Last time this was updated was back in December of last year, so it's been quite a while since we were here... or was it? That's because this chapter is based on the Paradox episode, which is out of order from canon, but its part of the plot line I originally wanted to portray. Besides, he doesn't appear in canon again until the final 2-parter War of the Worlds, so this could technically still work. Like his character does allot, Paradox drops plenty of plot hints and foreshadowing, so take notes! And enjoy the first chapter of 2020!
-FLASHBACK: 1950's-
"Are you sure this... Time Machine, is gonna work? It's costing the U.S. government a pretty penny, Doctor" said a General behind a protective glass shield with 3 other scientists around him. He was watching as a professor and his Assistant were operating a doughnut-shaped machine. It looked similar to a Teleporter Pod that Reiny had.
"It's not much of a machine or vehicle, per say. The Chronologger is rather a subatomic drill designed to open a tunnel in Space-Time" said the Doctor, keying in some codes. Once he was finished, he began walking towards the window the General was behind.
"It'll also give our Red buddies overseas a thing or two to think about" said the General, putting on some protective goggles, as did the other 3 scientists.
"But to answer your question, there's only one way to find out" said the Doctor, dawning his own protective headgear. He then pulled a lever on a console, causing the Chronologger to activate. It began making a swirl of energy, while the Doctor watched in admiration of his work.
"Are you certain this is safe, Doctor? These goggles are all we need for protection?" Asked the Assistant, as wind began blowing all through the lab.
"I'm not certain of anything, Hugo; but the chrono-magnetic field it generates should suffice" said the Doctor, unsure himself. This was a moment in history, the day Time Travel would become reality! So many tests, so many failures, so many 'back-to-the-drawing-board' moments... but the Doctor was confident this would work this time!
"Doctor... I'm, a little nervous!" Said Hugo, yelling over the loud hum of the Chronologger. The Doctor just lifted up a brown paper bag in response, not taking his eyes off his machine.
"Have a gumball then, it'll calm your nerves" said the Doctor, also raising his voice over the loud humming.
Something went wrong however, the gravitational pull was getting strong... too strong! The readings were going berserk! If that wasn't bad enough, some of the equipment was pulled into the Chronologger... though "pull" might not be the best word to describe it. They were stretched! The Doctor unfortunately was also sucked in, unable to brace himself.
The General and other scientists couldn't do anything but watch... the last thing they saw, was a giant looming shadow over them... and a deep roar...
-END FLASHBACK-
(AN: Theme song.)
Chapter 4: A Time Paradox + Vampire
"You both didn't have to come, we could've handled this ourselves" said Kevin, looking in his rear-view mirror as he drove on the outskirts of town, eyeing the 2 monsters that were adamant about joining Ben and the rest of them on another adventure. Ben was in-between both Kurumu and Moka in the backseat.
"Yeah, I'm not leaving him with a guy whose car gets destroyed every 5 seconds" said Kurumu, disregarding the fact she HAD wrecked the car once before.
"Besides, Ben just gave birth, he needs to save his strength" Moka joked.
"WILL YOU GUYS SHUT UP ABOUT THAT ALREADY?!" Yelled Ben. This was like the 2nd day in a row his friends brought that up, though a certain vampire in Ben's head found it funny and snickered everytime it was mentioned.
"I for one, appreciate the extra help. But Kevin's right, it's nothing we can't handle" said Gwen, she and Ben the only ones thankful for the helping hand the 2 monsters' have given them lately in the fight against the DNAliens. Kevin then parked the car and all occupants began to exit.
"Doesn't seem like nothing. Weird noises, strange lights, rumors of unearthly creatures running around out here?" Said Ben.
"Yeah, that's probably your 2 mistresses over there" said Kevin.
That made Kurumu scowl, then poke one of his cars tires by growing out her index fingernail as she walked past it. Moka saw this. "Kurumu!" She reprimanded in a whisper.
"What? I'm sure he's got spares in the trunk" whispered Kurumu.
"That's not the point, what if we need to leave in a hurry?" Moka whispered back.
"From what? Ben can take care of anything that comes our way" whispered Kurumu. Moka certainly couldn't deny that, but that still didn't mean Kurumu had the right to slash Kevin's tires.
"In all seriousness, the dudes I heard it from aren't... totally reliable" admitted Kevin, the group joining him at a large wall.
"Isn't this like, a Bad Boy thing to do? Sneak into a ghost town to drag race?" Gwen piped in.
"How should I know? I only know them from Auto Shop" said Kevin, confidently. The rest of the group eyed Kevin suspiciously, glanced at something, then looked right back at Kevin. "What?" He asked. His only answer was Kurumu raising a hand, and extended another nail from an index finger, pointing at something. Kevin looked. On the wall, in red paint, read: Kevin Rules!
The Osmosian just chuckled weakly.
"So... what is this place exactly? The Great Wall of Trump?" Asked Kurumu, as this wall they went up to was quite tall.
"It's an abandoned military base from the 50's. Los Soledad I think its name was. Grandpa Max said it was also a research facility" said Ben.
"Must've been pretty serious research. 50 years later, and no way in" said Kevin, looking up at the walls.
"Ben could just Fourarms Smash it down" suggested Kurumu.
"Let's not and say we did" said Ben, not a big fan of vandalism unless necessary.
"How about you phase through?" Suggested Moka.
"Probably not the best idea, he's still in remission" Gwen joked, making Ben glance at her. Will they ever let him live that down?
"We can take the succ-u-bus over it" Kevin joked himself, getting a glare from Kurumu. It also got Vampire Ben to chuckle some more, as they both made a similar joke. "I love this man" he said.
"You up for making an elevator?" Ben asked Gwen, figuring she could make a mana platform for them and it could lift them over the wall. It was then Moka's Rosario began glowing, and everyone shut up.
"Or you could use the convenient hole in the wall" Said Inner Moka flatly, able to see through the Rosario eye.
"A hole?" Asked Moka.
"HEY! The only hole Ben's going through is MINE!" Stated Kurumu, thumb-pointing to herself. Both Gwen and Kevin stared, and Ben facepalmed himself softly, also shaking his head a bit. Ignoring Kurumu's outburst, Moka looked to the right. The left... something caught her eye, making everyone look in that direction. Sure enough, there were 2 large holes, one of which was big enough for a car.
"Only know them from Auto Shop, huh?" Kurumu asked with her arms folded, getting in Kevin's face.
"D-Don't look at me, that wasn't there before. I swear!" Kevin insisted, leaning against the wall with his hands up in defense.
"Your one to talk Misses Fourarms Smash" commented Vampire Ben.
-TIME BREAK-
The base was pretty massive, so the group opted to take Kevin's car down the road inside. Once they got further inside, they stepped out of the car again.
