Hidden inheritance

Chapter 9: Picking up broken pieces

The abomination wasn't going anywhere, he made sure of that.

It had been a nightmare to put down that thing, but now it wouldn't be an annoyance anymore. To him, or Ben.

The hybrid heaved as the power he stole was taken away, using him as a way to fuel the DNA resources Vilgax was harvesting. He was in a daze, unaware of what was going on around him, where he was or that Vilgax had been glaring at him during the whole trip. He wasn't awake, he wasn't asleep, he was just... lost, out there.

His mind was a mess, he could hardly put two and two together. All he felt was bitterness, anger, humiliation. But he was too tired, too lost to make anything out of those feelings, to figure out why he felt like that, to even think about what he felt.

It would've been easier to just let it go, to just drop what was still holding him conscious and to fall asleep. He couldn't even remember what he was holding on to, what made him so vengeful, so determined to break out and destroy everything. But Kevin Levin wasn't like that.

Even in his state, he wouldn't drop it. He was responsible for his own misery, he carried all of those faults, and he'd recognize it for nothing, not even inner peace. He was dooming himself to suffering.

Vilgax observed as the tubes came out of Kevin's body, siphoning the energy from the Omnitrix he absorbed. This wasn't so bad after all, maybe his bioid army would not go to waste with this creature in his possession.

All he'd need was a device, the Omnitrix or something similar enough, to command the power he wanted properly. He didn't doubt Ben might be reluctant helping him with that, but he wasn't going to force his son to give up the Omnitrix, it was the last thing they needed at the moment.

The warlord would wait until he and his son met again to discuss the fate of the Omnitrix. Which would be very soon, considering Ben's guards requested to see him.

He was surprised Ben had wanted to see him so soon after their last meeting. Maybe his son had finally made up his mind about this planet... or maybe something happened to him and he needed his father's help. He doubted it was true, Ben was a very capable boy, and a resourceful warrior, so if it wasn't that, it must've been important. Or at least, important enough that he knew he couldn't rely on Max Tennyson for assistance.

What was that old man even doing to Ben? Whatever "honorable Plumber", "hero of Earth" he had been before, the way Ben so easily turned against Max and went to his side instead would make one think Max hadn't been treating the young human properly. Not that Vilgax was complaining about his son trusting him, but he wouldn't be too patient with Tennyson if Ben had suffered in his hands.

Especially considering Max Tennyson was responsible for all the pain he had been through all these years... Vilgax was itching for payback, getting even with the old bastard for what he had to go through. Only he knew what monster was hiding behind that innocent, seemingly kind and selfless face. He knew how well the Plumber could be deceptive, he had experienced it for a long time...

And soon enough, Ben would see it too.

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"This is so wild!" said Ben, in a Nosedeenian form.

He had taken the time to talk about his past (mis)adventures with Sixsix and Kraab while waiting for his father to come back. Surely, it was a blast to learn the yellow Megawhatts inside Sparksville's giant rubber-band ball, who now lived inside a giant light bulb, were indeed aliens like Gwen assumed they were. And they had DNA, which meant... here comes Buzzshock!