Author's Notes:
"Normal character lines will appear in quotation marks."
Thoughts of characters will appear in italics.
"Signs that are read without thoughts or words, or thoughts that are read by expression only appear in italics and quotation marks."
"Sirens, radio and news will appear in bold and quotation marks."
"Character reading stories will appear in bold, italics, and quotation marks."
_"Computer generated text and phone calls will appear in underscores, quotation marks, and boldness."_
An unquantifiable long amount of time ago, there was a blank dimension without a universe in it. The 5th Dimensional cosmic traveling beings known as the Contemelia arrive at this dimension, and continue their never-ending expedition of creating universes through the device known as the Annihilarrgh.
Briefly before the universe was about to be created, the time-traveling would-be dictator Maltruant arrived, with him his own Annihilarrgh programmed to create a universe in his image. With himself as the supreme ruler.
Before the device can go off, the shape-shifting hero beyond time known as Ben Tennyson arrives with his partner Rook Blonko. Upon capturing the explosion, through the power of all of his transformations, contains the Big Bang and defeats Maltruant. With the Chronosapien's body being scattered into pieces across the universe, destined to repeat his failure over and over again, trapped in a time loop.
The Omnitrix beeped, and there stood Ben 10 himself. The sixteen year-old held the Annihilarrgh in his hand, before dropping and squishing it into pieces.
"And that, as they say, is that." He smiled, heading over to his partner, Rook, and lifting him up to his feet. The Revonnahgander was left surprised, having seen his ally rise up and encase the very bomb that would reset the course of their entire reality. "I thought you were--"
Ben interrupted him, "Nah. I always figured the Omnitrix had a failsafe that wouldn't let me die, and sure enough, it kicked in right when the Big Bang started! Gave me just the alien I needed."
Skurd, the Slimebiote who detached himself from the teen, glared at him. "Your recklessness never ceases to amaze."
The brunette simply smiled back. "Not reckless." He said, turning his head to face Rook, "It always seems to give me the right alien, even when I want something else. Guess I should stop fighting it after all, huh? It seems to know me better than... me."
One of the Contemelia members picked up a piece of the rubble left behind from the Annihilarrgh's destruction. "Would you like to view the creation of your own universe? It seems this may be the most interesting one yet."
The duo looked at each other in confusion, while the original Annihilarrgh is dropped below the Contemelia Ship, and erupts in a blaze of glory. A beautiful light of rainbow shined throughout the white empty void.
Then, space filled the void, with galaxies and cosmic dust having already formed. The duo stared at the event in absolute awe, the Omnitrix wielder was the first to speak up, "This is the most amazing thing anyone could ever see..."
The Revonnahgander faced him with a proud smirk, both hands still imbedded onto the window upon which they viewed, "Indeed, never before could I ever imagine myself witnessing such beauty."
Pods opened up from behind, signaling the duo as one of the Contemelia members stood there. Small canisters filled with Slimebiotes floating within.
Ben and Skurd both gasped at the sight, with the Slimebiote himself extending his arms and dragging the latter closer.
"More of me!" The tune of his voice made him sound as if he were to burst out in tears, if he was able to at least... The Slimebiotes facing the group stared back in shock.
"I thought I was alone in the universe!" He called out.
The Contemelia stepped forward, "No. Your species is the most important in all of creation. For eons, these Slimebiotes will carry, gather, mix, and deposit DNA throughout the growing universe."
He opened one of the tubes, which stood out empty compared to the rest. "Would you like to join your ancestors? It seems you have forgotten who you are, which is understandable after billions of years."
Skurd turned around to face Ben, "When I first met you, I saw you as nothing more than a free lunch."
The brunette raised his arm to get in to communicate better, "Are you talking to me or the Omnitrix?"
"If I hadn't found antagonizing you so much fun, I would've never stuck with you. Thank you for everything, dear boy." Skurd said, as he hopped inside the tube, and the hero brought his face closer to respond.
"Thank you Skurd. I owe you my life..." He said softly, closing the hatch, and moving back alongside his partner.
"And I owe you mine." The Slimebiote raised happily, as he brought up his little hand onto the glass.
Rook spoke up, "Goodbye, Skurd." The little alien waved back, until he and his kind were sucked out into the cosmos, as the pods' doors closed.
A portal opened up behind them, and out came the time-walker, Professor Paradox. "Well done, Benjamin. I knew you wouldn't fail." The scientist smiled.
Ben simply smirked as he closed his eyes and crossed his arms, "I knew it too." he responded. "You did?" Asked his alien friend.
The brunette grabbed a piece of the dictator from underneath. "See, Maltruant is stuck in a time loop." He handed the piece to the professor.
"And he is doomed to failure, over and over. Everytime he pulls himself together, he returns to the beginning of time, and is defeated by Ben. I gather up the pieces of Maltruant, and scatter them across the universe, and the loop begins again." The professor explained.
