Ben 10 Radiant War, Vol.2

The Brink of Death

"Rumors of a green haired girl have surfaced near here. Some people have been talking about it but... well are you sure this Akira's agents are reliable? Sure they managed to avoid Shub's memory wiping, but beyond that all I see are a bunch of dumbasses with guns."

Shi-Jian's voice came in through the Omnitrix's badge form as Astrodactyl soared above the industrial area of the city. 

"That doesn't matter." Astrodactyl said. "I don't like em either, but they're a means to an end, and they won't risk pissing me off when I'm their golden goose for info on the Radiant War-.. mmgghh.."

Astrodactyl felt his lids grow heavy as his jetpack began to stutter and he fell out of the sky for a brief moment before catching himself. 

"B-Ben! Are you okay!?" Shi-Jian stammered. 

"I.. I.. I'm just a bit tired." Astrodactyl muttered. "But I reset to a point where I had 2 weeks of full sleep so it's probably just in my head.."

"Ben, just because your body reverts to a previous state doesn't mean all of it does. Remember that we have to somehow retain the memories of all the previous loops for us to be in this situation in the first place... what memories you have.. changes you. Ben you're filled with too much stress.. you need to rest. Come back to the bunker.. wait out the next few loops with me, take a break."

"N-no." Astrodactyl moaned. "I.. I have to.."

Astrodactyl clutched his chest as he felt stabbing pains. He flew down onto a nearby rooftop and reverted to human form.

Ben gasped for breath as he sat down, leaning against the wall of a nearby stair entrance. 

"Shit.." Ben hissed as he grabbed his chest. 

"You're having an anxiety attack." said Shi-Jian. "At the very least. You might actually be having more of a panic attack to be honest. Like I said, come back.. and-."

"No, every second I waste is another second Maltruant has to find Deca." Ben growled. 

"And once you find her? Then what? Mika and you still haven't finished talking about-."

"I'll build that bridge when I get there. For now I'm going to find Deca and take her to the bunker." Ben gasped.

"And HOW are you going to do that without a fight!?" yelled Shi-Jian. 

"Who said I wouldn't fight?" Ben growled. "I'll go Way Big and grab her tight, she won't escape. "

"B-Ben do you hear yourself right now- You try and take her in by force like that and you might lose her forever! I'm no expert on how women feel.. I mean just look at me, but-."

"Goodbye Shi-Jian, I'll contact you when I've got her." Ben tapped his cellphone, which had before been linked to the Omnitrix while in alien form, hanging up on Shi-Jian. 

Ben stood up.. moaning.  His stabbing pain and feeling of fear and panic wouldn't go away. The stress really was getting to him.

But that didn't matter now.

This was his job now. He couldn't let Ophelia, Erice or Hanzo or anybody else suffer, even if they couldn't remember it... just losing them was pain beyond pain.

He would do this alone. He could do this alone. He was Ben 10, wielder of the most powerful device in the galaxy..  he could do anything alone right? 

Right?

Ben froze as he looked at the edge of the building, where a small frog-like being was standing. His bulbous amphibious eyes unblinking, and a few tentacles that appeared to resemble facial hair on his face.. the wizened alien holding a walking stick and dressed in green robes.