Chapter 5: The Pegasus and the BeastsSummary:
In Balsam Village, Jenny Realight's photoshoot goes awry as the infamous "Beast Tamer" captures her. Who will come to her rescue? Well, none other than the man who can change into Alien Beasts!
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
"This is so cool! I'm so happy to finally meet you, Miss Realight! I'm such a huge fan!"
The ecstatic, over-the-top exclamation came from a young man with blonde hair and a huge cowlick on the back of his head. He wore brown shoes, blue jeans, a bright pink shirt and had a pair of sunshades in his hair. Dangling from his neck was an expensive looking camera and had a notepad and pencil in his hands.
Sitting across from him was a lovely young woman with long, wavy blonde hair tied up into a ponytail and two bangs framing her smooth face. She had creamy white flawless skin, beautiful light-blue eyes with long eyelashes and full pink lips and sported a slim top-model physique with a large bust and ample hips. Her outfit consisted of a frilly cream-colored dress with blue, red, and yellow polka dots that ended at her mid-thighs–showing off smooth and shapely legs–with a light-pink jacket over it, a pair of gold earrings, a brown belt strapped around her wide hips, and a pair of fancy brown-leather dress boots.
The young eighteen-year-old woman, Jenny Realight, smiled politely at the excited man. "Of course, Mr. Jason. I'm always happy to meet my fans."
The pair were sitting across from each other on benches, located in a secluded spot outside next to a Koi Pond. Around them were Bamboo trees growing around them, casting shade that protected them from the mid-afternoon sun. Thankfully, the temperature was unusually mild today, so they wouldn't have to worry about getting over-heated or sweaty.
"So cool! But please, no Mister. Jason is just fine." Jason eagerly brought up his notepad and pencil. "Your photoshoot is scheduled to start in 30 minutes, so why don't we go ahead and get started with our interview? Yeah?"
"I'm ready when you are, Mr. Reporter-Man ." Jenny teasingly winked, making the reporter's face turn beet red and steam expelled from his nostrils.
Jeny smirked slyly to herself. She really enjoyed the effect that she had on men. She'd admit it made getting certain things in life much easier when people would do anything for a pretty face. It certainly made stopping bad guys way easier when they were distracted by her beauty before she effectively took them down.
"Okay…First things first, congratulations are in order for being voted Number 1 in our 'Mage You'd Like to Be Your Girlfriend' poll for the sixth consecutive month! If you keep at it, you're bound to be voted Number 1 for the whole year!"
Jenny giggled. "I'm flattered that so many out there view me in such a favorable light. I only hope I can continue to stay in people's hearts."
"You've only been modeling for a short time and have already reached such a milestone! So coooooool!" Jason shook excitedly in his seat. "You and Mirajane have to be our publication's most beautiful wizards ever!"
"Truly, I'm honored to be mentioned in the same league as Mirajane." Jenny crossed her legs, getting comfortable in her seat. 'Although I aim to become more popular than her someday.' She ambitiously mused. True, she and Mirajane did get along swimmingly when they modeled together for Sorcerer Weekly's swimsuit cover–no pun intended–but that didn't hamper Jenny's drive to surpass Fairy Tail's pinup model in popularity.
"So coooool! Okay, let me kick things off with popular questions our readers have for you." Jason paused to look at his notes. "What is the best quality of the Blue Pegasus guild?"
Easy question.
Jenny beamed. "Our sense of fashion, of course. Blue Pegasus is known for its beautiful women and fashionable men. Some may think that makes us weak, but our guild has consistently been ranked in the Top 5 for many years. It goes to show you that you can be both strong and look good too."
"Oooohhh! I couldn't agree more! So coooool!" Jason replied giddily, writing her answer down. "Second question, what's your future dream?"
Another easy question.
"I aim to become Miss Fiore someday, and be recognized as the most beautiful wizard in the country… Perhaps even all of Ishgar." Jenny replied. "My mother was a top model as well but was never voted Miss Fiore. I know it would make her proud if I could achieve that."
"So cool! I love it!" Jason's pencil raced across his notepad as he shook in his seat.
Jenny sweat-dropped a bit. 'This man is quite eccentric… A bit too hyper for my taste.'
"Next question, with whom do you have the best relationship?"
That was a thoughtful one.
"Hmm… Let's see…" She mulled over the question before someone came to mind. "I suppose Hibiki Lates. He and I frequently talk when we're at the guild hall together."
"Oooooh!" The reporter leaned in, wiggling his eyebrows. "A possible relationship then? That'd be so cool!"
Jenny closed her eyes, shaking her head. "No, no. Hibiki is certainly a fashionable and capable wizard, but we're just friends."
That was true. Maybe that could change someday, but who knows.
"So cool! Okay, what was the most difficult job you have ever taken?" Jason asked.
Jenny brushed her hair aside, smirking cockily. "I've never had a job too difficult to handle." She meant that.
"You've so confident! It's so cool!" Jason recorded her answer. "Fifth question, have you had any thoughts of leaving wizardry and becoming a full-time model?"
Jenny blinked twice. What? Where did that question come from?
"I…I have not." The blonde sounded bemused. "Why would you ask that?"
"Oh, these are reader questions. Not mine! Some long-time readers are concerned that if you spend too much time in wizardry, you may go down Karen Lilica's path." Jason lost some of his excitement. "May her soul rest in peace."
Jenny frowned sadly. She had been fourteen when she had officially joined the Blue Pegasus guild and had gotten to know the famous Celestial Spirit mage for a year before her passing three years ago. She was certainly beautiful and highly sought-after, but the callous manner in which she treated her Celestial Spirits left a sour taste in Jenny's mouth. Though Karen had been outwardly beautiful, her attitude was just plain rotten.
Still, it hit the guild hard when news of her tragic death had come.
"Karen's circumstances were… Well, let's just say I won't share the same fate as her." Jenny grinned confidently. "I'm a capable mage of the Blue Pegasus guild, and I have the potential to become much stronger than Karen, with no disrespect to her, mind you." She then perked up. "Actually, I just realized I've never talked about my magic. It's–"
"Ah huh, yeah. That's cool." Jason said dismissively, flipping a page on his notepad. "So, what are some of your likes and dislikes?"
Jenny pouted a little, not appreciating how he had nonchalantly dismissed her. "I love shopping…and I dislike black coffee..." Her shoulders slumped a little, her voice losing some of its pep.
Jenny stepped out of a changing room wearing a different outfit. She had changed out of her cute, summer casual clothes for a beautiful summer-blue dress that ended at her ankles and matching open-toed heels. Her dress had a crease that went up to her hip, displaying a generous amount of her left thigh, and it hugged her ample bust tightly to reveal a mouthwatering amount of cleavage. Her hair was done up in a nice ponytail and she wore gold bracelets, a golden necklace, and her earrings from before.
The swimsuit model then stepped down the hall and towards Jason and a couple of bodyguards standing by. Jason was going over his notes and muttering something about 'so cool' until he looked up at her and his expression somehow brightened.
"Oh, so cool! Your outfit looks so gorgeous!" Jason exclaimed.
"Hmph…" Jenny smirked. "Thank you. Care to lead the way?"
"Of course! Please, follow me!"
With Jason leading the way and the bodyguards taking up the front, the group proceeded to walk out of a small park and through the streets of Balsam Village. It was a small community built in the mountains with an oriental architecture style, best known for its relaxing hot spring baths and luxurious inns. Balsam Village was considered a popular tourist attraction to most in Fiore, and today it would serve as the site for Jenny's next Sorcerer Weekly photoshoot.
Naturally, Jenny's presence drew the attention of many people. The men (and a few women) had hearts and ogled her while the women looked at her with admiration and envy for her astonishing beauty.
Jenny smiled confidently to herself. She was quite proud of the looks her mother had blessed her with. She enjoyed being a model and the main pinup girl for Blue Pegasus as it filled her with a sense of pride and boosted her self-esteem.
However, the question of if she would leave wizardry for modeling came to mind again. Jason had cited it as a reader question, stating she'd risk dying like Karen if she stayed in the industry for too long.
The blonde bombshell internally scoffed at such a notion. She was a capable and proud member of Blue Pegasus! She was more than just a pretty face and was determined to make everyone know that. 'I'll ask Master Bob if I can take one of the more difficult jobs when I return. That'll prove to people that I am capable.' Jenny nodded, satisfied with her plan.
First, she needed to get through this photoshoot.
Jenny was so caught up in her musings that as the group turned a corner, she failed to notice someone and bump into them.
"W-Whoa! OOF!" The bystander stumbled backward and fell to the ground, two packaged boxes falling on either side of him.
Jenny gasped aloud. "Oh! My apologies!" She frantically came to his side. "I didn't see you there! You okay?"
"Ugh…Yeah, I'm fine." The bystander, a young man around her age with brown hair, gave a thumbs-up. "No damage."
