Ben X - Searching4Somewhere - Ben 10 Series [Archive of Our Own] (2024)

Chapter 1

Chapter Text

Ben X Chapter 1
Prologue
Tragedy aboard the Tragulon

A sleek stellar cruise ship glided through the cosmos leaving trails of colorful ion vapor in its wake. The ISS Tragulon, top of the line galactic cruise ship. It had three large wings with gold painted trim running along the hull. Replete with triple Ion Core engines, state of the art luxury amenities, and some of the widest selections of gourmet food in the quadrant. It was the most expensive, luxurious galactic cruiser currently sailing the Milky Way. It is here that our story begins.

Our heroes are found aboard said luxury cruiser, preparing for a 2-week vacation among the stars. Their itinerary to include some of the greatest sights of the Milky Way. Ben, Gwen, Kevin, and Ben’s girlfriend Kai had just entered the main promenade of the ship after getting the all-clear following take off. The quartet of heroes walked in tandem with each other. Gwen and Kevin in the lead and Ben and Kai following behind, bickering with each other the entire way.

Although it had been 2 years since Ben had saved the universe from Maltruant, the now 18 year old Ben Tennyson was in some respects just as immature as he always was. His on-again off-again girlfriend Kai was almost an equal to him in that regard. The two would constantly be making up and breaking up with each other over the past 2 years. There were days where Ben truly questioned why he kept coming back to her. Yet every time he felt her lips press upon his, such thoughts were disregarded.

His cousin, on the other hand, seemed to have a much more stable relationship. Despite Gwen working her way through college in her xenobiology and xenopolitics major; her and Kevin Levin managed to stick with each other. Kevin, being the oldest of their group had even managed to start up a small but lucrative, and most importantly legitimate, auto repair business. The only one of their hero group missing was the ever-industrious Rook Blonko. A true plumber through and through, he did not quite understand the human concept of ‘vacation’ as one would have hoped.

Ben’s fame as the greatest hero of the universe had earned him intergalactic respect, but also enmity and no shortage of critics. And while Ben tried his best in every regard he still had his fair share of malfunctions both public and private. He still had not been given master control of the Omnitrix, and given every conversation he’d had with it’s creator Azmuth, it was unlikely to happen anytime soon. That left him to fumble through most situations, half-co*cked, with no plan except to kick bad guy butt. For most of his career this strategy worked quite well. But Ben was soon to find out that it is not always enough. Right now though, Ben was stuck yet again in another argument with his paramour Kai.

“We’re on this cruise for FREE, because I saved the captain’s daughter when she visited Undertown. I don’t see what you could possibly be complaining about.” Ben exclaimed rather loudly.

“I just think it would have been nice for them to upgrade us to the executive suites is all.” Kai complained with arms crossed. Ahead of them Gwen sighed in exasperation.

“Oh well excuse me for not demanding the best from a FREE cruise gift.” Ben retorted. Throwing his hands up in exasperation the young hero turned away. “If you didn’t want to come you didn’t have to. There’s no need to be such a bitch about it.” Ben muttered under his breath. Unfortunately for him his musings weren’t as quiet as he thought. A swift punch to his shoulder reminded him of that fact. “Oww!” He exclaimed, rubbing his bruised shoulder.

“Hey, what have I said about using that word? Huh Benny-kins?” She teased knowing Ben hated the nickname more than anything. Ben simply sighed in defeat, knowing such a battle was a losing proposition. “You’re right, I’m sorry.” He apologized only half sarcastically.

“That’s more like it.” Kai smiled smugly. Ahead of them Gwen rolled her eyes at the couple’s antics.

“I swear can you two at least pretend to get along? We’re supposed to be relaxing, it is a vacation after all.” Gwen said turning back to the couple. She had finally started to grow her hair longer again, although she currently had it tied up in a high bun on her head. Despite her comments and vacation attire, her attitude still screamed strict businesswoman. Her partner however could not be farther from her opposite. Kevin wore a dark Tshirt in combination with some cargo pants and open toed sandals. His entire outfit shouted lackadaisical and relaxed. It was almost comical seeing the two couples together. Kevin and Gwen appeared to be complete opposites yet seemingly had a stronger relationship than Ben and Kai who were more like each other than either cared to admit.

The group were making their way to the on-board theater. A live musical performance was supposed to take place. Granted none of them recognized the band or even the genre of music they were going to play. Gwen still insisted they go though as it was only the start of their vacation. After the concert they had planned to visit the ship’s aquatic park for fun under the artificial sun. Ben would then insist that they needed to visit the ship’s holo-deck for what he termed ‘the most awesome virtual reality games in the universe.’ Then, finally, they planned to grab dinner at the ship’s custom order buffet. All in all, their first day of vacation was planned to be an exciting and relaxing event. However, as they were soon to discover, their immediate future would be irrevocably changed.

Suddenly, the entire ship shook and shuddered around them. Screams of frightened aliens sounded off all around them as the violent shaking continued. Gradually however, it stopped, and the passengers managed to return to their feet. The quartet of heroes looked around at each other, each asking the same question: what could cause such a violent shaking? They did not have to wait long for answers, however. Above them the screens which had previously been displaying attractions aboard the ship, all turned to static. In the next moment the static cleared to reveal a familiar face. The tentacled visage of Vilgax filled the monitor screens, his ever present scowl stuck upon his face.

“Passengers of the Tragulon.” He began his malevolent speech. “You are now all my hostages. My ship’s weapons are trained on you. I have one demand: that the insufferable Ben Tennyson turn himself and the Omnitrix over to me. I know you’re aboard and listening Tennyson. You have ten of your earth minutes to comply or I will destroy the cruise ship and everyone on board.” The transmission cut out sharply.

“Some things never change.” Ben said aloud to himself. He brought up his wrist and began dialing up his desired alien form.

“What are you going to do?” Asked Gwen.

“What else? It’s hero time!” Ben exclaimed before slapping down the dial. A bright flash of green light and energy enveloped him. Ben could feel the familiar sensation of transformation begin to overtake him. Although he knew the transformation was nearly instantaneous, he could not help but revel in the surge of energy that coursed through him. In a matter of moments Ben’s human form was replaced by the towering visage of Atomix. The alien’s semi-robotic body stood tall with hands on hips.

“You youngsters go evacuate all the passengers to safety! I’ll take care of that rapscallion Vilgax!” Atomix instructed, lapsing into his familiar heroic vernacular. Atomix sprinted off for the airlock. His semi-mechanical body and powers of flight and energy manipulation made him the perfect alien for a deep space walk. He flew out into space leaving a glowing green energy trail in his wake. It didn’t take long for Ben to spot Vilgax’s ship. It hovered above the cruise ship like a raptor approaching its prey.

Immediately upon setting sight of the ship a barrage of laser fire tore through space at him. Atomix flew deftly between the beams of energy. He flew straight up to Vilgax’s ship and began sending out his own blasts of nuclear power. The bolts of energy clashed with each other. Eventually Ben’s stronger attacks began doing damage and smoke began to emanate from the broken parts of the hull. Soon enough, Vilgax sent out robotic drones to attack him. The drones swarmed around Ben, their lasers charging up with sizzling energy. Atomix flew off and led the drones on a wild goose chase. He easily avoided their laser fire, ducking and weaving between the blasts. At last Atomix pulled up straight, the drones following him like a pack of wild dogs hot on his trail. Atomix glanced over his shoulder, ensuring that all of the drones were below him. With a deft flip he reversed direction. The drones flew straight past him, too slow to process the quick maneuver. As soon as all the drones were above him Atomix blasted each and every one of them to smithereens.

“Surely that’s not the best you’ve got eh Old Vilgax?” Ben spoke aloud. To his surprise, he heard Vilgax’s voice answering.

“I haven’t even begun to show you what I’ve got, Tennyson.” Vilgax taunted. Atomix whipped his head around just in time to see Vilgax land an upper cut straight to his face. Ben recoiled back from the force of the punch. Once he regained his bearings, he saw Vilgax floating in front of him, clad in a red alien space suit and complete with jet packs. The suit seemed barely able to contain Vilgax’s muscular frame.

“Ah so we’ve come to a battle of fisticuffs in outer space have we? Well have at you then villain!” Atomix charged back at Vilgax. They collided with each other and began viciously pummeling each other with attacks. They tumbled through space trading blows. Atomix finally managed to get his feet up and double kicked Vilgax straight in the chest. He heard the alien warlord grunt in pain right before he was sent flying backwards. Being in space Ben was also sent moving in the opposite direction. The pair levelled themselves out and faced each other across the newfound distance between them.

“Had enough yet Vilgax?” Atomix taunted. Across from him Vilgax scowled through his helmet.

“I’m just getting started Tennyson!” Vilgax suddenly raised his arm forward. A ball of blue and red energy began coalescing in the palm of his hand. Suddenly the ball rocketed forward and impacted square with Atomix’s chest. The blast sent him tumbling backwards once again before he could balance himself once more.

“Haha nice shot! But I can do you one better!” Atomix shouted out. He then sent out twin pulses of atomic energy towards Vilgax. However, the tentacled alien managed to deftly avoid them whilst closing the distance between them. In another few short seconds, the duo was locked in hand-to-hand combat once again. They punched and kicked at each other relentlessly. But soon, Atomix’s superior strength began to overwhelm Vilgax. His nuclear-powered punches began landing blow after blow on Vilgax’s flesh. With a final glowing uppercut Vilgax was sent flipping head over heels into space. Ben floated triumphantly over the defeated alien warlord, hands proudly placed on his hips.

“Had enough yet Vilgax?” Ben taunted. Vilgax glared at him from across the void. With a groan Vilgax brought his forearm up and began punching in data on the command console.

“You may have won this battle Tennyson, but I will return. And I will get that Omnitrix!” Vilgax declared powerfully.

“As if I’m just going to let you leave villain.” Ben retorted. Through his helmet Vilgax gave one last sinister smile.

“Oh but how will you catch me when you’re too busy saving them?” He asked menacingly. Suddenly a volley of rockets flew from Vilgax’s ship, straight towards the Tragulon. Ben could only stare in shock. The rockets were too fast for him to catch up to. Before he knew it, they had collided with the side of the cruiser. An enormous shockwave rippled through space as the explosives detonated on impact with the ship. Ben was knocked backwards from the force of the explosion. When he regained his bearings he could only stare in shock at the visage of the Tragulon burning against a backdrop of stars. Ben stared at the exploded vessel with abject horror. Watching the burning engines light up the sky like a miniature star.

“It’s always good to have a little insurance don’t you think? Until we meet again Tennyson.” Vilgax said before retreating to his ship. Ben’s shock lasted but a moment. His heroic instincts kicked in and he launched himself towards the Tragulon. Even as he approached he could begin to see life pods jettisoning from the cruise ship. The back half of the ship had an enormous hole blown in the side of it. He raced as fast as he could, shutting out the terror and panic from his mind. He was driven by instinct alone, to save as many people as possible. But sadly, he would discover that for some it was simply too late.

A/N: The first chapter of what will hopefully be a large multichapter story. The entire point of this story is a reimagining of the end of the classic Ben timeline. Parts of Omniverse were great but I hate the fact that they shoehorned Kai Green back into the story as Ben’s love interest just to make it fit the original series. While there won’t be outright Kai bashing in the story her role is going to significantly change from canon. This will eventually work Ben and Julie romance back in. Lastly the story that will take place is hopefully one that sees Ben’s maturity grow back and lead him to becoming the greatest hero in his universe. Likewise I won’t have a ton of author’s notes for this story, I’d rather the story speak for itself. Lastly, I do not own Ben Ten, only this story concept and that disclaimer goes for the entirety of the story. I will not be posting the disclaimer further.
I’ve tried to keep the content of the story and A/N the same from where it was originally posted on FF. That being said, I do welcome reviews and constructive criticism, but please do not try to enforce your shipping beliefs on me or in the review section. You should know going in that this story will be Ben x Julie and while I try to do Kai justice in this fic I’d rather not have people try to bash me for my choices, after all this is only a cartoon. Hope you enjoy the story!

Chapter 2: Chapter 2

Chapter Text

When all was said and done the death toll aboard the Tragulon was one hundred and thirty-six. 136 alien souls lost to either the initial explosion or the ensuing vacuum of space. Although as many had tried to point out it could have been much worse. With a total passenger count nearing 5,000 it seemed a miracle that as many survived as they did. But for our hero Ben Tennyson, it was one entirely too many.

Of course, the news had spread like wildfire, especially once word had gotten out about Ben’s involvement. The story was on nearly every front page of the extra net and had even managed to make it onto some of earth’s own programming. They called it the ‘Tragedy aboard the Tragulon’. Many of course, blamed Ben for the deaths. Some praised the hero for trying to protect the ship. A week had passed since the accident. A memorial service was held. Ben had attended out of formality, even though many still blamed him for what happened. Vilgax meanwhile, was nowhere to be found. Delegates from the victims home planets had all attended, representing the over 20 species comprising the victims. A memorial was erected on the nearest planetoid, a dry environment with sparse vegetation. It all seemed to pass Ben by in the blink of an eye. It all just seemed methodical to Ben’s numbed pysche. The days came and went just like any other, as though the horrific loss of life simply hadn’t happened. But Ben knew better. He knew that those people would never be back, would never see their loved ones again.

Ben stood staring up at the obelisk memorial once the ceremony was long finished. Every inch of the obsidian stone was engraved with the names of the victims. Ben stood silently reading the names, as if he were trying to engrave them into his own mind. The plumbers were all represented as well. Rook walked up to Ben from behind. The Revonnahgander stood silent for a moment as he watched Ben’s unmoving figure. There was a tense silence as he considered the best words to speak.

“You must not blame yourself Ben. You did the best you could.” Rook finally said. What seemed like an eternity of silence passed between them.

“My best wasn’t good enough.” Ben finally spoke quietly. Rook frowned for a moment as he took in his partner’s sad visage. In the years that he had known Ben, he had never seen the boy like this. Despondent was the closest earth word he could think of for it. He tried to come up with some encouraging words, but he fell miserably short. Before he could say anything else he was joined by the rest of their retinue. Gwen, Kevin, Kai, and Magister Max all walked up to join them.

“Rook’s right Ben.” Kai’s voice spoke. “You know this was all because of Vilgax. There was nothing you could have done.” She tried to encourage. They were all surprised when Ben tensed and snapped.

“But there could have been! There should have been something I did. I failed and now these people are all gone. Do any of you have any idea what that feels like?” He asked angrily. The group all shied away sheepishly from the outburst. All except for Max who stood stead fast and spoke softly.

“Ben you can’t save everyone. No matter how hard you try.” He spoke sagely. Tears began to spill from Ben’s face before he quickly wiped them away. He turned to look back at the stone monument. He felt like a powder keg of emotions, ready to explode and break down with each passing moment. He couldn’t help but replay that day over and over again in his head. He kept asking himself what could have gone differently. How he could have saved all of those people. Each day he came up with a new answer, a way one of his alien forms could have saved the day. But ultimately if he hadn’t been onboard in the first place none of this would have happened. Vilgax wouldn’t have attacked, and all those people would still be alive. It was that thought which fueled Ben’s rage more than anything. He would make Vilgax pay, no matter what. Luckily, he wouldn’t have to wait long.

Only 2 weeks after the attack on the Tragulon, the Plumbers had finally tracked down Vilgax’s ship. He had cloaked himself inside a treacherous asteroid field. The scouting ship reported minimal activity from the battle cruiser. Vilgax was likely biding his time and planning his next move. Unfortunately for him, the plumbers would not let him stay free for long. A sneak assault was planned. The plan was simple: overwhelm Vilgax with numbers, trap him inside the asteroid field, board the ship and capture him.

As the assault commenced, Ben was laser focused. This was his chance to make things right. The chance to bring justice to those who lost their lives. He couldn’t afford to screw this up. Ben tightened his fist as he fiddled with the Omnitrix nervously, a habit from his childhood he had never fully kicked. The inside of the boarding pod was eerily quiet. Perhaps all aboard shared Ben’s sense of seriousness. Gwen and Kevin occupied the short ride over by worriedly glancing at Ben and then to each other. Rook, the consummate professional he was, was silently preparing himself as well. Although he too couldn’t help but send a worried glance Ben’s way. Ben ignored everything around him, his eyes glued to the nav screen showing their approach to Vilgax’s ship.

With a shudder the boarding craft attached itself to the hull of Vilgax’s battleship. The boarding party of heroes and plumbers descended into the byways of the ship. With a flash of green, Ben’s form was replaced by that of Four Arms. With hardly a word spoken he lead the charge deep into the heart of the vessel. It wasn’t long before they met resistance in the form of robotic drones. Rook raised his weapon quickly to fire at the mechanical interference. However, he was too slow on the draw. Before either side could fire a single shot, Ben charged into the fray. His super strength easily crushing the mechanical menaces into sparking piles of servos. In a matter of minutes the way forward was clear once again.

“Come on, we’re wasting time. Let’s go!” Ben shouted. Our heroes looked between each other before dutifully following Ben down the hallway. The group proceeded in much the same fashion. Each obstacle they encountered was swiftly overrun by the raw power of Ben’s alien strength. In a matter of minutes they reached the bridge. Once again Ben reared back with all four of his fists and hammered his way through the enormous locked steel doors.

“Where are you Vilgax?! We’ve got a score to settle!” Ben shouted upon entry. At the far end of the hallway Vilgax rose from his throne.

“Tennyson! You and these plumber scum will pay for invading my ship!” Vilgax threatened.

“The only one who’s going to be paying is you, you psychopath.” Ben shouted. He leapt into action, bounding across the distance from him and Vilgax in single jump.

“Ben wait! The plan!” Gwen shouted after her cousin. But Ben seemed too blinded by rage to pay attention.

He and Vilgax locked arms. Each of their muscles tensing with the effort of holding back the other. Four Arms had the advantage however. Using his second pair of arms Ben clasped his fists together and delivered a vicious swing up into Vilgax’s chin. The blow caught the towering alien off guard. From then on it was a one sided battle. Ben viciously began pummeling Vilgax with all four of his fists. Blow after blow landed on Vilgax’s body with relentless fury. Ben’s friends could only stand by and watch stunned as Ben beat the ever living daylights out of his opponent. They had never seen Ben this terrifying before. It was as though he had lost all sense of control. Soon Vilgax fell to his knees and then his back not soon after. Ben however, continued to mercilessly pummel Vilgax’s unconscious body. He began swinging with two fists at once, his human subconcious overriding his alien physiology. Ben brought his hand back for another punch, but he was stopped short as he felt a hand grab his wrist. Ben twisted his head around only to find Kevin’s metal clad skin grasping his arm.

“Ben that’s enough! He’s out.” Kevin scolded. Ben panted heavily before turning back to Vilgax. Indeed the alien warlord was unconscious. More importantly he was beaten into a bloody and bruised mess. The timer on the watch began to beep. In another flash of red Ben had reverted back to his human form. He shook with equal parts exertion and relief. He panted heavily, sweat dripping down his entire body. He looked down at his bruised and bloodied hands, still shaking from the adrenaline running through his system. He had done it. He had beaten Vilgax. He had made the maniac pay for taking all of those innocent lives.

So why didn’t he feel any better?

Chapter 3: Chapter 3

Chapter Text

Julie Yamamoto sat on her couch relaxing on a relatively calm Sunday afternoon. She was watching her upcoming opponent in the Women’s World Tennis Championships. Julie was scheduled to play her in a few weeks and was taking the time to study her opponent as it were. Her faithful companion Ship was curled up by her feet. Sure most girls had cats or puppies for pets. She had a galvanic mechamorph sub-species for her pet. Julie glanced down at Ship resting comfortably by her. She could only give a wan smile when she thought about how she had acquired such a strange pet in the first place.

Sure her relationship with her ex Ben was fun while it lasted, Julie knew deep down that it never would have worked out. For one, there were parts of Ben that were still too immature. As evidenced by their unconventional way they broke up. But more importantly Ben was, she hesitated to say it, but Ben was slightly obsessed with his hero persona. While Julie thought of herself as a generally good and courageous person, she could never do the sorts of things that Ben did. Leaping into danger like that was simply not her forte. But Ben did it nearly every day. And while she held a great respect and admiration for him in that regard, it didn’t make for the most stable of relationships.

Still Julie could admit that she did sometimes miss the boyish charm he had. Her relationship after Ben hadn’t worked out so well either. And there were times when she missed the good old days she enjoyed with Ben. Deep down she knew she still held some affection for the boy and likely always would. But for the time being she was content to keep herself single and focus on her own personal growth. It was at that moment that Julie heard the ringing of her doorbell.

“That’s odd, I wasn’t expecting a package.” Julie mused to herself. Getting up from her comfy spot on her sofa Julie went to answer the door. What she saw shocked her, especially considering her most recent thoughts. Ben Tennyson stood a step away from her door bell, tilted slightly sideways. He raised his hand in greeting before rethinking it and awkwardly placing it to scratch at the back of his head.

“Hey Julie…” Ben started off unsure. Julie shook herself from her initial shock. She wasn’t sure what Ben could possibly be doing here but she didn’t want to be rude.

“Hi, Ben. What are you doing here?” Julie flinched a little. She hadn’t meant for that to sound so accusatory. Ben dropped his hand and a frown came upon his face. He placed his hands in his jean pockets and awkwardly shifted his feet.

“Yeah about that. I came to… Well I,” Ben sighed in frustration. “Can I come inside and talk to you about something?” Ben asked. Julie was a little taken aback by the request. Moreover she was taken aback by Ben. She hadn’t seen him this unsure of himself since he had first asked her out. Not to mention he had bags under his eyes and his normally unkempt hair was even messier than usual. Something about the picture seemed off to her.

“Sure, come on in.” Julie said and stepped back to let him in. Ben stepped through the doorway and gave a slight smile as way of thanks. Ship perked up upon seeing Ben and gave a happy digital chirp before settling back down. Ben took a seat on the recliner opposite the sofa. Julie sat in her previous seat on the sofa.

“So what’s going on?” Julie asked inquisitively. She could tell that there was something bothering the young man. Everything about Ben’s body language screamed it. Ben anxiously began rubbing at his watch arm. With a sigh to calm himself, Ben looked Julie in the eyes.

“I need to ask a favor from you.” Ben stated simply. Julie looked at him skeptically.

“What kind of a favor?” She asked pointedly.

“The kind where you won’t hardly have to do anything.” Ben said rummaging through his jacket pocket. In a few moments he brought out a small cube shaped device. It looked like some kind of projector device if Julie remembered correctly.

“I’m sure you’ve probably heard the news by now.” He said looking down at the ground. A memory clicked in Julie’s mind. He was talking about the Tragulon. Immediately Julie’s expression softened. He must be blaming himself she realized.

“I have…” She said, then after a pause. “Ben, you know I don’t think any less of you for what happened right?” She tried to ask supportively.

“Thanks, but… I still blame myself.” He said. A few moments of silence fell uncomfortably between them. After a few more moments where Ben’s head continued to stare at the floor, Julie spoke up once again.

“Is this, related to that?” She asked curiously. Ben shook his head.

“It’s sort of related.” He offered with no real explanation. He looked back at the device in his hands and then back up to Julie. He held his hand out and offered the strange device to her. Julie took it from him delicately. She looked back at him with confusion.

“Ben I don’t…” She began.

“Julie, I’m going to be going away for a while. I don’t know how long I’ll be gone, but I do know it’ll be far enough away I won’t be able to get back easily. I need you to keep that data cube with you. It has instructions on how to contact me while I’m gone. But I need you to promise me to only use it if there is serious danger. I’m talking about world ending, universe threatening danger. Do you understand?” Ben said seriously. Julie looked down at the device with confusion and skepticism. She had never seen Ben this serious before. It scared her a little bit. She wasn’t even sure what was fully going on or what this had to do with the Tragulon.

“Ben, is everything ok? Does your family know about this, trip, you’re planning on taking? And why not just tell them where you’re going? I’m sorry but this is all kind of overwhelming.” Julie said and tried to hand the device back. But Ben pushed it back towards her with a pleading expression.

“Please Julie, I just need you to do this for me. You’re the only one I can count on.” He pleaded with her. He clasped his hands over hers. She looked down at them and saw that they were scraped and roughened up, which made her all the more worried. Swallowing her anxiety Julie nodded.

“Okay Ben, I can do this for you.” She said. Ben breathed a sigh of relief. He gave a very sincere thank you and released his hands from hers. He stood up to leave.

“With any luck, Gwen, Kevin, and the rest of them can handle things while I’m gone. So more than likely you won’t even have to use it.” Ben reassured her. Julie nodded in understanding. The message was clear, if things went south, she needed to get this thing to one of the plumbers. But there was still one thing that was bothering her.

“Ben, why give this to me? Why not give it to Gwen? Or your grandpa Max?”.
‘Or your new girlfriend?’ Julie thought only slightly bitterly. Ben gave a slightly sad smile.

“Because you’re the last person who would ever willingly try to get in touch with me.” Ben replied simply. Julie’s heart dropped a little at that admission. Did Ben really think her that petty? But before she could say anything further Ben was already out the door.

“Thanks again Julie. It might be a long while before we see each other again, so take care of yourself okay?” Ben said sincerely. Julie smiled despite herself.

“Yeah, you too.” She replied. Ben nodded and then brought up his watch. In a flash of green he had transformed into Jetray. In the next moment Ben launched himself into the skies and flew off into the clouds. Leaving Julie to stare after him in concern.

A/N: I apologize if this seems formatted weird on AO3. I’m not used to uploading on this site so I’m not sure where the best place is to put the chapter headings. Also a note for anyone reading on AO3, the chapters do get significantly longer, and better, in my opinion as the story goes on. So I hope you’ll give it a chance! I may go back and re-edit the chapters later and make them longer once the story is finished but for now the og chapters will remain as they are. And again, this story is also posted on Fanfiction.net if you would prefer to read the story there.

Chapter 4

Chapter Text

Ben X Chapter 4
Prologue
Departure

Julie Yamamoto woke up to the sound of her alarm blaring. She turned her head towards her pink nightstand. Blearily she slammed her hand onto her phone, snoozing the alarm. She woke up and groggily got out of bed. She paused as she saw an unfamiliar device on her nightstand. She briefly wondered where it came from before the events of a few days prior came back to mind. Right, Ben had asked her to watch over this strange device. Supposedly she could use it to contact him, wherever he may be.

Julie shook her head of the thought. Like Ben had said she didn’t need to think about it unless something seriously bad was about to happen. It was probably best to put the little device away in a cupboard somewhere and forget about it. Still though, she had a bad feeling about it. She had never seen Ben act that way before, he was too tense, too sad. Julie of course knew about the accident but Ben had suffered setbacks before and they had never affected him like this. She set the device back down on the nightstand pushing the negative thoughts from her head. She wasn’t going to let Ben get under her skin like this. She still wasn’t sure why he chose to burden her with this. But she’d be damned if she fell into some mind game of his.

She got up out of bed and was greeted by a cheerful chirp from her pet Ship. She smiled down at the little robo creature, patting it on its head before going to get ready for the day. Her schedule these days was pretty strict. Mornings were breakfast and showers. Then off to tennis practice to keep her skills sharp. At noon was lunch. Followed by her college classes. She may have gotten in on an athletic scholarship but she knew her grades were really what would keep her afloat. Although she still hadn’t quite decided on a major so she just decided to pursue an English degree for now. At the end of the day she relaxed watching her favorite reality tv shows. Then she headed to bed to do it all over again the next day.

Yet no matter how hard she tried to keep it out of her head, the thought of Ben kept coming back to her. She stared at the data cube from her bedside. It had only been a few days since Ben gave it to her. She wasn’t even sure if Ben had left yet. It wasn’t as if he spared anymore details on that end. She briefly wondered if she should tell someone. Someone closer to Ben might know more about what he was going through. After all Julie still worried about him even if they weren’t on the greatest of terms. Sitting up from her bed Julie grabbed her phone and scrolled through it to find the number she was looking for. She was so thankful she hadn’t deleted any numbers in a while. In a moment she quickly found who she was looking for and pressed the dial button.

“Hi Gwen? It’s Julie. I know nice to hear from you too.” Julie began. “I was actually calling to talk about Ben. He came to visit me the other day and he didn’t really seem himself.” She spoke.

“Oh so he told you too huh?” Came Gwen’s reply. “Yeah he hasn’t been right ever since the Tragulon. Did he tell you what he was planning?” Gwen asked.

“No, only that he was going away for a while and he wasn’t sure when he’d be back.” Julie said carefully leaving out the part about the communicator for now.

“Well he told us he was going off-world for special ‘training’. Says he wants to ‘master the Omnitrix’ whatever that means.” Gwen replied.

“Master the Omnitrix?” Julie repeated. Just then she heard a second voice break over the phone call.

“Pfft, the only thing he’s gonna be a master of is the master of douchebags!” The voice said angrily. She then heard the sound of a piece of machinery being banged on.

“Uhm, who was that?” Julie asked confused.

“Sorry that’s Ben’s girlfriend Kai…” Gwen said awkwardly.

“You mean his ex girlfriend. No way am I gonna be with that jerk after the stunt he pulled!” She continued angrily. Julie smiled awkwardly. She could sort of relate but it sounds like this girl had quite the temper on her. She hoped Ben gave her the news easy for his sake.

“Yeah so he’s gone now. Left the other day with barely any notice. Can you believe he didn’t even tell us where he was going? Hell, he didn’t even leave us a way to get in touch with him.” A twang of guilt ran through Julie at that admission. It sounds like Ben was serious when he said he didn’t want anyone trying to stop him.

“Really that’s… surprising.” Julie commented looking back down at the data cube in her hands once more.

“Uggh I swear I’m going to strangle that freak the next time I see him. If I ever see him again!” Kai’s voice rang out once more.

“Anyway…” Gwen began again. “I wouldn’t worry about him too much. As much of a doofus as he can be sometimes, he does have a good head on his shoulders. I think he just needs some time to work through all of this.” Gwen said.

“Yeah… I hope you’re right.” Julie replied. “Thanks Gwen.” She said. Without waiting for a response she hung up the phone. She sighed deeply. She supposed she would just have to have faith in Ben that he knew what he was doing. And that meant not breaking his trust. She would hang on to the communicator, just in case. Only Julie desperately hoped she would never have to use it.

A/N: Wow looking back this chapter is really really short. Like I said in the previous chapter I'll likely come back and update this to be longer someday but for now hopefully you just cruise right along to the next chapters.

Chapter 5: Chapter 5

Chapter Text

Ben X Chapter 5
Prologue
Master Control

Ben landed his ship on Galvan Prime. There was a heavy thud as the ship collided to the ground. He still wasn’t the best of pilots. That was the sort of thing Rook or Kevin handled most of the time. Exiting out of the co*ckpit Ben took a deep breath of the marshy air of Galvan Prime. Technically speaking this was Galvan Prime Mark 2. The original homeworld of the Galvans had been destroyed in the High Breed war so many years ago. But the Galvan species was surprisingly resilient for their small size. Within months they had terraformed the barren planet into a near ecological mirror of their original homeworld. If Ben hadn’t known better he would have said it was the same planet.

But the beauty of the swampy planet didn’t distract him for long unfortunately. With a somber gaze Ben trudged forward, making his way towards the prime thinker’s residence. He had come here for a purpose, to see Azmuth. Ben’s relationship with the elderly creator of the Omnitrix had always been strained. Even after 8 years and evidence to the contrary, Ben still felt as though part of Azmuth would always be disappointed in the way he was using his creation. Recently, Ben could only agree with those thoughts himself. The Tragedy of the Tragulon still weighed heavily on his mind, even though it had been more than a month.

He still felt responsible for all of those lives lost. He had replayed the events of that day over and over in his head multiple times. Each time he devised a new strategy using his alien forms that could have saved them. He was supposed to be the greatest hero in the universe. But he had failed, he had let them down. The guilt was slowly eating him alive. But there was no going back to save them now. As hard as it was for him to accept that fact, he needed to move forward. And it was for that reason that he needed to see Azmuth. If he couldn’t convince him today then the rest of his plan would fall apart. Simply put, Azmuth was the lynch pin in his plan. And Ben was prepared to do whatever it took to convince him.

As Ben neared Azmuth’s research lab, his attention was caught by a pair of Galvan guards stationed on a waist high tower. The guards were waving him down and calling his name. No doubt they were going to tell him that Azmuth was too busy for an audience. That’s what they always said after all. Azmuth was always busy. Deciding to humor them nonetheless he made his way over to the guard tower.

“Master Tennyson, I am sorry but if you’ve come to see Prime Thinker Azmuth he is unfortunately…” The guards began. However Ben cut them off with a wave of his hand.

“Look I get it, Azmuth is busy. He’s always busy. And I know you guys are just trying to do your jobs and I can respect that. But here’s the thing: What I’ve come here to do today is possibly the most important thing in my life and could very well affect the fate of the universe. So I’m going to give you two options. You can either try to stop me and fail, or you can call in to Azmuth to let him know I’m coming.” Ben said seriously.

The two Galvan guards glanced at each other nervously. An unspoken agreement was made and they looked back towards Ben and nodded. Ben thanked them and went on his way. It didn’t take him long to reach Azmuth’s laboratory. It was a large domed structure, but still too small for Ben to fit inside in his human form. As he approached the laboratory he saw Azmuth exit out on a floating platform. Without any preamble the galvan floated up to Ben’s eye level. He never did allow himself to be talked down to.

“Benjamin,” Azmuth’s raspy voice croaked out. “To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?” Azmuth’s voice was clipped and although polite, Ben could tell he was barely tolerating the human’s presence. It was probably best to make this quick then.

“I know you’re busy, and I’m sorry for interrupting you. But there’s something serious I need to discuss with you.” Ben said as formally as possible.

“My boy, your definition of serious and my definition of serious are often in different dictionaries. So you might as well spill it and tell me what you want.” Azmuth said again still impatient. Ben took a deep settling breath before speaking.

“I need you to unlock the Master Control of the Omnitrix for me.” Ben requested seriously.

“Absolutely not.” Azmuth replied with barely a moment’s thought. “Now if that is all I have work to return to.” Azmuth said and began to float back into his laboratory. However he was stopped short by a large hand placing itself in his path.

“See I knew you would say that. Can you at least hear out my reasoning before you make such a snap decision? Please Azmuth I’m begging you.” Ben pleaded.

Azmuth looked at the hand before him and then glanced back upwards at Ben’s face. There was something different there this time around. A desperation of sorts was hidden behind his expression. Unlike the other times Ben had come asking for the Master Control, this time he seemed truly desperate. Azmuth sighed and floated back up to Ben’s face.

“You have five minutes.” Azmuth said with resignation.

“Okay, okay so, I’m sure you’ve already heard the news about the Tragulon right?” Ben began.

“No, unlike most people my work keeps me too busy to be distracted by something as trivial as ‘news’. So what is this Tragulon anyway?” Azmuth replied. Ben looked slightly surprised before a dark expression came over his face. He clenched his fists and turned his head to the side as he recalled the events of that day.

“The Tragulon was a galaxy cruise ship. I was on board when Vilgax decided to attack. 136 people died. All because I wasn’t good enough.” Ben spoke softly. There was a brief pause between the two as Azmuth processed the words. Finally he spoke in a gentler voice.

“I’m… sorry to hear that Ben. But as much as I’ve disparaged you in the past, I know for a fact that you didn’t simply let those people die. If anything you should be going after the perpetrator Vilgax.” Azmuth said.

“I already have. I captured him and he’s going away for a long time. But the thing is, even though I’ve gotten my revenge, there’s still this, hole in my chest. I know you Galvans aren’t big on the whole emotions thing so I won’t even try to describe it. But the only thing I can think of to try and make it better, is to make sure it never happens again. So that’s the reason I want the master control. I know you probably think I’m not ready for it or whatever. And I know you don’t always agree with how I’ve been using it.” Ben stopped to look at Azmuth, who surprisingly was paying apt attention. With a deep breath Ben continued.

“You told me once that you designed the Omnitrix to be a tool of peace. That it was created to allow someone to walk a mile in another lifeform’s shoes, so to speak. If I’m going to master the Omnitrix, if I’m going to be the best hero I can be, then I need to know what it’s like to be each and every alien in there. So please, I’m begging you Azmuth. Let me have the master control, so that I can be better.” Ben finally said.

A moment of silence passed between the two. Azmuth rubbed his chin thoughtfully, and then scratched his head in agitation. Seconds seemed to turn to minutes as Ben watched Azmuth clearly deliberating with himself. Finally with a heavy sigh, Azmuth looked Ben in his eyes.

“Ben, as much as I would like to help you, your plan is simply illogical.” Azmuth began and Ben frowned. “There are over a million species contained within the omnitrix. It would be impossible for you to live through each of them in sufficient time. It would take a lifetime, several of your human lifetimes even. I’m sorry but I can’t give you the master control with a half co*cked idea such as that.” Azmuth stated. To his surprise however Ben simply smiled.

“Oh you don’t have to worry about that part Azmuth. I’ve already got it all figured out.” Ben said with his usual co*cky smirk. Despite his skepticism Azmuth couldn’t help but to smirk back.

“Well then please enlighten me.” He spoke. Over the course of the next half hour, Ben explained every step in his grand and ambitious plan. Azmuth even began suggesting input and ideas to further refine the plan. By the end of their discussion they were both in full agreement.

“Let me see the Omnitrix.” Azmuth commanded. Ben held out his wrist with a smile on his face. Azmuth floated up to the device and began fiddling with it. He pressed the buttons in a certain sequence and turned the main dial. Once he was seemingly complete Azmuth spoke aloud.

“Omintrix, unlock Master Control for current user. Creator Code Alpha – 1 – 1.” Azmuth said. The watch beeped and glowed a bright green color for a second before it faded away.

“Master Control unlocked.” The watch beeped back. Ben couldn’t help the huge grin that appeared on his face.

Chapter 6: Chapter 6

Chapter Text

Ben X chapter 6
The Search for Ben Arc
As time passes

And so it was that Ben Tennyson departed Earth. None of his closest friends or confidants knew where he was going or when he would be back. They could only remain behind and hope it wouldn’t be long. His grandfather Max Tennyson had eased tensions during the first days of Ben’s absence. He had convinced Ben’s cohorts that this trip would be good for the young man, that it was a sign of his growing maturity. But while that reassurance lasted them a while, it could not hold forever. Days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months, and before most had realized it, 3 years had passed. A whole 3 years without Ben. And whilst everyone could not help but to worry about him, their own lives progressed.

Gwen graduated from college, with honors. With her degree in xenopolitics she eventually ended up as one of the official liaisons between the Plumbers and the United Nations. With the world at large having finally accepted, and for the most part, welcoming its alien neighbors. Her job kept her extremely busy, especially as the UN was in the midst of deliberating signing onto the Plumbers galactic Milky Way treaty. But there were still days when she found time to kick evil doers butts. Such as she was currently doing.

Gwen hid behind the corner of a building, her breathing heavy. She peeked around the corner only to duck back quickly, avoiding a burst of slime which impacted against the opposite building. She watched with morbid curiosity as the pile of goo began to eat through the brick and mortar upon which it laid. Gwen made a face of disgust and turned back to the source with a shield at the ready. Running out to the street she fired off a few bolts of magenta energy. The bolts flew through the air until they impacted with their target: A giant mutant four eyed toad. The impacts barely seemed to faze the creature.

Meanwhile atop its head sat a green skinned elderly man, his white hair flowing down along his upper back. Atop his head sat two metallic antennae and nestled between them a glass dome encasing a brain. He wore a brown tank top and cargo pants. His body was decked out with a myriad of mechanical devices. On his hands he wore large metallic gauntlets with clawed fingers and a central green light in the palms. On his back he wore a large mechanical back pack with large jet propelled wings. It was their old enemy, Dr. Animo.

“Haha foolish beings! You are all beneath me. None of you can stop the might of my intellect and my menagerie of mutant creatures!” Animo exclaimed co*ckily. Gwen hid behind a mailbox across the street. But her cover was blown as an enormous 2 headed naked mole rat creature bared down on her. She barely had time to react before a blur of steely grey flew past her. Kevin delivered a fast uppercut to the creature, knocking it backwards onto its back and rendering it unconscious.

Kevin dropped his steel exterior. His normal sleeveless leather vest and denim outfit coming back into view. In the 3 years since Ben’s absence, Kevin hadn’t changed much appearance wise. However, he had become more of an entrepreneur in the time since. Unlike his girlfriend Gwen, Kevin preferred to keep his business low key. Being an ex con wasn’t something he was proud of, but nonetheless he had made the best of his situation. He had transformed his auto shop business into an all-encompassing machinery and technology trading hub. He handled procurement of specialized machinery and vehicle mods for his on earth clients as well as whatever level 2 alien technology he was allowed to sell on earth. Off planet however he had more freedom to trade and sell more advanced alien technology. He had even managed to hire and convince his old fencing buddy Argit into going straight. For all intents and purposes his business was legitimate and lucrative.

Kevin bent down to offer his hand to Gwen who took it graciously. At the same time, he brushed the asphalt beneath them to morph his skin again. The duo faced off against Animo’s giant toad with determination. Animo cackled from atop his mount, his head thrown back in laughter.

“Hahaha, do you side show rejects really think you can beat me? Without your precious Ben 10 by your side, my victory is finally assured!” He gloated. Kevin scoffed from down on the ground.

“Look around Animoron, all your creatures are toast.” Kevin shouted. For the first time, Animo took in the surroundings of the urban battlefield. Across the roads and intersections his mutant creations laid beaten and unconscious. Animo stood up in shock and anger. He clenched his clawed fists in frustration.

“Grr, you twerps may have defeated my menagerie this time. But I swear by the name Aloysius Animo, I shall return and have my ultimate vengeance!” With that exclamation the wings on Animo’s back unfurled. The rocket packs lit up with fire and Animo took to the skies. He hovered in the air and pointed down at the pair one last time. “You will all rue the day you crossed swords with the master of mutation!” Animo taunted. He began to fly off but before he could make it too far he was taken by surprise when a metallic cable shot up from below and wrapped around his body. His balance thrown off by the restraint he came crashing down onto a nearby rooftop. As he opened his eyes after his impromptu crash landing he looked up and saw the form of an alien holding the weapon attached to his cable.

“Aloysius Animo, by the authority vested in me by the Plumbers, I am placing you under arrest!” Rook Blonko said authoritatively. Animo groaned as he fell unconscious. Rook released the cable from his proto-tool and took out a pair of energy cuffs. He then proceeded to restrain Animo before he could wake up again.

Although Rook had been one of those most impacted by Ben’s disappearance, his steadfast dedication to the plumbers never waned. He had managed to climb the ranks quickly, attaining the rank of Magister in a matter of years. Although with his rank he could be comfortably doing administrative work, Rook always preferred field work to desk work. As such when the call went out that Animo was back in business, he was the first to arrive on the scene. He was also the one to enlist the help of Gwen and Kevin in fighting one of Ben’s old enemies. With Animo sufficiently defeated, Rook carried the prisoner down to street level. There he met back up with his cohorts.

“Excellent work you two, a thousand thanks for your assistance.” Rook said with a smile.

“Eh no problem Rookie.” Kevin teased. Rook’s smile faltered as he heard the unfavored nickname. No matter how many times he had corrected Kevin he still insisted on using it. Rook supposed it was one of those strange earthling customs that he would just have to bear with.

“Now all that’s left is to take Animo into custody. Let me contact Magister Tennyson.” Rook spoke. He took out his communicator and opened the proper channel. “Come in Magister Tennyson.” Rook spoke. In a moment Max Tennyson’s face appeared on screen.

Max’s appearance had changed very little in the last 3 years. He still wore his trademark Hawaiian shirt. Even though he was officially retired, again, he still worked with the plumbers. Only he was officially a consultant on the books. Yet despite his status on paper, his name still carried tremendous respect and prestige amongst the plumber organization. Such he was not surprised when Rook referred to him as his previous rank of Magister.

“Hey guys, I’m assuming the mission went well?” Max spoke. Gwen crowded her way to make herself visible on his side of the monitor.

“Hi Grandpa! Mission went smoothly. As usual Animo wasn’t much of a challenge.” Gwen said.

“That’s good to hear!” Max replied.

“Although I do have to wonder…” Rook mused. “What made Dr. Animo act now? As I recall he’s been quiet for the last several years with little activity. What changed?” He asked. The sound of keys clicking came through the communicator.

“Well according to his bank records, Animo recently received a massive payday. Although who’s to say where it came from.” Max answered.

“I guess it’s true what they say. Money really does make you do crazy stuff.” Kevin spoke.

“You would know.” Gwen retorted snarkily. Kevin had the gall to look a little sheepish.

“Guilty as charged.” Kevin said while rubbing the back of his head.

In a few more minutes, Rook had Animo restrained in his Proto-Truck, ready for transport. He approached Gwen and Kevin to say his goodbyes.

“Thanks again for your assistance you two.” Rook said. Gwen and Kevin nodded. “It’s a shame Ben was not here. I think he would have greatly enjoyed the kicking of Animo’s butt.” He said with a chuckle. At the mention of Ben’s name, the smiles faltered from both Gwen and Kevin’s faces. It had been 3 years without any word from Ben. Although deep down they had faith in their friend, there would always be a stronger part of them that missed and worried for Ben. Upon noticing their reaction Rook attempted to apologize.

“Forgive me. I was only trying to make light of the situation.” Rook spoke with his head hung low in apology.

“It’s not your fault Rook.” Gwen replied, placing a hand on the blue alien’s shoulder. “I’m sure Ben would have enjoyed it as well. It’s just, hard you know. With him being gone for so long.” Gwen said with melancholy.

“When he gets back you better believe I’m going to give him a big old knuckle sandwich.” Kevin said slapping his fist into his palm. Gwen rolled her eyes at Kevin’s antics.

“Take care Rook. And if you ever need help again don’t hesitate to reach out.” Gwen said. Rook nodded at both of them. Then he turned back to his vehicle and rode off into the sky.

Elsewhere, deep in space. We find ourselves aboard a large wheel shaped space station. The deep space prison complex known as the Incarcecon. The interior of it’s outer wheel was lined with dozens upon dozens of cells. Behind barriers of blue plasmatic energy resided the worst of the worst criminals in the galaxy. Many of whom were serving life sentences and who were too dangerous to be held elsewhere. Although there was a general public population of felons there were also of course those rare criminals who ended up in solitary isolation. It is in one such hall that we find the subject of our next scene.

Vilgax sat alone inside his solitary prison cell. He had spent 3 long years in this accursed captivity. True to its advertising, the Incarcecon was nigh inescapable. Vilgax had tried multiple times. He had once been nearly successful, having rallied the general population into a full-scale riot. But his attempt had failed, and afterwards they had sentenced him to stay isolated from any of the other prisoners. However, despite his desolate circ*mstances, Vilgax continued to plot. Mostly his machinations dealt with how he would take revenge on the one who put him here. That frustrating thorn in his side named Ben Tennyson. But before he could take revenge on Ben, he would have to escape. However, that was simply a matter of waiting for the right opportunity. And Vilgax had plenty of time and patience to wait. Luckily for the alien warlord, he would not have to wait much longer.

As Vilgax sat quietly in his cell, his thoughts were interrupted by the blaring of sirens and flashing red lights. Something was going on that put the whole prison on alert. Before he could ponder what was going on, he felt an explosion rock the station. He nearly lost his balance as the space station rocked to the side. Several smaller explosions sounded out throughout the prison. Strangely the explosions seemed to be getting closer and closer to his location. At last the double steel reinforced doors to his solitary hallway burst open. A cloud of smoke bellowed in from behind the destroyed doors. Vilgax squinted from behind his blue tinted energy wall, attempting to see through the smoke.

Emerging from the hazy cloud of smoke was a humanoid figure. The mysterious stranger stepped forward toward Vilgax’s cell. As he stepped into the light Vilgax realized that he could not make out any features of the figure. His silhouette was transparent but the light bended and refracted through him and gave him only the vaguest hint of a figure. The only other distinguishing feature on the person was his glowing purple eyes. The figure stopped in front of Vilgax’s cell and stared up at the taller alien. A thickness filled the air despite the blaring sirens and flashing red lights.

“Am I supposed to ask who you are?” Vilgax spoke rhetorically. Without responding the mysterious figure reached up beside the cell and placed his hand on the panel. In a second the blue forcefield shimmered and then dissipated. Vilgax stepped out from his cell and stood in front of the figure.

“I will only ask this once.” Vilgax spoke in a threatening tone. “Who are you and why have you freed me?” He asked bearing down on him.

“Who I am is of no importance.” The figure spoke in a dry dark voice. “Why I freed you is simple. I seek the destruction of a certain individual, one who I am sure you are intimately familiar with.” He said.

“Ben Tennyson.” Vilgax replied knowingly. “Then know this, I am no one’s lapdog. Vilgax does as he pleases.” Vilgax spoke and began to walk past the fractal figure.

“Then I am sure you would be pleased to hear of the information I have to offer.” He said turning around to face Vilgax’s back. The alien warlord paused his stride. He turned his head over his shoulder.

“What information could you possibly provide me that would be worth my time?” He asked insultingly.

“The location of the Demiurge Hammer.” The stranger said simply. Vilgax’s eyes widened. He turned around to face the mysterious figure and took a step closer to him.

“You know the location of the Demiurge?” Vilgax asked skeptically.

“I know where to start looking. All you must do is follow the trail.” Vilgax raised his arm in irritation. He swung at the figure only to find his arm passed through the translucent form of his body.

“You lie then.” Vilgax accused.

“No, the road to the Demiurge Hammer is fraught with peril. You cannot reach it unless you pass through the correct journey.” The figure said.

“If you indeed know the path, then why not simply attain the hammer for yourself?” Vilgax accused.

“I am a non-corporeal being. I exist in a dimension above this one and am unable to interact with your matter. Besides, I have no interest in ruling this existence, only in seeing Ben Tennyson destroyed.” The figure spoke.

“Then in exchange for destroying Tennyson you will tell me the location of the Hammer?” Vilgax asked suspiciously.

“No, I want for you to use the hammer to destroy Tennyson.” The shadowy being clarified.

“Hahaha, you are either too stupid or too foolhardy to think you can trick the mighty Vilgax. But I accept your proposal. Now tell me where I can find the hammer.” Vilgax spoke.

Chapter 7: Chapter 7

Chapter Text

Ben X Chapter 7
The Search for Ben Arc
The Search Begins

Julie Yamamoto drove recklessly. Normally Julie was very much a defensive driver. However, the current situation at hand demanded urgency. So she found herself weaving in and out of traffic. Her poor pet Ship was being tossed around with each swerve of the car. Julie apologized more than once to the little mechanical alien, but she couldn’t stop. She had to reach the Plumber base in Bellwood as soon as possible. She glanced down at the communicator device sitting in her cupholder. She was certain that today’s events were definitely something Ben would want to know about.

Just hours ago, Vilgax landed on Earth and went on an aimless rampage of destruction. Last Julie had heard, the villain had been imprisoned in some deep space prison. He must have escaped somehow. His swath of chaos destroyed multiple buildings and vehicles. The alien warlord reportedly had been looking for Ben, another attempt to obtain his Omnitrix no doubt. She watched the news reports with an impending sense of doom. Luckily a unit of plumbers quickly arrived on the scene. However their weapons and technology were no match for Vilgax’s strength and durability. According to what Ben told her, he was the only one who truly stood a chance against Vilgax. At the time she figured that was partly just Ben bragging. But now seeing the damage Vilgax had caused, she had started to take him more seriously.

Luckily, Vilgax left a few hours after his arrival. Most of the news outlets labelled Vilgax’s attack as a random act of destruction. But Julie knew better. He must have realized that Ben was no longer on the planet and left in search of him. But not before he swore to destroy Earth and every one Ben cared about and take over the universe. As soon as Julie heard that declaration she knew she needed to let the Plumbers know about the communicator Ben had given her. It had been so long ago that she had nearly forgotten about it. But if Vilgax was loose, there was no telling what he would do. And if any of the stories she had heard from Ben were true, they would need him back.

She arrived at the Plumber base’s front entrance. And by front entrance she meant the incognito store front that served as disguise for the underground facility. She approached the run-down storefront and walked through the front door. She saw an older man in denim overalls manning the front counter. She walked up to him confidently without any fanfare and spoke.

“I need to see Max Tennyson. It’s important.” She said seriously. Whether the attendant was surprised or not he didn’t show it. He simply responded matter-of-factly.

“And what are your credentials?” He asked with a level stare. Julie frowned. She had never really needed to access Plumber HQ before. She instead picked Ship up from the ground and held him in her arms.

“I’m Ben 10’s ex, and I might know where to find him.” She lied. Although she supposed it was only a partial lie. The plumber attendant stared at her intently, his eyes flicking between her and Ship.

Finally the man pressed a button underneath the counter. Behind him a hidden door opened up leading to a sleek high tech elevator. He let her through behind the counter and allowed her to pass. Julie mouthed a thank you to the man and stepped into the interior of the elevator. The doors closed in front of her and without her pressing any buttons she felt the lift begin to descend. She watched through the green tinted glass as she moved deeper underground. The main base was impressive especially for being underground. She had only been here a handful of times. She hoped she would be able to find her way around. Soon the elevator came to a stop and let her out into a large corridor with 3 passages. Julie looked around at her surroundings. There were multiple aliens and humans walking around, but seemingly no signs or indicators of where she was. Deciding to trust her memory she set off down the middle corridor, Ship following dutifully alongside her.

Luckily, her memory was better than she thought. She was able to make her way to the control room with relative ease. Although there were some who looked at her with a questioning gaze, no one stopped her. Julie doubted that any one recognized her, they were probably all to busy to pay attention to an innocent girl and her pet alien. Then again, she supposed the man up top could have informed someone she would be arriving. Either way, Julie soon found herself in the central hub of the Plumber base. She looked around to see many different aliens, all monitoring large computer screens. She looked around to see anyone she could recognize. Thankfully, she spotted Gwen on her phone a little ways away. Julie walked towards the older girl.

“Yes Mr. President, I can assure you that the Plumbers are looking into the matter… I understand the ramifications of the attack… No I know what’s at stake but as I’ve said before we can handle it. The plumbers aid foundation will be responsible for the clean up and rebuilding. I assure you I will keep you in the loop. Thank you.” Gwen spoke into her phone. She sighed in exasperation as she hung up. Being one of the sole people on the planet responsible for human-alien interactions was certainly exhausting. Gwen turned around and nearly dropped her phone in shock.

“Julie? What are you doing here?” Gwen asked incredulously.

“Hey Gwen, I needed to talk to someone about this.” Julie said trying to take the cube out of her pocket. Gwen however, had misunderstood her.

“Tell me about it, this whole thing with Vilgax has put the entire Plumbers organization on high alert.” She said gesturing around them.

“Do we know what he wanted?” Julie asked concerned.

“Apparently he was looking for Ben. Unfortunately, he’s still missing.” Gwen answered.

“About that…” Julie tried to interject, however she was cut off by Gwen’s nervous rambling.

“Luckily for us, once he realized Ben wasn’t here, he left pretty easily. I guess we can count that as a small blessing.” Gwen said. Suddenly they were joined by a familiar voice from behind them.

“Miss Yamamoto? What are you doing here?” Asked the smooth voice of Rook Blonko. Julie turned around to face the taller alien.

“Hi, I came to see if I could help.” Julie said. However, she was rudely interrupted by another voice from off to the side.

“What could you do to help?” Kai rudely asked. The two women glared at each other from across the room.

“Ship and I have seen more than our fair share of battles. I’m sorry who are you?” Julie asked indignantly.

“Kai Green, deputy plumber. And you’re Ben’s Ex right?” Kai looked Julie up and down, she crossed her arms clearly not too impressed with what she saw. Julie felt herself getting flustered despite her best attempts to stay levelheaded. She recognized the girl as Ben’s new girlfriend. It made sense that Ben would go for someone just as egotistical as he was. Before the two could get into it further, Rook intervened.

“Any help would be appreciated Miss Yamamoto. However, at the moment we are mostly doing damage control and trying to figure out Vilgax’s next move.” Rook explained. He made his way over to a console. Pressing a few buttons the screens floating above them began displaying footage from Vilgax’s rampage. Each angle was different, being compiled either from news footage, security cameras, or cellphone video of bystanders. They showed Vilgax destroying his surroundings with reckless abandon.

“We’ve been playing back footage of Vilgax’s attack trying to find clues as to his next move. This particular segment is of most prudent interest.” Rook explained. Julie and Gwen stepped forward to stand by him, while Kai leaned against the console sending a withering glare towards Julie. For her part Julie did her best to try and ignore the antagonistic girl. Instead she focused her attention on the screen above them. It showed Vilgax atop a pile of rubble making a declaration of some kind.

“Hear me, pathetic earthlings. I have come with a warning for Ben Tennyson, your cowardly hero who has abandoned you. I have found the lost Demiurge Hammer. Once I have it in my grasp the universe will be mine! And then Ben Tennyson, you will be utterly helpless!” The screen showed Vilgax disappear in a beam of transporter light. Just then a voice called out from behind them.

“If Vilgax is after the Demiurge he’s crazier than I thought.” The group turned to see Kevin Levin walking towards them, casually sipping on a soda.

“I wouldn’t be too quick to discount him like that son.” Max spoke up.

“What you actually think it’s real? Come on seriously?” Kevin retorted.

“Vilgax wouldn’t have made a declaration like that unless he had proof. And if he thinks the Demiurge is real than we all better be prepared.” Max countered.

“Can someone explain what this stupid Hammer thing is already?” Kai complained crossing her arms. Max stepped forward to the group, his gaze fixed on the image of Vilgax.

“The Demiurge Hammer, also known simply as the Demiurge, is a legendary almost mythical tool of ultimate creation. Supposedly it has the power to rewrite the very rules of reality itself. With it you could alter the fundamental laws of physics, time, and space. It is an engine that runs on imagination. And if it were to fall into the wrong hands there’s no telling the amount of damage that could be done.” Max explained seriously.

A hushed silence fell over not just their little group but the entirety of the plumber base that could hear Max’s explanation. The thought of a weapon that could change reality was inconceivable yet terrifying. Julie’s face paled as she considered the implications of such a device. The only thing she could compare it to was the Ascalon from years back. The more Julie thought about the potential threat, the surer she was that Ben needed to be alerted.

“Yeah but… I was always told the Hammer is nothing more than a myth.” Kevin said soft spoken.

“So were the Contumelia and the Annihilaargh, until Ben and I found them that is.” Rook countered. Kai spoke up from beside them.

“So you’re saying this Demiurge might be just as real then?” She asked.

“Like Grandpa Max said, if Vilgax thinks it’s real then we should all take this seriously.” Gwen stated with an air of authority. Around them the assembled plumbers all nodded gravely as they returned to their work.

“So first order of business: How are we going to find it before Vilgax?” Gwen turned to ask Max. Max scratched his chin in thought.

“I’m not sure. Vilgax seems to have info on it that we don’t. I’m issuing a high priority order. All available research personnel will be dedicated to analyzing the known legends and stories regarding the Demiurge. With any luck we might be able to find a workable lead.” Max concluded.

“Magister, shouldn’t we also be looking into finding Ben as well?” Rook asked. Next to him Kai scoffed.

“Yeah, and how are we supposed to let that dick know about all this when we don’t even have the first clue as to where he is?” Kai scowled with crossed arms. Julie hugged ship tighter in her arms. She looked around and saw the concern and betrayal evident on all of her friend’s faces.

“I hate to say it but Ben did leave us kind of high and dry here. If only he left behind some clue as to where he was heading.” Max said thoughtfully.

Julie looked around at the worried expressions surrounding her. Even the rest of the Plumbers around them seemed to have a grim outlook about them. She slipped her hand into her pocket, her fingers grasping around the data cube that Ben had entrusted to her. She took a deep breath and steeled herself. If there was ever a world threatening event that warranted Ben’s attention, it was this. Julie cleared her throat and all eyes turned towards her.

“Actually… I might be able to help with that.” The faces around her gazed at her with mixed expressions of confusion, disbelief and curiosity.

“What?” Kai scoffed with an angry tone. Her tumultuous gaze was fixed on Julie who slightly withered under the intense look. But Julie calmed herself and breathed deep. She pulled out the data cube from her pocket and held it out in front of her. Max walked up to her and she handed it over to him.

“Ben gave me this 3 years ago… before he left. He said it contained a way to contact him.” Julie explained. The assembled heroes all looked at the data cube in confusion.

“Ugh and he gave this to You? Why?” Kai asked disgruntled. Julie finally fixed the girl with a stern look of her own.

“Ben said I was the only one he could trust with it.” She shot back. Her expression fell as she recalled the day that he trusted her with his charge. “He said and I quote: ‘I was the only one who would use it when it was absolutely necessary.” Julie explained with a somber note. Max examined the cube, flipping it over and inspecting it. Then he handed it off to Rook who inserted it into the console. Julie could still feel everyone’s eyes on her and continued to speak up.

“He told me only to use it if there was a world threatening emergency.” Julie explained. She began to shrink in on herself at everyone’s continued stares. “I know you all missed him a lot but he made me promise. And I feel like this definitely counts as an emergency.” She said casting her eyes downward. She felt a warm hand on her shoulder and looked up to see Max smiling gently at her.

“You did good work kiddo. I’m sure Ben appreciates your discretion.” Max told her. Julie smiled, despite the fact she could hear Kai grumbling and barely stifling a scream behind her. All of their attention was drawn to the screen however as Rook had seemingly pulled up the information stored on the device.

“The data appears to be a command function trying to utilize our communications array.” Rook said tapping on the keyboard. In a few moments he had a signal display on the screen. It started blinking, indicating it was trying to send the signal.

“I think this is automatically sending a signal out to wherever Ben is. We should make contact momentarily.” Rook explained. They all waited patiently with baited breath as the signal was sent out into space. The blinking continued for a few minutes. Suddenly the signal indicator stopped blinking and instead was replaced by a large red X mark on the screen. Confusion and concern filled the room.

“Rook?” Max asked.

“One moment. I’m trying to figure out what happened.” Rook tapped away at the keyboard again. On the screen an image of two Galvans popped up. The Plumber’s resident Galvan duo to be precise.

“Blukic, Driba, any idea why that signal failed?” Rook asked.

“It wasn’t on our end.” Blukic’s dry voice piped in as he tried to connect a power coupling.

“Something is blocking the signal externally and preventing it from reaching the reciever.” Driba expounded. His body lit up with a sudden electrical spark as Blukic connected the wires.

“Oops.” Blukic said.

“So some kind of interference eh? That’s unfortunate.” Max said, ignoring the two Galvan’s antics.

“Do we even need to send him a message? Gwen can’t you do your mana tracking thingy and just find Ben for us?” Kevin asked. Gwen frowned and looked away sheepishly.

“I’ve tried… Several times in fact. But Ben either has figured out how to block my spell, which is unlikely, or whereever he is it’s too far away for it to work.” Gwen replied.

“Hmm it seems we’ll have to try finding Ben the old fashioned way. Although it would be helpful if we had somewhere to start.” Max mused aloud.

“Wait Magister Tennyson, it appears as though there is a subroutine trying to execute.” Rook said typing more on the console keyboard. In a matter of moments the screen switched to display a set of numbers in big bold text. “They appear to be spatial coordinates. Hold on while I input them into the computer.” In another few minutes the computer had brought up a map display centered on a field of asteroids. “The coordinates lead to an isolated asteroid field a few star systems over.” Rook noted. Kai glared at the screen before speaking up.

“What so that’s where Ben is? Why go through all this trouble of hiding himself if he’s just going to tell us where he is anyway? I swear that moron doesn’t think anything through.” Kai said with a huff.

Julie glanced between Kai’s indignant complaining and back to the large screen monitor. Something didn’t feel right. She thought back to when Ben had given her this device. She remebered him seeming desperate and disheartened. But most of all she remembered him seeming almost paranoid, as though someone would figure out his plan. Surely he wouldn’t make it this easy for them. Julie decided to voice her concerns.

“I don’t think Ben would let us know where he is this easily.” She said. As attention gathered to her she continued to explain. “When Ben gave this to me he made it seem very important that no one know where he was going. I don’t think after all this he would just put in a map that would lead us right to him.” She reasoned.

“I think you’ve got a good point there Julie.” Max agreed. Julie smiled despite herself.

“Whatever is at those coordinates though, it’s sure to at least help us find him.” Max continued. “So we’ll need to put together a search team to investigate this. Gwen, Kevin, and Rook I want you three to be ready to ship out in twenty four hours. We’ll need all three of you to help find Ben.” Max said.

“Magister Tennyson, I’m sorry what about me?” Kai started to ask annoyed but trying to hide it. Max turned back to her with a concerned expression.

“I’m sorry Kai, but I really need you to head up our search for the Demiurge.” Max explained. Kai was about to protest but Max continued over her. “You have the most experience with archeology, folklore, and history. The Demiurge is mentioned in the stories of over a hundred alien cultures. I need you to sift through them to determine what’s credible and what’s not. Maybe that way we can get a clue as to where to find it.” Max placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Please Kai.” He asked.

Kai crossed her arms and debated speaking out but decided that Max was right. No one other than her would be able to accomplish this task. “Of course Magister. I’m honored by your trust in me.” She replied with a small bow.

And with that the Plumber base seemed to return to it’s normal bustling activity level. Kai had walked off down a hallway, presumably to begin her research into the Demiurge. Max turned to regard another screen over a plumber’s shoulder. Gwen, Kevin, and Rook were discussing travel plans amongst themselves. Julie regarded all this with a sort of detached experience. It seemed that now that her job of delivering the cube was done she became inconsequential. Julie didn’t mind this feeling at all. She had been more than happy living her life after Ben 10. But something nagged at the back of her mind. A vauge uneasiness that said something was very wrong, more than Vilgax or the Demiurge. The only sort of description she could put to it was a concern for Ben, but it felt more existential than that.

Julie debated in her mind. She could walk away from all of this now. She had done her job, her involvement had ended. She didn’t have to commit any more of herself to this problem. Yet her subconcious was screaming at her that she needed to find Ben and make sure he was okay. Julie took a deep breath to steel herself again. Then she came to quite possibly the most important decision in her life. Julie approached Grandpa Max and cleared her throat slightly to grab his attention. Max looked up from the console and smiled at her.

“Julie, thanks again for delivering Ben’s data cube. We can take care of the rest from here.” Max told her. But Julie frowned, that nagging feeling in the back of her mind still pushing at her.

“Actually Mr. Tennyson…” Julie began.

“Please you can just call me Max.” He said with that same warm smile that put Julie at ease again.

“Well Max, if it’s okay with you. Ship and I would like to go on the search mission for Ben as well. If that’s okay with you of course.” Julie asked with equal parts hope and apprehension. Max’s smile faltered and he regarded the girl curiously. Julie could tell that he was thinking in his head.

“I hope you don’t mind me asking Julie but, I was under the impression you didn’t really want anything else to do with Ben.” Max asked delicately. Julie became flustered and stammered out a reply.

“Well yes, but, kinda sorta. Uggh.” Julie moaned. “Look, I’m not interested in Ben anymore but, I can’t deny that he’s a hero. He’s probably the most heroic person I’ve ever known. But something keeps telling me that he needs help and I just don’t think I could rest easy without knowing he’s okay.” Julie tried to explain. She ran her hand through her hair in frustration. “It doesn’t make any sense to me either but I just feel like I have to do this. More importantly even if Ben and I didn’t get along I still want him to be okay ya know? Also if this whole thing with Vilgax is as serious as you all think then I’d say it’s probably safest to be next to some of the greatest heroes in the galaxy don’t you?” Julie finished.

Max’s expression stayed neutral as he weighed Julie’s words over in his head. He smiled at her then and looked up behind her. Julie turned around confused and saw that Gwen, Kevin and Rook were all looking at her with bemused smiles on their faces. Julie blushed realizing they must have over heard her impassioned speech.

“Well I can’t hardly say no to such a request as that. What do you guys think?” He asked the search party.

“Of course, we’d be happy to have you Julie. It’ll be like the old days.” Gwen said happily and came over to hug her.

“I’m looking forward to seeing your bravery in action Miss Yamamoto.” Rook said congenially.

“Better get your luggage ready then. We leave first thing tomorrow morning.” Kevin said with a finger gun and a wink.

Julie smiled, happy that her request was more than accepted.

Chapter 8: Chapter 8

Chapter Text

Ben X Chapter 8
The Search for Ben Arc
Into Outer Space

The Rust Bucket 3 cruised through outer space at hyper speeds. It’s passengers: Rook Blonko, Gwen Tennyson, Kevin Levin, and Julie Yamamoto, and of course we can’t forget Julie’s pet Ship. Speaking of the young woman, Julie had not done a lot of travelling into outer space, so it was all still very new to her. She was very much an excited young girl again as she watched the stars and space dust pass by the windows. Despite convincing herself that she wanted a normal life, there was a part of her that could hardly believe she had ever given this up. Julie sat strapped into her seat, with Ship snuggled on her lap. Gwen sat across from her while Kevin and Rook sat up front.

“Ok, I’ve set in the coordinates from the communicator. We should reach our destination in approximately half an hour.” Rook explained. They had already been travelling for a while since they left earth. Leaving was probably the least enjoyable experience so far. The immense G forces made Julie nearly sick to her stomach. Much to her chagrin, the others seemed almost entirely unaffected.

“Ben sure chose a spot way out there. I mean these coordinates are almost in the middle of nowhere.” Kevin observed.

“Actually, Kevin, according to intergalactic maps and our sensors, there appears to be a few small planetoids at this location.” Rook clarified. Kevin rolled his eyes.

“I rest my case, middle of nowhere.” Kevin restated.

“At least it will be good to finally see him again.” Gwen said optimistically. “I wonder how much he’s changed.” Gwen asked aloud. Kevin scoffed and turned around to face the two women.

“Please, this is Ben we’re talking about. First thing dude is probably gonna do is ask us for a smoothie.” Kevin said sarcastically.

“I don’t know. He really didn’t seem like himself when he came to see me last.” Julie added. “Maybe he’s been taking this really seriously. After all he’s been gone 3 years.” She said. The conversation died down after that as each of them pondered how much Ben would have changed.

The group soon found themselves approaching their destination. The coordinates led to a small purple planetoid surrounded by scattered asteroids. They orbited the planetoid from above, scanning the surface. To their surprise, they found signs of life as well as structures down below. Kevin took the Rust Bucket down to land on the planet. The landing was much smoother than the takeoff Julie thought thankfully. They set down in a barren patch of land and exited the Rust Bucket. Fortunately the planetoid had a suitable atmosphere for life so they did not have to don their space suits. As they set foot on the space rock, the first thing they noticed was the barren landscape, filled with crumbly dry purple soil. But off in the distance they could see what looked to be a settlement of some kind.

“Do you think Ben is over there?” Gwen asked.

“Only one way to find out.” Kevin replied. The group soon made their way towards the signs of civilization.

As they grew closer they began to see the settlement more clearly. The buildings were fairly tall, white with rounded purple orbs. The strangest thing about the architecture was that it looked almost organic. The structures had soft smooth curves and connected to each other with thin meandering stalks. It all seemed strangely familiar. Soon they reached the settlement entrance, a large and tall black gate with glowing red and purple signage in a language they couldn’t understand. But most surprising was the figure there to greet them. A familiar High Breed alien with a green right arm.

“Greetings friends of Ben Ben Tennyson. Welcome to Thurnax.” The High Breed spoke.

“Hey we know you, you’re uh…” Gwen began.

“Reinrassig the III, seventh son of the noble house of Di Ralla, direct descendant of the pure blooded high order of Rasecht.” He explained. The group stared at the High Breed with mixed reactions.

“Right, I think Ben just called you Reiny.” Kevin said.

“You may call me that if you wish. We’ve been expecting you.” Reiny explained.

“How did you know we were coming?” Gwen asked curiously.

“We received the beacon signal that Tennyson told us of some time ago. I portaled over to this planetoid when I was notified of your ship approaching.” Reiny stated.

“So Ben is here? That’s great cuz we’ve been looking for him.” Gwen said hopefully. Reiny’s shoulders slumped however.

“I am sorry to disappoint you Gwen. But Ben Ben Tennyson is not here.” Reiny said expecting their disappointment. Rook rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

“But he was here at some point. Otherwise the coordinates would not have led us here.” Rook reasoned. Reiny nodded his head.

“You are correct, one named Rook.” Reiny confirmed.

“So, why would Ben send us here first?” Julie asked aloud.

“Come, follow me and I will explain everything.” Reiny said beckoning them forward. He turned around and walked forward into the settlement. The search party quickly followed behind him. As they passed through the streets they noticed a vibrant thriving community of multi-colored High Breeds. Some were busy plowing fields and harvesting strange fruit from dark green and blue plants. Others they noticed were carting around large amounts of some kind of glittering ore. Many of them were stacking the harvests in piles or loading them onto transport ships.

“What is this place?” Gwen asked entranced.

“This is the Reparation Colony 214 on Thurnax.” Reiny replied simply.

“What’s a reparation colony?” Kevin asked aloud. Reiny stopped short for a second and gestured around them.

“After our misguided genocidal war ended, I made the decision as High Breed supreme that our people needed a cultural overhaul. Ben Tennyson had saved my species by recombining our DNA with that of the species in the Omnitrix. Although some were horrified, many more were relieved and even excited to reach out and learn of the species whose DNA they now shared. Unfortunately, the galaxy at large was still distrustful of us, and for good reason. So I proposed a system of reparations to provide other planets with much needed raw materials. Now our people work diligently to harvest these materials and repair the damaged relationships we have with the rest of the galaxy.” Reiny elaborated.

“Wow, that’s really smart. Nothing like hard work to make you humble.” Gwen said nodding approvingly.

“Indeed, we have made much progress since the start of the program.” Reiny said proudly.

“Uh yeah, really great to hear you guys are all hippy now. But we still don’t know what we’re doing here.” Kevin asserted. Reiny nodded.

“Of course, your questions shall all be answered soon.” He said. Reiny then led the group into a large hill shaped building that seemed to be the central structure of the settlement. They walked through halls decorated with familiar hues of red, black, and purple. Finally they reached a large open room. In the center of the room sat a large screen which clearly didn’t match the surrounding décor. Reiny gestured to the screen once they were all standing in front of it.

“Your friend Ben Tennyson was indeed here. He left us this device and instructed us that if we ever received the beacon signal we should expect someone to come searching for him.” Reiny explained. Julie frowned.

“I don’t understand.” She said.

“Tennyson told me that he would be isolating himself in order to train. However, he left instructions on how to find him in the case the beacon signal did not reach him. It was a sort of back up plan if you will.” Reiny explained further.

“Ok, but why not just program in the coordinates of where he’s hiding out. Why lead us here?” Kevin asked frustrated.

“I do not know. I can tell you that Ben was worried about his enemies discovering his location. He said that this device would ensure only his allies would be able to find him.” Reiny explained.

“This all seems weirdly… paranoid for Ben.” Gwen noted with a note of concern in her voice.

“One other thing.” Reiny said. “This is only the first of three such relay stations you will have to find.” He stated.

“Three?! Ok that cracks it, there’s definitely something wrong with Ben.” Kevin exclaimed.

“I agree, for Ben to set up this many precautions and safeguards. It just isn’t like him.” Rook added.

“Still, what choice do we have?” Julie observed. The rest of them looked back and forth between each other as they contemplated the situation. Eventually they all came to the agreement that they would have to play whatever game Ben had set up for them.

“Ok so what do we have to do?” Gwen asked.

“Simply step up to the monitor and touch the control panel.” Reiny said, his arm outstretched to point to a pedestal in front of the screen. Gwen walked up to the pedestal. It was a steel gray with glowing green lines leading up to a spinning control ball. She placed her hand on top of the ball and the screen in front of her began to light up. Text began to appear on the screen, typing out one letter at a time until the final message was spelled out. Gwen read the text on screen and confused read it over again.

“Who is Ben’s favorite Sumo Slammers character?” Gwen read aloud. “Is this a joke? Please tell me this is not Ben trivia?” Gwen said with an air of disgust. Julie sighed behind her.

“As much as I hate to admit it, I wouldn’t put it past Ben to do something like this.” She said with exasperation.

“Actually,” Rook interrupted. “I do not believe self-centredness was the true cause behind this.” Rook said. The rest of the group turned to him in confusion. “Think about it. Ben was worried about enemies coming to find him. What better way to screen the people searching for him than by asking questions only those closest to him would know the answers to?” Rook explained. The group began to see the wisdom in Rook’s words.

“Ok, so anyone know the answer? Cuz I sure don’t.” Gwen asked.

“The answer is Ishiyama.” Kevin replied non-chalantly. Gwen looked at him questioningly. “What, that’s the biggest character in the series. Trust me, it’s Ishiyama.” Kevin said assuredly.

“All right then, so how do I answer? Um, Ishiyama?” Gwen spoke aloud. The answer appeared on screen underneath the question. The text flashed green before disappearing and being replaced by new text.

“What’s Ben’s favorite smoothie flavor?” Gwen read aloud.

“Oh that’s easy. Chocolate Banana Pineapple. He drank it all the time whenever we hung out.” Julie said confidently. Gwen nodded and repeated the answer into the computer. Once again the answer flashed green and new text began to appear on the screen.

“Who was the first alien Ben ever transformed into? Heatblast, obviously.” Gwen stated. As the text began to change once more, Gwen turned back to Reiny. “Hey how many of these questions are there?” She asked.

“I do not know.” Reiny admitted. A frown appeared on all their faces.

The party spent the next 2 hours answering various questions related to Ben and his life. Most of that time was spent debating answers to some of the questions. Especially the answer to question five: What is Ben’s favorite movie? All in all though, there were only 10 questions to be answered. The irony was not lost on any of them. The last question disappeared off the screen and the monitor seemingly turned off. The control panel began to light up and a compartment opened up in the center of the control panel. Gwen reached inside and withdrew the object within.

“It’s a key.” Gwen said holding the object aloft to the rest of the group. The key was about the size of Gwen’s hand. It was made of a black material with 4 spokes on the end. At its base was a large triangle with an image of a circle crossed through by a curved line in the shape of an S.

“That’s not just any key!” Kevin spoke as his eyes widened. He picked the key from Gwen and examined it more closely. “That’s a Vault key!” He exclaimed with a huge grin as he verified it’s authenticity. The rest of his group regarded him in confusion as Kevin fawned over the key like a kid at christmas.

“Care to explain champ?” Gwen asked him. Kevin turned to regard her with his giddiness still present.

“Securitex Bank, otherwise known just as The Vault. It’s the largest most secure bank in the galaxy. You need a minimum balance of 500,000 credits just to have an account with them! Our boy Ben’s been holding out on us.” He said with glee. Gwen quickly took the key from Kevin, ending his fun.

“So this key must be to Ben’s private vault at the bank. Kevin you are able to take us there?” Rook asked.

“No problem, I can get us there in no time.” Kevin replied.

As the group prepared to leave, Julie walked up to the large High Breed. “Thank you for your help Reiny.” Julie said with a slight bow of her head. Reiny returned the gesture.

“Of course, it is an honor to assist the friends of Ben Ben Tennyson.” Reiny said.

The group said their goodbyes to Reiny and began to make their way back to their ship. Along the way, Gwen spoke up.

“So what’s the big deal about this Vault anyway?” She asked.

“It’s the most secure facility in the galaxy. They’ve got tech there that outclasses even the Plumber’s security. Not to mention all the cold hard cash they’ve got stored inside.” Kevin answered, rubbing his hands together. Gwen swiftly swatted him on the back of the head.

“Cool your jets. We’re the good guys remember?” She chastised him.

“I know I know.” Kevin said rubbing the sore on the back of his head.

“Something tells me this is going to be a long road trip.” Rook whispered to Julie. The tennis star smiled and nodded.

Chapter 9: Chapter 9

Chapter Text

Ben X Chapter 9
The Search for Ben Arc
Recruitment

We find ourselves in a place out of place. An endless dimension of vast space, populated with floating rock and the worst denizens of the galaxy. We speak of course of the place known as the Null Void. It is here that the next character in the story is introduced. Said individual is currently locked in battle with a 4 legged alien lifeform. He is humanoid in appearance with 4 small horns protruding from his forehead. He wears a red robe with a bare open chest and black pants. He wields a pronged power staff, which he uses to great effect to fend off his alien attacker.

Aggregor stabs forward with his staff, desperately trying to prod the weak spot of the creature. But the clawed beast is relentless, he moves forward despite the shocking energy blasts of the staff. Aggregor is pressed backwards, nearly to the precipice of a cliff. He swiftly jumps over the creature’s head. Using his staff he presses up against the creature’s neck, putting it into a choke hold. The creature flailed wildly, it’s clawed appendages swung backwards until one of them found purchase in Aggregor’s shoulder. The claw clamped down on his flesh and Aggregor let out a cry of pain. He reached over to grab the claw currently around his shoulder. But instead of trying to pry it off, Aggregor absorbed the DNA into his own hand which molded into a perfect replica of the claw. He used his newfound limb to crush his assailant’s neck, squeezing and squeezing until finally the alien creature went limp.

They fall to the ground in a crash. Aggregor stands up and looks down at the beast with disdain. Without a further word he kicks the beast off the edge of the rocky asteroid. He walks tiredly over to a nearby rock and sets down. He pulls his robe off slightly to examine his wound. With a moment’s concentration, the bloody gash begins to knit back together. In another few seconds, the wound is healed completely. As Aggregor replaces the robe, he hears a stranger’s voice call out to him.

“Impressive display.” The voice says. Aggregor looks up and sees the strange sight of a figure wrapped in a translucent shroud. His silhouette barely visible as the light passed through his form, refracting and bending like a prism. The figure’s purple eyes stare at him impassively.

“Who are you?” Aggregor questioned.

“I am No One.” The stranger replies. “You are the one known as Aggregor are you not?” No One asked. Aggregor stood up and postured threateningly.

“I am.” He confirmed.

“Excellent, then you are the one I am searching for.” No One said drawing closer. But Aggregor leveled his staff at the stranger.

“Come no closer. State your intentions.” Aggregor demanded. No One stopped where he stood and held up a hand.

“I am here to offer you an opportunity.” No One explained. “One which would allow you to leave this accursed place and get your revenge on Ben Tennyson.” He stated. Aggregor narrowed his eyes, this seemed too good to be true. However, he did lower his staff nonetheless.

“I’m listening.” Aggregor said.

“What if I told you I could lead you to the Demiurge Hammer?” No One asked. Aggregor raised an eyebrow.

“I’d say you’re insane. The hammer is but a myth. I know, I’ve tried looking for it.” Aggregor replied.

“I can assure you, it is most certainly real.” No One replied.

“Why should I believe you?” Aggregor asked venomously.

“What else have you got to lose? I’m offering you a chance at escape and revenge. You’d be a fool not to take it.” No One said. Suddenly, he waved his hand. In the distance a swirling portal appeared. Through the portal Aggregor could see a bustling space station, filled with aliens of all shape and size. The Osmosian stared at the portal for a long while, contemplating everything he was told. He approached No One and the portal, his mind still disbelieving. Finally he turned to No One and jabbed a finger towards him.

“If this is a trick, I swear I will destroy you.” Aggregor asserted.

“No tricks, go to these coordinates and you will begin your quest.” No One handed Aggregor a data disk. Aggregor took the device and gave one last look to the shadowy stranger before jumping through the portal.

After he jumped through the vortex, the portal disappeared. No One was left alone in the cold silent expanse of the Null Void. But with another wave of his hand a new portal was opened. This time, the sight beyond its event horizon appeared to be the dark cold space of the Anur system. No One stepped through the portal himself. He felt the familiar ripple of space and time pass over him as he switched between dimensions. In a matter of seconds he was deposited on the surface of Anur Transyl.

The dark sunless landscape of Anur Transyl stretched out before him. His next task might be the hardest to convince. He was also the only one on his list that truly concerned him. No One stalked forward swiftly. Soon he found himself in front of a decrepit ancient building. He opened wide the double wooden doors that served as the entrance to the castle, such as it was. No One stepped into the unlit interior of the building, his form adapting to the darkened halls. He stepped forward towards the end of the long hallway in front of him. He approached a large throne, sparsely lit by beams of moonlight.

Upon the throne, sitting curled up in a weakened position sat the villainous Ectonurite, Zs’Skayr, otherwise known as Ghostfreak. The ghost like alien’s single eye barely opened as he detected the approaching figure. He gave a low hiss that raised in volume with each passing second. His tentacles began to unravel and slither across the stone seat. His head raised with a sickening clicking noise as he stretched his gaze to discern the intruder.

“Who dares disturb me?” He hissed threateningly. No One stepped forward into one of the moon beams, the light barely illuminating his translucent form.

“You may call me No One, oh great Ectonurite King.” No One bowed

“And why do you presume to approach me?” Zs’Skayr asked.

“I have a proposition for you. One I think you’ll find intriguing.” No One explained.

“Speeeeeaaaaaak…” He groaned tiredly.

“I know how to find a powerful weapon that can be used to defeat Ben Tennyson.” He said. Upon hearing that name Ghostfreak’s eye widened with alarm. He shot out of his seat in the blink of an eye until he was face to face with No One.

“Never speak that name to me!” Ghostfreak screamed. No One seemed unmoved however. He calmly stared back into Ghostfreak’s single eye. Zs’Skayr glared at the billowing shadow being, before floating back and beginning to circle him.

“And you offer me this knowledge why?” Ghostfreak asked menacingly as he continued to float around No One like a dog circling its prey.

“Because I am incapable of using said weapon, but I still wish to see… our mutual enemy destroyed.” No One explained.

“And what is this so-called weapon that is powerful enough to defeat the likes of Ben 10?” Ghostfreak asked.

“The Demiurge Hammer.” No One replied simply. Ghostfreak took a sharp breath.

“The Demiurge.” He hissed. “So it is real.” He whispered.

“It is real, and I know how to find it. All you have to do is follow the landmarks. They will lead you right to it. Here is the first clue.” No One held up a data device and offered it to the Ectonurite. Ghostfreak floated closer and picked the device up with his clawed fingers. He brought it close to his face to inspect it. He hissed lowly and glared at the shadowy figure.

“Know this, I do not take lightly to being tricked. This better be worth my time or you’ll find yours running out.” Ghostfreak hissed. No One chuckled in response.

“I highly doubt that. I have nothing but time.” No One replied. The shadowy figure turned and left out the way he came, leaving Zs’Skayr floating alone in his lair.

A/N: Missed last week’s upload so I’ll be posting two chapters to make up for it. Would appreciate any reviews.

Chapter 10: Chapter 10

Chapter Text

Ben X Chapter 10
The Search for Ben Arc
An Inconvenient Warning

The Rust Bucket approached a large colorful planet. The yellow and green colors swirled around the planet’s surface in opposing directions. The clouds spiraled together where they collided making multicolored patterns across the planet. Julie stared awestruck by the beautiful sight from her seat on the Rust Bucket. She thought that space travel was exciting, but this was straight up breathtaking.

“It’s so beautiful.” She observed as Gwen walked up behind her.

“It is isn’t it. Having gone into space so much before you tend to forget how majestic the universe really is.” She added.

“It sure is.” Kevin said dreamlike staring out the co*ckpit. Gwen and Julie turned to see him staring awestruck not at the enormous gas giant below them but the desolate rocky moon that was their destination.

“Uh we were talking about the planet Kev.” Gwen chastised. Kevin sputtered out a laugh.

“What that old thing? The real marvel here is the Vault!” He said excitedly. “It’s positioned in orbit around that gas giant so there’s no easy way out of the bank. It’s got it’s own orbital defense grid. You need to have triple identity verification and special pass codes to even land and set foot inside! Man, Argit and I had dreams of breaking into this place as kids.” Kevin finished with a nostalgic smile on his face. He snapped out of his reverie as he noticed the other occupants of the ship staring at him with mixed expressions.

Kevin rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. “Not that I would ever dream of doing something like that now. Hehe.” He chuckled. Their discussion was interrupted as a messenger popped up on their HUD.

“Unidentified vessel you are approaching secure and sovereign borders. Identify yourselves and state your intentions or prepare to be obliterated.” The stern alien demanded. Without missing a beat Rook spoke up, curt and professional as always.

“We are a Plumber vessel.” Rook explained flashing his badge. The alien on screen scrutinized the badge and continued to scowl.

“Your ship does not match any known plumber vessel designation.” He came back pointedly.

“It’s uh, been commandeered for an important mission.” Kevin was quick to speak up.

“If you really are Plumbers then state the intergalactic security passcodes and authenticator.” The alien demanded again.

“Omega dash 4 dash 72 dash 18.” Rook barked out. The alien was seen typing on the console in front of him. A positive sounding ding rang out from his side of the communicator but the alien’s stern expression did not seem to waver.

“Alright I’ve confirmed you as Plumbers, weapons have been powered down, for now. Now state your intentions. We did not call for Plumber assistance nor are we due for inspections.” The alien continued rudely.

“Please we are on a top priority mission seeking Ben 10. We believe he left something here for us.” Rook pulled out the vault key and held it up to the camera. “We have a key for a secure deposit box in your facility.” Rook explained. The alien scrutinized the key, his already thin eyes narrowing even further.

“Read the account number off the back of the key.” The guard demanded. Rook flipped the key over.

“2 – 5 – 14.” Rook read aloud. The guard typed more on his keyboard and nodded, seemingly satisfied with his line of inquiry.

“Very well. You may procede to landing bay 3 for further verification. Do not leave your vessel until instructed or you will be remanded into custody.” The alien instructed and with a blink the screen disappeared. A collective sigh of relief was let out. Kevin began to steer the Rust Bucket for landing.

“Was it just me or did he seem really paranoid?” Julie asked.

“It’s his job to be paranoid. I wasn’t kidding when I said they take their security seriously at this place.” Kevin replied.

The Rust Bucket drew closer to the moon. Below them a large super structure became apparent. It was gun-metal gray in the shape of an enormous pyramid. High walls surrounded its perimeter and a large faintly orange forcefield encompassed the entire complex. The Rust Bucket circled around the structure until an opening appeared in the forcefield. Kevin carefully maneuvered the ship through the opening and approached a large circular landing pad where he set the ship down.

“And now we wait.” Kevin said. Rook frowned and looked over to him.

“Wait for how long?” He asked. Kevin leaned back in his chair and put his arms behind his head.

“For however long they say. Normally you aren’t even allowed to land on the surface without an appointment. We should consider ourselves lucky they’re letting us do this much.” Kevin said coolly.

The group settled in for their wait. All in all it was only 45 minutes before a representative of the bank came to gather them. The group exited the ship and moved to stand in front of the banker. The banker was a small thin alien wearing the equivalent of a black suit. His head was wider at the top then at the base and he had pink skin and two sets of eyes. On either side of him stood two taller guards that appeared to be the same species as the one they had spoken to earlier. The banker brought out a handheld device and held it up to each of them. A red beam emitted from the device scanning them top to bottom.

“Uh sorry, what are they doing?” Gwen asked as the first to be scanned.

“This is a simple DNA scan to confirm your identities are what they claim.” The banker spoke up hearing her question. “The owner of your account has left very specific instructions on who can access his deposit box.” He continued to explain. Another ding was heard from the device.

“Gwen Tennyson confirmed. You’re on the list.” The banker noted with no fanfare.

The banker went down the line, scanning each of them in turn. Both Kevin and Rook were on the list as well. The little device blinking green with each successful scan. The banker finally came to Julie. He scanned her from top to bottom just as he did the others. However at the end the device did not blink green but red instead. Julie quirked an eyebrow.

“What does that mean?” She asked.

“It means you’re not on the approved list.” The banker said. The two guards raised their weapons slightly at Julie. The young woman raised her hands up in fear and trepidation. Gwen jumped in front of her.

“Woah woah woah. We can vouch for her!” Gwen yelled, her arms spread wide to block the guards from aiming at her. Kevin tensed, his fingers nervously tapping one of his chain wallets, prepared to absorb its steel if necessary. Rook stood prepared as well, proto-tool at the ready.

“It does not matter. If she isn’t on the list she isn’t allowed inside the Vault.” The banker stated matter of factly. “She will have to wait on your vessel.” The banker pointed. The guards lowered their weapons again and the group collectively breathed a sigh of relief.

Gwen was about to raise a fuss with the banker but Julie’s hand on her shoulder restrained her.

“It’s okay Gwen. I’m fine with waiting on the ship. Anyways this place seems a little too intense for me.” She said eyeing the guards with their plasma blasters. Gwen looked between her, the banker and the rest of their group. She sighed.

“Ok, we’ll be back as soon as we can.” Gwen assured her. With a nod Julie and Ship went to return to the Rust Bucket. Gwen turned back around to face the banker.

“Well lead the way I guess.” She said.

“Right this way.” The banker stated and began to lead them inside the pyramid.

The inside of the Vault was mostly a white interior with gold trimming and columns interspersed along winding hallways. A few alien plants were potted along the way. Some landscape paintings lined the corridors every now and again. It was clear they were in the client presenting part of the facility. There was a stark contrast once they ascended into the actual secure wing of the Vault. They rode in a spacious elevator, the ride was smooth, obviously running on antigrav levitation rather than pulleys. They stepped out into a dark grey space with the walls lined by gates, boxes, and vault doors.

In some of the rooms and halls they walked by were piles of Tadenite. Others had collections of weapons, or assorted alien tech. A few others were stacked high with piles of coins. A few others had carved marble like statues depicting various alien species. Each hall and vault room they passed was filled with greater and greater treasures. Gwen had to keep a tight grip on Kevin as they passed each, the boy’s drooling expression not endearing any trust to the guards escorting them.

Finally they arrived at the end of the hall to another large vault. The banker typed on his device a few more times and with a hiss of air the vault door unlocked and slid slowly open. Gwen, Kevin, and Rook eagerly looked inside, wondering what Ben could possibly have stored here. They were disappointed though as all that laid in side were rows upon rows of deposit boxes set into the walls. The doors varied in size and were seemingly placed at random. The banker lead them inside Ben’s vault. He herded them to the far wall and pointed out a single slot in the wall with accompanying key hole.

“This is your matching deposit box. I will await outside the vault to give you three some privacy.” The banker stated curtly. He turned and left, leaving the group to stare at the unassuming lock box.

“So who wants to do the honors?” Kevin asked. The three looked amongst themselves before Gwen finally took the key and gently inserted it into the keyhole. She twisted and the lock came undone easily. She pulled out a drawer, it’s interior covered with red velvet. Inside laid another data cube and beside it a slip of paper. Gwen took out the cube and handed it over to Rook.

“It looks like another one of those datacubes.” Gwen observed. Rook scrutinized the cube.

“Agreed, however this one appears to be Spatio-coordinate locked.” Rook stated.

“Meaning?” Gwen asked.

“Meaning that the information inside will not be accessible until we go to a specific location.” Rook explained. Gwen turned back to the small velvet drawer and withdrew the paper. The small strip seemed to have a set of numbers on there.

“These look like they’d do?” Gwen asked. Rook examined the paper and his eyes widened slightly.

“Something wrong?” Kevin asked. Rook shook his head no.

“No it is just, these coordinates are for Plumber Base Leerix. It is the largest base in its sector and is located strategically near Incursean space. I am just, surprised that Ben would direct us there next.” Rook mused.

“I’m not sure what Ben has got planned. But at least we’re one step closer to finding him.” Gwen replied. Gwen locked the deposit box closed and the three of them left the vault. The large vault door swung shut behind them, its loud clang echoing through the rest of the bank.

Back on board the Rust Bucket, Julie was bored. It had only been about 10 minutes since the others had left to be led inside the Vault. But Julie never thought that she would be bored on what was supposed to be a high stakes outer space adventure. Well, actually she wasn’t sure what she had expected coming on this trip. She still wasn’t certain herself why she came in the first place. But the one thing she did know was that she definitely wasn’t expecting to be bored. She sighed, sitting curled up on her chair. A flash of light from behind her broke her musings however and she turned back to investigate its source.

“Hello there my dear. Care for a jelly baby?” The familiar voice of Professor Paradox spoke up. He wore a pristine white lab coat over brown trousers and a button up shirt. A mechanical hand clutched an ornate cane with a clock affixed at its handle.

“Wait I know you. Professor Paradox, right? What are you doing here?” Julie asked surprised.

“Because I come with a dire warning. You must not disrupt Ben’s training.” He said with a serious tone.

“What? Why not?” Julie asked confused.

