Somewhere in Washington, a burning building has attracted the attention of numerous bystanders, and the fire department can't seem to put out the flames fast enough, until they see the flames dying down as a huge display of growing vines erupt from the shattered window panes, making their way downward to the concrete ground below.
"Okay, just slide down the vines and don't stop till you reach the police." A nasally voice stated.
A woman and her child look to Swampfire, who is carefully helping them downwards. As soon as he knows they're safe, he leaps over the crowd of civilians, landing on the road. The police look over at the towering plant man, who simply smiles and gives a thumbs up.
"I know you all probably want to thank me, but really it's all in a day's work for-" Before Swampfire could finish that sentence, he noticed the kid that he saved, was examining three trading cards. One of them in particular, was shining gold. "No frickin' way! A gold Sumo Slammer Card?!" Swampfire immediately rushed over, smiling and getting excited as he kneeled down. "Where'd you get it? I've been looking all over for one of those!"
The boy seemed a bit grossed out by the alien's smell, but figured he'd at least tell the truth. "I-It was in a box of Sumo-Smack Cereal. I think I just got lucky, so it's a keepsake." the boy explained.
At that moment, the Rust Bucket pulls up and honks at Swampfire, with Gwen yelling out the window. "Hey, Ultra-Dork! The apartment fire was just a diversion, a bunch of bad guys are still trying to get away with tons of stolen jewels! Get movin'!" She barked.
Swampfire looked at the cards, then back at Gwen. Swampfire nodded and immediately hopped inside the RV as it sped off down the road.
A car speeds through the city street, with three masked thieves inside. The Rust Bucket is slowly managing to catch up, but as Max drives the Rust Bucket behind them, he is a bit thrown off by Swampfire's putrid swamp-scent, and also just as bothered by the bits of mud and muck that now stained the seat.
Max sighed. "'Knew I should've bought those blasted seat covers when I had the chance. Not sure how asbestos would've reacted to mud, but I'd at least have something less to clean." Max remarked.
Swampfire smiled and laughed nervously. "Sorry grandpa, Swampfire's just a bit messy from time-to-time..." The alien defended.
Before the alien has time to react, Gwen sprays Swampfire with a fire extinguisher, causing him to cough and sneer at the smug girl behind him. "Do that again, and you're gonna be in so much trouble." Swampfire warned, one of the bulbs on his body glowing.
Gwen huffed. "Ugh. Ten superheroes on that stupid watch, and you picked the one that's made of mud, muck, and smells like a swamp?!" Gwen chastised.
"Like I told you earlier, you're just jealous you didn't find this watch, first." Swampfire shot back. Gwen attempted to spray him again, but he managed to dodge it this time.
"Both of you, knock it off. Ben, I'm gonna need you to get them off the road." Max stated, pointing to the car the criminals were in.
Swampfire leans out the side window and shoots a ball of fire towards the car. It hits them and sends the car spinning out of control. One of the robbers could be heard screaming as their car crashes into a wall.
"Stee-rike!" Swampfire cheered.
The Rust Bucket came to a stop as Swampfire marched over to the car. As the crooks recover, Swampfire walks up to them and rips the car door right off. "If you three don't want to find out what these bulbs can do, I suggest you get out of the car, or things are gonna get explosive." Swampfire stated, bending the door with his bare hands. "HANDS AGAINST THE WALL!"
The robbers look at each other and walk out the car, doing as he says. Swampfire tears off a few seeds, placing them on the criminals' ankles, binding them to each other with thick vines and roots. He then proceeds to set the stolen goods down out of their view, and go on his way. Soon enough, the cops pull up, seeing the crooks and the jewels, but no sign of the supposed 'Swamp-Man'.
The next day, on the other side of town, a man named Roger knocks at a door, with a sign labelled "Dr. Hex" hanging outside. The man begins to knock on the door. "Yo! Helixus! I know you're in there. Open up!" The man yelled out.
Roger pulls out a small key, unlocking the door as he steps inside. Within the building, he walked past all sorts of equipment, cages, and glass cases holding various animals, as well as numerous strange incenses burning. "Phew! Smells like a drug trip and a zoo in here!" Roger remarks.
From the shadows, a figure watches the man, slowly and silently following behind him. As Roger turns around, he is extremely startled by the man. He stood tall, looked thin, dressed in a black lab coat that clung to his body. His skin was a pale sickly blue-ish tint, his face had a skull painted on it as several long cornrows escaped the confines of his hood.
"Roger. Good to see you, I guess." The man looked over the shorter male, not seeming impressed. "I see you decided to just barge in, like you usually do?" The man questioned.
Roger adjusts his tie and tries to not look intimidated. "Pass key, Hex. I am still your landlord, remember? Maybe not, since your rent is six months pass due..." The man whipped around, his eyes glowing yellow as they stared into Roger's, causing Roger to lose his words.
"All my funds go into my research, we've been over this. Now GET OUT! You're disturbing me, and my niece doesn't need any distractions!" Hex demanded, his voice roaring within the small confines of the room.
Roger looks around the room and can't help but let a single thought escape his lips. "Seems to me that you, and your kooky niece were "disturbed" long before I got here, Who-do-you-Voodoo-McGee! Listen, you wayward science shaman, You, your niece and your furry friends are about to be out on the street, unless you pony up the green. I don't make the rules, I just enforce them." Roger stated. There was an unsettling silence, and Roger felt as if he needed to re-iterate his point. "You're behind on your payments, Hex. Look, do you have the money, or am I gonna have to shut you and your closeted niece down?"
Hex turned around and stared at Roger, gritting his teeth as his lips formed a small smile. "I believe you'll find that to be an unwise decision. My experiments have bore forebidden fruit, ripe for the picking... the only issue is that I require more equipment to finalize these results," Roger felt the building shake, and his gaze met Hex's. "So unfortunately, no, I do not have the money, but I do have something better... a demonstration."
