"What a disgrace.." Fiamma growled, staring at the viewing screen within the Highbreed ship. "Your Wildheits defeated, your DNAliens reduced to nothing but patrolling mobsters.. and the wrath of a genuine Numensapien almost wreaked upon the universe, all because you believed you had the situation well in hand... and to top it off, Tennyson somehow displays a power that goes beyond what we previously feared."
The Highbreed Commander didn't speak. He spoke quietly. "We underestimated that mongrel.. he is more of an annoying fly than we previously surmised."
"HAHAHAHAHA!" Fiamma laughed than shook his head angrily. "Your pride.. is going to ruin EVERYTHING we've sought to accomplish! I've warned you from the beginning, that Tennyson's defeat of Acqua should've been warning enough.. now your Wildheits are all but dead weight."
"Do not seek to anger me human-.."
There was a throb in the room, as if one giant heart beat had just shaken the place, and Fiamma's eyes glowed with power. "Do not seek to anger me... that's the real issue. Now I'm going to have to do something drastic just to make sure are plans are still on schedule."
Fiamma grinned. "It's time to begin Operation Star of Bethlehem.."
"So soon?" said the Highbreed Commander.
"My fortress the Star of Bethlehem is the entire center of our plans as we already know." said Fiamma. "You want to purge the Universe don't you? I want to create God's Kingdom on Earth.. starting war was just to distract everyone from our true cause, we both know this!! However, if we continue to let London play these games with Tennyson, he and his darling little esper girl friend will surely become strong enough to destroy our plans, despite how carefully created it was by the Glorious Me. We have no choice, our enemy has grown too strong!"
"Perhaps you are right, vermin." said the Highbreed Commander. "Your Aleister Crowley is all that stands in the way of Highbreed dominance.. and this plan of yours will destroy him as we agreed?"
"Indeed it will, along with all other humans, without you having to even lift a claw... just provide me with your most elite guards, and we should have minimal problems.. in the meantime, I'll collect are most preciously needed resource down in London.. "
"And what of Malware?" said the commander.
"I don't know, find some way to delay him or something.. honestly, I don't think he's really my problem." said Fiamma. "Not unless he seeks to make it.."
___________________
"Uggh.. er.." Carissa opened her eyes.. groaning. Next to her, was a shining new Curtana Sword, that was in the process of being wrapped in cloth by Azmuth as several more Galvin scampered around on their little feet, using little devices to scan the area.
"Wha-?"
"Awake are we?" said Azmuth. "You Royal types really have the tendency to misread EVERYTHING I tell you! I told George that Ascalon was for destroying Diagon only.. He decided to start an anti-alien organization that used illegal and extremist ideologies to get what they want! I told your ancestors that the Curtana was a powerful sealing tool for one of the most dangerous beings in the Multiverse.. you try to kill people with it! I tell everyone that the Omnitrix was an intelligent living being by my own design who was designed to learn and understand the different beings of the universe! Everyone else thinks he's just a watch that would make a good weapon!! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU HUMANS!?"
Azmuth gave Carissa a very sour look, than gave another sour look to the Queen, and the other Princesses that had arrived on the scene.. amid smoking rubble and ruined streets.
"I am deeply disappointed... in ALL of you. None of your family sought to keep reliable records of what I taught you.. and as a result, all of you have misused my creations beyond all reckoning. Ben's the only one who hasn't sorely abused my things as much as you, and he doesn't actually count since he technically IS my creation!! Misaka is an exception, I'll give you all that.. but even SHE isn't technically human.."
The Queen hung her head in shame before the small alien's quivering rage and disapproval. "We're.. sorry.."
"Sorry won't cut it!" said Azmuth. "The Curtana is no longer allowed on Earth! I will trust it's care to Assiah and the remaining Numensapiens. Do you have ANY idea how long it took me to unseal Carissa from this Numensapien's energy absorption? This is what I get for trusting THESE HUMANS-"
"H-hey!" Ben spoke up, walking over to Azmuth.
"Not now Ben, I'm on a roll." said Azmuth.
"Azmuth, you can't be honestly condemning all humans for what Carissa did?" said Ben.
"No.. I'm just condemning THESE particular humans." said Azmuth.
"Then at least hear me out if you still think humans have some sort of merit." said Ben. "Carissa was just trying to protect her people. Somehow she went on the wrong path of doing it-."
"Y-you're defending me..?" Carissa stammered.