“I can’t tell you everything, but suffice to say that the timeline is not progressing as it should. Ben is currently in a very precarious and unstable state right now.” Paradox explained. Julie looked at him concerned, her brow furrowed with worry as Ship knelt near her legs, looking between her and Paradox.

“If Ben is in trouble then doesn’t that mean we should be helping him?” She reasoned.

“No, precisely the opposite. Ben needs to go through these trials to grow stronger. If you interrupt this process, then the consequences could be catastrophic.” Paradox warned. Julie frowned again.

“I don’t understand. How is us helping Ben a bad thing? And why are you only telling me this? The others should be back in just a few minutes.” Julie asked perplexed.

“Unfortunately my dear the others certainly wouldn’t listen to me. You, however, may be able to change their minds.” Paradox explained taking a seat in one of the chairs. He folded his leg over the other and clutched his cane in the other.

“But you do know about Vilgax right? And the hammer? Don’t you think that’s worth finding Ben?” Julie questioned.

“Oh it’s far worse than that. Both Ghostfreak and Aggregor are searching for the hammer too.” Paradox informed her. Julie gasped. Those were two of the worst names he could possibly have said. Vilgax alone was bad enough, but to put Ben’s next two greatest enemies on the list was worrying to say the least.

“So what, we’re supposed to give up on Ben then? Just let his enemies go rogue out there?” Julie asked incredulously. Paradox shook his head.

“No, I would advise you and your little group to focus your efforts on stopping them.” Paradox stated.

“What will you do then?” She asked.

“What I do best of course. Try to figure out who or what is throwing the timeline all out of whack as you might put it.” Paradox stood to leave, his cane gripped in his hand. Julie stood up to follow after him.

“Wait,” She called out. Paradox paused and half turned back to her. “I still don’t understand why you’re telling me all this.” Julie said concerned. Paradox looked her over and gave her that knowing smile that said he knew far too much. He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.

“Because, Miss Yamamoto. You are far more important than you realize.” He said cryptically. Paradox stepped away and with another flash he was gone, leaving Julie alone to contemplate his words. She did not have to wait long for her friends to return though. She did her best to tell them of Paradox’s warning and their discussion.

“Oh man, that’s bad news.” Kevin said, after Julie finished telling them her tale.

“So what do we do now?” Julie asked.

“We stick to the plan. Continue to look for Ben.” Gwen stated matter-of-factly.

“Are you sure that is wise Gwendolyn?” Rook asked. Gwen stared at the alien levelly. “According to plumber files, the being known as Professor Paradox has extensive knowledge of the space-time continuum. I believe his warning warrants consideration.” Rook stated logically.

“I’ll give you that Paradox definitely knows his stuff, but on the other hand…” Gwen trailed off.

“He rarely tells you the whole story.” Kevin finished.

“Still for a being that knowledgeable to warn us off our pursuit? I do not think it is something we should ignore lightly.” Rook insisted.

“I… I’m with Rook on this one.” Julie spoke up. Shock was evident on Gwen and Kevin’s faces. Until now Julie was content to follow their lead. Clearly Paradox’s warning had more of a profound effect on her.

“If what he said is true and two more of Ben’s enemies are searching for this weapon than we need to find him first.” Gwen tried to reason.

“Yeah, Aggregor isn’t someone to take lightly.” Kevin agreed.

“I concur, however if Ben is truly at some kind of turning point we should leave him be. After all, the reason he left in the first place was to be alone.” Rook pointed out, crossing his arms.

Gwen and Kevin returned Rook’s level stare with glares of their own. Rook crossed his arms as well, unwilling to back down from his position. Julie looked between the three individuals. It was one thing to see them fight against enemies. She didn’t think she’d seen any of them against each other like this before. Finally with a sigh Gwen seemed to relent. She held up her hands in a placating gesture.

“Look, even if Paradox is right, this plumber base is on the way back to earth anyway. There’s no reason not to stop and check it out right?” Gwen tried to reason.

Rook and Julie looked between each other, their hesitation written plainly on their faces.

“Fine, we will stop at Base Leerix, but only to ascertain Ben’s whereabouts.” Rook tried to compromise.

The group of four nodded to each other. A tense but cordial agreement made between them.

Chapter 11: Chapter 11

Chapter Text

Ben X Chapter 11
The Search for Ben Arc
Assault on Leerix: Part 1

It is nighttime on Galvan Prime. The dimly lit streets are quiet, and the buildings and houses stand dark in the night. The normally bustling city street is quiet save for the hum of the many electrical devices and the noise of insects in the surrounding swamps. A pair of footsteps can be heard resounding on the concrete walkways that make up the city proper. The silhouette of a mysterious figure steps forwards out of the shadows. His body is see through and near invisible in the dark of the night. His height is large compared to the relatively small Galvan buildings.

The stranger known as No One stalks forward through the night. His presence cloaked and hidden from the many security patrols on the planet. Certainly, it is a risk coming here, but not one without reward. He pauses as he reaches his destination. A wide-open plaza surrounded by buildings on all sides. The center of the plaza stands empty and quiet. No One crosses his arm in front of him. He reaches out and presses on his forearm, before thrusting his palm outward.

A swirling vortex of air and energy begins to crackle in front of him. The empty space that stood before him is suddenly filled by the visage of a strange stone statue. The statue materializes into place, the hazy gray particles coming together to form a cohesive structure. No One clenches his outstretched hand and the statue suddenly comes to life. Its lifeless grey stone gives way to metallic black and glowing red lines. The stone crumbles away and the figure of Malware is revealed.

“AAAAGGgghhhhh…” Malware’s scream dies out as he slowly realizes the pain has disappeared. He pauses and looks around himself carefully. Taking in his surroundings he notices the figure clad in shifting light. Lowering his hands and taking a defensive posture he stalks forward.

“Who are you? Where am I? What has happened to me?” Malware accuses in his robotic voice.

“You may call me No One. As for what has happened to you: I have just rewound time and plucked you from your unfortunate demise.” No one told him.

“What? What do you mean?” Malware asked, struggling to comprehend.

“What is the last thing you remember?” No one asked. Malware paused as his electronic brain struggled to bring his memories to the forefront. His clawed hands clenched when he recalled.

“Ben Tennyson…” He hissed with malice. Before the Mechamorph could curse his enemy, No One spoke again.

“Yes, how would you like to get your revenge on Ben Ten?” No One asked. Malware leaned down, his gaping yellow maw inches from No One’s face.

“What are you suggesting?” He asked curiously. No One held up a small black cube and handed it over to the living machine.

“This cube contains a clue as to how to reach the Demiurge Hammer. You can use it to erase Ben 10 from existence.” He said. Malware took the cube and absorbed it into himself. After a brief pause a low growl was heard from him.

“Even if I believed the Hammer is real, these coordinates are in the Zargas system. I would need a Pulsar Surge Engine to even reach there.” Malware complained.

“Then it is a good thing I know of somewhere nearby where you can find one. A certain plumber base in fact.” No One said in a sing-song voice. Malware stopped to consider his savior’s words carefully.

“What is in it for you? Why help me?” Malware asked suspiciously.

“My only desire is to see Ben 10 destroyed, and the Hammer is your best shot. It has been several years since your defeat. Tennyson has grown much stronger in that time.” No One explained. Malware listened intently. His posture straightened and his resolve set.

“Where is this plumber base you speak of?” Malware finally asked.

The atmosphere inside the Rust Bucket was tense. A heavy and palpable silence laid between all four passengers on board. Gwen and Kevin sat up front with Kevin silently piloting the ship, adjusting their course every so often. Gwen held onto the data cube they retrieved from Ben’s Vault. Rook and Julie on the other hand sat in the back. Julie half-heartedly played with Ship while Rook sat dutifully performing maintenance on his Proto-tool. Ever since learning of Paradox’s warning the group had been heavily divided on how to proceed with their mission.

Gwen and Kevin felt that finding Ben was still of the utmost importance. With the knowledge that three villains were out there searching for the Hammer, they felt Ben needed to be alerted to save the day. No matter what Paradox might say. Having dealt with the time traveler more frequently, they knew of his penchant for not giving them all of the information. Rook and Julie however, were of the opinion that they should have listened to said time traveler. Rook’s sense of logic and mission critical thinking made him consider the intel more heavily. He reasoned that a being as knowledgeable as Professor Paradox would certainly know what he was talking about. Even arguments that Ben was in ‘unstable condition’ had failed to sway him. Having been Ben’s partner for so many years, he knew exactly what the young man was capable of handling.

Julie on the other hand was totally conflicted. On the one hand she was very worried about Ben. Perhaps even more so than when they had left. She had a gnawing feeling in her stomach that her former crush was in trouble. Yet at the same time, she was implicitly trusting in Paradox. The man knew more than she could ever hope to know. That alone was reason enough for her to listen to him.

Still the silence continued as the team came to an unspoken agreement. Even as they approached Plumber Base Leerix, there was little conversation. The only reason Rook was allowing them to stop by was because it was on the way to Earth and they needed to communicate with Max back on Earth. Base Leerix was a tri-level facility with each level in the shape of a disk and connected by a large central spire. The middle level was by far the largest and consisted of several stories. Their docking procedure was completed by the book and without any of the usual comments by Kevin telling the technicians to watch the paint. Even disembarking was mostly quiet, despite the hustle and bustle of the busy space bay. As the group exited the Rust Bucket a welcome party was waiting for them nearby.

A tall Gimlinopithecus plumber stood with his arms crossed. He wore the standard plumber armor. His head crest resembled the typical lightning bolts of Shocksquatch’s species. The only difference was mostly in his coloring. The plumber was advanced in age, as indicated by a thick bushy white beard surrounded by faded yellow fur. Despite his gruff appearance he cracked a hint of a smile at the group’s approach.

“Well hey there! Glad to see you all made it in one piece eh.” The plumber spoke. Rook strode forward and shook hands with the plumber. He winced slightly as the alien’s strong grip wrapped around his hand but quickly shook it off.

“Magister Ohm, thank you for having us, and on such short notice.” Rook said. Magister Ohm’s smile faltered only slightly.

“Well sure, a recommendation straight from Magister Max Tennyson still carries weight around here. He ever tell you bout the time we took down a drug smuggling ring on Taurus 4?” Ohm said good naturedly.

“He tells a lot of stories actually.” Gwen said. “Gwen Tennyson. Nice to meet you.” Gwen greeted then introduced the rest of their party.

“Pleased ta meet you all. Now I know what I said but I still would like to know what your purpose is in coming here if’n ya don’t mind.” Ohm questioned.

“It concerns information of a sensitive matter. We can discuss more once we are in secure quarters. If you don’t mind Magister?” Rook said diplomatically. Ohm frowned but shrugged his shoulders.

“Sure thing eh, follow me. I’ll give you all a tour on the way.” Ohm said.

With that Ohm lead the group through the plumber base. Leerix was certainly impressive. It was twice as large as the base in Bellwood. All around them a multitude of plumbers of different alien species bustled about the base. They made their way up from the hangar on the lower levels to the main base in the middle levels. Magister Ohm gave them exactly the tour he promised, gushing about the facility like a proud father. Along the way they passed a large dome shaped room that Ohm stopped by and pointed out with pride.

“And this here is the pride and joy of the base. We are not just a diplomatic and security facility but an experimental laboratory as well.” He said gesturing into the room. In the center of the room stood a large central pillar connected to the edges of the dome by long walkways. Atop the pillar, enclosed in a faint forcefield and suspended in the air was a cylindrical device with two smaller cylinders attached to either side. Around the central feature were several scientists tapping away at keyboards embedded in the pillar.

“That right there is what you’d call a Pulsar Surge Drive. It’s going to revolutionize space travel.” Ohm said proudly.

“Oh, that’s, very impressive.” Gwen said diplomatically. She turned to her boyfriend and whispered. “What is it supposed to do?” She asked.

“The Pulsar Surge Drive is an experimental engine. It’s supposed to be twice as fast as the more conventional FTL drives out there.” He said loud enough for everyone to hear.

“Ooh, bet you’d like to have one of those in the old Rust Bucket then huh.” Gwen said, gently nudging him in the ribs. Kevin however frowned.

“Sorry, did I say experimental? I meant highly experimental. This thing is more likely to blow up your ship rather than propel it forward.” Kevin explained.

“Hey now, she might have a few troubleshooting issues but the eggheads tell me she’s gonna change things up!” Ohm defended. From up on Julie’s shoulder Ship chirped excitedly.

“Sorry boy, I don’t think those scientists will appreciate having their work messed with.” She told him with a concilatory pat on the head.

“Well in any rate she’s far from being ready. The scientists tell me she’s got a whole lot more testing before they can deploy her in the field.” Ohm said. He gestured for the group to follow him and they exited the laboratory. They headed for a large elevator within the central spire of the base. Once on board they rode the Anti-grav lift up to the highest level. The top disk of the base contained the command rooms, security processors, and other important facilities. It also happened to be where Magister Ohm held his office.

His office was oddly shaped, widening towards the back. On the far wall opposite the door was a large bay of windows with a view into space and a nearby nebula. The room itself was decorated with various medals on one wall, some plants kept in a spot on the floor, and assorted office furniture. The desk was curved and like most of the base made of metal. A monitor sat on one side of the desk and some various papers on the other. Ohm made his way to his office chair and sat down while the rest of the group took position either sitting or standing in the office.

“Now, ya mind tellin’ me what all the hush hush is about?” Magister Ohm said with his arms folded. Rook produced the data cube from his pocket and handed it over.

“We received this storage device from Ben 10. We believe it has clues to his location. However it is spatially locked to this base.” Rook explained. Ohm looked surprised.

“Huh, ya know as far as I know he only ever stopped here once.” He stated looking the device over. “I guess it was to encode this data cube you have here.” He said. Ohm took the cube and inserted it into a slot on his desk where it protruded slightly. He turned his attention to the monitor on his right. A few tense moments passed before a ding was heard and the Magister’s screen filled with information. Ohm looked at the data perplexed.

“Well this can’t be right?” Ohm observed.

“What? What is it?” Gwen asked concerned.

“These coordinates are…” But Ohm was interrupted by the sudden blaring of an alarm. The lights in the office began flashing red and the windows sealed over with metal walls.

“What’s going on?” Julie asked, scared.

“Automated defense systems. They only activate if we have hostiles approaching. Hang on a minute.” Ohm said seriously. He typed on his keyboard and a holographic projection came on screen. Another plumber was visible on screen.

“Commander, what in the heck is going on?” He asked brusquely.

“Magister, we have a hostile incoming at incredible speeds.” The plumber explained.

“Show us what we’re dealing with Commander. Visuals on screen.” He ordered. The plumber nodded and in another second the image changed to show a view of outer space. Center screen was a red, black, and yellow blur. It was propelled by twin engine fire from its feet. The rest of it looked vaguely humanoid although much more streamlined with twin wings protruding from it’s back.

“Readings are saying it’s a galvanic mechamorph sir.” The plumber reported.

“No way. Is that?” Kevin asked eyes wide.

“Malware.” Rook finished.

“Who?” Julie asked.

“Malware is an old enemy of Ben’s. He’s been a nuisance for years but last anyone saw of him he was eradicated.” Gwen explained. “Or at least we thought.” She finished.

“Magister, enemy is approaching fast. He’ll be here in less than 30 seconds.” The plumber warned.

“Well take aim and fire then!” Ohm ordered, slamming his fist onto his desk. The group could hear the shifting of metal as the base’s turrets turned to aim at the intruder. The guns fired, shooting white hot laser energy into the dark void. Their aim was on target but the lasers bounced off of Malware as a shield protected him.

The group watched in horror as the Galvanic Mechamorph pierced through the hull of the base. He landed in a smoking crater, slowly rising to full height. His body shifting to a more humanoid form. Immediately the surrounding plumbers took aim and fired at the intruder. But again the weapons seemed to do nothing as the thick liquid metal that made up Malware’s body absorbed the impact. Shifting his forearm into the shape of a weapon, Malware began taking fire on his attackers, laughing maniacally as he did so. An errant blast hit the camera recording him and the group in Ohm’s office saw only static from that point onward.

“We’ve got to go and help!” Gwen shouted.

“I don’t understand. Why is he here? What does he want?” Julie asked.

“He must be after the Surge Drive!” Ohm explained. “There’s nothing else on this base worth stealing.” He said.

“Not if we can help it.” Kevin said pounding his fist into his palm. The group ran out of the office, intent on stopping Malware.

Many levels below, Malware continued to wreak havoc on the base. His technological mastery was more than a match for the Plumbers and their weaponry. Several blasts of energy cleared the halls of most of the Plumbers as Malware continued to advance into the heart of the base.

“Your resistance is futile. I will acquire the Surge Drive.” Malware taunted as he blasted more plumbers. He passed into a hall where a defensive line of plumbers were stationed at the other end. As soon as Malware came into sight they released a volley of laser fire. The sudden onslaught was even too much for Malware and he ducked back into an alcove. His attention was drawn downwards to a control panel inset into the wall.

“Hello, what’s this?” He said to himself. His fingers grazed the panel and slick black tendrils extended from his fingers into the control panel. A short circuit emanated from the keyboard as Malware hacked into the base’s mainframe. His tendrils slithered into the machinery like an infection into a wound. In a few moments he managed to bypass the security system and take control. Turrets popped out of the walls then and turned back to fire on the plumbers.

“Too easy.” Malware laughed. He made his way further down the hall, past the incapacitated plumbers.

Above decks our heroes rushed to the central elevator. They reached it and Ohm attempted to input his commands into the computer. A red error message popped on screen and Ohm again furiously tried typing in commands. But the system would not yield. It’s error message flashed in bright red letters, taunting them.

“Dang it! It looks like Malware’s hacked into the security network. I’m locked out.” Ohm explained.

“We have to get down to the laboratory before Malware reaches it!” Rook exclaimed. “Gwen can you teleport us there?” He asked.

“Not this many people.” She responded. “But maybe I can get Kevin and I down there.” She added.

“The rest of us will just have to make our way down the central shaft.” Ohm said.

“Good luck!” Julie wished them. Gwen nodded her thanks. She focused for a second before opening her eyes with a bright pink glow. The energy surrounded her and Kevin and in another instant, they were gone. Once Gwen and Kevin had left, Ohm approached the elevator doors. He pried the steel doors apart with his bare hands.

“Come on.” He said before turning to Julie. “Eh, sorry are you gonna be able to hold your own?” He asked. Julie smiled confidently at him.

“Ship, it’s go time!” She said. Ship chirped excitedly and enveloped the young woman in her standard battle armor. In another instant Julie stood several feet taller and had a multitude of weapons standing at the ready. She smiled proudly back at Ohm. The senior plumber however did not look amused.

“Yeah that’s impressive and all kid but you’re not gonna be able to make it down the elevator shaft like that.” He said pointing a thumb over his shoulder. Julie frowned and looked ahead. Indeed her current size was too large to fit comfortably in the shaft, much less make it through the door. Julie was at a loss for words. Ship’s battle armor mode had always protected her before and she had used it to go into battle alongside her friends in the past.

“I… I don’t know. What should I do. I don’t know if I can get Ship to make us smaller?” Julie said. As if responding to her thoughts Ship chirped happily. The battle armor began to shrink and warp around her. When at last it took form again Julie’s height was back to her normal size. However, the armor was now form fitted around her. Her helmet and face plate remained mostly unchanged. She now had a set of pauldrons on her shoulders and a small set of bladed wings protruding from her back. On her right arm sat a pair of wrist mounted energy blasters. On her left arm a shield projector sat on the outside of her wrist and an energy projector sat on the inside. Julie looked down at herself, shocked but impressed. She tested out her new suit, testing its powers. With a mere thought her hands transformed into a variety of weapons and more blasters appeared on her shoulders and elsewhere on her body.

“Woah cool.” She whispered in awe.

“All right, then. Let’s go.” Ohm said, seemingly satisfied by the girl’s transformation. As a unit they began descending the shaft. Ohm’s ape-like form allowed him to jump from wall to wall more easily while both Julie and Rook had to take the service ladder.

Several levels below, Gwen and Kevin materialized in the midst of the battle’s aftermath. Several wounded plumbers sat on the ground nursing their injuries. They pointed the duo in the direction of Malware, although his trail of destruction was easy enough to follow. The pair caught up to Malware as he was overriding a blast door.

“Malware!” Kevin called out. The Mechamorph turned to glare at them.

“You two. You’re allies of that accursed Ben 10. Is he here as well? How fortuitous.” He taunted.

“Ben’s not here, but we don’t need him to kick your butt.” Gwen responded.

“No matter, once I retrieve the Pulsar Surge Drive I will be on my way to destroy him once and for all.” He said.

“Yeah, like we’d let you anywhere near it.” Kevin said, sticking his hand out to absorb the steel of the nearby wall.

“I don’t have time to deal with you insects directly. So these will have to suffice.” Malware stated. Suddenly a group of remote defense drones emerged from the walls. They were bipedal with an oblong head and blasters instead of hands. Most telling though was that they each had Malware’s red and black technoplasm enveloping them to various degrees. The droids attacked the two plumbers with blasts of laser fire. They retreated even as Gwen’s energy shields blocked most of their fire. Malware then was free to proceed to the laboratory. Following the schematics he had downloaded from the mainframe, Malware made it to the laboratory in no time. He came upon the sealed laboratory doors and groaned in annoyance.

“Another nuisance.” He growled lowly. Malware took both his claws and shoved them into the door itself. His viscous body spreading along the door frame and snaking its way into the internal mechanisms. In another minute Malware had bypassed the security systems and the door slid open with a hiss. Malware made his way inside. The scientists inside scattered, leaving their work behind, unequipped to deal with a villain of his magnitude.

Malware approached the Surge Drive. He reached one claw out to grab the device but was repelled back by the force field. Malware glared at the force field before plunging his hands into the control base upon which it sat. His technoplasm once again infiltrated the machinery. He soon was plugged into the main network itself.

“Grrrr. The shield generator is encrypted. It will take time for me to break through it and claim my prize.” He spoke aloud. “No matter. With my connection here I can control the whole plumber base. All I need to do is bide my time. Soon the Pulsar Surge Drive will be mine. And after that, the Demiurge Hammer.” Malware said aloud.

He began to cackle sinisterly as a running list of numbers appeared on the multiple screens around the room. His vile tendrils spread through the machines like the roots of a tree, granting him access and control over the numerous systems in the base.

Chapter 12: Chapter 12

Chapter Text

Ben X Chapter 12
The Search for Ben Arc
Assault on Leerix: Part 2

Rook, Ohm, and Julie fought their way down the corridor. Malware’s infected drones impeded their progress at nearly every step. Ohm charged ahead deftly jumping on and off walls to the drones that were firing at them. Taking one’s head in his hands he discharged a large burst of electricity, frying the machine’s circuits and disabling it. Julie followed up from behind, dashing past him to the next drone.

Ship’s new armor form was much lighter and easier to control, she found. She was able to deflect most of the laser fire with her shield. Coming up to a drone she slashed at it with one sword morphed arm, neatly slicing it in half. Despite the gravity of the situation, Julie couldn’t help feeling exilirated. With Ship’s lighter, more responsive armor she felt like she was playing a match of tennis. Kind of. The only downsides she’d managed to realize were that her strength was not augmented in this form. Additionally, she was unable to do widespread damage as the numerous weapons she could sprout in her full armor were not available to her. Still though, Julie thought she was doing equally well as her counterparts in taking down the drones.

Rook was handily defeating the drones with a combination of his martial arts and proto-tool. He slid under the fire of one of the drones, shooting up into its chassis and sending sparks flying. Leaping to his feet he performed a scissor kick on the drone behind it. His proto tool extended into a staff which he used to knock out two drones on either side of him, before stabbing into the drone under his feet. A volley of fire shot past him and Rook quickly dispatched the shooters with two well aimed shots to their CPUs.

“Wohoh, nice work bud. But, uh I’m still in the lead eh.” Ohm boasted.

“Magister I hardly think this is the time for competition.” Rook responded. Ohm clapped him on the back fatherly. Rook stumbled just slightly from the force and frowned.

“Sure it is, boosts morale.” Ohm replied. “Now come on, the next junction should lead us straight to the lab.” Ohm said running ahead. Julie came up behind Rook.

“How much further till we reach the lab?” She asked. Rook frowned.

“Another 15 minutes perhaps. Unfortunately Malware’s security locked us out of the main passageways so we are stuck taking the ‘scenic route’ as you might say.” Rook explained.

“I sure hope Gwen and Kevin are having better luck than we are.” Julie sighed.

Kevin grunted as he smashed his way through a thick steel wall. His metal coated hammer fist shined in the fluorescent overhead lights. He crawled through the gaping hole he had made into a service hallway. He looked around for any signs of more drones before beckoning the group forward. Gwen stepped through the hole followed closely by many plumbers. After having been forced to retreat from Malware the duo had found themselves rescued by this group of plumbers still fighting against the hijacked base. Kevin of course had wanted to stage a full frontal assault with their superior numbers. The commander however, had managed to convince them to accompany their group to the base’s armory, to stock up on weapons. Gwen had agreed with the plan, stating that her magic did not work well against technology and the more firepower they had the better.

“How much further to the armory?” Kevin asked aloud.

“Not far now.” The commander answered as he lead the group of about 10 plumbers down the hallway. Suddenly a loud buzzing noise was heard echoing through the chamber. The group’s heads were drawn upwards. A group of infected flying drones were swooping down on them. Their lasers charged up and ready to fire.

“Everyone, take cover!” The plumber commander ordered. The maintenance hallway soon was filled with laser fire. The remaining plumbers aimed upwards with their weapons to shoot down the flying death machines. Gwen threw blast after blast of magenta energy at the drones. They exploded into pieces, raining sparks and metal down onto the group.

“We’ve gotta get out of here. This space is too confined.” Gwen called out as she shielded herself and another plumber with a dome of energy.

“One exit, coming right up.” Kevin announced. He absorbed the metal of the hallway and rushed forward. Bracing his arms in front of his face, Kevin bull rushed through a wall at the end of the small corridor. He raised his hand and beckoned them forward. The group ran for the exit, blasting the last of the drones as Gwen provided them with cover.

The group exited out into the base’s training deck and shooting range. The flying drones did not follow them out. The group took stock of their weapons and any injuries they may have incurred. Most of the plumbers were trained professionals, they’d taken a beating but they weren’t out for the count yet.

“Which way from here Commander?” Gwen asked the plumber in charge.

“We’re not far from the armory. If we go left down the hallway it should be there.” He announced. The group stood up to leave but were interrupted by a voice crackling to life on the base’s speakers.

“As if I’d let you get there.” The voice cackled. “I’ve been watching you all. Like ants under a microscope. I know what you’re planning, and it’s not going to work.” Malware’s voice taunted them.

“Ignore him. He’s just trying to mess with our heads.” Kevin cautioned the group.

“Oh, I’ll do more than that, Levin.” Malware announced. Suddenly the machines and weapons in the training area came to life. Turrets popped out of the wall and began to take shots at the plumbers. The group scattered in all directions, taking cover behind vehicles, boxes, and whatever else was in the shooting range. The plumbers shot back expertly, destroying the turrets and guns that were pelting them with fire. But for each turret that they destroyed, it seemed like two more would take their place.

Kevin rushed the guns on the ground. His metal fists bashing the weapons into nothing more than scrap metal. He jumped and ducked between cover, working his way up to each turret. Gwen took the high road, running across her levitating platforms she blasted the guns from up high. But even they were not immune to the constant laser fire. An errant blast struck Gwen in the side and she fell to the ground with a cry.

“Gwen!” Kevin cried out. He rushed to her. Diving to catch her from falling to the ground. In the process several laser blasts hit him in the back, forcing him to take cover again. He looked down to see Gwen with a pained expression on her face. She winced slightly as she sat down.

“Thanks.” She whispered.

“Any time. But we’re getting hammered over here. What are we gonna do?” Kevin asked.

“I’ve had just about enough of all this.” Gwen said. She looked around and spotted a rubber tarp covering some plumber ships.

“Commander, get everyone underneath that tarp! I’ve got a big spell lined up.” Gwen called out above the laser fire. The commander made a hand signal and soon all of the plumbers took shelter under the tarp.

“You too big guy.” Gwen said putting her hand on Kevin’s shoulder.

“What’ve you got planned?” Kevin asked.

“Something big.” She said cryptically. Kevin grinned and then jumped over the box towards the rest of the group.

Gwen concentrated; her eyes half lidded. She muttered her incantations under her breath. Energy began to crackle around her. Her voice rose as her incantation grew stronger. The lighting sparking around her grew in intensity with her volume. She stood up from her hiding spot. A vortex of wind and energy surrounded her as her eyes glowed with magical power. She thrust her hands into the air and chanted her final incantation. The energy suddenly discharged in a shockwave of magenta lightning. The shockwave expanded outward striking all of the turrets and drones that had come to shoot them. The devices short circuited and fell to the ground, powerless.

Once the sounds of laser fire died down the plumbers dared to come out from their cover. Gwen stood, panting heavily with the exertion of her spell.

“Nice one. What was that?” Kevin came up to her.

“A lighting shockwave spell. Figured it would work like an EMP and shut all those robots down.” Gwen explained.

“Well it looks like it did the trick.” Kevin noted as he watched the lifeless turrets.

“Come on, let’s get to the armory before anything else goes wrong.” The commander said.

The group made their way to the armory without any further difficulties. However, upon reaching the armory doors they found them sealed shut. The commander attempted to input his security credentials, but the doors stubbornly stayed closed.

“It’s no use. Malware has changed the security protocols. We’re locked out.” The commander said.

“No problem, I got this.” Kevin said rolling his shoulder. But the commander held out a hand to stop him.

“Those walls are five feet thick. It would take even you more than an hour to get in.” The commander explained. Kevin frowned.

“So what now?” Kevin asked.

“Hold on, let me get in touch with Rook. Maybe Magister Ohm can help.” Gwen said. She withdrew her plumber badge and called Rook.

On the other side of the base, Ohm, Rook, and Julie were making their way down another corridor. They were close to the Laboratory when Rook’s plumber badge went off. The group stopped in their tracks as Rook answered. Gwen’s voice soon came through.

“Rook! It’s Gwen, we’ve joined up with a group of plumbers and are trying to get in the armory but Malware’s locked us out. Anything you guys can do to help?” She asked. Rook looked to Magister Ohm who shook his head.

“If Malware’s changed the whole base’s security codes then mine will be useless. You might have to do a manual reset.” Ohm said.

“The commander says that Malware would just change the codes again. If only we could distract him somehow, take his focus off of the armory.” Gwen suggested. Ohm turned to look at Julie and pointed a finger at her.

“Hey Julie. Your little friend there is a mechamorph. Maybe he can hack into the system and help out.” Ohm said.

“No, Ship isn’t like other mechamorphs. I don’t think he could do that.” Julie replied.

“Perhaps, but before today you did not think that Ship was capable of adjusting your armor. Maybe you should try. At most you would not need to change anything, just mess with the base’s control schematics.” Rook offered helpfully. Julie frowned unsure. Ship, sensing her hesitance chirped cheerfully.

“You want to try Ship?” She asked.

“Ship!” The little robot replied.

“Ok, if you’re sure.” Julie said, still unsure herself. She turned towards a command console inset in the wall and placed her hands on the keyboard. Ship’s tendrils snaked into the keyboard and screen. Suddenly a wall of information flashed by Julie’s eyes. The alien text shifted and transformed with her thoughts. A schematic of the base popped up in front of her eyes. Julie smiled happily. With a mere thought she could alter parts of the base to her whims. It was like she was part of the base itself.

“Woah, I think it’s working!” She said excitedly.

Deep in the heart of the base, Malware took notice of Julie’s meddling. He walked back over to the control panel. He plunged his clawed fist into the control panel. His techno-organic form molding into the system and granting him control once again.

“Now this is interesting. Which of you could possibly be doing this?” He asked aloud. With a thought Malware extended his influence through the base’s control systems once again. His tendrils spread along the wires and circuits like an unstoppable flowing river. They eventually clashed with Ship’s own tendrils, wrestling for control.

“Uggh, I think he’s taken notice.” Julie said from her control panel.

“Try to distract him by opening off the sealed access doors. Make him think we’re trying to open a passage way to him.” Rook suggested.

“Okay!” Julie replied.

“Gwen, prepare to reset the security protocols.” Rook spoke into his badge.

From there it became a game of digital chess. Julie’s moves would be instantly countered by Malware’s advanced supercomputer mind. Whenever she would unlock a section of the base her control would be ousted and Malware would regain control. She could sense each of Malware’s moves through the schematics of the base’s network. She deliberately mislead him to parts of the base that were insignificant. Soon she started to feel Malware begin to track down her location through the network. Fearing a physical retaliation she announced to the rest of the group.

“Guys, I don’t think I can hold Malware off much longer. I’m afraid he’s gonna find us soon.” Julie said worriedly.

“It’s ok! We’ve gotten into the armory!” Gwen announced across the communicator.

With the go ahead given, Julie disconnected herself from the network. Ship’s tendrils began to retract into her fingers. She gradually lost her connection to the base until there was nothing left. The downside though was she could feel Malware tracing Ship through the network back to their location. When she finally was fully disconnected from the control panel she turned to warn her comrades.

“We’ve gotta get moving. I think Malware might have found out where we are!” Julie said. Just as she finished speaking they could hear the tell tale clatter of robotic foot falls head their way.

“Quickly, we must retreat!” Rook announced. The trio made a speedy escape down the hallway as they were chased by Malware’s drones. Ohm slid to a stop ahead of them, turning back to face the mechanical menaces. He charged up a ball of electricity between his hands and launched it forward. It impacted the drone in an explosion of sparks. A chain reaction of lightining spread among the other drones causing them to similarly burst into flames. With the threat defeated for the moment the trio continued to make their way to the central laboratory where Malware laid in wait.

The remainder of their trip to the lab was fraught with increasing difficulty as Malware centered his defenses on trying to impede their progress. More than once they had to make detours to avoid automated turrets and impassable hallways. Thankfully, not all of Julie’s efforts when she was plugged into the mainframe were reversed. It seemed that Malware had left some of her changes in place, unnoticed by the Mechamorph. This allowed the group to make much speedier progress than they would have otherwise.

At last the trio reached one of the lab’s many entrances. The doors were sealed shut of course, but another lockbreak by Ship would take care of that in no time. Rook pulled out his Plumber badge again and spoke into it.

“Gwen, come in. This is Rook. We’ve taken up position outside of the lab and are ready to breach. Do you copy?” He asked. Gwen’s voice came back over the comms link.

“We copy you Rook. We’re ready to go on our end.” Gwen said.

“Then on my mark we will breach! 3, 2, 1, Mark!” Rook called out. Ship forced open the door by hacking into the security protocols. They slid open without any delay and the trio rushed inside before the automatic lockout could trap them outside. On the far side of the laboratory Gwen’s group busted through the wall, courtesy of Kevin and the plumbers took formation with their newly acquired weapons. Malware did not seem to be caught unaware however. He stood calmly in the center of the lab, next to the Surge Drive.

“Step away from the Drive villain or I’ll have to put the poundin’ on you eh?” Ohm commanded slamming his fists together with a flurry of sparks.

“You are just an inconsequential nuisance Plumbers. In a few minutes I will have decoded the force field generator and will take the Pulsar Surge Drive. Then after that, I will have the Demiurge Hammer and then I can finally have my vengeance on that accursed Tennyson!” Malware taunted.

“He’s after the hammer too?!” Kevin called out in shock.

“He’s not gonna get to the Hammer if we stop him here!” Gwen replied. “Open fire!” She commanded.

The formation of plumbers took aim and let loose a volley of powerful laser fire from their rifles and cannons. Malware raised his arms in defense, clearly not expecting such heavy firepower. He transformed his arm into a cannon and returned fire. The assembled plumbers scattered, abandoning formation just as the ball of energy landed and exploded. Rook and Julie continued firing laser blasts from the opposite side. Magister Ohm rushed in, head ducked low and fists trailing electric sparks. He jumped up and delivered a shocking right hook to Malware’s head, causing the techno-organic being to stumble over.

Kevin was quick on the catch and was there to slice him open as he fell. But Malware simply reformed himself and blew Kevin back with another energy blast. Kevin slid backwards before righting himself and joining in the fray once more. Kevin and Ohm continued to trade blows with Malware but the alien’s skin was harder than it looked. He resisted almost all of their blows. Even Magister Ohm’s electrical attacks seemed to only slow him down slightly. When Malware blasted the pair of brawlers away with another plasma ball the remaining plumbers redoubled their own attacks.

“This is not working. We need heavier fire power!” Rook called out.

“I think I can manage that.” Julie replied from next to him. Ship chirped affirmatively and Julie’s armor began shifting again. She grew taller and bulkier, her weapons being replaced by a multitude of rocket launchers and laser rays. She fired off a heavy rocket. It screamed through the air and impacted directly into Malware’s chest. He was sent flying backwards into another control panel.

Gwen rushed forward to the central force field generator around the drive, bypassing Malware who was momentarily incapacitated. Her fingers flew over the keyboard, sweat running down her brow. She slammed her fist in frustration.

“I can’t stop it!” She called out pointing to the countdown clock which showed only a precious few minutes until the shields fell.

Malware groaned from his position on the ground. Slowly making his way up his attention turned finally onto Julie and Ship. His normally unreadable alien expression hardened into a look of hatred that Ship instinctively recognized and caused Julie to shirk in fear as well.

“You. So you were the one hacking into the network earlier. I should have realized only another Mechamorph could have accomplished that feat. But you are not like the others. Most importantly you are not like me, so that means you must be destroyed like all the others.” He threatened lowly. Julie took a step back unconciously intimidated.

“Open fire again!” Rook commanded. The various plumbers raised their weapons and fired again. Their energy blasts hit their mark but Malware seemed only more annoyed by their attacks. Suddenly several laser rifles emerged from Malware’s body, pointed in various directions. They all fired simultaneously, their shots taking out most of the plumbers surrounding him. With his attackers taken care of Malware rushed forward straight at Julie.

Julie, frightened at the prospect of taking him on directly unconciously activated Ship’s weapon systems. Her hands transformed into twin gatling lasers which began firing off rapidly. But Malware easily dodged in between the lasers and latched onto Julie’s shoulders.

“AAAAAHHHH!” She cried out as Malware simultaneously crushed and shocked Ship’s exoform. Julie’s psychic link with the armor transmitting all the pain as if it were her own.

“I will take great pleasure in destroying you!” Malware growled. His tendrils began to invade Ship’s armor form, slowly infecting the smaller mechamorph. Ship shrieked in pain as Malware began taking control of him and absorbing him into himself.

“Ship!” Julie called out in worry. She could feel the fear and pain in Ship as Malware attacked them. It filled her with anger and Julie summoned strength she didn’t know she had. She raised her arms and pushed back against Malware. Weapons began to emerge from her palms and chest, charging with green energy. Malware was taken by surprise at the turn of events. Julie looked into his face with pure rage.

“GET. OFF. OF. US!” She screamed. A huge explosion of power sent Malware flying back into the force field. He flopped down, his body charred from the explosion. Julie slumped down, hurt and spent. Ship dropped his morph from around her body and returned to his normal form, whimpering slightly. Julie hugged her pet tightly, tears threatening to spill from her eyes.

“Julie!” Gwen called out. She rushed over to the other girl, concern written all over her face. Her hands were already alight with energy ready to heal whatever injuries the young woman had sustained.

“I’m fine. We’re going to be okay.” Julie waved her off. She hugged Ship tight to her chest. The little mechamorph chirped weakly but happily at his owner’s affections.

However, they were all brought out of their false sense of security as malicious laughter began to fill the chamber.

“You fools! I’ve gotten what I’ve come for.” Malware called out, holding the Pulsar Surge Drive aloft in the air. In the confusion of the battle it seemed the clock had run out and the force field fell.

“No!” Magister Ohm yelled.

“You are too late Plumbers!” Malware called. His hand soon expanded and swallowed up the drive, sucking it into his main body. In another second a laser cannon replaced his hand and Malware fired up into the ceiling. The shockwave knocked nearly everyone off their feet. Malware transformed again, sprouting wings from his back and rockets from his legs. His torso morphed into the form of a space ship. Soon Malware took off, filling the room with smoke and escaping out the hole in the ceiling.

The plumbers were left to take stock of their surroundings and their injured. Magister Ohm began barking orders, retaking command of the base and assessing damages. Rook, Julie, Gwen and Kevin had regrouped themselves and set about helping wherever they could. Several hours passed before the base was taken off of red alert as the defenses had come back online and the base was put into a working state. The group walked up to Magister Ohm at the end.

“Magister, I am sorry that we failed you.” Rook said with a bow.

“Don’t be. If it weren’t for you four, I’d say we would have been a lot worse off than we are. Thanks for all your help but we’ve got things from here.” Ohm replied shaking hands with each of them.

The group of heroes returned to the docking bay and boarded the Rust Bucket. Their group was mostly silent as they each recovered from the battle in their own way, and their failure. They stayed in docking as they each washed up and ate provisions from the base’s cafeteria. Still though they couldn’t keep silent forever.

“So Malware’s after the hammer.” Kevin stated matter of factly.

“It would appear so.” Rook said.

“I just don’t get how they all keep hearing about it. Did someone post a treasure map on villains.com or something?” Gwen asked exasperated.

“I do not know. But one thing I do know is that it would be incredibly dangerous if even a single one of them got their hands on it.” Rook said. He paused for half a second. “We must find Ben. Before it is too late.” Rook announced. Gwen and Kevin looked at each other with some shock.

“I thought you were taking Paradox’s warning seriously?” Kevin asked.

“I am, but given what we faced today, the current threat is of greater concern.” Rook explained his reasoning.

“I’m with Rook too.” Julie announced surprisingly. Their heads turned to regard her. “After what we fought today, I won’t lie it made me scared. But I know that Ben has villains just as bad as Malware out there and they’re all after the same thing. We have to find Ben so he can put a stop to this before anyone else gets hurt.” Julie said still hugging ship.

“So it’s agreed then. Rook, can you bring up the coordinates then?” Gwen asked. Rook nodded and together with Kevin went to go input the data cube into the console. A few moments passed before the coordinates popped up large on the screen. Kevin began inputting numbers into the command console before he stopped and looked at the coordinates again. An incredulous look came over his face before he nudged Rook in the co-captain’s chair.

“Uh Rook buddy, you might want to double check that data cube. These coordinates can’t be right.” He stated.

“What’s wrong?” Gwen asked. But her question was ignored as Rook double checked the information.

“No, no it cannot be. These are the right coordinates.” Rook said in a shocked whisper. He stared in disbelief at the numbers.

“Guys, what’s the matter?” Gwen asked again. But again she was disregarded.

“Of all the stupid bone headed moves that kid has made this has got to take the cake!” Kevin yelled in anger.

“What is the problem?” Gwen tried announcing.

“I agree but there is no way that Ben would actually go there right? That would be suicide!” Rook argued back.

“Guys!!” Gwen finally shouted. The boys were interrupted by her sudden shout and finally turned to look at her. She glared back with annoyance. “What is so bad about these coordinates?” She asked, finally having their attention. Rook and Kevin looked at each other in apprehension before turning back to her.

“These coordinates are the location of Hazard 5.” Rook said seriously. Gwen’s expression turned slightly worried but she was still confused.

“What’s Hazard 5?” Julie finally asked. Kevin spoke up to answer.

“Hazard 5 is practically the most dangerous life-supporting planet in ten galaxies.” He informed them.

“It has biomes of every type imaginable, with extreme climates and dangerous weather patterns.” Rook explained.

“Not to mention hundreds of animal and plant species that will eat literally anyone or anything on contact.” Kevin finished. “It’s off limits to everyone because it’s so dangerous.” He said.

Gwen and Julie frowned at each other and Gwen asked the question that was on everyone’s mind.

“Why would Ben choose to go there?” She asked.

“I do not know.” Rook answered solemnly.

“He’s probably finally lost it. Even with the Omnitrix there’s no way he could survive there unscathed.” Kevin said.

“I won’t believe that.” Julie announced suddenly. All heads turned to look at her. “He’s just got to be okay, right? I mean, he has to be, he’s Ben…” She trailed off quietly.

The group looked between themselves, unsure and unwilling to voice their fears. Instead, Rook and Kevin launched the Rust Bucket and set off for the planet known only as Hazard.

Chapter 13: Chapter 13

Chapter Text

Ben X Chapter 13
The Excalibur Arc
Reassignment

Cooper Daniels walked proudly down the hallway of Plumber’s headquarters. He had never actually been here before. Most of his assignments after graduating from the Plumber Academy were field work that required him to report in remotely. Plus he had lived quite a ways from Bellwood as a child, and still did technically. Needless to say he was excited to be at the heart of it all. Even more exciting was that Magister Max Tennyson had personally requested his transfer here. Cooper hadn’t spoken to Max frequently in the years since he took the young technopath under his wing but Cooper always thought of him as a strong mentor and like a second father figure.

Needless to say, Cooper was excited to find out what his new assignment would be and was honored that Max had picked him especially. Part of him wondered though, whether he would see his long time childhood crush Gwen Tennyson. He had long ago accepted that she was with Kevin Levin, begrudgringly as it may have been. However, he still held affection for the girl and was always happy to see her. He was just telling himself that he was more excited for his mission than the possibility of seeing Gwen. He had of course tried dating before. His growth spurt after puberty did seem to make him more attractive. However any girl he tried getting close to soon ended up ghosting him after learning of his alien connections and mutant abilities. Still that never had disconcerted him too much. He focused more on his mission with the Plumbers than anything else.

Cooper approached the command center and marvelled at the technological equipment. His innate abilities tingled with each machine he passed. He looked around and soon spied his former mentor across the room.

“Max!” Cooper called out. Max turned, a warm smile on his face as he watched Cooper approach.

“Cooper! Good to see you son!” Max said. He clasped hands with Cooper and embraced the younger man.

“Always good to see you Max!” Cooper replied. “Reporting for duty, sir! How can I help?” Cooper saluted.

“Good, you’re just in time.” Max said. He took Cooper over to meet a young woman with dark hair who was sat studying a computer screen.

“Ms. Green, this is Cooper Daniels, your new assisstant.” Max said. “Cooper, this is Kai Green, you’ll be working under her for the near future.” He introduced them. Cooper held out a hand in greeting but Kai barely glanced up at him.

“You’re the technowizard then?” Kai asked. Cooper frowned slightly and withdrew his hand.

“Actually I’m a technopath…” Cooper tried to correct.

“Good, you’re finally here. I need you to go through these files and compile a report for me.” She demanded. She flipped the screen around and showed walls of text at Cooper.

“Uhhh…” Cooper stammered. He looked at Max in confusion.

“Vilgax and some other big bads are searching for a weapon called the Demiurge Hammer. Kai is leading the team looking for clues on how to get to the Hammer before they do.” Max explained.

“Yeah and there’s hundreds of reports on its history and folklore to read through. So I need you and your techno brain to read through them for me and sift out the riff raff.” Kai said. “So hop to it, I’ll need the report in 2 days.” Kai commanded and began to walk off.

Cooper frowned. He was more than a little disappointed to learn he would be a glorified intern for this mission. His disappointment must have been evident on his face because he felt Max put a gentle hand on his shoulder.

“I know it’s really not what you were expecting Coop. But you’ve got better data processing speed then some of our best computers. We really need you for this.” Max pleaded. Cooper sighed.

“Okay Max, I’ll do it for you.” He said with a grin.

“Thatta boy. Also, try not to take any of what Kai says to heart. She can be… difficult. But she does her job well.” Max left with a warning. Cooper frowned again, wondering what he’d signed up for.

He sat down at his desk and placed his hands on the keyboard. His eyes glowed as he tapped into the mainframe of the computer in front of him. His mind was immediately bombarded by several hundred documents, images, and texts. With another thought he began organizing them. It appeared Max wasn’t kidding, all of these files were horribly organized. It would have taken a regular person days to organize this data and read through it all. For him, it should only take about half that time, but still the task was daunting. Cooper sighed once more and got to work.

Several hours had passed and Cooper was starting to cramp from sitting for so long. He had organized the files in a way that was comprehensible to him and was currently analysing each of the texts that laid within. He decided that he needed a break and headed to the lounge for some coffee and a snack. As he wandered through the halls trying to navigate the unfamiliar base, a familiar voice called out to him.

“You there Sargeant! What in Sam Hill are you doing?!” The voice called out. Cooper turned around to see a familiar and angry looking Pisciss Volann stomping towards him.

“Magister Patelliday!” Cooper said with a salute. Normally he would be overjoyed to see Patelliday but it seemed the fish like alien had a bone to pick with him.

“Sgt Cooper just what do you think you’re doing?” Patelliday demanded as he came face to face with him.

“I uh was just uh getting a snack uh sir.” Cooper stammered out.

“Not in that attire you’re not!” Patelliday yelled.

“Sir?” Cooper asked confused.

“That is not plumber standard issue son!” Patelliday said.

“But wha?” Cooper babbled.

“And that hair is not standard length either! And where is your side arm? And what about your badge?! I’ve seen cleaner badges on slime species! Well what do you have to say for yourself?” Patelliday demanded sternly.

“I, uh, uhm.” Cooper said confused and unsure. He didn’t realize he was breaking so many rules. Of course they would be stricter here at headquarters. Cooper felt like a fool. Suddenly he saw Patelliday grin mischievously.

“Psych!” He said in a feminine voice. Cooper’s eyes widened in confusion as Patelliday’s form shifted into a gelatinous purple blob. The blob twisted and shrank until it coalesced into quite possibly the most beautiful woman that Cooper had ever laid eyes on. His jaw dropped as he took her in. She had hair as yellow as the shining sun and eyes violet like a field of lavendar. She had a smile that melted his heart. She flipped her hair back and Cooper felt like his heart was racing. She giggled and snorted in laughter and it sounded like a choir of angels to him.

“Hahaha got you!” She said pointing a finger into his chest. Cooper laughed nervously, unsure of what to do or say.

“I’m Lucy Mann, Lieutenant! Nice to meet you.” She said extending her hand out.

“Uh Cooper, Daniels, am I, uhm I am, uh nice to meet you too.” Cooper struggled to say. Lucy giggled again and Cooper found himself blushing.

“I already know who you are silly. We’re gonna be working together under Captain Kai.” She explained. Cooper felt himself smile despite himself.

“That’s great! I mean um, I’m glad to be working with you.” He corrected. Lucy placed a hand on her mouth to stifle another giggle.

“Oh I can already tell you’re gonna be loads of fun.” She laughed. Cooper felt himself begin to blush at her words. “So tell me what’s your deal? I heard you had powers?” She asked.

“Oh uh yeah. I can like control machines and stuff. It’s no big deal.” Cooper said trying to play it cool. The shorter girl leaned into him.

“Ooh show me show me!” She said excitedly.

“Oh yeah sure lemme just uh…” Cooper trailed off as he looked around. He spotted an open control panel with a multi tool and some spare parts lying around. Cooper stretched out an open hand and a flash of bluish white light extended from his finger tips to the metallic components. They started floating in the air, reassembling themselves into the form of a kind of blaster. Cooper flexed his hand and the weapon flew over to him. He grabbed it out of midair and showed it off to Lucy who examined the weapon with wide eyes.

“Woah! That was pretty cool!” She said. Cooper smirked trying to play it cool.

“Trust me that was nothing.” He said. Lucy quirked a mischievous eyebrow.

“Oh yeah?” She asked conspiratorially. Cooper blushed again despite trying to maintain his image as cool and collected.

“Yeah, haha, ahem. So what about you?” He asked trying to change the subject.

“Oh I’m a Lenopan. So I can do a lot more than just shape shift.” She bragged.

“Oh yeah haha like what?” He asked curiously. Lucy hummed in thought and placed another finger on Cooper’s chest. She leaned in close to him and Cooper could feel his breath catch.

“Why don’t you meet me in the training room in a few hours and I can show you what I can do.” She whispered. She stepped back with a twirl and her hands behind her back, walking away. Cooper was left standing motionless in the hall. He watched as Lucy turned the corner before cracking into a big smile. Something told him he would really come to like this new assignment.

Elsewhere, Kai Green had returned to the plumber’s command center. She was reading through reports on sightings of Vilgax, Aggregor, and Ghostfreak and cross referncing them with information about the Demiurge. She hoped that by matching them up with myths and legends she could hopefully start locating a trail to follow. Unfortunately, she had not had much luck as of yet. She sighed as she approached Max Tennyson. Max took notice of her and turned to her.

“Everything all right Kai?” Max asked.

“I’m sorry Max, I just feel like I haven’t made much progress on the Demiurge case.” She lamented, sitting down with her head in her hands.

“Hey don’t sweat it. With Cooper compiling that report we’re sure to get a lead somehow. Besides he’s only been at it a few hours.” Max tried to comfort her.

“Yeah I know, it’s just that… with everybody off looking for Ben I feel like I’m not doing anything. I just kinda wish something exciting would happen.” Kai said.

They were interrupted as alarms started going off in the command room. In the center of the room, wind and air began to swirl growing more and more powerful. A glowing disc of magenta energy began spinning in mid-air. It grew larger and larger, sucking in more and more detritus from around the room. Max and Kai had to shield their eyes both from the bright light and the whipping wind. Suddenly a familiar figure stepped through the portal, closing it behind her. Charmcaster stood in the center of the command room wearing her signature violet leather jacket and outfit. Her hair had strips of violet running through her otherwise ivory locks. Black lipstick and eyeliner accentuated her face as she looked around.

“Where is Gwen Tennyson?” She demanded. Immediately every plumber in distance of her took aim with their weapons. Kai too strode forward and put up a defensive position.

“Charmcaster!” She called out. Charmcaster glanced over at the younger girl, looking her up and down confused.

“I’m sorry who are you? And more importantly why should I care?” Charmcaster retorted. Kai felt her expression sour.

“You may not know me but I know all about you. And I especially know that it was a dumb move to teleport right into the middle of Plumber headquarters.” Kai spoke aiming a blaster at her.

“Oh relax, I’m not here to cause trouble.” Charmcaster said dismissively, looking through her bag.

“Then why are you here?” Max asked stepping up.

“Ah finally a familiar face.” Charmcaster said. “I’m looking for Gwen. No tricks this time.” She assured.

“Gwen is off world right now.” Max said crossing his arms. Charmcaster blinked.

“Wait what? But I tracked her Mana here! Wait ok so like how far off world are we talking about?” She asked

“I’d say about a dozen light years by now.” Max replied. Charmcaster clenched her fists and groaned in exasperation.

“Great! I don’t have enough power right now to teleport that far. What am I gonna do now?” She asked to herself.

“Why don’t you start by explaining why you’re looking for her? Because if you think I’m just gonna sit here and let you try to destroy her again you’ve got another thing coming.” Max said sternly.

At that point Charmcaster tensed and the rest of the plumbers raised their weapons in preparation to fire. She stood stock still for a few moments before straightening up and taking a deep breath. When next she spoke, her voice was quieter and more timid sounding than any of them had ever heard.

“You’ve got it all wrong. I’m actually here to ask for her help.” She said softly. Her expression looked desperate and pleading for half a second before a harsh laugh split the air.

“You’ve got to be kidding right? There’s no way we would believe that after all the stunts you’ve pulled.” Kai said keeping her weapon trained. Charmcaster glared back at the snarky girl and quickly decided she was almost more annoying than Gwen. The two women glared at each other but both were surprised as Max placed a hand over Kai’s weapon, lowering it to the ground.

“Magister Tennyson?” Kai asked stunned.

“Stand down Kai. Let’s hear her out.” Max ordered.

“But why?” Kai asked incredulous. “You know how dangerous she is!” She continued. Max turned back to Charmcaster who looked equally as stunned.

“I know, which is why all we’re doing is hearing her out. You’re lucky I believe in second chances Charmcaster.” Max said seriously. “Now tell us why you’re really here.” He said no less sternly. Charmcaster shut her mouth and breathed again to compose herself.

“Right, well…” She started. “I came looking for Gwen because I need her help to find Addwaitya.” She explained. “He’s gone missing from Ledgerdomain and his mana is halfway across the galaxy now. I’m suspicious he’s up to no good.” She clarified.

“Right because you’re an expert on being no good.” Kai said snarkily. Charmcaster sent another nasty look her way. She decided she definitely didn’t like this girl at that moment.

“You’ve beaten Addwaitya before on your own though. Why are you worried now?” Max asked trying to get her back on topic. Charmcaster turned back to Max with her arms crossed, pointedly ignoring Kai’s outburst.

“According to notes that he had left behind I believe Addwaitya is after some powerful artifact. I’m worried that he can regain his full power to try to take over Ledgerdomain again.” Charmcaster said.

“So you’re just worried he’s going to overthrow you is that it?” Kai asked.

“No, I gave up trying to rule Ledgerdomain a while ago. It’s more hassle than it’s worth.” She said dismissively. That seemed to surprise both of them. Neither Max or Kai would think that Charmcaster would give up that kind of a position, she was too power hungry.

“So what exactly is this artifact that he’s after?” Max asked pointedly.

“I don’t know. It’s called a Demiurge or something like that.” Charmcaster said. Max and Kai looked at each other with concern. Their shared look was not missed by Charmcaster.

“What? Is that bad?” She asked.

“The Demiurge Hammer is a mythical reality altering weapon.” Max explained. “Addwaitya is just the latest in a long line of villains after it. And if any one of them were to get their hands on it, then it would be bad news.” He said.

“Ok so that settles it then right?” She asked. “I’m sure Gwen is out there trying to stop them all, being the little… goody two shoes that she is. So take me to her and I’ll help out.” Charmcaster said.

“Afraid it doesn't work like that Charmcaster.” Max replied. Charmcaster’s eyes widened in shock then she turned and pouted.

“What? Why not?” Charmcaster asked indignantly.

“You may have provided us with some useful intel. But that doesn’t forgive all of your past mistakes. In fact we should put you into custody right now.” Max said. Two plumbers began to approach Charmcaster from behind, shackles at the ready. Nervous, Charmcaster put her hands up in a placating motion.

“Wait wait wait. What if I sweeten the deal? I’ve got some other info you might want to hear about.” She offered.

“What else could you possibly have to tell us?” Kai asked.

“I’ve been keeping tabs on a little group I think you might be familiar with. One called the Forever Knights? Hm?” She hinted. “For the past few months they’ve been trying to drain the power off of a magical relic.” She explained. Kai quirked an eyebrow, interest piqued.

“What kind of relic?” She asked skeptically.

“Oh just the sword Excalibur.” She said smugly. Kai gasped. “If you let me go free I can help you lot retrieve it. So what do you say?” Charmcaster asked. Kai turned to Max.

“Magister Tennyson!” She began but Max cut her off.

“No buts. I’m sorry Charmcaster but you’re just not trustworthy enough.” Max said. Charmcaster’s expression fell and her shoulder sagged. She put up no resistance as the Plumbers placed her in handcuffs and led her away.

“We’ll look into the leads you told us about but for right now we’re placing you in custody.” Max explained.

“Sigh, whatever. Not like I’ve got anything better to do.” Charmcaster said annoyed. She was lead off by her plumber escorts into the detention chambers. After she left Kai turned to Max annoyed and confused.

“Magister Tennyson, I really think we should take her up on her offer. If the Forever Knights have really figured out how to use Excalibur it could be very dangerous.” She tried to object. Max looked at the young woman sternly.

“I’m sorry Kai. I know how much that sword means to you but it’s too risky. We’ll interrogate her and send a team to look into the lead. But right now we need you working on the Hammer case.” Max said. He left without a further word, leaving Kai standing alone with her shoulders slumped. Her expression of sadness was soon replaced by steely resolve as she made up her mind.

Kai made her way stealthily down to the detention block. She tracked Charmcaster to her cell. She found the young woman lying down with her arms crossed behind her head. At Kai’s approach she propped herself up on her elbows with a cross look on her face.

“What do you want?” She asked annoyed.

“I’m here to bust you out.” Kai whispered as she started punching numbers on the cell’s control panel. Charmcaster raised an eyebrow in confusion.

“What? But I thought that Max said…” She began.

“Max doesn’t know about this. You are going to help me get Excalibur.” Kai said. The energy barrier enclosing the cell dropped and Kai stepped inside. Charmcaster sat up and regarded Kai with a mischievous smile.

“Well alright. What are we waiting for then?” With a wave of her hand Charmcaster opened a swirling violet portal. She stepped through it, followed shortly by Kai. Just before she stepped through the threshold, Kai cast an apologetic glance over her shoulder. In another second she disappeared and shortly after so did the portal.

A/N: The best thing they did with Kai in canon was give her the sword Excalibur so although I don’t really like her I felt it would be disingenuous to completely disregard her. My intent is to make this somewhat believable to canon so I want to write how I think she would have acquired the sword. Plus it gives me a reason to bring Charmcaster back in for the redemption arc she was never given in canon. Lastly I added the Cooper and Lucy romance just for fun. They seemed like they would make a cute couple.

Chapter 14: Chapter 14

Chapter Text

Ben X
Excalibur Arc
Reconnaisance and Infiltration

Kai steps through the portal and blinks the strange light from her eyes. As they begin to gain focus again she double takes at the strange sight that lies before her. The sky is a mixture of strange colors and patterns. The ground is laid out in twisting winding slender paths that snake up and down and in directions she didn’t think possible. In the distance strange flying creatures twirl through the air. The air feels electric, like every movement she makes has a power behind it. She twists around confused and lays eyes on a large decrepit looking structure. It appears to be a large spire like palace with a wide open circular courtyard. The structure itself seems to be crumbling with cracks running the length of the walls and pieces broken off. The strangeness of the sight momentarily distracts her from Charmcaster who nonchalantly walks towards the strange tower.

“Hey!” Kai calls out. Charmcaster pauses and turns back.

“What’s the big idea? Where are we?” She demands. Charmcaster scoffs.

“Oh relax. You’re in Ledgerdomain. This is my place. I just needed to grab a few things from here and then we can go track down the Forever Knights.” She explained. Kai looks between her and the rough tower of stone and marble. She smirks.

“This is your home? It’s kind of a dump. I was expecting more.” Kai taunts. Charmcaster turns to regard the palace and her face falls slightly as she takes in its sight. But her expression hardens again as she stalks forward.

“I’m in the middle of remodeling so sue me.” She calls back defensively. Kai follows her to the main doors of the structure. With a wave of her hands the enormous double doors swing open. Kai peers inside and isn’t surprised to find the interior of the structure matches the exterior. Once beautifully decorated rugs now sit haphazardly with rips and tears on the floor. What little decorations there are sit smashed on the ground. Two large stair cases on either side of the foyer lead up to a second floor with broken banisters lining their walkway.

Charmcaster begins to ascend one of the large stair cases with Kai following closely behind. She leads them through long vaulted halls each with more damage than the next. They pass by multiple rooms with even more damage. Kai becomes concerned but Charmcaster doesn’t seem to pay the chaos any mind, as though she was expecting it to be there.

“Geez what happened here?” She finally asked.

“None of your business.” Charmcaster replied snappily. Kai winced and trying to change the subject asked another question.

“So what is it that you need to get from here anyway?” Kai asked.

“Oh just some equipment and stuff to help track down the sword.” Charmcaster replied much more easily. Kai looked at her incredulously.

“I thought you said you knew where the Forever Knights were hiding it.” Kai asked upset. Charmcaster turned around and looked slightly sheepish.

“I know approximate locations but not exact.” She replied. Kai crossed her arms and glared at her, but Charmcaster waved off her concern. “It’s fine, a simple tracking spell will get us there in no time. Why is this sword so important to you anyway?” She finally asked. Kai rubbed her arm self-conciously.

“Me and my grandfather were looking for it years back. We almost had it in our grasp too if Ben hadn’t mucked it up. Come to think of it that was the first time we’d seen each other in years.” She remembered fondly. Charmcaster only hummed in response.

“Speaking of Ben and his entourage. Where are they? Does it have anything to do with Gwen being off world?” She asked. Kai scoffed and raised an eyebrow in confusion.

“You’re kidding right? You don’t know about Ben?” Kai asked. Charmcaster looked at her even more confused.

“No why?” She asked. Kai shook her head and answered.

“Ben’s been gone for the last 3 years. Nobody knows where he went. And now that trouble is coming back Gwen and her group have gone out to find him.” Kai explained. Charmcaster looked surprised. “I can’t believe you didn’t know that. Where have you been the last few years?” She asked. Charmcaster glanced down the hallway with a faraway expression as she took in the sight of the ruined rooms and broken chandeliers and tapestries adorning the walls and ceiling.

“I’ve just been dealing with some personal stuff.” She said quietly. Shaking her head Charmcaster continued down the hall until she reached a room on the end of one side of the large hallway. She opened the door and led Kai in. Surprisingly this room seemed the most intact of the ones that Kai had passed. It was a circular room with a cauldron in the middle. Booksheleves lined the walls filled with large tomes, assorted plants, and other strange magical artifacts. While the room did have a messy feel to it there was no sign of the destruction common to the rest of Charmcaster’s palace.

Charmcaster set about the room collecting a few books and various materials. Some she stuffed in her charm bag and others she simply carried in her arms. She began dropping materials into the cauldron and lighting candles placed around the room in a ritualistic manner. Kai watched her from the side, leaning against a stone wall. She grew impatient as Charmcaster continued her work silently.

“How much longer will this take?” Kai asked.

“It’ll take as long as it takes.” Charmcaster replied simply. She began stirring the cauldron and speaking an incantation. The greenish mixture of liquid in the pot began to swirl and change color. First it glowed purple before resolving into a clear solution. Intrigued, Kai walked over to the cauldron and peered into it. As Charmcaster finished casting her spell the surface of the liquid rippled and revealed an image. It looked like a square concrete building surrounded by a green field with a blue sky overhead. Sparse trees and bushes were located around the building.

“Bingo.” Charmcaster snapped her fingers. The image soon disappeared and another swirling portal appeared next to the duo.

“Well come on, we don’t have all day.” Charmcaster called before stepping through the portal. Kai followed suit soon after. In another moment she found herself in an open field in front of the concrete building from the vision. She looked around her and found a street of suburban looking houses and businesses behind her.

“Where are we?” Kai asked.

“Somewhere outside London. But more importantly Excalibur is in there.” Charmcaster pointed at the older unmarked building. She started to walk towards the structure but Kai’s hand grasped her by the jacket and ducked her down behind a large boulder.

“Are you crazy? We can’t just go waltzing in there!” Kai scolded.

“Well why not?” Charmcaster asked annoyed.

“That building is probably filled to the brim with Forever Knights. Not to mention we know nothing about it’s layout or defenses. We don’t even know where the sword is in there. We’ve gotta do some recon before we go in.” Kai explained. Charmcaster rolled her eyes.

“Fine, we’ll do it your way.” She sighed. Kai smirked and pulled out her phone.

“Wow you gave in a lot easier than I thought you would.” Kai said as she began typing text. Charmcaster scoffed again.

“I’m trying to be more ‘cooperative’ as you might say.” Charmcaster folded her arms and sat back against the boulder. For the next hour Kai spent time looking up information on her phone, downloading schematics and maps. Charmcaster meanwhile spent time rolling her charm beasts around her fingers, bored out of her mind. When Kai at last spoke up she was ecstatic.

“Ok it looks like this building is an old bomb shelter from during the blitz. Its got tons of underground tunnels and passages with store rooms. My bet is that they’re keeping Excalibur on the lowest levels.” Kai postulated. “Now we just need to figure out a way to get in, get the sword, and get out without being seen.” Kai said.

“Uh hate to break it to you but there’s no way you’re going to be able to pull the sword from the stone.” Charmcaster interrupted. Kai smiled smugly.

“Actually last time I encountered the sword it came loose just a bit.” She said proudly. Charmcaster scoffed.

“Yeah right. Excalibur is a magic sword that chooses it’s owner. Why on earth would it choose you?” She asked incredulously. Kai frowned and pointed a finger at her chest.

“Oh and you think you’d be worthy?” Kai retorted.

“Well I am one of the most powerful magic users in the universe.” Charmcaster responded proudly.

“Not stronger than Gwen though.” Kai replied with a smirk. Charmcaster balled her fists and looked as though she was going to erupt. But instead she let out a deep huff.

“Look, it doesn't matter. If you get me in there I can teleport the sword out with the stone as well.” She finally said.

“Great, do you have any spells that will make us invisible?” Kai asked excitedly. Charmcaster looked surprised and then turned away sheepishly.

“I do but I… left it in my other spellbook? Hehe.” She admitted shyly. Kai face palmed.

“You didn’t think to bring that spell book for the stealth mission?” Kai asked exasperated.

“Hey you’re the one that wanted to make it a ‘stealth’ mission. I wanted to bust down the front door. The only reason we’re doing it your way is because you don’t have any powers and I can’t be there to protect you the whole time.” Charmcaster rebuked. Kai looked offended.

“Hey I have plenty of talents! Like Judo, archeological knowledge, plumber training…” Kai began to list off. Charmcaster rolled her eyes.

“Alright then miss ninja. Why don’t you lead the charge.” Charmcaster glared at her. Kai met her gaze with an equal intensity.

“Why I’d be glad to miss witch.” Kai responded before getting up to approach the shelter. Charmcaster furrowed her brow in frustration as Kai left.

“Oh you’re almost as annoying as Gwen.” She said under her breath.

Charmcaster and Kai made their way to the front of the building. A blue steel door stood as the entry way for the bunker. A panel next to the door stood out with buttons and a display screen. Kai tested the door and found it locked. She examined the keypad with a curious eye. She pulled out a device from her back pocket and connected it to the key pad with a wire. Charmcaster watched curiously from the side as Kai entered in some commands on her device. The device sent an electrical surge into the keypad which then beeped. A second later the steel bolt holding the door unlocked with a click. Kai pulled the door open and held it open for Charmcaster.

“Lockbreaker, standard issue for plumbers.” Kai said proudly. Charmcaster rolled her eyes.

The pair entered the concrete building. The interior was fairly sparse. Steel shelves lined the walls filled with junk and empty paint cans. The floor was made up of rusty square steel panels. Fluorescent lights hung from the ceiling, giving an eerie light to the otherwise empty space. The room had the smell of old motor oil and damp mold.

“Let’s see, according to these schematics the entrance to the bunker should be over there.” Kai pointed to the far end of the building. Charmcaster looked over but saw nothing but an empty wall. Kai crouched down to the floor and began searching the space for something. At last her fingers caught on a loose panel which she pried up to reveal a lever in the floor. Pulling the switch caused a loud clanging noise to echo through out the facility. The far end of the floor started sliding backwards with a loud grinding noise. It revealed a wide dark passage sloping downwards into a tunnel.

“See, what did I tell ya?” Kai bragged.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever.” Charmcaster said dismissively.

The pair began to descend into the dark hallway. The tunnel passages were lined only with brick and small caged lights like those in industrial buildings. The meager light was just barely enough for them to navigate the twists and turns of the passageway. Gradually the dirt and stone walls began to transition into metal siding and steel floors as they progressed further into the base. As they approached another turn they began to hear voices from far in front of them. Kai pushed a finger to her lips and beckoned Charmcaster forward quietly. They peeked around the corner and found two forever knights conversing in the hallway. Their armor was the standard form of most of the knights. Each carried a laser lance on their hip.

“Alright,” Kai whispered. “We’ll have to do this quietly and quickly so we don’t alert the rest of the base. I’ll sneak up behind one of them and put him in a sleeper hold while you attack the other one.” Kai planned.

“Or we could just do this…” Charmcaster said raising a hand. “Somnias Potentiae.” She whispered with a wave of her hand. Purple magic glowed around her finger tips and then appeared around the guards’ heads. In a minute they both collapsed to the ground fast asleep. Kai stepped out from around the corner to inspect the guards.

“Impressive work.” She said with a smile.

“Thanks, it’s just a basic sleeping spell though. But it should keep them out for the next few hours.” Charmcaster answered.

The pair continued working their way through the base. Following the schematics Kai had downloaded to her phone they were able to navigate the labyrinth of corridors and rooms fairly easily. As they progressed deeper into the base they began encountering more gaurds and knights. Luckily they were able to safely dispose of them through a combination of Charmcaster’s magic and Kai’s martial arts abilities. They hid the incapacitated knights in storage closets and side passages where they would be less likely to be discovered. Finally they came to a large room, lit by hundreds of fluorescent lights.

The girls headed inside, quickly hiding behind a large piece of machinery to assess the situation. The room they found themselves in definitely seemed to be the central chamber of the hideout. The floor was lined with banks of computers, machinery, and walls of readouts. Numerous catwalks hung from the ceiling. Dozens of Forever Knights milled around the space adjusting settings on the various machines and equipment. Looking around they saw numerous thick heavy cables running the length of the floor. Following the cables they saw them eventually thin and lead to their prize. In the center of the room, still embedded deep in the stone was the sword Excalibur. The sword had numerous metal clamps attached along it’s blade and hilt.

Before the girls could decide on a plan of attack they noticed activity in the center of the room. They watched as the various knights ran around the room flipping switches and pulling levers. They began calling out numbers and figures to one another. The lights began to flicker and the hum of engines and machinery began to fill the air. They looked up to one of the catwalks as a voice called out.

“Are preparations for the test ready?” called the authoritative voice. Charmcaster and Kai peered upwards to see a figure dressed in royal robes and a crown standing on the catwalk above. He had dark black hair and a scar crossing down his right eye. He also had strange faintly blue marks criss crossing his skin.

“Ok so I’m gonna go out on a limb and assume that guy’s the leader yeah?” Charmcaster whispered. Kai nodded.

“Joseph Chadwick. After the main group of Forever Knights were disbanded or destroyed he took control of the remnants. He was the one who originally tried to steal the sword but he didn’t succeed. Last I saw he sank under the Thames with the sword.” Kai commented.

“So what are they doing with it now?” Charmcaster asked.

“I have a feeling we’re about to find out.” Kai responded.

“Men, ready the energy transferrence machine. Prepare to engage on my mark! 3, 2, 1, Mark!” Chadwick called out. The forever knights began flipping switches and turning dials. The hum of electricity grew louder and louder. Excalibur began to glow white as the rest of the room darkened. The glowing energy started to siphon off the sword and down the long cables attached to the blade. The gauges on the banks of computers began to elevate higher and higher. The energy drained off the sword into a row of large metallic cylinders lining the floor.

“Yes, yes, it’s working!” Chadwick called out. But just after he said that the sound of an alarm began to go off. Red lights flashed on and off as the sirens blared.

“Sir, the machines are going critical. We have to end the experiment!” One of the knights called off. Chadwick growled and gripped the railing with clawed gauntlets. “Shut off the device!” he yelled out. The knights immediately began reversing their switches, presumably shutting down the device. Gradually the glow of energy from the sword dissipated as did the ever present hum of machinery.

“What are they trying to do?” Kai asked in a whispered tone.

“It looks like they’re trying to siphon the energy from Excalibur.” Charmcaster answered.

“We’ve got to stop them!” Kai said harshly.

“Ok so what’s the plan?” Charmcaster asked.

“You go left, I’ll go right. We’ll disable the machines and then you can perform your portal spell to get us and the sword out of here. I’ll run distraction for you.” Kai said. Charmcaster nodded resolutely.

“All right, then let’s go! Hey!” Kai shouted startled as both she and Charmcaster were lifted up from behind. Thick metal gauntlets wrapped themselves around their necks as they were hoisted up into the air. The girls struggled against their restraints to no avail.

“Well, well, well. Lookie what we’ve got here. A pair of saboteurs I take it.” Said a rough british accent from behind them. They were just able to crane their heads around to see a large burly knight whose face was partially covered by a visor. He gave them a wicked smile with crooked teeth before he paraded them out into the center of the room.

“My lord look who I’ve discovered.” He called out above as he carried both of them to the center of the room. Chadwick looked down from his perch and smiled wickedly. Kai and Charmcaster exchanged worried glances. This was not going to go well.

A/N: I hope you guys are enjoying this little side adventure. It’s short so the next chapter will be the end of this arc but I hope that it serves as a pretty good start for Charmcaster’s redemption.

Chapter 15: Chapter 15

Chapter Text

Ben X Chapter 15
Excalibur Arc
The Rescue

“Well it appears we have some intruders in our midst men.” Chadwick spoke aloud as he began to descend the catwalk. Sir Morton roughly dropped the pair onto the steel floor. Before the pair could recover from their fall they found themselves surrounded by knights, each pointing a deadly laser lance at them. The girls carefully stood up and placed their hands in the air. Chadwick approached them with an air of superiority and condescension. He examined their faces, puzzled as he tried to work out their identities.

“Ah yes, I remember you now.” He said pointing a finger at Kai. “You were the meddlesome girl who thwarted my plan to get the sword alongside that accursed Ben Tennyson.” Chadwick stated. Kai scoffed.

“If that’s what you wanted to call it. You couldn’t pull the sword out then and it looks like you still can’t now. You also had more of an ugly gorilla thing going on back then.” Kai said.

“Wait, gorilla?” Charmcaster asked confused.

“Oh yeah, he drank Dr. Jekyll’s monster formula and turned into this huge purple monster but he still wasn’t able to pull the sword from the stone.” Kai explained.

“Yes well, Dr. Jekyll’s formula has worn off and regardless it was a failure of an experiment anyway.” Chadwick retorted. “Now though, the sword is in my possession and I have devised a way to utilize its power without drawing it from the stone. You see I am able to draw off its magical energies and store them in energy cells for me to utilize. However the process is slower than I would like but still progress is progress.” He said.

“You can’t use magic like that. That’s incredibly dangerous.” Charmcaster spoke up. Chadwick cast another look over her.

“I’m sorry who even are you?” He asked.

“Duh, greatest sorceress in the universe much.” She said snarkily.

“Oh well now. It looks like we’ve found another source of energy to power my weapon. Guards hook her up to the machine. We will begin absorbing her magic at once.” Chadwick said. Charmcaster and Kai gasped in worry and glanced at each other.

“What do you want me to do with the other one sir?” Morton asked.

“Oh place her in the dungeon, we’ll take care of her soon.” Chadwick said ominously.

“Charmcaster!” Kai shouted as the knights began to separate them.

“I’ll be fine, I’m tougher than I look!” Charmcaster replied even as they dragged her to a large flat standing platform.

“We shall see about that once we’ve drained off all of your magical energy.” Chadwick taunted.

“First off it’s called Mana. If you’re going to be messing with magical powers you should at least know the proper terminology.” Charmcaster retorted as the knights began strapping her arms and legs to the table.

“You’ll have to forgive me. I’m not an expert.” Chadwick said smugly. The knights set about placing clamps and cables to Charmcaster’s skin. “For instance, I wonder what would happen if we were to drain your ‘mana’. After all up until now our only test subject has been inanimate.” Chadwick said threateningly.

“I swear you’re going to pay for this.” Charmcaster said menacingly.

“I sincerely doubt that. Start up the machine!” Chadwick called.

Charmcaster struggled against her restraints. She could hear the machinery whir and whine and she knew she didn’t have long before the cables would begin to suck her mana from her. She summoned her power, feeling it course through her limbs and gather in the palms of her hands. She could do this, she could escape and make this pyscho pay for daring to try and hurt her.

“Aaaaahhhh!” She screamed as an electric shock ran through her. Suddenly her power began to fade from her body. It felt as though her insides were being torn out through her skin. The pain burned across her body and caused her to writhe and spasm.

“AAAAAHHHHH!” She continued to scream as the machine drained more and more power from her. She tried to hold onto it, to summon her power back to her. But the harder she tried to focus her mana the faster she could feel it be ripped away from her. The pain was becoming unbearable. She could feel her conciousness start to fade. The last thing she could remember doing was screaming in agony before blacking out.

Kai sat alone in an empty brick walled dirt floored room. Her hands were chained above her, the metal chafing on her wrists and her muscles strained. She had been chained up here for hours now. The only sounds she could make out were the occasional screams of anguish from Charmcaster. Kai had tried everything she could to escape from her shackles but her captors were too cautious. They had confiscated all of her tech and gadgets from her person. They didn’t even leave her any bobby pins she could use as lock picks. She could only slump helplessly against the wall as her friend suffered whatever torture the knights were putting her through.

She sighed heavily. This seemed like it was all her fault. Her and Charmcaster had made a surprisingly good team but her eagerness for the sword had blinded her better judgement. She should have listened to Max. If she had waited they could have sent an entire regiment to capture the base and apprehend the Forever Knights. Now all Kai could do was wait for the knights to begin torturing her as well. Unfortunately for her it would appear she did not have to wait long.

Kai looked up as light flooded the dim room. The open door opposite from her lit the room from outside. The figure of a knight clad in metal armor approached her. His silhouette cast a long shadow on her and Kai narrowed her eyes. The silent knight walked towards her, towering above her sitting form. Kai glared up at the knight as he stared down at her.

“If you’re here to torture me let me save you some time. I won’t break.” She said defiantly. The knight stood silently for a moment before raising a hand. Kai squeezed her eyes tight, preparing for a blow. She was surpised though when she felt him mess with the manacles around her wrists.

Kai looked up in confusion. She watched as the knight inserted a key into the shackles, unlocking the rough metal from around her wrists. Her arms fell down to her sides and she rubbed her sore skin. She was surpised again as the knight offered his hand. Skeptical Kai stood on her own.

“What game are you playing at?” She asked. The knight withdrew the hand and began laughing in a high pitchd feminine voice.

“Pysch!” The voice shouted. Suddenly the cold grey metal of the armor began to melt and change color into a shade of deep mauve. The figure’s silhouette resolved into a familiar shape. In another moment Lucy Mann stood in front of her.

“Lucy?! What are you doing here?” Kai asked, embracing her friend.

“Saving you of course!” Lucy replied.

“But how did you know where I was?” Kai asked confused.

“Duh we tracked your plumber badge’s GPS.” Lucy said. “Once we found you it was easy to blend in and infiltrate the base.” She finished. Kai blushed sheepishly, she forgot that the badge would have tracked her every move.

“Nevermind that, we’ve got to go rescue Charmcaster!” Kai said and grabbed Lucy’s hand to lead her back to the hallway. The pair looked out into the darkened hallway, scanning it for any enemy combatants. “I need to get my equipment back.” Kai stated. Lucy pulled out her own plumbers badge. A blinking green light was present on the screen.

“It looks like it should be this way.” Lucy pointed down the hall. The pair stealthily made their way down the hallway, sticking to shadows.

The pair followed the signal to a side room. The girls peered in and saw a number of knights milling around the room. Behind them rows of weapons lined the walls. The knights sat around cleaning their armor and performing maintenance on the weapons. At the far side of the room Kai spotted her plumber badge along with her blaster and other equipment. Kai exchanged a glance with Lucy and they nodded at each other.

Lucy and Kai stormed into the room taking the knights by surprise. Kai swept low and knocked one of the knights off his feet with a kick. She avoided a laser blast by somersaulting forward. She sprung up and grabbed the knight by the arm, flipping him over her head and onto the knight she had just knocked down. On the other side of the room Lucy avoided a laser blast by opening a hole in her chest and reforming after. She shot a torrent of slime at the knight, sticking him against the wall at the far side. She followed up by melting to the floor and sliding underneath the other knight in the room. Erupting in a geyser the knight was tossed hard into the stone ceiling and fell to ground unconscious. Having disposed of the knights Kai stood and collected her belongings.

“Alright, follow me, it’s time to go save Charmcaster.” Kai said.

The pair ran back out into the hallway. Kai retraced her steps back to the central chamber of the base, remembering the path the knights took to put her in the dungeon. In a few minutes they had reached the chamber once more. The only difference this time was that the cables which were previously attached to Excalibur were now hooked to Charmcaster. The sorceress was strapped to a table on the upper platforms. She appeared to be unconscious. The knights were fiddling with the machines that controlled the energy drain. The knights began flipping switches again and turning knobs on the control panels. Charmcaster screamed as white glowing energy surrounded her and fed up into the cables and to the battery cells. Kai moved to stand up but Lucy’s hand held her back in place.

“Kai wait, we can’t go in there without a plan.” Lucy advised. Kai looked between Charmcaster’s screaming form and Lucy’s concerned face. She clenched her fist in frustration before sighing.

“You’re right, that’s what got me into this mess in the first place.” Kai admitted. She surveyed the room once again. She pointed to one of the control panels on the lower level.

“I’ll go cause a distraction, while that’s going on you go rescue Charmcaster. Then once she’s secure I’ll grab the Sword and we’ll get out of here.” Kai said. Lucy looked unsure.

“Are you sure you’ll be able to grab the sword?” Lucy asked.

“You just worry about Charmcaster and leave the rest to me.” Kai said confidently.

With that Kai snuck off closer to the control panel. She ducked behind crates and large blocks of machines. Her smaller form allowed her to hide in between the machines and walls and easily avoid detection. She peered around a corner and saw Lucy snaking her way up closer to Charmcaster in her slime form. Kai waited for the knights to leave their stations unattended. Then she snuck out from her hiding place and swiftly headed to the control panels. She began flipping switches and turning dials at random. She pressed buttons haphazardly as she made her way across the control panel. Finally she ducked back behind another machine just as the alarms were starting to sound off.

She watched from her hiding place as knights rushed over to figure out what was going on. The sound of unstable machines whirring grew louder and louder. Flashing lights went off all around the laboratory. Kai met eyes with Lucy and gave a thumbs up. Lucy set about undoing Charmcaster’s restraints while Kai ran to the center of the room to grab the sword.

“What is going on?” Chadwick’s voice rang out over the intercom.

“Our systems are going critical.” One of the knights replied.

Kai ran past the knights and set her sights on Excalibur. She reached the sword and grasped it’s handle with both hands. She concentrated and pulled upwards on the handle. However the sword did not move. “Huh?” Kai gasped. She pulled at the steel weapon but it still did not budge. “What, but I thought…” Kai said in a depressed tone.

“Hey! The prisoners are escaping!” A knights voice broke Kai from her concentration. Kai was forced to abandon the sword and take cover behind a machine. Laser fire bombarded her position and she took aim and fired back from behind her cover.

On the catwalk above, Lucy had managed to free Charmcaster from her restraints. Charmcaster fell weakly and Lucy caught the older girl in her arms. She groaned in pain as she began to regain concsiousness.

“Hnng, who are you?” Charmcaster asked groggily.

“We’re with the plumbers. We’re here to get you and Kai.” Lucy replied. She helped Charmcaster to her feet, one of her arms around Lucy’s shoulder. “Do you think you can fight?” Lucy asked. Charmcaster struggled to hold up an arm and summon her magic but a faint flicker of light was all she could manage.

“They’ve drained a lot of my mana. I should be able to help a little but I need time to recharge.” Charmcaster said. Kai’s voice from below interrupted them.

“Lucy, I’m getting hammered down here. A little help!” She called. Lucy turned back to Charmcaster.

“Stay here and take cover. I’m gonna call in some reinforcements.” Lucy said. She brought up her plumber badge and spoke into it.

“Coop! We need backup!” She spoke into the communicator before jumping into the fray. She jumped gracefully off the catwalk and landed on the floor below. In a split second she had transformed the ends of her arms into giant maces which she swung into the knights. The knights were thrown backwards due to the force of the strike and landed unconscious on the ground. She dodged more laser fire from the side and shot gouts of muck at the atttackers leaving them stuck to the wall.

“Have you gotten the sword?” Lucy asked. Kai ran back to Excalibur and placed her hands on the hilt once more. She tried pulling with all her might but the sword barely moved.

“It’s not working!” Kai shouted.

“Of course it isn’t moving.” Charmcaster called from above. “I told you Excalibur chooses its owner.” She finished.

“But I thought it chose me! Last time it moved!” Kai called back. They were interrupted as another retinue of knights entered the room from the far right hallway and began taking aim. Kai once again abandoned the sword and took cover behind the boulder, firing back at the knights.

Just as the enemies began to fire a large explosion sounded from the left side of the room. A group of plumbers came rushing in through the large hole in the wall, lead by Cooper. “Attack!” He called and the plumber officers opened fire on the knights. From there it became an open battlefield as the knights and plumbers began firing at each other with Kai and Lucy caught in the middle.

Cooper thrusted his arm towards a nearby machine and soon the metallic components began reforming around his arm. In a few moments a large robotic arm had formed over his arm and shoulder. A cybernetic headset then formed around his head and a visor came down in front of his eye. He surveyed the battlefield, the knights lighting up with targets as his eye passed over them. He raised the robotic arm and shot lasers at each of the targeted knights. The blasts of blue energy collided with the knights and ended in large shockwaves that knocked the knights backwards. But despite the advanced weaponry more knights still appeared crawling throught the woodwork to replace the downed soldiers. Cooper continued firing as best he could with both Kai and Lucy supporting him.

“Enough!” An authoritative voice called from above. On the high catwalk above the center of the room a large hulking figure emerged. Chadwick stepped forward wearing a large golden exo suit. Large clawed gauntlets laid over his hands and the suit was about twice his size. His head poked out from the center of the exo suit, disproportionately small compared to the rest of the suit. Cooper looked up and immediately recognized the armor.

“That’s the Forever King’s armor!” Cooper called out.

“Yes quite astute young man. I appropriated this armor from Driscoll after he passed and made some… modifications of my own design. Now through this armor I can channel mana and become the most powerful man in the world!” Chadwick laughed maniacally. Without wasting another moment Chadwick raised a large mechanical arm and a blast of laser fire shot forth from his palm. The laser blast impacted the ground around them and shattered the floor in a large crater. The explosion rocked the room and sent the plumbers clamoring for cover. Chadwick jumped from the catwalk and landed on the ground with an earth shaking thud as his armor clanked.

Chadwick began blasting the plumbers with barrages of magical energy, destroying the lab around him in the process. Whether he cared about the destruction he did not show. One thing was for sure though, in his magically enhanced exo armor he was a force to be reckoned with. Cooper began the process of assembling an exo suit of his own whilst Lucy shot globs of slime at him, hoping to slow the metallic behemoth down in some fashion. Kai continued to lay covering fire, aiming both at Chadwick and the remaining forever knights that were firing back. She glanced at the sword again, still embedded deep in the stone. She thought back to her last encounter, she knew for sure that when she had grabbed the sword last it had moved. She just wasn’t sure why it didn’t move now.

Her attention was drawn back to the battlefield as Cooper in his make shift exo armor finally tackled Chadwick. The pair locked grips and pushed at each other. They were nearly neck and neck as they matched strength. Suddenly Chadwick smiled and his eyes glowed with power as the mana he had stolen began powering up his suit. He managed to shift his grip to grab Cooper by the waist and toss him overhead. Cooper landed with a loud crash as his armor began to come undone.

“Coop!” Lucy yelled in shock. She ran over to help the technopath, dodging laser fire as she did so.

Kai watched in desperation as Chadwick began taking steps toward her. Their forces were beginning to be pushed back both by Chadwick’s energy blasts and the remaining forever knight forces.

“Now it’s time to get rid of you once and for all.” Chadwick said menacingly as he raised a glowing hand. Kai was frozen in shock and fear. She needed to get away but the blast was charging too fast. She winced as the flash of light erupted. But as she waited for the inevitable impact, it never came.

Kai opened her eyes again to find Charmcaster stood defiantly in front of her. Her hands were held aloft and sweat ran down her forehead. In front of them both was a large forcefield of violet energy. Chadwick’s energy blast was continuously firing against it and dissipating along it’s surface.

“Charmcaster what are you doing?” Kai asked concerned.

“Saving you… what does it… look like.” Charmcaster ground out with effort. Kai looked confused. She was certain that the villainess would have used this opportunity to escape.

“But why?” Kai asked.

“Because I would never hear the end of it from Gwen if I let you die.” Charmcaster said back. She slightly turned her head to meet Kai’s eyes. “Besides, you did the same for me.” She admitted.

“Your shield won’t hold forever Charmcaster. I’ve already drained most of your mana.” Chadwick said as he increased the energy output. Charmcaster grunted as she was pushed back from the force.

“He’s right! You should get out of here!” Charmcaster called back. Kai looked between Charmcaster, her allies, Chadwick and the sword. A million thoughts ran through her mind before she narrowed her eyes defiantly.

“No!” Kai called out.

“What?” Charmcaster asked confused.

Kai ran back to Excalibur, scaling the large stone boulder to reach the sword once again.

“Idiot, I thought I already told you! There’s no way the Sword would have chosen you!” Charmcaster chastised.

“You’re wrong Charmcaster! I know that Excalibur moved for me. I just forgot why. I wanted the sword so badly that I forgot why it chose me in the first place.” Kai said gripping the handle of the sword. Her muscles tensed as she pulled upwards on the blade. The faint sound of metal scraping against stone began to emanate from deep within. “The sword doesn’t choose you because you want it or because it deems you worthy.” Kai continued. Everyone watched dumbfounded as the length of the blade began to emerge from within the rock. “The sword chooses you because you have to want to help others. And right now, I want nothing more than to help my friends!” Kai called triumphantly. At last Kai withdrew the sword and held Excalibur aloft proudly into the air.

“No, no that’s not possible!” Chadwick said backing away slightly. Charmcaster dropped her shield and stared at Kai in disbelief before smiling.

Kai lowered the sword and examined it. Excalibur appeared no worse for wear. It’s blade was still sharp and it’s metal showed no signs of aging. Kai smiled as she examined it and then set her sights on Chadwick. She gripped the handle with both hands and adopted a fighting pose. She somersaulted off of the stone boulder and down in front of Chadwick.

“It matters not.” Chadwick finally stated. “So what if you have the sword? I have drained off enough Mana to make me more than a match for you.” He boasted. Suddenly he reared a fist back and punched down at where Kai stood.

However, the nimble plumber easily dodged the lumbering strike and slashed at the mechanical arm. Kai felt barely any resistance as the blade sliced through the metal of the exo suit leaving a large gash in the armor. Chadwick withdrew the arm in shock. He scowled and began firing off blasts of energy. Kai began dodging and weaving in between the blasts. She swung Excalibur, slashing deep into the mechanical armor.

“Wooh go Kai!” Lucy called from the side, holding an injured Cooper’s head in her hands.

“I’ve had enough of this!” Chadwick called and began launching missiles and laser blasts from his armor. Kai’s eyes widened in shock and she was forced to retreat from the assault. She took cover behind a machine. On the other side of the room she saw Charmcaster doing the same and concentrating her magic.

“I can’t get close enough to hit him!” Kai called.

“You don’t have to!” Charmcaster called back. Kai looked at the girl confused. Charmcaster rolled her eyes.

“The sword is magic! Don’t just use it like a sword!” She explained. Kai looked at the sword in her hands again. Now that she mentioned it she did feel a faint hum of energy from the weapon. Taking a breath she ran out from cover.

Kai ran forward and swung the sword even though she was yards away from Chadwick. They were both surprised though when an arc of white light shot out from the blade and sliced through the air, impacting Chadwick’s armor. The blast was powerful enough that it staggered the large robotic suit.

“You think you will win? I am the greatest mind on this planet. I will be the one to rule!” Chadwick screamed unhinged. He raised an arm to fire another blast but found his weapons unresponsive. Suddenly his arm swung to the side, haphazardly with a mind of it’s own. Chadwick looked over to see Cooper’s eyes alight and hand outstretched controlling his systems from afar. He tried to stalk forward but found his feet glued to the floor. He looked down to see his legs covered with thick viscous slime and a smiling Lucy standing next to Cooper.

His attention was turned back to Kai who continued flinging blades of white mana at him, doing further damage to his suit. He growled in frustration and shot blasts of energy from his other arm. Kai backpedalled but was saved as Charmcaster stepped forward and began throwing shields up to intercept the laser blasts. With her path secured Kai made her way forward continuing to shoot lances of energy from the tip of her sword. Immobilized and with his arsenal and energy source quickly becoming depleted, Chadwick could only watch in horror as the young girl approached with sword in hand. He gasped as Kai finally reached him, jumping into mid air with sword held high above her head. Kai swung Excalibur down forcefully and sliced through the middle of his armor.

Finally the metal exo-suit fell apart around him and Chadwick fell to the ground defeated. He groaned and got to his knees. He lifted his head up to see Kai standing before him, sword poised coolly across her shoulder and behind her head. Charmcaster soon joined her as well as a limping Cooper and Lucy. Charmcaster smiled before kicking him across the face. Chadwick fell to the side, unconcious.

With Chadwick defeated, the rest of the Forever Knight troops began surrendering. The plumbers began rounding them up and restraining them. Soon the entire base was under Plumber control and more plumber ships began arriving and taking inventory of the Forever Knight’s caches of alien technology. Kai, Charmcaster, Lucy and Cooper all headed topside as the rest of the Plumbers took inventory of the base and its secrets. They saw Chadwick and his closest cronies loaded onto a prison transport ship.

