Chapter 49: Omniverse: Part One
I Don't Own Ben 10 Or Any Of The Characters
Author's Note:
* Hello and welcome to chapter forty nine!
* So, this is going to be a really long story arc. I'm not sure how long yet. I would say maybe ten parts in total. My inspiration for the title of this arc is obviously the fourth show that the original Ben 10 run had, Ben 10: Omniverse. Other than the title, the arc and the show have no relation. I've never even seen Omniverse, I only watched Ben 10, and then Alien Force and Ultimate Alien, so I have no idea what it's about. I meant to watch it, but never got the chance to. And so, the chance of me watching it has slipped away, I'll just leave it at that.
* There are going to be a lot of characters making their debut in this arc, mostly original characters. But in this chapter, a character from the original Ben 10 run will be joining the cast of characters. One last thing, this chapter will contain a time jump in the beginning! So, with that being said, I hope you all enjoy this chapter!
Ben
Some Hours Later
I laid in bed next to Gwen, as I pondered what had happened today. The alien watch, no, the Omnitrix was alive. It could think for itself, so I should call it by it's real name. I tossed and turned, as I tried to get to sleep with the thoughts in my head.
It was scary to think that the Omnitrix was sentient and I was sure that it had pushed me to kiss Gwen that night, the night of our first kiss. But if that were true, that left one question: Was our love even real?
I shuddered at the question. Whether or not the question was yes or no, I didn't want to know the answer. I sat up in worry and looked at Gwen. She was fast asleep next to me. She was so lucky. She had no idea of the worry-some thoughts that plagued my mind right now.
I let out a sigh, before lying back down and closing my eyes, finally making an attempt to get to sleep. All of that was made irrelevant, when I heard just one sound. It sounded like the howling sound that wolves made when they howled at the moon.
My eyes snapped open. I sat up in an instant and looked at Gwen, who was surprisingly, still asleep. I took a second to catch my breath.
Could I have just imagined the sound?
That's when I heard the sound again. I threw back the covers with fear, Gwen still not waking up. It was a distinct howling sound. I got out of bed to look for the source. It sounded like it was coming from outside.
I walked out of the room and into the living room, where the front door was at. I opened the door and stepped outside. I waited for a few seconds and it happened. I heard the howling sound again. And I could now pin point the source.
It was coming from the roof. I cautiously moved to the other side of the house, where I could use the garbage cans to get up to the roof. Once I was up there, I slowly and cautiously made my way over to the side of the roof that the sound was coming from.
I stopped when I saw the figure at the other end of the roof. The full moon illuminated the figure, sitting on all fours as he howled at the moon. It was Albedo. I was confused and slightly terrified. I had no idea what I should do. Eventually, I decided to call out to Albedo.
"Albedo?" I cautiously called out.
He stopped howling at the moon. He turned to face me and I was concerned with what I saw. His eyes, which were usually glowing red, were not red anymore. I couldn't tell what color his eyes were now. His hair had grown down to his neck and his bangs were barely in his eyes.
His sideburns had grown long and wild. He had also grown a good amount of facial hair. As he saw me, he let out a growl. It was now that I noticed that Albedo now had claws. I began to back up in fear.
As soon as I did that, he let out a roar of anger as he lunged towards me. I tried to dodge his attack, but I wasn't quick enough. I felt a pain slash through my face, as he cut into my face with his claws.
I fell down backwards and rolled off of the roof. I impacted with the trash cans and then fell off of them. I let out quick breaths, as I began to lose consciousness.
Several Hours Later
My eyes popped open. I was lying face down in the grass outside. I rolled over over onto my back and immediately cursed, pain surging through my face. I felt my face, but my fingers brought back no blood. It was still dark out, I noticed as I stood up.
Just then, the events of what had just transpired came back to me. I heard a howling sound coming from the roof. And when I went to go check it out, I found Albedo, in some kind of rage.
I quickly climbed back up to the roof, but Albedo wasn't there anymore. I was in awe.
Does this have anything to do with what went down at the Forever Knights building?
