Omnitranyl (Ben 10 Alien Force)

Grandpa Max was driving the Rust Bucket at high speed, while giving instructions to his grandson:

"Right cabinet, under the sink, Ben."

"There's only pans in here, Grandpa."

"On the cupboard left door, just below, there's a little button."

"Just below, just below... I found it."

"Press and hold."

"Press and hold, got it."

Like a horizontal merry-go-round, the shelves of the cupboard were rotating, taking the pots to the bottom of the cupboard and bringing to the front the ammunition that Ben was looking for.

"Now we're talking!"

"We'll need ammunition for the pistols..." Max turned the wheel, making the trailer turn sharply to the right and into a street, "and for the rifles."

Ben had difficulty in walking inside the Rust Bucket. Each turn forced the young man to brace himself or lean on the nearest piece of furniture. In some cases, it was his shoulder or his own head that was unintentionally used for support.

"Jeez, Grandpa!" Ben fell sitting on the floor of the trailer, "Do you have to do all this?"

"Yes, Ben. The Plumbers' power sections not only provide power for communication, but also for the containment cells in the Bellwood Headquarters. Any power failure could facilitate a mass escape, and that's the last thing we need right now."

Ben adopted a more serious expression as soon as he understood the gravity of the situation. His posture also became firmer and less unbalanced, even with the sudden movements of the trailer. He then continued to organize the armaments they would need for the mission.

"All set, Grandpa."

"Good, good. We're almost there too."

Ben approached his grandfather and, holding the passenger seat, saw that they were approaching a large horizontal building, with two tall and wide cylinders sticking out behind the building and a wall surrounding the entire lot. The appearance of the whole structure was that of a place that had not received a good paint job for a long time.

"Bellwood Recycling Center? Really?" questioned Ben.

"The best way to hide something is to make it as visible as possible."

Max pressed two buttons on the dashboard of the car, activating the communicator, and said:

"Requesting entry. Magistrate Tennyson. Code MT2319."

A confirmation beep is heard from the communicator, followed by a computerized voice:

"Welcome, magistr-tr-tr-aaaaaaaaaaaaaaat-" And hung up.

"What was that?" asked Ben.

"I don't know, but it shows that the things in there must not be the best."

"It's obvious, isn't it, Grandpa?" he pointed to the building, "How long has it been since this place has been maintained?

Max smiled.

The gate to the recycling center began to open before Rust Bucket even got close to the entrance, so that Max made one more sharp turn to leave the avenue and they were already inside the place.

Ben understood the reason for his grandfather's wry smile as soon as he stepped out of the Rust Bucket. From within the walls of the Recycling Center it was possible to see the true appearance of the Plumbers' East Power Sector. Although the shapes of the structures remained the same, the technology that made up the architecture of the place exuded all the grandeur of the Plumbers.

"Camouflage..." he said, impressed.

"What were you saying, Ben?"

"I was saying that I was wrong."

"That's what I imagined."

With laser pistols in their holsters, several grenades and containment devices in their diagonal chest belts and, their tachyon rifle in hand, the two headed towards the main entrance.

As they approached the building, they could see that the main door had been ripped off and was lying thrown over one of the trucks parked there. There were two bodies lying just outside the entrance, dressed in Plumbers' uniforms. Max quickened his pace and approached the injured security guards.

"Ben, keep an eye on the surroundings. I need to assess their injuries."

"No problem, Grandpa." Ben aimed his rifle in various directions, looking for any imminent danger.

Max crouched down next to the first fallen plumber and placed his fingers near the neck of one of them. He tried to feel for any sign that they were not too late, a pulse for example. Luckily, the soldier was still alive. Max took out a small boton-like device and placed it over the Plumber's forehead.

"What is it, Grandpa?"

"It is a life support device that assists medical teams. It can analyze the individual's vital signs and help the rescue teams determine which injured people need immediate attention and which can wait a little longer. It also indicates the position of those who have already been found."

"Very cool!"

"Don't get distracted, Ben."

"Yes, of course. Sorry, Grandpa," and went back to keeping his aim.

Max took the Plumbers' badge from his pocket and made a new contact with the Plumber's Headquarters:

"Attention, Central. This is Magistrate Tennyson. Send medical teams to the East Power Sector, we have injuries on site."

"All right, Magistrate. We'll be sending our teams immediately."

"That's perfect."

"Any information on the person responsible for the attack?"

"Not yet. I'll let you know as soon as I can. Over and out."

Max went to the other fallen soldier and again, after an evaluation, put on the medical triage device. They then proceeded through the doors.

The Sector facility showed clear signs of combat. Numerous signs of laser or plasma combustion could be found on the cloyingly white walls. Various furniture and structures were destroyed along the way. Light bulbs were damaged, flashing or sparking at the slightest sign of energy. Grandpa Max and Ben scoured the corridors for any sign of life.

Ben had the feeling that something had caught his attention and turned to the corridor they had just passed.

"Wait, Grandpa."

"Did you hear something?"

"Yes..."

