The sun was setting down in the city of Bellwood. Despite the tranquil sunset, the city was anything but tranquil. Vilgax had returned and nearly succeeded destroying Ben Tennyson as well as the city. Luckily, Vilgax was stopped and apprehended, but many Plumbers were injured, including Ben's beloved Grant Mansion family that loved him like one of their own. In the town park, Ben was slumped on a bench. Today was the toughest day yet for him. Most of the town was destroyed and countless the people blamed the teen hero.
But worst of all, Rachel Jocklin and the rest of the Grant Mansion aliens were not around for him to lean on.
The despondent teen leaned back, looking up at the orange skies. "I wish I was normal again." Ben said to himself. "But I can't." He tried so many times to give up being a hero and be a regular kid and enjoy a nice, normal life. Ben got up and walked away, trying to think of a good distraction to help him feel better. But he figured no matter much he distracts himself, he still had to go back to his chaotic life.
Ben stopped. An idea forms in his head. "I need to run away."
His next stop was the Grant Mansion.
In the dimmension of No Watch Ben Tennyson, the young teenager laid on his bedroom and stared at his ceiling. He had just won another soccer game, but other things were on his mind. A while ago, this Ben Tennyson never had an Omnitrix and lived a banal, mundane life. Just when he started to crave excitement in his hometown, he got his wish, but not the way he expected.
Evil versions of Ben Tennyons from other worlds were going to destroy him per Vilgax's orders to eradicate all Ben Tennysons from existence. Thankfully, No Watch Ben and the other good Bens were able to stop Vilgax and return the evil Bens where they belong.
No Watch Ben's mind would replay everything he felt and experienced from his adventure of a lifetime. All of a sudden, a portal opened inside his bedroom. No Wach yelped, falling out of his bed and tried to find a weapon. He grabbed one of his soccer trophies.
"Easy, dude!" It was the original Ben himself. "It's me!" Around Ben's waist was a universe traveling belt created by some of the smartest Grant Mansion aliens. The teenager 'borrowed' the belt from Frankenstrike's laboratory without his knowledge or permission.
But No Watch Ben kept his guard up. "Prove it!"
Ben sighed, but who could blame this Ben after everything he's been through? "Alright, you asked for it." He walked up to No Watch Ben and whispered something in his ear. No Watch Ben's face turned red as a beet and the trophy fell out of his hands.
"Dude! Not cool!" No Watch Ben scolded.
"Hey, you needed proof." Ben shrugged.
"So, what's going on? Is Vilgax back or something?"
Ben looked sad as he sat on the bed. "Unfortunately, yes. And this time, he almost got away with destroying Bellwood and everyone in it. But my friends stopped them. And it almost cost them their lives..." He fell onto his back. "I just needed a place to clear my head. Someplace normal, safe and sane."
"I...I'm so sorry." No Watch Ben said, genuine concern in his voice.
"I'm the one who's sorry." Ben sighed. "What I wouldn't give to have my normal life again..."
This time, No Watch Ben got an idea. "Maybe you can." he said in a knowing voice. "How about we switch places? You can have my life and I'll have yours!"
"Are you crazy?!" Ben stood up. "That's...actually not a bad idea." He seemed uncertain despite the tempting idea. "But I don't know if you can handle it. I mean, my world is filled with all kinds of unimaginable, life-threatening evil! Every day is a total nightmare!"
No Watch Ben gave a confident smile. "Not if you tell me all the deets."
After three hours of both Bens giving each other all the big and small details about their lives, the plan was now in motion. No Watch Ben seemed to have everything memorized. "Wow! You sure have a lot going on in your life."
"Sadly, but not anymore!" Ben was finally ready to live normal life again. "All you need now are the final touches!" He removed his Omnitrix and universe traveling belt and gave it to No Watch Ben. The human teen slipped on the powerful devices. No Watch Ben pressed the button and opened the portal to the world of unlimited adventure. "Wish me luck!"
Ben gave No Watch Ben a thumbs up. "All the luck in both universes!"
No Watch Ben nodded and walked through the portal. Once it closed, Ben let out a cry of pure joy. "FINALLY! I can get a break and enjoy being a normal teen! This has got to be the best-" Ben stopped. He looked around to make sure nothing dangerous came crashing through the walls or he ceiling. "I gotta be careful...the universe always has a way of jinxing me." Ben said seriously.
