Disclaimer: I own nothing. I own nothing. Man of Action owns Ben 10 and My Hero Academia belongs to Kohei Horikoshi.

My Ultimate Academia

Chapter 6: Ben Tennyson: Origin Part 2

Suffice it to say, the current situation had gone through many different atmospheres in a short amount of time. From awkward, to cautious, and now alarmed and confused. Though the confusing part could be primarily attributed to Nemuri, who right at that moment was fully on her guard as a complete stranger had suddenly appeared in her bedroom. What made this even crazier was this was happening RIGHT AFTER she discovered that not only did Ben Tennyson- the person she had been letting live in her home and had recently bought new clothes for- not exist, but neither did ANY of the other people in the photo she had used to run a background check on him! Something like this hadn't happened in YEARS! Not since Quirks first started to appear and the governments of the world began taking even more care to have some way of identifying someone who might have a dangerous one.

However, for all the worry and slight fear that the revelation might have caused, when he found out what Nemuri had done, Ben was actually pretty understanding of her concern. In fact, he'd admitted that he was a bit ashamed for not trusting her to handle the truth. Nemuri could see that Ben WAS genuinely sorry for not being open about his background, but she also realized that he didn't do it out of malicious or malevolent reasons, but rather out of uncertainty of how he could explain it to her.

What that truth was, Namuri was uncertain, but upon seeing that she could truly trust Ben, Nemuri offered to hear him out, but as he'd been about to tell her, the stranger had popped up out of nowhere! And despite the friendly tone the man- "Paradox" if she remembered Ben calling him- used, Nemuri was still fully on her guard.

"I said, who are you?" Midnight demanded once more. "And how the HELL did you get into my house?!"

Paradox then stood up straight, still completely calm with the same friendly smile. "Still the same fire as I remember," said the man, his expression then changed to confused as he took his right hand out of his pocket and cupped his chin. "Or is this the FIRST time we're meeting? It is quite difficult to tell sometimes. Have we met, Nemuri?"

She stared at him for a second, processing what he'd just said before shaking her head. "Okay, it's official. You are a wacko and I may be off duty, but I'm not about to let you invade my home!" Midnight was then about to march over to Paradox, but Ben suddenly got in her way, arms outstretched. "Ben, MOVE!" ordered the Pro Heroine.

"It's okay, it's okay! He's not a stranger, he's my friend," explained Ben, his hands then raising to a placating manner. "His name is Paradox."

"I heard you call him that before, but what do you mean he's your 'friend?'" demanded Midnight, her guard now flaring up and her suspicion of Ben having returned.

"I see this situation isn't exactly going as well as I thought it would," commented Paradox, getting the two's attention again. He then snapped his fingers as if he had just come up with an idea, "Tell you what; why don't I try KNOCKING this time? Perhaps that'll help alleviate the situation."

The odd intruder then made his way to a door that was to his right. Opening the door, he stepped through.

"Where do you think you're going?! Get back here!" demanded Nemuri as she pushed by Ben and chased after Paradox.

"Nemuri, wait!" Ben called after her as the Pro Heroine stomped to the door and flung it open. However, she simply stood in the doorway, a shocked expression on her face. The room was entirely empty and the man had completely vanished. The door had actually led to her bathroom and there was only one window. However, the window was still shut. More than that it was still locked, and yet the man had totally vanished.

Nemuri then spun around and narrowed her eyes at Ben, who was looking extremely sheepish at this point.

"Ben." The Pro Heroine addressed the teen in a tone that said she was NOT in an amused mood anymore. "Who. Was. That?"

Before he could respond though, the two heard the doorbell ring. Staring at the door in disbelief (as well as remembering what the man had said before he vanished) Nemuri headed right for the front door, followed by Ben. Upon reaching it, the Pro Heroine hesitated with her hand outstretched, almost afraid of what she'd find. She then opened the door to see Paradox standing there, the same friendly smile on this face.

"Hello, Ms. Kayama," he greeted. "It's so nice to meet you."

Upon having her fears proven, she grabbed him by the collar and yanked him inside her house, kicking the door with her foot before she slammed him against the wall. Despite this, Paradox still had that happy smile on his face.

"Alright! No more disappearing acts!" stated Nemuri. "It's time for some answers! How did you do that before? You know, vanishing from my bathroom? How did you even get in the first place? Some sort of… of unregistered teleportation Quirk? And more importantly, how do you know Ben!? Answer me!"

"I'd be happy to explain," replied Paradox. "Though, would you first mind taking it easy on the jacket? It's more than twelve hundred years old."

"What?" said the Pro Heroine, more confused than ever now. "What do you mean it's twelve hundred years old? You don't look older than twenty or thirty. And you're STILL not answering me! Who are you and how do you know Ben!?"

"Simple," said Paradox. "Because Ben and I know each other from before he met you. We both come from an alternate universe."

That caught Nemuri completely off guard as she let go of Paradox, backing away slightly. She then turned to Ben who looked even more sheepish and ashamed than before. The Pro Heroine kept her eyes on Ben for a few moments, studying his movements. "Ben," she addressed him carefully. "What does he mean that you both are from an alternate universe?"

Ben then let out an exasperated sigh, closing his eyes and shaking his head before looking Nemuri in the eyes.

"You... might want to sit down for this," suggested Ben, his expression tired. "It's a long story."

Nemuri narrowed her eyes for a moment at the teen but after a moment she complied. Soon she, Ben, and Paradox were in the living room. Nemuri was seated on the couch with Ben standing to her left and Paradox standing in front of her.

"Now," began the aforementioned Pro Hero as she glanced between Ben and Paradox. "What do you mean the two of you are from an alternate universe?"

"Exactly that," shrugged Paradox. "Ben and myself do not come from this Earth or even this plane of existence."

"I don't think that's the answer she was looking for, Paradox," deadpanned Ben. Indeed, Nemuri's expression hadn't changed as she still looked confused, suspicious, and more than a bit annoyed.

"Hmm. You might be right, Young Ben," agreed Paradox, cupping his chin for a moment. "I suppose that means we should brush up on a bit of quantum mechanics and string theory."

Quantum mechanics? String theory? Was this man TRULY insane!? However, it was then Paradox reached into his pocket and took out what looked like an ordinary-looking pocket watch. Nemuri was confused as to why he'd brought it out when the rim of the watch began to shine a bright blue. All at once, holograms began spiraling out from Paradox himself. Nemuri jumped in surprise but then gaped in awe at what she was seeing as they surrounded her and encompassed the room.

"What-what ARE those?" asked Nemuri, standing up as she began looking around the room, noticing that many of them looked like galaxies. Others looked like Earth while a few looked like stars.

"Those, my dear Ms. Kayama, are alternate dimensions," explained Paradox. "Parallel universes, different versions of Earth. And on those Earths, different people with different histories. Now I mentioned "string theory" before. Tell me, do you know what that is?"

Nemuri meekly nodded. "It's the idea that parallel universes exist. That… that for every choice you make, like, another universe is born of the opposite. R-right?"

Paradox nodded with a chuckle. "That is a rather abridged version, but yes. In string theory, the multiverse is an idea in which our universe is not the only one out there. It is part of many, MANY universes that exist parallel to each other. These distinct universes within the multiverse theory are called parallel universes. A variety of different theories lend themselves to a multiverse viewpoint. A big part of it is, as you said, for each choice we make, a new Earth is created. Because of that, there are numerous different types of worlds out there." He then pointed to one Earth. "For example, there are some worlds that are so similar to THIS one that you could barely tell the difference. Say, everything's the same as on this Earth except you having BLONDE hair." That caused Midnight to gape and clutch her hair in shock. She couldn't imagine being anything but a purplette. The idea of her being blonde like that ditz Yu was a HORRIFYING prospect, to say the least.

"Meanwhile, there are other dimensions that are ENTIRELY different from this one that you wouldn't even know that they were supposed to be the same Earth," Paradox continued. He then pointed to another Earth. "Like, perhaps instead of being a superhero you would have become a super VILLAIN instead. Perhaps a master thief playing a cat and mouse love game with your male nemesis." He threw her a wink. Ben snickered but halted as Nemuri glowered at him. "Or a world where people from THIS world exist, but in a COMPLETELY different time or place. Say, the Wild West or Roaring Twenties of the U.S.A.," Paradox added, pointing to another Earth.

