Author's Notes:
"Normal character lines will appear in quotation marks."
Thoughts of characters will appear in italics.
Communication through thoughts between two or more characters will appear in italics and boldness.
"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 and Omnitrix generated text and phone calls will appear in underscores, quotation marks, and boldness."_
An unquantifiable long amount of time ago, there lived a blank dimension without a universe present within it. The 5th Dimensional cosmic traveling beings known as the Contemelia arrive at this particular dimension, and continue their never-ending expedition of creating universes through the reality-warping device known as the Annihilarrgh.
Briefly before its activation, 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 it could proceed further, the shape-shifting hero beyond time and space known as Ben Tennyson arrives with his partner, Rook Blonko. Upon capturing the explosion, through the combined power of all of his transformations, contains the infinite Big Bang and defeats Maltruant. With the Chronosapien's body being scattered into pieces across the blank realm, destined to repeat his failure over and over again, trapped in an eternal time loop.
The signature beep of the Omnitrix played thereafter, and a glorious emerald shine bathed the ship for a brief moment, dying down to reveal the legendary Ben 10 in all his glory. The sixteen year-old sharply examined the Annihilarrgh clenched within his palm, taking one final glance at the timeless device, before dropping the remnant onto the floor and firmly squishing it to pieces.
What remained of the transcendent artifact soon began to crumble to faint dusts of crimson energy, right before the teenagers' eyes.
"Another self-righteous villain laid to rest." He proclaimed smugly, placing his hands over his hips in satisfaction, only before for a sudden groan of pain striked his senses.
Ben turned swiftly and narrowed his irises down to his friend, who ferociously rubbed the back of his scalp in an attempt to ease the dizziness.
The teen carefully offered his hand to his fallen comrade, who struggled in adjusting to the surroundings, until a sudden force of instinct lead him to willingly grasp his partner's hand and lift him up to his feet.
The Revonnahgander gasped in awe once his eyesight cleared, recalling how his ally rose from the endless depths of the infinite void and encased the omni-dimensional bomb in the force of his own hands. While not having not having witnessed the sight himself, there was no telling what kind of cataclysm bestowed upon the early universe prime, and the felines' stutters barely managed to form into viable words.
"I thought you were--"
"Nah." The emerald chad refuted proudly, "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!" he narrowed his head down at the watch, "And it gave me just the alien I needed."
Skurd, the Slimebiote who had accompanied the hero on a journey throughout the time war, temporarily detached himself from the device, glaring at his host in a moodily stance.
"Your recklessness never ceases to amaze!" He exclaimed sarcastically, crossing his tiny "arms" in mild annoyance.
The brunette envisioned it differently in his head, especially considering he now wielded the power to clamp down on an imperceivable relic beyond dimensionless proportions.
"Not reckless, it always seems to give me the right alien, even when I want something else."
He faced his partner once more, "Guess I should stop fighting it after all, huh? It seems to know me better than... me."
And it did, while not a truly sapient device of its own, there was no telling that Ben and the Omnitrix were clearly linked in various ways, likely had been from the start.
One of the Contemelia members picked up a piece of the rubble scattered from the Annihilarrgh's destruction, examining the trio with a look of unbelievable delight, they could not allow such a fabulous opportunity to cease.
"Would you like to view the creation of your own universe? It seems that this may be the most interesting one yet." The godly being spoke, in its stoic, legendary voice.
The duo faced each other in mild confusion, as the higher-dimensional being waved their hand towards their opposite angle, prompting the warriors to follow.
The intended Annihilarrgh soon deployed below the Contemelia Ship, in an explosion reminiscent of the Big Bang itself. A beautiful rainbow spark grew throughout the encompassing void, warping into the very reality known to many throughout the Omniverse.
After the unreadable light faded, what now appeared were the rich cosmos of a fresh, prime universe. The godlight of galaxies and cosmic dust leading a multitude of trails throughout all of space and time.
"This is the most amazing thing anyone could ever hope to see..." Ben proclaimed, awestruck at the boundless scale of creation. He never imagined his career as a hero would take him so far.
When his adventures first began, he was but a cocky, immature tween with a supernatural gift at his disposal. But overtime, through a series of unprecedented events, he learned his ways as a young hero.
