STOP!
If you are a returning reader and skipped here please go back to the first chapter. I have republished it after some work. Editing, adding some new details and information.
With that out of the way, please continue.
Welcome ladies and gents, to the next chapter of Plumber Among Marvels, there is some information I will be placing at the bottom in an AN but I don't wanna clog up the top here. So as usual I'll make the required statement of I in no way make money off this project, if I did I'd have a better truck and my house would be fixed up by now.
Thanks to Kamen Rider Arashi for his help, and without further ado ON WITH THE CHAPTER!
Chapter Two: Meetings and Humble Pie
Since the late eighteen-hundreds, the Xavier Ancestral Home had been a constant presence in Bayville, New York. Resting high on a rise that continued towards cliffs over the ocean behind it, the manor had been built to last and newer generations had kept up with the times in making sure it was the epitome of modern luxury.
Within its perimeter wall was a wide estate of neatly trimmed grass, a wooded area through which a few concrete paths had been maintained perfect for little strolls or even exercise runs. The driveway stretched up from the wide, wrought iron gate to the house's front door in front of which a statue of an angel watched from its pedestal in the middle of a fountain.
One of the last remaining members of the prominent family, Professor Charles Xavier, sat within the study that had served his father, grandfather, great grandfather and so on all the way back to the first of his line to live in this house. His eyes, chips of blue glimmering with intelligence, were staring at the phone he had only just returned to its base after a most interesting discussion.
He sat there alone, contemplating what he had learned in the past few minutes and what his next moves should be. Nodding, the bald man closed his eyes, his mind reaching out into the astral plane as he once again tapped into his mutant ability of telepathy. With incredibly little effort he found the minds of his fellow adults.
The first was female and buzzed with a unique signature as if wrapped in an ever-roiling blanket of hurricane winds. The first time he felt it he had believed it to be an incredibly off-putting sensation, but he had long come to realize was a side-effect of her own mutant abilities. Luckily, while the field served as a natural protection against psychic invasion it still allowed for him to call out to the woman in question who he realized was in the middle of preparing a snack for herself in the kitchen.
"Ororo," he called. "I have just learned some interesting news. I need to speak with everyone in the study please."
"I'll start gathering everyone then," was the woman's reply and he felt her set the food aside before he turned his attention toward the second teacher.
This one was more akin to that of a wild animal forcefully civilized by an incredible willpower. Underneath a gruff exterior there was sorrow, a boiling rage ever present, and a kind of resignation to a fate he was not enthusiastic for. A brief touch to his mind allowed Charles to see he was bent over the exposed engine of the van kept in the institute's large garage. He could smell the oil through his friend's nose, feel the tool in his hands and hear the classic rock channel playing on a small radio perched on the toolbox standing a few feet to the side for easy access.
"Logan."
The mechanic and all around tough guy of their little group stopped just as he was reaching for a new tool. "Yeah Chuck?"
"I have an announcement I will be making to everyone. Ororo has begun gathering the students and sending them toward the study. Please join us there and if you find any stragglers send them my way."
"Got it," the gruff man paused long enough to wipe his hands on the rag he'd set aside for that exact purpose and was heading back toward the mansion when Charles ended the connection.
He returned to his body and opened his eyes just in time for a knock to sound against the study's door. "Come in." The door opened at his invitation and through it stepped the newest teen to join his students. "Ah, Rogue thank you for coming. How are you finding your stay with us so far?"
"It's a bit fancy for mah taste," the gothic-clad girl's voice was heavy with the drawl of a southern girl. "But Ah'm gettin used to it."
"I'm glad to hear that," he smiled kindly and waved toward one of the divans placed in the room for such meetings as the one he had called for. "Please, have a seat. Everyone else should be here shortly."
As the teen sank into the comfortable furniture, more students began to gather. With them was the statuesque woman he knew as Ororo Munroe. She was followed by the shorter than average Logan, no last name necessary. The woman moved to join the students on one of the divans, gently running her fingers through the curly hair of the girl known as Kitty Pryde with a slight smile. Logan simply closed the door, leaned back against the wall next to it and crossed his arms over his broad chest, his expression set in its usual stoic observation.
After everyone had joined him, Xavier nodded and opened his mouth once again. "Thank you for coming," he said. "I have just had a telephone call with an old contact of mine, Dr. Stephen Strange. We met when I was getting a checkup in New York, a rather intelligent fellow with his own many secrets we had a rather extensive talk. During this discussion I brought up the possibility of mutations developing, people with extraordinary abilities. My hopes to find them and help them with their abilities."
He saw a few curious expressions, none of them recognizing the name but they did tense when hearing of how this man seemed to know about mutants. "He called me today to see if I had made any progress on that front, because he had recently taken in a young man he believes could be a boon to our efforts."
"Will he be a student or teacher Professor," all eyes turned to the young man sporting a pair of red-lensed sunglasses even when inside. Even without being able to see his eyes, the rest of his expression was readable enough to see his curiosity plainly.
"He is a possible teacher Scott. I am going to be leaving tomorrow morning to meet with him, and I hope to bring Ororo and Logan with me, so they can get their own reads on him. Now, tomorrow is Friday thus we will be leaving after you all depart for school. We should be returning a short time after you all are back and I expect you to be on your best behavior." He met them all with a stern stare for a moment, getting nods and words of agreement all around before continuing.
"Now then, I will need someone to prepare a room for our potential staff member. Scott, please ensure it's in order. That's all I have for now, everyone remember you have a session with Logan in the Danger Room in one hour. I don't think I need to tell you how much it's in your best interest to prepare for that." The chorus of groans and whines was music to the gruff man's ears and his lips curled into a smirk as they began to file out the door, leaving Ororo and Logan alone with Charles.
Soon as the door was closed, Logan spoke. "What're we looking at Chuck?"
"He's not a mutant," Xavier confessed straight off. "But Stephen has made it very plain that he is not simply a 'normal' human either. Whatever abilities this man has, they are impressive enough that he believes we could need him."
"Did he give us a name?" Ororo's voice was rich, a soothing kind of tone Charles had found perfect for dealing with teenagers time and again.
"Benjamin, Benjamin Tennyson."
"When do we leave?"
Charles felt a hint of pride at the simple trust Logan showed him, not questioning further than he thought necessary. Hopefully he would be able to live up to that trust. "As soon as the students have left if possible."
The Canadian nodded and without another word left the room to get ready and finish his work in the garage. Ororo left soon after, leaving Charles alone once again with his thoughts. He turned his motorized chair back to the desk and began going through paperwork with a sigh. It seemed like this stack of papers never stayed gone for long. Always something to do. Of course, running a school, or boarding house, was no easy task so he recognized it as a necessary evil.
