Disclaimer: I don't own Marvel, Ben 10, or any other material I use for this story. Professional, amateur, or otherwise. This is completely non-profit and for fun.
Marvel and Ben 10 were two things that I grew up on. As an early 2000s kid, I grew up on Ben 10, Marvel Comics, and the animated shows, including, X-Men: Evolution, Wolverine and the X-Men, Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, Spider-Man, Avengers Assemble, and finally, the two best animated Marvel shows; X-Men (90s), and Spider-Man (90s). Ben 10, and Marvel shaped my childhood, and I've adored them both until recently. The MCU did excite me. I went to go see Iron Man 2 in theaters and never missed a Marvel movie after that. It also didn't help that I watched Blade 1&2 a hundred times. I was a massive fan of the MCU, but like everything else that spans for too long, it deteriorates. With the RDJ, Chris Evans leaving, the two cores of the MCU, I no longer found myself all that interested in the MCU. In my opinion, the quality of the movies, and shows have drastically decreased as well.
As a comic book kid, I loved most of the 80s, 90s, and early 2000s stuff, but I found myself disliking a lot of what came after the mid-2010s. Marvel Comics have ruined a lot of my favorite characters, and most of the people that grew up actually reading the comics, and watching the adapted material through the animated series and other movies before the MCU was created can attest to that. But after some serious deliberation, and reading a couple of outstanding fanfictions, I decided to try my hand at making a Marvel fanfiction. But not just a regular one, rather a crossover between Marvel, and Ben 10. Two of my most beloved franchises.
Note, this story will not take place in the standard 616 Universe, nor the Earth-199999 universe either. This is my universe where some events from the animated series, comics, and the MCU are prevalent, and some aren't. I'm dipping my hand into each cup and choosing what I like best, and what fits best for the image I have for the story. The Marvel universe and the Ben 10 universe are one. There will be no "Ben falls through a hole opened in space-time, and conveniently winds up in the Marvel universe". None of that. Plus, the Ben 10 universe has so much more to offer than just Ben Tennyson and the Omnitrix. It would be a crime to ignore it.
This is my adult, mature take on what would happen if I changed a few things in Ben's life, and experiment on how that would fundamentally alter his character. This story is MA for a reason. The events of Ben 10, Alien Force, and UAF have transpired. Omniverse has not. From the summary of the story, I'm sure all of you have a decent enough understanding of the premise, so why don't I just quit my rambling, and let you enjoy the story?
I have a poll up on my profile for pairings! Please check it out, or leave a review about who you want Ben to be paired with or your suggestions.
"Even a happy life cannot be without a measure of darkness, and the word happy would lose its meaning if it were not balanced by sadness."
—Carl Jung.
Chapter 1: Bait
Ben scoured the Earth for his prey.
It took only a fortnight to find him. Ben knew his behavior, thus he managed to concoct an accurate prediction of where he would go once he arrived. Pairing a psychological profile with solid physical evidence, finding Vulkanus was easy enough. While he had been several weeks behind due to shoddy space travel, he was here now. Many times he had escaped his clutches. Throughout the years, Ben chased him relentlessly. As had the Plumbers. He was given the job because he possessed the most unerring information regarding him. To hunt your prey, especially across the stars, you not only had to know how to track proficiently but also get inside their head. If it was one thing he was good at besides bashing open alien skulls, was getting in them.
When the trail he followed led him to Earth, he knew he was up to no good. The sooner he reached Earth, the better, Ben had told himself. Judging by the sudden uptake in unusual activity, it seemed he was correct.
After ejecting himself from his cruiser, Ben phased it with a mere tap along his belt buckle. Another tap caused his standard Plumber suit to wrap around him.
It was a light grey bodysuit with a black leather collar, and trims around a section of the shoulders, and arms, along with matching boots. The suit was also comprised of gloves, metal cufflinks outlining the hem of them. The mask appeared much like one would wear with a hazmat suit, fitted with a sleek, dark one-way glass. A single piece of metal tubing lined into the suit's mask, and into an obscured chamber. Around the waist was a utility belt with multiple compartments. On his shoulder rested the international symbol for peace, while a red dot remained outlined by a metal circle, and three, black, tri spheres circled it.
