BEN 10 DOES NOT BELONG TO ME. JUSTICE LEAGUE UNLIMITED DOES NOT BELONG TO ME. IN SOVIET RUSSIA, STORIES OWN YOU!
Hi, muffin fans! I'm back with more of what you love! So, yeah, last time I kinda ended on a dark note, so what should I do? I know! Open on dark note! Enjoy!
Ben 10: Unlimited
Chapter 23
Closure, Part 3
Endings and Beginnings
Bellwood
The Justice League, the Ultimen and even Professor Paradox looked down in horror at the sight of Ben Tennyson's body. It looked less like an injured human and more like a piece of meat that had shredded clothes put on it. Vilgax had been more than thorough in his attack.
Batman rushed forward, taking out a medkit from his utility belt, doing his best to keep Ben alive. Superman, on the other hand, flew forward, Wonder Woman and Shayera right behind him.
The Man of Steel collided with Vilgax fists-first, sending him flying back into the sphere he had arrived in; before the heroes could follow up on Superman's attack, Vilgax pressed a button, which caused the sphere to close up, shimmer, and then disappear. Superman angrily punched a hole in a building, upset with himself for letting Vilgax get away.
"Superman, we don't have time to chase after Vilgax! Get back here!"
Batman was right, Superman realized, vengeance could come later; Ben was more important.
…
For Supergirl, everything had become a blur; the man she loved was near death, and there wasn't a single thing she could do to help. She felt herself getting led somewhere, but didn't resist. All she could do was stare at Ben.
Then everything became a blur again, and the next thing she knew, she was back at Plumber HQ, sitting at a table; she saw the Justice League talking in hushed tones to the Plumbers, while the Ultimen were talking amongst themselves. She looked around, but didn't see the one person she sought.
"Where's Ben?"
Absently, she noted that the other Leaguers looked as upset, probably as much as she felt. After all, Ben was seen as something of a younger brother to the senior members; it was only natural for them to be upset when anyone was hurt, but it was worse when it was family.
Wonder Woman walked up to Supergirl and sat next to her. "Kara…"
Supergirl's mind was awhirl with possibilities about Ben's condition, but none of them were good. The look on Diana's face confirmed it.
"How… how bad is it?" Kara didn't want to ask, but she had to know how Ben was, even if it was bad.
Diana closed her eyes for a moment. "He's in critical condition; the doctors are doing everything they can, but… it's bad, Kara."
That did it. Kara couldn't take it anymore and broke down in tears; Diana wrapped the younger woman in a hug, determined to let her release all of her grief. Superman and Batman watched the Amazon comfort the Kryptonian; Superman looked haunted, and he suspected that Batman felt the same, even though he didn't show it.
"What happens now?" Flash asked quietly; the League, minus Diana and Kara, the Plumbers and the Ultimen looked at each other.
"The planet is still in danger," Superman replied, "and we have to defend it."
"How?" Manny demanded, "The Plumbers are tied up movin' civilians to safer places; we don't have time to do that and fight off an invasion."
"Speaking of time," said Shayera, "where's Paradox? I haven't seen him since we got here."
"Apologies, my dear," Paradox said from behind them, causing them to jump, "I was busy gathering some help."
"Only a time-traveler would find himself late," a new voice grumbled from behind him, "I don't know why I even associate with you."
From behind Paradox strode two people. One looked like a human girl, with long, blond hair, green eyes, and a white jumpsuit; she also carried a large, gray case. The other being was a Galvan, just like Grey Matter, but appeared much older; he had several antennae on his face that drooped down, similar to whiskers.
"Now then," the Galvan said, "where is Ben Tennyson?"
"Who are you?" asked Batman.
"I am First Thinker Azmuth, of the Galvan, creator of the Omnitrix," the Galvan, Azmuth, said with a touch of pride, "and I hear that Ben Tennyson has gotten himself into trouble again,"
"In trouble!?" Supergirl echoed, "He's dying!"
"Ben's… dying?" the blond girl turned to Paradox. "You only said he was hurt!"
"He is in critical condition," Paradox clarified, "but it is unlikely that he will die; not with the level of care that he is currently receiving."
Azmuth sighed. "Still, I'd better get in there, before those idiot doctors do inadvertent harm. Take us to him, Paradox; come along, Unitrix, and be careful with my tools."
"Can't you ever just call me Eunice?" the girl asked crossly.
"No." Azmuth replied abruptly.
Paradox chuckled, then placed Azmuth on his shoulder; then he, Azmuth and Eunice disappeared, presumably to the hospital section of the base.
"How is he so calm?" Shayera demanded.
"He is a time traveler," J'onn guessed, "It would stand to reason that he has knowledge of everything that is to come."
"You would be correct, J'onn." The others turned to see Paradox behind them yet again.
"What the…?" Flash turned to where Paradox had been to where he was now. "But… you just left!"
"Time travel, Flash," Superman explained, "he can go right back to the second he left."
"Paradox," Green Lantern said, "what happens now?" Paradox's smile vanished, his face growing serious.
"Now," the time-walker answered, "we prepare for war."
"Well, if we're going to fight a war," said Superman, "we'll need an army."
Paradox's smile returned. "Not to worry; reinforcements are waiting outside."
Confused, the Leaguers followed the time-walker outside the base, where they found the rest of the Justice League waiting. Green Arrow gave them a lazy salute.
"So," he said, "what's this about an alien invasion?"
…
Vilgax's Flagship
Vilgax found himself brooding once again; this time, however, he was being attended to by medical drones. Though he'd only been struck once by the being with the red cape, he'd suffered more damage than when Ben Tennyson had attacked him with a To'kustar, or Way Big, as the human called it.
Speaking of humans, there was no way that the red-caped being was human. It was simply impossible for such a fragile species to have so much power. If the other strangers that had accompanied him were even remotely similar in strength, he would have to be cautious in his invasion.
"Psyphon," he growled to his nearby lackey, "what is the status of the invasion force?"
Psyphon bowed before speaking. "The army is deployed over multiple areas around the planet, though the majority is directed at Bellwood, per your instructions, master."
Vilgax smiled behind his mask; aside from the interference of those strangers, all was going according to plan. Still…
"What about that stranger? The one who dared to strike me?"
Psyphon looked nervous, but spoke. "Master… initial scans conducted by your assault-pod showed immense energy levels inside the being; judging from the level of force he hit you with, compared to the level of energy detected… I would have to say that the creature was holding back."
Snarling, Vilgax grabbed a drone and crushed it. The impudence! This being had all that power, and yet did not use it? He didn't think that he was worth it?
"Tell all units to stand ready," Vilgax said as he rose to his full height, "tomorrow, we go to war."
