Disclaimer: - I do not own the rights to any of the characters, both main and supporting ones, within this story unless I create them. They are all based off the various shows created by Cartoon Network. Thank you, and enjoy the show.
BEN 10
Earth's Mightiest Defenders
Prologue
The Calm Before The Storm
A lone planet hung in orbit.
It sat there, slowly rotating around the star that serves as the source of light for the planet and the solar system it lies within. From afar, it was a beautiful sight; a stark contrast from the cold, dark void of outer space with its teal-like color that would make many artists jaws drop in awe at its beauty.
Taking a closer look onto the planet's surface, one would be amazed at what they find. The planet was teeming with rich organic life inhabiting the various mountain ranges, the large oceans and scattered inland seas, and the majestic architect of the cities that the planet's citizenry lived in.
But for all its beauty, the planet was feared by the warlord that ruled it.
Though many centuries have passed since then, no one within the borders of the Galactic Alliance will deny the horrors that the warlord ruling the planet has wrought onto thousands of planets during the events of the Great Territorial War. The warlord was one of the most dangerous beings in the universe, feared by all for his dangerously short temper, brutal war tactics, and his vast array of military resources. He conquered nearly a hundred solar systems on his own, destroyed thousands of planets with a single command, and even created a black hole through unknown methods that has left many scientists dumbfounded by it.
It was because of these terrifying feats that the Galactic Alliance – the central authority of power for the known universe – made it absolute in the treaty following the war's end to forbid any vessel, both militaristic and civilian, from entering the territories conquered by the warlord. To do so would result in the liquidation of the occupant's and their family's possessions and sentence them to ten life-sentences inside the Null Void without parole of any kind.
And the name of this deadly warlord… is Vilgax the Conqueror.
Currently, the Chimera Sui Generis warrior was sitting at the far end of a long table – its surface dark and smooth of the richest wood from Alliance space – in a calm manner. Both hands were clasped together, and placed on top of the table's surface while his blood-red eyes scoured the other occupants sitting at the table in a cold, detached demeanor.
The other beings sitting at the table were some that was also renowned for their brutality, but not on Vilgax's level. No, these beings were not conquerors or generals or even politicians, but bounty hunters; the most ruthless of their kind. They got the job done no matter the cost, no matter the stakes, and no matter whatever armies or fleets that their targets threw at them. These were not regular people, but demigods in all but name.
Khyber the Huntsman, Sixsix the Merciless, Sunder the Retriever, Kraab the Klaw, Vulkanus the Heroslayer, and Synthroid-O4 the Cyberman.
"Gentlemen," Vilgax's deep and gargling voice rasped from behind his voice respirator. "I thank you for responding to my message and coming here. Truly, you are men who fears nothing as demonstrated by how you entered into my territories with little hesitation. But you probably care little for that, no? Yes, you're all wondering as to why I've called you to here, right?"
"Enough with the preamble, Vilgax," Khyber growled, not one for monologues or villainous speeches. He was a man of action. "You promised to show us something special and so far, all I've seen is your people languishing under your boot heel and your pitiful drone soldiers attempting to contain my pet. In all honesty, I've seen better."
Kraab nodded stiffly, clenching his massive claw-hand. "Yeah, what's this all about? Don't tell me that you brought me here for another wild chase like the last one you sent me out on?"
Vilgax's eyes narrowed, but his demeanor did not change. "It would be wise for you two to keep your mouth shut. It would be a shame if this room became quite… messy," The threat was obvious in his tone, and the two hunters didn't try to provoke the warlord any further. "As to why I have summoned you all here, I have recently developed a proposition for any willing to accept."
"What kind of proposition?" Sunder asked, acting calm on the outside, while he was sweating bullets on in the inside. Honestly, he wasn't expecting be in an audience with the actual Vilgax and the reputation that follows his name is not one that is exaggerated lightly.
If they could see his mouth behind his mask, they would've seen Vilgax's charred lips grow into what one would call a grotesque parody of a smile. "Tell me, are any of you familiar with a little planet called Earth?"
Silence... and then-
Sixsix, in a rare moment of anger, slammed his fist on the table, cracking its rich surface while spewing out various curses in his native language toward Vilgax.
"Can't believe I'm saying it, but for once, I agree with Gearbox over there!"Vulkanus exclaimed. "Like seriously? You're still obsessed with that little dirtball after all these years, even after your ass kicked by that little bra—"
It happened in an instant so fast that if one were to blink, they would have missed the thin red beam come from the laser projector on Vilgax's right wrist and carved a neat little hole through Vulkanus's forehead.
He was dead before he hit the ground.
All at once, all voices were shut up as Vilgax lowered his hand back down to the table.
"Now," Vilgax purred, enjoying the looks of unease each hunter was giving toward Vulkanus's corpse. "Would anyone else like to file a complaint about the job?"
"None at all."
"I'm good, thanks."
"Complaints, what's that?"
"Statement: Negative, Vilgax the Conqueror."
Sixsix gurgled something that classified as a "no" in his species' tongue.
"Good, now if there aren't any further interruptions," Vilgax gave an apathetic look toward Vulkanus's corpse. "We can begin."
