NOTE: This may just be the longest chapter I've written for this story so far. Like, this took a while to finish, but I'm pretty satisfied with it. I hope you all enjoy it.
Filler chapters aren't going to stop, so if you don't like them then that's too bad. By this point if I don't tell you what the next chapter is going to be then it will be a filler chapter.
Some special news as well! August 17th will be the official 1 Year Anniversary of Priestess 10! This is the first time I've ever been able to celebrate an anniversary for a fanfic, so this means a lot to me. I do have something planned for the anniversary special, but if you guys have any ideas as well then, I'm open to them. Not that I'll do them, but I might just save them for other anniversaries for Priestess 10.
Enjoy and Review!
Chapter 38: Persona 10,000
"I got the marshmallows!" Gwen held up a bag of marshmallows.
"I have the graham crackers!" Ben had a box of crackers in his hands.
"And I have the fire!" A small puff of fire levitated in Yukiko's palm.
The three of them were facing Max, who was busy working on the Rustbucket. The four were stopping at a campsite near Mount Rushmore for the night. "We'll wait here while you get the firewood so we can make smores!" Gwen exclaimed. To help their ploy succeed, Ben looped an arm over Gwen's shoulder and Yukiko hugged them closer to her.
Max appreciated that his grandkids were getting along, especially Gwen and Ben. "It is so nice to see you all being so close. I'll be back in a jiffy," Max grabbed his axe and walked into the woods.
"Great!" His kids waved goodbye. Once he was out of sight Ben and Gwen dropped all pretenses of being nice.
"THIS IS YOUR FAULT!" They shouted at each other.
"Grandpa only turns 60 once!" Gwen yelled at Ben. However, the boy was more occupied one eating the graham crackers. Pissed off at his inability to listen, Gwen was about to shove Ben into the ground, but Yukiko held her back. "I had his party totally wired!" Gwen pulled out a piece of paper.
The paper had a list of things for each of the cousins to accomplish for Max's party. While the girls had a multitude of items to gather, Ben only had to get a cake.
It was something Yukiko had hoped Ben could accomplish on his own, but apparently that was too wishful thinking. He had completely forgotten and blown off all his chances of acquiring a cake every chance he had. She had been looking forward to celebrating Max's birthday for the first time, especially after he went through all the trouble of making her a makeshift late birthday party.
Ben's attention was still focused on the wrong thing. "You chose his birthday wish?" Gwen smacked him on the head with the sheet.
"And how is he supposed to make one with a cake!?" Gwen hissed. "That YOU were supposed to get!"
"Uh, excuse me? Full time hero here! When do I have some time to get some dumb old cake!" Ben stood up, glaring at Gwen. "You should've done it! It's no big deal!"
"Ben, this is Grandpa's birthday. Birthdays are important, especially when it comes to family," Yukiko intervened.
Ben turned his head away from her, annoyed. "It's always family this and family that with you. I have better things to do than get some cake for one single birthday! Grandpa will have plenty more in the future!"
Gwen growled at him. "Every time I think you can't possibly get anymore selfish you continue to prove me wrong! For once I wish you could finally understand why things like this matter to people!"
Yukiko tried not to get angry, placing a hand on Ben's shoulder. "Ben, we don't know what can happen in the future. I missed so much time with all of you for years and I want to continue seeing you, Gwen, and Grandpa. It would mean a lot to him if you could hand him his cake when he gets back."
Ben huffed quietly, he kinda understood them. He'd be pretty miffed if he didn't get a cake on his birthday. But it was just one birthday, did it really matter if he forgot just one time? "It's just one birthday. But, fine! I'll just go XLR8 and-"
PING!
The three of them stopped what they were doing and turned to the center of the camp. A medium sized golden portal opened up in front of them. "Okay… this can't be good," Ben said.
Before they could blink a feminine blue figure flew out of the portal and directly at them, forcing the three to duck. The mysterious woman descended back down upon them and grabbed Gwen, taking her into the portal before she could do anything.
"GWEN!" Yukiko and Ben cried out. Ben activated the Omnitrix and transformed into XLR8. Yukiko jumped onto his back and the two followed after the mysterious woman into the portal.
Soon after it closed up as if it wasn't there to begin with.
A few moments later, Max walked back into the campsite with the firewood. He gazed around confused as to why his grandkids weren't there. "Ben? Gwen? Yukiko?"
OP: Ancient Romantic by P-Maru Sama
Ancient Romantic!
(U! Ha! U! Ha!)
(U! Ha! U! Ha!)
A rotating shot of the Omnitrix comes into view before latching onto Ben's wrist. He's seen standing with Yukiko, Gwen, and Max in front of the Rustbucket.
For a split second the landscape around them glitches out as purple lighting cracks the sky above.
The miracle of humankind that I met at once was a loss if neither Edison nor Watson knew (Loss!)
Ben stands on top of a broken spaceship, staring out at the clear blue sky above him.
Below him was Yukiko, who stood in the shadows of the ship. Her eyes transfixed on her tarot card.
Mr. N was surprised at such a situation since the earth was created (Unexpected!)
Gwen walked past the two, her eyes focused on her spell book. She shut the book instantly, her eyes glowing with blue mana.
Max stood in the back and in his hands was a broken picture frame.
The ancient civilization and the school playground that I ran yesterday are all connected.
The scenery changed to Inaba. Yukiko is seen running through the town with the rest of the Investigation Team.
SHATTER!
Yukiko was now running around with the Tennysons. Ben, happily leading the charge with the Omnitrix ready.
SHATTER!
Yukiko was now covering her face with her hands, her back turned to the audience. Ben stood in front of her back with a traumatized expression.
SHATTER!
Older versions of Ben, Yukiko, Gwen, and Max appeared. Each one had their backs facing the audience as if not wanting to face the truth.
The invitation to unravel the true nature of this romance is an initiation from ancient times.
Ben sat inside of a blue limousine. In front of him were both Igor and Maragret, the attendant holding a large blue book in her hands.
Sitting next to Ben was Yu, whose tarot card expanded into a blinding flash of light.
All members! Go in! Aye-aye!
Ben charged into battle first, slapping down the dial and transforming into Four Arms. Gwen came in next, hands glowing bright with mana. Yukiko summoned Sumeo-Okami, unleashing waves of fire. Max joined his grandkids, his own personal blaster ready to battle.
Let's dance in such an era! Dancing all right!
Yu appeared next with his sword drawn. Izanagi jumped out from behind him, his blade sparking with white electricity.
Naoto Shirogane dropped down in front of him with her gun pointed at the screen. Her Persona: Yamato-Takeru appeared next to her in a flash of light.
Rise Kujikawa descended downwards gracefully, with her eyes closed shut. Her Persona: Kanzeon had appeared behind Rise. Placing a red-colored headset over her user's eyes.
Rehabilitation! Introspection! I'll do it one after another! The past and the future are all mixed together!
An older version Four Arms charged in, clashing his fists against a more monstrous and older version of Vilgax.
Yukiko and Charmcaster stood side by side before a static shock hit them both, causing their eyes to swap colors.
Collapse! Situation! Hurry up!
A familiar looking creature appeared dressed in shadows, its purple eye glistening with malicious fury.
The feelings of hundreds of millions of years are romantic over!
Three new aliens appeared on the screen. A Frankenstien's monster, a werewolf, and a mummy all stood in front of a large satellite. Above them the sun transformed into a massive purple eyeball.
March! Send! Do in! Do in Love! There is one love in any era!
The Rustbucket was speeding towards the satellite with its boosters activated. The Tennysons inside were determined to stop whatever was about to happen.
A, B, C, D, E, F, G, you can see!
Chie, Yosuke, Kanji, Teddie, Nanako, Rise, and Naoto held each letter as they flashed across the screen.
H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, you caught!
For the last remaining letters were each held by Ben's aliens as they flashed across the screen.
Ancient Romantic!
Yukiko fell through the air, unable to stop herself. Ben reached for her as fast as he could, his hand only inches from her's.
(U! Ha! U! Ha!)
(U! Ha! U! Ha!)
PING!
The portal reopened in the slums, the mysterious woman flying out of the portal with Gwen in her arms. The charms on her arms began to glow brightly to warn her of oncoming danger. She was too late to react to it as a pink fan crashed into her face.
