In the vastness of time and space, a single question arises.
What other Ben's exist in the omniverse and who were in Eon's army?
Well, for that, let us begin our tales of woe and pain, good and evil, love and war with this.
A giant golden book with a green hourglass symbol appeared from the empty space as it opened up its pages.
The Forgotten Ben's: Chapter one, Magic's End.
Xxxxx
-Salem, Massachusetts, the seventeenth century-
We find ourselves in a small town with numerous men and women at hard work. All working in their puritan efforts to keep sin and the devil at bay, as per the times.
Children helped their mothers with the washing, the men either tilled the fields or hunted in the forests, and the priests went to the local church for mass.
Overall, it was a nice calm afternoon in Salem.
One of them was busy filling a bucket from the well for a drink and looked at the clear sunny sky. Only to notice something rustling in the forest, the home of the devil and of the local indians. He looked at it nervously and with caution, while a few others noticed it too and backed up.
RUSSLE!
That was when a blast of wind occurred and a dark cloud covered the town in a thick haze the likes no one has seen before.
"Goodness, the wind." spoke one lady keeping her apron down while looking up. "What is happening?"
"I have no idea." said a man while holding down his hat, just as a loud scream was head and the haze dissipated, revealing a young boy without his head, and had his intestines strung around the body in the shape of a pentagram.
"SAMSON! NO!" the boy's mother screamed out in horror.
The people gasped and started muttering while the governor paled and gulped.
"Everyone, get inside, now!"
The people did so while no one noticed that the body was being drained of blood by an unknown force.
(A few miles from town)
On the road leading to Salem, we find a lone figure walking down the dirt pathway, still covered in grass and flowers from the days of the first settlers on this new world.
"Ah, a bright and clear day out. Not a single weed to be seen, and a fresh stream, perhaps I'll stop by Miss Anderson's and see if she has any squash she'd like to trade." said a middle age man with dark green eyes, brown hair, wearing a dark suit with a long flowing cape that went to his black boots, thick black gloves that went to his elbows, and holding a large black bag over his right shoulder as he walked down the road. "I should hope my dear cousin Gwendolyn doesn't give me strife, she continues to do it merely to spite me as much as the days are in a year. I should hope she finds a husband soon."
As he walked down the road and towards a stream, he noticed that a small girl with brown hair and a small white apron was about to slip into the river.
"Ooh, a flower." She said while bending down and slipped into the river due to the muddy banks. "Ah!"
"Child!" he called dropping the bag and running over quickly.
"Help!" She gasped while trying to gasp for air, only to start sinking into the water. "Help!"
The man rushed over quickly and dove into the water and grabbed her wrist before rushing to pull her from the water.
The child gasped while being held in his arms.
"Are you alright child?"
"Cough...cough...yes mister." She hacked while coughing up water.
"Pray to God himself you weren't caught in the rain. This stream would have surely claimed your innocent soul had no one been here."
She lightly blushed. "T-Thank you...mister."
"Why are you alone in the woods?"
"Looking for flowers." She said quickly. "Mama's sick with fever and pretty flowers might help."
"I can understand wanting to help ones parent, especially in these times of sickness and fear." he nodded patting her head. "But I do not think your mother would wish you to go to this much lengths if it meant endangering yourself."
She nodded as he let the child down. "Thank you mister."
"Tell you what, since I am on my way, I will help you gather some flowers and ensure you make it home safe and sound."
"Really?"
"Yes, but we better hurry, it's almost dark out. Spooks and devils will be prowling very soon."
"Mama said devils don't hurt people, only people do that."
He looked at her in silence and shook his head. "Young child, there are things I've seen, things I've heard, and things I have been told. And one thing I know to be true is that devils, all kinds, hurt people. Whether they be for sheer pleasure or madness, I have yet to see one devil that would be considered approachable as a person."
"Oh...so if I was a devil I would be a meany?" She pouted.
"...let us focus on the task at hand and get you enough flowers to liven up any household."
"Ok!" She smiled before running off, making the man run after her.
(A bit later)
-The Salem boundary point-
"Mmmm~" she smiled while holding a lot of wildflowers in her arms as the man had a flower in his hair, a gift from the young girl.
