"I'm evicting you," She declared as she held out the paper. "Here's my registration."
Ben could only do a double take at her actions, and the man, in a far from "hard-boiled" manner, spat out his coffee immediately. Taking a few moments to get the last of the drink out of his pipes, he quickly cried out "WHAT?!" as soon as he could talk.
Ignoring the man's reaction, Akiko laid the document on the table and looked around the room, stating, "I'm this place's landlord now so please leave, you strange wannabe detective."
Clearly, the man wasn't happy to be called a "wannabe detective", and he began to follow her before taking a look at the paper. Ben, his curiosity piqued, looked over the man's shoulder, and it seemed the document was official. The detective, however, wasn't convinced, and he sniffed the paper to test its authenticity. Despite the apparent proof of authenticity, the man was still upset, turning to Akiko with Ben deciding to get out of the way.
"What a naughty girl," The man said in bemusement as Akiko turned to face him. "A neighborhood middle schooler shouldn't be messing around in my hard world."
Akiko scoffed as she stood in front of him. "I just came to this city. Besides, I'm not a middle schooler, I'm twenty!"
Ben and the detective both blinked in surprise at this. Ben had assumed she was the same age as him. "No way," The detective said, taking a step back as he looked Akiko over.
Ben rubbed his head, feeling really out of place right now. "Um, hey Akiko," As the other two occupants turned towards him, Ben took a breath. "I thought you were here to visit your father."
The detective looked back at Akiko. "Father?"
"I'm Narumi Akiko, and this is my father's agency." Akiko explained.
The detective's eyes widened. "The boss' daughter?"
So, he knew Detective Narumi at least and, judging from how he addressed him as "Boss", Ben suspected the man was his apprentice. He then noticed the melancholy look on the detective's face as he lowered his head.
"Boss is—" He walked over to the coat rack, and Ben noticed his eyes lingered on the uppermost fedora; a white one with a slight tear in the edge of the brim. "Boss is—for now—not returning."
"I didn't hear anything about that," Akiko said, walking up to the detective again.
Ben frowned as he folded his arms, already suspecting what the detective actually meant, especially with how he was looking away from Akiko. "Boss is—for me—"
Since this was obviously a personal and private affair, Ben meant to wait outside when the doorbell rang. "Saved by the bell," he said to himself as the detective went to open the door. Standing before him was a woman in a blue dress with white sleeves and collar, and her hair was neatly tied behind her. She smiled at the detective, looking at him with relief and hope.
"Sho-chan," she said softly. "It's been a while."
The detective studied her a moment before his eyes widened in recognition. "Marina!" He exclaimed happily.
The woman, now named Marina, nodded in response but her smile soon fell to a worried expression.
Marina was now sitting in front of the detective's desk, where she'd placed a photo, which the detective was now looking over. Aside from Marina herself, there was a man with his arm around her. The two of them were smiling as the picture was taken.
"Togawa Yousuke," The detective recalled before looking back at Marina. "Your boyfriend?"
Marina nodded, letting out a shaky breath. "He's disappeared," The poor woman sounded close to tears. "For over a week already." She looked up at the detective desperately. "Please find him for me!"
Ben rubbed the back of his head, sitting in a big red chair back in the green side of the room. He felt really out of place at this time. The detective placed the photo back on his desk and stood up, removing his hat from on top of an old rotary dial phone.
"The city is my garden," the detective agreed, nodding at Marina. "Don't worry, I'll find him."
Marina smiled again, nodding in gratitude.
"I'm Hidari Shotaro; private investigator. This city has a lot of happiness but a lot of sorrow as well. It always comes with the wind. My childhood friend, Tsumara Marina's, request...was truly a gust of wind dropping by."
"Umm, dude? Are you...seriously narrating to yourself?"
"Huh?" Shotaro, who'd been leaning on a lamppost, turned to look behind him.
Ben was about to respond, but Akiko was quicker to the punch. Or rather, the green slipper. Yep, Akiko had pulled a green slipper out of a yellow and green bag draped across her shoulder and conked Shotaro upside the head with an audible "BONK!" The detective staggered for a moment in pain and shock before rounding on Akiko as she stuffed the slipper back into her bag.
"You!" He growled as he turned to see Ben behind him as well. "You two were following me?"
"Sorry," Ben answered sincerely.
"I'm not," Akiko said as she crossed her arms. "I'm still judging this guy."
"Why?" Ben questioned. "From what we've seen of him, he's pretty good. It's thanks to him we know that Togawa's disappearance are connected to the layoffs and restructuring of his workplace."
Hearing this, Shotaro nodded in approval, considering that he spent time asking around the city for anyone who might know Yousuke Togawa. "Thank you. See, your boyfriend gets it."
"Wh-what?! We're not a couple!" Akiko protested as she reached back into her bag. "We only just met today!"
"Yeah! Besides, I already have a girlfriend," Ben's face was beet-red at the allegation.
Shotaro looked at them quizzically before focusing his attention on Ben. "The two of you just met today?"
"That's what I said," Akiko said, then she blinked as something dawned on her. "By the way, Ben. Why were you looking for the agency?"
"You're asking him that now?" Shotaro asked incredulously.
"You didn't ask him either!" Akiko pointed out.
"I thought the two of you were together!" Shotaro argued.
"To be fair," Ben spoke up to keep things calm. "A lot of stuff happened almost right after we met you, so I was gonna wait until this case was settled. As for why I followed you, well I wanted to see if I could help. I'm no detective but I've got some experience."
"Hmm," Shotaro put his hands on his hips. "I appreciate the thought but…" Ben was about to ask what was wrong when he heard the blaring of sirens.
Ben, Shotaro, and Akiko were staring at a traffic jam that led into a smoking tunnel. Police cars and ambulances were parked on the other side of the road, and medics were pushing gurneys into the tunnel while officers were escorting panicked but otherwise unharmed people out of the tunnel. Other drivers caught in the traffic jam were sticking their heads out, trying to see what was going on. Ben instinctively dashed towards the tunnel, starting to roll up his left sleeve when a hand grabbed his shoulder. He spun around to see Shotaro shaking his head, Akiko standing behind him.
He pointed to the left and Ben saw emergency workers trying to deter other curious civilians. Shotaro crouched down next to a car they had been standing beside, Ben and Akiko following his lead. Looking over the car to make sure they hadn't been spotted, he nodded and pointed forward. Akiko and Ben nodded back before all three began to duck walk to the tunnel, keeping as close to the line of cars as possible. Far from gracious, but it was a necessary means of action. As the trio passed a limousine that had been stuck in the traffic, the back door opened.