I stepped down from the roof and went back to the front door, to find it open. I freaked out and immediately closed it behind me, then going to check on Gwen. When I got to our room, I was relieved to see her still sleeping.
I calmed down a little bit now. I went into the bathroom and turned on the light to survey my face. I was in shock and surprise at what I saw. There were three broad and very noticeable gashes going diagonally across my face. The top gash started just underneath my left eye and stopped just above my upper lip.
"What the hell?" I asked myself.
Whatever Albedo (and now me, at this point) was dealing with, I didn't want to have to worry about it right now. I shut off the light and walked back into the bedroom. I checked my phone and noticed it was about four in the morning.
So, I have maybe two and a half, three hours at the most to sleep. I'll take it.
I laid down under the covers with Gwen and pulled them up to my chest. I didn't want to reflect on what had happened. So, after a few minutes, I fell back to sleep.
A Few Hours Later
"Hey. Wake up, sleepy head."
I woke up to Gwen's voice, her lips just barely touching my ear as she whispered to me. She was pressing herself up against my back, with her arms wrapped around my waist. Normally the guy does that, but I wasn't complaining.
"What time is it?" I whispered.
"Time for you to get up." Gwen whispered.
I sat up and tossed the covers back, after which I flung my legs over the side of the bed. I let out a sigh as I touched my face, which was still obviously scarred. Gwen got up and sat down next to me on the edge of the bed.
"Ben, are you-" she stopped speaking when she leaned in to look at me. "Ben, your face! What happened?!"
I looked at her with reassurance.
"I'm fine. Don't worry about it." I said.
"Don't worry about it?! Ben, you have three gashes on your face!" she exclaimed. "What happened to you?! You didn't go to sleep like that!"
"Hmm. Must have done it in my sleep." I said, as I smirked.
She frowned at me.
"There's something that you're not telling me." she said. "And I want to know what it is."
"I'm fine Gwen. Promise." I said.
"You're lying. But whatever." Gwen said, before getting up and leaving the room, without saying another word to me.
Part of me wanted to tell her the truth. But another part of me wanted to deny what happened last night. I got up and stretched as I let out a yawn. I had to eat breakfast. And then I had to go chat with Albedo. There was something that I needed his help with.
One Hour Later
I walked down the stairs towards the basement. I walked into the basement, and saw him there, sitting on the couch watching T.V. I cleared my throat.
"What is it?" he asked, without turning to face me.
"I need your help with something." I said.
"Yeah, what?" he asked, turning to face me.
For split second, I saw the hairy-faced Albedo that I saw howling at the moon last night. I wanted to interrogate him about it. But, I had no idea if he would know what I'm talking about.
"The lady who helped Gwen in our first encounter with Ghostfreak, I need to go see her." I said. "Something about some broken tech in the aftermath of the whole Forever Knights thing."
"Really? You sure you're not trying to hit on her?" he asked with a smirk. "You already have a girlfriend!"
I crossed my arms out of anger.
"Okay, fine! I'll go by myself!" I exclaimed, as I turned around to leave the basement. "I can't believe I even considered coming to you for help!"
"Okay, okay, I'm sorry! I'll help you out! And without my sarcastic bullshit!" he exclaimed, as I heard him quickly get up from the couch.
I turned back around to face him.
"That's all I ask from you, Albedo." I said. "Now let's go."
We walked upstairs, without me explaining to him what exactly we were doing. Gwen was in the living room, sitting on the couch and watching T.V. I stopped in front of her, and she looked up.
"Do you have something to say? Or do you just want to block the T.V.?" she asked.
"Albedo and I are heading out." I said. "We need to see Julie. We're picking up the pieces after the whole Forever Knights thing."
"Okay. I'll come with you." she said.
"No." I said, shaking my head. "You're still pale. Still weak. Please Gwen, just one more day. That's all I ask?"
Gwen looked at me, before sighing and leaning back into the couch.
"You are such a buzzkill, you know that?" she asked.
I smirked, and stepped up to the couch, getting on one knee in front of her. I gently put my hand on her cheek.
"And you are the most beautiful girl that the world has to offer." I said, as I kissed her.