"So... no one's gonna talk about how some holes in these buildings are person-shaped?" Asked Kurumu, which was true. Some shelters that soldiers of old had used had odd person-shaped holes in them, like when a cartoon character goes through a wall and leaves they're impression behind.
Ben noticed something on the ground, then gave his opinion on Kurumu's question. "Seems like something might've... I don't know, burned through the walls."
"Burned through? Like what?" Asked Kevin, doubtful of Ben's hypothesis.
"Probably the same thing that burned these weird trails everywhere" said Ben, gesturing to the trails that were directly in front of him. They weren't tire tracks, that's for sure, but they appeared to be cuts right through the grass and concrete as if it was torched by an afterburner.
Once everyone joined Ben where he was, "Um... Ben?" Said Moka, pointing a shaking finger to something in the dirt. It was a bird... or what used to be a bird. It was a skeleton of one. This wasn't like creepy things in Yokai Academy, this was something dead.
"A bird... and lizard bones? Are these fossils?" Said Ben, examining the bones and trying to figure this all out. What were fossilized remains doing on the surface? What's more... they appeared to be fresh.
An old telephone booth was nearby, and it looked rundown to hell. Inside, were footprints, but not the kind you'd expect. "It's like whatever was standing here turned the slate into sand" said Gwen, observing the damage. The cord where the phone probably used to be was also sparking with electricity.
"He was probably on hold" said Kevin.
"The trail leads into that police station" said Kurumu, pointing in the trials direction. Ben put down the lizard remains and looked around where Kurumu was, with Moka following behind him for protection.
"And then goes into those... apartments, I guess?" Said Ben, making his best guess on what he was seeing.
"Ok, so to review: a dinosaur made a phone call a million years ago, then walked into a condo that was built 50 years ago?" Kevin said with heavy sarcasm.
"Why does Gwen like him again?" Asked Inner Moka with equal sarcasm.
"Your not helping, Kevin! These could be signs of DNAlien activity and..." Ben started to argue, but that's when Moka spoke up again.
"Um, I don't think its aliens" she said, looking at something in the distance, her voice sounding scared.
"Why would you think...?" Ben began, but Moka cut him off again.
"Are DNAliens usually blue?" She said, pointing to something heading they're way!
What it appeared to be was a large blob with visible bones on the inside, also having sockets for eyes even though there were none. It had 2 long bones near its torso that looked to be arms, and 2 below that were obliviously legs. If its appearance wasn't creepy enough, it also made a weird humming sound. It moved around quickly as well, leaving afterimages of itself. As it moved towards the group, the grass withered and died, but they didn't notice that.
Kevin reached down and absorbed the sidewalk. "Finally, something worth all that gas."
Gwen took a battle stance, her hands flared up with mana. Kurumu took her own fighting stance; getting her wings, nails and tail out. Ben also turned on his Omnitrix but before he could choose something, Moka grabbed his hand and brought it to her Rosario. She didn't pull it down, just awaited Ben's approval. Figuring they might need Inner Moka's strength, he nodded and Moka pulled it down herself.
The group half-expected for this 'thing' to back away at Inner Moka's awakening, but it just kept coming toward them with no visible reaction, as if it was unaware of them. Once the vampire was released, she already figured this was her next challenge and prepared herself for a fight.
Ben continued what he was doing earlier. He scrolled through, seeing Vampire Ben's icon, but then changed his mind. Using him right now might not be the best idea, or in front of Gwen and Kevin either. Ben still had no idea what would happen if he chose the vampire. He's powerful sure, but Ben still had no recollection of what happened when he was unlocked during the... 'incident', nor knew if he could control him. It was kind of an Alien X situation...
"Aw, come on, dude! Seriously?" Whined Vampire Ben, but Ben ignored him and chose: "DIAMONDHEAD!"
Oddly enough, the 'thing' zing-zanged around them; then "ran" up close to a building, scraping against it. By the time the group tried following it, the building began falling over!
Diamondhead: Oh CRAP!
CRASH!
Thankfully, a wave-like formation of diamonds protected them from the collapsing building, but the group had now lost sight of whatever that 'thing' was. The only thing they saw was burned trails, the same ones Ben found before! "At least it didn't destroy the library" said Gwen.
"Your thinking of school at a time like this?!" Asked Kurumu.
"She really loves the books" said Kevin, dispelling his armor.
"She wants to RESEARCH, nimrods" said Inner Moka with folded arms, already figuring what Gwen wanted to do.
"Exactly. If we wanna know more about that thing, we have to know what's been going on here... and why its here on the base" said Ben, who transformed back to himself and was thinking along the same lines as Gwen and Inner Moka.
-TIME BREAK-
The group ended up at the bases local library via Kevin's car, looking through a single computer in the back of the store. Kurumu was flipping through some books and folders on shelves, looking for something to catch her attention and when it didn't, she discarded it aside and went to the next one.
"Your not gonna find anything flipping through them like picture books" Inner Moka commented.
"Well I don't see YOU doing anything either! Why not go back in your rosary till we're ready to battle again?" Kurumu snapped back. Inner Moka scowled at her, and would've kicked her all the way back to Bellwood if Ben didn't intervene.
"Can you stop antagonizing each other for 5 minutes?" Asked Ben. "Heh, that's like asking SEGA for an SA3" commented Vampire Ben.
"Are you sure... " *jumbled mess of words/static* "...open a tunnel in Space-..." *jumbled mess of words/static* "Have a gumball..." *jumbled mess of words/static*
That was a voice recording in the computers database, but it was badly corroded that some of the dialogue was impossible to hear clearly. "The audio files are corrupted, I can't make out anything" said Gwen.
"Why not have Ben Upgrade it? He's done it before" said Kurumu.
Ben turned on the Omnitrix again, scrolling to Upgrade's icon. "Worth a shot" he said, slamming his watch down and becoming said alien, shouting out its name.
"Seriously, what's the point of doing that?" Inner Moka questioned his habit of shouting alien names... didn't Tennis Princess bring it up before?
"He's never done it when we were kids" Gwen brought up.
"Uh, not important" said Upgrade, beginning to fuse with the old computer. The minute he finished, the computer now Upgrade-colored, he replayed the files Gwen tried to listen to. Everyone listened closely to what it revealed:
"Are you sure this... Time Machine, is gonna work? It's costing the U.S. government a pretty penny, Doctor."
"It's not much of a machine or vehicle, per say. The Chronologger is rather a subatomic drill designed to open a tunnel in Space-Time."
"It'll also give our Red buddies overseas a thing or two to think about."
"But to answer your question, there's only one way to find out."
"Are you certain this is safe, Doctor? These goggles are all we need for protection?"
"I'm not certain of anything, Hugo; but the chrono-magnetic field it generates should suffice."
"Doctor... I'm, a little nervous!"
"Have a gumball then, it'll calm your nerves."