The Plumber dropped a disc onto the soil, only for it to morph into a glimmering hoverboard, alit with a gleaming green glow. Various blue lines zagged throughout the see-through piece of technology. Ben boarded it. In a whirr, he was off. The wind blew harshly into his ears. He had spent hundreds of hours flying atop of these boards. It was past time that he had gotten used to the method of travel. By now, it was almost as thoughtless as walking.
Before long, Ben arrived at an entrance to an abandoned coal mine. Pace coming to a sudden halt, he strode up to the dusky access tunnel. Bringing out a screened device, he scanned the roughened dirt-marred sand. Instantly, oddly shaped footprints glowed an aggravated red. Eyebrows furrowed inside his mask, he hid his scanner.
One foot on his stationary board, he barely heard a rock chip of bolder, and crack open upon contact. Stiff, Ben resisted the urge to brandish a blaster that laid comfortably at his waist. He put both feet on the board and flew into the despondent entranceway. The wood pillars holding the rocks at bay were old, covered in grimy mold. Some of the aged wood had even splintered off. The tunnel was old, he noted. If a fight broke out deep within, the entire thing could collapse within seconds. A slight chill ran down his neck when faint chittering reached his ears as he rode deeper and deeper.
Just as the light from the natural moon faded, a dwarven figure ran out in front of him. It swung a sharp object—long edged, old, yet sporting a keen edge—a pickaxe, he saw as he split into the air. Backflipping, he landed on the ground while his emerald hoverboard soared through the creature's legs. It whirred back around, Ben landed on his hoverboard. Snapping around, hand flying to his belt, he drew his blaster and fired. The creature was eviscerated instantly, rendering it a pile of charred meat.
Ben held out his arm. A small, wrist-mounted screen lit up. A red tracing signal beeped steadily. Ben's own blip was far south of it, at the very center of the screen. At the very bottom, sported a legend. A thin line, perhaps a centimeter in length, with the initials "500 Feet" above it. Judging by the distance gauged from the legend, and the compass' assistance, his prey was several thousand feet, directly northbound.
On his board, he flew further into the abyss. Keen eyes planted onward, he never let his focus slip. Not even for a moment. His awareness was topped out. Anything that appeared even remotely out of the ordinary, would not escape his notice. Predictably, when he followed a forked path, even more, dwarven creatures ambushed him. This time, they were all armed with ranged weapons.
Red beams impacted him. Thankfully, his shields nullified the damage long enough for him to tear his blaster out from its holster. Finger trigger rapid, he returned fire as he ditched his board, seeking to find cover. A barrel roll allowed him to lapse behind a minecart. Rays struck the ceiling above him, nearly showering him with rubble. Ben rolled over. On one knee, he aimed.
Four of them. All of that the righthand fork. Ben took out the first two easily. The other two hit him yet again. Likewise, however, his shielding absorbed the damage.
Ben hated taking shots like that. All it took was one of them to get lucky. His shielding could fail, or they could be armed with armor-nullifying weaponry. Either way, they were unnecessary risks that Ben always mitigated. Rather than put himself in the line of fire again, he called his board over, sweeping one of those creatures off its feet. The other glanced down at its fallen comrade. It was this lapse in concentration that allowed him to slide from cover and strike it with his blaster.
The thing dropped dead, and he finished off the disarmed one before it could regain its footing. The little thing was primarily red, short, wearing silver, and yellow goggles, and black armor. They were foot soldiers, minions.
Ben knelt, turning one of their heads over.
A steel protrusion peaked out from the base of their necks. Neural links. A sneer of distaste coveted his expression. It was one thing to have underlings do your slaughtering for you but using slaves that couldn't even think for themselves was low. Something like this was hardly new, unfortunately. Neural links were fantastic inventions, but like everything else in the universe, virtually anything could be used negatively.
