The Elemental Enerithian (Ben 10)

Be-Knighted

"I mean, it's great to have the Omnitrix and all, but there might come a time when it's not enough." Ben says, punching a punching bag while Gwen holds it for him. "Gotta expand my repertoire." He adds. "Your repertoire?" Gwen asks. "Yeah." Ben replies, kicking the punching bag. "That's seavate, and this is karate." Ben says, demonstrating it to his cousin. "I know Ben. I taught it to you." Gwen tells him. "Yeah, well, here's some good old Marquis of Queens free boxing." He says, and Gwen facepalms. Then she pushes the punching bag, knocking her cousin down. "Good idea. Headbutt!" Ben gets up and charges at the punching bag, but Gwen grabs his hair. "Not that way. The other way." She tells him, letting go of his hair. "What other way?" Ben asks. "Tell me you're kidding." Gwen crosses her arms. "Okay, fun's over." Kevin interrupts, walking in with Aria close behind, wearing Ben's jacket.

"I've just set up a meeting for Ben." Kevin says, running to the boy and grabbing his arm. "With who?" Ben asks, confused. "It's important. Come on." Kevin persists, pulling Ben. "With who?" Gwen asks, looking at Aria, who looks away. "Ari?" Gwen presses. "The Forever Knights." Aria blurts out. "He scheduled a meeting with the Forever Knights." "No way!" Gwen says in disbelief. "Are you crazy?" Ben pulls his arm from Kevin's grip. "You let him?" Ben asks, turning to Aria. "I had no say in this." She says, putting her hands up in defeat. "They're in trouble. They need help." Kevin tells them. "So? They're not exactly friends of ours." Gwen points out. "Right. That means they wouldn't be reaching out unless they had a really good reason. Aren't you curious to find out why?" Kevin tries to persuade them. "Wait a minute, they paid you to come here and bring Ben to them, didn't they?" Gwen asks.

"Again, I had no say in this." Aria reminds, and Kevin scoffs and stutters. "That hurts. Don't you think I ever do anything out of the goodness in my heart?" Kevin asks, offended. "How much?" Gwen asks. "I cut them a deal. Traded them for some alien tech." Kevin confesses. "You didn't tell me that." Aria says from beside the boy. "He's got a point, though. If the knights are desperate enough to ask me for help we should at least hear what they have to say." Ben agrees.

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"That's the most ridiculous story I've ever heard." Ben says once the blonde boy explains the situation to them. "No, it's all true. Everyone thinks dragons are creatures of myth, fiction. They're real, Ben. At least one was. And is." The blonde explains, leading the group through the castle. "Did you say is?" Ben asks. "A thousand years ago, a handful of knights battled a giant fire-breathing beast. They were the king's greatest warriors, but even they couldn't finish it off. All they could do was trap it and then build a stone fortress around it. Years went by, dozens of far-fetched dragon legends sprang up, but all the while the knights were passing the custody of the real beast down from father to son to grandson. Unfortunately, the dragon was invulnerable to every new weapon we tried on it. The latest was an alien quantum disassembler canon. We had high hopes for it. And still do, but the dragon escaped." The blonde shares. "Ben, we need you to help us." He says. "You're saying you want me to be a part of all this?" Ben asks, motioning to the tapestry. "Be a knight?" "Yes, Ben. Join us in our most nobel if causes." The blonde suggests.

"Do I get some of that cool armor?" Ben asks, and Aria karate chops him in the head. "Ow, what?" Ben winces, rubbing his head. "You see a bunch of old swords and axes, and you're ready to jump in and start playing knight in shining armor?" Gwen asks. "We barely know anything, right now." Aria adds. "Like?" Ben asks. "Like if there even is a dragon, like I mean, all they've got for proof are these things." Kevin chimes in, grabbing the tapestry and tearing it, and he gasps. "Sorry." He apologizes. "There most assuredly is a dragon. You have my word." A man says from behind them. "Ben, Kevin, Aria, Gwen, this is Connor. The greatest of all the Forever Knights." The blonde introduces them. "At your service or whatever you guys say." Ben shrugs, and Aria rolls her eyes. "What I say is, Forever Knights do not have doubts, so if you or your friends have them you do not belong with us." Connor tells Ben. "Chill out, you're the ones who asked for help." Aria tells him. "You insolent. The dragon will fall, by my hand." Connor claims. "Sure buddy, you couldn't get it now what makes you think you'll get it again?" Aria asks, aggravating Connor. "You taint the purity of our order by bringing this, this--" "This what?" Aria asks stepping closer to Connor with her eyes glowing red and shadow minions forming around them.