Things continued as the normal within the institute until the next morning, when the students boarded the school bus or left in Scott's convertible. Minutes after the bus disappeared, the institute's gates opened once again, allowing a black limousine to pull out.
Logan was at the wheel, dressed in a black leather jacket over a simple white buttoned shirt and blue jeans. Not necessarily fitting the chauffeur role he seemed to be serving in, but it was going to be a couple hours of driving and he wanted to be comfortable. In the passenger's area, Charles turned the next page in the novel he was reading, while across from him Ororo was perusing the local newspaper's latest edition.
They too had chosen clothes they found comfortable, though unlike their wildly-inclined friend their clothing happened to also be at least somewhat formal. The professor had chosen a beige jacket over his usual dark turtleneck which he kept tucked into the waistline of slate gray slacks and brown loafers on his feet. Ororo had selected a pants suit of dark black, darker than her own skin but not in such a way they clashed, with a buttoned shirt which she left unbound at the collar, seeing no reason to add any sort of neck ornament.
The trip was made in a comfortable sort of silence over the next couple of hours. Logan kept the partition up, blocking the others from hearing his preferred kind of music, while Charles took his own turn with the newspaper and Ororo started on the book she had recently picked up from the library. Finally, the navigational system built into the limo's dashboard announced they were arriving at the destination and Logan turned to pull up to the front door of the restaurant.
He stepped out first, handing the keys to a valet who stepped up before moving to the trunk where he pulled out a simple wheelchair, unfolded it, and placed it next to the door which Charles had opened. With practiced ease, the bald man maneuvered himself into the chair, nodding to Ororo who had exited the opposite side and moved around the car in order to stand at the handles on the chair's back. The woman steered the chair and the telepath it held down the red carpet leading into the building's interior. Logan fell in step to their right, eyes scanning the area for any immediate threats as if he were a paid bodyguard. A cover they had used as an explanation for the man's presence during situations.
"Pardon me," Charles addressed the young lady at the small podium established for greeting customers. "I believe we have a reservation under the name of Stephen Strange?"
The woman checked her little book before meeting his smile with a professional one of her own. "Right this way please, your fellows arrived only a few minutes before yourself." They followed her into the large dining area, and Charles' gaze immediately locked onto those of his old acquaintance as he and the table's other occupant rose to greet them.
Stephen Strange looked every bit the poised gentleman he often portrayed himself as. Standing to the full extent of his just over six feet in height, he wore his hand-tailored suit as if born in it and the calm smile he had as he stepped forward to shake the professor's hand with a grace belying his mastery in the martial arts of his order. They exchanged the usual pleasantries after such a time between meetings, before they turned to the young man who was the reason for such a meeting.
Charles noted his youth, and that he seemed uncomfortable in the suit he was wearing. It was obviously not tailored, yet it fit his frame enough that the mutants could tell he was fit. An attempt had been made to curb his unruly brown hair to minimal success, and the beginnings of a goatee around his mouth had been neatly trimmed to be even on both sides. His bright eyes met the Xavier's blue easily, and the man recognized the keen intelligence in those glimmering orbs.
Curious about the man, Chares reached out with his mind gently brushing a tendril of thought against it. He could not prevent the gasp that burst from his lips when that tendril was suddenly pulled by some seemingly unstoppable force, crushed under a weight almost unimaginable in its power. The astral plane he brushed against when using his powers brought back an image of the young man's defenses and what he saw chilled him.
The plane around his mind was warped into a seemingly small black void. A perfectly round orb of darkness he recognized from several scientific videos. It was the mental representation of a black hole. It reached out to just inside the limits of his mind, leaving just a small layer at its edges which allowed the telepath to feel the barest hints of his thoughts. As he contemplated this an image of the young man briefly flashed into existence in his mind's eyes, winking one vibrant green eye and giving a cheeky wave before vanishing as if never there.
"Charles Xavier," Stephen held a hand out as if presenting the young man, his voice cutting through the shock and impression of meeting minds in such a dramatic way. "I give you Benjamin Tennyson."
"Nice to meet you," the young man said whilst offering his hand for a shake. "But please, call me Ben. Benjamin just sounds way too formal for my liking." There was a slight twinkle in his eyes, making it plain he was highly amused by something. The telepath had a pretty good idea what it was.
"Only if you promise to call me Charles when the situation doesn't call for formal addressing," he replied, letting his thoughts go for now while shaking the man's hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you Ben, Stephen was only detailed enough in his description of you to tease my natural curiosity. I look forward to learning more."
"He's told me some things about you as well Charles, a little more than I expected really but he seems to think we could be of use to each other."
"We shall see," he turned to his roughly-dressed companion. "This is Logan, one of my staff and serving as a fitness instructor for the institute." The two shared a handshake before Ben turned his attention to the sole female of the party.
"Ororo Munroe," the white-haired woman introduced herself, her smile growing by a small margin when she noticed Ben's eyes dropping down and rising back up as they took in every detail they could.
Ben found himself lost for words for a single moment, astonished by the beautiful woman before him. The black heels gave her a few inches boost, pushing her to just over six feet herself, an even level with Ben allowing him to look directly into her teal eyes. Her skin a rich dark brown, clashing perfectly with the stark white of her hair which she allowed to fall freely about her shoulders. When she spoke, her voice was a perfect match to the rest of her, creating the picture of a flawless beauty that left him momentarily tongue-tied.
With a shake of his head, the man managed to pull himself back to reality just in time to accept the offered hand from the goddess before him. However, instead of shaking it as he had with Charles and Logan, Ben moved with an inextinguishable urge and bent at the waist, bringing the hand up to meet him and lightly placed his lips against her knuckles. "A pleasure to meet you," the words spoken with the sincerest honesty and the lady smiled at his boldness.
The moment passed, and then they turned to take their seats, Ben politely drawing Ororo's chair out for her like the gentleman his grandfather had insisted he learn to act like. Once she was seated, he took his own across from the trio and they all set about placing their orders.
They entertained themselves with the usual small talk, Ben and Logan finding an almost instant rapport when the topic of his motorcycle came up. They discussed different models for a time while Xavier and Strange caught up with each other on certain subjects. Ororo drew Ben into a conversation about some books they seemed to share a liking for, and that conversation took up the rest of their time until the food arrived. As soon as the plates were set and the waitress who brought them was walking away, Stephen waved a hand, his eyes flashing with a brief surge and a ripple seemed to follow his fingers as if trailing them along the surface of water in place of open air.
"There," he said while letting the hand drop and his fingers wrap around the stem of his wineglass. "Anyone close enough to hear what we might have to say will find their attention's unavoidably turned elsewhere. We are free to talk openly now."
Ben set his water to the side, nodding to the man that had taken him in before facing Charles with his expression dropping into a professional mask. "Before we get into anything else professor, how much has Dr. Strange told you about me?"