From the door emerged a beautiful young woman in a pink coat covering a white and red dress, her brown hair done in stylized buns. She had noticed the trio in their ridiculous attempt to sneak into the tunnel, but gave it the attention of a fly on the wall. Once they'd gotten past the emergency workers, they stood up and ran to get a closer look.
"It stinks," She said to herself at the lingering smoke before grimacing. "Tch."
Ben winced at the sight before him, Shotaro, and Akiko. They'd weaved past police, firemen, medical workers, and fleeing civilians, but what was left before them were half-melted remnants of structural support.
"Was that—part of a building?"
Shotaro nodded at Ben's observation. "A building collapsed into the tunnel."
"Did a bomb go off?"
"Hard to say," Shotaro answered Akiko's query. Shotaro noticed something, with Ben quickly following behind. What was on some of the stone rubble were the English letters "ALE". Seeing this, Shotaro took of his hat and turned to view it at another angle. With the new view, Ben saw the on the fedora was a logo: WINDSCALE.
"Windscale," Shotaro noted, putting his hat on afterwards. "This was where Togawa used to work."
"HEY, Dectective!"
Before Ben could comment on a connection between them, a man with short spiky hair ran towards Shotaro and grabbed him by the tie. "You sticking your neck where it doesn't belong?!"
Shotaro simply grinned as he pulled the man's hands off his tie and grabbed him by the shoulders. "Oh, Makura. I don't have business with a detective underling."
The self-proclaimed hard-boiled detective proceeded to simply walk away, but Makura proceeded to run towards him and grab him by the vest. "What was that?! Don't get so full of yourself!"
"Oi, easy there!" Shotaro responded cooly. "No need to be so antagonistic."
The two went at each other like dogs over a single bone. Ben couldn't help but be reminded of old noir films where the detective and police didn't have a good relationship.
"Stop it!" Another voice rang out. This came from another man in a gray suit and open jacket. Whoever he was, Shotaro and Makura stopped their argument quickly. "What are you guys? A dog and a monkey? Huh?"
Ben could only tilt his head, wondering if he heard correctly. 'I know dogs and cats don't get along, but dogs and monkeys? That's new.'
"Shotaro, come with me," the new man said, pulling Shotaro with a plastic, cane-shaped back scratcher towards the rubble. Makura's glared hadn't stopped as Ben and Akiko trailed behind.
"Sorry about that, Jinno-san," Shotaro said respectfully.
"Well, your nose was right as always," Jinno said as smiled at Shotaro. Pointing at the rubble, he continued, "See that? That's the fourth floor of the Windscale building."
As Shotaro pulled out a bulky blue camera, Ben continued looking at the rubble, horror churning in his stomach. One thought occupied his mind. 'How many innocent people had been hurt, or worse?'
"The only way something like this could've happened is if something melted the steel frame in the foundation."
Ben's ears clicked to that particular verb as he studied the rubble. Melted? NRG or Heatblast could have done a feat like that without an issue, but what else could've been there to —
"A Dopant, eh?"
Ben's train of thought stopped as Shotaro had stopped taking pictures, a serious expression on his face.
"Dopant?" Ben and Akiko asked simultaneously, the latter leaning to Shotaro that made her chin rest on his shoulder.
"Yeah," Jinno said as he scratched his shoulder. "Including last week, this is the third time an incident like this happened. First time it was this bad, though."
Ben's eyes widened at that statement. THREE?!
After turning to see if no one was watching them, Jinno handed Shotaro an envelope from his jacket. "Let me know if you find anything." Afterwards, he proceeded to walk back to his fellow officers.
Shotaro took a look at the envelope before putting it into his jacket. When Akiko tried, and failed, to take a sneak peak at the contents, she pouted in annoyance. Ben on the other hand continued to look at the rubble strewn before him. Just who or what the heck was a Dopant. And was this why he'd been asked to come here?
Once the trio had gone out of the tunnel, Shotaro opened the envelope and pulled out several photos. As he leaned against a wall near the tunnel entrance, he began looking through them. Ben was standing next to Shotaro while Akiko stood above both of them on the sidewalk leading to the tunnel bridge. Each picture had images of devastation and casualties, most likely from the "Dopant" Shotaro and Jinno had discussed. "So these were all branches of the company Togawa worked at?"
"Shot in the dark, but think that the guy's involved in all this?" Ben asked.
"Most likely," Shotaro nodded. "This used to be a missing person's search, but now it's involving a Dopant."
"Dopant?" Akiko asked again.
Shotaro looked up, but ignored her query ultimately. "Looks like we're up..." Sighing theatrically, he continued his small monologue. "Such is the way of the wind."
BONK!
Ben didn't have enough to warn Shotaro as Akiko pulled out her slipper and proceeded to conk him again. As Shotaro yelped in pain, Akiko proceeded to grab his hand, almost as if she were about to break his neck.
"Stop acting tough!" Akiko demanded. "Hurry up and explain. What the heck is a Dopant?"
"Kinda hard for him to do that when he's in pain," Ben pointed out, cringing at the detective's situation.
"Thank you!" Shotaro said gratefully. "No violence, please!"
Before Akiko could do anything else, a ringing sound came from Shotaro's pocket, with the detective pulling out a bulky black flip phone and answering. "It's me, Philip!"
"Philip?" Akiko asked, releasing her grip.
"Did you see the pictures I sent you?" Shotaro asked Philip as he straightened his neck.
"A contact?" Ben wondered aloud.
"Fascinating. Very fascinating," A young man's voice came from the other side. "It's very compelling."
Shotaro huffed as Akiko made her way down, trying to get more answers. The detective simply held his arm out, keeping her at bay. "I want to know what the culprit's abilities are. Look up what his Gaia Memory it is."
"Gaia Memory?" Ben repeated, more confused.
Any mroe conversation was halted when Shotaro faced the tunnel and froze. "Oh. Never mind."
"Why not?" The mysterious Philip asked in confusion.
"Because he's standing before my eyes right now."
Ben turned to see an orange glow within the tunnel, one that seemed to come closer and closer. His eyes then widened as the source of the glow came into view. It had the body of a humanoid male, his skin colored like blackened stone. The orange light not only came from cracks along his body, but also flames that formed around his head and shoulders. The ground beneath his feet had melted into pools of lava. While not identical, the strange creature reminded Ben slightly of his Pyronite form. Hastily, he rolled his sleeve as Shotaro pushed Akiko behind him.
"The Gaia Memory's name is —" Shotaro put down his phone. "Magma."
The strange beast let out a mighty roar, his flames erupting upwards like an aura.
"Run!" Shotaro commanded as he grabbed Akiko.
The creature roared again, sending a stream of lava and a blast of fire that obliterated the ground in front of him. Before either the flames or lava could touch the three, a green light emerged, but that emerald light was swallowed by the roaring inferno. After the fire had flickered away, there was nothing but a stream of magma before the beast going towards the main road. Seeing no sign of the three humans, the beast turned around and walked back into the tunnel.