"I believe your mother will be quite pleased." He said while noticing the town was deserted.
"Thank you mister."
The man was about to say something when he noticed the girl just...vanished into thin air. He jumped and looked around while narrowing his eyes. "Something...is amiss."
As he walked into the town, he noticed the windows were closed and the doors bolted.
'Let's see. Boarded windows with a hint of sage? Odd choice, but there is no doubt about it, this town has been cursed.' He thought while looking around. 'But I better keep myself from trying anything foolish, the sheriff here is more sadistic then any devil I came across, and he's mortal.' he made his way to the well and glanced down it. 'I best keep from drinking the water, lest it's been poisoned.'
As he looked down, he noticed a small house nearby that was semi open near the shutters.
'They must think I'm a witch or wizard, better fix that misunderstanding up.' he thought making his way over and to the door before giving a knock.
"Go away!"
"Relax brother, I am a servant of God not Satan." he spoke clearly. "I have come to help."
The door creaked open as a man stepped out. "How exactly?"
"I am familiar with the ways of sending the servants of hell back to the pits, along with keeping witches at bay." He spoke curtsied. "We can talk more inside."
The man stared at the newcomer before slowly opening it. "Please, come inside."
(Inside)
The man sat on a wooden chair as he noticed the wife in hysterics and the husband was crossed. 'Must have lost a child or family member, better not pry too deeply into their tragedy.'
"It...It happened so quickly…there was no warning…"
"It has to be a demon." The man frowned.
"...so what exactly happened?" The 'newcomer' asked.
"The sky was clear, the sun was out, and...and…."
"And then Samson…" the man gripped his hands tightly. "Was beheaded and his...organs were used as a witch's circle."
"Hmm, I see." He said with a nod. "Was there an unholy storm or mist by chance?"
"A black haze."
"Mmm...you have a witch in Salem." He said gravely. "But how many and what powers they command is something I can not tell you, unless I investigated the area. But with George Corwin as sheriff, such a task would lead me to being marked a heretic or a criminal."
"Why is that?"
"A hunch." He said before getting up. "But if you provide me food and shelter, I promise that I will hunt the witches that killed your son and drive them from Salem forever."
"Please, avenge our son." pleaded the mother.
The newcomer started opening his bag while pulling out a bible. "I will good woman, that I will."
(Next morning)
'Now to try and find any signs on where the witch might be hiding.' He thought while looking around the town. 'Church? No, too holy. Maybe the smithguard? No witches hate iron as much as fairies. Mmm, maybe I'm missing something?' he looked around rubbing his chin. 'There must be some dead grass, that'd be a good clue.'
As he looked at the ground, he sniffed the dirt and cacked.
'Mercury, with a hint of goat's blood. Yep, this is a witch's doing, But is it just one or a coven?' he thought before hearing footsteps behind him and whirled around to see the girl from before.
"Hi mister." She waved. "What are you doing?"
"I am looking for something, but pray tell, what are you doing?" he frowned. "Especially after you vanished yesterday."
"I just walked away." She moved from side to side with her heels. "Mister? Want to play with me?"
"Not now, I have work that needs to be done."
She pouted as he turned around. "So you don't want to meet mama? She really wants to see you."
"Most people do."
"But she just wants your blood for her soup." She said with a smile.
"...what?" He turned to her.
"Mama wants you for dinner, papa got some deer for dinner." She smiled while the man felt very uncomfortable. "So can we play?"
"..."
"Please mister?"
"Uh…sure. Lead the way." He relented before he saw the girl running away, into the woods that is. "Wai! Don't go in there!"
"You can't catch me! He he!" she laughed with innocence.
He ran after her while his right arm felt itchy for some reason.
(Into the woods)
The man panted while looking around for the girl. 'How can she be so fast?'
"Catch me." said the girl's voice in the blistering wind.
"Child! Get back here!" He yelled while unable to find the source of the voice.
"He he he he."
He spun around while feeling dread in his soul as this was the deep woods, far from Salem and the adjacent towns, and the home of the indians that will kill him for just being white. "Come out!"
"He he he he he." The voice laughed before the man tripped and went falling down a ditch.