A stone to craft a hatchet. Mundane, but a piece of revolutionary technology. Tie the stone to a piece of robust bark with some twine, and you could cut down trees. On the other hand, it could also be used as a weapon. A very efficient one in that particular time in human history. Inventions were not inherently evil, or virtuous. It was what people chose to do with them that gave the illusion that these objects aligned with a specific morality. Ben learned to blame the man, not the weapon long ago. Men were good, evil, or something in between. Not the inventions.
He took ahold of one of their firearms. Stolen Xandarian weaponry, he identified them as. Xandarian weaponry was distinct. They had to be easily distinguished. The only thing larger than the current King of Xandar's sense of self-importance was the tremendous demand for Xandarian weaponry. They were streamlined, powerful, and could take more than their fair share of punishment in a battle. Ben knew this, as the Plumbers got their weapons from two places; freshly manufactured by the Xandarians and Centaurians. The Xandarians were righteous, while the Centaurians were a little more difficult to gauge. Ben didn't know enough about them to form an opinion worth having.
The very crime he was accused of. His prey, the fugitive, had stolen ten tons of Xandarian weapons. That was the crime he was wanted for. That, and escaping a supermax Plumber prison, and sixty counts proceeding his escape. That was in two weeks. Thievery and murder were not out of his wheelhouse. Ben had no trouble believing that these alleged crimes were indeed true. After all, he was already convicted of fifteen murders, not to mention billions in property damage across four planets.
His board provided enough light to illuminate the cave. A passing glance down to his wrist told him he was getting closer. Within moments, he finally reached a colossal steel door erected at the very end of the stretch. Ben halted before he neared, weary of a potential trap.
Thumbing a tiny ball, he flicked it into the middle of the space between himself and the door. The ball stabilized. Two holes opened up, freeing a wave of micronized specs, taking on properties similar to a dust-like compound. Ben didn't understand the exact science behind the gadget. The usefulness of it, on the other hand, he did understand. Red lasers blinked into existence for a moment, then faded away. Ben took out another device. It fell beneath his board, releasing an electromagnetic pulse. The devices compounded into the wall that controlled the lasers short-circuited. They exploded a second later into a pathetic puff of smoke.
Charging up his blaster, Ben railed the massive steel gate off its hinges. It collapsed, dented, and charred.
Cautiously, Ben entered, his board skating over the fallen door. Light turned on overhead. Much of the immense room remained shrouded in darkness. Pressure sensors. They reacted to his presence. If the room was still dark, and the other lights hadn't turned on that meant he was alone. Ben doubted that.
His caution was proved it was necessary when a metallic foot-step bounced off reached his ears. Ben's gaze snapped forward. The lights turned on the moment that footstep registered. In the back of the room, his prey sat on his throne erected of iron. Anxious chittering reached his ears. His minions flooded either side, clutching pickaxes, or blasters. Dismounting his board, he calmly folded it back into his utility belt.
Steady walking, Ben made it to the center of the room, and he faced those unyielding, slanted yellow eyes.
"Vulkanus."
A growl, "Ben Tennyson… I thought those fucking Plumbers would send you." Voice like grating stone, and a posture fit for a brute king, Vulkanus looked every part of an intergalactic criminal. Vulkanus was not a new introduction, though. No, Ben had numerous run-ins with him before he became a Plumber, and several occasions after. Unfortunately, he was as tenacious as he was slippery, he proved to be complicated to keep out of the game.
Posture one of calmness, Ben moved closer. "We both know how this is going to end, Vulkanus," he said measuredly. The criminal crushed the armrests of his throne. Stone leaked out of his meaty mitts.
"Yeah, we do… with your head sent back to your employers in a box!" Firearm drawn, he fired off a series of small, energized bullets.
Ben bound up, evading the first couple. Vulkanus quickly adjusted his aim. Leaping back, then aside, Ben clutched onto a gap in the wall. Vulkanus fired there as well. Planting his boot, he thrust himself up, and back just in time. Upside down, still in the air, Ben drew his own blaster. Vulkanus barely dodged the first shot, but the second hit grazed those bulky spike-filled shoulders of his. Ben also nailed each of the little gremlins serving him. Over a dozen well-placed shots in just a matter of a second. Not one to be dissuaded by some pain, Vulkanus unleashed another wave of lasers.
