Forever Hideout, Night…
The Forever Knights had been decently hidden before Ben Tennyson got the Omnitrix, but their constant attempts on him that summer drew greater attention from the other heroes of this world. They knew, despite what 'good' they did, those so-called heroes would never accept them.
Fortunately, King Cyrus rose to power. With the help of his father, the man who first founded their people, all factions of the Forever Knights had been unified under a common goal. They realized aliens were not the sole problem. It was heroes who fought natural selection.
If the knights were there to 'protect' the people, humanity would never evolve, and the continued cycle of select evolution would continue. Of course, the current situation at hand had many knights wondering if their selection had come.
Knights, Venom enhanced, normal, and yellow lantern, were running down the tunnels before the doors were sealed shut behind them. Soon after the doors closed, something started to bang against it. Eventually, a Vaxasaurian punched his way through.
"Forever Knights!" The Vaxasaurian shouted.
This alien's appearance had them wishing their king was at this hideout. At the very least, that Sir Enoch or Sir Driscoll were here. Alas, none of the knights here were anywhere near their best. Even together, they couldn't stop this threat.
The Vaxasaurian took bested every knight before approaching the last and slamming him against the wall. "Where is he?"
"Why ask what you already know?" The knight questioned. "Are you testing us?"
"I test your will to live. Now, for the last time..." The Vaxasaurian growled and got close before turning into Ben. "…where is Ben Tennyson?"
Mount Justice, Morning…
Ben was dressed and ready to tackle the day no matter what it threw his way. Weather it was a mission or a day to relax, he was feeling good. The Omnitrix wielder entered the Cave's kitchen where he found M'gann and Cassandra cooking omelets.
M'gann really loved to cook, and she had improved exponentially from those cookies she made. Just so the others weren't lazy about it, Ben had made it a requirement that at least one member of the team, if they were there for a meal, had to lend a hand.
He had tried to get M'gann to let others handle the cooking, but that only made her melancholic. In the end, the prior rule was instated. Kyle and Connor were also there and judging by their wet hair, they'd showered after training.
Kyle really seemed to like training especially with other people. Even though he's only been part of the team for a short while, there wasn't a member he hasn't trained with at least once. As for Kyle's living situation, he was the oldest member of the team at 18 but decided to live here.
His father left him when he was six with a baseball glove while his mother ended up losing the battle against cancer. From what they heard, it was the will to keep going that saw Kyle getting his ring and moving onto become someone who seemed very dedicated to being a hero.
"Hey guys." Ben walked into the room, and everyone turned to look at him as he took a seat. "Not that I mind you being here Conner, but what are you doing here?"
"Currently, dad and mom are away for the weakened." Conner shrugged. "I decided I wanted to spend the time here, and they okayed it."
"Well, glad to have you around." Ben then nodded to Kyle. "Have you been settling in well?"
"You bet." Kyle smiled. "This place is awesome, and my room here is bigger than the apartment I was living in. Not to mention, there's plenty of room for my art supplies, and no lack of training partners."
"He's certainly a treat to have around." Cassandra commented as she and M'gann brought plates of omelets to the table. "The guy is always raring for a fight… kind of like Conner." She smiled. "Come to think of it, between the two of them, I feel fulfilled."
"Should have expected that from you Cass." Ben smiled. "By the way, thanks to you and M'gann for breakfast."
"Actually, you should really just thank M'gann." Cassandra shrugged. "I don't know why, but she insisted on making your omelet herself."
"Really?" Ben smiled at her. "Thanks, M'gann." He turned back to the food as the Martian blushed. "I'm certain it'll taste great."
Kyle smirked noticeably at the two before nodding to the cooks. "Thanks both of you."
Conner nodded. "Thank you."
The five of them dug in.
Meeting Room, Later…
The food had been eaten, and the current group of five was just talking amicably amongst themselves. Then, they got an alert that Batman was calling the cave leaving the heroes to wonder if they were getting a mission. They did wonder why the rest of the team wasn't here.
The moment the five of them were gathered, Batman wasted no time. "Last night, near Bellwood, an individual bearing a striking resemblance to Ben Tennyson was seen leaving what we now know as a Forever Knight hideout…"
"Wait." Ben interrupted while the others stared from the screen to their leader. "First off, there's someone out there attacking the Forever Knights, and he looks like me? Secondly, I know we seem to have buried the hatchet after I was made a leader, but you don't think this was me?"
