9Ch.6: The Calm Before the Storm
Ben, in his Tetramand form he called Four Arms, Mine, Akame, Najenda, Leone and a blue–haired man were facing against a woman with light blue hair and blue eyes.
"So, 6 against 1, huh? I like those kind of odds," said the woman with a sinister smirk.
"We might be 6, but I can still deliver four times the pain," said Four Arms as he cracked his knuckles.
"Oh, dear Ben. Why did you have to be part of Night Raid? I could've taken such good care of you," said the woman with a smirk.
"Thanks, but I'm taken. Besides, Mine and Akame will always be billion times better than you," said Four Arms with a glare while the two mentioned girls blushed.
"Thanks for the compliment," said Akame.
"Any time," said Four Arms.
"We're still gonna kill her, right," asked Mine.
"You bet we are," said Four Arms with a nod.
"Oh, how sweet! You think you stand a chance against me," asked the woman as she slammed her fist on the ground before an ice pillar came from the ground and slammed into Mine that sent her crashing into a wall.
"MINE," shouted Four Arms as he went to check up on her and gently picked her up with his lower set of arms. "Mine, talk to me. Say something!"
Mine could only groan as she slipped into unconsciousness, causing Four Arms to look at the woman with a death glare.
"I'll kill you for this," said Four Arms as he was about to charge at the woman, but was stopped by a blue–haired.
"Wait, Ben! You and the others get out of here and take Mine to safety. I'll hold Esdeath off," said the man.
"But she hurt Mine! I just gotta punch her hard," said Four Arms.
"I know you want to, but Mine's safety is more important now," said the man.
"Ben, Susanoo is right. We have to leave," said Najenda.
Four Arms struggled a little, torn between punching Esdeath half–way across the Capital and taking Mine to safety. But after a while, he made his choice.
"Fine, let's get –," started Four Arms, but was interrupted as the Omnitrix beeped several time before transforming him into his Vladat form he called Whampire.
"Whampire? Oh, right. The Randomizer is still active," said Whampire as he picked Mine up before turning to the rest of Night Raid. "Let's get out of here. Susanoo, make Esdeath feel some pain!"
"You got it, Ben," said Susanoo as he got ready to fight Esdeath while the rest made their escape.
"Hang in there, Mine. You're gonna be fine. You just got to be," Whampire thought to himself as he looked the unconscious girl in his arms.
At the hideout, Ben jolted awake and rubbed his eyes.
"Man, what a dream," groaned Ben. "Something tells me my dream will come reality and that means the rest of Night Raid and I will battle this Esdeath person."
"Ben will be working with me today, so let's get along," said a voice and Ben saw a sleeping Sheele on his bed.
"I guess she dozed off," said Ben. "Talk about an airhead."
(In the kitchen)
Cleo was preparing breakfast for everyone while Najenda, Leone and Lubbock were sitting at the table.
"Is it a good idea to put Sheele in charge of Ben," asked Lubbock.
"It'll be fine. I have the feeling they'll get along together," said Najenda.
"What makes you say that," asked Lubbock.
"It's good for Ben to have a more experienced teacher," said Najenda.
"I call dibs on being with Ben next," said Leone.
"See? She gets it," said Najenda.
"What the hell!? That's so unfair," said Lubbock with a groan.
"If you ask me, I think Ben will make an excellent lady killer," said Najenda with a smirk, causing Leone, Lubbock and Cleo to look at her weirdly. "See what I did there? I said something cool." However, she was met only with silence. "Or maybe not."
"Morning, everyone," said a voice and everyone turned to see Sayo entering the kitchen.
"Morning, Sayo. How are you feeling," asked Leone.
"Better. It's still hard to believe that Ieyasu is dead, but at least Tatsumi is still somewhere out there alive, hopefully," said Sayo as she took a seat next to Leone before getting served breakfast by Cleo. "By the way, where's Ben? I still haven't thanked him for saving my life."
"He's training with Sheele. They should be back soon," said Najenda.
"I'm guessing my training will start soon as well, huh," asked Sayo.
"Yes. After your leg heals up," said Najenda as she gestured at Sayo's right leg that was wrapped in bandages.
(In the forest)
Sheele was sitting on a rock near a river when Ben came out of the water, but he wasn't in his human form. He had transformed into a large, bulky, reddish-brown alien with rocky skin, a giant mouth with teeth that were also made of rocks, and a molten lava planet core at the center of his body. His feet were tan with three toes, and he had three fingers and one thumb on each hand. He wore black shorts with green stripes, a green belt with white stripes and the Omnitrix symbol on his forehead. This was Ben's Galilean form he called Gravattack.