The woman slid across the ground as XLR8 caught Gwen in his arms. Yukiko caught her fan in her hands and jumped off of XLR8's back. The cousins gazed around their new environment, confused by the mixture of humans and aliens walking around.
"Hey, Ben!"
They turned around to see a teenage girl riding on a hoverboard. "Looking good~" She blew him a kiss.
XLR8 blushed, waving his hand at her. Yukiko smacked him on the head for it.
"Yo! Ben 10K!" Two boys with rocket boots flew by them. "Keep up the awesome job!"
XLR8 turned to his cousins. "I'm sorry, 10 what!?" Noticing the shadow looming over them, the Tennysons turned around to see a large golden statue standing behind them. "Woah! Hero of Heroes: Ben Ten Thousand! Is that me?"
"But how is that possible?" Yukiko asked.
"I-"
BOOM!
Whatever Gwen was about to say was cut off by the large explosion that destroyed the statue of Ben. XLR8 was quick to get his cousins out of the way of the falling debris. "Or like, was you!" Gwen exclaimed.
From the smoke of the explosion something emerged, loud stomps shook the ground beneath them. "Yo, Tennyson! Long time no see!" Some sort of round humanoid rhino alien glared at XLR8.
"Uh? Do I know you?" XLR8 asked.
The rhino didn't bother answering him, getting down on all fours. "Prepare for my revenge!" His horn shot out a blue beam at the Tennysons. The three moved out of the way of the attack.
XLR8 raced around the rapid fire of the rhino. "Oh yeah? Well, why don't you prepare to see why they call me the Hero of-"
FLASH!
"-AAAAAAHHHHH!" Ben timed out before he could even finish. Hitting the rhino's armor face first. Sitting up on the floor, Ben smiled nervously at the approaching rhino. "Uh…maybe we can talk about this?"
"Agidyne!"
"Chemocha!"
Fire and magic blasted the rhino away from Ben. Yukiko hurried over to her little cousin, helping him to his feet while the woman continued to blast the rhino back. Annoyed at her interference the rhino fires back, forcing her to put up a magic defense.
She attempts to get closer to the rhino, but he fires out an electrical net, trapping the woman underneath it, and knocking her out.
Gwen joined her cousins. "Well, that didn't last long."
The rhino turned to them, charging up another blast.
"And neither are we if we don't move!" Yukiko yelled as more blasts were shot at them. Yukiko attempted to fire back against the rhino, but a large gust of wind blew past her. She and her cousins watched as the dangerous rhino was brutally beaten down by a black and white blur.
Ben was the first to speak. "Okay, can someone tell me what the heck is going on!"
ZOOM!
Their savior was none other than XLR8, however this one looked different. Instead of the black and blue color of Ben's, this one was taller with a black and white color scheme. "Is that XLR8?" Yukiko asked.
The mysterious woman from earlier was back on her feet, throwing the electrical net over the rhino. XLR8(F) took that chance to scan the criminal. "Looks like the work of Animo. I'll run a DNA scan back at headquarters." The two adults turned back to the Tennysons, who waved at them nervously.
XLR8(F) looked over Ben and Gwen briefly, his attention only lingering on Yukiko for a few seconds longer. His anger seemed to have peaked as he hissed his next words. "Send them back now!" He turned to leave only to find Ben gazing at him with awe.
"Woah! You're me, right? And it looks like I'm new and improved! This is so cool! That I'm so cool! I even got a cool statue and my own headquarters!"
"I don't have time for this!" XLR8(F) had no interest in humoring his younger self.
Ben cut him off again. "So, when can you catch me up on my other 9,199 heroes?"
XLR8(F) pretended to ponder. "Hm…how about…" He got closer to Ben's face. "NEVER!"
SMACK!
XLR8(F) didn't flinch from the hit to the back of his head. He watched silently as Yukiko stood in between them. "You don't have to be so rude, Ben. I'm sad to see that your manners still haven't improved in the future I suppose."
He didn't respond to her words, but it was clear to everyone present that the air around the future hero had shifted. Without a word to anyone he sped off down the road, kicking up dust and wind as he left. Leaving the three Tennysons to stare at the direction with confusion.
"I'm sorry about him," The woman replied. Having now finally heard her voice Gwen gasped loudly.
"Wait a minute. Your voice…" Gwen turned to the woman.
She took off her mask and hood to reveal herself as none other than Gwendolyn Tennyson. Without her cloak in the way they could now take a better look at her appearance. Gwendolyn had short red hair that had bangs in the front. She wore a blue and black spandex suit and the Charms of Bezel on her right arm. Around her waist was a belt with a cat as the buckle.
"You're Gwen!" Yukiko exclaimed. Yukiko couldn't believe her eyes, because the mature looking woman in front of her was her small nerdy little cousin.
Gwendolyn shook her head. "I've been going by Gwendolyn since college."
The word 'college' seemed to have been the magic word for Gwen. "College!? You mean Ivy League? Do I have a Masters!?"
Gwendolyn frowned at her younger self. "Look, I didn't bring you here to find out about your future. I came back to bring Ben and Yukiko." The reveal of her motivations had recaptured Ben's attention. Yukiko on the other hand grew serious.
"Then why grab me?" Gwen asked.
Gwendolyn smirked. "I remembered Ben's listening skills sorta stunk and Yukiko would never hesitate to save one of us." Ben's mood soured at the mention of his poor listening skills, while Yukiko nodded her head in agreement.
"Yes, Ben is a terrible listener. No wonder his grades are horrendous," Yukiko sighed.
"Shut up, you don't even know my grades!" Ben yelled, offended.
Ignoring the two arguing to the side, Gwen focused on her double. "So, time travel is no big deal now?"
"You just need to know the right spell to create the right kind of portal."
"There's time travel in this thing!?" Gwen held up the spell book. "That's so wicked!? Do I ever get my black belt?"
"HELLO!?" Ben had grown frustrated that none of the attention was being focused on him. "Who cares about you! This is about me!"
"Ben, stop being selfish." Yukiko warned him.
"No, he's right," Gwendolyn refocused herself.
"Ugh, please tell me I didn't grow up to start agreeing with Mr. Dweeb," Gwen huffed.
"Ben 10,000 needs his help," Gwendolyn said.
Ben puffed out his chest. "I am pretty tough. What could a cool superhero like me need anyway? Need me to help kick some bad guy butt?"
"No, you're too weak for that."
Ben's ego deflated a bit.
"Ben 10,000 had long since mastered the secrets of the Omnitrix, but it all came with a price. A terrible accident that left him emotionally scarred. Forcing him to try and bear everything on his own and…push everyone away," Gwendolyn explained.
Yukiko remembered something. "When I hit him with my fan, he didn't say anything to me like Ben would. He just stared at me. I couldn't feel anything from him…" Yukiko placed a hand on her heart. "Even with that visor over his face, it felt as if he was just staring through me."
Gwendolyn didn't say anything in response at first. She stared at her younger older cousin with an unknown emotion as if she was contemplating something. Disregarding the thought for the moment, she refocused herself again. "A-A terrible threat looms on the horizon and I'm afraid that he can't handle it in his current state. He needs you to-"
ALERT! ALERT! SECTOR 15-D!
A robotic voice came through her belt buckle. "What's in Sector 15-D?" Gwen asked.
"Fort DNA-X! Earth's massive genetic depository with DNA samples from across the galaxy," Gwendolyn explained.
"Dr. Animo!" Ben exclaimed. "That's the crisis, right? That's why I'm here, he made that robot rhino dude! Though, why my future self can't beat Animo on his own doesn't matter! It's time to give the good doctor a double dose of Ben medicine!" He started messing with the watch in attempts to transform.
His cousins blinked at him owlishly. "Did he ignore that entire conversation?" Gwen asked.
"...Ben…" Yukiko sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.
"Yup, poor listening skills," Gwendolyn shook her head.
HONK! HONK!
Everyone looked up to see a familiar old looking RV pull up beside them. The three Tennyson kids all gaped at the Rustbucket.
The door opened up to reveal an even older Max Tennyson, who looked relatively the same as the present version. Except for his gray beard. "Gwendolyn, I thought that was you!" Max(F) greeted his granddaughter.