The last thing the group of heroes heard over loud humming was a deep roar before the audio cut off. They all took in what they just heard. "... did he say... a time machine?" Asked Kurumu, surprised at what she heard.
"Time Travel? Really? THAT'S what humans do in their spare time?" Asked Inner Moka, finding that ridiculous.
"If what that recording said was true, then it looks like they were conducting some kind of experiment" said Gwen.
"Who wouldn't pick the middle of nowhere for top secret research?" Commented Kevin.
"Top secret... *Gasp!* Hold on!" Said Kurumu, running back the the pile of books and folders she made. Throwing them behind her in a frenzy, "GOT IT! Here. I found this" said the succubus, handing a file to Gwen that said 'Top Secret' on it. Gwen began reading its contents, and Kurumu looked pleased with herself.
"And you didn't think that was important before; why?" Asked Inner Moka. Before Kurumu could give a snappy answer, Gwen already started talking out loud about the file.
"According to this, there was an experiment called Project Paradox. Something about Quartz Crystals... The head scientist theorized they could open a portal through time and space" Gwen read, which got the groups attention. One of the voices on the tape said something about a time machine.
"Or maybe he wanted to build a really expensive wristwatch?" Kevin joked, which he got glares from.
"So was Emmett successful or not?" Asked Inner Moka.
Gwen looked over the file to try and answer Inner Moka's question. "... doesn't say. His names been blotted out too... Ben? Anything about this guy?" Said Gwen, then asked Upgrade to look through the system for the scientist on the file, which she showed to Upgrade's screen/face. After a minute of beeping and machine noises, Upgrade's head popped out of the top, looking sad.
"Nothing. Just the picture itself" said Upgrade, coming out of the computer and transformed back into Ben. "But there was a record of where the experiments were performed. It's just down the street!" He continued, now having a determined facial expression.
-TIME BREAK-
Just like from the flashback, some of the equipment was unnaturally stretched. The "Time Machine" was also deactivated, and looked like it had taken quite a beating. Perhaps something went wrong, and someone destroyed it in a panic?
"It kinda looks like Reiny's Teleporter Pod" said Kurumu.
"Who's Reiny?" Asked Gwen.
"Eh, no one. Whoever that scientist was, his research was the baseline for an experimental tunnel though time" said Ben.
Inner Moka began feeling the stretched out equipment, slightly interested. They appeared to go into the portal. What exactly happened here? Did humans actually make science fiction nonfiction? They did that before by sending a man on the moon (though Ben once mentioned his Grandpa was supposed to be the first one). "From the looks of it, they didn't fare too well" Inner Moka put lightly. As she was doing this, Kurumu looked back to the booth behind them, hearing something... did something move? Raising her right hand and getting her nails out, she walked toward it without the others noticing.
"And those tracks are here too" said Gwen, mentioning the trail that was on the floor, the same one that 'thing' left as it moved. Weird thing was... there was only ONE trail.
"Only one trail? So it either came in here..." Ben began to say.
"Or came out of that" said Inner Moka, pointing to the time device. The Chronologger she thinks it was called, or something.
"So... could that thing be a monster?" Asked Kevin, the group giving him a look. "I'm serious. You've been to a world of monsters', right? What if this machine instead opened a portal to this Yokai Academy place?" He suggested, which the group pondered about. That was actually a good observation. Could the experiment have gone wrong and did something else than what it was programmed to do? Technically, that's how Ben got his infamous watch.
"GOTCHA!" Kurumu's voice rang out. The rest of the team looked behind them into the booth, to see Kurumu in her full monster form, yet she was held back by what appeared to be a human in a lab coat.
"Hmmm... retracting nails... bat-like wings... and a tail that can enter dreams... succubus?" Asked the human, one that looked to be in his 30's... yet still held back one of Kurumu's deadly hands simply by holding it with one of his own.
Wait... tail that can enter dreams? What did that mean?
"Yeah? What's it to you?" Asked Kurumu in an annoyed tone, struggling in the grip of this human. She had no idea how he was so strong, his grip was equal to Inner Moka's!
"Oh nothing, just a curious old man" said the man... now in the entryway?! Kurumu looked back to where he was befo... what the? He was just holding her a second ago! "Kurumu Kurono, yes?... Have we met?... Or was that your mother? So hard to keep track" said the man, glancing away and holding his chin with 2 fingers as if trying to get his thoughts together.
"Isn't that the dork from the photo, the Paradox guy?" Asked Kevin, as he and the team walked over.
"One of your Love Slaves?" Inner Moka 'asked'.
"HELL, NO! I'd rather Charm a slug!" Said Kurumu.
"Interesting you mention that, considering you and him once tried to..." piped up the man, saying something but then happened to catch Ben out of the corner of his eye. "AH! Ben! I'm surprised you didn't use Chromastone earlier... or was it Swampfire?... Difficult to tell these days" the man continued, apparently already familiar with both Ben and Kurumu.
"How... do you know my name? And Kurumu's?" Ben asked.
"I suppose the better question is: have we met, yet?... Or did we met; and then you thought it was a dream, which lead you to trust Kevin when you shouldn't have?" Said the man, then asked a question which no one had an answer too.
"You haven't changed at all... in 50 years" Gwen observed in amazement, seeing as the man standing in front of her now was a striking resemblance to the man in the photo, only it seemed he hadn't aged a day.
"50 years? It's been longer than that, I assure you... gumball?" Said the man, the Doctor from the experiment, also offering a piece of candy from a paper bag. He handed a yellow one to Ben, but he didn't answer, just looked confused. "No? How about you, Moka?" The Doctor directed his attention to Inner Moka instead.
This caught everyone off guard. Now she didn't show it, but his comment surprised Inner Moka as well. He knew her too? "I'm good" she denied him.
"Oh right, forgive me. You always loved the red ones, just like Kahlua... or was it Akua?... no, she liked the blue ones" the Doctor rambled, dropping the yellow ball back into its bag and pulling out a red one instead. NOW he had Inner Moka's attention. Where did he hear those names?
"Uh... who are you? What's your name?" Asked Ben.
"To be honest, it slipped my mind several thousand years ago; though I was given the nickname Paradox, a name I quite like" said the Doctor, putting his treats away since no one wanted any, also giving his name/nickname.
"Uh, several THOUSAND years?!" Repeated Kurumu. The team looked in her direction as she said this, equally surprised as she was.
"... ok, seriously. Who are...?" Ben turned to ask Paradox, but he was gone!
"By the way," came the Doctor's voice, now standing at the doorway to the Chronologger room. The group could only stare. How'd he do that? "You didn't happen to see a creature around here, did you? About yay big, incredibly destructive, totally unstoppable?" He continued. Once he finished asking his question, Kevin slowly raised an index finger to point at a certain vampire next to him, which everyone noticed. "No?... I must be thinking of another moment. Ta-Ta!" Paradox said, going into the room with the Chronologger.