"Each choice you, I, and EVERYONE ELSE makes on these worlds influences and creates the creation of another Earth, another universe even!" Paradox exclaimed, spreading out his arms. "Most of which usually never have contact with or even knowledge of each other. Except in certain cases such as during cosmic disruptions, devices made specifically to view and-or visit them or, in the cases of CERTAIN individuals, having abilities that allow them to see and travel to and from those places with ease." He said this last part with a proud smile.

At that, Nemuri was sitting silently and staring at this odd man who was apparently saying that he and her house guest were from another universe completely separate from the one she lived in. She'd heard it, but she could barely believe it.

"So...you're saying that you and Ben are from a... parallel Earth?" she slowly inquired as she pointed at one of the holographic Earths.

"Well, not THAT Earth specifically," shrugged Paradox as he glanced up at the Earth the Pro Heroine was pointing at. He then scoffed and rolled his eyes. "To tell the truth, I'm not too fond of the universe you are pointing at. The physics make VERY little sense and many of the inhabitants there are overly muscular and are almost always screaming and flexing." He scoffed again. "Honestly, it gets very tiring and hard on the eardrums."

"I think you're missing the point, Prof.," stated Ben, earning a nod from the very strange man.

"Perhaps," agreed Paradox. "But to answer your question, yes. That is exactly what I am saying. It is also the reason you were not able to find any information on young Benjamin or anyone supposedly associated with him; he never existed here in this universe at any point in time."

Nemuri continued to look at them both for another few seconds before she started chuckling. She then began laughing loudly as if she'd heard the funniest joke in her life. As she did this, she missed Ben and Paradox exchanging glances at each other with slightly worried looks.

She also missed Ben whispering, "Maybe we broke her."

Finally, Nemuri calmed down and began to clap her hands. "Whew! Oh God, that was a GOOD one. I have to admit, I am impressed. Ben, how long did it take you and your friend here to cook up this joke?"

However, Ben didn't smile or laugh about how he and Paradox (if that WAS his name) had been trying to pull her leg. Rather, they both were straight-faced and serious looking.

"Nemuri, it's not a joke," Ben stated while shaking his head. "I really AM from another universe."

Now it was Nemuri's turn to frown upon hearing that. "Ben, I said it was good, but I got wise. You can cut the act. Your friend here too." She pointed to Paradox for emphasis.

"I should have expected this," Paradox sighed, closing his eyes for a moment, "Miss Kayama, Ben and I are NOT joshing you, nor attempting to deceive you from the truth. We truly ARE from another universe. THINK for a moment; it would explain lack of evidence finding Ben or anyone supposedly associated with him."

Nemuri thought back to the picture of Ben's supposed family and friends and remembered how Amanda couldn't find ANYTHING on any of them. The idea of them not existing HERE, but in another universe WAS slightly enticing, but there were other avenues of LOGICAL thought.

"OR, maybe they're simply keeping the information about Ben, his friends, and family from anyone without high enough clearance because of the nature of Ben's Quirk," countered Nemuri, trying one possible explanation. "After all, I have never heard of someone who has powers like Ben, and information like that could be dangerous in the wrong hands."

"Perhaps, BUT if such closely guarded information required higher clearance, wouldn't it also entail that the individuals pertaining to such information also be kept under a similar level of security?" retorted Paradox, tilting his head slightly. "And not just wandering around a random Japanese shipping yard?"

"Well, Ben said so himself. He's never been very good at following orders."

Ben chuckled sheepishly as he scratched the back of his head, "I did say that."

"And that is certainly true," agreed the Professor. "Be that as it may, don't you think it would be odd to withhold information from such an esteemed Pro Hero such as yourself, regardless if you are retired? And if such information were so sensitive, why hasn't anyone come to collect Ben if he did leave?"

"They could still be trying to find him," rebuked Nemuri, still trying to grasp onto her logical argument.

"Except you don't know how long it has been since Ben 'left' as it were," pointed out Paradox. "Not to mention, you yourself called the Department of State the first night you let Ben into your home. Surely that would warrant a good amount of attention when a Pro Hero calls looking for information regarding a specific individual, one which requires the highest levels of security."

At that, Nemuri's eyes widened. "How… how did you know that? I didn't tell ANYONE that!" She then started feeling defensive again. "Have you been SPYING on me or something!?"

"Miss Kayama, I know many things. Not much escapes me."

Nemuri then paused to digest that and then tried to deconstruct Paradox and Ben's statements again. "They-they could be verifying if Ben is the same person I'm talking about," replied Midnight, though her tone was far from convincing.

"Even after Ben was seen by the media in broad daylight fighting a villain with the 5th, 7th, and 23rd most popular Pro Heroes in all of Japan? Followed by YOU sending an actual picture of Ben and his family and friends to the Department of State?" Paradox inquired rhetorically, raising an eyebrow.

Nemuri looked at him for a minute before letting out a sharp sigh. "Okay, you raise a good point. But come on! What you're telling me is completely insane! Alternate Earths! String Theory! Are you kidding me!?"

"Oh come on, Nemuri!" Ben snapped. She then turned and glowered at him, but Ben seemed to ignore her look to continue, "This whole WORLD is insane!"

Nemuri's face then relaxed as she stared at Ben in confusion. "W-what?"

"Think about it and use your head!" Ben cried in exasperation. "In the days before Quirks came about, NO ONE would have imagined people suddenly developing random superpowers! The idea of a person being able to grow into a giant or fly or, hey, maybe being a WALKING TALKING BLACK HOLE!? That would have seemed like something that would exist only in a comic or a movie or a Japanese manga or anime! It could NEVER happen! It WOULD be insane! But you, the Lurkers, all the heroes in Mustafu and beyond are PROOF that the impossible and seemingly insane can be REAL! So who's to say aliens can't exist? And alternate universes? Or even people who can travel from them to other ones? Heck, in the superhero biz, traveling to places like that happens at least once in every hero's career!"

Nemuri stared at Ben, shocked at how he had spoken to her. She was all set to give him a piece of her mind… and yet, she found herself processing what he had just said. He was right in a way. In the years before Quirks, superpowers were the stuff of legends and fiction. Some of the earliest incidences of them appearing were written off as mass hallucinations. However, as they began to pile up, it became more and more unlikely and impossible to ignore or scoff at. Ben was right; SHE was proof that the impossible could happen. And his mention of her fellow hero and U.A. faculty member Thirteen (who, while able to have a human appearance and look, was essentially a living black hole when her Quirk was activated fully) cemented it.

Nemuri sighed heavily and ran a hand through her hair.

"Okay, okay," she conceded. "I'll… admit you have something of a point, Ben. Quirks and things like that WERE thought of as impossible in the beginning. And the people here and all over ARE proof that things like that CAN happen." She then looked at Paradox. "But that still doesn't explain who you are or who Ben is," countered Nemuri, glancing from him to Ben.

"I suppose that's a fair point," agreed Paradox. "So I'll tell you, Miss Kayama. Let's start with me, shall we?"

It was then the pocket watch Paradox was holding flashed and the holograms changed, forming a large screen in front of Nemuri. On the screen appeared what looked like a military base.

"In Ben's universe, a military installation, Los Soledad, was created during the 1950s with the sole purpose of realizing my ingenious theory," explained Paradox as he gestured to the military base with his left hand.

"'Ingenious theory?'" repeated Nemuri. "So, you were a scientist. I mean, I figured with the lab coat and the name but..."

"I was," nodded Paradox with a chuckle before he turned back to the screen. It then showed a new image of multiple scientists working in a room with dozens of machines hooked up to what looked like a crystal ring. Among the scientists, she spotted Paradox. "My theory was that it was possible to generate a 'time tunnel' using the properties I'd discovered in quartz crystals. This would allow access to past and future events with ease."

The image then changed to show a glowing blue portal opening up at the center of the quartz ring.

"I'm getting the sense that something went wrong?" questioned Nemuri as she watched the images change and the portal suddenly starting to crackle and overload.

"You don't know the half of it," confirmed Paradox in a dry tone. It was then Ben stepped forward.

"An accident caused by one of Paradox's lab assistants caused the portal to go haywire and actually rip a hole in the fabric of reality," explained the teen as the screen then showed several objects getting pulled into the portal before Paradox himself was pulled in.

"I was hurled into the event horizon," picked up Paradox as the screen showed exactly that happening.

"This basically made it so that he exists outside of time. He doesn't need to eat, drink or sleep; he just... exists," explained Ben. "And because of how long he spent in there, he knows everything about time travel and quantum mechanics, basically allowing him to travel from any earth in any universe at any time."

"Indeed," nodded Paradox.