…
Bellwood
The Justice League had assembled in one of the base's cargo bay, one of the only places that could hold so many people. Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman were discussing strategy with Jimmy Jones and Cooper, while the other Plumbers and the Ultimen got the rest of the League up to speed on current events. When asked why Paradox didn't give them the details himself, Green Arrow shrugged.
"He just said 'no spoilers'." The archer had said.
Meanwhile, Supergirl was sitting outside of Ben's room, nervously tapping her foot; unfortunately, she wasn't paying attention to how much force was going into those taps, and the floor now had a small crater in it.
"Wow," said a voice; Supergirl turned to see Eunice standing next to her, "what did that floor do to you?"
"Sorry," Supergirl replied, stopping her foot, "I'm just worried."
Eunice sat down next to her and patted her shoulder. "Azmuth knows what he's doing; he cares about what happens to Ben, even if he'll deny it."
Supergirl smiled, feeling a little better. "Thanks for that; I'm sorry, I don't even know who you are."
Eunice grinned. "My name is Eunice; well, really it's Unitrix, but I like Eunice better. Ben gave it to me."
Supergirl blinked. "Ben… named you?"
Eunice laughed. "It's kind of a long story; short version is, I might look human, but I'm actually the prototype for the Omnitrix."
"Whoa."
"Yeah." Eunice closed her eyes, lost in memory. "Ever since Ben found me, I've tried to live up to his morals; I guess I had a bit of a crush on him."
Supergirl felt herself start to relax, especially when Eunice said she "had" a crush, instead of "has".
"What's not to love?"
The two women shared a brief laugh, before the door opened and Azmuth stepped out; Supergirl rushed over to him in a blur.
"How's Ben?"
The Galvan sighed, looking down. "I have done all I can, but there is a problem."
Eyes wide, Supergirl stepped over the tiny alien and entered the room. Lying on a bed was Ben, but he looked terrible; his face was covered in scars, and his left arm was encased in some sort of machine that had green light seeping out of it. He wasn't awake, but his breathing seemed normal. One thing was strange, however; the hair around Ben's temples had turned grey, as if he were older. Supergirl guessed that it had changed due to stress, but it was still weird. She turned to Azmuth.
"What's wrong with him?"
Azmuth sighed again. "I have used Galvan technology to heal his body; in a few more hours, not even the scars will be visible. The damage done to his left arm was extensive, but it will heal. The main problem, however, is the Ultimatrix; it was… beyond repair."
Supergirl shook her head angrily. "I don't care if the watch is broken; I just want Ben to be okay!"
"Without the Ultimatrix, Ben will never be 'okay'!" Azmuth barked.
"What do you mean?" Eunice asked as she came into the room.
Azmuth closed his eyes as he explained. "There was a flaw in the construction, no doubt overlooked by that idiot of a former assistant of mine, Albedo, and one that I failed to account for; the Ultimatrix was bonded so thoroughly to Ben's DNA, that he and the device were almost one being. Without the Ultimatrix, Ben has days, maybe hours before he dies."
"Then…" Eunice tried to think past her shock, "then why bother healing him at all?"
Azmuth straightened. "I can construct a new Ultimatrix, but for one problem; the device created by Vilgax's scientist," he spat out the last word like it was poison, "used some sort of energy that infected Ben's body. I can't attach a new Ultimatrix with that energy still inside him; it'll only be destroyed! No, I need that device or its schematics."
"So it's hopeless." Supergirl sagged, grief threatening to overwhelm her.
"Not necessarily." Eunice tapped her chin in thought. "Psyphon never goes far from Vilgax; if we can get on board the flagship, maybe we can find him and the information we need!"
Azmuth nodded. "That could work, Unitrix."
"Call me Eunice," the girl said absently.
"No," the Galvan replied in the same tone, "now let's move; we have plans to make."
"I'll be right behind you," Supergirl said; once the two left, she placed a gentle kiss on Ben's forehead.
"Stay strong," she whispered, "you'll be fine."
…
An hour later, after drawing up plans with the League, a team had been assembled to infiltrate Vilgax's flagship. The team was made for stealth; they would have to complete this mission as quickly and quietly as they could. Ben's life depended on it.
The team was comprised of J'onn, the Atom, Downpour, Shifter, Helen and Cooper. Each one knew what the stakes were; if they failed, Ben would die. If that happened, Vilgax would have gotten the last laugh, and they refused to let that monster win.
"Remember," Batman said to them, "only engage the enemy if you have no other option. Get in, then get out; Doctor Fate will place you on the ship, but you'll have to get back to the same point if you want to get back."
The team nodded, first to the Dark Knight, then to Fate, who was preparing his spell. Supergirl stood off to the side, watching; she'd wanted to go with them, but Batman had ordered her to stay behind.
"You're too emotionally compromised to be a part of this mission," he had said, "and we can't afford any delays. Ben can't afford any delays." He'd added, when it looked like the Kryptonian was going to argue.
Supergirl felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to see her cousin; Superman gave her a reassuring smile.
"Don't worry, Kara," he said, "they'll find this Psyphon guy, and they'll get what they need to save Ben."
"I know they will, Kal," she replied, using Superman's Kryptonian name, "but I wanted to get a shot at Vilgax; maybe he's on the ship."
Superman's smile turned grim. "You'll get your chance, Kara; when the invasion starts, you and I will be on the front lines."
Supergirl nodded, her expression fierce. "Good."
…
Vilgax's Flagship
In the middle of a hallway, a purple ankh floated in the air; when it faded, the six-man team stood up. Cooper swayed slightly.
"Ugh," he moaned, "I hate magic."
"Shh!" Helen hissed, "Do you want the whole ship to hear us?"
"Do not worry," J'onn whispered, "I have something that will help."
At once, all of the non-Martians felt a tingling in their minds.
Can you all hear me? the team heard J'onn's voice in their minds.
A telepathic link? Cooper thought, Cool!
Good, the Martian thought, now we must move.
Cooper, Shifter thought, where is the science lab?
Cooper moved to a nearby terminal and focused his technopathic abilities.
We're in luck, he thought, it's on this deck, about four hundred meters ahead.
All right then, Atom thought, let's go!
The team moved quickly, avoiding patrols of robots as they moved. The one time they couldn't avoid the soldiers, they took them out without incident; J'onn phased through one, distracting it so that Shifter could turn into a lioness and rip it apart. The Atom shrunk to microscopic size, jumped into one robot, then grew, bursting its head from the inside. Helen moved in a blur, dismantling a robot before it could fire. Downpour kept Cooper covered with a shield of water, as he used his powers to disable their distress signals from being broadcast.
Once the robots were destroyed, Atom gathered up the pieces and shrunk them down to the size of molecules, erasing the evidence. After that was done, the team moved forward, reaching the lab without further violence.
