A/N: And here, his is where Vilgax, Kevin, Sixsix, and Malware come together, not literally, though. Very intriguing, isn't it?
Ben 10: Secret of the Omnitrix
Chapter 7: The Dark Maze of Zenon
Meanwhile, at the ship, Myaxx was scanning the Omnitrix.
"What have you been using this for? To open cans, break rocks?", Myaxx asked.
"Sounds about right.", Gwen responded.
"But he's also been using it to save innocent people and stop bad guys like Animo, same as me.", Emily added.
"What about the self-destruct? I'm sure the genius who created the Omnitrix can stop the countdown without totally turning it off, right?", Ben asked.
"Maybe, but you might be asking the wrong person.", Myaxx responded.
"But it has your DNA signature on it.", Tetrax stated.
"I, uh, may have accidentally erased Azmuth's DNA signature and put on my own, but that's only because he never gave me the credit I deserve.", Myaxx explained.
"Couldn't you have mentioned that when we were risking our lives to save you back on Incarcicon?", Julie asked.
"If I had, I'd still be stuck in that slime pit, wouldn't I?", Myaxx responded.
"You can't stop the self-destruct countdown?", Ben asked.
"Azmuth never trusted me with the abort sequence.", Myaxx responded before Tetrax got closer to Myaxx.
"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't shove you into an energy tube and shoot you back to Incarcicon right now!", Tetrax urged.
"Because she knows how to get to where the real Azmuth is quickly. I know because I got a call from him earlier and he told me that he's actually on some planet called Zenon before Gwen showed up.", Emily responded, surprising Tetrax, Gwen, and Ben.
"That's a good reason.", Ben responded.
"Zenon. It had to be Zenon.", Tetrax responded.
"Why do I get the feeling that Zenon isn't exactly a big vacation paradise?", Gwen asked before Ben removed the wires from the Omnitrix and walking away.
"The random energy blasts like the one on Incarcicon. They're growing larger and more intense, aren't they?", Myaxx asked.
"Yeah.", Ben responded.
"How do you know about those?", Julie puzzled.
"They indicate the Omni-energy inside is building to critical levels. And since the Omni-Enhancer is connected to the Omnitrix, eventually...", Myaxx began.
"I know. Poof. Emily and I are toast.", Ben interrupted.
"Well, not just you two, of course.", Myaxx stated.
"What are you talking about?", Ben puzzled.
"Ask him. He knows. Don't you?", Myaxx asked as Tetrax was hesitant.
"You didn't tell them?", Myaxx puzzled.
"It's all right, Tetrax. Just say what needs to be said.", Emily assured urgently.
"If the self-destruct is allowed to detonate, the combined explosion will cause an energy ripple that will literally rip apart the universe, including Earth.", Tetrax stated.
"Grandpa...!", Ben and Gwen gasped in worry.
"Azmuth is a hopeless paranoid. He built in the self-destruct as a last resort to keep his most precious creation out of the wrong hands. But he never thought anyone would be foolish enough to set it off, explaining why he connected the Omni-Enhancer to the omnitrix.", Myaxx explained.
"Obviously, he never met Ben.", Gwen stated.
"At least not directly.", Julie added.
"Good thing he warned us ahead of time, right, Julie?", Emily grinned a bit nervously.
"I can't believe you knew about this the whole time and didn't tell me.", Ben spoke in slight disbelief to Tetrax.
"I'm sorry, Ben. I thought you'd be more concerned about how this affected you rather than others.", Tetrax responded.
"What do you mean? Emily and I help people all the time with the Omnitrix and Omni-Enhancer.", Ben responded.
"That's true. You two do help a lot of people. But ask yourself this. Do you help because it's the right thing to do? Or for the thrill of being a hero?", Tetrax responded, giving Ben some food for thought as he had a look of slight worry.
Meanwhile, Vilgax's ship was moving in toward Incarcicon.
"Scan the area. There. Retrieve them.", Vilgax spoke, pointing to Sixsix and Malware on the cylindrical monitor before his servant droids zoomed in on the targets and started pressing keys.
Later, Malware and SixSix were now with Vilgax and Kevin.