"Ah, ooh, ow, AH!" He cried out before landing on his head. "Ow...that hurt."
He turned his head before noticing that a small house was in the distance, one with no fence or barn, just a single hut. He narrowed his eyes and reached into his bag. 'Better get the stake.'
As he grabbed the bag and pulled out a wooden stake, he noticed that the small girl was running into the hut, making him fear for the child's sake.
"He he~"
"Child, come out of there right now." He yelled before rushing after her, only to notice that inside the house was...nothing. No fire, no cooking pot, just empty space with a deep dark pit in the middle of the floor. He looked around in alarm as his right arm itched more. "Why? Just why?"
A sickening odor came from the pit as the man looked around for anything off, which came in the form of strange symbols around the edges.
"Child, come out, it's not safe here." He called out as he heard laughing from the pit. 'God, if you're hearing me, please make sure my child never acts like this one.'
"Hehehehehe."
"Is that you child?"
"Mister." said the girl. "I see your wife, she enjoys it in here."
The man frowned as he still remembered his wife committed suicide by jumping into the sea, all because she married a 'monster'. 'Her? But how...no. This is just a trick.'
"She says hi. He he he."
"Come out of there now! I won't tell you again."
"He he." The girl giggled before saying in an adult voice. "Then come down then hunter."
"...are you the witch?"
Silence.
"Hello?" He asked before getting pushed by an invisible force and fell into the void. "AHHHHH!"
(A long way down later)
SPLAT!
The man groaned as he landed on a pile of still gooey bones. "Ow...ow."
That was when he noticed he was in a dark cave full of odd smelling odors and human remains, as a small light flickered in the distance. He got up while grabbing his stake and kept his guard up.
The wind rustled while noticing that there was a faint murmuring in the distance, the sounds of people chanting or just speaking an unknown language.
'Oh no. It's a coven of witches.' he thought with narrowed eyes. 'I'll end them all.'
That was when he walked towards the light, revealing a large room full of strange artifacts and a giant cauldron of bubbling water as several hooded figures with long staffs in their hands, stood around it, muttering to themselves.
'But I'm not sure if I can on my own. Perhaps this is where I meet my end.' He thought as his right arm itched again while noticing that someone was near the entrance.
That being the small girl, just playing with her fingers as if waiting for someone to appear.
"Mmmm~ Mmm mm mmm~"
'Her!' He thought as the child looked at him.
"Hi mister, I missed you." She smiled happily and in a cute voice.
"Do not mock me." he frowned. "You lead me here."
"Mmm." She looked at him with a smile. "Maybe?"
"I knew something was wrong, I should have cleansed your soul as soon as I met you."
"...why?" She asked innocently. "I'm already clean."
"Your soul is stained by that of the Devil."
"Me?" She said with a pout. "But I don't worship him, I worship Aphrodite."
"Still a pagan."
"..." she looked at him in the eyes before saying. "So you don't like me?"
"I have no choice, you are a witch as them."
The girl huffed before going inside the room, and snapped her fingers. "Knock him out, he is mine to deal with. And don't cut off his crotch yet."
'Oh no.' he thought as the hooded figures turned to him. "Stay back! By the lord's prayers I will stop you!"
They aimed their staffs at him as they charged up several pink and black orbs of lightning.
'Ah!' he thought before his arm itched like crazy. 'No! I'm not using that yet!'
BAM!
And cue him getting sent flying into a stalagmite.
"AHHH!" He gasped out while landing on the ground as the hooded figures appeared next to him and began to form more balls of light at him. 'Ok! Now it's time to use that cursed gauntlet!'
They chanted in the language while he reached for his right arm.
He pulled down his sleeve and revealed a green gauntlet with a black background and semi burnt white lines on the side as dried blood dripped from the skin and onto the stone covered floor. 'Come on you stupid gauntlet, just change me into something that won't kill me today!'
"Huh? What is that?" The child blinked while looking very confused. "It looks interesting."
"A tool I use for witches." He grunted out before twisting a small lense and looked through the images. 'So many monsters! Too many! Please let this one work!'
"Well you won't get a chance to use it." She said while the hooded figures blasted him.
FLASH!
