Chapter 1 – Date Night

July 8th, 2010

Bellwood, California

"Ben?" a voice called out from the yard.

"Ben?" the voice repeated.

"Benjamin Tennyson!"

"What?" an annoyed voice finally replied.

"Where are you?" said the first voice.

"On the roof," said Ben, sounding bored.

Julie Yamamoto, Ben's girlfriend, walked further away from the Tennyson house and turned to look up at the roof. Sure enough, there was Ben, in his green jacket with the number ten on one side, black shirt and blue jeans, sitting with his knees against his chest and looking dejected out at the setting sun.

"What are you doing up there?" asked Julie. She looked around briefly to see if there was an easy way to climb up there to join him. There wasn't. "How did you get up there?"

"I've been having... a problem... with Benwolf," said Ben, without looking down to meet Julie's eyes.

"What sort of problem?" asked Julie. She raised a dark eyebrow and put her hands in the pockets of her pink hooded jacket. "A Big Chill sort of problem?"

"No, nothing like that," said Ben. "I haven't lost control or anything, it's just that every time I try to go hero, I end up changing into Benwolf, regardless of who I select on the Ultimatrix."

"Okay," said Julie, shrugging. "Maybe it's a bug. Albedo isn't the genius Azmuth was, maybe he broke something when he was modifying the Ultimatrix." She tilted her head slightly. "What's a Benwolf anyway? I don't remember that one."

"He's an alien who's DNA I captured when I was still a ten year old," said Ben. "He's just a big warewolf-like alien. I haven't used him since I was ten, but all of a sudden he's all I can change into. It started last week, when we were fighting that Polysophotodon."

"The green jellyfish?"

"Yeah, that one." Ben sighed. "I tried to change into Big Chill but ended up as Benwolf."

"You used to have problems selecting aliens before, though, right?" asked Julie.

"Well, when I was kid, yes," said Ben. "But that was before I learned some of the configuration codes and was able to set it up right. I shouldn't be having these troubles now."

"I still blame Albedo," said Julie. "But that doesn't answer my question. Why are you on the roof?"

"To tell you the truth, I'm not really sure," said Ben. "Benwolf gets kind of ... animalistic sometimes."

"Animalistic?"

"I just get these strange instincts that I can't fight, like scratching my neck with my hind paws or something. Anyway, the last two times I changed into him I've felt the need to climb up onto something tall and stare at the sun. So this is where I ended up when I changed back."

"On the roof," said Julie, flatly.

"It's actually quite nice. Peaceful."

"Right. Well, I'm going to go inside then, where there's less crazy."

"Could you get me a ladder?" asked Ben.

Julie cupped her hands to her mouth and yelled. "Ship!"

A distant chirping came from behind the house and a black and green vaguely quadrupedal blob came bounding out and stopped in front of the young Japanese girl.

"Ship!" the blob said.

"Ship, can you help Ben down from the roof?"

"Ship! Ship!" said Ship. It hopped over to the edge of the roof and began to shudder. "Shiiiiiiip!" It stretched and deformed into large forklift. The forks raised up with a sound like a motor until they touched the roof of the house.

Ben stood up and hopped onto the fork as Ship lowered them back to the ground. "Uh, thanks, Ship."

Ship quickly snapped back to its blob-like shape and hopped up and down cheerfully. "Ship!"

Ben crossed over to the door where Julie was waiting.

"Is this going to be a problem?" asked Julie. "I mean, if you can only turn into one alien, it could be an issue."

"I just hope it doesn't last," admitted Ben. "Maybe I should try to contact Azmuth. See what he has to say about it. Though, last time he talked to me he gave me one of those looks."

"Looks?" asked Julie as they walked into the house. She had been at Ben's place so many times by this point she was almost as comfortable as she was in her own home. She went into the kitchen to get some popcorn while Ben took of his jacket and hung it by the door.

"You know, those, 'The Omnitrix is not a toy!' looks whenever he thinks I'm abusing my power or something."

"He has a look for that?"

"Sure, it's all, big eyed with a tilted head."

"His eyes are always big," Julie called from the kitchen. "Compared to his body anyway."

"You know what I mean." Ben shook his head and headed for the couch. Julie appeared a half a minute later with a bowl of popcorn. "He said the 'Ultimate Aliens' were not an intended usage of the Ultimatrix and that I shouldn't use them. But he's always like that about anything cool."

"He's usually right," Julie pointed out.

"And it usually works itself out in the end," Ben shrugged. "Anyway, I'm not sure he'll help me if he knows how often I've gone into Ultimate Big Chill." He took a handful of popcorn.

