Disclaimer I do not own ben 10; it goes to its respective owners.

(Mr smoothes)

Ben Tennyson was drinking a smoothie at his favorite smoothie place, thinking about his life and his cousin. Gwen has had the Omnitrix since she was 10 and used it to fight crime and other big threats, something he envies and dreams of doing. Ben wanted to do big things in his life, but without superpowers or some other miracle, he was stuck as Gwen's "sidekick". Ben would ponder more, but the sun was setting and about ready to be dark soon.

"I should get back home now before my parents worry about me." Ben thought as he threw away his smoothie and hopped on his bike. Bellwood was big, but Ben knew his way around and could remember every alleyway, street, and building like the back of his hand. The problem is that Bellwood holds unsavory people during the nighttime, especially this night.

After a few minutes of peddling on his bike, he was crossing an alleyway, but midway, someone grabbed him. A group of masked men dressed in green jackets with patches on them, dark green pants, and dark green ski masks dragged him into the alleyway to do god knows what. Ben was trying to get out of their grasp, but these men's grip was strong.

"SOMEONE HELP ME," Ben shouted out hoping someone would come out to help him. One of the masked men punched him in the face, trying to shut him up. Ben's lip busted from the punch, and his nose was bleeding. Ben, besides being scared, was now dazed.

The group of men dragged Ben deep into the alleyway and began beating him up. It was 5 agonizing minutes of punches and kicks, but to Ben, it was an eternity of pain and suffering that he wished had stopped.

"PLEASE STOP I'M BEGGING YOU!" Ben shouted out, begging for the masked men to stop but only got a kick in the gut for his effort.

"Shut up, or we will kill you." One of the men said. After the beat down, they started to search for any valuables. The masked robbers took his wallet and phone and finally ran off with his bike.

Before passing out, Ben noticed something about one of the robbers. One of them had a lizard tattoo on his wrist. Ben battered and bruised, finally passed out due to the pain, and was left to anyone's mercy.

(Bellwood Memorial Hospital)

Ben opened his eyes with his head, hurting and body sore. He was dressed in a hospital gown that Ben had to admit that he was comfortable. He wondered what time and/or day it was. He looked at the clock, and it turned out to be morning time.

"BEN oh my God, I was so worried when you didn't come back home last night, and when I got a phone call saying you were in the hospital, I was so close to a heart attack." Ben's mom said in a frantic rush. Ben was at first startled by his mom's outburst because in all his life, he had never seen his mother this frantic. Before his mom could say anything else, an officer came into the hospital room. The officer was a toned black male who wore glasses and had a beard.[1]

"Hello Mr. Tennyson, my name is Officer McDuffie, and I want to ask you questions about the mugging last night if that's okay." Officer McDuffie said in a business-like tone. Ben, with the help of his mom, painfully sat up from his hospital bed to answer the officer.

"Sure, what questions do you want me to answer?" Ben said, wanting revenge on the scumbags who robbed him.

"Ben, are you sure you want to do this," Sandra Tennyson said. Sandra was worried about her son's mental state after being mugged and attacked.

"I'm sure about this, and trust me, I need this," Ben said, a little emotionless. Sandra was still worried about Ben but knew there was nothing she could do at the moment.

"Okay, I will be with your father to check you out," Sandra said, leaving Ben's hospital room.

"Okay, my first question is what exactly happened last night." Officer McDuffie said, wanting to make a clear timeline of the mugging. Ben was trying to remember the events that happened last night but kept remembering the beatdown he endured and what the robber said to him when he tried to beg for them to stop.

"Shut up, or we will kill you."

"I-I was trying to get back home last night on my bike and I was about to cross the alleyway when this group of men grabbed me and proceeded to beat me up," Ben said, struggling to give out a full story.

"Okay, now that we establish some form of a timeline of events now, can you describe the people who attacked and mugged you?" Officer McDuffie asked, trying to get more details on these thugs.

"I didn't see their faces because they wore dark green ski masks, but one thug had a lizard tattoo on his wrist," Ben said, disappointed he couldn't give out more details.

