"Okay!" Ben breathed, his voice barely audible.
"New plan—uh… just go ahead and hit them!"
"That is not a plan," the voice said.
"It is a plan."
The door burst open.
Two more men rushed in—big, scary, and very clearly the kind of people who didn't like kids escaping chairs.
"Get him!" one shouted.
Ben pointed at them dramatically.
"I HAVE POWERS NOW!"
"…No, you have"
Ben charged anyway.
Because of course he did.
He ran forward, fist pulled back, aiming straight at the nearest guy's stomach
"HIYAA!"
THUMP.
Ben froze.
The man didn't move.
Not even a little.
It felt like Ben had just punched a wall.
A very solid, very unmoving, very not impressed wall.
"…Ow," Ben said, shaking his hand.
The man slowly looked down at him.
"…Kid," he said flatly, "that was adorable."
Ben frowned.
"That was supposed to be super strong."
"Yes," the voice said dryly. "About that"
Then, something flickered. For a second, the man's face glitched, like a bad TV signal. His skin shimmered, and underneath, a green, rough, huge body with muscles was seen with eyes that were just a little too wide.
Ben blinked.
"…Oh."
The man grabbed him by the shirt.
"…Oh?" the voice echoed.
"THEY'RE ALIENS?!" Ben yelled.
"Yes."
"YOU DIDN'T TELL ME THAT!"
"I didn't know plus I assumed the kidnapping was the bigger concern!"
"THIS IS WAY COOLER"
The alien punched him.
Hard.
Everything went sideways.
Ben slammed into the wall with a loud CRACK. The force of the impact sent splinters of plaster flying, creating a momentary, swirling cloud of dust that momentarily obscured the scene, and the acrid smell of dried plaster and aged cement permeated the already tense atmosphere.
He let out a ragged breath.
For an instant,
total disarray washed over him.
It was a very uncomfortable sensation.
"...ow..." Ben croaked, sliding down slightly.
The room spun around him.
The aliens no longer appeared comical. They appeared large, menacing, and undeniably real threat to his life.
One of them cracked his knuckles.
"Should've stayed tied up, kid."
Ben tried to stand.
His legs didn't listen properly.
"...Hey," he whispered, very softly. "Voice... I need your help."
He took a deep breath.
"Give me control now."
Ben stood still, offering no resistance.
A transformation occurred.
Externally, nothing seemed amiss.
But within, a shift transpired.
It felt like a more profound aspect emerged
And Ben retreated.
His breathing slowed.
Pain dulled.
Head tilted slightly with blood covering "his" clothes.
And when "he" stood up…
It wasn't the same anymore.
The aliens paused.
"…How is he even moving?" someone inquired.
"Should I fetch the medical supplies? That kid might not make it if he loses too much blood. We shouldn't kill him, remember?"
"Ben" lifted his gaze.
His stare remained unwavering.
"Hey," he stated.
The aliens furrowed their brows.
"Yeah?"
Ben softly turned his head.
"...Rather than attacking children..."
A brief pause.
Then,
"…why not go after someone your own size?"
Silence descended upon the space.
Soon after the quiet, they broke into laughter.
A disastrous choice.
Because at that very instant—
An alteration took place.
Ben's body… tightened.
His muscles became more rigid, muscles tightening releasing steams from the body .
His posture adjusted.
It seemed as if invisible hands were adjusting this body as it began to turn red.
Then,
Something dark manifested.
Not light.
Not bright.
A faint, tenebrous energy wrapped itself around his arm.
Thick.
Heavy.
Wrong.
The surrounding air felt colder.
The aliens stopped laughing.
"...What's with that?" someone murmured.
"Ben" remained silent.
He was already in motion.
Rapidly.
Unusually swift for a child.
Stride one.
Stride two.
And then,
BOOM.
His clenched fist connected with the alien's abdomen.
This instance, it proved effective.
The alien's eyes popped out. The dark force exploded upon impact, sending the alien sprawling backward, colliding with a pile of crates. Metal buckled. Wood splintered.
Silence hung heavy in the air.
The remaining alien stood rooted to the spot.
"Ben" stood there, arm slightly smoking with that same dark energy.
Then
The energy flickered.
Faded.
Gone.
"…That hurt him," Ben whispered faintly in awe.
"Yes," the voice replied calmly.
A pause.
Then
"…We are running."
"Wait what?" Ben thought.
The second alien roared and charged.
Ben turned and leaped to the ceiling of the factory, scrambling to his feet and started running.
"HEY!" the alien shouted, chasing after him.
"Ben" didn't stop.
Didn't slow down.
But he did turn his head slightly—
Just enough to yell back:
"Hey Ugly! Your mother should sue the manufacturer for a faulty product or did he leave already?"
"…Maybe not the best insult," the voice said.
"Why are you making them angry? We are going to get killed" Ben shot back.[1]
Behind them, the first alien groaned, pushing himself out of the wreckage.
"…Get the kid—!"
Too late.
"Ben" burst through the warehouse class window
Night air hitting his face
Heart racing
Adrenaline everywhere.
"He" kept running.
Didn't stop.
Didn't look back this time.
"…We can't beat them yet," the voice said.
Ben panted, legs burning.
"…Yeah," he admitted. "They're… really big."
A small pause.
Then
"…But we hurt one."
"Yes."
Ben grinned despite everything.
"…That was AWESOME."
"…You are going to be a very big problem for me kid" the voice muttered
[1] Check character description at volm 0 for explanation for people that can't wait. I will upload the chapter today