Had the monster bothered to look up, however, it would have seen that Akiko and Shotaro, both in a slight daze, were in the grasp of what looked like a blue moth man with four wings. Most of his body was black, but was covered in cyan patches like pieces of ice hastily put together as armor. On his torso were three plates that gave an impression of his chest and stomach. His skull-like head had green eyes, blue cheeks, and white teeth. Completing the look was a symbol on his chest, vaguely resembling a green hourglass.
"So. I'm guessing that's a Dopant?" The mothman asked in a low whisper.
Shotaro shook his head; everything had become a blur when the magma monster attacked. Regaining his bearings, his eyes widened when looked up and saw his rescuer. Anything he could've said was interrupted by Akiko's piercing scream.
"MONSTER!" She thrashed like a raging river as she dug into her bag.
"Akiko, wait!"
BONK!
"Begone, demon!"
BONK! BONK! BONK! BONK!
The young woman had pulled out her slipper and began to conk the moth man on the head. Each time she did so caused him to flutter with less control each time.
"Hey! Not a good idea to hit the guy who's holding us in mid air!" Shotaro pointed out.
Wincing as Akiko continued smacking him, the moth man flew to the bridge and put them down as gently as he could. After landing on the bridge, his wigns and antenna folded into a cloak, making him resemble a robed ghost. Akiko took the chance to try to smack him one more time, only for her to fall through his body like he wasn't there. Shotaro gasped as the creature's body seemed to become transparent.
"Sorry about that, but that was getting a bit annoying," The moth man whispered before getting engulfed by green light. After the light vanished, both Akiko and Shotaro found that Ben stood in the moth man's place.
"You got me good, Akiko," Ben winced as he rubbed his head in pain. "Anyone got some aspirin I could take?"
"Eh? Ben was that moth mosnter?" Akiko asked in confusion. "I didn't hear anything about this! What's going on in this city?"
"That's what I'd like to myself," Shotaro agreed with a serious tone. "What was that you just turned into? Are you a Dopant yourself? What Gaia Memory do you have?"
"Not a Dopant. Unless that's what you call aliens around here."
Shotaro took a step back as Akiko's jaw dropped. "Eh? Aliens?"
"You really have no idea who I am, do you?" Ben folded his arms. "Guess I'm not that well-known outside of America."
Suddenly, Akiko ran to Ben and grabbed his jacket, beginning to shake him. "Your turn! Start explaining now!"
"Okay, okay, I will! Calm down!" Ben yelled out, making Akiko release her grip. At this, he began to roll up his jacket's sleeve. Shotaro and Akiko took a look and saw what seemed to be a green gauntlet with a black rectangular button and wrist couplings. Its interface screen also resembled the symbol on the moth man's chest.
"This device is called the Ultimatrix, and it lets me turn into different aliens," Ben explained. "What you just saw me turn into was what I call Big Chill."
"Big Chill?" Akiko repeated. Her frustration finally boiling over, she cried out, "Dopants, aliens, ulti-whatever!" At this, she turned and ran away.
"Akiko, wait!" Ben called out.
"Let her go," Shotaro cooly said as he put his hands his pockets, watching Akiko run without a single glance back. "That middle schooler is probably going to go back to her hometown. For her safety, it's best if she does that."
"Still," Ben, also putting his hands in his pockets, pointed out. "I wasn't trying to drive her away. Guess I'm so used to people knowing who I am."
"Hmmm," Shotaro noted. "So, you're famous in Amierca, then?"
"Yeah," Ben nodded. "I'm basically a superhero there."
"A superhero, eh? So there's more than just Big Chill, then?"
"A lot more," Ben answered, grinning.
Taking this in, Shotaro scratched his chin. "Alright. But what's an American superhero doing all the way out in Futo? That's what I'm most curious about."
"You sure you don't want to wait until the case is solved?" Ben offered. "That Magma Dopant is still out there. We'll stop him first, and then I'll tell you everything I know?"
Shotaro tilted his head. "We?"
"Please," Ben said softly. "This may not be my city, but regardless, that monster's still out there. Who knows how many people are going to end up hurt, or worse? He's dangerous, but I've gone up against worse before."
Shotaro looked at Ben, folding his arms as he sized him up. After that, he looked into Ben's eyes. What was there was determination and eagerness to help.
"It's not my usual style, but that Dopant is making my city cry. If you're really serious about wanting to help, then let's get going."
Ben smiled. "Thank you, Detective Hidari."
Shotaro returned the smile as he held his hand out. "If we're going to work together, just call me Shotaro."
Ben accepted the hand shake. "Tennyson, Ben. But just call me Ben. So," Finishing the handshake, Ben decided to ask what had been occupying his mind for the past few minutes. "Can you tell me what the heck a Dopant is? And that thing you mentioned...a Gaia Memory?"
Shotaro took off his hat, rubbing his hair theatrically. "A Gaia Memory is the source of a Dopant's power. They're objects resembling USB sticks."
"Oh. Literal memory drives, then. So how does the Gaia part relate? Wasn't she a goddess in Greek mythology on something like that?"
"Titan, actually," Shotaro corrected. "The emobidiment of the Earth itself."
"Dang it," Ben snapped his fingers in frustration. "Knew I should've brushed up on my mythology. So what you're saying is—"
"Gaia Memories are the memories of the Earth itself," Shotaro finished his train of thought. "What we're up against, the Magma Memory, represents the aspect of magma and anything related to it."
"Yeah. I noticed," Ben said as he looked to the bubbling line of magma before him.
"Dopants are people who use Gaia Memories," Shotaro revealed, making Ben turn around.
"That thing was a person?! You're saying that was a human?!" Ben made sure to confirm.
"Why do you think I assumed you were a Dopant?" Shotaro asked.
Ben's jaw dropped this time. "So you're saying that there's these things that are able to turn ordinary people into rampaging monsters?!"
"Basically," Shotaro answered grimly and briskly. "But the effectiveness of the memory depends on the compatibility of the person in question. Memories will work better with certain people rather than others."
"And how many memories are there?" Ben had a feeling of dread as he readied for the answer.
Shotaro turned to the city before him. "I don't know the exact number. But from what I know about them, there may be a Gaia Memory for every single word in existence."
Ben, a serious expression on his face, walked up to Shotaro and demanded, "How haven't I heard about these things? They're obviously very dangerous. I mean, I've got enemies who'd pay top dollar or do anything to get their grubby mitts on something like this. Just think what would happen if someone got their hands on them and decided to make an army of Dopants!"
"I understand what you're saying," Shotaro said, appreciating how seriously Ben was taking the situation. "But so far, Gaia Memories have only been distributed in Futo."
