A Certain Powerful Omnitrix 4: World War X

Astrodactyl La France

The Academy City airship only felt slighty cramped. Probably because it had been designed to hold about 6 people. Ben never really minded how comfortable a vehicle was, as long as he was with Mikoto in that uncomfortable or comfortable place, he was fine.

Helen on the other hand, was doing the totally little sister thing and complaining slightly. Not that you could blame her. Nobody else had a long blue lizard tail that people kept stepping on (unless you counted Ben sometimes when he turned into XLR8.)

"Where are we going Ben?" said Helen miserably. "And when are we getting there? Cause Touma's already stepped on my tail 3 times!"

"Sorry." said Touma as he paced back and forth in the back of the airship.

"I don't know Sis." said Ben. "I've already tried asking Birdway, but she's playing super unreadable magician, which is really starting annoy me."

Mark Space, who was at the cockpit and piloting the ship, spoke into the ship's intercom. "Return to your seats and buckle in. We'll be arriving shortly."

"If only blondie would tell us where exactly we were landing." said Kevin. "And couldn't we at least get peanuts on this flight?"

"Kevin, this isn't American West." said Gwen sternly. "So stop asking for peanuts."

"Well it's the least they owe us for what happened to the Rust Bucket."

Mikoto looked out the window trying to get a clear view of where they were landing. "Hey.....this looks like....Paris. Yeah! I can see the Eifel Tower over there!"

"We're in France!?" Ben exclaimed.

Ben had sworn to Mikoto after their first month of being on the lam, that if somehow, by some God given miracle they managed to get out of this, he would take her on a date to Paris, even if he had to go Jetray and fly there with her. (Jetray was faster then any plane, so that was probably the smarter choice in both regards to money and convenience.)

"Well that's a little earlier then I expected." Ben muttered.

"We're not here for sight seeing" said Birdway. "So put that out of your head. Besides, every country in the world is after you, so it's not like you're any safer here."

"So then why are we here?" Asked Gwen. "You had to have some other reason if not to hide."

"Couldn't I just pick random destinations off the top of my head?" asked Birdway innocently.

Everyone looked at each other then looked back at Birdway. "No."

Birdway sighed. "I see you're getting to know me a little better. So, to  answer your question, we are here to see a division of my cabal so as to ascertain our next move. That's one reason at least."

"And what would be the other reason?" Ben asked suspiciously.

"There are rumors here that France has a secret military hanger under the Eifel Tower....and that they are preparing to launch a full assault on both the U.S capital and Academy City. Apparently they suspect that either America or Accademy City has already obtained Alien X and don't want to take any chances."

"But isn't it stupid to use such drastic measures on just a whim like that?" said Mikoto in surprise. "Are they trying to accelerate the war!?"

"It is my belief that a magician hired by Aleister is working on the inside of the French military." Said Birdway. "I theorize that he or she is using some sort of panic inducing enchantment."

"So what?" said Ben. "Do you want us to go in and stop whoever's causing this?"

"Yes." said Birdway. "Though I do not think that we can actually stop the attack, things would be much easier with that magician out of the picture. If that magician is left active, he or she could go on to cause more tension in other countries to quicken the pace of the war."