"So, you got a beef with Tennyson, too, huh?", Kevin asked.
"That is right. But we can discuss reasons for another time. The point is, Ben Tennyson and Emily Roosevelt managed to locate Myaxx and broke her out of Incarcicon.", Malware stated.
"But they must not have found what they were looking for on Incarcicon. Their current trajectory has them headed into the Ugopata Quadrant. What does Tennyson know that I don't?", Vilgax asked.
"It may have something to do with the creator of the Omnitrix himself. Azmuth...", Malware responded with a slight sneer.
Meanwhile, back in the ship, Myaxx was installing a certain device to the back of the Omnitrix to keep the energy blasts from occurring.
"This containment device should deflect the energy fluctuations back into the Omnitrix while still allowing you full access to the control dials.", Myaxx assured as the containment device was being installed.
"A lot of good it does me if I can't even go hero anyway.", Ben complained.
"Don't worry, Ben. It'll be over soon. I'm sure of it.", Julie assured.
Then, the ship suddenly started shaking before Ben, Gwen, Julie, Emily, Myaxx, and Tetrax reported to the main control hub.
"Gorvan, Gluto, status!", Tetrax urged.
"We may have had some unexpected turbulence, but we're finally here.", Gorvan reported before Gluto warbled in agreement.
"Zenon...", Tetrax spoke.
"Uh, where?", Ben asked.
"Yeah. We can't see anything.", Julie agreed.
"Azmuth creates a device which absorbs all the light in this quadrant. Of course, I was the one who calculated the entire particle absorption matrix, but will he admit that? No.", Myaxx stayed spitefully before Emily cleated her throat glaringly.
"Anyway, Zenon is surrounded by an asteroid belt.", Myaxx stated.
"Which you can't see because Azmuth turned out all the lights.", Gwen guessed.
"Exactly. Those are failed attempts.", Myaxx spoke before the ship grazed against the top of the metal by the engines for a second with Gluto warbling sadly.
"Looks like we can't fly blind in that field.", Gorvan stated.
"How are we supposed to get to Zenon if we can't see it?", Ben puzzled.
"The answer is on your wrist and Emily's.", Myaxx spoke, pointing to the Omnitrix and Omni-Enhancer.
"Really? How?", Emily puzzled before her Omni-Enhancer beeped with Ben's Omnitrix doing the same before the dials both popped up and spread green lines all over their bodies (cyan for Emily's case) and created a green, gray, and white Omni-Naut Armor with neon green lights and the symbol of the Omnitrix transparent on the front of the windshield of the helmets in green for Ben and in Blue for Emily (although the suit was blue, gray, and white with neon blue lights for Emily's case).
"Huh. I guess that answers that question.", Emily spoke in surprise.
Later, she and Ben were outside on top of the ship.
"Uh, explain your is again what we're doing out here?", Ben puzzled.
"Both the Omnitrix and Omni-Enhancer have built-in homing devices. We should be close enough for them to guide us through the asteroid field.", Myaxx responded.
"'Should be?'", Tetrax puzzled.
"Well, it's worth a shot.", Gorvan responded.
"Okay. I just hope this works.", Emily spoke in slight worry before one of the broken pieces crashed into the ship, putting a dent on it.
"What are you doing? You both have to direct us or the ship will be torn apart.", Myaxx warned.
"Great. No pressure.", Ben spoke sarcastically before both the Omnitrix and Omni-enhancer beeped before the dials went up and gave off green and blue waves with the right button on the dial glowing as the dials turned in said direction.
"It's working.", Emily spoke in amazement.
"About time.", Gorvan smirked before Gluto turned to Tetrax and warbled to him.
"I know, I know, I was going to. Should we turn to Starboard or to port?", Tetrax asked.
"What?", Ben puzzled.
"He means right or left.", Julie responded.
"Well, why didn't he just say so?", Ben asked.
Then, the dials turned to the left.
"Go to the left.", Emily suggested before the ship went left while narrowly avoiding the asteroids and broken pieces, except for one that scraped against the ship at the bottom.
After that, both the Omnitrix and Omni-Enhancer glowed so brightly that they emitted green and blue beacons of light shooting toward Zenon, paving the way and revealing an asteroid belt surrounding Zenon.