Three very familiar looking heads popped up from behind her, almost giving the old man a heart attack. "And us!" Ben exclaimed.
"Well, I see someone finally figured out how to work their time portal," Max(F) congratulated Gwendolyn.
"Grandpa!" Gwen and Ben hurried into his arms, happy to see him. The ex-plumber was more than happy to see them.
Yukiko strolled over to them. "You seem to be taking this well, Grandpa. Three younger versions of your grandkids showing up out of the blue."
Max(F) smiled at her, taking in the sight of her eyes. "Ah, I couldn't ask for a better gift than this. Seeing the three of you again."
"Don't you still see us?" Gwen asked.
Max(F) hesitated to answer at first. "W-well I see Gwendolyn and Kenny a lot. Yukiko only a handful of times when she's not busy."
"Not busy…?" Yukiko questioned before smacking herself. Of course, her future self would be busy. By this point she would have long since taken over running the Inn. Which makes her wonder just how her future self is doing along with the rest of her friends.
"We're happy to see you too, Grandpa," Gwen smiled. "But the same shirt? Grandpa, it was 20 years out of style 20 years ago."
"I like his shirt. It's cute," Yukiko giggled.
Max(F) appreciated the compliment. "At least someone appreciates good fashion."
Ben enjoyed meeting his future grandpa, but there were more important matters going on. "Grandpa, we need a ride!"
"Fort DNA-X!" The Gwens said simultaneously.
Yukiko gushed happily. "That was so cute!"
Max(F) nodded his head, leading them into the Rustbucket. "Hop in!"
The time traveling Tennysons gaped at the futuristic design of the future Rustbucket. "Woah! It's totally teched out!" Ben and Gwen were excited.
Yukiko felt weirded out by all the technology, still not used to it. "Feels a bit weird."
Gwendolyn chuckled. "Your future self said the same thing when Grandpa first brought her to it. Though, she didn't really see it." Gwendolyn muttered that last bit.
"Hm?" Yukiko would've questioned her if Max(F) hadn't started the engine. The Rustbucket morphed into flying aircraft. "W-what!?"
"You guys might want to hold on." Gwendolyn was going to enjoy this. "Hit it, Grandpa!"
"WOAAAAHHH!" The younger Tennysons screamed at the initial speed of the take off. Once the Rustbucket was leveled in the air, the three were able to get a better look of the futuristic city.
Ben turned to Gwendolyn. "So, where do I sleep?"
"In your fancy headquarters. You never really come see us anymore," Gwendolyn spoke somberly.
"No matter how hard we try," Max(F) added.
The younger trio were disheartened to hear that information, reminding them of the state of Ben's future self.
Yukiko grew curious, hoping to lighten the mood. "Well, what about me? Is the Inn thriving well?"
"Oh yes, the Amagi Inn has grown over the last two decades. And I don't just mean in size either, the number of guests that go to the Amagi Inn seems to triple every year," Gwendolyn explained. "Though, that leaves you very little time to spend with us. Once you took over the business your adventures with us came to an end."
Yukiko frowned as the air inside of the Rustbucket shrunk even further. While she was happy to hear that the Inn was prospering, she hated the fact that she had no time left to spend with her family and friends." Even with that she could sense there was something more the two weren't telling her. Their behavior around her was weird, especially Ben 10K's.
For the moment she'll put it to the side until they stop Animo.
The Rustbucket arrived at Fort DNA-X. "Well, here we are." Gwendolyn, Gwen, and Yukiko hurried out of the Rustbucket. Ben stopped to talk with his grandfather.
"You coming, Grandpa?"
"No. No. You haven't needed my help for a long time," Max(F) responded. "Just make sure you say goodbye before Gwendolyn sends you back." After Ben left, the ex-plumber gazed at the steering wheel. He had been ecstatic to see the young faces of his grandkids again, especially Ben and Yukiko. He hadn't seen the boy's face look that happy in years.
And Yukiko…
Even after everything he did, he still managed to fail her.
"Time to go Four Arms and show Ben 10,000 where it all began!" Ben slapped down the dial in hopes of looking cool.
FLASH!
Stinkfly grumbled in dismay at his mistransformation.
"Pfft! Snrk! HAHAHAHAHA!" Yukiko laughed at him.
"Yeah, with you messing up again," Gwen teased.
Gwendolyn shook her head at the younger Ben's mistransformation. She had forgotten how funny it was whenever the watch gave him the wrong form. There was also the nostalgic sounds of Yukiko's laughter. Seeing the three in front of her was like looking through an old photo album.
Yukiko and Gwen flew in on Stinkfly's back, while Gwendolyn levitated herself through the air. The four searched through the giant lab until an explosion knocked them out of the air. The kids landed on their backs while Gwendolyn managed to nail her landing.
From the black smoke Four Arms(F) came flying through the smoke. They were forced to jump out of the way to avoid being crushed by him. Four Arms(F) got to his feet quickly, ready for battle.
Stinkfly felt this was his chance. "Hey, I was gonna go Four Arms too! Great minds must think alike!"
"I don't think so. Now go!" Four Arms(F) dismissed his counterpart.
CRASH!
From the massive hole in the wall came Dr. Animo. Once again Yukiko was once again left speechless by the 20-year gap. The Dr. Animo in front of them no longer possessed a human body, instead he was a head in a jar attached to the body of a mechanical gorilla. "No one's going anywhere!" Animo declared. "I see you brought help. You're going to need it!"
Animo directed them to the specimen chambers behind him. "For every one of your 10,000 heroes, I can steal enough DNA to create 10,000 monstrous minions!"
Yukiko shook her head. "Different body, but still a mad scientist. At least some things didn't change."
Stinkfly puffed out his chest. "Oh yeah!? Think again!" Flying headfirst into battle, the bug was easily swatted away by Animo. Sending the bug right into his future self.
Gwendolyn touched down, shooting a magic spell at the ape, but Animo reflected the blast right back at her, taking her down.
Yukiko whipped out her fan. "Agidyne!"
"Familiar, but not enough!" Animo joined his hands together and bashed the fireball as if it was a baseball. Knocking it right back at Yukiko, the heiress didn't expect the action and attempted to guard herself.
Gwen quickly jumped in front of her. "Contego!" A blue shield conjured in front of the two, but the strength of the fireball was a lot more than what Gwen expected. The shield shattered, sending the two sliding across the floor.
Four Arms(F) grabbed the pipes on the floor and tied them around Stinkfly's tail. Trapping his younger self in place. "Stay out of my way!" He roared at his counterpart.
Stinkfly was helpless to stop his future self. "Hey, you can't just-I mean-I can't just do that to me!"
Yukiko made her way over to Ben, using her fire to melt the pipes trapping him. Stinkfly wiggled his tail free and was about to charge back in. "Ben, wait!"
"What!? Can't you see I'm busy trying to help me!" Stinkfly argued.
Gwen pointed back at the battle. "Yeah but…I really don't think we were needed."
Stinkfly blinked at her. "What makes you say that-"
SLAM!
The younger Tennysons watched as Four Arms(F) pummeled Animo into the wall. The doctor quickly responded back with his own barrage of punches to try and match the Tetramand.
Gwendolyn agreed. "Gwen's right. We weren't necessary here."
Stinkfly was a stubborn insect. "As if! I'm gonna-" Whatever he was about to do or say was interrupted by Gwendolyn trapping him in a bubble. His cries of protest were muted by the spellcaster.
"Can you teach me how to do that?" Gwen asked, pleased immensely.
"Sure."
Back in the action, Four Arms(F) transformed into an alien that none of the younger Tennysons recognized. The alien was like a green pufferfish with legs, spitting green acid at the mechanical gorilla.
"What alien is that?" Yukiko asked. She noticed that Ben wanted to ask, but the bug was still muted.
"A Sphoeroid," Gwendolyn answered.
"It doesn't have a weird name?" Gwen asked.
"No, he stopped naming them at some point," Gwendolyn answered.
Yukiko tilted her head in thought. "What would Ben call it? Spitter? No…that's not cool enough for him."
FLASH!
