BEN 10: OMNIVERSE: TIME DOESN'T HEAL ALL WOUNDS
Space, where an unknown vessel is monitoring the planet Earth by tapping into the Plumber satellites to do so. The ship's pilot has his face hidden by a grey scarf, black sunglasses, and is wearing a green hood that is connected to the same colored cloak. He speaks in a distorted voice, "I have him in my sights now and if anyone comes in between me and him then they're going to die." This pilot is viewing an image of the Earth hero Ben Tennyson, a young teenaged hero who boasts that he has saved the universe over a billion times. This hooded stranger seems to have a very keen interest in him, but not him exactly, but Ben's Omnitrix. He makes it very clear that he wants to take it from Ben and it seems he will go to extreme methods to obtain it.
Now on Earth, but in the town of Bellwood is Ben and his alien partner Rook Blonko, who are enjoying a Mr. Smoothy smoothie drink. Both Ben and Rook really seem to be enjoying their beverages, but their relaxation is soon short lived. A huge what seems to be a meteor crashes down on the Mr. Smoothy effectively destroying it. Ben has to shockingly and humorously get down on his knees, pound on the ground and scream that his favorite Mr. Smoothy is gone. He then seems to also swear vengeance on the one who did this and soon Ben sees that the meteor was really an illusion. It is really the spaceship that belongs to that unknown pilot. Who steps out of his ship and demands, "Ben Tennyson! Surrender your Omnitrix to me or I'll obliterate Bellwood."
Ben has to make a snide remark about another whacko is after his Omnitrix, but he has no intention of handing it over. Ben transforms into Humongosaur and then starts ramming at this stranger's ship. However the stranger pulls out two small laser blasters and he begins firing upon Ben. Ben's hide protects him from the laser blasts, however soon Rook gets in on the action. He pulls out his Proto-Tool, finds some cover, and he begins firing at the stranger, who like Rook has to find cover. It's now like an old fashion western shoot out with both taking aim at one another. However Ben has to help Rook some how and so he becomes Chromastone, whose species absorbs energy and sends it right back at their opponent. The stranger aims at Ben, but he does simply absorb it and sends it right back at the green hooded stranger.
He has to comment, "Your choice of alien is very impressive Ben, but like you, I can adapt to my surroundings as well." The masked stranger puts away his blasters and then he is going to use a bow staff he had on his person. He then begins to attempt to fight Ben hand to hand and so does Rook attempt to fight him. This green hooded stranger is quite adept at hand to hand combat and even Rook must comment how good he is. However Rook recognizes some of these moves as standard Plumber fight manuevers. Rook then has to tell Ben that he thinks that they are fighting an ex Plumber. The stranger has to comment on how well Rook's deductive skills are, but he wouldn't expect any less from the great Rook Blonko. Rook has to ask then if this masked stranger and Rook know each other and the Stranger has to respond that he knows Rook to an extent. The stranger and Rook continue to do battle and the stranger trumps Rook in skill.
Ben has to do something so he then transforms into Ditto and begins to multiply himself so he can keep the stranger off guard. It seems to be working as with each Ditto clone the stranger vaporizes, Ben keeps making more of them. Soon the stranger gets dizzy from all the confusion and he must make a retreat. However he decrees that he shall return and also claims that Ben's Omnitrix will soon belong to him. He presses a button on his gauntlet and soon the stranger teleports somewhere else. Ben then tells Rook that they need to go to Plumber HQ, so they can learn who this new player is.
At the Plumber HQ now, Max Tennyson searches any database and any other references to this new mercenary. There is nothing on record and it is as if he never existed before he came to Earth and engaged both Rook and Ben on the streets of Bellwood. Rook has to comment that the stranger used standard Plumber fighting moves and so he asks Max if there have been any discharged Plumbers recently. Max has to tell Rook that there haven't been any recently, which is troubling for both Ben and Rook. Ben also has to mention that when he and the stranger did fight, it's as if the stranger knew all of Ben's moves before he made them. The stranger even seemed to know who Rook was, but Rook did not know who the stranger was. There is something about this new masked mercenary that troubles them, but they still can't even figure out who he is and what he really wants.