Nemuri then sat down to process this. It explained Paradox's ability to vanish from a locked bathroom. Though if Ben's FRIEND'S story was complicated, she had to wonder what BEN'S story was like!

"Okay, I sort of understand your story. YOU'RE a scientist whose experiment went wrong and you gained a power to be able to travel through time and dimensions," Nemuri said while pointing to Paradox, who nodded in confirmation. She then turned to Ben. "But that doesn't explain who YOU are or what exactly you're doing in this universe. I mean, I doubt you're here just to sightsee or go on a backpacking tour across the multiverse."

"I guess it doesn't and no, I am not," agreed Ben. "Well, for starters, who I am, mainly has to do with this."

Ben then raised his left arm, gesturing to the device on his arm. The teen then turned to Paradox for a second. "You think you can show the moment where it all began?"

"It would be my pleasure," replied Paradox as he then reopened his watch, the radius of the clock glowing a bright blue as a single holographic screen appeared. On the screen formed the image of a forest at night. There was a single individual on the screen that she could see- a young, brown-haired, green-eyed boy who wore a white t-shirt with a black stripe down the middle that was connected to the collar that was also black. He also wore a pair of dark green cargo pants and black and white sneakers, not too different from the ones Ben would normally wear. Upon realizing that, Nemuri's eyes widened.

"Is-is that… you?" asked Nemuri, glancing at Ben for a moment before leaning forward to get a better look at the boy being shown.

"Yep," nodded Ben as he also looked at the image with a nostalgic smile. "That's me. Back when I was 10." He then gave a joking grin. "Pretty cute little guy, huh?"

"I believe your cousin would have words to say about THAT statement, young Ben," Paradox said with a smirk.

Ben turned and glared at the man. "Ha ha ha," Ben said drily.

"Why are you showing me this?" Nemuri inquired.

Ben and Paradox turned and smiled at each other before turning to Nemuri. "Because," began Paradox, "this is a very important, if not one of the most important moments in Ben's life. In fact, as Ben said, this is where it all began."

Nemuri turned to look at the Time Traveler curiously. What did he mean by that statement?

Turning back the screen, Nemuri watched as the younger version of Ben stopped where he was and looked at the sky to see what looked like a comet streaking across the sky. The comet then suddenly turned about 90 degrees and began heading right for the younger Ben. The trio watched as the ten-year-old spun around and began running the other way from the fireball. It wasn't a moment later when it struck the ground directly behind Ben, causing a decent-sized explosion and chunks of earth to be thrown up with some dust.

"You were nearly hit by a meteorite when you were ten years old?" asked Nemuri, turning to look at Ben with narrowed eyes.

"Emphasis on the 'nearly,'" corrected Ben. "But I wasn't and turns out, it wasn't a meteorite. Rather something else."

Raising an eyebrow the Pro Heroine turned back to the screen to see Young Ben standing at the edge of the crater. At the bottom was a fairly large sphere that looked to be segmented. It was then the crater gave way and Young Ben fell down into the crater which had thankfully cooled down. Once Ben was down in the crater, the sphere let out a hiss of steam as plates began to retract and the object opened. A beeping sound and a green light began shining from the inside of the sphere. Inside was a bulky looking watch that rested in the center. A dial was placed in the center, but it had no hands or even numbers. Instead, it had an angular green hourglass symbol. The wrist band was pretty thick, made from a blackish-grey substance with two green buttons on both sides while four white pipes came from the dial and went down the length of the band.

The younger Ben extended his left hand to obviously pick up the device and get a better look at it. Suddenly, the watch suddenly opened up and actually LUNGED from the sphere and snapped down onto Ben's wrist. The sudden action caused Young Ben to panic and runoff.

"What was that watch?" asked Nemuri. "It looked a bit like the one you're wearing now."

"That's because it is. Or rather was," answered Ben as he continued watching. "That was the original Omnitrix. A prototype if you will." He then smiled as he watched his younger self activate the odd-looking watch and the center rose up. "And it's where all my powers come from."

The Pro Heroine looked confused for a moment before she saw what the teen meant. She watched as the younger version of him pushed the middle down and was consumed in a massive green flash. In the younger boy's place was an entity that Nemuri had never seen. A being that looked to be composed of dark red rocks with a bright orange glow coming from the cracks. The entity's head was on fire and overall looked like a walking chunk of magma.

"Ah, Heatblast'," Ben said in a nostalgic tone. "I really need to use him again sometime."

"Wait! How exactly did that happen?" Nemuri questioned, a bit shocked at what she'd witnessed.

"You see, Ben doesn't actually have any sort of Quirk or power of his own," explained Paradox "He's like the 20% of this world's population that has NO powers whatsoever. A lot like those two detectives from the police department." He then pointed to the screen as 'Heatblast' began shooting fire from his hands. "All of Ben's abilities come from the device on his wrist, the Omnitrix."

"Right. Ben mentioned that. But what is this 'Omnitrix' exactly?" asked Nemuri after a momentary pause.

"Well, the Omnitrix is a device created by the smartest being in 5 galaxies, First-Thinker Azmuth of the Galvin," answered the scientist.

"The what?" Nemuri asked, quirking an eyebrow at the last word.

"Er, think of them grey two-legged frogs with vast intelligence," explained Paradox.

"And an ego the size of Jupiter in Azmuth's case," muttered Ben with an eye roll.

"Ahem, yes, Well anyway, Azmuth created the Omnitrix as a means of promoting interstellar peace by allowing the user to 'walk a mile in another being's shoes.' Meaning Ben can turn into a number of different aliens and use their abilities as he sees fit."

"Or at least until the Omnitrix times out," added Ben.

"Or until that happens, yes," Paradox seemed to concede. But while this exchange happened, a lot was going through the R-Rated Heroine's head.

This was not what Nemuri was expecting to hear. In fact, she hadn't expected to hear ANYTHING she had already learned tonight and if she was being honest, it was a lot to take in.

"So, why does that… Omnitrix look so different from the one you have?" Nemuri inquired, pointing to the watch currently on Ben's arm.

Ben looked down and frowned, "Oh. Well, I had the old one removed after… something happened." He said this with a far off look in his eyes and what almost looked like a twinge of fear. However, before Nemuri could continue to inquire, Paradox spoke up.

"Later on, Ben took up the Omnitrix again. This time a new and improved version. He eventually got a few other new ones, leading to the one he has on now."

"I see," Nemuri said with a nod. So this Azmuth had improved on the Omnitrix and given Ben them in order for him to do hero work.

"So, exactly how many of these... aliens are you able to transform into?" Nemuri asked, hardly believing she was asking a question like that.

Thankfully, the question seemed to perk Ben back up. "Currently, I have access to over 62 different aliens. Well, 61," answered Ben, though Nemuri picked up on his hesitance and the correction from 62 to 61. However, she also noticed the first word he'd said.

"What do you mean by 'currently?'" repeated the Pro Heroine, picking up on that keyword, "You mean to say there are more than the ones just available right now?"

"Yeah," nodded the teen. "The Omnitrix holds the DNA of every intelligent lifeform in the Milky Way Galaxy."

"Which comes to approximately 1,000,912 different transformations with varying abilities, forms, and sizes," Paradox finished for Ben.

It went without saying that this was not how Nemuri expected things to unfold. She gaped at him in shock. "Ov-over a MILLION!?

"Yep," Ben nodded. "But as I said, I can't use all of them right now. There IS a way to use them as well as not even having to activate the device to use it, but Azmuth didn't give it to me. Not yet at least."

"I see," Nemuri said with a nod. "So what you're saying is you're from an alternate universe where you're a hero who's able to use that watch in order to change."

"That's about the jist if it," Ben said with another nod.

"Okay. I think I understand," she said. "But there is something I don't quite get. If you ARE from a different universe, why did you come to mine in the first place?"

Ben glanced at Paradox for a moment, the time traveler nodding.

Ben then let out a deep sigh before turning back to Nemuri. "Remember when we first met?" asked Ben.

"Yes," replied Nemuri. "That night at the shipping yard."

"Well you see, before arriving in your world, I was trying to stop three of my enemies from basically creating a bomb."

"What do you mean? What bomb? What enemies?" Nemuri asked, concerned how out of hand this explanation had just gotten. From one thing to another it seemed.

"Prior to his arrival in your universe, Ben was forced to prevent three foes of his from using a device to create what would essentially be a black hole bomb," repeated Paradox. "You see, over the years Ben has made some very powerful enemies- enemies that in some cases may be more dangerous than any of the ones in your universe."