Diamondhead(F) sprouted a multitude of crystals through the floor to trap Animo. It failed to do so, the gorilla's strength proving to be too strong for it. Animo tore a piece of equipment off to use as a weapon. Diamondhead(F) created a barrier to protect himself from the attack, which shattered the barrier easily. Animo smirked until Buzzshock(F) stood on top of the equipment, sending terrifyingly powerful volts through the ape's body.
FLASH!
Cannonbolt(F) put an end to the fight by slamming the ape into the wall.
Stinkfly bashed on the bubble with an excited expression. Yukiko attempted to translate. "I think Ben's impressed."
A flash of green light brought their attention back to the situation at hand. Four Arms(F) marched up to Animo, he raised his fists in a way that looked as if he was about to kill the scientist. Yukiko relaxed once she watched Four Arms(F) tie Animo up in cables. "At least Ben hasn't killed anyone in the future."
"Do we detect a cry for help!?"
Her mood soured at the familiar voice. "Oh, please don't tell me…" Looking over to her right to see a familiar superhero team teleport into the lab.
"The Galactic Enforcers have arrived!" The hero team of three arrived after the battle had already ended.
Four Arms(F) turned into XLR8(F). "Show's over, guys." He sped over to them.
"It's a big world, Ben. You could always save a couple of bad guys for us y'know?" Ultimos requested.
XLR8 looked displeased. "What would be the point? If I hadn't intervened, then Animo would've been long gone by the time you arrived. But since you decided to show your useless faces here, you can take Animo back to the Null Void Chamber for me!" The Hero of Heroes was gone before Ultimos could say anything back.
Ultimos and the rest of his team looked displeased. "Yeah, sure…anything to help."
With Ben 10K gone, Gwendolyn released Stinkfly from his bubble. The bug turned back into Ben midair before being caught by Yukiko. The heiress then felt her world turn into a blur when XLR8(F) grabbed them and Gwen. "Gwendolyn, I'll meet you back at Headquarters!" With that he left with the younger Tennysons with her following closely behind.
The Galactic Enforcers approached Animo to arrest him. "Guess you caught me now. There's nothing I can do…" He lied as he took a quick glance at the specimen pod next to him.
"So…Animo's been around this whole time?" Ben decided to break the awkward air between his family and Ben 10K.
"He escaped a few years back. I wasn't sure he was gonna show his ugly face again, but now it looks like he won't be a problem anymore."
"What about Vilgax?" Yukiko asked.
XLR8(F) didn't respond at first as memories were replaying in his mind. "In pieces."
The way those words left his future self's mouth left a bad taste in Ben's. "So, like, you killed him?"
XLR8(F) didn't respond; he didn't want to speak to them anymore until they reached his headquarters.
Yukiko still held Ben in her arms and held him a bit tighter. Had they all really grown so far apart from one another for Ben to have ended up like this? Gwendolyn hadn't explained in detail as to why Ben 10K ended up, and she felt as if Ben 10K wasn't going to explain either. If that was the case, then there was only one thing she had to do.
She had to meet herself.
Back in the lab, the Galactic Enforcers were still in the process of arresting Animo. The mad doctor took this chance to release a sleeping gas, taking out the superhero team. With them out of the way, Animo moved over to the pod next to him.
VX-0001
Tearing the door off, green liquid spewed out to reveal what or better yet, who was inside. The being inside was none other than the mangled body of Vilgax that Ben 10K had beaten. Animo activated his transmutation ray on the shriveled corpse. "Mr. Vilgax! So nice you could rejoin the realm of the living!"
The body began to rejuvenate piece by piece, though the process was slower than Animo would've preferred.
"Woah! This is my headquarters! Awesome!" Ben gushed as they arrived at the tall building. The very top of it was shaped in a circular fashion like the Omnitrix. "I must chill out here a lot!"
Ben 10K dropped the three off in the main center of the building. "There's no time. I'm always patrolling the planet; thus Ben has no time to hang out!"
"But, what about family? Surely, you should be able to make time for us?" Yukiko pushed the topic.
XLR8(F) dashed off as soon as she finished her question. He had no desire to answer it, increasing Yukiko's worry.
Ben scoffed. "Please tell me I didn't use the word 'thus'! Don't I have any fun anymore?"
XLR8(F) did hear that and was in the face of his younger self in a second. "You'll learn soon enough that having fun has nothing to do with being a hero! Either wise up or shut up!" XLR8(F) turned to the girls, ignoring his younger self. "You all wait here for Gwendolyn and don't touch anything!" After giving his warning, XLR8(F) left.
Ben immediately disregarded the warning after seeing a hoverboard stationed on the wall. "Hey look!" Ben ran over and grabbed it.
"He said not to touch anything!" Gwen reminded him.
"Why should I listen to me? You never do!" Ben jumped onto the board. Flying around to his heart's content.
Gwen growled when Ben almost ran right into her. "Yukiko! Tell him to stop!" Looking to her side, she noticed that Yukiko wasn't next to her. "Uh? Yukiko?" Gwen saw that the heiress was searching around for something. "Yukiko?"
Gwendolyn entered the tower to see Ben flying around on the hoverboard and XLR8(F) trying to stop him. She couldn't help but smirk, it seemed that her cousin finally learned what it was like to deal with him all those years ago.
"Get off that board, now!"
"C'mon, you don't even smile when I terrorize Gwen anymore? Heh, you're even worse than I thought!" Ben mocked him. "Cool moves, huh? Wanna race?"
XLR8(F) took that chance to swipe the board away, letting Ben fall to the floor. "No! Those days are over."
"Well, what I'm over is being a hero if this is how I turn out! I am such a jerk!" Ben roared at his counterpart.
"You couldn't begin to understand the responsibility you hold! Wasting time playing around when there are more serious things to worry about!" XLR8(F) shot back.
"So, what!? I'm a kid! Am I not allowed to have fun!?"
"Not when it endangers the people close to you! Getting them injured permanently!"
"Who!? Who got hurt!?"
TZZZT!
"I-Is this thing on? Oh, I can't see if it is…"
Everyone's movement inside of the base halted from the familiar sounding voice entering the room. Both Bens, Gwens, and Yukiko were staring at the holographic projection. Yukiko and Gwen had been messing around with the master computer and had accidently started the projection.
The projection looked exactly like Yukiko, however she did look a lot older. A lot more mature in her features such as her face and body. She was wearing a black kimono with decorative yellow flowers printed on. Her long hair flowed down her back like an elegant stream of water. She looked gorgeous, but the younger Tennysons noticed two important factors.
Future Yukiko had deep scars over her eyes, which hadn't opened at all. The second important detail was the cane in her hands she was using to stand.
Gwendolyn gasped lightly. "The messages…he still had them?"
Yukiko(F) turned to someone who was off screen. "Yu-kun! Is it on!?" She waited for a moment for her confirmation then turned back to the projector. "Ok…well…hello, Ben. It's been awhile, hasn't it? I'm sure you're just going to ignore this message, but I hope you see this. I miss you. We all miss you, Ben." Her future self attempted to reach for the projector, but she couldn't see where she was walking and fell. Future Yu's cries could be heard off screen as the projection cut off.
Yukiko stared at the projection, unable to speak for a moment. The words she wanted to speak died in her throat at the horrible realization.
She was blind. Her future self had lost her eyesight. Yukiko unconsciously felt her hands moving up to her eyes.
Before anyone could speak up, another projection popped up. Yukiko was now sitting in a chair this time instead of standing. "Hello, Ben! S-sorry for the last one. I didn't mean to fall like that. It's been a minute, huh? It's been pretty busy at the Inn, so I've had to focus on that. Though, I'm sure you're busy saving the world and everything."
XLR8(F) just stared at her. His face was emotionless.
"I just wanted to tell you something important. Are you ready?" Yukiko(F) acted as if Ben was right in front of her. She took a deep breath before shouting. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" Yukiko(F) picked up a popper and pulled the string, tiny bits of confetti dropping to the floor. "This is your 20th birthday, Ben! Are you doing anything special? Hanging out with friends? Maybe you have a girlfriend now or boyfriend, I won't judge! I just hope that you're happy. That's all I want for you. Stay safe out there, okay?" She gave a final wave before ending the message.
Gwen felt tears building up in her eyes, reaching for Yukiko's hand. She saw that her older cousin hadn't made a move at all. Her eyes were stuck in the spot that Future Yukiko was once in. She didn't know how Yukiko was handling this and wanted to comfort her in some way. "Yu-"
TZZZT!