"It can't hurt," said Julie. "Or get used to being Benwolf."

Ben was silent for a minute, staring at the TV.

"Ben?" Julie said.

"Hmm?"

"You're staring at the TV."

"Yeah, I do that a lot."

"It's off," she pointed out.

Ben blinked. She was right. "Oh."

"So what're you thinking about now?" Julie said with a smile.

"Something that ... I'm not sure, something I sensed when I was Benwolf on the roof."

"Sensed?"

"Smelled I guess," said Ben. "Something familiar, but old. I can't quite place it, but I know I've smelled it before."

"A bad guy?"

"I don't think so," said Ben. "At least, Benwolf isn't agitated about it. He's actually quite calm. Like it's soothing."

"The scent that soothed the savage beast," said Julie.

He sighed. "I hate problems like this. There's nothing to beat up on."

"Aw, poor baby," mocked Julie.

=== (X) ===

"I hate these sort of problems, there's nothing to beat up on," said Kevin. He pulled uncomfortably at his tie. It was crooked. No matter what he did, it remained crooked. That seemed physically impossible and yet, here he was, looking in the mirror, and incapable of straightening his tie.

Kevin grumbled and ran a hand through his dark hair. He hated dressing up all fancy. Why couldn't he just wear his jeans and shirt to dinner? It's not like clothes made anything taste different.

He pulled at his tie again. It defied him openly. He needed a more delicate touch to resolve this battle.

"Mom!" Kevin called. A few moments later his mother came into the bathroom. "Can you fix this?"

"I'm not going to let you dress in jeans for your date with Gwen, sweetie," said Mrs. Levin.

"That's not what I meant. I mean this tie, it's all crooked and I can't figure out why."

Mrs. Levin laughed as she reached up and loosened Kevin's tie and then lifted it over his head. "You look just as comfortable in a suit as your father did." She undid the knot and then began to tie it around her own neck. "I could have sworn he was going to show up for our wedding in his Plumbers outfit."

"He didn't, did he?" asked Kevin. He wasn't sure which answer he felt was better.

"He did not, thank you very much," said Mrs. Levin. "Do you understand why?"

"Not really," Kevin looked up at the ceiling.

Mrs. Levin reached over and gently took her son's head in her hand and made him face her. "Because a relationship is equal parts give and take. I know your father loved his life as a Plumber, even though I couldn't be part of it. So even though I worried constantly he was going to die on some alien planet, I never tried to stop him. It was important to him, and because it was important to him, it was important to me. In return, your father dressed himself up nicely once in a while, because I liked to see him at his best."

Mrs. Levin finished with the tie and then put it back on Kevin, straightening it with ease. "So, maybe you could do what Gwen would like once in a while, without complaining."

"Like wearing a tie?" said Kevin, drolly.

"Like wearing a tie like you love it," smiled Mrs. Levin. "If she has to force you, it's not the same."

"I dunno, she likes to force me to do things," commented Kevin.

"It's a gesture, Kevin." Mrs. Levin folded her hands behind her. "Find out the things she likes, and try and do them with her once in a while." She turned to leave the bathroom. "Assuming she matters to you."

Kevin frowned then looked at himself in the mirror. He considered his outfit. It was a monkey suit, not suitable to a badass like him. He felt awkward, like he was poking out all over the place from behind a sloppy disguise; like his messy hair and dusty boots and rough hands. How Gwen could want him to look like this he couldn't possibly fathom.

"Aren't you supposed to be picking Gwen up at seven?" Kevin's mom yelled from elsewhere in the house.

Kevin checked his watch. "Crap!"

=== (X) ===

Gwen Tennyson tapped her foot as she stared out the front window. She wasn't going to be upset, she told herself. Kevin is always late. It's normal. Nothing to be angry about. Nothing at all.

"Isn't it getting close to your reservations?" asked Gwen's mother, Lily asked as she came into the room.

"YES!" Gwen said, louder than she intended. She tensed up for a second, breathed, then calmly turned to face her mother. "Yes. But it's alright, I called ahead and told them we'd be late."

"That Kevin boy can't show up anywhere on time," said Lily.

"Mom, I don't want to talk about this right now."

"Are you he even cares about you?" Gwen's mother pressed on.

"He's put his life on the line for me more times than I can count," Gwen said. "He'd go to the moon and back for me without a ship if I needed him. I know he cares."

"But not enough to use a watch."

"Mom..." Gwen warned.

"You're growing up, dear," said Lily. "Soon you won't be kids anymore."

"I'm not a kid as it is," said Gwen, testily.