Paradox then opened his pocket watch once more and pressed the little button on the side. This time, three screens formed in the middle of the three. Each hologram took shape and an odd-looking trio of characters appeared on each. One on her right looked exactly like Ben except for having white hair and red eyes as well as a red jacket. The other on her left looked like a hulking creature of red, yellow, and black with what seemed to be a large eye and a jagged mouth. Finally in the middle stood a large muscular figure that looked like a gladiatorial squid with the most ruthless look on his face.

"The three beings you see before you are Ben's potentially most dangerous enemies Ben has faced regularly," identified Paradox.

"The doppelganger is named Albedo," said Ben, getting Nemuri's attention as he gestured to the look-a-like of himself. "He was Azmuth's assistant when he was creating the Omnitrix. He became my enemy because he didn't like the idea that a human got the most powerful device in the universe and believed it should be taken away from me. So he made his own and tried to take the original Omnitrix by force. Thankfully, I managed to stop him."

"But why does he look like you? I mean, except for the different colors," inquired Nemuri.

"Since I'm connected to the Omnitrix, my DNA is considered the default form," explained Ben. "Which unfortunately caused him to become a clone of me because when he created his Omnitrix, it linked with mine and caused him to turn into a copy of me. When we first fought each other, his Omnitrix and mine connected which caused feedback that damaged his DNA. That's why he has the white hair, red eyes and, somehow, the change in clothes color."

"Albedo blames Ben for his transformation and the loss of his true form and desires revenge. To do so, he created another Omnitrix which allows him access to the same transformation as Ben," added Paradox, taking over for a moment.

"Alright," nodded Nemuri as she then turned to look at the large black creature. "So who or what is that?"

"Malware," said Ben with a notable amount of disdain in his voice. Something that Nemuri picked up on but chose not to say anything about it at the moment, "I guess you could say he's a tech vampire and a total sociopath to boot. He has the ability to absorb any kind of technology that he touches into his body to upgrade himself while turning it to ash. Basically, he's like the T-1000 from Terminator 2, albeit a LOT more evil."

"Malware is part of a race of techno-organic aliens called a Galvanic Mechamorph, inadvertently created by Azmuth," interjected Paradox. "Malware came into being when his creation process was interrupted. This led to a corruption of his Life Code, the generic equivalent to DNA for his kind. For years, Azmuth looked for a way to cure Malware's ailment, but over Malware grew impatient and stole what could potentially be his cure had it been perfected by Azmuth. Unfortunately, he was corrupted even further, driving Malware insane and leading him to become dead set on revenge against Azmuth for taking so long and, in his warped mind, causing his degradation. Malware desires the Omnitrix as a way to become even MORE powerful. After all, it IS the greatest piece of technology ever created. And in Malware's madness, he believes using Azmuth's greatest creation against him would be very poetic.

Nemuri nodded again. In her mind, though she was appalled and flabbergasted that Ben had had to go up against these… these MONSTERS so often in his universe.

"And... what about the one in the middle?" inquired the Pro Heroine, pointing. Ben looked at the one Nemuri was talking about, the squid-man, and frowned deeply. Nemuri could see that this foe seemed to be very personal and wondered if she shouldn't have asked. However, as if sensing Ben's uncomfortableness, Paradox decided to speak on his behalf.

"That is Vilgax," answered the Time Traveler. "He is Ben's first true foe and possibly the most dangerous among the three to come to this world. Vilgax desires the Omnitrix so that he may duplicate the device and then outfit an army under his command, each of their own Omnitrix. With that, he would be able to conquer and enslave the entire universe. Perhaps even beyond."

Paradox then looked at the hologram of Vilgax as well with a grim expression, "Despite Albedo's intelligence and Malware's unpredictable and sociopathic nature, Vilgax is without question the most dangerous among the three. He is brilliant, ruthless, and will not hesitate to kill anyone to achieve his goals, even his own allies. To him, the abilities of his followers are valuable but they are not for even a moment irreplaceable."

It was then Paradox closed his watch and the holograms faded away. It went without saying the atmosphere in the living room had become pretty heavy with all that was revealed to the Pro Hero. These three could no doubt make the most hardcore villains anywhere piss their pants in fright and run away with their tails between their legs- figuratively or literally in certain cases. It was after a moment of thought did Nemuri eventually speak up. "So how did they arrive here?"

"Prior to your and Ben's meeting, the three decided to join forces to enact revenge against Ben for constantly delaying their plans or defeating them time and time again," explained Paradox. "Their plan was to retrofit and repurpose an experimental Transwarp Engine, a device that uses energy from the entire spectrum as a form of power or propulsion, to act as a singularity bomb that would have destroyed Ben's Earth."

Nemuri then looked at him, no doubt looking as confused as she felt. It was then Ben spoke up for the first time since the mentioning of Vilgax, "Basically, they were planning on creating a black hole," he said.

"WHAT?!," Nemuri shrieked in shock.

"Yeah, but me and my team- Gwen, Kevin, and I- managed to stop them before that could happen," stated Ben. "During the fight though, the engine activated and created a portal. Malware, Albedo, and Vilgax were then sucked in. Even though they were no longer a problem, the portal was still open. So Kevin said I could close it by throwing the engine into the portal to cause it to fold in on itself. Which worked, but I got caught in the energy pulse and was also warped away."

"Even though Malware, Albedo, and Vilgax entered the portal first, I decided to intervene and bring Ben here earlier in order to be prepared for when they do arrive," interjected Paradox.

"And then I got caught up in the Yakuza deal and we met… and that's basically it," finished Ben.

Nemuri remained silent for a bit, letting what was said to her sink in. Alternate universes, alien heroes, immortal time-traveling scientists. Any same person would dismiss all of this as utter nonsense. However, the revelation did explain a few things about Ben that she noticed. For one, the skill he showed while dealing with Yakuza and Stone on the night they first met and then with the villain they faced not too long ago. It made sense that he had such skill because he has had years of practice. However, this was far more than she thought would be revealed. She then had a horrifying thought.

"Wait a minute. You said those three were sucked from Ben's world by their black hole and are coming HERE?!" she asked Paradox.

"Unfortunately, yes," Paradox said with a nod.

Nemuri then felt her blood run cold as she sprang up from the couch. "Then what the hell are we sitting around for?! We have to let the heroes know!" She then reached for her phone on the counter, but Ben stepped in front of her and grabbed it.

"Woah, Woah! Nemuri, what are you doing?" he asked as he held the phone out of her reach.

"What do you think?! I'm going to call the heroes to alert them! If what you're saying is true, then we're going to need all the help we can get! We may need to call the Wild Wild Pussycats, the Lurkers, Mirko, Hawks, Endeavor! Hell, even ALL-MIGHT!"

"Nemuri, take a deep breath and think about what you're saying for a second!" Ben cried, still holding her phone out of reach. "You want to tell the heroes of Japan what? That three interdimensional criminals from another universe are traveling to this Earth, which is one of an infinite number of similar ones in the multiverse? Seriously? If YOU thought me and Paradox were crazy, imagine what the rest will think! They may not all be as open-minded and think that you've flipped your lid!"

"He raises a good point," Paradox agreed, "A few- perhaps even the Symbol of Peace himself- may be intrigued by the theory. However, many may be more inclined to dismiss the idea as completely ludicrous."

Nemuri stopped struggling with attempting to get her phone as she looked at the two. She then thought about what they had just said. That was true. The idea of alternate universes was pretty far-fetched, and she knew for a fact that many of the heroes (Mirko, Edgeshot, Mt. Lady- if mainly due to her dislike if Nemuri- and ESPECIALLY Endeavor) would probably write it off as total nonsense.

"Well, couldn't you do what you did for me?" She asked Paradox. "You know, show all the pictures and stuff of Ben and those guys?"

"Perhaps, but still, there's another reason you may not want to alert the rest. This terrible trio are from an entirely alternate Earth and you have never faced them before. No one on this Earth has. I seriously doubt that you would know how to stand against them," Paradox added.

Nemuri then frowned as she also knew that this was true. Still, she felt they couldn't just stand around and wait for something to happen or for this… Terrible Trio to show up.

"Well Mister 'I'm a brilliant former scientist that seems to know everything.' What would YOU have us do?" she snapped as she testily crossed her arms.

"Well, the best thing I would suggest would be to let Ben battle them once they arrive," Paradox stated, gesturing a hand to the teen.

Nemuri then looked at him as if he'd grown a second head. She stared for a few more seconds before exploding. "WHAT?! You actually want a TEENAGER to fight these- these POWERHOUSES?! These MONSTERS?! I cannot believe you would even suggest-!"