"Hm green ski mask and lizard tattoo on a thug's wrist. Did the thugs have green jackets that had patches on?" Officer McDuffie asked, trying to confirm some suspicion.

"Yes they did. Why is that something noteworthy?" Ben asked, trying to understand where the officer was getting at.

"Ben, I think you might have been attacked by the Lacertilia gang." Officer McDuffie informs ben.

"What is the "Lacertilia" gang?" Ben asked. Being with his cousin and her boyfriend, Ben knew a ton of criminals and gangs but not this one.

"They are a gang that, while small in numbers, commit heinous acts." Officer McDuffie told ben. Ben was shocked how his cousin or the plumbers didn't know about this gang.

"Why hasn't anyone stopped them if they're a big problem!" Ben exclaimed angrily at how they got away with their crime.

"Like I said, they are small in numbers and hard to pinpoint where their main hideout is, but we manage to capture one from time to time. Another problem is that they are loyal to their leader, so getting info from them is near impossible." Officer McDuffie informs ben.

Before Ben could respond, Officer McDuffie got a call from his phone. From what Ben could see, the call was from his superior. Officer McDuffie sighed at this call.

"Well that's my boss. I better pick up this call, or she will chew my ass out. I do thank you for your cooperation, and I hope you get better." Officer McDuffie said, leaving Ben's hospital room.

Ben was deep in thought about how a gang that does horrible crimes can get away. Gwen was wrapped up in intergalactic stuff, and the plumbers are just space police. Ben stopped himself because he was stressing himself out. Maybe tv will help keep him sane and help pass the time until his parents get him released from the hospital. Ben picked up the remote for the tv and turned tv on.

An armed robbery happened at Bellwood Bank.

(click)

A violent arsonist is on the loose and striking terror in the east part of Bellwood.

(click)

A carjacking spree has the people of Bellwood in a frenzy.

(click)

A young couple was brutally slain in their home.

(CRASH)

Ben, in his anger, threw the remote across the room, almost breaking it. The anger ben was feeling was at its grand boiling point. He wanted to beat up the men who mugged him. He wanted revenge.

(ben home)

Ben and his parents finally returned home after 2 long hours of boring paperwork. Ben walked straight to his room, but his parents stopped him.

"Ben, are you okay? Your father and I worry that being attacked and mugged might have negatively affected your mental health." Sandra said. She was worried about her son's health and did not want something bad to happen.

"I'm okay, Mom. I just need to rest a little to clear my mind, plus the police will handle this case, no problem" Ben reassured his mom. Sandra was skeptical of this but knew better than to push.

"Okay but let us know if you have any problems," Carl said, also not wanting to push. Carl, like his wife, was skeptical of his son's reassurance.

Ben walked into his room and began to work on some things. He wanted revenge on the thugs who ambushed him, but he needed a costume to hide his identity from these criminals.

Ben looked inside and saw the owl Hoodie he got on Christmas day. It was just a brown hoodie with little owl ears and an owl logo[2]. It was not much, but it would do.

Ben put the hoodie on his desk and wondered what else he could use. A mask was the obvious route he could go for.

Dammit, he shouldn't be doing this at all. The police should handle this or better yet let his cousin help deal with these violent people, but this is his problem, and Ben wanted to deal with this.

Ben had a plan to find the location of the crooks. Ben exited his bedroom and entered the living room. In the living room, Ben's parents were watching tv.

"Hey mom, can I borrow your phone for a while?" Ben asked his mom.

"Why?" Sandra asked, wondering why her son needed her phone. Crap she was on to him quick Ben needed to think of a solution.

"I want to call Grandpa Max if it would be cool if I can hang out with him," Ben said, hoping his excuse worked. Sandra looked at Ben for a moment but shrugged her shoulders, accepting his excuse.

"Sure, here you go," Sandra said, handing Ben her phone, trusting him. Ben celebrated a little bit inside. Step one of his plans was complete now for step two.

Ben left the living room and went to his room. Ben hooked up his mom's phone to his computer and began his work. Thanks to Ben's parents, they had a Mobile plan that can help Ben track his phone.

After a moment or two, Ben found the last signal his phone projected. It was at a local pawn shop that Ben knew about. Before he could continue, he heard his mom shout.