Cooper, can you open the door? Helen pointed at the closed entrance.
One sec, Cooper focused his abilities, and the door opened. Open sesame.
The team moved inside, but found no one there.
Great, Downpour mentally groaned, Psyphon isn't even here! Now what do we do?
Maybe there's something on the computers here? Helen offered, pointing at a large screen.
You might be right, Cooper agreed, Atom, give me a hand!
The two went to work, going through every file they could find, the security no match for Cooper's technopathy. After a few minutes, Cooper pounded his fist against the console.
It's not here! he mentally shouted, We looked through every file, but all we got was a reference to something called a "Disruptor" and nothing else!
The team slumped in defeat; without that data, Ben was as good as dead. Then Helen straightened up.
What if… she began, what if the information isn't in the computer, but in Psyphon himself?
I don't follow. Downpour admitted.
Maybe he kept all of the information in his head?
The others froze; they hadn't thought of that. Then J'onn whipped his head towards the door to the lab.
We have company!
You can detect robots? Shifter asked, even as she turned into a gorilla.
It is not a robot, J'onn clarified, it is Psyphon… and Vilgax.
The other members of the team looked at each other nervously; in the past, Vilgax had taken hits from Ben's strongest aliens, and they weren't here for a fight, anyway. Before the team could move, the two aliens marched through the door.
"Master," the small one, obviously Psyphon, yelled, "intruders!"
"You dare come onto my ship!?" Vilgax roared, "You shall pay for your impertinence with your lives!"
Keep him busy! J'onn mentally shouted, I'm going after Psyphon!
The Martian phased through the charging Vilgax and flew after the fleeing scientist. The rest of the team squared off against the alien warlord.
Shifter turned into a Triceratops and collided with Vilgax, who barely grunted from the blow. Downpour sent a torrent of high-pressure water into the alien's face, and his only reaction was to glare angrily.
"Is this it?" he asked, "A shapeshifter and water in my face? Pathetic."
"How about this?" Vilgax turned to see Cooper, who had his arms spread apart; when he focused, pieces of machinery, along with the experimental weapons scattered throughout the lab, floated towards him, disassembling and then reassembling into a massive suit, with Cooper in the center. Vilgax sneered.
"You may prove to be… amusing."
…
J'onn raced after Psyphon, who had tried to lose the Martian by going down several different corridors, but J'onn created a shortcut by phasing through the walls. Finally, he grabbed Psyphon by the collar and hefted him against a bulkhead.
"Try not to think about the Disruptor," he said, as his eyes started to glow.
Frantically, Psyphon tried to conceal his thoughts, but by trying to block them out, he inadvertently brought them to the surface. J'onn gathered everything the scientist had on the weapon, then knocked him out with a single blow.
Everyone, he thought through the telepathic link, I have what we need; disengage and meet me at the exit point!
Doing our best, J'onn, Atom replied, but Vilgax isn't giving us room to maneuver, and—Shifter, duck! Sorry about that; anyway, we'll get to you as soon as we can!
The Martian flew back to the area they'd arrived, hoping the team would meet up with him in time.
…
"Is that the best you can do, technopath?" Vilgax laughed as he ripped the last of Cooper's mech apart. "Ah, well, at least I was amused."
"Glad to hear it," Cooper grunted, even as he held his bruised ribs, "but if you want to be amused, you should see me at the comedy clubs; I'm a riot."
Come on, everyone! Atom thought, It's time to go!
Well, at least he's not very fast, Shifter said, before turning into a cheetah, race you guys there!
Atom hopped onto Shifter's back, while Helen dashed over and lifted Cooper over her shoulders, fireman-style. Downpour turned into a stream of water, and together, they fled the lab. Soon, they caught up with J'onn, but Vilgax was hot on their heels, a pack of robots right behind him.
Fate, we need to leave! J'onn thought, Right now!
Just as Vilgax was only a few steps away, a purple ankh appeared behind the heroes, who then vanished.
The mission was a success.
…
Plumber HQ
When the team returned, the base became a flurry of activity; now that they had struck against Vilgax, they had to be on high alert. As soon as J'onn met up with Azmuth, he mentally transferred all of the information he'd taken from Psyphon; after which, Azmuth had Eunice move the rest of his equipment into Ben's room. He had been working for several hours now.
"How do you think he is?" Supergirl asked her cousin, as they stood outside the base, allowing their bodies to absorb the energy of the rising sun.
"If Azmuth is even half as good as Ben's said he is, then Ben will be just fine," Superman said, "besides, Ben's tough; it'll take more than this to kill him."
Supergirl nodded, but still looked concerned. "Do you think Ben knew that he could die if the Ultimatrix was destroyed?"
Superman shrugged. "Maybe; I wouldn't think that that would stop him from doing what was right, though."
"Why does he have to be so reckless!?" Supergirl suddenly shouted, "Why does he always think he can win, no matter what?"
Superman chuckled, knowing his cousin was just stressed. "Probably because he's done this for longer than most of the League, Kara; he knows his limits." His smiled faded. "Well, most of the time."
Supergirl was about to answer, when Batman's voice came in through their communicators.
"Get down here, both of you; Vilgax's forces are mobilizing."
…
The League was assembled, ready for deployment; several teams would be sent to counter smaller groups of the invaders across the world, but the majority of the League would be present in Bellwood, where most of Vilgax's army would be landing.
The two Kryptonians, along with Captain Marvel, Wonder Woman and Green Lantern would be a mobile reaction force, their speed allowing them to head to anywhere on earth fast enough to make a difference.
Batman would remain at Plumber Headquarters, relaying new orders as the situation needed. Cooper and Jimmy would stay with him as support.
Before the League moved out, Superman flew in front of them.
"We know what is at stake," he said, "the fate of Earth; it might not be our Earth, but our responsibilities don't end at the borders of our own universe. Innocent people are being threatened, and we must defend them; but today, more than our responsibilities have brought us here. One of our own was attacked; Vilgax is only doing this out of spite for Ben. He wants Ben to wake up and see everything he's ever fought for destroyed."
Superman saw the faces of each member of the League, the Ultimen and the Plumbers; each of their faces filled with fierce determination.
"But that won't happen; when Ben recovers, I want him to see his home defended, it's people safe. What do you want Ben to see?"
The assembled heroes responded with a mighty yell.
The Justice League was now at war.
…
Vilgax's Flagship, Twenty-Four Hours Later
"Psyphon, what is going on!?" Vilgax demanded, "The readings are showing my army getting decimated!"
Psyphon hesitantly stepped forward, wary of his master's wrath; after he had failed to escape the Martian, Vilgax had… disciplined him harshly.
"I've studied recordings sent by the robots before they were destroyed." Psyphon flinched when Vilgax shot him a glare. "It appears that the strangers' numbers are much greater than we initially thought."
