Hidden inheritance

Chapter 10: Back with an apology

He needed time. For Max, for Vilgax, and for himself. Staying mad forever wasn't going to lead him anywhere, even if Vilgax looked like the kind of guy who'd tell you otherwise. But he wasn't going to wait forever either.

"Can you tell me someday? Please?"

"I, I will try." said Vilgax, bringing Ben closer to him again. "I am sorry you're being denied the answers you seek, my son."

"It's fine, not gonna judge. Just, don't stall forever, okay?"

"You have my word."

Ben snorted slightly at how solemn his father was. Looks like he needed a family vacation too, lay off all that conquering stuff and start relaxing. Speaking of which, he had to see Max again...

Red lights started blaring, ending the embrace abruptly. Both Chimerans switched to a serious expression, as Vilgax went back to the control panel, inputting commands. A display of the ship materialized, showing a red dot in a specific location.

"I knew Kevin would try something!"

"Wait an instant, Ben."

Suddenly, a small screen appeared, showing the young mutant blasting drones, using energy he absorbed. From said drones, using his hands.

His human hands.

"Hey! He's normal again?! What's going on?"

"He might have been drained from all the Omnitrix's energy, or maybe this is only temporary. He's trying to escape!"

"Well, not on our watch!" grinned Ben, palming his fist eagerly. "Come on, let's show him!"

Vilgax's look seemed to match his cunningness. They were having their first mission together, this was going to be fun.

"You two, stay there and guard the door in case he tries to get here!" ordered Vilgax. "Me and Ben will deal with this pest by ourselves."

"Yeah!"

The two Bounty Hunters nodded, and awaited for their master and liege to leave the scene.

It was silent again in the room. They had kept quiet during the entire exchange, and closely paid attention to the details. This whole story sounded like a really unusual soap opera, not that they could complain.

They were the protectors of Vilgaxia's legitimate heir, worked under the most feared being in the Galaxy and encountered more threats in a few weeks than they did in a long time. They had to admit, if this was Tetrax's original task, this wasn't as easy as they'd think it'd be, but this was certainly more entertaining than what they've had before accepting this mission.

To think their original task was to take away the Omnitrix from the boy, risking to kill him in the process... They might not have survived had they succeeded, as soon as Vilgax would've known who was bound to it. Now they had to defend him from harm.

They had to give Ben credit, he was good at fending himself for a kid, especially since he was still a novice using the strongest weapon in the entire galaxy. And the way things were going, he was on his way to become a fearsome leader like his father... even if he did seem less cruel and more benign and lenient than Vilgax.

He didn't throw a major tantrum or treat them like slaves yet (although he did ask them to help do his chores in that vehicle he lives in with the Plumber and the girl), unlike the Incursean princess Sixsix's older brother had to work for recently (probably planning another of those "stealing the throne" plans, a tradition among those treacherous frogs), he was a good kid.

...which was a weird thing to say about someone related Vilgax.

He still had a lot to learn, and considering he wanted to fight with them rather than stay back, he could become a fierce warrior someday. He already took them down before, he could do it again had they not been on his side and under his service...