"That is what I am saying." Batman replied seriously. "As for this version of you, the MO is all wrong from your prior work. He's far too aggressive in his approach. Considering the league is no stranger to any number of situations like this, it's logic to assume this is not you."
He then played a video showing this version of Ben tearing his way into a revealed hideout as Humungousaur. The footage cut to show Ben's Aerophibian, Jetray, flying from the scene. Clearly, the Justice League wouldn't have cameras inside a base like that.
"Some small part of me, upon hearing this, did think I'd suddenly be apprehended by league members or something." Ben nodded before looking to his team wanting to gauge their reactions. "Guys, you trust that's not me, right?"
"I certainly don't." M'gann stated. "He may look exactly like you, but I can still tell you two apart from a glance. Plus, his aggression doesn't seem to come from the same place I feel yours would. He just seems angry while I think you'd be angry on behalf of someone else."
"You don't seem to think that's you." Conner shrugged. "In my books, that's good enough. I'd sooner believe this is that Kevin guy we fought a few months back. Though, he seemed proud, so I'm not sure why he'd conceal himself. Especially as you of all people."
"I've known you long enough Ben." Cassandra stated. "Now that we're a team, you wouldn't cut me out of a fight like that. No way that could be you."
"That can't be you." Kyle stated. "From what I understand, you wouldn't go out without your costume. Why would you attack any villain without being Chimera unless that wasn't you? The answer is because that's not you."
The others hadn't said it, but that was a point that had crossed their minds. Why would Ben spend five years as a costumed hero only to now break that? It just didn't make any sense without a good explanation.
Ben smiled. "Thanks guys."
"Since you have prior experience with Kevin Levin, I felt it only right to contact your team." Batman continued. "I want you to head into Bellwood and find out what is happening covertly. Preferably, I'd like him brought in."
"What about the rest of the team?" Kyle asked.
"With little information to go on, keeping your numbers to those currently in the cave is best." Batman stated.
"He's probably right." Ben admitted as Batman logged off. "Off the top of my head, I can think of about a dozen different scenarios to explain my doppelganger, and most of them would probably go better with fewer members. Let's go team."
"Just a moment." M'gann smiled. "Since we're going into a city, I've been meaning to try something out." Her clothes shifted to a white top under a red short sleeved shirt and matching, long skirt. "What do you think? Can M'gann M'orzz pass for an earth girl?"
The others looked amongst themselves with Kyle rubbing the back of his head. "Well…"
"Just kidding." M'gann's skin became white. "The documents aren't official yet, but while we're out there, you can just call me Megan Morse."
"Alright, Megan." Ben nodded. "Time to get out there and figure out this other me."
He also intended on informing the other three members of this just in case.
Null Void: Rooter Base
Kevin walked the hallways of the Plumber facility when he was approached by an African-American child with short black hair. Naturally, he wore the same attire as Kevin save for the Agent 11 amulet. This was Alan Albright.
"Hey Kevin, the team was going to train, so they sent me to find you." Alan stated.
"I'm always up for training with you guys, but Proctor Sevantis has another mission for me." Kevin stated. "Go back and tell them to take a break in the meantime. You guys deserve it for really steeping it up lately."
"I will Kevin." Alan smiled. "Thank you."
Kevin gave a small smile as he watched the kid run on back to the training room. Over the years, his team became a big factor in why he was here. Don't get him wrong. Kevin wanted to eliminate Tennyson. When he first got recruited by Sevantis, it had been his sole motivation.
Then, the good proctor brought in other people like him. People who were outcasts and had no home to return to. Over time, they grew on him. Then, Kevin met one of Sevantis' partners, Vandal Savage, and everything came together.
Now, eliminating people like Tennyson, Superman, and so on meant more. It meant freeing Earth to evolve and placing humanity as the top dogs in the cosmos. Being affiliated with The Light meant Kevin and his team would be at the center of Humanity's evolution.
Meeting Room
Kevin walked into the room to find Proctor Sevantis and Vandal Savage waiting for him. Vandal Savage is a tall, muscular man with medium-dark skin, three pale scars across his face, brown eyes, and black hair pulled back. He wears a long dark-blue coat, black gloves, and boots.