"Nemuri!" Ben once again cried out, getting her attention. The teen then crossed his arms, "He's right. I have to be the one to battle them. I've fought them before and beaten them. It's never easy, but I can do it." He walked over to the R-Rated Hero and put a hand on her shoulder. "I know you don't like it, but I have to do it. If I don't handle them, they are no doubt going to be a major problem for the heroes. I need to do this."

Nemuri looked at him surprised by his statement. "But Ben, you-"

Ben however held up a hand, then smiled, "As I said, I've faced these guys before. I'm still kicking, aren't I? Don't worry. When the time comes, they won't know what hit 'em."

Nemuri stared at Ben and saw the conviction in his eyes. He was dedicated to this and she'd seen how he'd managed the villain back at the mall. Upon seeing this, much of her uncertainty started to fade. Honestly, it was like speaking to All-Might with his assuring everything would be okay.

She then turned to look at Paradox, almost praying that there was something he could say to support her in her concern.

"There are some things that are meant to happen, Ms. Kayama," said the Scientist, giving her a reassuring smile, "As someone who travels throughout space and time, I've seen enough to know that little fact all too well."

She then sighed looking back towards Ben and gave him a small smile of her own.

"Thank you, Ben, for telling me all this," said Nemuri. "Though honestly? This is still a lot to digest. I think I might need a moment to process everything."

"Take as much time as you need, my dear," stated Paradox. Nemuri nodded before leaving the room and headed up to her bedroom.

Upon entering, she closed the door behind her before letting out a breath she didn't know she was holding. She leaned back against the door for a moment and ran a hand through her hair. This was way bigger than she honestly thought it was going. After a brief moment to resume some regular breathing, Nemuri pushed off her door and headed to her closet.

As she approached, Nemuri reached for the hem of her sweater and quickly removed the article of clothing. Removing the sweater, her bust bounced a bit before she tossed the top onto her bed. She then removed her sweatpants along with her socks before she was left just in her bra and panties, both of which were colored a violet with lilac trim. Opening her walk-in closet, she stepped in and began looking through her clothing. She soon found what she was looking for; a wine-colored silk kimono with pink cherry blossom patterns on the front and back. The clothing was a gift to her from an old friend and one that she would wear from time to time, particularly when she had an especially stressful day as a Pro Hero before she became a teacher.

Slipping the comfortable gown on, Nemuri stepped back away from her closet, shutting the door before going to sit down on her bed for a moment.

'So Ben is from another universe,' she thought to herself. 'Not something I was expecting.'

In just a few minutes, Nemuri had learned more about the world than she had in all her years as a Pro Hero. Apparently, her world was merely one of an infinite number of worlds. So many of those worlds were very similar to hers, while many others were completely different. Then there was the fact that her houseguest was from one such different world, had apparently been a hero since he was ten years old, and was wearing what was basically the most powerful device in the universe on his wrist. To top it all off, she'd also found that three of his enemies were now on their way to her universe, assuming they weren't already here and each one was likely more dangerous than any villain she'd ever faced.

Nemuri let out a sigh as she flopped down onto her back, "You're certainly a strange one, Ben," she muttered to herself as she rested the back of her right hand against her forehead.

Strange, of course, was an understatement. To be honest, she had expected Ben to perhaps say he was secretly a government agent or the experiment of a villain who'd managed to escape his creator. However, what she'd ACTUALLY found out blew all of her previous theories out of the water!

A part of her was also seriously concerned with the fact that three extreme potential threats were about to arrive in their world. She still didn't know if she made the right call of backing down from calling and alerting the other heroes about the Terrible Trio. Ben may have had faced them before, but he'd also apparently had at least some aid in battling them. Here, he was pretty much all alone. Even with the Omnitrix, he wasn't invincible. Of that she was sure.

Pulling her hand away from her forehead, Nemuri sat up as she glanced at the door. During the reveal, she noticed Ben's demeanor change somewhat when he and Paradox spoke about Malware and Vilgax. Though small, the Pro Heroine had picked up on the disdain in the teen's words when he mentioned the former and the look of pure contempt when the latter was brought up next. Something must've happened to Ben that was caused by one of the two; though if she had to guess, it was probably more to do with Vilgax than Malware.

Her intuition told her it most likely involved the scar she'd seen on Ben's back this morning. It just had to.

"What happened to you, Ben? What did that monster do to you?" she asked herself, wondering what caused such an injury.

A few thoughts crossed her mind- most of which involved Ben getting the scar from Vilgax during a battle. However, she had a feeling there was more to it than just that. That's when a new idea entered her mind. There was the old saying that, "The best lies are the ones that contain an element of truth." When Ben had first arrived, he had told her that he'd lost his mother and father in a battle with some villains wanting to take advantage of Ben's "Quirk" and he had gone on the run to avoid putting his remaining family in the firing line.

'Did Vilgax have something to do with the death of Ben's parents?' Nemuri thought to herself but quickly shook her head.

She knew she really shouldn't pry into something that was clearly a sensitive topic, but another part of her felt the need to try and help alleviate whatever it was that was bothering Ben. He was genuinely a good person, with only the best interests in his heart for others. Something she could easily tell when he jumped into the battle with the villainess today to protect Itsuka, regardless of the consequences and possible arrest. Even though she wasn't happy to agree with Mount Lady, she had to admit that Ben would make an excellent, if not one of the BEST Pro Heroes in the world if he ever decided to become one. He was selfless, kind, courageous, and he was more than able to help others thanks to the Omnitrix. So seeing him like this just didn't sit right with her.

However, that wasn't something she should be thinking about right now. Rather, she had to think about what she should do now that she'd been made aware that a sociopathic tech vampire, a doppelgänger that could do anything Ben could, and a foe that was even more dangerous than the others were all now on their way here.

"Hmmm. I wonder...," Nemuri hummed to herself, cupping her chin as a new thought entered her mind.

If Ben was going to be staying here indefinitely, he'd need a Japanese citizenship. Plus, as a teacher of U.A., she could recommend Ben to be enrolled into the school. She had no doubt he'd be wonderful. One of the best. Unfortunately, since he'd never gone to school in this world (let alone even existed) he'd be ineligible to take the Recommendation Entrance Exam. Those were for students of the country recommended by teachers, as well as having the stipulation that foreign students must have been students in Japan for at least three years to take it. It was rather unfair in Nemuri's opinion and figured she'd bring it up with her boss or the Hero Commission sometime later. Still, she knew that if Ben took the regular entrance exam, he'd still do excellent- top marks even.

The more Nemuri thought about it, the more it seemed like a good idea. Ben would no doubt be put in the Hero Course. Not only could that aid him in becoming an even better hero than he was now, but it would also keep Ben from having problems with this world's rules regarding the use of powers. If Ben's foes were going to be coming here soon, it would be a lot easier and less of a hassle for him to become a Pro Hero in order to face them without having to be worried about breaking the law. Not to mention that he could get the aid of other Pro Heroes a lot easier if he was enrolled to become one. Ben might have been saved by the Good Samaritan Clause, but she honestly doubted he could rely on that all the time. Not only that, but as said before, Ben had faced these three before, but with aid from his family and friends. He'd need aid here too.

A smile crept across her face. She could see Ben in her mind becoming an amazing Pro Hero and she had a feeling that he would agree with her somewhat. However, there was still a lot of time before any of that could happen and if she was being honest, she had a very long and extremely unexpected day. Which had only become even MORE stressful when Ben had to reveal his origin and Paradox's sudden appearance in her bedroom. She could really use a bath to let go of all the stress of the day and just unwind for a bit.

Getting off her bed, Nemuri headed to her bathroom to get ready for a nice soak. However, just as she was about to step into her bathroom, she suddenly stopped in the doorway as a thought came to mind.

Ben also had had quite the day: facing a villain, nearly being arrested, having to placate HER in order to prevent her from attacking Paradox, and THEN having to reveal his entire backstory to her along with needing to bring up some obviously unpleasant memories regarding Vilgax and Malware. If she were Ben, she would no doubt need a way to unwind and let go of all the stress that had been built up today. Not to mention if he was going to be living here with her, it would only make sense that he would learn a bit more about Japanese culture. If he ever visited a public bath, he would need to get used to a few other things here in Japan

As these thoughts went through her mind, an impish (and somewhat) fiendish grin slowly began to spread across Nemuri's face.

It only made sense that Ben would need to get accustomed to his new environment and as his hostess, it was her duty to help him along.

