Chapter 27 Chapter 27 Seeing the old friend again
Jason: "Didn't we agree that you two would stay where you are?"
Benjamin: “You agreed with us, but obviously you didn’t agree with the guy who pulled the gun.”
Li Hua: "I see you two are rushing..."
"I know he pulled out a gun. This was a test, a test to attract the attention of the real manager of this tavern, the gang behind the scenes. Yes, the guy you, Li Hua, shot in the head with a bottle. According to the original plan, he would fire his gun to stop the fight at the critical moment and then make an offer to me now, instead of lying on the ground in a pile of broken bottles like he is now."
For the former Robin, defeating all the minions in the arena was child's play, but when Jason stood among the unconscious people on the ground - especially in front of the person who was shot in the head by Li Hua with a bottle, he felt exhausted.
Did Batman feel the same way when he didn't go according to plan before?
Jason's original plan was to draw the attention of the managers to him, thereby exposing them to the gang behind this shabby little tavern, making it easier for them to catch them all in one fell swoop and get some intelligence at the same time.
But after the tavern manager was knocked down by Li Hua with a wine bottle, either the people who were watching the place rushed out to join the melee, or the other people who were just drinking saw that things were not going well and ran away to escape. Naturally, the intelligence and automatic routing were all wasted.
But Jason wasn't the only one who thought the other side was reckless. Benjamin said, "You're talking about us? They have guns! You're just going to go in and take it head-on without us for backup? You have no equipment or superpowers. Even I, who's always been called a fool, know you can't go it alone in a situation like this! You should at least consult with us before you act."
"Hey, don't lecture me like my dad!" Jason said. "I know my limits and I have a plan. You two, completely ordinary people with no skills, shouldn't be involved in this situation."
"Your plan is to get yourself and us into a shootout?"
"If we had followed my original plan, and if you hadn't acted on your own, there wouldn't have been a gunfight."
"Then tell us about your plan! Don't put yourself in danger alone!"
…
The secret passage No. 666 is not good.
Benjamin and Jason are obviously heroes with completely different, even opposite, styles of doing things and fighting methods. They even have different environments and experiences, and there should be differences in their world outlook, values and outlook. However, as people who have participated in many actual combats, they must have their own understanding and persistence of the course of action.
The most important thing is that these two people are obviously not the kind of people who will listen to advice.
Ever since Jason joined, No. 666 knew that these two stubborn guys were bound to have a fight in the future.
I was too busy before and had no time to think about this issue. Now that I have some free time, I am motivated to take the initiative, and there will definitely be arguments between the two.
But No. 666 wasn't worried about them. After all, these two were heroes, and even if they came to blows, they wouldn't kill or maim each other. For superheroes, fighting was part of their social life. He was more worried about Li Hua, who was caught in the middle...
"Stop arguing. Arguing hurts feelings..." Just as No. 666 was about to tell Li Hua not to worry, Li Hua said, "So just fight directly. The sooner you finish, the sooner you can call it a day."
No. 666: ...
It’s okay, I have a good attitude.
Benjamin: "...Are you trying to mediate or intensify the conflict?"
Jason: "...Arguing hurts feelings, but fighting doesn't hurt feelings either?"
Li Hua asked, "Are you two going to break off all ties, sever all ties, become enemies, and never have anything to do with each other again?"
"Of course not!"
"How is that possible?"
Li Hua: "Yes, but if you're not willing to compromise or accommodate each other, you'll definitely be filled with resentment. If you argue with resentment, you'll inevitably say things you shouldn't, including harsh words that severely hurt the other person, causing both of you to suffer mental damage, which can create a rift and even lifelong regrets."
"So my suggestion is, since you don't want to ruin this friendship, just vent your anger through fighting. Based on my interactions with you these past few days, it seems your communication skills aren't as effective as your fists. After all, fighting can clearly tell whether the other person really wants to kill you or is just venting their anger."
Benjamin: "Okay... I admit that I was impulsive."
Jason: "I will discuss this with you guys before I take action next time."
Only then did No. 666 access the Omnitrix's communication module. "You're quite good, kid. I didn't expect you, who usually looks so reckless, to be so articulate right now."
Li Hua: "I just lack experience, not brains. I don't want to read the unbearable literature in anime and novels and then experience it myself in real life!"
Experience it again.
Being sick is so painful. Long-term illness will erode a person's will. Even adults may become moody under torture, let alone children.
Li Hua remembers how ignorant he was in the past, and how many outrageous words and things he said and did to his family, but Li Hua believes that he is lucky that he did not do anything irreparable, and the remaining time is enough for him to make up for his mistakes.
So he would never allow his friends to repeat the same mistakes in front of him.
Li Hua: "So what do we do next? I mean, after we delete the surveillance footage, do we switch to another company and replicate the operation?"
Benjamin: "Actually... I can work part-time and earn money, as long as I have legal status."
Jason: "It costs money to get a fake ID, and without one you can't find a decent job. You don't want to actually get involved with the gangs, do you?"
...In the end, the three of them returned to their old ways - robbing each other late at night and making money by beating up thugs.