"Everything alright, Miss Realight?" Bodyguard 1 inquired.
"Yes, I'm fine. I was just about to help this guy up."
"Oh, so cool!" Jason yelled excitedly. "You're not only gorgeous, but very polite and generous too!"
Jenny ignored the eccentric reporter and offered the bystander a hand, which he accepted, and pulled him to his feet. She wouldn't admit it aloud, but her arms strained from his weight. He didn't look overweight, so was he well-muscled? She looked at him closely.
He appeared to be close to her age and an inch taller than her. He had chestnut brown hair with an admittedly handsome, chiseled face and bright emerald eyes. His wardrobe was a simple white short-sleeved t-shirt, tan pants, and brown sandals with a mantle hanging off his shoulders with alternating green-and-black triangles. Even through his clothing, Jenny could tell he was indeed well-built.
'Hubba hubba.' She resisted the urge to lick her lips.
"Again, apologies for bumping into you." Jenny leaned down to pick up one of the boxes he was carrying and stopped when she realized how heavy it was. 'Whoa, what are in these boxes?'
The young man chuckled and knelt down to pick up the two boxes, carrying them under both arms. "It's alright. No harm, no foul." His green eyes then widened as he looked at her closely. "Wait… I've seen you before. Are you… Jenny Realight?"
'Ooh! A fan, huh?' Jenny smiled seductively. "The one and only. Surprised to see me?"
"Well, yeah. I saw you on a magazine cover the other day." He said. "You're a member of the Blue Pegasus wizard guild, right?"
"That I am, hot stuff." She winked cutely.
Ben blushed slightly. "Um, if it's not too much trouble, could I ask you a quick question?"
"Miss Realight," Bodyguard 2 stepped in, whispering into her ear, "we should be going. Your photoshoot is scheduled in five minutes."
"Relax." She waved him off. "This won't take long. I can at least answer a question after I bumped into him. It's only fair."
"So cool! Jenny is so kind and polite to even the common folk!" Jason eagerly wrote into his notepad, recording what he was seeing.
The bodyguard sighed deeply but respected her wishes and backed off.
Jenny looked back at the brunet with a beaming smile and didn't miss how his face was tinted with pink.
He must've picked up that she was in a hurry. "If you're busy, you don't have to answer. I can just–"
Jenny quickly cut in. "No, no. It's fine. Feel free to ask me anything; although, it goes without saying that measurements and nudes are off the table. Kay?" She said teasingly.
The young man blushed at the thought but shook his head. "It's nothing like that! Actually, I was going to ask what kind of wizard you are. The magazine didn't mention anything about your magic."
Jenny blinked twice, surprised. All of the questions she expected someone (especially from a hot-blooded male), she hadn't expected anyone to ask that question. Aside from guildmates, no one ever cared enough to ask about her magic before.
She beamed brightly. "Of course! My magic is Take-Over."
The brunet perked up. "Really? You can transform into monsters and stuff?"
"No, that's not my style." She tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear. "My Take-Over magic is called Machina Soul. Basically, I can change my clothes into armored outfits equipped with all sorts of weapons. Actually, any machinery I touch, I can take its capabilities and apply them into my outfits."
"That's… That's really cool." He breathed out in amazement, eyes widening.
"Heh, heh. Why, thank you!" She grinned, happy to receive genuine praise.
"That means you're like a one-man–Erm, uh, one- woman -arsenal." He corrected himself. "You've got to be one of Blue Pegasus's strongest wizards, yeah?"
Jenny's confident demeanor faltered a bit. "Uh, w-well…" She was capable, yes. But one of the strongest in the guild? Sadly, the blonde Take-Over mage would truthfully admit there were mages in her guild further along than she was.
The bodyguards then cut in.
"Miss Realight. Apologies, but we must be going." Bodyguard 1 insisted.
"Yes. We don't want you being late for your shoot." Bodyguard 2 added.
"Oh, right." Jenny turned to the brunet stranger apologetically. "I wish I could talk more, but I'm afraid I'm in a hurry."
He nodded and smiled. "I understand. Take care then, Miss Realight."
With a smile and wave, the pair parted with Jenny being escorted by the bodyguard pair and tailed by Jason. Jenny briefly glanced back to watch the brunet continue down the street carrying the two boxes, intrigued.
'He was genuinely curious about my capabilities…and not just my appearance.' A smile graced her full pink lips. 'A shame I didn't catch that stud's name.'
Unbeknownst to her, on the roof of a building in the distance, several pairs of crimson eyes trailed the blonde bombshell as she sauntered down the street.
Ben lightly grunted as he carefully unloaded the two boxes that he was carrying inside of a small store alongside several other boxes he had previously dropped off. Placed on shelves all around the shop were rocks, fossils, and gemstones of various types.
The owner, an elderly woman wearing a blue flowery kimono, offered him a kind smile. "Thank you very much, young man." She said appreciatively. "Those boxes must be quite heavy."
"It was my pleasure, ma'am." Ben smiled, wiping some sweat off his brow.
"I wasn't aware that Murphy had taken on a helper." The owner stepped behind the counter to grab something. "It's about time he did."
"I'm actually just tagging along with him till we get to Hargeon." Ben corrected. "Still, I don't mind helping whenever I can."
"I see. Well, I know he appreciates it." The nice lady took out a check and handed it to Ben. "Here, give this to Murphy. And tell him I said 'Thank you again'."
Placing the check in his pocket, Ben nodded. "Will do."
With that, Ben exited the shop and walked down the street in the direction where the merchantman's wagon was parked. In the meantime, his mind wandered back to his interaction with Jenny.
'I can't believe I actually bumped into Jenny Realight. And only two days after seeing her in that magazine. Seriously, what are the chances?' Ben thought, amused. 'And she's a Take-Over wizard to boot. One that can use weapons somehow…' He glanced down at the sleeve hiding the Ultimatrix. 'Honestly, I should look into the different types of Take-Over magic. I can find out which version I'm using.' He internally shelved that thought for later whenever he'd come across a library.
The image of the blonde bombshell came to mind again. 'I dunno why…' His brows furrowed in concentration. '...But she seems familiar somehow.'
He then stopped as his emerald eyes shot open, various memories suddenly resurfacing.
A young blonde-haired beauty (close to his age) steps out of a golden limousine, wearing a slim-fitting violet dress…and is suddenly taken hostage by a group of thugs. The thugs are promptly beaten…and the blonde approaches him with a grateful smile, proclaiming, "No, I'm your biggest fan, Ben Tennyson!" She then suddenly kisses him in front of a crowd–cameras flashing all around them.
Going out shopping and to dinner with the blonde beauty…and then soaking in a hot tub with her. He recalled having a positive experience around her–but something did feel off about her.
Then, the scene changes to a massive lobby in a building. Both the blonde and Julie are tied up, dangling over a hundred feet in the air from a statue…seconds away from falling. A choice had to be made to save one. Fortunately, he had the sense to call for backup.
He recalls her interest in him waning after that day.
Then, in a rundown hotel room, he felt excruciating pain in his right arm. It had definitely been broken. The cause? An advanced weapon being wielded by the same girl–only her hair was dyed black and cut shorter.
She had attacked him without a second thought. Something had happened to her. But what?
Ben stood in the street with a far-off expression, causing several people who were walking by to turn and look at him in concerned confusion.
'Jennifer…Nocturne. That was her name.' He remembered, trying to piece the seemingly random scenes together like a puzzle. 'Blonde hair, blue eyes, beautiful, and famous too… But something happened to her. What was it? Why'd she attack me?'
His thoughts then shifted to Jenny Realight, a top-model wizard he had run into by pure chance and felt a chilling sense of deja vu.
Ben shook his head. 'No. It's not fair to compare them.' He chastised himself. 'Sure they have the same first name, a similar appearance, and are both famous… but they're not the same person.' That assertion didn't make him feel all that much better.
'Well, it doesn't matter. I likely won't see either Jenny again anyways.' Sighing deeply, he continued walking back in the direction Mr. Kale had parked his wagon.
It had been three days since Ben had defeated the Devon Bandit Gang in Freesia. Since then, he and the merchantman traveled from Clover and went down a road running parallel with a railway line going through many towns. They made several deliveries and pickups along the way with Balsam Village being scheduled as their last stop before heading to Hargeon.
And nothing eventful had happened…
Except when Ben defeated a random group of bandits robbing from travelers outside Oshibana…
Scared off a giant horned reptilian monster terrorizing folks in the outskirts of Kunugi…
And then took down a ring of weapon smugglers in Onibus…
So yeah, nothing eventful for the Ultimatrix bearer.
Mr. Kale had impishly asked Ben if he had a secondary magic that attracted trouble. Something that Ben, in his amnesiac state, couldn't refute; especially since he was finding himself pulled into some kind of trouble at nearly every stop.