We kissed for what seemed like a long time. So much so, that I forgot Albedo was in the room.
"Ahem." Albedo cleared his throat, trying to get our attention.
I ignored him.
"Hey!" he exclaimed, almost shouting.
I broke the kiss and turned around to look at him, standing up as I saw his red eyes glowing with intensity.
"Don't forget that you two are together and I'm a fucking third wheel, okay?" he asked with anger. "Let's go, or you two get a fucking room! Come on!"
He walked out the front door, leaving it wide open. I looked at Gwen with shock and she returned my gaze.
"I'm a- gonna go see what's with him?" I said, as I moved towards the door. "We'll see you later. I love you, Gwen."
"I know." she simply said, as I walked outside, and closed the door behind me.
"Hey man, what the hell was that?" I asked.
He didn't say anything, but kept his back to me. He finally turned to look at me, regarding me with a hateful look.
"I hate that you two are together!" he exclaimed.
This surprised me.
"What?" I asked.
I thought that he was happy for us!
"Okay, okay, okay! Let me rephrase that!" he exclaimed. "I hate that you have to fucking rub your relationship with her in! You have to kiss her that long while I'm in your presence!"
"Wha-" I cut myself off. "Why do you care? You'll get a girl of your own one day!"
"No, I won't! Ben, look at me!" he exclaimed, pointing at his face. "I'm a fucking abomination with silver hair and red eyes! I don't stand a chance with any one!"
I was surprised even more by his outburst.
"So let's get this done, so I can fucking spend some time by myself!" he shouted, as he walked towards my car.
I just watched him go in shock. I finally itched the back of my neck and followed him. I got in the car. I had everything with me. My costume was in a backpack in the back seat. I started the car and we started the drive down to the Forever Knights building.
Half An Hour Later
Albedo and I both used our respective versions of the Omnitrix to get up to the rooftop opposite of the Forever Knights building. Once we got up there, I was relieved to see that my severed grapple hooks were still stuck in the air conditioning units.
I got on my knee so I could pry the hooks out of the steel that they were stuck in.
"That is what we came up here for?!" Albedo exclaimed angrily.
"Yes, that's what we came up here for." I said, as I pulled the hooks out. "We need these if I'm going to go talk to Julie about this stuff. I need a costume and functioning gear if I'm going to keep doing this thing!"
"What thing?!" Albedo exclaimed, as I leaped from the rooftop.
"This whole super hero thing, Albedo! I need a costume with functioning assets. And right now, my costume does not have functioning assets."
"So, what are you going to do about it?" Albedo asked.
"I have to speak with Julie. She told me that she knows a guy who could do work on my costume. Make gear for me." I said. "He already made the advanced wrist gauntlet for me."
After that I waited for the watch to time out so we could get back in my car.
Another Half Hour Later
I knocked on the door to Julie's apartment and waited patiently. The door eventually opened and I saw Julie standing there.
"Hey." she said. "I've been hearing things. How are you?"
I shrugged.
"Good, all things considered." I said.
"Good, good." Julie said, before noticing Albedo. "Who is that?"
I turned to look at Albedo and then back at Julie.
"Oh don't mind him. He's my clone brother type person." I said.
"Fuck you." Albedo said to me.
I didn't look back at him.
"Anyway, I didn't come here to chat. I need other favor, as regrettable as it may be." I said, as I held up the busted grapple hooks. "These were busted."
Julie blinked as she looked at me.
"Alright." she said, as she reached for her jacket which hung by the door, followed by grabbing her car keys. "Time for you to meet the guy I told you about."
I was a bit confused, but moved out of the way so she could get out of the apartment and close the door.
"Come on, you two. We'll get there faster if we all take my car." she said. "Let's go."
Albedo and I exchanged glances as she walked off, before following her down the hall.
Forty Five Minutes Later
"Why did you have to bring us all the way out to the Riverfront?" I asked, as I got out of the car and looked up at the warehouse that sat here.
"Because this is his primary base of operations, well, he calls it that." Julie said, as she stepped up to the building.