"How many are there?"
Psyphon gulped. "At least fifty, maybe more." He voiced his next thought without thinking. "If all of them are as strong as that first one…"
He was cut off when Vilgax sent him flying into a bulkhead with one backhanded blow.
"It does not matter how powerful they are," Vilgax raged, "I will crush them! I am Vilgax, conqueror of ten systems! I will not be beaten by a pack of brightly-colored freaks!" he stabbed a finger at one of the consoles on the bridge. "Launch everything we have at Bellwood, even the reserves; I will be leading the assault myself."
Wincing, Psyphon rose to his feet. "Y-yes, master; it will be done."
…
Plumber HQ
Ben Tennyson groaned in pain as his eyes fluttered open; he looked around at his surroundings, noting that he wasn't Vilgax's prisoner, nor was he dead. He slowly pushed himself into a sitting position.
"Take it easy, Ben," a familiar voice, one that he hadn't heard in years, said, "you've had a rough time of it."
"Eunice?" Ben turned to see his old friend smiling at him. "What are you doing here? And where is here, exactly?"
"You're in Plumber HQ," Eunice explained, "after Vilgax, um, beat you, the Justice League took you here; you have some interesting friends, by the way."
"Wait, the League is here?" Ben sat up fully, but was overcome by dizziness. "What… how…?"
"I brought them here," said another familiar voice; Ben turned to see Professor Paradox. "The Earth needed to be defended, its allies weren't going to get here in time, and the Plumbers, while good, simply weren't enough to stop Vilgax's invasion."
"Vilgax invaded!?" what had he missed while he was out?
Paradox spent a few minutes explaining all that had happened, Ben occasionally interrupting to clarify something. When he was done, Ben was gripping the side of the bed with his right hand in anger and frustration; he would have done the same with his left, but it was encased in a strange container and couldn't move it.
"I have to get out there," Ben said, trying to get up again, "I have to help!"
"You'll do no such thing!" Ben looked down at the sound of yet another familiar voice; this time, it was Azmuth. "Not until you listen to me, Ben Tennyson!"
"Azmuth, you can yell at me all you want later," Ben protested, "but right now, I have a job to do!"
"No," Azmuth said in a low, dangerous voice as he hopped onto the container surrounding Ben's arm, "you'll listen to what I have to say now." He glanced away for a moment, then looked Ben in the eye.
"I am disappointed in you."
Ben reeled back, as if struck; Azmuth had told him before how proud he'd been of Ben, of how he'd used the Omnitrix, and later, the Ultimatrix, for good. As much as he'd pretended otherwise, he had always been happy when Azmuth praised him; he was harder to get a compliment from than his grandmother had been.
Disappointing him was a blow.
"Even after Vilgax took your family from you, you continued to be a hero, even in another universe. Oh, yes," he said, when Ben's eyes widened in shock, "I know all about your adventures; Paradox kept me well-informed. But after so many years of good, you threw it all away and used the Ultimatrix to get revenge; that is not what that device was for!"
Azmuth took a deep breath. "Do you remember why I created the Omnitrix?" without waiting for an answer, he continued, "It is for peace; it was to allow all the peoples of the universe to walk a mile in another species' shoes. I never intended for it to be a weapon and, for a while, you proved that it could be used as something else entirely. But now, you've undone over ten years of work, using it for your own selfish reasons!"
Ben's face twisted in rage; he almost reached forward to throttle the little alien. How dare he call avenging his murdered family selfish! But then the words really started to sink in; aside from a few times when he was ten, and again when he was a teenager, he'd always used his abilities to help other people. Now, he had used the Ultimatrix for the reason that Azmuth had always feared.
He had used it as a weapon.
Ben sank back down on the bed, tears beginning to fall down his face. He'd failed as a hero; he'd failed Azmuth, he'd failed the League, he'd failed his family. But, most of all, he'd failed himself.
"I'm sorry," he whispered, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry…"
He spent the next several minutes repeating that over and over, not even bothering to hide his tears. Eunice, having had enough of her friend in so much pain, moved to comfort him, but was stopped when Paradox put a hand on her shoulder.
"He needs this," he whispered, "let him let it all out."
Finally, Ben recovered enough to sit up again, and looked Azmuth in the eye.
"You're right," he said, "and I'm sorry; I don't deserve the Ultimatrix, or to be a hero. I failed."
Strangely, Azmuth smiled. "I'm glad you realize your mistake, Ben; otherwise, I wouldn't be able to give you this."
He pressed a button on the side of the container, then hopped onto the foot of the bed. The container began to fold in on itself, revealing Ben's bare arm; attached to his wrist was…
"What happened to the Ultimatrix?" the device on Ben's arm was similar to the Ultimatrix, but only a little. The device was slightly bigger, and the color was wrong; instead of the normal green, the entire gauntlet was steel-colored, as if it needed a coat of paint. The only part of the device that was the right color was the dial; the hourglass symbol was the familiar black and green.
"The Ultimatrix created by my erstwhile assistant, the one you wore, was destroyed by Vilgax," Azmuth told him, "this is the Ultimatrix, Mark Two."
For a moment, Ben was filled with a sense of loss; the Ultimatrix had been a part of his life for years, and now it was gone. Still, that loss was tempered by excitement; a new Ultimatrix! Who knew what he could do with it!
"What are the new features?"
Azmuth smiled at Ben's enthusiasm; it was a welcome improvement to how he was a few minutes ago.
"This new Ultimatrix has only two new features," he almost laughed when he saw Ben's childish pout, "some new 'Ultimate' forms, as you call them, and one other." He paused, allowing a wide grin to cross his face.
"Access Master Control." The Ultimatrix beeped.
"Master Control unlocked," said a synthesized version of Ben's voice, "all functions available."
Ben was beyond shocked; the Master Control was the greatest part of the Omnitrix and the Ultimatrix. It allowed him to instantly transform from one alien to another with but a thought, and with no time limit; on top of that, it allowed Ben unfettered access to all of the aliens, over one million in total!
"But… but what about how I disappointed you?"
Azmuth kept up his smile. "I needed to know how you would react; if you were still hell-bent on revenge, you would not have cared, and I would have kept the Master Control locked. You made a mistake, Ben, but you have always done well."
Ben straightened up, pride evident on his face.
"Splendid," said Paradox, clapping his hands together, "but I do believe that there is still a war going on outside; tell me, Ben, what are you going to do?"
Ben grinned, then raised the new Ultimatrix. "What do you think, Paradox?"
The three visitors left, allowing Ben privacy as he got out of his hospital gown and into a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt that Paradox had left for him. He also went to the bathroom to shave the stubble that had grown over the last couple of days, but he left his upper lip and chin alone; maybe he'd grow it out.
