Darkness. That was all that Xavier saw, his body floating in the seemingly endless void as the faint but somewhat familiar sounds of sirens rang in his ears, giving him a slight migraine. Suddenly, within that very moment, 13 years worth of memories began to flash before Xaiver's very eyes! The first time he ever opened said eyes when he was born, with the very vague image of his now deceased mother, his first steps, his first meal, his first day at school, his first kiss, the death of his parents and the mental toll that traumatic event had on his 9-year old-self before he was taken in by his beloved Aunt and Uncle.
The migraine he had before had now gotten worse thanks to his little 'trip down memory-lane'. It was as if someone had put a USB into his brain with his entire life story on it!
"Man…" The thirteen year-old groaned, clutching his head in the hopes of numbing out the pain in any way, shape, or form. "Anyone know the license plate of the car that hit me?" Xavier said sarcastically, not expecting anyone to answer him.
"A979 HMS, the driver was male, in his late-forties. Drunk driving…the cause of many tragedies, no matter the world…" A Scottish voice echoed throughout the void, causing the boy to jump. Not too long after, a blue swirling vortex lit up the area as a figure made his way through the vortex. The figure had black hair, with noticeable grey on the sides, showing his old age. The white lab coat he wore had brown and black pouches and a gold trim, with a black turtleneck being worn underneath alongside a white scarf. A pair of goggles dangled around his neck, with brown knee pads adoring his black pants, coupling it all off with a pair of brown boots with gold straps.
With wide purple eyes, Xaiver slowly raised a finger and pointed at the man. "Y-you're…" He stuttered before being cut-off by the weirdly dressed man.
"The Doctor. Specifically, the tenth incarnation played by the amazingly talented, David Tennant." He said seriously, before chuckling to himself. "I joke of course. I don't actually remember my real name, but I typically go with the nickname: Professor Paradox." The man now known as Professor Paradox pulled out a brown bag from his pocket and offered the still shocked boy a gumball.
"Gumball?" He offered. After receiving no response, Paradox shrugged and threw the sweet into his mouth. "Now, shall we get down to business, my boy?"
Xavier regained his bearings before shaking his head. "What a weird dream…" He muttered, rubbing his temples gently. Paradox quirked a brow at the boy.
"A dream? Xavier, how can you be dreaming when you are no longer a part of the living?"
Xavier didn't respond right away. His eyes found themselves going wide once again as the events that had transpired just moments ago finally made their way back to him, causing his eyes to widen ever so slightly.
"Considering I just so happen to mention a license plate this has to be some kind of dramatic irony," Xavier said putting his hands over his face processing the fact that he was well dead. "So now what? You gonna guide me to the light at the end of the tunnel or something?"
Paradox puts a hand on his chin."Unfortunately, that isn't my area of expertise as strange as that might sound to you I do have my limitations,"
"Mind if we stop dancing around the question if I'm dead then why am I here? Shouldn't I be up there?" Xavier half-shouted.
Paradox smiled at the question as if this was a normal Sunday afternoon."To answer we need to go back to the beginning," Paradox said as he turned his back on the Thirteen-year old. "Before we get into the meat and potatoes of the matter, we must brush up on quantum mechanics and string theory." Paradox said as before Xavier could ask about that a giant transparent blue sphere surrounded Paradox and as it expanded many smaller ones orbited around the main one and in the center was a huge glowing blue tree sprouted in front of him as it's leaves looked like small dots forming the wider universe.
"Woah...," Xavier said as he marveled at the site of such a thing; it was something most normal people would only dream of doing, something only available in fiction so he couldn't help but gawk at the site.
"You are aware of multiverse theory are you not?" Paradox asked breaking Xavier out of his stupor as he nodded dumbly.
"Same principles apply as there are many dimensions, many universes, many Earths, and thus many different Ben Tennyson," Paradox said turning to Xavier as he was absorbing this knowledge in.
"Now then I want you to imagine the tree as space and time, the branches represent convergent timelines where reality branches off and becomes a different timeline and the spheres you see up here represent the disconnect of the greater multiverse," Paradox explained as Xavier who was currently just absorbing this gave a nod showing his understanding.
"I'm guessing the trunk is the main timeline using the logic you have given me at least," Xavier asked the steampunk-looking professor.
"Indeed, Now let's finally address the issue at hand," Paradox says as Paradox walked towards the tree as its brilliant blue glow faded and collapsed with a huge thud both scaring and knocking Xavier on his butt.
"That my friend, is the state of the Omniverse…," Paradox said walking up to the now-dead and hollow state of the tree.
Xavier now regaining his bearing from that event stands back up and walks towards the Professor who was busy rummaging the leaves of the fallen trees until he found a leaf? However, it still had that brilliant ethereal glow from before as Paradox turned to face Xavier with a smile on his face before adopting a more stern look.
"So your telling me reality collapsed?" Xavier asked.
"Not quite, rather time did you are aware of Vilgax yes?"