"Wait. WAIT! How did you know m...?!" Inner Moka ran after him, only for no one to be in the room at all, leaving the vampire dumbfounded.
"Where'd he go?" Asked Kurumu, looking through the broken windows to see why Inner Moka wasn't charging anymore to kick some ass.
Gwen happened to look out the windows that showed outside the lab, seeing Paradox leaning calmly against a lamppost, having a smug look on his face. "He's out there!" She said.
"Is he screwing with us?" Asked Kevin, getting a little annoyed.
"If he's still here after 50 years, then he's obviously connected to that thing. We have to talk to him" said Ben, figuring this Doctor had something to do what that strange blue monster that was roaming the base.
"Oh, yeah. We'll talk alright" said Kevin, absorbing the wall.
"We're gonna have a REAL wholesome chat" said Inner Moka.
BOOM!
That's when both vampire and Osmosian ran toward the windows and mowed them down, going after the Doctor across the street. This confused Ben, Gwen, and Kurumu. They got why Kevin was pissed, he had a short temper. But why Inner Moka?
Paradox, still smug, just got up from his position and went behind the lamppost. Kevin and Inner Moka tried cutting him off by going in opposite directions...
BONK!
"ARGH!"
Only to headbutt into each other and knock each other down.
"Watch where your going!" Snapped Inner Moka after a few seconds of recovery.
"You ran into me!" Snapped Kevin. They both then heard a quick whistle. Looking at a house, they saw Paradox had somehow got in the doorway. Waving at them, he then closed the door. Kevin and Moka followed him in, with Kevin breaking down the door, but they once again didn't see him anymore.
That is; until they saw him in the next house over through the windows, still smiling at them, then stepping out of view. Inner Moka was the one to charge this time, performing a flying kick across one house to the next one. Kevin followed her shortly after. In Ben's, Gwen's and Kurumu's point of view; Paradox then opened the front door on the far left house, looking towards the destruction caused.
"I think they got the wrong address" he said, looked at the other 3, then closing the door. Instead of falling for that trick, Kurumu used her illusion magic to cause the house to begin forming into something, but smirked and canceled her power, making it crumble down.
...
...
...
"Was I in there?"
What the...?! Looking behind them, the trio saw Paradox smiling at them, then ran off. Annoyed, Kurumu flew after him. She pulled back a hand, then threw it forward to extended her nails as far as she could to stab the ground, but Paradox appeared to either phase through her attack or somehow she missed because he kept running from her. Going around a building, he ran past a door only a second before it was blasted open by flames. Ben (now Swampfire) ran out before being followed by the rest of the team.
"This is private property, ya know. Very expensive."
Somehow, Paradox was now standing in what used to be a doorway behind the group! This was crazy!
"He's faster than Gin fleeing from pissed off girls!" Said Kurumu, which she was right. Not even XLR8 was this quick! Furthermore, he smelled completely human, so he wasn't a monster either!
"How's he moving so fast?" Asked Swampfire.
"Quite simple, really. Its called: walking" said the Doctor's voice. Looking in its direction, he was leaning against a shed across the street, then walked behind it. Looking back to what Swampfire destroyed, Paradox had vanished!
"... Strolling, if you prefer."
Each of them, including Inner Moka, flinched at the close proximity of his voice. He had appeared from the side of Kevin out of nowhere! Just who or what WAS this guy? "He's more annoying than me!" Commented Vampire Ben.
With the Doctor now close enough, Kevin grabbed him by the collar of his lab coat. "Much better" he said, glad he could get his hands on this supposed 1000's year old man. Inner Moka was too, this human had some explaining to do...
"Easy on the jacket though, its over 1200 years old. In any case, thanks" said Paradox.
"For what?" Questioned Swampfire, then they all heard a familiar humming sound.
"For attracting its attention" said Paradox.
"Good... I need something to kick" said Inner Moka.
"Oh, that's not a good idea. Even with your power unsealed" Paradox warned, with a concerned expression on his face... also apparently knowing Moka's secret, but that wasn't important right now. As the 'thing' began to approach, it went over grass... and this time, the group saw it wither. The only one who didn't was Kevin, who had already let go of Paradox and rushed toward the 'thing'.
"Uh, why'd the grass just die?" Asked Kurumu, now a little scared.
"Wait. The bones, the concrete... those trails aren't burns, their... age!" Gwen realized, which got the rest of her friends (minus Kevin) concerned. So this didn't destroy anything necessarily, but it accelerated time on anything it touched!
"Very good, Gwendolyn. And to think you once messed with time travel" said Paradox.
Kevin punched the 'thing', but it just continued to move past him, unaffected by his strike. But something began to happen to his hand, then it began spreading to the rest of his body! The Osmosian groaned as he began feeling the effects of touching the 'thing' take affect, his face becoming wrinkly and his hair turning white. He then collapsed. The 'thing' went down the street, with Paradox running alongside it.
"HEY! GET BA..." Inner Moka demanded, as she also began to run after them, but Swampfire stopped her by wrapping vines on her shoulder before she could escape. "BEN! LET GO! HE'S GETTING AWAY!" The vampire shouted at him. This confused Swampfire. Inner Moka wasn't normally the type to rush in blindly at someone (though according to his other monster friends, she did once when he "died")... what was up with her tonight?
"We'll deal with him later!" Swampfire ordered assertively, releasing his hold. Somehow, he knew she wouldn't chase after him, his Hero's Intuition again. Inner Moka looked like she was ready to argue, but seeing the look in Swampfire's eyes made her shut up. They were firm and filled with concern (probably for Kevin).
Reluctantly, she obeyed the command; but eyed the Professor and monster as they fled.
Gwen and Kurumu were already by Kevin's body, which was face-down in the street. Swampfire rolled over the body, only to see an older-looking Kevin. He was bald on top of his head, which also had a few age-spots; his face and eyes were full of wrinkles; his lips were chapped and he only had a few top and bottom teeth left. He also wasn't responding... was he dead?
"Kevin!" Gwen said in a worried tone.
"Is... he ok?" Asked Kurumu, now very scared. Inner Moka also was a little shocked. Not even monsters of their world, S-Class or otherwise, had that kind of power!
"I don't know. Just touching that thing aged him like 60, maybe 80 years!" Said Ben, back to himself in a flash of light, also picking Kevin up.
"What are ya doing, get ya hands off me!" Said Kevin, feeling himself get picked up, then his pride kicked in and ordered Ben to release him. He sounded older too... WAY older. "My backs killing me, my legs ache... and whats with these shoes?!" Kevin complained.
"Let's... get you some help, Kevin" Gwen offered.
"I don't need any help, but that thing will when I kick its keister... UGH!" Kevin declared, kicking the ground but then grabbed his back in pain.