He did, however, have a minor freak-out when he saw that part of his hair was grey.
I'm not even twenty-one! He raged silently, I shouldn't have grey hair until I'm, like, forty!
Shaking himself out of the shock by reminding himself that he had work to do, Ben marched out of the bathroom and then outside, where he saw Paradox, Azmuth and Eunice waiting.
"Trying a new look, Ben?" Eunice teased, gesturing to Ben's face.
"I've seen future versions of myself, Eunice," Ben replied, "and I looked pretty good with a beard then, too."
Eunice rolled her eyes. "Of course you'd say that."
"One more thing, Ben," said Paradox, handing him a large paper bag, "if you're going out there, you'll need this; I took the liberty of restoring it to its previous status, as it was rather shredded before."
Ben opened up the bag, finding his green jacket. Grinning, he put it on, then activated the Ultimatrix.
"It's Hero Time!"
…
Bellwood
In the battle for Bellwood, the Justice League was holding its own; the robots were fairly easy to destroy, though the larger ones tended to give them some trouble. The only problem was that there were so many of them! For every one they destroyed, a dozen took its place.
Apparently, Vilgax had decided to focus all of his efforts on Bellwood, even withdrawing his forces from other parts around the world; however, this allowed the teams scattered to fight those same forces to get their second wind, before heading back to the main fight.
"We need more support three blocks south of here," Superman told Batman over his communicator, even as he vaporized a squad of robots with his heat-vision, "Zatanna and Red Tornado are under a lot of pressure!"
"Understood," Batman said a moment later, "Attention, all points; reinforcements are inbound."
Was it just Superman's imagination, or did Batman sound almost happy when he said that?
Wonder Woman flew up to him, uppercutting a robot that was about to hit him from behind, then caught another one with her lasso, pulling it in so that she could decapitate it with a single kick. Then she turned to Superman.
"Did Batman sound almost happy to you just now?"
Okay, maybe it wasn't Superman's imagination.
"He might have," Superman said, "but I thought everyone was already deployed?"
Wonder Woman nodded. "Everyone is except for Ben, and he's…" she trailed off, then looked at Superman joyfully, "He's back!"
Sure enough, a pair of neuroshock beams lanced through a robot on the ground, before Jet Ray flew up to them.
"Hey guys," he said cheerfully, "did you miss me?"
"You have no idea," Superman said, before getting down to business, "Do you know what's going on?"
"Yeah," Jet Ray said, "Paradox filled me in."
"How do you want to do this?" Wonder Woman asked.
Jet Ray thought for a moment. "We can keep doing what we're doing; it looks like we've ticked off Vilgax enough that he'll only focus on us. As long as we can keep all of this contained, we're good."
"What do you want to do about Vilgax himself?" Wonder Woman had heard how Ben had gone ballistic before; she hoped he wouldn't again.
"Vilgax is tough," Jet Ray said, after a moment of hesitation, "only our biggest guns should go against him; the two of you, Supergirl, J'onn, or Captain Marvel." Then he shrugged. "And me, I guess."
Both Leaguers took note of how Ben was willing to let someone else fight Vilgax; they took it as a good sign.
"Now then," Jet Ray said, "I heard some of our guys needed backup?" Without waiting for an answer, Jet Ray disappeared in a flash of green light.
"HEATBLAST!"
Superman and Wonder Woman were shocked; before, Ben needed to touch the Ultimatrix dial in order to transform. Since when were his transformations instantaneous?
"Ben, what…?" Superman started to ask.
"Oh, right," Heatblast gave a wide grin. "Azmuth unlocked the Master Control; I've got a few new aliens to try out."
"How many?" Wonder Woman asked with a raised eyebrow.
Heatblast shrugged. "Over a million." Then he rocketed away, laughing at the dumbfounded expressions on his teammates' faces.
…
It wasn't hard to find Zatanna and Red Tornado; the latter generated crimson twisters that were easily spotted. Heatblast flew down, melting a dozen robots with a concentrated stream of fire, then landed next to the sorceress. As one of the robots, damaged and forced to drag itself across the ground, moved towards them, Heatblast rapped his knuckles on top of its head; that simple tap was enough to kill it. He noticed a few more of the larger robots walking towards them, but only laughed, then transformed again.
"RATH!" the tiger-like alien gave the machines a feral grin. "Let me tell ya something, giant robots! Rath has a new trick he'd like to show you; it's time to go Ultimate!"
Normally, when one of Ben's aliens went Ultimate, he'd have to twist and then slap the dial; with the Master Control unlocked, the transformation happened with but a thought. In a flash of green light, Rath became larger and even more heavily muscled; his orange, black-striped fur became a golden tan, a large, bushy mane covered his throat and neck. His upper canines became even longer, much like a Saber-Toothed Tiger; the single claw on the back of each of his hands became three, and the end of his new tail sported what looked like a battleaxe.
"ULTIMATE RATH!" the new Ultimate cracked his knuckles loudly, before springing forward; the chassis of the lead robot shattered in a single blow!
Without missing a beat, Ultimate Rath jumped to the next robot and extended his claws; in one swipe, he shredded the machine into pieces. Before the final robot could react, Ultimate Rath pointed his hands at the robot and clenched his hands; all six of his claws fired like missiles, hitting the robot and then exploding!
"Let me tell ya something, destroyed robots," Ultimate Rath said in a deeper, more guttural voice, "that is what happens when ya mess with Ultimate Rath!"
With a laugh, he transformed back into Rath, and then back into Ben.
"Ah," he said, stretching out his arms, "a day without smashing robots is like a day without sunshine." He looked guiltily at Red Tornado. "No offense, RT."
"I am not offended," the android responded, "though it is a positive surprise to see you active, Ben Tennyson; the injuries that you were reported to have suffered were severe."
"Yeah, Vilgax hits kinda hard," Ben said, a sheepish smile on his face, "but I'm back, and better than ever!"
"Good to hear it," Zatanna said, ruffling Ben's hair, then frowning, "hey, what happened to your hair?"
Ben rolled his eyes. "Is everyone going to comment on that?"
"That is probable."
Ben gave the android a look, but before he could give a snarky response, Zatanna pointed at the air, where the giant, flaming remains of a robot were falling towards them!
"Look out!" she raised her hands, "Dleihs su morf eht sirbed!"
A transparent dome appeared, protecting the three from the wreckage; as the pieces slid harmlessly to the ground, Ben gave Zatanna a thumbs-up.
"Nice save, Zatanna!"
"Your assistance is appreciated," Red Tornado added.
"No problem, guys."
"Attention, all points," Batman's voice cut in across their communicators, "Vilgax has been spotted at six-two-five-five Pleasant Hills Road; all available members, head there as soon as possible."