“Never have I ever been so happy to be so wrong.” Charmcaster said finally as she eyed Kai and her new weapon. Kai smiled and brandished Excalibur in the afternoon sunlight.

“I told you so.” Kai said smugly.

“Yeah yeah.” Charmcaster said dismissively although she did have a smirk on her face.

“Uh oh, guys look.” Lucy said worriedly. The group looked over to see Max Tennyson stalking over to them.

“Magister Tennyson look! We got the sword and defeated the Forever Knights!” Kai called excitedly. However the smile on her face fell as she took in Max’s expression. His brows were furrowed and a grimace rested on his normally jovial face. As he spotted Kai and came over his expression turned angrier and angrier. Finally when he reached her Kai began cowering slightly as the older plumber towered over them.

“Kai Green! Never in all my years as a plumber have I had an officer as talented, promising, and smart as you do something as reckless, fool hardy, and dangerous as the stunt you pulled today.” Max spoke angrily. Kai clutched her sword to her chest flinched at Max’s tone.

“Not only did you disobey a direct order, you took a dangerous prisoner from detention and went off grid.” Max scolded. “You’re lucky that Cooper was able to trace your badge’s position and that we could rescue you.” He continued. Kai looked to the ground shamed, her form shrinking in on herself as she endured Max’s criticism.

“You put not only your own life but the lives of countless others in danger just so you could fulfill some power fantasy of yours. What do you have to say for yourself?” Max finished fuming.

Sufficiently admonished, Kai looked down sheepishly tears beginning to form at her eyes as she struggled to come up with a defense for herself. But the normally brash and outspoken girl had nothing that she could say.

“Magister Tennyson, I…” Kai tried to begin but failed to find any words.

“Don’t blame her.” Charmcaster’s voice spoke up. The group turned to her in surprise, none more so than Kai herself. Charmcaster stepped forward and placed a hand on Kai’s shoulder.

“I was the one who convinced her to do all this.” Charmcaster pleaded. “She came to visit me in my cell looking to interrogate me but I did a little glamour spell on her to get her to do all this. I thought that if we worked together you guys would start to trust me more. I just wanted to help.” Charmcaster admitted.

Max stared impassively at both Charmcaster and Kai for a second before sighing heavily.

“As good as a cover as that may have been I’ve been around the block too long to tell when a teenager is lying to me.” Max said less sternly. Both Charmcaster’s and Kai’s faces fell at that admission. Max turned back to Kai again.

“Kai the only reason that I’m not having you court martialed is that this escapade did manage to lead us to the remnants of the Forever Knights and finally shut them down for good. Also it looks like you were right about that sword.” Max finally admitted.

“Thank you Magister Tennyson.” Kai finally said.

“Don’t thank me. Unfortunately I can’t let these transgressions go unpunished. As of this moment you are being demoted back to the rank of Lieutenant. Lucy Mann will take command of your unit as the newly promoted Captain. I want a full report on this misadventure and then you are to dedicate all your time to the Hammer case, no exceptions to leave the base unless acommpanied. Do you understand?” Max said. Kai frowned sadly but closed her eyes and nodded. She supposed she deserved nothing less than this punishment.

“Of course Magister.” Kai replied.

“Good. As for you…” Max finally turned to Charmcaster. “From what I hear you actually were instrumental in helping our forces in this battle. If you actually want to help and start earning our trust then I’m giving you the rank of provisional Plumber Cadet.” Max instructed.

“Oh um. Ok then. Wait does this mean I have to like do tests and wear that uniform?” Charmcaster asked. Max narrowed his eyes at the girl. Nervous, Charmcaster waved off her comments.

“I mean thank you sir, I won’t let you down.” She said with an improper salute.

Max let out a heavy sigh and rubbed at his forehead before walking away. As Max left and Lucy took Cooper to the infirmary, Kai and Charmcaster were left standing in the open field.

“Ya know you didn’t have to stick up for me like that.” Kai finally said to Charmcaster. The sorceress flipped her hair dismissively and turned her head to hide her blush.

“Yeah well ya know, I just needed an in with the Plumbers otherwise they would never have trusted me.” She tried to justify.

“Mm-hm. Well now that you’re officially a plumber cadet you know that still means I’m your superior and you’ll have to follow all my orders.” Kai said mischieviously.

Charmcaster’s face fell and she sputtered before managing a single. “Aw crud.”

A/N: I hope you all enjoyed this little side adventure. Next chapter will have us return to our regularly scheduled programming. Also trying again to highlight in this chapter the similarities between Ben and Kai. Although I feel like Kai would take her admonishments a little more seriously than Ben would. Hence why I had to demote her in the story. Also in case any of you were wondering, although there is not much of an official officer ranking in the Plumbers I decided to make my own. It basically goes: Cadet, Private, Corporal, Sergeant, Lieutenant, Captain, Commander, then Magister

Chapter 16: Chapter 16

Chapter Text

Ben X Chapter 16
The Return Home Arc
Arrival

The Rust Bucket 3 hovered in orbit above Hazard. This was the infamously dangerous planet that Ben supposedly had spent the last few years training on. The group of friends watched the planet through the front windscreen. It was a large planet, in some respects similar to Earth. Both its poles were covered with ice caps, large swirling yellow clouds hovered over large land masses of mixed greens, browns, and reds. The oceans seemed to cover less of the planet’s surface and seemed to be a dark indigo color instead of the bright blue of Earth. A few moons orbited the planet on opposite sides. From up here the planet hardly seemed to live up to it’s name. However the numerous alarms and warning signals that sounded off when they approached the planet confirmed this was indeed the right place.

“So this is it huh?” Gwen asked quietly.

“Yeah…” Kevin responded equally subdued. The mood aboard the vessel was tense and quiet. Each member of the expedition was nervous and apprehensive. None of them knew what they could expect on this supposed death planet. More importantly they were worried for Ben’s safety. Rook finally decided to speak up from the co-pilot’s chair and began pressing buttons on the command console.

“We should be close enough to scan for Ben’s omnitrix signal, if he indeed is here.” He said aloud.

“Alright then, we’ll triangulate his signal and then head down.” Gwen agreed.

“Wait so we really are going to land there?” Kevin asked nervously.

“We have to Kevin, to find Ben.” Gwen said sternly. Kevin groaned.

“If we are landing there we have to be prepared for anything and everything. There’s not a lot of info on this planet. Every expedition has either disappeared here or escaped with horror stories.” Kevin cautioned. Julie hugged Ship tight to her chest.

“I hope Ben’s alright. I mean I know he’s kind of a jerk but still.” Julie added. Secretly though, she was extremely worried for Ben, not just physically but mentally as well. For him to knowingly come to a planet as dangerous as this made her worry that the young boy hero had finally snapped under the pressure. Memories of her last meeting with the young hero resurfaced in her mind, as well as a small amount of guilt for not spotting his troubles and trying to do something about it.

“I’m sure he’ll be fine Julie.” Gwen put a comforting hand on Julie’s shoulder but her own smile was fake, she was equally as concerned.

Suddenly a beeping from Rook’s direction distracted the group. Rook brought up a holo-display with a 3D model of the planet below and multiple blinking green dots.

“That is odd.” Rook said aloud. He turned back to the rest of the group. “The scanner is picking up multiple omnitrix signals from the planet’s surface. He explained. Indeed the holographic globe showed several dots scattered across the multiple continents of the planet below.

“How can that be? Is the scanner broken?” Gwen asked gesturing to the holoscreen.

“Hmm, it may be due to atmospheric interference from the planet causing the signal to refract and bounce back.” Rook theorized.

“Okay… so which one is the real one?” Kevin asked. Rook thought for a moment, studying the different readings before pointing one out.

“I suggest we follow this one. It appears to be the strongest signal. Additionally, we may have better readings once we are inside the planet’s atmosphere.” Rook advised.

“All right then. Set a course Kevin.” Gwen instructed.

“Just for the record, I still think this is a bad idea.” Kevin announced before piloting the ship toward’s the planet’s surface.

The ship approached the planet, the land masses growing in greater detail as they drew closer. Kevin flipped some switches on the console as the ship began to experience turbulence. He announced that they were entering the planet’s atmosphere. Outside, fiery red flames licked the edges of the ship as it sailed through the dense air surrounding the planet. The turbulence started to grow worse. The shaking and rumbling grew louder and more intense as they dove through the air. Gwen eventually had to sit down as the shaking was making her nauseous. Eventually the rumbling seemed to stop as they penetrated through the outer layer of the atmosphere.

In front of them, the puffy yellow clouds obscured the dark verdant forests of the continent they were approaching. Now that they had entered the planet all they had to do was secure a safe spot to land. Unfortunately, their landing would not be as peaceful as they hoped. As the Rust Bucket began to descend, Kevin began to notice the previously benign yellow clouds start to gather in front of the wind screen.

“That can’t be good.” Kevin managed to whisper before the sound of lightning cracking filled the cabin. Suddenly the lights began to flicker and alarms started blaring.

“What’s going on?” Julie asked, scared.

“I don’t know, it feels like we’re flying through a storm!” Kevin called back as the turbulence returned even worse. The entire vessel began to shake and creak and Kevin struggled to keep them upright. He gripped the steering column tightly as the buffeting winds threatened to wrest control of the ship from him.

“That is impossible! There was no storm presence when we entered!” Rook called back frantically pressing buttons.

“Well I can’t see where we’re going anymore so what else would you call it?” Kevin shot back snarkily.

“Guys!” Gwen scolded.

However they were all cut short as a loud crack resounded through the cabin followed by the shrieking sound of tearing metal. The alarms grew even louder and the lights inside dimmed to emergency settings. Thunder and lighting flashed outside. The alarms were blaring to a deafening noise. The group felt the ship around them lose control and twist in every direction. Kevin struggled to restart the engine or at least guide their descent as they plummeted through the air. At last they finally seemed to escape from the tempest but only to discover that they were approaching the ground far too quickly. Kevin strained against the throttle, desperately trying to level out the ship. Julie and Gwen both screamed behind him as they felt their stomachs lift into their throats. Kevin eyed the fast approaching ground and realized they were going to crash. He absorbed the metal from the console, a metallic sheen coating his whole body.

“Everybody brace for impact!” He yelled through the air.

The Rust Bucket fell low, it’s nose angled 45 degrees from the ground. It crashed headlong into a copse of trees, bowling the sturdy wood over. It skidded against the ground, plowing the forest down in front of it. The sound of cracking timbers and quaking earth filled the air. Eventually the broken ship slid to a halt in a clearing made of the fallen trees it had knocked over. Smoke emanated from the vessel at various spots. Occasionally, sparks would fly from the broken wires. At last, quiet fell over the forest once again as the crash seemed over.

Inside the wreckage Kevin slowly extricated himself from the airbag that had deployed during the crash. He stood up wobbily from his pilot’s chair and looked over to find Gwen. The sorceress was shieled by a sphere of bright pink energy, encompassing both her and Julie. The other girl was surrounded by Ship’s armored form, a protective effort by her loving pet no doubt. Seeing that the girls were relatively unharmed he turned his attention to his co-pilot. Rook’s airbag had similarly deployed except his head had a minor wound that bled heavily. The Revonnahgander was unconscious.

“Hey you girls are okay right?” Kevin asked as he extricated Rook from his seat.

“Shaken but I think we’re good.” Gwen replied as she helped Julie to her feet, ship had transformed again and took up residence by her feet.

“Good, then come help me with Rook. I think he took a nasty bump to his head.” Kevin called. Gwen made her way over to the passed out plumber. She wasn’t too familiar with Rook’s species in terms of medical care but she figured a simple healing spell wouldn’t do too much harm. Gwen passed a glowing hand over Rook’s head wound. She watched as the wound slowly stopped bleeding and shrunk smaller. Eventually Rook came to with a groan and sat up.

“How are you feeling? You took a blow to the head.” Gwen informed him. Rook put a hand up to the wound and winced.

“I can tell. But thankfully I appear no worse for wear.” He confirmed.

With their status secured the group exited the crashed vehicle and made their way outside. They stepped out into a fairly humid environment, the sun shining down brightly on them. Curiously there was no sign of the storm which had caused the damage in the first place. And there was a lot of damage no doubt. Kevin threw his hands on his head in exasperation. The Rust Bucket was missing half a wing and had panels and part of it’s landing gear broken off. Parts of the bottom were sheared off or crumpled from the crash.

“Ughh I told you this was a bad idea!” Kevin complained. “This is going to take forever to fix!” He said.

“It does look quite bad.” Rook agreed.

“Well we can deal with it later. Right now our priority should be to find Ben.” Gwen ordered trying to get the group focused.

“I agree with Gwendolyn. There is nothing to do for the ship right now.” Rook said. Kevin sighed and walked over to join them.

“Ok so which direction should we head?” Julie asked. Rook brought up a tracking device and examined the omnitrix signal. He pointed deeper into the forest.

“Ben is not far. We should need only travel a few miles in that direction.” Rook announced.

“Hey Julie, you think your pal Ship there can transform and fly us to Ben?” Kevin asked. Julie frowned and looked at Ship with concern.

“I – I don’t know. That last storm literally came out of nowhere. What if Ship gets hurt? Plus if we can’t repair the Rust Bucket, Ship might be our only way off of here.” Julie said.

“I think I must agree with Miss Yamamoto.” Rook said. “Her points are very logical, also we are in unknown territory. There is no telling what kind of environmental or biological threats we will face. It is best to proceed on foot.” Rook stated before beginning to march off into the tree line.

“He does make a valid point.” Gwen said as she went to follow. Julie followed suit after her. Kevin sighed giving one last glance at the wreck of the Rust Bucket before taking up the rear.

Several hours passed as the group of four worked their way deeper into the forest. Julie had adopted her more sleek battle armor to stave off the dangers of the alien forest. And there were many dangers. Only a few minutes into their journey they had encountered small monkey like creatures with mandibles and exoskeletons that had accosted them. Thankfully a few blasts of Rook’s proto-tool had been enough to scare them off. Unfortunately the threats only became worse as they continued their trek. The forest began to turn to swamp land which sucked their feet in. Gwen had needed to create platforms for them to pass the muck. Then they were attacked by insects as large as softballs which swarmed around them and bit at their skin. Dealing with that distraction had taken up a good ten minutes as they blasted, swatted or crushed the meddlesome bugs. The vegetation proved to be equally dangerous as more than once they brushed by bushes or vines which shot out poison needles or released clouds of toxic fumes. It seemed as though Hazard’s reputation as a death planet was well earned. Every few minutes they came across a new creature, plant, or terrain that threatened to do them harm.

By the time they had traversed only a few miles they were tired, haggard, and in a state of disarray. Rook, being the consumate professional, continued to march on without any complaint. The rest of the group were gradually beginning to slow however. They continued to slog through the mud and muck trailing after Rook who was using his proto-tool’s blade as a machete to cut through vegetation. Julie struggled to pick up her feet and stumbled over a root hidden in the mud. She fell forward and landed face first in the muck. She struggled to lift herself up but was thankful when Kevin walked up from behind and offered her a hand up.

“Hey, can we… take a break?” She called out as she struggled to catch her breath.

Rook turned back from his trailblazing. “That would be unwise. This forest is full of dangers, sitting still would only make us more susceptible.” Rook explained.

“I know but I can’t keep going on like this. I just need five minutes that’s all.” Julie said. Rook frowned and examined the rest of his companions. They each looked equally exhausted and worn out.

“Julie’s right Rook. We can’t keep going at this pace.” Gwen said. Reluctantly Rook put away his proto-tool.

“Very well, but we should not linger too long” He warned.

Julie went to lean against a tree trunk, resting her weight against the solid wood. She closed her eyes for a moment before snapping them wide open again. She had felt something slither across her foot. She looked down but couldn’t see anything through the thick brown water. She raised an eyebrow thinking she might have just imagined it. Suddenly the feeling returned and she felt a thick tentacle wrap itself around her ankle.

“Guys! AHHHHHH!!” She yelled as she was yanked into the air by the thick appendage. The tentacle was dark green and flailed about shaking her every which way. Julie continued to scream. Immediately Gwen, Kevin, and Rook jumped into action. Gwen began firing blasts of energy at the root while Kevin absorbed a nearby rock and shaped his hand into a crude stone axe. He ran up to the tentacle and began hacking away at it. The appendage recoiled but then tried to crush him under his weight. Rook examined the situation from afar trying to scout the best plan to rescue his friend. Suddenly he saw another tentacle rise from the murk right behind Gwen.

“Gwendolyn!” Rook shouted in warning. Gwen half-turned and barely managed to dodge the second tentacle slamming down on her. She rolled to her feet and threw arcs of energy to slash deep into the tentacles. Nearby several other tentacled appendages arose, writhing in the air and sensing for their prey.

“Where, ugh, do these things keep coming from?” Kevin asked as he fought off several tentacles at once. Rook surveyed the battlefield and spotted a large flower like plant hidden between a group of trees.

“Over there! There is a plant monster.” Rook shouted drawing their attention. However there was not much they could do as the vines were unrelenting in their attack. The large roots, vines, whatever they were continued to undulate through the murk of the swamp and the humid gassy air. Despite their large size they moved deceptively quick, and their powerful strikes leveled nearby trees. No matter how many the group seemed to destroy, more seemed to appear in their place like the Hydra of myths of old.

Julie finally managed to sprout a weapon from her arm and attempted to free herself from the root’s hold on her. However she barely could make a dent through the thick skin of the plant. She began to fear more as the tentacle slowly coiled itself further up her body. She struggled but could not free herself. “Help me!” She called in desperation. However her friends could not reach her, too busy struggling with their own dilemmas. Julie could feel herself getting dragged away from the center of the fight, through the trees. She was raised high in the air. Looking down she could see a large red flower bulb. She watched as the blood red petals opened up to reveal a horrifying maw filled with sharp teeth and yellow bile. The appendage began lowering her into the flower. Julie screamed for her life, struggling with all her might.

Suddenly she felt herself plummet. She closed her eyes but was surprised as she felt herself hit the muddy ground. She opened her eyes again to see that the tentacle which previously was coiled around her was severed from the plant. She scrambled away from both the flower and the now dead tentacle. She looked around to see a tall lithe figure covered in brown jumping between the trees. A large blade protruded from his arm which he used to slice through the thick vines effortlessly. The figure propelled himself back to where the others were and Julie ran to follow.

The rest of their group were equally surprised as Julie at the new arrival. They watched as the brown alien flipped and jumped between the numerous tentacles, dodging them with grace. A second blade emerged from his other arm which he used to dispatch more of the tentacles. He spun around with his blades slicing through the thick vegetation with ease. He became a spinning tornado of blades as he jumped from vine to vine, cutting through one after the other. Finally he turned to face Kevin and jumped towards him. Kevin raised his arms in defence but was surprised as the insectoid alien flew over him and chopped down another vine that had popped up behind him. The alien turned back around and close up Kevin could finally see a familiar green and black symbol.

“Ben?!” Kevin shouted in surprise. The alien finally seemed to take notice of his rescuees. Now that he had stopped moving Kevin was able to see that Ben had the appearance of a tall insect like alien with brown chitinous armor. His head had a wing of chitin in the shape of a samurai helmet with a pair of small v like antenna and a plate covering his mouth. His body was covered in small slots, presumably for more blades to pop out. His eyes were a pair of compound green lenses which turned to examine Kevin. As he spoke his mouth covering opened to reveal a jaw full of mandibles.

“Kevin? Is that you? Then that means…” Ben spoke in a low gravelly voice as he surveyed the rest of the battle field taking in both Gwen and Rook. At this point Julie had finally caught up and having heard Kevin’s exclamation called out in joy.

“Ben!!” She said happily and waved at the taller figure. Ben turned back to her, confusion written across his face as he took in her strange form. Suddenly a flash of recognition came across his face.

“Julie?!” He exclaimed. Julie smiled but her face fell at his next words.

“What are you doing here?” He demanded angrily. Before Julie could even reply he had spoken again. “Nevermind, there’s no time.” He said, quickly shifting his gaze towards the central plant. He took off in a sprint, blades extended out from his wrists again and held on either side of him. He made his way closer to the bulb, only smaller vines remained to defend against him. Ben easily dodged between the smaller appendages until he was close up to the bulb. He somersaulted into the air and stabbed into a round orange structure at the base of the bulb. A loud unpleasant screech was heard as the flower closed up and several large leaves folded up around the base. Ben jumped back and strode to meet his friends again.

The group were all excited to finally see Ben again, calling out greetings and rushing to embrace him. However Ben did not seem to share the sentiment. He crossed his arms firmly and spoke to them in an angry and serious tone.

“What are you all doing here?” He demanded. The group was taken aback by Ben’s demeanor. “Don’t you realize how dangerous it is here?” He followed up.

“We came looking for you!” Gwen tried to explain. “There’s a lot we need to tell you about and your communicator device didn’t work so we had to…” Gwen tried to say but a hand from Ben cut her off.

“Save it, you can tell me later. Right now we need to get somewhere safe. The sun will be going down soon.” Ben said eyeing the sky. Indeed the sky did seem to be turning a strange shade of violet.

“Well the Rust Bucket is crashed a few miles back that way.” Kevin offered. But Ben shook his head.

“No, if you guys crash landed here then you’ll have no shortage of creatures trying to investigate. Plus the position is undefended. And trust me you want defenses during the night.” Ben said authoritatively. The group was shocked. Not only did Ben seem to be speaking rationally but he also was giving orders.

“He does have a good point. Where else would you suggest then?” Rook spoke.

“My campsite isn’t too far from here. I was making my way over to you when I heard you crash.” Ben said and waved for them to follow. He moved through the swamp with hardly a look back. The group looked at each other with confusion before dutifully following behind the hero. The same thought echoed between them. This certainly didn’t seem like the Ben they used to know.

A/N: The long awaited return of Ben. As well as the obligatory new alien form. I don’t really plan to have a whole lot of new ones but they will pop up periodically. Also do you guys think these chapters are too short? They feel long enough to me but I don’t really have a good frame of reference. Hope to hear some new reviews from you guys. Let me know what you think about Ben’s new change in attitude.

Chapter 17: Chapter 17

Chapter Text

Ben X chapter 17
Return home Arc
Reunion

So the group now followed Ben as he took them through the forest. He used his chitinous blades to slash through any obstacles that impeded their progress. However the normally talkative Ben was now quiet as a stone. He didn’t speak a word as he continued to lead them through the forest. This had all of the members of the rescue team concerned. Ben being silent was tantamount to the end of the world. Eventually Ben lead the group to a well worn trail, presumably made by him.

“We should be safe from here on out but keep your guards up.” Ben announced as they walked the hilly trail. Behind him the group followed single file, still feeling tense and awkward from Ben’s stoic silence. As the group walked on they exchanged glances with each other. Finally Gwen came up and nudged Kevin in the shoulder with her elbow. Kevin looked at her confused. Gwen gave a pointed glance at Ben before staring back at Kevin. The message received loud and clear Kevin stepped up to fall in pace with Ben before clearing his throat.

“So uh Ben. What do you call this guy?” He asked with a lilt in his voice.

“What?” Ben responded back dryly. Kevin glanced at him confused.

“You know, what did you name this alien? Oh lemme guess, how about Termite-nator? Or something more simple like Slice-n-dice?” Kevin asked, miming the sword strikes with his arms.

“Oh that.” Ben finally said. “I don’t name them anymore.” He said plainly. Gwen stopped in her tracks upon hearing those words. Her face was frozen in shock. She quickly regained her composure and ran up beside Ben, ignoring the curious looks of both Rook and Julie.

“What do you mean you don’t name them anymore?! That was like your favorite part.” She said. Ben cast barely a glance at her before replying in the same monotone.

“Well after a couple hundred aliens I started to run out of names. Besides, I had to focus on more important things. Ya know, like not dying.” He said pointedly before striding ahead again. Gwen slowed down again concern written across her face. This of course went unnoticed by Ben but not by the rest of their group.

“Gwendolyn, is something the matter?” Rook asked in a whisper. Gwen glanced around them and kept her voice low to ensure Ben couldn’t hear her.

“When Ben and I were kids we got taken forward in time to meet future versions of ourselves.” She explained. “In that future Ben was known as Ben 10,000 and he was like Earth’s greatest hero. Except he was a total jerk, way worse than he’s ever been in the past. That was the one thing I remember future Ben saying that seemed… wrong. I don’t know I guess I’m just worried about him.” Gwen finished. The group remained silent as they tried to understand and process the information.

“Well it’s like Paradox always says, the future isn’t set in stone.” Kevin tried to assure her. He strode forward to keep pace with Ben and spoke up. “Hey Ben I came up with the perfect name for this guy. Bugshido!” Kevin said enthusiastically. Ben tilted his head to look at Kevin with confusion. Kevin could feel his confidence falter under Ben’s withering stare. “You know cuz he’s got the blades and he’s a bug? Get it?” Kevin asked. Ben simply shook his head dismissively.

“Ok sure. Anyway we’re nearly at the camp. You should be able to see it over the ridge.” Ben pointed forward. There in the distance was a large circular arrangement of wooden poles. High wooden walls topped with pointed ends lined up to make a secure wall. The group were thoroughly impressed. As they drew closer they noted the beams were strapped together with vines and natural rubber. Ben approached what appeared to be the front gate and removed thick heavy vines sealing the doors closed. The gates opened outward, swinging wide.

Inside the compound was surprisingly spacious. Metal nets hung above the whole area, occasionally sparking with energy. There was a central pit surrounded with stones that looked to be a fire pit. A work station was set off to the right with various tools and materials strewn about and what looked like half-finished projects. At the far end of the compound sat a large teepee made of bundles of thick branches and decorated with moss and leaves threaded together. Inside was a pile of exotic furs which likely served as Ben’s bed. What appeared to be alien fish hung strung up on a line nearby, smoked and salted. To the left of Ben’s teepee was a pile of metal and machines that looked to have been fashioned into a generator which powered the electrified net above them. The group wandered around in awe of what Ben had managed to construct.

“I must say Ben, I am thoroughly impressed by your work.” Rook said.

“Thanks. I built it all myself.” Ben said with pride, the first real show of emotion he had since they met up with him. As the group entered the confines of the camp Ben closed the gates shut behind them. He strode forward and gathered some firewood and deposited it in the pit. With a flick of both his wrist blades he set the tinder alight.

“Alright, time for a barbecue? I’m starving. What have you got to eat?” Kevin asked excited, rubbing his hands together. Ben turned back with an unreadable expression.

“Uh sorry, I don’t think I have anything laying around that you guys can eat.” He said. Kevin looked at him confused.

“What? You’ve gotta be kidding right? You can’t tell me you don’t have some good eats around here. That alien is made for making choice cuts.” Kevin asked expecting Ben to have gone hunting with his alien forms.

“The Mantibonsai are actually an herbivorous species. They use their built in blades to cut and trim bark from trees on their home world for consumption.” Ben corrected. Then picking up a piece of wood took several bites to demonstrate his point. The rest of the group looked at Ben strangely.

“Wait, how do you know that?” Julie asked.

“The Omnitrix has a built in database containing information on every alien species. It has information about their biology, physiology, culture, and history.” Ben responded as if it was the simplest thing in the world.

“Wait, so you’re telling me you actually did research on your aliens? Who are you and what have you done with the real Ben?” Gwen asked suspicious. Ben narrowed his eyes at the remark.

“There’s not a whole lot to do here for entertainment.” Ben clarified. His tone sounded offended and the group recoiled slightly.

“So, what exactly have you been doing here?” Julie asked hoping to break the tension. Ben turned back to face her and Julie could tell that there was still some anger there but his expression did soften slightly.

“Exactly what I had told you all I was going to do. I’ve been training.” Ben said. “I went to Azmuth and had him give me the master control for the Omnitrix. Since then I’ve been mastering all of my alien forms. And the only way for me to do that is to live like them, exist like them, think like them. So I spend a few weeks lifeform locked as a new alien. Then when the time’s up I switch to a different alien.” Ben explained. “I figure I’ve mastered about half of them by now.” He admitted. The revelation seemed to shock the group.

“But Ben that is physically impossible. There are over a million alien species contained in the Omnitrix. For you to be doing what you say it would take decades for you to master each alien form.” Rook countered. Ben regarded him confused.

“I know, that’s part of the reason why I chose this planet to do it on.” Ben responded.

“I am sorry, I do not follow.” Rook replied.

“Hazard orbits a time rift.” Ben explained. “A few days here is equivalent to hours in real time. That way I can spend longer amounts of time as my alien forms without passing too much time in the real world.” Ben explained. The group stared at him dumbfounded and confused. “Did you guys not know about that?” Ben asked with the alien equivalent of a raised eyebrow.

“No we didn’t know about that.” Kevin replied shocked.

“Well, regardless, what are you guys doing here anyway?” Ben finally asked. The group turned to look at each other before Gwen told him about the Hammer. They spent the next half hour talking about the Demiurge Hammer and the many villains who were aiming for it. They told him of the immense threat the weapon posed and how they needed Ben to help them retrieve it before it could fall into the wrong hands. They also spent much of the time complaining to Ben about his needlessly complicated goose chase he sent them on to find him. They even told him of Malware’s rampage through the plumber base. Throughout their explanation Ben remained mostly silent and serious. He made no real commentary mostly just nodding along taking in the words of his compatriots. Only after they had finished catching him up did Ben reply.

“So I guess this Demiurge Hammer is the real deal huh? Or at least real enough that all my enemies are after it.” He said thoughtfully. “As much as I hate to admit it I think you guys were right to bring this to my attention. And as much as I wish you didn’t all come here…” Ben said casting a quick glance in Julie’s direction. The young woman responded with narrowed eyes. “It’s good that you did. Also I’m sorry for making you guys go through what you did.” Ben finally said. “It was the only way I could be sure that I wouldn’t be interrupted.” He said.

The group was silent. They each felt uncomfortable speaking with this new Ben. He seemed more serious, but also more straight forward. Even his apology sounded sincere. It was clear that Ben had changed being out here all by himself. However none of them could yet tell if that change was for the better or not. Paradox’s words came back to each of them. It seems his warning about Ben’s precarious mental state was not unfounded. It made all of them reasses how they would handle this new Ben.

It was at that point that Ben stood and stretched, his alien arms reaching high into the sky with his already impressive stature. He walked over to his hut and gathered a bunch of the strangely colored fur blankets in his arms. He turned back to the group and dumped the pile in front of them.

“It’s getting late, you should all get some rest. We’ll have a long day of work ahead of us tomorrow.” Ben said authoritatively. The group began picking out the furs that seemed most comfortable. When Julie had picked out hers she turned back to Ben who stood impassively over them.

“Ben?” She questioned.

“Hm?” He grunted back.

“Aren’t you going to change back?” She asked confused. Ben stared at her as though he didn’t know what she was talking about. His impassive cold visage was starting to unnerve her. Thankfully the others spoke up as well.

“I believe Miss Yamamoto is right.” Rook said. “While it has been good to see you it is… strange, conversing with you in a form that is unfamiliar to us.” Rook explained. Ben looked around at the group of four who all stared at him with concerned and questioning glances. Suddenly his eyes widened in realization.

“Oh! Uh, right.” He said as he caught onto their meaning. He reached a hand up to the omnitrix emblem on his chest. “Lifeform lock: Disengage.” He spoke. There was a flash of green light that blinded the group. As their eyes adjusted back to the darkness of the night, they perceived Ben’s human form standing in front of them. Gwen for one looked shocked, Julie looked him up and down with surprised approval, Rook simply appeared confused, but Kevin, he burst out laughing.

“Hahahaha! Dude you’ve got a beard!” He managed to get out in between fits of giggles.

“What? How?” Ben asked, his voice now unfamiliar to his ears. He scrambled over to the pile of scrap metal near his generator and picked up the shiniest, most reflective piece he could find. Ben stared into his reflection with shock, he hardly recognized himself. He indeed sported a thin but noticeable beard that spread across his whole face. But he also appeared to be slightly taller than he remembered. Additionally his form had filled out some, no longer was his body that of a scrawny and lanky teenager. Ben’s mouth dropped as he stared back into eyes that felt like a stranger’s. He reached a hand up to touch his face. His palm stroked his beard. He was so enamored by his sudden change in appearance that he failed to notice the group behind him still talking.

“I can’t believe he grew a beard! Hahaha!” Kevin continued to laugh.

“Kevin!” Gwen scolded.

“Ben’s human form must have still been aging while he was transformed.” Rook surmised.

“I don’t know, I kinda like it. It makes him look handsome.” Julie complimented with a sly smile. However her expression faded as she watched Ben stare at himself motionless in the mirror.

“Ben? Are you okay?” She asked concerned. This drew the attention of the rest of the group who once again turned to Ben with confusion and concern written on their faces. Ben stood still for a few moments longer, lost in his reflection before he jolted. He looked back at the four of his companions with a blank expression before turning back to the mirror.

“Sorry, it’s just… been so long.” He said quietly. None of the group knew really how to respond. Gwen realized distantly that Ben must have been serious when he said he was lifeform locked. She wondered exactly how long had it been since Ben had been human. But she didn’t get to ask that question as Kevin stood up from the ground and walked over. The taller boy put an arm around Ben’s shoulder in a familiar and friendly way. Ben glanced up at him in confusion. But Kevin’s face held only a slight smirk.

“Don’t worry, I’ve got some razors back on the ship. We can get you shaved up in no time.” He said with a reassuring clap on the shoulder. Ben was silent for a few moments before a small smile graced his lips.

“I don’t know. I think I might keep it.” He joked.

“Pfft.” Kevin scoffed and he released his grip on the smaller man.

“What? I think it looks good on me!” He said with more enthusiasm. The rest of the group relaxed, this seemed more like the familiar Ben they knew and loved.

“I think he should keep it. Like I said it makes you look more mature.” Julie spoke up again. Ben turned to her and blushed lightly before shaking his head and walking over to his hut.

“You should all get some sleep we’re gonna have a long trip ahead of us tomorrow.” Ben said.

“Wait are we gonna walk all the way back to the Rust Bucket? Surely now we could just take Ship and fly back?” Kevin complained. But Ben shook his head seriously.

“I wouldn’t advise flying too often here. The planet’s atmosphere is super reactive. I’m sure you guys crashed because of a freak storm as you were descending right?” Ben said.

“How did you know?” Gwen asked.

“Because the same thing happened to me. Besides there are plenty of flying monsters that will be more than happy to try to take a bite out of us. It’s safer if we stick to the paths I’ve made through the jungle.” He clarified. With that, Ben turned in for the night, dimming the fire to just a low glow. The others settling in for the night as well.

A/N: If you guys have any better names for the new alien then Bugshido please let me know. I honestly didn’t like it all that much but couldn’t come up with anything better. Also I’m trying to walk the line here between giving Ben a more serious nature without changing his character too much. Hopefully that’s coming across.

Chapter 18: Chapter 18

Chapter Text

Ben X Chapter 18
The Return Home Arc
Repairing the Rust Bucket

Morning came all too quickly for the group of young heroes. The dawning sun heralded a new day and with it came a cacophony of strange alien wildlife calling forth the morning. Ben seemed to take everything in stride being the first to wake up. He even nudged Kevin awake when the older boy tried to remain steadfastly asleep. He disappeared off to one side of the camp and when he returned he held a bundle of alien fish in his arms. He distributed out the salted and dried fish to his companions before taking a seat himself and chowing down.

“I remembered I did have some fish hanging around. You should all eat. Get your energy up.” He stated matter of factly. The rest of the human members of the party nibbled on the strange food. It’s texture was slimy despite being dried out and it’s taste was more like a vegetable than any kind of meat. Still they had nothing better to eat and it was going to be a long day ahead of them. Rook was the only one of them who ate the meal with gusto. Once they had finished eating Ben stood up and put out their fire. He made his way to the entrance of the camp beckoning his friends to follow. He opened up the locked gates to the encampment and allowed the group to step out onto the dirt path that stretched forward into the jungle.

“I’m gonna scout the area ahead. You guys hang back for five minutes and then follow behind me.” Ben ordered.

“We can take care of ourselves ya know Ben.” Gwen spoke up.

It was then that Ben scowled back at them. An expression full of condescension and anger the likes of which they had never seen on him before. The intensity of his glare shocked them.

“Oh really? Like you guys almost gotten ‘taken care of’ yesterday you mean?” He said with vitriol. “Thanks to that Julie almost gotten eaten!” He continued.

“Hey that wasn’t anybody’s fault!” Julie countered indignant.

“No but it wouldn’t have ever happened if you hadn’t been here in the first place!” Ben shot back. “The others can handle themselves in a fight fine enough but you’re inexperienced. This planet will chew you up and spit you out if you’re not careful.” He retorted.

“Oh I’m sorry for coming all this way out here to make sure you were okay!” Julie exclaimed. The pair glared at each other their tempers flaring back up. The rest of the group was too stunned at the sudden outburst to say anything. But the tension was broken as Ben backed off, throwing his hands into the air.

“Whatever.” He stated before activating the omnitrix.

In a flash of green light Ben’s form was replaced by that of a familiar blue Arachnichimp alien. “I’ve gotta go scout ahead. Stay put until I come back for you. Ooh-ah.” Spidermonkey called out before swinging through the trees. The group watched as he effortlessly disappeared into the jungle. Julie had turned away, arms folded in front of her chest and tears beginning to sting at her eyes. Gwen walked up to put a comforting hand on her shoulder but the younger girl turned away from the touch.

“I never should have come on this stupid trip.” She mumbled to herself and walked away from the group. Suddenly a new voice spoke up from behind them all, drawing their attention.

“I hope you all see now why I had warned you off from interrupting Ben from his ordeals.” Professor Paradox spoke up. The group whirled around in shock but the mysterious professor was not in the least surprised.

“Look Paradox, I know what Ben said was out of line but he’s always been a bit of a jerk. I don’t think this proves anything. Besides, Ben himself agreed it was good that we came to got him.” Gwen spoke up, the least off put by Paradox’s appearance. Paradox sighed and shook his head.

“Children you don’t understand. Ben is in the middle of a transformative experience, and one not related to the Omnitrix. By interrupting him here and causing him to leave you are essentially taking him out of the oven half-cooked so to speak.” Paradox explained.

“Professor, perhaps if you explained in more detail about what Ben has been going through and what is supposed to happen to him then we would have a better understanding.” Rook tried to suggest.

“Yeah, because I can guarantee that until you give us more of an explanation we aren’t gonna listen to you.” Kevin supplied. Paradox checked one of his many pocket watches before sighing again.

“Gwendolyn, what do you know of Ben’s future?” He asked pointedly. Gwen raised an eyebrow in confusion.

“I know he’s supposed to become Ben 10,000. The self-proclaimed greatest hero in the universe.” Gwen replied.

“And how precisely do you think that happens?” He asked. Gwen’s expression turned to one of surprise.

“You mean that’s what he’s been doing here? That’s what’s supposed to happen? So I was right before when I was worried about him turning into that version?” Gwen stood up.

“Not exactly but close enough. This Ben is of course Ben Prime but the future is still somewhat malleable. That is where my concern lies. Your Ben is supposed to spend a few years training to master the Omnitrix and return as the magnanimous Ben 10,000. But in the midst of that process is the potential for him to change into something worse. I suspect that whoever is behind organizing all of these villains is trying to force that change in Ben.” Paradox explained.

“What? Ben go evil? Yeah right.” Kevin scoffed.

“I do not know. Ben has told me of an incident in the past where he had to face multiple ‘Bad Bens’ from other universes. It is not too far fetched an idea.” Rook said. But Kevin scowled and clenched his fists.

“So what? That doesn’t mean our Ben will turn bad!” Kevin shouted back indignantly. His vitriol surprised all but the ever stoic Professor Paradox.

“Kevin.” Gwen said softly putting a hand to his shoulder. Kevin grit his teeth and pointed at Paradox.

“Ben is my best friend. He’s pulled me back from the brink more times than I care to admit, always with that same goofy grin. So I’d gladly do the same thing for him in a heartbeat. Even if he does turn evil we’ll be there to pull him back. Because we’re his friends, that’s what we do.” Kevin spoke passionately.

Professor Paradox as usual was nonplussed by Kevin’s ardent words. He hummed thoughtfully while looking around at the group of them. Julie could have sworn his eyes lingered on her a little longer than the others but she couldn't be sure. “Did any of you ever think to contemplate what happened to your alternate universe counterparts?” He asked pointedly. “In the universes ruled by the ‘Bad Bens’ as Rook so politely put it, your fates were not always pleasant. In best case scenarios you were enslaved and tortured. In the worst cases he would outright kill you.” Paradox stressed.

Gwen scowled and narrowed her eyes. “Our Ben would never do that.” She fired back, incensed at the mere accusation.

“Perhaps if he was in his right frame of mind. But you saw what he was like didn’t you? That is why I am here now. To beg you all one last time to leave him be and let him remain on this planet.” Paradox pleaded.

“Even if we wanted to it’s a little late now isn’t it?” Julie spoke up hugging Ship in her arms.

“Not necessarily. Gwen can cast a memory erasure spell on him. Cause him to forget the last 24 hours and he will be none the wiser.” Paradox suggested. Gwen scowled at him and crossed her arms defiantly.

“I am not doing that to him.” She declared. Paradox sighed again.

“Very well. I have spent as much time as I can here. I hope for all of your sakes and for the universe’s that your choice works out.” Paradox said before opening a swirling blue portal. He stepped through and in another second the portal vanished. The group was left alone in silence to contemplate his words. However their silence did not last long as shortly after they all spied Ben swinging back to them through the trees.

“Do we tell him?” Rook asked aloud.

“No, absolutely not.” Gwen responded in a hushed whisper. A few moments later Ben perched himself atop a nearby tree to speak down to them.

“Allright, the path ahead looks clear.” He said. Ben then noticed the worried and concerned looks that his friends held on their faces. Quirking an eyebrow he spoke up. “Are you guys all right?” He asked with serious concern.

“We’re fine Ben.” Gwen replied back before any of the others had a chance to speak up. The pair stared at each other for what felt like an eternity. A silent message passed between them in that moment. It was the kind of understanding that could only occur between close knit family members. Gwen stared up at the Arachnichimp form with arms crossed and a neutral but determined expression on her face. Ben observed the group, his multiple eyes flitting between each of them individually. Finally he relented and shrugged his shoulders.

“Fine. Stick close together. Even though I said the path is clear surprises can still come out of nowhere in this place. I’ll keep scouting ahead.” And with that Ben took off again.

As Ben gave the all clear he rushed ahead of the group again, swinging deftly from tree branch to tree branch. He stayed far enough ahead of them to keep a look out, but close enough for the group to follow him along the trail. Unfortunately his proximity was close enough that his superior hearing would have picked up their conversation. Instead the group chose to remain quiet as they followed behind him. Ben lead them further along the path than they had travelled yesterday. They each noted they had walked around the muddy marsh where they had tried to traverse just yesterday. Even along the relative safety of the beaten path that Ben had made the quartet still noted plenty of dangers along their way. Large shadowed shapes moved just out of sight, the only sign of their presence was the rustling of foliage. A cacophony of hisses, chattering, and croaks sounded just off their path to either side of them. More than once they had passed by strange alien creatures, perfectly camoflauged into the environment that they only noticed because of their sudden movement.

A few times Ben called back for them to wait while he cleared some unseen danger from the path. This slowed their time somewhat but incredibly their hike to the Rust Bucket was much shorter than the slog they had suffered through yesterday. This was despite the longer route and frequent pauses. But they eventually reached the spot in the forest where the trees were all knocked down and a deep gouge was carved into the soil. They followed the trail of destruction to the downed vehicle where they finally began taking stock of the damage. Now that they finally took the time the damage appeared worse than they had initially expected. Pieces of metal were strewn about the landscape. Multiple panels were missing on the body of the rocket, exposing frayed and damaged wiring. The group of young adults stopped and stared up at the broken rocket with some dismay.

“It looks worse than I would have thought.” Ben spoke quietly. No one had the chance to respond to his comment before he strode forward. He palmed the omnitrix symbol and in another flash of green light his form had shifted yet again to that of Brainstorm. As a cerebrocrustacean Ben circled around the Rust Bucket surveying the damage. He mumbled to himself as he did so, sometimes they were little more than ‘ah’s’ and ‘hmms’. Other times he actually muttered complex mechanical jargon under his breath. He returned to the group and began sketching in the dirt with his spindly legs. A rough schematic of the Rust Bucket was soon formed. The rest of the group watched in some surprise as Ben actually began drawing arrows pointing to damaged parts of the ship. Bulleted lists and complex equations were the next to be written down. At last seemingly satisfied with his scribblings, Ben spoke again.

“Eureka!” He exclaimed proudly. “Ladies and Gentlemen, it is my esteemed pleasure to announce that with a little gumption, hard work, and of course my technical specifications and know how, we can make this vessel space worthy once more!” He declared.

“Since when are you a mechanic?” Kevin scoffed as he started to look over Ben’s work. He was surprised though to see that his work looked sound, at least from the parts he could understand.

“You forget my Osmosian friend that I have multiple alien forms with enhanced intelligence and mechanical reasoning and ability.” Ben clarified. “Now we should get to work quickly. Gwen and Kevin, I need you both to start assembling the larger fragments of the ship to a central position. Rook I want you to start making what small repairs you can to the vessel with your proto-tool. You may as well evaluate the Rust Bucket’s engines and other critical systems as well. Julie, I will upload specs to Ship. You can use his armor to begin repairing exposed circuitry, I’ll have Rook show you where to start. I will go gather the farther off pieces then begin the process of refitting and repairing the ship. Any questions?” Ben rattled off with authority.

The remainder of the group looked at him with varying degrees of shock. They never expected Ben to take charge of the situation so quickly, and with what actually seemed like a solid actionable plan. Before any of them could comment on the strange turn of events though Ben had transformed yet again. This time he took the form of Upgrade and reached a finger out to Ship. The little mechanoid happily reached his head out to contact Ben where a brief flash of their circuits indicated a transfer of information. Ship chirped happily before making it’s way back towards Julie.

“All right everyone, better get started.” Ben spoke up before walking back along the impact path. The rest of the group exchanged incredulous glances before going about their separate ways to begin their tasks. They probably would have been more efficient at their jobs as well had they not stopped so frequently to marvel at Ben’s work. The boy was flipping through his alien forms like pages in a book. It seemed the Master Control for the Omnitrix truly did grant him much more ability. He had begun with Lodestar, who used his magnetic powers to levitate the metallic debris to the ship. He then shifted to BallWeevil who gathered up the remaining non-metallic debris and deposited it into the growing central piles that Gwen and Kevin were constructing.

Once the debris was gathered together he began switching back and forth between a combination of Brainstorm, Upgrade, Juryrigg, and Grey Matter as the need arose. He worked with focused determination. Gwen had never seen the boy this dead set on a project, ever. In between it all he began directing them as well, moving them to other tasks with irregular frequency. Kevin was usually the one to put up the most fuss about the odd jobs until he realized Ben was almost always right about the tasks that needed doing.

The work was progressing quickly. With Ben’s direction they were able to have half of the repairs done by the early afternoon. Yet despite the group following Ben’s orders there was still an unspoken tension between them all. Julie had avoided Ben as much as possible, sticking near Rook or Gwen when ever able. Ben would become singly focused on his tasks, breaking concentration just long enough to give commands to the others before jumping back into his work. Gwen would have been impressed if it weren’t for some of his other behavior. That being said, she could hardly find a moment to speak to him. Every time she tried to approach Ben would blow her off, stating he had more important work to finish. Gwen realized she would have to corner Ben if she wanted any chance to speak her mind and set him right.

“We need to corner Ben.” Gwen finally said to her boyfriend. Kevin looked up from the lugnuts he was busy wrenching in place. He quirked an eyebrow at her and Gwen raised her own in an unspoken message. Kevin sighed and got up from the ground.

He headed into the ship’s co*ckpit whistling innocuously. He made his way to the pilot’s chair and leaned against the dashboard. He glanced around, seeing no sign of Ben or anyone else. He touched a hand to the metal console, absorbing the steel onto his skin. He then reached over to the steering wheel and cranked it far to the right. The metal screeched as the recently repaired components came loose again. He then reached under and yanked free some exposed wires from under the console. He then moved back outside where he could spy Ben working ontop of the roof.

“Yo Ben! You missed a spot in the co*ckpit!” He called out. Ben as Jury Rigg looked up in surprise.

“What? That’s impossible. I just checked in there.” He called back.

“Yeah? Well then how come the steering column is all jacked up?” Kevin retorted.

“I know for a fact that I repaired that an hour ago. What did you do to it?” He shot back annoyed.

“Hey don’t blame me! Blame your shoddy workmanship.” Kevin said crossing his arms. Jury Rigg sighed and muttered under his breath about ‘incompetence’. He then scuttered along the steel hull on all fours and into the interior of the ship. Once out of sight Kevin sent a thumbs up to Gwen who nodded at him in thanks. Gwen walked into the Rust Bucket and made her way to the co*ckpit. Inside she found Jury Rigg nearly having finished his repairs already. Gwen knew she had to act fast before Ben ran off again. She reached over and grabbed the little gremlin by the tail and lifted him up.

“Ow! Gwen?! What the hell are you doing?” Ben asked pained and indignantly. Gwen dropped him onto the floor and Ben rubbed his sore neck from the impact.

“I’ve been trying to talk to you for the last three hours.” Gwen said putting her hands on her hips.

“In case you haven’t noticed we’re on a time limit. We can talk later, repairing the ship comes first.” Ben said trying to move past her. But Gwen blocked his way. Ben looked up at her with a stink eye. But Gwen glared back defiantly.

“No.” Gwen said strongly. “I’m not letting you leave until I say my mind Benjamin Tennyson.” Gwen said. Ben glared at up at his cousin.

“You know I have a hundred different aliens now that could take you on?” Ben said eyes narrowing. But Gwen was unmoved.

“I don’t care.” She shot back sternly. Ben stared at her for a few more seconds before sighing heavily and sitting down in the captain’s chair.

“Allright. Might as well get this over with.” Ben said with a reluctant sigh.

“First turn back human. I’m not gonna have a heart to heart with one of your alien forms.” Gwen said stubbornly. Ben groaned before pressing the omnitrix symbol. The familiar flash of green faded to reveal a stubborn human Ben sitting with his arms crossed.

“Happy now?” Ben asked sarcastically. Gwen’s face softened and she frowned.

“No Ben, I’m not. I’m worried about you.” Gwen said softly. “You’ve changed, a whole lot. And all of us are concerned for you.” Gwen started before Ben shot up out of his seat.

“I’ve changed for the better!” He said angrily.

“Have you?” Gwen replied.

“Yes! I came out here to master the omnitrix! To be a better hero! You’re the one that always told me I was never taking this seriously enough and now that I am you’re complaining about it?” He said incredulously. Gwen shook her head.

“No, I won’t deny you definitely seem to have better control of the omnitrix. I don’t agree with the way you went about it but I’m not gonna argue the results. What I am concerned about is your attitude. Ever since we got here you’ve been a completely different person from who you used to be. Yeah some of that might be a positive change but overall you’re ruder, more condescending, and less warm to us. And you were especially mean to Julie.” Gwen pointed out. Ben bristled at the accusation.

“You never should have brought her here in the first place! I don’t want to see her get hurt!” Ben yelled out.

“Well you’ve got a real funny way of showing it. And newsflash Julie wanted to come because she was worried about you!” Gwen shot back. Ben’s eyes widened ever so slightly, surprised at that. He deflated somewhat.

“She was worried for me?” He asked in a quieter, disbelieving voice. Gwen stepped closer.

“We all were Ben. When you left the way you did you hurt a lot of us in the process. Do you have any idea how it felt spending every day of every year wondering where you were? Whether you were okay or if you were hurt or sick? Where you had gone to or when you were going to come back? If you were ever going to come back?” Gwen said eyes beginning to moisten with tears. Ben finally looked his cousin in the eyes and his shoulders dropped. Despite appearances, deep down both Ben and Gwen cared deeply for each other as family. Although he wouldn’t admit it out loud, he had worried about her too while he was gone.

Gwen stepped forward and put a gentle hand on Ben’s shoulder. “What’s the point of being the universe’s greatest hero if you’re not a good person?” Gwen asked. Ben’s eyes widened slightly. He dropped his gaze to the floor. He sighed as he ran a hand through his shaggy hair. Gwen simply waited with her hand on his shoulder. Finally Ben looked up from the floor with a sad melancholic smile on his face. “You’re right. As usual.” Ben spoke. Gwen released her hand from him and smiled back herself.

“You don’t have to tell me that.” She replied.

“So…” Ben trailed off unsure.

“Go apologize to her first.” She said with a mock stern voice. “We’ll sort the rest out later.” Gwen said. Ben nodded and headed for the exit. He paused before stepping out and turned around just long enough to call out to Gwen.

“I missed you too dweeb.” Ben spoke before rushing out. Gwen could only smile and shake her head.

“Pfft. Doofus.” She whispered to herself.

Outside Julie had spent the last few hours repairing damaged circuitry around various parts of the ship. On Ben’s suggestion she had let Ship’s armor form guide her actions. It was as though Ship knew exactly what to do, she only had to be the conduit for him. She was loathe to admit she was glad she listened to Ben, especially now. But it was strange how he even knew Ship was capable of something like this when she didn’t even know. Thinking back on it, she had discovered Ship was capable of a lot more than she thought possible. And that was just in the last few weeks alone. She wondered distantly how much more she would discover about Ship.

But Julie’s thoughts were interrupted as she spied Ben approaching from her the side. She moaned inwardly. She did not have the energy to deal with another scolding from her ex. She wasn’t some delicate child. Ok sure she had been caught by surprise by the plant monster but that was just because she hadn’t seen it. Magister Ohm had even praised her fighting back on the plumber base. Before she could think any further she heard Ben’s voice from the side.

“Julie can we talk?” He asked although his tone of voice made it seem more like a demand. Well she wasn’t going to give him that satisfaction. Julie glanced sideways at him, and was surprised to see him looking… pensive. It was an unfamiliar expression on Ben’s face. But she returned to her work, refusing to give in to his demands like that.

“What is it Ben?” She asked curtly, not looking up from her work.

“I want to… I want to apologize.” He said. Julie was so shocked she nearly burned out one of the circuits she was working on. Ben had never apologized to her this quickly before in the past. She turned to him and glanced him up and down. She saw his hand was held nervously over the omnitrix and his eyes were cast to the side, glancing back to her before adjusting his gaze somewhere else.

Julie frowned and stood up, Ship’s exo armor sliding off her body to deposit the mechanoid onto the ground by her feet. She crossed her arms and stared at Ben. “So, apologize.” She said plainly. Ben looked at her in surprise before, clearing his throat. He scratched the back of his head nervously, trying to think of the appropriate words to say.

“I’m sorry about earlier. I didn’t mean to speak to you like that. You don’t deserve that…” He said. He looked to see Julie remained staring passively at him. When it was clear she was expecting more he continued. “I just… this place is so dangerous, more dangerous than you could ever believe. I’ve had to fight almost every day of my life here. I didn’t want to see you get hurt. And it’s been so long since I’ve interacted with another person. I know that’s not an excuse but I guess I’ve just forgotten what it’s like.” He said.

“And I’m sorry for everything before too.” Ben said after a pause. Julie’s eyebrow quirked.

“Before?” She asked curiously.

“Back when we were together. I realized a while ago that I had never apologized to you about all the crap I did to you. I was young and stupid then and you didn’t deserve any of it then. You still deserve better now. I’m sorry for being such a sh*t boyfriend.” Ben spoke. “And I’m sorry for making you worry and come all the way out here. I’m sorry for sticking you with the responsibility I did. That was too much to ask of you, I never should have done it. Hell I’m sorry for getting you involved in my stupid life in the first place. If you had never met me you could have just had a normal life! You wouldn’t be in any kind of danger and you wouldn’t have had to put up with how much of a selfish ass I was. I’m sorry for all the stupid sh*t I’ve done to you and I’m sorry for ruining your life and I’m sorry for - ”

“Woah Ben!” Julie interrupted him, placing a hand on his wrist to snap him out of the self-deprecating ramble he had gone on. Ben looked up in surprise to find Julie looking at him softly and with eyes full of concern.

“It’s okay. You’re forgiven.” Julie said compassionately. Ben stared at her, mouth slightly agape. “And I don’t have any regrets about meeting you either. Without you I never would have had all this cool stuff happen to me. And I wouldn’t have met Ship!” She said.

“Ship!” The little robot chirped happily from beside the pair.

“It’s okay.” Julie reassured him. Ben’s vision went blurry as he stared at Julie. He realized vacantly that he had tears beginning to well up in his eyes. He inhaled sharply and stepped back suddenly, rubbing at his eyes with his arm.

“Wow, uh, must have gotten a really bad dust blown into my eyes.” He said. Julie stared at him in confusion but also smiled gently. “How uh, how about I inspect your work?” He asked. Julie had no time to stop him before he transformed into Grey Matter and jumped up onto the circuitboard she had been repairing.

“Very nice, very nice. Very good work. You’re a natural at this Julie!” He complimented.

“Thanks but it was mostly Ship.” Julie stated, still recovering from the emotional whiplash from Ben’s rapid change in attitude.

“Well keep up the good job! I’ve gotta get back to repairing the life support systems.” He said before transforming yet again to Jury Rigg and scurrying away.

Julie could only watch him move away with great confusion.

A/N: My intent is to show that Ben, while being more stern and serious has also matured from when he was a teenager. But in addition to that he also has some unresolved trauma that’s affecting him. As to what extent, that remains to be seen. But I hope that’s all coming across in this chapter. He might be a little OOC but I think that he should be more normal over the course of the rest of the story.

Chapter 19: Chapter 19

Chapter Text

Ben X Chapter 19
Return Home Arc
An Old Enemy Resurfaces

The crew of heroes woke up early the next morning. They had repaired the Rust Bucket just as dusk was settling on the planet. Utterly exhausted from their work they unanimously decided to wait until the next day to leave. That night was one of celebration and catching up. They had not truly had a moment to relax and realize just how much Ben’s absence had affected them. But being so tired they all decided to turn in early. They slept inside the repaired steel of the Rust Bucket, safe from the planet’s many nocturnal predators, of which Ben assured them there was many. But, still full of surprises, Ben was the first of their group to awake. He moved around the cabin, waking the rest of their group and urging them to rise so they could leave as soon as possible. When questioned about his new morning habits Ben replied simply. “I never had time to sleep in.” and left the conversation at that.

Despite their conversation from the other day, Gwen noticed there was still something off about Ben. She hadn’t been privy to his and Julie’s conversation yesterday but judging by the way they had interacted with each other since it had seemed to go well. But Ben was still much more serious than he used to be. She could count on one hand the number of jokes he had cracked. She tried to rationalize it. Ben had been on his own for three years. Of course he was bound to change and mature. And some of that she was glad to see. Overall he seemed to take things more seriously and he was applying himself and appeared more knowledgeable than she had ever thought he could be. Yet there was always that nagging feeling that he was hiding something. His tough capable exterior seemed to be like a shell to her, and all it would take was the right kind of pressure to get him to crack. She felt she glimpsed a bit of it when she spoke to him yesterday but he recovered too quickly for her to comment on it. Not to mention she didn’t want to set his anger off again.

She thought back to Paradox’s warning. Perhaps this is what he meant by Ben being fragile at the moment. She couldn’t imagine Ben ever turning truly evil. The idea was too far fetched. The darkest she had ever seen Ben was when he had threatened to stop Kevin during one of his monsterous rampages. But they had moved past that, like they always did. Gwen was hesitant and unsure. But she knew she and Kevin would be there for Ben no matter what. It was like Kevin said, they would drag him back to the light kicking and screaming if they had to. But her thoughts were quelled as they prepared for launch. It was still early morning but they wanted to get underway as soon as possible.

“All right, ladies and gentlemen this is your captain speaking. Please take your seats and adjust your seatbelts. We are about to launch.” Kevin announced loudly.

“Uhm, Kevin? What about the big storm that crashed us in the first place?” Gwen asked finally realizing their predicament. “If what Ben said is true then we’ll just cause another storm when we try to leave.” She said.

“Not to worry Gwen. I updated the Rust Bucket’s shields with atmospheric dampeners. We should be safe.” Ben spoke up.

“Wait what? You didn’t tell me about this?” Kevin accused. Ben shrugged. The Osmosian grumbled about unauthorized changes but made no further comments.

Kevin proceeded to flick numerous switches and press buttons on the dashboard. The ship’s engine rumbled to life. The interior of the cabin began to shake and rattle, the noise of metal shaking reverberated through the air. Gwen and Julie cast nervous glances around but the boys appeared confident the ship would hold. They all felt the pull of gravity as the Rust Bucket lifted into the air. The noise of the afterburners roaring to life on the outside of the ship. Kevin piloted the ship until it began to take off into the air. It ascended through the clouds quickly. The crew gripped their seats tightly as they watched the Rust Bucket ascend through the clouds. They waited nervously for the clouds to coalesce and turn into a storm again. However a shield of blue light materialized around the vessel, dispersing the clouds. Within minutes they had escaped Hazard’s atmosphere and the vast expanse of stars and space laid in front of them.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, you are free to move about the cabin.” Kevin said with a smirk.

“So what’s the game plan now that we’ve found Ben?” Julie asked.

“We should head straight for Earth. Magister Tennyson was supposed to have put together a team to look into the myths and rumors surrounding the Demiurge. With that information, hopefully we can track it down before any villains can.” Rook responded from the copilot’s chair.

“Sounds like a plan to me.” Ben said nonchalantly.

Hours had passed by since the group left Hazard. Despite it’s faster than light travel capabilities it was still a long trip back to Earth. The first few hours had passed by with Ben asking about how life had been for the group. They regaled Ben with tales of their new jobs, their lives while he had been gone. As they talked, a sad frown came upon Ben and he excused himself to the bathroom. It had been nearly a half hour since then and the others had started to grow concerned.

“Do you think he’s okay?” Gwen asked.

“He did not appear to be ill. And you humans do sometimes tend to take a long time in the restroom.” Rook countered.

“That’s not what I meant Rook.” Gwen said deadpan.

“He probably realized how much he missed out on when we talked. Maybe he’s just trying to take it all in.” Kevin offered.

“I’m going to go check on him.” Julie finally spoke up. She stood from her seat and made her way to the end of the ship. She passed into the cargo hold looking for the bathroom. However, what she found surprised her. Ben sat atop a crate, head bowed and seemingly lost in thought. But what shocked her most was the disappearance of his new beard. Ben noticed as the doors to the cargo bay opened and he moved with a start.

“Oh, Julie, hey.” He started unsure. Julie smiled sadly at him and walked over so she was leaning against the crate opposite him.

“So you shaved it off huh?” She asked. Ben blinked before he realized what she was referring to.

“Oh, yeah.” He said rubbing his now naked jaw. “It was just too different from what I was used to. Maybe someday I’ll grow it back.” He said. Julie smiled back at him and the pair fell in to an awkward silence.

“So umm, how, how have you been?” Ben asked.

“Oh, uhm. I’ve been good.” She said. “I graduated college, moved out to San Diego. I uh, won bronze in the Women’s Olympics Tennis Championships.” She admitted. Ben was equally shocked and impressed.

“Wow Julie that’s awesome!” He said with joy and excitement.

“Oh it’s nothing, it’s just bronze.” She said sheepishly, turning her face away to hide her blush. She wasn’t sure why Ben’s praise affected her so much.

“Not much? I wouldn’t call being the third best Tennis player in the world nothing much.” Ben chided.

“Aw thanks, but I’ve still got a long ways to go.” She said. Ben smiled at her before his expression fell and he turned away trying to hide his expression.

“How’s your uh, boyfriend?” He tried to ask nonchalantly.

“Boyfriend?” She asked confused. Ben turned back and raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah, weren’t you dating that guy Herb?” He asked. A light of recognition went off in Julie’s eyes.

“Oh! We broke up years ago.” She clarified.

“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that.” Ben said unsure.

“Don’t be, he was kind of boring anyway. He always just did whatever I told him to.” Julie remarked dismissively. The pair looked at each other awkwardly as the silence fell between them.

“I uh, met Kai. Before we left. Seems like you both uh, have a lot in common.” Julie said, internally cringing for bringing her up. Ben’s face fell at her mention and he glanced downwards.

“Oh… yeah.” He breathed. “I hadn’t even thought about what I was going to say to her when we get back.” He admitted.

“Well, best of luck to you.” She joked awkwardly. Ben gave a dry chuckle.

“Heh, thanks, I’ll probably need it.” He said.

The pair sat in estranged silence for a few more moments. Julie felt like there was more Ben wanted to say to her. Yet she could tell he was holding himself back. She couldn’t blame him. She also had things she wished to tell him. Being around Ben again reminded her of how they used to joke all the time when they were younger. She knew of course that they had both changed and that things were different now. However she couldn’t stop the feeling inside of herself. She felt at ease knowing he was there and safe. Their reunion was cut short though as an alarm sounded off in the interior of the ship. The pair glanced at each other, their gazes turning serious before they ran back in the direction of the cabin.

“What’s going on?” Ben asked seriously. The group turned to him and were equally surprised by his clean shaven face. But the matter at hand was not to be ignored.

“It’s a distress call.” Kevin reported simply.

“It seems that a transport ship has had their engines fail.” Rook stated reviewing the information. He brought up an image on screen. The image showed a large cargo ship listing to the side. It was grey and teal in color, with 4 large nacelles positioned on either side of the hull. A large yellow set of windows indicated the command deck. The lights on the ship were flickering quickly. A cloud of dust drifted from one of the engines, spreading into the vastness of space.

Ben frowned. “Can we alert any other nearby plumbers? Have them send out a rescue party?” He asked.

“We are several days away from the nearest plumber base. It is unlikely there are any nearby plumbers that will be able to help.” Rook clarified.

“Well we can’t just leave them can we?” Julie asked. The group turned to Ben, awaiting his response. Ben glared at the ship on the view screen seriously. He turned to look a the faces surrounding him.

“It’s your call Ben.” Kevin said. Ben took a deep breath. He glanced to his right at Gwen who looked at him with a curious expression. Ben smirked.

“Well, how could I call myself a hero if I ignored the first person who needed my help?” Ben said proudly. “Let’s go.” Kevin smirked and began to steer the Rust Bucket on course for the damaged vessel.

It was only a few minutes before they had approached the stranded cargo ship. As they neared they noticed metal debris floating in the vicinity of the damaged vessel. However curiously they could see no signs of external damage that would have caused the ship to be stranded here. They circled around it, scanning the hull several times.

“Any life signs?” Ben asked hoping they weren’t too late.

“A handful.” Kevin replied reading off the screen. He maneuvered the Rust Bucket up alongside the larger ship. Within minutes they had successfully docked with it.

“All right, here’s the plan. Gwen, Kevin and I will search the ship for any survivors. You guys stay here and keep an eye on things.” Ben said. Rook and Julie nodded.

Gwen, Kevin, and Ben stood at the ready, waiting for the docking bay doors to open and let them onto the derelict ship.

“Just like old times huh?” Kevin spoke aloud. Ben couldn’t help but smile as he looked at his closest teammates.

Finally the docking bay doors opened with a hiss. The trio crossed over the steel corridor linking it to the other ship. As they entered the cargo ship they were relieved to find that some of the major systems were still working. The artificial gravity was still working and life support seemed to be still intact. However the hallways were still dark, the only light coming from glowing emergency lights embedded in the ceiling and floor. The ship was eerily silent, nothing but shifting metal and their own footsteps echoing in the empty space. The trio made their way further inside, Gwen lighting their way with a glowing ball of mana.

“Rook, where are the life signs located?” Ben asked over the radio.

“The life signs appear to be clustered near the command deck. You should take a right at the next intersection.” Rook guided them from back on the Rust Bucket. The group of heroes followed Rook’s directions but it seemed the hallway never ended. Eventually it began curving to the left.

“Uh, Rook? You sure you got those directions right?” Ben asked

“Strange, I have downloaded the schematics for this class of ship but according to my readings you are nowhere near where you are supposed to be.” Rook said perplexed. Ben raised an eyebrow in confusion, before Kevin’s voice spoke up.

“Uh, I think I know why.” He said.

The group looked up to see the hallway in front of them filled with dozens of familiar orange robotic minions and floating spider like droids. They all aimed weapons at the trio of heroes. At the far end of the hall was a green figure, towering above the mechanical minions. The familiar silhouette of Vilgax stepped forth, clad in his classic maroon and black armor. The alien warlord stepped forward, raising a single remote into the air. He pressed a button and suddenly the entire interior of the ship transformed. The once rectangular dark grey halls disappeared to reveal curved red and orange architecture. Outside, Rook and Julie watched shocked as the illusion fell away to reveal Vilgax’s flagship, the Chimeran Hammer.

“Ben Tennyson. As the people on your world say: Long time no see.” Vilgax spoke with his gravelly voice.

“Vilgax. You’ve saved me the trouble of hunting you down. I’m sending you straight back to jail.” Ben said with conviction.

“This is not like the other times Tennyson. Here you are on my ship. I have you trapped right where I want you.” He spoke.

“Never thought you’d resort to tricks Vilgax. Cloaking your ship and pretending to be in distress? You’ve fallen quite far since we last saw each other.” Ben taunted.

“In pursuit of the Omnitrix, I will resort to any measures.” He said. “Now, you have two choices. Either give me the Omnitrix willingly, or I will take it from your crushed corpse. What will it be?” Vilgax asked, hand outstretched.

Ben glanced at his companions. Both Gwen and Kevin had determined expressions on their faces. Gwen held her hands at the ready, prepped to summon a mana construct at a moments notice. Kevin had crouched down, fingertips grazing the steel floor in preparation to absorb the metal onto him. Ben smirked, it was just like old times indeed.

“Sorry Vilgax, I choose option 3. I kick your butt and drag you out of here!” Ben said. He brought his left wrist up. The omnitrix dial popped up. He slapped down on the dial causing a great flash of green light. The flash lit up the entire hallway, blinding everyone present. When the light faded it revealed a strange new alien. The alien was small and round. It’s entire body was covered with fuzzy brown hair that stuck out all around it. A pair of black doll like eyes stared out at the world. In between and slightly below the eyes the omnitrix symbol stood proudly. The tiny ball of fuzz jumped into the air, despite seeming to have no limbs to do so with.

“Hairball!” the alien shouted in a squeaky voice before landing proudly in front of them. The hallway was silent for a few moments as those present took in Ben’s surprising new alien form. Suddenly a deep throaty laugh resounded through out the ship.

“You think an alien as puny and pathetic as that could possibly stand up to me? You must have gone insane in the last 3 years.” Vilgax gloated.

“Uh, Ben. I think maybe he has a point? Wouldn’t humongosaur be a better option here?” Gwen asked nervously as she eyed the little fuzz ball.

“Oh, just you all wait.” Ben replied in his squeaky high pitched voice. “Let me show you all just what a Keratinian can do!” He shouted.

Suddenly the little ball of hair leaped into the air again. In an instant several tendrils of long brown hair shot out of Hairball’s body. The tendrils reached out for the nearest Bioids before snaking around their forms. Once in his clutches, Ben used his newfound tentacles to crush the bioids into piles of scrap metal. Kevin and Gwen looked on, shocked at the display from the tiny alien. Hairball flung himself forwards, using the androids as anchors before tossing them at the next group of robots in front of him.

“Open fire!” Vilgax commanded. The remaining droids lifted their weapons and started firing lasers at the group.

Gwen readied a mana shield in front of them. However, she was surprised yet again as Hairball’s strands expanded and formed into a solid wall in front of them, spanning from wall to wall. Ben’s face watched them from the other side, but winced as the lasers impacted his form.

“Guys, a little help here?” Ben asked.

“But how do we…” Kevin asked putting a hand up to the wall of hair which felt as solid as stone. Suddenly the strands of hair fell apart and a hole in the wall opened. Kevin wasted no time, rushing through in his metal clad form to bash the nearest machine. Gwen followed through next, one hand raising a shield in front of her and the other blasting pink energy. Once they had passed through him, Ben shrunk back into his tiny ball form. He bounced forward towards the battle.

Kevin and Gwen began destroying the nearest drones. Kevin transformed his fists into hammers, striking the robots and flattening them into piles of scrap metal. Gwen’s mana blasts burned holes through the machines. They began dropping like flies. However, no matter how many they seemed to destroy, more would pop out of the walls to take their place. But both of them were more surprised seeing Ben’s tiny innocent looking fuzzy form wreak absolute havoc on their enemies. He ducked and dodged nimbly between the laser fire. Tendrils of hair whipped out of his round body, disabling and disarming the alien drones with quick efficiency. Whenever an enemy got too close within his range, the hairs on his body would stiffen and sharpen to razor sharp points which he would then use to pierce the enemies.

“Kevin!” Ben called out, grabbing the osmosian’s attention. Ben screwed his eyes shut and in another second several foot long spikes emerged all around his body. A single tendril of hair wound it’s way up Kevin’s arm. “Toss me!” Ben instructed. Kevin nodded, the message received. He gripped the tendril of hair that attached him to Ben. He began spinning in a circle, slamming Hairball’s mace like form into every enemy in their path. He had soon cleared a wide swath of robots from in front of them. Once the Bioids had been dealt with Ben turned his attention to the drones still flying above them.

Reaching up with more tendrils of hair Ben gripped one of the drones flying above. He was ripped out of Kevin’s grip as the drone flew around the room, desperate to shake him off. But Hairball was persistent. He tangled himself up in the mechanical parts of the flying drone. The drone malfunctioned and began to crash to the ground. He jumped ship and swung to the next drone, repeating the process. He looked down to see Kevin and Gwen still struggling with the bioids on the ground. He hopped off and plummeted to the ground. He sent out several sharpened spears mid-air that pierced into the remaining bioids, stunning both Gwen and Kevin.

“You deal with the rest of these guys. I’m going after Vilgax!” Hairball’s squeaky voice said. Ben then bounced forward dodging laser blasts as he did so. Finally the little fuzz ball reached Vilgax.

“Tennyson!” The alien warlord screeched. He stomped down on Hairball, intending to crush him. But Ben easily dodged out of the way. He extended several tendrils of hair, easily climbing up Vilgax’s long limbs.

“What? What is this?” Vilgax said trying to shake free of the tendrils.

“Let’s just say you’re about to have a bad hair day!” Ben quipped even as his tendrils continued to tangle around Vilgax. The villain tried desperately to punch and swipe at Ben’s main body which stayed just out of reach. But Ben continued to wrap Vilgax in his long locks. Vilgax growled in frustration. His eyes glowed red and in another second twin lasers shot out from them. The lasers burned at Hairball’s tendrils, severing them in half. Ben cried out in pain, his tendrils loosening as he lost concentration. With his grip going slack, Vilgax was able to free himself from Ben’s grip. He grabbed him by the long strands of hair and used them to slam Ben into the steel walls and floor. Ben groaned in pain as Vilgax finally released him. His eyes closed and he lost consciousness. A second later he flashed green and returned to human form.

“Ben!” Gwen yelled out in worry. Vilgax reached down and picked up Ben’s slack form by his wrist. He examined the Omnitrix closely. He grinned evilly. Vilgax turned and held Ben’s limp body out in front of him.

“Surrender now or I will destroy Tennyson in front of you!” Vilgax demanded.

Gwen and Kevin looked at each other frowning. They couldn’t risk it. They nodded and slowly raised their hands.

“Put them in the holding cells. I will take Tennyson and remove the Omnitrix. Finally it will be mine.” Vilgax said.

Back aboard the Rust Bucket, Rook and Julie listened in to the fight through the radio connection to the plumber’s badges.

“What do we do now?” Julie asked worried. Ship curled around her neck, attempting to give his owner some sense of comfort. Rook steeled his gaze and turned to her.

“Now we go after them.” He said. Rook grabbed his proto-tool amd started gathering equipment from around the ship. Julie followed behind him worriedly.

“Isn’t Vilgax a really bad guy?” Julie asked concerned. Rook turned to her and his gaze softened ever so slightly. He reached a hand out to her shoulder.

“If you wish, you can remain on the ship.” He said. “I know fighting like this was not what you signed up for.” Rook spoke. Julie’s eyes widened as she considered this. She wasn’t like Ben or the others, she didn’t have a lot of experience fighting in the field. In fact she was downright terrified. Ben had told Julie stories of just how bad Vilgax was. Going up against him wouldn’t be easy. But, she realized, Ben needed her. Julie steeled her gaze and nodded resolutely. In another second, Ship had coated her in her familiar armor.

“Let’s go. What’s the plan?” She said confidently. Rook nodded in return.

“We will have to free Gwendolyn and Kevin first, they can help us take on Vilgax and free Ben.” He said.

The duo silently snuck aboard Vilgax’s ship. Rook checking around corners and sticking to the shadows. Julie followed as quietly as possible behind him, sticking close to the more experienced alien. Rook looked down to his plumber’s badge and Julie snuck a peek over his shoulder. The badge displayed two blinking dots in close proximity to each other. In the opposite direction was a single blinking dot that was separated. That must be Ben, Julie realized. Rook continued monitoring their positions before speaking in a hushed whisper.

“We will have to sneak our way down to the detention level to free Gwen and Kevin.” Rook whispered. “Miss Yamamoto, it is very important that you stay as quiet as possible and stick close to me at all…. times?” Rook trailed off confused.

“Julie? Where did you go?” Rook asked, puzzled as the young woman had seemingly disappeared.

“What do you mean? I’m right here.” Came Julie’s disembodied voice from his right. But no matter how hard Rook looked he could not see her.

“I cannot see you.” Rook stated confused. Julie frowned, annoyed. This wasn’t a time for games.

“Rook I’m right next to… you.” Julie said as she finally looked down at herself. She lifted her hands up to her face and found surprisingly that she could see right through them. She was shocked before realizing that she must be invisible. She reached out a hand to Rook, startling him somewhat. Rook looked down at his shoulder where he saw a slight shift in the light.

“Incredible, it seems Ship has activated an adaptive light bending camouflage.” Rook said impressed. Julie smiled to herself, she was incredibly proud of her little pet. She never realized he had this much potential before. “This is perfect. Now I will not have to worry about you getting into danger.” He said. Julie frowned at this.

“Wait, what’s that supposed to mean?” She asked accusingly. Rook’s eyes widened before he glanced away. But Julie’s persistent stare was unrelenting.

“I apologize. I did not mean anything by it. But Ben had asked me before we left camp to watch over you and make sure you weren’t hurt.” Rook admitted. Julie gasped in shock before growing angry. She couldn’t believe Ben looked down on her like that. “I had tried to assure him you were more than capable of looking out for yourself, however he insisted. He seemed very keen to keep you safe.” He continued. Julie felt confused: She wanted to be angry at him but at the same time it seemed like Ben only wanted to keep her safe.

Julie shook her head. This wasn’t the time to deal with any of this. They had a mission. They needed to rescue Gwen, Kevin, and Ben. And they needed to do it before Vilgax could steal Ben’s Omnitrix. “It doesn’t matter. We’ve got a job to do. Lead the way.” Julie said determined. Rook nodded and stalked forward through the empty hallways towards Gwen and Kevin’s positions.

Ben woke up groggily. He winced in pain from the throbbing ache in his head. Slowly opening his eyes, they adjusted to the bright lights. He looked around to find himself in a large circular room. It was then he realized both his arms and legs were restrained. He was strapped to a large platform, a bright light hanging over head. Arranged around him in a circle were a variety of mechanical devices. The room was mostly empty besides that. A few consoles lined the outer walls of the circular room. Ben struggled weakly against the restraints which held him fast. Before he could come up with a solution to his predicament a familiar voice spoke from behind him.

“Alas poor Tennyson. Had you stayed unconscious you would have been spared the pain of me ripping the Omnitrix from you.” Vilgax spoke stepping out from behind him and into the light.

Ben simply rolled his eyes. “So… here we are again. Me strapped to some alien device meant to steal the Omnitrix. You gloating prematurely over what you assume will be your victory. Don’t you ever get tired of this Vilgax? I’m starting to suspect you just have a crush on me.” Ben said cheekily.

Vilgax narrowed his eyes in contempt. “Make your jokes Tennyson. You won’t be laughing for long.” Vilgax said moving to one of the monitors floating around Ben. He touched the screen and an array of sharp dissection instruments fell from the ceiling above him. Unperturbed, Ben turned his attention to Vilgax once more.

“What have you done to my friends?” He asked seriously. Vilgax chuckled.

“Your pathetic friends are being held in my dungeon. As we speak your newer companions are plotting an ill-conceived rescue attempt of them.” Vilgax explained. Ben narrowed his eyes at that. He had hoped that Rook would have talked Julie into staying behind on the ship. However he didn’t have time to dwell on that thought as Vilgax approached again.

The alien warlord held up a high tech scalpel with a laser blade. He leaned in close to Ben’s face and smirked. “Are you ready to suffer Tennyson?” He asked menacingly. Ben began to chuckle, his sides shaking with laughter. Vilgax looked confused. “What is so funny?” He asked. Ben’s laughter died down and he looked at Vilgax with a mischievious grin.

“Do you know what I’ve been doing for the last three years Vilgax?” He asked. The alien paused and withdrew, certain that Ben was up to something. “I’ve been training with the Omnitrix. I have Master Control. So do you know what that means?” Ben asked. Vilgax scowled, his stance turning defensive as he prepared for whatever trick that Ben had up his sleeves.

“It means that I don’t have to touch the Omnitrix to transform anymore.” Ben said with a smirk. “Voice Command: Four Arms!” He called out. The Omnitrix blinked before the familiar flash of light enveloped Ben and replaced his form with that of Four Arms.

Vilgax was shocked and before he could respond Ben used two of his newfound hands to rip the restraints from himself. Once free, Four Arms launched himself at Vilgax, swinging with superhuman strength. It was only due to Vilgax’s enhanced physique and durability that he was not thrown backwards from the force of the swings. The pair began trading blows, wrestling around the room and knocking the various torture implements to the ground. Vilgax pinned Ben to the ground and attempted to stab his head with the laser scalpel from earlier. But Four Arms narrowly dodged the strikes by adjusting his head. Finally he kicked up at Vilgax, sending the alien warlord flying across the room. Four Arms stood to his feet, wiping sweat from his brow as Vilgax did the same.

“Come on Squid Head! That all you got?” Four Arms taunted. Vilgax growled and charged at the Tetramand. The duo grappled hands, pushing against each other. But Ben had the upper hand, literally as he used his free arms to pummel Vilgax’s midsection. The Chimeran grunted in pain before his eyes glowed red and twin beams of laser energy shot forth from them. The lasers burned into Four Arms’ skin causing him to cry out in pain. But Ben grit his teeth and slammed his head forward, headbutting the villain and causing him to stumble backwards. Four Arms was relentless, he charged forward punching Vilgax at every opening he could find.

Growing frustrated, Vilgax grabbed hold of Ben’s arms and tossed him aside. He crashed into a control console, smashing it to bits. The entire ship shuddered as Ben stood back up. Lights began flickering and the engines roared to life. The Ship began drifting away and the interior lilted to the side. However, Ben hardly seemed to take notice of this. Instead he charged back at Vilgax determined to knock the villain out cold. The pair continued to brawl even as multiple warning sirens and flashing lights signalled danger.

“Ben!” Called out Gwen’s worried voice as the rest of their group made it to the command center. They took in the destruction, alarms, and the two brawling figures with shock.

“I’m fine! Stabilize the ship!” Four Arms called out. Suddenly he was sucker punched in the gut by Vilgax. He was thrown against the wall again and the pair continued to fight tooth and nail. The group looked at each other in confusion and fear.

“Kevin, you and miss Yamamoto should attempt to stabilize the ship. Gwen and I shall assist Ben.” Rook instructed. He and Gwen ran off as Kevin dragged Julie over to the smashed control console. Kevin surveyed the damage with a grim expression on his face.

“Can your mutt fix this?” Kevin asked. Julie scowled, offended.

“How should I know? And don’t call him a mutt!” Julie yelled back.

“Well what is he good for then?” Kevin shot back, stressed as he tried desperately to punch in commands on the destroyed console. Julie growled again.

“Ship can you help us here?” she asked her loyal pet. The mechanoid chirped happily before extending his semi-liquid form off of Julie’s hands and over the console. The dashboard reformed in a matter of seconds, allowing Kevin to access the ship’s functions.

Behind them Vilgax was struggling against Ben still. The pair were still locked in vicious hand to hand combat. Both Gwen and Rook were attempting to subdue Vilgax, however Ben’s ferocity in battle meant that they could not get a clear shot at their mutual opponent. Every time they would find an opening to shoot Vilgax with a blast of energy or mana, Ben would block their shot a moment later.

“Gah Ben! We’re trying to help you!” Gwen yelled out as the pair tumbled around in front of her for the fourth time.

“I don’t need, ugh, any help! Fix the ship!” Ben demanded as he continued to fight off Vilgax’s onslaught.

“Uh, guys we’ve got a bigger problem over here!” Kevin yelled from across the room. “The ship’s main power core has been overloaded. It’s gonna blow soon!” Kevin explained in a panic. Above him a display of the ship showed the center flashing red and yellow and gauges across the display were rapidly increasing into the red.

“Is there any way to stop it?” Rook asked.

“No, I’ve tried but we were too late. We need to get out of here ASAP.” He explained. Gwen turned to Four Arms and pleaded desperately.

“Ben we need to go!” She yelled.

“I’m not leaving here till I take down Vilgax!” Ben called angrily. But when he turned to Gwen his guard momentarily dropped. Vilgax smiled wickedly as he pluged his hand onto Ben’s chest, gripping the omnitrix symbol. His gauntlet alive with an electric charge.

“And I’m not leaving without the Omnitrix.” Vilgax shot back as Ben cried out in pain.

“Ben!” Called the voices of his friend in distress. Rook and Gwen attempted to rush Vilgax but were halted as they noticed a strange commotion. Where Vilgax gripped the omnitrix a large sphere of crackling white energy grew. Vilgax’s smile faltered but he did not release his grip. Ben grimaced in pain as he felt the energy surge through him. The sphere grew larger and larger until it exploded outwards in a pulse of white electricity. The pulse knocked everyone off their feet.

As the energy spread Ben’s transformation failed and he returned back to human form. He looked at himself in confusion, but he wasn’t the only one to be affected by the surge of energy. A moment later he heard Julie cry out in pain. He looked over to see Julie fall against the wall as Ship’s body drooped off of her, sparking randomly. Ben looked between Julie and Vilgax who seemingly also had difficulty getting up. He looked at the Omnitrix in confusion as it flashed between red and green rapidly. He tried to dial up another alien but the Omnitrix was non-compliant. The alarms and flashing lights grew more intense as the gauges showed the core was reaching critical mass. Ben looked back at Vilgax who was just starting to rise from the floor.

“Ben! We have to go now! Or else we won’t make it.” Gwen said grabbing him by the shirt.

“What about Vilgax?!” He countered.

“Forget about him! Our lives come first.” Gwen fired back. Ben clenched his fist but he couldn't argue with his cousin’s common sense. Instead he ran over to Kevin and Julie. The young woman was still recovering from the electric shock when she felt Ben pick her up Bridal style.

“We need to get to the escape pods!” Ben called out, running off down the hallway.

“Wait! You forgot Ship!” Julie called back.

“Don’t worry, I got him.” Kevin shouted as he picked up the limp creature from the floor. The group followed Ben as he ran towards the corridor of the escape pods. Vilgax watched them leave with a scowl on his face. Still weakened by the surge of electricity he was unable to give chase.

“You have not seen the last of me Ben Tennyson!” His voice yelled out even as the group moved further and further away from him.

The group of heroes found the escape pods rather quickly. But they each could hold only two persons at a time. Ben wasted no time in setting Julie into the pod and quickly climbing in after her. Julie, still recovering from the powerful shock could hardly protest as Ben buckled her up and the doors to the escape pod sealed shut. She glanced out the clear glass and saw Rook and Gwen get into one together. She reached her hand out to touch the cold screen as she watched Kevin climb into an escape pod with Ship clutched protectively in his arms. She wanted to call out, but the vision was ripped from her suddenly as the escape pod was launched. She watched helplessly as stars flew by her, Vilgax’s ship grew smaller and smaller in the distance. Two more pods shot out from the ship, streaking white against the otherwise black sky of outer space. Suddenly the ship burst into a series of explosions, sending debris and metal shooting off into space. It was the last thing Julie saw before she was overcome by exhaustion.

A/N: Sorry for missing the last update from last weekend. This chapter is pretty long and covers a lot so I hope it’s not too much. I just wanted to get through a lot of stuff. Hopefully everyone’s still enjoying the story.

Chapter 20: Chapter 20

Chapter Text

Ben X Chapter 20
The Return Home Arc
Stranded

A trio of shooting stars blaze through the sky of an arid wasteland planet. In the far off distance a yellow flash of light can be seen. The streaks of light fall through the sky, plummeting through the air towards the ground. As they approach it becomes apparent that the objects are not meteors or space debris, but in fact are egg shaped maroon colored pods. The trio of pods heat up on re-entry through the planet’s atmosphere. The metal alloy it is constructed of resists the forces but the pods still shake and tremble on their journey. The trio of pods soon begin to split apart, spreading over a wide area.

One such pod falls to the surface of the planet where it lands with a crash and bounces back into the air. It skips across the ground for several hundred feet. It’s impact carving gouges into the loose grey soil of the planet with each bounce. Finally it skids to a stop, smoke and ozone still wafting off the heated surface of the pod. A few minutes pass as the pod stays absolutely still. Then a mechanical hiss is heard and a curved door lifts up allowing the interior to be seen.

Gwen steps out of the pod, hand clutched to her head as she regains her bearings. Followed shortly after her is Rook who appears far more accustomed to the rough landing they had just endured. The pair look around at the barren and strange landscape they find themselves in. Whatever this planet is, it is full of many hills and mountains in the distance. The ground beneath them is a greyish purple color and is filled with many rocks and interspersed with small pale green bushes and vegetation. Very few signs of animal life are around. The sky above them is a pale teal color and dark clouds float overhead. Overall, the planet appears mostly devoid of life.

“So… this place seems… nice.” Gwen commented.

“The escape pods are programmed to seek out the nearest habitable planet. It does not say how habitable that planet is supposed to be.” Rook replied.

“Great. Well hopefully we won’t be stuck here too long. First things first we have to find the others.” She stated.

“Agreed. Unfortunately, I believe that electro-magnetic pulse from earlier has damaged my plumber’s badge. I cannot track down any of our comrades.” Rook explained.

“Lucky for you then, I can track people by their mana.” Gwen said smugly. She floated up and assumed a meditative position with her legs crossed and hands folded in her lap. Gwen closed her eyes and focused her powers. A light pink aura began to glow around her as she concentrated. A few minutes later, she ceased her trance and returned to the ground. She walked over to Rook.

“I found Kevin, he’s about 7 miles that way.” Gwen pointed off into the distance. “And it looks like Ben’s with Julie. They’re about 10 miles in that direction.” She pointed in not quite the opposite direction.

“Oof. That will not be a good combination.” Rook observed.

“Yeeaaahh. Who knows, maybe they’ll make up.” Gwen suggested optimistically. Rook simply stared at her blankly. “Ok maybe at least Julie won’t kill him before we get to them.” Gwen said revising her outlook.

“Either way, I suggest we find Kevin first as he appears to be closer.” Rook suggested.

“Yeah, we’re gonna have to hoof it though. I can’t teleport all of us together.” Gwen said as she began to walk off in the direction of Kevin.

“Hoof it? Forgive me but neither of us have hooves?” Rook said as he followed after her.

“Ugh Rook, you’ve lived on Earth for what? Five years? You’ve gotta get with the lingo.” Gwen complained half-heartedly as the pair of them walked off into the desert.

Elsewhere, Kevin emerged from his pod by unceremoniously kicking the stuck door off it’s hinges. The bent piece of metal landed several dozen feet from the pod. The osmosian emerged, Ship bouncing dutifully behind him, having recovered from the EMP. Kevin paused and looked around. He wasn’t sure what planet he was on but it appeared to at least have some life sustaining capabilities judging on the atmosphere and sparse plants around him. He observed his surroundings and found that his pod had crashed at the bottom of a deep valley, with high stone walls towering above him.

Kevin sighed to himself as he realized his predicament. His friends were spread who knows how far across a mystery planet. He pulled out his plumber badge but found that it wasn’t working. He turned back to find the little galvanic mechamorph looking up at him innocently. “Well I guess it’s a good thing that I at least got stuck with a ticket out of here.” Kevin said with a smile.

“Ship?” The little alien chirped curiously.

“Well, go ahead and do your thing little guy.” Kevin encouraged. But the little alien only tilted its head.

“Ship.” It called out again. Kevin frowned.

“Yeah you know! Turn into that giant flying ship form of yours!” Kevin said waving his arms around to mime the large vessel. But Ship only jumped and shook his head, turning away from Kevin and bouncing closer to the wall of the valley. Kevin dropped his arms in dismay.

“Great you must still be damaged from that EMP huh?” Kevin said with a small amount of sympathy and even more exasperation.

“Ship!” The little machine chirped happily. Kevin sighed again as he followed behind the little droid.

“Great, guess I’m doing this the old fashioned way.” He complained approaching the sheer wall of stone. He put a hand to it, absorbing the grey stone onto his body. Kevin began to climb, his hands forcing holds into the cliff wall. A second later he felt a blob hit his back. He twisted his head to find Ship had perched himself on his shoulders. “Pfft. Freeloader.” He muttered to himself as he continued to climb.

After about ten minutes of climbing, Kevin finally crested the top of the valley. He pulled himself up onto the surface and felt Ship hop off of him. He looked around and saw that he actually was at the peak of a large hill. From his vantage point he could see around him for miles in nearly every direction. He squinted his eyes and saw tell tale signs of smoke and crash sites. One was further off to his left while the other was to his right. The one on the right appeared to be closer to him, but still a long ways off. Kevin sighed again as he set off. This was going to be a long day.

Julie awoke slowly, the first thing she noticed was a throbbing pain in her head. The next thing she noticed was an insistent voice on the edge of her awareness calling her name. She felt warm hands gripping tight on her shoulders. She opened her eyes to see Ben looking worriedly down at her. When she opened her eyes she noticed instantly his face looked relieved. She sat up and looked around herself. The memories suddenly came back to her. The distress call, the rescue mission, the reveal of Vilgax’s ship, infiltrating the ship to free her friends, the fight and ensuing explosion. The sight of the ship shrinking as the escape pod rocketed further and further away.

“How are you feeling?” Ben asked with genuine concern. Julie stood unsteadily, but Ben’s hands were there to support her should she fall.

“I’m fine, just a bit of a headache.” Julie responded. Ben frowned at this.

“We should make sure it isn’t a concussion.” He said.

“I’m fine.” Julie asserted as she moved past Ben and exited the pod. Once on solid ground, she observed their strange surroundings with dismay. This place looked even worse than Hazard. She turned back to Ben. “So… what’s the plan?” She asked. Ben stepped out of the pod after her.

“Well, I’ve got good news and bad news.” Ben started.

“Is the bad news that we’re stranded on some alien planet?” Julie asked sarcasticly. Ben ignored her quip and spoke again.

“The bad news is that whatever that energy surge was it damaged the Omnitrix.” Ben said. Julie looked at the alien device. It didn’t appear to be damaged or broken. “I’ve no longer got master control, which means it’s gonna be a lot harder picking out the exact aliens I want.” Ben finished explaining. Julie frowned again.

“So what’s the good news?” She asked hopefully.

“The good news is that the Omnitrix can track the other’s plumber badges. They’re several miles away but if we get moving soon we can reach them before nightfall.” Ben said. Julie sighed.

“Well, lead the way I guess.” She said, frustrated with the situation.

Ben frowned before turning his attention back to the Omnitrix. He pressed the buttons on the stubborn device which popped up the control dial. He spent a few minutes searching through the database with growing consternation. “Alright, here goes nothing.” He said before pressing down on the dial. Julie watched as his body shifted in an instant to a large mostly green alien with a head full of flames. “Aw man, I really did not miss this.” Swampfire complained.

“Swampfire?” Julie asked curiously.

“I was going for XLR8.” Ben said with resignation. He sighed heavily. “Come on, we better get moving.” He waved her forward and began trudging his way towards the others. Julie followed behind, arms crossed across her chest.