The boy walked north-west to grab another piece of the Chronosapien, this time, the rotating key from the top of his head.
"The only one who doesn't know about the time loop is Maltruant himself. Oh, and you too Rook, I guess." He pointed out.
Paradox walked over to the Contemelia, "Pardon us for the intrusion, we'll be on our way soon." He then turned to Ben, "Now, help me pick up the rest of Maltruant. We have a lot to do before I take you home."
The duo stood there, satisfied, until Rook's eye caught a glimpse of the hero's left arm.
"Uhh, Ben? Why does your arm possess the same coloration as a Celestialsapien?"
The whole ship fell silent, all the members within the sight had their widened. The teen lifted up his arm and stared, gasping at the sight.
Previously, Skurd had taken hold of Alien X's power when he used it to create a blade reminiscent of the same texture, in order to cut through the time barrier in which Maltruant's Annihilarrgh was present within.
Yet, when he detached, the effects remained there. As if the Celestialsapien itself had fused with the teen.
"Oh dear..." Paradox spoke out in a soft voice. "I don't imagine this ending well."
"What exactly is happening here? How did a Celestialsapien fuse with the boy?" The Contemelia in the middle asked.
"I-is this like a virus? Am I infected or something?! There's no way I can live with this!" Ben blabbered out, "What's going to happen to me now?!"
Paradox put his mechanical hand on the boy's shoulder, trying to calm him in any way he could. "Don't feel frightened, Benjamin, I'm sure there is a way to explain this."
All eyes were set on the scientist, as he took a slos breath, and proceeded to explain.
"I may have an idea as to how this happened, since Skurd ended up attaching a Celestialsapien's structure onto your arm, it may have fused with your very DNA when you were transformed."
The professor's face was serious now, "Hence, why it stuck on you while you turned back. Although, the effects of constantly transforming and absorbing the energy of Maltruant's Annihilarrgh may have caused a disruption with the Omnitrix's systems."
The room stood quiet for a few moments, as the group tried to process the situation that unfolded in front of them.
Then, a bright green light erupted from the Omnitrix, bathing the Contemelia Ship. Ben felt unbearable pain as he fell to the floor on his two hands, with his left arm shining the same light.
It lasted only a few moments, and the teen could no longer feel the terror. He stood up, as the eyes were still focused on him. "What was that?" He asked.
Even Paradox was taken back by the situation, and the boy's expression gave off only confusion as everyone gawked.
Ironically enough, after the pain had seized, the teen already felt massive change within him. He felt strong, very strong, and his eyes appeared to be shining brightly from the effects.
Silence bathed the ship, while the group slowly recollected their thoughts. Paradox opened a portal behind him and walked away, while the Contemelia left to go back to their own work.
Rook walked over to his partner, still somewhat shook from the event that followed. "Are you feeling alright, Ben?" He asked.
The brunette lifted his head upward, "Well, surprisingly enough, I do. It's just... well, I feel very different now. Not that I'm in pain or anything, but I feel like I'm wielding an immense power right within my very heart." He said, his expression still carrying faint concern.
"What are you suggesting?" His partner asked.
The brunette shrugged, "I don't really know, I feel like that energy I absorbed as Feedback earlier may have actually been brought onto me. As if, I literally absorbed its entire power supply."
Both were equally confused at the moment, until Paradox stepped out of his portal once again, "Alright, Benjamin, I feel now I may be able to give a proper explanation."
The duo was focused on listening to him now, they had to know what was up. The professor brought his staff forward and placed his hands over it, expression strict.
"This may be very difficult to process for both of you, but I feel it is necessary to take into account. From what I can tell, Skurd attached a piece of Alien X onto your arm while you were transformed, but it seems the Annihilarrgh's power was what triggered it to fuse with you.
You absorbed an immeasurable amount of power, and with the Omnitrix needing to continuously search through your transformations, in turn overloaded and caused it to attach to you. Skurd could not withstand the energy, so he had to detach himself from you, but the Celestialsapien arm remained intact.
Mixing this together, the Omnitrix ended up glitching out and was unable to activate its failsafes simultaneously, since it was already doing everything it could to change you."
The two teens gawked at the information, both seeming like they were prepared to just faint right then and there. Ben attempted to get a closer look at the Omnitrix, the glow that resonated was intense.
"What's going to happen to me then? I mean, is Alien X permanently attached to me now? Forever?" He asked worriedly.
The professor stepped forward and raised his hand onto the teen's shoulder, "Back when you fought the Galactic Gladiator, you managed to convince Bellicus and Serena to grant you the keys of Alien X, correct?"
The Omnitrix wielder simply nodded in response, and the professor let his hand go, "Since your consciousness was mainly in control of the body, having him attach to you without the personalities to hold it back, caused him to fuse with you."