"Wait, really?" Ben said, thrown off by the response. "Only here? Even if someone wasn't trying to make a Dopant army, these Gaia Memories would be perfect for arms dealers and weapons traffickers. I've fought a few alien arms dealers who'd love to get their hands on something like this."
Shotaro sighed. "It's still unbelievable to think that aliens actually exist. Now I'm feeling bad for all those times I told Jinno about seeing a UFO."
"Huh?"
"Long story," Shotaro quickly waved the topic off.
Ben nodded in response. "Alright, but if Gaia Memories are staying in the city, that means those behind it must want them to stay in the city. Any idea who's making these things?"
"Unfortunately, no," Shotaro denied. "Whoever they are, they've done a good job covering their tracks."
"Right," Ben began to focus on the task at hand, pacing back and forth. "Let's just get back to dealing with the Magma Dopant. So I'm guessing that his real identity is Yousuke Togawa, and he's going after Windscale as payback for getting laid off. With that, I guess we should be looking to see where he'll strike next."
"Good job. That's precisely what we need to do," Shotaro smiled, impressed with Ben's dedcutions. "You really do have experience with this kind of business. Some of your adventures needed investigation?"
"A few," Ben answered. "If he's going after Windscale buildings, then we'll need to find out how many of them are left, and which one he'll go to."
"Exactly," Shotaro nodded in approval. "You may just work well enough with my 'hard-boiled' style, Ben."
Ben laughed. "You really want to play to that hard-boiled archetype, don't ya? But seriously, how do we find out how many Windscale buildings are left?"
"That," Shotaro answered dramatically. "is a job for my partner."
"Partner? That Philip guy?"
"Uh huh. Time to get back to the office."
With night casting its shadow upon the Windy City, the limousine from the traffic jam pulled up to the gates a grand estate. On the gates' plaque was the kanji for "Sonozaki". The woman from earlier was making her way into the mansion, her heels clicking up the stairs as she walked as fast as possible.
Within a grand dining room, a man and woman were laughing as they sat to eat. The man, an elderly one with short gray hair and round glasses, was laughing. Atop his lap was a blue tortoiseshell British shorthair cat. The woman, sitting to his right, was laughing alongside him. Her hair was tied in a neat bun and wore a black dress. Their laughter stopped when the woman from the limousine entered.
"The tardy would've been fired, Wakana," The woman who was sitting down answered with a slight smirk. "had this been my company."
Wakana clicked her teeth in annoyance as she made her way to her seat on the left side of the table. "I couldn't help it. There was a traffic jam," She replied, trying her best to remain calm as she prepared to sit down. A servant pulled up her seat and lifted the lid on her plate. "It was pretty odd. And on the day of our dinner party."
"Buildings melt and people die," The old man replied calmly, holding a fork with food to his cat's mouth. "Such things have become a common occurrence in this city. Well...that's a result of our line of work."
"You were on the scene where it happened. Weren't you, Wakana?" The other woman asked, a look of interest gleaming in her eyes. "Did you see something unusual?"
"Apart from the destruction wrought by the Magma Dopant, what do you mean?" Wakana asked as she turned to face the other woman, confused by the latter's curiosity. It was difficult to keep a straight face as the woman sent a knowing smirk her way. A smirk that said "I know something you don't".
"Yes. Why the sudden interest in what happened, Saeko?" The man asked calmly as he stroked his cat's back.
"I've learned something particularly interesting, father," Saeko explained, having an almost exuberant expression.. "But Wakana, did you happen to see an American with a green jacket at any time?"
Whatever Wakana's retort was, it was cut short as she vaguely recalled someone fitting that description. One of the three who'd been trying to sneak into the tunnel earlier. "Maybe. Why?"
Saeko's smirk grew upon hearing Wakana's answer. "I heard Ben 10 was in Futo."
"Oh?" The father looked up, very intrigued and amused. Even his cat perked up when he heard what Saeko said.
Wakana knew that name was familiar, but where did she remember hearing it? That was when it clicked in her head, her eyes widening. "Wait...that American people say that turns into aliens?"
"The very same," Saeko said, leaning in her chair smugly. "One of our distributors spotted him entering the city today."
"Ah, yes. Ben 10," The father smiled, scratching his cat's ears. "I hear he's actually rather popular amongst our buyers."
"Correct," Saeko confirmed. "Some of buyers actually ask when buying Gaia Memories 'I can transform like that American, Tennyson' or words to that effect."
"But what would he be doing here?" Wakana asked.
"I believe that's rather obvious," The father smirked as his daughter did so.
"Perhaps someone in the city is a fan of his and asked to help against the Dopants," Saeko suggested.
"So he really can turn into aliens?"
"We'll see what happens when he fights a Dopant face to face, and I have no doubt that will happen sooner rather than later" The father replied, feeding his cat another piece of his dinner. "By the way, Saeko, who was it that told you about Tennyson's presence? Was it that distributor who's been selling well recently?"
Saeko chuckled, before replying, "Actually, father." She rose to her feet, pulling out a tanned USB in a casing resembling bones. Within the center of the drive was a cursive T, stylized to resemble a pair of lips, and she pushed a button on the drive.
TABOO!
The father put his hand to calm his pet down, who'd let out a growl at the voice coming from the flash drive.
At this, Saeko proceeded to insert the drive into the slot on a silver belt around her waist. The drive got absorbed into the belt as she transformed into what could best be described as a combination of a caterpillar and a straw doll. Her lower half had been encased in what looked like a chrysallis being made in progress, and a skull lay atop her left shoulder. Her eyes were covered, and her hair was replaced with straw with a red female figure peeking through. Stitches ran across her face through her mouth, giving the impression of a sinister smile.
"I have found someone I wish to marry." Saeko revealed, running a hand around her stitched mouth.
As her father gave a deep chuckle in response to her sister's wish, Wakana stood up in disbelief. Whoever Saeko had chosen to become her fiancé must have been someone impressive at the very least.
The engine of Shotaro's motorcycle blared through the street as he and Ben made their way back to the Narumi Detective Agency. Beforehand, Shotaro had also made sure to get Ben a motorcycle helmet of his own. After Shotaro had put up the kickstand, Ben got off.
"There's one thing I'm not getting," Ben wondered, taking off his fittingly-green motorcycle helmet. "Being laid off can't be the real reason he's doing all this. I mean, I get that something like that would be rough, but there's no way that justifies all the destruction he's caused.
"Agreed," Shotaroo concurred as he took off his own motorcycle helmet. "It's more likely that Windscale wronged him in some way, and being laid off was the cover story. I hear that the fashion world can be a cut-throat place. Whatever Windscale did to him, it was bad enough for him to buy a Gaia Memory to get revenge. Of course, it could also be that he never meant to go this far."