"Good job swimming when you're heavy," said Sheele with a smile.
"Why did I had to transform with a blindfold while under water," asked Gravattack. "And Gravattack is not an alien I'd use while under water."
"Well, since I don't have any job at the hideout, I can concentrate on training you," said Sheele.
"Really? Why is that," asked Gravattack.
"Well, when I tried to cook, I accidentally burned the meat and Akame wasn't happy about it," said Sheele as she tried not to cringe. "When I tried to clean, I made a big mess and gave Bulat more work than usual. When I did shopping, I mistook salt for sugar and Leone couldn't stop laughing. And when I tried to do the laundry, I carelessly washed Mine along with the clothes."
"Somehow, I'm not bothered about the last one," muttered Gravattack before looking at Sheele. "By the way, Sheele. When I met everyone that night at the mansion, how come I didn't see you with the others?"
"Well…," started Sheele as she looked a little embarrassed. "I forgot where the others and were supposed to meet up so that's why I came back later than the others."
"Of course you did," said Gravattack with a sweat drop before the Omnitrix timed out, turning him back to Ben.
"Allow me to apologize," said Sheele as she bowed, causing her glasses to fall off. "Oh no, my glasses."
"Sheele, can I ask you something? Why did you become an assassin," asked Ben as Sheele picked her glasses up and put them on.
"It's kind of a long story," said Sheele.
Sheele then told Ben about her past. How she was clumsy from when she was little, how she was insulted all her life. She told him about her friend, who accepted her despite her clumsiness. She told him about her friend's ex–boyfriend, who was angry at her friend for dumping him and tried to kill her, but Sheele stopped him by stabbing him in the throat. She told him how her friend never wanted to see her after that incident, how she killed several men from gang her friend's ex–boyfriend was from. She also told him how her mind was clear while killing those men.
"Soon, I was scouted by the Revolutionary Army to carry out assassinations in the capital," finished Sheele.
"So that's why you came up with an assassination training practice," asked Ben.
"Correct," said Sheele with a nod. "Because I don't have the fighting skills of someone like you.
"Well, looks like everyone has their circumstances," said Ben, confusing Sheele a little.
(Later that day)
Everyone, including Sayo and Cleo, were in the meeting room as Najenda looked at Ben.
"Ben, since you played a major role in killing Zanku, I want you to try using the Imperial Arms we took from him," said Najenda.
"Huh? Why me," asked Ben.
"I know that you have the Omnitrix, but you need something else to fight with in case the watch doesn't work or times out in a critical moment," explained Najenda as she presented Ben Spectator.
"Okay, but if I'm gonna do this, I might as well do it safe," said Ben as he activated the Omnitrix and slammed the core down, transforming into his Polar Manzardill form.
"Arctiguana," exclaimed Arctiguana before taking the Imperial Arms from Najenda and putting it on his head. "So, how do I activate this thing exactly?"
"It has the power to read minds, right," asked Akame. "So try reading mine?"
"Okay. I'll try," said Arctiguana as he closed his eyes and concentrated.
"Is this gonna work," Sayo whispered to Bulat.
"We'll find out soon enough," said Bulat.
"Okay, I think I got it," said Arctiguana as he looked at Akame. "You're thinking about eating meat tonight!"
"You're right. Such an amazing ability," said Akame in wonder.
"No, he still hasn't activated it," said Leone.
"It's got 5 other abilities, so try using one of them," said Mine.
"Okay, here we go," said Arctiguana as he once again concentrated as Spectator's eye opened.
"Well, what do you see," asked Mine as Arctiguana opened his eyes, only to gasp with a blush as he saw Mine, Akame, Sheele and Sayo in their underwear.
"Holy crap," thought Arctiguana.
"Well, do you see anything," asked Mine as she leaned down to look at Arctiguana closer.
"Don't come any closer, please! Warning, reaching critical overload! Whoever created this thing was a genius," thought Arctiguana before starting to feel a little uneasy. "Wait. What's happening?"
"It's rejecting him," exclaimed Lubbock.
"Quick! Take it off," said Akame as she removed Spectator from Arctiguana.
"Why do I feel tired all of a sudden," asked Arctiguana.
"It seems this Imperial Arms isn't suited for you," said Najenda.
"You were thinking about something you weren't supposed to, weren't you," asked Mine.
"Hey, how was I supposed to know this thing would cause me to see you, Akame, Sheele and Sayo in your underwear! It's natural for a guy to react that way," replied Arctiguana before putting his right hand over his mouth as the 4 mentioned girls blushed. "I totally shouldn't have said that!"