The Revonnahgander's widened at the info, trying to build up the right set of words to use in the situation, "So, wait! What does this mean for Ben? What will occur after this?"
The professor sighed and moved back a few steps, arms tied behind him, "Due to Alien X fusing with your very genetic structure, which should be impossible may I say, has caused him to become one with you.
Basically, because of the nature of Celestialsapiens, your very biology may be warped as a result. Your body may be removed from all of its fundamental requirements, meaning you will become one like me... no eating, drinking, sleeping... or even aging for that matter...
You were already left to take control of Alien X, meaning there is no reason to worry about needing to constantly deal with the personalities, but a good chunk of power will be drifted onto you. This, in turn, may also affect your transformations along the way."
Ben felt absolutely devastated, where would he go from here? What would he do anymore? This wasn't what he wanted, he wasn't a god, just because he had the power to alter reality didn't mean he desired so.
He was a hero, all he cared about was doing the right thing, ensuring safety and peace throughout the universe. That's why Azmuth built the Omnitrix, he did in order to establish cosmic peace in order to apologize for the creation of Ascalon, a reality warping sword built for the intention of war.
That was why he allowed Ben to keep it, because he knew the boy was the only one selfless enough to sacrifice himself if it ensured the safety of the innocent. He knew Ben would stop at nothing until he made sure justice was served.
Yet, that hero was left to wonder. He was now glued to his most powerful transformation, which warped his very makeup and caused him to function just like the time walker himself.
Rook and the immortal scientist could see the despair in the Omnitrix wielder's eyes, both equally concerned for the teen. They understood how he felt, and it really hurt them to see him so heartbroken.
The professor sighed, his expression clearly saddened upon witnessing the teen's situation, never before did he ever think the hero Ben 10 himself would become this distraught.
The teen meanwhile, felt prepared to just drop down and sob, he couldn't deal with it. He could not bear this kind of power, what would that make him? A god living among mortals? Having to forcefully hold back his power just to fit in with every day life?
"Ben?" Rook asked, snapping the boy back into reality, who simply glared at him nervously. "Are you alright?"
The teen did not respond, instead just stepped closer and hugged his partner. The Revonnahgander was taken by surprise from this act, he didn't really understand Earth's culture that well, but he had taken notes of simple human behavior as a way to make communication with them less complicated.
He could see it within his friend's eyes, and simply returned the gesture, not wanting to leave him alone in the state that he was currently in. Even Paradox was saddened by this, thinking to himself, until a bright idea suddenly lit up in his head.
He turned to face the duo, his natural expression having returned, "Benjamin, I am aware that this may not be the right timing. But, I believe I may have a solution to your current crisis."
The teen carefully left his position and turned to face the pressor, his expression still hurt but also curious, Paradox brought forward his conclusion, "I have a place where I believe you can continue your role as a hero, but it will take you by surprise after I've explained just what it may be."
The duo was now curious as to what the scientist meant by this, Ben seemed to have regained some faith. Paradox's expression formed into a small grin, "To put it simply; our reality, all the timelines, dimensions, and universes are not the only branches of the infinite tree."
"What exactly do you mean by that, professor?" Rook asked, one of his eyebrows raised. Paradox simply chuckled, "There are countless other realities out there far different from our own, each with their own unique stories, characters, and events. Every one of them completely contradicts each other, as they all hold separate laws and makeups of which to share. Think back to when you, Benjamin, met up with that boy named Rex."
Rook stared at the scientist in awe, was this really true? Other realities out there that acted completely unlike all the ones they've seen?
Paradox walked over to Ben, "Would you like to visit one of these realities? Perhaps there you could make a fresh start, would you be willing to join the experience?"
The brunette simply glared at him, before looking down at his arm, trying to think about where he'd head off to next. He took a calm breath, "Alright, I guess it wouldn't hurt to try, but won't my universe be affected if I leave it behind? Who's gonna guard it without me?"
The professor simply gave a gentle smirk, "Do not fret Benjamin, I'll take care of what might unfold in your place. Once you travel to one of the new realities I've discovered, I'll ensure time remains relatively balanced along with the universe itself, so your return will only spark a surprise."
The duo's eyes seem to regain their hope as the scientist activated a portal behind him, stepping aside to allow the Omnitrix wielder to pass. Ben could see faint structures through the light, he turned back to face his allies, knowing he wouldn't be seeing them for a long time.
Rook lifted a thumbs up, while the professor simply nodded his head in response, leaving the destined hero to smile peacefully as he waved back, before leaving to enter the portal.
Cast:
-Ben Tennyson (Teen): Yuri Lowenthal
-Rook Blonko: Bumper Robinson
-Professor Paradox: David McCallum
-Skurd: David Kaye