Another projection started up. Yukiko(F) was sitting in the same chair as before. She looked a little older in this message than the last one. "Hey, Ben. You still haven't responded to my messages, but that's fine. You're busy and all. Being a superhero is important, especially with how much the world around us is changing. Interspecies mixing between humans and aliens is still taking a bit to get used to. The Amagi Inn has had to renovate a lot to accommodate our non-human guests. Though, I wouldn't want to bore you with the details."
Ben hadn't been listening much to the messages, his attention had been entirely taken by Future Yukiko's appearance. His mind was focused on the scars that were binding her eyes, stripping her of her sight. Yukiko always had beautiful eyes (He'd never say it out loud), so to see them hidden away was eating at him. Ben could only wonder what had happened to scar Yukiko in such a manner.
The message continued. "I have some good news this time! Yu-kun and I are finally getting married! I know, it's a big shocker, but we finally had time to finish the preparations for it. It's a traditional Japanese wedding, so you wouldn't exactly be used to it. I'm sure if you talked to Gwendolyn, she'd be willing to help you. Uh, from what mother has told me the wedding hall is really big. So, it should be able to fit both sides of the family and my friends. Everyone has been sending us non-stop congrats since we officially announced it." Yukiko(F) paused in her speech. Her face had a sense of longing on it. "I hope you can make it, Ben. The date and the rest of the information are all attached to the message. It would mean a lot to me if you could make it. Stay safe, Ben." The message ended.
"He never came," Gwendolyn's voice cut through the silence. "Didn't even send a gift. I've never seen someone look so sad at their own wedding."
XLR8(F) didn't say anything to the stares he was receiving from the younger Tennysons or Gwendolyn.
TZZZT!
Another message played again. This time Yukiko(F) was standing up and she wasn't alone. A familiar looking man stood next to her; his silver bowl cut hadn't changed in over 20 years. Yu(F)'s facial features were a lot more mature and handsome than the pretty boy he was as a teenager. He was dressed in a simple white button up shirt and black jeans. Yukiko waved at the camera. "Hello, Ben. We don't have much time at the moment, because of some important guests coming over. But something recent happened and you're the last person that we have to tell."
Gwendolyn's eyes widened. She took notice of Yukiko's body language. "Oh, this is…"
XLR8(F)'s breath hitched. This message was recent, he hadn't seen it yet.
Yukiko(F) softly placed both hands onto her stomach with a satisfied smile gracing her lips. Yu looked just as happy as she did, holding Yukiko close to him. Yukiko turned back to the projector. "I'm pregnant, Ben. We're going to have a baby. I know you're probably shocked, but it's nothing to worry about. You'll be like a unc-"
TZZZZT!
"HEY!" Ben yelled at his future self, who had ended the recordings. "She was still talking-"
"QUIET!" XLR8(F) roared. His shout silenced Ben instantly. "No more." He turned to Gwendolyn. "Get them out of here! NOW!"
Yukiko stepped forward. She was still trying to process a lot of recent information, especially about her future self being pregnant and blind. She was starting to put together the pieces as to why Ben 10K was as messed up as he was. "Ben, you need to talk to us! What happened to her-me!? You can't keep running-"
Before she could blink XLR8 was already staring her down, towering over her. "I don't have to explain anything to you! All you need to do is leave me alone!"
Gwen got in between them. "Don't yell at her, doofus! She just wants to help you!"
XLR8(F)'s anger was now on her. "I didn't ask for her help. I didn't ask for your help, and I certainly didn't ask for HIM!" His claw pointed right at Ben. The boy's brows furrowed with anger.
"Yeah, I certainly didn't ask to become such a massive jerk to the people around me. There's no way that I'll ever end up becoming someone like you!" Ben stomped forward with every word until he was right in front of his counterpart.
Gwendolyn's eyes widened in fear, hurrying down to stop the madness. This wasn't how the plan was supposed to go. They were supposed to help heal him, not worsen the scar in his heart. "Ben, don't-"
"YOU'RE NOT ME!" Ben roared.
Yukiko choked back a silent gasp after hearing Ben utter those words. Just from her own instincts she was expecting Ben 10K to transform into some hideous creature as if he was a Shadow, which in all honesty she would have preferred over all of this.
XLR8(F) just stared down at him blankly. "Fine by me. I never want to be you again."
DANGER ALERT! SECTOR 1A-CENTRIC! DANGER ALERT! SECTOR 1A-CENTRIC!
"What is it?" Yukiko asked.
"My business. Not yours," XLR8(F) responded. He turned to Gwendolyn. "Get the portal open and send them home!" He gave his order one last time before leaving.
Ben spat on the floor. "Tch, good riddance."
"This wasn't supposed to happen. You were supposed to bring him back, not push him away…" Gwendolyn sighed.
"We still can," Yukiko told Gwendolyn. "You told us that something dangerous was coming, right? We can still help him! My friends and I never gave up before and I won't start now!" Yukiko's determination was clear. The heiress had promised herself to protect her family and that's exactly what she's going to do.
Gwen agreed. "And I'm sure whatever is going on is happening down in Sector 1A-Centric!"
Gwendolyn appreciated that the girls were still willing to help Ben 10K. She could only hope that Ben would be willing to come around. "Thank you."
Yukiko shook her head. "There's no need to thank us." Yukiko reached up and patted Gwendolyn on the head, making her blush.
Ben wasn't sure about being anything like his counterpart, but something was bothering him. "Where's Sector 1A-Centric?"
"Only 61 stories below- THE NULL VOID PROJECTOR!" Gwendolyn realized. "Come on, we need to hurry!" She exclaimed, flying down the hall. Ben grabbed his hoverboard to follow with Gwen right behind him.
Yukiko was about to follow but stopped herself. She turned around to the computer, thinking back to the messages they had all just seen. An idea formed in her head as she walked up to the panel.
Yukiko Amagi(F) relaxed on her sofa, happy that the traffic of guests seemed to have slowed down. She carefully lifted the cup of tea to quench her thirst.
"Are you doing, okay?" A soft yet deep voice asked.
Yukiko(F) smiled softly. "Yes, Yu-kun. I'm doing just fine. You don't need to ask that every time I move around."
Yu(F) chuckled, sitting down right next to her. "I know, but I don't want you or the baby to be strained too much."
"We're going to be okay." Yukiko(F) rubbed the tiny bump of her stomach. "We have you here if anything were to go wrong-"
BEEEEEEEP!
The two were interrupted by their personal communicator going off, slightly annoying the couple. Yu(F) got out of his seat to answer the call. "Who could it be at this time of night?"
Yukiko(F) placed down her cup. "I swear if this is Teddie calling to tell us about some other "hot babe" he found, I'm going to melt him into the floor," She threatened.
Yu(F) shivered from her dark tone, he was hoping it wasn't Teddie for his sake. Looking at the call number, his eyes grew wide. "It's a message from Ben…"
"WHAT!?" Yukiko(F) almost jumped out of her seat. Since she couldn't see, she accidently hit her foot against the table. "Ow!"
"Yukiko!"
"I'm fine, just answer the call!"
Yu(F) did as told. The device illuminated before projecting the holographic image. What Yu expected to see was Ben 10K, but who actually ended up appearing made his legs feel weak. "What the hell…?"
"W-what? What is it?" Yukiko(F) asked.
"I-I think it's recording. Technology really has grown in 20 years."
Yukiko(F) did her own double-take. "I-Is that my voice?"
Yu(F) nodded his head. "It's you, but it looks like you from 20 years ago."
"Hello, Yukiko-err-me! I'm sure the sight-I mean-sound of me alone is shocking. There isn't much time to explain everything, but Gwendolyn used time travel to bring me 20 years into the future to help Ben 10K."
"Gwendolyn figured out time travel…" Yukiko(F) had no idea her cousin had been doing that. She hasn't been told anything.
"Ben needs help. He's hurting, he's been hurting for 20 years and needs you. There is an incredible danger coming right now and I'm afraid that he won't be able to handle it the way he is now. I know this is too much to ask considering your condition right now, but please…"
Yukiko(F) was already on her feet with her cane in hand. Carefully maneuvering to grab her fan off of the stand next to their bed. Yu(F) had entered their closet, taking his katana out of the case it had been sitting in for years. The couple were heading out of the room as they heard the final words of the message.
