Orphan (Ben 10: Ultimate Alien)

Chapter 6

(I don't own Ben 10)

I was halfway to Bellwood now, and had stopped at an alien bar as Big Chill to get some food, pass as somebody else, and see what was on the news. With my wings covering the omnitrix symbol, Big Chill was absolutely perfect for going incognito.

"I've never seen Ben Tennyson run from a fight before," the barmaid, a tetramand, said, passing me a drink almost subconsciously, "here, the folks over there got that for you."

Across the room, a necofriggian waved at me.

Ben sat beside me, grumbling under his breath and yelling at people when they walked through him. I turned my attention to the drink that had been placed in my hand. A cup of lava with blue waves of another substance weaving through it.

We need to get going. With my murderer on your tail, it's only a matter of time before he finds you.

I tried something new instead of looking insane and talking aloud. He won't recognize me. Nobody will as long as I don't fly or change back.

I had used a form called Greymatter that Ben said was a Galvan to learn more about the omnitrix as soon as I had calmed down and found a cheap motel yesterday. I had been lucky to find this hidden alien bar. Ben was angry because it was unknown to the Plumbers.

Oh great, now you're purposely talking in my mind?

Oh shut up, I retorted, watching as the necofriggiam who had gotten me the drink walked out the door. I picked up the cup and took a cautious sip. Not bad.

What are you doing!?

Drinking this. I gulped down the hot drink. It didn't bother my necofriggian form at all.

Maybe tonight I'll take a peaceful flight on whatever air currents I could find, maybe even fly slowly to get on Ben's nerves.

Jerk. Let's get going. You shouldn't have drank tha- He was interrupted when an alien beside me started speaking.

"They're still going on about that Ben Tennyson crap? So what if the guy ran away from a fight? If the humans believe that keeping yourself alive and free to fight another day is a coward's choice, then how have they survived this long!?"

I glanced at the creature, a small, humanoid creature that was white and black with three button looking things.

Splixson.

The Splixson had three slashes across it's back, and a couple scratches on the fin-like things on it's head. It caught me staring at it and gave me an inquiring look, eyes slightly narrowed.

"Humans live in the moment," I said, "they all think that when something happens, they'll be the big hero. And then they're the ones hiding in the corner. Most of them, at least."

The Splixson relaxed a little and nodded before turning his head towards the tv, "and then they pulverize over the media the select few who aren't hiding in the corner when things happen."

I turned my head towards the tv and listened in, wondering how badly they were ridiculing me for staying alive.

"A baddie not even Ben Tennyson can handle? After his long disappearance, the teen hero was sighted in a small town in Tennessee." A photo of me as Big Chill came onto the screen and I glanced around nervously. In the picture, I was pressed against the wall, looking like a kicked puppy with a terrified look on my face, my wings open, but held near my body. Not my most flattering moment.

"After taking off, Ben came hurtling back to Earth after being hit by what appears at first to be a robot. Here's the footage now."

The video wasn't too great. Somebody must have taken it on their mobile phone.

Sure enough, I came crashing into the street. I winced as my scream pierced the air, magnified by the video. Everyone in the bar stopped their talking and turned their heads towards the tv, watching intently.

It was much worse watching all that had happened than it was living it. Nope. Experiencing it was a little worse.

I watched myself get beat up by Z. The scratches on my legs and ankles stung as I remembered his sharp tail.

What Z said wasn't very clear over video, but everybody could hear my enraged shouts.

My antennae perked up as Z pulled out what looked like a tranquilizer. It was blinking, a red dot. When he stuck it in my shoulder in the video, there was a dot of red light and then I watched the video until the me on screen ran away.

"Ben is clearly heard both times he threatens the stranger's life-"

Really? That's the part the media focuses on?

Get out of here. Now. Go Goop.

Why?

It was a tracking device!

What!?

I tried to keep calm as I stood up and headed towards the door of the bar.

I made it with no problems. Everyone else was focused on the news report.

I left the bar and didn't look back.