The building shook again, and from behind the man was some sort of giant mutated beast that broke through the ground. It was like a mutated frog, but it had multiple eyes and horns, as well as these strange glowing purple runes on its body. Roger fell backwards, terrified of what he was seeing.
"Behold, Roger! The perfect culmination of Science and Magic! I need to finalize the results, and it'll be perfect. This world will know my wrath, and it will hold my work in the highest praise!" Hex proclaimed.
Roger slowly backed away, only for the frog beast to follow the movements of the man. Hex stopped his laughter and looked towards the man, a sinister grin forming on his face. "Oh, silly me, I knew I was forgetting something... can't let my minions go hungry. Sic 'em, Amphibiaus!" Hex commanded.
Before the debt collector could make a run for the door, a huge sickly tongue had latched onto him and yanked him into the frog's huge maw, where he would scream and be swallowed whole. Hex approached the large frog and rubbed its stomach. "You know, Roger? There's a joke I could make about you having a frog in your throat, but I've never been one for such lowbrow comedic standards," Hex stopped and looked at his many animals, then at a dusty picture frame. "But, now is just as good as what was planned tomorrow. It's time to change the world."
Hex held out his hand, summoning a staff of some kind. It was a long metal rod, shaped to look like an ancient staff. "Chemcrafter! Front and center!" Hex commanded.
At that very moment, a silver haired teen worriedly rushes out of an unknown room, brushing a couple stray hairs behind her pointy ears. She was dressed clad in some hand me down blue cloak, and glasses as she tries to look presentable. "Y-Yes, uncle? You called for me?" the girl asked carefully.
"We're going out on one last supply run, our plans will not be stopped. Get on the frog, our finalizations will come, even if we have to tear the ground out from mother nature's own feet to do it!" Hex proclaimed.
Chemcrafter nodded, quickly hopping onto the frog as it hopped out of the building.
Meanwhile, the Tennysons shop at the newly opened MegaMart, walking down the aisles as they look for stuff to stock up on. Ben strays from them and finds a "Sumo-Smacks" cereal box with cards advertised inside. Ben could feel the temptation, and decided to try and rationalize.
"Hmm... As long as I don't wreck anything, I guess it wouldn't hurt." Ben remarked.
Back with Max and Gwen, Max is trying to look over a bunch of cans, while Gwen feels disgusted by what the cans contain. "Only canned octopus? Huh. I thought this store prided itself on wide selection. What do you think, pumpkin?" Max turned towards Gwen, seeing a noticeable hint of apprehension.
Gwen cleared her throat and took a deep breath. "Grandpa? No offence, but can we have a normal dinner for once? You know, once that doesn't involve stir-fried tentacles?" Gwen asked pensively.
"Heh! Nonsense," Max looks back to the cans, "Now where do you suppose they keep the sheep's bladders?" Max wondered.
Gwen could physically feeling her soul die on the inside, and immediately sneaks away to look for her cousin. As she approaches the cereal aisle, the hears the Omnitrix activate, as well as a green flash of light be emitted. "Ben?" Gwen called out.
As she turns the aisle corner, Gwen gasps as she sees a tall gray individual in blue armor with black and white accents. They were very tall, but they also seemed to be standing still, incredibly silent.
"Oh great, Ben used Brainframe, this can only end well," Gwen walked up to the towering individual. The head turned all the way around and looked down directly at the orange-haired girl. Gwen gulped and shuddered. "Man, this one is still creepier than that stupid ghost you can turn into." Gwen added.
"Designation: Gwendolyn 'Doofus' Tennyson. Begone, I am getting close to cracking the formula and getting the golden sumo slammer card. I will not be stopped." Brainframe stated, its voice synthetic, metallic and lacking personality. Its green eyes now began to flood with white binary code.
"Formula? You really think you're gonna be able to deduce that one of these boxes has some gold painted piece of cardboard, just by figuring out if there's a formula?" Gwen asked.
The binary soon vanished from Brainframe's eyes, causing blue X's to flash in their place. "Gold Sumo Slammer card, not found." Brainframe simply stated.
Before Gwen could chew him out on his misuse of his alien powers, a sudden and loud crash echoed out. The two of them went to the front of the store, seeing the giant rune-covered frog beast, and the silver haired girl, plus the man in the black lab coat.
"Whoa!" Gwen said.
Brainframe is less responsive. He takes a quick glance at the girl on the frog, then at the lab coat wearing man who is pocketing electronics into a strange satchel. Brainframe steps forward and points towards the man.
"You," Hex looks towards the oddity calling for his attention. "Designation: Doctor Shaman 'Helixus' Hex. Those electronics do not belong to you. Return them, or you will be punished accordingly." Brainframe warned.
"So, a strange automaton is aware of me. Then you should know, that it was a mistake challenging me!" Hex roared out, thrusting his staff into the air.
The staff begins to glow, and thrusts a couple magical beams towards the pet section of the store. the beams come into contact with an Axolotl and a Fruit Bat, mutating them as they became more monstrous, and much bigger. The same purple runes formed on their new bodies as they were ready to fight.
The axolotl looked to be as big as a full-grown alligator, the numerous sharp teeth in its mouth were multiplied by the numerous extra rows of teeth it now developed. The Fruit Bat looked far more beastly, its fangs became much larger, sharper, and grotesque. The animal looked more and more disfigured, hunching over as it screeched out.
"Arise to your full potential, my beastly minions! Obey the commands of your new master!" Hex commands. The eyes of the Axolotl and Bat flashed a fluorescent pink-ish violet color, matching the color of the runes, as they roared out, focusing on the alien hero. Hex hops back on the giant frog and hops away, leaving the alien to deal with his latest creations.