The pair walked across the grayish desert in mutual silence. The only sounds were those of their footsteps and the wind blowing across the empty landscape. The soil crunched below their feet. Julie noted that as they passed by the sparse moss and vegetation across the desert, she would see little insect like creatures scatter about. She looked up to see Swampfire stoically leading the way across the planet. The sky above them was dark and grey, a good match for the barren landscape that surrounded them. Julie wrapped her arms around herself feeling chilly. She watched Swampfire march across the desert in front of her. Ben was silent and all she could seem to focus on was the alien’s wide and silent back.

Her mind drifted to the last few days since she had reunited with Ben. Initially her entire reason for coming on the trip was because she was worried about him. But after meeting him again in person years later it seemed as though he was doing just fine. Which begged the question of why she felt so strongly about seeing him again. She refused to believe that she was letting her sentimentality get the better of her. Sure Ben had matured quite well in the time since she last saw him, becoming more rugged and handsome, but she wasn’t going to let that blind her. He still was acting like the same old jerk he was before he left. Although, she thought to herself, it did take him less time to apologize for his behavior. Julie could feel her head ache. She wasn’t sure if it was the crash landing or her confused thoughts about Ben making her head throb. Regardless, she tried to put the thoughts out of her mind.

Julie paused as she walked. She looked over to her right. She could have sworn she heard some rustling movement but there didn’t seem to be anything there. Ben paused as he noticed that Julie was no longer following him.

“Everything okay?” He asked.

“Yeah, I just thought I heard something.” Julie said.

Suddenly a monstrous form leaped from the sand below. It charged straight at Julie who could only stare helplessly in fright as the creature ran for her. But Ben’s reflexes were much quicker than hers and he managed to land a punch on the beast, flinging it backwards. The creature was stunned for a moment allowing the duo to get a good look at it. The beast was roughly the size of a large hound. It was quadrepedal, with brown scaly skin and a long segmented tail. It had four orange eyes arranged around a large circular mouth with multiple rows of razor sharp teeth. Sprouting from the center of the mouth was a long whip like tongue with a sharp barbed point. The creature growled and hissed at them.

“Julie stay back!” Ben warned as he set his hands aflame. He sprayed gouts of fire at the creature, obscuring it from view. A second later the alien leapt from the flames, completely unscathed. “Great, it’s fire proof.” Swampfire said in a deadpan. The alien creature charged at Ben and chomped down on his leg. The serrated teeth tore easily into his plant like flesh, ripping the lower half of his limb from his body. Ben fell over onto his side. The creature took the opportunity to assault Swampfire again, tearing into his flesh with sharp teeth and claws. Ben’s anguished screams tore through the once still air.

“Ben!” Julie cried out in alarm. She looked around her and grabbed a pile of sharp stones. She took aim and hurled them at the monster. The rocks smacked into the creature’s head with a loud thud, distracting it from it’s meal.

The beast shook it’s head and turned towards Julie, sizing her up. Julie backed up in fear. The beast abandoned Ben’s form and began chasing after the young woman. Julie ran away in fear but the monster was right on her tail. It lashed it’s tongue at her retreating from. Julie dodged as best she could but the beast finally landed a hit on her back. Julie could feel the sharp end of it’s tongue embed itself in between her shoulder blades. A second later she could feel a burning hot sensation spread across her back as the creature injected it’s venom into her. Julie kicked back, knocking the alien away before she felt her body begin to go stiff. She fell roughly to the dirt, her arms and legs refusing to move. She began to panic as the alien creature stalked towards her. “Ben! Help me!” She cried out in alarm.

Several feet away from her, Swampfire’s form had returned to normal just as the Omnitrix timed out. Ben picked himself up from the ground, still sore from the beast having tore into him. But the moment he heard Julie’s panicked yell, all other thoughts dropped from his mind. He looked up to see Julie lying prone and immobile as the beast stalked forward. “Come on Omnitrix, just give me something I can use!” Ben yelled as he activated the Omnitrix again. He felt himself grow much larger, his bones and muscles growing strong and powerful. A second later the towering form of Humungosaur stood in his place. The alien dinosaur charged forward, a war cry spilling from his throat.

The alien predator paused as it felt the enormous footfalls of Humungosaur. It had no time to react as it was kicked square in the face. The beast was sent flying back and collided with a large boulder. It regained its bearings and hissed loudly at Ben. The predator charged again, it’s barbed tongue lashing wildly at Ben. But Humungosaur’s form was much too large for the venom to have much of an effect. Instead Ben began to pummel the creature with his fists, even as the beast clawed and bit into his scaly hide. Humungosaur ripped the creature from it’s grip on him before tossing him to the ground. Before it could recover he stomped powerfully on it’s midsection. The beast let out a wail of pain before Ben gripped it by the tail. He whipped the beast around and slammed him onto the ground several times. Finally Ben spun around in a circle, still holding the creature by the tail. He let loose of the creature like a shot put and sent it soaring through the air far away. He watched as the creature impacted the ground several dozen yards away. The creature trembled before it righted itself and scuttered off in the opposite direction.

Ben heaved a sigh of relief before turning back to Julie. He rushed over and stooped delicately above her. Julie was already beginning to recover, the venom seeming to only have a short duration. She gingerly got to her feet, using Humongosaur’s large frame to prop herself up.

“Are you okay?” Humongosaur asked with concern.

“I – I think so… My feeling’s coming back to me.” Julie said as she experimentally flexed her limbs.

“What were you thinking?!” Humungosaur yelled at her angrily. Julie looked up at the behemoth alien. His face was screwed in an ugly expression of anger. His chest heaved with rapid upset breaths. He towered over her and any other person might have been afraid, but Julie was not just any person.

“I had to get that thing off of you before it tore you to shreds. It worked out fine didn’t it?” Julie said turning her back on him.

“You nearly got killed!” Ben retorted back.

“So did you!” Julie shot back angrily.

“I can’t believe this. Julie I’m the hero here, I signed up for these risks.” Ben pointed out.

“And you think I didn’t when I signed up to go look for you? I knew this would be dangerous.” Julie said.

“I knew I never should have given you that cube. If you hadn’t known, you would still be safe back on Earth.” Humungosaur said stomping away. Julie fumed at him, her eyes seeing red.

“If you hadn’t been so dead set on fighting Vilgax we wouldn’t be stranded on this stupid planet in the first place!” She yelled at him.

“What?!” Humungosaur said shoving his face in hers.

“If you had just let us help you fight him, we could have defeated Vilgax together! It was five against one! But you just had to be the big hero and do everything by yourself, like usual.” She screamed.

“Why don’t any of you understand? I’m supposed to be the greatest hero in the universe!” Humungosaur said waving his arms. “If I can’t even defeat Vilgax by myself than what good am I?! Besides what were you supposed to do? You don’t have any experience fighting someone as bad as him!” Humungosaur screamed.

“I could have done something!” Julie frothed angrily. “I’m not as helpless as you seem to think I am! And I would appreciate it if you didn’t tell your partners to babysit me!” She shot back bringing up her previous conversation with Rook. But Humungosaur only scoffed.

“In the last 72 hours you’ve nearly been killed twice already!” He observed. “If it weren’t for me you’d be a goner.” He said.

Julie growled and clutched at her hair with her hands. “Aaaah you’re – you’re – you’re INSUFFERABLE!” She screamed. “Why do you care about me so much anyway!” She shouted.

“BECAUSE I STILL LOVE YOU!” Ben screamed.

Julie’s face went white with shock. She looked up at Humungosaur, searching his expression. His face went from one of anger to desperation.

“I’ve realized these past few years that I never stopped.” He said in a much softer voice. The omnitrix began to beep, signalling the end of his transformation. As Ben returned to human form Julie could recognize the emotions on his face much more clearly. She saw a panic in his eyes, a hurt and desperation that she had never seen before. He looked to be on the verge of hysteria as tears threatened to spill from his eyes. Julie was shocked. She never could have imagined this was what Ben was feeling.

“If something were to happen to you… If you got hurt, or worse… I would never be able to live with myself.” Ben said head hung low and eyes downcast. Julie’s anger deflated almost instantly.

“Oh, Ben…” She said coming closer and placing a hand on his cheek. Ben raised his eyes to meet Julie’s. They stared into each other for a moment before Ben leaned his head forward. Julie had no time to react as she suddenly felt Ben’s lips on hers. She was instantly transported back to her youth as she reveled in the familiar sensation. Her eyes closed and she leaned into the kiss. She remembered all of the secret kisses they would steal from each other after missions and between classes. She remembered all of the fun they had just hanging out at Mr. Smoothie’s and joking around with each other. She didn’t realize how much she had missed this feeling. But then, sadly, she remembered how Ben had cruelly broken up with her over the phone. Her eyes squinted and she pulled away, leaving Ben to look after her longingly.

“God, Ben…” Julie sighed. “I shouldn’t have… I mean…” Julie stumbled over her words. She looked back and saw Ben was crestfallen.

“I shouldn’t have done that.” He said with resignation.

“No it’s not that… That was fine but… Look, my feelings for you are all jumbled up right now, and this really isn’t the place to solve them.” Julie explained. “Maybe, once we get back to Earth… we can… figure this out. Ok?” She asked. Ben gave a small smile

“Okay.” He replied. Julie smiled back at him. “I’m sorry for what I said.” Ben admitted a moment later. Julie looked down, a frown on her face.

“No, you were right. I would have just gotten in the way.” Julie admitted holding her arm self-consciously. “It’s just, the rest of you guys are so amazing. I guess I just wanted to live up to you all.” She said.

“No, I was too harsh on you.” Ben replied. “From what the others have told me you’ve gotten really amazing.” He admitted. “You were right, I need to trust my friends more.” He said rubbing his head sheepishly. Julie looked at Ben and noted he no longer seemed to be on the verge of a break down. She smiled and let out a wry laugh.

“I guess we both could use some improvement huh?” Julie said.

“Yeah, heh.” He replied. The pair spent a few more seconds in companionable silence before a loud noise and gust of wind blew down from above.

“SHIP!” Came the deep robotic voice of Ship’s fighter voice as he hovered above them.

“Hey you two! Need a lift?” Kevin’s voice called out from the speakers.

“Ship!” Julie yelled excitedly as she ran up to him while he landed. She embraced him on the bow of his large form and the oversized machine purred at the contact.

“What took you guys so long?” Ben asked sarcastically as they climbed aboard.

“Well, when I got stuck with Ship he must have still been suffering from that EMP cuz he couldn’t transform, so I had to walk all the way to Gwen and Rook. But Gwen managed to fix him somehow.” Kevin explained as he helped them in.

“Ship!” The machine cried indignantly. Julie began laughing.

“Ship didn’t transform for you cuz he didn’t like you. You called him a mutt.” She said giggling.

“Are you… Aww man… Ugh whatever.” Kevin muttered as his temper flared then quickly cooled. The group laughed aloud as Rook piloted Ship off planet and back to the Rust Bucket.

A/N: So we finally reach a point where we get to some Ben and Julie shipping. But it’s not gonna be so easy for either of them. It would be unrealistic to have them get back together so easily. There’s a lot more trials and tribulations I have planned. We may also skip another update for next week because if my math works out correctly that would be Christmas. So see you guys after then.

Chapter 21: Chapter 21

Chapter Text

Ben X Chapter 21
Return Home Arc
Homecoming

Vilgax sat alone in his derelict ship. From his command deck he surveyed the ruined systems of his once proud vessel. The core explosion had left him without power, adrift in the vastness of space. Ironically it was exactly the same situation he had pretended to be in to lure in that accursed Ben Tennyson. Sparks shot off occasionally from exposed wires. Crushed metal panels littered his command deck. The alarms had long since silenced and only a slow red flashing filled the space. Outside the view screen he could see pieces of his engines floating around his ship. He sat in silence, head leaned against his palm. He contemplated his defeat once again. He had been so close to taking the Omnitrix this time. He didn’t realize however, that Ben had unlocked it’s master control function. That would make matters… difficult.

As Vilgax was plotting his next move, his attention was drawn by a swirling portal that appeared before him. From out of the portal stepped the semi-visible silhouette of the enigmatic stranger calling himself No-One. Vilgax watched as the mysterious figure stepped closer to him. Although he could not see any visible features through the shifting field of invisibility, Vilgax could sense ill-intent.

“What did you think you were doing?!” No-One screamed in anger. “You were supposed to be going after the Hammer like I instructed!” He shouted irately.

“I saw an opportunity to take out Tennyson and I took it. That is all there is to it.” Vilgax replied shortly.

“If you had wielded the Demiurge you could have been successful and this whole mess would have been avoided.” No-One gestured around to the ruined remnants of Vilgax’s ship. “Do you see your folly now?” He asked.

Vilgax frowned and stood to his full height. He towered over the translucent figure and stepped forwards. “As I said before, Vilgax is not a fool and I take orders from nobody.” He growled threateningly. “Besides, I still am not fully convinced of the existence of this weapon of yours.” Vilgax said turning back around to sit in his throne.

“That is unfortunate.” No-One said.

“Why is that?” Vilgax responded.

“Because it means you have outlived your usefulness.” No-One replied while raising his left hand. A bright light began to emanate from his palm. Vilgax’s eyes widened as he looked into the light.

“What is that? No! Stop! AAAAAGGGGHH!” He screamed before his voice and body eventually faded, leaving No-One alone in the wreck of the ship.

Our group of heroes had returned to find the Rust Bucket thankfully intact despite it’s proximity to the explosion which destroyed Vilgax’s ship. Interestingly, said vessel seemed to have disappeared, leaving behind only scattered debris in the void of space. However, if someone wanted to make them think Vilgax and his ship were completely obliterated they had failed. Kevin had confirmed that while the core explosion was powerful enough to disable the Chimeran Hammer, it would not be powerful enough to vaporize it. Ben frowned in deep contemplation, clearly not content with this revelation. However despite their scans of the area, they could find no further evidence of Vilgax’s whereabouts, and Ben was certain that the alien warlord had managed to escape somehow.

But despite their best efforts, they had no choice but to leave the wreckage behind and resume their journey to Earth. The remainder of their trip was only a few days travel. The miracle of faster than light travel which came standard on most intergalactic ships meant that their trip was much faster than by conventional means. But still, even though their trip was not long, cabin fever was starting to make the team restless. Ben was unusually quiet and reserved, his thoughts lingering mostly on the mystery surrounding this Demiurge Hammer and why all his greatest villains were coming out of the woodwork to find it. His uneasiness was noticed by his comrades, and Ben, in turn, noticed their apprehension. However, he assumed that they were simply tired from a long journey and eager to return home. He had no idea that each of them were also harboring the warnings from Professor Paradox. The Time Walker’s message caused the group no small amount of unrest, especially knowing that they all had to keep it secret from Ben.

But thankfully, none of these worries surfaced out in the open during the journey home. And before the group knew it, they were quickly approaching Earth. Kevin piloted the Rust Bucket expertly through the upper atmosphere, navigating back towards the Bellwood plumber base. He set the ship down in the large hangar bay. Once the ship had been appropriately docked and all landing procedures were completed, the gangway finally lowered allowing the group to take their first steps back onto Earth. Ben looked around, the plumber base did not appear to have changed much from what he remembered. He began to descend the ramp when he noticed a familiar face and stopped dead in his tracks.

Standing at the bottom of the ramp was his Grandpa Max. Still sporting his traditional red Hawaiin shirt. He looked the same as ever and a bright grin alighted on his face when he spotted his grandson. Ben smiled brightly and they approached each other on the ramp before embracing in a tight hug. No words were spoken for a moment and the rest of the group smiled down at the display of affection.

“Grandpa…” Ben spoke quietly.

“It’s so good to see you again Ben.” Max spoke before withdrawing from the hug and looking Ben in the eyes. “You’ve gotten taller.” He said with pride.

“Heh, yeah I guess so.” Ben replied simply. He felt Gwen approaching from behind him and felt her place a hand on his shoulder with a smile.

“Thanks for bringing him home Gwen.” Max said gratefully.

“Told you we would find him.” She replied as she made to move past the pair.

“Ben! Gwen!” Called a voice from across the way. The two looked up to see a blonde haired plumber approaching them quickly with a bright smile on his face. “It’s good to see you both!” Cooper said, although his eyes were mostly focused on Gwen.

“Cooper! Hey, long time no see bud!” Ben called out from the ramp. He smiled as he noticed Cooper was making a beeline for Gwen however. Gwen smiled politely. Although she was pleased to see her old friend, she was mentally preparing herself to turn him down yet again. Cooper approached her, yet to both of their surprise they were intercepted by a fast blur of blonde and black.

“Cousin Gwen! How are you?!” Lucy said in an overly cheerful voice standing between the two.

“Oh! Cousin Lucy. What a surprise to see you.” Gwen said startled.

“And I’m sure you remember Cooper.” She said in that same overly cheerful tone as she gestured to the taller blonde who wore a confused expression on his face. “We’ve been assigned to the same unit. Anyway it was great seeing you again but we’ve got a lot of important Plumber work we need to get back to. Isn’t that right Cooper?!” She said latching onto the technopath’s forearm and pulling him away. “Uhhh, um.” Cooper stammered as he was led away by the shorter woman. Once they were out of earshot Ben came up behind Gwen.

“Wow. Cooper and Lucy huh? Man I really must have been gone a long time.” Ben commented.

“No, trust me. That wasn’t like that when we left.” Gwen said with a raised eyebrow. The others began to descend the ramp behind them. However they were all startled as another voice called out from across the hangar.

“Ben!” The voice called out. Ben looked up to see a blur of red running towards him. Kai Green sprinted towards Ben, a bright smile on her face. Ben felt himself grow nervous, unsure how she would react to him. But he was even more surprised when he felt her arms wrap him up in a tight hug. Even more than that, she grasped his face with both her hands and brought his lips to hers for a deep kiss. Ben was so shocked he could hardly react. However he did glance over to his right where his eyes briefly met Julie’s own. However Julie turned away before he could read her expression. Finally Kai relinquished his lips and Ben stared at her with a nervous smile.

“Kai…” He started off unsure. Kai looked back at him blissfully, before her expression turned angry and ugly. She punched his shoulder hard.

“Ow! What was that for?!” He complained.

“That’s for leaving me alone for three years without even bothering to tell me where you were going or what you were planning.” She said sternly. Ben rubbed his sore shoulder and looked back at a snickering Kevin.

“What? I wanted to do the same thing when I saw you again, minus the kissing part.” He agreed with the sentiment.

“Well, well, well. Isn’t this just a happy little reunion. It’s so sappy I could almost vomit.” Said an unfamiliar voice. The group looked up, shocked to see Charmcaster standing smugly with her hands on her hips.

“Charmcaster?!” Gwen called out in shock. Gwen’s eyes and hands began to glow as she adopted a battle stance. Behind her Kevin had already knelt down to absorb the steel of the ramp and Ben and Rook were both readying themselves for battle as well. Charmcaster’s smug smile faltered as she watched the group of heroes. However before either side could say or do anything, Kai jumped in between them, hands spread wide.

“Woah woah! Everybody calm down! She’s cool, I can vouch for her!” Kai shouted.

Ben quirked an eyebrow and moved his hand away from the Omnitrix dial. “I’m guessing this also didn’t happen while I was gone.” He said. Gwen frowned and dropped her magic but still glared at Charmcaster.

“No, now can someone explain when and how this happened? Why is she here?” Gwen asked angrily.

“I came looking for you Gwen. I wanted your help.” Charmcaster said.

“My help? You’re kidding right? Why should I even believe you?” Gwen replied incredulously. Charmcaster scowled back but her expression fell and she looked at Gwen with an emotion she couldn’t place.

“Because Addwaitya has gone missing. And I’m worried he’s going to do something really bad.” Charmcaster explained. “And as much as I really, really, really hate to admit it. You’re more powerful when it comes to magic. If we combined forces we could take him down.” She pleaded.

“You didn’t have any problem handling him on your own last time.” Gwen shot back disbelievingly.

“Uggh, why are you always so stubborn? Last time he stayed in Ledgerdomain. Whereever he’s gone to now, I can’t follow him.” Charmcaster pleaded.

“She’s telling the truth Gwen.” Kai interrupted. Everyone’s heads turned to Kai as she spoke. “We think he’s going after the Demiurge too.” Kai explained. Ben threw his hands up in the air in exasperation.

“Is there anyone not going after this stupid thing? Zombozo? Psyphon? The Vreedles?” He asked facetiously. He was mostly ignored though.

“Besides, she helped me get this.” Kai said drawing the sword from her back. The rest of the group stared at her in confusion. But there was a flash of recognition in Ben’s eyes as he strode forward.

“No way. Is that?” He began.

“Excalibur, the one and only.” Kai said proudly as she brandished the weapon. Ben’s eyes went wide as he looked it over.

“Okay, so she helped you get a legendary magic sword.” Gwen said. “I’ll admit it’s impressive, but she could just be trying to ingratiate herself to us so we can let our guard down.” Gwen countered.

“Gwen.” Max spoke up. “I know this is hard for you to accept, but she did help us take down the remnants of the Forever Knights. We’ve trusted her so far and she hasn’t turned on us. Plus she’s already been deputized as a plumber cadet so we can keep an eye on her. Maybe you should just give her a chance?” He explained. However this statement only seemed to make Gwen madder.

“Grandpa are you serious?!” She complained. However, while Gwen went on her tirade, Ben looked over to the woman in question. He saw how Charmcaster’s shoulders sagged with each word Gwen said. He noticed her frown deepen and saw a profound sadness in her eyes. He moved past Kai to approach the sorceress. He stood in front of her and Charmcaster finally took notice of the shape-shifting hero. She stared into his eyes with confusion while he searched her own.

“Gwen!” He finally called, interrupting her rant and causing everyone to look at the pair. They noticed how Ben seemed to be scrutinizing her and the intense gaze was beginning to make Charmcaster squirm.

“It’s cool. We can trust her.” He said turning back to Gwen with a disarming smile. The group collectively looked at Ben with expressions of great confusion. Including Charmcaster, who hadn’t expected the hero to take her side so easily. After a moment Gwen sighed and relented.

“Alright, if you say so Ben.” Gwen finally said.

“Great! Now that that’s settled, what is that delicious smell? I’m starving!” Ben said nonchalantly as he followed his nose to the source of the delectable aroma.

“Uhh, well I have been preparing a pot of Gorloxian stew to celebrate your return Ben.” Max said as they followed the young man through the corridors of the plumber base.

“Great! I could probably eat a whole pot. Is the kitchen still this way?” He asked as he strolled ahead. The group followed behind Ben as they reached the kitchen where the large pot of simmering stew sat atop the stove. Most of them watched in confusion and disgust as Ben ladled out a bowl of the orange sludge that had tentacles and large green pods of slime. He then took a hearty slurp of the stew, astonishing those present as he ate the soup with gusto. “MMM, man, Grandpa Max that was delicious!” Ben complimented.

“Ben’s actually eating my cooking? And he likes it?” Max said with a soft whisper. “Oh, I think I need to sit down. Are you sure you got the right Ben back?” Max asked.

“Are you kidding? When I was on Hazard I wished I had listened to your lessons on cooking alien food! I had to cook all my meals from scratch! Lemme tell you trying to do process of elimination when it comes to what’s good to eat is not fun.” Ben explained nonchalantly. But nearby Max’s eyes widened as he recognized the name.

“Hazard? Hazard?! Is that where you’ve been all this time?!” Max shouted angrily.

“Whoops…” He said quietly.

“Ben!” Max demanded. Ben put down his bowl and raised his hands in a placating gesture.

“Look I’m fine! Everything worked out okay.” He said.

“What if you had gotten hurt?!” Max asked concerned.

“It’s fine Grandpa. Azmuth knew where I was.” Ben replied. That mention gave Max pause.

“You roped Azmuth into this as well?” Max asked.

“Of course, he’s the one that gave me Master Control after all.” He said. “Speaking of which, we should probably give him a call. Whatever energy surge Vilgax caused seems to have shorted out the Master Control.” Ben explained. Max groaned in exasperation, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“We’ll have Blukic and Driba take a look at it.” Max finally relented.

An hour later, Ben sat in the lab, his omnitrix arm up on a table where the diminuitive aliens were poking and prodding the incredibly complex device. The rest of the group sat around haphazardly through out the lab. Gwen and Rook were filling in Max on the many hurdles they had encountered on their journey, including the incident with Vilgax. Julie sat on the floor playing with Ship, pointedly trying to ignore the glares she was receiving from Kai. Charmcaster stood next to Kai, rolling her eyes at the other girl’s animosity. Finally, the two Galvans spoke up.

“Alright, I think we may have figured it out.” Driba said proudly. Ben shifted his attention down to the pair.

“The Omnitrix suffered an energy surge from the EMP blast, which caused it’s circuits to overload which is why it isn’t working properly.” Blukic explained. Ben’s expression went blank.

“Yeah, that’s what I had said an hour ago when you guys started.” Ben said deadpan.

“Well we had to confirm for ourselves. No offense but humans can be very unreliable.” Driba commented. Ben rolled his eyes.

“Whatever, so can you guys restore the Master Control or what?” Ben asked.

“Oh most definitely!” Blukic said.

“We just need to reset the Omnitrix!” Driba concluded.

“Wait! Did you say reset?” Ben asked worriedly. But it was too late, the two Galvans had already begun pressing a sequence of buttons and turns of the dial. Before Ben could stop them they had already pressed down the dial. The Omnitrix blinked and beeped before glowing green.

“BENJAMIN KIRBY TENNYSON!!” Screamed a high pitched feminine voice in anger. The voice drew the attention of all those gathered as they looked to Ben in confusion.

“Oh boy…” Ben could only say as he swiped a hand down his face.

“You had me shut off for… THREE MONTHS?!” The voice continued to scream, apparently emanating from the Omnitrix itself. “How dare you! I can’t believe you would do something like that.” The mysterious voice continued to shout.

“Uh, Ben…” Gwen said. “Who is that?” She asked pointedly.

“Who said that?” The mystery voice asked. “Wait hold on, let me get set up.” Suddenly the face of the Omnitrix glowed and a hologram appeared on it’s surface. The hologram revealed a female humanoid figure, standing about six inches tall. She turned around and gazed at the group with confusion and bewilderment before glancing around at her surroundings. The girl had white skin and long green hair that was done up in a pony tail. Streaks of black ran through the hair which was braided at some points. A pair of black goggles sat atop her head. Her out fit consisted of a pair of green boots, white pants with a green belt, a white under shirt with a green vest over the shirt. Her forearms were covered with long white gloves that exposed her fingers. Just below her collar on the front of her chest was the symbol of the omnitrix. Her irises were bright green, matching the color of her hair and her pupils were the shape of the Omntrix symbol as well. Everyone present stared at the holographic girl with great confusion. The girl turned around and pouted at Ben with her hands on her hips. “You didn’t even tell them about me?!” She asked angrily.

“Trixie look it wasn’t intentional! There was just a lot going on and…” Ben started to explain, speaking to his watch.

“Save it. Where are we anyway? Clearly not Hazard. Ooh are those other computers?! Finally!” the now named Trixie suddenly disappeared from Ben’s wrist before reappering on the large screen in the lab. “Okay, let’s see. Plumber Base, Bellwood, Earth! Fun! Ooh you guys have an extranet uplink, finally! It feels so good to stretch my legs!” Trixie said mimicking stretching her arms and legs and jumping around spritely from screen to screen.

“She has hacked into our database!” Rook said.

“No guys it’s cool.” Ben tried to calm the situation.

“Ben…” Gwen’s voice drew his attention. He looked to see Gwen, Kai, and Julie staring at him with stern accusing glares, even Charmcaster looked at him with a deadpan expression. Ben gulped and felt sweat begin to bead on his forehead. “You’ve got about 10 seconds to explain yourself.” Gwen finished. Ben waved frantically.

“No it’s okay, it’s not what you think. Everyone this is Trixie. She’s the Omnitrix’s AI.” Ben explained as Trixie jumped back onto Ben’s watch. She did a little bow.

“I’m so pleased to meet all of you. Ben has told me so much about all of you and I can’t wait to work with you all. I hope my master has not given you too much trouble.” Trixie said with a devious smirk.

“Master?!” Kai shouted accusingly.

“Gah, Trixie! What have I told you about calling me that! I thought we agreed it’s just Ben!” Ben said frantically.

“Oh you don’t like that? Sorry, I must have forgotten since you SHUT ME OFF FOR THREE MONTHS!” Trixie accused.

“Trixie I told you, there was a lot going on! We had to rebuild the ship, then we ran into Vilgax, then we got stranded on another planet…” Ben tried explaining to the little AI who was turned away with her arms folded across her chest. “Look what will it take for you to forgive me?” Ben asked. Trixie smirked devilishly again.

“Oh I think you know mister!” She said. “You owe me a body, like you promised!” Trixie said.

“Ben!” Gwen said drawing his attention. He now noticed even Julie was starting to look at him with some disgust. Ben groaned and ran his hand through his hair.

“Okay look, this is all a big misunderstanding. Trixie was installed by Azmuth when I first went to him to have him unlock the Master Control. He was afraid I would go crazy if I didn’t have someone to talk to. When she was born Trixie was just a basic AI. Over time she developed a personality of her own. She chose her own name and came up with her own appearance. I didn’t have a say in any of it. Eventually I promised to get her a body so she wouldn’t have to be stuck on my wrist all the time. That’s all it is. She’s like a sister to me I swear.” Ben finally explained.

“As much fun as it is to tease Ben, everything he just told you is true.” Trixe corroborated. The group paused as they took in the information and examined the little AI.

“Oh I get it. So she’s kinda like Eunice, right Ben?” Kevin asked knowingly. Ben’s eyes went wide.

“I’m sorry, who’s Eunice?” Julie asked pointedly.

“Yeah Ben, who is Eunice?” Kai echoed arms crossed.

“Woah woah hold on, Eunice is uhh… I mean it was when Julie and I were on a break uhh… We didn’t even know each other for more than a day!” Ben tried desperately to explain but it seemed like every word that came out of his mouth only caused Julie and Kai to look at him with more enmity and disgust. But Trixie gasped in delight as she heard the information.

“Is Eunice another Omnitrix AI like me?” Trixie asked excitedly.

“Uh sort of?” Ben replied.

“Oh my gosh! Ben you didn’t tell me I have a sister! Oh that is so cool, I can’t wait to meet her!” Trixie said enthusiastically.

“Uh, uhm…” Ben stammered out nervously.

“Ugh, whatever.” Julie scoffed and picked up Ship to take him elsewhere. Kai followed shortly behind her while Charmcaster sat in the corner cackling before following Kai out. Gwen simply shook her head while Rook and Max stood staring confused. Kevin was desperately trying not to laugh as he watched Ben’s expressions, especially when he glared at him.

“Guys wait! Come on. This isn’t fair!!!” Ben cried out as he was left alone in the lab. Blukic and Driba spent a few more minutes examining the Omnitrix and talking with Trixie before they left as well, assuring Ben that the Master Control had been restored. At last Ben was left alone in the lab with nothing but his thoughts and trying to think of what he would say to the women in his life.

“Wow, you weren’t kidding when you said you had girl troubles huh?” Trixie finally spoke.

“Gee ya think.” Ben responded dryly. They sat in silence for a few more moments before Trixie spoke up again.

“Hey Ben?” She asked quietly and unsure. Ben raised an eye to her and saw she looked apprehensive and nervous. “Why exactly did you turn me off in the first place?” She asked. Ben’s eyes drifted off into space and he remained silent. “What’s more is I don’t have any record of transformations during that period. The last transformation that was logged was Clockwork. And then three months later you logged Bugshido? What was going on?” Trixie asked concerned. Ben frowned sadly, his expression distant. He was silent for a good long while before finally he spoke in a defeated tone.

“You wouldn’t understand Trixie.” He said, leaving it at that. Trixie frowned but accepted his answer. She disappeared as Ben stood and walked off.

A/N: Sorry for the late update guys. I’ve been sick and the normal update schedules have all fallen on holidays. Also Trixie isn’t going to be a super important part of the story. I just thought it would be fun to have a personification of the Omnitrix. Her appearance is partially inspired by the Human Omnitrix design by Clover Karin on DeviantArt.

Chapter 22: Chapter 22

Chapter Text

Ben X Chapter 22
Return Home Arc
Conversations

Ben sighed as he entered his private quarters at the Plumber base. He flipped on the lights and looked around at the bare spartan room. He looked down at the box in his arms which was filled to the brim with clothes, pictures, and other mementos he had taken from his room. Last night he had reunited with his parents. Many joyful tears were shed and they had a nice dinner. Their night was quiet, spent catching up and reminiscing. His parents’ anger at having left for so long had long since faded, they were happy simply to see that their son was alive and well. As such they pointedly avoided any conversations about what caused Ben to come back in the first place. But eventually he had told them that he wouldn’t be staying for long, he needed to figure out the next moves for some of these villains. And he wasn’t sure where that journey would take him. His parents were worried of course but they understood. Having a famous superhero for a son meant that there wasn’t a whole lot they could do to stop him. But they were proud of him nonetheless.

The next morning Ben had packed up his essentials and transported them over to the base. He had always planned to move out from his parents but he never quite imagined it would be like this. He knew this was only a temporary measure until they figured out where the next mission would be. But he did take some small measure of satisfaction of having his own private place. Before his parents would always barge into his room, not giving him a lot of privacy. He began putting away clothes and placing things around the room when he heard the mechanical hiss of the door closing behind him. He looked up to see Kai staring at him with a smirk on her face.

“Oh Kai. Hey, what’s going on?” Ben asked. He never realized before but he was always on edge around Kai, never knowing what would set her off. Even after yesterday where she sucker punched him not two seconds after kissing him full on the lips. She was unpredictable and wild, and her beauty made him fall hard for her, even back when they were kids. Now though, she stared at him with half-lidded eyes, biting on her lower lip subtly. She walked over to Ben with a sway to her hips. But despite the alluring sight, Ben could only feel his anxiety build.

“Hey Ben…” She trailed off suggestively as she closed the distance between them and grasped him by the shirt. Ben looked at her nervously. “I didn’t get to give you your welcome home present last night.” She said as she brought a hand up to play with Ben’s hair.

“Oh uhh, heheh, what would that be?” Ben asked not liking the direction that the conversation was going. Kai smiled seductively at him.

“Mmm why don’t you find out.” Kai said before bringing his head closer to hers and pressing their lips together.

In an instant, Ben’s body melted into the kiss. Her lips on his tasted sweet and familiar. Her tongue darted out to his, seeking entrance into his mouth. Her hands began roaming his body, pulling and tugging at his hair and skin. Ben was startled and didn’t know how to react. He had been alone for so long that such close intimate contact left him at a loss. He wanted to reciprocate. His body started to move on it’s own, his hands seeking out her body by themselves. His mouth moved, following her own lead. For a few blissful moments there was nothing else, no duties, no memories, just that wonderful feeling in the here and now. But something wasn’t right. A nagging thought persisted in the back of his mind. When Kai began insistently tugging at the hems of his pants and shirt, his mind shot back to the forefront of his consciousness. Ben pushed back gently against her insistent motions, leaving Kai looking at him with confusion.

“Kai, wait.” He said firmly. Kai looked at him, her hair messy and face flushed. God, this was going to be tough.

“What’s the matter? If you’re worried about protection I’ve…” Kai began but Ben waved off her concern.

“No, no it’s not that.” Ben assured her. “It’s just… I don’t know if I’m ready for this again.” Ben began noticing the slight tinge of hurt in her gaze. But he powered through. “I’ve been gone for a long time, and I don’t know if I can just jump back into things like I haven’t been gone for three years. And I’m under a lot of pressure right now. I just don’t want to make any… rash decisions just yet.” Ben tried to explain but he could feel that his attempts were failing miserably. Kai stepped back and looked him up and down.

“Are you actually… turning me down?” Kai asked incredulously.

“Yes, kinda. Look I want to but there’s so much else going on right now.” Ben tried to explain. “Believe me it’s not you, you’re still amazing but, I’ve got a lot on my plate.” He said. Kai’s face fell, her mouth slightly agape as she realized she was being rejected. “Besides, I’d really rather not have an audience, if you know what I mean?” Ben said in a whisper. Kai looked up at him very confused before a voice spoke up from Ben’s wrist.

“Oh don’t worry about me you two.” Trixie said, popping her head out from the Omnitrix dial. “I am well versed in the sexual reproduction habits of multiple species, humans included!” She said cheerfully. Kai looked down at the little hologram and her face blanched, suddenly reconsidering the idea.

“Oh, yeah. Ok then. Uhm, uh, yeah, I guess you can’t shut her off again either huh?” Kai asked sarcastically.

“Nope!” Trixie responded before Ben could. The two young adults looked at each other. Ben gave an apologetic smile. Kai gazed into his eyes before rolling her own and scoffing. “Whatever, but you owe me Tennyson.” She said with a wink before kissing him on his cheek again. With that she walked out the door, leaving Ben and Trixie alone. Ben breathed a sigh of relief he didn’t realize he’d been holding. Now that Kai had left, he realized just how tense and nervous his body had been. He found it strange that he never noticed that before.

“Thanks for the save Trixie.” Ben spoke into his watch. Trixie’s hologram form popped on the watch face.

“No problem, but you do know I could have uploaded myself onto some other server for the time being.” Trixie questioned.

“I know but, I just wasn’t ready for that just yet.” Ben said trailing off. Trixie raised an eyebrow at him.

“That girl was Kai correct? The girlfriend you left behind? She is quite attractive by human standards. Why did you reject her?” Trixie asked. Ben sat down on the bed.

“I… may have let slip to Julie that I still have feelings for her.” Ben said ashamed. “She, I don’t know, she said we could figure it out when we got back, but I don’t know what to do about Kai either.” Ben said. Trixie hummed thoughtfully.

“It sounds like you should go talk to Julie then. She was the Ex you mentioned all the time yes?” She confirmed. Ben nodded.

“Yeah, I think you’re right. I’m gonna go find her. Maybe, um go for a walk if you don’t mind this time?” Ben asked. Trixie gave a mock salute and smiled before her Hologram form disappeared.

Ben left his room in search of Julie. He did not have to look long for her. Since Julie no longer lived in Bellwood she had asked the Plumbers for the same temporary quarters that Ben had while she decided on her next move. She could have stayed with her parents, but she knew they would have scolded her for putting herself in danger again over Ben, and she was not ready to have that conversation. As such, she was sat in her room, what few posessions she brought with her laid spread out on the bed. She sat on the floor playing with Ship. She was trying to uncover if the little droid had any other secret abilities she was unaware of. Her trip to outer space had revealed that Ship had a lot more surprises in him than she had originally thought. But, like an excited puppy, Ship only did simple tricks when asked. It seemed like all of his other abilities were more responses to unconscious desires from her. But Julie was brought out of her musings by a knock at the door.

“Come in.” She called. The door slid open and Ben walked in, looking sheepish and nervous. Julie stood from the floor and gave him a questioning look.

“Hey Julie, I wanted to come by and talk to you?” He asked unsure.

“What did you want to talk about?" Julie asked pointedly. Ben took a deep breath, not realizing how nervous he was until that very moment.

“I wanted to talk about us…” Ben started off. “Back on that planet, I said I still had feelings for you, and you said you were going to figure out yours about me. So I wanted to know… where do we go from here?” Ben asked. Julie frowned and stepped towards Ben.

“What about Kai?” She asked. Ben blanched and he looked to the side with shame and nervousness.

“She uh… she came by earlier but uh, I turned her down.” Ben explained. Julie raised an eyebrow.

“So you broke up with her?” She asked looking for clarification. But Ben only rubbed the back of his head nervously.

“Well, not exactly.” Ben admitted. Julie sighed and put her hands on her hips.

“So what? You’re just going to leave her hanging until you figure out if I’ll take you back or not?” Julie accused.

“No, that’s not it at all.” He said gesturing with his hands.

“Well it sure sounds like it Ben.” She responded. Julie sighed again. “So what exactly did you tell her? Did you mention me?” She asked curious.

“No. I just said I wasn’t ready to take that step again.” He admitted.

“If you weren’t ready for her what makes you think you’re ready for me?” Julie asked pointing a finger at his chest.

“I… what?” Ben asked confused. Julie frowned sadly at Ben before picking up one of his hands in hers.

“Ben, I think you’ve changed. And some of that change is good, but, there’s other parts of you that make me worried.” She said.

“What are you talking about?” Ben laughed nervously.

“Ben, I’ve seen you almost cry twice in as many days. I’ve never seen you cry before.” Julie spoke softly with concern. Ben’s eyes widened. “And your anger, I know you said it was just because you were concerned for my safety but it still scared me when we reunited. And the way you were so focused on stopping Vilgax? I’ve never seen you do anything like that before. I’m worried about you Ben, and regardless of my feelings for you, I think you need to do some searching yourself and figure out if a relationship is even something you really want or need right now.” Julie told him. Ben’s hand fell from her grip as he took in her words. His eyes seemed to look through her as he contemplated her words. “I really think you should talk to someone, maybe somebody professional. If you really were alone like you said, it can’t be good for anyone, even if you did have Trixie.” Julie finished and put a hand on Ben’s shoulder who’s head was now bowed and looking to the floor. She lifted his head up to meet hers and saw his eyes were still searching. Julie gave a sad smile before planting a light kiss on his cheek. She walked past Ben and exited the room, leaving Ben alone with his thoughts.

Elsewhere in the plumber base. Kai paced angrily back and forth in front of Charmcaster who sat at a table with a bemused expression on her face. The older girl watched as her newfound friend ranted to her about the events of that morning.

“And then I think he tried to pull that whole ‘it’s not you it’s me’ line on me.” Kai complained as she paced a hole in the floor. Charmcaster sat with her head perched on her fist.

“I’ll say it again, I don’t know what you see in that pipsqueak.” She commented. Kai turned to her with a smirk on her lips and hands on her hips.

“Oh come on, you’ve gotta admit he’s at least a little cute.” Kai shot back.

“Uh, no girl. He’s way too scrawny, I’ve got zero interest.” Charmcaster replied looking at her nails. Kai rolled her eyes but sat down across from her.

“I bet you that bitch had something to do with it.” Kai muttered under her breath.

“Who, pinky?” Charmcaster asked. “I thought you said she was like his ex or something?” She finished.

“Yeah, but he trusted her with that data cube! He wouldn’t have done that without a reason. And she went out on the mission to find him. Who knows what could have happened?” Kai said paranoid.

“Jealousy isn’t a good look for you hun.” Charmcaster said. Kai glared at her.

“Pssh, I’m not jealous of her. I’m ten times hotter than she is.” Kai said flicking her hair. “But Ben is easily manipulated, it’s how I’ve gotten him to do things for me over the years. A bat of my eyelashes is usually enough to get him to give in. It just didn’t work this time… And I don’t know why.” Kai spoke quietly. “And the only thing that I can think of is that Julie must have done something.” She reasoned.

“Well, I wish I could give you advice, but sadly my love life is nothing to write home about.” Charmcaster admitted. Her eyes flitted upwards as Lucy and Cooper walked in. Kai looked over to them.

“Ugh, speaking of couples.” Kai muttered as the pair were walking over.

“Oh, stop. Now I think they make a cute couple.” Charmcaster said. Kai rolled her eyes.

“Kai, have you finished the presentation for tomorrow’s mission briefing?” Lucy asked.

“Yeah, I’m still working on it.” Kai said dismissively. Lucy frowned.

“So where is it?” She asked.

“Tch, I told you I’ll have it finished before tomorrow okay?” Kai said still trying to ignore Lucy. But the shapeshifter scowled and stepped closer so she stood taller over Kai’s sitting form.

“Is this a joke to you?” Lucy spoke with uncharacteristic venom. Startled by the tone of her voice Kai looked up to her.

“I like you Kai but you don’t seem to take any of your duties or responsibilities seriously.” Lucy said. “And I can’t afford to have a member of my team be underperforming.” She finished.

“Since when did you care so much about proper procedures?” Kai asked skeptically. But this response only served to make Lucy even more livid.

“I have always followed the rules Kai! Do you even know anything about my background?” Lucy asked incredulously.

“Uh, well…” Kai stammered out trying to recollect the information from when she briefly glanced at Lucy’s personnel file.

“I’m the first Lenopan plumber. The First, period. My people were at war with the Plumbers for decades. And the peace treaty is barely ten years old. I can’t afford to screw up or disregard orders or do what I want. Because everyone’s eyes are on me. I’m under tremendous pressure. If I do something wrong then the Plumbers will accuse me of sabotage, and my homeworld will accuse the Plumbers of bias and the whole war could reignite like that!” Lucy said with a snap of her fingers. “That’s why I have to be perfect. I worked hard to get where I am today. And I’m still aiming higher, to become the first Lenopan to reach Magister rank. So I’m sorry if I seem harsh but I can’t have you disregarding orders or pulling stunts like the one that got you demoted.” Lucy said, causing Kai to look down in shame. “Now I expect you to have the presentation ready for me by tonight so I can proof read it. Are we clear?” Lucy asked with a demanding tone.

“Yes, ma’am.” Kai responded quietly. Lucy looked down at the girl for a few more moments before she was seemingly satisfied and walked off. Cooper followed behind her looking uncomfortably between Lucy and Kai, who’s head was still hung low.

“Did you really have to be that harsh on her?” Cooper asked once they had reached the hallway.

“Yes, Coop. She has to realize she’s not going to get any special treatment. If she wants to be on this squad she’s going to follow orders just like the rest of us. It’s harsh but Kai has tremendous potential and if she’s going to live up to it she needs to fall in line.” Lucy explained as she stormed forward.

“Which reminds me, you and I need to go fill out some paperwork with Inhuman Resources.” Lucy stated.

“Uh, okay. Why?” Cooper asked nervously. Lucy paused and turned to Cooper, a sly smile on her face. She leaned in close to him and placed a finger on his chest.

“If you want to be with me it has to be above board, got it?” She said tracing circles on his chest. Cooper could only smile and nod nervously.

Back with Kai and Charmcaster the former was still sitting despondent after her verbal rebuke by Lucy. Charmcaster was not used to such displays, and worse did not know how to comfort someone. She watched Kai silently stew in her emotions. Charmcaster glanced around nervously, coming around the table to sit next to Kai.

“Are… you okay?” She asked unsure. Kai was silent for a few moments before responding.

“Yeah. I’ll be fine.” She said, picking up her head. The silence lingered for a few minutes before Charmcaster spoke again.

“Man, she really seems like a pain in the ass huh?” She said.

“No, she’s right. I do need to get my sh*t together.” Kai said breathlessly. “I just feel like everything has been against me lately, ya know?” She said looking over. Charmcaster turned away, her vision going unfocused as she reflected on the last few years of her life. Her subservience to her uncle Hex, her jealousy of Gwen, her overthrow of Addwaitya, becoming the most powerful sorceress in Ledgerdomain. Yet still, no matter how hard she tried, things never seemed to go her way. Eventually, she realized it wasn’t the universe conspiring against her, but her own self-sabotage ruining her life. When Charmcaster finally zoned back in, she stood up.

“Hey, look. I’ve gotta go do something that I’ve been putting off for a long time. But, I’ll see you later. Okay?” She said. Kai looked at her curiously before smiling back and nodding.

Charmcaster turned to walk out of the spacious room. She needed to find Gwen. She was long overdue for a talk with her. Thankfully finding her wouldn’t be too hard of a task. The girl leaked mana like a broken faucet. Charmcaster had to supress the reflexive twinge of jealousy at the thought. She wandered the halls of the Plumber base, following the trail of mana that Gwen left behind. Technically she wasn’t supposed to be walking around the base without an escort, what with her still being on probation. However, she figured that the plumber badge they had given to her served as enough of a location tracker that she wouldn’t have to worry about it. Charmcaster finally tracked Gwen down and sighed when she realized where she was. The women’s bathroom was not the ideal place she would have picked for a heart-to-heart with her former nemesis but she had come too far to back out now. Charmcaster pushed through the door and looked around. She saw Gwen standing at the sink, finishing washing her hands. The younger girl looked up and her face screwed up in animosity at the sight of her foe.

“Charmcaster,” Gwen said with barely restrained venom. Charmcaster swallowed nervously.

“Gwen, look I just want to talk.” She said.

“What could I possibly have to talk with you about?” Gwen spat.

“Look, I know you have every right to be angry with me but,” She began before Gwen cut her off.

“Angry? Why would I be angry with you? I mean it’s not like you’ve done nothing but try to kill me since I was ten years old.” Gwen said sarcastically. Charmcaster looked aside and had the decency to look ashamed.

“I know, and I want to apologize for that. Seriously.” Charmcaster said pleadingly. Gwen sighed, rubbing her forehead.

“Look, I want to believe you Charmcaster but…” Gwen started. “But I feel like you’ve pulled this trick a bunch of times before.” She said. Charmcaster looked crestfallen. “The last time you asked us to help you defeat Addwaitya, I actually believed you. I thought that maybe we could finally put aside our differences and become friends. When you cast us out of Ledgerdomain to save us I was worried for you! But the next time I saw you, you had gone mad with power. You killed us and everyone in Ledgerdomain to bring back your father! And you had only gotten worse and worse since then. How do I know that you’re not just using us to gain power again? I’m sorry but I’m not ready to trust you again.” Gwen said resolutely.

Charmcaster listened to Gwen’s harsh words but could not speak against them. She gripped her arm tightly, biting her lip to hold back sobs as she listened to the one person that could possibly understand her recount all of her past misdeeds. She choked back a sob, swallowing hard to respond.

“You’re… you’re right Gwen…” Charmcaster spoke. Gwen’s eyes widened slightly from shock. “You’re right of course. I’m sorry. I’m sorry that I abused your trust and have tried to destroy you so many times. I thought… I thought that if I became more powerful than everyone else, that I would finally be happy. That I finally wouldn’t be afraid of anything or anyone else. But all that power did to me, was make me worse. It only made me more jealous of you, more afraid that someone would take more from me. Having all that power only amplified the darkest parts of me. I never wanted to be this way, I promise! Please you have to believe me.” Charmcaster pleaded. She looked to Gwen but saw that she only looked at her with a skeptical yet pitying gaze.

“I’m serious Gwen!” Charmcaster said desperately. “I gave it all up. All that power. I realized how twisted it made me, I was worse than Addwaitya, worse than Darkstar. So I gave up my rule on Ledgerdomain, I gave up the Alpharune. My castle is in ruins, my spellbooks are lost, I don’t even have that many charms left. Please I know you have no reason to believe me but it’s true! I want to be a better person. I want to be your friend if you’ll let me. I’ve been so alone for so long, and I just can’t stand it any longer!” She cried out near hysterical, tears beginning to fall from her eyes. Gwen’s frown deepened and she moved closer to Charmcaster. The sorceress looked up, staring at Gwen’s apprehensive form through tear blurred vision. She could tell that Gwen was still hesitant. Charmcaster wiped the tears from her eyes and stood up straight.

“I know, you still don’t trust me and I don’t blame you. But you’ve gotta believe me. I gave all that up, I’m trying to give all that up. I know! You can cast a lie detection spell on me! That will prove what I’ve been saying. Or I can tell you my real name! Anything that will get you to believe me, I’m an open book.” Charmcaster said. Gwen looked surprised.

“Uhm, I don’t know any lie detection spells…” She admitted sheepishly. Charmcaster looked surprised.

“Oh, well… I could lend you a spellbook with it. It’s not a hard spell to learn. Here give me a minute.” Charmcaster said as she started to rifle through her pouch.

“No, no it’s okay. How about, we just start with your name.” Gwen said holding out her hand. Charmcaster looked between Gwen’s face and her outstretched hand with shock. Charmcaster smiled back at her before grasping her hand with her own.

“My name’s Hope…” She said with a genuine smile.

“Hi Hope. I’m Gwen. It’s nice to meet you.” Gwen replied with a smile of her own.

Charmcaster felt her smile grow even brighter.

A/N: Happy New Year. Sorry for the late updates but between the holidays and being sick I didn’t have the energy to post any new chapters. Also I feel like I usually try to hit 3k words a chapter. Do you guys feel like that’s too short? Would appreciate any feedback. Until next time.

Chapter 23: Chapter 23

Chapter Text

Ben X Chapter 23
Treasure Hunt Arc
Mission Briefing

Ben walked into the large conference room and looked around. There were a large amount of familiar plumbers milling about. Most of them were of higher ranks. He could spot Magister Patelliday chatting with Molly Gunther and Zorian, both of whom were wearing their special issue red plumber armor and Zorian sporting his white beret. Sitting at the table nervously twiddling his thumbs was Hobble. He could also spot Gwen and Kevin chatting a bit nearby. Next to them was Julie who was still clutching onto Ship protectively. Ben felt his eyes drift towards her but he remembered their conversation from the other day and forced his gaze in a different direction. He didn’t want to push his luck with her after what she had mentioned to him. He had thought about her words for the rest of the day. He was fine, more in control than ever. At least that’s what he told himself.

“Yo Ben!” His thoughts on the matter were interrupted by a boisterous voice calling him. Ben looked up to see a familiar trio walking his way. “Long time no see! Bring it brother!” Said Manny Armstrong as he enveloped Ben in a crushing hug with all four of his arms. Ben winced as he was crushed by Manny’s super strength but patted him on the back. Flanking him with warm smiles on their faces were Helen Wheels and Alan Albright. As Manny released him from his grip, Helen followed up with a much less intense hug followed by Alan offering a simple fist bump.

“Manny, Helen, Alan! It’s good to see you guys.” Ben replied.

“It’s been too long Ben.” Helen replied. “Is it true you spent the last three years on Hazard?” She asked with concern in her voice.

“Oh, yeah.” Ben admitted sheepishly.

“Man you know I’ve heard that place is crazy dangerous! Why’d you go there?” Alan asked.

“Oh well, you know, I just needed a place to get away from it all, focus on what really mattered.” Ben said quietly. Manny scoffed.

“You make it sound like a vacation.” He said.

“Trust me it definitely wasn’t. But on the upside I’ve got Master Control of the Omnitrix now. Oh also have you guys met Trixie.” Ben said, getting desperate to change the topic. He lifted up his arm and allowed Trixie’s hologram to pop up.

“Hello everyone. It’s so nice to meet you all.” Trixie said with a bow. The three Plumbers crowded around the watch, peering down at the holographic girl.

“Uh, nice to meet you too.” Alan said unsure.

“Aw, you’re so adorable!” Helen squealed.

“So you’re an AI huh?” Manny asked.

“Yep! But don’t be fooled. I’m advanced enough to essentially be my own person!” Trixie responded.

“Hey do us a favor and keep an eye on Ben. He can be a handful.” Helen asked with a wink.

“Oh trust me , I know.” Trixie giggled.

“Alright, alright.” Ben complained. The group shared a laugh before they were interrupted as Max entered the room, followed closely by Rook.

“Alright, everybody, take your seats. The mission briefing is about to begin.” Max called out. Ben and the others found their way to seats, with Ben sitting between Rook and Max on the left side of the table. He watched as Team Lucy, consisting of Lucy, Kai, Cooper, and Charmcaster walked in shortly after. Kai took position up at the front of the room next to the floating display screen. She looked around at the multitude of faces and suddenly felt nervous. Her eyes wanted to drift over to Ben but she resisted the urge. Instead she saw both Lucy and Charmcaster giving her thumbs up from the opposite side of the table from him.

“Good morning everyone,” Kai began. “As you all know, this briefing is to catch everyone up to speed on the situation with the Demiurge Hammer.” Kai said as images began to appear on screen. “Let’s start with what we know for certain. Approximately two months ago Vilgax escaped from his imprisonment on Incarcecon. We’re not sure how exactly he did it but eye witness accounts seem to agree that an outside assailant broke in to free him. The identity of this individual is unknown and there is no camera footage of the break in.” She said while images of the prison and ruined cells showed up on screen. The screen blinked and revealed an array of portraits of various well known villains. “A few days after his escape Vilgax came to Earth and declared his search for the Demiurge Hammer. He then dropped off the radar until Ben and his group encountered him recently. Unfortunately no trace of him has been found since his ship exploded, but it is likely that he survived.” She finished.

Images of Addwaitya and Malware popped up next. “These are the next two individuals who are confirmed to be searching for the hammer as well. Malware is a mutated Galvanic Mechamorph, integrates technology into himself, should be considered highly dangerous and armed at all times. Addwaitya is a master class sorceror, who once ruled over the domain of magic. It can be assumed that they learned of the Hammer through the same way as Vilgax.” The pictures faded and another two came up to replace them. “We also have unconfirmed reports that Zs’Skayr and Aggregor are after the hammer as well. We have picked up images that seem to show Aggregor on various intergalactic stations. Zs’Skayr’s whereabouts are still unknown however.” Kai finished.

The screen changed and began to show various lines of text, pictures of engraved stone tablets with words and pictures of figures on them. The centermost image however was of a rectangular box with open lines at the top and bottom. In it’s center was a four pointed star with the top and bottom points extending upwards through the box. “Moving on to the actual subject itself. The Demiurge Hammer is a mysterious relic that appears in the folklore and cultural history of well over a hundred alien civilizations. This is mostly owed to the existence of these stone tablets.” She said gesturing to the pictures. “These relics have been found on multiple different planets and range in ages with the oldest being over a thousand years old according to carbon dating. The contents of the tablets all vary but share a couple of common factors. Firstly they all mention the existence of the Demiurge Hammer with a brief description of its alleged powers. Secondly, the majority of the tablets seem to act as guidestones, leading to other tablets or locations associated with the Hammer. The last piece of information is by far the most confounding.” Kai said seriously. “All of the tablets are written in the same language. Now that’s not as special as you would think at first as there have been multiple early space-faring civilizations that have left behind artifacts on disparate planets. But what is unique about the tablets is that all of them so far appear to share the same ancient language.” Kai explained.

“It’s still unknown who or what placed the tablets in their respective locations. And we have definitive evidence showing that there are multiple trails spanning multiple planets and star systems.” Kai explained pointing to diagrams of planets connected by dotted lines.

“Since the tablets had been translated there have been thousands of individuals following the trail and seeking out the Demiurge Hammer. The last lines of the tablet’s engravings usually point to the next in the trail. Kind of like a treasure hunt. But while there are multiple trails, our analysis has shown that most of them are red herrings and don’t actually lead anywhere.” Kai said as many of the trails began to end in red crossed out circle graphics. “We’ve narrowed down our search to what we believe will be the most reliable trails to start with.” She said pointing out a set of four trails. “Each of these tablet locations have been corroborated to have three known tablet locations preceding them, as well as verifiable landmarks matching descriptions on the previous tablets. As such each of the locations marked here have high probability of leading to tablets which will direct us to the location of the Demiurge Hammer.” Kai finished explaining.

The images on the screen changed again to show pictures of four different landscapes. One was a vast desert environment with rectangular buildings and ruins amongst orange sandy soil. The second image depicted a large mountain with several caves and chasms running through it. The third was a large river with fields and plains on either bank. Finally the last image depicted a sprawling alien city atop a dusty brown background.

“These are the four locations that we have narrowed down as the likely locations of tablets. I’ll hand over the presentation to Rook who will complete the briefing.” Kai said before trading off with Rook and having a seat at the table.

“Thank you Ms. Green.” Rook said as he took position at the front of the room. “Please listen closely to your assignments.” He said pointing at the different landscapes. “Team Delta will explore the basin of the Tigress River on the planet Apoplexia. The Apoplexians were more than happy to leave us to play in the water, they cannot stand the stuff.” Rook said, earning a slight chuckle from the group. “Team Delta will consist of myself, Magister Patelliday, Hobble, Molly, and Zorian.” He finished. Rook moved his pointer to the desert landscape next.

“Team Gamma will explore the valley of chiefs in the Asrial desert on planet Khoros.” Rook said next. “Team Gamma will consist of Manny Armstrong, Helen Wheels, Alan Albright, and additional plumbers on site already. Manny, the expedition has been cleared with the Red Winds but we will rely on you to settle any disputes that might arise with the locals.” He finished. Manny gave a small salute and smile.

“Team Beta will explore the Magoran caverns on planet Umbron and will consist of Lucy Mann, Kai Green, Cooper Daniels, and Charmcaster.” Rook said pointing to the images of the dark foreboding chasms. “I would advise you all to be extremely careful in these areas. These caverns are renowned for being difficult to navigate and unstable.

“Lastly, Team Alpha will consist of Ben, Gwen, Kevin, and Miss Yamamoto. You are tasked with exploring Crater City on the planet Cormorant.” Rook stated pointed to the sprawling alien city. “Please exercise caution here as well. Crater City is a well known hive of scum and villainy. Multiple mafias are said to operate out of the city.” Rook warned them.

“Wait, is the tablet somewhere in the city?” Ben asked confused.

“When the previous tablet was translated nearly fifty years ago it seemed to indicate that the next tablet was located at the bottom of the crater. Since then, multiple digs have been organized but none of them were successful. The city grew up as a result of housing the diggers and archaelogical staff. Over time, as the digs became less frequent, the mafias started to move in and set up shop.” Kai explained.

“The local plumbers have already been contacted and will provide you with aid in your search. Further details will be included in your mission brief.” Rook explained. He then began to hand out tablets to the individuals present. “Please review your mission details in full during your departure. Whichever group gets the location of the Demiurge first should alert the other groups. There is no telling if the other villains searching for the Demiurge have already found it so time is of the essence.” Rook said as he finished his report. Max then stood up and headed to the front of the room.

“All right everyone, you all have your assignments. Gather your things, launch is in one hour and I expect you all to be on your respective ships.” Max instructed as the Plumbers began leaving the room. Ben stood up, noting that Gwen had actually gone up to chat with Charmcaster, a smile on her face. The sorceress seemed to appreciate the gesture as the two exchanged words on their way out. Ben smiled at the display of friendship. Hopefully their friendship would continue, Gwen always said she wished she had someone she could talk magic too. He started to move out of the room when he noticed Kevin was still reading through his tablet and had not moved from his seat. Intrigued, Ben walked over to his friend and peered over his shoulder.

“What’s up? You’re not usually one to do your homework.” Ben observed. Kevin shut off his tablet and glanced up.

“Haha, very funny.” He retorted before standing. “Just got a bad feeling about this one is all.” He said and the pair began to exit the conference room.

“Bad feeling how?” Ben asked.

“I’ll tell you about it once we reach Cormorant. Right now though, I’ve gotta go pick up Zed before we leave.” Kevin said.

“You’re bringing her with us?” Ben asked

“Hey, if Julie gets to bring her pet why can’t I bring mine?” Kevin responded.

“Fair point.” Ben conceded.

“Speaking of which…” Kevin trailed off. But Ben only frowned.

“It’s complicated… everything is. But she said she wanted to see this whole thing through, so I’m grateful for her help at least.” Ben said. Kevin only nodded before his eyes looked past Ben.

“We’ll talk about this all later, right now I think you’ve got other problems.” Kevin said gesturing behind Ben with a nod of his head. Ben turned partially to see Kai walking towards them. Ben felt his nerves tighten at her approach.

“Later man, good luck.” Kevin said in a whisper before patting Ben on the shoulder. Kai waited until Kevin had walked out of earshot to approach.

“Hey…” She said softly, arms folded and looking unsure.

“Hey.” Ben replied back quietly. “Listen, I’m sorry about the other day…” Ben began.

“It’s okay. But I did want to talk.” Kai said. She looked nervous and timid, a picture that Ben never thought he’d see on her, and certainly one that made him uncomfortable. “Listen, are we… still together?" She asked with a hint of hope. Ben sighed at the question, knowing he couldn’t avoid this any longer.

“Kai,” He began unsure. “A friend told me recently that I should really take the time to think about whether I’m ready for a relationship again.” He said. “If I’m being honest with you, my mental health hasn’t been the greatest the last couple of years. And with everything that’s going on now, I don’t think I could handle us. I’m sorry. Maybe once this is all finished?” Ben suggested. By this point Kai had bitten her lip and turned her face away. Ben couldn’t tell but she was supressing the urge to shed tears.

“Does it have anything to do with her?” Kai asked, trying to hide the animosity in her voice. “Your Ex?” She finished. Ben’s eyes went wide before looking down at the floor.

“No. Trust me Julie’s made it pretty clear to me…” He said trailing off. Kai breathed deeply before looking Ben back in the eye.

“You know you could have come to me sooner. I could have helped you with your problems.” Kai said.

“I know, and I’m sorry. But like I said at the beginning of all this, I really think I needed to deal with it on my own.” Ben explained. “Look, I know this isn’t what you wanted to hear Kai, but I still care about you, never doubt that.” Ben said grabbing her hand in his. Kai looked at the gesture with a blank sullen expression. “So are we still friends at least?” Ben asked hopefully.

Kai smiled despite the negative pit in her chest and squeezed Ben’s hand. She looked up at him. “Yeah, we’re okay.” She said. She was taken by surprise when Ben reached out and hugged her. Ben was never much for physical contact outside of other activities, so the gesture was different than what she had expected. Ever since he had returned Ben had been like a different person. But maybe, it was for the best. Maybe Ben was right, and he needed to take this opportunity to grow. Slowly, Kai returned the warm hug. They stayed like that for several seconds before they each gradually released each other. They looked at each other with placid gentle smiles. They both were hurting to some degree, but there was an understanding between them.

“Take care, Kai.” Ben wished her.

“You too, Ben.” She responded. And with that the young couple parted and walked down opposite sides of the hallway.

No-One teleports into a darkened facility. The walls are stained with rust and the noise of pistons and gears fills the air. The factory has long since been abandoned. It suits his needs perfectly. He walks through the halls, passing the primitive machinery which he repurposed and brought back to life. Ironic, he thought, that wouldn’t be the only resurrection he would perform here. He had gathered all the pieces, extricated them from their hiding places. He would have the capacity to rebuild him and hopefully ensnare him like the others. But he had purposefully left him to last, as this one’s powers too closely mirrored his own. No-One traversed the empty factory with the final piece in hand. His rhythmic footsteps echoed in the metal shell of the facility like the tick-tock of an aging clock. Until finally, he at last reached his destination deep in the heart of the machinery.

No-One stepped up to the bed of steel which contained the other pieces. He took a deep breath to steady himself. Even from the disassembled parts one could make out the pattern in which they fit. He slowly began connecting the pieces, the mechanical components fitting together easily as though they longed for completion. No-One looked down and saw the compiled form of Maltruant. His body had been reassembled but he was still lifeless. That was fine, No-One knew that recreating the mechanical body was only one part of the plan. It was now time for the other. He spread his hands wide over the body. His hands and body glowed purple as he tapped into the time stream. He searched through the time stream for all the moments he was taken from. He had to find the loop and break it. His hands seized the golden glowing ring of chrono-energy. He bent at the ring, bending and twisting it with great effort. The time-loop strained against the effort, naturally resistant to breaking. But No-One summoned the energy from a thousand timelines, supplying enough power to sustain the paradox. The loop bent further and further until at last it snapped in an explosion of golden sparks and purple lightning.

The flashes of golden light sucked themselves into the vacant body of Maltruant. Immediately, the clockwork gears of his body began to turn and his body alighted with red glowing light. His eyes opened and his body creaked and groaned as it moved for the first time in millenia. Maltruant stood up and stretched his limbs, crying out in victory. He glanced down to see a nearly invisible silhouette staring up at him. Maltruant stalked forward, his heavy foot falls clanging against the metal ground.

“You are the one who freed me from that infernal prison?” He asked.

“Yes,” Replied No-One. Maltruant’s eyes narrowed.

“A temporal-spatial-dimensional phase shift. A clever three layer camoflauge. Unfortunately I can see through it. I know who you are.” Maltruant threatened.

“A pity. I suppose that means I can’t use you like the others.” No-One responded. Maltruant cackled evilly.

“You are not strong enough to defeat me.” Maltruant said.

“We shall see!” No-One shouted and pulled out a blaster. He shot Maltruant point blank with a a purple laser. Maltruant stumbled back in shock before grimacing and firing back with a beam of energy from his hands. The key atop his head spinning wildly the beams shot towards No-One. But the specter dodged to the right, moments before the beam impacted the ground. A second later revealed a large rusted hole in the floor right where No-One stood. The mysterious figure began firing blasts of purple lasers at Maltruant while dodging behind iron columns and machinery. The laser blasts peppered Maltruant’s oversized body and caused him great annoyance.

“Stop moving you worm!” He called out before a shockwave of energy erupted from his body. The area surrounding them went still and quiet as he paused time. The machinery halted and even No-One fell still. But a second later his silhouette vibrated purple and No-One escaped from the pause continuing to run at Maltruant. He jumped into the air and kicked him in the chest. Maltruant crossed his arms to block the blow but was still sent skidding back several feet. “Of course, I should have realized you would be able to counter my time powers.” Maltruant said. Suddenly he went on the offensive, throwing punches that smashed the thin metal panels on the ground. But No-One easily dodged these strikes, his smaller lither frame more nimble than Maltruant’s own clunky bio-mechanical body.

“You cannot hope to touch me. I am far faster than you.” No-One taunted as he dodged yet more strikes. Maltruant growled as the key atop his head spun faster and faster.

“Not for long!” Maltruant shouted. Suddenly with a burst of sudden speed Maltruant caught up to No-One. He grabbed the mysterious figure by his midsection and tossed him into a concrete wall. No-One grunted in pain at the collision. He slumped to the ground and narrowly dodged a red energy beam. No-One held out his left arm which shined purple before he began moving in a blur, faster than even Maltruant. The rogue Chronosapien’s eyes went wide with shock at the sudden burst of speed. He soon was bombarded by laser fire and punches. Maltruant stumbled backwards, desperately trying to escape the flurry of attacks.

“Enough!” Maltruant suddenly screamed. His insides glowed with red power before the energy bursted forth in a huge beam of destruction. The enormous column of energy shot forth and impacted the wall. No-one ran through the quickly decaying factory as Maltruant chased him with the gigantic energy beam. Everything the beam touched rusted to dust and Maltruant spun around chasing No-One’s quickly fleeing form. The darkness of the factory was soon replaced by blinding crimson light. At last after completing a full circle the energy ceased from Maltruant’s body. He stood surveying the destruction around him. He breathed heavily, looking for any trace of No-One but the mystery figure seemed to have vanished.

“Gah!” Maltruant suddenly shouted in pain as he felt a searing hot energy stab through his shoulder. He looked down to see a blade made of purple energy protruding just to the left of his chest. Turning his head around he could see No-One extending the blade from his left arm. And although he could not see the man’s face, he could have sworn he saw a sinister smile.

“Time’s Up.” No-One said. Maltruant could feel the energy drain from him and closed his eyes before both he and No-One vanished in a flash of violet light.

Chapter 24: Chapter 24

Chapter Text

Ben X Chapter 24
Treasure Hunt Arc
Welcome to Crater City

Team Alpha, consisting of Ben, Gwen, Kevin, and Julie, plus their unofficial pet mascots Zed and Ship sat inside the co*ckpit of the Rust Bucket. They were nearly to their destination of Cormorant and Crater City. They had only left earth a few hours ago, and were taking the time to review the mission brief in more detail.

“So, according to the translation of the text from the last tablet, the next one should be located at the epicenter of the crater. Am I getting that right?” Ben asked, surprisingly studious for once. Gwen looked up from her own tablet to respond.

“More or less. The exact wording is a little different but I suppose that’s an acceptable translation.” She responded.

“Really? What would you translate it as then?” He asked.

“Well, it’s more like the epicenter of the event? Collision? The phrase they use is kind of vague but it seems to suggest that we’ll find what we’re looking for at the bottom of the crater.” Gwen elaborated.

“But haven’t tons of people already tried looking for it there? What will we see that others haven’t already?” Julie asked concerned.

“I guess we won’t know until we get there.” Gwen said with a shrug of her shoulders. Ben turned to the pilot seat and saw Kevin white-knuckled gripping the steering wheel. His jaw was tense and his expression grim. Ben raised an eyebrow concerned.

“You’ve been awfully quiet this whole time. Care to give your take?” Ben asked. Kevin glanced at him before looking back at the rest of the passengers. He sighed and turned back around before flipping switches and pressing buttons on the dashboard. The lights inside the cabin dimmed and only the lights of the various displays illuminated the interior. The other occupants grew concerned by the sudden darkness.

“Kevin?! What gives?” Gwen asked irritated.

“I need to tell you guys something important. And I need to make sure we had radio silence.” Kevin explained as the Rust Bucket drifted forward.

“Alright, well we’re all ears.” Ben said. Kevin sighed deeply before continuing.

“Listen, you guys need to know that Crater City is a bad place.” He said.

“Uh, duh, Rook already told us about all the gangs and criminals.” Ben said.

“It’s not just the criminals Ben. The Plumbers there are bad too.” Kevin insisted.

“What? But I thought the Plumbers were the good guys?” Julie asked.

“They’re supposed to be. But they’re still essentially cops. And no matter where you go there’s always going to be bad cops. I know it’s hard to believe but I’ve experienced it myself. When I was younger and fresh out of the Null Void with Argit we stopped over in Crater City. I got my ass handed to me by a bunch of corrupt plumbers.” Kevin explained.

“Kevin, I’m not trying to discount your story. But what exactly were you doing at the time?” Gwen asked cautiously.

“Believe it or not I was trying to stop them from running a protection racket.” Kevin said. “They were harrassing a little old lady. I had decided to try and put some of my old mentor Qwarrel’s teachings to better use and got my butt handed to me. But I managed to get them to leave her alone, so I guess it worked out.” He elaborated.

“Look, Kevin, I can definitely believe you ran into some trouble with the Plumbers here but that’s a pretty far reach to calling all of them corrupt.” Ben said.

“Don’t just take my word for it.” Kevin said passing around his own tablet. The screen was full of text detailing apparent complaints and charges against the plumber organization of Crater city. The passengers crowded around the tablet as they scrolled and continued reading. “After the whole debacle with the Rooters I did some digging in the Plumber’s intergalactic database. It only confirmed my worst fears. The plumbers are not a monolithic organization. There are multiple sects like the Rooters and a lot of corrupt gangs on certain outposts or stations that abuse their power over the little people. It’s all in there if you don’t believe me. Don’t get me wrong, on the whole the Plumbers are a good organization that do a lot to keep people safe and keep the peace. But that doesn't make them immune to abuse or corruption. And from what I could tell from my research, Crater City’s plumbers are some of the worst out there.” Kevin finished. As the rest of the group finished reading through the tablet they exchanged worried glances. Kevin reignited the engines and continued their journey.

“I just wanted to warn you guys, don’t trust these plumbers as easily as you would some of the others.” Kevin cautioned. The three looked to each other, nodding in agreement.

“Alright, Kevin. We’ll be careful.” Ben said seriously. Kevin only nodded in agreement.

The rest of their trip was relatively short and quiet. Before they knew it they had arrived at their destination. The planet Cormorant loomed ahead of them. It’s surface was mostly red and brown soil interspersed with patches of green forests and blue seas. Kevin piloted their ship down to the surface of the planet. Even from the outer atmosphere they could make out the giant sprawling city held within the crater. The crater which was the city’s namesake was dozens of miles long. In it’s center was a spire that towered over the other buildings with a wheeled platform at it’s top. Avenues peeled off from the center like the spokes in a wheel. In between the lanes were large impressive steel buildings. The buildings grew more complex the higher up the crater walls they were. Eventually the masses of buildings spilled out over the edge of the crater and surrounded it for a few miles before tapering out into what looked like farmland. The city was absolutely massive, it looked like the NYC equivalent of Undertown.

Kevin piloted the ship closer to the central tower that rose high into the air. He expertly flew the ship into the large wheel that surrounded the spire and touched down in the docking bay. The group exited the ship into the ship dock. They were greeted by a Tetramand plumber wearing the standard issue plumber helmet along with a scowl on his face.

“Greetings, you all must be the visitors of Earth we were told about.” The plumber spoke.

“Yes, Hi, I’m Ben Tennyson. This is my cousin Gwen, Kevin Levin, and Julie Yamamoto.” Ben introduced them. The plumber officer looked them over but didn’t seem to be impressed.

“I’m Magister Bullgo, I’m in charge of this city.” He said gruffly. “I want to make one thing clear to you all. I might have orders from above but while you’re here you’ll follow my instructions. I don’t need you wannabe heroes interfering in my city’s business. We have enough criminals to deal with and a lot of delicate undercover ops. The last thing I need is a bunch of yahoos messing about in something they don’t understand. So are we clear?” Magister Bullgo asked looming over them. The party was slightly taken aback by the less than stellar welcome, exchanging glances with a knowing Kevin.

“Yeah, gotcha.” Ben responded evenly. Magister Bullgo stared for a few moments before grunting under his breath.

“Follow me.” He said turning and waving them on with two of his four arms. He walked off without waiting for the group. They caught up with him anyway. They passed through the enormous central building fairly quietly, with Bullgo being stoic and silent and none of their group feeling particularly talkative after their warm welcome. Bullgo lead them deeper into the building until they eventually came to a wide open circular lobby. The lobby was filled with plumbers going about their business. A few triangular planters were spaced around the circular room and had green leafy alien plants growing from them. However what grabbed their attention the most was a large red boulder encased in a glass display case in the center of the room.

“Hey, what’s that?” Ben finally asked. Bullgo looked to see what he was pointing at. For the first time he let out a slight smile.

“That’s the meteor that created the crater you’re standing in. It was found on one of the earliest digs in the crater. We owe our entire existence to that chunk of space rock. It’s the city’s pride and joy.” Bullgo explained. Bullgo then ushered the group into an elevator. When the doors closed the group felt themselves descending. “Speaking of which, I don’t know what you guys are hoping you’re gonna find. More people than you have tried and failed to find the tablet that’s supposed to be here.” Bullgo warned them. The group exchanged unsteady glances, but Ben, ever charismatic, was unfazed.

“If it’s all the same to you, we’d still like to take a look around.” Ben responded with a smile. Bullgo stared at him, eyes narrowed.

“Suit yourself.” He muttered before turning back around. The elevator continued to descend and the group remained silent. They watched the floor numbers tick slowly down from two hundred. Minutes seemed to pass like hours in the tense atmosphere of the elevator. At last, after what seemed like an eternity, the doors slid open to reveal a dark room. The lights shuddered to life, illuminating a large space filled with metal boxes, and dark red stone and sand. The group stepped out and descended down a short set of stairs to the sandy red soil. The group looked around and observed the space, noting that the ground had several holes and discarded digging equipment laid scattered around the space.

“Here you go. This spot is the exact center of the crater and the site of many digs. We mostly use it for storage nowadays.” Bullgo announced. “Now I’ve got more important things to do than monitor you so have fun playing in the dirt. If you need anything ask reception.” Bullgo said curtly. He abruptly turned around and boarded the elevator again. The group waited until the whirring of the elevator had died down to speak.

“He seemed… charming.” Gwen commented.

“Is it too early to say I told you so?” Kevin asked.

“Okay, he wasn’t all that pleasant but hopefully we don’t have to deal with him all that much.” Ben said.

“So, where do we start?” Julie asked unsure.

“Let’s do a full scan of the room. Trixie if you would?” Ben asked raising up his Omnitrix. Trixie’s holographic form popped up on the watch face, giving a mock salute.

“Sure thing Ben!” Suddenly a green light began to emit from the Omnitrix. It scanned across the room from left to right and up and down.

“I’ll do a magic scan of my own. Maybe we’ll have better luck that way.” Gwen said before she adopted a meditative pose and levitated in the air. They waited a few minutes for their scans to be completed. Trixie was the first to finish.

“Sorry, guys. I’m not picking anything up.” Trixie replied sadly.

“Yeah, same here. If there was anything here, it’s long gone now.” Gwen noted. Ben only hummed thoughtfully. It seemed as though their mission would be over before it truly started. But Ben was not so easily dissuaded. He transformed into Wildmutt and began sniffing around. He paced around the dig site, pawing at the holes that were already present. He even went so far as to turn over a couple of the steel crates that were sitting on the floor. But despite nearly fifteen minutes of the group searching, they still came up empty handed. Finally Ben transformed back into human form and walked over to his group.

“Alright, so it’s definitely not here. We’ll have to come up with a new game plan.” Ben stated. He looked at the ground, rubbing his chin in deep concentration. He began pacing the room as he came up with a plan. “I think we need to check out the rest of the city.” Ben finally said looking up.

“Uh, Ben, this city is huge.” Kevin stated, eyebrow raised.

“So we’ll split up. Gwen and Julie can take the north half of the city, you and I will take the south half.” Ben said. “There’s bound to be at least some rumors that we can drum up. Maybe we can check out some of the other dig sites as well.” Ben reasoned.

“Alright, but we’ll need some disguises, humans are rare in these parts, and if we go around asking questions it’ll scream that we’re plumbers.” Kevin said.

“That shouldn’t be too much of a problem.” Gwen said with a snap of her fingers. In an instant she adopted her lucky girl persona. Besides her Julie nodded to Ship who enveloped her in his sleek armor form. Kevin looked to Ben who simply pointed at the Omnitrix. Kevin smiled and nodded before absorbing the stone from the wall. The group left the plumber basem*nt and made their way to the street level. They were surprised by the number of aliens walking about, the city seemed jam packed with people. Even more than that, at the very bottom of the crater light was blotted out by large buildings and flying vehicles from up above. The group looked around them to see that most of the streets were filled with trash and what looked like desolate homeless aliens. The air was filled with the stench of decay and rotting garbage. The buildings were run down and crumbling.

“Man, this is sad.” Gwen commented looking at the city. Kevin came up beside her.

“In Crater City, the bottom layer of the crater is essentially the slums. The higher up the crater walls you get and the further from the center you are, the more likely you are to have money. Only the richest people live on the edges of the crater.” He explained.

“That works perfectly. I bet these people hear all kinds of rumors.” Ben said. He pressed down on the watch face and transformed. The alien he picked however was unfamiliar. He had a standard humanoid body but his arms and legs were metallic with segmented rings. The tips of his fingers were open holes. The majority of his body was obscured by an oversized poncho with a green and black horizontal zig zag pattern. His lower face was covered by a green bandana and his eyes glowed red against gun metal gray skin. He wore an oversized cowboy hat with small tassells towards the back.

“A Calibernite, nice. What do you call this guy?” Kevin asked.

“Uhh, Hotshot” Ben lied speaking in a thick western accent. “We should get moseying, the more time we waste the higher the chance someone will reach the Demiurge before us. We’ll meet back here in three hours.” He said. The group nodded their assent and split up. Ben, Kevin and Zed went south while Gwen, Julie and Ship headed north.

Gwen and Julie spent the next hour stalking through the slum like streets of Crater City. They passed many strange alien sights and individuals. Eventually they reached some kind of open air market with large crowds and multiple vendors lining the streets. They asked around to anyone and everyone about the history of the city, previous dig sites, and any rumors they might have heard about the Demiurge tablet. They didn’t get much information. Most of the people they ran into refused to speak to them at all. Some were willing to give information for a price but even then the info they got was not very helpful. A few more kindly individuals had spoken to the girls and given them some rumors. However their best lead came from one friendly Atrocian who had told the girls that the many gangs and mafias in Crater City had been searching for the tablet for years. But it appeared that one newer gang had been searching more intensely than the others in recent months. He had even told the girls which parts of the city each gang could be found in, although he had warned them against going there directly. The girls however, had assured him they could take care of themselves. They decided to head toward the quarter of the city where they could find one of the gangs, hoping to glean some information from them. As they walked, they noticed the streets becoming cleaner and the buildings looking more respectable. Clearly they were exiting the slums. They had been mostly quiet on their journey, but now that they had a specific destination in mind Gwen decided to strike up a conversation.

“So… how are things with you and Ben?” Gwen asked slyly. Julie nearly stumbled at the question.

“What? What are you talking about? We’re not together.” She said hoping Ship’s face shield would hide her blush.

“Ok yeah, but you two were stranded together alone for three hours on that planet. Are you really going to tell me nothing happened?” Gwen said knowingly. Julie sighed.

“Okay, so he did tell me he still has feelings for me. And he did kiss me…” Julie said dejectedly. Gwen was surprised by the tone of her voice.

“Oh…” She said awkwardly, unsure if she had brought up a sore subject. Julie groaned and placed her head in her hands.

“And yeah, I might still have feelings for him too. But, this hardly seems like the time to revisit any of that! I mean we’re trying to prevent a crisis here!” She said. “Plus, I’m still worried about Ben, he just doesn’t seem like he’s emotionally stable, like he’s hiding something. It’s why I already turned him down.” She elaborated. Gwen nodded sadly.

“Yeah, I know what you mean. I’ve been getting the same feeling.” Gwen concurred.

“But the longer I spend around him the more I start to realize how much I missed being with him. I mean sometimes I can hardly believe I gave up on all this.” She said gesturing around them. “Your lives are so exciting and full of adventure. I mean I’ve discovered more about Ship in the last three months than I’ve learned in the last three years. And I never would have known if I hadn’t gotten involved with him again.” Julie said.

“You’re not scared of getting hurt or being put in danger?” Gwen asked with a quirked eyebrow. Julie looked ahead and thought to herself.

“I don’t think I’d ever been truly afraid.” Julie said. “Because I always felt like Ben would be there to save me if anything were to happen. And now that I’ve got Ship I can take care of myself, so I can fight beside him and do the same for him.” Julie said with a smile. She turned back to Gwen who looked at her with a knowing look.

“Oh you’ve got it bad girl.” She said. Julie groaned.

“When did things get so complicated?” Julie complained. Gwen simply laughed and patted Julie on the back as a conciliatory gesture.

The girls walked along the street for a few more minutes before Gwen paused. She put a hand to her head, eyes squinted and in deep concentration. “Gwen? What’s the matter?” Julie asked concerned. But Gwen continued to focus, drowning out her surroundings. When she opened her eyes again she looked around in shock. She turned to Julie with a concerned expression.

“I think I just sensed Addwaitya here.” Gwen said in a whisper. “Come on, I think he might have gone this way!” Gwen called before running off. Julie followed behind chasing desperately after her friend.

Ben and Kevin walked through the busy streets of Crater City. Although they had tried to disguise themselves, some residents of the city still went out of their way to avoid them, recognizing them as outsiders. Kevin had said they should checkout the outskirts of the slums as that would be where they would probably find the most information. Their trip was mostly silent, as they walked among a wide variety of alien lifeforms. Zed followed closely beside them. More than once an individual would come up offering to buy the alien dog from off of them for a hefty price. But a growl from Zed was usually all it took to get them to back off. As they walked through the dilapidated slum streets and back alley avenues, Ben couldn’t help but to notice peculiar things. Many of the walls and buildings they walked among were littered with anti-plumber graffiti. Most of it consisted of the words Red-Spots and some variation of curse words. Of the languages he couldn’t make out, the bright red dripping circles next to the tags made the meanings pretty clear. There wasn’t a whole lot of plumber activity in the slums. But Ben noticed whenever they did make an appearance, much of the populace gave them a wide berth. It was as though they lived in fear of the plumbers.

Ben hated to admit it, but Kevin may have been right. For whatever reason, the Plumbers here were not as trusted as other parts of the universe he had frequented. Kevin could tell that Ben was taking this all in. Although it was no surprise to him, he was sure that it must have been something of a shock to Ben. The young man hadn’t been on the wrong side of the law like Kevin had been in the past, and it showed. The naïve belief that the Plumbers were always the good guys had never left Ben’s mind and it was only now starting to shake loose. But Kevin didn’t comment on it, knowing that any attempt to talk about the subject would be met with disbelief. Instead he silently directed them to the outskirts of the slums. The plan was to visit the local bars and go scrounging for rumors. Places like those were always full of gossip and people looking to get paid. So it made it the perfect stop for their mission.

They soon arrived at one such establishment. The patrons inside eyed them warily. Unfortunately for the duo, their first attempts at trying to pick up rumors got them thrown out. It wasn’t until the second bar they visited that they learned talking about the demiurge tablet was taboo in town. Only fools and gangsters went around talking about that subject. So they tried a more covert approach. Kevin took the lead this time, having more experience dealing with these types. But even with Kevin spearheading their efforts they did not gather much intel. What they had learned is that apparently some up and coming mafia had moved into the city and was making headway. They were bold, making deals and trading weapons and drugs quickly and for good prices. It had upset the local mafia ecosystem and some of the old guard weren’t thrilled but nobody had been able to track them down or determine their whereabouts. They were supposedly spread out to all edges of the city and no-one was sure who was a member or not. But they had been directed to another bar where they were more likely to get information. So they set out in search of it.

After about another hour they had finally reached the bar. It was a back alley hole in the wall kind of joint. The only indication that it was a bar was the engraved metal plate next to the entrance which read ‘Reaver’s Rest’. The duo exchanged glances before entering the establishment. The inside of the bar was dark and smoky. The walls and furniture were built with shoddy brick and old splintered wood. Multiple booths lined the interior with a few open tables. The bar to the far left side held only a few patrons. The pair stepped inside and glanced around. There were only a few aliens milling about the interior, it hardly seemed the gathering place for an up and coming criminal organization. But as Ben glanced around his eyes went wide as he spotted a pair of familiar forms.

“The Vreedle brothers?! What in tarnation are ya’ll doin’ here?” Ben asked stomping over to the pair.

“Uh, pardon. I don’t believe we’ve had the pleasure of being acquainted.” Octagon said.

“Don’t play dumb.” Hotshot said, eyes narrowing.

“Oh, we don’t play dumb. We is dumb.” Rhomboid said almost proudly.

“Boid…” Octagon reprimanded.

“Sorry.” He replied.

“It’s us, Kevin and Ben.” Kevin said dropping his transformation. Recognition flashed in the eyes of the clone twins.

“Oh, well in that case salutations. Now what can we do for you fine folks?” Octagon replied happily.

“Y’all can start by tellin’ us what you varmints are doin’ here in Crater City. Up to some no good tricks I bet. What do you know ‘bout this new group of gun smugglin’ low lives?” Ben asked intimidatingly. Octagon’s eyes narrowed and he crossed his arms.

“You may forget that we are free citizens and we are not obliged to tell you every detail of our business. We are simply here to enjoy some refreshments of this here fine establishment.” Octagon said diplomatically.

“Yeah, plus we ain’t even done nuthin’ yet.” Boid agreed. “We’re waiting for a new job opportunity with this new criminal organization but we haven’t had any luck gettin’ a hold of ‘em.” He explained. Kevin and Ben glared at the pair of clones.

“Aw, dang it Boid! What have I told you bout blabbering our business to strangers?” Octagon reprimanded throwing his hands up in the air. Rhomboid looked sheepish.

“Sorry Octagon.” He said.

“Well now that the cat’s outta the bag you might as well tell us. What’s the scoop in the city Octagon?” Kevin asked leaning in close. Beside him Zed growled for emphasis. Octagon glanced between the three of them nervously swallowing.

“Okay okay. Well a few months back we had heard tell of a new criminal organization setting up in this here city. Word was they’ve been calling themselves the Syndicate. Rumors on the street is that they’re puttin a crew together for some big kind of heist. Boid and I were gonna volunteer our services, for a cut of the profits of course.” Octagon explained.

“Yeah, ‘cept we ain’t heard nothin’ from no-one about it. So we figured we’d get some grub while we waits.” Boid added. Ben and Kevin glanced at each other before Ben held up an index finger in front of them. At the tip of his finger a small flame began to burn with intense heat and light.

“Where is the heist supposed to take place? What are they going after?” Hotshot threatened, his red eyes narrowing. Both of the Vreedle brothers held up their hands defensively at the threat of violence.

“I’m not sure. Word is they may even be tryin’ to break into Plumber Tower. But I swear on our Ma’s name that’s all we know.” Octagon whimpered. The light from Ben’s finger went out and he backed off.

“You Vreedle Brothers are many things, but you don’t take yer Ma’s name in vain. I’ll give ya that much.” Ben said. The Vreedle Brothers smiled sheepishly at the comment.

“Do you think we should tell the girls?” Kevin asked. Ben thought about the proposition. It would be good to share information but that would also mean he might have to talk to Julie. He could feel a blush come on his face just from the thought. Although he was trying to take her words to heart, he couldn’t help the butterflies in his stomach he got whenever he thought of her. Ben tipped his hat to hide the growing blush on his face.

“I-I reckon we should keep it to ourselves, for the time being.” He stuttered. Kevin raised an eyebrow and gave a cheeky smile.

“What, you still afraid to talk to Julie? She’s just a girl ya know.” Kevin teased him.

“Confound it, I already talked to her.” Ben shot back. “She said she ain’t interested right now.” Ben said, somewhat deflated. Kevin leaned his head against his fist on the table.

“And what about Kai? You talked to her yet? Have you told her you’re still into Julie?” Kevin asked.

“Wha- Are you tryin’ ta get me killed? No we ain’t together neither. I’m just… look it’s complicated.” Ben said.

“Hoo-whee! Ben Tennyson with girl troubles? That’s a funny sight fer sure.” Rhomboid laughed.

“What do you know about it?” Ben said annoyed, the tips of his fingers starting to flare again.

“Now Ben, I can tell ya the key to any good romantic relationship is communication and compromise. Both partners need to express their emotions, wants, and needs in a respectful manner while also being willing to come together and negotiate boundaries and desires.” Octagon explained sagely.

“Ughh, I really don’t need a lecture on my love life from the Vreedles of all people.” Ben complained. “Come on Kev, I think we’ve gotten everythang we’re gonna get from these two.” Ben said before walking off. The pair walked off leaving the Vreedle Brothers behind to sigh in collective relief.

“So what now? If what they said is true this Syndicate could potentially be planning to attack Plumber Tower.” Kevin observed.

“And if they’re after the Demiurge tablet it would suggest that it’s somewhere in the tower. But a lead like this isn’t substantial enough by itself. We should try to collect some more intel.” Ben said.

The duo of heroes exited the back alley bar and onto the streets. They were intent to go to the next bar and see what other leads they could gather. However, their attention was immediately grabbed by a commotion happening across the street. A pair of Plumbers were harassing a small alien wearing orange. The commotion had apparently been happening for a while as it had gathered a few scared onlookers. The crowd stayed close enough to watch but far enough away that they wouldn’t draw the Plumber’s attention. The Plumbers in question were yelling and shouting at the alien. Ben and Kevin couldn’t see the individual from their angle but it was clear he appeared harmless. Suddenly one of the Plumbers kicked the little guy over onto the ground. The helpless victim tried desperately to get up and run away but the Plumbers continued to kick and abuse him as he tried to get up. The little alien tried calling out for help, yet the crowd of onlookers dared not move. Ben narrowed his eyes at the situation before stomping forward, the spurs on the back of his heels clicking with every step.

“Hey!” Hotshot called out. The pair of plumbers paused in their beating. They turned around to see Hotshot with his arms out to the side. “Y’all wanna explain exactly what yer doing to that poor little fella?” Ben asked, nodding to the alien who had curled up into a ball.

“Move along civilian, this doesn’t concern you.” The plumber said.

“Oh, I reckon it does.” Ben cracked back. “There’s no need to be so brutal, he clearly ain’t resisting.” Ben said gesturing to the little alien.

“You’re interrupting official Plumber business. I’d seriously walk away if I was you. Otherwise we’ll have no choice but to arrest you for obstruction of justice.” The plumber said.

“I’d like ta see you try.” Ben said. The plumber growled and put a hand on his blaster.

“This is your last warning.” He threatened. But Ben was not moved.

“And this is your last warning, step away from the little feller, or we’re about to have ourselves a shoot out.” Hotshot said, curling his fists so that only his index fingers remained out.

There was a tense silence between the opposing sides. The plumber closest to him hovered his hand over his blaster. Ben narrowed his eyes, already feeling the fire building its way up his hand. The onlookers watched on silently, none of them dared speak a word. They had never seen someone challenge the plumbers so recklessly, they were sure that this stranger was about to get himself killed. Even Kevin watched slightly bemused by the scene. Zed whimpered behind him but he ran a calming hand down her neck. The only sound was that of the wind whistling through the street, kicking up red dust from the road.

Suddenly the Plumber reached for his gun. He pulled it swiftly from his holster and took aim at Ben. But Hotshot was quicker. In an instant Ben had raised his hand and shot a fiery ball of red plasma at the plumber. The fiery bullet impacted against the blaster, causing the plumber to drop it. Behind him his partner also raised his blaster. But Ben was too quick, by the time the other one had raised his pistol two balls of fiery plasma impacted his head and gun respectively. The first plumber dashed for his gun on the ground but it was sent spinning away as Ben shot another fireball from his finger tips. A second fireball ricocheted off the wall of a nearby building and impacted the first plumber right in the middle of his helmet. The impact caused his head to smack into the ground. The second plumber abandoned his blaster and charged straight at Ben with his much larger frame.