Albedo and I exchanged confused glances, and I looked back at Julie.
"Um, Jules, who exactly is this guy?" I asked.
"Jules." she mused the nickname I just gave her. "He's a friend. Some one like you. And I feel like you need all the help you can get, after hearing what you've been up to."
"So, who is this guy?" I asked again.
"A friend." Julie said, as she stepped up to the door. "Oh, I also forgot to mention, if you ever come up here guys, you have to knock like this, otherwise he won't answer."
She then proceeded to knock on the door in a "shave and a haircut, two bits" tune. We waited for a while. Eventually we heard the sound of multiple locks unlocking and the door opened. A guy stepped out. He looked taller than me. He had almost shoulder length blonde hair and had goggles on, covering his eyes.
He had coveralls on and working boots.
"Julie?" the guy asked, taking off his goggles, to reveal blue eyes. "What are you doing here? Who are these guys?"
Then the guy got a better look at me.
"Uh, why don't you guys come in?" he asked in a hushed tone, as he looked around him, as if he was checking to make sure he wasn't being watched.
He gestured us in and I was tempted to not follow, but Julie apparently really thought I should meet the guy. So, I followed him into the warehouse, as did Julie and Albedo. I was astonished once I got in. There was a big lab, with tons of pieces of technology in it.
The guy turned to me as he put the goggles back on. He took out a measuring tape and literally started to measure my height.
"Same height, same muscular structure..." the guy said, as he pulled my sleeve down. "Same posture."
Leaving me sort of offended, he backed up from me and looked at me, taking off his goggles again.
"I don't believe it. You're the Alien Guy, aren't you?" he asked.
I looked at Julie, who smiled at me and nodded. I looked back at the guy.
"Um, yeah." I said.
"Pleased to meet you!" he said, as he took my hand and shook it. "I'm Cooper Daniels. I specialize in technology!"
"Um, nice to meet you." I said, as I returned the hand shake.
"Who's the guy behind you? He kinda looks like you." Cooper said.
I turned to Albedo, who gave me a look of anger before speaking.
"If you say "clone brother type person", I'll beat you the fuck down, Ben. I fucking swear." he said.
I turned back to look at Cooper.
"Not really friendly, is he?" he asked.
"Oh, he can be friendly. Just try not to piss him off." I said. "His name's Albedo."
"Pleased to meet you guys." he said. "What brought you guys here today?"
"I assume you were the one who made the advanced wrist gauntlets?" I asked.
"Yeah. Why?" he asked.
"I kinda broke them." I said.
He sighed and rolled his eyes.
"Okay, let's see 'em." he said.
I brought around my backpack and unzipped it. I brought out the broken wrist gauntlets.
"Is that your costume?" he asked.
"Um, yeah." I said.
"May I see it? I'd love to advance it as well!" he said.
"Go ahead, Ben! Cooper can do things that you could never imagine!" Julie said.
I reluctantly handed him my backpack. He took out all of the bits and pieces of my costume and the broken gauntlet. He sat down in a chair and put on a pair of glasses that looked really advanced. After a few seconds, he spoke.
"Oh, you didn't break the gauntlet. You broke the wires." Cooper said. "I can fix this easily."
All of a sudden, I kinda liked this guy.
"Look, this may take a few days. So, do you mind coming back then?" he asked. "Julie can call you once I'm done, I'll call her to let her know. Or, you can come back in a few days. Your choice."
"Ben, let's go." Julie said, as she tapped my shoulder.
I turned my head back to Cooper, to see him with his back to us.
"Okay." I said, as I followed them towards the door.
Several Hours Later
Close To Midnight
We were up late that night. We were all tossing around ideas for a movie to watch, so we could all bond after having high tensions. Albedo and I generally suggested the same movies, as we pretty much had the same memories up until his "birth."
We went through every genre from romance to horror. And we went through every movie idea from The Mist to Friday the 13th. Eventually, we decided on what's to me, the best movie ever made: The Shawshank Redemption.
We were all sitting on the couch and it was getting towards the end. I thought I heard a noise, so I paused the movie and began to look around.