"...Please help Ben."
Dr. Animo initiated the activation of the Null Void projector before XLR8(F) arrived inside of the chamber. A flash of green light changed him into Diamondhead(F). "It ends now, Animo!"
"Oh~ It's only just beginning…"
Diamondhead(F) froze on the spot, the voice which haunted his dreams sent a shock through his system. Turning towards the shadowed corner of the room. "Vilgax!?"
The galactic warlord's appearance had also been altered over the years. He wears a red glove on his right hand, has the same breathing mask as he did 20 years ago, and wears a red and black spandex suit with no sleeves. His left arm is enlarged, with two spikes just below his elbow, and a retractable tentacle.
Diamondhead(F) dodged out of the way of Vilgax's charge. Using his size to dodge the much larger opponent's swings, but it proved futile. Vilgax was much faster as he was stronger, tossing Diamondhead(F) into the wall. He had to brace himself as the warlord's massive fist sent him flying through the chamber walls.
Seeing that his nemesis was occupied, Animo returned to activate the projector. Until magic bolts blasted him away. The doctor turned to the entrance to see Gwendolyn and the younger Tennysons staring him down.
"Animo is trying to open the Null Void Chamber," Gwendolyn said.
"And free everyone Ben 10K ever captured," Ben added. He looked over to see Vilgax beating down on his counterpart. "Vilgax!?"
Yukiko was equally as shocked. "But I thought Ben 10K had…"
Animo laughed hysterically, gaining their attention. "There is nothing my scientific mind cannot accomplish! Even resurrecting someone as powerful as Vilgax!"
Gwen smirked. "Oh yeah? Then how come you still haven't beaten us after two decades?" Her remark annoyed the mechanical ape.
Ben addressed his cousins. "You guys take care of Animo! Vilgax is mine!"
"With pleasure!" Both Gwens charged into battle. Yukiko stayed behind and watched as Ben mistransformed into Upgrade.
"Upgrade!? Oh man!" He complained.
"Ben, we need to go!" Yukiko exclaimed.
"But I can-" His protest was cut off by her stern glare. "...Fine!"
"GUH!" Diamondhead(F) grunted as he was thrown onto the hanger of the tower. He held onto the edge to prevent himself from falling into the city.
"You've gotten weaker, Tennyson!" Vilgax marched through the smoke. "Doesn't matter, I'll still enjoy ripping you to pieces as you did to me!"
"AGIDYNE!"
"Gah!" Vilgax grunted as he was hit by the surprise attack. He turned around only to get hit straight in the face by an Upgrade hoverboard that Yukiko was riding on.
She jumped off with Upgrade holding her in his arms, demerging from the board. "Take that!" Vilgax effortlessly destroyed the board.
"That was pretty useless," Yukiko commented.
"I think it was cool!" Upgrade defended himself.
Diamondhead(F) climbed back onto the platform. "You two!? Get out of here!"
Upgrade hissed at his counterpart. "You don't tell me what to do!"
"I can when you're acting like a careless fool!"
"Both of you stop it!" Yukiko got in between them. "This is no time to be fighting each other!"
"She's right. Especially when you have to deal with me!"
Diamondhead(F) quickly pushed both younger Tennysons out of the way before Vilgax's massive fist crashed right into him, sending the hero flying through a building across from them.
"Ben!" Yukiko cried out. She got to her feet with her Persona brimming behind her.
Vilgax slowly walked over to her. "Hm? Something seems different about you, Amagi. Last time we crossed paths I had already clawed through your eyes." Vilgax raised his sharp claws to emphasize his point.
A flash of her counterpart played in her mind. "...You! You did that to her!" Venom seeped through Yukiko's lips.
"Yes, and I'll enjoy doing it again!" Vilgax raised his massive fist into the air.
"Not on my watch!" Upgrade got in between them, blasting Vilgax back with a beam. The warlord blocked the attack with his massive hand, pushing against the beam, and grabbing Upgrade by his head. The Mechamorph used his liquid-like body to escape Vilgax's grasp.
"Maragidyne!" Yukiko blasted Vilgax with a repeated barrage of large fireballs. All of which Vilgax blocked or batted away.
"Your attacks cannot hurt me!" Vilgax roared.
"Then what about this!" The warlord looked over to see a large dinosaur-like alien smash his fist into his face. Knocking Vilgax away from Yukiko.
"Ben!" Yukiko exclaimed. "What alien is that?"
"A Vaxasaurian," Ben 10K answered.
"A Vaxa-what?" Upgrade asked, confused.
"Not important. Here," Ben 10K lightly tapped the Omnitrix dial on Upgrade's chest, turning him into Cannonbolt.
"Woah!? Now I don't have to go Ben anymore!" Cannonbolt exclaimed. Yukiko was surprised at the ability as well.
"If you're going to keep getting in the way, then you might as well make yourself useful," Ben 10K said before charging at Vilgax.
Cannonbolt grunted, annoyed. "Wouldn't hurt to be nice for once!" He yelled before following his counterpart.
"Just deal with it for now, Ben!" Yukiko told him before launching more fireballs.
"GAH!" Animo slid against the ground from the combined attacks of the Gwens.
Gwendolyn fired off magic bolts to push Animo back, while her younger self was shooting a continuous stream of magic at him.
Animo blocked the attacks with his arms. "Science will not fall to magic!" Red rays were fired from his singular antenna at the girls. Forcing the two to dodge and spread out.
Behind them the Null Void Chamber was slowly opening, close to releasing all of the captives inside.
Ben 10K bounced across the floor after taking a beating from Vilgax. Cannonbolt rolled past him in an attempt to push him back, but Vilgax caught him. Pulling back his arm and charging it with energy, Vilgax punched Cannonbolt through the floor.
Ben 10K transformed into Heatblast(F), which gave Yukiko the opportunity to boost his fire with her magic. The powered-up fire hit Vilgax, but proved to be futile again. The warlord just stamped right through it to uppercut the Pyronite.
Vilgax shot out a whip from his hands, wrapping it around Yukiko's ankle, tossing her into the air before harshly slamming her down onto the metal.
Heatblast(F) flew through the air before turning into Stinkfly(F), shooting a wave of gunk at Vilgax. The warlord dodged the attack, shooting whip from his wrist, and wrapping it around Stinkfly's tail. "You think you can destroy me!?" Vilgax slammed Stinkfly(F) into a wall. "I am Vilgax!"
SLAM!
"I cannot be destroyed!"
SLAM!
"Not by you!"
SLAM!
"NOT BY ANYONE!"
FLASH!
XLR8(F) sped towards Vilgax, who wasn't bothered by the transformation. "After my rejuvenation I've analyzed each one of your aliens." He released spiked grenades from his wrist, stopping XLR8(F) in his tracks.
FLASH!
Four Arms(F) stood before him now. "Animo programmed each one of their moves into my DNA!" Vilgax grabbed him by the skull, pinning him into the ground. "Nothing you can do can stop me anymore!"
RUMBLE!
Cannonbolt popped out of the ground to attack, but Vilgax knew he was coming. His massive hand smashed Cannonbolt into the floor, wrapping his whip around the Arburian Pelatora, and pulled him close.
"GET YOUR PAWS OFF MY GRANDSON!"
Vilgax turned around to see a blue beam blast him away from Cannonbolt and into the wall. The Rustbucket descended down with Max holding the mega blaster. Four Arms(F), Cannonbolt, and Yukiko were surprised to see him. "Grandpa, you came!" Yukiko exclaimed.
Max smiled at them. "And I didn't come alone." He stepped aside to reveal Yukiko(F) and Yu(F), both with their own weapons drawn.
"Yukiko…" Four Arms(F) gasped.
"Yukiko!"
"Future me!"
"What am I, chop-liver?" Yu asked, jokingly.
"Hello, Ben," Yukiko(F) smiled. She couldn't see him, but she could feel his presence. "And you too, little Ben and younger me."
Behind them Vilgax was getting back up to his feet, glaring at the Tennysons in front of him. Yukiko(F) didn't need her eyes to feel Vilgax's disgusting presence, painful memories resurfacing. "Vilgax…!"
