The Legend of Ben 10: Book 1, Sentience.

Chapter 7: The True Horror, Part 2.

"SUUUKI!!" Sokka squealed with glee. 

As the Rust Bucket was pulled down, ropes and hooks that had been launched from a rectangular cannon-like structure made of metal and wood now being wrapped around the Rust Bucket Hull and rooting it to the earth, resistance Fire Benders and Earth Benders stepped forth, readying their bending stances and weapons as Suki stepped forward. 

"You're surrounded! Come out with your hands up!" Suki said. "And know that if you're a Matriarch who believes us humans inferior, we have more than enough firepower to obliterate you before you even use one of your stolen powers."

The door to the Rust Bucket opened, and Sokka leaped out, sliding on his knees over to the Kiyoshi Warrior. "GUESS WHOSE HOOOOME- POWWWW!!"

Sokka was sent sprawling as Suki kicked him in the jaw reflexively in shock. 

"S-SOKKA!?" Suki blinked. "Oh jeez! Sokka!!"

Suki picked up Sokka and hugged him tightly before kissing him full in the mouth. "Oh I'm so sorry are you okay!?"

"I'd like extra pickles with my sandwich pweeeeaasee." Sokka moaned, his face frozen in a goofy smile. 

"Oh man I really think I hit you harder than in the Boiling Rock this time." Suki muttered. 

"Suki! Uh, is he going to be okay?" Katara leaped out of the Rust Bucket as, did Toph.

"Everyone hold your fire!" said Suki as the soldiers all looked momentarily confused.  "E-everyone! Toph! Katara! I can't believe it, it really is you all! Wait, how did you get that thing!? We thought it was a Matriarch machine at first!"

"Oh Rusty!?" said Sokka, wobbling back to life. "That belongs to a friend of ours, which we could actually use help looking for if you can believe it."

"His name's Ben, he's an important new ally in the war." said Katara. "Actually, he's probably THE most important ally, it's that serious."

"Is he a brown haired boy per chance with a foreign appearance that can't be placed? And a strange device on his left wrist?" asked Suki.

"Oh! You heard of him!" said Sokka. "Ben 10 right? Upstart hero whose been taking down Matriarch associated thingies with the help of the Mighty Sokka and friends?"

"Um, no, nothing like that, though I don't doubt the Mighty Sokka having a hand in these victories." said Suki. "But we found your friend in the forest, and, well.."

A few moments later, Sokka and Katara were standing over a bed in one of the medical tents, looking down at a silent and sleeping Ben, whose face was pale with tubes going into his neck, while his left arm was out, the Omnitrix fitted with braces filled with observation magnifying glasses. 

"The device blocked his arm, so we found a way to fit the tubes into his vitals through his neck. It seems that device keeps his injuries from getting too dangerous, so I don't think we would've been able to do this with anybody else." said the doctor. "Jin told us what the device is.. is that truly-?"

"Yes, it's called the Omnitrix." said Toph, stepping into the tent. "It allows Ben to transform into alien creatures. And as it turns out, the Matriarch is very scared of him. He's.. um.. going to be okay right?"

Katara looked over at Ben's bedside, where Jin was seated, putting a wet towel over Ben's head with a worried expression. 

"I don't know." Jin whispered. "His body's healed, we drained the Spirit Particles from him, but he's still not waking up."

"His spirit has journeyed beyond the Spirit World.."

A familiar old man stepped through the tent. He was no longer dressed in traveling garments, but in Fire Nation garb and old armor that appeared as if it hadn't seen battle in quite a while.