After what happened this morning, Jason was more open-minded. "It's a little slow, but at least it can give you and the Magic Boy some experience. We're not in a rush anyway, so let's take our time."
Benjamin had no objection. After a few days of holding back, he was ready to go. He looked down at the city below, turning his watch and trying to choose a flying superhero other than a Kryptonian. "Let me see which unlucky bad guy is going to get kicked in the ass tonight?"
Li Hua covered his flying colorful cake skirt to prevent it from getting on his face, muttering to himself: "Why do you have such cool code names like Red Hood and BEN10, but I am the Magic Boy? I want a cool code name too..."
"It's a codename based on the equipment, there's nothing I can do about it." Jason tapped the red motorcycle helmet he was wearing, kindly sponsored by the gang. Benjamin showed off his watch (ben), his left eyelid twitching. "It's okay, Magic Boy is cool too... I'm serious... chuckle."
Li Hua deadpanned, "Stop pretending, Ben. The corners of your mouth are almost higher than your mask."
Number 666's voice echoed along with the flashing lights of the Omnitrix: "Look at it this way. They each represent red and green, but you're different. You have seven colors. You win."
"Pfft... cough cough, sorry, the cold wind got in my throat," Jason said. "No. 666 is right! You alone beat us seven times!"
Li Hua: "With a helmet on, the cold wind can still blow into your throat? It seems that the cold wind of Bludhaven is like the Ice Ghost and can become invisible, right? If you keep talking nonsense, don't use the flying staff and go on patrol by yourself."
Jason: "Then I'll take a ride with Ben. He definitely won't kick me off."
"Then you'd better say a few nice words to the Omnitrix and pray that it gets it right this time," Li Hua said. "Speaking of which, this should be the easiest thing for us to say. It's great that we don't have to change our words."
The three letters "Ben" can not only be used as a name, but also mean "watch". Even if you don't know Benjamin's real name, after seeing him use the watch to transform, no one will doubt the rationality of this code name.
Benjamin gloated smugly. "Of course I did a great job with that code name, didn't I? No kidding, I'm a pretty good name picker. Okay, Jason, you want a ride, right? Then let's go to Jetray!"
As Benjamin slapped it hard, dazzling green light burst out from the Omnitrix, and a humanoid creature with green limbs and torso and red petal-like objects on its head and shoulders appeared.
Along with it came a foul odor. Li Hua covered his mouth and nose and said, "Brother, you stink."
He could smell the odor even through the mask, and he couldn't imagine how shocking it would be if he were exposed to the odor directly.
This stench is not irritating and has no significant lethality. It is just a very plain and simple stench, like something rotten and spoiled.
"Is it really that exaggerated?" Jason leaned forward, unbelieving, opened his motorcycle helmet and sniffed it. He immediately closed it and jumped away in shock. "What a stinker! Is your new hero powered by methane?"
Benjamin: "Why do people around me always react so strongly when I transform into Swampfire... Is it that exaggerated? Although I did feel a smell at first, I got used to it quickly and it's not a big deal. He can fly too, Jason, aren't you going to hitchhike—"
"You think it's okay because you've already been marinated!" Jason retreated in fear, huddled together with Li Hua and trembled. "Ugh, don't come over here!"
"Manserro, the immortal from Manser Planet." Number 666's scientific explanation came from the symbol on Swampfire's chest. "Plant-like species, fully regenerative, capable of breathing fire and flying by igniting the methane gas produced by their own bodies."
Li Hua: "Does the biology encyclopedia mention how to turn off this smell? If I keep smelling it, I feel like I'm meeting an immortal!"
No. 666: "I can't shut it off. This life form is just like that. But if you can't stand it even this way, it's best not to get close when the temperature rises. They say the smell is stronger then. Think about it another way. Manseruo immortals can do a lot of things, like build houses and stuff."
Benjamin, who was a bit frustrated at being disliked by his friends after transforming into the wrong person, confidently put his hands on his hips and said, "That's right! I can control plants. Thanks to No. 666's reminder, we don't have to look for a place to stay at night. I can build a plant house for us with some seeds or plants. It's sheltered from the wind and rain, environmentally friendly, and free!"
"Control the plants?" Jason asked. "How do you control them?"
Benjamin: "It's like telepathy or something...it's quite complicated to explain. I'll show you when we build the house."
No. 666: "The Manseruo Immortals can release a certain chemical gas. Plants exposed to this gas will grow wildly, become huge, and completely obey their commands. For example, even an ordinary seed can become a-"
Jason: "Giant killer vines that can wrap people up?"
No. 666: "...Actually, what I wanted to say was 'obedient tool'."
Benjamin: "Yes, it can turn into the giant vine you mentioned, but I wouldn't use it to kill people."
Besides being able to play with fire, his true form is plant-based, he can telepathically control plants, and can mutate ordinary plants into more lethal forms...
Here it comes again, it’s the familiar formula, it’s the familiar feeling!
Following Benjamin's "Kryptonian Streetlight Man", another alien form appears that looks like an old friend.
This time there were no children around, so Jason didn't have to endure it anymore and shouted:
"Fuck, an alien gender-swapped version of Poison Ivy!"
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The author has something to say: [Catching Bugs Twice]
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