"He's like an irritable, stubborn, short-tempered man" said Kurumu.
"Sounds about the same to me" said Inner Moka. "Aside from a new haircut" said Vampire Ben.
"WHY'S EVERYONE WHISPERING?!" Shouted Kevin with a hand on his ear, apparently unable to hear the 2 monsters' clearly despite being in close proximity.
"Come on, old man. Let's walk you across the street" Ben smirked.
-TIME BREAK-
Kevin got out his keys and tried unlocking his green car, but Ben gently swiped them. "What do you think your doing?" Growled Kevin, getting defensive.
"Driving" said Ben.
"No way! Ya don't have a license!" Said Kevin.
"He doesn't need a license to drive a cactus" groaned Kurumu, which the old man was trying to do thinking it was his car. This also made Inner Moka look unamused and Gwen faceplam. In the car, Ben revved the engine, getting a feel for it. Grandpa Max taught him how to, plus with Kevin the way he was...
"Ya should'a gone out with me when I was young and handsome" said Kevin, leaning to the front seats. Gwen was sitting in the passenger seat, which left Inner Moka and Kurumu in the back with Kevin.
"And smelled better" commented Kurumu.
"You were too immature" said Gwen.
"Now?" Asked Kevin, a bit hopeful.
"TOO mature" commented Inner Moka.
"HEY! WHAT'D I SAY ABOUT BACKSEAT DRIVERS?!" Shouted Kevin, looking back at Inner Moka and Kurumu. That's when Inner Moka's energy flared. "Yell at me again, and I'll SHOW you."
That shut everyone up.
BOOM!
The 'thing' suddenly burst out of a house, heading right for the car!
"BACK UP, SPONGEBOB!" Called out Vampire Ben. Already doing that, Ben shifted to reverse and floored it. The tires screeched loudly as Ben booked it... also running through some garbage cans.
"HEY! IT'S NOT A BUMPER CAR!" Shouted Kevin, but no one acknowledged him. The 'thing' followed them as Ben turned a sharp corner...
BOOM!
Only for it to suddenly appear from behind, crashing through another house.
"BEN!" Shouted Gwen.
"I GOT IT!" He assured, shifting gears again and making a doughnut to now face forward, then made a hard right just as the 'thing' approached. Of course, it still followed them. As Ben drove, he flew down a neighborhood, but the 'thing' smashed through houses in its path. It kept getting closer and closer!
"KURUMU!" Ben called to her, and she already knew what her Destined One wanted. Looking out the back window, her eyes began glowing as she manipulated as many houses as she could, making giant barricades with them in an attempt to slow it down...
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
It was all in vain. It was also around this time, the car also seemed to drive unsteadily, and a beeping sound came from the dashboard. "Seriously?! Low air in a tire?!" Shouted Ben. He was sure Kevin filled them up with air this morning.
A certain vampire glared at a certain succubus, who chuckled nervously. "What'd you do to my baby?!" Asked Kevin, seeing Inner Moka's glare towards Kurumu.
Sadly, despite a good chase; the 'thing' grabbed Kevin's car with a tendril, aging it immensely. The paint chipped and darkened, the windows and lights cracked, the inside leather was all torn up, the tires weathered... pretty much anything you'd hate to happen to a car just happened.
"NO! NOT THE CAR! ANYTHING BUT THE CAR!" Cried Kevin, holding the sides of his head. Ben then made a sharp right again, and thankfully the 'thing' wasn't expecting it and was thrown off. It started chasing them again but up ahead, Ben saw a possible way out. Some boards were propped up like a ramp, but it was in front of a building...
"HANG ON!" Ben said.
"BEN, ARE YOU CRA...!" Inner Moka tried to say.
VROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
Slamming his foot as far as it could on the gas, Ben raced towards the ramp as the 'thing' closed in on them again. He hoped he had enough speed...
The second after he sent the car flying upwards, the 'thing' smashed through the make-shift ramp and the building itself. Thankfully though, Ben made it to the top of the building as the car spun due to it slamming on the roof. The group stayed put with widened eyes for a full minute, processing what had just happened. After that, both Ben and Gwen helped Old Man Kevin out of the car.
"You are NEVER driving my car again!" Kevin asserted.
POP! CRASH! SNAP! SHATTER!
And the car broke apart. A door, all the windows, and it body itself fell off. "True" said Ben.
"Where have you all been? You were supposed be up on this roof six seconds ago!... Or am I six seconds early?" Said Paradox, looking at an old pocket watch. Inner Moka was about to ask Paradox what she was gonna ask before, but Ben beat her by asking one of his own.
"Can you please tell us what's going on here?" Ben asked.
"And what's with that creature?" Asked Gwen.
"More importantly, can ya fix my car?" Kevin asked.
"You look different, Mister Levin... get a haircut?" Asked Paradox, though his face and tone was in a joking matter.
"PFHT-HAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAA! I LOVE THIS GUY!" Laughed Vampire Ben.
"Yeah... figured I'd part it down the middle, and get real OLD!" Kevin raised his voice, getting annoyed.
"You think your old? I walk in eternity" said Paradox.
"Well, hope ya know how to run in eternity, Doctor Who!" Said Kevin, shaking his fist.
"Look, can you fix him or something?" Asked Kurumu, getting annoyed, but figured Paradox could help somehow. Honestly, she'd take the normal Kevin over this one.
"Hmm, perhaps your right. He might slow us down. Nothing I can't fix" said Paradox.
"And just how are you gonna do that?" Inner Moka asked, doubtful.
"By coming back over here!" Said Paradox's voice from behind them, but he wasn't moving his lips. Turning around, they saw Paradox walk alongside a younger Kevin. Looking back to where Kevin and Paradox were, the group saw they had disappeared.
Gwen didn't question it, she was just happy Kevin was back to normal, so she ran over and hugged him. "Kevin! Your good as new!" She said.
"Well, my back still kinda hurts. If I just had someone to lean on..." he joked, to which Gwen smiled at and pushed him off playfully. He was definitely back to normal. "Ok Professor, so now can you fix my car?" Asked Kevin.
"And how do you expect me to do that?" Asked Paradox.
Everyone just looked at him like he was crazy. "You... go back in time and, bring it back!" Inner Moka said, rather rudely.
"I'm a time traveling scientist, not a mechanic" said Paradox.
"You don't HAVE to be, just drive it back... or forward, or whatever!" Said Kurumu, getting confused on this time travel stuff.
When Paradox gave an explanation (something about breaking chrono-laws), "OK, ENOUGH! I want answers, NOW!" Ben demanded, having enough himself.
"There's the Ben Tennyson I know. Your more like yourself than you became in the future. Thankfully this timeline was written by a fan and not some corporation wanting to make a quick buck" said Paradox. Once again, the Professor was stared at.
"You want me to hurt him?" Asked Kevin, punching his open palm.
