Omnitranyl (Ben 10 Alien Force)

Kevin started his investigative journey as soon as he left the Plumber Headquarters. He needed to keep his mind occupied so as not to screw up, so looking for clues and trying to understand Albedo's plan was something that could keep him "distracted" for quite some time.

What he would do when he found the Galvanian, he could no longer say for sure: How great was his willpower to keep the promise he made to Gwen?

In his car, Kevin traveled around the city in search of information. He went to biker bases and Undertown, passed TV networks and alien technology dumps, drove through abandoned amusement parks and quirky zoos. In a matter of hours, he traversed almost all of Bellwood.

Unwillingly, he was forced to revisit old acquaintances. To call them friends was perhaps too much, for most of them would like to see his head served with barbecue sauce on a silver platter.

And it was in a series of chance encounters with Argit, the underworld's porcupine trickster, that Kevin discovered one of his most relevant pieces of information:

"Come on, Argit, tell us what you know!"

"W-wait a minute, Kevin, my man!" Argit found himself upside down, being held by Kevin by only one of his legs. Below him was a fall of about 20 floors. "What's the need for all this aggression?"

"You've been running away from me since the first time you saw me."

"Yes, but..."

"The second time, you ran over my car and scratched the paint with your claws."

"Really? Look, you can pay for it."

"The third time, you tried to shoot those nasty spines of yours at me just as I was about to grab you."

"But you were covered with metal, and I knew it wouldn't hurt you."

"The fourth time, you threw a garbage can at my windshield and made me crash my car."

"I can't pay for that anymore..."

"Then you ambushed Octagon and Rhomboid in the Undertown to capture me."

"They told me they were going to throw a surprise party for you. I didn't imagine that they would try to rip your head off..."

Kevin looked up, staring at Argit, with the boulevard just below. The trickster flashed a yellow smile. The young man followed the good manners of the social contract and said with a smile:

"I'm glad you were able to find a space in your very tight schedule to talk to me, dear friend."

"H-hey, that's the kind of thing a friend is for..." Argit felt the wind swaying his body from side to side "B-but couldn't you put me down so we can talk like two civilized people?"

"No way."

"Got it." Argit watched the cars passing below him like little colored ants. "S-so tell me, how can I help you?"

Kevin got a serious expression and said:

"Albedo."

"I don't know any Albedo."

Kevin opened one of the fingers of the hand that held the porcupine.

"W-w-wait a minute!" Argit tried to move as little as possible so as not to slip out of Kevin's hand "I-I think I'm remembering a-something."

"I imagined you were."

"Albedo... Albedo..."

Kevin opened another finger. The wind was blowing violently at that point.

"Albedo! I remembered! Y-yes, he came to me. He wanted information about some equipment and materials."

"What for?"

"I don't know."

"Argit..."

"I'm serious, I don't know!"

Kevin trusted the answer. He bent his two fingers again around his interrogated man's leg.

"What is he looking for?"

"C-can't say."

Kevin opened three fingers.

"Oh my God!" Argit despaired, covering his eyes with his hands to try to avoid the dizziness and fear he felt when he looked down.

"What he wanted, Argit. Let's just say it!"

"H-he'll kill me if it turns out that I said anything, Kevin, and you know it!"

"Relax, I won't let him. I've got your back."

"Like this? I don't need it!"

Kevin wondered if Gwen would approve of his methods. Certainly not. He closed his hand again and held the porcupine firmly. He stepped off the edge of the building, carrying Argit, and dropped him to the roof floor.

The trickster groped the ground around him, trying to make sure he was back on solid ground and trying to calm his racing heart.

"Argit, I need some information. Come on, help me."

He stared at Kevin with anger in his eyes. He wanted to shove a thousand thorns into his face right now and run away. It wouldn't be that hard, just lean forward a little and...

***

Kevin was walking into the cave.

"Tadenita," was what Argit said before turning around and walking away. Their relationship wasn't the best, but let's just say that both of them had enough "scoundrel credit" with each other that they could "let this one go..."

The interior of the cave showed signs of mining. One or another transport cart was standing on a rail. There were several pickaxes lying along the way. Sometimes a small piece of Tadenite ore was found lying isolated in a corner. And it is a fact: the cave was too quiet and empty...

Kevin continued on his way, following the transport trail until he came to an opening with voices and sounds coming from within. The trail followed the opening and descended in a gentle curve until it reached an intersection of rails in the middle of a large space inside the cave. In the center, Vulkanus and about fifty pickaxe miners were gathered together.