He leaned forward to push several buttons on a console imbedded into the table, and a small holographic image of the planet Earth appeared in the center of the table. Small and insignificant to some, but in Vilgax's eyes, it was a gold mine. "Behold, Earth; The current location of the famed Omnitrix of legend."
That caught Khyber's attention. "The Omnitrix, you say?" he rumbled, tapping one clawed finger on the table, musing to himself. "I've heard that name before. A weapon of ultimate power, some called it, but most of them dismissed it as nothing more but an urban myth."
"I assure you, Huntsman, that the Omnitrix is no urban myth. It is as real as the ground upon which we stand."
"He's telling the truth," Kraab reluctantly said. "It's real, all right. Hell, me and Metalmouth over there has fought against the brat who's wielded it before."
"Wait, a brat?" Sunder blinked in confusion. "As in… a snot-nosed brat who can't even drive a glider straight?"
"Yup."
"…seriously?"
Sixsix snarled at Sunder, who replied with a sneer of his own. The Sotoraggian still had vivid dreams about his humiliating defeats by the Omnitrix's wielder and his many allies.
"As I was saying," Vilgax growled in annoyance. "The Omnitrix is real and, as far as my spies know, still lies in the hands of the child who has humiliated me many times before."
He tapped another button and the image of Earth was replaced by a young boy with a watch-like device wrapped around his left wrist.
While the hunters took in the image of the boy, muttering to themselves about certain traits about the boy's appearance, Vilgax willed himself to stay rooted in his chair and subjugating every ounce of rage in his body from leaping forward and crushing the projection of him. Three years have passed since the battle at Xenon, but Vilgax would never forget his humiliation at the hands of the boy, who hurled him into the darkest parts of deep space to die. However, he was not one to submit to death's will so easily. Not until the Omnitrix was in his possession, not until the boy's head was mounted upon his wall of trophies, and certainly not until the entire universe bended to his will.
"So that's it, huh?" Sunder grunted, crossing his arms over his burly chest. "That watch on the brat's wrist, that's the Omnitrix? I kinda expected… more to this weapon of mass destruction."
"Don't be deceived by its appearance, bounty hunter," Vilgax turned his attention to Sunder. "The Omnitrix is power incarnated, carrying with it the DNA samples of tens of thousands of alien life-forms across the universe. Had it fallen into the hands of another human smarter than Tennyson, the entire solar system that Earth inhabits would be under their control by now."
Sunder fell silent at that, not sure how to reply.
"Okay, so what the hell's the job? Another hunt for the brat again, cause let me tell you, it won't be easy." Kraab warned Vilgax. "The last time I fought against him, he shut down my entire nervous system and it took me weeks to break out of the prison that Tetrax imprisoned me and Sixisix in." Sixsix snarled in agreement.
"No, gentlemen, I have not contacted you to undertake in another fruitless hunt," Vilgax raised one fist and clenched it tightly. "Today, I have brought you all together to discuss about one particular topic…
"War."
"War?" Khyber said slowly after an awkward moment of silence.
"That's right," Vilgax slowly sat up from his chair, his body's servos make a low whirring sound, as he locked eyes with every being before him. "Imagine it; Glorious, unadulterated carnage. The screams of countless innocents being silenced in a single instance, the sounds of entire armies trampling over the corpses of their fallen enemies, and wealth and power beyond your wildest dreams."
"By conquering a single planet?" Sunder questioned.
"It may be just a planet, but it is also our first step into a larger world," Vilgax said. "Into a galaxy of epic proportions, into a universe primed for the taking."
The hunters paused at that statement, mulling over the warlord's grandiose words. While the logical portion of their brains were telling them what Vilgax really meant – subjugating the entire universe under his rule – that part of their brain was ruled out by several other domineering portions; Greed, bloodlust, and desire for power. Normally, had someone of lesser power approached them with the same offer, they would've laughed at them before putting a blaster bolt through their skull.
But this was Vilgax, the man who practically held the Alliance by the throat before their great-grandparents were born.
"If we agree to your proposition," Khyber slowly said. "What's in it for us after you acquire the Omnitrix?"
Vilgax's eyes crinkled at that question. "You will each hold a position in my army, and shall become warlords of your own kingdoms as I carve my way through to the heart of the Galactic Alliance. Think of it, entire worlds bending over to your whim, a never-ending cycle of death and destruction to entertain you for all eternity."
He placed an open palm out toward them. "All I need is your cooperation."
...
"Observation: The probability of success with someone of your tactical prowess holds the probability of a calculated 97.8% chance of success." Synthroid-O4, in a moment of surprise, was the first to speak up. "Conclusion: I will be proud to stand by your side, Lord Vilgax."
Khyber quietly nodded, an unreadable expression on his reptilian face.
Sunder chucked aloud, leaning back on his chair and placing his feet on the table. "Ah, what the hell? I could use a good challenge. Sign me up, oh great master of the universe."
Sixsix growled in his native tongue, but stopped mid-way and then managed to hiss out in obvious strain. "…I aCCepT." in basic.