"Yes, you're the right one. The one that I enjoyed torturing so much!" Vilgax's voice was filled with pleasure. "GAH!" He was blasted back again by Max's mega blaster.
Yukiko(F)'s hand twitched to grab her fan, but Yu(F) stopped her. "No. He's too strong and we both haven't battled in years. He'd just kill you if you fought him now."
Cannonbolt agreed. "Yukiko, you head off with the others to help the Gwens. Me and Mr. Lone wolf can take Vilgax."
As much as Yukiko didn't want to leave the two alone with Vilgax, she knew he was right. This Vilgax was much more powerful than there's and she was nothing more than a liability. "Fine. But make sure you kick his butt!" Yukiko shouted as she entered the Rustbucket.
"Right!" Cannonbolt grinned.
Yukiko(F) decided now would be the best time for these words. Words she should've told Ben beforehand instead of hiding away. "Ben."
Four Arms(F) didn't turn to look at her. He didn't feel as if he had the right to look at her.
"Be the hero I know you can be. I love you."
Four Arms(F) lost focus as those words repeated endlessly in his ears. Everyone else was so equally focused on what she had said that Vilgax came speeding out too fast. He tackled both Bens off of the building, all three falling into the city below.
"BEN!" They screamed as the three got further and further away.
"We need to help him!" Yukiko yelled.
"No time! We have to help the Gwens!" Max started piloting the Rustbucket into the Chamber. All they could do was hope that the Bens could handle Vilgax on their own.
Animo swung his arm into Gwendolyn, slamming the spellcaster into the metal walls. He pulled back his fist to smash her face into paste, but a blue beam held him back. Using the distraction, Gwendolyn activated a spell.
"Meena Goh!" Fire blasted Animo off of her, giving her room to breathe. Gwendolyn groaned from the pain in her ribs.
Gwen attempted to jump kick Animo, but the ape was prepared for it. Grabbing her by the leg and slammed her into the floor. The younger girl cried out in pain, struggling to get up.
"You two can't stop me on your own!" Animo celebrated.
"They don't have to! AGIDYNE!" Twin fireballs smashed into Animo, burning his suit and flinging him across the chamber. Growling at the interference he saw both Yukiko's extending their fans in his direction.
"Even after all this time you still insist on interfering! Two of you meddling witches is one too many!" Animo growled.
"If you're tired of them then let's put you back in your pen!" Yu(F) sprinted past the Yukikos. He crushed his tarot card, allowing Izanagi to return to him once more. "Izanagi! Ziodyne!" A powerful bolt of lightning struck Animo, blasting him back. The mechanical ape refused to let them continue getting in his way. Charging forward, Animo raised his fists to attack, but Yu(F) dodged the slam.
The two Yukikos unleashed a barrage of flames at the mechanical ape to keep him back from Yu(F). Animo batted the flames away and tore a piece of metal out off of the floor, using it to shield himself from the flames. Once the barrage stopped, Animo threw the object at them in hopes of cutting the two in half.
Before the object could hit them, a robotic arm wrapped itself around the Priestesses, and got them out of the way. Turns out it was Max(F)'s mechanical arm. Both Yukiko and Gwen were surprised by the appendage. "That's so cool, Grandpa!" Gwen exclaimed.
"When could you do that?" Yukiko asked.
Max smirked at his granddaughters, transforming his arm into a gun. Gwendolyn and Yu(F) joined their side. "A lot can happen in 20 years. Now c'mon! Let's show him what we Tennysons are made of!"
Animo growled since the fight went from 2v1 to a 6v1. Pounding his fists against his chest, Animo met the Tennyson family head-on.
Down in the city, both Cannonbolt and Four Arms(F) climbed out of the crater that they had made in their fall with Vilgax. During the fall they had gotten separated from the warlord, giving them a moment to breathe. Cannonbolt turned to his counterpart. "C'mon, we gotta find Vilgax before he does something."
His counterpart just sat down, staring at the ground. "What's the point?"
"What?" Cannonbolt asked.
"I can't beat him. No matter what I do or how hard I try, he just keeps coming back and hurting the people I care about. Grandpa's arm and Yukiko's eyes. No matter how many aliens I unlocked, Vilgax just never stayed down. There's no point," Four Arms(F) sighed. "Had I just taken things seriously from the beginning then none of this would've happened."
"You can't blame yourself-"
"I can't?" Four Arms(F) turned to him on a dime, glaring at his younger counterpart. "Had I just dealt with Vilgax when I had the chance this Yukiko wouldn't have been tortured by him! Had I just been serious about being a hero then she'd still have her eyesight. She'd have been able to see all of her friends achieve their dreams, see her own wedding, and she'd be able to see the face of her own child!" Four Arms(F) shouted, crying at this point. He didn't care how he looked at the moment, because he was finally getting all of his emotions off of his chest. 20 long years of guilt finally reaching its climax. "How can I possibly face her when I'm the cause of all her pain?"
"Have you ever asked her how she feels?" Cannonbolt asked. The question caught his counterpart off guard. Cannonbolt had finally started to understand why his future self-ended up like this. He knew what he needed to do. "You blame yourself for hurting her when she never once felt that you were the cause. The Yukiko that I know would never hate me or blame me no matter how much I mess up. She'd do her absolute best to help all of us, because she knows that wallowing in self-doubt does nothing but hurt. She came all this way to help us fight even though she's at the biggest risk of getting hurt or worse. And why do you think that is?"
Four Arms(F) remembered Yukiko(F)'s words: "Be the hero I know you can be. I love you."
Cannonbolt could tell his words were finally getting through to his counterpart. "She believes that you can still be the best version of yourself and loves you even after what happened. So, are you just gonna let Vilgax stomp all over us or are we gonna make her proud and kick his butt?"
Four Arms(F) stared at his younger self for a moment before breaking out into small laughter. "Man…when did I get so wise?"
"Eh. I have my moments," Cannonbolt smirked.
RUMBLE!
"TENNYSON!"
Both Bens heard Vilgax's scream echo throughout the city. The muscled-up warlord was heading straight for them. Four Arms(F) looked down at his counterpart. "You got any ideas for big green and ugly over there?"
Cannonbolt grinned mischievously. "He may know how all our aliens fight, but if there's one thing nobody can ever predict is the power of Ben Tennyson! You haven't forgotten after all this time, right?"
FLASH!
Instead of Four Arms(F) standing next to him it was a tall adult male with a thick and muscular build. He was wearing a customized skintight outfit and a full beard. Ben 10K picked up a stray hoverboard on the ground. "Maybe it's time I did start acting like you." Cannonbolt couldn't have been happier.
Vilgax stomped his feet menacingly. "Pah! Your weak human form? What a novelty! Are you finally ready to surrender?"
Ben 10K stepped forward, confident. "Actually, I was getting ready to settle this the old fashion way." He smacked the dial on Cannonbolt.
FLASH!
Turning him into Diamondhead. Stepping on his board, he motioned for Ben to follow him. "Follow my lead!"
Ben 10K distracted Vilgax by maneuvering around him, leaving him open for Diamondhead to strike. The warlord dodged the punch in time and attempted to attack the approaching Ben 10K. However, the human was quick enough to dodge the attack and dance around Vilgax like an annoying fly.
"If this is your attempt to stop me, it's pathetic! And pointless!" Vilgax chased the human through the city.
"Whoo! Haha!" Ben 10K had fun flying through the city, even with Vilgax chasing him down. It was just like old times back during that summer vacation 20 years ago. "Come and get me!" He yelled as he flew over a pool, swerving around to go back to Vilgax. Ben 10K jumped off the board right before Vilgax smashed it to pieces.
FLASH!
He transformed into the pufferfish alien and shot his acid at Vilgax. Diamondhead caught up in time, pushing his hands onto the ground to create a wave of shards. The shards pushed Vilgax into the pool, which led towards the sewer system of the city.
Ben 10K transformed into a different alien that Diamondhead didn't recognize. The new alien released a blast of ice from his mouth, freezing the water and Vilgax along with it. "Hey, what do you call this guy?"
"I don't name. Uh…Absolute Zero?"
"Boring!" Diamondhead responded. He pondered for a moment before settling on a name. "How about Arctiguana?"