'Well…maybe the streak will be broken today.' Ben inwardly hoped. Still…at least the people of the communities he had helped appreciated his deeds.
That was something.
Moments later, Ben finally arrived at Mr. Kale's wagon parked on the side of the street. The village gates were very close by. There, he saw the middle-aged merchant going over documents on a clipboard with a keen eye. As Ben approached, Mr. Kale glanced up and smiled.
"Thanks for carrying those boxes for me Ben. If it weren't for my bad back and all, I would've helped…" He said gratefully, gesturing to his mid-back. "I also would've parked closer, but the town won't let me with Phenlope here." He pointed to the purple boar-creature hooked up to his wagon, which snorted in response.
"Eh, no worries. I'm happy to help. Although, I could've done it much faster if I had changed into Four Arms or XLR8 or–"
"Not a good idea." Mr. Kale cut in, looking hesitant. "No offense, Ben…but your forms are…kind of terrifying. Best to take a few extra trips instead of causing a panic, yah know."
Ben wanted to argue but stopped mid-sentence to consider Mr. Kale's statement and conceded that he raised a fair point. "Uh… Point taken."
"Oh!" Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the check and handed it to the merchantman. "Here's the check from Miss Ishikawa. She said, 'Thanks again'."
"Thanks." He nodded appreciatively as he took the paper. "Kind old woman, she is."
"So…any more deliveries we need to make?" Ben inquired.
"No, we should be done here in Balsam. Next stop: Hargeon. Bet you're excited, huh?"
"Well–"
"HELP! HELP! So not cool!"
Ben and Mr. Kale turned to see a man running down the street, shouting frantically. Ben's eyes widened slightly as he recognized him as the guy with a huge cowlick walking with Jenny earlier. A few people stopped what they were doing to direct their attention to the frazzled man.
"HEY! Can anyone help!? Are there any soldiers, Rune Knights, or wizards around!?" Jason cried out. "Seriously, we need help!"
Without hesitation, Ben ran over to Jason down the street while Mr. Kale stood by his wagon and watched. He recognized Ben's sudden shift in demeanor.
'The kid just can't ignore a cry for help, can he?' A small smile crossed Mr. Kale's bearded face. This was a sight he had grown accustomed to the last few days since picking up Ben from Cait Shelter.
"This isn't cool! Can anyone help!?" Jason yelled on the verge of pulling his hair out.
"Dude, it's alright." Ben tried to calm the panicking reporter. "Relax. Now, tell me what's going on?"
"Hey… I recognize you. You're the guy Jenny was talking to earlier." Jason's eyes then shot open as he grabbed Ben by his shoulders, looking frantic. "Listen, we gotta get help quick! Jenny's been captured!"
Ben's eyes widened in shock. "Captured?"
"Yeah, man! They ambushed us during our photoshoot. When we woke up, she was gone! It was so NOT cool!" Jason exclaimed.
Despite the brunet's internal reservations regarding the blonde model, he couldn't ignore someone in help. His expression became serious. "Show me where she was taken, now!" He sternly demanded.
"Woman! Woman! Human woman!"
"Woman so pretty!"
"Make woman mine!"
"No! Mine!"
"No, no! She mine!"
Jenny groaned as loud animalistic grunts stirred her from unconsciousness. The darkness steadily faded away as her teal eyes fluttered open. The first thing that filled her vision were the leering grins of three Vulcans standing above her. Unlike the ones found in forests, these were colored primarily white while their abdominals, hands, ears, and face were colored black and black circle patterns were present on their arms.
"Eep!" Jenny squeaked in surprise. "W-what the?!"
"Woman awake!"
"Human woman best!"
"Woman! Woman!"
Jenny immediately sat up, acting defensively. She knew male Vulcans had a perverse desire to capture women and wasn't interested in finding out what they did with them.
"Machina S–" She stopped during her incantation upon realizing she couldn't feel her magic, and that her hands were shackled behind her back. "What the?!"
"Alright boys, that's enough!" A calm, gruff voice exclaimed.
The three Vulcans surrounding her stopped their hooting, directing their attention to the source of the voice. Jenny turned to the voice too, only to find they were obscured in the shadows.
"Back up and give the lady her space." It was clear the person speaking was male.
The three Vulcans obeyed and stepped away from Jenny; much to her shock. This person had the ability to order wild Vulcans?
"Apologies, Miss Realight." The man apologized. "Vulcans have their uses, but their perverse nature can be troublesome to reign in at times. I do hope you are comfortable though."
Feeling softness beneath her, Jenny glanced down to find she was sitting on a small mattress. She was still wearing her blue summer dress, albeit it was ripped up in places and she had some noticeable bruising.
Turning forward, her brows furrowed as she refocused on the figure and could barely make them out from the shadows. He appeared to be standing in front of a broken window covered in glass, looking at his reflection somehow–even in the low-light.
Her eyes then darted around to see that she was inside of a dilapidated castle that had holes in the roof and vines growing all over the walls. The structure had certainly seen better days.
Where was she? What had happened? The last thing she recalled was… The photoshoot?!
She was in a luxurious hotel, posing for the camera in a steamy hot spring.
Then, out of nowhere, a group of Vulcans crashed through the ceiling. Jason, the photographer, and the bodyguards were smacked away by the beasts.
Jenny, not wanting to mess around, transformed into her most offensive Machina Soul Take-Over: Firearms. She managed to take down a few of the beasts, but then felt something prick her neck…and the lights suddenly went out.
Had she been drugged?
"Hey! Who are you? And where am I?!" She demanded.
The mysterious man, whom she presumed to be her kidnapper, stopped whatever he was doing. He calmly walked out of the shadows and into the light shining through one of the holes in the ceiling.
He was a very tall seven-foot lanky-looking man who appeared to be in his early twenties. He had reddish-orange hair and tufts of black above his forehead, and his eyes were bright blue like the sky. His most distinguishing feature were the three gruesome scars going across his face that looked like it had been inflicted from a set of claws. He wore rugged green cargo pants, brown boots, and a green sleeveless shirt with a tan pocketed vest over it. Strapped to his waist was a brown leather belt with various bladed weapons and pouches attached onto it.
"Right… Where are my manners?" A cold, chilling smile crossed his scarred face. "My name's Golias, the Beast Tamer. And today, Miss Realight, you have the privilege of being my hostage."
After following Jason through town, the eccentric reporter led Ben into a large, spacious room with a shallow pool in the center lined with hot rocks. The steam from the hot water vented out through the giant hole in the center of the roof.
Looking around, Ben could identify the remains of the smashed camera equipment from the photoshoot. There were small bullet-sized holes in the floor and walls, indicating there had definitely been a scuffle with firearms involved.
"This is it! This is where our photoshoot was." Jason gestured to the whole room.
Ben then spotted something on the floor that caught his eye. He knelt down to pick up a small red dart. As he eyed it closely, he could make out a strange liquid on the tip. 'It may be a drug or something.' He rationalized.
Ben glanced back at Jason. "What do you remember seeing?"
"We were taking pictures of Jenny doing some sexy poses by the hot spring! She was so cool!" Jason exclaimed, making Ben sweat-drop in exasperation. "Right when we were about to have her change into a different outfit, the ceiling caved in. Then, some giant white monkeys came in and knocked me and the crew out of the way!"
'White monkeys?' Ben immediately recalled the green-furred Vulcan from the Worth Woodsea. 'Could it have been Vulcans, but a different color?'
Jason continued. "The last thing I remember before blacking out is Jenny changing her outfit and taking on the monkeys. It was SO COOL!"
'Right. Jenny said she could conjure weapons with her magic. Guess that explains the bullet holes.' Ben returned his gaze to the dart in his hand. 'But she may have been shot with this and captured.'
"So, what are you going to do?" Jason asked anxiously.
"I'm going to find Jenny and bring her back." Ben stated matter-of-factly while pulling up the sleeve on his arm.
Jason cocked a brow. "You make it sound easy…"
Ben fiddled with the Ultimatrix; much to Jason's confusion. After finding the hologram he wanted, he turned back to the reporter with a confident smirk. "That's because it will be." He then slapped down the core.
Jason was forced to shield his eyes from the blinding emerald light that followed. When the flash died down, he was dumbfounded by what was standing in Ben's place.
It was a giant, truck-sized feline-like creature covered in orange fur with darker brown stripes on its hunched back and had a long tail. It possessed sharp teeth protruding from its bottom jaw, sharp black claws on its paws, and three black gills on each side of its throat; however, the most peculiar thing was that it had no eyes. The Ultimatrix dial was positioned on a green-and-black brace on its left shoulder.
(A/N: Same look, except the Ultimatrix dial is located on a left shoulder brace; similar to the ten-year-old Original Series design.)