"Only that you possess a wide range of abilities and that he believes your experience could be a benefit to my students and hopes for the future," was the immediate reply. The man had also adopted a more serious tone, purely business as he observed the young man. "Though he did also stress the fact that your powers are not from the X-Gene like myself and my associates but something else entirely." The unspoken question of what the source actually was hung between them as Ben turned to meet the gray eyes of the sorcerer who nodded firmly. He trusted Charles, and Paradox trusted him, so the reality hopper would do the same.
"I should start by explaining that…I'm not from around here. And by here, I mean this dimension." They were obviously stunned, but when they looked to the stern visage of the doctor and found him nodding in confirmation, suspended their disbelief long enough for the man to explain. And explain he did, regaling his dinner partners with an abbreviated story of his origins, before showing them the Omnitrix and explaining a little about it.
When he finished, Charles, Ororo and Stephen had long since finished their glasses of wine. Not being a wine drinker, Logan had learned the 'civilized' establishment didn't serve beer and had instead made Stephen temporarily drop the aversion field long enough to order a glass of whiskey which he was nearly finished sipping down when the story wrapped up.
"That…" Charles was at a loss for words. "I…I honestly don't know how I should react Mr. Tennyson." His lasagna had long since been finished, but he stared at his plate as if surprised he had even spared a thought to eating during the tale. "To learn there are entire realms of completely different realities, for one such as myself is beyond amazing. But to also learn in the same minute that they are overrun with just as much corruption and conflict…is a little disheartening if I am being honest."
The displaced brunette shrugged in a dismissive manner. "If I'm being honest, I'm not surprised. Plus, if life here was perfect there'd be no need for someone like me anyway, so I try to think positive. There's something I can do here, a purpose."
"And what purpose is that?" A tension seemed to settle over the group at Logan's question. His eyes searched Tennyson's face, seeking even a hint of deception but found none as those green eyes locked with his dark blue.
"This Earth is in its baby steps on reaching out to the stars around it," he began. "So focused on inter-wars and home-grown threats that they haven't seen possible threats from out there yet."
"Threats?"
"Stephen mentioned a group called the Fantastic Four, I looked them up and it's speculated they've fought a couple alien threats, at least something similar. If they're true…Earth is going to have a lot of problems fast."
"And what are your thoughts on the so-called 'Mutant Issue' that seems to be slowly building?" Ororo cut in.
"We can't turn our attention outward until we fix the stupidity that's happening here," he replied. "I'll help you spread the message of equality. I'll help you train your little group. But I'm going to be trying to do more." He shook his head. "I have no idea how to go about that just yet but I'm going to be trying to come up with a plan and move on it." He paused and here his expression turned a tad sheepish. "That is…if you'll have me."
Charles thought the options presented over with careful consideration. This man represented a kind of resource that was quite literally astronomical in measure. But, it was obvious from the stories that the man in front of him had grown used to acting as a leader and standing alone against many great enemies at times. Though there was evidence he was capable of accepting aid as well if the stories about his cousin, grandfather and friends were an indication. Another thing he had noticed but not called attention to had been the pain he had seen flash through his eyes and expression at times before being shaken off.
It was obvious that Benjamin had felt loss, significant levels of it and very recently for it to still seem so fresh. That could leave him partially imbalanced, and my own personal morals demand I try and aid him as well. Finally, the elder man nodded. "Very well, I would like to formally offer you, Benjamin Tennyson, a place on my staff at the Xavier Institute for the Gifted. My rates are fair, my rules simple, and you'll find my medical coverage very hard to beat."
Ben laughed at that before nodding. "I happily accept, though I'm going to need to pack my things."
"Wong took care of that while I was having you fitted," Stephen cut in. "Your bag is in the trunk of the Thunderbird we left with the valet." He lifted his hand, showing the tag said valet had given him upon arrival. "Seeing as you're the one to have redesigned the engine for it, and it will only gather dust in my garage, I felt it would be put to better use in your hands Ben."
The twenty-year-old blinked, wordlessly accepting the tag being pressed into his hand. "B-but…you're just giving it?"
"Consider it a sort of 'welcome to our planet' gift," he quipped. "You are, after all, an alien trying to make his home on a new planet."
That earned a new round of laughs as Stephen once again waves his hand, this time dropping the aversion field. Moments later, the waitress returned to hand a pair of checks to the doctorate holders of the group. Ben nearly had a heart attack when he saw the number on Stephen's, but the doctor waved it off with an ease, simply producing a card, placing it in the folder and returning it, as did Charles.
Minutes later, Ben was shaking his former hosts hand and thanking him for his aid. "Tell Wong he better keep in shape," he made sure to add. "I'm going to settle our score next time we meet."
"I'll be sure to do so," Strange said, expression one of obvious amusement at the friendly little rivalry the two seemed to have developed.
They parted ways just as the black limousine and Thunderbird were brought in front of them. "So," Ben began with a grin spreading across his features. "Anyone wanna ride with me?"
Ororo and Logan shared a look, before the shorter of the two sighed and gave a little wave. "I'll take a shot at it some other time. Let the lady let her hair down before having to deal with the kids again." With that, he opened the door so Charles could maneuver himself into the limousine, the chair was returned to its trunk and he once again stepped into the driver's seat.
Meanwhile, Ben held the door open for his passenger, receiving a slight smile in return as she easily stepped inside and allowed herself to sink slightly into the dark brown leather of the seat. The car's new owner joined her moments later, slipping the key into the ignition and turning it to set off the growl of the engine. Her eyes trailed over the dashboard, noticing a thin line of green that seemed to light up where two panels met before it faded back to a plain green line.
"I may have made a few adjustments when Stephen let me at this thing," he quipped at her raised eyebrow. With a quick change of gear, he fell in line behind Xavier's ride and they began the return voyage to Bayville. "So," after a moment spent in silence he made an attempt at conversation. "Do you mind if I ask some questions?"
"Beyond that one?" they shared a brief chuckle before she nodded. "Feel free to ask, though I reserve the right not to answer of course."
"I noticed you have a bit of an accent, may I ask the lady where she is from?"
"Manhattan by birth," she replied. "But circumstances led me to grow up in Cairo and later Kenya."
Ben could tell the specifics of the circumstances were uncomfortable to talk about, so decided it was best to move on. "All that moving around, you must have a skill for languages."
"Yes, I have learned to speak several languages fluently and am passable in more," this was a point of pride if he ever saw one and happened to be one he respected. "What about you?"
"Technically I can understand almost any language thanks to this thing," he waved the hand with the Omnitrix attached. "It has a built in universal translator its inventor added to help me as I began moving more out into space. Granted, I can't speak the languages but I can at least know what they're saying. Though Earth languages I learned…let's see I know Putonghua and Spanish somewhat fluently." He paused then, a sudden realization coming to him. "Oh…actually I'm going to need to see if I can still claim that. New reality and all I'm not sure if your Earth's languages are going to be exactly like mine."
