Ben 10 Fan Fiction ❯ Original Ben Ten: Th Machaliens ❯ Mean Green ( Chapter 7 )

CHAPTER SEVEN

Somewhere, on the monstrous ship… in the massive colony on it, and in a massive dungeon under the main palace…

Ken and Lili were locked in cells and both were feeling very disoriented, but then that was to be expected after having just been digitized.

Count Dread often stopped by to witness his prisoners suffering, and even tortured them a little more by shooting electricity from his staff and shocking them, or just ordering his troopers to attack them with stun-lasers on low settings. It wouldn't kill them, but it hurt, which to him was “Exactly as you deserve, Tennysons!”

“Please…” Lili groaned as she tried to get up. “What do you want with us?”

Dread refused to tell them, as it was much too early and personal. “You shall know soon enough.” he sneered deeply at her. As he left to head back to his palace, he instructed the guards to continue torturing them a few moments longer, “Show them that just like aliens… even machines have teeth.”

Ken and his mother were left in the dungeons, and their screams and cries of pain nearly echoed throughout the entire palace. When arriving in the throne-chamber, Mrs. Mann and Jorgen were confused as to why Dread wasn't killing them and being done with them.

Dread was still not up to sharing and would explain in due time. Meanwhile, he had a new mission for everyone. This time, they themselves, along with Mr. Mann would be heading down to Earth themselves, and he would be taking part in the mission too.

“I wish to test the power of my enemies.” he stated.

The others worried if that was a very wise idea, “But, Sire…” Jorgen asked, “What if something was to happen to you?”

Dread was well aware of this, but he was still willing to go through with it. After all… taking risks was often necessarily to get things done. “Besides… what better way to cause more havoc and destruction among the Earthlings, and warn those I target of my wrath?”

Mrs. Mann and Jorgen sensed a deep feeling of hatred within their master.

“Prepare the teleporters!” Dread ordered, “We leave in one hour.” He was really anxious to get going… “Especially to see you again… Joel!”

…

Another day on the road… Max figured in another few days they'd reach their destination, browning anymore stops or battles. BJ checked on the three Machaliens that were captured, and made sure their cryogenic-detainment was in working order. “Sleep tight, babies.” she mocked at the jars where the figurines stood.

Gwen was poking though her emails when she discovered one from her father concerning her mother and Ken. “What?!” she yelped. Everyone turned their heads to face her.

The email explained that Ken's boarding school called to say that he was missing, and worse… Gwen mother's car was found tipped over on the road, but no sign of her anywhere or she would have been found or called home. Gwen did her best to stay calm but… this was really starting to freak her out.

Ben was worried too, and he figured, “Two guesses who's behind this.”

“Easy there, sport.” said Gordon, “We don't have any real evidence yet.”

“Shh…!” Camille hushed everyone and she hinted that Joel was asleep beside her on the bed. Joel looked so peaceful. The most peaceful he had been all week, what with his edgy attitude and his secrets.

Suddenly, his facial features changed. He was twitching…. tossing… turning… frowning… and groaning! “Oh, no! Not again…” cried Camille.

Lucy saw counted down, “Three. Two. One…”

Joel woke up with a huge yelp, “No!” and he was panting heavily again. He had that same nightmare again, and he just looked as if he had been through ten train wrecks. “You okay honey…?” BJ asked. Joel shook himself wide awake, “I'm fine, Mom.” But the others weren't convinced. Ben was about to question Joel about his problem yet again, but… Joel was saved the bell… or rather the beeping.

Max's friend Wes Green was calling on the emergency plumbers-contact. The screen was on and everyone could see Wes, and he was with, “Kai…?” Ben said and he sighed heavily.

“Oh… Hi Ben…” she waved at him.

Ben waved back and felt even dopier than ever, “Aw… she's waving at me.”

Lucy and Gwen were not delighted at all. Gwen hadn't forgotten Kai's ridiculous idea to train Ben like a dog… and Lucy could Ben was crushing on this girl. Worse, for them, they'd be seeing her and Wes because they were in the general area and needed help.

“We're on our way.” Max said. “Hang tight everyone, we're off!” and he fired the Rust-Bucket's emergency jets for accelerated speed. Ben couldn't wait to see Kai again; he typically hoped she'd have a change of heart about him…

…

The arrived in the small town village just off the highway, and they could already see Count Dread's fighters causing havoc in the area. This time, Max was going with Ben and Gwen, and he left Gordon in charge of holding down the fort, and right before Joel asked, “Joel… you stay here and that's final!” snapped BJ.

Joel sat back down, feeling he was being treated like a little kid. Camille could tell Joel was really getting frustrated.

…

The village was already running like a stampede of animals. Max, Gwen, and Ben dashed through the town searched all over looking for Wes and Kai, and luckily they had Max's plumber-badge to make it easier, as the stampede of people rushed past them it was easier to get through, and suddenly there they were. “Kai!” cried Ben.