"Proctor Sevantis, you called for me?" Kevin questioned.
"Indeed, I did my dear boy." Sevantis smiled. "Vandal Savage has recently brought quite the interesting news to my attention and has a mission he believes you can fulfill for him given you wide arrange of accessible powers." He turned to the screen. "Take a look at this."
Kevin looked at the screen as it showcased the Forever Knights before they were attacked by a Vaxasaurian with a familiar device on its chest. Agent 11 remained silent as he watched the whole thing and saw Tennyson question where Ben Tennyson was.
"That'd be dumb even for Tennyson." Kevin commented as the footage ended. "Beyond that, this doesn't fit his MO. He worked with that Green Lantern, and he has a team of other threats by his side."
"Precisely." The proctor smiled. "Our Agent informed us that The Coming Storm was deployed on a mission to check this person out; however, he was not chosen to attend. This is where you come in."
"We want you find and tail either Ben Tennyson." Vandal spoke up. "Keep a low profile and act as you see fit given the information you find." He produced a necklace with a red jewel attached. "Since we have been informed the Martian will be there, you'll need this."
Kevin took it. "I assume by wearing this, she won't be able to read my mind?"
"Precisely. It was made by another associate of ours." Sevantis smiled. "Now, our agent doesn't know where they are going, but this Forever Knight Hideout was in the Bellwood area."
"Say no more." Kevin slipped the artifact on before walking off. "I'm going to load up on anything I might need and head off."
Bellwood
Ben and his team landed the Bio-Ship outside of town because Kyle had a driver's license and M'gann could make it look like an unassuming, red minivan. Now, they had driven into the city. While Bio-Ship could drive itself, they needed to look a little more natural.
"So, how exactly are we supposed to find another Ben?" Kyle asked.
"If he's anything like our Ben, he'd go where Ben would." Cassandra deduced. "Ben likes smoothies and chili fries. He also likes arcades, comics, and so on."
"Could it also be possible that he'd return to the Forever Knight hideout?" Conner asked.
"Maybe, but I think we should save that as a last resort." M'gann stated.
"Regardless, this Ben does look like me." Ben took out a permeant marker. "That's why I'm going to put a large x on my cheek. It probably won't show in alien form, but that's where you guys come in. If we separate at any time, look for the mark.
Do it weather of not you're with M'gann. There is no telling if his mind will be like mine to. I'm going to make sure to keep it clear. If I'm an alien, ask me to change back." He put the X on. "If I don't do it, it's not me."
The others nodded as Kyle took to driving around the city with everyone on the lookout for Ben.
Burger Shack: Evening…
At the Burger Shack, a Ben entered and walked up to the counter. "You disgust me. You, this miasma you call food, and its foul-smelling, oily digestive preparation. Everything human reeks!"
"Yeah, probably the onion." The person behind the counter replied.
"All the same, I find myself craving the entire, putrid experience. It must be in the DNA." This Ben declared while eating a few and walking away.
After spotting no signs of this other Ben for hours, Ben had divided the team. M'gann, Kyle, and Ben would stick with the car while Conner and Cassandra would go by foot with a list of easily accessible locations that would be theirs to check out. The pair were walking up to Burger Shack.
Cassandra spotted Ben coming out of the store; however, he shouldn't be here, and he was lacking the X causing her to lean over to the clone. "Conner, you see what I'm seeing?"
"You bet I am." Conner whispered back. "Let's take him."
"Hold on." Cassandra whispered. "We aren't in costume, and we don't know his intentions. Go contact Ben through the comms and arrange a place where we can meet up. I'll get him to come along with us." She passed him her phone. "Use this to mask what you're doing."
Superboy took the phone and nodded as he leaned against a building.
Ben burped and threw the sack in a nearby trash can. "I sicken myself."
He wiped his sleeve and prepared to use the Omnitrix until Cassandra called out to him. "Ben, I didn't expect to see you out here." She put on a smile. "How are you doing""
"You… You know of Ben?" Ben walked up to her and grabbed her shoulders. "Where is Ben?"
Considering Ben should still be with Kyle, this confirmed that the Ben before her wasn't their Ben at least. Not that she doubted their Ben, but the confirmation was still nice.
