Ben gently laid Wildgirl on his bed, her breathing soft and even. She looked peaceful, completely unaware of the turmoil raging within him. He stared at her, trying to make sense of the events in the shower.
Why did she do that?
It had been so sudden, so unexpected. One moment he was washing off after a workout, and the next, Wildgirl was all over him. The thought made his face hot.
It was his first time. Part of him expected to feel ashamed or guilty, but the truth was, he didn't.
Why didn't he feel bad?
He couldn't deny that he enjoyed it. Her touch, her raw passion... it was an experience unlike anything he had ever imagined. A thought occurred to him. Maybe it was something primal, something instinctual. Was it possible that Wildgirl was experiencing some kind of alien heat? A biological imperative that drove her to seek intimacy?
That must be it. It's the only thing that makes sense.
He smiled. He was fine with that. It was actually a pretty good explanation. He felt great and his first time was with someone who cared about him.
Ben pats Wildgirl's head. She purrs, sleeping and oblivious to the complicated emotions brewing inside him.
Gotta clear my head.
He activates the Omnitrix. The device glows pink, and with a flash of light, SK8 materializes.
"What's up, Ben!"
"Hey, SK8. I need to blow off some steam. Can you take me to the city? Maybe we can hit the streets, do some patrols?"
"Sure thing, Kid! Sounds like a blast!"
SK8 tilts her head, sniffing the air. "You wearing cologne or something? You smell... different."
"Nah, didn't put anything on." Ben waves off her remark.
But it's true, there's a scent emanating from him, one that grabs SK8's attention. A sweet, musky scent that makes her want to just wrap her arms around him. She fights the urge, trying to focus on the mission.
"Focus, SK8. Gotta stay sharp," Ben mumbles, oblivious to the effect he is having on her. He just chalks it up to her scatterbrain tendencies.
"It's Hero Time!"
With the familiar rush of energy, the Omni-Exo armor attaches, encasing him in cool fuchsia and gunmetal. He clenches his fists, feeling the surge of power coursing through the suit.
"Alright, let's do this!" Ben exclaims.
SK8 crouches, offering him a ride. Ben hops onto her back, gripping tightly. She flashes him a grin, her eyes full of excitement.
"Hold on tight, Kid! This is gonna be one wild ride!"
And with that, SK8 launches forward, wheels spinning as she accelerates towards the city. The wind whips past them, a symphony of speed and adrenaline.
…
The city lights BLIND, reflecting off Ben's Omni-Exo armor as SK8 comes to an ABURPT stop.
"We're here!" SK8 announces, her voice filled with excitement.
Ben surveys the scene, the towering skyscrapers and bustling streets stretching before them. The familiar energy of New York pulses around them.
"Alright, let's see if anyone needs help," Ben says.
SK8 shifts from foot to foot, her usual enthusiasm tinged with a hint of uncertainty. "Hey, uh, Kid?"
"Yeah?" Ben asks.
"Don't you think it's, like, maybe a little... reckless for us to be doing this on our own?"
Ben raises an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, we've been working with Gwen and Max for the past week, right? Team Tennyson, all that jazz. And now we're just... out here. Just you and me. Is that really smart?"
Ben crosses his arms, a thoughtful expression on his face. "I get what you're saying, SK8. But we can't always rely on Gwen and Grandpa Max, you know? They've got their own lives, their own things to do. Besides," he grins, "sometimes it's good to just work with the two of us. A little buddy cop action, you know?"
SK8 considers his words, tapping a finger against her chin. Ben is right, he can't just wait around for help.
"I guess you're right, Ben. We can do this! Let's show those bad guys what we're made of!"
SK8's smile returns, full of her usual energy. She revs her wheels, ready to roll.
"Alright, SK8, let's move out!" Ben says.
The pair cruises through the city, eager to test their teamwork. Yet, the city is uncharacteristically quiet. SK8 stops a few purse snatchers, but nothing major surfaces. Ben scans the area, but the streets appear peaceful.
"Is it always this slow?" Ben asks, disappointment coloring his voice.
