I'M BACK!
I know, I said I was done, but this fanfic plotbunnied its way into my head after re-watching the first season of Ben 10. As such, it will only be canon up to that point, and the Omnitrix works just a bit differently.
Please let me know what you think!
Chapter 1: Just Another One of Those Days…
In every timeline, there is always a turning point. A major decision, a successful gambit, or even stepping 2.315 inches to the left of a hidden landmine can determine the course of the future. For good or ill, none can know the consequences until all is said and done, when the ashes have settled and the battle is won.
This is one of those decisions. The singular action that ended one life… and saved the rest of the galaxy.
Vilgax's Ship, near Mt. Rushmore.
Ben never really thought that it would come down to this. Currently, he was locked up, cut off from the Omnitrix, and staring cross-eyed at a jagged blue energy blade. Just seconds ago, Vilgax had laughed as Grandpa's RV was blasted from the sky by computer-controlled red laser beams, erupting in a burning fireball on the trees below. With the rescue attempt failed, and some of his closest family probably dead, he was utterly and truly helpless.
"Well then boy." The alien overlord rasped out, pale green facial-tentacles twitching in anticipation. "Goodbye." The blade flashed down and connected with Ben's restrained left arm just above the wrist.
Just above the Omnitrix.
Ben couldn't even scream as he held the charred stump that used to be his left hand in front of his face. Eyes wide with mute horror, he didn't even react as Vilgax raised his blade one final time. However, something else did. Currently, that thing was attached to a severed forearm, sitting inside a small containment shell which, in theory, would keep the watch from doing anything.
The blade lowered with agonizing slowness to Ben's pain addled mind. He watched it fall towards his face, expecting something to happen, for someone to save him, anything. Nothing happened. Just as the blade touched the tip of Ben's forehead, there was an explosion of green light, then…
Darkness.
Later that day, reporters all over the country would be talking about the giant spaceship that so briefly revealed itself near one of America's national monuments, before just as unexpectedly exploding. Conspiracies flew about secret government projects and the President's secretary was flooded with requests for interviews about this strange occurrence.
One thing that no one noticed, however, were ten pieces of debris that didn't travel down, but up, heading into Earth's orbit to lose themselves among the space junk orbiting the planet.
The Omnitrix's final failsafe had activated. It fragmented, splitting into ten separate pieces, each containing the DNA sequence of an alien… and a small shard of Ben's personality, preserved to give what little guidance he could to the new bearers of these keys to ultimate power.
Six fragments, propelled by their internal Omni-energy reserves, streaked away from the planet. Some would end up on planets, others would end up floating aimlessly in space, and one in particular exploded, releasing a certain ghost onto an unsuspecting world. Two others waited in orbit.
However, the final fragments shot down towards the Earth's surface, heading for a town in California, USA.
The Omnitrix had chosen.
West Hills, California.
'Since when has moving been so difficult?' Jack Harrison thought as he collapsed on his bed, utterly exhausted from a full day's work. The 15 year old's blue eyes wandered over his new ceiling, picking out the tiny cracks that were so common in old but well maintained houses. His parents picked up this house for a bargain, considering its large size and proximity to the beach. Still, they had to work extra hours over the summer and fall in order to pay for it.
Fortunately, that meant a lot of time to himself for reading, video games and watching the stars with his beloved telescope. Unfortunately, his parents threatened to ban him from said telescope - currently sitting in front of the window - if he didn't find at least a few friends before school started in two weeks. Oh well. He would figure out what to do about that in the morning.
"Seriously? We have no food, our water heater is broken, and I have to go out for breakfast? What else is there?" Jack exclaimed to an empty house. After glaring at the note his parents left on the table again, he muttered, "Oh right, I have to hook up the fridge." He ran his pale hand through dark brown hair in frustration. One glance at the large, heavy looking silver fridge and the equally large wall space it would fit into elicited a sigh. 'That looks heavy... Maybe later', he decided. He went upstairs and threw on a white t shirt and some black jeans. The fridge could wait. For now, he had a Starbucks to find.