"What do you mean?" Ben asked as he held his helmet in the crook of his arm as they made their way to the second floor.
"Gaia Memories don't just grant powers," Shotaro answered in a sobering tone. "They're incredibly addictive, and using them over and over again can take a dangerous toll on the user's mind."
Ben froze upon hearing that. "So they're...drugs. Drugs that can grant you superpowers."
Shotaro nodded grimly. "You hit the nail on the head."
That realization planted a grim thought in Ben's mind. If Gaia Memories ended up in America, he could only imagine how many people would do anything to get their hands on one of them. Especially if they happened to be his fans.
Hey, kids! Sick of being stuck as a normal human? Want to transform like Ben 10? Well, thanks to the latest sensation, the Gaia Memory, you can! All you need is one, and you'll become a superhero just like Tennyson! Get your Gaia Memory today!
"Shotaro?"
"Yes?"
"Tell me. Have—have any kids been given a Gaia Memory?"
"No. Thank goodness," Shotaro answered instantly, a dark expression on his face.
The rest of the walk to the office was quiet, but the silence wasn't long to last as Shotaro saw all manner of boxes strewn outside the open door.
"What is this?!" Shotaro demanded to know.
"Shot in the dark, but Akiko didn't go back to her hometown," Ben muttered as Shotaro dashed into his office. Ben was quick to follow afterwards, pausing when he noticed that the coat rack side of the wall had revealed a hidden door. One of the fedoras must have been put over the now visible door handle so nobody would notice. Shotaro ran through the door and Ben followed, revealing what looked like a hangar room.
A spiral staircase led up to a platform where several whiteboards covered in kanji stood next to a stepladder. On the adjacent wall of the room was another whiteboard where someone was muttering to himself as he wrote on the board with a black marker as he held an open book. Almost certainly the aforementioned Philip. With his back turned, all Ben could make out was that he had short black hair that looked brushed to the left. He wore a long, blue hoodie without sleeves, revealing the shirt underneath was a long, white shirt with green, horizontal stripes. Akiko stood beside him, her expression a mix of puzzlement, discomfort, and embarrassment.
"Oi, middle schooler!" Shotaro shouted in frustration, making Akiko flinch. "What are you doing here?"
"Hey, Shotaro," The young man said without even turning to glance the "hard-boiled" detective, only taking occasional glances at his book. "Our new guest is great! She just gave me a new look-up sensation!"
Akiko rubbed the back of her head sheepishly as Shotaro shot a smoldering glare to her. "Look-up sensation?" Ben parroted, puzzled.
"I bet you don't know about..." Philip finally turned around, with Ben seeing that there were numerous clips on the right side of his hair. "...this wonderful delicacy known as takoyaki!"
Shotaro''s look of confusion slowly warped into one of horror as he read what the kanji on the walls actually said. Ben took a look for himself, and saw that most of it was indeed about takoyaki. The exact details escaped him, but Ben recalled that takoyaki was a Japanese snack with dried octopus as a major ingredient.
"Takoyaki, kobe, broth..." Philip continued rambling. "I have found 3, 543, 280 results relating to takoyaki."
"I'm sorry, WHAT?!" Ben asked as his jaw fell to the floor. "That many results from a single snack?"
"Exactly," Philip heard Ben, answering his query before diving back into his book. "What a fascinating way to eat something."
"Don't encourage him," Shotaro warned Ben before making his way to Akiko, who proceeded to climb another stepladder. "Unlike you, middle schooler! You've done it now! Because of you, Philip's become sidetracked!"
"How was I supposed to know?! I didn't hear anything about him!" Akiko said to defend herself. "What's up with him?"
"Maybe he...really likes learning?" Ben suggested as he shrugged, equally baffled.
"Learning, nothing," Shotaro responded. "He loves researching. Particularly if it's something he's never heard before. But now that he's been given another topic, there's no way to get him back on task in solving the Dopant case."
"There's no way to make him focus?"
"Believe me. Once he sets his mind to researching a new topic, he's not going to stop until he learns every last detail from his research."
"Alright then. I guess in the meantime, we should go over what we do know," Ben offered. "Review everything about the Dopant case so far so we can track him down later."
"Dopant here, Dopant there, Dopant then, and Dopant now! What the heck is a Dopant?!" Akiko demanded to know as she hopped off the ladder.
"The pyromaniacal monster that attacked us back in the tunnel," Ben answered. "Or rather, a human turned into a monster."
An eloquent, "Eh?" was Akiko's answer, her mouth agape.
Shotaro went to an active computer near a whiteboard. Fiddling around with it for a few seconds, he pulled up the image of a red flash drive with bone-like casing. In the middle was a stylized I made to resemble a knee cap and bone. Ben also saw that in the top left corner was the English word INJURY.
"This is a Gaia Memory," Shotaro said, turning to face Akiko. "People who use them become superhuman monsters known as Dopants."
"Injury?" Ben read aloud. "So what does that mean. The Injury Dopant would have power over injuries?"
"Correct?"
"How would something like that work?"
"Trust me, it's better that you not find out."
Akiko scoffed at what she'd been told. "That's just ridiculous."
"Akiko, do you remember what happened earlier?" Ben pointed out as he rubbed the back of his head. "I think I've still got the lumps from your slipper to prove what happened."
Akiko looked away sheepishly, realizing that she couldn't deny what she'd been told.
"Akashiyaki?" Philip continued his research, pacing back and forth. "Kobe takoyaki? Tamago yaki?"
"Unfortunately," Shotaro ran his hand through his hair again. "There's nothing we can do right now. Not as long as Philip still has takoyaki fresh in his mind."
"We really have to wait this out?" Ben asked.
"That's all we can do now," Shotaro answered, leaning against a circular structure connected to the lower half of the hanger.
"What about a patrol to see where he's hiding?" Ben suggested.
"That's not a good idea," Shotaro countered. "Togawa will probably be staying low now that the cops are onto him." Shotaro than added in a whisper, "Besides, if they see your—you know what—the cops could mistake you for another Dopant before you can explain things. That'll simply drive Togawa further into hiding."
"Oh..." Ben conceded. "Yeah, good point."
"Oh! You mean his-" Shotaro quickly clamped his hand over Akiko's mouth. Philip looked over his shoulder at the two, with Shotaro giving a hasty smile. Undaunted, Philip continued researching takoyaki.
"Ben already said that he'll explain everything after this case is done," Shotaro whispered to Akiko, who'd begun glaring daggers. "If Philip finds out about Ben's...abilities right now, we can kiss any chance of him finding the Dopant goodbye." He slowly let go of Akiko's mouth, who reached into her bag and...
BONK!