"Works for me" said Kurumu, raising a hand and growing nails out of it.
"I second that motion" said Inner Moka, her patience wearing thin. If she had known this would happen, she never would have flared her power through the Rosario to scare Ruby into opening that portal in the first place. Then again, things certainly haven't been boring, but still...
"How about I tell you my story with a beginning, middle and end?" Asked Paradox, his pocket watch back out and opened. But he didn't wait for a response and somehow, the pocket watch glowed and a bright flash blinded the teams vision. This caused everyone to witness a series of flashbacks, most likely Paradox's.
-FLASHBACK-
Paradox: What most people, even the majority of the government itself never knew, was that Los Soledad was built entirely for my ingenious theory. I discovered properties in Quartz Crystals, that could allow manipulation of time and space. Just imagine it! We could access past, present and future events; jump across the galaxy; or even different worlds altogether.
Flashback shows Paradox going through papers and creating formulas about these Quartz Crystals.
Paradox: So I created the Chronologger, a sub-atomic drill that could utilize the crystals' to create an opening in the fabric of Space-Time.
Flashback shows Paradox and his Assistant operating the Chronologger from the first flashback, then something started the go wrong.
Kevin: Sounds like ya failed.
Paradox: Sort of. A small, very tiny miscalculation caused the Chronologger to rip open Space-Time continuously; tearing a hole in reality and pulling me into the event horizon. While I was there, a few thousand or so years must have passed.
Flashback shows the gravitational force from the Chronologger pull Paradox into the machine itself. Afterwards, he found himself stuck in a swirling vortex of blue, then black nothingness.
Kurumu: How did you survive that long without food?!
Paradox: That's the thing, I didn't need to. Didn't need to sleep, walk or even breathe. Didn't age either, I just simply existed outside of time itself.
Flashback shows Paradox, at first, horrified at what was happening to him. Then crazy.
Paradox: At first, I went mad, not understanding what was happening to me... but then I got bored with that after some millennia, and became sane again. So what did I do? I began to learn and experiment, just the scientist in me was meant too.
Flashback shows Paradox floating around with equations everywhere, traveling into different parts of history and testing out whatever power he was exposed too.
-END FLASHBCK-
FLASH!
The group was back on the roof again, the pocket watch stopped glowing and Paradox closed it. "After all that, I gained a total understanding of the Space-Time Continuum, letting me travel anywhere and any-when I desire. There are a few rules but rather than bore you with the details, I can go any place across time and space... within reason of course" Paradox concluded.
"You can remember all that; but not your name, or fix the car?" Asked Inner Moka, though her question didn't get answered.
"So... if your a Time Traveler, where's your new Time Machine?" Asked Kevin, considering the Chronologger in this base was destroyed and clearly not usable.
"It's not your pocket watch, is it?" Kurumu assumed.
"He doesn't need a Time Machine... he IS the Time Machine!" Ben deduced.
"Exactly!" Paradox confirmed with a wink and pointing to Ben. "Think of me as a map. I know where all the shortcuts are, and have spent dozens of lifetimes crisscrossing the time stream, making it a better place as I go along" said Paradox, walking away...
And then they all ended up in some kind of classroom somewhere in the base. Seriously, this was getting crazy!
There was a chalkboard that Paradox was walking towards with a bunch of diagrams of some kind, and information the group couldn't understand. "The reason I'm back here, is because I recently discovered an extra-dimensional creature will wreck havoc across the universe if I can't stop it. In fact, it seems to have appeared when my experiment went awry" Paradox explained, picking up a piece of chalk. From his explanation, it appeared that Outer Moka was right. That 'thing' wasn't an alien at all.
"So just to be clear, its your fault" said Kevin.
"But this creature wasn't lurking around for 50 years, people would have known about it" said Gwen.
"An excellent point, Gwendolyn. But to put this in a way you can understand: time is like a river. It flows and bends" said Paradox, drawing 2 lines down the board that he made squiggle beside each other. "Think of my experiment as a depth charge, indirectly releasing the creature, and blasting it 50 years forward to your present. As a result, its doing this to your timeline" he continued, now drawing another 'river' that went over the other 'rivers' he drew before.
Inner Moka was getting REALLY annoyed now, so much so that she growled to herself. What was this all supposed to mean? It was just a bunch of squiggly lines! "So its destroying an old military base that's no longer in use, big deal! Why the hell is that a problem for the great Doctor Strange?" Asked Inner Moka.
"That's a question for the man on the moon" said Paradox. "Uh, Neil Armstrong?" Asked Ben.
"Me" Paradox said, his voice echoing and thumb-pointing to himself. They were now in space... on the moon.
"Aaaaaaaaaand we're on the moon" said Kurumu, giving up on trying to understand all of this.
"On the moon, approximately 200 years in your future to be precise" said Paradox.
"WHAT? How are we breathing?!" Asked Kevin.
"Good question, not the point though" said Paradox, dismissing Kevin's question.
"So why bring us to the moon?" Asked Gwen.
"Imagine what that time monster would do, wandering around and aging everything it touches" said Paradox.
"Your saying Earth will look like the moon?" Asked Kurumu.
"No. It'll look like that" said Paradox, looking upwards behind him. The group followed his line of sight...
To see a dull-looking earth, no longer the beautiful green and blue planet its famous for. There were some clouds on it, but even they looked dead if that made any sense. Everyone aside from Paradox felt their blood run cold and their breath being taken away at the sight of their home planet.
"... you didn't just bring us to the future... you brought us to the worst possible version of the future" Ben said.
"Oh no. Should I fail to stop that creature... this is the BEST possible future" Paradox said, his tone now serious. Everyone stared back at the planet, taking in Paradox's words. If they couldn't stop that thing from making this future... there most likely wouldn't BE a future.
"Well fuck me sideways and call me B-Negative" said Vampire Ben, sounding stunned himself.
"Oh, what are you doing here?" Paradox suddenly said to someone. Ben and his team looked to see who Paradox spoke to. "I'm allowing myself to feel the full impact of my failure. If only I could have figured out how to stop it..." said... another Paradox?!
"Ok. Who the fuck is that?" Asked Inner Moka, dryly.
"A parallel Paradox. The one from this future" said Ben, figuring the 2nd Paradox was this timelines version of him.
"Young Ben appears to have a decent understanding trans-temporal metaphysics. That should serve him well in his future... er, past... you know what I mean" said the 2nd Paradox.
"And I drive pretty good too" Ben smiled.
"So you can make us breathe on the moon, but can't fix my car?" Asked Kevin. Just like Inner Moka's car question however, he was ignored.
"So what should I do?" Paradox asked the 2nd one. "Well obviously not what I did, but you'd better hurry. For time is running out" said the 2nd Paradox, as he opened his pocket watch.
FLASH!