"If you're not Ben, then who are you?" Cassandra asked.
"You must know Ben Tennyson well then." The now fake Ben rubbed his chin. "My name is Albedo, and I am looking for Ben Tennyson. It is a matter of upmost importance concerning the Omnitrix. Take me to him, and I shall explain more."
Cassandra beckoned to Conner, who seemed to have finished up with Ben, and he came right over handing the phone back to her. "We can forget a bit of subtly on this one Conner. Seems as though this Ben is actually named Albedo, and he's looking for our Ben."
"He told us to take him to an abandoned factory." Conner stated. "Says you should know which one with how often you visited him out here."
"Yeah, I think I know the one he's talking about." Cassandra looked to the look alike. "If you want to meet with Ben, come with us, and we'll take you to him."
"Yes, let us be off to discuss these grave matters with Ben Tennyson." Albedo stated.
They started walking with Conner leaning over to Cassandra. "It's odd to hear someone like Ben talking this way."
She whispered back, "Couldn't agree with you more."
What none of them realized was that Kevin had found them. The Rooter was tailing them invisibly as an Ectonurite. He'd keep it that way until finding out more about the situation.
Factory
Ben, M'gann, and Kyle were already there as Albedo, Conner, and Cassandra walked into the building.
"Ben Tennyson, you are a most difficult creature to find." Albedo stated as he approached. "I am Albedo of the Galvin."
"A Gray Matter?" Ben questioned as he stood close to his doppelganger. "You're kind of tall for one. Wait, I know that name. Albedo was that Galvin Malware kidnapped to help him fix the Helix of Galvin B."
"That's smart for a human, Ben Tennyson." Albedo crossed his arms. "It's more accurate to say that I am the creator of the Omnitrix, and I must have it back. Your days as its wielder are at an end. Remove your Omnitrix and return it."
"That doesn't make any sense." Ben stated. "You were Azmuth's assistant, but now you claim to be the Omnitrix's creator."
"Azmuth is a liar." Albedo retorted. "It was my genius that led to its creation."
"Again, that's not adding up." Ben stated. "My Omnitrix, was once set to self-destruct, and I went on a whole journey to stop that. Long story short, I met an assistant prior to you who ended up leaving Azmuth and replacing his genetic signature with her own."
The other four might have felt his story was believable to begin with, but Ben was punching holes through it. As such, none of them were really buying it.
"Look, your Omnitrix is incomplete and prone to catastrophic failure." Albedo tried.
"We haven't witnessed anything of the sort." Superboy retorted.
"That is because he is lucky." Albedo retorted. "By now, he could have ripped a hole in the universe."
"Maybe you're onto something. This is a prototype." Ben stated. "Why don't you show your face? It feels a little crazy talking to myself."
"If only I could." Albedo retorted. "I am stuck in a sticky, sweaty, noisy, hungry, hairy, smelly teenage human body, constantly craving chili fries, and scratching myself in places I suspect are inappropriate!"
"A good majority of that is on you." M'gann defended.
Albedo ignored her. "You see, your DNA is encoded as the default in your Omnitrix. Mine synchronizes across space and time with yours. You have become my default as well."
"That doesn't sound in line with what you've been selling." Kyle didn't like this one bit. "Do you want the watch to fix it or keep the universe from falling apart?"
"Uh, both!" Albedo quickly stated.
"Yeah, I don't think any of us are buying what you're selling." Ben declared. "Why don't we just contact Azmuth, and I'm positive we can clear this who thing up."
"I tried to do things reasonably, but you have left me no choice." Albedo declared.
The Galvin figured he'd punch Ben away and throw a punch of his own; however, Ben mirrored the action. Then their Omnitrixes connected, and they couldn't separate them. The others tried to move into help.
"Stay back, we don't know what forcibly trying to pull us apart will do?" Ben shouted and the others stopped before he focused on Albedo. "What's going on?" He tackled Albedo to the ground as their watches began to release energy. "What is this?"
"Their proximity is creating a bioenergy feedback!" Albedo declared.
The energy turned his hair silver and eyes red. His undershirt became black as did his pants and the accents on the jacket which became as red as his eyes.
"At least there's no confusing them now." Cassandra stated.