"Domesticated Fauna have been drastically mutated and hyper-evolved by an unreadable signature of energy. I will now attempt to pacify." Brainframe stated, running towards the giant axolotl.
Brainframe grabbed ahold of the axolotl's face, only to suddenly feel his right leg being gnawed on by the several rows of teeth the beast had. Brainframe struggled to get his leg out of the beast, even having to put some force behind his punch to leave a fist-sized dent in the axolotl's temple, causing it to reel.
Before Brainframe could attempt another course of action, the mutated fruit bat picked him up and flung his body into a shelf, causing it to tip over. "A critical ERROR has occurred. I should have gone for the transformation, 'Warriarch' instead. Grandfather unit, your assistance is required, and would be highly appreciated." Brainframe called out, trying to pick himself up.
Max got up to his feet, noticing the monstrous animals. He noticed an exposed wire, and immediately grabbed it, jamming it into the side of the axolotl. It roared out, flailing as it bit down on the fruit bat's leg, transferring the electrical shock with it. With the animals temporarily incapacitated, a few beeps and a flash of red light emitted from the toppled shelf, revealing Ben in his human form.
As the Tennysons try to figure out how to explain what happened to the store's two security guards, the store manager walks up and snaps his fingers, making himself known. While he didn't look too pleased his store got robbed and trashed by monsters, he did seem to lighten up at the sight of Max.
"Ahh, the man of legends himself! It's good to finally meet you, Mister Tennyson." The manager shook Max's hand, leaving the kids, as well as Max, confused. "I'm sure you'll be busy with... that, so consider this whole ordeal, off the record. As far as I'm concerned, things are getting better, just by your presence. Next time you see Phil, tell him I'm giving him a Plumber's discount, 80% off of whatever he needs."
"Uhh... thanks, I guess? It's all an honest day's work, you know?" Max awkwardly stated. "But, we really must be going. Come along, kids, we're burning daylight."
"Perhaps I could give you something, as thanks for saving the store? Anything you want, just ask." The clerk offered.
Ben notices a display case, one that had the same golden sumo slammer card he was looking for. He thought about it, and figured it'd be good to get that card now, rather than go through the slog of finding more boxes to sift through with calculations, but something else within him didn't seem too keen on getting the card. It was a familiar feeling, the same feeling he felt when he wanted to give his bullies exactly what they deserved. It made him feel ill, and Ben noticed his grandfather looking down at him, concerned and wondering what was on his mind.
Ben couldn't explain it, he couldn't explain this feeling, let alone figure out what it was. And yet, he knew he was about to make the right choice. Ben took a deep breath, and walked back to the RV, with Gwen and Max following suite.
After a bit of driving, Max begins to reminisce about his days of being a plumber, something Ben and Gwen did not have any clue on what exactly he was talking about.
"The danger, the sense of a threat, the thrill. Ah, it's just like the good old days - before I retired." Max stated.
Gwen, obviously confused, and Ben, was off in his own little world, watching the world pass him by, decided to be the one to ask her grandfather a question. "Grandpa, what kind of wild and crazy plumber were you, exactly?" Gwen asked, a hint of suspicion in her voice.
Max flinched at the question, almost in a similar manner to when he saw Nightstalker the first time. He hesitated on his words, almost as if he was trying to find the right ones to say, till he finally found them. "Er- yuh- a darn good one! Yeah, sometimes you can get caught up in more than just fixing pipes and toilets, hon," Gwen was still very suspicious, but decided to let her grandpa have this conversation. Max looked over at Ben, seeing him stare off at the front of the road, silent as a mouse, lost in his own thoughts. "Uh, Ben, what's the matter?"
Ben didn't respond, he just stared. The silence was deafening, the look of uncertainty and confusion was plastered on his face, yet he never uttered a word. Gwen got up from her seat, went to the passenger seat and shook Ben a bit, snapping him out of whatever he was doing.
"Huh? Did we find them yet?" Ben asked, unaware of what was going on.
Gwen and Max looked at him, concerned and worried. "Ben, what's the matter? You've been quiet since we left MegaMart. Are you feeling alright, son?" Max asked.
"Yeah, I gotta admit, I've never seen you so... quiet, so still, you actually had me freaked out a little bit," Gwen rebutted. "Do you have something to say?"
"I do," Ben answered simply. "I feel sick. Not in the traditional sense, either. I don't feel queasy, I'm not running a fever, I don't have the chills, I don't even have a headache. But, it's like every time I want to take advantage of the situation, I feel like I'm eating poison, if that makes sense."
Gwen and Max looked confused, which was proof enough that Ben needed to explain. He took a deep breath and sighed. "It was that same feeling I felt when I was Bravefeather. I wanted to give Cash and J.T. exactly what they deserved, but that feeling, it made me think. It was that same feeling I felt back in class, before school let out for the summer. I could've thrown the airplane I made at my teacher, like I usually do, but it was a moment of hesitation, yet it put things into perspective. What that perspective is, I don't know. Something just clicked in my brain, like it was out of place for a while, and is only now finally working properly."
Gwen had no idea where Ben was going with this, while Max just continued to listen, re-focusing his eyes on the road. "I could've taken advantage of the situation back at the store, to get that card, either by ransacking the whole cereal aisle, or taking the offer made by the manager. Yet, I couldn't bring myself to go through with either option. It felt like I was eating poison, just thinking about it hurts," Max looked at his grandson. "I know I did the right thing by not abusing my powers, doing better in school, and not taking advantage of an offer, but why do I feel so gross about it?"
Gwen, for a solid moment of silence, was at a loss for words. Max, on the other hand, felt a calming smile form on his face. "Maybe I'm wrong to assume this, but I think it's because you're growing up, sport. I will admit, you're still young, a kid, you got a long way to go before figuring out the answer to that kind of question, but you gotta remember this, Being a hero is its own reward." Ben's expression lightened up a fair bit. "I appreciate that you're taking this responsibility thing serious, Ben. But, you need to remember, you're still a kid. Try not to overthink any of this, for now, okay?" Max asked.