"Does big evil squid fit the description?"
"Indeed, With the help of a time walker named Eon and the use of a Chronosepian timebomb, the omniverse was destroyed," Paradox said as he showed Xavier the leaf.
"This leaf represents the only timeline left intact by Vilgax a timeline: where Ben Tennyson never got the Omnitrix, never getting close to his cousin Gwendolyn and never undergoing his miscellaneous adventure to his path of heroism. Instead he lived a normal life free of anything supernatural," Paradox explained.
"Ok…I might not have watched all of Ben 10 but when does this escalate it far?!"Xavier said flabbergasted while yes Ben has saved the world but this is the freaking Omniverse did the writers run out of ideas so much with how many sequel shows they upped the stakes trying to recapture the gold of the original series to varying degrees of success causing the fanbase to go on a perpetual cycle of debating which series is peak?!
Meanwhile in Heaven.
Dwayne Mcduffie sneezes oblivious to the ranting that occurs below as he goes back to living his best life.
Back to our heroes.
"During the events of what you label Omniverse is when things escalate this far," Paradox said planting the leaf on the ground.
"One of the only two I didn't watch…" Xavier muttered. Yes, he was part of the people who fell out during season 3 but how would he know he would be kidnapped by the show's Doctor Who persona.
"Really? Those two programs were quite the spectacle if I do say so myself," Paradox said with a smile his tone carrying a hint of nostalgia as if recalling a distant memory of time.
"Is that how you got the glow-up from scientist to even older scientist?"
"You can thank Celestialsepians for that, it appears a sense of style comes with Omniscience after all," Paradox said adjusting his lab coat and pulling out an old-fashioned pocket watch.
"What does god have to do with an update in style?" Xavier asked
"Everything really but as much as I do enjoy this banter we have strayed off topic," Paradox said as a new tree appeared right behind him.
"Ok… so the tree is back?"
"Not exactly, the omniverse may have been restored but due to the fact that a version of Ben had used a Chronosepians power without practice beforehand there have been several irregularities in the Prime timeline," Paradox explained while showing a mirage of a golden robotic alien shooting a green beam from his chest as it expands far beyond the naked eye.
"So what does that have to do with me being here?" Xavier said exasperated.
Paradox smiled."I need you to go back to the start and make sure that the Tennysons get through their trials and tribulations with Omnitrix to allow them to be molded into the people they are meant to be."
"I'm sorry what?" Xavier said processing the words that came out of Paradox's mouth. "Your kidding right,"
"I can assure you I'm not as due to the irregularities of the timeline I cannot confidently assess whether Benjamin will come out in a manner that wouldn't cause a potential domino effect later on," Paradox explains before gazing at the tree.
"If the Prime timeline where to fall due to such irregularities the disposition of the multiverse would suffer as all is connected to it," Paradox explains further while turning his gaze at Xavier.
"Ok then even so there are people who know this show better then me and furthermore why couldn't you use someone from another part of your Multiverse?" Xavier questioned further.
"There are higher powers at play Xavier ones that aren't exactly keen at my meddling of the multiverse your region was one they didn't have much power over and even then i had act quickly," Paradox says
"So you grabbed the nearest departed soul you could find?"
"Nonsense, I grabbed the nearest departed soul with some knowledge on the task at hand,"
"As much as I would love to help out I don't think I would like to get my life reaped again and by the way even if I do go explain how I don't die in less than thirty seconds. Simply from the after-effects of a battle? I'm only a normal human," Xavier said.
"Well being ordinary didn't stop someone like Max didn't it?" Paradox said the same charismatic smile he held from the start.
"I- Ughhhh… You really thought of everything didn't you?" Xavier said pinching the bridges of his nose.
"I'm sure you would get along with Benjamin in that sentiment," Paradox said.
Xavier sighs at the remark. "You know what fine I'll do it mainly cuz i don't wanna consider what the other option is," He said while looking at the professor.
"Excellent! Now the-," Paradox said before Xavier cut him off.
"However! I want some ways to at the bare minimum be informed of the stuff I could face I'm not going in blind," Xavier said trying to get at least some kind of tool to help.
"That is hardly an issue," Paradox said before pulling out a tablet-esque device and handing it to Xavier.
"What is that?" Xavier asks while examining the device.
"You'll find out soon enough but it will come and handy," Paradox said as a blue swirling portal appeared behind him.
"Now then ready to begin?" Paradox said as he extended a hand to Xavier as he takes it as the duo steps into the portal setting the stage for what is to come….
Nowthis is probably one of the first serious fic ideas I've had in my short time in this site inspired by the now discontinued Into the Omniverse fic.Now as stated this will be heavily AU at a point as I think it'd be fun. Big shoutout to Anonymous Harbinger for Beta reading this go check out his Vengeance of Vilgax series if you made it this far. Do let me know your predictionsfor what's to come and what you think the tablet will do until then...
Keep it fizzy.