"Still, what are we supposed to do?" M'gann questioned.
"I'm not sure." Kyle replied. "Ben is right in that physically pulling them apart may make the situation worse."
Albedo tried to turn Ben around, but his training prevented that. "Give it up Albedo. You may have a copy of my body, but you don't have my training."
"Human, you have damaged this form, so no amount of training will stop me from making you pay!" Albedo growled.
"Just tell me how to get these apart!" Ben shouted.
"Perhaps if one of us could manage to die!" Albedo struggled.
"I'm fairly certain we'll both end up that way if you don't tell me something." Ben argued, but he realized Albedo wasn't in the mood to help him. "Screw it! Conner, pull us apart because this guy isn't talking!"
Conner ran in and grabbed their arms before yanking them apart. With the Omnitrixes separated, a bright light appeared.
"He's here." said Albedo
"Who's here?" M'gann asked.
"Azmuth." Albedo replied
The Galvin in questioned appeared for all to see. "You bet he is. Azmuth of the Galvin, the true genius behind the Omnitrix. You were overloading the thing so badly; I could sense it half a galaxy away."
"I wasn't…" Ben began.
"Save it. I know." Azmuth interrupted. "Albedo, my former assistant, built an inferior copy. I warned you that there could only be one Omnitrix, yet you ignored me."
Kyle crossed his arms. "Looks like someone's in trouble."
"I will not trust the universe's fate to an unworthy human." Albedo declared angrily. "If my Omnitrix cannot function, I will have his!"
"I told you the Omnitrix is beyond you." Azmuth retorted. "You could have doomed us all!"
"So, the universe really was at stake?" Cassandra asked worriedly.
"If Ben had lost the Omnitrix, it would have been." Azmuth replied. "Albedo only wanted it to restore his original form."
"This human body is unbearable!" Albedo shouted.
"To you, maybe." M'gann mumbled to herself.
"Albedo, through your arrogant act of rebellion, you have proven yourself a lesser being." Azmuth declared as he jumped onto Albedo's arm.
Before he could do much else, Kevin revealed himself, in his Ectonurite form, and swatted Azmuth off Albedo's hand. Everyone there saw a gray-purple body with black nails. He had a grey-brown, upside-down head with one eye.
"Hey, are you okay?" Kyle shouted as he ran over to help the Galvin.
"What is that?" Conner asked.
"An Ectonurite." M'gann replied.
Ben was just shocked. "Zs'Skayr, you were locked back in the Omnitrix. Azmuth even assured me he erased your consciousness, and that you could never again get out."
Kevin chuckled as he grabbed Albedo by the shoulders. "Think again Tennyson." He then picked Albedo up and flew through a now open portal to the Null Void as smoke bombs went off all around them. "See ya later."
Ben knew that if Kevin was leaving, it'd be back to the Null Void, so he called the retreat. "We need to get out of here. Kyle, get Azmuth."
Outside
"Azmuth, please tell me you didn't create another supervillain." Ben pleaded.
"Ben Tennyson, I've owned up to my hand in creating Malware, but Albedo came about because I refused to make him an Omnitrix." Azmuth replied honestly. "When I found out he'd made his own, it was too late to stop him. The fact is, he didn't trust you with it."
"Alright, I'll chalk this one up to Albedo; however, this still leaves us with a major problem." Ben stated. "Kevin and Albedo both have the power to change into my aliens. Additionally, if his watch is linked to mine, it means Albedo will just gain whatever alien I scan."
"Yes, that is a problem." Azmuth admitted. "Especially since Albedo likely isn't going to just let your Omnitrix go. Alright Ben Tennyson, I'll need you to hold out against them while I complete a project of mine. If it pans out, we may be able to tip the scales back in your favor."
"I think I can do that." Ben looked back at four members of his team. "I think I'll have help against them at least."
"Then, I shall take my leave." Azmuth declared before vanishing.
"Batman isn't going to be happy about this." Ben commented.
"I may be new to this, but I don't think I've ever seen that guy happy." Kyle commented.
"That is a good point." Cassandra stated. "So, what do we do now?"
"Well, we did fail, but I say we grab some smoothies before meeting with Bats." Ben stated. "Then, I'll need to tell him there's essentially an evil me running around."