Everyone was now back in the timeline they were originally from. "Since this started 50 years ago, why not just go back in time and prevent the experiment from ever happening?" Suggested Gwen.
"Heh. Just like an Energy Being, thinking outside temporal conventions" said Paradox, earning a glare from Gwen. She HATED being called that, despite it being true. "Because if the experiment DOESN'T happen, it'll also unstick me in the event horizon, preventing me from getting my powers. And that MUST happen because..." Paradox began.
"You've already saved time itself dozens of times before" Ben finished, figuring out the issue with Gwen's plan. If Paradox's experiment doesn't go wrong, then everything he did afterward would be undone, making his actions of saving the world as many times as he did all for naught.
"Dozens? Try thousands. You and I even worked together on a few occasions. In fact, there was one instance when a 200-year-old regenerating organism had gotten so powerful; only you, the vampire and Moka had enough power too..." Paradox began to ramble, making Ben cock an eyebrow. Inner Moka did too. What was the old man going on about now?
"Oh, er, nevermind. Our friend should be arriving any..." said Paradox, dismissing what he was saying. After that, he opened his pocket watch to check the time, and that's when the sound of humming and destruction filled the air. "Its almost like you could set a watch by it" said Paradox, as a house was just destroyed and the Extra-Dimensional Creature emerged from it.
Taking Paradox's hint, Ben activated his Omnitrix and chose, "JETRAY!"
They manta ray-like alien took flight, and fired a few neuroshock beams from his eyes at the Extra-Dimensional Creature, thinking he could paralyze it. He got one hit on the creatures forehead, but it only appeared slightly effected. When Jetray tried again, using his tail this time, the Extra-Dimensional Creature sped forward so all the manta ray ended up hitting was an afterimage. Paradox took out a large handful of gumballs out of his bag, and threw them at the Extra-Dimensional Creature. Everyone raised an eyebrow at this.
But it actually stopped. Like, the creature was completely stopped.
"Wait... that worked?" Asked Jetray, landing in front of the group.
"Doesn't it age anything it touches?" Asked Kurumu.
"Gum lasts a really long time, just look under your school desks" said Paradox with a smile, but that changed to horror when the Extra-Dimension Creature began moving again, albeit much slower. Jetray got out of the way easily enough, and Gwen was ready to use her powers to make a wall of mana. Kevin, Kurumu and Inner Moka were pretty much useless in this situation; since they were more close combat oriented.
What they didn't expect was Paradox to jump and take the monster head-on, which once again halted all of its movements, though it was clear that the professor was struggling.
"Let go of it! It'll age you into dust!" Called Gwen, worried about they're new ally.
"I already told you... I exist outside of time... though I still feel the eons passing!" Said Paradox, trying his best to hold the Extra-Dimensional Creature back, though it looked worse than painful since his body kept expanding and shirking due to his and the creatures powers' colliding. Both monsters' were also really scared. They hadn't seen anything like this before. Was this what the 2nd Paradox did? Was this the moment he failed as their powers meshed together, causing everything to go wrong?
Jetray landed again and changed back into Ben. "Paradox, take us back to the 50's! The day of the accident!" Said Ben.
"Weren't you listening?... It HAS to happen because..." Paradox began to remind him, but Ben cut him off.
"Just do it!" He ordered the Time Traveler. In a flash, though he was still struggling with the Extra-Dimensional Creature; the scenery changed to what appeared to be an active military base, though late at night.
"Guys! Lab! NOW!" Ben ordered again. "Paradox, keep that thing occupied!" He told Paradox as he left with his friends.
"K-Keep it occupied? I'm a Time Traveler! I don't keep things occu-PIIIIIIIIIED!" Paradox tried to say, but the Extra-Dimensional Creature appeared to have regained its speed for it launched itself forward with Paradox handing on for dear life, the effect of the gumballs having worn off.
The group headed right for the lab the experiment was being held in. Ben tried the door... "Of course its locked" he deadpanned. Shit! He went to go for his watch, but Inner Moka stepped by him...
POW!
And kicked the door... in and off.
How no one heard that was beyond Ben, but didn't take the time to question it. The group heard the same conversation from the audio files take place, and deduced this was mere moments before the actual accident occurred. They snuck by and crawled below the glass so the personnel didn't see them. They didn't want to mess with events before they happened, that might either make the situation worse or cause the group to miss their chance.
As the Past Paradox was getting ready to start his Time Machine, Ben had a thought. "Why did it use the phone?" He whispered.
"What?" Asked Gwen. "The Extra-Dimension Thingy. Remember those tracks you found leading to the payphone? Then the trail Kurumu found to the police station? And the one I found to the dorms? It wasn't acting like some destructive, malevolent creature... it acted like someone looking for help" said Ben.
It was around this time the machine turned on, and Past Paradox was watching his device work. "Are you certain this is safe, Doctor? These goggles are all we need for protection?" Asked the Assistant, as wind began blowing all through the lab. "I'm not certain of anything, Hugo; but the chrono-magnetic field it generates should suffice" said the Doctor, unsure himself. The assistant (Hugo) voiced his concerns, but Paradox offered him a gumball.
Hugo didn't take a gumball, just backed off rather quickly. He wasn't watching where he was going, and fell over himself on a control panel, the impact causing it to spark.
It was at THAT exact moment, the Chronologger began to malfunction, pulling Past Paradox into the event horizon with no way of saving himself. Hugo was then being dragged in next, holding onto some stretched-out equipment to try and hold himself in place. "The assistant!" Said Ben, realizing the existence of the Extra-Dimensional Creature. If he could save him, then Paradox could still have his powers, and the world would be saved from that horrible future they all saw!
Ben began crawling towards the malfunctioning Chronologger. "WHO LET THAT KID IN HERE?!" Said the General.
"BEN! DON'T!" Cried out Gwen.
"YOU'LL GET SUCKED IN WITH HIM!" Said Kurumu. But Ben didn't listen, he was still reaching for the assistant. It was here that Inner Moka felt a sudden pang in her heart, and her body got up on its own accord to hold Ben back by an arm, using the vampiric strength in her legs to kept them both grounded. The General asked himself where these kids came from, but didn't verbally say it due to events taking place.
"YOU... ARE... AN IDIOT! NOW WE'LL BOTH GET SUCKED IN!" She yelled at the Omnitrix teen because even with her S-Class strength, she was starting to loose ground. If she stayed like this any longer, she AND Ben would be dragged off with Paradox and his assistant.
"Then maybe we should put on a little weight" said Ben, turning on his Omnitrix and slamming it down.
FLASH!
A giant shadow loomed over Ben's group and the military personnel, and with a mighty roar: "HUUUUUUUUUUUMUNGOUSAUR!"