"Ben, your grandpa is here." Ben got off his computer and went to the living room to see his mom and grandpa Max. Grandpa Max was wearing his usual Hawaiian shirt and white pants that Ben came to know and love.

"Hey Grandpa, I was about to call you to hang out. Oh mom, here's your phone back.`` Ben said, giving his mom her phone back.

"Ben, I came here to make sure you're okay. When I heard the news of you being attacked, I came right away." Max said as he was worried for his grandson and his health. Ben loved his grandpa and did not want to worry him.

"I'm fine, Grandpa. I just need to take it easy. So how about you and me to grab some food?" Ben said, reassuring his grandpa.

"Sure thing, kiddo," Max said, smiling. Deep down like Ben's parents, he was skeptical but wanted to make Ben feel comfortable because being mugged and attacked is not exactly good for someone's mental health. Ben smiled and started to leave, but before he left, he turned to his grandpa.

"Grandpa, can we also go to the art store?" Ben asked. Max was confused by this but thought that Ben had taken up a hobby to help him with his mental state.

"Sure kiddo," Max said, accepting Ben's request. Both Ben and Max left for food and art and crafts.

(Burger shack)

After getting some stuff from the art store, they went to the local burger shack to get food. Ben got himself his usual big order of chili fries while his grandpa got himself a burger. Both men were eating their meals in peace until Max asked something.

"So Ben, what are you making from the material you got?" Max asked.

"I'm going to make something owl related because I like owls," Ben said, not looking away from his food. Max did not know why, but he got some form of dread.

"I feel like you got more to say to me like my parents. You guys don't have to treat me like I'm a mentally unstable person." Ben said, a little emotionless.

"(sigh) Ben, I don't think you are fine. I think you are suffering mentally." Max said, trying his best to help Ben.

"I'm fine."

"Ben, you need help."

"I DON'T NEED ANY HELP."

Everyone, including the employees, looked at Ben and Grandpa Max after Ben's outburst. Ben saw his grandpa's sad expression and regretted yelling at him. Everyone went back to their business as if Ben's outburst didn't happen.

"I'm …sorry for yelling at you. I shouldn't have done that." Ben said sadly.

"It's okay. I unnecessarily pushed you," Max said, still sad that Ben snapped at him like that. Both Ben and Max looked away from each other in awkward silence.

"Grandpa, do you think I'm Gwen's sidekick?" Ben asked. Max was surprised by that question.

"no, I don't think you're Gwen's sidekick at all. Why do you think that?" Max asked.

"It is just with Gwen having the Omnitrix; Kevin has the power to absorb certain matters. I just feel like the third wheel of the group because I have no powers, and apparently, I didn't inherit grandma's "spark." I feel so powerless in a lot of cases." Ben let out some issues that have been bothering him. Max was happy that Ben was letting some issues out, and he knew how to comfort him.

"Ben, you don't need superpowers to be someone's hero. The Omnitrix is a tool that anyone can use; Kevin's power could have been anyone in this world. You are just as powerful as Gwen and Kevin because you have the one thing that not everyone has, and that is bravery to help people." Max said encouragingly. Ben smiled in appreciation. His grandpa was always there for him through thick and thin.

"Well let's finish our meal and get home." Max said, picking up his burger to finish it off. Ben nodded, letting his grandpa's words of encouragement stick in his head.

(Ben's room)

Ben was finishing up his costume. He got some brown leather to make a brown owl mask. Ben manages to also put in goggles on the masked for protection [3].

He wore a plain white t-shirt under his owl Hoodie. He wore his regular shoes for now. He looked in the mirror and saw his costume in its full homemade glory. Fueled by revenge,anger and determination to help people he was ready.

Thank you for reading part 1 of Ben's superhero origin story. Now this story take place after ultimate alien before omniverse , like a few months before omniverse.

[1] this is a tribute character for Dwayne McDuffie.

[2] just imagine a superhero-like logo on a hoodie.

[3] search owl mask with goggles on etsey and imagine it brown.

Did you like you got any ideas or suggestions let me know in the comments or pm me. Mhafandom signing off.