It was a late Thursday night in Bellwood, California. Ben abandoned the idea of a galactic roadtrip after he became homesick.
Earth was entering a relatively peaceful era, and while Bellwood was still a hustling and bustling city, it wasn't the same anymore. Crime had hit an all-time low, the Plumbers fought against criminal elements, Earth's various countries had reached peace and trade and truce agreements.
Ben thought to himself, "Everything is going alright. But I still so unhappy and depressed."
Gwen graduated from college and was living with Kevin in San Francisco, Grandpa Max was usually out managing the Plumbers, and Rook was now a security guard for alien leaders on diplomatic missions.
Other than that, Ben had little friends or companionship or purpose.
"Fuck. Fuck. I've saved the goddamn world dozens of times, I've literally rebuilt the entire universe several times, I've stared death in the fucking face thousands of times. But I'm so lost".
Ben started to sob and did his best to prevent himself from balling, but the waterworks started. He dropped his intergalactic cell phone and cried on his desk. Tennyson was currently living in an apartment paid for by the Plumbers. There was almost nothing he wanted that he couldn't have. A warm king-size bed, an 8K tv, delicious and healthy food, the latest Sumo Slammer on his new Gaming PC.
"But I have no one" he screeched through tears. "Even though I'm practically a modern Hercules, I'm still inhuman. The only reason anyone tolerates me is because I'm supposedly a hero. But that's all I am."
Ben's sobbing turned into crying. He started to become angry at himself. Filled with so much self-loathing, he began to punch the wooden wall hard, until he bruised his fists.
"But no one cares about the real me. I'm an annoying, narcissistic jerk!"
The young 17 year old opened his eyes and saw blood dripping from his wrists. He looked up at a picture close to falling off the wall from his punches. It was a group photo of Ben with Kevin, Gwen, Rook, grandpa Max, Blukic and Driba and cousin Lucy making silly faces and gestures in a group hug photo, before they went their separate ways.
"Shit, fuck. This swirling vortex of pain and insecurity is overwhelming me again. I miss the less-shitty days. I've never had good old days, just less shitty days."
Ben forced himself with all his might to get up and go to the bathroom. He started to wash his hands and his face, when he began hearing a tragic song playing in his head. Ben shuddered and looked in the mirror. He no longer saw a cocky, confident, badass, cute man he wanted to be. He saw dark circles around his eyes, purple bruises on his fists, and greasy, unkempt hair, with minor grime and acne on his face.
"I can't take this anymore."
Our has-been hero ran to the kitchen, looking frantically for something. He knew it would all be over soon, this was his fate.
Tennyson opened a drawer and grabbed a sharp knife.
"This is for everyone who hurt me. This is for everyone abandoning me. This is for those thoughts that never leave my head. This is for Kai and Ester using me for sex and treating me like garbage."
Solemnly, Ben positioned the knife and began to slice his skin and cut his arm. He screamed and moaned in extreme pain, a combination of what he felt was relief from his anxiety and depression, as blood began to pour out and trickle like crimson red rivers.
"AUUGGGHHH FUCK" He shouted and groaned. "Goddamn-goddamn it. I deserve this."
He sliced and moved the knife a little faster. Euphoria and adrenaline rushed through him as he was lost in a sea of emotions. His vision started to fade as he felt his heartbeat in his neck and his arm twitched.
"Th-th-this is the end."
The young man slowed down his cuts, and stopped and let blood pour out of his arm rapidly. The pain was starting to come.
Omnitrix Sequence: Code 400-1892 rang the robotic voice, piercing Ben's ears. The Omnixtrix turned blue and a flash of light knocked Ben unconscious on the floor.
"Ben? Ben? Ben! Open this door, fucking open it!" screeched a feminine voice, with tears forming in her eyes and throat.
The door was broken off its hinges as a cobalt and black figure raced inside the apartment, stopping suddenly with it's natural mask raising up.
"He's unconscious!" said the humanoid dinosaur-looking extraterrestrial.
The creature lowered her mask, grabbed Ben and bridal-carried him as the blue figure raced towards the Plumber HQ infirmary.
Approximately 4 hours later
Ben Tennyson believed he was dead. He couldn't open his eyes or move his body. His heartbeat was lightly calmer and he could hear what sounded like a vital signs heartbeat monitor.
He mustered just enough force to open his eyes and see a blurry image, his head pounding and his arms and fists covered in bandages and casts, his hair and face messily washed and damp, with wires hooked up to his body.
"Who-, wha-what, where?"
Tennyson was quickly greeted by a swift hug and sobbing. He looked up and his heart almost stopped.
It was his former crush, Helen Wheels, crying into his shoulder.
Ben was blushing as red as a scarlet tomato cake, enjoying the moment while it lasted.
Helen Wheels slowly stopped sobbing and sat on the chair next to Ben's hospital bed.
"I'-I'm so fucking glad I found you just in time. If I had been a minute late, if I hadn't-
"How did you kn-kn-know? Where-?"
A Pisccess Volann doctor wearing a water-breathing apparatus walked into the room, "Benjamin, you're lucky to be alive."
A frustrated Ben was puzzled.
Helen explained "I have a special connection with you and the Omnitrix. About a year ago, before Manny and I left on a mission, I set up a link on your Omnitrix with my galactic equipment. If anything were to happen to you, I would get an alert and I could see your vital signs."
"Why? Why me?"
Helen sighed and elaborated, "I knew something like this would eventually happen. I know you fight an internal battle everyday. I know how you feel about me, Ben. The truth is, I feel the same way about you too. I've just been given leave from my missions for a long while. I'm going to watch over you and make sure this doesn't happen again."
"You knew?"
"How could I not? Everyone knew. You are terrible at hiding your crushes, I could sense your heartbeat around me and the way you spoke to me, how much you cared about me, I heard from a friend Ester and Kai weren't treating you right, and I caught you staring at my ass plenty of times."
"For now, Tennyson, I have assigned you a handler. Helen Wheels. Normally, you would spend time in a psych ward, but Helen convinced me not to put you through that. She has training in psychology, and wants to help."
"I have so many questions, I don't know where to begin."
Helen slightly smiled and said "I'm going to stay with you for a while, we can talk more when we get home tonight. I will explain everything."
"Can we stop for some Mr. Smoothie's on the way back?"
"Definitely."