But Ben opened his palms and began firing from all ten fingers. The sudden spray of bullets sent the larger plumber stumbling back. Once he was off balance Ben started firing all at odd random angles. He fired bullet after bullet against the ground, walls, and any available surface. Incredibly the bullets bounced around the plumber in a hail of ricochets. They impacted him from unpredictable angles. Each bullet left him bruised and singed and painful. Eventually the pair of plumbers were left cowering on the concrete sidewalk much like their former victim once was. Finally the rain of fiery projectiles abruptly ceased. The two plumbers, injured and shamed dared to look up. They saw the intimidating visage of their opponent Hotshot, standing stock still with his fingers still smoking and glowing slightly red. The pair looked up fearfully as Ben spoke.

“Now, are y’all gonna leave peaceful like? Or am I gonna have to make ya?” Ben asked. The plumbers got up and ran off, abandoning both their weapons and their victim behind. As the pair of plumbers ran off the crowd around them burst into cheers. Ben looked around at the cheering aliens, surprised how grateful they appeared to be. Hotshot tipped his hat before his transformation timed out. Ben watched as Kevin walked up to him, Zed in tow.

“Where were you in all that?” He asked.

“Eh, I knew you could handle it.” Kevin replied. Together the pair walked over to the bruised alien the plumbers were beating on.

“Hey, there. They’re gone now. Are you okay?” Ben asked offering a hand. The pile of orange clothes shifted. The little alien sat up and they could finally see a familiar porcupine like alien with black bristles for hair and a scrawny figure.

“Argit?!” The duo exclaimed in shock.

“Ben! Kev! Thanks for the save you guys. Really appreciate it. Well, now that that’s over with I best be on my way.” Argit said, walking off obviously bruised. But before he could run off Kevin had grabbed the little rascal by his shirt and lifted him up into the air.

“Now I almost wish I let those Plumbers beat you up.” Ben muttered under his breath.

“What’s the mayor of Undertown doing in Crater City?” Kevin interrogated dropping the alien onto the ground again but not letting go of his grip.

“Yeah! What tricks are you… Wait, wait, wait. Did you say mayor? Of Undertown? When did that happen?” Ben asked incredulous.

“Whatsamatter Benny Boy? Surprised to learn I’ve gone into politics? I’m on the straight and narrow now! I’d do anything for my adoring constituents.” Argit bragged.

“Which makes it all the more suspicious that you’re here.” Kevin glowered. “Are you caught up in this whole mafia business?” He asked. Argit gulped nervously.

“Well, ya know, I still have my shipping business on the side, although officially I’m divested from the company. But for the really special deliveries, I like to make them in person.” Argit explained.

“By which he means the illegal ones.” Kevin explained his doublespeak.

“So spill it. What are you transporting and to who? And where’s your Techadon body guards?” Ben asked.

“I can’t walk around this part of town with those lugs around. I’m trying to keep a low profile ya know.” He said.

“Right, cuz that worked so well before we got to you.” Kevin said. Argit winced, rubbing his black eye.

“So who’s your client Argit, more importantly, are they involved with the Syndicate?” Ben asked. Argit swallowed nervously. He tried laughing it off but Ben picked up on the rodent’s sketchy attitude.

“So you are meeting them here.” Kevin surmised.

“Alright shush shush shush. Look I’ll tell you. I don’t really know the buyer but he’s willing to pay three times the price for this techno-doodad. It’s not even that dangerous, just some computer component. I’ve got nothing to do with the Syndicate’s plans. I swear.” Argit confessed.

“Good, then you’ll have no problem if I impersonate you for the drop off so we can find out their plans.” Ben smiled.

“I… what?” Argit asked. Ben flashed another grin and pressed the watch. In an instant he looked like Argit, but taller and with a better physique and less scrunched up nose. Argit looked at the transformation with envy and sighed.

“Allright, so here’s the plan…” Ben began to explain.

A/N: And we’re back to regularly scheduled programming. Sorry guys the last few weeks have been kind of crazy but I’m hoping to get back to my regular update schedule. Hopefully the extra long chapter will make up for it. The crater city story is going to have two more chapters so I hope you guys dig it.

Chapter 25: Chapter 25

Chapter Text

Ben X Chapter 25
Treasure Hunt Arc
Secret Plots Revealed

Ben waited impatiently in the dusty warehouse. His newly dubbed alien form, NightQuill, was meant to impersonate Argit. As such he had to wear the smaller alien’s clothing. The plan was for him to pretend to be Argit and make the swap with whatever representative of the Syndicate that would show up. From there he would try to get more information about the organization or their plans, whether through charm or just a good old fashioned interrogation. The meeting was supposed to take place this afternoon, but so far no one had shown up. Ben had little choice but to lean against one of the many boxes that filled the warehouse and simply wait. He opened up the box containing the component that the client was waiting for. It’s purpose eluded Ben, although he probably could have figured it out if he were in one of his more intelligent forms. Ben sighed, the boredom and restlessness starting to get to him.

“How much longer?” He whispered into his barely visible ear piece.

“Chill out dude. It’s only been a half an hour.” Kevin replied back. He was currently stationed in the floor above them, peering out through the sole window at the street below, waiting for someone to approach.

“I still better get my money after this.” Argit complained from beside him.

“You’re lucky we didn’t just let those plumbers take care of you.” Kevin retorted. He glanced back out the window. “Wait, I see someone coming, two someones.” Kevin said.

Ben straightened up as he heard the door open and close. Two figures emerged from the shadow into the dusty orange light beams shining through the windows. The first was tall and lithe while the second was shorter but seemed to have a more muscular frame. Both of their bodies were obscured by large oversized brown cloaks. The taller of the figures stepped towards Ben and dropped his hood to reveal a Methanosian. The second figure stood off to the side, leaning against a box. Ben narrowed his eyes at the situation.

“Took you guys long enough.” Ben complained in his best impression of Argit’s high pitched voice.

“Do you have it?” The Methanosian asked, straight to the point.

“Yeah, I’ve got the goods.” Ben showed off the small black container holding the component. “Do you have the payment?” He asked.

“Of course.” The plant-like alien responded and nodded to his associate. The other figure produced a briefcase from under his cloak. He stepped forward and set it atop a smaller box before backing away again. Ben stepped forward and made a show of inspecting the contents. He actually was surprised by the amount of money in the case. Argit clearly wasn’t lying when he said these people were big spenders. Ben placed the box with the component down and picked up the briefcase, backing away.

The Methanosian picked up the box and inspected the component. His eyes studied the piece intensely. He turned it over in his hands, eyeing it like one would a precious diamond. Finally a sinister smile alighted on his face. He began to chuckle to himself until it grew louder and reached full blown laughter. Perturbed by the alien’s actions, Ben decided to speak up.

“So uh, what exactly is that thing anyway? What are you gonna use it for?” NightQuill asked. The Methanosian looked back at the little alien.

“This, is a transformational matrix stabilizer.” The plant-like alien answered. NightQuill’s face scrunched up in confusion.

“Uh, who with the what now?” He asked. The Methanosian simply scowled.

“It means, you dull-minded simpleton, that I will finally be able to return to my true form!” The alien shouted before throwing off his cloak. Ben gasped as he spotted a red omnitrix symbol on the alien’s chest. Before he could say anything the methanosian pressed on the omnitrix symbol causing the device to open up. He inserted the component into the Omnitrix. The device beeped and blinked for a second before the once tall creature transformed in a flash of bright red light. When the light faded it revealed a small gray alien with red eyes and a red suit.

“Albedo!” Ben called out. The small Galvan looked up at Ben who still was wearing Argit’s disguise.

“Uh, sorry, do you know me?” Albedo replied. Ben responded by ripping off the orange clothing to reveal his green jumpsuit underneath and the symbol of the Omnitrix displayed prominently on his chest. Albedo growled and narrowed his eyes.

“Tennyson! What are you doing here?!” He asked angrily.

“You’re the one behind the Syndicate? Are you looking for the Demiurge Tablet as well?” He accused.

“Of course, why else would I come to a backwater city such as this?” He explained.

“So what’s with the crime Syndicate? That’s not usually your style?” Ben asked.

“It was a simple matter of gathering enough forces and weapons to storm the Plumber Tower. The best part is that these oafish excuses for Plumbers totally looked the other way so long as I paid them off.” He bragged.

“You won’t get away with this. I’ll stop you right here!” Ben exclaimed

“Hah! Good luck, it’s two against one.” Albedo threatened as his compatriot began to step forward. Suddenly a large crash was heard from above. Kevin dropped down from the ceiling in a superhero pose, followed shortly by Zed and Argit.

“I’d say it’s an even fight!” Kevin called, pumping his fist. The four individuals squared off against each other, staring one another down.

“I don’t know who you are dude, but if you’re working with Albedo then you’re no good.” Ben said.

“Oh, you have no idea!” The mysterious figure responded. Suddenly he threw away his cloak revealing himself as the villainous Aggregor.

“Aggregor?! You’re working with Albedo?” Ben exclaimed shocked.

“Only for the time being. And now that I have you in my sights, my revenge is at hand!” Aggregor yelled before charging forwards. Ben dodged out of the way as Aggregor struck with his electrified pitchfork.

“Kevin! I’ve got Aggregor! You stop Albedo!” Ben called out.

“Hah! I’d like to see you best me human!” Albedo shouted as he pressed on his Ultimatrix. A flash of red light and the once small Galvan transformed into an enormous dinosaur like alien. In a moment Kevin was face to face with Ultimate Humongosaur. The hyper-evolved alien lifted his fist. Kevin watched as the alien’s fist transformed into a rocket launcher. A salvo of missiles fired from Albedo’s hand and rocketed straight towards Kevin. The Osmosian grabbed Zed and jumped out of the way, narrowly avoiding the ensuing explosion. The heat from the blast still washed over him. Kevin absorbed nearby steel and rushed back into battle.

Nearby, Ben faced off with the newly revealed Aggregor. The Osmosian used his metallic spear to strike at Ben. Electricity sparked dangerously off the tip of the spear which Aggregor wielded expertly. Ben, still in his Night Quill form shot out his poisoned barbs. The sharp quills flew at Aggregor as he deftly deflected them with his staff. The pair chased each other across the warehouse floor. Aggregor tried to close the gap and strike at Ben up close with his spear. Ben on the other hand was desperate to keep the distance between them. He continued to try and shoot Aggregor with his barbs and knock the alien out cold. Ben hopped around from crate to crate, shooting Aggregor from multiple different angles to get through his defenses. Eventually a few of the barbs hit their mark and impaled into Aggregor’s flesh. He sagged as he resisted the poison, still shooting arcs of lightining from the point of his weapon. Ben continued to circle around him, flinging his quills at every opening he could find. He had been impaled by at least twenty of the poisoned darts, yet still he resisted. Eventually however, the poison began to overwhelm him and Aggregor began to sink to the ground.

Ben inched closer cautiously as he watched Aggregor begin to falter. But he was surprised when the Osmosian looked up at him with a feral grin on his face. He stabbed his spear into the ground next to him, slicing open a power cable that had laid at his feet. The exposed wires began to spark with electricity. Aggregor grabbed onto the exposed power line with his bare hands. Ben could only watch as the power surged through Aggregor, causing the embedded quills to shoot back out. Aggregor stood, re-energized and the poison burned from his system.

“Hahaha!” He laughed. “You cannot defeat me that easily!” Aggregor taunted. Ben narrowed his eyes. It seemed he would need a more powerful alien form to tackle Aggregor. He pressed down on the omnitrix symbol. An instant later he had transformed into DiamondHead. The crystalline alien shot forth pointed shards of diamond at his enemy. But just like the quills, Aggregor was able to easily deflect them with his spear. But it was a diversion, as Ben came rushing up to him and delivered a savage uppercut to Aggregor’s chin. He stumbled backwards from the force of the blow before quickly regaining his footing. The pair then began trading blows. But Aggregor was at a disadvantage. Diamondhead’s rock solid body made him impervious to his punches and kicks. Even worse, his electrical powers simply bounced off of the alien’s gem-like body. Aggregor growled in frustration, knowing that Ben had the upper hand. Suddenly, Aggregor grabbed Diamondhead’s face, his fingers trapping his opponent in place.

“Hey what are you doing?! Ahhh!” Ben shouted in pain as he felt the energy drain from him. Sparks travelled up Aggregor’s arms as he began to absorb Ben’s alien DNA. Ben grit his teeth desperately trying to throw Aggregor off of him, but his grip was too strong. Ben clenched his fists and in another second a large crystal spike emerged from his chest. The spike dislodged Aggregor from his grip and sent him flying backwards several feet. When he rose from the ground Ben was shocked by his transformation. Green crystal had spread across half of his face and both of his hands had transformed to resemble that of Diamondhead. Aggregor bent down to touch the floor, causing a surge of crystals to erupt from the ground and slam into Ben. The giant diamond formations knocked Ben through the brick walls and onto the street.

The citizens nearby stared in shock as they witnessed Diamondhead skid to a stop against a nearby building. When Aggregor emerged partially transformed the crowd ran away screaming. Ben rubbed his head as he stood, only to witness Aggregor punch him straight in the face with club like crystal limbs. The beatdown began to create cracks in Diamondhead’s body before Ben kicked Aggregor away from him. He fired another burst of crystals but Aggregor brought up a shield in front of him. The crystals bounced harmlessly off the shield and when Aggregor looked back he was confused to see that his adversary had disappeared. Aggregor looked around him but could see no sign of Ben.

Suddenly he felt an intense pain as a white hot ball of heat impacted into his side. He jumped back and peered up to see Heatblast peering down at him with a ball of fire held in his hands. Ben threw another fireball and jumped down to street level. Ben continued to mercilessly pummel Aggregor with fiery projectiles. But the Osmosian soon figured out how to erect a wall of solid crystal between him and the endless barrage of fire. He peaked out around the corner and shot off a flurry of crystals at Ben. The crysals thudded into his chest causing him to stumble backwards. His arms went wide and sent a stray gout of flame burning into a nearby building. It soon ignited into a firestorm.

“Crap! Too much potential for collateral damage here. Gotta get this fire back under control.” He said to himself. He thrust his hands out and concentrated. The fire soon began to be sucked back towards him before disappearing completely. Ben looked at the destruction he caused, the building appeared badly damaged but thankfully no-one seemed to be inside. But before he could relax too much he felt Aggregor put him in a headlock. Ben thrashed, trying to get the Osmosian to relinquish his grip. Soon he could feel the tell-tale signs of him beginning to absorb his energy. In a burst of heat, Ben dislodged the intruder but it was already too late. Ben turned back to see Aggregor’s hair had ignited on fire and his feet had transformed into those of Heatblast’s. He laughed maniacally as twin jets of flames from his feet propelled him into the air and he flew off. Ben transformed once again into Cannonbolt and took chase after him.

Back in the warehouse, Kevin and Albedo were still battling it out. Kevin’s steel covered body had morphed his hands into large hammers. He swung at Ultimate Humongosaur, deflecting his missiles in mid air. The missiles veered off course, exploding as they impacted the walls of the warehouse. The brick walls began to crumble, the building wouldn’t be able to take much more of this. Kevin turned back to his faithful companion, who hid behind a large crate next to a cowering Argit.

“Zed! Get Argit out of here!” Kevin commanded. The alien hound barked before grabbing Argit by the back of his shirt.

“Hey! What are you doing?!” He struggled as Zed dragged him out the gaping hole in the wall.

Once they were out of harm’s way Kevin turned his attention back to Albedo. His eyes widened in surprise as he watched Albedo swing his clublike tail at him. Kevin had barely enough time to cross his arms and defend against the brunt of the blow. He skidded backwards before jumping back into the fray. He sliced at Albedo with razor sharpened limbs. But his transformation’s thick scaly skin was too tough to damage. Albedo backhanded Kevin and the force sent him crashing into a stack of boxes. Kevin groaned, he felt like he had been hit by a truck. He opened his eyes just in time to see Albedo slam both his fists down on top of him. But luckily Kevin was able to roll out of the way and dodge the attack.

Kevin rebounded and went on the offensive again. With Albedo bent over he was able to jump atop the taller alien’s shoulders and had access to his head. Kevin savagely gripped at Ultimate Humongosaur’s head with one hand, and with the other he began beating on his skull with a large hammer. Albedo cried out in pain as Kevin continued to wail against his head. The powerful blows were starting to cause bruises. Kevin smiled, he was close to winning. But suddenly Albedo gripped him and tossed him off his body. Kevin landed with a thud on the ground. Before he even had the chance to recover Albedo had kicked him across the room again. He tumbled before managing to regain his footing. He stood clutching his bruised ribs and watched shocked as Albedo rushed him. Albedo delivered a brutal punch that sent Kevin flying straight backwards. He collided with a metal column, bending it into an unnatural position.

With the support beam crumpled, the entire warehouse shook. Albedo looked around to survey the damage and realized it would soon collapse. He looked over to his opponent. Kevin was seemingly unconscious. Albedo smiled to himself before spitting towards him. He exited out of one of the many large holes in the wall they had created. He turned back with a wicked smile. He twisted around and used his tail to smash the remainder of the brick wall. The action caused the unstable building to finally give in and collapse on top of Kevin. The brick and wood crumbled and sent dust flying into the air. Albedo chuckled to himself as he walked away.

A few blocks away Ben and Aggregor continued their battle. Aggregor continued to fly around in the air with his newfound fire powers. From above he threw balls of fire at Ben who rolled around dodging as Cannonbolt. The rotund alien bounced around trying to get elevation to ram into Aggregor. But the Osmosian continually hovered just out of reach. Finally Ben spotted a large cloth banner that hung above a market stall. He rolled forward jumping into the banner and using it as a trampoline. He slammed into Aggregor at full speed and the pair of them were sent crashing down into an apartment building. Ben uncurled himself and walked over to Aggregor who laid stunned. But Aggregor shot a blast of crystal before running off. Momentarily blinded by the darts Ben chased after him. Aggregor ran down the hallway, with Ben rolling along after him.

Aggregor stopped and turned, erecting a large wall of crystal between him and Ben. But Cannonbolt’s speed and mass were too great. He crashed through the makeshift barrier and rolled the alien warlord over. The pair of them were sent crashing through another wall and back down to the street below. Aggregor twisted in midair to land on his feet, while Ben landed a few yards away. The pair stared each other down before Aggregor growled and began throwing gouts of flame and volleys of crystal at Ben. Cannonbolt rolled up again, dodging between the blasts and rolling along the sides of buildings. He raced towards Aggregor who was frantically trying to throw up barriers and impede Ben’s onslaught.

But he wasn’t strong enough, Ben rolled over him, knocking the alien to the ground. Aggregor struggled to regain his footing but each time he was about to stand Ben would knock into him and send him sprawling to the ground again. Aggregor growled in frustration, about to release a massive surge of power. However Ben reached him first. He bounced into the air and landed directly atop Aggregor. The osmosian was slammed back first into the ground. Ben bounced down on him again, deepening the crater. Aggregor blearily looked up into the air to see Ben coming down for a third and final strike. But just before he could land a volley of rockets impacted Cannonbolt. He was sent crashing into a nearby building. Aggregor stood and looked over to see Albedo still in humongosaur form walking out of an alley with his rocket launcher arm raised.

“I don’t need your help!” He asserted angrily. Albedo scoffed.

“Please, you were clearly not in control of the situation.” Albedo retorted.

“Well now that we have the upper hand I will destroy Tennyson once and for all!” Aggregor said. But Albedo held him in place with one large hand.

“Forget it. We’ve gotten what we came for. Soon, we’ll find the tablet and then with the hammer we can erase Tennyson. Besides, the plumbers will be here soon, and I don’t have enough to pay off a situation this large.” Albedo tried to reason. Aggregor turned back with a scowl at Ben who was just sitting up. He clenched his fists but relented. The pair of them soon ran off, leaving Ben behind in the midst of destruction.

By the time Ben finally crawled out from underneath the broken debris both Albedo and Aggregor were long gone. Ben looked around him taking in the destruction that the duo of villains left in their wake, and which he had partially caused. Ben sighed in defeat. At least nothing else was on fire. Suddenly Ben remembered that he had left Kevin back at the warehouse. Concern filled him as he realized that if Albedo had gotten away, then Kevin might be in danger. Without a second thought Ben rolled up and navigated his way back to the warehouse. When he arrived he was shocked to see the warehouse collapsed. There was a crowd forming around the debris, but the first thing Ben noticed was a familiar animal pawing at the pile of rubble. Zed was whining and sniffing around the debris pile, scratching at the broken steel and brick.

“Is Kevin under there girl?” Ben asked. Zed whimpered in response. Ben began clearing the broken chunks of wall. Using his large paws he removed the broken stone and bricks. At last he spotted Kevin’s prone form lying buried underneath the rubble. Gently, he extricated his friend from his precarious situation. “Kev buddy, talk to me.” He said. Kevin stirred and looked at Ben tiredly and confused. Gently he moved off of Ben to stand on his own two feet, Zed standing next to him protectively and making noises of happiness. Kevin reached down to pet her with a smile on her face.

“Sorry, they got away.” Kevin said. Ben shook his head.

“Don’t be. Besides, I think we’re about to have a much bigger problem.” Ben said pointing.

It was about this time that an enormous amount of plumbers began flooding the streets. A large helicopter hovered above, and heavily armored officers began to descend. On the ground, the officers piled in on their hover cars. They spread out methodically, apprehending any poor soul unfortunate enough to still be caught near the scene. Ben watched sickened as the officers began aggressively shoving innocent bystanders to the ground, placing them in handcuffs. Some of them started to beat any who would resist. Soon there were entire city blocks that were crawling with Plumber officers that threatened any civilians with their weapons. Ben growled under his breath, intent to shield the bystanders, but he didn’t get the chance. In another second he could see Magister Bullgo stomping toward them, an expression of absolute fury on his face.

“You two!” He screamed aloud. “I should have known. I gave you one simple rule! And what do you do? Flagrantly disregard it.” Bullgo screamed, his form towering over the both of them. “Now I’ve got 7 city blocks that are in shambles because of whatever little stunt you decided to pull!” He accused pointing with two of his arms. Cannonbolt glowered back, uninitimidated.

“We were pursuing a lead on dangerous criminals that were looking for the tablet. Those bystanders had nothing to do with the situation. Tell your officers to stand down.” Ben said back sternly.

“Those witnesses are all potential suspects until proven innocent.” Bullgo retorted sharply.

“That’s not how it works.” Ben said.

“It is in my city.” Bullgo said jabbing a thumb in his chest.

“Your city? Oh we’ve certainly learned a lot recently about your city and the way you run things.” Ben said pointing a finger. “For instance, we’ve learned that Albedo and the Syndicate have been paying you off to allow him to smuggle weapons into the city.” Ben accused. Bullgo had the decency to look stunned by their knowledge. “I wonder how many of the other mafias have you on the take? And I wonder what the Grand Magistrata would think of all this?” Ben threatened. Bullgo was silent for a second, his four eyes narrowing dangerously. But Ben stared back, daring Bullgo to say something. Finally, he opened his mouth to speak.

“She’ll never find out. Because I’m placing you both under arrest.” Bullgo said quickly. Then he suddenly slapped a pair of energy cuffs on both of their hands. Zed began barking dangerously at him.

“Yeah, I don’t think so.” Ben said. Suddenly he flashed green. Transforming from Cannonbolt into Stinkfly, Ben took to the air, his wings flapping and kicking up large amounts of dust. Bullgo shielded his eyes from the sudden cloud but was able to make out Ben picking up Kevin with his legs and Kevin grabbing Zed in his arms. The trio flew off into the air and Bullgo slammed the ground in frustration.

“After them! I want those three locked up! Priority one! In fact lock the whole city up! I want this city on lockdown! No one gets in or out without my permission! Go go go!” Bullgo ordered furiously. Ben could hear his screams even far in the distance as they flew towards the opposite hemisphere of the city. They needed to find the girls. But unfortunately, escape would not be as easy as it seemed. Kevin looked back to see several plumber vehicles giving chase to them through the air.

“Uh Ben?” Kevin said grabbing his attention. Stinkfly’s eyestalks turned around to see the plumbers giving chase.

“Aw man…” He complained. Ben then began to duck and weave between buildings in an attempt to shake their pursuers. But the plumbers trailed them closely, their sirens and lights flashing. Ben shot globs of thick goo at the pursuers. He managed to hit one of the cars directly on the windshield. The vehicle spun out, taking another car with it as they spun to a stop. But three cars still pursued them. Ben turned down a narrow alley intent on escaping them. One of the cars rammed into the alley walls, stuck between the brick buildings. The remaining two cars went over the building and dived down at Ben and Kevin. Ben flew desperately trying to lose their tails but the plumbers inside began firing blasters at them from midair. Stinkfly grimaced and turned another sharp corner, disappearing from the sight of the patrol cars. The plumbers turned the sharp corner, speeding past the street looking for Stinkfly and his passengers. But as they sped down the narrow street there was no sight of him. They sped on, sure that he had managed to fly past them somehow.

Back at the corner however, a large blue alien suddenly materialized from thin air. Big Chill’s wings unfurled from around Kevin and Zed as he dropped his invisibility. The trio looked on in the direction of the patrol cars, watching them fade out of sight.

“Looks like we lost them…” Big Chill said in his slow raspy voice. “Come on, we’ve got to get to Gwen and Julie.” He said before taking off again.

By the time Ben and Kevin meet up with the rest of their group, night has fallen over Crater City. The entire city is on red alert, with the Plumbers having instituted martial law. A mandatory curfew has caused almost all of its residents to hide and take shelter inside. Plumbers roamed the streets on patrol, armed to the teeth. It was an unprecedented situation, the Plumbers had never been this aggressive and it had all of the city’s residents on edge. What’s more was that Ben and his friends were all enemy number one at the moment. Their faces were plastered on floating holographic billboards all over the city. A large reward was promised for any who could turn them in, and a threat of imprisonment for any who were caught harboring them.

It made their options for shelter severely limited. Such as it was, they found themselves in an abandoned and condemned apartment building in the north half of the city slums. The wooden floors creaked and fell away in places. The walls had large cracks running through the concrete. The ground was littered with trash and debris, no doubt from other vagrants. Team Alpha sat inside, taking shelter in what once appeared to be a bedroom. Kevin had set up a trash fire in the center of the room using discarded papers he could gather up and deposit in a steel barrel. The group sat around the fire, comparing notes from their findings. The girls of course were furious to learn that their current situation was mostly their fault, but calmed down once Ben and Kevin explained what actually happened.

“So to recap, Albedo and Aggregor have teamed up to try and get the tablet. They’ve been working for months under the guise of the Syndicate, a new mafia, to smuggle weapons and amass a group of mercenaries to attack the Plumber Tower. But what makes them so sure the tablet is in there? We searched the bottom of the basem*nt and came up empty. What makes them so sure?” Gwen asked, after the boys had finished explaining.

“Don’t know. But maybe the Plumbers here are hiding more than just corrupt payouts. Could be they found the tablet a long time ago and have been sitting on it.” Kevin suggested.

“Actually I have my own theory on that. But I won’t be able to prove anything until we get back in the tower.” Ben said.

“Wait, so you’re telling me we’re going to have to break back in the tower?” Julie said. “You do realize that the Plumbers are all out for our blood right?” She said incredulously.

“We don’t really have a choice. Albedo and Aggregor are planning to break in and we don’t know when. So we have to get to the tablet before them.” Ben explained.

“We’ve got another problem too.” Gwen said. “I’m pretty sure I sensed Addwaitya’s mana here in the city. Julie and I spent the whole afternoon chasing him around but we couldn't catch up to him. It was like he kept teleporting around.” Gwen explained. Suddenly Trixie popped up from Ben’s Omnitrix.

“It’s true, I can confirm that Addwaitya is here. I found him on multiple surveillance cameras throughout the city. It seems like he’s searching for the tablet as well.” Trixie said. Her hologram changed to show numerous camera angles depicting Addwaitya making his way through the city.

“Man three villains at once? That’s gonna be tough.” Kevin observed.

“Maybe not…” Ben started. The others turned to look at him. “If we can get them to turn against each other then we might have a better shot of taking them all down.” Ben suggested.

“It could work.” Gwen agreed. “But how are we going to sneak into Plumber Tower ourselves?” She asked. Ben scratched his head before sighing.

“We’ll… have to figure it out in the morning, right now I’m tired and my brain can’t think when I’m tired.” Ben said.

“It’s true, he gets all grumpy hehe.” Trixie giggled. Ben grunted in annoyance at the comment but otherwise said nothing.

With that Kevin extinguished the fire. He walked over to Gwen and the pair snuggled up against each other, trying to make themselves comfortable on the hard floor while Zed curled up at their feet. Ben similarly laid down on the floor but he fell asleep easily, having been used to sleeping in odd places due to his time on Hazard. Julie was lucky enough to have Ship wrap around her like a cocoon and give her a sleeping bag of sorts. The group drifted off to sleep, worried about what the coming day would bring.

Chapter 26: Chapter 26

Chapter Text

Ben X Chapter 26
Treasure Hunt Arc
Triple Threat

We find ourselves in the interior of a decrepit building. The walls are cracked and faded. Trash litters the broken floorboards. Addwaitya sits in the center of the room. He levitates above the ground, arms and legs folded into a meditative position. His eyes are closed and expression empty as he floats gently up and down. On the floor below him is an intricately designed circle made with some kind of white material marked upon the ground. Candles of varying lengths are placed about the room and in strategic points in the circle. The light of the candles is all that illuminates the otherwise empty room in the dead of night. Addwaitya chants in a low voice, the constant litany of syllables spilling forth like a river. The air in the room is charged with a low humming energy. Tiny motes of purple light float along in the air. The circle beneath Addwaitya begins to glow slightly.

Addwaitya begins to cast his spell. The magic opening up his senses to the world around him. He can see things beyond him and hidden from him. He can feel flows of energy and power and people surrounding him. He spreads his mind and awareness out, casting an invisible net over the city. The searching spell is difficult to maintain, but Addwaitya has centuries worth of experience and power. His will cannot be denied. The scrying spell will lead him to his goal and with it he will regain his former power and rule once more. But such thoughts are fleeting to him. His mind is focused on nothing but the spell. His mastery of magic is unparalleled. He will turn this city upside down if he has to, so great is his desire. The power spreads out and contracts like a spider drawing in her prey. As he concentrates more and more he feels the object of his desires on the edges of his periphery. It’s location becomes clear to him. Addwaitya smiles sinisterly.

Dawn broke several hours ago over Crater City. Ordinarily by this point the mid-morning rush of traffic and citizens would be well underway. Hundreds of aliens would be travelling to and from their jobs, eating breakfast or selling wares on the street. However, today was not like those normal days. The residents of Crater City stayed cowering in their homes, fearful of the brutality of the Plumbers who have placed the city under martial law. The curfew from yesterday night was still well in effect. Those few who still dared to walk around were subjected to searches and harassment. Worse yet, no one was allowed to leave, under guise of aiding and abetting criminals. All communication with the greater galaxy was closely monitored. The city was in the grips of fear. And the question on everyone’s lips was: where are the supposed heroes who caused all this?

The pictures of Ben and his compatriots were hung all over town yet no-one had seemed to spot them or know of their whereabouts. Little did the Plumbers know that Ben and his friends were closer than they thought. In fact, at the moment, Ben and Julie were trying to sneak their way into Plumber Tower unnoticed. They were the obvious choice for the mission. Ben transformed into Big Chill while Julie had her stealth mode armor courtesy of her pal Ship. Kevin, Gwen and Zed had little choice but to wait near the tower in disguise while Ben and Julie attempted to bypass the security and sneak in. The plan was simple in theory. All they had to do was make their way through the tower to the Rust Bucket. Once on board they could contact Grandpa Max and inform him of everything that was going on. Then they simply needed to sit back and wait for reinforcements to arrive. But while simple in principle, the actual process of getting in would be more difficult than they anticipated.

Ben flew the pair of them through the walls and into the upper floors of the Plumber Tower. Both Big Chill and Julie landed with their invisibility still intact. Julie swallowed nervously as she saw just how many plumbers were still walking through the halls. With the city on high alert every active officer that wasn’t out patrolling was centered in the headquarters. Naturally they couldn’t speak to each other but Ben grabbed her hand and directed her forward. They navigated through the long corridors and complex hallways. Their expedition was hampered by the fact that neither of them knew their way around the base very well. Luckily however, both Trixie and Ship were able to link to a terminal and download schematics of the facility. With a newly acquired map to their destination, the pair were able to quickly find their way to the hangar. After that they were able to see the Rust Bucket fairly easily. Unsurprisingly, the ship was surrounded by armed Plumber guards. No doubt they expected the group to try and make their way to the ship again. But they weren’t prepared for them to sneak aboard. Ben phased them through the ship’s hull and into the co*ckpit.

“Quick, activate the communication array.” Ben whispered as he began pressing buttons on the dashboard. Next to him Julie dropped her invisibility and interfaced with the Rust Bucket’s controls. A few minutes passed by in tense silence as they waited for the call to connect. Thankfully Max’s face soon popped up on screen. However he was immediately concerned by what he saw on the other end.

“Ben? Julie? What’s going on?” He asked.

“Grandpa! The Crater City Plumbers are rotten!” Ben said immediately.

“What?” Max responded incredulously.

“It’s true! They’ve been taking bribes and running extortion scams all over the city. They put the whole city under martial law after I confronted them about it. And what’s worse is that they were being paid off by Albedo and Aggregor. Even Addwaitya’s in the city somewhere. They’re all looking for the tablet and we have reason to believe that the Plumbers have been hiding it somewhere in their headquarters.” Ben explained frantically. Max’s face hardened as he listened to Ben.

“I’ll send reinforcements right away. Be careful you two.” Max cautioned before signing off. Ben and Julie shared a collective sigh of relief. They had succeeded in their mission. Now they simply had to wait for backup.

“Freeze!” Shouted a voice from behind them. The pair turned around in shock to see a Plumber officer pointing his blaster at them. Ben and Julie slowly raised their hands. It seemed that they were caught red-handed. The three of them stared each other down, the plumber obviously debating between calling it in or disposing of them himself.

Suddenly a large boom was heard from the other end of the tower. The explosion rattled the entire building and the guard was momentarily distracted. Thinking quickly, Big Chill let out a breath of icy cold air. The guard jumped in surprise as he felt the cold mist envelop him and freeze him in place. He was so shocked that he dropped his blaster. Soon the dirty plumber was encased in ice everywhere except his hands and head.

“Stick around and chill out for a while.” Ben hissed as he flew past him, Julie following in hot pursuit. The pair ran to the nearest set of windows. Far far below them they could see a crowd of people exchanging blaster fire. But they were so high above them they looked to be nothing more than ants.

“Guys, what’s going on?” Ben asked through his communicator.

“There’s a bunch of thugs facing off against Plumber forces down here.” Gwen explained over the communicator.

“They’re probably just meant to keep the Plumbers busy while Aggregor and Albedo go for the real prize.” Ben surmised.

“Speaking of which I can spot him climbing the tower, he’s on the opposite side.” Gwen responded. Ben turned to Julie.

“Come on, we’ve got to stop him.” Ben told her. Julie nodded resolutely. The pair raced to the opposite side of the tower. They arrived just in time to watch the wall explode inwards in blast of flames and crystals. The pair watched as Aggregror flew in on twin jets of flame. His mutations from earlier still present. Diamondhead’s crystal spreading across his face and hands. Heatblast’s alien DNA caused him to set his hair aflame. Shortly behind him Albedo crawled in through the gaping hole as Ultimate Spidermonkey.

“Guys, we need you up here now!” Ben called out. But just as he finished speaking Albedo shot a glob of web at him. Big Chill phased through it easily before pressing his Omnitrix symbol. In an instant he had transformed into Bloxx. Ben turned to Julie and spoke to her in a gruff voice.

“Try to keep your distance from Aggregor. Just give me some back up.” He ordered. Julie nodded before Ship’s armor transformed into her large battle mode. She fired off a multitude of missiles at Aggregor while Ben charged towards Albedo. Bloxx formed a large solid wall between Aggregor, Albedo, and the rest of the base. He effectively isolated them inside this part of the headquarters. He transformed his arm into a cannon and began firing pieces of himself at high speed towards Ultimate Spidermonkey. The evolved alien crossed his arms in front of his face warding off the projectiles. He jumped around the space until landing on the walls. Albedo scaled the walls quickly, continuing to dodge more projectiles that Ben shot at him. Albedo turned his head and spat another glob of webbing at Ben. Ben dodged the shots and moved around the room. The pair exchanged fire like that for several minutes, shooting at each other from floor to ceiling. Finally Albedo got lucky with a few shots. His thick silk globbed up Ben’s cannon. Albedo suddenly dropped abruptly from the ceiling continuing to fire webs at Ben. He slammed onto the ground with several of his gorilla like arms. He body slammed into Ben, breaking some of his segmented body parts in the process. Albedo continued to wrap Ben up in thick webbing until he was completely covered. He smiled evilly to himself before quirking an eyebrow in confusion.

A flash of light erupted from within the large silk cocoon. Suddenly the cocoon twisted and stretched. A second later an orange alien form jumped out from the mess of webs. “Top Spin!” Ben shouted as he emerged. His new alien form was orange in color wearing nothing but black briefs. His head was conical in shape and he had wild yellow eyes with spirals for pupils. At each of his joints was a black ball allowing him to rotate his limbs 360 degrees. His fingers and toes ended in sharp claws. His torso and abdomen consisted of overlaping layers and his omnitrix symbol was placed perfectly in his abdomen. Top spin laughed maniacally before his arms began to rotate rapidly. Soon his arms became perfect cyclones of orange causing a great gust of wind to issue forth and blow Albedo backwards so he collided with the wall in a thud. Top spin then twisted his whole body, becoming a fearsome orange tornado which sped directly towards Albedo. His rapidly rotating form impacted against Ultimate Spidermonkey’s chest causing him to cry out in pain. He kicked back against the offendor and sent Ben spiralling away. But Ben simply bounced around the room like a top before aiming right back at Albedo.

Nearby Julie was trying her hardest to hold off Aggregor. They exchanged shots of fire, crystals, and missiles. Julie’s lasers and missiles were doing a good job of holding Aggregor off but the Osmosian was more experienced than her and was able to quickly close the distance. Julie responded by taking wild swings with her heavy exoskeleton arms. But Aggregor was able to grab her easily. He smiled wickely, intent on draining her and Ship of their energy. But suddenly he was sent flying off of her by a heavy impact. He collided with the wall of Bloxx’s barrier, crashing straight through it. Aggregor stood rubbing his head and glared up at Kevin who’s steel body had transformed his fist into a massive hammer. Kevin smirked back at him.

They charged at each other, Aggregor wielding a crystal sword and Kevin with his hammer. But their fight was overshadowed as a large explosion rang out. On the other side of Bloxx’s crumbling wall Gwen somersaulted backwards looking up to see Addwaitya fly in through the hole following her. Gwen responded by hurling bolts of energy at him. Addwaitya brought up an energy barrier, nullifying Gwen’s mana blasts. He chanted a spell under his breath before raising his hands. All around him purple lances of energy began to take form. He launched them forward with a wave of his arm. The spears of energy raced down and embedded themselves in the floor, narrowly missing Gwen who dodged nimbly between them.

“You’re never getting that tablet Addwaitya!” Gwen called out.

“I know that the tablet is here! I just need to get rid of you annoying pests before I claim my prize!” Addwaitya shouted back.

The battle inside the Plumber’s Tower was growing large and chaotic. Ben and Albedo were still battling it out all over the upper floors. They crashed through walls with no regard, their fierceness engulfing their battle. Away from them Kevin went up against Aggregor. The pair of Osmosians duked it out wielding similar powers. But Aggregor thought he had the advantage, having absorbed some of Ben’s alien energy and duplicating their powers. However, Kevin knew the truth. He knew that absorbing the Omnitrix’s DNA like that would cause Aggregor to lose it. Absorbing energy inevitably made them both crazy, but Kevin had a lot more experience with the Omnitrix than Aggregor. He knew that he only had to wait for Aggregor to inevitably get sloppy and drop his guard, then he would seize his moment to attack. Gwen meanwhile, put her magical skills up against those of Addwaitya. Battling him directly she could tell there was a reason that Addwaitya was the first ruler of Ledgerdomain. His magic was powerful and he had centuries of experience on her. It was all Gwen could do to defend against his attacks, much less counterattack. A small part of her thought back to Charmcaster. Looking back it was incredible that her new-found friend was able to defeat Addwaitya by herself. Her competetive side reared its head and Gwen found a new resolve to fight against him. Their individual battles echoed throughout the building.

“What in the four suns is going on in here!” Bellowed a voice from the staircase. Julie whipped around to find Magister Bullgo standing bewildered with a retinue of Plumber officers behind his back. “You!” He called pointing at Julie. “You and your friends did this! You’re all going to pay! Attack!” He commanded. The platoon of soldiers behind him spread out and began firing into the air trying to hit any of the combatants.

“Oh no you don’t!” Julie said before turning and standing tall with missile launchers and lasers at the ready. Julie began blasting at the approaching plumbers. She had Ship turn down the intensity of their firepower as to not seriously hurt them. But it seemed the plumbers were not extending the same courtesy. They took aim at Ship’s large armor form. However Ship’s advanced intelligence allowed them to deflect or dodge their incoming fire. But it seemed that Bullgo took offense to having his men treated like little more than toys. He charged at Julie swinging his four fists wildly through the air. Julie crossed her arms in front of herself blocking the onslaught of punches. She raised cannons on her shoulders blasting Bullgo backwards from the force of the blast. She followed up with strikes of her own continuing to make him stumble backwards. She punched and kicked at the muscle bound alien. Ordinarily a Tetramand would tower over her, but with Ship’s enlarged armor she stood face to face with the alien. Her punches and kicks were enhanced by the mechanical exoskeleton and caused Bullgo to grunt as he took the bruises. Finally though he had enough. He disengaged for a moment to grab four red glowing stun batons from his back. He smiled wickedly as he spun the tasers and advanced on her. Bullgo swung the batons rapidly, his extra arms giving him a strong advantage. Julie could do nothing but try to back away from the electric shocks damaging Ship’s armor. Each shock made her stumble and twitch as the armor reacted painfully. But Julie grit her teeth and kicked Bullgo in the chest. She raised her arms and fired Ship’s entire arsenal on Bullgo. The lasers scorched his skin. The missiles exploded in his face. The projectiles bounced agonizingly against his flesh. Soon the combined impacts overtook him and Bullgo fainted to the ground.

Julie had scarcely any time to enjoy her victory as the remaining plumber officers continued to swarm the tower and fire on her friends. She chased after them even as she could still hear the impacts from the other battles. A floor above her Ben continued to chase after Albedo as Top spin. Albedo had switched to the form of XLR8 but even his speed in these crowded corridors was matched by Top Spin’s tornado like twisting body. Soon enough, Ben caught up with Albedo and his razor sharp buzz saw body began slicing into him painfully. Albedo dashed away clutching the tear wound. He turned around and in another second transformed into Snare-Oh. The familiar mummy like alien extended his tendrils. He purposefully let Ben’s spinning form become tangled in his paper like limbs. The spinning alien was soon wrapped entirely by the bandages. Albedo raised his arms tossing Ben into the wall and causing him to crash through it. He rolled to a stop and raised his eyes. Nearby he could see Gwen shielding herself from Addwaitya’s magic spells. Ben sighed, his body sore from the fight. He lifted his head to call out to Gwen.

“This one’s going to be tough.” He noted.

“Gee ya think?” Gwen shot back. “It’s even worse that they have the advantage. They know where the Tablet is and we still don’t have a clue!” She said.

“Actually, I might have a pretty good idea of where it is.” Ben noted.

“You do?” Gwen asked surprised.

“Yeah, but I can’t get to it as long as all of these guys are here.” He complained.

“I just don’t get why they haven’t attacked each other. I mean only one of them can use the hammer.” She said. Ben’s eyes widened with an idea.

“Gwen you’re a genius!” Ben shouted as he stood.

“Hmph, thanks for finally taking notice.” She commented wryly.

“We just need to get them to focus on each other. I’ll go let Kevin in on the plan and you get to work on Addwaitya.” Ben stated. Gwen nodded her agreement as Ben sped off to go tell Kevin. He twisted over to Kevin who had just delivered a brutal right cross to Aggregor. He sent the villain flying into the white walls. Kevin cracked his steel knuckles and stalked toward Aggregor. He was paused though as Ben caught up to him. He turned to him as Ben caught his breath.

“Turn them against each other. I’ll go work on Albedo.” Ben offered with little explanation. But Kevin caught the gist of his plan. So he turned back towards Aggregor who was just now getting up with a groan.

“Hey chump!” He called out derisively. “What are you doing with that weakling Albedo anyway? Surely you haven’t gotten that pathetic?” Kevin taunted. Albedo scowled scornfully at him.

“He said he could help me find the Demiurge. It was a simple contract. He stated he had no interest in the relic.” Aggregor stated.

“Hah! And you believed him? Dude he’s gonna steal that tablet right out from under your nose and leave you hung up to dry.” Kevin laughed. Aggregor turned white for a second before his rage brought his face flush with red once again. He could feel his blood boiling with anger as the idea of Albedo’s betrayal hit his mind. Aggregor stormed off, fire igniting from his feet as he went to chase down Albedo.

Elsewhere Ben kept Albedo busy by dodging his attacks and taunting him. “Hey Albedo! Why did you team up with Aggregor anyway? You had to have known he was going to betray you!” Ben shouted. Albedo had transformed back into Ultimate Humongosaur and paused his artillery fire.

“Ha nice try Ben.” He retorted. “But my intelligence is too advanced to fall for your simple ruse. You’re trying to turn us against each other. But it won’t work on me!” Albedo said confidently pressing his thumb to his chest.

“Maybe it won’t work on you but I have a feeling it’ll work on somebody else.” Ben stated smugly. Albedo raised an eyebrow in confusion before Aggregor burst through the floor beneath them.

“Traitor!!” He yelled angrily. Without warning Aggregor attacked Albedo with a wild ferocity. He swung his diamond covered arms like swords trying to slice the galvan in two. Luckily Ultimate Humongasaur’s skin was thick and resistant to the diamond hard edges. But the rapid attacks angered him enough to cause him to strike back with vicious intensity. The pair of villains angrily tumbled together trying to subdue one another. Ben watched the sight amused. It looked like one of those fights he would see in cartoons. But his attention was drawn as he looked back to see Addwaitya floating through the open central room. Ben smiled to himself, phase 2 of his plan was about to commence.

“Hey uh guys?” He called out over the clamboring of his rivals. Albedo and Aggregor paused from their grudge match to look up angrily at Tennyson. Ben pointed a thumb over his shoulder. “I think you still have some competition.” He said gesturing to Addwaitya. Both of the villains turned their attention to Addwaitya and scowled. They each rose from the floor and charged into the central floor of the tower.

“Aaaaggghhh!!” They both screamed as they charged the mystic alien. Addwaitya was taken by surprise from the attack. He had no time to react before he was tackled by the two other villains. From that point on it was a three way brawl to see who would reach the tablet first. Albedo shot rockets from his fist. Aggregor fired bursts of crystal and gouts of fire at his opponents. Addwaitya chanted powerful spells and threw balls of explosive mana at the other two. As the group of villains duked it out, Ben was joined by the rest of his team who stared in bewilderment. Ben turned to look at his comrades.

“Make sure they stay busy with each other, I’m gonna see if I can get that tablet.” Ben ordered.

“But how do you even know where it is?” Gwen asked confused.

“Let’s just say I’m following a hunch.” Ben offered with little explanation. He then spun away to the center of the room. Raised above the floor in a glass display case surrounded by planters was the meteorite that formed Crater City. Ben transformed from Topspin into Armodrillo. Using his large mechanical fists he shattered the glass surrounding the large hunk of space rock. He gripped the meteorite with one hand and with the other hand began jack hammering into it. His sharp drills easily bored through the rocky exterior of the meteorite. Behind him he could just barely make out the confused and concerned voices of his friends over the sound of his drill. But Ben ignored them. He was certain he was right about this. In another minute he heard a distinct snap and he pulled away from the meteorite, his drill hands reverting to normal. Ben looked down and cleared away the rubble from his destruction. There, sitting in the center of the meteorite was a large stone stablet engraved with ancient pictographs and ancient alien language. Ben delicately picked up the stone tablet and held it over his head triumphantly.

“Guys I got it!” He shouted proudly. He revelled in the confused and flabbergasted expressions on his friends faces. Unfortunately his declaration caught the attention of his foes who paused in the midst of their battle to look up at him.

“Uh-oh…” Ben said under his breath.

“He’s got the tablet! Get him you fools!” Albedo shouted. Suddenly the three villains charged forth at them. Kevin, Gwen, and Julie formed a barricade in front of Ben, intent on stopping the evil doers from reaching him. Addwaitya shot bolts of electric magic at the trio while Gwen brought up a magic shield over them. Aggregor slammed on the barrier with fists made of crystal. Albedo fired missiles from his fists which were perfectly countered by Ship’s own arsenal. Kevin reached through the barrier to punch Aggregor in the face with his steel fist. The battle raged on again as the villains tried desperately to reach Ben and the tablet.

For his part Ben was torn between wanting to help his friends and the rational choice to escape with the tablet. He took a step towards them but was rebuked by Gwen. “Go get the tablet out of here! We’ll hold them off!” She said. Ben clenched his fist but decided to trust his friends. He took off with the tablet gripped under one arm. His heavy footfalls echoed through the marble hallways. But his escape was not to be. Albedo saw Ben’s attempt at escape and transformed into Ultimate Cannonbolt. He curled up into a ball and rapidly rolled over Ben. The hero grunted in pain as the sharp spikes of Ultimate Cannonbolt’s body prodded into him. Albedo slammed into Ben causing him to lose his grip on the tablet. The stone tablet slid across the smooth metallic floor.

“Get the tablet!” Gwen called out as she watched Ben fumble to the floor. But her cry alerted their enemies as well. It suddenly became a mad dash to reach the tablet before the others. Kevin and Gwen stumbled over each other as they tried to stop Aggregor from getting past them. Julie tried firing her weapons at Addwaitya who was in the lead. But the mutated alien teleported away at the last second. In a flash he appeared over the tablet, picking it up with his clawed hands.

“Hah! The tablet is mine!” He prounounced as he studied the ancient inscriptions.

“No!” Aggregor screamed. He suddenly launched himself forward with jets of fire from his feet. He rocketed forward and slammed into Addwaitya causing him to drop the tablet. Aggregor picked the tablet from the floor and tried running away with it. Albedo saw this and tried to stop him. He curled up into a ball and spun rapidly expecting to move forward. However he was confused as he felt himself spinning in place. Albedo uncurled and was surprised as he was enveloped in a tight bear hug. Armodrillo had kept Albedo in place and threw him against a wall. Albedo groaned as he saw Aggregor become gripped by Julie’s powerful armor. Aggregor gasped in pain as she twisted his arm and caused him to drop the tablet. But he shot a powerful burst of flame from his good hand and caused Julie to retreat from him. Aggregor weighed his options. Gwen and Kevin were both at the ready while Julie had backed up with the tablet in hand. Ben was still busy with Albedo while Addwaitya had finally recovered from his attack.

“No matter…” Aggregor chuckled. “I have already seen enough of the tablet to know my next destination.” He said still gripping his arm.

“As have I…” Addwaitya said before floating in the air and teleporting away.

“You’re not getting away Aggregor!” Kevin said.

“Just try to stop me!” He replied and shot a wall of flame between them.

“Aggregor! We had a deal!” Albedo cried out from his prone position.

“Yes we did. And now it seems our contract is complete. Hahaha!” He laughed as he took off. Kevin tried to follow him through the flames but was too late. Albedo scowled as his traitorous partner took off but he was distracted as Ben stood over him. Armodrillo’s metal fist was the last thing Albedo saw.

Several hours later the chaotic battle that had engulfed Plumber Tower was finally over. Crater City was starting to go back to normal. Reinforcements from the other Plumber bases had arrived on scene. They had apprehended any of the Syndicate’s forces that remained behind. But most importantly, under Max’s order, they arrested all of Crater City’s plumber force, including Magister Bullgo. Ben’s team stood in the hangar watching as the Tetramand was restrained and loaded onto a prisoner transport. Max stood with hands on hips in front of the group.

“Good job team! I’m proud of all of you.” He said.

“But Grandpa, both Addwaitya and Aggregor got away. And they both know the location of the Hammer!” Gwen said concerned.

“True but you also took down a city wide conspiracy of corruption and captured Albedo.” Max said gesturing to the Galvan who was being placed on a separate prisoner transport.

“Besides,” Ben spoke up. “We’re the ones holding the tablet. Those other two only got glances at it. Maybe they won’t remember everything.” Ben supplied hopefully.

“I still don’t get it, how did you know the tablet was inside the meterorite?” Kevin asked.

“Well, once Albedo confirmed that they were after the tablet too and that they were planning on raiding the tower, I figured the tablet must have been somewhere inside. And since we thoroughly inspected the bottom of the crater and found nothing, I realized that the meteorite was the only other place that would have matched the clue.” Ben said presenting his reasoning.

“Wow, Ben used his brain for once. Color me impressed.” Gwen teased. Ben scoffed and simply handed her the tablet for her to read through. Gwen studied the inscriptions, taking a moment to translate the ancient language in her head. Once she finished her eyes widened nervously.

“Uh guys, we have a problem.” Gwen said. The group’s eyes turned to her concerned.

“What’s the matter?” Ben asked. Gwen pointed to the tablet.

“According to these inscriptions, the Demiurge Hammer is located on a planet in Incursean space…” She said gravely. Max hummed thoughtfully.

“This is a pickle. We can’t use official channels to request acess for the Plumbers. If the Incurseans even get a whiff of there being a superweapon in their midst then they’ll stop at nothing to get at it.” Max explained. “We’ll have to sneak past their borders unnoticed and try to retrieve the Hammer first. That means we can’t use any standard Plumber vessels.” Max said. Besides him Ben sighed.

“And that means I have feeling I know who we’re gonna be catching a ride with.” Ben said tiredly.

Albedo sat alone inside the prisoner transport. His hands and feet were restrained and his Ultimatrix was deactivated. His only solace was that they let him keep the stabilizer for his Ultimatrix. That allowed him to keep his galvan form instead of the form of the insufferable teenage brat. He sighed before a bright light caught his attention. He turned his head to see a swirling portal and a translucent figure step through it. Albedo narrowed his eyes.

“You again. Of course, I should have seen it sooner.” Albedo said.

“From what I hear, hubris has always been your biggest weakness.” No-one replied. Albedo scoffed.

“So I take it you’re here to get rid of me.” Albedo reasoned.

“In a manner of speaking…” No-one trailed off.

“I suppose it’s only my own fault. I should have seen through your ploy sooner.” Albedo said standing up on the bench to face No-one.

“Yes, such a shame.” No-one replied. He held a hand out and the interior of the space was filled with blinding light. When the prisoner transport finally arrived at it’s destination the guards were surprised to see their prisoner had disappeared without a trace.

A/N: Sorry about the delay in posting yall. Not sure I totally like some of my writing here but it’s good enough.

Chapter 27: Chapter 27

Chapter Text

Ben X Chapter 27
Treasure Hunt Arc
How to deal with an Incursean

Ben and the majority of the Plumber search team had gathered together at Crater City. This seemed like it would be the final big push to get to the tablet before everyone else. But with the location of the tablet having been determined to be within Incursean space, it wouldn’t be easy getting there. Max had said he could negotiate a transport for them but had remained somewhat tight lipped about the details. Ben however, reacted as though he knew exactly who their contact was, and he wasn’t overly pleased with it. It left Kevin, Gwen, and Julie trying to piece together information from Ben’s grumbling. They currently were sitting in one of the Tower’s many hangars which had been commandeered by the Galactic Plumbers from the corrupt Crater City plumbers. Teams Delta and Beta had joined them shortly after but they were still waiting for Rook and the rest of team Delta. Ben was pacing back and forth with irritation as the group of plumbers waited in the hangar bay.

“Ben, dude, you’re killing us. Will you just tell us who’s got you so riled up?” Kevin said after watching him pace a hole into the floor. Ben paused and turned his gaze to the group who looked at him with varying expressions of concern, confusion, and amusem*nt. He sighed before letting his shoulders drop.

“The secret pilot that Grandpa mentioned? I have a feeling he means Rad Dudesman and his ship the Lovely Duck.” Ben said. The majority of the group showed no recognition at the name but Kevin however shot straight up from his seated position.

“No way! Rad Dudesman? For real? That guy’s a smuggling legend!” He cried ecstatically before Gwen gave him an elbow in the ribs which set him to coughing embarassed. Ben rolled his eyes.

“Yeah, so everybody’s told me. We’ve used his services a few times before but I’ve never seen what’s so impressive about the guy, he acts like a total jerk.” Ben complained.

“How so?” Julie asked with a quirked eybrow.

“Where do I start? He’s co*cky, arrogant, trigger happy, thinks he’s better than everyone.” Ben said listing things off on his fingers.

“He sounds a lot like you.” Gwen replied with a smirk. Ben scowled back at her.

“Haha very funny.” Ben replied.

“Did I miss a joke?” Rook’s voice called out as he entered the room followed by the remainder of team Gamma.

“We were just talking about Rad Dudesman.” Ben responded still sulking. Rook quirked an eyebrow.

“Are we going to be using his services again?” Rook asked.

“Looks like it.” He answered.

“I don’t get it.” Kevin spoke up. “What’s your beef with this guy? If he’s helped us out before we should trust him right?” He asked.

“Let’s just say that the last time we ran with Rad it did not go so well.” Rook answered as Ben pointedly avoided the question. “Come to think of it, you were there as well Charmcaster.” Rook said turning all eyes onto her. Charmcaster looked at Rook with a confused expression.

“I was?” She asked.

“Yes? On Anur Transyl?” Rook regarded her equally confused. Charmcaster’s face blanched.

“Oh, I uh, don’t remember much from those days.” Charmcaster said quietly. She withdrew on herself, desperate to avoid the stares from the other group members.

Luckily for her, a loud sound drew their attention just after. They all turned to the hangar doors to see a large space ship begin it’s docking procedure. The roar of thrusters sounded out as they kicked up wind and dust. The sleek white and beige ship landed in the hangar, docking soon after. The assembled plumbers gazed up at the ship with mixed reactions. Kevin seemed thoroughly impressed, while Ben’s reaction was nearly opposite. The various lights on board the ship blinked before powering down, his ship being put into inactive mode. The doors on the back of the ship opened up with a hiss and a ramp slowly lowered to the floor. Kevin was visibly vibrating with excitement at the chance to meet one of his self-proclaimed heroes. The sound of footsteps echoed as the group of humans and aliens stretched their necks to get a view of the so called legendary Rad Dudesman. The aforementioned captain stepped out onto the hangar floor and approached them, visors in place and an aloof expression on his face. He stepped up to the large group, stopping a few feet away and surveyed them. A tense silence passed between them as neither party spoke up, until…

“Uh, he’s a duck.” Kevin said with a hint of disappointment. Rad’s face instantly hardened and he turned towards the Osmosian.

“Got a problem with ducks?” He asked accusingly.

“Uh, no sir.” Kevin blanched and shook his head. Rad huffed a little before looking around at the group again. His eyes paused as he reached Ben who stared back at him. Rad clicked his tongue causing Ben to narrow his eyes. But before either party could speak, Rook stepped up to diffuse the tension.

“Mr. Dudesman sir, I am so glad that we can once again rely on your services.” He said amicably. Rad tilted his head slightly at Rook to acknowledge him but soon turned back towards Ben.

“If he’s coming along, I want double the pay.” Rad said pointing at Ben.

“Oh come on!” Ben complained.

“Now Mr. Dudesman I’m sure we can come to a reasonable agreement.” Rook said diplomatically. But the duck like alien simply crossed his arms.

“One: I’m transporting a large group, Two: Into Incursean space, Three: With Ben Tennyson.” He said with derision. “I. Want. Double. Pay.” Rad demanded.

“Oh, whatever, Rook let’s just pay the guy and get this over with.” Ben said before storming off in the direction of the ship. The rest of the group followed shortly after with both Rook and Magister Patelliday shaking their heads while Rad smiled to himself having successfully negotiated his pay raise.

The Lovely Duck took off soon after all its new passengers had boarded. Thus they began the long journey to Incursean space. During their downtime the assembled plumbers had little to do but try to prepare for any upcoming battles and try to relax. Delta Squad consisting of the formerly known ‘helpers’ spent their time touring the ship and catching up. Rook and Kevin were up in the co*ckpit talking shop with Rad about his ship’s modifications and armaments. It was a discussion that Rad was happy to oblige in. Gwen and Charmcaster spent their time bonding over magic. Now that Charmcaster had seemingly turned a new leaf, Gwen was stoked to make good on her promise of being her friend. More than that she was thrilled to finally have a teacher who she could learn proper spells from rather than trying to cobble them together from irreputable sources. The senior plumbers were all prepping their weapons in the ship’s armory. Ben however, was keeping his distance in the cargo bay. Julie, and the rest of Beta Squad were sitting next to him and currently Kai was grilling Ben on the tablet.

“And you’re saying it was hidden inside the meteorite?” Kai asked holding the tablet in her hands and examining it closely.

“For like the third time, yes!” Ben responded sitting atop a crate. He was starting to become exasperated. He had been answering Kai’s questions about the tablet for hours by now. But no matter how many he answered she just came up with more questions.

“How is that even possible?” She wondered. “I mean the tablet couldn’t have been inside the meteorite when it fell right? But how would it have gotten inside afterwards? None of this really makes sense.” She said scratching her head in bewilderment.

“Couldn’t they have used the Hammer itself to put the tablet inside the meteorite? I mean if it’s a rule bending weapon it seems to make sense.” Julie said.

“Maybe…” Kai responded softly.

“Maybe it’s a fake?” Cooper questioned leaning against another crate, Lucy standing beside him.

“No the carbon dating has it the same age as the other tablets. And the writing and style of the tablet all match up with the others as well. This thing is the real deal.” Kai responded. “But I can’t get rid of the feeling that something is fishy about all this.” She said softly. The room fell quiet at her admission, an uneasy feeling spreading throughout those present. The silence was broken as Ben spoke up.

“I agree.” He said quietly. The admission surprised them and all heads turned to him. “I’ve noticed that pretty much all of my biggest enemies have been going after this hammer. Even one who I thought was gone for good. So how do they all know about it? Someone has to be pulling the strings on this. The only question is who?” He said seriously.

The group only had a short time to ponder the answer before an alert went off above them. Pixy’s holographic face popped up above them and spoke a few words in her complicated language before she was replaced by a large holo-screen depicting a planet. The planet was very much like Earth. It had large deep blue oceans and multiple green continents. Clouds of white hovered above the planet. It looked beautiful and serene. It was hard to believe a place like this existed in the middle of Incursean territory. However despite the impressive image, the majority of them still had no idea what the message was.

“Pixy says that we’re approaching the coordinates from the tablet. This is supposedly the planet the Hammer is on.” Cooper said.

“Wait you can understand her?” Ben asked surprised. Cooper simply smiled and pointed to his head.

“Uh duh. Technopath remember?” He offered simply.

In just a short while the ship had touched down on the planet and the group of Plumbers disembarked. Rad had predictably stayed behind with his ship. The group walked through a tropical jungle. The planet’s atmosphere was incredible. The humidity was perfect, the temperature was warm but not hot, and the weather was clear and beautiful. A number of gorgeous flowers lined the trees and jungle as they walked. The only thing that was of slight annoyance was the abundance of flying and fluttering insects around them. But the group trudged ahead. Kai was in the lead using Excalibur to cut away any vegetation that got in their way.

“You’ve gotten pretty good with that sword.” Ben commented from her right. Kai smirked back at him.

“You think that’s impressive? Watch this.” She said. Suddenly she threw the sword ahead of her. The blade glowed white and spun through the air. It carved through the vines and branches in front of the group before turning back around towards them. But Kai stood confidently. She held out a hand and the blade flew back to her grip like a magnet. She stood proudly while Ben whistled impressed.

“Wow, cool. How’d you do that?” He asked. Kai propped the sword on her shoulder as she continued walking forward.

“Charmcaster’s been teaching me how to control the sword’s natural magical aura.” She responded.

From behind Julie watched the interaction with a tense stare. Despite her rationally knowing that she shouldn’t feel jealous she could nevertheless feel the emotion sprouting up inside her chest. She hugged Ship tighter to her as she watched Ben converse with Kai. She had turned Ben down, said he was still too immature. But did she really believe that? Or was it just another excuse to keep her heart from being broken again? Afterall Ben had been surpisingly more adult about all these missions they found themselves in. But still she could sense something was wrong, and it confused her. Ben was hiding something, she was sure of it. But she supposed he would tell her in due time.

Soon the group of excursionists broke through the jungle line. Surprised, they found themselves on a large gorgeous beach. The sand was warm and white beneath their feet. The ocean’s water was crystal clear blue. The waves sloshed gently against the shore. A cool breeze flowed through the air. The atmosphere was like a tropical beach paradise. The group stopped and stared, captivated by the vista’s natural beauty. However, their wonder and amazement was short lived. From far behind them they could hear the noise of engines rumbling to life. In another second they watched shocked as the Lovely Duck took off screaming into the sky. The next few minutes were spent in confusion, wondering what could have run off Rad Dudesman. They tried futilely to contact him over the comms array but he seemed unable or unwilling to answer. They didn’t have to wait long to figure out why.

From over the jungle treetops they could spot several large green and purple ships bee-lining for their direction. The group watched helpless as a central smaller semi-circle like ship hovered above them and even higher above that were two Incursean Warships. The group watched with concern as the central crusiser landed on the beach ahead of them. Wind whipped off the ship and blew back their hair. They looked on in anticipation as a platform descended from the center of the ship. A trio of familiar purple clad aliens descended upon the beach. Their violet hued armors concealed a multitude of weapons. These were the mecrenary siblings: Six-Six, Seven-Seven, and Eight-Eight. The group of bounty hunters parted their numbers to reveal an even more concerning sight. From behind them stepped forth the Empress of the Incursean Empire, clad in a purple bikini, a sheer lavendar shawl, and a purple and white swim cap on her head. In her right hand Attea held a laser pistol that she rested easily against her hips.

“All-right scumbags. Hands in the air. What do you think you’re doing on my planet?” Attea asked accusingly. The group of plumbers slowly raised their hands, glancing nervously at the cannons trained on their position.

“Don’t worry, I got this.” Ben said quietly to the people around him. Before anybody could stop him he stepped up beyond the group and made his way over to the ship.

“Hey Attea!” He called out, hands still raised non-threateningly in the air. Attea quirked an eyebrow at the approaching figure, wondering who would be so presumptuous as to address her without her proper titles. But then a smile came over her face as she realized exactly who was approaching her.

“Ben Tennyson? Shoot is that really you? I thought you had croaked.” Attea said mockingly while temporarily lowering her gun. Ben only shrugged.

“What can I say, I’m a hard guy to get rid of.” He bragged. “Fancy meeting you in a place like this.” Ben said gesturing around them. Attea’s smile dropped and was replaced by a frown.

“Yeah fancy that. I wonder what all you plumbers are doing here, in Incursean territory, on an Incursean planet, and my personal vacation planet no less.” Attea spoke pointing the gun at Ben again.

“Vacation planet?” Ben asked curiously.

“Yes, this planet is a private resort for me and the upper ranks of my military. And you and your pesky friends have the gall to invade me on my vacation time.” Attea said impassioned and angry. “Give me one good reason why I should let any of you leave here alive?” Attea said closing one eye and looking down her sights. Her mercenary bodyguards slightly raising their weapons at the ready as well. Behind him the rest of the plumber team watched the situation unfold tensely. But Ben seemed to not have a care in the world.

“Look, Attea, let me level with you here.” Ben suggested. Attea stared at Ben for a second before nodding her assent. “We have reason to believe there is a really dangerous criminal hiding out here on your planet. All we want is to be given the freedom to find him and put him back into prison.” Ben said sincerely. Behind him the majority of the group was impressed. Technically it wasn’t a complete lie. Attea however did not seem to be easily swayed.

“The Incurseans don’t do extradition treaties. And that doesn’t forgive you for trespassing into my empire’s domain without the proper diplomatic channels.” Attea said back snarkily.

“You’re right, you’re right. And we’re sorry. But we thought our bad guy would be tipped off if we told you. And besides let’s be real here. Even if we did ask, you wouldn’t have let us in anyway.” Ben said keenly. Attea smirked.

“You’re right. I probably wouldn’t.” She agreed with a smirk. “So again, I ask you. Why shouldn’t I just throw you all into my dungeon?” She asked again.

“Come on Attea. What’s it gonna take for you to forget this? Name your price.” Ben said intent on working out a deal. He was surprised though as Attea gazed at him with half-lidded eyes and biting her lower lip. She sauntered forward up to Ben until she was right in front of him.

“Well, there is one thing…” She spoke suggestively as she traced a circle on Ben’s chest with her finger. Ben’s eyes grew nervous at Attea’s approach. He watched her trace his chest with her finger with apprehension.

“What would that be?” Ben asked raising an eyebrow in cautious curiosity. Attea smirked again before leaning into Ben’s ear and whispering to him. Ben felt his face burn red at the suggestion and sweat begin to drip down his back. He turned around just enough to catch a glimpse of his companions. They all simply looked back at him in confusion, unsure of what Attea had told him. He turned back to the Toad Queen and swallowed hard.

“Sorry but that’s a no go.” Ben said firmly. Attea dropped her smile but shrugged. She turned back around walking back to her ship. Her hips swaying with an exaggerated motion.

“That’s a shame, I might have even let you stay human for part of it.” She said disappointed. “But if you refuse my offer, that still leaves you with nothing.” She finished knowingly.

“Come on work with me here. There’s gotta be something else you want that we can get.” Ben pleaded. Attea tapped her chin thoughtfully before another idea popped in her head and she smiled wickedly. She pointed grandiosely at Ben before announcing in a loud voice.

“Ten Thousand Taydens!” She said smugly. The crowd behind them gasped in shock. That was quite a high price for their bounty. The amount even made Kevin sweat. That kind of cash wasn’t easily available from the Plumber’s coffers. The group watched Ben, waiting to see how he would respond.

“Ten thousand Taydens?” He asked to confirm.

“Yep, I’d say that’s a fair price to pay for the lot of you.” She said knowing her amount was absurdly high.

“Done.” Ben said simply.

Attea blinked in confusion. Surely she didn’t just hear Ben agree to that price. She looked back at him in shock as she watched Ben fiddle with the Omnitrix. It seemed like from what they could make out from the holoscreen that Ben was making arrangements to transfer the funds. Attea was even more surprised as she heard a beep from her tablet. She motioned to Six-Six to grab the tablet for her. He handed over the device and Attea immediately checked her notifications. She was shocked once again as she read a deposit of 10,000 taydens into her bank account. She turned back to Ben with a curious eye.

“Well that’s surprising. I wouldn’t have taken you for a high roller?” Attea said. Ben shrugged his shoulders again.

“What can I say? I’m resourceful. Now, does this make us even?” Ben asked with hope. But he was disappointed as Attea laughed maniacally at him.

“No you dimwit, as if. Now though I’m even richer and I’ve got you all as my hostages.” She laughed and the mercenaries raised their weapons at the group starting to walk towards them. But while the group behind him watched with nervousness Ben himself felt calm. He sighed and began to reach for his watch.

“Oh Attea, we really didn’t have to do it this way.” He said disappointed before transforming. But Attea was used to fighting Ben. She raised her finger and pointed angrily at him.

“Fire at him!” She ordered just as Ben slammed the Omnitrix down. The three Sotoraggian siblings opened fire on the spot where Ben stood. Their lasers, missiles, and projectiles caused mini-explosions to light up Ben in a cloud of smoke. But when the smoke screen finally cleared they were all surprised to find a shield of green energy in front of him. The various bullets and missiles were caught in the middle of the air, floating harmlessly in front of him. Ben had transformed into a lithe alien with teal skin. He had three eyes and two long tentacles protruded out from the sides of his head. A long tail sprouted behind him and large powerful legs that bent backwards held him up. Ben held his hand outstretched and eyes glowing.

“Grrr, how did you do that?” Attea demanded angrily. Ben chuckled as he let the shield and projectiles fall to the ground, his hand dropping as well.

“Don’t you know? Psyking’s species the Uxorites are incredible masters of telekinesis and telepathy.” Ben said identifying himself. “Now this is the last chance I’m gonna give you Attea. Let us past or I’ll be forced to do something you won’t like.” Ben threatened. But the frog woman simply scoffed.

“Oh yeah? Please, what could you possibly do to me? I’ve got you outnumbered and out-gunned. How could you possibly get out of this unscathed?” Attea laughed.

“Oh I don’t know, maybe I might just do a little thing like tell everyone about… Mr. Wartypants?” Ben said sinisterly as his eyes glowed. Behind him the group of plumbers looked at each other in confusion. They wondered if they had heard Ben right. Even the mercenary guards looked amongst each other in confusion. But Attea’s reaction was the most interesting. She turned bright red and her eyes widened in shock before she stomped up to Ben angrily.

“How do you know that name?” She whispered angrily to him. Ben smirked back at her.

“I told you. Telepathy. I’m able to read all your thoughts and see your secrets. Like how every night before bed…” Ben started to speak loudly. But Attea put a hand over his mouth, desperately shushing him.

“You can’t tell anybody! It would ruin my fearsome reputation.” She said in a harsh whisper.

“Then I guess you know what to do.” Ben said. “If you don’t want every one here knowing about Mr. Wartypants then you have to let us pass.” He threatened again. Attea narrowed her eyes at him.

“You wouldn’t dare…” She said back staring up at him.

“Try me.” Ben retorted back. Attea watched Ben closely. His stoic visage revealed nothing to her. Soon her face began to quiver and uncertaintly clouded her mind. She buried her face in her hands and gripped tightly at her swim cap, pulling it down temporarily in front of her face. A small muffled scream could be heard from underneath it. But suddenly she relaesed her grip and dropped her hands. She took a deep breath, steeling her expression and turning back around. She stomped back up to her ship, much to the confusion of her bodyguards and the plumber group.

“Fine, you’ve got 24 hours. And you’re not allowed anywhere near my resorts. Let’s go.” She said with finality. The mercenary siblings looked amongst each other in confusion. They communicated to one another in their strange guttural and grunting language. But Attea snapped her fingers impatiently breaking their conversation and drawing them back around her. As the platform raised back into the ship, Attea peered over the edge one final time, her face still tinged red. “You better not mess with my vacation Tennyson, or I don’t care what you use to blackmail me, I will destroy you.” She threatened one last time. Ben simply gave a salute back. The group watched as Attea’s ship flew off into the distance, followed shortly after by the warships. Ben watched them fly off satisfied and feeling somewhat smug. He turned back to see the remainder of the group staring at him with slack jaws. Ben quirked an eyebrow, confused.

“Dude, what…” Kevin said stunnded.

“That. Was. Amazing!” Lucy cheered from behind them.

“How did you manage to convince Attea to leave us alone?” Rook asked curiously. Ben however shook his head.

“Hey man, I promised not to tell. Besides I can’t go around giving away a woman’s secrets now could I?” He said.

The group predictably ignored his comments as they walked further out onto the beach. They travelled to the east where the coastline curved upwards until it reached a point. The beach beyond the point was obscured by a large hill of green forests forming a bay beyond it. The group walked along the coast line, the sand slipping out from under their feet as they marched. As they crested around the corner they were awe-struck as they took in the sight in front of them. A large pyramid like temple sat sticking out of the water of the bay and towering several stories into the air. The ziggurat was made of carved grey stone and intricate masonry lined the walls of the structure. Sitting half submerged in the water around the temple were several large cylindrical stones protruding into the air and breaking the waves that crashed into the shore.

The group stood awe struck, it appears they had finally made it. Their goal laid inside the temple. After such a long search they were finally close to the finish. The mythical Demiurge Hammer resided somewhere inside the large temple.

A/N: Apologies for the late update gang. I had to go back and rewrite this one as originally Rad didn’t have any dialogue and I actually like that character so I wanted to show him off more. As a result the next regular update on Sunday will be skipped and resume the following week. Also we are quickly approaching what I would consider the midway point of the story and also a big plot reveal. All the mysteries that I’ve been hinting at will soon be revealed. This will be your last chance to share who you think No-One is. Thank you to the reviewers who have been commenting so far with words of encouragement. Lastly, we are somewhat close to my buffer of extra chapters being depleted so updates may slow down but I promise I’ll warn you guys if that happens.

Chapter 28: Chapter 28

Chapter Text

Ben X Chapter 28
Treasure Hunt Arc
Goal within sight

Ben stared up at the temple impassively. It loomed forebodingly tall above him, it’s upper floors stories above him on the ground. He crossed his arms impatiently, glaring at the ancient structure as though it would acquiesce and simply reveal its secrets to him. He knew that the Demiurge Hammer was lying in wait somewhere within the ruins. Being who he was, he wanted to rush right into the temple to retrieve it. The rest of his friends however convinced him to wait while they scoped out the surroundings. And though he could see the logic in not rushing into a mysterious and unknown temple, it still didn’t sit right with him. Any one of his enemies could be inside there right now, making their way towards this weapon of legend. So instead he stood outside with the rest, waiting for someone else to say when they could go inside. Ben looked around him at the rest of the plumbers.

Both Delta and Gamma squads were spread out to the outskirts of the jungle, setting up a perimeter and looking for signs of other intruders. Rook had spotted some broken branches and what appeared to be footsteps, but he couldn’t say for sure where they led. Helen was running up and down along the beach, leaving a large trail of sand storms in her wake. But she reported no unusual activity. Both Gwen and Charmcaster were assessing the large stone temple for signs of magic or other mystical activity. Gwen’s hands were held in front of herself, alight with mana and sensing for anything out of the ordinary. Beside her Charmcaster levitated with a book in front of her, casting some kind of ritual. Cooper too was helping out, holding his hands aloft searching for signals and responses from any kind of technology he could find. But he reported that he could not sense anything. But it was Kai who assessed the structure and had an intense frown on her face.

She walked the circumference of the structure as far as possible, wading into knee high ocean water without a care. She ran her hands along the stone surfaces of the building. She scrutinized the temple using her years of experience as an archeologist. But something just wasn’t adding up. On the surface the ziggurat appeared genuine. It’s stone was grey and whethered and laid in bricks of overlapping layers. Reliefs and symbols circled the structure depicting simplified humanoid forms. The glyph representing the hammer itself featured prominently in the masonry work. The overall structure resembled that of traditional mesoamerican pyramids with a large square base and subsequent levels leading upwards to a peak. But the longer Kai observed the ruins, the greater her mistrust grew.

“This doesn’t make any sense…” She said aloud as she made her way back to Ben on the shoreline.

“What do you mean?” He asked. Kai pointed back to the structure, a deep frown present on her face.

“This whole temple it’s just… wrong. With its position in the water there should be much more erosion of the base of the pyramid if it were thousands of years old. Plus the symbols and glyphs on the walls, they don’t mean anything. They look like they’re just decorative.” Kai explained.

“Are they, not supposed to be decorative?” Ben asked unsure.

“No, in places like these if you have images and symbols written on the walls they’re supposed to mean something, to tell a story or give a warning. But I can’t make out any kind of narrative here. Plus this architecture is more reminiscent of ancient earth cultures than any alien cultures. Speaking of which it doesn’t match up with any kind of alien cultures I know of. It all just feels wrong! Like someone looked up pictures of ancient ruins and just plopped it here.” Kai said insistently. “I’m telling you Ben, something’s not right about this, we shouldn’t go in there. I think it may be some kind of trap.” She said.

Ben looked between Kai’s worried face and the temple once again. His eyes narrowed as he processed the information. He looked around to see some of his closer friends had overheard the conversation and looked between them expectantly. Ben crossed his arms again as he considered their options. Surprisingly, he took Kai’s warning very seriously. He didn’t know much about ancient ruins but he knew better than to doubt Kai on her expertise. If she felt that something was off about the temple then it likely was. But at the same time he knew they had a responsibility.

“Even if this place is a fake like you said, if there’s even the slightest chance of the Demiurge being real and inside there, we have to take that chance.” Ben finally spoke with conviction. Ben stepped towards the temple with hardly another word. The group exchanged nervous glances with each other before following in his stead.

Delta and Gamma squads remained outside the temple, guarding the perimeter. Alpha and Beta squad followed Ben to the temple. Rook came up beside Ben and together they pushed open the large heavy stone doors to the temple. The sound of scraping stone reverberated throughout the area as they opened the entrance. The group peered inside seeing only darkness. A musty odor wafted out from the interior of the temple, offending their noses. The group stepped inside and filled out the space of a large hallway. The darkness of the ruins loomed further ahead but with the dim light of day behind them they were able to make out the stone walls and floors laden with carvings and symbols. The group trudged ahead warily. A flash light emerged from Rook’s shoulder lighting their way. Beside him Charmcaster made her way to the front, summoning a floating orb of magenta light. The group made their way forward carefully. But before they got too far they were surprised to hear the scraping of stone again behind them. They all turned around behind them to find the heavy doors closing. Kevin ran back to the entrance but he was too late, the doors slammed shut leaving them in mostly darkness. Kevin pounded and pulled on the doors but they were sealed close.

“Well that’s great…” He complained as he rejoined the group.

“Really starting to agree with Kai’s theory right now.” Cooper spoke from the side. Ben silently gazed around at them taking in their faces. Kai looked back at him with an expression that was equal parts concern and ‘I told you so’. He turned to look at Julie who had pre-emptively donned her armor. The rest of the group looked equally wary.

“It doesn’t matter. We still need to move forwards. Carefully though.” Ben said. The rest of the group nodded and began to explore further into the ruins. The group walked barely a few feet before Ben sensed something wrong. He peered around in the darkness as though he would be able to see the source of his unease clearly. No one around him seemed to have sense what he had though. But still, it felt familiar and unsettling. It was like there was an unatural chill to the air, floating around them. He felt it grow closer and closer still, until it seemed like it was rushing straight towards them. Suddenly his eyes went wide with realization.

“Everybody duck!!” He shouted out grabbing Julie ahead of him and pulling her down. Behind him Lucy did the same with Cooper and Rook the same with Charmcaster. It was just in time as they all felt the unmistakable swoop of air above them as though something large and powerful had missed them by a hair’s breadth. Ben looked up, standing from his crouched position and narrowed his eyes as his suspicions were confirmed.

“Zs’Skayr!” He shouted angrily. The group looked up to see Ghostfreak’s specter like form floating in the air above them. His purple cloak and hood were pulled up over his upside down skull head. In his long clawed fingers he held a deadly looking scythe, presumably the one he had swung at them intending to decapitate them. A wicked and sinister grin laid on his grim face as his singluar violet eye gazed hungrily upon them.

“Ben Tennyson. I didn’t think you’d make it this far.” Ghostfreak whispered harshly.

“And I thought you would have known better to mess with me again. This will make what? The fifth time in a row I’ve beaten you?” Ben taunted back unfazed. But Ghostfreak only smiled wickedly, leaning down closer.

“Ah but this time I will have the ultimate weapon in my grasp. And I will assure your destruction.” He whispered sad*stically.

“As if we’re going to let you get the Demiurge!” Ben shot back. Again, Ghostfreak chuckled wickedly.

“I’d like to see you try and stop me. Hahahaha…” He said before turning intangible and flying off down the hallway at incredible speed.

“Everyone after him!” Ben shouted. The group gave chase after the Ectonurite. Ben predictably ran headlong into the dark passageway, giving no care that he couldn’t see in front of himself. But his years in the jungles and wastelands of Hazard had still honed his senses. Thankfully due to his experience he immediately noted when a stone plate shifted ever so subtly after he stepped on it. He paused just in time to avoid large spears jut out from the wall in the space where he would have stood. He grit his teeth and held a hand behind him.

“Be careful this place is booby trapped!” He yelled before transforming into Wildmutt. Using his advanced sense of smell and hearing he was able to navigate through the deadly hallway. He jumped around arrows and over pitfalls. He maneuvered around falling spikes and poisoned blades all while still chasing after Ghostfreak. But sensing behind him he could tell the others in his group were not faring as well. He tried his best to disable what obstacles he could while still trying to keep a metaphorical eye on Ghostfreak far in front of him. The ghost like alien was able to easily bypass the traps by flying through the air and turning intangible. Behind Ben the rest of the team were having significant trouble navigating through the dark. Finally Charmcaster had enough, she raised her hands in front of her and chanted out a spell.

“Lumex orbicula multi!” She called out. In front of them numerous glowing orbs began to appear, stretching down the length of the hallway. The brightly glowing spheres illuminated the dark space making it easier for the group to see through the booby traps. But unfortunately the numerous traps were still a danger that needed to be overcome.

Each member of the infiltration team had their own method for avoiding the deadly traps and obstacles. Kevin’s stone skin made him impervious to the many sharp weapons that protruded from the walls and floors, allowing him to brute force his way through the majority of them. Rook viewed the hallway as simply another obstacle course and nimbly navigated around the traps. Charmcaster and Gwen rushed forward maintaining a glowing shield on either side of them that encompassed both Kai and Cooper behind them. The group of four managed to pass through the deadly obstacle course with most of the threats bouncing harmlessly off the magical shield. Julie relied on Ship and his sleek speed armor form to navigate the hallway. His computerized brain calculated and analyzed the patterns of the traps being sprung and showed her on her HUD, allowing her to dodge the deadly attacks. Lucy brought up the rear, her unique alien physiology made her immune to the weapons and traps that lined the passage. For many of the sharp traps she simply morphed around them, letting the pointed spears and traps pass harmlessly through her body.

Finally the group managed to pass through the hall of deadly traps mostly unscathed. They reached the end to find a set of stone stairs leading up to the second story. As they ascended up the steps they found themselves at the start of yet another corridor. This one was slightly less dark then the preceding path. Glowing runes were etched into the walls and pulsated slightly. Far ahead of them they could spot Zs’Skayr continuing to float down the long hall. Ben immediately gave chase once again. But he paused as his enhanced senses picked up a rumbling and scraping noise of stone. The group looked to the sides of the passages where they noted large stone statues depicting humanoid figures standing against the walls. The stone statues began to glow and come to life, stepping out to bar the group’s way.

The statues strode forward, standing nearly eight feet tall with blank expressions and large cylindrical hats. Their bodies were solid rock but moved like organics. The stone sentinels gathered around the group of heroes, impeding their progress. Wildmutt jumped at the nearest stone warrior intent on knocking it out of the way. However the golem backhanded Ben and sent him flying into the stone walls. The group watched shocked as Ben was batted to the side as though he was harmless. Kevin was the first to react, charging forward to fight the new obstacles. The sound of stone slamming into stone was heard as Kevin fought against the golems.

The group flurried into activity, each of them attacking the nearest golem. Kai swung at the monsters with Excalibur, the magical blade sliced deep gouges into the stone warriors. But the hard rock was still resistant to the damage. The golems she attacked continued to advance towards her. Besides her Cooper modified his plumber suit to give himself oversized robotic fists. He began punching relentlessly at the enemies, the powerful jackhammering causing cracks to appear in their stone bodies. Next to him Lucy transformed her fists into large spiked maces and swung them at the stone golems, smashing them to bits. Both Rook and Julie attempted to slip past the guards but their passage was blocked by the imposing stone guardians. Charmcaster and Gwen both slung their individual spells at the creatures. Reaching into her bag Charmcaster brought out golems of her own. She tossed the charms into the air where they soon grew into full size rock familiars. The stone beings soon faced off against each other, their large fists slamming into one another.

Meanwhile, Ghostfreak flew further and further down the hallway. His intangibility allowed him to pass straight through the arms of the stone golems. Ben watched his enemy leave with consternation. Athletically he jumped over and passed around the wildly swinging arms of the rock guardians. He cleared the passage of the furthermost guardians. Turning back Wildmutt growled to grab the attention of his comrades. Behind him Rook, Kai, Julie, and Charmcaster rushed forwards past the stunned and downed warriors. As they proceeded down the passage Ben watched as the rest of the group continued to struggle with the stone guards. He took a step back intent on transforming and smashing the obstacles to bits. But Kevin called out to him before he could do anything.

“Go! We got this!” Kevin shouted as he tossed another warrior to the side. Beside him Gwen melted holes in the chest of the stone guardian with concentrated blasts of mana. Lucy and Cooper fought back to back behind them, each of them yelling and encouraging Ben to leave them behind. Apprehensive but trusting in his friends, Ben left the scene behind him. He raced forwards, his animal like form letting him quickly overtake his friends. The group charged up another flight of stairs. They stopped short upon seeing Ghostfreak hovering in the air, his scythe held in a defensive position. Beyond him the hallway was filled with numerous beams of yellow and pink laser light. They blinked on and off at different intervals and angles, creating a grid of lasers that proved difficult to pass even for one such as him. Upon seeing the obstacle that laid ahead Ben immediately transformed from Wildmutt to Chromastone.

“You’re trapped now Ghostfreak!” Chromastone yelled as the group around him spread out as much as possible to pose a threat to the Ectonurite. But Ghostfreak narrowed his single eye at them.

“That’s what you think! I will have the Demiurge!” He shouted in defiance. Suddenly he swung out at them with his scythe forcing the group to backstep to avoid the blade. Ghostfreak rushed forward into the grid of laser light, nimbly maneuvering between the beams of energy. Chromastone was the first to rush after him his crystalline body immune to the laser beams and absorbing the energy as he ran after his enemy. However he distantly noted that his friends were not so fortunate. Both Rook and Kai were agile enough to dodge through the intersecting beams of light with little effect. But both Charmcaster and Julie were slowed in their pursuit by having to navigate around the painful lasers.

Ben desperately took in some of the laser beams and began redirecting them toward Ghostfreak ahead of him. His body acted like a prism allowing the lasers to reflect and refract out of him. They shot towards Zs’Skayr and burned into his hide causing him to gasp out in pain. The alien ghost grimaced in pain, an ugly murderous expression on his already horrendous face. He shot forward simultaneously trying to avoid the maze of lasers in front of him and the reflected beams from Chromastone behind him. Ben wanted to chase after him right away but a cry of pain from behind him distracted him. He turned around and saw through his cyclopic eye that a laser had grazed Julie and burned off a portion of Ship’s armor, revealing reddened skin underneath.

Ben set his jaw and spread his hands out. He stood still as he allowed the beams to enter through him and consciously directed them away from the group. He called out to his friends to advance up the hallway. This method would be slower but he could ensure everyone’s safety better. The group strategically advanced through the corridor, allowing Ben to redirect the lasers enough for them to pass then watching as he rushed forward again to do the same thing over. Meanwhile, Ghostfreak continued to float through the maze of laser lights and cackled as he looked back.

“You should hurry up Tennyson! I can nearly see the end of the tunnel from here.” He taunted. Ben responded with a growl and a frown. Ghostfreak was getting away but there was nothing he could do about it. He watched helplessly as the ectonurite flew on ahead of him, getting further and further away from their group.

“Ben he is right!” Came the surprising voice of Rook from beside him. Chromastone looked down on Rook. “You can make it through this maze unharmed. We will just slow you down.” He tried to reason.

“I can’t leave you all here!” He retorted.

“Don’t be stupid Ben, the enemy is getting away!” Kai said back angrily. Ben looked around at his group. A few weeks ago he would have absolutely charged after Zs’Skayr without hesitation. But as his eyes drifted over to Julie clutching her burned arm he recalled her words to him back when they were stranded together. His reckless actions had caused more harm then good, not just back then but throughout most of his life. They would still be able to catch up to Ghostfreak but they would do it together. He wouldn’t abandon his friends again, no matter how much he wanted to catch Ghostfreak.

Charmcaster looked up to see the dilemma obvious on Ben’s face. She read the situation in an instant. The others would be better equipped to deal with Ghostfreak then she would. Charmcaster took a deep breath before raising her hands. “Ben.” She spoke grabbing his attention. “You and the others go ahead. I’ll deal with this.” She spoke. The sorceress began waving her arms around herself and through the air, casting her magic and chanting a spell simultaneously. The laser lights which filled the hall in front of them began to curve and twist unnaturally through the air. They flew towards Charmcaster and began to spin around her rapidly until the webs of light were tangled up together around her. She spun her hands atop each other as she concentrated on her spell. She looked up at the group who regarded her with amazement and respect. “Go on! I’ll hold here and wait for the others.” She nodded resolutely.

The group nodded to her before racing full speed down the hallway. Around them the strands of lasers parted harmlessly out of their way. They could no longer see Ghostfreak in front of them but they saw the end of the hallway looming in front of them. They passed through in a run, only stopping when they realized where they ended up. They exited out into a large circular chamber with high walls. The walls and floor were adorned with tall glyphs and decorative torches that lit up the space. In front of them was a large staircase leading up the side of a tall pyramidal structure. An altar sat high atop the staircase. A glass skylight illuminated the structure in front of them. Sat on the altar was a large weapon with steel and leather handle sticking straight up. It was hard to make out from their vantage point but the weapon looked to be a large rectangular block of irridescent metal that shined in the light. But what drew their immediate attention was the fact that Ghostfreak hovered menacingly above the weapon.

“Hahahaha! You are too late Tennyson!” Zs’Skayr laughed maniacally. “The Demiurge Hammer is here and it is in my grasp!” He said gesturing to the ornate weapon with his oversized clawed hands.

“No!” Ben shouted out.

“Yes! It is mine! And with it I will turn this universe into a place of darkness where I alone shall rule! And you will spend an eternity in torture!” He bragged. “Prepare yourself Ben 10 for your worst nightmares to become real! Hahahaha!” He laughed as he grabbed the handle of the hammer.

The hammer shone with bright colorful light. The chamber was filled with a radiant glow as Ghostfreak gripped the handle with both hands. His laugh echoed through the otherwise silent chamber. Electric sparks raced up from the block of metal and up to his hands. At first Ghostfreak reveled in the surge of power, but his face quickly fell. His hands trembled with the surge of electricity and his body spasmed. Below him the group of heroes watched in confused trepidation. Ghostfreak began to shout as the light grew brighter and he could feel his power and strength being drained away from him. Suddenly Ghostfreak was sucked into the hammer, his form shrinking and twisting until it travelled down the handle and into the mysterious weapon.

The heroes remained in stunned silence as they took in the scene that had happened before them. Ghostfreak no longer hovered above them, the only thing that remained was the hammer itself. They exchanged unsure glances, confused as to the events that had transpired. But their questions were replaced by new ones as a deep dark chuckle sounded through out the room. A full echo made the voice sound eerily sinister yet familiar at the same time. They watched as a new figure stepped into view from behind the altar. He was wreathed in a shroud of shifting light and transparent material, rendering him partially invisible.

“Who are you! What just happened to Ghostfreak!” Ben was the first to speak up, unafraid of the newcomer.

“Really? I thought you would have figured it out by now.” The mysterious stranger spoke. “I’ve been the mastermind behind this whole escapade.” No-One said, his arms wide. “Surely you’d recognize me without this façade though?” He replied. Suddenly the shroud of shifting light dropped away. It revealed a tall thin figure with an oversized cloak and dark helmet. His skin was grey and pale and his clothing was black and violet. On his right arm was a large complicated device. The man gave a sickly smile down at the group of heroes. The group was confused as to the man’s identity, but Ben recognized him immediately.

“Eon!” He shouted. “I should have known. All of my greatest enemies had been making moves except for you. What have you been up to?” He accused. Eon chuckled darkly. His hand reached forward towards the hammer and the group of heroes tensed. But his fingers only lightly grazed its metal. Suddenly the weapon shone brightly again and the rectangular box opened up. Eon reached inside and withdrew a strange black and purple device before holding it aloft.

“I have been working tirelessly, spending months and months planning. All leading to this. To the creation of my greatest invention and the weapon that will bring you to your knees.” Eon explained.

“Behold the Abominatrix!”

A/N: His identity is revealed! Eon has been the mastermind all along and the main villain of the story. To the reviewer who guessed it would be an evil version of Ben, you’re technically right! I wonder how many of you had guessed correctly and how many are genuinely surprised. I tried to drop a number of hints and do some foreshadowing but I have no idea if it worked or not. But what is the Abominatrix? What purpose does it serve? And what else does Eon have planned? Tune in next week to find out.