Shotaro winced in pain as he glared at Akiko, who was returning the favor. Ben simply shook his head as he looked at Philip. "I hope this doesn't take too long."
Shotaro gave a sarcastic laugh under his breath regarding that statement.
The sound of Philip closing his book shut echoed through the hallway. "I've done all the possible research on takoyaki!"
Ben, who'd been lying down on the platform closest to the door, and near the spot Philip was currently standing, sat up quickly. He blushed as he felt a bit of drool on the corner of his mouth, but Philip didn't seem to notice. On the other side of the room, Akiko had draped a blanket around herself with a pillow under her chin. Shotaro had apparently just fallen asleep with his back propped on the nearby ladder.
"Finally," Ben groggily responded.
Shotaro was quick to rise up from the ladder after a yawn. "Good. Now please go back to the Gaia Library."
Philip grinned as he nodded. "Right."
Ben finally manage to rise to his feet, his left leg having a pins-and-needles sensation running across it. "Gai-" He yawned out. "Gaia Libarary?"
Rather than a direct answer, Philip proceeded to take a few steps forward and close his eyes, bringing his hands close together and far apart. A hum rang out, and Philip became engulfed in a green glow.
"...Okay. I have no idea what I expected, but that wasn't it at all," Ben said to himself.
"Starting the lookup," Philip announced, his eyes still shut. "The target memory is Magma."
Ben tilted his head in confusion as Akiko asked what was going on, only to be shushed by Shotaro. The detective then walked forward. "I need to know the Dopant's next target. First keyword: Togawa Yousuke."
A minute passed, and Philip spoke. "Thank you. That cut down a lot of the results."
"Well, that's probably because it's a person," Shotaro rationalized. "Second keyword: Windscale. That's the company that laid him off." Shotaro then looked at the photos one more time before noticing a tag on one of the clothes. "Third, look for the following numbers: WS-09K-097T."
Another moment passed, and Philip spoke again. "Good work. Using the product's tag number." Philip closed his book before taking the picture of said product and examining it. "That product is only sold in a few places. The only such location not attacked yet is the Kazetani branch of Windscale."
Shotaro nodded after hearing this. "Let's get going, Ben."
"On my way!" Ben answered, following the detective and deciding to take care of the Dopant before asking what Philip had done.
The two, helmets at the ready, walked to Shotaro's bike before Ben realized something. "Wait, shouldn't Philip be coming with us?"
"Don't worry, he is," Shotaro assured his young companion. "The two of us are one detective. Hop on."
"Ooookay, then," was all Ben could say as confusion flooded his head while he got onto the seat.
"Sho-chan?"
The two turned to see Marina looking at Shotaro in a fix of confusion and hope. Seeing his friend, Shotaro gave a two finger salute before driving off, Ben barely able to keep hold at the sudden acceleration.
When Shotaro's bike made its stop, Ben immediately got off. All manner of stores seemed to surround the Windscale building, so it was most likely a mall they were in. People were walking, looking into the stores, or sitting in chairs surrounding small tables. Shotaro scanned the area before he suddenly tapped Ben on the shoulder. As the American turned to face him, Shotaro pointed forward. Following his finger, Ben saw that in front of them was a man glaring at the Windscale building. His appearance was a dead ringer for the picture Marina had given them. Shotaro walked towards the man with Ben following behind.
"Togawa Yousuke, right?" Shotaro asked. The man immediately turned to face the detective after hearing this.
"Are you an employee of this store?" Togawa asked. Shotaro was surprised to hear that was Togawa's first question. The man rolled up his left sleeve, revealing a tattoo on his forearm similar to a USB port, and he held up a red memory drive covered in bony casing. The most notable thing was the M on the drive, stylized to resemble a volcano with magma pouring out. "Then—"
MAGMA!
"BURN!" Togawa screamed as he jammed the Gaia Memory into the tattoo. Fire rose from the port and spilled across his body, with even his eyes seemingly becoming fireballs. Ben and Shotaro were quick to back up as the flames engulfed all of Togawa's body. Screams rang from all around them as pedestrians became aware of what was happening, running, tripping, and falling on tables and stands.
As another burst of fire sprung forth, the Magma Dopant stood in Togawa's place. Now that Ben had a closer look at the being, his association of the Dopant with Heatblast proved not unfounded. The Dopant's face simply consisted of a black skull with no mandible, instead having flames billowing around it. His skin was black, as if it were made of volcanic rock, and veins of magma seemed to spread across it.
The Dopant let out a mighty roar, making flames erupt outward. Shotaro yelped when he saw the flames lick his fedora, setting it aflame. Quickly stepping back, he hastily put it out before putting the slightly smoking hat back on and facing the Dopant with a cool expression.
"I'll stop you," Shotaro declared before smiling. "No. We will."
He pulled out a red and silver object, with the the red part in the middle looking like two slots with transparent middles. Before Ben could ask what he was doing, Shotaro attached it above his belt buckle. Another, thicker belt emerged from the left side and wrapped its way around his waist and connected to the right of the buckle, and another black slot emerged at Shotaro's right hip. Reaching into the left side of his vest, Shotaro produced a purple USB, closer to a regular drive than the one Togawa used. In the middle was a light purple J that seemed to be made of flames. Shotaro pressed a button on the drive.
JOKER!
"Shotaro, is that-?" Ben asked as he and the Dopant fixed their gazes on the drive, the Dopant even grunting in confusion.
"Yes it is, Ben," Shotaro interrupted. "This is a Gaia Memory, one of a different kind. Philip, are you ready?"
"Philip?" Ben parroted as he looked around. "Where is he?"
Shotaro then swung his right arm across himself. "HENSHIN!"
Ben was about to ask what was going on when he saw that within the right slot on Shotaro's belt came green light. Now the slot was occupied by a green USB drive. Without a glance, Shotaro pushed the USB down. The image of a stylized C made from a gust of wind shone in midair, and the belt hummed and whirled. Turning the other drive around, Shotaro then pushed the drive in, causing the flaming J to shine as well. Crossing his arms, he pushed the slots in opposite directions, making the buckle vaguely resemble a W.
CYCLONE! JOKER!
The winds picked up suddenly as green and purple light surrounded Shotaro. Another flash of light came forth, and Ben's jaw dropped. Shotaro was now donned in armor that was green on the right side and black on the left. A gold line ran from his right shoulder and right upper chest while a purple line ran from his left shoulder and left upper chest. Gray lines ran down the middle of his body, his eyes were red and circular, a crest similar to a W adorned his forehead, and he wore a white scarf around his neck.
Ben's lips had been dry for a moment, but he soon found his voice after licking them. "Shotaro, you're—you're a Kamen Rider?!"