So, Ben decided to do enjoy his break by playing some video games in his bedroom. A few hours had already passed and he was enjoying every minute of it. It felt a bit strange, especially without the Grant Mansion aliens. But this is what Ben wanted; to be normal and take a break from aliens.
It was already dark and Ben was done playing video games. He sighed as he looked out the window. He tried to think of something else to do...maybe check out the Mr. Smoothy's in Bellwood. Putting on his jacket and wallet in his pocket, he was ready to roll.
As Ben walked out the door, he was surprised to see this dimension's Gwen standing at the door.
"Gwen!" Ben smiled. "How's it going? You look great!"
But Gwen frowned at the compliment. "What's with you?"
Ben blinked. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, why are you acting so weird?" said Gwen, her voice suspicious.
"What? It's not weird for a guy to be nice to his cousin?" asked Ben.
But unlike the Gwen Ben knew, this Gwen was not having it. "Ben, I don't know what you're up to. But you better knock it off." The coldness in her tone caught Ben off-guard. "If this is a joke, I'm not falling for it. And if you're trying to get something out of me, forget it. You and I both know that I have too much integrity to do you any favors. I'm only here because our moms are thinking of starting a book club and wants to drag me into it."
"Oh..." Ben felt a little upset by Gwen's words. "Well, it sounds like you want no part of it. Why can't you just turn your mom down?"
Gwen shrugged. "Because I have nothing better to do."
"What about your college application?" Ben asked, remembering what No Watch Ben informed him about his Gwen. "I'm sure that'll keep you busy."
"Nah, I just...don't think I'm ready for college, Ben. I'm only sixteen and I have my whole life ahead of me." Gwen shook her head. "Wait a minute! Why do you even care?! Who do you think you are butting into my personal life?" Gwen asked, getting annoyed. "Do you really have nothing better to do? Go get something pierced." And the redhead walked away, leaving Ben stunned and hurt.
"And I thought Big Chill was cold." Ben said under his breath.
Still feeling the sting from Gwen's words, Ben left the house and decided to walk it off. He strolled down the sidewalk with a sad look on his face. "I just don't understand it. Gwen used to be so confident when we were kids. Now, she's so deep in her shell, she could be part snail!" Ben sighed. "It's amazing how not having the Omnitrix can affect a universe."
The teen stopped in his tracks. If Gwen was this different in this world, what about Rachel and Sasha? The kindest people that ever lived? The people that Ben loved like the sisters he's never had? What were they like? Were they happy? Were they sad? Did they meet the right people who treated them well?
Curiosity getting the better of him. Ben decided to investigate. And he knew the one place to look; the Grant Mansion.
Luckily, Staybrook wasn't too far away from Bellwood. Ben rode his bike all the way there to the town's haunted house; the Grant Mansion. Ben pulled up at the wrought iron gates and spotted the Grant Mansion standing tall and ominous on the hill that looked over the entire neighborhood. To Ben, the house seemed to have more of a gloomy malevolence to it. Maybe the girls don't live there after all.
Ben sighed. Maybe he was just wasting his time. He was about to hop on his bike and leave when he heard running footsteps.
"HELP! HELP US!" screamed a voice Ben knew. Gasping, he dropped his bike and saw Rachel and Sasha Jocklin! But behind them were three older boys and they looked angry!
Knowing the girls were in danger, Ben ran up to the gates and opened them. "Quick! This way!"
The sisters didn't hesitate. They both ran through the gate and Ben slammed it shut. He used his bike U lock to secure the gate. Ben backed away as the bullies started slamming the locked gate.
"OPEN THE GATE!" yelled the leader of the pack.
"How about you get lost instead?!" Ben snapped back.
"That's it! You're dead too, kid!" He and his gang started to climb the gate. Ben ran quickly ran up the hill to the Grant Mansion. There, he saw Rachel and Sasha standing at the porch. "Get inside!" Ben ordered. "They're gonna climb the gate! We need to get in there and hide!" Ben opened the door and the trio ran inside.
When they got in, even Ben was surprised by how dark and somber the mansion was. Did anyone live here at all? He looked at the girls and saw Rachel hugging a horribly frightened Sasha. Ben saw tears forming in the girl's icy blue eyes. "Hey, don't worry. It'll be okay." Rachel calmly said to her sister. "Let's find a place to hide."