"Ben? What is it?" Gwen asked.
"Shh." I said. "I thought I heard something."
I looked around and eventually something began to happen. I now saw a hazy, black cloud about to form.
"What the fuck?" Albedo and I said in unison.
And then, something out of my nightmares happened. Cackling as he did, Ghostfreak appeared from the cloud. And I knew he was real. Gwen and Albedo looked just as shocked as I did.
"It wasn't over! I told you it wasn't over!" Ghostfreak exclaimed as he cackled. "I told you it would never be over!"
I backed up with fear and surprise.
"Ghostfreak?! How are you alive?" I exclaimed.
"Remember what I said about not being able to kill a ghost?" he asked. "You can't. And you can't kill me the same way twice!"
"It doesn't matter, Ghostfreak! There's a pair of big blue sewing scissors in the kitchen." I said. "That's what I'm going to use to kill you!"
Ghostfreak began to cackle.
"Oh, really? I'd honestly like to see you try!" he said, as a staff of some kind formed in his hand. "But you won't get the chance."
That looks like Hex's staff...
He pointed the staff at me and it began to glow.
"You're about to know the true definition of suffering and just what it means to be helpless!" he exclaimed.
A glowing orb was fired from the staff and hit me in the chest, causing me to black out. The last thing I heard were Gwen's cries of despair.
Sometime Later
Else Where...
I began to come to, in a dark place. I was lying face down, and I eventually pushed myself up.
"Gwen? Albedo?" I asked, as I got up. "What'd Ghostfreak do to-"
I stopped when I saw where I was. I was in my house, my living room. But Gwen and Albedo were no where in sight. The living room was in shambles. One couch, a few tables and decaying wooden chairs. The roof to the house was also gone.
"-Me?" I finished my sentence as I realized I had no idea where I was.
I realized that the entire house laid in disarray. I eventually worked up the courage to step outside and go out to the street. When I did, I was even more shocked to see all of the houses as far as I could see were in ruin. I looked behind me, to see my house was the same.
"What the hell?" I muttered.
I walked down the street a little bit, and saw that every electrical pole had an intercom attached to it.
"What the fuck is going on here? Where am I?" I asked.
I walked further down the street and eventually saw the downtown city in the distance. Or, what was left of it. Most of the buildings laid in ruin. Floors had been completely destroyed. Some looked like they had floors simply hanging on by a thread, in like a toppled domino formation.
Some buildings looked intact, with maybe windows all shattered, it was hard to tell. But most of the buildings were all in disarray. Not suitable to walk around in. I was in shock and I was almost crying.
"Who? Who the fuck did this to my city?!" I whispered with anger.
I looked up at the sky. It was as if it was night. No sun. Only dark clouds for as far as the eye could see. It could have been day for all I know. Just then, I heard a siren begin to go off, similar to that if the case in which a nuclear bombing arised.
I whirled around in all directions, trying to pinpoint the source of the sound. Eventually, I realized that it was coming from the intercoms. The siren stopped after a few more seconds, and I heard some feedback, before someone spoke.
"Good morning people of Bellwood!" an unfamiliar voice spoke over the intercom. "The date is April 11th, 2047."
2047?! Ghostfreak sent me that far into the future?! That's three decades that I've lost!
"We have good news. A small group of rebels were killed early this morning!" the voice called. "And the remaining rebels are soon to be hunted down! That will be all! Have a great day, Bellwood! And remember, Vilgax is always watching!"
Author's Note:
* And that's it for this chapter, as well as the first part of this story arc! So, what did you guys think?
* So, I want to cover stuff that happened in this chapter, but the chapter has gotten long, so I'll discuss only one thing. And that is the fact that Ghostfreak is back from the dead, and has sent Ben somewhere as punishment. That's all I will say.
* Also, updates for my other Ben 10 stories are coming in the near future. I'm sorry I've been inactive for a while, I was just really low on time and couldn't write. As such, I didn't have time to read new chapters. So to csgt, I'll read your most recent chapter here soon.
* I'm going to go though, so have a fantastic day and, bye.