The Plumber predicted such a move. He rolled down, and underneath some cover before the trigger was ever pulled. Frowning, Ben winced as another laser ricocheted an inch beside his head.
This isn't getting me anywhere. I know I wanted to avoid transforming just in case Vulkanus was working with someone, but if I don't I'm gonna have more holes in me than swiss cheese. The sleeve on his left arm receded, revealing the mature Omnitrix. It appeared more like a gauntlet than the wristwatch it used it used to be before he obtained the Ultimatrix.
It had grown in size to cover his forearm and knuckles, looking more like a gauntlet fusing with his arm. The faceplate was larger, with the rim slanting outwards. The white tubes now had connectors, and the button was placed slightly lower than it, and he had a fingerless glove covering his hand.
An ominous green sparkled as it was finally revealed.
Thumb on the button, he activated the Omnitrix. The green symbol inverted into a diamond. A dark silhouette appeared in the very center of the faceplate. Without hesitation, he forced it back down. A green flash lit up the entire darkened room. Vulkanus snarled, ceasing his assault momentarily. He'd battled with Ben Tennyson enough to know what this flash of light meant. Attacking him now would be pointless.
Ben now took on the form of a tall alien, roughly six feet in height. Body comprised mostly of inner magma, covered by dark reddish-brown volcanic rocks. An enormous amount of heat radiated off him as fire burned out of his head, and the two miniature volcanos sprouted on his broad shoulders. His feet were oddly oval-shaped with only two toes. The great fire that blazed from his collarbone strongly resembled another fiery volcano, leaving a mask-like face visible with no nose or ears made up entirely out of the same rocks that formed his muscular-appearing body.
"A Pyronite?" Vulkanus erupted with laughter. "Has time taught you nothing, boy? Fire cannot hurt me. You'd have a better chance of beating me in your pitiful human form."
The stream of fire burned brighter atop of his skulled face. Taking a breath, he said, "I'm going to let this next part be a surprise."
Pumping his fist upward, a wall of earth broke out from the ground. Vulkanus felt the floor beneath his feet rumble. He watched in surprise as a large, rectangular impediment surfaced. Ben punched mere air, and the wall was flung forward. Vulkanus rammed his jagged fist through it. Vulkanus peered out, only to find the flame head missing. Blaster in hand, he spun aside, firing a barrage of bullets.
Ben flew, one hand behind him, firing shooting from his fist, a source of propulsion advancing him. With his other hand, he launched out another impediment. Vulkanus leaped over this one, Ben levitated, hands coming together. Pieces of the ceiling crumbled into a great ball of rock. Ben flung at Vulkanus while he returned fire. Forming a wall of flames, his blaster fire ate all the energy projectiles.
Back on the ground, Ben jabbed his two-toed foot at the floor, shooting a stream of ruts and protrusions from underground. Vulkanus missed the furtive move. His leg was forcibly moved aside, pushing him into a split. Ben leaped back up, a wave of his hand yanked out a considerable chunk of the nearest wall at Vulkanus' flank, while he also stomped, causing a pillar to jet out from underneath him. Vulkanus was carried up, and the wall rammed into his side, destroying the pillar, and hopefully doing some damage.
Vulkanus compelled himself to stand—Ben noted a couple of cracks in that armor of his. Good. He was doing damage then.
"How?" the criminal rasped. "Pyronites control fire, not earth!"
Ben snorted gravely. "Just shows you how little you know about Pyronites. They can control magma before they even reach infancy. Tell me; what is magma mostly comprised of?"
Slowly, Vulkanus' yellow eyes widened. "Molten… rock—" the realization dawned on him just as a heavy section of the ceiling did. A roar springing forth, he swam through the stone. Panting, a cut had opened up above his eyebrow, Vulkanus balled fist for Ben to see. "ENOUGH! You die here, Tennyson!"
