(This is a sequel to the first Omnitrix Adventures. https//s/14204516/1/Ben-10-Omnitrix-Adventure To know the characters and what's going on, you need to read that first.)
Shawn, as Echo Echo, ran for his life along the edge of an ocean cliff at the edge of a strange blue and orange jungle. He was being chased by a bioid with a glowing energy ax. Just when Shawn thought he was safe behind a tree, the ax swiped through the trunk just above his head. He tumbled forward and split in three just as the ax plunged into the ground where he had been. He screamed at the bioid from three directions, crushing it like a tin can. "So far, so good," he mumbled to himself before turning back into a human.
"Good work, Shawn," Ida said over the Omnitrix's communication function, "Now this next dude is immune to sound-based attacks, but weak to electricity. So, I would turn into an electric guy."
"Which one?" Shawn replied, "I have several."
"I suggest Cerebrocrustacean," said Ted.
"Ooh, no!" Erika argued, "You should turn into Joltyfish!"
"I don't… know who those are," Shawn replied, instead turning into Frankenstrike. He turned around just in time to catch the ax swung by another bioid. They wrestled over the ax for a second until Shawn charged it with a surge of lightning, stunning the robot. Then, with a mighty swing of the ax, he beheaded it.
"I suppose it's also weak to being cut in half," Erika joked. Then, the whole jungle became pixelated and then faded to reveal Shawn standing in a big empty room with the remains of several destroyed bioids. The whole scenario was a simulation that took place in Azmuth's lab.
"I have FINALLY solved the problem of Primus backup signal interference," Azmuth moaned, "And you three can FINALLY get out of my whiskers."
"We knew if anyone could fix it," said Ted, "It'd be you."
"I don't know why I created three Omnitrixes in the first place!?!"
"You didn't," said Erika, "It's like we said, our universes merged after an evil version of you destroyed…"
"Another thing I don't know," Azmuth interrupted, "is why you expect me, the First Thinker, to believe such an outlandish fable.
"It's true," said Ted, "And we can prove it!"
"We can?" asked Shawn.
"Yes… Paradox," Ted explained, "If what Ben said is true, then our version of Professor Paradox should still be at the site of his initial time traveling experiment."
"I'll pull the ship around!" Ida said excitedly. After the merging of their universes, she had joined Ted's Rooters as their new pilot, along with Spellbinder, who served as the "magic liaison" and dealt with anything supernatural.
"I don't know who this Professor Paradox is," Azmuth grumbled, "or Ben for that matter, but I don't have time to go to Earth just for… hey!!!" Erika picked him up. "Unhand me, you neanderthal!"
-- -- --
Later, Ted's modified Plumber ship has landed outside of the abandoned Los Soledad military base. Ted, Shawn, Erika, and a very disgruntled Azmuth are at the outer wall, next to a gaping hole inside. They didn't know what to expect upon entering, but they sure didn't expect to see Paradox just standing there calmly in the open.
"Hello?" Erika said tentatively.
"Hello! Erika, Ted, Shawn," he greeted them, "I would say it's been a long time, but as you can imagine, I'm no longer the best judge of time length."
"You already know us?" asked Ted.
"Of course," Paradox answered, "from our little adventure saving Azmuth here from the Celestialsapien justice system!"
"That was real?" Azmuth muttered to himself, flabbergasted.
"And then there was the time after that," Paradox continued, "but that hasn't happened yet. And then there was this time, which is happening now."
"So, wait," said Shawn, struggling to wrap his head around this, "are you the same Professor Paradox from Ben's universe?"
"Well," he explained, "yes and no. Every universe has it's own version of me, but every version of me is one and the same." He was met with blank stares of confusion, even from Azmuth. "Anyway," he said, changing the subject, "I need one of you to come with me and prevent a young man from being sucked into a portal, and I'm afraid I'm running out of time to explain why."
"How does a time traveler run out of time?" chided Erika.
"Perhaps you should ask my friend here," he answered, pointing to a glowing silhouette of a man in the distance. It glided along the ground in choppy bursts, and it seemed to instantly age everything it touched, carving a trench in the ground and leaving a trail of destruction in it's wake. Also, it was headed right for them!
"I'll do it!" shouted Ted. He and Professor Paradox vanished, and were only gone for mere moments before the creature also vanished. They returned in a matter of seconds.
"Thank you, Ted," the relieved professor said, "You see, I've been stuck in this place rewinding time over and over again every time Hugo escaped the base. I don't know which was worn thinner; the fabric of space-time or my patience."
"That's incredible!" said Ted.
"So," said Paradox, "Where's the wheel? I seem to recall you saying Ben's heroics had inspired you to travel the multiverse and do the same that he did for you. You have already said that haven't you?"
"It's on the ship," said Shawn.
"Wait," Azmuth finally said, "What is even going on here? The multiverse is real? And what is the wheel? And who is Ben? And who are you?"
"Ah," said Paradox, "It seems we have a lot of catching up to do, old friend, and that includes meeting for the first time."
-- -- --
It's the next morning at a Plumber headquarters. Professor Paradox has programmed several more time and space coordinates into the wheel, and Ted, Shawn, and Erika are preparing to leave on their mission to create better futures for their alternate universe counterparts. Paradox is also explaining the science of time travel and the multiverse to Azmuth using diagrams that he and the Azmuth from Ben's universe designed.
"Remember," Shawn reassured Ida, "No matter how long we're gone, even if it's weeks, from here, it will just be a day, just like last time."
"Actually," she replied, "I don't remember last time. Being destroyed and recreated by Celestialsapiens will do that to a girl."
"Oh yeah," he mumbled, "Well, trust me. That's how it is." He scratched Zed, their metallic transforming alien predator dog, on the head.
"Alright, team," Ted announced to Servantis, Albedo, Kai, Tack, and Rook, "I trust you can handle everything when I'm gone. Just make the usual round, and file the reports, and if everything remains quiet, you can take a load off."
"Good luck, sir!" Rook responded.
"Don't have fun without me," Erika told Spellbinder.
"Oh yeah," he replied, "Because filing reports is so much fun."
"Was that sarcasm? I must be rubbing off on you!" she said, lightly punching him on the elbow, "Seriously though, was it sarcasm? It's still hard to tell with the whole accent." He smiled and rolled his eyes.
Shawn kissed Ida and met with Ted and Erika as they prepared to activate the device.
"I assume you remember the details from last time," said Professor Paradox, "The wheel will put you near that universe's Omnitrix wielder. It will also describe the future we want to avoid, as well as what triggered it, according to the best guesses of Azmuth and myself." Azmuth looked confused. "Uh, the other Azmuth."
"We're all set," said Ted.
"Also," Paradox continued somewhat ominously, "I want to commend you for wanting to do for others what Ben did for you, and add that any allies you make on this journey just might prove valuable in the future."
"Is anybody going to explain who Ben is and what he did?" Azmuth asked angrily.
"Alright, let's do this!" said Shawn, "What was it Ben said? It's clobberin' time?"
"Wrong Ben," Erika laughed. They each grabbed the handles, closed their eyes, and activated the wheel.
-- -- --