Sasha nodded mutely as she wiped her tears with her sleeve.
"Come on, I think I know a room where we can hide in." said Ben. He and the girls ran down the hallway and tried to find a good room. Thankfully, this Grant Mansion was built exactly like the one Ben knew in his world. But once the moment his hand reached for the nearest doorknob, a large figure dropped down from the ceiling.
It was Snare-oh! The alien mummy opened his mouth and let out a vicious roar.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Rachel and Sasha screamed as they spun around and ran for dear life. But not Ben.
"Snare-oh!" Ben was so happy to see the alien. But his reaction shocked the Thep Khufan. As quick as a flash, he tied up Ben from head to toe in his bandages. Ben's muffled yells were heard as he tried to free himself, but to no avail.
Ghostfreak came in through the wall. "What's going on?" he asked. "Who's the kid?"
"An intruder." said Snare-oh. "And he's not alone. He brought in two girls. You and the others capture them while I interrogate this one." Snare-oh's green eyes narrowed. "He knows my name."
Ghostfreak looked surprised. But nodded. "Got it." He flew away to capture the sisters.
Rachel and Sasha were almost out the door until Ghostfreak came up through the floor. Sasha shrieked as she tried to run the other way, but a shadowy figure grabbed her and pinned her down to the floor. It was Whampire. Sasha was about to scream until the Vladat used his hypnosis to silence her.
"GET AWAY FROM HER!" Rachel ran toward Whampire, but was constricted by Ghostfreak's many tentacles.
Ben was strapped to some kind of chair. He recognized the room as Frankenstrike's laboratory. The teen frowned as Snare-oh and Frankenstrike loomed over him.
"You seem calm despite your position, human." Snare-oh bellowed. "You're no frightened at all?"
"Hardly." Ben replied. "Just give me a chance to explain!"
"Oh, you will. But I suggest you answer truthfully." Frankenstrike placed a strange metal helmet on Ben's head. "This will detect any lies you tell. One false statement and you'll receive a painful jolt of electricity."
"But don't worry. We won't kill you." Snare-oh's eyes flashed. "We'll just hurt you so badly that you'll want to die."
Ben was stunned by the level of coldness these aliens had. These versions Snare-oh and Frankenstrike were just as ruthless as his villains!
"Now, start talking." Frankenstrike demanded. "Who are you and how do you know Snare-oh?"
Ben didn't hesitate to answer. He explained everything. The Omnitrix, his villains, the existance of others dimmensions and trading places with his counterpart of this world. Everything. Seeing the machine not electrocute him once, the aliens were the ones who were shocked.
"And, you're all caught up." Ben finished.
"So, you were just helping those girls because they were in trouble?" asked Snare-oh.
Ben nodded.
"Then I guess we made a terrible mistake." said Frankenstrike, remorseful.
There was a knock at the door and Blizwolfer came in. "Guys! You will not believe the prowler I caught outside!." He spotted Ben and he started to grow, his fur bristling up. "Who's the kid?"
"We'll explain later. But what prowler are you talking about?" asked Snare-oh.
"A Revonnahgander!"
Snare-oh, Frankenstrike, even Ben gasped.
"What does he look like?!" Ben asked. "What's his name?! Take me to him!" Ben hoped it was who he thought it was.
Blizwolfer had the intruder tied to a chair in the living room. When Ben and the rest of the Galactic Monsters saw this Revonnahgander intruder, Ben's jaw hung open as his suspicions were confirmed. The Revonnahgander was none other than Rook Blonko! But he looked different. Instead of his usual armor, he wore the traditional farming garb of his people. "Release me, you monsters!" he demanded in anger.
"Rook Blonko? Is that really you?" asked Ben, still in shock.
Rook blinked. "How do you know my name? What kind of creature are you?"
Ben smiled. "I'm a human. My name is Ben Tennyson. And I'm from another dimension where you and I are Plumbers!"
"Plumbers?! As in, the law enforcement organization that defends the universe?!" Rook asked, clearly shocked by the human's words. "Impossible!"
"Not as impossible as a Revonnahgander outside his home planet!" said Blitzwolfer. "Your kind is known for being a bunch of farming hermits, bound by your own traditions. So, why are you all the way out here?"