Lily smiled warmly. "I know, you've had to grow up fast because of this alien business."

"I am an alien, mom," said Gwen. "Even without the Omnitrix falling from the sky I think I'd have had to deal with this by now."

"My point is, you're growing up and it's about time you look for someone who's willing to grow up too."

"Kevin is grown up! He's even older than me!" Gwen hated talking to her mom about Kevin, it always ended up like this. She hoped Kevin would show up soon so she could escape.

"He doesn't act like it," said Gwen's mom. "Never on time, always obsessed about his car, running his mouth off."

"It's a thing," said Gwen, uneasily. "His thing. A personality thing."

"And you like it?"

"Not all of it." Gwen sighed. "But I like him. I can't force him to radically change his personality for me."

"Honey," Lily reached out and put a hand gently on her shoulder. "It's your life, and regardless of what I think, you need to do what is right for you."

"Thanks for permission," grumbled Gwen.

Lily ignored the comment. "But consider this: just because you like someone doesn't mean you're mean to be together."

"What? What's that supposed to mean?"

"That all the love in the world can't save a couple who annoy each other daily." Lily moved her hand to Gwen's face. "Believe me, dear. Your father wasn't the only person I fell for. And there will be others for you as well."

"I'm not going to break up with Kevin," Gwen said. "And Kevin doesn't annoy me every day! He annoys you, and I'm sorry that is the case, but if you really want me to make my own decisions then let me, and stop trying to rig the game."

Lily stared at her daughter for a moment, then retracted her hand and stepped back, nodding. "I'm sorry. I just don't like seeing you unhappy."

"I'm not unhappy," said Gwen. "We're just late. It's not a big deal." She looked out the window again and finally, Kevin pulled up in his roadster. "And now we're not anymore." Gwen picked up her purse and headed for the door. "Don't wait up."

"Have fun, dear!" called Lily.

Gwen rolled her eyes as she walked through the door.

=== (X) ===

"She said what?" Kevin said. Then looked around at the people in the restaurant who turned their heads at his outburst. He blushed slightly. "Sorry."

"Keep it down," Gwen admonished.

"Why would she say that?" asked Kevin. "Were you complaining about me or something?"

"No!" Gwen shook her head quickly. "You were just late, and she... I don't know, used it as a platform for her debate."

"She hates me," Kevin concluded.

"Oh, don't be so dramatic." Gwen took a sip of her water and went back to poking her salad. She wasn't all that hungry for some reason, and she had the nagging feeling that 'reason' was her mother's sudden evangelism.

"I've seen how she looks at me," Kevin said. "She tolerates me at best."

"I shouldn't have brought it up, it doesn't matter what she thinks," said Gwen.

"You said she's actually complained about me before?"

"Seriously. Drop it." Gwen gave him a look that could wilt flowers. "What she thinks isn't important. She's my mother, and I love her, but she doesn't get to decide this for me. No way; no how."

Kevin sighed. "Sorry," he said.

They sat in silence for over a minute while Kevin looked uneasy and Gwen tried to eat more of her salad.

"You look nice tonight," said Kevin, cautiously.

"Nice of you to notice," snapped Gwen. Kevin frowned and looked away silently. Gwen noticed and began to feel the guilt pile up on her shoulders. It wasn't Kevin's fault her mother got on her case. Well, it was his fault for being late, but he couldn't have known what would happen. She was being a shrew because she was in a bad mood and she shouldn't be taking out on her boyfriend.

"I'm sorry, Kevin," Gwen said in a much kinder tone. "This isn't your fault. Thank you for the compliment. You also look very handsome tonight."

"Really? I think I look like a stuffed doll in this suit," said Kevin. He pulled at his lapels experimentally.

"It's not that bad," smiled Gwen. "Maybe a haircut would help."

"I like my hair," said Kevin, defensively.

"You could style it," suggested Gwen.

"I'm not sure a jar of hair gel will make me feel more comfortable."

Gwen shrugged. "Well, I think you look nice, anyway."

Kevin seemed like he was concentrating extremely hard for a moment. Then he said, "Good. That's why I did it."

Gwen smiled, then started to blush and she looked away slightly. Her mother knew nothing, she decided in that moment. "Uh, ahem. That's a nice tie. Is it new?"

"It's my father's actually. Mom found it in an old box of his stuff."

"You don't talk about him very much, apart from that Ragnarok business."

Kevin looked down at his untouched salad. "I don't have that many memories of him. Most of what I know I heard from mom or other Plumbers." He looked up at the ceiling and narrowed his eyes slightly. "If I try hard, I can remember one time being with him. It must have been days before he left to stop Ragnarok's sun drainer."