What had started as a simple road trip through a supernatural vacation, soon developed into a frenzy of ancient, multiversal history and a journey throughout the trunk of a tree that branched off into endless paths of independent stories. All spanning from the roots of one hero, above and beyond, Benjamin Kirby Tennyson.
He fought, he laughed, he cried, he mourned, and he grew, more than anyone could've anticipated for his age. He dominated the land, conquered the waters, and soured through the skies.
He rose to the vacuum of space itself, reaching numerous celestial bodies, interstellar voyages, and all that lurked beyond. He shattered inconceivable limits of what was rendered impossible for even the most intelligent beings across the growing universe.
He surpassed the limited barrier of existence, baffled the very creator of the Omnitrix from just his sheer willpower alone, cured the destruction of an intergalactic invasion, single-handedly defeated a cosmic warlord several times over, and even accessed the Forge of Creation. A realm beyond existence itself, inhabited by the very avatars themselves.
Life was never so simple, unfortunately...
Countless losses stalked his team like a trail of blood underneath their superficial accomplishments, many good people were lost along the way... either incapacitated, retired...
...or killed.
Yet, regardless of what occurred, he continued to grow exponentially. He matured efficiently as opposed to his earlier years of youth, making up for past mistakes and preparing for those following the future.
Yet, even until now, time had only begun to tick...
The Revonnahgander creaked his head at the younger teen, a proud smirk situated over his lips. Both of their hands were still embedded on the window upon which they viewed.
"Indeed, never before could I ever imagine myself witnessing such beauty."
Pods now stood present as the metallic dimensional walls of the ship creaked open, signaling the duo's attention as one of the Contemelia members scooted away, revealing small canisters with Slimebiotes floating patiently within.
Ben and Skurd gasped astonishingly at the mass of goop, with the conscious mucus himself extending his arms and dragging the latter closer.
"More of me!" He cried happily, his ancestors within glanced back in a similar manner, each sharing flabbergasted expressions back at their multi-billion year old descendant.
"I thought I was alone in the universe!"
The Contemelia stepped forward, pointing their index finger at the ancient organism.
"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."
The godly being commanded yet another barrier to shed, a similar row of canisters attached before the indestructible metal, albeit empty compared to the rest.
The Contemelia gestured over to the cans with a wave of their wrist.
"Would you like to join your ancestors? It seems you have forgotten who you truly are, which is understandable after billions of years."
Skurd shifted back to face his host, "When I first met you, I saw you as nothing more than a free lunch."
The brunette lifted his wrist for closer communication , "Are you talking to me or the Omnitrix?" he questioned superiorly.
"If I hadn't found antagonizing you so much fun, I would've never stuck with you. Thank you for everything, dear boy."
Ending their connection with a soft wave, the Slimebiote hopped inside the tube, leaving the hero to crouch as he brought his face closer for their final conclusion.
"Thank you Skurd, I owe you my life..." He rebelled softly, closing the hatch, and tilting back alongside his partner.
"And I owe you mine."
The shape-shifting cell planted his fingerless palm onto the glass in a hopeful moment, before allowing it to rest peacefully down.
"Goodbye, Skurd, you will be remembered for your efforts." Rook nodded bravely, shedding a tear in the left corner of his left eye, before rubbing it off with his thumb.
The ancient alien waved gleefully once again, until he and his kind were then sucked out into the early cosmos, leaving as the pods' doors closed.
As the dawn ended, a bright circular portal formed behind the duo, and out came the supernatural time-walker himself.
Professor Paradox.
"Well done, Benjamin. I knew you wouldn't fail." The scientist rewarded greatly, his signature expression always delivered a moment of hope to the heroic team.
Ben's inflated ego satisfied him as he shut his eyes confidently, whilst crossing his arms in acceptance.
"I knew it too."
"You did?" Inquired his otherworldly friend.
The brunette grabbed a piece of the timeless dictator from underneath, "See, Maltruant is stuck in a time loop." handing the scraps 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 transcended man lifted his arms to his sides, pointing gestures here and there as the explanation went throughout.
The boy walked north-west to grasp another piece of the Chronosapien, this time, the rotating key that assisted in the evil doer's ability to warp time.
"The only one who doesn't know about the time loop is Maltruant himself. Oh, and you too Rook, I guess." He pointed out casually.