The orange beast exclaimed its name in its native tongue, which to Jason was an incomprehensible series of growls and snarls.
Wildmutt
"WHOA!" Jason went starry-eyed. "You're a Take-Over wizard?! SOOOOO COOL!" He pulled out a small camera from his back pocket and proceeded to take pictures. "You didn't even need to say an incantation either! COOOOOL! Tell me, what kind of form is that? An animal? A demon? Oh! Are you like the former She-Devil of Fairy Tail? So COOL!"
Wildmutt acknowledged Jason's questions with a grunt before turning away to face the room. His gills then opened and sifted through the plethora of smells around him, instantly giving him a basic three-dimensional layout of his surroundings.
The smells from the hot spring bath permeated his view, but he was able to make out other distinguishable scents quite easily. He identified the normal human scents of the photoshoot crew that were previously there and the rancid smell of the Vulcans. Intermingled with the smell, he identified a flowery perfume that he knew had to be Jenny!
He locked onto that scent trail (which was blue in his vision ) to see it led to the open hole in the roof. With it, were the pungent Vulcan smells that were colored yellow in his scent-vision .
Wildmutt crouched down and wordlessly jumped through the hole and onto the roof.
"Hey, wait! Are you going after Jenny right now?! Do you know where she is?! SOOO COOOOL!" Jason squealed, recording what he was seeing in a notepad.
From the roof, Wildmutt looked out across Balsam Village and located the scent trails of the Vulcans and Jenny heading toward the edge of town. With that, Vulpimancer raced off and easily jumped across the rooftops until arriving at the forest on the outskirts of town. His targets' scent was getting stronger, so he knew he had to be going in the right direction!
Moments later, after smoothly traversing through the forest and across mountainous terrain, Wildmutt located what appeared to be the ruins of a castle in the distance. There, he spotted groups of Vulcans patrolling the area around it via walking or swinging through the trees.
The Vulpimancer crouched down to remain hidden in the brush, using his senses to plot the best course to the castle. He ideally wanted to sneak right past the guards and avoid confrontation.
After determining the best path, he was about to start carefully making his way through the foliage until…
BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.
He froze at the sudden electronic beeping emanating from the Ultimatrix dial. Unbeknownst to Wildmutt, who couldn't visually see it, the dial was flashing yellow.
"Uncatalogued DNA detected… Scanning…" the Ultimatrix said.
Suddenly, the Ultimatrix dial popped up from Wildmutt's shoulder brace and a yellow beam of light fired from it. It scanned the nearest Vulcan, who had stopped swinging in the trees, from head-to-toe.
"Unknown DNA sample acquired. Scan complete."
After it finished scanning, the beam disappeared as the Ultimatrix core went back down. 'What the heck was that about!?' Wildmutt thought.
Meanwhile, the Vulcan in the tree turned in the direction the beam had come from and spotted Wildmutt nestled in the brush.
"Intruder! Intruder!" The Vulcan called out.
Wildmutt snarled and extended the black claws from his canine-like paws. Well, looks like sneaking around was no longer an option.
Meanwhile, Jenny eyed the scarred man holding her hostage with a keen eye. The Vulcans continued to hoot in the background as they eyed her with perverse grins. It was clear they wanted to be near her, but they surprisingly followed Golias's order.
"Your hostage?" Jenny repeated.
"That's right." Golias stepped forward with a pocketknife in hand. Rubbing his face, he placed the item in one of his belt's pouches. Jenny suspected he had been shaving while she was passed out. She was at least thankful he didn't try anything disgusting with her.
"I was passing through town, and I caught wind you'd be here. Couldn't pass up on such a golden opportunity to make some quick cash. Blue Pegasus should pay a hefty price to ensure your safety and return to them." Golias casually explained. "Nothing personal, mind you. It's just business."
As Jenny looked at him closely, she noticed a key hanging from a ring on his belt. Maybe it was the key to her cuffs?
"Aw c'mon… ~Big, strong man~ " Jenny's voice became sensual as she adopted a sultry expression. "~You don't want to keep little me all tied up here, do you?~"
The Vulcans began to hoot excitedly whilst Golias remained nonchalant.
"These cuffs are pretty uncomfortable. Could you come over and loosen them just a tad bit? If you, I'll let you take a peak–"
"Your seductive tactics may work on other men and these primitive apes," Golias interrupted her, "but don't bother trying them on me. I'm asexual, blondie."
'Ugh, are you serious?!' Jenny slumped her shoulders and glowered at her captor. "I'll give you this… You've sure got some brass on you to be messing with the Blue Pegasus guild, Mr. Beast Tamer . We're not ranked in the Top 5 for no reason."
"Yes. A guild ranked that high must be pretty wealthy and capable of paying the ransom I want. 30 million Jewels should be a good start." Golias said offhandedly.
'This guy's an idiot if he thinks he'll actually succeed.' Jenny mused.
"Woman so pretty."
"Woman look so soft."
"Please, let us touch woman!"
The three Mountain Vulcans began beating their chests wildly and continued staring at Jenny with drool leaking out of their mouths. The blonde was beginning to feel very uncomfortable under their leering primal gazes.
"Forget it. Can't have you pervs roughing up my meal ticket. Just head out and patrol the perimeter with the rest of your friends." Golias ordered, shooing them away.
"Awww…." With that, the ape-beasts sulked out of the large room through an opening in the wall that led outside into the forest.
Jenny watched the exchange, wide-eyed. "So, you control them. Are you using some kind of spell?"
The corner of Golias's lips curled up. "It's my magic, toots. Predator Tamer. I can control predatory beasts to do my bidding. Though it doesn't work on people though." He shrugged nonchalantly.
Jenny pulled on her restraints a bit, frustrated to find they were solid.
"Those are magic-suppressing cuffs." Golias walked to a duffle bag off to the side and started digging through it. "Didn't think they'd be necessary to hold you, but I figured I shouldn't take any chances."
This irked the blonde model. "HEY! What's that supposed to mean?" She snapped. "I'll have you know I'm–"
"Blue Pegasus's pinup girl. Yes, I know." Golias sounded bored, not even sparing her a glance.
A vein on her forehead throbbed from anger. "I'm not just a pinup girl! I'm a wizard too! I can use–"
"Don't know, don't care." He said impassively while pulling out a small lacrima ball from the bag. "Anyways, I'll be making a recording to send to your guild with my demands soon. Try to look helpless for the lacrima. Oh wait, you already have that covered. Heh-heh..." He snarked, smirking to himself.
Jenny bared her teeth in frustration. 'Dammit! This is so humiliating!' She wouldn't admit it outwardly, but Golias's casual dismissal of her magic did hurt her self-confidence. Jason's question regarding if she should stay in wizardry also popped up in her mind. Unlike then, she was starting to give the notion a little thought.
The blonde bombshell let out a sigh and relaxed her arms, sulking. 'I was defeated by those beasts so easily. Maybe… Maybe I'm really not cut out for–'
Jenny was snapped out of her lamentations as one of the Vulcans rushed back into the room. It appeared to be roughed up and had orange quills sticking out from its arms and back.
"Boss! Boss!" It hooted frantically. "Trouble, trouble!"
Golias suddenly became alert. "What's going on? Did someone find us?"
Jenny perked up. 'Wait! Is it someone from the guild? Maybe it's Hibiki?' She internally hoped.
"No, not man! Big, strange dog! No eyes!"
The Vulcan's reply left both the Beast Tamer and Blue Pegasus's pinup girl befuddled.
Golias quirked a brow. "Big dog with no eyes? I don't know of any–" He was interrupted by the perpendicular wall being smashed in via two more Vulcans. The pair were covered in claw marks, bite marks, and orange quills as well. The ape-creatures painfully groaned and slumped to the floor, unconscious.
A loud fearsome roar then bellowed from outside the newly open hole, causing the third Vulcan to back away and cower behind Golias. The Beast Tamer pulled out a combat knife from his belt. 'I've never heard of an animal cry like that before…' He thought cautiously.
From across the room, Jenny's body began to fearfully tremble at the sound of the savage roar. "One of yours?" She shakily asked.
Golias's eyes narrowed. "No."
Without warning, another Mountain Vulcan came hurtling through the opening and crashed to the stone floor next to its brethren. Standing on top of it was a large, orange-furred beast with black lips, gill slits on its neck, a long tail, and (strangely) no eyes.
Wildmutt roared directly into the Vulcan's face; the sheer volume and fear it felt caused the Vulcan to pass out.
Golias's eyes widened in mild shock. "The hell? What is that!?"
"You don't know? I thought you said you were the Beast Tamer , right?" Jenny snarked, though still feeling uneasy.
He growled under his breath. "It doesn't matter…" Taking a deep breath, Golias held out his right hand toward Wildmutt and a crimson magical seal with the skull of a tiger appeared in front of him. "Predator Tamer: Submission!" He chanted.