The small Taedenite miners were walking back and forth, carrying parts and equipment. Vulkanus was out of his armor. This armor gave him at least two more feet of height. Together with his physical stature, this allowed him to reach a total height of 2.60 feets.

Kevin heard behind him a sound approaching and jumped through the hole moments before he was almost hit by a miner's pickaxe. The young man jumped onto the rail and slid down the iron, like a skateboarder on a railing, until he reached the ground, standing a few feet away from Vulkanus and surrounded by mining minions.

"Hey there, Vulkanus."

"What do you want, osmosian?" Vulkanus didn't turn around. On a mobile platform that changed height according to his will, he continued to tinker with his armor.

Kevin noticed that the famous armor was extremely damaged. An arm was missing, and there were holes, some plates were missing, and wiring was sticking out of openings in the exoskeleton.

Vulkanus was annoyed that he was being watched, so he asked again with more brutality in his voice:

"Say, what do you want?"

"Albedo," answered Kevin.

You know when you are talking some nonsense with a friend in class, and suddenly everyone is silent and you let out that embarrassing information that resonates and makes everyone turn around and stare at you? Well, that is how the cave reacted to Kevin's speech.

Many of the miners dropped the pieces and equipment in hand and wielded their pickaxes, ready to attack Kevin at the first command. Their leader, however, kept a close eye on the repairs to his armor.

"I don't know anything," replied Vulkanus.

"I'm pretty sure you do," Kevin watched as the villain welded a plate to the side of his exoskeleton. "This armor didn't crumble all by itself..."

"You think this is funny, kid?" Vulkanus dropped his tool and finally faced Kevin.

"Actually, I do."

"I've always thought you were a cheater, a liar, and irresponsible," Vulkanus gritted his eyes angrily, "but I never thought you were stupid. Do you want me to kill you, Osmosian?"

"What is it? Are you ashamed that you got beaten up by Albedo and are making threats to try to cover it up!"

The seconds that followed seemed to last for hours. Maybe the tense mutism was an important variable in the construction of the uncomfortable environment in which they found themselves.

The silence was broken the instant the villain gave the order:

"Finish him off!"

The miners attacked all at once. Kevin was firing kicks and punches, throwing minions everywhere. The cave was coated with the sound of battle.

Vulkanus turned his back to the confusion and continued repairs on his armor. With pliers he cut some wires and repositioned them inside one of the side panels.

Kevin jumped over a transport cart and kicked it towards the goons coming towards him. A miner jumped up ready to hit his head, when he grabbed him still in the air and threw him into the nearest wall.

Vulkanus lowered the platform to the knee height of the armor and bolted the right joint. He was looking for a screw, when he realized that it was between his lips. He thought a "wow, how distracted am I" and continued to screw.

Kevin shook off two minions that jumped on his back, throwing them against some wooden pillars that supported the rails. Two other minions were running toward him, one of them struck with a pickaxe to the right of his face. Kevin dodged, then punched the minion hard enough to propel him against another minion.

Vulkanus, meanwhile, with the platform at chest height on his armor, was finishing replacing the shoulder plates and finishing the last touches. Then he realized that the sounds of the hubbub had stopped. Only a single gasping breath could be heard.

"Vulkanus!" Standing up, surrounded by several fainted henchmen, Kevin kept his gaze fixed on the villain, who was trying his best not to show the intensity of his discomfort.

"..."

"Albedo, where did he go?"

The villain kept silent. His arrogance wouldn't allow him to assume he had lost. Twice more.

A remaining miner jumped toward Kevin, pickaxe in hand, ready to pierce the young man's thorax. Kevin held the tool and punched the henchman in the face, causing him to drop the pickaxe.

Vulkanus felt a wind blow past his face the instant the pickaxe hit the center of the chest of his armor.

The core of the armor turned into a fireball as it exploded, turning the exoskeleton into thousands of pieces. Vulkanus was thrown with the shockwave and slid backwards across the floor until he was stopped by Kevin's foot, resting on his huge head.

"I'll ask you just once more" Kevin was clad in Tadenite, his arm deformed at one enormous point, resembling a green stalagmite, which dangled over the villain's eyes "Where. Is. Albedo?"

***

Kevin stopped the car as soon as he reached the place. A huge building, with its architecture based on 16th century castles, adorned with red flags. Knights walked from one side to the other, securing the place.