Heading back to her closet, Nemuri opened the doors once more and began combing through her clothes, looking for something to wear while in the bath.

"We've both had quite the day, Ben," Nemuri said to herself as she found what she was looking for. "I believe it goes without saying that we both could use a way to relax."

She also didn't have to worry about Ben needing something to wear as well. When she had gone shopping on her own for a bit, she had picked up something for him to wear as well. She smirked as she pulled it out.

Both Ben and Paradox watched Midnight head to her bedroom. Once they heard the door shut, Ben couldn't help but let out a sigh as he went over to sit down on the couch. Turning to look at the teen, Paradox frowned, no doubt noticed Ben's somewhat weary expression.

"Well THAT could have gone a bit better," said Ben after a moment.

"All things considered, I believe that was rather a success compared to some alternate timelines," said Paradox.

"I'm guessing that it doesn't go well in some?" Ben asked, a little worried.

Paradox shook his head. "In some, not at all. This is one of the better ones actually."

"But there is one thing that I don't get," said Ben.

"What might that be?" Inquired Paradox.

"I know you said that no Hero on this world could handle Vilgax or the others," recalled Ben, "But how come we can't tell them now? Wouldn't telling help get them ready for what's coming?"

"Ben, do you recall when you encountered your future self when we set out to destroy the Hand of Armageddon?" Reminded the scientist.

"Yeah," nodded Ben.

"As you know, there are certain rules that prohibit me from interfering with the flow of time," he explained, "While it is true that we could reveal the coming of Vilgax, Malware, and Albedo; doing so would disrupt the flow of time."

"More so than already?" Guessed Ben.

"I'm afraid so," nodded Paradox, "Somethings are meant to happen, Ben. And the truth will be revealed to others, but now is not the time to do that."

"I guess you're right," replied Ben, his tone a bit more down now. This caused Paradox to frown.

"There's something else that's bothering you? And it's not about not revealing what is coming to the Hero Organization but rather about Nemuri?"

"N-No! Well…" Ben turned to look at Paradox but knew there was no point in lying to him. " Okay, yeah. It's just... I feel like I'm forcing my situation onto her."

"And what makes you think that?" inquired the Time Traveler as he sat next to Ben on the couch.

"I mean, ever since I got here, Nemuri has done a lot for me," explained Ben. "She's given me a place to stay, a bunch of new clothes, hot meals. And that whole time, she's asked for pretty much nothing in return. Now I'm basically dragging her into MY problems and I don't think that's honestly fair; not after everything she's done for me."

Paradox nodded. "I see. So you feel guilty for involving Nemuri with the situation regarding your foes. You feel like you are not showing the right sort of gratitude toward someone who has done so much for you without asking practically anything in return."

"Basically, yeah," sighed Ben leaning forward. "I mean, she does all this for me and what do I do? I'm bringing her into a situation that she didn't need to be in. Like you said, Paradox, those three are my most dangerous foes still alive. What should happen if she finally comes into contact with them? I've… I've already lost so much." He then placed his elbows on his knees and looked down at his hands. Ben felt a pat on his back which he figured was Paradox.

"Ben, I know this might sound mad, but I really don't feel like you should feel guilty," stated Paradox.

Ben's head then shot up as he cast a confused look to the time traveler. "What do you mean by that?" he asked.

"Ben, do you know why Nemuri helped you?" asked Paradox, earning another confused look from Ben.

"Yeah, she told me herself. She said it was because she wanted to," answered the brunette.

"Exactly; because it was something she wanted to do," stated the scientist. "Nemuri saw fit to help you because it was the right thing to do and because she desired to do so. Do you think her choice will change simply because you have some foes coming to her world? Not to mention that story you gave her as a cover."

"Yeah, so?" Ben asked with a shrug.

"Well, in the cover story, you told her that a villain had killed your family and was after you because he wanted to use your Quirk. Technically, that part is still true and she still took you in. So tell me, Young Ben. Do you think that her choice will change now that she knows more about your situation?"

Ben was about to retort but as he thought about it, he realized that Paradox was right. Before the reveal, Ben had told her in his cover story that a villain was after him, and yet she still took him in regardless. He also got the feeling that even with the reveal of his background, as insane as it was, her decision would remain the same.

"No, I don't think it will," answered Ben after a moment of thought.

"Nemuri helped you not only because it was the right thing to do, but she could also see that you are a good person, Ben," assured Paradox with a smile as he rested a hand on his shoulder.

The shaper-shifter smiled as he nodded. "I guess you're right."

"That's the spirit!" Paradox said jovially, "Also, if you're still having trouble believing me, just ask Nemuri. I'm sure she would understand," he added. He then removed his hand from Ben's shoulder and took out his pocket watch, flipping the cover open and glancing down at the hands on the pocket. "Now, I believe it's time I be going."

As Paradox turned to face the corner of the room a blue portal opened up. While Ben watched him start to leave, the time traveler stopped and turned back for a second.

"Oh! One last thing before I leave," said Paradox, a mischievous smirk on his face, "A piece of advice, Young Master Ben. Try to maintain some composure during moments of 'fanservice.'"

While a confused expression appeared on the shape-shifter's face, Paradox gave a cheerful grin as he waved to Ben and called out, "Ta-ta!"

"Wait, what do you mean by-," Ben began, but Paradox had already entered the portal which then closed behind him, "...Fanservice?" The teen lamely finished his sentence after the time traveler had vanished.

With a moment to himself, Ben now started to really think about everything that had just happened in the past hour. A part of him still felt a little guilty, despite Paradox assuring him that Nemuri was fine with the reveal. After all, he'd basically just told his first friend and hostess in this universe that not only was an evil doppelganger after him but also a sociopathic, techno vampire and an intergalactic warlord. And that was on top of the fact that all three and himself were actually from an alternate universe. Then there was the fact that he still had no idea when or which of his enemies was going to arrive first or (Ben shuddered at this thought) if they would appear all at once! THEN, to top it all off, there was the fact of when it would come time to face any of them. He had no idea how the battle would go or who would be involved in it. There was just a lot to think about.

"I assume Paradox left?"

"Yeah, he just…," Ben turned around to answer Nemuri, but trailed off when he saw what she was wearing- a silk kimono that left little to the imagination, "...left."

"I guessed as much," replied Nemuri as she stood in the entrance to the living room, leaning against the doorway as her arms were folded underneath her bust. Ben's eyes bulged slightly but thankfully Nemuri seemed to not notice. Or maybe she did. With her, Ben sometimes wasn't sure. "It's been quite the day for both of us, hasn't it, Ben?" she continued.

"Y- yeah," Ben agreed as he shook his head, returning to the topic at hand. "It's been a while since I've had anything like this happen to me."

Nemuri simply smiled before she got off the entranceway and headed over to Ben to sit down on the couch with him. "If I'm being honest, I'm still having a difficult time believing your story." Ben was about to say something but Nemuri then held up her hands. "Now don't misunderstand. I believe you after the evidence you gave and all that, but it's still hard to believe this is all happening."

"Yeah, I do suppose it IS a bit wild," chuckled Ben.

"The idea that there are other Earth's, other yous, other MES out there! It's pretty mind-blowing. Especially with some of them being totally different like a villain," she added.

"You have a point," Ben stated. He then chuckled. "I can actually kinda see you as a Catwoman-esque villain actually."

Nemuri then smiled and rolled her eyes at that. "Yeah, well at least I have the figure and Quirk to pull something like that off." She then grimaced, "It's certainly more believable than me being BLONDE, that's for sure."

Ben laughed again at that. "I'm guessing that the idea made you think of Mt. Lady, huh?"

"Hit the nail on the head," grumbled Nemuri.

Ben smiled at the heroine. "Well, I'm glad that even if it is a little mind-boggling, you still believe me."

Nemuri smiled as she brought her right hand down to rest on top of Ben's. "Yep. Definitely crazy, but I believe you."

The Bearer of the Omnitrix glanced at the floor for a moment before turning back to Nemuri. "I still feel a little bit bad about dropping all this on you," said Ben.

"It's fine, Ben," assured Nemuri, "You didn't intend for your villains to travel here and bring you along for the ride. Plus, I helped you because I really did want to."

Ben cocked an eyebrow as he looked at her incredulously. "You heard Paradox and I talking, didn't you?"

The Pro Heroine nodded. "Just the end of your conversation, but we don't have to talk about that specifically right now. However, there is something I would like to talk to you about."

"Oh?" questioned Ben. "What about?"

"Well, we can discuss it later. Right now, I think we both could use a way to unwind after what happened today."