"Nah, not always," SK8 replies. "Sometimes it's like this, sometimes it's crazy. Just depends on the day."
Ben senses the city humming with a low thrum. It seems louder. The sirens, the car horns, the distant chatter—it's all amplified.
"Does the city feel kinda LOUD to you today, SK8?"
SK8 shrugs. "Nah, sounds like usual to me."
Ben furrows his brow. He dismisses it as his imagination. Suddenly, a series of sharp cracks shatters the relative quiet.
"Did you hear that?" Ben asks, his body tense.
"Hear what, Benny?"
"Gunshots!" Ben replies, his voice urgent.
"Gunshots? Where?" SK8 asks, her eyes scanning the horizon.
"I can't be sure... Sounds like it's coming from over there," Ben says, pointing to a street. "Come on, let's go!"
Ben hops onto SK8's back, gripping her tightly. "Go, go, GO! Head that way, quick!" he commands, guiding her with his hands.
SK8 accelerates, weaving through traffic. Ben spots the address and recognizes it.
"Slow down. Right here," Ben orders.
SK8 screeches to a halt in front of a structure. Its brick facade crumbles. The windows are boarded up, the whole building looks deserted.
"We're here," Ben says.
SK8 cocks her head, unimpressed. "You sure, kid? Looks like a dump."
"Positive," Ben says.
The smell of rot assaults Ben, like sharp razors and wild beasts. It invades his face. He contorts his face in discomfort.
"Ugh, SK8, do you smell that?"
SK8 sniffs the air, a confused expression forming. "Smell what? I don't smell anything."
Ben frowns. What the heck is going on?
He steps off SK8 and approaches the structure, Omni-Exo armor whirring softly. SK8 trails close behind him.
They push through the rotted doors, the hinges squealing. Darkness surrounds them. Ben's Omni-Exo projects a beam of light. The interior is a disaster. Graffiti covers the walls, trash litters the floor, and the air is heavy with neglect.
"This place gives me the creeps, Kid," SK8 says.
Ben says nothing, his focus fixed on the staircase.
They climb. The stairs creak and groan beneath their feet. The further they go, the stronger the smell gets. On the upper floors, the source is revealed.
Ben gawks.
The bodies of men in tactical gear are scattered around the room. They're not shot. The bodies are torn to shreds.
"What the heck happened here?" SK8 whispers, her voice filled with dread.
Ben stares at the bodies, studying the wounds. "Whatever did this... it was fast. And vicious." The bodies are sliced and diced.
The duo pressed on. In another chamber, additional bodies rested. Limbs were missing from some, others had been cut in half. The sight proved too much for SK8. She heaved, spilling her stomach's contents onto the already-disgusting floor.
Ben grimaced. He fought the urge to join her, his stomach churning, yet he managed to swallow it down. Ben patted SK8's shoulder.
"You alright?" Ben asked.
SK8 spat, wiping her mouth with her sleeve. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Just... not used to seeing this kind of thing. What could DO something like this?"
Ben's gaze swept the room, his mind racing. "I don't know, SK8. But whatever it is, it's still here."
The air thins as a shadow lunges.
"BEN!"
SK8 grabs Ben and propels them away. The figure's claws score the floor where Ben stood moments before.
"Woah! Thanks, SK8!" Ben says.
He looks at the figure. A young woman, maybe about his age. Her dark attire accentuates her deadly green eyes. From between her knuckles protrude two gleaming blades in each hand and one on each foot. She has a black jacket, black-and-white striped shirt, black pants, and boots.
"Who's that?" SK8 asks, pointing at the figure.
Ben stares at the woman. "I don't know, but she must have done this." He gestures to the carnage. "She moved fast."
Before Ben can react, the woman dashes forward, moving with impossible speed. SK8 barely has time to register before she unleashes a flurry of strikes. The Omni-Exo, while durable, proves no match for the mysterious assailant's skill. One of the strikes scores a direct hit, carving a line across Ben's chestplate.
"How sharp are those things?!" Ben yells, staggering backward.