"I would be happy to help you with that," she offered, her smile kind and open. He saw no tricks, merely honest desire to help, and felt his lips curl as his own thoughtful frown turned back into a smile.
"I'd appreciate and welcome the help, but another thing I've been kind of curious is—"
"What my powers are?" her smile turned into a smirk of confidence, once more the regal bearing began to wrap around her, as if royalty was a coat she could don whenever necessary. "The codename I use when in the field is Storm, I leave you to speculate on the reasoning for it."
The brunette chuckled, acknowledging her little challenge with a nod. "I suppose that's fair, I haven't given all my little secrets away either…though I've no idea what kind of nickname I would use in my human form."
"I didn't expect you to feel like you would need such a thing. After all, did you not go public with your identity in your original home world?"
Ben nodded again but seemed to hesitate, as if trying to find the right words for his reply. "That decision had some negative sides as well, my enemies had an easier time finding out who I am…and how best to hurt me. The bonds I will hopefully make here are ones I don't plan to put in the same kind of danger. So unless I absolutely have to, I'm not going to let others know who I am for a while."
"You will need a uniform then," he heard from his passenger, eyes once again locked on the road as they slowly maneuvered through the city's traffic. "Something to cover your face and conceal your identity."
"Absolutely…but…" he chuckled self consciously "I have absolutely no experience in fashion or building a 'proper' hero look. My alien forms were always my best disguise and they usually came with clothes included if I needed them."
"Oh, I'm sure the students and myself would be more than happy to help you play dress up."
Ben could feel the grin beginning to spread across her features, flashbacks of shopping trips with Gwen and other girls sending a shiver of terror up his spine. Coughing into one hand he mentally flailed about in his panic for a change of topic. "So…most of my knowledge on this world I got from the internet but that was mostly history and propaganda! Could you fill me in on your opinion of the current economic and political standings?" For just a moment, Benjamin Tennyson's love for his mind's ability to adapt on the fly was projecting so loudly Charles caught hints of it from his seat in the limousine ahead of them despite not actively accessing his telepathic powers.
Ororo felt an almost irresistible urge to tease her driver further, but after a moment decided there was time enough for that later. Instead, she indulged his valid question, beginning a conversation that would last the greater part of the trip.
When they reached Bayville, the conversation had turned toward kinds of music and what bands existed in this new world…and Ben actually felt excited realizing he didn't recognize any of the names Ororo could recall. They had perused a few stations, a classic rock station in particular gaining his favor, something she seemed to share, and had just turned it back off when they pulled up to the gates of the institute. The wrought iron parted without being touched, allowing the two vehicles to enter.
He followed them to the side of the estate where a long garage waited, two doors opening as they drew close. Pulling into the one not being occupied by the much longer vehicle, Ben cut the engine off and stepped out, Ororo choosing this time to exit on her own power instead of letting the man play the part of a gentleman again. They shared a smile before turning to join Logan as he brought Charles' motorized chair over allowing their employer to slip into it with a relieved sigh.
"Ah, that is much better." He shared a small chuckle with the others before turning serious again. "Now then, before we meet the students Mr. Tennyson I had a thought on our way here I would like to pose to you." Ben let one eyebrow rise and nodded to show he was willing to hear it. "The students have been getting a bit overconfident in their actions," he explained, he made to continue but Ben was able to beat him to the punch.
"I'd wager they had a few consecutive victories against these Brotherhood kids you touched on briefly and you want to keep it from getting to their heads?"
"Got it in one kid," Logan quipped from where he was leaning against the car with hands in pockets. Sometime in the trip he had pulled a toothpick from who knows where and was chewing on it as he watched the conversation. "They need to learn there's always someone bigger out there. Always a bigger fish kinda thing, and they need to learn it fast."
"And you also want to get any underestimations from my age out of the way at the same time," it wasn't a question, but Charles nodded all the same. Ben shrugged. "I'm in. Care to tell me anything about their abilities or are you planning to let me find out on my own?"
"I believe the analogy best fitting the situation is 'sink or swim,'" the voice of the lady smoothly cut in to provide his answer.
"Well I guess the only question I have is…when you want to do this?"
"Tomorrow morning," the professor stated while checking his watch. "The students will have been home for about half an hour by now and I want them to finish all homework tonight." The fact Ben would have that time to figure out what abilities he would need to plan for was left unsaid. He paused, stroking his chin for a moment. "By any chance do you have any medical records? I need to know about any sort of medical issues you may have."
"Works for me," Ben said, stepping to his new car's trunk which popped open so he could grab the large bag waiting for him. Hoisting it over one shoulder, he joined the others as they set off for the mansion. He noticed the chair-bound man press a hand to the side of his head as he directed said chair forward, something he would later be told was when he concentrated on his powers to touch a mind beyond his line of sight. "And no I didn't think of that when I was told about coming to this new reality. The doc didn't say anything about that either."
Charles hummed. "We will need to rectify that soon then."
Ben shrugged, not really worried about such things but it was the other man's house, so he'd go along for now. "I'm not comfortable leaving any of my blood around though so any you take I don't want sent anywhere and it needs to be destroyed as soon as whatever you're doing with it is done." When the others looked to him in surprise his carefree demeanor dropped just enough to show the expression of one remembering harsh encounters. "People with the know-how can do terrible things with just a little DNA. I'm not going to give them a chance to do that with mine if I can help it."
They stepped though the main doors and Ben found himself inside what he believed people would call a foyer, or entrance hall. A wide, open space with stairs leading up to a second-floor arching along the slightly rounded walls. A hallway opened near each of the two ends, and one passing beneath the balcony they merged to create. It was also, he noticed, populated by what he could only believe were the current students of the institute.
The first to move was a teen dressed in a simple short-sleeved shirt and jean combination, showing his athletic frame. He moved as if he had some training in a martial art, but not with the ease of someone with complete control of his body like some of the masters Ben had met. The new teacher was also quick to notice that he wore a pair of distinctively red sunglasses, even when inside. "How was the trip professor?" he asked.
"Long," Charles said. "But fruitful. Everyone, this is Mr. Benjamin Tennyson." He held a hand out much like Stephen had when introducing them. "He has agreed to take on a teaching position here at the institute, you will all receive a reworked lesson schedule once it has been finalized."
The young man stepped forward, offering a hand which Ben gripped in a firm handshake. "Scott Summers," he introduced himself to his fellow brunette with a smile. "Good to have you."