One blueberry muffin and a hot chocolate later, Jack was wandering around a shopping center, and feeling extremely left out. This appeared to be one of those small towns where everybody knew everybody, a complete turnaround from his previous home in LA. He sat down on a rustic looking bench by a fountain to eat, and people-watched while he did so.
'Where are all the teenagers...? It seems like only adults live here!' he thought to himself. As if the universe wanted nothing more than to prove him wrong, a group of loud, disruptive, and above all large guys in gray letterman's jackets with a green WH emblazoned on every single one.
Immediately, Jack looked away and tried to make himself unnoticeable. A difficult task, considering he was unfamiliar, pale, and dark haired compared to most of the blond and tan people here. 'Universe, I hate you. Please don't see me please don't see me please don't... Well, crap.' They saw him. Why? It just so happened he was sitting on the bench right next to the team's meeting place; the fountain.
'Leaving would just make me more conspicuous... I need to play this one cool'. On the inside though, Jack was preparing to do the same thing he had when the jocks at his old school came around; run as fast as his wiry frame would carry him. He grabbed a paperback from his pocket and attempted appear absorbed in his book.
"Hey! Get out of our spot!" A voice shouted from somewhere in the crowd of athletes.
'Well, that didn't work'. He pretended to act surprised, startling a little before putting his book away and looking up at what appeared to be the Varsity captain of the high school football team. The guy was huge, to put it in one word. At 5'11", not many people were exceptionally taller than Jack, but this person was at least 6'4", and worked out a lot.
"Umm… sorry, I didn't know this was your spot. I'll just be leaving now." Jack said quickly, already getting up to walk away. He'd made it about a step from the bench when he felt a hand grip his shoulder.
"Hold on just a second kid. You look new around here. Mind telling us who you are?" The captain asked. Jack froze for half a second, then turned around. "My name's Jack. I just moved into town, and as such I didn't realize this was your spot. Goodbye." Abruptly, he turned quickly enough to break the grip on his shoulder and began to walk hurriedly away, mentally cursing himself. He knew that he'd botched that encounter, but with traumatic memories of his old schools' football team flying through his head, he found it hard to keep himself from running away on sight, let alone trying to speak with him. The second he turned a corner in the shopping center, he started sprinting, reflexively glancing backwards to check for pursuers. Therefore, he didn't notice the group of latecomers to the football gathering, standing and talking right in his path.
He plowed right into one's lower back, knocking him forward just enough that the player's coffee splashed right onto one of the other's jacket.
Meanwhile, Jack had rebounded and landed hard on his back. He managed to scramble to his feet in an instant, but by that time the other football players had pinned him with icy glares.
"Heh… I assume a sorry won't suffice here?" He said while brushing off his t shirt. The glares continued. Jack sighed. "Thought not." With that, he turned and sprinted towards the park that bordered the mall. On his way there, he noticed it connected to some forest, in which Jack hoped he could lose his pursuers.
"Get back here you idiot! I just got this thing, and I'm not gonna rest until you pay up!" A voice shouted behind him.
Jake sighed. 'Looks like it's just gonna be another one of those days…'
The sun had dipped low in the sky and was casting long shadows before the last football player still searching -named Casey if Jake heard correctly - found his target.
Jack watched as one by one, the others left, calling him 'not worth it' or other similar things. All except Casey, who searched doggedly as the day wore on. Jake had been watching from the middle of a thick bush when a mouse scurried past the 15 year old's foot.
One motion, a snapped twig, and a muffled curse brought Casey's wrath onto Jack, who sprang from the bush like a startled bird, slipping slightly on the leaves. The football player followed, gaining steadily with fury in his eyes. He'd wasted the entire day searching for this punk, and now he finally had him.