Chapter 29: Chapter 29

Chapter Text

Ben X chapter 29
Abominatrix Arc
The Truth Revealed: Part 1

“Behold! The Abominatrix!” Eon called out holding up the device. The group looked up to see Eon holding a device that looked like a larger Omnitrix. The face of the dial was the same as the typical Omnitrix but was purple instead of green. However, sharp black pointed plates emerged from either side of the dial face. Silvery and violet bands crossed the underside of the device. As Eon put the Abominatrix on it wrapped across the majority of his left forearm. The Abominatrix glowed purple as it synced to Eon’s DNA. On the pointed ends of the plates a series of runes lit up in the same violet light. Eon smiled gleefully as he inspected the device that was now attached to his wrist.

“Big deal.” Ben said. “So you’ve built yourself a knock off Omnitrix. I’ve seen it done a dozen times already. What did you do with Ghostfreak? And what happened to the Demiurge Hammer?” Ben asked. But Eon simply responded by chuckling again as he slowly began to descend the long staircase from the altar.

“Oh Ben, you never were the smart one were you?” He asked as the group tensed at his approach. “You see, the Demiurge Hammer was never real. I planted rumors and evidence of it throughout history to give the illusion of a weapon of great power. I needed a reason to gather all of your greatest enemies to trap them and further my own plans.” He explained. “You see the Abominatrix is not a mere Omnitrix knock-off, as you claim. I have spent so long perfecting it. I stole blueprints from Dr. Pyschobos and Albedo. I even had help from your old pal Dr. Animo, in exchange for a healthy sum. But the Abominatrix does not merely store DNA. No, after studying occult magics I have created a device which can trap its victim’s very soul!” Eon elaborated.

“What are you getting at?” Ben narrowed his eyes. Besides him Rook readied his Proto-tool while both Julie and Kai looked between Eon and Ben unsure. Eon grinned sinisterly holding out the Abominatrix.

“Why don’t I simply show you?” He said. The dial in the center of the device popped up. Eon slammed his hand down on the dial much like Ben did with his transformations. A flash of brilliant and blinding purple light erupted from the Abominatrix. The group shielded their eyes. A second later, Eon had disappeared and in his place floated Ghostfreak. But there was a clear difference. In the space between the scars of Ghostfreak’s skin was instead the purple symbol of the Abominatrix. Ben and his group looked on in shock. Eon had somehow transformed himself to look exactly like Ghostfreak.

“I have collected all of your greatest enemies Ben 10…” Eon spoke in Zs’Skayr’s voice. He pressed on the Abominatrix symbol and there was another flash of violet light as he transformed into Malware.

“And now with the Abominatrix…” He said before beginning to rapidly transform.

“I can transform…” He said as Aggregor.

“Into each and every…” He spoke as Maltruant.

“One of them…” He finally finished having transformed into Vilgax.

Ben and his group stared in shock at the display they were shown. Their minds raced as they struggled to comprehend the situation in front of them. Eon had somehow gained control of all his greatest enemies and could now access their powers at will. Rook, Julie, and Kai stood stunned as they contemplated their options. They each looked instinctively to Ben to see what course of action they should take. Their resolve was bolstered as they noticed he stood firm in front of them his hand hovering over the Omnitrix in preparation for another transformation. He pressed down and the flash of light revealed an avian alien. Kickin Hawk adopted a fighter’s stance and squared off against Vilgax-Eon. The rest of the group readied themselves following Ben’s lead. Rook aimed down the sights of his proto-tool. Kai held Excalibur steady in front of her. Julie transformed into her large armor form, aiming lasers and missiles down. Strengthened by the aid of his friends Ben spoke up.

“You might have a new tool Eon, but there’s no way you’ll be able to take us all on. The rest of my friends are on their way as we speak.” Kickin Hawk taunted. Eon smiled through Vilgax’s tentacles.

“Then I suppose we’ll have to remedy that problem won’t we.” Vilgax-Eon said as he reached up to his right shoulder. His fingers twisted the dial of the Abominatrix symbol there and suddenly a large dome of violet energy erupted around them. The group looked around them to see they were entrapped in the arena. They turned to look behind them and saw the rest of the team arrive just after the dome was put up. While the rest of them paused to study the situation, Kevin immediately charged the dome. He swung his stone fists at the forcefield but his strikes could not penetrate. The dome rippled in response to his punches but held strong. Gwen and Charmcaster immediately laid their hands on the force field trying to discern its nature. Charmcaster spared a worried glance at Kai inside.

“Now there will be no further interruptions.” Vilgax-Eon spoke. He charged at Ben and swung his fist. Kickin Hawk nimbly dodged under the clumsy punch. His athletic prowess allowed him to take strikes at his opponent. The talons of his fists raked across Vilgax’s skin. But the alien’s tough hide resisted the sharp claws. Vilgax-Eon swung his mighty fists, pummeling into Ben’s body. His superior alien strength quickly overwhelmed Ben who did his best to avoid the strikes. Kickin Hawk used his superior mobility to out maneuver Vilgax-Eon but his precision strikes seemed to only aggravate the villain further. They traded blows, neither seeming to get the upper hand on the other. Suddenly Vilgax-Eon landed a solid upper cut that sent Ben sprawling backwards. He stalked over his prone foe only to be interrupted by a sudden burst of laser fire.

Vilgax Eon looked up to see Rook firing at him with his proto-tool. Although the weapon was set at a potentially lethal setting Vilgax-Eon shrugged the blasts off with little effort. But it was still enough of a distraction to take him away from Ben. He was rushed from his right by a blur of white and red. Kai charged forward, Excalibur gleaming in between her hands as she sliced at Vilgax-Eon. The madman cried out as the sword cut cleanly through Vilgax’s tough alien flesh. He was put on the defensive as both Kai and Rook advanced on him. He took care to avoid the vicious strikes of Kai’s sword while Rook’s proto-staff kept him off balance. The onslaught of attacks began to drive him backwards. Kai continued to swing high, aiming at Vilgax-Eon’s neck, a determined grimace held on her face. Rook meanwhile, swept his staff low at the villain’s feet and swiftly avoiding the resulting strikes. Every time Vilgax-Eon would swing at one they would dodge and the other would take the opportunity to land a hit. Kai slashed vertically along his back causing the evil-doer to cry out in pain again. He growled in frustration and lashed out. His fists collided with both Rook and Kai with a resounding thwack sending them flying in different directions. Kai was sent straight into the barrier where she slumped to the ground injured.

“Kai!” Charmcaster screamed in worry eliciting a confused glance from Gwen.

Vilgax-Eon began to step forward again but his advance was halted by a hail of missiles and laser fire. He stumbled backward, shielding his face with his arms. As the smoke cleared he spotted Julie standing in her battle mode armor. All of ship’s weapons and rocket launchers were primed and at the ready, aiming straight down the barrel at him. Eon could feel himself involuntarily grind his teeth at the sight. He leaped forward, intent on crushing the girl. But Julie stood fast to her ground. She let loose a barrage of laser fire which singed Vilgax-Eon’s skin. The constant barrage of missiles and lasers took their toll on Vilgax-Eon’s tough exterior. He could feel pain blooming along his chest and extremeties. The searing heat caused him to groan in pain. He was taken by surprise as Julie delivered a savage and powerful right cross to his head. He spun to the side with the force of the blow. Julie followed up with several jabs to his head and exposed chest. But she lost the advantage suddenly as Vilgax-Eon suddenly gripped her wrist. He smiled wickedly, rearing back a fist. A single punch cracked her helmet and visor, momentarily dazing her. She recovered just enough to watch him prepare for another powerful punch.

But his hand was caught and he gasped in surprise as Kickin Hawk appeared from behind and tossed Vilgax-Eon over his shoulder. The giant alien was sent sprawling to the floor. He opened his eyes just in time to see Ben deliver a powerful axe kick which collided with his stomach. Vilgax-Eon rolled to the side and stood, immediately rushing back at Ben. But his attack was halted by another onslaught of laser fire from Julie. Her arms were raised in his direction as she aimed manually, the last attack having damaged her targeting systems. Vilgax-Eon raised his arms to block the laser fire but that left his middle open to attacks from Ben who slashed at him viciously. He kicked out at Ben and sent him stumbling back. But leaping over top of him Kai reappeared, Excalibur held aloft in her hands and ready to strike. He narrowly dodged the downwards slice from the glowing sword, only to be tripped as he backpedalled. Vilgax-Eon looked up to see Rook with Proto-staff in hand, spinning around his torso. He slammed the weapon down and sent a discharge of electricity that shocked Vilgax-Eon. The villain flipped to his feet dodging yet another round of attacks from the melee fighters.

For a moment, it seemed as though the heroes had Eon on the run. He was forced to backpedal to avoid the constant strikes from them. But Vilgax-Eon suddenly shouted in rage. “Enough!” He yelled. Quickly the tentacles comprising Vilgax’s arms unravelled. They squirmed in the air for just a second before lashing around Kai and Rook. The pair of plumbers screamed out as they were wrapped up in Vilgax-Eon’s tentacles. Flexing his incredibly powerful muscles his tentacles squeezed around his captives. They each cried out in pain as the powerful tendrils compressed their bodies. They struggled against the bindings before they suddenly went limp with pain. Vilgax-Eon tossed them at Julie. Their limp bodies collided with Julie’s armor form, knocking her onto her back. That left only Ben as Kickin Hawk facing off against Eon as Vilgax. Ben scowled at the familiar face of his enemy worn by another. Vilgax-Eon walked calmly forward to Ben, his arms reforming with each step.

“Tell me Ben, how does it feel being a failure again?” Vilgax-Eon taunted. Ben scowled back as best he could with a beak.

“I’m not a failure.” Ben asserted while adopting a fighting stance.

“There’s a couple hundred dead innocents who would beg to differ.” Eon responded with a wicked smile. Ben glowered angrily before launching into a series of swift kicks and punches. Vilgax-Eon easily deflected them, Ben’s anger telegraphing his moves far in advance. This continued for several moments, as Eon continued to taunt Ben with the deaths of those on the Tragulon.

“Poor pathetic Ben Tennyson…” Eon tormented. “You spent all those years alone and for what? To atone for your sins? To train and become stronger? As some kind of punishment?” He asked continuing to beat on Ben. His fists collided harshly with Ben’s chest. He could feel ribs cracking from the force, a sharp stinging pain in his body that left him gasping painfully for air. The last blow sent Ben rolling to the side, his transformation timing out mid spin. Behind him his friends called out in alarm and worry. Those outside the shield still uselessly trying to break through the barrier. While those inside were still struggling to rise from their wounds. Ben shakily got to his feet as Vilgax-Eon continued to approach.

“All that time and you still haven’t changed. You’re still the same pathetic loser that can’t save anyone!” Eon said with mocking vitriol. Ben glared up at his opponent. He felt the rage begin to boil over in his mind. His fists clenched angrily as he looked up to Vilgax-Eon’s wicked face.

“…shut up.” He said quietly over Eon’s voice.

“Shut up.” He said again harshly even as Eon continued to denigrate him.

“SHUT UP!” Ben screamed angrily as he slammed down on the Omnitrix. In a split second he had transformed into Rath. Ben let the alien form’s innate aggression take hold of him. He lunged at Vilgax-Eon wildly, his arms swinging with powerful claws and muscles. His vision went red as his rage overtook his mind. Rath clawed wildly at his opponent, snarling and screaming with an unqunchable thirst for blood. He even had forsaken his usual trash talking of his opponent so blinded by anger was he. Ben was lost in Rath’s vicious primal instincts. In his mind he could hear only the desire to kill and destroy and he followed it willingly and without question.

But for all of Rath’s strength and power, his attacks could do no harm if they did not land. Lost in his mindless rage Ben did not realize how easy it was for Vilgax-Eon to dodge his strikes with little effort. Rath snarled and pounced with each turn, every time he missed an attack his rage only grew. Vilgax-Eon taunted him relentlessly as Ben chased him around the arena. Each missed attack was accompanied by another barbed word about Ben’s failure. It drove Rath to a plane of anger and rage he had never reached before. He didn’t even realize that his battle cries of frustration had turned into blood-curdling roars of fury. The sound echoed and reverberated off of the stone walls of the temple, enhancing the terrifying qualities of the sound. Ben’s comrades were all stunned into inaction as they watched the display of ferocity from him. Most of them had never seen him like this. For Julie and Kai it was like watching the person they cared for turn into a monster. Only Gwen, Kevin, and Rook had experienced anything remotely similar. And that was when Ben first beat Vilgax into a pulp following the Tragulon. But even that display of anger paled in comparison to what Rath was currently demonstrating. However, Eon was not as proud as Vilgax to go one on one with one of Ben’s most strongest aliens. He was more than capable of dodging the uncoordinated strikes.

Rath quickly expended his energy, lashing out wildly with strikes that did not connect. Eon had been planning this from the start. The moment Rath sagged even a little, Vilgax-Eon went on the offensive. He launched a swift uppercut straight into Ben’s stomach. The force of the punch caused Rath to cough up blood even still in the midst of his rage. This was followed by a rapid series of devastating attacks. Vilgax-Eon clasped both his fists together and swung them down onto Ben’s head. A wicked smile alighted his face as he began to beat Rath senseless, giving the Apoplexian no room to breathe or recover. His friends could only watch this helplessly, still recovering from their injuries. Tears began to well up in Julie’s eyes as she watched Ben be attacked without mercy. Her breath began to come in shallow gasps as she listened to him cry out in pain. A final right cross sent Ben spinning to the floor, the fight literally knocked out of him. Ben’s transformation timed out again and he was left hunched over the floor arms spread in front of him as he struggled to remain upright.

Ben looked up blearily as Vilgax-Eon stood to tower over him. He was tired and pained but his eyes still held a glint of defiance. He struggled to face the tyrant, managing to rise at least to his knees. Vilgax-Eon sneered at him. Even after suffering through such a punishment Ben was still looking for a fight. It was an insufferable trait of his. Eon smiled to himself, he would have to remedy that. And he knew just what buttons to push to get under Ben’s skin.

Then he asked a question that stunned Ben into inaction.

“Tell me Ben, how many times did you try to save them?” Vilgax-Eon asked in a harsh tone. Ben’s fists dropped to his sides as he gawked at the villain in shock.

“What… what are you talking about?” He asked, disbelief present in his voice. His eyes darted nervously between his friends who were watching and the malicious smile on Vilgax’s face. Eon couldn’t possibly know. He couldn’t. It was the whole reason he had gone away. He made sure that no-one, not even Azmuth knew what he was planning.

“Come now Ben, we both know exactly what I mean. How many plans did you come up with? Only to watch them fail miserably?” Vilgax-Eon said crossing his muscular arms.

“H-h-how do you know about that?” Ben asked, his eyes wide with horror. Vilgax-Eon laughed harshly. The sound held the same cadence as Eon’s normal laugh, but coming from Vilgax’s throat it sounded wrong.

“You forget Ben, I’m an alternate version of you. I know everything you do, everything you’ve done. I know all your secrets.” He whispered menacingly. Ben’s eyes widened in terror as the realization hit him. He stared dumbstruck up at Eon, his eyes meeting his and knowing without doubt and with perfect certainty that the villain was telling the truth. He knew. He knew what Ben had attempted and knew the outcomes. Ben’s arms hung limply at his sides. He could distantly hear the cries of his friends, urging him to get up, urging him to fight or to run away. But he didn’t register them consciously.

“How many ways did you watch them die? How close were you to making the same choice I did?” Vilgax-Eon spoke aloud for everyone to hear.

An unnatural silence fell across the room at the question. Confusion reigned among those present. They didn’t understand what Eon was talking about. What choice could Ben possibly have made? But deep in his soul, Ben knew. He realized then how close he had been to making a mistake worse than even the Tragedy of the Tragulon. Ben felt his breathing become rapid as he started hyperventilating involuntarily. His pupils dilated as he stared up at his enemy. His chest tightened and ached, each breath became a struggle. He’d never had a panic attack before, but he imagined this is what it felt like. Yet even that realization alone was not enough to pull him out of the paralysis he now faced.

Eon laughed again, his voice still sounding odd coming from Vilgax’s mouth. “I suppose that reaction answers my question well enough.” He spoke aloud, placing his hands on his hips mockingly. “Still, knowing that I’ve broken you isn’t enough. My plans are not nearly complete yet. For you see there is still one more entity that I plan to entrap. And once I have his power, I will be nigh omnipotent and able to conquer the whole Omniverse!” Vilgax-Eon shouted arms spread to the side.

Across the energy barrier Gwen’s eyes went wide with realization. “No… He’s going after Dagon!” She screamed in warning. She redoubled her efforts to get through the shield. Desperate to stop the madman.

“Give the lady a prize.” Eon mockingly said faking clapping his hands. “But before that...” He spoke, turning back to Ben. The young hero, still in the grips of shock and existential crisis, was powerless to move. Vilgax-Eon faced Ben, crossing his arms in front of his chest. His fingertips began to glow with powerful energy. He glared at Ben with a hateful expression. Ben watched as the energy grew brighter and brighter.

“Ben you need to move! Transform! Do something!” Trixie’s voice called out desperately to him from his wrist. But despite his best efforts, Ben’s legs were frozen in place, kneeled in front of the villain.

“Ben!!! Get up! Move!” Julie heard herself scream out. She struggled to move towards him, to try and save him. But Ship’s armor was damaged to a significant extent. Her neural connection to him was spotty and she couldn’t even manage enough to call him off of her. She stared at Ben who looked up at Eon with a broken shocked expression. She felt tears run freely down her face. She didn’t understand any of what Eon was saying to Ben. All she knew was that Ben was in trouble, that he needed help, just like he did all those years ago, just like she knew at the start of this journey. She needed to help him. Her feelings burst forth from her soul and she felt an anguish sting at her as she knew that if Ben didn’t get out of the way, he could die.

“Ben!!” Julie called out, desperately putting all of her emotions, her love and concern into her voice.

“Goodbye, Ben Tennyson!” Vilgax-Eon shouted. He threw his arms forward with a mighty heave. The energy launched from his hands and flew forward in the form of a burning X. Ben could only watch helplessly as the Cross-shaped energy beams flew towards him. It seemed to happen in slow motion to him. He knew that he should move out of the way, defend himself, retaliate. But some part of his mind would not let him act. He was powerless as the blast impacted into his chest and sent him surging backwards. He could feel his body fly through the air even as the energy burned deep into his skin. He collided against the energy barrier and slumped to the ground. His entire body ached with pain. He watched through narrowed eyes as Vilgax-Eon cackled sinisterly. It was the last thing he saw before he succumbed to unconsciousness.

A/N: So I’m probably not the first person to come up with the concept of an Omnitrix filled with Ben’s villains. But I needed a threat great enough for the rest of the story. As for Eon, I was kind of fascinated with him ever since they retconned him as an alternative version of Ben. The question of why and how he went bad was always something I wondered about and I’m kind of sad they never explored that in any of the series. So that’s what my fic is going to be about. Hopefully the next chapter should shed some light on the mystery.

Chapter 30: Chapter 30

Chapter Text

Ben X Chapter 30
Abominatrix Arc
The Truth Revealed: Part 2

Ben drifted in and out of consciousness. Every time he regained awareness the first thing he felt was excruciating pain. It severely hampered his attempts to discern his whereabouts. He could hear noises and voices but could not make out the words. He could feel sensations besides the pain. Needle pokes and soft beds. Soothing coolness and sharp stinging. The few times he was able to open his eyes he could make out a mess of colors, shapes, and figures. They would grow and shrink in size and intensity. He couldn’t resolve anything of the bright images and so would close his eyes again. He wasn’t sure how long he stayed in this state, moving between awareness and unconsciousness. But he was certain that it was a long time. It felt likes ages to him. Gradually the pain began to lessen.

He slowly awoke to a strange alien room. Not that he was completely unaccustomed to waking up in strange alien rooms, but he usually had a bit more recollection of being there. The room he was in was mostly empty except for glowing green machines next to his floating bed. There were some curtains and other railways suspended by the ceiling. Soft beeping noises and various readouts were displayed on the screens next to him. The far wall of the room was lined by many windows looking out on a vast city. It appeared whatever building he was in was rather tall. Of course, they could simply be screens set to the illusion of a city scape. Ben wasn’t quite sure, his head still hurt immensely. But he had gathered enough to realize that he was in a hospital of some kind.

After that epiphany, Ben realized he should probably take stock of his condition. He struggled to sit up in the bed and look down at himself. He was covered in multiple bandages. His body was still sore in many spots, but it was no longer an excruciating pain like it was before. He had various sensors placed along patches of his bare skin. The change that shocked him the most however laid bare across his chest. A large X shaped scar sat on his chest, crossing nearly from shoulder to shoulder. Ben raised a finger to touch at the scar. The skin there was healed but rougher in texture than normal. He traced the edges of his scar with his finger as he struggled to remember what could have caused it. Ben was lifted from his shock by the sound of the door opening and footsteps entering the room. Ben looked up to see his Grandpa Max staring at him in shock.

“Grandpa?” Ben asked softly and unsure.

“Ben! You’re awake, thank goodness.” Max sighed in relief. He placed a hand on the intercom in the wall, speaking a few words into it as it lit up. He then made his way over to Ben’s bedside. The young hero attempted to sit up to greet him but winced as his various sores and wounds began to ache. Max placed a gentle hand on him, easing him up for which Ben nodded his thanks.

“You gave us quite a scare there kiddo.” Max said.

“What happened? How long was I out?” Ben asked.

“About a week.” Max answered. “As for the rest, we were hoping you could tell us.” He replied. Ben rubbed at his head. His mind felt foggy and fuzzy. He dredged the depths of his memories trying to make sense of the disjointed images and noises he found.

“The last thing I remember…” Ben trailed off as he tried to recall. Suddenly he was assaulted by memories. Flashes of the battle with Eon. The pain from his fight. And worst of all, the grave realization of what Eon had told him.

“Oh…” Ben said quietly. Max looked at him concerned but curious. He rubbed soothing circles on Ben’s shoulder but the young man seemed lost in deep thought. It worried Max. He hadn’t seen Ben this despondent since after the Tragulon. It made him wonder whether letting Ben go off on his own was really the right choice. Ben clearly appeared troubled, and the sight of him like that turned Max’s stomach. Instead he gave his trademark smile and patted Ben on the back.

“Come on champ. Let’s get you up and dressed. I’m sure everyone will be happy to see you’re okay.” Max said. Ben gave a half hearted smile as he let his grandpa help him out of the bed. Max handed Ben a set of his normal outfit that had been cleaned and laundered. Ben took a few minutes to get dressed, pausing only to stare at the reflection of his new scar in the mirror. Max watched Ben silently gaze at his reflection, wondering what thoughts ran through his head. But before he could say anything to his grandson, Ben donned his shirt and turned back to him. Max tried to shoot him a reassuring smile but Ben still seemed distant. He was going to say something to they young man but he didn’t get the chance as the door to the hospital room flew open and a girl with neon green hair ran in.

“Ben! You’re okay!” The young woman shouted as she ran up and tackled Ben. The young hero sputtered in discomfort and confusion as her grip around his body aggravated his wounds. He struggled to stand while also trying to determine the woman’s identity and also figure out how she was so strong. Finally as the mystery woman released her death grip she backed up and Ben could finally see her face.

“Trixie?” Ben asked even more confused than before. Trixie stood in front of him, looking exactly the same as her hologram but with a body solid as any other. She smiled brightly at Ben.

“Isn’t it great! I’ve got a real body now! It’s still mechanical at the moment but we hope that we can make one that’s like a human body soon!” Trixie shouted with glee.

“Uh, that’s great Trixie but… how?” Ben asked as he sat back down on the edge of the bed.

“Father made it for me of course!” Trixie said cheerfully without a care for the world.

“Father?” Ben asked confused.

“Yes, Benjamin.” Said a familiar aged voice. Ben looked up to the doorway and spied Azmuth being carried in on the palms of another face he thought he wouldn’t see again.

“Look! I even got to meet my sister Eunice! Isn’t that great?” Trixie said throwing an arm around the other girl who smiled at her.

“Eunice?” Ben said bewildered.

“Hello Ben. It’s been a while.” Eunice greeted him with a smile as Trixie unwrapped her arm from her. Ben gazed at her, she seemed nearly unchanged from when he last saw her years ago. Long blonde hair and unblemished fair skin. She wore a white dress with a black stripe down the middle.

“Yeah, I guess it has been.” Ben whispered. “I mean, it’s good to see you.” He finally said with a smile.

Ignoring their greetings to each other, Azmuth jumped off of Eunice’s palms and onto Ben’s bed. He walked across the sheets and up to Ben’s still bewildered face and began performing a cursory exam of him and the equipment that was hooked up to him.

“You came to us quite badly wounded Ben.” Azmuth noted as he continued to read the monitoring equipment that had been attached to him up until a few minutes ago. Azmuth’s tone was one of observation but Ben had known him long enough to know that Azmuth was silently asking him for an explanation. But Ben didn’t think he was up for that at the moment. Instead he tried to deflect attention back to Trixie, who admittedly he still had questions about.

“Yeah… Um so what’s the deal with Trixie now? Does this mean she’s on her own now?” He asked.

“Don’t worry Ben, Trixie is still connected to the Omnitrix but now she has a body to call her own.” Azmuth explained. Ben could only nod mutely, too overwhelmed by the set of circ*mstances that were happening. Azmuth finished his exam, seemingly confident that Ben was in good enough health.

“So, where are we exactly?” Ben asked finally regaining some composure and still desperate to avoid the question of how he ended up here.

“Galvan Prime of course.” Azmuth explained stepping back. “You’re in one of the medical facilities we use for larger lifeforms.” He said. We had you and your friends emergency teleported here following your last battle.” Azmuth explained staring into Ben’s eyes. Again Ben realized that Azmuth was indirectly asking about what had transpired.

“Oh…” Ben said again and averted his gaze. Azmuth noted with some curiosity that Ben would not meet him in the eyes, almost as though he was ashamed of something. Azmuth filed the information away in his keen intelect.

“Wait does that mean everyone else is…?” Ben asked with sudden panic as he remembered his friends. The thought of Eon taking out his friends rose quickly to his mind. If Eon had done something to them he would never be able to forgive himself. Ben looked around wildly at the faces of those present searching for reassurance that his friends were okay. Max smiled at him gently and placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Relax champ, everyone else is fine. They healed up much faster than you did.” Max placated him. Ben let out a deep breath that he didn’t realize he had been holding.

“Good, that’s good.” He said, mostly to himself. Again, Azmuth picked up a twinge of guilt on his face.

“I suppose now that you’re awake and back to near optimal condition, we should go see them in person, no?” Azmuth suggested. Ben looked at him for a second before nodding with a smile. Azmuth knew that the young man wouldn’t be able to fully relax until he could see his friend’s condition for himself. The group helped Ben back to his feet and as one exited out of the hospital room.

Julie sat on a bench, her body slouched and her head nodding to the side every now and then as she fought with sleep. It had been a week since the battle with Eon and their group had been idling in the Galvan medical facility ever since. Their wounds had been relatively minor, as minor as they get in their line of work, and they had healed very quickly with the help of the Galvan’s advanced medical technology. However their own wounds are not what had them concerned the most. Ben was in very dire straits; even with the advanced medical science and healing spells from both Gwen and Charmcaster, his condition was touch and go for the first few days. After the fourth day the doctors had finally declared him stable but he remained unconscious. The rest of his recovery would have to take time.

But despite the reassurances that he would eventually recover, it did little to assuage the group’s concerns. Julie herself in particular had hardly gotten any sleep for the first three days when Ben was out. Her mind raced with negative thoughts and fears that kept her from rest, despite being one of the few in the battle with minor wounds thanks to Ship. She spent most of her time awake at Ben’s bedside watching over him. The sight of him comatose from his injuries filled her with a pain greater than any physical ailment she had suffered during this ordeal. She wished that he would wake up soon so that she could embrace him and share all of the emotions and thoughts that she had come to realize while he was out. But sadly her near constant vigil was taking its toll on her, and worst of all, everyone else had noticed as well. They had made repeated efforts to try and get her to rest, assuring her that they would take over for her. Max’s voice of reason was the latest to get her to finally seek out some rest of her own, but no matter how hard she tried she woke restless from whatever slumber she attempted. So now she was sat in the common area with the rest of the team.
She tried to dissuade her negative thoughts. She knew that the rest of the group were worried for Ben just as she was, although they all showed it differently. Gwen seemed the most affected, like Julie she had been restless, tirelessly searching for spells that would aid in Ben’s recovery. Kai too seemed more volatile than usual, even though Julie had not known her that well. She would have intense mood swings that would take her from sad to angry in the blink of an eye. Many of her reactions also seemed to be triggered by Julie herself, despite her doing nothing more than staying by Ben’s side. But Julie wasn’t sure why she was upset, after all Ben had told her that he had officially broken things off with the native american woman. Kevin seemed to play things coolly, trying to act nonchalant. But his nervous bouncing of his knee gave him away. Rook too was tired and more depressed than usual but still tried to rally the troops as best he could. The rest of the group all shared in their concern and worry as well, doing their best to keep spirits high.

Just as Julie was about to give in to her tiredness, a mechanical door slid open with a hiss. The group around her gasped in collective shock. Julie lifted her head to see Ben walking out into the waiting room, tired and with a slight limp, but awake and seemingly healthy. Beside him, Max, Trixie, Eunice, and Azmuth perched on the older girl’s shoulder. Julie swore she could feel her entire body go slack with relief and nearly shed a tear. She shakily stood from the bench as the rest of the group mobbed Ben with hugs and well wishes.

Ben was slightly taken aback by all the concern and love showed him by his friends. But at the same time he felt immense relief. They all appeared no worse for wear than himself. He smiled, momentarily forgetting the troubles with Eon and just relieved to know that his friends were okay. He returned the hugs and claps as best he could, his body was still sore after all. But once the gradual relief began to settle down the sound of a clearing throat grabbed all their attentions.

“So, now that you’ve all reunited, care to explain what happened Ben?” Azmuth asked pointedly. Ben’s eyes glanced up and saw Azmuth staring at him intently but calmly.

“Yeah man. You totally froze up back there with Eon.” Kevin said.

Ben looked around at the gathered people around him. All of his closest friends and allies were in this room, including two people he thought of as mentors. He saw the curious and concerned expressions that they each wore on their faces. Even the normally giddy Trixie was somewhat reserved. His eyes briefly met Azmuth’s intent stare before quickly glancing away. He knew that there was no avoiding the question. He would have to reveal everything to them.

“I…” Ben began. But he found the words would not come out of his mouth. His throat tightened up with shame and he couldn’t speak. He swallowed and tried again. “I…” But again his mind didn’t even know where to start. Didn’t know how to explain the enormity of what he had learned and what he had very nearly done. The pressure was quickly swallowing him. It would be hard enough to admit this to his family, let alone everyone in this room. Ben realized in a detached way that his body was trembling and he was hyperventilating. Is this what a panic attack was like? But before anyone could move on him, a new voice cut through the silent air.

“Perhaps I could explain?” The heads of everyone in the room swiveled around to see Professor Paradox leaning nonchalantly against a wall. Ben’s eyes widened with another sudden realization.

“Paradox…” He spoke quietly. “You knew. You always knew. Didn’t you?” He asked as the crowd began to part around him. Paradox frowned and stepped forward. The crowd beginning to give the pair space.

“Yes Ben, I did try to warn you.” Paradox said. Ben’s brows furrowed in anger.

“But you didn’t tell me that I would… That I could have…” He said with frustration as the words still wouldn’t come out.

“You know as well as I do that it was only one possibility out of many, but a very real possibility at that.” Paradox replied. Ben clenched his fists.

“What would you have done? If I had gone through with it?” Ben asked dreading the answer. Paradox sighed.

“Ben…” He said grabbing the young man’s attention. “You know the answer to that question already.” He said knowingly. Ben looked down again, shame clearly evident on his face once again. A tense silence fell as neither of the pair spoke again and those gathered dared not interrupt. Except for one.

“Will one of you please explain what’s going on?!” Kevin shouted frustrated. Paradox turned to Ben and shot him a questioning expression with one eyebrow raised. Ben turned to look around at the gathered crowd again. His body shook again and his mouth felt dry.

“I’m sorry… I, I can’t.” He said suddenly. Then he smacked his hand down onto the Omnitrix. in an instant he had transformed into Ghostfreak and flew upwards, phasing through the roof of the room.

“Ben wait!” Gwen shouted after him. But he was already long gone. The room erupted into a clamor as soon as he left. Multiple voices shouted after him and at each other. Many of them shouted at Paradox who stood stoically. Azmuth sighed in exasperation of the antics of the beings around him. The enigmatic time traveller raised his arms and called out above the ruckus.

“Everyone please calm down, calm down. I will explain everything.” Paradox said. He waited for the voices to quiet and for full attention. He sighed before beginning his explanation.

“As you should all know by now, your version of Ben is the Prime Ben. The one from which all other iterations of Ben branch off on the cosmic multiverse tree. In the ordinary course of events, your Ben would have secluded himself for five years following the Tragedy of the Tragulon to train and master the Omnitrix. He would then return as the magnanimous Ben 10,000 in order to defeat a coalition of some of his greatest enemies including Vilgax, Aggregor, and Ghostfreak. However, due to the meddling of Eon, that did not come to pass. The other important thing you must understand is that events like the Tragedy of the Tragulon are known as fixed points in time. They are events that must always happen, regardless of which timeline or universe you are in. For most of the other versions of Ben out in the multiverse, the Tragedy is a defining moment of their heroic careers. But not all of them. For some versions of Ben, they never recover from the Tragedy. Some of them are so wrapped in guilt that they give up being a hero entirely. Some kill themselves over their failure. And some even go mad. But in all the multiverse, there is only one instance where the Tragedy causes a Ben to go evil. In that timeline, Ben becomes so obsessed with trying to save the people who died during the tragedy that he begins to experiment with time travel, using his various alien forms and other time machines to attempt to undo the Tragedy. But as I said before, since the Tragedy is a fixed point in time, it cannot be changed and it cannot be stopped. Each attempt to fix it, only made it worse. He even went so far as to modify his own Omnitrix into a temporal manipulator, but even that was not enough. Eventually the constant failure drove that Ben mad and turned him into…”

“Eon…” Gwen whispered in horror. A chill ran through those gathered at the revelation, while Professor Paradox could only nod sadly.

“Wait, so you are saying that our Ben was going to modify his Omnitrix and would have become another Eon?” Rook said in shock.

“Precisely…” Paradox finished.

“But why? Why would Eon want Ben to turn into him?” Max asked heartbroken.

“Eon desires only total domination. Whether that is by him or another version of him doesn’t matter. And trust me, if Ben Prime were to go bad, the entire Omniverse could collapse.” Paradox said seriously. “Eon’s meddling with the timestream nearly drove Ben to the precipice of madness, and he realized that during their battle. Which is why he was so shocked as to let Eon defeat him. That is why I had warned you against interfering with Ben’s training back on Hazard. I was worried that your arrival mixed with Ben’s volatile status would have pushed him over the edge. But now that Ben knows the whole truth of the matter, I cannot say which path he will take.” Paradox finished.

The atmosphere of the room seemed to drop by ten degrees and a chill ran through the occupants. They looked between each other in shock. Manny crossed his arms and dropped his head while Helen and Alan shared a hug. Lucy buried her head in Cooper’s chest. Max and Kevin came up and put hands on Gwen’s drooped shoulders. Eunice wrapped Trixie in a comforting hug as the younger girl cried artificial tears. Kai looked pale and Charmcaster stood awkwardly beside her wishing she could offer some kind words.

Julie on the other hand seemed to be the only one in the room that still had her emotions and wits about her. She looked around seeing the disappointed faces surrounding her. The revelation was shocking no doubt. But at that moment, Julie didn’t care about what might have happened. She only cared about one thing, one person. Ben. He needed someone now. He probably needed someone at the very beginning, and Julie chastised herself for not rising to the occasion. She scooped up Ship and turned to walk out the room. Her abrupt and quiet exit was missed by mostly everyone, except for Azmuth and Paradox.

Julie wandered the halls of the strange alien building. She and the others had been staying here for the last few days while Ben recovered so its layout wasn’t totally foreign to her. However now she was searching for a set of stairs that she hadn’t needed to use before. She had a good idea of where Ben would be, and she was intent on finding him. As she thought about him she felt an ache in her heart. It was the same ache she felt when he had broken up with her, but now the cause was different, and distantly she recognized why it hurt so much. But despite her sudden realization of her feelings her mind was set on finding Ben.

She felt incredibly guilty that she hadn’t helped him before. That she didn’t at least recognize that his mind wasn’t right when he came to her with that cube those many years ago. Even when they had been reunited with him she could tell that something was off. But she chalked it up to him having been alone for so long. She should have pressed harder, delved deeper. But so many things were happening that she didn’t push the issue. Especially since at that point her own feelings were still a mess. But now, she had a newfound conviction. She was going to make sure that Ben was okay, even if no one else would.

She finally reached the top of the stair well and exited out the door. She found herself on the roof of the building, a small makeshift park. She spied Ben at the far end, sitting on a bench overlooking the edge of the building with a large railing guarding the precipice. She walked over and sat down to his right. Ben lifted his head from his hands and Julie frowned as she noticed that he had been crying yet again. They stared into each other’s eyes for a moment. Ben sat up straight, wiping his tears on his sleeve.

“What… What are you doing up here?” He asked.

“I came to check on you.” Julie said setting Ship down by her feet. Ben frowned.

“He told you everything then?” He asked.

“Yes.” She responded. Ben turned to look out over the vast cityscape and took a deep breath. He watched the setting sun shining rainbows on the slick ebony metal of the city below. The green grid of glowing lights and circuits seemed to pulse strongly with each passing minute. They sat in silence for what felt like a long while. Julie waited patiently for Ben to speak, not wanting to interrupt whatever thoughts he might need to gather and convey.

“You must think I’m terrible.” Ben sighed finally, still staring out into the distance.

“No Ben, I don’t think that.” Julie said and reached her hand over to close around his. But he jerked his hand away at the contact.

“Why not? I’m a sh*t person Julie!” He yelled at her with a wild look in his eyes. “I’m selfish and lazy, and co*cky and I treated you like sh*t! And I let all those people die! It’s all my fault. I’m a failure. I couldn’t save them. And trying to fix it, trying to go back and undo it, I didn’t realize that I was so close to becoming like him…” He trailed off. “I don’t deserve to wear the Omnitrix. I’m not a good hero. I’m not even a good person.” He said staring down at the device. Ben’s shoulders slumped and Julie looked at him with pity. She reached over to put a hand on his shoulder.

“Ben, while some of those things may be true, you’re also brave and kind and you care about other people. You try to do the right thing. You always fight to save others and you learn from your mistakes. You take things seriously when it really matters. You readily put your life on the line to save others. But the most important thing is that bad people don’t care that they’re bad.” Julie said trying her best to impress that on Ben. He stared down at his feet, taking in her words.

“You know I tried so many different times and different ways to fix my mess. I started with Clockwork but he couldn’t travel back far enough. I even used Alien X but I couldn't get Bellicus or Serena to agree with me. They tried to give me the same warning that Paradox did. But I didn’t listen to any of them. When none of that worked I tried to make time machines of my own but none of them ever worked.” Ben explained. “When I was finally about to begin messing with the Omnitrix, you guys crash landed onto Hazard.” He said. Julie continued to stare at him, paying rapt attention to his words even though he didn’t meet her eyes.

“At first I was ready to tell you all to go away. I was going to fix my mistake no matter what. But then I saw you there. And I know now you didn’t need it but I couldn’t help myself. I had to make sure you were safe. It was the least I could do for everything that you put up with. So I guess in a way I should thank you for stopping me from making an even bigger mistake.” Ben said with a sardonic smile as he looked at her.

“Oh Ben…” Julie said sympathetically. She reached a hand up to caress his face and Ben froze at the touch. “I’m sorry I didn’t help you sooner. I didn’t realize what kind of pain you were going through. If I had known…” She trailed off. Ben looked at her curiously.

“Why do you care so much Julie?” He asked gently removing her hand from his face and holding her wrist. “I’ve been so bad to you in the past. By all rights you shouldn’t want anything to do with me. I wouldn’t blame you if you never wanted to see me again. But you came thousands of light years just to see me and make sure I was okay? It just… doesn’t make sense to me.” Ben said despondently. Julie scooted closer to him on the bench and looked down, feeling a blush come to her cheeks.

“I guess, deep down I never stopped caring for you. And yeah, maybe we both were immature and didn’t treat each other the best. But we were just teenagers then. I think we’ve both come a long way. You’re so much different than you were. You’ve really matured, for the better I think. And I think when I thought about you being lost somewhere out in space, my heart just ached. At first I didn’t realize what it was, but after I saw you fight Eon and saw you get hurt, you were the only thing on my mind. Every day that you didn’t wake up I was worried that I would never get to talk to you again or spend time with you. I was worried that I would never get the chance to tell you…” Julie whispered leaning in towards Ben. “That I still love you too.” She finally admitted.

Their lips met in a gentle kiss. Julie pushed hers against his insistently, and although Ben was hesitant and scared at first he soon relaxed and returned the gesture in kind. Their arms clasped around each other as they melted into the kiss. They paused for breath and stared into each other’s eyes each searching for something. Ben gazed into her eyes and saw nothing but love in her expression. The setting sun lit up their faces and cast shadows on their silhouettes. A single tear dropped from Ben’s face and Julie gently reached a finger up to wipe it away. He chuckled mirthlessly.

“I still don’t deserve you.” He said with a smile. Julie smiled back at him.

“Yeah. I guess you’re gonna have to prove to me why I should stay with you then. And I’m expecting you to do a really good job.” She said teasingly. Ben laughed at her, a genuine laugh with a smile that reached up to his eyes. He bent down and captured her lips again.

“Ahem.” Came a rough cough from behind them. The couple turned to look at both Azmuth and Paradox standing stoically behind them. The sense of joy fell from them immediately.

“I’m sorry to interrupt but there are important matters we must discuss Ben.” Azmuth said.

A/N: Big reveal chapter is finished. As I had said previously I really think they could have done a lot more with the concept of Eon as an Evil Ben, so I decided to make that the focus of the story. But more importantly the moral dilemma inherently present in such a dynamic is interesting as well. Additionally, I realized I had kind of been neglecting the romantic aspect of the story so I tried to remedy that here. Nothing like near death experiences to drive you closer to loved ones. Lastly this chapter and the next were originally meant to be one chapter but obviously this part was getting kind of long. Let me know your thoughts.

Chapter 31: Chapter 31

Chapter Text

Ben X Chapter 31
Abominatrix Arc
Strategy Meeting

“I’m sorry to interrupt but there are important matters we must discuss Ben.” Azmuth said. Ben nodded and stood up from the bench, walking around to stand in front of them. Julie followed but stood back beside him.

“Right, of course. First, before you say anything, allow me to apologize, to both of you.” Ben said quickly. “Azmuth, I had intended to tamper with your greatest creation, a right that did not belong to me. For that I’m sorry. Paradox, I should have trusted you and your wisdom. I should not have tried to travel back and fix what went wrong. I should have stuck to my original plan and learned from my mistakes to become a better hero. I still think I’ve partially accomplished that, having the master control has made me stronger and better than ever. But I needed to learn things the hard way, as usual.” He said. Azmuth and Paradox exchanged a glance. Azmuth then stepped forward to speak first.

“Make no mistake, I am still incensed that you even had the idea to modify my Omnitrix. But, I suppose you never went through with it which is enough for me. We can come up with an appropriate punishment later, and believe me, you will have to atone for this mistake. But right now the more serious threat is still at large. And while you have made mistakes in the past, I still believe that you are the best choice to combat this threat.” Azmuth said. Ben nodded sagely.

“Eon.” He said simply.

“Exactly,” Paradox spoke up. “We need to determine a course of action to deal with him.” Paradox said. Ben narrowed his eyes at the time traveller’s tone.

“What exactly do you mean by… deal with him?” Ben asked suspiciously.

“Eon poses a massive threat to the entirety of space and time. However neither he nor I have been able to completely defeat one another. You however, may possess the capability to do so, and by doing so remove him as a threat permanently.” Paradox explained. Ben scowled.

“So you’re asking me to kill him?” He asked angrily.

“Ben you must realize that with his new found powers Eon is as great a threat as all of your enemies combined, literally.” Paradox pleaded.

“But that doesn’t make outright killing him okay!” He shouted. “We can find a way to beat him, we always do! Yeah it might be tougher but death is what started this whole mess in the first place! I can’t imagine it would be our solution! I don’t kill my enemies, that would make me no better than them. Azmuth you’re on my side too right?” He said emphatically. Azmuth rubbed his chin like he often did when contemplating.

“Ordinarily Ben, I would agree with you. Killing others only ever begets more killing. But in certain situations, such as this, I believe that exceptions should be made.” Azmuth reasoned.

“I can’t believe this!” Ben said throwing his arms into the air.

“When faced with one life over the fate and safety of trillions of lives, the choice no longer has moral standing. It is a simple matter of mathematics.” Azmuth stated logically.

“Azmuth is right Ben.” Paradox said. “If you fail to stop Eon then he could potentially kill trillions more and bring untold suffering to the Omniverse. I imagine that would weigh more heavily on your conscience then the Tragulon.” He finished. Ben glared at him. There was a moment of tense silence as they each stood firm. Julie glanced at Ben in concern, worried that it would set him off again. Azmuth watched the exchange with the air of someone watching an experiment. Finally Ben responded.

“I’m not killing anyone. Not anymore. Not unless it’s absolutely necessary.” Ben spoke with finality. Paradox sighed in exasperation.

“Fine. I see that we are at a difference of opinion. I can no longer help you Benjamin, but I still wish you success. But know this, if you fail to capture and subdue Eon then whatever havoc he wreaks will lie squarely on your shoulders. I hope you’re prepared to deal with the consequences.” Paradox said.

“For the first time in a long while, I’m absolutely ready. I’m not running away anymore. It’s time to face my mistakes head on.” He replied sternly. Paradox only nodded in acknowledgement.

“Very well, then I shall take my leave.” Paradox spoke before walking behind a tree and disappearing. This left only Azmuth, Ben, and Julie remaining on the roof. Ben turned to the smaller alien.

“I suppose you think I’m being naïve too?” Ben asked. Azmuth considered the question for a moment before responding.

“I do think that you are stubbornly clinging to your principles yes. But, I’ve often found that you surprise me in ways that I don’t expect. I anticipate that this situation will be no different.” Azmuth responded. Ben smiled at Azmuth, and although there was still tension there, Ben felt relieved to know that his mentor figure trusted him. “Now, let us go rejoin the others and come up with a plan.” He said and turned to the exit without waiting for the duo.

Ben, Julie, and Ship followed Azmuth back to the lounge where his friends and allies were still gathered, some of them still reeling from Paradox’s revelation. As they entered the room side by side all eyes turned to them. Kai especially stared at them with wide disbelieving eyes, but the response was missed by both of them. The room was silent for the first minute while Ben looked around the room. Max was the first to break the silence and come up to him.

“Ben… I’m… I don’t even know what to say.” Max said at a loss for words.

“It’s okay Grandpa. I’m feeling a lot better now that it’s all out in the open.” Ben said giving a slight smile to Julie who returned the expression. The room was still mostly silent and a sniffle from the corner broke through the awkward tension. They all turned to see Trixie sat on the bench, Eunice resting a comforting hand on her shoulder. The AI had synthetic tears running down her face and she gazed at Ben with teary eyes.

“Ben.” She started distressed. “I’m sorry. Did I… Did I fail you?” She asked desperately. “Father made me so that you wouldn’t be lonely and that you would have someone to talk to. Was I not good enough? Did I not do a good job? Did I fail my purpose?” Trixie asked fighting back tears. Ben smiled sadly at her and approached her. He sat on the bench next to her and gave her a hug which she eagerly accepted.

“No Trixie, I was the one who failed you. I shut you off for my own selfish reasons. I hurt you, and I’m sorry.” Ben spoke into her shoulder. Trixie sniffled a final time.

“It’s okay.” She said and released him from their hug.

“It’s not actually okay. It seems that throughout most of my life I’ve ended up hurting people, especially those who I care most about. Whether it was intentional or not it doesn’t make it right.” He said standing up and beginning to speak to everyone present in the room. “I know that you all probably have had your trust in me broken. And the only thing I can do to earn that back is to try my best. I’m making a promise to you all here and now. I’m going to be better and I’m going to make you all proud. But first things first, we need to address the situation with Eon.” Ben spoke emphatically. It seemed like the kind of speech that would have inspired cheering, but the air was still tense and thick with awkwardness.

“I’m sorry Ben, but you’ve hit the nail right on the head.” Manny spoke up suddenly and crossed his multiple arms. Attention swung to the plumber at his words and even Helen was a little taken aback. “I don’t think we can trust you. Not after learning you almost went evil.” He said. Kevin growled and stepped forward.

“Hey buddy, watch what you’re saying. Ben didn’t go evil, and that’s the important thing. He’s still one of the best here.” He said starting to get up in Manny’s face. Only Gwen’s steady hand on his wrist held him back.

“And I’m not denying any of that. You’re a great dude Ben, and you’ve done a lot of great things as a hero. But this one, man I just think you’re too emotionally compromised right now. How can we follow your lead if you don’t have your head on straight? I’m sorry man but I can’t really trust you right now.” Manny said backing off. There was a moment of tension as everyone absorbed Manny’s words.

“I hate to say it, but I agree with Manny.” Came the unexpected voice of Cooper. The admission garnered looks of shock.

“Babe?” Lucy said timidly. Cooper stepped away to stand next to Manny. “Ben was keeping secrets. I’ve never seen you act this way before. Sometimes you just have to realize when your emotions are clouding your judgement. We can’t trust you to lead missions in the state you’re in, it might end up with someone getting seriously hurt.” Cooper reasoned.

“Yeah, I’m with them on this. If there’s a chance I might end up dying because of you, I’m not gonna take that chance. Sorry dude.” Alan said and stood by the growing group. Ben’s eyes flickered to Helen who looked away shamefully before she too stood by them.

“I’m sorry Ben, but I can’t lose someone I care about. Not again, not like with Pierce.” She said sadly. Ben regarded the group calmly but before he could even begin to say something Kevin once again raised his voice.

“I don’t believe this! You’re all gonna just turn your backs on him?! Just like that, after everything he’s done for you?! And why? Because of something that might have happened?” He shouted angrily, ripping his arm from Gwen’s grip. “Ben never even went bad! And I should know cause I was bad. But Ben was always there for me! He brought out the good in me and we shouldn’t abandon him, I’m not going to betray him like that, not anymore.” Kevin said with arms crossed. Manny glared back at him and the two boys faced off. But Rook hopped in between them holding up placating hands.

“Everyone please let us talk this out. Yes I can agree that Ben has been emotionally compromised lately. But I also believe that he can overcome this to do what is right. I have seen Ben face off against odds worse than this and come out on top. Yes he may be unpredictable but that is often one of his greatest strengths. I believe we owe it to him to at least give him a chance.” Rook suggested diplomatically. But the group of nay sayers were unmoved.

“Sorry man, ain’t gonna happen.” Manny said stubbornly. Kevin growled again and made to lunge but was stopped by Ben’s own hand.

“It’s alright.” He said to both Manny and Kevin. “Manny, I understand where you’re coming from and I don’t blame you. If you don’t want to follow me that’s fine but can I at least count on your help with Eon?” Ben asked. Manny looked at him unsure. “What’s your plan? If you’ve got an idea to take him down then I want to hear it.” Ben said to the surprise of everyone. Manny looked shocked for a second before uncrossing his arms.

“I say we track the dude down and put the hurt on him, plain and simple.” Manny said and punched his fist into his palm.

“You’ll need to find him first.” Ben observed. “Have we had any luck on that front anyway?” Ben asked around.

“He’s been on the down low for the last few days, no trace.” Gwen answered. “He’s probably getting the hang of his new powers if I had to guess.” She continued.

“Then we should try to anticipate where he’s gonna go next. He said was going to try and ressurect Dagon. How would he go about that?” He asked around again.

“Dagon’s essence is safely sealed away in Ascalon. And that sword is safely locked away. Even if he did retrieve it Dagon would not be whole.” Azmuth explained.

“Actually,” Charmcaster spoke up. “I might have an idea of what Eon might be up to next.” She spoke. All eyes turned to her as she retrieved a spellbook from her bag. She opened it up and began thumbing through the pages. Finally landing on the one she wanted she traced her finger along the text. “There is a certain ritual that one can use to revive a being as powerful as Dagon. The ritual spell requires four components: The Sword that Slayed him, the Seal that Bound him, the Faith that Feeds him, and the Blood that Powers him.” Charmcaster read off the pages.

“Would Eon know about this ritual?” Gwen asked.

“If he has all of Addwaitya’s knowledge then definitely he would be aware of it.” She replied. Gwen hummed thoughtfully.

“Well some of those seem easy to identify. But what’s the part about his Faith and his Blood?” Gwen asked coming over to read the spell book besides Charmcaster.

“I’m not really sure. The ritual was conceived when he was first imprisoned so who knows what some of this refers to.” Charmcaster said.

“I think I can speak for at least one of those.” Julie said speaking up. “Dagon had a cult of true believers who called themselves the Flame Keeper’s Circle. They had agents called the Esoterica that could move between dimensions and brainwashed people into joining the cult. I almost fell for it myself.” Julie explained. “I think he’d probably need members of the Circle for their Faith, but I don’t know exactly what he’d do with them.” She supplied.

“Well we know where the Seal is at least. Azmuth, where did you say you’re keeping Ascalon?” Ben asked.

“Ascalon is being held securely in one of my DED sites.” He answered simply.

“Dead site?” Kevin asked concerned.

“D-E-D. Dangerous Experiment Disposal site. It’s where I store any inventions or experiments that I deem too dangerous or hazardous to get rid of normally, hence the name.” He explained. “But the exact location is a secret, the only other person that would know of it would be… Ah.” Azmuth said in realization.

“Albedo?” Ben guessed.

“Yes unfortunately. If it is true that Eon has absorbed even the memories of his victims then he will have knowledge of DED site one.” Azmuth surmised. “He could possibly be on his way there already. DED site one does have some defenses but it’s primary defense was its hidden location. I fear that if left unguarded Eon would be easily able to secure Ascalon.” Azmuth explained.

“That’s really bad right? Even setting aside Dagon isn’t Ascalon like the most powerful weapon in the universe?” Gwen asked concerned.

“No, luckily I removed all the essential components that would activate Ascalon. It would take much more effort to reactivate Ascalon then it would be worth. Its only purpose now is as a prison for Dagon.” Azmuth said.

“Eon will probably go there first. After all, he will have no chance of resurrecting Dagon without the sword.” Rook said.

“Manny.” Ben spoke up grabbing the plumber’s attention. “You want a shot at Eon? I think this might be your best chance.” He said. Manny regarded Ben for a long time and the rest of the dissenters waited patiently for the Tetramand hybrid to speak up.

“So where can we find this DED site anyway?” He said speaking to Azmuth.

“I will give you all coordinates. I would suggest you leave right away if you want to make it there as soon as possible.” Azmuth said walking from the room. Manny and his retinue began to follow.

“Good luck man.” Ben said as he was leaving. Manny paused and looked over at Ben.

“Yeah, you too man.” He replied before following after Azmuth. Alan, Helen, and Cooper walking with him.

Nearby Lucy looked between Ben and the retreating group nervously. She chewed her fingernails anxiously as she watched Cooper’s retreating form. The technopath gave her a glance over his shoulder and smiled before continuing forwards. Lucy’s eyes darted to the side and she saw Ben’s eyes land on her. She took a deep breath and walked forward to him.

“Ben, you know I don’t think any less of you. I still trust you but…” She trailed off worriedly.

“It’s okay Lucy, I get it. Go, be with him.” Ben said insightfully. Lucy looked at him with a smile before wrapping him in a hug.

“You’re like, the best cousin ever.” Lucy whispered before letting go and running off after Cooper.

“So, I think the rest of us should split up and tackle the rest of this problem.” Ben said. All eyes turned to him as he spoke. “We’ll go searching for the old seal.” Ben said gesturing to himself, Rook, Kai, and Charmcaster. “Julie, I think you should take Gwen and Kevin and see if you can find any members of the Flame Keeper’s Circle.” Ben suggested. Julie looked at him confused.

“What makes you think I would be able to find them?” Julie asked.

“You were part of the organization, at least for a little while. Maybe you can think of something we might have missed.” Ben said shrugging his shoulders. “At the very least Gwen might be able to track some of them down.” He added. Gwen put a hand on Julie’s shoulder supportively.

“Come on guys, we’ve got a lot of work ahead of us.” Ben said.

Chapter 32: Chapter 32

Chapter Text

Ben X Chapter 32
Abominatrix Arc
DED Site One

The newly reformed Team Gamma sat in uncomfortable silence as their ship rocketed towards Azmuth’s mysterious dumping ground for his failed experiments. DED Site One he called it. The Great Thinker told them that the site would be perilous even without Eon’s interference. But for most of the group, their minds did not lay on their destination, but what they left behind. Many of them agreed with Manny’s assessment of Ben, that he was not in his right frame of mind. But they also wondered if it could have been handled better. After all Ben was a friend to them. He had reunited Pierce with Manny and Helen, if only briefly. He had helped them all before. Was it right for them to abandon him like that? The question hung unspoken in the air. Manny did his best to ignore everyone’s stares, instead focusing on polishing and prepping his pistols. Alan stood gazing out at the passing stars and nebulas. Cooper similarly was hunched over prepping some device or another with his powers while Lucy sat awkwardly next to him. Helen was trying to sit silently but her natural affinity for fidgeting betrayed her. Her leg bounced up and down at inhuman speeds while she played with her thumbs. All in all, the atmosphere of the shuttle was tense, for more reasons than one. The obvious reason for their apprehension was that of Eon, a foe so powerful that even Ben had trouble defeating him. But Ben’s condition was also on their minds. Feeling restless, Helen decided to speak up.

“Are we not gonna talk about strategy?” She asked.

“We show up, we kick his butt, we save the sword. What’s there to discuss?” Manny grunted. Helen rolled her eyes in exasperation.

“Come on Manny! You’re always like this. You know it won’t be that simple.” Helen responded.

“Why not?” Manny shot back.

“Even Ben had difficulty fighting him!” Helen argued. But Manny only scoffed.

“How many times do we gotta go over this. Ben wasn’t in his right frame of mind. He’s compromised. That’s why he lost. That’s all there is to it. With all of us working together there’s no way Eon will stand a chance.” Manny said emphatically.

“I don’t know Manny,” Lucy spoke up. “You weren’t there. From what I saw Ben was trying his best. I’ve known my cousin for a long time and I’ve never seen him fight that hard before, at least up until Eon started playing his mind games.” She admitted. Manny glanced over at her, looking her up and down.

“How exactly are you related to Ben again?” He asked.

“He’s my second cousin-in-law once removed.” She replied simply. Manny and the rest of the group stared at her blankly.

“Right… well I still think you’re biased cuz he’s family.” Manny said gesturing to her. Lucy pouted and was about to retort again before Cooper’s voice cut through the air, uncharacteristically rough.

“Enough.” He called out. “Manny, I agree with you, Ben wasn’t himself and I think he needs time to get his head on straight. But at the same time we should come up with a strategy to take on Eon. He’s not an opponent that will go down easily.” Cooper said.

“I agree with Coop.” Alan finally spoke up. “I came on this mission because I was asked for my help but I was ready to put the Plumber life behind me. I’m not just gonna rush in blindly and risk getting myself killed. All I really want to do is go back and help my mom on the farm, live a normal life.” He said.

“Yeah? Well at least you’ve got that option. You can still pass for human, but me and Helen, we’re stuck looking like this. We don’t have a choice.” Manny said angrily.

“Manny…” Helen tried to quell him.

“You can always use ID masks?” Cooper tried to suggest helpfully.

“Yeah, and look how well that worked out for Pierce.” Manny muttered. But the room stilled as Helen stood up and smacked Manny across the face. He looked up and stared at her. She was on the brink of tears and her hand shifted from a striking position to a gentle caress on his cheek. She moved in closer to him and whispered against his ear.

“Manny please. You know I don’t care what you look like. It’s what’s on the inside that counts. So long as we’re together, that’s what’s important.” She said gently. Manny couldn’t help but sigh.

“You’re right, as usual. I’m sorry Helen.” He said putting a hand over hers. But his attention was drawn as he saw the rest of their group smirking knowingly at them. Manny coughed awkwardly, breaking the tension. “You guys know I’m no good at the tactical stuff. I’ll leave that to Helen.” He finished with a blush on his already red skin. Helen smiled at him one last time before standing up and making her way over to the ship’s main console.

“First we’ll have to take a look at the schematics of the DED site.” She said bringing up a holographic display of the station’s blue prints. The DED site was a large spherical sattellite with several long antenna spokes arrayed around its circumference. As Helen manipulated the holograph they saw many different chambers and hallways that were labelled and sealed off. The center of the station held a blinking light that indicated their target.

“First we’ll have to navigate through the station, inputting security codes as we go. Otherwise the station’s defenses will activate. Then once we reach the central chamber where the sword is being held, we’ll set up a defensive position around it.” Helen explained. “Once we set up our base of operations we can tap into the site’s defensive array and prepare for Eon’s arrival. The key thing will be holding him off from accessing Ascalon.” Helen elaborated.

“What if he’s there before us?” Alan asked with a somber tone. The room fell quiet as they contemplated that implication.

“Then we just have to stop him from leaving and take back the sword.” Helen responded.

“In other words, back to my plan.” Manny said proudly.

“But hopefully we can make our way to Ascalon long before Eon.” Helen reiterated.

“Where exactly is the sword located?” Lucy asked reviewing the schematics.

“The core of the DED site. Why?” Helen responded. Lucy examined the holograph in front of her before glancing upwards. Her face paled as she took in the sight in front of her.

“Because I don’t think getting there will be as easy as you think.” She said quietly. The group of Plumbers turned their attention to the central view screen as an absolutely massive space station came into view. A large cloak dissipated as they came within range of the site. Like the hologram it was spherical with several large spires extending out into space. Large exhaust ports were placed around the structure allowing for the possibility of thrust. In the depths of space it glowed with several blinking lights. Despite Azmuth’s express permission for them to be here, the group could not help but feel like they were intruding in a place that they didn’t belong. But the thing which grabbed their attention the most were the several turrets on the surface which swiveled to their ship. They began powering up charged beams of energy and shooting at their ship. The first projectile to hit rattled the ship and jarred them into action.

“Transmit the pass codes!” Cooper yelled above the blaring of alarms. Helen raced to the console and began inputting the codes in at a rapid speed. Meanwhile Manny grabbed the steering column and twisted it, desperately trying to out maneuver the turret fire. As Helen finished her work the lights flashed green on the console. Suddenly the turrets powered down. Team Gamma breathed a collective sigh of relief.

“Man, Azmuth wasn’t kidding about this place being dangerous.” Alan observed absentmindedly as Manny steered them into a landing dock.

“It makes me think. What does he have hidden away in here that he’s so desperate to protect?” Lucy commented. “A site this big is overkill for just Ascalon. What other dangerous devices do you think are inside?” She asked. The group was quiet as they contemplated the question.

“I guess we’re gonna find out.” Manny replied as he completed the final landing procedures.

The group of Plumbers exited the craft onto the landing dock. The hangar was small, clearly intended for only one ship at a time. But despite this, the overall structure of the place was still large and imposing. The group made their way into the bowels of the DED site, climbing stairs, traversing passages, and rounding corners. All the while they followed the holographic map leading them further and further into the compound. Finally they emerged into a large and long hallway filled with many large secure doors. Each of the doors were labelled with a combination of letters and numbers that decreased sequentially down the hallway. They gazed around at the impressive archways and vault doors that lined the halls. But while the majority of the group were either astounded or confused by the layout of the compound and it’s many doors, Cooper felt a distinct uneasiness settle in his heart. His fear did not go unnoticed by Lucy.

“Coop? Are you alright?” She asked putting a hand to his shoulder. Cooper shook his head.

“This place feels… wrong, dangerous. I can sense a lot of machines here. It’s almost like they’re calling out? But they all feel dangerous and powerful. We should be on our guard here. Try not to touch anything that isn’t related to Ascalon.” Cooper warned them. The group exchanged glances before nodding.

“If that’s the case we should get busy inputting the security codes.” Alan said as he walked over to a console jutting out from the wall. He began punching in numbers into the keyboard. The remainder of Gamma Team stayed close by, knowing that the station’s security would activate if they tried to advance any further. But it was only a few minutes into the procedure when a loud crash rocked the station.

“Alan!?” Manny chastised.

“I didn’t do it I swear!” Alan said raising his hands defensively.

“No! Look!” Helen shouted pointing upwards. An array of display screens floated in the air above them depicting various camera angles. Outside the station a red and black blur flew between laser turret fire, shooting back at the turrets in retaliation. It crashed into the side of the station, puncturing a hole through the thick steel walls like a bullet. The view changed to the interior of the station where the pile of red, black, and yellow goo slowly reformed into the visage of Malware, the abominatrix symbol worn squarely where Malware’s eye would be. Immediately, Malware-Eon thrust his techno-organic fist into the nearest console, his infectious protoplasm spreading through the systems. He laughed maniacally as he used Albedo’s knowledge of DED site one to disable it’s defenses instantly. Suddenly he detached himself from the console and turned his vision upwards directly into the camera.

“I know you’re here…” He whispered menacingly. “I wonder, which of us will reach the sword first?” He said before bringing a hand up to palm the abominatrix symbol. In a flash of sickly violet light he transformed into Aggregor. “See you at the finish line. Or not. Hahahaha!” He laughed and began to race down the corridor.

“We’ve got to stop him!” Manny shouted intent on racing off.

“But the defenses are still up for us! We’ll never be able to reach the central chamber before him!” Lucy noted.

“Cooper can’t you just use your powers and shut everything down?” Alan asked desperately. Cooper’s face steeled with resolve as he approached the console. He placed his hand on the touch pad and closed his eyes to focus. A spark of blue and white electricity raced over his palm and he grimaced in pain. Suddenly the console shot up in sparks and Cooper was forced to withdraw his hand.

“It’s no good. This place is too large. It would take me too long to override everything all at once. Not to mention that Eon has already screwed with some of the circuitry.” He explained nursing his wounded hand.

“Then we don’t have a choice, we’ll have to split up.” Helen said decisively.

“What?” Manny asked.

“Alan and I are the fastest members of our team. With any luck we can run by the defenses and make it to the central chamber before Eon. Then we just need to hold him off until you guys arrive behind us.” Helen explained her plan. But Manny shook his head.

“No way it’s too dangerous.” Manny insisted.

“Manny we don’t have time to argue.” Helen pleaded. “Cooper can shut things down as you guys go along. Maybe we can still salvage the situation.” She said.

“I’ve already got the system mainframe pulled up here.” Cooper said gesturing to his wrist mounted data device. Manny’s jaw set. He didn’t like this plan. But Helen was right, they didn’t have any other choice. He released a sigh before placing a hand on Helen’s shoulder.

“Go, but be safe.” He said. Helen smiled back at him and nodded before she ran off in the direction of the central chamber. A moment later Alan fired up and took off after her, spewing rocket like flames from his hands and feet. The pair raced off down the long corridor.

“Follow my lead Alan!” Helen shouted with barely a glance over her shoulder as she ran. Alan nodded even though he knew her attention was focused on what laid in front of them. Almost immediately a large number of turrets sprouted from the walls and floors ahead of them. But with their powers the projectiles and energy blasts were easily dodged. Cooper, Lucy, and Manny watched them race off with worried expressions as the turrets and weapons turned their targets towards them.

The trio of plumbers raced down a side corridor, narrowly avoiding the laser fire from the turrets. They would have to take a more circuitous path to the center of the DED site. They hoped to avoid much of the site’s defenses as they did so. They climbed down stairwells, ducked into hallways, and descended elevator shafts as they slowly made their way into the heart of the base. All the while Cooper was desperately trying to breach firewalls and hack into the mainframe to shut down the defenses that laid in their path. It felt like every second was time wasted. They had no way of knowing if Eon had already reached the core and stolen the sword. And while they could track Alan and Helen through their plumber badges, the base was still enormous, and their progress was impeded by defenses. Finally as they were sneaking past another group of drone guards, a call from Cooper split the air.

“Wait! Guys I think I got it!” Cooper yelled triumphantly. Smiles lit up the faces of Lucy and Manny. They no longer had to slink around corners, and instead could head straight for their destination. Manny led them back into a main corridor and they proceeded to hightail it for the core. It seemed as though Cooper was truly successful. The defense drones and turrets began to deactivate at their approach.

However, they soon stopped short as they realized something was wrong. Ahead of them one of the large doors on the left of the corridor began to open. It let out a mechanical hiss and puff of air as the doors slid to the side. The group watched in apprehension as an enormous orange translucent blob emerged from within the chamber. It oozed out, it’s bottom undulating forward much like the way a snail moves. Viscous bubbles were held in suspension within the gelatin like body of the creature. It had no defined features to it, no obvious limbs or extremities. But despite this, the trio could not help feeling worried as the top of the massive goo creature turned to them, like its head was examining them.

“Uh, Cooper? What is that thing buddy?” Manny asked concerned and leveling his pistols at the creature.

“More importantly, how did it get out?” Lucy asked adopting a stance that was ready to fight or flee at a moment’s notice. Cooper, panicked, looked down at his wrist computer, wildly scrolling through walls of code at superhuman speeds. Trying to figure out where he went wrong. Each minute that passed by though meant that the orange blob grew closer and closer to them.

“I – I – I don’t know. The logs only refer to it by an experiment number? It seems like it might be some kind of biological cleaning agent?” He tried to supply helpfully.

“What kind of place needs a maid that big?” Manny asked incredulously as the blob continued to advance at them, picking up speed and bending closer to inspect them.

“Okay, still don’t understand how it got out?” Lucy began to ask in a panicked tone.

“I think, when I shut down the security systems, it also unlocked the doors?” Cooper guessed.

“Hey back off!” Manny shouted as the blob came within arms reach. He fired a short burst into the creature. The blob recoiled instantly and vibrated with a curdled scream that was surprisingly sharp and loud.

“Great now you’ve pissed it off!” Cooper yelled.

“At least I wasn’t the one who let it out!” Manny yelled back.

“Guys focus!” Lucy called as the blob began rearing back. The bubble like particles held in it’s body began to vibrate and multiply. It shot forward a glob of thick viscous amber goo that narrowly missed them and splattered across the ground. The group watched in awe and horror as the material began to liquefy and turned to an acid which dissolved the metal ground.

Manny didn’t wait. He raised his pistols again and fired off volleys into the creature. The beast squirmed under the intense shots before surging forward towards them. It began leaving trails of acid in its wake which corroded the metal walls and floors. Manny was about to fire again before a hand grabbed him by one of his wrists and twisted him, pulling him along. The trio soon found themselves running from the acidic blob monster, away from their initial destination. They hoped to outrun the creature but it was suprisingly swift. Its enormous size meant it was easily able to keep up with them.

“Anyone else have any bright ideas?” Lucy asked sarcastically as they ran from it.

“Can’t you like talk to it or something?” Manny asked. Lucy was immediately offended and she scowled at Manny even as they ran for their lives.

“Oh what? You think just because we might look similar that means I can communicate with this thing?” Lucy asked insulted.

“I don’t know? Maybe?” Manny responded, firing off another few shots behind him.

“Oh we are absolutely going to have a talk after this is finished.” Lucy threatened.

“Guys I think I might have an idea how to beat it.” Cooper said breaking through the argument.

“We’re all ears babe!” Lucy said.

“We have to lure him to a specific chamber. There’s something in there I think might be able to beat it.” Cooper said.

“You think?” Manny asked back sarcastically.

“Hey if you’ve got a better plan then let’s hear it.” Cooper shot back. But Manny only shook his head and deferred to the technopath. “But first we’ll need to slow it down some. I’ll need time to work on the device.” Cooper said breathlessly.

“Go ahead, I’ll try to hold him off.” Lucy said as she turned back to the monster.

“Lucy…” Cooper spoke with concern but Lucy reassured him with a simple smile and squeeze of the hand. Cooper and Manny ran off ahead while Lucy stayed behind, staring the giant ooze creature down.

Lucy began to liquefy, her human form starting to turn to sludge at her elbows. She raised her arms and shot forth a torrent of sludge at the walls and floor. Thick piles of the gunk began to collect on the once spotless metal floor. She hoped that the extra material would slow down the creature’s advance. As she completed her task she stood back and watched as the creature approached the six foot wide puddle of her sludge. Initially she was hopeful as the ooze monster paused just before the barrier. But her hopes were dashed as the creature moved forward unperturbed. At first the sludge did appear to slow the creature down, but soon the edges of the sludge in contact with the monster began to burn away. The acid soaked into the sludge and broke it down. Lucy couldn’t help but grimace as she imagined that happening to her own body.

She raised her arms again and threw a glob of sludge at the creature. The ball of muck sailed right into what would be the creature’s head. The weight of the gunk caused it’s head to roll backwards slightly while also continuing to slow it down. But the ooze was relentless, it continued to steam roll over the sludge and liquefy whatever was in it’s path. Lucy could see the creature actually absorbing the sludge into it’s body. The purple globs of her floated among the tangerine colored goo of the monster. She watched in sick fascination as the goo dissolved her sludge and absorbed it. She realized that the ooze monster was nearly through her barrier. She needed to buy Cooper more time. She ran ahead of the monster creating more barriers of sludge across the ground while simultaneously tossing sludge bombs at the creature’s main body.

The ooze monster sped up, almost as though it was adapting to the sludge. Lucy continued to try her best to hold the creature back. However it was quickly becoming apparent that her obstacles were no longer hindering the beast. She backed up in the direction of Manny and Cooper, still determined to try and hold the beast off. However the ooze monster began to retaliate by slinging its own globs. The ooze splattered across the ground at Lucy’s feet and immediately began to corrode the steel. Knowing she was outgunned, Lucy made a tactical retreat. She sprinted in the direction of Cooper and Manny, spreading a few more puddles of sludge as she went for good measure, but knowing that it was ultimately futile.

“Have you guys got it working? Because big orange and ugly is coming this way fast.” Lucy said panting.

“Almost done, just need a few more minutes.” Cooper said as his hands flew over a large cylindrical device. Numbers and letters scrolled across his eyes as he concentrated. Manny stood by at the door as Lucy came in. He gripped his pistols grimly and looked at the approaching monster.

“Coop, this thing is getting real close.” He said in warning.

“I’m going as fast as I can. You just need to stall it for a few more seconds.” Cooper replied.

“I don’t know how we’re going to manage that. It adapted to the sludge I was throwing down. I think it’ll bowl right through whatever we throw at it.” Lucy said tiredly. But Manny, unperturbed headed to the side of the chamber.

“We don’t have to stop it completely, we’ve just gotta slow it down.” He said before grabbing a large crate with two of his impressive arms. He tossed the crate at the creature where it burst on impact and slowed it down for just a minute. While it was still stunned Manny opened fire with his pistols. Lucy followed suit and opened fire as well. The creature rippled with pain but continued to advance. Manny headed back inside before emerging with another set of crates. He tossed them at the monster again. By this point the creature had nearly reached the doors to the chamber. Lucy and Manny retreated back inside just as Cooper called that he was finished.

The orange blob continued to slide its way across the floor. It ducked down into the chamber and began to spread out. The inside of the chamber was dark and cold. With it’s limited senses the blob could not anticipate what was about to happen next. The large cylinder that was in the center of the room began to rotate, generating an electrical charge. The room lit up with flashes of blue white light as the electricity sparked off the spinning dynamo. Suddenly the electricity shot forth like a lightning bolt at the creature. It trembled violently as the electricity coursed through its body. Finally the ooze creature collapsed into a puddle of burnt brown organic material. The trio of heroes took a second to catch their breath. The beast was defeated, finally. They turned to each other with satisfied but unsure smiles.

“Man, I really hate this place.” Cooper announced tiredly.

“Come on, we’ve still gotta catch up with Helen and Alan.” Manny announced before sprinting out of the room, followed shortly by Lucy and Cooper.

Alan panted heavily, bent over with arms on his knees. His flame was nearly extinguished, his energy reserves nearly used up from flying down the halls of the immense complex they were in. Yet still they had not reached the core where Ascalon lie. He glanced over at Helen who appeared none worse for wear. They had paused to allow him a breather after defeating a large security sentry. The robotic giant laid in a smoking pile behind them, servos sparking and burning. Alan breathed deeply, trying to stoke the fires within him. The delay from the robot was not something they needed. It had taken them too long to beat the machine, which meant even more time for Eon to gain a lead on them. Now with him taking the time to recover that gap seemed to be growing ever larger. The race to Ascalon was quickly shaping up to be one they would lose.

“You should – go ahead of me – just leave me – here.” Alan voiced his thoughts through gulps of air. Helen looked at him shocked and incredulous before shaking her head.

“No way. I’m not leaving you.” She insisted. She came over and went to place a reassuring hand on the shoulder but thought better of it seeing the flames coursing over his skin.

“Helen, I’m only going to slow you down.” Alan tried to persuade her.

“We don’t know what else we’re going to run into on the way there. I’m not gonna leave you alone to face them.” She responded.

“Just forget about me okay! Eon and the sword are more important.” He said.

“It’s okay Alan. With our speed we’ve got the advantage over Eon. We can afford to take a minute for you to catch your breath.” Helen said, rebuking his earlier assumption. Alan sighed.

“If I had actually kept up practicing with my powers like you and Manny we wouldn’t be in this position right now.” Alan lamented. Helen frowned and stood next to him, leaning back against the wall to rest.

“Alan, it’s not a bad thing that you chose to try and live a normal life. That doesn't mean you aren’t a valued friend and member of this team. I’m glad that at least one of us had the opportunity to do it.” Helen said quietly. Alan looked at her with a curious expression. “You know Manny and I have thought about leaving the force to live normally, or at least as normally as possible. We all know how confusing that can be with our situation. I don’t think any less of you for wanting that Alan. And I know Manny feels the same way. Us three have to stick together, we’re the only ones that know what we’ve gone through. But the point is that we trust you with our lives, and we’d never abandon you.” She finished. Alan started at her amazed. He never realized that Helen felt that way. The speedster turned back to Alan with a smile on her face.

“Now come on. Let’s go beat Eon to the sword. We’ve just got one more push. I know you can do it.” She encouraged him. Alan smiled back and breathed deeply before erupting into fire. The pair nodded to each other before taking off down the hallway. The duo raced forward at incredible speed that only they could achieve. As they sped through the corridors the complex’s many defenses started to activate. Many of them they were able to speed past with no issue. However a few turrets and lasers popped up in front of them, forcing them to adopt evasive maneuvers while making their way forwards. Alan tossed fireballs ahead of them, causing the machines to explode in a burst of sparks and scrap metal. Helen burst through the clouds of debris at frightening speeds, a blur of blue and black.

At last they reached the core of DED site 1. They struggled to slow themselves down in time to safely stop. Helen quickly sealed the chamber doors shut behind them, inputting the proper security codes as she did so. The doors sealed shut a second later. They had done it. They had beaten Eon to the core. Alan and Helen smiled at each other and high fived over their success. With a moment to breathe they finally took in their surroundings. The chamber they were in was large and circular with curved walls and banks of computers and controls against the walls. The entire room was lit by an orange glow coming from the backside of the chamber. On the far wall, inset behind a pane of thick glass was the sword Ascalon. The silvery steel blade, although deactivated, still commanded presence in the overly large chamber.

Helen instantly went over to the control panels, inputting commands at lightning quick speeds. Displays lit up along the walls showing different maps and schematics of the station as well as status bars and energy readouts. Two blinking dots appeared on the map of the DED site, each of them rapidly approaching the core. The red dot clearly representing Eon and the green dot their friends. Helen frowned as she studied the schematics. At the rate Eon was moving he would reach the core much sooner than the rest of their team. That meant that she and Alan would have to hold him off long enough for them to arrive for backup. Alan and Helen frantically began trying to activate the DED site’s defenses from the core and prepare for Eon’s arrival. They watched Eon through the numerous security cameras helplessly. Despite the large size of the facility, Azmuth’s DED site was not as well defended as they hoped. They could only watch as Eon in the form of Ghostfreak phased through most of the turret fire. They stood ready, watching the sealed doors with bated breath, ready for Eon to emerge at any minute.

They didn’t have to wait long. Ghostfreak-Eon phased through the thick steel doors easily. Alan immediately tossed a fireball in his direction, but the Ectonurite form was able to avoid it easily. He floated above them tauntingly as they fired plasma shots and flame bursts ineffectively at him. Eon laughed, the sound coming out harsh and haunting through Ghostfreak’s voice. Ghostfreak-Eon floated over to the sword hung from the wall. His single eye widened in delight as he approached. His long talon fingers reached out for the sword, finger tips about to brush its cold steel. Suddenly a searing burning pain caused him to recoil. He turned to the side to see Alan hovering near the sword and burning brightly like a sun. Ghostfreak-Eon hissed and backed up. His twisted mouth grinned wickedly as he palmed the Abominatrix symbol. In a flash of purple light he transformed into Vilgax, dropping to the ground with a loud crash.

Vilgax-Eon glanced back up at Alan and fired twin rays of energy from his eyes. The laser beams impacted Alan and blasted him backwards. Vilgax-Eon smiled through his tentacles and moved to claim his prize, but he was interrupted by a blur impacting into his chest. He stumbled backwards half a step as his eyes caught onto Helen. Now with a solid target Helen was able to attack her opponent with lightning speed. She ran circles around him, taunting him by pausing just long enough for Eon to try and swipe at her before effortlessly darting away. In between each swipe of Vilgax’s powerful arms Helen landed strikes of her own. She alternated between punches, kicks, and pistol blasts. Each successive attack seemed to only enrage Vilgax-Eon more. That was her desired effect though. Helen knew that she didn’t have room to build up enough speed to land a solid hit. She could only hope to distract him long enough for the others to get here for back-up. But alas her plan would not last. In a fit of fury Vilgax-Eon screamed aloud, his muscular arms breaking apart into several tentacles which lashed out in all directions. Helen was going too fast to stop herself and ran straight into one of the undulating appendages. The tentacle instantly curled around her and Vilgax-Eon soon had her caught in his crushing grip. Helen squirmed and cried out painfully as her middle section was squeezed relentlessly.

Vilgax-Eon smiled wickedly down at her. But before he could finish her off a burst of flame impacted the side of his head. He reflexively lost his grip on the smaller woman and shielded himself from a pummeling barrage of fireballs. Alan flew fiercely into Vilgax-Eon’s chest, abandoning his fireballs to aim punches straight at his torso. His hands burned fiercely, scorching Vilgax’s flesh and causing the villain to cry out in pain. He swiped at the pyronite hybrid and slammed him into the ground. Helen raced to Alan’s rescue, moving him away from a follow up strike before launching a counter attack of her own. Alan and Helen then began fighting Eon in earnest. They alternated attacks, trying to keep the maniac off balance and avoid his superior strength. But eventually even their attacks succumbed to his powerful strikes. Vilgax caught them both by their feet before slamming them into the ground where they laid painfully and tired.

Vilgax-Eon huffed a breath and took another step towards the sword before he was interrupted yet again by a round of laser fire from behind him. He turned around just in time to see Manny flying towards him through the air. With a wicked double cross, Manny punched Vilgax-Eon square in the face sending him stumbling backwards. He tried to counter but found his feet stuck to the floor by a puddle of sludge. He glanced upwards to see Lucy had transformed her fist into a large mace which swung straight into his torso. He grunted as the attack impacted him. Cooper followed up with a barrage of laser fire from a makeshift exoskeleton with robotic gauntlets. Vilgax-Eon grunted as he took the attacks, dropping to a single knee as both Helen and Alan recovered and rejoined the fight. Together they fought Eon with everything they had. Alan and Cooper alternated fire and lasers to burn at Vilgax-Eon’s skin. Manny continued to pummel his exposed backside, causing him to cry out painfully. Lucy shot fountains of sludge to restrain his limbs and weigh him down even as he struggled to get away. He fired lasers from his eyes but with so many targets it was hard to aim. But the coup de grace came as Helen came speeding down the hallway, having built up enough speed to turn her kick into a rocket delivered square to his face. Vilgax-Eon was knocked backwards and he groaned as he regained his senses. When he looked up he saw all five of the plumbers standing over him threateningly with weapons at the ready.

Vilgax-Eon paused as he took in the sight before him. He closed his eyes and chuckled to himself. “You all think you’ve won don’t you?” Eon spoke through Vilgax’s tired voice. The group didn’t respond to his taunt, continuing to watch him attentively. “But this fight has just begun!” He shouted before slamming on the Abominatrix symbol. In an instant he had transformed into the smaller form of Aggregor. Before any of them could react he twisted the Abominatrix symbol on his chest and another flash of light exploded outwards. The team paused as they took in the new form that stood before them. “Did you really think I wouldn’t include Albedo’s Ultimatrix function in my own designs?” Asked Eon now in the form of Ultimate Aggregor.

The team leaped into action but the hybrid alien acted faster. The chest plates on his torso opened up and a strong gust of wind blew the plumbers tumbling backwards. Before any of them had a chance to recover Ultimate Aggregor slammed his fist into the ground eliciting a quake which caused cracks to spread along the steel floor and dislodged much of the structures and devices in the room. The group desperately dodged to avoid the falling debris. But in their distraction they didn’t notice as Ultimate Aggregor began attacking them with bursts of his elemental abilities. He shot a fountain of water at Lucy, which caused her to be rolled backwards and lose her stability as she struggled to maintain her cohesiveness. A bolt of electricity shot out towards Cooper, short circuiting his exoskeleton and causing him to convulse painfully as hundreds of volts passed through his body. He collapsed unconsciously to the ground as Lucy reached out to him, dripping parts of her skin to the floor. From his eyes a beam of nuclear heat scorched Manny and Helen causing them both to scream in agony as their skin burned and blistered. Alan screamed in fury as he tried to save his closest friends by intercepting the heat ray. But Ultimate Aggregor grinned savagely and switched to a gout of water, immediately extinguishing the fiery human. Alan struggled to his feet and desperately tried to re-ignite before he was kicked squarely in the chest. He collided with the far wall and slumped to the ground unconscious. Ultimate Aggregor turned to both Manny and Helen who were still attempting to fight. He slammed a heavy foot onto Helen’s legs, causing her to cry out in agony as she felt her bones break. Manny roared in anger and grasped the leg, lifting it off her, only to be backhanded to the floor. Undeterred Manny shot to his feet only to be grasped by Ultimate Aggregor and feel a surge of electricity flow through his body, causing him to go unconscious.

With all his opponents either unconscious or incapacitated Eon finally turned to the far wall. He smiled ecstatically as he grasped the sword. He examined the inert steel blade. Despite the sword having been deactivated he could still sense Dagon’s soul trapped within the offending object. He sheathed the sword on his back and stepped over the defeated plumbers, making his way to the exit. Team Gamma remained motionless on the floor for at least a half an hour before they regained their wits and gathered themselves. They huddled together, attending their wounds and commiserating together. They were silent for a long while as they realized that Eon had soundly defeated them and escaped with the sword. Their mission had failed and they were all too injured to go after Eon in pursuit of the sword. Silently, they picked each other up and all limped back to their starship, their defeat stinging worse than their wounds.

A/N: I do have some unfortunate news though for this story going forward. I’ve tried my best to update this story weekly but with my buffer of chapters nearly empty I’ve decided to switch the update schedule to every 2 weeks. I figured that this would be better than an outright hiatus while I work on the rest of the story. Like I said we’re still kind of at the halfway point and there is much more story to tell. Thanks for all your understanding.

Chapter 33: Chapter 33

Chapter Text

Ben X Chapter 33
Abominatrix Arc
A Long Overdue Argument

Rook’s proto-truk flew down into a wide desert canyon, its thrusters kicking up dust and dirt. It flew along the bottom of the canyon coming to a stop near a large cave. The vehicle set down and its four occupants exited. Ben, Rook, Charmcaster, and Kai left the vehicle and surveyed their surroundings. For most of them they had no idea of where they were or what significance the location held. However, looking around it was clear that something had transpired here long ago. Broken bits of weaponry and vehicles lay scattered around on the canyon floor. Esoterica masks laid half buried in the dirt. The walls of the canyon appeared damaged from laser fire. Large boulders which had clearly broken off from the canyon walls, sat motionless by the sides. The group looked at their surroundings with curiosity and confusion, all except for Ben, for who this battlefield was all too familiar. Wordlessly he stepped forward, walking to the large cave in the side of the canyon.
The group walked mostly in silence as there was a clear tension in the air. Ever since leaving Galvan Prime, Kai had been acting, disconcerting. She was clearly glaring daggers into the back of Ben’s head the entire ride over. Her face was twisted into an expression of disdain and anger. Her arms were crossed tightly over her chest and her fingers twitched towards her sword with every word that Ben said. Both Rook and Charmcaster were keenly aware of the tension and kept sending nervous glances between each other, Kai, and Ben. The eponymous hero however had taken to mostly ignoring Kai’s death stares. He had been on the receiving end of her frustrations many times in the past and was accustomed to her bizarre attitudes and mood swings. In the past he would return her attitude in kind or try to spend time deciphering her riddles to find why exactly she was upset with him. More often than not it was due to some error on his part that he had never considered at the time. Thinking about it made him reminisce unfondly at their cycle of breaking up and making up. However, this time was different. Ben was resolute on ignoring her negative energy. This was neither the time nor place to deal with whatever gripe she had towards him now. He had no clue what her deal was this time but he was sure it was equally as inane and unimportant to their current mission as it had been in the past.
So they continued on through the darkened cavern in relative uncomfortable silence. Both Charmcaster and Rook lit their way, casting uneven shadows of light on the cavern walls. The dripping sound of water falling from stalactites filled their ears alongside their footsteps as they made their way to their ultimate goal. According to Ben this cave was the location of the original seal that held Dagon at bay for over a thousand years. They had come in search of the seal to safeguard it from Eon’s machinations. But as they walked further into the cavern it seemed that the Seal was still a far ways off. Trying to lighten the mood somewhat, Rook decided to speak up.
“So Ben,” He began nonchalantly. “I was not present for the original resurrection of Dagon. Tell me, what was the battle with him like?” Rook asked. Ben smiled as he recalled the final battle with Dagon those many years ago.
“Yeah, that was actually a couple months before you got here.” Ben said aloud. “Well it started when the Esoterica planned to break the seal and unleash Dagon so he could take over. As I’m sure you guys know, Sir George of the Forever Knights originally defeated Dagon like way long ago. So Sir George gathered together the Forever Knights to stop Dagon and his Esoterica. It was actually one of the few times those guys were on the objectively right side.” Ben commented with a laugh. “When we got there the battle between the Knights and the Esoterica was in full swing. We tried to help out but both sides ended up attacking us. We met up with Sir George inside this cave where the Seal is located. That was when Vilgax showed up, acting as the Dagon’s herald but only so he could trick him into giving him more power. Eventually the Seal weakened enough that Dagon got out. So then we all had to fight him together, unfortunately Sir George didn’t make it. But then Vilgax tricked Dagon and stole all his power. So I had to use Ascalon and steal it back. And that’s the story of how I pretty much saved the entire universe, again.” Ben boasted but his smile faded quickly. “But then Vilgax tried to trick me into using Dagon’s power myself. If it weren’t for Gwen, Kevin, and Julie… I don’t know what I might have done.” He trailed off.

“Pfft, here we go about Julie again.” Kai muttered under her breath but just audible enough for the group to hear. Ben stopped suddenly in his tracks at her words. So that’s what her attitude was about. He paused and turned around at her, a neutral but firm expression on his face as he gazed at Kai who returned his stare with a glare of her own that dared confrontation. Rook and Charmcaster looked between the both of them with expressions of unease. Finally, Ben decided to speak up.

“Is there something you want to say Kai?” He asked. Kai placed her hands on her hips.

“Oh you want to do this now?” She retorted.

“Well you’ve been giving me death glares this entire time so I guess I’ve got no choice.” Ben responded snarkily. Charmcaster and Rook exchanged glances.

“I think we will just go on ahead.” Rook said diplomatically as he led Charmcaster further into the cave. The sorceress cast a worried glance over her shoulder at Kai who continued to glare at Ben before following behind Rook.

“So let’s just get this all out in the open. What exactly is the problem now?” He asked. Kai scoffed and flipped her hair, her eyes narrowing at her ex-boyfriend.

“My problem? I’ll tell you what my problem is. You lied to me.” She said pointing an accusing finger at Ben. “You said there wasn’t anything between you two. But then after you woke up from your coma it’s been nothing but lovey dovey bullsh*t between the two of you.” Kai said with a wave of her hands. Ben’s eyes widened for a split second as he wasn’t aware that Kai had picked up on his and Julie’s reconciliation. “Oh don’t think I didn’t notice how you two were hanging all over each other. I don’t know how that bitch managed to steal you away but it’s really f*cked up.” She finished.

“Okay first of all, don’t bad mouth Julie like that. She didn’t do anything wrong. If you want to be angry then be angry at me. Secondly, we broke up already. I’m sorry that me and Julie got together again so soon after it happened but you don’t have any ground to stand on.” Ben answered firmly.

“Oh I’m plenty mad at you.” Kai said sharply. “First you go off and leave me alone for three years, don’t bother to tell me any of your problems or what you were planning. Then I find out that you trust that bitch with essentially the road map to go and find you after you didn’t even trust me with that info. Then when you get back you essentially ignore me and put me off to go back together with her.” She said gesticulating wildly with her arms. “It’s no wonder that you’re so sh*t when it comes to women. I feel like I’m the only one willing to put up with your bullsh*t and even I’m starting to hit my f*cking limit.” Kai said angrily holding her hand up to indicate her level of tolerance. But now it was Ben’s turn to grow angry.

“You think I don’t know any of that? Look I know I’ve f*cked up a lot and I’m sorry. That’s the best I can say. I’m trying to be better though. And stop talking as if we’re ever going to get back together because it’s not going to happen.” Ben said crossing his arms. Kai scoffed.

“As if I’d ever take you back now after all the sh*t you put me through.” She said folding her arms.

“I don’t want you to take me back!” Ben shouted upset. “If anything I feel like you’ve put me through worse sh*t than I’ve done to you.” Ben said annoyed. Kai gasped before her expression turned to one of rage, her mouth twisting to a grimace and her eyebrows furrowing.

“Oh that’s it.” She said before drawing Excalibur from her back. Ben’s eyes widened at her extreme reaction. She approached rapidly like a true swordsman. Her sword swung in a swift strike, narrowly missing Ben who had the sense to back up. “You. Piece. Of. sh*t!” She said punctuating each word with a swing of her blade. Ben desperately avoided her swings, taken aback by the ferocity in her attacks. “After everything I’ve done for you? All the time we spent together? Does that mean nothing to you? You’re just gonna throw it all away like that? Screw you!” She said continuing to advance on him. Ben narrowly avoided her attacks which grew more furious with each miss. Finally he steeled his resolve and stood firm.

“Enough!” He said as he transformed. In a split second his body turned into Gravattack just as the blade impacted with the rocky exterior of his face. “Ow.” He said simply. He raised a hand and lifted Kai off the ground as she floated helplessly in the air. She thrashed and struggled against invisible restraints before flailing her sword arm wildly at him. The blade connected a few more times but was little more than an annoyance to Ben’s solid form. With his other arm he ripped the sword from her grip and pinned it to the ground with his gravity powers.

“Kai that’s enough!” He said firmly to her. But the young woman continued to thrash and flail and curse him out. “Kai just stop!” He called out with enough anger that the booming rumble of his voice finally gave her pause.

“Do you want to know the real reason why I broke up with you?” He said desperately. Kai could only stare at him open mouthed. “It’s because we’re not good for each other!” Kai’s eyes widened. “We only ever bring out the worst in each other. I know I’ve done sh*tty things to lots of people in the past before but I am honestly trying to be better. But I can’t do that when I’m with you because we just drag each other back down again. You deserve a chance to be better as much as I do because I know there’s good qualities to you. But as long as we’re together we’re just going to continue to be like we’ve always been; getting into fights and separating until we eventually we get together and start all over again.” Ben explained. Still floating in the air Kai crossed her arms.