The same red seal appeared underneath Wildmutt, causing him to lower his head and grunt as a faint crimson glow shone off of him.
Golias smirked to himself. "Doesn't matter what you are. You'll be my puppet like the rest."
After a brief moment, the spell ran its course and the seal disappeared. Wildmutt, however, shook his head and turned towards Golias, snarling angrily.
He was unaffected.
"What!?" Golias was shocked. "Impossible! No beast can resist my control!"
"Looks like that one can." Jenny snarked.
"Tch!" The rust-haired man clicked his tongue. "We'll see about that!" He then swiftly pulled throwing knives from his pocket and threw them at Wildmutt.
Sensing the incoming objects, Wildmutt swiftly jumped to the side to avoid the knives, causing them to hit and embed themselves in the far side wall.
Golias was impressed by the creature's quick reflexes. 'Its other senses must be superb if it can react without eyesight.'
Wildmutt then charged straight toward Golias.
"You damn dirty ape!" Golias glanced back at the Vulcan cowering behind him. "Defend me!"
"A—Aye…" The Vulcan hesitantly positioned itself in front of Golias to guard him. It swung out its huge arm to strike the Vulpimancer down, but the orange beast jumped over the attack and swiped the Vulcan across the face. The powerful blow left claw marks on its face and sent the ape-creature hurtling across the room.
Caught off guard by how effortlessly Wildmutt defeated the Vulcan, Golias was then sent flying into the wall by another paw swipe. Golias grunted painfully upon slamming into the stone and fell face-first to the floor, barely conscious.
Clang!
Jenny's attention focused on the item that fell to the ground. It was the key!
She looked between the item and Wildmutt across the room, which wasn't focused on her. Jenny quietly attempted to get off the bed, hoping to get the key and make a break for the forest. She didn't know what this strange eyeless beast was but didn't want to take a chance of it turning its sights on her; especially being powerless.
As she sat up from the bed, however, it gave off a loud squeak and her blood instantly ran cold at that moment. 'Oh no…'
Wildmutt sharply turned its head in Jenny's direction, causing her to fearfully flinch from his eyeless nightmarish face. "Eep! G-g-good dog…" She stammered.
Wildmutt grumbled as he began walking towards her; much to her apprehension.
"H-hey!?" Jenny fearfully crawled back on the bed. "S-Stay away!"
However, instead of attacking her like she expected, Wildmutt picked up the key off the ground with its long tongue (how was it able to see it?) and slowly approached Jenny. It stopped by the edge of the bed and placed the key in front of her, albeit was covered in saliva.
Gross.
"You… You're helping me?" Jenny asked, confused.
Much to her surprise, the beast nodded in response. So it could understand her?
"Damn beast…" Wildmutt and Jenny turned to see Golias shakily standing up, glaring daggers at the pair with a bit of blood leaking out of his mouth. "You dare attack me?! Total Submission!" The red tiger-skull seal appeared in front of him again.
Once more, Wildmutt was bathed in crimson light. Unlike before, it appeared Wildmutt was beginning to struggle mightily. He collapsed to the stone floor, using his front two paws to grab his head–grunting and whining in sheer pain.
"Hey! What're you doing to it?" Jenny shouted, startled.
Golias grinned wildly. "This spell forces any beast to submit to my whim!"
"You need to stop! You're hurting it!" Jenny yelled out.
"Oh? So the Beauty actually cares for the Beast ? How touching…" Golias remarked sardonically.
Wildmutt roared out in agony as his body began to spazz out.
The magic that Golias was employing was beginning to overwhelm his Vulpimancer mind. He could hardly fight against it. He needed to change back to human quickly! Wildmutt weakly reached for the Ultimatrix dial on his shoulder brace, but a sudden intense headache caused him to drop his paw and whine.
Jenny looked at Wildmutt with growing concern. She didn't know what it was or why the strange beast had helped her, but she couldn't just allow it to be tortured in such a manner. She needed to do something.
Then, she noticed Wildmutt reaching for the green hourglass dial on its shoulder. 'Wait… Is it trying to touch that?' The blonde wasn't sure what the dial was, but deduced it served some importance to the eyeless beast.
"Tsk… Still resisting, are yah?" Golias grunted in exertion, sweat forming on his brow. "How the heck can you resist this long… It's like trying to control a person…"
With the Beast Tamer distracted, Jenny fumbled with the saliva-coated key for a brief moment until finally fitting it into her cuff's keyhole and managed to twist it. With a metallic click, the cuffs popped off her wrists and she was freed! She immediately felt the access to her magical reserves restored, making her sigh in relief.
The Blue Pegasus mage then quickly scrambled off the mattress. Wildmutt tried to reach for the dial again but rolled over on his side, roaring painfully. Jenny's gaze shifted to the black-and-green brace on its left shoulder. 'If it's trying to touch it, maybe I can help it out?' Deciding to take a chance, the blonde mage cautiously approached Wildmutt, being careful to avoid his wild swings.
Spotting an opportunity, she rushed forward and tapped the hourglass dial. As a result, an emerald flash enveloped Wildmutt's being and forced Jenny and Golias to shield their eyes. When they uncovered them, they were both shocked to see Ben in his human form.
"Ow… That hurt." Ben stood up, rubbing his temple to soothe his headache. He then turned to a flabbergasted Jenny, offering her a grateful smile. "Thanks, Miss Realight. That spell or whatever that guy was using became really hard to resist as Wildmutt."
Jenny stammered, wide-eyed. "Y-You're the guy from earlier!"
"Hey again. Name's Ben. Ben Tennyson."
"You're a Take-Over wizard too?"
Ben nodded. "Something like that, yeah. C'mon. Let's get out of here while we can." He held out his hand to Jenny.
"You're not going anywhere with her." Golias called out. "That chick is my ticket to an easy life living in a nice, secluded cabin by a mountain lake. You're not taking that away from me."
"I can take you to a nice prison cell if you want." Ben smirked. "Besides, I already beat your Vulcans outside. There's only you now."
"You sure about that?" Golias grinned smugly.
On que, the ground began to shake slightly as a horde of Mountain Vulcans ran through the openings in the walls and filed into the room. Ben was impressed that the Vulcans were still able to move despite their wounds and being covered in Wildmutt's quills. Before the blonde bombshell and brunet hero knew it, over two dozen Vulcans were standing before Golias.
"How are they able to move after Wildmutt roughed them up?" Ben asked, sounding mildly surprised.
"They can't ignore my will, even if their bodies are hurt." Golias replied.
Jenny narrowed her eyes. "So you're forcing them to fight your own battles? Tch.. You're a coward of a man."
Golias was undeterred by the insult. "Call me what you will. As long as I win in the end, the means don't matter."
'After all, that's the only thing that matters in life. Winning and losing.' The Beast Tamer thought.
"I beg to differ." Ben adopted a serious expression and took a step forward while activating the Ultimatrix, something Jenny had taken notice of.
'Is he using that weird device to transform? Does it help him control his magic or something?' The blonde mage pondered curiously. She then shook her head. No, now wasn't the time to focus on that.
"Miss Realight, if you're up for it, I would appreciate your assistance." Ben requested.
Jenny looked at Ben, surprised. "You… want me to help?"
That was a first for the Blue Pegasus beauty. Normally when things started getting rough during a mission, the men (the Trimen, specifically) always requested that she stay behind them or retreat to a safe distance. Jenny knew they didn't mean anything malicious by it, but it did sting her pride to know they didn't think she was capable.
"Well, yeah." Ben glanced at her, smirking. "You're a Take-Over wizard too, right? Let's show 'em what we got!"
Jenny's breath hitched in her throat. This man, Ben Tennyson, even though they had just met today, was that confident in her abilities? And now he was requesting her aid in a potentially deadly battle? It made her think…if a stranger could have that much confidence in her, then maybe she should have more confidence in herself too.
Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes in concentration as her body was suddenly enveloped in bright yellow light. Ben was forced to shield his eyes from the blinding flash.
'Huh, so this is what it's like when I transform.' He internally mused.
As the light died down, Jenny was revealed to be wearing a new outfit. Her main attire consisted of a pair of knee-high brown combat boots with zippers, black socks that went past her knees, tan rectangular flaps with light-green trim hanging from her waist that covered the outside part of her thighs, and a camouflage-and-black one-piece suit that hugged her curvaceous body tightly. The most prominent features were that her left forearm had transformed into a gun-metal grey, futuristic machine-gun with four long barrels while her right hand's fingers had turned into individual gun barrels similar in shape to pistols. Hanging from her left shoulder was a bandolier loaded with bullets and a smaller one was wrapped around her right forearm. Jenny's hair remained tied up in a messy ponytail as a pair of earmuffs covered her ears and an orange-colored visor was over her eyes.