Paradox now greeted the Contemelia, still carrying the lifeless machinery in his arms.
"Pardon us for the intrusion, we'll be on our way soon." He turned with a smile at the young heroes, "Now, help me pick up the rest of Maltruant. We have a lot to do before I take you home."
They all remained there in a moment of satisfaction, until Rook's eyes suddenly caught a glimpse of his partner's left arm, brows raised in concern.
"Uhh, Ben? Why does your arm possess the same coloration as a Celestialsapien?"
This resulted in the whole ship falling under a haunted silence, every member inside widening their eyes in response. The young hero lifted his left wrist and scoped it carefully, releasing a faint gasp in the process.
Previously, Skurd had acquired a piece of Alien X's power in order to produce a blade equivalent of the latter's texture, which is what allowed the Omnitrix wielder to pierce the time barrier in which Maltruant's Annihilarrgh floated within.
Had it detonated, the whole legacy of Ben and all of his stories across the Omniverse would've been eradicated forever. Yet, when the Slimebiote detached, the effects did not cease to quit . It was as if the Celestialsapien itself had fused with the boy.
"Oh dear..." Paradox grimaced horrifically, "I don't imagine this ending well."
"What exactly is happening here? How did a Celestialsapien fuse with the boy?" One of the Contemelia inquired shockingly, hearing the sacred name of their outer-dimensional superiors.
"I-is this like a virus? Am I infected or something?! There's no way I can live with this!" Ben blabbered out, turning side to side in an uneven manner, passing glances at every individual within, "What's going to happen to me now?!"
Paradox placed his mechanical hand onto the boy's shoulder, delivering his best efforts into calming the teen down. Granted, it was likely pointless trying now, but it was one step closer to readjusting his attention.
"Do not feel frightened, Benjamin, I'm sure there is a way to explain this."
All eyes were now set on the scientist, as the deity took a slow breath, preparing his explanation.
"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 expression then shifted to a fierce gaze, "Hence, why it stuck on you while you turned back." he gripped his chin with his index finger.
"Although, the effects of constantly transforming and absorbing the energy of Maltruant's Annihilarrgh may have caused a disruption within the Omnitrix's systems."
The room fell quiet for a few moments, as the group could hardly bear to process the information delivered by the time walker.
Without warning, an emerald light erupted from the Omnitrix, bathing the Contemelia Ship in its hue.
The following traces of electricity cackled around the hero's arm, thickening as it traversed across the watch.
The sudden interjection of energy forced Ben into an insoluble degree of pain, collapsing on the floor as his hands clenched the ground with all his might, knees shaking uncontrollably.
Heavy moments passed by, to the extent that the brunette was now relieved of his agonizing experience. As soon as his senses returned, he immediately rose to his feet unnervingly, now surrounded by dreadful eyes all scanning his motion closely.
"What was that?!" He exclaimed in mild nervousness, begging for someone to answer.
No figure stepped forward to explain.
Not even Paradox dared to mutter a word, the being well recognized for his seemingly boundless knowledge and tremendous power, now froze to no end.
The Omnitrix wielder read their expressions one by one, mouths hung open and still, as if they'd been witness to a sight so mortifying it sucked the very soul out of them.
Ironically enough, after the pain had seized, the teen's trembling frame was now replaced by a calm stature. He felt strong, very strong, and what's more... were his irises glowing?
Indeed they were, and their color appeared far too bright to refute otherwise, there was no denying something had changed. One thing the group failed to catch a glimpse of, however, was the godly emerald aura emitting from the Celestialsapien arm.
Silence bathed the ship once again, it took minutes of pure uninterrupted emptiness for everyone's minds to reboot. Paradox activated a portal behind him and turned to leave, gathering the rest of Maltruant's remnants in a haze, while the Contemelia gathered back to their regular activities.
Rook shifted his focus back to his partner, still stiffening a little at the shock mere moments earlier.
"Are you feeling alright, Ben?" He questioned worriedly, deeply concerned for his friend's health.
The brunette eyed the feline like a toddler looking up to their mother, "Surprisingly enough, I do. It's just... well, I feel very different now. Not that I'm hurting, but rather carrying something powerful."
"What are you suggesting?"
The teen merely shrugged his shoulders, "I don't really know, I feel like that energy I absorbed as Feedback earlier may have actually been transferred onto me. As if, I literally absorbed its entire power supply."