Only about 20 yards ahead of him by now, Jack rushed into a clearing, but had to stop short. There was a huge, rapid filled river in his way! He turned around, eyes flicking around for an escape route, when Casey emerged into the clearing. He stopped as well, and gleefully noticed that Jack had no escape.
"I have you now!" He exclaimed, slowly advancing. He noticed the kid he'd pursued all day slowly backing up, panic in his eyes.
"I don't suppose we could talk this out?" Jack called desperately. If the fury in Casey's eyes was anything to go by, he was in for one hell of a beating.
"Not a chance!" The football player called. Jack would have shut his eyes, but he noticed something over the treetops. A bright light, one that seemed to be coming closer. And closer.
"Look out!" Jack shouted, pointing over Casey's head.
"You really think I'm gonna-" Casey's retort was cut off by an explosive impact, one that threw both teenagers back from the epicenter. Jack was lucky; he'd landed about three inches from falling down the steep banks of the river. Casey landed in a bush, slightly scraped up from the shrapnel, but otherwise fine.
The two slowly approached the new, still steaming crater, the chase forgotten in light of this new discovery.
Lying on twin pedestals of rock were two strips of black material with an identical green, glowing stripe running down their lengths. The only differentiation was a green crystal set in the center of one, and gray spiral centered in the other.
"What are these?" Jack asked no one in particular, eyes focused on the two strange objects. Absently, he hopped down into the crater and started towards the center. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Casey doing the same. With mounting excitement at discovering what looked to be an alien artifact, Jack reached out to grab one, Casey mirroring his action.
Abruptly, the thing flexed as if alive, and before Jack could react it sprang towards him! With a cry of surprise, he crossed his arms over his face (there would be no repeat of any Alien movies, thank you very much) and waited for something to happen. Whatever it was, he didn't expect something to clamp over his left wrist. For a second, it felt uncomfortably hot, but quickly cooled to a more managable temperature. He hazarded a quick glance at his wrist, expecting something moderately bad. What he wasn't expecting was the alien thing to be sitting placidly on his wrist like an ostentatious wristband.
Jack stared at it, transfixed with its sheer alien-ness. From the liquid metal to the glowing lines, it looked like something out of a sci-fi movie. When he turned his wrist to examine the back of it though, his breath froze in his lungs.
The entire wristband was now one solid piece.
"What the actual hell is this thing?" Casey shouted. Jack sighed. He'd honestly forgotten about the football player.
"Well, unfortunately for me it's not a sound-activated bomb, otherwise I wouldn't have to attempt to answer that." Jack replied in an uncharacteristically acidic tone. Hoping the alien device could be slipped off, he tried tugging at it, but it wouldn't even move a centimeter. Jack gulped. This thing wasn't coming off anytime soon.
Although momentarily stunned by Jack's sudden attitude shift, Casey, true to form, blew up. "Seriously? You spill coffee on my new jacket, make me chase you through the woods all day, and now this happens? It's all your fault!" he yelled, advancing on the now retreating figure of Jack. His retreat was halted by the wall of the crater, and in an instant Casey's muscle bound frame towered over the shorter Jack.
"Whoa whoa whoa, can't we talk this out?" Jack pleaded, shrinking back against the crater wall.
"Shut up!" The football player roared. Overcome with anger, he sent a fist flying straight at Jack's face. Instinctively, the teenager covered his face with his arms.
The fist connected with the wristband's crystal, and a flash of verdant light blinded Casey. But that wasn't what made him retreat. It was Jack's bloodcurdling screams.
I feel evil, leaving you guys with a cliffhanger. As such, I will tell you I already have the next chapter written, and I will post it when I get 10 (heh heh) good, solid reviews about what you liked AND what you didn't like about plot, writing style, the characters or anything EDIT: Or I will just post it on Tuesday the 30th. Whichever comes first... Anyway, PLEASE let me know these things so I can write an awesome fanfic for you guys!
Oh yeah, see if you can guess which aliens Jack and Casey are turning into! I know Jack is a little obvious, but what about Casey?
Peace out!
-sonyaxe