Rook looked a little sad. "Well, you see, my family and I have been farmers our whole lives. But...I wanted to learn more about the universe and what it has to offer. So, I built a ship to explore the stars. But it crashed and I ended up stranded here. I tried to find help until you attacked me!" He glared at Blitzwolfer. "And I refuse to believe such a ridiculous story about me being a Plumber in another dimension!"
"But it's the truth!" Ben took out his phone and showed the furry alien a selfie of him and Ben, stunning Rook. "See? That's you and me! As partners!"
Rook could not deny the proof. That really was him!
Ben gasped. "Wait a minute! Where's Rachel and Sasha?!"
Whampire and Ghostfreak came into the living room. "Relax, kid. They're in my bedrom fast asleep. But before we knocked them out, we scared off some bullies that tried to hop over the fence." said Whampire.
"Those bullies were trying to hurt Rachel and Sasha." Ben looked at the aliens. "I happen to know those girls very well. And they could really use friends like you guys."
"Friends like us?!" Blitzwolfer barked. "You're out of your mind, kid! No human in their right mind would want to be friends with us!"
"Blitz is right, Ben. Besides, when they wake up, they'll just take one look at us, scream, and run out!" Snare-oh explained. "People are just too scared of us."
"And who cam blame them?" Frankenstrike said sadly.
"That doesn't mean you guys should give up on friendship!" Ben said. "I know a way how you can make them feel less afraid."
Inside Whampire's room, Rachel and Sasha were fast asleep on the Vladat's bed. Ben smiled as he stood with Rook and the Galactic Monsters.
Snare-oh shook his head. "This is never gonna work."
"Only if you believe that." Ben replied. "It'll work. Trust me!" He noticed Rook looking at Rachel closely. "And what are you looking at, Rook?" he asked playfully.
Rook quickly stepped away from the sleeping beauty. "Uh, forgive me, Ben!" he said nervously. "I was just, uh, observing the female variety of your kind."
"You're telling me." Whampire said with a fangy smile as he looked at Sasha. "She must be a fallen angel..." he gushed.
"Enough!" Snare-oh snapped as Whampire got up to join his friends. "Let's just get this over with!" He used his bandages to keep the girls' arms and legs pinned to te bed. Whampire snapped his fingers and the girls started to wake up. Thinking quick, Ben covered his ears.
Rachel and Sasha screamed again, causing the aliens to flinch until Snare-oh covered their mouths.
"Guys! Guys! It's okay!" Ben told the panicked sisters. "I know they look scary, but they're nice! Really!"
But the girls didn't look convinced at all. They were scared out of their wits. Ben turned to the aliens and gave a nod.
"I can't believe we're doing this..." Blitzwolfer said beneath his breath.
But Whampire was the only excited one. "Oh, come on, you guys! This'll be fun!" he raised his clawed hands and menaced toward Sasha. The girls' eyes grew impossibly wide as the aliens came closer. Just as they thought it was all over, they felt themselves being tickled! Snare-oh was mercifu enough to uncover their mouths. So, the mansion began filling with the girls' laughter.
"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! W-WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Rachel yelled between laughs. She was being tickled on her stomach and underarms by Snare-oh, Rook, and Blitzwolfer. "AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Sasha was being tickled in the same spots by Whampire, Frankenstrike, and Ghostfreak. "PLEHEEHEEHEEASE, STOP!" Sasha begged. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Ben watched, amuased that his plan was working. "Okay, guys. That's enough."
The aliens obeyed and stopped. The girls were exhausted from all their laughing, but they were still smiling. "See? They've been laughing so much, they forgot to be scared." Ben whispered to the aliens.
"I admit, that was rather amusing." Rook said.
Blitzwolfer grinned. "Yeah, that was kind of fun."
"It sure beats making people scream at us." said Frankenstrike.
Rachel managed to sit up as did Sasha. They stared at the aliens in wonder. "So...you're monsters and you're not going to hurt us?" Sasha asked.
Snare-oh shook his head. "No, we just scare away any intruders to come into our home."
"And we're not monsters. We're aliens." Whampire corrected, shocking the girls.
Ben cleared his throat. "I think I should be the one explaining everything."
"And I'll get some refreshments." said Ghostfreak.
In the living room, Ben told the Jocklin sisters everything he told Snare-oh and Frankenstrike. Understandably, it was a lot for the girls to take in. Thankfully, Ghostfreak's hot cocoa and chocolate chip cookies were enough to keep him calm.