“Ben… Gwen…!” Kai called them, and her grandfather waved towards Max, but then, and though they wised the meeting would have a better greeting Wes warned everyone to run, and he wasn't joking because the fighter-crafts were already firing at them and still just recklessly firing their lasers. “Look out!” cried Max as everyone jumped out of the way.

Ben was ready to go hero on them, but Max advised against it. “Make for the Rust Bucket!” he shouted. They headed for the town exit, but as they neared it three creatures, which Ben, Gwen and Max recognized immediately, popped materialized from out of nowhere.

“Dude…! No way!” cried Ben.

…

Everyone could see what was happening on the Rust-Bucket's surveillance screen. Camille almost fainted when she saw it was, “Mom, and Dad…?! Jorgen, my ex?!”

BJ and Gordon couldn't believe their eyes, and Lucy pointed out the metallic-parts built on their bodies. “They're machaliens.”

Gordon knew there was something he never liked about those ugly people.

…

“You two we thought we put in the Null-Void.” Gwen snarled.

Mr. Mann sniggered, “You did… but we escaped and earned the respect of someone special.”

“But enough about us!” sneered Mrs. Mann.

“The time has come for a little revenge!” added Jorgen, and big fight ensued. Max and Wes did their best to protect Kai, and Ben realized this was his chance now. “Goin' for Heat-Blast…” he cried as he hit the omnitrix, but of all the aliens he had he got, “Benwolf…?! You gotta' be kidding!”

Kai saw the transformation and she almost acted like Ben did near her, but she quickly snapped out of her trance when she had to dodge the Machalien's attacks.

Mr. and Mrs. Mann were hard to beat before, but now equipped with their machine-halves it was even harder. They could fire energy shots, and lasers out of their eyes, and even sludge-balls out from their mouths, Gwen got blinded by a sludge-ball before she could even recite a spell. “Gwen!” cried Ben. “All right that's it!”

Using his agility and speed, Ben managed to avoid all the enemy fire. “Go, Ben!” Kai cheered. Ben shot her a wink, except his pride was soon dashed when he tried to punch Jorgen, did his fist do no damage, for he was still half a sludge-puppy, and his gooey body didn't hurt a bit when attacked so simply. “Ha, ha, ha… not good enough, dog-boy!” Jorgen hissed, and then punched Ben hard sending him skidding along the ground.

Max and Wes realized they had to do something, luckily they still had small plumber-deceives which changed into big guns. “May not work… but it's worth a try.” Max said.

“You always were a top notch.” Wes complimented.

The battle continued, and Kai looked after Gwen, who still had sludge in her eyes… that's when, suddenly, a huge teleportation field of light blazed a yard before them, and he had arrived, sneering down at the two girls and pounding his staff into his hand. Kari had heard stories from her grandfather about this creature… “C-C-C-C… Count… Dread!”

“Hmm, mm, mm… greetings from the Machalien Empire.” He hissed. At once everyone stopped fighting and turned to face Him, and everyone on the Rust-Bucket could see him too, on the screen. “It's… him…!” Joel growled while gritting his teeth.

Everyone gazed at the screen in fear and anger.

…

“You haven't changed a bit, Dread.” Max sneered at him. “You're still picking on creatures weaker than you are.”

Dread only sniggered and took a few steps forward. “Typical Max Tennyson. Still the same wretch that you were back then. You are you're family are all nothing but criminals!”

Gwen hated it when people mocked her family like that, especially through her grandfather. She finally brushed the sludge form her eyes and tried to argue “Now wait just a minute--”

“SILENCE!” shouted Dread, “You try my patience!”

Wes demanded to know, “What business have you to return to our planet, Count.”

Dread simply stated that he had a little nitpick with Max's nephew Joel, “And that I plan to use all of you in master plan to get to him as the rest of my evil empire prepares to conquer this planet.”

“You can't do this!” Ben snarled, “We won't let you.”

Dread raised his staff, “Do not attempt to defy me!” and he fired a stream of electricity straight at Ben, knocking him down with ease. “This is my world now!” and he lunged over to where Ben had fallen and engaged him in battle, and the others resumed their fight as well.

Gwen told Kai, “As much as I'd rather see you get blasted… stay here where it's safer.”

“Get blast-- Hey!” snapped Kai.

With the fighter-crafts still patrolling the area, Gwen knew the perfect spell to deal with them this time. “Benates Egates Exates!” Using powerful tornados to blow the ships off course and causing them to hit the ground hard or crash into each other.

“Good work, Gwen.” Max called to her, but only then did the Manns and Jorgen resume their positions. “This is not over… PLUMBER!” snarled Mrs. Mann.

Ben had it the worst, dealing with their master, in one of his weakest forms, and Dread was hardly giving him any space to transform, for he was that fast and agile, not to mention skilled with his staff in combat.