"That's right!" Ben's shock increased as he heard both Philip's and Shotaro's voices at the same time from the armored figure. "We're the two in one detective: Kamen Rider Double!"
The winds continued to bluster, weakening the Magma Dopant's flames, also making him struggle to stand upright.
"Now!" Kamen Rider Double declared as he pointed his left hand like a gun to the Dopant. "Count up your crimes!"
"Sweet catchphrase," Ben couldn't help saying as Double charged at Togawa, unleashing a flurry of kicks one after another on the Magma Dopant. Togawa could only grunt in pain as blow after blow struck him. As Ben watched Double move, he remembered a conversation he had shortly before going to Japan.
ˆ˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜ˆ
"Common Riders?"
Ben was currently in the Rustbucket alongside his grandfather Max, cousin Gwen, and her boyfriend Kevin.
Grandpa Max chuckled at Ben's confusion. "No, Kamen. It's the Japanese word for 'Mask'."
"The Masked Riders?" Kevin said. "That sounds like the name of a cowboy show."
"Well, to be fair," Ben spoke up. "'Kamen Riders' has a nice ring to it."
"From what I've looked up," Gwen said, tucking a strand of her auburn hair behind her ear. "The Kamen Riders are the symbols of Hope and Justice in Japan. People really look up to them."
Kevin smirked. "So Ben's either a threat or menace, but those guys are hope and justice huh?"
"The Kamen Riders have been reportedly active since the 70s," Grandpa Max spoke up. "So they've had decades to prove themselves to the public."
"So maybe after a decade or two, people will think the same about him," Kevin said. "Hey who knows? Maybe working with these Kamen Rider guys can help you build up some goodwill in Japan at least."
"Maybe," Ben conceded. "But it'd still be cool to work alongside superheroes from another country. So I'll defintely look forward to that!"
ˆ˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜ˆ
Double jumped, striking the side of Togawa's face with his right foot and sending the Dopant flying through the air and sprawling to the ground. Just as Ben started to feel he wasn't needed, Togawa rose to his feet with a snarl. The fire in his body burned ever brighter before fireballs erupted from his back like a volcano. Double dodged to and fro as fireballs struck the ground, driving the Kamen Rider back.
"Sure is hot," Double commented, though only Shotaro's voice was heard.
"Hold on, Shotaro!" Ben then activated the Ultimatrix, making the interface pop out like a dial and display holographic images. Ben began twisting the dial, causing the images to change each time. "I'd say it's time to for Water Hazard to soak his head!"
The Magma Dopant may have been angry, but he wasn't deaf, and he heard what the American hero was saying. Snarling, he turned towards Ben and began to throw fireballs.
"Ben, look out!" Double cried out.
Seeing what was coming, Ben's soccer reflexes kicked in, and he dove to the side, rolling from the fireballs. He grinned at the Dopant as he raised his right hand, quoting his catchphrase. "It's Hero Time!"
Ben slammed the dial down, causing a burst of emerald light to shine, making both Double and the Dopant turn away.
"What was that, Shotaro?" Philip's voice asked as the right eye flashed.
"I'll tell you about it later, Philip," Shotaro's voice answered as the left eye flashed this time.
In place of Ben was now a tiny white humanoid with bulging green eyes, headphones attached to a square appendage akin to an MP3 player, small sound holes resembling green indents on each hand, and things similar to cassette tapes attached to his lower legs. Finishing his appearance was the same symbol on the chest of Big Chill, presented on his.
"ECHO ECHO!" He shouted in a robotic, auto-tuned voice. "Oh man, I must've switched aliens when I dodged!"
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Codon Stream Entry: Echo Echo
Species: Sonorosian
Home World: Sonorosia
Sonorosia is a planet with great gorges and giant canyons with layers of multi-colored strata. It is wonderful in the creation of echo or whisper chambers. No one uses these traits better than the top dogs of the planet, the Sonorosians. Made of sound waves and contained with a silicon containment suit, they are evolved to use powerful sonic screams, causing agony in their prey and letting them use echolocation in the event of getting blinded or at night. Uniquely, they are also able to duplicate, creating perfect clones of themselves to distract or surround prey. Usually, Sonorosian clones return back to the original before a period of time, and if they still exist after that time period expires, they become individuals of their own.
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"Eh?" Philip asked as he turned to face the small creature. "Did he just say aliens?"
"Focus, Philip!" Shotaro commanded as he saw the Magma Dopant lumber to Echo Echo, growling. "Oi, Ben! I think you've got yourself in a bit of a pinch!"
Echo Echo smirked. "Hey, it's not what I wanted, but size doesn't matter every time. And anyway, Shotaro, there's strength in numbers!"
Both Double and the Magma Dopant stared in shock as the one Echo Echo turned into six, all running around Togawa and surrounding him.
"He duplicated himself, Shotaro," Philip said in awe. The Magma Dopant snarled as he saw each Echo Echo clone smiling confidently.
"Echo Chamber!" Each clone declared as they let out a sonic scream. Togawa howled in pain as he clutched his head, bombarded by sound from all directions.
"Self-replication and a sonic scream. Now that's a useful combination," Shotaro noted.
"So this is an alien," Philip said, excitement rising in his voice. "An extraterrestrial, a being from another planet. He also said aliens, as in more than one. I must know more!"
"After the Dopant is dealt with!" Shotaro quickly pointed out. "Now, Ben's got Togawa pinned down, so let's finish him off with a Memory Break!" At this, he pulled the Joker Memory from his belt and placed it inside the holster on his hip.
JOKER! MAXIMUM DRIVE!
Wind began gathering around Double again, forming a small tornado that lifted him into the air and making his scarf flap in the wind. All the Echo Echos ceased their attack, looking at their ally with curiosity.
"We can handle it from here, Ben," Double proceeded to then launch at the Magma Dopant feet first. "Joker Extreme!"
The Echo Echos all dove out of the way as Double seemed to split right down the middle. The Joker half struck the Magma Dopant first, immediately followed by the Cyclone half. Surges of green and purple energy flashed as the two halves struck Togawa, sending him flying once again. Echo Echo and his clones braced themselves as the Dopant weakly pushed himself up, but no sooner had gotten back on his feet, his body exploded in another burst of flames. As the fire quickly died down, Togawa was revealed back in his human form, falling backwards. The Magma Memory was ejected from his body, falling to pieces as it struck the ground near his feet.
"Is that all?" Echo Echo asked as his clones reentered his body.
"Yes, that's that's," Double answered, his voice soft. "Still, what am I going to tell Marina?"
"What can you tell her?" Echo Echo pointed out. "She's going to find out sooner or later."
"Yeah, I know," Double sadly concurred as he lowered his head. Before anything else could be said, the ground began shaking.
"Um, do you get earthquakes often in Futo?" Echo Echo asked.