Why would he go there? Ben wondered, the only thing there is the… cemetery…
Then it hit him. Vilgax must have realized that he wasn't going to win before help from across the universe arrived to stop him, so wanted to hurt Ben one more time before he lost; what better way than to hit the graves of his loved ones?
"That bastard!" Ben hissed, then turned into Fasttrack and rushed off.
It was time to end this.
…
While Ben was the only one to figure out Vilgax's purpose, he wasn't the one to reach Vilgax first; no, that privilege belonged to Supergirl, who happened to be closest to the cemetery. She found the alien warlord barreling down the street in that black pod again, crushing anything in its path. Still, the war machine was no match for the angry Kryptonian, who halted it with one hand; with the other, she ripped off part of the plating, exposing the green alien inside.
"Get out here!" she yelled, grabbing Vilgax by the shoulder and hefting him out of the pod. With a cry, she slammed him into the ground, creating a large crater. Vilgax struggled to his feet.
"Ah, I remember you," Vilgax said with a sneer, "you were forced to watch, as I beat Ben Tennyson like the worthless dog he…"
Vilgax was cut off when Supergirl disappeared in a blur of motion, stopping just in front of him, then flew upwards and struck him in the face fast enough that her punch created a sonic boom. Vilgax was sent hurtling into the sky, but Supergirl flew up past him, clasped her hands together, and hit him with a double-handed blow that sent him plummeting back down to the ground, where he landed hard enough to make a crater twenty feet deep.
Unlike her cousin, Supergirl had less control over her strength; she had lost count of the number of doorknobs she'd accidentally ripped off when she wasn't paying attention, or the number of times she'd walked into and then through a wall, not even noticing the impact until she noticed debris on her clothes.
While she normally had to struggle to keep her colossal strength in check, today she simply let go. She hit Vilgax again and again; each time her fist connected, she saw different images. First, she saw Ben from that first night at the Kent home, sobbing uncontrollably. Then, she saw the haunted look on his face after Mongol forced him to see his family die again. Then, she saw every time he woke up next to her at night, his eyes darting everywhere in fear.
It was all because of Vilgax.
So focused was she on punishing the warlord, she didn't see the massive fist heading towards her until it was almost against her skin. But a fully-powered, angry Kryptonian is not so easily hurt; the blow barely knocked her back. Still, it gave Vilgax enough time to get back on his feet, then hold a claw up to his mouth.
"Psyphon," the battered alien growled into a hidden communicator, "lock the fleet's weapons onto Bellwood; level the entire area!"
"We can't, master!" came the panicked reply, "We are under attack by the Highbreed!"
"What!?" Vilgax roared, "Destroy their ships!"
"Master, they used Galvan stealth-tech to take us by surprise; they came from be…" The rest of Psyphon's sentence was cut off by a loud scream, then silence.
Across the town, Leaguers and their allies looked up to see the ships of Vilgax's fleet, which had been low enough in orbit to be seen by the naked eye, explode one by one, destroyed by large, grey ships that had come out of nowhere. Vilgax gawked for a moment, then leveled a glare at Supergirl, only to be hit by a blast of heat-vision the width of a car, sending him hurtling into a nearby building, which then collapsed onto him.
Supergirl calmly floated over and waited for the warlord to pull himself out of the rubble. When he did, a trail of green blood dribbled out around his mask, and his armor was pitted and cracked. Still, he managed to draw himself up to his full height.
"You… you think that you can defeat me!?" he raised a battered arm and pointed at her, "I am Vilgax! Conqueror of ten systems! I will not be defeated here, on this mud-ball of a planet!"
Vilgax would have ranted further, but Supergirl, having had enough, punched him in the head, then slammed her fist against his shoulder, forcing him to his knees. She kicked him in the chest, sending him skidding across the street; she flew after him and landed on his chest, sending a barrage of punches into his ugly face.
"You will never," she said, after striking him again, "hurt anyone," another punch, "ever again!"
Vilgax was now barely conscious, his body broken and bleeding; though she hadn't meant to, Supergirl's assault had left the warlord in a similar condition to how he'd left Ben. Supergirl looked down at him, then built up her heat-vision.
"I'll make sure of it."
"Don't you think that I should have the final decision of what his fate should be?" Supergirl whirled around at the familiar voice.
"Ben," she murmured. Sure enough, Ben Tennyson stood before her; his scars were gone, but his hair still had those spots of grey, and he had the beginnings of a beard and moustache, but he was standing.
She dashed over to him, Vilgax temporarily forgotten, and wrapped Ben in a hug, which he returned.
"Don't worry, Kara," Ben whispered, "I'm okay; it's over."
A groan interrupted their moment, and they turned to see Vilgax struggling to rise. Ben's eyes narrowed at his old enemy; he pulled out of Kara's embrace, and walked up to the warlord.
"Why?" Vilgax choked out, "Why is it that I can never defeat you, Ben Tennyson!? Every time you and I battle, something or someone interferes, and you escape, or emerge victorious. Tell me, damn you; tell me why!?"
Ben looked Vilgax in the eye, ignoring the gathering members of the Justice League, Plumbers and Ultimen.
"You don't need me to answer that, because you already did." Ben smirked. "You always lost because in all the years you've fought me, you've had, what, maybe four or five people helping you? And in all those years, I've had dozens of people watching my back, just as I've watched theirs.
"That's why you've lost, Vilgax, why you always lost, and why you'll always lose in the future; because you never trusted anyone else enough to let them stand with you." Ben's smirk got wider. "Not that you'll ever get a chance to try to fix that."
Vilgax glared at him. "What will you do, kill me? That isn't what you do, Tennyson; but you know that the Null Void can't hold me forever."
Ben shrugged. "I wasn't planning on doing either; I know one place that can hold you forever, with no exit for you to escape." He turned to Superman.
"Hey, Supes," he called out, "think we can send him to the Phantom Zone?"
Superman thought about it, then nodded. "That could work, Ben; still, we'd have to go back to the Watchtower to get the Phantom Projector."
"Not to worry," said Professor Paradox, carrying the very device they needed, "I have it, and I've applied a bit of Galvan technology, if you don't mind, Superman." Superman nodded, and the time-walker continued. "That said technology will send him on a quick trip to your universe, then into the Phantom Zone; no fuss, no muss."
Ben smiled at the Professor's resourcefulness, then turned back to Vilgax, where his smile turned grim.
"We're sending you to another dimension in another universe," he explained, "where you won't be able to hurt anyone else. But," and now his voice turned menacing, to a point that even Batman felt nervous, "if you ever get out, I will find you, and I will finish what Supergirl started." Then Ben walked up to Paradox. "May I?"
Paradox nodded, then handed him the Phantom Projector. "I think you've earned the right, Ben."