Both were equally startled at the moment, until another portal formed beside their standing position, provoking them to turn. Footsteps were what followed next, revealing Paradox in a bitter mood.
"Alright, Benjamin, I feel now I may be able to grant you both a proper introduction to this mystery."
The duo followed his words, desperate to understand this profound event. The professor brought his staff forward and placed his hands over it, expression strict as he eyed the young heroes.
"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 during transformation, but it seems the Annihilarrgh's power was what triggered it to fuse with you."
Their eyes spread once again, a cold chill ran down their spines, figuratively for Ben.
"You absorbed an immeasurable amount of power, and with the Omnitrix needing to continuously search through your transformations, in turn overloaded as a result of the detonation. Skurd could not withstand the resulting energy, so he was forced to temporarily separate himself, but the Celestialsapien arm remained intact."
Both teens could sense their hearts racing, but again, the brunette's structure could no longer pick up vulnerabilities.
"Mixing this together, the Omnitrix ended up haywiring and so failed to activate its failsafes simultaneously, since it was already doing everything it could to change your frame."
The information stunned the adolescents, both seeming like they were prepared to faint. Ben attempted to get a closer look at the Omnitrix, the glow that resonated inflated his mind with a barrage of thoughts, sped up by the growing process of his power.
"What's going to happen then? I mean, is Alien X permanently attached to me now? Forever?" He demanded nervously, his emotions were beginning to consume him, and it wasn't made any better by the overflowing theories in his head.
The professor stepped forward and raised his hand to grasp the teen's shoulder, a soft glare making contact with his eyes.
"During the trial in which you were convicted for unintentionally recreating the universe, it was then you managed to convince Bellicus and Serena to grant you the keys of Alien X, correct?"
The Omnitrix wielder simply nodded in response, convincing the man to let his hand go, but it somewhat enlightened the boy as to how the time-walker even knew of the trial's occurrence.
From what he knew, Paradox usually had his hands tied due to rampaging multiversal threats like Eon, or the godly Celestialsapiens that prevailed against his motives.
"Since your consciousness was mainly in control of the body, having it attached to you without the personalities to restrict the force, only led to your part of the spectrum to fuse with you physically. In turn, earning your spot as the voice of reason, the one responsible as a tie-breaker."
The Revonnahgander's eyes widened at the info, attempting to construct the correct set of words necessary for a response.
"So, wait! What does this mean for Ben? What will occur after this?"
The professor sighed dimly, his downed expression and backward steps only further fueled the anxiousness within them.
"Due to Alien X fusing with your very genetic structure, which should be impossible may I add, has now permanently connected a piece of his power into your biological system."
Ben's irises shook at the indefinable message, his mouth slowly protruding off their sockets, the mass of energy gurgled inside his veins. It was as if his blood had been replaced by an ocean of pure, endless power, one that would flow through his veins forever.
"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..."
The teen's heart felt prepared to sink, even with the otherworldly enhancement holding it in place indefinitely, no measure of power would put a stop to the emotional outrage he experienced at the moment.
"You were already left to take control of Alien X, meaning there is no reason to worry about the backlash of his personalities, but a good chunk of the power will be drifted onto you. This, in turn, may also affect your transformations along the way."
The young brunette felt absolutely devastated, where would he go from here? What would he do from now on?
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 strived for was doing the right thing, ensuring safety throughout the universe.
That's why Azmuth built the Omnitrix, he did in order to establish cosmic peace as a method of apologizing for his creation of Ascalon, a reality warping sword built for the intention of war.
That was why he allowed Ben to wield it's full capacity, because he understood that the emerald hero was the only one selfless enough to sacrifice himself if it ensured the spanning lives of the innocent.
Yet, that proud hero was left to wonder, glued to his most powerful form. It's capabilities warped his very makeup, eradicating the only functions that made him human.
Rook and the immortal scientist felt the despair in the Omnitrix wielder's eyes, both equally concerned for the teen. They understood the stress he felt, but it was really worrying them now, as it would only continue escalating to a higher degree.
The professor sighed quietly, expression drifting down, not even he could predict the hero's fate.
But how could he not predict it? He was capable of so much! No other being could casually take a stroll throughout the entire Omniverse like he did, not to mention realms even beyond that!