Before Double could answer that, something emerged with a roar, more bestial than what Togawa had given off as a Dopant. The creature's features were obscured by the debris it kicked up but it had a massive head and a large jaw with rows of teeth. In fact, it looked strangely like—
"A T-Rex?!" Echo Echo said in shock. "Underground?"
The T-Rex monster began using its jaw to kick up the concrete in its way as it made a beeline for Togawa. The former Memory user was too scared and probably too weak to escape. Echo Echo jumped between him and the dinosaur, unleashing a sonic scream that caused the T-Rex to howl and thrash in pain. Double ran over to help Togawa up, but the T-Rex titled itself back before slamming its head on the ground, the force knocking Echo Echo into the air. A bony tail swung around, striking both the alien and Double, sending them flying to the side. Double crashed into a fence while Echo Echo flew right over it, rolling downhill. Double looked in time to see the T-Rex grab Togawa with its teeth.
"Stop!" Double could only say as he pushed himself to his feet. He was too late, though. Togawa's screams were cut short as he was dragged underground.
"NO!"
Double turned to see Echo Echo leap over the face, hitting the symbol on his chest as another form took his place. In place of Echo Echo was what could be best described as a yellow, robotic armadillo. His head resembled that of a Greek Corinthian helmet, with grey ears on top of it. His tail, hands, and feet were grey, while his upper arms and legs were black. His forearms had jackhammer parts on them, and the same symbol lay on his chest.
"Say hello to Armodrillo!" This alien's voice was considerably deeper.
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Codon Stream Entry: Armodrillo
Species: Talpaedan
Home World: Terraexcava
Hailing from the Andromeda Galaxy, the Talapeadan home world is a very mountainous and hilly world, covered with deserts and prone to dust storms. As such, its inhabitants were forced to work on underground life, and altering their skin to be more of a substance similar to metal. With their jackhammer like arms, they can tunnel through the ground, create earthquakes, generate fissures, and unleash shockwaves through the ground or the air. This also gives them the ability to sense vibrations through a surface by planting their arms into said surface, essentially giving them a form of ground-based radar. Their hands can also turn into drills, and they have remarkable strength and durability.
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"He transformed again!" Philip said giddily.
"I can see that," Shotaro replied. "How many alien transformations are in that gizmo of his?"
The T-rex's head emerged from below, shooting forward to take a bite out of the new combatant. The new alien swung a jackhammer fist and uppercutted the creature under its jaw. The T-Rex roared in pain as its head shot back. Its tail lashed out to hit Armodrillo, but the Talpaedan quickly caught it. However, the T-Rex recovered from the blow and chomped onto Armodrillo, trying to bite into it. It let out several growls as its teeth failed to penetrate the alien's armor.
"What's wrong? My skin too tough?" Armodrillo taunted as he raised his fist. "Now, enjoy a real jawbreaker!"
He punched the side of the T-Rex, making a shockwave that made the dinosaur release him as it was knocked. Armodrillo noticed how the rest of the creature was rubble and debris made in the crude shape of a Tyrannosaurus. So this was some kind of golem the entire time? The T-Rex snarled as it turned to face the armored armadillo, attempting to dive underground.
"Oh no you don't!" Armodrillo declared as he lunged towards the crudely made dinosaur. However, the T-Rex golem proceeded to light a mighty roar that forced Armodillo back. "Oh come on! That's my thing!"
Once Armodrillo had become airborne, the T-Rex dove underground as a means to escape. Double made his way to the hole in the ground, but was forced to dodge when the T-Rex's tail lashed like an angry serpent. A crash nearby had Armodrillo landing in a self-made crater. Forcing himself up, he saw the monster making his escape. "You're not getting off that easy!"
The Talpaedan ran to the hole and prepared to dive, only to find himself pelted with a bombardment of rubble and debris. Armodrillo grunted, knocking as much debris as he could while dust got into his eyes and mouth. The T-Rex turned once again to let out another powerful roar, making Armodrillo airborne again.
"That's getting old real fast!" The alien yelled as the T-Rex dove underground. Double was quick to run up to where Armodrillo landed, seeing him covered by rubble knocked up by the dinosaur's roar.
"Ben, are you alright?" Double asked in concern while Ben pushed rubble from himself.
"I'm fine. Only my pride's wounded," Armodrillo answered as he brushed himself. "I've got to stop that thing!"
Double shook his head in regards to that idea. "Don't bother. That thing will be long gone and probably in its human form by now."
"Are you sure? Armodrillo moves through dirt like humans move through air. I should be able to catch up to it."
"Yes, but how well do you know your way around the city?" Double countered. "It's most likely that the Dopant will lead you on a wild goose chase through Futo, destroying who knows what."
Armodrillo flinched as he remembered something else his grandpa had said before they left.
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"Ben, I understand that things happen in the heat of the moment, but some of your battles have caused serious collateral damage. The last thing we need is for you to be blamed for an international incident due to foreign property damage."
"In short, Ben," Gwen had added. "Make sure you fight smarter, not harder."
"And make sure that if things do hit the fan, you get yourself a really good lawyer. Like the best lawyer in the entire world." Kevin couldn't help adding.
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"Why didn't I use Big Chill?" The alien hero smacked his forehead. "That was way too close."
"Big Chill?" Philip asked. "Another alien. Based on the name, I suppose he has ice powers?"
"And ghost ones as well," Armodrillo added.
"Ghosts?"
"Not now," Shotaro snapped. "We said we'd talk after this case is closed, but it seems that that's not the case." Double looked at the hole left in the T-Rex's wake.
"So I'm guessing that was another Dopant, then," Armodillo was consumed in green light as he turned back to Ben. "Did it try to get Togawa out of here and far from us?"
"No. From the way he reacted, that Dopant didn't come to save him," Shotaro deduced.
Ben stuffed his hands into his pockets as he surveyed the hole as well. Cold wind blew around them as they tried to determine their next step.
Author's Note:
Welcome to my newest project. Before anyone asks, and I know they will, I did ask Bigby if I could adopt the story in a PM, and he gave his permission to do so. While the first 2 chapters will pretty much be the same as his, I do plan on going further beyond, and examine the entire series and see how Ben can play into it. Alongside that, I'm also going to add my own chapters to the series, and not just pit Ben against the Dopants, but Shotaro and Philip against members of Ben's rogue gallery.
Next Time: A Dino-Sore Loss
After Togawa is swallowed by a T-Rex, Ben and Shotaro are shocked to later find out that the former Dopant has been found dead. With the hunt now on to find out who the new villain is on the block, Ben finds out more about the dangers of the Dopants. All the while, the Sonozaki family soon comes to meet their new relative and discuss the impact of the arrival of Ben Tennyson.