Ben aimed the device at the fallen Vilgax, who continued to glare in hatred, and pressed the button; as the energy emitted from the device began to envelop him, Vilgax began to shout.
"This is not over, Ben Tennyson!" he raged, "I will escape, I will get my revenge, and you will…"
Ben would never know what Vilgax would say next; the device had banished the warlord to the Phantom Zone, and would never be seen again.
"Good riddance," Ben muttered.
"Why didn't you kill him?" Supergirl asked.
Ben looked down for a moment, then spoke. "Because revenge won't give back what I've lost, Kara; if I killed him, I would be spitting on everything my friends and family taught me. That would be like killing them all over again." He looked around at his teammates, his friends, his new family.
"Thanks for everything, guys," he said with a sincere smile, "it's over now."
…
The Next Day
For the next twenty-four hours after the battle, the Justice League immersed itself in repairs to Ben's hometown; much of it had been destroyed during the fighting, and there were a lot of people who no longer had homes to go back to.
Fortunately, the process was sped up with the arrival of Verdona, who had been outraged that she hadn't been able to participate in the war.
"The one time I get a chance to fight alongside my grandson," she had complained, "and I'm stuck keeping a black hole from eating up a solar system!"
Of course, she had been incredibly apologetic for not being able to help Ben recover from his injuries, though she did offer to remove the grey from his hair. Ben, however, had politely refused.
"I kinda like it," he had told her, "it makes me look more mature."
With the repairs completed, most of the League was returned back to their universe, though the founding members, Supergirl, Ship and Long Shadow had remained, as an unofficial honor guard for Ben. Not that they would have told him that, of course; he would have complained if he knew.
While at Plumber HQ, they'd also been visited by the commander of the Highbreed fleet that had come to their aid; the rest of the Leaguers, who had never seen a Highbreed before, were a little intimidated by the tall alien, with its large talons, its lack of a mouth, and the red eyes that seemed to be on its face and chest.
Ben, however, recognized the strange, green arm that seemed out of place on the otherwise symmetrical alien.
"Reiny!" he shouted, shaking the alien's hand, "It's great to see you again!"
"And it is good to see you alive and well, Ben Ben Tennyson," the Highbreed said; somehow, the Leaguers knew he was smiling, even without a mouth.
"Everyone," Ben said, turning back to his friends, "this is Reinrassic III, seventh son of the Noble Highbreed House of Deralla, direct descendent of the Pure-Blooded High Order of Rarsect, and Highbreed Supreme."
Flash let out a low whistle. "I'd like to see that on a business card."
"Most call me Reinrassic III," the large alien said, "or Highbreed Supreme; Ben Tennyson is the only being in the universe that may call me Reiny."
"Why's that?" Wonder Woman asked.
"He saved my life," Reinrassic explained, "and then the lives of the entire Highbreed species; for that, and other reasons, we have sworn an oath to defend the Earth from all threats." He bowed his head in shame. "I only wish that we had arrived sooner."
"It's okay, Reiny," Ben said consolingly, "if it's any consolation, you totally nailed the dramatic entrance when your fleet showed up; perfect timing!"
Reinrassic perked up, obviously pleased that he and his forces had still made a difference. "Before I arrived, I received some news from the Galvan contingent that had accompanied us; while searching the debris of Vilgax's fleet, they discovered the body of Psyphon. They have scanned it with all of the technology at their disposal; it is the real thing, not a clone, nor any other sort of deception."
Ben nodded. "Well, that's one less thing to worry about."
He hadn't actively sought the mad scientist's death, but he doubted that he would lose any sleep over it, either.
The group eventually began some small-talk, when Wonder Woman tapped Ben on the shoulder.
"What's up, Diana?"
"Ben," the princess said softly, "did you ever do what you originally came here to do?"
Ben felt a pang of guilt, then smacked his forehead; he'd completely forgotten to visit the graves! And he'd been right outside the cemetery yesterday, too!
"Guys," he said, bringing the group's attention back to him, "sorry about this, but I need to do something." He turned to Ship. "I assume you want to come, too?"
"Ship, ship." the little alien said in a small voice, understanding what Ben meant.
Ben nodded, transformed into XLR8, put Ship on his shoulder, then sped off.
…
Bellwood Cemetery
Ben stood in front of a special part of the cemetery; it had been set aside for those closest to Bellwood's own superhero, so Ben wouldn't have to go looking around for individual graves. He stood in front of his parents' graves first.
"Hey Mom, hey Dad," he said softly, "I know I should have visited you a long time ago, but, you know, hero stuff. I just want you to know that… even though you didn't have as big a part of my hero life, that doesn't mean you didn't influence who I was. Thank you both; I love you, and I miss you." Ben sniffed, then moved on to the graves of Gwen's parents.
"Aunt Lily, Uncle Frank, I'm sorry about all the times I dragged Gwen off to help me save the world; Lord knows what she could have been doing otherwise. Heh, she'd probably have her Master's Degree by now, right? Anyway, I just want you to know that I'm going to keep living for her, too."
Ben felt tears growing as he reached his grandfather's grave. "Grandpa Max, I… I hope that, wherever you are, you're proud of what I've done; I want to think that, if you were in my position, you'd do the exact same thing as me." Ben laughed ruefully, "Hopefully without jumping off of a building first." Ben stood straight. "You were always my moral compass, Grandpa; I am who I am because of what you taught me. Thank you."
Ben was now openly weeping by the time he got to Gwen's grave. "Hey, dweeb; I'm back, and man, have I had an adventure like no other! I've met aliens that don't exist in this universe, I joined a team of superheroes…" Ben tilted his head, as if listening, "oh, don't laugh, superheroes are cool; after all, I'm one. Another thing, Gwen; you'd love the magic that they can do over there! There's this woman, Zatanna, who can do all of this cool magic, and then there's Doctor Fate, and he's got this awesome tower, and there's also Etrigan, who's a demon; don't worry, though, he's a good guy. Oh, man, I could go on forever, but, you know, if I don't get back soon, Batman will give me that glare of his…" Ben's smile faded a little. "Thanks for everything, Gwen; you were the best cousin anyone could hope for."
Ben's lips twisted into the best smile he could manage as he reached Kevin Levin's grave. "Hey, Kev. You've probably been making fun of me all this time, haven't you? Yeah, and I bet that every time you do, Gwen smacks you upside the head. You'd like it over there, in the other universe, Kevin; they've got all the cool toys, and technology that you've never seen! Of course, knowing you, you'd probably try to steal most of it, but I doubt you'd get past J'onn, and even if you did, you'd never get past Batman. That guy can smell crime. And don't think I'm being paranoid, he's really that good! Anyway, I hope you're proud of me, too. Oh, by the way, I made a few modifications to my car, based on the ones I saw you make to yours; consider that a tribute, buddy."