Soon Ben then gets a transmission on his Omnitrix and it is from the stranger who says, "I bet you all are scratching your heads and banging your fists on the wall trying to figure out who I am right? I am more than willing to help with that if you'll play a game with me." Ben has to ask how the stranger could have called Ben on his Omnitrix, but the stranger isn't talking. However soon Ben demands even further to know who this is and why he wants the Omnitrix in the first place. The stranger tells Ben that he shall get his answers soon enough, but as he says, he wants to play a game. If it will help Ben stop this madman then he'll play the stranger's game. Which is good because the stranger states that he planted three bombs in Bellwood. Each of their combined force has enough power to decimate Bellwood in one single blast. However the only way to deactivate them is to press the cut off switch on all three bombs at the same time.
He gives them the coordinates to where each bomb is located and then ends the transmission with a menacing chuckle. Ben demands that he come back, but right now they can't worry about that. There are three bombs in the city and Max has to decree that there are three of them. He is going along on this mission and when he gives the word, they will all press the cut off switch on his command. The three then seperate and it seems that the bombs are spread far apart from one another. Rook manages to get to his first and so he inspects it to see if there is another way of disarming it. However he opens the bomb and there is no circuitry, wiring, or any other bomb necesseties for it to function. It really is a trap and it seems that Ben, Rook, and Max fell hook, line, and sinker. Rook is soon attacked by the elephant looking alien Trombipular and it was without warning. Rook sees now that this was a trap and so he tries to contact his allies.
The reception is being blocked so then Rook is going to have to fight Trombipular on his own. Max too has made it to his bomb and like Rook discovers that it is a fake as well and soon he is attacked by Sunder. An alien mercenary who rides a glider to soar through the air and has this axe weapon. Which he actually succeeded in slicing off Ben's Omnitrix hand, which sent Ben to the Null Void and his hand had a mind of its own. So this stranger has gathered allies to eliminate Ben's allies or at least keep them busy for now. Ben has finally made it to where his bomb is suppose to be, but all there is, is the stranger. Who admits that there were no bombs, they were only a ploy to get Ben and his friends to seperate. The stranger wanted to fight Ben hand to hand alone without Ben's friends getting in the way.
Ben has to comment how Rook and his grandpa can handle whatever the stranger had for them. The stranger knows this, but then has to ask, "I'm curious Ben. Have you figured out who I am yet? I'd think that you should have figured it out a long time ago. I mean look at us, we have the same height, similar physique, and even the same color scheme. What should that tell you?" Ben finally gets it now, but he can't understand is how or why he is here. So then the stranger shows and tells Ben by removing his cloak, his glasses, and the grey scarf that covered his face. It's Ben Tennyson or at least someone that looks like him, however his choice of attire is different. He has a t-shirt with what looks like a broken Omnitrix symbol on it, shiny grey under armor, white pants, a grey utility belt with two laser blasters, black fingerless gloves with a green trim, and then finally green Converse style shoes. Although there is one more key difference that the other Ben has and that it's he has no Omnitrix on his wrist.
Soon Ben of this place has to ask why the other Ben doesn't have it and so he explains, "Because Ben, in the universe I come from, I didn't find the Omnitrix, Gwen did. Little miss perfect was already an honor role student, a junior black belt, and was so perky. Then the Omnitrix fell into her lap, not mine and she became a superhero. She was the best or so everyone said so. I could never escape her shadow and people always compared me to her. It got worse when we both joined the Plumbers and while I studied the hardest, trained, and excelled in everything, I couldn't outshine her. So I left and decided to put my new skills to the test and find my own life. I became a mercenary and you know what, it's never been more profitable and more fun." Ben is appaled by what this Ben has said about himself and has to tell him even if that Ben didn't find the Omnitrix, his career path doesn't justify his so called loss.
The mercenary Ben has to explain that he doesn't want justice, all he wants is the Omnitrix and he is going to get it. However first the Ben of this world has to ask how this other Ben got here. He says, "It was all thanks to Professor Paradox. He like you I assume visits me every so often. He tries to get me off the path I chose and back on the side of a hero, but I just spit in his face and laugh. He told me about parallel universes and most of them had one thing in common. Ben Tennyson has the Omnitrix and not Gwen. So I swindled myself a warp field generator and I installed it into my ship. I'm also not leaving until you give me your Omnitrix Ben! I was robbed of my destiny and with it I can become an even better merc. I've taken out so many intergalactic thugs and would be conquerers, I thought I'd have a shot at taking over the universe. The megalomania must be wearing off on me." Ben isn't about to let any of that happen, so he then transforms into Snare-Oh.