Only for a bright green flash to be seen making them avert their eyes.
Only to reveal a giant gold and white bug like ball with black claws, green eyes and had a green symbol on his stomach.
"...what?" The little girl said in confusion along with the hooded figures.
"Behold, as my tool for the destruction of witches, I will use it to defend me!" he spoke before curling up into a ball and rolled at them.
Which lead to him going all over the place as the robed figures started to get crushed while others vanished from the cave, including the child, in a puff of smoke.
"May the force of God be with you in Heaven!" He yelled before he stopped and looked around. "...oh no. I didn't get them all." he facepalmed and cursed himself.
FLASH!
And changed back.
"...to hell with this thing!"
(Back in the surface)
A fox walked by the house while looking around for some food. It sniffed at the ground before walking off.
Which was when the man got out the front door and looked around in a hurry.
"Ok, where are those witches?" he frowned. "They couldn't have gotten too far from this town."
The gauntlet started itching again as he looked at it with a frown.
'I should've left it in that fallen star ages ago instead of putting it on while it was still burning.' He thought with a frown. 'Unable to remove it even when I take a wash.'
It kept on getting unbearable as it began to glow green and looked ready to work again.
"Now to weed out the witches." He sighed before looking at the images. "But with what exactly?" he turned the wheel and hummed. "Perhaps...this one."
FLASH!
And turned into a blue and black reptile with a long pointed head, sharp claws, and rounded feet as the symbol was on his chest.
"This beast will allow me to check all over." He said before running faster then the wind.
(A second later)
-Salem-
A woman looked out the window while getting spooked from a blue blur that came right passed the house. "AHH! Devil!"
"What is it?!"
"I-It was a blue devil!"
"...what?! Oh no! The witch has summoned her familiar!"
"What do we do?!"
"Pray for our souls!"
(Elsewhere)
The blur kept on running around before noticing a small abandoned barn near the town's border and stopped as he changed back. "This looks like the spot."
As he looked around, he noticed several animal bones near the front gate, all of them horses.
'Ok, they know about the infernal gauntlet, they know I'm a witch hunter, but they don't know anything else about me.' He thought while steeling himself. 'And hopefully I do not accidentally burn another town...like back in Wales.' he moved to the door and slowly pushed it open.
Only to see nothing inside, just an empty room.
'Do not fall for it. It is an illusion.'
"He he he." The girl's voice giggled out from all around the barn. "Hi mister, did you miss me?"
"Show yourself."
"To hurt me?" She asked. "Because I want to tell you something special~"
"And that is?"
The girl appeared in front of him before smiling. "Marry me~"
"..."
"Mister? Did you hear me?"
"Yes, now perish!" he declared swinging the stake out.
Only for the girl to vanish and appeared a few feet away.
"Aw. But we would be so perfect together." She smiled while her voice changed to an older woman's vocal pattern. "Especially after you saved my life, a little debt that made me want to have you as my husband."
"Do not try to sway me with your silver tongue!"
"But I'm being honest." She pouted. "I want to marry you under the eyes of Aphrodite. Why can't you see that and just forget about your wife? She's dead and I'm not."
"Do not speak of my wife!" he yelled running at her.
She huffed before her form changed into that of a short grey skinned woman with black arcane symbols on her shoulders, wearing a nomadic red and black dress with a hood, no pants or stocking, long silver hair that went to her wide hips and had purple highlights, light pink eyes, pointed ears, an F cup chest, and holding an oak staff with a raven's head and a gold ring running though its eyes. "Oh please, I know you miss her, but move on. Get married to me and you don't have to worry about death or heartache. I mean, I did come here to establish a home for heartbroken witches, isn't that a good thing mister?"
"Bringing a curse on the land and killing the people is not worth it. And telling me to move on to my wife and lower my standards to a witch is nothing short of blasphemy."
"..." she sighed heavily. "So you won't love me willingly?"
"Never."
She huffed before raising her staff up. "Then I will make you fall for me, right after I finish up with the William family."
A blast of black energy was sent flying out of the barn as the call of history began to be played out.
"Now that a scapegoat is created." She pointed her staff at the man. "Time to make you fall in love with Hexia Castera, high priestess of Aphrodite and ruler of the witches."