Ben stomped his foot yet again, this time encasing Vulkanus in rock. The criminal struggled balefully. Hollowing, he then panted, head hung. Ben approached him, returning to his human body. Standard cuffs in hand, Ben moved to restrain him. However, just as he was getting close, chuckling streamed out of his mouth. Ben stared confusedly.
"What's so funny?"
Vulkanus allowed his smug grin to be seen by all. "I was waiting for you. I knew those dirty Plumbers would send you."
"I think we've established that already," he drolled, returning to his human form. "What's next? Another bout of wishful thinking, hoping you'd be the one to kill me?"
"Oh, on the contrary…" Vulkanus' grin sharpened like a serrated blade. "My foresight allowed me to prepare for this exact scenario. You see, I know I am no match for the Omnitrix's power. My defeat at yours, and those costumed freaks hands showed me that there is not combating such power. Unless that is, you have help…"
Instantly, Ben was put on edge. The hairs on my neck became erect. Catching that weary look, Vulkanus' ugly smirk broadened. Instead of speaking even further, he allowed what happened next to illustrate his thoughts. A picture often told a thousand words. No one believed that more-so than Vulkanus.
A sharp whistling sent Ben wincing. Clutching his ear, he hurriedly glanced at all sides, only to find nothing. All Ben could hear besides white noise was Vulkanus' ragged laughter. Temper lost, Ben fired a stun blast from his weapon, rendering him unconscious. Stepping back, he clutched his blaster, eyes guardedly sweeping the area until a sleek, dog-like creature leaped down before him. Ben moved back, startled by the sudden appearance.
The dog had a tall, long body, akin to a Doberman. Its burning red eyes bored into Ben's green ones. Ben was beginning to feel an awful lot like prey, rather than the hunter. This was only reaffirmed when he was snuck up by another figure, this one humanoid. Ben felt his hackles rise as he rounded on him. This man radiated bad energy, his mere appearance sent a shiver down his spine. His clothing only furthered this, as Ben thought he was wearing bones. A rib cage over his chest, what appeared like a tailbone laying atop of his right shoulder, and a horned skull on the opposite.
The alien's face was pale, almost turquoise with a large lower jaw in which his teeth had been fused with his lips, similar to Vulkanus in a sense. His dark red sunken eyes matched his dog's perfectly. Strange gills layered under his cheeks, enhancing that wild, fearsome look he already possessed. Ben slowly retreated, not liking how easily these two snuck upon him. Nor did he appreciate that he had walked right into a trap.
If Ben had to guess, this man was a mercenary. Vulkanus had plenty of money. He was practically swimming in it. His extraordinary wealth would only swell with all those Xandarian weapons he no doubt planned to sell. Vulkanus could hire a high-level one. He certainly had the funds.
"So, what's your deal? Dirtbag mercenary? Bounty hunter? Reject hitman with an overly sad backstory?" Ben asked to cover his pathological retreat. The man tilted his head, seemingly confused. "I've seen my fair share of ass holes," he defended his odd inquiries.
"That you have," the man said in a strangely smooth voice that did not match his appearance at all. It was actually quite attractive if Ben was honest. Almost soothing. "Benjamin Tennyson, bearer of the Omnitrix. One of the most documented Plumbers ever. Please know that I take great pleasure in hunting you down."
Okay… red flag. "If it's a hunt you want—" a quick glance into the hole in the ceiling. "Follow me!" Grapple gun in hand, he shot himself into the gaping hole, disappearing within moments.
The hunter calmly glanced at his companion. That was all it took, and the creature leaped up, scaling a wall, following Ben's trail.
Even as Ben zipped up, he heard the dog climbing up after him. Coming up on a dead-end, he peered down, one hand still clutching his grappling device, he spied those burning crimson eyes glaring up at him. It growled upon sighting his stationary form, and leaped, like a tiger pouncing upon a lone deer in a barren savannah. To Ben's credit, he reacted to the dog's swift leap. He shielded his face and released his grasp, free-falling. Despite that, it snagged him with its dewclaw.