"Yeah you have a point there," agreed the shape-shifter. "I could really go for a smoothie."

"Actually, Ben," interjected the Pro Heroine, with a devious grin. "I had a... different way of relaxing in mind."

"Huh?" Now, this caused Ben to raise an eyebrow in confusion, "What do you mean?"

At this point, Nemuri stood up, taking hold of the teen's hand and pulling him up, a playful glint in her eyes. "What I mean, Ben," began Nemuri with an alluring tone as she began to lead him out of the living room and to her bedroom, "is that you and I are going to take a bath together."

If brains could short circuit or blow a fuse, Ben's would have not only completely fried but entirely crashed as his face went totally red.

"W-what?!" stammered Ben as tried to replay what Nemuri just said to him, "I-I'm sorry, but, WHAT?!"

"Exactly that," repeated Nemuri as she turned around to face the teen fully, the same playful look in her eyes, "You and I are gonna have a bath together."

"How- how is taking a BATH with YOU supposed to RELAX me?!" demanded Ben as he tried pulling his hand free, "Besides, I've already had a shower today!"

It was then the Pro Heroine did something quite unexpected; first, she yanked the Bearer of the Omnitrix towards her, her right hand catching Ben's left wrist which she then twisted behind his back. Then, she pinned Ben between her and the hallway wall with her right leg pushed up into his groin to further keep Ben flustered and off-balance. Finally, she used her left hand to cup the back of his head and force Ben's chin into her cleavage. Ben knew most guys would kill to be in his position right now. However, as he is not most men, HE would kill to get OUT of it as he desperately tried to think of anything beyond the sexy older woman he was currently in such a provocative position with.

'Alright, maybe I COULD use another shower! A COLD one!' Ben thought frantically while Nemuri stroked the back of his head.

"Well, bathing in Japan isn't just about cleaning your body," explained the R-Rated heroine, currently living up to the dominatrix aspect that was shown in her Pro Heroine costume. "It's more of a meditative practice - a time to renew, revive, relax, and cleanse the soul. After today with that villain, nearly being arrested and the drama of Paradox and your backstory, I'd say we both could use a means of de-stressing."

"Besides," continued Nemuri with her teasing smirk, "I don't know if you know this but, in Japan, we're a bit laxer about nudity, especially in public baths. While there are definitely gender-associated baths, there are also mixed ones. So if you're going to be living here in Japan for a while, you might as well get used to how things are done here."

His face still bright red, Ben tried to object. "B-but isn't doing this together going a bit far?!"

"You don't have to worry so much, Ben," assured Nemuri simply. "We won't be naked, just wearing bathing suits. Trust me. Unlike Yu, I KNOW when I might be going too far."

That STILL didn't help alleviate Ben's anxiety and franticness about the situation. 'C'mon! Think, stupid, THINK!' Then, believing he had a way out, the Bearer of the Omnitrix spoke up, "Um, th-that might be a problem because I don't have a bathing suit." 'Ha!'

However, that ray of hope was crushed, then dashed to pieces when he saw the Pro Hero's smirk widened into a devilish grin. It was at that moment Ben put two and two together.

"You went out and got me one, didn't you?" He guessed with a rueful tone.

"I did," she answered, her smirk growing wider.

"And you're not gonna accept any other answer other than me agreeing to this?"

"Nope!" Nemuri laughed teasingly, popping the 'p' as she said the word. She then ruffled her hand over Ben's hair, ignoring his protests and attempts to wave her off.

"I'm also gonna go on a limb here and guess this is also a way for you to get back at me for worrying you during the battle?" Ben asked, his shoulders slumping.

Nemuri then nodded slowly with an extra dangerous glint in her eye, "Oooh yes."

She then let go and turned around, but looked over her shoulder to call back, "I'll go get the tub ready. You go get dressed. The suit I got for you is on your bed."

With that, Nemuri practically skipped up the stairs to her bathroom. Ben, in comparison, let out a loud sigh and basically dragged his feet to his room. In his mind, he couldn't help but think, 'I wonder if it's too late to sneak out as Grey Matter or Big Chill and turn myself in to the police.' He then shook his head. 'No, better not. Knowing Nemuri as I do, she'd find me even if I was the size of a mouse or intangible.'

A few minutes later…

Having filled the tub, Nemuri stepped out of the bathroom and then set the thermostat for 42℃. With the tub filled with hot water, the room began to heat up further, though it would take a few moments to do so. In the meantime, the Pro Heroine thought she should go inform Ben the tub was ready. It wouldn't take long and the room would probably be hot enough by the time she and Ben returned. With that in mind, Nemuri headed to get her guest. While getting the tub ready, she had considered ditching her robe when she went to get Ben but decided to keep it on, if only not to scare him or embarrass him further. Besides, it wouldn't be long until she would actually be taking it off. Then she could torture the teen.

"Oh Ben~," sang Nemuri, having reached Ben's room, she grabbed the door handle to let herself in. "The tub is ready~."

"Wait!" called the teen, his tone somewhat frantic from the other side. "Don't come in, Nemuri!"

"What?" asked the Pro Heroine, concern immediately filling her voice as she entered Ben's room, "Is something...?"

Whatever she was going to say died in her throat as when she entered, she had done so while Ben was in the process of either removing his shirt or putting it back on. However, it wasn't the lack of upper body clothing that had her attention, but specifically what she saw on Ben himself.

His chest.

Like the scar on his back that she had spotted this morning, Ben's chest had three jagged scars that went diagonally across his torso. Two of the three scars started over his shoulder, one just below his neck and the other closer to his shoulder while the third was under his right arm beneath his armpit. The scars were a horrible red that appeared to have been seared by some sort of heat like the one on his back.

For a few seconds, neither of them said anything- just staring at each other for a few seconds. It wasn't until Nemuri broke the silence.

"Ben... how did you get those scars?"

To Be Continued...

Man, this chapter was a lot more difficult than I originally thought it was going to be. This chapter went under a lot of re-writes, I even had to axe an entire bit so that the chapter wouldn't be too long or felt like it was dragging on. So it goes without saying that MajorBrony95 was the MVP during this entire chapter. Originally, this chapter could easily be considered to be mediocre or a step down from the quality of previous chapters but he managed to fix it and make it work incredibly well. So, Major, I owe you big time!

Now, there are a few things I want to address right now. First and foremost is that my editor, MajorBrony95 is going on temporary leave. He's been working really hard, not just on FanFiction but at his job, and told me that he is going on a short hiatus for about 2 months. With that in mind, I believe now is also a good time to mention that I might also be taking a short break from this story, at least until Major comes back. I know this isn't something many of you want to hear but I would like to say that I do have other stories I need to work on or start in some cases, and I believe now is a good time to return to those stories while my editor is on leave. Again, I'm sorry if this isn't something many of you would like to hear, but it's been far too long since I worked on stories like Devil May Cry: Slayer's Return and others. So Zarmag, if you are reading this, you're getting your wish, I'm coming back to Slayer's Return!

Let's move onto some other things regarding this story.

As some of you may know, I have made mentions of making a bit where Mineta and Kaminari accuse Ben of having a harem and Ben denying it. I've said from time to time again that this won't be a harem, but recently, I got into speaking with Ultimate10 who said that if I did make this into a harem story, it would be good to take a look at the anime "Quintessential Quintuplets" because it is a good harem anime. That being said, I think I might rescind my statement about this being a harem fic but let me further explain. I still fully intend on this being a single pairing story, but that isn't to say that there can't be "harem" like elements here and there. So, this story will be akin to a pseudo harem fic, if that makes sense. Ben will have girl friends, but Momo will remain the primary relationship for Ben.

In case you need a little clearer image, here's a rough draft of the roles of the member's of Ben's "harem": Momo Yaoyorozu is the girlfriend/main love interest; Nemuri Kayama will be the surrogate mother; Yu Takeyama will be the teasing/flirtatious older sister; Itsuka Kendo will be the neighborhood friend. There might be some other additions like Pony Tsunotori where her role will be based on the fact that she and Ben are both from the U.S., and Setsuna Tokage who could possibly be Momo's rival, but she could end up being replaced by Nejire Hado, depending on how the story goes

While we're on the topic of friendships, I think I might have put together a small friend group for Ben. Members include Izuku Midoriya (obviously because he is on the cover image), Mina Ashido (note, she won't have any place in Ben's harem, just a friend), Kyoka Jiro, Denki Kaminari, Shoto Torodoki (maybe?), and Ocharo Uraraka. This will be the main friend group, but things can change so this group might be different later on depending on how the story goes, but I can say that there definitely be people that Ben isn't friends with, starting with Katsuki Bakugo and Minoru Mineta. There might be some others but I'm not entirely sure right now so be advised for changes and if you have any suggestions, feel free to offer them and I'll see what I can do.