Kevin sighed and closed his eyes. "I have no idea what we were doing, but I can see him, smiling at me for something. Grinning almost, I think. He must have been very happy for something. I can't imagine what."

"Maybe he was happy about you," said Gwen.

"I was just a stupid kid at the time," Kevin shook his head and opened his eyes. "What is there to be happy about?"

"That you're alive? That you were his son. Thinking about what you might become." Gwen leaned her elbows on the table and rested her head in her hands. "Don't you think he'd be proud of you if he knew you now?"

Kevin frowned slightly. He said nothing.

A waiter showed up after a few minutes of silence and brought their dinners; and the conversation was forgotten.

=== (X) ===

An old sci-fi movie marathon was scheduled for that night on TV and Ben wasn't going to miss out. Julie certainly didn't mind. While she wasn't as much of a fan of movies with titles like The 10,000 Year Old Man, and Planet Of Hats, Attacks!, she didn't hate them, and she liked spending time with Ben.

Around the midway point of the third film - Robot Adonis From Space - Julie started to doze off and tipped against Ben's shoulder on the couch. Ben had been starting to get slightly sleepy himself but when he felt Julie's head resting on him he startled awake.

Ben looked down at her sleeping face. "You're missing the best part," he said softly. "The Robodonis totally wins the modeling contract and uses the money to build a space ship to go home."

Julie didn't stir, however, and Ben just smiled. She was possibly the cutest girl he'd known and he sometimes was baffled that she liked him too. Sure there were his endless legions of fans now that everyone knew he was a hero, but he suspected they didn't really like him for him, they liked him for the aliens he could turn into and kick ass.

Julie was different, though. She seemed to like him before she found out about his ability to go hero and took the revelation that there were aliens in the world pretty casually. Not many people were able to roll with those sorts of punches and that made her special in Ben's eyes. He wondered a few times if they'd end up together in the long run, but those thoughts always bothered him for one particular reason.

When he was ten, the same year he got the Omnitrix, on Grandpa Max's sixtieth birthday, he took a trip into the future. He got to see himself, and the world, twenty years into the future where he was a great hero with ten thousand aliens at his command. The kind of hero that people built statues of and cheered when he walked past.

But he was also alone. He had Gwen and Grandpa Max with him, at least after his younger self helped him straighten out his personal issues, but there was no one else. No pictures of future girlfriends or a wife. No pictures at all, really, in his tall skyscraper of a headquarters.

Was that his future? Destined to be alone and grumpy until the advice from a ten-year-old boy helps him realize that maybe people can share the weight of being a hero? It seemed so unlikely especially since he worked with Gwen and Kevin right now without any issues, and even Julie and the rest of the Plumbers have given him a hand. He didn't mind their help at all, and couldn't imagine what would make him change his mind.

But he did, didn't he? Or will? The whole future business was crazy complicated and he wished there was some way to straighten it all out. Could he avoid that future or was that impossible? Should he even avoid that future, given that, for all his personal problems, that Ben 10,000 clearly had made the world a safer place. If he turned away from that future, would he be dooming all those people in some way?

Ben sighed. The truth was that the Omnitrix, and now the Ultimatrix, placed a crushingly huge destiny on his shoulders. So huge, in fact, that it was impossible to think about it and remain sane. So, for the most part, he didn't. What was going on right now was very important, and he could get by without much trouble just thinking about today and nothing else.

But every now and then, he remembered exactly the size and shape of the brick wall he was heading towards at full speed, and it frightened him. And now he was worried just what that wall would do to Julie.

As much has he didn't want to admit it, he really couldn't ignore it much longer.

=== (X) ===

Kevin stared at the tablecloth on the table between him and Gwen. Their plates had been cleaned and they were waiting for the check. Conversation had been at most brief comments since their dinners began and now they were almost in silence. It was uneasy, and Kevin was sure how to break it, especially since he had the sinking feeling he had caused.

"Your dessert, sir?" a voice came from Kevin's right.

"I didn't order dessert," said Kevin, shaking his head. "You've got the wrong table."

"I'm sure at some point you'll order dessert again, let's just consider this an early delivery of that future order of dessert."

Kevin frowned and furrowed his brow. That was frankly bizarre. "What are you—" he trailed off as he saw who was standing next to him.

It was Paradox, the labcoat wearing mad scientist who claimed to have gone so mad he turned sane again. Kevin was always skeptical of the last bit of that statement. For instance, he was holding a slice of chocolate cake and eating it with a pair of chopsticks.

"Paradox," said Gwen, getting her voice back quicker than Kevin.