"Machina Soul: Firearms!" Jenny shouted.
Ben's jaw dropped a bit. "Whoa… That looks really cool." He commented in amazement. This was his first time seeing someone else perform Take-Over magic and, needless to say, he was impressed.
Jenny giggled at his reaction. "Thanks. By the way, call me Jenny." She winked suggestively at him.
Ben felt his face heat up a bit and dumbly nodded. "S-Sure thing…"
The Vulcans hooted and pounded their chests in excitement at the sight of Jenny's form-fitting outfit, ignoring the fact that her arms were literal weapons.
Ben scrolled through a couple holographs until settling on the form he wanted and slapped down the core, bathing the ruined castle in green light once more.
"Ah! What now!?" Golias shouted while covering his eyes.
In the wake of the emerald flash was an eight-foot-tall, werewolf-like being covered in dark grey fur and a long, flowing onyx mane with a bushy black tail, and spiked elbows and shoulders. It wore a tight, white jumpsuit with black stripes on its torso and the Ultimatrix dial positioned in-between them on its stomach.
"Ooh!" Jenny's eyes sparkled with intrigue. "Is that a werewolf?"
Golias sneered. "I don't care what he calls that thing. If you're a beast, you're under my control!" Another red magical circle appeared in front of Golias as he activated his Submission spell, bathing the humanoid wolf in crimson light.
However, the wolf-beast remained unaffected by the spell; much to Golias's shocked dismay.
"What the?!" Golias exclaimed. "How? Why can't I control you!?"
"Heh." He bared his sharp teeth, smirking. "I ain't no dog you can control, pal. I'm a Benwolf."
Golias clicked his tongue in frustration. Inwardly admitting that he was starting to feel nervous. 'This could be trouble.' He then shook that thought away. "Dogs that don't obey might as well be put down. Vulcans, attack!"
The group of Vulcans obeyed and immediately charged forward.
"Heh… I don't even need to use my howl to take down you pervy monkeys." Benwolf rushed forward on all fours. Extending his black claws, he leapt into the crowd of Vulcans. Using enhanced hits and kicks, Benwolf sent the giant apes flying in different directions with new slash marks added to the ones Wildmutt had given them previously.
Jenny smiled as she watched Benwolf easily take down the Vulcans around him. 'This guy…' Refocusing on the fight, she brought up her arms and took aim at the Vulcans still running towards her. The targeting system in her visor locked onto the multiple targets.
"Locked on and….FIRE!!" Jenny unleashed an onslaught of magical projectiles from the guns on both arms.
The Vulcans within her sights, who weren't being beaten up by Benwolf, were shot down by her. Already pushed to their limits, the ape-creatures hit by the magic-bullets immediately collapsed to the floor in heaps, unconscious.
Golias stood in the background, watching as the Loboan and Machina Soul mage effortlessly demolished the Vulcans he had called upon. A bead of nervous sweat raced down his face. 'That guy… Who the hell is he?! And the pinup girl… She's stronger than I gave her credit for.'
It wasn't supposed to be this way.
He kidnapped the Blue Pegasus girl because he figured she'd be an easy target and could make quick, easy money by ransoming her off to her guild. But the blonde model was more capable than he gave her credit for, having to resort to hitting her with a sedative back at the hot springs. And now this mysterious Take-Over mage had come out of nowhere and was taking down his beasts like nothing?!
'I didn't sign up for a fight with an A-Class wizard…No, that guy's probably S-Class. I better get outta here…' While Jenny was focused on gunning down Vulcans, Golias discreetly backed away towards one of the holes in the wall.
After throwing a Vulcan over his shoulder, Benwolf took a whiff through his nostrils and turned his head towards Golias, who was preparing to make a mad dash into the forest.
"Oh no. I didn't say you could leave, punk." Benwolf's muzzle suddenly split into four parts and a loud, green ultrasonic howl blasted out of his mouth. The powerful soundwave cracked the stone floor and slammed into Golias. He let out a pained yell as he went hurtling back, crashing straight through the wall and outside into the daylight.
The Beast Tamer was sent tumbling down a small clearing outside the castle and came to a stop on his stomach. He was bruised and scuffed up with swirls in his eyes.
Reconnecting his muzzle, Benwolf ran outside and stopped in front of Golias. Taking a whiff of the rust-haired mage, the Loboan glared down at his defeated opponent, unimpressed. "Yeah…I think we're done here."
"Ugh…" Golias painfully groaned before fully passing out.
"Ben!" Benwolf turned his head to see Jenny running out of the same hole he had made, still in her Firearms Take-Over form. "I took care of the pervy monkeys. They won't be getting back up for a while." Noticing Golias on the ground unconscious, a smirk crossed her face. "I see you took care of the so-called Beast Tamer."
Benwolf blinked twice. "Is that what he was called? I expect a bit more from someone calling himself that."
"Tell me about it. But you…" Jenny then looked up at Benwolf with a beaming smile, her blue eyes shining. "You're incredible!" She then started to lean up into Benwolf's wide furry body, much to his embarrassment. "Please, tell me about yourself! Right now! I have to know!"
"Uh…Heh," Benwolf sheepishly scratched his head with a single claw. "Well, it's kind of a long story."
Nearly half-an-hour later, Ben and Jenny left the castle ruins and found a dirt path that led back to Balsam Village, the former carrying an unconscious tied-up Golias over his shoulder. Jenny had changed out of her Firearms Take-Over into a frilly cream dress with red, yellow, and blue polka dots with a pink dress jacket over it.
The pair walked together and conversed animatedly with Jenny eagerly asking many questions and Ben doing his best to answer them.
"You have to tell me, what are those Take-Overs you changed into?" Jenny asked enthusiastically. "Are they like demons or strange foreign animals? I've never seen anything like them. Oh! How many can you change into?"
"Do you want all that in order?" Ben chuckled wryly. "Well… I'm not quite sure what they're called. I just know they're not from around here. And from my count, I have about seventy Take-Overs… Uh, give or take five to six."
Ben was bemused when Jenny's blue eyes nearly bulged out of her head. "Are…Are you serious?!"
"...Is that not normal?"
"Of course not! Most Take-Over wizards have less than ten forms. You have over seventy!?" Jenny shouted, awestruck.
"Yeah… Is it really that unusual?"
"It is. Also, I noticed you used that thing on your arm to use your magic… and you didn't need to use an incantation either." Jenny pointed out.
"Well…" Ben trailed off, looking at the arm Ultimatrix concealed by his green-and-black patterned forearm sleeve. 'Is it not normal for Take-Over wizards to have an Ultimatrix? And why was it scanning a Vulcan earlier? There is still so much I don't know…'
He then looked back at Jenny. "I'm afraid I can't say much… Because there is still a lot I don't know."
Jenny quirked a brow. "What do you mean?"
Ben didn't immediately respond. "...You see, I lost my memories."
"Eh?" The blonde model blinked twice, surprised.
From there, as the pair walked into Balsam Village, the Ultimatrix bearer explained everything that had happened to him in Worth Woodsea and Cait Shelter. Later on, the brunet and blonde were walking down the street through oriental-inspired village. Several people turned to look at them curiously, especially since Ben was carrying a limp, restrained Golias over his shoulder.
"So… You don't remember where your hometown is?" Jenny asked.
"Mhmm." Ben nodded. "I found a card in my jacket that had the name of my hometown and country on it. It's called Bellwood…in a country called the United States of America."
Jenny tilted her head, dumbfounded. "I've never heard of those places."
"Yeah…" He looked forward, frowning slightly. "No one else I've met has heard of them either. So weird…"
'I mean… Those places have to exist, right?' He thought.
"So… How are you planning to get back?" She questioned curiously.
"For now, I'm headed to Hargeon. I'll ask the sailors there if they've heard of Bellwood or America, and if they'd be open to taking me back." Ben replied.
"And… What if they…don't know about them either?" She was careful in how she phrased the question, not wanting to upset the brunet.
Ben lowered his head, sighing. "Well… I guess I'll cross that bridge if I come to it." He looked back at her with a small smile.
Jenny smiled back, but as Ben turned away and walked ahead of her, she looked at him with a sympathetic gaze. 'Not able to remember your home…your family and friends… I can only imagine.'
Later on, they handed Golias over to the local authorities and informed them of his crimes. The knights stationed at the outpost seemed grateful as Golias was apparently wanted for several crimes across the kingdom, yet he had always evaded capture by using carnivorous animals to cover his escapes.
After that, Ben walked Jenny back to the luxurious inn where her photoshoot had been scheduled in comfortable silence; the latter having a tough time thinking of questions to ask an amnesiac. It was then that Ben decided to break the ice with a question that had been on his mind.
"So, Miss Realight–"
"Jenny. Please, call me that." She smiled softly.