I think I covered everything I needed to regarding relationships/friendships, lets move onto reviews.

Ultimate10: Glad to hear you like the story! I hope I am able to live up to your expectations and continue a really good story. While it was sad to hear you live, I'm glad that someone was able to pick up the story and continue where you left off. Let's just hope this next chapter comes out soon. Also, glad you liked the "Good Samaritan Clause" idea I came up with. I was actually inspired by the Young Justice Outsiders episode "First Impression" where the idea was used. Not to mention that it kind of makes sense that if you are able to use your Quirk in a dire situation to protect the wellbeing of others that results in minor/incidental damage and emergency services can't get there in time or are unable to do so for whatever reason, you should be able to use your Quirk free of repercussion, granted you do not abuse this clause as there are measures in place that allow professionals to act accordingly.

matthew . robar23 (fanfiction won't let me write you penname the way you have it written because it thinks its an internet link or address, so this is the best workaround I could come up with, sorry): I'm a little unclear myself but I do have somewhat of an idea. Now, as was said in the story, Ben will be getting Japanese citizenship in order to attend UA and become a Pro Hero. In real life, getting citizenship in Japan could range from six months at best to a year or longer at worst. I'm gonna get around this by having Nemuri use her credentials as a Pro Hero to get Ben one much sooner and because this is the future, I was thinking around two months and one to three weeks before the school year starts. I hope that's a good enough timeline. I didn't really consider where this story begins in relation to the timeline of MHA. I was just thinking that Ben arrives after Izuku's interaction with All Might but before the start of the school year which is about a year, so... yeah... Let's move on.

AnimeMasterDub: Glad you liked the chapter and I'll think about doing what you suggest, but as I said in a PM, I have my own plan and I think I might stick to it. But if it becomes too complicated or doing the movie is better, I might end up doing that.

RZK09: Glad you like it so much!

fpinheiro96: Sorry for the cliffhanger, figured I'd ease into the transition of longer chapters given that most of my research and whatnot comes from the anime, so I figured I'd ease into the 20,000+ chapters.

Wahid Alam: Sorry if I made Ben a little OC with being so cautious, I figured given what happened in the past, I could justify the more cautious approach he would take, and thanks for letting me know that Malware wasn't the reason Ben removed the Omnitrix, though it does make me curious to know what was the reason for him removing it.

ingramethan698: Here you go.

Mr. Illegal: I can see where you are coming from about not liking Ben going to attend UA when he is just there to take on Vilgax, Malware, and Albedo. However, like in the chapter, Ben doesn't know when the three will arrive or if they will arrive all at once or separately at different times. This does seem like an excuse to pad the length of this story and Paradox could have just told Ben when any of them will arrive and where they will be. Not to mention, if you look back, I did have Paradox say that he would be sending Ben to the MHA universe ahead of Vilgax and the others, so he can prepare for their arrival and gain allies to help him fight them. I do fully intend of Ben revealing his origin to the Hero Organization, but not until it becomes relevant. Not to mention, since Ben is a hero through and through, he will want to continue doing good and attending UA will help him do that without breaking the law and while he is in another universe, he still needs a good education.

(STAY IN SCHOOL KIDS! [points at the reader like Uncle Sam])

Ahem. Just two more things I want to address. While Ben might only be in the MHA universe to apprehend Vilgax and the others, I might pull a Justice League Unlimited and have him stay in that Universe because he found someone he loves, *cough* Momo *cough**cough* like how Supergirl stayed in the future because she fell in love with Brainiac-5. As for the other thing, could you keep the spoilers about MHA to a minimum? I'm still new to the genre and would like to enjoy it all for the first time instead of having bits spoiled for me. But while we're talking about that part, I still feel like I need to off someone, possibly Present Mic, if the story allows it.

Sreym Sallad: No, that wasn't a mistake. It's just something I think Paradox said when addressing Ben. Of course, I could be confusing him with Alfred from the Son of Batman DC animated movie because the same person who does the voice of Paradox also does Alfred's voice in that movie. Eitherway

Milo S Darek: Thanks for the suggestion and I might imply him in that arc, like have it seem like he broke into the school while the villains attacked the students at the training area. I also hope this chapter continues to be up to everyone's expectations.

Zorobak: I don't know that much about Nemuri's backstory so if you know, I'd like to hear more about it.

I got to most of the reviews but I left a few unanswered because I may have already spoken to that particular person in a private message, or I don't have a good answer for, or the review didn't have a question for me to answer/something for me to address. I hope you understand and now onto something completely different: Vilgax's level of strength.

I know I've talked about this before, at least I think I didn't well I've got plenty to discuss and if I did, well too bad, we're talking about it again. As you all might know, I am doing my best when it comes to research for both My Hero Academia and Ben 10 and I was hoping I could get your feedback on something real quick. A while back, like at the beginning of this story and probably before the story was even published, I made a poll asking who was stronger: Vilgax or All Might (not in his prime).

Now, the poll says that more people believe that Vilgax is stronger, as in, Vilgax has more to work with in terms of abilities. He has laser eye beams that can track you like Darkseid, vortex breath, flight, his sword, and his already incredible strength. It was his strength that got me wondering maybe Vilgax is far stronger in Alien Force than we gave him credit for. For example, in Alien Force, Vilgax was able to punch Ultimo so hard that he created a massive shockwave that we could see from I assume half a mile away and it kept going. The argument that this could have just been a one-off could be made, but I would like to point out that in the very next episode, Vilgax was able to meet Humungousaur's punch, in his larger form, with his own that created what I can only assume was an even more powerful shockwave.

I say that because not only do we see the buildings shake from the two forces colliding but we also heard the shield whine from the shockwave. What makes me think that the shockwave was stronger can be boiled down to two reasons: one, as we heard the shield whine, the shockwave must've traveled through the ground in order to cause the skyscrapers to shake as we do see debris falling from them; the second reason is that shield is actually a sphere and not a dome and the shockwave was able to pass through the shield because it was so strong. I could be looking far deeper into this than I should, but I just want to cover all bases when I get to introducing Vilgax into the story.

Let's talk about something else: Ben's reasoning for asking Nemuri not to tell the Hero Organization about Vilgax, Malware, and Albedo? I apologize if my reasoning wasn't that good. It was, unfortunately, the best justification I could come up with. Seriously, I and Brony spent a long time trying to figure out how we were going to give Ben a good reason for Nemuri not to tell anyone about the coming threat. And while some of you might say that Paradox's reasoning that Ben is the only one capable of defeating any of his foes, let's review what Vilgax, Malware, and Albedo can do. Vilgax: listed everything he can above so let's move on to the other two; Malware: can absorb any technology into his body, already has a devastating weapon, the tachyon cannon which is pretty devastating on any living thing; can absorb matter to increase his overall size, unpredictable nature being a sociopath. Then there's Albedo: anything Ben can do, won't hesitate to use lethal force, and is probably smarter than anyone on the MHA Earth.

Yeah, no one listed above is a pushover and could easily give any Pro Hero a run for their money if not one-shot them. Also, I'm not sure if this is true or not, but I once read that most villains do what they do out of wanting attention, something similar, or just want something materialistic. I will admit that the League of Villains and a few others, like during the War Arc, disprove what I read, which is why I'm open to information about what most villains want in MHA, or why they do what they do. But still, in comparison, Vilgax, Malware, and Albedo are honestly true villains in my opinion.

One last thing. Yeah, I know, the scar at the ending was something probably everyone saw coming. If you didn't, well I hope this is definitely a surprise. Also, if you're mad about that cliffhanger ending I apologize... I'm not sure how else I'm supposed to keep you all invested in my story and I didn't want the chapter to drag on as I said at the start of my notes.

Okay, that's everything I believe needed to be discussed. I apologize if I missed anything or if I didn't respond to any reviews and if you have any other questions, be sure to send me a PM and I'll get back to you when I get the chance.

Read and review and let me know what it is you liked and I will continue to do my best to live up to all of your expectations as best I can and I hope the short break I'm taking will be worth it when the next chapter is posted. A little spoiler: the next chapter's gonna be a fanservice chapter mixed with a tender moment between Nemuri and Ben and we all find out what happened to Julie and why she and Ben are no longer together.