Ben thought about those seven words, and smiled. "Okay Grandpa. Thanks." Ben stated.
Gwen grabbed her laptop and brought it upfront. "I did a bit of digging and found something. It's kinda gut-wrenching, but it correlates with those two wackos back at the MegaMart," Gwen typed away and showed a page of a fairly dark-skinned man with a short buzzcut and a well-trimmed goatee-beard combo, with a bright magenta skull tattoo on his forehead. "I did some research on the name that Brainframe blurted out, and Shaman Hex was who I could find. Dr. Hex was a promising researcher in veterinary science, and his background is even more bizarre."
Gwen pulled up another page, showing some kind of skull with two horns and two large fang-like canines. "He was the former leader of a scientology group called 'The Titan's Transgressors', an ancient witch-hunting cult that was formed back in Salem during the days of witch trials. They worshipped something called a Titan, some kind of supposed mythical beast from another realm with tremendous power. At some point, a militarized squad was able to disband the group at some point, with only four individuals managing to escape arrest. Shaman, his niece, and a pair of brothers who vanished, and were never seen again." Gwen explained.
"What does all that have to do with Houdini and his magical monsters?" Ben asked.
Gwen pulled up another page. "At some point, after his escape, he managed to bridge the disconnect of occult practices, with genetic modification. On numerous accounts, he resurrected dead animals, created hybrid abominations, and even evolved different animals and insects with the limited technology he had, and this was back in the nineties! Now, he's found a way to enhance his creations with a supposed magic bond, something that puts his creations under his control. My guess, that's what the runes on those animals were, to keep them under his command. As to how all of this connects back to the issue at hand,"
Gwen pulled up one last page, littered with controversial statements. "This is how. Hex was trying to win some kind of award for his accolades. It was some big prize called "The Verities Award", but when he didn't win it, he flipped out. He claimed that he was robbed of a prize he knew he deserved, and vowed to become, and I quote, "The embodiment of the Titan's wrath" and would show them all, "A true scientific marvel they'll never forget"." Gwen closed her laptop and could see the gears working in Ben's head.
Max looks out the window, seeing Hex and his niece flying on the back of the monstrous fruit bat. They soon disappeared by flying in-between some buildings, leaving the Tennysons worried.
"We have to find them, otherwise, it could mean certain doom. He could be going anywhere in Washington D.C." Max gritted.
"Or Washington B.C. if he succeeds." Gwen worried.
Ben thought for a moment about the information explained to him, and realized something. "Gwen, did you say he could bring dead animals back to life?" he asked.
"Yeah, why?" Gwen inquired.
"And, he has a magic spell that can evolve and mutate them, and something else that ensures he has complete control over them? Where could he go that would ensure he'd be able to utilize both of those powers at once?" Ben asked.
It took Gwen a hot minute to realize what Ben was insinuating, and was pretty worried. "The Natural History Museum!" Gwen exclaimed.
"He's probably gonna storm that nerdy science place, and he wants to show off his greatest work to those who denied him! He might also be creating an army, so that's definitely not good! Grandpa, step on it!" Ben yelled.
Max puts his boot to the pedal, planting it on the floorboard as the RV sped down the road in hot pursuit.
It took a little bit of time, but they finally made it to the museum. They park in the parking lot and run out, only to notice a giant tuft of hair, the same color as the bat Hex was riding on.
"Something tells me we're on the right track. Good thinking, kids!" Max gave a thumbs up to the two.
"I'll admit, I didn't think you'd come to such a conclusion, doofus. Color me impressed, for now." Gwen half-complimented.
"Hey, I can't take all the credit, and besides, the place is filled with a bunch of ancient dead stuff, it's the perfect place for some crazy shaman to be." Ben stated.
The two followed after their grandpa and walked inside, unaware of Chemcrafter, who was keeping herself hidden and observing the Tennysons from afar.
While walking inside, Ben finds a box labeled "M Mart Electronics". In front of them, next to a mammoth exhibit, is Dr. Hex, fiddling with his machine. He stops and realizes they're here.
"You - are very persistent. You'd have my respect, if you weren't trying to interfere." Hex gritted.
"We all know about you and your 'freakazoid' experiments, Witch Doctor! This dark-magic show is over!" Ben states.
Hex just laughs. "Oh, but it's only just begun...! See, I only needed a few components to push my work into phase five: the amalgamation of dormant cells." Hex explains.
"He's going to try fusing two extinct creatures, isn't he?" Gwen dreaded.
Hex's smile got wider. "Very perceptive, little one. I, Dr. Hex, shall breathe life back into that which has been long since lifeless, and combine them into the ultimate marvel of the world," Hex turned his attention to the mammoth, and the T-Rex skeleton. "Observe!"
Hex raises his staff, now with a few more of those stolen parts wired into it. He turns a dial and begins to channel his magic into the staff. The staff shoots beams into the mammoth and T-Rex, bringing the mammoth to life and allowing for the flesh, muscle and skin to grow back onto the dinosaur's skeleton. The mammoth lets out a trumpet as it continues to glow. The T-Rex roars out, glowing more. Before anyone could do anything, there was a blinding flash of light, then smoke filled the room.
As the smoke clears, the Tennysons look on in terror, horror, and shock. A tall, talon-hoofed, furry dinosaur with tusks let out a roaring trumpet as it stepped off the pedestal. The creature was covered in runes as it roared.
"Behold the genius that is Dr. Hex, The Witch Doctor!" Hex proclaimed, laughing mightily as he dashed away.
"Ben, I think now would be a really good time to go hero...?" Gwen shuddered.