"Never!" He spoke before dialing in on the gauntlet.
FLASH!
And turned into a tall man with flames coming from his face and shoulders as the symbol appeared on his chest.
Hexia fired a blast of black energy at the man as she began to float in the air.
He reared his hands and let out a stream of flames that hit the energy head on.
BOOM!
Causing the barn to catch on fire in the process as another ball of darkness went flying at him, sending him right into a wall.
"Being so stubborn won't help you!"
"Neither will following a god that believes women are useless." Hexia retorted. "But you will soon love me mister, and that's a promise!"
He frowned at the first part as he saw the flames covering their escape routes. "Never!"
She disappeared before appearing behind him and blasted him with a burst of water.
"AH!"
"Just submit to me, mister!" She said while blasting him with more water. "Otherwise you'll have to suffer!"
He groaned from the water before hitting the symbol and turned into a red armored insect with dark green eyes and said symbol on his chest. "You will suffer in hell!"
She dodged a blast of water before changing tactics and started raining down flaming hail at the armored figure.
The creature let out a bigger burst of water which doused the flames. He then noticed that the woman was about to summon a giant hand of flames from a black circle. 'Oh no.'
She used the hand to grab the figure before moving closer to him. "Just accept my love, I'm the perfect bride for you."
"No you're not!" he groaned struggling in the grip.
"Aw." She frowned. "How rude, but I wonder. What else can that object do?" She then moved towards the symbol and pressed it.
FLASH!
Causing her to momentarily lose control of the hand as a giant one eyed plant creature appeared on the ground.
"This!" He wrapped his vine like arms around her before sending her flying out of the barn as she tumbled down a hill.
"Ow, ow! Gah! Ow!" She gasped out while landing at the base of a tree. "Ow…."
As she got up, she saw the plant moving towards her, leading her to take flight.
"Mister, you will pay for that." She frowned while moving far away from his reach. "I will make you my husband, that I swear. But before I depart, what is thy name?"
"You will not escape!" he yelled before lashing both arms out.
Only to miss her by a few feet.
"I asked you a question, what kind of gentleman keeps his name a secret to his bride?" Hexia floated higher into the sky. "Now What is your name witch hunter?"
"You are not my bride, but I am your executioner. You may call me, Benjamin McArther." He called out as the woman smirked.
"Benjamin, we will meet again." She chuckled as she turned into mist. "And when we do, we will be married, one way or another."
FLASH!
The plant man changed back while he frowned at his failure. "Damn it! I can not believe I let her get away, and she was so close!"
As he cursed his luck, the gauntlet began to itch again, albeit slower than usual.
"The first time in my career when a witch has slipped through my fingers!" He snapped before calming himself down. "Still, at least nothing else can go…oh right. The town is in a frenzy over the witches and if they find out I started the fire, I might be placed in prison...again."
As he looked back towards the town of Salem, he could see the people running towards a lone house in a frenzy. "I best go rest their minds and tell them the land is safe."
He then recalled the last time he tried that and paled.
"Or I can just go to another town, I heard Jamestown is in need of a witch hunter." He said before walking away as his cape blowing in the wind. 'Hopefully things go more smoothly there.'
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Name/Designation Title: Benjamin McArther (Witch Hunter- WHBen)
Age: 35
Affiliation: Good
Dimension: 34511- 66 WHB10
Trix/Abilities: Omnitrix (Infernal gauntlet)
Aliens used: Cannonball, XLR8, Heatblast, Water Hazard, Wildvine.
Bio: Born in the year 1657 in southern Wales, he was the son of a small time blacksmith and was on his way to be married to his sweetheart until she died from a sudden plague, which left him in a start of depression until the omnitrix landed near his family estate and it attached to his arm, still red hot. Due to that, he gained massive burns that are regularly healed by the watch, although he attributed it to 'witch sense' after finding the witch that killed his wife and used the omnitrix to destroy her and a few farms in the process. Became a wandering fugitive that was excommunicated from the church for his actions and jailed a few times in the past. Is considered gruff with a burning hatred for witches and other monsters, but is still willing to help those in need.