"WRONG WAY!?" Azmuth laughed. "Ben.. you know all about Hitler, Stalin, Napoleon don't you? Despicable characters in your human history all thought that they were doing what was right for their people.. they did horrendous acts in the name of doing that. They weren't pure evil! There isn't such thing as Absolute Pure Evil. Only absolute, pure Big Headedness!! Those who think that only they themselves no the righteous path, and choose to follow their own way without consideration for the fact that they might be wrong! That is what causes the evil acts of this world! That is the ideology this Universe's biggest tyrants chose to follow.
"Even Vilgax, only conquers because he believes his planet will thrive and prosper, and become glorious beyond measure if he is the one to lead it, and prove it's strength to the Universe!! Only the Galaxy's most legendary weapons, the Omnitrix, etc. have the right to be wielded by him in his quest to improve his planet's legacy!"
Azmuth pointed at the royal family. "This.. is your giant.. family.. of royal BIG HEADS! That's what lead Carissa to attempt to subjugate their country through military force! That's what lead that idiot!!" Azmuth gave the Knight Leader a withering glare. "To try and purge you of your humanity! Don't try to defend them Ben.. you won't win this argument with me."
"Screw that!!" Ben roared. "If Hitler had good in him, I'd try to save him all the same!"
Azmuth blinked. "Ben.."
"I don't care WHO it is!" Ben said. "I've seen Accelerator, the guy who massacred thousands of my girlfriend's sisters become a guy who'd have my back in an instant if I asked! I saw Kevin Levin! The guy whose tried to murder me countless times, turn into my cousin's girlfriend!! Sure.. I'm not perfect.. I've lost myself to rage against people who are guilty of the same Big Headedness.. Maybe I can't have saved Kakine if I tried.. maybe I can't save Vilgax.. but.. if somebody is willing to attempt redemption... I think they should be given that chance!!"
Ben pointed at Carissa. "So far the only one in this family whose at fault is Carissa.. and yet, she knows what she did is wrong now! She wants to atone for it! I can tell that much!! So give her that chance! She might surprise you!!"
Mikoto smiled from behind Ben. This was just so much like him, she couldn't help it.
And much to Ben's surprise, Azmuth smiled too.
"Heh.. guess all this time in Academy City hasn't dulled too much of the 10 year old boy I knew who happened to stumble onto my planet one day, trying to stop the Omnitrix's Self Destruct sequence." said Azmuth.
Ben's eyes widened. "Y-you..?"
"Just wanted to test you.. you know how much I love to mess with your head." said Azmuth, giving Ben a wink. "Alright, we're done here.."
"Yes sir.." said one of the Galvin, putting his scanning device away.
"I'm still not trusting anybody else with this." said Azmuth, looking at the queen and patting the Curtana with his small hand. "I think leaving so many of my old inventions on Earth wasn't such a good idea... you've done marvelously though.. I trust Carissa will be disciplined..?"
The queen smiled and winked back at Azmuth. "Indeed."
"Wait.. YOU WERE IN ON IT!?" Ben roared, pointing at the queen. "When do you plan these 'Mess with Ben' stuff? Do you have like.. I don't know.. weekly summits!?"
"We've known each other for a while, I just guessed on the spot when he started getting furious at 'These Humans'.. such terrible acting." said the Queen, nodding at Azmuth.
"I'm an expert in the sciences, not drama." said Azmuth. "Goodnight to you all.."
With that.. there was a glow of teleporting light.. and Azmuth, the Galvin, and the Curtana had all disappeared, probably on it's way to Galvin Prime.
"Save Hitler?" Mikoto said, raising an eyebrow at Ben.
"We both know Ma Vreedle is worse." said Ben.
"Would you save Ma Vreedle?"
"If she wanted to redeem herself, yeah."
"Can't really picture it."
"Try."
Mikoto laughed. "Alright.. I'll try. By the way.. how DID you defeat Curtana?"
"I was wondering about that too." said the Queen. "It seemed that your power was growing near the end."
"eheheheheh.." Assiah chuckled, now no longer in her Purgatory form as she put her bamboo hat back on.
"Assiah.. what do you know?" Ben asked.
"The Connectrix is of my design as WELL as Azmuth's." said Assaiah. "So naturally, there are a few functions I imputed that I neglected to tell Azmuth about.. mainly because Fulgy and Omni make such a cute couple-"
"Explain." said Ben again, not sure who this 'Fulgy' was.
