Ben 10 - Jailbreak

Darkstar couldn't decide whether being captured by some no-name, no-rank Plumber was a good thing, an insult or just plain embarrassing. On the one hand, this particular Plumber wasn't aware of how dangerous the half-human mana-leech was and therefore didn't know Darkstar should be locked in the Null Void. On the other hand, it was some no-name, no-rank Plumber! At least the "hero squad" back on Earth had no idea of his capture.

This Plumber-ran Prison was certainly better than the Null Void. No unknown alien beasts trying to sneak up on him to eat him. No not-quite-retired Plumber or Plumbers-in-Training to avoid. No scavenging for a half-decent meal. No scrounging around for a make-shift shelter. No being sealed off from the rest of reality. Yes, this was infinitely better than the Null Void.

But that didn't mean Darkstar was going to quietly rot in jail for the rest of his existence. Oh no, that wasn't how he worked. He'd get out, that much was certain. He just didn't think his escape from this facility would be so similar to his escape from the Null Void, save for minor differences.

Someone from the outside sought him out. Only instead of the trio that made him what he was, it was a woman and a much older man. He found this out when the door to his cell was ripped off from its hinges by some intangible force.

The older man went ahead while yelling some mystical gobbledygook and left the woman to determine whether the gaunt, mana-starved young man should be liberated or left behind. Even while she stood at the doorway, Darkstar could tell she was brimming with mana. The supple glow of her creamy skin, the luxurious sheen of her platinum hair. And it was her energy signature that lingered around the crumbled heap of metal that had been the door. It was all Darkstar could do to keep the mouths of his hands from lunging at her to feed.

Not yet. He growled to himself.

Darkstar feigned lethargy when he slowly raised his head to meet the woman's amethyst gaze. A slumped posture accompanied with sluggish movements, his body language made him look feeble. But there was a distinct intensity in the way he held her gaze. He saw that she saw by the knowing, almost approving, smirk of her lips.

"Well, your eyes don't look as dead as the rest of you, I'll give you that," She noted with an arrogant chuckle and his exposed features certainly made him look anything but lively. She clapped her hands as if she were calling a pet, and commanded in a most condescending of tones "Come on. Show me why the hero-trio's oh-so-keen on throwing you into the Null Void."

The mention of the Tennysons coupled with that hell-hole was usually more than enough to anger Darkstar. But the way the woman spoke to him with that cocky, smug smirk on her face just set him off. He was on his feet with arms outstretched and had the woman bathed in obsidian light before she even knew what was happening.

At first, the young man believed the incredible surge of mana was a result of his hunger, that he was taking in more than he normally did because he had been starved all these months. But when his hands (and subsequently the rest of him) regained their once-healthy glow, he knew he found the perfect mana-source. That is, until he felt her pulling her energy back. The action was reminiscent of what Gwen had done, it triggered his instinct for self-preservation and immediately broke contact.

He faltered backwards as his features reverted to their unappealing state. But he noticed his hunger was sated. He hadn't felt this full in months.

"So that's why," the woman declared while she leaned against the doorframe for support, "You'll definitely come in handy with what I have planned."

Darkstar squared his shoulders and neatly folded his arms behind his back. Despite the sunken eyes, the hollow cheeks, and the taut grey skin, Darkstar held himself in a rather regal manner. With slow, purposeful steps, he closed the distance between them. He stopped just short of two feet, and sounded gracious when he asked, "I'm sorry, lovely lady, but what makes you think I won't take this opportunity to leave right now?"

"Go right ahead," She shrugged. Her voice was faint and she looked like she was about to topple any second. But there was something in the way she grinned, so self-assured, like the cat that ate the canary. "But I doubt you'd be able to find another willing food-source that can actually satisfy you. And besides," she straightened herself to show that she had more energy than she was letting on,

"Comparing scores when we get our revenge on a certain goodie-goodie Gwen Tennyson would be so much easier if we didn't have to track each other down."

An onyx bolt was shot at her and missed the woman by a hair's breadth. Her lips pull into a malicious grin when she glanced over her shoulder to sneer at the fallen guard. She fixed her gaze back at Darkstar while she offered her hand, "I take it you're coming with us?"

He eyed the proffered appendage and chapped lips widened to mirror her grin.

"It would be wise for you not to trust someone like me."

Grey clasped Cream.

"It would be wise for you not to bite off more than you can chew."