"Oh, is that so," asked Mine with a devilish smirk, but deep down she was as nervous as hell for what she has planned.
"Why are you looking at me like that," asked Arctiguana as he gulped at Mine's expression.
"You're about to find out," smirked Mine as she grabbed one of Arctiguana's back legs and dragged him out of the room.
"Wait! Where are you taking me? Stop! Somebody, help," cried Arctiguana as his voice was heard from the hallway as everyone just watched.
"Is he gonna be okay," asked Sayo. "She's not gonna hurt him, right?"
"With the way those two have been acting around each other, I think I know what they're gonna do," said Najenda with a chuckle and the same thing clicked into everyone's minds.
"Are they seriously gonna make babies," asked Lubbock.
"Without a doubt," said everyone with a nod.
"Excuse me, but I have a question," said Cleo as she raised her hand.
"Yes, what is it," asked Najenda.
"Where do babies come from," asked Cleo and everyone looked at Lubbock with murderous expressions.
"Look at what you did! You had to mention babies, didn't you," asked Leone.
"I didn't know she was gonna ask something like that," said Lubbock.
"Well, you caused it, you deal with it," said Najenda as she left the room, followed by the others, leaving Lubbock alone with Cleo.
(Meanwhile in the North Tribe)
There were dozens of people, who were either frozen in ice or put through spears. On the throne at the capital fortress, a naked man with long dark hair was licking the boots of a tall woman with long bright–blue hair, blue eyes and was wearing a general uniform. Several guards then appeared in front of them.
"The Northern tribe was defeated in no time. Just as I'd expected from the general" said one of the soldiers as he and the other soldiers looked at the woman.
"The soldiers' and civilians' pride has been shattered," said the general with a sigh as she looked at man at her feet. "This is what they call the hero of the North? What a bore! Die!" The woman then kicked the man hard the face, killing him, before she stood up. "Is there no one out there that can satisfy me as my enemy?"
The woman was none other than the Empire's strongest, General Esdeath!
(In the Imperial Capital)
Walking through the street were Leone, Ben and Sayo as several people greeted Leone.
"Good day, Leone," said a woman.
"I'd love a shoulder rub," said a man.
"Looking hot today, too! Let's go out for drinks tonight," said another man.
"Leone, come play with us," said a child.
"The slums aren't like the other places. This place is actually alive," said Ben.
"It's that diehard spirit. When you struggle your whole life, you learn to be tough," said Leone.
"I know this my first time outside of the hideout, but is the Capital really that bad," asked Sayo.
"Trust me, you haven't seen the things I have," said Ben.
"So, Ben," started Leone as she looked at Ben with a grin. "Mine finally got under your pants, huh? Did she enjoy it?"
"Can we, please, not talk about it," asked Ben as he blushed. "For a second I thought she was gonna kill me. And don't blame me if she gets pregnant. I told her that I'm about to come, but she kept riding me.
"Now, now, Benny. It takes two to perform the act. But don't worry. The boss makes us take pill in case we get captured and raped," said Leone.
"Yeah, Mine mentioned them, but she said she doesn't take them the way you think. She showed me a jar she's been collecting the pill in," said Ben, causing both Leone and Sayo to look at him in disbelieve. "Don't look at me like that! I was just as shocked as you guys."
With a red face, Ben walked ahead of the two girls, ending the conversation, while Sayo whispered to Leone.
"Since Mine hasn't been taking those pills, does that mean she'll actually get pregnant," asked Sayo.
"It's possible. But if those two get to have babies, I'll be the aunt that's gonna spoil them," said Leone with a grin.
The trio kept walking as the citizen continued to cheer Leone's name.
"You seem to be pretty popular," said Sayo.
"I grew up here, so this is my hometown," said Leone. "I've also got a reputation for being a great masseuse."
Just then, an angry mob appeared behind Ben, Sayo and Leone.
"There she is," yelled a man.
"Leone," shouted another man as the mod chased the trio.
"Pay me your tab!"
Settle your gambling debts!"
Gimme back the money you swindled outta my brother!"
"Well, interesting place, right," asked Leone as she grabbed Ben's and Sayo's hands before running away from the angry mob.
"If we're gonna be running, then let's give these guys a challenge," said Ben as he directed Sayo and Leone into an alley before activating the Omnitrix and cycled through his aliens before slamming the core down, engulfing him in green light.
When the light faded, in his place was his Kineceleran form.
"XLR8," exclaimed XLR8 before putting Leone on his back and held Sayo in his arms as he ran away from the angry mob in a blue, green and black blur.