His bandage like body allows him to use those bandages as a weapon, which Ben hopes to easily capture this other Ben in his grip. Ben extends his wrappings, but the merc Ben dodges it, but then grabs the bandage like appendage. In his Snare-Oh form, it seems Ben is very light in weight, so the merc Ben then begins swinging Ben around and around. The merc Ben then even slams Snare-Oh Ben into the ground. This gives the merc Ben a chance to press down on the Omnitrix and revert him back to human form. Then merc Ben puts Ben in binds so he can't use the Omnitrix. Max and Rook have made it to both Ben's location now because as the merc Ben expected that they'd make short work of Trombipular and Sunder. However when they do arrive, they see who the stranger really is, but Max doesn't care at the moment. Max demands that the merc Ben let this world's Ben go or else.
The merc Ben has to say that he has no intention of doing so, so he pulls out his two blasters and begins firing upon Max and Rook. Max and Rook take cover and while they do the merc Ben teleports himself and the Ben of this world away. Max and Rook couldn't stop him from escaping so now they need to find Ben and rescue him from an evil counterpart. So then Max calls the Plumbers and orders them to search all over Bellwood for Ben. They are not to stop until he is found and when the other Ben is behind bars in the Plumber containment facility.
The merc Ben teleported himself and this world's Ben back to his ship and has Ben bound in energy restraints so he can't escape. Merc Ben says, "You better consider giving me your Omnitrix Ben or I might try some less refined methods of removing it." Ben isn't going to hand it over any time soon, so he simply tells his twin that he needs to give up now. Merc Ben has no intention of giving up and so he begins Ben's torment until Ben willingly gives him the Omnitrix. Which he begins now and soon Ben's screams are so painful and loud that they could wake the dead if possible.
Rook and Max returned to the Plumber facility to try and locate Ben, which they hope to do soon. However so far there isn't any luck in doing so; the scanners aren't picking up any of the Ben's DNA. Also the signal from the Omnitrix is being blocked so they cannot track it down that way either. However Rook suggests tracking the teleportation signature from when both Bens teleported away. The residual energy pattern might be able to tell them where the Merc Ben went and where he took their Ben. That's a brilliant idea and so Max gets right on it and they got a trace. The merc Ben's ship has left Bellwood and is orbiting around the moon. So Rook and Max are intending to go there ASAP via Rook's Proto-Truck, which not only is an Earth based vehicle, but can turn into a spaceship as well.
Now back on Merc Ben's ship, he continues to torture Ben by sticking him with a cattle prod. He has to say, "Just give me the Omnitrix Ben and your torment will stop. Although I am having a lot of fun so don't cough it up too soon. HAHA!" Ben still refuses to hand over his Omnitrix to this other Ben, so then the merc Ben continues to torture his parallel self, however soon his ship begins to rumble. He asks for his ship's computer to show him who is responsible, so it shows merc Ben on its visualizer. The Ben of this universe can see Rook's Proto-Truck, which means his grandpa and Rook found a way to locate him. Merc Ben can't see how, but then he realizes that they must have traced the teleportation signature. He curses himself for making such a rookie mistake, but then he also commands his ship to open fire on the two Plumbers. So then soon Rook and Max are in a fire fight for their lives, but that doesn't scared nor are they going to cease in rescuing Ben.
They open fire on one of merc Ben's main engines to his ship and the jolt releases Ben from his shackles. Merc Ben tries to retaliate, but Ben transforms into Spidermonkey and uses his webs to entangle merc Ben and sticks him to the wall. He tries to escape with his belt but Ben takes it away from his corrupted counterpart. Merc Ben attempts to say something crude against Ben, but Spidermonkey then uses his webbing to gag merc Ben's mouth. He reverts back to human form and theorizes that since he is bascially merc Ben without being a merc, he can take control of the ship. He orders all weapons to cease fire and then opens a channel to Rook's ship. Ben says to them, "Cool it guys. I'm okay and I got my evil twin here in Spidermonkey's webs. We can bring him in now." Max and Rook are glad that Ben is okay, so they then dock in merc Ben's ship and then bring him into custody.
A Plumber vessel was summoned and its crew take merc Ben into custody, but before he goes the merc Ben has to say, "This isn't over Ben. No prison in my universe or your universe for that matter has been able to hold me. I'll be back and you'll regret it." Ben has to comment how much he's heard that and so far no one has been able to live up to their threat. The day belongs to the Plumbers however not too far off there is another ship in a stealth mode. Inside it has one single passenger and it is yet another Ben Tennyson, except this one is the Ben that was christened Nega Ben. He saw that there was another Ben in this universe and he mutters to himself, that he has plans for him.
TO BE CONTINUED...