Ben 10 Porn Story: The Jumper Chronicles – Chapter 5

Chapter 4

Staring down at the diagnostic computers screen, a sense of unease crept into Benjamins chest; once more connected to the device, it displayed the view from his own eyes, both the elaborate menus and the world as he perceived it. Amazing . . Gwen and Max breathed the word in unison as they watched the teenager cycle through the menu options.

It didnt short out the diagnostic computer, Max whistled in reverence as he used the computer stylus to manipulate the menus on the screen, Your arm downloaded the diagnostic software into itself, effectively adding a diagnostic system to the other machines it had already assimilated. Simply amazing!

Yeah . . . fantastic . . .

Gwen crooked an eyebrow, Whats your deal? You can literally plug in to and control any electronic device you want, how completely awesome is that?!

For as long as I can remember, Ive relied on machines to make my organs work like theyre supposed to, or to work for organs that were destroyed. My right arm and my left leg are machines that make it so that I can fake my way through normal day things. I have to take a number of pills everyday to make my body not attack itself trying to purge the machines out of my body; and according to this system log, he opened another menu, the reason I had that seizure was because now there are optic receptors that burrowed through my body and merged into my eyes.

So now you have a computer brain, super powerful weapons, whats the problem? Ben hopped off the nearby chair, I can only go hero for five, maybe ten minutes. You get to use all your super powers all the time, youre lucky!

The teen laughed derisively, You got to be healthy and live a normal life, of course you dont get it. He turned to face Ben, his blue eyes dark with anger, Ive grown up a cripple, unable to do anything a kid my age should have done. All I ever wanted was to be normal, but this, this just makes me more of a freak! He jerked the connection wire out of the device, causing the computer to shut down, Being a hero has nothing to do with super powers or how much butt you kick. Its about doing whats right, regardless of the consequences to yourself; its about courage, and selflessness, and-

Ben was a blur, whipping across the hallway as the gunners twin cannons angrily chewed up the concrete floor behind him. He hit the steel fire door with the force of a charging bull, and as it slammed shut it threw the three cross fusers backwards onto the stairwell landing. As they rose to their feet, the room beyond echoed with a series of volcanic booms, holes appearing in the door as gunfire punched through it in quick succession, forcing them to draw back into the previous stairwell for cover. As the shots subsided, Bens voice called out from the other side. You cant go this way, keep to the stairwell.

Ben? Meiru called in surprise, running to the door. She pushed on it, but it would only budge a few inches before hitting something, refusing to move. Ben, are you ok?

Theres a gunner virus in here, if you open that door hell blast you apart. Ben strained to keep his voice level, just keep going.

Some of us are cross fused, Enzan placed a hand on the door, well give you backup, and well all get out together.

JUST GO! Bens voice cracked in desperation. Enzan glanced down, noticing a trickle of red as it oozed from under the door. He grabbed the others and started down the stairs, ignoring them as they tried to go check on their friend. On the other side of the ruined door, Ben lay slumped against it, blood flowing from the numerous holes the gunner had created. With nowhere to go after hitting the door, hed stood there, taking the hail of fire into his body. Now, as his systems began to fail, he could only bow his head and wait for death.

The gunner hummed softly, preparing to fire again. Irritated, Ben brought his arm up; Slot five, Crush Cannon battlechip, activate. The air around his hand shimmered, and a powerful blast of energy exploded from his palm, disintegrating the virus and blasting a massive hole through the outside wall of the building. Suddenly his arm started hissing and sparking, then finally exploding as the hardware fused. As the smoke cleared, Ben looked down at the sparking stump. Wow, I guess American technology really is shoddy, he laughed bitterly.

Sighing in exhaustion, he reached into his ruined jacket, slipping a folded picture from his inside pocket; Meiru, smiling and laughing. Shed been too busy with Lan and Dekao to notice when he snapped the picture; it had only been his second day in her class, but he had already known how strongly he felt for her. But, all things considered, it was better to have ended this way. Atleast . . . atleast I got to save your life. That counts for something, right? he asked the picture, not expecting an answer.

Floors above, Ben dimly registered the shuddering boom that signified the fifteenth floors implosion. The building was coming down, but atleast she was safe. Alone in the shattered hallway, he stopped fighting his heart and let his emotions go, crushing the photograph in his fist as crystal tears flowing down his bloody cheeks in hot rivulets. An eternity passed until the wounds stopped bleeding, his heart grinding to a halt due to a lack of blood to circulate; his tears stopped soon afterward.

