Chapter 3 - Julie's Visit and Vilgax's Ransom

The following afternoon, Ben sat sulking in his bedroom. There was a knock on the door from the hallway.

"Go away, Mom," he said. "I told you that I—"

"Ben," Julie Yamamoto replied, "it's Julie."

Ben cooled down after hearing her voice, and opened the bedroom door with a confused look on his face.

"Julie, what are you doing here?" he asked.

"You didn't show up at school," she replied, "so I decided to bring you your homework."

"Thanks, Julie," Ben replied. He then sighed and continued, "My parents forbade me from leaving the house until further notice, and permanently banned me from using the Omnitrix. I'm grounded, and under house arrest."

"I know," Julie replied. "Your mom told me. It's not fair for you, and I'm sorry. May I come in?"

"You may."

And with that, Julie walked into the bedroom with Ben's homework.

Some time later, Albedo and Vilgax materialized on the front walkway to the Tennyson house. Vilgax readied the cannon on his left wrist.

While Ben and Julie were working on the former's homework, the sound of the cannon shook, getting their attention. Ben opened his bedroom door and gasped when, in front of the hole where the now-blasted front door was, he saw…

"Vilgax?"

The mutant grabbed both a frightened Carl and Sandra by the shirt collars.

"Hello, Tennyson," he greeted. "Long time, no see."

Ben seethed, especially when he saw his parents in grave danger.

"Let them go, Vilgax!" he demanded. "If you don't, I'll…"

The mutant alien stopped Ben's threat, aiming the canon at his terrified parents.

"If you want me to spare their lives," Vilgax began, "give me the Omnitrix."

"No way," Ben disagreed. "Besides, even if I did, I can't remove it."

"But I can."

Albedo suddenly appeared from behind Vilgax. Ben gasped.

Carl and Sandra gaped.

"An evil clone of Ben?" they guessed.

"Albedo?" Ben said, eyes widening. "No, it can't be. Azmuth locked you up."

"Well, he didn't count on Vilgax breaking me out," Albedo replied. "As for you, Ben? Omnitrix, command function override. Code 10."

"Override accepted," a computerized voice on the Omnitrix said, confusing Ben.

"Well, what do you know," Albedo began. "It recognizes my voice." He continued, "Decouple Omnitrix. Command code—0-0-0. Release coupling. 0."

"Command accepted," the voice in the Omnitrix said. "Omnitrix decoupled."

With that, the Omnitrix decoupled from Ben's wrist. Before it could hit the floor, however, it suddenly floated, and levitated to Vilgax's hand. The alien chuckled.

Ben sighed disgustedly. "You got what you came here for, Vilgax," he said. "Now let my parents go."

"Of course, Tennyson," Vilgax replied. "I'll let them go, all right." With that, he released Carl and Sandra from his grasp. "But I won't leave them alive."

He then aimed his cannon at them, which shone from the barrel—it was a laser cannon.

"We had a deal, Vilgax!" Ben shouted.

"Oh, I don't keep my promises, Tennyson," the mutant replied.

Frightened, Carl and Sandra hugged each other.

Ben looked at the anklet, then leaped.

"NOOO!" he shouted.

Cut to black, then the sound of a laser going off.

Deep in what appeared to be space, in the Null Void, was a cave. Verdona, an Anodite (an alien species made of energy, with glowing, flowing hair), entered it, and walked behind a cloaked figure.

"Hello, Max," she greeted.

"Verdona," Max Tennyson, the hooded figure, replied, removing his hood and smiling. "It's been a long time, honey." He then noticed her sad, suddenly. "Is something troubling you, dear?"

"Yes, my husband," she replied. "It's our grandson, Ben." She sighed. "I'm afraid that he's in trouble."

"Trouble?" Max repeated, alarmed. "What kind of trouble?"