The others agreed and ended up piling back into the Bio-Ship.
Null Void: Rooter"s Base
Albedo was glad to still have his version of the Omnitrix even if it kept him in this human form. He was not fond of being pulled into the Null Void. His only hope was that this was a not a permanent stay. The fact that two others, Sevantis and Vandal, were there did help a bit.
Albedo did notice the three of them staring at his now crimson watch. "What is this and who are you three?"
"I am Proctor Sevantis." Sevantis replied happily. "The one who pulled you in here is Agent 11, Kevin Levin, who leads my Rooters."
"Yo." Kevin smirked as he held up a hand. "I fall under Sevantis, but him and the other guy are members of a certain group. Among that group's enemies, Tennyson is one of them."
"I am Vandal Savage." Vandal declared. "As representatives of The Light, we wish to offer you a place within our organization."
"We need your watch, intelligence, and help with our enemies." Sevantis smiled. "In return, you can have Tennyson's watch since a Galvin is far more suited to its power than an ignorant child."
"You promise the Omnitrix will be mine?" Albedo asked.
"We guarantee it." Vandal held out his hand and Albedo shook it without hesitation. "Welcome to… The Light."
I think Albedo is the last big bad, from Ben's series, that I'm adding to the first season content of Young Justice. Other people, who aren't so major, may appear, but I'm not even going to consider bringing in Vilgax, Eon, Maltruant, and so on until season 2 or 3... if at all. As for the disappointment you may feel at their being no alien action between Ben and Albedo, it's just how it played out. Considering you won't have to wait too long to see Albedo, who still has his watch, it'll come.
As for people believing Albedo wasn't Ben better compared to Alien Force, well this is now a world full of superheroes. Pretty much every possible way you could have a doppelganger has been done with multiple going to practically every hero. Considering clear differences in how this Ben operates compared to how Albedo handled things, this is how I believe it'd have gone down.
Ben's current roaster of selectable aliens:
1. Heatblast
2. Wildmutt
3. Diamondhead
4. XLR8
5. Grey Matter
6. Stinkfly
7. Ripjaws
8. Upgrade
9. Ghostfreak
10. Cannonbolt
11. Wildvine
12. Blitzwolfer
13. Snare-oh
14. Frankenstrike
15. Upchuck
16. Ditto
17. Eye Guy
18. Way Big
19. Buzzshock
20. Feedback
21. Swampfire
22. Echo Echo
23. Humungousaur
24. Jetray
25. Big Chil
26. Chromastone
27. Brainstorm
28. Spidermonkey
29. Goop
I know, it could be a lot bigger given Ben's never taken it off; however, would you really want every Alien Ben had to be unlocked off screen. Additionally, the largest dump of off-screen aliens did come from the recalibration of the Omnitrix in Alien Force. From Alien Force to Ultimate and Ultimate to Omniverse, they didn't just add nine whole aliens. Even Alien Force took away the prior series' aliens before giving us nine new ones
SirFishy: I believe I've fixed it.
Guest: Most of them will be brought up, and the Highbreed might show up.
Aztec 13: Thanks, I do my best. Eventually, Ben will unlock some DC aliens
painville: Thank you for your review
The One Beyond You: Yeah, sorry about that. I just really liked Kyle Rayner for the role of Lantern of the team. Sorry, Ben does not have Lodstar at this time. In the rough draft I have, Rath could appear sooner or later. Basically, I'm just waiting until it feels right.
johnymike98: Sorry, no more clones save the ones we have.
Guest:
1. Lucky Girl was retroactively changed to have just been her hero name all this time now. As for Ben, well names can change between seasons, as evidence by Robin to Nightwing, so you got something, feel free to suggest it.
2. Alien Force Ben was the leader of his group against the Highbreed. He later lost that aspect in other serious, but for Alien Force, he was a total leader. Additionally, this is a Ben trained for five years by Hal, so he's certainly picked up even more qualities.
3. According to the Young Justice Wiki, it does place this Superman's birth year at 1977, and the series proper does start in 2010. By 2010, Superboy had been force grown to be age 16. So, Superman is 33 meaning a 17 year difference between the two. Of course, Superman was born of Krypton, so I assume it means that 1977 may very well have been the year he crashed onto Earth as a baby