The quarter-alien's grin widened. "We'll see if you still think that after we have a few lessons Scott," he said. Meanwhile, his eyes moved to scan the rest of the group…only to pause when a set of green eyes met his own. The young lady behind those eyes, a paler shade when compared to his own, sported a mane of hair that lay about her shoulders in a curtain of silken fire, pink lips quirked in a thoughtful frown as she examined the newcomer with obvious curiosity. He was about to speak only to pause when he felt a slight touch against the mental defenses he had learned to create at his cousin's insistence. The probing touch passed beyond the fringe, and it was made quickly obvious she was not as composed as her sponsor as the gasp she let slip once the force of his mental black hole crushed it. "Ah, I see you've got another telepath Charles. Y'know I think it's a little rude to just read my thoughts if we're not in a combat situation."
The redhead's cheeks colored at the gentle rebuke, looking particularly sheepish when she saw Xavier's lips turn down just slightly. The bracelets around her wrist jingled against each other as she held out a hand to introduce herself, trying to move past that awkward first impression. "Sorry for the intrusion, my name's Jean."
Ben accepted the hand and, like he had done with Ororo, instead of shaking the green-eyed man bent at the waist to gently kiss the senior grade student's knuckles. "Avoid doing so in the future and I don't see any reason to bring it up again Jean." If he noticed the speed in which Scott's smile had dropped into a scowl, he gave no indication to prove it as he instead chose to smirk at the slight deepening of the red on the young lady's cheeks. He released the hand, stepping back to open space as the rest were stepping forward. But Ororo had other ideas.
"We can deal with the rest of introductions at dinner," she said to the growing flock that had begun to crowd the area right in front of the door. "We have had a long day and I, for one, do not intend to cook so if you want to have any input on what pizza we shall be ordering I suggest you come with me." She waved a hand to the red-eyed one. "Scott, please show our new arrival to the room we have prepared for him."
With that, she walked off with most of the students following in her wake. Charles bid his way out of the pizza debate, simply making sure they would not go completely overboard before moving toward his study to finish some work before the grease feast would begin. Logan went off without speaking, giving a simple wave over the shoulder to the two brunettes left standing alone.
Scott, now sporting a forced hospitality so obvious Ben could practically taste it, led the new teacher up to the second floor and down a hallway to a door bearing an empty plaque. "We'll get a name on that soon," he explained. "We weren't sure whether or not you were going to really sign up or not so didn't want to waste it if we didn't have to."
Ben, however, decided this would be the best time to show off a little. "It's fine," he said and raised a hand, index finger extended. This action had the effect of bringing the teen's attention to rest solely upon the small marble of blue energy that blinked into existence at that finger's tip. He pressed it against the cut piece of wood, a sizzle and slight smell of wood burning beginning to grow prevalent as he slowly inscribed BEN onto it. "There, problem solved. Thanks for leading me here, I'll join you all after I get a few things put up." With a smirk he stepped into the room, gently closing the door on the gaping teen and finally letting his bag drop from his left hand to the floor.
He paused there, looking at the finger he had used…and listened to the padding of feet on carpet as the teen walked away. Let that stew in his mind, he thought with a chuckle as he began to unpack. Especially after Xavier makes his little announcement.
As he had claimed to Scott, as soon as he finished unpacking his possessions he was back out with the rest of them to finish his introductions. It hadn't been hard to find, simply needing to follow the voices of revelry until he found the large dining room. He entered to find the long table lined with boxes of freshly-delivered pizza, all steaming and awaiting the hungry soul longing to devour them. Without even bothering to say a word he grabbed one of the paper plates, stacked it with several slices and plopped down next to a student covered in blue fur and sporting a tail ending in a tip resembling an arrowhead. He noticed the boy's yellow eyes watching him warily, searching for any sign of fear due to his appearance only to get a wink and request to pass one of the soda bottles down so he could fill a cup.
This earned him approving looks from all around before things carried on as before. During this time, Ben watched the others, seeing signs of a few abilities here and there. Telepathy and Telekinesis, he thought as he saw Jean retrieving one of the pieces at the far end of the table with just a wave of a hand. She could be a right terror if she trains that up. The fact the elf, as Logan liked to call the blue man he learned was named Kurt thanks to the indignant shout from the curly-haired Kitty Pryde, could teleport was made abundantly clear when he used said ability to move to empty chairs to refill his plate instead of walking around.
Finally, with bellies all full and content faces abounding, Charles informed his students of what the next day would bring. But Ben, decided a single bout wouldn't be good enough.
"Instead," he addressed the group while standing up. "Why don't we make this interesting. Three matches, you guys against me…and each will be in a different setting. What your Danger Room thing sounds like it can do is impressive, and if it can make locations that'll add an extra challenge since we have to plan for each other, and around whatever terrain we get dropped in."
"Now you're talking greenie," Logan growled, lips stretched in a feral grin that sent shivers up each of their spines. "But even better, no one will know what terrain it'll be till it's our turn to change it. No announcements or anything, no preemptive planning. That'll force some adaptability to it."
"Exactly, plus it just might give you kiddies a bit of an advantage since we'll all be playing on an unknown." That got him a few glares from said 'kiddies' but it wasn't anything that could faze him. "Now only thing left to decide is what time you want to start all this Professor?"
"Eight o'clock sharp," Charles replied.
Ben nodded. "Well then, it's been a long day and I'm feeling the chow monster on my back, so I think I'm gonna go sleep off this feast." With a cheeky wave, the green-eyed teacher began to meander back to his room, dropping shirtless into his bed and letting his mind drift away with a smile thinking about what he would be doing the next morning.
The good times, however, were not to last. A yell shattered the night, more like a roar from a man's lungs as he bolted upright in his bed. His eyes blazed with equal parts fear and fury, hair and skin soaked with a cold sweat as his eyes darted around the room. His chest heaved with each labored breath, and his body shook as the adrenalin slowly faded away.
Suddenly, his door was thrown open. He rolled from the bed in one smooth motion, Omnitrix blinking as it prepared to initiate a change while one hand rose shrouded in the blue glow of his mana. The shadow in his doorway growled, arms rising to catch the gleam of the moonlight through the window on the three menacing claws extending out from each fist.
Ben snarled back at the intruder, mouth opening to emit a battle cry to accompany the bolt he was prepared to launch when a voice snapped him out of it. "Ben?" Ororo's voice was laced in concern, and the sight of her face behind the person the man recognized as Logan as she stepped into the doorway shook the last of the fog away and allowed him to think.
Logan did the same, the claws withdrawing and skin of his knuckles seamlessly folding back onto itself to repair the damage as if never there. His eyes carried an understanding as they watched Ben let himself sink into the chair of the desk he found himself standing next to. He put a hand up to keep Ororo from moving forward, choosing to do so instead and talking careful steps to close the distance between them to only a yard or so.