"That, we can agree on," Ben primes the Omnitrix and selects the icon he wants. "You guys go after the shaman, I'll take care of this abomination after time." Ben stated.
Max and Gwen run out of the way and go after Hex, and in a flash of light, Ben is back within the void, into an enormous armor-clad being. When the flash dies down, a nine foot tall, robust, human-like individual stood in Ben's place. They were clad in a mixture of gold, gray and black pieces of armor, wearing black chainmail pants with a white belt that had the Omnitrix on it. The figure looked like a much older, warrior-bound Ben, but was clearly anything but human.
"Aha! Warriarch, truly the best time to get a grander scale of mine own capabilities!" Warriarch looks around and notices an ancient weapons exhibit. Before he can make a move, the hybridized ancient beast smacks the man into the exhibit, breaking several artifacts upon contact.
The warrior got back up to his feet, and before his eyes was a broadsword. He grabbed it and smirked, "I'd ask you if you would die with honor, but you will only die in shame." Warriarch turned towards the creature, who was barreling towards him. He readied the sword and got into a stance, "Avant Garde, extinct wooly abomination! HAVE AT THEE!" Warriarch charged at the creature, lunging into the air with the sword, ready to strike as the beast opened its maw.
Meanwhile, Max and Gwen were running after Hex, only to be cornered by Chemcrafter and the mutated fruit bat. The fruit bat lunged in for an attack, only for Gwen to fall backwards, and jam her feet into its chin, then spinning into a jump kick as she landed and got into a stance. The bat, once again made the attempt to attack, only for Gwen and Max to dodge. Gwen snagged a spear from a caveman exhibit and twirls it around as she beats the bat back until it runs away.
Max looked at Gwen, wide-eyed by what just occurred. "What? Ben's not the only one with skills, grandpa." Gwen remarked, smirking as she places the spear back where she got it. Gwen runs after Chemcrafter, who ran away the moment she saw the bat losing the fight, while Max follows behind Gwen, still shocked by what just happened.
As they enter a new room, they see Hex, who smiles before shooting beams at another Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton, only this one was much bigger, and seemed much more aggressive. A pale white skin forms and wraps around its bones; an eye lights up the previously bare socket. The T-Rex takes a step and roars a mighty roar at the two Tennysons.
Back with Warriarch, the warrior was proving his might against the beast. It slammed its tusks into him, but he managed to punch the creature in the trunk, then throw the creature aside, only to be smacked by its tail, crashing into a skeleton.
"To ask for valor and nobility from an amalgamized prehistoric monster, is like asking Ishiyama to team up with Kenko, of course it wasn't going to happen, what was I thinking?!" Warriarch got up and dusted himself off as he looked at the tusks, gaining an idea. "Clearly, thy must try another strategy. The blade, it shan't work with this plan. I must put the smackdown on this primordial pile of bones, with my own two hands!"
The beast charges at Warriarch as he gets into some kind of stance, spreading his legs and holding his hands out. Warriarch grabs a hold of its tusks, and starts spinning it around. Warriarch spins so fast that the creature's legs no longer reach the ground. Eventually, the warrior tears off the top portion of the tusks, letting the beast fly into a wall and knocking it out.
Warriarch tries to compose himself, but the room begins to spin, and the warrior is in a daze. "Verily... I think I'm going to be sick." Warriarch remarked, trying to hold back the urge to puke.
Warriarch quickly ran after Max and Gwen, only to show up when the bat swoops in and grabs Gwen, hearing her scream. Warriarch, despite his minor dizziness, broke out into a full-sprint, running past his grandfather and making a grand leap towards the bat. Max noticed a photograph, one that depicted a well-dressed man in his mid-30s, styled brown hair and glasses.
'Why does he look so familiar?' Max thought, pocketing the picture.
Up in the air, Gwen was holding on for dear life, while Warriarch was grasping onto one of the wings of the bat. "I'm giving you a chance to stop this madness, shaman! Come to your senses!" Warriarch pleaded.
"Not when I'm so close to victory, fool." Hex responded.
Out of options, Warriarch tears off a section of the wing, causing the bat to fumble and screech out in pain, all while Warriarch fell to the ground below. Just a few seconds after he crashed, creating a massive crater where he landed, the Omnitrix beeped and enveloped him in a flash of red light, turning Ben back to normal.
Max quickly rushed to his grandson, and they both saw the bat struggling to stay in the air, but even so, Hex managed to get away, along with taking Gwen with him.
Gwen, meanwhile, is not in the best mood. A bat clings to her as it struggles to stay within the air, finally landing at a large white structure. The Washington Monument.
"Spend a summer with your grandpa, they said. It'll be an adventure, they said." Gwen muttered dourly.
Soon enough, The bat leaves Gwen at the top of the monument, left to fend for herself as it and Hex land at the bottom, where Hex is talking with Chemcrafter, discussing their next move.
Gwen reaches into her backpack, pulling out a small black flip phone. "Well, my mom did say I was supposed to use this in case of an emergency..." Gwen looks down, shuddering and shaking as she hangs on, dialing a number. "I'd say this counts."
Back with Ben and Max, they've been driving all over town to try and find Gwen, but even for a staggering giant bat, they got out of sight incredibly fast. Ben's been on the lookout for it, but so far, nothing has come up.
"Still no sign of the bat, grandpa!" Ben announced.
Max gritted his teeth. "There can't be that many places for a bat, the size of an elephant, to go and nest. Someone would've noticed if a bat was underneath or flying above a bridge, so that's not gonna be plausible either," Max took out the picture, which seemed to be more of a newspaper clipping, and gestured it to Ben. "Take a look at what the witch doctor dropped as he left."