"Okay… Jenny," Ben paused momentarily. "...I was wondering, why do you model for Sorcerer Weekly? N-Not that there's anything wrong with that!" He quickly clarified. "I'm just curious…"
Jenny giggled a bit. "You know…most guys hardly ever wonder why cute girls do modeling. They're just happy that they do it. Don't you like my photo spreads, Ben?" She posed for him, batting her eyes suggestively at him.
"Heh-heh," Ben chuckled sheepishly, sincerely admitting, "I'd be lying if I said no."
Jenny smiled brightly. "I'm glad you do. As for your question…" She stopped to tap her chin thoughtfully, "it's threefold. One, it's a good source of extra income. Two, being featured in Sorcerer Weekly can really boost a wizard's popularity–which can result in more job opportunities. And three…I have a lot of fun doing it."
"I see…" Ben took Jenny's answer in stride. "That makes sense."
Jenny continued. "And, I suppose this may tie into my third reason, but I would really love to be voted as Miss Fiore one day."
"Miss Fiore?" The brunet repeated.
"Yep!" Jenny chirped. "Basically, it's the title for the most beautiful female mage of a given year. People all across the kingdom can vote for it by submitting their choices to Sorcerer Weekly."
"That sounds cool."
"It is! Actually, it's my dream to be voted as Miss Fiore one day." Jenny said excitedly. "That's why I always model whenever I can so I can stay in the public's eye."
Before Ben could respond, his eyes widened as memories unexpectedly resurfaced.
"Jennifer is a trainwreck… It's a lot harder to rescue someone who doesn't want to be rescued." The redheaded girl, his cousin Gwen, had told him.
"Jennifer is in danger and I'm going to save her." He declared strongly.
The scene changes to a large laboratory with various advanced machinery inside. He sees the now black-haired girl, Jennifer, standing close to a man (his name escapes him) that he presumed had kidnapped her. Ben recalled looking at that man in a favorable light once…but had lost all respect for.
He can't recall why.
"Jennifer, we're here to help you." He whispered out to her.
"Go away! You'll ruin everything! Don't you see? I love him!" Jennifer shouted angrily.
That had stunned him. Was she really that crazy to fall for the mad man that had kidnapped her?
After changing into his Eatle form and disarming the kidnapper, Jennifer steps into a hulking orange mech-suit. "Let him go!" She demanded.
"This man isn't your friend. He's pure evil!" He tried to reason with her.
"He's all I've got!" Jennifer shouted resolutely.
From there, Jennifer had attacked him, throwing Eatle all around the lab. He had wanted to hold back so as to not hurt Jennifer, but he had underestimated the power in the large suit. He changes back and Jennifer aims an energy weapon at him, preparing to fire… but stops. He can't see Jennifer's face through her visor, but he can tell she's unsure; hesitant.
Gwen had defeated Jennifer using electric cables, but she became badly hurt from the electrocution.
Later, as the man is arrested and led away in a police car, he looks at Jennifer from afar with paramedics tending to her. She laid on the gurney, sobbing pitifully.
Gwen had been right. She was a trainwreck…and he felt terrible that he couldn't do anything for her.
When the memories ceased, Ben realized he had stopped in the street. Jenny stood in front of him with concern.
"Hey… Are you alright?" Jenny asked worriedly. "You spaced out there for a moment."
"Huh? Oh…y-yeah…" Ben rubbed his neck awkwardly. "Sorry. I…I think I just recalled some memories."
"You did?" The blonde's blue eyes widened slightly. "That…seems random."
"Tell me about it…" The Ultimatrix bearer grumbled, looking away. "...But so far I've noticed that the memories I recall are usually relevant to whatever situation I'm in." He looked back at Jenny. "Actually, I think I recalled someone from my past who reminds me a bit of you."
"Really?" Jenny perked up. "You knew someone like me?"
Ben nodded. "Her name was Jennifer Nocturne. She had blonde hair, blue eyes, and was pretty attractive. From what I can recall, she was a pretty famous actress…at least where I'm from, that is."
"Wow." Jenny chuckled to herself. "Sounds like my long lost sister or something."
"Well… She wasn't exactly like you." Ben added in. "I don't think she had a good family life. She ran away from home to become an actress. And she became pretty popular and wealthy…" He frowned sadly. "…but she was pretty miserable in spite of that."
"Oh…?" Jenny was intrigued. "What else do you remember about her?"
"Let's see…" From there, Ben spent the next ten minutes retelling what he could currently remember about Jennifer Nocturne, and the Blue Pegasus mage took it all in stride.
Later, the Take-Over pair finally arrived at the hot spring inn's entrance as the sun began its descent. A cascade of warm colors was painted across the western skies as the black-blue of the night steadily arose from the east with the twinkling white dots of stars.
"Wow… She actually fell in love with the man who kidnapped her, and was willing to hurt you –the guy who saved her–just to be with him?" Jenny shook her head solemnly. "That poor girl must've been in a pretty rough place mentally."
"Yeah…" Ben sighed, frowning sadly. "I feel bad because I couldn't do anything for her."
"Well, your cousin was right. It's hard to rescue someone who doesn't want to be saved." Jenny mentioned.
"That doesn't mean I can't try." The amnesiac teen countered. He then looked at Jenny with a serious expression. "Jenny, I know it may be comparing apples to oranges, but–"
"Relax, Ben." Jenny cut him off. "You don't have to worry about me becoming psychotic and falling in love with that Beast Tamer coward." She stated half-serious, half-jokingly.
"I wasn't going to imply that. I know you have a better head on your shoulders than Jennifer did… but she went crazy because her life was meaningless and hollow. All the money and fame did nothing for her." He briefly paused. "I know you love modeling and dream of being Miss Fiore someday, Jenny. Nothing wrong with that, but do you have any goal or dream beyond that? Something that's more…meaningful?"
Jenny was about to quickly dismiss his concerns…until she stopped to consider it further. Did she really have any goal aside from becoming Miss Fiore? The most beautiful and popular female wizard in the kingdom? Everything she had been doing for the last few years, rising in popularity as a swimsuit model for Sorcerer Weekly, was solely to become Miss Fiore. The more the blonde Take-Over wizard reflected on herself, the more she realized that she had no real dreams beyond that.
'Oh wow… Am I really that shallow?' Her shoulders dropped, feeling embarrassed with herself.
"Jenny, you alright?" Ben inquired, noticing her despondency.
Snapping out of her lamentations, Jenny looked back at him. "Oh…um…" She paused and dropped her gaze. "...Earlier, you said I could be one o f the strongest mages in Blue Pegasus… Did you mean that?"
"Well, yeah. Isn't it true?" Ben cocked a brow, bewildered.
"Not quite…" Jenny took a deep breath. "I'm not as strong as other members in my guild. I barely qualify for A-Class, truthfully."
'A-Class…?' Ben thought. 'Do wizards have rankings?'
"So…hearing you sincerely compliment my magic, it made me really happy." Jenny looked at him hopefully. "Do you think I could become stronger, like you?"
Ben considered Jenny's question momentarily until something nearby caught his attention. He wordlessly stepped away for a moment, much to Jenny's confusion, toward one of the flowering beds in front of the hotel. Carefully picking a flower, he walked back to Jenny and showed her a beautiful red Hibiscus-like flower with large petals.
"Cait Shelter, the guild I stayed with, was pretty in-tune with their environment. Even in the short time I was there, they showed me that every living thing has a role, a purpose." He held up the red Hibiscus to her. "This flower is beautiful, and a lot of people are drawn to it. Some people think they're just for looks, but that's not true. Many species depend on the pollen it makes every year. Heck, there are even some plants that use flowers to attract bugs and eat them."
Jenny blinked twice, looking at Ben oddly. Where was he going with this?
"Just like this flower, you're more than just your looks, Jenny. You were impressive fighting those Vulcans. Heck, you likely would've beaten them at this inn on your own earlier if you hadn't been hit with a sedative."
Jenny's eyes widened at that. 'So I was drugged!'
Ben went on. "Plus, with your magic, you can get stronger by copying more advanced machines and weapons and stuff, right? Honestly, you're only limited by how much time you want to dedicate to honing your skills."
He then placed the stim of the flower right above her right ear, making her lightly gasp.
Looking her over, he grinned widely. "It really suits you."
'Okay… That was smooth.' She internally complimented the brunet. Studying his facial expression closely, the model found no sign of deceit. He truly meant what he was saying.
A warm smile crossed her soft face, which made Ben's heart skip a few beats. "Thank you." Jenny said, with no hint of teasing present; she was being sincere. "I…I truly appreciate that."
Ben smiled in return. This feeling of helping people… He really did enjoy it.
Before he could say anything, he heard the familiar sounds of clopping and wheels spinning. He turned around to see Mr. Kale's wagon pulled up in the street behind them.