He didn't speak, merely waiting. Finally, when he regained some level of control, Ben raised his eyes to meet Logan's. By the light of the hallway and moon, the man who sometimes more resembled the beast he personified in name could plainly make out the haggard, grieving side of the young man that he tried to keep buried.
It was a face Logan knew well, as it haunted him in the mirror at times. Shattered and scattered his memories may be, there were some that remained…and they were not friendly. He let Ben see just a hint of his understanding, and gave a nod at the slight question he saw in those eyes. That moment hung between them for a time and then dispersed as the grim man turned to walk away, scratching at the back of his head and pulling the door closed as he stepped through.
"He's not ready to talk about it," he told the weather witch. "Trust me, you'll only force him into a corner if you push it right now."
"Then what do you propose I do?" She spoke not with sarcasm, but honest care.
"Show him you're there and willing to let him open when he's ready. It's something you and Charles should both do, you're both good for this kinda stuff."
"And what about you?"
"Me?" Logan chuckled and offered her a wry grin. "I'm the guy who'll help him numb it in booze for a little while when it gets too much and then make sure he doesn't go overboard."
"That hardly seems healthy."
"Oh, it's not," the man didn't even bother to try and say his method would be ideal. He wasn't one for bullshit like that. "But it's something guys who've seen the kinda shit we have sometimes do. And I think you and Chuck would rather he do it with someone that can keep him from going too far down that particular rabbit hole." He paused again as a thought came to him. "Chuck understands that I bet, guy was in the army for a while after all."
Finished saying anything, the oldest member of the group by far stepped into his room and closed the door. Ororo looked the Ben's room one last time, before sighing and going to her own to get ready for the day. No chances she was going fall asleep again with all that her mind was on.
It seemed she was not alone in that thought, as when she stepped out now dressed in a simple purple sleeveless top and cream skirt to replace the robe she had thrown over herself when first hearing Ben's shout, it was to see Logan just closing his door a second time. The man had clothed himself in his normal attire of a muscle shirt, jeans and biker boots and spared her a nod before stepping off to do whatever he intended. Knowing him she expected that would be work in the garage with a fresh pot of coffee. She, however, made for the kitchen to prepare an early, light breakfast so the students would have at least something in their stomachs before their exercises began.
The door opened some time later, and she glanced over her shoulder to see Ben had joined her. He had dressed himself in a black, short-sleeved shirt with a vertical dark green stripe down its center. It had been tucked into a pair of beige cargo pants with a pair of combat boots to round it out.
She went back to her work, hearing him shuffle in place before walking toward the coffee machine. "I'm sorry I woke you guys up," he said.
"It's fine, it was close to when I wake up anyway." The pan hissed as the mixed eggs were dropped onto it, soon she was scrambling with a spatula. "Are you alright?"
"It was just a nightmare," a mug was filled, and she heard the familiar relieved sigh after a sip. "I'll be fine. You want any help? I can get the bacon started."
"I would appreciate that." The stove was large enough to feed a household capable of filling the ancestral home, meaning it could accommodate two people cooking side by side with relative ease. Ben picked up the conversation, asking about local places to get groceries and supplies for everyday use. She told him of restaurants worth visiting when he wished to eat out.
Eventually, as they finished cooking and setting the table, the students and two fellow teachers joined them. The meal was friendly enough, though Ben did notice Jean was giving him concerned glances when she thought he wasn't looking. But whatever concern she seemed to have wasn't given voice and, in another hour, they cleaned up their dishes and followed Charles to the elevator that would lead to the basement, and the training levels below.
The group split there, boys heading into what looked like a locker room while the girls entered their own. The teachers, however, moved toward a door farther down and this is where Ben decided he would follow. This double door led into a large control room. The far wall was fashioned out of windows, through which he could see a vast room with its walls, ceilings and floor fashioned out of large metal panels.
"That, Ben, is the Danger Room," Charles explained. "We control the simulations from here, but there are several receivers and speakers out there as well to allow for voice commands when necessary." He turned a cheeky grin on his newest hire. "However, considering the parameters of the challenge put forth and further built upon by us all, you'll be getting a more thorough tour after you give the children their scuffle."
"Message received Professor," he snapped a salute with his own grin before walking back out of the room and towards the new elevator which brought him down to the wide entrance of the Danger Room. He walked across the empty chamber, taking a spot at the far end facing the door and from his back pocket drew a pair of fingerless gloves which he slipped on.
Some minutes later, the team stepped in to join him. He quirked an eye at the costumes they wore and looked up to the 'peanut gallery viewing booth' with a grimace. "Really Charles? Spandex?" The longsuffering manner in which he spoke it earned a few chuckles from his fellow combatants, and he could have sworn he saw the bald one rubbing the bridge of his nose, apparently that was a conversation he had been forced to partake in before.
But, instead of allowing the old topic to be dragged out, Ororo leaned toward the microphone. "I have chosen Forest as your first simulation," her voice rang out into the room. "When you receive the order to begin, you will commence the operation. The mission is simple, defeat the opposing team." At the press of a button, holes opened in the otherwise smooth floor, poles rising up as built in projectors began to whir with electronic life. In seconds, the projectors began to create hard light constructs formed, turning smooth poles into branching trees three times as tall as the humans standing among them. A forest, complete with smells, the sounds of leaves rustling in the breeze, even bird song and sunlight. All of it felt as if they had been dropped into an actual wooded terrain.
Ben let out a whistle, a step even revealing that the leaves projected underfoot crunched like the genuine article. "Okay…I can definitely work with this." Rolling his shoulders and flexing his fingers, the dimensionally displaced hero clenched his fist. There was a chime from the Omnitrix…and a flash of green as it activated.
Meanwhile, Scott and the team began to hunt for their new teacher. "I saw him use some kind of blue energy last night," the self-appointed leader informed the others. "If he's an energy user he'll most likely keep his distance like I do so we'll plan for that. Nightcrawler—" he pointed at the blue boy "—you and Shadowcat will be our scouts. You take to the tree tops, keep as hidden as you can. Shadowcat, you'll be more visible, be ready to go intangible at a moment's notice. We know my blasts don't have any effect on you in that form so his shouldn't either."
The two nodded and Scott continued. "Marvel Girl, I need you to stay with me, just in case we need to relay information via telepathy. Spyke, you'll head a bit out to the left and be ready to give cover fire. Rogue, try to stay hidden farther off to the right, if you can sneak around and get a hold on him that'll give you a boost, or could even knock him out."
Without a word they set about his orders, Kurt leaping into the shadowed branches of the trees with the ease of his body's naturally acrobatic ability. From there, he followed the curly-haired Pryde as she moved between the large trunks of the artificial trees. Scott and Jean stayed back until they had advanced a fair distance. Not wanting to group themselves too closely with the others to better avoid being taken out all at once. "Spyke and Rogue have reached a fair distance," Jean whispered, which Scott nodded to and the two began slowly following in the same path Shadowcat had taken.