. . . and sacrifice . . . Benjamins voice was suddenly small and broken, the rage sucked out of him, leaving him feeling hollow; he remembered everything, the fog of amnesia receding and sending his forgotten life back in, bringing with it a mlange of regret and hopelessness. He bowed his head as tears ran down his cheeks, Being a hero is mostly about sacrifice . . .

The trio sat in stunned silence as a dramatic change washed over their guest; almost as if something inside of him died, the strength and life in Benjamin Bradts face drained away in an instant, leaving a pale shell in its wake. Shock and concern registered on their faces as Max reached a hand out, What happened to you, son?

I have to go. The red-haired teenager rose slowly to his feet and exited the RV in a rush, the door slamming behind him.

Ben looked at his cousin and his grandfather, Does anybody here know what that was all about?

Max shook his head, No, but whatever it was, something serious has happened to that boy.

Ill go see if hes okay. Gwen rose to go.

Max grabbed her shoulder, I think he needs to be alone for the moment. If he wants to talk about it, hell come to us.

Okay grandpa.

She smiled at him as Max turned and walked back to the kitchen. Im going to whip up a hot pot of brine shrimp gumbo.

Great, cant wait. Ben shook his head and returned to his Sumo Slammer game, Im going to be over here losing my appetite.

Im uhh . . . Gwen grabbed her coat, Im going to go for a walk. Neither Max nor Ben responded, so she took advantage of their distraction and slipped out of the Rustbucket.

—

Back at the waterfront, Benjamin leaned against one of the pier railings, the sea air tousling his long red hair. Meiru . . . He stared hard at the rumpled picture hed found in his pocket, finally able to put a name to the face of the woman who haunted his waking hours. The flawless radiance of her smile shone not for him, but on the brown-haired boy who seemed ever-oblivious to her guileless love. Hed risked his life for her time and again, even finally dying to save her, and still her love was invested . . . WASTED on such an undeserving imbecile. It wasnt fair.

Its not fair! DAMMIT! Benjamin slammed his prosthetic fist into the wooden railing, sending thick cracks running through it.

Wanna talk about it? Benjamin turned to see Gwen, standing a few feet away, a concerned look on her face.

He chuckled and turned away, Come to work up on a psychology degree?

Sure, you could be a pessimistic jerk about it. Gwen walked up and leaned on the railing next to him, Or you could stop acting like a dork and talk to me about it. Watching you change back there when . . . whatever that was happened, it was messed up.

Youre right, Im sorry. Ben glanced down at Gwen. I remembered something . . . everything. I remember what happened and where Im from, and I guess . . . I guess Im just bitter about it.

What happened?

I went to Japan to die; the implants were taxing me, and the drugs it took to keep me from rejecting them were killing me. I moved to Japan following my fathers death, because Id always wanted to see it, and I enrolled in school while I was there. They have laws about that sort of thing. He turned around and leaned his back into the railing, staring up at the moon, Ive lived a cloistered life, crippled by my implants, unable to be normal and having to hide from the world. I met a girl who looked at me and smiled, saw me as a man, not a hardware store. I fell so hard that it killed me, twice.

Then we need to find a way to get you back, shes got to be tearing her hair out scared for you.

No she isnt. He sighed, It was never returned. Shes in love with this empty-headed pretty boy. He gritted his teeth. Naw, thats unfair of me to say; he wasnt ever a rocket scientist, but he was selfless and kind. He was pure hearted and always doing what was right, even if it meant hed suffer. I guess thats why he got her, and she deserves a guy like him, even if he isnt smart enough to realize that she loves him. What a schlemiel.

Wow . . . Gwen blinked twice, Thats really . . . romantic of you. You love her enough to let her be happy elsewhere, thats impressive.

He shrugged, Not a lot I can do about it; besides, she thinks Im dead.

What?

I wasnt kidding when I said I died. He met her gaze with sad eyes, In order to save her and her boyfriend from getting killed, I stopped them from coming into a hallway and got myself shot to hell. I died in a puddle of my own blood, with the building collapsing around me, a pathetic cripple. He shoved his hands in his pockets and walked away, We should get back, its getting late.

Gwen stared at him for a few long seconds as he walked away, then jogged to catch up. When hed stared into her eyes like that, when shed learned that he died for a girl that didnt love him back, shed gotten the worst case of butterflies . . .