Landing in a huff, Ben gasped as it followed him immediately. Unlike a normal dog, it never growled. It was startlingly silent. A perfect predator. Swift in its action, decisive in its decisions, Ben had an extraordinarily difficult time evading it. After nearly getting his jugular caught, fear of it getting closer made Ben reach for the Omnitrix.
A green flash caused the animal's handler to raise a nonexistent eyebrow.
Ben took on the form of an alien made up entirely of pale green crystals. His yellow eyes contrasted sharply with his body. He sported two, long crystal shards on his upper back, and a pointed head. He wore a black sleeveless shirt, white pants, and black boots with the white and grey Omnitrix symbol planted on the center of his chest.
"You've got some claws," he said, arms shifting into duel blades. "Wanna try these on for size?"
"A Petrosapien?" The man hummed. Gills shifting, he whistled.
Ben watched in surprise as that same whistle returned, and the mutt began shifting wildly. It became a slim, yet long tetrapod that walked on all four limbs. Its body was comprised entirely of blackened stone, and armor plating along its joints.
"Meet the Xoraxien," said the hunter. "Native to Petropia. Or it was before it was destroyed. The Petrosapien's natural predator were these fine beasts." The transformation, one that correlated directly to Diamondhead, that's when Ben spotted the red circular device planted along its neck, attached to a collar.
"An Omnitrix?!"
"Not quite, but close enough."
A hazard step back, Ben cast a glance over to the hunter. "Who are you?"
"You don't recognize me?" he sounded vaguely disappointed, even offended. "Perhaps you'll recognize this; my name is Khyber, the finest hunter in the galaxy."
Ben's eyes swelled, the name sparking something in him. "You're the one who hunted down and killed Seven-Seven!" He'd tracked Seven-Seven for months, and just when he was getting close, he'd heard that Khyber the Hunter had killed Seven-Seven to claim the bounty on his head. Literally.
"He was boring prey," he said, "predictable. Establishing a pattern from him was easy. He was greedy, but also a coward. All I had to do was create a bounty so great he couldn't help but take a chance. In the end, he came to me," Khyber boasted. Strangely enough, Ben didn't detect a single whiff of arrogance. Only pride in his conquests. "Go, old friend."
That must have been meant for his pet as it streaked over to him. Clawing at his face, Ben formed a shield from his arm. It seemed to work as the crystal hadn't even received a scratch. Another slash and he reacted appropriately. Just when he thought this fight would be easy, its claws found the edges of his shielded hands. Before he receded, it let loose a terrible howl that shook Ben's entire being.
Ben felt his crystalline body crack and wither. It took a second, then he fell to his knees, shields fragmented, faced horrifically clefted. Feeling pain beyond his wildest imagination, he struggled to regain his footing. The beast proved ruthless, pouncing upon him. Ben held up his hand, it dug its maw full of dreadfully molded teeth into his guard, snapping at his face. Ben struggled valiantly, weakened from that beast's terrible wail, and laggardly threw the creature aside. It swooped back, jaw snapping at his face. Right before its awful teeth could sink into his cracked face, he desperately slapped the Omnitrix.
Green slime jutted out, propelling the creature back. It slipped as it attempted to stand. Sickly fluid dripped from it while Ben closed his, now, black-lipped mouth. He became a Sphoeroid, a bulbous alien resembling a pufferfish with green legs on its outer side and pale green on its inner side. Three spikes were sticking out the top and bottom of his head, stubby arms with four-fingered hands, short and pudgy legs, and a long tail. His mouth mostly covered his front, which was filled with pointed stained teeth, and his eyes were connected to the corners of his lips. He wore a pair of black leather pants that partly covered his stomach.
Mouth closing, a thin line of slime dripping from his lips, Ben heard another whistle. His sense of hearing wasn't as even in his human form, yet even he heard that distinctly foreboding sound. That ugly dog-like creature began morphing. It was a quick metamorphosis. It appeared somewhat like a kangaroo, with dark skin, six arms layered all around its side, matching eyes, two sharp ears, and a dual tail that looked sharp enough to cleave through even the toughest of metals.