Ben grabbed it and looked at it carefully. "Dr. Banner accepts Verities Award for groundbreaking discovery about the positive effects of gamma radiation being used to cure cancerous tumors?" Ben thought about the name of the reward for a moment and remembered Gwen saying something about how Hex was denied receiving such award. "Wait, the Verities Award! He's gonna finally pick up on his prize! We gotta stop him!"
"First thing's first. We have to find your cousin-"
A phone began to ring. Max fishes his phone out of his pocket, noticing Gwen's name is on the phone's ID list. "Gwen! She's using the phone her mother gave her!" Max yelled.
"Answer it! Get a location, and I'll be there in two shakes of one of Bravefeather's, well, feathers!" Ben remarked.
Max answered the call and could hear the panic in her tone of voice. The moment she gave the location, she began to scream profusely before the call abruptly ended. "It's gonna be okay, pumpkin! We're on our way!" Max answered.
Gwen saw Hex and Chemcrafter hovering above her. Gwen wanted to try getting away, but there wasn't anywhere to go, unless she wanted to be a red stain on the concrete. On top of all this, she was slipping and losing her grip.
"I-I can't hold on much longer!" Gwen felt her phone slip from her hands, cascading downwards as it fell from the monument, and crashed into pieces at the bottom.
The Rust Bucket soon showed up on the scene, with Max seeing her phone in pieces, and then saw Gwen, struggling to keep her grip. "Oh no. Gwen'll be next, if we don't do something. Ben, can you transform again?" Max asked.
Ben looked at the Omnitrix, which just switched from red to green, signifying it was time to go hero. "Oh yeah. It's Hero Time!" Ben primes the Omnitrix and slams down on the first icon that was selected.
Ben was within the void again, his body becoming covered in a sparkling dust, his skin became more pink in its pigmentation. His body slimmed down a fair bit as a small set of light blue wings sprouted from his back. His hair spiked up a fair bit, becoming dark blue, all while his clothes formed into some kind of one-piece suit with frilly bits projecting outwards, colored in blue, black and white. The creature snapped its eyes open, its bright green eyes shining as the Omnitrix formed on the center of his chest.
In Ben's place was a short pixie-like alien. The pixie quickly flew upwards, leaving a bright lime-green trail behind him as he flittered away. Hex got closer and closer to Gwen, till she finally just decided to take a leap of faith. She let go and jumped backwards, falling down the side of the monument until she heard the sound of wings flittering. She looked down and saw that the small pixie had managed to catch her, and was slowing the descent as they got closer to the ground.
"Pixie dust!" Gwen shouted, a smile forming on her face.
The alien, despite its lack of a mouth, just gave the girl a devious look as a high-pitched purring noise escaped it. "Pesky Dust is more like it!" it responded, setting the girl on solid ground.
Pesky Dust looked upwards, taking note of the bat. It screeched as it lunged down at the trio, only for Pesky Dust to close his eyes, and try to punch it. Gwen and Max quickly got out of the way as Pesky Dust's fist begins to glow and sparkle with that same bright lime-green color. As the fist makes contact with the giant bat's snout, the glimmering and sparkling light sticks to its face, covering its eyes as it began to crash to the ground. The punch itself didn't do anything, but the dust certainly had an effect as the bat lulled to sleep.
Pesky Dust looks at his fist, seeing the dust dissipate and fade as he unclenches his hand. "Ooohh!~ Okay, I see what I'm working with now! Let's see if I can't put magic man and his niece to sleep with this stuff!" Pesky Dust flutters upwards, only to notice that they had vanished. Surprised, Pesky Dust looked around and spotted a small path of destruction, leading towards a very huge building labeled 'Kelly Industries'.
'That must be where Hex is going, and if he's going there, that means the award's there too...' Pesky Dust thought.
"Ben!" Max shouts. Pesky Dust looks down at the two. "We're alright, and we'll be right behind you. Go! Stop Hex!"
Pesky Dust nods and flutters in the direction of the ensuing chaos. "Really could've used a better flier, but I'll have to make due with what I got. Here's to hoping the watch doesn't time out prematurely. I still don't know the full extent of what this guy's supposed to do." Pesky Dust whined.
Meanwhile, at Kelly Industries, Another doctor shows off the reward to a VIP tour group. As he gets ready to move, he takes notice of Dr. Banner, smiling as he walks on by, dressed in a tuxedo, but also covering it up with a lab coat. Banner also seemed to have a pair of glasses on him, adjusting them slightly as he shakes the doctor's hand.
"Dr. Kelly, it's been too long. I must say, I'm rather surprised you'd nominate me for the auspicious honor of accepting a Verities Award, not that I'm complaining." Banner enthused.
Dr. Kelly smiled warmly as a chuckle left his lips. "What can I say, Bruce? Men like us, we have the intellectual might to change the future. How can I stand by while you dedicate your genius to the betterment of everyone, while the military wants you to think with your fists and make bombs? Believe me, you dodged a bullet my friend." Kelly explained, smiling as they posed in-front of the award for a picture.
"I know Betty thinks so, I just wish her father could at least look like he wants to be here," Bruce gestures to a man dressed in a full camo suit, glaring at Bruce as he picks up a glass full of wine and leisurely sips it, never breaking eye-contact. "Ross is making the other guests go stiff, it's like a party full of carboard cut-outs."
Before Dr. Kelly could respond, however, the subtle thumping and light quaking of the ground began to make itself known, causing Kelly to lose his words. The hanging lights shuddered slightly, the liquid in the containers were creating ripples from the shakes. Before anyone can do anything, the wall gives way, letting a furry, whole-tusked mammoth-tyrannosaurus hybrid crash into the building, causing everyone to scream and panic, trying to flee the scene.
Hex jumps off the creature's head, floating downwards as the doors close, locking everyone inside. Hex looks towards Banner, scowling as his eyes glow brighter. "BANNER! I believe you have something of mine!" Hex roared out.