"Good evening, Ms. Tennyson," said Paradox. He placed the plate on the table and wiped his hands on the front of his labcoat. "Mr. Levin."

"Why are you here?" asked Kevin. He knew that a time traveler never just popped in to chat. He had to want something.

"Well, I just popped in to chat," said Paradox.

"No, seriously," said Gwen. "What's up?"

"I can't just visit?"

"No," said Kevin.

"Shucks," shrugged Paradox. He put the cake down and then slid his hands into the pockets of his labcoat. "I really just wanted to know if you two were having any problems, you know, that I might be able to help with."

"I've had my fill of time travel," said Gwen, shivering. "I've learned my lesson. Mess with the past and you get burned. You don't have to teach me twice."

"How about the future then?" said Paradox. "No worries about parallel worlds there. Or perhaps just viewing the past, getting to see something from a different angle? Not change anything, just look."

Paradox leaned slightly towards the table and looked at Kevin. "How about it?" he said. "Anything you might have wished you could see in the past?"

Kevin glared at him.

"Anyone perhaps?" added Paradox.

"This is a trap, isn't it?" said Kevin. He looked at Gwen. "It's a trap."

"Totally a trap," nodded Gwen.

Paradox straightened himself and frowned slightly. "Well! I can see I've done nothing to earn any respect from you two." He raised one hand and held it to the side like a tray. "That's okay, though, there are plenty of people who could benefit from my help and be grateful about it. No need to waste time with ungrateful children."

In an instant, he was gone.

"What's got that guy's panties in a bunch?" asked Kevin.

"I don't know, but I'm sure it's going to be trouble," said Gwen. "I've never seen him look angry before."

"He shouldn't be able to do much unless some fool takes him up on his Faustian bargain."

"'Faustian?'" said Gwen. "I'm impressed."

"Hey, I read," said Kevin, defensively. "A little bit."

"Anyway, I wouldn't be so sure someone won't take him up on his offer," said Gwen. "We know plenty of people who wouldn't hesitate to time travel if given the chance and ignore the consequences."

"Yeah, like Ben," said Kevin with a laugh.

"Yes, like Ben," agreed Gwen.

The two looked at each other. Then they reached for their cell phones.

=== (X) ===

Ben was finally starting to fall asleep himself and had tipped his head onto Julie's when the doorbell rang and startled him. In a foggy headed daze he jumped to his feet to look for the threat and brought his hand to his wrist.

Julie also sprung awake but since she had slightly different instincts than Ben she just rubbed her eyes and tried to look around. She quickly saw Ben going for the Ultimatrix and reached out towards him. "Ben! Wait!"

She had called too late, however, and Ben had already pressed his palm into the face of the Ultimatrix. In a dizzying blur of light and sound Ben had been replaced with a seven foot tall werewolf with bisected snout and glowing green eyes. Benwolf looked around and then looked at Julie.

"Oh, man," Benwolf said.

"Tried to warn you," said Julie.

Benwolf sighed then froze and sniffed the air. The doorbell rung a second time.

"Maybe I should get it," said Julie. "While you change back." She headed for the door. "Who could it possibly be this late at night?"

Benwolf didn't reply as he looked around and sniffed the air. "That smell," he said. "It's so much stronger now. I can almost remember..."

Julie briefly looked through the blinds. "I see the Rust Bucket, Ben. I think it's your grandpa you're smelling." She opened the door.

"Hi, Julie!" Grandpa Max's voice came from the doorway.

"Hiya, Max," said Julie.

Benwolf slowly crept up beside Julie. "It's not just Grandpa Max, it's someone else with him."

"Julie, I'd like you to meet one of my old Plumber friends," Benwolf heard his Grandpa say. "This is Wes Green."

"Hello," came Wes's voice.

"Hi," said Julie.

"And this is his daughter—"

"KAI!" Benwolf suddenly yelled. He leapt over Julie and then through the doorway, landing beside a surprised Wes and Kai Green.

"Woah!" said Kai. "Down, boy!"

Benwolf paused, then sat down next to the girl. He looked at her and was surprised. He had last seen her five years ago when she was still a little girl, but now she'd grown into a stunning woman. She was tall, thin, with dark, exotic features, and hair like midnight cascading down over her shoulders and down to the small of her back. She was wearing a low cut green blouse with jeans and had tattoos along her arms and on her exposed mid-drift.

She reached out and pet Benwolf on the top of his head then scratched him behind his ears. "Good boy," she said to him.

"BEN!" Julie voice called out from somewhere behind him, but at the moment, Benwolf wasn't listening.