"Cool."
"CLEAVE!" Animo was knocked back by Izanagi's sword. Max(F) then rushed forward and uppercutted the ape into the air. Leaving him open for the girls to finish it.
"GWEN!" Both Yukikos called out to them.
"RIGHT!" All four came together and combined their magic power.
"ULTIMATE BLUE BURNING!"
Animo was left helpless as the magnitude of the attack was too much for his suit to handle. The mechanical ape body was completely destroyed. Leaving only his head in a jar left, it rolled across the floor until being stopped by Yu(F)'s foot.
"Hive five!" Gwen raised up her hand. All four girls smacked their hands together in victory, though Yukiko(F) needed a bit of help to locate their positions.
While that happened, Max(F) shut off the Null Void projector. "And that's the end of that."
"Let's hope the Bens took care of Vilgax," Yukiko said.
"I'm sure they're fine," Yu(F) answered.
"How do you know?" Gwen asked. All he did was point over to the entrance where footsteps could be heard.
"Are you sure you can't unlock Master Control for me?"
"I'm sure."
"But I mean-"
"The answer is no."
"But what if I need it!?"
"You'll be fine."
Everyone watched both Bens enter the chamber, with Ben annoying his counterpart yet again. Yukiko sprinted over to Ben. "BEN!"
"Huh-GWAH! Y-Yukiko!?" Ben tried to fight her off as Yukiko hugged him tightly. "Let me go!"
"Nope!"
"Uwah!" He screamed again as Gwen joined the little group hug.
Ben 10K shook his head at their antics, remembering how it felt to be forced into hugs by Yukiko. He had taken them for granted when he was younger. "But now…?" He looked over to his version of his family as they approached him. He didn't know what to do as they came closer, but the first words to spill out of his mouth were.
"I'm sorry."
They didn't say anything at all. Only staring at him.
"I-I've been a major doofus these past 20 years. You guys didn't deserve my harsh treatment or resentment. I've been the worst, haven't I?" Ben 10K said.
Yukiko(F) reached up with her hands, guided by Gwendolyn. Ben 10K froze when he felt her hands on his face. "I can't see you, Ben. But I can feel you and I'm sorry too for not trying harder to reach out to you. As an elder sister, I'm pretty terrible, aren't I?" She smiled. She pulled him into a hug, and he returned it just as fast. Tears streamed down his face as he embraced Yukiko after what felt like a lifetime.
Max(F) was next. "You're back home now, son. And that's all that matters."
Gwendolyn was already crying. "I'm just happy that it all worked out. I've missed my doofus cousin." She joined their hug.
Yu(F) was in the hug too. "Welcome back, Ben. There's a lot we need to catch you up on, little buddy."
The younger Tennysons had stopped their own little hug to watch their counterparts. Yukiko was happy that their family was finally back together. She looked down at her little cousins and pulled them back in close. "We'll always be together. No matter what."
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GRANDPA!" Both past and future clapped together. The family were now together in the tower's main room.
"Well, thanks. Having you all here is the best 80th birthday present I could have," Max(F) said.
Suddenly an alarm went off inside the tower. A screen appeared in front of Ben 10K. It was from Ultimos.
"Sorry, Ben. Danger alert, the Circus Freaks are in Quadrant 92-J."
Ben 10K looked at his family before answering Ultimos. "Hey, can't you guys see it's my Grandpa's birthday. I've missed enough time already; you guys can handle it."
"R-really!? I-I mean. Of course! Ultimos out!" The transmission cut off.
Gwen addressed her counterpart. "Crisis averted, huh?"
Gwendolyn nodded her head. "Yup and I couldn't have done it without you guys. Ben is back and we were able to celebrate Grandpa's birthday together. That's all I could ask for." Gwendolyn leaned down to her younger self. "Look, Gwen. I know your Ben can be a major dweeb but enjoy him while you can. Don't let him stray off the path like mine did, okay?"
"Got it. If anyone is gonna keep that doofus in line, it'll be me," Gwen huffed.
Yukiko nervously stood in front of her future self and Yu(F). The two were waiting for her to say something, taking a bit of pleasure at her nervousness. "S-so. Uh, the baby-"
"Give it time and don't try to force anything," Yu(F) said.
"I-I wasn't going to ask about that!" Yukiko blushed heavily. Her counterpart smacked Yu(F) on the arm.
"What? I was joking." He laughed.
Shaking her head, Yukiko(F) talked to her younger self. "We haven't decided on names yet if that's what you're wondering."
"O-oh, okay. Then what about-"
"Everyone's doing fine," Yukiko(F) responded. "They're happy and Chie-chan can't wait to be a Godmother."
Yukiko smiled a bit at that. "Are you sure you can't tell me anything?"
"We don't want you to spoil anything for them. There's a lot coming your way in the future and just like always the Investigation Team will always be together to face it," Yu(F) answered.
"Mother and Father are just fine too. The idea of being a grandfather has already made Father all giggly," Yukiko(F) said.
"Pfft! Snrk!" Yukiko started laughing. "F-Father giggling like a schoolgirl is just too funny! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
"Pfft! Snrk! H-He was so happy! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Yukiko(F) also started laughing. Their combined hyena-like laughs caught everyone's attention.
Ben 10K smiled brightly, he enjoyed hearing Yukiko laugh like that again.
PING!
Gwendolyn opened up a time portal. "The portal is ready and there's another birthday party for you guys to celebrate."
Gwen and Yukiko stood by the portal with Ben still next to his counterpart. "So, are you sure you can't teach me the secrets of the watch?"
Ben 10K placed a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry, you'll figure it out on your own. You're Ben Tennyson. There's nothing you can't do. And thanks for everything."
"No problem," Ben smiled.
"Here take this," Ben 10K handed him a cube.
"What is it?"
"Something I should've gotten Grandpa 20 years ago," Ben 10K left it vague.
"Guys it's closing! Hurry up!" Gwendolyn warned them.
"C'mon doofus!"
"Hurry, Ben!" The girls ran into the portal ahead of him. As Ben was running towards the portal, he turned around one last time. He gasped lightly at the scene before him.
Yukiko(F) had her eyes open, the usually warm colors were dulled out from the injuries, but even then, Ben could see a speck of light in them. The woman opened her mouth to give her final goodbyes.
"Keep being a hero, Ben."
The portal closed for the final time, leaving the future counterparts alone. "Do you think they'll be fine?" Gwendolyn asked.
"Oh yeah. They'll be better than us," Ben 10K smirked.
Max entered the camping grounds, looking around for his grandkids. "Ben? Gwen? Yukiko?"
PING!
"SURPRISE!"
The girls ran up to Max for a hug, which he accepted with open arms. "Grandpa!"
Ben turned around and activated the cube. Once he saw it the boy couldn't help but laugh. Walking up to his grandfather, Ben presented him with his birthday cake.
"I-I mean we got you a cake. Happy Birthday, Grandpa," Ben said from the bottom of his heart.
"Make a wish Grandpa!"
Chapter End
NOTE: I hope you all enjoyed the chapter! This took a lot out of me, but I'm proud of it. Anyway, let's get to the discussion.
1. I didn't want Ben 10,000 to just be seen as a jerk. The episode frames it as Ben just growing up to be a jackass. I wanted to add a reason as to why Ben 10,000 became the way he is. He's depressed and tries to take all the burden on his own.
2. Future Yukiko being blind is meant to be ironic. The whole point of Persona 4 is about seeing the truth and Yukiko is now unable to see the future she and her friends fought for. Why didn't she get a cybernetic eye if technology is so advanced? Yukiko just doesn't like technology, nor does she trust it that much. She pretty much accepted that she was permanently blind.
3. I didn't lean heavily into anything Persona related this chapter, because there was just no room for it. I wanted to have Yukiko know about her friends' futures, but then she'd just end up telling them about it. And the butterfly effect is a terrifying thing. There were also some other Persona related things that I did want to mention but decided a better place for it will be Ken 10.
4. This original future is a different timeline from the Ken 10 timeline. So do expect differences in the characters once we reach that episode. You'll also find out who Ben's love interest is in that episode.
5. Ben 10K did use Humungousaur in this chapter.
Have a great day!
Next Chapter - Midnight Madness