Inner Moka was no longer holding Ben's arm, but a giant Vaxasaurian's leg due to Ben's transformation. Just as Hugo lost his grip, the Vaxasaurian managed to catch him by holding himself against the portal and reaching inside. Due to the close proximity, Inner Moka lost her balance and grip, and went off into the void as well, screaming! Thankfully, a large hand made of machinery grabbed her. Looking back, Humungousaur saw it was courtesy of Kurumu's magic.
"HURRY! I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH LONGER I CAN HOLD!" Said Kurumu, her energy draining fast due to the powerful pull of the Chronologger, as well as from using it several times tonight.
Taking a risk, Humungousaur used his other hand to grab Inner Moka by her legs. "I GOTCHA!" He told both Hugo and Inner Moka. But with both arms in use however, Humungousaur didn't have much leverage to back up. He then felt a surge of energy flood his legs, and his Omnitrix emblem was glowing dark green again.
"COME ON! MOVE!" Vampire Ben's voice shouted in Humungousaur's head. He did just that and while it was a bit easier to walk backward and away from the Machine, it was still a struggle for the dinosaur-like alien. "GRRRR... SHUT IT DOWN! SHUT IT DOWN!" He roared.
Gwen stood up, and blasted the out-of-control Chronologger with multiple mana blasts, and didn't stop until Machine's portal closed in on itself.
Back outside, Paradox was riding on the Extra-Dimensional Creature as it sped around the base, trying to fling the Time Traveler off. When that didn't work, it then headed straight for a building. The second just before impact, Paradox closed his eyes to brace himself...
...
...
...
Huh? Nothing happened. No pain from crashing through buildings, no head trauma, no nothing. Looking down, Paradox was no longer holding an Extra-Dimensional Creature... but a young man, in the same lab coat as Paradox. The young man looked up as his mentor, confused as to what had transpired.
"HUGO! OF COURSE! If there was a snake in my boot, it would've bit me!" Said Paradox, hitting his forehead lightly, feeling rather silly he couldn't figure out that the destructive monster was in fact his assistant. Ben and this team walked over to Paradox. All they had to do to find him was follow the still-present age trail. They all looked at the Time Traveler, all looking smug since THEY were the ones to figure out what the problem was.
"D-Don't give me that look! I would've figured it out... eventually" Paradox claimed, a little embarrassed.
"You had eternity, yet it took a bunch of teens less than 5 minutes!" Said Inner Moka. Hugo looked back and forth between his mentor and the group of kids, still confused on what the heck was going on. Before he could ask, the teens and Paradox vanished in a flash of light.
-TIME BREAK-
Appearing back to the present, while the military base was still abandoned, there was no damage caused by an unstoppable monster this time around. "I must admit, Ben. I'm very impressed. Never once did it ever occur to me that someone else was dragged into the event horizon. Your much smarter here than when I met you in another timeline" praised Paradox.
"Uh... thanks, I guess?" Said Ben, unsure how else he should respond to that.
SLAP!
"OW!" Ben yelped, Inner Moka having slapped him across the face.
"That's for almost getting me sucked into the void!" Said Inner Moka.
As Ben began rubbing his cheek, "Your the one who went after him in the first place" Gwen brought up, which made Inner Moka open her mouth to counter, but nothing came out. She just folded her arms and stayed silent.
"So now that that guys no longer mutated, whatever happened to him?" Kurumu asked Paradox, but her answer didn't come from Time Traveler.
"Oh I... lived my life" said the voice of an older Hugo, who appeared to join them. He looked around 50 years older than the last time he was seen. Aside from the white hair and cane, not much else changed about him. "Had a feeling I'd find you here eventually. Was only a matter of time" he punned.
"Hugo! How are you, old friend?" Asked Paradox, giving his old colleague a handshake, happy to see him again.
"I'm pretty old, though you look the same after 50 years" said Hugo, showing a witty sense of humor.
"Yes, time flies I suppose, but you don't look that bad. How was your life?" Asked Paradox. This kinda confused Ben and his friends. Shouldn't he already know since he time travels... or was he just doing it for the sake of conversation?
"It was a good life. Got married, had a wife and kids. But I always made time to come back here, even after Los Soledad shut down because... well... I'm sorry about the experiment. It was all my fault; I ruined everything. We never got to time travel together" said Hugo, sounding regretful for his mistake back in the day.
"Would you still like too?" Paradox offered, to which Hugo smiled at.
"... Yes... I would like that allot" the old assisant said.
"Splendid! How's about a behind-the-scenes look, at eternity?" Asked Paradox, opening his pocket watch. It glowed, and some kind of portal similar to the one the Chronologger had appeared, though this one was MUCH more stable. Helping his old friend along, Paradox lead Hugo through the portal to parts unknown.
"THANKS FOR LEAVING US IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE WITHOUT A RIDE!" Kevin yelled in frustration.
"At least he's got company now" said Gwen.
"Would it have killed him to send us home first?... Or does that break chrono-laws too?" Scowled Inner Moka, having the same emotions as Kevin.
"Come on, I'll Way Big walk us home" said Ben, going for his Omnitrix one final time... but it was red. "You have the worst sense of timing" Ben said to the Omnitrix.
'I don't suppose you can donate some juice?' Ben said in his head. "I'm a vampire, not the fucking Energizer Bunny" said Vampire Ben, responding back to Ben.
"Greeeeeeeeeat... we got a long walk back to Bellwood" grumbled Kurumu. They all walked towards the exit. As they did, all 5 paired of their eyes widened!
...
...
...
It was Kevin's car! It was back!
"OH-HOHOOOOO! STOKED!" Said Kevin, the first one to run towards his 'baby'. Everyone else joined in a second later.
"He fixed it!" Said Kurumu, happy she didn't have to walk back to Bellwood know. It would be an easy flight, but she was exhausted.
"It looks like new!" Said Gwen.
"It's doesn't just look new... it IS new! Fresh outta the factory from 30 years ago!" Said Kevin, noticing the interior was also improved significantly. "Paradox, I take back everything I ever said or was about to say about you" he continued, looking up at the sky, thanking the Time Traveler for his help.
Gwen and Kurumu got in the car in their usual spots, but Inner Moka noticed something folded on one of the windshield wipers. Curious, she picked it up.
"What is it?" Asked Ben, having noticed Inner Moka go for the note.
"Dear Kevin; keep in mind that due to me breaking chrono-law, if this car so much as touches anything from the 70's... it'll explode like antimatter" she read, but then tossed the note upon seeing who wrote it, and went in the car, having had more than enough.
Ben caught the note as it fluttered in the air, and looked at it. "... its from Paradox" Ben said after skimming down the note, getting into the car himself.
"Heh... he's kidding, right?... I mean, its just some kind of silly time travel joke... isn't it?" Said Kevin, getting in the car along with Ben, but began nervously querying if Paradox was joking or not.
As he drove back to Bellwood... another car question was never answered.