Banner adjusted his glasses and got a good look at the man, finally recognizing his face behind the paint. "Shaman? What're you-" before Banner can finish his question, he's grabbed by the collar and tossed through the front door, causing banner's body to roll and stop near Pesky Dust.
Hex grabbed the award as he approached the stand. "I'd like to thank the committee for this honor, and I'd like to commemorate this award, to a couple old friends of mine. Friends I'm sure you will see again, Dr. Kelly. My beast," Hex looked to the towering hybrid creature, then gestured to Kelly himself. "You earned yourself a meal."
Kelly began to cower and tried to run, but he didn't get far when the beast caught his shirt on one of its many sharp teeth, dangling him in the air as he screamed. Before anything else can occur in Hex's favor, more of that bright green dust came sprinkling down. Pesky Dust arrived and was letting numerous clouds of dust rain onto the creature, as well as Dr. Kelly. Soon enough, they slowly began to fall asleep as Hex scowled at the alien.
"You again!" Hex pointed to the pixie. "You're becoming an unwanted thorn in my side, boy! You're a plague on my plans, a curse!"
"Please, I'm a blessing in disguise! You're a voodoo-obsessed psycho!" Pesky Dust retorted.
The pixie tried to fly over Hex and sprinkle that sleeping dust on him, but he ended up getting smacked by a small container, with the contents stiffening his wings and causing him to land on top of the mad sorcerer. Pesky Dust looked behind him, seeing Chemcrafter mixing up the wine with a few vials of liquid she had on hand. She shook them together and threw another one, causing it to explode and send the pixie flying across the room.
Pesky Dust crashed against one of the walls and fell on top of Dr. Banner, who had tried to pick himself up from being tossed. "Ah, hello... I assume you must be one of those strange individuals, right? The ones recently making the news?" Banner asked.
Pesky Dust got up and tried to flutter his wings, but they remained stiff and immovable. "I think you meant to say, 'Awesome alien superheroes' buddy, but yeah. I'm Pesky Dust, now go find somewhere to hide. This pixie's about to wear the knuckles down on these gloves when I get ahold of them." remarked Pesky Dust.
Bruce knelt down and reached into his lab-coat for something. "And as interesting as that sounds, how about a bit of help first?" Bruce pulls out a vial of violet and green goo, opening it up and spreading it all over the wings. Soon enough, the wings don't feel as stiff, fluttering as fast as they possibly could, allowing for the pixie to fly again. "Your wings were hit with a paralyzing solvent. I always carry a counter-agent with me, just in case I get myself stuck in the midst of an experiment." Bruce remarked.
"Thanks for the quick-fix, genius. So, how do we stop this mad magic man?" Pesky Dust wondered.
The hybrid beast crashed through the building once more, roaring out as it carries Betty and Ross in its jaws. Bruce ran out of the way, as did Pesky Dust, while the rampaging dino-mammoth hybrid stomped around. "First, we need to incapacitate that monster. Do you have any special powers, like your friends do?" Bruce asked.
"Other than control sleeping dust and flying, you mean? It's possible I might have another ability, but I haven't had much practice figuring out what I can do." Pesky Dust remarked.
"No better time like the present, then. Try putting that giant creature to sleep, I'll see what I can do about Shaman and the girl." Bruce stated.
Pesky Dust fluttered upwards to the hybrid monster's head, letting a bright green dust trail scatter overhead. Soon enough, the creature was beginning to feel the effects, slumping down to the ground as its jaw opened. Ross and Betty climb out immediately, all while the pixie lays on more sleeping dust, keeping the creature catatonic.
Pesky Dust stopped flying for a moment, landing on the creature's head as he wiped a bit of sweat from his face. "Phew! I didn't think such a small body would be so exhausting to use! Here's to hoping that Banner guy does something soon." Pesky Dust remarked.
Banner had managed to sneak by and engage into a fight with Chemcrafter. She tried to gain distance, but Banner was somehow able to get closer. He grabbed a couple containers and tried to take them from her by force, but he only managed to get ahold of two before getting swatted away by Hex.
"Pitiful, is it not? The mighty Dr. Banner, the man who cracked the code for gamma radiation research, reduced to a flimsy medicine man." Hex taunted. "Perhaps you should've stuck with nuclear explosives, rather than cross my path!"
"I don't think so, Hexy!" Hex whirled around, seeing Pesky Dust coming in, covering the whole room in sleeping dust as he flies around the room, ensuring that every corner was covered. He occasionally flew down and clocked Chemcrafter a couple times, he even managed to give Hex a black eye. Hex roared out and used his staff to fire blasts of magical energy at the pixie, but the more he fired, the faster the pixie seemed to get. "You look like you're exhausted, close your eyes and rest a while!"
A cloud of dust clouded his vision, and he continued to resist. Hex could feel it, his body was shutting down. He was getting tired, sleepy. "NNNnggh... N-No! I won't be defeated, not after how... how c-close I got... to winning!" Hex was trying his best to fight the effects of the dust, but was barely able to hold on. He flew into the air, trying to look for the pixie, but did see a flash of red light illuminate a corner of the room, revealing Ben in his human form.
"No, not now!" Ben panicked. He tried to transform again, but Hex had found him. Ben was in some serious trouble, but knew what he had to do. Hex smiled, knowing he finally won, yet didn't seem to notice the faint outline shaped like the pixie he fought earlier, looming over his shoulder. Ben took off the Omnitrix, handing it over to the shaman, offering it like it was some type of sacrifice. "Here, it'll grant you power of ten mystical creatures you haven't seen before. If you promise to tell me why you were doing all of this, I'd be willing to share with you the watch's greatest secret."