(At the Royal Hall in the Imperial Palace)
The members of the council were gathered in the throne room with Honest and the Emperor at the throne as a guard entered and bowed.
"General Nakakido and General Hemi have both deserted us and joined sides with the rebel army," said the guard, causing the members of the council to tense a little.
"General Nakakido was a pro at war," said a member of the council.
"The rebel army is amassing a frightening strength," said another member.
"If we don't act fast, the kingdom will…," started another, but was cut off by the Emperor.
"ORDER! They're far down south from us. We can deal with them any time," said the Emperor. "Let the rebels gather. That'll make it all the easier to wipe them out in one go. That should do, right, Minister?"
"Very good, Your Majesty! You always keep calm," said Honest with a chuckle before speaking in a serious tone. "Rather than some far–off rebel army, we have a bigger problem at hand. The captain of the guards is dead, my distant relative Iokal, got killed! The executioner was also defeated by Night Raid and his Imperial Arms was seized! They're getting away with everything! It's so upsetting, I've put on weight!"
"What about that tribe, the experts sniffing out their hideout," asked the Emperor.
"I've lost contact with them. I think they were also killed," said Honest.
"Your Majesty, I'm afraid Night Raid isn't our only problem. What about those creatures that have recently started to show up," asked a member of the council, getting the attention of Honest and the Emperor. "I have spies in the rebel army and they told me that Night Raid has a new member. A boy that can transform into various creatures. In fact, he's the one, who killed miss Aria, Ogre, Shihandai, several members of the rebel tribe, Konto and played a role in killing Zanku. What should we do about him?"
"That boy sounds like a bigger threat than Night Raid," said the Emperor.
"If that boy with such power truly exists, then I want him found, captured and killed, and the source of his power in our hands," said Honest. "And I know who's perfect for the job. Contact General Esdeath, who subjugated the north and bring her to the capital!"
This caused everyone in the throne room to tense as they have heard about the power Esdeath has.
"B–but the capital already has General Budo," said a member of the council.
"The great General has too much pride to go on some rat–hunt," said Honest.
"Esdeath, huh? She's as great a hero as Budo," said the Emperor. "It should be fine! She's a woman of ice, who buried 400,000 tribe members alive!"
"Before she arrives, tell our pathetic excuse for garrison to buck up! I don't even care if they capture them alive or dead," exclaimed Honest. "We're going to hunt down that gang and finish off every last one of them!"
(At the Capital)
XLR8 ran into an alley after several minutes of running before stopping.
"I think we escaped them, right," asked XLR8 as he put Sayo down.
"Yeah, that was a little too close for comfort," said Sayo. "Don't you think so, Leone?"
When the two didn't get an answer, they noticed that the blondie girl wasn't with them.
"Oh, man! She must've gotten off while we were running," said XLR8 with a groan as the Omnitrix timed out, turning him back to Ben.
"We gotta find her," said Sayo before the two of them exited the alley and were back on the street. "Which way should we go?"
"I don't know. I've never been in this part of town before," said Ben.
"So it's official! We're lost," exclaimed Sayo.
"Yeah, and we have a mission for tonight," said Ben with a sigh. "We know the name of the place we're supposed to meet up, so how about we ask someone for directions?"
"Sounds good to me," said Sayo with a nod.
"Sayo? Is that really you," asked a male voice and when the two turned around, Sayo's eyes widened at the familiar face.
"Tatsumi? When did you get here? Never mind about that. It's great to see you," said Sayo as she gave Tatsumi a tight hug, which he returned.
"Yeah, it's great to see you, too," said Tatsumi before he looked at Ben and pulled away from the hug. "And who's this?"
"Oh, right. Tatsumi, this is Ben. He's a friend I made," said Sayo as she introduced Ben to Tatsumi before turning to the teen hero. "Ben, this is my friend Tatsumi."
"It's great to meet you, Tatsumi. Sayo has told me about you," said Ben as he and Tatsumi shook hands.
"Yeah, it's great to meet you, too," said Tatsumi before turning to Sayo. "By the way, where's Ieyasu?"
"About that, Tatsumi," said Sayo as her smile was replaced with a frown and tears appeared in her eyes. "He's dead."
"W–w–what? What do you mean," asked Tatsumi as he paled.
"Ieyasu and I were lured by this rich family before they tortured us," said Sayo as she wiped her tears out. "They kept us in a shed for several days before Ben and some other friends showed up. They killed the family and while they managed to save me, it was too late for Ieyasu."
"Tatsumi, I'm sorry about Ieyasu. I know that the Empire is not what you thought it was. The corruption from the Prime Minister and the Emperor has caused a lot wrongs. However, my friends and I are trying to change that," said Ben as he looked at Sayo. "Talk to Najenda about it and see if he joins us, okay?"
