Chapter 1: Smoothies
Ben sat at Mr. Smoothies enjoying the new fruit berry mix special. He smiled as he looked around at the group of friends sitting with him: Rook Blonko, the new alien partner that Grandpa Max assigned to him after Gwen and Kevin left for college; Gwendolyn, his cousin who used to drive him insane but now viewed her as the sister he never had; Kevin, who used to be a psychotic mix-up of Ben's alien who hated his guts, but now he is the brother he never had; Julie, who, despite breaking up with Ben, managed to stay a good friend; and last but not least, Manny, Helen, Cooper, and Alan, all of whom were young plumbers who have stuck by Ben's side for a long time.
Things were finally looking up for them.
They all just got back from traveling across the universe, which Ben begged Gwendolyn to pause her studies for. However, Paradox revealed to them that the beginning that Ben and Rook traveled to in order to stop Maltruant wasn't their universe at all, but an empty void where the Contumelia decided to test their universe-making experiment. It turns out that God created the universe and the multiverse by extension (but of course it was always true).
Nevertheless, Ben decided to explore what the universe had to offer. Of course, he invited his closest friends and family, Gwendolyn, Kevin, and Rook. He also decided to invite Kai Green, Manny, Helen, Cooper, Alan, Eunice, Tetrax, and even Julie. Rook also invited Rayona and his siblings to come along. The group took a whole year off their duties and jumped from one galaxy to the next, seeing many beautiful wonders and exotic worlds (and risking their lives to escape from the Cosmic Storms where To'kustars lived).
Anyway, they finally came back home on New Years Day, and Eunice returned to Primus while the plumbers kids attended their duties. Tetrax returned to his restored homeworld, while Kai went exploring with her grandpa. Despite the good moments the two shared, they just didn't feel anything more for each other, despite what Spanner told them.
Ben finished slurping his smoothie and looked up at the group.
"I'm telling you guys, this is livin'!"
"Here, here!" they all shouted as they raised up their cups.
"Yeah! I mean, no Vilgax, no Maltruant, no universe-threatening disaster, things are finally looking up!"
"Yeah, I'm fine with not having to bash robots or deal with my traumatic past with the Rooters for a while!" said Kevin.
"Plus, I don't have to worry about Charmcaster anymore since she can fit on my dresser now!" chuckled Gwen.
"Man, how do you get into such crazy adventures while we're not around?" asked Manny.
"Believe me, four arms, I've been asking myself the same thing ever since I met this guy!" said Kevin, gesturing at Ben with his thumb.
The group laughed at the comment.
Suddenly, a beeping noise came from Helen's badge, so she picked it up and read the message. "Oh, shoot! Manny, Alan, Cooper, we gotta go! We're needed!"
"Aw man! Can't we stay a little longer?" asked Alan.
"Yeah, I haven't even finished my blueberry!" said Cooper.
"Guys, let's go!" said Helen.
"Alright, mom! Sheesh, we're coming, don't ground us!" said Manny.
Helen glared at him, but looked back at Ben and said, "I'm so sorry we have to leave so soon, but seriously, thank you for all this! This past year has been amazing!"
"Oh, no problem! Good luck with your job!" said Ben.
Helen nodded, then she and her group rushed over to their ship that was parked behind the building and flew off shortly after boarding.
"I should be going too," said Julie, "I've gotta practice for a tennis match next week, but I'll catch up with you guys later!"
"Knock 'em dead, Julie!" said Gwendolyn.
They all laughed, then Julie started running away down the sidewalk.
Suddenly, Ben frowned and looked down.
"Ben, are you okay?" asked Rook.
"This isn't about Julie, is it? I thought you were over her," said Gwendolyn.
"No, no, it's not that," he sighed, "It's just that . . . I mean, look at how far we've come. We've defeated powerful bad guys, and now I wonder what comes next. And not just bad guys, but I mean . . . anything. I guess what I'm trying to say is . . . I'm scared."
"Scared? Scared of what?" asked Kevin.
"The future. I'm just scared of what'll come next. I wonder . . . what'll be in store for us."
"Ben, you need not worry about this," said Rook, "You have us to help you go through anything the future throws at us."
"Yeah, and besides, remember Matthew 6:34? 'Do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble'? Don't worry about the stuff ahead of us, 'cause God's got it under control," said Gwendolyn.
Ben started to smile again. "Thanks, guys, that helps a lot. Really."
However, whatever happiness the group experienced soon vanished as the sky glowed red. A gigantic wormhole appeared and swirled around, starting to suck objects in the area into it.
"Well, would beating up a wormhole cheer you up?" yelled Kevin over the noise.
"I don't think you understand how wormholes work, but yeah!" he yelled back.
Ben activated his omnitrix and slammed his hand down on it. There was a flash of green light, and when it died down, he became Clockwork.
"I sure hope I know what I'm doing," Ben muttered to himself. Then he pointed his chest at the wormhole and unleashed a gigantic green beam at it. However, the beam got sucked into the wormhole and swirled out of sight, and then it caused the wormhole to expand.
"Oh, nice going, Tennyson!"
"That was supposed to work!" responded the chronosapien, "That was a concentrated beam of time that should have dissipated the wormhole! According to Clockwork's knowledge, that should have done the job!"
Suddenly, Ben felt himself being lifted off the ground and dragged towards the wormhole! Then Rook, Gwendolyn, and Kevin were being sucked up as well!
Rook quickly grabbed onto a street post and then grabbed Kevin, who grabbed Gwendolyn. Ben was out of reach, so Gwen used her mana to form a rope and grab onto his wrist.
"It's okay, Ben, I got you!" yelled Gwendolyn, "Remember, we always have your back!"
Ben smiled, but soon felt dread when he heard the omnitrix's time out sounds. Ben had no choice as he transformed back into his human form, causing him to slip out of Gwendolyn's mana rope and shot into the wormhole.
Ben didn't hear his friends yell his name as he entered the wormhole, then everything went dark.