The woman doesn't reply, doesn't even acknowledge his words. She presses her attack, a storm of slashes and stabs aimed to cripple and kill. Ben raises his gauntlets, attempting to block, but the blades slide past his defenses. The strength augmentation helps, but she's stronger.
SK8, recovering, launches herself at the attacker, hoping to use her speed to disrupt the assault. She becomes a blur, circling the woman, trying to find an opening. The woman pivots, blades flashing.
SK8 throws a punch, but she ducks under it. The woman spins, lashing out with a kick. A claw extends from her foot, slicing SK8's leg.
"YOW!" SK8 cries, clutching her leg.
Ben sees SK8's hurt. "SK8, look out!" Ben charges, attempting to draw her attention.
She vaults over him. He spins around, aiming to use the Sonic Gauntlets. Before Ben can fully raise his arm, she's on him, blades aimed at his throat. He barely manages to tilt his head to the side as a blade grazes his chin.
The woman's eyes glow with focus, her expression devoid of emotion. She kicks Ben in the chest, sending him crashing into a wall. The Omni-Exo absorbs the impact.
The woman advances on Ben, her movements precise. She is a predator closing in for the kill, and Ben knows he's at a huge disadvantage. He has no idea how to beat her. This isn't like fighting some robot or enhanced thug. This is something else entirely.
Ben twists, dodging the figure's next attack. The woman's claws embed themselves in the wall where his head was moments ago. He seizes the opportunity, kicking her away with the enhanced strength of the Omni-Exo. The figure stumbles back, giving Ben a precious second.
He glances at the dial, cycling through the aliens, his finger hovering over Diamondheart's emblem. Sorry, SK8, he thinks as a flash of pink light fills the room.
SK8 is gone, replaced by the crystalline form of Diamondheart. Her radiant blue figure fills the dim space.
"What's going on, Ben?" Diamondheart asks, her voice echoing slightly in the room.
Before Ben can answer, the figure is already rushing towards her, blades extended. Diamondheart's eyes narrow, her expression hardening with resolve.
"I think I got it," Diamondheart says, her voice calm despite the incoming threat.
She moves quickly, morphing her arm into a shield of solid crystal. The figure's claws strike, scoring against the crystalline surface, slicing through it. Despite the shield's durability, the figure can shred it. The shield explodes, sending crystal shards flying.
Diamondheart doesn't falter. She slams her free hand to the floor, and a large crystal spike erupts from the ground, narrowly striking the figure and launching her backward. The woman lands gracefully, though. A few crystals are lodged in her flesh, but she plucks them out without reaction, her expression unchanged. The wounds heal as the crystalline fragments fall to the floor.
"And you've got a healing factor?" Ben says, impressed despite the danger.
He raises his Omni-Exo gauntlets, aiming at the figure. Guess I'll provide some cover. Ben shoots bursts of concentrated sound, hoping to disorient the mysterious woman, but she dodges the sonic blasts with ease, her movements unnaturally fluid.
Diamondheart doesn't give her a chance to close the distance again. She raises her hands, firing crystal shards sequentially. As the shards whiz through the air, Diamondheart morphs her hand into a blade and closes the distance to the figure.
The pair meet. Blades CLASH against crystal, creating sparks. Diamondheart swings with the blade, but the woman is quicker. The woman ducks beneath each strike. The figure counters with strikes of her own, aiming at weak points in Diamondheart's crystal body.
One of the figure's kicks connects, hitting Diamondheart square in the chest. The force sends Diamondheart reeling backward, crashing into a wall. She stumbles, trying to regain her balance, but the mysterious woman presses her advantage.
With a feral YELL, the figure leaps through the air, claws extended, aiming to stab Diamondheart.
"TRAP HER!" Ben shouts.
Reacting instantly, Diamondheart rolls to the side, narrowly avoiding the attack. The figure lands where Diamondheart once stood, her claws sinking into the ground. Diamondheart smashes her hands on the floor, and crystals explode upwards, encasing the figure from the neck down.
The figure struggles, thrashing against her prison. Her body strains against the crystal, but the restraints hold firm. The woman continues to kick, pull, and twist, but she can't move. She's trapped.
Ben sighs. It's finally over.
***
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