Without a moment's hesitation, Hex snatched the device and strapped it to his wrist, smiling in a sinister manner as he used his magic to raise the boy from the ground. "Sometimes, good and evil aren't all black and white, child. The committee feared what it never understood. Whether it was my breakthroughs in the scientific field, or me. My niece had lost her family, with me being all that's left. I had reason to believe that her family wasn't dead, but gone. Gone in another realm, another dimension. By taking the Verities Award for my own, like it should've been, I stake my claim and take back what was robbed of me. The glory, the respect, the recognition for my breakthroughs in the field! The ultimate culmination of magic, science and nature!" Hex used his magic on the Omnitrix, fashioning it into some kind of black and gray gauntlet with bronze accents and white tubes ingrained into his arm. "And now, with the aide of your strange watch, This world will know exactly what it's like, to be at the mercy of a god! But before all that, I must find those blasted witch-hunters, they can't have vanished forever, I can still feel their energy."
Soon enough, a crowd of people appeared behind him, applauding the mad doctor. Hex smiled as he took a bow, only for the whole place to crack and falter. More of that dust seeped through, filling the room as the crowd fell silent, yet again. Hex tried to use the Omnitrix, or make it do something, but nothing happened. Hex whipped around to get information from the boy, but he wasn't there. The dust closed in, filling the doctor's lungs. He struggled and struggled, but alas, he could struggle no longer. He soon felt exhausted, tired, sleepy. His eyes closed and he collapsed.
Bruce continues to tie up the sleeping Hex and Chemcrafter, while Pesky Dust lets the dust be streamed into the shaman. His eyes snap open and the dust stops its flow. "Phew, that could've ended badly. But man, this guy's got issues." Pesky Dust remarked.
Bruce looked down and saw Hex's staff. He jumped onto it and smashed it to pieces, causing a ripple effect to be cast all over the city. The several mutant animals Hex created were returned to normal, and the hybrid dino-mammoth was reduced to a pile of fur and bones. "Well, with these two being sent away, I'd say the day is saved. Thank you, Pesky Dust." Bruce thanked, shaking the small pixie's hand.
"It was nothing, been tailing that guy all day, so I was glad to have finally put him away." Pesky Dust sighed in relief.
"If you wouldn't mind," Bruce pulled out a notepad and a pencil. "Could I get a couple statements from you?" Bruce asked.
"I uh..." Before Pesky Dust could comment, the device began to flash red and beep. "Oh boy. Sorry, duty calls! Thanks for the assist, Doctor!" Pesky Dust flew off, making it a fair way's away from the building before landing.
Bruce smiled and wrote something down in his notepad as he showed the security guards the two individuals who caused so much trouble. As the security guards dragged the unconscious bodies away, Bruce took a deep breath and sighed, looking up at the moon.
'So, aliens do exist. I gotta tell Stark when I get back to New York.' Bruce thought to himself.
The Rust Bucket drives down the highway, leaving Washington D.C. as Ben places the broken head of the staff in a box. "I can certainly say, this was quite the interesting little adventure. Being a hero is its own reward, and for once, I feel okay with that." Ben stated, smiling as he sets the box aside.
"Thanks for saving me, Ben. I really appreciate it." Gwen said.
"You may be a dweeb, but you're still my cousin. I know things will get better from here, with every crazy adventure, we'll change and become better people." Ben remarked.
"That's oddly profound of you, Ben. Did you at least think about what I said earlier?" Max asked.
"Yeah, I'll try to be a kid every now and then, grandpa. Still, this could've been far worse than it was." Ben remarked.
Gwen raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?" She asked.
"If comics have taught me anything, it's that the life of a hero, will always have its hardships. Meaning, most days, when I want to act like a kid, that won't be easy if a villain or something attacks out of the blue again," Ben cleared his throat and smiled. "But hey, at least we'll be able to rest a little after this encounter, it's not like something far worse is about to come down on us, or something, right?" Ben casually asked.
'it's not like something far worse is about to come down on us, or something, right?'
A dark and empty room with no windows is illuminated by the glow of a giant screen. A still image of Ben, Gwen and Max is present on-screen, all while the audio of those words are put on repeat.
'it's not like something far worse is about to come down on us, or something, right?'
A creaking sound echoes out, like someone got up from a chair. A tall feminine figure looks at the screen, holding a fancy glass in their hands, a bright red liquid swishes around. The black dress clung to their body as they took a sip from the glass. They step forward and press a button, turning the screen off, returning the room to eternal darkness.
"Right... Benjamin Tennyson."
AUTHOR'S NOTES:
And that was Washington B.C., or as I call it, 'Witchington B.C.' A play on the original episode title, and making reference to witches, for a number of reasons. Also, here's a list of aliens that have appeared thus far in the story.
Take note that most details about these transformations, will be altered slightly to try and fit these numerous non-Ben 10 aliens seamlessly into the Ben 10 universe. If something isn't to your liking, sorry to hear that, but I'm not changing it. Plus, for me, it's less of a headache.
1 - SWAMPFIRE
Species:
Methanosian
Homeplanet:
Methanos
Original Native Franchise:
Ben 10
2 - NIGHTSTALKER
Species:
Xenomorph
Homeplanet:
Hiveworld
Original Native Franchise:
Alien
3 - ROCKS
Species:
Basalt
Homeplanet:
Andesite
Original Native Franchise:
Ben 10
4 - BRAVEFEATHER
Species:
Pegasus
Homeplanet:
Equus G-IV
Original Native Franchise:
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
5 - BRAINFRAME
Species:
Coluan
Homeplanet:
Colu
Original Native Franchise:
DC Comics
6 - WARRIARCH
Species:
Amazon
Homeplanet:
New Themyscira
Original Native Franchise:
DC Comics
7 - PESKY DUST
Species:
Nemuina
Homeplanet:
Nemunimos IV
Original Native Franchise:
Ben 10
With all of that out of the way, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and I hope you're willing to wait for the next one.