"Got it, but how are we supposed to find our way to the forest when we're lost," asked Sayo.
"Actually, I'm just coming from the forest," said Tatsumi. "I can take us there if you want to."
"Great! You and Sayo head there. I've got a friend I need to find, who's is God–knows–where," said Ben.
"Are you sure about this," Sayo asked Ben.
"No, but what better choice do we have? I know he's your friend, but we can't let him know about Night Raid just yet," said Ben with a whisper and Sayo nodded in agreement before looking at Tatsumi.
"Okay, lead the way," said Sayo.
"Follow me," said Tatsumi before looking at Ben. "Good luck finding your friend and also, thanks for saving Sayo. I'm sure Ieyasu is just as grateful as I am."
"Yeah, I know," said Ben as he waved Sayo and Tatsumi goodbye before looking around. "Okay, now how do I find the place Leone mentioned?"
"My justice sensor is picking something up," said a female voice and Ben turned to see a young woman with a long auburn hair in a ponytail, amber eyes and dressed in a military uniform. "You there! Are you in need of assistance?"
"Who? Me," asked Ben as he pointed at himself as he looked at the girl.
"I'm Seryu of the Imperial Guards! I'm an ally of justice," said the girl, now known as Seryu.
"The Imperial Guards," thought Ben as he remembered Ogre.
Ben then heard whining and saw a small white dog next to Seryu as she knelt to his level.
"Are you hungry, Koro," Seryu asked the dog, named Koro.
"Is that what I think it is," muttered Ben.
"He's the Imperial Arms, Hekatonkheires," said Seryu as she held the dog in her arms. "But I call him Koro. Don't worry, he's harmless to all innocents. So, do you have a problem?"
"Well, you see. I'm just lost. I know the name of the bar I'm supposed to go to, but I don't know the way there," said Ben.
"You poor thing! I'll take you there while doing my patrolling," said Seryu as she grabbed Ben's hand and dragged him towards the bar. "This way. Please, don't get separated."
"Hey, Seryu. Can I ask you a question," asked Ben as he looked at Koro while being dragged by the auburn–haired girl. "Do all Imperial Guards owe a guys like him?"
"Not at all. I'm the only one with an Imperial Arms," said Seryu as she let go of Ben's hand and picked Koro up. "I named him Koro. Apparently he won't so much as budge with anyone, who isn't compatible with him. There weren't any in the higher rankings who could use him, so I received a full–body examination. And it was my heart of justice that he responded to. That's why he's my partner now."
"I see," muttered Ben.
The two kept walking for a few minutes until they got to Ben's destination.
"Well, here's the bar you were looking for," said Seryu.
"Cool. Thanks for the help," said Ben.
"Not at all! If you come across any illegal activity just let me know. I'll come running to snuff it out," said Seryu in a determined voice.
"That's reassuring," said Ben with a slight chuckle.
"Let's go, Koro! I know you're hungry. How do five condemned criminals sound," asked Seryu as she and Koro left.
"A guard with an Imperial Arms sounds like trouble. I better tell the boss," thought Ben before he ran into an alley next to the bar and activated the Omnitrix before slamming the core down, engulfing him in green light.
When the light faded, Ben was in his Polymorph form, Goop.
"Goop," exclaimed Goop before taking off to the sky.
Meanwhile, while patrolling, Seryu couldn't stop thinking to herself.
"It's important to help those in need, but I have to find Night Raid as soon as possible! Captain Ogre," Seryu thought to herself as she remembered her lessons with Ogre and promising herself to conquer all evil. "The evil the killed my Master, Captain Ogre, Night Raid!"
"I will never forgive them," thought Goop and Seryu simultaneously.
To be continued…
Well, everyone. This is the final of this set. I hope you liked this chapter. Before you ask, yes, there was a lemon between Ben and Mine, but I decided not to write it. However, that doesn't mean there won't be any lemon scenes in the story. There will be another lemon between Ben and Mine in a future chapter that I will write. And speaking of relationships, I plan on adding Spear to Ben's harem. And I'll let you all decide who Sayo should be paired with, Ben or Tatsumi. Well, that's all from me for this year. I'll try to post the next set of chapters in spring. A little spoiler, the first Ultimate alien will show up in the next chapter that will feature Mine, Sheele and Ben's battle against Seryu, so look forward to that and no, I'm not gonna tell you which one will be, but that's not stopping you from guessing. Well, that's all for now. I'll see you all in the next time. Until then, Happy Holidays and have a nice day!
R&R