"Wow...I never would have thought aliens actually existed." said Rachel. She reached for another cookie, but accidentally touched Rook's hand. She and Rook looked at each other and blushed before pulling their hands back.
"Or other dimensions." Sasha added.
Whampire reached out and tickled Sasha under the chin, making her giggle.
"Has anyone ever told you how adorable your laugh is?" Whampire asked in a flirty voice.
"Stop it!" Sasha was still giggling as she scooted away from the playful Vladat. But the smile on her face was telling Ben that she was enjoying Whampire's company. And Rachel and Rook were hitting it off pretty well too.
"Amazing. You were right all along, Ben." said Snare-oh.
"Yeah! It's so nice to have company!" said Ghostfreak, happy to entertain.
Frankensstrike smiled. "I guess we underestimated our human neighbors."
"Sure, some humans aren't perfect. But some aren't bad either." said Ben.
"So, where do you go from here?" Blitzwolfer asked Ben.
Ben thought about it carefully. "Well, one thing's for sure. I have to go back to my world." He stood up. "I can't believe I'm saying this. But I want my old life back. Sure, things aren't peaceful there and they never will. But if it means being with the best alien family a guy like me could ever ask for, then it's totally worth it!"
Right on cue, a portal opened in the living room and in walked No Watch Ben, along with Rachel, Sasha, and Rook.
"BEN!" Sasha ran and gave Ben a big bear hug. As did Rachel and Rook.
"Guys?!" Ben said, surprised. "But...how?!"
Rachel gave Ben a look. "Ben, isn't it obvious? When we heard you vanished, we knew that you were upset because we all got hurt and you blamed yourself for it. So, we figured that you went somewhere peaceful with little to no alien activity."
"So, after Alien X healed us and repaired the city, Wildmutt was able to sniff out your replacement." said Sasha.
Rook grinned. "That was when we began the interrogation. That was the fun part."
No Watch Ben had a shameful look on his face. "Sorry, dude. They tickled the truth out of me."
"What?!" Ben shouted.
"Ben, we're not happy that you tried to switch places on us like that." Rachel said sharply, making Ben sink. "But if you really want a break, all you have to do is ask."
"And you really need to stop blaming yourself for every bad thing that happens to us." Sasha said. "You're just causing more problems blaming yourself for problems that aren't even real."
Ben realized that his friends were right. "Yeah, I'm sorry, you guys. I just...didn't know what I was thinking..."
"That is because you were not thinking." said Rook. "You simply had too much guilt in your head that it clouded your judgement." He looked and was surprised to see his counterpart, Rachel and Sasha were surprised to see their counterparts as well.
"Wow! Looks like a lot can happen in this universe." said Sasha.
After introductions were made, No Watch Ben returned the Omnitrix and Frankenstrike's dimension traveling belt to Ben. "Sorry if you didn't get to have the adventure of a lifetime." said Ben.
No Watch Ben shook his head. "I don't care about that. After telling your friends the truth, they weren't mad at all. In fact, they were happy to see me and treated me well." He smiled. "They're really good people, Ben. It's people like them who make being a hero worthwhile."
Ben looked over and saw everyone laughing and getting along so well, even the Galactic Monsters were happy, happier than Ben has ever seen since he came to this world. "I couldn't agree more."
"Come on, Ben! It's time to go!" Rachel called out. She activated her own dimension travel belt and opened the portal home.
The two Bens nodded and shook hands. "Good luck, Ben." said No Watch Ben.
"You too, buddy." Ben smiled. "And if you ever get the hang of dimensional travel, come visit us sometime."
"I'll try. But something me that I'm going to be busy for quite a while." No Watch Ben looked over at his new friends. "But as long as I have good friends by my side, I think I can handle it."
Ben nodded in agreement and joined his friends. He felt a part of himself return as they all wlked into the portal together. When the portal closed, No Watch Ben turned to his newfound friends. "So, what do you guys do for fun?"
Rachel, Sasha, Rook, and the Galactic Monsters looked at each other to see if anyone had an answer.
"How about a movie?" Ghostfreak suggested. His roommates agreed.
Rook smiled. "I have heard of movies, but I have never seen one! I would love to see one!"
Rachel and Sasha smiled. "We're in!" they said together.
No Watch Ben smiled. He couldn't be more happier knowing that his life had truly began.