Meanwhile, Azmuth looked up at the starry night sky and saw the green and blue beacons of light from afar.
"Took them long enough.", Azmuth grinned with a smirk before overbearing thunder from storm clouds inbound.
"And not a moment too soon.", Azmuth stated.
Meanwhile, Ben and Emily were excited.
"We did it, Tetrax!", Emily shouted excitedly.
"Well done, you two.", Tetrax grinned.
"Yeah!", Ben cheered as he raised his arms.
"Whoo-hoo! Yeah!", Emily cheered at the same time.
"Come on in.", Tetrax suggested before something came up on the monitor.
"Hold on a minute. Something isn't right.", Gorvan spoke as he then checked something on one of the red monitor dots before noticing numerous bright red dots near the ship on the monitor.
"We're being surrounded!", Gorvan warned.
"By what?", Emily puzzled just before he and Ben noticed an asteroid heading their way only for it to be crushed by three incoming drills that latched themselves into the ship and began etching themselves deeper into it as Ben and Emily were suddenly pushed off the ship by the shaking as they yelled out in surprise.
It turned out that the drills came from the ship belonging to none other than...
"Vilgax!", Tetrax guessed.
"And that's not the worst of it.", Gorvan spoke as he then pointed to the yellow monitor showing the drones reinforcing the drills to make sure they won't come apart.
"You cannot win. Turn over the Omnitrix and perhaps your deaths will be swift, except, of course, for the Tennyson boy and the Roosevelt girl.", Vilgax demanded.
"We're goners now.", Myaxx discouraged.
"Not while I'm in charge.", Tetrax assured before speaking with Ben and Emily.
"Ben, Emily, I'm sending gyro pods.", Tetrax spoke.
"I'll just go Stink and Fly back.", Ben assured as he was trying to activate the Omnitrix.
"No, Ben. We can't afford to accelerate the countdown.", Emily reminded.
"I'm sending the pods. Gwen, Julie, I need you two, Gorvan, and Gluto to keep him busy for a while.", Tetrax urged before Gwen and Julie nodded.
"Anything for my old friend.", Gorvan agreed.
Then, Tetrax pushed a button and sent two pods to Ben and Emily before they made their way from the leg of the ship and toward them with Ben and Emily then catching onto each of them barely before they got their grip on the lids.
"Got it!", Emily sighed.
Meanwhile, the door on the ceiling was blasted and corroded by Malware, who went in first and led the droids who followed behind him.
"I know you're out there somewhere, Tennyson, and you cannot hide forever.", Malware sneered.
Then, Vilgax, Kevin, and Sixsix followed by just before the seal on the ceiling shut to prevent anyone from getting sucked out.
"Finally. I've been waiting a long time for this.", Kevin smirked.
Meanwhile, Ben and Emily managed to open the lid and go inside their own gyro pods only to notice some slightly different controls.
"What kind of mega weird alien is this built for?", Ben puzzled.
"I'll give you a guess. Gluto.", Emily responded via pod communicator.
"Oh, well. How hard can it be?", Ben asked as her searched for the right controls.
Meanwhile, Malware blasted one of the doors and saw no sign of anyone there.
"Where are you hiding, Tennyson?", Malware asked, leading the droids forward before he turned left, not knowing that Tetrax was right above him.
Then, after Tetrax pressed a button, Malware looked up and saw him just before the he and the droids got squished together by the compactors as Tetrax left afterwards only for Malware to corrode the compactors and go after him alone.
Meanwhile, in the gyro pods, Ben and Emily were still trying to figure out the controls as the pods went a long before a mechanical system went down with a cup sliding down onto it before a small nozzle appeared and poured down water, which had 4 small snake-like creatures with cute eyes inside, at least for Emily's case.
"Okay. I don't know whether to feel affectionate or disgusted.", Emily spoke before the pods shook, shaking the 4 creatures out of the cup before the two noticed the pod headed for a wall.
"Oh, man! Where's Gluto when you need him?", Ben asked.
"Oh, I wish I knew how these controls worked!", Emily exclaimed as the pods headed for the wall.