Kraab looked unsure for his part, and for a moment, Vilgax mused to himself if he had to kill the cyborg as he did to the previous fool who tried denying his offer.
"…fine, I'm in." He reluctantly conceded.
"Good, good," Vilgax couldn't keep the satisfaction out of his voice. "You should be honored, gentlemen. It's not every day that someone of your caliber gets picked up to take on the responsibilities of a mission like this."
The hunters, for their part, said nothing else. They were just waiting for the word to leave the room whenever.
A sudden beeping noise broke the tense atmosphere in the room, and Vilgax leaned forward to stab down on a button with one of his talons. Almost immediately, the holographic image of a skeletal alien in black robes appeared before him. "What is it?"
"The final preparations for departure goes well, master." Psyphon, second-in-command and Vilgax's loyal servant, bowed his horned head obediently to the warlord. "The Chimerian Hammer Mk. II's captain reports that all is ready for takeoff and the drones are being rounded up into their designated warships. They're just waiting for your word, milord."
"Good," Vilgax purred in pleasure. "Open up a channel link to the entire armada. I would like to take this time to share a few words before we begin our exodus."
Psyphon bowed again, before his image disappeared.
"Come," Vilgax commanded, turning to walk out without waiting for the hunters' approval. The hunters glanced at one another in wariness, before stepping out of their chairs and deciding to follow the warlord wherever he was taking them.
It wasn't a long walk that took them to the planet's outskirts or anything like that. In fact, they stayed right inside the palace as they explored its halls, taking the time to analyze their surroundings and note the various decors placed all over the place, each piece obviously a prize claimed by Vilgax after conquering planets. After what seemed like minutes, Vilgax came to a halt before a door and pushed in a code before the door slid open and a bright light filled the room.
Once the light died down, the hunters saw that Vilgax had walked through the entrance and was now standing on a balcony of some kind. They stopped behind the warlord, who placed both hands on the balcony's railing to peer down at whatever was below with a look that one could closely identify as pride. Curious, the hunters strode forward and was impressed at what they saw. Tens of thousands of war drones stood at attention, while others marched onto the large brown-and-orange ships that carried them, along with gigantic versions of the standard drone soldier, and sleek hover-tanks.
Sunder whistled lowly. "Damn. That's a lot of robots."
"One does not take war in a light manner," Vilgax mused, mostly to himself. "A simple error, be it tactical or in numbers of an army, could cost us the war before the first shot is let off."
Vilgax lifted a hand to touch the communicator imbedded into his right wrist. "Psyphon, is it ready?"
"Yes, master," Psyphon's voice crackled into existence. "All ships have been linked up with your communicator. The floor is all yours."
Vilgax paused for a moment, staring at the device, before he started to speak…
"My loyal minions... today, we stand on the brink of greatness. For years, the universe has trembled before the sheer mention of my name, and yet, there are those who dare to oppose me. Millions of light years away from here lies a planet that you've all studied about for the past three years. This planet has seen many of my most embarrassing defeats and the destruction of a great number of our forces thanks to one of its many champions; a boy who has secured the most ultimate power in the universe, and has chosen to use it as a mere plaything for his childish desires to do good.
"These atrocities cannot go without repent! I have spent too long and have sacrificed too much in trying to unite all under a single banner, my banner, and I refuse to admit defeat to a backwater world who has no idea of the power that I possess. Today, we will change this.
"Today marks the day that my great crusade begins! Today marks the day that the Galactic Alliance will bend to my will, and submit itself to my will! Today is the day that Earth will burn, that its people will die, and all who dare oppose me... will fall.
...
"FOR TODAY, BEN TENNYSON WILL DIE AND THE OMNITRIX WILL RETURN TO ITS RIGHTFUL OWNER! I, VILGAX THE CONQUEROR, SHALL EMERGE VICTORIOUS ON THIS DAY ONCE AND FOR ALL!"
From where he stood, Vilgax could hear the monotone chants of the machines created to do his bidding who were onboard his warships. They repeated the same words, over and over, as it had been programmed into each of their memory cores since their creation.
"ALL HAIL LORD VILGAX! ALL HAIL LORD VILGAX! ALL HAIL LORD VILGAX!"
"Say what you will about his past rep," Sunder murmured to the others. "But the guy knows how to give one hell of a rousing speech."
Kraab shook his head in bemusement. "I'd hate to be Earth right about now. Nothing's more threatening than a hunter that has been denied its prey for too long."
Satisfied by the response given to him by his minions, Vilgax turned to face his newly-assembled hired help and barked out, "If any of you has a form of transportation on-planet right now, it would be wise to get into orbit soon… or else."
The hunters left, not daring to call Vilgax out on his threat.
Turning back to face the warships that were beginning to lift off of the ground and take off to the stars above, Vilgax took in a deep breath through his respirator and smirked to himself.
Prepare yourself, Ben Tennyson, for I am coming for you...
And that's a wrap! Like I said, things are going to be different and I've already started stirring up the plot by introducing the new villains to combat the heroes of this story and set them up before we get to Earth where the real meat of the story begins.
Next chapter, things to remain similar to the original but expect some changes this time around.
See ya next chapter!