Things went badly for the group quickly though, particularly for the German among them. Kurt looked down from his newest perch, checking to make sure he hadn't leaped to far ahead of his assigned partner for the mission, but then something rang out that bypassed all conscious thought and triggered a response from the primal part of the brain all mankind possessed.
It was a growl. A growl of some great beast drifted from the shadows on level with himself, and it caused the young man to freeze in primal fear. Golden eyes darted up, searching for the source…and found a pair of green orbs staring at him from the tree directly to his front. It had been so low in pitch that Kitty hadn't even heard it, but Nightcrawler's pointed ears weren't for show, his sense of hearing was far stronger than an average person.
His eyes, also a bit more capable than a regular human, picked out the shadow of the body the opposite pair belonged to. Large and muscular, evident even when crouched on the branch like it was, he only had time to squeak before the beast roared and leaped. Flight response reflexively kicking in, he tried to teleport, but the terror left him unable to concentrate long enough to activate his powers and he felt a massive hand wrap around his torso and whip him around to fly at the equally stunned teen girl who had turned around at the beast's challenge.
They collided with an 'oof', sent sprawling. Groaning, they tried to disentangle from each other…only to freeze when something large dropped to the ground right before them. They turned their eyes to the ground and saw a pair of boots secured by dark green laces. They ended just below a pair of knees, muscular legs covered in orange fur left visible until covered in a black and green leotard. Atop broad shoulders and short neck, a tiger's head glared at them from behind a green mask.
A bipedal tiger dressed like a luchador, and he was glaring at them with a scowl that showed off an impressive set of fangs. The beast leaned down, mouth opening to show there was a whole jaw filled with the razor-sharp weapons, and growled low in his throat. "SURPRISE!" the beast yelled, startling them both into action.
Kitty turned intangible, rolling through her teammate and up to her feet while the blue man vanished in his signature brimstone cloud and reappeared at her side. "Kitty," he whispered. "I'll keep him distracted, run straight back to the others and lead them back here."
"But Kurt—" whatever the girl would have offered as an argument went unheard as Nightcrawler shoved her to the side and leaped the other way clearing a space for the leaping man-beast to fly through, fist lashing out and splintering the tree that had stood behind them.
"GO!" he shouted. Leaping up onto the attacking creature's shoulder and swatting him over the head before porting a few feet away to draw his attention. "Over here big kitty cat! Come chase the tasty teleporter~!"
"RAAGH!" Once again, the beast leapt. Unlike last time, however, Kurt had an idea on the kind of speed this creature was capable of and managed to react in time. He vanished again, leaving the large hand to wrap around the smoke left behind. Kitty, seeing her chance, ran back toward her team, phasing through any obstacle as she moved trying to cut time. Kurt bamfed back into existence above the creature, planning to drop down on its shoulders again only this time intending to teleport his adversary up high.
Instead, he received a shock of pain when a backhand strike launched him back-first into a tree. Blinded by the sudden pain, he was unable to stop himself collapsing and through one eye looked up to see the tiger man had moved to stand over him. One hand rose and pointed at the downed blue-furred elven boy, and its mouth opened.
"LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING KURT WAGNER, CODENAMED NIGHTCRALWER OF THE X-MEN!" The beast yelled, voice nearly deafening the poor boy as it echoed out through the woods. "YOU CAN TELEPORT ALL YOU WANT, BUT RATH CAN STILL SMELL AND HEAR YOU! SO YOU CAN RUN, BUT YOU CAN'T ESCAPE RATH!"
The hand then grabbed the boy, pulling him close, but before he could do anything else the accumulated shock and pain proved too much for the boy's system. Yellow eyes rolled back in their sockets and the teleporting teen knew only darkness.
Kitty's breath burned in her lungs as she sprinted, but it was worth it when she nearly ran through her team leader. "Cyclops!" her relief evident in her voice. "We need to hurry, we were attacked by some kind of…of werecat! Kurt's keeping it busy but—"
"Nightcrawler has been eliminated."
The computerized female voice cut off her sentence as finally as a guillotine blade and they all stood frozen by its message. Scott turned his visor to Kitty, face grim. "What happened?'
"I think the teachers put something else in here with us," she whispered, too afraid to be louder. "It was like, this big monster and it jumped us. Kurt told me to run, that he'd distract it so I could bring you guys…but now he's been knocked out and I don't know where that thing is!"
Scott's frown dropped lower, and he turned to Jean. "Marvel Girl, call Rogue and Spyke in. We're going to move in a tighter group toward where Nightcrawler was last seen." The redhead nodded and placed a hand to her temple to do as directed, first she called Rogue. The southern girl seemed somewhat unsettled, but silently gave agreement and was making her way back toward them. She reached out to their last remaining member next, but the moment her mind touched Evan's she was almost overwhelmed with a rush of fear and confusion before it went silent.
"Spyke has been eliminated."
Once again the teens looked among themselves, shocked at the sudden declaration. They hadn't heard anything, no shouts, no struggle, no warning or hint of any kind that something had happened. "Start moving toward where you felt him last," the brunet decided, moving in the direction as he spoke. "Tell Rogue to keep the stealth going. Kitty, stay next to Jean and phase her if anything comes at us."
The curly-haired girl nodded, moving closer to the elder female who looked away from a mild glare at Scott for thinking she needed such protection to give what she hoped was an encouraging smile. But that smile dropped fast when a spike of aggression screamed at her mental senses. She opened her mouth to shout a warning but all that came out was a rush of air forced from her lungs when a body impacted her stomach.
Sent rolling from the collision, she wasn't able to see the tiger beast that had attacked Kitty and Kurt leap from the darkness with a roar once again, this time wrapping one of its large paws around the face of the team's leader, lifting him into the air, and then bringing it down to smack him into the hard-light grass just strong enough to knock him for a loop.
Kitty, who had let out a squeak when Evan's body had come flying out to impact the girl who had just moments earlier been standing next to her, managed to roll away from a backhand strike that would have definitely rattled her and slipped through a tree using her mutant ability, only to see it shattered by a second blow just as she cleared it. She barely had the time to register the computer announcing her leader being knocked out of the session before snapping into movement trying to reach Jean.
The redhead in question used her telekinetic powers to lift the unconscious Spyke off of her and gently set him aside before standing and getting her first look at their attacker. The first thing to stand out to her, was the symbol on the beast's leotard, a green hourglass in a circle just like the watch their new teacher wore. She began to concentrate on her abilities, but the creature roared out a challenge, raising his hands into the air.
"LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING X-MEN! YOU UNDERESTIMATED RATH, AND UNDERESTIMATING RATH IS THE BIGGEST MISTAKE YOU'LL EVER MAKE!" The werecat slammed a whistling backhand into the nearest tree, catching the falling trunk and raising it over his head like a spear. "CUZ RATH IS THE BEST AT WHAT HE DOES! AND WHAT RATH DOES IS FIIIIGHT!"
That last sentence was punctuated by the javelin tree being flung toward the waiting Marvel Girl. Too wide by far to dodge, and with Kitty not close enough to faze her through it, the senior called upon her powers, gripping the massive hunk of hard-light coated metal with her mind.
Meanwhile, up in the viewing area, Ororo turned to her shorter fellow staff member who seemed torn between annoyance and amusement. "I don't recall you using your favorite little line in his presence Logan," she said.
"That's cuz I didn't," he growled back. "Bastard stole my line and I never even said it to him."
"I guess you'll just to have to see how you fare against this…Rath character," Charles said as he watched the alien in question get caught in the chest mid leap by his own projectile courtesy of the team's telekinetic member. "I'm sure that would be quite the entertaining match."
Back on the ground level, Rath glared at where Jean was standing and waited to see what would happen next. One ear twitched, and he rolled forward just in time to avoid the hand that had tried to touch his bare shoulder. Coming out of the roll on his feet, he spun to grab the wide-eyed Rogue by the back of her green chest armor, lifted her in the air like most people would a pillow, and hurled her straight at Scott who had only just returned to his feet clutching at his head as if still not quite recovered from the impact it had with the ground.
Clear of threat, he raised one hand. Fingers wide as any of the teen's arms curled into a fist and the single black spike protruding from the back of his gloved hand extended out. This spike was jammed into the ground, a tremor shaking Jean and Kitty as they tried to advance on them. The short stumble was all the Appoplexian needed, leaping the short distance between them with arms extended, connecting against their stomachs as he shouted out: "LIBRA LARIAT!"
"Marvel Girl and Shadowcat have been eliminated."
The girls groaned from where they hung over his extended arms, Rath grinning like a cat that got the canary as he gently lowered them to the ground. "You two rest it off. Just one more left." Said 'one more' announced her still being in the game via a blast of light impacting against his chest like thunder. The tiger man roared in pain as the blast lifted him off his feet and carried him back until a 'tree' halted his progress.
"An' she's pissed!" a young lady's southern twang was just barely discernable over the ringing in his ears. But it was enough to let him know where she was and he managed to jump up in time for a second blast to strike the tree instead of himself. A moment to find her and he was forced to move again to dodge yet another blast that sheared off the branch. Upon landing he was off, sprinting for Rogue. He dodged around her eye blasts, making use of superior physical ability and her apparent lack of experience to avoid another hit.
Just before he reached her, he dug his hands into the ground to gather some of the artificial dirt and tossed it up into her face. Those eyes, a darker shade of green than his own when human or Jean's, snapped close on reflex and he used that to his advantage. Moving around the teen, powerful arms wrapped around her waist and with a cry of "OPHIUCHUS SUPLEX!" bent his body backward to bring her head smacking into the ground. Thanks to years of experience, Rath managed to control his strength to the point that when her head collided, it was only with enough force to daze the girl. This gave him just enough time to roll away, and place one extended claw to brush her jugular.
The computer seemed to have deemed this as enough to count her as 'dead' and the simulation terminated. The forest faded away, poles dropping into the floor and leaving only the ones broken in the scuffle behind. The fight over, Rath turned his hand over, leaving it open in an offer of assistance which the girl grudgingly accepted with the hand she still had the glove on.
Once on her feet, Rogue redonned the glove she'd removed and stepped around to check on her teammates. Rath watched on for a moment, before his body was enveloped in a emerald light. It cleared a moment later, leaving a smiling Benjamin Tennyson in the cat man's place with arms crossed.
"Round One is over," Logan's voice rang out through the speakers. "Winner…Ben."
XXXXX—And Cut—XXXXX
Well, gotta say the so-far positive feedback I've gotten about this has been pretty uplifting. For that reason I've decided to go ahead and try to make this one of my focuses for stories. Though I do have to caution you that Arashi and I are going to be making these chapters a bit longer than has been my norm.
That's the aim at least. Since Marvel is huge, huuuge I'm telling ya, and so twisted around thanks to time travel, alternate dimensions, and the crap going on in their own timeline that to make a believable story it's going to take some world building and research.
That means updates will be spaced out pretty decently. Just wanted to put that up front right now so you have been forewarned this will be a long-term project. I do still plan to update my other stories after all.
Now for some replies to reviewers:
Houseoftards, I know we've had a brief discussion in the private messaging but I'm putting a reply here so anyone with similar thoughts have an answer. One of the things you pointed out was Ben sharing stories about the Omnitrix. To any reading this who wondered about that, Ben has not said a word about NRG, Clockwork, Atomix and Alien X. I don't think anyone would be happy to know there are aliens that manipulate radioactive energy, OR one known to distort time and reality as he pleases. So yeah, that isn't a known thing just yet.
I have rewritten the first chapter and the replacement should now be up instead of the original.
Brining up Alien X moves me right to the review left by Jose 19. You mentioned I'd have my work cut out for me and I whole-heartedly agree. There are some MAJOR hitters in the Marvel realities and Cosmic beings are no joke. Though the fact Alien X has tanked being right next to a universe destroying device and then recreated the entire universe destroyed by said device with only a few differences and nobody the wiser makes me think he can stand among them. Though with what I have in his backstory Ben is going to be hesitant to use that form, that and I won't make it easy just pull him out and everything's better. As for Thanos when he's got the full power of the gauntlet at his fingertips…well that remains to be seen.
To the reviewer with the name Casually Posting I agree there was a lack of solid ones which was actually a major factor in Kamen Rider and I starting this one. I've found a particularly enjoyable crossover of Ben 10 with Young Justice but nothing really with Marvel. Hopefully this one will be counted as a good one.
Guest – I didn't have any way to respond to you other than here, so I'll say the reply at this point and hopefully you see it. Ben did not have a kid yet, he's only twenty and was in a serious committed relationship with Kai. He does have a lot of the aliens from the source material though he doesn't have the Biomnitrix which I saw being asked about by Mindbreaker101.
Finally, to Highlander348 who asked if Ben will have a love interest. Yes, he will, though I haven't decided if I want to announce who or just let the speculation go until I reveal it. For now I'll play that close to the vest. Feel free to give thoughts and suggestions though.
One last thing before I go I have another story recommendation to check out: SmallvilleX: Evolution which is written by ben10987654321. A crossover of Smallville and X Men: Evolutions that does very well. The author has created a very well done mixture of the DC and Marvel worlds I highly recommend visiting.
Well that's all I have for this go-round. Hope everyone enjoyed and I hope you enjoy the rest of your day. Until next time, this is Yurei King signing out!