"Figured I'd find you here, Ben." Mr. Kale said from his perch. He glanced at Jenny with a wide grin. "Glad to see you rescued Miss Realight."
"Oh, is he the merchant you're traveling with?" Jenny asked.
"Yeah," Ben responded. "Meet Murphy Kale, owner of the VK Trading Company. He delivers stuff across the kingdom and is giving me a ride to Hargeon."
Mr. Kale tipped his grey flat cap at Jenny. "Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Realight. Big fan of your work."
"Thanks! I always appreciate the support." She winked playfully.
Letting out a bit of steam from his collar, the merchant turned his attention to Ben. "As much as I'd like to stay, I have a schedule to keep. We need to leave tonight if I'm to make it to Hargeon on-time Ben."
Ben nodded in understanding, and then turned to Jenny. "Well, Miss Real–uh, Jenny." He corrected himself. "I have to get going now. It was a pleasure meeting you." He held out his hand for a shake.
"Pft!" Jenny brushed the hand away and suddenly pulled Ben into a hug, burying his face into her ample cleavage. Ben's face turned beet red as his oxygen supply was instantly cut off.
Mr. Kale stared at the scene, gobsmacked. 'Are you kidding me!?'
"You don't have to be so formal, Ben. You did come to my rescue…and give me a new goal." Jenny smiled softly. Upon releasing him, he took in much needed breaths of fresh air; much to her amusement. "But really… I hope you find what you're looking for out there."
"Yeah… Me too." He replied.
"By the way," Jenny continued, "if you're ever interested in joining a guild someday, consider Blue Pegasus. We're a pretty strong group and we're quite fashionable too. I'm sure you'd fit in quite nicely." She then shot him a sexy wink. "You can also see me ~ ALL the time ~"
Ben swallowed some spit. "I'll—I'll consider it." He meant that.
After giving their farewells, Ben and Jenny finally departed. As Ben hopped onto the chaise, the wagon lurched forward and rolled down the street.
"I think I got it figured out." Mr. Kale spoke up.
Ben looked at him curiously. "Figured what out?"
The middle-aged merchant turned to him. "Your magic. You've got three magic types."
Huh? What was he talking about?
"Mind elaborating?"
He extended one finger. "Obviously, Take-Over magic. It's pretty powerful from what I can tell." He extended a second finger. "Two, a magic that attracts trouble of any kind to your vicinity."
"What?" Ben sounded incredulous. "That's not a thing."
Mr. Kale shot him a deadpan stare. "I'm a merchant, so I've seen my fair share of trouble while traveling. But I've seen more problems the last five days traveling with you than I ever have in twenty years. So yes…you attract trouble."
Ben didn't get a chance to retort as the older man continued. "Third," he held up a third finger, "...Charm."
"Charm?" He quirked a brow at that, bewildered.
"It's an old magic spell I heard that can be used to attract women." Mr. Kale glanced at him enviously. "Given your luck with women so far, I figured you may be using some variation; albeit unconsciously."
Ben rolled his eyes. "You're totally seeing things."
"Am I? That young woman with black hair at Cait Shelter. The cute blue-haired girl in Gardenia. The purple-haired girl in Freesia. And now Jenny freaking Realight?!" Mr. Kale listed off. "Seriously, how else could you be attracting so many pretty women?"
Ben turned away, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "I dunno… It's not like I'm trying."
"...You know that only makes it sound worse, right?" Mr. Kale deadpanned.
Meanwhile, as the two argued, Jenny watched the wagon roll further down the street. Walking away, she stopped to look at her reflection in a fountain outside the hotel. She smiled fondly at the sight of the red flower in her hair.
'He's certainly got good tastes.' Jenny mused, approving of Ben's fashion sense. Her thoughts began to focus more on the brunet Take-Over mage. So mysterious. So kind. So powerful.
The feelings that stirred within the blonde beauty were much stronger than any she had ever felt for any guy. Was it love? Jenny didn't want to go that far yet, but with time…maybe it could develop into that.
It both scared and thrilled her to no end.
"Miss Realight?!" A familiar, boisterous voice cried out.
Jenny turned to see Jason racing out of the inn's front entrance. "You're back! It's so cool to know you're alright!"
The blonde wizard chuckled a bit. "Are you okay, Jason? I saw you and the others get smacked by those Vulcans. I apologize I couldn't stop them…"
"No worries, it's all cool!" He beamed brightly. "I'm just relieved to see you're okay! I was about to contact your guild master until I saw you standing out here. What happened?!"
"Well… It happened like this." Jenny then spent the next half-an-hour explaining to Jason the events of the afternoon; however, she omitted the parts of Ben's personal information.
"After turning in the Beast Tamer, he walked me back to the hotel and hopped onto a tradesman's wagon. They just left moments ago." Jenny concluded.
"Seriously?! That's SOOOO COOOOOOL!" Jason pulled out a notepad and started writing on it so fast the paper could've ignited into flames. "That guy with the brown hair, did you catch his name? What guild he was from? What kind of creatures is he changing into? Tell me!"
"I'm afraid I didn't catch that stud's name." Jenny lied, not wanting to bring Ben any trouble. "And I didn't see a guild mark on him either. Nor am I aware of what monsters he's able to change into." She shrugged, smiling. "Honestly, he's a mystery." She half-lied.
"SOOOO COOOOOOL!" Jason practically burst into colorful confetti. "A mysterious Take-Over master rescues Blue Pegasus's darling all while defeating an army of vicious Vulcans. The readers will love this!" He then promptly gasped.
'Hold on… Those reports we've been receiving the last few days of a traveling Take-Over mage saving people…' His eyes shot open as his mind connected the dots. 'They're true! That man IS the mystery Take-Over master!'
"Miss Realight, would you be open to rescheduling your photoshoot?" Jason politely requested. "I'm sure after your ordeal, you'll want some time to recover."
Jenny was a bit taken aback by Jason's unusually normal volume. "Oh…y-yes. I was actually about to request that."
"COOL!" His volume went high again. "I'll have someone square out the details with you later! Take care, Miss Realight!"
With that, the reporter dashed away leaving a dust trail in his wake. 'I gotta contact the chief right away! This story has to be put in the next issue! It just has to! It'll be SO COOL!'
Jenny watched him run off with a sweat bead racing down her face. 'That man sure is an odd one…'
She then turned in the direction that Ben had left, the wagon no longer in sight. Her blonde hair waved in a cool mountain breeze that went by.
Jenny let out a deep longing sigh. 'I hope I see him again…'
The blonde bombshell started heading toward the hotel to turn in for the night. Tomorrow, she will head back to Blue Pegasus and start her training. Yes, though she still desired to be Miss Fiore someday, it wasn't her only goal.
Much like She-Devil Mirajane Strauss, she wanted to be known as a formidable and strong wizard. All while looking fashionable and beautiful too. But she had a lot of ground to cover to reach that point, and she was okay with that.
It often wasn't easy obtaining anything worthwhile.
Notes:
And that's a wrap! Apologies for the belated update. That's been a trend recently, huh? But I was on vacation last month and it cut into my writing time.
The Wildmutt used in this chapter is the same design that Ben 10,000 used in the Original Series, only the Ultimatrix dial is located on a left shoulder brace. Same look as the original only colored black and green. I opted for this look since Ben is eighteen-years-old, a young adult, and Vulpimancers do develop tails as they mature.
As for Blitzwolfer, I opted to use his original Benwolf name and design. Over time, I've come around to appreciating that look a lot more than his Omniverse counterpart. I don't hate the OV design, but I lean more toward the original.
Anyways, I hope you fine readers enjoyed this chapter. Jenny Realight will eventually be a part of the harem. She is a very underutilized character IMO. Her Machina Soul has the potential to be quite powerful and formidable, but she was sadly tossed to the side after the fanservice chapter/episode in the GMG arc. I wanted to show her some love and give her the chance to develop and become stronger than her canon counterpart.
Credit goes to Insane Dominator on FanFiction.Net for his drawing of Jenny's Take-Over, Firearms. An original design that me and him collaborated on.
On another note, apologies if the last chapter made it seem like I was setting up for something in Clover. I was thinking of what I could do there and just drew a blank. When I thought of introducing Ben to one of his future girl's there, I ultimately decided not to do it as it was too soon to introduce the girl I had in mind. Natsu and Happy also would've left on the train before Mr. Kale and Ben reach town too, so no realistic chance of a meeting there either.
With that, I opted to just skip ahead with a basic summary of what's happened since chapter 4. If you're curious of what aliens Ben used to defeat the 3 threats mentioned, here they are:
Bandits robbing travelers outside Oshibana - Spidermonkey
Giant Monster terrorizing Kunugi - Humungousaur
Weapon smugglers in Onibus - Lodestar
I'll let you use your imaginations for how those fights would go. Spoiler alert, they didn't last very long.