"The Connectrix was always meant to be the indispensable partner of Omnitrix." said Assiah. "So I used an immensely complex spell to create several types of connections between the two devices. The String of Emotion, is one of the foremost ones. Whenever one of the partners feels they are in danger, or a sense of doom, or feels a large burst of love for the other.. the other partner immediately gains a tremendous boost in power.. so much so, that it's positively dangerous. (Which is why I didn't tell Azmuth, He'd yell at me..). So if Ben felt he was in danger, Mikoto would get an increased boost to her own abilities.. and the same way the other way around.. a symbol of how you two protect each other and support one another.."
"I get the feeling of danger or stress." said Mikoto. "But.. love? Is that really an easy emotion for a machine to pick up on?"
"What makes you think that the Omnitrix or Connectrix are just machines?" said Assiah with a wink. "Sure, they're mechanical, but Ben's living proof that both devices can be so much more. He is a legitimate living breathing person! Not Data from Star Trek. "
"Thank you Assiah.. for everything." said Mikoto, bowing to Assiah.
"Ahhh.. Japanese Humans and their concepts of bowing!" said Assiah, blushing slightly with flattery. "If I were European, I would think I was royalty! Take care all of you.. I've interfered here about as much as the ancient laws will allow."
Assiah disappeared in a burst of light that was shaped like unravelling silk.
There was a silence... then..
"TOUMA!! I'M HUNGRY!!!"
"Way to ruin the moment." Touma muttered to Index.
Miyoko however, laughed. "Maybe we can get something to eat on the way to the airport! I'm so ready to get back to the city.."
"If there's a city to get back to." said Stiyl darkly. "That fight just now shook our entire planet.. I'm surprised London isn't in complete ruins. "
"That indeed is quite an issue." said the Queen. "Especially since the main organization we have to instill order... is now officially under review."
The Queen glared at the Knight Leader, who remained rigid and unperturbed.
"Mother.. don't blame him.. it was all my doing.. he merely adhered to his duty as a servant of the royal family.. " said Carissa, sounding quieter and meeker than she had ever been.
"No.. you will not bare this burden completely." said the Knight Leader. "It was I who decided to reset the Omnitrix.. I do not believe Ben Tennyson is a true living thing.. Azmuth has grown delusional with his creations.."
"WHAP!!"
Mikoto had just walked over and slapped the Knight Leader right in the face, wearing an expression that clearly said "I'm done with you".
"Man she's hot when she's angry.." Ben muttered.
The shocked Knight Leader looked at Acqua, who shook his head.
"You brought this on yourself." said Acqua. "I'm actually surprised she didn't kick you in the-"
"POW!!!" Mikoto suddenly kicked the Knight Leader in the crotch.
"I stand corrected." said Acqua.
The Knight Leader winced and closed his eyes, somehow still standing. Though Ben suspected he had the urge to sing some good soprano right about now, Mikoto, though petite she may seem, could hit really hard when she wanted.
Mikoto folded her arms, and turned her head away from the Knight Leader, a scowl on her face as she went back to stand next to Ben.
"Well, bad manners aside." said the Queen. "You all have our thanks.. it will take a little time to repair the damage that has been wrought from this, but without all of you, things might have been much worse.. and Ben Tennyson.."
The Queen bowed her head, as did all three other princesses. "We have hurt you quite deeply during this chaotic time..."
"Don't apologize.. I've already forgotten about it." said Ben cheerfully. "Right Touma?"
"I'm still not even completely sure what is going on." said Touma. "Did I just watch a Giant Dinosaur punch a giant Naruto Fox? Anybody up for Mr. Smoothy?"
"Heck yes!" said Ben.
Mikoto rolled her eyes. "Boys.."
"Alright Index." said Touma. "Looks like we're getting something to eat after all... Index? Hello?"
Index had frozen.. her expression was blank... and standing behind her... was..
"Who... who are you?" Ben said, staring at Fiamma of the Right.
"Th-that's... one of the God's Right Seat!" said Carissa.
"Fiamma!?" said Acqua.
"Oh, hello everyone.. I was just here to pick up a little something before I went on my merry way.." said Fiamma. "And might I say.. it's an honor to meet the meddling kids who've been ripping my glorious plans to shreds."
"Do I LOOK like Scooby Doo to you?" said Ben.
"Just like Ben Tennyson.." said Fiamma, as a terrible power began to shake the world around them.. and Index began to levitate into the air. "To respond to every terrible situation with a quip and a few alien transformations.. but just turning into little green men isn't going to help you this time. Isn't that right, Index?"
Index's eyes glowed as she spoke in an echoing voice.. "John's Pen Mode Active.. initiate destruction of hostile force."