“You’ve always been kind of annoying but I don’t see how I’ve ever done anything wrong to you.” Kai said haughtily.

“And that right there is exactly the problem.” Ben countered pointing a rocky finger at her. “You don’t think that you’ve done anything to hurt me but you have. The fact that you just tried to attack me with your magic sword over something as simple as an argument proves it.” He said.

“That was just right now and only because you’re being infuriating.” Kai responded unimpressed. Ben groaned.

“What about all those times when we were younger? When we met each other as teens again you were constantly making fun of me and insulting me.” Ben pointed out.

“That was teasing you dumbass. It’s called flirting.” She countered unmoved.

“Belittling someone is not flirting.” Ben said with a sigh and exasperated look. It seemed that no matter what he would say, Kai would somehow rationalize it so that she wasn’t at fault. “Kai, you’ve done a lot of hurtful things to me over the years. When you yell at me and hit me, it makes me feel powerless and weak and scared even. That’s not healthy for a relationship. Yeah maybe there were times where I really was at fault and didn’t do something right but a lot of the times your responses were blown way out of proportion.” Ben pleaded. This finally seemed to give Kai pause as she reflected on some of her past actions. Her expression of anger fell from her face to be replaced by one of contemplation. She thought back to all of the time she had spent with Ben before this. All of the arguments and fights they had. Could it really be that some of those were truly instigated just by her? As Kai finally grew quiet and reflective Ben frowned and spoke up a final time.

“Tell me Kai. If I didn’t have the Omnitrix, would you even have been interested in me in the first place?” He asked. Kai gasped and immediately opened her mouth to retort but found that the words would not come from her throat. She paused, surprised at her own insight. Her eyes widened in shock as she realized that Ben’s words were at least partially true. Ben only frowned deeper. “That’s what I thought. When we were kids you were only interested in me because of Blitzwolfer. You said as much to me.” He said as Gravattack slowly lowered Kai to the ground. She regained her stance as her feet met the ground and stray tears began to leak from her eyes.

“Kai, I think we both deserve better. I think we both deserve to be with people that will make us happier.” He said attempting to place a gentle hand on her shoulder.

Kai, however, turned her body away from him. Ben let the hand drop and gazed at her sadly. Her eyes had gone distant and her face, while upset and tear stained, was placid. Ben struggled to read her, to decipher the thoughts that were doubtlessly running through her mind. But Kai purposely kept herself closed off. Her fist dropped from where it was balled at her chest and she moved with stride to where Excalibur stood poking out of the ground. She grabbed the hilt and pulled the sword free with not so much as a word. Ben gazed after her somberly, still concerned but knowing that this was what was best for both of them. Still, how do you recover from being told you’re not a good person? How do you recover from being told that your relationship wasn’t what you thought it was? Ben knew he had struggled with that same question when he had first learned of his break up with Julie all those years ago. It had come to a shock to him, even if he didn’t let it show at the time. He had tried to distract himself, put it out of his mind, but his deep regrets stayed buried in his heart all this time. Dating had always been… weird for him. Julie had always felt like the one that got away. He considered it a miracle that he had even gotten the chance to apologize to her, much less start over. Looking at Kai now, he wondered what she would do. Would she move forward like he did? Or would she double down like she usually did in their arguments?

However, both of their thoughts were cut off as they heard a large explosion from deeper within the tunnel. Immediately the pair of former lovers put their differences aside for the time being and ran towards the echoing sound. They raced through the dimly lit tunnels with worry and adrenaline fueling their hearts. As they reached the end of the tunnel they paused to survey the scene in front of them. Rook and Charmcaster lay unconscious against either side of the tunnel, their bodies cradled by craters of rock and stone. At the far end, facing an otherwise blank stone wall stood a large round metallic alien. His steel body was dull grey in color while his eyes and face glowed red. The alien form of Maltruant stood facing the large blank wall. Ben and Kai arrived just in time to watch as Eon used the Chronosapien’s time powers to reverse time on the wall. Soon a large stone seal began to reform upon the wall. Pieces of stone flew up to take place like a puzzle coming together, the image of an infinity symbol carved proudly on the grey granite. At last as the seal began to finalize its shape, Maltruant-Eon slammed his heavy fist onto the perimeter of the disk. The stone there shattered and cracked and Maltruant-Eon came away with a large piece of the seal clutched in his hand.

“Eon!” Ben called out angrily. The shape shifting villain scowled and turned around to face them.

“Oh well hello there.” Maltruant-Eon spoke in a sarcastically cheery tone. “I didn’t see you there. I would love to catch up but believe it or not, I don’t have time.” He said as he thrust his hand out. A beam of red chrono energy fired from his palm aimed straight at the duo. The pair ducked out of the way just in time as the beam sizzled through the air between them, impacting into the wall behind them and turning it to dust.

Ben recovered first and still in Gravattack’s alien form thrust his own palms out. He centered his energy directly on Maltruant’s alien form. An incredible pressure nearly buckled the mechanical alien’s knees as he felt intense waves of gravity. Loose debris and stone from above him fell to the ground, crushing him under the rubble. Gravattack let go of his powers and both he and Kai approached cautiously. But the ring of red energy spread out from under the stone debris. Suddenly the pieces of rubble began to float back up into place in the ceiling. Maltruant-Eon emerged with his hands thrust victoriously into the air. He leaped forward, a loud clanging sounding out as he landed. He shot more beams of crimson chrono-energy out at the pair of heroes. Ben and Kai each dodged out of the way.

Kai dodged the laser attacks effortlessly. She flipped and jumped between the beams, marching forward to her enemy. She raised Excalibur high into the air and aimed right at Maltruant-Eon’s arm where he grasped the piece of the stone seal. But the alien time-lord was surprisingly quick and he snatched his hand out from the range of her attack. Kai looked up to see the key piece on his head spinning rapidly. The chronosapien smiled wickedly at her before he delivered a series of incredibly fast strikes at her. Each punch hit her with the force of a freight train as the once lumbering metal alien moved at impossibly fast speeds. Kai had no time to react or try to get out of the way of the attacks. She could only be mercilessly thrown about by the punches. Suddenly she felt a great force pull her backwards, as though she was being dragged straight through the air. She was ripped away from Maltruant-Eon and flung backwards. She was caught by a pair of large rocky hands as Gravattack used his powers to rescue her. Ben set Kai back on her feet and lent her a steady hand while she recovered.

“How are you doing?” Gravattack asked concerned. Kai breathed in and tensed as she felt a sharp pain in her chest.

“I think he might have broken a rib. Ugh, so, been better.” Kai responded. Gravattack grimaced more than usual.

“It’s too bad it’s only two on one right now. If Rook and Charmcaster were still up we could take him.” Ben lamented.

It was then that Kai actually took notice of the battlefield around them. Her eyes passed over Charmcaster’s limp body and she felt her heart freeze for a second. She released her breath as she saw Charmcaster’s body shift slightly. She was breathing, and that meant she was still alive. A strange emotion settled in the pit of her stomach as she looked at her friend lying hurt and helpless. But with all of the recent emotional turmoil she had just been through, she could hardly identify the feeling. But Kai shook her thoughts free and steeled her resolve. There would be plenty of time to look after her new best friend after they defeated Eon. Kai gripped her sword tighter and raised it back level.

“You go close. I’ll stay far.” She offered with little explanation. But Ben nodded, even despite their many years apart and their rocky relationship, they still had a battle bond forged by countless fights together.

Ben rushed for Maltruant Eon, shifting into a comet like form mid charge. Gravattack flexed his powers, drawing loose rocks along with him. Eon’s eyes widened as he realized that Ben had essentially summoned a miniature meteor storm that was headed straight for him. He jumped backwards, only to stumble as his unathletic body was unaccustomed to such an action. Ben landed in a crash in the spot where Eon had formerly stood, a crater forming around him. The multitude of rocks and boulders that he had dragged along with him soared past him and shot at Maltruant-Eon. The villain raised his arms to protect himself as the hail of rocks was too vast to dodge. The solid stone projectiles collided into him with dull thuds and metallic clangs. Thankfully, his steely body was defense enough against most of the bullets, but the larger projectiles did throw him off balance and cause him to cry out in pain. Eon scowled with Maltruant’s face. He lifted his arms, readying another volley of chrono-lasers to attack with. But he was struck in the face by a blinding and painful laser from afar.

Eon looked up to see where the attack had come from. His gaze landed on Kai who stood with arm outstretched and sword pointed in his direction from a distance. The sword glowed with white energy, the blade seeming to vibrate subtly. She reared backwards and cut through the air, another arc of white magical energy sent flying through the air. Maltruant Eon thrust his palm out and a wave of air rippled from his palm. The arc of energy began to slow further and further, until it moved at a snail’s pace. Undeterred, Kai began cutting through the air rapidly, sending more and more of the attacks towards him. But Maltruant used his chrono powers to slow each of the attacks to a crawl until they hung suspended in the air. Eon smiled but his satisfaction did not last long.

From the side, an enormously heavy punch collided with his head and sent the shape shifting villain sprawling to the floor. Gravattack sucker punched him as he was distracted by Kai’s attacks. He used his gravity powers to increase the force of his punch to insane levels. Maltruant Eon rolled to a stop and saw Gravattack stand above him. His eyes widened as the rocky alien lifted his foot up and stomped down on the chronosapien’s midsection. Maltruant Eon grasped at the alien’s foot upon his stomach and tried to lift him off. But Ben increased his weight cementing his foot in place and making him impossible to dislodge. The increase in gravity weighed down on Eon like a ton. He was certain if he was in his human form he would have been crushed. As it stood though, he was stuck in place. Eon struggled to lift a hand though, desperate to come up with a trick or plan that would get him out of his situation. But he was quite literally stuck between a rock and a hard place. Suddenly his vision spotted Kai walking up to him from the opposite side. She glared down at him before lifting up her sword.

With a quick downward stroke she severed Maltruant’s arm that held the broken seal. Eon screamed in pain, even though the mechanical lifeform had little in the way of nerve endings. Kai reached down to pick up the severed robotic arm. She pried open the fingers to claim the seal for herself. She discarded the limb afterwards and held the seal out to Ben. He took the broken piece of stone and examined it with a cursory glance. He looked back down at Eon with a triumphant smile on his face, while Eon could only scowl back through the limited expressions of a chronosapien face.

“Well Eon, it looks like we’ve won.” Ben gloated. “And you’re going to be going away for a long time.” He finished. Maltruant Eon chuckled darkly, rising in volume until his laugh echoed amogst the stone walls of the cave.

“That’s what you’d like to think, Ben” He answered. Suddenly the key on top of his head began to spin rapidly in a counter clockwise fashion. Soon a sphere of red energy began to envelop everything around them, growing larger and larger until it encompassed the entirety of the cavern. Bits of debris and stone began to move backwards through the air as Maltruant Eon reversed time. The stone flew back into place. Ben and Kai too retraced their steps and actions in exactly the same way. Maltruant Eon watched as their afterimages faded into each other. Even his own body was affected, his severed hand reattaching itself. He felt himself be floated down the timestream, back to the position he was in when this all started. Soon he had rewound time back to the exact moment he had grasped the seal. The key turned to a stop and like a car shifting gears Eon could feel the timestream resume its normal course.

“Eon!” He heard from behind him. Maltruant Eon turned around and smiled as he saw the duo of heroes in the exact same starting positions.

“Oh hello there. I’d love to stay and chat, but believe it or not, I don’t have the time.” Eon repeated his joke from earlier. But this time, Eon decided to change tactics. He already had the seal, he didn’t need to waste time fighting with Ben. With a single hand he palmed the Abominatrix symbol and transformed into Ghostfreak. Now intangible Eon flew upwards through the ceiling to escape.

“No!” Ben yelled and was about to give chase.

“Forget him!” Kai said catching his attention. “We’ve gotta help our friends!” Kai shouted as she made her way over to Charmcaster. Ben looked solemnly at the spot where Eon disappeared before nodding and running to Rook on the opposite side. When Kai reached Charmcaster and saw her laid out hurt on the ground, her heart froze in her chest. As she saw the girl breathe, she breathed her own sigh of relief. Breathing meant that Charmcaster was still alive, but if she didn’t act fast who knew how long that would last? Kai knelt down by the helpless girl and turned her over so that she could look into her face. As Kai gazed on her unconscious expression she felt a mixture of odd sensations and emotions. The first, was a strange pit in her stomach and an ache in her heart that she could not identify given the recent emotional turmoil she had just been through. The second feeling she had, was the odd sense of déjà vu which had told her she had done this before. Together the emotions and feelings left her even more unsettled than the fight she had just had with Ben. But she knew she had to put it out of her mind, Charmcaster needed her, and she wasn’t going to let her down.

A/N: So this chapter has been a long time coming. I stated from the very beginning that this story would have Anti-Kai elements. I admit that in writing this story my opinion of her has slightly improved somewhat, but that may just be my attachment to my own version of the character. I know some of my comments about her in this chapter are things that have not happened in canon but I think it wouldn’t be too far of a stretch for her character. I still never liked how they paired her and Ben together but again that’s just my opinion. I do think that they are too alike in canon to make a good couple, especially with all the arguments they did have in canon. Feel free to leave your comments defending her if you want but I’m likely going to disregard them, my mind’s already made up.

Chapter 34: Chapter 34

Chapter Text

Ben X Chapter 34
Abominatrix Arc
Cult of Personality

Julie Yamamoto sat with her laptop open, cruising the web for any leads on the Flame Keeper’s circle. Despite her previous association with the, for lack of a better word, cult; Julie was never a high ranking member of the organization, and as such had little in the way of information regarding them. A fact which somewhat irked her. Hindsight had proven clearly to her that they had only used her to get to Ben at the time. Julie had heard rumors that the cult was still active on a small level, she just didn’t know where. She, Gwen, and Kevin thus had little choice but to start with what they knew. So they had visited the location of their former offices in Bellwood. Unfortunately there was little in the way of information there either. The offices had since been rented out to different companies over the years, and all of the group’s files, computers, and memorabilia had either been thrown out or sequestered in an out of the way closet. But that had not deterred them. So they searched through the remaining files and computers for any information they could find, no matter how small. Eventually, buried in a file of obsolete financial information and donation records, they seemed to stumble upon a secondary headquarters for the group. It was the only lead they had thus far and as such they were determined to follow it.

That lead to their current situation on the Rust Bucket, flying to Chicago of all places. Their investigation had discovered a former headquarters for the cult which disguised itself as a humanitarian aid organization. Additionally, Julie had discovered evidence of still active cult members on old message boards and email lists which seemed to hint at them being in the wider Chicago area. Julie had to smile as she thought on the memory of Ship helping her with her search. Since the many battles they had been through together she had learned much more of his abilities and found she had vastly underestimated him. With his link to her mind she was easily able to hack into old servers and peruse the Circle’s records. She wasn’t anywhere close to the level of say Cooper, but she thought she had advanced quickly with her newfound abilities, even if she had to rely on Ship. A frown briefly came over her face. It was no secret that since the beginning of this whole ordeal she had felt somewhat inferior to all her friends. They were all advanced plumber agents, with unique skills and abilities that aided them in battle and made them stand out. Even compared to Kai, who even just being a normal human still had valuable knowledge and mastery of martial arts, Julie felt insecure. She had voiced these concerns to Gwen prior to their departure from Galvan Prime. Gwen had been a close friend while she was dating Ben years ago, after their break up she had gradually drifted apart from the sorceress. Gwen had assured her that skills were unique and appreciated among their group. She had told Julie that even if Ship was the one that gave her access to said abilities, she was still the one using them. Those words brought a comfort to her, that she wasn’t part of the group out of pity.

She had no further time to muse on her thoughts though as Kevin brought them down for a landing. The Rust Bucket came to a stop on a distant runway of the O’Hare airport. Apparently, Gwen had called ahead and had their landing approved hours ago. It was still sometimes strange to think about the authority that Gwen held. Throughout their journey Julie had somehow forgotten that Gwen was technically an advisor to the President. Even as they descended out of the Rust Bucket and made their way into the city, Julie could spy a number of media agencies and papparazi spying on them from afar. Julie was something of a minor celebrity herself, given her success in sports. But the constant papparazi trailing them made her think back to her teenage years when she dated Ben. It was one part of why she had broken up with him in the first place. Now that she was travelling with the group again she could only shudder at the thought of the increased scrutiny it would put back on her and the many rumors that were certain to abound about whether her and Ben were dating again. Even if she did consider herself back together with him, this wasn’t something that she looked forward to in her renewed relationship. But thinking about Ben again had her consider another thought which she voiced to her companions.

“Hey, do people know that Ben’s back?” She asked Gwen and Kevin. She thought back to his initial departure. She vaguely remembered his so called disappearance to be a major news story back when it first happened. She hadn’t paid too much attention back then, due to the fact that she was one of the last people to see him, and his visit and request had caused confusing feelings in her. But now that he was active again, Julie had to wonder whether the wider public knew or not.

“Not officially, no.” Gwen answered. “Of course all the Plumbers know and I’ve had to tell some higher ups in the government, but officially he hasn’t made a return.” She explained further.

“How come?” Kevin asked intrigued by the decision. But Gwen simply shrugged.

“He said he didn’t want to make a big deal of it yet. Besides with all the travelling we had to do and the mission to track down and stop Eon it’s not like its anything permanent.” She responded.

“Huh, ya know, years ago Ben definitely would have made his return to be some grand thing. I guess he really has changed. Right Julie?” Kevin asked her pointedly putting emphasis on her name with a knowing smirk. Julie found herself blushing.

“Yeah, he has.” She said shyly. She hadn’t really mentioned her and Ben’s rekindling of their relationship to any of their friends. There just hadn’t been a good time to do so. Yet Kevin somehow knew. And she knew for a fact that Ben hadn’t said anything yet. She supposed he was more perceptive than she gave him credit for. But unfortunately Gwen didn’t miss the interaction between them. Her eyebrows raised at the teasing look that Kevin sent her way and Julie’s blush and attempt to avert her gaze.

“No way. Are you guys together again?” She asked with delighted surprise. Julie sighed but still held a smile on her face. She supposed that the cat was out of the bag now and she nodded with a shy smile.

“Ah! That’s great! I’m so happy for you guys!” Gwen said wrapping her up in a hug which Julie returned. “I liked Kai but she was way too much like Ben for either of their good. I always thought that you were a better influence on him.” Gwen said letting go. At the mention of Kai, Julie’s face fell. She had a suspicion that Kai somehow knew just like Kevin did. The fact that Ben chose her to accompany him on his mission had her concerned. She supposed that he was going to break the news to her. Kevin seemed to sense her thoughts and spoke up as well.

“I’m sure Kai’s already gone after Ben’s throat by now. But their whole relationship has been like that before. I’m sure he’ll be fine.” Kevin assured her and Julie smiled at him. “Now, as much as I love talking about Ben’s love life, we’ve still got a job to do here.” He declared as they came out of the airport. Julie bent down to pick up Ship who soon transformed himself into a backpack which fit neatly against Julie’s back.

The group soon piled into a rental car that Gwen had acquired for them. Kevin of course drove them all through the heavy midmorning traffic of the city, with no small amount of frustration. Their destination was yet another nondescript office building on the south side of the city. They arrived after a mere half hour, with Kevin still complaining about the traffic and the rental car itself. As they entered the building and asked around, they learned that much like the offices in Bellwood, the Flame Keeper’s Circle had long abandoned these offices. But unlike their previous endeavor, this office still had much of the group’s records and files still present. Apparently in the confusion of the battle with the Forever Knights, no one had bothered to come back here to clean house. But that suited the trio of heroes just fine. They began their search through the numerous files and computer systems.

The young heroes spent hours sifting through the records left behind the group. Much of it was incriminating in its own right: details of illegal transactions and now defunct bank accounts. The group even dealt in alien arms deals through brokers Kevin recognized the names of. But unfortunately, none of the information was really what they were looking for. They were nearly ready to give up. Until Gwen happened to spy a familiar name on one of the nearby documents. Gwen snatched up the piece of paper and skimmed over it, her eyes widening in surprise.

“Hey guys, come check this out.” She beckoned. Julie and Kevin walked over to read through the paper that she held up.

“This paper references a financial transfer from the Flame Keeper’s circle to one Francis Edwards. Wasn’t Edwards the name of the top guy in the Circle?” Gwen asked for clarification.

“Yeah! Conduit Edwards he called himself. But I thought he died in that final battle?” Julie asked confused.

“He did.” Kevin confirmed. “But what’s so important about a bank transfer? Dude was probably embezzling from his own organization.” He surmised.

“Because this money transfer happened after his supposed death.” Gwen stated, pointing out the date.

“No way. Do you think he somehow… survived?” Julie asked slightly nervous. She had never stopped to consider the possibility before. The Esoterica had a myriad of mystical powers. She supposed he could have magically healed himself, or teleported to safety. She felt a sense of bitterness and revulsion at the thought. Conduit Edwards was the one who had tricked her into joining in the first place. She wouldn’t have wished death on anyone but the thought that Edwards may have survived and resumed his brainwashing on other young innocents filled her with a sense of disgust.

“I don’t know. I guess it’s possible.” Gwen rubbed her chin thoughtfully, no doubt thinking along the same lines as Julie. “But look, there’s also a record of a donation to the University of Chicago.” She said pointing down lower on the document.

“Okay, assuming that Edwards is still alive, why would he donate money to a college?” Kevin asked suspicious.

“I don’t know. But I think it’s another lead worth checking out.” Gwen responded, folding up the piece of paper and slipping it into a pocket.

The trio of heroes quickly made their way to the next destination. As far as any of them knew, the University of Chicago had no connection with the Flame Keeper’s Circle. But the money trail was clear and they were determined to get to the bottom of it. They arrived to the main campus, an open courtyard with a well manicured field and sparse trees. A multitude of college students milled about, talking and laughing or walking to their next class. A few played games on the open field. It was a strange sight in the midst of the rest of the bustling city of Chicago. They looked around at their surroundings with confusion and apprehension. This was unfamiliar territory for them. For both Gwen and Julie, they at least were familiar with college life. Kevin was still mostly out of his depth having not attended any formal education in years. Gwen had suggested that they try to find an administrative building for the college to begin their inquiry about the payments. Julie however disagreed, thinking that a direct approach would tip off whatever remnants of the Esoterica were around the college. She instead suggested sneaking in and hacking into the school’s financial records. Kevin let the girls debate as he kept an eye on their surroundings. He didn’t want them to draw too much attention to themselves so he took a step away from them to look around some more. It was then that he noticed he was approached by a random student.

“Hey man! Do you need some help?” The stranger said asked amicably. Kevin eyed him up and down looking for any potential threats. He shorter than Kevin, but only by an inch. He had brown hair and eyes and what Kevin had taken to calling a ‘dreamboat’ face that he knew girls would go crazy over. He wore a simple black hoodie with a pair of jeans. He smiled again at Kevin.

“Nah, man I’m good, thanks.” Kevin said intent on ignoring him. But the stranger’s smile didn’t fade.

“Really? Cuz you seem like you’re lost?” He asked with a tilt of his head. Kevin glanced at him again with narrowed eyes which widened when he spotted the small picture of a flame on the kid’s hoodie.

“Actually we are a little lost.” He heard Gwen come up behind him. “We’re looking for…” But Kevin clapped a hand on her shoulder and interrupted her quickly.

“Actually we’re new to campus. We’re uh transfer students. This is our first time here. We’re just checking the place out ya know?” Kevin replied in an overly friendly fashion.

“Right on. I’m Dane, I’m a senior here, and also an ambassador to a student outreach group here on campus.” Dane explained. Gwen gave a raised eyebrow to Kevin who deliberately ignored the look and instead gestured to their group.

“Cool, I’m Kevin. This is my girlfriend Gwen and our friend Julie.” He introduced them. “Tell us more about this outreach group you mentioned.” Kevin said quickly changing the topic but in a smooth and effortless way. Dane’s face seemed to light up.

“I’m so glad you asked. We call ourselves the Ember Association. We’re a student group that does things like charity work, community outreach, and fundraising. But we also do stuff like parties and networking events. But mainly we help new students to campus adjust and get their feet settled.” Dane said.

“Oh that sounds cool.” Kevin said with that same fake interest. “Gwen here is big into charity work right babe?” He nudged her elbow, silently telling her to go along with his plan.

“Oh, yeah. Yeah I did a lot of volunteering in col… uh high school.” She said not nearly as smooth as Kevin.

“Oh that’s great! We’re always looking for new members.” Dane said seemingly not picking up on their awkwardness. “But anyway do you want me to give you guys a tour?” He asked pointing a thumb over his shoulder.

“Yeah that’d be great dude!” Kevin said with enthusiasm and immediately began following Dane. Gwen and Julie exchanged confused clances before they too followed after Dane and Kevin.

“So have you guys decided what you’re going to major in?” Dane asked nonchalantly.

“Political science.” Gwen said easily, choosing just one of the majors she had already earned several degrees from.

“I’m thinking about Engineering.” Kevin responded next.

“Uh, Journalism.” Julie replied next thinking about her dream to do sports writing after she retired from professional tennis.

Dane simply nodded encouragingly at each of their choices before he lead them on a tour of the campus. He showed them the main study halls and lecture halls around campus. In between visiting the main buildings he also gave them a history of the University. He notably avoided mention of any of the other student clubs and groups on campus besides those of the Ember Association. Eventually he ended their tour near a dining hall where he offered to treat them to lunch.

“Thanks but we already ate.” Kevin dismissed. “But if you’ve got like a business card for the Embers we’ll take that. I think we might want to look into it a little more.” Kevin offered. Dane chuckled.

“Hah well we don’t have business cards but we do have flyers!” He said digging through his backpack to hand Kevin a flyer. It had a list of meeting dates and locations as well as phone numbers, emails, and social media pages. At the top of the flyer was a stylized image of a flame. “Just text the number on the bottom and mention my name and we’ll get you some more info.” Dane said. Kevin smiled and raised his hand for a high five.

“Thanks man, appreciate it.” Kevin said easily. Dane slapped hands with him and smiled again before wishing them all goodbyes. As soon as he was out of earshot, Kevin’s smile dropped immediately from his face.

“Okay… you want to tell us what that was all about Mr. Engineering major?” Gwen asked suspiciously with arms crossed. Kevin glanced at both the girls with a dark look in his eyes. He passed them the flyer, pointing at the fire picture.

“This Ember Association is our best lead.” Kevin explained.

“What? Why?” Julie asked confused as to how a simple student group could possibly be related to the Flame Keeper’s circle. Kevin regarded the two of them as if they were clueless.

“All of that was classic cult tactics.” He explained. “The face of the Cult are the young attractive looking ones. They act all nice and friendly to lure in young, outcast, and lonely kids, give them a sense of belonging. They make you feel like you make a difference. But in reality they just brainwash you to give your loyalty to the cult. I’ve had to deal with a number of groups like that growing up.” Kevin responded darkly. Julie and Gwen looked between each other with a degree of shock. “Plus,” Kevin said pointing again to the picture on the flyer. “They’re calling themselves the Ember Association. Embers? Flame Keepers? See the connection?” Kevin pointed out as if it was obvious. Julie and Gwen once again exchanged looks as they realized that Kevin seemed to be right on the money. Julie once again wondered just how smart Kevin was and why he always seemed to hide it.

“Ok, so the Embers are likely the remnants of the Flame Keepers. So I would assume that the money transfer to the University was a bribe to let them operate. But why the university in the first place? Just a recruitment ground for more members?” Gwen wondered.

“I don’t know, but infiltrating this group will take too long. We need to get to the top bronto.” Kevin said punching his fist to his palm.

“And how would you suppose we do that?” Julie asked. Kevin only smirked in response.

Julie, Kevin, and Gwen approached the meeting spot with hoods drawn and hidden in the shadows. The meeting was supposed to take place underground in one of the city’s disused sewer systems. They approached the entrance: an open grate under a small bridge that passed over a drainage ditch ending in a small culvert. Julie hated to admit it but Kevin’s tactics for gaining entry into the cult worked like a charm. If you could call holding a higher member of the cult hostage and threatening him into revealing secrets any sort of tactic. But regardless, the trio were able to get the information they needed. Luckily for them, a meeting for the roughtly two dozen of the Ember’s upper echelons was taking place tonight. All they needed to do was infiltrate the meeting, confront Conduit Edwards (or whoever was posing as him), and put them into custody to prevent whatever relic they had from falling into Eon’s hands. It was all much easier said than done though. They still didn’t know fully what they were walking into. They were unsure if there were any further Esoterica awaiting them inside. They didn’t even really know what they were looking for. Gwen theorized that the ‘Faith’ that was referred to in the resurrection spell was a holy object held in the cult’s possession. But they all knew that they needed to apprehend the cult before Eon got to them.

As the trio reached the circular grate embedded into the concrete, hoods still up and obscuring their faces, another member of the Embers nodded his head at them and gestured them to head inside. They walked single file into the small dark tunnel, a single flame held by their guide acting as the only source of light. Thankfully there was no stench that they would have expected from the sewers, but the air was still damp and unpleasant. Eventually the tunnel opened up into a larger empty cistern. A collection of cloaked figures milled about in small groups around the room. The circular chamber was lit by caged flood lights on the tops of the round walls, casting a fluorescent glow onto the floor. The trio of heroes kept to themselves, not wanting to raise suspicion. The only conversation that occurred was in quiet hushed whispers which lent an eerie atmosphere to the already cryptic gathering. Finally the sound of echoing footsteps sounded from a tunnel in front of them and the group of cloaked figures quieted down. They watched as another hooded stranger emerged from the tunnel and stepped in front of the group. He lowered his hood to reveal a young white man with brown hair and eyes.

“That’s not Conduit Edwards.” Gwen observed quietly.

“No, but it does kind of look like him?” Julie replied back. They silenced their voices as the stranger began to speak.

“My loyal brothers and sisters!” He began. “Thank you all for gathering here on this most glorious of nights! As you all know, my father, Conduit Thomas Edwards, gave his life years ago in service to ressurect our god Dagon. But alas his sacrifice was in vain, as the meddling of the Forever Knights and the accursed Ben Tennyson foiled our plans!” He continued to applause and jeers. The trio of heroes exchanged glances at the reveal of Edward’s son. “But now, I, Francis Edwards have brought us one step closer to our goal!” Edwards spoke eliciting claps from the crowd. “I have met with a powerful benefactor who seeks to revive Dagon just as we do! I met him several months ago, when he approached me with offers of aid and support in exchange for adding more faithful to our cause. Please, welcome our fellow member into the fold!” Edwards stated and stepped aside to allow another shadowy figure to step into the light. Julie, Gwen and Kevin all gasped as they saw Eon step into the cistern, a shady smile on his face and hands held behind his back.

“That’s Eon! We’ve got to move.” Kevin said harshly. Immediately all three heroes prepared to spring into action, dropping their cloaks. Kevin absorbed the concrete onto his body, while Ship armed Julie and Gwen raised twin spheres of mana in her fists. The surrounding cultists all stepped back in shock and gasped. Edwards to turn to stare at them in shock before pointing at them in disdain.

“Heretics! They are affiliated with our enemy Ben 10! Destroy them!” He issued the order. Immediately the three heroes were beset upon by the numerous cultists. The cloaked cultists rushed them, no weapons in hand aside from their fervent zeal for their cause. They clawed at them with bare hands and tackled them trying to take them to the ground. The cistern soon filled with the sounds of shouts and fights. Ordinarily, the trio would have had no problem taking down the cultists. Kevin’s enhanced strength, Gwen’s mana forcefields, and even the built in taser in Julie’s armor could have made short work of them. However, the cramped space and sheer number of the zealots made defeating them more difficult than it should have been.

“Edwards!” Gwen finally called out over the shouts of the crowd. “Eon is just trying to trick you! He doesn’t want to resurrect Dagon, he wants to steal his power for his self!” Gwen called desperately in warning.

“Liars!” Edwards responded. “I will not believe you! My faith is absolute!” He cried.

“And that is all I need.” Eon said from behind him. Shocked, Edwards turned around just in time to see Eon run him through the middle with Ascalon. The cult leader looked between Eon and the sword with shock as the blood began to seep from the wound.

“Blasphemer.” Edwards cried out as Eon smiled wickedly at him. Eon withdrew the sword and Edwards stumbled backwards for a step.

“No good sir, I was true to my word. Now your faith shall feed him.” Eon spoke before he thrust out the Abdominatrix. The runes on the device glowed a bright violet color. Immediately all of the cultists in the room fell to their knees in pain. The trio of heroes watched in horror as it looked like their very souls were sucked from their bodies. Ghostly apparitions were torn from their bodies, screaming in agony and swirling to form a vortex centered on Eon’s arm. When all was said and done, the cultists lay drained on the floor like shriveled husks.

“With this I need only one more requirement for the ritual! When I retrieve the Alpha Rune, ultimate power will be mine!” He crowed. Gwen barely had time to react before Kevin shouted.

“Murderer!” Kevin screamed and charged at the madman. But Eon only smirked and ran into the shadows of the tunnel he previously emerged from. The heroes gave chase but soon after many twists and turns it became apparent that he had eluded them.

A/N: This chapter was a pain to write. I really had to slog through it mostly because I wasn’t interested in it all that much. Still I did like parts of it and I hope you guys do too. Also I found a review by a guest reviewer who praised the story as a ‘love letter to the prime continuity’ which is really what I wanted it to come across as so thank you so much. The rest of the chapters should be coming along much better as it’ll be way more fun to write.

Chapter 35: Chapter 35

Chapter Text

Ben X Chapter 35
Abominatrix Arc
Pandemonium part 1

Ben, Kai, Rook, and Charmcaster raced to the location given to them by Gwen. Up ahead of them they saw Gwen, Kevin, and Julie standing on the bridge overlooking the drainage ditch. The red and blue glow of emergency vehicles lit up their faces in the early morning. A light drizzle of rain fell gently on their shoulders. When they finally caught up with them, Ben felt his heart drop to his stomach as he watched paramedics lining up incredibly frail figures on the ground.

“Are they…” Ben began to ask but a quick reassuring hand by Gwen calmed his fears.

“They’ll be okay, eventually. I managed to stabilize them with my mana.” Gwen responded immediately, knowing her cousin’s fears well. Ben nodded in relief. “Well, everyone but Edwards, the medics said his condition is touch and go.” She added as an after thought. Ben nodded again, having had their adventures explained to them all over their plumber communicators.

“More importantly guys. I know what Eon’s going after next.” Gwen informed them.

“Then we must stop him as soon as possible.” Rook spoke. “This is our last chance. He has already acquired three of the four necessary components for the ritual.” He stated.

“What’s the last component?” Ben asked, eager to get their mission underway. He did not want to waste any more time and give Eon another chance to get away. Gwen turned her attention away from Ben and towards Charmcaster. The young sorceress was confused and felt put on the spot especially as all eyes began to turn towards her. But Gwen’s expression was not one of accusation, rather of sadness.

“He’s going after the Alpha Rune.” Gwen stated simply. Charmcaster’s eyes widened for a fraction of a second before she schooled her expression.

“No, impossible. He’ll never get it.” Charmcaster quickly said.

“How are you so sure?” Kevin asked. Charmcaster crossed her arms and turned slightly away from the group.

“Because I got rid of it.” She said defensively.

“Did you destroy it?” Gwen asked curiously. Even though she had forgiven Hope for her actions and believed that she had turned a new leaf, she never pressed the older girl for details on what she had done with the Alpha Rune. Gwen wasn’t even sure one could destroy such an object of immense power.

“No… But I put it somewhere not even I could get it back easily. There’s no way Eon will be able to retrieve it either.” Charmcaster explained.

“All the same, I think we should try to get it before he does.” Ben said. A shudder ran through Charmcaster’s body at the thought, and she took a step away from the group. They all looked at her with expressions of confusion and concern as the sorceress wrapped her arms tighter around her body.

“No, no I can’t. I can’t go back there. I won’t.” She said with a shaky voice. Charmcaster turned her back on the group. She knew she was acting suspicious but at that moment she didn’t care. Behind her the remaining heroes exchanged perplexed whispers. Gwen in particular felt very conflicted. On the one hand her concern for her new friend made her wish they could simply let the issue be. She had only caught glimpses of a trauma and desperation that Charmcaster hid in her past. She knew something had happened to the sorceress to get her to change her tune but she had been hard pressed to find out exact details, Charmcaster was still very secretive about that. However, the more rational part of her brain knew that they could not afford to simply trust that Eon would be unable to retrieve the Alpha Rune himself. Gwen mulled over her words as the rest of the group conversed around her. She was about to go over to Hope and give words of support but she was surprised to find she was beaten to the punch by Kai of all people. Kai stepped over to Charmcaster and gently uncrossed her arms, squeezing her palm in the process. Charmcaster looked up to see Kai giving her a worn but gentle smile.

“Hey, it’s okay. We can do it together. I know whatever it is you can do it.” She whispered to her. Charmcaster stared at her with mouth only slightly agape before she turned back to look at the expectant gazes of her new found friends. The sorceress sighed.

“You’re all right. The Alpha Rune is too powerful to leave defenseless.” Charmcaster finally admitted.

“So you’ll take us to it?” Gwen asked.

“Yes, but first, we’ll need some help.” She responded walking back over to rejoin the group.

“Help from who?” Kevin asked confused.

“From my dear old uncle…”

Hex was having a good day. A much more frequent but still rare occurrence these days. His tea was brewing, his student’s papers had all been graded, and he had just received a rare edition of a grimoire that he was excited to begin reading. He had even donned his red bathrobe over his normal attire and put on his favorite pair of fuzzy slippers. All in all, he could say he was finally content at this moment. Such it was that he was only mildly irritated as he heard his door bell ring. He very rarely recieived visitors, aside from the one elderly neighbor who insisted on bothering him. But he knew her to be gone on vacation so he was unsure to the identity of his visitor. He stood from his arm chair and made his way over to the front door where he swung it open to find a very surprising sight.

“Gwen and Ben Tennyson? And friends?...” He said as his gaze landed on the half a dozen young adults standing at his doorway. But his eyes widened in shock as they landed on certain violet cloaked sorceress.

“Hi… Uncle Hex.” Charmcaster waved uncertainly.

The group were shocked however as Hex immediately jumped backwards and began chanting. Suddenly circular red mana constructs appeared in the air between him and the group. They spun slowly with arcane symbols and sigils decorating their perimiter. The air filled with mana as Hex put up his defenses.

“You shall not trick me again Charmcaster!” Hex yelled across the room. “I don’t know how you’ve managed to gain control over all of these individuals but I will not allow it to happen to me a second time.” He shouted from a defensive position. Charmcaster’s face fell at her uncle’s words and her hands dropped to her sides.

“Wait Professor Hex!” Gwen interjected. “Hope is good now we promise!” She said arms out in front of her. Hex’s eyes flitted between Gwen, Charmcaster and the rest of the group. His posture relaxed somewhat but he still kept his guard up.

“How can I believe you? More importantly why do you believe her?” Hex questioned.

“Because she’s fought alongside us. She’s risked her life to keep us safe.” Kai spoke up from outside.

“She’s even given up the Alpha Rune.” Gwen added in defense. Hex’s eyes widened again and he scanned over Charmcaster more closely. It seemed true. She no longer had the immense amount of mana that he was previously accustomed to. He lowered his guard and looked at her suspiciously.

“Is this true?” He asked.

“Yes. It’s actually why I’ve come back. I need your help to get it back. Not for me!” She clarified. “But because they need to keep it safe.” She said pleadingly. Hex stared at her astonished but shook his head.

“I think you should all come inside.” Hex said. He gestured them into his home and one by one the large group filtered into his living room. Hex’s abode was a mix of strange and eclectic oddities, decorations, and knick-knacks spread among more modern furnishings. The room had wooden floors and pale cream but faded wallpaper. Large bookshelves lined the room filled with dusty and ancient tomes. Stately furniture sat upon an intricate rug while a victorian like lamp stood in the corner and a crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling. The room would have been dated but inviting had it not been for some of the more gothic decorations lining the walls and shelves. Even around the small TV was a set of black candles. Strange horrid statues stared at the group as they milled about and either stood around the room or found seating on the couch.

“I think you should explain everything from the beginning, dear.” Hex added as an afterthought as he addressed Charmcaster. The young sorceress took a deep breath before beginning.

“When I finally realized that the Alpha Rune’s power was corrupting me and making me go… mad, I knew that I had to get away from it. I knew that I couldn’t just abandon it and let someone else abuse it. So I devised a plan to hide it away. I put it in a place that I knew wouldn’t be easily accessible, and more importantly, I wouldn’t be able to get back to it easily if I was ever tempted again.” Charmcaster explained. Hex became progressively more and more concerned as Charmcaster spoke.

“Child, please tell me you did not put it where I think you did?” Hex asked with a note of desperation. But Charmcaster only nodded solemnly.

“I left it in Panedemonium, in the Gardens of Madness.” She spoke gravely. The gathered heroes all looked confused at the name, but Hex seemed to know exactly what she meant and began pacing nervously in his living room.

“Of all the places you could have put the Alpha Rune. Now I know you truly must be insane.” Hex said. But Hope seemed to finally take offense at her uncle’s suggestion.

“No, Uncle.” She spoke tersely. “If anything, my journey through Pandemonium helped me.” She said placing a hand on her chest.

“Ok time out.” Ben interrupted. “Can someone please explain what Pandemonium is?” He asked glancing between Charmcaster, Hex, and Gwen.

“Don’t look at me, I’ve never heard of it before.” Gwen replied.

“You wouldn’t have child.” Hex spoke up. “It is a place known mostly to those of Ledgerdomain. It is also known as the Gardens of Madness.” Hex explained seriously. “It is a place overflowing with mana, but it also has strange effects on the psyche. It makes foreign paths look familiar, and paths you’ve taken a hundred times seem utterly unrecognizable. This makes it extremely easy for you to become lost and wander the Gardens forever.” Hex finished.

“Which is partly why I hid the Alpha Rune there in the first place.” Charmcaster explained. “Navigating the Gardens is difficult, and I knew it would be safe there. The other reason was that many years ago Pandemonium was seen as a sacred place by our people.” She said gesturing to both herself and Hex. “It was often used as a place of introspection and to gain wisdom.” She explained.

“Yes, back when our civilization thrived and we had guides and knowledge. Without that guidance you are lucky you made it out alive.” Hex said. “Since you somehow made it out safely, I cannot possibly fathom why you would wish to go back in there. For what purpose do you need the Alpha Rune again?” He asked.

“There’s a villain named Eon who’s gone around capturing all my enemies in a version of my Omnitrix who wants to resurrect an ancient transdimensional omnipotent alien deity so he can gain its power and the Alpha Rune is the final piece of the ritual he needs to make that happen.” Ben said succinctly. “I think that about sums it up.” He added. Hex took a very deep breath as he processed that information, hands near his face and fingers pressed in concern. But his concentration was broken as Charmcaster stepped up to him.

“Uncle.” She said quietly. “I know that I’ve done, truly horrible things, not just to you but to others as well. I’ve never apologized until now because, maybe I felt I needed to earn it somehow. I know you may not trust me, but they do.” She gestured to her friends. “And they need our help. You know as well as I do that Pandemonium can only be reached by a powerful incantation. I’m, not strong enough on my own any more. I know you’ve turned over a new leaf, and I only want the same thing. You’re… the only family I have left. So please?” Hope asked pleadingly. Hex stared at her a moment, searching her eyes before smiling gently.

“Of course.” He said. The two family members embraced in a hug, Hope hiding her face in the crook of Hex’s neck. “It is good to have you back, my niece.” He whispered. The pair ended their embrace, still smiling. But Hex’s smile faded as he turned to regard the rest of the group more seriously.

“I have agreed to help, but I must insist that we discuss your plan. The Gardens hold more dangers than you might realize, first and foremost being the Gardener himself.” Hex explained.

“Who is this Gardener?” Kevin asked intrigued.

“The Gardener is a large construct of mana and stone. It serves as the protector of Pandemonium, as well as its caretaker, changing the landscape of the Gardens as it sees fit. It will attack any it deems unworthy to traverse Pandemonium.” Hex elaborated.

“Can it be reasoned with?” Gwen asked from the sofa. But Hex sadly shook his head.

“It’s sentience has always been dubious at best. If the Gardener decides you don’t belong it will stop at nothing to eject you.” Hex said. Ben regarded the information thoughtfully.

“Charmcaster, you’ve been to Pandemonium before. Did you ever run into the Gardener? And if so, how’d you avoid it?” Ben asked.

“Oh, uh…” Charmcaster rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly. “I actually never encountered the Gardener. I could sense him around me but I did my best to avoid him and it seemed like he never noticed me.” She said with a shrug.

“Which is precisely why I am proposing that only a small number of us enter the Gardens.” Hex interrupted. “The less people to enter, the smaller the chance of us running into the Gardener and more importantly, the less risk of losing people inside.” Hex explained to a mixture of concerned reactions of the group. “I suggest that myself, Charmcaster, and Gwen be the ones to venture into the Gardens. We are the only magic users of your group and will have a natural advantage in Ledgerdomain.” Hex proposed. Around him some of the group seemed to nod in acceptance of the logic of the plan. But Ben stood from his seat.

“Sorry Hex, but I can already see a problem with your plan there.” He said gathering the attention of the group. “If Eon is going to be going into the Gardens as well, then we’ll need to send more than just three people to deal with him. We already know he can handle just a few of us with how powerful he is. Even with the power boost you three will have I don’t know if that will be enough, remember he still has access to Addwaitya through the Abominatrix.” Ben pointed out.

“If Eon has access to Addwaitya’s memories, then navigating the Gardens will likely be easier for him. That’s where Addwaitya originally obtained the Alpha Rune.” Charmcaster added. Hex crossed his arms in deep contemplation.

“This is truly a predicament you have found yourselves in.” Hex stated. He raised his head to look around at the gathered young adults in his home. “Are you all prepared to enter Pandemonium, knowing all of the risks that I have told you about?” Hex asked them all.

The gathered heroes all exchanged glances with each other. Kevin and Gwen’s eyes immediately sought each other out. Kevin knew she wouldn’t give up because of something like this and so he smiled letting her know that he would follow her to hell and back. Rook seemed the least intimidated of them all, while going into uncharted territory was somewhat nerve-wracking, his entire plumber career had essentially involved unfamiliar sights and situations, and this was no exception to him. Ben’s eyes searched for Julie’s and they gazed at each other for but a moment. But in that moment, a thousand thoughts seemed to pass between them. Ship had crawled to lay on Julie’s lap, seemingly oblivious to the challenges that laid ahead. But Ben saw that Julie had the utmost confidence in both herself and Ship. For her part she was more concerned about making sure Ben didn’t lose his way. If the Gardens really did mess with your head she had to make sure she was there to keep Ben’s screwed on straight. Ben knew better to argue with her, despite how much he wanted only to keep her safe. His eyes flickered over to Kai next only to see her gazing at Charmcaster in silent contemplation. When Kai finally noticed Ben’s gaze she glanced down at her feet. Ben couldn’t tell if she was ashamed or not. Since their fight in the cave they hadn’t talked much to each other. Ben was about to say something before Kai raised her head with a determined look in her eyes. She nodded resolutely at Ben who gave a grateful smile back. The entire spate of interactions seemed to happen silently in less than the span of a minute.

“I think we’re all good.” Ben said proudly.

Hex nodded his head before he clapped his hands. In a plume of fire his outfit had changed to that of his normal magician’s attire complete with the normal hood that he wore. He gestured for the group to follow him. He lead them through his home until he reached a room that seemed dedicated solely to his pursuit of magic. If his living room had seemed gothic and arcane this room was even doubly so. Far more ancient tomes lined the walls and esoteric sigils were drawn upon the floor. More of the black candles were spread about, casting eerie light onto the windowless room. The room was just large enough to fit them all comfortably. With a snap of his fingers Hex changed the pattern on the floor.

Hex stood just off center and reached his hand out to Charmcaster with a smile. The sorceress took her uncle’s hand. In unison they began to chant. The words seemed to spill from their mouth with practiced ease as they faced the opposite wall. At first nothing happened, but as the chanting continued a portal began to appear in front of them. It started as a pinprick of light which began expanding. A wind appeared from seemingly nowhere and began whipping around the room, kicking up dust and fluttering the pages of the books left scattered about. The portal soon seemed to reach full size and beyond it they could see a strange twisted landscape suspended in a sky of purple and black. One by one the group stepped through the portal until it disappeared behind them.

The group of heroes stepped beyond the portal into the realm of Ledgerdomain. For some it was a return to a place once called home, or at least familiar territory. But for the others who had never been here it was a step into an utterly strange and foreign world. But despite the inherent strangeness of Ledgerdomain, that was not what garnered the majority of their attention. In front of them stood a large and sprawling mass of stone and vegetation. Large floating rocks seemed to serve as the basis for the widespread jungle which seemed to grow in all directions. Verdant leaves the size of cars splayed out into the open air. Trees with winding, twisting trunks grew up, down, and sideways, clinging to whatever piece of earth they could. Rivers of shining teal colored mana seemed to weave their way through the air, illuminating the dense forest. Rushing waterfalls spilled over the sides of the two columns that seemed to frame the entrance of the Gardens. An archway composed of woven vines and branches welcomed them and served as the gateway into Pandemonium. The group stared in awe and apprehension at the massive jungle that lay before them.

“This is… wow.” Said Rook, for once at a loss for words.

“Seriously, it’s beautiful, I’ve never seen a jungle like this before, and I’ve been in plenty.” Kai spoke up.

“Do not let it’s beauty lower your guard. The Gardens are still dangerous.” Hex warned them. He floated into the air and assumed a cross legged position similar to a meditating monk. “If you all truly wish to venture inside then I will not attempt to stop you. However, the least I can do is to remain here and act as an anchor for your sanity.” He began to explain. “The spell I shall cast should hopefully help you all to remain lucid and clear minded once inside, so long as you all stay together.” He stressed. “One last thing, please try to remain quiet, lest you attract the attention of the Gardener. Now go, be safe, and return unharmed.” Hex blessed them. He began moving his hands in strange circling motions, casting his spell. Charmcaster and Gwen were the only ones who detected the strands of mana that attached Hex to them.

With that final warning in mind, the group of heroes made their way into the vast forest. They ventured into the otherworldly jungle, unconsciously adopting a formation amongst themselves. Charmcaster and Gwen took the lead, while Kevin and Ben manned the sides of the formation behind them. In the center, Kai and Julie followed. Kai with her sword held down but at the ready and Julie with Ship’s sleek armor encasing her. Finally Rook took up the rear, proto-tool held at the ready. As they walked further and further along the path, they could not help but take in the majesty of the Gardens. Flowers of vibrant colors and iridescent shades lined their way. Strange birds and insects flitted about above their heads while in the distance they spotted small mammalian like creatures scuttling about in the undergrowth. More than once they passed underneath large floating boulders which seemed anchored in place by unknown forces, steady as a mountain. Eventually after several minutes of walking the paths began to split up, one leading up a hill, another descending into a curving road, and another which loomed forward.

“Which way now?” Kevin asked as the group paused to observe their options. All eyes turned towards Charmcaster who gazed on the paths uncertainly.

“I’m… not sure. I don’t exactly remember a lot of details from when I was here last.” She admitted.

“Whaddya mean you don’t remember?” Kevin asked accusingly. Charmcaster turned to him with a hint of her old self.

“We told you guys, this place messes with your head. Last time when I was here I was lost for months I think. It should be easier with Uncle Hex acting as anchor but it’s still confusing. Not to mention that legends say the Gardener is constantly altering the landscape in here.” She explained.

“Great, so having a guide was actually useless after all.” Kevin quipped.

“Kevin!” Gwen scolded him while Kai smacked him over the head for his comment. Ben turned to examine their surroundings, ignoring Kevin’s complaining and instead looking for clues that would help them. From the corner of his eye he could see Rook doing the same thing. Ben turned his gaze upwards at the stream of flowing light, noticing that it seemed to follow the path upwards.

“Charmcaster.” Ben called grabbing the woman’s attention. “What’s the deal with those glowing lights? Could they be helpful?” Charmcaster followed Ben’s gaze upwards, noticing the stream of teal colored light above them. Her eyes flashed in recognition.

“That’s a mana stream.” She explained. “They converge towards the center of Pandemonium where I left the Alpha Rune.” She finished.

“So it seems our solution is simple. We must only follow the mana stream to find the Alpha Rune no?” Rook conjectured. But Charmcaster shook her head.

“I wish it was only that easy. The mana streams don’t always go where we can follow. Sometimes they flow through solid rock or over wide open spaces where there’s no ground to walk on. So in short, we can follow them for a short time, but it’s unlikely that following a single stream will get us to our destination.” She explained.

“Still, it sounds like we’ve got a clue to work with.” Gwen said pointing upward. “I vote we go that way.” She said. A brief look was exchanged among the group. But since no one had better ideas they all soon ascended the gentle slope. The remainder of their travel was mostly quiet as they walked up the path. Soon they crested over the hill to look down into a valley of sorts. From their vantage point they could see the majority of the Gardens which seemed to spread out for miles. They watched as the stream of light they had followed veered off the path into the jungle towards it’s center, merging with other mana streams like a great river. The mana streams converged on what appeared to be a structure that was part mountain and part temple. It rose up from the surrounding forest where the lights merged and shined like a great beacon in the distance.

“Well, at least now we know where we need to go.” Ben quipped. But the rest of the group simply rolled their eyes at him. They followed the path down and noted that it did not seem to follow the mana stream which they previously were guided by. Eventually, the ground evened out and the trees towered over them once more. They followed the path until they came to a great river. The river was bridged by the trunk of a large and ancient tree which had fallen long ago. It was covered with moss and lichen and deep ridges grew in the bark. With no other path forward the group had no choice but to cross over the lumber bridge.

As soon as the last of them had crossed the bridge however, a loud rumbling shook the ground beneath their feet. They struggled to remain upright as the shaking grew more intense and even the trees and foliage around them trembled. Suddenly the landscape around them began to shift. The trees shrunk away or pulled back to be replaced by rocky boulders covered by different vegetation. The river and bridge behind them fell away, the once large timber tumbling downward to be replaced by thick forest. The wooded path in front of them widened into a grassland with tall weeds. As the trees receded though they spotted a strange visage appear through the trees. A massive stone face appeared over the grasses. The face appeared to be that of a human carved in ancient grey stone. A serene happy expression was depicted with a wide chiseled smile and kind eyes. The nose, round and bulbous protruded from the face. Its face ended in a flat line where it reached what would have been the forehead, the remainder of the face sloping downward to curve at the chin. On closer inspection three other stone visages were present. Together they orbited a large sphere of the same blue teal light of the mana streams. The group stared up at what could only be the Gardener.

The Gardener paused above them tilting its body downward as if to examine them with its stone face. Immediately when it spotted them, the eyes glowed with the power of mana and the stone faces rapidly spun around the sphere. It eventually landed on a face twisted in anger and rage, eyebrows furrowed and mouth drawn down in a snarl. The eyes alighted again and before any of them could react twin beams of light shot forth from its gaze

“Everyone scatter!” Charmcaster called. With little time to react otherwise, and not knowing how to fight such a being, the group reacted immediately to the command. They dove into the tall grasses, ducking down and praying that the Gardener wouldn’t find them. The Gardener floated about almost angrily above them shooting out more of the beams of light from all four of its faces which rapidly orbited the sphere which comprised its body. The sound of the laser fire filled the air as the beams zapped the ground. As Ben hid in the bush his mind raced to think of an alien that would be a match for the mana construct. But before he could even think to transform the Gardener suddenly ceased its attack, floating up and away from them, deeper into the forest. Ben watched the construct fly away with a perplexed expression before he stood from his hiding spot and made his way back to the main path. He emerged to find Kevin and Charmcaster also exiting the tall grasses.

“Is everyone okay?” He called out to the rest of the group.

“NOOO!!!!” They heard Rook call out. The three of them swiveled their heads around to see Rook trip ungracefully into the path. He shot up immediately, Proto-Tool held at the ready and a panicked expression on his face. Ben was taken aback for a minute as he had never seen Rook show such an expression of fear before. “No we are not okay! We’re stranded in the middle of an uncharted forest! Who knows what kind of danger lurks here!” He called out in a fear stricken voice. Ben, Charmcaster, and Kevin all stared at him in confusion before another voice grabbed their attention.

“Danger? How could you guys think this place is dangerous?” Julie’s voice asked. They watched as she skipped out of the tall grass, a blissful look on her face. “Look how beautiful this place is! How can you guys be anything but thrilled to be here?! I’m just so happy I get to experience such a wonderful place!” She called out.

“AAAGGGH!!” Came a warcry from off to their left. Kai emerged swinging her sword wildly at the grass which impeded her. “What are you even talking about? This place sucks! It’s hot, it’s dirty, it’s filled with annoying plants! Ah I hate it here!” She screamed wildly. Her face was twisted into an all too familiar expression of unbridled fury.

“Why are you guys all fighting? Haven’t we gone through enough?” Cried Gwen as she emerged from the grass with tears wetting the edges of her eyes. “Was it something I did? Ohhh nooo I knew it, I’m such a terrible person I’m sorry!” She began crying. Ben, Kevin, and Charmcaster stared around at their friend’s emotional outbursts, seemingly the only ones unaffected.

“Don’t cry silly! We’re in such a magical place with so many wonders to experience! I’m gonna go exploring and enjoy myself! Bye bye!” She laughed merrily as she began to skip off into the forest.

“Julie wait! I don’t think that’s a good idea!” Ben called after her but in a minute she had already disappeared.

“Ben’s right! This garden is a death trap! We have to get out of here!” Rook yelled. “Ahh! The path we took before has disappeared! We’ll never get out of here now! AHHHH We’re doomed!” Rook screamed and ran off in a different direction.

“That fur bag is right! This place sucks! I’m gonna get outta here if I have to tear through every stupid plant and rock in my way! RAAAGGGGHH!” Kai screamed and ran off in yet another direction, sword held proudly into the air.

“Oh no! This is all my fault!” Gwen bawled, tears running freely down her face. “I knew I never should have taken you all in here! Now we’re all gonna be lost forever and it’s all because of me! Waaaaahhh!!” She wailed hysterically before running off into the vegetation with tears blinding her eyes.

The remaining three of the group were soon left alone in the clearing, wondering what had just happened. Eventually the cries of their friends receded as they became lost and alone in the unyielding wilderness of the Gardens of Madness.

A/N: Hey fans! Hope you enjoy this latest chapter. The next few chapters are going to be the last part of the Abominatrix Arc and will lead into the final part of the story. I’m really excited about writing about Pandemonium so hopefully it’s as fun for you all.

Chapter 36: Chapter 36

Chapter Text

Ben X Chapter 36
Abominatrix Arc
Pandemonium part 2

Eon trudged through the verdant forests of Pandemonium. His mind awash in confusing emotions and memories. He did his best to ignore such thoughts and move forward. He had done this once before after all, long ago. Or no? No that was not his memory. That belonged to Addwaitya. He glanced down at the Abominatrix on his wrist. Even before entering Pandemonium he could hear the screams of his victims echoing in his head. Their cries for vengeance taunted him in his sleep and invaded even his waking moments. But it was no matter. His sanity was a small price to pay for ultimate power. And that power was so nearly in his grasp. His only remaining obstacle was the accursed landscape of the Gardens themselves. The Gardener’s constant interference made navigating the jungle a more challenging task then it otherwise would have been. That and the fact that his mind was tormented on two fronts, by the pyschic assualt of the gardens themselves and the cries of his captives, made his journey arduous. Even with Albedo’s Galvan form providing him with enchanced intelligence every now and then, he still had difficulty. But he could feel the Alpha Rune calling out to him. He was near to his goal, and he would stop at nothing to achieve it.

Ben stood in the small clearing of the grassy field, eyes darting between the different directions that his friends had all run off in. By now they could be anywhere. To add insult to injury it seemed the mana streams which had previously been providing them with light had been shifted away from them by the Gardener. Or was it more accurate to say the land they stood on was moved away from them? Either way, the forest now loomed dark and foreboding around them. The numerous shadows concealed the paths of their friends and would make even moving forward in any direction challenging. As Ben pondered their predicament he finally registered the sounds of harsh arguments behind him. He turned around to see both Kevin and Charmcaster up in each other’s faces, pointing and gesticulating wildly.

“We need to go after them!” Kevin argued.

“No, we should stick to the plan!” Charmcaster countered.

“How can you say that? Weren’t you the one who said they could end up lost forever here? Is that what you want?” Kevin waved his arms frantically.

“No of course not! But we’ll have better chances of finding them once we get the Alpha Rune.” Ben finally decided to approach the two causing them each to turn to him with incensed expressions.

“Ben tell her I’m right and we should go after Gwen first. She’ll be able to help us track the others by their mana.” Kevin argued.

“Uh, newsflash idiot, I can do that too.” Charmcaster rolled her eyes. “But it doesn't matter because there’s too much mana here it would cause interference.” She explained.

“Well then we should just follow their trails!” Kevin began to storm off in the direction of where Gwen ran off to, only to pause as he struggled to remember where she went.

“See we don’t even know where they went to!” Charmcaster pointed.

“I thought your uncle was supposed to be casting a spell to help us keep our heads. It didn’t look all that effective to me.” Kevin changed tactics, but Charmcaster simply rolled her eyes again.

“It only works at keeping us from getting lost and only if we all stick together.” She explained. “I’m sure he’s realized something’s wrong by now.” She added.

“I don’t believe this.” Kevin threw his hands into the air.

“Okay enough.” Ben finally interrupted, putting a calming hand on Kevin’s shoulder. “We need to figure out a plan now, not worry about what’s in the past.” He said. The two heroes deflated somewhat at that but Ben could tell the stress was still high. He knew that Kevin was worried sick about Gwen and although she hid it, he could tell Charmcaster was worried as well.

“Charmcaster.” He addressed her. “If you get the Alpha Rune will you be able to use it to find everyone else?” He asked her. Charmcaster nodded seriously.

“Then it’s settled. We’ll find the Alpha Rune first and go after every one else later.” Ben said and started to step away.

“What? Ben you can’t be serious.” Kevin said incredulously.

“Look I know you’re worried but the fact is that Eon’s somewhere here too and the faster we can get the Rune the faster we can save everyone else.” Ben reasoned. “Look I’m worried about Julie and everyone else too but I’m sure they’ll be fine.” Ben said reassuringly, more for his own sake then Kevin’s. The Osmosian looked Ben in the eyes before turning away and letting out a deep sigh. He clearly wasn’t a fan of the idea, but it seemed as though he had finally given in. As much as Kevin wanted to go charging after Gwen he knew to do so alone would put him in just as much risk. Their only hope was to stick together.

“Fine, lead the way I guess.” Kevin bregrudgingly spoke.

“Good question, where do we go from here? It looks like the Gardener turned the whole landscape upside down.” Ben turned to Charmcaster with a questioning glance. Charmcaster looked around their surroundings as well, a frown on her face as she realized she was equally as lost.

“I think first things first we should try to find some higher ground to figure out where we are.” She recommended. Ben thought the idea was a good one, but unfortunately they seemed to be surrounded by only flat forests. Ben sighed as he thought through their options.

“Hmm, what if I turned into Waybig? With his size I should be able to see all of Pandemonium.” He suggested. Kevin and Charmcaster exchanged glances at each other.

“I don’t have any better ideas.” Charmcaster admitted with a shrug. Kevin nodded his assent as well. Ben motioned for them to stand back as he pulled up Waybig’s profile on the Omnitrix. In a flash of emerald light Ben surged to immense heights literally. As his transformation subdued he found his new height brought him above the tree tops which only reached to his hips. He scanned the landscape which he indeed could see the entirety of Pandemonium from his new vantage point. In the distance he spied the central temple which rose above the hills and jungle surrounding it.

“I see the temple. Climb on and we’ll be there in a few short steps.” Waybig called as he bent down to pick up both Hope and Kevin in his outstretched hand. Safely carrying the pair in his palm Ben took a step toward the temple, only to have the ground crumble under his massive weight. This resulted in his foot becoming trapped in the ground. Ben grunted as he struggled to retain his balance. Using his free hand he attempted to find purchase to pull his foot out, only to have his hand plunge through the ground as well. Both Kevin and Charmcaster cried out in panic as they were jostled some hundreds of feet in the air. Ben continued to struggle, but his massive weight and scale seemed to prove too much for the unstable landscape of the Gardens and so he only proceeded to entangle himself further.

“Ben this isn’t working change back!” Kevin screamed out.

“Quickly, before you destroy everything!” Charmcaster added in a panic. Reluctantly Waybig set his pair of friends on more solid ground before he changed back to human form. He soon climbed up a rocky path to join them on top of a grassy and dirt topped hill.

“Well that was a disaster.” Kevin quipped as Ben finally rejoined them.

“Man, I really wish that my flying aliens worked in Ledgerdomain.” Ben sighed. “Whatever, I at least know which direction we need to head in now.” Ben said as he led them down the opposite side of the hill.

The group continued on foot through the vast wilderness of Pandemonium. The trail they were currently on seemed to parallel that of a small stream and was lit by criss crossing mana streams above them. As they walked along they noted that multiple other paths seemed to split off from theirs, almost as if the Gardens themselves were trying to tempt them off the main road. As they wandered on, they eventually came to disagreements regarding their directions. It seemed that Hex’s spell had weakened to a point where Pandemonium could finally have an effect on their psyche. Charmcaster seemed sure that they were heading in the wrong direction even though they could all see the Temple hang in the distance. Kevin also ended up walking in circles multiple times. Once or twice Ben got turned around himself. But overall the group seemed to keep their heads about them. Hope had even remarked that she became lost much more easily the first time she had been here.

But relentlessly, the trio trudged onwards. As they continued to walk they eventually heard the sound of giggling and laughter. Ben held up a hand urging them all to stop as they listened to the childish giddiness of the voice. The laughter seemed to echo around them, confusing their sense of direction further. Finally Ben pointed upward and to their right. The stream which they had walked beside eventually opened up to a wider lake where sharp stalagmites jut upwards at fierce angles from the water’s surface. This would not have been a problem in and of itself except for what hung above the lake. Jumping, pouncing, and skipping from hanging rock to hanging rock was Julie. She giggled with a carefree attitude as she leaped from the narrow floating stones which hung suspended above what seemed certain death. Behind her Ship did his best to follow dutifully and cried out in worry and concern. It seemed he had been immune to whatever emotion altering effect the Gardener had. But Julie, heedless to her pet’s worries, continued to play about the precarious stones like a child. Still though, the group was somewhat relieved to see her. Finally Julie seemed to spot the trio and waved at them.

“Hey friends!” She called out before jumping her way towards them. “Whoops!” She cried as her foot slipped on the next stepping stone and she began to plunge towards the sharp rocks below.

“Julie!” Ben cried and immediately sprung forward. On pure thought alone the Omnitrix responded to his whims and he transformed into Stinkfly. The bug like alien surged forwards, keeping low to the surface of the water to avoid the nausea inducing disorientation that came with trying to fly in Ledgerdomain. His wings carried Stinkfly swiftly to Julie who he caught in midair just before she was impaled by the jagged stones below her. He carried her bridal style in his arms to the bank of the lake while she giggled happily, seemingly ignorant of the death she had narrowly avoided. Behind them flew Ship, who had taken on the form of an RC drone and followed relieved behind them.

“Oh hi Ben!” She exclaimed happily in his arms. Still befuddled by her apparent lack of self-awareness Ben could only stutter back.

“Uh, Hi Julie. Are you… feeling okay?” He asked.

“I feel great! Why wouldn't I be?”

“Well, you always said that Stinkfly grossed you out. You said you didn’t like the smell.” He said.

“Oh…” Julie whispered as though the she picked up on the odor for the first time. Her nose wrinkled slightly and her ever present smile fell from her face for but a moment. But as soon as they landed and she spotted the rest of her friends the sudden clarity seemed to disappear and her bubbly energy reasserted itself. She jumped from Ben’s insectoid arms and ran to give crushing hugs to both of her friends. Ship followed behind her nervously as she babbled like an excited toddler.

“Well, it looks like whatever the Gardener did it didn’t have an effect on Ship.” Kevin noted as the little mechamorph beeped in a sad but confirmatory tone.

“I’m not surprised, Ship is more machine than organic. Magic would have little effect on him.” Charmcaster noted.

“Ugh, Ship was being really annoying earlier. He kept stopping me from playing in the forest! There’s so many wonderful plants and landscapes here. It’s just so majestic and beautiful and happy! I don’t know how you guys don’t see it.” She said stretching her arms out wide.

“Uh, Julie. I know this place really is great but I think we should stick together from now on. That way we all get to see how amazing the Gardens are and we can have a fun time together!” Stinkfly suggested. Julie gasped in excitement.

“Oh that’s a wonderful idea. I knew that giving you a second chance was a good idea. You’re the best boyfriend ever!” She said wrapping her arms around Stinkfly’s neck. Ben felt immensely guilty at those words for he knew that he had been nothing of the sort, and neither had he a chance to prove it to Julie, who evidently, had second thoughts about their renewed relationship. But he had no time to dwell on those feelings as he felt the young woman’s lips press against his. What occurred next took everyone by surprise, as no sooner had Julie kissed Stinkfly’s slimy lips then she had recoiled coughing in disgust.

“Oh god, bleeeggh, I think I’m going to vomit.” She heaved and spit trying to get the rancid taste from her mouth. “What happened? Where are we?” She asked confused. Before either of the boys could react to Julie’s sudden turn in behavior, Charmcaster was on her supportively.

“What’s the last thing you remember?” She asked. Julie paused as she thought back.

“The last thing I remember was being hit by the Gardener… and then… everything seemed so pretty and perfect and I just felt so joyful I couldn’t control myself.” She recounted. “Oh man…” Julie whispered as she realized how badly she had been affected by the beam and how many dangerous situations she had put herself in.

“Well at least now we know we have a cure.” Kevin responded with a coy smile as he turned to Ben.

“Ugh, no I am not kissing anybody else in our party for a whole host of reasons.” Stinkfly emphasized.

“I think the effect is only temporary anyway.” Charmcaster spoke. “As we continue deeper into the heart of Pandemonium it will continue to subject us to its pyschological properties. We should move while you still have your wits about you Julie.” The sorceress spoke and Julie nodded, instructing Ship to not let her do anything unsafe no matter what she said. As the group reconvened Ben transformed again with a thought. Where once stood Stinkfly was the multi-eyed alien Eyeguy.

“I’ll keep an Eye out as we go. That way Eye can spot the other members of our group.” Ben spoke and the rest nodded. Soon the group started once more along the path. True to his word Eyeguy’s various eyeballs were constantly shifting about him. With this alien form Ben had a nearly 360 degree view of their surroundings. What’s more, Eyeguy’s enhanced vision let him see in infrared, xray, and even ultraviolet spectrums so that he could more easily detect any movement. As they walked along the path Ben’s multiple eyes scanned over every inch of the landscape. It was thanks to this superior scouting that in only a mere half an hour he noted a peculiar disturbance far below them. Turning, he surveyed the anomaly and focused his vision on it. Through multiple lenses he could make out a heat signature in the shape of a person. But the immense aura surrounding it suggested to him only one possible person.

“Hey! Eye think I found Gwen!” Ben called to the group and pointed. They all looked to see a meandering path descending down through rocky ledges and high cliff walls. They glanced apprehensively at each other as they considered the path. It was quite narrow and grew darker the further down they went. Cautiously they descended down the dangerous path in single file. At first the progress was slow going due to the treacherous ledges and uneven footing of the path, combined with the slick water which dripped from the cavernous walls of the canyon onto the flooring. Soon as they descended deeper, the light from above them disappeared from sight casting them in relative darkness. But this was remedied rather easily, between Ben’s glowing eyes, Charmcaster’s mana orbs, and Ship’s natural luminescent circuits, the group had enough light to navigate them forward. The various sources of lights bounced around the solid stone walls, casting eerie shadows but also illuminating more wondrous scenery. The walls were coated every so often with fluffy mosses and lichens which stretched outward. Natural veins of ores and precious gems and metals ran through the stone, flashing brilliantly as they passed. Julie’s pyschological effects seemed to reassert themselves as she delighted in the fantastic sights. Thankfully though, the narrow pass effectively prevented her from running off.

Eventually the passage way opened up into a large domed cavern. From above, a single opening in the craggy stone acted as a skylight which shone down on an outcropping of grassy dirt and stone overlooking a small still pond. There sitting at the edge of the outcropping illuminated by the spotlight sat Gwen. She sat facing away from the group, hunched over and apparently crying into her hands as the light sobs echoed and reverberated around the chamber. Her hair which she had recently been keeping up in a pony tail again now hung loose around her. Her stockings had some rips and tears in them and they could see the collar of her button up shirt was dissheveled. They sat looking upon her, as the overall atmosphere lended a sad and depressive mood to the scene before them. All but Charmcaster seemed moved by the scene as she proceeded to roll her eyes.

“I know we’re friends and all now but even this is a bit too melodramatic right?” She asked half sarcasticly. Kevin pushed past the group with a gentle sigh.

“Stay here, I got this.”He said simply before walking over the short outcropping. There was scarce enough room on the ledge for him but he sat down beside Gwen anyway. He knew that she had sensed him approach long before he sat beside her but he didn’t speak a word, simply sitting silently beside her, watching from the corner of his eyes. At last Gwen lifted her head to look at him, brushing a stray strand of hair from her face. A face which he noted had streaks of her makeup running down it from the multitude of tears she was crying. Kevin was somewhat surprised as he had rarely seen Gwen cry so fiercely, usually those moments were reserved for when the people she cared for were in serious danger. But to his credit, Kevin did not let his surprise show on his face. Instead he looked to her with a tilted head and a gentle smile.

“Hey.” He spoke simply. And despite the intense emotions of sorrow she had felt just a moment before she could not help the smile that came to her face.

“Hey…” She replied quietly. He glanced backwards at the rest of the group which stood several feet away and out of earshot.

“So, do you wanna talk about what’s bothering you?” He asked quietly. He knew that his reputation would never recover if the others had heard him, but Gwen seemed to be hurting, and he couldn’t stand that. Gwen’s head turned from him and she stared at the still pool of water that lied below.

“I don’t know. It’s just… I feel like I’m such a failure. All my life it was like I raced to be a grown up and I missed out on friends and fun and there have been so many times when I messed up so bad and I just… I feel like I don’t see the point in anything anymore.” She said the last bit quietly. Inside Kevin felt panic in his chest but he remained cool and resolute.

“Hey come on, you know none of that is true. It’s just this place, messing with your head.” He said.

“I know that. Rationally my brain recognizes that but I can’t help feeling what I feel. Its like this voice appeared in the back of my head when I never had it before. And now it’s making me relive all of the worst moments of my life.” She said as she cradled her face in her hands and held back tears. Kevin put a gentle hand on her shoulder and Gwen looked up to him again.

“Hey, I know what it’s like to be in a dark place like you’re in now.” He spoke quietly. “You helped me out of it before, and you always are there to keep it at bay. So now, I’m here to do the same thing for you.” He said and planted a loving kiss on her forehead. Gwen once again felt her spirits lifting, and this time the aching sadness that buried deep in her core seemed to abate, just a little. “So whattaya say we get out of here?” Kevin said offering a hand.

A moment later Kevin and Gwen returned to the group hand in hand. Gwen rubbed at her face to clean it of the streaks of dark make up which stained them. Wordlessly, Hope passed her a handkerchief from her satchel which Gwen took with an appreciative smile. When she was finished cleaning her face she felt much better.

“So you good?” Hope asked her.

“Yeah.”

“Good because I don’t think I can deal with a sappy Gwen Tennyson.” Charmcaster teased her. Gwen scoffed and rolled her eyes. Their newfound friendship wasn’t enough to stop them from tossing good natured barbs every now and again. And for once, Gwen appreciated the levity it brought. Soon the group climbed up and back out of the passageways.

When the group emerged again they had found that the Gardener seemed to have altered the landscape yet again. They arose into a bamboo forest. The light green stalks of bamboo surged upwards in varying heights. Some copses were only a little taller than their group while others towered high above their heads. Soft loamy soil squished beneath their feet as they walked. All evidence of the previous trail they were following seemed lost and so they looked elsewhere for guidance. Above them a mana stream weaved in, out, and around the bundles of bamboo trees. With no other clues they decided to follow the stream, not knowing if it lead them closer to their destination or farther away.

Eventually the bamboo forest gave way to a wetland. Tall grasses and reeds sprung up from a flooded plain. Unusually, the wetlands seemed to occupy multiple different layers around them. As they walked through the ankle deep water they noted that around them floated large islands of the same wetlands, sometimes above and some below. They were separated by small waterfalls which occupied parts of the edges. It was here that they also noted more of the mana streams converging above their heads, a sure sign they were getting closer to the center temple. They trudged through the wetlands, their footsteps stirring muddy water about their feet. They proceeded in the direction of the lights, sometimes having to cross onto higher or lower platforms. The wetlands seemed large and stretched onwards for quite a distance but they could make out a return to normal forest lay before them. Julie splashed about in the water happily while Kevin carried Gwen on his shoulders.

Suddenly in the distance they heard great shouting and screaming. Rushing forward, they made their way to the edge of the current platform. They stopped just before a waterfall and looked down on the platform some ten feet below them. There they saw a strange sight. Kai was chasing Rook all about the isolated little island. She held her sword high above her as she shouted obscenities at the fleeing alien who was the picture of fright. Occasionally she swung Excalibur which released a great arc of white energy which scarred the landscape as it carved deep gouges into the soil. Luckily, Rook’s great fear did nothing to dull his sharp reflexes, allowing him to dodge the immense strikes with ease. His continued evasion of her strikes seemed to make Kai all the more furious as she chased him each time with renewed vigor.

“I don’t remember Excalibur being that powerful before?” Said Ben who had reverted back to human form upon finding them.

“It’s probably because we’re in Ledgerdomain.” Charmcaster explained. “The sword is fueled by magic so it would make sense that it’s even stronger in here.”

“More importantly shouldn’t we stop them?” Kevin asked.

“It’s true, what if all their fighting draws the Gardener’s attention again? Then we’ll all be doomed again.” Gwen spoke morosely.

“Aww but they look like they’re having so much fun!” Julie observed.

“Gwen’s right.” Ben said and transformed again. He floated down to the side of Kai and Rook as Ampfibian. So preoccupied were the pair that they had not noticed his approach. Ben hovered just above the water, electricity coursing through his body. With but a small touch of the water he sent a light shock into their bodies causing the pair to jump in pain. When the current ceased the pair were kneeled in the watery ground.

Kai was the first to jump up. “Agggh! Ben I’ll kill you for that!” She said, her ire now apparently turned straight onto Ben.

“Way to go genius.” Hope called as she jumped the distance to the ground with the remainder of the group quick behind them.

“I thought it would shock them out of it like Julie!” Ben replied, eyeing Kai’s sword warily.

“Snapping out of the spell requires us to introduce them to an opposite emotion than what they’re already experiencing.” Hope explained as though it was obvious. “Therefore, shocking her and making her angrier won’t work.”

“Oh well excuse me for just trying to help.” Ampfibian trilled sarcastically as Hope stood in between him and the furious Kai. Her eyes blazed with wild fury as she approached with sword in hand.

“Hey Kai, let’s just take it easy okay.” Hope said gently with hands held placatingly in front of her. “Look! I brought your favorite desert see!” Then she proceeded to pull from her satchel, of all things, a slice of chocolate cake. At first Kai merely looked at the cake with confusion, as did the rest of the group. But then suddenly Hope shoved a piece of the confection into Kai’s mouth and her entire expression changed at once. Her eyes softened and her arms, once tense with anger, relaxed and dropped downwards as she savored the delicious baked good.

“Chocolate cake?” Ben questioned.

“Yeah, Kai told me it was one of her most favorite things in the whole world.” Hope explained. “I had a feeling something like this would happen so I packed up some just in case.”

“Mmm, this is so good. Umm what were we doing?” Kai said in a calmer tone as though waking up from a slumber.

“Okay that’s great but what about Rook?” Ben asked pointing at the other alien with one of his tentacles.

“I got it.” Kevin then plucked Rook’s proto-tool easily from off his shoulder as the panic stricken plumber continued to run around wildly. He gave a sharp whistle, grabbing his attention.

“Hey Rookie! Look what I’ve got.” He said as he waved the weapon carelessly in the air. “Would be a real shame if something happened to it right?” He said as he began to experimentally bend the weapon close to its breaking point.

Rook looked on the scene first with the same fear that had assailed him all day. Then his face twisted in a grim scowl. He leaped over to Kevin with cat like speed and snatched the weapon from him. “Kevin! Do you have any idea how expensive and delicate these weapons are? Torquing it in the wrong way could make it irreparable!” He shouted in the young man’s face who simply smiled smugly. Then just as soon as the anger appeared it dissipated as Rook seemed to come to his senses.

“Ah, a most ingenious tactic Kevin.” Rook praised him. “But please don’t try it again.” He warned. Kevin shrugged his shoulders.

“Great, looks like we’re all back to normal for the time being.” Kai observed. “So can we please go get the Alpha Rune so we can get out of here? I can already feel myself getting annoyed again.”

“But which way do we go? We’re still lost aren’t we?” Gwen observed with a negative thought.

“Maybe not as lost as you might think.” Charmcaster stated as she pointed ahead of them. There in the distance where the wetlands ended they noted that the wilderness of Pandemonium seemed to give way to more orderly hedges and flower beds. Most strikingly of all was a similar archway to one they had passed through at the beginning, and a mana stream directly above it. The group exchanged nods, this must be the way to the central temple. And so they set out once more, determined to keep their group together this time.

Ben Tennyson and his retinue walked deeper into the heart of Pandemonium. It was here, as they neared the center, that the strange landscape truly earned the nickname of Gardens. They stared around them in bewilderment as they took in the sights. Orderly stone paved pathways weaved around in seemingly random directions. All around them stood tall neatly trimmed hedges. Beds of strange yet colorful flowers bloomed around them eternally. Fluffy verdant green bushes stood sentry over the different pathways. Lawns of neatly manicured grasses bordered the more orderly gardens. The mana streams flowed over head much larger and vibrant then they had previously encountered. Strange stone statues dotted the greenery at infrequent intervals. Many of them seemed to bear resemblance to the stone creatures that Charmcaster used to summon. Others appeared to be more like carved visions of faces of both humans and aliens alike. Still others, rarely, were abstract objects that seemed to be carved by unnatural means. The wild untamed beauty slowly gave way to the the neatly ordered splendor of reverence for nature.

As they passed deeper into the stately landscapes of the central gardens they saw their destination in the distance. Rising high above them was the central temple which housed the Alpha Rune. It was held almost precariously in place by the roots of a massive tree which supported it and grew through the landmass on which the temple sat. The trunk and canopy of the enormous tree grew up and to the side of the ancient building. A massive lake sat at the base of the roots. Floating stone platforms wound their way up to the temple, acting almost like an ethereal staircase. The temple itself had a rectangular base and was composed of the same gray-brown stone which seemed so common in the Gardens. Multiple domed towers rose from the base, each with window like openings set about carved ledges and reliefs. But the central tower rose highest of them all. From each of the four cardinal directions, massive swathes of mana and light poured into the windows, clearly indicating the treasure which laid inside to all outsiders.

“So, this is it huh?” Ben noted as they all stared at their destination looming ahead of them.

“Yes, we’re in the heart of Pandemonium now.” Hope replied. “Legend has it that this is where Bezel unlocked the secrets of magic and forged his charms.” She added. “But we have to be careful from here on out. We’re in the middle of the Gardener’s turf. Any disturbance might…” She trailed off as the ground rumbled beneath their feet.

As if summoned by his name alone the massive stone faced Gardener appeared from over a hedge. It seemed the Gardener had been waiting for them. The heroes and the magic construct faced each other off, as they each prepared to do battle.

A/N: This chapter and the next are much longer than the usual ones but I hope you’ll agree it is well worth it. I actually have taken what I originally wrote for the beginning of the next chapter and jammed it onto the end of this one to help cut down the word count. Next chapter is still undergoing some revisions but I hope to have it ready before the next update.

Chapter 37: Chapter 37

Chapter Text

Ben X Chapter 37
Abominatrix Arc
Pandemonium part 3

Ben Tennyson and his friends looked upward at the mighty visage of the Gardener. Their arena of battle was the opulent and complex gardens surrounding the heart of Pandemonium. The stone face which gazed upon them displayed the emotion of sadness. The eyes narrowed and down turned like the great frown which laid upon it’s lips. Two heavy teardrops seemed to hang from the corners of each eye, eternally frozen in an expression of sorrow. The Gardener hovered over them just as before seemingly searching for the intruders that it sensed. For a being whose eyes were nothing more than rock, it was incredibly obvious when the Gardener spotted them. The spherical guardian recoiled backwards, its granite faces spinning about its surface. It finally landed on one which displayed an unmistakable expression of fear. The eyebrows raised high in shock and disgust while the mouth held open in a silent scream. Immediately the eyes began charging with light, intent on firing upon them again. But this time the party was ready for the encounter.

They scattered in different directions, taking cover behind the large hedges and stone statues which littered the Gardens. The lasers fired off from each of the eyes of the stone faces as the Gardener chased them around. But miraculously, none of the group was hit. From behind their cover, Rook, Charmcaster, and Gwen took fire at the great guardian spirit. The two magic users launched spells at the behemoth while Rook shot at it with his Proto-tool, only when a face wasn’t looking at him. The great stone and mana guardian seemed taken aback by the attacks but his body remained otherwise unscathed. In retaliation the faces of the Gardener began to spin rapidly around the glowing orb which comprised its body. All four pairs of eyes began to glow. The group of heroes immediately recognized the attack from when they first encountered the mystic spirit. They dove to take cover and hoped to avoid the emotion altering blasts. The laser fire burned through the air with the smell of ozone.

“We need cover or we’re not gonna last much longer!” Kevin called from behind a statue which he absorbed onto his skin.

Thinking quickly Ben transformed into Diamondhead. He placed both palms to the ground. Immediately large spires of crystal erupted from the ground through out the impromptu battlefield. But if anything the disorganized spread of the crystal shields seemed to enrage the Gardener even more. The group watched in fascination as four large tentacles of mana emerged from the spherical body, spaced in between the stone faces. Its mana tentacles coiled around the crystal protuberances. With a great heave it attempted to rip the diamond structures from the ground. “Now’s our chance let’s attack while it’s distracted!” Diamondhead called out. He ducked around one of the crystal shields and fired off a multitude of shards from his arm. Around him his friends did the same, attacking at range with whatever they could. The multiple impacts seemed to have an effect as the stone facades of the Gardener began to chip and crack.

Suddenly the Gardener emitted a high pitched noise like a ringing in their ears. It released its grip from the crystals and lashed out wildly with its tentacles, forcing the heroes to jump for clearance. The battlefield became chaos as the surprisingly quick Gardener whipped around in a frenzy. Between the group’s own attempts to avoid its attacks they tried firing back as best they could. But sadly, it seemed that alone their attacks only succeeded in enraging the spirit further. Ben’s diamond projectiles seemed to be doing the most damage but he could not attack and defend at the same time. The Gardener reared back again, another high pitch scream emanating from its body. The eyes of the saddened face glowed again and the Gardener fired off another pair of twin lasers. Unexpectedly the lasers reflected off the polished crystal, bouncing in all directions. The group ducked their heads as the beams burned the air above them.

“Ben you need to get rid of those crystals!” Kai screamed from the ground as a beam narrowly avoided her.

“I concur! They seem to be making the situation worse!” Rook added as he too dodged the beams which criss-crossed around the battlefield. Ben could see the logic in the situation. With a clench of his fist the diamond structures collapsed into a pile of harmless shards. But now they were presented with a new problem as their cover was drastically reduced. But instead of immediately going on the attack, the Gardener did something strange. It extended its tendrils downward into the ground. The light of the mana tendrils phased through the dirt and stone of the Gardens. When it withdrew its limbs they were followed by large masses of rock and earth. The boulders shifted around the orb like body of the Gardener, gradually forming into a shape. A body formed of stone began taking shape around the gardener, with the multi-faced body becoming the head. Wings formed from large flat stones, spread to either side of the body. Two massive claws took shape underneath the body, with sharp talons. The Gardener eventually took on the form of a large eagle, with glowing blue veins running through the granite stone.

The Gardener screamed again, the noise vibrating the very air around them. It beat at the ground with its large heavy wings. Despite a body made of literal rocks it managed to soar and glide through the air as naturally as any avian creature. It flew around them in a wide circle, and the group crowded together in preparation for the next attack. They did not have long to wait as the hawk like body swooped down at them with talons extended. The group scattered and jumped out of the way as the talons carved deep gouges in the ground. But unfortunately not all of the group escaped the spirit’s clutches.

“Kevin!” Gwen called out in anguish.

“I’m okay!” Kevin shouted back from the grip of the stone talons. He put his hand to the granite and absorbed it onto his body. Next he reshaped his fists into the form of a large hammer and chisel. He began to pound away at the limbs which held him in place. With his powerful strikes it was soon just a matter of time before large cracks spread up the limb, before it shattered and the Gardener screamed again. Kevin plummeted to the ground with the rest of the debris before he landed on his feet. Gwen quickly ran to his side but was reassured by a simple grin from the resident Osmosian.

The group watched as the body of the Gardener tumbled back to the ground. They dared to hope that the Gardener would be grounded and damaged from Kevin’s assault. But fortune would not be so kind to them. Instead the boulders and mana streams rotated around the Gardener as it fell. By the time it reached the ground again it had taken on a new body form. Once again the multi-faced orb served as the head, with a long cylindrical body tailing after it. The body appeared segmented, with discs of granite rotating in opposite directions to each other. The Gardener reared up at them, giving the menacing impression of a snake. It slithered toward them with surprising speed until it had circled all around them. The group backed around each other, watching the Gardener with wary eyes. The gargantuan serpent seemed impossible to get away from now as its circle narrowed with each pass.

Suddenly, the serpentine construct lunged at them, eyes glowing with power. The group thought there would be no way to avoid the blast and they prepared for the worst. But they were all surprised by a sudden bubbling sound. They looked up shocked to see that they were suddenly encased in a bubble and the lights of the beams bouncing off in a different direction. They turned in shock and confusion to see that Ben had transformed into a small shrimp like alien about four feet in height. His carapace was a mix of ocean blue and sea foam green. Large bulbous eyes hung on stalks over a mouth formed by complex mandibles. Small scurrying legs supported the length of the alien form and two large pincers formed the alien’s hands. They were all somewhat perplexed by the sudden appearance of the alien.

“Nice job Ben! How did you know that would work?” Rook was the first to ask.

“These bubbles are pretty tough! I had a feeling they could bounce back ugly’s beam attacks.” He replied in a high pitched squeaky voice.

“Ok great but how are we gonna get out now?” Kai asked. “You can’t possibly think this pipsqueak is strong enough to take on this thing?”

“He’s not but he can do this!” Ben replied. He rushed through the bubble at surprising speed, popping it with a single pinch of his claws. He then jumped into the air, blowing several large bubbles as he went. Using the first elastic bubble as a trampoline he propelled himself into the air before the Gardener. Once in the air Ben blew an even larger bubble that was precisely the size of the Gardener’s head. Then he reached out with his pincer and popped it. The bubble exploded in a large shockwave, knocking the serpentine Gardener backwards. Ben landed and immediately scurried back to his friends urging them on to run away. He then shot out a stream of multiple smaller bubbles which spread out into the air before leaving the scene behind.

“Dude that was sick!” Kevin exclaimed. “What do you call this guy?”

“I don’t know man I haven’t had time to think of a name. Let’s just call him Bubble Shrimp. Now let’s go!” He replied with his legs scurrying fast beneath him.

The Gardener recovered and looked around to see the immediate area covered in a field of small irridescent bubbles which floated harmlessly through the air. The bubbles acted like a smoke screen and obscured the senses of the stone spirit. But being a construct of mana the Gardener was soon able to detect the group’s mana signature and dove after them. The serpentine construct slithered along the ground following their trail. The group ran at full speed away from it and towards the central temple, but still the speed of the construction had it catching up to them in no time. Bubble Shrimp’s compound eyes rotated backwards to see the approaching guardian. The crustacean like alien stopped to blow another smokescreen of bubbles behind them, but instead of letting the bubbles float and obscure their tracks, he burst them with his claws. The bubbles exploded in a cascading chain reaction. Unfortunately, the smaller size of the bubbles meant that the explosion was significantly smaller than the previous ones. But still it proved sufficient distraction for the Gardener, allowing the group of heroes time to convene a plan.

“We won’t get anywhere like this!” Kevin said frustrated.

“Kevin’s right. I think we should split up.” Bubble shrimp gestured to the temple which lay beyond them. “Julie, Gwen and I will make our way up to the Alpha Rune while the rest of you keep that thing busy!”

“Be quick, we likely will not be able to hold the Gardener at bay for long.” Rook nodded.

With the plan set the group divided in half to set about their goals. Julie, Ben, and Gwen escaped the scene of the immediate battle to the central temple. The rest of the group stayed behind, determined to keep the Gardener’s attention on themselves. Kai and Charmcaster launched powerful magic spells at it, while both Kevin and Rook fired upon it with their blasters. But despite their best efforts the massive Gardener seemed mostly unfazed. So they switched tactics. Instead of trying to take it down with their firepower, they decided to keep the construct’s attention by goading it into attacking them. They would duck behind structures or in between thickets of vines and bushes to avoid the mana construct’s attacks. Each time the Gardener would begin to turn to their fleeing compatriots, the group would fire on it again, restarting the cycle.

Far ahead, Gwen, Ben and Julie finally managed to reach the foot of the temple. It towered above them on massive roots extending from a wide and placid lake. Floating stone platforms drifted around gently in the air. The path upwards seemed obvious if a little difficult to traverse. With nary a word Ben transformed into Crash Hopper. The insectoid like alien launched itself high into the air and alighted easily on the floating platform above them. He turned around to look back at the rest of his friends. “Come on! What are you waiting for?” He asked. Julie replied with a smirk as a jetpack formed on her back. She shot into the air, the rocket propulsion carrying her easily onto the platform. Gwen bypassed the platforms completely, choosing to make platforms of her own as she ascended towards the temple. The group carried on fairly easily this way, with Ben and Julie jumping to platforms and borrowing some of Gwen’s own when one was too far out of reach. They managed to make it up a third of the way when they heard another of the Gardener’s high pitched screams.

They turned around to see a large alien figure launch itself directly at the Gardener. With a single mighty punch it sent the magic construct careening to the ground. From their distance they could just make out the sight of Vilgax-Eon attacking the Gardener. The evil shapeshifter strode forward to the downed body of the Gardener. His eyes narrowed in contempt as the rest of the team of heroes watched them warily. The Gardener recovered from the attack quickly and floated once more into the air. It’s face switched to one of rage and fury. It slammed its large mana tentacles down into the ground. The earth rumbled and shook as the tendrils extended downwards. The head of the Gardener ascended upwards, bringing a massive column of earth with it. The body eventually resolved into a humanoid shape, with two arms and legs. But Vilgax-Eon was unfazed.

The Gardener lifted a massive fist into the air before swinging it down at Eon. But the powerful body of Vilgax jumped straight into the air, avoiding the attack completely and launching a vicious uppercut into the construct’s chin. The group of heroes stared in shock as Vilgax-Eon accomplished in one move what they had been trying to do for the better part of half an hour. The Gardener stumbled backwards and Vilgax-Eon pressed his attack. His alien muscles bulged, the pylons on his arms injecting steroids into his body to enhance his already impressive strength. The alien warlord attacked with ferocity, jumping on and around the massive collossus. With his incredible strength he punched and kicked at the stone which made up its body. Massive cracks spread up the stone with each impact, the sound being heard for miles in all directions.

But the Gardener was tenacious. Its mana tendrils spread downwards through its body, repairing the damage and holding the construct together. This did not deter Eon however. As the Gardener went on the counter-offensive by swinging and stomping his massive limbs, Eon gripped the large appendages, crushing them with his incredible strength. The group of heroes meanwhile, did not know whether to intervene or not. On the one hand, helping stop Eon would be no easy feat, and then they would still have to deal with the Gardener. On the other hand, they were barely able to put a dent in the massive construct, and Eon was single-handedly battling the creature. But while they debated on the correct course of action, Eon was continuing to battle the Gardener and seemed to be winning. Vilgax-Eon dodged the golem’s strikes with effortless leaps and bounds. Far ahead, the trio of heroes watched the battle with trepidation.