The beast jumped up, and landed atop of him, fist encased in electricity. Ben tried ejecting more liquid, only to be electrocuted. Bouncing off a wall, his ball-like form rolled to a stop. Mouth opened, and he fired out an ocean of slime but was kicked. Electricity swarming him, Ben felt his consciousness wavering. Luckily, his hand found his Omnitrix symbol on his obtuse belly.
On the way down, another green flash overtook the room and Ben landed, two massive red fists crashing into the ground. A shockwave ripped the alien off the ground, knocking it back.
Now a tall, twelve-foot red-skinned alien, Ben cracked each of his four hands. "Six arms? Why don't I show you why sometimes less is better?"
Ben caught a whiff of another whistle. Learning from his mistake, he didn't let it transform. He ran in, clutching its throat. It tried punching him repeatedly. Damage was done, Ben for sure felt the pain. It phased him. The fear of death, however, phased him more. He held on tight and rag-dolled the thing, slamming it on the ground time after time until he hurled it into the ceiling, creating an indentation of its body. On its way down, Ben punched it one last time, rendering it a heap of limbs.
Khyber hummed, not least bit intimidated. "Impressive. The stories were not fabricated. I see that now. I was skeptical upon hearing of your exploits, I am not any longer." He began hearing rapid footsteps. Humans, most likely. Practically a herd of them. Judging by the Tetramand's ragged breathing, and slouched posture, it escaped his notice. What did he expect from such a brutish alien race? "We shall meet again, Benjamin Tennyson."
Metallic balls rolled out of his armor into his waiting palm. Ben saw this for what it was instantly.
"Oh, no you don't!" Ben plucked out a boulder from the ground, flinging it.
It was too late. Khyber had already thrown his own, and gas flooded the entire room. Ben covered his mouth and reverted to his human form when the gas dispelled with a flash of red. The beast that Khyber used as a personal attack dog was gone as well. Now frowning into his unkempt beard, he tsked down at his Omnitrix.
"Hell of a time to time out," he bit out.
Then two needles shot into his neck. Ben winced. Hands flying to them, he tore two micro-arrows out of his neck. Another wince. Then his surroundings began warping. Stumbling, Ben fell to his knees, eyes heavy. The last thing he saw before he blacked out was a vaguely humanoid shape wearing a long black cloak.
And… was that an eyepatch?
That concludes the first chapter. It's a bit of a slow beginning. Not much information has been revealed about, well, everything. Don't worry. The story will unfold more along the line.
Now, on the subject of the Plumber suits. I don't want to spoil much, but the suit Ben in particular is wearing is the OS Plumber suit. I appreciated that design more so than UAF, and the OV ones. Just a preference, but not all Plumbers wear the OS suits. That's all I will say on the matter.
The Omnitrix he now bears is the exact copy of the OS Ben 10,000 Omnitrix. I always preferred that one, as was the most mature version of the Omnitrix. It grew with Ben, and built off the "prototype". It genuinely matured as Ben did, both in personality and age. I liked each of the Omnitrix designs, especially the AF one. It was streamlined, and less bulky. It'll always have a special place in my heart, but it just doesn't give off the vibe of the most powerful device in the universe. The OS one did, as did the Ultimatrix. I appreciate every Omnitrix design. There isn't one that I dislike, but I prefer the OS Ben 10,000 better, for both the Omnitrix and Ben's aliens. I always loved the idea of Ben's aliens changing somewhat as he got older, as those aliens matured with him as well.
Ben is 28, he's been a Plumber for ten years. As I said, the events UAF have happened. Except for Ben's identity being revealed to the world. He's still an unknown, and how he remains that way will be touched on later.
It looks like Ben got himself into trouble yet again? I wonder, how many times has Ben been kidnapped? It's got to be more than a few times right?
Anyway, I wanna thank you all for reading. If you want to go on and leave a review, that'd be great. Or don't. Whatever you all want to do. I'm not gonna be the author that begs for reviews and favorites.
Have a nice day, and I'll be back soon with the next chapter.