Ben even tried using his powerful jaws to bite into Dreads left, metallic, arm. “AAH… CHIP OFF THE TOOTH!” he cried. Dread's arm was really that tough. “How pitiful!” Dread mocked as he grabbed hold of Ben's muzzle with his claw, “Ow-ow-ow-ow-ow…!” and kick him hard in the gut sending him backwards.

…

On the Rust-Bucket, the family was finding it hard to continue watching. “They're getting creamed out there.” cried BJ.

And then suddenly they all heard the door bust open and found Joel was missing. “Joel…?!” cried Camille. The whole family rushed to the door just in time to see Joel rushing towards the town. “JOEL… COME BACK?!” shouted his father. “ARE YOU CRAZY, BOY?!”

…

Ben finally managed to get some open spaces and tried changing into other aliens, but Dread proved to be far too much for any of them to handle. Gwen even tried her projectile spells, but Dread just deflected them back at her by whipping his cape. “Hah!”

Small sparks and explosions nearly hit Gwen from all sides, yet she still flipped over onto her back, “UGH… Uhn!”

Wes and Max tried to get in and help the kids, but the Manns and Jorgen were keeping them tied, up, and eventually they were stripped of their guns and were left defenseless. Kai was growing more and more frightened.

That's when Mr. Mann caught sight of her and leapt over.

“Oh, no… Kai!” cried Ben, as Diamond Head.

Kai was on the ground and backing up away form the evil creature that was planning to digitize her as well. “It shall less painful if you hold still.” He mocked, “Heh, heh… heh, heh, ah, ah, ah…!”

“Kai!” Ben cried as he tried to run over and help her, but Dread retracted his left claw and fired a small missile from the gun he now had armed, Ben got shot hard and changed back to his normal form. “Don't bother trying… the girl is coming with me, as are the rest of you!” Then he ordered Mr. Mann to, “Digitize her!”

“No!” cried Wes and he managed to get past the other two minions. “Wes… don't!” cried Max. The other minions tried to stop him, and missed, and before anyone knew it, Wes just pushed his granddaughter out of the way in time as Mr. Mann fired his ray on him instead. “GRANDPA…!” screamed Kai.

“BE STRONG, CHILD…!” his voice echoed, and then he was gone!

Tears were streaming down Kai's face. “Grandpa…!” she sobbed in her hands, “Grand… pa…! No…!”

Gwen furiously asked what they had done to Wes, and Dread explained that Wes was safe, “For the time being. He will be taken to my space-colony and remain as my prisoner, while I continue to gather more Tennyson's and those linked to them.”

Gwen finally realized that it was Dread who kidnapped her mother and brother, she tried to blast him again, but Dread took a direct hit in the chest with no harm at all, and then nodded at Jorgen who punched Gwen hard to the ground.

Everyone was looking weak and beaten badly, and Kai was so rigged with fear and sadness, she couldn't move, but suddenly, Dread got shot at from behind. “Huh?” it didn't hurt him, but he turned and saw Joel running and screaming like an angry lion. “DREAD…!”

He was running straight for him with a powerful gun, and shot at him again, and again, and again! “DIE! DIE, MURDERER!”

Dread sighed pitifully, and shot Joel's gun out of his hands, and then fired a missile which barley missed him, yet knocked him off his feet. “Joel!” cried Max, “Get out of there!” but Joel could run no where as Dread gazed down at him and poised his staff right at him.

…

“Joel…!” cried Camille.

“Not, my boy!” added Gordon.

…

Joel was helpless, no one could save him now. Everyone else was too weak, and the omnitrix needed time recharge. He needed a miracle. Dread gazed down at him, “Hmm, mm, mm… oh… I'm going to enjoy this, but I really should have done it long ago!” he hissed, “Say goodbye… Joel Tennyson!” he then raised his arm ready to strike him, but then he stopped and gasped, “Uhn…?!”

Everyone watched in confusion as Dread began moaning and groaning as his alien flesh boiled and jiggled, and his machine parts were sparking again, and machine oil was leaking form him too. “Ah… Ah--I NEED MY SERUM!” he cried. “GIVE ME MY SERUM!”

The minions immediately dashed towards their fallen master, and Mrs. Mann pulled out a small vial containing the exact same liquid that Camille took when she needed to feel better. Dread gulped the whole thing down and his body stopped going crazy, but she still felt a little weak. Still, had gathered the information he needed anyway, and even had a new prisoner to take back to his ship.

He and his minions teleported away, promising, “We shall return!” Then they were gone. Despite their lucky break, they had still captured Wes, and Kai was very upset. Ben found the strength to get on his feet, “Kai…?”

Kai gazed up at him, and she wrapped her arms round him and cried softly yet heavily.

Max felt terrible for Kai, but he knew the best thing to do now was get back to the Rust-Bucket, and hit the road.