Ben walked ahead, taking slow steps so as not to make noise. He stopped in front of a door with the words "Personnel Department" written on a sign glued to the door.

The two of them positioned themselves each on one side of the door, prepared to enter at the signal from their grandfather. A silent count was followed by the sudden opening of the door and the entrance of the two with rifles ready to fire.

"Please don't hurt us! Please!" A thin alien with a mantis-like appearance, dressed in his Plumber uniform, stood in front of him, serving as a barrier to the three other aliens in civilian clothes who were hiding behind him.

Ben lowered his gun. Max didn't: "Identify yourselves, please."

"My name is Fickell, sir. I'm a Plumber cadet and I was on security detail at the site when the attack happened." The Plumber pointed at the civilians behind him. "They are employees here."

Max lowered his gun and offered his hand to the cadet in greeting.

"I am Magistrate Tennyson, we are here precisely to rescue you and contain whatever it is that attacked the base."

The victims began to look among themselves and breathe a sigh of relief. Help had finally arrived!

"And I am Ben Tennyson," the teenager stepped out from behind his grandfather and offered a smile to the victims, "nice to meet you!"

The aliens knew Ben Tennyson, knew that he was capable of transforming into aliens, and many of his transformations were well known to the universe.

Ben expected a reaction of "even more" relief from the victims. At least that was the usual reaction he usually received when he arrived somewhere populated with aliens. Rarely was he greeted with fear or apprehension as he was this time. The Plumber with the body of a mantis again stood in front of the civilians, arms outstretched.

"Please, don't come any closer!"

Max and Ben looked at each other. Mistaking Ben for a threat could only mean that their suspicions were right. Albedo was responsible for the attack.

"Calm down, please," Max tried to mediate the situation, "It wasn't my grandson who attacked you."

"Excuse me, Magistrate, but what assures us that-"

"He's telling the truth!" interrupted Ben, "It wasn't me. That was Albedo's doing."

"Albedo?" asked one of the civilians.

"A jealous Galvanian who is also able to transform himself like me," answered Ben. "In fact, our similarities go beyond the simple alien watch-"

"What my grandson is trying to say," Max cut through Ben's speech, "is that we are here to help. We've already called the support team that should be here any minute."

Ben, with a frown on his face, pointed with an open hand to the door and said:

"You can follow that corridor to the main entrance. We have just come this way and we guarantee that it is safe."

The aliens looked at Max for confirmation of what the teenager had said. The mistrust was palpable in the air. Max nodded his head as if to say "it's true what he is saying, you can trust me."

"Thank you very much, Magistrate," the Cadet Plumber shook Max's hand and turned to the civilians. "Come on, guys, with me."

"Wait, Cadet Fickell," Max noticed that the plumber was unarmed. He took one of his pistols from his holster, with two rounds of ammunition, and placed it in the alien praying mantis's hand, "Take good care of them."

"I will protect them with my life, sir. Once again, thank you, Magistrate." And he went down the corridor accompanied by the staff.

" 'Thank you very much, Magistrate...' " Ben said in a cheap imitation voice. "I also helped to save them..."

"Don't be spoiled, Ben. Come on, we have to find Albedo."

Ben followed his grandfather through the corridors. He was in a mix of upset and angry, with a hint of feeling wronged.

It wasn't me who attacked the building, it was Albedo, thought Ben. I hate it when he does that and people stare at me for days.

"Ben, focus." Grandfather's speech was like a hand pulling him from the bottom of a pool of thoughts. "This is no joke. Any mistake could put the whole mission at risk."

"I know, Grandpa. But it was me who found them. Some recognition wouldn't hurt."

Max interrupted his grandson for silence. Now it was Grandpa's turn to hear something...

Sounds of gunshots!

The two of them ran on and took the second corridor to the right. The door at the end of the path was still open, but even so their vision inside the place was limited by the darkness. At most, they could see a Plumber armed with a pistol shooting toward the ceiling.

The shooting was only interrupted when a crate hit the head of the soldier who fell unconscious.

The entire building again enveloped itself in silence.

Ben and his grandfather approached cautiously. Their steps were smooth and restrained, trying not to draw attention to whatever was beyond that door. Their aim remained steady and their trigger finger was ready to welcome anything that came out of there. With less than three steps to go, they stopped and waited.

Nothing.

Max picked up a stun grenade and threw it through the door, but as soon as he threw it, a gooey projectile caught the grenade still in the air, changing its path and making it stick to the ground near Ben and his grandfather's feet.

"Inside, now!" shouted Max.

They both jumped through the door and put their backs against the wall nearest the entrance, protecting themselves from the stunned blast of the grenade. A buzzing sound echoed in the air for a few seconds. Ben was having trouble deciding how to react next, while Max stood with his rifle pointed into the darkness.

The lamps in the place were all broken. The only light there was came from the door, revealing that they were in something resembling a huge equipment warehouse. Shelves with countless devices used for maintenance or replacement parts for the Power Sector's machinery, as well as boxes and crates, were scattered all over the place.

"Ben Tennyson," the voice said slowly in the darkness, "what a coincidence that we meet again..."