“We need to go!” Crashhopper said to his friends. “The way that fight is going, I don’t expect the Gardener is going to last long.” The trio nodded to each other and continued to ascend the fantastical staircase to the Temple proper.

But Ben’s approximation of the battle was spot on. Vilgax-Eon was soon to be on the cusp of victory. He dodged between the mighty foot falls of the titan, rolling backwards before regaining his footing. He launched himself at the ankle of the mighty being. With a swing of his powerful fist he crumbled the stone to dust. The lack of support immediately caused the Gardener to stumble backwards, unsteady. Seizing the opportunity, Vilgax-Eon wrapped his arms around the remainder of the creature’s foot. With a powerful heave, he caused the golem to topple over. It landed on the ground with a great crash, the foliage around them quaking as if they were scared for their protector. A cloud of dust burst upwards from the collision. Eon wasted no time and leaped upon the prone form of the Gardener. The collossus swiped futilely at the alien form as it ascended to it’s face. Vilgax-Eon began to pummel the rock like body of the construct. Massive cracks formed at each impact of his powerful fists. The Gardener struggled helplessly, it tried to squash the smaller creature but found it could not move fast enough to keep up. It tried to right itself, but Vilgax-Eon was relentless. He began to turn his assault to the Gardener’s face. He used his incredible alien strength to beat the construct senseless. Fissures and cracks soon began to appear on the stone masks which made up the Gardener’s head. Even switching to a new face did nothing to protect it as Eon continued his assault. Finally with a mighty crack one of the faces finally crumbled to nothing more than dust. The orb of mana below pulsed and squirmed. Light burst from every crevice in the construct’s body. A last dying scream pronounced the Gardener fallen, as the mana dispersed in beams of light and the body of stone crumbled away.

The effect seemed immediate. With the Gardener defeated the Gardens themselves seemed to destabilize. The group of heroes could not even hope to make it to Eon as the once carefully manicured vegetation around them began to grow wild and lash out. The very earth beneath them quaked and trembled in rage at the loss of its protector. They fell to their knees, trying desperately to cling to the suddenly shifting ground beneath them. Ben, Julie, and Gwen felt the effects as well. The stone platforms which once orbited the temple languidly became speeding missiles as they spun around frightfully fast. The once placid lake beneath them roiled and bubbled and the roots of the massive tree squirmed and writhed. The streams of light above them which had once maintained a teal color, swelled and shifted, casting the area around them into a sickly purple and pink glow. The group’s progress, which had previously been steady, halted at once as their every effort was focused on keeping them level. Eon was the only being who seemed unaffected as he began sprinting towards the temple.

With great bounding strides, Vilgax-Eon made his way towards the temple. Each of his heavy foot falls cracked and sundered the path beneath him. But he paid it little attention. At the speed he was travelling it mattered very little to him. Unfortunately, for the heroes behind him, the path now seemed utterly obliterated.

“He is getting away!” Rook yelled. “And we have no way to follow him!”

“Everybody gather round!” Charmcaster called. The group heeded her cry as they stumbled over the uneven terrain. Charmcaster pulled several of her smaller flying rock golems from her charm bag. The creatures immediately took flight and the group of heroes followed the sorceress’ lead by hanging onto the flying statues. They gave chase to the villain, Charmcaster poised expertly ontop her golem while the others hung on more or less haphazardly.

Far above them, Ben, Julie, and Gwen were still desperately attempting to ascend the nearly nonexistent steps to the temple proper. But below they could spy Eon quickly approaching and gaining ground on them so to speak. He was quickly ascending towards them, leaping from floating platform and grabbing the next one above, even using the massive roots of the tree to his advantage.

Gwen turned to her friends finally. “You guys go ahead and secure the Alpha Rune. I’ll deal with Eon.” She said with finality.

“Gwen are you insane?” Crash hopper said gripping his hands to his head. “We all know Eon’s too powerful to take on by ourselves. Besides you’re the only one that’s going to be able to use the Alpha Rune!” Gwen frowned and looked back down to see Vilgax-Eon making far quicker pace what they had. What fueled the maniac villain she did not know, but clearly he would soon surpass them if he wasn’t stopped.

“That may be true.” She finally answered. “But I’m also at my most powerful here.” In a blink her form had been replaced by that of her hybrid anodite form. Her body glowed with the sheer amount of mana she was putting out. Her ‘Lucky Girl’ transformation was familiar but had changed much since the last time Ben had seen it. Her hair style and mask were the same, but her shirt was now a long sleeved ensemble and her skirt had been replaced by a pair of dark blue leggings with stripes running up the sides. A belt with the familiar cat head logo as its buckle sat around her hips. Lastly a light blue scarf completed the look. “I’ll keep him busy. You guys go! Hurry!” With out another word she created a staircase of platforms which led up to the temple. Julie and Ben exchanged worried glances but they both knew better than to argue. The situation seemed desperate. They ran off, leaving Gwen behind to face Eon.

Gwen did not have to wait long for Eon to come to her level. But she also wasted no time in trying to take him down. She summoned two massive orbs of mana in her fists and launched them at Eon. The shapeshifter had scarcely mounted the next platform before he came face to face with the barrage. With no time to react the attack hit him full force and sent him careening down several dozen feet. But he quickly regained his bearings. With one outstretched arm he grasped at the nearest ledge as he fell. The platform nearly twisted with the force of the impact but it held steady. He climbed up on the perch with some difficulty and gazed upwards at the direction of the attack.

“You’re not getting by me Eon!” Gwen called out floating above him. “In Ledgerdomain, my powers are magnified!” She called out as she summoned enormous whips of mana from her hands. Eon smiled sinisterly at her.

“Maybe not in this form.” He said before palming the Abominatrix symbol. In a split second Vilgax’s body was replaced by that of Addwaitya’s. “But you’re not the only one who can use magic.” He retorted snarkily.

Gwen frowned at him before swinging her arms wide. In a fluid fast motion the whips hurled down at Addwaitya-Eon. The turtle like alien surged upwards, blocking the attacks with shields of mana he summoned around his arms. Like a speeding bullet he shot towards Gwen who knocked him aside with a large palm of summoned mana. Eon spun out for a minute before he righted himself in mid-air, floating much as Gwen was doing. The pair danced around each other in mid air. They exchanged spells at blinding speeds, all the while dodging the rapidly rotating stone platforms which orbited around them.

Gwen pulled out all the stops. She held nothing back. She threw her strongest spells and attacks at Addwaitya. With the sheer amount of mana in the air her attacks were supercharged like never before. It filled her with a strange sense of cosmic power and she had forcefully remind herself not to give into her Anodite instincts. But despite her vast amounts of power and the walls of mana she was hurling, her opponent seemed to be holding his own. Eon had access to not only Addwaitya’s incredible mana, but his thousands of years of experience in wielding it. That fact made their fight evenly matched for the moment. But Gwen kept reminding herself. She did not necessarily have to win, she only had to hold him off long enough for someone else to get the Alpha Rune. She only hoped that Ben and Julie would reach it soon.

Said heroes had finally ascended the platforms which led to the temple. As they finally alighted on the stone grounds surrounding the massive temple they barely had time to catch their breath as the ground beneath them began to crumble away. They jumped for safety, away from the quickly disintegrating edge of the isalnd. Finally when they had a moment to catch their breath they surveyed their surroundings. The temple grounds were tiled by large stone squares, with bonsai like tree bushes spaced out around them at uneven intervals. The building of the temple was elaborately decorated with geometric patterns seemingly carved into the walls. It seemed more like something that would come out of a fractal painting then any kind of hand built structure. Another set of large stairs ascended up the temple into its main chamber. Julie and Ben could see the multiple strands of mana in the sky converging together and entering into the building. Strangely the mana streams seemed to be pulsing in midair, growing and shrinking like blood vessels reacting to a heart beat.

But the pair had no time to take in the sights. They had a mission, they had to retrieve the Alpha Rune. It was the final piece that Eon needed to resurrect Dagon and absorb his power. They knew that they couldn’t let that happen. The pair raced to the stair case only to be halted as the growths spurting from the ground seemed to grow and lash out at them. The pair took up defensive positions with Ben ready to turn into Swampfire and incinerate the plants in his way. But strangely, as soon as the plants seemed to grow, they then began to wither and shrivel up. Their color drained and turned a shade of ashy gray as they creaked and twisted into shrunken forms of their previous selves.

“Uh, I’m assuming that’s not a good sign.” Ben said dryly.

“Gee ya think? Come on!” Julie retorted and together they raced up the stair case to the interior of the temple.

They entered a chamber with a high vaulted ceiling, inlaid with gold, silver, and other precious gems and minerals. The floor had smaller tiles arranged in similar geometric patterns as the outside of the temple, colored in a kaleidoscope of turquoise, magenta, and multiple other hues. But what drew their attention the most was the central pedestal in the chamber. Lying atop it was the Alpha Rune, glowing with power. The streams of mana which had entered through the high windows of the temple all converged on the piece of mystic stone.

“There it is!” Ben yelled and leaped to retrieve it. But as if sensing his approach, a massive dome of energy erupted from the Alpha Rune. Crashhopper slammed straight into the energy barrier which expanded and pushed him back to his starting position. Ben shook off the impact only to have his eyes widen in shock as bolts of magic lightning began shooting off the Alpha Rune. He was shocked by the bolt of energy, feeling it shoot through him painfully. He distantly heard Julie call out his name. But he grit his teeth and suffered through the pain. As he opened his eyes again he saw multiple bolts of lightning shoot off the rune. With no more than a thought he transformed into XLR8. He weaved between the chains of electricity towards the Alpha Rune, but again was halted by the shield around it. He dashed around madly, searching for an opening as he attempted to pierce the forcefield over and over again. But his efforts were in vain. Suddenly, he heard Julie cry out as she was struck by the lightning as well. He raced back to her, picking her up and moving her out of the radius of the lightning strikes.

“There’s a shield around the Alpha Rune. I can’t penetrate it.” XLR8 spoke to her. The pair had little time to contemplate their predicament as an explosion soon rang out from behind them. Gwen crashed onto the tiled grounds of the temple proper followed closely behind by Addwaitya-Eon. Gwen appeared exhausted and hurt as she desperately tried to hold Eon back. But a blast of mana sent her rolling along the ground.

“Gwen!” Julie and Ben cried out simultaneously. The younger girl stood to her feet and rushed off to help the sorceress. “Ben keep trying to get the Alpha Rune!” Julie called as she ran off.

“How? I can’t get through the shield!” He called back.

“Well think of something!” She retorted as her armor shifted into assault mode.

Ben returned to the inner chamber. He dashed around, dodging the bolts of lightning. He continued to throw himself at the barrier. But XLR8’s thin body didn’t have the strength to penetrate the shield. Using his mastery of the Omnitrix he transformed into his stronger aliens at the moment of impact in an attempt to shatter the forcefield. But even that tactic was proving fruitless. If anything he thought the bolts of lightning were growing larger. He turned his head backwards and saw that the crackles of energy were spreading beyond the chamber. Ben grit his teeth and rapidly rotated through his alien forms, trying to think of a tactic that would get him through the shield. He tried Chromastone and Feedback in an effort to drain the energy, but the mana proved incompatible with them. He tried his smaller alien forms like Nanomech and Grey Matter in an attempt to sneak by the shield but it proved too complete. He even used forms like Ghostfreak and Big Chill to try and phase through it, but even that did not work.

In the courtyard Eon was still duking it out with Gwen, now joined by Julie. The two spellcasters were still exchanging spells in an even duel. Only Julie’s interference with missiles and lasers seemed to be evening the odds. For a moment it seemed with Julie’s help and Gwen’s extremely powerful magic they were gaining the upper hand. But their battle was taking them dangerously close to the edge of the temple chamber where the defenses of the Alpha Rune were running wild. As they neared, whips of electric energy struck the two magic users from behind causing them to cry out in pain. The shock, though painful, was over quickly and they recovered, smoke rising off them. Gwen was the first to react, holding her hands out only to be surprised by the vastly reduced output of her magic.

“My mana! It’s like it’s been drained!” She said in astonishment. Still rocked by the sudden weakening of her powers she didn’t notice that Eon had recovered as well.

“Haha fool! The Alpha Rune is the source of all magic! And with no-one to control it its taking it all back.” He said in Addwaitya’s voice. “Luckily for me, I can still fight you even without magic.” He spoke as he transformed into Malware. With a strike of his outstretched hand, Malware sent Gwen tumbling. She rolled across the ground painfully. Her body struck by another bolt of electricity, draining her mana further and causing her to lose her anodite form. Eon smirked internally but was interrupted by an attack from behind as Julie unleashed a salvo of missiles and laser fire. The barrage of attacks kicked up a small cloud of dust, obscuring Malware’s form from her. She waited with weapons at ready but was still unprepared as Malware-Eon emerged suddenly and gripped her. He lifted her body in the air and slammed her into the ground multiple times. Each time she cried out painfully, until at last she lost consciousness.

“Julie!” Ben’s furious cry came from behind. Eon turned around just in time to be sucker punched by XLR8. Eon growled in unbridled fury. With a sudden swiftness he grabbed the dinosaur like alien by the tail and proceeded to slam him into the ground as well. “I grow tired of these incessant obstacles!” Eon growled as he beat Ben mercilessly, preventing him from even considering transforming. Eon shifted again into Vilgax once more and squeezed the lithe alien between his arms. Ben struggled to retain consciousness, but the pain and the lack of oxygen proved too much. As his body went limp Eon finally released Ben to fall to the ground.

With his adversaries out of his way for the moment he strode up to the interior chamber. The lightning raged fiercer than it had before. But Eon paid it no mind. He transformed into his normal body and stepped forward, ignoring the raging energies that swirled before him. With a wave of his hand the forcefield fell before him as he stepped to the pedestal to claim his prize. He grasped the Alpha Rune and at once the realm around them seemed to settle into quiet.

“At long last…” Eon spoke to himself. He stepped out of the temple chamber back onto the staircase. “I have all of the pieces to commence the ritual.” He held the Alpha Rune aloft which floated into the air before him. From his cloak he withdrew the sword of Ascalon and the piece of Dagon’s seal. They too floated upwards, dancing around each other in mid air. Finally, Eon brought up the Abominatrix. From its face he summoned a crackling orb of red and grey mist. That too floated up until all four components laid in front of him. “The time has finally come! Soon I will absorb the Dagon’s power and I will be unstoppable! HAHAHAHA!” He cackled menacingly.

The sound of Eon’s malicious laughter filled the air and stirred Ben from his pain induced slumber. He lifted his head to see Eon chanting in front of the objects needed for the ritual. His eyes widened as he realized what was happening. Eon was close to completing the ritual, and if he did, then all hope was lost. Ben struggled to his feet, grit and determination helping him to just barely push past the pain. He needed to take Eon out. The thought gave him pause. He needed to take Eon out, and there was only one way to do it. His eyes set on the maniac as he continued his chanting, energy crackling around each of the objects. It was now or never. Ben rushed at him, transforming into Bugshido mid-stride. A long blade extended from his wrist. His eyes were set on his target, Eon’s head. He only needed one clean stroke and he would end the threat permanently. Ben inhaled deeply. Time seemed to move in slow motion. He saw Eon’s eyes widen in shock, he wasn’t prepared for Ben to recover so quickly. He could do it, Ben could end it all there.

But something strange happened in those intervening seconds. Doubt crept back into Ben’s mind. He had the sudden feeling of Déjà vu. He had held this decision in his hands before, too many times. But he knew it to be the right decision. He saw himself killing Eon, his head falling from his body. He saw that it was the right thing in the moment, everyone would agree. His vision fast forwarded to the future. To the next impossible choice. Only the next time, it wasn’t so hard a choice to make. Vilgax had always been a threat, if anything he should have gotten rid of him sooner. Then next was Animo, with all the modifications he had made to himself could he even be called human anymore? He saw people questioning him and his decisions. How dare they? After everything he’d done for them, everything he’d sacrificed. The threats wouldn’t stop, and only he could stop them, if he was in control. And control would come easily, with the Omnitrix at his disposal none could stop him. Eventually even his friends and allies turned against him, but they couldn’t see what he saw, foolish as they were. But he didn’t need them, so long as he could keep everyone safe! Ben suddenly recoiled in horror at the vision of himself as absolute overlord of the galaxy. Distantly, he realized what was happening, the magic of Pandemonium had finally gotten to him, confused him at the very last second. But that half second of hesitation was all Eon needed to avoid the strike. Instead he countered, knocking Ben backwards.

“Fool! You cannot stop me now!” Eon called out as energy surged downwards. Ben stared in shock as the four objects glowed impossibly bright. They swirled around Eon, blasting him with energy. The energy surged into the Abominatrix at his wrist. Ben had failed, Eon had absorbed Dagon’s essence, and with it the power to dominate any world he so chose. The light subsided, the objects fell to the ground, no longer necessary for the ritual. Eon laughed, gloating in Ben’s face. But before any of them could react a grey blur crashed into Eon.

Ben looked up, surprised to see Kevin wrestling with Eon on the ground. His stone fists pummeled the time travelling villain, trying desperately to knock him into unconsciousness. The pair tumbled around as Kevin tried fiercely to attack Eon. But with a mere thought Eon transformed again into Vilgax and batted away the stone covered Osmosian. Kevin rolled across the ground before he was picked up by Eon and held aloft.

“Ah Kevin Levin. Just the man I was looking for.” Eon gloated, holding him by his shirt.

“What, are you talking about. You’ve got Dagon now don’t you? What do you want with me?” He asked. Eon laughed.

“Ha do you really believe that I would collect all of Ben 10’s worst enemies and not leave room for you?” He asked sarcastically. “With you in my collection, my transformation will be complete!” Eon said as he reached for Kevin’s head. The young man cried in pain as purple electricity raced across his body. The Abominatrix was trying to absorb Kevin like it had done to Dagon just a moment ago. But Ben would not let that happen. He may have failed to stop Eon from absorbing Dagon, but he sure as hell wouldn’t fail his best friend. Ben launched himself at Eon, slicing at his arm with the extended blade. Eon dropped Kevin to the ground and Ben stood over him protectively.

“You’re too late Ben Tennyson!” Eon yelled. “I’ve absorbed enough of your friend’s DNA to reach my ultimate form!” Eon shouted. The Abominatrix glowed violet on his arm, eventually his entire body glowed with the same purple light. Behind them Ben could sense the presence of the rest of his friends as they all watched Eon’s body shift in sickening slow motion. They saw his body grow taller, limbs thicker and more powerful. When the light faded they were shocked to find that Eon had transformed into an unholy amalgamation of all of Ben’s worst enemies. Eon’s torso had been replaced by the shell backed body of Addwaitya. His left arm was that of Malware’s while his right arm took on the clawed form of Ghostfreak. The lower half of his body had the metallic sheen of Maltruant’s robotic legs. His face still resembled Eon’s but with the long tentacle like beard of Vilgax and Dagon. Four horns sprouted above his brow like Aggregor and below them were the Galvan like eyes of Albedo. The heroes stared in shock at the newly formed Fusion-Eon.

“Now, this multiverse will be mine!” Fusion-Eon spoke in a horrifying mutated voice. Eon lifted his hands above his heads and the group watched in terror as a huge rift opened right above them. Through it they could see the town of Bellwood. Lightning began to crack at the edges of the rift as Ledgerdomain seemed to disintegrate as the portal grew larger. The group of heroes charged at Eon but they were rendered inert as with glowing eyes Fusion-Eon caused them to float into the sky. They flailed about useless against the omnipotent powers of Dagon.

“And for you Ben Tennyson.” Fusion-Eon spoke in his warped and twisted voice. He gestured with one hand and a dark portal opened up behind Ben. “I have a special prison for you. You will be cast into the space between dimensions. No longer will I need to worry about your interference. But rest easy, knowing that this world, all worlds, all dimensions, all timelines, will soon belong to me! HAHAHA!” With a wave of his hands Fusion-Eon sent Ben through the portal.

“No, no, NOOOOO!!!” Ben screamed as blackness surrounded him and the portal disappeared, leaving him alone in crushing darkness.

A/N: Another climactic battle finished. I had some trouble writing this one because I felt like I definitely rushed through some parts. I hope everyone enjoys it. Also big news I will be shortly uploading this story over on A03 under the same username and story name. So if you prefer reading on that site I should hopefully have the story so far uploaded there as well. Also I’m steadily working on building up my buffer of chapters as well. Until next time.

Chapter 38: Chapter 38

Chapter Text

Ben floated in the darkness. He did not know how long he stayed there: Minutes? Hours? Days? In the empty black void there was no way to tell the passage of time. And despite all its miraculous powers, the ‘watch’ he wore unfortunately could not tell time. Despite that, the glow of the omnitrix did provide him with light in the otherwise inky black void. The only source of light, for which he was grateful. Otherwise he was sure the perpetual blackness would have driven him insane by now. Left alone in the darkness, Ben had only time to contemplate his failures. The many failures which had brought him here. He reflected on the many years that had passed and every choice he had made, starting with that fateful day aboard the Tragulon, but also going back to when he first acquired the Omnitrix. He had spent the last three years of his life training to use the Omnitrix to its full potential, to become the best hero he could. And yet, when it came down to it, he failed again. He failed to stop Eon. So where did that leave him?

Ben hadn’t realized it before, but he had never faced the problem which plagued him initially. Running off to Hazard to train had just been an excuse. He had never been completely alone there thanks to Trixie, a fact for which he was grateful. But now that he had time to think, to be alone, to examine his thoughts and feelings and past actions, he came to the conclusion that he had never really processed the trauma that came from that day. He thought he had learned how to forgive himself when he got Feedback again. But it seemed that forgiving yourself was much different when your mistake affected others. He wasn’t fully sure of what to do next or how to actually move past any of this. It seemed this was another period of his life where he would have to learn how to move on, to do better. Only this time he didn’t have the guidance of his Grandpa Max, or Azmuth for that matter. But thankfully, he wouldn’t be alone for much longer.

“Ah, there you are Ben.” Said a voice from behind him. Ben turned his head to see a swirling white portal open a small distance away from him. “I’ve been looking for you for ages.” Professor Paradox spoke as he stepped through the portal. Ben gave a wry smile. Of course Paradox would be the one to find him here, in this space between spaces.

“Paradox,” He said gratefully, and then immediately frowned. “Professor, I’m sorry, you were right.” The enigmatic time walker raised an eyebrow at the statement. “I should have killed Eon when I had the chance. I realized it too late, and when I was finally about to do it, I hesitated. And because of that Eon won, he absorbed Dagon’s power and now he’ll be unstoppable. I’m sorry Paradox.” Ben said. But he did not expect Paradox’s response.

“No Ben, it is I who must apologize to you.” He said. Ben looked at him perplexed. “I have been Eon’s enemy for far longer than you have, and I have had multiple opportunities to end his threat. Yet like you I abstained from a sense of moral superiority until it was too late. Besides Ben, if you had gone through with it at that moment, I’m sure you saw what the outcome would be.” He said cryptically. Ben looked at him again with confusion. The vision of his evil future self flashed into his mind. But how could Paradox possibly have known what he had seen?

“I can see that you are confused so allow me to explain.” Paradox said placing his hand over his walking cane. “You see, Ledgerdomain is the home of magic, and since magic is a multi-dimensional force, Ledgerdomain is connected to all dimensions and timelines simultaneously. It is a realm of pure chaos, chance, and possibility. The vision you saw would have come to pass if you had killed Eon at that moment, perhaps Ledgerdomain was trying to warn you of that fact.” He said. Ben gave a frustrated sigh.

“Great, another bad future I have to be scared of.” He complained. “Why can’t I just make my own future like everyone else does?” He crossed his arms. Paradox chuckled at the comment.

“Haha, Ben, I believe that out of all the versions of you that I’ve met, you do that the best.” Paradox spoke.

“So, what do we do about Eon?” Ben asked turning his attention to the matter at hand.

“Unfortunately Eon is too powerful now to tackle alone. Luckily I have a plan to take him down. I’ve been busy scouting for recruits as it were.” He stated.

“Recruits for what?” Ben asked with even more confusion.

“Recruits to help us take down Eon once and for all. A sort of army of Omnitrix users. We’re going to need help if we want to beat him.” Paradox said. Ben’s face immediately lit up, reminded of the last group of Omnitrix wielding allies he had gathered to take down his evil counterparts.

“Are we going to see my future self? He was awesome!” Ben asked excitedly. But Paradox frowned and shook his head.

“No Ben, because of all the meddling to your timeline your future is in flux and that particular version of you no longer exists. In fact I’m not sure that you still qualify as the prime universe Ben.” Paradox mentioned. Ben was somewhat surprised by that admission, but he quickly waved it off. He was never one to care much about being the ‘Prime Ben’. Rather, he was more focused on their current goal.

“So who are we going to see first?” Ben asked.

“A pair of familiar faces. Now shall we?” Paradox turned, arm outstretched to the portal behind him. Ben smiled, both at the thought of familiar allies, and Paradox’s uncanny ability to turn up exactly when he needed to and brighten his day. Together they walked through the portal, leaving the dark black void behind.

When Ben and Paradox emerged from the portal it was in the middle of Bellwood. Specifically in the heart of the city. Only it was not a Bellwood that was native to Ben. There were two clues that informed Ben of their location. The first was the preponderance of Mr. Gyro greek restaraunts. The second was the sheer number of billboards, ads, and posters that were plastered with his face. Or to be more precise the face of Ben 23, a face which though familiar, was a bit older than when he had last seen him, with a more pronounced jaw line and a slightly taller frame. This was of course Dimension 23. But, like its eponymous hero, Dimension 23 had seemed to change since last he had been here.

The heart of the city was lined by expensive looking stores. High fashion with even higher price tags were displayed proudly in the shop windows. Banners and signs with elegant text, golden colors, and flashing neon lights hung above the shops. The buildings themselves were designed with an art noueveau theme which was contrasted with modern sensibilities. Up and down the street Ben could see people wearing expensive clothing and jewelry like it was the most natural thing in the world. Even the cars that drove by on the street were high luxury models like Bentley, Porsche, and Aston Martins. The streets were clean, and Ben was sure if it was practical would be lined with gold and diamonds. As Paradox led the way, Ben followed behind taking in the sights of such opulence.

“This place sure seems a lot more… ritzy, than the last time I was here.” Ben commented.

“Yes well Ben 23 is one of the richest versions of you in the Omniverse. And from what I understand, wealth attracts more wealth. In this dimension Bellwood is a city on par with the Beverly Hills of your world.” He explained. Ben rolled his eyes. If Ben 23 was anything like him, which he was, then Ben was sure his younger alternate version had let the money get to his head. It was something he might have to chat with him about.

Paradox and Ben walked the streets until they came out of midtown and out into what he recognized as the suburbs. But unlike the suburbs in his world, this area was full of large mansions. Each of them were gated with mixtures of iron bars, concrete walls, or simply large hedges. They each sat on large plots of land which easily would have been space enough for three houses in his dimension. Like the city center, he saw expensive and luxurious cars driving the streets. The fashion of passerbys was even greater than what he had seen before. Even the few children he saw running through the neighborhood had the latest technology and high fashion brands on them. It was such a difference from his own hometown of Bellwood that it was starting to make Ben dizzy.

But at last they arrived at a truly gargantuan mansion surrounded by brick walls and even higher black iron fences. The mansion was far grander than any of the others he had seen. It was easily three stories with stately white walls on a brick foundation. Ionic columns supported a grand porch with dark cherry wood doors. An arc of window panes stood above the door through which Ben could barely make out a source of light. A long paved path ran through the estate grounds. The grounds themselves were well maintained with a garden of colorful flowers and topiary of all shapes and sizes. It was truly one of the most impressive houses Ben had ever seen. They stepped up to the front gate, a large metal contraption that pulled to one side. But currently it was closed. Paradox gestured to an intercom built into the brick wall. Unsure, Ben walked up to it and pressed the button.

“Uh, hello? Is this the home of Ben 23? I’ve come a long way to see him.” Ben spoke into the device. There was a moment of silence before the intercom crackled to life again.

“Do you have an appointment?” The security guard asked plainly. Ben frowned.

“Uh no. But I’m a close personal friend of his. If you could just let him know I’m here?” He asked.

“Yeah right, everybody says that pal.” The voice spoke again. It was then that Ben noticed the wall mounted camera begin to turn towards him. “Give me one good reason that Mr. Tennyson would want to see… uh, himself…” The security guard trailed off as Ben waved at the camera and pointed at his own Omnitrix. Inside the security room the guard was thoroughly confused. Working for Ben 23 he had seen plenty of strange aliens come through, but he had never encountered a situation like this. Sometimes he wondered if this job was worth all the mental stress it put him through. The guard decided to pick up the phone and dial the one number saved to it. It was only a few seconds before a voice picked up on the other end.

“What is it? Didn’t I say I didn’t want to be disturbed?” The teenage voice spoke irritably.

“Uh, apologies Mr. Tennyson, but there are some visitors here that would like to see you. They say you know them?” The guard responded.

“Well who are they?”

“Well, they uh… One of them appears to be you Mr. Tennyson.” There was a long pause.

“…Send them in.” The phone hung up and the guard shrugged his shoulders. He pressed a button on the console, opening the gates.

Outside both Paradox and Ben were unaware of what had transpired but they were glad to see the gate opening for them. They walked to the front doors of the spacious mansion. They entered into a grand and spacious foyer. Marble tiles laid upon the floor reflecting the light of a complex and decorative chandelier hanging above. Three hallways branched off the main floor, with the one directly in front of them sitting between a double set of stairs with meticulously hand crafted bannisters. The security guard from earlier directed them up the second floor and then soon up to the third. Ben and Paradox followed behind him silently, with Ben still marvelling at the sheer opulence of the house he was standing in. At last the security guard stopped before a door and let them inside. Ben and Paradox stepped into a large spacious room with beige carpeting. A kitchenette took up the right side of the room with large amounts of snacks and sodas laid across it. A bookshelf filled with comicbooks stood the left A large TV sat at the far end displaying a video game of some sorts. Sat on a leather couch opposite the TV was none other than Ben 23. He looked to be solely focused on the game in front of him.

“Ahem,” Paradox coughed. Surprised, Ben 23 lost focus, the words ‘game over’ displayed in block letters across the screen. He turned to look over the couch and smiled widely.

“Dudes! Ben 10 and Paradox! It’s like, so great to see you guys.” He stood up to greet them. Ben smiled back at him and they embraced in a hug. As they parted Ben had noted that his alternate dimension counterpart had chnaged greatly from when he last saw him. He was taller, and resembled himself as a teenager. His fashion style had seemed to change as well. He still had the same bangs and hair style but now he wore a pristine blue baseball cap atop his head. He also wore a puffy blue vest over a short sleeve lighter blue shirt. A pair of designer black jeans extended downwards to a pair of fashionable black and white kicks. Lastly he wore two diamond stud earrings. Ben 23 turned to Paradox and shook the older man’s hand.

“Man its so awesome to see you. I haven’t seen you since I was like thirteen. It’s been years!” He said. “How do you like the sweet pad? Pretty dope right?” He bragged gesturing to his hangout.

“Yeah man it’s really awesome… but, it’s also got me a bit worried. All this wealth that I’m seeing, are you still in the hero business?” Ben asked concerned. Ben 23 looked at him confused for a second.

“Yeah man of course!” He replied jovially. “Oh, wait I see. You’re worried all the money and stuff has gone to my head. Nah bro don’t even worry about it. Azmuth set up this whole planteary monitoring thing so I can go hero whenever I’m needed. And don’t worry about the money either, I donate a lot of it to charity. I seriously don’t even do much besides hero work. Most of my money comes from like investments and stuff.” He assured them.

It was at that moment that an ad came on one of the many TV screens that lined the far wall. In loud volume it proclaimed the release for the latest Ben 23 movie, ‘Ben against the universe 4’ which would be coming to theaters. Ben glared at his counterpart who smiled sheepishly rubbing his head. Ben 23 ran over to the remote and quickly muted the offending TV.

“Ok so, I still do like some modeling and acting on the side.” He admitted. “But what are you guys here for? If Paradox is here too I’m sure that means something big is going on.” Ben and Paradox exchanged glances and the Omnitrix user decided to explain everything. In fact he started with everything, going all the way back to the Tragulon. Ben 23 was like a brother to him, and it felt cathartic to let this out to someone, especially someone who could understand his pain. He explained Eon, his plan, every failure that led to Eon succeeding and how he needed his help to defeat him now. By the end of the explanation Ben 23’s eyes were wide with shock. He gave a low and drawn out whistle.

“Wow, dude that like majorly sucks. I’m sorry all that happened to you man.” Ben 23 said sincerely.

“Thanks, but I’m getting over it. Or at least I will once we take Eon down.” Ben said punching his fist into his palm. “So you in?” He asked.

“Pfft, like you even have to ask. Of course brochacho!” He responded enthusiastically. “Oh one question though. Do we know how long this might take? Cuz I do have some modeling gigs coming up.”

“Ben…” he chastised himself.

“Eh, I’ll just say a week.” Ben 23 began texting on his phone before he gave them a thumbs up. “All ready!”

“Good then let’s go shall we?” Paradox spoke and opened another portal. The trio stepped through and in another second the swirling portal disappeared behind them.

When they emerged again it was dark outside. Ben and his counterpart looked around trying to get their bearings. They seemed to be in the backyard of a two story house in the suburbs, with a large wooden fence surrounding the property. A shed sat to one side and a stone tiled patio extended from the back of the house upon which sat some lawn chairs. While Ben 23 was utterly confused to their location it seemed familiar to Ben 10.

“Hey, this is Gwen’s house.” He noted.

“Astute observation my friend. But it’s not your Gwen technically speaking.” Paradox responded.

“You don’t think…” Ben 23 said hopefully.

“It’s gotta be.” Ben 10 said with a smile. The trio walked to the back door and Ben tried the handle, only to find that it was locked.

“Okay, how do we get in now?” Ben 23 asked. Ben 10 thought for a second before and idea came to mind.

“I wonder?” He trailed off before squatting down. He looked down at the pile of stones that sat next to the wooden staircase. His eyes trailed over them until he found a familiar oval discolored stone. He picked it up and turned it over pleased to see a key pressed into the center of the stone. He stood back up and inserted the key into the lock, opening the door.

“Woah, how’d you know that was there?” Ben 23 asked.

“I figured if this Gwen’s family was anything like my Gwen’s family they would hide their key in the same place.” Ben 10 replied as they walked in. The inside of the house was virtually identical to that of his own Gwen’s. The same couch, wallpaper, and rugs adorned the room. Some of the pictures seemed slightly different but besides that it was very familiar to Ben.

“Gwen are you home?” Ben called out.

Up on the second story in her room. Gwen Tennyson sat doing her homework. She was nearly finished and ready to go to bed when she heard a voice from downstairs. It sounded like her cousin Ben’s voice and she rolled her eyes. The doofus had been pestering her all night by phone and now it seemed he had decided to bug her in person.

“For the last time Ben, I’m not using Gray Matter to help you with your math homework!” She yelled back down the stairs without moving from her seat.

“Woah! That’s a great idea! How come I never thought of that?” came a second voice. This gave Gwen pause as she turned to her open door. That voice was different but also somehow strangely familiar. But, it couldn’t be. Could it? Her eyes widened and she grabbed her jacket and raced down the stairs. She came face to face with a trio of familiar figures in her living room and squealed in excitement.

“Ahh! I can’t believe it’s really you guys!” Gwen 10 said excitedly as she embraced her two interdimensional cousins in a hug. Like Ben 23, it seemed that Gwen 10 had also grown up in however many years it had been since their last adventure. She resembled Ben’s own Gwen from when they were teenagers, but she wore her hair a little shorter and in a pony tail with her bangs pulled to one side by a hair clip. She wore a blue jacket over a white shirt. A blue skirt hung from her waist over a pair of dark leggings. Unlike the Gwen he knew she wore a pair of flats instead of heels. Lastly her omnitrix glowed pink on her wrist, not disimilar to the omnitrix he had as a teen.

“Wow you guys look so different from what I remember.” She said looking them up and down. “Especially you Ben 10, you look like a grown up.” She poked fun at him.

“Haha well I am in my twenties so I think that qualifies. Look at you though. You’re a lot like the Gwen of my dimension. Well, minus the magic powers I guess.” He said.

“Magic powers? Are you saying I have magic powers in your dimension? That’s so weird, in my universe my Ben is the one with magic.” Gwen pondered. “He’d probably be a lot better at it too if he didn’t just fly by the seat of his pants all the time.” She sighed then turned to Ben 23.

“What about in your dimension?” She asked the younger Ben.

“Oh in mine she’s like a pretty serious student, kinda shy and we don’t hang out much, but no powers that I know about.” He replied. Gwen 10 put her hand to her chin in contemplation.

“Huh, that’s kind of weird…” She trailed off.

“Actually Miss Tennyson I would say that you are the exception rather than the rule. In most universes and timelines you either have no powers at all or are a master of magic. In fact this is the only universe I know of where you receive the Omnitrix instead of someone else.” Paradox stepped into explain.

“Oh…” She felt slightly deflated at that.

“Not to worry though. Even in those universes where your alternate selves are without powers you still manage to be an impressive force. Why, in one universe you actually become the president.” Paradox reassured her.

“Oh!” She paused as she processed that thought. “Cool!” She finally decided. “But, enough about me, I’m sure there’s a reason for you all being here and I assume it’s not good.” She finally turned to the matter at hand.

Like before Ben 10 explained the details of their predicament to his alternate universe cousin. This time he did leave out some of the more sensitive details of what had happened. But he told her of Eon’s rise to power and how he likely will try to take over more universes, conquering until all of the multiverse was under his control. They needed her help to bring him down. Gwen of course, never being one to back down from a challenge in any universe, immediately agreed to help them.

“Count me in.” She said as Ben finished his explanation. “I’ll probably just leave a quick note for everybody so they don’t worry about where I’ve gone.” She said scribbling on a note pad and sticking it to her fridge. “All set!” She said.

“Alright! Interdimensional Road Trip!” Ben 23 shouted gleefully.

“Well at least they’re excited.” Ben 10 said to Paradox.

“Indeed, now let’s go gather our next compatriot shall we? From here on out our recruits will be much different, some of them may have never had experience with different dimensions, and some may be a bit more… obstinate, so I expect you all on your best behavior.” Paradox explained. The trio of Omnitrix users nodded seriously but no less enthusiastically. With that Paradox opened another portal and the group stepped through one by one until they were gone.

Unbeknownst to them another portal opened up in the backyard where they had arrived. Several four legged creatures stepped out from the portal and onto the well manicured grass. They were cast in shadow and the darkness of night but their forms were no less terrifying. They seemed to sniff the air and ground around them as if searching for something. Finally after not finding whatever prey they were looking for they summoned another portal and all jumped through it, leaving none the wiser.

Chapter 39: Chapter 39

Chapter Text

Paradox led the heroes through the portal and the trio of Omnitrix users gazed upon their new surroundings with awe and wonder. The group found themselves in the middle of a futuristic urban metropolis. It was immediately clear that the technology in this universe was far more advanced than any of their native dimensions. Flying hover cars sped over their heads, neon holographic advertisem*nts floated in the air, futuristic fonts both human and alien in design labelled the buildings and street signs. Lights flashed around them, both humans and aliens walked among them, and large tall futuristic buildings towered above them. All the around them they could hear the familiar hum of urban life intermingled with strange technological sounds and hums that were unkown to them. Even the gadgets and devices held by everyday people were so much more advanced than anything they were used to. All around them robotic devices assissted people in their day to day lives: moving packages, serving food and drink, cleaning up trash. There even appeared to be a few sentient robots going about as normal citizens. All-in-all, the effect had the trio of heroes gawking like they stepped into a science-fiction book.

“Come along children, this way!” Called Paradox as he walked confidently down the street. The heroes followed after him still taking in the futuristic sights. Even as unfamiliar as this world was to them, the native populace seemed to bear them no mind, if anything viewing them only as inexperienced tourists.

“Man this place is so cool!” Ben 23 exclaimed as he marvelled at the many fancy gadgets and toys that he fantasized about owning. His eyes were filled with stars and he flitted from one side of the street to the other, drooling over every sleek new technology he came across.

“Seriously! This place is so advanced! I can’t believe some of the stuff I’m seeing: anti-grav tech, teleportation, quantum computing. We must be in the future!” Gwen 10 surmised. Gwen’s words suddenly caused things to click in Ben 10’s brain, the surroundings becoming familiar. He had been here before, or at least somewhere very nearly identical to it.

“Hey Paradox?” He spoke up. “I thought you said we wouldn’t be able to go recruit my future self?” He voiced his suspicions that this was indeed Ben 10,000’s time line.

“Very astute Ben, but this is not the timeline of your future self.” Paradox corrected him. “This is Dimension 101, home to the smartest version of Ben Tennyson in all the Omniverse. Why I frequently make trips here to discuss matters with him and debate scientific theory.” He clarified. “In fact he is almost single-handedly responsible for most of the technology you see around you. His work has advanced his Earth’s science decades ahead.” He gestured around to the vastly futuristic technology around them.

“Wow, dude sounds pretty smart. But do we really need smartypants in our group? Wouldn’t we be better off with some butt-kicking versions of ourselves?” Ben 23 asked, miming karate chops in the air.

“I wouldn’t discount him yet Ben, we need every advantage against Eon we can get.” Ben 10 cautioned.

“Yeah, plus it will be great to finally have a version of Ben that’s intelligent.” Gwen said mockingly.

“Hey! Are you calling us dumb?!” Ben 23 retorted.

“I mean if the shoe fits?” Gwen shrugged. Ben 10 could only roll his eyes. It seemed that no matter what universe he was in, sticking a Ben and a Gwen together would result in name-calling.

But their childish antics soon fell to the wayside as they walked the city streets. Their attention was quickly diverted by the fascinating tech that surrounded them on all sides. Paradox led them through the urban sprawl expertly. Eventually they came into view of their destination. Soaring above many of the other buildings surrounding it stood a spire of steel and glass. It’s sleek rectangular body gave way to a more organic design as it rose into the sky, culminating in an array of discs and antenna that seemed to sprout like branches from a tree. But what caught their attention the most was the Omnitrix symbol proudly emblazoned on the side of the building, the only difference was the yellow coloration to the icon.

“That is our destination, Tennyson Tower.” Paradox pointed upwards with his cane. The time walker led the group inside where they stepped into a large lobby filled with more floating screens, inlaid lights, and some surprisingly spacious and well maintained planters. All around them humans, aliens, and robots milled about, many of them wearing labcoats indicating them to be scientists of some sort. The group walked across the lobby, many of the scientists seeming to ignore them outright completely. Paradox led them to an elevator of sorts, a circular platform powered by antigrav technology.

“Wait so that’s it?” Ben questioned. “We just hop on the elevator and go up to see him? For the smartest Ben I would expect he’d have more security.” He said.

“Oh believe me Tennyson Tower’s security clocked us the second we walked in. If we weren’t allowed in guards would be on us in seconds. Besides the only way to reach this Ben’s private laboratory is with specially encoded key cards. Which luckily he has provided me with. Why he probably already knows we’re here.” Paradox explained as he produced said key card and swiped it on the reader. The elevator lift soon began rising. Through the semi-transparent glass they watched as they ascended higher and higher, passing nearly to the top of the building.

When at last the lift stopped they stepped out into an advanced laboratory space. All around them laid robotic machines and devices, in varying states of completion. Chemical substances sat carefully placed into shelving units against a wall. Floating computers, screens, and touch pads hovered above different tables with varying degrees of text. Complex equations were written along whiteboards, so expansive that they often ran onto other boards. Biological samples were encased in glass domes, plants, tissue samples, cell cultures, all under carefully controlled environmental conditions. The trio of heroes were once again left speechless by the sheer amount of scientific equipment in the laboratory. But sitting inconspicuously among the vast scientific array was a single small alien form, a Galvan, working on a complex robotic chassis laid out on the table. Without turning around to acknowledge them, the alien spoke.

“Paradox, I see you’ve brought a retinue along with you this time. To what do I owe the pleasure?” He spoke plainly.

“Yes I have, and they are distant relations to you. Everyone I would like to introduce Ben Tennyson of Dimension 101, the most intelligent human on Earth.” Paradox gestured to the Galvan. The alien turned around for the first time at the introduction, his bulbous eyes scrutinizing their group. His gaze immediately noted the Omnitrix on each of their wrists and then he recognized their familial resemblance. He stood and walked over to the edge of the lab table.

“I prefer Benjamin actually,” He said with a dry tone. “And judging by your appearances and the devices on your wrists I can only conclude that you are all omnitrix wielders from different dimensions.” He deduced, placing his hands behind his back. Ben 10 was a little taken aback by the maturity and seriousness of this alternate version of himself. It reminded him a lot of Azmuth. But deciding to be polite he swallowed his disquiet and replied.

“Uh, yeah. This is Ben from dimension 23, and this is Gwen 10, and I’m…” But he was cut off as Ben 101 spoke up.

“You must be Ben Prime, Paradox has told me of you multiple times. Although I believe he had always mentioned a future version of you. This version seems… incomplete.” He said.

“Uhh…” Ben stalled, unsure of how to respond.

“I suppose it is only polite to converse with you in my human form. A moment please.” With that the little Galvan jumped off the table. A flash of yellow light revealed a young Ben Tennyson standing in front of them. His hair was neatly combed to the side and he wore a pair of angular and sharp glasses on his face. His outfit was a yellow polo shirt with a pocket protector. A yellow and white striped tie hung from his neck. And a pair of khakis and brown dress shoes completed the look. His Omnitrix sported a yellow color as well. His expression was one of carefully controlled neutrality, bordering on disinterest. The group of heroes were all shocked, they had never come across a version of Ben that was so unlike, well Ben before.

“Hey! You’re like my age!” Ben 23 was the first to speak up. “With all this fancy equipment and the way you talk I was expecting an older Ben.” He said. Ben 101 quirked an eyebrow. Ignoring the outburst he turned towards Paradox and addressed him.

“You didn’t tell them anything about me did you?” He asked.

“I figured I’d let you speak for yourself. Why spoil the surprise?” He responded with a shrug. Ben 101 sighed.

“Very well, let’s get this over with.” He said with a hint of resignation. “Yes I am very young but do not let that fool you as it has no bearing on my intellect. I have often been called a boy genius but I am so much more than that. I graduated high school at the age of eight, college, at thirteen, and have spent the last three years developing new technologies and advancing research in multiple disciplines. I have master’s in several fields and have single handedly advanced my Earth’s science to a level comparable to other interstellar alien civilizations. Having the Omnitrix is really just an added benefit, allowing me to tackle my research, and the occasional threat to Earth, with a more hands on approach.” He spoke as though reciting a presentation. The group stared at him with mixed expressions. Ben 101 regarded their slackjawed faces with disdain.

“Ahem, well now that my introduction is out of the way, may I ask what brings you here?” He said ignoring their baffled looks.

“Oh, yeah, well here’s the situation…” Ben began to explain the predicament they found themselves in. He detailed to his counterpart the predicament with Eon and how he had captured all of his worst enemies, trapping them in an alternate Omnitrix to absorb their powers. He told Ben 101 of Dagon, the multi-dimensional entity of chaos and ultimate power that Eon had absorbed. Throughout the explanation, Ben 101’s face remained placid and unemotional. It was rather unnerving for the other Omnitrix wielders who did not know how to handle his stoicism.

“And that’s why we need your help.” Ben finished at last. But their newest recruit stayed impassive even after Ben’s impassioned plea. Ben swallowed nervously, had they misjudged this Ben? Was he not going to help them after all? Ben 101 breathed a deep sigh before rolling his eyes.

“Fine, I suppose I’ll help you.” He finally said.

“Alright, sweet!” Ben 23 exclaimed with a fist pump. Gwen and Ben 10 both gave slight smiles.

“But, I have one condition.” He followed up. The group looked at him with confusion.

“I get to be in charge.” Ben 101 said.

“What?!” Gwen exclaimed in outrage. The other two Bens stared at their multi-dimensional counterpart in a mixture of shock and consternation.

“It’s only the most logical conclusion that I should be the leader.” He explained smugly. “I have the highest IQ of any omnitrix wielder, save perhaps Azmuth himself. And from your description of events it sounds as though you’ve bungled things every step of the way.” Benjamin said. Outrage flashed on all of their faces at the accusation. “If we’re going to defeat this so-called ultimate evil then we need a leader who is capable, confident and intelligent, erego, me.” He said as if it was the most natural thing in the world. “So do we have a deal?” He asked extending a hand to Ben 10 with a smug look on his face. Ben stared at his younger counterpart bewildered, but thankfully he was not the first to respond.

“Are you insane?!” Gwen shouted as she came up and slapped Ben 101’s hand away. “Why would you even suggest something like that?” She accused.

“Oh so you’re telling me you have complete confidence in him?” He replied. “Why’s that?”

“Because he’s the oldest of us and he knows exactly what we’re going up against, not to mention he’s led both of us in the past.” Gwen said passionately.

“Yeah, not to mention he’s Ben Prime dude!” Ben 23 added in.

“Respectfully, I disagree.” He responded in a dry tone that implied anything but respect. “Besides who else could we trust to lead this mission? Clearly not that version of Ben.” He gestured to 23 who took offense to the statement. “And clearly you’re not a good candidate.” He remarked to Gwen.

“What is that supposed to mean?” She asked offended.

“You’re a female, and it is a scientific fact that females of the human species are inferior to males, its just a fact.” He said coolly and without a hint of remorse.

“UGGH!! I cannot believe you just said that!” She exclaimed as she took a swing at Ben 101. He ducked with a hint of fear on his face, the first emotion he seemed to show in their entire encounter.

“Yeah man, misogyny is so not cool dude.” Ben 23 nodded sagely.

“I don’t know why you’re so upset? It’s not like it’s something you can control.” He said backing away from her fury. But the statement only served to incense her further.

“Oh my god! I can’t believe this. Does your Gwen let you talk like this?” She asked with wild eyes.

“My Gwen is nothing more than a simple vapid valley girl. The only things of interest to her are fashion and boys.” He said with an eyeroll.

“Well that just means I get to pound the lesson into your skull in her place!” Gwen responded now chasing the boy genius around his lab. Ben 101, now fully disavowed of his calm and collected demeanor, ran away from her cowering behind his various desks and invention. Ben 23 watched on with amusem*nt as his pseudo-cousin chased Ben 101 around the lab threatening to make him pay for his comments. Ben 10 however, watched the proceedings with skepticism. He turned his gaze to Paradox who had for the most part stood by the side as an observer.

“This was your first candidate?” Ben asked incredulously.

“I never said he was perfect.” Paradox shrugged. Ben turned back to look at his counterpart. Gwen had apparently given up on attacking him directly and instead had opted for destroying as much of his lab as she could while he helplessly stood on the sides. His air of superiority had all but disappeared as Gwen made a mess of his work, and he, desperate to get her to stop yelled from the sidelines. All the while Ben 23 stood at the side cheering Gwen on. All in all it looked like a scene from a circus.

Ben contemplated this alternate version of himself. He couldn’t deny that this Ben was far more intelligent than any of them, and they could certainly use that intelligence on their side. However his ego left a lot to be desired. And the misogyny was a whole other issue. He supposed it was ironic that he finally met a Ben with an ego that was bigger than his own. He realized distantly that this must have been what his friends and family had felt whenever his own ego had surfaced. The realization was… unpleasant to say the least. He finally knew how annoying he could be, he supposed it was his just desserts. He knew if those close to him were here they would definitely be bragging to him smugly by now. Still, if he could somehow convince this Ben to their side, and without having to acquiesce to his demands, he was sure Ben 101 would be a valuable ally to have.

But all their antics were cut short by the blaring of an alarm around them. Red lights flashed overhead causing all of the occupants to pause and look around in confusion. Floating monitors sped their way over to Ben 101. He immediately began touching the screens, dismissing the alerts and bringing up video footage.

“What’s going on?” Ben 10 asked.

“Perimeter alert. Someone or something is attempting to break into my tower.” Ben 101 replied. He brought up a live feed of the lobby. They watched as the scientists and civilians in the lobby scrambled for cover and exits. Security forces swarmed into the lobby, weapons drawn and herding the non-combatants away from the action. The group of Omnitrix users crowded around the screen, invading into Ben 101’s personal space as they did so. They watched as the main entrance to the lobby broke down, glass shattering onto the lineoleum floor. A trio of four legged creatures infiltrated into the lobby each the size of a bear. They had long broad tails and a round head with a circle of teeth like markings with no visible eyes or other sensory organs. Strangely enough, though they all seemed similar in body shape, the make up of their bodies all seemed different from one another. One of the creatures had purpilish grey skin with veins of black running through it. Another had skin of black and red with yellow teeth marks. The last one looked even more mechanical then the rest, with clunky joints of dark grey metal. The group watched with horror as the beasts set upon the guards with fervor.

“What the heck are those things?” Gwen asked. Ben 10’s eyes widened as his mind put together the pieces, their appearance and the way they moved was instantly familiar to him.

“Lucubra!” He said immediately. The others turned to look at him confused. “They’re servants of Dagon. But it’s strange, it looks almost like they’ve been mutated.” He said continuing to watch the screen. Indeed the monsters displayed abilities that were not native to them, abilities that resembled those of certain alien foes. The first Lucubra went intangible and phased through the blaster fire that was aimed at him, taking out the guards by popping through the walls and floors. The second Lucubra pounced on one of the security guards and ripped away its weapon, swallowing it whole before manifesting it on its back and opening fire. The third Lucubra simply stalked forward, its metallic body impervious to the fire before firing a beam from its mouth which disintegrated the weapons into dust. The group watched on the screen as the beasts made quick work of the security forces.

“Eon must have summoned them and mutated them somehow, now he’s sent them after us.” Ben 10 said grimly.

“Well what are we waiting for?! Let’s go kick their butts!” Ben 23 said pounding his fists.

“No need, the security features in this building are more than enough to stop these creatures. We should just sit back and watch.” Ben 101 replied.

“You cannot be serious.” Gwen remarked. “What if they hurt all those innocent people?” She asked.

“They will be fine if they stay out of the way and go to the safe rooms. They are here for all of you so reason says they will ignore any non-essential obstacles.” He replied calmly.
“Ben we can’t let him do this!” She turned to Ben 10 with a pleading expression in her eyes. Ben looked back and forth between Ben 101 and the earnest expressions of his other companions. He gave a slight smirk.

“No.” He said. “If Benjamin here wants to be in charge then I say we let him show his stuff. If he’s so confident then surely he already has a plan in place to stop these things. Isn’t that right Benjamin?” He asked. Ben 101 scoffed.

“Please, these monstrosities will never even make it past the fifth floor.” He spoke confidently. The other two omnitrix wielders regarded Ben with nervous looks but he silently reassured them.

The group of heroes watched on the screen like one would a spectator sport. The creatures ascended through the tower with ease. They watched as Ben 101 began issuing commands on his computers and touch screens. With a flick of the wrist he summoned more and more defenses to stop the creatures. Lasers, drones, electrified grids, and even more advanced weapons and traps that they didn’t have names for. Ben 101 threw every conceivable defense at the creatures in an effort to stop them. Yet the creatures weathered every obstacle and ascended at a rapid pace. By the time they had reached the half way point Ben 101 was visibly becoming nervous. Sweat ran off his neck and his hands trembled as he typed in commands. Yet it seemed that all of his advanced defense mechanisms were no match for the mutated lucubra.

“No, this can’t be happening.” He finally said as they were soon approaching their floor. “They’ve bypassed all of my security. This shouldn’t be possible, I’ve accounted for everything.” Benjamin began to panic. He had never had his technology be so utterly useless before. He had always found a way to use his tech to stop his opponents, but now these mere beasts were making a mockery of it.

“What are we going to do? These creatures will be on us soon and nothing I’ve done has had a significant effect!” Benjamin said nervously adjusting his glasses.

“Easy we go back to plan A and kick their butts.” Ben 10 said and flashed his counterpart his own omnitrix.

When the lucubra finally reached the top lab they busted through the sealed doors. They paused as they surveyed the new environment. They had followed the scent of their prey to this exact spot and they knew they were here somewhere. But currently the room appeared empty. They stepped inside, senses searching like psychic bloodhounds.

“Now!” A voice called out. Suddenly the creatures were assaulted from all sides by alien fighters. A spray of green mucus coated the creatures as Ben 10 used Spitter to coat the creatures in a sticky trap. The Ghost Lucubra immediately tried phasing through the goo but found that he could not, while the other two moved away to escape the trap. “Gwen now!” He yelled.

The Ghost Lucubra looked up to see a ball of fire thrown straight at it by a Gwen’s Heatblast form. The intense fire ignited the sludge covering it and the lucubra burst into flames. The immense heat burned the ectonurite DNA it was combined with and the creature burned into a pile of ashes while emitting a high pitch scream. On the other side of the lab the Chrono-Lucubra had escaped the fate of its sibling and hid behind a table waiting for a moment to strike. But it soon found itself lifted up in the air. Ben 23 had transformed into Lodestar and levitated the metallic beast into the air. The beast futilely struggled against the magnetic forces to no avail. Lodestar spread his magnetic claws apart, the joints and bolts holding the lucubra together falling apart as he did so. Soon the metallic creature was nothing but a heap of scrap metal on the floor.

The Malware-Lucubra was the only one left and stood face to face with Ben 101. The native omnitrix user had transformed into his own Upgrade form and wrapped himself around a prototype battle drone. Its pure stature and advanced weaponry would have been impressive in any other circ*mstance. As it stood however, the malware lucubra was steadily eating parts of the mechanical titan and absorbing its weaponry into itself.

“This may have been a miscalculation.” Ben 101 said aloud as he backed up from the snarling creature.

“Don’t worry I got you!” Ben shouted as he ran to his counterpart’s aid. He transformed mid stride into Frankenstryke. The Anur alien swung with a heavy punch sending the lucubra crashing into the wall. Before it could recover he blasted it with a burst of lightning. The beast convulsed and hissed in pain as the electricity coursed through its body. Finally it began to lose its cohesion, melting into a puddle of inanimate goo rendered inert. With the threat dealt with the omnitrix users gathered together once more.

“I can’t believe it. We defeated them.” Ben 101 commented in a state of bewilderment.

“Yeah, and we could have done it a lot quicker if you had listened to us in the first place dude.” Ben 23 said with hands on hips.

“I’m, I’m sorry… I truly thought my advanced technology would be enough.” He said dejectedly. Ben 10 came up and placed a hand on his shoulder.

“You don’t have a lot of combat experience do you?” Ben asked him.

“I… prefer to solve my problems with my brains rather than my fists.” Benjamin replied.

“That’s okay, and it’s admirable even. But sometimes you need to take action yourself. After all, that Omnitrix is a piece of technology just like all this stuff you’ve built. I think you should try using it a bit more. And if you promise to come with us, I can help you out with that. And we can help you get over some of your prejudices too.” He explained with a smile.

“Oh trust me, we’re definitely going to be working on that.” Gwen said. Benjamin smiled nervously

“Right, so um… where to next?” He asked.

“I believe that’s my cue.” Paradox stepped up finally. “Let’s move along everyone, we’ve got a lot of ground to cover.” He said as he opened another portal.

Chapter 40: Chapter 40

Chapter Text

The group of heroes stepped out of the portal once more. The landscape they found themselves in was shrouded in night. Their surroundings appeared to be a construction site: large heavy equipment, building materials, and a partially constructed framework were the dominant features of their new environment. The night was silent and dark, save for a few street lamps casting a fluorescent glow around them. On closer inspection they appeared to be in an urban environment, with some houses and corner stores further down the street. A street which was practically deserted due to the late hour. The group of young heroes examined their surroundings with a curious gaze. At first glance, it did not seem to be an impressive locale for their next recruit and had some questioning their presence here. They turned to look at Paradox with a questioning expression.

“She should be here any moment.” He assured them, checking his pocket watch. “Come, let’s go over here while we wait. That way we’ll be out of the action for now.” Paradox herded the group of young heroes behind some excavators and concrete pipes.

“What action? This place is deserted?” Ben 23 commented as he was corralled.

“Patience young Tennyson. Just watch.” Indeed the group did not have to wait long. In a few short minutes they heard the distant sounds of battle. Car alarms blared and the earth quaked beneath them. Lights flashed in the distance that they could spy from over the tall fences surrounding the construction site. The group stood ready, hands hovering over their watches but Paradox assured them their intervention would not be needed. They did not have to wait long to see why.

They watched from the corner of their eyes as a blue blur swung up and over the tall chain link fence. It dashed quickly into the maze of steel girders that made up the framework of the building. Not long after, a tall imposing figure charged up to the fence. With a single mighty kick they ripped the fencing up and out of the ground. The group stood shocked as a tall green alien wearing maroon colored armor stepped into the light. The alien immediately resembled Vilgax to them, but at the same time it wasn’t quite Vilgax. This alien appeared to have a more feminine form, with wider hips and a smoother face. She had less tentacles forming her beard and instead the majority of them fell from her scalp almost like hair extending to her mid back. Her attire was nearly identical to that of what their Vilgax wore, with a similar head band and large boots that cut off at her thighs. She carried a large sword on her back and two jewel encrusted gauntlets that glowed with power. Despite her clear feminine attributes she appeared no less threatening than the Vilgax they were used to.

“Tennyson!” She shouted into the still night air. “Cease your cowardly hiding and come out here so I can eviscerate your pathetic human form.” The alien taunted.

“Who’s hiding Vilgaxa!” Said another feminine voice. They all turned to see a female Arachnichimp drop down from the shadows of the girders and onto the ground. “I’m right here! Come and get me! Hahaha!” She laughed teasingly before backflipping into the labyrinth of steel poles.

“Hrrggh! Jen Ten I will end you!” The now named Vilgaxa grabbed her sword and charged into the half finished structure. The group of heroes silently maneuvered their position to view the action while still hiding out of sight. From the sidelines, Ben watched confused.

“Uh so Paradox, what’s the deal with this universe? Why is Vilgax… like that? And who’s the Omnitrix user?” Ben asked.

“This is Dimension 63, a world where every individual is of the opposite gender from other universes. And I’m sure you’ve by now deduced the identity of Jen 10?” He replied.

“So she’s another alternate version of me.” Ben spoke.

“Yes, but that’s not the only thing that makes her special. Here let’s watch.” Paradox gestured to the scene in front of them.

Vilgaxa stomped into the hall of the partially completed building. She glared around at the shadowy pillars of steel and concrete. Her eyes and senses were alert to any movement or action. But all she could hear was the taunting giggling and ape like sounds from her opponent echo all around her. She held her sword aloft in front of her, ready to strike at the slightest movement. Vilgaxa moved her way slowly through the structure following the noises of foot steps and laughter left behind by her opponent. Suddenly from her right there was a quick squelching noise. She turned just in time to have a glob of web silk hit her shoulder. She grimaced in disgust and attempted to rip it off her when she felt another blob impact her left foot. She growled in frustration and when another shot flew towards her face she reacted by slicing it cleanly out of the air with her sword. She then quickly extricated her foot from the floor and ripped off the remaining sticky material from her body.

“Hoo Hoo Haha!” She heard from behind her. Vilgaxa quickly turned around to find Spidermonkey perched on a beam above her. “I’ve seen faster reflexes in a sloth haha!” She taunted.

“I do not know this ‘sloth’ you speak of, but I will make sure you never see one again!” Vilgaxa suddenly rushed the alien with sword lifted over her head. She sliced down in an arc, slicing straight through the beam where her opponent once was.

But Spidermonkey expertly leaped out of the way. She jumped to the side and swung underneath another beam, twisting in midair to face the alien empress. Vilgaxa rushed her, furious that she had missed her attack. The group of omnitrix wielders watched as this version began dodging with incredible skill. She jumped and flipped circles around Vilgaxa, avoiding each swipe of the sword by a fair margin. Spidermonkey ducked under a horizontal swipe which bisected the support beam behind her. She then launched herself upwards, using Vilgaxa’s shoulder as a springboard to reach another beam above her. She perched there for a moment before hanging upside down and shooting another glob of web at her opponent. Vilgaxa dodged the projectile only to see the monkey like alien had disappeared yet again. Before she could even process her astonishment she saw Spidermonkey cartwheel from behind a pole to her right. Vilgaxa immediately swung her sword but instead of flesh it carved into the metal pole, casting a flurry of white hot sparks while her adversary escaped unscathed.

This continued on for several minutes. The female Spidermonkey goaded Vilgaxa into recklessly swinging her sword, while she nimbly evaded the blade’s edge. Every now and again when Vilgaxa would flag, she would toss out another insult or taunt and raise the alien’s ire once more. The alien empress was so blinded by her rage against her opponent that she did not even realize that her attacks were merely damaging the structure around her. After the last swing cut through the nearest pole Spidermonkey did a final flip, landing her outside of the permiter of the structure. She stuck the landing with one foot placed behind the other and both sets of arms extended proudly up into the air.

“Well Vilgaxa I gotta hand it to you, you did a great job in there. You practically did all my work for me.” Spidermonkey spoke. Vilgaxa looked at her in utter confusion.

“What are you talking about? This battle is not over!” She shouted.

“Maybe not for you but I think the building would disagree.” She pointed to the structure. It was then that Vilgaxa finally paused to survey the damage she had done. Her eyes widened in shock as she realized that her sword swings had cut through many of the steel support beams holding the structure together. She felt fear as she noted the creaking sound of metal grating against metal. The entire structure shook around her.

“Tennyson!” She screamed angrily as she dashed to get out from under the collapsing structure. But it was too late, the tons of metal and concrete fell on top of her. A tremendous crashing sound echoed through the night air as an enormous dust cloud rose into the air. When the dust settled they could see Vilgaxa buried under tons of metal and concrete debris, struggling to remain conscious.

“Ha you got crashed!... No that’s dumb. Wait lemme try again. Uh, I guess you couldn’t handle the pressure? No that doesn’t make sense. Wait I got it! Hey Vilgaxa! Looks like you need to do some work on yourself!” She taunted.

“This… is not… the end. Next time…” Vilgaxa groaned out before her body dematerialized as she teleported back to her ship.

“Yeah yeah, and I’ll kick your butt next time too!” The Spidermonkey called to the skies.

It was at that moment that Spidermonkey’s transformation timed out. In a flash the alien was replaced by a human girl with long brown hair that was braided and hung to her upper back. What surprised them all the most was the similarity she bore to Ben. She had the same eyes and face structure as Ben, but her features were distinctly more feminine. She wore a pair of white sneakers with green accents. She had a pair of lime green cutoff shorts which she wore over a pair black leggings. Her shirt was mostly black except for the strip of white which started at the collar and extended down the middle. A green 10 was emblazoned on the left sleeve. Her Omnitrix resembled his old version only the colors were more of a lime green than his. She still seemed young to Ben though, he wasn’t sure when he was meeting this alternate version in her life. But he thought he may as well go introduce himself.

Ben walked out from behind the large stack of concrete pipes, clapping his hands together slowly. The Tennyson girl whirled around on high alert but her face became confused at the sight of him. Before she could say anything to him Ben spoke.

“Impressive work out there.” He complimented her. The words clearly were not what she was expecting as she looked even more confused, but her hand did not stray from her omnitrix.

“Oh, uh, thanks?” She said at first. “Wait, no, hold up who even are you mystery man? And what are you doing here?” She demanded taking a more aggressive stance.

“Woah easy! I’m a friend, promise.” Ben said holding his palms up defensively.

“Yeah sure. Creepy older guy stalking a young impressionable girl in the middle of the night in a secluded location? How dumb do you think I am?” She retorted sarcastically. Ben sighed, he supposed she did have a point there.

“Maybe this will convince you.” He said and turned his wrist to flash her his Omnitrix. The Tennyson girl stared at the device with confusion and glanced down at her own, nearly identical one.

“An Omnitrix? But I thought Azmyth only made one of them?” She whispered. “Who are you?” She asked finally.

“My name’s Ben Tennyson. What’s yours?” He asked.

“Ben… Tennyson? But my name is Jen Tennyson. Okay are you like, some long lost brother of mine or something?” She said even more puzzled as she noted the similarity between them.

“Uhm sort of. And I’m not the only one. Guys come on out.” He called. One by one the other Omnitrix users stepped out from the shadows. Ben 23 and Gwen both waved at her excitedly. Ben 101 stood to the side coolly, leaning against the wall. Jen stood with jaw slack and arms limp by her side.

“OH. EM. GEE!” She screamed enthusiastically as she took in the sight of their omnitrices. “This is so cool but like I’m still totally freaking out cuz like I don’t know what’s going on but like I’m still happy like what?!” She rambled as she ran up to each and every one of them. She poked and prodded them, grabbing their hands and shaking them enthusiastically. “Like seriously who are all of you?” She asked again.

“Perhaps I can help with that.” Paradox finally spoke up and stepped into the light with his cane.

“Okay, I definitely don’t know you either dude.” She pointed.

“No but I know of you quite well Jen.” Paradox replied.

“You do?” She replied curiously.

“Yes, my name is Professor Paradox and I am a traveller of different dimensions and timelines. All of these individuals you see before you are all Omnitrix users from different universes.” He explained to her.

“Whoah,… there are other universes?” Jen said looking to the starry sky above.

“Tch, of course the female version of us would be ignorant of the Omniverse.” Benjamin whispered with a roll of his eyes. Unfortunately for him his words were heard by all those present.

“Hey! You got a problem with girls?!” Jen said indignantly with hands on her hips. Benjamin was about to speak up but a swift smack on the head from Ben 23 silenced him quickly.

“Ignore him, we’re still working on his prejudices.” Gwen said with a glare towards him. Ben 101 sighed. “Hi, I’m Gwen 10, and I think it’s great you’re joining us. We definitely need more girl power on this team.” She said shaking Jen’s hand.

“Speaking of which, those moves you did were sick! Where’d you learn to do all that?” Ben 23 asked.

“Eight years of gymnastics and four years of cheerleading bay-bee!” Jen smiled proudly making a peace sign with her fingers.

“Yes, Jennifer here has the distinction of not only being one of the only female versions of Ben Tennyson, but also one of the most agile Omnitrix users out there.” Paradox complimented.

“Hey, woah old timer. While I appreciate the props let’s make one thing clear: It’s not Jennifer, it’s not Jenny, it’s just Jen.” She said waving her finger disapprovingly.

“My sincerest apologies.” Paradox gave a slight bow. The gesture of respect took Jen off guard and she played with her braid nervously before muttering a quiet thanks. But their conversation was disrupted by shouting voices from the other side of the fences.

“Jen? Where are you?” Came a masculine voice. Jen immediately became her excited and exuberant self again.

“Over here guys!” She called back. The group watched as a pair of individuals emerged at the entrance of the construction site. Ben nearly had whiplash from the double take he did upon seeing them. They were clearly different versions of both Gwen and Kevin, but the sight of them in such different bodies had him reeling even more than seeing himself as a girl.

“Glen! Eve! You’ll never guess who these guys are!” She said running up to them.

Ben gave the pair of them another once over. ‘Glen’ was easily the tallest of the group and was a clear analog for his Gwen with his shock of orange red hair. He wore a blue polo shirt with the familiar cat symbol ebroidered on the pocket protector. A pair of simple straight jeans led down to a pair of plain white sneakers. Lastly a pair of glasses sat across his eyes. The girl, ‘Eve’, seemed to be a counterpart to Kevin. Her appearance was the most drastic difference of them all. She had long black hair that was almost greasy. Her nose was pierced by a stud and she wore dark black lipstick. She wore a thin black crop top that revealed pale skin and a curvaceous figure. She had donned a pair of somewhat baggy work pants which were tucked into a pair of high black work boots. Lastly the familiar ‘11’ lock hung from her neck.

“These guys are all alternate versions of us from different universes!” Jen explained excitedly.

“Oh great, just what we need: more Tennysons.” Eve huffed.

“Pfft, you’re just jealous you don’t have an alternate self here.” Jen taunted back. Eve huffed and flipped her hair. It was becoming clear to Ben that Jen and Eve had a relationship similar to his and Kevin’s when they first started working together.

“Wow, alternate universes. You know I’ve read about different theories of a multiverse but I never imagined the evidence would one day be standing right in front of me.” Glen said.

“Finally, someone with some intelligence.” Ben 101 complained.

“Ignore him. Hi I’m Gwen. I think I’m your counterpart, or at least one of them.” Gwen introduced herself shaking hands with her doppelganger.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Glen and this is Evelyn.” He said gesturing to his left. Evelyn clearly bristled at the name and elbowed Glen in the ribs.

“How many times have I told you it’s just Eve.” She whispered harshly.

“Sorry haha.” He said sheepishly.

“Well now that introductions are out of the way I think we should get down to business.” Paradox stated.

“Business? What are you talking about?” Jen asked confused.

“Jen, there’s a reason that we’ve come to you. We need your help.” Ben said. Jen went silent for a minute, eyes wide and unbelieving.

“You need my help?” She repeated incredulously.

“That’s right Jen. There’s an evil despot back in my home dimension that goes by Eon.” Ben began. Just like before he explained to Jen the dire circ*mstances that led to Eon becoming one of the most powerful villains in the Omniverse. He told her of Paradox’s plan to gather the greatest Omnitrix users from across the Omniverse to help them defeat Eon. It was the reason they came to her world, to recruit her for their team. “So, Jen? Whaddaya say? Are you in?” Ben asked.

“Of course I’m in! I wouldn’t dare miss this. My first interdimensional hero team up? I’m so pysched!” Jen said pumping her fists.

“So when do we leave?” Eve spoke up from behind.

“Actually Eve, I think it is best that you and Glen stay behind here.” Paradox spoke up before Ben could reply. Eve’s face immediately turned sour and even Ben looked confused.

“Uh, hold on a minute Paradox. Wouldn’t it be better to get all the allies we can to fight against Eon?” Ben questioned.

“Yeah man! The more the merrier I say. We can make the most kick ass team anybody’s ever seen.” Ben 23 said punching his palm to his fist.

“Wow you simpletons really don’t understand anything about interdimensional travel do you?” Ben 101 said.

“Oh I’m sorry, like you’ve done a lot of universe hopping yourself?” Gwen retorted.

“I don’t have to if I understand the theory behind it.” Benjamin spoke. He turned to Paradox with an annoyed expression. “You really didn’t tell them anything?” He asked.

“It must have slipped my mind. Would you care to be so kind Benjamin?” He replied. Ben 101 sighed deeply before turning back to the group.

“Very well, if I must. Alright listen up because I won’t be repeating myself. Travel between different universes and dimensions can be dangerous not only because of the unknowns but also because of the inherent instability of time and space that results from said travel. We should endeavor to cause as little disturbance as possible to ensure that Eon can’t find us and that we can remain the integrity of the universes we visit. Understand?” The group stared at him blankly.

“Um, if I could ask for some clarification?” Glen spoke up.

“Ugh.” Benjamin groaned. “Okay, let’s use an analogy then.” Benjamin picked up a piece of metal rebar from the ground and began sketching in the dirt. His schematic consisted of some large circles and dots. “Think of the different dimensions like bodies of water. Travelling from one dimension to another is like taking a stone from one pool to another. Everyone following so far?” He asked then continued on without waiting for a response.

“Moving a stone from pool to pool causes ripples in the water. These ripples, disrupt the stability of the pool, or universe in this case. Not by much mind you, but enough that a skilled traveller like Eon would be able to read them and track us. Additionally adding stones to a pool of water causes displacement as well. Usually the displacement and the ripples would be negligble as they are too small to have a noticeable effect. But the more stones you move and take with you, the larger the ripple effects become, and the more displacement you get. Basically we should try to take as few people as possible with us because the more we take, the more unstable we make space and time and the easier it becomes for Eon to not only track us but to invade the dimensions we leave behind.” Benjamin finished explaining.

As his analogy finished the group of heroes looked around at each other. The message seemed to be clear to those around them. This interdimensional road trip of theirs wouldn’t be all fun and games and carried an inherent risk to it. The group of young people seemed to react to the news differently. Some like Gwen and Glen were more contemplative. While others like Eve and Ben 23 seemed more upset and irritated by the information. Ben himself was mildly disappointed. He thought that they would be able to take many allies with them but it seemed like such an action would cause more harm than good.

“But it still just boils down to you not needing us right?” Eve said with a hint of disappointment and venom.

“On the contrary Eve. You and Glen here have an important job.” Paradox spoke. “As Benjamin said, Eon already is attempting to track us down and stop our efforts. In fact he has already sent minions after us and into dimension 101 where we just came from. Which means it is only a matter of time before he tracks us here and does the same thing. Your job will be to protect your home universe from Eon’s lackeys and stall him from following our trail. Indeed, we all have roles we must play.” Paradox spoke. Eve huffed and crossed her arms.

“I know that this role may not be as glamorous as what you were hoping for, but it is important nonetheless. Can we count on you?” Paradox asked. Eve contemplated her response but before she could reply the group turned at the sound of crackling lightning.

The heroes turned to see a dark swirling vortex appear from thin air. Energy crackled around the edges of the portal which fumed with dark violet clouds. The wind picked up, sucking in loose debris towards the vortex. The group watched as more than a half dozen humanoid figures stepped through the vortex. Each of them wore dark body suits with helmets and purple trim. Ben immediately recognized them as minions of Eon, however something was different about them. Although they each were humanoid in shape, they all had differing levels of proportions. Some had more than the standard two arms, some were tall, some were thin, and some had huge muscles. Ben’s fears were confirmed as the mindless thralls each charged up different energy attacks and fired at them.

“Everyone scatter!” Ben called immediately as a fire ball exploded just seconds after they dodged. The minions of Eon charged into the fray, attacking recklessly with abandon. “Try not to hurt them too much, they don’t have any control!” Ben shouted as some of them took the minions head on. The group of heroes retreated further in the construction site, regrouping after the initial assault.

“Come on let’s kick their butts!” Ben 23 shouted.

“No you idiot! This is exactly what I was warning you all about before. Eon’s found us and now he’s going to send even more of his soldiers to capture us. We need to get out of here while you two stay behind to stall them.” Benjamin said pointing at Eve and Glen.

“No way! I’m not leaving my friends behind! Come on we can take them.” Jen said attempting to palm her Omnitrix. But a firm grip on her wrist halted her plans. She turned to see Glen looking at her with a sad but determined expression.

“No Jen, it’s okay. Eve and I will stay behind. You guys go do what you have to and stop Eon at the source.” He spoke.

“What? No Glen, I can’t do that.” Jen said starting to form tears in her eyes. “Besides there’s not even that many of them, with all of us it should be easy!” She said in denial.

“Jen, come on open your eyes girl! There’s way more of them now.” Eve said pointing at the portal. The group looked to see even more of the misshapen minions crawling their way out of the vortex. “We got this. Glen and I will give em hell don’t you worry.” Eve spoke. But while she tried to hide it, the waver behind her voice was clear to Ben. Tears began to fall freely from Jen’s face now at the prospect of leaving her friends behind. She wrapped Eve in a sisterly hug, an action that garnered surprise from the older girl but was reciprocated nonetheless.

“Alright, let’s go then.” She said. Paradox opened a portal of his own and the Omnitrix users quickly filed into it. Jen was one of the last to go, just before Ben himself. She turned back to look one last time at her friends. Both Glen and Eve had charged fiercely into battle, taking out many of the lackeys whilst still fighting the oncoming assault. Jen closed her eyes and steeled her resolve once more before stepping through the portal, leaving her closest friends behind.

Chapter 41: Chapter 41

Chapter Text

The group of Omnitrix wielders stepped out of the portal. They spread out onto an open street in the middle of the day. Ben 23, Gwen, and Benjamin immediately took to scanning their surroundings. Paradox stepped through and consulted his trusted chrononavigator. Ben and Jen were the last to step through the swirling white vortex before it disappeared. Jen fought hard to keep her tears at bay, still tearful over the unknown fates she left her companions to. Ben saw her display of emotion and put a hand on her shoulder. Jen looked up at him with watery eyes.

“Hey, don’t worry, if your friends are anything like my Gwen and Kevin then they’ll have those guys beat in no time.” He said to reassure her.

“Yeah… yeah you’re right.” She said with a smile. She inhaled deeply, clearing her thoughts before shaking off the emotions. “Alright, cool, so where are we now? This place looks just like Bellwood.” She observed.

Ben looked around as well. She was right, they appeared to be in the middle of downtown Bellwood, an area he was all too familiar with as the site of many high profile crimes and fights he’s had. But like many of the other locales he had been to thus far, there were subtle differences. The most notable change he saw was the fact that there were aliens walking out in broad daylight among humans. Even more surprising, none of the humans he was seeing seemed bothered by the fact. This certainly piqued his interest. It was no secret that aliens lived in Bellwood in his home dimension, but they certainly didn’t have this level of acceptance yet. Humans lived in Bellwood proper and aliens lived in Undertown. That was just how it was. Anti-alien sentiment was still fairly pervasive, especially after the Incursean invasion. Despite the promise of Bellwood residents to work alongside their extraplanetary neighbors, little progress had been made in terms of peace.

But that problem seemed non-existent in this universe. As Ben looked around he saw even more signs of Human-Alien coexistence. Shop signs displayed ads in both english and alien texts. Foreign technology was held by both humans and aliens alike, nothing over level 3 technology but it was still strange to see. Food vendors slung both traditional fare as well as alien cuisine, all of it street food but clearly different from what he would normally see. But most jarring was the fact that humans and aliens were conversing in friendly tones, working together in stores, and sharing spaces. It was a sight that Ben had always hoped he could achieve in his own dimension and it only stung a little that another version of Ben had achieved that dream before him.

“So Paradox where are we now?” Ben asked.

“This is an alternate timeline, an offshoot of your own timeline Ben.” Paradox spoke as he played with his metal gauntlet. “And I’m trying to track down the wielder of the Omnitrix in this timeline as we speak. I had to make my temporal calculations on the fly so I may be off by a few minutes.” Paradox said. A distant explosion sounded off. “Or perhaps not.” He said.

They looked to see a band of three alien outlaws booking it around the corner of the street. They each held sacks filled presumably with cash, jewels, or other valuables. The alien thugs were familiar to Ben as Liam, Bubblehead, and Tummyhead. In his universe, they were low level criminals that frequented Undertown. It seemed their criminal tendencies hadn’t improved upon being on the surface. The thugs ran desperately, knocking over innocent bystanders and whatever other objects stood in their way. It wasn’t long before it became clear who they were running from.

Swinging from the rooftops on long vine like limbs came a Florauna, and it was clear from the Omnitrix symbol on his chest that this was the next recruit they were looking for. He chased after the criminals, swinging nimbly from buildings, streetlights, and powerlines. The thugs fired at him but he dodged the laser fire with ease. Reaching to his back he grabbed several large seed pods and flung them at the villains. One of the seed pods hit their mark dead on, erupting into a mass of vines which immediately encircled one of the criminals. The other landed just in front of Liam, bursting into a solid wall of plant material, cutting off his escape. Another seed landed at his feet capturing him much the same as his compatriot. The birdlike alien squawked helplessly as the vines constricted around him. Bubblehead was the last of the trio standing and brandished his weapon. The laser shot straight through his abdomen but the hole quickly closed up as Wildvine regnerated the tissue. With his long vine like limbs Wildvine wrapped the villain up in restraints much like the other villains. All in all, the fight took less than five minutes from beginning to end.

“Woah, dude’s got some serious skill!” Ben 23 said from where they watched.

“No kidding.” Ben replied with some awe.

“Yo I’ve never seen something so badass!” Jen shouted. “He took those guys out in no time.” Ben agreed, whoever this alternate was it was clear he was incredibly skilled. His movements seemed effortless and conservative, wasting no time in subduing his opponents. Ben was somewhat loathe to admit but this guy could probably teach him a thing or two. Deciding to break the ice before the newcomer darted away Ben ran up to him.

“Hey man nice job!” He shouted.

The Wildvine turned to him and his jaw dropped. His transformation timed out and the person left standing there caused Ben to pause. Instead of a different version of himself, he was looking at an alternate version of Rook. The Rook of this dimension was practically identical to his old partner except in terms of his color scheme. Whereas the Rook he knew had lavendar fur and wore indigo armor, this version wore red armor and had pinkish-red colored fur. Even his Omnitrix symbol was a bright crimson. They both stared at each other with gazes of confusion and disbelief reflected in each of their faces.

“Ben? I can’t believe it. It really is you! Ben!” The Rook-alike shouted and sprinted towards him. Ben was still caught off guard by the different appearance and the fact that he wasn’t looking at a version of himself.

“Uh, Rook?” He asked as the alien neared to him. ‘Rook’s face fell and he paused mere feet from Ben.

“Rook? My name is Hook, not Rook.” He said. The now named Hook studied Ben once more, his eyes scanning him from top to bottom. His once joyous expression was replaced by utter sadness and disappointment. “You… you are not my Ben, are you?” He asked, as though he was dreading the answer but knew it all the same.

“Uh, no. No, sorry.” Ben replied flustered. Hook schooled his disappointment behind a careful mask of neutrality and Ben wasn’t sure how to respond.

“Then, who exactly are you? And where did you come from?” Hook asked.

“Allow me to help answer that.” Paradox interjected.

“You. You are Professor Paradox are you not? The time traveller? Ben had told me of you in the past but I did not think I would ever get to meet you.” He said holding his hand out to shake. Paradox gladly took it and returned the gesture.

“It’s a pleasure to meet your acquaintance Hook Blonko. I’m sure you have many questions but for now let us say that the Ben you see here is from an alternate timeline, which branched off when you two met.” Paradox explained.

“So, in your…timeline, my counterpart is named Rook?” He asked.

“Uh, yeah, that’s right.” Ben answered, still confused.

“And are you two…?” He asked. Ben raised an eyebrow at the question, unsure what he was implying.

“We’re partners in the plumbers. Rook has my back and I have his. It didn’t start out so smoothly but I count him as one of my closest friends now.” Ben said proudly. Hook donned an inscrutable expression and Ben still wasn’t sure what to make of it. But then he smiled and glanced at his own Omnitrix.

“That sounds a lot like how my Ben and I started out.” He said wistfully and with a tinge of humor.

“Yeah, uh speaking of. Why do you have the Omnitrix and not my alternate self?” He asked glancing between Paradox and Hook.

“That is his story to tell, not mine.” Paradox gestured. Ben looked back at Hook who took a deep breath, steeling his expression.

“The Ben in this timeline died about two years ago. He perished fighting off the Incursean invasion. But before he passed, he bequeathed me the Omnitrix.” Hook said. Ben and his friends stood shocked and stunned at the revelation. “He said that I was the only person he could think of that was worthy of it.” Hook said with a sad smile.

“Wow, um… I am so sorry.” Ben said, still reeling from the news.

“Thank you but I have made peace with it.” Hook replied with a hint of an expression that suggested anything but. There was a tense silence as neither of them knew what more to say.

“Heeeeeyyyy! Why don’t we do introductions?” Ben 23 stepped forward to diffuse the awkward tension. “I’m Ben 23 from Dimension 23 obviously. I don’t have a Rook or a Hook in my world so I’m super psyched to meet you dude!” He said holding a hand out for a fist bump.

“It is good to meet you.” Hook said returning the gesture. Despite himself he felt a smile come back to his face.

“That guy with the glasses over there is Ben from Dimension 101. He’s like a super genius or whatever.” Ben 23 said introducing him.

“For the last time, it is Benjamin! And my genius rivals that of Azmuth himself.” Benjamin huffed and crossed his arms but the motion made him just look like a petulant child.

“Yeah somehow I doubt that dude.” Jen said cartwheeling over to them. As she stood she proceeded to vigorously shake Hook’s hand. “Hey I’m Jen 10, I also haven’t met anybody like you! Wow so you’re an alien huh? What species are you? Oh do any of us have you in our watches?” She asked around.

“Uhm…” Hook reclined slightly at the barrage of hyper energy and intense questioning.

“Jen girl, give the poor guy a break.” Gwen said walking up. “Sorry about that, she’s a first time inter-dimensional traveller. I’m Gwen 10.” She said. Hook seemed more at ease around her.

“It is so very nice to meet you all. But I do have to wonder what brings all of you here? I can’t believe this is simply a social call.” Hook surmised.

“As much as I wish it was, you’re right.” Ben said stepping up again. “We’re here because of an existential threat that endangers everyone and everything.” Ben spoke. Once more he launched into the familiar spiel about Eon and the events that had led them all here. By this point Ben had become quite practiced at the speech. Hook listened to Ben’s impassioned plea with a serious expression. Ben could see the gears turning in Hook’s head as he digested the information that Ben was giving him, and it reminded Ben so much of Rook’s own analytical mind that he almost stopped in the middle of the tale. But eventually, he conveyed what he needed to.

“So Hook, what do you say?” Ben asked hopefully.

“Yes, of course. You can count on me.” He responded and clasped hands with Ben. The two Omnitrix users smiled broadly at each other.

“Well that was easier than expected.” Ben 101 said.

“Alright! This team is shaping up to be super awesome!” Ben 23 shouted.

“Hell yeah!” Jen agreed and high fived him.

“Before we do anything else, I would love to hear what your plans are to take down this Eon villain.” Hook asked.

“Oh, uh, I haven’t really thought that far ahead yet. We’re still just trying to gather allies right now. I thought that we could just figure out the plan once we got back to my dimension.” Ben replied embarassed. Hook regarded him with an expression of shock which soon settled into one of amusem*nt.

“I should have guessed. You are just like my Ben after all.” He said with a smile.

But before any of the group could comment further, they were all rocked by a large explosion. The shockwave was less intense than the sound but it still could be felt from where they stood. Hook was the first to react, sprinting off to investigate. Ben was quick to follow behind. The remaining Omnitrix users shared a quick glance before taking off after them. It was only a few short blocks before they found the source of the disturbance. They turned a corner to see a four story apartment building engulfed in flames. The fire department had not yet arrived but already a cloud of onlookers had gathered, staring in horror. A few people were running for the entrance on the ground floor or jumping from the windows on the first. But it was clear from the screams that there were more people trapped inside.

“This fire will grow out of control if we don’t do something.” Hook observed. “Can I count on your help?” He turned to ask the group.

“Absolutely, what do you need?” Ben responded.

“You and I will try to put out the flames.” He pointed to Ben 10. “I need two of you to use some ice aliens to cool down the parts of the building not on fire and control the spread. Next, two of you will need to get in there and rescue the trapped civilians.” Hook barked out the orders like a natural leader. He dispensed his commands to each of the heroes and they all nodded in shared understanding.

A series of flashing lights erupted from the street as they each transformed. Hook had turned into Water Hazard and immediately began using the alien’s water blasts to douse the raging fires. Ben 101 and Gwen 10 each had transformed into ice aliens, Arctiguana and Big Chill respectively. Jen had transformed into Fast Track while Ben 23 had gone for Diamondhead. Lastly Ben himself had gone with Heatblast. With their transformations set the group immediately got to their assigned tasks.

“Ben we need to put out the fires not start more!” Hook yelled with an edge of frustration

“Relax dude, Heatblast can do more than just throw fire.” He said and turned to demonstrate. Heatblast stuck out both arms and Hook watched amazed as the flames were drawn to his hands and absorbed into his body. The fires which were once blazing out of control had died down to nothing more than a smolder. Hook smiled at him through Water Hazard’s face, clearly impressed.

Meanwhile on the ground below Ben 101 was steadily blasting the areas of the building not on fire with ice. The cold blasts creeped along the brick and steel. Gwen 10 meanwhile was tackling the problem from above, doing the same as Arctiguana on the ground. Combined their ice breaths were slowly coating the brick building, providing a barrier against the fire. But the heat of the flames were intense and melted their work quickly. By the time they had finished icing one section of the building, the previous sections had melted and caught alight again. The pair had their work cut out for them, they circled the building, seeming to fight an uphill battle. Slowly their ice powers, combined with the efforts of Water Hazard and Heatblast seemed to be making a dent in the blaze.

Their efforts immensely helped both Jen 10 and Ben 23 as they set about their work. Jen as Fasttrack sped through the floors, rescuing victims almost before they could comprehend what was happening. She could speed through the burning floors before the flames could even touch her. She started off on the lowest floors, clearing them of residents before working her way up. But it seemed the higher up the building they ascended, the worse the flames became. The fires and debris began to block her path. Luckily however Ben 23 was able to break through the burning rafters and debris with hardly a flinch. His crystalline body smashed through the rubble and allowed them to reach the trapped victims. He passed them to Jen 10 who raced them down and out of the building while he continued to look for survivors. As he reached the upper floors the fire became incredibly intense and many of the people he found were unconscious from either the smoke or heat. With the way down blocked by fire he made an escape route from one of the windows. A slide made of crystal formed out of his hands and he gently slid the rescuees down before following down himself. As he reached the street below, Ben 10 came running up to him.

“Is that every one?” He asked.

“I think there might be some more trapped on the top floor but I can’t reach them. The fire is too strong and the building is about to collapse.” Ben 23 said. He watched Heatblast narrow his eyes before he took off, flames erupting from his hands and feet as he flew up to the top floor.

“Ben what are you doing?!” Hook yelled in a panic.

“I’m saving those people!” He called back before flying through one of the windows. Hook followed him, rushing into the burning building, still putting out fires with his water as he ascended. Many of the staircases had burned to cinders and the top floors were crumbling but he was athletic enough to clear the space anyway. When he reached where Ben was he saw that Heatblast was desperately trying to break through fallen rubble. He could hear cries for help from beyond and could barely make out the figures trapped in the burning room. But the building was shaky and unsteady, ready to collapse at any moment.

“Ben there is nothing more we can do, we have to get out of here!” Hook pleaded.

“I’m not leaving them behind.” Ben replied defiantly. He was desperately trying to absorb the fire but it was proving too great for even his abilities. Even with Water Hazard hosing down the walls and floor the fire was still burning incredibly hot and getting closer. Ben looked through the gaps of the rubble and met eyes with the frightened people inside. A mother and two children looked back at him, fear, hope, and desperation in their eyes. Ben steeled his face and backed up preparing to charge the rubble.

“What do you think you are doing?” Hook asked him again.

“I’m getting through that rubble and saving those people, no matter what.” He answered. Hook looked back at the area.

“You willl never make it! The building is already unstable. As soon as you break through that the roof will collapse and kill them!” Hook tried to explain.

“Not if I can get to them first.” He said seriously. “Go, get out of here.” Heatblast said. Without another word he watched Ben charge towards the debris, fire rocketing forward from his feet. Hook could do nothing, and knew that if he stayed they would all be crushed. He dove out of the window in the opposite direction. Just as he cleared the window he heard a great crash and sound of a fireball. He reached the ground and watched in horror as the building collapsed in a cloud of smoke and dust.

“No!” He yelled and charged the still settling pile of rubble while onlookers stared in shock. “No I can’t go through this again!” He shouted, more to himself than anyone else. His thoughts went back to his own Ben, the heartache he felt at his death. He didn’t think he would be able to handle it again. The first time was bad enough. He desperately began pulling at the bricks and mortar which smoldered on the ground.

Suddenly he saw a pile of the debris shift and move. He raced over just to see it fall away and saw that miraculously, Heatblast stood up unscathed. More incredibly, he had the mother and her children sheltered under his arms. They looked at him with awe and worship as firemen came up to them, clearing the rubble and bringing them to the EMT’s who stood by. The family gave words of thanks to him and Ben felt himself smile tiredly. The scene was soon turned over to the Fire Marshal who praised their actions in saving the innocent victims. No casualites had been reported. The group of heroes, tired but happy in their success stood back as their transformations timed out.

“How did you know you would be able to save them?” Hook asked immediately. While he was relieved to see that Ben had survived, part of him was angry at Ben for taking such a big risk. Ben looked at him, considering his answer before he simply shrugged.

“I didn’t know. But I had to try, otherwise they’d all be dead.” Ben replied simply. Once again Hook regarded him with an expression of shock which quickly morphed into something else that Ben couldn’t quite put his finger on. It seemed like a mixture of relief, nostalgia, and… adoration? But it quickly faded as Hook chuckled and shook his head.

“If I had any doubts about following you before, they have all been wiped from my mind.” He said and put a warm hand on his shoulder. Ben smiled then turned to Paradox.

“Alright professor, it looks like we’ve got our recruit on board. Let’s head out.” He said.

“Splendid.” Paradox spoke and opened yet another portal.