How was it that he failed to ensure Ben Tennyson's safety? He'd done so before, right?
Where did it all go wrong?
The teen could only prepare for the eternal cataclysm, forced to bear the endless potential of a power he never desired to keep. He was only sixteen years old for goodness sake! This was a fate nobody had ever accounted for.
He may have been prepared to stop cosmic destruction on extraordinary magnitudes, but being forced to hold the limitless power of a being beyond creation itself was unthinkable!
What would this change make him now? A god hiding among mortals? Having to forcefully hold back his power just to fit in with every day life?
"Ben?"
Rook's soft voice snapped the brunette back into reality, the latter of which bringing a clearly specified grimace at his partner, showcasing the dread flowing through his eyes.
"Are you alright?" He pleaded quietly, though it clearly did not reassure the Omnitrix wielder whatsoever.
The young brunette gave no response, rather he turned to embrace the feline closely, giving him no time to react.
The Revonnahgander was taken by surprise from this act, he wasn't familiar with Earth's culture as opposed to other worlds that he'd traveled to, but he had learned his way over time.
He noticed it underneath his partner's emerald irises, and simply returned the gesture as a way to help him cope with his condition, not wanting to ghost him in this state.
The sight broke the professor's immortal heart, frustration soon built up inside of him, his mind beginning to overthink. Fortunately, a bright pause came to end the misery, an idea he had saved up until this point.
Soon, his expression changed back into a confident smile, now eyeing the duo with great tales to tell.
"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's teary eyes were still present as he turned to face the pressor, his expression appeared hurt but also curious nonetheless. He wiped the tears off his face, releasing a soft sniff in the process.
Paradox smiled gleefully, having decided the upcoming preparations for the omniverse's saver.
"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 now exchanged enlightened faces, contrary to what the scientist intended, and Ben seemed to have regained some faith judging by the fundamental change in his expression.
Paradox's features formed into a small grin when noticing he'd caught their attention, raising his arms to his sides once more.
"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 intruded quickly, one of his eyebrows raised. The deity could only chuckle in amusement, goal still intact.
"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."
The humanoid feline carefully processed the words, left in sheer awe. Was this really true? Other realities out there that acted completely unlike all the ones they've seen?
Paradox stepped forward to deliver his conclusion, "Would you like to visit one of these realities? Perhaps there you could make a fresh start, are you willing to join the experience?"
The emerald hero's droplets of tears had faded, no longer crushed under the worry and pain of his curse, he eyed his empowered wrist strictly.
Then, he took a calm breath, before drifting his focus back to the time-walker.
"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 replied with 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 in your realm, so your return will only spark a surprise."
Ben nodded confidently, his heroic smile now implanted over his face in a moment of passion. Understanding the brunette's acceptance, Paradox lifted his mechanical gauntlet as the device began to disperse cosmic energy.
The scientist turned around and opened his palm to release a rainbow sphere, it levitated above the metal ground, before it slowly grew into a full fledged portal of spectacular coloration.
The deity glanced the teen once final time, stepping aside so the young hero could fulfill his new destiny.
Ben could make out faint structures through the window of light, not too different from his own world. He drifted his attention back to his allies, hoping for a sense of direction and advice.
Rook lifted a thumbs up, smiling gracefully at his partner. Paradox merely nodded in response, leaving the destined hero to wave back happily, before turning to enter the portal.
"Safe travels, young Benjamin. You have a whole journey ahead of you..."
Cast:
• Ben Tennyson
Species: Homo Sapien (formerly)
Gender: Male
Age: 16
Height: 5'7"
Design: Fashioned Teen Human
Appearance: Ben 10 Omniverse
Voice: Yuri Lowenthal
• Rook Blonko
Species: Revonnahgander
Gender: Male
Age: 19
Height: 6'4"
Design: Battle-Equipped Humanoid Feline
Voice: Bumper Robinson
• Skurd
Species: Slimebiote
Gender: Inapplicable
Age: Minutes older than the universe
Size: Many centimeters
Design: Squid-like green blob
Voice: David Kaye
• Professor Paradox
Occupation: Transcendent Being
Gender: Male
Age: Inapplicable
Height: 6'6"
Design: Battle-Equipped Scientific Human
Appearance: Ben 10 Omniverse
Voice: David McCallum