Finally, Ben knelt next to Julie's grave, where Ship had spent the entire time. He patted the little alien, then began to speak.
"Hey, Julie, it's me, and I brought Ship, too. I know how much he means to you, and I've done my best to keep him out of trouble, but you know how he is."
"Ship!" Ship halfheartedly shot back, causing Ben to laugh.
"Okay, he's been helping keep me out of trouble, too, along with a whole lotta other guys. You'd probably like them all, except maybe Question; he's a little weird. You'd probably like Black Canary the most; she's kind of like to Green Arrow how you were to me. Arrow gets a swelled head sometimes, and Canary is there to give him a piece of humble pie; usually by beating the stuffing out of him in the gym. I'm glad that you never did that last part to me!" Ben's smile faded, and he took a deep breath. "Julie, I'm always going to love you; you were my first girlfriend, and you were there for me when the rest of the world hated my guts. But… but I have to move on. I met this girl, Kara, you'd like her, and I love her so much… I hope you can understand; I'll never forget you, but I can't spend my entire life mourning you, either. Good-bye, Julie."
For a few minutes, Ben and Ship just stayed there, staring at the grave, before Ben patted Ship's head. The little alien put one foot on Julie's headstone for a moment, then crawled onto Ben's shoulder. Though Ben left with sadness in his heart, he knew he would heal.
He'd finally gotten closure.
…
Plumber HQ
Ben's friends and allies were quiet when Ben and Ship came back, but had been surprised when Ben gave them a tear-stained, but absolutely sincere smile, then left to pick up his things from the room he'd been staying in. Kara followed him inside; the two of them sat on the edge of the bed, Ben letting out the last of his tears, while Kara held him.
"I'm going to be okay," he told Kara after a few minutes, though he didn't pull away from her, "I got what I needed."
When they finally left the room to rejoin the others, Ben was sufficiently composed; he spent a little while joking and hanging out with the Ultimen and the Plumbers, but eventually found himself in front of Azmuth.
"So," Ben said in a resigned tone, "you're gonna lock the Master Control again, aren't you? Something about me not being ready, right?"
Azmuth tilted his head, as if thinking hard. "Not this time, Ben."
"What?"
The Galvan smiled. "If I didn't think you were ready to have the Master Control permanently, I wouldn't have given it to you at all. You've earned this, Ben; you earned it a long time ago."
Ben stared at Azmuth, then his new Ultimatrix, then back at Azmuth; for a moment, he said nothing, then…
"Aw, yeah!" Ben shouted, as he pumped his fist, "This is gonna be awesome!"
"Just remember," Azmuth warned, "that I can take the Master Control away just as easily!"
"Oh, come on, Azmuth," Ben whined, "I'm not that selfish kid that used to prank people with Ghostfreak; I've grown up!"
"Speaking of you as a kid," Manny said, an evil grin on his face, "I almost forgot to show you this, what with all the excitement and all."
Helen put a clawed hand to her head. "Oh, Manny, don't tell me…"
"Yep!" Manny's smile was starting to make Ben nervous, "The theme song!"
"Theme song?" Ben echoed, "What theme song?"
"Well," Jimmy explained, "after you disappeared, people wanted to know more about you; eventually, a series of documentaries was made, showing all of your major adventures."
Alan stepped forward. "Yeah, but only the first one, the one that covered your adventures when you were ten, had lyrics; it's actually kind of catchy."
Ben pinched the bridge of his nose; he was probably going to regret this, but… "All right, Manny, hit it!"
"Awesome!" Manny typed a few commands into a computer, and the sound of a rock guitar filled the PA.
"I hope this isn't stupid," Ben muttered to Kara, even as the song started.
It started when an alien device did what it did
And stuck itself upon his wrists, with secrets that it hid
Now he's got superpowers, he's no ordinary kid,
He's Ben 10!
Ben 10!
"I was right," Ben whispered, his face reddening in embarrassment.
So if you see him, you might be in for a big surprise
He'll turn into an alien before your very eyes
He's slimy, creepy, fast and strong,
He's every shape and size
He's Ben 10!
Ben 10!
"Oh man, this is great!" Flash whispered to Manny, "Can I get a copy of this?"
"You bet!" Manny replied.
"Do it," Ben warned, "and I will hurt both of you."
Both hero and alien grinned unrepentantly as the song continued.
Armed with powers, he's on the case
Fighting off evil from Earth or space
He will never stop 'til he makes them pay
'Cause he's the baddest kid to ever save the day!
Ben 10!
One, two, three!
Ben 10!
Four, five, six!
Ben 10!
Seven, eight, nine!
Ben 10!
When the song ended, most of those assembled were laughing hysterically, while Ben considered turning into Ghostfreak and turning invisible.
Finally, with the mood as light as it was, the group said their farewells; it was particularly hard for the Ultimen to say goodbye to Long Shadow, but the size-changer had decided to stay with the League. Speaking of the League, they promised to come again if they were needed, while the Plumbers and Ultimen said the same thing. Ben received hugs from everyone there, save for Reinrassic and Azmuth, then joined the Leaguers, who had gathered around Verdona, who was ready to take them all back.
Ben's smile was almost permanent, save for when he shot Flash a glare for humming the tune to the theme song, as he took Kara's hand in his own.
"Let's go home."
Waving goodbye, the Justice League disappeared.
Back to where all of them, even Ben, belonged.
Okay, remember back in chapter 6, when I said that I would never put Ben through that kind of trauma again? Well, I lied, sorry.
Okay, so here's the recap:
Ben has the Ultimatrix, Mk. 2, which gives me the perfect excuse for new aliens and new Ultimates. I hoped you liked Ultimate Rath! (I know, I turned him into a lion, but hey, it seemed cool). Also, Master Control! Woot!
Ben now looks different; he will be growing out a beard, similar to the one Ultimate Ben had, and he has those spots of grey; think Mister Fantastic, if you want a good example.
I know some of you wanted Ben to be the one to kick Vilgax's butt, but a lot more of you wanted Supergirl to have that honor, and why shouldn't she? Ben's fought a lot of her battles so far: the thugs with Kryptonite, the giant robot, Galatea; it's time for her to win a fight by herself for once!
Yeah, Vilgax survived, but for all intents and purposes, he's dead; we will NEVER see him again, and that's that. It is the last time we ever see one of Ben's villains.
That scene with the graves? Yeah, I almost cried writing that, but Ben needed the closure; after all, that's what this three-parter is called, right?
Yes, I used the theme song from the first live-action movie. If you want to hear it, look up "Ben 10 Rock Version" on Youtube, or look for it on iTunes.
So ends the Closure arc. Next up, the Secret Society arc!
I am vengeance. I am the night. I AM BATMUFFIN!